Jodi Cohen Named Special Agent in Charge of the Louisville Field Office

Jodi Cohen was named special agent in charge of the Louisville Field Office in Kentucky. She most recently served as chief of staff for the executive assistant director and section chief in the National Security Branch (NSB) at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Ms. Cohen joined the FBI as a special agent in 2005 and has served in a variety of roles throughout her tenure. Prior to working within the NSB, Ms. Cohen was selected as the assistant special agent in charge of the Criminal Branch in the Seattle Field Office in 2018. Ms. Cohen also served as a team leader in the Inspection Division at FBI Headquarters, where she oversaw agent-involved shooting investigations, national program reviews, and field office inspections.

In 2014, Ms. Cohen was promoted to supervisory special agent and reported to the Washington Field Office to provide support to national security and criminal covert operations.

Ms. Cohen was first assigned to the New York Field Office, where she investigated white-collar crime and health care fraud. She also worked violent crime matters on the Safe Streets Task Force.

Ms. Cohen holds a bachelors degree from Quinnipiac University and a masters degree in physical therapy also from Quinnipiac University. Prior to starting her career with the FBI, she served as a senior physical therapist at a hospital in New York City.

This story has been published on: 2021-10-12. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
South Africa: COVID-19 prolongs negative impact on PIC's financial results

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as other prevailing circumstances, has prolonged the negative impact of the Public Investment Corporations (PIC) future financial results.

The warning has been fired by the PICs board of directors in the corporations 2020/21 Integrated Annual Report released last week.

The PIC, which is a state-owned entity, is the continents largest asset manager, with R1.907 trillion under management.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a significant deterioration in economic conditions and an increase in economic uncertainty. The pandemic is also affecting financial markets said the board.

The board said while the South African and world economy were slowly returning to normal with the availability of vaccines against the COVID-19 virus, it says many businesses have been affected by the pandemic and some will not reopen after the majority of the population is vaccinated.

They will not be able to absorb the cost of the halt in economic activity. As the pandemic increases in both magnitude and duration, South Africa and the world are learning to live and operate with the probably permanent existence of the COVID-19 virus.

Some entities are experiencing conditions often associated with a general economic downturn. This includes financial market volatility and erosion, deterioration in credit, liquidity concerns, further increases in government intervention, increasing unemployment, broad declines in consumer discretionary spending, reduction in production because of decreased demand and other restructuring activities, read the PIC report.

The continuation of these circumstances, said the board, could result in an even broader economic downturn, which could have a prolonged negative impact on the PIC's financial results in the future.

The board said the company had in the annual financial statement considered the impact of operating with the existence of COVID-19 by assessing various elements.

These include the:

Impairment of non-financial assets due to idle and underutilised assets due to government restrictions;

Impairment of non-financial assets i.e. associates due to general economic downturn;

Financial impact on financial assets due to general economic downturn and financial market volatility;

Impairment of financial assets, such as direct impact to the calculation of expected credit loss allowance;

Impairment of right-of-use assets due to business closure;

Any possible disruption associated with COVID-19 that may prevent entering into any customer agreement and its impact on the companys revenue.

Decline in the companys revenue as a result of the reduced economic activities, as fees are based on assets under management market values;

Possible onerous contracts due to unavoidable costs of meeting obligations under the contract during the pandemic outbreak, which may exceed the benefits expected to be received;

Consider any 'force majeure' clauses, that can be enacted by the COVID-19 pandemic;

Assumptions used in the preparation of the annual financial statements. For example, going concern assessment;

Consideration of how profitability, liquidity and impairments triggered by the COVID-19 impact could affect income tax;

Consideration of how the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Annual Financial Statements may affect the ability of the company to declare dividends;

New business way involving: workplace flexibility; protecting staff; reinforcing supply chain; restoring business as usual; containing cost pressure; and reassessing impact on performance.

The PIC board said although the COVID-19 impact assessment was an ongoing exercise, management has concluded that there are no material uncertainties that might cast significant doubt upon the company's ability to continue as a going concern.

The impact of COVID-19 on the company is an assessment that is conducted continuously throughout the year.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2021-10-12. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Hong Kong: Mainland officials' visits appreciated

(To watch the full media session with sign language interpretation, click here.)

Chief Executive Carrie Lam today said she appreciates and is grateful for the extensive efforts the representatives of the Central People's Government in Hong Kong have made to reach out to the community.

At a media session ahead of the Executive Council meeting this morning, Mrs Lam said she noticed that before and after the October 1 National Day celebration, senior officials from the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government (LOCPG) in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region had visited and interacted with nearly 1,000 Hong Kong people.

She said: Of course we practise a high degree of autonomy, but being the overall jurisdiction authority, it is, of course, (in) their interest to have first-hand information about the Hong Kong situation.

I appreciate and I am grateful for their extensive efforts made in the community so that Hong Kong people will not have that sort of alienation with Mainland officials (and) so that in (the) time to come, our people will have a greater sense of national identity - they feel close to Mainland officials - and that would be conducive to (the) effective operation of 'one country, two systems' in Hong Kong.

Mrs Lam added that she would be particularly interested in knowing the other views, which Deputy Director of the LOCPG in the Hong Kong SAR Lu Xinning said concerned the Mainland.

They said that where there are views and suggestions (concerning) the Mainland, then they will help to tackle those issues.

That is to be very welcomed because there are things that are beyond the influence of the Hong Kong SAR, for example, in facilitating the resumption of normal travel as soon as possible, in allowing young people to go into the Mainland with some more facilitation, (and) in giving access to Hong Kong professional service providers to go into the Mainland, particularly Greater Bay Area cities.

This story has been published on: 2021-10-12. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
South Africa: Presiding Officers bid farewell to outgoing Chief Justice

The Presiding Officers of Parliament have paid tribute to the outgoing Chief Justice of the Republic of South Africa, Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng, as he served his last day on Monday.

Justice Mogoeng, the fourth Chief Justice of South Africa since the advent of democracy, served the country and its people outstandingly and remarkably since taking over from Chief Justice Sandile Ngcobo in 2011.

The Presiding Officers, led by National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula and National Council of Provinces Chairperson Amos Masondo, commended the Chief Justice for his exceptional contribution made to the countrys constitutional democracy by strengthening the role of the Constitutional Court during his tenure.

He worked very hard to ensure that the administration of justice was bolstered through the Apex Court (Constitutional Court). He worked tirelessly to ensure that the independence of the judiciary is not compromised and that the doctrine of separation of powers is strengthened.

We salute him for remaining faithful to this country - both in word and in deed, even under trying circumstances in the evolution of our constitutional democracy and for upholding and protecting the Constitution and the human rights entrenched in it, and for fulfilling his responsibilities without fear, favour or prejudice, the Presiding Officers said in a statement on Tuesday.

The Presiding Officers said this moment calls on everyone to remind themselves about the critical role of the judiciary, as a pillar of the countrys constitutional order.

Justice Mogoeng embodies exemplary leadership and we are convinced that he leaves behind a stronger Constitutional Court, Mapisa-Nqakula and Masondo said.  SAnews.gov.za

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South Africa: SAA open to dialogue with protesting cabin crew

South African Airways is open to dialogue with the South African Cabin Crew Association (SACCA) following a picket at the airlines Kempton Park offices.

According to reports, SACCA is picketing against, amongst others, alleged unfair working conditions, 35% wage cuts to workers and the structure of SAAs management.

SAA [interim] CEO, Thomas Kgokolo, spent a lot of time with staffing groups prior to restart and recognises the hard work and dedication that cabin crew members have shown in the time leading to the carriers relaunch and thanks staff in this respect. The airline looks forward to positive and strengthening relationship with the SACCA and is always open to constructive dialogue, the airline said in a statement.

SAA said it also takes note of the unions grievances.

While SAA recognises and respects the rights of people to protest, the carrier is not able to revert to prior agreements reached before business rescue. SAA notes the protest action by SACAA on a dispute with regards to terms and conditions of employment.

The protest action comes at least three weeks after the airline took to the skies after being grounded for 18 months due to a combination of the COVID-19 pandemic and going through a business rescue process.

According to SAA, all unions were consulted about the future of the airline during that process.

During the hiatus SAA consulted widely with all stakeholders including staff associations and unions and is confident that all new agreements reached with parties either in a collective or individual capacity were negotiated fairly and equitably, SAA said.

The airline has moved to assure customers that flight services will continue as normal.

SAA assures its customers that business continues unhindered and operational schedules are unaffected by this protest, it said.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2021-10-12. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
South Africa: COVID-19, gender inequality threaten SA's demographic dividend

The economic and social impacts of COVID-19 have compounded the existing challenges young people face, threatening the prospects of reaping a demographic dividend.

We have to admit that our tiniest, dynamic intervention and response measures to avoid spreading the disease had a number of unintended consequences, including disruptive implementation for the health sector, education, training, and of course, job opportunities, said the Department of Social Development Acting Director-General, Linton Mchunu.

Mchunu was on Tuesday delivering the keynote address on behalf of Minister Lindiwe Zulu on the Rights and Choices, Youth Demographic Dividend during the commemoration of World Population Day in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNPF).

Demographic dividend as defined by the UNPF is "the economic growth potential that can result from shifts in a populations age structure, mainly when the share of the working-age population is larger than the non-working-age share of the population".

The two-day event aims to raise awareness on the importance of population and development related issues.

COVID-19

Mchunu told delegates that government has been working hard to cushion the poor from COVID-19's blow and loss of employment especially the youth and women, who are more likely employed in lower-earning informal sector jobs with no or limited social protection measures.

When we did the first iteration of the R350 grant, we realised that a lot of young men in particular between the ages of 18 and 35, were the most applicants.

However, the department saw a rise in female applicants during their second instalment when the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant opened to caregivers.

And because women play a critical role as caregivers in this country, we have been able as department to provide that level of support, particularly because of the jobs that have been lost for that age bracket of young people.

In addition, he said young, poor, and mostly females or Africans were hardest hit by lack of access to services such as healthcare.

As human and financial resources were diverted to the COVID-19 response, sexual, gender-based violence and femicide, which was rife pre-COVID-19 escalated to an extent our President has termed it as the second pandemic.

Sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR)

Investing in sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR) of adolescents was fundamental to realise the rights and potential of young people and a precondition for harnessing a demographic dividend.

However, well not be able to achieve demographic dividend or the world where every young person has body autonomy and able to make informed choices about their bodies, fertility and ultimately, their futures if gender inequality and discrimination remains unabated, he said.

Therefore, achieving gender equality should therefore be at the forefront of our developmental agenda.

However, he admitted that their efforts have fallen short.

Despite some progress and important steps in the appropriate direction, women's and girls rights in particular for their SHSR are still in a way forgotten.

However, according to Mchunu, it was not only doom and gloom, as government continues to reflect on how to accelerate adolescent SRHR for the attainment of a demographic dividend.

What we have learned so far is that specific challenges require specific attention and targeted responses and that if we want to safeguard the demographic dividend, we need to develop a strategy.

This includes developing strategic and targeted evidence-based short and long-term recovery plans that are in line with international commitments such as Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want, Nairobi Summit on ICPD25 Commitments, as well as the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

In addition, he said that governments response should be youth-centred.

This, according to Mchunu, starts from providing quality education and skills training, ensuring a conducive environment that provides decent jobs and entrepreneurship, and providing quality and holistic health, including sexual and reproductive health and rights services.

UNFPA Officer-in-Charge for South Africa, Dr Agathe Lawson, said all the UN agencies are committed to ensuring that they continue to work for the benefit of children, workers, women and the youth.

Its unacceptable that most African countries have 40% of young people who are unemployed, who have certificates, some even master degrees, she said.

Lawson said she would like to see the information discussed on this platform trickle down to the youth.

Just imagine a world where 40% of bright, young people are working, participating in the development of their country and inventing. This is for the benefit of everyone.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2021-10-12. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
South Africa: Majola lauds progress made at Tshwane Special Economic Zone

Progress made at the Tshwane Automotive Special Economic Zone (TASEZ) is impressive, says Trade, Industry and Competition Deputy Minister Fikile Majola.

Majola and Gauteng MEC for Economic Development Parks Tau on Tuesday visited the TASEZ to evaluate progress made so far in the construction. President Cyril Ramaphosa launched the project in 2019.

Speaking during a walkabout at the construction site, Majola said he is impressed with the progress made so far.

What we are seeing here is amazing. Ford told us that what is happening here has not been done elsewhere, Majola said. The Deputy Minister first visited the site in November 2020 when construction was still at an early stage.

According to Majola, about 70% of work has been done.

The SEZ has to date created numerous jobs and opened up development opportunities for the local community in its construction phase. To date, about 6 000 job opportunities have been created for local communities.

Although construction is still underway, production has started in some areas.

Earlier this year, President Cyril Ramaphosa undertook an oversight visit to the site.

He tracked progress made at the site 14 months after the sod-turning event of the R3.4 billion joint investment by government and Ford Motor Company, which established the first automotive incubation centre adjacent to the special economic xone. The automotive hub is an expansion of the OR Tambo International Airport Special Economic Zone.

The TASEZ fulfils the District Development Model objective of co-ordinated development and economic opportunities in local areas. It also focuses on attracting foreign direct investment and growing exports of value-added commodities.

In line with the South African Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plans priorities of accelerating economic reforms, reindustrialising the economy and creating jobs through aggressive infrastructure investment, industrial parks and Special Economic Zones are rebuilding the countrys manufacturing capacity.

As a direct result of the Presidents investment drive, it unlocked a R15.8 billion investment injection into South Africa from Ford Motor Company with a further R4.3bn investment from automotive components suppliers located in the SEZ.

Upon completion the zone will house a number of component manufacturers and logistics providers that will supply parts and services to Ford.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2021-10-12. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
News  Vietnam

Passengers to several major cities exempt from concentrated quarantine
Vietnam, Indonesia work toward mutual recognition of COVID-19 vaccination certificates

Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son has expressed his wish that Vietnam and Indonesia will work towards mutual recognition of COVID-19 vaccination certificates to facilitate travel by Vietnamese and Indonesian citizens when conditions permit.













Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son (R) and Indonesian Ambassador to Vietnam Denny Abdi on October 11 (Photo: VNA)



At a reception for Indonesian Ambassador to Vietnam Denny Abdi in Hanoi on October 11, Son asked the diplomat to help further boost multifaceted relations between the two countries, and congratulated him on being appointed the Indonesian Ambassador to Vietnam.



Son affirmed that his ministry will create the best possible conditions for the Indonesian diplomat to fulfill his duties.



At the function, the Vietnamese Foreign Minister underscored the importance of effectively carrying out commitments made by both nations leaders so as to develop the close friendship that has been nurtured by both sides leaders and people for over the past 65 years, as well as the Vietnam - Indonesian strategic partnership, in an increasingly intensive, extensive, and effective manner, particularly amid complex developments in the global and regional situation.



Son asked the Indonesian diplomat to pay greater attention to stepping up cooperation in multiple fields, including politics, diplomacy, and economy towards elevating bilateral trade to US$10 billion soon. This should be done along with promoting investment in the fields commensurate with both sides potential and strengths, developing human resources, and augmenting maritime cooperation.



In response, Abdi stressed that Indonesia always treasures the strategic partnership with Vietnam, while hailing the nations socio-economic development achievements. He expressed his confidence that the country will bring the pandemic under full control soon and continue developing in the new normal.



He also pledged efforts to realize Sons directions and coordinate closely with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Vietnamese competent agencies to deal with difficulties and practically beef up cooperation in both bilateral and multilateral aspects as a contribution to regional peace and stability.
Ministry suggests designating Bamboo Airways to run regular flights to US

The Transport Ministry has suggested the Foreign Ministry send a diplomatic note to the US on the designation of Bamboo Airways as an operator of regular flights between Vietnam and the US.













Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)



According to Article 3 of the air transportation agreement between Vietnam and the US, each of the signatories has the right to designate as many airlines as it wishes to operate international air transport in line with the deal. The designations shall be informed to the other side in document via diplomatic channel, and should specify charter or scheduled flights, or both, the Transport Ministry said in in its document sent to the Foreign Ministry.



In preparation for tapping direct flights to the US next year, Bamboo Airways has been granted a business license for international and domestic air transport and an air operator certificate (AOC) for the B787-9 aircraft in the North American region.



On September 23 and 24, it operated a round-trip flight of Hanoi - San Francisco - Hanoi as licensed by aviation authorities of Vietnam and the US.



The Transport Ministry said Bamboo Airways completed technical conditions and submitted a dossier to the US Department of Transport to seek permission for regular flights.



National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines was already designated to operate regular flights between the two nations, and it is still preparing its flight plan./
Tan Son Nhat airport busy after flight resumption

Tan Son Nhat International Airport in HCM City has become bustling following a long suspension due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Ministry of Transport has agreed to the pilot operation of 19 domestic flight routes between October 10-20.





All passengers are required to have two Covid-19 vaccine jabs, with the second taken at least 14 days before boarding a plane; or having recovered from Covid-19 within six months.





Passengers must also test negative for Covid-19 via the PCR method within 72 hours before departure. They must also use the Covid-19 tracking app (PC COVID) during the flight.





Passengers queued up for check-in procedures for a flight of Vietnam Airlines on Monday at Tan Son Nhat International Airport.





Vietnam Airlines staff were arranged in groups to support passengers.





Nguyen Van Hoang said that he had chosen to fly from HCM City to his hometown in Danang to save time although the tickets were a bit higher than before.





On October 11, seven flights departed Tan Son Nhat International Airport for Hanoi, Danang and Tuy Hoa, so many stalls still closed. Initially, 13 return flights depart Tan Son Nhat for Binh Dinh, Danang, Hue, Khanh Hoa, Nghe An, Phu Yen, Quang Binh, Quang Nam, Thanh Hoa, Haiphong, Phu Quoc, Gia Lai and Rach Gia.







At the security screening area






Vietnam active at UNHRCs 48th session

Vietnam has made active contributions to the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council (UNHRC)s 48th session, held virtually from September 13 to October 11.









Ambassador Le Thi Tuyet Mai.(Photo: VNA)



The Vietnamese delegation, including representatives of the Vietnamese Delegation to the UN in Geneva and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, participated in and delivered speeches at about 20 meetings and dialogues with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Special Rapporteurs.



Speaking at many meetings, Ambassador Le Thi Tuyet Mai, head of the Permanent Delegation of Vietnam to the UN, World Trade Organisation (WTO) and other international organisations in Geneva, affirmed the country's consistent policy of protecting and promoting human rights, supporting the role and activities of the UNSC and the UNs human rights mechanisms, on the principles of equality, dialogue and constructive cooperation.



Mai called on countries to strengthen solidarity and close cooperation to effectively respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, especially to ensure timely and equal access to health services, COVID-19 vaccines and treatment for all; and emphasised that developing countries need to be facilitated to participate in the production and supply chain of COVID-19 vaccines in order to effectively respond to the pandemic and step up inclusive post-pandemic recovery.



She affirmed Vietnam's determination to put the people at the centre of policies, strengthen health response capacity to the COVID-19 pandemic, implement social and financial support programmes with an appropriate scale to ensure basic rights of people.



The diplomat thanked the international community for its timely support for Vietnam in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, especially when the country has to face the wave of the pandemic caused by new variants of SARS-CoV-2.



The Vietnamese delegation joined ASEAN countries to deliver joint speeches at several sessions, such as the dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Cambodia and the Philippines.



It also actively participated in drafting documents and co-sponsoring several resolutions passed by the UNHRC during the 48th session, demonstrating a sense of responsibility, active dialogue and cooperation, and upholding Vietnam's views, consistent policy, and achievements, as well as ASEAN's common views and achievements on the promotion and protection of human rights.



The 48th session had a total of 45 meetings, discussed 86 reports, and passed 25 resolutions.
Merkel refuses to bow to ally-turned-critic's call to cap migration

German Chancellor Angela Merkel reiterated her opposition to limiting the number of migrants and refugees allowed to enter the country, as she sought to settle tensions within her bloc at a key coalition partner's party conference on Wednesday.

GALLERY

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.

Munich (dpa) - The chancellor 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."There are many varying positions. This probably will not change in todays discussion," Merkel said at the annual CSU conference in the southern Bavarian resort of Wildbad Kreuth.While stressing that she too wants to see a "tangible reduction" in the number of arrivals, the chancellor stopped short of supporting the CSUs proposed cap.Seehofer and other members of his arch-conservative party have insisted the move is necessary to alleviate the burden on the public purse and ensure successful integration.Authorities and infrastructure in the state of Bavaria, where the CSU is based, have been particularly hard-hit by the mass migration influx, with the vast majority of the 1.1 million refugees recorded in 2015 entering Germany through the states southern border.British Prime Minister David Cameron is also set to attend the conference on Wednesday evening. His Conservatives and the CSU have a common interest in reforming the relationship between the European Union and its member states.On the prospect of a so-called Brexit, Merkel said she expected decisions to be made in Germanys interest that would offer Britain "a sensible package" in order to keep it in the union. She did not give details of exact measures.Cameron has promised to renegotiate the terms of Britains EU membership before holding an in-out referendum by the end of 2017.
Incentives for Taiwan's reunification with the Chinese mainland

17:45, October 11, 2021 By Zamir Ahmed Awan ( People's Daily Online

The Chinese government resumed its exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong and Macao in 1997 and 1999, respectively. The transfer of sovereignty was completely peaceful and conducted through negotiations. No single bullet was fired, no single person was killed, no single person was arrested, all was smooth and peaceful. Based on the theory of one country, two systems as innovated by the great leader Deng Xiaoping, the people of Hong Kong and Macao have enjoyed the highest degree of autonomy. Both are beneficiaries of Chinas rise and especially the economic developments that have come in its wake. China has developed both territories by building modern infrastructure, pouring in investment, and creating unlimited new opportunities for jobs, businesses, and development. The standard of life for the average person in Hong Kong and Macao has improved significantly.

Taiwan is the only territorial issue that still remains unresolved. A few elements on the island are not willing to support reunification with the mainland. With backing from foreign masters, they are creating mischief and offering resistance to the realization of peaceful reunification.

Taiwans economy depends on the mainland. A huge number of Taiwanese have invested in China and transferred their businesses to the Chinese mainland. A significant community of Taiwanese are living in the mainland or otherwise traveling across the strait frequently.

Yet due to foreign interventions, a small group of Taiwanese are opposing peaceful reunification. Some of the Taiwanese are playing into the hands of enemies, who want to counter China and contain China.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, who also serves concurrently as general secretary of the Communist Party of Chinas Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivered an important speech at a commemorative meeting marking the 110th anniversary of the Revolution of 1911 at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, on October 9. He said that the Taiwan question arose out of the weakness and chaos of the Chinese nation, and it will be resolved as national rejuvenation becomes a reality. "This is determined by the general trend of Chinese history, but more importantly, it is the common will of all Chinese people," he noted.

National reunification by peaceful means best serves the interests of the Chinese nation as a whole, including compatriots in Taiwan, said Xi, calling on compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait to stand on the right side of history. Xi described secessionist moves aimed at "Taiwan independence" as the greatest obstacle to national reunification and a grave danger to national rejuvenation. "Those who forget their heritage, betray their motherland, and seek to split the country will come to no good end," he said, adding that they will be disdained by the people and condemned by history.

The Taiwan question is purely an internal matter for China, one which brooks no external interference, Xi noted. "The complete reunification of our country will be and can be realized," he stressed.

China is a responsible nation and has adhered to its commitments while strictly following the principle of one country, two systems. By their nature, the Chinese people are peace-loving and never like to engage in aggression or wars. The Chinese mainland has been observing a policy of patience for a long time, and expects that the people of Taiwan may eventually opt for peaceful reunification. Although the Chinese mainland has the capacity to take Taiwan by force, if necessary, it nonetheless prefers reunification by peaceful means through dialogue and negotiation.

However, in case of war, no foreign country will come to the aid of Taiwan. In fact, the role of the US is to instigate others and push them into a state of war, permitting themselves to stand on the sidelines as passive onlookers only. The US is not sincere with its intentions towards Taiwan, but instead uses the island as a means to an end, playing dirty politics and selling costly weapon systems to reap self-interested economic rewards to shore up its own ailing economy.

If the people of Taiwan are wise, then they must and will make the right decision. Accomplishing the task of a unified China will make them proud, too. In this way, they may also become beneficiaries of Chinas continued development. Reunification, once completed, will most certainly provide a boost to the economy of Taiwan and improve the standard of life on the island. Looking ahead, there are many incentives for Taiwan and unlimited opportunities for all Chinese people upon realizing reunification with the mainland.

The opinions expressed in the article reflect those of the author, and not necessarily those of People's Daily Online.

Zamir Ahmed Awan is a senior fellow with the Center for China and Globalization (CCG) and a sinologist at the National University of Sciences and Technology in Pakistan. E-mail: [email protected]

(Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji)
Commentary: The world awaits ambitious roadmap for stronger biodiversity protection

Xinhua) 08:16, October 12, 2021

An elephant-themed video clip is seen on screen during the opening ceremony of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Oct. 11, 2021. (Xinhua/Li Xin)

Through Chinese inspiration, expectations are high for a strong showing in Kunming to guide future efforts to improve biodiversity and environmental governance worldwide.

BEIJING, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- The 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP15) to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity kicks off Monday in China's southwestern city Kunming, and expectations are high for a blueprint on preserving global biodiversity in the coming years.

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

This landmark meeting, which ends on Friday, will formulate an ambitious yet feasible roadmap for global biodiversity conservation for the next decade and possibly beyond.

Humanity stands at a crossroads with regard to the legacy it leaves to future generations. As the fifth edition of the Global Biodiversity Outlook published by Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity has warned, "biodiversity is declining at an unprecedented rate, and the pressures driving this decline are intensifying."

Therefore, the United Nations has defined 2021 as a critical year to "reset our relationship with nature," calling on the international community to jointly cope with multiple crises including climate change and biodiversity loss.

The Kunming meeting is an opportunity to reflect on past experiences and lessons and forge a new strategy for global ecological conservation.

Folk artists perform during the opening ceremony of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Oct. 11, 2021. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang)

It is worth mentioning that China has made enormous efforts in hosting this critical conference despite a lingering COVID-19 pandemic. China's concrete actions have demonstrated its determination to work with the rest of the world to jointly confront the biodiversity crisis.

"The kind of ambition that China has shown sort of comes to pass not only in China, but in other countries," commented James Roth, senior vice president for global policy and government affairs at Conservation International, a non-governmental organization. "So it's a lot of work to host one of these conferences and people expect you to come out and be a leader."

And a leader China has been. The country has incorporated ecological civilization into its national development policy and constitution and has saved a number of species from extinction, including the golden monkey and green peacock, both of which are witnessing population increases.

Photo taken on May 19, 2021 shows golden monkeys at Dalongtan Golden Monkey Research Center in Shennongjia National Park of central China's Hubei Province. (Xinhua/Rao Rao)

China is also helping developing countries preserve biodiversity through multilateral channels such as the Belt and Road Initiative and South-South cooperation, according to China's first white paper on biodiversity released on Friday.

China has established the Belt and Road Initiative International Green Development Coalition and launched the Belt and Road Big Data Service Platform on Ecological and Environmental Protection. Additionally, China pledged last year that it will strive to peak its CO2 emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060.

China announced further support for other developing countries to develop green and low-carbon energy and pledged not to build new coal-fired power projects abroad.

Wind turbines are seen at central Asia's largest wind farm built by a Chinese firm near the city of Zhanatas in the Zhambyl Region, Kazakhstan, May 24, 2021. (Photo by Kalizhan Ospanov/Xinhua)

Moreover, the Chinese concept of "mountains and rivers green are mountains of silver and gold" is gaining traction worldwide.

Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, executive secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, said China's philosophy of ecological civilization is "critical for all countries to achieve the global biodiversity goals."

Nigel Topping, Britain's High Level Climate Action Champion for UN climate talks, once commented that the concept of ecological civilization will strengthen multilateral efforts to protect the environment and preserve global biodiversity.

Through Chinese inspiration, expectations are high for a strong showing in Kunming to guide future efforts to improve biodiversity and environmental governance worldwide.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
Chinese FM calls on UN members to pay dues to ensure normal operation of organization

Global Times) 08:17, October 12, 2021

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian on Monday called on some UN members to pay their dues promptly to ensure the normal operation of the organization.

The UN is facing a worrying financial situation that is mainly caused by some members' delayed payment of dues, Zhao said at a Monday routine press conference. He noted that China has paid its assessed contributions to the UN's peacekeeping budget in full.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of China's restoration to its legitimate seat in the UN. China has always maintained faith in upholding the international system with the UN at its core and supporting the UN in playing an important role in international affairs, Zhao said.

On September 21, President Xi Jinping attended the general debate of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly in Beijing via video link and delivered an important speech. This sent a clear signal that China supports the UN in playing a central role in international affairs and fully demonstrated the attention and support China attaches to the work of the UN, Zhao said.

As the largest developing country, a permanent member of the Security Council, and the second-largest contributor to the UN peacekeeping budget, China is always highly responsible and pays its dues promptly, Zhao noted.

"The current financial situation of the UN is still worrying, and arrears of membership dues and peacekeeping assessments by some member states are one of the main reasons.

"Multilateralism should be practiced, not stated. Relevant countries should pay UN dues and various assessments in a timely, full and unconditional manner to ensure the normal operation of the UN and fulfill its commitment to multilateralism with practical actions," Zhao said.

The US is the largest contributor to the UN ahead of China. However, media reports said earlier this year that UN member states owed nearly $2 billion in peacekeeping funds, with the US responsible for more than one-third of that.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
UN chief calls for injection of liquidity into Afghan economy

Xinhua) 08:19, October 12, 2021

People carry relief assistance donated by World Food Programme (WFP) in Kandahar city, Afghanistan, Oct. 7, 2021. (Photo by Sanaullah Seiam/Xinhua)

"If we do not act and help Afghans weather this storm, and do it soon, not only they but all the world will pay a heavy price," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned.

UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday called for the injection of liquidity to keep the Afghan economy afloat.

In addition to humanitarian aid, the international community needs to act to prevent the economic collapse of Afghanistan, he told reporters.

Even before the Taliban takeover in August, Afghanistan's fragile economy, which has been kept afloat by foreign aid over the past 20 years, suffered from the impact of drought and COVID-19. Right now, with assets frozen and development aid paused, the economy is breaking down. Banks are closing, and essential services, such as health care, have been suspended in many places, he noted.

"We need to find ways to make the economy breathe again. And this can be done without violating international laws or compromising principles. We must seek ways to create the conditions that would allow Afghan professionals and civil servants to continue working to serve the Afghan population," he said.

"I urge the world to take action and inject liquidity into the Afghan economy to avoid collapse," Guterres said.

This is a make-or-break moment, warned Guterres. "If we do not act and help Afghans weather this storm, and do it soon, not only they but all the world will pay a heavy price."

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addresses the Security Council meeting on Ethiopia at the UN headquarters in New York, Oct. 6, 2021. (Loey Felipe/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua)

Without food, without jobs, without their rights protected, more and more Afghans will flee their homes in search of a better life. The flow of illicit drugs, criminal and terrorist networks will also likely increase. This will not only badly affect Afghanistan itself, but also the region and the rest of the world, he warned.

Guterres said the issue of injecting liquidity should be treated independently of other issues, such as the questions of recognition or nonrecognition of a government in Afghanistan, the question related to sanctions, and the questions related to frozen assets.

"There are many questions of these that, obviously, the international community will be discussing with the Taliban and that will require that the Taliban abide by a number of important aspects, be it related to human rights and the rights of women and girls, in particular, be it in relation to the question of terrorism, be it ... the inclusivity of the government," he said.

Independently of those measures, there are forums to inject cash inside the economy through different entities, through nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), through UN agencies to allow for the people to receive assistance, he said. "And this is what we have been asking."

There is a need to find ways -- on the basis of respect for international law and principles -- to inject liquidity for the economy not to collapse and for the people not to suffer tremendously, he said. "The Afghan people cannot suffer a collective punishment because the Taliban misbehave."

The diplomatic recognition of the Taliban and the injection of liquidity are completely different things, said Guterres.

Afghan currency exchange dealers wait for customers in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, Sept. 4, 2021. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua)

The World Bank can create a trust fund and that trust fund can pay directly to Afghan people in need. The UN Development Programme has a trust fund that can pay directly to people in need or organizations in need. And there are many NGOs operating in Afghanistan, he said.

"So, we need to inject cash in the economy. I'm not saying that I'm asking the international community to give money to the Taliban or to the present authorities. No. We need to inject cash in the economy. We need to make the economy breathe. We need to allow people to survive. That is our concern."

While the international community has consensus on humanitarian aid, things in relation to the injection of liquidity into the Afghan economy are moving too slowly, said Guterres.

The main responsibility for finding a way back from the abyss lies with those that are now in charge in Afghanistan, he said.

Since their takeover, the Taliban have -- at various times -- promised Afghan citizens, including women, children, minority communities, former government employees, that they would protect their rights. Central to those promises was the possibility of women to move, work and enjoy their basic rights, and for girls to have effective access to all levels of education, the same as boys, he said.

"Gender equality has always been an absolute priority for me. ... I am particularly alarmed to see promises made to Afghan women and girls by the Taliban being broken," said Guterres. "Broken promises lead to broken dreams for the women and girls of Afghanistan."

Afghan girls pose for photos in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, Sept. 15, 2021. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua)

Women and girls need to be the center of attention. Their ability to learn, work, own assets, and live with rights and dignity will define progress. Eighty percent of Afghanistan's economy is informal, with a preponderant role of women. Without them, there is no way the Afghan economy and society will recover, he said. "I strongly appeal to the Taliban to keep their promises to women and girls and fulfill their obligations under international human rights and humanitarian law."

The United Nations is permanently engaging with the Taliban on the safety and security of its staff, humanitarian assistance and unhindered access for all, including female staff, and human rights with particular focus on women and girls' rights, he said.

The humanitarians have been acting with the cooperation of the Taliban, who have progressively granted access to the areas requested and provided security when needed. The number of incidents during humanitarian operations has been in constant decline, he noted.

The United Nations is engaging with the Taliban and progress is being made, said Guterres.

He gave an example of the UN engagement with the Taliban for its female staff to have full and unimpeded work in relation to humanitarian aid.

"Now, we have been engaging the Taliban province by province, day by day. And the result of that effort, in the month of September, is the following: we managed to reach full agreement with the Taliban on this freedom in six provinces, against three in the beginning of the month; we have partial agreement in 20, instead of 16 in the beginning of the month; we have no agreement in four, against six in the beginning of the month; and there are four in which we have not yet had the possibility to engage, against eight in the beginning of the month."

An Afghan man delivers bananas in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, Sept. 15, 2021. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua)

"This is daily work, area by area, fighting for the rights of each woman, sometimes one by one. But this is our engagement to our staff and to the women and girls in Afghanistan in general," he said. "We might have difficulties. We might fail here and there. But one thing I can promise: we will not give up."

The humanitarian crisis is growing in Afghanistan, with at least 18 million people -- half of the country's population -- needing help. UN agencies and humanitarian NGOs in Afghanistan are in a race against time to deliver life-saving aid to crisis-affected people and pre-position supplies ahead of winter, he said.

Despite financial shortfalls, logistical challenges, and an increasingly complex geopolitical situation, the United Nations is undertaking a massive humanitarian operation in the country.

In September alone, more than 3.8 million people received food assistance; 21,000 children and 10,000 women received treatment for acute malnutrition; 32,000 people received non-food items, including blankets and warm clothes for winter; 10,000 children were reached with community-based education activities; 450,000 people were reached with primary and secondary health care; 160,000 farmers and herders were provided with livelihoods support; 12,000 people received emergency psycho-social and mental health support; 186,000 drought-affected people received water; and 150,000 people received hygiene promotion and hygiene kits, he said.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
COP15 kicks off in China's Kunming with ecological civilization in spotlight

Xinhua) 08:42, October 12, 2021

Photo taken on Oct. 11, 2021 shows the opening ceremony of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province. (Xinhua/Li Xin)

KUNMING, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- The 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, known as COP15, kicked off on Monday afternoon in Kunming, capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province.

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

The meeting is set to be held in two parts. The first part, scheduled for Oct. 11 to 15, is held both offline and online.

Representatives are expected to focus on the development of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework to guide conservation actions worldwide through 2030.

Over 1,800 participants will gather at a forum on ecological civilization as a sideline event of the meeting from Oct. 14 to 15, which will cover a range of topics including coping with climate change and nature-based ecological protection and restoration.

The second part of the meeting, to be held offline in the first half of 2022, is expected to see the finalization and adoption of an ambitious and practical post-2020 global biodiversity framework.

China was among the first countries to become a party to the Convention on Biological Diversity, which entered into force in 1993. The Convention currently has 196 parties, and the Conference of the Parties is the highest mechanism for discussing and making decisions on the Convention.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
Xining: Pearl on the roof of the world

People's Daily Online) 08:47, October 12, 2021

Xining, capital city of northwest China's Qinghai province, has witnessed an improving ecological environment and public wellbeing thanks to years of efforts, making it one of the countrys top ten happiest cities. Now residents of multiple ethnic groups in the city, also the largest city on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, are living in harmony and with an increasing sense of happiness.

>>Xining strives to build itself into a city of happiness

(Web editor: Wu Chaolan, Liang Jun)
Compelled to part ways with Chinese suppliers, small U.S. telecom providers risk survival

Xinhua) 08:52, October 12, 2021

-- For Kail, "the allegiance to our country" has become a prevailing motif in the country despite the business owner never having encountered any concrete proof that Huawei equipment truly posed a security threat to his country.

-- In the two years between Kail's interviews with Xinhua, the U.S. government's clampdown on Huawei reached a watershed moment for Kail.

-- The U.S. government has been suppressing Huawei for quite some time. In May 2019, the U.S. Department of Commerce added Huawei and an additional 68 of its affiliates to the "Entity List," citing national security threats. And 46 more Huawei affiliates were blacklisted in August of the same year.

DONEGAL, the United States, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- James Kail is an American patriot who would never jeopardize the security of his nation for "one buck" that he would otherwise make running his telecom company, LHTC Broadband.

Having faith in the nation is exactly what the United States has asked of people like Kail when requiring them to abandon the Chinese-made network equipment their businesses rely on to provide services to rural Americans, whose everyday need for TV and stable Internet -- no different from that of metropolitan dwellers -- has often been ignored by large telecom carriers.

James Kail speaks during an interview in Stahlstown, Pennsylvania, the United States, Oct. 8, 2021. (Xinhua/Deng Xianlai)

For Kail, "the allegiance to our country" has become a prevailing motif in the country despite the business owner never having encountered any concrete proof that Huawei equipment, which LHTC has been using satisfactorily for seven years, truly posed a security threat to his country.

NO PROOF OF THREATS

LHTC provides telephone, Internet and cable TV services to rural communities across the state of Pennsylvania. Kail decided back in 2014 to formally engage Huawei as a supplier.

Photo taken on Oct. 7, 2021 shows the South Canaan site of LHTC Broadband company in South Canaan Township, Pennsylvania, the United States. (Photo by Aimee Dilger/Xinhua)

He chose Huawei because the sales representative offered competitive pricing that could save him hundreds of thousands of dollars. But there was another reason. Despite a warning by the U.S. government against Huawei already in place at the time, his own diligent assessment of Huawei gear found no proof of any security threats or violation of the law.

"Over the years, there have been accusations about (Huawei) being a security threat," Kail said in a recent interview, his second with Xinhua in two years. "But for this particular product, I haven't been shown any proof that this is being used in any way to breach our security."

In addition to having no security issue, the Huawei equipment has been "working perfectly fine" since being installed, with excellent reliability that has seldom necessitated technical support, Kail said.

Bonnie Bond is the general manager of LHTC's branch in South Canaan Township in northeast Pennsylvania where Huawei equipment is being used to provide services for about 1,200 local households.

Photo taken on Oct. 7, 2021 shows Huawei equipment at South Canaan site of LHTC Broadband company in South Canaan Township, Pennsylvania, the United States. (Photo by Aimee Dilger/Xinhua)

She said customers, albeit having no need to know their TV signals and Internet connections were made possible by Huawei, "haven't had any problems" with the services rendered.

Due to U.S. government restrictions, Huawei has discontinued its U.S. optical network terminals, the equipment used to supply LHTC. As a result, LHTC has been blocked from purchasing any Huawei equipment for two years, meaning new customers won't get what has become time-tested, good-quality service.

Kail said he hopes a replacement would match Huawei quality-wise. "That's the hope, but anytime you are putting any new solution in, there may be bugs -- may be things you have to work through."

"WE DON'T HAVE A CHOICE"

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) finalized a 1.9-billion-U.S.-dollar program to reimburse most rural U.S. telecom carriers for removing equipment in their networks made by Huawei and ZTE Corp, another Chinese company.

Companies with 10 million or fewer customers like LHTC are eligible for the program.

In the two years between Kail's interviews with Xinhua, the U.S. government's clampdown on Huawei reached a watershed moment for Kail.

He has no other option now but to comply with the government's order to rip and replace the smoothly functioning Huawei gear that LHTC is currently using to serve about one fifth of its client base.

If he had obvious concerns that the Huawei product would threaten the security of the LHTC network, "I wouldn't have deployed it" in the first place, Kail said, adding that had he been shown any problem along the way, "we would have replaced it on our own."

But Huawei has long been a sticking point in the years-long trade dispute that Washington initiated with China, leaving LHTC and its peers with no choice but to comply with government directives.

"It's not an option ... If the government tells you to do something, are you going to say, 'No, we are not doing this'?"

Kail expects it to take at least one year for his company to completely swap out the Huawei equipment.

The concern, he said, was that replacing the units for the 1,200 or so households was intrinsically time-consuming for a company with just 65 employees. Furthermore, the shortages of equipment caused by the ongoing pandemic-related supply-chain disruptions could result in longer replacement times, making it harder for the company to run smoothly.

LIFE-OR-DEATH SITUATION FOR SMALL CARRIERS

The U.S. government has been suppressing Huawei for quite some time. In May 2019, the U.S. Department of Commerce added Huawei and an additional 68 of its affiliates to the "Entity List," citing national security threats. And 46 more Huawei affiliates were blacklisted in August of the same year.

Meanwhile, the FCC has also gone to great lengths to try to force Huawei equipment out of the U.S. telecom market. In June 2020, the agency formally designated Huawei and ZTE as posing threats to U.S. national security, a declaration that barred U.S. telecom firms from tapping the country's annual Universal Service Fund of 8.3 billion dollars to purchase equipment from the two Chinese companies.

The FCC voted unanimously in July to finalize the ripping and replacing program.

Analysts and industry insiders are warning that notwithstanding its 1.9 billion dollars in total funding, the program could do more harm than good to rural telecom providers, even risking their survival.

"These poor carriers have been between a rock and a hard place," said Carri Bennet of the Rural Wireless Association, a trade group representing small wireless network operators. The group estimated in 2018 that 25 percent of its members used equipment from Huawei and ZTE.

Her association expects no reimbursement checks to arrive until the second or third quarter of 2022 for operators under the replacement program.

To make things worse, the FCC program won't pay for new terminals like fixed wireless receivers, nor will it cover any network-operating costs. For small carriers who have already found themselves in an adverse situation combining chip shortages and a scarcity of trained workers, the replacement process could ultimately put their businesses in a tailspin.

"We are counting on a lot of patience and financing from the vendors," said John Nettles, president of Alabama-based Pine Belt Communications, another carrier with Chinese equipment in its network. The company hasn't started removing any of its Chinese equipment yet and is planning to find appropriate vendors as replacement.

For Chris Townson, who leads Tennessee-based DTC Communications and is looking for a vendor to replace the company's ZTE-supplied wireless network, the idea that DTC could ultimately come out ahead financially "is a farce."

Any delay or problems with the reimbursement program, Townson warned, "would cause us to make some really hard decisions, up to and including exiting the business."

(Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun)
UNDP chief lauds China's efforts in biodiversity protection, pins high hopes on COP15

Xinhua) 09:00, October 12, 2021

Achim Steiner, Administrator of the UN Development Programme (UNDP), on Friday applauded China's efforts in biodiversity protection.

He also expressed great expectations for the 15th meeting of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) that begins on Monday in southwest China's Kunming.

"The COP15 is a vital moment in which the world is really being asked to adopt a new framework, the global biodiversity framework, which will allow countries both nationally and internationally to raise the level of ambition so that we can stop this destruction of nature," said him.

The COP15 includes two parts.

The first part will last from Oct. 11 to 15 in Kunming.

The second part of the meeting is expected to be held next year. It will review and make a decision on the "post-2020 global biodiversity framework" to draw a blueprint for biodiversity conservation in the future.

(Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun)
Complete reunification of China will be and can be realized

09:14, October 12, 2021 By Zhong Sheng ( People's Daily

Xi Jinping, Chinese president and general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, delivers an important speech at a grand commemorative meeting marking the 110th anniversary of the Revolution of 1911 at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 9, 2021. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei)

The complete reunification of our country will be and can be realized, said Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, at a commemorative meeting on Oct. 9 marking the 110th anniversary of the Revolution of 1911 that ended the countrys thousands-year-long absolute monarchy.

The Taiwan question is purely an internal matter for China, one which brooks no external interference, Xi said, stressing that no one should underestimate the resolve, the will, and the ability of the Chinese people to defend their national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The Taiwan question arose out of the weakness and chaos of the Chinese nation, and it will be resolved as national rejuvenation becomes a reality, Xi pointed out in his speech.

This is determined by the general trend of Chinese history, but more importantly, it is the common will of all Chinese people, he added.

National reunification has been closely intertwined with Chinese peoples dream of realizing the great rejuvenation of the nation since modern times. As Dr. Sun Yat-sen, who led the Revolution of 1911, said, Unification is the hope of all Chinese people. If China can be unified, all Chinese will enjoy a happy life; if it cannot, all will suffer.

After the First Opium War broke out in 1840, Western powers came to act with impunity on Chinese lands, and feudal rulers were rendered weak and ineffectual. Gradually, China was reduced to a semi-colonial and semi-feudal society. With the country humiliated, the people subjected to great pain, and the civilization plunged into darkness, the Chinese people and nation suffered greater ravages than ever before.

Since the Revolution of 1911, numerous noble-minded patriots united in rejuvenating China and started to explore a path to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

In 1921, the CPC was founded, an epoch-making event that has profoundly changed the future of the Chinese people and nation.

Today, the country is advancing with unstoppable momentum toward rejuvenation and seeing a clearer prospect of national reunification than ever before.

History proves that Chinese communists have been the most steadfast supporters, loyal collaborators, and faithful successors to the revolutionary cause initiated by Dr. Sun.

As Xi said in his speech, national reunification by peaceful means best serves the interests of the Chinese nation as a whole, including compatriots in Taiwan.

China adheres to the basic policies of peaceful reunification and one country, two systems, upholds the one-China principle and the 1992 Consensus, and works for the peaceful development of relations across the Taiwan Straits, according to Xi.

A grand commemorative meeting is held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, to mark the 110th anniversary of the Revolution of 1911, Oct. 9, 2021. (Xinhua/Liu Bin)

Compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Straits should stand on the right side of history and join hands to achieve Chinas complete reunification and the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, he said.

The Chinese nation has an honorable tradition of opposing division and safeguarding unity. Secession aimed at Taiwan independence is the greatest obstacle to national reunification and a grave danger to national rejuvenation.

Those who forget their heritage, betray their motherland, and seek to split the country will come to no good end, Xi said in his speech, adding that they will be disdained by the people and condemned by history.

Stubbornly sticking to the idea of Taiwan independence, the Taiwan authorities, led by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), have been for some time willingly serving as chess pieces of external forces in total disregard of the fundamental interests of the Chinese nation and the well-being of Taiwan citizens.

By constantly playing tricks to seek Taiwan independence as well as provoking and stirring up troubles for China, the DPP authorities have gravely undermined the peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits.

Cross-Strait reunification is a historical trend and the right path, while Taiwan independence goes against the trend of history and will lead to a dead end. Against such a backdrop, any attempt to seek Taiwan independence is doomed to failure.

It is a widely recognized norm of international relations and an international consensus that there is but one China in the world, that the government of the Peoples Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China, and that Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinas territory.

Out of the malicious intention to use Taiwan as a political pawn to contain China, certain countries have frequently stirred up trouble between the two sides of the Taiwan Straits in recent years. Such dangerous acts have shown their total misjudgment in the situation.

After going through hardships and suffering, Chinese people have written a glorious chapter in the history of the Chinese nation. They have realized the goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and enjoyed happy and peaceful lives, making great achievements that amaze the world. They are now marching in confident strides toward building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects.

On the new journey ahead, the Chinese people, united as one under the leadership of the CPC, will overcome all major risks and challenges that may impede their path to national rejuvenation and resolutely safeguard their national sovereignty, security, and development interests through courage and skill.

The attempt of external forces to hinder the Chinese nation from achieving its great rejuvenation was proven futile, is impossible to get its way, and will be even less likely to work in the future.

As Dr. Sun said, The trend of the world is surging forward. Those who follow the trend will prosper; those who go against it will perish.

Resolving the Taiwan question and realizing Chinas complete reunification is a historic mission and an unshakable commitment of the CPC and also a shared aspiration of all the people of the Chinese nation. All the Chinese people, both at home and abroad, should unite more closely to carry forward the spirit of the pioneers of the Revolution of 1911 including Dr. Sun and move courageously hand in hand toward the goal of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

(Zhong Sheng is a pen name often used by Peoples Daily to express its views on foreign policy and international affairs.)

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
China determined to pursue green development and build shared future for humanity and nature

09:22, October 12, 2021 By He Yin ( People's Daily

The 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the U.N. Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP15) kicks off in Kunming, southwest Chinas Yunnan province, on Oct. 11, 2021. (Peoples Daily Online/Weng Qiyu)

The 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15), which kicked off on Oct. 11 in Kunming, southwest Chinas Yunnan province, demonstrates Chinas determination to advance the construction of global ecological civilization and promote the harmonious coexistence of man and nature with the international community.

With the theme of Ecological Civilization: Building a Shared Future for All Life on Earth, the event marks the first time that a meeting of the COP to the UN environmental convention makes ecological civilization its theme.

A sound ecosystem is essential for the prosperity of civilizationa valuable experience gained from the history of human civilization.

Taking on its lofty responsibility for the entire human civilization, China advocates respecting and protecting nature and obeying natures laws and has been exploring a path for human and nature to live in harmony.

China has pursued development with the vision of building an ecological civilization, and prioritized ecological progress and embedded it in every dimension and phase of its economic and social development, in a bid to seek a kind of modernization that promotes harmonious coexistence of man and nature.

The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) passed a draft decision on promoting Chinas notion of ecological civilization and released a report titled Green is Gold: The Strategy and Actions of Chinas Ecological Civilization, and the Lao Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has made Chinas belief that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets its motto. Such facts have proven that Chinas ecological civilization concept has been increasingly acknowledged by the world.

The idea of an ecological civilization is a beautiful and unique Chinese gift, noted Nigel Topping, the UKs high-level climate action champion for the 26th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

China is a major contributor to ecological civilization construction. From incorporating eco-environmental progress into its Five-sphere Integrated Plan of building socialism with Chinese characteristics together with economic, political, cultural, and social progress to writing ecological civilization construction into Chinas Constitution, the country has pushed ahead with ecological civilization construction with unprecedented determination and actions in recent years, making historic breakthroughs in ecological and environmental protection.

For the last 10 years, China has topped the world in forest resource increase, with more than 70 million hectares of land afforested; the country has made long-term, large-scale efforts to combat sandification and desertification, gradually greening the deserts; and 90 percent of terrestrial ecosystem types and 85 percent of key wild animal populations are under effective protection in the country. Such remarkable results have reflected the countrys strides along the path of ecological civilization construction.

Chinas ecological civilization construction shows that the country not only cares about the well-being of all the Chinese people, but pays attention to the sustainable development of all mankind, said John B. Cobb Jr., a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

China will strive to peak carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060. This requires tremendous hard work, and we will make every effort to meet these goals, stressed Chinese President Xi Jinping at the general debate of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly on Sept. 21, 2021, reiterating the countrys goal of carbon peak and neutrality put forward one year before. Xis remarks have further manifested Chinas determination to prioritize ecological conservation and adhere to green development.

China has taken concrete actions to build ecological civilization. Since the beginning of this year, the country has kept its promise to pursue green development by formulating policies and taking specific measures, which has significantly inspired the rest of the world. It added the targets of carbon peak and carbon neutrality to its overall plan for ecological conservation and announced that it would strictly limit the increase in coal consumption over the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025); the country accepted the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol and tightened regulations over non-carbon dioxide emissions; and its national carbon market also started trading.

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic believes Chinas experience in coordinating rapid economic development and environmental protection is of great significance.

China has been a firm leader in ecological civilization construction. As of the end of 2020, China had carried out international cooperation and exchanges on ecological preservation with over 100 countries, and signed about 150 eco-environmental protection cooperation documents with more than 60 countries and international and regional organizations.

The country has won high praise from the international community for its endeavors to promote ecological conservation, including setting up a South-South cooperation fund on climate change, inaugurating the China-Africa Environmental Cooperation Center, and making ecological cooperation a key part of Belt and Road cooperation.

A strong and inclusive multilateral system in which China is deeply involved is key to reversing this worrying trend (of species loss), pointed out Inger Andersen, UNEP executive director.

Not long ago, the country announced that it would step up support for other developing countries in developing green and low-carbon energy, and will not build new coal-fired power projects abroad.

The international community believes that the pledge has opened a door to achieving more ambitious climate goals, reflected the countrys leadership in tackling climate change issues, and demonstrated its global vision and sense of responsibility as a major country.

Development of ecological civilization concerns the future of humanity, and building a green living environment is humanitys common aspiration.

China, who always does what it says, will continuously preserve what gives the planet life and embrace green development with other countries to form a stronger force for building a shared future for humanity and nature.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
Nigerian state woos Chinese investment in agriculture

Xinhua) 10:15, October 12, 2021

ABUJA, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- Nigeria's southern state of Bayelsa has invited Chinese investment in agriculture to assist the state's development plan.

In a statement issued on Monday after a weekend meeting in Abuja with Cui Jianchun, the Chinese ambassador to Nigeria, the Governor of the Bayelsa state Douye Diri said the state had already identified agriculture as the main sector within which it will achieve sustainable development and growth.

"We have already identified four areas to substantially invest in, which are fishing farming, rice, cassava, and plantain cultivation," he said.

The governor said China has recorded robust successes in economy as well as in poverty eradication, and promised to partner with developing countries including Nigeria through platforms like the Belt and Road Initiative(BRI) to help reduce poverty.

"Bayelsa is the right destination for such intervention," he said, adding Bayelsa offers a "considerable window to the world. It will be a spectacular platform to showcase the BRI."

He said with the requisite legal framework in place and human resources, the state was ready to welcome Chinese investors and industry experts for the collaborative development.

At the meeting, the Chinese ambassador said China and Nigeria had a lot in common, pointing out that 12 years ago, China had more than 87 million people living below the poverty line but that by February this year, they had all crossed that line.

While presenting a bilateral cooperation strategy document between China and Nigeria to Diri, Cui said that if China, with its large population, could overcome poverty, so could Nigeria, if the right policies were adopted.

"We can look at the possibility of Chinese investors and companies partnering with the Bayelsa state government," the Chinese envoy said, adding "there are several areas of partnership we can explore."

The Nigerian federal government has in the past years targeted agriculture as an area of priority in its strategy to diversify the country's oil-dependent economy and alleviate poverty.

(Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun)
Chinese FM to attend CICA foreign ministers' meeting

Xinhua) 10:48, October 12, 2021

BEIJING, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi will attend the sixth foreign ministers' meeting of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) via video link in Beijing Tuesday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said Monday.

As the theme of the meeting is Asian security and sustainable development in the post-COVID-19 era, Wang will have an in-depth exchange of views with heads of delegations of all participating parties on the current international and regional situation, cooperation in addressing various security threats and challenges, economic development in the post-epidemic era and CICA cooperation in various fields.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
Villagers band together to fight floods in north China city

Xinhua) 10:52, October 12, 2021

Aerial photo shows rescuers fortifying temporary dyke against the flood at Lianbo Village in Hejin City, north China's Shanxi Province, Oct. 10, 2021. (Xinhua/Zhan Yan)

TAIYUAN, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- When severe flooding struck a village in the city of Jinzhong, north China's Shanxi Province last week, 73 residents of a neighboring village launched rescue operations at short notice.

Located in the Taigu District, Beiguang Village was among the places hit hardest by flooding following continuous downpours in Shanxi. In the vicinity of the village, cement roads were damaged by landslides as the mountain floods continued to scour the road surfaces.

Help was urgently needed, and it came in the form of dozens of volunteers from the nearby Baicheng Village.

"Beiguang Village has been hit by the flooding. It needs to be rescued, so let's go there and help them," Zhang Lixin, head of the Baicheng Village, announced at the loudspeaker in the wee hours of Oct. 6.

In less than half an hour, 73 villagers gathered at the yard of the villagers' committee and hurried off on their rescue mission.

Although the weather was cold and it was raining heavily, the villagers paid no attention, as they filled sand bags to build a dike.

"At first, everyone was still wearing thick coats. But it was difficult to work with a coat on, so after a few minutes, everyone took them off, and the trees next to them were covered with their coats," said Shi Zhenxing, 68, the oldest rescuer.

The rising water level of the upstream reservoir, coupled with the flash floods, put the nearby railway line in danger. So the team built a dike overnight to protect the railway.

Although the rain relented on Oct. 8, all of the 15 cattle farms in Beiguang Village were flooded. The local government and villagers transferred more than 1,000 cattle to a safe place, according to Dang Shuanbao, head of Beiguang Village.

On Oct. 9, the rain started again. The road at the other side of the Beiguang Village had been washed away, and flood has inundated the farmland.

"Everyone is ready to offer their support again," Zhang Lixin said.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
Chinese FM to attend extraordinary G20 leaders' summit on Afghanistan issue

Xinhua) 10:53, October 12, 2021

BEIJING, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping's special representative Wang Yi, also Chinese state councilor and foreign minister, will attend an extraordinary G20 leaders' summit on the Afghanistan issue on Tuesday via video link, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian announced Monday.

The summit is planned to be held by Italy, the rotating presidency of G20.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
Interview: China expected to lead in global biodiversity policy-making -- environmental official

Xinhua) 10:58, October 12, 2021

CAIRO, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- China is expected to lead the world in biodiversity policy-making with its hosting of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15), said Moustafa Fouda, biodiversity advisor to the Egyptian environment minister, in a recent interview with Xinhua.

Fouda, also Egypt's national coordinator for the Convention on Biological Diversity, stressed that China has exerted "massive efforts" in biodiversity conservation across the globe.

The COP15 meeting kicks off Monday in Kunming, the capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province, both virtually and in person. The first part of the meeting runs until Friday, with parallel activities featuring forums on topics including climate change and ecological conservation, with the second part scheduled for next year.

Fouda, who will attend the first part of the meeting via video-link and be in Kunming next April for the second part, said, "the importance of this conference is to agree on 'the post-2020 global biodiversity framework,' which tells us what to do in the coming 10 years in terms of the various activities related to biodiversity."

Fouda said he believes within the next two years, China will "have a chance to lead the world" in putting policies in place related to biodiversity.

Speaking of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity and its three major objectives: the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components, and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits of using genetic resources, Fouda said that biodiversity conservation deals with all organisms, not just certain species and ecological systems.

China has exerted "massive efforts" in biodiversity conservation and relevant research, said the Egyptian official.

"We have met with experts from the Chinese Academy of Science. They have a great vision and if they succeed in it, it will be a distinguished accomplishment," he noted.

Fouda attributed China's ambitions to preserve biodiversity to its cultural heritage, adding that ancient civilizations like China and Eygpt have long been concerned about protecting the planet and its various species.

Many developing countries are troubled by a severe biodiversity loss, especially African countries, where finding a sustainable solution has become all the more urgent, he said.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
Solar tower to be transformed into iconic landmark for Beijing 2022

Xinhua) 11:00, October 12, 2021

Graphic rendering of the project

BEIJING, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- Renovation of the solar tower located in Beijing's Yanqing district has started and is expected to become an iconic landmark for Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games.

The project, scheduled to be completed in January of 2022, will see the 119.5 meters tower bear a giant Olympic ring logo with a height of 17 meters and a width of 38 meters at the top.

The tower is located in Dafutuo village of Yanqing district. Yanqing is one of the three competition zones for Beijing 2022 as downtown Beijing will hold the ice events and Zhangjiakou and Yangqing will host the snow events.

The solar tower power plant is a major independent innovation achievement in the field of solar thermal power generation in China.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
Without China, world would be in recession: Portuguese scholar

Xinhua) 11:04, October 12, 2021

LISBON, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- "Without China, the world would be in recession," said Antonio dos Santos Queiros, a researcher at the University of Lisbon, in a recent article in the Portuguese newspaper Publico.

"It is not a good idea to align forces for the economic war against the People's Republic of China," said Queiros in the article.

The Chinese government "upholds fair competition in the market, overseeing to keep everything in order and promote sustainable development, but intervening when the market fails," said Queiros.

It is not appropriate to use Western concepts of politics to understand the new Chinese model, the scholar said, adding the model has ensured China's success in poverty alleviation.

On the giant bubble which some newspapers predicted would shake the Chinese economy as in the United States, Queiros said the Chinese government succeeded in defusing the crisis with its own style of macro management.

It is not wise to trust "false and speculative news" to promote retaliation against China, said Queiros.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
China improves pricing mechanism for coal-fired power

Xinhua) 14:43, October 12, 2021

Photo taken on Dec. 22, 2020 shows a thermal coal yard of Huanghua Port in Cangzhou City, north China's Hebei Province. (Xinhua/Wang Min)

BEIJING, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- China's top economic planner on Tuesday announced an improved pricing mechanism for coal-fired power to deepen market-oriented pricing reform in the sector.

The floating range of the market-based electricity transaction prices are adjusted in principle to a range of 20 percent fluctuation in either direction, compared with the current ceiling of 10 percent and floor of 15 percent from the benchmark price, said the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).

The market transaction prices of coal-fired electricity for high energy-consuming enterprises are not restricted by the ceiling of 20 percent upward fluctuation.

All local governments should give priority to the supply of low-cost power for residents and agriculture, said the NDRC.

This will help give full play to the role of the market so that electricity prices can better reflect the supply and demand relationship, as well as the cost changes, said NDRC official Peng Shaozong.

The new rules clarify that the market price of high energy-consuming enterprises is not limited by the 20 percent cap.

This can better transmit the pressure of power generation costs and curb unreasonable power consumption, he noted.

The new rules will also encourage high energy-consuming enterprises to increase investment in technological transformation, improve energy utilization efficiency and promote the transformation and upgrading of the industrial structure, he said.

Electricity consumption for residents and agriculture are not involved in the reforms, so they will retain their electricity pricing methods, he said.

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun)
Baby Tibetan antelopes and their "babysitters" in Hoh Xil

Xinhua) 14:54, October 12, 2021

Baby Tibetan antelopes are seen at Sonam Dargye Protection Station in Hoh Xil, northwest China's Qinghai Province, Sept. 28, 2021. The Hoh Xil National Nature Reserve is home to various wild animals. In 2002, the Sonam Dargye Protection Station in Hoh Xil founded a wildlife rescue center in an effort to strengthen the protection of wild animals. Since its foundation, the center has saved, fed and medically treated more than 600 wild animals including over 50 Tibetan antelopes. Tibetan antelopes are mostly found in the Tibet Autonomous Region, Qinghai Province and the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The species is under first-class state protection in China. Working as "babysitters" at an altitude of over 4,400 meters, patrollers of Hoh Xil shoulder the responsibility of rescuing and taking care of baby Tibetan antelopes. (Xinhua/Xue Yubin)

(Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Hongyu)
Sugar producers expect the 2021-2022 crop, which is starting from July 1, will be more prosperous.

LSS Lam Son Sugar JSC () plans revenue and profit growth of 15-20 per cent in the new crop year, partly supported by increased protection measures for the domestic sugar industry, Le Trung Thanh, Vice President of the Board of Directors of Lam Son Sugar, told tinnhanhchungkhoan.vn.

On September 21, the Ministry of Industry and Trade issued Decision 2171/QD-BCT on investigating and applying measures to prevent evasion of trade remedies, including anti-dumping and anti-subsidy measures, on sugar products originating from Thailand.

The probe is based on the accusation of representatives of the domestic industry and the Viet Nam Sugar and Sugarcane Association (VSSA) as they believed that Thailands sugar products have evaded trade remedies through five ASEAN countries including Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia and Myanmar.

Malaysia does not grow sugarcane, while Indonesia and Cambodia do not produce enough sugar products and often have to import sugar. But now there are sufficient sugar products to export to Viet Nam.

The decision to investigate circumvention of trade remedies on sugar originating from Thailand will bring fairness to domestic sugarcane businesses, Trung added.

The move is right and timely. Many countries dont grow sugarcane, hence dont produce sugar, but import sugar from Thailand and then export to Viet Nam, causing damage to Vietnamese businesses and taxes.

We expect that in the new crop year, the sugarcane industry will thrive on the positive impacts of this investigation.

Previously, the Ministry of Industry and Trade has imposed anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duties at the rate of 47.6 per cent on refined sugar and raw sugar imported from Thailand for five years, effective from June 16.

VSSA said that since the imposition of the duties, sugar imports from Thailand have dropped to a low of 15,000 tonnes in June compared to a peak of 183,000 tonnes in April 2020. Smuggled sugar has been strictly controlled as the country closed its border to control the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Thailands sugar products have reportedly evaded taxes by transiting in other ASEAN countries before arriving in Viet Nam.

Spreading momentum

With the tax rate of 47.6 per cent imposed on imported refined sugar and raw sugar, small factories importing raw sugar will not be profitable, said SSI Securities Corporation (SSI). Therefore, the expansion of sugarcane areas is very important for the growth of the sugar industry in the coming years.

SJC QNS SLS Many enterprises such as Lam Son Sugar, Quang Ngai Sugar) and Son La Sugar JSC () have been focusing on expanding sugarcane growing areas.

In the 2021-2022 crop year, VSSA expects the sugarcane growing areas to increase by about 10-20 per cent and the expansion may continue in the following years when farmers reap good profits from sugarcane.

Enterprises have the motivation to invest in expanding productivity, raising output, expanding sugarcane planting areas in the new crop year, as well as supporting farmers to push the price of sugarcane higher. In the future, the price of sugarcane may climb by 15-20 per cent, Trung from Lam Son Sugar said.

Meanwhile, Quang Ngai Sugar expects the output of sugarcane in the current crop year to rise by 50 per cent and by 40 per cent in 2022-2023. Increased operating capacity will boost revenue and profit.

Similarly, Son La Sugar sees sugarcane output increasing in the next crop year.

SSI said that in the current crop year, Son La Sugars consumption volume will grow by 14 per cent year-on-year, with an estimated gross margin up 25 - 29.5 per cent on the expectation of 31 per cent higher selling prices and 77 per cent increase in operating capacity.

It is forecast that the worlds sugar deficit is 3.8 million tonnes of sugar in the 2021-2022 crop year, after being short of 3.1 million tonnes in the previous year.

Bullish sentiment on stock market

The sugarcane industry is a cyclical group, with enterprises revenues and profits often fluctuating according to the selling price. With the positive outlook from the policy to protect domestic sugar products and the uptrend of sugar prices, businesses in the industry have foundations for growth in 2021 - 2022, helping stock prices to move positively.

Since June, when the Ministry of Industry and Trade imposed anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duties on sugar products originating from Thailand, sugar stocks jumped.

LSS QNS During June 1 - September 22,s share price surged 74 per cent andshares rose 36 per cent. These companies share prices are only equivalent to the prices at the beginning of 2021.

SBT Thanh Thanh Cong - Bien Hoa JSC () shares struggled, mostly in the range of VN18,000 - 22,000 per share. Given the positive news for sugar producers, investors expect that the stock group will continue to rally in the near future.

SBT Currently, businesses in the industry have not announced business plans for the fiscal year 2022, starting from June 30, 2021 to June 30, 2022, but with positive signs from the market, SSI believes thatcan reach VN19.8 trillion in revenue and VN825 billion in profit, up 33 per cent and 32 per cent over last year, respectively.

VNS In the past five years, sugar stocks have been valued at a low level due to fierce competition from Thailands sugar. But as trade remedies are effective for the domestic sugar industry, this issue will improve, creating a bullish sentiment for the stocks. 
A media delegation visited Xuancheng city, East Chinas Anhui province, on October 11, as part of a media tour launched in the province to publicize its achievements during the past five years.

Located in the southeast of the province, Xuancheng boasts profound cultural heritage dating back to over 2,100 years ago. In recent years, it has developed into a central area of the Yangtze River Delta region and an important part of the G60 Science and Innovation Valley through continuous effort.

The reporters were given a glimpse of the citys outstanding achievements in photovoltaic industry, scientific and technological innovation, e-commerce and rural revitalization during their visit.

Products displayed in a photovoltaic idustrial park



The media delegation visits a battery company.



A reporter picks pitaya in an agricultural company.



Agricultural products in an e-commerce company draw reporters.



The media delegation visits Luoshi village in Lingda township.



A stage in Luoshi village, Lingda township

The media delegation visits a museum of Xiaokang, or moderate prosperity.








UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday welcomed an intra-Libyan agreement on the withdrawal of mercenaries and foreign forces, said his spokesman.

Guterres welcomed Friday's agreement reached by the Libyan 5+5 Joint Military Commission (JMC) in Geneva on a comprehensive action plan for the gradual, balanced and sequenced process of the withdrawal of mercenaries, foreign fighters and forces from Libyan territory, said Stephane Dujarric in a statement.

The action plan is a cornerstone in the implementation of the cease-fire agreement signed on Oct. 23, 2020 in Geneva, the statement said.

The secretary-general applauded the unity of purpose prevailing within the 5+5 JMC and called on all Libyan and international actors to work toward the implementation of this action plan.

The deployment of an initial team of UN cease-fire monitors will contribute to creating the conditions for a successful implementation of the action plan, according to the statement.

The secretary-general reiterated the firm commitment of the UN to support the Libyan people, it said.
Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), has said there are no grounds to believe the United States is not hostile toward Pyongyang, accusing Washington of raising tensions on the Korean Peninsula, state media KCNA reported on Tuesday.

Kim made the remarks on Monday in a speech at a defense development exhibition to mark the 76th founding anniversary of the ruling Workers' Party (WPK) on Sunday.

He said that DPRK's weapon development is in self-defense in the face of hostile policies from the U.S. and a military buildup in the Republic of Korea that threatens security on the Korean Peninsula.

"We are not discussing war with anyone, but rather to prevent war itself and to literally increase war deterrence for the protection of national sovereignty," he said.

Despite statements from Washington that it holds no hostile feelings toward Pyongyang, those assertions are hard to believe in the face of its continued "wrong judgments and actions," Kim said.

KCNA reported on Monday that Kim had held a lecture to mark the party's founding anniversary. During the event, he stressed the need to improve people's living conditions.

He said the party remains determined to efficiently push ahead with the five-year national economy plan set forth at the WPK congress in January and called on officials to solve people's food and housing problems.

Kim also told party officials to "always consider whether their work infringes upon the interests of the people or cause trouble to the people."

(With input from Reuters)
Taiwan as a province of China is ineligible for the United Nations membership, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said on Tuesday.

Zhao made the remarks when answering a media query after some politicians in Taiwan challenged the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758, claiming that the resolution didn't decide the representation of the island at the UN.

Zhao slammed this claim as "utterly unjustifiable," adding that the UN and its vast member states recognize the fact that there is only one China in the world, Taiwan is an inalienable part of the Chinese territory, and China's exercise of sovereignty over the island.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron discussed the Ukrainian issue during a phone conversation, the Kremlin said in a statement Monday.

"The worrying stalemate in the effort to end the internal conflict in Ukraine was discussed in detail, with the three leaders noting the importance of implementing the 2015 Minsk agreements as the only possible basis for a settlement," the statement said.

"Interest was also expressed in further coordinating efforts in the Normandy format of Russia, Germany and France," it added.

Given the difficulty of settling the conflict in the southeast of Ukraine, the leaders asked their political advisors and foreign ministries to step up contacts and work in the Normandy Four format, which also includes Ukraine.

Some other international issues were also discussed during the phone talks, including counter-terrorism efforts on the African continent, according to the Kremlin.

(Cover: People line up after crossing the contact line between pro-Moscow rebels and Ukrainian troops as they wait at passport control in Mayorsk, Ukraine, February 25, 2019. /Reuters)

Source(s): Xinhua News Agency
By Fan Lingzhi and Liu Xin

BEIJING, Oct 12 -- The 57th Press Conference by Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on Xinjiang-related Issues was held in Beijing on October 11.

At the recent 48th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, some Western countries expressed their "concerns" over Xinjiang-related issues. In particular, the US worked hand in glove with the "World Uyghur Congress", a violent, terrorist and separatist organization, to fabricate the so-called "exhibitions" to spread false information about China. Xu Guixiang, spokesperson for the Information Office of People's Government of China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, sternly refuted such disinformation, rumors and lies.

It is worth noting that before the start of this press conference, Chinese and foreign media had been invited to visit the Counter-terrorism and De-radicalization in Xinjiang Exhibition. This is the first time for the exhibition to be opened to Chinese and foreign media.

The exhibition consists of three parts, introducing the basic situation of Xinjiang, the violent terrorist incidents occurred in Xinjiang, and Xinjiang's counter-terrorism and de-radicalization measures and results. The exhibition started in Beijing on July 17. Like the exhibition in Urumqi, it shows 52 cases, but there are no exhibits of violent and terrorist objects. The exhibition is currently open to the public but group reservation is required.

"This is not the first time I have visited the counter-terrorism exhibition, but it is still shocking," a Pakistani reporter said. He had visited Xinjiang twice and toured the local "counter-terrorism exhibition" with other foreign media reporters. Before seeing these photos and videos, you can hardly imagine how the violent terrorists could do such terrible things. I think this exhibition can let the outside world understand the real situation in Xinjiang. There have been too many rumors about Xinjiang at present," he said.

As for why the exhibition that was originally opened in Xinjiang went out to Beijing, this is mainly based on two considerations, the spokesperson said. First, the exhibition in Beijing is more conducive to showing the world the true face and gratifying results of Xinjiang's counter-terrorism and de-radicalization fight. Second, the Chinese side has stated many times that everything done in Xinjiang is upright and open and is beneficial to the people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang.

This exhibition in Beijing aims to expose the actions of violent terrorists to the world. It also shows that we are completely confident and that more people at home and abroad will be impressed by the earth-shaking changes that have taken place in Xinjiang in the past few years," stated the spokesperson.
Editor's note: CGTN's First Voice provides instant commentary on breaking stories. The daily column clarifies emerging issues and better defines the news agenda, offering a Chinese perspective on the latest global events.

"The president has no legal authority to react in the time necessary to repel a Chinese invasion of Taiwan and deter an all-out war," U.S. Democratic Representative and vice chair of the House Armed Services Committee Elaine Luria wrote in a Washington Post opinion article published on October 11. Her argument is that by legally tying the president's hands on this "an even larger conflict with China is most certainly assured."

Risking a war to prevent a war is not sound logic and, if we are being cynical, a very bad excuse to try to openly send U.S. troops to Taiwan.

Luria and a growing number of congressional politicians want to give the U.S. president a faster response to an "invasion" by the Chinese mainland. Like the Taiwan Invasion Prevention Act introduced earlier this year, they want to grant the White House the power to bypass the War Powers Act's limitation and let the president send troops to Taiwan without having to wait for congressional approval.

But the act of granting such power could ignite the powder keg in the Taiwan Straits. "Strategic ambiguity," the cornerstone of American policy toward the region for the past several decades, which has been keeping the peace across the strait, is getting less and less ambiguous. A Chicago Council on Global Affairs poll in August showed 52 percent of Americans favor using troops to defend Taiwan against the Chinese mainland. Passing such an act would undoubtedly clarify the U.S.' position on Taiwan as an ally it is willing to use force to defend and not a part of another sovereignty.

Tourists view the Taipei 101 skyscraper, a landmark in Taipei in southeast China's Taiwan, January 2, 2017. /Xinhua

Tsai Ing-wen is already taking advantage of the intensification of anti-China rhetoric in the United States to push her separatist agenda. She wouldn't make the final move without being assured that the Americans will come to her aid. Any move toward a clear statement of military support from the United States will entice her into trying to ask the electorate to vote for formal independence. It'll be the ultimate assurance Tsai needs.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has made clear that independence separatism in Taiwan is the "biggest obstacle" to achieving reunification. Any actions that could strengthen the separatist movements will not be tolerated. And for the U.S. to contemplate taking Taiwan as a de facto military protectorate would all but guarantee its formal independence. China will have no choice but take military action to protect its sovereignty and the fundamental mission upon which the government's legitimacy is built.

But the repercussion wouldn't be limited to the Taiwan Straits alone. If the U.S. leadership can ignore China's sovereignty and sends troops to grab a piece of its land based on these so-called rock-solid commitments, what could stop it from robbing other pieces of land elsewhere? Crimea, Eastern Ukraine and Palestine are only a few of the examples where the U.S. has a political interest and has problems with the land's sovereignty or governance. What is to stop the U.S. from turning its gaze on these places and finding a "commitment" to parachute in its soldiers? It is a tactic empires once used to conquer other nations. What's to stop the U.S.' conquest?

Congress untying President Biden's hands on sending troops to Taiwan would be the single greatest strategic mistake of the century. It will plunge the Taiwan Straits into chaos and bloodshed and obliterate the U.S.' international credibility as a country that can live up to its word. Also, if that becomes our future, China will not be alone in suffering from its impact. All countries will have to be watchful and ready to defend themselves.

By Huang Jiyuan
By Daryl Guppy

Australian and Chinese ships on a Battleship game board. /Getty

Editor's note: Daryl Guppy is an international financial technical analysis expert. He has provided weekly Shanghai Index analysis for Chinese mainland media for more than a decade. Guppy appears regularly on CNBC Asia and is known as "The Chart Man." He is a national board member of the Australia China Business Council. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

Australian media coverage of China has often carried a sub-conscious tinge of bias common to much Western reporting of China. In 2021 this media bias became more overt, with many parts of the media distorting reports to support a China threat narrative promoted by the Australian government.

Unfortunately this misinformation created fertile ground for the AUKUS treaty announcement.

The confusion between national airspace and the Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ) which extends beyond national airspace is the latest deliberate attempt to ramp up hostility with scant regard to the facts.

Taiwan authorities' alleged "ADIZ" is particularly expansive, covering a fair slice of both Chinese mainland and its coastal areas, thus ensuring continual so-called "incursions" as China's military and civil aircraft come and go.

Recent Chinese military flights are in international airspace. This is legitimate activity in international airspace but it is reported in Western media as if it were illegal.

Similar bias is found in the way news events are reported. A Sydney Morning Herald report headed "Nest of spies" mentioned China five times with the clear implication that China was responsible. The video link of the speech on which the report was based made it clear that the Director General of Security Mike Burgess had said that Russia had a "nest of spies" in Australia. He specifically said it is not China, but the media report did not reflect this.

This type of unbalanced media coverage is just part of the growing "China threat" narrative in Australia. Other factors include foreign interference in Australian policy making. The concentration of media ownership and the reduction in diversity of voices magnifies these impacts in terms of public understanding and policy formulation.

Some observers suggest that foreign influence has become a significant media factor in shaping Australia's opinion of China and that it is an extension of U.S. policy.

In May, the U.S. Congress passed an anti-China "Strategic Competition Act." The bill pledged more than $300 million for media-focused initiatives against China. This included spreading information on the "negative impact" of the Belt and Road Initiative in participating countries, "anti-Chinese influence" programs, a scheme to "train journalists" with the goal of countering Beijing, and millions more in funding for Radio Free Asia to expand its coverage.

HMAS warship frigate during the military navy exercise in Jervis Bay, Australia. /Getty

This overt foreign influence follows a well-established pattern in Australia where many parts of the media have been willing to accept dubious "official" information from U.S. sources without independent verification.

Already Australian policy options around China are feeling the impact of less obvious, but still significant, work by groups registered as agencies of foreign influence. When they work alongside a concentrated media then their impact on policy making is disproportionally large.

Their influence grows in direct inverted proportion to the decline in the role of the public service.

The Westminster system of government to which Australia subscribes, includes a well-resourced and independent public service to provide ministers with a wide range of well-researched policy options.

The role of consultants and ministerial advisers has increasingly supplanted the role of public service advice. Government is presented with a selected range of options which support the political objectives of the government and individual ministers.

This process is further corrupted when outside organizations deliberately try to influence government policy decisions. They generate reports and options that have a clear political objective.

The result is that the Australian foreign policy debate over recent times has been captured by what some business leaders have called the "spooks." The public debate has been defined by a small and increasingly powerful group of defense and security agencies.

Foremost amongst these is the Australian Strategic Policy Institute which receives substantial funding from several foreign governments and arms manufacturers and the organization is listed on the Government's Agencies of Foreign Influence register. Their well-paid analysts generate a steady stream of "China threat" analysis.

This analysis is broadcast by Rupert Murdoch's concentrated media ownership resulting in a steady flood of anti-Chinese and "China threat" stories. Sky News TV programs are saturated with right-wing hosts interviewing anti-China guests who constantly magnify the idea of a threat from China.

Former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd commented that the Australia-China debate "won't be aided by the politically driven McCarthyism of the Murdoch media." It is obvious that these forces have "captured" government thinking and encouraged the "threat" thinking which is a natural part of defense force planning. The result is that the "China threat" approach has become synonymous with Australian sovereignty and Australia's prosperity.

This combination of forces  unbalanced media coverage; outsourced policy formulation; foreign interference and influence  have created fertile ground where misinformation is able to drive the Australia-China policy debate. The first step in countering this China threat narrative is taken with recognizing that Australian policy is the product of these forces and not representative of all Australians.
In March last year the proportion had still been the smallest among 20-somethings at 13.3 percent.

Among respondents in their 20s and 30s it reached an alarming 6.7 points, the highest among all age groups. The proportion of people scoring more than 10 points, which is considered a serious depression risk, was 22.8 percent, up six-fold from 2018. It was also especially high among respondents in their 20s (30 percent) and 30s (30.5 percent).

A survey of 2,110 people by the Korean Society for Traumatic Stress Studies in March and April gauged their depression levels from key words like "hopelessness," "fatigue" and "suicide." Out of the maximum points of 27, they averaged 5.7 points, compared to just 2.3 points in a survey in 2018.

The drawn-out coronavirus lockdown is making more and more young people depressed and even suicidal as their lives have been on hold for more than a year.

One 26-year-old who completed a graduate course in business management in Seoul earlier this year has gone to see a psychiatrist for the first time in her life. She became depressed because she could not find a job and broke up with her boyfriend. She also invested in stocks hoping to make some money but lost it.

"Whatever jobs were available have dried up due to the coronavirus epidemic," she complained. "I gave up hope when I lost what little money I had in the stock market even though others made money that way."

Some 16.3 percent of respondents had suicidal thoughts, 3.5 times more than in 2018 and almost twice as many as a year ago. The proportion was again the highest among respondents in their 20s (22.5 percent) and 30s (21.9 percent). In contrast, the proportion of people with suicidal thoughts in their 50s was 12.5 percent and among 60-somethings 10 percent.

Shin Young-chul, a psychiatrist at Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, said, "The most mobile and active generation suffers the most in lockdown. The government needs to come up with support measures quickly for the young generation."

Meanwhile, Jeong Eun-kyeong, the chief of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, poured cold water on hopes that the government will let life go back to normal any time soon. "COVID-19 is difficult to control because it is not an infectious disease that can be stopped with a few vaccine shots," she claimed. "Infections could continue due to the emergence of variants."

The daily tally of new coronavirus infections stood at 525 as of Friday morning.
WHO has called for a moratorium on booster doses for the general population until the end of the year to allow more people around the world to receive a first vaccination.

The panel did not recommend an additional booster dose for the population at large and said it would review the issue of widespread booster use on Nov. 11.

The panel, called the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE), also recommended booster shots for people over age 60 who have received inoculations made by Chinese vaccine makers Sinopharm and Sinovac. It cited evidence in studies in Latin America that those vaccines do not perform as well over time.

A panel of WHO vaccine advisers said the additional dose would help immunocompromised people because that population is less likely to respond to a standard vaccination, and they are at high risk of severe COVID-19 disease.

The World Health Organization is recommending that people with weakened immune systems be given a booster shot of the COVID-19 vaccine.

 New COVID Pill, Drug

In other developments Monday, drugmaker Merck has asked U.S. regulators to authorize its pill for treating mild to moderate COVID-19, which if approved would be the first oral medication for the disease.

Merck said its antiviral pill, called molnupiravir, lowered the rate of hospitalization and death by 50 percent in a trial of patients who had mild to moderate COVID-19 illness along with at least one risk factor for the disease. Merck and its partner Ridgeback Biotherapeutic have asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to grant emergency use of the pill. All previous FDA-approved treatments require an injection or IV.

Drugmaker AstraZeneca, which developed one of the first COVID-19 vaccines, said Monday it is seeing promising results with a COVID-19 drug it is developing to combat the coronavirus.

Known as AZD7442, the drug reduced severe COVID-19 or death in non-hospitalized patients by 50 percent, according to AstraZeneca. "An early intervention with our antibody can give a significant reduction in progression to severe disease with continued protection for more than six months," said Mene Pangalos, executive vice president at AstraZeneca's biopharmaceuticals R&D.

Also Monday, Swiss drugmaker Roche said it has applied to market its antibody cocktail for COVID-19 in the European Union. The treatment co-developed with U.S. biotech firm Regeneron is a combination of monoclonal antibodies that is intended to prevent patients from getting a severe form of the disease. Called Ronapreve, the treatment was given to former U.S. President Donald Trump when he was battling COVID-19.

 In New Zealand

In New Zealand, the government announced Monday that it would require teachers and health care workers to be fully vaccinated against the coronavirus by Dec. 1. Ninety-five new COVID-19 cases were reported in New Zealand this weekend, and an additional 35 were reported Monday, as the country is attempting to reopen.

Maori politicians say New Zealand could be guilty of committing "modern genocide" if it goes forward with plans to reopen the country. They are warning that the country's Indigenous people represent more than half of the daily cases.

"At every stage of this pandemic, the government has ignored the advice of our Maori experts. They have left us out to dry," Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, co-leader of the Maori Party, said Monday.

According to Johns Hopkins University's data, New Zealand has 4,660 infections and 28 deaths from COVID-19 since the pandemic began. Worldwide, the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center has recorded almost 238 million global COVID-19 infections and nearly 4.9 million deaths. The center said Monday that nearly 6.5 billion vaccines have been administered worldwide.


The United States and Britain warned their citizens on Monday to avoid hotels in Afghanistan, days after dozens were killed at a mosque in an attack claimed by the Islamic State group active in Afghanistan, Islamic State Khorasan.

The Taliban, which seized power in August and declared an Islamic emirate, are seeking international recognition and assistance to avoid a humanitarian disaster and ease Afghanistan's economic crisis.

But, as the hard-line Islamist group transitions from a rebel army to a governing power, they are struggling to contain the threat from the Afghanistan chapter of IS. "U.S. citizens who are at or near the Serena Hotel should leave immediately," the U.S. State Department said, citing "security threats" in the area.

"In light of the increased risks you are advised not to stay in hotels, particularly in Kabul [such as the Serena Hotel]," Britain's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office added.


According to Reuters, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday urged newly elected lawmakers to actively support efforts to vaccinate more of the population. But the government has been reluctant to impose vaccine mandates. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Monday it was up to regional authorities to establish such rules.

Russian officials have blamed the spike in infections on the nation's sluggish vaccination program. The Health Ministry reports that at most, one-third of the population has been fully vaccinated, despite the fact the nation was quick to roll out its Sputnik vaccine early this year.

 British 'Groupthink'

A report produced by the British parliament says a state of "groupthink" among government officials led to a costly delay in ordering a nationwide lockdown in the first days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 151-page report from the joint science and health committees in the House of Commons says Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Cabinet deliberately engaged in a "slow and gradualist approach" in the first few months of 2020 as officials sought to manage instead of suppress the spread of the virus. The joint inquiry says the virus could take hold across Britain because of that "fatalistic" strategy, which was finally abandoned as the country's National Health Service risked being overwhelmed by the rapidly increasing cases.

The report also criticizes Johnson's government for its "slow, uncertain and often chaotic" testing and tracing system and notes the failure of national and local governments and other public bodies to share data among them.

The lawmakers concluded that the government's response to the pandemic was "one of the most important health failures" in Britain's history.

In an interview with Sky News, Cabinet minister Stephen Barclay repeatedly declined to apologize for the government's actions. "We followed, throughout, the scientific advice," he said. "We got the vaccine deployed extremely quickly. We protected our [National Health Service] from the surge of cases." "Of course, if there are lessons to learn, we're keen to do so," he added.

The final report was compiled from hours of testimony by more than 50 witnesses, including former Health Secretary Matt Hancock and Dominic Cummings, the prime minister's former special adviser, who has emerged as a vocal critic of Johnson's handling of the pandemic.

 French Study

In France, officials have released a new study showing that people who are vaccinated against COVID-19 are far less likely to die or be hospitalized, even in the presence of the delta variant.

Researchers compared the outcomes of 11 million vaccinated people against an equal number of unvaccinated people beginning in December 2020. The study found the risk of someone contracting the coronavirus was reduced by 90 percent about 14 days after receiving a second dose of the Pfizer, Moderna or AstraZeneca vaccines. The single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine was not included in the study since it was authorized much later in France.

The study found the vaccines were nearly as effective against the delta variant, with 92 percent protection for people between 50 and 75 years old, and 84 percent for people 75 and older. It also found the vaccines maintained their high level of effectiveness during the five months the study was conducted.


Shanghais biodiversity conservation showcased during COP15

By:Wu Qiong | From:english.eastday.com | 2021-10-12 08:50

Shanghais progress in ecological civilization and biodiversity conservation can now be seen online.

The Shanghai Exhibition Hall of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15), which is running in Kunming, Yunnan Province, is now available for online viewership.

Consisting of six parts, the exhibition hall presents the audience a full picture of the overall situation of Shanghai's ecological environment protection, urban ecological space, the harmonious coexistence between city and nature, protection of the Yangtze River estuary ecosystem, publicity, education and public participation, and the outlook of Shanghai's ecological environment in 2025.

Opening on three sides, the hall is like a leaf and a heart if it is seen from above. The ground resembles the shape of a map of the city. The winding light strip symbolizes the Huangpu River, the mother river of Shanghai. Overall, the hall is like a giant ship standing on the edge of the tide.

You can scan the following QR code to watch the exhibition online.








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CONVENTION CONCERNING THE EXCHANGE OF GREEK AND TURKISH POPULATIONS The Government of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey and the Greek Government have agreed upon the following provisions: Article 1 As from the 1st May, 1923, there shall take place a compulsory exchange of Turkish nationals of the Greek Orthodox religion established in Turkish territory, and of Greek nationals of the Moslem religion established in Greek territory. These persons shall not return to live in Turkey or Greece respectively without the authorisation of the Turkish Government or of the Greek Government respectively. Article 2 The following persons shall not be included in the exchange provided for in Article 1: (a) The Greek inhabitants of Constantinople. (b) The Moslem inhabitants of Western Thrace. All Greeks who were already established before the 30th October, 1918, within the areas under the Prefecture of the City of Constantinople, as defined by the law of 1912, shall be considered as Greek inhabitants of Constantinople. All Moslems established in the region to the east of the frontier line laid down in 1913 by the Treaty of Bucharest shall be considered as Moslem inhabitants of Western Thrace. Article 3 Those Greeks and Moslems who have already, and since the 18th October, 1912, left the territories the Greek and Turkish inhabitants of which are to be respectively exchanged, shall be considered as included in the exchange provided for in Article 1. The expression "emigrant" in the present Convention includes all physical and juridical persons who have been obliged to emigrate or have emigrated since the 18th October, 1912. Article 4 All able-bodied men belonging to the Greek population, whose families have already left Turkish territory, and who are now detained in Turkey, shall constitute the first instalment of Greeks sent to Greece in accordance with the present Convention. Article 5 Subject to the provisions of Articles 9 and l0 of the present Convention, the rights of property and monetary assets of Greeks in Turkey or Moslems in Greece shall not be prejudiced in consequence of the exchange to be carried out under the present Convention Article 6 No obstacle may be placed for any reason whatever in the way of the departure of a person belonging to the populations which are to be exchanged. In the event of an emigrant having received a definite sentence of imprisonment, or a sentence which is not yet definitive, or of his being the object of criminal proceedings, he shall be handed over by the authorities of the prosecuting country to the authorities of the country whither he is going, in order that he may serve his sentence or be brought to trial. Article 7 The emigrants will lose the nationality of the country which they are leaving, and will acquire the nationality of the country of their destination, upon their arrival in the territory of the latter country. Such emigrants as have already left one or other of the two countries and have not yet acquired their new nationality, shall acquire that nationality on the date of the signature of the present Convention. Article 8 Emigrants shall be free to take away with them or to arrange for the transport of their movable property of every kind, without being liable on this account to the payment of any export or import duty or any other tax. Similarly, the members of each community (including the personnel of mosques, tekkes, meddresses, churches, convents, schools, hospitals, societies, associations and juridical persons, or other foundations of any nature whatever) which is to leave the territory of one of the Contracting States under the present Convention, shall have the right to take away freely or to arrange for the transport of the movable property belonging to their communities. The fullest facilities for transport shall be provided by the authorities of the two countries, upon the recommendation of the Mixed Commission provided for in Article 11. Emigrants who may not be able to take away all or part of their movable property can leave it behind. In that event, the local authorities shall be required to draw up, the emigrant in question being given an opportunity to be heard, an inventory and valuation of the property left by him. Proces-verbaux containing the inventory and the valuation of the movable property left by the emigrant shall be drawn up in four copies, one of which shall be kept by the local authorities, the second transmitted to the Mixed Commission provided for in Article 11 to serve as the basis for the liquidation provided for by Article 9, the third shall be handed to the Government of the country to which the emigrant is going, and the fourth to the emigrant himself. Article 9 Immovable property, whether rural or urban, belonging to emigrants, or to the communities mentioned in Article 8, and the movable property left by these emigrants or communities, shall be liquidated in accordance with the following provisions by the Mixed Commission provided for in Article 11. Property situated in the districts to which the compulsory exchange applies and belonging to religious or benevolent institutions of the communities established in a district to which the exchange does not apply, shall likewise be liquidated under the same conditions. Article l0 The movable and immovable property belonging to persons who have already left the territory of the High Contracting Parties and are considered, in accordance with Article 3 of the present Convention, as being included in the exchange of populations, shall be liquidated in accordance with Article 9. This liquidation shall take place independently of all measures of any kind whatever, which, under the laws passed and the regulations of any kind made in Greece and Turkey since the 18th October, 1912, or in anyother way, have resulted in any restriction on rights of ownership over the property in question, such as confiscation forced sale, etc. In the event of the property mentioned in this Article or in Article 9 having been submitted to a measure of this kind, its value shall be fixed by the Commission provided for in Article 11, as if the measures in question had not been applied. As regards expropriated property, the Mixed Commission shall undertake a fresh valuation of such property, if it has been expropriated since the 18th October, 1912, having previously belonged to persons liable to the exchange of populations in the two countries, and is situated in territories to which the exchange applies. The Commission shall fix for the benefit of the owners such compensation as will repair the injury which the Commission has ascertained. The total amount of this compensation shall be carried to the credit of these owners and to the debit of the Government on whose territory the expropriated property is situated. In the event of any persons mentioned in Articles 8 and 9 not having received the income from property, the enjoyment of which they have lost in one way or another, the restoration of the amount of this income shall be guaranteed to them on the basis of the average yield of the property before the war, and in accordance with the methods to be laid down by the Mixed Commission. The Mixed Commission provided for in Article 11, when proceeding to the liquidation of Wakf property in Greece and of the rights and interests connected therewith, and to the liquidation of similar foundations belonging to Greeks in Turkey, shall follow the principles laid down in previous Treaties with a view to fully safeguarding the rights and interests of these foundations and of the individuals interested in them. The Mixed Commission provided for in Article 11 shall be entrusted with the duty of executing these provisions. Article 11 Within one month from the coming into force of the present Convention a Mixed Commission shall be set up in Turkey or in Greece consisting of four members representing each of the High Contracting Parties, and of three members chosen by the Council of the League of Nations from among nationals of Powers which did not take part in the war of 1914-1918. The Presidency of the Commission shall be exercised in turn by each of these three neutral members. The Mixed Commission shall have the right to set up, in such places as it may appear to them necessary, Sub-Commissions working under its order. Each such Sub-Commission shall consist of a Turkish member, a Greek member and a neutral President to be designated by the Mixed Commission. The Mixed Commission shall decide the powers to be delegated to the Sub-Commission. Article 12 The duties of the Mixed Commission shall be to supervise and facilitate the emigration provided for in the present Convention and to carry out the liquidation of the movable and immovable property for which provision is made in Articles 9 and l0. The Commission shall settle the methods to be followed as regards the emigration and liquidation mentioned above. In a general way the Mixed Commission shall have full power to take the measures necessitated by the execution of the present Convention and to decide all questions to which this Convention may give rise. The decisions of the Mixed Commission shall be taken by a majority. All disputes relating to property, rights and interests which are to be liquidated shall be settled definitely by the Commission. Article 13 The Mixed Commission shall have full power to cause the valuation to be made of the movable and immovable property which is to be liquidated under the present Convention, the interested parties being given a hearing or being duly summoned so that they may be heard. The basis for the valuation of the property to be liquidated shall be the value of the property in gold currency. Article 14 The Commission shall transmit to the owner concerned a declaration stating the sum due to him in respect of the property of which he has been dispossessed, and such property shall remain at the disposal of the Government on whose territory it is situated. The total sums due on the basis of these declarations shall constitute a Government debt fromthe country wherethe liquidation takes place to the Government of the country to which the emigrant belongs. The emigrant shall in principle be entitled to receive in the country to which he emigrates, as representing the sums due to him, property of a value equal to and of the same nature as that which he has left behind. Once every six months an account shall be drawn up of the sums due by the respective Governments on the basis of the declarations as above. When the liquidation is completed, if the sums of money due to both sides correspond, the accounts relating thereto shall be balanced. If a sum remains due from one of the Governments to the other Government after a balance has been struck, the debit balance shall be paid in cash. If the debtor Government requests a postponement in making this payment, the Commission may grant such postponement, provided that the sum due be paid in three annuities at most. The Commission shall fix the interest to be paid during the period of postponement. If the sum to be paid is fairly large and requires longer postponement, the debtor Government shall pay in cash a sum to be fixed by the Mixed Commission, up to a maximum of 20 per cent. of the total due, and shall issue in respect of the balance loan certificates bearing such interest as the Mixed Commission may fix, to be paid off within 20 years at most. The debtor Govern- ment shall assign to the service of these loans pledges approved by the Commission, which shall be administered and of which the revenues shall be encashed by the International Commission in Greece and by the Council of the Public Debt at Constantinople. In the absence of agreement in regard to these pledges, they shall be selected by the Council of the League of Nations. Article 15 With a view to facilitating emigration, funds shall be advanced to the Mixed Commission by the States concerned, under conditions laid down by the said Commission. Article 16 The Turkish and Greek Governments shall come to an agreement with the Mixed Commission provided for in Article 11 in regard to all questions concerning the notification to be made to persons who are to leave the territory of Turkey and Greece under the present Convention, and concerning the ports to which these persons are to go for the purpose of being transported to the country of their destination. The High Contracting Parties undertake mutually that no pressure direct or indirect shall be exercised on the populations which are to be exchanged with a view to making them leave their homes or abandon their property before the date fixed for their departure. They likewise undertake to impose on the emigrants who have left or who are to leave the country no special taxes or dues. No obstacle shall be placed in the way of the inhabitants of the districts excepted from the exchange under Article 2 exercising freely their right to remain in or return to those districts and to enjoy to the full their liberties and rights of property in Turkey and in Greece. This provision shall not be invoked as a motive for preventing the free alienation of property belonging to inhabitants of the said regions which are excepted from the exchange, or the voluntary departure of those among these inhabitants who wish to leave Turkey or Greece. Article 17 The expenses entailed by the maintenance and working of the Mixed Commission and of the organizations dependent on it shall be borne by the Governments concerned in proportions to be fixed by the Commission. Article 18 The High Contracting Parties undertake to introduce in their respective laws such modifications as may be necessary with a view to ensuring the execution of the present Convention. Article 19 The present Convention shall have the same force and effect as between the High Contracting Parties as if it formed part of the Treaty of Peace to be concluded with Turkey. It shall come into force immediately after the ratification of the said Treaty by the two High Contracting Parties. In faith whereof, the undersigned Plenipotentiaries, whose respective full Powers have been found in good and due form, have signed the present Convention. Done at Lausanne, the 30th January, 1923, in three copies, one of which shall be transmitted to the Greek Government, one to the Government of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, and the third shall be deposited in the archives of the Government of the French Republic, which shall deliver certified copies to the other Powers signatory of the Treaty of Peace with Turkey. (L.S.) E. K. VENISELOS

(L.S.) D. CACLAMANOS

(L.S.) ISMET

(L.S.) DR. RIZA NOUR

(L.S.) HASSAN PROTOCOL The undersigned Turkish Plenipotentiaries, duly authorized to that effect, declare that, without waiting for the coming into force of the Convention with Greece of even date, relating to the exchange of the Greek and Turkish populations, and by way of exception to Article 1 of that Convention, the Turkish Government, on the signature of the Treaty of Peace, will release the able-bodied men referred to in Article 4 of the said Convention, and will provide for their departure. Done at Lausanne, the 30th January, 1923. ISMET

DR. RIZA NOUR

HASSAN


Below are the arrests for Oct. 8-11. All listed are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Julian Anderson, 34, was arrested on Oct. 11 at 1:23 a.m. at 1310 S. Market for a warrant (failure to appear).

Erik Bowland, 30, was arrested on Oct. 11 at 3:45 a.m. at Washington and Edgewater for possession of marijuana (class B misdemeanor) and operating while intoxicated (class C misdemeanor).

Jerry Casbon Jr., 48, was arrested on Oct. 10 at 2:45 a.m. at 818 Clark St. for a warrant (violation of pre-trial).

Levi Dodd, 30, was arrested on Oct. 10 at 5:30 p.m. at 818 W. Taylor for domestic battery-simple assault (class A misdemeanor) and possession of marijuana (class B misdemeanor).

Patricia Howard, 33, was arrested on Oct. 10 at 1:23 a.m. at Bell and Gano for possession of a legend drug (level 6 felony), dealing meth (level 2 felony), possession of marijuana (class B misdemeanor), possession of meth (level 4 felony) and a warrant (violation of pre-trial).

Ronald Humerickhouse, 29, was arrested on Oct. 8 at 4:53 p.m. at 1920 E. Markland for criminal trespass (class A misdemeanor) and resisting law enforcement (class A misdemeanor).

Angela Jones, 24, was arrested on Oct. 10 at 11:04 p.m. at Locke and Elm for possession of marijuana (class B misdemeanor).

Kendra McKnight, 31, was arrested on Oct. 10 at 1:21 a.m. at Sycamore and Ohio for resisting law enforcement (class A misdemeanor).

Angela Mendoza, 33, was arrested on Oct. 8 at 3:47 a.m. at 733 S. Wabash for domestic battery in the presence of a child (level 6 felony).

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Joshua Mink, 44, was arrested on Oct. 8 at 3:03 a.m. at 733 S. Wabash for domestic battery in the presence of a child (level 6 felony).

Carrie Montes, 39, was arrested on Oct. 8 at 1:05 p.m. at 1717 E. Lincoln Rd. for a warrant (violation of pre-trial).

Carrie Mosier, 25, was arrested on Oct. 8 at 6:44 p.m. at 1907 W. Sycamore for a warrant (violation of pre-trial).

Nicholas Parks, 41, was arrested on Oct. 8 at 12:36 a.m. at 3608 S. Lafountain for being a felon in possession of a firearm (level 5 misdemeanor), possession of marijuana (class A misdemeanor) and possession of meth (level 5 misdemeanor).

Joshua Pena, 20, was arrested on Oct 11 at 7:30 a.m. at 559 Bradford Circle for domestic battery (class A misdemeanor) and strangulation (level 6 felony).

Garrett Sparks, 25, was arrested on Oct. 9 at 11:59 p.m. at 423 E. North for possession of Schedule I, II, III, IV, or V drug (class A misdemeanor), driving while suspended (class A misdemeanor) and operating without financial responsibility (class C misdemeanor).

Jillian Spitsbergen, 37, was arrested on Oct. 8 at 12:35 a.m. at 3608 S. Lafountain for possession of marijuana (class B misdemeanor), possession of cocaine (level 5 misdemeanor), possession of meth (level 6 felony) and possession of a schedule I, II, III, IV, or V drug (class A misdemeanor).

Robert Spurgeon, 40, was arrested on Oct. 11 at 4:10 p.m. at Carter and Ohio for habitual traffic violations (level 6 felony).

Jeffrey Umbarger, 49, was arrested on Oct. 11 at 4:19 p.m. at 210 N. Market for a warrant (violation of pre-trial).

Timothy Vonogden, 26, was arrested on Oct. 10 at 2:22 a.m. at 1918 W. Sycamore for public intoxication (class B misdemeanor).

Cody Woodall, 22, was arrested on Oct. 10 at 2:00 a.m. at 4005 S. Lafountain for a warrant (failure to appear).
MONTICELLO  Area Republican legislators did not paint a pretty picture of the Democrat-controlled state government at a regional listening tour meeting held in Monticello Oct. 5.

And while it came from the perspective of minority party members, area Sen. Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet) said it goes further than not getting their way: It is more about a governing process with too much power in the hands of one man, in this case Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

The longtime legislator said executive orders have taken the place of General Assembly deliberation, and when items do come before the House and Senate they are often considered quickly and at odd hours, such as the law enforcement reform law that was approved in a 3 a.m. roll call.

When you have one person making 100 percent of the decisions, that is not democracy, Rose said.

Colleague Sen. Jason Barickman (R-Bloomington), also on the panel at the session held at Monticello High Schools Sievers Center gymnasium, agreed.

No person should be able to, through executive order, determine all these things. We have a legislative process that is supposed to be used to put in force laws that govern our society, Barickman said.

That process is totally on the back burner through all of this, he added, pointing specifically to the Democrat-led process to produce new legislative maps earlier this year without current census data.

First up at the Monticello meeting was Roses presentation on police reform, moved up on the agenda due to the local awareness and interest in the issue following the shooting death of Champaign Police Officer Chris Oberheim  who was a Monticello resident  while on the job in Champaign.

He said the approved legislation includes several unfunded mandates, eliminates cash bail in most cases, and limits an officers ability to use force.

All pursuits are called off. So whats going to happen? Everybody runs. This is insane, Rose said.

He also noted that a limit on using force will hurt enforcement efforts when handling misdemeanor trespassing complaints.

The most a police officer will now be able to do is ticket you or ticket someone. If someone goes on your property and refuses to leave, the most a police officer can do is politely ask them to leave and give them a ticket to come to court in a month, Rose said.

The day after the meeting in Monticello, Rose introduced a Fund the Police bill that he hopes takes care of what he sees as deficiencies in the law enforcement reform bill.

Redistricting concerns were addressed by Barickman, who noted that inaccurate and incomplete data was used to approve new legislative maps. The General Assembly, led by a Democrat majority, opted not to wait for census data.

When the census numbers came out, errors in population density were as much as 30 percent, well above mandates saying districts need to have similar populations. It has led to lawsuits and a necessary redraw of the legislative maps.

Illinois said they were going to do theirs (legislative map) in about two weeks, Barickman said, claiming hearings were not well-publicized, some attendees were met with locked doors and others could not access them through the Zoom links provided.

This was a sham process.

Rose also said the governor ignored a promise he made to veto any legislative maps that came from politicians, and during his campaign supported the idea of an independent commission establishing boundaries.

The largest amount of applause came after Sen. Sally Turners Fix the FOID presentation, when she said firearms owners identification cards should not be required. She also addressed the delay in processing FOID renewals.

If your FOID card is expired, get in line. Youre number 159,679, Turner (R-Beason) said, adding her husband had nearly a two-year wait between applying and receiving his renewal.

The Illinois State Police have hired additional personnel to help with the backlog of FOID renewals and concealed-carry permits, but Turner said it is not enough. She advised contacting a legislator for those having difficulty with those processes.

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Budget woes

On the subject of the state budget, Rose said better-than-expected revenues and an influx of federal COVID-19 funds gave the state $16 billion more than expected for this fiscal year, but there were still several business-related tax breaks being eliminated to raise even more revenue.

It nixes about $708 million in what he feels are necessary incentives needed for the state economy, Rose said..

All because $16.1 billion (in unexpected revenue) was not enough. Crazy, he said.

Questions

The 100 or so people who attended the meeting were allowed to submit questions in writing, which were combined into categories and submitted to the legislative panel.

Vaccine mandates were at the top of the list. Barickman said it was another example of unchecked power, and that the Healthcare Right of Conscience Act allows Illinois citizens to opt out of them for reasons of belief.

Rose noted, however that the same exemption may not apply to federal workers.

But he also said the state has bullied people  sometimes illegally  regarding mandates, noting the implied threat made to a physicians medical license depending on his support for mask mandates as a school board member.

The state eventually apologized for the email that was sent to the doctor after the issue was brought to light.

While most area districts have said they will not be teaching the new sex education standards approved by the state, area Rep. Dan Caulkins (R-Decatur) urged them to file suit if a teacher does.

Im waiting for a parent in Illinois whose (child is) taught this subject matter to go to the states attorney and file a complaint. File a complaint against that teacher for teaching that curriculum to their child, Caulkins said.

This is how you destroy families; you separate the kids from the morality of their parents, and weve got to stand up to it.

Some not impressed

Some attendees were not impressed with the meeting, notably its format, which included a little more than an hour of presentations and less than a half-hour of answering questions.

I dont know why the event was called a listening tour because that was pretty much the opposite of what happened last night, Amanda Pankau said.

In the hour-and-a-half event, they only devoted 20 minutes to questions, often veering from the question and talking about what they wanted. They only got to four or five constituent questions.

In a letter to the editor, Susan Humphreys had similar concerns.

She felt there were several fair criticisms of some Democratic actions, but for the most part thought it was nothing more than a bitch fest by sore losers, spoiled children who havent gotten their way.

An aide for Rose said it was the first listening tour session to use a slide presentation, which might have gone a little long, but Landon Stenger said there was plenty of time for input later.

All the senators stuck around and took complaints and concerns from anybody. So anyone who wanted to make their point, we stayed, he said.
Press Release

October 11, 2021 Villanueva presses DOLE to spur employment generation Senator Joel Villanueva today sounded the alarm on the employment situation in the Philippines as a result of the pandemic, saying tens of millions of Filipinos needed employment now and stable sources of income. Speaking at the budget hearing for the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Commission on Filipinos Overseas, Villanueva said the employment picture is getting bleaker as tens of thousands of overseas Filipino workers continue to return home. "I believe that the third pandemic year, 2022, will be about jobs, jobs, jobs," said Villanueva, chairman of the Senate committee on labor. "Kung hindi po tayo makakagawa at makakalikha ng trabaho, hindi lang po kalam ng sikmura ang daranasin ng ating mga kababayan kundi baka pati ang kawalan ng rin ng pag-asa (If we are unable to create jobs, our countrymen will not only suffer from hunger but probably lose hope as well)," Villanueva said. "Sa gitna po ng anumang krisis, iba po yung may trabaho o hanapbuhay ang ating mga kababayan dahil kahit anong mangyari, hindi magugutom ang pamilya nila (In the middle of any crisis, it makes a difference if our countrymen have jobs because whatever happens, their families will not go hungry)," he said. "I am sure that you will all agree," Villanueva said. "Our displaced and disadvantaged workers need emergency employment," he said. "However, what they need and desire is stable and dependable regular employment," Villanueva said. "The challenges that DOLE faced last year continue this year as thousands of overseas Filipino workers return to the Philippines adding to the millions of unemployed and underemployed workers," he said. Villanueva cited government data to show how bleak the employment picture is. In August 2021, the unemployment rate was 8.1 percent and underemployment was 14.7 percent. "In other words, there are 3.88 million unemployed and 6.48 million underemployed Filipinos," Villanueva said. The reality, however, may be worse than what the numbers paint, according to Villanueva. "Sa pag-iikot ko po sa iba't ibang mga probinsiya, mahirap pong paniwalaan na ganyan lang ang antas ng joblessness sa bansa (As i go around the provinces, it's hard to believe that the rate of joblessness in the country is only that)," he said. Ang sakit pong makita, lalo na sa mga malls, na kung hindi man sarado ang mga tindahan, halos walang katao-tao at paisa-isa lang ang mga empleyado, staff o crew (It's painful to see, especially in malls, that if stores are not closed, they're almost empty and there's just one employee, staff or crew)," Villanueva said.
Press Release

October 12, 2021 De Lima cites 5 reasons for re-election bid After filing her Certificate of Candidacy (CoC), Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima cited the reasons why she decided to seek reelection in the upcoming 2022 elections. De Lima filed her CoC for Senator in the May 2022 elections through her Official Representative and Spokesperson, Atty. Dino de Leon, last Oct. 8. For one, De Lima said she wants to continue her own fight for freedom and justice, saying that her battle since 2016, when she was unjustly detained, "goes hand in hand" with the Filipino people's struggle for justice and progress. "Personally, even as I fight my own battle for my freedom, I cannot but also join the struggle of our people against injustice and oppression. I cannot but realize that this is what my whole being is now all about, this struggle to free myself and the Filipino people from this curse that has all but destroyed our nation," she said. "Ang laban ni Leila ay ang ipaglaban ang Pilipino. Ikinulong man ako at binusalan, patuloy pa rin ang aking pag-alay sa sariling buhay at kalayaan para sa ating bayan. Kung sa sakripisyo at pagsubok, palagay ko po ay akin nang napatunayan ang aking kakayahan na iangat ang kapakanan ng bayan sa pansarili kong interes," she added. The second reason why she decided to seek re-election, according to De Lima, who serves as Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Social Justice, Welfare and Rural Development, is to further advance her five (5) foremost advocacies, namely, on Social Justice, Human Rights, Criminal Justice Reform, Good Governance and Rule of Law, and National Sovereignty. Third, De Lima said she also aims to hold Mr. Duterte and his lackeys accountable for the thousands of killings, corruption and other human rights abuses that ran rampant under his administration. "We must make sure that the Duterte government is made accountable for the complete mess it made out of our economy and our people's security, for the mass murders, treason and many other sins against the people," she said. Notably, last Sept. 15, the ICC approved a formal probe into the killings as crimes against humanity under Duterte's signature anti-narcotics campaign, including the extrajudicial killings in Davao linked to the Davao Death Squad (DDS). "Even the Senate has now been awakened to the criminal nature of the Duterte administration as it continues its investigation on what is probably the single most plunderous act in the nation's history, more plunderous than all the Napoles scams combined," De Lima said. Fourth, De Lima said her goal to continue protecting democracy and the democratic institutions damaged by Duterte also prompted her to seek re-election. Fifth, the lady Senator from Bicol said she aims to uphold the dignity of the Filipinos and the Philippines. Highlighting the number Five (5) as representing her surname in relation to her re-election bid, De Lima quipped : "Lima para kay de Lima!" "Together with VP Leni and under her leadership, I and the other candidates of the Liberal Party and our allies, continue to represent the opposition in this country," she said. "We present the people an alternative to the criminal government that now governs us in the most perverted sense, an alternative that should have been a continuity administration of peace, stability, and progress in 2016," she added.
Follow doctors' 'prescription': Drilon urges Duterte to heed doctors' plea

Senate Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon urged Malacanang to heed the call of the country's medical experts and former health secretaries "not to obstruct" the Blue Ribbon investigation into the anomalous transactions involving COVID-19 medical supplies.

"The whole nation is watching. I call on the executive to listen to the people and heed the call," Drilon stressed.

"May prescription na po ang mga doctor: let's follow the doctors' prescription and allow an unimpeded Senate investigation into the PS-DBM anomalous transactions," Drilon said.

"I laud and fully support the call of our frontline medical doctors. I thank the members of the medical profession for supporting our efforts in the Senate to ferret out the truth in the PS-DBM - Pharmally transactions," he added.

In issuing what they called a 'collective expression of indignation and a call to action', around 300 past and present members of the Philippine College of Physicians and other medical professionals called on the President "not to obstruct the testimony of material witnesses to any investigation."

Drilon noted that both the members of the legal community and the medical profession have voiced out support for the Senate investigation and called out the President's directive.

The Integrated Bar of the Philippines had earlier issued a statement urging the President to reconsider his order.

The President had earlier issued a memo prohibiting Cabinet officials from attending the Senate probe on the government's procurement of allegedly overpriced pandemic supplies last year from Pharmally.

Drilon had earlier called the order "unconstitutional" citing Supreme Court jurisprudence.

He cited, for instance, the Senate v. Ermita (G.R. No. 169777, April 20, 2006) where the Supreme Court ruled that when the inquiry in which Congress requires their appearance is in aid of legislation, the appearance is mandatory.

It was Drilon, as Senate President in 2005, that brought the case to the Supreme Court after then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo issued the controversial Executive Order 464 to prevent executive officials, cabinet members, and military officers from appearing before the Senate inquiry into the anomalous North Rail Project.
Press Release

October 12, 2021 Hontiveros: Senate Medal of Excellence for Ressa is mandatory Senator Risa Hontiveros, Chair of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality, has filed Proposed Senate Resolution No. 927 urging the Senate to recognize Maria Ressa's Nobel Peace Prize as mandated by Senate Adopted Resolution No. 110. According to Hontiveros, Senate Resolution No. 110 states that recipients of a Nobel Prize are to automatically receive a Senate Medal of Excellence. Senator Minority Leader Frank Drilon, and Senators Kiko Pangilinan and Leila De Lima also signed Hontiveros' resolution. "Conferring the Senate Medal of Excellence on Maria Ressa is mandatory and procedural. It's not up for vote or debate." she stressed. "Whatever side you look at it from, Maria Ressa's feat is important for our country and all freedom-loving nations. We have a duty at the Senate to uplift and acknowledge our fellow Filipinos when we make our mark in the world," she added. Hontiveros said that ignoring Ressa's accomplishment would also be 'damaging to women's important role in Philippine history'. "Maria Ressa is the first ever Filipino Nobel Peace Prize winner. To purposely ignore this achievement would be to wash away an amazing victory of a Filipina from our history books. This is a chance for the Senate as an institution to show that it remains true to its values of free speech and genuine democracy," she said. "I urge the Senate to give Maria Ressa the recognition she is due so that we may inspire Filipinos to continue to be brave. Filipinos are many things, and now we also have a Nobel Peace Prize awardee. This is a Pinoy Pride moment. May there continue to be many others," Hontiveros concluded.
The Arab Group at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) hailed, Monday, the tireless efforts of King Mohammed VI, Chairman of the Al-Quds Committee, for the defense of the Holy City at the diplomatic, political and economic levels.

The Arab Group commends the tireless efforts of HM King Mohammed VI, Chairman of the Al-Quds Committee, in defense of the Holy City at the diplomatic and political levels and also economically through the funding and implementation of projects in the city of Al-Quds via the Bayt Mal-Al-Quds- Asharif Agency, said the Egyptian minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, chairman of the Egyptian National Commission to UNESCO, Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, in an address on behalf of the Arab Group before the 212th session of the Executive Board of the UN organization.

He cited, in this context, as an example, the program called Civil Initiatives for a Sustainable Human Development Program in Al-Quds 2020-2021, which aims to support projects led by civil society in the Holy City, particularly in the areas of training, skills development in income-generating trades and empowerment of women.

The Arab Group affirms that the Palestinian cause and the legitimate and unwavering rights of the Palestinian people remain a priority of the Arab nation, the Egyptian minister stressed.

The 212th session of the Executive Board of UNESCO opened on Monday with the participation of Morocco whose ambassador-delegate currently chairs the Arab Group.
Turkish President Recep Tayip Erdogan will start from October 17, a four-day diplomatic tour of Africa that will take him to Angola, Nigeria and Togo.

The first step of the tour is Angola after hosting in July the leader of the African country Joao Manuel Goncalves Lourenco. During their meeting, the Turkish President pledged to visit Luanda as part of efforts to boost cooperation and trade between the two countries.

After the U.N. General Assembly (this September), we will pay a return visit to Angola with a group of businessmen. We want to start high-level visits between the two countries, Erdogan said at the July meeting.

Nigeria will play host to Turkish leader on October 18-19. Erdogan received in October 2017 the Head of state of the African giant Muhammadu Buhari, nearly one year after the Turkish leader visited the oil-rich African country.

The last top of the tour will be Togo. Prior to the visit, Erdogan and Faure Gnassingbe held a telephone conversation in August. Both leaders, Daily Sabah notes, discussed bilateral relations.

Both countries have developed security cooperation. Erdogan, the Turkish media notes, stated that cooperation with Togo in the field of defense would have a multiplier effect in the development of relations.

A group of business people will follow the Turkish leader during visit to Lome, the media adds.

The tour will precede the third Turkey-Africa Partnership Summit to be held in Istanbul on Dec. 17-18. Several African heads of States, ministers are expected in the attendance for the event be graced by the Turkish leader. Ankara in recent years has stepped its foray in Africa. The African Union made Turkey in 2005 an observer of the organization.
According to a tweet published by Euan Graham on October 12, 2021, Royal Navy's HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier visits Changi Naval Base at Singapore with De Zeven Provincien-class frigate HNLMS Evertsen.

Follow Navy Recognition on Google News at this link

HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier and HNLMS Evertsen, Singapore (Picture source: Twitter account of Euan Graham)

The HMS Queen Elizabeth is the first of the two Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers in service with the British Navy. The ship began sea trials in June 2017, was commissioned on 7 December 2017 and entered service with the British Navy in 2020.

The HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier weighs 65,000 tonnes and can reach a top speed of 25 knots (46 km/h). She can carry up to 72 aircraft, with a maximum capacity of 36 F-35B fighter jets. The ship has a flight deck of 280 m long and 70 m wide.

The HMS Queen Elizabeth has a crew of about 700, increasing to 1,600 when a full complement of F-35B jets and naval helicopters are embarked.

The HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier is able to carry up to forty aircraft, with a normal maximum load of thirty-six F-35s and four helicopters, but she has also a theoretical surge capacity of up to 72 aircraft. The aircraft carrier can be also used as a Maritime Force Protection package with nine anti-submarines Merlin HM2 and five Merlin Crowsnest able to conduct airborne early warning missions. The ship can also carry a mix of Royal Navy Commando Helicopter Force Merlin HC4, Wildcat AH1, RAF Chinooks, and Army Air Corps Apaches.

HNLMS Evertsen (F805) is the fourth De Zeven Provincien-class frigate of the Royal Netherlands Navy, she is a highly sophisticated air defence frigate, equipped with weapons and sensors.
According to information published by Yonhap News Agency on October 7, 2021, South Korea launched a new 5,600-ton-class auxiliary submarine rescue ship (ARS-II) capable of conducting rescue operations in the deep sea regardless of weather conditions.

Follow Navy Recognition on Google News at this link

Second auxiliary submarine rescue ship (ARS-II) Ganghwado at Geoje (Picture source: Republic of Korea Navy)

A launch ceremony for the vessel, named Ganghwado, took place at the Okpo shipyard of Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co., on the southern island of Geoje.

Currently, South Korea has the 3,200-ton Cheonghaejin submarine rescue ship, which was commissioned in late 1996.

ROKS Cheonghaejin (ASR-21) is the only ship of the Cheonghaejin-class submarine rescue ship in the Republic of Korea Navy. She is named after the military headquarters, Cheonghaejin.

Her operations include rescuing trapped sailors in submarines, naval operation support for submarines, underwater research and mapping support, and recovery of sunk vessels. It is equipped with a deep submergence rescue vehicle (DSRV) that operates up to 500 meters (1,600 ft), and a rescue chamber that holds up to nine people.

A submarine rescue ship serves as a surface support ship for submarine rescue and deep-sea salvage operations. Methods employed are the McCann Rescue Chamber, Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicles (DSRV's) and deep-sea diving operations.
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Oxford College of Emory University has renamed a historic campus building after the late Judge Horace J. Johnson Jr., an Oxford alumnus who became the first Black judge to serve on the Superior Court in the Alcovy Judicial Circuit, and established an endowment for need-based scholarships in his honor.

Emory University President Gregory L. Fenves joined Oxford College Dean Douglas A. Hicks at the renaming ceremony on Friday, Oct. 8.

Today we gather to remember and honor an extraordinary alumnus, Judge Horace Johnson, as we rename one of Oxfords central academic buildings in his name, Hicks told the gathering of more than 300 that included Johnsons family, leaders from local community organizations, and Oxford faculty, staff and students. Today Language Hall, which has been at the center of academic life at Oxford for almost 150 years, becomes Johnson Hall. Witnessing his name prominently featured at the heart of Oxford College, at the heart of Emory University, adds life to this community.

Johnson graduated from Oxford College in 1977 and Emorys Goizueta Business School in 1979. He went on to become the first Black judge to serve on the Superior Court in the Alcovy Judicial Circuit, which includes Georgias Newton and Walton Counties, serving from 2002 until his death in 2020. Among his many contributions to Oxford, he served almost 30 years on the College's Board of Counselors and mentored countless students and alumni.

The University Committee on Naming Honors, which was established in 2019 to review historic names represented on campus, embraced the name change from Language Hall to Johnson Hall. Fenves, recalling a time in the universitys history when talented African American students and faculty members were not allowed to learn, teach and thrive at Emory, celebrated Johnsons achievements, his values and his lifelong dedication to public service.

Judge Johnson did so much for the people of Newton County, Atlanta and the state of Georgia. As an attorney and judge, he was known for making history himself, serving as the first African American Superior Court judge in the Alcovy circuit, said Fenves. As a community member, he was always engaged  dedicating his time to numerous organizations in Newton County, including the Boys and Girls Club. He was always bringing people together to serve the common good, to take on big projects and to spark needed change.

I have no doubt that Johnson Hall will serve as an inspiration to many students and faculty that will call it home for generations to come, Fenves continued. They will write the next chapter of Emory, but they will also have a reminder of what integrity, courage and excellence look like, what service can do for society and a community, and what one exceptional person can mean to an entire place, a city and a state.

Oxford College has also announced the establishment of the Judge Horace J. Johnson Jr. Scholarship Endowment to provide need-based scholarships to Oxford students.

Michelle Bryant Johnson thanked Oxford and Emory for helping to preserve her husbands legacy. Our hearts are warmed, and we are so humbled by this expression. Horace loved Oxford. This is an amazing tribute to him on the campus that he adored, she said.

A special element of the ceremony was a poem, "Among Us," created and recited by Tameka Cage Conley, Oxford College assistant professor of English and creative writing. Other speakers at the dedication included Judge Cheveda McCamy, Superior Court judge in the Alcovy Judicial Circuit; James ONeal, Johnsons longtime friend and former Oxford roommate; and Oxford students Sarah Bekele, president of the Black Student Alliance, and Roxanne Chou, president of the Student Government Association.

Prior to the ceremony, a new sign for the building and a granite plaque in front of the building were unveiled. A portrait of Johnson commissioned by the local artist Rossin will be completed and installed next spring in the lobby of the new Johnson Hall.

We want to thank Michelle, Bryant and James, and all of the Johnson and Bryant families, for your support and for sharing Horace with us, said Hicks. Through the scholarships that will bear his name and in this building, his intellect, compassion, dedication to public service and commitment to justice and equality will live on at Oxford.
Gale's Impact Live Inspired Public Libraries in Trying Times



Gale hosted a 2-day, free online event for public libraries on Sept. 29 and 30 called Impact Live . Its theme was Connect, Inspire, Elevate, and it included talks by librarians, industry leaders, and authors. There were three simultaneous tracks on the first day and two tracks on the second.

Opening Session

Registration was simple and seamless. The same could be said for access to the event. The first day was off to a brilliant start thanks to an opening conversation with Responding to Rapid Change in Libraries: A User Experience Approach co-authors Callan Bignoli and Lauren Stara. Bignoli is the library director at the Olin College of Engineering in Massachusetts, and Stara is a library building specialist at the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. I was interested to see that she got her library degree at the University of Arizona and then went east, just like I did.

They described their project that studied user experience in libraries with the end goal of enhancing it. In common sense language, they looked to see who their users were, what they were doing, and how they could help. They were interested in findability, or the ways that users find the library, enter the library, and locate the program they came for. Things that reduce findability include bad signage, unclear policies, and obstructive architecture. In one example, Bignoli described the communications problems between librarians, who want to generously provide information, and IT experts, who want to lock it up. She said that the feeling of frustration can be used as a model for how patrons can feel intimidated by library policies. Policies should reflect human values and lead to a service philosophy of Yes, we can!

Bignoli and Stara also suggested studying people who avoid the library to find out what keeps them away. They discussed possible library improvements, such as cleaner buildings, more self-service options, and special lighting above service desks.

More From Day 1

In one session, Cathy Zimmerman (bookmobile associate and senior outreach specialist at Scott County Library System in Iowa) explained how she created a bookmobile program in her library system with a staff of oneherself. She studied which locations seemed to be underserved and worked out schedules to provide them with library service. After the initial funding to get rolling, she aggressively sought ways to grow the program, such as talking to civic groups, finding grants, participating in farmers markets, and even setting up birthday parties for champion readers. This last item was so popular that she had to rein it in for fear of being overwhelmed. The key to a successful program is to never stop marketing the service, she said.

Later, Charlotte Muller (founder of Breathe Strength) led a session of yoga and breathing exercises. I followed along for a time. For my last program of the day, I saw Rhode Island-based librarians Edward Garcia (director of Cranston Public Library), Beatrice Pulliam (director of technology and information services at Providence Public Library), and Karen Mellor (chief of library services in the Office of Library & Information Services for the State of Rhode Island) discussing their experiences with Gale Presents: Udemy. This is an online learning tool with more than 10,000 video courses in business and technology. Their adoption of this service neatly coincided with the pandemic. It immediately became useful to homebound librarians for professional development as well as a service for the career goals of patrons.

State workers were able to use this tool to enhance their skills in coding, web design, and information security. Providence Public Library was one of 13 libraries nationwide to win a Google and ALA grant to create a business hub that could be used by entrepreneurs and other interested patrons. At the state level, authentication is tightly monitored, requiring a valid Rhode Island library card and an email address with Google or Microsoft. For the future, the librarians hope to use this tool to encourage learning groups, workforce development, and bite-sized learning and to provide for the underserved people in their communities.

Day 2

The second day featured a suite of programs about data management that got my systems librarian DNA firing. Kelly Clark (administrative analyst at Sacramento Public Library) presented a session on avoiding data silos, which occur when individuals at an institution hoard information to enhance their power. This can result in lost data when the person leaves. A centralized data bank is the solution. It can be set up so that everyone can have access depending on their needs. In addition, it allows for greater collaboration and less redundancy and encourages reports that blend data from entirely different sources. The payoff is a library of data that can be used to develop strategic decision-making. Clarks crisp and well-delivered talk reminded me of something once said by Andrew Carnegie: Put all your eggs in one basket, and then watch that basket.

The next session blended well with Clarks program. Kelly Metzger (state data coordinator at the Office of Library & Information Services for the State of Rhode Island) and Stephen Spohn (executive director of Ocean State Libraries in Rhode Island) presented Follow the Data Journey: Using Data to Fuel Strategic Planning and Decision-Making. When Spohn began his job as the head of the Ocean State Libraries consortium, he found that the individual libraries had different perceptions of which kinds of patrons should be served. He decided to solve this with a program of gathering data about who their patrons really are.

Thanks to a grant, the libraries were able to work with Gale to create a product that would show the differences (age, income, educational attainment, ethnicity) that are represented in groups such as power users, ILL users, or non-users. They took data from their ILSs and OverDrive and blended it with census data. This helped to add the dimension of book readers, readers of ebooks or audiobooks, and patrons who are omnivorous and read every type of book. They took care to preserve the privacy of their patrons and concentrate on the aggregate data. In one example, they paired their circulation data with information about the educational level of their patrons.

The final talk was given by Marisol Quevedo Rerucha (author of Beyond the Surface of Restorative Practices: Building a Culture of Equity, Connection, and Healing. In a combination of a lecture and breathing lessons, she encouraged her listeners to get a grip and learn to be a better person.

Conclusion

Gales diverse program offered a wealth of useful, practical information. The thread that I found running through the entirety of the event was the idea of urging librarians to use their empathy and technology to ensure that every citizen in their community can get something valuable from their library. As of this writing, the sessions are still available for replay, and Gale was still taking new free enrollments for those who missed them. There is worthwhile information here for any librarian.
[October 12, 2021] Qlik Cloud Empowers Food Manufacturer Whitworths To Transform Business Operations with The Power of Cloud Analytics LONDON, Oct. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Qlik today announced leading healthier snack manufacturer, Whitworths, has made a crucial next step in its business transformation towards a cloud model by scaling and rolling out Qliks cloud-based data analytics platform to improve access to real-time analytics. The move will give Whitworths employees, suppliers, and partners worldwide an opportunity to access up-to-date, accurate information across business operations through Qlik Cloud and drive more informed decision-making.

Whitworths has been a Qlik customer since 2014 when they started using QlikView, implemented by Qlik partner Catalyst BI. This was Whitworths initial deployment of data analytics, and the company benefited from improved production planning, scheduling, and inventory control across its operations. Whitworths has now taken the next step in its data journey by moving to Qlik Cloud for more advanced analytics capabilities. The move to cloud analytics will play a key role in Whitworths continued innovation as it embarks on its journey towards Active Intelligence, where continuous intelligence with context-rich, real-time analytics will proactively offer information for action in the business moment. This move is enabling Whitworths with the ability to: Offer consistent access to real-time information Empower teams with the latest innovations in analytics . Qlik Cloud will enable Whitworths to rapidly deploy advanced features as soon as they are launched. These new capabilities will enable them to introduce inventory alerts, real-time updates on shipping and delivery, and mobile analytics, putting information into the right hands of its teams in a timely way. Reduce infrastructure and maintenance costs, thanks to the cloud-based subscription service model which can be consumed anywhere, so analytics can run and scaled throughout the business more efficiently. Embed a data-driven and data-literate culture across Whitworths by democratizing access to insights in the decision-making moment, ensuring it is innovating in the face of todays fast-moving manufacturing industry and unpredictable supply chains.

Further planned expansion of the project will see Whitworths leveraging predictive analytics technology by tapping into historical data to better forecast manufacturing and industry trends. The company also hopes to develop more collaborative dashboards for effective visualization, reporting and joined-up decision-making and to create an analytics command centre in factories so that everyone can understand the data picture in real-time. Here at Whitworths, we go to great lengths to source and select the finest ingredients to fulfil our purpose to help everyone eat a little healthier every day, said Phil Gowland, Commercial Director at Whitworths. We are proud to be widely recognized and trusted by our working partners, international suppliers, and by millions of consumers, and we have big ambitions to continue our journey of growth. Armed with Qlik Cloud, we are moving closer to becoming a truly data-driven organisation, where our teams take informed actions to drive real business outcomes, said Jason Simpson, Business Analyst at Whitworths. Qlik is helping us make strategic decisions across the business; from informing our decisions on when to move the manufacturing of goods to the UK or Turkey, to empowering us to pool inventory and increase volume we can offer retailers during critical times via real-time stock reporting. Global supply chains have been massively disrupted over the last 18 months  and this is still ongoing. In this challenging climate, theres an ongoing need for manufacturers to prioritize agility, and data must underpin this for commercial teams to feel empowered to anticipate and support their customers needs, said Adam Mayer, Senior Manager at Qlik. Thats why were delighted to support Whitworths as it embraces the real-time, business-ready analytics that Cloud offers, so that it can stay one step ahead to provide the best possible service, no matter what disruption occurs. About Qlik

Qlik's vision is a data-literate world, where everyone can use data and analytics to improve decision-making and solve their most challenging problems. A private SaaS company, Qlik provides an end-to-end, real-time data integration and analytics cloud platform to close the gaps between data, insights and action.?By transforming data into Active Intelligence, businesses can drive better decisions, improve revenue and profitability, and optimize customer relationships.?Qlik does business in more than 100 countries and serves over 50,000 customers around the world.?? About Whitworths

Whitworths are a market leading supplier of dried fruit, nut and seed base healthier snacking product, committed to helping everyone eat a little healthier, every day.  2021 QlikTech International AB. All rights reserved. All product and company names are?trademarks or registered?trademarks?of their respective holders. Media Contact: Craig Brophy

craig.brophy@qlik.com

+44(0)779 566 2888





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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently honored the Red Hills Salamander Habitat Purchase teama group that includes graduates of the Auburn University School of Forestry and Wildlife Scienceswith a Regional Directors Honor Award for Conservation Partners. The team is working to conserve the Red Hills salamander, a unique, threatened amphibian endemic to a specific region of Alabama, found nowhere else in the world.

An additional award for Conservation Partners was presented to Chuck Sykes, director of the Wildlife and Freshwater Fish, or WWF, Division of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, or ADCNR. Sykes, a 1992 wildlife biology graduate, was honored for the key role he played on this team, as well as his other career accomplishments.

The state of Alabama recently purchased two tracts totaling 4,911 acres of Red Hills salamander habitat in Monroe County, an acquisition made possible by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, or USFWS, which awarded the ADCNR nearly $9 million in land conservation grants. This purchase is the largest land deal authorized and put together under the Endangered Species Acts Section 6 program.

On the team, Sykes was joined by fellow School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences alumni Ericha Nix 02, a wildlife biologist with WFFs Nongame Wildlife Program; Keith Gauldin 92, chief of the Wildlife Section of the Alabama Division of WFF; Jeremy Doss 01, acting chief enforcement officer for the State Lands Division; and Andrew Nix 93, who recently retired as forester with the WFFs Wildlife Section. Rounding out the team are State Lands Director Patti Powell-McCurdy and Doug Deaton, an operation support specialist with WFFs Wildlife Section.

The teams main goal is to acquire lands in the Red Hills region to protect the Phaeognathus hubrichti, better known as the Red Hills salamanderand ultimately delist it as a threatened species. In 2020 and 2021, the ADCNR was awarded more than $11 million from USFWS grants to conserve the species, said team member Ericha Nix.

RHS was federally listed as threatened under the Endangered Species act 45 years ago, and little progress had been made toward range-wide recovery of the species until now, Nix said.

Working with conservation partners and willing land sellers, the ADCNR purchased more than 6,600 acres for Red Hills salamander conservation, Nix said. Combined with the Red Hills Complex, the acquired land now totals over 11,000 acres that permanently protect habitat for the Red Hills salamander and other imperiled species, while also providing public access for outdoor recreation activities such as hunting.

The Red Hills salamander was discovered in Butler County in 1960. The dark, large, lungless amphibian is unique not only because of its terrestrial burrowing, but for its extremely narrow global range.

Land conversion is ongoing in the Red Hills region, greatly reducing upland hardwood forest habitat, Nix said. And the past dozen years have brought an upsurge in forestland ownership changes, part of a broader trend caused by the restructuring of the timber industry in the U.S.

Nix said securing large tracts of land for the Red Hills salamander is a great success for protection of the species, but public and private land acquisition efforts alone will not conserve the Red Hills salamander. The team also provides outreach and education efforts, technical assistance and financial incentives to the private landownersall key components of recovery efforts to protect the Red Hills salamander and other natural resources.

While we continue to work to protect the species, we are also encouraged by the cooperation and partnerships that allowed for the successful protection of such an important region in Alabama that will be beneficial for all species while also providing great outdoor recreation opportunities for the public, Nix said.

To recognize the key role Sykes plays on the Red Hills Salamander Habitat Purchase teamas well as his years-long contributions to conservation efforts in Alabama and throughout the Southeastthe USFWS honored him with an individual Honor Award for Conservation Partners.

Chris Blankenship, ADCNR commissioner, said Sykes work is well deserved.

Chuck is a tireless advocate of improving hunting and fishing opportunities and has a true passion for proper management of our vast fish and game resources, Blankenship said. His innovative ideas are also helping to modernize conservation efforts in Alabama. Chuck is constantly working to elevate outdoor opportunities for hunters from all backgrounds and experiences.

The awards were announced by USFWS Southeast Regional Director Leopoldo Miranda during a virtual ceremony in June.

These recent awards reflect the tenacious efforts of our alumni to conserve wildlife resources in Alabama, said Janaki Alavalapati, dean of the School of Forestry and Wildlife. The success of this project exemplifies the leadership and considerable impact of our alumni within the states conservation programs.
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Russian national convicted of selling abroad stolen parts of military helicopters to be jailed

 flickr.com/ Jobs For Felons Hub

18:09 12/10/2021

ST. PETERSBURG, October 12 (RAPSI, Mikhail Telekhov)  Entrepreneur Andrey Yeresko was found guilty of legalizing helicopter components and parts stolen from a military unit in the amount of more than 20 million rubles ($280,000) and sentenced to 4.5 years in prison, the United Press Service of St. Petersburg Courts told RAPSI.

The defendant is a businessman and headed the St. Petersburg Gymnastics Federation, follows from the case materials.

This criminal case was heard by the Kuibyshevsky District Court of St. Petersburg. Together with Yeresko, the head of Tekhkomservis company, Marina Karabanova, CEO of Petrokon company, was found guilty of committing the same crime. She was sentenced to 3.5 years of probation.

It was also ruled to recover from the both defendants in total 22 million rubles ($307,000 at the current exchange rate) as compensation of pecuniary damage, the statement reads.

Yeresko was punished for the totality of crimes committed, since earlier he had been found to be an accomplice of a former senior police officer Alexander Koloskov in the theft of helicopter components.

At this hearing Yeresko and Karabanova were found guilty of legalizing stolen helicopter components and fraud related to illegal export VAT refunds.

As follows from the materials of the case, Tekhkomservice and Petrokon companies were engaged in the purchase and sale of aircraft. Yeresko illegally acquired, without actual deduction of VAT, various used aircraft components, carried out repairs thereof and sold these components to foreign contractors.

The illegal activities of the defendants were suppressed by the military counterintelligence officers of the Russian Federal Security Service.
[October 12, 2021] AmplifAI Closes $18.5M Series A to Empower Employee-Centric Enterprises, led by Greycroft AmplifAI, the leading People Enablement Platform for employee-focused enterprises, today announced the closing of $18.5 million in Series A funding led by Greycroft along with continued participation by LiveOak Venture Partners, Dallas Venture Partners and Capital Factory. The Series A funding round is allocated into $12.5 million of equity funding and $6 million in venture debt from Comerica Bank. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211012005271/en/ Sean Minter, founder and CEO of AmplifAI. (Photo: Business Wire) The new capital will be used to further secure AmplifAI's position as the most comprehensive and innovative employee enablement platform for hybrid enterprises; driving product improvements and innovation that continue to define the category, transform the way companies develop employees and elevate enterprises that are people-centric. "We created the category of AI-powered people enablement and continue to prioritize continuous improvement and innovation to maintain our industry leadership," AmplifAI founder and CEO Sean Minter said. "This investment aligns with our objectives to enable every organization to better use data to maximize employee and organizational performance." The AI Platform That Maximizes Employee Performance and Engagement for Hybrid Workforces The self-learning platform monitors data and learns high-perfoming employees' skills and behaviors, ultimately creating personalized development actions to elevate every employee into a high performer.

Over the last 12 months, AmplifAI has grown its paid user base by 10x while winning worldwide RFPs from Fortune 20-sized enterprises. AmplifAI now operates in 16 different countries, serving leading people-centric brands such as The Home Depot. "AmplifAI has proven its capabilities, starting with a small pilot over two years ago to an enterprise-wide intelligent engagement and performance management platform for all of THD contact centers-both internal and outsourced," said Dante Brooks, Senior Manager of Customer Experience at The Home Depot. "AmplifAI is very flexible and easy to do business with-a partner that is built to engage, develop and delight our frontline employees." "Artificial Intelligence solutions are enabling the transformation of the Intelligent Contact Center," Aragon Research lead analyst Jim Lundy said. "AmplifAI is showing innovation in AI performance management and workforce engagement with its self-learning, personalized approach to replicating high-performing frontline employees using data that enterprises already generate." Investor Perspectives on $18.5M Series A Funding Round "The contact center remains a huge untapped opportunity for companies globally. Reps are on the front line with customers, and most are missing opportunities to grow customer value because of inadequate training," said Will Szczerbiak, Partner at Greycroft. "By integrating underlying contact center systems and creating training pathways for all reps to perform like the top 10, AmplifAI delivers tremendous value to clients in the form of higher customer satisfaction, increased revenue, competitive differentiation, and more. We are incredibly impressed with the product vision and execution to date and are looking forward to helping build a category leader in the contact center SaaS (News - Alert) space." About AmplifAI AmplifAI is the AI-Driven People Enablement Platform for employee-centric workforces. AmplifAI transforms employee data into actions modeled after an enterprise's best-performing people - helping hybrid teams maximize business outcomes, boost productivity and improve engagement. As more companies explore the new generation of hybrid work, innovative leaders and organizations are relying on AmplifAI to enable people, improve performance and make work more fun - wherever work is happening. Visit amplifai.com to learn more. About Greycroft Greycroft is a seed-to-growth venture capital firm that partners with exceptional entrepreneurs to build transformative companies. The firm has deep experience in both consumer and enterprise technology, with a portfolio that spans the globe. Greycroft values building enduring relationships with founders and understands that they want more from investors than just capital. Greycroft has raised more than $2 billion in commitments and has over 200 active investments. The portfolio includes Acorns, Anine Bing, App Annie, Axios, Bird, BetterCloud, Braintree, Bright Health, Buddy Media (News - Alert) , Bumble, Flutterwave, Goop, Happiest Baby, Huffington Post, Icertis, Lightricks, Maker Studios, Medly, Openpath, Scopely, SEMrush, Shipt, TheRealReal, Thrive Market, Trunk Club, Venmo, and Yeahka. For more information visit, www.greycroft.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211012005271/en/

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An interior view of SOLARIS and the accelerator and detectors at the rear. CREDIT Argonne National Laboratory.

Experiments will give scientists a closer look at how exploding stars create world's heaviest elements.

How do the chemical elements, the building blocks of our universe, get built? This question has been at the core of nuclear physics for the better part of a century.

At the beginning of the 20th century, scientists discovered that elements have a central core or nucleus. These nuclei consist of various numbers of protons and neutrons.

Now, scientists at Michigan State University's Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) have built and tested a device that will allow pivotal insights into heavy elements, or elements with very large numbers of protons and neutrons. Ben Kay, physicist at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory, led this effort. FRIB is a DOE Office of Science User Facility.

"Exploding stars, the merger of giant collapsed stars, we are now learning details about the nuclear reactions at the heart of these events. With SOLARIS, we are able to recreate those reactions here, on Earth, to see them for ourselves." -- Ben Kay, Physics division

Kay and his team have completed their first experiment using the device, called SOLARIS, which stands for Solenoid Spectrometer Apparatus for Reaction Studies. Planned experiments will reveal information about nuclear reactions that create some of the heaviest elements in our world, ranging from iron to uranium.

Also planned are experiments with exotic isotopes. Isotopes are elements that share the same number of protons but have different numbers of neutrons. Scientists refer to certain isotopes as exotic because their ratios of protons to neutrons differ from those of typically stable or long-lived isotopes that occur naturally on Earth. Some of these unstable isotopes play an essential role in astronomical events.

"Exploding stars, the merger of giant collapsed stars, we are now learning details about the nuclear reactions at the heart of these events," said Kay. "With SOLARIS, we are able to recreate those reactions here, on Earth, to see them for ourselves."

The new device follows in the footsteps of HELIOS, the Helical Orbit Spectrometer, at Argonne. Both use similarly repurposed superconducting magnets from a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine like that found in hospitals. In both, a beam of particles is shot at a target material inside of a vacuum chamber. When the particles collide with the target, transfer reactions occur. In such reactions, neutrons or protons are either removed or added from nuclei, depending on the particles, and their energies, used in the collision.

"By recording the energy and angle of the various particles that are released or deflected from the collisions, we are able to gather information about the structure of the nuclei in these isotopes," said Kay. "The innovative SOLARIS design provides the necessary resolution to enhance our understanding of these exotic nuclei."

What makes SOLARIS truly unique is it can function as a dual-mode spectrometer, meaning it can make measurements with either high or very low intensity beams. "SOLARIS can operate in these two modes," explained Kay. "One uses a traditional silicon detector array in a vacuum. The other uses the novel gas-filled target of the Active-Target Time-Projection Chamber at Michigan State, led by SOLARIS team member and FRIB senior physicist Daniel Bazin. This first experiment tested the AT-TPC." The AT-TPC enables scientists to use weaker beams and still collect results with the needed high accuracy.

The AT-TPC is essentially a large chamber filled with a gas that serves as both the target for the beam and the detector medium. This differs from the traditional vacuum chamber that uses a silicon detector array and a separate, thin, solid target.

"By filling the chamber with gas, you are ensuring that the fewer, larger particles from the low-intensity beam will make contact with the target material," said Kay. In that way, the scientists can then study the products from those collisions.

The team's first experiment, led by research associate Clementine Santamaria of FRIB, examined the decay of oxygen-16 (the most common isotope of oxygen on our planet) into much smaller alpha particles. In particular, the eight protons and eight neutrons in oxygen-16 nuclei break up into a total of four alpha particles, each consisting of two protons and two neutrons.

"By determining how oxygen-16 decays like this, comparisons can be made to that of the 'Hoyle state,' an excited state of a carbon isotope that we believe plays a key role in the production of carbon in stars," explained Kay.

Kay and his team recorded over two million reaction events during this experiment and observed several instances of the decay of oxygen-16 into alpha particles.

The dual functionality of SOLARIS will allow for an even broader range of nuclear reaction experiments than before, and give scientists new insights into some of the greatest mysteries of the cosmos.

###

FRIB is a user facility for the Office of Nuclear Physics in the DOE Office of Science.

Argonne National Laboratory seeks solutions to pressing national problems in science and technology. The nation's first national laboratory, Argonne conducts leading-edge basic and applied scientific research in virtually every scientific discipline. Argonne researchers work closely with researchers from hundreds of companies, universities, and federal, state and municipal agencies to help them solve their specific problems, advance America's scientific leadership and prepare the nation for a better future. With employees from more than 60 nations, Argonne is managed by UChicago Argonne, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science.

The U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit https://energy.gov/science.



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Since the Cumbre Vieja volcano began erupting on 19 September 2021, lava has burned through homes, roads and farmlands causing mass destruction on the west part of the Canary Island of La Palma.

Satellite imagery has helped authorities monitor and manage the ongoing crisis. From capturing images of the rivers of lava, to measuring gas emissions and assessing damage, the fleet of Copernicus Sentinel satellites have been providing crucial data for local teams.

It has been over three weeks of continuous activity at Cumbre Vieja, which means 'The Old Summit' in Spanish. On Saturday 9 October, it was reported that parts of the northern face of the volcano's cone collapsed, leading the lava to overflow in different directions. On Sunday 11 October, 21 seismic movements were detected, with the largest measuring 3.8 on the Richter scale, according to the National Geographic Institute of Spain (IGN).

A build-up of ash and dust on the runway forced authorities in La Palma to close the island's airport, according to Spain's airport authority AENA. It has been the second time the airport has been closed due to ash build-up since the eruption began on 19 September.

In stunning new images taken on 10 October, the new river of lava belched from the Cumbre Vieja volcano has been captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission. This Sentinel-2 images have been processed in true colour, using the shortwave infrared channel to highlight the new flow of lava.

The Volcanology Institute of the Canary Islands (Involcan) stated that the lava flow, with temperatures up to 1240C, destroyed the few remaining buildings still standing north of the Todoque neighbourhood.

In response to the ongoing eruption, the Copernicus Emergency Mapping Service was activated. Since its activation, the service has released 17 monitoring mapping products to monitor the lava flow which has affected 497 hectares of land and destroyed over 1100 buildings (as of 8 October).

Satellites in orbit carry different instruments that provide a wealth of complementary information to better understand volcanic eruptions. Atmospheric sensors can identify the gases and aerosols released by the eruption, as well as quantify their wider environmental impact.

This image shows the sulphur dioxide emissions from the eruption on 6 October captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-5P satellite, moving over the Atlantic Ocean towards Central America. Sentinel-5P can monitor sulphur dioxide, aerosol and ash emitted by volcanic eruptions and follow its movement through the atmosphere.

ESA's Copernicus Sentinel-5P mission manager, Claus Zehner, comments, "This volcanic eruption demonstrates how Sentinel data can support different operational Copernicus services. Sentinel-5P sulphur dioxide measurements can be used by the Copernicus Atmospheric Monitoring Service to help aviation companies to avoid volcanic ash and sulphur dioxide plume encounters.

"Sentinel-2 lava flow measurements can support the Copernicus Emergency Management Service in case of natural disasters like a volcanic eruption."

Sulphur dioxide concentrations can be monitored using the Copernicus Sentinel-5P Volcanic Sulphur Dioxide online platform. Using data from the Copernicus Sentinel-5P satellite, the platform shows the daily sulphur dioxide concentrations coming primarily from volcanic sources.

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Woodbine Mohawk Park hosted a short five-race qualifying session this week on Tuesday morning (Oct. 12).

Two-year-old pacing gelding Kolby Two Step headlined the morning session with a seven-length romp in the opener. With Doug McNair aboard, he set fractions of :28.4, :58.1 and 1:26.3 en route to the 1:54.3 score. The unraced Betting Line colt Katies Bet and one-time winner Latest Attraction followed in second and third.

Kolby Two Step has amassed a six-figure bankroll through his first five starts for trainer Tim Gillespie, who also co-owns with Jason Churchill of Colborne, Ont. The Betterthancheddar-Dancing Heart gelding has earned three wins, including an Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Series event mid-August, and ranks fifth in the point standings for the division.

To view Tuesday's complete qualifying results, click on the following link: Tuesday Results (Qualifiers) - Woodbine Mohawk Park.
The Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (Madayn), Mubadrah and Solar Wadi today signed an agreement with the objective to construct a 100MW Solar PV Farm in Suhar Industrial City which will be operational by next year.

The initiative is part of the overall strategy of Madayn in providing a significant portion of the energy needs of its tenants from a sustainable renewable energy source, in line with Oman Vision 2040s sustainability goals, Madayn said in a statement.

The agreement was signed by Eng Musallam bin Mohammed Al Shehri, Head of Operations Sector at Madayn, Mustafa Al Lawati, Chief Executive Officer of Mubadrah; and Yazan Faouri, Chief Executive Officer of Solar Wadi, and forms part of the larger overall Madayn Renewable Energy Project initiative which is being undertaken to transform the way the electricity needs of all industrial cities and free zones under Madayn umbrella are being met in order to have a significant portion being powered by renewable solar energy during the day.

Commenting on the agreement, Mustafa Al Lawati, CEO of Mubadrah, stated that this agreement comes along the lines of the efforts undertaken by Madayn in moving towards more sustainable energy sources and helping to reduce the carbon footprint of the industrial sector in Oman, as set out in Vision 2040, the gateway to Oman becoming a developed nation under the guidance of His Majesty Haitham bin Tarik.

He added that the ultimate aim is to provide all Madayn tenants with saving on their electricity cost while attracting investors to invest into the development of the Solar Park, in so doing help to increase the competitiveness of all companies within Madayn industrial cities and free zones, which will consequently create a positive impact on their business operations and Omans economy as a whole.

Mubadrah as the investment arm of Madayn, and in our continued efforts to support the tenants of Madayn, we are keen to invest alongside Solar Wadi the main developer for the initiative into providing sustainable solutions and services that are aimed at allowing all tenants at Suhar Industrial City to take advantage of the many environmental, sustainable and economic benefits from such projects with no investment, guarantees or major involvement being required from the tenants side, he added.

Yazan Faouri, CEO of Solar Wadi, pointed out that: The aim of this initiative and collaboration is to enable us to work together in our combined efforts to deliver a sustainable, ecological, more economical, and socially conscious power solution for all tenants at Suhar Industrial City from a Renewable Solar Energy source, in so doing contributing to the ambitions and goals of the Omani Governments, under the leadership of His Majesty Haitham bin Tarik, in transforming Omans economy into a developed, diversified and sustainable national economy as a set out by Oman Vision 2040.

Faouri added that This project represents a strategic investment for Solar Wadi, as one of the first independent Omani power companies that invests in, builds and operates Renewable Energy power plants, and is only the 1st in a number of investments planned for the Omani market which is targeted as a total investment of 300 million OMR ($0.75 billion) in developing a combined capacity of circa 1 GW of Solar PV Energy plants across the Sultanate.With investments being made mainly in Madayn Renewable Energy Project initiative over all industrial cities and free zones under Madayn umbrella, along with a significant number of other Solar plants being developed for the wider private sector C&I companies and governmental entities across a wide range of business sectors in the Omani Economy.

Madayn and its partners plan to roll out the Madayn Renewable Energy Project initiative across all industrial cities and free zones in the coming couple of years, utilizing a combination of overall Holistic Solutions which involves larger centralized Solar Plant that will cater for collective needs of all tenants within the industrial city that are connected to the regular distribution networks and direct Private-Wire Solutions for those high consumption tenants within the industrial city that have individual electricity feeds.TradeArabia News Service
Preparations are underway in Sharjah for hosting the 23rd National Career Exhibition and the 17th International Education Show (IES), from October 19 to 21.

The two events are held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah.

Organised by the Expo Centre Sharjah with the support of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the two shows are expected to see wide participation of Emirati and international academic institutions, in addition to a large presence from government and private agencies, offering various job opportunities to the Emirati youth.

Held in cooperation with the UAE Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Sharjah Private Education Authority (SPEA), the IES offers hundreds of the latest education programmes and a wide range of learning options from universities, colleges and institutes of higher education from different countries of the world, most notably the UAE, Malaysia, India and the UK.

This year's edition of IES includes many distinguished international educational pavilions, foremost of which is Career Uttsav, a mega educational and career guidance event in India. The Indian pavilion will be featuring over 40 top International Universities, Institutions & Boarding Schools from India and is also organising free Psychometric Assessment & Counseling for interested students.

The National Career Exhibition, which is held in cooperation with Emirates Institute for Banking and Financial Studies (EIBFS), provides valuable job opportunities offered by numerous entities, such as the UAE Armed Forces, Sharjah Department of Statistics and Community Development, Sharjah Police, Sharjah Human Resources Department, Etisalat, Dubai Islamic Bank, Emirates Islamic Bank, Emirates NBD, HSBC, Invest Bank, Ajman University, Beeah, Sharjah Co-Op Society and Tanfeeth among others, with Sharjah Islamic Bank participating as Gold Sponsors.

"The organisation of the two events at the same time aims to guide students to choose the appropriate major for them, and in line with the requirements of national development, said Saif Mohammed Al-Midfa, CEO, Expo Centre Sharjah.

IES 2021 opens its doors to visitors daily from 9 am to 2 pm and from 5 pm to 9 pm, followed by 3 pm to 9 pm on the last day (Thursday), while the National Career Exhibition will open from 11 am to 6 pm on the first 2 days, followed by 3 pm to 9 pm Thursday.-- TradeArabia News Service
DMCC, the Government of Dubai Authority on commodities trade and enterprise, has recorded its best ever Q1-Q3 performance since the organisation was formed in 2002, welcoming1800 companies to Dubai.



In September alone, DMCC welcomed 215 new businesses to its Free Zone and business district, the best September performance since inception. This builds upon DMCC achieving their best H1 performance since 2013 and the best June and August on record earlier this year.



The record-breaking performance was driven by DMCCs continued focus on increasing the ease of doing business and setting up a company in Dubai, the expansion of the DMCC Tea and Coffee Centres, the launch of the DMCC Cacao Centre, and the launch of the DMCC Crypto Centre, which is on track to become home to 100 crypto and blockchain companies by the end of the year.



Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, DMCC, said: By all accounts, DMCC started 2021 from a position of strength, allowing us to deliver the best H1 performance in eight years. We carried that momentum forward into the third quarter, and have continued to shatter all previous records since DMCC's establishment in 2002.



With Expo 2020 Dubai now underway and significant milestones for the UAE on the horizon, I fully expect we will reach over 20,000 member companies by the end of the year. As part of our diversification strategy, our recently launched Crypto Centre continues to generate significant interest, particularly as Dubai furthers its position to become a global centre of crypto.



The pandemic has been a ten-year accelerant for business culture and digital transformation, during which time DMCC has ensured to stay ahead of the curve in providing what the market both wants and needs, he added.



Ahmad Hamza, Executive Director  Free Zone, DMCC, commented: Dubai has retained, and even built upon, its commercial appeal since the pandemic. Businesses recognised that they need a base where they feel supported, have access to some of the industrys best facilities, and fully digitalised services that make operating their business as smooth as possible.



As we have seen with these record-breaking numbers, companies are finding this at DMCC, with a broad range of entrepreneurs, SMEs and multinationals across tech, telecoms, professional services, financial services, precious metals and stones, and energy setting up with us. Additionally, we are proud to state that the average satisfaction score of new companies setting up with DMCC is 90%. We look forward to welcoming even more businesses to our world-leading business district in the coming months and years.



Throughout 2021, DMCC has conducted virtual and physical events in key target markets to promote DMCC and Dubai as a perfect location to set up and do business with some of the worlds fastest-growing economies. Last month, DMCCs Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Ahmed Bin Sulayem, led an official delegation to Brazil and Mexico to bolster trade ties, particularly around coffee.



Construction of Uptown Tower, the first tower to be released in DMCCs premium, mixed-use Uptown Dubai district, continued at pace and the tower now stands at 269 metres tall, with work now focusing on residential floors.  TradeArabia News Service
Wa'ed, the entrepreneurship arm of Saudi Aramco, has announced an undisclosed amount of venture capital investment in Fathom Solutions, a global software company driving digital business agility and operational data efficiency in various industrial sectors.

The Saudi-based firm, established in 2019 by Ibrahim Al-Baloud, began in the oil and gas industry but has since expanded its solutions to address all related areas in the industrial market. It plans to accelerate value creation and business revenue by transforming big data into Artificial Intelligence (AI) for machine learning (ML) model training and application development and deployment.

Through Fathom platform have created three main intelligent application suites, Fathom Wells, Fathom Pipelines, and Fathom Manufacturing, the company is able to build customized AI platforms that help leading industrial companies, such as Saudi Aramco, get insights on their operational data as well as implement their own AI applications for downstream and upstream asset management. This will help Fathoms clients develop a new business model with their partners and vendors that shifts from demand-based to time-based operations, increasing overall productivity as a result.

We are excited to have our venture supported by Waed to help scale cutting-edge technology within the industry. Providing positive contributions towards the Saudi Vision 2030 through technological advancement is something that Fathom Solutions greatly relishes, said Ibrahim Al-Baloud, CEO and President of Fathom Solutions.

Waeds decision to invest in Fathom is deeply in line with a growing national movement towards accelerating the fourth industrial revolution, which, according to national statistics from the Saudi Ministry of Investment (MISA), is expected to reach $7.9 billion in market size in Saudi Arabia alone by 2030.

Being located in Dhahran, Fathom will be able to contribute to the Saudi Visions transformative mission to increase technological infrastructure readiness in industrial cities from 50% to a full 100% by 2025, as laid out by MISA.

It is rare to see AI champions of Fathoms caliber who demonstrate such digitally agile culture as well as advanced international knowledge. Waed is eager to help grow Fathoms global team and partner with it to offer customizable AI solutions to address precisely what this sensitive sector is in need of. said Fahad Alidi, Managing Director at Waed.

In addition to its head quarter office in Dhahran and its regional office in Texas, Fathom Solutions has recently expanded its operations to Oslo, the capital of Norway, as well as Kyiv and Warsaw to meet the increasing global demand for Industry 4.0 technologies.TradeArabia News Service
The Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) has increased its network capacity ten-fold to power next-gen digital applications, and improve health, safety and security measures.

For this, Extreme Networks, a cloud-driven networking company, has successfully completed a large-scale network overhaul of the DWTC.

As a result of deploying Extreme solutions, such as Extreme Fabric Connect and ExtremeAnalytics, DWTC can offer a variety of next-generation digital applications, including media displays and contactless engagement technologies.

DWTC has played a pivotal role in the growth of Dubais business tourism and trade since it was founded in 1979. To make Dubai the worlds leading destination for major exhibitions, conferences and events, including Gitex Global 2021, and in anticipation of a 50% year-on-year increase in network traffic, DWTC turned to Extreme.

Together, they have designed a converged IP network infrastructure powered by industry-leading solutions, such as Extreme Fabric Connect and ExtremeAnalytics.

By leveraging ExtremeAnalytics, the team at DWTC will gain greater visibility into foot traffic patterns, congregation areas, concessions traffic and overall app usage throughout its events. These insights will allow them to optimise venue operations and provide more personalised experiences for all attendees.

Key Benefits:

Secure, Reliable and Scalable Connectivity: DWTC can now accommodate its demand for high-bandwidth digital applications, such as contactless engagement technologies, as well as high-definition video. DWTC can also reliably host multiple CCTV cameras to improve venue security and the enforcement of Covid-19 safety protocols. Furthermore, Extreme Fabric Connect delivers network security features, which eliminate backdoor entry points, prevent lateral movements, and isolate potentially insecure devices;

Simplified Network Operations: As a powerful and flexible solution to design, build, manage, and troubleshoot networking, Extreme Fabric Connect delivers a simple and agile way for DWTC to deploy new services. In addition, the advanced capabilities of the VSP switches enable full-featured network virtualisation to be flexibly deployed across a range of network environments; and

Real-Time Insights and Analytics: ExtremeAnalytics provides DWTC with granular visibility into how its users, devices and applications interact with its network. Access to such real-time data allows the center to gain valuable usage insights to optimise its networks capabilities as well as identify and mitigate overcrowding.

Farid Farouq, Vice President, IT, Procurement and Contracts, DWTC, said: With large exhibitions on the horizon, the world is looking to Dubai to set new standards for mega-events. We have risen to this opportunity to deliver on DWTCs mission of being a world-leading venue for conferences, exhibitions and events and providing a world-class business networking platform with integrated end-to-end services. Thanks to Extremes networking solutions we can do just that and offer best-in-class exhibitor and visitor experiences.

Maan Al-Shakarchi, Regional Director META, Extreme Networks, said: DWTC is demonstrating how the events industry can emerge stronger and more resilient following the pandemic by leveraging technology to help them broaden their reach and innovative services. While many have waited on the sidelines, DWTC has made confident investments to future-proof and advance its IT infrastructure. The solutions weve provided have not only built a solid foundation for DWTC to continue to innovate, but to achieve the infinitely distributed connectivity required to stay at the centre of the regions events calendar.

Extreme will participate at Gitex Technology Week having recently completed its acquisition of Ipanema, the cloud-native, enterprise SD-WAN division of Infovista. Extreme will also support the participation of key channel partners Omnix and EIS.-- TradeArabia News Service
Huawei, a leading global provider of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure and smart devices, has announced the appointment of Frank Dai as the new President of Huawei Cloud Middle East.

In his new role, Dai will be responsible for overseeing Huawei's cloud business expansion in the region.

The appointment comes as Huawei Cloud business growth accelerates worldwide. In 2020, Huawei Cloud ranked number five in the global IaaS market, and is currently the fastest-growing mainstream cloud vendor.

Huawei Cloud has established more than 20,000 partners, attracted 2.3 million developers, and released more than 4,500 applications in the cloud market.

Steven Yi, President of Huawei Middle East, noted: Computing power has become a new source of productivity with cloud services essential to smarter upgrades of government and enterprise organisations. Under Frank Dais leadership, I am confident that Huawei Cloud will continue to flourish, while also contributing to a stronger cloud ecosystem in the region.

Speaking on his appointment, Dai added: "Huawei Cloud has been expanding rapidly in the Middle East for the last few years. The opening of our region in Abu Dhabi, combined with the digitization trends in the post-Covid era, will only accelerate this growth. I look forward to overseeing what will undoubtedly be one of the most exciting periods for our business in the region."

With 10 years of experience, nine of which have been spent at Huawei Middle East, Dai has held several key positions in the company including President of Huawei Cloud and AI Business Group in the UAE.

Huawei Cloud is committed to growing with enterprises and partners in the Middle East, helping the region with its digital transformation through advanced technologies.

The company aims to provide the best public cloud services in the region including optimal latency and ultimate experience. The availability of infrastructure in the region also addresses data sovereignty and data security for the government and regulated industries.

To support a wider cloud rollout, Huawei has unveiled several programmes to help the region cultivate digital experts and build the local ecosystem. It recently announced a support programme for developing 3,000 cloud experts in the region as part of the Huawei Cloud Oasis Programme.-- TradeArabia News Service
Legendary Russian Choreographer Yuri Grigorovich will bring his much-acclaimed masterpiece The Legend of Love ballet to Dubai this month.

The Astana Ballet Theatre, the most advanced ballet company in Central Asia, with outstanding reviews in the USA, Europe and Asia, pays homage to The Legend of Love by celebrating the best works of the living legend of Russian ballet, Yuri Grigorovich, now 90.

Scheduled on October 27 and 28, at the iconic Dubai Opera, Downtown Boulevard, Dubai will experience this recital for the first time in the Middle East. Produced by Aurora Event Management, this grand-scale extravagant enthralling showcase of brilliance and splendour is one not to be missed masterpiece. Tickets are now available for purchase on platinumlist.com with exclusive corporate discounts for group bookings.

After his glorious and unforgettable choreography of The Legend of Love in 1961, the world finally acknowledged Grigorovichs genius interpretation of story and dance. The choreographers popularity catapulted to new heights earning him global ballet laurels and recognition. 50 years on, The Legend of Love continues to wow its audience with exceptional spectacle of elegant pas deux and corps de ballet scenes.

The Legend of Love is a timeless Oriental ballet with deep philosophical overtones perfectly choreographed to narrate a dramatic love triangle between Queen Mekhmene, her younger sister, Shireen and the handsome Ferkhad. Grigorovich transforms this dramatic saga into a powerful performance of love, sacrifice and tragedy. Its phenomenon ballet techniques, enchanting melodies and captivating chronicle transcends time as the sisters battle for one mans affection and eternal love. Choreographer Grigorovich, playwright Nazim Hikmet, music composer Arif Melikov and Simon Virsaladze create an outstanding scenography.

Grigorovichs ballets dominate the repertory of contemporary works for over 30 years; his staging of classic ballets reflects his conviction that drama must always be expressed through dancing.Born in Leningrad into a family connected with the Imperial Russian Ballet, Yuri graduated from the Leningrad Choreographic School and danced as a soloist of the Kirov Ballet. It was his direction of The Legend of Love in 1961 that brought him much acclaim as a choreographer. While at Bolshoi Theatre, he worked on the classical repertoire including The Nutcracker, Spartacus, Swan Lake and Ivan, The Terrible.

Grigorovich is known for his highly demanding choreography; he refuses to conform, pushing soloists to embody their characters and submerge into the storylines. The Legend of Love is his most renowned work and its easy to appreciate this acclamation. During their world tour to Paris, London, New York and Milan, Astana Ballet Theatre received rave reviews and were pleased to bring this much anticipated recital here to the UAE, said Kairat Kulbayev Founder, Aurora Events.

The immaculate choreography of The Legend of Love is a testament of Grigorovichs contribution to the world of ballet. Its impressive, intricate movements, dramatic expressions, marvelous backdrops combined with layers of colourful costumes deliver breathtaking performance and narration of this otherwise tragic love story. Its outstanding duets exude pure bliss and surrendered romance drawing spectators to experience pure love, passion as well as struggles of obligations and sense of duty.

Ticket Price inclusive of VAT are: VIP  AED 620; Premium  AED 440; Gold  AED 332; Silver  AED 233; VIP Box (8pax)  AED 4,960; Side Box (7pax)  AED 3,080; Corner Box (10pax)  AED 2,330. -TradeArabia News Service
Auto giant Nissan unveiled a production line at its Tochigi Plant featuring the Nissan Intelligent Factory initiative.

This unique initiative supports the manufacture of next-generation vehicles using innovative technologies and contributes to the realization of carbon neutrality.

Nissan also announced a roadmap to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 at its production plants around the world.

Since its foundation, Nissan has honed its ability to manufacture vehicles through high quality and highly efficient production processes and the superb skills of the companys takumi (master technicians).

However, the business environment surrounding manufacturing is undergoing major changes.

In Japan, there is a need to break away from conventional labor-intensive manufacturing to cope with an aging society and serious labor shortage. Unforeseen situations, such as climate change and pandemics, also need to be managed.

At the same time, industry trends in electrification, vehicle intelligence and connected technologies are making vehicle structure and functionality more advanced and complex.

Executive VP (Manufacturing and Supply Chain Management) Hideyuki Sakamoto said: "The automotive industry is in a period of great change, and solving the global challenge of climate change is urgent."

"We see this as an opportunity to build the strength of monozukuri (manufacturing), a part of our DNA, to develop and apply innovative technologies to overcome the challenges we face," he added.

Nissan introduced the Nissan Intelligent Factory initiative at its Tochigi Plant to respond to these needs and trends. Nissan Intelligent Factory enables Nissan to:

*Use robots that have inherited the skills of takumi to manufacture next-generation vehicles; of the highest quality,

*Create an improved environment where a wide range of people can work comfortably, and;

*Realize a zero-emission production system, thereby accelerating efforts to achieve a decarbonized society.

The Tochigi Plant is scheduled to start production of the all-new Nissan Ariya crossover electric vehicle this fiscal year.

Nissan pointed out that it has set an ambitious target to achieve carbon neutrality across its operations and the life cycle of its products by 2050.

The company aims to realize carbon neutrality in manufacturing by promoting innovations to support higher productivity in vehicle assembly, starting with the Nissan Intelligent Factory initiative, and by improving energy and materials efficiencies at plants, stated Sakamoto.

Plant equipment is to be fully electrified by 2050 by introducing innovative production technologies and by reducing energy use. To achieve carbon neutrality at production plants, all electricity used will be generated from renewable energy sources and or generated with onsite fuel cells that use alternative fuels, he noted.

"By rolling out the Nissan Intelligent Factory initiative globally, starting at the Tochigi Plant, we will more flexibly, efficiently and effectively manufacture next-generation vehicles for a decarbonized society. We will also continue to drive innovation in manufacturing to enrich people's lives and to support Nissan's future growth," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
Korean companies in the solar energy sector have snapped up contracts worth AED550 million ($150 million) from the UAE and Middle East companies, indicating the growing potential for solar services and products in the Middle East and North Africa region.

These contracts were signed at the recent Korea Energy Week UAE event held in Dubai where Korean solar energy companies signed over 19 MoUs with local partners for solar products and services.

"The shows success endorses the robust market for solar products and services in the UAE and the Mena market, where investments could reach reportedly $182.3 billion by 2025," remarked Chulwon Im, the President, Energy Valley Enterprise Development Institute (EVEDI), Korea, one of the event organisers.

The contracts signed included Korean Geum Chul Renewable Energy partnering with two companies - one from the UAE and one from Jordan for over $20 million, while Korean Aviation Light Company signed three contracts cumulatively worth $50 million with the UAE companies.
With solar capacity in the Mena region slated to reach up to 8,309 MW by 2022, the most abundant source of renewable energy will come under the spotlight at the Solar Expo & Forum of the World Future Energy Summit 2022 in Abu Dhabi.

The Summit, from January 17 to 19, 2022 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, will be held as part of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2022, hosted by Masdar.

The Solar Expo is the worlds leading business event for future energy and sustainability and will focus particularly on the latest innovations and economic opportunities available through harnessing the power of sunlight.

The market potential demonstrated by solar energy is undeniably huge, with industry speculators forecasting that renewable electricity generation in 2021 is set to expand by more than 8% to reach 8,300 TWh  the fastest year-on-year growth since the 1970s. Solar PV and wind are set to contribute two-thirds of renewables growth.

Along with the comprehensive suite of forums and expos that will be hosted at the exhibition, we will be gathering the worlds leading experts in solar energy, said Grant Tuchten, Group Event Director at World Future Energy Summit.

They will be joined by hundreds of policymakers, government officials, local buyers, project developers, entrepreneurs and financiers from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, the Middle East and North Africa. All of them will be able to exchange ideas, explore best practices and showcase the very latest in clean energy technology.

Governments around the world have strict targets to meet in the near future, with drastically reduced carbon emissions a top priority after committing to the Paris Agreement, which came into force on November 4, 2016, and of which the UAE is a signatory. The emirates have been at the forefront of clean energy adoption and the countrys climate makes PV solar an obvious choice. In fact the UAE is aiming to generate half of its entire electricity supply from renewable sources by 2050, with PV being the main driver. Dubais own targets are ambitious, with a stated goal of sourcing 75% of its power generation from renewables by 2050.

This is not a unique observation. According to Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF), solar capacity in the Mena region could reach up to 8,309 MW by 2022 as the region is steadily adding more renewable energy projects to meet the countries targets, included in their energy transition strategies. Frost & Sullivan also estimates that additional investment in solar in Mena could reach $182.3 billion by the year 2025.

The Solar Expo will host the worlds leading renewable energy companies and specialists will demonstrate their latest developments and innovations. There will be a particular focus on a wide variety of solar-related technologies, including utility-scale energy systems, photovoltaic  (PV), concentrated solar power (CSP), rooftop solar solutions, building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV). Other solar hardware will feature, too, such as modules, trackers, mounting systems and inverters, PV plus storage systems, as well as operations and maintenance services.

The indisputable economic benefits of turning to clean energy will be discussed at the Solar & Clean Energy Forum, featuring expert guest speakers from across the Mena region and beyond. They will consider a wide variety of important topics such as planning for energy transition, energy storage, grid stability, project investment, asset management, predictive O&M, distributed solar and advanced technologies.

Dan Shugar is the CEO and founder of Nextracker, a solar solutions provider headquartered in California that will also be exhibiting its technology advancements at the Solar Expo & Forum.

Were thrilled to be participating in the World Future Energy Summit 2022, to meet with our regional customers face to face in this incredibly exciting market, he said. Despite global health and supply chain setbacks, utility-scale solar in Mena was able to triumph owed in part to firm government commitments to decarbonise. Being part of this hugely influential event, in a region where solar energy plays such a vital part of the future energy mix is simply an opportunity nobody in our industry can afford to miss.

Another event exhibitor, JinkoSolar, is one of the worlds leading solar module manufacturers. Ilham Haddouchi, the companys MEA Marketing Manager, agreed that the Solar Expo & Forum is perfect for showcasing its projects and innovations. JinkoSolar works tirelessly in the pursuit of a sustainable future, she said, by delivering efficient, clean and economically sensible solar energy solutions. Our clients vary from utility and commercial to residential, and we can interact across all these sectors at the Solar Expo. We shake things up, promote change and react to the shifting demands of users, optimise the energy portfolio and take responsibility for enabling a sustainable future. The Solar Expo is perfect for achieving those aims.-- TradeArabia News Service
Germanys MAN Energy Solutions has signed a cooperation agreement with DP World, the leading provider of smart logistics solutions, to further maritime energy transition.

Effective immediately, the agreement targets common progress in the field of decarbonisation and is scheduled to run for five years with an option to extend thereafter.

Mutual areas of interest for the two companies include green-fuels infrastructure, future-proof conversions (LNG, methanol, ammonia, etc.), hybrid drives, electric engines R&D and training, and investigation of their respective, global footprints to further reduce the environmental impact of shipping traffic in terms of fuel consumption and emissions.

Wayne Jones OBE, Chief Sales Officer, and Gaby Hanna, Senior Vice President and Head of Region, Middle East & Africa, acted as signatories for MAN Energy Solutions; while Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem  Group Chairman & CEO, signed on behalf of DP World.

The signing ceremony was attended by Mohammed Al Muallem, Executive Vice President, DP World, and Captain Rado Antolovic, PhD, CEO, Drydocks World, a company of DP World.

Bin Sulayem said: To achieve net zero emissions, we must recognise the importance of taking urgent and immediate steps to decarbonise shipping and the way to do that is by identifying opportunities to forge partnerships with leading industry players and governments to develop solutions that will allow us to reap tangible results.

Jones said: We have worked closely with DP World on many projects over the years and are very happy to enter into this formal agreement. In the transition towards a carbon-neutral future, we aim to achieve sustainable value-creation by addressing the challenges inherent to the marine, energy and industrial sectors. Ultimately, we intend to develop pioneering solutions to the issues posed by decarbonisation and will work with selected partners to achieve this.

MAN Energy Solutions has previously collaborated with the DP World Group on many occasions. The most recent of these was in September 2021 when the ElbBLUE, a containership operated by charterer Unifeeder  part of the DP World Group  bunkered 20 tons of green SNG (Synthetic Natural Gas) at Brunsbuttel, Germany. In a first for commercial shipping, the fuel was generated from 100% renewable energy via power-to-X technology.

Formerly known as the Wes Amelie, the 1,036-teu feeder container ship previously made headlines in 2017 when its MAN 8L48/60B main engine was retrofitted to its current, four-stroke MAN 51/60DF unit to enable dual-fuel operation.

The first such conversion of its type globally, it showed that existing engines could be converted to LNG operation with a tremendous effect on exhaust emissions and the environment.

MAN Energy Solutions believes that it is time for what it calls a Maritime Energy Transition to find clean, decarbonised solutions for seaborne trade and transportation.

Essentially, it is the companys call to action to reduce emissions and establish zero-carbon fuels as the fuels of choice in global shipping. It strongly promotes a common approach by the shipping industry and politics to invest in infrastructure development and retrofits.-- TradeArabia News Service
Worley has been awarded a services contract for a residue upgrade project at Aramcos Ras Tanura refinery.

The project will convert low-value refinery residue into higher-value products including gasoline, jet fuel and ultra-low sulphur diesel.

Under the contract, Worley will provide early front-end engineering design (pre-FEED), front-end engineering design (FEED) and project management services for the entire project. These services cover upgrades to the atmospheric and vacuum gas oil from the crude distillation unit, and an upgrade to the atmospheric gas oil from the Khuff condensate unit, said a statement.

Advisian, Worleys consulting business, led the front-end conceptual studies evaluating multiple process configurations. This included the development of cost estimates for possible options, integration of technology licensors, and optimisation of existing brownfield assets.

Worley has a long-standing relationship with Aramco and this important project builds on our extensive experience at the Ras Tanura refinery, said Mark Brantley, President of Europe, Middle East and Africa at Worley. We will combine our global refining and in-kingdom engineering and project management expertise to continue delivering sustainable operations to Aramco, while also remaining committed to upskilling our Saudi workforce.

Between 2007 and 2013, Worley provided front-end engineering and project management services for the refinerys major expansion. Worleys scope also covered modifications to the refinery to comply with future environmental regulations, the statement said. - TradeArabia News Service
Azerbaijan Tourism Board (ATB) kicked off its participation at Expo 2020 Dubai with an event dedicated to encouraging travellers to take another look at what the country has to offer as the new normal emerges for world travel.

Taking place at the countrys nature-inspired pavilion in the Sustainability District, the event provided an opportunity to discover how the country has re-focused its efforts on the expansion of its sustainable tourism industry.

Inspiring travellers to turn over an eco-friendly leaf, ATB Chief Executive Officer Florian Sengstschmid underscored how sustainable tourism policies are crucial to future-proofing the countrys tourism industry and boosting Azerbaijans Covid-19 recovery.

Borne out of the disruption caused to the tourism industry last year, Azerbaijan has sought to embrace the new opportunities presented by people looking to travel more safely. We are fortunate that our climate and diverse landscape make socially-distanced travel experiences possible. We have been able to unlock the full potential of Azerbaijans diverse natural and cultural offerings, as well as the talent and resilience of its people, said Sengstschmid.

Expo 2020 Dubai provides an ideal platform to share our commitment to sustainable tourism and innovation in the heart of its Sustainability District, and we look forward to welcoming new and returning Middle East travellers to see a new side of Azerbaijan.

Among the many sustainable tourism offerings introduced at the event, Slow Food Travel was emphasised with a focus on inspiring visitors to indulge in the diversity of locally-grown food. As one of ATBs prominent social initiatives, this has been designed to enable travellers to experience working with farmers and producers whilst enjoying overnight accommodation in rural guesthouses.

In line with this, guests at the event sampled a selection of specialties, prepared with Rushanka onion, Ata-baba hazelnuts, Caucasian buffalo yoghurt and other local produce.

Currently, citizens and permanent residents of 42 countries can travel to Azerbaijan by air, including the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.-TradeArabia News Service
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The new Amir (Chief) Ahmad Wali Faisal Rahmani of Imarat-e-Shariah has the challenging task of carrying forward and better the legacy of Imarat-e-Shariah which is revered not only in Bihar, Jharkhand and Odisha but also the rest of South Asia.

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BIHAR  Imarat-e-Shariah, Patna, one of the most renowned Islamic organizations in India, got its eighth Amir (Chief) in Ahmad Wali Faisal Rahmani on October 9, 2021, who is known more for his information technology skills than his title of Maulana. He is the eldest son of the preceding Amir, Imarat-e-Shariah, late Maulana Wali Rahmani and grandson of the fourth Amir late Maulana Minatullah Rahmani.

The trio originally belongs to the prestigious Khanqah Rahmani, Munger, Bihar. His father and grandfathers tenure at the Imarat has been of around 40 years.

He got his elementary education of Arabic, Quran, Deeniyat and Mathematics in Khaqah Rahmani under the watchful eyes of his grandfather. He was sent to study further at Jamia Al-Azhar, Egypt in Tafseer, Hadees, Fiqh and history.

In a widely circulated introduction of Faisal Rahmani, it is said that he got his education in information technology from the University of California and worked there as a teacher too. He is said to have been associated with many top companies like Adobe and British Petroleum.

Maulana Faisal Rahmani believes in Massive Action.

In one of his speeches, he mentioned that what we need today was Kam, Kam, aur Kam (work, work and more work) repeating it eight times. One of the most diligent works he is associated with is his late fathers brainchild Rahmani-30 along with his brother Fahad Rahmani. Rahmani-30 is involved in grooming Muslim students for the most prestigious competitive exams of India like JEE for the IITs and NEET for medical colleges for free. He believes direction as one of the most important things for progress saying if the direction is correct your work will get Barakah (blessings).

He is said to be a fluent Arabic speaker and in one of his videos available on Youtube he can be heard pleading for the rights of the Palestinians.

Popularly known as Engineer Faisal Rahmani, he is probably the second such Amir in the country who has an engineering background after the elevation of Engineer Syed Sadatullah Hussaini to the post of Amir of Jamat-e-Islami Hind.

But to his discredit, Faisal Rahmani is the first Amir of Imarat-e-Shariah who could not be chosen unanimously and there was a controversy surrounding his selection. The post of Amir was vacant since April 3, 2021, the day the then Amir Maulana Wali Rahmani died. Naib Amir Shariat Maulana Shamshad Rahmani was working as its acting chief. After much deliberations, it was decided to choose the Amir on October 9.

Arbab-e-Hal-O-Aqd (Members of the community qualified to act on behalf of the Muslim community in electing a chief) chooses the Amir of Imarat. It has 851 members but only 558 used their voting rights as 293 were absent. Maulana Faisal Rahmani got 347 votes and the ex-Nazim of Imarat Maulana Anisur Rahman Qasmi got 196. Initially, there were five names proposed; the rest three were noted Islamic scholar Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani, Maulana Shamshad Rahmani and Qazi Nazar Tauheed. As these three withdrew their names, the voting was conducted between Maulana Faisal Rahmani and Maulana Anis Qasmi.

This entire election process was marred by political bickering and the presence of heavy police deployment. A procession of sloganeering also received the flak.

But as the dust settled down, Faisal Rahmani now has the challenging task of carrying forward and better the legacy of Imarat-e-Shariah which is revered not only in Bihar, Jharkhand and Odisha but also in the rest of South Asia. First, he will have to restore an orderly environment in Imarat as there has been mudslinging. He has a legacy of the former Amirs of Imarat-e-Shariah which includes Maulana Syed Shah Badruddin Qadri, Maulana Syed Muhiuddin Qadri, Maulana Syed Qamaruddin, Maualna Abdur Rahman and Maulana Syed Nizamuddin.

His second important task is to win back the confidence of the community as its image has been dented due to recent events. It is the contribution of the people which is considered the backbone of Imarat. One of the members of its Arbab-e-Hal-O-Aqd who decided to keep away from voting complains that Imarat is being used by the politicians. He wished the new Amir keeps Imarat away from such elements.

The other important task before the new chief is to continue the late Amir and his fathers effort in the field of education. Just after being declared as Amir, Maulana Faisal Rahmani said that Imarat Shariah was establishing schools. He also insisted on using technology in Imarat-e-Sharias institutions.

Imarat-e-Shariah runs a Darul Qaza (Arbitration and Mediation centre based on Islamic family laws), a hospital, an ITI and some other institutions too.

Apart from ensuring education, he is also faced with the task of confidence-building in the Muslim community which is evident from an incident of his childhood. In the circulated introduction of him, it is mentioned that one day his class teacher had said that Muslim children are dirty. He went to the office of district magistrate with his brother and complained about this. He asked the D.M. if he was looking dirty. The D.M. replied in negative but asked the reason for this question. He narrated the incident and the issue was resolved with the teachers apology tendered in all the classes of the school.

A senior social activist Arshad Ajmal told TwoCircles.net that he was satisfied with the completion of the election process as there were apprehensions of violence. The presence of police was odd and unfortunate. Though it is considered best to elect the Amir unanimously but voting is the second-best thing if there is no consensus.

Ajmal said that he will wait and see how the new Amir handles the Qaza and Ifta section which is the core of Imarat-e-Shariah. Maulana Rahmani understands technology well. I hope he understands India and the community affairs in the same way or better, he said.

Ajmal hopes that Maulana would do enough work on education. I am hopeful that the Imarats affairs would settle down for a longer period as age is on Maulanas side, he added.
Scotland, the north of England and Northern Ireland could catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights on Monday night as a solar storm is expected to reach Earth.

This is thanks to a Coronal Mass Ejection, a massive burst of material from the sun which can cause a phenomenon known as a geomagnetic storm, which interferes with the Earths magnetic field.

According to the US Space Weather Prediction Centre, the event could result in power grid fluctuations as well as orientation irregularities for spacecraft.

Aurora is possible tonight across Scotland, although increasing cloud cover limits the potential for sightings. There is a slight chance of aurora reaching the far north of England and Northern Ireland tonight, with the best of the cloud breaks likely in Northern Ireland. pic.twitter.com/yDg0hhM8a2  Met Office Space (@MetOfficeSpace) October 11, 2021

Aurora may be visible as low as New York, to Wisconsin and Washington state. The Met Office has said there is a slight chance of moderate class flares here too, although cloud is likely to block the view for some.

Aurora is possible through 11th and 12th across much of Scotland, although cloud amounts are increasing, meaning sightings are unlikely for most, the Met Office said.

There is a slight chance of aurora reaching the far north of England and Northern Ireland tonight, but cloud breaks and therefore sightings are more likely in Northern Ireland.

NOAA has put the storm at category G2, which the agency defines as moderate in strength.

Tom Kerss, astronomer and author of Northern Lights: The definitive guide to auroras, urged people to still have a look despite the heavy cloud forecast.

Unfortunately I think cloud cover is going to be a bit of an issue for Scotland tonight but it doesnt mean that you shouldnt have a go if you have any clear patches at all, he told the PA news agency.

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It probably has pockets of enhanced energy in it so it could spike in performance every so often, and that means that its quite possible that auroras will actually reach down into the north of England and maybe as far south as somewhere like Belfast or Omagh  not terribly far south, but they might just become visible over the sea from anybody that has a north-facing view across the north of England.

He added that the chance of disruption to the UK is low due to space weather forecasting and electrical engineering.

We wouldnt expect to lose power or have any transformers explode or anything with a storm of this magnitude, but it is possible for solar super storms like one that occurred about 150 years ago to cause widespread disruption  were just sort of lucky it hasnt happened yet.
Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a keynote speech via video link at the leaders' summit of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) held in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Oct. 12, 2021. (Xinhua/Li Xueren)

BEIJING, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping attended and addressed the leaders' summit of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity via video link in Beijing and called on the international community to enhance cooperation, build consensus and pool strength to build a community of all life on Earth.

Noting that biodiversity makes Earth full of vigor and vitality, and lays the foundation for human survival and development, Xi said protecting biodiversity helps protect Earth, our common homeland, and contributes to humanity's sustainable development.

The Kunming conference will work for the conclusion of the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, and identify targets and pathways for global biodiversity protection in the future, Xi said.

He stressed the need to respect Nature, follow Nature's laws, protect Nature, and build a homeland of harmonious coexistence between man and Nature.

"A sound ecology and environment is not just a natural asset, but also an economic asset, and it affects the potential and momentum of economic and social development," Xi said, calling for speeding up efforts to foster a green way of development and securing a win-win of economic growth and environmental protection.

Noting that the COVID-19 pandemic has cast a shadow over global development, Xi said developing countries in the face of the dual tasks of economic recovery and environmental protection "need help and support all the more."

"We need to strengthen solidarity to overcome difficulties and let people across countries benefit more and in a fairer way from development outcomes and a sound environment," Xi said.

"We are living in an era both fraught with challenges and full of hopes," Xi said. "For the sake of our common future, we need to join hands and start a new journey of high-quality development for humanity."

The development of ecological civilization should be taken as a guide to coordinate the relationship between man and Nature, Xi stressed, adding that human activities need to be kept within the limits of the ecology and environment, and holistic conservation and systematic governance of mountains, rivers, forests, farmlands, lakes, grasslands and deserts need to be carried out.

Xi urged efforts to let green transition drive people's efforts to facilitate global sustainable development.

"We need to build a green, low-carbon and circular economic system, translate ecological strengths into development strengths, and bring out the great benefit that green mountains and clear waters can offer. We also need to step up green international cooperation and share the fruits of green development among all countries," said the president.

Stressing the need to better people's well-being to promote social equity and justice, Xi called for pursuing win-win results in environmental protection, economic development, job creation, poverty alleviation and other endeavors, and increase the sense of fulfillment, happiness and security of people in all countries.

"We shall take international law as the basis to uphold a fair and equitable international governance system," Xi said, adding that people need to practice true multilateralism, and effectively honor and implement international rules.

He also said that the new environmental protection targets people set need to be ambitious on the one hand and pragmatic and balanced on the other.

Noting China has made remarkable progress in building an ecological civilization, Xi said China will continue to advance ecological progress, stay committed to implementing the new development philosophy emphasizing innovative, coordinated, green and open development for all, and build a beautiful China.

Xi announced China's initiative to establish the Kunming Biodiversity Fund and take the lead by investing 1.5 billion yuan (about 233 million U.S. dollars) to support biodiversity protection in developing countries.

China calls on and welcomes all parties to make contributions to the fund, Xi said.

Pointing out that China is moving faster to establish a protected areas system with national parks as the mainstay, Xi said areas with the greatest importance to the natural ecosystem, and with the most unique natural landscapes, the most valuable natural heritage and the greatest biodiversity reserve will be included in the national parks system over time.

To achieve its carbon peak and neutrality targets, China will release implementation plans for peaking carbon dioxide emissions in key areas and sectors as well as a series of supporting measures, the president said.

The country will also put in place a "1+N" policy framework for carbon peak and carbon neutrality, he said.

China will continue to readjust its industrial structure and energy mix, vigorously develop renewable energy, and make faster progress in planning and developing large wind power and photovoltaic bases in sandy areas, rocky areas and deserts, Xi said.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, French President Emmanuel Macron, Costa Rican President Carlos Alvarado, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov, Papua New Guinean Prime Minister James Marape and Britain's Prince Charles also attended the summit via video.
The bloc of the radical Shiite leader, enemy of the U.S. and distant from Tehran, wins the largest number of seats and exceeds the result of 2018. Sunnis and the pro-Iranian coalition of al-Maliki counts losses. Abstentionism weighs heavily, only 41% of eligible voters cast ballots. Four Christian seats (out of five) to the Babylon Movement. Shadows of fraud and manipulation.

Baghdad (AsiaNews) - With about 94% of ballots counted and a result that now appears crystallized, the winner of the elections in Iraq is undoubtedly the radical Shiite leader Moqtada al-Sadr, whose party consolidates its place since 2018 by increasing the number of seats. However, no bloc appears to be able to secure a clear majority in Parliament and appoint, alone, the next prime minister called to form the new executive.

The bloc led by former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is far behind but nonetheless will have a leadership role, contending for second position with the Sunni faction led by Parliament Speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi. The latter is credited with 38 seats, while al-Maliki's State of Law coalition is stuck at 37, in a political landscape dominated by Shiite movements since the 2003 US invasion, which brought about the fall of Saddam Hussein.

In spite of the appeals of religious leaders, from the Chaldean primate to the great Ayatollah al-Sistani, the level of participation is lower than the 2018 polls and the figure of voters stops at a modest 41%, confirming a general disillusionment of the population, especially the youth.

On the positive side, there is the fact that the operations took place regularly and no particular incidents were recorded, pending possible complaints of fraud.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres congratulated the Iraqi people "for the way the elections were held", while appealing for calm while waiting for the final results and the formation of the government "in an environment of peace, security and tranquility".

Data from several provinces and the electoral college in Baghdad shows that al Sadr's movement won more than 73 seats, out of the 329 in total in Parliament, well above the 54 in the 2018 elections. Its leader Moqtada - a sworn enemy of the U.S., but distant from Tehran as well - claimed victory and promised a nationalist and patriotic government free of foreign interference.

"We ask all embassies - he added - not to interfere in the internal affairs of Iraq" and specified that the celebrations in the streets will take place "without weapons". The Kurdish parties should get a total of 61 seats, 32 of which to the Kurdistan Democratic Party that governs the autonomous region in the north (15 to the rival Patriotic Union of Kurdistan).

As far as the Christian vote is concerned, four of the five seats reserved for Christians should go to the "Babylon Movement", out of the nine seats reserved for minorities. The fifth, which refers to the electoral college of Erbil, should go to the independent candidate Farouk Hanna Atto.

Some observers say the result is surprising and could fuel controversy and accusations of political manipulation on the seats reserved for minorities. The movement is in fact the political emanation of the "Babylon Brigades", Christian on paper and led by Ryan "the Chaldean", but in fact linked to the pro-Iranian Shiite militia protagonists of the fight against the Islamic State (IS, formerly Isis). In fact, there are suspicions of a convergence of Shiite votes and voters on Christian candidates, to ensure victory to the most "popular" personalities.
12th report on "Global restrictions on religions" by the Pew Research Center reveals attacks by terrorist groups are decreasing, but restrictions and constraints imposed by the State or government agencies are growing. Christians remain the most persecuted religious group in the world, with at least 153 nations experiencing attacks of various kinds.

Beirut (AsiaNews) - On a global scale, government persecution of religions has reached a record level in the last year, while confessional terrorism has continued to decline, reaching a new historic low. This is what emerges from the 12th annual report on "Global restrictions on religions" drawn up by experts from the Pew Research Center, which examines 198 nations and territories; the most critical areas are in the Middle East where persecution is greatest.

The report is based on data collected in 2019, the last available before the Covid-19 pandemic. It measures social hostility and legal restrictions on worship. For example, a nation may have a low level of faith-related social violence but a judiciary that imposes heavy restrictions on the practice, and vice versa.

Released in recent days, the document records a decline in terrorist attacks, denominational homicides, and mob and group violence that strikes for reasons of faith. Among the nations with a high level of social hostility are India, Iraq, Israel, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Syria. The only two "European" nations considered in the very high risk range are Turkey and Russia, the latter also the only country with a Christian majority.

Christians remain the most persecuted religious group in the world: there are at least 153 nations or territories in which they are victims of discrimination, abuse or targeted attacks by entities linked to the State or other religious groups. As for Muslims, there are 147 countries in which they are the object of harassment or attacks.

In 2007, when Pew's first annual study was published, there were 79 nations or territories in the world where Christians were subjected to harassment or attacks by government agencies; in less than 15 years, this has nearly doubled. Among the top 25 countries in the world in terms of population, in the Middle East and North Africa, Egypt has the worst record for violence and persecution at the hands of the state, pro-government agencies or religious groups. For government-sponsored persecution, Iran and Turkey also fall into the "very high" category.

On a scale of one to 10, the global average for government restrictions on worship is 2.9. However, the figure for the Middle East is well above the other regions with a score of 6. The second most restrictive is Asia-Pacific, with a 4.1. When analyzing violence related to society and ethnic-confessional groups in the area, the figure is 1.7 globally. Again, the Middle East has a significantly higher figure with 3.8. Europe is close behind with 2.1. Widening the scope of the survey to the internet and online violations, there are at least 28 countries with restriction policies, accounting for 14% of the total. Of these, 10 are from the Middle East.

Globally, 22% of nations fall into the "high" or "very high" category for socially motivated persecution or persecution of extremist religious groups. Finally, there is a record high for governmental abuse and violence, with 29% of nations at a "high" or "very high" level.
The Burmese military has criticized the United Nations for giving support to the National Unity Executive in exile. International organizations have not yet managed to raise even half of the funds that would be needed to tackle Myanmar's humanitarian crisis.

Yangon (AsiaNews) - Myanmar's military junta has criticized the United Nations and other international organizations for their support of the Government of National Unity (GNU) and its parliamentary committee (Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw, CRPH). I

n the meantime, the UN has not been able to obtain the necessary funds to face the humanitarian emergency in the country, in a context in which the health and economic crisis overlaps with the clashes between the Burmese army and ethnic militias.

The military junta, led by General Min Aung Hlaing, took control of the country on February 1 in a coup d'etat, ousting the civilian government of Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of the National League for Democracy (NLD).

Since its formation in April, the shadow government, made up of exiled NLD parliamentarians, has lobbied the international community to be considered the only legitimate government in Myanmar. The European Parliament in recent days has voted to recognize the GNU and the CRPH, which the Tatmadaw (the Burmese army) has instead branded as terrorist organizations.

The military junta's foreign minister said that international recognition and the establishment of GNU offices abroad could encourage terrorism at home and hinder efforts to create a multi-party democracy in Myanmar.

In the past few weeks, the French Senate has voted unanimously to recognize the civilian government, and the GNU has opened representative offices in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, the Czech Republic, Australia, and South Korea.

The GNU, which also enjoys broad support at home, in September called on the civilian population to rise up against the military junta. Since the call, clashes between the Tatmadaw and Myanmar's ethnic militias have escalated.

Andrew Kirkwood, the UN's permanent coordinator for Myanmar, told the Financial Times that the international organization has managed to raise less than half of the 332 million euros needed to deal with emergencies in the country, where it is estimated that due to violence at least 215 thousand people are now displaced. The number of Burmese in need of humanitarian assistance has risen from 1 to 3 million as food and fuel prices have skyrocketed due to the post-Golpe economic crisis.

On the other hand, the Special Advisory Council for Myanmar, formed by a group of independent experts, says the UN is "on the verge of another meltdown." "The U.N. in Myanmar needs an appropriate strategy to engage with the junta for what it is: an armed actor that employs terrorism, not a government," said the group, co-founded by Yanghee Lee, a former U.N. Special Rapporteur on Myanmar.
The G20 extraordinary meeting on Afghanistan opened today via videoconference to avoid a humanitarian crisis, while the new government in Kabul is asking for financial resources without making concessions in terms of rights. Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan calls on Western countries to work together to avoid going back 20 years.

Kabul (AsiaNews/Agencies)  The G20 extraordinary meeting on Afghanistan convened by Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi opened today via videoconference.

Discussions will focus on how to avoid the humanitarian crisis and financial meltdown, while the Taliban government and Pakistan are asking Western countries for recognition and (economic) support.

After the freeze on loans and international aid, the Afghan economy is in fact near collapse.

Yesterday, the new Afghan government appealed for sanctions to be lifted and the unblocking of more than US$ 9 billion in Afghan Central Bank reserves held abroad.

In Doha, where diplomatic meetings are being held in parallel to the G20, Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi told the delegations of the European Union and the United States that Afghanistan wants to maintain good relations with other countries.

The international community need to start cooperating with us," Muttaqi said. Yet, the Taliban refuse to accept foreign conditions, so that girls are still excluded from secondary education.

Responding to foreign criticism, Muttaqi said that new government cannot implement reforms the international community could not implement in 20 years.

The previous government had a lot of financial resources and they had a strong international backing and support but at the same time you are asking us to do all the reforms in two months? he said.

Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan also stressed the need for Western governments to cooperate with the new Afghan government.

The world must engage with Afghanistan because if it pushes it away, within the Taliban movement there are hardliners, and it could easily go back to the Taliban of 2000 and that would be a disaster, he told The Middle East Eye in an interview.

According to Khan, the Taliban government is not inclusive "now" and is not treating women as promised, but it will in the near future. He then said he was "relieved" by the "peaceful transfer of power" that took place with Kabuls fall two months ago.

Trying to further reassure the West, the Pakistani prime minister underlined the Taliban's intention not to let Afghan soil to be used for terrorism by anyone.

Mullah Muttaqi said that the Taliban forces have full control of the country and the Islamic State-Khorasan Province (ISKP) is a threat under control.

However, the latter have claimed responsibility for a recent series of attacks in (three reportedly against religious sites in last week alone), including the attack on a Shia mosque in Kunduz, in which more than 50 people were killed and nearly 150 injured.
by Shafique Khokar

Pakistani law reserves 5 per cent of jobs for members of minority groups, but 30,000 positions remain vacant. The president of the Bishops' Conference, wants recruitment completed by 2021.

Lahore (AsiaNews)  Archbishop Joseph Arshad of Rawalpindi-Islamabad, president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Pakistan (CBCP), has spoken out on the issue of thousands of jobs reserved by law to members of the countrys minorities that are left vacant.

Under Pakistan law, 5 per cent of jobs are reserved for members of minority groups for the purpose of promoting their integration and financial autonomy.

To date however, federal and provincial governments have filled only a fraction of those jobs.

According to data cited a few weeks ago by Shoaib Suddle, chairman of the minority commission instituted by the Supreme Court of Pakistan, some 30,000 jobs remain vacant across the country.

Religious minorities include marginalised and often discriminated communities at all levels of social life. Setting a working quota of 5 per cent was a good move to facilitate their integration and improve their living conditions, said Archbishop Arshad.

However, it was a sad to find out that this measure has not been implemented in its true spirit by all provincial governments.

The CBCP, the archbishop noted, urges the government to ensure that recruitment is completed by the end of 2021, and that it become committed to limiting minority discrimination.

Meanwhile, in a country where discrimination and non-respect for human rights are a hot topic, the National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP), the CBCPs human rights arm, has reiterated its concern following the rejection by the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interreligious Harmony and the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) of a bill punishing forced religious conversions.

The rejection of the bill goes against the right to religious freedom, said Bishop Samson Shukardin of Hyderabad.

With this decision, criminal violence is legitimised and the use of religion is encouraged as a cover for the crimes of kidnapping, rape and forced conversion to Islam of minority girls and young women.
On October 15, Xi Jinping and the President of the European Council Charles Michel will have a telephone conversation. The aim is to reduce tensions. Punished by the Chinese for its growing relations with Taiwan, Vilnius calls for united EU intervention. Lithuanian MP: We are not like them, we must not respond with symmetrical retaliations or coercive measures.

Taipei (AsiaNews) - Taiwan is an increasingly thorny issue in relations between China and the European Union. It will most likely be a topic of discussion in the October 15 phone call between Chinese President Xi Jinping and European Council President Charles Michel. Tension between Beijing and Europe escalated after the Chinese took coercive measures against Lithuania, with Vilnius calling for a tougher common EU approach to China.

On August 10, Beijing recalled its ambassador to Vilnius in protest against the Lithuanian government's decision to allow the Taiwanese government to open a representative office under the name "Taiwan". As pointed out to AsiaNews by Lithuanian MP Matas Maldeikis, even without an official indication from their government, Chinese railway operators are not organizing freight trains to Lithuania; only transit trains from China pass through the territory of the Baltic Republic.

For the Chinese Communist Party, Taipei is a "rebel" province to be reunified by force if necessary. After the recent massive Chinese air raids near the island, yesterday Beijing's troops simulated landing and attack operations in Fujian, the coastal province facing Taiwan. Last October 6, Taiwanese Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng said that China will be able to launch a "large-scale" attack on the island by 2025.

Yesterday, in video link with the Forum 2000 Conference, Tsai Ing-wen again asked for the conclusion of a bilateral agreement on investments between her country and the EU. The Taiwanese president believes that Taiwan can become an indispensable partner for Europe in key sectors such as biotechnology, renewable energy, data protection, ocean conservation and above all microchips.

To avoid upsetting Beijing, the EU seems unwilling to sign a far-reaching trade pact with Taipei. Despite this, Sino-European frictions continue to multiply. The Chinese Foreign Ministry has condemned a French parliamentary delegation's visit to Taiwan, which ended on October 10. Beijing reiterated that the island is an "inalienable" part of China and that the transalpine delegation leader, Senator Alain Richard, is either ignoring the rules of international law or wants to "sabotage" Franco-Chinese relations for personal purposes.

Richard has visited Taiwan several times. In February, when news of his visit to Taipei emerged, Chinese Ambassador to France Lu Shaye wrote him a letter intimating that he should abandon his aims.

Maldeikis, head of the Vilnius Parliament's Friendship Group with Taiwan, will lead a Lithuanian delegation that will visit Taipei in the first half of December. Asked whether the EU should respond to China's coercive acts with symmetrical trade measures, Maldeikis says they would be counterproductive: "We are not like them and we cannot sacrifice people and businesses." According to the Lithuanian politician, Europe must confront Beijing by cooperating with those who play by the rules, diversifying supply chains and finding alternative markets to the Chinese one.
By Ziteng Wang, PhD researcher, University of Sydney

Sebastian Zentilomo/University of Sydney, Author provided

In early 2020, we detected an unusual radio signal coming from somewhere near the centre of our galaxy. The signal blinked on and off, growing 100 times brighter and dimmer over time.

Whats more, the radio waves in the signal had an uncommon circular polarisation, which means the electric field in the radio waves spirals around as the waves travel through space.

We first spotted the signal using the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder Telescope (ASKAP), then followed up with other telescopes around the world and in space. Despite our best efforts, we are still unable to work out exactly what produced these mysterious radio waves.

A strange signal from the heart of the Milky Way

We have been surveying the sky with ASKAP throughout 2020 and 2021 in search of unusual new objects, in a project called the Variables and Slow Transients (VAST) survey.

Most things astronomers see in outer space are fairly stable and dont change much on human time scales. Thats why objects that do change (known as variables) or appear and disappear (known as transients) are so interesting.

Transients are usually connected with some of the most energetic and violent events in the Universe, such as the death of massive stars. The past decade has seen thousands of transients discovered at optical and X-ray wavelengths, but radio wavelengths are largely untapped.

When we looked towards the centre of our galaxy (the Milky Way), we found a source we called ASKAP J173608.2-321635 (this catchy name comes from its coordinates in the sky). This object was unique in that it started out invisible, became bright, faded away, and then reappeared. This behaviour was extraordinary.



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Author provided





As well as changing over time, the signal was circularly polarised. Our eyes cannot distinguish between polarised and unpolarised light, but ASKAP has the equivalent of polaroid sunglasses for radio waves.

Polarised radio sources are extremely rare: we might find fewer than ten circularly polarised sources out of thousands. Almost all of them are sources we understand well, such as pulsars (the rapidly rotating, highly magnetised remnants of exploded stars) or highly magnetised red dwarf stars.

Finding more evidence

Investigating a new astronomical object is a bit like a detective job. We need evidence to determine what it is.

Based on our ASKAP data, we thought the new object might be a pulsar or a flaring star: both types of object can be polarised, and change in brightness. However, we needed to find more clues.

We next observed the source with the Parkes radio telescope in New South Wales to decide whether it was a pulsar. However, these observations yielded nothing.

We then tried the more sensitive MeerKAT radio telescope in South Africa. Because the signal was intermittent, we observed it for 15 minutes every few weeks, hoping we would see it again. Luckily, the signal returned, but the behaviour of the source was now dramatically different. The source disappeared in the course of a single day, even though it had lasted for weeks in our previous ASKAP observations.



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Author provided





It is always a good idea to investigate from multiple perspectives. Telescopes working at other wavelengths can serve as another pair of eyes to help us find new clues.

After the MeerKAT detection, we searched for the source in X-rays (using the space-based Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory and Chandra X-ray Observatory) and infrared (using the Gemini telescope in Chile). However, we saw nothing.

Still a mystery

We have observed this strange object at multiple wavelengths using telescopes on three continents and in space. What can we say about what it actually is?

Can it be a star? It seems unlikely because stars also emit much of their light in the optical and infrared (like the Sun), but we detect nothing at these wavelengths.

Can it be a pulsar? Like our signal, pulsars produce polarised radio waves and can vary dramatically in brightness. But the characteristic of pulsars is rapid pulses betweem milliseconds to seconds long, and we did not detect these with Parkes or MeerKAT.





Read more:

Fifty years ago Jocelyn Bell discovered pulsars and changed our view of the universe





Is the sources proximity to the centre of our galaxy a clue? Over the past 15 years, a number of intriguing radio sources have been discovered toward the Galactic centre (including one dubbed the cosmic burper). We dont know what they are, but they are imaginatively called Galactic Center Radio Transients (GCRTs).

Are they related to ASKAP J173608.2-321635? There are some similarities, but there are also differences. And even the known GCRTs exhibit diversity, and may not share a common origin. So our signal is still a mystery.

We will keep observing this source in new ways. It is just the first of many unusual transient sources that we expect to find with the powerful ASKAP array, and it gives a hint of the future of radio astronomy.





Read more:

'WTF?': newly discovered ghostly circles in the sky can't be explained by current theories, and astronomers are excited





Ziteng Wang received support from University of Sydney International Scholarship, and as a Graduate Student with CSIRO Space and Astronomy.

David Kaplan receives funding from the National Science Foundation.

Tara Murphy works for The University of Sydney. She receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

Originally published in The Conversation.
The largest limiting factor right now in our center, our system and our nation is our shortage of nurses, said Dr. Ali Tabatabai, associate professor of medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and medical director of the Lung Rescue Unit, Adult ECMO and the Biocontainment Unit at the institutions R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center. Larger centers of excellence who have more experience and application on a routine basis should have better [ECMO] outcomes than those who do it infrequently.
Republican Gov. Larry Hogan defunded the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council in 2017, reallocating $275,000 in funding after city judges refused to meet with him to discuss public safety. Then-Administrative Judge Charles Peters of the circuit court said it would be inappropriate for the judges to do so. The judiciary respects your role. But we can never, ever be seen as your ally or the ally of law enforcement, Peters said at the time.
He also allegedly used ethnic slurs and other offensive language against Wen, who was born in China but moved to the United States when she was 8. Wen regularly appears on CNN as a medical analyst. She did not respond to a request for comment.
Well, I for one dont want you to leave us just yet. Those who keep reading opposing viewpoints might discover that the nice gay couple down the street arent attacking your beliefs, they just want to live peacefully in a country that protects their personal liberties. Maybe they will learn that the people of color in your neighborhood just want freedom from racial stereotyping and punitive policing. Perhaps they will realize that conflict and secession are not inevitable if we choose to trust the religious belief that we all should of love thy neighbor.
Campus News

Despite COVID challenges, state of UB is strong

President Satish K. Tripathi delivers his 10th State of the University address from the stage in Lippes Concert Hall in Slee Hall. Photo: Douglas Levere

By JAY REY

Let me assure you that despite the many challenges we have faced over the past year and a half, the state of the university is strong  across every facet of our university. 

The valuable role UB has played in helping the region navigate the COVID-19 pandemic and its smooth return to in-person instruction are telling indicators of the state of the university in 2021, President Satish K. Tripathi said in his annual address to the campus.

Let me assure you that despite the many challenges we have faced over the past year and a half, the state of the university is strong  across every facet of our university, Tripathi said.

As we settle back into the rhythms and routines of a place-based institution, I think its safe to say that none of us is taking the status quo for granted.

Tripathi gave his 10th annual State of the University Address on Friday in Slee Hall, where he spoke on a variety of topics, including UBs ambition to become one of the Top 25 public research universities in the nation; its commitment to diversity and inclusion; and reaching its $1 billion fundraising goal.

In addition, the president noted students who are being nationally recognized for their scholarship, and cited the innovation of faculty, whose research is leading to breakthroughs and entrepreneurship thats helping spur the regions economy. Tripathi also spoke of UBs progress in fulfilling its capital master plan and pointed to the construction taking place around its campuses.

COVID, however, was a theme throughout the presidents remarks, as he lauded the university community both for weathering the health crisis and for the imprint UB has made during these turbulent times.

In the community, UB faculty have been essential in providing evidence-based information about COVID-19, he said. The university hosts a regional vaccination site, led the regional effort to get people vaccinated, and when demand for vaccines was at its highest, UB students created a website to help people find appointments.

In the laboratory, UB is part of a statewide effort to identify COVID variants. Human trials are underway for a vaccine candidate developed by a faculty startup. Meanwhile, researchers have devised a surveillance system to monitor COVID and other viral infections in wastewater.

As I consider the past 22 months within the frame of our history, I am moved by the meaningful contributions of our faculty, students and staff, Tripathi said.

In meeting this defining moment with creativity, compassion and innovation, you embody the principles of service on which our great university was founded.

In noting this years 175th anniversary of UB, Tripathi reflected on whether the founders could have envisioned the university producing physicians who contributed to not one but two pandemics.

If UBs founders could see us now, I like to think that they would approve of how far we have come and all that we have achieved, Tripathi said.

During his roughly 45-minute speech, the president addressed several issues, including:

Top 25 Ambition. Besides noting specific faculty research, Tripathi offered encouraging proof points in UBs goal to be among the Top 25 public research universities in the nation.

Research expenditures from state, federal and internal investments totaled $422 million in 2020. Faculty citations, another key measure, have increased 150% over five years, he said.

As I have said before, our ambition is not about pride, he said. It is about the positive impact we make through our research, clinical care, creative endeavors and educational excellence.

Student experience. Our retention rates and our four- and six-year graduation rates are strong. But we can do better, Tripathi said. And in service to our students, we will.

Tripathi wants to boost the retention rate between years one and two at UB from 86% to 93% by 2025.

By 2025, he also wants to increase the four-year graduation rate to 65% and six-year graduation rate to 80%.

We want our students not only to experience an exceptional education, but also advance toward degree completion in a timely manner, he said.

The Presidents Advisory Council on Race. UB, under Provost A. Scott Weber, is working to implement recommendations from the advisory committee that Tripathi formed last year. The aim is to ensure the universitys programs, policies and actions are aligned with the principles of social justice.

Seven working groups made up of 135 faculty, students and staff are involved in implementing recommendations that would impact a range of areas, including curriculum, pedagogy, faculty hiring, retention and promotion, and community engagement.

Our goal is to ensure that we are purposefully aligning everything we do with values and practices of diversity, equity, inclusion and social justice, Tripathi said.

Sustainability. UB is on its way to achieving climate neutrality by 2030, Tripathi said.

With the installation of the universitys solar arrays nearly complete, UB will produce 2.9 million kilowatt hours in the first year, he said. Thats equivalent to off-setting the energy use of nearly 500 homes a year.

In fact, Tripathi noted that among institutions of higher education, UB ranked No. 1 in the world for climate action this year, according to the 2021 Times Higher Education Impact Rankings. He thanked the UB Foundation for aligning investment decisions with UBs sustainability goals.

Boldly Buffalo. Tripathi last spring announced UB has extended the goal of its fundraising campaign to $1 billion. On Friday, the president announced that nearly $797 million has been committed to the Boldly Buffalo campaign.

A billion dollars is a bold goal, he said. But it is an achievable goal.

Opening Fridays address was UB student Marcus Lolo, who performed an original piano composition for those in attendance.
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Comment Policy Calaveras Enterprise does not actively monitor comments. However, staff does read through to assess reader interest. When abusive or foul language is used or directed toward other commenters, those comments will be deleted. If a commenter continues to use such language, that person will be blocked from commenting. We wish to foster a community of communication and a sharing of ideas, and we truly value readers' input.
Dakota graduated from Bret Harte in 2013 and went to Davidson College, NC where she earned a bachelor's degree in Arab studies. After spending time studying in the Middle East and Europe, she is happy to be home, writing about the community she loves.

Comment Policy Calaveras Enterprise does not actively monitor comments. However, staff does read through to assess reader interest. When abusive or foul language is used or directed toward other commenters, those comments will be deleted. If a commenter continues to use such language, that person will be blocked from commenting. We wish to foster a community of communication and a sharing of ideas, and we truly value readers' input.
Pittman said after the meeting that he did not have a timeline for when he will fund or partially fund Arlottos request for American Rescue Plan Act money. Pittman said the countys economic development office is looking at how to best use federal funding tied to COVID to help struggling businesses, and while bus companies will be at the top of the list, consideration needs to be given to the entire package. More stakeholders need to be engaged before a final decision is made, he said.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found the number of pregnant women with opioid use disorders at labor and delivery more than quadrupled from 1999 to 2014. And a Washington State University study published earlier this year found that the number of pregnant women using opioids has grown since the pandemic began, as well as the number using alcohol and marijuana.
When police officers arrived at the home, they found the man in the home, police said. Police have identified the man who was killed as Harry Trueman Powell, 34, of Washington, D.C. The homeowner didnt know Powell, but police said it appears that Powell had been sleeping in the basement of the home for some time without the homeowners permission.
He worked hard for diversity and was very sensitive about that, he said. He was a stickler for the traditional Mass, and if something didnt happen, like a candle was lit or a book was in the wrong place, hed bring it up in a very diplomatic way. And even though he had moved to Roland Park Place and didnt get to St. Marys as often as he once did, he still was interested in the church and what was happening there.
I wrote a letter yesterday to Gov. Hogan requesting that the state of Maryland request an emergency based on this incident, he said. The reason I did that is that we need to be able to activate all of the state resources that we can, both for the businesses and for the residents who had damage as a result of this tornado.
All four officers fired on Ocran, who was running away from them. He was hit eight times, including twice in his left lateral back, according to a 12-page report of the case from prosecutors. The officers involved were Sgt. Willie Delgado, Officer Kyle Khuen, Cpl. Larbi Dakkouni, and Officer James Doyle. The shooting happened outside the Chelsea Park apartments in central Gaithersburg on Jan. 8 after they said they received a tip that Ocran was illegally carrying a gun he intended to sell, according to the prosecutors report.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in the Extraordinary Leaders' Summit on Afghanistan, called by Italy, chair of Group of 20 (G20) major economies.

On Tuesday, the world's richest economies will discuss the humanitarian crisis and terror risks emanating from Afghanistan.

India has already shared its position that it stands with Afghans and is ready to continue its assistance programme. India has indicated in the also past that it wants unimpeded, unrestricted access.

New Delhi also called for the impartial distribution of assistance to all sections of society. Being one of the biggest donors, India has spent 3 billion dollars to rebuild the war-torn country. There are small and big India-built community and developmental projects in all provinces of Afghanistan.

In his speech at the United Nations General Assembly last month, Prime Minister Modi had said that the world must fulfil its duty by providing help to the people in war-torn Afghanistan where women, children and minorities are in need.

In today's meet, other than outlining India's willingness to provide humanitarian support to Afghans, PM Modi is also expected to inform G 20 nations about the risks of terrorism emanating from Afghanistan and how neighbouring country is aiding anti-India terror groups in Afghanistan.

At a virtual meeting on Afghanistan organised by SCO last month, PM Modi emphasised and warned that if "instability and fundamentalism" persist in Afghanistan, it will encourage terrorist and extremist ideologies all over the world.

In today's G 20 meeting where the focus will be on the humanitarian crisis, other than G20 nations, Qatar, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the United Nations will also participate.

The economic collapse of Afghanistan and the looming migrant crisis has caused concerns for the international community.

The majority of countries at G20 believe that the Taliban regime is far from getting legitimised, recognised as it has imposed a ban on women attending universities and has returned to harsh punishments and executions.

G20 is also concerned about Afghanistan becoming safe haven for terrorism. However, there is a feeling that the world must focus on providing assistance to Afghans as the huge crisis is starting.

According to reports, a joint statement is expected at the end of the G20 meeting on Afghanistan.

(ANI)

Also Read: India set to achieve 450 GW renewable energy installed capacity by 2030: Centre
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday met his Turkmenistan counterpart Rashid Meredov and discussed bilateral and regional cooperation.Taking to Twitter, Jaishankar said, "Good to meet FM Rashid Meredov of Turkmenistan. Discussed our bilateral and regional cooperation. Exchanged views on neighbourhood developments. Agreed to remain in close touch."

Jaishankar on Monday arrived at Nur-Sultan to participate in Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures (CICA) Ministerial 2021, which will be held on Tuesday.

Jaishankar began his Kazakhstan visit with a bilateral meeting with Uzbek Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov.

The meeting will be held in Kazakhstan's capital Nur Sultan on October 11 and 12. Jaishankar will attend the 6th Ministerial meeting.

Established in 1999, CICA is a forum aimed at enhancing cooperation through elaborating multilateral approaches towards promoting peace, security and stability in Asia.

It currently has 27 member states and 9 observer states and 5 observer organisations India is a member of CICA since its inception in 1999 and has been actively participating in various activities conducted under the aegis of CICA.

(ANI)

Also Read: Govt to launch 7 new companies on Oct 15: Ordnance Factories corporatisation
Pakistan's participation in the two Afghan wars resulted in destabilising the country's economy and affected its per capita income, Pakistan Federal Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin said on Monday.

Tarin made these remarks while speaking at the annual dinner of Punjab University Institute of Business Administration's alumni association on Saturday, Dawn newspaper reported.

Pakistan took part in the two wars in Afghanistan -- one during the 1980s and the 'war on terror' launched by the US, during the Bush administration.

The minister said that the present Pakistani government has devised short, mid, and long-term plans for national development.

Tarin said the country was in need of inclusive and sustainable growth and need to focus on increasing revenues and promoting productive sectors. He said that only growth can help Pakistan avoid the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank programs.

"In the 1960s, Pakistan's economy was far better than South Korea's," he said. But currently, per capita income in Pakistan was 1,500 dollars, which is significantly less than than the per capita income of South Korea.

This statement comes as Pakistan claims itself as one of the victims of the war in Afghanistan.

Pakistan has said that it has suffered most from the Afghanistan war stressing that it faced nearly "80,000 casualties" and over "USD 150 billion" in financial losses.

Back in September, Pakistan's Foreign Office spokesperson Asim Iftikhar Ahmad had said that after Afghanistan, Pakistan has suffered most has been the biggest victim of decades of the Afghan conflict.

"Of all the countries of the world, Pakistan has suffered the most -- with over 80,000 casualties and more than 150 billion US dollars in economic losses," he had said.

(ANI)

Also Read: Singapore reopens for quarantine-free visits from 11 countries, India excluded for now
The closing of the South Works plant, once the largest employer in Chicago and a major economic engine for the citys Southeast Side, was a devastating blow to South Chicago. At its peak in the 1940s, 20,000 employees worked at the plant each day. By its closing in April 1992, the plant was down to about 700 workers.
Its a stressful situation, I understand, for the nurses and physicians as well as our techs, but this is the situation were in, Smith said. Were seeing some of the ramifications of COVID and patients not having care for the last year and a half, and now theyre showing up and they need care, so were happy to help them. The majority of our patients are walking in the door, so we cant turn those away.
If I looked back at my life and it was a document of all the awkward auditions I did, I mean that would be pretty funny to watch. Because you can feel when its not working. You feel off. You dont care or they dont care or theres too many people in the room looking at you like: Show us something (laughs). Just scores of awkward auditions, where youre in a small room and theres eight people on folding chairs all pushed to one side of the room, and that can throw you if they start talking among themselves or say little judgy things. You build a thick skin. And what I learned to do is just go right into the scene, that was the easiest way to circumvent that. But I have literally decades of awkward auditions.
Federal officials in Wyoming last month charged Laundrie with unauthorized use of a debit card, alleging he used a Capital One Bank card and someones personal identification number to make unauthorized withdrawals or charges worth more than $1,000 during the period in which Petito went missing. They did not say to whom the card belonged.
He Qiang is still waiting to hear from Evergrande about his apartment. Though the developer has not sent him a notice of delay, he can see that construction on his building stopped several months ago, and has had to reconsider his plans to get married next May. The apartment was supposed to be finished by the end of the year, giving him time to decorate so that the space could feature prominently in the wedding festivities.
The city festivities will start at noon Oct. 23 with a parade in Washington Park called the UPSIDE DOWN. And on Oct. 30, another parade, Arts in the Dark on State Street, will take place at night. The events will be run by Lightfoots office, Blommer Chocolate Co. and Luma8.
Auguste said Allens co-defendant asked the victim a question about whether he was on his side or not, and said the victim responded that he did not want to choose sides. Auguste said that Allen then indicated that if the victim was not allied, then the victim was an enemy.
I think that, due to the history, that Muddy Waters has been a huge contributor, to the blues, to rock n roll, said local Ald. Sophia King, 4th. And that having his particular home landmarked here in the city of Chicago would also be, not only something that recognizes his contributions, but also would recognize the contributions of blues to Chicago.
In March 2014, Donagher paid $869 to a Morton Grove trophy company for commemorative plaques for Browns event, as well as another $1,000 to a food company for catering services, the plea stated. After agreeing to cover the expenses, Donagher forwarded an email from a member of Browns staff to other Penn Credit employees and lobbyists asking if they could represent the company at the event, according to the plea.
Whats more, Safer said, Boldens criminal defense attorney at the time, Charles Ingles, will testify that Frazier was improperly told police had got the guy who did the shooting, then walked him in front of Bolden in the station before the lineup. Detectives promised Ingles he could be present with Frazier as he viewed the lineup, but Pesavento had blocked him from entering the room at the last minute, Safer said.
Most frequent flyers long ago learned not to trust official airline explanations for delays, having seen mechanical delays get recorded as weather-related, allowing the carriers to weasel out of taking responsibility for the disruption to their customers. So although both the airline and its pilots union said that the protests over the airlines pending vaccine mandate had not influenced what happened, and that there had been no unofficial work stoppages, cynics noted that both the management and the union had no motivation to say anything else, given that any such stoppage would have been illegal.
The cutting of ties at the Palos South site, which is a bit more than 4 miles north of the proposed Tinley Park center, is due to the partnership between Palos Health and Northwestern, Loyola said in the state filing. Loyola said it will cease operations at the Palos South site April 1.
Mourani said he was in the bathroom for less than 5 minutes when he heard a gunshot and his son scream, charges state. The boy had been playing with Play-Doh in the bedroom, he said.
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China's National Cultural Heritage Administration will support north China's Shanxi Province in salvaging and repairing the cultural relics damaged in a recent flood.



The administration will send experts to the province to assess the damage and oversee salvage efforts, said administration head Li Qun at a Monday conference.

The administration will also allocate emergency funds to ensure cultural artifacts in the province are protected from further damage, Li added.

Shanxi has recently been hit by continuous rainstorms, which led to flooding in multiple parts of the province. More than 1,000 cultural heritage sites and buildings, including the famed ancient town of Pingyao, have suffered structural damage due to the extreme weather.
This year marks the launch of the China-South Korea Year of Cultural Exchanges as well as the 25th anniversary of Suzhou's sister-city relationship with Jeonju.

A cultural exchange event titled 2021 Suzhou International Day  South Korea Themed Events and China-South Korea Symphony Night was held on Oct 10 at the Suzhou Culture and Arts Center in the city of Suzhou, Jiangsu province.

Featuring a themed exhibition, interactive activities and performances, the event showcased the fruitful results achieved between Suzhou and South Korea in fields such as economy, trade, culture, education and sports. The event also sought to deepen the friendship between the two sides, according to the organizers.

Economic and trade cooperation between Suzhou and South Korea has been close for a long time. Today, Suzhou is home to more than 2,300 South Korean enterprises and about 5,000 South Korean nationals, said Wu Qingwen, acting mayor of Suzhou.

Wu said that Suzhou has a profound historical and cultural heritage of over 2,500 years and is among the first batch of national historical and cultural cities. The city is also part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) as a city for Crafts and Folk Arts.

Similarly, South Korea has a splendid and rich cultural heritage, Wu said, adding that both parties will continue to maintain close people-to-people exchanges and expand their fields of cooperation.

South Korea and China have been having constant cultural exchanges and culture is the driving force behind bilateral relations, said Kim Seung-ho, South Korea's consul general in Shanghai. The friendship and sistership between Suzhou and Jeonju represent the current and future dimensions of Korean and Chinese cultural ties.

During the event, mayor of Jeonju Kim Seung-su gave a congratulatory speech via video. Representatives from Suzhou and Jeonju also exchanged memorandums of friendly exchanges and cooperation for the next five years.
Editor's note: This week's events include a concert about Double Ninth Festival geared toward elderly viewers and two art exhibitions: one for a veteran Chinese artist and professor, and another for a Swiss performance artist, painter, sculptor, critic, and curator. Here are three events you don't want to miss.

1. Concert marks Double Ninth Festival

The Double Ninth Festival, also known as Chongyang Festival, celebrated on the ninth day of the ninth month on the Chinese lunar calendar, falls on Oct. 14 this year. China Broadcasting Traditional Orchestra will put on a special performance to mark the festival, which is an occasion to care for and send blessings to the elderly throughout China.

Date: Oct. 14

Venue: National Center for the Performing Arts, Beijing

2. Yang Xianrang solo exhibition

Yang Xianrang, a veteran Chinese contemporary artist, will display more than 160 works, including woodcuts, paintings, sketches, oil paintings, and documents reflecting his achievements in folk art at the National Art Museum of China. The event brings together a comprehensive retrospective of his artistic life. During the exhibition, Yang will also donate 30 representative works to the museum.

Dates: Oct. 12-20

Venue: National Art Museum of China, Beijing

3. 'Again, Just Again,' an exhibition by John Armleder

John Armleder is a Swiss performance artist, painter, sculptor, critic, and curator. Apart from his representative works, this exhibition will also showcase the artist's most recent works and those specially created for the Rockbund Art Museum in Shanghai, spanning Armleder's paintings, on-site creations, paper paintings, wall paintings, and literature.

Dates: Oct. 16-Dec. 19

Venue: Rockbund Art Museum, Shanghai

Cultural events of the week: Oct. 4-10




China's top industry regulator on Monday called for more collaboration between the information and communication industry and sectors such as finance, education, healthcare and energy to promote innovative services based on IPv6, or Internet Protocol version 6.

The call came after China has built a world-leading infrastructure for IPv6, the most recent version of Internet Protocol that provides an identification and location system for computers on networks and routes traffic across the internet. IPv6 allows much higher theoretical limits on the number of IP addresses than the current IPv4 system, and it is better designed for the internet of things era.

Han Xia, chief engineer at the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, said on Monday that the nation's 4G, 5G and fixed broadband networks have all been upgraded to support IPv6.

Currently, the number of applied IPv6 addresses in China ranks first in the world, Han said at an IPv6 conference in Beijing.

She said more efforts are needed to encourage the information and communication industry along with finance, education, medicine, energy and other areas to carry out larger and deeper IPv6 collaborative innovation.

Han said IPv6 not only provides massive address resources, but also serves as fundamental support for network capacity improvement, technological innovation and industrial upgrading. It is also of great significance to enhance the comprehensive competence of the country's cyber power.

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said in a plan in July that China aims to cultivate 700 million users of IPv6 services by the end of 2023, and build a benign development pattern of advanced IPv6 technology, industry, facilities, applications and security systems by then.

Experts often use metaphors to highlight the importance of IPv6, saying that both IPv4 and IPv6 are like the internet's oil fields and the IP addresses are oil. As IPv4 resources are exhausted, it is hard to continue extraction. But oil is still pouring out of IPv6.

Hu Kewen, senior vice-president of Huawei Technologies Co, said China is now leading the world in the development of IPv6+, which is an upgrade based on IPv6 that comprehensively improves IP network capabilities in six aspectsultra broadband, ubiquitous connectivity, determinacy, low latency, automation and security.

Hu said IPv6+ can fully release the flexible capabilities of IPv6, realize network upgrades and provide a solid foundation for the digital development of thousands of industries.

China now has successfully deployed more than 80 IPv6+ networks, Hu said, highlighting that the nation has contributed to 85 percent of the global technical standards on IPv6+.

To better promote its standardization work, China also recently issued an outline that details measures to ensure the country realizes its long-term development goals through 2035.

The document, jointly released by the general offices of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council, is meant to promote standardized development at the national level in its pursuit of high-quality development and modernization.

With improvements to be made in the standardized management system with Chinese characteristics, a market-driven, government-guided and enterprise-oriented standardized development pattern featuring mass participation and opening-up and integration will take shape in China by 2035, the document said.

Both government and the market will contribute to the standards-making process, all economic sectors will be covered by industry standards and international cooperation on standardization work will be extensively deepened, the document added.
China's top economic planner on Tuesday announced an improved pricing mechanism for coal-fired power to deepen market-oriented pricing reform in the sector.

The floating range of the market-based electricity transaction prices are adjusted in principle to a range of 20 percent fluctuation in either direction, compared with the current ceiling of 10 percent and floor of 15 percent from the benchmark price, said the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).

The market transaction prices of coal-fired electricity for high energy-consuming enterprises are not restricted by the ceiling of 20 percent upward fluctuation.

All local governments should give priority to the supply of low-cost power for residents and agriculture, said the NDRC.

This will help give full play to the role of the market so that electricity prices can better reflect the supply and demand relationship, as well as the cost changes, said NDRC official Peng Shaozong.

The new rules clarify that the market price of high energy-consuming enterprises is not limited by the 20 percent cap.

This can better transmit the pressure of power generation costs and curb unreasonable power consumption, he noted.

The new rules will also encourage high energy-consuming enterprises to increase investment in technological transformation, improve energy utilization efficiency and promote the transformation and upgrading of the industrial structure, he said.

Electricity consumption for residents and agriculture are not involved in the reforms, so they will retain their electricity pricing methods, he said.
The government of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Monday refuted the lies fabricated by the United States and some other Western countries about human rights in the region with evidence and facts.

At the recent 48th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, some Western countries made groundless accusations against China over Xinjiang-related issues based on disinformation, rumors, and lies, said Xu Guixiang, a spokesperson with the regional government, at a press conference in Beijing.

They used "human rights in Xinjiang" as a pretext to wantonly interfere in China's domestic affairs, Xu said.

The so-called "mass violations of human rights" claim is built on false information, one-sided stories, and is intended to frame China, said Xu.

The press conference invited representatives from the general public in Xinjiang to present, via video link, strong evidence of human rights progress in the region.

Memet Jume, vice president of the Xinjiang Islamic Institute and imam of the Id Kah Mosque in Kashgar, showed a plaque of the mosque, countering the lie posted on the social media account of the U.S. Embassy in China claiming that the "100-year-plus-old plaque" was gone as a result of the "Chinese government's suppression of Islam in Xinjiang."

But the truth is the plaque, which actually originated in 1982, had undergone some repair work and moved from the entrance of the mosque to an outer wall of the main prayer hall where it is sheltered by a canopy, according to the imam.

Relating their own life experiences and stories via video link, representatives from Aksu and Hotan also denounced the lies of the cotton farm "forced labor" as well as "violations of the rights and interests of ethnic minority women."

Xinjiang is a key battlefield in the fight against terrorism and extremism in China. From 1990 to the end of 2016, Xinjiang witnessed thousands of violent and terrorist activities, which caused great casualties and property losses.

Through a slew of measures, including setting up vocational education and training centers, Xinjiang has achieved major progress in the undertaking. The region has reported no violent terrorist cases for more than four years.

"The international community has not been deceived by the cliches spread by a few countries," said Xu.

At the 48th session of the UN Human Rights Council, Pakistan delivered a joint statement on behalf of 65 countries in support of China, he said.

Six member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council have also issued a joint letter supporting China's position. More than 20 countries have expressed their support to China in their national statements.

Altogether, nearly 100 countries have expressed their understanding and support for China's policy and position regarding Xinjiang in different ways, Xu noted.

These rational voices fully show the international community's support, said Xu.
China saw fewer cases involving fraudulent activities via telecommunication or the internet in the months of June, July and August compared to the same three months last year, the Ministry of Public Security said on Monday.

The continuous drop in case numbers has mainly been attributed to a national campaign against such illegal activities launched last October, according to the ministry.

A total of six nationwide operations have been carried out to crack down on criminal gangs, and to eliminate SIM and bank cards used for fraudulent purposes.

The operations have blocked the channels used by gangs to trade and send SIM and bank cards, which has significantly increased the cost of committing fraud and has essentially reined in the number of such criminal cases.

Chinese police have dismantled 27,000 gangs involved in SIM or bank card fraud since last October.

Some 450,000 individuals suspected of being involved in these illegal activities have been punished, as well as over 1,000 such individuals who worked for financial institutions and telecommunication companies, the ministry said.
A key UN conference kicked off Monday in southwest China's Kunming to discuss a blueprint for biodiversity conservation over the next decade.

This comes at a time when the world is facing a rapid loss of biodiversity. In person or virtually, over 5,000 representatives from governments, international organizations, research institutes and enterprises are attending the event, known as COP15, or the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity.

Themed "Ecological Civilization: Building a Shared Future for All Life on Earth," it is the first global conference convened by the United Nations to highlight ecological civilization, a philosophy proposed by China.

Action, cooperation urged

At the opening ceremony of COP15, key figures in global biodiversity conservation called on all parties to the Convention to take concrete actions and collaborate more closely in reversing the alarming trend of biodiversity loss.

To meet the 2050 vision of living in harmony with nature, the world must take action this decade to reverse biodiversity loss and "put biodiversity on a path to recovery by 2030 at the latest," said Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, executive secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, who attended the meeting in person.

She said world leaders have made some bold commitments given the urgency for action, and now it is time to translate these commitments into policies, actions and results.

"Together, we can work toward an ecological civilization, building a shared future for all on earth," she added.

Inger Andersen, under-secretary-general of the United Nations and executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme, said the "costs of our suicidal war against nature" are growing at an alarming rate.

"As the UN secretary-general has said, making peace with nature is a defining task of the 21st century," she noted.

Andersen urged all parties to the Convention to take clear and tangible actions to deliver the post-2020 global biodiversity framework and place nature at the heart of decision-making.

Yasmine Fouad, environment minister of Egypt, which hosted the COP14 presidency, stressed the need for international cooperation.

"We need more solidarity and multilateralism to do more things," Fouad said.

Attendees also spoke highly of China's unremitting efforts in biodiversity preservation.

"I would like to express my admiration for the actions that China has taken to protect and restore biodiversity," said Mrema. "I'm also deeply encouraged to see that the engagement of the many non-state actors is rising considerably in China and worldwide."

China was among the first countries to become a party to the Convention on Biological Diversity, which entered into force in 1993. The Convention currently has 196 parties, and the Conference of the Parties is the highest mechanism for discussing and making decisions on the Convention.

China's proposals

Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng on Monday called for efforts to promote a comprehensive, balanced, strong and implementable consensus and action framework, so as to push global biodiversity governance to a new level at the opening ceremony of COP15.

Han, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, put forward three initiatives to all participants.

First, multilateralism should be upheld, and dialogue and exchange should be promoted to formulate the post-2020 action plan in a scientific, ambitious and pragmatic way.

Second, investment should be boosted and resources mobilized to provide greater support for the protection and sustainable utilization of biological diversity.

Third, reform should be accelerated, and biodiversity conservation should be prioritized to intensify the protection and restoration of ecosystems, and to address global environmental challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss and food security.

Han also stressed that China will take more vigorous and concrete measures to promote biodiversity conservation in the future.

China will draw up a national biodiversity conservation strategy and action plan to promote the deep integration and coordinated development of biodiversity conservation with economic and social development, Han said.

China will continue to promote major biodiversity conservation projects and ensure that important ecosystems, biological species and genetic data are fully protected, Han said, adding that publicity and education will be strengthened to guide the general public to actively participate in biodiversity conservation.

COP15 will take place in two parts. The first part, scheduled for Oct. 11 to 15, is expected to adopt a declaration that experts said would build momentum on the cause of biodiversity conservation. Participants will also focus on the development of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework to guide conservation actions worldwide through 2030.

A forum on ecological civilization will also be held as a sideline event of the meeting from Oct. 14 to 15, which will cover a range of topics including coping with climate change and nature-based ecological protection and restoration.

The second part of the meeting, to be held offline in the first half of 2022, is expected to see the finalization and adoption of an ambitious and practical post-2020 global biodiversity framework.
The Center for China and Globalization (CCG) released "Consensus or Conflict? China and Globalization in the 21st Century," a new book offering diverse insights into global governance in the modern world, on Monday.

The book titled "Consensus or Conflict? China and Globalization in the 21st Century." [Photo courtesy of CCG]

The open-access book brings together leading international scholars and policymakers to explore the challenges of globalization and governance in an era increasingly defined by economic crises, widespread populism and retreating internationalism.

A total of 38 authors contributed 35 essays classified into seven sections, namely "Policies for Changing the 'Rules Based World Order,'" "Policies to Create Public Health and Humanitarian Governance Reform," "Governance to Nurture the Next Generations Through Education, Exchange and Migration," "Global Governance Trends and Dealing with the Digital and Biosphere Revolutions," "Global Governance Perspectives from Africa, Asia, North America and Europe," "Lessons from History for the Next Steps in Global Governance and Trends," and "'Soft Power' in Governance, the Burden of Debt and the Crisis of Communications."

The 400-page compendium was published by Springer Nature in English and was downloaded some 45,000 times within several days of its online release.

The edited volume is a comprehensive account of two of the most pressing threats facing the international community, William Achauer, editorial director for the business, economics and politics division at Springer Nature, said via video link during the launch ceremony.

Achauer explained that the threats include building a truly global coalition to combat climate change and save the planet, and developing and executing effective public health measures to end the current pandemic and prevent future ones, or at least mitigate them so that lives and livelihoods can be spared across the globe with little disruption to a sustainable world economy.

Wang Huiyao, president of CCG, launches the new book titled "Consensus or Conflict? China and Globalization in the 21st Century." [Photo courtesy of CCG]

The volume was co-edited by Wang Huiyao, president of CCG, and Alistair Michie, secretary general of the British East Asia Council, and is the first installment of an ongoing "China and Globalization" book series.

Wang said the motivation for creating the book drew on the concept of "globalization," which represents the spirit and core culture of CCG. "We are living in an era of globalization. However, there are new bottlenecks in this era and global governance is now lagging behind globalization development, which requires a new global consensus for governance."

He added that the accelerated globalization and intensified challenges brought by the pandemic served as the most significant catalyst for compiling and publishing the book, which was planned in the middle of last year.

Michie said the generosity of the authors resulted in a truly unique book. "Never before has such an authoritative group of essayists come together to develop deep new thinking about global governance which is relevant to current shared global challenges."

"In our book, leaders and scholars spell out why these perils pose a stark choice for the human race," Michie said. "They stress how any path that leads to conflict increases the risk of catastrophe. In this context, the common thread is that a consensus must be reached about the future of our world."

"Our writers have put forward many ideas and potential new policies, reflecting their vision of what this consensus should be and how it is the only way forward for the human race," he added.
The decision by France to recall its ambassador from Washington in September marked the biggest shock to U.S.-France relations in decades. Never before had the French Ambassador to the United States been pulled in protest.



The ostensible and primary reason was because America's secret dealings with Australia resulted in the cancelation of a $66 billion contract for Australia to purchase 12 French-made submarines. France says it was blindsided, being informed neither by the U.S. nor Australia.

U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken visited France to try to patch things up, but not much was resolved. There is no reason to doubt France's righteous fury over American machinations. The French-Australian deal had been in place since 2016, and any country would be outraged to see the rug pulled out from its flagship military contractor, which is partially owned by the state.

But there seems to be other reasons bubbling under the surface in addition to the anger over the sub deal. France also strategically disagrees with the U.S., Australia and U.K. over China policy, and are concerned with the hawkishness of America's steadfast allies.

The deal is not all about money, after all. The connections between the supplier and the client create military links and influence how the two countries can work together on defense. The French-Australian deal would have included technology transfers and would have pushed France's agenda in the region to some degree. In responding to the news, the French newspaper Liberation wrote that the idea of "Pacific France" was "wrecked."

Instead, Australia is throwing in with the U.S. and its cold war strategy against China.

In the statement issued on Sept. 17 announcing the withdrawal, France said, the consequences "directly affect the vision we have of our alliances, of our partnerships and of the importance of the Indo-Pacific for Europe." France has a fundamentally different view of Indo-Pacific strategy than the U.S. and its followers.

Under President Emmanuel Macron, France has taken it upon itself to be a leader in the European Union and chart a new role for a more independent EU with more sway on the global stage. The departure of the U.K. from the EU helped open the way for France to take charge, and the chaos of American foreign policy during Trump's term convinced France and the EU to keep its distance. Even under the new Biden administration, the U.S. has maintained some foreign policy hallmarks of the Trump years, including its hard line on China and its sudden, unilateral lurches.

The EU is much more willing to cooperate with China on various issues than the U.S. and Australia. Macron endorsed the CAI investment deal with China before Biden came to office, despite Biden's appeals to France to slow it down. Macron, speaking to the Atlantic Council in February 2021, said, "Our duty, definitely, is not to put ourselves in a situation to depend on a U.S. decision."

"While the U.S. has succeeded in bringing Australia in this time, it has pushed France and its European allies further away. In a sense  the U.S. is not very considerate of its allies' interests. This could lead to further strategic autonomy for Europe," Ding Chun, director of the Centre for European Studies with Shanghai-based Fudan University, said to the South China Morning Post.

European countries also expressed distrust with the Biden administration over how it handled the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. The effects of having such unstable American presidents one after another will have very real consequences for U.S.-EU relations. France, Germany, and much of the world will have a hard time trusting any American administration from now on.

For now, as Macron stated at the EU leaders summit in Slovenia, the French are waiting to see concrete changes.

Mitchell Blatt is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit:

http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/MitchellBlatt.htm

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.

If you would like to contribute, please contact us at opinion@china.org.cn.
The chit chat at family dinner a couple of years ago turned political when we began discussing the best alternatives for my home country's development. I argued, on a self-sufficient line, that protecting and managing our biodiversity instead of relying on fossil fuels  as we had for decades  was Colombia's best possible strategy. To me, in view of our enviable competitive advantage of hosting around 10% of the world's biodiversity, this made irrefutable sense.



But the knee-jerk response of a family friend knocked the wind out of my sails. Genuinely curious, he asked, "What the heck is biodiversity? How do you use it? How can it improve our GDP?"

I began to tell him. Biodiversity is an enigmatic concept that encompasses the broad scope of the Earth's ecosystems  from forests to mangroves, to wetlands, and to reefs. It consequently includes the around 8.7 million plant and animal species that scientists have estimated to be in existence across the world. Biodiversity also includes the vast genetic resources in nature that are used in botanical medicine personal care and cosmetic industries, and for advanced materials, among others.

Biodiversity is the basis of life on this planet. All the environmental elements we rely on for our survival  water, food, and air  hinge on it, from the trees that clean the air by absorbing harmful airborne particles and gaseous pollutants to the rain that replenishes the soil, to our insect-pollinated crops. Yet this rich seam of resources is being irreversibly destroyed. Once extinct, a species is gone forever, and with it the knowledge we could potentially gain from its regeneration of life on Earth.

There has been a 68% drop in our wildlife populations, according to the 2020 Living Planet Report. The State of the World's Forests 2020 issued by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN also reported an annual loss of 10 million hectares of forest during the period of 2015-2020, and the evisceration of natural habitats by unsustainable supply chains.

The conversation at my family's dinner table is little different from the ones we hold within the public and private sectors. Biodiversity protection is yet to become a bankable solution mainstreamed into our economic system. Despite being of planetary concern, the issue affects some countries more than others. The United Nations Development Program has classified China, as it did my home country of Colombia, as one of the world's most mega-biodiverse countries, host to around 10% of the Earth's plant species and 14% of its animals.

The scientific community has highlighted the serious risks that biodiversity loss creates, warning that by 2050 nature's losses could cost up to US $9.87 trillion in GDP, according to the World Wildlife Fund Global Futures Report. Biodiversity loss, moreover, is one of the top five risks the world faces in terms of likelihood and impact, according to the World Economic Forum's Global Risk Report 2020.

Many such risks are now a reality. The COVID-19 pandemic could be the result of biodiversity loss. As the team led by Kate Jones, an ecological modeler at University College London, found: "The populations of species known to host diseases transmissible to humans  including 143 mammals such as bats, rodents, and various primates  increased as the landscape changed from natural to urban, and as biodiversity generally decreased." As habitat loss grows, so too does the risk of zoonosis.

Yet, the action taken to address the problem does not correlate with the urgency and dimensions of this challenge. One year ago, the 196 member countries of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) were scheduled to meet in China to adopt a new Strategic Plan for Biodiversity. As the previous 10-year action framework and its 20 Aichi Targets that ended in 2020 had failed to halt biodiversity loss, the intention was to hold a meeting similar to the 2015 Conference of the Parties (COP21) that led to the adoption of the Paris Agreement. The meeting was postponed, but will reconvene in Kunming, China, in October 2021.

Why has gaining traction on biodiversity been so difficult? Why aren't companies and governments pledging ambitious targets to address the matter?

Biodiversity loss is an insidious problem. As with the climate crisis, its resolution demands an urgent, scalable change of systems to achieve the dramatic shift from depletion to regenerative positive impact. But this remains a distant goal, and the window of opportunity is closing.

However, we can still act to mobilize the funds, technology, and expertise needed to deliver on this century's most crucial initiative  recovering our planet's nature. Companies should, as with the climate crisis, pinpoint science-based targets for preserving nature, and governments should rally state commitments. We need a new Strategic Plan for Biodiversity, along with the means to implement it, and the finance required to deliver results. We must moreover set up supply chain traceability in order to pinpoint and address the culprits of biodiversity loss.

But most importantly, the concepts of biodiversity and climate should be embedded in every decision we make regarding our development in the coming years. The question should no longer be: What the heck is biodiversity? It should rather be: What are we doing to preserve biodiversity?

Carolina Garcia is a One Young World Ambassador from Colombia and an advisor to the InterAction Council on biodiversity.
 Flash

Russian President Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron discussed the Ukrainian issue during their phone conversation, the Kremlin said in a statement Monday.

"The worrying stalemate in the effort to end the internal conflict in Ukraine was discussed in detail, with the three leaders noting the importance of implementing the 2015 Minsk agreements as the only possible basis for a settlement," the statement said.

"Interest was also expressed in further coordinating efforts in the Normandy format of Russia, Germany and France," it added.

Given the difficulty of settling the conflict in the southeast of Ukraine, the leaders asked their political advisors and foreign ministries to step up contacts and work in the Normandy Four format.

Some other international issues were also discussed during the phone talks, including counter-terrorism efforts on the African continent, according to the Kremlin.
 Flash

China stands ready to work with Kenya to strengthen the docking of the two countries' development strategies and deepen bilateral cooperation in such areas as communications, healthcare and education, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Monday.

In a phone conversation with Raychelle Omamo, Kenya's cabinet secretary for foreign affairs, Wang said that under the strategic guide of the two heads of state, China-Kenya relations have maintained sound development momentum despite COVID-19.

China would like to further synergize development strategies with Kenya, take an active part in the Big Four Agenda of the country under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, promote the smooth operation of such programs as the Mombasa-Nairobi Railway and the Nairobi-Malaba Standard Gauge Railway, and deepen bilateral cooperation in areas including communications, healthcare and education, so as to help Kenya boost post-pandemic economic recovery, Wang noted, adding that China will continue to support Kenya to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Wang said China and Kenya have always understood, trusted and supported each other on the international stage, jointly practiced multilateralism, and safeguarded the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries, especially African countries.

China supports Kenya in assuming the rotating presidency of the United Nations (UN) Security Council this month, Wang said. The forthcoming Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, which will be held in Senegal, is not only the most important platform for China-Africa cooperation, but also a banner for South-South cooperation, he added.

China and Africa will work together to further build strategic consensus, promote unity in the fight against COVID-19, and vigorously promote the accelerated recovery of the African economy, Wang said, adding that China is willing to maintain communication and coordination with Kenya in this regard.

For her part, Omamo expressed her gratitude for China's valuable support to Kenya in the latter's fight against COVID-19, and its strive for economic and social development, noting that Kenya hopes to develop vigorous bilateral ties with China.

The Kenyan side will take an active part in the upcoming Forum on Africa-China Cooperation, and expects the event to inject new vitality into Africa's economic development and showcase the solidarity between Africa and China, she said.

Kenya is ready to strengthen communication and coordination, as well as mutual support, with China in multilateral fields, and hopes that both sides will continue their sound cooperation within the framework of the UN Security Council, and stand together against "vaccine nationalism," Omamo added.
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 Flash

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said on Tuesday that he will fly to Sochi on Oct. 22 to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss Iran.

The two will discuss a range of political, security and economic issues concerning the two countries, and important regional issues, "primarily the Iranian nuclear program," the statement read.

Bennett is traveling at the invitation of the Russian president, it added.

It will be the first meeting between Putin and Bennett, who was sworn in as Israel's prime minister in June, succeeding Benjamin Netanyahu after 12 consecutive years in office.

Israel has lobbied against the possible renewal of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, arguing Iran has been secretly attempting to build nuclear weapons.

Iran insisted that its nuclear program is peaceful.
The day we Aucklanders entered our seventh week of Covid-induced lockdown, I sat by a lake to nurse a coffee and my tired thoughts under the pretty Spring sky.

A woman wandered the far side of the park with two little dogs, and I watched them absently.

I had no inkling she would soon be the catalyst for this piece

Lockdowns are exhausting.

Im tired of partial wages. Im tired of unfixed maintenance issues. Im tired of being restricted to the 3x6m house Id barely moved into when the August 2021 saga began.

Whats that? Its October?!

Dont talk to me. I didnt even get to collect my new bed.

Im tired of sleeping on a mattress on the floor. Im tired of cooking on a single stovetop burner. Im tired of people falling irreparably ill or dying lonely deaths.

Im tired of not being able to hug my mom, share lunch with my sisters, take a walk without PPE.

Im tired of people making this all worse.

Humans are the single most distressing factor on our already strained capacity.

Yes, this is a blanket statement. Were living in a blanket sphere of existence.

The actions of one affect the outcomes for many.

Pause that thought. Back to the woman in the park.

I sipped my coffee, a good 4 metres back from the pathway. Like me, the woman with the dogs wore no mask in the wide, empty patch of green.

A young, mask-wearing couple strolled down the path towards the lake, and the woman suddenly sprang into action:

Take your masks off! You dont have to wear those things. Dont live in fear! Take off your masks! Just take them off.

Disclaimer: I am a peaceable person.

I keep my thoughts to myself, I dont spout opinions, I dont speak aloud if I can help it (did I mention Im a high-level introvert?).

I had already decided to stay out of things, but the woman then came over, waving her hand at their departing backs and saying loudly to me, People are silly to be afraid.

Justice mode activated.

They can wear masks if they want to, I shot back.

If Covid resulted in horrendous disfigurement or repulsive pustules breaking out all over ones body, would we be so quick to take offense at being asked to wear a mask and keep a distance?

Heck, doctors wear masks every day to operate on our vulnerable, mushy little insides, and no one gets huffy about that.

She then bestowed upon me a baseless rant:

Covid is fake, its just flu, the death toll is fudged, the pandemic is an agenda by the NZ government (nevermind the rest of the world) etc.

And she knows this because its in the Bible, but shes never read the Bible, but some Christians told her were living in the book of Revelation, so she now knows about the serpent who sent a lizard species to invade our planet millions of years ago.

And theyve been kidnapping people, and Covid is a hoax to cover up the imminent danger of these reptilian aliens wielding their flu-like weapon in order to force us to live in fear...

It doesnt matter what you or I believe.

I interrupted her tirade (believe me, it got wilder).

We can agree to disagree. But if someone wants to wear a mask during a pandemic, let them wear a mask. It may be cultural preference, it may be in respect for others, it may be due to personal health concerns

It doesnt matter what they believe. But yelling at them to do things your way isnt necessary.

Selfishness and Stupidity.

Two human traits that stand out in this lockdown nightmare.

Too many of us operate from one or both, adding more stress to the already painful weight of our collective predicament.

At the end of the day, no one cares what you believe about Covid, equality, abortion, End Time Lizards, 5-G, or whether the earth is flat or round (stay tuned for more).

No one cares WHAT you believe; they first care HOW you believe it.

Are your beliefs passionate, respectful, open? Or are they pushy, uncivil, inexorable?

Im tired of social media being a platform for fearmongering.

Im tired of people stirring the pot for the hell of it.

Im tired of seeing peoples suffering made worse by others disregard (sneaking into a hospital when youve got Covid?), greediness (stealing food deliveries to needy families?) and downright savagery (punching a 70-yr-old in the face because you were asked to wear a mask in a supermarket?).

We have to do better, people.

Worry less about whether Cousin Albert shares your beliefs. Worry more about how you live out your beliefs.

Less beating people on the head with your revelations.

More extending empathy to those who are suffering, grieving, terrified.

Even if their reasons dont make sense to your beliefs.

Just be kind.

Please.

Back to the conversation in the park:

"Where does the Bible say lizards invaded Earth?"

"A lady on the internet said she was abducted by one.

"But people on the internet also say the Earth is flat."

"Well obviously the Earth is not flat.

Obviously.

Sigh.

Have a nice day, Maam.
The debate over New Zealand's flag has been heating up recently, as over the course of the next year, a two-stage referendum will be implemented to decide whether we keep our old flag, or choose a new one from a set range of designs submitted by the public.

In order to raise more awareness about the referendum and the issues involved, the government has launched an advertising campaignthrough television, mail, and on the internetwith the tagline: What do you stand for?

The debate over the flag is rooted in the national identity of our country. As a symbol, our flag is the most commonly seen window into our identity as a nation. Because of this, it is vitally important our choice of flag (whether old or new) does a good job of representing what it means to be a New Zealanderour culture, our history, and our values as a society.

So what do we stand for?

According to the latest research there is a continuing trend: fewer and fewer New Zealanders are willing to align themselves with Christianity. Even in my lifetime there has been a major shift in Christian affiliation.

In 1991, the first census after I was born, the population identifying themselves as Christian was 69%. While I was still at high school in 2006, this number dropped to 49%. As of the 2013 census, it dipped to just under 44%. In the same timeframe, people identifying with 'no religion' doubled, going from 19% in 1991 to 38% in 2013. There is a clear and obvious trend: New Zealand is increasingly less Christian and there is no other religion filling the vacuum.

As a nation, we are changing in two main ways with regard to religion. Either people are moving from theism to atheism, or if they do retain a belief in God, it is a conviction which has become entirely private, with no communal or public voice.

What does this mean for us as a society?

Is Christianity merely an irrelevance in a modern world, an archaic social ritual which we have now outgrown? Has Christianity made any perceivable impact on our nation, and would we lose anything by its continued decline?

In a whole range of ways, the withering of Christian belief and practise will have a major impact on the way we operate as a society, both individually and corporately. Although more and more people are letting go of their Christian identity, as a collective we are still shaped by Christian values in a way that is difficult to comprehend.

Christianity provides the foundational basis for our identity and many of our shared national values. One of these is the Christian belief coming from the very beginning of the Bible in Genesis, "God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them".

The idea of being made in the image of God has significant implications for humanity. It elevates the worth and dignity of human life (no other animal was made in God's image). It affects the way we relate to other people and to creation. It points us towards the way we should act as image-bearers. Although sin has corrupted this image, through the person of Jesus Christ we can see what it means to perfectly live as one who bears God's image.

A Christian foundation

It is difficult to overestimate the impact this concept has had on the values that we hold as a society today.

Politically, our inheritance from Christianity has shaped the way we govern and rule. As argued by philosophers such as John Locke (16321704), because as humans we have been made in the image of God, natural law dictates all men are equal and have been conferred natural rights, such as life, liberty, and possession.i

In a New Zealand context, when activists such as Kate Sheppard campaigned for woman's suffrage in the late 19th century, it was driven in large part by her belief as a Christian that all people were equal before God, regardless of race, class, creed, or sex.

Prominent Christian politician William Wilberforce was instrumental in ending slavery in the British Empire with the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833. Wilberforce's support of cross-cultural mission in turn influenced the first missionaries to New Zealand.

When New Zealand came into existence as a nation in 1840, it was through the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, a document guaranteeing the equal rights of all New Zealand citizens, both Maori and Pakeha. Although treaty obligations have not always been upheld, the ideals survive and continue to play a significant role.

When we think of our concern for social justice and the protection of the weak, it is important to consider the revolutionary role Christianity has played in establishing mercy as a virtue.

When Christianity came into being in the time of the Roman Empire, mercy for the weak and poor was often considered a defect rather than a virtue, as it entailed unmerited and unearned help.

Christianity has made a major impact on our national identity. Christianity is not just an attachment to our national culture and valuesmore than anything it has set and anchored the way we see the world.

It would be naive to think letting go of our faith as a country will not affect the way we see the world. If we pull up the anchor which has set our civic culture and values, it is inevitable we will begin to drift away from those values.

Demonstrative faith

As Christians, we cannot afford to let our faith retreat into a merely private devotion. The gospel is not confined to the private sphere, but rather impacts on every aspect of our lives. If we want to see Christianity remain the foundation of our national identity, we not only need to hold fast to the truth of our faith, but also to show our faith by what we dothe way we treat those who are made in the image of God.
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The global inflatable pet collars market size is expected to reach USD 107.2 million by 2027, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc., expanding at a CAGR of 5.0% from 2020 to 2027. Rising pet adoption, coupled with higher consumer spending on pets, is driving the demand for pet welfare products, thereby boosting the market growth. Negative impositions of e-collars on pet animals regarding self-trauma, discomfort, and misadventure are also paving the way for higher adoption of inflatable pet collars in case of injuries.

Rising spending on pet products is boosting the market growth. The purchase of premium and high-quality pet products has increased significantly as people are willing to spend on their pets considering them as their family members. The millennial population group has a higher spending propensity as compared to the other age groups. At the global level, around 35.0% of pet owners belonged to this age group in 2018. The trend of pet humanization has been boosting the prominence of pets health and happiness, thereby propelling demand for inflatable pet collars across the globe.

These inflatable pet collars comfortably help support dogs with injuries, rashes, and post-surgery. They are designed to allow full visibility with machine washable and scratch and bite-resistant materials. Whereas, traditional collars or Elizabethan collars (e-collar) cause various problems for pets wearing them such as difficulty in drinking, inability to play, collar related injuries including itching, irritation, bumping into walls, falling downstairs or psychological distress, and other grooming and toileting issues.

Browse Details of Market Report @ https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/inflatable-pet-collars-market

The dogs application segment led the market and held a 51.8% share of the global revenue in 2019. An increase in the number of overweight dogs, which are more susceptible to injuries, is also generating higher demand for inflatable pet collars among pet owners. According to a blog by USA Today, 55.8% of dogs in the U.S. are overweight. While 35% of dogs in the U.K. are overweight.

Increasing innovation and customization related to materials and features, keeping in mind the overall wellbeing of pets, are gaining consumers attention through high product visibility. For instance, QBLEEV offers Protective Inflatable Dog E-Collor With Splash Recovery, which is made of a short plush outer ring +6P environment-friendly PVC material. The collar is designed with an adjustable strap on the opening, which helps in fitting the pets neck.

Inflatable Pet Collar Market Report Highlights

 Asia Pacific is expected to witness the fastest growth during forecast years with a CAGR of 6.2% from 2020 to 2027. Demand is anticipated to grow in the region due to rising disposable income, which is leading to increasing adoption of pets in countries, such as China, Indonesia, and India

 Offline distribution channel dominated the market by accounting for 86.7% share of the global revenue in 2019

 The dogs application segment held the largest share of 51.8% in 2019 owing to the high adoption of pet dogs across countries.

Inflatable Pet Collar Market Segmentation

Grand View Research has segmented the global inflatable pet collar market on the basis of application, distribution channel, and region:

Inflatable Pet Collar Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027)

 Dogs

 Cats

 Others

Inflatable Pet Collar Distribution Channel Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027)

 Offline

 Online
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San Francisco, 12 Oct 2021: The Report Automotive Adhesive Tapes Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Application (Powertrain, Interior Attachment), By Adhesive Chemistry (Solvent, Emulsion), By Region (North America, Europe), And Segment Forecasts, 2020 - 2028

The global automotive adhesive tapes market size is expected to reach USD 4.73 billion by 2028, registering a CAGR of 7.3% over the forecast period, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. Growing usage of advanced functional materials to improve aesthetics, reduce weight, and enhance the performance of vehicles is expected to drive the market growth.

Technological developments and performance enhancements in vehicles have led to the installation of specialized components, which is expected to have a positive impact on the product demand. In addition, the increasing focus of manufacturers on the development of lightweight vehicles will augment the product demand.

The global automotive market is witnessing switching trends with growing popularity and demand for Electric Vehicles (EVs). Prominent vehicle manufacturers are aiming to comply with environmental standards and emission norms by reducing vehicle pollutants at a significant level. Thus, battery-operated vehicles including cars, mini trucks, and others are gaining popularity across the globe, which, in turn, is expected to drive the product demand.

Access Research Report of Automotive Adhesive Tapes Market @ https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/automotive-adhesive-tapes-market

Automotive Adhesive Tapes Market Report Highlights

The interior attachment application segment accounted for the largest revenue share in 2020 owing to high demand for vehicles with improved aesthetics

Emulsion-based adhesive tapes are expected to witness the fastest CAGR on account of the wide usage of these products in permanent application in car exteriors

The powertrain application segment is expected to witness the fastest growth on account of the rising product penetration in electric and hybrid vehicle powertrains

Europe dominated the global market, in terms of revenue share, in 2020 owing to the high per vehicle content of tapes in the European automotive car models

Key market players focus on improving the product application scope in niche areas, such as powertrains and battery compartments, which is expected to drive the industry growth

List of Key Players of Automotive Adhesive Tapes Market

L&L Products, Inc.

Sika Automotive AG

The 3M Company

Nitto Denko Corp.

Lida Industry Co, Ltd.

ThreeBond Co., Ltd.

PPG Industries

ABI Tape Products

Adchem Corporation

Avery Dennison Corp.

Saint Gobain

Berry Plastics

tesa SE

Lintec Corp.

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Overview

Cloud ERP uses cloud technology and platforms for providing ERP software. The use of cloud offers greater flexibility and transforms business processes. The Indian cloud ERP market is comparatively less mature than other markets in the world but expected to grow in the future due to increasing demand from SMEs. The intense competition and globalisation are key motivators for SMEs to deploy ERP on the cloud to minimise their infrastructural cost. Factors such as low IT manpower, low operational costs, data backup and recovery and ubiquitous access are encouraging SMEs to migrate ERP to the cloud.

Market Analysis

The overall ERP market in India is expected to grow at a CAGR of 25.4% during the forecast period 20152020. The market in the future will be driven by cloud ERP adoption among enterprises of all sizes. Cost advantages and flexibility that it offers, fosters the Cloud ERP market growth.

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The SME segment is expected to drive cloud ERP market more than the large enterprises. The cloud ERP adoption in SME segment is expected to grow at a CAGR of 23.9% during the forecast period 20152020. However, security issues related to cloud technology and rising regulatory compliances will restrain the market.

Government and the larger enterprises are investing heavily in cloud technology which creates business opportunities for vendors in the market. For instance, the Indian government has initiated Make in India project to assist companies in adopting new technologies and upgrading their existing technologies.

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Segmentation by Deployment Modes

The Cloud ERP Market in India is segmented and analyzed by the following deployment modes  Public, Private and Hybrid.

Segmentation by Implementation Modes

The Cloud ERP Market in India is segmented by two implementation modes- Direct Implementation and Implementation through Partners.

Segmentation by Enterprise Type

The Cloud ERP Market in India is segmented by SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises) and Larger Enterprises.

Segmentation by Application Verticals

The market is segmented by the following key verticals- Aviation, Aerospace & Defense, Manufacturing (Discrete & Process), Facility Management, Public Sector & Government, Infrastructure & Real Estate, Engineering Procurement & Construction, Retail, Transportation and Logistics, Healthcare, Banking, Financial Services & Insurance (BFSI), Energy & Utilities and Others.

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Key Vendors

Some of the major players in the market are Oracle, Ramco, SAP, and Wipro. The report also considers some of the watch list companies such as IFS, MYOB and Workday.

Competitive Analysis

Competitive benchmarking is done for the leading vendors based on key metrics- financial health, business units, business priorities, business strategy, strategic alliances and SWOT analysis etc.

Benefits

The report gives information related to the latest industry and market trends, market landscape, growth drivers, Porters Five Forces analysis, key stakeholders and competitive analysis of the key vendors.
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Wearable devices have become increasingly popular in the recent years mainly due to their consumer-focused offerings and a wide range of device connectivity. These devices carry massive amounts of user data ranging from user demographics and electronic health record (EHR). These may open the scope for possible security vulnerabilities, such as data exfiltration, proximity based vulnerabilities, account harvesting intercepting data while using a Pairing App or Bluetooth to connect with other IoT gear, point-to-point networking, new Wi-Fi networks and others. Often, it could lead to remote code execution, poodle attack, covert account takeover, obtaining an IMEI, location spoofing and others.

Most of the wearable devices that are being used today can prevent unauthorized access with device encryption; however, some of them have been found to be vulnerable to security threats while transferring data to cloud or paired with a personal device. Hence, security solutions developers are devising a two-factor authentication, and password-free web security to eliminate the security vulnerability, by implementing blockchain based security solutions to improve the level of device safety. The value chain players, such as device integrators, mobile app makers, enterprises, wearable device OEMs, and security companies are likely to enter into collaborative partnerships to bring advanced device security intelligence strategies for both consumers and enterprises.

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According to Infoholic Research, the Wearable Devices Cybersecurity Market market is expected to become a $702.6 million market, by growing at a CAGR of 16.4% during the forecast period 20172023.

Market analysis:

Wearable devices are segmented into Smartwatch, Head-mounted display, Body-worn camera and Others. The smartwatch segment includes, wrist bands, fitness bands and smart watches. The head mounted display segment includes, AR/VR devices and smart glasses. Smart watches are the dominating sub-segment which is expected to account for more than 69% of the segments revenues, followed by head mounted displays. The devices that are needed for cybersecurity accounts for less than 10% of the total wearables that are in use today. However, this segment is currently driven by increasing cyber vulnerabilities. Increasing information storage in the wearables would lead to a trend, cybersecurity as a commodity.

The Security Types include, Cloud Security, Application Security, Network Security and others. Currently, cloud security and application security solutions are quite popular among cybersecurity vendors and consumers, owing to their vital range of security capabilities. The network security is expected to continue grabbing attention from the vendors and wearable device OEMs owing to the increasing network level authentication vulnerabilities and data breaches.

The industries include, Healthcare, Corporate & IT, Manufacturing, Retail, Automotive, BFSI, Government and Others. The healthcare industry is the leading adopter of wearable device cyber security as the devices comprises huge volumes of customer data including, users health, demographic details, biometric passwords and others. The vital use cases of wearables have led to the need for cyber security across the industries.

Regions:

The Americas, and Europe are most likely to hold a larger share in the wearable security solutions market and Asia is expected to become an emerging adopter of wearable device security solutions by 2023. The market growth in Asia will be largely due to the increasing demand from China, Japan, and the Southeast Asian countries. The Middle East and Africa are expected to contribute to the innovation in wearable device security solutions mainly due to Israeli cybersecurity start-ups.

Vendors:

The report provides details about the Worldwide Wearable Device Security market. The report also contains an in-depth analysis of vendor profiles, which include financial health, business units, key business priorities, SWOT, strategies, and views; and competitive landscape. The companies included in the report are Apple Inc., Google, IBM, Microsoft Corporation, Argus Cyber Security, Arilou Cyber Security, ESCRYPT  Embedded Security, Karamba Security, and Secunet Security Networks AG.

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By Device Type:

Smartwatch

Head-mounted display

Body-worn camera

Others devices

By Security Type

Application security

Network security

Cloud security

By Industry

Healthcare

Enterprise &IT

Manufacturing

Retail

Automotive

BFSI

Government

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Global Contraceptive pills Market - Overview

Anti-conception medication pills which are also called as oral contraceptive pills are a kind of female hormonal anti-conception medication technique and are extremely viable at avoiding pregnancy. These pills are small tablets that a patient swallow every day. These birth control pills are been used from ancient times but the save and effective methods are introduce and available from 20th century. Contraceptive drugs are used to prevent the unwanted pregnancy by blocking the normal process of ovulations or by altering the process which support the fertilization of egg. Most pills contain two sorts of manufactured (man-made) female hormones: estrogen and progestin. These are like the estrogen and progesterone regularly made by the ovaries. These pills are called "combination oral contraceptives," and there are a wide range of these kinds.

also read @ https://www.marketwatch.com/story/research-article-connected-on-contraceptive-pills-market-synopsis-and-highlights-and-forecast--2022-2021-01-23

Increasing need of population control and increasing incident of abortion has driven the growth of the market. Governmental initiatives for minimizing unwanted pregnancy, increasing awareness and healthcare expenditure, and increasing in use of contraceptives drugs has provided fuel for the growth of the market. While the side effects of the treatment and strict governmental rules in many countries may hamper the growth of the market.

Geographically, North America commands the largest market for the contraceptive drug market. Approximately 3 million women in North America experiences unplanned pregnancy. Beside this 90 % of the women use some of the method of contraception. Thus increasing number of abortion and rate of unplanned pregnancy has driven this market in North America. Major market of North America is contributed by US which is followed by Canada. Increasing awareness and minimizing the healthcare expenses by curbing number of abortion in US encourage contraceptive use among women. North America contraceptives drug market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.9 % during forecasted period.

The market for contraceptive pills is characterised by the presence of several well-established and small players, the global market of contraceptive pills appears to be highly competitive and fragmented. Major players are increasingly expanding their footprint in the emerging nations, making it putting pressure on the regional players, especially in terms of features such as type, product portfolios, and pricing.

Contraceptive Pills Industry is witnessing intensified competition which is expected to get more intensified further during the forecast period. The contraceptive pills market appears to be highly competitive owing to the presence of several large and small key players accounting for a substantial market share. Well established players are getting into various product launches in order to gain competitive advantage in this market and to maintain their market position.

For instance, in 2015, Pfizer Inc. has introduced SAYANA, first injectable contraceptive in UK which can be self-administered.

While, in 2015, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. has launched Beyaz which is a generic contraceptive drug. It is one of the most successful product of the company and in 2016 it has annual sales of approximately $133 million in the US. Recently, in March 2017, the company has launched a new product Minastrin in the market. Moreover, the company has launched the generic version of Janssens birth control pills Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo. Into the brand name of Tri-Lo-Sprintec (norgetimate and ethinyl estradiol) tablets.

Therefore, the growing partnerships and product launches to expand their presence in various parts of the globe for their competitive products has spurred the growth of the market.

ALSO READ @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/contraceptive-pills-market-2122

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Litchfield, CT (06759)

Today

A steady rain this evening. Showers continuing overnight. Low 33F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%..

Tonight

A steady rain this evening. Showers continuing overnight. Low 33F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%.
Her boyfriend ended up striking a light pole when he tried to turn around, it said, and as she attempted to remove him from the drivers seat so she could drive, he collapsed in the middle of Main Street, near the historic Griswold Inn at 36 Main St. She ran into the restaurant and asked for help around 8:30 p.m. Several people held cloth napkins against his midsection in an attempt to stop the bleeding, she told investigators.
Im tired. Im drained. Ive been at Sunrise for 24 years. Its time that they do the right thing, she said. No one at our agency takes insurance because it is not affordable. They have money for the pension. We deserve to have everything that the governor said we deserve. He told us we could have a pension. He told us we could have affordable health insurance.
Its been a winding road with expansions and contractions, business cycles, Scott Livingston, chief executive officer and the third-generation of his family-run Horst Engineering, said at a ceremony attended by about 75 business leaders, family members and others at the new site in an East Hartford industrial park. There have been lots of twists and turns.
In the current semester, 218 are enrolled, down from 310 in March 2020 before the program was suspended because of COVID-19, a small share of the 9,300 inmates behind bars in Connecticut, Santiago said. Inmates must be within five years of the end of their sentence to be ready for the next step, she said. No other restrictions are imposed by the Department of Correction.
LOrcio is just one example. Virtually every restaurant in the state is feeling the effects of an industrywide workforce shortage that has forced restauranteurs to limit their hours or reduce capacity. Diners are eager to go out, in part thanks to Connecticuts relatively strong vaccination rate and the waning effects of the delta variant, but rising labor and food costs are cutting dangerously into profit margins heading into an uncertain winter.
As with positivity rate, the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 in Connecticut has declined recently, from a high of 391 in late August. But as with positivity rate, hospitalizations remain far higher than they were earlier this summer, when as few as 25 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 at one point.
But according to the information provided to the State Department by the Trump White House, she should have paid for the place-card holders. Under federal guidelines, if a U.S. official is given multiple gifts in a meeting with a foreign official, the American must pay for them if the total exceeds the minimal threshold. The State Department said the Trump White House reported that Karen Pence had received the card holders along with a framed print and a clutch purse, which totaled $1,200.
An estimated 65 percent of Americans intend to mark All Hallows Eve, which falls on a Sunday this year, with parties and trick or treating, up from 58 percent in 2020 and comparable with 68 percent in 2019 before the pandemic, according to the NRF. Households with children are much more likely to celebrate Halloween (82 percent) than those without kids (55 percent), the organization reported.
Soon after the pandemic began, Hartford police seized about 30 ATVs and dirt bikes and crushed them at an auto parts yard, but like police in other communities they usually have trouble catching the drivers. Officers rarely pursue speeding ATVs because of the risks of a chase; also, when dozens of riders go together in a pack, police have no way to follow them all when they split up.
Police were dispatched about 3:15 p.m. to a local hospital on a report of the arrival of a gunshot victim. Officers learned the wounded teen had been in a car in the area of 1611 Park St. when someone fired into the vehicle, police said. The car took off to get away from the gunfire and crashed on Hazel Street.
So many people referred to him as Hitler. Where was the outrage? she said. I didnt hear any of the very same people  who have come out and begged for an apology from her. Where were they then, when they were calling out Trump and calling him Hitler?
Our priority should be first and foremost that school security is adequate,' she said. Sadly, we are woefully short of that goal which is clearly evident. We are concerned that a bill such as this will have the same effect on a national level as Connecticuts PA 13-3, in which the State executed only on the gun control aspect virtually ignoring the school safety and mental health elements.
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Tishby said Israel is the only country whose right to exist is routinely questioned and believes that the rhetoric has gotten worse in the last decade. While Tishby doesnt think her book will eradicate anti-Semitism or create peace in the Middle East, she does hope it will help continue conversations and break down unconscious biases.
Interns and teachers talk about how to break away from one task when a boss asks them to take on another, and then how to think about whats still to be done on the first. They focus on communication and problem-solving  what to do, for instance, if they spot a spill in an aisle and what to do differently if the spill is next to machinery or hazardous materials. In the first case, the idea is to grab a mop; in the second, to tell the boss and follow his or her directions.
Or figure out how to sew and dye clothing with natural ingredients on a farm, like local families had to do during the war? Or hear traditional tunes played by both the Fife and Drums of York Town and the Old Cigar Box String Band, the latter with a fiddle and banjo?
Lubbock, TX (79409)

Today

Mostly clear. Low 33F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Mostly clear. Low 33F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph.
On Vidya Kanuka, the Chief Minister directed the officials to hand over such benefits to the students at the commencement of schools in the state. (DC File Image)

Vijayawada: Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy said there was a need to link the Amma Vodi scheme to attendance of students in the schools from the academic year 2022 in the state.

Chairing a high-level review meet on schools and several schemes like Amma Vodi and Vidya Kanuka with the minister for education Adimulapu Suresh and top officials at his camp office here on Monday, the Chief Minister underlined the importance to bring about awareness among the students on the spirit of Amma Vodi scheme as the government wanted every student to enrol in schools and pursue education. He said that though 75 per cent attendance was mandatory for the students to avail the Amma Vodi scheme, the government could not implement it in the wake of the prevalence of Coronavirus.

The Chief Minister said the Amma Vodi was launched in January, 2020 while the Covid-19 pandemic broke out in the last week of March, 2020 resulting in closure of schools for some time and added that once they were reopened in November, 2020, they resumed implementation of Amma Vodi in January, 2021, and as second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic started, they could not conduct annual exams and even delayed the reopening of schools from August 16 instead of regular June in 2021.

The Chief Minister directed the school education officials to implement the Amma Vodi scheme from the beginning of the ensuing academic year in 2022 by taking into consideration the mandatory 75 per cent attendance and also laid stress to implement Vidya Kanuka from June onwards.

The officials informed the Chief Minister that attendance of students in both the private and government schools was rising gradually as 73 per cent was registered in August, 82 per cent in September and 85 per cent in October so far and added that the attendance rose to 91 per cent especially in government schools in the state.

Reddy fixed a target for school education authorities to ensure all schools to CBSE affiliations and all the students to appear for CBSE exams by 2024 in the state and called for plans to arrange playgrounds in all schools beginning from high school to pre-schools in due course of time. The Chief Minister also asked the officials to keep Rs 1 lakh at the disposal of every school to help school authorities to take up regular repair works to the school buildings.

Meanwhile, the officials informed Reddy that they were planning to declare rankings to the schools based on their style of functioning through social audit. However, the Chief Minister directed them to talk to the teachers at the first instance to avoid any apprehensions on the issue and laid stress to involve them in such reforms in the schools. He called for vetting the school curriculum.

On Vidya Kanuka, the Chief Minister directed the officials to hand over such benefits to the students at the commencement of schools in the state. He asked the officials to bring about more awareness stating that the state government was not going to take over any aided schools unless their managements intended to do so and ruled out any forcible takeover of schools as it was a voluntary exercise.
Malappuram: Heavy rains which continued to lash many parts of Kerala claimed the lives of two kids after their house near Karipur here collapsed early on Tuesday.

According to police, the deceased were a six month old infant and her eight year old sister.

The house which collapsed in Mathamkulam near Mundottupadam here belonged to the grandfather of the children, they said.

Local sources said a nearby under construction house collapsed onto victims' residence due to the rain at around 4.30 this morning leading to the tragedy.

Though the kids were rushed to the Kozhikode medical college hospital, their lives could not be saved.

Heavy downpour continued to batter Kerala since Monday.

The weather department had on Monday issued a heavy rainfall alert for Tuesday for several parts of the state.

It had said that a cyclonic circulation was present over east-central Arabian Sea and it was likely to persist during the next three days and as result, isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall was very likely in Kerala during October 11 to October 15.
The responsibility to supply power to the consumers is of the distribution companies. (DC File Photo)

New Delhi: The Power Ministry on Tuesday asked states to utilise unallocated power of the central generating stations (CGS) to meet the requirements of their own consumers amid the ongoing coal shortage crisis in the country.

"It has been brought to the notice of the Ministry of Power that some states are not supplying power to their consumers and imposing load shedding. At the same time, they are also selling power in the power exchange at high price," a power ministry statement said.

As per the guidelines for allocation of power, 15 per cent power from CGS is kept as unallocated power which is allocated by the central government to needy states to meet the requirement of power of the consumers.

The responsibility to supply power to the consumers is of the distribution companies and they should first serve their consumers who have the right to receive 24x7 power.

Thus, the distribution companies should not sell the power in the power exchange and starve their own consumers, it stated.

"The states have therefore been requested to use the unallocated power for supplying electricity to the consumers of the state. In case of surplus power, the states have been requested to intimate to the Government of India so that this power can be reallocated to other needy state", it said.

In case any state is found that they are not serving their consumers and selling power in the power exchanges at higher rate, the unallocated power of such states shall be withdrawn and allocated to other needy states, it added.
At the same time, the government has decided to withdraw a total of 5326 cases registered between 2016 and September 2021 in the state, but they were not related to Sabarimala or anti-CAA protests, the Leader of Opposition added. (DC Photo)

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday said instructions would be given to complete the government level procedures at the earliest to withdraw police cases registered during the Sabarimala and anti-CAA protests in the state.

He said the government had already issued orders in February this year to take necessary action to withdraw cases that were "not of serious criminal nature", in connection with the incidents.

Based on the order, the state DGP had directed the district collectors and district police chiefs to look into the nature and present status of each such case registered in their respective areas, he told the state Assembly.

A panel, comprising Crime Branch IG and the superintendents of the Special Cell and the State Crime Records Bureau (SCRB), has been set up to collect information related to such cases and examine its nature and status.

The committee was also entrusted with the codifying of information related to the steps required to withdraw such cases, the CM said while replying to a submission by Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan on the issue.

Each case should be examined separately and it can be withdrawn only with the permission of the court under the Section 321 of the Criminal Procedure Code, he explained.

"The government has limitations in this regard as it is a matter falling within the purview of the judiciary. Yet, instructions will be given to the concerned officials to complete the procedures at the government level at the earliest," Vijayan added.

However, Satheesan criticised that the Chief Minister's assurance to withdraw the cases related to Sabarimala women-entry issue and anti-CAA protests were yet to be fulfilled.

Reminding Vijayan's earlier words that it was not the policy of the Left government to file cases against those protesting against the CAA, he said a total of 836 cases had been registered in this connection, of which only 13 had been withdrawn so far.

"As many as 2636 cases had been registered in connection with the protests related to Sabarimala," he said.

At the same time, the government has decided to withdraw a total of 5326 cases registered between 2016 and September 2021 in the state, but they were not related to Sabarimala or anti-CAA protests, the Leader of Opposition added.

Opposition Congress had welcomed the CPI(M)-led LDF government's decision to withdraw the cases ahead of the April 6 Assembly polls.

The Nair Service Society (NSS), a prominent caste-based organisation in the state, which was in the forefront of the ''namajapa yathra'' as part of Sabarimala agitation had earlier demanded withdrawal of cases against the protesters.
Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government on Tuesday indicated that the Centre's plan to privatise Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) would not adversely impact the interests of its ambitious Petrochemical park, being set up in Kochi.

Industries Minister P Rajeev told the state Assembly that the Kerala Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (KINFRA) and the public sector oil company had signed an MoU last month to ensure availability of raw materials to the enterprises launching their business in the upcoming park.

"The entrepreneurs, who launch their business in the proposed park, are going to depend on the BPCL for the required raw materials. The KINFRA and the BPCL entered into an MoU on September 24 this year. With this, the availability of raw materials can be ensured to the enterprises without any hurdle," he said.

The Minister also said the Rs 300 crore-Petrochemical Park is expected to boost the expansion of Kochi Oil Refinery under the BPCL and thus pave way for the formation of a cluster of petrochemical related industries making use of raw materials from there.

The KINFRA has prepared its detailed project report and the Centre has accorded it the necessary environmental clearance, he said during the question hour.

"KINFRA has prepared a Rs 300 crore project report for the development of basic infrastructure. The tender proceedings related to the infrastructure development and for the selection of a project management consultant are at the final stages," he said.

Laying the foundation stone of the park on February 9, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, had said the Rs 300 crore venture would change the perception that the state was not industry friendly.

The park, coming up on 481.79 acres of land acquired by the state government from Fertilisers and Chemicals Travancore (FACT), a central public sector undertaking, is being set up by the Industries Department in collaboration with Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), official sources said.

Nearly 229 acres will be available in the petrochemical park for industrial ventures and at present, 171 acres has been allotted on lease for development of BPCL, while 33 per cent of the land will be retained for establishment of a green belt, as per the Union Ministry of Environment guidelines.

The KINFRA would provide the basic facilities at the park, including supply of 12 million litres of water per day, 11 and 33 kilowatts of electricity, pollution control plant, GAIL gas pipeline and waste treatment system, they said.

The park is expected to be completed within 30 months.
Mr Arya and his son, who represents the Nainital Assembly seat, joined the Congress in the presence of senior party leaders Harish Rawat, K.C. Venugopal and Randeep Surjewala in New Delhi and also met former Congress president Rahul Gandhi at his residence. (Twitter)

New Delhi: In a rude shock for the Bharatiya Janata Party, its minister in the poll-going state of Uttarakhand, Yashpal Arya, and his MLA son Sanjeev Arya on Monday did a ghar wapsi to the Congress. Mr Arya, a prominent Dalit leader, who along with his son joined the Congress, said the party is a scared temple.

Often in news for prominent leaders from Opposition parties joining it, the BJP may be in for more shocks as speculation is rife that at least two more leaders can do ghar wapsi to the Congress.

Mr Arya and his son, who represents the Nainital Assembly seat, joined the Congress in the presence of senior party leaders Harish Rawat, K.C. Venugopal and Randeep Surjewala in New Delhi and also met former Congress president Rahul Gandhi at his residence. Mr Venugopal said it was like a "home coming" for Mr Arya who was also the PCC chief from 2007 till 2014 and claimed that the leaders' "joining (the Congress) was a clear indication of which way the wind was blowing in the state.

Mr Arya has quit the Congress and joined the BJP just ahead of the last Assembly polls in 2017 after claiming that he had full faith in PM Narendra Modis politics of performance and (the then) BJP president Amit Shahs vision.

Speculation is rife that the BJP, which recently appointed its third chief minister in the state in four months, could change more than 35-40 per cent of its sitting MLAs to counter anti-incumbency. After a recent meeting between chief minister Pushkar Dhami and former transport minister Yashpal Arya, who represents Bajpur Assembly seat which has a significant Sikh population, the state BJP was abuzz that Mr Arya  a six time MLA, including twice from Uttar Pradesh when Uttarakhand was part of it  can join back the Congress as he was miffed with the BJPs state leadership.

Bajpur is one the constituencies in the Terai region of the state which has been witnessing farmer unions protests against the Centres three farm laws and is also the focus area of the AAP.

Mr Aryas ghar wapsi has come at a time when the Opposition Congress in the hill state is battling major factionalism and infighting and its state unit is abuzz that the Congress leadership could project a Dalit leader for the chief ministerial post after giving a Dalit CM in Punjab, another poll-bound state, to better its poll prospects. However, the Congress campaign committee head and AICC general secretary, Harish Rawat, is considered the most popular face of the party in the state.

Since he state's creation in 2000, both the BJP and the Congress have been coming to power in the state alternately. However, almost every opinion poll till now has suggested that the trend could change this time as the BJP is likely to retain power.

While the Congress leadership is trying to put its house in order in this hill state, Congress poll managers are busy working on strategies to take on not just the BJP but also AAP this time. Even Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM is contesting this time, which is expected to divide the Muslim votes. In 2017, the BJP had won 56 seats out of the total 70 and the Congress had managed 11 seats.
In his speech of August 8, 2019 in which he explained his governments move to de-operationalise Article 370 of the Constitution (it has not been revoked or removed as is widely assumed), Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the following: That the development of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh was being held back by Article 370. The problem had now been eliminated and a new era had begun. That Article 370 was the root of separatism, terrorism, nepotism and corruption. The future had been secured now by this move.

We should examine what has happened in the two years since then. The first aspect is that there is no democracy any longer in Kashmir. It is the only part of India to not have an elected government and is ruled directly by New Delhi through a lieutenant-governor.

The second is that this direct rule is accompanied by the use of laws that are peculiar to Kashmir, such as the Public Safety Act. Under this law individuals can be detained without a crime. This is a Kashmir-specific law though one nation one constitution was used as a reason for the Article 370 move.

The third is that the total number of people who have bought land in Kashmir in the last two years is only two. The removal of Article 35, which defined permanent residents of Kashmir, was said to be a big reason for Indias action, but it does not appear to have changed the position on the ground.

Fourth, Kashmiri Pandits have not returned to the Valley. Why an urban and educated community would want to go back to a place with few jobs and often no Internet service is not easy to understand. When minister of state for external affairs Meenakshi Lekhi blamed the Pandits recently for not showing any interest in returning to the Valley, this aspect may not have been properly understood by her.

Fifth, the change in the status of Ladakh and the issuance of new maps of the Union territory appears to be the proximate cause for Chinas aggression there. The government has not acknowledged it, but the Chinese have essentially tried to ensure that their 1959 claim line has been imposed on the ground. India continues to have around two lakh soldiers on that front. In January this year, the Indian Army changed from having 25 divisions facing Pakistan and only 12 facing China to having 16 now face the Chinese PLA.

Sixth, terrorism in Kashmir as measured by fatalities in the last three years under Dr Manmohan Singh had averaged 150 deaths a year. In the last three years this number is 250 deaths a year. It appears that terrorism is not going down because we have de-operationalised Article 370.

Seventh, there has been no development in Kashmir for the last two years and this is not unexpected. The economy has been in decline across India for several years now. The Covid-19 pandemic and the increased violence recently will hit tourism as well. The American magazine Harpers reported that Kashmirs doctor-to-patient ratio was 1 to 3,060, while its troops-to-civilians ratio was 1 to 7. It is hollow to talk about development when the world confronts you with such numbers.

Eighth, after five decades, the United Nations Security Council took up the issue of Kashmir. On August 16, 2019, the UN website carried a news item under the headline UN Security Council discusses Kashmir, China urges India and Pakistan to ease tensions. Its opening paragraph read: The Security Council considered the volatile situation surrounding Kashmir on Friday, addressing the issue in a meeting focused solely on the dispute, within the UN body dedicated to resolving matters of international peace and security, for the first time since 1965. India has reactivated global interest in the issue of Kashmir, which was previously dormant.

Ninth, other global bodies have also begun to criticise India for what is going on in Kashmir after 2019. This year, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (a bipartisan body that had previously banned Mr Modi from entering the United States after 2002) said this in its report: In Muslim-majority Jammu and Kashmir, restrictions on freedom of movement and assembly negatively impacted religious freedom, including the observance of religious holy days and the ability to attend prayers. The shutdown of the Internet for nearly 18 months -- the longest-ever shutdown in any democracy -- and other restrictions on communications caused significant disruption and limited religious freedom.

The USCIRF has recommended sanctions against Indian individuals to President Joe Biden.

Tenth, after Chinas aggressive moves in Ladakh, India sought a ceasefire with Pakistan, which is today holding on the ground. Our reason for acting in Kashmir was because India said Pakistan was the problem. Now India is turning to Pakistan for the solution because apparently the real problem is China.

The reason for writing on this subject at the current time is that we seem to be reverting to the position that Kashmir was 30 years ago. Then, as now, it was under governors rule. Its political leadership was kept locked up and was sidelined, its people were forbidden from protesting, there was no development and India was forced to deploy large numbers of security forces internally.

We should consider all this honestly and ask ourselves what the benefit of the action that India took in 2019 has brought to the country as a whole and to the people of Kashmir.
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Are you from Timor-Leste and studying in North America or Brazil? Or did you study there and would like to talk with other Timorese students who are there now?

We want to hear from you.

The East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN)/U.S. - an organization in solidarity with Timor-Leste for the past 30 years - plans to host a virtual gathering for current and former students (and their friends) at schools in North America and Brazil in 2021.



Inspired by past gatherings of Timorese students organized in Iowa and Wisconsin, we envision a Zoom meeting that will help us to:

Get to know each other and make new friends;

Celebrate Timorese art and culture together;

Discuss (primarily in English) the role of activism and solidarity today.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senator Tom Cotton conspired to keep Republican senators from backing President Donald Trump's effort to overturn the outcome of the 2020 presidential election, a new book claims.

Cotton's conservative credentials, McConnell felt, would make him a helpful partner in persuading the GOP not to go along with Trump's plan to prevent certification of the results.

The story is told in writer David Drucker's book, 'In Trump's Shadow: The Battle for 2024 and the GOP's Future,' which will be released by Twelve next week.

McConnell, Cotton barred plan to overturn 2020 election results

Cotton, who courted Trump personally and stayed close to him politically until the end, was never convinced by the president's claim that Congress could nullify an election result, which is good news for a Republican who has been mentioned as a prospective 2020 candidate.

McConnell had already proclaimed Biden the winner after letting Trump's legal appeals take their course, as per Daily Mail. Cotton, an Arkansas senator, decided to be silent ahead of Congress' certification on January 6, fearing that infighting would jeopardize important Senate runoff elections in Georgia.

However, the plan was thrown into disarray when Senator Josh Hawley, a Trump-like young senator, openly stated that he would oppose certification. Senator Ted Cruz was the next to speak, and ten other senators joined him.

McConnell felt it was time to act after Trump promised to back anyone who challenged Senator John Thune, who stated he would not try to stop Biden's victory. Cotton's intention to write an op-ed in an Arkansas newspaper on January 6 was pushed back three days.

Senators were also affected by the violence on January 6, when a crowd of Trump supporters invaded the US Capitol in an attempt to prevent the results from being certified. Only six people voted to overturn Biden's victory in Arizona, while seven voted to overturn Biden's win in Pennsylvania.

At a rally in Iowa on Saturday night, Trump slammed Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, saying the lawmaker lacked "courage" to dispute the 2020 election results, Business Insider reported.

Read Also: Joe Biden Faces Shrinking Timetable To Salvage Build Back Better Agenda as Grip on Allies Weakens

Trump lashes at McConnell in Iowa rally

At a campaign-style event, Trump delivered the remarks at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, Iowa. According to the former president, McConnell's seniority in the Republican Party is due to the amount of money he raises.

Since Trump's election defeat in 2020, the turbulent relationship between the former president and the Senate Minority Leader has grown even tenser.

After appearing to embrace Joe Biden's win and criticizing the former president for being "practically and morally responsible" for the Capitol insurgency on January 6, McConnell enraged Trump.

Senator Mitch McConnell has been a thorn in the side of Donald Trump since the former president left the White House, defying his policy demands and attempts to depose him as a minority leader.

Over Trump's objections, the Kentucky Republican brokered an agreement with Senate Democrats to temporarily raise the debt ceiling, prompting calls for his removal as the chamber's top Republican, a position he has held for almost 15 years.

It is part of a trend repeated since the former president's loss in November of last year. Trump demands that McConnell support or oppose a program or take a specific action, but McConnell refuses, as per The Washington Examiner via Yahoo.

Related Article: Joe Biden, Mitch McConnell's Long-Time Friendship Tested Over Blocking of US Debt Limit Hike

@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The wanted and notorious ISIS banker was captured by Iraqi assets and brought to Iraq. The operation of the terror group is hinged on the fortune it has to finance its activities.

ISIS financial officer wanted with a bounty

The banker, Sami Jasim Muhammad al-Jaburi, had a hand in ordering kidnappings, even cash for terror attacks. He keeps the Islamic state financially fluid.

Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi said he was captured in a raid that was the hardest to retrieve a wanted individual. The capture will make it difficult for the terrorist group to access its stolen 1.5billion fortune.

Jasim is wanted and has a 5 million bounty issued against him, and authorities finally catch him.

His function in the IS terror group is as a chief financial officer and is connected to the deceased Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi's, as his second in command said intel sources, noted AP News.

In September 2015, he was designated as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, that his notoriety earned him. The US treasury department even sent feelers that they will give a huge reward for any information of where he is, noted the Sun UK.

Jasim is the cornerstone to the radical terror group's finances that is vital to keep their activities going, and with his expertise, the radicals would flounder.

Sami Jasim named as 'Specially Designated Global Terrorist'

In 2014, when ISIS seized command of Iraq, the terror chief started his career as the IS minister of finance.

When the Islamic State conquered Mosul, which is the second biggest city, they took all military supplies and took the fortune in the bank, cited Uber Turco News. The wanted and notorious ISIS banker was integral in setting up the finances of the terror group.

Read Also: Taliban Tells Joe Biden To Stop Flying Drones Over Afghan Territory As It Violates the Peace Deal

Their conquests led to a total fortune of 1.5billion, personally handled by Jasim.

One senior Iraqi intelligence official remarked that the Islamic State kept on who they chose for essential functions, like choosing Jasim's expertise in banking as their finance officer. In 2014, the ISIS controlled many territories where the group became enterprising and looked for other opportunities.

Unknown to many, ISIS was not solely focused on mayhem, terror, and murder but had other strange pursuits. They would be racketeering in Iraq and Syria by extortion of locals, getting treasures and smuggled fuel too, which made ISIS more like a business to foot their terroristic inclinations.

They owned gold and currency, which is about '300million estimated by experts knowledgeable in their activities.

Jasim became extremely affluent from all the money gained from fuel and oil, ancient treasures, mineral resources that enriched the terror militants.

ISIS finance aims to serve the terrorist better

Money was pouring in for ISIS once oil fields in eastern Syria fell in their hands, which gave them more than enough to do what they wanted.

Terror banker Jasim would be the second in command to Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, who killed himself by blowing himself up before getting caught by US assets in the Northwest of Syria in 2019.

Money gained through murder and blood would be used for investment in the legal business, from housing firms and other business outlets.

But the capture of Jasim would be bad for the Jihadi's finances and the loss of territory in Syria and Iraq. Even ISIS needs to pay salaries as well and other expenses.

When the wanted and notorious ISIS banker, Jasim was taken to Iraq, which would affect the terror group's finances.

Related Article: US Drone Strike Mistakenly Kills Family, Children in Kabul Instead of a Vehicle Carrying ISIS-K Members

@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
United States President Joe Biden faced calls from left-wing climate change activists that demonstrated in front of the White House on Monday, vandalizing a statue commemorating former President Andrew Jackson and calling for the Democrat to take action immediately.

On Monday, the Build Back Fossil Free coalition gathered in the streets of Washington, D.C., with a five-day protest plan that aimed to urge the president to take action against climate change. They wanted the Democrat to declare a national emergency and stop all projects that were utilizing fossil fuels.

Biden Faces Mounting Pressure

The director of coalition core member the Sovereign Inupiat for a Living Arctic, Siqiniq Maupin, said in an email statement on Monday that the demonstration was conducted in the belief that President Biden should follow through with his campaign promises. He argued that many people worldwide were dying from pollutants, toxins, and climate catastrophes.

Maupin said that the federal government was still sacrificing American people's lives for oil and gas across the United States. The protesters have been met with warnings from the U.S. Park Police that they would be forced to conduct police action should they fail to disperse, Fox News reported.

The situation in front of the White House resulted in the arrest of an indigenous woman who was part of the crowd protesting that the government takes action against climate change. Secret Service officers detained the female after she allegedly threw an object over the fence of the White House. As she was handcuffed, the woman could be heard screaming, "I don't want to die."

Read Also: Mitch McConnell, Tom Cotton Reportedly Plot Behind Donald Trump's Back To Stop Overturning The 2020 Election Results

The protests showed the large gathering of people singing and prayer while some vandalized the statue of former President Jackson. Protesters wrote the words "expect us" in bright red letters on the statue's pedestal.

Jackson has long been the recipient of scrutiny from indigenous people over his treatment of Native Americans during his administration. Remarkably, many have criticized his Indian Removal Act that resulted in the Trail of Tears which forcibly displaced some 60,000 Native Americans from 1830 to 1850, the New York Post reported.

Proclamation of Indigenous Peoples' Day

The protesters gathered on Columbus Day, on the same day that President Biden also proclaimed Indigenous Peoples' Day. A member of the Dine Nation, Les Begay, said it was important for people to focus on celebrating the Indigenous culture and not Christopher Columbus, who is regarded by many as a colonizer and not a discoverer.

"Not honoring Indigenous peoples on this day just continues to erase our history, our contributions, and the fact that we were the first inhabitants of this country," said Begay, Yahoo News reported.

Biden said his proclamation of the first-ever Indigenous Peoples' Day in the United States was to honor America's first inhabitants and the Tribal Nations that continue to live today. The Democratic president urged residents to celebrate the day with appropriate ceremonies and activities. He also called on the people to direct the flag of the U.S. to be displayed on all public buildings on the appointed day.

Related Article: Authorities Doubt Statements of Brian Laundrie's Parents, Claiming Parts of Their Story "Don't Make Sense"

@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
A US Navy engineer was caught red-handed by the FBI in a dead drop operation where the culprit was selling nuclear submarine secrets to another country. The individual thought it was going to be an easy deal but was intercepted earlier by the authorities.

The guilty party was identified as a naval engineer, Jonathon Toebbe,42, who attempted to pass a micro-SD without getting caught. He never realized it was not an actual foreign contact until the FBI set the trap, and he was caught then charged with espionage.

US Navy engineer offered secret nuclear data in exchange for cryptocurrency

The suspect was ready to exchange information for the price of $70,000 in Bitcoin currency to another person that was supposed to be a buyer, but is an undercover FBI agent, reported the Sun UK

According to USA Today, the suspect and his wife, Diana, 45, got apprehended in West Virginia last Saturday when the undercover FBI agent met them at the meeting place to pass the information, stating the Justice Department.

According to the FBI, it began in April 2020 when the naval engineer sent a package of documents to an unnamed foreign power, cited the State.

Most of the material he would sell to the foreign buyer are manuals, performance reports, and more information that would compromise the technical data of the Virginia class nuclear reactors.

He would also give specific instructions on how to go about the illegal covert relationship. One letter he wrote would be apologizing for the wrong translation. This US Navy Engineer was caught red-handed by the FBI with the letters as evidence.

Read Also: SSN-21 Sea Wolf-class: American-Made Soviet Typhoon ICBM Hunters

In his letter, he says to please forward this to the military intelligence agency, and the information will be valuable to your nation. He assured that it was no hoax.

Alleged foreign power endorsed Toebbe's info to the US government

Until December 2020, the foreign nation that got Toebbe's letter kept them until they turned over the documents to the US government.

Some details in the charge against the naval engineer said that the storage media was concealed in a peanut butter sandwich, chewing gum pack, and band-aid wrapper.

The engineer has been working since 2012, with high-level security clearance and a specialist in nuclear propulsion systems for ships. FBI said the suspect worked in a government lab in Pittsburgh for nuclear-powered systems in the US Navy.

It took two months to rope in the suspect and convinced him that a foreign agency was ready to deal anytime, which led to the undercover operation. To hook Toebbe, the posing agent has made arrangements to pay his fee in $10,000 crypto money for the information.

The day came weeks, later the suspect and his wife went to the drop location in the state for the information exchange. While the engineer waited, Diana was on the lookout for him to clear him and anyone else involved during the operation. The FBI gave a total of $20,000.

All the storage devices were taken from as Teobbe said it would be clandestinely hidden, told the court filling. Detailed data on the Virginia class sub reactors were on the storage media.

He also asked them to help him get out of the country if there would be trouble, saying his family had cash and passports ready. The FBI did all the drops till it was $70,000 as agreed.

The US Navy engineer was caught red-handed by the FBI after a months-long mission, and he and his wife were charged with espionage.

Related Article: Are Small Submarines the Solution to the US Navy Problems

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North Korea's nuclear-armed leader, Kim Jong Un, has blamed tensions on the peninsula on the United States, according to state media.

Pyongyang Under Multiple International Sanctions, Blaming U.S. as the 'Root Cause'

In a recently published article in MSN News, in Kim's opening address at a defense show, he said that the United States is the "root cause" of instability. Pyongyang is subject to a slew of international sanctions for its prohibited nuclear and ballistic missile programs, both of which have advanced rapidly under Kim.

Pyongyang claims it needs its weapons to defend itself from a US invasion; in 2017, it tested missiles capable of reaching the whole continental US and carried off by far its most powerful nuclear explosion.

Meanwhile, the Biden administration has declared many times that it has no aggressive intentions toward North Korea; but Kim claimed during the "Self-Defense as per The Australian.

Read Also: Pentagon Expresses Concern Over North Korea's Reported Nuclear Reprocessing

Push For More Efforts To Combat Unprecedented Difficulties

During a speech commemorating the Workers' Party's 76th anniversary in Pyongyang on Sunday, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for more efforts to fight the "exceptional challenges" of severe food and living conditions in the country.

Kim announced intentions to launch a five-year plan to help the country's economy recover while also addressing people's food, clothes, and housing issues. Kim called the country's present condition a "dark scenario" and acknowledged that previous economic initiatives had failed, according to a report published in Newsweek.

Kim said that his party is committed to achieving the economic objectives outlined in the recently released five-year growth plans and overcoming the present "extraordinary challenges." However, while reporting on Kim's address, official media made no explicit references to Washington or Seoul.

Nuclear Negotiations

Nuclear talks between Washington and Pyongyang have been deadlocked for more than two years due to differences on how to exchange the lifting of punishing US-led sanctions on North Korea in exchange for the North's disarmament efforts.

In a published article in Deccan Herald, in recent weeks, the nation has increased its missile tests while offering conditional peace overtures to Seoul, resuming a pattern of pushing South Korea to obtain what it wants from the United States.

Analysts believe Kim is about to face his most difficult test in almost a decade in power. After failing to secure much-needed sanctions relief during his meetings with then-President Donald Trump in 2018 and 2019, the coronavirus pandemic forced North Korea to close its borders, causing further economic shock after decades of mismanagement and sanctions over Kim's nuclear weapons program.

North Starts Restoring Communication Lines With the South

In recent weeks, North Korea has reopened communication links with South Korea and said that if Seoul abandons its "double-dealing mentality" and "hostile perspective" it may take additional measures to repair bilateral ties, according to a report published in Daily Tribune.

Furthermore, analysts believe North Korea is exploiting the South's desire for inter-Korean interaction to create a wedge between Washington and Seoul and push the South to obtain concessions on its behalf from the Biden administration.

Related Article: North Korea Expands Uranium Enrichment Plant, Plans To Boost Its Production of Nuclear Weapons



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Several states around the country will receive stimulus check payments from the government in the coming weeks. These would be distributed to residents in both the low and middle-income categories, with financial assistance provided through various incentives.

After the federal government chose not to make a fourth stimulus payment, this would come in. Each state will differ in terms of what they will provide

The federal stimulus funds have already been dispersed in various regions, and states have also made economic contributions that will help the country.

Which states provide stimulus checks until 2021?

Several states have already started sending stimulus checks to alleviate the majority of the financial hardship that has arisen as a result of COVID-19 and the accompanying long-term measures.

Along with the payments, new information will be released every month, thus several states have structured their stimulus payments after this. Most Alaska residents would be eligible for additional funds under the Federal-State Extended Benefits program, which would provide funds for 13 to 20 weeks.

However, it is important to note that the funds will only be available to a select group of citizens and that a substantial amount of the funds has already been claimed, as per Digital Market News.

California is now the only state that has sent out its own stimulus check payment to residents in the form of a Golden State Stimulus, owing to the state's tax structure, which appears to have a budget surplus. Residents with an annual income of $30,000-$40,000 will be eligible for a $500 or $600 payment, as well as a $500 financial assistance for families with dependent children.

It's still unclear if Alabama citizens will receive more COVID-19 relief checks, but the latest news out of the state in terms of coronavirus relief funding is that Gov. Kay Ivey has signed several laws into law that would allow the state to begin building new prisons using federal money.

Per MARCA, Governor Doug Ducey of Arizona is adopting a different approach, pledging to use federal funds to encourage individuals to find jobs rather than pay them not to work.

Unemployed people who take part-time employment will get a one-time $1,000 stimulus payment while full-timers will receive a $2,000 payment under the state's Back to Work Program.

The situation in Arkansas is still highly fluid, with the Arkansas state government presently engaged in a court struggle with its own citizens over the termination of federal unemployment benefits worth $300 per week.

Any talk of a fourth check will most likely have to wait until that battle is concluded. Between March 15, 2020, and October 24, 2020, anyone who received at least one unemployment benefit will get $375.

Meanwhile, Delawareans who do not normally file federal income tax returns are encouraged to keep a lookout in their mailboxes for a letter from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) informing them that they may be eligible for a federal Economic Impact Payment (EIP).

Read Also: Is $1,400 Stimulus Check For Social Security Recipients Likely To Happen? Senior Citizen Group Urges Congress To Support Proposal

States structure stimulus payments to encourage residents to work

This year, several states are continuing to make stimulus payments to individuals who are employed and unemployed. In the last 18 months, three legitimate stimulus checks have been paid out, and only California can afford to continue on this path.

These aren't all stimulus checks like the last three, but they are payments made by state governments to their residents.

Many of them are connected to the return of in-school teaching or provide additional assistance for persons who are returning to work. Stimulus in terms of encouraging people to return to work following the pandemic's confinement and difficulties, as per AS.com.

Related Article: New Stimulus Check Program May Give Some Americans $500 Payments For The Next 3 Years



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Waves of migrants have been entering the United States, according to Democratic Texas Representative Henry Cuellar as "they believe the border is open."

Migrants Think the Border Is Open

In a recently published article in Newsweek, Cuellar told reporters Monday that there is a significant increase in the number of people entering the United States. Migrants will continue to come as long as they believe the border is open, and that is the truth.

He also added that it is not only the Republicans but also Latinos in South Texas who want the borders to be secured from the migrants. They have observed an increase and spike in the arrival of migrants in the past few days, and most of them were unaccompanied children.

Read Also: US Judge Issues Ruling To Protect Migrants at US Borders From Being Expelled by Biden Administration

CBP Encounters Millions of Migrants

According to statistics from US Customs and Border Protection, approximately 1.5 million migrants crossed the border between the US and Mexico between October 2020 and August 2021. According to CBP statistics, border authorities met approximately 458,000 migrants between October 2019 and September 2020.

Unaccompanied children crossing the border have also increased. Between October 2020 and August 2021, border officers met approximately 133,000 unaccompanied children while border officers met less than 40,000 unaccompanied children between October 2019 and September 2020, as reported in CBS News.

Cuellar Criticizes Biden Administration in Handling Migrants Coming to the Border

Per The Washington Newsday, Cuellar has frequently chastised Democratic President Joe Biden for his handling of migrant caravans at the southern border. He's also known for being one of the House's most conservative Democrats.

Cuellar lauded Biden and Harris for advising migrants not to cross the border. He has, however, chastised the government for allowing some illegal immigrants to remain in the country, which he claims adds to the false impression that the US border is open.

According to the aforementioned news, Cuellar asked Biden and Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris to visit the border and meet with local law enforcement, political officials, and business owners in order to better understand the local effect of migrants at the border.

Democratic Rep. Cuellar Signs a Joint Letter With the Republicans

Cuellar sent a joint letter with Republican South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham the next month, requesting that Biden select former Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson as a border czar, as per Border Report.

Cuellar said that the country needs someone who can look at the comprehensive view of what they have been seeing at the border. However, Cuellar also admitted that it is not a simple solution.

Biden Pledges To Reduce Migration

Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei stated in an early April interview that he thinks immigrants from his country have been flocking to the United States in the hopes that Biden would give them entry.

After winning the 2020 election, Biden promised to attempt to decrease migration from Central and South America to the United States. His administration is working on a package of assistance that would encourage regional governments to "clean up their cops, boost tax collection, combat corruption, and provide the chances needed to persuade would-be migrants to stay in their nations."

Related Article: Homeland Security Chief Resigns Amid the Increasing Number of Migrants Arriving at the Border



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After a shooting at a bar in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Sunday, several individuals were injured, and one person was confirmed dead.

The incident happened early in the morning inside the Seventh Street Truck Bar. During the event, police claimed they received calls from people "frantically" pleading for help, according to a news release.

Dozens of people injured in Minnesota bar shooting

Officers observed 15 persons with gunshot wounds when they arrived around 12:15 am, and "worked with good Samaritans to give help." Fourteen individuals were sent to local hospitals, and a woman in her twenties died, as per The Business Insider.

The incident has left the neighborhood "devastated," according to St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter. In a Sunday afternoon update, the St. Paul Police Department said three men were detained in connection with the incident.

Police confirmed the men are being treated at a hospital and will be placed into the Ramsey City prison to "await a charging decision" once they are discharged.

The St. Paul Police Department stated on Twitter that Terry Lorenzo Brown, Jr., 33, Devondre Trevon Phillips, 29, and Jeffrey Orlando Hoffman, 32, are all in arrest and being treated at the hospital for injuries sustained during the early Sunday morning altercation.

Brown, Phillips, and Hoffman will be put into the Ramsey County prison after being released and will await a charging decision, according to police. According to a news release from the city, officers were dispatched to the Seventh Street Truck Park bar in downtown St. Paul just after midnight on Sunday after "multiple 911 callers frantically begged for help." Per PEOPLE via MSN, a total of fifteen individuals were shot, one of them died.

According to the statement, police "worked with good Samaritans" to assist the injured and secure the area. One lady was pronounced dead, subsequently identified as 27-year-old Marquisha Wiley by her family. The statement stated that 14 additional patients were transferred to hospitals and are likely to survive.

Read Also: Alabama Boy, 4, Fatally Shot in Head While Sleeping During Trip in Chicago; Authorities Offer Reward to ID Suspect

2 suspects charged in connection with the incident

Terry Lorenzo Brown Jr. of St. Paul, Minnesota is charged with one count of second-degree murder and 11 counts of attempted second-degree murder, according to KARE, citing a criminal complaint filed in Ramsey County District Court. Devondre Trevon Phillips of Las Vegas is charged with 12 counts of attempted second-degree murder.

Both Brown and Phillips are still in the hospital. Late Sunday, a third man, 32-year-old Jeffrey Orlando Hoffman, was arrested in connection with the shooting, although he had not been charged as of 5 pm Monday.

On Sunday morning, the Seventh Street Truck Park did not immediately respond to an email requesting a comment. The phone at the bar, which features a big food hall with food trucks inside, was unanswered.

Later that morning, St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter condemned the violence, The NY Times reported. The number of killings in Minnesota's capital city is reaching another terrible milestone.

According to the police, the bar shooting on Sunday morning raised the overall number of killings for the year to 32. Last year, there were 34 homicides, tying a high recorded in 1992.

Representative Betty McCollum, a Democrat from Minnesota who represents St. Paul, sent a series of tweets on Sunday morning lamenting the loss of life.

Related Article: Minnesota Couple Who Starves, Beats 8-Year-Old Girl To Death in 2020 Sentenced To 40 Years in Prison



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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will not be in attendance at Princess Diana tribute in the United Kingdom.

More than 100 guests, including Sir Elton John and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, are expected to attend the event at Kensington Palace on Tuesday, local time. To add insult to injury, travel restrictions to the UK have subsequently been relaxed, allowing the Sussexes to avoid quarantine at home.

Despite rumors that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were going to attend Princess Diana's tribute ceremony at Kensington Palace next week, a royal official confirmed to The Telegraph that they will remain in the United States.

Royal family to attend an event honoring Princess Diana

Prince Harry was expected to attend the event, which was previously slated for July as a celebration after the unveiling of Princess Diana's 60th birthday monument but was postponed due to COVID-19 restrictions.

The Duke did attend the opening in July alongside his older brother, Prince William, and the two were all smiles in a poignant reunion that warmed hearts all over the world. Meghan Markle, 40, has remained in the United States since the birth of her second child, Lilibet Diana, in June.

According to rumors, the couple will have Lilibet's christening at the Episcopal Church in California, indicating that they have no plans to return to the United Kingdom, as per News.com.au. It was previously assumed that Meghan and Harry will christen Lilibet at Windsor Castle in front of the Queen, as they did with their first child, Archie, who is now two years old.

Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's second child, was born on June 4 this year in Santa Barbara, California.

It was previously speculated that the couple, who named their four-month-old after the Queen's childhood nickname, will christen their kid in front of the queen, who has yet to meet her great-granddaughter, at Windsor Castle.

According to insiders, a christening in the UK is "highly unlikely," and the couple would instead choose to christen their daughter at the Episcopal Church of the United States. The decision has prompted speculation about when the Queen would see the great-grandchild named after her in person.

Read Also: Princess Diana Documentary Reveals She Witnessed Father Slap Her Mother; Here's What The Royal Has Been Through Before Marrying Prince Charles

Lilibet won't be christened in the UK

Per Daily Mail, despite attending a Catholic high school, Meghan was baptized and confirmed in the Church of England by Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby in a private ceremony at the Chapel Royal.

The Archbishop of Canterbury led a private 45-minute ceremony in the Chapel Royal in 2018, which was kept a closely guarded secret with just a few royal aides present. Meghan Markle follows in the footsteps of Kate Middleton, who was baptized as a child but received a private confirmation following her engagement to Prince William.

The rite followed the Church's entire protocol, with holy water from the Jordan River poured on Meghan's head from a private Royal Family font. Archie, Lilibet's brother, was also baptized by the Archbishop at St George's Chapel, Windsor, in unprecedented secrecy in 2019.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex said they "felt fortunate" to have been able to enjoy their son's christening with his godparents at the time of Archie's christening, and shared two photos from the big day.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry stood beside the Duchess of Cornwall, The Prince of Wales, Doria Ragland, Lady Jane Fellowes, Lady Sarah McCorquodale, and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in the Green Drawing Room at Windsor Castle a few hours after the ceremony.

Related Article: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle May Not Be Recipients Of Clarence House; Prince Charles Could Leave Million-Dollar Property To Grandkids Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis



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After her child was exposed to a classmate who was displaying symptoms of the virus and became ill, a Wisconsin mother is suing the school district and school board for failing to implement COVID-19 restrictions.

Lawsuit Filed in the U.S. Eastern District of Wisconsin

In a recently published article in Newsweek, Attorney Frederick Melms filed the complaint on behalf of Shannon Jensen, children in the Waukesha School District, and their families on October 5 in the United States Eastern District of Wisconsin.

The complaint, which was partially funded by the Minocqua Brewing Company Super PAC, seeks class-action status and an injunction requiring the school system to follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) pandemic standards.

The Waukesha School Board, according to the lawsuit, removed the district's mask requirement and other mitigation protocols such as temperature checks and plexiglass dividers on May 12, which had been in place for the majority of the 2020-2021 school year, according to a published article in Our Community Now.

Read Also: Thousands of Students Forced to Quarantine After Exposure to COVID-19, Marking Rocky Start of Reopening of Schools

Student Attends To School Showing COVID-19 Symptoms

On the 16th and 17th of September, one of Jensen's oldest classmates arrived at school with COVID-19 symptoms and was sent home. Her kid sat next to the ill classmate both days, and the classmate did not seem to be wearing a mask on either day.

Jensen's eldest kid started to show signs of the virus two days later and tested positive for COVID-19. Jensen and her three children were then compelled to stay at home under quarantine. The other two youngsters would later test positive for the infection. As a consequence of the diagnosis, all three children missed school and extracurricular activities, according to a report published in NBC News.

Jensen claimed that the school system took too long to inform her that a kid in her son's class had tested positive for the virus; and as a consequence, her son socialized with others after his own exposure. According to the complaint, she also heard from another parent with a kid in the class that a total of four children had tested positive for COVID-19.

Jensen Alleges that there was No Contact Tracing, Quarantine Protocol Implemented

Jensen said in a statement filed with the complaint that there were no criteria for when the class would be quarantined and that the district did not do contact tracing. Administrators were sometimes "just barely notifying parents when a kid in the school had tested positive, typically many days beforehand," according to the report.

In a published article in TMJ4, Jensen said in the court declaration that the refusal of the Waukesha School District to implement reasonable COVID-19 mitigation strategies impacted not only their immediate family, but they could have prevented further community spread of the virus if they had been notified sooner of their oldest son's close contact with someone who had been diagnosed with COVID-19.

Both Waukesha School District administrator James Sebert and school board president Joseph Como refused to comment on the case in an email response to the news outlet.

Related Article: School Reopening Filled With Anxiety, Uncertainties as Delta COVID Variant Continues to Surge, Threatening Younger Population



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Georgia authorities conducted an investigation after two election workers were fired for allegedly shredding voter registration forms, which is an act believed to have been motivated by a Republican-led investigation of the office that many critics deem as politically motivated.

On Monday, the heavily Democratic Fulton County announced the incident saying that the workers, who were with the Fulton County Board of Elections, were terminated on Friday. The decision was made after several other employees witnessed the two suspects shredding voter registration forms that were awaiting processing.

Shredded Voter Registration Forms

The suspect committed the crime prior to local elections that are scheduled in November, Richard Barron, the county elections director, said. Fulton County Commission Chairman Robb Pitts added that they asked the county district attorney and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to conduct inquiries regarding the incident.

However, Raffensperger was responsible for revealing the first allegations of shredded voter registration forms. The official issued a news release demanding the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate the matter he considered was related to "incompetence and malfeasance," the New York Times reported.

Preliminary information regarding the incident suggested that the suspects checked out batches of applications for processing. They were then believed to have destroyed some of the voter registration forms by shredding them. A statement released by the county revealed that the applications were received in the last two weeks.

Read Also: Mitch McConnell, Tom Cotton Reportedly Plot Behind Donald Trump's Back To Stop Overturning The 2020 Election Results

Authorities did not immediately have information on whether or not the 300 voter registration forms involved in the incident were lost, county spokeswoman Jessica Corbitt said. The official added that processing a voter registration application involved entering the documents in the state system, updating them, and verifying the information. Corbitt noted that the verification part was being investigated if it was completed before the shredding.

The applications had no party affiliation because voters did not register by party in Georgia. "Elections are the most important function of our government. We have committed to transparency and integrity," Pitts said in a statement, Yahoo News reported.

New Voting Laws

The incident comes as new voting laws in Texas, Kansas, and Georgia are facing challenges in the courtroom over attempts to criminalize behavior around casting a ballot. The situation marks another crucial point in the legal battle over voting laws in the United States.

After the 2020 presidential elections that have been filled with accusations of fraud, dozens of states have passed new laws that either expanded or limited voting rules. The actions have resulted in election-related litigation but most voting laws have, until now, governed how election officials administer elections and did not involve any criminal penalties.

A few states in the country are pushing to impose criminal penalties for a broader range of activities that go far beyond traditional voter fraud. The proposals affect not only individual voters but also groups and election officials.

"That's not unheard of in the American past but it really strikes me as something of a new twist in laws of election administration," a professor at Harvard University's Kennedy School, Alex Keyssar, said, the Wall Street Journal reported.



Related Article: Lack of COVID-19 Restrictions: Mother Sues Wisconsin School District and Board as Son Got Exposed to a Student Showing Symptoms of COVID-19

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The official autopsy report of Gabby Petito may finally be released this week.

On Monday, the Wyoming coroner that performed an autopsy on the 22-year-old announced that he would be holding a virtual news conference on Tuesday, Oct. 12 at 12:30 p.m. Dr. Brent Blue will discuss the post-mortem results, and he will also confirm the official cause of death of Petito.

Weeks ago, Petito's death was ruled as a homicide. However, the circumstances of her death are still being kept under wraps, according to The Independent.

Brian Laundrie still at large

The official announcement came on the heels of other reports confirming that Petito's fiance, Brian Laundrie, had not yet been found.

Last month, Laundrie's parents told the FBI that he went on a hike, but he never returned. Now, there are speculations that Laundrie's family might have misled the police to give their son ample time to escape authorities.

However, it is essential to note that Laundrie hasn't been formally charged in Petito's disappearance, but he was declared a person of interest early on.

Read Also: Brian Laundrie's Parents Might Go Missing Next; Family Attorney Denies Any Knowledge On Client's Old Cellphone

Gabby Petito's fiance issued a federal arrest warrant

A federal arrest warrant was issued against Laundrie for debit card fraud after he reportedly used multiple cards without the owner's consent.

The cards that Laundrie used have not been confirmed to be Petito's, but they can shed light on the fugitive's movements before and after his fiancee died.

Frank Figliuzzi, a former assistant director for counterintelligence at the FBI, said that if the cards will be proven to be Petito's, this means that Laundrie used them after she died.

After all, police officers handling the case said that Laundrie engaged in "unauthorized" use of cards. "That means they are closer to fixing the time of death... that's why you are seeing 'unauthorized use,' she was likely dead at that time," he told CNBC.

Is Brian Laundrie still in Florida?

Petito's family and friends have been urging Laundrie to turn himself in so that they can get all the information they need about the vlogger's untimely demise.

However, it's unclear if Laundrie will ever come clean about what happened. And there are also speculations suggesting that he may no longer be alive. Experts said that the only way for Laundrie to survive is if he's professionally trained.

Robert Urban, founder and chief instructor of the Urban Survival Academy, told CNN that it's impossible to survive outdoors for more than three weeks. And the Florida climate makes it even more challenging to stay in the reserve without the proper gear.

Jason Marsteiner, founder and president of The Survival University, said that Laundrie must be lacking in sleep since he's been outdoors for almost a month.

If Laundrie lacks enough sleep, it's more likely for him to make bad decisions and drive himself insane. He could also get injured and perish.

On the contrary, some experts are also convinced that Laundrie is still alive. However, he may no longer be in Florida. After all, there are no physical signs that he ever stayed in the Florida nature reserve that his parents said he went to on Sept. 14, according to KCRA.

Related Article: Experts Explain Why It Might Be Difficult To Find Brian Laundrie Despite Mounting Evidence Against Him

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Moderna said that it has no intention of sharing its vaccine formula with other firms but is willing to increase its production.

Moderna To Scale Up Its Production

Despite the United Nations health agency urging Moderna to share the formula, executives have been ramping up manufacturing to boost worldwide supplies. Moderna co-founder Noubar Afeyan said that the firm considered sharing the formula but ultimately decided to provide billions of extra doses alone in 2022, as per Newsweek.

Afeyan said that if they can produce high-quality vaccines in a timely manner over the next six to nine months, that will be the most dependable method to do so. In less than a year, the pharmaceutical firm produced over one billion doses.

Meanwhile, in the first quarter, the vaccine generated $1.73 billion in revenue, just three months of usage in the United States and worldwide sales. Moderna's revenue estimate for 2021 has been raised from $18.4 billion to $19.2 billion. Its stock began trading at $16.27 in January 2019 and has since risen to nearly $300 per share, according to a published report in MarketWatch.

Read Also: Moderna, Pfizer Vaccine Trial Participants Report Serious Side Effects

Moderna Pledges Not To Enforce Patent Infringement

Afeyan also reaffirmed Moderna's promise from a year ago not to sue anybody else developing a coronavirus vaccine during the pandemic for patent infringement. He said that they do not need to do so and that all they want to do is to assist in combating COVID-19.

Furthermore, last Monday, the firm revealed intentions to build a vaccination factory in Africa. Afeyan expressed the expectation that a decision on the precise site would be made shortly. Even so, getting the plant up and operating may take years, according to a report published in ABC10.

Moderna's sole commercial product is the COVID-19 vaccine. Last Monday, the firm revealed intentions to build a vaccination factory in Africa. Afeyan expressed the expectation that a decision on the precise site would be made shortly. Even so, getting the plant up and operating may take years.

Pressure Grew on the U.S. Companies To Share the Technology

Last year's successful competition to create vaccines in a record-breaking amount of time placed firms like Moderna and Pfizer in a very positive light. However, with fewer than 10 percent of people in many impoverished countries properly vaccinated and a scarcity of doses leading to millions of deaths, health authorities in the US and across the world are putting pressure on businesses to do more to solve the worldwide shortfall.

Per The New York Times, according to a senior administration official, the Biden administration has quietly encouraged both Pfizer and Moderna to form joint ventures in which they would license their technology to contract manufacturers with the goal of delivering vaccinations to low- and middle-income countries.

Needless to say, a group of major medicine and vaccine makers from across the globe is writing a letter to President Biden, urging him to push the firms to disclose the formulas and methods used to create their vaccines more aggressively.

Related Article: Moderna Recalls COVID-19 Vaccine in Japan Over Contamination Concern After Stainless Steel Particles Found in Vials



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Just days after admitting it can't fully eliminate the virus, New Zealand said it would issue a COVID-19 vaccination requirement for health care professionals and teachers.

New Zealand Admits COVID-19 Could Not Be Completely Eradicated

In a recently published article in Newsweek, last week, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern acknowledged that earlier efforts to avoid mass infections, such as lockdowns and contact tracing, were ineffective in eradicating the virus in New Zealand.

COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins stated that although many in the professions had previously had their vaccines, they couldn't take any chances, particularly since they work with ill patients and small children who haven't yet been authorized to get inoculated.

Read Also: Series of Powerful Weather Phenomena Strike New Zealand, Grounding Flights and Closing Roads

Vaccine Mandate in New Zealand

Doctors, pharmacists, community nurses, and other healthcare professionals must be completely vaccinated by December, while teachers and other education employees must be fully vaccinated by January, according to the new requirement.

The news comes as New Zealand fights a highly transmissible Delta variant pandemic in Auckland, the country's biggest metropolis. The mandate received positive early feedback from organizations representing impacted employees, according to a published article in The Lancet.

Dr. Samantha Murton, president of The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners, said that given the rapid expansion of Delta throughout the nation, this is a bold but essential demand to make.

Auckland To Stay in Lockdown for Another Week

Ardern said on Monday that Auckland will remain under lockdown for at least another week, with the Waikato and Northland areas nearing the end of the lockdown on Thursday if no major spread of the virus was discovered, according to a published report in Financial Times.

Since the pandemic was detected, Auckland has been under lockdown for almost two months. On Monday, 35 additional local cases were discovered, increasing the total number of patients to over 1,600. As a first step toward the country's reopening, Ardern has urged citizens to get vaccinated.

"Super Saturday" Vaccination Drive

The government is preparing a "Super Saturday" vaccination campaign this weekend, which it compares to an election day, with vaccination clinics operating all day and into the evening. Approximately 68 percent of New Zealanders have received at least one dose of the vaccination, with 47 percent having received all three doses. The percentages increase to 82 percent and 57 percent, respectively, among those aged 12 and up.

On Monday, the government announced an early purchase deal for 60,000 courses of an experimental new tablet developed by Merck, which is still awaiting clearance from New Zealand authorities. If authorized by authorities, including the US Food and Drug Administration, the medication, molnupiravir, would be the first to treat COVID-19.

Furthermore, New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said she intends to give a record 100,000 COVID-19 vaccine shots in a single day during a major vaccination campaign on Oct. 16, as part of her efforts to speed up vaccinations before lifting restrictions in Auckland, according to a published article in Reuters.

Related Article: New Zealand Extends Lockdown Again as COVID-19 Infections Surge, Passing 300 Cases in Less Than a Month



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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order on Monday banning vaccine mandates in the state.

The executive order states that no business or other entity in Texas can require employees and consumers to the COVID-19 vaccine. Abbott's executive order also states that this one overrules vaccine mandates imposed by local officials.

According to Huffington Post, Abbott is fully vaccinated. He tested positive for COVID-19 in August, but he didn't experience severe symptoms. However, only 52 percent of the population in Texas has been fully vaccinated.

In August, Abbott issued an executive order blocking vaccine mandates from state and local agencies. However, there were still exemptions for nursing home employees, as well as state-supported living centers, assisted living facilities, and acute care facilities.

Other states also banned COVID-19 vaccination mandate

Other than Texas, some states in the country have also banned COVID-19 mandates.

On April 28, Arkansas enacted a bill prohibiting the state, political subdivisions of the state, or public officials from requiring future employees to get vaccinated so that they could get hired.

Days earlier, Republican Gov. Doug Ducey issued an order prohibiting Arizona from requiring residents to prove their COVID-19 vaccination status to enter businesses, buildings, and the like. However, healthcare institutions can request the same document from the residents of Arizona.

Read Also: Joe Biden's COVID-19 Vaccination Mandate Heads For Trouble In Court; Top Immunologist Regrets Voting Him For President

Republican Gov. Brian Kemp also banned all state agencies from requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination as a condition for employment in Georgia.

Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis also banned businesses and other establishments from requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination on April 2.

Five months later, a $5,000 fine will be charged to anyone that requires COVID-19 vaccination proof from residents. Other than these states, Indiana, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Utah have also banned all COVID-19 vaccination mandates, according to Beckers Hospital Review.

Can the COVID-19 vaccination mandate save lives?

According to reports, Joe Biden believes that a COVID-19 vaccination and testing mandate will boost the economy and save lives. Once approved, the mandate will apply to organizations with at least 100 employees and cover an estimated 80 million workers.

However, at least two dozen Republican attorneys general have already threatened to file lawsuits if the mandate will take into effect. Others have also vowed to quit their jobs so that they won't be required to get the COVID-19 vaccine and tests.

David Michaels, former head of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), said that most companies would most likely comply without the government being forced to intervene.

Michaels also said that the rule should not be regarded as a vaccine mandate. Instead, it's just a way to keep the workplace safe from COVID-19.

"[OSHA] is going to tell employers they have to make sure that potentially infectious workers don't enter the workplace, and they can do that a number of different ways. In the last week, I've spoken with hundreds of business leaders, and the question they ask me is not how will OSHA enforce this. The question is, what do I need to do to comply?" Michaels said via NBC News.

Related Article: Vaccine Mandate: Biden Administration Releases New Guidance That Terminates Federal Employees If They Refuse To Get Inoculated

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Chinese authorities reported that at least 15 have been found dead due to devastating flooding caused by heavy rainfall in the country's northern province of Shanxi while more than two million others were displaced from their homes.

The weather catastrophe destroyed thousands of homes in the region, forcing over 120,000 residents to relocate in fear of being swept away, said officials on Tuesday. This month's incident marks the region's worst flooding in history since record-keeping began, meteorological official Wang Wenyi said on Tuesday during a news conference.

Devastating Flooding in China

Wang added that the average rainfall experienced by the region in October was 13 times that of the same timeframe in an average year. During the news conference, local emergency management official Wang Qirui said that more than 1.75 million people were affected by the massive floods that destroyed more than 19,500 homes while severely damaging 18,200 other houses. The official added that there were three people that have yet to be accounted for that are missing.

Wang said the flooding has caused more than five billion Chinese yuan ($775 million) worth of damages throughout the province. The weather phenomena also forced 60 coal mines in Shanxi to close down, CNN reported.

The recent catastrophe comes less than three months from the extreme rainfall that battered Henan province earlier this year that left more than 300 people dead. It was also reported that a bus had fallen into a flooded river in the neighboring province of Hebei. Out of the 51 passengers on board, 11 were reported missing and three were declared dead.

Read Also: Biden Faces Climate Change Activists Who Vandalized Andrew Jackson Statue; Pressure For Infrastructure Bill Builds

Rescue efforts that were deployed to find and save residents were also hampered by the heavy and prolonged rainfall and storms in the Shanxi province. The severe rainfall also threatens the region's number of ancient monuments.

A local media outlet reported that four police officers died after being hit by a landslide caused by the devastating weather. Many have considered the recent flooding to be worse than the Henan-experienced incident earlier this year, BBC reported.

Series of Weather Disasters

The Shanxi incident marks the latest in a series of devastating weather catastrophes that China has experienced this year. Since January, more than 792 people have either lost their lives or have been reported missing due to natural disasters.

Authorities also reported that freezing weather, snowstorms, sandstorms, forest and grassland fires, and marine disasters in the country have affected more than 94.94 million people. The Shanxi flooding also damaged about 10.500 hectares of crops. The weather disasters have caused more than $44.37 billion worth of damages in total this year.

During the first half of the year, authorities reported that at least 156 people were either dead or missing. Storms also caused severe flooding in the Henan and Hebei provinces in July and August, killing at least 21 people. Many criticized Beijing for its alleged failure to respond properly to the weather catastrophes that have resulted in the loss of hundreds of lives and damaged the livelihood of millions of people, the Times of India reported.



Related Article: Georgia Authorities Conduct Investigation After Election Workers Allegedly Shred Voter Registration Forms

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Call it trolling to the highest levels, but it seems the brickbats aren't new. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk roasted fellow billionaire Jeff Bezos once more in a reply to the Blue Origin founder's tweet on Sunday.

Bezos showed a throwback photo of a Barron's cover article from 1999 that doubted Amazon's success. Bezos' startup had since become a $100-billion conglomerate.

  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 11, 2021

Bezos used this tweet to defend his new aerospace company being a disruptor in the indusry, Mashable reported. It was in line with the publication of an article on The Washington Post, which Bezos also owns, on the toxic work culture at Blue Origin. Bezos was informed that the story would be published soon.

Elon Musk's Harsh Reply to Jeff Bezos' Woes

Even though Musk was not involved in any way with the situation, the South African billionaire and known Bezos rival could not help but make a hilarious yet harsh reply bearing a second-place silver medal emoji on Sunday night.

Bezos and Musk's rivalry has been long drawn, with the latter always touting SpaceX being first to space and claiming to have secured several government contracts. Musk had also labeled Bezos as a "copycat" and second-best previously. As such, these petty attacks are not new.

Read Also: Elon Musk Wants To Give Jeff Bezos a Silver Medal for Being No. 2, Trolls Ex-Amazon CEO Again Over NASA Dispute

This time, however, Musk touched on something that was beyond the space race. It was about the Post article on internal strife within Bezos' company, with the Blue Origin chief on the defense with his tweet--even as he refused to comment on it. According to the Mashable report, over 20 current and former employees were interviewed in the Post article, and that the authors obtained an employee memo criticizing Bezos over the work culture and more.

The memo stated that "our current culture is toxic to our success."

Blue Origin Employees Claim Toxic, 'Authoritarian Bro' Work Culture

The unnamed employees interviewed claimed that Blue Origin fostered a "dysfunctional" and "demoralizing" work culture making people lose faith in the company. They also alleged that Blue Origin executives, including Bezos and CEO Bob Smith, were always warned about Blue Origin's "toxic" workplace culture.

In the 2016 memo, an employee said that the work culture had caused a loss of trust in the company leadership. It also charged that the company management failed to address the issues and chose to instead "silence" the employees.

The Business Insider said in a report that it tried but failed to seek comment about the specific charges in the article from a Blue Origin spokesperson, who only stressed that the company was taking those claims very seriously. The Post special report came after people identifying themselves as "21 current and former Blue Origin employees" released an open letter that alleged the company ignored a number of safety concerns and fostered a sexist work culture.

The article quoted a former employee as saying that the management created an "authoritarian bro culture." The workplace, several employees said, had a culture that led to condescension, humiliation and harassment of female staff.

Bezos' tweet apparently implied that such charges would not stop Blue Origin from attaining the level of success Amazon has reached. He relinquished his post as Amazon CEO in July to fully focus on Blue Origin and other initiatives, including being launched into space in a rocket.

Related Article: 'Star Trek' Actor William Shatner Space Flight: New Launch Schedule, Full Details of Captain Kirk's Blue Origin Trip
NASA and Boeing are targeting the first half of 2022 for the launch of an uncrewed test flight of the CST-100 Starliner spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS).

The launch date had been uncertain since August after a technical glitch caused the failure of 13 oxidizer valves in the Starliner's propulsion system to open during countdown. It forced NASA and Boeing to abort the Orbital Flight Test-2 mission, the space agency said in its website.

These valves link to the spacecraft's thrusters, which handles abort and in-orbit maneuvering functions, Gizmodo revealed.

NASA previously scheduled the launch after the liftoff of the Lucy asteroid space probe, which is set to begin its space journey on October 16. However, Boeing noted doubts of carrying out the delayed mission this year.

NASA, Boeing, Partners Considering Launch Windows for Early 2022

Both NASA and Boeing have now agreed to postpone the launch to the first half of next year and look at possible flight opportunities with the United Launch Alliance (the manufacturer of the Altas V rocket that will power the Starliner) and Eastern Range (an entity overseeing East Coast space launches).

Read Also: NASA Starliner Launch, Mission Details: Where to Watch Boeing Orbital Flight Test-2 Online

In its statement, NASA said potential launch windows for the mission are currently being evaluated by the space agency, Boeing, United Launch Alliance, and Eastern Range. The team, it said, is considering opportunities in the first half of 2022, "pending hardware readiness, the rocket manifest, and space station availability."

Significant Progress Achieved in Probing Oxidizer Issue

NASA added that in coordination with Boeing, it has made significant progress in probing the oxidizer valve problem. Boeing discovered that the cause was apparently related to oxidizer and moisture interactions.

Boeing showed success in valve functionality using techniques in localized heating and electrical charging, NASA noted. Troubleshooting at the launch pad and the Starliner production facility at the Kennedy Space Center has led to the movement of all but one of the original stuck valves. NASA added the problematic valves were intentionally untouched for forensics and root cause analysis.

In the coming weeks, Boeing will perform spacecraft and component testing to further study the cause of the valve failure and identify remediation measures. The aerospace manufacturer will also extract three valves from the Starliner for further analysis.

Boeing has also identified its options going forward, each reliant on the outcome of the tests, all to avoid a similar problem from happening again. These options include a slight renovation of the service module or utilizing another module currently in production, NASA said.

Starliner, which is part of NASA's program to regularly send astronauts to the ISS, completed only one uncrewed test flight two years ago. While it reached space, this mission failed to get to the ISS due to a software failure.

NASA currently has two other choices in transporting astronauts to the ISS. One is by Russian spacecraft, and the other through SpaceX's Crew Dragon.

Related Article: NASA Starliner Launch Update: New Test Flight Date and Time, Live Stream Link to Watch
In a series of torture tests, Samsung demonstrated the durability of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3.

If you're contemplating of acquiring a Galaxy Z Fold 3, one of the publics' main concerns regarding the Samsung Galaxy foldable phone is certainly the durability, as prior models of the folding phone have had issues.

However, Samsung has released a new video that shows some of the testing procedures that its Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 phones went through.

Samsung Foldable Phones

Samsung Galaxy foldable phones are no longer steeply-priced smartphone devices for users who want to try out the new foldabletechnology, and the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 proves just that.

While the Samsung Galaxy foldable phones are extremely affordable now, but instead, the price difference of the foldable devices back then and now have seen a difference with the Samsung Galax Fold 3 at $1,800.

The new technology of Samsung foldable phones has reached the level of functionality in which regular consumers can utilize and enjoy the devices.

Aside from the improvements in durability, of the Samsung Galaxy foldable phones, the Fold 3 phone just feels more refined in general. The Under Display Camera (UDC) is simpler to overlook than a hole punch because the hinge is less bulky, the screen wrinkle is less visible, and the UDC is less evident.

In terms of durability and performance, there used to be a major trade-off with folding phones compared to more conventional flagships.

Read Also: Apple iPhone vs. Samsung Galaxy: Major Advantages and Disadvantages, Which Is Better?

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 Durability Test

According to the press release by Samsung that was accompanied by the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and the Galaxy Z Flip 3 durability test results, the company said that the devices were tested with "high-tech, innovative tests," which apparently included "environmental chamber, water resistance, S Pen usability, and folding test."

As reported by Sandra Stafford from Digital Trends, the Samsung phones were put into durability tests with the environmenta chamber that imitates various climates, such as cold and dry weather, to see how long they would last.

Based on the results, it does seem like the Samsung foldable devices can survive such climates.

Furthermore, the tests showed that the S Pens were unfortunately not compatible. It is also important to note that the S Pens weren't compatible with the previous Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 or Z Flip.

With that, they redesigned the Samsung foldable phones now making sure of its compatibility, adding extra space to assure functionality.

Long-Lasting and Water-Resistant, But Not Dustproof?

Meanwhile, in the folding test, robotic arms repeatedly opened and closed the devices, ensuring that they will live true to their names for years. According to the press release of Samsung: "The Galaxy Z series devices undergo rigorous folding tests to outlast 200,000 folds - or around five years of use if folded and unfolded 100 times a day."

Samsung also did a water-resistance test, which is one of the most impressive part of the durability test.

The water resistance is rated IPX8 for both the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 and Samsung Z Flip3.

What that means is that the devices can survive in fresh water up to 1.5 meters deep for up to half an hour. They will not only live, but they'll continue to play video games even if they're submerged.

Although a drop in the bathtub will not be a problem for these devices, these phones are still not dustproof. It is advisable to protect your Samsung phones on beaches to avoid sand getting into the hinge mechanism.

If you purchase one of these phones, you'll receive an extensive list of maintenance instructions.

However, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 are substantially sturdier than prior models when it comes to protecting multiple screens. But still, the longevity of these devices depend on how users use and care for it, so it's not guaranteed that they would survive that well outside of a laboratory setup.

Related Videos: Afraid Your Samsung Galaxy Phone Has Been Hacked? Check For Warning Signs, Perform Fixes
Hana Bank opens its first branch inside a local convenience store, located in Songpa District, southern Seoul, Monday. This is the first time that a commercial bank has opened a branch inside a convenience store here. Customers can complete about 50 banking tasks via the bank's smart self-zone, a digital self-banking window, 24 hours a day inside the convenience store, where online consultation with bankers is also available. Courtesy of Hana Bank
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un watches the opening ceremony of a defense development exhibition on the 76th founding anniversary of the ruling Workers' Party, Oct. 11. Yonhap



North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has called for boosting the country's military capabilities to counter what he called "hostile forces" against Pyongyang but said the move is not aimed at a war against South Korea or the United States.



Kim made the remarks Monday in a speech at a defense development exhibition to mark the 76th founding anniversary of the ruling Workers' Party, criticizing Seoul and Washington over their combined military exercises and weapons development.



"The United States has been frequently signaling that it's not hostile to our country, but there has been no behavioral ground to believe that it is not," Kim said. "For our descendants we need to be strong. We need to first be strong."



The remarks came less than two weeks after North Korea tested a new anti-aircraft missile in its fourth missile launch in September alone.






Jung In-sung, president of Korea Hana Foundation / Yonhap



The ultimate goal of policy on North Korean defectors living in South Korea should go beyond helping their economic stability but making them accepted as "ordinary neighbors" facing no prejudice and discrimination, the head of South Korea's state-run resettlement agency said.



Jung In-sung, president of the Korea Hana Foundation, vowed to continued efforts to expand communication and exchanges between North Korean defectors and South Korean citizens to ensure that the defectors can become part of the South Korean society and serve as a strong foundation for future unification between the two Koreas.



The Korean Hana Foundation was established in 2010 by the unification ministry to help the resettlement of North Korean defectors whose number stands at around 34,000. Jung, a former senior Won Buddhism official, took office as head of the foundation in March 2020.



"Previous support for North Korean defectors had been focused on helping them secure economic self-reliance," Jung told Yonhap News Agency in a recent interview in his office in western Seoul. "But economic support has its limits. It would be half a success should North Korean defectors not be able to be completely included and united in our society."



"In line with the policy direction and from a perspective of inclusion, our foundation will make more efforts to provide programs that can expand communication and exchanges between North Korean defectors and South Korean people," he said.



People in the two Koreas speak the same language, Hangeul, South Koreans do not understand some North Korean dialects and some of them tend to look down on people who speak with a strong North Korean accent.



Jung took office months after the death of a North Korean defector and her small kid shocked South Korean society as they were believed to have died from starvation, which prompted the Seoul government to find any "blind spot" in its resettlement programs.



In his inauguration speech, Jung emphasized, "There is no blind spot at desks but in the fields," pledging to devote much of his time to getting a first-hand look at the reality that North Korean defectors are facing and find solutions to any problems.



Jung reiterated the belief in the interview, saying he has tried to practice what he preached and done his best to go wherever there is a need for support from his foundation. Long involved in cross-border exchanges, he said that such trips helped remind himself of challenges confronting many North Korean defectors.



"They lived in a country with different political and cultural backgrounds from ours. They don't have many to rely on here. They have to address their economic difficulties on their own, while at the same time trying to win in competition with people in the South," Jung said.



Jung said he has focused on reducing blind spots where North Korean defectors in desperate need had not been detected and finding effective methods to help them. In a related move, the foundation launched the "solution committee" made up of experts in relevant fields that works to find solutions tailored to the needs of any defector found to be in dire situations.



"It might be impossible to eliminate blind spots completely. It is important to map out appropriate measures through a mechanism when a blind spot is detected," Jung said.



He said that the protracted fight against COVID-19 has taken a heavier toll on North Korean defectors, many of them working in the less secure service sector and in irregular working positions, which have been hit hard by fewer operating hours and less consumer demand caused by the nationwide antivirus campaign.



He, however, stressed that what is making it even harder for many North Korean defectors to make "a complete resettlement" in South Korea is deep-seated prejudice and misunderstanding against them.



"It is still true that there exists prejudice, misunderstanding and discrimination against North Korean defectors, which makes it harder for their complete settlement in our society," he said. "North Korean defectors should be regarded as the future of unification that came first and accepted as our ordinary neighbors." (Yonhap)


North Korean leader Kim Jong-un speaks a defense development exhibition held in commemoration of the 76th founding anniversary of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea, Sunday, in this photo released by the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) the next day. Yonhap



By Kang Seung-woo



North Korea has doubled down on its ambition to be declared a nuclear state, while urging the United States to change its "hostile" policy toward the country, and offer sanctions relief.



The country's leader Kim Jong-un made the remarks in a speech at a defense development exhibition to mark the 76th founding anniversary of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea, Sunday.



In the speech, Kim accused Seoul of being "hypocritical" and having "double standards" for continuing to boost its military capabilities while talking ostensibly of "peace, cooperation and prosperity."



Expressing "strong regrets," Kim said the North will respond with "strong actions" if South Korea continues to "infringe upon our rights to self-defense."



His remarks come as the North has recently been ramping up accusations that the South and the United States have been employing "double standards" in reference to the allies' criticism of the North's missile launches as provocations while justifying their own as "deterrence."



Park Won-gon, a professor of North Korean Studies at Ewha Womans University, said the North Korean leader's speech boiled down to his ambition to gain the country recognition as a nuclear-armed state.






Peace Corps Volunteers in Korea, published in The Korea Times Dec. 4, 1966. / Korea Times Archive

By Matt VanVolkenburg



On Sept. 16, 1966, the first contingent of American Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) arrived in Korea. Four days later, in "Thoughts of the Times," John C. Stickler reflected on an encounter months earlier with a small boy who had wanted to practice his English.



"One question he kept repeating was, 'Yoo biscoh?' As the 'Yoo' was accompanied by a pointing finger, I assumed that he was speaking English, but the 'biscoh' had me stumped for a while. Finally I guessed that he was referring to the Peace Corps."



He added, "Korea represents a rather special case for the volunteers coming here. No other country to which PCVs have been invited has such a huge number of Americans already in residence."



A year earlier, James Wade had published a satirical article about just this topic, describing a meeting in Seoul at which the various heads of American aid agencies responded to the PCVs coming by arguing that it was "entirely unnecessary, in view of the work that all of our associated agencies are doing here already."



"Thank goodness!" exclaimed one of those present. "Heavens yes!" another replied. "There are too many Americans here already. The country can't support them all."



In early March 1966 it was reported that around 95 volunteers would be sent to Korea that September to work as teachers. In late May, U.S. Peace Corps Korea director Kevin O'Donnell arrived for a five-week stay to consult with the Korean government and prepare for the PCVs' arrival.



Expectations varied. In March, The Korea Times argued that PCV operations in Korea would be "advantageous to the local development in a variety of projects" and would "contribute greatly to the development of mutual productive friendship between the Korean and American peoples."



South Korean Ambassador to the U.S. Kim Kyun-chul also highlighted friendship as a goal. In Nashville in late June, he spoke to 50 PCVs planning to go to Korea. "Bureaucratic attitudes among American ambassadors to foreign countries make it difficult to convince others of the good intentions of the American people But you may be the ones to change all this," he told them. "If you act, behave and eat like Koreans, then your mission will be successful."





Peace Corps Volunteers in Korea, published in The Korea Times Sept. 16, 1967. / Korea Times Archive



PCV trainees hoping to go to Korea underwent a 12-week training program in Hilo, Hawaii, directed by Arthur Kinsler, who was born to missionary parents in Pyongyang and who had studied at Yonsei University.



As Kim Kak, a former Korea Times staffer who took part in the training, described it, "The original group of 120 trainees came to the Peace Corps training center in Hilo on June 20 to receive intensive instruction in the Korean language, together with acculturation and skill training. In the course of the past 3 months, about 20 trainees have either voluntarily resigned or were 'deselected.'"



In many ways, Hawaii, which was unfamiliar to many of the trainees, was a good halfway point between the mainland U.S. and Korea. As Edward Baker, a member of the K-1 Peace Corps group, described it, Hawaii was "very different from South Korea, but the total change of scenery was useful conditioning for living in South Korea where the change would be even more extreme."



Greeted by a Korean flag hanging in the training center lobby, Kim noted that trainees could eat rice daily in the cafeteria and were "often seen sampling kimchi on low tables while sitting cross-legged" beneath a notice that read "Only Korean Spoken Here."



One problem to overcome was the fact that there was little written in English about Korea at the time. As historian Edward J. Shultz, another K-1 member, remembered it, "Prior to our arrival, the Peace Corps had sent us two books, 'The Martyred' by Richard Kim and 'Korean Works and Days' by Richard Rutt."



Training focused on six areas  Korean language study, "Asia-America studies," teaching skills and practice, environmental adaptation, food and health and community development  but studying Korean took up the bulk of the time: four to five hours, six days a week. Considering the different levels of politeness in spoken Korean, "it was recommended that they always stick to the honorific form."



In addition, according to Shultz, "To hone our teaching skills, the Peace Corps sent us over to the Kona (west) coast of the Hawaii Island to practice teaching in the public schools and engage in cross-cultural learning, through teaching indigenous Hawaiian as well as third-generation immigrant children."



Kim also described how trainees spent a week at a Peace Corps training camp designed in the style of an "Asian village," where they "slept on the floor, cooked their own food, used non-flush toilets, washed their own clothes in the river, and were introduced to farming, village style. The second phase of the adaptation training was living for three weeks with families of Oriental backgrounds."





Peace Corps Volunteers in Korea, published in The Korea Times June 8, 1967. / Korea Times Archive



"Cutting across all these training programs," Kim wrote, was "a new concept of sensitivity training that includes many do's and don'ts necessary for minimizing any possible emotional conflicts between the volunteers and Korean nationals."



Some of the discussions included "How would a Korean housewife react if a man, especially a foreigner, would go into the kitchen to help her out?" and "Will it be proper for female Peace Corps volunteers to go out with American GIs?"



On Sept. 14 it was reported that of the 101 volunteers, 38 were women, including "several wives who are going with their fellow volunteer husbands." That day, the Ministry of Education and Peace Corps Korea signed a 14-item agreement, and agreed that the K-1 volunteers would stay 21 months.



Two days later, 98 members of K-1 arrived in Korea. Upon arrival they attended an orientation program offered by the U.S. embassy in Seoul where "they heard lectures on Korea and Korea-U.S. relations" given by embassy and U.S. Operations Mission (USOM) people. The next day they paid a courtesy call on Education Minister Kwon O-byong, who hosted a reception for them at Korea House in the evening before they began a three-day orientation program by the ministry. After that, the volunteers were sent off to one of the 43 towns they had been assigned to.





Peace Corps Volunteers in Korea, published in The Korea Times Sept. 3, 1967. / Korea Times Archive




President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday ordered a thorough probe into a snowballing corruption scandal involving a close aide to the ruling Democratic Party's presidential nominee.







"The prosecution and the police should actively cooperate and do their utmost to uncover the factual truth through a swift and thorough investigation," Moon said.







This is the first time Moon has commented on the scandal that centers on allegations that the aide to Gyeonggi Gov. Lee Jae-myung was involved in allowing a little known asset management firm to make massive profits from a land development project in Seongnam, south of Seoul, when Lee was mayor of the city. (Yonhap)






Prosecutors on Tuesday demanded a 70 million won ($58,300) fine for Samsung Group heir Lee Jae-yong over his alleged illegal use of propofol, an anesthesia-inducing medication.







In June, prosecutors indicted the Samsung Electronics vice chairman on charges of taking propofol for purposes other than medical treatments.







In a hearing held at the Seoul Central District Court on Tuesday, prosecutors demanded the court hand Lee a 70 million fine and an additional forfeit of 17 million won.







Lee is suspected of having excessively and illegally taken the anesthesia drug at a plastic surgery clinic in Seoul from 2017-18. He has denied the allegation, arguing he used propofol "normally" in accordance with a doctor's prescription. (Yonhap)


Korea should actively cope with internationalizing tax system



Global tech giants, including Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon, and Netflix, have generated huge sales and profits worldwide. Still, they avoided or minimized tax payments by deliberately applying complex financial structures to their businesses. Recently, however, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the Group of 20 countries agreed to impose a "digital tax" on these IT behemoths. Its implementing framework has two pillars  allocating taxation rights to countries where these corporate giants provide services and generate profits, and setting the minimum corporate tax rate at 15 percent.



This historic milestone established a new framework for the global tax system through intense multinational discussion, which began with the "Google tax" debate in the 2000s. As a result, countries have restored their taxation rights and gotten out of the reckless competition to lower tax rates. It was also noteworthy that 136 nations that account for 90 percent of global gross domestic product (GDP) agreed to change the basis of the international tax system that had remained for nearly a century despite the harm caused by tax havens.



That is also a welcome move for Korea. Google and other global IT giants have been unwilling to pay taxes here, saying they have no domestic places of business in Korea. However, using such strategies will become more difficult because of the latest accord. Last year, 19 global tech juggernauts paid only 153.9 billion won ($128.6 million) in corporate tax to the Korean government, although their combined sales were estimated at scores of trillions of won.



Despite the latest global accord, the chances are slim that these companies will pay taxes voluntarily. So, the Korean tax authorities should specifically look for taxable sources to secure revenue, without omission. Considering that some Korean businesses, including Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, will also be subject to the global minimum tax, government and business officials need to carefully analyze the new system's impact on the economy, and work out countermeasures. The government should allow deductions in corporate taxes payable at home for Korean multinationals if they pay levies in other countries, and revisit double taxation avoidance pacts it has concluded with other countries.


By Lee Seong-hyon





Last year, many South Korean security experts pointed out the two geopolitical hot spots, the South China Sea and Taiwan, as having the largest potential to ignite a military conflagration. This year, they  without hesitation  point to Taiwan as their first choice, while sparingly mentioning the South China Sea.



The fact that China escalated its latest military tensions with Taiwan  right before the Zurich meeting between the White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan and senior Chinese foreign policy adviser Yang Jiechi  and deescalated them after the meeting, indicates that, for China, the Taiwan issue is part of its larger strategy in dealing with the United States.



China dispatched a record number of warplanes into Taiwan's air defense identification zone in a show of force. In recent weeks, there have been increasing tensions near the Taiwan Strait, with both China and the U.S. conducting more conspicuous military drills than ever. Yet, the uncommonly large-scale Chinese military prowess, is seen by some analysts as China displaying its resolve over Taiwan, ahead of a summit between Joe Biden and Xi Jinping. Zurich was the venue where the U.S. and China agreed to hold the summit before the year's end.



The expected summit, the first since Biden was inaugurated, is expected to be consequential, even though it may not be fruitful. The Taiwan issue will be a top item on the agenda. Beijing's show of force, however, is being seen as a warning of non-compromise to whatever Washington might attempt to do to strengthen its ties with Taiwan, in the coming weeks and months.



Chinese leader Xi Jinping has, on numerous occasions, emphasized unification with Taiwan. Unification with Taiwan is also part of Xi's avowed "Chinese Dream" (zhongguo meng) mandate.



The question increasingly debated in Washington now is whether Xi will unleash China's military means against Taiwan to accomplish this goal. Given all the military maneuvers Beijing has been showing, this prospect is a legitimate question. Besides, Xi himself has not excluded a military option either.



If an outside observer also inclines towards the possibility of China resorting to kinetic means against Taiwan, then that person may also wonder about the timing of such an attack against Taiwan.



First of all, it's highly unlikely for Beijing to attack Taiwan before the expected summit between Xi and Biden. That would be a diplomatic disaster. It's also unlikely before February of next year when China will hold its Winter Olympics. That would draw international outcry, not to mention, a boycott of the Beijing-hosted event.



Deep into the latter part of the year 2022, it's also unlikely for Xi Jinping to mount an attack on Taiwan before the 20th Communist Party Congress, either in October or November, which is expected to be a grand moment to announce Xi's transition into a supreme third term of leadership.



Next year also marks important anniversaries for China to have normalized diplomatic relations with its two neighbor countries - its 30th with South Korea, and its 50th with Japan. Throughout next year, China will hold many cultural events and forums with Seoul and Tokyo. The three countries are also expected to promote people-to-people exchanges and mutual understanding and friendship. It doesn't look like a good year to invade Taiwan.



So, Taiwan has breathing time. Taiwan and the U.S. should sit down with each other and engage in the most candid and frank conversation they have ever had. This dialogue will include the very sensitive question of whether the U.S. will (really) send troops to protect Taiwan in case there is a war in the Taiwan Strait.



Don't leave this sensitive question in the strategic rabbit hole. The world doesn't have to know. But Taiwan should know the answer to this question, because if anything happens in the future, it will be the Taiwanese people first and foremost that are affected.



The current U.S. standard answer to this question is "strategic ambiguity." A day after his meeting with China's top diplomat, Yang Jiechi, in Zurich, Sullivan, the White House national security advisor, was pressed by a BBC journalist on whether the U.S. is prepared to take military action to defend Taiwan.



Sullivan said, "Let me just say this, we are going to take action now to try to prevent that day from ever coming to pass." That's a smart diplomatic answer, but not very comforting for Taiwan.





Lee Seong-hyon, Ph.D. (sunnybbsfs@gmail.com), is a visiting scholar at Harvard University's Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies. He is the former director of the Center for Chinese Studies at the Sejong Institute.


Shin Ramyun's Big Bowl noodles / Courtesy of Nongshim



By Kim Jae-heun



Korean food has been one of the biggest cultural products to surf the Korean wave to global popularity. However, no one could have expected instant noodles and dumplings made by Korean firms to please foreign palates over mainstays like bibimbap and bulgogi.



Nongshim, the country's largest instant noodle maker, has achieved surprising sales performance with its all-time best-seller Shin Ramyun, which is well-known for its spicy flavor.



Until last year, Nongshim's Shin Ramyun domestic sales dwarfed sales abroad. However, the noodle maker's overseas revenue has been increasing consistently, accounting for 53.6 percent of total sales as of last month, which comes to 370 billion won in revenue. It was the first time in the 35-year history of Shin Ramyun, launched in 1986, that it sold more abroad than here.



The key to this outstanding result is evident in Nongshim's motto: "The most authentic Korean taste is the most authentic global taste."



Nongshim's overseas sales go back as early as 1971 when it started exporting noodles products to the world. It targeted Korean immigrants living in Los Angeles and then expanded to Asian countries including China and Japan.





Go players compete in a Go tournament sponsored by Nongshim in China on Dec. 8, 2011. Korea Times file




The EU announced on Tuesday a one-billion-euro ($1.2 billion) aid package for Afghanistan, "to avert a major humanitarian and socio-economic collapse," said the bloc's chief, Ursula von der Leyen.







The money, pledged at a virtual G20 summit, adds 250 million euros to a 300-million-euro sum the EU previously announced for urgent humanitarian needs, with the remainder going to Afghanistan's neighbouring countries taking in Afghans fleeing Taliban rule, a statement said. (AFP)






A strong earthquake jolted the Greek island of Crete on Tuesday, three weeks after another temblor killed a man and damaged hundreds of buildings.







The Geodynamic Institute in Athens said the undersea earthquake had a preliminary magnitude of 6.3 and occurred at 12:24 p.m. local time (9:24 a.m. GMT) off the island's eastern coast.







Magnitude 4.1 and 4.6 quakes that are believed to be aftershocks took place minutes later, the institute said.







There were no immediate reports of serious damage or injuries. Authorities said police and fire crews were checking buildings in eastern Crete for damage and trying to reach several remote villages closer to the quake's epicenter.







"The quake was felt all over the island, and it did cause concern because we are still feeling the aftershocks from the previous quake," Crete's deputy regional governor, Yiannis Leondarakis, told Greece's state-run radio. (AP)


Womens March Foundation was one of 600 organizations across the nation that protested the Texas bill that bans abortions after six weeks by walking from Pershing Square to City Hall on Oct. 2.
In 1976, graduate student Ali Golbad won first prize in the Lifes Values and Issues photo contest for the photographs he took on Skid Row. Forty-five years later, the homeless issue in Los Angeles, and especially on Skid Row, has grown exponentially.


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This year marks the 500th anniversary of the capture of Cuauhtemoc [the last Aztec ruler] on 13 August 1521 by the Spanish invaders, an event that marked the date of the fall of Mexico-Tenochtitlan. This fall represented a very important stage in the process of the ascent of capitalism and its worldwide rise to dominance. It was one of the starting points of capitalist globalisation. And it represented a clash between two modes of production: capitalism in its early stage of development, and the mode of production of the Mesoamerican world, with its own peculiarities.

In this clash, the great civilisations of the pre-Hispanic world were sacrificed to feed the nascent capitalist system, with the majority of the population dying as a result of the destruction of their culture and imported diseases. The request by Mexican president, Lopez Obrador, that the Spanish government apologise for the genocide has opened a healthy debate on various issues including: what the conquest meant, how to bring justice for indigenous peoples, how free and independent Mexico is today, how we should fight imperialism, and how was it possible that a few hundred invaders were able to overthrow an empire that ruled over millions of people. In this article we intend to contribute a Marxist perspective on the 500 years since the fall of Tenochtitlan.

Primitive accumulation of capital and the thirst for gold

At the beginning  during the centuries of the so-called Renaissance, in the period before the dominant feudal relations had collapsed  capital was accumulated in the form of commercial capital, mainly as money and commodities. The development of trade stimulated the Portuguese to attempt to circumnavigate Africa in search of a new route to the East. But the slave trade, which in turn accelerated capitalist accumulation, was more lucrative than the old trade with the East Indies. It was only a matter of time before other powers, jealous of the success of the Portuguese, tried to find new routes across the Atlantic, reducing the Mediterranean Sea, the main stage of the ancient world, to little more than a paddling pool by comparison. These were the causes of a disease that afflicted the European conquerors, a disease which ancient civilisations did not suffer from, and that could only be alleviated by the capture of gold and trade routes. That disease  otherwise known as the primitive accumulation of capital, the insane need for money  would lead the Europeans to conquer Africa, America, Asia and Oceania; enslaving, plundering and destroying native cultures. The conquerors craving for precious metals grew in the same proportion as the early, developing capitalist economy required a means of exchange and accumulation. This frenzied need was as powerful as the craving of an incurable addict for heroin, but with far graver consequences than an overdose. The First World was nourished by the blood, sweat and tears of the colonial world. Marx wrote:

The discovery of gold and silver in America, the extirpation, enslavement and entombment in mines of the aboriginal population, the beginning of the conquest and looting of the East Indies, the turning of Africa into a warren for the commercial hunting of black-skins, signalised the rosy dawn of the era of capitalist production. These idyllic proceedings are the chief momenta of primitive accumulation. On their heels treads the commercial war of the European nations, with the globe for a theatre.

This transitional stage that we know as the European Renaissance was expressed in its own way by such characters as Christopher Columbus and Hernan Cortes. The first was a merchant and navigator, a self-taught bookseller who was fascinated by travel books. After making a pilgrimage through various European courts, he won limited support from the kingdom of Castile to find a new route to the east by navigating the Atlantic. He miscalculated that the Earths circumference was only 25% of its actual size. It was the greatest miscalculation on record, promising a much shorter journey to the Far East. He was driven to travel into the unknown by the promise of fame, the purchase of noble titles and the allure of becoming a king of islands. It was a curious combination, mixing the eagerness of a bourgeois to accumulate wealth with the desire to spend it in the manner of a feudal lord. The Spanish empire itself did not know how to use the looted gold as capital. Large amounts were used for the construction of churches and temples. However, the influx of these huge sums of precious metals were well suited to the needs of other European powers in their drive towards capitalism.

Cristopher Columbus was a merchant and an adventurer driven to travel into the unknown by the promise of fame, noble titles and the allure of becoming a king of islands / Image: Public Domain

When the promise of items from the East and gold in large quantities was frustrated, Columbus did not hesitate to enslave the indigenous populations, massacring them where they resisted. His refusal to accept that the lands he had reached were not the coasts of China, Japan or India was owed simply to the fact that he needed to present the terms of the contract with the Spanish crown as having been fulfilled. The latter stipulated that only should he find a new route to Asia would the promised benefits and privileges be granted: on the one hand pecuniary concessions and on the other political privileges of undoubted feudal flavour.[1] His hodge-bodge understanding of the world and navigation, of which he was self-taught, was combined with foolish beliefs in prophecies, the end of the world and in heavenly predestination. Such beliefs were typical of the darkest days of the feudal epoch  beliefs that were reinforced as his luck worsened.

Cortes, for his part, was a cruel and cunning adventurer who, like Columbus, sought fortune, fame, and power. He did not pause before deceiving not only strangers, but his own people as well. His expedition to Mexico-Tenochtitlan, for example, was at first illegal as it did not enjoy the permission of the Cuban government. He literally burned his ships after landing to prevent his army from retreating, and he did not hesitate in carrying out the worst slaughters in pursuit of his dream of being Viceroy of the lands he had conquered with blood and fire. The Spanish soldiers who invaded America had little to lose: some of Columbus sailors were convicts who were granted a royal pardon to make the trip to America. Most of Cortes troops, meanwhile, consisted of poor peasants  some of whom were war veterans  whose only payment was the promise of plunder and booty. The most lumpenised and adventurist strata of Spanish society formed the spearhead of capitalisms penetration into the New World.

The cracks in the Mexica dominion

While a frantic thirst to find and conquer new colonies gripped Europe, the Mexica [the ruling group then dominant in central Mexico]  representatives of the great Mesoamerican civilisations  were founded on the exploitation of a plethora of small agrarian communities. Private ownership of land among these communities was practically unknown. The communities were only united by the central power that demanded tribute  in kind and in the form of labour. Marx called this peculiar mode of production  which also existed in some form in ancient India, Egypt, China and South America  as the Asiatic mode of production or as oriental despotism. In the context of this set up, there was no shortage of quarrels and rivalries among the different peoples. Political alliances were made and broken in the struggle for control of the exploited communities, generating almost irreconcilable divisions and rivalries.

When the Spanish arrived, there were about a thousand dominions in Mesoamerica, and the Mexica dominated many hundreds of them. In fact, these rivalries and changes in political alliances were the common way of doing politics in the Mesoamerican world. It was by way of war and coercion that mutual commitments were established regarding the distribution of surplus and of the work produced by the village communities.

Pre-Hispanic trade was relatively underdeveloped. It is true that there existed long-distance trade routes and impressive markets in pre-Hispanic cities since preclassic times [2,500 BCE to 200 CE], but this remained limited and state-controlled trade, subject to the tax needs of the ruling caste. The village communities were insular and produced principally for their own consumption. There existed no nation state as we understand it today, but small and large dominions that were subordinated to more powerful ones through war. Thus, the Mesoamerican political and economic system was a jigsaw puzzle that could be broken anywhere, and the mighty Mexica state was a giant with feet of clay.

These cracks between the fragments of the political jigsaw of the Mexica empire would be used in a cynical and cunning way by the invaders, who numbered only a few hundred. They would capitalise on an internal civil war in order to impose the colonial rule of Europe on America. This is the only way that we can understand how an empire whose capital, Mexico-Tenochtitlan, numbered some 300,000 people and which dominated a territory of some seven million people, could be overthrown by just 300 men led by Hernan Cortes.

Emperor Moctezuma mistakenly believed that the Spanish invaders could be appeased with gifts / Image: Public Domain

The Spaniards took advantage of and grouped together the opposition of such peoples as the Tlaxcalans, Cholultecas and Totonacas. The use of steel weapons, cavalry and the use of gunpowder  unknown to the pre-Hispanic people  also played an important role. The guns, germs and steel that the Spaniards brought with them played decisively in their favour. These latter advantages were related to the differing levels of historical development between the old and new worlds. This is an interesting issue linked to material factors that go beyond the control of the will and intelligence of these peoples.

This is the only way to explain the fact that invaders like Pizarro were able to apply the same strategy with the Inca civilisation and to obtain the same results. In its first century, the colonial administration was based upon the same tributary system of the Mexica, except that the invaders occupied the place of the Tlatoanis. The worst elements of the old system were combined with the humiliation of the destruction of the culture of the conquered people, and a true social catastrophe: between 1519 and 1607, population decreased by 95%. The Spanish conquest was a civil war. Although it brought hope of liberation to some of the subjugated peoples, those hopes were quickly dashed, and in their place came the worst catastrophe imaginable for the vast majority of the indigenous people. The oppression and humiliation that the conquerors brought in their train persist to this day in varying degrees.

The invaders dont want tribute

Emperor Moctezuma mistakenly believed that the Spanish invaders could be appeased with gifts, and he received them with kindness and courtesy. He proposed diplomacy as he knew it. Tributes were, after all, one of the reasons that the Mexica themselves waged war. Couldnt another slaughter like that of Cholula be prevented by reaching an amicable agreement of a tributary relationship with the men of Castile? But the only thing that Moctezumas gifts did was to stimulate the invaders desire to conquer. They did not want episodic tributes but to be able to plunder all the gold and wealth they could. Here we see an expression of fundamental differences between two very different modes of production and points of view: the Mexica appropriated use values and labour for state works; the Spanish invaders were blinded by the endless search for gold, as part of the primitive accumulation of capital.

Although the Spaniards were hosted as distinguished guests, they did not hesitate in performing the worst atrocities. In Tozcatl they took advantage of a religious ceremony to carry out a horrific massacre / Image: Public Domain

This difference was also expressed in another way: the Spanish had no qualms about waging a war of extermination if it assisted in achieving their immediate objectives. The pre-Hispanic peoples waged war only to impose tributes and obtain captives for sacrifice. For them, the Spanish way of waging war was barbaric. These remarks are not intended to idealise the Mexica style of warmongering. Rather, we are only affirming that each different strategy in war simply expressed the logic of very different cultures that were ultimately rooted in very different material bases.

Although the Spaniards were hosted as distinguished guests, they did not hesitate in taking the Mexica emperor prisoner in his own palace. Later they would even take advantage of a solemn and important religious ceremony, the Tozcatl festival in the Main Temple, to carry out a horrific massacre in which even women and children were not spared. All this was merely a means to loot the riches of the Main Temple. They had already carried out a preventative massacre in Cholula where, in a period of six hours, Cortes troops had murdered some 5,000 Cholultecas. Bartolome de las Casas left written testimony of the horrific massacre at the Main Temple:

At once all [the Spaniards] stab, spear people and slash them, they wound them with swords. Some were attacked from behind; immediately their entrails fell to the ground scattered. Others had their heads torn apart: their heads were sliced off, their heads were left completely in shreds[2].

The Mexica did not use gold as currency but as a luxury item to make manufactured objects. That is, it was used to make use values for the ruling caste. Apparently, gold was not even the most valuable luxury item. Expressing the lack of development of commercial relations, cotton blankets, cocoa and even slaves were used as currency.

In order to loot the precious metal and put it to use in the traditional European manner, countless gold works of art were melted down into ugly ingots. Irreplaceable works of art were lost forever. In fact, in the defeat known as La noche triste, many of the invaders died because, weighed down by heavy armour filled will melted-down gold, they drowned in the waters of Lake Texcoco, much like the ambitious Gollum who preferred to die in the lava of Mount Doom than give up his precious ring.

After Moctezuma was killed attempting to contain the population of Tenochtitlan after the massacre of the Main Temple, and following the expulsion of the Spanish from the city, Cuauhtemoc assumed military command of a city besieged by the Spanish and their allies, and ravaged by the agonies of smallpox. After being captured, Cuauhtemoc was tortured so that he would deliver up the remaining gold  his feet were soaked in oil and set alight.

Four years later, during an expedition to Honduras, Cortes had Cuauhtemoc, whom he had taken prisoner on that expedition  hanged and buried in an unmarked grave. The indigenous people were forced to destroy their great city and their grand palaces to retrieve the stone with which the churches to which they were ideologically subjected were built. Indeed, some of the surviving Mexica priests told the twelve Franciscans who arrived in 1524, Let us die now, let us perish now, since our gods have already died![3]

The emancipation of the indigenous peoples

In a letter addressed to the Spanish government and the Spanish King, President Lopez Obrador recently requested an official apology for the genocide involved in the conquest of Mexico-Tenochtitlan. As a symbolic gesture by a reformist left-wing president, it contrasts starkly with the cowardly and servile stances taken by previous governments. The petition, which was rejected by the Spanish government, has exposed the hypocrisy of the Spanish ruling class, which is inherently colonialist, racist and contemptuous of the cultures of the original peoples of the Americas. In this sense, it is undoubtedly positive that the president of Mexico has opened a debate on the meaning of the conquests, and as to how justice should be restored to the indigenous peoples who continue to suffer oppression as a result of that conquest. However, as Marxists we understand that conquest and genocide were the result of the birth of capitalism, and that capitalist imperialism that inherited those colonial conquests will not cease to exist as long as the capitalist system itself exists.

It is true that the encomienda (grant to demand tribute) and the repartimiento (land distribution) with which the Spanish colony oppressed the indigenous peoples no longer exist. But capitalism dominates Mexico in a more complete and absolute way than in colonial times, through the world market / Image: Conquista de Mexico por Cortes, Public Domain

What Marxists seek is not an apology from the governments representing capital, but their overthrow through revolutionary means. We understand that only once the rule of capital is overthrown will imperialism and the colonial system that it entails cease to exist.

It is true that the encomienda (grant to demand tribute) and the repartimiento (land distribution) with which the Spanish colony oppressed the indigenous peoples no longer exist. But capitalism dominates Mexico in a more complete and absolute way than in colonial times, through the world market, through the economic and military might of the great powers of which the Mexican bourgeoisie is a small offshoot. Indigenous peoples suffer this oppression as workers, as peasants and as indigenous groups on the economic and racial levels.

In a letter to the Russian revolutionary, Vera Zasulich, Marx affirmed how the collectivist traditions of the peasant communities could be harnessed to regenerate the life of Russia in a communist sense, but only on the condition that these communities were attracted by a powerful socialist revolution. Mariategui  along the same lines  argued that the trend towards cooperation in indigenous communities was a point of support for the revolutionary movement of the working class. He was clear that neither indigenous mysticism  which idealises the indigenous or which promotes autonomy without overthrowing capitalism  nor bourgeois paternalism  which benevolently seeks to integrate the indigenous into the capitalist system  are an alternative. Only the socialist revolution can provide the material basis for the emancipation of indigenous peoples by liberating them from the landowners, big business and commerce that destroys their communities.

Notes

[1] Fernandez Armesto, Felipe; Cristobal Colon, Madrid, Editorial Critica, 1991, p. 108.

[2] Cited in: Leon Portilla, Miguel; The reverse of the conquest, Mexico, Joaquin Mortiz, 1964, p. 40.

[3] Ibid. p.21.
Last Saturday (9 October), hundreds of fascists attacked and vandalised the premises of the national headquarters of the CGIL (Italian General Confederation of Labour) in Rome.

They did so during a demonstration against the so-called green pass (indicating ones COVID-19 vaccine status), which the government imposed as mandatory in all workplaces on 15 October.

This measure is unleashing anger among a section of the workers (though not the majority), and especially from the petty bourgeoisie and the lumpenproletariat. This confused rage has opened up a certain political space for the right and the extreme right.

The fascists who assaulted the CGIL HQ were granted total impunity by the police, who stood idly by and watched for some time before intervening. The working class reacted immediately to this provocation, with demonstrations and sit-in of thousands of people the next day in front of CGIL offices throughout Italy, and with a planned demonstration on Saturday 16 October in Rome, which promises to be massive.

A new scenario of intensified class struggle is opening up in Italy.

The videos of Forza Nuova fascists breaking into the national headquarters of the CGIL, while smashing whatever happened to be within their range, make ones blood boil with anger. This was a deliberate attack directed against the workers movement and its main organisation.

Fascists spend their miserable existence in a state of racist and homophobic hysteria. The workers organisations are their fundamental enemies. For the fascists, any excuse is a good one when it comes to attacking the workers. This is exactly what they did when given the chance last Saturday.

#Italy: A group led by members of the far-right organisation Forza Nuova, attacked and occupied the headquarters of CGIL, the Italian General Confederation of Labour in #Rome, on Saturday evening.#FCKNZS pic.twitter.com/65ufm6hDSd  Persona (@PersonalEscrito) October 10, 2021

They were given this opportunity by mobilisations against the green pass, which in Italy are viewed by many workers as a discriminatory measure by the bosses and the state.

The right wing plays a role within these movements. For example, the video recordings of the attack show also the leader of the anti-lockdown IoApro movement inside the CGIL office.

We need to give the strongest, firmest and most direct response possible to this fascist attack. Last Sunday morning, all the offices of the CGIL were kept open and manned by union delegates and workers. A national demonstration against fascism has been called for Saturday 16 October.

Our appeal is to participate en masse to this demonstration. We need to show the strength of the working class in the streets. Those neo-fascist organisations will turn pale when confronted with the full strength of the working class.

Saturday's demonstration calls for the dissolution of all the fascist organisations. The need for this is indisputable, and we subscribe to it. However, we cannot be under any illusions that the Mario Draghi government and the democratic institutions will dismantle them  as CGIL General Secretary Maurizio Landini believes.

The state apparatus knew the perpetrators of the Saturday attack only too well, and in fact has a long history of collaboration with the far right.

Roberto Fiore, the national secretary of Forza Nuova, fled abroad in the 1980s to escape conviction for membership in an armed gang and came back to Italy only after the prescriptive period elapsed.

The leaders of Forza Nuova regularly perpetuate attacks on migrants, left-wing activists, etc. And yet, they continue to operate undisturbed  so much for the Mancino Law against hate crime!

Giuliano Castellino, leader of Forza Nuova in Rome, had already pointed out that the CGIL offices were one of the main aims of the Saturday demonstration. However, while the whole city was filled with police officers, and strategic buildings were adequately guarded, the CGIL headquarters were left completely defenceless!

Clearly, we cannot trust the state apparatus to solve the problem of fascism.

We are now witnessing a chorus of solidarity and declarations of anti-fascism from Draghi, president of bosses organisation Confindustria, Carlo Bonomi and even from the right-wing political parties.

What these ladies and gentlemen fear however is not the fascists, upon whom they will rely for their dirty work when necessary. What they really fear is that this act will provoke a massive reaction that will not only smash Forza Nuova, but also then potentially turn against themselves.

Any measures that might be taken against Forza Nuova (and we still have to see if any will actually be taken) aims at placating the mass reaction. Ultimately they will not solve anything.

The Democratic Party (PD) is trying to capitalise on this mood (especially thinking about the coming elections), with a motion to ban fascist organisations being presented to the Senate. They have no problem, however, being in a national government with openly racist parties.

Draghi personally went to Landini to show solidarity. But the proposal he put forward is just a generalised restriction on the right to protest. It is very easy to imagine that these same restrictions will soon be used against workers at Alitalia, GKN, or anyone who loses their job following the second lifting of firing restrictions on 31 October.

Bonomi also offered solidarity to the CGIL. At the same time, he asked them to remain in the Growth Pact: that is, to avoid undertaking any mobilisations, while the bosses squeeze the working class for every drop of profit.

What this solidarity offered to the trade union really amounts to is a poisoned chalice that we must return to the sender. We remember how the fascists began their ascent to power by attacking the Chambers of Labour, we also need to remember that fascists have never been defeated through class collaboration. What defeats the fascists is class struggle.

So it was during the Resistance, and so it was during the great general strike in Genoa in 1960.

The strength of a trade union lies in its worker members, and in those workers that see it as a reference point in the struggle for the defence of their rights. Bowing down in front of Confindustria and Draghis government weakens the CGIL.

Today, millions of workers need a trade union that organises a fightback against the bosses policies, lay-offs, exploitation, deaths in the workplace, and discriminatory measures. The best answer to Saturdays fascist assault is to finally launch this working-class fightback, beginning with a general strike against the fascists, Confindustria and Draghis government.
We would like to bring our readers attention to this article by Cuban Communist Frank Josue Solar Cabrales, which was published in Granma, the official newspaper of the Cuban Communist Party under the title The realism of the impossible. The article deals with the question of the conditions for Latin American unity. We fully share the authors contention that this can only be achieved through socialist revolution and the impact that such a development would have on the class struggle worldwide.

Originally published on 26 September in Granma |

The socialist revolution is the necessary condition for the development and the solution to the pressing problems of the people of our continent.

Since the struggles for independence in Latin America, a number of its protagonists understood the need for unity to confront external enemies and safeguard freedom. In the many regions of South America, Venezuelans, Peruvians, Chileans, people of the Rio de la Plata basin and of the New Granada colony fought, died and emerged victorious. In 1826 in Panama, Simon Bolivar unified the fledgling states on a continent-wide basis. His efforts were later thwarted. Jose Marti understood the emancipation of Cuba as part of a broader project that extended to the emancipation of Puerto Rico, rebuffing the attempt of the United States to extend into the Antilles, and helping to stymie its attack on the republics south of the Rio Grande. Since 1959, support for the Latin American revolution has been seen not only as a moral duty for the Cuban Revolution, but as an imperative for survival. It based its future on encouraging neighbouring liberation struggles and on the transformation of its immediate surroundings.

The fallacy that it is possible to build developed, independent states on the basis of capitalism in Latin America, that are capable of coming together despite their rivalries, has been dismantled by an extensive tradition of critical thought, from Julio Antonio Mella and Jose Carlos Mariategui to Che Guevara and Fidel Castro. The weakness and the late arrival of the Latin American bourgeoisie onto the scene of history, at a moment when the imperialist division of the world to secure the raw materials and markets in peripheral countries was in full swing, laid the basis for its subordination to the centres of world power. Submission and underdevelopment are the inevitable fate of the capitalist mode of production on our continent.

What is decisive for Latin American unity is not the existence or the solidity of a structure for integration, but the correlation of class forces and the interests that dominate in our countries. Neither the rancid Creole oligarchies, nor the national bourgeoisies  tied as they are by a thousand strings of dependence on US imperialism  nor the doomed attempts to reform capitalism and give it a more humane face, will be able to achieve Latin American unity. For Latin America to truly become a region of peace and integration, we must turn it into a site of revolutionary struggle.

The socialist revolution is the condition sine qua non for the development and the solution to the pressing problems of the people of our continent. It is the only means of uniting to the benefit of the masses and for the fulfillment of Marti's dream for a second and definitive independence. No initiative that fails to break with capitalism will be able to achieve it. As the Amauta [Jose Carlos Mariategui] used to say: The gentle toasts of diplomacy will not unite these people. In the future, it will be the historic vote that the multitude cast that will unite them.

If compelled by pressing needs that put their profits at risk, or by some particular contradiction with imperialism, the Latin American bourgeoisie were to agree and reach some type of integration, it would always be in the benefit of their own class interests and on no account to serve the interests of their people. In no case would such a thing mean a decisive break in the relationship of dependence on the United States.

We cannot set our sights on building something on the model of the European Union (EU) on this side of the Atlantic. It is worth looking at the result of that particular example. On the one hand, the EU has not managed to resolve the deep conflict of interests between the capitalists of the different nation states and the unevenness of their development. On the other hand, the union has entailed the complete domination of banks and monopolies over peoples lives, in addition to the progressive dismantling of the welfare state and historical social conquests. The European Union is, in reality, a capitalist club, the aim of which is to favour and protect the profits of the large European corporations, by imposing cuts and attacks on the living conditions of the working class. It does not exist to serve the needs of the people.

It is just as illusory to imagine that US imperialism would take a disinterested attitude to the question of unification, and to imagine that economic integration including the United States can be achieved without conditions, without pressure, without interference, and with respect to our sovereignty. Spontaneous generosity cannot be expected from them. A tiger wont cease eating meat just because we pray for it to become a vegetarian. The Alliance for Progress, an initiative for Latin America launched by Kennedy in 1961, was no altruistic gesture of solidarity, nor was it an expression of concern about the inequality and poverty rates plaguing our region. Rather, it was a containment strategy aimed at the Cuban Revolution, intended to prevent its example spreading as inspiration for rebellions across Latin America. Kennedys main objective was the prevention of an eventual revolutionary threat, not the economic development of what he considered to be his own backyard. The relaunch of any similar plan would be motivated by similar concerns and, in any case, would only serve to perpetuate relations of imperialist domination.

It could be objected that revolutions are not on the order of the day in Latin America and that such a perspective right now is totally utopian and that therefore a more realistic and practical policy should be concocted in accordance with the present conditions. Although there is no way to guarantee that a revolutionary triumph on our continent is just around the corner, nonetheless we can say that, from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, social and political stability have become a rarity. Our people  who possess enormous and magnificent traditions of struggle  are demanding change in the streets, in the factories, in the universities, and are confronting the repressive apparatuses of their respective states. Today, the continent is simmering with explosions and social convulsions, of which Chile and Colombia are only the most illustrative examples. These are expressions of deep, long-accumulated discontent.

Crises and popular rebellions are the distinctive feature of Latin American capitalism today. If it nonetheless still exists, that is owed above all to the fact that we have not had an effective strategy to overthrow and overcome it. We need to articulate the struggles of all the oppressed peoples with a revolutionary leadership that identifies capitalism as the main and common enemy, and concentrates all its energies against it. We must make the Revolution vogue once more in this America of ours  to see in it our only effective and viable way out. The goal of the revolutionary forces cannot be simply to get into government in order to manage capitalism but with a greater redistribution of wealth.

Revolutions never seem possible until they happen. It never seems to be the right time for them to occur, and a repertoire of rational and sensible arguments are always at hand to discourage any attempt at revolution. But true utopianism would be to believe that our problems can be solved, and our unity and definitive independence achieved, without breaking with the capitalist framework. The duty of revolutionaries remains to carry out the revolution  not to limit themselves to cosmetic changes to the regimes of imperialist exploitation and vassalage. The struggle for reforms only has validity when it forms part of a functioning strategy of radical advancement. Progressivism that does not set out to transcend the limits of capitalism will not achieve any substantive and lasting improvement in the living conditions of the Latin American peoples. Much less in the current context, characterised as it is by a deep systemic crisis, which leaves little room for maneuver for the welfare policies of reformism.

On the other hand, revolutions cannot be prepared overnight. Through the molecular process of class struggle, the masses will learn for themselves the importance of organisation and the need for a deeper transformation, to overturn the entire previous economic, political and social order. They will learn to equip themselves with the most effective means to achieve such ends.

It is very good to point out the obstacles that the revolution faces, in order to better face and overcome them, but not in order to condemn it to failure in advance. When the revolutionary process breaks out, it will know no limits, and all the containment ditches constructed by the ruling class to impede it will be swept aside. Whoever expects a perfect, flawless revolution, planned down to the last detail, will be waiting forever. We have to work for it, with the materials at hand and with the opportunities that come our way. We must assist in accelerating the preparation of those conditions that will make it a reality.

A triumphant revolutionary wave in Latin America, resulting in the formation of a Latin American federation of socialist republics, would have positive effects of incalculable proportions on the working class of the rest of the world. The idea of using the resources and wealth of Latin America and the entire world in a combined way, for the benefit of all human beings, is a progressive aspiration that would allow an unprecedented development of the economy, culture and science, in a harmonious and responsible relationship with nature. This solution to the current crisis of humanity, the only really serious one, will not happen while a social order based on private property of the means of production prevails. In carrying through this struggle in practice, let us be guided by the slogan of the young Parisians of that legendary struggle of May 1968: Be realistic: demand the impossible!
The African Development Bank Group (AfDB.org), on 11 October 2021, announces the 36-month debarment of Sino-Kenya Engineering Group Company Limited and Mr. Yuehua Bai, its Managing Director, with effect from 19 August 2021. Sino-Kenya Engineering Group Company Limited is a limited liability company registered under the laws of the Republic of Kenya.

An investigation conducted by the Banks Office of Integrity and Anti-Corruption established that Sino-Kenya Engineering Group Company Limited and Mr. Yuehua Bai engaged in fraudulent practices during a tender for the design and build works for Nandi Hills Water Supply and Sanitation Project under the Kenya Towns Sustainable Water Supply and Sanitation Programme.

During the debarment period, Sino-Kenya Engineering Group Company Limited and its affiliates as well as Mr. Yuehua Bai will be ineligible to participate in Bank Group-financed projects. Additionally, the debarment qualifies for cross-debarment by other multilateral development banks under the Agreement for Mutual Enforcement of Debarment Decisions, including the Asian Development Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Inter-American Development Bank and the World Bank Group.

At the expiry of the debarment period, Sino-Kenya Engineering Group Company Limited will only be eligible to resume participation in African Development Bank Group-financed projects after implementing an integrity compliance program consistent with the Banks guidelines; and in the case of Mr. Yuehua Bai, after completing an accredited business integrity training.

The Kenya Towns Sustainable Water Supply and Sanitation Programme is aimed at improving access, quality, availability and sustainability of water supply in 19 towns and wastewater management services in 17 towns in Kenya. The Project is co-financed by the African Development Fund, an entity of the African Development Bank Group, and the Government of Kenya.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

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The Ministry of Health and Wellness informs the general public planning to travel abroad of the following measures validated by the National COVID-19 Vaccination Committee.

1. Future travellers, previously vaccinated with Sinopharm, Astrazeneca (Covishield), Covaxin and Sputnik COVID-19 vaccines, will henceforth be eligible for a single dose of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine, provided that their last COVID-19 vaccine dose was administered 4 months prior to their planned vaccination with the Johnson and Johnson vaccine.

2. Future travellers willing to travel to China and who have had any other COVID-19 vaccine other than a Sinopharm vaccine will henceforth be eligible for two (2) doses of the Sinopharm vaccine, administered at 1 months interval, provided that their last COVID-19 vaccine was administered 4 months prior to their planned vaccination with the Sinopharm vaccine.

3. Travellers going abroad for medical reasons can only be accompanied by 1 person.

Those concerned are invited to book an appointment with the International Vaccination Centre, Mutual Aid Building, Port-Louis.

Appointments can be scheduled by phone by calling the following numbers:

 2124464 / 2108583

Documents to provide:

 COVID-19 Vaccination Card

 A confirmed travel ticket

 National Identity Card (original and copy)

 Proof of treatment in an overseas health institution (for medical travel only)

The International Vaccination Centre is open from Monday to Friday as follows:

 09 00 hours to 11 00 hours and 13 00 hours to 15 00 hours

 On Saturdays from 09 00 hours to 11 00 hours

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Despite widespread decline felt by most economies across the globe, private equity fundraising in Africa has already managed to reach US$1.3bn for the first half of 2021, when including final and interim closes. Mirroring the gradual stabilisation of Africas macroeconomic environment is the African private equity (PE) industry, which continues to prove itself and is once again on a growth trajectory.

This is according to the 2021 H1 African Private Equity Data Tracker released by the African Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (AVCA). The report revealed that North Africa and West Africa jointly attracted the largest share of PE deals by volume, at 23% each. Multi-region deals attracted 50% of deal value for the first half of the year.

The data tracker provides a provisional look at half year PE activity in Africa, which AVCA CEO, Abi Mustapha-Maduakor, believes is particularly salient in these times of economic uncertainty and focused recovery. Private capital remains fundamental towards sustained economic recovery in Africa. Although the first half results still show the lingering effects of the pandemic, we are pleased to see such levels of deal activity which is testament to investors resolve and commitment to supporting growth and scaling of businesses in Africa.

Even though growth forecasts remained muted at the beginning of 2021, this was due to several African countries understandably grappling with persistent outbreaks of COVID-19, along with the cascading healthcare crisis and resulting socio-economic restrictions.

AVCA Head of Research, Nadia Kouassi Coulibaly, says Africas economic recovery is exceeding expectations. Although the IMF predicted sub-Saharan African growth would be moderate to average at around three percent in 2021, the current numbers prove the resilience of African economies, which has been demonstrated during the pandemic.

The first half of 2021 saw 120 reported deals to the value of US$2.1bn concluded on the continent. Financials, Consumer Discretionary, Industrials and Information Technology rose to the top, attracting the greatest investment and accounting for more than half (72%) of the total deal volume in the first half of 2021.

Financials demonstrated a marginal increase accounting for 24% of the total deal volume and value reported in 2021 H1, from 20% and 21% in 2020 H1 respectively. Within Industrials, the majority of deals in terms of volume and value were in Transportation with 37% and 77% respectively.

According to Nadia Kouassi Coulibaly, investment activity has also regained momentum. As an example, she points to a large deal within the Industrials sector which saw US$250mn invested into drone delivery startup, Zipline, by a consortium of investors including Emerging Capital Partners.

AVCA CEO, Abi Mustapha-Maduakor, believes this growth and almost unexpected flourishing of PE activity solidifies the need for AVCA, as the authoritative voice for private investment in Africa, to provide accurate industry activity data .

We will continue to provide the vital data to support investors decision making as they drive more capital into Africa. The findings in this report tell a positive story about private investment in Africa, and we are proud to play an important role in supporting businesses driving Africas long-term economic growth, she concludes.

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The bank, which ranked second in deposit share after Wells Fargo, moved to third place, below PNC, according to the FDIC data. Wells Fargo has $4.6 billion in deposits, or 20.5%, in the metro area. PNC and Truist both have around $2.5 billion in deposits. PNCs market share is 11.5% while Truists is 11.4%, according to the FDIC.
Ive had plenty of ribs in my lifetime but none quite like these bad boys, freelance writer Tatiana Moreno commented in a 2016 Morning Call restaurant review. Cooked over cherry and hickory wood, the smoky and tender meat was a light pink and falling off the bone. The dry-rub spice mixture flavored the meat immensely and created crispy bark-like layers of smokiness and subtle spice. It was served with house BBQ sauce but I only used it for dipping once  the natural flavor of the meat was better.
We need to become a more walkable and bike-friendly city. When doing any paving, it is an opportunity to rethink the design and purpose of some of our roads and streets. The most livable cities are the ones that design streetscapes to be pedestrian friendly. We have several major streets (Broad and Linden streets are at the top of the list) that need to become more about the people living in our neighborhoods and less about the cars passing through our city.
Friedman: Unfortunately, many of our supervisors neither seek nor listen to advice that pertains to the numerous important matters that are affecting our township. They have ignored advice given to them by the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission, experts that live in the community and their own engineer. They are allowing a developer to dictate the terms of a major development that will affect the township and neighboring communities forever. Numerous right-to-know forms need to be submitted to obtain information that should be readily accessible to the citizens of the township. Many times these requests are denied for various reasons.
Witnesses told police they saw a black Honda racing around the parking lot following a white Nissan, forcing it off to the side of the road. The driver of the Honda, later identified as Melendez, opened the Nissans drivers side door. Melendez then forced Rivera, the driver, into the passenger seat and intentionally crashed her car into a light pole.
Surveillance video of the incident shows that when the owner pulled into the lot to try to block in the van, the thieves tried to maneuver around him before ramming into his car and fleeing the scene.
The central theme of her autobiography is love. Love for parents and grandparents, her spouse, her children and grandchildren. At the same time it is about her need for independence and her own career when no one ever expected her to have one, let alone keep it in the years after her husband achieved the vice presidency and the presidency of the United States.
Build Back Better would also make the largest investment ever in cutting child poverty by extending the Biden Child Tax Credit, which, since the beginning of the year, has channeled more than half a billion dollars to support families with children. This money has given families critical resources to pay for school supplies and cover basic needs like food, rent and other bills.
Burley, ID (83318)

Today

Rain early...then remaining cloudy with showers overnight. Low 37F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Rain early...then remaining cloudy with showers overnight. Low 37F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%.
Regional

5 NSCN (K-YA) and NSCN (I-M) militants surrender in Assam

The militants surrendering before ADC to police.

DIBRUGARH, OCT 12 ( AGENCIES) | Publish Date: 10/12/2021 11:31:35 AM IST

Five insurgents belonging to the proscribed National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) (K-YA) and NSCN (IM) surrendered before the Additional Deputy Commissioner, the police and the 6th Assam Rifles in Arunachal Pradeshs Tirap district on Monday, reports The Northeast Today.

The surrendered insurgents include Goliam Gangsa (36), a self-styled (SS) lance corporal of the NSCN (K-YA), who had joined the outfit in 2008. He also surrendered a 32 mm pistol along with live 32 mm ammunition and a 32 mm magazine.

Other cadres were identified as Wangjah Wangsu (21), Wangjah Wangsu (21), Chaifut Pansa (34) and Chaifut Pansa (34). The cadres had joined the outfits between 2004 to 2010, and had been part of various operations.
State

Naga talks: BJP legislators leave for Delhi

DIMAPUR, OCT 12 (NPN) | Publish Date: 10/12/2021 12:41:41 PM IST

State BJP legislators led by deputy chief minister and BLP leader, Y. Patton flew to Delhi Tuesday to meet Central leaders and Naga Political Groups (NPGs) presently camping in Delhi in connection with efforts to push for an early political settlement of the Naga political issue.

According to a press note issued by Dy.CMO media cell, the BJP delegation will be meeting the Interlocutor A.K Mishra, Naga negotiating groups who are already in Delhi- NSCN (I-M) and WC/NNPGs.

The BJP delegation, as facilitators for Naga political talks, will urge upon the negotiating groups to expedite the protracted Naga peace talks by hammering out differences in order to bring about an acceptable and honorable solution, which has eluded the people for decades, the media cell stated.

While asserting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah were serious about resolving the Naga issue for the benefit and betterment of the people, the State BJP legislators also expressed strong belief that peace can be achieved only by meaningful and respectable deliberations.

The BJP legislators also expressed gratitude to chief minister Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma for his proactive role in reaching out to different parties during this crucial talks.

BJP media cell also informed that the party unit president and minister Temjen Imna Along, who was in Imphal , was expected to join the delegation in Delhi had to cancel the trip due to the demise of former state BJP president and chairman NBDA, Visasolie Lhoungu.

BJP legislators-- Tovihoto Ayemi, Kazheto Kinimi and Mmhonlumo Kikon were among those who left for Delhi with Patton.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-11 23:03:03|Editor: huaxia

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Tunisian President Kais Saied (L, front) speaks during a ceremony at the Carthage Palace in Tunis, Tunisia, on Oct. 11, 2021. New Tunisian Prime Minister Najla Bouden Romdhane announced on Monday the lineup of her government, said the Tunisian Presidency. The new cabinet is composed of 24 ministers, including eight women, and one secretary of state. (Tunisian Presidency/Handout via Xinhua)

TUNIS, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- New Tunisian Prime Minister Najla Bouden Romdhane announced on Monday the lineup of her government, said the Tunisian Presidency.

Bouden and members of her cabinet took the oath in front of President Kais Saied during a ceremony held at the Carthage Palace.

The new cabinet is composed of 24 ministers, including eight women, and one secretary of state.

In her speech, Bouden said her goal is "to restore confidence and hope, and ensure economic and health security for the citizens."

"One of the most important goals is to combat corruption," she noted.

On Sept. 29, Saied appointed Bouden as prime minister after removing Hichem Mechichi from the post and suspended all activities of the Assembly of the People's Representatives, or the parliament, on July 25. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-12 00:36:00|Editor: huaxia

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BRUSSELS, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- Natural gas prices in Europe have pulled back from their record highs since Russian President Vladimir Putin promised to pump more gas to Europe.

After hitting a record high of 114.2 euros (132.3 U.S. dollars) on Thursday, the spot price of natural gas at the Dutch Title Transfer Facility, a European benchmark, dropped to 87.15 euros per megawatt hour on Sunday.

With the heating season setting in and natural gas prices still hovering at high levels, the looming energy crisis is poised to elevate household utility bills and derail Europe's economic recovery.

SKYROCKETING GAS PRICES

Natural gas spot prices in Europe started to rise precipitously from May, and have undergone drastic fluctuation since mid-September, according to Dutch Title Transfer Facility historical data. The figures whipsawed and reached new highs before retreating from Thursday's all-time high.

Based on the Sunday price, the spot price is still over five times the level from the beginning of this year.

The skyrocketing prices will not only inevitably lead to huge utility bills for households, but also put great pressure on energy-intensive manufacturers.

Some European companies are already feeling the heat. In late September, Germany's leading chemical company BASF decided to curtail ammonia production in its factories in the Belgian city of Antwerp and the German city of Ludwigshafen, citing rising natural gas prices in the region.

THORNY ISSUE

As more countries emerge from pandemic lockdowns and restrictions, demand for commodities and services has been rising. Efforts by manufacturers to meet pent-up needs from customers eventually drove up the global demand for energy, as well as their prices.

Though energy price spikes impact the entire world, surging gas prices have become a thorny issue for Europe.

In the fight against climate change, the European Union is undergoing a transformation for achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, with the target written into the European Climate Law. European countries are racing to phase out coal and embrace green energy sources like solar and wind power.

The situation highlighted the role of natural gas, which is a relatively clean burning fuel, frequently seen as a bridge from traditional energy to clean energy.

According to Bruegel, a Brussels-based think tank, higher gas prices "are putting disproportionate upward pressure on electricity prices," although natural gas only accounts for 20 percent of Europe's electricity.

The current pressure caused by soaring gas prices, some critics argue, could imperil Europe's climate goals if member states are forced to supplant natural gas with coal.

NO EASY FIX

At a Eurogroup meeting held in Luxemburg earlier this month, the hike in gas prices was among the topics discussed by EU finance ministers, with some of them calling for a unified response to the continent's energy challenges, and others warning against overreaction.

On Wednesday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stressed that the EU should invest in renewables for the long term, while conceding that energy prices remain a serious issue.

The ballooning prices were partly due to a short supply, she said, adding that Russia has not been helpful in stepping up supplies like Norway. Around 90 percent of the natural gas consumed in Europe is imported and Russia is one of the main suppliers.

Some European countries are seeking to alleviate the mounting pressures incurred by surging gas prices by cutting taxes. The French government announced on Sept. 30 that it would freeze gas prices and cut taxes on electricity in a bid to slow down the rise in prices.

While the tax cuts and rebates can protect vulnerable households and small businesses for the time being, the only way to fix the energy crisis in Europe is to promote energy conservation, a Bruegel note said.

The European Commission chief's complaint is shared by some critics in Europe, who claim that Russia is intentionally cutting natural gas supplies to Europe to expedite the approval of its Nord Stream 2 pipeline, an allegation rebutted by Russia.

The Nord Stream 2 pipeline is a gas pipeline program running from Russia to Germany across the Baltic Sea. The pipeline, long opposed by the United States, was finished last month and can double natural gas supplies to its destination. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-12 01:29:23|Editor: huaxia

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U.S. President Joe Biden is pictured as he returns to the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States, Oct. 11, 2021. (Photo by Ting Shen/Xinhua)

NEW YORK, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- With holidays approaching in the United States, health experts said some festivities can start to return to a sense of normalcy, but warned that COVID-19 isn't defeated yet and seasonal influenza could launch an attack, despite the federal government's consistent endeavor to vaccinate more Americans against the coronavirus and authorize a new pill and booster vaccines.

"It's a good time to reflect on why it's important to get vaccinated. But go out there and enjoy Halloween as well as the other holidays that will be coming up," Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told CNN on Sunday. Outdoor trick-or-treating, particularly for children who are vaccinated, should be fine this year, he said.

Megan Ranney, associate dean of the School of Public Health at Brown University, cautioned against indoor Halloween parties for children too young to be vaccinated and encouraged parents in areas with high virus transmission to mask their children, but agreed that Halloween fun could go on this year.

However, as the conditions are improving and the sense of normalcy is expanding, Fauci still alerted that the fight against the pandemic is not over. "We have to just be careful that we don't prematurely declare victory in many respects. We still have around 68 million people who are eligible to be vaccinated that have not yet gotten vaccinated," he said.

On Monday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated that 216,889,814 people have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, making up 65.3 percent of the whole U.S. population. Fully vaccinated people stood at 187,215,471, accounting for 56.4 percent of the total. A total of 7,786,263 people, or 4.2 percent of fully vaccinated group, received booster shots.

According to The New York Times data analysis, the 7-day average of confirmed cases of the pandemic stood at 96,549 nationwide on Sunday, with the 14-day change striking a 19-percent fall. The COVID-19-related deaths were 2,000 on Sunday, with the 14-day change realizing a 2-percent decrease, with southern U.S. state of Arkansas having added many COVID-19 deaths.

COVID-19 PLUS FLU

Experts are warning that there could be what they call a "twindemic" of COVID-19 and flu this coming winter, reported national broadcaster CBS on Monday. Millions of U.S. children get sick with the flu every year and tens of thousands are hospitalized with respiratory syncytial virus or RSV.

Research being presented at an American Academy of Pediatrics conference showed that pandemic precautions, like wearing masks and social distancing, helped stop the spread of flu and other common respiratory viruses last season, according to the report.

"Although each of these things is not perfect, taken together, they really are effective in preventing illness," William Schaffner, an infectious diseases specialist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, was quoted as saying.

Last week, The Washington Post reported that U.S. health officials are urging Americans to get their flu shots, warning that the flu season that didn't materialize when most of society was shut down last year could come roaring back and strain hospitals in the months ahead.

Survey data released on Thursday found that slightly more than half of American adults plan to be vaccinated against influenza. That's not much of a change from pre-pandemic surveys conducted by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases.

"This low flu activity was likely due to the widespread implementation of COVID-19 preventive measures like masks, physical distancing and staying home," CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said in a Thursday briefing announcing flu vaccination efforts.

PILL AND BOOSTERS

On Monday, drugmaker Merck asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to authorize its pill against COVID-19 in what would add an entirely new and easy-to-use weapon to the world's arsenal against the pandemic. If cleared by the agency, a decision that could come in a matter of weeks, it would be the first pill shown to treat COVID-19. All other FDA-backed treatments against the disease require an intravenous therapy (IV) or injection.

"An antiviral pill that people could take at home to reduce their symptoms and speed recovery could prove groundbreaking, easing the crushing caseload on U.S. hospitals and helping to curb outbreaks in poorer countries with weak health care systems. It would also bolster the two-pronged approach to the pandemic: treatment, by way of medication, and prevention, primarily through vaccinations," reported national broadcaster NBC.

Merck and its partner Ridgeback Biotherapeutics said they specifically asked the agency to grant emergency use for adults with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 who are at risk for severe disease or hospitalization. Merck expects to be able to produce enough pills for 10 million people by the end of this year. The pill is meant to be taken at home as four capsules twice a day for five days, for a total of 40 pills.

Meanwhile, the U.S. federal government is expected to take a significant step this week toward offering booster doses to a much wider range of Americans as advisers to the FDA meet on Thursday and Friday to discuss recipients of the Johnson & Johnson and Moderna coronavirus vaccines. So far, regulators have authorized booster shots only for certain adults who received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

"The (U.S. President Joe) Biden administration is eager to shore up the protection provided by all three (officially authorized) vaccines. And federal officials have become increasingly worried in particular about the more than 15 million Americans who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which is less effective than the others," reported The New York Times on Monday.

On Thursday, the FDA advisory panel of vaccine experts will discuss safety and efficacy data regarding booster shots for Moderna recipients. On Friday, the group will discuss Johnson & Johnson boosters. The agency typically issues decisions within a few days of advisory committee meetings. The expert committee will also hear a presentation on Friday from scientists on the effectiveness of mixing different brands of vaccines. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-12 03:18:15|Editor: huaxia

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A man wearing a face mask passes a mural of heart-shaped patterns in the Brooklyn borough of New York, the United States, Oct. 2, 2021. (Photo by Michael Nagle/Xinhua)

As the conditions are improving and the sense of normalcy is expanding, top infectious diseases expert Anthony Fauci alerts that the fight against the pandemic is not over.

NEW YORK, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- With holidays approaching in the United States, health experts said some festivities can start to return to a sense of normalcy, but warned that COVID-19 isn't defeated yet and seasonal influenza could launch an attack, despite the federal government's consistent endeavor to vaccinate more Americans against the coronavirus and authorize a new pill and booster vaccines.

"It's a good time to reflect on why it's important to get vaccinated. But go out there and enjoy Halloween as well as the other holidays that will be coming up," Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told CNN on Sunday. Outdoor trick-or-treating, particularly for children who are vaccinated, should be fine this year, he said.

Megan Ranney, associate dean of the School of Public Health at Brown University, cautioned against indoor Halloween parties for children too young to be vaccinated and encouraged parents in areas with high virus transmission to mask their children, but agreed that Halloween fun could go on this year.

However, as the conditions are improving and the sense of normalcy is expanding, Fauci still alerted that the fight against the pandemic is not over. "We have to just be careful that we don't prematurely declare victory in many respects. We still have around 68 million people who are eligible to be vaccinated that have not yet gotten vaccinated," he said.

Anthony Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, listens during a hearing of Senate Appropriations Subcommittee titled "National Institutes of Health's FY22 Budget and the State of Medical Research" in Washington, D.C., the United States, on May 26, 2021. (Sarah Silbiger/Pool via Xinhua)

On Monday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated that 216,889,814 people have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, making up 65.3 percent of the whole U.S. population. Fully vaccinated people stood at 187,215,471, accounting for 56.4 percent of the total. A total of 7,786,263 people, or 4.2 percent of fully vaccinated group, received booster shots.

According to The New York Times data analysis, the 7-day average of confirmed cases of the pandemic stood at 96,549 nationwide on Sunday, with the 14-day change striking a 19-percent fall. The COVID-19-related deaths were 2,000 on Sunday, with the 14-day change realizing a 2-percent decrease, with southern U.S. state of Arkansas having added many COVID-19 deaths.

COVID-19 PLUS FLU

Experts are warning that there could be what they call a "twindemic" of COVID-19 and flu this coming winter, reported national broadcaster CBS on Monday. Millions of U.S. children get sick with the flu every year and tens of thousands are hospitalized with respiratory syncytial virus or RSV.

Research being presented at an American Academy of Pediatrics conference showed that pandemic precautions, like wearing masks and social distancing, helped stop the spread of flu and other common respiratory viruses last season, according to the report.

"Although each of these things is not perfect, taken together, they really are effective in preventing illness," William Schaffner, an infectious diseases specialist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, was quoted as saying.

A man carrying a girl on shoulders goes to a Chicago Cubs' game in Chicago, the United States, on June 11, 2021. (Photo by Joel Lerner/Xinhua)

Last week, The Washington Post reported that U.S. health officials are urging Americans to get their flu shots, warning that the flu season that didn't materialize when most of society was shut down last year could come roaring back and strain hospitals in the months ahead.

Survey data released on Thursday found that slightly more than half of American adults plan to be vaccinated against influenza. That's not much of a change from pre-pandemic surveys conducted by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases.

"This low flu activity was likely due to the widespread implementation of COVID-19 preventive measures like masks, physical distancing and staying home," CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said in a Thursday briefing announcing flu vaccination efforts.

PILL AND BOOSTERS

On Monday, drugmaker Merck asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to authorize its pill against COVID-19 in what would add an entirely new and easy-to-use weapon to the world's arsenal against the pandemic. If cleared by the agency, a decision that could come in a matter of weeks, it would be the first pill shown to treat COVID-19. All other FDA-backed treatments against the disease require an intravenous therapy (IV) or injection.

"An antiviral pill that people could take at home to reduce their symptoms and speed recovery could prove groundbreaking, easing the crushing caseload on U.S. hospitals and helping to curb outbreaks in poorer countries with weak health care systems. It would also bolster the two-pronged approach to the pandemic: treatment, by way of medication, and prevention, primarily through vaccinations," reported national broadcaster NBC.

Merck and its partner Ridgeback Biotherapeutics said they specifically asked the agency to grant emergency use for adults with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 who are at risk for severe disease or hospitalization. Merck expects to be able to produce enough pills for 10 million people by the end of this year. The pill is meant to be taken at home as four capsules twice a day for five days, for a total of 40 pills.

Placards display signage for Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccinations at a mobile COVID-19 vaccination center in the Brooklyn borough of New York, the United States, Aug. 18, 2021. (Xinhua/Michael Nagle)

Meanwhile, the U.S. federal government is expected to take a significant step this week toward offering booster doses to a much wider range of Americans as advisers to the FDA meet on Thursday and Friday to discuss recipients of the Johnson & Johnson and Moderna coronavirus vaccines. So far, regulators have authorized booster shots only for certain adults who received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

"The (U.S. President Joe) Biden administration is eager to shore up the protection provided by all three (officially authorized) vaccines. And federal officials have become increasingly worried in particular about the more than 15 million Americans who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which is less effective than the others," reported The New York Times on Monday.

On Thursday, the FDA advisory panel of vaccine experts will discuss safety and efficacy data regarding booster shots for Moderna recipients. On Friday, the group will discuss Johnson & Johnson boosters. The agency typically issues decisions within a few days of advisory committee meetings. The expert committee will also hear a presentation on Friday from scientists on the effectiveness of mixing different brands of vaccines. 
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-12 05:45:24|Editor: huaxia

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People carry relief assistance donated by World Food Programme (WFP) in Kandahar city, Afghanistan, Oct. 7, 2021. (Photo by Sanaullah Seiam/Xinhua)

"If we do not act and help Afghans weather this storm, and do it soon, not only they but all the world will pay a heavy price," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned.

UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday called for the injection of liquidity to keep the Afghan economy afloat.

In addition to humanitarian aid, the international community needs to act to prevent the economic collapse of Afghanistan, he told reporters.

Even before the Taliban takeover in August, Afghanistan's fragile economy, which has been kept afloat by foreign aid over the past 20 years, suffered from the impact of drought and COVID-19. Right now, with assets frozen and development aid paused, the economy is breaking down. Banks are closing, and essential services, such as health care, have been suspended in many places, he noted.

"We need to find ways to make the economy breathe again. And this can be done without violating international laws or compromising principles. We must seek ways to create the conditions that would allow Afghan professionals and civil servants to continue working to serve the Afghan population," he said.

"I urge the world to take action and inject liquidity into the Afghan economy to avoid collapse," Guterres said.

This is a make-or-break moment, warned Guterres. "If we do not act and help Afghans weather this storm, and do it soon, not only they but all the world will pay a heavy price."

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addresses the Security Council meeting on Ethiopia at the UN headquarters in New York, Oct. 6, 2021. (Loey Felipe/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua)

Without food, without jobs, without their rights protected, more and more Afghans will flee their homes in search of a better life. The flow of illicit drugs, criminal and terrorist networks will also likely increase. This will not only badly affect Afghanistan itself, but also the region and the rest of the world, he warned.

Guterres said the issue of injecting liquidity should be treated independently of other issues, such as the questions of recognition or nonrecognition of a government in Afghanistan, the question related to sanctions, and the questions related to frozen assets.

"There are many questions of these that, obviously, the international community will be discussing with the Taliban and that will require that the Taliban abide by a number of important aspects, be it related to human rights and the rights of women and girls, in particular, be it in relation to the question of terrorism, be it ... the inclusivity of the government," he said.

Independently of those measures, there are forums to inject cash inside the economy through different entities, through nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), through UN agencies to allow for the people to receive assistance, he said. "And this is what we have been asking."

There is a need to find ways -- on the basis of respect for international law and principles -- to inject liquidity for the economy not to collapse and for the people not to suffer tremendously, he said. "The Afghan people cannot suffer a collective punishment because the Taliban misbehave."

The diplomatic recognition of the Taliban and the injection of liquidity are completely different things, said Guterres.

Afghan currency exchange dealers wait for customers in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, Sept. 4, 2021. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua)

The World Bank can create a trust fund and that trust fund can pay directly to Afghan people in need. The UN Development Programme has a trust fund that can pay directly to people in need or organizations in need. And there are many NGOs operating in Afghanistan, he said.

"So, we need to inject cash in the economy. I'm not saying that I'm asking the international community to give money to the Taliban or to the present authorities. No. We need to inject cash in the economy. We need to make the economy breathe. We need to allow people to survive. That is our concern."



While the international community has consensus on humanitarian aid, things in relation to the injection of liquidity into the Afghan economy are moving too slowly, said Guterres.

The main responsibility for finding a way back from the abyss lies with those that are now in charge in Afghanistan, he said.

Since their takeover, the Taliban have -- at various times -- promised Afghan citizens, including women, children, minority communities, former government employees, that they would protect their rights. Central to those promises was the possibility of women to move, work and enjoy their basic rights, and for girls to have effective access to all levels of education, the same as boys, he said.

"Gender equality has always been an absolute priority for me. ... I am particularly alarmed to see promises made to Afghan women and girls by the Taliban being broken," said Guterres. "Broken promises lead to broken dreams for the women and girls of Afghanistan."

Afghan girls pose for photos in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, Sept. 15, 2021. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua)

Women and girls need to be the center of attention. Their ability to learn, work, own assets, and live with rights and dignity will define progress. Eighty percent of Afghanistan's economy is informal, with a preponderant role of women. Without them, there is no way the Afghan economy and society will recover, he said. "I strongly appeal to the Taliban to keep their promises to women and girls and fulfill their obligations under international human rights and humanitarian law."

The United Nations is permanently engaging with the Taliban on the safety and security of its staff, humanitarian assistance and unhindered access for all, including female staff, and human rights with particular focus on women and girls' rights, he said.

The humanitarians have been acting with the cooperation of the Taliban, who have progressively granted access to the areas requested and provided security when needed. The number of incidents during humanitarian operations has been in constant decline, he noted.

The United Nations is engaging with the Taliban and progress is being made, said Guterres.

He gave an example of the UN engagement with the Taliban for its female staff to have full and unimpeded work in relation to humanitarian aid.

"Now, we have been engaging the Taliban province by province, day by day. And the result of that effort, in the month of September, is the following: we managed to reach full agreement with the Taliban on this freedom in six provinces, against three in the beginning of the month; we have partial agreement in 20, instead of 16 in the beginning of the month; we have no agreement in four, against six in the beginning of the month; and there are four in which we have not yet had the possibility to engage, against eight in the beginning of the month."

An Afghan man delivers bananas in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, Sept. 15, 2021. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua)

"This is daily work, area by area, fighting for the rights of each woman, sometimes one by one. But this is our engagement to our staff and to the women and girls in Afghanistan in general," he said. "We might have difficulties. We might fail here and there. But one thing I can promise: we will not give up."

The humanitarian crisis is growing in Afghanistan, with at least 18 million people -- half of the country's population -- needing help. UN agencies and humanitarian NGOs in Afghanistan are in a race against time to deliver life-saving aid to crisis-affected people and pre-position supplies ahead of winter, he said.

Despite financial shortfalls, logistical challenges, and an increasingly complex geopolitical situation, the United Nations is undertaking a massive humanitarian operation in the country.

In September alone, more than 3.8 million people received food assistance; 21,000 children and 10,000 women received treatment for acute malnutrition; 32,000 people received non-food items, including blankets and warm clothes for winter; 10,000 children were reached with community-based education activities; 450,000 people were reached with primary and secondary health care; 160,000 farmers and herders were provided with livelihoods support; 12,000 people received emergency psycho-social and mental health support; 186,000 drought-affected people received water; and 150,000 people received hygiene promotion and hygiene kits, he said. 
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-12 18:41:05|Editor: huaxia

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Aerial photo taken on July 19, 2021 shows Zhao Xiangrong (R) and experts of Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences check the growing condition of rice in a paddy field in Leping Village of Majiang County, southwest China's Guizhou Province. Zhao Xiangrong, a former truck driver and a chef, returned to his hometown in Guizhou and started planting rice in 2015. Supported and guided by local government and experts, Zhao has developed skills in cultivating rice containing zinc, selenium and other microelement. After six years of hard work, Zhao has accumulated rich experience in sowing seeds, managing field, as well as processing, transportation and storage of rice. The rice planting area of Zhao Xiangrong reached nearly 300 mu (20 hectares) this year, and his high-quality rice has gained great reputation in many provinces of China. Zhao has vigorously shared his experience with fellow villagers and is willing to make further contribution to the development of local rice industry and rural revitalization. (Xinhua/Yang Wenbin)
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-12 19:46:56|Editor: huaxia

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Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a keynote speech via video link at the leaders' summit of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) held in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Oct. 12, 2021. (Xinhua/Li Xueren)

BEIJING, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping attended and addressed the leaders' summit of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity via video link in Beijing and called on the international community to enhance cooperation, build consensus and pool strength to build a community of all life on Earth.

Noting that biodiversity makes Earth full of vigor and vitality, and lays the foundation for human survival and development, Xi said protecting biodiversity helps protect Earth, our common homeland, and contributes to humanity's sustainable development.

The Kunming conference will work for the conclusion of the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, and identify targets and pathways for global biodiversity protection in the future, Xi said.

He stressed the need to respect Nature, follow Nature's laws, protect Nature, and build a homeland of harmonious coexistence between man and Nature.

"A sound ecology and environment is not just a natural asset, but also an economic asset, and it affects the potential and momentum of economic and social development," Xi said, calling for speeding up efforts to foster a green way of development and securing a win-win of economic growth and environmental protection.

Noting that the COVID-19 pandemic has cast a shadow over global development, Xi said developing countries in the face of the dual tasks of economic recovery and environmental protection "need help and support all the more."

"We need to strengthen solidarity to overcome difficulties and let people across countries benefit more and in a fairer way from development outcomes and a sound environment," Xi said.

"We are living in an era both fraught with challenges and full of hopes," Xi said. "For the sake of our common future, we need to join hands and start a new journey of high-quality development for humanity."

The development of ecological civilization should be taken as a guide to coordinate the relationship between man and Nature, Xi stressed, adding that human activities need to be kept within the limits of the ecology and environment, and holistic conservation and systematic governance of mountains, rivers, forests, farmlands, lakes, grasslands and deserts need to be carried out.

Xi urged efforts to let green transition drive people's efforts to facilitate global sustainable development.

"We need to build a green, low-carbon and circular economic system, translate ecological strengths into development strengths, and bring out the great benefit that green mountains and clear waters can offer. We also need to step up green international cooperation and share the fruits of green development among all countries," said the president.

Stressing the need to better people's well-being to promote social equity and justice, Xi called for pursuing win-win results in environmental protection, economic development, job creation, poverty alleviation and other endeavors, and increase the sense of fulfillment, happiness and security of people in all countries.

"We shall take international law as the basis to uphold a fair and equitable international governance system," Xi said, adding that people need to practice true multilateralism, and effectively honor and implement international rules.

He also said that the new environmental protection targets people set need to be ambitious on the one hand and pragmatic and balanced on the other.

Noting China has made remarkable progress in building an ecological civilization, Xi said China will continue to advance ecological progress, stay committed to implementing the new development philosophy emphasizing innovative, coordinated, green and open development for all, and build a beautiful China.

Xi announced China's initiative to establish the Kunming Biodiversity Fund and take the lead by investing 1.5 billion yuan (about 233 million U.S. dollars) to support biodiversity protection in developing countries.

China calls on and welcomes all parties to make contributions to the fund, Xi said.

Pointing out that China is moving faster to establish a protected areas system with national parks as the mainstay, Xi said areas with the greatest importance to the natural ecosystem, and with the most unique natural landscapes, the most valuable natural heritage and the greatest biodiversity reserve will be included in the national parks system over time.

To achieve its carbon peak and neutrality targets, China will release implementation plans for peaking carbon dioxide emissions in key areas and sectors as well as a series of supporting measures, the president said.

The country will also put in place a "1+N" policy framework for carbon peak and carbon neutrality, he said.

China will continue to readjust its industrial structure and energy mix, vigorously develop renewable energy, and make faster progress in planning and developing large wind power and photovoltaic bases in sandy areas, rocky areas and deserts, Xi said.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, French President Emmanuel Macron, Costa Rican President Carlos Alvarado, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov, Papua New Guinean Prime Minister James Marape and Britain's Prince Charles also attended the summit via video. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-12 20:15:10|Editor: huaxia

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Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi attends the sixth foreign ministers' meeting of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) via video link, Oct. 12, 2021. (Xinhua/Yan Yan)

BEIJING, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi Tuesday attended the sixth foreign ministers' meeting of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) via video link in Beijing.

Noting China has always been a participant and promoter of the CICA process, Wang said China stands ready to make new and greater contributions to promoting CICA cooperation.

"In the face of the profound epidemic situation and global changes unseen in a century, the CICA should keep pace with the times, leverage its cooperation advantages, enrich its cooperation practices, and contribute its wisdom and strength to the building of an Asian community with a shared future," Wang said.

He called on all parties to continue to deepen anti-epidemic cooperation, work together to maintain security and stability, actively promote economic recovery, and firmly practice multilateralism.

Wang emphasized that the continuous expansion of the CICA partnership network is a growing force for progress in the international community and will inject positive energy into the democratization of international relations. He said China is willing to work with all parties to deepen and consolidate the CICA process in the post-epidemic era, jointly promote regional development and stability, and work together to build an Asian community with a shared future.

The theme of the meeting is Asian security and sustainable development in the post-COVID-19 era. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-12 20:54:41|Editor: huaxia

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-- The China-Laos Railway is a docking project between the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and Laos' strategy to convert itself from a landlocked country to a land-linked hub.

-- The major project once again showed that China is capable of building railways in areas with extremely difficult geological conditions.

-- The railway stretches over 1,000 km from southwest China's Kunming, capital of Yunnan Province, to Vientiane of Laos.

KUNMING/VIENTIANE, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- With the last steel beam laid, a railway stretching over 1,000 km from southwest China's Kunming, capital of Yunnan Province, to Vientiane of Laos, was completed on Tuesday.

Aerial photo taken on Sept. 28, 2021 shows the Ganlanba railway station in southwest China's Yunnan Province. (Xinhua/Hu Chao)

The track construction of the China-Laos railway was completed in Mengla County of the Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, which is near a land port on the China-Laos border.

The cross-border railway service between the two cities is scheduled for December this year. If a train departs from Kunming in the morning, it would arrive in Vientiane in the evening on the same day, according to China State Railway Group Co., Ltd. (China Railway).

The travel between Kunming and Vientiane takes about 20 hours by car now.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and Laos. The China-Laos Railway is a docking project between the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and Laos' strategy to convert itself from a landlocked country to a land-linked hub.

The railway runs through the India-Eurasia plate collision zone, which features crisscrossing valleys and rivers.

There are 167 tunnels along the China-Laos railway. The total length of the tunnels adds up to over 590 km, accounting for 63 percent of the railway's total.

Aerial photo taken on Sept. 27, 2021 shows a major bridge across the Yuanjiang River along the China-Laos railway in southwest China's Yunnan Province. (Xinhua/Hu Chao)

The major project once again showed that China is capable of building railways in areas with extremely difficult geological conditions. It is expected to stimulate regional cooperation and prosperity -- a far cry from over 100 years ago, when foreigners built up a railway in Yunnan to link that in Vietnam so as to get access to Yunnan's natural and mineral resources.

In 2015, the Chinese and Lao governments signed the railway cooperation agreement. That was when Sida Phengphongsawanh first heard about the project.

Now, the 22-year-old, born in a hilly town in northern Laos of Muangxay, is receiving training to become a China-Laos railway train driver.

Sida Phengphongsawanh (C), a Lao trainee for the train driver, learns to check a train with her Chinese instructor Wei Songtao (R) in the China Railway No. 2 Engineering Group (CREC-2) railing base for the China-Laos railway on the northern outskirts of Lao capital Vientiane, Sept. 12, 2021. (Photo by Kaikeo Saiyasane/Xinhua)

Her hometown is only about 100 km from a China-Laos border gate, where the surrounding mountains block the way to China. In 2016, she went to Kunming to study railways.

"Personally, the railway has given me a stable job. At the national level, the railway can drive the multi-level and all-around development of Laos," Sida said.

The China-Laos railway station in the Lao capital Vientiane made its debut on Oct. 6. With a construction area of 14,543 square meters, the station can accommodate a maximum of 2,500 passengers. The construction design of the station embodies the concept of "the city of sandalwood (Vientiane), the friendship between China and Laos."

Aerial photo taken on July 29, 2020 shows the China-Laos railway under construction in northern Laos. (Photo by Pan Longzhu/Xinhua)

Zhang Xinjin, deputy general manager of China Railway's Kunming bureau, said that the China-Laos railway is a scientific and technological road, which has accumulated valuable experience for railway construction in plateau and mountainous areas of China.

Based on the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System and infrared scanning technology, the railway construction control and management is smarter and more intelligent than before. It used to take two hours to set up a 500-meter guideline through human labor, but now up to 1,000 km of track-laying can be planned within one hour thanks to new technologies independently developed by China.

Zhang said the railway construction has also taken full consideration of its impact on the ecological environment, as it runs near channels of wild elephants' migration.

"The route planning of the railway track avoids the main activity area of wild elephants and migration channels. Various measures were taken to minimize the impact on wild elephants, such as extending tunnels or building bridges for elephants to pass," he said.

(Reporting by Fang Ning, Wang Changshan, Ding Yiquan, Zhao Jiasong, Phouthaphone Sirivong, Zhang Jianhua, Dong Yue, Luo Jun; Video reporter: Ding Yiquan; Video editors: Yang Zhixiang, Li Qin) 
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-12 21:51:22|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- As species worldwide continue to become extinct at an alarming rate, biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation pose a major risk to human survival and development. It is high time for the international community to join hands to protect their common future.

As was underscored by the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday, "Our two-century-long experiment with burning fossil fuels, destroying forests, wilderness and oceans, and degrading the land, has caused a biosphere catastrophe."

A key UN conference kicked off this week in southwest China's Kunming to discuss a blueprint for biodiversity conservation over the next decade. Themed "Ecological Civilization: Building a Shared Future for All Life on Earth," it is the first global conference convened by the UN to highlight ecological civilization, a philosophy proposed by China.

Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke via video link on Tuesday, announcing a series of new, concrete initiatives based on China's firm determination and long-standing efforts in line with the mantra "Green mountains are gold mountains and silver mountains."

Among the significant actions, China will establish the Kunming Biodiversity Fund to support biodiversity protection in developing countries, taking the lead by investing 1.5 billion yuan (233 million U.S. dollars). China will move faster to establish a protected-areas system with national parks as the mainstay. The country will also put in place a "1+N" policy framework for carbon peak and carbon neutrality.

These measures are encouraging news for the world amid efforts to improve biodiversity and environmental governance. They also reflect China's resolve to continue building an ecological civilization, as the country is now equipped with better resources to maintain the balance between the dual tasks of economic recovery and environmental protection.

China is advancing biodiversity conservation and development in parallel. Biodiversity conservation has been elevated to a national strategy in China and has been incorporated into mid- and long-term plans in all regions and fields. China is also helping developing countries to preserve biodiversity through multilateral channels such as the Belt and Road Initiative and South-South cooperation.

As the latest move in pursuit of green development, China has set ambitious goals on carbon peak and carbon neutrality, accompanied by a series of supporting measures. China will continue to readjust its industrial structure and energy mix, vigorously develop renewable energy, and make faster progress on planning and developing large wind-power and photovoltaic bases in sandy areas, rocky areas and deserts.

China will work together with the international community on a new model of global biodiversity governance that is fairer and more reasonable, with each member contributing its share, so as to realize the worldwide vision of harmonious coexistence between humankind and nature.

Protecting biodiversity helps protect the Earth, our common homeland, and contributes to humanity's sustainable development. The international community should jointly shoulder the responsibility for future generations and build a community of all life on Earth, and a clean and beautiful world for us all. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-12 21:57:21|Editor: huaxia

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KUNMING, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- World leaders on Tuesday called for global awareness, broad consensus and concrete actions to preserve biodiversity at a United Nations conference held in China.

The 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, known as COP15, kicked off a day earlier in Kunming, the capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province. It attracts over 5,000 representatives from governments, international organizations, research institutes and enterprises.

The leaders, in their speeches via video, pledged to make bold efforts at a time when the world is facing a worsening crisis of biodiversity loss.

NATURE-CENTERED DEVELOPMENT

"Our two-century-long experiment with burning fossil fuels, destroying forests, wilderness and oceans, and degrading the land, has caused a biosphere catastrophe," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in his speech.

The UN chief described humanity's interference with nature as a "suicidal war" and stressed that "we are losing" it.

To reverse biodiversity loss, the leaders participating in COP15 urge a nature-based approach to develop the global economy.

The development of ecological civilization should be taken as a guide to coordinate the relationship between humans and nature, Chinese President Xi Jinping said, adding that human activities need to be kept within the limits of the ecology and environment.

Themed "Ecological Civilization: Building a Shared Future for All Life on Earth," the meeting is the first global conference convened by the UN to highlight ecological civilization, a philosophy proposed by China.

Stressing that more than half of global gross domestic product depends on high-functioning biodiversity and ecosystem services, President of Costa Rica Carlos Alvarado Quesada said the economic benefits of protecting biodiversity outweigh the costs.

If the international community wants a successful economy and future and to create jobs, "restoring and conserving our land and ocean is critical," he added.

Britain's Prince Charles urged taking bold decisions in this regard. He said the decisions "can regenerate hundreds of millions -- if not billions -- of hectares of degraded land throughout the world, thus protecting and restoring our planet's biodiversity and making nature the engine of our economies."

BIODIVERSITY GOVERNANCE

COP15 will take place in two parts. The first part will last until Friday, with parallel activities featuring forums on topics including climate change and ecological conservation. The second part of the meeting, which is expected to be held next year, will review and make a decision on the "post-2020 global biodiversity framework," a blueprint for biodiversity conservation for the decade to come.

The Chinese president announced an initiative to establish the Kunming Biodiversity Fund and that China will take the lead by investing 1.5 billion yuan (about 233 million U.S. dollars) to the fund.

Meanwhile, China is moving faster to establish a protected areas system with national parks as the mainstay, Xi said.

In his speech, French President Emmanuel Macron called for the adoption of an ambitious global framework that meets the challenges and expectations of various societies.

"It is up to our generation to reverse the trend and recreate virtuous synergies with nature," he said.

Calling for deeper awareness of the importance of protecting biodiversity, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi said Egypt has made unremitting efforts to formulate the "post-2020 global biodiversity framework" and set achievable goals supported by a clear implementation mechanism.

Sadyr Zhaparov, president of Kyrgyzstan, a country with 95 percent of the land covered by mountains, announced a five-year program to ensure the sustainable development of mountain regions.

"Kyrgyzstan is open and ready for active international cooperation, and only by joint efforts we could preserve the biodiversity of our planet and achieve desirable sustainable development in harmony with the environment," Zhaparov said.

The leaders also called on developed countries to support developing nations in biodiversity conservation.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged countries bearing "the historical responsibility" to be "the first to take action in the face of this threat."

MULTILATERAL COOPERATION

Biodiversity loss, climate change, pollution and other global ills have triggered overlapping crises.

Russian President Vladimir Putin noted that "objectives of nature conservation cannot be successfully addressed by any country individually. This is a common task for all states, for all humankind, without exaggeration."

Stressing that the greatest impact of ecosystem collapse would be on developing countries, Guterres called for support to them, including significant financial resources and technology transfer.

Papua New Guinean Prime Minister James Marape called for financial support to help the island country preserve its rainforests, or the "lungs of the world."

"My country needs development financing in exchange for concentrated effort on conservation, and I would like to use the platform of this forum to invite partnerships for this most worthwhile cause," Marape said.

"It is certainly important that national priorities and specificities of each state be taken into account, and special attention be given to the needs of developing and least developed countries," Putin said. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-13 00:50:54|Editor: huaxia

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-- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday called for efforts to build a community of all life on Earth at a key UN meeting to enhance global biodiversity protection.

-- World leaders, international organizations and experts have warned of alarming biodiversity loss and the urgent need to come up with ambitious and effective solutions to guide global cooperation on the matter.

-- China will continue to advance ecological progress and stay committed to implementing the new development philosophy emphasizing innovative, coordinated, green and open development for all.

Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a keynote speech via video link at the leaders' summit of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) held in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Oct. 12, 2021. (Xinhua/Li Xueren)

KUNMING, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday called for efforts to build a community of all life on Earth at a key UN meeting to enhance global biodiversity protection.

"Protecting biodiversity helps protect Earth, our common homeland, and contributes to humanity's sustainable development," Xi said when addressing the leaders' summit of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) via video link. The meeting is being held in southwest China's Kunming.

He called on countries to join hands and start a new journey of high-quality development for humanity for the sake of their common future.

URGENT NEED

World leaders, international organizations and experts have warned of alarming biodiversity loss and the urgent need to come up with ambitious and effective solutions to guide global cooperation on the matter.

"Biodiversity makes Earth full of vigor and vitality, and lays the foundation for human survival and development," said Xi.

Inger Andersen, under-secretary-general of the United Nations (UN) and executive director of the UN Environment Programme, said the "costs of our suicidal war against nature" are growing at an alarming rate.

Inger Andersen, UN under-secretary-general and executive director of the UN Environment Programme, delivers a speech via video during the opening ceremony of COP15 in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Oct. 11, 2021. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang)

Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, executive secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, said safeguarding biodiversity is the defining task of this decade.

"We risk repeating the failures of the last decade," said Mrema. "Our commitments must be translated into effective policies and concrete actions."

Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, executive secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, delivers a speech during the opening ceremony of COP15 in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Oct. 11, 2021. (Xinhua/Chen Yehua)

Xi said COP15 is very significant, as it will work for the conclusion of the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, and identify targets and pathways for global biodiversity protection in the future.

"In this context, the international community must enhance cooperation, build consensus and pool strength to build a community of all life on Earth," he said.

PROFOUND VISION

Over 5,000 representatives from governments, international organizations, research institutes and enterprises are attending COP15, which is the first global conference convened by the UN to highlight ecological civilization, a philosophy proposed by China.

"We shall take the development of ecological civilization as our guide to coordinate the relationship between man and nature," Xi stressed, adding that human activities need to be kept within the limits of the ecology and environment.

"We need to speed up efforts to foster a green way of development and secure a win-win of economic growth and environmental protection," he said, noting that a sound ecology and environment is both a natural asset and an economic one.

Xi underscored the importance of letting the green transition drive the efforts to facilitate global sustainable development, and called for stepping up green international cooperation and sharing the fruits of green development among all countries.

Stressing the need to improve people's well-being to promote social equity and justice, Xi noted that international law should be the basis for upholding a fair and equitable international governance system.

"The new environmental protection targets we set need to be ambitious on the one hand and pragmatic and balanced on the other, so as to make the global environmental governance system fairer and more equitable," said Xi.

Yolanda Fernandez Lommen, the Asian Development Bank's country director for China, said China is a mega biodiverse country, and all the targets, plans and policies that Xi announced will contribute not only to China, but to the rest of the world.

CHINA'S ACTIONS

Already making remarkable progress in building an ecological civilization, China will continue to advance ecological progress and stay committed to implementing the new development philosophy emphasizing innovative, coordinated, green and open development for all, said Xi.

Aerial photo taken on May 17, 2021 shows the mountains surrounded by cloud and mist in Wuyishan National Park, southeast China's Fujian Province. (Xinhua/Jiang Kehong)

With a protected land area of 230,000 square kilometers, China's first batch of national parks is home to nearly 30 percent of the key terrestrial wildlife species found in the country, he said, adding that the country is moving faster to establish a protected-areas system with national parks as the mainstay.

Xi announced during his speech that China will take the lead by investing 1.5 billion yuan (about 233 million U.S. dollars) to establish a Kunming Biodiversity Fund to support biodiversity protection in developing countries.

To achieve its carbon peak and neutrality targets, China will release implementation plans for peaking carbon dioxide emissions in key areas and sectors as well as a series of supporting measures, Xi said.

He added that the country will continue to readjust its industrial structure and energy mix, vigorously develop renewable energy, and make faster progress on planning and developing large wind-power and photovoltaic bases in sandy areas, rocky areas and deserts.

Aerial photo taken on Aug. 3, 2021 shows a photovoltaic power station in Tujing Village, Yunzhou District of Datong City, north China's Shanxi Province. (Xinhua/Cao Yang)

The country's hard work to advance biodiversity conservation at home and efforts to promote global cooperation to reverse the loss of biodiversity has been recognized by the global community.

Offering to host the COP15 conference is "a clear demonstration of China's leadership and commitment to biodiversity," said Mrema.

She said that China's restoration efforts over recent decades clearly represent a good model for future work, which other countries can also emulate and learn from.

China has made great strides on biodiversity conservation in the past 10 years or so, and the ecological red-line policy in particular is innovative and well-leading, said Terry Townshend, Beijing-based British conservationist and Fellow of the Paulson Institute.

"President Xi's announcement today of a new biodiversity fund designed to support developing countries is a really positive step because it recognizes that our most important biodiversity is in developing countries," said Townshend. 
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-13 04:31:39|Editor: huaxia

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People enjoy themselves along the waterfront in the Brooklyn borough of New York, the United States, June 15, 2021. (Xinhua/Michael Nagle)

Experts fear the United States is bumping up against the ceiling of persuadable people, one that is significantly lower than the threshold needed for broad immunity from Delta and, possibly, future variants. "The overwhelming majority of eligible adults who remain unvaccinated in the United States are hard-core refusers," The New York Times reported.

NEW YORK, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. federal government is striving to persuade more people to get vaccinated on their own, or push ahead with mandates, while party-line action, vaccine hesitancy and even resistence still uphold in some states and sectors against the Democratic administration's universal call for vaccination against the coronavirus.

"We've obviously been trying very hard," Anthony Fauci, chief medical advisor to the U.S. president, told CNN on Monday. "We try to get trusted messengers out there and try and get this away from being an ideological or political statement, get back into the realm of pure public health, and try to convince people."

There is evidence that mandates are working in academic settings and at corporations such as airlines, and the best way for the United States to assure that a decline in cases, hospitalizations and deaths will continue is to get "a lot more" people vaccinated, added Fauci, also director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

The number of Americans getting a dose of COVID-19 vaccine has jumped to about 1 million a day, and the rate of people getting booster shots is now outpacing the rate of people getting their first doses. However, about a quarter of the eligible U.S. population remains unvaccinated against coronavirus, according to official figures.

A man takes a COVID-19 test at a testing van in Times Square in New York, the United States, Oct. 2, 2021. (Photo by Michael Nagle/Xinhua)

Tuesday's vaccination updates by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed that 216,889,814 people had received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, making up 65.3 percent of the whole U.S. population. Fully vaccinated people stood at 187,215,471, accounting for 56.4 percent of the total. In addition, 7,786,263 people, or 4.2 percent of fully vaccinated group, received booster shots.

Meanwhile, according to The New York Times (NYT) data analysis, the 7-day average of confirmed cases of the pandemic stood at 89,526 nationwide on Monday, with the 14-day change striking a 24-percent fall. The COVID-19-related deaths were 1,853 on Monday, with the 14-day change realizing a 10-percent decrease.

PARTY LINE

U.S. states with stricter restrictions to combat the COVID-19 pandemic led by Democratic governors had a lower spread of the virus than Republican-led states, according to a new research published on the American Journal of Preventative Medicine, which underscores how preventative restrictions have been "politicised" and that it is health professionals who should be calling the shots.

Researchers from the Binghamton University calculated a Public Health Policy Index (PPI) to determine how stringent a state's public health policies were, and analysed those findings against the state's transmission of COVID-19 and the governor's political affiliation, finding that states with Democratic governors had a PPI that was 10 points higher on average than states with Republican governors.

On average, the 10-point difference in PPI led to an eight percent increase in the expected number of COVID-19 cases in most Republican-governed states between March and November 2020 when the national number of COVID-19 cases peaked. "The main lesson of this research is that better public health requires a less partisan approach to the making of public health policies," said a statement by the study's co-author Olga Shvetsova.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott speaks at a press briefing in Santa Fe, Texas, the United States, May 18, 2018. (Xinhua/Steven Song)

Republican state officials have always been doubling down on their pandemic-related efforts. Texas businesses and other private entities are banned from requiring COVID-19 vaccinations for employees, Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, said in an executive order issued on Monday. "The COVID-19 vaccine is safe, effective, and our best defense against the virus, but should remain voluntary and never forced," he said.

Coming in response to the federal government pushing large businesses to require vaccines for employees, Abbott's order makes no exception for hospitals and healthcare facilities, many of which require vaccines for COVID-19, flu and other communicable diseases because patients may be immunocompromised or too young to be vaccinated. His order applies only to the COVID-19 shot, allowing entities to require vaccines for other diseases.

Until now, elected officials in Texas have banned governmental entities from requiring vaccines and have banned places of public accommodation from requiring vaccines of their customers, but have allowed private businesses to determine whether to require vaccinations of their staff.

REFUSAL STRONGHOLD

Millions of U.S. adults are not covered by the vaccine mandates. Experts fear the country is bumping up against the ceiling of persuadable people, one that is significantly lower than the threshold needed for broad immunity from Delta and, possibly, future variants. "The overwhelming majority of eligible adults who remain unvaccinated in the United States are hard-core refusers," reported NYT on Tuesday.

The arrival of boosters is making efforts to coax the unvaccinated even more difficult. In a September survey from the Kaiser Family Foundation, 71 percent of unvaccinated respondents said the need for boosters indicated that the vaccines were not working. "This vaccine has tested me like nothing before and I've been doing this for 40 years," Gary Wiltz, director of the Franklin health center, was quoted as saying.

About 56 percent of the U.S. population is fully vaccinated, a level that exceeds some early estimates about what it could take to achieve so-called herd immunity against the coronavirus. That percentage will surely rise once the shots are authorized for children under 12. But Delta is so contagious that experts have revised their optimum coverage estimates to 90 percent or higher, according to the report.

A Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) staff member distributes free masks and hand sanitizers for subway riders at a subway station in Manhattan of New York, the United States, June 8, 2020. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

One vaccine news hard for commuters to swallow was that, at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), a public benefit corporation responsible for public transportation in the New York City (NYC) metropolitan area, "the full accurate number" of its workers who have received at least one shot is 71 percent to 75 percent, far lower than the city's overall -- roughly 84 percent of adults in NYC have gotten at least one COVID-19 shot.

An agency mandate that went into effect at the start of last week requires all MTA employees to provide proof of a COVID-19 vaccination or a weekly negative test in order to work. "The MTA's low vaccination rate combined with last week's mandate could worsen a dire crew shortage that has for months crippled city subway and bus service," reported New York Daily News on Monday.

Given the MTA's estimate, anywhere from 4,200 to 6,800 of the agency's employees have received shots but for some reason declined to provide proof. If the resistence sustains, the agency will have to confirm the workers' vaccination status if they got their shots at an MTA or New York State facility, and asks all other workers to submit their proof of vaccination through an online portal. 
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-12 13:53:43|Editor: huaxia

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BANJUL, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- Gambian President Adama Barrow on Saturday inaugurated at least four road and bridge projects fully financed by China, ending decades of transportation hurdles for people and businesses in the country's Upper River Region (URR).

The projects include 51 km of asphalt road extending from Basse to Koina through Fatoto. There are also a 250-meter-long bridge linking Basse to Wuli and another 170-meter-long bridge at Fatoto, as well as the Chamoi and Suduwol bridges. The road has a concrete pavement structure with a design speed of 60 km per hour for highway and 40 km per hour in the urban intersection, according to the project document.

Fatou Touray, frequent user of roads and the river that separates her community from Basse, told Xinhua the project is the best thing that ever happened to their communities.

"We suffered here for decades. Basse is our administrative capital and that is where we access health care, high school, markets, and other important offices. But it has been so tormenting on us for years. This is extra-difficult in emergency cases especially when we have women in labor, and we couldn't cross the river because it is late. But I thank the government very much. I thank China for supporting us with this timely project," she said.

Samba Bah, riding a motorbike from Sandu to Basse almost every day for business, said: "Every day when I come here, I must pay money to boat owners to have my motorbike cross and do my business. Imagine doing this for more than almost 20 years of my life. So, this project is timely for our development."

Inaugurating the project on Saturday in Basse, the president commends the Chinese government for bankrolling the project.

"On Dec. 18, 2018, I presided over the foundation-stone laying ceremony for the commencement of the Upper River Region Roads and Bridges Project. Today, I feel greatly honored and elated to inaugurate the new URR roads and bridges. The occasion highlights the historic realization of a people's dream, and the project marks a huge national infrastructure development and a major milestone in the implementation process of the 2018-2021 National Development Plan," said the president.

According to him, the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation provided China and The Gambia a vital platform for partnership and collaboration to deepen and strengthen understanding, friendship, and cooperation between the two countries.

The president pledged that the West African nation will always commit to the one-China policy.

The Gambian Minister of Transport, Works and Infrastructure, Bai Lamin Jobe, said the project marks the fulfillment of the president's campaign promise after realizing the terrible road conditions in the region. Jobe described the quickness of this project as the fastest implemented infrastructural project in the country ever, in terms of scope, project amount, and complexity.

Deputizing for Ma Jianchun, the Chinese ambassador to The Gambia, Luo Wenjun, Economic and Commercial Counselor of Chinese Embassy in The Gambia, said China's support for The Gambia to realize its development aspirations is based on mutually beneficial results and common prosperity.

"We believe that these are the bridges of friendship to assist The Gambia to achieve economic and social development. These are the roads towards a happy life to realize the common development of the people of China and The Gambia," he said.

"This project will tremendously promote the flow of personnel, cargo, and service, and provide a powerful driving force for post-pandemic economic recovery and social integration to The Gambia and the surrounding regions. We believe that this project will lay a solid foundation for future development of The Gambia and the China-Gambia relationship," Luo added. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-12 14:02:14|Editor: huaxia

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TRIPOLI, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) on Monday welcomed the extention of the mandate of the Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) of the UN Human Rights Council.

"UNSMIL welcomes the UN Human Rights Council's mandate extension of the Libya Fact-Finding Mission for nine months along with the presentation of its report to the council at its 50th session," UNSMIL said in a statement.

"The mission fully supports the work and findings of the FFM, which is critical to support Libyans' demands for truth, justice, and accountability, and calls on all actors, including member states, to support its mandate through providing information and any evidence of violations of international human rights and humanitarian law," the statement said.

The FFM was established by the UN Human Rights Council in June 2020 with a mandate to investigate alleged violations and abuses of international human rights law and international humanitarian law committed in Libya since 2016.

Libya has been suffering insecurity and chaos since the fall of the late leader Muammar Gaddafi's government in 2011. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-12 17:22:54|Editor: huaxia

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KAMPALA, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- As Uganda is marking its 59th independence anniversary from British colonial rule, the African country is embracing a brighter future for development with China's assistance.

At Uganda's Entebbe International Airport, the country's major gateway to the world, Chinese engineers together with their Ugandan counterparts are upgrading and expanding the airport, which involves the construction of a new passenger terminal, building a new cargo complex, strengthening two runways and their associated taxiways, and the rehabilitation and overlay of three aprons.

Uganda sees the airport project as a springboard that will fast-track its economic development.

Out of the airport, there is a 50 km four-lane dual carriageway Expressway which links the airport to the capital Kampala. The four-year-old expressway, which was financed by a loan from China, has halved the journey to or from Kampala to the airport.

Also, thanks to the Belt and Road Initiative, two hydropower plants in Uganda are set to boost Uganda's power supply, a key facilitator of economic development.

The Isimba Hydro Power Plant generates 183MW to the national grid. Further down the Nile river in northern Uganda, China is helping to construct the Karuma Hydro Power Plant that will contribute 600MW to the national grid.

The construction of the twin hydropower plants have also helped to reduce local unemployment. About 3,000 local people were employed during the building of the Isimba Hydro Power Plant. At the Karuma Hydro Power Plant, over 6,000 young people were employed.

Meanwhile, China has continued to provide support to Uganda in the health sector. In 1983, China sent its first medical team to the country. Since then, the Asian country has sent 21 medical teams on a rotational basis. By sharing skills with their Ugandan counterparts, the Chinese medical teams have played a critical role in boosting healthcare in the country.

Besides sending medical teams, supplies and equipment, China has also built a 100-bed hospital in Uganda. The China-Uganda Friendship Hospital, located in the capital of Kampala, has relieved pressure on the Mulago National Referral Hospital, which is overwhelmed with patients. The hospital built by China is now slated to be upgraded into a national trauma center, Uganda's Minister of Health Ruth Aceng has said.

As the world grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic, China continues to send aid to Uganda. Besides the donation of protective gear, medicines and equipment, Uganda on July 31 received a donation of Sinovac vaccines from the Chinese government.

China is also helping Uganda develop its agriculture sector, the economic backbone of the country. Over 70 percent of the country's population derives its livelihood from agriculture, according to official data.

Through a tripartite agreement with the United Nations (UN) Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and Uganda, and under the South to South Cooperation, China is scheduled to start the third phase of its agriculture support to Uganda.

Through the project, according to FAO, small-scale farmers in rural Uganda will benefit from hands-on training to boost production. Chinese technicians and experts will continue to share skills and technology on agronomic practices with local farmers.

At the end of the second phase of the project in 2017, about 3,000 farmers were trained in growing cereals, horticulture, aquaculture and livestock in Uganda, according to the Ministry of Agriculture. Chinese technicians have also introduced the growth of Chinese hybrid rice to local farmers. According to official studies, hybrid rice can yield up to 10 metric tons per hectare compared with conventional rice, which yields 4.5 metric tons per hectare.

China has also supported Uganda's education sector by not only providing scholarships for Ugandans to study in China but also setting up vocational training centers in the country.

Zhang Lizhong, Chinese ambassador to Uganda, said last month that since bilateral relations were established about six decades ago, both countries have been able to overcome several challenges.

"We need to enhance the mutual understanding and support to each other on issues concerning each other's core interests and major concerns, and maintain close collaboration and coordination on major international and regional affairs," he said. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-12 20:40:29|Editor: huaxia

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CAIRO, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- Egypt's Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources announced on Tuesday a new memo for establishing atmospheric distillation project in Assuit province.

Three Egyptian companies: Ennpi, Petrojet and Assiut Oil Refining Company have signed a memorandum of understanding worth 6 billion Egyptian pounds (381.5 million U.S. dollars) to develop a new atmospheric distillation unit and expand oil refinery production, the Egyptian ministry said in a statement.

Ennpi and Petrojet consortium will be the contractor for implementing the project with an annual capacity of five million tons of crude oil, it added.

The ministry explained that the new project is part of the continuous expansion of Assuit refinery that is considered the basic pillar for securing the petrochemicals products to Upper Egypt.

Egyptian Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Tarek al-Molla said the new project will achieve integration among many other developmental plans in southern Egypt.

Egypt has been recently carrying out five large projects for oil refining and petrochemicals with above 14 billion U.S. dollars investments for reaching self-sufficiency of petrochemicals products by 2023, according to the statement.

Total investments that were pumped in the oil and gas fields during the past six years are estimated at 74 billion U.S. dollars, according to al-Molla. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-12 20:54:20|Editor: huaxia

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Two staff members take a test ride on electric motorbikes imported from China in Accra, Ghana, Oct. 8, 2021. (Xinhua/Seth)

ACCRA, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- For a long time, Ghana's public transportation system has been a key source of carbon dioxide emissions. To address the challenge, SolarTaxi Ghana Limited, a Ghanaian start-up, has decided to make a change by introducing Chinese-made electronic vehicles.

According to Eugene Amponsah, operations manager of the company, the influx of many internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, especially public buses into Ghana, leads to serious emissions.

Official data in 2020 showed the average number of imported vehicles in Ghana stood at around 100,000 per year, while about 90 percent of which were used vehicles with high fume emissions.

The motivation for a cleaner environment spurred the company to turn its eyes on China.

"Now we source most of our cars and the parts from China. We have the BYD, Cherry, and Dongfeng among some other brands from China," said Amponsah.

From a modest beginning in September 2019, SolarTaxi now has 150 electric motorbikes and tricycles with more than 60 electric cars operating in the country. Some of these cars are solar chargeable, and others grid power-charged.

The introduction, however, met some skepticism in the very beginning. Some local consumers thought they could suffer electrocution in an electric car during rains, while others suspect that they would be stranded if the battery ran out of power in the course of a journey.

According to the company, local consumers' concern eased gradually as they increased the frequency of electric car use, which proved to be more economical and environmentally friendly. The company has also found a way of commercializing eco-friendly bikes.

"For the motorbikes, we designed them for courier because we do not get a large number of people buying them. What we rather have is courier companies, including Jumia, coming to rent our bikes," he said.

SolarTaxi has so far created a minimum of 250 direct and indirect jobs, including engineers at the assembling and maintenance plants and riders who work with the courier companies.

"For now, we do the manual assembling but want to get to a stage where we can install machines to assemble many cars and bikes in a day. And that calls for partnership and funding. We, therefore, want to secure partnerships with some of the Chinese automobile companies to support us with training and equipment," he said.

Amponsah told Xinhua that from his own working experience, China is one of the greatest places to look at when it comes to the green economy, and the mass production of environmental-friendly cars is a great example of that. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-12 21:48:28|Editor: huaxia

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BEIRUT, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- Lebanon's Council for Development and Reconstruction signed on Tuesday an agreement with an Egyptian company for the construction of infrastructure at the Tripoli port, the Lebanese National News Agency reported.

At the value of 87 million U.S. dollars funded by the Islamic Development Bank, the construction work at the Tripoli port will start within 10 days and it should be completed in two and a half years, said Nabil el-Jisr, president of the Council for Development and Reconstruction.

Hazem Abdel Ghafar, representative of the Arab Contractors, an Egyptian leading construction company, said that his company will develop the Tripoli port's infrastructure by constructing new buildings for customs, administration, army and fire station, with all departments being electronically linked to a central control.

Egyptian Ambassador to Lebanon Yasser Alawi noted that Egypt will always stand by Lebanon by providing assistance in different regions of the country including Beirut, Tripoli, Akkar and Tyre. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-12 21:55:18|Editor: huaxia

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NAIROBI, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) --- Kenya exported 6,926 metric tonnes (MT) of sisal in the third quarter, a fall of 9 percent as compared to a similar period in 2020, the Fibre Crops Directorate said in a report released on Tuesday.

The east African nation exported 7,617 MT of sisal in a similar quarter last year, with the directorate blaming the decline to a lengthy dry spell that has hit the country for the better part of this year.

"Export volumes were lower in the current period compared to the previous period due to the prevailing drought experienced this year," the directorate said.

Despite decline in production, Kenya's earnings from the crop in the three months rose to 1.25 billion shillings (11.3 million U.S. dollars) on high international prices.

The price of a kilo of sisal hit a high of 1.6 dollars during the quarter, up to 1.49 dollars in a similar period in 2020.

During the quarter, the sisal fibre was exported to 27 destinations, with Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, China, Ghana, and Spain being the top five, said the directorate. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-13 02:58:25|Editor: huaxia

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TRIPOLI, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- Libyan authorities on Tuesday recovered 25 unidentified bodies from five newly discovered mass graves in the city of Tarhuna.

Located some 90 km south of the capital Tripoli, Tarhuna was once the eastern-based army's main military operation center during the war against the former UN-backed government in and around Tripoli.

One grave contained 10 bodies, the second contained 9, the third contained 4, and each of the remaining two graves contained one body, the General Authority for Research and Identification said, adding that a search is underway for more mass graves in the city.

A week ago, 10 unidentified bodies were recovered from two mass graves in Tarhuna.

Since the beginning of the search in Tarhuna in June 2020, many mass graves containing dozens of unidentified bodies have been discovered in the city.

The former UN-backed government accused the rival eastern-based army of mass killings in Tarhuna. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-12 10:50:36|Editor: huaxia

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LISBON, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- "Without China, the world would be in recession," said Antonio dos Santos Queiros, a researcher at the University of Lisbon, in a recent article in the Portuguese newspaper Publico.

"It is not a good idea to align forces for the economic war against the People's Republic of China," said Queiros in the article.

The Chinese government "upholds fair competition in the market, overseeing to keep everything in order and promote sustainable development, but intervening when the market fails," said Queiros.

It is not appropriate to use Western concepts of politics to understand the new Chinese model, the scholar said, adding the model has ensured China's success in poverty alleviation.

On the giant bubble which some newspapers predicted would shake the Chinese economy as in the United States, Queiros said the Chinese government succeeded in defusing the crisis with its own style of macro management.

It is not wise to trust "false and speculative news" to promote retaliation against China, said Queiros. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-12 20:54:52|Editor: huaxia

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ISTANBUL, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Tuesday proposed the creation of a working group for Afghanistan within the G20 framework, the state-run Anadolu agency reported.

"Establishing the security and stability in Afghanistan as soon as possible is critical not only at the regional level, but also at the international level," Erdogan said when attending the G20 Extraordinary Leaders' Summit on Afghanistan at a virtual conference.

The Turkish leader noted that the "international community does not have the luxury of turning its back on the Afghan people and leaving this country to its own fate."

He also warned that the European countries would inevitably be affected by the immigration pressure that Turkey exposed to from its southern and eastern borders.

Turkey, a key transit point for asylum seekers on their way to Europe, has been already witnessing an increased influx of Afghan refugees.

The summit is being convened by Italy, the rotating presidency of the G20, via video links. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-12 21:21:55|Editor: huaxia

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ANKARA, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- Turkey considered purchasing more F-16 jets and modernize its current F-16 fleet with the money paid to the United States for the F-35 fighter program, Turkish Presidential spokesperson said.

The original choice was to buy F-35 fighter jets, Presidential Spokesperson Ibrahim Kalin said in an interview to daily Milliyet, adding that the U.S. decided not to deliver F-35s to Turkey following its purchase of Russian made S-400 air defense systems.

If the issue can not be solved, Ankara will continue to search for alternatives, Kalin was quoted as saying on Tuesday.

One of the options may be the expansion of Turkey's F-16 fleet and the modernization of its existing F-16s with the money Ankara had paid for F-35 jets, he revealed.

Turkey's removal from the F-35 program was "completely unlawful and unfair," Kalin stressed.

"We have a budget of 1.4 billion U.S. dollars for that project. If the F-35 issue is not going to be solved in the near term, it is natural for us to look at alternatives," he stated.

A scheduled meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and U.S. President Joe Biden in Rome in late October on the sidelines of the G20 Summit would be an opportunity for bridging the differences between the two NATO allies, Kalin said.

Turkey's procurement of the Russian S-400 missile defense systems prompted the U.S. administration to suspend Ankara's participation in the F-35 joint program in 2019.

Tensions between the U.S. and Turkey have escalated ever since over the deal, as Washington claimed that the S-400 systems would be incompatible with the NATO system and risk to expose its confidential military information to Russia. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-12 21:34:45|Editor: huaxia

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ISTANBUL, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- Turkish police launched on Tuesday a wide-scale operation against 20 different organized crime networks active in 28 provinces, local media reported.

The state-run Anadolu Agency stated that an operation dubbed "grasshopper" was launched simultaneously across the country to apprehend 235 suspected members of the networks.

Police units have reportedly determined the identities of the suspects who allegedly engaged in a series of "qualified fraud forgery."

The accusations against the suspects included issuing fake polymerase chain reaction tests for those who were likely to test positive for COVID-19, said the agency.

So far, 190 of the targeted have been detained, it said.

In September, Istanbul police had detained three nurses for allegedly providing fake COVID-19 vaccine cards to unvaccinated people. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-13 06:10:41|Editor: huaxia

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WARSAW, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- The European bison, also known as the wisent or the European buffalo, is vital for the biodiversity in all of Europe, an expert has told Xinhua on the occasion of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) that opened Monday in Kunming, China.

Wanda Olech-Piasecka, professor of genetics and animal protection at the Warsaw University of Life Sciences and chair of the European Bison Lover Foundation, said that the preservation of the animal in Europe is a means to reaching the goals of COP15 rather than a goal in itself.

World leaders meet at the COP15 to finalize negotiations for a post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, which aims to halt and reverse the loss of the planet's plants, animals and ecosystems.

"The European bison, or zubr as it is called in Polish, is crucial," she said. "It is one of the few remaining megafauna (large animals of an area) in Europe that grazes over large areas, eating away invasive plant species before they can suppress other, more delicate ones."

For those reasons, the European bison is released all over Europe, including in countries where it did not originally appear. "We have transported a herd to Spain, for example, where it thrives and does exactly what we hoped it would do: manage the plant life there," Olech-Piasecka said.

The European bison population is growing, especially in Poland, where they mostly live in the wild. Elwira Plis-Kuprianowicz, an animal conservation specialist in Poland's Bialowieza National Park, told Xinhua that the species was downgraded from "endangered" to "vulnerable" in 2020.

"We currently have over 2,300 in Poland, with 715 in our park, where the animals have their natural habitat." Park services constantly monitor their location and make sure that the animals have enough food to survive.

"We provide the basic circumstances for the European bison to survive there," said the specialist, adding that the park also guards the animals against conflicts with humans.

But while the European bison is no longer endangered, it is still a species that needs to be managed closely, Olech-Piasecka and Plis-Kuprianowicz said.

"Herds can't become too large as that would increase the risk of infectious diseases." Diseases are still the main danger for the European bison. The species came close to extinction in the 1950s after an outbreak of bovine tuberculosis, Plis-Kuprianowicz recalled.

"But the herds can't be too small either as that would limit the genetic stock within a group," Olech-Piasecka explained. "Also, for that reason, groups need to have space to migrate and meet other herds to keep enough genetic variation." Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-12 16:14:11|Editor: huaxia

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HOUSTON, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- Governor of the U.S. state of Texas Greg Abbott on Monday issued an executive order banning COVID-19 vaccination mandates for employees or customers in all state entities, including private businesses, across the second largest U.S. state.

"The COVID-19 vaccine is safe, effective, and our best defense against the virus, but should remain voluntary and never forced," said the Republican governor in a statement.

According to the order, no entity in Texas can enforce vaccination against anyone who objects "for any reason of personal conscience, based on a religious belief, or for medical reasons, including prior recovery from COVID-19," said the statement.

Abbott also called on the Texas legislature to pass a law with the same effect.

The move came after President Joe Biden last month announced a federal vaccine mandate requiring companies with 100 or more employees to ensure that their workforces are vaccinated or regularly tested.

"In yet another instance of federal government overreach, the Biden administration is now bullying many private entities into imposing COVID-19 vaccine mandates, causing workforce disruptions that threaten Texas' continued recovery from the COVID-19 disaster," Abbott said in his order.

The governor issued executive orders over the summer banning local governments and school districts from requiring either masks or vaccines, and stipulated a 1,000-U.S.-dollar fine for those who failed to comply. School districts in San Antonio and Dallas, however, have challenged the order in court, local media reported.

About 52 percent of Texans, including the governor, are fully vaccinated, according to a report from The Texas Tribune. Enditem


ZANU PF has accused opposition MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa of provoking its supporters to attack him and his team by trying to impose his views and trying to address disinterested Zanu PF supporters in Masvingo on Monday.

Chamisa and his team were attacked again yesterday by ruling party supporters, who barricaded roads to deny his convoy access to a local village.

It is alleged that the ruling party supporters, who were chanting slogans, were accompanied by the police.

Addressing a Press conference in Harare, Zanu PF acting commissar Patrick Chinamasa said Chamisa, who is currently undertaking community interface meetings around the country as he mobilises support ahead of the 2023 elections, was entirely to blame.

What I heard happened in Masvingo was that the opposition leader wanted to force himself on an audience which did not want to listen to him, Chinamasa said.

He had no right to force people to listen to him. He had a right to address people but only those who were willing to be addressed by him.

A group of about 200 Zanu PF supporters brandishing placards denouncing Chamisa for the sanctions imposed by the West on the country pounced on the opposition leaders, damaging cars and injuring five opposition supporters.

Zanu PF initially claimed the protest was stage-managed.

But Chinamasa yesterday said the villagers were angered because a madman wanted to address them.

In this case, my information is that the villagers did not want to be addressed by him for obvious reasons. If you listen to a madman, you become part of his cast, you will be portrayed as part of his cast, he will then go ahead and say, I have lots of support, which he does not have.

So our Zanu PF people have a right to say, we dont want you to address us, we dont want to, its my right, but if you force me to listen to you, I have reason to be angry.

Chinamasa did not, however, explain why the police teargassed Chamisa at a private residence, how the villagers acquired the neatly printed placards or what they were doing, uninvited, at MDC Alliance gatherings.

He also claimed that Chamisa and his entourage fired guns into the air to try and scare away Zanu PF supporters.

I hear the opposition leader and his bodyguards fired shots in the air, Chinamasa said.

You know the last time we heard shots in the air was during the liberation struggle, now if there is anything that can agitate people and make them angry, is trying to demonstrate your power through firing a gun.

You must expect the consequences; you are basically asking people to defend themselves.

Chinamasa also claimed some non-governmental organisations (NGOs) were receiving funding from the West to topple the government and the party will soon be issuing a directive to party supporters to shun them.

So, we will be writing a directive mentioning the NGOs that are proxies of countries wanting to topple the Zanu PF government, Chinamasa said.

We will tell our supporters, dont have anything to do with those people, dont associate with those people, they are no good, they are going to bring misery to you.

Before Chinamasas Press conference, Zanu PF supporters vented their anger through social media.

The villagers who demonstrated against @nelsonchamisa in Masvingo did so within the confines of the law. Chamisa represents a violent organisation which called for sanctions. Villagers were not violent. Chamisa is not immune from demos, wrote Zanu PF Patriots on Twitter.

Information Ministry secretary Ndavaningi Mangwana and Zanu PF director of information Tafadzwa Mugwadi thanked the people of Masvingo for attacking and blocking Chamisas convoy.

They accused the MDC Alliance of stage-managing the attacks in order to draw the attention of the United Nations Special Rapporteur Alena Douhan who is scheduled to visit Zimbabwe to assess the impact of sanctions on the country from October 18 to 28.

We are in the event of #COP26 and the special rapporteurs engagement is about to happen. Do you know what else has started? The Dramas, Mangwana tweeted. We are tired of the @mdczimbabwe provocations aimed at setting the agenda and stage for the coming UN Rapporteur on sanctions, Mugwadi also tweeted.

Yesterday, the MDC Alliance tweeted: Excessive roadblocks have been mounted in Masvingo following the arrival of president Chamisa. Police Zimbabwe are conducting illegal stop and search operations. They say they are looking for weapons.

In a statement, MDC Alliance spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere said the arrival of Chamisa in Masvingo province saw ruling party supporters turn the area into a warzone.

This political violence is unconstitutional; it violates our political rights enshrined in section 67 of the Constitution, and causes extreme concern, Mahere said. Newsday


Zimbabwes community in the Diaspora has an important role to play in the national development of the country and initiatives for the attainment of Vision 2030, Vice President Constantino Chiwenga said yesterday.

The Second Republic, after coming into office in November 2017, set itself the target of building the economy and transforming Zimbabwe into an upper middle income economy, also known as Vision 2030, with per capita income of at least US$3 400.

VP Chiwenga said in line with National Development Strategy (NDS1) objective of devolving Diaspora initiatives the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade had toured Zimbabwes 10 provinces to appreciate projects being undertaken by the Diaspora. This would give insights into projects open for uptake and investments by the Diaspora across all regions. This will entail engaging all line ministries and provincial ministers of devolution to appreciate initiatives which the Diaspora can partake in.

Government has deployed funding in each province for key projects, into which members of the Diaspora can also direct their savings for a profitable return. He implored Zimbabweans outside the country to invest in agriculture, mining, energy and power, manufacturing and infrastructure development.

It is in those projects that we want you also to take part, the Vice President said this could be done through Foreign Affairs and International Trade Ministry.

He said there were many avenues through which the Diaspora can participate Zimbabwes development, including trade promotion, markets for each province, Diaspora investments, knowledge and skills transfer, Diaspora remittances and philanthropic initiatives.

Addressing Zimbabweans in the Gulf Region in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), where he is scheduled to attended the Global Business Forum Africa (GBFA) tomorrow and on Thursday on the sidelines of Expo 2020 Dubai, the Vice President said Vision 2030 would definitely be achieved.

He said Government had adopted the policy decision to take advantage of every opportunity of the presence of senior Government officials abroad to meet and interact with the Diaspora in order to listen to the concerns, aspirations and dialogue for mutual benefit.

You have a role to play in the building and reconstruction of our country. It has become generally accepted that many Zimbabweans, who live in Diaspora like you are transnational migrants who continue to maintain social, economic and cultural ties with their kinsmen and institutions back home. Despite your prolonged stay here, you still remain Zimbabweans.

This gives you the chance to play a key role in Zimbabwes economic reconstruction agenda, as such Government is happy that its nationals in the Diaspora have demonstrated keen interest to maintain links with their home towns, provinces, districts and or even villages, he said.

The maintenance of such ties with your country of origin, should enable you Zimbabwe nationals in the Diaspora to contribute and positively impact the development trajectory of your beloved country back home. Indeed, as nationals it would be amiss of you to forget, neglect or despise your roots, he said.

He said wherever the Zimbabwe Diaspora are they should be driven to fly the countrys flag high without forgetting the imperative to lift up those back home out of poverty.

The Vice President commended the Diaspora that have formed alumni associations of their local areas of origin and used such platforms to invest across the socio economic divide.

For instance, he said in 2019 the Zimbabwe Life Project visited the country and donated medical equipment, which has made a huge difference to the countrys recuperating health system.

It is through such benevolent activities that Zimbabwe nationals in the Diaspora can contribute towards the certainty of achieving our national aspirations of attaining inclusive upper middle income economy society by 2030, as clearly enunciated by our President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, he said.

We will achieve that together, and there will be no failure. By 203o (Zimbabwe will have attained upper middle income status), and we are giving ourselves time, but we can achieve that even much earlier, all that is needed is to put our heads together, put our efforts together and we will achieve, he said.

The Government of Zimbabwe, the Vice President said, recognised the central role and importance of the Diaspora in national development as early as 2016, when it formulated the National Diaspora policy, which would be continuously updated.

Zimbabweans living and working outside have justified this recognition by increasing remittances back home. VP Chiwenga said receipts from Diaspora remittances, over the half year to June this year, had exceeded well over US$1 billion.

He also pledged Government commitment to addressing challenges faced by the Diaspora with regard to access to identity and travel documents, without which he said, it would be difficult for Zimbabweans to live and work outside the country.

This noble intention has been carried forward through inclusion in the National Development Strategy (NDS1), Zimbabwes mid term economic blueprint for the period 2020-2025, which would employ a number of strategies to include the Diaspora in the national development agenda.

These include review of the policy and legislation to take on board the aspirations of Zimbabweans outside the in all matters of national development while promoting Diaspora engagements whenever feasible, so that them and us or us and them becomes a thing of the past.

Government will also establish institutional co-ordinating structures at home and abroad to work with the Diaspora, including forming and capacitating the National Diaspora Taskforce and associations.

Transfer of the Diaspora directorate from Treasury to Ministry of Foreign Affairs was done to ensures it deals more closely with the interests and aspirations of the Zimbabwe Diaspora.

Further, the Government has established a Diaspora investment framework to promote private public partnerships aimed at facilitating Diaspora consortiums.

Vice President Chiwenga said Government had put in place policies and legislation to address issues of property title to address some of the concerns of the Diaspora.

Further, he said the Government was keen to promote investments by locals working abroad, as demonstrated in the contracts awarded to Zimbabwean companies for the construction and upgrading of Beitbridge road, which has proved a success significantly cheaper.

That is what we are going to do. We will empower and create our own entrepreneurs; we will empower our own people. So, someone was talking, I am in construction; I am building spaghetti roads here; we are (also) doing that back home, come back home and do it, he said.

VP Chiwenga said what was important at the moment was to construct and rebuild the country, put food on the table, make sure everybody had access to good healthcare services and decent jobs. Thats what we want, thats what the Second Republic wants to achieve, to build Zimbabwe; a beautiful Zimbabwe; we do not feed (survive) on politics by the way, he said.

He said never again should Zimbabwe lag behind, stressing that the country will, going forward, move along the development path as fast as it can with the rest of the world. Reiterating President Mnangagwas remarks, he said Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo.

So, non but ourselves will take Zimbabwe to greater heights through hard work, resourcefulness and ingenuity; brick upon brick, stone upon stone, until we get there. We are not going anyone to build our country except ourselves, the Vice President said.

He said Zimbabwe adopted an inclusive and all stakeholder approach to engage the Diaspora, culminating in the national Diaspora taskforce coordinated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and includes ZimTrade, Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency (ZIDA) and other Government related entities that deal with Diaspora affairs. Herald
Thubelihle Khoshow (26) of Kwekwe can easily go down in history as one of the most heartless killers in Zimbabwe after he went door-to-door on Friday night, singling out his targets.

And by the time it was sunrise, it was discovered he had killed six people in cold blood and injured four others from different houses in the Stone Clair community of Redcliff.

Among his weapons of choice were a spear which he used to stab some of his victims, while in other cases he used a knife, and in others a hoe and a sharp object.

His injured victims are still battling for their lives in hospital, leaving the small community of Stone Clair in shock.

Yesterday, three families were gathered a stones throw away from each other, paying their last respects as they await the bodies to be ferried from Bulawayo after post mortem.

Each of the three families lost two people, leaving the entire community disturbed and confused by the turn of events.

Redcliff mayor, Councillor Clayton Masiyatsva, had to go around consoling the families of the bereaved.

Khoshow went berserk while attending an AApostolic church all-night vigil on Friday night, uprooting trees, pushing stationary cars and attacking everyone in his way.

His uncle, Mr Gift Ngwenya, who was present when it all started at the church all-night vigil, gave an account of the events.

He started behaving violently the previous day and that is when we decided to take him to church as we sought for remedy, he said. But during the church service around 3am, that is when all hell broke loose.

He became so violent and would break trees and uprooted some smaller ones. It was so scary that everyone ran away as he was so violent and powerful.

From the church shrine, Khoshow went to his home where he did not find his wife and child, and started hunting for them.

We were aware that the two were having problems lately and we had to take his wife and child to my place because we feared for their lives, said Mr Ngwenya. He started destroying property before he went to his wifes younger sisters place.

At his wifes young sister, Khoshow found Michelle Moyo (8) and Lucky Moyo (4) sleeping. He struck them with an axe and they died on the spot.

The two were children to his wifes younger sister.

They will be buried in Nkayi once the bodies return from Bulawayo after post mortem.

After that, Khoshows next stop was a neighbouring house where he jumped the precast wall and attacked the house owner, a police officer, with a spear.

The police officer is said to be in a stable condition at Kwekwe General Hospital.

From there, Khoshow went to another house, a few metres away. On arrival, he axed to death the house owner, Xolani Sikwili (33) and his 7-month-old daughter, Lerato.

The wife escaped with head injuries and is battling for life.

Nqobani Sikwili, brother to Xolani, narrated how it all happened.

I am told that he came and knocked on the door and upon opening, he struck him (Nqobani) with an axe on the head. He also stabbed him on the neck with a spear.

He headed to the bedroom where he found Nqobanis wife holding the baby and he stabbed the baby with a knife. The woman was struck with a sharp object all over the body and head. She is in hospital as we speak.

Two other children who were in the other room together with the maid were lucky to survive as Khoshow probably was not aware of their presence.

Sikwili and his daughter will be buried in Redcliff.

Khoshow then headed back home where he found Meggie Nkiwane (85) and her daughter Lina Moyo (56) sleeping. He attacked them with a hoe and they both died on the spot.

Moyos son, a police officer based in Harare, said he was still in shock.

They called me on the night telling me that Khoshow was behaving violently, he said. I tried to look for Redcliff police (phone) number to no avail. The following morning, I then received a call notifying me of the disaster. It is so painful to lose your loved ones this way.

Police were called in and arrested Khoshow.

Cllr Masiyatsva said the community was stunned by the horrific incident.

We are still in shock, he said. This is not easy to comprehend, but as a council we are doing all we can to assist those affected.

We are offering free graves to those families that intend to bury their loved ones in Redcliff. We are also giving food hampers to assist at the funeral wake as they wait for post mortem results.

A cleansing ceremony is also on the cards, said Cllr Masiyatsva.

We want to hold a cleansing ceremony because the rate at which people are dying in the area is becoming scary, he said.

In one week, we received several reports of mishaps. We had a Form 2 pupil committing suicide in Torwood, another drowned in Cactus Dam and another one was involved in a car accident and died on the spot.

Then we have this one, all in one week. So, we intend to hold a cleansing ceremony anytime soon. Herald
A HARARE court is on Friday expected to rule on whether Vice-President Constantino Chiwengas estranged wife, Marry Mubaiwa is fit to stand trial on allegations of fraudulently acquiring an ungraded marriage certificate when her husband was bedridden.

The State and a doctor assigned to examine her gave the greenlight for the trial to start.

The couple had been married for eight years under Zimbabwes customary law.

Supreme Court judge Justice George Chiweshe, who is a retired soldier, and former chief magistrate Munamato Mutevedzi who is now a High Court judge, are witnesses in the matter.

The doctor, Simukai Machawira told the court that he was a vascular specialist and was asked by his clinical director to write a medical report for Mubaiwa. He said he only did a physical examination of Mubaiwa and concluded that she was fit to stand trial.

Mubaiwas lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa asked Machawira if he contacted Mubaiwas doctor who is treating her to be apprised of her condition. Machawira said he did not consult her doctor, but was only working on her physical fitness.

Mtetwa then asked Machawira if his observations were a true reflection of Mubaiwas condition when he did not check with her doctor or check on her clinical records to which he responded that he was not an expert in checking her mental strength for the trial.

Machawira said he only relied on the information provided by Mubaiwa.

Mtetwa said all the medication Mubaiwa was taking was for pain and relief of trauma.

Machawira admitted in court that the fact that Mubaiwa was taking six different drugs could affect her mental state, but said when he assessed her, she seemed ready to stand trial despite being under medication.

The State, represented by Michael Reza, Tafara Chirambira and Tendai Shonhai, said Mubaiwa did not mention her mental problem when she was being examined.

Mtetwa then interjected saying she did not say Mubaiwa is mentally ill and was a candidate of Ingutsheni Psychiatric Hospital, but her mental strength to concentrate in court after taking medication.

Reza then apologised.

But Mtetwa asked the court to allow Mubaiwa to be examined for mental preparedness for trial. But Reza opposed, saying it was a classic act of afterthought.

Mtetwa said the trial could not resume when Mubaiwa was visibly sick.

Magistrate Lazini Ncube, however, postponed the matter to Friday for ruling. Mtetwa has been accusing Chiwenga of intimidating doctors who prepared Mubaiwas medical report. Newsday
A Mbare woman sustained head injuries yesterday following an attack by a bouncer and karataka. This followed a misunderstanding over a par...
Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin 10PARIS207 2010-02-22 14:02 2010-12-06 21:09 CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN Embassy Paris VZCZCXRO2986 PP RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHNP RUEHROV RUEHSL RUEHSR DE RUEHFR #0207/01 0531431 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 221431Z FEB 10 ZDK FM AMEMBASSY PARIS TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8368 INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 PARIS 000207 NOFORN SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/11/2020 TAGS: PGOV PREL RS GG SR BK AF IR AM FR SUBJECT: FRENCH MFA ON RUSSIA, BALKANS, AFGHANISTAN, IRAN, CAUCASUS Classified By: Political Counselor Andrew R. Young, Reasons 1.4 (b), (d). 1. (C/NF) SUMMARY: During separate discussions with OSD Assistant Secretary for International Security Affairs Alexander Vershbow and EUR Deputy Assistant Secretary Spencer Boyer in early February, Roland Galharague, MFA A/S-equivalent for Continental Europe, adopted a defensive posture about the potential sale of Mistral class ships to Russia; expressed skepticism about the depth and durability of Russia's support for sanctions against Iran; acknowledged Putin's dominance in Russia while proposing, as a means to strengthen Medvedev, that we respond positively to his proposals for reforming European security and holding an OSCE summit; asserted that Serbia cannot win back Kosovo and also win entry into the EU; expressed pessimism about the future of Nagorno-Karabakh negotiations and about the impact of instability in Iran on Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, and Armenia; and claimed that Bosnia and Afghanistan could become difficult issues for trans-Atlantic relations this year because of the USG's alleged disengagement from Bosnia and its alleged failure to consult adequately with European NATO allies on strategy in Afghanistan. END SUMMARY. ----------------------------------------- MISTRAL: FRENCH ADOPT A DEFENSIVE POSTURE ----------------------------------------- 2. (C/NF) When asked about the potential sale of Mistral class ships to Russia, Galharague inquired as to why the USG seems to be singling out France for criticism on this issue. "I recently spoke to my Dutch counterpart," he reported, "and he said you have not approached him on this subject" despite recent Dutch (and Spanish) efforts to make similar sales. Furthermore, the Mistral is not "top end" military equipment, Galharague argued, describing it instead as a combination between "a truck and an oil ship" with some helpful navigation tools. It will not contribute significantly to Russian military capabilities. Russian leaders have been over-selling the military significance of the Mistral in order to quell domestic opposition to its purchase from abroad. Some Russians consider the sale a harbinger of the end of shipbuilding in their country, and claim the ship could be built at home but would simply take longer. The production and sale of armaments is a major industry in Russia, possibly second only to oil and gas. In his February 10 press conference, the Chairman of Russia's National Security Council, Nikolai Patrushev, seemed "very reticent" about the possible sale, according to Galharague. 4. (C/NF) Asked about Georgia's reaction to the possible sale, Galharague insisted that France has maintained "very good" relations with Tbilisi. The GOF "strategy" for Georgia to recover its lost territory is to persuade the Tblisi government to engage with the leaders of the secessionist territories and to continue on their path toward EU accession. The demands of accession -- such as internal democratic reforms and good relations with their neighbors -- will serve Georgia and the region well. Nonetheless, Galharague acknowledged that Tbilisi has good reason to fear Russia, given their recent history. This ship will not, however, affect their strategic situation, Galharague argued: "The Russians have already invaded Georgia without the ship." 5. (C/NF) While acknowledging that Georgia and the Baltic countries feel threatened by Russia -- with reason -- Galharague concluded that Russia is not a threat to us and there is no reason we should not sell equipment to them which does not fall into the realm of restricted armaments. The Mistral class ship does not contain high end or sensitive technology, he insisted. ------------------------------------------- RUSSIA'S COMPLICATED RELATIONSHIP WITH IRAN ------------------------------------------- 6. (C/NF) The Russians are currently benefiting from their helpful statements on Iran while realizing full well that China will water down any sanctions proposals, Galharague asserted. When praising Russia's new stance, he argued, we should be cognizant of their complicated relationship with Iran. Russians have an interest in strong ties with Tehran, especially because Iran is still a primary market for Russian arms sales. On the other hand, were Iran to normalize its relations with western governments, it could develop into a major Russian rival for gas sales to the European market. To balance various and competing elements of its relationship with Iran, Russia has an interest in serving as a "go-between" in the conflict between Iran and the west. In fact, Galharague claimed, Russian leaders were furious when Turkey recently started to seize that mantel. --------------------- MEDVEDEV VERSUS PUTIN --------------------- 7. (C/NF) When discussing the comparative influence of President Medvedev and Prime Minister Putin, Galharague claimed that Medvedev, whose initial gut reactions to events clearly differ from those of Putin, is trying to assemble his own power bases independent of the former President. In the meantime, "power still rests with Putin," Galharague assessed. Putin, not Medvedev, constantly juggles and balances competing domestic interests in Russia. As a case in point, Galharague cited the Russian government's reaction to the financial crisis. After the government painstakingly established a mechanism for determining how to divide stimulus funds among various economic sectors and private interests, Putin simply decided unilaterally who would receive state support. In general, Galharague observed, Putin much prefers to focus on domestic issues rather than foreign policy. Putin prefers cutting deals in the murky Russian business world to delving into the complexities of international politics. --------------------------------------------- ------------- STRENGTHEN MEDVEDEV BY RESPONDING TO HIS SECURITY PROPOSAL --------------------------------------------- ------------- 8. (C/NF) Galharague described the long-standing French effort to strengthen Medvedev by respecting his official role as president of Russia, regardless of Putin's competing power and influence. "We treat Medvedev as president and address presidential issues with him." They also seek to validate Medvedev's initiatives, regardless of the substantive content, in order to reward his efforts to put new ideas forward. As an important example, Galharague mentioned Medvedev's proposal for revamping European security architecture. Medvedev invested a lot of political capital in this effort, Galharague argued, and we should provide a positive response, even if we do not accept the proposals. For this reason, President Sarkozy sent Medvedev a letter of acknowledgment after receiving the proposal. Tying this approach to USG policy toward Russia, Galharague several times asked how the USG plans to measure the success of the "reset" with Russia? The French, he said, would like to know whether the USG has established benchmarks for progress, and they wonder how START negotiations might fit into this equation. ------------------------------------------- EUROPEAN SECURITY: GOF SUPPORTS OSCE SUMMIT ------------------------------------------- 9. (C/NF) Galharague stated that the French largely agree with us about how to address questions of European security, except in one area: they support the idea of an OSCE summit. While Paris concurs with the USG analysis that the Russian proposals for reforming Europe's security institutions contain a number of "unacceptable" elements, he argued that we must understand that "we're playing a game of judo  we do not want to give the Russians a pretext to claim they're being ignored." He added that the Russians are adept at manipulation. "We constantly feel like we have a better hand but they're playing a better game -- it's the same in business and economic arenas." Claims of disrespect by western nations resonate in Russian domestic politics, to our detriment, he warned. Therefore, we must emphasize the positive elements of the Russian proposal and communicate a sincere willingness to engage. An OSCE summit can help with these aims, Galharague argued, and at the same time support the Corfu process. A summit would need to involve at least a minimum number of substantive issues, such as regional conflicts or the status of conventional forces in Europe, but by agreeing to move ahead with the summit we would put the onus back on Russia. --------------------------------------------- ----- BALKANS: SERBS CAN'T WIN IN BOTH KOSOVO AND THE EU --------------------------------------------- ----- 10. (C/NF) Galharague asked that the USG work together with the EU to discourage the Serbians from proposing a new U.N. resolution on Kosovo, stating that Serbian Foreign Minister Jeremic "seems to believe Serbia can win on Kosovo and win EU entry. We need to let him know this is not true." Right now, Galharague reported, "the Serbs are furious with us (the French)" in response to the demarche the GOF delivered in Belgrade in early February (reftel) about Serbia's possible plans for a U.N. resolution. "We delivered the message in very forceful terms." In fact, the Serbs interpreted the demarche as a major change in position, Galharague reported. The EU had thus far maintained the position that the issues of Kosovo and Serbian entry into the EU were not formally linked. "There was no formal conditionality," Galharague said, adding that the Serbs now understand that to be a member of the EU they must eventually recognize Kosovo. "We told them we do not want another Cyprus," he explained, referring to Cyprus' controversial EU accession in 2004 as a divided island where EU legislation remains partly "suspended" in the northern part of the island which is outside of the government in Nicosia's control. Nonetheless, Galharague predicted the Serbs will likely go ahead with the U.N. resolution in any case, and the USG and the EU will be forced to oppose it. 11. (C/NF) Furthermore, Galharague asserted, before the Serbs join the EU, they will need to resolve key issues with Kosovo in the fields of justice, police, customs, transport, griculture, and also any differences over names and terminology. The best way for Serbia to address issues related to Kosovo is by working with the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX). "At the end of the day, though," he reiterated, "Serbia must recognize Kosovo if it wants to join the EU." ------------------------------ PESSIMISTIC ABOUT THE CAUCASUS ------------------------------ 12. (C/NF) The Nagorno-Karabakh negotiations appear to be at a "dead end," Galharague averred, adding that "Minsk (The Minsk Group) is going nowhere fast." He noted that the French government is not in a position to push the Armenians at the moment because French citizens of Armenian origin "represent about 500,000 votes" and French regional elections will take place in March. Other actors may soon impact the Caucasus region, he warned, such as instability in Iran. Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Turkmenistan all have important trade and energy ties with Iran and they could be immediately affected by the Iran sanctions bill currently making its way through the U.S. Congress. At the same time, the effort to impose harsher U.N. sanctions may offer us an opportunity to further engage with those three countries about their approach to Iran. --------------------------------------------- ---- FUTURE USG-EU FLASHPOINTS: BOSNIA AND AFGHANISTAN --------------------------------------------- ---- 13. (C/NF) When assessing potential issue areas where the USG and EU may differ during 2010, Galharague focused first on Bosnia. He said the French are disappointed that the USG appears to have put all plans and actions on hold pending the elections in October. Indeed, he implied that U.S. and EU officials have differing assessments of the need for continual engagement with the conflicting parties in Bosnia. Bosnian parties will not make progress without unity between the U.S. and the EU. When the Americans disengage, even temporarily, Galharague claimed the Bosnians perceive it immediately and react accordingly: "The Americans are giving up, so why should we do this (make compromises)?" The USG, the Spanish EU presidency, and High Representative Ashton should lead the charge in engaging this year -- "we need U.S. backing now," he urged. As a lever to press the Bosnians forward on constitutional issues, the EU may be able to use the ruling by the European Court of Human Rights, which declared that the Bosnian Constitution does not conform with European human rights standards. 14. (C/NF) Galharague described Afghanistan as the second potential trans-Atlantic flashpoint in 2010: "There is an emerging feeling the war is not jointly owned and managed." President Obama waited eight months to make a decision and, during that period, at no point did European opinion factor into his deliberations, according to Galharague. DAS Boyer firmly disagreed, citing USG consultations and discussions with French officials in Paris and in Washington, DC. Galharague acknowledged these discussions took place, but claimed the question Americans posed to their European NATO allies was not "What do you think?" but "How many troops can you put on the ground?". More recently, he said, the USG has begun contemplating engagement with elements of the Taliban without consulting European NATO allies. The French would like to know, for instance, what this engagement might mean for our future relations with Pakistan and India. 15. (C/NF) In purely political terms, Galharague explained that Afghanistan has developed into a difficult issue, especially in France. With the French death toll in Afghanistan having reached 40, he noted, local politicians have found themselves increasingly faced with grieving families, to whom they must explain the purpose of the war. "The perception is that we're there because the Americans are there," he said. "We're not sure where we're going and we're not being asked or consulted." Initially, the majority of Europeans supported the war in Afghanistan, invoking Article Five of the NATO Charter and committing a "fairly high" amount of troops and resources. But now "no one knows the purpose" of the war. "Perhaps the French government should have made a better show of the consultations" that did take place, Galharague admitted, "but to display them you have to have them." 16. (C/NF) EMBASSY COMMENT: Galharague is not ultimately responsible for the Afghanistan-Pakistan region, which is handled by a separate cell within the MFA, so his comments may not reflect the views of those who regularly engage with the USG on this issue. Notably, when discussing public and official perceptions of the war in Afghanistan, he made no mention of SRAP Holbrooke's two visits to Paris in the last three months, or post's constant exchanges about Afghanistan with French officials at the senior and working levels. Galharague focused on a perception of minimal consultation, which he admitted could persist regardless of reality. END COMMENT. 17. (U) ASD Vershbow and DAS Boyer have cleared this cable.RIVKIN
This is, after all, an example of a theoretically democratic government sending one of its own citizens to jail because it wanted to protect its secrets. The transcript fails to make any kind of case that this was, in any way, fair or reasonable. We know a lot more about the dangers of hacking into the electoral process than we did in 2018; Is This a Room argues tacitly that Winner is a prime candidate for a commuted sentence.
Speed camera tickets are issued only to vehicles moving 10 mph or more over the posted speed limit, and carry a $50 fine. The citys speed limit is 25 mph, unless posted otherwise. In areas without posted speed limits, a school bus would have to be traveling at 35 mph or more to be ticketed.
This is just further proof that the New York State prison population is getting older and sicker, and our prison systems are becoming convalescent nursing homes for older people, said Jullian Harris-Calvin, the director of the Vera Institutes Greater Justice New York Program.
Now we are taking the necessary steps to make this program permanent and sustainable in the long term, said Stein. Neighborhoods that applied to the program are already being supported with resources to make their beloved Open Streets permanent. In addition, equity and fairness have been central to this program from the start, and we are doing outreach to neighborhoods that lack community groups or BIDs so they get the support necessary to take part in the program no matter what.
We dont know who his friends were. We dont know why he was all the way over there. He should have known better than being in that area around that time, but he didnt deserve what happened to him.
And in late August, the Manhattan district attorneys office filed charges against 15 women in a bogus vaccination card conspiracy. One of the suspects allegedly sold roughly 250 phony vaccine cards using an online alias, AntiVaxMomma, and worked with another suspect to fraudulently enter at least 10 peoples names in the state Immunization Information System database. The other 13 defendant were accused of buying the fake IDs, authorities said.
I was sweeping the sidewalk. I saw the lady passing with three kids. All of a sudden, this guy runs across the street, and wraps the little girl in a blanket, said Fermin Bracero, 63, who works at the gas station. He tried to cut out, but a whole bunch of us got involved, so he dropped the little girl.
A 21-year-old man died four days after he was shot in the back of the head on a Brooklyn street, police said Tuesday.
Unfortunately, confidence in public institutions is at an all-time low. We owe it to New Yorkers to do our due diligence whenever serious allegations emerge about a public official, even if that official is the mayor of New York, Holden wrote in a letter to Johnson (D-Manhattan). Please call a hearing to address the issues raised in the DOIs report, and together, we can determine the truth behind these allegations and hold those in power accountable.
The Dyker Heights couple described the death as a tragic accident rather than blaming the 30-year-old driver of the 2020 Mercedes-Benz that killed their son. The driver has not been ticketed or charged in the fatal collision, police said, with the accident occurring after she exited the elevated Brooklyn-Queens Expressway to pull into into a BP gas station.
Cops are also investigating if the suspects can be linked to the Sept. 15 robbery at the celebrity hangout Philippe Chow, a high-end Chinese restaurant on E. 60th St. In that incident, a 28-year-old man on a first date was shot in the leg trying to fight back against two masked suspects. The crooks fled with a Rolex from another diner.
About 9 a.m., Port Authority Police Department Officer Daniel Halleran saw the Honda on the I-78 ramp heading toward the Holland Tunnel and tried to box in the car with the help of another PAPD officer, a Port Authority spokeswoman said.
His mother, Catherine, had called 911 after he threatened to commit suicide and stormed out of their home in Parkton, about 25 miles north of the Inner Harbor, according to the Post. She told authorities that her son was drunk but unarmed.
Gabby Petitos death at such a young age is a tragedy, he said. While Brian Laundrie is currently charged with the unauthorized use of a debit card belonging to Gabby, Brian is only considered a person of interest in relation to Gabby Petitos demise. At this time Brian is still missing and when he is located we will address the pending fraud charge against him.
The oil spill off the coast of Huntington Beach is an environmental disaster with far-reaching consequences for our fish and wildlife, for our communities, and for our economy, said Bonta. My office is committed to devoting the people and the resources necessary to ensure this environmental disaster is fully investigated, and we will follow the facts wherever they lead us.
The mural, unveiled in June 2020, was supposed to honor her and others for their service to the city but instead reflected her as a white member of the city fire department, according to the complaint obtained by CNN. On Sept. 2, a second complaint said the case was being brought on her behalf seeking to redress the defamatory statement about her race that Boynton Beach had made, and alleged negligence on the citys part in failing to properly oversee an approved use of the likeness of Clemons.
Bryan Riley, 33, has been charged with the murders of 40-year-old Justice Gleason, 33-year-old Theresa Lanham, their baby boy, Jody, and Lanhams mother, 62-year-old Catherine Delgado, as well as the attempted murder of the 11-year-old girl and the police officers he shot at during his arrest.
According to police, Murdaugh told officers that he had been shot by a stranger who drove off immediately, before days later confessing to the set-up. His lawyer said Murdaugh, struggling with a drug addiction fueled by the deaths of his wife and younger son earlier that summer, had wanted to ensure that his eldest son got his $10 million life insurance payout.
We have so many things weve had to fight for for such a long time and for something as simple as not being called filth and not being called names in general  its just not something any of us will be quiet about, Hennessey added.
Owensby has been cited for failing to restrain a child in the backseat and having a tint on his windows, according to the Dayton Daily News. He was also reportedly cited for obstructing official business and resisting arrest, but has not been formally charged.
Commissioners took particular issue with Acevedo describing the the people at the helm of the department as the Cuban Mafia. Three of the five members of the commission  like Acevedo himself  are Cuban-American, and they said they felt personally attacked by the comments.
Norwin Superintendent Jeff Taylor said the kids in Confederate gear were warned against wearing clothes that may potentially disrupt the educational process and sent back to class after changing their outfits. Taylor said he was disappointed that the situation occurred where it happened, but also saw it as a learning opportunity for his district.
In this Jan. 29, 2016 file photo, Andy Parker and his wife, Barbara, listen as Virginia Gov. Terry McAulliffe announces a compromise on a set of gun bills at the Capitol in Richmond, Va. The family of a slain journalist is asking the Federal Trade Commission, Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2021, to take action against Facebook for failing to remove online footage of her shooting death. Andy Parker says the company is violating its own terms of service in hosting videos on Facebook and its sibling service Instagram that glorify violence. His daughter, TV news reporter Alison Parker, and cameraman Adam Ward were killed by a former co-worker while reporting for Roanoke, Virginias WDBJ-TV in August 2015. (Steve Helber/AP)
My responsibility as governor is to protect the people of this state, and requiring health care workers to get vaccinated accomplishes that, she said in a statement. I stand behind this mandate, and I will fight this decision in court to keep New Yorkers safe.
When you look at the tossup questions and how theyre being perceived, Hochul does enter this, clearly, as a front-runner, said Lee Miringoff, the director of the Marist Institute for Public Opinion. What I was struck by in these numbers was that Hochul is not an unknown entity, that shes doing very well among Democrats and doing decently in the primary matchup.
This is a better approach, de Blasio said in his daily briefing when asked about Adams opposition. And then, you know, in the future, people will make their own judgments, which of course is their right, but I think what we need to do right now is have a strong engagement process and keep moving forward.
Trumps eventual axing of Yovanovitch in May 2019 became a key aspect of his first impeachment on charges that he tried to pressure Ukraines government into helping him cheat in the 2020 election. Parnas trial could shed more light on that shady chapter in American history, though prosecutors have vowed to avoid some of the Yovanovitch allegations to streamline the case.
The back-and-forth between the rivals comes just days before early voting begins on Oct. 23. The general election is on Nov. 2. The New York City Campaign Finance Board requires both candidates to participate in two separate hour-long televised debates with the first event on Oct. 20 on WNBC-TV from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. and the final debate on Oct. 26 on WABC-TV from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.
According to the Guardian, the unidentified 48-year-old suspect is accused of triggering false alarms on three occasions. One local news outlet reported that on Aug. 13, shark trackers were alerted that a great white had been detected in the Albany area at 4:46 p.m. and again 7 minutes later. On 4 September, a great white shark was thought to have been detected in that general area at 7:56 a.m.
Six dead kangaroos, five adults and one baby, were found in the Long Beach area shortly after 7 a.m. A while later, eight dead kangaroos, seven adults and one baby, were found nearby around Maloneys Beach area.
In which country did people not die? Tell me! Bolsonaro said in response to a journalist that asked him about his nations death toll. Look, I didnt come here to be bored.
The ECHR ruled against the group, writing that the pope does not serve as the principal of all his bishops  an argument the Holy See has had similar success with in the United States, where courts have previously concluded that because the pope isnt the boss of his bishops, he should not be held liable for the abuse.
America needs universal national service now  not to only fight a war beyond our borders, but to also repair many glaring, growing fissures within it. In the summer of 1980, I protested but succumbed to registering for Selective Service. My friends and I feared a war on the horizon in the Middle East over oil. After some soul searching, I capitulated. I realized by not registering, someone might go in my place following an imposed draft.
He furthered: As a kid because it was like ... I dont want to end up eating in a punch up. And I did. That would happen quite a lot. And it would just be a good place to go. Everybody was chill, everybody. You didnt really have to sort of state your sexuality. It was okay. And it was a very safe place to be. And I could meet girls there, cause there are a lot of girls there for exactly the same reason I was there. It was kind of ... an ulterior motive.
Swanson wrote, Ive been emotionally, mentally, and physically abused and Im not hiding it anymore. And, Im so embarrassed and ashamed it had to get to this but I have to stand up for myself on Instagram as well.
Anthonys founder Anthony Bruno opened his first namesake pizzeria in 2002 in Fort Lauderdale, modeled after the old New York way of firing pizzas using coal-fired ovens. The first location burned coal at 900 degrees using high-grade anthracite from Pennsylvania, giving the pies a charred, crispy taste. Anthonys became a hit soon after, with customers craving ACFPs wings and smoky-flavored pies (which cook in about four minutes). Bruno expanded the chain to more than 50 locations before L. Catterton acquired it in 2016. (Brunos name is still used in corporate branding on the restaurants website, but he no longer has any say in its menu or operations.)
Vickerys departure is a big deal; since CFCArts humble beginnings in 2010, literally thousands upon thousands of people have experienced one of its shows, educational classes or outreach programs as a ticket buyer or participant. Were talking Central Floridians from all walks of life: seniors to youths, those with mental and physical challenges, prisoners, domestic-violence survivors, those who had never experienced a play or concert before.
The recommendations are meant for people with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity or other conditions that increase their chances for a heart attack or stroke. Regardless of age, adults should talk with their doctors about stopping or starting aspirin to make sure its the right choice for them, said task force member Dr. John Wong, a primary-care expert at Tufts Medical Center.
Shamaya was very active, had a bubbly personality, and enjoyed family gatherings. She meant so much to so many people, her obituary said. Shamayas life was cut short, but we are grateful for the 21 years we had and all the memories we made.
A Florida deputy was fired after he was accused of having sex in the back of his car while on duty.
Laundrie returned home Sept. and is wanted by the FBI, which is charging him with unauthorized use of a debit card. Laundrie reportedly used an unidentified persons Capital One Bank card and personal identification number to make unauthorized withdrawals or charges worth over $1,000 during the period in which Petito went missing.
If Rileys lawyers opt for an insanity defense, they would need to show Riley was so seriously afflicted by a mental defect at the time of the slayings that he did not know what he was doing or could not tell right from wrong. Thats different from being found competent to stand trial, said former federal prosecutor David S. Weinstein.
We urge voters to not rely solely on our opinions in deciding how to cast a vote. Voters should check the candidates campaign websites and social media accounts (if they dont have either, that should be a red flag). Ask friends and neighbors what they think. Google the candidates and go to Orlando.gov/election to see whos giving money to their campaigns. In addition, weve recorded our interviews and posted them in full at OrlandoSentinel.com/interviews.
Florida has lost more than 56,000 lives to COVID-19, and the governor is spending his time punishing counties working to keep their citizens safe, she said in a statement. Unbelievable! We dont need the state bullying our communities or private businesses who are simply trying to serve the people and get on the other side of this pandemic.
That interaction of being able to actually talk to you virtually is next to actually being physically present, Scoon told the Senate committee. And thats really, really important to hear your response. Or if theres a question, you might ask me a question  that is non-existent with putting a comment in a box. And you also want to encourage people to believe in the system and to feel like theyre heard. And theres nothing like having a conversation to actually give that impression.
Oswego, NY (13126)

Today

Rain showers early will evolve into a more steady rain overnight. A few flurries or snow showers possible. Low 37F. Winds W at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Rain showers early will evolve into a more steady rain overnight. A few flurries or snow showers possible. Low 37F. Winds W at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 80%.
N'Djamena, Chad (PANA) - Amnesty International has condemned the Chadian authorities for the repression of a protest planned for last Saturday by opposition and pro-democracy activists
Geneva, Switzerland (PANA) - People with weaker immune systems should receive an additional shot of approved COVID-19 vaccines, an advisory group to the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday
New York, US (PANA) - With more than a million species at risk of extinction, countries must work now to achieve a sustainable future for people and the planet, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told leaders attending the UN Biodiversity Conference, which opened on Monday from Kunming, China
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Former Russian senator Sabadash to stand new embezzlement trial

 RAPSI

15:40 12/10/2021

ST. PETERSBURG, October 12 (RAPSI, Mikhail Telekhov)  The trial of ex-member of the Russian Federation Council and owner of Liviz liquor producer Alexander Sabadash, who stands charged with embezzling nearly one billion rubles from the Tavrichesky bank, will begin on October 21, RAPSI has learnt in the Smolninsky District Court of St. Petersburg.

His alleged accomplices, former top managers of the credit organization Sergey Somov and Dmitry Garkusha, will stand the embezzlement trial.

Investigators accuse the defendants of 16 counts of embezzlement totaling to 952 million rubles ($13.3 million). Initially, they were charge with 10 counts.

Sabadash, ex-deputy chairman of the bank board Dmitry Garkusha and ex-chief of Tavrichesky board Sergey Somov are in detention. One more defendant, ex-financier of Sabadash, Garry Itkin is on the international wanted list as he has fled abroad.

Investigators claim the defendants took out impaired loans to Milan company basing on fictious agreement allegedly related to legal business concerning import of capital equipment for producing cutting dies for glass bottles at the non-resident company Renaissance Premier S.A.

In 2015, he received a 6-year prison sentence for attempted embezzlement of 1.8 billion rubles (about $25 million at the current exchange rate) involving Arkhangelsk-based developer ES-Kontaktstroy and JSC Vyborgskaya Cellulose. Sabadash, believed to be the owner of Vyborgskaya Cellulose, has organized a fraudulent VAT refund scheme, according to investigators.

In October 2017, Sabadash was sentenced to 8.5 years in prison for embezzlement from the Bank Tavrichesky. Somov and Garkusha were sentenced to 7 years in prison each. Moreover, all defendants were fined 100,000 rubles ($1,300) each. According to case papers, from June to December 2013, Somov, Garkusha and Sabadash stole 190 million rubles by signing credit contracts in violation of a procedure of approval and processing of loans established in the bank. The defendants transferred the embezzled money to accounts of foreign companies controlled by Sabadash.

Sabadash was stripped of his seat in the parliaments upper house, the Federation Council, in 2006 after he was accused of carrying out business activities, which senators are forbidden to do.




Russian National Guard proposes yet another ground for refusal to issue firearms licenses

 RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov

10:56 12/10/2021

MOSCOW, October 12 (RAPSI)  The Russian National Guard (Rosguard) has developed a bill empowering the police and the Federal Security Service (FSB) to issue opinions to the effect that certain applicants are not to be permitted to own firearms.

The document is published on the Federal Portal for Draft Legislation.

The bill proposes that firearms purchase licenses are not to be issued to Russian nationals, in respect of whom, basing on the results of probes carried out by law enforcement bodies and (or) the Federal Security Service in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation, a conclusion has been made that it is impossible for them to own weapons due to the increased risk of violation of rights and freedoms of citizens and emergence of a threat to public safety, the explanatory note to the bill reads.

The imposed restrictions are aimed at preventing the possession of weapons by Russian nationals involved in organized criminal groups including those of an extremist or terrorist orientation, as well as preventing Russian nationals, who intend to use firearms for illegal (criminal) purposes, from accessing thereof, the authors of the initiative note.

The respective changes are proposed to be introduced in the federal law on weapons and certain legislative acts of the Russian Federation.
Russian Ombudsman speaks on growing problems faced by people with disabilities amid pandemic

 RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov

12:12 12/10/2021

MOSCOW, October 12 (RAPSI)  The level of protection of the rights of persons with disabilities has increased significantly over the past 10 years, nevertheless, the pandemic has exacerbated some problems faced by such people, according to Russian Rights Commissioner Tatiana Moskalkova.

The tasks as to the protection of the rights of persons with disabilities are well represented on the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. States must ensure comprehensive coverage of such people with health services, ensure that they have equal access to education, employment, are able to actively participate in socio-economic and political life. The world community is making great efforts to protect the rights of these people. And those who remember the world 10 years ago can testify to how the situation in this area has changed, Moskalkova said speaking at the V International Conference of Ombudsmen of Eurasia.

At the same time, the Ombudsman stressed that problems faced by people with disabilities continue to persist and this became especially obvious during the pandemic.

According to the Chairperson of the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the pandemic has demonstrated the fragility of the achievements of the past two decades for such people, Moskalkova noted. Nevertheless, she would not join a completely pessimistic assessment of the situation, the Rights Commissioner stressed, although it was necessary to note that the pandemic really revealed difficulties for people with disabilities: complete isolation, lack of access to food and medicine, because they cannot leave their houses, and the growth of poverty. It was difficult for people with disabilities to collect documents in order to re-register their disability status, the Ombudsman observed.

According to Moskalkova, in these conditions, the thesis formulated at the UN level about the need to search for innovative solutions in protecting the rights of persons with disabilities becomes especially significant.

The Russian Ombudsman said that her Office, as well as regional ombudsmen, receives a large number of appeals from people with disabilities and those seeking to defend their rights.

This year alone the Rights Commissioner received more than 1,650 complaints and appeals from citizens of this category. Most often they apply for social support, housing, accessibility and quality of medical care, medical and social examination, provision of technical means of rehabilitation and employment, Moskalkova said.
A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
Actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan gave a sneak-peek into megastar Amitabh Bachchan's birthday with a picture she shared on social media.

Just like every year, Aishwarya posted a picture of her father-in-law who is seen posing with his granddaughter Aaradhya. The two are hugging each other and smiling at the camera.

For the caption, Aishwarya wrote: "Happy happy birthday dearest darling Dadajii-Pa. Love you forever and beyond."

Aishwarya along with her actor husband Abhishek Bachchan and daughter Aaradhya returned from their Paris-Dubai trip right in before Amitabh's 79th birthday on Monday.

The cine icon took to his Instagram account to thank his fans and friends for their wishes.

He shared a picture of himself and wrote: "My gratitude for the love you give me .. I shall never be able to repay it .. nor shall I ever be able to fathom your affection...

"Your greetings today have been immense .. I cannot respond to all of them, but I do hold them close here and wish that you take this humble presence here on Instagram as my response .."
A fire broke out on the panel of the mobile towers on the roof of the 14th floor of the West Bengal secretariat in Nabanna in Kolkata on Tuesday noon. Firefighters and police rushed to the spot and the brought the fire under control within half-an-hour.

Though Nabanna sources said that the fire was not a major one, chief secretary H.K. Dwivedi ordered a fire audit of the whole building.

Around 1 p.m. in the afternoon some police personnel on duty in Nabanna noticed smoke from the roof of the building. Fire brigade was immediately summoned and three fire engines were rushed to the spot. According to the fire officers present on the spot, the fire was on the electrical panel of the mobile towers placed on the top of the building.

"It is yet to be ascertained the exact reason behind the fire but apparently it seems to be a result of short-circuit".

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who has her office on the fourteenth floor of the building was not present on Tuesday, "The Nabanna is closed because of Durga Puja and the chief minister and other senior officials were not present today," an official said.

However, chief secretary H.K. Dwivedi ordered for a fire audit immediately and the fire department has been asked to complete the audit before the opening of Nabanna on 21st of this month. PWD secretary Naveen Prakash and DG Fire Jag Mohan have been given the responsibility of conducting the audit immediately. A high level enquiry has also been ordered.
The Delhi High Court on Tuesday junked a petition challenging the appointment of Gujarat-cadre IPS Officer Rakesh Asthana as the Commissioner of Delhi Police.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice D.N. Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh dismissed the petition filed by one Sadre Alam. The bench had reserved the judgment on September 27.

On August 25, the Supreme Court had asked the Delhi High Court to decide the petition challenging the appointment within two weeks. Detailed judgment in the matter will be uploaded later in the day.

Asthana had told the Delhi High Court that the PIL challenging his appointment is either personal vendetta or a proxy war under the cloak of public interest litigation. He contended that there is a sustained social media campaign against him and the plea before the high court was an abuse of process of law. An intervention application filed by NGO 'Centre for Public Interest Litigation' through advocate Prashant Bhushan also challenged Asthana's appointment as the Delhi Police chief.

The Centre had told Delhi High Court that national capital has a specific and special requirement, which witnessed certain untoward and extremely challenging public order problems/riots/crimes having an international implication, therefore the appointment of Gujarat-cadre IPS officer Rakesh Asthana as Commissioner of Police, Delhi, was made in "public interest".

Justifying Asthana's appointment, the Centre, in an affidavit, said: "Considering the complexities and the sensitivities involved and also considering that no officer of appropriate seniority with balanced experience, was available in the AGMUT Cadre, it was felt that an officer belonging to a large state cadre, who had the exposure of complexities of governance and who had the knowledge of nuances of broad canvas policing is given the charge of Commissioner of Police Delhi".
Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi has announced the arrest of Sami Jasim, a high-ranking member of the Islamic State (IS) who was also the Deputy of the terror group's late leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, in an operation outside the country.

The Iraqi Intelligence Service carried out a complex operation outside the country to arrest Jasim, who was in charge of IS financial affairs, the Prime Minister said in a social media post on Monday.

Al-Kadhimi did not provide further details about when and where exactly the operation took place.

A statement by the Iraqi Joint Operations Command said that Jasim was captured in an operation outside Iraq's borders without giving further details.

Jasim is close to a committee in charge of running the extremist group and to the group's current leader Abdullah Qaradash, according to a command statement.

The US had offered a $5 million reward for information leading to Jasim's capture.

The IS once controlled 88,000 sq km of territory stretching from eastern Iraq to western Syria and imposed its brutal rule on almost eight million people.

Despite the group's defeat on the battlefield in Iraq in 2017 and in Syria the following year, it is estimated that thousands of militants remain active in both countries.
NewYork, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 10/12/2021 -- Dielectric Etchers Market Size is forecast to reach $7.8 billion by 2026, at a CAGR of 5.6% during 2021-2026. The growing need for miniaturizing electronic devices in several end users such as automotive, medical, aerospace, consumer electronics and so on will drive the Dielectric Etchers market share in the forecast period. Rising demand for dry and wet etching process is also driving the market growth. In addition, rising demand for artificial intelligence, data processing and analytics is major factors which are driving the adoption of neuromorphic chips across the globe thereby creating the demand for Dielectric Etchers industry. Moreover, rapid technological upgradation in Internet of Thing (IoT) application for providing advanced smart devices to various consumers is also anticipated to boost the demand of technologically advanced semiconductors and this in turn is predicted to create significant demand for Dielectric Etchers market during the forecast period 2021-2026.



Dielectric Etchers Market Segment Analysis - By Type



Dry Etch segment held significant market share of 38.5% in 2020 as this process currently used in semiconductor fabrication processes due to its unique ability over wet etch to do anisotropic etching (removal of material) to create high aspect ratio structures. In addition, dry etching is a versatile technology that is used to create a wide range of devices. In recent times many industries switched to dry etch process from traditional wet etching as it consumes less chemical and also considered as most suitable for automation and single wafer manufacturing. Moreover in 2019, Micralyne Inc. has purchased Versalis fxP Cluster System from SPTS Technologies, a KLA company. The company will use the Versalis fxP equipped with a Rapier plasma etch module to increase production capacity to meet increasing customer demand for its biomedical, optical, and industrial MEMS. Hence more such adoption is expected to create opportunities for the market. Further, enormous technological up gradation taking place in the IoT application to offer technologically advanced smart devices to different consumers across the globe is also predicted to accelerate the demand of advanced semiconductors, thereby affecting the m Dielectric Etchers industry outlook in the forecast period 2021-2026.



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Dielectric Etchers Market Segment Analysis - By End User



Consumer Electronics segment in Dielectric Etchers market is expected to witness a highest CAGR of 6.6% the forecast period. The demand for Dielectric Etcher is driven by smartphones and other applications across the consumer electronics industry, which require semiconductor ICs. In addition, the trend of increasing numbers of Internet of Things (IoT) devices is expected to force the semiconductor industry to invest in this equipment, in a bid to attain intelligent products. As per Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI), in 2020, the silicon wafer shipments reached 12,407 million square inches, which indicated a 5% increase over 2019. Enormous technological upgradation is leading to an increase in the number of IoT applications. Moreover, the continuous advancements in consumer electronics and the use of sensors in various electronic products are proliferating the applications of plasma etching in smartphones and their demand across almost all the industry sectors. The South Korean government announced to invest $1.34 billion for the next ten years to support the development of next-generation semiconductor technology, to support Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. The investment will help Korean companies, such as Samsung and SK Hynix, to enhance their semiconductor manufacturing capabilities. Dielectric Etcher is further expected to gain traction with this growing demand. Hence this rising adoption is analyzed to create significant growth for Dielectric Etchers market size in the forecast period 2021-2026.



Dielectric Etchers Market Segment Analysis - By Geography



Dielectric Etchers market in APAC region held significant market share of 40% in 2020, owing to growing consumption of smartphones and other high-performance electronics devices in the region. Countries such as India, China, Taiwan, South Korea and so on are few of the prominent markets for Dielectric Etcher, and this is primarily attributed to the growing demand for advanced technologies across numerous end-user industries, high growth of the consumer electronics industry, rising support for the semiconductor industry in the region. In May 2019, Taiwan Semiconductor has opened new branch in Beijing to accommodate the rapid growth in China and engage local talent in its business development efforts. According to the founder of China Micro Semiconductor Equipment, Yin Zhiwei, the future production rate in the field of the etching equipment is expected to reach 50%. Moreover, the emergence of new technologies in Asia-Pacific has boosted the demand for innovative and user-friendly smart devices. There has been a rising demand from South Korea and Taiwan for semiconductor wafers, due to the large production of consumer electronic devices such as televisions, smartphones, PCs and so on. Further governments of several countries in this region are supporting the growth of semiconductor production by various initiatives, for instance, Made in Chine 2025, Make in India and others will promote the growth of semiconductor industries thereby increasing the growth of Dielectric Etchers market in the forecast period 2021-2026.



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Dielectric Etchers Market Drivers



Demand for Neuromorphic Chip to Boost Dielectric Etchers Market



The growing trend of miniaturizing the electronic devices in aerospace and medical sectors will subsequently drive the demand for neuromorphic chips, which will in turn, fuel the demand for dielectric etching for circuit miniaturization. In addition, growing number AI based industries and the technologies enabled by AI require neuromorphic chips for processing. Therefore, rising demand for artificial intelligence, data processing and analytics are the major factors influencing the adoption of neuromorphic chips in the forecast period. Moreover, the automotive industry is one of the major market drivers for neuromorphic chips as the demand for Advanced Driver Assistance Systems peaks. According to the report given by Center for Automotive Research, the global ADAS unit shipments are anticipated to increase from 16.2 million in 2012 to 91.5 million by 2020 and are further expected to grow exponentially as the introduction of neuromorphic chips into ADAS are being tested. Hence rise in demand for neuromorphic chips is analyzed to create significant demand for Dielectric Etchers industry in the forecast period 2021-2026.



Growth of Semiconductor industry creates significant demand for Dielectric Etchers Market



Growth of semiconductor manufacturing is analysed to create significant opportunities in the forecast period. In 2020, Indian Government is planning to offer around $1 billion in cash to every company that sets up a chip manufacturing unit in India. Similarly, China's 'Made in China 2025' initiative will also create significant demand for semiconductor manufacturing in the forecast period. Moreover U.S government is also committed to invest around $50 billion for the growth of semiconductor industry. Dry etching is used in semiconductor fabrication processes due to its unique ability over wet etch to do anisotropic etching to create high aspect ratio structures. It is mainly used to remove photoresist materials during manufacturing of semiconductor devices. As dielectric etchers are used in fabrication of semiconductor is expected to witness significant growth in the forecast period 2021-2026.



Dielectric Etchers Market Challenges



High initial Cost of Dielectric Etchers



Etching is used in micro fabrication to chemically remove layers from the surface of a wafer during manufacturing. In addition, this process is critically important process module, and every wafer undergoes many etching steps before it is complete. As these steps in the process requires high cost, so therefore this high initial cost will hinder the Dielectric Etchers Market growth in the forecast period 2021-2026.



Dielectric Etchers Market Landscape



Product launches, acquisitions, Partnerships and R&D activities are key strategies adopted by players in the Dielectric Etcher market. Dielectric Etcher top 10 companies include Plasma Etch, Hitachi, Panasonic, Thierry Corporation, Samco, SPTS Technologies, Shibaura, Oxford Instruments, Tokyo Electron, Mattson Technology, Inc. among others.



Acquisitions/Product Launches



In 2019, Micralyne Inc. has purchased Versalis fxP Cluster System from SPTS Technologies, a KLA company. The company will use the Versalis fxP equipped with a Rapier plasma etch module to increase production capacity to meet increasing customer demand for its biomedical, optical, and industrial MEMS.



In 2019, Applied Materials Inc. acquired Kokusai Electric to provide high productivity in batch processing systems and services for memory, foundry and logic customers.



Key Takeaways



Dielectric Etchers market in APAC region held significant market share of 40% in 2020, owing to growing consumption of smartphones and other high-performance electronics devices in the region.



Dry Etch segment held significant market share of 38.5% in 2020 in the forecast period as this process currently used in semiconductor fabrication processes due to its unique ability over wet etch to do anisotropic etching to create high aspect ratio structures.



The demand for Dielectric Etchers is driven by smartphones and other applications across the consumer electronics industry, which require semiconductor ICs.



The growing trend of miniaturizing the electronic devices in aerospace and medical sectors will subsequently drive the demand for neuromorphic chips, which will in turn, fuel the demand for dielectric etching for circuit miniaturization.



Related Report:



A. Semiconductor Dielectric Etching Equipment Market



https://www.industryarc.com/Report/17031/semiconductor-dielectric-etching-equipment-market.html



B. Sputtering Targets & Evaporation Materials Market



https://www.industryarc.com/Report/1305/sputtering-targets-evaporation-materials-market-analysis.html



For more Electronics Market reports, please click here



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Edison, NJ -- (SBWIRE) -- 10/12/2021 -- The Latest research study released by HTF MI "Worldwide Premium Cameras Market" with 100+ pages of analysis on business Strategy taken up by key and emerging industry players and delivers know how of the current market development, landscape, technologies, drivers, opportunities, market viewpoint and status. Understanding the segments helps in identifying the importance of different factors that aid the market growth. Some of the Major Companies covered in this Research are Fujifilm, Olympus, Ricoh, Nikon, Panasonic, Polaroid, SONY, CASIO, GoPro, DJI, Leica, Lumix, Samsung, Kodak, Yashica, Hasselblad & Toshiba etc.



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Browse market information, tables and figures extent in-depth TOC on "Worldwide Premium Cameras Market by Application (Amateur Cameras & Perfessional Cameras), by Product Type (, Premium Cameras markets by type, 1000-5000 USD Cameras, 5001-10000 USD Cameras & > 10000 USD Cameras), Business scope, Manufacturing and Outlook  Estimate to 2025".



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At last, all parts of the Worldwide Premium Cameras Market are quantitatively also subjectively valued to think about the Global just as regional market equally. This market study presents basic data and true figures about the market giving a deep analysis of this market based on market trends, market drivers, constraints and its future prospects. The report supplies the worldwide monetary challenge with the help of Porter's Five Forces Analysis and SWOT Analysis.



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Customization of the Report: The report can be customized as per your needs for added data up to 3 businesses or countries or 2 analyst hours.

On the basis of report- titled segments and sub-segment of the market are highlighted below:

Worldwide Premium Cameras Market By Application/End-User (Value and Volume from 2021 to 2026) : Amateur Cameras & Perfessional Cameras



Market By Type (Value and Volume from 2021 to 2026) : , Premium Cameras markets by type, 1000-5000 USD Cameras, 5001-10000 USD Cameras & > 10000 USD Cameras



Worldwide Premium Cameras Market by Key Players: Fujifilm, Olympus, Ricoh, Nikon, Panasonic, Polaroid, SONY, CASIO, GoPro, DJI, Leica, Lumix, Samsung, Kodak, Yashica, Hasselblad & Toshiba

Geographically, this report is segmented into some key Regions, with manufacture, depletion, revenue (million USD), and market share and growth rate of Worldwide Premium Cameras in these regions, from 2015 to 2026 (forecast), covering China, USA, Europe, Japan, Korea, India, Southeast Asia & South America and its Share (%) and CAGR for the forecasted period 2021 to 2026.



Informational Takeaways from the Market Study: The report Worldwide Premium Cameras matches the completely examined and evaluated data of the noticeable companies and their situation in the market considering impact of Coronavirus. The measured tools including SWOT analysis, Porter's five powers analysis, and assumption return debt were utilized while separating the improvement of the key players performing in the market.



Key Development's in the Market: This segment of the Worldwide Premium Cameras report fuses the major developments of the market that contains confirmations, composed endeavors, R&D, new thing dispatch, joint endeavours, and relationship of driving members working in the market.



To get this report buy full copy @: https://www.htfmarketreport.com/buy-now?format=1&report=3413418



Some of the important question for stakeholders and business professional for expanding their position in the Worldwide Premium Cameras Market :

Q 1. Which Region offers the most rewarding open doors for the market Ahead of 2021?

Q 2. What are the business threats and Impact of latest scenario Over the market Growth and Estimation?

Q 3. What are probably the most encouraging, high-development scenarios for Worldwide Premium Cameras movement showcase by applications, types and regions?

Q 4.What segments grab most noteworthy attention in Worldwide Premium Cameras Market in 2020 and beyond?

Q 5. Who are the significant players confronting and developing in Worldwide Premium Cameras Market?



For More Information Read Table of Content @: https://www.htfmarketreport.com/reports/3413418-worldwide-premium-cameras-market



Key poles of the TOC:

Chapter 1 Worldwide Premium Cameras Market Business Overview

Chapter 2 Major Breakdown by Type [, Premium Cameras markets by type, 1000-5000 USD Cameras, 5001-10000 USD Cameras & > 10000 USD Cameras]

Chapter 3 Major Application Wise Breakdown (Revenue & Volume)

Chapter 4 Manufacture Market Breakdown

Chapter 5 Sales & Estimates Market Study

Chapter 6 Key Manufacturers Production and Sales Market Comparison Breakdown

..

Chapter 8 Manufacturers, Deals and Closings Market Evaluation & Aggressiveness

Chapter 9 Key Companies Breakdown by Overall Market Size & Revenue by Type

..

Chapter 11 Business / Industry Chain (Value & Supply Chain Analysis)

Chapter 12 Conclusions & Appendix



Thanks for reading this article; you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like North America, LATAM, Europe or Southeast Asia.



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Craig Francis (PR & Marketing Manager)

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NewYork, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 10/12/2021 -- Radiation Curable Coatings Market size is forecast to reach US$11.8 billion by 2026, after growing at a CAGR of 6.4% during 2021-2026. Radiation curable coatings are often manufactured using electron beam curing or ultraviolet curing technology. Radiation curable coatings improve surface characteristics, provide an anti-slip effect, and displays excellent stability in hot and cold environmental conditions, owing to which it is largely employed in applications such as mechanical tubing, printing inks, packaging, furniture, photovoltaics, appliances, and more. They are solvent-free, avoiding the release of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the atmosphere and shielding the environment from their harmful effects. Thus, a significant factor for this industry is the growing government regulations regulating the content of the VOC. Furthermore, the flourishing petrochemical, metallurgy, chemical, and construction sector is projected to substantially drive the radiation curable coatings industry during the forecast period.



COVID-19 Impact



The COVID-19 pandemic outbreak is having a huge impact on the steel sector, on which the radiation curable coatings market is highly reliable. Domestic steel demand has subdued until sectors such as auto, infrastructure, real estate construction, electronics, and consumer durables post a sustained recovery. Compared to flat steel, the use of long steel products, mainly used in the manufacturing, construction, and capital goods industries, is expected to recover faster compared to flat steel, where demand is driven by end-user segments such as automotive and domestic appliances. There has been a temporary suspension of construction activities, and automotive production in various regions, which adversely affected the growth of the radiation curable coatings market.



Radiation Curable Coatings Market Segment Analysis  By Ingredient



The oligomers and photo-initiator segments held a significant share in the radiation cured coatings market in 2020. Radiation curable coating consists of oligomers, monomers, photo-initiators, and additives. Popular oligomers include polyester, polyether, urethane, acrylic, and silicone acrylates. The purpose is similar to water-borne and solvent-borne paints, which provide durability, strength, and resistance to corrosion. In radiation curable coatings, monomer serves as a solvent and forms a cross-linking polymer network, thereby minimizing viscosity. The photo-initiator activates the process of network creation and plays a vital role in attaining the desired film property. In radiation curable coatings, additives are used to enhance and adjust functions, including pigments, defoamers, viscosity control, and wetting agents.



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Radiation Curable Coatings Market Segment Analysis  By Technology



The ultraviolet curing segment held the largest share in the radiation cured coatings market in 2020 and is growing at a CAGR of 7.3% during 2021-2026. Using UV technology, radiation-cured coatings provide advantages such as the ability to coat on heat-sensitive substrates, enhanced durability, i.e., scratch and stain resistance of the plastics over the electron beam curing technology. Such advantages are driving the growth of radiation-cured coatings as printing inks on plastics. In contrast to thermal, evaporative, or oxidative (air-dry) cure, radiation curable coatings use visible light, UV energy, and low-energy electrons (EB) to form a film, printing inks, or coating. The ultraviolet curing based radiation curable coatings are widely used in the food & beverage industry and specialty can manufacture owing to its characteristics including protecting metal from high temperature, which in turn improves dimensional stability, provides glossy finishing and smooth metal surface, which is the major factor driving the ultraviolet curing segment growth.



Radiation Curable Coatings Market Segment Analysis  By End-Use Industry



The industrial segment held the largest share in the radiation curable coatings market in 2020 and is growing at a CAGR of 9.6% during 2021-2026, owing to the increasing usage of radiation curable coatings in the industrial sector. Metal (steel, aluminum, copper, and more) forms a chief component in most industrial applications. The radiation-cured coatings provide corrosion protection, abrasion resistance, impart functional (anti-fingerprint) and desired appearance (gloss) properties, and enhance impact, chemical, and scratch resistance to different metal substrates. Radiation curable coatings are also utilised as protective films for construction steel and aluminium, as well as temporary and permanent protective coatings for metal tubes and pipes, fence posts, electrical conduit, sprinkler systems, and mechanical tubing. Also, radiation curing coatings are used as an abrasion and heat-resistant coatings for magnetic wires used in transformers, engines, and other industrial components, owing to which radiation curable coatings are largely utilized in the industrial sector during the forecast period.



Radiation Curable Coatings Market Segment Analysis  By Geography



Asia-Pacific region held the largest share in the radiation curable coatings market in 2020 up to 42%, owing to the flourishing petrochemical, metallurgy, and chemical industry in the region. According to Invest India, the chemicals and petrochemicals business in India is predicted to rise to US$300 billion by 2025, from roughly US$165 billion in 2019-20. Over the next five years, demand for chemical products is predicted to expand at a rate of about 9% per year. According to the International Copper Association (ICA), China's copper consumption is expected to increase by 232 kt per year by 2025 due to the installation of higher-efficiency industrial engines and distribution transformers, the electrification of new railways, and the introduction of new energy vehicles (NEVs) for industrial use. Thus, with the increasing chemical, petrochemical industry, and with the increasing consumption of copper in the Asia Pacific, there will be an upsurge in the demand for radiation curable coatings for steel protection, which is expected to significantly propel the market in the region.



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Radiation Curable Coatings Market Drivers



Stringent VOC Regulations Imposed by the Asia Pacific Government



Radiation curable coatings are eco-friendly and endorse environmental conservation measures by minimizing VOC emissions from the government. For both interior architectural coatings (National Standard GB 18582-2008) and exterior wall coatings, China has set standards for (GB 24408-2009). China has recently adopted a new law, formally known as the "Finance Tax (2015) Notification on the Imposition of Battery and Coating Products Consumption Tax." The regulations placed on manufacturers of coatings include a 4 percent tax on the invoice price of any coating with a VOC level of ready-to-spray above 420 g/L. India does not currently have mandatory VOC legislation, but several businesses are concentrating on complying with Green Seal GS-111 standards. This specification sets standards for the climate, health, and performance and covers items intended for wallboard, tile, metal, wood, composite wood, concrete, stone, masonry, and terrazzo substrates, as well as other substrates for architecture. These growing regulations in Asia-Pacific are expected to support the growth of the radiation curable coatings.



Expanding Automotive Industry



Expanding the automotive sector has fueled steel demand. Rising steel demand from the industries fuels the demand for radiation-cured coating for corrosion protection of steel components such as metal tubing. It is used in the industry, due to its characteristics including metal protection from high temperatures, which in turn improves dimensional stability, provides glossy finishing, and a smooth metal surface. According to the International Trade Administration (ITA), the Chinese government is expecting that automobile production will reach 35 million by 2025. In January 2018, South Africa's total motor sales were estimated at 54,620, which increased to 55,156 in January 2019, according to Stats Sa. According to the Korea Trade & Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA), there is a strong demand for commercial vehicles in Saudi Arabia. The commercial vehicle sales were about 82,027 units in 2018 and is expected to reach about 97,188 by 2023. Further, these resist scratch and have high surface strength without losing the ductility of metals used in the manufacture of steering wheels, roof racks, and truck axles in the automotive sector. Thus, the increasing automobile production acts as a driver for the market.



Radiation Curable Coatings Market Challenges



Drawbacks Associated with the Radiation Curable Coatings



The most critical problem is the limited supply of appropriate curable radiation coatings. For this application to achieve its potential, more options are still needed. Because of complex component geometries, many manufacturers are also worried about its ability to achieve maximum curing. Radiation curing requires that all surfaces of the coating be exposed to the UV or EB rays. Many industrial metal parts have small shadow areas or are built in such a way that not all areas can be viewed in such a way that the light gets close enough to the surfaces required, which could be metal-specific phenomena. In certain cases, hybrid systems that heal by a combination of a radiation-promoting mechanism and other forms of chemistry can be used to solve these problems. Also, a lack of knowledge of the technology is another significant obstacle to the adoption of energy-cured coatings for industrial metal applications. All these factors are restraining the radiation curable coatings market growth during the forecast period.



Radiation Curable Coatings Market Landscape



Technology launches, acquisitions, and R&D activities are key strategies adopted by players in the radiation curable coatings market. Major players in the radiation curable coatings market are BASF SE, Chongqing Changfeng Chemical, Electrolube, Cytec Corporation, Dainichiseika Color & Chemicals, Royal DSM, and Sartomer.



Acquisitions/Technology Launches



In May 2019, Electrolube launched seven next-generation UV cure conformal coating products in Europe at the SMTConnect show In Nuremberg.



In July 2019, Arkema has acquired Lambson, a company that specializes in 3D printing, digital inks, and high-performance coatings.



Key Takeaways



Asia-Pacific dominates the radiation curable coatings market, owing to the increasing steel production in the region. According to the India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF), India's crude steel and finished steel production increased to 108.5 MT and 101.03 MT in FY20P, respectively.



Increasing use of radiation cured coatings in printing inks and printed electronics which include electric device manufactured by printing hold significant potential for the growth of the market.



Low energy consumption, the low volatile organic compound (VOC), consistent coating quality, rapid curing & drying, coupled with superior hardness and abrasion resistance properties of these coatings are factors that trigger the growth of this market.



Related Reports



A. Pipe Coating Market



https://www.industryarc.com/Report/16090/pipe-coating-market.html



B. Radiation Cured Coatings Market



https://www.industryarc.com/Research/Radiation-Cured-Coatings-Market-Research-501607



For more Chemicals and Materials Market reports, please click here



About IndustryARC: IndustryARC primarily focuses on Cutting Edge Technologies and Newer Applications market research. Our Custom Research Services are designed to provide insights on the constant flux in the global supply-demand gap of markets. Our strong team of analysts enables us to meet the client research needs at a rapid speed, with a variety of options for your business. Any other custom requirements can be discussed with our team, drop an e-mail to sales@industryarc.com to discuss more about our consulting services.
Edison, NJ -- (SBWIRE) -- 10/12/2021 -- The Latest research study released by HTF MI "Global Rail Logistics Market" with 100+ pages of analysis on business Strategy taken up by key and emerging industry players and delivers know how of the current market development, landscape, technologies, drivers, opportunities, market viewpoint and status. Understanding the segments helps in identifying the importance of different factors that aid the market growth. Some of the Major Companies covered in this Research are RSI Logistics, Kuehen+Nagel Logistics, VTG Rail Logistics, SBB Cargo, Union Pacific, GeoMetrix Rail Logistics, CTL Logistics, DB Schenker & Canadian National Railway etc.



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Browse market information, tables and figures extent in-depth TOC on "Rail Logistics Market by Application (Oil industry, Gas industry & Others), by Product Type (, Intermodals, Tank wagons & Freight cars), Business scope, Manufacturing and Outlook  Estimate to 2025".



for more information or any query mail at sales@htfmarketreport.com



At last, all parts of the Global Rail Logistics Market are quantitatively also subjectively valued to think about the Global just as regional market equally. This market study presents basic data and true figures about the market giving a deep analysis of this market based on market trends, market drivers, constraints and its future prospects. The report supplies the worldwide monetary challenge with the help of Porter's Five Forces Analysis and SWOT Analysis.



If you have any Enquiry please click here @: https://www.htfmarketreport.com/enquiry-before-buy/3280205-global-rail-logistics-market-19



Customization of the Report: The report can be customized as per your needs for added data up to 3 businesses or countries or 2 analyst hours.

On the basis of report- titled segments and sub-segment of the market are highlighted below:

Global Rail Logistics Market By Application/End-User (Value and Volume from 2021 to 2026) : Oil industry, Gas industry & Others



Market By Type (Value and Volume from 2021 to 2026) : , Intermodals, Tank wagons & Freight cars



Global Rail Logistics Market by Key Players: RSI Logistics, Kuehen+Nagel Logistics, VTG Rail Logistics, SBB Cargo, Union Pacific, GeoMetrix Rail Logistics, CTL Logistics, DB Schenker & Canadian National Railway

Geographically, this report is segmented into some key Regions, with manufacture, depletion, revenue (million USD), and market share and growth rate of Rail Logistics in these regions, from 2015 to 2026 (forecast), covering China, USA, Europe, Japan, Korea, India, Southeast Asia & South America and its Share (%) and CAGR for the forecasted period 2021 to 2026.



Informational Takeaways from the Market Study: The report Rail Logistics matches the completely examined and evaluated data of the noticeable companies and their situation in the market considering impact of Coronavirus. The measured tools including SWOT analysis, Porter's five powers analysis, and assumption return debt were utilized while separating the improvement of the key players performing in the market.



Key Development's in the Market: This segment of the Rail Logistics report fuses the major developments of the market that contains confirmations, composed endeavors, R&D, new thing dispatch, joint endeavours, and relationship of driving members working in the market.



To get this report buy full copy @: https://www.htfmarketreport.com/buy-now?format=1&report=3280205



Some of the important question for stakeholders and business professional for expanding their position in the Global Rail Logistics Market :

Q 1. Which Region offers the most rewarding open doors for the market Ahead of 2021?

Q 2. What are the business threats and Impact of latest scenario Over the market Growth and Estimation?

Q 3. What are probably the most encouraging, high-development scenarios for Rail Logistics movement showcase by applications, types and regions?

Q 4.What segments grab most noteworthy attention in Rail Logistics Market in 2020 and beyond?

Q 5. Who are the significant players confronting and developing in Rail Logistics Market?



For More Information Read Table of Content @: https://www.htfmarketreport.com/reports/3280205-global-rail-logistics-market-19



Key poles of the TOC:

Chapter 1 Global Rail Logistics Market Business Overview

Chapter 2 Major Breakdown by Type [, Intermodals, Tank wagons & Freight cars]

Chapter 3 Major Application Wise Breakdown (Revenue & Volume)

Chapter 4 Manufacture Market Breakdown

Chapter 5 Sales & Estimates Market Study

Chapter 6 Key Manufacturers Production and Sales Market Comparison Breakdown

..

Chapter 8 Manufacturers, Deals and Closings Market Evaluation & Aggressiveness

Chapter 9 Key Companies Breakdown by Overall Market Size & Revenue by Type

..

Chapter 11 Business / Industry Chain (Value & Supply Chain Analysis)

Chapter 12 Conclusions & Appendix



Thanks for reading this article; you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like North America, LATAM, Europe or Southeast Asia.



Contact US :

Craig Francis (PR & Marketing Manager)

HTF Market Intelligence Consulting Private Limited

Unit No. 429, Parsonage Road Edison, NJ

New Jersey USA  08837

Phone: +1 (206) 317 1218

sales@htfmarketreport.com



Connect with us at LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter
NewYork, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 10/12/2021 -- Transparent Displays Market size is forecast to reach $7.9 billion by 2026, at a CAGR of 44.9% during 2021-2026. Growing demand for liquid crystal display based transparent displays for various verticals, increasing usage of transparent display for Head-Mounted Display (HMDs), and Head-Mounted Display products is analyzed to enhance the Transparent Display market share. In addition high growth for OLED based transparent display devices and high adoption of transparent display for digital signage products are expected to create significant growth opportunities for players in the market during the forecast period. In 2020, JDI developed transparent display with 87% high transparency, which is nearly the same as looking through a clear glass when the display is turned off. In 2020, Panasonic has released commercial 55-inch transparent self-illuminating transparent OLED display panel that does not require a backlight. Hence these developments are analyzed to drive the Transparent Display industry in the forecast period 2021-2026.



Transparent Display Market Segment Analysis - By Type



OLED segment has held significant share of 38.2% in 2020, rise in demand for OLED display technology due to advantages such as improved image quality, better contrast, higher brightness and much faster refresh rates with lower power consumption as compared to liquid crystal display technology is analysed to drive the market growth. Transparent OLED maximizes the advantages of OLED and can be used in various places from stores to autonomous vehicles. Moreover several companies have been launching advanced transparent OLED displays to gain the market traction. In 2021, LG Display has announced its plans to launch its transparent OLED screen. In 2020, Panasonic has released commercial 55-inch transparent self-illuminating transparent OLED display panel that does not require a backlight Hence, OLED display technology expected to provide ample opportunities for the transparent display market during the forecast period 2021-2026.



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Transparent Display Market Segment Analysis - By End User



Healthcare sector in Transparent Display Market is expected to witness a highest CAGR of 45.8% in the forecast period. Increasing technological advancements in the healthcare industry is paving the way for the use of transparent displays in applications, such as surgery and patient checkup. Transparent displays are being deployed to assist surgeons during critical operations. In addition, the healthcare industry is exhibiting a substantial growth Y-o-Y, moreover several companies and research institutes are developing these displays for various applications. In 2021, Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) has developed a transparent display surgical navigation system that can reduce the risk of surgery. This system provides high accuracy direct view type virtual-real fusion image information to meet the needs of preoperative communication and intraoperative navigation. In addition this can also be used in medical teaching and smart surgery in the future. Similarly, Companies such as LG, Planar and other are providing digital signage and display technology for the healthcare industry ranges across applications in hospitals and medical offices abound. Hence these global trends are analyzed to create demand for Transparent Display industry in the forecast period 2021-2026.



Transparent Display Market Segment Analysis - By Geography



Transparent Display market in APAC region held significant market share of 39.2% in 2020, due to the increase in demand for transparent displays in various end users, such as automotive, Electronics, healthcare and so on is driving the market growth. In addition, high demand for transparent display panels in South Korea, China, and Japan is a major contributor to the growth of the market. The presence of display panel manufacturers gives it a prime benefit of adopting the latest technology-based display devices, which provides ample opportunities to the transparent display market. In 2019, LG Electronics Inc. completed the construction of its new transparent OLED screen production plant in China. This would extensively increase the production of transparent OLED screens, in display sizes of 55 inches and above, by 60,000 units per month. In 2020, Chinese electronics company Xiaomi has launched Mi TV LUX an edge-to-edge transparent display. Hence these factors are analyzed to drive the transparent display industry outlook.



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Transparent Display Market Drivers



Growing number of product launches with advancements is analyzed to drive the market.



Transparent displays are expected to change the way of using displays as this technology helps in displaying or transferring information. Many companies are investing in huge amount in R&D activities of transparent display technology. For instance, Samsung to launch a new triple foldable tablet and a transparent display phone in 2021. Similarly in 2021, Crystal Display Systems are planning to introduce the curved transparent liquid crystal display for retail displays that really give that unique edge that stand out from the usual displays. Japanese scientists invented intelligent glasses that remembers the place where people saw their keys, mobiles, and other things for the last time. Moreover, emergence of virtual reality devices compatible with smartphones supplements growth of this market. Furthermore, increasing awareness and adoption of advanced technologies are the factors that drive transparent display market share in the forecast period 2021-2026.



Miniaturization of Electronic Devices Drives the Need and Development of Transparent Display Technologies



These days, advanced technologies are growing faster where in each technology is renewed with implementation of new one. The transparent display came to solve major problems related to the device miniaturization. This lack of space on screen-based displays provide an opportunity for the development of transparent displays. The growth in transparent display market can be attributed to presence of major manufacturers and increasing R&D investments towards technology and product development by research universities and major manufacturers. In 2019, Samsung has announced to invest $11 Billion into Next-Generation Displays. Similarly LG has committed to invest heavily for the development of this technology. Hence these investments are analyzed to provide opportunities for the Transparent Display market in the forecast period 2021-2026.



Transparent Display Market Challenges



High Capital Investment Required for the Development of Transparent Displays



Although Transparent Display market is analyzed to grow at a significant rate, the high initial investments required for the R&D of this technology is set to hamper the growth of the market. The competitive display technology segment, new functionalities will increase the cost of development of the products related to this technology. On the other hand most of the technologies required for the outward of transparent display are in development stage only. The high initial investments and slow development process will hinder the Transparent Display market size in the forecast period.



Transparent Display Market Landscape



Product launches, acquisitions, Partnerships and R&D activities are key strategies adopted by players in the Transparent Display market. Transparent Display top 10 companies include Apple, Inc., AU Optronics Corp., Google, Inc., LG Electronics, Samsung Electronics, UDC Corp., Panasonic Corp., Sony Corp, Pioneer and Philips Corp. among others.



Acquisitions/Product Launches



In 2020, Panasonic has released 55-inch transparent OLED display module. The new Panasonic product uses a self-illuminating transparent OLED display panel that does not require a backlight.



In 2020, LG has partnered with Assa Abloy to supply transparent OLED automatic doors.



Key Takeaways



Transparent Display market in APAC region held a significant market share of 39.2% in 2020, due to the increase in demand for transparent displays in various end users, such as automotive, Electronics, healthcare.



OLED segment has held significant share of 38% in 2020, rise in demand for OLED display technology due to advantages such as improved image quality, better contrast, higher brightness and much faster refresh rates with lower power consumption as compared to liquid crystal display technology is analyzed to drive the market growth.



High adoption of transparent display for digital signage products is analysed to drive the market growth.



Healthcare sector in Transparent Display Market is expected to witness a highest CAGR of 45.8% the forecast period. Increasing technological advancements in the healthcare industry is paving the way for the use of transparent displays in applications, such as surgery and patient check-up.



Related report:



A. Display Market



https://www.industryarc.com/Report/15687/display-market.html



B. IGZO Display Market



https://www.industryarc.com/Report/1292/igzo-display-market-analysis-report.html



For more Electronics related reports, please click here



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The Cronica universalis, written in Latin by the Milanese friar Galvaneus Flamma (in Italian, Galvano Fiamma, 1283  c. 1345), contains an astonishing reference to a land named Marckalada (terra que dicitur Marckalada), situated west from Greenland. This land is recognizable as the Markland mentioned by some Icelandic sources and identified as some part of the Atlantic coast of North America. Galvaneus Flammas reference, probably derived by oral sources heard in Genoa, is the first mention of the American continent in the Mediterranean region, and gives evidence of the circulation  out of the Nordic area and 150 years before Christopher Columbus  of narratives about lands beyond Greenland, according to a paper published in the Terrae Incognitae, the Journal of the Society for the History of Discoveries.

We are in the presence of the first reference to the American continent, albeit in an embryonic form, in the Mediterranean area, said Professor Paolo Chiesa, a researcher in the Department of Literary Studies, Philology and Linguistics at the University of Milan.

Galvaneus Flamma was a Dominican friar who lived in Milan and was connected to a family which held at the lordship of the city.

He wrote several literary works in Latin, mainly on historical subjects. His testimony is valuable for information on Milanese contemporary facts, about which he has first-hand knowledge.

First discovered in 2013, the Cronica universalis is thought to be one of Galvaneus Flammas later works  the approximate date is 1339-1345  and was left unfinished and unperfected.

It aims to detail the history of the whole world, from the Creation to when it was published.

The news reported by Galvaneus about Marckalada/Markland, just like those about the less evanescent Greenland, remain isolated, and there is no trace of an early reception either in Latin geographical treatises or in the Mediterranean cartography, Professor Chiesa said.

If Genoa was the gateway for these news, it remains to be explained why no mention of these lands seems to be found in the Genoese mappae mundi or portolans of the 14th century, nor in those produced in Majorca and Catalonia, closely linked with the Genoese tradition  actually, these charts do not disdain to use notions gathered from oral sources, as travelers and merchants are.

This fact suggests a scenario of informality: the Genoese were interested in exploiting the seafarers rumors about the lands of the extreme north-west for eventual commercial benefit, but these rumors were too vague to find consistency in cartographic or scholarly representations.

Galvaneus narrative brings unprecedented evidence to the speculation that news about the American continent, derived from Nordic sources, circulated in Italy one and half centuries before Columbus.

The Marckalada described by Galvaneus is rich in trees, not unlike the wooded Markland of the Grnlendinga Saga, and animals live there, Professor Chiesa said.

These details could be standard, as distinctive of any good land; but they are not trivial, because the common feature of northern regions is to be bleak and barren, as actually Greenland is in Galvaneus account, or as Iceland is described by Adam of Bremen.

We have no evidence that Italian or Catalan seafarers ever reached Iceland or Greenland at that time, but they were certainly able to acquire from northern European merchant goods of that origin to be transported to the Mediterranean area, he added.

The marinarii mentioned by Galvaneus can fit into this dynamic: the Genoese might have brought back to their city scattered news about these lands, some real and some fanciful, that they heard in the northern harbors from Scottish, British, Danish, Norwegian sailors with whom they were trading.

_____

Paolo Chiesa. 2021. Marckalada: The First Mention of America in the Mediterranean Area (c. 1340). Terrae Incognitae 53 (2): 88-106; doi: 10.1080/00822884.2021.1943792
Ports of Aucklands board Chair Jan Dawson has today announced the appointment of two new directors.

I am pleased to announce that two experienced directors, Geoff Plunket and Stephen Reindler, will join the Ports of Auckland Board, said Ms Dawson. They both bring very relevant skills to the board that complement the current directors and support our current focus areas.

Stephen is currently a director of Z Energy and Steel and Tube and a previous director of Port of Napier, Meridian Energy and Worksafe NZ. He has extensive experience working in industries where staff operate in higher risk roles and a rigorous approach to safety is needed. Stephen will strengthen our ability to focus on improving safety while bringing his engineering experience to the projects the port has underway.

Geoff is the former CEO of Port Otago, with nearly 30 years of experience in senior roles in that company. Geoffs knowledge of port operations and the supply chain and his belief in the importance of customer service will be invaluable as we work to safely improve our operational and financial performance, she said.

I am delighted to have been able to recruit such strong candidates to the Ports of Auckland board, which I believe reflects the importance of the Port to Auckland and New Zealand, and bodes well for the future of the company, she added.

Mayor Phil Goff said, We have now substantially changed the composition of the Ports of Auckland board and we will by early next year have a new chief executive. This will provide impetus for a new and different approach which is aimed to improve the Ports performance.

We look forward to the new board fully implementing the recommendations to change the culture of health and safety at the Port following the independent review; meeting the challenges posed by COVID-19 and its impact on supply chains, overseeing the implementation of automation at the Port, and improving the Ports financial performance and competitiveness.

Both new directors will formally start on November 1.

About Stephen Reindler

Stephen is a professional director and mechanical engineer with experience in heavy industry, large infrastructure, and workplace health and safety.

He holds several directorships, including Z Energy, Steel and Tube Holdings, Christchurch Multi Use Arena Project Delivery, Broome International Airport Group, and is chair of Waste Disposal Services, Clearwater Construction and D&H Steel Construction. He also provides advisory services to AgResearch, Air New Zealand and Lincoln University on infrastructure builds. He was previously on the boards of Port of Napier, Meridian Energy, Naylor Love, the advisory boards of Transfield Services and Glidepath, and is a past President of the Institution of Professional Engineers NZ.

About Geoff Plunket

Geoff is a Professional Director and is a Fellow of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand and a Member of the Institute of Directors.

Geoff worked for Coopers & Lybrand (now PWC) and KPMG, in Dunedin and Birmingham, UK through the 1980s before joining Port Otago Ltd in 1988, as Chief Financial Officer. Geoff spent the following 29 years with the Port Otago Group, working across the business in a variety of roles, culminating in appointment as CEO in 2004. He is currently Chair of Blis Technologies Ltd.

Geoff brings significant experience in leading a large successful organisation with expertise in logistics, managing international trading relationships, supply chain, human resource, health and safety and risk management. Geoff believes success comes from a focus on quality and delivering outstanding customer service.

For media inquiries please contact:

Matt Ball

GM Communications

M: +64 21 495 645

E: ballm@poal.co.nz

Source: Ports of Auckland

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Amateur radio station, K6TZ, will offer visitors a glimpse of island life

Californias coastal islands are unique ecosystems that have a rich maritime history, and wireless communications has played a big role in this history for more than a century.

To help educate the public on these unique ecosystems, the Santa Cruz Island Foundation (SCIF) has invited the Santa Barbara Amateur Radio Club (SBARC) to build an amateur radio station at the new Chrisman California Islands Center (CCIC) in downtown Carpinteria, California.



The station will be prominently featured near the centers main entrance. An interactive display will provide an overview of amateur radio communications and the role that amateur radio has played in the history of the islands.



When the station is not staffed with radio operators, center visitors can interact with the station using a custom touch screen. This screen controls an interactive presentation on amateur radio and wireless technologies and their importance to mariners, aviators, scientists and explorers who visit the rugged islands off the California coast. The presentation includes a demonstration of the stations AIS (marine vessel), ADS-B (aircraft), emergency beacon (ELT/EPIRB), and amateur (APRS) tracking stations. Webcams connected to the station via SBARCs clubs microwave data network will give visitors a real-time look at the islands terrain. The presentation will also show how club members and researchers use the information and data collected.



Construction of the station was made possible by a $35,550 grant from Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC). According to Levi Maaia, K6TZ trustee, the station is scheduled to open in 2022.



About SBARC

The Santa Barbara Amateur Radio Club (SBARC) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit public benefit corporation whose mission is to promote education for persons interested in telecommunications, to disseminate information about scientific discoveries and progress in the field, and to train communicators for public service and emergency communications. SBARC also encourages and sponsors experiments in electronics and promotes the highest standards of practice and ethics in the conduct of communications. Learn more about SBARC at https://www.sbarc.org.



About ARDC

Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC) is a California-based foundation with roots in amateur radio and the technology of internet communication. The organization got its start by managing allocations of the AMPRnet address space, which is designated to licensed amateur radio operators worldwide. Additionally, ARDC makes grants to projects and organizations that follow amateur radios practice and tradition of technical experimentation in both amateur radio and digital communication science. Such experimentation has led to broad advances for the benefit of the general public  such as the mobile phone and wireless internet technology. ARDC envisions a world where all such technology is available through open source hardware and software, and where anyone has the ability to innovate upon it.

Learn more about ARDC at https://www.ampr.org.



For more information, contact:

Levi Maaia, K6LCM, K6TZ Trustee

805.604.5384, k6lcm@maaia.com

Dan Romanchik, KB6NU, ARDC Content Manager

734.930.6564, dan@ardc.net
Ofcom fines Colt Technology Services for providing incomplete information

Ofcom has today fined Colt Technology Services Group (Colt) 15,000 for failing to provide complete information in response to a statutory information request, as part of an Ofcom market review.

We regularly request information from companies as part of our work to protect consumers across all the markets we regulate.

This information is vital to our decision-making, and it is essential that companies respond by the deadline, with accurate and complete information, so that we can rely on the information we receive. If companies fail to do this, they face action from Ofcom.

As part of our Wholesale Fixed Telecoms Market Review, we requested information from Colt  a network operator based in London  about its networks and services.

Colt initially provided incorrect and incomplete information, and due to the time needed to correct this, it failed to provide the required information within the stipulated timeframe.

We take such failings seriously and have decided to fine Colt 15,000 for this breach of its regulatory obligations. The penalty includes a 25% reduction from the penalty we would otherwise have imposed, as a result of Colt accepting liability and entering into a voluntary settlement.
New York (United States), Oct 12, 2021 (SPS) - The Representative of the Frente POLISARIO at the UN, Dr. Sidi Mohamed Omar, met Saturday with Mr. Alexander Ivanko, Special Representative of the Secretary UN General for Western Sahara.

The meeting, held at the headquarters of the United Nations General Secretariat, represented an opportunity for both parties to address the latest developments regarding the role of the United Nations Mission for the referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) and the position of the Frente POLISARIO on this role.

Mr. Alexander Ivanko is expected to report to the Security Council next Wednesday on prevailing developments in the regions covered by his mission, as well as other related issues. SPS

125/090/TRA
Under the full $3.5 trillion plan, Congress would allocate $450 billion for universal pre-K as well as child care entitlements. The proposal would create a new partnership between federal, state and local governments to offer free preschool for all 3- and 4-year-olds.
Brewers are trying muddy the waters of what makes beer taste like beer, says Jannes, who lives in Hollywood. Im not saying were trying to get you drunk, but there should be a journey when youre tasting a beer. Im not going to make one of those sweet milkshake sours thats 80 percent juice. If you want juicy, go to Jamba Juice. But thats our competition. And the way we compete is by making beer the strong hero, not the sidekick.
Just about every city in maybe the world is wondering how to react to a circumstance like COVID where it affects peoples behavior and the way they socialize and go out and its a common problem. How do you handle seating for restaurants? said Fett, who is also a lecturer at the University of Miami School of Architecture.
The case hinges on whether Pembroke Pines had the right to back out of an agreement with Southwest Ranches to provide water and sewer service to the site, and also to not interfere with the towns efforts to lure the detention center.
City Manager Art Noriega suspended embattled Miami Police Chief Art Acevedo on Monday with the intention of firing him  ending weeks of speculation and tumult at Miami City Hall and after a pair of circus-like public hearings last week in which commissioners repeatedly lashed out at the chief over a series of controversial moves and blunders.
Cartwright, who previously served as superintendent for the tiny Oshkosh, Wisc., district, as well as associate superintendent in Orange County in Central Florida, had agreed to the requirement that she not apply for the permanent job. She said in July she accepted that because she really wanted to return to Florida and work as a superintendent.
Its not uncommon for boards to appoint an interim leader who is not allowed to apply for the permanent job. The main reason is they fear it will deter high-quality applicants who believe the person now in the job has the advantage. They also say it poses a conflict of interest for the staff of an interim superintendent who wants to stay on to handle interview arrangements and other logistics for another candidate.
Passengers wait at a Southwest Airlines ticket counter at Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport on Monday, The airline blamed weather at Florida airports and air traffic control issues for flight cancellations and delays. One consolation: The airport is among those found in a recent survey to be the best to pass the time on layovers between flights. (Joe Cavaretta / South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Veondre Avery is facing a manslaughter and unsafe storage of a firearm charges after his girlfriend was shot by their toddler son in August. Authorities say Avery left a gun in a Paw Patrol backpack and the boy got to the gun which discharged and hit his mom in the head.
This is a day to celebrate the hunger for discovery and achievement that led Columbus on his journey in 1492. His historic journey led to the founding of what would later become the greatest nation in the history of the world, and was the beginning of true American exceptionalism, DeSantis said. And while bad-faith, radical actors attempt to expunge this day from history, we will not allow the foundations of America to be erased. Instead, we will learn from our history and see our history as a pivotal piece of the creation of the Western world.
             
LOBAMBA - He is a bully.

This was said by two emotional members of the School Committee of Herman Gmeiner (SOS) Primary School when they appeared before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) yesterday. They were referring to the School Committee Chairperson, Motshane Member of Parliament (MP), Robert Magongo. A member of the school committee, Joyce Vilakati, accused Magongo of being a tyrant and a hard person to work with.

I dont think he regards us as human beings or colleagues because he is a bully. We are bullied by him day-in and day-out. He is a tyrant to work with, alleged Vilakati when addressing PAC Chairperson Gege MP Musa Kunene. MP Kunene said he would not put the alleged bullying past Magongo because he knew him very well. Kunene said Magongo needed to be called to order.

Bully

I will not argue on this. It is possibly true. It is like him to be like this. He is a bully, further alleged Kunene during the sitting. Mtfongwaneni MP Roy Fanourakis said Magongo should consider resigning and focusing on one duty. Fanourakis made an example of himself and how he had to give up being a school committee chairperson in order to be in Parliament. He must step down. He is seemingly overwhelmed and has a lot on his hands and that is not conducive for the other committee members, said the MP.

SOS Primary School Head teacher Linda Thwala said Magongo was impossible to work with and their work relationship was tainted by animosity. Uyabaleka! (It is hard to get hold of him). We end up doing things and communicating over the phone, said Thwala. Meanwhile, the PAC chairperson adjourned the sitting when SOS Primary School committee members denied knowledge of the decisions supposed to have been taken by other members.

The PAC asked that everyone should be present during the sitting of the SOS Primary School committee, including Magongo, who was reported to be in Ethiopia.

Prince Mfanawemakhosi suggested that continuing with the sitting without the relevant members was pointless. He called the sitting a waste of time and asked that the school appear with all the members present. This is a waste of time; they all need to be here if we are to proceed with the sitting. Everyone needs to be here. We understand that one committee member passed on, but we need the others here, said the prince.

The decision to adjourn the sitting came after the two committee members shared that they were not aware of the things that were said to be happening at the school. These include banking of money collected by the school and the decision to charge pupils E100 admission fee instead of the stipulated E50.

Uniform

In his report, Attorney General Timothy Matsebula reported that the school allowed its pupils not to wear school uniform on Fridays for a fee of E2 per pupil, but there were no records of how much revenue was collected each Friday. Based on the number of pupils in the school, it was estimated that the school collected an amount of E7 360 each month and E66 240 per year.

The collections were allegedly not banked in the schools bank account. This is a violation of the Schools Accounting Regulation 9.0, which requires that the head teacher records all revenue collected by the school. Matsebula also reported that the school charged E100 admission fee per pupil instead of E50. During the year under review, 146 pupils were admitted; therefore, the school collected a total amount of E14 600 instead of E7 300 as admission fees from all new pupils.
MANZINI  While all parties seem to be in agreement on the need for dialogue in light of the ongoing political unrest in the country, there is no consensus on how this dialogue should be held.

This was said by South African Bishop Sithembele Sipuka, who is the President of the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference (SACBC). He said this during a press conference held at the Roman Catholic Bishops House in Manzini yesterday and this was after the SACBCs week-long fact-finding mission about the ongoing unrest in the Kingdom of Eswatini.

Team

The team of SACBC executive members, who included the president, Secretary General Father Hugh OConnor and Associate Secretary Phuthunywa Siyali, arrived in the country last Wednesday and during the mission, they met with government and various stakeholders, including the Council of Swaziland Churches, the youth and The Nation Magazine Editor Bheki Makhubu among others. According to the SACBC president, they came to the country because they were concerned about the ongoing unrest and their visit was to show their solidarity with the kingdom in light of the current situation.

Following their visit, he said they were informed about what was happening in the country. We are aware of the complexity of the situation and that there are more than one views about it, the president said. In that regard, he said their prayer was that there would be some kind of engagement between the stakeholders; the leadership of the country and the people in order to find a solution. He said they encouraged the stakeholders to have engagements and mentioned that they were willing to support means of finding a way forward.

However, he mentioned that even though the stakeholders had different views, they were all prepared for dialogue and as SACBC they were pleased by that.

He then raised a concern that in as much as the stakeholders were prepared for dialogue, they did not agree on how it (dialogue) should be and what it meant.

In that regard, there is a need to dialogue about the dialogue before it starts, the president said. He said the stakeholders needed to meet and discuss how they would talk about the key issues which resulted in the unrest.

Thereafter, the associate secretary said as they interacted with the stakeholders, the voice of the young people was clear that they wanted to be heard and recognised. He said even young religious women also made it clear that they wanted to be heard. Sipuka said in order for the situation to improve, the stakeholders needed to be open, talk about the issues and listen to each other. He added that they were aware that there was a traditional way of dialoguing (Sibaya). He said this was good because it meant that dialogue was not strange or new in the country.

Proposals

However, he said as time went by, changes took place and things developed, adding that there were proposals that different ways of dialoguing should be used.

Moreover, the president said without sounding like he did not understand the temptation for people to be violent, violence begets violence. He added that for whatever reason, it was not the way to go because it would lead to further violence. He said even if the change would be achieved, it would be the people who would live with the consequences of the violence.

According to the Roman Catholic Bishop Jose Luis Ponce de Leon, the unrest started in May 2021 after the death of Thabani Nkomonye and it escalated in June 2021. Nkomonye is the 25-year-old man who went missing on the night of May 8, 2021 after his car was involved in a road traffic accident at Nhlambeni. After the accident, his body was not located. It was eventually discovered five days later.

The delay in the discovery of Nkomonyes body raised questions among many, resulting in the #JusticeForThabani movement, whereupon the members of the public demanded answers from the police. Thereafter, then acting Prime Minister (PM), Themba Masuku appointed a Coroner, Senior Magistrate Nonhlanhla Dlamini to lead an inquest into the death of Nkomonye.
MBABANE  An alleged dagga dealer, Kwanele Maphosa, whose bank account was once credited with over E1 million, has become the latest causality of POCA.

This comes after the Crown obtained an order to preserve his money amounting to E198 900 and a Toyota Quantum, believed to be proceeds of crime in terms of the Prevention of Corruption Act (POCA). The sum of E198 900 was found by the police at the back seat of his motor vehicle at the Ngwenya Border Gate and it was in a mustard plastic bag. Kwanele of Nginamadvolo, who is a public transport operator, also reportedly raised eyebrows when he purchased the white Toyota Quantum at Leites Toyota- Mbabane where he paid over E470 000 cash.

Cash

In motivating the application to preserve the money and the Quantum, Crown Counsel Melusi Lukhele submitted that information that was given under oath showed that the sum of E198 900 was recovered at the back seat of a motor vehicle at the Ngwenya Border Gate. He narrated to the court that the driver of the motor vehicle, who was the possessor of the cash, had handed over to one Sibusiso Mahlalela, a security officer at the border gate, a gate pass indicating that he had nothing to declare at the point of entry.

According to the prosecutor, the cash was recovered through a routine exercise wherein motor vehicles entering the Kingdom of Eswatini were searched upon reaching the point of entry. He told the court that if it was not for the search, the cash would have been illicitly smuggled into the Kingdom of Eswatini.

The possessor of the cash who identified himself as Kwanele Charles Maphosa apologised for having failed to declare the cash when asked why he had not declared the cash since it was above E15 000. Kwanele gave the usual excuse given by most defaulters that he was not aware he was expected to declare the said cash, submitted the prosecutor.

The prosecutor averred that several notices were placed at the border alerting travellers about the need to declare cash above the amount of E15 000, as such it could not be true that Kwanele was ignorant of the fact that he had to declare same. The cash was counted and it amounted to E198 900. Kwanele is currently facing charges at the magistrates court being that of contravening the Money Launder and Financing of Terrorism ( Prevention ) Act, submitted Lukhele. He went on to tell the court that Kwanele then recorded a statement explaining the source of the cash.

In his statement, Kwanele reportedly disclosed that the cash belonged to his brother Mlungisi Maphosa, who had requested him to bring it from Johannesburg. Kwanele further disclosed that he did not know the person who gave him the money in Johannesburg but was sent by his brother Mlungisi to collect same at a filing in Bernon. Lukhele told the court that Mlungisi was consulted on the matter and he allegedly confirmed the story by Kwanele to the effect that he asked him to collect the cash on his behalf from Bernon. Lukhele contended that the cash was not from a lawful source but proceeds of money laundering. He brought it to the attention of the court that in the year 2018, a suspicious transaction was received in respect of Kwanele.

Investigations

Financial investigations revealed that Kwanele had a pure save account with Standard Bank Eswatini wherein he received cash through money gram, submitted the prosecutor. It was also Lukheles submission that Kwanele was also holding a super save account with First National Bank. Lukhele highlighted that statements in respect of the super save account were requested and it showed that the account had been running since 2015. The cash in the account, according to Lukhele, consisted of both cross border and local deposits.

The account shows that in total from June 2015-2020 the account received an amount of E1 736 620. Monies in the account will be deposited and quickly withdrawn. Investigations reveal that Kwanele is involved in dagga dealing, he argued. The prosecutor claimed that Kwanele prepared an affidavit in the year 2020 which reflected an admission of dagga dealing by him.

The Crown argued that Kwanele was involved in smuggling dagga and that he was once arrested in Botswana for alleged dagga dealing. The court was also told that Kwanele frequently travelled in and out of the Kingdom while there was no business he was conducting outside this jurisdiction. Lukhele submitted that Kwanele was currently running a transport business in the Kingdom of Eswatini.
EZULWINI  Young people who are convicted of engaging in protests might find it hard to get study loans from government.

Condemning the ongoing protests by pupils in various schools, Minister of Labour and Social Security Phila Buthelezi issued a stern warning yesterday. He was speaking during a press conference held at the Sibane Hotel where he gave feedback on the issue of scholarship loans following a petition that was delivered to the ministry last Friday.

Petition

He said he had seen the petition and was updated on the grievances raised. He advised that emaSwati who wanted to have their grievances heard should present them in a respectable manner and not use insults and violence. He mentioned that government was dedicated to ensuring that all emaSwati were afforded the best education through being awarded study loans.

The minister said he was aware that there was talk of availing scholarship loans for all qualifying emaSwati and said such was also governments wish. He said, however, funds were not permitting. Due to the limited funds available, we are forced to prioritise, he said. He said his ministry had noted with disappointment children who government saw as the future of the country engaging in protests. Government is looking to invest in these children through providing them with study loans in order to help the economy. These children are engaging in violent acts and this is a concern, he said.

The minister pleaded with pupils to behave in an appropriate manner so that government would not have a problem investing in them. He said the issue of behavior was considered immensely whenever applications for scholarship loans were assessed. Buthelezi said pupils who would be convicted of incidents involving damage to property, would find it difficult to get scholarships.

Government will prioritise pupils who are dedicated to their education and show that they want to have a bright future. The Board responsible for granting scholarships will work with us in ensuring that those children with criminal offences are properly scrutinised. The Board will look into those cases to determine if government should grant those children study loans or not, said Buthelezi.

Regarding allowances, the minister said government was well aware that as times changed, a review of the money given to students was vital. As a result, he said, government and its stakeholders were dedicated to look into reviewing those scholarships but that such could only be possible if everyone put an effort in ensuring that the economy that made resources available was stable.

All parties and all emaSwati need to commit themselves and ensure that businesses thrive so that the economy can be stable. This will make it easier to provide for things such as scholarships. But if as emaSwati we do things that let down the economy of the country, there would be challenges, the minister. He said currently, the ministry had a challenge of courses that were saturated and had too many entrants, which was why government formulated a priority list.

Abandon

So, we do have a feeling that for now we cannot abandon the priority courses. They will continue but we encourage young people to not only focus on white collar jobs but vocational skills as well. The vocational skills will ensure that young people are able to start their own businesses and hire others, he emphasized. It should be noted that last Friday, over 2 000 students from the different institutions of higher learning petitioned the Ministry of Labour and Social Security to provide scholarships for students, increase cases living allowances and provide decent jobs for graduates.
Zain Group, a leading mobile telecom operator in seven markets across Middle East and Africa, has approved the recommendation of the board of directors to distribute semi-annual cash dividends worth KD43 million ($150 million), equivalent to 10 fils per share, for the first half of the current fiscal year.

Announcing this at the companys ordinary general assembly in Kuwait today (October 12), Zain said these cash dividends form part of the companys commitment to distribute annual dividends of a minimum 33 fils per share annually that commenced in 2019, in a move described as unprecedented at the time.

Todays approval by the OGA represents a cash dividend distribution of KD43 million ($150 million) and signifies Zain as the first listed company in Boursa Kuwaits Premier market to pay out semi-annual cash dividends, it added.

Zain Vice-Chairman and Group CEO Bader Al Kharafi said: "The dividend policy decision is one of the most important taken by the company's board. This step gave a clear indication to the strength of our financial solvency, and the company's ability to execute on its strategic investment and financial plans. Moreover, Zains FinTech aspirations are aimed at obtaining a digital banking license and be the first Telco-led challenger bank across the Middle East."

"Additionally, the semi-annual dividend enhances Boursa Kuwait and Zains position on the world equity stage, enriching and stimulating investment as the global investor community consider it a key factor when determining investment destinations, given interim dividends reflect favorable operational performance," stated Al Kharafi.

He pointed out that this step also highlighted executive management's growth strategy of modernization and seeking new lucrative verticals especially in the digital services sector, which has seen Zain establishing structures to support the startup ecosystem and entrepreneurs to enter markets across the region and beyond.

"These opportune investments will ensure Zain achieves healthy cash flows and sustainable returns for shareholders," he added.

Zain views the opportunities presented by the digital economy in the Middle East as brimming with potential, as digital capabilities offer greater levels of innovation and direct positive impact on economic and social development.

"One area we are keen on fostering are innovations in the Fintech space and becoming a telco led challenger bank, given the success and exponential growth we have had to date with Tamam in Saudi Arabia and Zain Cash in Iraq and Jordan," stated Al Kharafi.

"Notably, Tamam was the first entity in region to be licensed by a regulator -the Saudi Central Bank (Sama) to offer consumer micro-loans via a digital mobile app, with Zain Cash leading the Fintech revolution in Iraq and Jordan. Notably, Zain Jordan recently received approvals to offer credit solutions, he added.-TradeArabia News Service
Finland has announced the official opening of the country's pavilion at the Expo 2020 Dubai, thus throwing open the doors to the visitors to experience future happiness and collaboration.

Under the central theme of Sharing Future Happiness, guests will be introduced to how Finland is pioneering sustainable change, developing digital innovations, and adopting a circular economy model within businesses and society to help alleviate the current strain on the earth's carrying capacity.

It was inaugurated by Mika Lintila, Minister of Economic Affairs, Finland; Severi Keinala, Commissioner General of Finland at Expo 2020 Dubai and Marianne Nissila, Finnish Ambassador to the UAE, Qatar and Bahrain.

During the next six months, the Finnish pavilion will take visitors on an interactive journey through the societal pillars upon which Finland's happiness are based: continuous development and innovation, sustainable and environmentally-friendly solutions and extensive international cooperation.

Upcoming events in the Finland pavilion include Finlands national day celebrations on October 31, a visit from Laplands Santa Claus in December, and celebrating Finnish happiness on World Happiness Day in March 2022.

On its bilateral ties, Lintila said: "The UAE is Finland's second-biggest export country in the Middle East, after Saudi Arabia. Expo 2020 Dubai provides a vital platform for Finland and our 120 partner companies, enabling us to strengthen our shared goals in areas such as sustainability, education, digitalisaton and happiness. Together with the UAE and the global business community, we aim to co-create and innovate agile, sustainable, and smart solutions for future business opportunities and societal development."

He said at the expo pavilion, there is something for every type of visitor. "They can immerse themselves in the digital wonders of Finland and experience Finlands calm nature in the Gorge. Guests are invited to interact with the Kone DX Class elevator and learn about successful people flow."

"Participating companies will also provide insights into how the future of sustainable energy production lies in the air we breathe utilising Power-to-X advances, which are demonstrated using a machine that converts air into the power required to brew coffee. Visitors can also dive into the technology behind the Nokia and Luxturrim 5G Ecosystem smart pole and will be shown how the success of a smart city lies in a collaborative digital infrastructure. The Missing Links interactive art installation shows guests what they can do as global citizens to contribute to a greener world," he added.

Keinala reflected on the importance of Expo 2020 Dubai for the global business community: "As we reflect on the last year and acknowledge how much countries around the world have overcome, we are proud to come together to celebrate our resilience and look to the future in the spirit of cooperation."

"We are proud to be part of a moment in history that marks the first World Expo in the Middle East and the first large-scale public event in the region since the onset of Covid-19. We are also proud of the passion we share with the UAE for enhancing business and societal happiness," stated Keinala.

"During the next six months, Finland and its 120 partner companies will share expertise and know-how with the aim of showing how a combination of collaborative change, digital innovations and circular economy thinking can pave the way for the sustainable transition our collective ecosystems need to achieve," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
Sharjah Hamriyah Independent Power Company (Shipco) and GE marked the successful first fire of the second H-class gas turbine at the 1.8 gigawatts (GW) Hamriyah Independent Power Plant (IPP) in Sharjah, UAE.

First fire is a critical test and an important milestone, where a turbine is switched on and operated on fuel at the site, following several months of installation and commissioning works.

The Hamriyah IPP is the first independent combined cycle power plant in Sharjah. GE Energy Financial Services and Japans Sumitomo Corporation signed an approximately 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Sharjah Electricity, Water, and Gas Authority (Sewa) to develop, build, and operate the plant. Following financial close in 2019, the co-developers, along with Shikoku Electric Power Company and Sharjah Asset Management, the investment arm of the Sharjah Government, formed a joint venture company - Shipco - to build, own, and operate the project.

GE Gas Power is providing turnkey engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) services and supplying three 9HA.01 gas turbines, six generators, and three heat recovery steam generators (HRSGs) for the facility. It will also provide parts, repairs, and maintenance services for power generation assets at the site for about 25 years.

Saeed Sultan Al Suwaidi, Chairman of Sewa, said: The successful first fire of the second gas turbine at the Hamriyah IPP is a significant achievement and I commend the combined efforts of Sewa, Shipco, and GEs teams as we collectively work towards the completion of this critical project. The facility is a key component of Sewas 2030 Roadmap and is anticipated to help generate up to 40% of Sharjahs electricity supply when complete.

Setting up the Hamriyah IPP is an incredibly complex undertaking that has already involved more than 7 million person hours by up to 1,500 people from over 20 countries. I am delighted to share that almost all the engineering works and up to 80 percent of the commissioning works for the power plant have now been executed, said Omar Almulla, Chairman of Shipco.

Once complete, this is expected to be the most efficient power plant in the Middle Easts utilities sector, and the high efficiency level translates into significant environmental benefits.

GEs H-class technology has won two world records for combined cycle efficiency and in 2021, projects powered by the turbines won the 2021 Plant of the Year, Plant of the World, and Reinvention Award.

Using three GE 9HA.01 turbines will help Sewa reduce carbon dioxide emissions by up to four million tonnes per year, compared to current levels  equivalent to taking up to one million cars off the roads of the UAE.

GE is honoured to bring its record-setting H-class gas turbines to power the Hamriyah IPP and provide reliable, more sustainable electricity for the people of Sharjah. The technology has already been adopted by more than 50 customers from 20 countries, generated over 26 GW of power, and clocked in over 1 million commercial operating hours, explained Joseph Anis, President & CEO of GE Gas Power Europe, Middle East, and Africa.

GEs H-Class gas turbine portfolio also has the capability to burn up to 50% by volume of hydrogen when blended with natural gas. Furthermore, GEs H-class combined cycle plants can be configured with a post-combustion capture system to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by up to 90%. These capabilities enable the Hamriyah IPP and Sharjah to potentially transition to an even cleaner energy future in the years ahead.

GE has supported the development of the energy sector in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) 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.-- TradeArabia News Service
Event Chairman Caitlin Long to Launch Wyoming Blockchain Stampede at UW

Event Chairman Caitlin Long is looking forward to showcasing opportunities the digital economy can bring the state during the fourth annual Wyoming Blockchain Stampede and WyoHackathon Sept. 21-26 at the University of Wyoming.

Long, CEO of Avanti Bank in Cheyenne, is a UW alumna whose expertise contributed to legislation establishing Wyoming as a leader in blockchain regulation. She will be the keynote speaker at opening ceremonies Tuesday, Sept. 21, at 8 a.m. at the Marian H. Rochelle Gateway Center.

She has seen the conference grow from a weekend event to a weeklong global program attracting blockchain developers, entrepreneurs, legal experts, legislators, researchers, and educators and students from junior high to college.

These efforts not only prepare UW students for jobs in the new digital economy, but also expose Wyomings junior high and high school students to these powerful technologies via their participation in WyoHackathon, Long says. They do not need to leave home to work in this industry. The partnership between Wyoming and the blockchain industry has been a win-win all around.

Also at the opening ceremony will be Tyler Lindholm, state policy director for U.S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) and a former state legislator who helped guide blockchain legislation; Rep. Jared Olsen (R-Cheyenne) and Sen. Chris Rothfuss (D-Laramie), current co-chairmen of the legislative Select Committee on Blockchain, Financial Technology and Digital Innovation Technology; and Steven Lupien, director of the UW Center for Blockchain and Digital Innovation (CBDI).

Lupien says the Wyoming Blockchain Stampede and WyoHackathon promote UWs goal of being blockchain inclusive and demonstrating Wyomings commitment to be a blockchain pacesetter.

The stampedes theme, Future Forward, represents our efforts to move ahead in all areas of blockchain, including cryptocurrency, smart contracts and digital assets that will create new entrepreneurial and technological opportunities for Wyoming and the world, Lupien says.

The stampede is presented by title sponsors IOHK and Blockchain.com; CBDI; the UW College of Agriculture and Natural Resources; the College of Business; the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences Department of Computer Science; and the College of Law.

Listed is the event schedule:

Sept. 21, 8 a.m.-8 p.m., UW Conference Center -- The Startup Stampede will highlight the companies of the future.

Sept. 21-22, 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m., Room 506, Coe Library -- The Wyoming Legislatures Select Committee on Blockchain, Financial Technology and Digital Innovation Technology will hear testimony from the public on opportunities to improve the laws.

Sept. 22, 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m., UW Conference Center -- Future Forward with UW President Ed Seidel. Speakers and panels will discuss initiatives that will drive positive economic development for future generations.

Sept. 22, 5-8 p.m., Marian H. Rochelle Gateway Center -- The Sandcastle Invitational seeks the best and most promising blockchain startups the world over to compete for the top cash prize.

Sept. 23, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., War Memorial Fieldhouse -- The Stampede Law Conference will examine the new laws in Wyoming that impact blockchain and crypto businesses and help form the ecosystem.

Sept. 23, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., UW Conference Center -- The Stampede Finance Conference offers a deep dive into the evolving world of finance; how blockchain technology is pushing decentralized finance; and what impact that will have.

Sept. 23-24, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., UW Conference Center -- The Stampede Business Conference is two full days of conversations helping attendees understand business opportunities of blockchain and use cases.

Sept. 24, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., UW Conference Center -- DAO (decentralized autonomous organization) Day features technical workshops and speakers explaining what DAOs are and the role they will play in our future -- also, how Wyoming is leading the way in terms of DAO regulation.

Sept. 24, 8 a.m.-4 p.m., War Memorial Fieldhouse -- The Stampede Developers Conference features technical speakers and workshops to help attendees prepare for the WyoHackathon challenges and to introduce new technologies, concepts and emerging standards.

Sept. 24, 5 p.m. and Sept. 26, 10 a.m., War Memorial Fieldhouse -- The WyoHackathon presents challenges and bounties for developers, entrepreneurs and business professionals. Participants will use the weekend to come up with the best solution to the problems presented.

For more information about the Wyoming Blockchain Stampede, in addition to the website at www.wyohackathon.io, follow on Twitter; join on Telegram at https://t.me/WyoHackathon; connect on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/wyohackathon; or visit Facebook.
Wyoming Artist Dave Paulley Featured in AHCs Renovated Galleries at UW

After a yearlong renovation project, the University of Wyomings American Heritage Centers (AHC) loggia and galleries are now open to the public with an exhibition of paintings by Osage-born artist Dave Paulley.

Paulley (1931-2020) painted 30 images of Wyoming history, culture and industry to celebrate the states centennial in 1990. Commissioned by the Wyoming State Historical Society, the exhibitions 18 selected works range from the earliest days of human habitation -- paleo-Indian petroglyphs at Whoop Up Canyon in Weston County -- to the present day with George Hopkins parachute descent on top of Devils Tower.

Other paintings feature wagon trains, the transcontinental railroad, Bridgers Ferry, Father Pierre-Jean De Smet, John Colter, Fossil Butte, as well as early oil wells and coal mines.

The Toppan Library is now the open public area envisioned by donor Clara Toppan, says Professor Paul Flesher, the AHC director. I thank the many staff members who helped in the work, from those who moved books into the book vault, to those who advised on design, to those who worked with the numerous contractors and construction workers and made this vision a reality.

The AHCs loggia display space is now accompanied by two renovated galleries. During the AHCs COVID-19 closure, the Toppan Library fire suppression system was upgraded to archival standards, and the space was divided into two separate areas.

Gallery One features the AHCs collection of paintings by Alfred Jacob Miller, the first white artist to paint the interior of the Rocky Mountains. Miller journeyed to the Rocky Mountain Rendezvous in 1837 with the Scottish noble Sir William Drummond Stewart, who commissioned him to paint the rendezvous and other mountain scenes near present-day Pinedale.

The gallery stands opposite the AHCs Rentschler Room gallery, which features paintings on Western themes by Henry Farny and Frederic Remington. Other paintings on display in the galleries include Buffalo Bill Cody at Old Faithful and Portugee Phillips arrival at Fort Laramie on Christmas in 1866.

After renovation, the Toppan Library Room has become a bright, open teaching and exhibition space, Flesher says. Classes are being taught there this semester.

Several professors have observed how the new room provides more space for examination of the books and increased conversations among students about the works on display, Toppan Librarian Mary Beth Brown says.

The teaching area shares space with a rotating series of exhibitions under the theme of Treasures of the Toppan, now under development.

The AHCs loggia and gallery spaces are open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday, with a Wednesday lunchtime closure at noon.

For more information, call the AHC at (307) 766-3756.


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At the invitation of H.E. Erkinkhon Rahmatullozoda, Ambassador of the Republic of Tajikistan to Belgium, Dr. Kunio Mikuriya, WCO Secretary General, met with H.E. Emomali Rahmon, President of Tajikistan, during his visit to Brussels, Belgium on 12 October 2021.

President Rahmon was appreciative of the good relationship between the WCO and his country, especially after Dr. Mikuriyas visit to Dushanbe, Tajikistan in October 2019. Secretary General Mikuriya welcomed Tajikstans strong political commitment at the highest levels, which had led to Tajikistans accession to the Revised Kyoto Convention in May 2020, shortly after his visit to Dushanbe. This demonstrated the countrys resolve to develop its Customs system in line with WCO and other international standards.

Underscoring the importance of Customs, President Rahmon stated that his priority in this respect was to build human resource capacity. Dr. Mikuriya suggested several ways to address this important topic, such as ensuring that Customs officers had more exposure to the WCO and to other countries so they could gain inspiration from best practices around the world and subsequently drive Customs reform in their own country. He also expressed the WCOs willingness to take cooperation with Customs administrations in Central Asia to the next level, so as to maximize the regions potential.

The meeting concluded with both the President and the Secretary General agreeing on enhanced bilateral cooperation.
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the vital role played by Customs administrations in facilitating the supply of emergency goods and in ensuring the fast clearance of relief consignments. Being that the preparedness of Customs administrations is at the core of its mission, the WCO COVID-19 Project, funded by the Government of Japan, organized on 5-8 October the "Online workshop to assist Guatemala Customs in drafting Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the clearance and regularization of relief goods in case of natural disasters and other disruptive events. Guatemala is the first Member of the Americas and Caribbean region to benefit from this capacity-building activity provided by the Project, and the third one globally, following Benin and Madagascar.

The audience included representatives of the Customs administration, other border authorities, the national coordinator for disaster risk management, competent ministries, international organizations and the humanitarian sector, for a total of more than 150 participants. During the four days of the event, attendees were guided by WCO and partner International Organizations experts who helped them in identifying the existing bottlenecks for the clearance of relief consignments and in complying with current international standards.

During the opening ceremony, the Director General of Guatemala Customs, Mr. W. Ovalle Ramirez, underlined the importance of the event and that implementing harmonized recommendations is critical, as it will allow to better face future challenges. The United Nations Resident Coordinator in Guatemala, Ms. Rebeca Arias Flores, expressed her gratitude for the support provided by the WCO COVID-19 Project, thanks to which it will be possible to make progress in the drafting of SOPs that are operational and to reinforce the capacity of humanitarian bodies. On behalf of the WCO Secretariat, the Director of the WCO Compliance and Facilitation Directorate, Mr. Pranab Kumar Das, commended the presence of such diverse and relevant organizations and the dedication of the network of experts attending the workshop.

Sessions dedicated to the drafting of the Standard Operating Procedures were organized in the form of working groups, fostering interaction and a fruitful exchange amongst the participants. Attendees reviewed and improved existing procedures on high priority topics, including duties exemptions, the importation of food, telecommunication devices, medicines and the temporary admission of disaster-related equipment. The work produced will be further analyzed during specific meetings with the WCO and international experts to prepare the final report.

This national workshop precedes a wider sub-regional event that will be organized by the Project on 15-17 November to enhance coordination between the Members of the Central American Integration System (SICA) and foster their preparedness in dealing with pandemics and other disruptive events.
Machine Gun Kelly and Megan Fox's relationship is the "darkest fairytale".

The couple - who met on the set of their movie 'Midnight in the Switchgrass' - are smitten with one another but the 31-year-old musician insisted things aren't "perfect" between them and they have a lot of ups and downs.

He said: It should be light, but also we go to hell with each other. Its ecstasy and agony for sure I dont want people to think anythings perfect with us. I didnt say it was the darkest fairytale for no reason.

While Megan - who has three sons with ex-husband Brian Austin Green - was "open" to finding love before she met MGK, she wasn't expecting to connect with her "own soul's reflection" in the way she has.

She gushed in a joint interview with GQ Style magazine: "[I was] definitely open [to] love, but I did not anticipate walking right into my soulmate like that. I was obviously over the way I had been living, and those paths lined up, those doors opened. It was [as if] all the obstacles that had kept us apart all those years [had been removed] and we were able to finally intersect...

You know, famously, like, Im an unusual person. And I had buried a lot of that because it didnt have a place to live.

" Thats something that, meeting him, its like meeting your own soul's reflection. I recognise so much of myself in him, and vice versa, and that locked-up part of me that I had put away. I

"d always felt like there was that thing missing, that Id given up on, that youre always seeking. But then you meet the person that completes that for you and youre like, Oh, this is what my heart was searching for. Thats what that beacon was this whole time.

The 'Bloody Valentine' hitmaker - whose real name is Colson Baker - had never fallen in love until he got with Megan and had never even seen a successful relationship.

Asked if he'd been in love before, he said: No, no, no. Its, like, because youve been around the world and experienced so much s***, you think you know everything. And then you are in the arms of your destiny and realise I dont know s*** yet. Thats when the adventure starts, right?

I came from broken homes and I watched love never work. Then I grew up where in pop culture they dont even make romantic movies any more. It hurts my soul that I wasted 30 years of my life not having any desire.

See the full feature in the GQ Style Autumn/Winter 2021 issue available on newsstands on Thursday (14.10.21) or visit https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/culture/article/megan-fox-machine-gun-kelly-interview.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-11 23:25:14|Editor: huaxia

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MALE, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Maldives' speaker of parliament and former President Mohamed Nasheed has returned after spending four months abroad recovering from injuries sustained in a terror attack, local media reported here Monday.

According to the SunOnline news, Nasheed flew back from the United Arab Emirates, and he was at the airport greeted by President Ibrahim Solih and senior government officials.

Nasheed was injured in a blast caused by an improvised explosive device (IED) planted on a motorcycle parked near his personal vehicle on May 6. He was rushed to a hospital in the capital Male where he underwent multiple life-saving surgeries.

He was transported to a hospital in Germany on May 13 for recovery and traveled to Britain on July 21. In August, he requested the parliament for an extension on his leave until the perpetrators of his attack were brought to justice.

Maldives police have arrested 10 suspects in connection to the May 6 terror attack, with four of them having been prosecuted. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-12 00:05:18|Editor: huaxia

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SINGAPORE, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- Singapore reported 2,263 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, bringing the total tally in the country to 129,229, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said in a press release.

Of the new cases, 1,969 were in the community, 306 were in migrant worker dormitories, and eight were imported cases.

A total of 1,698 cases are currently warded in hospitals, with 308 of serious illnesses requiring oxygen supplementation, and 42 in critical condition in the intensive care units, said the MOH. Besides, 10 more cases have passed away from complications due to COVID-19 infection.

As of Oct. 10, 83 percent of the local population have received two doses of COVID-19 vaccines, and 85 percent have received at least one dose. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-12 11:21:34|Editor: huaxia

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SYDNEY, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- An astronomer from the University of Queensland (UQ) has detected unexpected radio waves being emitted from stars, pointing to the existence of previously undiscovered planets.

The ground-breaking study, published in the Nature Astronomy journal on Monday, was the result of international cooperation which included astronomers from the Dutch national observator ASTRON and UQ astronomer Dr Benjamin Pope.

The team made the discovery using the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) radio telescope situated in the Netherlands, which as the world's largest radio telescope of its kind covers an area of about 300,000 square metres.

"This discovery is an important step for radio astronomy and could potentially lead to the discovery of planets throughout the galaxy," Pope said.

"We've long known that the planets of our own solar system emit powerful radio waves as their magnetic fields interact with the solar wind, but radio signals from planets outside our solar system had yet to be picked up," he said.

The discovery was made when the researchers found that older, otherwise magnetically inactive, red dwarf stars were still emitting radio waves.

"We've discovered signals from 19 distant red dwarf stars, four of which are best explained by the existence of planets orbiting them."

Lead author on the study Joseph Callingham from ASTRON said he and the team were confident that the signals were a sign of magnetic connection between stars and the otherwise unseen planets that orbit them.

"Our own Earth has aurorae, commonly recognised here as the northern and southern lights, that also emit powerful radio waves - this is from the interaction of the planet's magnetic field with the solar wind," Callingham said.

The discovery is just the tip of the iceberg of radio astronomy. Pope said further investigation would focus on confirming and analysing these new planets, some as far as 165 light years away.

"Follow-up observations have ruled out planets more massive than Earth, but there's nothing to say that a smaller planet wouldn't do this." Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-12 13:51:40|Editor: huaxia

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WELLINGTON, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- The end of year audited Crown accounts released on Tuesday showed the New Zealand government's health-led approach to the COVID-19 pandemic has protected New Zealand's economy, said Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Grant Robertson.

"On almost every indicator the accounts show that the New Zealand economy has performed better than forecast, even as recently as the Budget in May. It shows a strong rebound from the first lockdown in 2020, and bodes well for emerging from the current outbreak," said Robertson.

As expected, the Crown accounts for the year to June 2021 show the operating balance before gains and losses was in deficit, to the tune of 4.6 billion NZ dollars (3.19 billion U.S. dollars). That result was 10.6 billion NZ dollars (7.35 billion U.S. dollars) better than the Treasury forecast in Budget 2021, largely owing to the economy's growth continuing to exceed Treasury forecasts, Robertson said.

Core Crown tax revenue was 12.9 billion NZ dollars (8.94 billion U.S. dollars) higher than last year and 6.4 billion NZ dollars (4.44 billion U.S. dollars) higher than forecast in the Budget, statistics show.

With the country being in lower COVID-19 Alert Levels for most of the year, economic conditions were better than forecast, he said, adding a strong labor market and consumer confidence have driven the increase in tax revenue. This included increases in company tax, goods and services tax and source deductions (PAYE).

Net core Crown debt was 30 percent of GDP at the end of June, below the 34-percent forecast in the May Budget, statistics show.

The decisions during last year's COVID outbreak with economic support and health measures meant the economy bounced back better than almost anyone predicted. That strength has provided the fiscal headroom to support businesses and households when the Delta outbreak struck, Robertson said. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-12 13:55:36|Editor: huaxia

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ULAN BATOR, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia recorded 1,566 new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, bringing the national tally to 328,304, the country's health ministry reported on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, 15 more patients aged over 20 died in the past day, bringing the nationwide death toll to 1,392.

The resurgence of COVID-19 has continued due to the Delta wave, and more than 1,000 infections and 10 or more deaths have been reported daily in the country with a population of around 3.4 million.

The Asian country launched a national vaccination campaign in late February, with the aim of covering at least 60 percent of its population. So far, 65.6 percent of the population has received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccines.

The country's health authorities have urged the public to strictly follow health guidelines and receive a booster or a third vaccine dose to boost their immune systems. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-12 14:49:18|Editor: huaxia

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KATHMANDU, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- As one of the world's richest countries in terms of biodiversity, China's efforts to develop "ecological civilization" are contributing to global biodiversity preservation, Nepali experts said.

Even though China's advancement in material development in the last four decades has resulted in environmental problems to some extent, the country has also made great strides in the preservation of ecology, biodiversity and wildlife, noted the experts.

"China is one of the leading countries in the world in the areas of biodiversity conservation and ecological system restoration," said Krishna Prasad Oli, a former member of Nepal's National Planning Commission with expertise on biodiversity and renewable energy.

"China has increased the protected areas for biodiversity and the areas covered by forest," he told Xinhua. "China has brought greenery even to the desert areas."

He spoke of China's heavy investments in Tibet and Xinjiang in efforts to restore the ecological systems in the two autonomous regions. "Besides preserving the ecology, China is also reaping benefits by promoting eco-tourism," said Oli, who used to teach in some Chinese universities as a visiting scholar.

Oli also lauded the growing populations of giant pandas which were once on the verge of extinction as well as the Asian elephants in China.

Days ago, China issued its first white paper on biodiversity, detailing how the world's most biodiverse country has endeavored to protect its ecosystems in pursuit of harmony between humans and nature.

According to the white paper, the population of giant pandas in the wild has grown from 1,114 to 1,864 over the past four decades, while the Asian elephant population in the wild has risen from 180 in the 1980s to about 300 at present.

China was the first globally to propose and implement the "red line" strategy for ecological conservation, an important institutional innovation in its land-use planning and eco-environmental reform.

The country's proposal of "Drawing a 'Red Line' for Ecological Protection to Mitigate and Adapt to Climate Change" has been selected by the United Nations as one of the 15 best Nature-based Solutions around the globe.

China's ongoing efforts to advance "ecological civilization" are great for the preservation of biodiversity, said Prabhu Budhathoki, a Nepali expert on biodiversity conservation.

"The breathtaking development in China over the last four decades has not only modernized China but also contributed to a complete poverty eradication," he said.

"China also has to bear the environmental cost even though it has been making great efforts to conserve the ecology over the years. By introducing the concept of ecological civilization, China has given utmost importance to reversing biodiversity losses and promoting ecological preservation."

China has set a target of having carbon dioxide emissions peak by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2060. To this end, the country has been investing heavily in green technologies, including solar and renewable energy.

At the UN General Assembly last month, China announced that it would not build new coal-fired projects abroad, a move that could be pivotal in tackling global emissions.

"By taking such a move, China has shown that it is ready to shoulder global responsibility toward preserving our ecology and environment," said Oli.

Nepal's ecological future will also rely on what China and India do in environmental protection, according to Nepali experts. Budhathoki stressed that Nepal would benefit "massively" if its two neighbors strive to reduce pollution. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-12 14:55:28|Editor: huaxia

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A medical worker takes a swab in Bangkok, Thailand, on Oct. 12, 2021. Thailand on Tuesday reported 9,445 new COVID-19 cases and 84 more deaths, raising the total number of infections to more than 1.73 million while that of fatalities to 17,835, according to the Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA). (Xinhua/Rachen Sageamsak)

BANGKOK, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- Thailand on Tuesday reported 9,445 new COVID-19 cases and 84 more deaths, raising the total number of infections to more than 1.73 million while that of fatalities to 17,835, according to the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA).

The number of new infections and deaths indicates a stabilizing trend, as a result of the months-long lockdown which took effect in many parts of the country.

More than 61 million doses have been administered in the country so far. Over 33 percent of the population have been fully vaccinated, while at least 50 percent of them have received their first shot.

The country is currently focusing on vaccine rollout among students in the 12-18 age bracket in an effort to resume on-site classroom learning in the second term which begins in November.

The Thai government aims to procure up to 120 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines next year, with a focus on booster shots and children between three and 11 years old, who are not yet vaccinated.

The CCSA also indicated its projection that 70 percent of the country's population will have received their first dose by November, rising to 80 percent by December. And 70 percent will be fully vaccinated by the end of this year, many of whom will also receive the booster shot between October and December. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-12 15:43:56|Editor: huaxia

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KUNMING, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- Papua New Guinean (PNG) Prime Minister James Marape on Tuesday called for financial support to help the island country preserve its rainforests, or the "lungs of the world."

"My country needs development financing in exchange for concentrated effort on conservation, and I would like to use the platform of this forum to invite partnerships for this most worthwhile cause," Marape said in his speech via video at the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, known as COP15.

The meeting kicked off Monday in Kunming, the capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province. It provides an important platform for the international community to discuss urgent action for biodiversity agendas for the decade to come.

The southwestern Pacific island country hosts 13 percent of the world's rainforests, which play a crucial role in absorbing carbon and easing global climate change. About 71 percent of its land is covered by rainforests. However, deforestation and degradation are accelerating in the country due to biodiversity loss and climate change.

"PNG needs partners, responsible and like-minded individuals, corporate citizens and governments who can assist us conserve this 13 percent rainforests -- this important lungs of the world -- and this precious biodiversity that is contained in our country," Marape said.

The theme of the Kunming conference, "'Ecological Civilization: Building a Shared Future for All Life on Earth,' is something PNG is now keenly pursuing," he said. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-12 16:46:47|Editor: huaxia

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MANILA, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines' Department of Health (DOH) reported 8,615 new COVID-19 infections on Tuesday, pushing the number of confirmed cases in the Southeast Asian country to 2,683,372.

The DOH also reported that 236 more people died from COVID-19 complications, bringing the country's death toll to 39,896.

"The relatively low cases today is due to lower laboratory output (on) Sunday," the DOH said in a statement.

The Philippines is expected to ease the lockdown restrictions in Metro Manila, home to more than 13 million people, starting this weekend due to the region's declining number of COVID-19 cases.

Metro Manila authorities plan to shorten the curfew hours from midnight to 4:00 a.m. in the capital region.

Authorities previously imposed a 10:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. curfew in Metro Manila as the government curbed the third wave of virus infections that peaked in September.

The government has imposed targeted lockdowns in areas with high virus clusters in economic hub Metro Manila while slowly reopening the pandemic-hit economy.

The DOH reported its highest ever daily tally on Sept. 11, with 26,303 cases.

The Philippines, which has an around 110 million population, has tested more than 20 million people since the outbreak in January 2020. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-12 20:03:02|Editor: huaxia

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COLOMBO, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- The Sri Lankan government on Tuesday said it will call for a fresh round of bids to develop oil and natural gas discoveries in the M2 Block of the Mannar Basin, located off the western coast of Sri Lanka, aiming to attract top international companies.

Energy Minister Udaya Gammanpila said the government was expecting to offer an international licensing round for the appraisal and development of natural gas discoveries in M2 by January next year.

The Minister added that the Petroleum Resources Development Secretariat (PRDS) had identified several blocks for offshore oil exploration in the Mannar Basin, the Cauvery Basin, and the Lanka Basin. Already several well-known companies had already expressed interest in the mapped blocks.

"The two test wells, Dorado and Barracuda have produced natural gas. Our aim is to find gas within the next three years," Gammanpila said.

In a gazette notice, the Energy Ministry published a map of blocks for joint exploration for oil and gas in the Mannar Basin recently.

The map contains 873 blocks of 15x15 km each and will enable investors to select preferred plots for exploration without difficulty, local media reported.

The project has the potential to deliver over two billion barrels of oil and nine trillion cubic feet of natural gas, officials said.

Based on data acquired from seismic surveys, the Sri Lankan government estimates that there are over one million barrels of oil resources in a 30,000 square km area in the country's northern waters. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-12 21:09:35|Editor: huaxia

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KATHMANDU, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- At least 28 people were killed and 14 others injured on Tuesday when a passenger bus fell off a cliff in western Nepal, a local official said.

Twenty-four passengers died on the spot in the tragedy occurring in Pina Gaun of the Mugu district in Karnali Province, while four others succumbed to their injuries on the way to the hospital, said Rom Bahadur Mahat, Mugu's chief district officer.

"The bus was carrying 42 people including bus staff when the tragic accident happened," Mahat told Xinhua over the phone from the scene. "Fourteen of the injured have been sent to Nepalgunj through helicopters and regular flights."

Mahat said most of the dead are students and migrant workers returning from India for Dashain, the biggest festival in Nepal, and the bus was heading toward Mugu's Gamgadhi from Surkhet, the provincial capital.

"Our preliminary investigation based on the witnesses suggests the bus lost its balance after one of its tires burst in the difficult section of the road to Gamgadhi," said Mahat.

On Monday, eight people lost their lives in a jeep accident in Ghandruk of the Kaski district in Gandaki Province. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-12 22:19:37|Editor: huaxia

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JAKARTA, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia will have the world's largest smelter with a capacity of 1.7 million tons of copper concentrate per year, President Joko Widodo said on Tuesday.

The groundbreaking for the construction of the smelter owned by PT Freeport Indonesia with a single line design was carried out Tuesday on an area of 103 hectares in the Java Integrated Industrial and Port Estate in East Java province's district of Gresik.

"The smelter to be built is the largest in the world because it is capable of processing 1.7 million tons of copper concentrate or 480,000 tons of copper metal per year. This is huge," Widodo told a press conference.

The construction of the domestic smelter is Indonesia's strategic policy to strengthen the downstream industry in the cooper sector after the state-owned company took over 51 percent of PT Freeport's shares, Widodo said.

Indonesia is one of the seven countries with the world's largest copper reserves, Widodo added.

Indonesian State-Owned Enterprises Minister Erick Thohir said that the construction of the smelter with an investment value of 3 billion U.S. dollars can also purify other precious metals such as silver and gold. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-10-12 22:43:26|Editor: huaxia

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BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- Brunei Darussalam has ratified the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement upon depositing its instrument of ratification with the secretary-general of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Oct. 11.

According to a press statement from Brunei's Ministry of Finance and Economy (MoFE) on Tuesday, "Brunei's timely ratification of the RCEP, the world's largest free-trade deal, signals our strong commitment to support the region's post-pandemic recovery efforts, strengthening our economic and trade linkages, creating new opportunities for our businesses as well as support for an open, inclusive, rules-based multilateral trading system."

Signed in November last year, the RCEP is a mega trade deal between 10 ASEAN member states, namely Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, plus China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.

Brunei is the sixth country to ratify RCEP, after Thailand, Singapore, China, Japan and Cambodia.

The free trade pact "establishes a modern, comprehensive, high quality and mutually-beneficial economic partnership between ASEAN and its Free Trade Agreement (FTA) partners," the MoFE said.

"Being the world's largest regional FTA comprising about 30 percent of global GDP and about a third of the world's population, Brunei is expected to benefit from the RCEP as it will broaden and deepen our economic ties between the members and provide new opportunities for our producers and businesses especially in terms of market access given the level of liberalization for trade in goods, services and investment," the MoFE said.

"Realizing that its full potential can only be achieved once the agreement enters into force, Brunei Darussalam looks forward to its RCEP partners to expedite their respective domestic ratification procedures for the timely entry into force of the agreement," the ministry said.

The RCEP members have expressed their resolve to ratify the agreement before the end of this year and push for its entry into force by Jan. 1, 2022.

Ratifications from at least six ASEAN member countries and three of the other five member countries are needed for the trade deal to take effect.

Once in effect, the deal will eliminate tariffs on as much as 90 percent of goods traded between its signatories over the next 20 years. Enditem
A senior cybersecurity official at the Pentagon said he quit because he thought it was impossible for the US to compete with China on AI.

Nicolas Chaillan joined the U.S. Air Force as its first chief software officer in August 2018. He worked to equip it and the Pentagon with the most secure and advanced software available.

But Chaillan quit on September 2. In his departing LinkedIn post, he cited the Pentagon's reluctance to make cybersecurity and AI a priority as a reason for his resignation.

Speaking to the Financial Times in his first interview since leaving, Chaillan said China was far ahead of the US.

"We have no competing fighting chance against China in fifteen to twenty years. Right now, it's already a done deal; it is already over in my opinion," he said.

Chaillan went on to say that the AI capabilities and cyber defenses of some government departments were at "kindergarten level," the FT said.

A number of US departments have been subject to hacking attempts and ransomware attacks in recent years.

In April 2020, the US Treasury, Department of Homeland Security, State Department, and Department of Defense were compromised in the SolarWinds hack. Hackers were able to spy on the digital activities of staff and access some of their emails.

Chaillan also told the FT that US national security was being compromised by Google's refusal to work with the Pentagon on AI.

Google stopped working with the Pentagon in 2018 after 12 employees quit over a project where Google helped the Pentagon make software that could improve the accuracy of drone strikes.

In China, Chaillan said, private cyber and AI companies were at Beijing's beck and call.

China is aiming to becoming the leading AI superpower by 2030, and a March report from the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence said the US was "not prepared to defend the United States in the coming artificial intelligence (AI) era."

Chaillan said it didn't matter whether the US spent three times as much as China on defense because it was being allocated to the wrong areas, the FT reported.

In the LinkedIn post announcing his departure, Chaillan said he was frustrated with the Pentagon's reluctance to commit to cybersecurity.

"I am just tired of continuously chasing support and money to do my job. My office still has no billet and no funding, this year and the next," he wrote.

Chaillan told the FT that he planned to testify to Congress about the threat posed by China.

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Read the original article on Business Insider.
Un total de 702 000 dosis de vacunas contra la #COVID19 arribaron esta noche a nuestro pais. "Mas de 13 millones de personas estan protegidas, es un logro alcanzado gracias al esfuerzo de la poblacion y de los profesionales de la salud", senalo el ministro Hernando Cevallos. pic.twitter.com/vczerAoRup
El jefe de Estado, @PedroCastilloTe, llega a la region Ucayali para inspeccionar los avances de la ejecucion de la carretera Neshuya-Curimana, colegios y centros de salud. pic.twitter.com/AWAXrl8m7h
Presidente @PedroCastilloTe: Los presupuestos de los proyectos se tienen que invertir directamente con el pueblo. Vamos a priorizar la salud, educacion y agricultura de la localidad de Curimana, en Ucayali. pic.twitter.com/5xaw1EbDIt
" " Is a rattlesnake poisonous or venomous? And what about the blue dart frog? Don Farrall/Martin Harvey/Getty Images/HowStuffWorks

If you have just been bitten by a terrifying snake, this is not the article for you. If you're hustling to the hospital with twin puncture wounds in your shin and Googling for remedies you can do in the passenger seat of the car while your friend frantically drives you into town, keep scrolling those search results. By the way, you're doing great. Don't forget to breathe.

Nor will this article delve into the relative qualities of "Toxic" by Britney Spears or "Poison" by Bell Biv DeVoe, though that is a piece of cultural criticism the world could use.

What this article will provide is the ammunition you need to win that argument on social media or with your know-it-all cousin. Because you're right: Poisonous and venomous do not mean the same thing.

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Who's Doing the Biting?

Poisonous creatures and venomous creatures are both bad news as they both involve toxic substances that cause physical effects. The delivery of that toxin is what makes the difference. Poison is passive: You have to bite or touch the animal for that animal to deliver its toxin. Venom is active: The creature has to bite you (or sting or poke you) for the toxin to get into your body.

So the aptly named poison frog, which secretes a toxin on its skin, has to be touched or licked to harm its enemy. The pufferfish, which is famously poisonous but edible, has to be prepared meticulously in order to be eaten. Poisonous animals and mushrooms are often brightly colored as a warning to predators: Don't eat or touch me!

Not all toxins are the same. Some only make a creature taste bad, like the monarch butterfly, though others are incredibly lethal, like the toxins from the golden poison frog or fly agaric mushroom.

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A Toxic Who's Who

A rattlesnake is venomous because it fills its fangs with its toxin and directly injects that into its foe. The platypus, maybe surprisingly, is also venomous. The males have spurs on their ankles that they use on predators.

There are even a few creatures that are both venomous and poisonous. The blue ringed octopus is one of those lucky few. It has a venomous bite, but if that doesn't stop predators from trying to eat it, it's also poisonous once it's in their belly. Yikes.

Some people believe mongooses are toxic, but actually they're just better at handling toxins than almost any other animal on the planet. They kill and eat notoriously venomous snakes like cobras. Armed with your new knowledge, you can probably see the trick now. Cobras are venomous, not poisonous. So the mongoose is ingesting the cobra's toxin, which gets broken down by the acids in the mongoose's stomach. Also, the mongoose can tolerate a little bit of snake venom.

Even plants can be counted as venomous or toxic. Poison ivy is correctly named, as its toxin is delivered by merely touching its leaves. Stinging nettles are venomous, if you're being generous with the term, because they deliver their irritating toxin via spines.

Now That's Gross There's a third category of toxin delivery: toxungen. That's when a toxin is delivered by spitting or spraying it on the enemy. It's a small category, but it contains one well-known stinker: the skunk.
" " A Bobbit worm (Eunice aphroditois) waits for its prey in its burrow among dark sand. Sirachai Arunrugstichai/Getty Images

If you're easily frightened or been watching too many horror movies lately, you're better off reading a more pleasant story. But if you continue, be prepared to have another thing to keep you up at night.

The Eunice aphroditois, better-known as the Bobbit worm, is a terrifying creature that viciously attacks and drags its prey into the dark depths of the ocean with such speed and strength that it sometimes slices its prey in half.

So how did it get that name? Remember the Bobbitt Family case of 1993? That's the one where Lorena Bobbitt took revenge on her cheating husband, John Wayne Bobbitt, by chopping off his ... yes, unfortunately that, with a kitchen knife while he slept.

Dr. Terrence Gosliner, senior curator and dean of science and research collections at the California Academy of Sciences, spotted the worm during a 1992 trip to the Philippines and named it after Bobbitt in his 1996 book "Coral Reef Animals of the Indo-Pacific."

"Basically the ability to use those massive jaws to cut the spinal cord of a fish was something that reminded me of what Lorena Bobbitt did to her husband," he told the Great Big Story. (Unlike the unfortunate man, the worm's name is usually spelt with one "t.")

Luckily for John Bobbitt, surgeons reattached his body part after nine hours of surgery. But the Bobbit worm's prey aren't so lucky.

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Beware of the Worm From Hell

The Bobbit worm lives in the sedimentary beds of warmer oceans in the Indo-Pacific and Atlantic oceans. It's been seen in Australia, Bali, Indonesia, Fiji, New Guinea and the Philippines among other places. It burrows at least 9 feet (2.7 meters) deep in the ocean's seabed waiting for its prey to swim by.

With two eyes that are practically useless, and five wormlike antennas, it waits ... and waits ... and waits for the right opportunity to snatch and drag its prey to the underground. And for that reason, researchers gave the worm its other nickname  the hell worm.

Don't believe me? Watch for yourself in this terrifying video below.

From its glittery, iridescent, spiked exoskeleton to its bone-hard hooks, bear-trap jaw and sharp teeth, the Bobbit worm's prey don't stand a chance. If this worm was any bigger, we 'd be in trouble.

The largest Bobbit worm recorded was almost 10 feet long (299 centimeters) and just under 1 pound (433 grams). But the average size of a Bobbit is around the size of a human arm, 2 to 4 feet (0.6 to 1.2 meters) and a couple inches wide.

University of Basel (Switzerland) anatomy professor Daniel Haag-Wackernagel, who studied the Bobbit worm from 20122016 in Indonesia, says it's a "super organism."

"Extremely fast, the nightmare of all fish living in the same area," he says via email.

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Are You Safe Around the Bobbit Worm?

The Bobbit worm is an omnivore, which is an animal that eats both plants and animals. It usually preys on fish, snails and sea stars. It hides its long body underneath the seabed, pokes its head out and ambushes its prey during the day. It actively hunts at night. As seen in the video above, even poisonous creatures and octopuses are no match for the hell worm.

"Bobbits are ambush predators that are able to kill large amounts of their prey," Haag-Wackernagel says. "[It's a] well-adapted Annelid for a life in the sand. In this empty, desert-like biotop it is extremely important to own an effective survival strategy."

Annelids are segmented worms with tubular bodies. Well-known examples are leeches and earthworms. Bobbits fall under the Polychaeta class of annelids, which are marine worms that inhabit reefs and have a ton of bristle-like hairs.

Imagine seeing a group of Bobbit worms in one place. Well, Haag-Wackernagel once found five Bobbit worms in the same diving spot of around 5,381 square feet (500 square meters).

Still, humans are not on the menu. Not normally.

"Bobbits are relatively rare, one has to know the sites where they live," Haag-Wackernagel says. "They don't attack divers. Maybe if you stick your finger in the burrow and the worm confuses it with a prey ...."

Now That's Scary In 2017, researchers published a study on Earth's oldest Bobbit worm. They found the fossils of the Websteroprion armstrongi, a similar worm that roamed the ocean around 400 million years ago with a jaw larger than any Polychaeta worm. They couldn't determine the exact length of this creature, but by comparing jaw-to-body ratios, they estimated the ancient worm to be around 2 to 6 feet (0.6 to 1.8 meters)  a couple feet bigger than the average Bobbit worm.
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 12, ARMENPRESS. The first Armenian-French Scientific-Medical Conference dedicated to the treatment and care of the Artsakh war victims will take place at the Yerevan State Medical University after M. Heratsi October 13-15.

The Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport said that three public hospitals of France have joined Armenian colleagues in helping the victims of the war.

The purpose of the conference is exchange of experience between Armenia and French doctors, as well as the prospect of lasting cooperation in healthcare between the two countries.

The event is organized by the Assistance publique - Hopitaux de Paris (AP -HP), Lyons University Hospitals and the Centre Hospitalier Le Vinatier of Lyon Hospital, with support of the Armenian Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport, under the high patronage of the Embassy of France in Armenia.

President Armen Sarkissian will attend the opening ceremony of the conference.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 12, ARMENPRESS. Speaker of Parliament of Armenia Alen Simonyan extended his condolences to Georgian Speaker of Parliament Kakha Kuchava over the collapse of a residential building in Batumi.

With a deep sorrow I learnt about the collapse of a residential building in Batumi which resulted in deaths and injuries.

I address my words of condolences and regret to you and the families of the victims.

I wish speedy recovery to the injured", reads the condolence letter.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 11, ARMENPRESS. President of the National Assembly of Armenia Alen Simonyan received the Head of the Delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Armenia Thierry Ribo on October 12, ARMENPESS was infomred from the press service of the National Assembly.

Alen Simonyan highlighted the humanitarian activity of the ICRC in Armenia and noted that he is ready to make every effort to contribute to the effective and rapid solution of a number of issues.

Thierry Ribo presented to the President of the National Assembly the main goals and directions of the activity of the International Committee of the Red Cross, detailed the mission of the structure headed by him in connection with the Artsakh conflict, especially during the last year.

The parties discussed issues related to the captives detained in Azerbaijan and missing persons. They also referred to the humanitarian situation in Artsakh following the 44-day war.

Thierry Ribo noted that the representatives of the organization regularly meet with the families of the victims, missing persons and prisoners, and through regular visits monitor the conditions of detention of our compatriots in Azerbaijan. One of the goals of this work is to prevent the vanishing of the captives and to help them stay in touch with their relatives.
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 12, ARMENPRESS. At the invitation of the Prosecutor General of Armenia Artur Davtyan, Prosecutor General of Iran Mohammad Jafar Montazeri has arrived in Armenia on a 3-day working visit. Deputy Prosecutor General of Armenia Gevorg Baghdasaryan met the Iranian Prosecutor General at Zvartnots airport.

The Iranian Prosecutor General last visited Armenia 8 years ago. The visit kicked off with expanded-format negotiations.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the Prosecutor Generals Office, welcoming the guest and his delegation, Artur Davtyan first thanked his counterpart for accepting the invitation and visiting Armenia despite the difficulties caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Iran is a reliable friend of Armenia, a good neighbor, our relations have a history of hundreds of years. Iran is also a very important trade partner of Armenia, we also have a very active Armenian community in Iran. Iran is home to a considerable Armenian cultural heritage, which enjoys the caring attitude of the Iranian authorities, which I was convinced of during my visit to Tehran in November, 2018.

The high level of relations between Armenia and Iran is evidenced by the numerous meetings of the leaders of our states and the multilayered nature of the issues discussed, while the cooperation between the General Prosecutor's Offices of our states is of continuous nature, the Prosecutor General of Armenia said.

Iran Mohammad Jafar Montazeri thanked for the warm reception and expressed confidence that mutual visits contribute to the further deepening of cooperation between the Prosecutors Offices and law enforcment agencies. He stressed the significant contribution of Iranian-Armenians in the social, political and cultural life of Iran, emphasizing that due to the existing mutual trust, no serious problems arise in bilateral relations.

During the meeting issues related to the cooepration between the Prosecutors Offices of the two countries were discussed.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wants to use an upcoming global summit to lobby U.S. President Joe Biden to allow Ankara to buy dozens of American warplanes, in a bid to overcome Washingtons resistance to major arms deals with his country following its purchase of Russian air defenses, Al Jazeera reports.

October 12, 2021, 14:07 Erdogan seeks Biden meeting to discuss US warplane request

STEPANAKERT, OCTOBER 12, ARTSAKHPRESS: Turkey sent a formal request to the U.S. on Sept. 30 to purchase 40 new F-16 Block 70 aircraft and nearly 80 kits from Lockheed Martin Corp. to modernize its existing F-16 fighters, two Turkish officials familiar with the matter said. The deal is potentially worth $6 billion, they said, but approval will be difficult to win, given Congresss opposition to the Russian S-400 missile purchase and Turkeys own uncompromising stance.

The Turkish officials said Erdogan expects to meet Biden during the Group of 20 nations summit in Rome at the end of this month, though no meeting has been announced and its unclear how willing Biden might be to entertain the weapons request. Turkeys aim is to secure jets compatible with NATO, they said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss strategic matters.

A State Department spokesperson, who asked not to be identified, said the department doesnt comment on proposed defense sales. The White House didnt immediately respond to a request for comment, and the National Security Council referred questions to the State Department.

The Turkish president so far hasnt signaled any progress toward resolving the clash with the U.S., which worries the S-400 could be used to collect intelligence on the stealth capabilities of the American F-35 fighter jet, which Turkish companies had helped to build and Ankara had planned to buy before the rift over the Russian missiles.

Washington has demanded that Ankara scrap the S-400 in return for the lifting of related U.S. sanctions, but Turkey has shown no inclination. The sanctions cut off Turkeys top defense procurement agency from U.S. financial institutions, military hardware and technology. New export licenses to transfer American goods or technology to the agency have been banned.
(Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

Liverpools Diogo Jota has been sent home from international duty early with an injury, making him a doubt for Saturdays match at Watford.

Jota did not feature in Portugals 3-0 friendly win over Qatar at the weekend, and was released from the national team camp on Tuesday hours before the World Cup qualifier against Luxembourg.

It is reported the forward has a muscle injury and he will be assessed on his return to Liverpool ahead of the Premier League resuming this weekend.

Jota has been in impressive form this season, combining well alongside Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane. The 24-year-old has started each of Liverpools past six games and scored three goals.

His injury adds to Liverpools concerns with goalkeeper Alisson and midfielder Fabinho unlikely to be back from Brazil duty until the early hours of Friday morning.

That could put their participation in the Watford game in doubt as manager Jurgen Klopp will have to decide if they are in shape for a match that kicks off at 12.30pm the following day.

The game at Vicarage Road will mark the return of Claudio Ranieri to the Premier League, with Watford appointing him their manager after sacking Xisco Munoz.

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Phuket, Thailand (Getty Images)

Fully vaccinated British holidaymakers will be able to pack out Thailands sandy beaches from November 1.

It comes as Thailand was among 47 countries removed from the red list in the UK in a bid to boost holidays.

Only seven countries remain on the UKs red list.

The UK was among 10 countries to be welcomed back to the sunny holiday destination.

China, Germany and the US were also named as low-risk nations who would be allowed to visit on holiday.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said the decision to reopen comes with some risk.

But he expressed his hopes of salvaging the tourism industry following reports of an estimated loss of around 37bn in tourism revenue last year, BBC reported.

Thailand will be reopened to more countries from December 1.

There have been 10,000 coronavirus positive infections daily recorded in the country since July.

In a TV appearance, Mr Chan-o-cha said: When they arrive, they should present a [negative] Covid test... and test once again upon arrival.

He issued a stark warning about acting quickly if there was a spike in coronavirus infections or a new Covid variant.

Double jabs have been rolled out to 33% of its almost 70 million people while just half of Thailands population has had one vaccine against coronavirus.

There were 40million visitors to Thailand in 2019 before the coronavirus virus swept the globe in a deadly pandemic.

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UK red list changes: Which countries are being opened up to travel?

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File: Former Australian prime minister Tony Abbott wears a mask with the Chinese character for Australia during a meeting with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen (AP)

China has lodged stern representations with Australia over inappropriate comments made by the countrys former prime minister Tony Abbott about Taiwan.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian on Monday said Mr Abbotts comments sent a seriously wrong signal and claimed the one-China principle was a well-recognised norm in the international community.

The relevant words and actions by the Australian politician go against the one-China principle and send a seriously wrong signal, Mr Zhao said. China is firmly opposed to this. We have made stern representations to Australia, he added.

Chinas embassy in Australia also denounced Mr Abotts statements in a statement on its website, terming them to be a despicable and insane performance in Taiwan.

Tony Abbott is a failed and pitiful politician. His recent despicable and insane performance in Taiwan fully exposed his hideous anti-China features, the embassy said.

Mr Abbott, during his visit to Taiwan in a personal capacity last week, met Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen and told a security forum that China may lash out because its economy was slowing and its finances creaking.

While delivering a keynote address to the Yushan Forum, he accused China of displaying growing belligerence to Taiwan amid recent incursions by military aircraft into Taiwans air defence zone.

While praising Taiwan, he described the region as a wonderful country before correcting himself to say wonderful place.

Beijing maintains that Taiwan is a part of its national territory, even though the island has been self ruled since its split from the mainland after a civil war in 1949.

The former prime minister later said he would return to Australia with a message for the government to support Taiwan in every reasonable way possible as it was under a challenge from its giant neighbour.

Meanwhile, Taiwan's president Tsai Ing-wen on Sunday vowed to defend the island from Beijing's aggression, amid heightened tensions with China.

Story continues

Speaking at Taiwan's National day celebrations, she said: We will do our utmost to prevent the status quo from being unilaterally altered.

Since last Friday, Beijing has sent a record number of military jets into Taiwans air defence zone.

Three Chinese planes, including two fighter jets, crossed into the zone on Sunday, Taiwans defence ministry said.

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Two men rescued off the coast of Papua New Guinea have shared their epic tale of survival after spending 29 days lost at sea in a small motorboat.

Experienced seamen Livae Nanjikana and Junior Qoloni from the Solomon Islands set sail from the countrys western province at the beginning of September with plans to travel 200 kilometres south to the town of Noro.

We have done the trip before and it should have been OK, Nanjikana told the Guardian newspaper.

But their routine trip took a frightening turn just a few hours into their journey.

Heavy rain and strong winds made it near impossible for the men to navigate the coastline they were supposed to be following and caused their GPS tracker to stop working.

When the bad weather came, it was bad, but it was worse and became scary when the GPS died, he said.

We couldnt see where we were going and so we just decided to stop the engine and wait, to save fuel.

Livae Nanjikana and Junior Qoloni spent 29 days lost at sea after their GPS tracker stopped working. Source: SIBC News/YTTF

Men survived on fruit and rain

They had no idea where they were or how long their ordeal would last.

For the next nine days, they ate only oranges which they had packed as snacks for the trip, according to the Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation.

A map showing their route during the 29 day ordeal. Source: SIBC News

Mr Nanjikana told SIBC News they survived on rainwater and coconuts and our faith when their fruit ran out.

They collected the coconuts from the ocean and trapped rainwater using a piece of canvas - all while floating around 400 kilometres north west.

Pair rescued by PNG fisherman

After 29 days lost at sea, they were extremely weak by the time they were spotted by a fisherman off the coast of Papua New Guinea.

We didnt know where we were but did not expect to be in another country, Mr Nanjikana told the Guardian.

They had to be carried off the boat when they arrived in the country's Pomio District on October 2.

Story continues

The men are awaiting possible repatriation home to the Solomon Islands. Source: Getty Images

The pair are now in Port Moresby awaiting possible repatriation home to the Solomon Islands.

Reflecting on their month-long mishap, they told the Guardian it was a nice break away from the chaos of a global pandemic.

I had no idea what was going on while I was out there. I didnt hear about Covid or anything else, Mr Nanjikana said.

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com

You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play.
City

 Ronald A. Agee Jr., 46, 16 Fox Lane, Union Springs, was charged Oct. 8 with criminal mischief.

 Tramel L. Cathcart, 23, 255 Grant Ave., Apt. 19, Auburn, was picked up on a bench warrant Oct. 8.

 Cole J. Chapman, 24, 4 Seminary St., Auburn, was charged Oct. 9 with petit trespass.

 Antwan L. Edwards, 42, 7321 Owasco Road, Owasco, was charged Oct. 10 with resisting arrest and second-degree harassment.

 Chad M. Flynn, 29, 85 Owasco St., Auburn, was charged Oct. 11 with third-degree assault and endangering the welfare of a child.

 Neil A. Harold, 31, 907 Willis Ave., Syracuse, was picked up on a bench warrant Oct. 8.

 Heather A. Harris, 34, 45 Johnson Drive, Aurelius, was picked up on a bench warrant Oct. 11.

 Sheena M. Houston, 32, 16 Easterly Ave., Auburn, was picked up on a bench warrant Oct. 8.

 Justin M. McDeid, 31, 193 North St., Apt. 6, Auburn, was charged Oct. 12 with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

 Kendra M. Monroe, 31, transient, Auburn, was picked up on a bench warrant Oct. 12.

 Kira L. Ogonowski, 36, 3 Mundt Ave., Auburn, was charged Oct. 11 with resisting arrest, two counts of second-degree harassment and two counts of disorderly conduct.

County

 Damon J. Coker, 28, transient, was charged Oct. 12 with third-degree criminal mischief and first-degree criminal contempt.

State

 Tyler K. Condes, 33, Aurelius, was charged Oct. 9 with third-degree criminal mischief.

 Samantha L. Neil, 37, Auburn, was charged Oct. 10 with operating a motor vehicle with a blood-alcohol content level of at least .08 of 1% and first-degree driving while intoxicated.

 Karson T. Ecker, 25, Spirngport, was charged Oct. 11 with second-degree assault.

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New York state officials are warning the public about a new wave of scam text messages designed to deceive consumers.

The state Division of Consumer Protection and the state Department of Health on Tuesday said that a text message phishing scheme is targeting those attempting to validate vaccine status to try to steal personal information. Phishing texts are fraudulent messages to trick the recipient into installing malicious software onto a computer or mobile device or designed to obtain data or sensitive personal information to commit identity theft.

With the state and many private employers now requiring certain employees to be fully vaccinated, scammers are exploiting that trend to try to steal peoples personal and private information. The illegitimate texts attempt to impersonate the state Department of Health and tell the recipient they are required to enter their information to validate their vaccination status. Anyone who receives such a text message should delete it right away.

"Scammers use email or text messages to trick you into giving them your personal information," officials said in a news release. "They may try to steal your passwords, account numbers, or Social Security numbers. If they get that information, they could gain access to your email, bank, or other accounts. Scammers launch thousands of phishing attacks like these every day. Entering any information could put anyone at risk of identity theft."

The state Office of Information Technology Services and the Division of Consumer Protection recommend the following precautions:

 Exercise caution with all communications you receive, including those that appear to be from a trusted entity.

 Keep an eye out for telltale signs of phishing  poor spelling or grammar, the use of threats, the URL does not match that of the legitimate site.

 Don't click on links embedded in an unsolicited message from an unverified source.

 Don't send your personal information via text. Legitimate businesses will not ask users to send sensitive personal information through text message.

 Don't post sensitive information online. The less information you post, the less data you make available to a cybercriminal for use in developing a potential attack or scams.

For more information on phishing scams, visit the state Office of Information Technology Services Phishing Awareness resources page or the Division of Consumer Protection Phishing Scam Prevention Tips page.

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Ford Motor Company has recalled 126,000 Explorer models in the US as these vehicles face risk of rear suspension failure. These vehicles have suspension components that could break. The recalled models include 2011-2013 model year Explorers that have been previously recalled in July of 2019 for the same issue, CarScoops reported.

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The previously affected vehicles may have been serviced in Ford dealerships with a rear knuckle containing a toe link cross-axis ball joint attachment produced by ZF that can seize, leading to a fracture of the outboard section of the rear suspension toe link.

(Also read | Fords loss is Toyotas gain? Fortuner leads large SUV race as Endeavour exits)

If the rear toe link breaks, it can lead to diminishing of steering control, thus increasing the risk of a crash. As per field data collected by Ford, the rear toe link is particularly vulnerable in areas with high corrosion vulnerability where road salt is used in winter.

The recall by Ford involves 39,747 Explorer models from the 2011 model year, 41,572 from the 2012 model year, and 44,714 sold for the 2013 model year. The affected vehicles were built between May 17, 2010 and September 3, 2012. Notably, the recall affects those Explorer models that have been registered or were sold new in some regions of the US such as Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, among others.

(Also read | 2022 Ford Mustang introduced in blacked-out, sinister-looking Stealth Edition)

Ford has informed that the owners of the affected vehicles will be notified by mail starting November 1 this year and will be advised to take their vehicle to a nearby local Ford or Lincoln dealership. Engineers at the dealerships will inspect the suspension of the affected vehicle and if they find the replacement component from the previous recall is present, they will replace it and other components as required. Ford dealership will carry out the inspection and the changes free of cost. The automaker also hasn't informed of any accident or crash that has happened due to the suspension failure risk.
Mumbai has added another 60 electric buses to the BEST fleet this week. Maharashtra environment minister Aaditya Thackeray, along with the city's Mayor Kishori Pednekar, launched the electric buses procured from Tata Motors.

This completes our phase 1 of 386 electric buses and now we move towards phase 2 of 1900 electric buses for Mumbai." Wrote Aditya Thackeray on Twitter while announcing the launch.

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He also said, All of Mumbais current fleet of 386 buses will be powered by renewable energy. All new buses will be only electric, 1900 buses purchase tender launched and 200 electric double decker buses soon. By 2023, 50% and, by 2027 we aim to have 100% electric bus fleet for Mumbai."

Thackeray also said that his ministry is actively assisting other cities in Maharashtra like Thane, Navi Mumbai, Pune, Sambhajinagar, Nagpur to have electric bus fleets from now on.

BEST has also launched Airport Electric Bus Service which kicked off today. Passengers to and from the Chhatrapati Shivaji Mumbai International Airport T2) can use these electric buses to travel to South Mumbai and BKC for now, while other locations in the city are expected to be added soon.

The minister also participated in the inauguration of a new EV charging station located at the BEST depot in Worli, which was launched by Norways Consul General Arne Jan Flolo. Thackeray said, Norway is leading in EV sector and we intend to join the clean race for a better future for our planet."

Rohit Srivastava, Vice President, Product Line  Buses, Tata Motors said, "We are happy to announce the completion of the installation of the complete vehicle charging infrastructure at the Worli BEST depot in association with Tata Power under the unique One Tata initiative. Tata Motors has been at the forefront of offering the best technology for alternate fuel and been the leading manufacturer of electric buses in India. We are proud to be associated with BEST for the deployment, maintenance and operations of the complete charging infrastructure along with the supply of the electric buses."

The EV charging facility at the Worli depot is the fourth such station for BEST electric bus fleet in Mumbai after the Backbay, Malvani and Shivaji Nagar depots. The EV charging station has been set up jointly by Tata Motors and Tata Power. Lokesh Chandra, general manager of BEST, said about 55 places have been selected in the metropolis to charge electric vehicles.
Beijing (Gasgoo)- Xiaomis auto business will be headquartered in Beijing where it will set up its first factory, according to local media outlet Auto Business Review.

Photo credit: Xiaomi

At the end of March this year, the smart phone maker announced it will set up a subsidiary for smart electric vehicle business. The initial investment of the new company will be RMB10 billion while the total investment in the next 10 years will be around $10 billion. Lei Jun, CEO of the group, will serve as the CEO of the electric vehicle business.

Since the announcement of its foray into the electric vehicle industry, Xiaomis headquarters and factory location have attracted much attention. It is said that Beijing, Shanghai, Wuhan, Hefei and Xian all are wooing Xiaos auto business. And in the past four months, Lei Jun also visited numerous automakers and suppliers, such as Changan, GAC Group, SAIC GM Wuling, Great Wall Motor, CATL and Bosch.

Xiaomis headquarters are located in Beijing. The Xiaomi Technology Campus, in Haidian District of Beijing, covers an area of 220,000 square meters with an investment of about RMB2 billion. In addition, Xiaomi also has a smart factory in Yizhuang of Beijing. In June and July, Xiaomi posted more than 20 new positions which are related to autonomous driving, and all the staff for the above positions are expected to work in Haidian District.
Beijing (Gasgoo)- As Great Wall Motor is accelerating its global business layout, it is possible for the automaker to acquire a manufacturing plant in Western Europe, sources inside the company told a local media outlet.

The ORA Cat; photo credit: Great Wall Motor



Early on, foreign media reported that Great Wall Motor was actively negotiating with Spanish authorities and Nissan Motor over a possible takeover of the latters Barcelona plant, which was scheduled to be shut down by the end of the year.

Last year, Nissan announced it would close down its three Barcelona factories as a means to strive under the blow to the European auto market. The rumored plant of interest to Great Wall Motor was the largest among all three, while the other two smaller plants were said to be under consideration based on their usefulness to the company. The Chinese automaker gave out a no comment on the matter.

In addition, Great Wall Motor has successively acquired three international factories, two GM factories in India and Thailand in 2020, and a Daimler factory in Brazil this August. In 2019, the automaker invested RMB500 million ($77.51 million) to build the first Chinese auto brands overseas comprehensive manufacturing plant in Russia. Currently, the said Russian and Thailand factories are already in production and profiting.
With Gasgoo Daily, we will offer important automotive news in China. For those we have reported, the title of the piece will include a hyperlink, which will provide detailed information.

Sales of Wuling brands SUV exceed 10,000 within 26 days

Sales of the Wuling Asta, the first strategic SUV model bearing Wuling brand's global silver badge, surpassed 10,000 vehicles after the sales started 26 days ago while its orders have exceeded 18,000 vehicles.

Automakers advised to have strategic layout in supply chain

The China Passenger Car Association said that major Chinese automakers should have a strategic layout and synergetic reserves for industry supply chain, including resources of lithium, cobalt and nickel.

Great Wall Motor overseas vehicle sales jump 47% YoY

Last month, GWM sold 100,022 vehicles, down by 15.1% from a year ago. Its monthly production volume had a slightly larger decline, down by 16.18% year on year to 99,730 vehicles. In terms of the year-to-date volume, sales and outputs of GWM both had nearly 30% growth.



Evergrande Autos first mass-produced model to roll off assembly line in early 2022

Evergrande Auto, the new energy vehicle (NEV) firm of Chinese property giant China Evergrande Group, will put forth its utmost efforts to make sure the first production model rolls off the assembly line at the Tianjin factory in early 2022, Liu Yongzhuo, President of Evergrande Auto, said on Monday at the company's strategy partners conference.



NavInfo to make a turnaround in Q3 results

Chinas smart mobility solution provider NavInfo is projected to grasp an increase in revenue of the first three quarters this year, with the third quarters performance being extra prominent, the company forecasted.



China's homegrown PV deliveries in Sept. drop 17.3% year on year

In September 2021, around 1.606 million locally-produced PVs (referring to cars, MPVs, SUVs and minibuses) were handed over to consumers in China, representing a year-on-year drop of 17.3%, while climbing 8.9% month on month, according to the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA).



Tesla sells 56,006 China-made vehicles in September

Tesla sold 56,006 China-made vehicles in September, jumping 26.5% month on month, according to the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA).



China vehicle sales down by 19.6% YoY in September

Data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) showed that the biggest auto market sold 2.067 million vehicles last month, down by 19.6% from a year ago and marking a fifth consecutive decrease in monthly sales. Compared with September 2019, September sales this year were down 9.1%.



SAIC Motor becomes direct shareholder of Iveco's joint venture in China

Nanjing Iveco Automobile Co.,Ltd. (Naveco), a Nanjing-based company principally engaging in manufacturing light-duty commercial vehicles, recently introduced SAIC Motor as a director investor, according to the company information inquiry platform Tianyancha.



Chinas car parc amounts to 297 million units by end of Sept. 2021



China's motor vehicle parc amounted to roughly 390 million units by the end of September 2021, of which 297 million units were automobiles, according to China's Ministry of Public Security (MPS).

HOZON Auto partners with Chinas AI company SenseTime

HOZON Auto, the Chinese auto startup owning the NEV brand NETA, announced a strategic partnership with SenseTime, China's leading artificial intelligence technology developer for intelligent driving and smart cockpit.



Neusoft Reach banks RMB650 million

Chinas software giant, Neusoft, announced an RMB650 million ($101 million) worth of investment received by its subsidiary, Neusoft Reach Automotive Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. (Neusoft Reach), completing the branchs first time of financing for business expansion.

Great Wall Motor not rule out buying plant in Western Europe

As Great Wall Motor is accelerating its global business layout, it is possible for the automaker to acquire a manufacturing plant in Western Europe, sources inside the company told a local media outlet.




Beijing (Gasgoo)- Chinas intelligent driving MEMS solution provider, Guangzhou Asensing Technology Co., Ltd. (Asensing), announced the completion of its C-round of financing led by Sequoia Capital China.

The INS570D system; photo credit: Asensing

The company received hundreds of millions of RMB from Sequoia Capital China, Matrix Partners, GLVentures, and existing shareholders, including SDIC Fund, Yuexiu Industrial Fund, and Vinno Capital.

According to the company, the funds will be put to develop next-generation functional and safe, high-precision positioning technology, improving product design ability, and expanding production. After this round of investment, the annual delivery capability of Asensing will be elevated to millions of units. In the meantime, the company intends to continue improving its client services.

High-precision positioning technology is a crucial component of a safe, intelligent driving experience, providing accurate PNT (positioning, navigation, and timing) under all ODD circumstances. Through innovative deep research and development, Asensing is pushing forward the new standard of advanced assistant driving positioning safety definition within the industry.

As of now, Asensings high-precision integrated positioning system has passed the ISO 26262 ASIL-D safety standard. Clients to the company include several major auto manufacturers in China, serving over 30 intelligent vehicle models.

Asensing has been providing high-performance, quality-made high-precision integrated positioning products for passenger vehicles since 2018. By the end of August 2021, the company has delivered 100,000 units of the said product, realizing over tens of millions of kilometers of on-road mileage through its clients.
Beijing (Gasgoo)- HOZON Auto, the Chinese auto startup owning the NEV brand NETA, announced a strategic partnership with SenseTime, China's leading artificial intelligence technology developer for intelligent driving and smart cockpit.

The NETA U Pro; photo credit: HOZON Auto



Building on HOZON Auto's intelligent ecosystem business layout, the companies will work together in in-vehicle visual perception technologies, intelligent driving data and platform construction, and more. Meanwhile, the companies will also cooperate in the AI field based on the automaker's self-developed vision algorithms.

The partners intend to build a long-term relationship to construct a new "intelligent vehicles within reach" ecosystem under their helpful resources within the industry and R&D capabilities.

Currently, HOZON Auto's NETA brand has three models on the market, the NETA V, the NETA U Pro, and the recently introduced NETA S. In order to provide users with a more convenient EV mobility experience, the automaker has already implemented its charging station layout in 100 cities domestically and is still growing.

Additionally, in September, the automaker joined hands with Horizon Robotics to produce intelligent vehicles with global competitiveness by adopting the latter's featured high-performance auto-grade Journey chips.

Earlier in August, HOZON Auto also partnered with HUAWEI to carry out all-round cooperation on smart connectivity, in-car computing, intelligent driving, digital energy, and cloud-based service areas.
The City of Flagstaff is concluding the design phase for the $7.4 million Beulah/University roadway project -- putting the project on track to begin construction in spring.

During last Tuesday's meeting, the Flagstaff City Council was shown the latest design. Since the council last discussed the project, new safety features for bicycle and pedestrian commuters have been added.

The project will bring a quarter mile of new road, a roundabout connecting Beulah Avenue and University Drive, and a pedestrian undercrossing beneath Milton Road.

The new roadways also serve to remedy the current disconnect on either side of Milton Road -- an improvement city officials say is not only vital to reducing congestion, but also making the streets safer.

That intersection is one of the more accident-prone places in the city, and we have known this for more than 20 years, City Engineer Rick Barrett said.

Once the final touches are added to the roadway designs, Council will revisit the matter in early spring to award a construction contract. Crews could break ground on the project as soon as May, Barrett said.

The news comes after the council requested in June that better safety features be included for bicycle and pedestrian commuters, such as removing the on-street bikeways in favor of separated bike lanes.

Updated plans presented to the council included 6-foot sidewalks, 3.5- to 5-foot parkways, signalized crosswalks and separated bike lanes. The new stretch of Beulah leading into the roundabout also features a 15-foot landscaped median.

The roundabout has perhaps seen the most changes since the last council discussion in June, while retaining previous features such as dedicated bus lanes. It now adds shared-use paths for bike and pedestrians with a raised crosswalk, which officials say will have a calming effect on traffic.

I would like to thank you for putting safety at the forefront of this, and what an amazing project for our community, Councilmember Miranda Sweet said.

Another roundabout was considered at the Milton and University intersection per the council's request, but after conducting a traffic study, it was left out of the projects final plans due a significant impact on the current design.

As Barrett mentioned, the roadway project itself dates back more than 20 years, when in 2000 the city passed a transportation tax to extend Beulah Boulevard and realign University Avenue.

The city eventually collected $7.375 million from the tax to pay for the road realignment and the new connection.

But in order to realign University Avenue, the former Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) campus to the east of the Milton intersection needed to be demolished and relocated.

In 2014, the City of Flagstaff formally entered a three-way public-private partnership with developer Vintage Partners and ADOT to relocate the motor vehicle campus to the former Harkins building.

That first phase of the agreement has since been completed, creating space for the University realignment and the construction of the roadway project to begin.

As per the agreement, Vintage Partners now owns the land from the former ADOT building as well as an adjacent parcel and will collaborate with the city to complete the roadway project.

Vintage Partners is responsible for seeing that the pedestrian undercrossing is completed simultaneous to the roadway improvements. The undercrossing is a stipulation in the agreement that allows for a future housing development planned by the developer.

That development has been known as Mill Town throughout the project, a planned 1,200-bed student housing complex on the land to the northwest of the Milton and University intersection.

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A wet market in Shanghai is co-opted to help a luxury brand sell clothes. Has internet celebrity culture  Chinas cebrity or Wanghong economy  gone too far?

When youve lived in Shanghai for a while, you learn to keep away from the hotspots, what Chinese call wanghong dian  (internet celebrity stores, i.e., establishments made popular by key opinion leaders [KOLs]). On the inevitable occasion you encounter one, it feels like entering a photoshoot in a Black Mirror episode: surrounded by photographers, only the cameras are all pointed at themselves.

Last Friday, I got a glimpse of dystopia just a block from my home. The local wet market near my apartment was the site of a new campaign hosted by the iconic Italian fashion house Prada. I noticed the change a week earlier when the unassuming dark green storefront of the market was replaced with pink plaster and a humongous Prada logo. The lurid colors were a stark contrast from the surrounding scene, the ordinary tints and scents of steamed buns, soybean milk, and fried dough sticks. As expected, a cavalcade of established and aspiring influencers  the engines of the wanghong economy  flocked to the scene, turning my routine grocery run into a protracted obstacle relay.

The two-week ordeal is part of Feels Like Prada, a publicity campaign for the brands new fall/winter clothing line. The grocery store heist is, reportedly, part of the fashion houses desire to partner with local retailers for a more authentic experience. Though this particular Shanghai wet market setup is temporary, the Italian brand is known for its ventures into food. In 2015, it bought a pastry shop in its home city of Milan, and it has since expanded into bakeries and coffee. If all goes to plan, big cities like Tokyo, London, Rome, and Paris will soon have Prada-branded pastries, coffee, and maybe even vegetables.

We didnt have a choice  it was managements decision, my regular grocer, in his late-30s, shouted at me as I made my way into the crowded market. He seemed relieved to see a familiar face. A sea of slender young women posing next to ripe tomatoes and eggplants stood, like a row of mannequins, between us. As I was checking out, l noticed that all my groceries now came with a gaudy black-and-pink wrap. Prices (luckily) hadnt changed. Itll be over on the 10th, he assured me, and good riddance cause none of these people actually cook.



A tomato container with the Prada logo

Even in Shanghai, where residents have grown accustomed to the power of developers, big-budget marketers, and their seemingly unlimited license to rearrange urban spaces, Pradas stunt drew both shock and intrigue. Shit, even grocery stores can be wanghong spots now? said an incredulous onlooker. This is the closest Ive ever gotten to being able to afford luxury goods, wrote a cheeky blogger. For Prada, that was exactly the point. In 2015, when asked about Pradas new foray into food, head designer Miuccia Prada told the Guardian, I wanted to make culture attractive to the young [so that they would see] that it is necessary to your lifeArt is for everybody and not a matter of private ownership.

The Shanghai market co-optation, in Pradas view, is part of a mission to democratize culture. At no point did Pradas team consider whether the market, a 35-year-old gem in the French Concession, truly needed a face-lift in culture. Prada touted the event as an unprecedented invitation to experience the emotional scope of the brand. But tagging groceries with the brand of a multinational conglomerate is not likely to cleanse Ms. Prada of her association with private ownership.

The storefront of Wuzhong Market

The great Czech dissident Vaclav Havel, in 1982, asked his readers to consider why a greengrocer, in Communist Czechoslovakia, would put up a socialist slogan (Workers of the World Unite!) on his windowsill. China has had no shortage of similar slogans during this years National Day holiday week, but what of the greengrocer who asks if you want your Prada bag in paper or plastic? The answer seems simple enough: the grocers manager, in raising the profile of the store, was hoping to make a profit. China is a country of extremes, and it is no longer a novelty  to say nothing of a contradiction  to see a store owner hanging a Communist flag next to a Prada banner on a shopfront.

To understand why the Czech grocer decided, out of survivalist instinct, to display the socialist slogan, Havel looked to the underlying structure of power. Similarly, then, the Shanghai greengrocers willingness to give Prada the keys to his modest shop, out of a sort of commercial instinct, cant be separated from the new structure that is Chinas wanghong economy. In the past few years, all of Chinas most successful consumer brands  such as HEYTEA, Genki Forest, Perfect Diary, and Chicecream  rose to fame in the wanghong system and its smorgasbord of livestreamers, KOLs, and social media. Millennial and GenZ Chinese, its primary movers and shakers, are a rising consumer segment of over 530 million people. They may not yet be able to afford Prada handbags, but they can certainly afford Prada groceries and pastries. It makes sense, then, for global brands to follow Pradas lead.

In the U.S., the army of influencers on YouTube and TikTok still seem largely divorced from the mainstream, offline economy. By contrast, Chinas wanghong  on platforms like Douyin (which spawned TikTok), Little Red Book, and WeChat  are so intertwined with the physical marketplace that its hard to tell where one begins and the other ends.

New businesses now rely on influencers to drive traffic to their stores; other influencers rely on those same stores to drive traffic to their accounts; influencers who have amassed enough followers then get tapped by new businesses  and the cycle repeats. This endless feedback loop between the physical and digital worlds constitutes the nuts and bolts of the wanghong economy. Its operating force, what propels it into motion, is that same quirk of psychology responsible for speculative bubbles, what the 19th-century historian of finance Charles MacKay called the madness of crowds. Its hard to overstate the power behind this mechanism: If Chinas internet, with respect to politics, evolved to manage the flow of ideas, its consumer internet has evolved to direct the flow of bodies.

Perhaps someday Ill look back at that time Prada descended upon my local market as signifying a tipping point, when the digital world of rankings, followers, likes, and algorithms gained the upper edge over the physical world of grocery stores, cafes, and bakeries. At that moment, events in real life began to presuppose events in virtual life; the principal reason to inhabit a space was no longer to do something, but to get noticed doing it; arrangements in the physical world began to depend on the exigencies of vanity rather than functionality. At that moment, peoples relationship with their surroundings changed irrevocably.

But not today. Today, Ill be staying home, and far away from social media.
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Blue said little more about Petitos physical condition  including whether she may have been strangled directly by somebodys hands, a rope or some other item  but noted when asked that she wasnt pregnant.

The three to four weeks her body was believed to be in the wilderness, however, put her death around the Aug. 27-30 period investigators believe Petito and Laundrie had traveled to the area.

Petitos case has led to renewed calls for people to pay greater attention to cases involving missing Indigenous women and other people of color, with some commentators describing the intense coverage of her disappearance as missing white woman syndrome.

The search for Laundrie has generated a frenzy, with TV personalities like Duane Chapman  known as Dog the Bounty Hunter  and longtime Americas Most Wanted host John Walsh working to track him down.

Petito and Laundrie posted online about their trip in a white Ford Transit van converted into a camper. They got into a physical altercation Aug. 12 in Moab, Utah, that led to a police stop, which ended with police deciding to separate the quarreling couple for the night. No charges were filed, and no serious injuries were reported.
In the Lakota culture, theres a belief that when a child is born, they come down from the stars, so this is a way to send those spirits back, he said.

Catches said she went to a mission school in Chamberlain and had her mouth washed out with soap three to four times a day to make her forget how to speak Lakota. She said she was called a dirty Indian and a heathen.

Chief Black Spotted Horse, 73, of Rapid City, said he grew up in a boarding school. He said it wasnt the one in Rapid City, but that theyre all the same. They went through a lot of rough stuff.

The things we went through at the boarding school, I hope nobody has to go through that, he said. A child or today a man or a woman can never forget being beaten, even being raped, molested. All those things, you dont forget them.

Black Spotted Horse said as long as they continue to do the walk and remember the children, his people will never forget.

Where they were, where they are and where theyre going, and mostly dont forget themselves, who they are, he said.
Lyon Delsordo has not had Smith as a professor or advisor for an internship because she deliberately structured her class schedule to avoid him after her sister told her about her own negative experiences with him, she said.

Knowing that this kind of person is in my department and is someone whos supposed to be a role model and inspiring people to be the best that they can be in this field is really disheartening, Lyon Delsordo said.

Computer science is a largely male-dominated profession. Lyon Delsordo has been passionate about engaging young girls with computer science for the past six years and tells them that technology has the power to change the world and that women need to be a part of that change.

The things that technology can do are very scary, but they can also be very powerful and thats why we need to have more women in the field, Lyon Delsordo said. When we just leave that power to guys like Rob, then the things that theyre going to do with technology can be very scary.

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Montana-Dakota Utilities customers who use natural gas to heat their homes could end up paying on average $170 more than usual this winter due to rising natural gas prices, according to a projection from the company.

Gas prices have increased globally in recent months, and the three members of the North Dakota Public Service Commission expect the trend will have a noticeable impact in the coming months on the heating bills of North Dakotans with gas furnaces.

"Consumers need to prepare," Commissioner Brian Kroshus said. "It's going to potentially be a tough heating season."

The U.S. Census Bureau estimates 40% of North Dakota homes have gas heat. MDU provides natural gas to about 115,000 customers in the state, including to homes in Bismarck and Mandan.

North Dakota utilities such as MDU cannot profit on the cost of gas itself. They pass the price they pay for gas through to customers, and that cost is reflected on households' monthly statements in addition to a service charge and the volume of gas used.

MDU says the gas supply has grown since 2020 but it has not met the demand, particularly from other countries seeking exports of liquefied natural gas from the United States. Drilling to bolster gas production has not kept pace with increased prices.

That's playing out in natural gas-rich states such as Pennsylvania and Texas, and also in western North Dakota where gas is produced alongside oil in the Bakken. Oil prices are at a seven-year high, yet drilling is lagging for a number of reasons, including a shortage of frack crews, maintenance-related outages at processing plants and a focus by major producers on developing the Permian Basin of Texas and New Mexico.

MDU draws a significant amount of gas from an underground storage field in Baker, Montana, and from another site straddling the Montana-Wyoming border. Those sources account for about half the utility's gas needs in winter, MDU representatives told the PSC earlier this year.

Such a setup helps the utility mitigate higher prices, MDU spokesman Mark Hanson said. Much of MDU's gas supply is locked in at certain prices through contracts, but sometimes the company has to purchase gas on the daily market when demand soars.

The utility's projection that the typical customer will pay $170 more over the five-month heating season due to higher gas prices assumes that it will be an average winter.

"Stretches of colder than normal weather would drive up customer bills," Hanson said.

The National Weather Service's long-term forecast shows an equal chance of above-average and below-average temperatures over the next three months in North Dakota.

Meteorologists are keeping tabs on a La Nina watch issued by the weather service. If the climate pattern emerges this year, it could mean colder than normal temperatures for North Dakota, said Meteorologist James Telken with the weather service's Bismarck office.

Gas bills tend to increase significantly in winter as North Dakotans crank up their thermostats when temperatures plunge. High gas prices come on the heels of two other factors that could also drive up bills for MDU customers relative to last winter.

The PSC authorized an MDU gas rate increase in May to pay for replacing aging pipelines. The average MDU residential customer was expected to see a $4.21 per month bill increase as a result.

The utility also incurred a huge cost obtaining enough gas to meet demand when prices spiked during this past February's cold snap that plagued the central United States. It's spreading out that cost on customers' bills over the course of 16 months, with the typical household expected to pay another $4 to $5 per month during the period.

Others on the PSC also expressed concerns about the gas situation at a meeting last week.

Commissioner Randy Christmann said a rise in gas-fired power plants is competing with home heating needs. More gas-fired power is accompanying the shift toward wind and solar, as it can act as a backup to renewable sources when they are not producing electricity, he said.

"The prices are going to go up as we continue to shift toward these ... sources until we have good battery storage," he said.

Assistance available

North Dakotans seeking financial assistance with heating this winter have several options.

The state Department of Commerce has received more than $7.5 million in federal funding for weatherization and furnace and cooling repair programs. That's a 32% increase in funding from last year. The program contributed funding to more than 2,000 weatherization, heating and cooling jobs over the past year.

"Low-income homes spend a much higher percentage of their income on energy," Commerce Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Commissioner Shawn Kessel said in a statement. "Weatherizing and repairs to heating and cooling systems will allow saved dollars to be used for other necessities."

The program is available to homeowners and renters, including people who live in apartments. People must meet income-related criteria to qualify. Applications are available at www.ndwap.com.

North Dakotans who need help paying their winter heating bills can apply for assistance through the federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program through May 31, 2022. The program is available for homeowners and renters, though people living in subsidized housing with heat included in their rent are ineligible.

The program provided about 12,800 North Dakota households over the past year with an average of $890.

Applications can be made online at www.applyforhelp.nd.gov or in person at a human service zone office or by mail.

Reach Amy R. Sisk at 701-250-8252 or amy.sisk@bismarcktribune.com.

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COVID-19 hospitalizations dropped significantly in North Dakota on Tuesday, but state health officials also reported 10 new virus-related deaths.

That brought the state's pandemic death toll to 1,652, with 41 deaths reported just since the start of October. Death certificate filings can take up to 10 days under state law, meaning some of those deaths occurred in September. The typical lag in the reporting of COVID-19 deaths to the state Health Department is one to three days.

Deaths have increased the past couple of months amid the spread of the highly contagious delta variant of the coronavirus. There were 59 confirmed virus-related deaths in North Dakota in September -- 13 more than in the previous three months combined, according to the department's coronavirus dashboard.

Not all of the COVID-19 deaths reported by the state are due directly to the disease. The breakdown is about 83% of deaths being due to COVID-19, and 17% in which the disease was present but not the primary cause of death.

The Health Department no longer publicly reports the county, sex and age range of newly confirmed deaths, but the total for Burleigh County on the department's virus dashboard increased by one, to 222. Morton County's total remained unchanged, at 105.

COVID-19 hospitalizations also have increased the past couple of months, hitting a high for this year of 211 on Monday. The total dropped by 30 on Tuesday, to 181 -- the largest one-day decline reported so far this year. Health Department spokesman Paul Teeple attributed the sharp decrease to "deaths and discharges."

Tuesday's total is still relatively high. As a comparison, at the start of August the reported number was 12.

Hospitalizations typically lag a week or two behind community spread. Dr. Avish Nagpal, an infectious disease physician at Sanford Health in Fargo, told Prairie Public that it could be weeks or even months before the surge in hospitalizations improves. He said medical staff is exhausted, and burnout is a significant concern.

"What typically happens with any kind of surge, you have to delay a number of clinic visits and surgeries just to get more staff into the hospital to take care of patients," he said. "By the time you get caught up with the backlog of care, you get another surge. Even though the rest of the world has returned to normal, or kind of normal, health care workers continue to deal with COVID on a daily basis."

The most recent state data showed 200 available staffed inpatient beds and 13 available intensive care unit beds statewide. In Bismarck, neither Sanford Health nor CHI St. Alexius Health had any beds listed in either category for a second straight day.

Fewer than 10% of staffed inpatient beds statewide were available Tuesday. The Health Department no longer includes the percentage on its daily dashboard, instead posting a link to the state bed data, which shows individual totals for medical facilities across the state.

"The available beds was updated to provide citizens with access to information about hospital capacity in their area, and also to illustrate the level of care available at each facility," Teeple said. "This format allows citizens to make informed decisions about what hospital capacity means for them and provides context that was missing from providing only numerical data."

Since the onset of the pandemic in March 2020, there have been 5,540 COVID-19 hospitalizations in the state, from 138,902 confirmed cases; 133,386 people are deemed by the state to have recovered from the illness.

There were 725 new cases confirmed from 8,720 tests completed Monday, for a positivity rate of 9.04%. The state's 14-day rolling average test positivity rate dropped just under 8% but remained well above the state target of less than 5%.

Active virus cases rose Tuesday by 128, to 3,864 statewide, with 890 in Burleigh-Morton counties.

More information

The state's vaccine dashboard shows 54.1% of eligible North Dakota adults and 31.9% of adolescents in the 12-18 age group are considered fully vaccinated. North Dakota has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the U.S., according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. People can go to https://www.ndvax.org or call 866-207-2880 to see where COVID-19 vaccine is available near them.

The coronavirus transmission risk is considered substantial or high in all 53 North Dakota counties, according to the CDC's COVID-19 data tracker website. The CDC recommends people in those risk categories wear masks in public indoor settings.

A list of free COVID-19 testing offered by local public health units is at health.nd.gov/covidtesting. For more detailed information on coronavirus in North Dakota, go to www.health.nd.gov/coronavirus. For more information on coronavirus variants, go to https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/transmission/variant.html.

Reach Blake Nicholson at 701-250-8266 or blake.nicholson@bismarcktribune.com.

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North Dakota legislative budget writers on Tuesday kicked off a series of six meetings over the next three weeks on how to spend $1 billion of federal American Rescue Plan Act coronavirus aid.

The House and Senate appropriations committees began reviewing about 200 proposals from state lawmakers and Gov. Doug Burgum, totaling more than $9 billion of requests.

Top lawmakers have emphasized the money should be used for one-time projects, such as infrastructure, to shield state taxpayers from future funding requirements. The proposals have been categorized and split between the two budget panels for hearings, with most presenters limited to just a few minutes.

The House panel began with infrastructure projects and aid to cities, counties and other local governments.

The Senate panel took up information technology projects and various other proposals.

Budget writers also reviewed an early bill draft to adjust the funding source of a bevy of previously approved projects found to be ineligible for other federal coronavirus aid. The bill draft shifts the funding to the Rescue Plan money, which would leave more than $600 million of it for the new proposals. The governor proposed a similar move.

Next week, the two panels will swap topics, and the week after they'll winnow the projects to what can advance in a draft omnibus bill. Omitted proposals will wait until the 2023 Legislature.

The committees will advance proposals to the Legislative Management panel, which on Nov. 1 will put forth bill drafts for the full Legislature to consider in a reconvened session beginning Nov. 8.

Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Ray Holmberg, R-Grand Forks, on Tuesday outlined the process to fellow budget writers, and emphasized the uniqueness of the heavy workload that awaits them in such a short time frame.

"We haven't done it before. It's really the building of the airplane and flying it at the same time," Holmberg said. "But as Captain Smith of the Titanic said when told about icebergs ahead, he said, 'Full speed ahead.'"

House Appropriations Committee Chairman Jeff Delzer, R-Underwood, said infrastructure is a priority because it fits key criteria for spending the money: "It has to be one-time funding. It needs to be something that can be spent and needs to be done before the '23 session. It needs to be shovel-ready ... and something that doesn't cost us in the future."

"We're just barely starting to scratch the surface on this," Delzer said of the panels' work so far.

Burgum's Cabinet leaders are testifying on proposals related to their agencies, governor's spokesman Mike Nowatzki said. Burgum's Accelerate ND proposal "has been made available to the Legislature and were happy to answer any questions they or the public may have about it," Nowatzki said.

Holmberg said "every proposal gets two bites at the apple" when the panels trade topics.

"All we're doing, like I've said, is writing a bill. We're not passing a bill, so there still will be hearings, etc. in November, so we're getting a good flavor for it," Holmberg said of the rapid-pace hearings.

He told the Senate panel "what you have actually become is the Emergency Commission 2.0" in considering the funding requests.

Last year, the governor-led, six-member Emergency Commission largely decided how to spend North Dakota's $1.25 billion share of federal CARES Act coronavirus aid. Lawmakers had little say, and some wanted a special session to decide how to spend the money, but Republican majority leaders refrained.

The Rescue Plan money must be put to a purpose by the end of 2024 and be spent by the end of 2026.

The Legislature in November also will approve a new map of legislative districts based on 2020 census data.

A draft map maintains 47 districts, each with one senator and two representatives, and adds two House subdistricts for the Fort Berthold and Turtle Mountain Indian reservations.

The panels continue their meetings Wednesday and on Oct. 19-20 and 26-27. The meetings are carried live at video.legis.nd.gov.

"The Titanic is sailing on, full speed," Holmberg said between presentations.

Reach Jack Dura at 701-250-8225 or jack.dura@bismarcktribune.com.

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North Dakota Land Commissioner Jodi Smith has resigned to take a job outside state government.

The five-member Board of University and School Lands chose Smith to lead the Department of Trust Lands in 2017, and she was appointed unanimously to another four-year term in June. She was the first woman to lead the department. She wrote in a resignation letter Monday to Land Board members that her last day will be Oct. 28 and that she will be available after that date for consultation during the transition process.

Smith has taken another job in "a public sector position outside of state government," according to a statement from the governor's office. She did not immediately respond to a Tribune request for comment.

The Department of Trust Lands manages educational trust funds and assets, including 700,000 surface acres and 2.6 million mineral acres. Revenue from oil development and livestock grazing on state-owned land benefits public education.

Gov. Doug Burgum chairs the Land Board, which oversees the department. He did not ask Smith to resign, spokesperson Mike Nowatzki said.

Smith has worked to resolve a dispute with the oil and gas industry over royalties from the development of state-owned minerals ever since she started the job. The dispute has garnered numerous headlines, and the governor earlier this year raised the idea of creating a "media policy" for Smith and the department. He took issue with how reporters have described the state's effort to collect hundreds of millions of dollars in unpaid royalties from oil and gas companies, including stories for which Smith was interviewed.

Part of the problem, Burgum said, is that Smith was in a difficult position trying to portray the views of all five members of the board, who do not always agree on issues. The policy was finalized this summer.

Smith told the Tribune when she was reappointed in June that she was glad to be able to provide continuity in leadership to her department. She said she looked forward to seeing through the implementation of new technology within the agency that would lead to efficiencies for her staff and make it easier for the public to interact with the agency online. She added that she would like to reach a resolution in the ongoing royalty dispute and finish work on an acreage adjustment project concerning minerals below the historic Missouri River channel under Lake Sakakawea.

"I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude for the support and opportunities you have provided me during my time as the Commissioner and Secretary for the Board," she said in her resignation letter, adding that the team at the department "is full of talent and fortitude" and that she was "exceptionally proud" of their accomplishments.

The governor's office on Tuesday praised her work to modernize the department's technology, grow the assets it manages by $3 billion and increase the number of oil and gas leases it manages by more than 1,500. The department has fulfilled more than $13 million in unclaimed property claims over the past two years under Smith.

The governor's office said the Land Board will appoint a commissioner to fill the rest of Smith's term, which expires June 30, 2025. The board next meets Oct. 28.

Reach Amy R. Sisk at 701-250-8252 or amy.sisk@bismarcktribune.com.

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This years Nobel Peace Prize highlighted the important role journalists play in holding other institutions to account.

Last week, the prize was awarded to journalists Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov. Ressa has devoted the past several years to covering the regime of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. Muratov heads an independent Russian newspaper that is frequently critical of Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin.

Both of these journalists show the public benefits of shining a spotlight on the powerful -- and in these cases, the exceedingly corrupt. They also offer some perspective on the issues we face in America.

We have debates over the death penalty, but we dont have a regime like Durtetes that kills alleged criminals without due process. There are issues with corruption in government, but Putin maneuvers in broad daylight without consequence.

Like the U.S., those countries constitutionally protect free speech and the press. Unlike the U.S., they do little to actually uphold those rights. It goes to show how much rule of law matters.

The press -- led by people like Ressa and Muratov -- can act as a counterweight to the violence and corruption in their countries. While the scale and intensity varies, their work shows the importance of an independent press everywhere.

The media are not perfect here, but the U.S. draws a sharp contrast to the issues in authoritarian countries. The Nobel committee noted last week that freedom of expression is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace.

In a community like Bismarck, we have plenty of issues that benefit from news coverage. Just about every local entity that can is raising taxes. The state Legislature is about to approve a redistricting plan and appropriate over a billion dollars of federal aid money. Violent crime, while relatively low compared to the rest of the country, rose in our state this past year.

During the pandemic, information related to public health announcements and disease data have been essential for the public. And while government entities are a critical part of getting that message out, an independent perspective is important.

Without local media, it would be unclear how the public would learn about these issues. Social media, press releases and word of mouth go only so far.

This comes at a time when more and more people rely on social media to get their news. But as congressional hearings chronicled last week -- and many people have known for some time -- relying on these sites for trustworthy information is next to impossible. Facebook seems better at enraging people than educating them. The news is often referred to as the first draft of history. The same cant be said about TikTok videos.

As local media declines, our politics have become more nationalized and more polarized. This isnt just speculation -- its well born out in study after study. Reports on community issues are replaced by talking heads mostly spinning nonsense.

Communities rely on local media to thrive. We need to know whats going on in city hall, in our schools and hospitals, and down the street. That sort of local coverage is not easily replaced once its gone.

The Nobel Prize recipients show the importance the press plays in protecting the public good. And freedom of expression is as valuable in Russia and the Philippines as it is here.

After leaving for a few years to work on Capitol Hill and study economics at the University of North Dakota, Sean Cleary now lives with his wife in his hometown of Bismarck.

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While the case before the Court concerns rural Maine, the implications for parents across the nation are clear: state funds should continue to be available to parents for religious schools and is no violation of the Establishment Clause. []

The difference between a Christian organization and an organization that does Christian things might seem like a distinction without a difference. But it is precisely this difference that is at the heart of the question presented to the U.S. Supreme Court in Carson v. Makin, a school-choice case that the justices are scheduled consider on Dec. 8, 2021.

The case involves families who live in towns in rural Maine too small to support secondary schools in a state that makes education for all not just a right but also mandatory. For nearly 150 years, Maine has administered one of the oldest school-choice programs in the nation to address this problem. And for more than 100 of those years, families who qualified for the financial benefits of the scheme could freely decide where their children would be educated.

But in 1980, Maines attorney general advised the state government that providing benefits for families who elected to send their children to religious schools violated the U.S. Constitution. Acting on this guidance, the state legislature later amended the law to exclude religious schools from the choices available to Maine families who otherwise qualified for the program. The attorney generals opinion and the law that followed is based on an erroneous understanding of the Establishment Clause and an egregious disregard for the Free Exercise and Equal Protection Clauses of the U.S. Constitution. It is the privilege of my firm, First Liberty Institute, to serve as co-counsel alongside Institute for Justice to the families impacted by this law.

To affirm Maines discriminatory law, the First Circuit Court of Appeals found that while it is not permissible for the state to discriminate on the basis of the religious status of the schools selected by Maine parents, it is permissible for the state to discriminate on the basis of the religious use of the funds that would be expended on behalf of those families. Whats the difference? To most people there isnt one.

It is a near certainty that the oral arguments in December will engage the legal distinction between status and use in the context of First Amendment jurisprudence, and it will be interesting to see how the justices wrestle with this distinction when the Courts ruling is made sometime in 2022. Given the prescience of several justices who often tend to foresee the cultural and social implications of not just the outcomes of cases but also the grounds on which those outcomes are based, such issues will likely make at least an appearance in one or more of the Courts published opinions.

It is not just Maine families who should be interested in the outcome of this case. All Americans, whether or not they are religious, stand to be impacted by the Courts decision. The distinction between status and use considered by the lower court is the first step down a disturbing path and is problematic for two main reasons.

First, a status/use distinction in the law will require the next court to define those religious things that constitute religious use. Is St. Josephs Catholic School able to accept students under the Maine scheme as long as the school does not celebrate weekly Mass for the students? What if the school excludes clergy from its staff? Are a few nuns as teachers permissible? Or are the nuns only permissible if they happen to be teachers rather than teach at the school as a means of fulfilling their religious vocation? Once the principle is inevitably extrapolated to individuals, how do we differentiate between a Muslim and a person who does Muslim things? How do we differentiate between a Jew and a person who does Jewish things? Such a legal distinction not only invites but requires judicial determination of a host of questions beyond the competence of even the most sympathetic court.

Second, this shift would signal a break between a persons identity and the essential features of that identity. Our culture has already taken more than a few steps along this unhelpful path. Am I a Christianor a person who does Christian things, whatever those things may be? Is my wife a teacher, or is she a person who teaches things? Is our family pet a dog or a creature who does dog-like things? The problem with such an understanding of identity is that a non-Christian is free to do Christian things, and every Christian does plenty of non-Christian or even un-Christian things. Non-teachers teach things all the time. And while a bit more of a stretch, it is not inconceivable to imagine a non-dog that does dog-like things.

Our identities so conceived would atomize us so completely that collective identities and distinctions would be lost. Each persons identity becomes a discrete list of preferences, actions, and opinions. How do we then define the common good around which our communities are organized? How do we conceive of a rational basis for solidarity in a world in which we have no ability to read ourselves into the circumstances of others and no rational basis for empathy?

The judges of the First Circuit know, I suspect, that funding that passes to religious organizations is not a per se violation of the Establishment Clause and have adopted this status/use distinction as an end run around clear precedent. They have not actively conspired to sow the seeds for the deconstruction of the identities of those who engage in religious practice. However, in adopting this artificial distinction regarding the institutions that the religiously observant have built, this is precisely what they have done.
Young people are constantly presented with vocational blueprints and cookie-cutter college tracks that ignore the complexity of the human person and the diversity of human needs. []

The United States is facing a labor shortage of epic proportions. With over 10 million jobs currently available and almost 9 million available workers waiting on the sidelines, the U.S. now has more job openings than any time in history, according to NBC News.

The Biden administration surely bears some of the blame, having worked persistently to overextend federal unemployment benefits and distort return-to-work incentives well past the darkest days of the pandemic. And while the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) program has just recently expired, plenty of other counterproductive policies remain firmly in place.

Yet the roots of the crisis run far deeper, and any return to normalcy wont hinge on swift, simplistic hand gestures bythe state. Thus, even as we resist the political games of the day, wed be wise to also consider the labor challenges that preceded the pandemic in their arc and emphasis.

For decades, Americans have tended to over-elevate certain jobs and careers above others, prompting a general resistance to the trades or work with the hands and a glorification of desk jobs, startups, and the various comforts of creative spaces. Reinforced by constant cultural calls to follow your passion and pursue four-year college degrees, students and workers have long been prodded to focus on a narrowing set of job prospects in sectors like technology, finance, marketing, and activism. Well before the pandemic, these pressures were already leading to an ever-widening skills gap in the trades and service sectors. And at a deeper level, they have served to dim our cultural imaginations when it comes to how we think about the value and dignity of work itself.

In a segment for PBS News Hour, Paul Solman explores the trend in light of the more recent COVID ripple effects, wondering if the stigmas weve imposed on certain forms of work are making the post-pandemic recovery all the more difficult.

Solman interviews Mike Rowe, former host of Discovery Channels Dirty Jobs and founder of the mikeroweWORKS Foundation. For Rowe, the promotion of four-year college degrees has done the most to make alternative career paths unattractive to rising generations.

The push for one form of education  really was the beginning of a long list of stigmas, stereotypes, myths, and misperceptions that to this day dissuade millions of kids from pursuing a legitimate opportunity to make six figures in the trades, says Rowe.  In the eyes of many parents and in the eyes of many counselors, the trade school is the thing you did if you werent cut out for university.

More and more we have presented young people with vocational blueprints and cookie-cutter college tracks that ignore the complexity of the human person and the diversity of human needs.

To demonstrate the shift, Solman interviews a high school class in Louisiana, asking whether any of the students would seriously consider a career in one of the trades. Only one student raises his hand.

Its like, Go to college! Go to college! the student says. Theres barely anybody saying, Go to trade school! Thats not an option thats often presented to uslike, This is not for you.

Its a peculiar trend, particularly because the demand is so pressing and the pay can be rather competitive. Contrary to popular perception, tradespeople often have a shorter path to more stable income, all without the burden of onerous college debt. In fact, Solman says, college grads earn 74% more than those with only a high school diploma, but not that much more than skilled tradespeoplemedian income of $54,000 a year for a bachelors degree vs. $51,000 for electricians, $46,000 for plumbers.

Theres also a common prejudice that work in the trades somehow lacks meaning or purpose, yet Solmon interviews several plumbers and electricians who explain how they are routinely hailed as heroes by their customers. I cant tell you the amount of pride from people in our industry, how we felt that we needed to keep the country going, says Tonya Hicks, an electrician. And we have the jobs of the future for sustainability and energy and water conservation.

Indeed, if theres one silver lining from the COVID crisis, its the potential for a renewed appreciation for so-called essential work. The question is how well that recognition will actually stick in the culture at largewhether our momentary gratitude will translate into a transformation of our perspectives about which jobs and vocations are worthy of our energy, investment, and admiration.

Yes, during COVID many in the trades were on the front lines, but they always werecreating, working, and serving within miraculous supply chains that bring us milk, masks, medicine, and toilet paper. Yes, these workers contributed to untold social and economic flourishing, but they always have.

Why did it take a pandemic to highlight that such work brings profound meaning to life?

When things get back to normal, this country is going to enter a new age of work, Rowe concludes,  a new age of making things and fixing things and building things, an age where skilled workers are going to be in demand like never before.

In facing the current labor crisis, we ought to recognize the value and dignity of all work, regardless of the economic or public health challenges of the day, and before and beyond our personal lists of economic priorities and vocational preferences.

Hopefully, the problems of the pandemic will yield a greater understanding and appreciation for the interconnectedness of the modern economy, allowing us to embrace and celebrate all kinds of workto appreciate its essentialness, meaningfulness, and complexity.
Ryanair, the low-end airline, is reportedly demanding that customers return money refunded to them during the pandemic for booked flights they could not take due to lockdowns and other covid restrictions.

The airline refused to refund affected passengers unable to travel, leading many to successfully seek chargebacks from their credit card company, in particular American Express. Three of those passengers, who went on to make new bookings with Ryanair to travel this year, have been told they can only fly Ryanair again if they return the sum reclaimed. One passenger was given this ultimatum just hours before they were due to fly. MSE said in at least two instances Ryanair's fraud department had demanded the refunds of between 400 and 630.

You may have agreed to Ryanair's "no refunds" policy, but sadly for Ryanair it agreed to the banks' "yes refunds" policy. This is perhaps why the airline publicly denied it would blacklist customers who get refunds through credit card companiesbecause that would break the contractual obligations that come with accepting credit cards in the first place. But the airline's essential nature is why it blacklisted them anyway. Book travel with Ryanair, get treated worse than cattle.

Just a few days ago UK's toothless regulators dropped their investigation into Ryanair and British Airways' ripping off customers during the pandemic, claiming they simply didn't have the resources to investigate.

The regulator said on Thursday the protracted time a court battle would take, coupled with the uncertainty of winning, meant it could no longer justify the expense of pursuing the case.

The same spineless rationale that UK prosecutors often offer for declining to prosecute rape cases there.
Michigan GOP lawmaker Daire Rendon revealed herself to be a member of QAnon, anti-Semitic pro-Nazi cult, notorious for a long list of failed predictions and which appeals to sociopathic sore losers with poor critical thinking skills.

Rendon was spotted wearing a Q pin at recent election protest Tuesday in Lansing, Michigan.

When a VICE News reporter asked Rendon about it. she explained that Q is a "a group of people who are digital warriors," who "pass information around and reveal information that's been kept hidden for a very long time," based on information from the "highest level of intelligence in the United States government."

"We need a forensic audit, and we need it now. You prove Biden won" Michigan House Representative Daire Rendon speaking at today's forensic audit protest #Lansing #Michigan pic.twitter.com/SBtQoltoyZ  Brendan Gutenschwager (@BGOnTheScene) October 12, 2021

From Vice:

When VICE News asked Rendon if she believed that top government officials were involved in a child sex ring, she said, "That's part of it." But she pivoted to other topics, including the false claim that the 2020 election was stolen from Trump. "I think a lot of things happened in the last election. President Trump told us they're going to cheat, they're going to cheat. We realized that was the plan. And we knew that because it had happened before only this time it was done at just a much higher level," Rendon said.

The usual question  is she stupid enough to believe this, or evil enough to pretend to believe it?
The financial aid officer will be able to tell you if your question can be resolved on the FAFSA or if you need to submit updated information directly to the college after it has received your financial aid form.

Where not to turn for free help

Stay away from the websites that say they can help you fill out the FAFSA faster and better, Keller says. Generally, these websites software systems are designed to transfer your familys financial information from their site into the FAFSA, but the software doesnt accommodate signing the FAFSA or amending it with updates.

Signatures can only be secured directly through the official government website, Keller says. The FAFSA website is also the only place to add a new college or print your Student Aid Report. Thats why its best to avoid third-party sites.

Start on fafsa.gov, stay there, use your FSA ID, and get advice from a live, informed person, Keller says.
It is my near-certainty that the book itself will be far more sympathetic than the Post's repeated immersions of it in whatever tub full of bile is available.

We've long become used to the way this sort of nonfiction book is published in America. Copies are provided very selectively to the press to review and excerpt so that a great deal of advance news can hype them. (Bob Woodward's chronicles of presidential pathology, for instance.) When the "news value" is more on the gossip side (the Post's Page Six, let's say) you get what seems to have happened to Couric, which amounts to double reverse hype. That is, hype in the guise of its opposite.

Many, if not all, of the nastier cats have been let out of the bag, leaving the rest of the text to pick up whatever sympathetic humanity has always clung to Couric's public image. Such "nice things" as there are in "Going There" are, I'm sure, much in evidence but then they're not what most readers will be after. Beans are being spilled here. Readers want to know which ones. They're going to be making tacos after all.
"Ombis: Alien Invasion. Green ooze from a crashed meteor spreads with deadly results through the town of Ombis that is also being overrun by government agents and an alien from another world. Mainly shot in Angola with scenes also in Cheektowaga Town Hall.

A Quiet Place Part II. This sequel to the imaginative story about aliens who hunt by sound was filmed here in the summer of 2018. The taut opening, set along Main Street in Akron, is one of the best heres how it all started scenes on film. The sequel also utilizes the stark backdrop of the former Bethlehem Steel in Lackawanna to great effect as a major backdrop for the family led by Emily Blunt that is trying to evade the invaders. Cillian Murphy and Djimon Hounsou join the cast; John Krasinski again directs and co-stars.

Theres No Such Thing As Ghosts? For four years, local film professor Aaron Daniel Annas and a crew of SUNY Buffalo State students traveled throughout Western New York and Pennsylvania to places that are rumored to be haunted. It is filled with unnerving moments as stories of true ghostly happenings are discussed where they happened. Annas made the documentary to explore why people believe what they believe  or dont. I watched it with the lights on.
The novel connects two seminal events from Winters teen years. One was watching a segment on the ABC newsmagazine 20/20 in 1990 about the neglected orphans of Romania; she remembers where she was babysitting as she watched it. The other was the Spring of Life abortion protests that roiled Buffalo in 1992 and made national news for two weeks.

I think somehow a temporal connection and a political and moral and ethical connection found itself in my head between these two events of my youth that made a big impression on me, Winter says. The first one was the 20/20 segment that exposed the Romanian orphanages. The reason these orphanages existed was because the Romanian regime had outlawed contraception and abortion. Another, years after, was the Spring of Life, when a consortium of antiabortion groups came to Buffalo. 

I dont know when I consciously realized there was a connection between these two things  that explicitly with the Spring of Life, and in a more under-the-surface way with the orphanages, these were both events that had to do with reproductive rights. And it was very important to me as a girl, as a woman, and just as a human being to understand that and really probe what I thought about that intellectually and morally. These ideas were swimming around in my head for decades and they finally found a way to express themselves, in this case in fiction.
The paper went on to mock the name change  insinuating through satire that the name might be more elegant, but the new name wouldn't change the reality of life and business on the street.

"A relative on an English Lord has engaged a suit of rooms on the fourth story of Kurtzmann's Piano Factory," reported the paper, tongue planted in cheek, adding that many of Delaware Avenue's "first families" were making plans to move to Broadway as well.

The article also made crude, overtly prejudiced jokes about what German elegance might look like on the newly renamed Broadway.

"Free beer fountains are to be erected on every third street corner and bologna sausage trees are to be planted along the sidewalks," read the article  eliminating any thought that there might be some factual basis for anything written in the 11 paragraphs.

So based on the yellow journalism coverage in the story, it was the view of the Sunday News folks that the German folks along Batavia Street were making a vain attempt to bring class to their classless street by giving it a new name.

Six months later, in January 1878, The Sunday News took one more shot at the German businessmen who petitioned for and won the renaming of their street.
The judge said the plaintiffs in the case established that the vaccine mandate without religious exemption conflicts with longstanding federal protections for religious beliefs and that they and others will suffer irreparable harm in the absence of injunctive relief.

Hochul had predicted the state would prevail before Hurd.

The state Health Department on Aug. 26 approved a new rule imposing the vaccine mandate on health workers. Two weeks earlier, a vaccine mandate issued by the agency included a religious exemption, but that was subsequently dropped. The mandate has since expanded to other health care settings, including workers at home care and hospice agencies.

The governor has said the vaccine mandate is needed to both slow the spread of the virus and to better protect patients, who she said should not have to go to hospitals or nursing homes and be at risk of getting Covid from an unvaccinated caregiver.

The percentage of vaccinated hospital and nursing home workers has been on the rise since the mandate kicked in last month, but it is uncertain how much of the rise is due to more existing workers getting vaccinated versus the elimination of workers who refused to get vaccinated and did not have a medical or religious exemption.
Tim Spector, who is a professor of genetic epidemiology at Kings College London, advised during an interview earlier this year to monitor snacking, cut down on ultra processed foods, and focus on macronutrients.

A good thing from the pandemic is the awareness of how important obesity is, and how important diet is not only to obesity, but also immunity, said Spector, the author of Spoon-Fed: Why Almost Everything Weve Been Told About Food is Wrong.

How does this play out over the next couple of years?

Guess away.

I think we need tea leaves for that one, Sellick said, noting a general feeling in the scientific community that with enough vaccination, and as this virus circulates more and we get more people with some reasonable level of immunity, that it will move more toward the direction of being like all the other crummy viruses we get usually during the winter. Thats what were hoping is going to happen.

Imagine Covid as the equivalent of the common cold, or manageable and treatable as most cases of the flu? Unlike March 2020, when we were hunkering down and hoping for a return to normal within weeks or maybe months, this is the new dream scenario.

We can no longer talk about, Were going to eliminate the pandemic,  said Dr. Gregory Poland, director of Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group, in a summer media call. Were going to be now transitioning scientifically into, What does it mean to live with this virus, as we do with influenza? 

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What worries me is that some in Washington are now pressing for the federal government to grant exclusions to the Section 301 tariffs imposed on China in recent years. That would be a mistake, since domestic companies like mine are the ones that employ U.S. workers, and pay good salaries plus benefits. As weve already seen with the Covid-19 pandemic, Americans are overly dependent on China for many everyday goods. Granting such exclusions could simply mean more U.S. factories closing their doors.

What Ive learned from my companys experience is that U.S. consumers increasingly dont want to buy from China. Theyre worried about toxic and unsafe goods. And theyre equally disturbed by Beijings continued use of forced labor and shoddy environmental standards.

Buying Made in USA supports good jobs in communities throughout the nation. In fact, about half of U.S. consumers said they want retailers to cut back on sourcing from China. And 80% say theyd be willing to pay higher prices if companies closed their China factories.

Hopefully Washington is listening. Americans want our government to stand strong against Chinas aggressive tactics. In particular, that means continued or increased tariffs on products that China dumps in the U.S. market at artificially low prices. Americans want to see manufacturing return to this nation. Washington should act now to stand up for domestic companies like mine that create the jobs needed to support a healthy middle class.

Greg Owens is the co-founder and CEO of Sherrill Manufacturing/Liberty Tabletop in Sherrill, Oneida County.
In his column in the Buffalo News on Oct. 5, Ruben Navarrette claims our nations immigration system is racist, and that it is failing miserably when dealing with the recent deluge of Haitians entering the country. His main beef appears to be the use of Title 42 of the Public Health Services law to immediately deport some Haitians, but he uses it to attack our immigration system broadly, saying he and others have been charging racism in that system for a long time.

America began accepting the Haitians by first choosing benevolently not to prosecute them for committing the criminal offense of illegal entry (8 USC 1325). It then provides, at taxpayer expense, food, shelter, medical care and transportation (by air and otherwise) to their destination. It is providing both Covid-19 tests and vaccines where appropriate. And it is providing a due process legal hearing, giving them a chance to prove their claim to American residency.

When they arrive at their destination within the country, they will find an array of refugee centers and social services agencies ready to help. And they will be met by private citizens who will respond to the need by donating money, time, clothing, even furniture, to assist them. Americans will educate their children, provide employment assistance and give a humanitarian welcome not found anywhere else on Earth.
The months leading up to the arrival of a new baby can be an exciting and activity-filled time, often a whirlwind made up of a baby shower, doctor appointments, and readying your life (and your home) for the new human who will soon arrive.

During this hectic chapter, it can be easy to overlook some details, including the nuances of what maternity leave actually involvesfinancially, legally, and otherwise. But this is one area you won't want to leave until the last minute, as doing so can have a variety of ramifications. Here's a closer look at what you need to know about maternity leave before heading home with your new baby.

What you're entitled to

Generally speaking, the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) ensures 12 weeks of leave annually to employees after childbirth or adoption. However, there are several caveats to understand when it comes to whether or not your company is actually required to offer maternity leave, and whether you will qualify for those benefits.

Most notably, the FMLA applies to "eligible employees of covered employers." Let's start with what it means to be an eligible employee.

In order to qualify for FMLA leave, you must have worked for the employer for 12 months, and have provided at least 1,250 hours of service for the employer during that time (equivalent to about 24 hours per week).

About 56 percent of U.S. employees end up being eligible for FMLA coverage, according to the Department of Labor. Reasons for ineligibility vary, but about 21 percent miss out on the benefits because of having worked too few hours, or having worked for an insufficient period of time for an employer.

"Some states have specific leave policies for employees that have been at a company fewer than 12 months, but not all," explains Maria Selvaggio, vice president of people for the company M1 Finance.

Not all employers are required to provide maternity leave benefits

Here's the second caveat pertaining to the FMLA you should understand: Not all workplaces in this country are actually "covered employers"meaning they're not bound by the law's requirements.

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"For the majority of companies with fewer than 50 employees, there is no legal right to paid or unpaid maternity leave," says Selvaggio.

However, the 50-employee threshold does not apply to public agencies, including local, state, or federal government agencies, all of which must provide maternity leave regardless of their size.

About 15 percent of employees are ineligible due to their work site being too small, according to the Department of Labor. And that statistic may be slightly misleading.

Christine Michel Carter, a senior writer for Forbes Women, whose beat includes maternal health, childcare, and how parents navigate work and life, says the FMLA simply doesn't cover the majority of U.S. workers.

"Right now, the FMLA does not cover employees in the private sector whose companies have less than 50 employees. However, the U.S. Census Bureau reports there are nearly 6 million U.S. companies with fewer than 50 employees, and firms with fewer than 20 workers made up 89 percent of small businesses," says Carter.

Maternity leave is often unpaid

In many cases, family medical leave is unpaid, which is another important point to nail down, in order to ensure you're financially prepared for the months ahead.

The act states that employees are eligible to take "unpaid, job-protected leave for specified family and medical reasons."

"Federal law doesn't require employers to pay for that time off, although paid family leave and an expansion of FMLA is currently being thrown around by Congress," explains Colin Nabity, CEO and co-founder of Breeze, an online insurance broker specializing in disability insurance and critical illness insurance.

Despite the fact that there's no federal requirement, some employers still provide paid maternity leave as an employee benefit, adds Nabity.

RELATED: Can You Handle the Cost of Having a Baby?

In addition, a small handful of states have paid family leave laws, adds Kevin Haney, president of the online platform Growing Family Benefits.

"Seven states have paid family leave laws that replace a portion of income," so that both parents can bond with their newborn baby after birth, explains Haney. Those states are California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Washington.

Employers must maintain your insurance, but you may have to pay for it

As part of the FMLA requirements, employers must provide continuation of any group health insurance coverage you have, and they must do so under the same terms and conditions as if you had not taken leave.

"Parents covered under FMLA or a related state laws have legal rights to continue their health insurance as if they had continued work, paying their share of the premiums," explains Haney, of Growing Family Benefits.

When and how to request maternity leave

Employees generally must request maternity leave 30 days in advance of when that leave would take place. The employee's notice may be verbal or written, according to FMLA guidelines.

RELATED: 11 Best Books to Read About Motherhood When You're Pregnant

The employee is required to provide enough information for the employer to determine that the leave being requested is actually covered by the FMLA. In addition, you'll need to let your employer know when and how much leave you anticipate taking.

One additional noteworthy point: Eligible employees may take up to 12 weeks of leave in a 12-month period, but those weeks do not have to be consecutive. Employees may take that leave in separate blocks of time, according to the FMLA.

Disability insurance is another option

For the many, many employees in this country who are not covered by the FMLA, tapping into disability insurance to help address some of the costs of parental leave can be another viable option.

"A short-term disability insurance policy will usually consider giving birth a disability," explains Nabity. "In general, short-term disability payments will last for six weeks after normal delivery, and eight weeks for a C-section. Some policies will also provide eight weeks of benefits for the birth of twins or triplets."

With most policies, about 60 percent of your lost income will be replaced, but it can also be as high as 80 percent or as low as 40 percent, says Nabity. If you have complications, which happens about 25 percent of the time according to Nabity, then disability insurance benefits may be extended even longer.

"The disability period typically begins the day you give birth," Nabity continues. "If you need to leave work prior to delivery, the insurance company will consider you disabled when you cannot perform the main duties of your occupation as a result of your pregnancy. But typically, with short-term disability policies, you can't start disability payments any earlier than four weeks before your due date."

While all of this can be very helpful for expecting parents, here's one last point to understand to actually access disability insurance benefits: You must have initiated the disability policy before becoming pregnant. Meaning, you want to do your homework on this front well ahead of time, not when you're furnishing the baby nursery and picking out baby onesies.

If you don't apply for the insurance prior to becoming pregnant, insurance companies will simply view it as a pre-existing condition and you will not be eligible for benefits, says Nabity.

"We see this happen a lot. Expecting mothers start looking into disability insurance when it's too late. You need to plan and get your disability insurance ahead of time," stresses Nabity.
Zachary Joyce, 25, had been thinking about entering the field of criminal justice since his high school days.

Life took him in a few directions, and it wasnt until he was working for a construction company in early 2019 when he decided to make that dream a reality.

Now Joyce is one of 20 students who graduated from Chippewa Valley Technical Colleges Law Enforcement Academy Thursday, Oct. 7. Each year the college offers three law enforcement academies, two jail academies and graduates about 100 students.

Eric Anderson, criminal justice director for CVTC, said even though all of these students have college credits of some sort  and many of them in criminal justice  the law enforcement academy is solely focused on context, scenario-based education and assessment.

They are brand new, and they really havent had any experience in this regard, so we have a uniform requirement, a policy manual and they have to wear a duty belt daily to class, Anderson said. Its more structured, there are rules and its a full eight-hour day, Monday through Friday.

Beyond the process and protocols, Anderson acknowledges the challenge for law enforcement right now.

Its the elephant in the room, and its not something we will avoid. Its something they have to know about, he said. They have to expect to have some adversity, but they cant get caught up in it.

Academy students should be able to articulate what drives them to become an officer. Do they desire to serve the community and be a servant to the people? Anderson said students intent gives him a good idea if they are getting into the profession for the right reason.

Joyce, who graduated from Elmwood High School, was chosen as a squad leader in the academy and secured a position with the Chippewa Falls Police Department before graduation.

I finally made the choice to get into law enforcement because I felt as if it would fit best with my mindset, Joyce said. I have a drive for physical fitness, having pride in what I do and how I carry myself and helping those in need.

Before deciding to enter law enforcement, Joyce, 25, joined the Marine Corps in San Diego. He spent four years on active duty with the 2/6 unit.

While I was there, I learned exactly who I wanted to be and what type of a leader I wanted to be, he said.

That drive is why Chippewa Falls Police Chief Matthew Kelm chose Joyce as the departments newest recruit. Before hitting the streets of Chippewa Falls with a field training officer, Joyce experienced the departments training and evaluation with the in-house tactical trainers.

Kelm said hes thankful for colleges like CVTC that offer the academy.

Many of our officers are CVTC graduates, he said. The law enforcement academy provides prospective officers with the necessary street-level, hands-on training of doing actual police work. The academy is very challenging with high entry and graduation standards. Future officers are trained and tested both physically and mentally, focusing on teamwork, positive attitude and decision-making under pressure.

Students who graduate are well-trained and prepared for the difficult but very rewarding job of being a police officer.

Anderson is proud of CVTCs law enforcement academy graduates. He cares about them and wants them to succeed  not just now but throughout their career.

Youre not going to make a million dollars in this job, Anderson said. As a matter of fact, you are going to pay for it in many different ways  with family and health issues. It takes a real toll on your body and your mind.

I know they know what they are signing on for. They have this internal desire to be a servant to their community and accept all drawbacks. It takes a certain kind of person to take that on. I give credit to those who are here.

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KENOSHA  A leaked list of Dangerous Individuals and Organizations banned by Facebook includes five groups linked to Kenosha riots.

Chief among them is the Kenosha Guard, the group led by former Kenosha Alderman Kevin Mathewson, who issued a call to arms amid rioting following the Aug. 23, 2020, shooting of Jacob Blake by a Kenosha police officer.

Dozens, if not hundreds, of armed individuals poured into the city, vowing they were there to defend private property. Among them was Kyle Rittenhouse, the Antioch, Illinois teenager who shot three men on Aug. 25, 2020, killing two of them.

The list was published Tuesday by The Intercept, an online publication that specializes in publishing leaked information from private companies and government agencies.

Rittenhouses trial in the shootings is scheduled for next month. He and his supporters assert he only acted in self-defense. His attorneys have tried and failed to get dropped a charge of Rittenhouse carrying a firearm; as he was 17 the night of the incident, he could not legally possess a firearm.

In the hours before the shootings, Rittenhouse described himself to media outlets as being part of a militia.

Facebook deemed the Kenosha Guard, along with Kenosha Citizens Militia  which also was reportedly present at the August 2020 riots  and Kenosha Militia KTP, to be an Armed Militia Group and categorized all three as being part of a Militarized Social Movement.

The Kenosha Guards Facebook event listing, called armed individuals to Kenosha before the deadly night of Aug. 25 was, according to reporting based on documents leaked to Buzzfeed News, reported to Facebook more than 450 times after it was created but was repeatedly cleared by Facebook moderators for being non-violating of the websites terms of use.

Facebook gave five other groups with Wisconsin in their name the same designations and bans:

Anti-antifa Militia Organization of Wisconsin

Wisconsin Defense Militia

Wisconsin Liberty Militia

Wisconsin Militia

Wisconsin Patriot Network Militia

The Proud Boys, a far-right male-only organization, has come to Rittenhouses cause and serenaded him at a Mount Pleasant bar in January, although Rittenhouses attorneys have said hes never been a member of the group. People wearing Proud Boys apparel were present during the Kenosha riots.

Also listed was the 417 Second Amendment Militia. Two men affiliated with that group  Michael M. Karmo, 40, and Cody E. Smith, 33, both of Hartville, Missouri  were charged last year with illegal possession of firearms after being arrested Sept. 1, 2020, at a Pleasant Prairie hotel. According to the criminal complaint, the Kenosha Police Department informed the FBI that the department had received a tip that Karmo was traveling from Missouri to Kenosha to loot and possibly pick people off.

According to reporting from WISN-TV, Wisconsin Liberty Militia also was present during the Kenosha riots. Reporting from Snopes.com found that members of the Wisconsin Liberty Militia private Facebook group discussed shooting any one that starts rioting before the page was taken down.

The Facebook-ban list also includes international terrorist groups such as al-Qaida and the Islamic State, and street gangs such as the Gangster Disciples and Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13).

No other groups on the banned list mention any of Wisconsins four other biggest cities (Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay or Racine) by name.

The 100-page list includes many of the thousands banned by Facebook.

As The Intercept reported: The restrictions appear to trace back to 2012, when in the face of growing alarm in Congress and the United Nations about online terrorist recruiting, Facebook added to its Community Standards a ban on organizations with a record of terrorist or violent criminal activity. This modest rule has since ballooned into whats known as the Dangerous Individuals and Organizations policy, a sweeping set of restrictions on what Facebooks nearly 3 billion users can say about an enormous and ever-growing roster of entities deemed beyond the pale.

According to The Intercept, it is publishing the list because of public concerns about the bias in Facebooks moderation, so that readers may draw their own conclusions about the quality of that moderation.

The Intercept further reported that as with other attempts to limit personal freedoms in the name of counterterrorism, Facebooks DIO (Dangerous Individuals and Organizations) policy has become an unaccountable system that disproportionately punishes certain communities, critics say. It is built atop a blacklist of over 4,000 people and groups, including politicians, writers, charities, hospitals, hundreds of music acts, and long-dead historical figures. A range of legal scholars and civil libertarians have called on the company to publish the list so that users know when they are in danger of having a post deleted or their account suspended for praising someone on it. The company has repeatedly refused to do so, claiming it would endanger employees and permit banned entities to circumvent the policy.

As of 2021, there are more than 2.89 billion active Facebook users, amounting to more than one-third of the world population. That number of users is greater than the populations of the worlds two most populous nations, China and India, combined.

In 2020, Facebooks yearly revenue was reported to be $85.965 billion. From July 1, 2020-June 30, 2021, its revenue was more than $104 billion.

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(CNN)  Fiji will reopen to fully vaccinated tourists on December 1, 2021, according to an official statement from the country's national tourism body.

"It's been almost two years since we welcomed international visitors," Fiji Minister for Tourism, Hon. Faiyaz Koya. "And in these two years, we've struggled, we've adapted, and we've prepared. Today, our national airline is ready, our hotels and tour providers are ready, and Fijians are ready to safely welcome the world back. We are ready to let happiness find you again."

Travelers coming to Fiji will need to show proof of being at least 14 days past the time of their second vaccination.

On top of that, they will be required to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test in order to enter the country -- and, most likely, to board their flight to the islands in the first place -- and must take an additional PCR test 48 hours after arriving.

Children under 18 who have not been vaccinated are allowed to visit as well, provided they are accompanied by a vaccinated adult.

"We are ecstatic that Fiji will open its borders to international visitors before the end of the year,"Tourism Fiji's CEO Brent Hill said in a statement. "This is the moment we have been planning for nearly two years now and I can assure the world that Fiji is safe and ready to welcome you back."

The country's national airline will play a major role in the reopening process. Currently, Fiji Airways is offering all-inclusive tourism packages on its website, beginning with $1,299 offers that include flights, six nights' accommodation, meals and more.

"Fiji Airways is committed to putting on a strong schedule right from the get-go. They are committed to opening across a number of their airports that they flew to and providing capacity," Hill said. He teased there will be flight and resort deals on offer as part of the country's reopening.

About 40% of Fiji's gross national product comes from the tourism industry.

Last summer, Prime Minister Josaia "Frank" Voreqe Bainimarama said he was courting billionaires who wanted to visit Fiji during the pandemic.

Despite the country being otherwise closed to foreign travelers, a group of some 30 high net worth individuals were allowed to spend three months in the country as part of a special agreement with the government.

The reopening news was welcomed by Fiji's tourism industry, which has taken a significant hit during the pandemic.

"We are ecstatic that before the end of the year we will be able to share the Fijian bula spirit with the world once again," Christopher Southwick, owner of the Royal Davui Island Resort, told CNN. "We are anticipating a strong opening for those looking to celebrate the holidays under a palm tree."

In order for a successful reopening, businesses, locals and visitors will need to follow guidelines laid out by the country's CareFiji plan.

Travelers will need to download the CareFiji app to their phones ahead of arriving in the country. They will be able to use the app to book hotels and resorts compliant with the program.

According to data by Johns Hopkins University, Fiji recorded 51,499 cases of the virus and 653 deaths as of October 11, 2021.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 11)  The Office of the Ombudsman dismissed the case involving former Tourism chief Wanda Tulfo-Teo, her brother Ben Tulfo and several others over an ad deal between the Department of Tourism and state-run TV network PTV-4 for lack of probable cause.

The 21-page resolution was shared by Atty. Jesi Lanete, Teo's legal counsel. It was approved by Ombudsman Samuel Martires on Oct. 6.

"The issue to be resolved is whether there is probable cause for Section 3(e) of the...Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act against respondents for conspiring with one another in giving unwarranted benefits in favor of Bitag Media Unlimited Inc. through Kilos Pronto, a Daily News-Type Magazine Segment in PTNI/PTV4 which is produced by Bienvenido Ben Tulfo, a brother of then DOT secretary Wanda Tulfo Teo," the document read.

The Office of the Ombudsman said the case was dismissed and that records showed Teo was "not in any way privy" to the contract between Bitag and PTV regarding the Department of Tourism advertisement.

Also named as defendants were:

- Arlene Mancao, DOT executive assistant

- Dino Antonio Apolonio, general manager, People's Television Network Inc.

- Ramon del Rosario, head of airtime management group, People's Television Network Inc.

- Ma. Alma Francisco, administrative officer IV, Presidential Communications Operations Office

In 2018, Teo landed in hot water after the Commission on Audit revealed the DOT placed P60 million-worth of TV advertisements on the show of her brothers Ben and Erwin Tulfo on PTV-4.

Teo denied there was conflict of interest, saying DOT dealt with PTV and not her brother's production house.

The decision said PCOO Secretary Martin Andanar wrote Teo in Jan. 2017 to say he wanted PTV to work with the DOT through the network's programs and services.

"Thereafter, representatives of PTV/PTNI and the DOT headed by Atty. Arlene Mancao...Usec. Katherine S. de Castro and Asec. Ricky Alegre met and discussed the mechanics of the proposed partnership including possible discount in favor of DOT," it said.

A proposal was submitted by Del Rosario and Apolonio in Feb. 2017. In the same month, the Bids and Awards Committee met where Mancao presented the proposal to which the committee members were amenable to. Also in February, the BAC recommended the approval of the partnership.

A memorandum of agreement was executed in March of the same year.

The decision said it was clear Teo's participation in the transaction was limited and to say that she had a hand in the "contract executed between PTV/PTNI and BMUI through Kilos Pronto" was "unfounded."

No notice of disallowance?

The Ombudsman went on to say that while COA raised a possible conflict of interest, there was "no evidence on record" that the commission's findings "ripened to a Notice of Suspension (NS) or a Notice of Disallowance (ND)."

Contrary to this claim, however, COA did in fact issue notices of disallowance against PTV in 2019. This was shown in the commission's 2020 audit report on the state-run network.

The audit report released in August showed COA issued two NDs against 75 million worth of payments PTV made for the airing of the advertisements in the Kilos Pronto program.

But the Ombudsman resolution also read, "Even granting for the sake of argument that a NS or ND had in fact been issued, there is nothing on record showing that it had gained finality as there are other legal remedies under the COA Rules of Procedure which are available to the respondents."

According to the COA report, both NDs are still under appeal.

"In the absence of proof that the findings of COA in its AOM (Audit Observation Memorandum) have gained finality, the filing of the instant case borders on prematurity amounting to lack of cause of action," the Ombudsman said. "Wherefore, the instant criminal complaint is dismissed for want of probable cause."




Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 12)  Presidential aspirant Sen. Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa is not affected by what others suspect of being a "placeholder" for reelectionist Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte in the 2022 polls, but he admitted that he personally wants the presidential daughter to change her mind.

In his interview with CNN Philippines' The Source on Tuesday, Dela Rosa was asked whether he is still hoping that Mayor Duterte will still end up being the candidate of PDP-Laban, chaired by her father, President Rodrigo Duterte.

"Deep in my heart I am hoping, hangga't wala pang November 15 I am hoping, but it's up for Mayor Inday Sara kung ano talagang magiging decision niya (whatever her decision will be)," he said.

"Matagal ko nang pangarap na tumakbo siya bilang pangulo because her winnability is very, very high," Dela Rosa added. "Kilala ko siya, ang capability niya to lead this country. Kayang kaya niya."

[Translation: I have long been dreaming for her to run for president because her winnability is very, very high. I know her, I know her capability to lead this country. She can do it.]

RELATED: Asked to file candidacy 2 hours before deadline, Bato says substitution in back of mind

Dela Rosa also reiterated that he will still abide by the decision of his party and the President. But if it were up to him, he'd rather not split the votes if Mayor Duterte will end up running for the national post.

"Ako, personally mas maganda kung isa na lang sa amin ang tatakbo para hindi mahahati. Still, I have to abide by party decision. Kung ano sabihin ng partido susunod ako," he said.

[Translation: Personally, I'd prefer if only one of us will run so that the votes won't be split. Still, I have to abide by the party decision. Whatever the party decides, I will follow.]

Dela Rosa also openly admitted his lack of leverage compared to other presidential aspirants like former Sen. Bongbong Marcos, Manila Mayor Isko Moreno, Sen. Ping Lacson, Sen. Manny Pacquiao, and Vice President Leni Robredo, as he himself was not included in the initial pollster surveys on preferred presidents.

"I am not claiming to be superior to any other candidates. Right now, I even believe kung magkakaroon ng survey ngayon, baka ako ang nasa pinakailalim, pinaka-ibaba. No problem with that but still I will not surrender. Andyan ako for one big fight," he said.

[Translation: I even believe that if a survey would be held today, I might be at the bottom. No problem with that but still I will not surrender. I am here for one big fight.]

PDP-Laban secretary general Melvin Matibag said they are already prepared to roll out the caravan for Dela Rosa, who will run in tandem with vice presidential aspirant Sen. Bong Go. They are so far sticking to their two bets and are preparing for other developments that might unfold until November 15, the deadline of substitution for political contenders in the 2022 polls.

READ: Bato-Go caravan underway, says PDP-Laban exec
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 12)  Philippine National Police Chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar dismissed from service a policeman who shot dead an 18-year-old teenager with special needs last May 23.

Eleazar on Tuesday said he approved the removal of Police MSgt. Christopher Salcedo for "grave misconduct and less grave irregularity in the performance of duty."

Salcedo was charged with an administrative case for the killing of Erwin Arnigo in an anti-illegal gambling operation led by Valenzuela City police officers.

Eleazar said he made the decision following the review of the recommendation of the Internal Affairs Service (IAS). This was conducted by the Discipline, Law, and Order Division - Directorate for Personnel and Records Management and the Office of the Chief PNP.

Aside from violating police operational procedures, several other factors were taken into consideration, which "aggravated" Salcedo's offense.

These include the fact that the victim was a person with special needs, the PNP chief explained.

"Arnigo should not have been arrested by Valenzuela City police personnel, particularly Salcedo," Eleazar said, noting the teenager had "no involvement with the tupada."

"Being a person with autism spectrum disorder, he could not have knowingly taken part in the illegal gambling activity," he added.

Meanwhile, administrative charges against the four other policemen involved in the fatal shooting were dropped, as there was "no substantive evidence" to support their supposed offenses, Eleazar said.

The National Bureau of Investigation is still conducting its own probe for the filing of a criminal complaint against Salcedo.

The IAS has only recommended to suspend Salcedo for 40 days.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 12)  Philippine National Police chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar on Tuesday ordered the Police Regional Office 9 to probe the gun attack on an election officer in Basilan province.

An election officer from Maluso, Basilan was attacked by unidentified gunmen in Barangay San Rafael, Isabela City on Monday night, Oct. 11.

The victim, identified as Aknam Hasim, was with his wife when their vehicle was repeatedly shot by the suspects. Hasim was immediately brought to the hospital and is now undergoing treatment, the PNP said.

Inatasan ko na ang RD PRO9 na magsagawa ng malalimang imbestigasyon sa kasong ito upang mapanagot ang may kagagawan sa tangkang pagpatay sa election officer ng Maluso, Basilan. Kasabay sa aking utos ang pagbibigay ng proteksyon sa kanya, said Eleazar in a statement.

[Translation: I ordered the RD PRO9 to conduct a thorough investigation into this case so that those behind this attempted murder of an election officer in Maluso, Basilan will be held accountable. I also ordered the provision of security protection to the victim.]

Eleazar added that the PNP will also coordinate with the Commission on Elections to discuss the protection of election officers.

Makikipag-ugnayan din tayo sa liderato ng Commission on Elections upang pag-usapan kung paano makakatulong ang inyong PNP sa seguridad ng mga opsiyal ng Comelec lalo na sa mga probinsya na may history ng election violence, he said.

[Translation: We will also coordinate with the officials of Commission on Elections to discuss how the PNP can provide protection to all its officials, especially those in provinces with history of election violence.]

The national elections will take place on May 9, 2022.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 12)  The policy-making body of the World Health Organization has recommended that a third dose of Sinovac and Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine should be offered to persons aged 60 and above and those whose immune systems are diminished.

The WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (WHO SAGE) said all evidence reviewed showed a need for a third dose of the same vaccine for those who have completed the two doses of inactivated vaccines produced by Chinese manufacturers Sinovac and Sinopharm.

SAGE chairperson Alejandro Cravioto, however, said a different brand can be considered as the third dose if there is enough supply.

"This should be started to be offered to people aged 60 and above since they are the ones that have shown the biggest problem in response," he said in a briefing on Monday.

SAGE published highlights from its meeting conducted from Oct. 4 to 7, saying nations should initially aim to fully vaccinate senior citizens before administering the third dose by starting in the oldest age groups.

The Philippines' biggest vaccine stock is Sinovac with a total of 41.5 million doses, while the country has only received 1.1 million doses of Sinopharm. A total of 4.49 million senior citizens have been fully vaccinated, but the government is not releasing the breakdown per brand.

Meanwhile, SAGE said an additional dose of all WHO-approved COVID-19 vaccines should be offered to those who are moderately or severely immunocompromised.

WHO has granted emergency use listing to Moderna, Pfizer/BioNTech, Janssen (Johnson & Johnson), Oxford/AstraZeneca, Covishield (AstraZeneca vaccine produced by the Serum Institute of India), Sinopharm, and Sinovac.

"We feel, as will be published, that there are a number of people who have a compromise in their immune system and therefore they need a third dose as an additional so that they are fully protected," Cravioto said.

SAGE's full and final report is expected to be published in the coming weeks.

WHO Immunization Director Kate O'Brien said there is a clear distinction between giving a third shot versus administering booster doses.

"Giving booster doses to individuals who already have had the benefit of a primary response has been explained before," she said. "It's like putting two life jackets on somebody and leaving other people without any life jacket."

The WHO in September called for a moratorium on the widespread distribution of COVID-19 booster shots until the end of 2021.

Vaccine experts have recommended administering an additional shot to medical frontliners exposed to COVID-19 patients six to eight months after they completed their vaccination. The Department of Health has yet to issue its decision.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 12) More Filipinos are now worried about catching COVID-19 and fear "the worst is yet to come" in the health crisis, according to a recent survey.

A Social Weather Stations (SWS) poll conducted from September 12 to 16 and released on Tuesday found 91% of adult Filipinos are worried that anyone in their immediate family might get infected with the coronavirus.

This is up four percentage points from June's 87%, and ties the record-high level reached during the November 2020 period, the SWS said.

Meanwhile, four percent of respondents said they were a "little worried" about contracting the disease while five percent said they were not worried.

The SWS added the percentage of those worried about COVID-19 rose in all areas, with the highest score listed in the Visayas (95%). Mindanao logged 94% while Metro Manila and Balance Luzon recorded 91% and 88%, respectively.

Another record high

A majority of Filipinos were also not optimistic with their pandemic outlook, with 60% of respondents  another record-high  believing that "the worst is yet to come."

The score is up from 39% in June, and also breaches the previous record of 57% in July 2020, according to the SWS.

On the other hand, 38% of respondents think the worst of the pandemic is already "behind us."

The percentage of those who believe the "worst is yet to come" increased in all areas, with the highest seen in Balance Luzon (65%). This was followed by the Visayas (62%), Metro Manila (61%), and Mindanao (49%).

The nationwide poll was conducted through face-to-face interviews and included a sample of 1,200 adults.

The survey had a 3% error margin, and 6% for Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 13)  It is time to allow more economic activities in the last quarter of the year to allow businesses to recover losses, said Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion.

We have to open the economy because this is the last quarter, this is the time when most negosyantes (entrepreneurs) can get back what they lost in the previous months, he said in a Tuesday briefing.

This is also in anticipation of consumer spending for the Christmas season, he said.

Concepcion has been pushing to allow greater mobility for fully vaccinated individuals especially those in the National Capital Region.

Metro Manila is currently under Alert Level 4 which intends to open more establishments, while also ensuring to prevent the transmission of the coronavirus.

Under such classification, businesses are allowed to operate but certain percentage of capacity  depending on the sector  should be followed.

The presidential adviser noted that current conditions do not allow businesses to earn that much, thus the need to adjust.

Moreover, it is also time to start to live with COVID by opening up more and more establisments as health experts observe a decline in the number of COVID-19 infections, Concepcion said.

On Oct. 9, both the Department of Health and OCTA Research said they are seeing a decline in coronavirus-related hospitalizations in Metro Manila, with healthcare utilization rate slightly falling to 53% from 57%.

The DOH is also seeing a downtrend in the number of new COVID-19 cases in the capital region.

If it reverses, then we pull back and we can push back, Concepcion noted.

But for now, its only one quarter left til the end of the year, ibigay na natin ito sa mga negosyante para mabuhay sila (let's give this to the businessmen for them to survive) til next year, he added.

Latest tally of COVID-19 cases in the country has reached 2,683,372, of which 82,228 are active cases.

In terms of vaccination, over 23 million individuals have so far received full protection from the infection.

The governments intermediate goal is to vaccinate 50% of the country's population by the end of the year.
(CNN)  An Afghan interpreter who helped rescue then-Sen. Joe Biden after his helicopter was forced to land in a snowstorm 13 years ago has left Afghanistan, sources familiar tell CNN.

Early Monday morning, the sources told CNN that the Human First Coalition, along with the State Department, successfully extracted Aman Khalili and his family from Pakistan. Khalili had recently asked now-President Biden to return the favor and rescue him from the country.

The coalition told CNN: "We are grateful for the continued support of Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan for his continued support of the evacuation, Secretary Antony Blinken, Congressman Jeff Fortenberry, Senator Chris Coon, Chief of Staff DoS Suzy George, DoS JP Feldmayer, Director of Task Force Islamabad Mark Terkowski for evacuating the family of Aman Khalili, President Joe Biden's interpreter from Islamabad and their promise to evacuate the remaining 200 people that remain in Islamabad."

The Wall Street Journal was first to report the news.

The former interpreter helped rescue Biden in 2008 when his helicopter  which was also carrying then-Sens. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska and John Kerry of Massachusetts  was forced to make an emergency landing in the mountains of Afghanistan because of a snowstorm.

This summer Khalili said his Special Immigrant Visa was stuck in processing and that he had faith in President Biden. He told CNN's Anderson Cooper on "AC360," "I trust him."

"I trust that he can do everything," Kahlili, who was at the time only going by the name Mohammed, said of the President. "He is the President of the United States. He is a man of education."

A senior State Department official confirmed that Khalili was able to successfully leave Afghanistan and has also departed Pakistan.

"We engaged at senior levels to help facilitate all of this," the official told CNN. "We're gratified that he'll be on his way to safety."

The official said the department has "worked at every stage to expedite his processing," noting it was accurate that his Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) application was rejected a few years ago but they are working "to expedite that reprocessing."

The official would not say where Khalili and his family were heading, telling CNN, "I would not want to speak to his onward travel but we have worked to arrange it."

The official said that State Department chief of staff Suzy George has been working "very closely" with groups arranging charters to help American citizens, permanent residents and SIVs depart.

In August, White House press secretary Jen Psaki praised the Afghan interpreter and reaffirmed the US' commitment to helping Afghan allies.

"Our message to him is: Thank you for fighting by our side for the last 20 years. Thank you for the role you played in helping a number of my favorite people out of a snowstorm and for all the work you did. And our commitment is enduring, not just to American citizens but to our Afghan partners who have fought by our side," Psaki said. "And our efforts and our focus right now is, as you've heard Gen. McKenzie say and others say over the last 24 hours, is to the diplomatic phase. We will get you out. We will honor your service. And we're committed to doing exactly that," she added.

This story was first published on CNN.com "Afghan interpreter who helped rescue Biden in 2008 gets out of Afghanistan"
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 12)  The countrys thrift banks are well-placed to help achieve a more financially inclusive society for Filipinos, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said Tuesday.

Thrift banks are strategically positioned to be a catalyst for financial inclusion with an extensive network of 2,744 banking offices as of end-August 2021 that are spread in different regions throughout the country, said BSP Governor Benjamin Diokno during the first day of the Chamber of Thrift Banks Virtual Convention this year.

Diokno likewise cited the industrys sustained growth in assets and deposits, strong capital position, adequate liquidity buffers and profitable operations which contributed to its sound and stable state amid the COVID-19 health crisis.

As of August, the thrift banking industrys total assets stood at 1.19 trillion  a 7% year-on-year growth.

Meanwhile, deposit liabilities climbed by 8.8% to 940.8 billion during the period. The BSP chief said this was highly indicative of the publics continued trust and confidence in the industry.

Thrift banks total capital reached 166.45 billion, rising by 4% from August last year. Their capital adequacy ratio also stood at 18.8%, well above the 10% minimum requirement set by the BSP.

We are optimistic that the thrift banking industry is well-equipped to withstand the risk posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, said Diokno, adding that the sectors strong performance and countrys economic recovery will serve as a strong foundation for thrift banks under the new economy.

Diokno also cited the central banks efforts to further assist the industry, such as lowering the minimum liquidity ratio for standalone thrift, rural and cooperative banks from 20% to 16% until year-end.

He also encouraged thrift banks to avail of incentives under the Financial Institutions Strategic Transfer (FIST) Act to manage soured asset levels, raise liquidity, and support financial requirements of clients.

For his part, Chamber of Thrift Banks president Cecilio San Pedro affirmed they will keep fulfilling their mandate of coordinating their members efforts in line with the central banks goal of making the national financial system an enabler for all Filipino people.

COVID-19 has accelerated customer demand for digital solutions as customers now expect an all-round service anytime and anywhere. There is now a need for the sector to strengthen its platforms, security, and service channels, he said.
(CNN) -- Sophie Zhang, who said she felt like she had "blood on her hands" after working at Facebook, is willing to testify before Congress about her former employer, she told CNN Sunday. She said she had also passed on documentation about the company to a US law enforcement agency.

Zhang, who worked as a data scientist at the tech giant for almost three years, wrote a lengthy memo when she was fired by Facebook last year detailing how she believed the company was not doing enough to tackle hate and misinformation -- particularly in smaller and developing countries. Zhang said the company told her she was fired because of performance issues.

The memo was first reported last year by BuzzFeed News and later formed the basis of a series of reports by The Guardian newspaper.

Speaking to CNN at her home in the Bay Area on Sunday, Zhang said she was encouraged that there appeared to be bipartisan support for action relating to the protection of children online following Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen's testimony to a Senate subcommittee last week.

Zhang said she has brought information about Facebook to authorities. "I provided detailed documentation regarding potential criminal violations to a U.S. law enforcement agency. My understanding is that the investigation is still ongoing," she tweeted Sunday.

She declined to share when asked by CNN what information she had provided or to which agency. An FBI spokesperson declined to comment Monday adding, "the FBI does not generally confirm, deny, or otherwise comment on information or tips we may receive from the public."

Central to Zhang's allegations about Facebook is that it doesn't do enough to tackle abuse of its platform in countries outside of the United States. Roughly 90% of Facebook's monthly active users are outside the US and Canada, according to its most recent quarterly filing.

A Facebook spokesperson pushed back on that charge Monday, saying the company had invested billions in safety and security in recent years.

"We have also taken down over 150 networks seeking to manipulate public debate since 2017, and they have originated in over 50 countries, with the majority coming from or focused outside of the US. Our track record shows that we crack down on abuse abroad with the same intensity that we apply in the US," the spokesperson added.

- CNN's Christina Carrega contributed reporting. This story was first published on CNN.com, "Another Facebook whistleblower says she is willing to testify before US Congress"
(CNN)  Tesla CEO Elon Musk has said the company will roll out the latest beta version of its "full self-driving" software to 1,000 owners this weekend.

Yet there aren't actually any self-driving cars for sale today, according to autonomous vehicle experts and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which regulates cars. Tesla's "full self-driving" is more like an enhanced cruise control, they say.

Videos posted on the internet by people who already have the feature unlocked show that it might stop for traffic lights and turn smoothly at intersections, but it also might veer toward pedestrians or confuse the moon for a traffic signal.

Tesla says that a human driver needs to be watching and ready to take over at any moment, and the company is only allowing initial access to the system to the people it considers the safest drivers.

Despite those limits, Tesla is free to call its technology "full self-driving." Tesla owners who download the "full self-driving" beta must check a box confirming that they understand they are responsible for remaining alert with their hands on the wheel, and must be prepared to take action at any time. "Full self-driving" does not make their car autonomous, it says.

A person buying a Tesla vehicle on its website sees the technology described in big, bold letters as "full self-driving," but the fine print below that says the technology is a driver-assist technology. Driver-assist technologies are intended to help a human drive more safely, with features such as forward collision warning, blind spot warning and lane departure warning systems.

"The problem is that Tesla has one foot on both sides," said Bryan Reimer, a scientist at the MIT AGELab whose research has looked at driver attention with Tesla's features.

The US government has no performance standards for automated driver-assist technologies, Reimer said. Tesla or any automaker can essentially do whatever they want when it comes to these technologies.

"We're at mercy of the auto manufacturers to put in safe systems. We are reliant on drivers wanting to be risk adverse," Cathy Chase, president of the Advocates for Auto and Highway Safety told CNN Business. "The combination of those two is a perfect storm for future disasters."

Tesla did not respond to a request for comment and generally does not engage with the professional news media.

There are signs that the NHTSA is moving toward regulating driver-assist technologies, but how fast that might happen remains to be seen. It can take years to complete a rulemaking process, and sometimes an administration may halt a process a previous administration started. NHTSA's agenda earlier this year called for proposing a rule that would set performance standards for automatic emergency braking as well as specifying a test to determine if automakers comply.

NHTSA launched an investigation this summer into Teslas rear-ending emergency vehicles while using Autopilot. Chase said she's concerned that the Tesla technology may play a role in other types of crashes we aren't yet aware of.

Autonomous driving experts have long cautioned that Tesla's description of "full self-driving," and its more rudimentary predecessor, Autopilot, may lead to drivers putting too much trust in the technology. Tesla drivers have already died in high-profile crashes using Autopilot, drawing rebukes from the National Transportation Safety Board.

US Senators Ed Markey and Richard Blumenthal, Democrats from Connecticut, have called on the Federal Trade Commission to investigate Tesla and take enforcement action because Tesla's marketing overstates its vehicles' abilities, they say.

"When drivers' expectations exceed their vehicle's capabilities, serious and fatal accidents can and do result," they wrote.

The Federal Trade Commission, which is tasked with protecting consumers from deceptive or unfair business practices, declined to tell CNN Business why it has not taken any action against Tesla. The FTC also said it does not comment on whether it has any open investigations, a spokesperson said.

Picking the wrong technology

NHTSA and Congress, which can push the agency to regulate specific things, missed an opportunity to focus on driver-assist technologies in recent years, according to autonomous driving and law experts.

Rather than regulate driver-assist, they focused on self-driving vehicles, the types of cars that wouldn't need steering wheels or pedals. The US House of Representatives passed a law related to self-driving cars in 2017. NHTSA has released several versions of guidance for fully autonomous vehicles.

"It's jumping ahead many, many steps while we're not addressing what could be saving lives right now," Chase said.

The decision to focus on the revolutionary technology followed years of hype from self-driving companies. Some of the biggest names in the industry said the technology was only years way. But self-driving software has proven incredibly difficult and companies have failed to hit predictions. Only Waymo offers a self-driving robotaxi service, and it's in a limited portion of the greater Phoenix area. On rainy days, Waymo's vehicles require a human behind the wheel.

Bryant Walker Smith, a professor at the University of South Carolina law school, said that European regulators are far ahead of the United States on regulating driver-assist technologies. Smith said that technologies like pedestrian detection and automatic braking are sensible to mandate on new cars, and there should be performance standards for them.

"There's low-hanging fruit," Smith said. "We could save lives far earlier than we have self-driving cars."

This story was first published on CNN.com How Tesla can sell 'full self-driving' software that doesn't really drive itself
(CNN)  A record 4.3 million people quit their jobs in August, evidence of the considerable leverage workers have in today's economy.

About 2.9% of the workforce quit in August, up from 2.7% in July, according to the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) report, released Tuesday. That marks the highest quit rate since the report began in late 2000.

The number of workers who quit rose by 242,000 from July as more Americans demanded higher pay, better working conditions and more flexible arrangements. Those number of people who quit rose in accommodation and food services, wholesale trade and state and local government education.

"If you're unhappy with your job or want a raise, in the current environment it's pretty easy to find a new one," said Gus Faucher, chief economist at PNC. "We're seeing people vote with their feet."

Companies continue to grapple with a serious worker shortage. Job openings remained very high at the end of August at 10.4 million, the JOLTS report showed. However, that marks a decline of 659,000 from the end of July.

The numbers show the worker shortage was even worse than realized this summer. The number of job openings in July was revised higher to 11.1 million, a record high since this report began in 2000.

'Golden age' for workers

Joe Brusuelas, chief economist at RSM, said this may be witnessing the start of what might eventually be considered the "golden age for the American worker."

"The American worker is now confident that he or she has the bargaining power and can obtain a reasonable wage -- and have influence over the shape of working conditions," Brusuelas said.

That bargaining power comes from their willingness to quit jobs they don't like and look for new ones. And this shift is not merely centered on simple economics -- but a broader reassessment around quality of life and purpose.

"This is what happens after great wars or depressions," Brusuelas said. "It's hard to spot while you're in it, but we've gone through a shock that has elicited an unexpected change upon the population. And it will take some time to sort through."

All of this helps explain why employers, including factories, trucking companies, restaurants, construction firms and schools, are having trouble finding workers.

In the long run, such a workforce transformation will be a positive thing, allowing more people to find satisfaction in their careers and for businesses to have happier employees. And it can allow more workers to make a living wage and contribute to the broader economy, easing the alarming gap between rich and poor.

In the short run, however, the worker shortage will continue to complicate the reopening of the global economy, contributing to rising prices, supply chain stress, product shortages and shipping delays.

"It takes some for these things to work themselves out," said PNC's Faucher.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "A record number of Americans are quitting their jobs."
(CNN)  When the biggest band in British musical history, the Beatles, broke up in 1970, fans pointed the finger at co-lead vocalist Paul McCartney.

Now, more than half a century later, McCartney has revealed it was, in fact, John Lennon who instigated the split.

In an upcoming interview on BBC Radio 4, he told journalist John Wilson: "John walked into the room one day and said, 'I'm leaving the Beatles.' And he said, 'It's quite thrilling. It's rather like a divorce.' And then we were left to pick up the pieces," McCartney said in a preview that aired on the station's Today program Monday.

While Wilson highlighted that McCartney was the one to sue his bandmates to end the business partnership, he also said being blamed for the band's breakup had "frustrated McCartney for half a century."

McCartney said Lennon's decision to leave the band was driven by his pursuit of social justice, including movements such as "bagism," where he and his wife, Yoko Ono, wore bags to urge people not to judge others based on their appearance.

Lennon and Ono also held "bed-ins" for peace in Amsterdam and Montreal in 1969, whereby they lay in bed in hotel rooms for a week in protest against conflict, particularly the Vietnam War.

"The point of it really was that John was making a new life with Yoko and he wanted to go in a bag, and he wanted to lie in bed for a week in Amsterdam, for peace," McCartney said. "You couldn't argue with that."

McCartney described the breakup as the "most difficult period of my life" and said he could have imagined the Beatles continuing for longer if Lennon had not instigated the split.

"The Beatles were breaking up and this was my band, this was my job, this was my life," he said. "I wanted it to continue, I thought we were doing some pretty good stuff  you know, 'Abbey Road,' 'Let It Be,' not bad."

McCartney will release a book of commentaries on his song lyrics next month, edited by Irish poet Paul Muldoon, and including songs written for the Beatles.

He also told Wilson he and Lennon had written a four-page play in the "kitchen sink" genre before they started the Beatles.

The full interview will be broadcast on October 23.

This story was first published on CNN.com "Paul McCartney sets the record straight on who really broke up the Beatles"
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines)  All eyes in the construction industry are on Northern Cement Corporation (NCC) as it produces the eco-friendly product Maxpro Blended Cement Type 1T.

Maxpro Blended Cement Type 1T is produced with a lower CO2 footprint using an innovative technology that could reduce emissions in precast concrete applications. This is evidenced by its lower clinker factor or the amount of clinker used in the cement to make concrete.

Clinker is polluting but its negative effect can be reduced. What NCC does is it utilizes supplementary cementitious materials like natural pozzolan and mixes them with water. Despite the lower clinker factor, the concrete strength of Maxpro Blended Cement Type 1T still exceeds the standard design requirements and industry Type 1T benchmarks. This makes it a versatile, economical, and basic building material for a wide variety of commercial and architectural concrete construction applications.

Lesser fuel coal usage also helped in reducing carbon emissions. Being an affiliate of San Miguel Corporation (SMC), it has become possible for NCCs materials handling facility in Pangasinan to consume up to 1.5 million tons of plastic waste per year to convert it into energy. It is targeting to reduce the use of traditional fuel by up to 50 percent and substitute it with plastic wastes.

Technologies to be more environment-friendly keep emerging. While converting plastic waste to energy has existed for a long time, Northern Cement has been using this on a smaller scale. Throughout the years, it has garnered acclaim for managing environmental impacts and meeting the requirements set by the governing agencies like the Environmental Management Bureau and Mines and Geosciences Bureau. Its Integrated Management System has also been certified for Environment Protection: ISO 14001: 2015.

Apart from being good for the environment, Northern Cement Maxpro Blended Cement Type 1T is the best alternative to Type 1 OPC due to its excellent compatibility characteristics to chemical concrete admixtures, high early strength concrete, and concrete durability.

If you are in the construction industry, you have to consider the impacts of what you are building on the environment. Start going green with the environment-friendly Maxpro Blended Cement Type 1T.

Are you a contractor looking for eco-friendly cement products in construction? Follow Northern Cement on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for more updates and product information.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 11)  Metro Manila could soon shift to a more relaxed alert level with recent data showing promise, the Palace said Monday.

"Ang mabuting balita po ay pagdating po sa ICU capacity eh for the first time po in many, many months ang Metro Manila po ay nasa moderate risk," said Presidential and IATF spokesman Harry Roque, who reported a 69% utilization rate for the region as of Sunday.

[Translation: The good news is that when it comes to ICU capacity is for the first time in many, many months Metro Manila has become moderate risk.]

While the official noted the National Capital Region's two-week growth rates and average daily attack rates are also taken into account, he said the data "supports a reduction of the alert level but that's ultimately the decision of the IATF."

In a separate briefing, Department of Health spokesperson Ma. Rosario Vergeire acknowledged COVID-19 cases are indeed going down along with hospital admissions. However, the evaluation of local governments' responses must also be assessed, she added.

"Kailangan din tingnan if we can maintain the current health system's capacity. 'Yung shortened detection to isolation, kaya ba to maintain itong apat na araw lang? 'Yung active case finding mapagpapatuloy ba natin yan, 'yung intensive contact tracing at testing at immediate isolation," she explained.

[Translation: We also need to see if we can maintain the current health system's capacity. Can we maintain the duration for shortened detection to isolation to only four days? Can we sustain active cases finding, intensive contact tracing, testing and immediate isolation?]

Metro Manila has been under Alert Level 4 ever since the COVID-19 alert level system was first piloted last month.

Roque likewise agreed with Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion that further easing of restrictions is necessary to allow ailing businesses to pay their workers' 13th month pay.

"Kinakailangan po ito para mas marami sa atin ang makapag-hanapbuhay. Alam naman ninyo, paulit-ulit kong sinasabi wala pong tamad na Pilipino. Kinakailangan lang hayaang magtrabaho at mag-hanapbuhay," the spokesperson added.

[Translation: This is necessary so that more of us can work. As you all know, I've said multiple times that no Filipino is lazy. He just needs to be allowed to work and make a living.]

Concepcion earlier said the private sector wants the capital region to ease to Alert Level 3 by the last quarter of 2021 so they can make up for losses as consumer spending is expected to surge in time for the holidays.

CNN Philippines correspondent Crissy Dimatulac contributed to this report.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 12)  President Rodrigo Duterte suggested a way to reach those who remain hesitant to get a COVID-19 vaccine, which is not mandatory.

"Iyan ang problema, 'yung ayaw magpabakuna. Kaya hanapin ninyo 'yan sa barangay niyo, akyatin natin pag tulog, at turukin natin ang natutulog para makumpleto ang istorya," he said in a taped address that aired on Tuesday morning.

"Kung ayaw di akyatin sa bahay. Tusukin natin sa gabi. Ako ang mag-ano. I will lead the journey," added Duterte, who is known for his deadpan jokes and controversial remarks.

[Translation: The problem is those who don't want to get vaccinated. Look for them in your village, let's go there while they're asleep and inject them while asleep so we can get it done. If they don't want, let's go in their houses and inject them when night falls. I'll do it, I'll lead the journey.]

The Department of Health has repeatedly stressed that vaccination is not mandatory. All vaccinations require informed consent.

Duterte, in the same speech, took the blame for the shortage of COVID-19 vaccines at the start of the year, saying he was helpless because the government cannot find any company that would sell to the Philippines.

The country formally started its COVID-19 vaccination drive last March 1, over a year since the first COVID-19 case was registered and the last to launch such initiative in Southeast Asia.

As of Oct. 10, over 23.1 million Filipinos have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 while some 26.4 million persons have received their first dose.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 12)  President Rodrigo Duterte has accepted the responsibility for the COVID-19 vaccine shortage experienced by the country early this year.

"Kung mayroon man nagkasala diyan, aminin ko na lang, kasi wala na rin naman ako magawa. Gusto ko bumili, wala naman ako mabilihan,"said Duterte in his weekly national address.

[Translation: If there is someone who made a mistake, it is I, since I could not do anything. I had wanted to buy (vaccines), but I didn't know where to buy.]

Duterte lamented the country has no vaccine manufacturing firm, which makes it hard to secure COVID-19 vaccine doses for Filipinos.

The President also reasoned out that rich countries hoarded the COVID-19 vaccines, something that he ranted about a few weeks ago in front of fellow world leaders in the 76th United Nations General Assembly.

"Kung makipag-contest ako doon sa mga mayayaman sa bilihan ng bakuna, talagang huli ako (If I will compete with rich countries who are procuring vaccines, I would really fall behind.)," he said.

Duterte noted the continuing decline of COVID-19 cases in the country, saying a "better" Christmas is in store for the Filipinos. He cites increased vaccine confidence and public compliance with health and safety protocols.

The country formally started its COVID-19 vaccination drive last March 1, over a year since the first COVID-19 case was registered and the last to launch such initiative in the Southeast Asian region.

As of Oct. 10, over 23.1 million Filipinos have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 while some 26.4 million persons have received their first dose.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 12)  Metro Manila localities will implement shorter curfew hours from midnight to 4 a.m. beginning Wednesday, Mayor Edwin Olivarez, chairman of the Metro Manila Council, confirmed to CNN Philippines.

The mayor of Paranaque said it was a unified decision of all local chief executives.

Metro Manila Development Authority chief Benhur Abalos earlier said shorter curfew hours is possible due to the declining COVID-19 cases in the National Capital Region.

Currently, curfew hours is from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. after NCR was placed under Alert Level 4 until Oct, 15.

According to Abalos' report, active cases in NCR are now down to 17,296 from 38,471 on Sept. 16, or during the pilot implementation of the alert level system.

Occupation rate of different COVID-19 facilities has also declined, the report also said.
(CNN)  Merck said Monday it is seeking US Food and Drug Administration emergency use authorization for its experimental antiviral COVID-19 treatment, molnupiravir.

If authorization is granted, the drug, made by Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, would be the first oral antiviral treatment to fight Covid-19. It comes in capsule form.

Merck said it is asking for authorization for the capsules to treat infected adults who are at risk of progressing to severe Covid-19 disease or hospitalization. Its submission is based on a study that was stopped at the interim point because the drug was working so well in more than 700 patients randomly assigned to take either molnupiravir or a placebo.

"At the interim analysis, molnupiravir reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%; 7.3% of patients who received molnupiravir were either hospitalized or died through Day 29 following randomization, compared with 14.1% of placebo-treated patients," the company said in a statement.

"Through Day 29, no deaths were reported in patients who received molnupiravir, as compared to eight deaths in patients who received placebo." None of the volunteers in the trial had been vaccinated.

"The extraordinary impact of this pandemic demands that we move with unprecedented urgency, and that is what our teams have done by submitting this application for molnupiravir to the FDA within 10 days of receiving the data," Merck CEO and President Robert Davis said in the statement.

Data from the trial has not yet been peer-reviewed or published.

"Merck has been producing molnupiravir at risk and expects to produce 10 million courses of treatment by the end of 2021, with more courses expected to be produced in 2022," the company said.

It has already sold 1.7 million treatment courses to the US government. The company said it will offer tiered pricing to provide access around the world, and will work with generic drug manufacturers to speed availability to low- and middle-income countries.

At a White House Covid-19 briefing last week, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, called the trial results "very encouraging," but said the drug needs close scrutiny by the FDA.

"It is very important that this now must go through the usual process of careful examination of the data by the Food and Drug Administration both for effectiveness, but also for safety, because whenever you introduce a new compound, safety is very important," Fauci said, noting that vaccines remain "our best tools against Covid-19" by preventing infection and illness, rather than treating it.
(CNN)  Scientists using artificial intelligence to sift through around 100,000 climate studies were trying to put a number on how many people in the world were already experiencing the impacts of the climate crisis.

Instead, they discovered something else: there is a worrying inequality in the world of climate science.

Climate change studies are twice as likely to focus on wealthier countries in Europe and North America than low-income countries like those in Africa and the Pacific Islands. That blind spot is a problem, as the Global South is and will continue to be more profoundly impacted by the climate crisis than wealthier countries.

The ability to link the climate crisis to real-world impacts has grown dramatically in the past decade, as more people face the consequences of a warming planet, including deadly floods, destructive wildfires and crippling heat. But it has been a challenge to collect and scrutinize the vast amount of research, to fully understand the global impact.

In research published in the journal Nature Climate Change on Monday, scientists used machine learning  training computer algorithms to detect patterns and predict outcomes  to analyze more than 100,000 climate change studies.

"There's just so much climate science produced, like tens of thousands [of studies], and getting to grips with this evidence is really difficult," Max Callaghan, lead author of the study and a researcher at the Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change, told CNN. "So we trained the machine learning algorithm to predict the areas that we didn't have time to look at  which is most of them."

Compiling the results of all of those studies would suggest a vast majority of the world  80% of land area, where 85% of the world's population lives  is experiencing the effects of the climate crisis right now. It's a large percentage, but experts know the true number is even higher.

The authors called the blind spot in research an "attribution gap." Callaghan said the gap suggests 85% is likely to be an underestimate.

Friederike Otto, co-lead of the World Weather Attribution initiative, who was not involved with the machine-learning research, also said the study's estimate is likely too low. Over the years, climate scientists like Otto have been saying the climate crisis will leave no place in the world untouched.

"The study focused on changes in mean temperature and precipitation, rather than extremes, but we know that heat extremes are changing faster than mean temperatures and that heat extremes are increasing almost everywhere," Otto told CNN. "It is likely that nearly everyone in the world now experiences changes in extreme weather as a result of human greenhouse gas emissions."

"What we find here is that the evidence is distributed unequally across countries," Callaghan said. "And this is really important because often when we try to make a map or to find out where the impacts of climate change are happening, we find often few scientific papers in less developed countries or low-income countries."

Callaghan added that this attribution gap leaves people wondering if climate change is happening in those areas, even though climate scientists firmly believe so.

"We want to try and point out that absence of evidence isn't evidence of absence," he said.

The authors note in the study that an automated approach is "no substitute for careful assessment by experts," however, it can identify large numbers of studies for a region that may point towards consequences brought by human-caused climate change.

Tom Knutson, senior scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and co-author of the study, told CNN the machine learning methodology has "a number" of limitations and weaknesses, since it only accounts for certain climate impacts  in this case, human-induced precipitation and temperature changes.

If it accounted for other impacts such as sea level rise, for example, he said the outcome may have suggested "a greater fraction" of the world's population has been experiencing climate change.

A recent report by the World Meteorological Organization found that an extreme weather event or climate disaster has occurred every day, on average, somewhere in the world over the last 50 years, marking a five-fold increase over that period.

This summer alone was packed with extreme weather events across the Northern Hemisphere: While the United States has been battered by a cocktail of drought-fueled wildfires, devastating floods and a historic heat wave, China and Germany experienced deadly flooding events in July as southern Europe and Canada battled destructive wildfires of its own.

Despite the observed extremes, the dearth of substantial scientific evidence has the effect of limiting the changes that can be proposed or implemented in under-studied locations, Callaghan said.

"It's useful to bring together the literature and data as this study has, which allows us to see where more data is needed and where there are gaps," Otto said, pointing to previous studies. "Their finding of a gap in the Global South is similar to what we found last year, where we saw that extreme events are identified less often and are the subject of fewer attribution studies when they occur in poorer countries."

World leaders will gather at a critical UN climate meeting in less than a month, and one of the issues that will be discussed is the amount of funding developed nations can pledge to help the Global South move away from fossil fuels and manage the impacts of the climate crisis.

Callaghan said this new machine learning research delivers a key message for world leaders: Climate change is already happening and the planet will only continue to warm, meaning adaptation is critical as well as halting the use of fossil fuels. The new study provides an outline of where more climate funds and climate research are needed, and it is up to global leaders to implement that.

"The world will continue to warm until we stop burning fossil fuels, and there is simply no way around that," he said. "And what we really need to recognize is that we need to change the trajectory and reduce emissions."

Correction: This story has been updated to reflect the study was published in the journal Nature Climate Change.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Scientists looked at more than 100,000 studies and found the world has a giant climate-crisis blind spot"
(CNN)  The blood-stained bodies of the four accused kidnappers were hung off construction cranes with heavy chains, one with a warning sign strung around his neck, "Abductors will be punished like this."

In the public spaces in the western Afghan city of Herat, the crowds squinted into the sun, peering up at the lifeless figures. Adults took video and pictures with their cellphones, while small children climbed up on the edge of the fountain, directly underneath one of the bodies, to get a better view.

"People are really happy about this decision," one of the bystanders, Mohammed Mansour, told CNN. "Because people believe that by doing this, kidnapping can be removed from this province."

Under the previous government, corruption was rampant and crime rates were high. Since ousting the US-backed administration and storming to power in August, the Taliban have gained favor with many for meting out swift, albeit brutal, justice under the group's strict interpretation of Sharia law.

In another incident, just after the group seized control of the city, two alleged criminals were paraded before a jeering crowd, their faces painted -- a punishment the Taliban favor for petty thieves.

A little over a month after most of the international community fled Afghanistan on evacuation flights, the lurid brutality in Herat harkens back to the Taliban's previous reign in the late 1990s, when grim public deterrents were commonplace.

But the Taliban are also savvy enough to know how the medieval displays appear to the rest of the world.

New booklet for police

In Ghazni, a strategic city on the Kabul-to-Kandahar highway, the much-feared religious police are back on the streets, but instead of doling out punishment, they are on a charm offensive, more intent on shaking hands and introducing themselves.

On a recent patrol through the market, they gathered the shopkeepers around to encourage them to follow sharia law.

"Treat your women according to Islamic law," one commander told a crowd of shopkeepers, "and make sure they cover themselves."

Nearby a man casually smoked a cigarette, a punishable offense under the previous regime, but on this day, the act was ignored by the police.

The Taliban have turned Ghazni's pink-walled Ministry of Women building into the new headquarters of the Ministry of the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice.

When a CNN team arrived, the men were still settling in, carrying a Taliban flag into the central office where director Mawlavi Abdullah Mohammad now sits. He said their role is to encourage Afghan people to embrace Islamic rule and that there are strict rules on how they can do that.

"We [act] with accordance to Sharia law," said Mohammad. "Firstly, we inform people about good deeds. We preach to them and deliver the message to them in a nice way; the second time we repeat to them, again; the third time we speak to them slightly harshly."

He carries a blue booklet, newly issued by the Taliban, which provides guidelines for the religious police on how to do their work.

"We abide by laws and rules. We give advice, but to grab someone's hand, to beat him up, to send them notice or to send them a warning letter, is against the Emirate's policy. If anyone has done this, it is a self-assertive act," Mohammad said.

When asked about a recent edict in Helmand province that barber shops could be punished for shaving men's beards, he presented a document from the Taliban's leadership, condemning the decree.

But away from public view, not every Taliban fighter is following the new guidelines and abuses are common.

In a secure location in Kabul, Wahid shows the bruises across his backside, still visible days after he was attacked. His name is changed for his protection. He said he was stopped by a group of Taliban fighters at a busy roundabout for wearing western-style clothing.

"I had photos on my mobile phone related to gays," Wahid said. The fighters searched his phone, found the pictures and found out he was gay.

Wahid said they started beating him, first with a whip and then with a stick.

"They had covered my mouth and also told me to not make noise and if I did they would beat me even more, so I had to bear the pain but not scream," he said.

Life for gay people was always difficult and dangerous in Kabul, said Wahid, and beatings from the Afghan police under the previous government were also common. But he said that now he is too afraid to leave the house and worries he will end up dead.

"I am scared now to dress like before, because they told me if they catch me wearing those type of clothes again or if I have mobile phone with photos on it, they would kill me," he said.

But justice only cuts one way here and despite the Taliban's carefully cultivated new image, Wahid believes that the movement, born in conflict, is still brutal at its core.

"When they were beating me, they kept saying that I was a gay and that I should be killed," he said. "They had very scary faces. They were enjoying beating me."

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Taliban's religious police instructed to be more moderate, but vulnerable Afghans say brutal justice is still being meted out"
To say Big Pals-Little Pals of Greater Columbus is in the middle of a busy month could be an understatement.

Big Pals-Little Pals in late September moved locations from inside 1C | The Sanctuary to its own office, 1260 27th Ave., Suite 101. In the coming weeks, the nonprofit will hold a Big Pal networking meeting, a free Youth Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Awareness Training meeting and Trunk-or-Treat.

The organization will cap off the busy season with its main fundraiser, Bowl-A-Thon, on Nov. 7 at Westbrook Lanes.

Big Pals-Little Pals of Greater Columbus Executive Director Karmen Thompson said the nonprofit moved because its new downtown location holds office space, a conference room and extra room for matches to meet.

Itll be for our Big Pals who live out of town and for the matches who are in the first three months where they cant meet inside the Big Pals home, Thompson said of the nonprofit's extra space. Well have a homey set-up where they can meet here.

The organization's upcoming event will be its first-ever Big Pal networking meeting from 6:30 to 9 p.m. on Thursday at Henry on 11th, 2521 11th St. The event will be a chance for Big Pals to meet, as well as allow folks interested in becoming a Big Pal mentor to interact with those who are currently one, Thompson said.

It will be open house-style with appetizers and drinks served.

Big Pals-Little Pals of Greater Columbus Board Vice President Aimee Heesacker  who has been a Big Pal for around six years  said she would tell anyone interested in becoming such a mentor it is a rewarding experience. She added a Big Pal can be someone supportive and a listening ear for the kids.

The bond between the Big Pal and Little Pal is a nice relationship, she said. There are things a Big Pal and Little Pal can get out of it.

Later this month, Big Pals-Little Pals will have a free training on Youth Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Awareness from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 23, at 1C, 2200 28th Ave. Thompson said the information presented at the meeting will be for both youth and adults wanting to help younger people who may be struggling.

The training will be a first for the nonprofit; it was made possible from a grant Big Pals-Little Pals received from the Cattlemens Ball earlier this year, Thompson said.

Thompson, whose background is in the mental health field, said in Platte County there is a 50% higher youth suicide rate compared to the rest of the state.

That was alarming to me, she said. We work with youth who have struggles in their lives and that definitely affects their mental health. We have Little Pals who struggle with depression and anxiety so I thought we really need to incorporate that in our program.

So Ive been working on getting mental health resources for parents and Big Pals. In our monthly match meetings, I try to incorporate something, like we had a banquet this summer and I brought in a therapist to talk about anxiety and how to manage and cope with that.

For the Halloween season, the nonprofit will host a free community event and Trunk-or-Treat at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 29, at Columbus Motor Company, 2806 23rd St. Then starting at 6:30, there will be a double feature of the movies The Addams Family and Hocus Pocus. It will be an outdoor event, Thompson said, so folks are encouraged to bring their own seating and blankets.

Lastly, the nonprofits annual Bowl-A-Thon will be at noon on Nov. 7 at Westbrook Lanes, 3156 51st Ave. Thompson said the event is Big Pals-Little Pals biggest fundraiser of the year. She said - outside of the funds received from the Columbus Area United Way general campaign  most of the nonprofits budget comes from the Bowl-A-Thon.

Additionally, Big Pals-Little Pals is looking for sponsors and people to form teams for the event. To be a team costs $150. For more information on the event, those interested can reach the nonprofit at 402-910-8334 or bigpals.org.

They help raise money for a great cause, Thompson said.  We have a lot of fun and great prizes.

Andrew Kiser is a reporter for The Columbus Telegram. Reach him via email at andrew.kiser@lee.net.

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A New Jersey man learned about a Cozad 5-year-old with pediatric brain cancer and decided to walk across Nebraska to raise funds for her.

Paishence Hansen started chemotherapy last December, and her familys medical expenses have risen dramatically. Jim Hickey said he contacted Tara Meyer, Paishences mom, and asked if he could walk for her.

From what I saw (Tara) wasnt getting the help that she needed, Hickey said. I thought that needed to change.

On Friday morning, Hickey was in North Platte, having started in Scottsbluff about three weeks ago. He averages about 21 miles a day.

I started on Sept. 15, which is Paishences birthday, Hickey said, and September is also childhood cancer awareness month.

Meyer said in a phone interview that she appreciates Hickeys efforts.

Jims walk means a lot to us, Meyer said. Hes helping our family out just with the love and support, getting the word out for pediatric brain cancer and for my daughter.

Over the past four years, Hickey has left his hair uncut. On Friday morning, he stopped into Allure Salon at 203 S. Chestnut St.

This is the second time he has cut his hair to donate to Wigs for Kids. In 2013, a daughter of a friend had brain cancer, and Hickey promised her he would continue to donate his hair.

This is the second time Im cutting my hair in honor of Katie (Okolita), Hickey said. She passed away in 2014 at the age of 12.

Kristina Moore did the honors of cutting Hickeys locks, and Allure owner Shary Griesfeller will get the braided hair to Wigs for Kids.

So far Im 184 miles into my walk for Paishence, Hickey said. I ask people to donate directly to her GoFundMe. I dont take donations (myself) for her whatsoever. That way theres no question of impropriety.

People can go to gofundme.com/f/prayers-for-paishence or to her Facebook page at Prayers for Paishence to donate.

Hickey thanked Fairfield Inn and Holiday Inn Express for providing him a place to stay while in North Platte and the Eagles Club for their participation in the walk for Paishence.

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When the discussion turned to sex, a school principal from western Nebraska felt uneasy.

He had volunteered to be a part of a group of educators writing health education standards for Nebraska schools, but what was being proposed at a meeting of the group caused him to speak up.

I cant take this back to (my district), he recalled saying. Ill be on the first train outta there.

Despite his early concern, the Nebraska Department of Education moved forward with developing health and sex education standards that were both comprehensive in scope and inclusive of diverse genders and sexual orientations. Kindergartners, for example, were to learn about cohabitating and same-gender families. First graders were to learn about gender identity and gender stereotypes, and older kids about anal, oral and vaginal sex.

When the initial draft became public last March, reaction from Nebraskans was swift, overwhelming and lopsided.

Thousands of emails poured in describing the initial draft in the harshest terms:

Non-scientific, appalling, ghastly, radical.

Age-inappropriate, child abuse, ideological, immoral.

Ninety percent of the input received by the education department opposed the standards, according to an analysis of emails and survey responses reviewed by researchers at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

The human growth and development section of the draft, which proposed teaching children about gender identity and sexual orientation, drew a record level of feedback, Education Commissioner Matt Blomstedt wrote in a March 27 email to Nebraska State Board of Education members, his cabinet and staff.

The public opposition, Blomstedt wrote, had left the board and employees feeling a little back on our heels.

He expressed optimism, however, that there was a path forward, reminding them that the standards are intended to be a community consensus of what we teach children.

That consensus never materialized.

After nearly six months of relentless opposition that overwhelmed advocates of the proposed standards, state board members halted development of the standards Sept. 3.

The only consensus now is that the writing process failed to produce standards that all Nebraskans would accept.

Why it failed depends on whom you ask.

Critics say the writers of the human growth and development portion sought to implement standards that reflected their own ideology rather than opening the writing process to a more diverse array of Nebraskans.

They say department employees were dismissive of conservative viewpoints, rejecting a suggestion to create standards that emphasized abstinence, and declining offers from the Nebraska Catholic Conference to provide input before the first draft went public.

Even when the state education department revised the draft and stripped out many of the sex-related standards, opponents said it was too little, too late for them to get behind because they had lost faith in the process.

Advocates say experts  who supported the standards and could have educated the public on the need and appropriateness of them  were drowned out by opponents, including Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts. Those opponents called for scrapping the sex ed topics in the standards.

Supporters were discouraged by the purging of most LGBTQ references from the second draft and wanted them restored in a third draft, which was never attempted.

I have to believe that the department did what they felt was correct with the process when they initially started with all this, said Maureen Nickels of Chapman, Nebraska, president of the state education board. They followed the same process, as I understand, that they did with all the other standards. Did it work? Did the process work as well with these standards as they did with all the others? No.

The board and department previously developed standards in English language arts, science and other academic subjects, but this was their first try at health standards.

Opponents say the process was never intended to bring about consensus.

I think the process didnt work because it was a couple of people who just took it upon themselves to create these standards to their political will, said Sue Greenwald, one of the leaders of the Protect Nebraska Children Coalition. And they didnt really care what anybody else wanted or thought.

The coalition leaders point to education board member Deb Neary of Omaha as contributing to the failure.

They allege that emails and text messages they obtained via a public records request show that Neary overstepped her bounds as a policymaker and behaved behind the scenes as an advocate to influence the creation of the standards.

The emails show Neary urged the department to use an advocate of comprehensive sex education, employed by the Womens Fund of Omaha, as an adviser in the standards process and also arranged to invite the standards writers and her board colleagues to an invitation-only workshop with a national sex ed advocate.

Neary denies involvement in writing the standards and says her actions were appropriate for a board member. She said her aim was to create standards that would prepare our students to be successful in the complex world that they will graduate into.

Neary blames Ricketts, who she says completely hijacked the process.

She said the adoption of the standards could have been a routine process of listening to parents and experts, but we had a political leader going around the state creating these town halls and perpetuating at times false information.

There was a lot of misinformation, calling these mandates, for example, she said.

Ricketts spokesman Taylor Gage rejects that accusation.

From the very beginning, Gov. Ricketts correctly pointed out that the health education standards were politicized and that key mainstream stakeholders had been cut out of the process, he said.

Gage said the emails and texts confirm that Neary enlisted the help of radical left-wing activists in writing curriculum standards for our kids.

The emails and texts, reviewed by The World-Herald, as well as interviews, provide a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the writing and review process that was initiated in 2019, as well as the firestorm that erupted after the first draft went public.

The initial draft drew opposition from a majority of Nebraska state senators, family and Catholic advocates and 47 school districts, primarily for its approach to teaching Nebraska children about gender identity and sexual orientation.

The proposed standards sparked creation of the Protect Nebraska Children Coalition, which grew to more than 20,000 Facebook members.

Although the department listed 22 educators on the writing team, not all were involved in writing the human growth and development portion of the standards that went into the initial draft.

The writers were assigned, according to their expertise and experience, to write various topics in the health standards, which addressed areas from nutrition and drug abuse to safety and disease prevention.

The school principal from western Nebraska, who spoke on the condition of not being named, said he didnt write the human growth and development standards.

He said that when he expressed concern about the proposed content, department staff said that districts wouldnt have to adopt the standards.

Because state lawmakers did not direct the board or department to write health standards, local schools would not have been required to adopt them. Typically, schools allow parents to opt their kids out of health classes.

According to his recollection, when he spoke up, state education department staff said he needed to think globally, telling him: You have to think statewide. You have to think western Nebraska to eastern Nebraska, and whats best for all the kids.

Early in the process, education department staff put the writers through equity training.

According to documents, the training asserted that all students deserve to have curricula  whats taught in school  that mirror their own experience, thus validating it in the public world of school.

The training was aimed at addressing bias and avoiding racially based pitfalls and stereotypes. It encouraged critical reflection by the writers to determine whether standards and curricular materials reflect educational equity.

It felt like they were lecturing us, the principal said, that we all were narrow-minded and we needed to open our minds up and we need to look at things differently.

He said the writers looked at standards from several other states, and at the National Sex Education Standards, which he described as graphic.

Honestly, I think whoever wrote the human growth and development for Nebraska just copied it word-for-word from that book, he said.

The principal said the pandemic hurt the writing process because the people involved had to communicate remotely.

Carol Tucker, a nurse on the writing team, said she worked on the portion of the standards that dealt with preventing infectious disease.

Tucker said she believes a lot of politically correct thinking went into the process.

There were teachers and administrators who objected on the basis that their communities would object to the standards as they were proposed, she said. Unfortunately, the politically correct thinkers were on the final committee and basically ignored the input of any who didnt agree with them.

After the draft went public, Kayla Makovicka, a writer whose topic was injury prevention and safety, wrote an email March 31 to Lacey Peters, the departments health education and physical education specialist who worked with the writers.

Makovicka expressed concern about the human growth and development portion.

She wrote that she didnt recall ever talking about these in any of our meetings or getting a clear look at what was going to be involved.

She wrote she was having a hard time with my name sitting behind these. While proud of the work she did, she wrote this has made me ill since being released.

David Jespersen, spokesman for the Nebraska Department of Education, told The World-Herald that the entire writing group met several times to talk over the document as a whole.

All members had access to the full drafts, he said. They had several opportunities to express their concerns or their approval either in meetings or by email, he said.

Jespersen said that although there was no vote of all the writers to approve the final draft, their input was taken into consideration in crafting the final drafts.

Although some writers objected, he said, clearly other people signed off on it and said it was a good idea.

He said a preliminary draft was shared with subject-matter experts who were advising the process, and a subset of the writing team, including education department staff, used the feedback to make changes before the release of the initial draft.

Emails show that, in September 2019, Neary attempted to get her preferred experts on the writing team and told Blomstedt and another employee that she was very disappointed when that didnt happen. Neary urged them to include her experts somehow, and staff subsequently added some of them as subject-matter experts to the advisory group.

Among them was Lisa Schulze, education and training manager for the Womens Fund of Omaha, who formerly worked as an educator for Planned Parenthood.

In an interview, Neary told The World-Herald that she had reached out to organizations and individuals, like the Womens Fund, who she trusted and who could suggest Nebraskans who would bring expertise and experience to writing the standards.

She said Schulze probably was the most knowledgeable person in Nebraska on this topic. She noted that Schulze was one of two people in Nebraska who has certification from the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists.

Schulze was not available for an interview, but Womens Fund executive director Jo Giles said it was reasonable to use her as an adviser.

She said part of the work of the Womens Fund is to provide policymakers with information.

The emails show that Schulze provided department employees with resources, including a set of national standards developed by private advocacy groups that she described as the gold standard of health standards.

Early in 2020, Neary arranged to invite members of the writing and advisory groups and the state education board to Omaha to attend a private, invitation-only workshop with Jennifer Driver, national policy director with the advocacy group SIECUS, who co-authored the National Sex Education Standards.

Those standards, some of which were incorporated into the first draft of the Nebraska standards, are comprehensive and inclusive. The standards reflect progressive views on gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation and sexual identity.

The workshop was sponsored by the Womens Fund of Omaha.

Neary, in an email, said she could get money to cover fees for the workshop attendance and offered to cover mileage herself or have a donor cover it. An email shows the Nebraska State Education Association and its nonprofit entity, Leading Excellence and Robust Networks, subsequently offered to cover the mileage.

Maddie Fennell, the associations executive director, told The World-Herald that the association did not end up paying the mileage for any attendees.

In one email, Neary wrote the event would be a tremendous opportunity to get up to speed on the trends across the country so we can understand best practices.

Neary further wrote that: I hope you understand that I am not advocating for any positions within the standards.

Board president Nickels said she was OK with Neary arranging the invitations.

I do not believe that she had any motive to try to sway us into thinking one way or another, she said. I believe her whole intent was for us to understand better various issues in the health, sex education world. And Im glad I attended that meeting.

Giles, with the Womens Fund, told The World-Herald that Driver was already scheduled to be in Omaha for a conference with the groups community partners.

In our work, we look to national experts to inform best practices, she said. And this was just another example of bringing that expertise to our state for our community partners and individuals who are interested to learn.

She said it was important for the Womens Fund to be part of the conversation around comprehensive sex education.

We care about young people across our state, and we know that young people need and want comprehensive sex education, she said.

The writers eventually borrowed word-for-word more than a dozen standards from the national set, including some of the more controversial items such as teaching first graders to define gender, gender identity and gender-role stereotypes. Other standards from the national set were added with minor wording changes.

Six months before the first draft was released, a representative of Nebraska Catholics asked to meet with department staffers overseeing the standards development.

Jeremy Ekeler, associate director of education with the Nebraska Catholic Conference, wrote an email on Aug. 12, 2020, requesting a meeting.

Id like to talk about that process and see if we can be of any assistance in this or other areas, he wrote.

They did meet, eventually, after some miscommunication and delay.

At one point, a state education department staffer wrote to a colleague: Jeremy is coming on pretty strong, typing a sad-face emoji.

The staffer wrote back: I know. I really think they want to advocate for abstinence only education as well as gender identity, sexual orientation, etc.; but that is only my assumption.

Ekeler said he met on Sept. 14, 2020, with two staffers and asked to see the preliminary draft under development and a list of the advisers. He said his requests were denied.

He said he was told that only advisory members were allowed to see the preliminary draft.

He said he subsequently sent the state education department a list of recommended experts. He said he was told his suggested advisers would not be included unless there was an opening. They were not contacted, he said.

In an interview with The World-Herald, Ekeler said he provided state education department staff with the names of multiple people who believed in character formation, abstinence and the role of parents.

Among those suggested were a Catholic school administrator, two parents with a background in the medical field, a sex education educator and a priest, he said.

Ekeler said there are 400,000 Catholics in Nebraska, many of whom send their children to public schools.

To me its sad that NDE has been preaching inclusion and diversity and then in practice they exclude anyone who doesnt fit with their agenda, he said.

Schulze, meantime, as an adviser was allowed to review the draft.

In a Sept. 20, 2020, email, she thanked the staff for the honor and opportunity to review the draft, saying she was impressed with it and would suggest only minor changes.

It is clear to me that you and your committee worked diligently to align these standards with what supports a students well-being and academic success, she wrote. They closely align with the 2020 National Standards for Sex Education and are very promising for a comprehensive health approach.

One staffer wrote to another that Schulze had provided a nice endorsement!

I (sic) sure that the corrections that Lisa has to offer will be the polar opposite to Jeremy? followed by a smiling emoji.

The other staffer wrote back, Ha, yes, I am sure.

In November 2020, emailers were suggesting to Blomstedt and the board members that Nebraska consider writing standards like Texas. The Texas State Board of Education had updated its standards last November and emphasized abstinence as the preferred and 100% effective way to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. The Texas standards dont mention gender identity or sexual orientation.

Neary wrote to Schulze: I keep receiving this same email from a handful of constituents. These folks (not even sure they are constituents) want us to adapt the Texas template below. This kind of stuff makes my head want to explode.

One state education department staffer, on hearing that Texas standards were being suggested, wrote: Holy Crap! ... Better to have no state standards than misinformed standards.

When the first draft of the standards drew a slew of public criticism, Schulze provided the department with a fact sheet and talking points to defend the draft, and the department forwarded those to the board.

Neary and Schulze discussed efforts to push back against the opponents. Schulze texted that she was lining up speakers to advocate for the standards at state board meetings and that the Womens Fund had hired four social media influencers.

Privately Neary expressed her frustration to a Womens Fund administrator that board members were giving too much weight to public comments and not to the experts.

I am very disappointed that Ryan (Foor, state board relations and rules and regulations officer) and Maureen (Nickels, board president) see this as a both sides need to be presented all the time, Neary wrote. It is irresponsible in my opinion when one of the sides is based in science and fact and the other is based in religion.

She explained in an interview with The World-Herald that those comments arose from her concern that some public comments were inaccurate.

Emails show some people rejected the initial draft on religious grounds. Much criticism focused on the gender-identity standards in the initial draft and questioned introducing such concepts in early elementary grades. Many emails expressed a common theme that the standards being proposed were not representative of the whole state.

One emailer wrote to the education commissioner and to board member Robin Stevens of Gothenburg, who represents the western half of Nebraska.

These standards have led us to ask ourselves if the western half of the state is getting fair representation in the department of education, the writer said. What can be done so that future such committees that develop standards have a better representation of the culture and values of the majority of Nebraska?

With statewide health standards postponed indefinitely, schools will continue to write their own.

Blomstedt said the department absolutely could have done some things differently to ensure a fair process.

He said the public had ample chance to weigh in once it was released, and it did.

The process worked at least on that front, but it didnt work to actually arrive at a set of standards that people could accept across the state, necessarily, he said. Thats kind of the next step, we have to examine that, with a better approach to going forward.

On Friday, several members of the state education board indicated they want the board to conduct a review of the process.

Omaha board member Jacquelyn Morrison said the department needs a process thats written and transparent  and works.

We have calls for our resignation, Morrison said. We have the governor upset with us, the Legislature upset with us, superintendents upset with us. And eventually, because the process was so tumultuous, we stopped the process. So to say the process that we had is working, or it worked or it works, I think is disingenuous.

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" " Google Chrome web browser has a bookmark bar where you can save your favorite websites for easy access. Thiago Prudencio/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

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The state Department of Health reported 81 cases of COVID-19 and five deaths for Cumberland County Tuesday.

The number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 increased to 107 in Tuesday's report, five more than Monday. There are 20 adults in intensive care (the same as Monday) and 15 on ventilators (one fewer than Monday). Eight adult ICU beds remain open of the 112 currently staffed across the county, and 37 of 95 ventilators in the county are in use.

Tuesday's report included 195 test results, with 28 probable cases. Comparing just the number of negative tests (114) and confirmed positive tests (53), the county saw 31.7% of its tests come back positive.

The countys seven-day average of cases now sits at 101.57. Its 14-day per capita rate sits at 629.91.

The southcentral region reported 772 cases and 24 additional deaths Tuesday, with 214 cases in York County, 95 cases in Franklin County and 87 cases in Dauphin County.

Franklin County reports 95 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 Tuesday (12 more than Monday), with three of 30 currently staffed ICU beds available in the county and 19 of 35 available ventilators in use. There are 17 adults in intensive care and 14 on ventilators.

Dauphin County reports 129 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 Tuesday (up eight from Monday), with 28 of 198 currently staffed ICU beds available in the county and 75 of 177 available ventilators in use. There are 32 adults in intensive care and 23 on ventilators.

School-age children

In its weekly update for the sixth week of the school year, the department reported another 176 cases among children aged 5-18 in Cumberland County during the week of Sept. 29 to Oct. 5, a decrease of 14 from the previous week. That brings the total number of cases in Cumberland County for this school year to 949.

Statewide, the number of cases among 5- to 18-year-olds decreased for the second week in a row with 7,046 cases reported. The state said the total number of cases in that age group for the school year thus far is 42,182.

Early Warning Dashboard

Cumberland County saw an increase in its in percent positivity and its incidence rate per 100,000 people in the Health Department's weekly update to its Early Warning Monitoring System Dashboard Friday. Cumberland County saw its percent positivity rise to 13.1% for the week of Oct. 1-7, up from 11.5% the previous week. The incidence rate per 100,000 people increased to 259.3, up from 241.1 the previous week.

Philadelphia County, which includes the city of Philadelphia, holds the second lowest percent positivity in the state for the week of Oct. 1-7 at 4.5% and the lowest incidence rate per 100,000 people at 91.4.

Penn State Health update (Oct. 11)

Penn State Health lists a COVID-19 dashboard on its website tracking cases at each of its acute care hospitals  Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Penn State Health Holy Spirit Medical Center, Hampden Medical Center and Penn State Health St. Joseph Medical Center. The dashboard will be updated every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Monday's update shows 118 total cases (110 adults, 8 pediatrics) in the health system's four hospitals  25 are fully vaccinated (21.2%) with three in an ICU and one on a ventilator, 69 are nonvaccinated (58.5%) with 25 in an ICU and 13 on a ventilator, and 24 are unknown status patients. Five of the eight children hospitalized are unvaccinated (with three at unknown status), with one in an ICU and one on a ventilator.

Holy Spirit Medical Center in Camp Hill has 25 COVID patients. Ten are fully vaccinated adults (no one in ICU and no one on a ventilator) and 15 unvaccinated (two in an ICU and two on a ventilator).

Hampden Medical Center has 10 COVID patients. Eight are not fully vaccinated (three in an ICU) and two are fully vaccinated.

Vaccinations

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention labels Cumberland County as having "high" transmission of the virus  the highest level, which is the transmission level for every county in the state. Community transmission is determined by the number of new cases per 100,000 people in the last seven days and the positivity rate over the last seven days, so the classification could vary from day to day based on those numbers.

In data updated Saturday evening, the CDC says Cumberland County has seen 61% of its total population of 253,370 become fully vaccinated. For the county's vaccine eligible population of people ages 12 and older, 70.4% have been fully vaccinated.

The CDC did not update vaccination data over the holiday weekend.

County numbers in the southcentral region (for Oct. 12):

Adams County (pop. 103,009): 39 new cases; 12,544 total cases (10,313 confirmed, 2,231 probable); 43,446 negatives; 206 deaths; 48.6% of county population vaccinated

39 new cases; 12,544 total cases (10,313 confirmed, 2,231 probable); 43,446 negatives; 206 deaths; 48.6% of county population vaccinated Bedford County (pop. 47,888): 32 new cases; 6,374 total cases (4,347 confirmed, 2,027 probable); 12,176 negatives; 156 deaths (+1); 33.8% of county population vaccinated

32 new cases; 6,374 total cases (4,347 confirmed, 2,027 probable); 12,176 negatives; 156 deaths (+1); 33.8% of county population vaccinated Blair County (pop. 121,829): 68 new cases; 16,261 total cases (12,825 confirmed, 3,436 probable); 46,256 negatives; 363 deaths (+3); 45.2% of county population vaccinated

68 new cases; 16,261 total cases (12,825 confirmed, 3,436 probable); 46,256 negatives; 363 deaths (+3); 45.2% of county population vaccinated Cumberland County (pop. 253,370): 81 new cases; 26,666 total cases (21,057 confirmed, 5,609 probable); 98,983 negatives; 587 deaths (+5); 61% of county population vaccinated

81 new cases; 26,666 total cases (21,057 confirmed, 5,609 probable); 98,983 negatives; 587 deaths (+5); 61% of county population vaccinated Dauphin County (pop. 278,299): 87 new cases; 33,178 total cases (28,518 confirmed, 4,660 probable); 125,175 negatives; 609 deaths (+5); 57% of county population vaccinated

87 new cases; 33,178 total cases (28,518 confirmed, 4,660 probable); 125,175 negatives; 609 deaths (+5); 57% of county population vaccinated Franklin County (pop. 155,027): 95 new cases; 20,785 total cases (17,183 confirmed, 3,602 probable); 63,427 negatives; 427 deaths (+1); 44% of county population vaccinated

95 new cases; 20,785 total cases (17,183 confirmed, 3,602 probable); 63,427 negatives; 427 deaths (+1); 44% of county population vaccinated Fulton County (pop. 14,530): 26 new cases; 2,078 total cases (1,051 confirmed, 1,027 probable); 4,900 negatives; 26 deaths; 29.7% of county population vaccinated

26 new cases; 2,078 total cases (1,051 confirmed, 1,027 probable); 4,900 negatives; 26 deaths; 29.7% of county population vaccinated Huntingdon County (pop. 45,144): 30 new cases; 6,503 total cases (5,375 confirmed, 1,128 probable); 19,711 negatives; 150 deaths; 45.4% of county population vaccinated

30 new cases; 6,503 total cases (5,375 confirmed, 1,128 probable); 19,711 negatives; 150 deaths; 45.4% of county population vaccinated Juniata County (pop. 24,763): 11 new cases; 2,737 total cases (2,486 confirmed, 251 probable); 6,463 negatives; 111 deaths; 38.9% of county population vaccinated

11 new cases; 2,737 total cases (2,486 confirmed, 251 probable); 6,463 negatives; 111 deaths; 38.9% of county population vaccinated Lebanon County (pop. 141,793): 49 new cases; 19,786 total cases (16,956 confirmed, 2,830 probable); 61,774 negatives; 318 deaths (+1); 49.4% of county population vaccinated

49 new cases; 19,786 total cases (16,956 confirmed, 2,830 probable); 61,774 negatives; 318 deaths (+1); 49.4% of county population vaccinated Mifflin County (pop. 46,138): 26 new cases; 6,753 total cases (6,376 confirmed, 377 probable); 17,227 negatives; 186 deaths; 47.3% of county population vaccinated

26 new cases; 6,753 total cases (6,376 confirmed, 377 probable); 17,227 negatives; 186 deaths; 47.3% of county population vaccinated Perry County (pop. 46,272): 14 new cases; 5,010 total cases (3,877 confirmed, 1,133 probable); 12,901 negatives; 113 deaths (+2); 45.6% of county population vaccinated

14 new cases; 5,010 total cases (3,877 confirmed, 1,133 probable); 12,901 negatives; 113 deaths (+2); 45.6% of county population vaccinated York County (pop. 449,058): 214 new cases; 58,929 total cases (48,067 confirmed; 10,862 probable); 190,306 negatives; 927 deaths (+6); 53.7% of county population vaccinated

ZIP code-level counts (updated Oct. 11):

17013: 3,247 positives, 15,215 negatives - +50 since Oct. 8

17015: 1,933 positives, 7,502 negatives - +25 since Oct. 8

17050: 3,065 positives, 15,591 negatives - +33 since Oct. 8

17055: 3,428 positives, 17,859 negatives - +46 since Oct. 8

17011: 3,199 positives, 14,887 negatives - +41 since Oct. 8

17007: 467 positives, 1,898 negatives - +5 since Oct. 8

17065: 338 positives, 1,319 negatives - +5 since Oct. 8

17324: 358 positives, 1,396 negatives - +4 since Oct. 8

17241: 873 positives, 3,366 negatives - +18 since Oct. 8

17257: 2,245 positives, 7,628 negatives - +24 since Oct. 8

17240: 209 positives, 679 negatives - +3 since Oct. 8

17025: 1,456 positives, 6,033 negatives - +18 since Oct. 8

17070: 1,357 positives, 5,780 negatives - +14 since Oct. 8

17043: 464 positives, 2,184 negatives - +4 since Oct. 8

17019: 1,590 positives, 5,911 negatives - +20 since Oct. 8

17266: 26 positives, 134 negatives - +2 since Oct. 8

School district and college case counts (updated Oct. 11)

The Sentinel's case counts for Cumberland County school districts and colleges or universities are updated Monday and Thursdays. The policy for each school districts reporting is noted in the list below.

Big Spring School District (reports active cases in past 14 days with school exposure): 30 student cases and 3 staff cases as of Oct. 8.

(reports active cases in past 14 days with school exposure): 30 student cases and 3 staff cases as of Oct. 8. Carlisle Area School District (reports cases as they occur and updates a chart): no new cases since Oct. 7; 130 cases this school year (started Aug. 25.)

(reports cases as they occur and updates a chart): no new cases since Oct. 7; 130 cases this school year (started Aug. 25.) Camp Hill School District (posts chart that includes total case count): 8 student cases and 1 staff case since Oct. 7; 37 student cases and 6 staff cases this school year (started Aug. 25.)

(posts chart that includes total case count): 8 student cases and 1 staff case since Oct. 7; 37 student cases and 6 staff cases this school year (started Aug. 25.) Cumberland Valley School District (reports weekly and total number of cases with school exposure): 4 cases since Oct. 7; 145 cases this school year (started Aug. 31.)

(reports weekly and total number of cases with school exposure): 4 cases since Oct. 7; 145 cases this school year (started Aug. 31.) Mechanicsburg Area School District (chart lists total cases actively being monitored, updated Tuesday and Friday): 10 positive and presumed positive cases being monitored as of Oct. 8.

(chart lists total cases actively being monitored, updated Tuesday and Friday): 10 positive and presumed positive cases being monitored as of Oct. 8. Shippensburg Area School District (reports weekly and total confirmed case counts involving school exposure on Mondays): 15 new cases since Sept. 28; 120 cases this school year (started Aug. 19.)

(reports weekly and total confirmed case counts involving school exposure on Mondays): 15 new cases since Sept. 28; 120 cases this school year (started Aug. 19.) South Middleton School District (posts notices as cases occur, updates table of case counts weekly on Tuesdays): 17 new cases since Sept. 28; 57 cases this school year (started Aug. 25.)

(posts notices as cases occur, updates table of case counts weekly on Tuesdays): 17 new cases since Sept. 28; 57 cases this school year (started Aug. 25.) West Shore School District (reports active cases with school exposure within past 14 days): 63 student cases and 9 staff cases as of Oct. 7.

(reports active cases with school exposure within past 14 days): 63 student cases and 9 staff cases as of Oct. 7. Dickinson College : 5 student cases and 5 employee cases since Oct. 4; 8 student cases and 3 employee cases since Oct. 7; 22 student cases and 20 employee cases this semester (started Aug. 30.)

: 5 student cases and 5 employee cases since Oct. 4; 8 student cases and 3 employee cases since Oct. 7; 22 student cases and 20 employee cases this semester (started Aug. 30.) Messiah University : no new student cases and 1 new employee case since Oct. 4; 42 student cases and 15 employee cases this semester (started Aug. 7.)

: no new student cases and 1 new employee case since Oct. 4; 42 student cases and 15 employee cases this semester (started Aug. 7.) Shippensburg University: 2 new student cases and one new staff case since Oct. 7; 127 student cases and 11 employee cases this semester (started Aug. 1.)

(Counties with a percent positivity above 5% in a week go on the Department of Health's watch list)

Pennsylvania: Percent Positivity - 9.6% last 7 days (9.0% previous 7 days) Incidence Rate per 100,000 people last 7 days - 215.5 (205.6 previous 7 days)

Adams County: Percent Positivity - 15.6% last 7 days (15.9% previous 7 days) Incidence Rate per 100,000 people last 7 days - 259.2 (283.5 previous 7 days)

Cumberland County: Percent Positivity - 13.1% last 7 days (11.3% previous 7 days) Incidence Rate per 100,000 people last 7 days - 259.3 (241.1 previous 7 days)

Dauphin County: Percent Positivity - 13.6% last 7 days (13.3% previous 7 days) Incidence Rate per 100,000 people last 7 days - 299.7 (285.7 previous 7 days)

Franklin County: Percent Positivity - 18.3% last 7 days (19.1% previous 7 days) Incidence Rate per 100,000 people last 7 days - 270.3 (339.3 previous 7 days)

Lebanon County: Percent Positivity - 14.9% last 7 days (14.0% previous 7 days) Incidence Rate per 100,000 people last 7 days - 271.5 (226.4 previous 7 days)

Perry County: Percent Positivity - 19.9% last 7 days (16.6% previous 7 days) Incidence Rate per 100,000 people last 7 days - 272.3 (263.7 previous 7 days)

York County:

Percent Positivity - 15.6% last 7 days (14.1% previous 7 days)

last 7 days (14.1% previous 7 days)

Incidence Rate per 100,000 people last 7 days - 287 (276.4 previous 7 days)
With many Americans who got Pfizer vaccinations already rolling up their sleeves for a booster shot, millions of others who received the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccine wait anxiously to learn when it's their turn.

Federal regulators begin tackling that question this week.

On Thursday and Friday, the Food and Drug Administration was to convene its independent advisers for the first stage in the process of deciding whether extra doses of the two vaccines should be dispensed and, if so, who should get them and when. The final go-ahead is not expected for at least another week.

After the FDA advisers give their recommendation, the agency itself will make an official decision on whether to authorize boosters. Then next week, a panel convened by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will offer more specifics on who should get them. Its decision is subject to approval by the CDC director.

The process is meant to bolster public confidence in the vaccines' safety and effectiveness. But it has already led to conflicts and disagreements among experts and agencies.

For example, last month the CDC advisory panel backed Pfizer boosters at the six-month point for older Americans, nursing home residents and people with underlying health problems. But CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky overruled her advisers and decided boosters should also be offered to those with high-risk jobs such as teachers and health care workers, adding tens of millions more Americans to the list.

Some health experts fear the back-and-forth deliberations are muddling the public effort to persuade the unvaccinated to get their first shots. They worry that the talk of boosters will lead people to wrongly doubt the effectiveness of the vaccines in the first place.

As the FDA's panel meets to review the Moderna and J&J vaccines, its decisions this time are likely to be even more complicated, with experts discussing whether a third Moderna shot should contain just half the original dose and what's the best timing for a second shot of the single-dose J&J vaccine.

The panel will also look into the safety and effectiveness of mixing-and-matching different brands of vaccine, something regulators have not endorsed so far.

An estimated 103 million Americans are fully vaccinated with Pfizer's formula, 69 million with Moderna's and 15 million with J&J's, according to the CDC.

The two initial Moderna shots contain 100 micrograms of vaccine each. But the drugmaker says 50 micrograms ought to be enough for a booster for healthy people.

A company study of 344 people gave them a 50-microgram shot six months after their second dose, and levels of virus-fighting antibodies jumped. Moderna said the booster even triggered a 42-fold rise in antibodies able to target the extra-contagious delta variant.

Side effects were similar to the fevers and aches that Moderna recipients commonly experience after their second regular shot, the company said.

As for people who got the J&J vaccine, the company submitted data to the FDA for different options: a booster shot at two months or at six months. The company did not signal its preference.

J&J released data in September showing that a booster given at two months provided 94% protection against moderate-to-severe COVID-19 infection. The company has not yet disclosed patient data on a six-month booster, but early measures of virus-fighting antibodies suggest it provides even higher protection.

Even without a booster, J&J says, its vaccine remains about 80% effective at preventing COVID-19 hospitalizations in the U.S.

Scientists emphasize that all three vaccines used in the U.S. still offer strong protection against severe disease and death from COVID-19. The issue is how quickly, and how much, protection against milder infection may wane.

In one recent study, researchers compared about 14,000 people who had gotten their first Moderna dose a year ago with 11,000 vaccinated eight months ago. As the delta variant surged in July and August, the more recently vaccinated group had a 36% lower rate of "breakthrough" infections compared with those vaccinated longer ago.

Still, medical experts continue to debate the science and rationale for giving extra shots to those who already have significant protection.

The White House and its top medical advisers announced plans in August to offer boosters to nearly all adults, citing signs of waning protection and the then-surging delta variant. But they were rebuffed by many experts who said there is little data showing whether such broad use would stop breakthrough infections or curb the overall trajectory of cases.

While the FDA and CDC ultimately scaled back use of Pfizer boosters, Biden administration officials, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, have suggested that extra shots will eventually be recommended for most Americans.

They point to data from Israel showing lower rates of infections and severe disease among people who received a third Pfizer shot.

The FDA meetings come as U.S. vaccinations have climbed back above 1 million per day on average, an increase of more than 50% over the past two weeks. The rise has been driven mainly by Pfizer boosters and employer vaccine mandates.

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With fall's arrival, communities and organizations throughout the Parkland are planning a wide variety of events and activities to celebrate the change of colors and welcoming the crisp, cool mornings that the time has come to say a fond farewell to summer.

For the very first time ever, the Farmington Farmers Market will be holding a Harvest Celebration from 7 a.m. to noon Saturday on the VFW Post 5896 parking lot, located at 814 E. Karsch Blvd. in Farmington.

Were inviting everyone in the area to come to this family-friendly event, said Teri Cox, Farmington Farmers Market spokesperson. Harvest Celebration is going to have free activities for children at the Kids Activities Tent that will include face painting, art activities, and games.

"The VFW is going to open its BBQ Food Truck for this one-day event with their complete menu available that includes hot dogs, brats, pork steaks with all the fixins, and drinks.

The Harvest Celebration is also going to offer live music and performing arts provided by the Mineral Area Fine Arts Academy, as well as live artisans and craft vendors working at their booths.

"People can meet their local farmers that day, too. Its going to be a great day and were hoping everyone will come out and enjoy this special first-time event.

For more information or to answer questions about the Harvest Celebration, follow the Farmington-Missouri Farmers Market Facebook page @farmingtonfarmersmarket

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A plea agreement was reached this month in a case involving a Terre Du Lac woman charged with murdering her boyfriend by stabbing him in 2019.

Kimberly Angstrom, 52, entered an Alford plea in St. Francois County on Oct. 1 to one count of second-degree murder and one count of armed criminal action. In entering an Alford plea, Angstrom did not admit guilt but acknowledged that there was sufficient evidence to find her guilty if the case were to go to trial.

St. Francois County Prosecuting Attorney Melissa Gilliam had originally charged Angstrom with first-degree murder and armed criminal action in February 2019.

Circuit Judge Jarel Lee Poor II ordered that Angstrom remain in custody until her sentencing hearing scheduled for Dec. 10 in St. Francois County.

At sentencing, the woman faces a possible term of 15-30 years or life in prison on the count of second-degree murder and three years to life in prison on the count of armed criminal action.

Original reports indicate that police were dispatched to the trailer park in Terre Du Lac just after 6:30 a.m. on Feb. 1, 2019, for a possible stabbing.

According to the Terre Du Lac Police chief at the time, when the officer arrived on the scene, he observed a male lying on the porch of the residence. The man was later identified as 55-year-old Kevin Ziegler.

When first responders and EMS arrived on the scene, it appeared an artery in the lower portion of the man's neck had been punctured. Due to massive blood loss, the man was pronounced dead at the scene.

The initial report states that a female who was at the residence, later identified as Angstrom, was taken into custody for questioning and admitted to stabbing the man several times.

According to the probable cause statement, a search of the residence revealed blood splatter in the kitchen, where Angstrom reportedly told police the stabbing took place. A blood trail led from the kitchen to the back door and then through the kitchen once more, leading toward the front door and out the residence.

Inside the residence, authorities found two hypodermic needles, a glass smoking pipe with residue, and a plastic bag containing women's blood-stained clothing.

Angstrom has previous convictions.

According to court records from 2008, Angstrom, then 39, was involved in a prior stabbing incident. Court records say that she had been drinking when she got upset with her boyfriend. She reportedly elbowed and punched him and then grabbed a knife and tore up his coat. Her family members tried to get her to put down the knife. When one person tried to call the police, Angstrom stabbed at the person and then ripped the phone from the wall. She then left the house and broke her boyfriend's windshield.

She was then charged with two counts of second-degree domestic assault, unlawful use of a weapon, and tampering with a vehicle.

Angstrom was given a suspended execution of sentence and, in 2014, was sentenced to seven years in prison for violating her probation.

Bobby Radford is a reporter for the Daily Journal. He can be reached at bradford@dailyjournalonline.com

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Remember the media cheers for Sen. John McCain when he stopped the effort to repeal Obamacare? McCain was a Republican frustrating a Republican policy goal, which was enough to earn the highest praise in some media circles. "It was a stunning moment," The New York Times reported, "a flash of the maverick John McCain, unafraid of going his own way despite the pleas of his fellow Republicans."

That was four years ago, and Donald Trump was president. Fast-forward to today, with Joe Biden in the White House and Democrats desperately trying to pass a massive spending bill that has been compared to legislation from the New Deal and Great Society. Another Arizona senator, Democrat Kyrsten Sinema, along with fellow Democrat Joe Manchin of West Virginia, has so far refused to support her party's signature initiative.

Sinema isn't getting the John McCain profile-in-courage treatment. For her stand, she has been called a sellout and a party traitor in the liberal press, portrayed as a nihilistic, angry bimbo on "Saturday Night Live," and pursued by leftist activists who actually chased her into a women's bathroom, harangued her while she was in a stall, and posted a video of the entire ugly incident.

The New Republic ran an article headlined, "Democrats, Stop Negotiating With Traitors" -- with Sinema, along with Manchin, being the "traitors" in question. The Nation published "How Kyrsten Sinema Sold Out; The origin story of the Senate's newest super villain." The New York Times asked simply, "What's Wrong With Kyrsten Sinema?"

"Saturday Night Live" often functions as a sort of televised, in-kind campaign contribution to the Democratic Party. And the party's frustration with Sinema came through loud and clear in the show's recent opening sketch. The sketch portrayed President Biden at a podium with Sinema and Manchin on one side and progressive Reps. Ilhan Omar and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on the other.

The Sinema character was portrayed as a weirdo who just wants to do bad things. "What do I want from this bill?" she asked. "I'll never tell. Because I didn't come to Congress to make friends, and so far -- Mission Accomplished!" A moment later, she said, "I want no roads." Biden quickly asked, "No roads? Why?" Sinema answered: "Chaos."

Then Sinema delivered a manifesto of sorts. "As a wine-drinking, bisexual triathlete, I know what the average American wants," she said. "They want to be put on hold when they call 911. They want bridges that just stop -- a car falls down. They want water so thick you can eat it with a fork. And I will fight for that, no matter what. Unless my foot hurts. Then I'll go back to Arizona." (The last was a reference to Sinema's recent trip home for treatment of a foot injury.)

The real Sinema, of course, voted for the $1.1 trillion bipartisan traditional infrastructure bill. She just has problems with the three-times-larger social and climate spending bill that is packed with Democratic priorities and has no Republican support. She voted for roads, she voted for bridges, she voted for water -- none of which mattered on "Saturday Night Live."

But all of that was softball compared to Sinema's treatment at the hands of a lefty activist group called LUCHA Arizona. The name stands for Living United for Change in Arizona, and it describes itself as "fighting for social, racial and economic transformation."

On Sunday, LUCHA posted to its Twitter page a video of its operatives approaching Sinema as she took a break from teaching a class at Arizona State University. Sinema declined to talk to the group, so they followed her as she headed toward the women's room. Then they followed her inside, camera running, as Sinema walked into a stall. "We need a Build Back Better plan right now," one said, referring to the Biden bill Sinema is at the moment not supporting. A woman walked right up to the stall door, phone in hand, saying, "We need solutions. The Build Back Better plan has the solutions that we need." Another said, "We knocked on doors for you to get you elected. And just how we got you elected, we can get you out of office if you don't support what you promised us." When one said, "We need citizenship for 7 million --," a toilet flushed and another woman walked out of a nearby stall.

The harassment continued with the camera focused on Sinema's stall door. Then came another flush, and Sinema walked out to wash her hands as an activist, phone in hand, stood next to her and said, "I am a survivor of human trafficking, and it's because of lack of worker protections ..." At that point, finally, the video ended.

It all goes to show that there will be no John McCain, principled-maverick-puts-country-over-party portrayals of Kyrsten Sinema. In a media and activist world dominated by Democrats, McCain stood up to the bad guys -- his fellow Republicans. When Sinema stands up to her fellow Democrats, that's another story altogether.

This content originally appeared on the Washington Examiner at washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/byron-yorks-daily-memo-sinema-under-attack.

Byron York is chief political correspondent for The Washington Examiner.

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In December 1833, a young man from Chester, N.H., moved to Washington to take up a position as a clerk in the House of Representatives, spending his first day touring the city with Rep. Franklin Pierce, who later would become president and a profoundly divisive figure in the country.

Benjamin Brown French saw many of Washington's sights that day, but it was the Capitol that attracted his attention and spurred his awe. "Will it always be the capitol [cq] of my happy country?" he wrote in his diary, which in time would become one of the most insightful resources for students of 19th-century America. "I fear the seeds are already sown whose fruit will be disunion, but God forbid it!"

Mr. French, who later would oversee the funeral of Abraham Lincoln, was reacting to one of the harbingers of disunion, the tensions of the Nullification Crisis, when South Carolina threatened the survival of the Union by declaring that the tariffs passed by the Congress were void within the state.

Now, some 188 years later, another political crisis is being played out in the venue where Mr. French would hear "the great men of the land debate."

This time the debaters include Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer and Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell, two lawmakers who, along with President Joe Biden, are involved in one of the great political tests of the age. This time the Union is not in jeopardy, though national unity surely is.

Some commentators believe the domestic tensions of our time -- played out most recently in the stalemate over the debt limit and the wrangle over the size of both the infrastructure bill and the Biden spending program that leans heavily toward the priorities of the Democrats' progressive wing, all coming in the wake of the disruptive Trump presidency -- are matched only by those that grew out of the debates on states' rights and slavery. Some use the locution "civil war" -- no capitals, though contention throughout the capital and Capitol -- to describe the warring factions in Washington and in the country beyond and the alienation that led to the insurrection of Jan. 6, 2021.

For days turning into weeks, the task of raising the debt ceiling has been the talk of Washington, though in truth there has not been much talk between the Republicans who refused to join the Democrats in an otherwise prosaic and routine legislative procedure required to keep the government operating. Both sides have contributed to the debt. Both sides saw the imbroglio as a way to score points against the other. Even Mr. McConnell's gesture to permit the Democrats to boost the debt limit temporarily was shrouded in an attempt to throw his rivals off kilter.

The lawmakers still must sort out the competing political forces that are at play and move toward resolving two parallel struggles.

One of those struggles is the usual fight between Republicans (who extended the debt ceiling when a Republican, Donald Trump, was in the White House) and Democrats (who were in the embarrassing position of being unable to do so when they control both the executive and legislative branches of government). The other is the struggle between two very different visions of being a modern Democrat.

In the Nullification Crisis, as in the Civil War that followed, the Union occupied the moral high ground, though eventually the slavery issue tarnished the reputation of the North's greatest advocate for Union, Daniel Webster, whose support of a fugitive slave law as part of the Compromise of 1850 put him on the wrong side of history.

In today's struggle, hardly anyone holds the high ground, though it is possible that supporters of aggressive action to battle climate change may acquire it when this period is examined by historians in future decades.

The latest Quinnipiac Poll, released Tuesday, only muddies things. The survey showed the congressional Republicans (28% approval ratings) and the congressional Democrats (30%) with basically the same low ratings from the public.

But the movement is away from the congressional Democrats, themselves split between their two warring wings. Their ratings dropped 7 percentage points in the last month, when the divisions between the two groups widened and their bitterness deepened. This occurred as the Republicans' ratings grew by 5 percentage points. None of the four party leaders in the two chambers of Congress recorded an approval rating above 33% -- and the ratings for Mr. Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California plummeted.

Meanwhile, Mr. Biden's approval ratings put him below 50% -- at a time when poll results show general public approval for both the infrastructure bill and the broader social spending measure.

What could all this mean?

It suggests that, while the public doesn't think much of its leaders, it generally supports the Biden spending priorities -- not the verdict that the Republicans expected, and one that suggests the GOP strategy of obstruction may not reap public rewards.

That dichotomy is the reverse of the situation that prevailed when Mr. French went to Washington. There were, of course, no polls in the first third of the 19th century, but it is clear that Mr. Webster of Massachusetts had robust support in the North at the time (though he would lose 17 years later) while John C. Calhoun, the South Carolina nullification theorist, had strong support in his state and in other pockets in the South.

Neither side in the contemporary struggle gained public respect by fighting over the debt limit when everyone outside their isolated circles knew that eventually Congress would have to extend it.

Mr. Biden called the Republicans "reckless." Mr. McConnell indicated that since the Democrats want to govern without Republican input, they could have raised the debt limit without Republican support, though under current rules, and with the current party breakdown in the Senate, he knew that was difficult. His semi-capitulation merely kicked the issue down the road to December, when the struggle will begin anew, and against the hard deadline of the holiday recess. The veteran Kentucky lawmaker is a wise old owl.

The whole spectacle is doing no one much good, and it prompted a country of 330 million needlessly to share the peril Benjamin Brown French felt when the country's population was under 13 million, and when he wrote of his fears that the seeds of contention had been sown. They are germinating once again.

David M. Shribman is the former executive editor of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Follow him on Twitter at ShribmanPG.

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Missouris hills might not be alive with the sound of music, but they soon will transition into a kaleidoscope of color. The foliage of trees, shrubs and vines is about to burst into its full glory.

Colors usually peak around the third weekend of October, but Mother Nature is a woman of mystery.

Its always questionable until the last minute what will happen, said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein. Fall color is like Christmas morning. You dont know if you are going to get an orange or a lump of coal in your stocking.

Some years are better than others, but about once a decade colors really pop, and 2021 might be one of those years, Trinklein said.

Missouris size and diverse landscape make it possible to follow the color from one part of the state to the other. Color changes begin in northern Missouri and move south. Leaves of different deciduous woody plant species turn colors at different times. As a result, fall color in most parts of Missouri lasts from four to six weeks.

Sugar maples are the heavy hitters of fall foliage color. They burst with yellows, golds and reds along limestone bluffs bordering the Missouri River. Other species, such as hickories, yellow poplar and persimmon, light up the landscape with their lush yellows and golds. Not to be left out of the show, oaks add rustic reddish-browns for contrast.

Of course, the changing of leaves is not just for show. Leaf shedding is part of the dormancy process that helps trees survive winter, Trinklein said.

During the spring and summer, leaves make food for the trees. Chlorophyll absorbs sunlight to transform carbon dioxide and water into carbohydrates such as sugars and starches through photosynthesis.

The shorter days of late summer trigger the dormancy process. A layer of cells called an abscission layer forms at the point where the leaf stem attaches to a branch or twig. Sugars, still manufactured by the leaf but blocked from leaving, turn into colorful pigments known as anthocyanins, which usually are red or purple.

In addition, chlorophyll starts to break down. That is when yellow and gold pigments called carotenoids get to shine. These pigments are present throughout the growing season but are masked by chlorophylls dark green color.

Leaf color intensity depends on temperature, light and the availability of water throughout the year. Color-watchers favor a steady supply of mild, sunny days and cool but not freezing nights for the best chance of fall brilliance. Leaves also need some moisture for colors to intensify.

Contrary to common belief, frost is not necessary for trees to begin their color show, Trinklein said. Early frosts may even tarnish leaf color.

What will this fall bring? The mystery is about to unfold as Mother Nature dances across Missouri with her paintbrush. Whatever the outcome, fall leaf colors are a treat we are privileged to witness only once each year, Trinklein said. Therefore, take time to enjoy them.

Visit the Missouri Department of Conservations regional fall colors reports at mdc.mo.gov/trees-plants/fall-color.

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In February, the federal court held an evidentiary hearing at which one of the jurors from Huguelys trial testified that she recalled a dictionary being consulted, though she could remember few details about the book other than that it was bound and had been held by a different juror.

Huguelys counsel argued that if a dictionary were consulted for the definition of malice, as the juror alleged, then it could have unfairly prejudiced the jury.

However, counsel for the state presented contrary testimony from all of the other jurors and surviving sheriffs deputies, none of whom recalled a dictionary being read from or provided.

In an unusual move, U.S. District Judge Thomas T. Cullen ruled from the bench and denied Huguelys petition for writ of habeas corpus. In March, Cullen also denied Huguelys petition for a writ of habeas corpus and the certificate of appealability.

The court further finds, for the reasons explained in its [December memorandum opinion], that petitioner has failed to make a substantial showing of the denial of his constitutional rights as required by [U.S. code], Cullen wrote.
Republican gubernatorial nominee Glenn Youngkin will host a get-out-the-vote Parents Matter rally Wednesday in downtown Culpeper.

The public campaign stop will run from 12:30 to 2 p.m. Oct. 13 at The Pier located next to the Depot at 302 E. Davis St. The restaurant will remain open during the event.

Youngkin will tour the newly opened Culpeper Technical Education Center prior to the rally.

The Culpeper event comes on the heels of another similar gathering Oct. 2 in Leesburg.

The rallies challenge Democratic opponent Terry McAuliffes recent statement that parents shouldnt be telling schools what they should teach.

Parents Matter events are attended by families, parents, children, and caring neighbors that will stand up to and reject Terry McAuliffes attempts to silence parents and stand between them and their childrens education, according to a Youngkin spokesperson.

The gubernatorial candidate said in a recent statement, Virginians understand that I will put family first when Im governor. Thats why my Day One Game Plan outlines the steps I will take to cut costs for Virginians, keep our communities safe, reinvigorate job growth, and restore excellence in education.
She surveyed constituents across the district in August 2020 and again this past February (as tax filing deadlines loomed); last week, her office said she would be running the survey a third time.

Spanberger is particularly concerned about the 22407 zip code, which includes Spotsylvania and Fredericksburg areas. Last month, she, too, sent a letter to the Virginia district manager, detailing issues there and asking for answers about how the USPS plans to solve its problems generally, including staffing shortages, continued delivery delays and elimination of mail pick-ups at some post offices.

Spanberger also cosponsored the Delivering for America Act, which last year passed the House. It would prohibit the USPS from making any structural changes impacting its service during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to her office. Additionally, the bill seeks to prevent any targeted structural changes that would weaken the USPS or threaten the job security of its employees.

Charlottesville-Albemarle residents may feel a sense of schadenfraude  or, more charitably, sympathy  upon hearing that others in Virginia are experiencing frustrating mail delays. The information confirms just how severe are the Postal Services problems.
Country

United States of America US Virgin Islands United States Minor Outlying Islands Canada Mexico, United Mexican States Bahamas, Commonwealth of the Cuba, Republic of Dominican Republic Haiti, Republic of Jamaica Afghanistan Albania, People's Socialist Republic of Algeria, People's Democratic Republic of American Samoa Andorra, Principality of Angola, Republic of Anguilla Antarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S) Antigua and Barbuda Argentina, Argentine Republic Armenia Aruba Australia, Commonwealth of Austria, Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Bahrain, Kingdom of Bangladesh, People's Republic of Barbados Belarus Belgium, Kingdom of Belize Benin, People's Republic of Bermuda Bhutan, Kingdom of Bolivia, Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana, Republic of Bouvet Island (Bouvetoya) Brazil, Federative Republic of British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago) British Virgin Islands Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria, People's Republic of Burkina Faso Burundi, Republic of Cambodia, Kingdom of Cameroon, United Republic of Cape Verde, Republic of Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad, Republic of Chile, Republic of China, People's Republic of Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia, Republic of Comoros, Union of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, People's Republic of Cook Islands Costa Rica, Republic of Cote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of the Cyprus, Republic of Czech Republic Denmark, Kingdom of Djibouti, Republic of Dominica, Commonwealth of Ecuador, Republic of Egypt, Arab Republic of El Salvador, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Faeroe Islands Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Fiji, Republic of the Fiji Islands Finland, Republic of France, French Republic French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon, Gabonese Republic Gambia, Republic of the Georgia Germany Ghana, Republic of Gibraltar Greece, Hellenic Republic Greenland Grenada Guadaloupe Guam Guatemala, Republic of Guinea, Revolutionary People's Rep'c of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Heard and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras, Republic of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China Hrvatska (Croatia) Hungary, Hungarian People's Republic Iceland, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq, Republic of Ireland Israel, State of Italy, Italian Republic Japan Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait, State of Kyrgyz Republic Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon, Lebanese Republic Lesotho, Kingdom of Liberia, Republic of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein, Principality of Lithuania Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Macao, Special Administrative Region of China Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Malaysia Maldives, Republic of Mali, Republic of Malta, Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe
IT Infrastructure

FirstNet to be deployed at 15 Air Force bases

FirstNet, the high-speed wireless broadband communications network built for public safety, will now provide its services to 15 Air Force bases.

Under the 21-year deal, the bases will be able to support voice, data and streaming video communications, interoperability with existing land mobile radio assets as well as secure and interoperable communications between first responders on base and the local public safety workforce.

Users will get access to FirstNets priority and preemption services across LTE Band 14 spectrum plus all of AT&T's commercial LTE spectrum bands. FirstNet will give the Air Force bases tower-to-core encryption so that all traffic is automatically secured as it navigates different parts of the network.

FirstNet now covers 2.7 million square miles and features an upgraded 5G core. Additionally, it is built to strict public safety specifications and requirements, unlike commercial networks, AT&T said in its announcement.

When off-base first responders support on-base responses, they will benefit from these coverage enhancements, Lance Spencer, client executive vice president for defense at AT&T Public Sector and FirstNet, told Air Force Magazine. Key command and operations positions will also be able to access this network.

Spencer said the company aims to deploy FirstNet to all Air Force and Space Force bases.

Last year, the Air Force worked with AT&T to test 5G networking-as-a-service capabilities at three bases, where the company also provided a base-area network, wide-area network, telephony, internet access and secure interoperability with legacy systems at the three bases, company officials said at the time.

This article first appeared on GCN, a Defense Systems partner site.
MTN Group Limited, a South African multinational mobile telecommunications company, operating in many African and Asian countries, has announced that it will be investing over $120m in capital expenditure in South Sudan over the next 3 years.

South Sudan's President Salva Kiir Mayardit has met a delegation from MTN Group of South Africa to discuss the plans and ways to improve MTN services in the country. The delegation pledged to strengthen and expand MTN services to rural areas, said the presidency.

According to a brief statement posted on the groups official LinkedIn platform, both officials discussed issues of mutual interest, including investment in digital infrastructure and services.

The post reads: "MTN Group Chairman, Mcebisi Jonas, and MTN Group President and CEO Ralph Mupita concluded their visit to the Southern & Eastern Africa region by paying a courtesy call to South Sudans President, Salva Kiir Mayardit. They discussed issues of mutual interest, including investment in digital infrastructure and services. MTN will invest over $120m in capital expenditure in South Sudan over the next 3 years."

MTN South Sudan has also recently received approval to begin Mobile Money operations in South Sudan.

According to local media reports, MTN Group was adjudged for the second year in a row, the most valuable African brand in the Brand Finance Africa 150 rankings, which assigned the group a brand value of US$2.7 billion  US$1.0 billion above the next most valuable brand.
Kazakhstani infrastructure provider QazCloud has opened a new data centre in the country, in a town called Kosshy, in the Akmola region.

The modular facility, built to Tier II standards, has a total area of 259 square metres and space for 100 racks. The company has said that the new facility means customers will be able to receive cloud and IT, backup, and hot copy services.

According to the Data Centre Dynamics website, it will also host systems for its state-owned parent companies Samruk-Kazyna Group companies and telco Kazakhtelecom JSC as well as their umbrella companies, and other customers.

QazCloud says that thanks to the new centre it will be able to create metro clusters  a form of redundancy that means if one if data centre fails, all information will be automatically and instantly available on another, thus eliminating the risk of data loss.

Founded in 2018, QazCloud provides a number of cloud, hosting and ICT services to customers. QazCloud says it plans to invest in the further development of data centres through its joint company with the Samruk-Kazyna fund.

According to the Qazaq TV website, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev recently signed a decree on the transformation of the Kosshy village into a city of regional significance. It is about 24km south of Astana, also known as Nur-Sultan, the country's capital. Its population is just over 50,000 people.
Statement by Amb Byrne Nason at the UNSC debate on Diversity, State-building and search for peace

Statement

Thank you very much indeed your excellency Mr. President,

The search for peace, our collective effort to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, is the foundation stone of these United Nations and of the mandate of this Security Council.

Such an enormous responsibility is entrusted to each member of this Council. Every day, millions of vulnerable people look to us, around this table, for hope. They look to us to set aside our differences and to prevent and to end conflict. Our successes are theirs. When we come together, we can help to alleviate immense suffering, we can provide vital support to peace processes. Yes our actions, our words, can save lives.

This debate, Mr. President, gives us a welcome opportunity to reflect on those successes, but also a time to reflect on our collective failures. It is appropriate that we are joined today by deeply thoughtful briefers. I want to thank the Secretary General, President Mbeki and President Kagame for your insightful messages. The courageous briefing from Ms. Fawzia Koofi struck a deep chord. Thank you.

Today, I will make three points.

First, as this Council seeks to build and sustain peace, a leitmotif must be the fullest respect for the human rights of all people.

Human rights belong to individual human beings in all their diversity. They belong to all persons, regardless of their gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identity. Regardless of religion, belief, disability, regardless of whether they are rich or poor and regardless of where they live on this planet.

Our instinct as humans is to form groups and communities and carry this identity with us. But, (as our briefers have pointed out,) too often, group identity can become the basis for marginalization, for discrimination and even for abuse.

Every woman knows this. The LGBTQI+ community know this. Ethnic groups, religious groups, racial groups - they know this.

This should not be the case. The late Irish peacemaker John Hume said, and I quote, that difference is the essence of humanity. Difference is an accident of birth and it should therefore never be the source of hatred or conflict.

In situations on this Councils agenda, people are persecuted because they happen to be members of a certain group. We should strive to resist the creation of the other. Resist creating hierarchies of humanity. The very worst episodes of human history bear testament to the danger of marginalization and to the dangers of persecution on the basis of group identity.

One thing is clear, difference alone does not cause conflict. Nor does homogeneity prevent it. As a Council, we must take care to recognize that human rights violations, including on grounds of identity, can be a prelude to and even a driver of conflict.

Second, Mr. President,

This Council should think about peace not as an event but as a process. The Irish poet W.B. Yeats wrote of how peace comes dropping slow. In Northern Ireland, as elsewhere, the peace we cherish took decades to achieve.

Often it is brave women, women like Fawzia Koofi in Afghanistan, like Hala Al Karib in Sudan and like Shukria Dini in Somalia, who reach across community divides to search for peace, as the Northern Ireland Womens Coalition did during our own peace process.

The lesson I take from the courage of their example, is that the peace we build must be inclusive and based on partnerships. It is critical that we hear from grassroots women peacebuilders who actually get down and do this work.

These civil society voices were a golden thread running through Irelands Presidency of the Council last month. They also bear witness to how, in places like Somalia and Myanmar, climate change and extreme weather events are placing pressure on already fragile communities.

The Peacebuilding Commission is an important partner in this Councils search for sustainable peace. It brings together not only UN actors, but also local peacebuilders in the field. In the aftermath of conflict, building good governance cannot be a top-down exercise from a conference room here in New York. It has to have its roots in local communities, and in inclusive decision-making.

Mr President,

My third point is that inclusive peacekeeping transitions are a litmus test for the durability of peace. The moment the blue helmets of UN peacekeepers leave, a reconfigured UN, in cooperation with international actors, such as the international financial institutions, and regional and sub -regional organisations, needs to be ready to step up and to step in to support and to protect the peace, left behind. This is a critical inflection point, particularly when it comes to ensuring that divisions recently healed, including those based on identity, are not reopened.

The Councils unanimous adoption of Resolution 2594 is a recognition of that, and is a sign that we agree that transitions should be nationally owned and inclusive.

Where transitions occur, the views of local communities, of women, of youth and of marginalised groups should be taken into account. The protection of civilians is also a key barometer of the success of any transition.

Mr. President, Secretary General,

In this Councils search for peace, sometimes in the depths of seemingly unending conflict, lets not forget what we are trying to achieve. A sine qua non is that we invest in human rights. That we need to invest in inclusion. And we should learn how to invest in critical moments of transition. The overall dividend of such efforts will be a more sustainable peace. A peace which expels intolerance, and which helps all people, in their infinite diversity, to belong with dignity.

Thank you Mr President.

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Moscow, ID (83843)

Today

Rain and snow this evening. The rain and snow will become lighter and change to all rain overnight. Low near 35F. Winds ESE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of precip 90%..

Tonight

Rain and snow this evening. The rain and snow will become lighter and change to all rain overnight. Low near 35F. Winds ESE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of precip 90%.
Jurors will soon decide whether Kyle Rittenhouse used his gun in self-defense or instigated the bloodshed at protests in Wisconsin. It's a debate that has played out across the U.S.
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Bobby Lewis, Michael Del Vecchio, David Del Vecchio, Peggy R. Del Vecchio, William P. Novack, and Tara Novack are listed as plaintiffs in the case being represented by David Ludder, an environmental lawyer. They are identified as landowners and residents near the Webb Road landfill.

In a December 2017 request for hearing to contest filing to ADEM by Ludder, landowners complained that the landfill would:

 Generate fugitive dust that would affect vehicles and homes.

 Produce odors that are harmful to their health.

 Attract animals like vultures and insects that have been known to carry diseases.

The landowners longstanding opposition to the landfill threatens to shut it down, if a judge sides with them.

City officials estimate that Dothan is saving around $1 million a year by operating its own landfill on city property as it was previously spending that amount to dump waste at a private Florida landfill.

On Tuesday, City Manager Kevin Cowper said the city is obviously disappointed with the appeal courts recent decision.

We believe that the permit modification application that was approved complied with all of the rules and regulations, Cowper said. We need to assess this particular ruling and make a decision on our next steps and well do that shortly.

Sable Riley is a Dothan Eagle staff writer and can be reached at sriley@dothaneagle.com or 334.712.7915. Support her work and that of other Eagle journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at dothaneagle.com .

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A family of four says it was mistakenly given COVID-19 vaccines instead of flu shots at a Walgreens pharmacy in Indiana, according to local reports.

The Evansville familys attorney spoke to two Indiana TV stations regarding what they said was an accidental shot mix-up at their local Walgreens this month. The family of two adults and two kids, ages 4 and 5, have not been publicly identified.

Attorney Daniel Tuley, also of Evansville, says the four family members went to Walgreens wanting the annual flu shot, according to WFIE. They left thinking thats the shot they each received.

But about 90 minutes later, a pharmacy employee called to explain the vaccine mistake, WEHT reported.

The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, also known as Comirnaty, has not been approved for children under 12, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. There are currently no COVID-19 vaccines approved for that age group.
Our senior U.S. senator, Richard Shelby, will be remembered as Alabamas most prominent senator when he retires next December. Folks, thats saying a lot because we have had a host of prominent men serve Alabama in the United States Senate, such as giants like Lister Hill, John Sparkman and John Bankhead. However, history will record that none of these above senators brought the federal dollars back home to Alabama that Shelby has procured.

Seniority is omnipotent in Washington. It is everything, and Sen. Shelby has it. He is in his 35th year in the U.S. Senate. He has already broken Sen. Sparkmans 32-year record of longevity in Alabama history and at the end of his term next year he will have served a record 36 years in the Senate. In addition, Shelby was the U.S. Congressman for the old 7th Congressional district for eight years.

Shelby has not only been the most prolific funneler of federal dollars to Alabama in our states history, but he could also be considered one of the most profound movers and shakers of federal funds to their state in American history. His only rival was the late Sen. Robert Byrd of West Virginia. Byrd, who was in his ninth term as a senator when he died at 92, funneled an estimated $10 billion to his constituents during his 51 years in the Senate.
A travel plan prepared by the HCMC transport department would allow workers to travel between HCMC, Long An, Tay Ninh and Binh Duong on personal vehicles.

The plan, which has been submitted to the Ho Chi Minh City Peoples Committee for consideration, would have included Dong Nai as well, but the province has not agreed with it.

In Long An Province, workers coming from HCMC on personal cars and motorbikes would need to have received at least one Covid-19 vaccine shot at least 14 days prior or have recovered from Covid-19 within the last six months. They would also need to have negative coronavirus results from tests done within the previous seven days.

From HCMC to Binh Duong, workers traveling in cars would need to satisfy the aforementioned requirements, plus have travel papers with destinations and itineraries. If they travel on motorbikes, they can only move between HCMCs Thu Duc City and Binh Duongs Thuan An and Di An towns.

Those traveling from HCMC to Tay Ninh would need to be vaccinated with at least one shot at least 21 days prior or recovered from Covid-19 within the past six months. They would also need to test negative for the coronavirus within the last three days.

Those who want to travel from Long An, Binh Duong and Tay Ninh to HCMC on personal vehicles must either be vaccinated with at least one shot at least 14 days prior or have recovered from Covid-19 within the past six months. They should have also tested negative for the virus within the previous seven days.

While traveling across localities, people would need to medically declare themselves through apps or show papers to prove they have either recovered from Covid-19 within the past six months or been vaccinated.

For traveling between HCMC, Long An, Binh Duong, Tay Ninh and Dong Nai using companies' cars not considered personal vehicles, passengers should be workers and experts traveling on official business. Their workplace should have sent their travel plans to local transport departments for processing necessary papers.

In such plans, drivers, attendants and passengers must also satisfy vaccination, Covid-19 recovery and negative coronavirus test requirements, but specific chronological details of post-vaccination and coronavirus tests would depend on localities. No vehicle can carry more than 50 percent of its maximum passenger capacity.

As Vietnam prepares its transition from a zero-Covid strategy to living with the coronavirus, the transport ministry has issued road transportation guidelines to be observed starting October. But several localities are still shying away from allowing buses to resume interprovincial travel over coronavirus outbreak fears.
Northern and central provinces will organize flights and trains to take migrants home from the south after thousands returned by motorbike.

Ha Giang Province in the far north of Vietnam will organize three flights to take 390 residents back home from Ho Chi Minh City and its neighboring provinces of Binh Duong and Dong Nai on Thursday.

The flights will take off from HCMC's Tan Son Nhat International Airport and land at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, six hours from Ha Giang.

All returnees will be sent to centralized quarantine facilities and tested. The province's budget will cover all transportation, quarantine, and testing fees.

Vuong Dinh Thang, deputy head of Ha Giang's Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, said the province will continue to make a list of those seeking to return home and arrange more flights later.

According to the Ministry of Public Security, there are now 3.5 million migrants working in HCMC and its neighboring provinces of Binh Duong, Dong Nai and Long An, with 2.1 million wanting to return to their hometowns after Covid-19 restrictions started to ease on Oct. 1

But because commercial road, rail and air transport services have yet to resume, tens of thousands of them have made the trip home by motorbike. Many even trekked on foot.

On Oct. 7 and 8, northern Vinh Phuc Province had organized six flights to take more than 1,000 migrants home, with more flights to be arranged for returnees in the coming time.

A family is taken home from to the northern Vinh Phuc Province by plane on October 8, 2021. Photo by VnExpress/Tra Huong

Currently, 3,770 Vinh Phuc residents working in the south wish to get back home, the provincial labor department stated.

"The province gives priority to people having financial problems, the elderly, pregnant women and those with kids before putting others on the list," Vu Viet Van, Vinh Phucs deputy chairman, said, adding the province will cover all transport and quarantine costs via its own budget and those of benefactors.

In most cases, migrant workers explained they have all run out of money after losing their jobs due to the Covid-19 outbreak, and that now home was their safe bet. Besides, they are all afraid of yet another outbreak if restrictions are loosened, which means they would continue to be stuck in their rented rooms under strict social distancing rules, fearing the pandemic and receiving zero income.

Binh Duong, Dong Nai and Long An are the second, third, and fourth hardest hit localities in Vietnams latest Covid-19 wave, after HCMC. All four are major industrial hubs that employ a large number of workers from across the country.

Central Quang Tri Province is building a plan to bring 500 people home by train. They include pregnant women, women with kids under six, students, elderly people, and those who had come to HCMC for medical treatment and got stuck in the city due to social distancing.

In July and August, the province had already taken 900 home by train.

On Thursday, central Thua Thien Hue Province will also use trains to taken 600 home.

All returnees must be fully immunized with two vaccine doses, it requests.
1.1 million AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine doses gifted by South Korea are expected to arrive in Vietnam Wednesday.

This is South Korea's first and largest bilateral vaccine support for partners in the context of a global shortage of vaccines, South Korean ambassador Park Noh Wan told Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh at a Tuesday meeting.

The ambassador said South Korea will continue its medical support, including vaccines, for Vietnam in the coming time.

Vietnam is an important partner of South Korea, especially in economics, investment and trade, he said.

Despite the pandemic, the two-way trade turnover between the countries increased by 18 percent year-on-year in the first nine months, and South Koreas fresh investments in Vietnam increased by 24 percent against the same period last year.

PM Chinh said Vietnam was promoting vaccine diplomacy to speed up its vaccination campaign to cover the entire population, create a foundation to safely respond to the pandemic, and at the same time, restore production and business to bring socio-economic activities back to normal soon.

He said that he hoped South Korea will continue its support for Vietnam in fighting the pandemic, especially in vaccines and Covid-19 drugs, as well as in developing the pharmaceutical industry and improving local medical capacity.

He noted that the two countries were working on resuming commercial flights soon and on recognizing each other's vaccine passports to normalize economic activities, contributing to stabilizing the supply chain.

At a meeting with Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Sept. 21, his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in had pledged to provide at least one million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine to Vietnam.

Over 55.2 million people in Vietnam have received at least one Covid-19 vaccine shot to date and more than 16 million people have been fully vaccinated.
A boy has his body temperature checked at his school in HCMC, March 2021. Photo by VnExpress/Manh Tung

The Health Ministry is expected to issue guidelines on vaccination against Covid-19 for those from 12 to under 18 this week.

The ministry's experts are also discussing the form of vaccination implementation, either at school or locality of residence, Deputy Minister Do Xuan Tuyen told an online conference with 63 provinces and cities to evaluate Covid-19 vaccination Monday.

Deputy Minister Tran Van Thuan said the ministry is working on guidelines and that it is expected Vietnam would start vaccinating those aged 12-17 against Covid-19 within this month before expanding the plan to younger kids.

Health experts in Ho Chi Minh City had on Oct. 9 called for a plan to vaccinate children against Covid-19 as the city is planning to open schools in early 2022.

On Aug. 28, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh requested the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education and Training to plan for children and teens to be vaccinated so the new school year could begin safely.

The health ministry would need to determine which type of Covid-19 vaccine is frequently used by other countries to vaccinate children aged 12 and above while the education ministry should collaborate with the health ministry to aid with vaccination, he ordered.

Nguyen Thanh Hung, director of Childrens Hospital No. 1 in HCMC, said the Covid-19 mortality rate in children is not high compared to adults, but that the disease could leave long-term impact on children's physical and mental health, pending further research.

Several countries have already immunized children and adolescents between 12 and 18 while some countries have given the jab to those aged 5-12, along with those from two years old as in Cuba.

Vietnam now has 25 million children.

So far, the nation has vaccinated 55 million against Covid-19, with 16 million double-jabbed.
A unit of the Vietnam People's Navy prepares to take shelter from storm Kompasu, October 11, 2021. Photo by Vietnam's Navy newspaper

Disaster management authorities are preparing to evacuate 65,000 families with 250,000 members in central Vietnam as storm Kompasu threatens to make landfall with 75-90 kph winds.

The plan was announced Tuesday by Pham Duc Luan, deputy head of the National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, at a meeting on responding to the storm.

The storm entered Vietnam's waters late Monday night and is expected to hit the central region Thursday, according to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting.

Local authorities have directed 54,000 ships with more 230,000 crew members to take shelter.

At present, three ships from Quang Ngai with 29 crew members on board are still on their way to finding shelter.

Seven provinces that have announced sea bans: Thai Binh, Quang Ninh, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien Hue, and Quang Nam.

At 7 p.m. Tuesday, the storm lay 490 km (304 miles) east-northeast of the Hoang Sa (Paracel) Islands in the East Sea (known internationally as South China Sea) with winds of 90-120 kph.

In the next 12 hours, it is likely to move west at the speed of 25-30 kph and grow stronger, according to the Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting Center.

The storm is the eighth one to enter Vietnam's waters so far this year.

Nine people have been killed in the Philippines and 11 were missing on Tuesday due to floods and landslides caused by heavy rain from tropical cyclone Kompasu, Reuters cited the national disaster agency as saying.
Terrorism remains an active threat [in Africa], as al-Qaida and ISIS-aligned terrorist groups expand their influence and reach in some regions, said Lieutenant General Scott Berrier, the U.S. Army Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency. Al-Qaidas affiliate, al-Shabaab, poses a particularly strong terrorist threat in East Africa.

He warned that In the Sahel, the al-Qaidaaffiliated group [Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin] and ISIS in the Greater Sahara continued their attacks, while A fledgling ISIS insurgency expanded in northern Mozambique in 2020.

The United States Department of State has identified five leaders of these terrorist groups and designated them as Specially Designated Global Terrorist under Executive Order 13224, as amended.

Bonomade Machude Omar, also known as Abu Sulayfa Muhammad and Ibn Omar, leads the Military and External Affairs Departments for ISIS-Mozambique and serves as the senior commander and lead coordinator for all attacks conducted by the group in northern Mozambique.

Sidanag Hitta, also known as Abu Qarwaniand Abu Abdelhakim al-Kidali, is a senior leader and commander responsible for the Kidal Region in Mali within Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin, or JNIM.

Salem ould Breihmatt, also known as Abu Hamza al-Shanqiti and Hamza al-Mauritani, is a JNIM senior leader and emir of Arbinda and Serma in the Mopti Region of Mali.

Ali Mohamed Rage, also known as Ali Dheere, is al-Shabaabs spokesman and a senior leader of the group. He has been involved in planning attacks in Kenya and Somalia.

Abdikadir Mohamed Abdikadir, also known as Ikrima, is an al-Shabaab senior leader and served as the Head of Operations and Logistics. He is a facilitator and operational planner for al-Shabaab.

As a result of these designations, the property and interests in property of these persons is subject to U.S. jurisdiction. U.S. citizens are prohibited from engaging in any transactions with them.

The United States is committed to disrupting the financing methods of ISIS-Mozambique, JNIM, and al-Shabaab  all of which are designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists  limiting their abilities to conduct further attacks against civilians and supporting our partners in efforts to disrupt terrorism finance, said Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a written statement. Addressing the terrorist threat across the continent will require working closely with our partners to degrade the capacity and operations of these terrorist groups, combatting their control and influence in West, East, and Southern Africa.
The United States is committed to distributing the COVID-19 vaccines worldwide as quickly as possible in order to help end the pandemic. Most recently, the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, announced an additional $11.3 million in COVID-19 assistance for the Philippines to support the countrys vaccine rollout efforts. The aid will also help fund the Philippines national response plan to detect, manage, and treat COVID-19, especially among its most vulnerable populations. This support brings the total USAID, U.S. Department of State, and U.S. Department of Defense COVID-19 assistance to the Philippines to more than $39 million since the start of the pandemic.

This help will be welcomed in a nation hit hard by COVID-19. The Philippines has among the highest number of coronavirus cases and deaths in Asia and has been battling epidemic numbers since March last year, according to press reports. Cases in the last month accounted for more than a fifth of the country's 2.3 million infections to date, while total deaths have exceeded 36,700, according to recently reported statistics.

As part of President Joe Bidens pledge to serve as the worlds arsenal of vaccines, the United States has donated more than 9 million doses to the Philippines to help save lives and end the pandemic as a part of the more than 16 million doses provided through the COVAX facility. The USG, through USAID, is the largest donor to the COVAX. Additionally, USAID has supported approximately 44,000 frontline healthcare workers and strengthened more than 800 hospitals and clinics, as well as procured essential items such as personal protective equipment, testing kits, medicines, hygiene kits, and other life-saving products, to support the Philippines COVID-19 response.

USAID supports Philippines vaccine readiness and vaccine service delivery and continues to support local government units and health authorities, including frontline healthcare workers, to curb further transmission, track priority populations for vaccination, help treat COVID patients whether they are in a hospital or home, and more.

This year, USAID celebrates 60 years of partnership with the Philippines. Over the past 20 years, USAID has invested over $600 million in the Philippine health sector, building a strong foundation for a more effective COVID-19 response.
ELKO  A Wells-area parent announced he would take his unmasked children to school Tuesday in protest of Gov. Steve Sisolaks mask mandate, then postponed his plan after one of the concerned parties involved came down with COVID-19.

Ruby Valley rancher Brian Gale is once again protesting the constitutionality of the mandate in Nevada, and stated over the weekend that he planned to hold a gathering Tuesday before taking his children to school unmasked.

Last month, Gale wrote an open letter to Sheriff Aitor Narvaiza after he said his children were turned away from Wells Combined School. Narvaiza responded that his office does not enforce mask mandates such as the one imposed by the governor on schools that reach a threshold number of COVID-19 cases.

Gale claims that the mandate deprives his children of a free public education in violation of the 14th Amendment. If the Wells school administration does not re-enroll them, he challenged Narvaiza to arrest the principal for violating the Constitution.

Together we can show his Highness the Governor that there are proud Nevadans unwilling to accept his unilateral infringement of our God-given rights, Gale wrote. If you are unwilling to stand now, will your grandchildren be able to stand later?

In June, Elko County Commissioners voted unanimously to join the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association, a group that believes federal and state government authorities are subordinate to local government authority.

Commissioner Rex Steninger responded Monday to Gales letter, asking him to be patient and to reconsider his plans. He said Narvaiza is responsible for protecting our rights by enforcing the laws and I am confident he always will. I am also confident that he will refuse to enforce unjust laws. But it is not his responsibility to determine the constitutionality of the mask mandate for students. Determining the constitutionality of law is the job of our judicial system.

Narvaiza wrote last month that Fighting amongst ourselves in this County will not solve anything. I will continue to work with County Commissioners and our legal team to fight against unlawful mandates and to find solutions that work for us as a community, together as one.

Nearly all of the schools in the Elko County School District have been under a student mask mandate for weeks. According to Nevadas COVID website, there have been 524 student cases and 66 staff cases since the school year began. These numbers include 22 student and six staff cases at Wells Combined School.

Elko County currently has the highest per-capita rate of COVID-19 in Nevada.

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Wyoming medical examiner Dr. Brent Blue, the man in charge of the autopsy and its divulgation, hosted a press conference on Tuesday regarding the findings from Gabby Petitos autopsy.

CAUSE OF DEATH: STRANGULATION

A month ago when the body was found, Dr. Blue revealed the death would be treated as a homicide. Today the medical examiner's theories were confirmed when he announced that the cause of death was strangulation.

In addition to the cause of death, the medical examiner gave several other updates. He spoke to the length of time the body had been in the elements, saying that based on the autopsy they believe, the body has been out in the wilderness for three or four weeks before it has been found on September 20th.

Dr. Blue did not provide any information on the motive or attacker but assured those tuning in that DNA samples have been taken from the body by law enforcement.

PETITOS LAST DAYS

Shortly before her disappearance, Petito shared on social media that the road trip with her boyfriend Brian Laundrie seemed perfect. However, the reality of the trip began to darken after the teenager was reported missing by her family.

Conflicts between the couple started to raise after it was made public that the couple was stopped by the Utah police after a local called 911, alleging he saw a gentleman slapping a girl.

Video records show Petito in tears and Laundrie claiming tension between both had been escalating over the past few days. However, the police did not take any further actions after the stop bedsides telling them to separate for the night.

LAUNDRIE, PERSON OF INTEREST

Laundries parents told police officials their son came back on 1 September and stayed for two days before leaving for the Carlton Reserve. They reportedly alleged to not knowing any details about his since his departure.

Carlton Reserve

Meanwhile, the Carlton Reserve has been patrolled by police officials with the help of drones, dogs, and vehicles to find Petitos boyfriend, but his whereabouts still remain unknown.

Authorities have described the Reserve as dangerous, vast and unforgiving

If hes down there in the Carlton Reserve, hes living in hell, said local survival expert Mark Burrow.

Laundries sister is pleading with Brian to turn himself in

Laundries sister Cassie, who is worried about him, has pleaded desperately with her brother to turn himself in.

Id turn him in, she said. I would tell my brother to just come forward and get us out of this horrible mess.

Gabby's case has brought outrage, anger, and the sadness to thousands in the US. However, it has also served to bring raise awareness of the more than 90,000 missing people according to the latest National Crime Information Center figures and which didnt have Petitos luck of being a case of public interest.
Illustrative image (Source: VNA)

Ten product groups with highest revenue in the Indonesian market in the period included computers, electronic products and accessories, plastic materials and fiber. Their combined revenue reached 1.81 billion USD, accounting for 72 percent of the total.

The highest rise was seen in the export revenue of computers, electronic products and accessories at 127.2 percent, which topped 328.38 million USD.

Meanwhile, decreases were reported in the export revenues from machinery, equipment and spare parts (14.4 percent), and telephones and accessories (10.9 percent).

In August, Vietnam imported 624.44 million USD worth of goods from Indonesia, down 9.5 percent over July. The sharpest fall was recorded in the import value of automobile at 55.7 percent, followed by that of automobile parts at 39.5 percent.

The result brought the total import value from Indonesia in the first eight months to 4.39 billion USD, up 51.9 percent year on year.

At the same time, Indonesian investment in Vietnam in the first nine months of 2021 hit 5.49 million USD, bringing Indonesia to the 39th position among 94 countries and territories investing in Vietnam this year.

As of September, Indonesian investors had 86 valid projects in Vietnam with total investment of 611.57 million USD.

Vietnamese, RoK enterprises to introduce products during B2B meeting

Vietnamese firms are set to meet 19 companies from the Republic of Koreas Jeollanam-do province during an online event from October 18 to October 22 which will be held by the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) in Hanoi, reported VOV News.

Illustrative image (Source: VOV)

During the course of the B2B meeting, Korean companies are expected to introduce a broad array of products in agriculture and fisheries, cosmetics, industry, and energy, with the purpose of seeking Vietnamese partners who can distribute their goods domestically.

Located in the southwestern region of the RoK, Jeollanam-do represents the countrys large producer of rice, wheat, barley, beans, potatoes, vegetables, cotton, and fruits thanks to its favourable climate and success in applying high technology in terms of developing agriculture, according to KOTRA Hanoi.

The Korean province has also established representative offices globally, including in the nation and has been exporting organic and high-quality agricultural and fisheries products, such as mushrooms, abalones, and pears to the Vietnamese market.

Last year saw the RoK as the third largest Vietnamese trading partner, behind only China and the United States, with two-way trade hitting 66 billion USD. Vietnamese exports of agricultural and fisheries products, along with processed food to the East Asian country, totaled 1.2 billion USD.

During the opening eight months of this year bilateral trade reached 49.17 billion USD, of which Vietnamese exports to the RoK were worth 14.12 billion USD and imports stood at 35.05 billion USD, respectively.

Vietnam remains Laoss largest sugar importer

Vietnam remains the biggest sugar importer, third largest trading partner and the third biggest foreign investor of Laos, after Thailand and China, Vietnam News Agency quoted Vientiane Times report on October 11.

Growing sugarcane - Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)

The newspaper quoted data from the Lao Ministry of Industry and Trade as saying that trade between Laos and Vietnam has been maintained although both nations are struggling with the COVID-19 pandemic. During January-September, the total value of Laos's sugar exports reached 73.1 million USD, of which 61.3 million USD worth of the product was exported to Vietnam.

It also cited data from the Vietnam Sugar and Sugarcane Association as saying that Vietnam purchased 399,189 tonnes of sugar from Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, Myanmar and Malaysia in the first half of 2021, a tenfold increase compared to that of the same period last year.

According to the article, Vietnams removal of sugar import quotas for ASEAN member states in 2020 not only provides a great opportunity for Lao businesses to approach and gain a foothold in the neighbouring country's market./.
This is a meaningful and practical activity towards the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Switzerland (October 11), contributing to tightening the friendship between the two countries and two peoples, and opening up prospects for long-term cooperation and development.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Switzerland Le Linh Lan (red dress) and guests at the programme (Photo: VGP)

Speaking at the opening of the program, Deputy Foreign Minister of Vietnam Dang Hoang Giang emphasized that the Vietnam Day program in Switzerland in 2021 not only demonstrated the intense vitality of the Vietnam-Switzerland relationship, but also sent to the Swiss public and European countries the message of a beautiful Vietnam, rich in identity and ready to cooperate with Switzerland in all fields, especially innovation.

This year, the programme was jointly organised by the Vietnamese Embassy in Switzerland, the Vietnamese permanent mission to the United Nations (UN), the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and other international organisations, and the Department of Cultural Affairs and UNESCO under the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It also welcomed guests who are representatives of State agencies and experts in many different fields, with five main parts themed Hello Switzerland! Hello Europe! Original Culture, Miracle Vietnam, Future Generations, and See you in Vietnam.

The first part Hello Switzerland! Hello Europe! brought Vietnam closer to the international public through highlights of diplomatic and economic cooperation with Switzerland and world-class agricultural achievements.

The second part Original Culture depicted the unique culture of Vietnam originating from the wet rice civilization. In which, the audience can watch folk art performances, which are intangible cultural heritages recognized by the world such as Hue royal music or Then singing. This part also suggested the journey of preserving the precious cultural heritage of the nation.

The third part Miracle Vietnam promoted the natural landscape of Vietnam from majestic mountains, alluvial plains to modern urban areas. Besides, the audience was able to explore the typical cuisine with world famous traditional dishes through the new perspective of Swiss tourists.

The fourth part Future Generations highlighted many achievements in economic, social and technological development, shared by promising generations of Vietnamese. Those who laid the first foundation to build a modern and integrated Vietnam include FPT Telecom Chairman Hoang Nam Tien, and Dr. Bui Hai Hung, Director of the Institute of Artificial Intelligence (Vingroup).

Thanks to the online organization, the audience can interact with the guests throughout the program for the most authentic and enjoyable experience. After being broadcast, the program will continue to be replayed on VTV4 channel, Vietnam Television.

Vietnam Day in Switzerland in 2021 is within the framework of Vietnam Overseas Day, an annual national promotion program assigned by the Prime Minister to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs since 2010. Following Vietnam Day in Switzerland in 2021, Vietnam Day in the United States in 2021 will be held in November, in order to contribute to promoting bilateral and multilateral cooperation opportunities in all fields between Vietnam and the US./.
AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine (Photo: VNA)

The activity is a result after the Vietnamese Chairman of the National Assembly Vuong Dinh Hue sent a letter to the Presidents of the National Assembly of the European Union (EU) member states who attended the fifth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament (WCSP5) in Austria in September 2021, on supporting and sharing vaccines with Vietnam.

With this gesture of the Latvian National Assembly, National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue sent a letter of thanks to Latvian President of the National Assembly Inara Murniece and the Latvian National Assembly parliamentarians.

In the letter, the Vietnamese President of the National Assembly said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Health and relevant agencies of Vietnam are implementing the necessary procedures to purchase and receive the above vaccines as soon as possible.

National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue was pleased to see that the traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation between Vietnam and Latvia, and between the National Assemblies of the two countries, have been continuously consolidated and developed well over the years.

The Latvian National Assembly's push for the Government to transfer 200,000 doses of AstraZeneca to Vietnam during this difficult period is a noble gesture that the National Assembly, Government and people of Latvia have made for Vietnam./.




Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son (R) and Ambassador of Panama Eligio Alberto Salas De Leon (Photo: VNA)

Receiving the ambassador, Son spoke highly of the role of the Embassy of Panama in Hanoi in promoting bilateral political, diplomatic and economic ties.

The minister suggested the diplomat jointly promote all-level visits and exchanges, effectively maintain the mechanisms of political consultation and the Vietnam  Panama Joint Committee on Economic, Trade and Investment Cooperation, and step up maritime, finance-banking and agricultural collaboration.

The ambassador vowed to serve as a bridge to foster bilateral friendship and cooperation in his position.

He also proposed specific measures to enhance political exchanges, increase diplomatic presence and reinforce bilateral economic and trade links at the Government, local and corporate levels.

Trade between the two nations has stayed at over 300 million USD each year. The two countries have also offered mutual support at international organisations and multilateral forums./.




Ambassador Dang Minh Khoi visits Rusvietpetro (Photo: baoquocte.vn)



After the inspection, Ambassador Dang Minh Khoi highly appreciated the spirit and efforts of the leaders of Rusvietpetro, and praised the Vietnamese employees for their effective coordination with Russian friends despite difficult and harsh working conditions.

He expressed satisfaction with the joint venture's efforts in ensuring the spiritual life and working environment for its employees, affirming that Rusvietpetro is an important impetus for the comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and Russia.

The Ambassador also had a working session with Yury Bezdudnuy, Governor of the Nenets autonomous region. During the working session, he expressed his hope that the Governor and officials of the region will continue to create the most favourable conditions for the Rusvietpetro joint venture.

Zarubezhneft and the Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam) formed the Rusvietpetro joint venture in September 2008, with Petro Vietnam having a 49 percent stake. This is the most successful offshore investment project of PetroVietnam in the field of oil and gas exploration and production.

As of August 31, 2021, the joint venture had exploited 30.48 million tonnes of oil, and total profit transferred to Vietnam reached 1.263 billion USD.

In 2021, Rusvietpetro targets to exploit over 3 million tonnes of crude oil with an estimated revenue of over 1.3 billion USD and post-tax profit around 410 million USD./.
This is a traditional activity organized annually by the General Association of Overseas Vietnamese in Belgium to strengthen ties and solidarity among the Vietnamese community in the Kingdom of Belgium, and at the same time uphold the role of the Vietnamese family in preserving their culture and traditional identity, while integrating into the society of the host country.





At the event (Photo: VNA)

After a year of shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Vietnam Family Day this year is an opportunity for Vietnamese families and children to meet, have fun and share the traditional values of Vietnamese families, as well as help children born and growing up abroad understand more about the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival of Vietnamese children.

Speaking at the festival, Vietnamese Ambassador to Belgium, Head of the Vietnamese Mission to the European Union (EU), Nguyen Van Thao emphasized that Vietnam Family Day with many activities contributes to connecting Vietnamese families, helping them better understand Vietnamese culture, thereby passing on the attachment to Vietnamese culture to their children.

Mr. Huynh Cong My, President of the General Association of Overseas Vietnamese in Belgium, expressed his pleasure that the Vietnam Family Day and Mid-Autumn Festival have received enthusiastic responses from families, helping to improve the spiritual life of the Vietnamese community.

Expressing his joy at participating in the event, Mr. Bea Diallo, Vice President of Ixelles District, highly appreciated the initiative of the Vietnamese community to organize this event, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic being well controlled in Belgium. He praised the Vietnamese community in Belgium in general and in Ixelles district in particular, promoting its cultural identity and effective integration into the host country.

Ixelles is the district with the largest concentration of Vietnamese, as well as Vietnamese restaurants in Brussels.

At the festival, children watched the lion dance, a traditional Vietnamese activity during the Mid-Autumn Festival, Mid-autumn lantern procession, and took pictures. The children also participated in showing their talents through art and martial arts performances.

On this occasion, Vietnamese people and Belgian friends enjoyed traditional Vietnamese dishes such as noodle soup (pho) and fried spring rolls.

Particularly, the moon cake stall brought the taste of Vietnam's traditional Mid-Autumn Festival to the Vietnamese community in Belgium, helping them feel close to the homeland./.
Ice cream products are seen during Ice Cream China 2021 held in north China's Tianjin Municipality, Oct. 11, 2021. Ice Cream China 2021 opened Monday in north China's Tianjin Municipality, attracting more than 400 companies and nearly 10,000 buyers. (Xinhua/Sun Fanyue)

TIANJIN, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- Ice Cream China 2021 opened Monday in north China's Tianjin Municipality, attracting more than 400 companies and nearly 10,000 buyers.

The three-day exhibition, covering an area of over 42,000 square meters, showcases a wide range of products in the ice cream industry, including finished products, machinery, raw materials, molds and packaging.

"China is a big producer and consumer of ice cream. Though the COVID-19 pandemic brought some impacts on the ice cream industry, it has stimulated related companies to innovate products and change their sales patterns," said Zhang Jiukui, president of China Association of Bakery and Confectionery Industry.

With the optimized industrial layout, the ice cream industry enjoys a good momentum of development, Zhang said.

According to Zhang, in the first half of 2021, the total output of 127 enterprises above the designated size in the frozen drinks industry reached about 1.35 million tonnes, up 0.46 percent year on year, with the main business income of about 16.96 billion yuan (about 2.63 billion U.S. dollars), up 10.96 percent from the same period last year.

"Our company designed hundreds of creative molds and ice cream products with Chinese traditional elements, such as ice cream shaped into the famous Terracotta Warriors and buildings featuring Chinese culture, to name a few," said Han Jun, CEO of Nicole Mold, a China's silicone mold manufacturing producer.

The company's sales saw robust growth in the first nine months this year, nearly doubled the total sales of last year, according to Han.

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Editor: JYZ
Alar Karis takes the oath of office as the new president of Estonia at the inauguration ceremony in Tallinn, Estonia, Oct. 11, 2021. Alar Karis took the oath of office here on Monday as the new president of Estonia. (Erik Peinar/Parliament of Estonia/Handout via Xinhua)

TALLINN, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- Alar Karis took the oath of office here on Monday as the new president of Estonia.

At the inauguration ceremony held in the country's Parliament (Riigikogu), outgoing Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid said that she was "honored" to have served her country for five years.

In his first speech as president, Karis touched upon a broad spectrum of topics ranging from the need for Estonia to maintain good relations with its allies through the difficulties caused by the high electricity prices to families in the country to his desire for a strong and united Europe.

Karis, 63, was elected Estonia's fifth president since the country's independence in 1991 with 72 votes of the required 68 in the second round of voting held in the country's 101-member Parliament on Aug. 31.

Karis is a native of Tartu, the second largest city in Estonia.

He is a molecular geneticist and developmental biologist, who embarked on an academic career after graduating from the Estonian University of Life Sciences in Tartu. He became a professor there in 1999, and later the rector.

Karis was appointed as Estonia's auditor general in March 2013 and, after completing his tenure, became director of the Estonian National Museum in October 2017.
The Congressional Ukraine Caucus has reported on the close monitoring of an open tender for seats in the independent supervisory board of NJSC Naftogaz Ukrainy in accordance with the standards set by the international community.

"The Congressional Ukraine Caucus is closely monitoring the open competition to fill the independent supervisory board seats at Naftogaz consistent with standards set by the international community. Robust corporate governance and transparency are key to ensuring Ukraine's energy security and independence. As Ukraine works to strengthen its integration within the community of democracies and the free world, we urge the country's leadership to continue to demonstrate its commitment to the necessary reforms," Congressional Ukraine Caucus Co-Chairs Representatives Marcy Kaptur, Brian Fitzpatrick, Mike Quigley, and Andy Harris released the following statement related to the filling of independent supervisory board seats at Naftogaz.

As reported, the supervisory board of Naftogaz after the resignation of independent members stopped working at the end of September this year. After receiving letters of resignation from the members of the supervisory board in early September, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal instructed to announce a tender for the selection of three more independent members to the previously announced competition for the selection of one independent member of the supervisory board.

According to him, the competition should end in November this year, so that the new members of the supervisory board have enough time to determine the requirements for a candidate for the post of head of the Naftogaz board and hold a tender for his election no later than May 1 of next year.

During the absence of the supervisory board, if necessary, some of its functions can be performed by the Cabinet of Ministers within the framework of a meeting of shareholders, approving the necessary decisions.

In addition, the Cabinet of Ministers delegated to the Naftogaz board the authority to approve internal regulations for the period prior to the appointment of the supervisory board, in particular, on issues related to the operation of the internal control system, appointment and dismissal of the head of risk management, the head of compliance, the authorized person for anti-corruption program and the financial controller, who regulate the activities of NJSC Naftogaz Ukrainy.
The completion of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline construction opens up new challenges for Ukraine, the EU and Ukraine have agreed to launch a strategic dialogue on European energy security, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said.

"The key to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine is its energy security. The completion of the construction of Nord Stream 2 opens up new challenges for Ukraine in addition to the existing ones. We agreed to launch a high-level strategic energy dialogue between Ukraine and the EU, it is necessary to develop a common long-term vision of Europe's energy security," Zelensky said at a press conference of the 23rd Ukraine-EU summit in Kyiv on Tuesday.
The Ministry of Economy will represent the interests of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine in courts to defend the interests of the state on issues related to the privatization of the state-owned enterprise Motor Sich.

"The Ministry of Economy, together with the Ministry of Justice, other interested executive authorities, when considering court cases, to take measures to defend the interests of the state on issues related to the privatization of the state-owned enterprise Motor Sich," government said in order No. 1237 dated October 6, 2021 published on its website on Tuesday.

There are no other details in the document, as well as the corresponding item in the previously announced agenda of the government meeting on October 6.

PJSC Motor Sich is one of the world's largest manufacturers of engines for aviation equipment, as well as industrial gas turbine units. It supplies products to more than 100 countries around the world.
The appeal of the Supreme Court of Ukraine to the Constitutional Court regarding the unconstitutionality of the law on the procedure for appointing members of the High Council of Justice (HCJ) does not mean a halt to judicial reform, Head of the Supreme Court Valentyna Danishevska has said.

In an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine, Danishevska said the Supreme Court's appeal to the Constitutional Court is a warning of negative consequences in the form of a possible operation shutdown of the High Council of Justice.

"Now it is essential that the Ethics Council operates without violating the Constitution, so that foreign experts, not knowing our legislation and not understanding all the difficulties that exist in the judiciary, inadvertently dissolve the HCJ and stop the entire system," the court's head said.

Answering a question about whether the appeal to the Constitutional Court means the end of the reform, Danishevska said: "Absolutely not. [...]The Supreme Court's appeal is not at all intended to undermine the reform. This can only be done politically or with the help of the media, saying that the judiciary is supposedly opposed to this reform."

"Since the judiciary has doubts that not all provisions of law No.1635 meet the Constitution, there is a need to clarify these issues in advance, so as not to give an opportunity for those who are against the reform to appeal it in the future to the courts, including the European court. The more violations in the course of the reform, the faster the process goes in the opposite direction," Danishevska said.

In terms of the procedural aspects of the appeal consideration, then, according to the Supreme Court's head, the appeal concerns only some provisions of the law, and consideration in the Constitutional Court does not stop the force of the law.

"We will accept any ruling of the Constitutional Court, the main thing is that the Constitutional Court clarifies the situation with inconsistencies in the law that pose a threat to the functioning of the judiciary," the Supreme Court's head said.
Fears that the High Council of Justice (HCJ) will stop working have given rise to a tendency for judges to be dismissed, Head of the Supreme Court Valentuna Danishevska has said.

In an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine, answering a question about the trend in the dismissal of judges, Danishevska said: "Just out of fear that the High Council of Justice would stop its operation, an outflow of staff has begun. The judicial system lacked over 2,000 judges and now this figure is increasing. At the beginning of September, up to 30 judges per week were dismissed."

Danishevska said that, first of all, judges who are approaching the age limit for tenure are being dismissed, as "they risk not getting being able to resign if the HCJ stops working."

"The judges who are tired of these vicissitudes are also leaving. And these are the judges who have successfully passed the qualification assessment. The lack of a sufficient number of judges, the constantly increasing number of cases, indiscriminate criticism from the authorities, the media and the public are the reasons why judges are leave the judicial system," the Supreme Court's head said.

Danishevska said the judiciary does not deny the facts of specific violations by judges, but constant accusations against judges "make the judicial system vulnerable."

"In general, at times it seems that we do not see any interest both on the part of the authorities and the public in the judicial system being truly independent," the court's head said.

Danisheska also drew attention to the critical situation with the judges on Donbas contact line.

"The situation is difficult throughout the country. The system is already missing a third of judges. The fact that justice is not being carried out on the contact line (in eastern Ukraine) has made the situation more acute, as the need in those regions is more acute. At first, the premises were destroyed, now this problem has been solved and it is necessary to launch the work of the court, and the judge of this court no longer has powers [...]. Without the HCJ, we will not transfer the judge to Avdiyivka, because only HCJ has the authority to do this," the Supreme Court's head said.
Zelensky: Russia is side to conflict in Donbas, this to be stated in joint statement with EU

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia is undoubtedly a side to the conflict in Donbas, and this will be stated in a joint statement with the EU.

"Yesterday I had a conversation with Federal Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel and President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron, and one of the key subjects of the summit was the coordination of the steps of Ukraine and the EU to achieve peace in the east of our country. The lack of progress in a peaceful settlement in Donbas lies in full measure on the Russian Federation, which is undoubtedly a party to the conflict, which will be recorded in a joint statement today," Zelensky said at a briefing in Kyiv on Tuesday, following the Ukraine-EU summit.

Zelensky also said that Ukraine is grateful that the EU from year to year continues restrictive measures against Russia, but "the need to strengthen sanctions pressure is long overdue."
Ukraine and the European Union called on Russia to acknowledge responsibility for the conflict in Donbas, to promote a ceasefire and the implementation of the Minsk agreements, according to the text of the joint statement following the 23rd Ukraine-EU Summit.

"We condemn the violation of the ceasefire by Russia-backed armed formations and call on Russia to fully assume its responsibility in this regard and to use its considerable influence over the armed formations it backs, to re-establish a comprehensive ceasefire, to meet the Minsk commitments in full, and to ensure free and unhindered access of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to the non-government-controlled areas of Ukraine, including the areas along the Ukrainian-Russian State border, in accordance with its mandate," according to the document approved by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, President of the European Council Charles Michel and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.
The joint statement following the 23rd Ukraine-EU Summit recognizes the importance of further strengthening cooperation in countering hybrid threats and tackling disinformation.

According to the text of the statement published on the website of the President's Office of Ukraine, the EU will continue to support Ukraines resilience, including through the strengthening of independent media and the regulatory environment, as well as sharing best practices on media freedom and literacy, strategic communications and supporting Ukrainian initiatives to tackle disinformation.

"We underlined the important role played by civil society, youth and independent media in all areas of public and political life, also in the context of disinformation campaigns against the EU and Ukraine, including notably by Russia," the officials said in the joint statement.

The holding of the first cyber dialogue between Ukraine and the EU on June 3, 2021 is also encouraged, and the next round is expected in the second quarter of 2022.

"We emphasized the importance of deepening inter-institutional cooperation on cybersecurity," according to the statement.
Ukraine and the EU have agreed on the importance of coordinating international efforts to strengthen resilience to growing threats to security and stability in the Black Sea region, according to a joint statement following the 23rd Ukraine-EU summit.

"We continue to call on Russia to ensure unhindered and free passage to and from the Sea of Azov, in accordance with international law. We condemn the Russian decision to close parts of the Black Sea to non-Russian military and state vessels and we call on Russia to refrain from impeding the lawful exercise of navigational rights and freedoms," the joint statement reads.

In addition, Ukraine and the EU condemned the strengthening of the militarization of Crimea, the serious deterioration of the human rights situation there, as well as the restriction of the freedom of Ukrainian citizens to enter and leave the Crimean peninsula.

"We condemned the holding of the elections to the Russian Federation State Duma that took place in the illegally annexed Crimean Peninsula and that also involved residents of the non-government controlled territories in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine on 17-19 September 2021 against the spirit and objectives of the Minsk Agreements," the statement reads.

Ukraine and the EU called on the Russian Federation to provide international organizations and human rights defenders with unhindered access to areas that are not yet under Ukrainian control, including the Crimean peninsula, and to respect international humanitarian law.

Ukraine and the Russian Federation called for the immediate release of all illegally detained and imprisoned on the Crimean peninsula and in Russia, including Crimean Tatar activists.
KYIV. Oct 12 (Interfax-Ukraine)  Representatives of three associations related to grain processing have withdrawn their signatures under the Memorandum of Understanding agreed on July 5 on the maximum grain export volumes in the 2021/2022 marketing year (July-June), since their proposal to separately limit the volumes of exported bread and fodder wheat was not taken into account, without which it is impossible to produce bread of proper quality.

Director of the Millers of Ukraine union Rodion Rybchynsky, President of the Ukrainian Association of Bakers Yuriy Duchenko and Head of the Ukrkhlibprom association Oleksandr Vasylchenko told about the withdrawal of their signatures under the Memorandum of Understanding and the reasons for this action at a press conference held at Interfax-Ukraine on Tuesday.

According to the director of Millers of Ukraine, the wheat harvest in 2021/2022 grew by 29.3% compared to 2020/21, to 32.2 million tonnes, while the amount of milling wheat required for the manufacture of bakery products decreased in the total volume to 42% from 58% in the last year.

"We proposed in the memorandum to separate 45% of milling wheat and 55% of fodder wheat from the total volume [the value of the maximum export volume established in the memorandum], in order to establish the maximum export volume of this or that wheat," Rybchynsky said, having specified earlier the agreement reached by the signatories of this document on the introduction of proportions for the export of wheat, depending on its quality.

He said that last week, most of the signatories to the memorandum refused to the representatives of the grain processing industry in introducing the separation of the volumes of exported bread and fodder wheat.

According to the director of Millers of Ukraine, the export of wheat since the beginning of the current year in July and as of October 8 amounted to 10.05 million tonnes, of which bread wheat amounted to 92% - 9.2 million tonnes. At the same time, 3.5 million tonnes of milling wheat are required annually for the domestic market of Ukraine and the needs of the processing industry.

Rybchynsky said that market participants had previously agreed to limit the export of wheat from Ukraine this season at the level of 25.3 million tonnes, without dividing it into bread and fodder wheat.

Accordingly, since 92% of wheat exported from the country is bread wheat, in Ukraine its supply over the past months has significantly decreased, and the difference in price between bread and fodder wheat has grown to at least $15 per tonnes. This leads to a shortage of bread grade 2 wheat used for processing into flour.

The head of the association said that starting from January 2022, the supply of milling wheat will decrease even more significantly, which will either lead to the need for millers to add low-quality bread wheat to the grinding batch, which will significantly reduce the quality of bread, or the industry will have to import it.

"Based on the above, we have withdrawn the signatures of the three associations from the memorandum that we signed on July 5, that is, we denounced our signatures, and we put everyone in front of this fact so that later there would be no remarks against our flour and bread producers. The today's situation will lead to at least two situations: a deterioration in the quality of bread and a significant increase in the price of it," Rybchynsky said.

As reported, on July 5, participants in the grain market and the Ministry of Agrarian Policy signed a memorandum of understanding for 2021/2022 agri-year. At the same time, the annex to the memorandum, which indicates the maximum export volumes of agricultural products, the parties were going to sign after the volumes of the harvested crop become known.

They sign this document annually since 2011 to maintain a balance between domestic grain consumption and export opportunities in Ukraine.

In January 2021, market participants agreed on a maximum corn export volume for 2020/2021 agri-year in the amount of 24 million tonnes and made the appropriate amendments to the annex to the memorandum. Prior to that, the grain memorandum for the past year, signed in August last year, contained an agreed position on the export of wheat and rye at the level of 17.5 million tonnes and 16,000 tonnes, respectively.
KYIV. Oct 12 (Interfax-Ukraine)  The flu vaccination service is available in private clinics throughout Ukraine, participants in a press conference at the Interfax-Ukraine agency said on Tuesday.

"The number of people who make an informed choice towards influenza vaccination this year is significantly higher than in the period before COVID-19, because people began to think more about preventive medicine," head of the infectious diseases department of Kyiv City Clinical Hospital No. 4 Natalia Ralets said.

"This year we expect an increase in demand for influenza vaccination, so we work closely with insurance companies and business owners who want to protect their workers. I think the active vaccination process will go on in the second half of October," head of the laboratory and polyclinic department of Adonis clinic Kateryna Komisarenko said.

In turn, Director of the Doc.ua Medical Online Hub Booking Division Olena Hrytsay said that the flu vaccination service can be obtained in private clinics, in particular in Kyiv, Dnipro and Kharkiv.

"Last year, out of 2,500 of our partner clinics, 20-25 were ready to vaccinate, including networks throughout Ukraine. Mostly all of them are in Kyiv or are part of the network. That is, only about 4% of clinics provided such services in the capital," she said.

At the same time, Hrytsay noted a slight increase in prices for influenza vaccination compared to the level of 2020. "If we talk about Kyiv, the cost is UAH 925 per dose with the consultation of a therapist, in the regions  UAH 653, this is the average bill. Today it is too early to draw conclusions about the price, since only 2% of our partner institutions have a vaccine and are ready to formulate a cost, however the average expected range is from UAH 600 to UAH 1,000 in Kyiv," she said, adding that this price includes both the cost of the vaccine and the cost of medical consultation before the procedure.

At the same time, Hrytsay reported a shortage of influenza vaccines.

"Partners talk about a shortage. It's because clinics often buy in batches. For example, a partner last year made a request from a distributor for 1,000 doses, and only 300 were available for purchase. Therefore, patients had to wait for their turn and the next purchase of a global vaccine to Ukraine by distributors," she explained.

Director of the Pharmacy Professional Association of Ukraine Volodymyr Rudenko added that the prices for influenza vaccine in pharmacies will be much cheaper, because they do not include the cost of consulting a doctor.

He also noted the readiness of pharmacies to introduce the practice of vaccination, as is the case in other countries.

"Moreover, we approached the Ministry of Health with a proposal to develop rules on how to organize this on the territory of pharmacies. If the ministry develops rules that are understandable for everyone, I think pharmacies will be happy to join, realizing that people need this kind of help," he said.

Head of the National Technical Group of Experts on Immunization Fedir Lapiy said that influenza vaccines can be innoculated on the same day as the COVID-19 vaccine or at any interval.

"A person can come to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and at the same time he can be vaccinated against influenza in his other hand. One just needs to say in which arm this or that vaccine was injected. Such decisions have been made in the United States and in other countries. Foreign experience shows such a solution is safe," he said.
Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks via video link at the opening ceremony of the 2021 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) held in Beijing, at a restaurant in Shanghai, China (Photo : REUTERS/Aly Song)

Chinese President Xi Jinping is scrutinizing the ties that the country's state banks and other financial institutions have developed with big private companies, the Wall Street Journal reported https://www.wsj.com/articles/xi-jinping-scrutinizes-chinese-financial-institutions-ties-with-private-firms-11633972484?mod=djemalertNEWS on Monday, citing people with knowledge of the plan.



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The inspections focus on whether state-owned banks, investment funds and financial regulators have become too friendly with private firms, especially those that have come under fire from Beijing in recent months, including debt-laden China Evergrande Group, ride-hailing giant Didi Global Inc and high-profile fintech firm Ant Group, the report said.



Citic Group, one of Evergrande's main lenders, is among the institutions being scrutinized, the report said. The company did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.



The examination is being led by China's top anti-corruption agency and centers on 25 financial institutions, according to the report.



Officials from the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection are reviewing files of lending, investment and regulatory records at these institutions, the report said.



The commission could not be immediately reached for comment.



The firms suspected of having engaged in inappropriate dealings are likely to be formally investigated by the Communist Party and potentially charged later, the people cited told the Wall Street Journal.



In recent months, Chinese regulators have taken aim at sectors ranging from technology to education and property, targeting some of the biggest firms in the country like Alibaba Group and Tencent Holdings.


U.S., EU line up over 20 more countries for global methane pact

Methane bubbles are seen in an area of marshland at a research post at Stordalen Mire near Abisko, Sweden, (Photo : REUTERS/Hannah McKay)

Two dozen countries have joined a U.S.- and EU-led effort to slash methane emissions 30% by 2030 from 2020 levels, giving the emerging global partnership momentum ahead of its launch at the U.N. climate summit in Glasgow later this month.



Nigeria, Japan and Pakistan are among the 24 new signatories to the Global Methane Pledge, which was first announced by the United States and EU in September with the aim of galvanizing rapid climate action before the start of the Scotland summit on Oct. 31.



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The pledge will now cover 60% of global GDP and 30% of global methane emissions. If fulfilled, it would have a significant impact on the energy, agriculture and waste sectors responsible for the bulk of methane emissions.



The new signatories include Canada, the Central African Republic, Congo-Brazzaville, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Micronesia, France, Germany, Guatemala, Guinea, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, Malta, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, Rwanda, Sweden and Togo, the U.S. State Department and EU confirmed on Monday.



The nine original partners include Britain, Indonesia and Mexico, which signed on to the pledge when it was announced https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/us-eu-make-diplomatic-push-cut-planet-warming-methane-emissions-documents-2021-09-14 last month.



Methane is a greenhouse gas and the biggest cause of climate change after carbon dioxide (CO2). Several recent reports have highlighted the need for governments to crack down on methane to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees C, the goal of the Paris climate agreement.



U.S. special climate change envoy John Kerry said he hoped to have more than 100 countries signed up in time for the COP26 climate summit.



"We look forward to welcoming all governments that are ready to tackle methane as the single fastest strategy that we have to keep a safer 1.5C future within reach," Kerry said.



More than 20 philanthropic organizations, including ones led by Michael Bloomberg and Bill Gates, said on Monday they would mobilize over $223 million to support countries' methane-reduction efforts.



The countries involved represent a range of different methane emissions profiles. For example, Pakistan's main source of methane emissions is agriculture, while Indonesia's main source is waste. The U.S. and Nigeria, meanwhile, have significant oil and gas sector methane emissions.



"It's one of those tools which can really assist us in avoiding the tipping point on climate change. This is a fast track solution," Pakistan's climate minister Malik Amin Aslam said.



Pakistan contributes less than 1% of the world's emissions, but roughly a quarter of the country's greenhouse gas output is methane.



"We all have different starting points and different local situations. But we also all have the possibility to reduce our methane emissions substantially," European Commission Executive Vice President Frans Timmermans said.



A government official told Reuters the United States will engage with India and China to urge them to join the pledge in the weeks leading up to the U.N. climate summit.



Russian climate envoy Ruslan Edelgeriev said the country would analyze the initiative, but dd not confirm if it would join.



'ONE MOVE LEFT'



Methane has a higher heat-trapping potential than CO2 but breaks down in the atmosphere faster. A landmark U.N. scientific report released in August said "strong, rapid and sustained reductions" in methane emissions, in addition to slashing CO2 emissions, could have a fast impact on the climate.



The United States is due to release oil and gas methane regulations in the coming weeks, and the European Union will unveil detailed methane legislation later this year.



Canada will also bring forward regulation to cut methane emissions from the oil and gas sector at least 75% by 2030 from 2012 levels, climate minister Jonathan Wilkinson said on Monday.



Larry Kramer, president of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, which contributed to the $200 million fund, told Reuters the money will "help catalyze climate action" and that reducing methane is the quickest way to help carry out the 1.5-degree goal.



Durwood Zaelke, president of the Washington-based Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development, said the partnership was a "great start" for focusing the world's attention on the need to slash methane.



"There's one move left to keep the planet from catastrophe - cutting methane as fast as we can from all sources," he said by email ahead of the announcement.


Car bomb kills four in Syria's Afrin, medical source says

A member of a fire crew sprays water onto a burned vehicle after a car bomb exploded in Afrin, Syria, (Photo : WHITE HELMETS/via REUTERS)

At least four people were killed when a car bomb exploded in the Syrian city of Afrin on Monday, a medical source said, the latest such attack in the northwestern region that is controlled by Turkey and Syrian rebels it supports.



The blast wounded another six people, the source said.



Turkey has blamed previous bomb attacks https://www.reuters.com/article/us-syria-security-turkey-blast-idUSKBN29Z0L7 in Afrin on the Syrian Kurdish YPG group, which held the Afrin area until Turkish forces seized the region in a cross-border military operation in 2019.



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Turkey regards the YPG as a terrorist group tied to the PKK inside its own borders, and has staged incursions into Syria in support of Syrian rebels to push it from the Turkish frontier.



The YPG views Turkey as an invader and occupying force.


Visitors look at Moon samples from China's lunar exploration program Chang'e-5 Mission during an exhibition at the National Museum in Beijing, China (Photo : RUTERS/Tingshu Wang/Files)

Remnants of solidified lava brought back by a Chinese mission were 1 billion years younger than material acquired by other missions decades ago, according to an article in the journal Science, suggesting the moon cooled down later than thought.



Samples brought back from U.S. and Soviet missions were more than 2.9 billion years old. The samples acquired on China's Chang'e-5 mission late last year - around 1.96 billion years old - suggests volcanic activity persisted longer than previously expected.



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Last December, the uncrewed Chinese probe touched down on a previously unvisited part of a massive lava plain, the Oceanus Procellarum or "Oceans of Storms". About 1,731 grammes of lunar samples were later retrieved and brought back to Earth.



One of the main objectives of Chang'e-5, named after the mythical Chinese goddess of the moon, was to find out how long the moon remained volcanically active.



"The Oceanus Procellarum region of the Moon is characterised by high concentrations of potassium, thorium, and uranium, elements that generate heat through long-lived radioactive decay and may have sustained prolonged magmatic activity on the near side of the Moon," wrote the article's authors, including Chinese researchers.



The article said the heat source for the magmatic activity might also be due to so-called "tidal heating", or heat generated by the gravitational tug and pull of the Earth.



The Chang'e-5 mission made China the third country to have ever retrieved lunar samples after the United States and the Soviet Union, which 45 years ago launched the last successful mission to acquire material from the moon.



China plans to launch the Chang'e-6 and Chang'e-7 lunar missions, also uncrewed, in the next five years to explore the south pole of the moon.


U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) addresses a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, (Photo : REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo)

The U.S. Treasury is being held hostage by Republican Senator Ted Cruz's efforts to halt a Russia-to-Germany gas pipeline, blocking critical appointments when the federal debt limit remains a pressing issue, White House officials and Democrats in Congress say.



Only four confirmed nominees are in place in the top ranks of the Treasury, of about 20 slots for presidential picks, officials say. More than eight months after Democratic President Joe Biden took office, his nominees across the government are being approved at a slower rate than the past three presidents, federal data shows.



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In addition to the toll that Cruz's actions are taking on the Treasury's ability to tackle the federal debt limit, they are hurting the Biden administration's ability to address other big problems, senior officials say, including a global minimum tax, terrorism and financial intelligence.



Cruz has wielded power by being a lone holdout on a fast-track confirmation process that requires consent by all 100 senators for non-controversial nominees - a description the White House says fits many of the Treasury picks as well as others awaiting Senate confirmation, including numerous ambassadors.



Cruz wants Biden to impose sanctions that would halt Russia's Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.



Biden, despite his opposition to the pipeline, has said he waived sanctions because the project was nearly complete and he wanted to rebuild strained ties with Germany, a key U.S. ally.



As far as Cruz is concerned, a spokesman for the senator said, the solution is simple: he will remove the holds if the Biden administration sanctions the company behind the pipeline project, something he insists is required under U.S. law.



Failure to do so "hands Vladimir Putin a geostrategic victory" and "entrenches corrupt Russian influence in Europe" Cruz said in a letter on Sept. 13, referring to the Russian president.



The Senate could go ahead with the confirmations by holding floor votes in a time-consuming process that requires approval from 60 senators, but that would limit the chamber's time to address other issues, including efforts to pass infrastructure and spending bills, experts say.



The standoff has left some Treasury nominees, including Brian Nelson, who is tapped to be undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, in limbo as the United States grapples with the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan.



Others, including Jonathan Davidson, nominated to be assistant secretary for legislative affairs, and Ben Harris, nominated to be assistant secretary for economic policy, are working as advisers to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo in the interim, but are severely constrained in what they can do.



If confirmed, Davidson would play a key role in building support for a longer-term increase of the $28.4 trillion U.S. debt limit, and a global minimum tax. But in his current role as a counselor he cannot engage in "outward-facing" activities, according to federal guidelines, meaning he cannot go to Capitol Hill to meet with lawmakers or make calls to them, which some members of Congress say was a huge hurdle during the recent debt negotiations.



While an agreement to raise the debt ceiling temporarily was reached last week, there are no signs that Yellen will have a bigger team in place to manage the issue when it bubbles up again in coming weeks, said one official.



Personal efforts by Yellen and Adeyemo to get Cruz to loosen his grip have failed, officials say, and they see no solution in sight.



"Jonathan Davidson has widespread support as a long-time Senate staffer, and is sorely needed as Congress navigates numerous issues with the Treasury Department," said Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden, citing the federal debt limit specifically. "Senator Cruz is just ... making it more difficult to run the federal government well."



Cruz's spokesman did not address Wyden's comments, but said the Texas senator would use "whatever leverage he has as a senator to force President Biden to implement mandatory sanctions on Nord Stream 2."



In the past, Cruz has released a small number of nominees who he said were "cleaning up" foreign policy "messes" caused by the Biden administration, and is not blocking the nomination of Graham Steele, Biden's nominee to be assistant secretary for financial institutions at Treasury, the spokesman added.



As of Thursday, the Senate had confirmed 191 of Biden's nominees, or about 36%, compared with 42% of Donald Trump's over the same period, 68% of Barack Obama's and 65% of George W. Bush's, federal data show.



MEETINGS WITH CRUZ



Yellen and Adeyemo have spoken with Republican senators in recent weeks in efforts to get Cruz to drop his hold, a senior administration official told Reuters. Treasury officials have also asked other senators to appeal to Cruz, including Republicans Mike Crapo and Cynthia Lummis, although both declined, the official added.



Adeyemo gave Cruz an in-person classified briefing on Nord Stream 2 in recent weeks, a senior official said, and made another rare in-person visit to Cruz's office.



Another Treasury official provided a classified briefing to Republican Senator Pat Toomey, according to Toomey's office.



"Both the secretary and Wally spoke with Cruz multiple times. We've reached out to staff. We've tried every which way possible," said the senior official, adding that the administration was losing hope it could change his mind.



Treasury spokesman John Rizzo said it was "essential" that the Senate confirm the nominees, calling them "critical" to the department's work to deal with the debt limit and "achieve national security objectives of disrupting illicit finance and combating terrorism."


With climate clock ticking, companies scramble to set green targets

The Boeing logo is seen on the world headquarters office building in Chicago (Photo : /File Photo)

Hundreds of companies around the world have promised to cut carbon emissions, but the deadlines they have set are years away and it is hard to tell if it is enough.



According to scientists at the United Nations, the world's net emissions must drop to zero by 2050 to limit the rise in global temperature to no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels.



Advertisement

Following is a gist of some of the targets set by global companies ahead of the upcoming U.N. climate gathering in Scotland.



Boeing ** Targets delivering commercial airplanes capable of flying on 100% biofuel by the end of the



decade



** Says reducing environmental damage from fossil fuels the "challenge of our lifetime"



Royal Dutch Shell ** Plans to build a biofuel facility in the Netherlands to help achieve its target of net-zero



carbon emissions by 2050** To sell Permian Basin assets to ConocoPhillips, exiting the largest



U.S. oilfield and focus on clean energy transition



McDonald's ** Looks at beef in burgers to light bulbs to cut global GHG emissions to net zero by 2050**



Aims to lower absolute emissions by about a third for both its suppliers and its nearly 40,000



restaurants around the world by 2030



Chevron ** Chevron commits to net zero emissions by 2050, to cut upstream scope 1,2 emissions



** Pledges to triple low-carbon investment through 2028



Dow ** Expects to boost its core earnings by $3 billion a year over the next decade, with



investments that include building a new net-zero carbon emissions facility



** Signs eight new renewable power purchase pacts across Europe and Americas



AT&T ** Sets target to help businesses collectively reduce a gigaton of GHG emissions - 1 billion



metric tons by 2035



** To work with businesses including Microsoft, Equinix and Duke Energy and research



universities to deliver broadband-enabled climate solutions



Chubb ** Sets new goal to achieve carbon neutrality in its global operations by 2022 end through a



combination of renewable energy and carbon offset purchases



United Airlines ** Plans to use about 3.4 mln gallons of low-carbon, sustainable aviation fuel derived from



trash in 2021 vs roughly 1 mln gallons used each year since 2016



** Airlines have used sustainable fuel since 2008 as part of efforts to reduce emissions, but so



far this represents barely 1% of the fuel used worldwide



Clorox ** Targets net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, Scope 1 & 2 by 50% by 2030, Scope 3 by 25% by 2030



Anglo American ** Reduce emissions by 30% by 2030 and achieve net zero by 2040, reduce the abstraction of



freshwater in water scarce regions by 50% by 2030 from 2016 levels



** Spinoff South Africa thermal coal ops in 2021 to help reduce Scope 3 by 25%



Glencore ** Reduce GHG emissions by 50% by 2035 compared to 2019 levels and achieve net zero by 2050 end



** Managed depletion of coal mines by mid-2040s



GHG - Greenhouse gasesScope 1 - Direct emissionsScope 2 - Indirect emissionsScope 3 - Indirect emissions produced by co, products, supply chain



Source:- Company statements, filings


Nearly 15,000 Yemeni Houthi fighters have been killed near the strategic city of Marib since June, sources close to the rebels said Thursday, in a rare admission of their casualties during the seven-year war.
National governments and regional and international organisations discussed on Sunday progress on the convention's Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and its 20 Aichi Biodiversity Targets, reports Ayat Al Tawy

Attendees at the UN Biodiversity Conference COP 14 in Sharm El-Sheikh discussed on Sunday progress on the implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity as well as major issues including synthetic biology and the use of living modified organisms and gene drives.

The global meeting officially opened in the Egyptian Red Sea resort city on Saturday, following four days of African ministerial meetings in the run-up.

National governments and regional and international organisations discussed on Sunday progress on the convention's Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and its 20 Aichi Biodiversity Targets. Participating countries gave updates on progress at the national level, with many developing counties calling for strong resource mobilisation, including financial support, capacity building and technology transfer.

On digital sequence information (DSI), the EU on Sunday noted that public and open-access databases are an important form of benefit-sharing. The World Health Organization stressed that pathogen-related DSI as a global public health good, and urged its rapid and broad sharing.

Many called for capacity building on contained use of Living Modified Organisms and strengthening research infrastructure under the UN's 2003 Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety.

They also urged utilising the protocol's mechanism of Biosafety Clearing-House (BCH) for exchange of experiences.

CBD Alliance, a network of civil society group concerned with the Convention on Biological Diversity, said that the "use of digital sequence information without benefit sharing is inequitable and a long term threat to this very convention."

It demanded "a full stop to any release of the genetic extermination technology called gene drives and the strengthening of prior and informed consent related to this new and dangerous technology.

Countries also discussed the convention's supplementary agreement Nagoya Protocol on genetic resources, with many welcoming the proposal to synchronise national reporting under the convention and its protocols.

This year, national governments and regional and international organisations hope to renew support for achieving agreed-upon global biodiversity targets for 2020 and to ramp up support for an ambitious post-2020 global biodiversity framework.

Executive Secretary of the UN Convention of Biodiversity Cristiana Palmer has urged the international community to immediately work together to conserve global biodiversity.

"If we do not act we soon may reach tipping points that may cause irreversible destruction to nature and ultimately humankind," Palmer said on Saturday.

While the conference marks 25 years since the convention came into force, Palmer said that successes achieved ever since have not been sufficient to halt biodiversity loss, highlighting the urgency to choose a path of conservation, restoration and transformation.

Reports suggest that biodiversity around the world is being degraded or lost due to a myriad of pressures including unsustainable use of resources, climate change, and habitat stress, as well as air, land and water pollution.

According to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), world biodiversity has declined by almost one third in the past 35 years, mainly due to habitat loss and wildlife trade.

Egypt will be in charge of the convention for the next two years, following Mexico which held the presidency from 2016 to 2018.

"Nature and humanity are not separate entities, and Africa is leading the way on the post-2020 global biodiversity framework," said Egypt's Environment Minister Yasmine Fouad, who chairs the conference.

During the conference, which runs through November 29, governments are expected to present their plans to streamline biodiversity and nature into the decision-making of the major economic sectors of mining and energy, infrastructure, processing and manufacturing and health.

Over 8,000 delegates from around 200 countries are expected to attend the two-week global gathering. Attends include delegates from the convention's 196 parties as well as representatives of civil society, the private sector, sub-national governments and indigenous people.

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While some may think that saving a butterfly species in Latin America or elephants in southwest Africa is the concern of a few environmentalists only, the UNs biodiversity chief says the rapid pace at which we are losing species of all kinds is gravely threatening human existence on earth.

Cristiana Pasca Palmer, the executive secretary of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, says people are not aware of the danger the alarming decline in the variety of animal and plant life in the world can pose to their lives.

It is not something about other animals or plants, Pasca Palmer told Ahram Online. By losing species, we lose the relation that exist between all these forms of life which allow us to derive all the services and functions from nature, and which allow humans to exist and function.

Pasca Palmer is in Egypt to discuss the decline in ecosystems and thrash out ways to safeguard global biodiversity, which is vital for food, clean water and carbon sequestration.

Members of the UNs Convention on Biological Diversity are meeting in Egypt's seaside resort city of Sharm El-Sheikh to make a final push for ambitious global targets by 2020 and draw up a new global framework to combat nature loss.

For a country like Egypt, where most of the population lives in a small fertile stretch of land along the Nile, over a third of the countrys labour force works in agriculture, and where the tourism sector depends on natural resources, any imbalance in nature can affect everybodys economic and social well-being.

Egypts latest national report to the Convention of Biological Diversity says biodiversity in the country is declining at the level of ecosystems, species and populations due to a myriad of manmade factors including pollution, habitat loss and fragmentation, overexploitation and unsustainable use of natural resources, and climate change.

Biodiversity [loss] is a silent killer. It is not doing anything to us today or tomorrow but it is affecting the composition of the whole infrastructure that supports life on earth, argues Pasca Palmer.

Food, water, clean air, everything is a product of a healthy functioning planet and the planet cannot function without these forms of life in it.

Globally, species populations of mammals, birds, fish, reptiles and amphibians have declined by 60 percent in just over four decades due to a variety of human activities including pollution, deforestation, climate change, according to a report by the World Wildlife Fund released last month.

In Africa, more than half of bird and mammal species could be lost to climate change by 2100, a study by the intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) said.

We have a curve of biodiversity loss that is very steep; if by 2030 we dont manage to reverse it and then start stabilising the loss of nature, we could have a very serious problem in the next few decades, says Pasca Palmer.

"The more we are losing the variety of forms of life, the more climate change intensifies, and the full planet as a system can enter into what they ecologists call a cascading effect where we can see very severe destruction.

Changing the narrative

Delegates from across the world are gathering in Sharm El-Sheikh until the end of the month to ramp up global actions and accelerate initiatives to protect nature and halt the loss in biodiversity.

While the subject still receives little attention, Pasca Palmer urges a "change of narrative" directed at ordinary people and decision-makers alike, with the message that biodiversity is not just about the environment, but rather a development and investment issue.

If you are in an agriculture business, your agriculture productivity depends on good healthy soils, good healthy seeds and on the bees and insects that do the pollination. If you lose that, you lose your business and it has an economic impact on you, she said.

Agricultural cropland habitats in Egypt have been declining over the past three decades due to changes in land use and agricultural practices, the countrys UN report says. Urban growth and loss of agricultural land is a major threat, with some 47,700 feddans estimated to be lost every year.

One major problem leading to rapid biodiversity loss are business models that put money into projects that harm nature, Pasca Palmer said.

For this reason, countries are calling for more engagement of businesses in preserving biodiversity as they convene in Egypt.

Business can play a huge role. It is through their footprint and supply chain that nature can be destroyed, or measures that they take that can buffer the impact," Pasca Palmer explains.

The biodiversity crisis cannot be halted by environmentalists working in isolation with like-minded people, Pasca Palmer believes. Egypt and other countries need to reach out to actors outside the environmental community, including youth, women groups, indigenous people and local and traditional communities, so ordinary people can understand how the issue affects them too.

She emphasises the need for a cross-sectoral approach by governments to promote a change in policymaking and ensure that economic investments are not going to harm birds, animals or plants, or damage the land.

"We need all of them [concerned government members] to come on the table to discuss if they need to build a highway through a habitat for birds: is that a good idea or a bad idea? What are the risks? And what is going to cost us in the long run?" she says.

Egypt is chairing the Convention for two years, until Beijing takes the helm in 2020, and Pasca Palmer says Egyptian ministers have shown great attention to the matter, making her hopeful for a marked change in policymaking in the country.

The solution is not to go on the path we are now, Pasca Palmer says.

Despite the alarming reports and assessment, she believes that when the right solution is found at the right time, nature will recover.

Several species in Africa, including rhinos in Namibia and elephants in Botswana, have recovered from the edge of extinction as a result of governments empowering local communities of villagers to get involved in the conservation process, she said.

"I really hope we will all be bold and courageous and take decisions that will put us on a different trajectory," she says.

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Szijjarto affirms his country's opposition to the European Commissions tendency to link European support to Egypt with political conditions

Hungarys Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said Egypt deserves European financial support thanks to its efforts in stopping illegal immigration, after he met in Cairo with his Egyptian Counterpart, Sameh Shoukry.

In a press conference following their meeting, the Hungarian FM expressed his appreciation of the Egyptian efforts that succeeded in curbing illegal immigration to Europe from Egyptian coasts, proving that stopping the phenomenon across the sea is not impossible.

Szijjarto affirmed his country's opposition to the European Commissions tendency to link European support to Egypt with political conditions. He said Egypts immigration efforts have served the whole of Europe.

The Egyptian FM, Shoukry, said that he is with Szijjarto and Hungarys role in supporting the relations between Egypt and the European Union (EU), while shedding light on the challenges Egypt faces and the need for the EU's political and economic support to Egypt in order to address these challenges.

Shoukry said the Egyptian-EU relations would also help in addressing common challenges, like achieving security, resolving the Palestinian cause and facing terrorism-related challenges as well as stopping illegal immigration.

Egypt has made big efforts in this regard  we have stopped the water path of illegal immigration from the Egyptian coasts, the Egyptian FM added.

Trade cooperation

Szijjarto said Hungary has handed Egypt 259 railcars and would continue to provide railcars to Egypt on a regular basis until 2023.

Szijjarto added that it is the largest exportation deal in the transportation field between the two countries.

Shoukry said he and Szijjarto discussed means to boost trade exchange between the two countries and also the project to develop the railway system in Egypt.

Shoukry added that Hungary, within the framework of the project, would provide to Egypt 1,300 Hungarian-Russian made railcars.

We look forward to continuing [the] cooperation between each other in various frameworks, said Shoukry.

Szijjarto said Hungary is also working on constructing huge water pumps in Egypts Sinai.

The Hungarian FM noted that his country would benefit from Egyptian natural gas after the construction of a gas pipeline between Greece and Belgium.

He also added that his country is negotiating with Cairo the delivery of natural gas to Hungary at an appropriate price, highlighting the opportunity for Egypt to export natural gas to Central Europe through Hungary.

Cooperation agreements

During the meeting, both ministers signed a Memorandum of Understanding in the international development cooperation field between the two ministries.

They also signed a letter of intent for cooperation between the Egyptian Agricultural Museum and the Museum and Library of Hungarian Agriculture, the Egyptian foreign ministry said in a statement.

Shoukry said, during the press conference, that he discussed with his Hungarian counterpart the means to strengthen bilateral relations and thanked the Hungarian government for providing scholarships to the Egyptian students.

There are also many other cooperation fields linking the two countries, including scholarships granted by Hungary, which Egyptian students in various fields benefit from, said Shoukry.

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Egypt is on the path to setting up a more sustainable economy, reducing the fossil fuel footprint, and tackling the climate crisis and its related issues, said Frans Timmermans, the European Commission Executive Vice-President for the European Green Deal.

Egypt is on the path to setting up a more sustainable economy, reducing the fossil fuel footprint, and tackling the climate crisis and its related issues, said Frans Timmermans, the European Commission Executive Vice-President for the European Green Deal.

Timmermans was responding to a question by Ahrp0am Online on how the European Union (EU) perceives the recent announcement that Egypt has been nominated to host the UNs climate change conference (COP27) in 2022.

Timmermans spoke on Monday with a number of Egyptian journalists on the sidelines of the second ministerial conference of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) held in Cairo on environment and climate action under the co-presidency of Jordan and the EU.

I welcome this ambition. I think Egypt is well placed to host the COP27 in 2022 and the country has the political capability to play a major role in this, Timmermans told Ahram Online.

We need to speed up climate action, especially in developing countries, including Egypt. We have to come clear on what we promised under the Paris Agreement on climate action, to allocate $100 billion in support of adaptation to and mitigation of climate change. The EU provides one-third of the total of this financing, he said.

On financing climate action in Egypt, Timmermans told Ahram Online that this will not be achieved solely through public funds.

We absolutely need to mobilise private investments on a huge scale in this regard by setting incentives for investors to invest more in green projects and adopting technology in all projects, which will definitely streamline investors' work and encourage them to engage in the transition process, he said.

On the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) negotiations, Timmermans said that there is a risk of water scarcity because of climate change.

I believe there is ample space for common ground, so nobody needs to suffer. This will depend on the diplomatic skills of both countries to deal with this issue, and I honestly believe that the two countries can reach this common ground, through which the two sides can profit and everybody can have access to water, Timmerman explained.

Timmermans represented the EU in the UfMs second meeting, hosted by Cairo on Monday, alongside Jordan's Environment Minister Nabil Masarweh and Egypts Environment Minister Yasmine Fouad. Also attending was Secretary-General of the UfM Secretariat Nasser Kamel.

This second UfM Ministerial Conference comes a few weeks ahead of COP26, which will be held in Glasgow, and following a summer dominated by climate and environmental emergencies across the region.

During the conference, ministers acknowledged the urgency of taking action and reasserted a firm ambition to tackle climate and environmental challenges through the full implementation of the Paris Agreement and the 2030 SDG agenda.

They also asserted the importance of mainstreaming environment and climate action, including in energy, industry, agriculture and transport, while mobilizing and scaling up resources to support the green transition.

Investments and sustainable finance also featured high on the agenda, as well as the need to step up action on adaptation and to reinforce the science-policy nexus.

Moreover, the ministers reaffirmed the need to progressively reduce the use of fossil fuels while ensuring a just transition and engaging all stakeholders in environmental and climate policy-making as well as the importance of supporting women and youth engagement in building resilience and driving the green transition.

The UfM Secretariat was mandated to support the implementation of the objectives of this declaration and monitor the progress through its Environment and Climate working group.

During the event, the UfM held a joint event with the United Nations Development Programme on Biological Diversity, Ecosystem Restoration and Food Systems, in a bid to establish the first steps to implement the recommendations outlined in the ministerial declaration in this specific area.

The climate crisis is existential for all of humanity  it transcends borders and politics. Building a sustainable future for all citizens across the Mediterranean is our shared responsibility. It is time to act and fulfil the commitments we all made under the Paris agreement. Today we have set a bold and ambitious vision for a clean, competitive, resilient and inclusive Mediterranean. I hope our joint ambition is an example for other regions to follow, Timmermans said during the conference.

The European Commissioner for the Environment Oceans and Fisheries Virginijus Sinkevicius noted that countries of the Mediterranean share a rich natural heritage, and a common concern for the effects of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution.

We now have a renewed commitment to addressing these challenges together with an ambitious plan of action to protect the environment for future generations. The recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic gives us the opportunity to build back better and greener together, he added.

Jordan's Environment Minister Masarweh said that the Mediterranean region is one of the biggest climate change hotspots, where temperature in the region warms 20 percent faster than the global mean temperature beside other environmental challenges that the region faces.

Hence, we do not have the leisure of time, and we must collectively act fast. The Ministerial Declaration on Environment and Climate Action we adopted today forms an excellent basis for action, based on transition towards inclusive, circular, resilient, and green economies. More mobilisation of funds to south and south east countries is critical for fulfilling climate and environment actions and obligations, he pointed out.

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Iraq's elections on Sunday come with enormous challenges: Iraq's economy has been battered by years of conflict, endemic corruption and more recently, the coronavirus pandemic. State institutions are failing, the country's infrastructure is crumbling. Powerful paramilitary groups increasingly threaten the authority of the state, and hundreds of thousands of people are still displaced from the years of war against the Islamic State group.

While few Iraqis expect meaningful change in their day-to-day lives, the parliament elections will shape the direction of Iraq's foreign policy at a key time in the Middle East, including as Iraq is mediating between regional rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Iraq's elections will be watched by all in the region to determine how the country's future leadership will sway the regional balance of power, said Marsin Alshamary an Iraqi-American research fellow with the Harvard Kennedy School's Belfer Center.

So, what are the main things to watch for?

MANY FIRSTS

The elections are being held early, in response to mass protests that erupted in 2019. It's the first time a vote is taking place because of demands by Iraqi protesters on the streets. The vote is also taking place under a new election law that divides Iraq into smaller constituencies _ another demand of the young activists _ and allows for more independent candidates.

A U.N. Security Council resolution adopted earlier this year authorized an expanded team to monitor the elections. There will be up to 600 international observers in place, including 150 from the United Nations.

Iraq is also for the first time introducing biometric cards for voters. To prevent abuse of electronic voter cards, they will be disabled for 72 hours after each person votes, to avoid double voting.

But despite all these measures, claims of vote buying, intimidation and manipulation have persisted.

SHIA DIVISIONS

Groups drawn from Iraq's Sha factions dominate the electoral landscape, as has been the case since after Saddam was toppled, when the country's power base shifted from minority Sunnis to majority Shias.

But Shia groups are divided, particularly over the influence of neighboring Iran, a Shia powerhouse. A tight race is expected between the political bloc of influential Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, the biggest winner in the 2018 election, and the Fatah Alliance led by paramilitary leader Hadi al-Ameri, which came in second.

The Fatah Alliance comprises of parties affiliated with the Popular Mobilization Forces, an umbrella group of mostly pro-Iran Shia militias that rose to prominence during the war against the Sunni extremist Islamic State group. It includes some of the most hard-line pro-Iran factions such as the Asaib Ahl al-Haq militia. Al-Sadr, a nationalist and populist leader, is also close to Iran, but publicly rejects its political influence.

Kataib Hezbollah, a powerful Shia militia with close ties to Iran, is fielding candidates for the first time.

CALLS FOR BOYCOTT

Activists and young Iraqis who took part in the protests calling for change have been divided over whether to take part in the vote.

The 2019 demonstrations were met with deadly force, with at least 600 people killed over a period of few months. Although authorities gave in and called the early elections, the death toll and the heavy-handed crackdown prompted many young activists and demonstrators who took part in the protests to later call for a boycott.

A series of kidnappings and targeted assassinations that killed more than 35 people, has further discouraged many from taking part.

Iraq's top Shia cleric and a widely respected authority, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, has called for a large turnout, saying that voting remains the best way for Iraqis to take part in shaping their country's future.

The 2018 elections saw a record low turnout with just 44% of eligible voters casting ballots. The results were widely contested.

There are concerns of a similar or even lower turnout this time.

Mustafa al-Jabouri, a 27-year-old private sector employee, says he won't vote after seeing his friends killed in the demonstrations, in front of my eyes.

I have participated in every election since I turned 18. We always say that change will come, and things will improve. What I've seen is that things always go from bad to worse, he said as he sat smoking a hookah at a coffee shop in Baghdad. Now it is the same faces from the same parties putting up campaign posters.

REGIONAL IMPLICATIONS

Iraq's vote comes amid a flurry of diplomatic activity in the region, partially spurred by the Biden administration's gradual retreat from the Middle East and icy relations with traditional ally Saudi Arabia. Current Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi has sought to portray Iraq as a neutral mediator in the region's crises. In recent months, Baghdad hosted several rounds of direct talks between regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran in a bid to ease tensions.

Alshamary, the research fellow, said Arab states will be watching to see what gains pro-Iranian factions make in the vote and, conversely, Iran will look at how Western-leaning politicians fare. The outcome of these elections will have an impact on foreign relations in the region for years to come, she said.

Under Iraq's laws, the winner of Sunday's vote gets to choose the country's next prime minister, but it's unlikely any of the competing coalitions can secure a clear majority. That will require a lengthy process involving backroom negotiations to select a consensus prime minister and agree on a new coalition government.

Randa Slim, of the Washington-based Middle East Institute, said Iraq's regional mediation role is al-Kadhimi's achievement, a result of his success at balancing between U.S. and Iranian interests in Iraq.

If he won't be the next prime minister, all of these initiatives might not be sustained, Slim said.

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Iraq saw a record low election turnout since the U.S.-led invasion that toppled dictator Saddam Hussein, the independent body that oversees the election said Monday.

The preliminary results signal widespread dissatisfaction and distrust in this weekend's vote for a new parliament.

The election was held months ahead of schedule as a concession to a youth-led popular uprising against corruption and mismanagement. But the vote was marred by widespread apathy and a boycott by many of the same young activists who thronged the streets of Baghdad and Iraq's southern provinces in late 2019, calling for change and new elections.

The Independent High Electoral Commission on Monday said preliminary results show turnout from Sunday's election was 41 percent. That's down from 44 percent in the 2018 elections, which was an all-time low.

Tens of thousands of people protested in late 2019 and early 2020, and were met by security forces firing live ammunition and tear gas. More than 600 people were killed and thousands injured within just a few months.

Although authorities gave in and called the early elections, the death toll and the heavy-handed crackdown - as well as a string of targeted assassinations - prompted many protesters to later call for a boycott of the vote.

More definitive results were expected later Monday, but negotiations to choose a prime minister tasked with forming a government are expected to drag on for weeks or even months.

The election was the sixth held since the fall of Saddam Hussein after the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. Many were skeptical that independent candidates from the protest movement stood a chance against well-entrenched parties and politicians, many of them backed by powerful armed militias.

There was a marked reluctance among young Iraqis - the country's largest demographic - to get out and vote. Many said the election would only bring back the same faces and parties responsible for the corruption and mismanagement that has plagued Iraq for decades. The problems have left the country with crumbling infrastructure, growing poverty and rising unemployment rates.

Groups drawn from Iraq's majority Shiite Muslim factions were expected to come out on top, with a tight race expected between the country's influential Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, and the Fatah Alliance, led by paramilitary leader Hadi al-Ameri.

The Fatah Alliance is comprised of parties and affiliated with the Popular Mobilization Forces, an umbrella group of mostly pro-Iran Shiite militias that rose to prominence during the war against the Sunni extremist Islamic State group. It includes some of the most hard-line Iran-backed factions, such as the Asaib Ahl al-Haq militia. Al-Sadr, a black-turbaned nationalist leader, is also close to Iran, but publicly rejects its political influence.

Under Iraq's laws, the party that wins the most seats gets to choose the country's next prime minister, but it's unlikely any of the competing coalitions can secure a clear majority. That will require a lengthy process involving backroom negotiations to select a consensus prime minister and agree on a new coalition government.

Iraq's current prime minister, Mustafa al-Kadhimi, has played a key role as a mediator in the region's crises, particularly between regional rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia. Many in the region and beyond will be watching to see if he will secure a second term.

The new parliament will also elect Iraq's next president.

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Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry discussed Egyptian efforts to combat the phenomenon of irregular migration with the foreign ministers of Visegrad Group member states in Budapest on Monday ahead of the group's summit tomorrow.

Shoukry said at a press conference following the meeting that Egypt works both to limit the impact of irregular migration on importing countries in Europe as well as to help migrants against the dangers of human trafficking gangs or perilous sea voyages.

"Since 2016, Egypt has taken all the necessary measures to prevent the continuation of irregular migration," the Egyptian foreign minister said.

Earlier on Monday, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and Shoukry arrived in Budapest to participate in the Visegrad Groups summit.

The Visegrad Group  comprised of Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and the Czech Republic  was formed in 1991 with the aim of having member countries work together in a number of fields of common interest within the all-European integration, according to the groups website.

This is Egypts second participation in the group's meeting since the country became in 2017 the first Middle Eastern and African country to take part in the summit.

Shoukry said that Egypt currently hosts 5 to 6 million refugees and provides them with all the services received by Egyptian citizens, such as education and healthcare.

"The 5 to 6 million refugees that Egypt hosts exceed the population of some European countries," he said, adding that the support Egypt receives from abroad to deal with refugees does not meet what the country needs to face this challenge.

The Egyptian foreign minister also discussed a number of regional and international issues with his counterparts, including the situation in Afghanistan and the war on terrorism.

Shoukry also discussed boosting cooperation between Egypt and Visegrad Group members.

Earlier on Monday, Shoukry held a meeting with Hungarian Foreign and Trade Minister Peter Szijjarto, where they discussed a number of regional and international issues and agreed to continue coordination between Egypt and Hungary.

Shoukry discussed with Szijjarto ways to boost bilateral relations, especially in the economic field and the energy sector.

The two foreign ministers also signed a number of contractual frameworks of cooperation.

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Scheduled to take place within the coming days, the 5th edition of the Gouna Film Festival (GFF) is gearing up to showcase a large selection of Arab and international movies for audiences at the resort town of El-Gouna.

The festival, which will take place from 14 to 22 October, will also include numerous other activities such as seminars, workshops, an exhibition, and industry-related events such as the Cine Gouna Platform, which each year selects remarkable film projects in development (narratives and documentaries).

Commemorating Polish filmmaker Krzysztof Kieslowski

This year, the festival commemorates the late Polish director Krzysztof Kieslowski on the 25th anniversary of his passing by dedicating its Special Presentations section to some of his most celebrated films.

Apart from screening Kieslowskis best-known films, the GFF is also organising a conversation with renowned Polish film and theatre actor Zbigniew Zamachowski, who has starred in over 200 Polish and foreign films during his illustrious career. During the conversation, Zamachowski will be digging deep into his experiences working with Kieslowski on Three Colors: White.

Egyptian production designer Onsi Abou Seif will be the curator and art director for the Krzysztof Kieslowski Retrospective Exhibition.

Lights on the cinema heavyweights

A few renowned figures will be awarded during the festival. They include Palestinian actor and director Mohamed Bakri, who will receive the Career Achievement Award. Bakri is known for fearlessly turning over the storyline to look at whats underneath. He has worked on over 40 films including Beyond the Walls (1984) and Haifa (1996). He also directed several documentaries such as Jenin, Jenin (2003), GFF says about the filmmaker.

Egyptian star Ahmed El-Sakka will also receive the GFFs Career Achievement Award. El-Sakkas TV breakthrough was in Who Doesnt Love Fatma? and Rabies Other Half. His cinema career was launched with Saidi in the AUC, before quickly becoming a favourite hero for action and romance. El-Sakkas action filmography include Amr Arafas Africano, Tarek Al-Arians Tito, Marwan Hameds Ibrahim El-Abyad, Sandra Nashaats El-Maslaha, as well as Sherif Arafas Mafia and The Island film series. His versatility as an actor shows also in numerous romantic roles such as Saeed Hameds Shorts, T-Shirt and a Cap and Kamla Abu Zikris About Love and Passion; and comedies including Amr Arafas The Consul's Son and Ali Idris Father.

Vibrant programming

A total of 20 Arab films are in the lineup competing in the narrative, documentary and short film competitions. The titles include The Sea Ahead by Ely Dagher (Lebanon, Feature Narrative Competition), Casablanca Beats by Nabil Ayouch (Morocco, Feature Narrative Competition), Costa Brava by Mounia Akl (Lebanon, Feature Narrative Competition), Feathers by Omar El Zohairy (Egypt, Feature Narrative Competition), Captains of Zaatari by Ali El Arabi (Egypt, Feature Documentary Competition), Night by Ahmad Saleh (Jordan-Palestine, Short Film Competition), A Dike by Bilel Bali (Tunisia, Short Film Competition), as well as numerous other gems from the region.

The international cinema will be represented by Compartment No. 6 by Juho Kuosmanen (Finland, Germany, Estonia, Russia), Murina by Antoneta Alamat Kusijanovic (Croatia, Brazil, USA, Slovenia), The Blind Man Who Did Not Want to See Titanic by Teemu Nikki (Finland), I Am Your Man by Maria Schrader (Germany), and One Second by Zhang Yimou (China), to name but a few.

The jury comprises many renowned names including Emmy International-nominated actress Menna Shalaby on the jury for the Feature Narrative Competition, while acclaimed directors Kamla Abou Zekry and Tamer Ashry will be part of the Short Film Competition jury. Egyptian actress Arwa Gouda will be a jury member for the Gouna Green Star Award in a segment that recognises excellence in filmmaking, highlighting the most pressing environmental issues of the day.

The GFF will also present 11 films in its Cinema for Humanity section. Launched in 2017, this section supports, recognises and celebrates films that have had a positive impact not only on the industry, but on communities around the world. The Cinema for Humanity segments winner receives the Audience Award.

Seminars, workshops, discussions

The festival will hold numerous talks and seminars. The highlights include a panel discussion titled Breathe, Talk, Perform: A Take on Psychological Wellbeing of Actors, moderated by Medfest Egypt's founder Mina El-Naggar, featuring acclaimed actors Ahmed Malek and Mohamed Farrag and actress May Elghety. It will also include a discussion on depicting ancient Egypt in film, moderated by actress and co-founder and COO of the GFF Bushra and filmmaker Mahmoud Rashad.

A masterclass organised in collaboration with Ryerson University Cairo Campus will be led by Stefan Grambart and will focus on Immersive Storytelling, taking participants through the creative process of working in storytelling.

Another masterclass titled A Netflix Guide to Post Production will be conducted by Karim Boutros Ghali and Frank Piazza, two leading post production experts from Netflix.

Award-winning director and screenwriter Darren Aronofsky will also be giving a masterclass. Aronofsky is behind mind-bending modern classics such as Black Swan, Requiem for a Dream, and Mother. His debut feature film Pi premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, winning Best Director.

Another interesting component of the festivals events is the Cinematic Costume Design workshop, hosted by prolific costume designers Deborah Landis and Reem El-Adl.

The GFF has also revealed that after the success of its first CinemaTech track pitch competition last year, the entrepreneurial ecosystem hub is set to host another competition, inviting Egypts entrepreneurs to step forward and pitch their tech-powered innovations for the forever evolving film industry.

For easier access to the programming, the festival has launched the Gouna Film Festival application for Apple and Android.

The annual event is held in El-Gouna, a luxurious Red Sea resort town established by businessman Samih Sawiris and sponsored by Orascom Development Holding.

The festival was founded by Naguib Sawiris and Samih Sawiris, together with Bushra Rozza, who is also the GFFs COO. The festivals director is Intishal Al-Tamimi, the executive director is Amal El-Marsi, and the artistic director is Amir Ramses.

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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Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban warned after a summit for the Visegrad Group (V4) on Tuesday that Europe will be in "great trouble" if Egypt cannot continue its current policies to rein in immigration to Europe, local news service Hungary Today reported.

Speaking about illegal immigration in a presser following the V4 summit, which gathered Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and the Czech Republic, in addition to Egypt, Orban said Egypt is one of the European Union's (EU) most obvious external allies that Europe cannot cope without.

In his speech at the joint press conference, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi said he does not allow his country to be a transit point for illegal migrants seeking to reach Europe, stressing that Egypt hosts nearly 6 million refugees, who are treated as guests on its soil, from Africa and other unstable countries.

However, Egypt has never allowed them and will not  from an ethical and human standpoint  to immigrate illegally to Europe, El-Sisi said.

In this regard, Orban said it is in the EU's interest to strengthen Egypt, affirming that no ship carrying illegal migrants has been allowed to leave Egyptian coasts since 2016.

The Hungarian PM stressed the need for reinforcing Egypt's border controls.

The V4, comprising four European and NATO countries, vowed during the summit to explain to the EU Egypt's efforts to eliminate terrorism and halt illegal immigration, the Egyptian Presidency said in a statement.

The presser also gathered Slovak Prime Minister Eduard Heger, Polands Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.

During the summit, they hailed El-Sisi's adoption of balanced, fixed and highly moderate policies while leading the country, the statement read.

They said these policies have been reflected in the country's significant success in eliminating terrorism and stopping the flow of illegal immigration, affirming that such matters are of significance to Europe.

They vowed to exert more efforts to further clarify the situation in Egypt and support huge developmental efforts currently made by Egypt to boost citizens' living standards and improve services provided to them.

El-Sisi said efficient confrontation of illegal immigration requires in the first place settling the region's conflicts and decisively dealing with attempts of some countries to exploit these conflicts.

El-Sisi called for addressing the causes behind illegal immigration, blaming the phenomenon on deteriorating economy, as well as the interference of some regional countries in the domestic affairs of other countries in the region.

The president said some regional countries interfere in the internal affairs of countries like Libya, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen, fueling their conflicts and pitting their peoples of different religions or sects or races against each other.

El-Sisi affirmed the need that different countries and bodies, including the EU, take a strong stance to face illegal immigration, including through helping these countries' national institutions retake control.

International efforts against terrorism

Orban, during the presser, urged the EU to convene the EU/Egypt Association Council at the earliest opportunity, endorse Egypt's proposals to face terrorism and approve Egypt as a strategic partner.

The Hungarian premier also suggested lifting European restrictions on Egypt's purchase of equipment required for border protection.

Orban called on the EU to adopt Egypt's list of terrorist groups and individuals.

The V4 leaders hailed Egypt's vital role under El-Sisi toward stability in the region and North Africa, the presidential statement read.

During the summit, El-Sisi called for sincere, concerted international efforts to support Egypt's comprehensive approach to face terrorism.

El-Sisi said Egypt has managed to a great extent to face and contain terrorism through adopting a comprehensive and integrated path that includes social, developmental, and cultural dimensions besides security confrontation.

The president affirmed that terrorism is on top of challenges facing the region and Africa, underlining its threat to the resources of the countries and the security of their peoples.

El-Sisi also warned that extremist thought stems mainly from wrong understanding of 'true religion' and its tolerant values that are based on diversity, acceptance of others, and pursuit of prosperity for all.

Cooperation with V4

El-Sisi stressed Egypts aspiration for more cooperation with the V4 countries regarding the transfer of expertise and technology, and localisation of industry.

He also urged cooperation with the group in the fields of education, training and universities in Egypt.

This comes in light of Egypt's current modern infrastructure, which is the basis for the success of any joint cooperation, El-Sisi said.

He added that Egypt is growing and progressing at unprecedented rates in its modern history despite its accumulated challenges and the scarcity of resources.

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Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi said Ethiopians' confirmation of not attempting to affect water flow to Egypt through the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) should translate into a legally-binding agreement with Egypt and Sudan.

In a press conference in Budapest with Hungarian President Janos Ader on Tuesday, El-Sisi said Egypt only seeks to ensure obtaining its annual water share without any harm.

"The Ethiopian brothers' statements that they will not attempt to affect the water flow to Egypt are great, but should, most importantly, translate into a legally-binding agreement [with the three countries] on the filling and operation of the dam," El-Sisi said.

El-Sisi affirmed that Egypt "does not want water to be a reason for conflicts, problems or clash, but to be used in development and cooperation among each other".

Egypt has repeatedly expressed concerns over its water share as Ethiopia has resisted Egypt and Sudan's demand to reach a binding deal on the operation and filling of the GERD that would preserve their water interests.

As African-Union sponsored talks have failed to reach a deal, with Egypt and Sudan blaming the failure on Ethiopia's intransigence, El-Sisi earlier this year has reiterated that Egypt will not give up "any drop" of its water share.

He warned that "all options are open" if Egypt's water is affected, affirming that Egypt's response in this case "will affect the stability of the whole region".

During the presser, the president said Egypt relies on the River Nile as the sole source of water, affirming that Egypt suffers from water scarcity and falls below the "water poverty line" with less than 500 cubic metres of water for each individual annually.

Egypt's share of the Nile stands at 55.5 billion cubic metres that provides more than 95 percent of its waters.

El-Sisi, during the presser, said Egypt's civilization over thousands of years have only relied on the River Nile, adding that 85-95 percent of Egyptian lands are dry desert lands.

El-Sisi said Egypt's huge program to treat used water and desalinate sea water comes at a cost of about $80 billion.

The Egyptian president hailed Hungary's scientific and developmental capabilities in reusing water.

Ader said he discussed with El-Sisi expanding ongoing cooperation in the water field and exploring other cooperation horizons in this regard.

Ader said Hungary's cooperation with Egypt in the water field dates back to 1926 when Hungary's manufacturer Ganz EEPM delivered pumping stations to Egypt.

According to the companys website, Ganz EEPM has delivered more than 200 complete pumping stations to Egypt since that date.

Ader said Egypt is Hungary's most important economic and strategic partner in the Arab world and is a 'safety valve' that ensures stability in the entire region.

The Hungarian president hailed the role played by Egypt earlier this year to end the conflict in the Gaza Strip in a short time.

In May, Egypt sponsored a ceasefire deal between Israel and Palestinian factions to end an 11-day episode of Israeli military aggression on the Gaza Strip, during which more than 250 Palestinians, including 66 children, were killed.

Egypt also pledged $500 million for the reconstruction of Gaza in the aftermath of the Israeli attacks.

El-Sisi has started on Monday an official visit to Budapest, where he attended a summit for the Visegrad Group (V4), during which he tackled Egypt's efforts to fight terrorism and block illegal immigration to Europe.

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Within days of the Ethiopian parliament confirming incumbent Abiy Ahmed as prime minister for a second, five-year term, humanitarian organisations reported that Ethiopian troops had launched yet another wave of air and ground raids on Tigray rebels in the northern region of Amhara.

The bombardments seemed to reflect speculations about a major push by Ethiopian government forces against the rebels, led by the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF). The two sides have been locked in a brutal conflict for nearly a year, pushing thousands of refugees into Sudan, displacing over two million people and leaving up to seven million in Tigray, Amhara and Afar in need of food and other emergency aid. This includes more than five million people in Tigray, where an estimated 400,000 people are living in famine-like conditions, according to UN officials. The UN humanitarian chief told the Associated Press last week that the situation in Ethiopia is a stain on our conscience.

In his inaugural speech on 4 October, Abiy vowed to stand strong and defend Ethiopias honour despite mounting international criticism of the conflict and alarm about the humanitarian crisis it has triggered. Only a handful of visiting African leaders  those from Nigeria, Senegal, Uganda and neighbouring Somalia, Djibouti, Kenya and South Sudan  attended the inauguration, in which Abiy bristled at international pressure aimed at changing his confrontational and many would say arrogant policies.

Yet the misery on the ground and massive humanitarian suffering will not be solved with populist, defiant speeches. When the war broke out in November, Abiy, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019, promised a swift victory as government forces quickly took control of Tigrays cities and towns. However, only a few months later, the TPLF recaptured most of the region including the capital Mekele.

However, Abiys wars in Tigray and other Ethiopian regions are not the only challenges he needs to face. Due to his intransigent stands and refusal to listen even to nations and world organisations known to maintain friendly ties with Addis Ababa, Abiy is facing deteriorating ties with the United States, the European Union, the United Nations and African allies.

The ongoing dispute with Egypt and Sudan, reflecting Abiys insistence on disregarding the drastic damage the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) will cause to their shares of the Nile waters, is one more example of how the Ethiopian prime minister seems to be triggering conflicts with historic neighbours in a bid to distract observers from his own internal difficult challenges.

During his visit to Cairo this week, South Sudanese President Salva Kiir revealed that Ethiopia would have started the GERD negotiations this month, but has so far delayed them due to the war in the Tigray region.

After meeting President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi on Sunday, Kiir said the Ethiopian prime minister is not in a good position now to move forward despite all his capabilities, adding that Ethiopia is facing two problems with Egypt and Sudan in addition to its problem with the Tigray.

Yet, Egypt and Sudan should not be expected to continue waiting for Premier Abiy to solve his endless internal problems. President Al-Sisi reiterated in his talks with his South Sudanese counterpart the necessity of reaching a legally binding agreement on the operation and filing policies of the GERD. Reaching a legally binding agreement on the GERD will boost stability in the region for all and will open new ways of cooperation between the Nile basins countries, Sisi said.

The ongoing wave of fighting in Tigray, worsening humanitarian conditions, and the delay in restarting GERD talks are a further blow to Abiys international standing and a test to his new government from day one.

While preparations were underway to launch the new wave of fighting against Tigray rebels last week, Abiys government sparked global outrage when it expelled seven senior UN officials from Ethiopia for meddling in its affairs, exacerbating concerns about the humanitarian response in Tigray.

UN Chief Antonio Guterres was clearly shocked with the Ethiopian decision, which surpassed all measures nations in similar conflict situations have taken against UN officials. He added that Ethiopia had no right to expel UN staff and it was violating international law in doing so. Guterres confirmed that the UN has only one agenda in Ethiopia, and that agenda is the people of Ethiopia  Tigrayans, Amharans, Afaris, Somalis, the people of Ethiopia.

Similarly, a month ago, US President Joe Biden threatened to impose sanctions on Ethiopian officials and rebel leaders in Tigray unless they stopped fighting and opened up humanitarian access to the region. The US State Department also announced that access to essential supplies and services to refugees and the displaced was being denied by the Ethiopian government.

A senior Biden administration official warned in statements to The New York Times last week that if the conflict continues on its current trajectory, it could cause the collapse of Ethiopia, a country of over 110 million people, with disastrous consequences for the Horn of Africa region and beyond.

As he begins his second term, the Ethiopian leader can either reconsider his policies and cooperate with his countrys neighbours to solve their differences peacefully, or maintain his policy of responding to mounting international pressure with anger and defiance.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 14 October, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby shared his thoughts on the role of spiritual leaders to resist tyranny, support democracy, and agree on how to disagree with Al-Ahram Weekly during his visit to Egypt last week.

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby was in Egypt last week to launch a new province of the Anglican Church in North Africa and the Horn of Africa.

He led the faithful in prayers, inspected charities, and met with the Coptic Catholic, Greek Orthodox, and Coptic Orthodox patriarchs of Alexandria during the visit.

Welby, a modest but articulate and precise man, spoke firmly of the need for fairness and justice to prevail across the world, particularly in North Africa, the Horn of Africa, and the Middle East.

He called for a negotiated settlement to disagreements over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) and the Palestinian-Israeli struggle and for an end to all forms of discrimination by the followers of one faith against another.

He also met with the grand imam of Al-Azhar in Cairo.

Welby arrived in Egypt last Thursday after attending a conference at the Vatican in Rome where he also had a meeting with the grand imam among other spiritual leaders.

In recent years, he had visited Jordan, Israel, and the Palestinian Territories to provide support to the Anglican communities.

During his visit to Cairo, the 105th archbishop of Canterbury told Al-Ahram Weekly that the decision to inaugurate a new province of the Anglican Church with Alexandria as its seat to cover 10 countries in North Africa and the Horn of Africa was not only designed to serve the followers of the Anglican Church in these countries.

Most Christians in these 10 countries, which include Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Mauritania, Chad, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti and Somalia, are not followers of the Anglican Church.

But Welby said the inauguration of the new province was not necessarily about having a lot of followers of the Church in this part of the world, but instead was about a vision to show the love of Jesus through reaching out to those needing support.

The visit and the inauguration of the new province comes against the backdrop of a drop in the numbers of Christians in this part of the world, often due to emigration. Welby said he was aware of this sad and deeply disturbing fact, which he said was often a function of persecution and oppression.

He shared his particular concern over the situation of Christians in Syria and Iraq.

He is hoping that the presence of more clergy in the countries of the region will allow much more locally based encouragement to those who might need it.

The need to lend support to believers was a topic of concern that the head of the Anglican Church shared with his counterparts in the Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches, not just in Egypt and the rest of the countries on his itinerary, but also in the Vatican.

He joined over 70 spiritual leaders who represent over 70 per cent of the people of the world and a group of international scientists to call on world leaders meeting in Glasgow in the UK in November for the COP26 Climate Change Conference to act to reduce global warming that is having devastating impacts on agriculture and health, among other areas.

Participants in the Vatican meeting, led by Roman Catholic Pope Francis alongside Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio, issued an appeal to the leaders meeting in Glasgow to act. Climate change is a grave threat, it said. We advocate for common but differentiated climate action at all levels.

Speaking to the Weekly at the Anglican All Saints Cathedral in Zamalek, Welby said that a participating bishop from the Global South at the meeting had told him that for citizens of the North the issue of climate change was a reason for worry for the coming generations, but for those in the South it was a very pressing concern already.

He told me that for you it is something for your children or grandchildren [to worry about], but for us it is a matter of life or death today, he stressed.

PROMPT ACTION

This soft-mannered but vocal clergyman could not be more articulate on the need for world leaders to act now to address the issue of climate change, which if left inadequately attended to will add to world levels of hunger, he said.

These had started to show a decrease during the past few years before rising as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Spiritual leaders need to be clear about how [wrong] it is for people to go hungry, Welby said.

Hunger, he added, might be more of a problem for the Global South than it is for the North, but it is also something for the people of the North to worry about. He said that in the UK today there are close to one million children who have to deal with issues related to food security.

Spiritual leaders, he said, have to keep nagging world leaders to act promptly on this and other issues. They have to make sure that their voices are heard and that their contributions to resolve such issues are clear.

I have to pray and to say that I am willing to do something, he stressed.

According to the archbishop of Canterbury, attending to issues like global warming, development, education and hunger falls squarely within the mandate of religious institutions.

He complemented the work that some churches in Egypt are doing to equip people to earn their own living. [One] can hand out food, but human dignity is best served if people earn their own meals, he said.

Meanwhile, he acknowledged the need for spiritual leaders to consider the receding influence of religious institutions among the younger generations, whose take on faith may be sceptical. This situation, he suggested, is a function of insufficient contact between the religious institutions and the young in a modern way.

We need to act as Jesus told us to act: to love one another in the same way I [Jesus] loved you, Welby said.

He said that a church that does not lead by example, a church that is obsessed by hierarchy, is a church that is bound to fail the expectations of its followers, particularly the young who are looking for a faith that is challenging and amazing and not one that is boring and pompous.

It is a very big challenge, he agreed.

Another challenge that Welby said was facing spiritual leaders and religious institutions in the world today is standing up against suffering caused by multiple reasons, including political oppression.

He said he was convinced that the joint work of all those who believe in doing good, including spiritual leaders, was essential to face up to the reasons for suffering, including bad governance, whereby the best interests of the people are compromised in favour of that of tyrannical rulers.

Democracy reflects the dignity of human beings God created people with intrinsic dignity, he said. Rich or poor billionaire or beggar on the street, everyone is brought into equality through the process of democratic voting in which all have the right to vote.

Welby said that this equality should include all people irrespective of faith. This, he added, should be the main purpose of the dialogue of leaders of different faiths.

We need to accept that people are different but [at the same time] people are mixed up, he said. There needs to be mutual accommodation, as the followers of every faith end up interacting every day.

For spiritual leaders to be able to encourage such mutual acceptance, Welby said, they need to avoid tea-and-cake dialogue that does not issue in serious conversation on the harmonious co-existence of the followers of often diverging faiths.

Dialogue, he said, should be on how we can disagree well.

The present failure of mutual acceptance might be best summed up in the hatred that is emerging in some European countries against the waves of migration that are causing tens of thousands of people from the south to go to the north of the Mediterranean region.

Welby is unequivocal in stressing the humanitarian responsibility of caring for aliens and exiles. However, he adds that at the same time we must care for the receiving communities as well, especially since many immigrants may end up in poorer areas where resources are already over-stretched.

For the archbishop of Canterbury, however, it all comes down to the power of loving the other and wanting to act upon this love, just as Christ preached.

It is all about the need for a vision to show love.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 14 October, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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The Arab world today is at a crossroads, with the transition to more open political systems looking possible in many of the Arab countries.

The Arab world is in transition after a decade of uprisings, upheavals, revolutions and civil wars. By their very nature, transitions are critical phases in the history of nations, and this is also the case with the Arab countries.

The last ten years have witnessed almost the withering away of state institutions, and the very notion of the nation-state has sometimes seemed to be on the brink of disappearing. Egypt itself was under a threat of this sort for a brief period from 11 February 2011, the day when former president Mohammed Hosni Mubarak relinquished power, to 30 June 2013, when Egyptians from all walks of life descended on Cairos Tahrir Square to push for the overthrow of the rule of the Muslim Brotherhood.

That day will go down in history as the beginning of the end of the phenomenon known as Political Islam across the Arab world. Today, the tide of history is shifting once again to the benefit of the nation-state and nationalist-inspired attempts at the rejuvenation of the state in the Arab world.

However, in order to succeed, transitions need enlightened and progressive leaders and strong state institutions and political forces that enjoy sufficient legitimacy to bring about fundamental changes in state structures and the philosophy of governance. In other words, there needs to be a broad consensus for authoritarian regimes to transition to more democratic ones based on a commitment to good governance and the peaceful transfer of power in free-and-fair elections.

The Arab countries are well placed today to jump-start their transition to good governance. And whether dealing with the situation in Libya, Tunisia, Syria, Iraq, or to a lesser degree in Lebanon, the world is willing to help. Elections are scheduled for this year or next in many of these countries: in Libya next December, if things go to plan according to the agreed-upon timetable; and in Lebanon in the first quarter of next year. The Iraqis went to the polls on 10 October to elect a new Iraqi parliament.

Syria, the battleground for foreign and regional confrontations through proxies, is still searching for a way out of the destabilisation of the last decade. Despite the war unleashed in Syria in March 2011 against the rule of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, the latter is still in power with a new constitutional mandate, however dubious this might appear to be in the eyes of those foreign, regional and Arab forces that have tried to overthrow the Syrian regime.

Today, the winds of change are also blowing in the opposite direction in Syria, and some of those very powers that previously worked against the Syrian regime have begun either reopening their embassies in Damascus or having their leaders call the Syrian president in developments not seen since March 2011.

The UN-instituted Constitutional Commission in Syria is scheduled to meet again on 18 October in Geneva as part of another attempt to come up with a Constitutional Document that can garner the support of the Syrian government, the Syrian opposition, whatever this term might mean in practice, and the foreign powers that have backed it.

The situation in Syria has come to symbolise all that has gone wrong with what we could call the democratic winds that blew across the Arab world in 2011. In retrospect, we have come to realise today that a great gulf has existed, and I presume continues to exist, between the democratic aspirations of the Arab peoples and the political forces that have come to the fore to claim that they are the true incarnation of these aspirations.

It goes without saying that the forces that came to the forefront in leading the democratic movement in Syria have themselves by definition been anti-democratic. Their only commitment to democracy has been the ballot box, and once in power they have shown no willingness to relinquish it. The Constitutional Declaration made by the Muslim Brothers in Egypt in November 2012 is a reminder of how undemocratic are all the groups that hail from Political Islam. Syria remains a living testimony of how far Political Islam has been willing to go to reach power through the tacit help of foreign powers.

The situation in Libya is no different from that in Syria, but there is a major difference between the two cases in that the neighbouring countries of the former, Egypt, Algeria and Tunisia, have provided a counterweight to the disintegration of Libya, realising, rightly, that such disintegration would run counter to their national security. For a brief period, Egypt suffered terrorist attacks from across its western borders.

The UN and the international community have been pushing for a successful political transition in Libya through the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2510 of 12 February 2020, which was adopted in its entirety in the Berlin Declaration of 19 January 2020.

According to the timetable agreed among the various Libyan political forces, with the support of their respective international and regional backers, presidential and parliamentary elections are scheduled in Libya on 24 December this year. According to recent reports, the Libyan National Assembly has decided to hold the presidential elections on this date and to postpone the legislative elections until next year. But there is no consensus on this unnecessary separation between the two sets of elections.

In Iraq and Lebanon, elections are seen as the starting point for transitioning to more representative political regimes not based on sectarian or religious grounds. This is a tall order, however deep are the popular demands in both countries for more democratic forms of governance. To illustrate how challenging this transition could prove to be, there has been the regrettable decision by the Lebanese parliament not to allocate seats for women in the next elections out of fears that this could adversely impact the sectarian distribution of power in the country.

I have not discussed the situation in Yemen. This is because although Yemen witnessed a popular uprising in 2011 led by the Muslim Brotherhood, regional and Arab intervention in Yemeni affairs complicated the situation, and four years later Yemen saw a proxy war between Saudi Arabia on the one hand and Iran on the other. That war is still raging, and despite incessant efforts by the UN at mediation between the warring parties, it would be surprising if it came to an end before the Saudis and the Iranians work out their political differences that have seen each side trying to checkmate the other.

The Arab world today is at a crossroads. Either the transition to more open political systems succeeds, or it descends into a stalemate that will block the emergence of more democratic regimes in the Arab countries. The decisive moment could come when some Arab countries lead by example and decide to guide the transition to democracy.

* The writer is former assistant foreign minister

*A version of this article appears in print in the 14 October, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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Egypt is well on the way towards becoming an electrical and energy hub for the wider Mediterranean region.

The Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC) and the Saudi Electricity Company signed contracts last week for the implementation of an electrical interconnection project between the two countries.

The project is scheduled to start operations by 2024 and has a total capacity of 3,000 Megawatts (MW), with surplus electrical power to be exchanged between the two countries during peak times, which are different for each.

Peak electricity consumption in Egypt is at night but is during the day in Saudi Arabia.

The electrical interconnection project will link the national grids of the two countries from Badr City in Egypt to Medina and Tabuk in Saudi Arabia via a transmission line stretching over 1,300 km and marine cables in the Gulf of Aqaba to a length of 22 km.

The first phase of the project is expected to be operational in late 2024 with a capacity of 1,500 MW. It is scheduled to be operational within about 36 months of the signing and to be completed after 52 months at a total cost of $1.8 billion.

The project consists of three high-voltage substations, East Medina Station and Tabuk Station in Saudi Arabia and Badr Station in eastern Cairo, Sabah Mashali, managing director of the EETC, said. The stations are connected by overhead transmission lines to a length of about 1,350 metres and marine cables in the Gulf of Aqaba to a length of 22 km.

The project, when operational, will achieve a number of benefits for the two countries, including enhancing the reliability of the national electrical grids, supporting their stability, and benefiting from the excess capacity of electricity generation available in the two countries, as well as timing differences in their peak electrical loads, Mashali pointed out.

The line between Egypt and Saudi Arabia provides the possibility of selling energy to the Gulf countries in the future. The two countries signed an initial memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the project in June 2013.

Egypt and Saudi Arabia have the largest electricity generation networks in the Arab world, with a total capacity of 150,000 MW representing 38 per cent of the total capacity of all the Arab countries.

Mashali said that the signing of the contracts for the project between Egypt and Saudi Arabia represents a strong link between the two largest electricity networks in the region and will reflect the stability and increase the reliability of electrical supply between the two countries, in addition to the other economic and developmental returns.

Mohamed Shaker, Egypts minister of electricity and renewable energy, stressed the importance of electrical interconnections with neighbouring countries, referring to the existing links with Jordan, Libya and Sudan.

He added that the government has allocated about LE77 billion to the electricity sector until 2024, saying that Egypt is looking to increase its links with other Arab, African and European countries. He said that Egypts vision is to turn the country into a regional hub for electricity connections with other countries regionally and internationally.

Shaker said that Egypt is an active participant in regional electricity network projects, especially with neighbouring countries, and that Cairo has signed a cooperative agreement with the Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organisation (GEIDCO) covering a number of fields, mainly electrical interconnections.

Egypts power link with Jordan has a capacity of 450 MW, and its link with Libya is 200 MW. Shaker confirmed that there are plans to raise the capacity of the link with Libya to approximately 2,000 or 3,000 MW, adding that the existing line between Egypt and Libya currently has a total capacity of 240 MW.

In April, the EETC turned on the electrical current in the interconnection line with Sudan to a capacity of 70 MW in the first phase out of a total of 300 MW to be reached in the future. The cost of the first phase is $6.8 million.

Work is currently underway to increase the transferred capacity between the two countries, Egypt and Sudan, from the current capacity of 80 MW to 300 MW. The completion of the final steps of projects linking Egypt with Saudi Arabia, in addition to with Cyprus and Greece, are also near, such that Egypt becomes a regional hub for energy exchange with Europe and the Arab and African countries.

Shaker announced that an electrical interconnection project between Egypt, Cyprus and Greece will be signed during the next few days, with Egypt planning to export up to 3,000 MW of electricity to Cyprus and Greece.

Egypt signed in May 2019 a MoU on electrical interconnection between Egypt, Cyprus and Greece via the island of Crete.

Egypts electricity sector has been diversifying its sources in recent years, with a special interest in renewable energies through ambitious plans to increase the latters proportion of the energy mix to 20 per cent by 2022 and 42 per cent by 2035.

Egypts Dabaa Nuclear power plant is expected to start operations in 2026 with a total capacity of 4,800 MW.

The countrys electricity grid had a total capacity of about 59,063 MW at the end of 2020, compared to approximately 35,000 MW in 2015. Until 2014,

Egypt experienced frequent power cuts that began to end in 2015 when several new power stations started operations and some existing ones were upgraded.

The Egyptian Electricity Utility and Consumer Protection Regulatory Agency announced earlier that peak electricity consumption in Egypt had reached a record high of about 32,000 MW nationwide in the summer months.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 14 October, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has warned of a global catastrophe in light of the latest Global Biodiversity Outlook (GBO) report that set off alarm bells due to the rapid deterioration over the past years.

Such deterioration portends a global catastrophe unless all countries enhance efforts to change consumption and production patterns and make them more sustainable and more aware of the importance of preserving biodiversity, El-Sisi said.

El-Sisis remarks came in a recorded speech on Tuesday while addressing the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) via video conference.

The latest GBO report published by the UN CBD in September 2020 warned that the world has so far failed to halt the destruction of wildlife and life-sustaining ecosystems.

The world should be more alert of the importance of protecting biodiversity and maintaining the vital systems for a better future on this planet, El-Sisi said.

He added the world is experiencing a critical phase that requires relentless and unified efforts.

We are living in a critical stage in human history that requires us to make unrelenting efforts to unite and confront the enormous challenges that have been exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic, the president said.

In 2018, El-Sisi says, Egypt rushed to put forward an ambitious initiative that included all aspects of environmental action with the aim of achieving harmony and integrity between efforts to preserve biodiversity, confront climate change and end desertification.

Egypts initiative was submitted in 2018 during the 14th meeting of the COP to the CBD held in Sharm El-Sheikh with the participation of 196 countries, under the auspices of El-Sisi.

The UN meeting on biodiversity is taking place in China, with several world leaders participating virtually to agree on a new set of goals for nature over the next decade.

El-Sisi handed the presidency of the conference to China and thanked it for its keenness to host the meeting despite the challenges of the coronavirus.

Egypt, today, while handing over the presidency of the conference to China, it is confident that the Chinese side can continue such important moves that our peoples aspire for so as to protect the biodiversity and vital systems of our planet, El Sisi said.

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Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi said on Tuesday that he does not allow his country to be a transit point for illegal migrants seeking to reach Europe, stressing that Egypt hosts nearly 6 million refugees from Africa and other unstable countries.

Though Egypt is hosting up to 6 million refugees from Africa and other unstable countries, it has never allowed them and will not, from an ethical and human standpoint, to immigrate illegally to Europe, El-Sisi told a press conference following the Visegrad Group (V4) summit in Budapest, Hungary.

The V4 summit, which gathered Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and the Czech Republic, in addition to Egypt, tackled a series of subjects, including Egypt's role in the Middle East, cooperation to combat terrorism, illegal immigration, and energy security.

The Egyptian president said Egypt will never allow those refugees to make onward journeys to the European countries "in order not to cause problems to Europe as well as for migrants not to throw them into the unknown" at sea.

El-Sisi stressed that Egypt has no camps for those refugees, but it, from a human rights-based approach, treats them as guests on its soil, allowing them at the same time to join its schools and universities as well as being covered in its coronavirus vaccination campaign.

"We need to reach a different approach to handle illegal immigration issue," he said, asserting that illegal immigration reflects, in general, a form of human rights, but from a perspective different and not just limited to opinion expression and political practice.

"Several rights are still missing in our region," he went on saying.

"But are the European countries ready to contribute to and participate in helping improving the [region's] countries' political, economic, and even cultural situations in order to reach a different approach on understanding human rights, which is a controversial topic between Egypt and our European friends.

He added that he himself does not oppose discussing or talking about the issue, but, he wondered, based on which approach.

In Egypt, El-Sisi said, the state targets to provide decent life for its population that exceed 100 million.

El-Sisi urged for more cooperation between the European countries and Egypt in the fields of education and industry localization to help create job opportunities for more than 65% of the Egyptian people.

He said what is needed is a deeper form of dialogue regarding this matter, and not demanding political leaders in the region countries to apply your standards.

The president said the state does not need comments on the human rights situation in Egypt as it completely respects its people and strives for their own prosperity.

"We need no one to tell us that [your] human rights standards involve violations. I am responsible for 100 million souls this is not an easy matter. particularly that 65 percent of Egypt's population is youth," he pointed out.

"You are dealing with a nation that completely respects itself and its people," he assured.

Egypt persistently seeks progress and urbanization, El-Sisi stressed, noting that the country launched a campaign targeting raising the living standards of up to 60 million Egyptians in villages.

With a total cost of EGP 700 billion, Egypt initiated the three-stage Decent Life initiative, which comprises a flurry of countryside-focused national infrastructure projects.

El-Sisi thanked the leaders of Visegrad group for their understanding of the situations Egypt, expressing his happiness to meet them - for the second time - and to discuss issues of common interest.

He also hailed the historically friendly relations binding Egypt with the Visegrad countries.

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Tigray forces say Ethiopia's government has launched its threatened major military offensive against them in an attempt to end a nearly year-old war.

A statement from the Tigray external affairs office alleged that hundreds of thousands of Ethiopian regular and irregular fighters launched a coordinated assault on several fronts. It blamed Ethiopian forces and those from the country's Amhara region, where much of the recent fighting has occurred after Tigray forces retook much of their own region in June.

The Tigray statement, which also alleged airstrikes, drone strikes and bombardments by heavy artillery, could not immediately be confirmed amid communications cuts in areas of fighting.

In a statement to The Associated Press, the spokeswoman for Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, Billene Seyoum, said only that "the government of Ethiopia will continue to counter the (Tigray forces') destruction, violence and killings in the Amhara region and elsewhere."

The new offensive has shattered a cease-fire that Ethiopia's government declared in June as its forces retreated from Tigray, where it had been pursuing the Tigray leaders who had dominated the national government for 27 years before Abiy took office and sidelined them.

Thousands of people have been killed since the political dispute turned deadly in November last year.

The new fighting also defies calls for peace by the United Nations and others, and the threat of new sanctions from the United States and European Union.

Our forces have no other option than to defend their people, the new Tigray statement said.

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South African biotech consortium is working on a messenger RNA jab based on the Moderna formula in a ground-breaking drive to end Africa's life-threatening lack of Covid vaccines.

Cape Town-based Afrigen Biologics and Vaccines is leading a pilot project, backed by the UN's World Health Organization (WHO) and the COVAX initiative, which seeks to tweak Moderna's revolutionary drug.

The goal is an mRNA vaccine that suits poorer countries in hot climates.

It would be a tough, resilient vaccine that would not need to be stored all the time at ultra-cold temperatures -- a hefty requirement in places where power cuts are a problem.

Africa is the least vaccinated continent in the world.

More than 10 months after the world's first Covid shot was administered and nearly two years into the pandemic itself, barely five percent of eligible Africans have been fully immunised.

The problem has exposed Africa's huge dependence on imported vaccines and its tech weakness compared with Europe, China and the United States.

"The bitter lesson we've learnt throughout this pandemic is how Africa was almost 100-percent dependent" on vaccines produced outside the continent, Richard Mihigo, the WHO's vaccination coordinator in Africa, told AFP.

Research and development at a 130-million-rand ($8.7-million) facility started three months ago, and talks are underway Moderna for a licensing agreement to use the basic formula.

Tests within a year?

Twenty-two scientists are working on the huge challenges.

The idea is to have a "super efficient and safe (vaccine that) ... will have a different stability and more suitable to be distributed at a temperature which is feasible for Africa," said Afrigen's managing director, Petro Terreblanche.

"It will be developed for maximum protection of the variants that is relevant for the territories where variants are rapidly surfacing," she added.

"What we are looking for is to have a second-generation vaccine," said Martin Friede of the WHO's Initiative for Vaccine Research.

"We have to start with a Moderna look-alike and be as close to Moderna as we can get," he said.

"It's not a copy of Moderna."

If all goes to plan, prototype shots will be ready for clinical trials within a year.

If those tests show that the modified jab is safe and effective, vaccine producer Biovac, a neighbour to Afrigen, will be the first to produce it on a commercial scale.

After that Afrigen will train other countries and hand out production licences to poor nations left out in the race for the life-saving shots.

Patent question

The Medicines Patent Pool, an international organisation that works to facilitate the development of medicines for low- and middle-income countries, is leading negotiations with Moderna.

Hopefully "we might get from them an agreement not to enforce any of their patents," Charles Gore, the organisation's boss, said in Geneva last month.

The Afrigen team say they are "reverse-engineering" the vaccine in a first step to see how it works.

"This is considered R and D (research and development), so there isn't any infringement of intellectual property and in the process we learn how you make mRNA, to be able to produce it at a scale that would be useful for clinical trials," said Afrigen's technical director Caryn Fenner.

Pharma giants are facing huge pressure to ease patent controls over coronavirus vaccines to help production in regions scrambling for shots.

Moderna last week announced plans to build a state-of-the-art mRNA facility in Africa to churn out up to 500 million vaccines doses anually.

It did not state where the factory will be stationed nor the initiation date.

The Afrigen project is funded via the COVAX initiative, which aims to facilitate equitable access to vaccines worldwide.

It is the latest vaccine investment in South Africa this year -- the country on the continent most affected by the pandemic.

Johnson & Johnson has an operational "fill-and-finish" plant in South Africa, and Pfizer/BioNTech have partnered with Biovac to bottle their mRNA vaccine starting next year.

Biotech billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong is also planning to start transferring technology to begin vaccine production in 2022.

Elsewhere on the continent, several Covid vaccine production facilities are in the pipeline, including in Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda to Senegal.

"Africa needs to become over the next 20 years autonomous in vaccine production," said Friede.

"This needs to be done, full stop."

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The court rejected Kenya's claim of the maritime boundary it sought, saying Kenya had not consistently maintained it. Instead, it leaned closer to Somalia's claim of a straight line into the Indian Ocean from their border

The International Court of Justice has sided with Somalia in its dispute with neighboring Kenya over a maritime boundary in a case affecting a territory potentially rich in oil and gas.

The ruling on Tuesday by the United Nations' highest court is legally binding, though the court has no enforcement powers. The court rejected Kenya's claim of the maritime boundary it sought, saying Kenya had not consistently maintained it. Instead, it leaned closer to Somalia's claim of a straight line into the Indian Ocean from their border.

``Congratulations to the Somali people, we have succeeded in capturing our seas,'' Somalia's minister of information, Osman Dubbe, tweeted.

But the court rejected Somalia's pursuit of reparations after the country alleged that some of Kenya's maritime activities had violated its sovereignty.

Kenya last week said it would not recognize the court's judgment, alleging that the judicial process had ``obvious and inherent bias.'' Its statement acknowledged that the judgment would have ``profound security, political, social and economic ramifications in the region and beyond,'' while urging Kenyans to remain calm.

The court based at The Hague noted that it ``cannot ignore the context of the civil war'' that destabilized Somalia for years and limited its government functions. It also found ``no compelling evidence that Somalia has acquiesced'' to Kenya's claim of a maritime boundary along a parallel line of latitude.

Somalia filed the ICJ case over the countries' maritime boundary in 2014, contributing to their strained relations.

``The unraveling of relations has already negatively impacted efforts by Nairobi and Mogadishu to confront (extremist group) al-Shabab's lethal insurgency. Far better than more confrontation would be talks to agree on a mutually accepted way to implement the judgment,'' International Crisis Group researcher Meron Elias said in a statement.

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The Oval Office talks come just weeks after Biden signed an executive order threatening to levy sanctions against Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and other leaders involved in a conflict gripping the Tigray region if steps aren't taken soon to wind down the 11-month-old war

President Joe Biden is set to hold his first bilateral talks as president with an African leader on Thursday, hosting Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta as war and a humanitarian crisis roil neighboring Ethiopia, according to the White House.

The Oval Office talks come just weeks after Biden signed an executive order threatening to levy sanctions against Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and other leaders involved in a conflict gripping the Tigray region if steps aren't taken soon to wind down the 11-month-old war.

But the situation appears to have only worsened on the ground, with Tigray forces saying Ethiopia's government has launched a long-threatened major military offensive against them in an attempt to end the war. A statement from the Tigray external affairs office earlier this week alleged that hundreds of thousands of Ethiopian ``regular and irregular fighters'' launched a coordinated assault on several fronts.

Kenya, which shares a border with Ethiopia, has long had a strong relationship with the U.S., partnering with Washington in efforts to thwart Islamic terrorism.

Kenya currently holds the presidency of the U.N. Security Council, a post that rotates monthly, one reason why Kenyatta is in the United States. Kenya also has been relatively vocal among African nations on the war in Ethiopia.

The Biden administration is conducting an interagency review as it considers targets that might be hit by sanctions. The review is, in part, to make certain all agencies are ``fully on board'' with proposed targets, according to a senior administration official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the internal deliberations.

The Biden administration has said it would move forward with sanctions quickly if there is not a dramatic shift on the ground. The United Nations has warned that hundreds of thousands are living in human-made famine-like conditions as the conflict festers.

With Ethiopia's government rejecting international ``meddling'' in its affairs, recent emphasis has been placed on trying to find an African solution to the crisis that has killed thousands, some now by starvation.

The U.S. and United Nations say Ethiopian troops have prevented passage of trucks carrying food and other aid. Scores of people have starved to death, The Associated Press has reported.

The meeting with Kenyatta comes as the Kenyan leader has faced scrutiny over his and his family's offshore holdings uncovered in the Pandora Papers.

Kenyatta is one of more than 330 current and former politicians identified as beneficiaries of the secret accounts unveiled in recent reporting by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. The ICIJ found that as Kenyatta publicly campaigned against corruption, his family stowed away about $30 million in offshore wealth.

The Pandora Papers revelations are expected to be brought up during the Oval Office meeting, the administration official said.

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Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett called Tuesday on the United Nations Security Council to take action against Iran over its escalating nuclear program.

Bennett spoke at a conference in Jerusalem, where he suggested that Iran's conduct is every nation's problem, and subject to global accountability.

After talks between Tehran and world powers on reviving the nuclear deal stalled earlier this year, Iran has breached limits set by the accord. It has been enriching small amounts of uranium to its closest-ever levels to weapons-grade purity as its stockpile continues to grow.

Bennett said he has made the case to other leaders, including President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, that Iran is violating basic international commitments in the shadow of the now-tattered 2015 nuclear deal.

Merkel, who visited Israel on Sunday in her final official visit, said that Germany remains committed to reviving the deal _ a step Israel opposes. The Biden administration is also trying to revive the nuclear deal.

Bennett said he expects global powers to bring (Iran) to the U.N. Security Council, hold Iran accountable for it. That, he added, would be the peaceful route forward.

Bennett spoke as Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid traveled to Washington, where he was expected to detail Israel's message on Iran in meetings with Vice President Kamala Harris, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and congressional leaders in both parties.

Bennett last month met with Biden for the first time as prime minister and president, with Iran topping the agenda. We're putting diplomacy first and seeing where that takes us, Biden said. If diplomacy fails, we're ready to turn to other options.

Israel has vowed to act unilaterally against Iran if need be. Iran says its nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes.

Earlier this year, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz said on Fox News that Israel was still working on its strike plans against Iran.

And just last month, Israel's recently-retired navy chief told The Associated Press that the military has stepped up its activities in the Red Sea exponentially in the face of growing Iranian threats to Israeli shipping.

Vice Adm. Eli Sharvit stopped short of confirming a series of attacks and mishaps on Iranian ships that have been attributed to Israel. But he described Iranian activities on the high seas as a top Israeli concern and said the navy is able to strike wherever necessary to protect the country's economic and security interests.

Bennett's message on Tuesday underscored that he was pushing diplomacy first.

There are other routes, he warned, but that's the right thing to do. And I'm going to continue pursuing that over the next few weeks and months.

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The developments came hours after harsh criticism was leveled against Bitar by Lebanon's powerful Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Nasrallah called Bitar's investigation a ``big mistake'' and said it was biased. He asked authorities to remove Bitar

The judge leading Lebanon's probe into last year's massive Beirut port explosion issued an arrest warrant Tuesday for a former Cabinet minister, a show of defiance against an entrenched political class that has closed ranks against him.

Judge Tarek Bitar issued the warrant shortly before he was notified of a much-anticipated lawsuit filed by two defendants seeking to remove him from his post, Lebanon's National News Agency reported. The lawsuit automatically suspended the investigation, the second time in less than a month that defendants have managed to curtail it.

The developments came hours after harsh criticism was leveled against Bitar by Lebanon's powerful Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Nasrallah called Bitar's investigation a ``big mistake'' and said it was biased. He asked authorities to remove Bitar.

Tuesday's events marked the latest twists in the saga of the troubled investigation into the massive August 2020 blast at Beirut's port that killed at least 215 people, injured thousands more and devastated entire neighborhoods of the Lebanese capital.

They highlighted the cat-and-mouse game between the judge, who was appointed by a government body but known for his independence and integrity, and former government officials who have used parliamentary immunity and legal challenges to avoid answering to him.

Hundreds of tons of ammonium nitrate, a highly explosive material used in fertilizer, had been improperly stored in the port for years with apparent prior knowledge of many of the country's top leaders.

Bitar charged Ali Hassan Khalil, Lebanon's former finance minister and current member of parliament, and three other former senior government officials with intentional killing and negligence that led to the deaths of scores of people in the port explosion. It wasn't immediately clear if Khalil would be arrested after the warrant.

``It is a ludicrous attempt to evade justice,'' said Aya Majzoub, a Human Rights Watch Lebanon researcher. She said the politicians implicated in the case filed all the complaints they can think of with the intention of getting the investigation suspended.

They may succeeded in suspending the probe long enough to once again obtain parliamentary immunity next week, she said. Parliament is currently in recess, offering Bitar a window of opportunity to summon officials that have so far used immunity to avoid answering to him.

Lebanese lawyer Nizar Saghieh said attacks on Bitar are getting more intense and the pressure is rising to remove the probe from him.

``The judge is on his own. ... No one is defending him,`` Saghieh, who heads the rights group Legal Agenda, told Al-Jadeed TV station. (asterisk)(asterisk)Saghieh does not represent Bitar.

Lebanon is a small nation notorious for corruption, where a culture of impunity has prevailed for decades among the entrenched political elite.

The 46-year-old Bitar is known among his colleagues as a professional and daring judge who has in the past issued swift verdicts, including several death sentences in murder cases and lengthy punishments against drug dealers. Bitar also issued hefty fines against two doctors who were convicted of malpractice in a medical mishap in which all of an infant's limbs were amputated.

Bitar is known for having no history of political affiliation.

Families of the port blast victims have rallied behind Bitar, who has skillfully maneuvered through Lebanon's legal system to summon senior officials while _ so far _ avoiding charges of violating the constitution

It is rare in Lebanon for a judge to face off against members of a political class blamed for corruption and mismanagement that threw the small country into its worst economic crisis in its modern history starting in late 2019.

Lebanese politicians including Nasrallah, former Prime Minister Saad Hariri, and some religious figures have launched a campaign to discredit Bitar, accusing him of being politicized and biased.

Bitar has not responded to the criticism and has kept his investigation secret so far.

Saghieh, the lawyer, said only the Court of Cassation, Lebanon's highest court, could decide to remove Bitar. It is the same court that removed his predecessor earlier this year, when senior government officials implicated in the case filed a lawsuit raising ``legitimate suspicion'' against him.

Bitar already faces such a lawsuit and Saghieh said a decision could come in six to eight weeks.

Bitar was appointed in February by a government body. The same body could take disciplinary action against him, but it is currently not fully formed. His removal, if it happens, would be a major blow to the investigation and the already undermined judiciary.

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The International Monetary Fund (IMF) announced in a statement on Tuesday that its Managing Director, Kristalina Georgieva, is innocent of any misconduct regarding the Doing Business 2018 Report that was released by the World Bank when she was its CEO.

The Executive Board of the IMF reached its decision following a meeting held on Monday to conclude its review of the matter raised by WilmerHales investigation of the World Banks Doing Business 2018 Report, which claimed that Georgieva played a role in raising Chinas rank in the doing business index while she was the CEO of the World Bank.

This was the eighth meeting the board held on the matter as part of its commitment to a thorough, objective, and timely review.

In particular, the Executive Board had two extensive discussions, each with the representatives of WilmerHale as well as with the Managing Director. The Executive Board also took note that the World Banks investigation of potential World Bank staff misconduct in the Doing Business Report matter is ongoing, the board said in the statement.

It added that having looked at all the evidence presented, the Executive Board reaffirmed its full confidence in the Managing Directors leadership and ability to continue to effectively carry out her duties.

The board trusts in the managing directors commitment to maintaining the highest standards of governance and integrity in the IMF. The Executive Board also reiterates its own commitment to supporting the managing director in maintaining the highest standards of governance and integrity in the data, research, and operations of the IMF, and has confidence in the impartiality and analytical excellence of the IMFs staff and in the IMFs robust and effective channels for complaint, dissent, and accountability.

It also announced its plan to consider possible additional steps to ensure the strength of institutional safeguards in these areas.

On 16 September, The World Bank Group (WBG) announced that it will pause the release of the next Doing Business Report for 2021 over irregularities regarding 2018 and 2020 editions of the report that were reported internally in June 2020.

Following that, the WBG announced that it initiated series of reviews and audits of the report and its methodology, pledging to work on a new approach to assessing the business and investment climate.

According to the internal report of the investigation on these irregularities, which was prepared by law firm WilmerHale at the request of the banks Ethics Committee, the 2018 edition of the Doing Business Report contained misinformation on China and its ranking in the reports doing business index.

The internal report claimed that the president of China interfered in the process to improve the ranking of China, which placed 78th  the same spot as in the 2017 edition of the report.

It also posited the involvement of Georgieva in this plot  while she was the World Banks CEO  referring to a meeting she held on 18 October with Chinas country manager.

This action was taken by changing the methodology of the report regarding Chinas case specifically, according to the internal report.

Moreover, the 2020 edition of the report contained an intervention to improve Saudi Arabias ranking so that it would be placed above Jordan in the index rather than below.

The report also featured irregularities in the placement of Azerbaijan.

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Popular Egyptian rock band Cairokee will give a concert at Hyde Park, New Cairo on 22 October, where they will sing a selection of their favourite songs.

The organisers describe the event as one of the biggest concerts of 2021.

Related Cairo Jazz Festival to launch 2021 edition this month

Founded in 2003, their first big success came in 2011 with their hit single Sowt El-Horreya ("The Voice of Freedom").

They then cemented their popularity with a number of albums including El-Sekka Shemal ("An Indecent Path"), Naas Wi Naas ("People and People") and Nota Beida ("Drop of White"), in addition to their latest Abnaa Al-Battah Al-Sawdaa ("The Ugly Ducklings").

The band is among the most popular music performers in Egypt.

Programme:

Friday 22 October at 8pm (gates open at 4pm)

The Events Arena at Hyde Park, New Cairo

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Egyptian pop star Mohamed Hamaki will give a concert this Thursday at the British University in Egypt (BUE), where he will sing a selection of his favourite songs that will include most of his 2021 album Ya Fateny.

Hamaki has been among the most trending topics in Egypt last week after releasing his 2021 late summer album Ya Fateny that was listened to by millions across all platforms.

Related Cairo Jazz Festival to launch 2021 edition this month

The multi-award-winning Hamaki, who started as a composer, gained widespread fame after his first album Khalina Naesh was released in 2003.

Programme:

Thursday 14 October at 8pm

British University in Egypt, Al Shorouk City, Cairo

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Al-Ahrams second annual conference for pharmaceuticals promises to provide an integrated work programme for the localisation of the industry in Egypt .

Under the patronage of Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli, Al-Ahram Establishment will on Saturday launch the second edition of its annual pharmaceutical conference. The conference, which will take place on 16-17 October, will discuss localising the drug industry in Egypt and providing practical solutions to its problems.

Abdel-Mohsen Salama, chairman of Al-Ahrams board of directors, said the establishment is keen on organising its annual pharmaceutical conference, praising the efforts exerted in the pre-conference preparatory work, including the scale of extensive discussions in its sessions, and the effective participation in terms of numbers and quality of attendees.

The conference represents a pioneering experience in following up on the implementation of the recommendations of the first edition, which were carried out in cooperation with the various sectors of the Health Ministry and all partners organising the event, Salama added.

The conference will be held under the chairmanship of Mahmoud Al-Metini, the president of Ain Shams University, and the honorary presidency of Ashraf Hatem, the chairman of the parliamentary Health Committee.

The opening session of the conference is scheduled to be attended by Abdel-Sadek Al-Shorbagi, the chairman of the National Press Authority; Salama; and Alaa Thabet, the editor-in-chief of Al-Ahram.

Mohamed Awad Tageddin, the advisor to President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi for health and prevention affairs, will also participate in the event.

Al-Ahram, in its 145-year history, has been keen to support the states efforts in upgrading services provided to the Egyptian citizen, especially in healthcare and medicine, according to Salama.

There have been excellent and significant accomplishments in the field of healthcare and medicine in Egypt as acknowledged by various international organisations, Salama stressed.

Thabet said that Al-Ahram has made all the necessary preparations, including organising the preparatory sessions and meetings for the conference in cooperation with partners, to ensure that the event would serve as a permanent platform to shed light on all aspects of the Egyptian pharmaceutical sector in terms of safety and in compliance with the highest standards, as well as opening new markets.

The event will also highlight the fact that Egypt provides the appropriate climate to attract more global partnerships, and Arab and foreign investments, to meet the needs of the Egyptian market and contribute to increasing exports, Thabet added.

The Egyptian market with a population of more than 100 million is promising. There are 165 drug factories operating in Egypt in addition to 40 to 50 new factories under licensing. However, despite the figures, drug exports amount to $300 million, considered a small amount compared to other countries.

Al-Metini stressed that the success of the conference in its first edition testifies to the serious discussions that characterised its sessions and the important recommendations the conference issued.

The second edition will shed light on ways to meet the challenges and risks that the pharmaceutical industry faces and to discuss ways to improve it. It will also discuss ways to develop scientific research and ensure the success of the process of the transfer of technology and localising industry, he said.

A large exhibition will be held on the sidelines of the event, Hossam Zayed, the general coordinator of the conference, said. The exhibition will be held in cooperation with major drug companies: the General Division of Medicines in the Federation of Chambers of Commerce, the cosmetics and nutritional supplements division in the General Federation of Chambers of Commerce, the Chamber of Pharmaceutical Industry, the Egyptian Society for Research and Drug Manufacturing, and the Export Council for Medical Supplies.

Zayed noted that several preparatory sessions were held in order for the conference to achieve the aspirations and expectations of citizens, doctors, pharmacists, and drug officials.

He explained that the conference will include discussions on the strategic partnership with international companies and the role of the Egyptian Pharmaceutical City, the challenges and opportunities in light of the lessons learned from the coronavirus pandemic, and the problems faced by research and development in the sector and the way out.

Participants in the conference will also shed light on universal health insurance and healthcare as well as the future of pharmaceutical exports and the digitisation of the health care sector to support Egypt as a regional centre for the pharmaceutical industry.

Speakers at the conference will include Tamer Essam, the president of the Egyptian Medicines Authority, Major General Bahaa Zeidan, the president of the Egyptian Authority for Unified Procurement, Ashraf Ismail, the president of the General Authority for Accreditation and Health Control, and Hossam Sadek, the executive director of the Universal Health Insurance.

The event will also see the participation of Amr Mamdouh, the president of the Egyptian Medicine City, representatives of various concerned institutions in Egypt and local drug companies, chairmen of the boards of directors of foreign drug companies operating in Egypt, and representatives of the Chamber of Pharmaceutical Industry and Commerce.

The conference will conclude its proceedings by presenting a work plan to localise the pharmaceutical industry and find all the required solutions for many of the problems that hamper this effort, he added.

The first edition of the pharmaceutical conference formed a committee to follow up on the implementation of its work programme, vision, and recommendations in cooperation with the Ministry of Health.

Moreover, the Standing Committee of participants in the conference has submitted the recommendations of the first edition to the concerned authorities who were tasked with following up on their implementation as part of a continuing dialogue and interaction between all parties involved.

The Standing Committee plans to work on implementing the recommendations of the second edition in a similar manner.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 14 October, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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The first round of talks between American officials and Taliban leaders after the US military withdrawal from Afghanistan were held in the Qatari capital this week. This time talks are different from previous rounds in negotiations in that the delegations are not made up of the same people who piloted negotiations during the Donald Trump presidency and concluded it under Jo Biden. In addition, the agenda took a totally different shape.

The Taliban is ruling Afghanistan after more than two decades of American military presence there, a fact that stands regardless of American and international recognition of the government in Kabul.

The Taliban delegation to Doha had more ambitious goals than talking to the Americans, however. Led by Afghanistans Acting Foreign Minister Mullah Amir Khan Muttaqi, they met Qatari officials, European Union representatives and several foreign ambassadors to Qatar. The obvious target was to explain the movements positions and try to secure recognition of its government in Kabul. According to a source in Doha, it is not yet clear how Western diplomats received the implied request to convey to their governments the idea that the Taliban have changed.

Recognition, especially by Western capitals, is important to the Taliban as it is needed to secure United Nations acceptance of them as the rulers representing Afghanistan internationally. Moreover, the movement  branded a terrorist organisation for the last two decades  now acknowledges the difficulty of running a country without dealing with the outside world. It requires commercial and economic relations that are almost impossible to achieve without political recognition.

Despite the need to convince the world that it has changed, abandoning its terrorist orientation, the Taliban sent a militant hardliner delegation to Doha, as some analysts point out. The delegation included Information and Culture Minister Khairullah Khairkhwa, the Director of Intelligence Mullah Abdulhaq Wasiq, Interior Deputy Minister Malwlawi Noor Jalal and Haji Mohammad, in addition to Sheikh Shabuddin Delawar who first established the Doha office under the direction of late Taliban leader Mullah Omar. Most of the delegation members are close aides of the Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani.

The two godfathers of US-Taliban negotiations who started dialogue years ago, Taliban leader Mullah Bradar and US special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad, were absent. But it is clear that both sides admit that negotiations are not the same as they used to be before August when the Taliban assumed power in Afghanistan. US and NATO forces completed their withdrawal from the country by the end of August, while Taliban was in Kabul replacing the falling US-backed government of president Ashraf Ghani.

The American delegation, which included Intelligence Services and the Department of State representatives, was led by Khalilzads deputy Tom West and the USAID Chief Sarah Charles. In itself this indicates that the Americans are ready to talk about assistance to Afghanistan in return for Talibans commitment to allow the US to operate in the country in such a way as to guarantee that it doesnt become a safe haven for terrorists targeting US interests again.

The Taliban wants the US to honour the 2020 agreement it signed in Doha by removing sanctions and unfreezing Afghan Central Bank assets worth over nine billion dollars, which international financial institutions such as IMF have suspended Afghanistans access to triggering a liquidity crunch. Many Taliban leaders including current ministers are still blacklisted by the UN and the US, what is more, and the Taliban wants them removed from terrorist lists.

For their part the Americans want leaders from the previous government to be part of an inclusive group, along with representatives of other groups alongside the Taliban. They also require Taliban concessions on womens rights and access for American military and intelligence to target armed groups such as the IS affiliate ISKP (the Islamic State in Khorasan Province).

This new track of negotiations might take longer to reach a compromise. Reuters quoted US official sources as saying: This meeting is not about granting recognition or conferring legitimacy. We remain clear that any legitimacy must be earned through the Talibans own actions. They need to establish a sustained track record.

This first round of talks might only achieve one thing: demonstrating America is not completely decoupled from the Afghanistan quagmire. Former National Security Adviser to the Trump administration John Bolton wrote an article for The Hill in which he said, we may have left Afghanistan, but it has not left us. And neither have the terrorists.

Bolton wrote: The Taliban provided ample evidence that it had neither modernised nor moderated, naming no women to its new government. Al-Qaeda proved to be more numerous and more integrated into the Taliban than even the worst-case United Nations and other studies indicated. Terrorists across the Middle East took heart from the Talibans victory, and foreign jihadists began returning to Afghanistan. Reports of retaliation and barbarism by Taliban fighters emerged from the few Western journalists still in country.

He sums up: The key conclusion today is that the consequences of the Afghanistan withdrawal are far from over, and events there and in the miasma of global terrorism will continue to command our attention. Biden will not be able to take a victory lap in the 2022 or 2024 elections for having ended one of the endless wars; instead, he will be explaining why America is once again more vulnerable to terrorism.

Whether the Taliban has changed or not, there is a new situation in Afghanistan that the world must deal with. It will take time to formulate an international position and how the Americans see the Taliban in power will be instrumental to formulating that position.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 14 October, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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Tehran has labelled the Europeans passive spectators as further talks loom in Vienna on restoring the Iran nuclear deal, writes Manal Lotfy

The war of words has escalated between Iran and the West as further talks in Vienna to restore the nuclear deal between Tehran and the Western powers loom, with the former labelling the Europeans passive spectators of the deal and saying that their inaction emboldened the former administration of US president Donald Trump to withdraw from it.

The Iranian accusations are sure to cause concern in Europe, as while the Europeans want to develop their strategic independence in foreign, defence and security policy, many still regard Europe as moving in the US orbit.

The resumption of the nuclear negotiations with Iran has become a priority after Tehran declared it had produced more than 120 kg of 20 per cent enriched uranium, noticeably more than the 84 kg reported by UN inspectors last month and approaching the 170 kg required to make a bomb after further enrichment.

The Iranian announcement could mean that Irans breakout time  the time it would need to make one bombs worth of highly enriched uranium  has shrunk significantly since its resumption of nuclear activities after the collapse of the nuclear deal.

US officials now put the breakout time at a few months compared to a year when the nuclear deal was in force. Under the deal, Iran reduced its uranium enrichment levels, and all its nuclear activities were under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

There is a growing realisation that any delay in returning to the nuclear agreement will have serious repercussions. Iran itself has announced that the amount of enriched uranium it has is greater than the estimates of the IAEA and is close to the amount required to manufacture a bomb, a Western diplomat familiar with the negotiations told Al-Ahram Weekly.

The West has only two options: to accelerate the effort to return to the nuclear agreement and make sure Iran is abiding by its provisions or risk a military confrontation to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. Talks are much easier than military action, he added.

During a visit this week to Israel, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that the coming weeks would be decisive for the future of the nuclear deal with Iran, adding that every day that passed without Tehran responding to US overtures would result in Iran enriching more uranium.

The outgoing chancellor said that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping had a responsibility to help push Iran back to the negotiating table, while speaking at a joint news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.

I also see a responsibility for Russia and China here, since if the JCPOA [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action] is no longer doing what its meant to do, then thats very difficult, so we are now in very decisive weeks for this deal, Merkel said.

Her intervention came as Iran called on the European countries to guarantee the existing nuclear deal that the parties are set to revisit during the planned resumption of talks in Vienna.

The European capitals, including Berlin, have been passive spectators Angela Merkel and the European countries know that without Europes inaction, Trump would not have dared to withdraw from all the agreements or to violate the nuclear deal, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh told reporters on Monday.

We therefore expect all parties, when they arrive in Vienna, to know that they have no choice but to adhere to their obligations under the nuclear deal, he said during a news conference.

They must give their clear assurance to the Islamic Republic that this time no party will violate the nuclear deal.

The deal was concluded in 2015 with the US, UK, China, Russia, France and Germany and offered Iran relief from international sanctions in exchange for drastically limiting its nuclear programme, while also placing it under UN supervision.

But the US unilaterally pulled out of the deal under former president Donald Trump and reimposed sanctions, prompting Tehran to gradually renege on its commitments.

Talks got underway in Vienna in April to revive the deal, but they have been suspended since June when Iran elected conservative Ebrahim Raisi as president. Tehran said last week it expected the talks to resume within days.

During her visit to Israel, Merkel called on Iran to immediately return to the talks.

The message to Iran is unequivocal: return to the negotiating table immediately, she said.

In response Khatibzadeh told reporters that there is no new text or deal being negotiated. It is simply a matter of technical talks to ensure the full implementation of the nuclear deal by all parties.

The Vienna talks, I repeat, will take place, and in the next days you will see more activity and diplomatic exchange around the nuclear deal, he said.

On Saturday, Iranian Nuclear Chief Mohamed Eslami said in an interview with state TV that under the 2015 nuclear deal the other signatories were to provide Iran with then 20 per cent enriched uranium needed for its research reactor.

But it was not delivered, he said. If we had not produced it by ourselves this would have turned into one of our problems.

Under the terms of the nuclear deal, Iran was prohibited from enriching uranium above 3.67 per cent with the exception of research reactor activities. Enriched uranium above 90 per cent can be used in a nuclear weapon.

In September, the IAEA said Irans stockpile of uranium enriched to up to 20 per cent, fissile purity was estimated at 84.3 kg, up from 62.8 kg three months earlier. Scientists estimate that at least 170 kg of enriched uranium is needed to make a bomb.

Tehrans strategy of violating the deal is seen by some European powers as an attempt to put pressure on Europe to provide it with incentives to offset crippling American sanctions re-imposed after the US pullout.

US President Joe Biden has said he is open to re-joining the deal, but he has refused to lift any sanctions on Iran as a goodwill gesture.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 14 October, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to two journalists last week for their efforts to ensure freedom of expression, but unfortunately not every prize winner has merited the award.

Last week, the Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2021 to two journalists, the Filipino Maria Ressa and the Russian Dmitry Muratov, for their courageous fight for freedom of expression in their two countries.

The Western media hailed what they regarded as much-needed support for freedom of the press. This was the first time in the over a century-long history of the Nobel Prize that it has been awarded to a journalist. The committee chair, Berit Reiss-Andersen, added that Ressa and Muratov were representatives of all journalists who stand up for this ideal in a world in which democracy and freedom of the press face increasingly adverse conditions.

Ressa, who has dual Filipino-American nationality, is a co-founder of Rappler, a digital media company for investigative journalism, which, according to the committees announcement, has focused critical attention on the [Philippines] Duterte regimes controversial, murderous anti-drug campaign.

Nothing is possible without facts, said the 58-year-old Ressa after receiving the prize. A world without facts means a world without truth and trust.

Muratov, 59, was one of the founders of the independent newspaper Novaja Gazeta in 1993. Another co-founder was former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev. The Russian journalist felt the credit was not due to him, but rather to the newspaper and to all those who died defending the right of people to freedom of speech.

The Nobel Committee has not always made the most judicious choices, however. It is still reeling from the scandal of having awarded the prestigious Peace Prize to Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in 2019. Within a year, Ahmed launched a devastating war against the Tigray Region in northern Ethiopia, home to the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF) that had dominated Ethiopias government from 1991 until Ahmed came to power in 2018.

Ahmeds war against the Tigray Region, which is inhabited by six to seven million people, has turned it into a candidate for the most famine-plagued country in the world. According to a report by the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, the region is on the verge of the worst ever man-made famine.

Forces that have joined the Ethiopian army, made up primarily of Amhara militias, have been accused of burning crops, pillaging fields and preventing farmers from ploughing their land. There have also been reports of widespread rape, preventing women from going out to search for food for their children. The violence and starvation have precipitated large waves of forced displacement and spreading hunger.

The Burmese political leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who received the Peace Prize in 1991, has also proved undeserving. Her reputation as a moral leader plummeted when she defended extremist Buddhist militia crimes against the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar (Burma). She did not condemn the forced displacement of the Rohingya to Bangladesh or the incidents of rape, a weapon of choice to humiliate the enemy in sectarian conflicts.

Meanwhile, the Iranian and Yemeni rights activists Shirin Ebadi and Tawakkul Karman, who were awarded the Nobel Peace Prizes in 2003 and 2011, respectively, have vanished from the political scenes in their countries. After the Civil War erupted in Yemen in 2015, Karman came out in support of the Gulf-backed Yemeni government against the Houthi insurrection that receives military and material support from Iran.

Former International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) director Mohamed ElBaradei, co-recipient of the Nobel Prize with the IAEA in 2005, resigned as Egyptian vice-president in 2013 and departed from the country.

Menahem Begin, co-winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1978, was ousted as Israeli prime minister and head of the right-wing Likud Party against the backdrop of the war he unleashed against Lebanon and the revelation of the part his defence minister, Ariel Sharon, played in facilitating the Sabra and Shatilla massacres in Beirut at the hands of the Lebanese Forces militia.

In 1994, the prize was awarded to former Israeli president Shimon Peres, former Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin and chairman of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) and Palestinian president Yasser Arafat.

Rabin was assassinated in 1995 by an Israeli terrorist opposed to the Oslo Peace Accords. Peres and the liberal Israeli Labour Party were ousted from power in 1996 by Benjamin Netanyahu at the head of the Likud, despite this partys bloodstained record in Lebanon.

Of course, the Nobel Peace Prize itself does not make peace. Nor does it grant its recipients a moral halo with the power to change the world for the better. Conferring the prize on Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso (1989) and Liu Xiaobo (2010) did not change Beijings policies on Tibet or human rights in China.

The same applies to Andrei Sakharov (1975) and this years recipient Muratov. The former could not make a dent in the totalitarian Soviet Communist system, while the latter is unlikely to affect current Russian strongman Vladimir Putin, who could theoretically remain in power as the countrys president for another decade.

Former South Korean president Kim Dae-jung was awarded the prize in 2000 for his work for democracy and human rights in South Korea and in East Asia in general, and for peace and reconciliation with North Korea in particular. But his North Korean counterpart Kim Jong-il was passed over.

On the other hand, the Nobel Committee has occasionally hit the right mark, as was the case when it awarded the Peace Prize to individuals of such moral stature as former South African president Nelson Mandela (1993) and Martin Luther King Jr. (1964).

The Nobel Peace Prize was not awarded for 19 years, 13 of them between 1914 and 1943 due to the circumstances of the two world wars and the interwar period. The last time it was withheld was in 1972. It has been won by 137 recipients, among them 28 international organisations. The number of organisations among the laureates is growing: 24 from 1944 to the present.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has received the prize twice, in 1917 and 1944, for its work in the two world wars. In the 1950s, the prize was awarded to the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR). In the 1960s, four organisations merited the award: the ICRC (for the third time) jointly with the League of Red Cross Societies (1963), UNICEF (1965) and the International Labour Organisation (1969).

The United Nations was the first international organisation to win the Peace Prize after the turn of the millennium. It was followed by the IAEA in 2005, the Grameen Bank of Bangladesh in 2006 (for advancing economic and social opportunities for the poor), and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in 2007. In the following decade came five organisations: the European Union (2012), the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (2013), the Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet (2015), the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (2017) and the World Food Programme (2020).

It is only natural that organisations such as those above should have an increasing place among the Nobel laureates. World peace is not a goal that can be attained by an individual, however great his or her influence, of even by a state, however great its resources.

For the Nobel Committee, bestowing the award for peace on international organisations is less likely to spark controversy and it also avoids the embarrassments that can arise after awarding it to a politician who ends up leading his country to war, defending brutal rights abuses, or simply fades from the scene.

On the plus side, it showcases the impacts of collective international action and encourages the world powers to work more closely together.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 14 October, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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After the Jordanian King Abdullah II received his first phone call from Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad in over ten years, the Turks wondered if their country would come next. The word is that Saudi Arabia is having unofficial talks with the Assad regime in tandem with the accelerating steps to mend Ankaras fences with Abu Dhabi, Cairo and Riyadh. Yet if Turkeys ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) moved to reconcile with Syrias ruling Baath Party, that would be the most earthshaking U-Turn in Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogans foreign policy in over decade.

Erdogan will do anything to stay in power, said an opposition Turkish politician who originally opposed the Turkish drive to overthrow Assad. Last month, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told the Turkish NTV station that a political meeting with Damascus was out of the question. Critics dismissed this as a smoke screen. After all, it is an open secret that Erdogans trusty Intelligence Chief Hakan Fidan, who oversees Ankaras relations with Syrian opposition groups in Turkey and militias in Syria, has been engaged in backchannel talks with the head of Syrian National Security Bureau Ali Mamlouk. It was widely reported in fact that the two were to meet in Baghdad at the end of September, although the meeting ended up being postponed.

Erdogan must certainly be aware of the shrinking popularity of his party against the backdrop of the countrys economic dire straits. People in Turkey secretly blame him for causing the problem with Syria to begin with. He is the one who sheltered the Syrian rebels including untold numbers of jihadists, they say. Such anger and frustration has been reflected in the polls.

CHP leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu is aware of that public sentiment. He has pledged that, if elected president, he would return the Syrian refugees to their homes within two years of taking office. Recent opinion polls found that large numbers of Turks are fed up with their countrys involvement in Syria; they believe that sitting with Assad is the key to solving the refugee problem. Economic pressures, which are part of the blowback from Erdogans foreign policies, are reflected in mounting degrees of xenophobia and violence directed against Syrian refugees as well as minority communities in Turkey.

Given the general domestic climate, it comes as little surprise that the government has started touting a set of new policies which have led some observers to believe that Erdogan is truly on the verge of a major shift on the Syrian question. Or, perhaps more accurately, he is looking for a way to stage a graceful exit. He has frequently called for US forces to leave Syria. But, in reality, he wants them to remain as a counterweight to the Russians there. If he railed against the US and its presence in Syria, this was merely his way of venting his anger at Joe Biden for not having given Erdogan a photo-op on the side-lines of the UN General Assembly meetings in New York last month. Unlike Trump, who gave Erdogan the green light to invade northeast Syria, Biden has made it clear that Erdogan should not expect any gifts from him, and that the US will keep about 800 special forces in northeast Syria for the rest of his term, if need be. To make Erdogan really see red, Biden called the Turkish military operations in northeast Syria a threat to US interests and, in a letter to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, he formally extended Executive Order 13894, which is intended to protect the predominantly Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the main ally on the ground in Syria in the fight against ISIS. In the letter, Biden did not mince his words:

The situation in and in relation to Syria, and in particular the actions by the government of Turkey to conduct a military offensive into northeast Syria, undermines the campaign to defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, endangers civilians and further threatens to undermine the peace, security and stability in the region, and continues to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States.

Ilham Ahmed, the chairperson of the Syrian Democratic Council, the political arm of the YPG, welcomed what she described as a clear commitment to the Kurds, in contrast to the lack of clarity under Trump.

Given this situation, Turkeys best bet to achieve its goal of destroying the Syrian Kurds self-administration would be to secure a deal with the [Syrian] regime, writes Amberin Zaman for Al Monitor. Turkey would allow Assad to retake the rebel-held province of Idlib and back his claims that the country is safe for the return of refugees. This, in turn, would persuade the international community to release funds for Syrias reconstruction. The UN would be at hand to oversee it all.

Zaman adds that this would suit Assad since the Kurds, under US protection, have control over the countrys major oil fields, dams and agricultural land, and pose a greater threat to his authority than he is willing to admit. At the same time, a deal with Damascus would give Turkey unfettered freedom to go after Kurdistan Workers Party targets in Syria much as it did in the wake of the 1998 Adana Accords signed between Turkey and Assads father, Hafez, in the wake of Turkish threats to invade Syria.

Whatever the case, Zaman believes that if the Erdogan regime does do an about-face on his Syria policy, the motive is less likely to be the Syrian refugees than his paranoia over Kurdish gains in Syria under US protection, which has prompted three major Turkish military incursions into northern Syria.

Omar Kadkoy, a policy analyst at the Ankara-based Economic Policy Research Foundation of Turkey, is among those who believe it is inevitable for Ankara to reach out to Damascus, but perhaps not as fast as Ankara has been going with Egypt and the UAE. As he told Al Monitor, what would propel Turkey is if Damascus, along with Moscow, could guarantee that the Kurdish influence in northern Syria would not grow further and would fall under the Syrian governments control.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 14 October, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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When his first novel, Memory of Departure, appeared in 1987, Abdulrazak Gurnah wasnt even sure whether he would continue writing fiction. I was in the UK to cover the Edinburgh festival at the time, and I met him in London. He was not a well-known writer then, let alone one with a Nobel Prize on his horizon. At first I thought he was from India or Pakistan because of his Muslim name. He told me he was from Tanzania. Born in 1948 in Zanzibar, once an Omani sultanate with a predominately Arab-Islamic heritage, he came to the UK at the age of 18. He obtained his PhD at the University of Kent and, after a brief interlude outside academia, became a professor of literature there.

Another reason for my visit to the UK was to research immigration to the country from its former colonies. The phenomenon was at its height. The streets of London were teeming with Indians, Pakistanis, Africans and Arabs. The common quip at the time was: If you want to meet an Englishman, dont go to London. I was interested in meeting Gurnah not as a novelist, which he was not really known for at the time, but as an expert on the question of immigration. My friend Michael Billington, the chief theatre critic for the Guardian, had told me that if I wanted to know anything on the subject he was the person to see.

Abdulrazak Gurnah, a humble and mild-mannered man, spoke highly of Egypt and Arab culture. He told me his father was of Yemeni origin and he, himself, had learned the Quran as a child although he could not speak Arabic. After talking about the question of immigration for a while, our common love for English literature led us to the subject of the novel. He said that Britain added much to this art in the 19th century. Today, as I look back over my notes from the meeting I realise he touched on some important matters that will generate greater interest now that he has received the Nobel Prize. I asked him whether, in his opinion, the literature written by immigrants belonged to the English literary heritage because it was written in English or to the literature of the South, as the expression then had it.

Such geographical divisions dont apply to literature, he answered. There is no such thing as a literature of the South and another of the North. Fiction speaks of a human experience regardless of where it is written. It is this human aspect that draws us to it. It makes someone from the South read a story told in the North as eagerly as a reader from the North might become engrossed in a story from the South.

But was it not the case that geographical affiliation, whether to South or North, forced its particular concerns on fiction? I asked this because Gurnahs work was informed by his immigration to Britain. If he hadnt been an immigrant from the South, would he have cared about the subject?

Perhaps not, he replied. But thats not what matters. What matters in a novel is not the subject, but how it is treated. That is what makes every work of literature unique, regardless of how similar its subject matter might be to other works.

Gurnah has ten novels under his belt, all dealing in one way or another with his central concern. The best known are Paradise (1994), Admiring Silence (1996), By the Sea (2001), Desertion (2005) and The Last Gift (2011). He told me that when he set out to write his first work, he did not intend to write a novel. He merely wanted to record his own experience. However, as he got going he found the project taking on a fictional form, so he went with it.

Did he plan to follow through with a second novel?

I dont know, he said. Then after a pause he added that he still didnt see himself as a novelist but rather as researcher into his central preoccupation: immigration. He tried to capture that human experience in the best way possible.

Gurnahs second novel, Pilgrims Way, appeared the following year and his third novel, Dottie, came out two years later, in 1990. The three, combined, might be seen as a trilogy. More importantly, the rapid succession of these novels indicates that the novelist had been inside him all the time, even if he had not been fully aware of this when he published the first.

Today, Abdulrazak Gurnah is indisputably one of the most important contemporary writers in the UK. His works have been nominated for the Booker Prize several times. One was longlisted and another made the shortlist. His protagonists suffer identity problems after being uprooted from their native environments, and they encounter superficial acceptance at best in their new ones. His novels recall the alienation experienced by many Egyptian and Arab youth forced to migrate. I am surprised that so few of his works have been translated into Arabic.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 14 October, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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The AUKUS Agreement between the US, UK, and Australia opens vistas onto an intense New Cold War that is only just beginning

Frances angry reaction to Australias cancellation of its $80 billion submarines-provisioning deal and its replacement with another with the US and UK has taken centre stage in international circles recently.

But that is not where attention should be focused. The coming together of Australia, the UK and the US as part of the so-called AUKUS deal transcends economic and even defence considerations. It ushers in strategic changes that will prove highly consequential in the coming years.

First, AUKUS marks a fundamental change in the US strategic posture in the face of Chinas expansion out of its immediate sphere.

It has been clear for at least a decade that the US has been assessing how to solve a dilemma  how to constrain Chinas expansion without limiting its courses of action so that a collision between the old superpower and the rising one becomes inevitable. The solution that the US has adopted over the past decade has been to enhance American capabilities in its existing bases in the region without introducing new mechanisms in its military operations.

Now, however, the US is changing both its operating mechanisms and its geographical footprint in Asia.

Unlike the deal that Australia had with France, AUKUS is anchored on nuclear-powered technology. This technology, according to experts, enables much wider and longer maritime patrols, which mean that Australian (or AUKUS member) submarines will have much stronger capabilities to restrict the operations of the Chinese navy in the Pacific.

This leads to the geographical point. For several years now, Chinas main military objective has been to deter the US, particularly its navy, from operating in Chinas maritime neighbourhood. This increases Chinese leverage when it comes to Taiwan and the Korean Peninsula and is a sign of Chinas increasing dominium over its immediate neighbourhood. So far, the US has respected that objective, in practice if not always in rhetoric.

But the maritime border of East Asia south to the meeting between the Pacific and Indian Oceans is something else. With AUKUS, the US has begun to actively widen its presence in this large area that is exactly where China has been building its presence, not least through maritime routes linked to its Belt and Road Initiative.

The geographical point is not only deliberate, but it has also been in the making for some time. With the dilution of the US military presence in the Middle East, lessening capabilities in Western Europe, shifting of resources to East Asia, withdrawal from Afghanistan and now AUKUS, the US has gradually been building a much stronger presence in the Pacific and in areas outside its traditional centres in East Asia.

Second, AUKUS will result in rearranging the seats within the Western alliance.

AUKUS builds on close military cooperation between the US, UK and Australia, which are members of the Five Eyes, the most powerful intelligence-gathering and assessment coalition in the world. Plus, the three countries have many cultural and societal connections.

AUKUS, however, puts Europe in a difficult position. On the one hand, Europes defence agreements and cultural inclinations pull it close to the US. But on the other, most European countries see major benefits in having healthy relations with China.

Europe also sees itself as a major global power that must have a say in the most important strategic dossiers in the world. And nothing is more strategic these days than the Wests relationship with China. To some extent, this explains the intensity of Frances anger at the way its deal was scrapped.

However, the anger is subsiding, and cold calculations are now replacing raw emotion. Europe, including France, is beginning to negotiate with the US so that the Western alliance does not become an Anglo-Saxon-led club. In addition, Europe needs the US to appreciate that Europe ought to have different postures towards China, from the assertive to the accommodating, depending on the context.

However, China, and likely also Russia, will see opportunities in Europes deliberations vis-a-vis Americas new strategy. The result will likely be different alignments within the Western alliance, with varying degrees of closeness to the US in its confrontation with China.

AUKUS is one feature of an intense New Cold War, and these military and political considerations are the early dynamics of the nascent Cold War between the US and China, which will be more intense than the previous one.

China has internalised the lessons of the first Cold War from the 1950s to the 1980s, including the perils of over-cautiousness (a feature many Chinese and Russian strategists ascribe to the former Soviet Union) and the impossibility of sustaining a strategic standoff over many years.

On the other hand, the US has tasted for over three decades now the seductive wine of being the worlds sole superpower, and a number of American economic power-centres (especially in technology and finance) have reaped immense benefits from this hegemony. As a result, both the US and China will be much more assertive in the approaching New Cold War than the US and the Soviet Union were in the previous one.

Internal challenges in both countries also exacerbate the wars intensity. China today is far from following the classic communist model of the previous Cold War, and its current economic and political model is much more complex than the simplistic designation of state-led capitalism.

For several decades, China has been evolving a new system of social development that is unprecedented in human history in its simultaneous objectives of internal political stability, major economic betterment for colossal societal segments, and bringing large parts of the world into economic integration with, and often reliance upon, that system.

Yet, the current Chinese model  and behind it the Chinese Communist Party  is facing acute internal challenges that threaten not sudden collapse in the way the Soviet Union earlier crumbled, but the eruption of internal volcanoes of anger that could consume the energy of Chinas leadership and that could, under certain challenging circumstances, lead it to use highly assertive measures internally as well as in its immediate neighbourhood.

Nothing in international relations would be more dangerous than an angry, threatened China that feels that its decades of hard work and patience are not yielding what it sees as its historic rights.

The US model has also changed dramatically since the end of the first Cold War. It has become simultaneously more appealing as well as more problematic. Innovation engendered, nurtured and spread within and because of the US socio-economic model has enabled some of the most impressive leaps in human history in technology and therefore in living standards to take place over recent decades. But there have also been accumulating failures in the US system that have created enormous inequalities and have convinced many in the US (and in other parts of the West as well) that the system is rigged towards the rich and powerful.

These failures have appeared ever more blatant over the past 15 years. Now they are slowly eroding the foundations of liberalism, the bedrock of the US model in the previous Cold War.

Such problems make both the US and China more vulnerable to internal shocks and less confident about their capabilities vis-a-vis the other. This will likely make the New Cold War a naked power-grab and race for interests and one stripped of the intellectual content and moral facade that characterised the previous one.

AUKUS has grabbed the worlds attention because it ticks interesting boxes: colossal arms deals, military alliances and diplomatic crises. In reality, it is important because it has lifted the veil on dynamics that are shaping the most consequential international relations dossier in the world today and in the immediate future.

Understanding these dynamics opens vistas onto the intense New Cold War that is only just beginning.

* The writer is the author of Islamisim: A History of Political Islam (2017) and Egypt on the Brink (2010).

*A version of this article appears in print in the 14 October, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.

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When you go to a cafe for a cup of cappuccino or latte, you may find an interesting image drawn in the foam on the top of the cup.

This type of art is called latte art, or the art of decorating coffee using foam. It is a method of preparing a cup of espresso and then pouring foam into the cup to make a pattern or design. It has been developing in Egypt for some time, and now there are academies like Latte Art Egypt that help people to learn how to do it and even participate in international competitions.

The art of coffee decoration appeared in Seattle in the 1980s and 1990s. The first person to practise it was David Schomer, the godfather of all those who love this art, said Moamen Abbadi, a trainer and one of the founders of Latte Art Egypt.

Schomer was the first person to design a cup of latte with a heart design in the foam in Seattle in 1989. In 1992, he came up with the Rosetta design. He was the first to organise workshops and competitions in the field.

Schomer later met Luigi Lupi, who was also interested in latte art in Italy, and the two men teamed up to develop this art on an international basis, Abadi said, who is also an accredited quality assurance evaluator for the Specialty Coffee Association and the American Coffee Quality Institute.

In 2015, Abbadi and friend Ahmed Bahaa established Latte Art Egypt. We wanted to develop the skills of Egyptian baristas and enhance their skills in one of the most important aspects of coffee making, namely latte art, he said. Because of the many challenges we faced, we had to build a team to help us to achieve our goals, adding that this team then became part of the latte art family.

Most of the events organised by Abbadi and his group are currently online because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Latte art is an important part of coffee preparation. There is an Arabic proverb that says that the eye eats before the mouth, and this is what this art is all about: making unique shapes to attract the eye using certain techniques with coffee foam, Abbadi said.

There is more than one method of doing so. One method consists of the free pouring of milk foam, which is the most common one and is done by pouring milk foam from a milk frother directly into a cup of espresso. By stirring in a certain way, the design appears on top of the foam. Another method involves drawing and uses both the technique of free pouring and using a latte art pen to draw shapes on the foam. Then there is the 3D art method, making 3D shapes using concentrated foam.

We are unable to determine exactly when this art appeared in Egypt, but what is certain is that latte art started to appear at the beginning of the 2000s, albeit in a limited manner, Abbadi said. It has now reached an extremely advanced level, and there are now many artists in the field. It has become very important to the extent that baristas applying for jobs are asked whether they can draw on coffee during job interviews, and there are now international competitions with standards and protocols to choose the best latte artist, some of which I have participated in as a competitor and judge like the Latte Art Competition in Saudi Arabia, he added.

There are also specialised trainers in the field of latte art. These use criteria to judge a design like the proportion of a drawing to the size of a cup, the diversity and intensity of the colours, and the harmony between the angles of a design, to name a few, Abbadi commented.

He listed what it takes to be a good latte artist. To be a professional latte artist, you have to learn skills like the basics of preparing coffee and foaming milk. You should have a passion for drawing in general; the more you have this passion, the more you become creative, he said, adding that a trainee must understand the importance of quality, which should always come before the beauty of a drawing.

Regarding Latte Art Egypts courses, Abbadi said that by the end of the first part of the course, trainees should have acquired skills like being familiar with the tools used for latte art, being able to foam milk, to make espresso and to draw essential designs like a heart and a tulip. By the end of the second level, a trainee will be able to design more complex designs that require calculated movements while drawing and having the ability to control the foam coming out of a milk frother while pouring it and being aware of the standards of the designs.

By the third and last level, he should be able to make designs that are inspired by certain shapes and master the skill of moving a frother in the different angles of a cup while practising free pouring and drawing or a mixture of techniques as well as acquiring speed, efficiency and flexibility.

In my opinion, the courses are not for anyone, just those who really have a passion for designing because it is not easy and it needs practice to master this art and move to the next level, Abbadi said, adding that the courses are mostly attended by baristas who are already specialised in preparing coffee and want to develop their skills.

Our aim in Latte Art Egypt is to develop the level of Egyptian baristas and the coffee industry in Egypt in general and to make them more professional and internationally competitive using professional and scientific methods. They have worked hard to develop themselves as professional trainers after attending international courses in the field, he said.

Abbadi has a trainer certificate from the International Specialty Coffee Association, as well as a certificate as a quality evaluator from the American Coffee Quality Institute.

Members of Latte Art Egypt have participated in many competitions as competitors or judges inside and outside Egypt, including the 2016 Barista Competition in Egypt and the 2018 Latte Art Competition in Saudi Arabia, in which Abbadi was awarded first place.

After Latte Art Egypt fostered the idea of developing this art, it was given more attention and quickly spread in Egypt. This enabled us to get jobs inside and outside Egypt just for mastering this art, he said.

But despite such successes, certain challenges persist. We need more intellectual and financial support from people in Egypt who should give our field some respect and consider it as a science and not just a job. I hope that in the future there will be a specialised academy with suitable equipment that will help us to teach coffee-decorating courses in general, especially latte art, he said.

This will help them organise more courses and competitions on a periodical basis that will develop the skills of participants and help them to compete internationally. We aim to build one of the largest academies in the Middle East in which everything concerning coffee will be taught, from harvesting beans to decorating a cup of coffee, Abbadi concluded.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 14 October, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order Monday to prohibit any entity, including private business, from enforcing a COVID-19 vaccine mandate on workers and called on state lawmakers to pass a similar ban into law.

The move comes as the Biden administration is set to issue rules requiring employers with more than 100 workers to be vaccinated or test weekly for the coronavirus. Several major companies, including Texas-based American Airlines and Southwest Airlines, have said they would abide by the federal mandate.

No entity in Texas can compel receipt of a COVID-19 vaccine by any individual, including an employee or a consumer, who objects to such vaccination for any reason of personal conscience, based on a religious belief, or for medical reasons, including prior recovery from COVID-19, Abbott wrote in his order.

A medical worker administers a shot of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to Vitaly Pavlov from Rostov-on-Don at Belgrade Fair makeshift vaccination center in Belgrade, Serbia, Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021. [Photo: AP/Darko Vojinovic]

Abbott, who was previously vaccinated and also later tested positive for COVID-19, noted in his order that vaccines are strongly encouraged for those eligible to receive one, but must always be voluntary for Texans.

Montana has passed a law preventing employers from mandating workers get vaccines, and a number of states have explicitly said schools cannot require vaccinations.

Abbott previously barred vaccine mandates by state and local government agencies, but until now had let private companies make their own rules for their workers. It was not immediately clear if Abbott's latest executive order would face a quick court challenge.

Abbott's new order also carries political implications. The two-term Republican is facing pressure from two candidates in next year's GOP primary, former state Sen. Don Huffines and former Florida Congressman and Texas state party chairman Allen West, have attacked Abbotts COVID-19 policies and have strongly opposed vaccine mandates.

He knows which the way the wind is blowing. He knows conservative Republican voters are tired of the vaccine mandates and tired of him being a failed leader, Huffines tweeted.

West announced this this week he tested positive for COVID-19 and has been hospitalized, but also tweeted he remains opposed to vaccine mandates.

Texas has seen a recent decrease in new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. But a rising death toll from the recent surge caused by the delta variant has the state rapidly approaching 67,000 total fatalities since the pandemic began in 2020.
KYODO NEWS - Oct 12, 2021 - 12:20 | All, Japan, World

A ceremony was held on Monday in Jerusalem to name a square in honor of late Japanese diplomat Chiune Sugihara, who issued visas to help Jews escape from Nazi persecution during World War II.

A sign that reads "Chiune Sugihara Sq." was unveiled in the square in southwestern Jerusalem at a ceremony that was attended by Mayor Moshe Lion, Koichi Mizushima, Japan's ambassador to Israel, as well as some of those who were saved by Sugihara and their descendants.

Sugihara, who is often dubbed as "Japan's Schindler," after Oskar Schindler, the German who provided Jews with a safe haven, provided transit visas for more than 2,000 Jewish refugees in 1940, while serving as acting consul in Kaunas, Lithuania despite violating orders from his superior.

While there are several locations commemorating Sugihara in Israel, the square is the first place in Jerusalem that is dedicated to him.

His son Nobuki said in a speech at the ceremony that it is "most important" that the survivors' memories are passed on to their descendants.

A 94-year-old attendee, who fled the Nazis using a visa from the Japanese, thanked Sugihara, saying he had understood the sufferings and difficulties faced by the Jews and acted upon it.

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KYODO NEWS - Oct 12, 2021 - 14:32 | All, Japan

Astronaut Koichi Wakata will embark on his fifth space mission, a space travel record for a Japanese astronaut, aboard a new SpaceX ship in the fall of 2022 or later, Japan's space agency said Tuesday.

The 58-year-old astronaut will board the fifth operational Crew Dragon developed by U.S. company Space Exploration Technologies Corp. and stay at the International Space Station for a long period of time, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said.

"This coming flight is going to be my first flight on board a commercial space vehicle. I recognize remarkable developments in the space field and acknowledge dynamic activities by the private sector on the Low Earth Orbit," Wakata said in a statement.

Wakata has experience of four space flights under his belt -- three U.S. Space Shuttle flights in 1996, 2000, and 2009, and a Russian Soyuz flight in 2013. It will be his third long-term expedition at the ISS following stays in 2009 and 2013.

Wakata also said "it is an honor" for him to ride the new space vehicle for a third consecutive year for JAXA astronauts, following Soichi Noguchi, 56, and Akihiko Hoshide, 52, who were on board the first and second operational space vehicles, respectively.

SpaceX, founded by Tesla Inc. CEO Elon Musk, developed the Crew Dragon as the successor to the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Space Shuttle transportation system that was in service for 30 years through 2011.

Satoshi Furukawa, 57, another Japanese astronaut, plans to stay at the ISS around 2023, according to JAXA.

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KYODO NEWS - Oct 12, 2021 - 14:06 | All, World, Japan

Japan has helped evacuate more than 300 Afghans since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in mid-August, with about 140 currently waiting to be flown in from Qatar, Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said Tuesday.

So far, 118 evacuees including staff at the now-closed Japanese Embassy in Kabul and workers of the Japan International Cooperation Agency as well as their families have arrived in Japan.

Another group of 50 or so are set to arrive Wednesday, Motegi told a press conference.

Japan will "continue diplomatic efforts including negotiations with the Taliban to ensure the safety of Japanese nationals and local staff and to evacuate them if necessary, while working closely with relevant countries including the United States and Qatar," he said.

Qatar has been supporting Japan's evacuation efforts, arranging a commercial flight that brought 53 Afghans to Narita airport near Tokyo last Friday.

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KYODO NEWS - Oct 13, 2021 - 02:37 | All, World

Leaders of the Group of 20 major economies agreed Tuesday on the need for the international community to work together to address the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and promote human rights in the country including for women and ethnic minorities, the White House said.

During a virtual summit hosted by Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, the G-20 leaders also discussed counterterrorism efforts, including against threats from an Islamic State affiliate, and ways to ensure safe passage for foreign nationals and Afghans with documentation seeking to depart the war-torn country, the White House said in a press release.

The leaders "reaffirmed their collective commitment to provide humanitarian assistance directly to the Afghan people through independent international organizations, and to promote fundamental human rights for all Afghans, including women, girls, and members of minority groups," it added.

Afghanistan's economy has all but collapsed following the Taliban's return to power on Aug. 15, and there are concerns over a regression of human rights, particularly for women, and fears the country could revert into a hotbed of terrorism.

The virtual summit came ahead of an in-person gathering of G-20 leaders set for the end of the month in Rome.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said his country will provide a total of $200 million this year, including $65 million through international organizations, and stressed the importance of maintaining economic activity and basic services, according to the Foreign Ministry.

"Protecting the human rights of all Afghans, particularly women's right to receive education and work, is crucial for the future development of Afghanistan," the ministry quoted Kishida as saying during the meeting.

The Taliban, which controlled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001 before being ousted by the United States in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, is not recognized by the international community as a legitimate government.

French President Emmanuel Macron said in an interview that the G-20 should set conditions for formally acknowledging Taliban rule and that his country would push for ensuring gender equality.

Building consensus within the G-20, which includes both advanced and emerging economies, is often difficult as the United States remains at odds with China and Russia over economic and security issues.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin did not join the emergency summit.

The summit was also attended by U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres, who has said Afghanistan is at a "make-or-break" moment, as well as the heads of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

"Without food, without jobs, without their rights protected, we will see more and more Afghans fleeing their homes in search of a better life," Guterres said Monday.
KYODO NEWS - Oct 13, 2021 - 05:09 | All, World

The International Monetary Fund on Tuesday offered assurances as to the credibility of its data and forecasts after allegations surfaced that IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva, in her previous capacity as a top World Bank official, pressured staff to manipulate a flagship report in a way that would appease China.

"In the case of the IMF, we take data integrity incredibly seriously, which is why we have many processes in place to make sure that our data and forecasts are...reviewed carefully by multiple departments, multiple economists," IMF chief economist Gita Gopinath told a press conference.

Her remarks came as the IMF Executive Board issued a statement Monday saying its review "did not conclusively demonstrate" that Georgieva played an improper role regarding the 2018 World Bank report, which ranks the business environment in different countries, and affirming "full confidence" in her ability to continue to carry out her duties.

The World Bank announced last month the outcome of a probe into issues including data irregularities pertaining to China in its 2018 Doing Business report, alleging "undue pressure" from then CEO Georgieva on the bank's staff toward improving China's ranking.

Around that time, World Bank management was consumed with sensitive negotiations over its capital increase campaign, in which China was expected to play a key role. Chinese government officials, meanwhile, had expressed frustrations over their country's ranking, which was at 78 in the 2017 Doing Business report.

China was supposed to be ranked 85 in the 2018 report, but ended up at 78 when it was actually published on Oct. 31, 2017, the World Bank investigation showed.

Georgieva, a Bulgarian economist who has helmed the IMF since October 2019, has denied the allegations. She was World Bank CEO from January 2017 to September 2019.

In the Monday statement, the IMF Executive Board said it has "confidence in the impartiality and analytical excellence of IMF staff and in the IMF's robust and effective channels for complaint, dissent, and accountability."

The Executive Board plans to meet to consider "possible additional steps to ensure the strength of institutional safeguards in these areas," the Washington-based institution said.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen also told the IMF chief during a phone call Monday that "absent further direct evidence with regard to the role of the managing director there is not a basis for a change in IMF leadership," according to the Treasury Department.

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Washington:

Who really gets under Donald Trumps skin? A man who has been dead since last year and another whom the president says he hardly knows. At least thats the bizarre picture painted by Trump this week in angry rants at the late senator John McCain and a Washington lawyer called George Conway.

Trump lashed out yet again Wednesday at the broadly popular McCain, saying Ive never liked him much. I really probably never will.

This followed a series of tweets and other statements in the last few days raging at the former senators politics, role in the Russia collusion probe, and personal intelligence.

As for Conway, hes a whack job, Trump told journalists Wednesday. A stone cold LOSER, he wrote on Twitter a few hours earlier.

The venom of the attacks was not unusual for a president who revels in put-downs. The targets of his ire, though, raised eyebrows.

McCain is widely remembered by Americans as a hero for his courage during six years of often brutal captivity in Hanoi during the Vietnam war.

More to the point, he died in August at 81. While he fell out over policy several times with his fellow Republican Trump, hes been buried for seven months.

No less curious is the Conway obsession.

A prominent lawyer in Washington circles but a nobody to ordinary Americans, Conway burst into the public eye because he is married to a senior White House aide and has begun loudly questioning Trumps mental stability on Twitter.

In both cases, Trump could have avoided controversy.

McCain, after all, can never clash with him again and Conway poses no real threatother than, perhaps, to the stability of his marriage to senior Trump advisor Kellyanne Conway.

Even Trump says, I barely know him.

Backing off from a fight, however, wouldnt be Trump: his entire presidency is based on being combative. Or, as Kellyanne Conway, told Politico: hes a counter-puncher. His base sees this as classic Trump behavior, said Rich Hanley, who teaches on politics and the media at Quinnipiac University.

They expect Trump to swing at everybody, even ghosts.

Trump enjoys landing pithy, sometimes humorous, sometimes what many would call poor taste verbal blows. And Twitter, where he has more than 59 million followers, is his principal weapon.

The Twitter president has largely dispensed with formal news briefings, finding that a tweet alone can get everyone talkingwithout giving them much chance for questioning.

Trump defended this method of communication on Wednesday as an antidote to what he calls the corrupt and fake media. By that, he means most standard news organisations.

Its a way that I can get honesty out, he said.

Its a way where Trump typically gets to punch first and punch hard, thereby dominating the news agenda.

George Conway, however, has broken the mold.

Leveraging his position as husband to a Trump aide and posting outrage-seeking tweets that claim to diagnose personality disorders, he effectively out-trolled the troller in chief.

Trumps not used to that. Hes used to being the aggressor, the bully, the one who controls, Hanley said.

Now hes finding that there are characters like Conway... who are more aggressive than he is and he doesnt know how to handle it. In a different sense, the same applies to McCain.

Hes gone, but memory of the maverick senator, who was not afraid to break with Republican ranks or to hide his dislike for a president who ridiculed his capture in Vietnam yet never served himself, remains fresh.

Clearly much too fresh for Trump, who has talked so much this week about his disagreements with McCain that it sounds as if they had been locking horns only hours ago.

Trump just cant let go.

My dad... would think it was so hilarious that our president was so jealous of him that he was dominating the news cycle in death, McCains daughter Meghan said on ABC television Wednesday, demonstrating some put-down skills of her own.

With Trump soon starting his 2020 reelection campaign and Democrats launching their own nomination battle, the ugly back and forth is set to intensify.

But Mark Rom, a politics professor at Georgetown University, predicted that Democratic candidates will get surrogates to do the dirty work while they try to keep above it all.

Their mantra, he said, will be modelled on the icily dismissive approach taken by the House of Representatives speaker, Nancy Pelosi: Ill just ignore that little man.

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Panaji:

Newly appointed Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday broke down while speaking about his Manohar Parrikar. Sawant fought back tears while speaking on a condolence motion that was passed unanimously in the state Assembly condoling his death. "I am here only because of Manohar Parrikar. I became MLA, Speaker and CM because of him," news agency IANS quoted.

Also, leaders cutting across party lines praised Parrikar's contribution to the state's development during the special session of the Assembly, convened for holding the floor test of the BJP-led government in the state.

Earlier, the Goa Chief Minister proved the majority of his BJP-led government in the Assembly, comfortably winning a floor test in the House.

Twenty MLAs voted for the motion of confidence in the two-day-old government, while 15 opposed it. The special session of the House was convened by Governor Mridula Sinha to conduct the floor test, after Sawant was sworn in as the CM during wee hours of Tuesday.

Besides 11 members from BJP, three each from Goa Forward Party, MGP and Independents supported Sawant during the head count conducted in the House. The Assembly session was presided over by Deputy Speaker Michael Lobo.

All the 14 MLAs of Congress and one from NCP stood up against the motion.

After winning the trust vote, Sawant appealed all the members to join hands with him to ensure that developmental work reaches every nook and corner of the state.

The change in leadership in the coastal state was necessitated due to the death of then CM Manohar Parrikar on Sunday.

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New Delhi:

The Indian Army is reportedly using state-of-the-art sniper rifles along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Kashmir Valley and Jammu region to retaliate ceasefire violation by Pakistan, reports India Today. According to the report, new sniper rifles have been recently purchased directly by the Northern Command of the Indian Army.

Top Army sources informed ANI that the new sniper rifles were recently provided to some of the units in the Kashmir valley and Jammu region along the LoC and they were used effectively against Pakistani positions, which have been attacking Indian posts and personnel.

The troops have been provided two new advanced sniper rifles including the Barrett M95 .50 BMG and Beretta Scorpio TGT 'Victrix .338 Lapua Magnum, sources said. The US-made Barrett M95 is an anti-material rifle which has a whopping range of 1,800 metres. The other gun - Victrix Armaments .338 Lapua Magnum Scorpio TGT, uses the .338 Lapua Magnum (8.670mm or 8.5870mm), a rimless, bottlenecked, centre-fire rifle cartridge, reports added.

According to reports, these snipers will soon replace the ageing Russian Dragunov, the mainstay of Indian soldiers.

As per the reports, soldiers guarding the LoC are being armed with deadly new sniper rifles, including an anti-material rifle that can go through concrete and metal objects, such as vehicles.

Earlier, Army chief General Bipin Rawat had said that "the Northern Command of the Indian Army taking care of the borders with Pakistan and some parts of Line of Actual Control is soon going to be equipped with the new sniper rifles from this month."

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New Delhi:

Nirav Modi, the prime accused of Indias biggest banking scam, will be extradited to India much sooner and wont be delayed like absconding liquor baron Vijay Mallya. According to a report, India will be able to bring back Modi within six months. And unlike Mallya, Modi cant argue on the grounds of human rights and political motivation.

A report in Times of India on Thursday said that since the UK Courts had struck down the human rights issue in Mallyas hearing, it would give advantage to the India probe agencies. The report also said that the extensive and water-tight investigation papers by Indian agencies show enough proofs to meet the dual criminality clause, which is required in the UK courts while dealing such cases.

From the fake Letters of Intent to bank transfers, the chargesheets by both the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate have detailed account of Modis modus operandi. The agencies have already seized the diamantaires properties in India worth Rs 1,873 crore.

The fugitive diamantaire, who was arrested in London in Rs 13,000-crore PNB scam case on Wednesday, told the Westminster Magistrates' Court that he is currently employed by Diamond Holdings Ltd the UK capital for a monthly salary of 20,000 pounds (more than Rs 18 lakh) and pays his council tax regularly. The court was told that Modi arrived in London in January 2018 before any of the allegations emerged and has maintained a very "visible" presence and offered to cooperate with the UK authorities since his arrival.

The diamantaire also showed salary slips of 20,000 pounds and his National Insurance (NI) number as proof that he was paying tax.

The court on Wednesday remanded Modi in custody till March 29, saying there are "substantial grounds" to believe that he would fail to surrender if granted bail.

Modi was produced before the Westminster Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, where he contested his extradition to India.

District Judge Marie Mallon, presiding over the hearing, said she was not inclined to accept Modi's bail plea due the "high value amount" attached to the allegations against him and that he would have "every incentive" to evade surrendering before the court.

"There are substantial grounds to believe that you would fail to surrender before the court if bail were to be granted," the judge said and remanded Modi in custody till next hearing on March 29.

He is likely to be held in a separate cell in Her Majesty's Prison Wandsworth, which is one of the largest prisons in western Europe.

Modi, dressed in a plain white shirt and trousers, appeared in the dock where he spoke only to confirm his name and also to formally decline consent to be extradited to India.

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Brussels:

Worn down by three years of indecision in London, European Union leaders on Thursday grudgingly offered the UK more time to ease itself out of the bloc, delaying by several weeks, but not eliminating, the threat of a chaotic British exit. After a meeting that stretched through the afternoon and over dinner, the bloc said Britain could postpone its departure, due on March 29, until May 22 , if the UK Parliament approves Prime Minister Theresa Mays divorce deal with the bloc next week.

If the twice-rejected deal is thrown out again, the bloc says Britain has until April 12 to indicate a way forward. May agreed to the plan, European Council President Donald Tusk said.

The deep uncertainty among leaders at an EU summit in Brussels was exceeded only by the high anxiety being felt by politicians, businesses and citizens in Britain. The British military has even set up a command post in a bunker under the defense ministry in London to help coordinate no-deal planning.

Thursdays summit opened with ominous warnings from EU leaders about the possibility of a no-deal Brexit.

French President Emmanuel Macron warned it was the responsibility of UK lawmakers to approve a Brexit deal and make sure Britain does not crash out of the bloc without an agreement.

In case of a no vote ... it will guide everybody to a no-deal for sure, Macron cautioned. This is it.

The House of Commons is split, both among and within its political parties, over whether and how to leave the EU. It has twice rejected the deal Prime Minister Theresa May brokered with the blocs leaders late last year.

We are all waiting, waiting for what the British intend to do, said EU Parliament President Antonio Tajani. We are all concerned.

This week, May finally acknowledged the Brexit gridlock and asked the EU to delay Britains departure until June 30, enough time, she hopes, to win parliamentary approval for her deal in a third attempt and then pass the legislation necessary for a smooth departure.

But opposition to Mays the agreement among British politicians appeared to be hardening, rather than softening, after she blamed Parliament for the Brexit impasse.

In a televised address Wednesday night, May accused lawmakers of infighting, political games and arcane procedural rows, but acknowledged no personal error in creating the deadlock.

A lawmaker from Mays Conservative Party called the speech toxic.

Legislator Anna Soubry, of the breakaway Independent Group, described it as the most dishonest and divisive statement from any prime minister.

In response, May hunkered down, calling on lawmakers to back her agreement and refusing to rule out a no-deal exit if they did not back her.

What matters is that we recognize that Brexit is the decision of the British people. We need to deliver on that, May said as she arrived in Brussels. I sincerely hope that will be with a negotiated deal.

Businesses and economists say a no-deal Brexit would cause huge disruptions and billions in costs to the economies of both Britain and the EU.

Underscoring the sense of dread gripping the nation, one of Britains biggest business lobbies and a major trade union federation said in a rare joint appeal that the country is facing a national emergency.

The Confederation of British Industry and the Trades Union Congress warned May that if Britain crashes out of the EU, the shock to our economy would be felt by generations to come.

Britains military said the command post under the ministry of defense was set up as a continuation of earlier planning operations, called Operation Redfold, designed to minimize disruption in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

The ministry said in a statement it had 3,500 troops on standby to help with any disruptions if the government asks for assistance.

Worry about a chaotic departure is rising among EU leaders, who fear May no longer has the clout in Parliament to get her way.

Nobody wants no-deal here, Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar told reporters.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel vowed to work until the last hour to try to ensure that Britain doesnt leave without a deal, even though her government has enacted emergency measures to deal with such a scenario.

May plans to make a third attempt to get her deal through Parliament next week. But many pro-Brexit legislators still oppose it, saying it does not deliver the clean break they long for. And Pro-EU lawmakers will try to derail May and wrest away control of the Brexit process to steer Britain toward a close relationship with the bloc.

Its a struggle that has been going on for almost three years and has brought the UK to within eight days of a chaotic Brexit.

EU leaders are watching with disbelief, horror, and, for some, sympathy.

I never got frustrated with Theresa May. I have the highest respect for her, said Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte.

Her tenacity is enormous. But she is working in an extremely difficult situation. Its not her mistake that we are where we are, its because too many people have so far played party politics on this issue.

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New Delhi:

India and the Indian diaspora are celebrating the festival of colours --- Holi ---- that marks the end of winters and the beginning of spring --- on Thursday. Celebrations began a night before on Wednesday with Holika Dahan, wherein people perform religious rituals in front of a bonfire and pray for the destruction of evil, just the way Holika, the sister of the demon king Hiranyakashipu, was killed in the fire.

On Holi or Rangpanchami, people smear each other with colours and hurl water balloons and also gorge on lip-smacking delicacies such as Gujiya, Mathri, Dahi Bhalle, Alu Poori, Thandai, among others. It is believed that Krishna used to celebrate the festival with colours at Vrindavan and Gokul.

However, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) will not officially celebrate Holi this year as a mark of respect to its 40 jawans killed last month in a suicide attack at Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir.

Google Doodle also celebrated Holi by showcasing festivities and splashing of colours.

The legend of Holi

The legend has it that a young boy named Prahlad was devoted to lord Vishnu. Prahlads father, the evil king did not like his sons ardent devotion towards lord Vishnu and wanted him to give up his faith in the god and stop worshiping him. When Prahlad refused to do so and Hiranyakashyap tried to kill him. Hiranyakashyap's sister Holika had a divine blessing that she will not be burnt by fire. The king made Prahlad sit in Holika's lap and set the two on fire. With the blessings of Lord Vishnu, Prahlad, who kept chanting his name, remain untouched, but it was Holika who started to scream, the fire did not save her this time. Lord Vishnu appeared in his magnanimous Narasimha avatar and so the Holika Dahan puja is dedicated to the Narasimha avatar. In this avatar, the lord appears as half-man and half-lion. He took this unusual form to end all atrocities committed by the greedy Hiranyakashyapu.

While some legend say that the blessing was applicable only when she sits alone in the fire, other legends refer to a shawl or a 'magical' piece of cloth that saved her from fire. It says that with the blessing of Lord Vishnu, a strong wind blew and covered Prahlad with that shawl, saving him, while Holika burnt to death. With this legend, the tradition of Holika Dahan came into practice signifying the victory of good over evil.

Another legend of Holi celebrations that is extremely popular in south India is that of Lord Shiva and Kaamadeva. It is believed Kaamadeva, the god of passion, awoke Shiva from his deep meditation so he could save the world.

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New Delhi:

Google Doodle on Thursday celebrated the Festival of Colours --- Holi that marks the advent of spring. The doodle has been created by Chennai-based artist Chaaya Prabhat. The doodle showcased festivities and splashing of colours, which are the highlights of the festival. On Holi, people smear each other with colours and hurl water balloons at one another. They also dance to celebratory tunes and gorge on lip-smacking sweets and savouries.

Her website says: "Chaaya Prabhat is a graphic designer, illustrator and lettering artist. After completing her M.A in Graphic Design from Savannah College of Art and Design, she is now working independently in Chennai, India. She has worked with several clients such as Snapchat, Google and The Obama Foundation. She has previously received awards for her portfolio and projects from Behance and Adobe."

The Holika Dahan ritual was observed on Wednesday night when the effigy of Holika was burnt. On Holika Dahan, holy bonfires are burnt on open spaces, signifying the victory of good over evil. The legend of Prahlad, Holika and Hiranyakashyap is associated with it. Roasted cereals are offered to the bonfire and people sing and dance around it. Devotees offer water, turmeric, coconut to the bonfire and seek blessings for a joyous life (the offerings may vary from region to region).
New Delhi:

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah will contest Lok Sabha elections from Gujarat's Gandhinagar parliamentary seat, said senior party leader JP Nadda while announcing party first list of 184 candidates on Thursday. Shah's contesting from the Gandhinagar parliamentary seat apparently hints that party stalwart LK Advani's political career is over. This is the first time when Shah will be contesting the general elections. Currently, he is as a member of the Rajya Sabha from Gujarat.

Earlier, the party had sent observers on Saturday to seek the opinion of party workers and leaders in Gandhinagar about the candidate from the seat. Most party workers reportedly told the observers that Shah was their choice for the seat.

"BJP workers want party president Amit Shah to contest from Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat. I made this demand in front of the observers and it was supported by all," said Kishor Chauhan, a party MLA from Vejalpur, which is a part of Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency.

He said Shah was earlier an MLA from Sarkhej seat, which is a part of the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency.

All BJP workers were of the view that the seat was held by a national leader so far, so someone from the central leadership should contest from here, another party observer Prithviraj Patel said.

The Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat was won by Advani six times since 1991, barring the 1996 Lok Sabha polls. In the 1996 general elections, former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had won the Gandhinagar seat as well as from Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh.

The Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat comprises seven assembly constituencies, namely Gandhinagar North, Kalol, Sanand, Ghatlodia, Vejalpur, Naranpura, and Sabarmati.

The Lok Sabha Elections 2019 will be held in seven phases, starting from April 11, while the results of all the phases will be declared on May 23. Announcing the seven-phase schedule for 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora also said 10 lakh polling stations would be set up this time as against about nine lakhs in 2014.

In the first phase, 91 constituencies will go for polls, 97 constituencies in the second phase, 115 constituencies in the third, 71 in the fourth phase, 51 in the fifth phase, 59 in the sixth phase and 59 in the seventh phase. In the first phase, the polling will be held in Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Punjab, Sikkim, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Andaman and Nicobar, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Lakshadweep, Delhi, Puducherry, Chandigarh, Uttarakhand.

With PTI Inputs
New Delhi:

Domestic traders' body CAIT on Wednesday slammed Congress president Rahul Gandhi for his remarks on Goods and Services Tax (GST) saying are not annoyed with the new indirect tax regime and instead willing to adopt it in a cohesive manner.

"We have come across one of your statements made yesterday (Tuesday) at a rally that traders are suffering from GST and if you come to power, you will abolish 'Gabbar Singh Tax' as called by you for GST. As a representative body of business community of the country, we highly object your statement which is highly deplorable and far from facts and is being seen as an attempt by you to score points on shoulders of traders," Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) national secretary general Praveen Khandelwal said in a letter to Gandhi.

Khandelwal said though in initial months of the GST implementation, traders faced several problems because of it being a new taxation system but with the passing of time and subsequent steps taken by the government, it is being simplified to a greater extent.

The biggest relief from the goods and services tax (GST) is that it has relived traders from continuous Inspector Rule and lot of burden of complying the taxation system and paper work, he added.

He also said Gandhi's statement is highly deplorable and far from facts and is being seen as an attempt by "you to score points on shoulders of traders".

"We highly object that taking the shoulders of traders, you have called GST as Gabbar Singh Tax. It gives an impression that perhaps relaxations, amendments, simplification and lowering of tax rates are certainly not in your knowledge that's why you are saying that traders are suffering from GST which is certainly not the case," he said.

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New York:

Boeing's 737 MAX aircraft will be outfitted with a warning light for malfunctions in the anti-stall system suspected in October's fatal crash in Indonesia, an industry source told AFP Thursday, standardizing a feature previously sold as an optional extra. The development comes as the manufacturer struggles to cope with the fallout from both the Indonesia crash and another in Ethiopia this month, which have cast a spotlight on the safety certification process and shaken confidence in a plane that is crucial to its future plans.

Known as a "disagree light," this safety feature will become standard and is among the modifications the company will present to US authorities and clients in the coming days, the source said on condition of anonymity.

Neither the Lion Air aircraft which crashed in Indonesia, nor the Ethiopian Airlines jet, had the feature, the source said. More than 300 people perished in the two cases.

American Airlines, which operates 24 737 MAX 8, had bought the option, anticipating potential malfunctions, a source close to the matter told AFP.

So too had Southwest Airlines, the plane's biggest customer, which also bought an additional "Primary Flight Display" option, according to a spokesperson.

Modifications are in the final stages but Boeing wants to be certain this meets the expectations of regulators and customers, the industry source said.

Neither Boeing nor the Federal Aviation Agency offered comment when contacted by AFP. But an industry expert, Scott Hamilton from Leeham Company, said the system should have already been included.

"Instrument disagree warnings should be standard and they are important for pilots to know when instruments disagree with each other," he said. "Boeing made this an option because it could, and make money by selling it. Simple as that." The warning light will be activated if sensors transmit incorrect data to the plane's Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS), which is intended to detect and correct stalls by reducing the aircraft's pitch.

Preliminary results in the investigation into October's Lion Air crash in Indonesia indicate an "angle of attack" sensor, which feeds data to the MCAS, had malfunctioned. But despite malfunctioning, the sensor continued transmitting data to the plane's onboard electronics, including the MCAS.

That system takes control of the aircraft, pointing its nose downward, even if the pilot resists, so long as the system is not deactivated, something the Lion Air crew did not know. US and Ethiopian authorities have said this month's crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET302 near Addis Ababa bore "similarities" to last year's Lion Air crash.

The Ethiopian Airlines crash led to the global grounding of 737 MAX aircraft. A criminal investigation is currently underway in the United States, with authorities reportedly scrutinizing how the plane received safety certification from US aviation regulators.

Senator Ted Cruz, the Texas Republican, called Wednesday for a hearing of the Commerce Subcommittee on Aviation and Space, for March 27, with three transportation officials, notably the acting head of the Federal Aviation Administration. Cruz intends to hold a second hearing to question Boeing officials as well as pilots and others in the industry.

The investigations will likely zero in on the FAA's program of outsourcing its certification process to airplane manufacturers themselves. The trend has accelerated due to budget cuts and the increasing volume of air travel, industry sources told AFP. In the case of the 737 MAX, Boeing expressed a case of urgency because of its medium-haul competition with the Airbus A320Neo that launched shortly before, the sources said.

Although it has suspended deliveries of the 737 MAX, Boeing has decided to continue production.

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Washington:

Neomi Jehangir Rao, a prominent Indian-American lawyer, has been sworn in as US Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals, becoming the second from the community to be a part of the powerful court considered next only to the US Supreme Court. Rao, 45, was sworn in by US Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on Tuesday. She will replace US Supreme Court Judge Justice Brett Kavanaugh who was nominated by President Donald Trump for the top post.

Before being sworn in as the US Supreme Court Judge, Kavanaugh, whose confirmation process was marred by sexual misconduct allegations, was a judge at the United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

Joined by her husband Alan Lefkowitz, Rao took the oath on the Bible.

According to a White House schedule, Trump participated in the swearing-in ceremony.

Born in Detroit to Parsi physicians from India --- Zerin Rao and Jehangir Narioshang --- Rao is the second Indian-American after Sri Srinivasan to be part of the powerful court said to be next only to the US Supreme Court.

Srinivasan was appointed during the previous Obama regime.

Nominated by President Trump during Diwali celebrations last November, Rao was confirmed by the Senate last week by 53-46 votes.

She is going to be fantastic. Great person, Trump had said about his nominee.

In her previous role as the Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) of the Office of Management and Budget, she played a key role in regulatory reform.

Raos confirmation and her swearing-in for the prestigious court has been a low key affair for the Indian-American community. This is in stark contrast to the nationwide celebration by Indian-Americans when Srinivasan was confirmed and sworn in as US Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia Circuit.

Prior to her service as OIRA Administrator, Rao was a professor of structural constitutional law, administrative law, and legislation and statutory interpretation at the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University.

She founded the Law Schools Center for the Study of the Administrative State and focused her scholarship on the political and constitutional accountability of administrative agencies and the role of Congress.

She has served in all three branches of government, including Associate Counsel and Special Assistant to President George W Bush.

Rao also served as counsel to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, where she was responsible for judicial nominations and constitutional law issues.

In between government service, Rao practised in the London office of Clifford Chance LLP, specialising in international law and commercial arbitration.

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New Delhi:

In another self goal by the Congress, Sam Pitroda, party chief's close aide, on Friday questioned the death toll in the Balakot airstrike by the Indian Air Force in response to the Pulwama terror attack and said it was wrong to attack Pakistan.A aIf they (IAF) killed 300, its ok. All I am saying is can you give me more facts and prove it,a said Pitroda in a wide-ranging interview to news agency ANI.

When asked his views on the airstrike against the Jaish-e-Mohammad camp in Pakistanas Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region, the Chairman of the Overseas Indian National CongressA said that international news outlets had an alternate view of the impact of the air strike and that the people of India deserved to know the facts of the Air Force operation.

A aI would like to know a little more because I read reports in theA New York TimesA and other newspapers. Did we really attack? We really killed 300 people? I donat know that. As a citizen, I am entitled to know and if I ask it is my duty to ask, that doesnat mean Iam not a nationalist, That doesnat mean I am on this side or that side. We need to know the facts. If you say 300 people were killed, I need to know that. We all need to know that, people of India need to know that and then comes global media which says nobody was killed. I look bad as an Indian citizen,a said Pitroda.

"Donat know much about attacks, it happens all the time, attack happened in Mumbai also,we could have then reacted and just sent our planes but that is not right approach. According to me thatas not how you deal with world," said Pitroda on the Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF jawans were killed by Jaish terrorists.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on the Congress and used Pitrodaas comment to reiterate that the Congress-led UPA governments didnat act against Pakistan despite repeated provocations and terror attacks.

Loyal courtier of Congressa royal dynasty admits what the nation already knew- Congress was unwilling to respond to forces of terror.



This is a New India- we will answer terrorists in a language they understand and with interest! https://t.co/Mul4LIbKb5 a Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 22, 2019

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Raipur:

Nine people were injured, one of them critically, after Maoists blew up a civilian vehicle using an improvised explosive device (IED) in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district on Wednesday, police said.

The incident took place around 7.45 pm near Peddakodepal village when the victims were heading towards neighbouring Dantewada district in an SUV to visit a fair, Bijapur Superintendent of Police Govardhan Ram Thakur told PTI.

"All the nine occupants, including the driver, of the vehicle, were injured in the blast," he said.

After being alerted, a police team rushed to the spot and admitted the injured people to a hospital, Thakur said, adding that the condition of one of them is reportedly serious.

Police suspect that the rebels might have planned to target the security forces, whose movement has been intensified in view of the Lok Sabha elections, but mistakenly attacked the civilian vehicle.

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New Delhi:

A CRPF jawan allegedly shot dead three of his colleagues from his service rifle and later shot himselfA after an altercation at their campA in Jammuas UdhampurA on Wednesday evening. The alleged fratricide incident happened at around 10 pm when constable Ajit KumarA killed head constable Pokarmal, resident of JhunJhunu in Rajasthan, head constable Yogender Sharma, resident of Maujpur in Delhi and head constable Umeed Singh, resident of A Rewari in Haryana,A at the 187th battalion camp of the force in Udhampur.

The officials said while three Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) men were killed in the firing, Kumar also shot himself and is critical in a hospital. The incident is said to be triggered after the jawans had an altercation. Senior CRPF and police officials have rushed to the spot, officials said.

J&K: 3 CRPF personnel of 187th battalion shot dead by another jawan at battalion's headquarters in Udhampur's Battal Ballian earlier tonight. Harinder Kumar, Commandant 187th Battalion CRPF says, "3 jawans have died, the one who shot them dead is critically injured." pic.twitter.com/bIhHLOPwQs a ANI (@ANI) March 20, 2019

Kumar hails from Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh and was rushed to a military hospital nearby, they said.

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New Delhi:

The death count in the building collapse in Dharwad has risen to seven and a total of 60 persons have been rescued so far, news agency ANI reported. The police said four people have been brought out from the debris while rescue operations are in full swing. As many as 10 ambulances and five fire tenders have been engaged to carry out rescue and relief operations. Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy said he was shocked to learn about the collapse of the under-construction building.



"Shocked to learn about the collapse of an under-construction building in Dharwad. I've instructed the Chief Secretary to supervise rescue operations. I have also directed the CS to send additional resources and expert rescuers by a special flight to #Dharwad," tweeted Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy.

Two more teams of #NDRF are being airlifted from Ghaziabad in addition to one team which was moved from Bangalore in connection with Dharwad building collapse, the NDRF tweeted.

About 150 police, fire and emergency personnel have joined the rescue operations. No arrests have been made so far.

Former Karnataka minister and Congress leader from the region Vinay Kulkarni said Tuesday that one of the partners in the building was his relative and that whoever was involved should face act

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New Delhi:

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday released the first list of 182 candidates for Lok Sabha elections 2019. Names of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, and other senior leaders have appeared in the first list.A Out of 184 candidates, 28 are from Uttar Pradesh, 28 from West Bengal, 21 from Karnataka, 16 each from Maharashtra and Rajasthan, 13 from Kerala,10 each from Telangana and Odisha, 8 from Assam, 5 each from Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh,A Jammu & Kashmir, and Uttarakhand, 2 each from Manipur, Tripura, Andhra Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh, 1 each from Mizoram, Sikkim, Lakshadweep, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Dadra and Nagar Haveli.

Addressing a press conference in the national capital, senior party leader JP Nadda said that PM Modi will seek re-election from Varanasi parliamentary constituency in Uttar Pradesh. Earlier, there were reports that the prime minister mayA pick another temple town Puri. BJP president Amit Shah will contest from Gujarat's Gandhinagar. Shah's contesting from the Gandhinagar parliamentary seat apparently hints that party stalwart LK Advani's political career is over. This is the first time when he will be contesting the general elections.A Currently, he is as a member of the Rajya Sabha from Gujarat.

As expected, the BJP has filed Smriti Irani from Amethi, home turf of Congress president Rahul Gandhi. She has been active in the area despite losing the seat in 2014 general elections.A Film actress-turned-politician Hema Malini will again contest from her Mathura seat. A

General (retired) VK Singh, Minister of State for External Affairs, will contest from Ghaziabad parliamentary constituency in Uttar Pradesh. In 2014, Singh created history by winning the seat with a margin of 5.67 lakh votes. Other candidates from the seat were actor-turned-politician Raj Babber and journalist-turned-politician Shazia Ilmi. Ilmi, who contested on Aam Aadmi Party's ticket, later joined the BJP.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh from Lucknow and another Union minister Nitin Gadkari from Nagpur. Both leaders had won from these seats in the last general election. Union minister Kiren Rijiju to fight from Arunachal East. The BJP has also renominated Union Minister Mahesh Sharma from Gautam Buddha Nagar (Noida).

The BJP has finalised names of all 17 party candidates from Bihar and sent the list to the state unit which will announce it jointly with allies, Nadda said.A

The Lok Sabha Elections 2019 will be held in seven phases, starting from April 11, while the results of all the phases will be declared on May 23. Announcing the seven-phase schedule for 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora also said 10 lakh polling stations would be set up this time as against about nine lakhs in 2014.

In the first phase, 91 constituencies will go for polls, 97 constituencies in the second phase, 115 constituencies in the third, 71 in the fourth phase, 51 in the fifth phase, 59 in the sixth phase and 59 in the seventh phase. In the first phase, the polling will be held in Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Punjab, Sikkim, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Andaman and Nicobar, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Lakshadweep, Delhi, Puducherry, Chandigarh, Uttarakhand.
New Delhi:

On the eve of Holi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address over 25 lakh watchmen through audio bridge medium as he steps up his 'Main bhi chowkidar' campaign in the run up to the Lok Sabha campaign, the BJP said on Tuesday.

Party's media head and Rajya Sabha MP Anil Baluni said Modi will share the "colours of Holi" with watchmen across the country in the address on Wednesday.

The prime minister is also scheduled to interact with people, who have pledged their support to the 'Main bhi chowkidar' (I also am a watchman) campaign, from 500 places in the country on March 31.

Noting that watchmen work round-the-clock without taking any leave, Baluni said Modi's initiative is aimed at highlighting the works of people like them and added that it was an important step for improving the lot of the last man in line with the BJP's credo of 'sabka saath sabka vikas' (With all, development for all).
New Delhi:

Boeing's ill-fated 737 MAX and federal regulators next week will face the first public grilling by Congress over the two fatal plane crashes in recent months. Senator Ted Cruz, the Texas Republican, called for a hearing of the Commerce Subcommittee on Aviation and Space, for March 27, with three transportation officials, notably the acting head of the Federal Aviation Administration.

Cruz intends to hold a second hearing to question Boeing officials as well as pilots and others in the industry, according to the statement.

More than 300 people perished in the two crashes of 737 MAX 8s that occurred shortly after takeoff in Indonesia in October and in Ethiopia earlier this month.

Boeing and the FAA are under investigation by the Transportation Department for how the rollout of the jet was handled, especially the a new flight system, the MCAS stall-prevention system, which was implicated in the Lion Air crash in October.

Pilots have complained they were not informed about the new system, which can force the nose of the plane down if it gets an erroneous reading from a sensor making it appear the plane is at risk of stalling.

The committee will hear next week from FAA acting chief Daniel Elwell, as well as the Transportation Department's chief investigator, Calvin Scovel, and National Transportation Board Chairman Robert Sumwalt.

The FAA said Wednesday it will review the information from the cockpit voice recorder and the flight data recorder from the Ethiopian Airlines accident as it becomes available.

"Understanding the circumstances that contributed to this accident is critical in developing further actions and returning aircraft to service," the FAA said.

Meanwhile, the question everyone is asking - Was the United States complacent in its certification of the Boeing 737 MAX? The question comes after Addis Ababa said flight recorded data showed "clear similarities" between last week's Ethiopian Airlines crash and that of Indonesia's Lion Air five months earlier.

In service since May 2017, the 737 MAX 8, one of several variants of the 737 MAX, has now experienced two deadly tragedies, a scenario that is unprecedented for a new aircraft.

The March 10 crash, south-east of the Ethiopian capital, claimed 157 lives, on top of the 189 who died when the Lion Air flight plunged into the Java Sea in October 2018.

Investigations are ongoing but early evidence has pointed to a problem with the flight stabilization system designed to prevent stalling, the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System or MCAS.

Ethiopian Transport Minister Dagmawit Moges said Sunday that a study of the flight data recorder retrieved from the Ethiopian plane had shown "clear similarities" to that of the Lion Air flight.

While it may take months for definitive conclusions, experts are asking why the MCAS was green lit despite objections by American pilots who had voiced concerns with the system.

The US Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) is in the line of fire because it authorizes the commissioning of airplanes.

But for the past decade, it has outsourced the mission, entrusting the task to airplane manufacturers themselves and to external experts.

Under this new program, known as the Organization Designation Authorization (ODA), employees of Boeing accredited by the FAA assist the regulator in approving the aircraft of their employer (from design, production, flight tests, maintenance and other systems) as well as signing off on the training procedures of pilots on new planes.

The trend has accelerated due to budget cuts and the increasing volume of air travel, industry sources told AFP. In the case of the 737 MAX, Boeing expressed a case of urgency because of its medium-haul competition with the Airbus A320Neo that launched shortly before, the sources said.

The original safety analysis that Boeing delivered to the FAA had "several crucial flaws", according to a report in the Seattle Times on Sunday.

There were also strong differences of opinion between FAA staff in Seattle, where Boeing planes are built, and in the Washington D.C. headquarters, a government source told AFP.

The agency defended itself Sunday, telling AFP in an email: "The 737 MAX certification program followed the FAA's standard certification process."

Dennis Muilenburg, Boeing's CEO, said Sunday the company was finalizing a software update to the MCAS. Industry sources indicated to AFP it would be ready in about 10 days.

Peter DeFazio, chairman of the House of Representatives' Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, is planning to launch an investigation into the 737 MAX's certification, Congressional sources said, adding that public hearings have not been ruled out.

"The FAA's credibility is really on the line here, as is Boeing's. And, the global system of aircraft certification reciprocity is at risk too," said Richard Aboulafia, an aeronautical analyst at Teal Group.

Following the Lion Air crash, the FAA asked Boeing to modify its flight manuals and pilot training so they could recognize and respond to unexpected maneuvers initiated by the MCAS.

Pilots had notably underlined the need for information and training beyond what had initially been provided.

The 737 MAX was certified as a variant program of the its predecessor, the 737 Next Generation, despite major differences in the engine and the MCAS, according to documents available on the FAA's website. In a nutshell, the plane was not examined in its entirety.

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New Delhi:

Fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi, who was arrested in London in Rs 13,000-crore PNB scam case on Wednesday, told the Westminster Magistrates' Court that he is currently employed by Diamond Holdings Ltd the UK capital for a monthly salary of 20,000 pounds (more than Rs 18 lakh) and pays his council tax regularly. The court was told that Modi arrived in London in January 2018 before any of the allegations emerged and has maintained a very "visible" presence and offered to cooperate with the UK authorities since his arrival.

The diamantaire also showed salary slips of 20,000 pounds and his National Insurance (NI) number as proof that he was paying tax.

The court on Wednesday remanded Modi in custody till March 29, saying there are "substantial grounds" to believe that he would fail to surrender if granted bail.

"Nirav Deepak Modi, 48, was arrested on behalf of the Indian Authorities on Tuesday in Holborn," the Metropolitan Police said.

His arrest came days after a London court issued an arrest warrant against him in response to a request by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for his extradition in a money laundering case.

Modi was produced before the Westminster Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, where he contested his extradition to India.

District Judge Marie Mallon, presiding over the hearing, said she was not inclined to accept Modi's bail plea due the "high value amount" attached to the allegations against him and that he would have "every incentive" to evade surrendering before the court.

"There are substantial grounds to believe that you would fail to surrender before the court if bail were to be granted," the judge said and remanded Modi in custody till next hearing on March 29.

He is likely to be held in a separate cell in Her Majesty's Prison Wandsworth, which is one of the largest prisons in western Europe.

Modi, dressed in a plain white shirt and trousers, appeared in the dock where he spoke only to confirm his name and also to formally decline consent to be extradited to India.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), representing the Indian authorities in court, told the court that Modi was wanted in India for fraud and money laundering amounting to the tune of USD 2 billion.

Under UK domestic law, the CPS said he is liable on charges of conspiracy to fraud, which has a maximum jail term of seven years, and conspiracy to conceal, which could result in anywhere between seven, 10 and life term in jail.

"We do object to bail because there are substantial grounds to believe the requested person (Modi) would fail to surrender," said Barrister Jonathan Swain, appearing for the CPS and on behalf of the Indian government.

Modi's legal team was headed by Barrister George Hepburne-Scott and his solicitor, Anand Doobay, is the same legal expert hired by former Kingfisher Airlines boss Vijay Mallya in his extradition proceedings against India in the UK courts.

Modi's team made their case for bail, offering 500,000 pounds as security and an offer to adhere to stringent conditions.

"He strongly contests all the allegations and is prepared with comprehensive arguments to support his case...his legal team has had months contact with the extradition squad and expressed his willingness to cooperate," Hepburne-Scott said.

It emerged in court that Modi was arrested from a Metro Bank branch in London by uniformed officers Tuesday, when he went there to open a new bank account.

A bank clerk alerted Scotland Yard as a result of the "high publicity" surrounding the case and police officers arrived to execute the arrest. This over-rode a previous arrangement made between Scotland Yard's extradition unit and Modi's lawyers for him to surrender by appointment at a central London police station on Monday, something his legal team blamed on the nature of publicity surrounding the case.

The location of the arrest indicates that Modi, wanted in India in connection with the Rs 13,500 crore Punjab National Bank scam case, was arrested from where he is believed to have been living in a plush apartment in Centre Point in the West End.

It also emerged in court that Modi was in possession of three passports, all since revoked by India.

The court was told that Modi arrived in London in January 2018 before any of the allegations emerged and has maintained a very "visible" presence and offered to cooperate with the UK authorities since his arrival. He is currently employed by Diamond Holdings Ltd in London for a monthly salary of 20,000 pounds and pays his council tax regularly, his lawyers said.

In New Delhi, ED sources said they expect a "faster" process of extradition in Modi's case, as compared to Mallya, as this is a instance of "clear defraud" of bank loan money. They said the ED and the CBI have already sent in "good amount of evidence-based documents" for the courts in UK to peruse.

Unlike Mallya, who was granted immediate bail on his arrest on an extradition warrant in April 2017 on fraud and money laundering charges, Modi's case will now take a slightly different course as he remains in custody while court proceedings take place.

UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid had certified India's extradition request for Modi earlier this month, triggering the legal process in the courts, which led to the issuance of a warrant last week.

News of the certification of India's request came just as Modi was tracked down to a three-bedroom flat in the Centre Point tower block of luxury apartments in the West End of London.

Modi and his uncle, Mehul Choksi, are the main accused in the PNB scam and they both left India before the details of the fraud came to light in January 2018.

Modi is one of India's richest men, worth an estimated USD 1.75 billion, according to Forbes. He launched his own eponymous brand in 2010 and he soon had stores across India, as well as in New York, London and Hong Kong.

His diamond-encrusted designs were worn by Hollywood stars like Kate Winslet, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Naomi Watts, while the Bollywood star Priyanka Chopra-Jonas appeared in advertisements for the brand.

(With PTI inputs)

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New Delhi:

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has released a list of all possible courses that students can pursue after class 12 under a student-friendly initiative. The CBSE has mentioned the names of colleges, their eligibility criteria and other details related to that course.

"As a sequel to the ongoing initiatives, CBSE has prepared a compendium of suggestive courses for students which will help them get information about various course choices, institutes and combinations available in higher education beforehand after class 10 itself, " said CBSE chairperson, Anita Karwal in an official statement.

There are over 900 universities and over 41,000 colleges in India which are providing higher education at present and the list, according to CBSE, tries to cover most of the traditional, new age and popular courses provided by them.

The purpose of this compendium is to generate enough curiosity in the students to explore further on the scope, possibilities, avenues, for each of these courses and to look for other options beyond these courses as well, said Karwal.

Course included in the CBSE list

The list consists of 113 career options including:

Art restoration

Actuarial sciences

Public relations

Corporate intelligence

Engineering

Liberal studies

Languages and related colleges and courses.

The list expands up to 122 pages and students can check the list at the official website-- cbse.nic.in.

Meanwhile, class 12 exams are still going on. The result for the same is expected to be released by May 10, 2019. In an official statement, CBSE had mentioned about releasing the result early this year.
New Delhi:

An Indian Army soldier was killed in heavy Pakistani firing along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmirs Rajouri district on Thursday. The incident coincides with a grenade attack in Baramullas Sopore. Two policemen, including an officer, were injured in the attack. the unidentified terrorists lobbed a grenade at a security forces party at Main Chowk Sopore in the north Kashmir district, the PTI quoted as police official as saying. He said two policemen, including the station house officer of Dangiwacha police station, sustained minor injuries in the explosion. The injured have been hospitalised. Security forces have cordoned off the area and a search has been launched to nab the attackers, the official said.

On February 14, at least 42 CRPF personnel were killed in one of the deadliest terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district when a Jaish suicide bomber rammed a vehicle carrying over 30 kg of explosives into their bus in Pulwama district that also left many critically wounded.

More than 2,500 Central Reserve Police Force personnel, many of them returning from leave to rejoin duty in the Valley, were travelling in the convoy of 78 vehicles when they were ambushed on the Srinagar-Jammu highway at Latoomode in Awantipora in south Kashmir.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi slammed the Opposition leaders for demanding proofs of the Indian Air Forces Balakot air strike. In a series of tweets, the Prim Minister launched a point-by-point rebuttal against those saying that the government must give details of the February 26 air strike. Opposition insults our forces time and again. I appeal to my fellow Indians- question Opposition leaders on their statements. Tell them- 130 crore Indians will not forgive or forget the Opposition for their antics. India stands firmly with our forces, Modi said in a stinging against Congress chief Rahul Gandhis close aide Sam Pitroda. The Congress overseas chief today sparked a fresh controvbesry after he said, wheres the proof that 300 people were killed in the air strike in heart of Pakistans Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

The Prime Minister also categorically took on Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav for his Pulwama remark. Opposition is the natural habitat of terror apologists and questioners of our armed forces. This reprehensible statement by a senior leader like Ram Gopal Ji insults all those who have given their lives in protecting Kashmir. It humiliates the families of our martyrs.

Loyal courtier of Congress royal dynasty admits what the nation already knew- Congress was unwilling to respond to forces of terror. This is a New India- we will answer terrorists in a language they understand and with interest, the Prime Minister said on Pitroda saying, dont know much about attacks, it happens all the time, attack happened in Mumbai also, we could have then reacted and just sent our planes but that is not right approach. According to me thats not how you deal with world.

The Indian Air Force carried out pre-dawn airstrikes on February 26 and destroyed major launch pads of the terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed, which was behind the February 14 Pulwama terror attack. The initial reports suggested that the Surgical Strike 2.0 decimated Jaish-e-Mohammeds Alpha 3 Control Rooms located in Balakot, Muzaffarabad and Chakothi in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. More than 10 bombs were dropped by the multi-role fighter jet Mirage 2000 at around 3:30 am on February 26 morning. Understandably, Pakistan has downplayed the airstrike. The aerial attack came day after Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman held a high-level meeting with all three service chiefs.
New Delhi:

The Election Commission of India is finally on Twitter. As nation celebrates Holi, the poll panel posted a special message to the voters, who will exercise their franchise in the crucial Lok Sabha elections next month. "Carryover the spirit of Holi to the polling day to colour your finger with the indelible ink, marking your presence in #DeshKaMahatyohar! Vote is your right, Vote is your responsibility," the Election Commission tweeted.A

Earlier, on March 13, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter and had urged opposition leaders such as Rahul Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee, Sharad Pawar, Mayawati, Akhilesh Yadav, Tejashwi Yadav and MK Stalin to encourage people for high voter participation. The prime minister Modi took to Twitter and wrote, aI appeal to @RahulGandhi, @MamataOfficial, @PawarSpeaks, @Mayawati, @yadavakhilesh, @yadavtejashwi and @mkstalin to encourage increased voter participation in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. A high turnout augurs well for our democratic fabric.a

A

Carryover the spirit of Holi to the polling day to colour your finger with the indelible ink, marking your presence in #DeshKaMahaaaaaaaa !

Vote is your right, Vote is your responsibility #GoVote pic.twitter.com/2pzqocKZjR a ECI #DeshKaMahaTyohar (@ECISVEEP) March 20, 2019

aI urge my fellow Indians to enrich the 2019 Lok Sabha elections with their active participation. I hope this election witnesses a historic turnout. I particularly call upon first time voters to vote in record numbers," PM had said in another tweet.

The Lok Sabha Elections 2019 will be held in seven phases, starting from April 11, while the results of all the phases will be declared on May 23, the Election Commission of India announced on Sunday. The Election Commission on Sunday imposed 'Model Code of Conduct' with immediate effect for the Lok Sabha elections and announced that voter 'verifiable paper audit trail' will be used in all polling stations this time.A A

Among other things, the model code of conduct bars the government from announcing any policy move that may impact voters' decision. Announcing the seven-phase schedule for 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora also said 10 lakh polling stations would be set up this time as against about nine lakhs in 2014.

He said the Model Code of Conduct for polls has come into immediate effect from Sunday and all political advertisements on social media will need pre-certification. The EC said 91 constituencies will go for polls in the first phase on April 11, followed by 97 constituencies in the second phase on April 18. The second phase will be held on April 18, third on April 23 and fourth on April 29, fifth on May 6, sixth on May 12 and seventh phase on May 19. Counting of votes for all seven phases covering 543 Lok Sabha constituencies would take place on May 23, Arora said.

In the first phase, 91 constituencies will go for polls, 97 constituencies in the second phase, 115 constituencies in the third, 71 in the fourth phase, 51 in the fifth phase, 59 in the sixth phase and 59 in the seventh phase. In the first phase, the polling will be held in Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Punjab, Sikkim, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Andaman and Nicobar, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Lakshadweep, Delhi, Puducherry, Chandigarh, Uttarakhand.
Baghdad - Iraqhas reported that it has detained a top leader of the dreaded islamic state (ISIS) and a terrorist who carried out a long-term cross-border operation of al-Qaida (Al-Qaida). Iraqi PM Mustafa al-Kadimi (Mustafa al-Kadhimi) tweeted this information.

He said the arrested terrorist has been identified as Sami Jasim (Sami Jasim). The terrorist worked as a deputy leader of the IS while under Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi (Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi). Al-Qadimi described the iraqi forces' operation to arrest the terrorist as one of the toughest cross-border intelligence operations. Jasim was awarded a reward of Rs 5 million (Rs 37 crore) by the US State Department's Rewards for Justice program.

He said the terrorist also worked as an assistant in finance management for Islamic State terror operations. The State Department reported that Jasim served as IS deputy in southern Mosul in 2014. The terrorist allegedly served as finance minister of the IS. It oversaw money from illegal sale of oil, gas, antiquities and minerals.

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European Union is looking into a strategic natural gas reserve but the long-term goal is energy independence for both the bloc and Ukraine, the EUs chief executive said on Tuesday. Slovakia is also willing to secure gas supply for Ukraine.

Gas supply security would include a reverse flow if necessary from the European Union, for instance, Slovakia, which is willing to step up, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told a news conference alongside Ukraines president, adding that another option was a strategic reserve. "Overall, what we are working on together ... is independence; energy independence is vital for Ukraine and for the European Union," she said, calling for more investment in renewable energy.

The European UnionUkraine Association Agreement is a European Union Association Agreement between the European Union, Euratom, Ukraine and the EU's 28 member states at the time. It establishes a political and economic association between the parties.

Israel Foreign Minister calls for peace with Palestinians, more Arab nations

Initial rounds of results of Iraq's parliamentary polls announced

Taliban-led govt Afghanistan opened a new chapter, world relations: FM
Baghdad: Iraqi security forces have captured a senior member of the Islamic State group who was a deputy to killed leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and oversaw its finances, Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi said on Monday. The Prime Minister has announced the arrest of Sami Jasim, a high-ranking member of the Islamic State who was also the Deputy of the terror group's late leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, in an operation outside the country.

The Iraqi Intelligence Service carried out a complex operation outside the country to arrest Jasim, who was in charge of Islamic State financial affairs, the Prime Minister said in a social media post on Monday. Al-Kadhimi did not provide further details about when and where exactly the operation took place.

An official statement by the Iraqi Joint Operations Command said that Jasim was captured in an operation outside Iraq's borders without giving further details. Jasim is close to a committee in charge of running the extremist group and to the group's current leader Abdullah Qaradash, according to a command statement. The US had offered a USD 5 million reward for information leading to Jasim's capture. The Intelligence Service once controlled 88,000 sq km of territory stretching from eastern Iraq to western Syria and imposed its brutal rule on almost eight million people. Although the group's defeat on the battlefield in Iraq in 2017 and in Syria the following year, it is estimated that thousands of militants remain active in both countries.

Negotiations with Saudi to continue focusing on Gulf, Yemen: Iran

Israel Cabinet approves nomination of Ronen Bar as next Shin Bet chief

Dreaded Islamic State terrorist Sami Jasim arrested for Rs 37 crore reward
Foreign Minister of Israeli Yair Lapid has called for the Palestinians and other Arab nations to forge peace agreements with the Jewish state. He said, called more Arab countries to join the US-brokered deals signed in September 2020, in which the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain agreed to normalise ties with Israel, according to reports. Notably, Morocco, Sudan and Oman later signed similar deals.

I am calling the Palestinians and the citizens of any Arab nation -- we come in peace," Lapid said. He said that more normalisation deals would "bring prosperity, jobs, a culture of progress and success" to the peoples of the Middle East. The remarks were made during an inaugural meeting of a Knesset (Parliament) panel dedicated to the promotion of the deals. Defence Minister Benny Gantz said that Israel has been working to sign normalisation deals with additional Arab countries.

The panel is aimed at strengthening economic and tourism ties with Israel's newly allied Arab states, according to a statement issued by the panel. Speaker of the Knesset Mickey Levy said during the ceremony that "historic" new inter-parliamentary friendship groups have been recently established between Israel, the UAE, Bahrain and Morocco. "Our goal as lawmakers is to ensure that peace will endure not only among our governments but also among peoples," Levy said.

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Initial rounds of results of Iraq's parliamentary polls announced

Iraqi forces capture senior Islamic State leader: Iraqi PM
Islamabad: Pakistan PM Imran Khan has termed Israel and India as close friends and said that it was only after visiting Israel that PM Narendra Modi implemented such a big policy on Kashmir in 2019. Imran Khan answered a series of questions about relations with Afghanistan, India, Israel and the US in an interview to the Middle East Eye on October 11.

In fact, Imran Khan was asked in an interview how deadly the friendship between India and Israel is when the situation in Palestine and Kashmir is similar. On this question, Imran Khan said that there is no doubt that India-Israel are very close. It was only after his visit to Israel that India's PM Narendra Modi implemented such a big and stringent policy on Kashmir. Pak PM Imran Khan said, can this mean that he got a signal from Israel because Israel is doing the same.

Imran Khan further said that he has maintained a strong mechanism and he is crushing any kind of opposition. They are killing anyone by sending their people and they have got full immunity. The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) may make any statements, but they know that the United States will save them using its veto power.

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WHO panel recommends COVID vaccine booster shot for people with weak immunity
Lucknow: An encounter took place late on Sunday (October 10, 2021) at Chinhat in Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh. Police have arrested three miscreants. They have been identified as Sheikh Rubel, 26, Alam, 27, and Rabiul, 23. All of them are Bangladeshi nationals. Some of his accomplices also managed to escape during the encounter, which is being searched. Lucknow Police Commissioner Dhruv Kant Thakur said that the gang had gone out to commit dacoity when an encounter took place with a police petrol party near Malhour railway station.

East Zone DCP Sanjeev Suman said police spotted some suspects around 1.45pm on Sunday. When asked to stop, they started running away and opened fire. Two miscreants sustained bullet injuries in retaliation. One was nabbed by the police while fleeing while the others fled. Their interrogation revealed a gang of Bangladeshi youths who commit robberies in different corners of the country. According to the report, they cross the river and enter India from Bangladesh. 5-10,000 and enter India via 24 Parganas in West Bengal. They then reach different parts of the country by train.

After entering India, they reiki houses targeting the surrounding areas of the railway track as junkers, tea vendors or hawkers. Usually target houses that are located on the side of the railway line or in empty plots. After committing the robbery, the money and jewellery are sent to Bangladesh along with one of their associates so that they do not recover the goods from them if caught. The gang members interact with each other in Bengali during the incident. Use walkietalkie instead of mobile. They break a 15 feet wall comfortably. According to officials, in addition to grill cutting blades, scoo drivers, they also carry indigenous pistols with them. The leader of the 11-member gang has been identified as Hamza. At the same time, it has been revealed that during the dacoity, they take the people in the house hostage. They are also beaten badly with sticks and iron rods when they protest. Sometimes they also rape the women in the house. According to reports, an elderly woman was attacked and killed on the head with an iron road by the gang at a house in Delhi's Anand Vihar when she protested during a robbery. The interrogation revealed incidents of dacoity in several states of the country including Uttar Pradesh, Delhi.

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Marketing is restless. It is changing every time as it is a dynamic business activity. Lately, the term digital has become one of the technology buzzwords. We are also experiencing a radical change in Nepal towards digitalisation. It is in its infant stage where every agency/digital marketer is learning and searching. With the technological revolution, digital marketing is anticipated to still be at the forefront in Nepal, and Nepali companies should immediately shift to this new way of selling their products and services.

Digital marketing in a digital era

Photo: Pixabay

Digital marketing generally offers new features for businesses to involve, offer, and sell both products and services to customers. It comprises a wide and advanced range of strategies and techniques for driving traffic and conversions for a business.

Today, the first thing a new brand does is create its digital identity, most of the time before registering legally! Without having a digital identity, being fully formed, spending money on advertising is seriously like pulling a guns trigger without a second thought. Different social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram have opened their door for businesses to communicate with millions of people about their products and services. This has unlocked new marketing opportunities within the market.

Digital marketing on social media

Photo: Pexels/ Kaboompics

According to Datareportals stats, internet users reached 10.78 million in Nepal between 2020 and 2021. This is an increase of 567,000 new users within the last 12 months. Thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic, more users are inclining towards the digital market. With 44.2% of the total population who are active users of social media in Nepal, the creation of new and latest opportunities for digital marketers to draw in customers through the digital platform can be seen.

Many corporates are inclining towards digital media and are willing to spend hundreds of thousands of rupees, post-pandemic. Social media marketing has become more common with the increased popularity of websites such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube. These networking sites already have large and established online communities. In Nepal, digital marketing for businesses and organisations are mostly limited to social media marketing. Today, when a digital marketer contacts a client with certain campaign strategies, the first thing the client notices is whether activities on Facebook are included.

Nepali brands consider marketing on Facebook synonymous with digital marketing. This is solely because brands have felt they can gain exposure by simply making their presence felt on Facebook. We can see businesses like Daraz and Sastodeal utilising their presence on digital and online media. They are well acquainted that in the absence of digital presence, customers are bound to discover and opt for the services of their competitor (who has already mastered digital marketing).

Digital marketing beyond socials: Nepals context

Photo: Pexels/ ready made

We must be aware that Facebook is just one of the tools of digital marketing and there are many other fish in the sea. There are numerous ways to market a product digitally in order to drive traffic and conversions for a brands website, from content production to paid ads. Digital marketing uses various tools like social media marketing, search engine optimisation (SEO), search engine marketing (SEM), content creation, and many more, which are cost-effective and have a great commercial impact on the business.

We have had digital technology for over half a century now. Since then, this digital transformation has fuelled almost every advancement of modern technology. Marketing managers who fail to utilise the importance of the internet in their business marketing strategy will be at a disadvantage. This is mainly because the Internet is changing the brand, pricing, distribution, and promotion strategy.

Photo: Pexels/ Kaboompics

Once upon a not-so-distant past, Nepali brands were all about above the line (ATL) and below the line (BTL) marketing. However, today, we all should understand that in this digital age, marketing needs are changing and digital communication is an extended version of the ATL and BTL. As a result, brands have realised that to be successful, they will have to merge traditional marketing with digital marketing for meeting the customers needs.

Can you imagine, after the invention of electricity, it took 46 years for it to become the primary source of power? Looking back at history, every advancement, from electricity to the internet, took years to gain mass adoption before establishing a lasting impact on society. Consumers have finally caught up with centuries of advanced technology, which was ahead of human time; and are now demanding a better experience. However, the digital innovation cycle has no safety valve as companies are striving for a better user experience, at the speed of high consumer demands and expectations.

So, can digital marketers live up to consumer demands? The question is yet to be answered.
Oklahoma 4-Her helping close the digital divide

Media Contact: Trisha Gedon | Communications Specialist | 405-744-3625 | trisha.gedon@okstate.edu

While many school children attended virtual classes from the comfort of their home during the pandemic, Murphy Peterson, now a high school senior, had to pack up her computer and drive into town with her mother to a local fast-food restaurant to access a reliable internet connection.

It was hard to make the jump from learning at school to learning at home during the pandemic, Peterson said. Having good, reliable internet access is so important for everyone, especially those in rural areas. We feel like were left behind.

Peterson, a member of the Oklahoma 4-H Youth Development program in Pittsburg County, wasnt the only student who lacked access to a fast, reliable internet connection to complete school assignments.

A recent survey by the National 4-H Council, the Harris Poll and the 4-H Tech Changemakers coalition shows that teens across the United States agree disparities in access to reliable, high-speed internet continue to foster economic and social inequities.

Among other findings in the survey, 73% of teens believe digital skills are the key to getting the best jobs; one in 10 American teens dont have access to broadband internet, rising to a rate of one in six teens in rural communities; and broadband access has dropped by 7% at both homes and schools since 2019.

The survey polled more than 1,600 people ages 13-19 from suburban, urban and rural communities. 4-H Tech Changemakers is National 4-H Councils initiative to help build a more equitable future for todays youth. Peterson has been selected to serve as a 4-H Tech Changemaker and is prepared to teach critical digital skills in her community through a series of in-person and virtual workshops. Plans also include helping community members learn how to use specific applications on their computers and smart phones. An estimated 50,000 youth and adults across 18 states will be reached through this effort.

Its so important to get basic technology available to everyone. Its vital to survive in this day and age, Peterson said. Equal access for everyone is critical, no matter where they live. Internet access plays a vital role in how we succeed in life. College and job applications are online, and people are being denied opportunities simply because of their lack of accessible technology.

As a 4-H Tech Changemaker, Peterson said her main push is to highlight the communities in need of advanced technology.

The pandemic really brought into focus the challenges rural communities face. For example, my sister owns a business, but isnt able to process orders or maintain the website from her home, she said. Its hard to build a successful business without the needed technology. Its vital in order to have a profitable business. Being a 4-H Tech Changemaker will allow me a chance to help communities like mine build a better future.

Jennifer Sirangelo, president and chief executive of the National 4-H Council, said The data is clear: Lack of access to reliable broadband and critical digital skills are some of the greatest barriers people face today in working toward educational and economic achievement. Expanding access to broadband internet and adoption of digital skills are concrete steps we can take now to drive more equitable access to opportunity across the county. Together with our Tech Chagemakers partners, were bringing critical digital skills to communities across the country, not only to create opportunities for individuals, but to build local economies as well.

Peterson, a member of the Haileyville 4-H Club and Southeast District representative on the State 4-H Leadership Council, said not only will this help students with online school but will benefit local businesses.

Whenever I go to a new place, I Google things to do there, she said. Businesses in my area will be able to create searchable websites that will help promote our community and bring in new revenue. This will help our small community grow. I have high hopes for this project and Im excited to showcase how important this technology is to everyone, especially those in rural areas. I want to be a voice for people.
Cybersecurity

How a Wikileaks dump alerted foreign hackers to U.S. tactics

An internal assessment at U.S. Cyber Command concluded that diplomatic cables published by Wikileaks probably revealed details that resulted in operational security changes by foreign, state-aligned hacking groups targeting the United States.

In 2010, Wikileaks began publishing hundreds of thousands of diplomatic cables between the State Department and 274 of its consulates, embassies and diplomatic missions stationed around the globe. The documents provided an unvarnished look at internal conversations between diplomats abroad and policymakers in Washington D.C.

The Situational Awareness Report -- obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request by the National Security Archives at George Washington University -- was drafted in early December 2010 by Fusion Cell, an intelligence arm of U.S. CyberCom just days after the cables began to leak. It determined that the release would likely provide foreign intelligence services and their hacking arms with "lessons learned" about how their activities were being tracked by the U.S. government.

"The release of the latest set of classified data will likely result in observable changes in [operational security] procedures, coordination and collaboration among Computer Network Operations organizations, Tactics, Techniques and Procedures and overall sophistication levels [redacted]" the report stated.

Though it is significantly redacted, the CyberCom report detailed how the National Security Agency and other agencies rushed to identify documents contained in the dump that "may disclose cyber operations equities" and urged other organizations to do the same. It provided a number of categories of information that were "likely exposed" by the leak, all of which are redacted in the version released to the public.

"The [redacted] cables clearly state that U.S. Government entities have knowledge of specific adversary [tactics, techniques and procedures], including malware, toolsets, IP addresses and domains used in intrusion activity," the report stated.

The document suggested that the release of the cables "led to a period in which the U.S. government was hindered in its ability to track the activities of at least one of the most sophisticated APTs operating on the geopolitical stage," wrote Michael Martelle, a research fellow at the National Security Archive's Cyber Vault Project.
Workforce

How training fits into cyber workforce development

Training is a key part of maintaining a federal cybersecurity workforce in a tight market, said experts during a Billington Cybersecurity Summit panel discussion on Friday.

It's one of the four "pillars" to maintaining a cyber workforce pipeline, along with recruiting, hiring and retaining talent, said Jason Gray, the Department of Education's CIO and co-chair of the CIO Council's Workforce Committee.

Gray says that he's more than doubled his training budget at the Department of Education over the last five years.

"The important thing to meis demonstrating to the federal workforce that we want to invest in them because we want to make sure that we're enabling them to sharpen their skills and their skill sets for a competitive advantage, for making themselves marketable in line with the needs of the government," Gray said.

He pointed to the CIO Council's Cyber Reskilling Academy and its more recent data reskilling work as examples.

It's critical that all feds, not just those in cyber-specific roles, are trained on cybersecurity practices, said Bruce Brody, Senior CISO Advisor at Cisco Systems.

The devices federal employees use are endpoints that could be compromised, so "hardening the workforce is a really important security control," he said. "Every human being is a threat vector, so the more you can add cybersecurity knowledge, awareness, capabilities to the entire workforce, the better off you'll be."

In terms of recruitment, Gray said government needs "focused recruitment efforts, whether it's targeted job fairs, whether it's hiring events, perhaps in schools or within the community, hackathons, as well as offering additional flexibilities, to attract talent."

The process of getting a cyber-workforce in place can be tricky, given chronic challenges in the government hiring and compensation practices.

Gray applauded recent work by the Office of Personnel Management on special flexibilities and hiring authorities. In 2019, the office debuted a rule easing the hiring process for IT and cyber positions. More recently, OPM published a rule change that eases the process of rehiring former federal employees at higher paygrades.

About the Author Natalie Alms is a staff writer at FCW covering the federal workforce. She is a recent graduate of Wake Forest University and has written for the Salisbury (N.C.) Post. Connect with Natalie on Twitter at @AlmsNatalie.



Additionally, the Department of Homeland Security is bringing online a new set of hiring flexibilities baked into its Cybersecurity Talent Management System.
People

CMMC's Arrington sues DOD to clear her name

Katie Arrington briefs a Norwegian defense industry association via video conference on the CMMC program in January, 2021. (DOD photo by USAF Staff Sgt. Brittany A. Chase)

Katie Arrington, who spearheaded the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program at the Department of Defense, filed a lawsuit on Tuesday to spur the Pentagon into resolving her languishing personnel case.

Arrington's security clearance was suspended on May 11 according to the lawsuit, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. One day after the clearance suspension, Arrington was placed into paid, non-duty status.

According to the complaint, the memorandum suspending Arrington's clearance stated that the action "is being taken as a result of a reported unauthorized disclosure of classified information and subsequent removal of access" by the National Security Agency.

Since then, Arrington has been unable to fulfill her duties as chief information security officer for acquisition and sustainment. Most prominent among these duties is the management of the CMMC program, which is designed to compel compliance with a strict cybersecurity regime among defense contractors. The program has proved controversial, especially among small businesses, because of concerns about costs.

The lawsuit alleges that the move to sideline Arrington "was designed to interfere" with the running of CMMC, "which NSA did not support."

Additionally, Arrington's political background as an elected Republican state representative in South Carolina and as a 2018 candidate for Congress endorsed by then-President Donald Trump is not winning her friends in the Pentagon, according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit alleges that "certain high-ranking DOD officials" are "using the NSA's decision as a pretext to remove her."

The lawsuit also points to "unknown individuals within DOD [who] have improperly, and possibly illegally, leaked privacy protected information concerning [Arrington] to unauthorized third parties for the purpose of further causing harm." This information, much of which has been shared on LinkedIn, a hotbed of CMMC commentary, includes what the complaint characterizes as "completely false and defamatory" information, including assertions that Arrington had been fired by DOD or that her clearance had been revoked.

After five months of non-duty status, Arrington is seeking some answers. "It is rare that an individual holding a Senior Executive Service position  would be left dangling in this way," the complaint states, adding that defense officials "are purposefully delaying or failing to take action in this matter in order to compel [Arrington] to resign."

Arrington is asking for DOD to complete any personnel actions currently in progress as well as the chance to address any charges against her. The lawsuit also seeks a "name-clearing hearing" and an order to DOD to share information about the ongoing personnel actions with Arrington's lawyers.

"If DOD takes any formal action against her clearance, Arrington would be entitled to the equivalent of a 'name clearing hearing,'" Arrington's lawyer Mark S. Zaid explained in an email exchange with FCW. "But this claim allows us to push harder for that to happen. It is a very novel approach we take on occasion when someone's reputation is at issue."

The CMMC program itself is currently on pause amid an internal DOD review. Defense officials have been urging contractors to continue preparing for the program's implementation while the review is ongoing.
TORONTO, Oct. 12, 2021 /CNW/ - Argonaut Gold Inc. (TSX: AR) (the "Company", "Argonaut Gold" or "Argonaut") is pleased to announce that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Minera Real Del Oro, S.A. de C.V., has acquired key mineral concessions from Desarrollos Mineros El Aguila, S.A. de C.V., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fresnillo Plc for a cash consideration of US$5.75 million. The mineral concessions acquired more than quadruples Argonaut's mineral tenure and area of potential exploration in the San Agustin district to 5,884 hectares. The acquired mineral concessions consist of a very large concession of 4,791 hectares surrounding all of Argonaut's existing concessions in the district, as well as four key concessions totalling 27 hectares immediately surrounding the San Agustin pit (see Figure 1 below).

Figure 1  New Concession Acquisitions within the San Agustin District (CNW Group/Argonaut Gold Inc.)

The acquisition of the four mineral concessions immediately adjacent to the San Agustin pit will allow Argonaut to expand the pit, increase mineral reserves and extend mine life. These strategic mineral concessions may also have potential to add mineralization to the northeast and southwest of the current mine footprint.

The very large concession surrounding all of Argonaut's existing mineral concessions in the San Agustin district increases Argonaut's area of potential exploration by over 400%. Anomalous gold mineralization is known to occur in numerous areas of this concession, especially to the north and northwest of the current San Agustin mine operations.

Pete Dougherty, President and CEO stated: "The acquisition of these strategic mineral concessions wrap up the San Agustin district for Argonaut, more than quadrupling our mineral tenure to 5,884 hectares and vastly increasing our exploration potential. As part of the acquisition, we have also acquired four, key mineral concessions immediately adjacent to the San Agustin pit which will allow operations to further expand the open pit, increase mineral reserves and extend mine life."

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The Company is currently preparing updated National Instrument ("NI") 43-101 Technical Reports for all Mexican operations and plans to publish these by the end of 2021.

Qualified Person, Technical Information and Mineral Properties Reports

Technical information in this release was supervised and approved by Brian Arkell, Argonaut's Vice President, Exploration, and a Qualified Person under NI 43-101. For further information on the San Agustin mine, please see the report listed below on the Company's website or on www.sedar.com:

El Castillo Complex NI 43-101 Technical Report on Resources and Reserves, El Castillo Complex, Durango, Mexico dated March 27, 2018 (effective date of March 7, 2018)

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements

This press release contains certain "forward-looking statements" and "forward-looking information" under applicable Canadian securities laws concerning the business, operations and financial performance and condition of Argonaut Gold Inc. ("Argonaut" or "Argonaut Gold"). Forward-looking statements and forward-looking information include, but are not limited to statements with respect to the realization of mineral reserve estimates; the timing and amount of estimated future production; costs of production; estimated production and mine life of the various mineral projects of Argonaut; timing of approval for modifications to existing permits; permitting and legal processes in relation to mining permitting and approval; the benefits of the development potential of the properties of Argonaut; the future price of gold, copper, and silver; the estimation of mineral reserves and resources; success of exploration activities; and currency exchange rate fluctuations. Except for statements of historical fact relating to Argonaut, certain information contained herein constitutes forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "plan," "expect," "project," "intend," "believe," "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may", "should" or "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made and are based on a number of assumptions and subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Many of these assumptions are based on factors and events that are not within the control of Argonaut and there is no assurance they will prove to be correct.

Factors that could cause actual results to vary materially from results anticipated by such forward-looking statements include variations in ore grade or recovery rates, changes in market conditions, risks relating to the availability and timeliness of permitting and governmental approvals; risks relating to international operations, fluctuating metal prices and currency exchange rates, changes in project parameters, the possibility of project cost overruns or unanticipated costs and expenses, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry, failure of plant, equipment or processes to operate as anticipated.

These factors are discussed in greater detail in Argonaut's most recent Annual Information Form and in the most recent Management's Discussion and Analysis filed on SEDAR, which also provide additional general assumptions in connection with these statements. Argonaut cautions that the foregoing list of important factors is not exhaustive. Investors and others who base themselves on forward-looking statements should carefully consider the above factors as well as the uncertainties they represent and the risk they entail. Argonaut believes that the expectations reflected in those forward-looking statements are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking statements included in this press release should not be unduly relied upon. These statements speak only as of the date of this press release.

Although Argonaut has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events, or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Argonaut undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change except as required by applicable securities laws. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Statements concerning mineral reserve and resource estimates may also be deemed to constitute forward-looking statements to the extent they involve estimates of the mineralization that will be encountered if the property is developed. Comparative market information is as of a date prior to the date of this document.

About Argonaut Gold

Argonaut Gold is a Canadian gold company engaged in exploration, mine development and production. Its primary assets are the El Castillo mine and San Agustin mine, which together form the El Castillo Complex in Durango, Mexico, the La Colorada mine in Sonora, Mexico and the Florida Canyon mine in Nevada, USA. The Company also holds the construction stage Magino project, the advanced exploration stage Cerro del Gallo project and several other exploration stage projects, all of which are located in North America.

For more information, contact:

Argonaut Gold Inc.

Dan Symons

Vice President, Corporate Development & Investor Relations

Phone: 416-915-3107

Email: dan.symons@argonautgold.com

SOURCE Argonaut Gold Inc.

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Former BlackRock and Vanguard Executive Joins Artificial-Intelligence-Driven ETF and Financial Technology Firm

SEOUL, South Korea, October 12, 2021--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AI-enabled fintech company Qraft Technologies ("Qraft") announced that Robert Nestor, CFA, will join the firm as a Global Senior Advisor. Nestor brings over 30 years of industry experience and will guide the Qraft team in matters related to business strategy and product development.

Nestor has served in a variety of senior leadership roles in asset management over his career most recently as president and head of Direxion ETFs. Prior to that role, Nestor was Head of iShares Factor ETFs at BlackRock. He has also held executive roles leading product, marketing, and enterprise strategy at asset management giants BlackRock and Vanguard. Nestor received his Bachelor of Science in economics from the University of Delaware and his MBA from Drexel University.

"Im thrilled to be embarking on this new professional endeavor with the Qraft team," remarks Nestor. "Qraft sits at a crossroads of several industry developments that will pave the way for lasting change, including artificial intelligence. I see these technologies as a driving force for asset management and thoughtful risk management that will become increasingly relevant as markets become more volatile. I look forward to drawing on my experience and expertise to help guide the Qraft team to reach investors far and wide with their unique value proposition."

"We feel privileged to welcome Rob aboard Qraft Technologies," says Marcus Kim, Founder and Chief Executive Officer for Qraft Technologies. "His experience of 30 years, most recently as President of Direxion and head of Factor ETFs at BlackRock, will be no doubt an asset in any of our endeavors and will allow us to exponentially grow our presence in the US & globally. He will help us meet our challenge in becoming a global fintech company."

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Qraft Technologies provides AI-driven financial technology tools, including an asset allocation model, to institutions and advisors alike. Qraft also provides AI-powered active indexing solutions in the form of, Qraft AI ETFs, which consists of four AI-managed funds  AMOM, NVQ, HDIV and QRFT listed on NYSE Arca. Each employs its own strategy in an effort to achieve alpha1 and navigate changing market conditions. The funds all rely on AI technology to quantify vast amounts of data, rebalancing holdings monthly or quarterly. Nestor will primarily focus on helping grow the adoption of Qrafts artificial intelligence in the financial industry.

Nestors role is new for the Qraft team and represents the firms company-wide globalization initiative. Qraft is actively working to expand beyond its South Korean headquarters and diversify its clientele. The firm opened an office in Hong Kong in January and plans to expand physically within the United States.

"Our proprietary AI technologies are driven by quantitative data, allowing our strategies to cross between the boundaries that exist between global investors," says Francis Oh, Managing Director of Qraft AI ETFs. "As we aim to build out relationships within the U.S. and around the world, Roberts breadth of connections and experience will be a valuable asset. His expert insight will enable us to further grow as we seek to expand AI-driven solutions to a global financial market."

About Qraft Technologies

Qraft Technologies, Inc. is on a mission to innovate the inefficiencies of today's asset management firms. From data processing to alpha research and order execution, Qraft has had a long track record of developing innovative AI solutions that have been adopted by major financial institutions and turned into successful AI products and services, including the world's first AI-driven global equity ETF and Korea's largest robo-advisor service.

Investors should consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing. For a prospectus or summary prospectus with this and other information about the Fund, please call 1-855-973-7880 or visit our website at www.qraftaietf.com. Read the prospectus or summary prospectus carefully before investing.

The Funds are distributed by Foreside Fund Services, LLC

Investing involves risk, including loss of principal. The Funds are subject to numerous risks including but not limited to: Equity Risk, Sector Risk, Large Cap Risk, Management Risk, and Trading Risk. The Funds rely heavily on a proprietary artificial intelligence selection model as well as data and information supplied by third parties that are utilized by such model. To the extent the model does not perform as designed or as intended, the Funds strategy may not be successfully implemented, and the Funds may lose value. Additionally, the funds are non-diversified, which means that they may invest more of their assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than if they were a diversified fund. As a result, each Fund may be more exposed to the risks associated with and developments affecting an individual issuer or a smaller number of issuers than a fund that invests more widely. A new or smaller fund's performance may not represent how the fund is expected to or may perform in the long term if and when it becomes larger and has fully implemented its investment strategies. Read the prospectus for additional details regarding risks.

1 Alpha is a measure of the active return on an investment, the performance of that investment compared with a suitable market index.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211012005789/en/

Contacts

Media:

Bernardo Soriano

Gregory FCA for Qraft Technologies

Email: bernardo@gregoryfca.com

Phone: 914-656-3880
DUBLIN, October 12, 2021--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The "Australia Seltzer Market, By ABV Content (Less Than and equal to 5%, More Than 5%), By Distribution Channel (Convenience stores, online, supermarkets/hypermarkets, others), By Packaging (Bottle, Can), By Region, By Top 3 States, Competition Forecast & Opportunities, 2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

Australia seltzer market is projected to show a robust growth with an impressive CAGR in the forecast years, 2022-2026.

The market growth attributes to the rising demand for the gluten-free and low ABV content drinks among the consumers. Seltzer is a carbonated water thar contains dissolved carbon dioxide gas that is artificially infused or occurs naturally.

The demand for fizzy water, sparkling water, or soda water all enunciates with the growing demand for the seltzer and thereby registering the growth of the Australia seltzer market in the upcoming five years. Moreover, number of market players is rapidly increasing in the country to satisfy the surging demand and in return aiding the growth of the market in the next five years.

These market players have created a large range of product line and thus supporting the growth. Their aggressive and dedicated marketing of the product along with the influencing promotions is driving the growth of the Australia seltzer market in the future five years of forecast, until 2026.

Factors like consumer preference toward soda water or sparkling water against beer and other mixed drinks is also influencing the market growth. The market growth is also driven due to consumer's concern over the calories and carbohydrate content in the mixed drinks and beer. Seltzer water has comparatively lesser content and thus is preferred.

The Australia seltzer market is segmented by ABV content, distribution channel, packaging, competitional landscape, regional distribution, and top 3 states analysis. Based on ABV content, the market is further bifurcated into less than and equal to 5%, more than 5%.

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Less than and equal to 5% ABV content is anticipated to hold the major revenue shares of the market and assert its dominance over the market on the account of rising number of health conscious population and their inclination toward seltzer over hard drinks like wine, beer, etc.

Moreover, occasional or casual drinkers prefer hard seltzer and thus the low ABV content drinks and thus being able to support the growth of market segment in the upcoming five years.

A partial list of market player in the Australia seltzer market includes Anheuser-Busch InBev, Constellation Brands (Corona Seltzer), Boston Beer Company (Truly Hard Seltzer), San Juan Seltzer Inc., MillerCoors (Henry's Hard Sparkling Water), Diageo (Smirnoff Seltzers), Molson Coors (Vizzy Hard Seltzer), Boathouse Beverage Co., Future Proof Brands LLC, Lift Bridge Brewing Co., White Claw Hard Seltzer (Mark Anthony Brands International), among others.

These market players hold larger shares of the market than the new market players. With the evolving technology, it is appropriate to say that the effective research and development of the technologically advanced products would support the market growth and benefit the market players as well as the consumers.

New market players may focus on the research and development to provide products that satisfies the consumer demand as well as benefits the market players in building their brand value. Other competitive strategies include mergers & acquisitions and new product developments.

Report Scope:

Years considered for this report:

Historical Years: 2016 - 2019

Base Year: 2020

Estimated Year: 2021

Forecast Period: 2022 - 2026

Australia Seltzer Market, By ABV Content:

Less than and equal to 5%

More Than 5%

Australia Seltzer Market, By Distribution Channel:

Convenience stores

Online

Supermarkets/ Hypermarkets

Others

Australia Seltzer Market, By Packaging:

Bottle

Can

Australia Seltzer Market, By Region:

Capital Territory & New South Wales

Victoria & Tasmania

Western Australia

Queensland

Northern Territory & Southern

Competitive Landscape

Company Profiles: Detailed analysis of the major companies present in Australia seltzer market.

Anheuser-Busch InBev

Constellation Brands (Corona Seltzer)

Boston Beer Company (Truly Hard Seltzer)

San Juan Seltzer Inc.

MillerCoors (Henry's Hard Sparkling Water)

Diageo (Smirnoff Seltzers)

Molson Coors (Vizzy Hard Seltzer)

Boathouse Beverage Co.

Future Proof Brands LLC

Lift Bridge Brewing Co.

White Claw Hard Seltzer (Mark Anthony Brands International)

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/l9wuzo

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211012005733/en/

Contacts

ResearchAndMarkets.com

Laura Wood, Senior Press Manager

press@researchandmarkets.com

For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900
NEW YORK, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- On October 10, 2021, the project name launch ceremony for Majestic Mansion, a large-scale high-end commercial complex under joint development by China Merchants Shekou Industrial Zone Holdings Co., Ltd and Poly Developments and Holdings Group Co., Ltd., was held simultaneously at Times Square in New York and Oujiang Night Tour-Light and Shadow Auditorium in Wenzhou, China. The event was attended by several big names: Pan Changwang, former Vice Chairman of Wenzhou CPPCC; Professor Ma Jinlong, renowned economist and former Director of the Policy Research Office of Wenzhou Municipal Committee; and Wang Dongsheng, Vice Chairman of the Wenzhou Chamber of Commerce. Luminaries from the financial and real estate sectors as well as executives from Wenzhou's leading businesses came together to witness the birth of the city's new business district.

Majestic Mansion, a new urban complex in Wenzhou China

China Merchants Shekou Industrial Zone Holdings Co., Ltd is the flagship company for the development and operation of integrated urban projects under China Merchants Group. With a history going back some 100 years, China Merchants Group is by far the oldest among China's large-scale firms and is affiliated with the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of China. The total assets of the Group rank first among enterprises directly under the central government. Poly Developments and Holdings Group Co., Ltd. is a large listed company controlled by China Poly Group. China Poly Group Corporation Ltd. is a large-scale central state-owned enterprise under the supervision and management of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council (SASAC). Following the approval of the State Council and the Central Military Commission of the P.R.C., the Group was founded in 1992. With this tie-up, the two firms are pooling their unique talents to build an architectural masterpiece that is sure to put Wenzhou on the map in terms of unique real estate developments while showcasing their combined expertise in matters of construction, aesthetics and design.

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The Majestic Mansion is located in the 2.2 square-kilometer Wenzhou Binjiang central business district, and has already signed up several financial organizations across southern Zhejiang province who have agreed to set up operations here. Along with meeting and exhibition resources that will become available through the project's Urban Balcony, Civic Center and International Convention and Exhibition Center, Majestic Mansion will further enhance the advantages of the district. The 600,000 square-meter facility will be comprised of a large-scale waterfront lifestyle complex and a grand residence for Wenzhou's high net worth individuals, where East meets West in business.

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SOURCE China Merchants Shekou Holdings
BAMBERG, Germany, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- For a long time, contactless payment with a smartphone was only possible with methods such as Apple Pay or Google Pay. Apple has still not opened its NFC interface for other payment solutions. But with the new Computop Close-by service, the use of NFC signals for payment is about to become much easier for retailers and service providers. Using this solution, the payment process will shift to the smartphone - without an app and without registration.

Computop Close-by for fast and flexible NFC payment (PRNewsfoto/Computop)

The Direct Way to a Variety of Payment Methods

The launch of Computop Close-by is set against a backdrop of change in how payments are being made, particularly in retail. Paying online without POS terminals, even at vending machines or in shops, is very easy thanks to passive NFC tags or the use of an active NFC transmitter to call up a ready-configured payment page on the smartphone. Customers select their favourite payment method and pay directly, often using fast wallet solutions like PayPal or the new Click to Pay. Apple Pay and Google Pay have also proved convenient to use and at the same time support secure biometric authentication. All of which makes a POS terminal in retail almost redundant. Payments can instead be made directly with digital price tags on the shelf, via the product label or in a promotional area.

As well as retail and multiple other scenarios, Computop Close-by will also offer flexibility for consumers paying at EV charging stations. Currently it is not possible in the UK to park up and charge using a credit or debit card on all charging networks as many require drivers to download an app, go to the company's website or use an RFID card. However Computop Close-brings e-commerce-type payment methods such as PayPal, Direct Debit or Alipay into play. With the appropriate configuration in the merchant system, active NFC transmitters can integrate fixed or variable payment amounts securely encrypted in the link.

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Solicit Donations Digitally and From Any Location

Computop Close-by is particularly suitable for soliciting donations. With a simple and inexpensive NFC tag, for example a sticker or a key fob, the payment page is called up on the smartphone. An amount can also be transmitted directly, so that only confirmation by the donor on the smartphone is necessary. Since passive NFC tags do not require their own power supply, digital donation is possible everywhere where network coverage is available.

Compared to calling up a QR code, the NFC method is simpler and more secure. Modern smartphones respond directly to the NFC signal without having to activate the device and camera app. In addition, QR codes are easy to forge, while NFC coding is permanent and cannot be overwritten. Overlapping by a fraudulent signal is also ruled out, as smartphones do not react to overlapping radio signals.

Patent Pending

Ralf Gladis, founder and co-owner of Computop, was instrumental in driving this development: "Computop Close-by is, like many innovations, an intelligent combination of existing technologies. The NFC process combined with an efficient e-commerce checkout makes a variety of payment situations easier and more flexible. That is why we have applied for international patent protection for this product."

About Computop  the payment people

As one of the very first payment service providers, Computop offers its customers around the world local and innovative omnichannel solutions for payment processing and fraud prevention. The Computop Paygate payment platform enables seamless integrated payment processes for e-commerce, at POS and on mobile devices. With this internally developed software, retailers and service providers have the flexibility and freedom to choose from over 250 payment methods enabling them to specifically tailor their payment options per country.

Computop, a global player with its head office in Germany and locations in China, England and the USA, has been servicing large international companies in the service, retail, mobility, gaming and travel industries for more than 20 years. These companies include global brands such as Bigpoint, C&A, Fossil, the entire Otto Group, Sixt and Swarovski. Computop also provides it payment system to banks and financial service providers as a white-label solution. Through its customer network and collaboration with the global marketplace Rakuten, Computop processes commercial payment transactions for more than 15,000 retailers annually, with a combined value of USD 31 billion. With its individual and secure solutions, Computop makes a major contribution to the future of international payment processing.

www.computop.com

Press Contacts

Computop

Henning Brandt

Head of Communication

henning.brandt@computop.com

+49 951 98009 8257

Computop Logo (PRNewsfoto/Computop)

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SOURCE Computop
Figure 1.1

Edikan Gold Project  Regional Geology, Tenements and Prospects

Edikan Gold Project  Regional Geology, Tenements and Prospects

Figure 1.2

Nkosuo Prospect  Drilling and Results. Locations of Sections 1-3 shown.

Nkosuo Prospect  Drilling and Results. Locations of Sections 1-3 shown.

Figure 1.3

Nkosuo Prospect  Drill Section 1

Nkosuo Prospect  Drill Section 1

Figure 1.4

Nkosuo Prospect  Drill Section 2

Nkosuo Prospect  Drill Section 2

Figure 1.5

Nkosuo Prospect  Drill Section 3

Nkosuo Prospect  Drill Section 3

PERTH, Western Australia, Oct. 13, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Perseus Mining Limited (ASX/TSX: PRU) is pleased to provide details of recent successful exploration activities at its Edikan Gold Mine in Ghana.



HIGHLIGHTS

Impressive drilling results have been recorded by Perseus at the Nkosuo prospect (previously referred to as Breman) on the Agyakusu Prospecting Licence, just seven kilometres from the mill at Edikan.

Drill results that demonstrate strong potential for shallow, granite-hosted open-pitable gold resources, include:



NKS0001RC: 32m @ 2.61 g/t from 23m NKS0002RD: 37m @ 1.10 g/t from 12m NKS0002RD: 5m @ 21.22 g/t from 229m NKS0004RD: 100m @ 1.82 g/t from 50m NKS0005RD: 11m @ 1.59 g/t from 82m NKS0005RD: 31m @ 1.12 g/t from 117m NKS0005RD: 15m @ 1.48 g/t from 152m NKS0006RD: 13m @ 1.54 g/t from 66m NKS0007DD: 31m @ 1.26 g/t from surface NKS0007DD: 21.50m @ 1.32 g/t from 75m NKS0007DD: 19m @ 1.29 g/t from 111m NKS0008RD: 75.20m @ 2.71 g/t from 42m NKS0013RC: 45m @ 1.97 g/t from 41m NKS0014RC: 13m @ 1.28 g/t from 54m NKS0014RC: 17m @ 2.18 g/t from 85m NKS0015RD: 15m @ 1.17 g/t from 22m NKS0015RD: 70m @ 1.30g/t from 87m NKS0018RD: 4m @ 10.22 g/t from 212.4m NKS0019RD: 22m @ 2.30 g/t from 5m NKS0019RD: 18m @ 1.91 g/t from 69m NKS0019RD: 37.5m @ 1.12 g/t from 107.5m NKS0020RD: 7m @ 2.78 g/t from 56m NKS0021RD: 30m @ 1.21 g/t from 1m NKS0021RD: 40m @ 0.91 g/t from 120m NKS0026RC: 25m @ 0.96 g/t from 23m

Early indications suggest Nkosuo hosts near-surface, granite-hosted gold mineralisation similar in style to that mined in Edikans Fobinso and Abnabna (AG) pits.

Resource definition drilling is in progress. Perseus expects to complete a maiden Mineral Resource estimate in the March 2022 quarter. Edikans mine life is currently forecast to end in FY2025 however, this discovery at Nkosuo has the potential to extend the mine life well beyond that date.



Perseuss Managing Director and CEO Jeff Quartermaine said:

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With our three gold mines now in operation and Perseus moving closer by the day to achieving our goal of producing 500,000 ounces of gold per year, we have turned our sights to finding ways of sustaining this level of gold production from our operations out to the end of the decade and beyond.

Our exploration programme at Nkosuo has so far, returned impressive results that demonstrate the potential of this prospect to add to Edikans mine life with further drilling. We are particularly encouraged by similarities between the Nkosuo deposit and the Fobinso and Abnabna deposits which weve already successfully mined and processed at Edikan.

While we are working towards completing a maiden Mineral Resource estimate for Nkosuo in early CY2022, we intend to continue exploring on the Agyakusu, Agyakusu-DML and Domenase exploration licence areas, all of which are under option to Perseus and all of which are located within trucking distance of our Edikan mill.

BACKGROUND



Following the successful commissioning of its third operating mine, Yaoure, in December 2020, Perseus Mining Limited (ASX/TSX: PRU) has committed to a comprehensive organic growth programme, aimed at discovering sufficient incremental Ore Reserves at each of its three operating mines to maintain its total annual production level at 500,000 ounces of gold per year through to the end of the decade and beyond.

Results from its recent exploration activities adjacent to Edikan demonstrate outstanding potential to grow its gold inventory at the mine through further drilling success.

The 23.85km2 Agyakusu prospecting licence, 2-8km NNW of Edikan, is currently held by Ghanaian company Adio-Mabas Ghana Ltd, however Perseus secured an option to acquire the Exploration Licence in November 2019 (see ASX announcement 4 November 2019). Since acquiring the option on the licence area, Perseus has conducted soil sampling and airborne geophysical surveys whilst negotiating access from farmers to drill the granite hosted Nkosuo gold prospect (formerly known as the Breman prospect). Access to the area for drilling was achieved in June this year, with drilling commencing immediately afterwards.

NKOSUO EXPLORATION DRILLING



Exploration drilling commenced at the Nkosuo prospect on the Agyakusu permit on 1st July 2021 (Figures 1 and 2). Up to 30 September 2021, a total of 7,801 metres had been drilled in 13 Reverse Circulation (RC), eight diamond (DD) holes (including five metallurgical holes) and 26 RC pre-collared diamond holes (RD). Drilling was conducted on a nominal 80 x 80 metre grid to scope out the extent and overall geometry of the host granite and contained mineralisation, locally infilled to 40 x 40 metres. Results received to date have been highly encouraging, indicating strong potential for shallow open-pitable gold resources just seven kilometres from the Edikan mill.

The mineralisation at Nkosuo is hosted by a NNE-trending granitic plug extending at least 600m in strike, with widths ranging up to 200m. Results to date indicate the strongest mineralisation is focused in the northern 300m section of the intrusive. The granite body dips at around 700 to the west in the northern part of the intrusion, steepening to near vertical towards the south. Drilling has defined the northern limits of the ore body but it remains open to the south, though narrowing to around 100m. Mineralisation within the granite consists of variably intense quartz stockwork veining with associated quartz-carbonate-sericite alteration. The veining and alteration are accompanied by 1-2% disseminated and selvage pyrite and arsenopyrite, with better gold grades generally associated with higher concentrations of arsenopyrite. The enclosing Birimian metasediments are devoid of mineralisation. Overall, the Nkosuo mineralisation bears strong similarities to the western granite-hosted deposits at Edikan such as Fobinso and Abnabna.

Better intercepts from the Nkosuo drilling are shown below in Table 1 with a complete summary included in Appendix 2 - Table 1.

Table 1: Intercepts from Agyakusu Prospecting Licence - Nkosuo Prospect

(Based on lower cut-off of 0.5 g/t Au with maximum 2m internal waste <0.5 g/t)

Hole ID From (m) To (m) Gold Intercept NKS0001RC 23 55 32m @ 2.61 g/t NKS0002RD 12 49 37m @ 1.10 g/t NKS0002RD 229 234 5m @ 21.22 g/t NKS0004RD 50 150 100m @ 1.82 g/t NKS0005RD 82 93 11m @ 1.59 g/t NKS0005RD 117 148 31m @ 1.12 g/t NKS0005RD 152 167 15m @ 1.48 g/t NKS0005RC 14 26 12m @ 1.02 g/t NKS0006RD 27 31 4m @ 6.60 g/t NKS0006RD 66 79 13m @ 1.54 g/t NKS0007DD 0 31 31m @ 1.26 g/t NKS0007DD 43.2 63.2 20m @ 0.83 g/t NKS0007DD 75 96.5 21.50m @ 1.32 g/t NKS0007DD 111 130 19m @ 1.29 g/t NKS0008RD 23 36 13m @ 1.10 g/t NKS0008RD 42 117.2 75.20m @ 2.71 g/t NKS0011RC 19 26 7m @ 1.04 g/t NKS0013RC 41 86 45m @ 1.97 g/t NKS0014RC 54 67 13m @ 1.28 g/t NKS0014RC 85 102 17m @ 2.18 g/t NKS0015RD 22 37 15m @ 1.17 g/t NKS0015RD 85 144 59m @ 1.33g/t NKS0018RD 212.4 216.4 4m @ 10.22 g/t NKS0019RD 5 27 22m @ 2.30 g/t Au NKS0019RD 69 87 18m @ 1.91 g/t NKS0019RD 107.5 145 37.5m @ 1.12 g/t NKS0020RD 56 63 7m @ 2.78 g/t NKS0021RD 1 31 30m @ 1.21 g/t NKS0021RD 120 160 40m @ 0.91 g/t NKS0026RC 3 10 7m @ 1.17 g/t NKS0026RC 23 48 25m @ 0.96 g/t

Drill results available to date from the Nkosuo drilling indicate an Exploration Target of 10 to 15 Mt grading 0.9 to 1.1 g/t gold for 275 to 500 koz contained gold.

The Exploration Target is based on the drill hole assay data available on 28 September 2021 (Table 2) and the current understanding of mineralisation geometry and style. Being conceptual in nature, it takes no account of geological complexity, possible mining method or metallurgical recovery factors. The Exploration Target was estimated to enable an early assessment of the discoverys potential to add to Edikans mine life.

The potential quantity and grade of the Exploration Target is conceptual in nature and therefore is an approximation. There has been insufficient exploration to estimate a Mineral Resource and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in estimation of a Mineral Resource. The Exploration Target has been prepared and reported in accordance with the 2012 edition of the JORC Code.

Table 2: Nkosuo assays available on 28 September 2021

Hole Type



No. of Holes



Sample Type



Total In Granite No. Assays Metres Assayed No. Assays Metres Assayed RC 11 RC 559 995 314 314 Cored from Surface 2 DD 254 287 252 284 Pre-collared DD 17 RC 1305 1595 1185 1281 11 DD 1287 1408 1190 1323 Totals 3405 4285 2941 3202

The Exploration Target is defined by:



A wireframe of the host granite body used to limit the extent of interpreted mineralisation volume

Drill sample intervals composited to uniform 2m down-hole lengths with composite gold grades capped at 10g/t

Gold grades estimated by inverse distance squared weightings (IDW) into parent blocks with dimensions 20m east x 20m north x 10m elevation using a 50m east x 100m north x 100m elevation search ellipsoid with a minimum of four samples required to make an estimate

Estimates informed only by samples within the granite

Parent blocks sub-blocked against the granite wireframe and interpreted weathering surfaces using a minimum 5m east x 5m north x 2.5m elevation sub-block to reliably estimate the mineralisation volume

Densities for weathered, transition and fresh rock assumed to be 1.8, 2.1 and 2.7 tonnes per cubic metre

Sub-blocks grading greater than 0.4g/t gold and to a maximum vertical depth of approximately 170 metres.

FORWARD PROGRAMME

Drilling now underway at Nkosuo will focus on closing up the current hole spacing to 40 x 40 metres and ultimately to 20 x 20 metres to support a Mineral Resource estimate to be undertaken in the March 2022 quarter.

Metallurgical testwork and geotechnical drilling is about to commence so the Ore Reserve potential can be evaluated early in the September Quarter of 2022. In anticipation that this work will lead to a positive outcome the Company is in the process of exercising its option over the Agyakusu permit. Early work to meet the requirements of the ESIA process is also being planned.

Exploration more broadly at Edikan will focus on prospective opportunities identified on adjacent tenements, including the Agyakusu DML permit, where soil geochemical sampling has identified strong gold-in-soil anomalies along strike from the Nkosuo prospect, and the Domenase permit to the north of Nkosuo.



This announcement has been approved for release by Perseuss Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Jeff Quartermaine.

COMPETENT PERSON STATEMENT:

The information in this report and the attachments that relate to exploration drilling results and the Nkosuo Exploration Target on the Agyakusu permit is based on, and fairly represents, information and supporting documentation prepared by Dr Douglas Jones, a Competent Person who is a Chartered Professional Geologist. Dr Jones is the Group General Manager Exploration of the Company. Dr Jones has sufficient experience, which is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity being undertaken, to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 Edition of the Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves and to qualify as a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101  Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (NI 43-101). Dr Jones consents to the inclusion in this report of the matters based on his information in the form and context in which it appears.

CAUTION REGARDING FORWARD LOOKING INFORMATION:

This report contains forward-looking information which is based on the assumptions, estimates, analysis and opinions of management made in light of its experience and its perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, as well as other factors that management of the Company believes to be relevant and reasonable in the circumstances at the date that such statements are made, but which may prove to be incorrect. Assumptions have been made by the Company regarding, among other things: the price of gold, continuing commercial production at the Yaoure Gold Mine, Edikan Gold Mine and Sissingue Gold Mine without any major disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic or otherwise, the receipt of required governmental approvals, the accuracy of capital and operating cost estimates, the ability of the Company to operate in a safe, efficient and effective manner and the ability of the Company to obtain financing as and when required and on reasonable terms. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list is not exhaustive of all factors and assumptions which may have been used by the Company. Although management believes that the assumptions made by the Company and the expectations represented by such information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking information will prove to be accurate. Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any anticipated future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such factors include, among others, the actual market price of gold, the actual results of current exploration, the actual results of future exploration, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be evaluated, as well as those factors disclosed in the Company's publicly filed documents. The Company believes that the assumptions and expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable. Assumptions have been made regarding, among other things, the Companys ability to carry on its exploration and development activities, the timely receipt of required approvals, the price of gold, the ability of the Company to operate in a safe, efficient and effective manner and the ability of the Company to obtain financing as and when required and on reasonable terms. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Perseus does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.





ASX/TSX CODE: PRU



REGISTERED OFFICE:



Level 2

437 Roberts Road

Subiaco WA 6008



Telephone: +61 8 6144 1700

Email: IR@perseusmining.com



WWW.PERSEUSMINING.COM CONTACTS:



Jeff Quartermaine



Managing Director & CEO

jeff.quartermaine@perseusmining.com



Nathan Ryan



Media Relations

+61 4 20 582 887

nathan.ryan@nwrcommunications.com.au

APPENDIX 1  FIGURES

Figure 1.1: Edikan Gold Project  Regional Geology, Tenements and Prospects

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f55bf378-435a-4726-8484-f1c5282d7c4d

Figure 1.2: Nkosuo Prospect  Drilling and Results. Locations of Sections 1-3 shown.

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/77393025-223e-4f97-8c4b-e2bf45380e5b

Figure 1.3: Nkosuo Prospect  Drill Section 1

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1db067b1-cc66-4cb3-b3d1-a2b73601a732

Figure 1.4: Nkosuo Prospect  Drill Section 2

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/eb7f1cda-a4f7-45cd-9851-ae41227c8f25

Figure 1.5: Nkosuo Prospect  Drill Section 3

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/631f6e22-88b3-4f6d-a7a7-bf76171b8506

APPENDIX 2  SIGNIFICANT INTERCEPTS



Table 1: Nkosuo drill holes and significant assays

Hole ID East

(mE) North

(mN) Drill Type Azimuth

() Dip

() Depth

(m) No of samples From

(m) To

(m) Width

(m) Grade

(g/t) NKS0001RC 10989.31 20081.22 RC 119 -55 160 4 3 7 4 0.63 NKS0001RC 10989.31 20081.22 RC 119 -55 160 1 15 16 1 0.92 NKS0001RC 10989.31 20081.22 RC 119 -55 160 32 23 55 32 2.61 NKS0002RD 11000.00 20000.00 RCDD 119 -55 318.2 8 0 8 8 1.68 NKS0002RD 11000.00 20000.00 RCDD 119 -55 318.2 37 12 49 37 1.1 NKS0002RD 11000.00 20000.00 RCDD 119 -55 318.2 1 69 70 1 0.52 NKS0002RD 11000.00 20000.00 RCDD 119 -55 318.2 1 71 72 1 0.68 NKS0002RD 11000.00 20000.00 RCDD 119 -55 318.2 1 76 77 1 0.52 NKS0002RD 11000.00 20000.00 RCDD 119 -55 318.2 3 79 82 3 0.9 NKS0002RD 11000.00 20000.00 RCDD 119 -55 318.2 7 83.5 90 6.5 0.58 NKS0002RD 11000.00 20000.00 RCDD 119 -55 318.2 1 122 123 1 0.71 NKS0002RD 11000.00 20000.00 RCDD 119 -55 318.2 10 126 136 10 1.17 NKS0002RD 11000.00 20000.00 RCDD 119 -55 318.2 1 142 143 1 0.64 NKS0002RD 11000.00 20000.00 RCDD 119 -55 318.2 5 146 151 5 3.3 NKS0002RD 11000.00 20000.00 RCDD 119 -55 318.2 4 158.1 162 3.9 1.56 NKS0002RD 11000.00 20000.00 RCDD 119 -55 318.2 1 170 171 1 2.79 NKS0002RD 11000.00 20000.00 RCDD 119 -55 318.2 1 198 199 1 1.06 NKS0002RD 11000.00 20000.00 RCDD 119 -55 318.2 1 204 205 1 1.69 NKS0002RD 11000.00 20000.00 RCDD 119 -55 318.2 5 229 234 5 21.22 NKS0002RD 11000.00 20000.00 RCDD 119 -55 318.2 1 240 241 1 0.57 NKS0002RD 11000.00 20000.00 RCDD 119 -55 318.2 1 260 261 1 0.62 NKS0003RC 11082.07 20079.91 RC 119 -55 180 NSI NKS0004RD 10928.19 20082.94 RCDD 119 -55 165.3 2 7 9 2 4.54 NKS0004RD 10928.19 20082.94 RCDD 119 -55 165.3 1 13 14 1 0.53 NKS0004RD 10928.19 20082.94 RCDD 119 -55 165.3 1 25 26 1 0.61 NKS0004RD 10928.19 20082.94 RCDD 119 -55 165.3 1 28 29 1 0.98 NKS0004RD 10928.19 20082.94 RCDD 119 -55 165.3 5 32 37 5 0.76 NKS0004RD 10928.19 20082.94 RCDD 119 -55 165.3 100 50 150 100 1.82 NKS0005RD 10842.74 20159.46 RCDD 119 -55 245.20 9 42.00 51.00 9.00 0.50 NKS0005RD 10842.74 20159.46 RCDD 119 -55 245.20 11 82.00 93.00 11.00 1.59 NKS0005RD 10842.74 20159.46 RCDD 119 -55 245.20 4 98.00 102.00 4.00 1.03 NKS0005RD 10842.74 20159.46 RCDD 119 -55 245.20 31 117.00 148.00 31.00 1.15 NKS0005RD 10842.74 20159.46 RCDD 119 -55 245.20 15 152.00 167.00 15.00 1.48 NKS0005RD 10842.74 20159.46 RCDD 119 -55 245.20 1 197.90 198.90 1.00 0.60 NKS0005RD 10842.74 20159.46 RCDD 119 -55 245.20 2 220.50 222.00 1.50 0.97 NKS0006RD 10840.81 20081.21 RCDD 119 -55 264.2 1 8 9 1 0.94 NKS0006RD 10840.81 20081.21 RCDD 119 -55 264.2 1 14 15 1 0.57 NKS0006RD 10840.81 20081.21 RCDD 119 -55 264.2 4 27 31 4 6.6 NKS0006RD 10840.81 20081.21 RCDD 119 -55 264.2 4 53 57 4 0.87 NKS0006RD 10840.81 20081.21 RCDD 119 -55 264.2 13 66 79 13 1.54 NKS0006RD 10840.81 20081.21 RCDD 119 -55 264.20 4 107.00 111.00 4.00 3.27 NKS0006RD 10840.81 20081.21 RCDD 119 -55 264.20 1 146.50 147.00 0.50 6.32 NKS0006RD 10840.81 20081.21 RCDD 119 -55 264.20 1 149.90 150.90 1.00 0.64 NKS0006RD 10840.81 20081.21 RCDD 119 -55 264.20 1 152.00 153.00 1.00 0.97 NKS0006RD 10840.81 20081.21 RCDD 119 -55 264.20 1 174.00 175.00 1.00 1.77 NKS0006RD 10840.81 20081.21 RCDD 119 -55 264.20 1 177.00 178.00 1.00 0.58 NKS0006RD 10840.81 20081.21 RCDD 119 -55 264.20 1 208.80 209.50 0.70 2.58 NKS0006RD 10840.81 20081.21 RCDD 119 -55 264.20 1 229.80 230.90 1.10 0.56 NKS0006RD 10840.81 20081.21 RCDD 119 -55 264.20 17 236.90 253.00 16.10 1.09 NKS0006RD 10840.81 20081.21 RCDD 119 -55 264.20 1 256.15 257.65 1.50 1.87 NKS0006RD 10840.81 20081.21 RCDD 119 -55 264.20 1 260.45 261.15 0.70 0.56 NKS0007DD 11082.26 20001.36 DD 119 -55 183.70 4 0.00 5.00 5.00 2.13 NKS0007DD 11082.26 20001.36 DD 119 -55 183.70 15 10.20 31.70 21.50 1.32 NKS0007DD 11082.26 20001.36 DD 119 -55 183.70 1 39.20 40.20 1.00 0.78 NKS0007DD 11082.26 20001.36 DD 119 -55 183.70 20 43.20 63.20 20.00 0.83 NKS0007DD 11082.26 20001.36 DD 119 -55 183.70 17 75.10 91.80 16.70 1.17 NKS0007DD 11082.26 20001.36 DD 119 -55 183.70 1 95.00 96.00 1.00 0.63 NKS0007DD 11082.26 20001.36 DD 119 -55 183.70 1 102.50 103.40 0.90 3.19 NKS0007DD 11082.26 20001.36 DD 119 -55 183.70 1 106.40 107.00 0.60 0.77 NKS0007DD 11082.26 20001.36 DD 119 -55 183.70 17 111.00 130.00 19.00 1.29 NKS0007DD 11082.26 20001.36 DD 119 -55 183.70 3 165.00 168.36 3.36 0.87 NKS0008RD 10918.85 20158.70 RCDD 119 -55 126.20 3 9.00 16.00 7.00 1.40 NKS0008RD 10918.85 20158.70 RCDD 119 -55 126.20 1 19.00 20.00 1.00 0.59 NKS0008RD 10918.85 20158.70 RCDD 119 -55 126.20 13 23.00 36.00 13.00 1.10 NKS0008RD 10918.85 20158.70 RCDD 119 -55 126.20 75 42.00 117.25 75.25 2.71 NKS0009RC 11081.90 20159.99 RC 119 -55 85 NSI NKS0010RC 11082.04 20239.40 RC 119 -55 72 NSI NKS0011RC 11000.88 20160.55 RC 119 -55 45.00 12 14.00 26.00 12.00 1.02 NKS0011RC 11000.88 20160.55 RC 119 -55 45.00 1 35.00 36.00 1.00 1.07 NKS0012RC 11016.95 20239.78 RC 119 -55 50.00 NSI NKS0013RC 10958.20 20077.86 RC 119 -55 122.00 1 2.00 3.00 1.00 0.68 NKS0013RC 10958.20 20077.86 RC 119 -55 122.00 1 12.00 13.00 1.00 1.30 NKS0013RC 10958.20 20077.86 RC 119 -55 122.00 3 18.00 21.00 3.00 1.79 NKS0013RC 10958.20 20077.86 RC 119 -55 122.00 1 29.00 30.00 1.00 1.36 NKS0013RC 10958.20 20077.86 RC 119 -55 122.00 43 41.00 84.00 43.00 1.97 NKS0014RC 10956.73 20119.15 RC 119 -55 120.00 5 6.00 11.00 5.00 1.59 NKS0014RC 10956.73 20119.15 RC 119 -55 120.00 1 14.00 15.00 1.00 1.97 NKS0014RC 10956.73 20119.15 RC 119 -55 120.00 1 29.00 30.00 1.00 1.41 NKS0014RC 10956.73 20119.15 RC 119 -55 120.00 1 40.00 41.00 1.00 1.93 NKS0014RC 10956.73 20119.15 RC 119 -55 120.00 1 46.00 47.00 1.00 1.21 NKS0014RC 10956.73 20119.15 RC 119 -55 120.00 13 54.00 67.00 13.00 1.16 NKS0014RC 10956.73 20119.15 RC 119 -55 120.00 1 71.00 72.00 1.00 0.74 NKS0014RC 10956.73 20119.15 RC 119 -55 120.00 1 76.00 77.00 1.00 1.50 NKS0014RC 10956.73 20119.15 RC 119 -55 120.00 17 85.00 102.00 17.00 2.18 NKS0014RC 10956.73 20119.15 RC 119 -55 120.00 1 105.00 106.00 1.00 1.09 NKS0015RD 10916.53 20118.68 RCDD 119 -55 189.20 2 15.00 17.00 2.00 0.73 NKS0015RD 10916.53 20118.68 RCDD 119 -55 189.20 17 22.00 39.00 17.00 1.05 NKS0015RD 10916.53 20118.68 RCDD 119 -55 189.20 1 44.00 45.00 1.00 1.29 NKS0015RD 10916.53 20118.68 RCDD 119 -55 189.20 1 48.00 49.00 1.00 0.87 NKS0015RD 10916.53 20118.68 RCDD 119 -55 189.20 3 54.00 57.00 3.00 1.41 NKS0015RD 10916.53 20118.68 RCDD 119 -55 189.20 1 62.00 63.00 1.00 1.58 NKS0015RD 10916.53 20118.68 RCDD 119 -55 189.20 4 75.00 79.00 4.00 1.37 NKS0015RD 10916.53 20118.68 RCDD 119 -55 189.20 59 85.00 144.00 59.00 1.33 NKS0016RD 10846.07 20242.25 RC 119 -55 50.00 NSI NKS0017RD 10925.14 20242.92 RC 119 -55 50.00 NSI NKS0018RD 10753.97 20158.42 RCDD 119 -55 324.20 1 156 156.50 0.50 0.92 NKS0018RD 10753.97 20158.42 RCDD 119 -55 324.20 1 208.40 209.40 1.00 0.90 NKS0018RD 10753.97 20158.42 RCDD 119 -55 324.20 4 212.40 216.40 4.00 10.22 NKS0018RD 10753.97 20158.42 RCDD 119 -55 324.20 1 218.40 219.25 0.85 0.70 NKS0018RD 10753.97 20158.42 RCDD 119 -55 324.20 2 230.80 233.10 2.30 2.39 NKS0018RD 10753.97 20158.42 RCDD 119 -55 324.20 3 247.40 250 2.60 3.68 NKS0019RD 10882.05 20157.94 RCDD 119 -55 207.10 15 5.00 27.00 22.00 2.30 NKS0019RD 10882.05 20157.94 RCDD 119 -55 207.10 3 37.00 40.00 3.00 0.80 NKS0019RD 10882.05 20157.94 RCDD 119 -55 207.10 2 46.00 48.00 2.00 0.91 NKS0019RD 10882.05 20157.94 RCDD 119 -55 207.10 18 69.00 87.00 18.00 1.91 NKS0019RD 10882.05 20157.94 RCDD 119 -55 207.10 1 92.00 93.00 1.00 0.93 NKS0019RD 10882.05 20157.94 RCDD 119 -55 207.10 1 95.00 96.00 1.00 0.91 NKS0019RD 10882.05 20157.94 RCDD 119 -55 207.10 4 99.00 146.00 48.00 1.03 NKS0019RD 10882.05 20157.94 RCDD 119 -55 207.10 2 154.40 156.40 2.00 1.23 NKS0020RD 10834.45 20120.42 RCDD 119 -55 279.30 1 48.00 50.00 1.00 0.72 NKS0020RD 10834.45 20120.42 RCDD 119 -55 279.30 7 56.00 63.00 7.00 2.78 NKS0020RD 10834.45 20120.42 RCDD 119 -55 279.30 1 78.00 79.00 1.00 1.01 NKS0020RD 10834.45 20120.42 RCDD 119 -55 279.30 1 89.00 90.00 1.00 0.71 NKS0020RD 10834.45 20120.42 RCDD 119 -55 279.30 1 94.00 95.00 1.00 2.1 NKS0020RD 10834.45 20120.42 RCDD 119 -55 279.30 10 98.00 108.00 10.00 1.68 NKS0020RD 10834.45 20120.42 RCDD 119 -55 279.30 2 115.00 116.60 1.60 3.53 NKS0020RD 10834.45 20120.42 RCDD 119 -55 279.30 7 129.00 136.00 7.00 3.52 NKS0020RD 10834.45 20120.42 RCDD 119 -55 279.30 1 163.00 164.50 1.50 0.68 NKS0020RD 10834.45 20120.42 RCDD 119 -55 279.30 4 194.70 198.10 3.40 1.99 NKS0020RD 10834.45 20120.42 RCDD 119 -55 279.30 1 200.40 201.00 0.60 0.76 NKS0020RD 10834.45 20120.42 RCDD 119 -55 279.30 1 204.50 266.00 1.50 0.60 NKS0020RD 10834.45 20120.42 RCDD 119 -55 279.30 4 240.00 244.00 4.00 0.71 NKS0020RD 10834.45 20120.42 RCDD 119 -55 279.30 1 274.08 274.65 0.57 1.15 NKS0021RD 10997.72 19839.25 RCDD 119 -55 255.20 8 1.00 9.00 8.00 0.94 NKS0021RD 10997.72 19839.25 RCDD 119 -55 255.20 12 13.00 25.00 12.00 1.74 NKS0021RD 10997.72 19839.25 RCDD 119 -55 255.20 4 29.00 33.00 4.00 1.59 NKS0021RD 10997.72 19839.25 RCDD 119 -55 255.20 3 46.00 49.00 3.00 1.18 NKS0021RD 10997.72 19839.25 RCDD 119 -55 255.20 1 55.00 56.00 1.00 1.47 NKS0021RD 10997.72 19839.25 RCDD 119 -55 255.20 14 71.00 84.00 14.00 0.58 NKS0021RD 10997.72 19839.25 RCDD 119 -55 255.20 4 91.00 95.00 4.00 1.09 NKS0021RD 10997.72 19839.25 RCDD 119 -55 255.20 3 98.00 101.00 3.00 0.52 NKS0021RD 10997.72 19839.25 RCDD 119 -55 255.20 1 103.00 104.00 1.00 1.40 NKS0021RD 10997.72 19839.25 RCDD 119 -55 255.20 13 114.00 127.00 13.00 0.73 NKS0021RD 10997.72 19839.25 RCDD 119 -55 255.20 3 130.00 133.00 3.00 1.25 NKS0021RD 10997.72 19839.25 RCDD 119 -55 255.20 24 136.00 161.00 25.00 1.03 NKS0021RD 10997.72 19839.25 RCDD 119 -55 255.20 1 166.50 168.00 1.50 0.69 NKS0021RD 10997.72 19839.25 RCDD 119 -55 255.20 1 178.00 179.00 1.00 0.80 NKS0021RD 10997.72 19839.25 RCDD 119 -55 255.20 2 180.68 182.00 1.38 0.55 NKS0021RD 10997.72 19839.25 RCDD 119 -55 255.20 1 193.00 194.00 1.00 0.77 NKS0021RD 10997.72 19839.25 RCDD 119 -55 255.20 1 201.00 202.20 1.20 0.68 NKS0021RD 10997.72 19839.25 RCDD 119 -55 255.20 1 204.00 205.10 1.10 0.53 NKS0021RD 10997.72 19839.25 RCDD 119 -55 255.20 4 211.80 215.90 4.10 0.95 NKS0021RD 10997.72 19839.25 RCDD 119 -55 255.20 3 238.00 241.05 3.05 0.54 NKS0021RD 10997.72 19839.25 RCDD 119 -55 255.20 1 254.10 255.20 1.10 0.62 NKS0022RD 10923.47 19839.23 RCDD 119 -55 381.20 1 83.00 84.00 1.00 0.99 NKS0022RD 10923.47 19839.23 RCDD 119 -55 381.20 1 89.00 90.00 1.00 0.98 NKS0022RD 10923.47 19839.23 RCDD 119 -55 381.20 1 96.00 97.00 1.00 0.69 NKS0022RD 10923.47 19839.23 RCDD 119 -55 381.20 1 125.00 126.00 1.00 2.78 NKS0022RD 10923.47 19839.23 RCDD 119 -55 381.20 5 147.00 152.00 5.00 1.00 NKS0022RD 10923.47 19839.23 RCDD 119 -55 381.20 3 152.95 156.50 3.55 0.62 NKS0022RD 10923.47 19839.23 RCDD 119 -55 381.20 1 163.00 164.00 1.00 0.53 NKS0022RD 10923.47 19839.23 RCDD 119 -55 381.20 2 177.83 179.89 2.06 0.96 NKS0022RD 10923.47 19839.23 RCDD 119 -55 381.20 1 183.00 184.00 1.00 0.94 NKS0022RD 10923.47 19839.23 RCDD 119 -55 381.20 1 211.50 213.00 1.50 0.61 NKS0022RD 10923.47 19839.23 RCDD 119 -55 381.20 5 273.00 278.00 5.00 0.53 NKS0022RD 10923.47 19839.23 RCDD 119 -55 381.20 1 296.00 297.00 1.00 1.82 NKS0022RD 10923.47 19839.23 RCDD 119 -55 381.20 1 313.00 314.20 1.20 3.04 NKS0022RD 10923.47 19839.23 RCDD 119 -55 381.20 1 296.00 297.00 1.00 1.82 NKS0022RD 10923.47 19839.23 RCDD 119 -55 381.20 1 313.00 314.20 1.20 3.04 NKS0023DD 11075.62 19838.42 RCDD 119 -55 125.80 14 0.00 20.10 20.10 0.67 NKS0023DD 11075.62 19838.42 RCDD 119 -55 125.80 1 23.10 24.10 1.00 0.64 NKS0023DD 11075.62 19838.42 RCDD 119 -55 125.80 1 27.10 29.10 2.00 0.51 NKS0023DD 11075.62 19838.42 RCDD 119 -55 125.80 2 36.10 39.10 3.00 0.54 NKS0023DD 11075.62 19838.42 RCDD 119 -55 125.80 16 44.60 66.50 21.90 0.67 NKS0023DD 11075.62 19838.42 RCDD 119 -55 125.80 6 71.00 78.00 7.00 0.92 NKS0023DD 11075.62 19838.42 RCDD 119 -55 125.80 1 81.00 82.00 1.00 0.54 NKS0023DD 11075.62 19838.42 RCDD 119 -55 125.80 8 88.00 96.00 8.00 1.04 NKS0023DD 11075.62 19838.42 RCDD 119 -55 125.80 7 100.00 107.00 7.00 0.62 NKS0023DD 11075.62 19838.42 RCDD 119 -55 125.80 5 114.00 120.00 6.00 1.17 NKS0024RD 10878.43 20118.21 RCDD 119 -55 270.60 1 3.00 4.00 1.00 1.57 NKS0024RD 10878.43 20118.21 RCDD 119 -55 270.60 1 19.00 20.00 1.00 1.93 NKS0024RD 10878.43 20118.21 RCDD 119 -55 270.60 2 55.00 57.00 2.00 1.82 NKS0025RD 10921.06 19920.41 RCDD 119 -55 414.30 4 109.00 113.00 4.00 0.72 NKS0025RD 10921.06 19920.41 RCDD 119 -55 414.30 8 116.00 124.00 8.00 1.15 NKS0025RD 10921.06 19920.41 RCDD 119 -55 414.30 6 131.00 137.00 6.00 0.74 NKS0026RC 11111.23 19759.19 RCDD 119 -55 85.00 7 3.00 10.00 7.00 1.17 NKS0026RC 11111.23 19759.19 RCDD 119 -55 85.00 4 16.00 20.00 4.00 0.88 NKS0026RC 11111.23 19759.19 RCDD 119 -55 85.00 32 23.00 55.00 32.00 0.87 NKS0027RD 11033.98 19677.63 RCDD 119 -55 210.30 1 3.00 4.00 1.00 0.63 NKS0027RD 11033.98 19677.63 RCDD 119 -55 210.30 1 34.00 35.00 1.00 8.30 NKS0028RD 10915.46 19758.01 RCDD 119 -55 390.30 NSI NKS0029RD 10999.04 19635.76 RCDD 119 -55 246.30 1 17.00 18.00 1.00 1.17 NKS0029RD 10999.04 19635.76 RCDD 119 -55 246.30 1 30.00 31.00 1.00 1.31 NKS0029RD 10999.04 19635.76 RCDD 119 -55 246.30 1 34.00 35.00 1.00 1.67 NKS0029RD 10999.04 19635.76 RCDD 119 -55 246.30 1 48.00 49.00 1.00 0.86 NKS0029RD 10999.04 19635.76 RCDD 119 -55 246.30 1 74.00 75.00 1.00 1.43 NKS0030RD 11035.32 19599.79 RCDD 119 -55 192.20 1 45.00 46.00 1.00 0.61 NKS0030RD 11035.32 19599.79 RCDD 119 -55 192.20 1 49.00 50.00 1.00 1.33 NKS0030RD 11035.32 19599.79 RCDD 119 -55 192.20 1 54.00 55.00 1.00 0.52 NKS0031RD 10997.39 19761.58 RCDD 119 -55 252.20 3 1.00 4.00 3.00 1.10 NKS0031RD 10997.39 19761.58 RCDD 119 -55 252.20 6 13.00 19.00 6.00 0.63 NKS0031RD 10997.39 19761.58 RCDD 119 -55 252.20 1 22.00 23.00 1.00 0.52 NKS0031RD 10997.39 19761.58 RCDD 119 -55 252.20 1 27.00 28.00 1.00 0.73 NKS0031RD 10997.39 19761.58 RCDD 119 -55 252.20 1 40.00 41.00 1.00 0.89 NKS0031RD 10997.39 19761.58 RCDD 119 -55 252.20 3 46.00 49.00 3.00 0.55 NKS0031RD 10997.39 19761.58 RCDD 119 -55 252.20 1 51.00 52.00 1.00 1.00 NKS0031RD 10997.39 19761.58 RCDD 119 -55 252.20 1 59.00 60.00 1.00 0.52 NKS0031RD 10997.39 19761.58 RCDD 119 -55 252.20 1 66.00 67.00 1.00 4.19 NKS0035RD 11075.02 19758.51 RCDD 119 -55 141.70 1 3.00 4.00 1.00 2.59 NKS0035RD 11075.02 19758.51 RCDD 119 -55 141.70 1 10.00 11.00 1.00 0.58 NKS0035RD 11075.02 19758.51 RCDD 119 -55 141.70 1 26.00 27.00 1.00 0.90 NKS0035RD 11075.02 19758.51 RCDD 119 -55 141.70 1 29.00 30.00 1.00 0.89

APPENDIX 3  JORC TABLES NKOSUO PROPERTY



JORC 2012 Table 1  Section 1 sampling techniques and data

(Criteria in this section apply to all succeeding sections)

Criteria JORC Code Explanation Commentary Sampling techniques Nature and quality of sampling (e.g. cut channels, random chips, or specific specialised industry standard measurement tools appropriate to the minerals under investigation, such as down hole gamma sondes, or handheld XRF instruments, etc.). These examples should not be taken as limiting the broad meaning of sampling. Other than for soil sampling and an airborne EM-magnetics-radiometrics survey conducted in 2020 there has been no previous mineral exploration at Nkosuo. The presence of gold mineralisation was first revealed by artisanal miners in 2019. Perseus commenced drilling in July 2021. Drilling completed to the end of September 2021 is tabulated below.



Include reference to measures taken to ensure sample representivity and the appropriate calibration of any measurement tools or systems used.



Drilling Type No. Holes RC metres DD metres Aspects of the determination of mineralisation that are Material to the Public Report. In cases where industry standard work has been done this would be relatively simple (e.g. reverse circulation drilling was used to obtain 1 m samples from which 3 kg was pulverised to produce a 30 g charge for fire assay). In other cases more explanation may be required, such as where there is coarse gold that has inherent sampling problems. Unusual commodities or mineralisation types (e.g. submarine nodules) may warrant disclosure of detailed information. RC 13 1,133.00 0.00 Pre-collared DD



26



2,665.30



3,451.80



DD from surface



8



0.00



551.00



Totals 47 3,798.30 4,002.80 RC drilling used face-sampling hammers with 136mm hole diameter. Samples were collected at one metre intervals and logged visually for recovery, sample condition (dry, damp, wet) and contamination. Sample recoveries were measured by weighing bulk recovered samples.



Diamond drilling utilised HQ triple-tube (61.1mm ) drilling in weathered materials and NQ2 (50.6mm ) diameter core in fresh rock. Diamond core recoveries were measured linearly per drill run. Core recoveries average 70% in weathered materials and 100% in fresh rock.

Drilling techniques Drill type (e.g. core, reverse circulation, open-hole hammer, rotary air blast, auger, Bangka, sonic, etc.) and details (e.g. core diameter, triple or standard tube, depth of diamond tails, face-sampling bit or other type, whether core is oriented and if so, by what method, etc.). RC drilling used face-sampling hammers with 136mm hole diameter. Samples were collected at one metre intervals.



Diamond drilling utilised HQ triple-tube (61.1mm ) drilling in weathered materials and NQ2 (50.6mm ) diameter core in fresh rock. Core in fresh rock was oriented using a Reflex ACT II device. Drill sample recovery Method of recording and assessing core and chip sample recoveries and results assessed. RC drill samples were logged visually for recovery, sample condition (dry, damp, wet) and contamination. Sample recoveries were measured by weighing bulk recovered samples. Preliminary evaluation indicates that RC sample recoveries have averaged 19.3kg in weathered material and 29.3kg in fresh rock. 64 samples (3%) have been logged as being wet.



Measures taken to maximise sample recovery and ensure representative nature of the samples. Diamond core recoveries were measured linearly per drill run. Core recoveries average 70% in weathered materials and 100% in fresh rock.



Whether a relationship exists between sample recovery and grade and whether sample bias may have occurred due to preferential loss/gain of fine/coarse material. The Competent Person considers that there are presently insufficient data available to permit a meaningful examination of potential relationships between sample recovery and gold grade. Logging Whether core and chip samples have been geologically and geotechnically logged to a level of detail to support appropriate Mineral Resource estimation, mining studies and metallurgical studies.



Geological logs are available for the entire lengths of all drill holes. The logging is qualitative in nature. Whether logging is qualitative or quantitative in nature. Core (or costean, channel, etc.) photography. Sieved samples of RC chips from each metre of drilling were logged for colour, rock type, alteration type and intensity, vein quartz content, sulphide mineralisation, weathering and oxidation. The chips are stored in plastic chip trays and the trays are photographed.



The total length and percentage of the relevant intersections logged. Diamond drill core was logged for geology, structure and geotechnical characteristics. Geological logging included colour, lithology, weathering, oxidation, vein type and vein volume percentage, sulphide species and their estimated percentage, alteration and alteration intensity. Structural logging included fault, fold, cleavage and joint orientation, lithological contacts and vein orientations. Drill core was photographed prior to cutting.

Sub-sampling techniques and sample preparation If core, whether cut or sawn and whether quarter, half or all core taken. RC drill samples were collected at drill sites over one metre intervals and manually split using multi-stage riffle splitters to produce assay sub-samples averaging around 3kg. All RC holes have been assayed in entirety.



If non-core, whether riffled, tube sampled, rotary split, etc. and whether sampled wet or dry. In weathered materials, diamond core was halved using spatulas or knives. In fresh rock, core was sawn in half using a diamond blade saw, with one half sent for assaying and the other half stored in core trays for reference. Samples were normally taken at 1 metre intervals. All diamond drill core has been assayed.



For all sample types, the nature, quality and appropriateness of the sample preparation technique. Preparation of core and RC samples followed a standard path of drying at 105 degrees C for at least 12 hours, crushing the entire sample to 85% passing -2mm and grinding a 1.5kg split to 85% passing 75 microns. 300g pulp subsamples are selected by multiple scoop passes.



Quality control procedures adopted for all sub-sampling stages to maximise representivity of samples. Quality control measures adopted to confirm the representivity of samples from RC and diamond drilling include:



Measures taken to ensure that the sampling is representative of the in-situ material collected, including for instance results for field duplicate/second-half sampling. Whether sample sizes are appropriate to the grain size of the material being sampled. Sample preparation techniques are considered appropriate to the style of mineralisation. Available information indicates that sample sizes are appropriate to the grain size of the material being sampled.

Quality of assay data and laboratory tests The nature, quality and appropriateness of the assaying and laboratory procedures used and whether the technique is considered partial or total. All RC and diamond core samples have been assayed by 50g fire assay with AAS determination by Intertek Testing Services Ghana at their Tarkwa assay laboratory. The technique is considered a total extraction technique.



For geophysical tools, spectrometers, handheld XRF instruments, etc., the parameters used in determining the analysis including instrument make and model, reading times, calibrations factors applied and their derivation, etc.



Quality control procedures include submission of coarse blanks (1:20) and certified reference standards (1:20). Nature of quality control procedures adopted (e.g. standards, blanks, duplicates, external laboratory checks) and whether acceptable levels of accuracy (i.e. lack of bias) and precision have been established.

The available information indicates that the assaying of RC and core samples is free from any significant biases and is of acceptable accuracy. Verification of sampling and assaying The verification of significant intersections by either independent or alternative company personnel. Numerous significant mineralised intersections have been checked against visual alteration and sulphide mineralisation in drill chips and core.



The use of twinned holes. No holes have been deliberately twinned.



Documentation of primary data, data entry procedures, data verification, data storage (physical and electronic) protocols. Geology, structure and geotechnical logs are paper based. Sample intervals are recorded in pre-numbered sample ticket books. All logging, sample interval and survey data are manually entered to digital form on site and stored in an acQuire relational database. Data exports are normally in the form of MS Access files.



Discuss any adjustment to assay data. Data verification procedures include automated checks to:

Down-hole survey data are examined for large deviations in dip or azimuth that may represent erroneous data or data entry errors and corrected on a case-by-case basis including estimates of dips and azimuths where the original data appear to be in error.



Additional data checks include viewing drill hole traces, geological logging and assays in plan and section views.



The Competent Persons independent checks of database validity included: Comparison of assay values between nearby holes, checking for internal consistency between, and within database tables, comparisons between assay results from different sampling phases. Additional checking included comparing database assay entries with laboratory source files. These checks showed no significant discrepancies in the database used for resource estimation Location of data points Accuracy and quality of surveys used to locate drill holes (collar and down-hole surveys), trenches, mine workings and other locations used in Mineral Resource estimation.



Drill hole collars have been surveyed by qualified mine surveyors using differential GPS equipment with coordinates recorded in UTM grid, WGS84 Zone 30N datum. Specification of the grid system used. All RC and diamond core holes have been surveyed at 12m depth and at approximately 30m down-hole increments using digital compass instruments.



Quality and adequacy of topographic control. A topographic surface has been established by a drone photogrammetric survey conducted in 2020. The topographic surface is expected to be reliable to +/- 0.2m.



Topographic control is adequate for the current work being undertaken at Nkosuo.

Data spacing and distribution Data spacing for reporting of Exploration Results. The Nkosuo prospect is delineated by regular drilling at 80m x 80m X-Y spacing in holes dipping at -55 degrees toward 160 degrees (UTM grid) azimuth. The drill pattern has been partially infilled to 40m x 80m in places. Drill coverage generally extends to about 150m vertical depth and to a maximum of about 280m depth.



Whether the data spacing and distribution is sufficient to establish the degree of geological and grade continuity appropriate for the Mineral Resource and Ore Reserve estimation procedure(s) and classifications applied.



The data spacing has established geological continuity of the host granite but has not defined the continuity of mineralisation sufficiently to permit reliable estimation of Mineral Resources. Whether sample compositing has been applied. Orientation of data in relation to geological structure Whether the orientation of sampling achieves unbiased sampling of possible structures and the extent to which this is known, considering the deposit type.



Drill holes are oriented approximately orthogonal to the trend of the granite body that hosts mineralisation. The orientation of mineralised structures within the granite is presently unconfirmed but there is no indication that exploration results to date are affected by a significant bias due to orientation. If the relationship between the drilling orientation and the orientation of key mineralised structures is considered to have introduced a sampling bias, this should be assessed and reported if material. Sample security The measures taken to ensure sample security. RC and core samples were delivered to the secure core yard compound at Edikan mine by Perseus personnel. RC field sample splits and samples of half diamond core were placed in numbered bags and those bags, in turn, placed into polywoven sacks that were closed with plastic cable ties prior to transport to the assay laboratory by laboratory personnel. Security guards were employed at drilling sites and at the core yard compound on a 24 hour per day basis.



Results of field duplicates along with the general consistency of assay results between adjacent drill holes and drilling methods provide confidence in the general reliability of the assay data.

Audits or reviews The results of any audits or reviews of sampling techniques and data. Nkosuo drill hole data have not been subject to any formal audit.



The Competent Person has reviewed the available sampling and assaying quality control data and found no errors or bias likely to significantly affect the reliability of the exploration data. These reviews included review of database consistency, comparisons between database records and laboratory source files, and review of QAQC information.



The Competent Person considers that the sample preparation, security and analytical procedures adopted for the Nkosuo drilling provide an adequate basis for the reporting of Exploration Results.

JORC 2012 Table 1  Section 2 Reporting of Exploration Results

(Criteria listed in the preceding section also apply to this section)

Criteria JORC Code explanation Commentary Mineral tenement and land tenure status Type, reference name/number, location and ownership including agreements or material issues with third parties such as joint ventures, partnerships, overriding royalties, native title interests, historical sites, wilderness or national park and environmental settings.

The security of the tenure held at the time of reporting along with any known impediments to obtaining a licence to operate in the area. The Nkosuo prospect is located on the Agyakusu Prospecting Licence PL2/177 granted to Adio-Mabas Ghana Limited and renewed on 15th January 2020. The permit is valid until 14th January 2023. In 2019 Perseus Mining (Ghana) Limited entered into an agreement with Adio-Mabas Ghana Limited under which it has an option to purchase the permit. Perseus has exercised its option and ministerial approval to transfer the permit to Perseus Mining (Ghana) Limited is being applied for. Should Perseus apply for a mining lease, the Government of Ghana shall retain a 10% free carried interest in holding company Perseus Mining (Ghana) Limited. Additionally, the Government of Ghana is entitled to a 5% royalty on nett revenue (revenue minus transport and refining costs).



A further 0.5% of nett revenue is required to be paid to a local community development fund.



The Nkosuo prospect area is not affected by sites of historical or environmental significance. Ongoing drilling to delineate a resource requires negotiation of access agreements with farmers and payment of compensation for affected crops. Exploitation of the deposit will require an environmental and social impact assessment, community consultation and the grant of an Exploitation Permit. Nkosuo is located 7km from the Edikan mine processing plant. Exploration done by other parties Acknowledgment and appraisal of exploration by other parties. There has been no exploration by other parties. Geology Deposit type, geological setting and style of mineralisation. The Nkosuo prospect is a granite-hosted orogenic gold deposit similar to several deposits exploited at Perseuss nearby Edikan Gold Mine. Edikan gold deposits occur near the western flank of the Ashanti Greenstone Belt along the Obuasi-Akropong gold corridor. The Central Ashanti property is underlain principally by Paleoproterozoic Birimian metasediments of the Kumasi-Afema basin, positioned between the Ashanti and Sefwi Greenstone Belts. The flysch type metasediments consist of dacitic volcaniclastics, greywackes plus argillaceous (phyllitic) sediments, intensely folded, faulted and metamorphosed to upper green schist facies. Minor cherty and manganiferous exhalative sediments are locally present, and graphitic schists coincide with the principal shear (thrust) zones. Numerous small Basin-type or Cape Coast-type granitoids have intruded the sediments along several regional structures. Structurally controlled gold mineralisation occurs in two principal modes: disseminated pyrite-arsenopyrite mineralisation associated with quartz veining and sericite alteration hosted by granitoids and shear-zone hosted mineralisation associated with pyrite-arsenopyrite mineralisation in and adjacent to quartz veins in deformed metasedimentary rocks.



The Nkosuo deposit comprises mineralisation hosted by a single NNE striking granitoid body measuring at least 600m along strike, typically 250m horizontal width and dipping approximately 75 toward WNW. Drilling has confirmed that the body is continuous to at least 250m vertical depth below surface. The entire granite is not mineralised throughout but drilling to date indicates substantial zones of gold mineralisation up to 100m horizontal width. Drill hole Information A summary of all information material to the understanding of the exploration results including a tabulation of the following information for all Material drill holes:

If the exclusion of this information is justified on the basis that the information is not Material and this exclusion does not detract from the understanding of the report, the Competent Person should clearly explain why this is the case. A table of drill hole and intercept details is included in the report to which this table relates. Data aggregation methods In reporting Exploration Results, weighting averaging techniques, maximum and/or minimum grade truncations (e.g. cutting of high grades) and cut-off grades are usually Material and should be stated.

Where aggregate intercepts incorporate short lengths of high-grade results and longer lengths of low-grade results, the procedure used for such aggregation should be stated and some typical examples of such aggregations should be shown in detail.

The assumptions used for any reporting of metal equivalent values should be clearly stated. The cut-off grade, minimum down-hole length and maximum included internal waste are clearly stated in the report to which this table relates.

Higher-grade included intercepts are clearly reported.

Drill hole intercepts have not been reported as metal equivalents. Relationship between mineralization widths and intercept lengths These relationships are particularly important in the reporting of Exploration Results.

If the geometry of the mineralisation with respect to the drill hole angle is known, its nature should be reported.

If it is not known and only the down hole lengths are reported, there should be a clear statement to this effect (e.g. down hole length, true width not known). The geometry of the host granite body has been established but the orientation(s) of mineralised zones within the granite are not yet defined. Intercepts are clearly described as down-hole lengths because true widths are not presently known. Diagrams Appropriate maps and sections (with scales) and tabulations of intercepts should be included for any significant discovery being reported. These should include, but not be limited to a plan view of drill hole collar locations and appropriate sectional views. Appropriate plans and cross-sections are included in the report to which this table relates. Balanced reporting Where comprehensive reporting of all Exploration Results is not practicable, representative reporting of both low and high grades and/or widths should be practiced to avoid misleading reporting of Exploration Results. Holes that did not intercept significant mineralisation are shown on plans and cross-sections and NSI holes are included in tables of intercepts. Other substantive exploration data Other exploration data, if meaningful and material, should be reported including (but not limited to): geological observations; geophysical survey results; geochemical survey results; bulk samples  size and method of treatment; metallurgical test results; bulk density, groundwater, geotechnical and rock characteristics; potential deleterious or contaminating substances. Soil sampling has defined a strong gold-in-soil anomaly over the Nkosuo prospect. The airborne geophysical survey has helped elucidate the general geology of the area. Otherwise, there are no other material exploration data yet available for Nkosuo prospect. Further work The nature and scale of planned further work (e.g. tests for lateral extensions or depth extensions or large-scale step-out drilling).

Diagrams clearly highlighting the areas of possible extensions, including the main geological interpretations and future drilling areas, provided this information is not commercially sensitive. Perseus intends to continue drilling at Nkosuo to delineate a Mineral Resource and to undertake such other studies as are required to complete a feasibility study, economic evaluation and estimate of Ore Reserves that will contribute to the Life-of-Mine plan at Edikan.








JAKARTA, Indonesia, Oct. 13, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Indonesia's President Joko Widodo officiated the groundbreaking ceremony for PT Freeport Indonesia's (PTFI) new copper smelter at Special Economic Zone Java Integrated Industrial and Port Estate (SEZ JIIPE) Gresik, East Java. The 1.7 million MT Copper Smelter and Precious metals refinery being built in JIIPE is a project to strengthen the national downstream metals industry in Indonesia. JIIPE is a strategic national project jointly promoted by PT AKR Corporindo Tbk., (AKRA.IJ) along with State owned Pelindo III which integrates industrial estate with deep seaport and other utilities.

Indonesia President Joko Widodo

"The arrival of PTFI in the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) JIIPE in Gresik will be a strong pull factor for other industries to invest in Indonesia, especially those in the copper derivatives industry. We will keep supporting the development of infrastructure, as well as easing business processes. In addition, the local government of East Java province and district of Gresik will contribute to meeting the human resources needs of SEZ Gresik to make Indonesia more attractive as an investment destination," said President Widodo.

During a back-to-back event, Coordinating Minister of Economy, Airlangga Hartarto, also officially handed over SEZ status to JIIPE Gresik and inaugurated it as a Development and Management Entity (BUPP).

Hartarto said, "Currently we have 15 out of 19 SEZs in operation, with a total investment of 64.4 trillion rupiahs, that has generated over 30,000 new jobs and total exports of 38 trillion rupiahs. Today, SEZ Gresik officially receives its status as Special economic zone as per Government Regulation No 71. The designation marks a milestone in the development of a chosen brownfield site chosen to become a new export and advanced technology-oriented powerhouse."

With the addition of BUPP status, JIIPE will be authorised to handle all business licensing requests for investors under one roof, such as the issuing of building permits, environmental impact assessment certificates (AMDAL), and operational permits.

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President Director of AKR Corporindo Haryanto Adikoesoemo said, "With SEZ and BUPP status now legally confirmed, investors will be able to do business in comfort. Our strategy in JIIPE is to build clusters of supply chains, provide utilities at competitive prices and an integrated deep seaport. This will enable our tenants operate efficiently and be competitive not only in Indonesia but also in the region".

For more information on SEZ JIIPE, please visit jiipe.com.

Coordinating Minister of Economy, Airlangga Hartarto, handing over official SEZ status to President Director of PT BKMS Bambang Soetiono Soedijanto

PT AKR Corporindo President Director Haryanto Adikoesoemo highlighting salient features of SEZ Gresik to President Joko Widodo

SOURCE PT AKR Corporindo
Organization and VR studio team up to provide a virtual experience of Haiti. Event and auction will support Hope for Haiti's short- and long-term response to the devastating 7.2 magnitude earthquake in August.

Inspiring Hope: An Immersive VR Experience of Haiti

Inspiring Hope: An Immersive VR Experience of Haiti

Inspiring Hope: An Immersive VR Experience of Haiti

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hope for Haiti and FXG announced the launch of their joint NFT auction and Virtual Reality Experience to raise $50k for earthquake relief in Haiti. The community-driven auction is currently open for donations and bidding and will run through the official event, taking place inside of a custom Virtual Reality app of Haiti, on October 20 at 6 p.m. PT / 9 p.m. ET. NFT artists participating include but are not limited to: Sutu , Mark Saab , Nygilia , RiniiFish and more.

On Aug. 14, 2021, a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck the southern region of Haiti, causing deaths, injuries, and severe damage to numerous school and medical buildings. Hope for Haiti is implementing an Emergency Response Plan and leading recovery efforts in Haiti. All funds raised through the NFT auction will directly support recovery in southern Haiti, including Hope for Haiti's School Reconstruction Fund, which will support the reconstruction of schools that were damaged or destroyed.

Digital artists have created NFTs surrounding the theme of 'Empowering the Next Generation of Haiti's Leaders'. Hope for Haiti and FXG have also opened a community wallet where people can donate artworks and cryptocurrency in order to help achieve the needs of the relief and recovery fund for the devastation of the earthquake in Haiti. Anyone can donate artworks or Tezos to the wallet here: tz1NZghFpJFncMj3UFsk1f4Lawvni7udB9C8

A live, curated, NFT auction with artworks from selected artists will also be hosted online, starting at the time of the VR event, in order to make further strides in raising the goal of $50k for earthquake recovery in Haiti. During the live VR event, there will be a variety of artworks up for sale or auction, through a variety of different models, from exclusive, single editions, to more community-accessible works. The NFT auction will be hosted on hic et nunc .

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A variety of presentations will be given to the attendees during the inaugural VR event experience on October 20, including a summary of Hope for Haiti's work from Hope for Haiti's CEO, Skyler Badenoch, presentations of the NFT pieces, general information about school life in Haiti, and how the public can get involved. In order to preserve the quality of the experience, the live VR event experience will be limited to a small number of attendees, who can apply to attend and be amongst the first to test out the new Haiti VR app. Due to the nature of the event as a fundraiser, attendees will be granted priority acceptance based on their intent to participate in the relief fund. People can apply to join the event here: https://form.jotform.com/212632019485050 .

Press Contact:

Taylor Hebble

Director of Communications, Hope for Haiti

taylor@hopeforhaiti.com; (239) 603-6769

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InsurTech NY 2021 Accelerator Cohort

15 companies invited to the 2021 insurance accelerator including: 360F, Amplify, Bright Dime, JAUNTIN', Manifest, PerfectQuote, Spring, Sqwire, Trusty.care, Humn.ai, Innoveo, Joshu, Safely, Steadily and a stealth startup

15 companies invited to the 2021 insurance accelerator including: 360F, Amplify, Bright Dime, JAUNTIN', Manifest, PerfectQuote, Spring, Sqwire, Trusty.care, Humn.ai, Innoveo, Joshu, Safely, Steadily and a stealth startup

NEW YORK, Oct. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- InsurTech NY, the largest InsurTech community in North America, announced today its second growth-stage InsurTech accelerator cohort.



15 startups were chosen to participate in the hybrid virtual and in-person insurance accelerator program. The program will provide resources to help startups with traction, talent, and financing. Founders will work with insurers seeking to provide risk capital to digital MGAs and to pilot new technologies.

We are proud to welcome our second cohort into the program to accelerate their growth, said David Gritz, InsurTech NY Managing Director. They are fortunate to be supported by a strong alumni base that has already raised more than $210 million of follow-on funding and completed one acquisition.

Selected startups include:

Life, Health, and Benefits Lines: 360F, Amplify, Bright Dime, Manifest, PerfectQuote, Spring, Sqwire, and Trusty.care

Property and Casualty Lines: Humn.ai, Innoveo, JAUNTIN', Joshu, Safely, Steadily, and a stealth startup

The hybrid accelerator format made it possible for Amplify, a San Francisco Bay Area startup, to access the global network organized by InsurTech NY, said Hanna Wu, Co-founder of Amplify. We will seize the opportunity to collaborate with the program mentors to accomplish our mission -- enabling the next generation to build wealth through permanent life insurance.

For traction, more than 30 members and mentors from insurance carriers and brokers will work closely with startups to establish partnerships and support investment. Participating startups had the opportunity to participate in 2 full days of networking and education in New York City on September 22 and 23. The program will continue to run virtually until its culmination at a Demo Day in NYC on November 16.

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About InsurTech NY

InsurTech NY acts as a global hub pulling together the insurance community. InsurTech NY brings together carriers, brokers, InsurTechs, and investors via regular programs and its insurance accelerator . Its mission is to drive talent to insurance, make regulation innovation-friendly, connect InsurTechs to the NYC ecosystem, and improve access to investment. See more at insurtechny.com/accelerator or follow us on LinkedIn (linkedin.com/company/insurtechny).

Contact: David Gritz

press@insurtechny.com

212-634-9516

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3cced502-4d70-419f-abfd-7980713ffeb1




TSXV: JK

Chili House is a Storied Restaurant Brand in Business since 1949 and Ben Teppanyaki is Taiwan's Leading Premium Teppanyaki Cuisine

VANCOUVER, BC, Oct. 12, 2021 /CNW/ - Just Kitchen Holdings Corp. ("JustKitchen" or the "Company") (TSXV: JK) (OTC: JKHCF) (Frankfurt: 68Z), an operator of ghost kitchens specializing in the development of delivery-only food brands, is pleased to announce that it has recently acquired the virtual branding rights to each of the Chili House and Ben Teppanyaki third-party Taiwanese restaurant brands (collectively, the "New Brands"). These mark the first such arrangements for the New Brands with any ghost kitchen operator. In mid-September, the Company launched Chili House-branded food items that are currently being made at 13 of its ghost kitchens. JustKitchen has also initiated the launch of Ben Teppanyaki-branded food items, which are now available at two spoke locations and with more being added in the near future.

JustKitchen (TSXV: JK) (CNW Group/Just Kitchen Holdings Corp.)

Found in 1949, Chili House is a restaurant chain that is highly regarded for both quality and value, most notably being featured in the Michelin Guide's "The Bib Gourmand" for four consecutive years inclusive from 2018-2021. Its signature item is pork dumplings in red oil, and its mala hotpot is made with over 60 different Chinese herbs and spices. Chili House is well known for its menu of traditional Sichuan cuisine, which changes every season. It has been operating with multiple locations for over 40 years and its locations are currently located in the Da'an, Linkou and Xinyi A13 areas of Taiwan.

Ben Teppanyaki has been operating since 1991 and is the leading premium teppanyaki brand in Taiwan. It is well known for infusing French and Japanese elements into its style of teppanyaki cuisine. The boutique chain currently has four locations in Taipei, Taiwan and employs top chefs with innovative techniques to execute on its revered teppanyaki cuisine. All of Ben Teppanyaki's ingredients are of high quality and, for decades, the business has carefully selected top-quality beef as its biggest feature in cooperation with Kumamoto and Hokkaido Wagyu farms.

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Management Commentary

"The additions of Chili House and Ben Teppanyaki to our growing portfolio of third-party brands strengthens our position as the leading ghost kitchen partner in Taiwan. I am honoured that each business chose to work with JustKitchen as these local hero brands are treasured by Taiwanese people both locally and abroad," said Jason Chen, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of JustKitchen. "The offering of menu items from these New Brands to our delivery-only customers also validates JustKitchen as being able to execute on the preparation of food to some of the highest standards in the world," added Mr. Chen.

ABOUT JUSTKITCHEN

JustKitchen is primarily an operator of ghost kitchens specializing in the development and marketing of proprietary and franchised delivery-only food brands for customers. The Company currently operates in Taiwan and Hong Kong with plans to expand operations to the United States and other Asian countries. JustKitchen uniquely utilizes a hub-and-spoke operating model, which features advanced food preparation taking place at larger hub kitchens and final meal preparation taking place at smaller spoke kitchens located in areas with higher population densities. The Company combines this operating model with online and mobile application-based food ordering fulfilled by third-party delivery companies, to minimize capital investments and operating expenses and reach more customers in underserved markets. The Company's other business, JustMarket, is an e-commerce grocery delivery platform that allows customers to purchase groceries for delivery or add select grocery items to meals ordered through JustKitchen.

For more information about the Company, please visit investors.justkitchen.com. JustKitchen's final prospectus, financial statements and management's discussion and analysis, among other documents, are all available on the Company's profile page on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This news release contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of such statements under applicable securities law. Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "anticipates", "plan", "continue", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "may", "will", "potential", "proposed", "positioned" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur including but not limited to the Company's comments regarding the increase in number of locations through which the new restaurant brands will be available. These statements are only predictions. Various assumptions were used in drawing the conclusions or making the projections contained in the forward-looking statements throughout this news release. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made and are subject to a variety of risks, including those risk factors identified in the Company's prospectus dated March 26, 2021, and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. The Company is under no obligation, and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable law.

SOURCE Just Kitchen Holdings Corp.

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Hello and welcome back to Max Q. I hope everyone is enjoying lower temperatures and all the other seasonal delights that autumn brings. Here in Austin, where I live, the daily high is still in the 90s, but the nights and mornings are blessedly cool. I'll take it.

Tips, opinions, criticism, thoughts? Email me at aria.techcrunch@gmail.com or find me on Twitter at @breadfrom.

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Relativity Space completes Stage 1 testing of Terran 1 rocket

Relativity Space said Friday it had completed Stage 1 testing of the Terran 1 rocket, including hydro proof testing, cryogenic proof testing and flight pressure testing. From here, the company needs to complete post-integration testing, which will take place at Cape Canaveral in Florida.

Relativity is aiming to launch the world's first entirely 3D-printed rocket to orbit in early 2022. Watch Relativity engineers lift Stage 1 onto the test stand here:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1eeT5XFeJk]

Blue Origin's next passenger is...William Shatner

Yes, you read that right. The 90-year-old actor, known for having played Captain James T. Kirk on Star Trek, will be joining Chris Boshuizen and Glen de Vries on a launch that is scheduled to fly on October 12. If all goes to plan, he will best Wally Funk as the oldest person to go to space. (Funk, of course, hitched a ride to orbit also with Blue Origin.)

Blue Origins own Audrey Powers, who serves as the companys vice president of New Shepard Mission & Flight Operations, will round out the four-person crew.

The next launch of Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket comes as the company faces a torrent of scrutiny after 21 current and former employees went public with accusations of safety concerns and sexual harassment at the company. The FAA said it was reviewing the information detailed in the essay, but so far there's no signs of anything interrupting the launch schedule.

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NASA will be smashing a spacecraft into a satellite

A CG render of the DART spacecraft ramming into the moonlet of Didymos.

Image Credits: NASA

File this one under, God, I love science. NASA has now set a date for what it's calling DART, the Double Asteroid Redirection Test, a mission that feels like it's ripped straight from a Hollywood script. Here's how it's going to go down: NASA will launch two satellites to a relatively nearby pair of planetoids -- a large asteroid and a "moonlet" in its orbit. The moonlet is small, exactly the kind of space body that poses a threat to Earth, so NASA will be testing the possibility of intercepting one by smashing into it at nearly 15,000 miles per hour.

DART is scheduled to launch from Vandenberg in Southern California at 10:20 PM on November 23, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9, after being delayed this summer.

The UAE wants to send a probe to the asteroid belt in 2028

Speaking of asteroids, the United Arab Emirates Space Agency is planning its most ambitious mission yet. The agency, which was only formed in 2014, wants to send a spacecraft to the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter in 2028. While the exact scientific goals of the mission have not yet been announced, any data the spacecraft collects could help deepen our understanding of the origins of the universe. Thats because asteroids are thought by some scientists to be celestial leftovers from when the solar system was formed.

After launching, the spacecraft will have a long and winding journey: It will travel 3.6 billion kilometers over five years, boomeranging around both Venus and Earth to build enough velocity to eventually arrive at the asteroid belt beyond Mars in 2030. The UAE aims to land the spacecraft on an asteroid in 2033.

News from around the web

SpaceX's valuation is now just north of $100 billion, according to reporting from CNBC. The new valuation follows a share-selling agreement with investors to sell up to $755 million in stock at $560 a share.

Rocket Lab shares surged after the company announced it was awarded a NASA contract to launch a technology demonstration. The agency's Advanced Composite Solar Sail System (ACS3) satellite will be sent to orbit aboard an Electron rocket in mid-2022.

Muon Space, a climate-focused company that aims to develop and launch a constellation of satellites, has raised $10 million in seed funding. The round was led by Costanoa Ventures with participation from Space Capital, Congruent VC, Ubiquity Ventures, South Park Commons and Climactic VC.

The U.S. Space Force has selected 13 startups and 11 university teams to compete in its accelerator, Hyperspace Challenge. The challenge is hosted by the Air Force Research Laboratory and CNM Ingenuity.

Join us at TC Sessions: Space in December

Last year we held our first dedicated space event, and it went so well that we decided to host it again in 2021. This year, its happening December 14 and 15, and its once again going to be an entirely virtual conference, so people from all over the world will be able to join  and you can, too.
Photo credit: Screenshot - CBS

For 19 seasons and counting, NCIS fans know that Gibbs (Mark Harmon) is the one who calls the shots. As it turns out, newcomer Park (Gary Cole) is taking a little longer to catch on but maybe the FBI special agent is now aware of how Gibbs operates after his unexpected getaway with LeMere (Jason Wiles).

In the midst of figuring out who was paying LeMere to kill people, Gibbs and Park were following his directions to the location of his first victim. Unsurprisingly, he tried his best to get under Gibbs skin and though, he riled him up, it wasnt enough for the suspended special agent in charge to lash out at him. That said, Park knew it was only a matter of time before the two would come to physical blows and so, he got ahead of the tense situation  or at least he thought he was.

While making a pit stop to grab food and coffee, Park shared his hunch that LeMere was up to something but couldnt figure out what. Gibbs then asked him what he wanted to do. Lets call this off. Just turn around and go home, Park said. Your call. Do what you gotta do, Gibbs replied.

Upon hearing Gibbs seemingly give his approval to call off the search, Park stepped away to let the team know that they were headed back. But Gibbs had different plans. Watch what he does next in the clip above.

Folks tuning in at home instantly lost it when Park heard the sound of screeching tires as he was left behind in the dust and seeing it again on Instagram made it even funnier. When he took and left him, I was rolling , one person wrote. Way to go Gibs!!!! another added. Fantastic! , a different fan said. , a follower commented.

Over on Twitter, the NCIS fandom was also in hysterics and some people even claimed they knew what Gibbs was about to do.

New dude was the only one who didnt see this coming, a fan tweeted. Never turn your back on Leroy Jethro Gibbs LOL, a different viewer wrote. Parker don't know who he is dealing with. There is power in silence, someone else quipped. 'Do what you gotta do' ... and so will I, another said. Gibbs is the one holding the keys & says it's your call & Mr. FBI goes to make a phone call, Gibbs drives away... , a fan added.

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In the end, Gibbs had a difficult time handling LeMere on his own without a buffer. But despite LeMeres greatest efforts to trick Gibbs, he and the rest of the team got closer to solving the latest case. Now, hes headed off to Alaska tonight with McGee (Sean Murray) and something tells us theres be more surprises in store.

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100 per cent of the retail price of all the Orange Sprinkle Donuts sold is being donated to the Orange Shirt Society and the Indian Residential School Survivors Society

More than 2,300 Orange Sprinkle Donuts were sold at a Tim Hortons restaurant in Kamloops, B.C., on the first day of the campaign, which was the biggest one-day total in the country

The plan for the fundraising campaign was developed with a group of Indigenous Tim Hortons restaurant owners and after consulting with a number of Indigenous leaders

TORONTO, Oct. 12, 2021 /CNW/ - Tim Hortons and its 1,500 restaurant owners across Canada are proud to announce that more than one million Orange Sprinkle Donuts were sold and more than $1.6 million was raised in the fundraising campaign in support of residential school survivors.

Tims restaurant owners Joe Quewezance and Mitch Shuter outside their restaurant in Kamloops, B.C. (CNW Group/Tim Hortons)

The Orange Sprinkle Donuts first went on sale on Sept. 30, which was Orange Shirt Day, and were available for a full week with 100 per cent of the retail price (excluding taxes) being donated to the Orange Shirt Society and the Indian Residential School Survivors Society.

After the shocking news about the discovery of children buried on the grounds of the former Kamloops residential school, Tim Hortons restaurant owners across Canada began asking what they could do to lend their support. A Tim Hortons restaurant co-owned by Shane Gottfriedson, Joe Quewezance and Mitch Shuter is located a short distance from the site of the former Kamloops residential school. They along with other Indigenous Tim Hortons restaurant owners were part of a working group that guided the launch of this fundraising campaign.

Their Kamloops restaurant sold more than 2,300 orange-sprinkled donuts on the first day of the campaign, which was the most in the country.

"We can't say thank you enough to everyone across Canada who supported this campaign  it's such an amazing result and we are so proud," said Gottfriedson, former Tk'emlups te Secwepemc First Nation chief and former B.C. regional chief for the Assembly of First Nations.

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"I also want to thank Tim Hortons and my fellow Tims owners across Canada who stood beside us in launching this campaign and put their hearts into making it such an incredible success story."

Landon Miller was also part of the working group of Tims restaurant owners for this campaign. He launched his own grassroots orange donut campaign at his restaurant on Six Nations of the Grand River territory in the days after the Kamloops discovery. Sharon and Brian Bruyere of the Sagkeeng First Nation in Manitoba were two other members of the working group for this campaign.

Orange Shirt Day has been observed on Sept. 30 since 2013, when Phyllis Webstad told her story of her first day of residential school. She was six years old in 1973, excited to be wearing her new clothes and going to school for the first time, only to have her shiny new orange shirt ripped away and learn that she didn't matter. Her organization, the Orange Shirt Society, and the Every Child Matters movement she created continue to raise awareness about Canada's history of residential schools, along with honouring the survivors and their families and the children who never returned home.

"Words can't express the gratitude that I and the Orange Shirt Society feel with the news of the success of this amazing fundraiser!" said Webstad. "Thank you Tim Hortons and thank you Canada for all your support!"

The Indian Residential School Survivors Society has a more than 20-year history of providing services to residential school survivors, their families, and those dealing with intergenerational traumas. One of the Society's goals is to continually expand support to partner organizations and maximize access to culturally sensitive, emotional, mental, physical and spiritual care.

"The Indian Residential School Survivors Society would like to express our profound gratitude to Tim Hortons and all the restaurant owners across Canada for their commitment to reconciliation by taking action to initiate their Orange Sprinkle Donut campaign," said Angela White, Executive Director of the Indian Residential School Survivors Society.

"We are working tirelessly to support survivors of residential schools and their families through programs and services for the youth, 2SLGBTQ+, elders and families. This donation will allow us to ensure the quality of programs are enhanced in providing safe cultural spaces, and build capacity in offering additional counsellors, therapists and knowledge keepers."

Tim Hortons thanks its restaurant owners and guests across Canada for coming together to support residential school survivors and the campaign, said Hope Bagozzi, Chief Marketing Officer for Tim Hortons.

"We knew Canadians would rally with us to support the Orange Shirt Society and the Indian Residential School Survivors Society but we are truly awed and humbled by the response," said Bagozzi. "Thank you to everyone who purchased an Orange Sprinkle Donut and a special thank you to Shane, Joe and Mitch, Sharon and Brian, and Landon for being so generous with your time, sharing your stories with Canada, and guiding this campaign."

Tim Hortons also thanks Aspire Bakeries for their support in joining us and contributing over $100,000 toward the campaign.



You can download video B-roll and photos on the Tim Hortons Newsroom, along with reading more about the Orange Shirt Society , the Indian Residential School Survivors Society, and the stories of Tim Hortons restaurant owners Shane Gottfriedson, Joe Quewezance and Mitch Shuter , Landon Miller, and Sharon and Brian Bruyere.



About Tim Hortons Canada

In 1964, the first Tim Hortons restaurant in Hamilton, Ontario opened its doors and Canadians have been ordering Tim Hortons iconic Original Blend coffee, Double-Doublecoffees, Donuts and Timbits in the years since. Over the last 55 years, Tim Hortons has captured the hearts and taste buds of Canadians and has become synonymous with serving Canada's favourite coffee. Tim Hortons is Canada's largest restaurant chain operating in the quick service industry with more than 4,000 restaurants across the country. More than a coffee and bake shop, Tim Hortons is part of the Canadian fabric and guests can enjoy hot and cold specialty beverages  including lattes, cappuccinos and espressos, teas and our famous Iced Capps  alongside delicious breakfast, sandwiches, wraps, soups and more. Tim Hortons has more than 4,800 restaurants in Canada, the United States and around the world. For more information on Tim Hortons visit TimHortons.ca

SOURCE Tim Hortons

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Oct 5 (Reuters) - Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro charged Energy Transfer LP with 48 counts of environmental crimes for its conduct during construction of the long-delayed Mariner East 2 natural gas liquids pipeline.

"There is a duty to protect our air and water, and when companies harm these vital resources through negligence  it is a crime, Shapiro said in a statement.

Mariner East has been slowed by numerous work stoppages by state and local officials mostly related to sinkholes that developed near the pipeline or spills of drilling fluids used to bore under waterways.

Energy Transfer, which was not immediately available for comment, said recently it planned to complete all phases of the pipeline expansion by the end of 2021.

Mariner East transports liquids from the Marcellus/Utica shale in western Pennsylvania to customers in the state and elsewhere, including international exports from Energy Transfer's Marcus Hook complex near Philadelphia.

The Attorney General's office said that in addition to repeatedly spilling thousands of gallons of drilling fluid, Energy Transfer on several occasions failed to report the spills to state environmental regulators in spite of the legal requirement to do so.

In addition, the Attorney General's office said the drilling fluid contained unapproved additives at multiple locations that affected drinking water in wells.

If convicted, this company will be sentenced to fines and restitution. There is no jail time for these environmental crimes, and fines are not enough," Shapiro said, noting his office was "calling for stronger laws to hold these companies accountable."

Energy Transfer started work on the $2.5 billion Mariner East expansion in February 2017 and originally planned to finish the 350-mile (563-km) pipeline in the third quarter of 2017.

Since May 2017, Pennsylvania has issued about 125 notices of violation to Mariner East, mostly for drilling fluid spills, including two in September.

(Reporting by Scott DiSavino; Editing by Steve Orlofsky)
Bass Mafia Logo

Bass Mafia is the largest of Mafia Outdoors's brands.

Bass Mafia is the largest of Mafia Outdoors's brands.

DALLAS, Oct. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rise Run Capital LLC (Rise Run) is pleased to announce that its portfolio company, House of Outdoors Inc. (HOO), acquired the assets of Mafia Outdoors, LLC and its brands Bass Mafia, Crappie Mafia, Whitetail Mafia, and Mallard Mafia, among others, on October 1, 2021.

Mafia Outdoorss largest brand, Bass Mafia, pioneered market expansion in 2010 with its new line of patented ultra-premium tackle storage solutions. Attracting consumers with a need for specialized and durable storage, the brand distinguishes itself with unique products at a variety of price points.

We are committed to investing in businesses and providing the resources to help grow innovative brands to ensure our customers have incredible experiences with recreational and professional fishing, said Corbin Cook, Rise Run Co-Founding Partner. By acquiring Mafia Outdoors, HOO has the exciting opportunity to enter the tackle storage category and grow its ability to serve consumers with high-quality products in this segment. Mafia Outdoors brings a dedicated consumer base, innovative products, and momentum in its industry that we are excited to have join our family of companies.

Legal counsel was provided by a Spencer Fane LLP team led by Brian Memory, Chris Summers and Macy Matthews.

About Rise Run Capital

Rise Run Capital is a Dallas-based private equity firm which invests flexible and creative capital into middle market companies with EBITDA between $2 and $15 million, strong management teams, attractive and defensible market positions, and minimal customer and supplier concentrations. Rise Run is industry agnostic, with a focus on consumer products, healthcare, and service companies. Rise Run partners pride themselves on being collaborative team members alongside founders and current management teams.

This communication is for informational purposes and is not intended to be, nor should it be construed or used as an offer to sell, or a solicitation of any offer to buy shares or limited partnership interests in any investments managed by Rise Run Capital.

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Attachment

CONTACT: Corbin Cook Rise Run Capital LLC 214-883-6010 ccook@riseruncapital.com




In a challenging environment, Santander Chile confirms its excellent position with international investors. The bank issued CHF 190 million over five years in the public market

SANTIAGO, Chile, Oct. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Santander Chile (NYSE: BSAC) (SSE: BSANTANDER) returns to the international market and successfully issues a bond in Swiss francs for CHF 190 million (equivalent to US $ 205 million) for a five-year term, achieving a spread of 60 basis points over the reference rate, which is equivalent to a coupon of 0.2975%.



This issue once again confirms the excellent reception of Santander Chile's credit in foreign markets, at times of local uncertainty. This transaction received great interest and demand from investors, and represents the second in this market during the year, after the placement of CHF 150 million last June. With this new instrument, Santander Chile's position in the Swiss franc market is around CHF 925 million (about US $ 1 billion), and it is consolidated as the second most relevant market within the financing diversification strategy of the Bank, reaching around 30% of total foreign debt.

For Emiliano Muratore, Santander's Chief Financial Officer, this new issue reflects the good position that the Bank maintains on the international scene. Despite the current uncertainty faced by the markets, we managed to place a relevant amount in a competitive public market, benefitting from the advantages and allowing us to continue the diversification of our investor base and financing sources.

About Banco Santander

Banco Santander Chile is the largest bank in the Chilean market. As of June 30, 2021, it has total assets of $ 58,813 billion, net loans of provisions of $ 33,719 billion, deposits of $ 29,478 billion, and total equity of $ 3,418 billion. In addition, it has 344 branches, 1,257 ATMs and 10,240 employees. The BIS capital ratio as of June 2021 was 14.7%, with a basic capital ratio of 10.1%. Furthermore, Banco Santander Chile is one of the companies with the best risk ratings in Latin America with a rating of A1 from Moodys and A from Standard and Poors.

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CONTACT INFORMATION

Robert Moreno

Investor Relations

Banco Santander Chile

Bandera 140, Floor 20

Santiago, Chile

Tel: (562) 2320-8284

Email: irelations@santander.cl

Website: www.santander.cl




NEW YORK, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Greenhill & Co., Inc. (NYSE: GHL), a leading independent investment bank, announced today that Scott Hoy will join the Firm as a Managing Director and Head of Financial Services for Asia-Pacific.

Greenhill Logo (PRNewsfoto/Greenhill & Co., Inc.)

Mr. Hoy has 30 years of M&A and finance experience focused on global financial institutions. He is currently Head of Group M&A at ANZ Banking Group Limited, a role he has held for the past 11 years. During his time at ANZ, Mr. Hoy led numerous complex transactions across Australia, New Zealand and Asia. Prior to this, Mr. Hoy spent the majority of his career at Citigroup in New York. Following graduation from Harvard University, Mr. Hoy began his career with James D. Wolfensohn Inc. in New York.

Scott L. Bok, Chairman and CEO of Greenhill, said: "Our business in Australia has strong momentum in advising on both domestic and cross-border transactions. In seeking to further expand our team and build on that momentum we are pleased to bring onboard one of Australia's most experienced bankers in the important financial services sector. Scott brings us a wealth of transaction advisory expertise as well as all the benefits that flow from having worked in house at one of Australia's leading financial institutions."

Roger Feletto, Managing Director and Co-Head of Greenhill Australia, said "We are extremely pleased to have someone of Scott's calibre join our firm. Scott's deep financial services sector knowledge and experience will be very complementary to our firm's existing offering."

Richard Phillips, Co-Head of Greenhill Australia and Vice Chairman of Greenhill said "Greenhill's focus on providing high quality independent advice continues to resonate with our clients. Scott will be a great addition to our already strong senior team across both Sydney and Melbourne."

Greenhill & Co., Inc. is a leading independent investment bank entirely focused on providing financial advice on significant mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, restructurings, financings and capital raising to corporations, partnerships, family offices, institutions and governments globally. Greenhill acts for clients located throughout the world from its offices in New York, Chicago, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Houston, London, Madrid, Melbourne, Paris, San Francisco, Singapore, Stockholm, Sydney, Tokyo and Toronto.

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Contact: Patrick J. Suehnholz

Director of Investor Relations

Greenhill & Co., Inc.

(212) 389-1800

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SOURCE Greenhill & Co., Inc.
In the news release, SHAREHOLDER ALERT: Silver Golub & Teitell LLP ("SGT") files Securities Class Action Lawsuit against Coinbase Global, Inc. ("Coinbase") on Behalf of Digital Asset Securities Investors Who Traded Digital Asset Securities on Coinbase's Exchanges from October 8, 2019 to the Present and Encourages Investors to Inquire About the Lead Plaintiff Position Before November 13, 2021 Lead Plaintiff Deadline, issued Oct. 12, 2021 by Silver Golub & Teitell LLP over PR Newswire, we are advised by the company that the Lead Plaintiff Deadline should read "December 13, 2021" rather than "November 13, 2021" as originally issued inadvertently. The complete, corrected release follows:

SHAREHOLDER ALERT: Silver Golub & Teitell LLP ("SGT") files Securities Class Action Lawsuit against Coinbase Global, Inc. ("Coinbase") on Behalf of Digital Asset Securities Investors Who Traded Digital Asset Securities on Coinbase's Exchanges from October 8, 2019 to the Present and Encourages Investors to Inquire About the Lead Plaintiff Position Before December 13, 2021 Lead Plaintiff Deadline

NEW YORK, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Silver Golub & Teitell LLP has filed a federal securities class action in the Southern District of New York on behalf of its clients and all similarly situated who purchased, sold, or otherwise transacted in digital assets on the Coinbase or Coinbase Pro digital asset trading platforms (the "Coinbase Digital Asset Platforms") that qualify as investment contracts, and thus securities ("Digital Asset Securities") under federal law from October 8, 2018 to date (the "Class Period").

Founded in 2012, Coinbase Global, Inc. operates the Coinbase Digital Asset Platforms which allow users to transact with each other to buy, sell, and exchange digital assets for money and other digital assets. The Complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, the Coinbase Digital Asset Platforms listed and offered for trading a number of Digital Asset Securities whose characteristics meet the definition of an investment contract, and are therefore securities under federal law. Despite this, the Complaint alleges, Coinbase Global, Inc. did not register as a national securities exchange or a broker-dealer with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in violation of Sections 5 and 15(a)(1) of the Securities of Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act").

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Plaintiffs, on behalf of themselves and the class and pursuant to Section 29(b) of the Exchange Act, seek refunds of the fees paid and damages suffered by Coinbase Digital Asset Platform users in connection with the Digital Asset Securities transactions they entered into on the Coinbase Digital Asset Platforms.

If you wish to serve as lead Plaintiff for the Class, you must file a motion with the Court no later than December 13, 2021. Any member of the proposed Class may move to serve as the Lead Plaintiff through counsel of their choice.

If you transacted in Digital Asset Securities on the Coinbase Digital Asset Platforms during the Class Period as defined above, you may obtain additional information about this lawsuit and your ability to become a Lead Plaintiff, by contacting Ian W. Sloss at isloss@sgtlaw.com or Steven L. Bloch at sbloch@sgtlaw.com or by calling (203) 325-4491. The class action is titled Underwood, et al. v. Coinbase Global, Inc., No. 1:21-cv-08353 (S.D.N.Y.).

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SOURCE Silver Golub & Teitell LLP
Karl Theard will lead Technology Banking in Quebec

MONTREAL, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), the bank of the world's most innovative companies and their investors, today announced its expansion to Montreal with the appointment of Karl Theard as Director of Technology Banking, Quebec. Theard is based in Montreal and responsible for the development of new business relationships, as well as management of the current portfolio of SVB clients in Quebec.

Silicon Valley Bank logo. (PRNewsFoto/Silicon Valley Bank)

"Quebec's innovation ecosystem continues to mature and draw attention from top investors and experienced founders," said Paul Parisi, Head of Canada at Silicon Valley Bank. "With CAD $953M invested in Montreal in the first half of 2021, the city is taking its place as one of the leaders in terms of investment dollars and number of deals in Canada. We're excited to welcome Karl to SVB and we know his deep understanding of the Montreal tech and investor community will be invaluable to the city's high-growth companies."

SVB has been working with Canadian companies from its US offices for two decades and secured its lending license in Canada in early 2019. After opening an office in Toronto in 2019, SVB expanded its Canada operation in 2020 with the hire of Caterina Papadakos to oversee Western Canada from Vancouver and continues to grow its Toronto-based team. SVB provides a range of specialized financial services to high-growth Canadian companies and investors such as Whitestar Capital, Accedian and Paper.

"SVB has been a valued partner in supporting the growth of our business," said Martin Lebeau, CFO of Accedian. "Their team truly understands the journey of an entrepreneur and has been able to deliver what we need, when we have needed it."

Theard was previously Investment Manager at Desjardins Capital where he supported the growth of numerous companies by developing financing solutions and helping them streamline operations. Prior to joining Desjardins, Theard was a senior manager at the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC), working with large companies in a variety of sectors, including technology. He earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from HEC Montreal.

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About Silicon Valley Bank

For nearly 40 years, Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) has helped innovative companies and their investors move bold ideas forward, fast. SVB provides targeted financial services and expertise through its offices in innovation centres around the world. With commercial, international and private banking services, SVB helps address the unique needs of innovators. Learn more at svb.com/canada . [SIVB-C]

2021 SVB Financial Group. All rights reserved. SVB, SVB FINANCIAL GROUP, SILICON VALLEY BANK, MAKE NEXT HAPPEN NOW and the chevron device are trademarks of SVB Financial Group, used under license. Silicon Valley Bank is the California bank subsidiary of SVB Financial Group (Nasdaq: SIVB). Silicon Valley Bank is an authorised foreign bank branch under the Bank Act (Canada). Silicon Valley Bank does not accept deposits from the public in Canada and is not a member of the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation.

SOURCE Silicon Valley Bank
Global Weekly Program Will Debut New Toys, Apparel, Games Content, Books, Comics and More Celebrating Everything from the Skywalker Saga to "The Book of Boba Fett," Streaming Dec. 29 on Disney+

In collaboration with UPS, specially wrapped UPS vehicles resembling Jawa sandcrawlers will make deliveries in metro New York City and Los Angeles

Pre-Orders on Select Items Begin Tomorrow

GLENDALE, Calif., October 12, 2021--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Disney and Lucasfilm today launched "Bring Home the Bounty," a global consumer products, games and publishing campaign to debut new Star Wars products every Tuesday from now through Dec. 28, helping fans find the perfect bounty for their family, friends and themselves this holiday season.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211012005861/en/

Bring Home the Bounty Logo (Graphic: Business Wire)

The 12-week program will include reveals of items inspired by the expansive Star Wars portfolio including Lucasfilm series like "The Mandalorian" and "The Book of Boba Fett," classic content like the Skywalker saga films, new animated works like "Star Wars: The Bad Batch" and "Star Wars: Visions," and much more. Each Tuesday, new goods across toys, apparel, action figures, accessories, books, comics, games content and more will debut on BringHomeTheBounty.com, as well as with retailers globally, helping fans to round out their holiday wish lists.

"With the Lucasfilm 50th anniversary coming to a close this year, we wanted to find a way to celebrate all of our beloved characters and stories from the classic to the new and everything in-between," said Paul Southern, Senior Vice President, Franchise & Licensing, Lucasfilm and National Geographic, Disney Consumer Products, Games and Publishing. "There will be something to excite every Star Wars fan this year with such a wide assortment of items to enjoy and engage with, whether fans are adding to their own collections or scouring for the perfect gift."

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New products and content across consumer products, games and publishing, including items from Hasbro, The LEGO Group, Funko, Mattel and many more, will be revealed each Tuesday at 6:00 a.m. PDT / 9:00 a.m. EDT, with select pre-orders starting Wednesdays at 10:00 a.m. PDT / 1:00 p.m. EDT. Products can be found at top retailers globally, including shopDisney.

Additionally, for this week only, as part of a collaboration with Disney and Lucasfilm, UPS will use vehicles for select delivery routes in both the New York City and Los Angeles metro areas that will be specially wrapped to resemble a Jawa sandcrawler - the huge treaded fortresses used by Jawas as transportation and shelter in the Star Wars galaxy. The collaboration will help build excitement and anticipation for the many bounties to be delivered this holiday season. To further engage fans, audiences will be invited to enter the Star Wars Spot the Sandcrawler Sweepstakes on the Disney Products Instagram page for their chance to win Star Wars prize packs from shopDisney.com. See official rules and learn more at StarWarsSpotTheSandcrawlerSweepstakes.com*.

The hunt begins. For more details, visit BringHomeTheBounty.com and follow the conversation on social media using #BringHomeTheBounty and #StarWars.

*NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Enter Sweepstakes between 10/12/21 at 6:00 AM PT and 10/16/21 at 11:59 PM PT. Open to legal residents of the 50 U.S. & D.C., who are 18+ at time of entry. Limit 1 entry per person. See Official Rules for full details on how to enter, eligibility requirements, odds of winning, prize descriptions and limitations. Void where prohibited.

 2021 United Parcel Service of America, Inc. UPS, the UPS brandmark and the color brown are trademarks of United Parcel Service of America, Inc. All rights reserved.

About Disney Consumer Products, Games and Publishing

Consumer Products, Games and Publishing (CPGP) is the division of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products (DPEP) that brings beloved brands and franchises into the daily lives of families and fans through products  from toys to t-shirts, apps, books, console games and more  and experiences that can be found around the world, including on the shopDisney e-commerce platform and at Disney Parks, local and international retailers, as well as Disney store locations globally. The business is home to world-class teams of product, licensing and retail experts, artists and storytellers, and technologists who inspire imaginations around the world.

About Lucasfilm Ltd.

Lucasfilm Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is a global leader in film, television and digital entertainment. In addition to its feature film and series production, the company's offerings include cutting-edge visual effects and audio post-production, digital animation, immersive storytelling, and the management of the global merchandising activities for its entertainment properties including the legendary STAR WARS and INDIANA JONES franchises. Lucasfilm Ltd. is headquartered in northern California.

Lucasfilm, the Lucasfilm logo, STAR WARS and related properties are trademarks and/or copyrights, in the United States and other countries, of Lucasfilm Ltd. and/or its affiliates.  & TM 2021 Lucasfilm Ltd. All rights reserved.

About Disney+

Disney+ is the dedicated streaming home for movies and shows from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic, along with The Simpsons and much more. In select international markets, it also includes the new general entertainment content brand, Star. The flagship direct-to-consumer streaming service from The Walt Disney Company, Disney+ is part of the Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution segment. The service offers commercial-free streaming alongside an ever-growing collection of exclusive originals, including feature-length films, documentaries, live-action and animated series, and short-form content. With unprecedented access to Disneys long history of incredible film and television entertainment, Disney+ is also the exclusive streaming home for the newest releases from The Walt Disney Studios. Disney+ is available as a standalone streaming service or as part of The Disney Bundle that gives subscribers access to Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+. For more, visit disneyplus.com, or find the Disney+ app on most mobile and connected TV devices.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211012005861/en/

Contacts

Disney Consumer Products, Games and Publishing

Amanda Gonzalez

Manager, Communications

617-543-6225

agonzalez@lucasfilm.com
ARLINGTON, Va., Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Summit Ridge Energy (SRE) has begun construction in Maine on the first of 13 projects acquired from Revision Energy. The community solar portfolio will total 44MW and operate under the Maine NEB program. The projects are expected to reach commercial operation between 2022 and 2023. SRE is the largest community solar owner-operator in the country with over $700mm in capital funded, holding the market share of projects in Maine and Illinois.

(PRNewsfoto/Summit Ridge Energy)

Through its dedicated funding platform with Osaka Gas USA, SRE will finance the projects while Revision handles development, subscription, and construction of the portfolio. To date, Revision has subscribed a multitude of school districts, municipalities, hospitals, and local businesses to benefit from the utility savings these projects will generate over a 20-year period.

"We're proud to partner with Maine's largest solar contractor and look forward to delivering thousands of local residents and businesses with monthly utility savings generated entirely from clean, renewable power," said Garren Bisschoff, SRE's Vice President of Business Development.

"We are grateful for this opportunity to partner with one of the nation's leading owner operators of solar assets," said Sam Lavallee, Chief Financial Officer of ReVision Energy and one of the key architects of the partnership. "This 44 MW portfolio of solar farms will drive local economic growth, create good-paying jobs, significantly reduce Maine's carbon footprint and strengthen our energy independence,"

About Summit Ridge Energy

Summit Ridge Energy is the country's leading owner-operator of community solar assets. Through dedicated funding platforms, the team acquires pre-operational projects within the rapidly growing solar energy and battery storage sectors. Follow Summit Ridge Energy on LinkedIn and Twitter for updates, or learn more at srenergy.com.

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About Revision Energy

South Portland-based ReVision Energy, a 100% employee-owned company and certified B Corp, has become the leading solar energy company in northern New England through the design and installation of more than 10,000 solar energy systems in Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts since the company launched in 2003. The company's mission is to lead the region in solving environmental problems caused by fossil fuels while alleviating economic and social injustice.

Cision

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SOURCE Summit Ridge Energy
James M. Peck retires from Board, following two years of service

Sun Life Logo (CNW Group/Sun Life Financial Inc.)

TORONTO, Oct. 12, 2021 /CNW/ - Sun Life Financial Inc. (TSX: SLF) (NYSE: SLF) is pleased to announce the appointments of Helen Mallovy Hicks and Marie-Lucie Morin to the Board of Directors.

Ms. Mallovy Hicks is a business executive with over 30 years of global business management and advisory experience. As a former partner with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, she most recently served as PwC's Global Valuations Leader and advised boards and executives on complex transactions, value creation, capital allocation, business transformation and restructuring matters. Ms. Mallovy Hicks also has experience in audit and risk, human resources and executive compensation and serves on corporate and not-for-profit boards.

A graduate of the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Commerce, Ms. Mallovy Hicks is also a Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Business Valuators (FCBV) and a Fellow of the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario (FCA/FCPA). She joins Sun Life's Board of Directors effective October 31, 2021.

Ms. Morin has a wealth of experience representing Canada's interests in international trade and global affairs, with over 30 years of experience in Canada's Federal Public Service. She was Executive Director for Canada, Ireland and the Caribbean at the World Bank from 2010-2013. Previous public service appointments include National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister and Associate Secretary to the Cabinet, Deputy Minister for International Trade and Associate Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. In 1997, Ms. Morin served as Canada's Ambassador to Norway with accreditation to Iceland. She is currently a member of the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency and serves on corporate and not-for-profit boards.

Ms. Morin was named Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur by the Government of France in 2012, was sworn into the Queen's Privy Council for Canada in 2015 and became a member of the Order of Canada in 2016. She studied law at the Universite de Sherbrooke and was admitted to the Quebec Bar in 1980. Ms. Morin's Sun Life Board appointment will be effective on December 31, 2021.

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Sun Life Board Member James M. Peck has retired from the Board, following more than two years of service where he brought deep expertise in building data and analytics businesses.

Sun Life is a Catalyst Accord 2022 Signatory, a pledge made by Canadian boards and CEOs to accelerate the advancement of women in business with a focus on senior management and board of director roles. Sun Life is also a member of the 30% Club Canada, a campaign led by Chairs and CEOs taking action to increase gender diversity at board and senior management levels. The appointments of Ms. Mallovy Hicks and Ms. Morin align with Sun Life's diversity commitment and will bring the percentage of women on the Board to 42%.

Diversity, equity and inclusion are key priorities for Sun Life's Chair and Board of Directors. In 2020, the company intensified its goal to have 25% of senior leaders in North America from under-represented communities by 2025 with specific representation for Black, Indigenous and People of Colour. Sun Life also has a goal to have more than 50% representation by women in senior management positions globally by 2025.

About Sun Life

Sun Life is a leading international financial services organization providing insurance, wealth and asset management solutions to individual and corporate Clients. Sun Life has operations in a number of markets worldwide, including Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, India, China, Australia, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia and Bermuda. As of June 30, 2021, Sun Life had total assets under management of $1.36 trillion. For more information please visit www.sunlife.com.

Sun Life Financial Inc. trades on the Toronto (TSX), New York (NYSE) and Philippine (PSE) stock exchanges under the ticker symbol SLF.

Note to editors: All figures in Canadian dollars

Media Relations Contact: Investor Relations Contact: Rajani Kamath Yaniv Bitton Associate Vice-President, Vice-President, Head of Investor Corporate Communications Relations & Capital Markets T. 416-979-6070 T. 416-979-6496 rajani.kamath@sunlife.com investor_relations@sunlife.com

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SOURCE Sun Life Financial Inc.

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The following post was written and/or published as a collaboration between Benzingas in-house sponsored content team and a financial partner of Benzinga.

By Voyager's Charlotte Haughney-Siller, provided exclusively to Benzinga Cryptocurrency.

Timing is everything when it comes to investing, and crypto is no exception to this rule. Considering the advancement of crypto over the last decade, is now the time to get started?

What is Cryptocurrency?

In short, cryptocurrency (crypto for short) is a digital currency that is transacted on the blockchain, or a system of blockchains. Its decentralized because the users of the network govern its policies and verify all transactions from anywhere around the world.

Through a completely digital commerce system, blockchain allows people to change the way they look at financial autonomy. This is because blockchains are transparent and easily accessible by anyone with an Internet connection, making them more universally available and capable of innovations compared to traditional financial systems.

Crypto is for the people, by the people, without being controlled or operated by any single country or corporation, bringing a level of freedom to the financial space that was previously unavailable to the everyday investor.

Why is the Crypto Market Growing?

The crypto industry has come a long way since the founding of Bitcoin, with over 4,000 cryptocurrencies available on the market. They range across the board from DeFi (decentralized finance) to stablecoins, NFTs, and more. Even with this surge in expansion and media coverage, many think we are in the early stages of the industrys growth.

Perhaps the biggest sign of crypto market growth is the way its affected the institutions surrounding it. Crypto adoption has increased, especially recently, because it is garnering high-impact use cases due to mainstream demand.

Investment firms, banking institutions, and businesses alike are trying to find ways to incorporate it into their portfolios and payment options. Governments, in particular, are beginning to give serious attention to the use of stablecoins as CBDCs (central bank digital currencies).

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While the volatility of the crypto market may cause more reserved investors a preliminary pause, even conservative banking platforms are beginning to suggest incorporating cryptocurrency investments for portfolio diversification. With so many use cases and offerings developing daily, crypto continues to make its way into more diversified households and portfolios.

Why Do People Buy Crypto?

There are a couple of reasons why even those who arent early crypto believers are getting into the game. The world of crypto has perks that the traditional world of finance cant compete with.

Hedge Against Inflation

There is also the constant consideration of economic inflation, which is only heightened with every uptick of the Consumer Price Index. As everyday necessities increase in cost, the common economic solution of printing more money has consumers waking up in a cold sweat. In this instance, Bitcoin presents itself as a crypto hedge against inflation. There will only ever be 21 million Bitcoin available globally. It is often referred to as digital gold or digital beachfront due to its limited supply and increasing value.

Invest as you Want

Another perk of crypto investing is that you can invest in a portion of an asset as opposed to the whole thing. For example, you dont have to buy a whole Bitcoin to own Bitcoin. Instead, you can buy fractions of a Bitcoin, also known as a satoshis, and still see a return on investment. This is why Voyager offers recurring buys on Bitcoin, so you can easily schedule investments in small amounts over time to passively grow your portfolio.

Is it Too Late to Buy Crypto?

Unlike the traditional stock market, there are facets of Bitcoin and crypto as a whole that make them an opportunity at any point in the game. The people who got in on Bitcoin in 2009 have most certainly seen a spectacular return on investment (unless they spent it on pizza a year latertiming applies to selling, too).

The current market is gaining momentum at an unprecedented rate, and after 10 years of consistent growth, crypto is just starting to have its day. Powerful voices in the financial community have acknowledged the bright future of Bitcoin, citing its recent institutional adoption and the benefits of using it for mainstream commerce.

We are just at the beginning of the financial revolution, and you can join right now.

How to Start Investing in Cryptocurrency

Are you ready to dive in? Voyager is making it easy for you to get in on the crypto action. Invest in over 60 digital assets on the Voyager app any time with just a swipe. Get $50 in Bitcoin when you sign up using code ZING on Voyager, deposit at least $100, and make your first trade. You can also earn annual rewards on over 30 digital assets when you hold the monthly minimum average in the app.

Get into crypto now on the Voyager app.

About Voyager

Voyager Digital Ltd. (CSE: VYGR; OTCQX: VYGVF; FRA: UCD2) and its subsidiaries (Voyager), is one of the fastest-growing, publicly-traded digital asset platforms in the United States. With over 60 digital assets, featuring a wide selection of altcoins, Voyager offers a secure way to trade using its easy-to-use mobile application. Voyager uniquely offers users the ability to earn annual rewards for maintaining a minimum balance in more than 30 different digital assets. Voyager was founded in 2018, to bring a more transparent and cost-efficient solution to trading in digital assets. Through its subsidiary Coinify ApS, Voyager provides digital asset payment solutions for both consumers and merchants around the globe. To learn more about the company, please visit https://www.investvoyager.com. Use code ZING during app sign up and get $50 in BTC after depositing $100 and making your first trade.

Voyager Cryptocurrency Risk Disclosure

Investment Advice Disclosure: This content is not investment advice and should not be relied on for such advice or as a substitute for consultation with professional accounting, tax, legal or financial advisors. The observations of industry trends should not be read as recommendations for digital assets, sectors, or future price movement predictions.

Photo by Andre Francois McKenzie on Unsplash

The preceding post was written and/or published as a collaboration between Benzingas in-house sponsored content team and a financial partner of Benzinga. Although the piece is not and should not be construed as editorial content, the sponsored content team works to ensure that any and all information contained within is true and accurate to the best of their knowledge and research. This content is for informational purposes only and not intended to be investing advice.

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 2021 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Positive feedback from employees and high-quality performance were key contributors

MONTREAL, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- TTEC Canada Solutions, Inc., a leading digital Customer Experience as a Service (CXaaS) partner for many of the world's most iconic and disruptive brands, was recognized by the Great Place to Work organization as one of the 'Best Places to Work' in Quebec in 2021.

As a Great Place to Work Certified company in Canada, TTEC prides itself on the high trust and performance reflected by its employees and the global authority on workplace culture.

"At TTEC, our core values are centered around our people and our culture. The culture is intentionally designed for and by our employees across the globe. The favorable connection our employees have with TTEC and each other is reflected in the feedback our employees shared with Great Place to Work. As leaders, we place significant emphasis on the feedback of our clients and people. We are proud to see the actions we take in response to this feedback resulting in a positive evaluation of our organization," said Savita Jones, vice president of operations, TTEC Canada.

To qualify for the Best Places to Work in Quebec honor, employers must first win Great Places to Work. TTEC Canada was recognized in March 2021 as a Great Place to Work due to positive employee feedback amongst five categories. The Best Places to Work organization uses the Trust Index Dimension from Great Places to Work to determine which companies qualify and make the annual list. The Great Place to Work Certification threshold for answers in all five categories is 65%. TTEC Canada employees gave the company the following average scores as measured by the Trust Index Dimension thus securing the certification:

Credibility: 77%

Respect: 71%

Fairness: 75%

Pride: 71%

Camaraderie: 76%

"Our data shows that in comparison to peers, great workplaces benefit from better customer satisfaction, reduced turnover and stronger financial performance. What's more, work environments where trust is foundational are ripe for innovation, agility, resilience and efficiency," said Nancy Fonseca, senior vice president of Great Place to Work Canada.

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TTEC Canada has previously been recognized as a Great Place to Work, operating across nine provinces with thousands of passionate employees. This recognition is driven by high employee engagement scores. TTEC Canada's culture is driven by development, recognition, and community.

About TTEC

TTEC Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTEC) is one of the largest, global CX (customer experience) technology and services innovators for end-to-end, digital CX solutions. The Company delivers leading CX technology and operational CX orchestration at scale through its proprietary cloud-based CXaaS (Customer Experience as a Service) platform. Serving iconic and disruptive brands, TTEC's outcome-based solutions span the entire enterprise, touch every virtual interaction channel, and improve each step of the customer journey. Leveraging next gen digital and cognitive technology, the Company's Digital business designs, builds, and operates omnichannel contact center technology, conversational messaging, CRM, automation (AI/ML and RPA), and analytics solutions. The Company's Engage business delivers digital customer engagement, customer acquisition & growth, content moderation, fraud prevention, and data annotation solutions. Founded in 1982, the Company's singular obsession with CX excellence has earned it leading client NPS scores across the globe. The company's nearly 58,500 employees operate on six continents and bring technology and humanity together to deliver happy customers and differentiated business results. To learn more visit us at https://www.ttec.com

About Great Place to Work

Great Place to Work is the global authority on high-trust, high-performance workplace cultures. Through proprietary assessment tools, advisory services, and certification programs, Great Place to Work recognizes Canada's Best Workplaces in a series of national lists including those published by The Globe & Mail (Canada) and Fortune magazine (USA). Great Place to Work provides the benchmarks, framework, and expertise needed to create, sustain, and recognize outstanding workplace cultures. Visit us at www.greatplacetowork.ca or find us on Twitter at @GPTW_Canada.

Contact

Leesha Bush

leesha.bush@ttec.com

+1.303.551.1417

TTEC Logo (PRNewsfoto/TTEC Holdings, Inc.)

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SOURCE TTEC Holdings, Inc.
(Bloomberg) --

Most Read from Bloomberg

To stand out amid the gaggle of startups offering Londoners their groceries in 15 minutes, Zapp is focusing on high-margin convenience items and fewer discount coupons to make the bulk of its deliveries profitable.

Backed by investors such as Atomico and Lightspeed Venture Partners, Zapp has already raised about $100 million and began operations in January. The startup says its on track for tens of millions of dollars in annual sales in London alone, and that two-thirds of its orders are profitable.

Zapp, which also operates in France and the Netherlands, argues that its different from competitors because it focuses on convenience goods like phone charging cables and diapers, rather than only groceries, allowing it to reach an average order value of around $30 excluding taxes.

Convenience is the right use-case that has the right product-market-fit with customers, the right economics that can enable us to build the supply chain, said Navid Hadzaad, Zapps co-founder and chief executive officer. Were just excited that were slowly starting to see some of the fruits of the labor.

Read more: U.K. Delivery Startup Zapp Hires Bank of Americas Chu as CFO

Venture capitalists have poured billions of dollars into grocery, as consumer demand for food delivery and e-commerce surged amid the pandemic. Startups like Turkeys Getir have raised hundreds of millions of dollars. Major competitors like Delivery Hero SE and DoorDash Inc. are investing in upstarts including Gorillas Technologies GmbH and Flink SE.

In the U.K., Zapp has risen to second in monthly downloads, according to data from analytics firm App Annie.

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Other newcomers Dija and Fancy have both been bought by the U.S.s Gopuff amid its international expansion, while rival Weezy is exploring a potential sale.

Hadzaad said theyd be open to acquisitions if the target proves attractive, but it would have to fit in with its existing strategy.

The company says that of its total sales, a single-digit percentage are accounted for by discounts. Rapid grocery startups are spending heavily to acquire customers and some companies have discount rates reaching around 30%, according to retail consultant Brittain Ladd, who advises companies in the sector.

Its an industry still looking for who the leaders are going to be, Ladd said. What we know for sure is those discount rates arent sustainable for very long.

The business model of delivering items from a bevy of urban micro-fulfillment centers has also attracted the likes of Deliveroo Plc, which is building out its own rapid offering with Wm Morrison Supermarkets Plc in London.

To expand its just-in-time delivery plans, Zapp recently invested in a London distribution center to build out its supply chain and service its micro-fulfillment centers known as dark stores in various neighborhoods. The company aims to build a broader just-in-time supply chain for quick commerce beyond grocery.

We knew from the outset that wed have to build an incredibly sophisticated supply chain, said Zapps chief operating officer Joe Falter. I honestly dont think that the activity in the market has any meaningful impact on the speed of our growth.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2021 Bloomberg L.P.
Theyre not putting kids on the bus every morning, she said. Theyre not having kids coming home complaining about being late. I think we need to have a board that is more engaged in firsthand experience that way.

Blackwell also said the board needs diverse perspectives and to be encouraged to think outside the box to solve current problems, such as persistent transportation delays and staff retention.

A shift is going to have to come into play, she said. We need to think outside the box. We need to take another step back and look at the problem from all directions.

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Blackwell said her Army background has given her experience in working with a wide range of people. She said she would use this experience to build relationships with the school divisions funding body, the county Board of Supervisors.

Whatever it takes to build a relationship, Im willing to do it, she said, adding that she would try to set up more joint sessions and working groups with the supervisors and will always advocate for anything that will improve efficiency in the schools and lead to better education and more equal education.
Capitol attack

Asked if authorities suffered an intelligence failure before the U.S. Capitol riot, Clapper said Americans should await the outcome of the House select committees investigation. I really dont know, he said. Its hard for me to believe, ranging through social media, that there wasnt a greater awareness.

He wonders whether the Capitol Police had an intelligence office that could receive threat reports, analyze them and present its findings to leaders. Its not clear that they did or if they were adequately manned with the right people, Clapper said.

The House probe may reveal whether he did all he could, at an early enough phase, to stop it, Clapper said. Hopefully, the results of this investigation will cast light on what the actual facts are.On its face, it did seem to me that in his speechifying at the rally, before the crowd moved to the Capitol, that he was inciting what happened, he said. The ultimate determination has to rest on the investigation, particularly whatever evidence they can turn up of his dialogue with those in the White House and those outside the White House.
The pandemic did give me a new a perspective, he said. One is I want to help as many people as I can. Its nice to design very elegant buildings for insanely rich people, but in the end, its more meaningful if I can help normal people.

Osborne said he felt disconnected from his roots while designing houses that cost $30 million to $40 million. He recently shared some of those experiences at his high school alma mater, where he was a guest speaker in a drafting class taught by Cathy Croppthe same teacher who instructed him.

Resorts are a lot of fun because youre basically designing paradise and that makes you feel really nice until you realize you cant afford to go there, he said.

Drawing plans for luxurious resorts was an imaginative exercise while designing the farmhouse was something he could do for himselfand hopefully, provide a benefit to others. His goal is for those interested in architecture, along with builders or potential homeowners, to learn from the plans, which show each slice of a floor plan two ways.

On one side is a rendering; on the other, the technical drawings.
Incumbent Sarah Chase is being challenged in her bid for reelection to the Falmouth District seat on the Stafford County School Board by write-in candidate Scott Hirons, who held the seat from 2014 to 2017.

Candidate profile: Scott Hirons Write-in candidate Scott Hirons is challenging incumbent Sarah Chase in her bid for reelection to the Falmouth District seat on the Stafford County School Board. Hirons, a government contractor who has children in Stafford schools, held the seat from 201417.

Hirons, a government contractor who has children in Stafford schools, said he had considered running for the Falmouth District post earlier this year and decided against it, but changed his mind last month and decided to mount a write-in campaign for the Nov. 2 election.

Watching the debacle that was the start of the school year, in particular with transportation problems and just no communication with the parentsit was just kind of a real mess and that built my frustration, Hirons said in an interview.

Candidate profile: Sarah Chase Falmouth School Board member Sarah Chase said she decided to seek reelection to maintain continuity on the board as the school division recovers from the pandemic, faces the possibility of a redistricting and hires a new superintendent.

Chase, a psychology professor at St. Marys College in Maryland, said that the past 18 months as a School Board member have been difficult, but that she decided to seek re-election to maintain continuity on the board as the school division recovers from the pandemic, faces the possibility of a redistricting and hires a new superintendent.

Three of the four incumbents who are up for re-election this year have decided to step away. If re-elected to a second term, Chase would have the most experience of any other board member with the exception of Rock Hill representative Patricia Healy.
The National Cancer Institute estimates that more than 68,000 Americans will be diagnosed with a head and neck cancer in 2021 alone.

As with any cancer, early diagnosis is key.

Methodist Fremont Health will be hosting free oral head and neck cancer screenings Nov. 9 to potentially catch those cancers in their earliest stage.

The screenings are guided by fellowship-trained oncologists from Methodist, the areas largest specialty practice for head and neck cancers.

Persons who should consider attending the free screenings are those who smoke, chew tobacco, drink alcohol, have a prior history of cancer in the head or neck region or have had multiple sexual partners.

Signs and symptoms which should not be ignored include a mouth sore that isnt healing, sore throat, difficulty swallowing, a change in voice or a painless lump in the neck.

Screenings include a head and neck physical exam as well as a review of your medical and family history.

Appointments are required. Schedule yours today at bestcare.org/freecancerscreening, or call 402-727-3439.

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Editors note: In honor of October being National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, The Fremont Tribune is publishing a series, Think Pink that shares a story every week of community members who battled or are currently battling breast cancer. The Tribunes masthead is also pink on these days instead of its normal black to commemorate the month.

Donna Kassmeier noticed she was losing weight.

And she wasnt trying to lose.

Shed lose about 20 pounds.

That got my attention, said Kassmeier, who lives in Fremont.

Kassmeiers family physician recommended several tests including a mammogram. But with a trip planned, she canceled the mammogram and didnt make another appointment.

Theres been no breast cancer in my family, she thought.

Shed learn differently.

Sitting in the dining room of her comfortable home, Kassmeier recalls her cancer journey  and what shes learned along the way. She encourages others to get mammograms.

After canceling her mammogram in 2020, Kassmeier learned about a niece, whod had breast cancer and whose paternal grandmother had cancer as well.

Even so, Kassmeier thought breast cancer only came through the maternal side of someones family.

Then she learned it also could come through the paternal side.

The American Cancer Society also states that 12 to 14% of breast cancer is caused by an inherited gene mutation, which can be passed down from either the maternal or paternal side of the family.

Kassmeier also then felt a lump in her right breast.

She had a mammogram, which led to an ultrasound. A biopsy followed and Kassmeier learned Dec. 22 that she had cancer.

I am an optimistic person, Kassmeier said. I thought, Ill just get it taken care of.

She had a lumpectomy on Jan. 18, but later learned she still had cancer.

That was a downer, she said. It just brought me to the floor, but the next morning I woke up and I said, OK, I have another hurdle to get over and Im going to do it and then I was OK.

She could have had a third lumpectomy, but decided to have a double mastectomy. She chose not to have breast reconstruction. At that time, she was 77 years old.

At my age, I didnt think that was particularly important to me, she said.

She had the mastectomy and 22 lymph nodes on the right side of her body were removed in March 2021.

Kassmeier said she didnt need to have radiation or chemotherapy, but took a hormone suppressant.

It was a shock when I saw myself for the first time without breasts, she said.

During her cancer journey, Kassmeier talked to friends whod had breast cancer and learned how they dealt with it.

Shed begin wearing a prosthesis, a bra with foam in it, which preserves the female form, she said.

Kassmeier said she has a good prognosis.

Im confident that my breast cancer is behind me, Kassmeier said.

Breast cancer has made her think more about her mortality. Shes updated her will. She has spent a lot of time with family.

I realized how lucky I was to have family and friends that were so supportive, Kassmeier said.

Kassmeiers console was filled with cards.

That gave me so much strength that I could just cry, she said. I wanted to give everybody a big hug.

A granddaughter, Hannah Kassmeier, whos studying to become a nurse, came and cared for Kassmeier in January. Family members took turns assisting her. She appreciates being able to talk to others about her cancer journey.

My friends let me talk about it  my fears  and I felt like I grew so much closer to my friends, she said.

Next summer, Kassmeier plans to visit her granddaughter, former Fremonter Lauren Heggarty, who is principal of an American school in Columbia, South America.

She also plans to visit her grandson, Sean Kassmeier, a park ranger wholl be stationed at the Grand Canyon in Arizona.

Donna Kassmeier has two sons, Ray and Ron, and a daughter, Renee. She has eight grandchildren ages 11 to 36, and four great-granddaughters.

She enjoys being with family and traveling.

I stay pretty busy, Kassmeier said. Somebody says, Lets go, and Ive got my bags packed.

Kassmeier has a little advice for others diagnosed with breast cancer.

Dont fear it, she said, but get it diagnosed early.

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The Fremont City Council will discuss improvement projects for a power plant and propane plant at its meeting Tuesday night.

The council will meet at 7 p.m. on the second floor of the Fremont Municipal Building at 400 E. Military Ave.

Prior to the meeting, the Utilities and Infrastructure Board will discuss the potential installation of a compact submersible conveyor system on the Lon D. Wright Power Plants Unit 8.

Although the citys Units 6, 7 and 8 use a common bottom ash transport system, only Unit 8 is required to comply with the Environmental Protection Agencys Effluent Limitations Guideline Rule.

The rule is referenced in a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit from the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy. The permit states that the unit must be in compliance with the ELG Rule no later than Dec. 31, 2023.

To comply with the rule, LDW contracted with engineering consultant Burns and McDonnell to develop a high-level evaluation, which concluded that the conveyor system for Unit 8 would be the best solution.

The citys department of utilities received three bids for owners engineering services for EPC contract development and project oversite for the ELG project on Sept. 22.

LDW staff recommended HDR Engineerings bid at $108,365, according to a staff report. They hope to have the necessary equipment installed in spring of 2023.

The installation of the under hopper submerged conveyor (submerged scrapper conveyor) on Unit 8 will be isolated from the existing bottom ash conveying and dewatering system and thus eliminate the use of bottom as transport water on Unit 8, the project report read.

Additionally, the council will discuss a resolution to provide upgrades to the citys Propane Peak Shaving Plant, which ran for four days last winter.

According to a report, the 50-year-old plant was used during the polar vortex and provided almost $1 million in cost savings for customers, as natural gas prices had skyrocketed.

The city received a bid from Utility Energy Systems to upgrade the plant at a cost of $1,780,000 last week.

Also in energy news, the council will discuss a contract to purchase coal in 2022 and 2023 from Navajo Transitional Energy Company, which has been the citys contract coal supplier since 2017.

The UIB recommended Navajos contract with a unanimous vote at its Sept. 28 meeting. The non-binding coal supply agreement includes a fixed price for all coal supply and lower mercury content.

In other news, the council will have first reading on an ordinance selling a Technology Park lot to Boulevard Boys Properties and discuss Mayor Joey Spellerbergs appointment of Jesse Headid as a police sergeant.

The council will also hold public hearings on its second reading to continue the Business Improvement District and first reading to change the Unified Development Code regarding flood prone and flood fringe regulations and definitions.

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Marzia Babakarkhil, an Afghan judge, spoke to RFE/RL's Radio Azadi from London about the dangers women judges face in Afghanistan. In a radio program on October 10, she talked about how the Taliban do not acknowledge women in the role of a judge and that her colleagues have faced threats and intimidation. Many have left the country or gone into hiding. Call-in programs focusing on women's rights, produced by Radio Azadi, are continuing to reach listeners in Afghanistan, despite the Taliban takeover of the country.
The Taliban has held its first face-to-face talks with EU officials in Qatar as the bloc announced an expanded support package for Afghanistan and its neighbors worth about 1 billion euros ($1.15 billion) to try to contain a spiraling humanitarian crisis amid mounting international pressure on the hard-line Islamist group to respect human rights.



The Taliban are seeking international recognition, as well as assistance to avoid a humanitarian disaster, after they returned to power in August following the withdrawal of U.S.-led troops following 20 years of war.



Afghanistan's economy is in a parlous state with most aid cut off as winter nears, food prices rising, and unemployment spiking.



The leaders of the Group of 20 (G20) major economies held a virtual conference on October 12 to address Afghanistan's aid needs, concerns over security, and ways to guarantee a safe exit for thousands of Western-allied Afghans still in the country.



As part of that summit, the EU promised an additional 700 million euros ($809 million) in emergency aid to Afghanistan and its neighbors to prevent what European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called "major humanitarian and socio-economic collapse."



The added commitment increases pledges so far to about 1 billion euros after the EU's executive arm previously earmarked 300 million euros for basic services and food for Afghans.



Brussels hopes that donating money to help stabilize Afghanistan and assist surrounding countries could prevent a repeat of Europe's 2015 migration crisis, when more than 1 million people fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East arrived in the bloc.



In a statement, von der Leyen emphasized the need to work "fast," and she stressed that the funds were "direct support" for Afghans and would be channeled to international organizations working on the ground -- not to the Taliban-led cabinet that Brussels does not recognize.



She also said that the Taliban must first meet five EU "benchmarks" to receive longer-term aid.



Those benchmarks include respect for rule of law and human rights, especially women's rights; preventing the export of terrorism; and an "inclusive government and representative transitional government" through talks with various elements in Afghanistan. Others include unfettered access for humanitarian aid; and allowing the departure of foreign nationals and at-risk Afghans.

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi said after hosting the G20 summit that the participants have tasked the United Nations with coordinating humanitarian aid for Afghanistan.



Draghi added that all of the leaders also said Afghanistan must recognize human rights, especially women's rights and not become a haven for terrorists.



"We must not get to the point we got to 20 years ago," he said, referring to the Taliban's first stint in power from 1996 to 2001 before it was ousted by a U.S.-led coalition in 2001.



More than two-thirds of leaders participated in the virtual gathering, with the remainder represented by ministers, according to a G20 official. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinas Xi Jinping were among those who did not join.



Non-G20 guests included Qatar, which has long hosted a Taliban political office and has played a key diplomatic role in Afghanistan before and since the U.S.-led withdrawal of international troops was completed in late August.



The summit came amid differences among its members over how to deal with the Taliban-led government.



China has publicly demanded that economic sanctions be lifted and that billions of dollars in frozen Afghan assets be handed back to Kabul.



U.S. President Joe Biden and the other G20 leaders discussed "the critical need to maintain a laser-focus on our enduring counterterrorism efforts, including against threats" from an affiliate of the Islamic State (IS) terror group -- the Islamic State-Khorasan Province (IS-K). The leaders also stressed "ensuring safe passage for those foreign nationals and Afghan partners with documentation seeking to depart Afghanistan," according to the White House.

The White House statement also said leaders highlighted providing humanitarian aid via international aid groups, "and promoting human rights, including for women, girls, and members of minority groups."



Meanwhile, a Taliban delegation met with EU representatives in the Qatari capital, Doha, for what EU spokesperson Nabila Massrali called "an informal exchange at [a] technical level."



Massrali said the two sides would discuss issues such as access to humanitarian aid and women's rights, but she insisted that the meeting "does not constitute recognition" of the Taliban-led government.



The acting foreign minister of that government, Amir Khan Muttaqi, announced the Doha meeting the previous day, after Taliban delegates held their first face-to-face talks with representatives of the United States since returning to power.



The Taliban "are having positive meetings with representatives of other countries," Muttaqi said, adding that "a balanced relationship can save Afghanistan from instability."



The in-person talks with U.S. officials took place over the weekend. The American side stressed that the meetings did not amount to recognition of the Taliban government.



A German delegation also met with the Taliban in Doha for the first time on October 11, but Chancellor Angela Merkel said that recognizing the Taliban officially as Afghanistan's government was not on Berlins agenda.



UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed to the world on October 11 for an injection of cash into drought-hit and impoverished Afghanistan, but also slammed the Taliban's "broken" promises to allow women to work and girls to have access to all levels of education.

With reporting by Reuters, AFP, Bloomberg, and Deutsche Welle
Traces of bullets and Negar's blood are still visible on the walls and doors of her family home, a daily reminder of the night gunmen came for the expecting mother, wife -- and former Afghan policewoman.

"The room was completely covered in blood," one of Negar's daughters told RFE/RL's Radio Azadi about her mother's early-September assassination in the central province of Ghor. "When they fired, the windows were blown open, and the smell of gunfire and blood was strong. The house was very dark. We could not see anyone."

While the Taliban said it was investigating the attack, promising to catch the perpetrators, her family -- whose names are being withheld for their safety -- had its suspicions the moment the gunmen stormed in.

"Three people came in. They aimed a gun at me," said one of her sons, who said he asked who they were. Their response, he said, was that they were from the "mujahedin of the Islamic Emirate," the official name of the Taliban regime.

The loss of the child his pregnant mother was carrying makes her assassination a double murder, said the son, one of Negar's 10 surviving children along with her husband.

Considering her previous service with the police in Ghor Province, Negar's death has added to heightened fears that the Taliban is targeting members of the toppled government's Afghan National Defense Security Forces (ANDSF), which includes the military and police.

The Taliban, which overran Ghor Province on August 13 as U.S.-led forces prepared to withdraw from the country after nearly 20 years of war, has pledged a general amnesty to all.

After a rapid offensive returned it to power in Kabul on August 15, Taliban officials promptly claimed the group had changed since its infamously brutal rule from 1996 to 2001, vowing that Afghans -- even soldiers and police -- could "restart your daily routines with full confidence."

Those vows have been taken with a huge grain of salt by the international community following the Taliban's subsequent acknowledgement that it would bring back infamous punishments such as amputations and executions, and mounting evidence that revenge attacks are being carried out against minorities as well as Afghans with ties to the former government.

Former members of the ANDSF -- which included the 195,000-strong Afghan National Army (ANA), Afghan National Police, and Air Force, among others -- are being singled out for particularly harsh treatment, rights activists and victims families say.

In June, more than two months before the last foreign troops left the country, 22 unarmed Afghan commandos were executed as they tried to surrender in the northern Faryab Province. While the massacre at an outdoor market was captured on several videos and multiple eyewitnesses said the Taliban carried out the killing, the extremist group told CNN that the videos were "fake" and denied executing the Afghan troops.

As the Taliban advanced on provincial capitals on its way to taking Kabul, the U.S. Embassy said on August 12 that it was "hearing additional reports of Taliban executions of surrendering Afghan troops" that "could constitute war crimes."

The killings continued after the Taliban seized most of Afghanistan.

On August 30, Taliban forces killed 13 ethnic Hazaras -- one a 17-year-old girl and 11 of them former members of the ANDSF -- in the central Daikundi Province, according to an investigation by Amnesty International.

The killings came after nine of the ANDSF members had surrendered to the Taliban, and the nine were all killed extrajudicially in what appear to be war crimes, according to the international rights watchdog.

These cold-blooded executions are further proof that the Taliban are committing the same horrific abuses they were notorious for during their previous rule of Afghanistan, Amnesty International Secretary-General Agnes Callamard said at the time.

In mid-September, the Taliban confirmed that five former Afghan police officers had been evicted from their homes and killed in separate incidents in the southern city of Kandahar.

As with other killings, including the policewoman Negar's, the Taliban has denied involvement as it continues its PR campaign to present itself in a more moderate light. But allegations of the extremist group's role in the killings, torture, and kidnapping of former members of the security forces have not stopped.

As the Taliban marched on Kabul, many defeated military and police officers took steps to secure their survival.

Some fled to neighboring countries, such as a group of Air Force pilots who flew 17 military aircraft to neighboring Tajikistan within hours of Kabul's fall. Others made it to Iran or Pakistan or were evacuated by foreign forces.

Still others went into hiding, some kept up the fight, and some took the Taliban up on its offer of amnesty and handed over their weapons.

Patricia Gossman, associate director for Human Rights Watch's Asia Division, told RFE/RL that "there are growing concerns about disappearances.

"We are hearing many reports of people being arrested purely for having any association with the former security forces and family members being interrogated or beaten by Taliban looking for former officials," Gossman said in written comments on October 12. "The Taliban forces carrying out these abuses appear to have been given a free hand while officials at the top deny it is happening."

The Taliban's acting Defense Minister, Mullah Mohammad Yaqub, apparently admitted in a September 23 audio statement that the militants had committed revenge killings since seizing power.

"Recently, some people have been killed deliberately [by our fighters] in some parts of the country," a voice purported to be Yaqub's can be heard in the recording that is apparently addressing Taliban cadets and commanders.

The voice, which admitted that such incidents have happened because of personal enmities and desire for revenge, then recommends restraint and advises against Taliban fighters taking justice into their own hands.

RFE/RL's Radio Azadi has reported numerous accounts of alleged execution, torture, and kidnapping of former members of the ANDSF, and many families have expressed concerns about loved ones who were associated with the Afghan security forces.

RFE/RL is identifying them by their first names only to protect them against possible repercussions.

Najiba said her brother, a security officer in southeastern Ghazni Province, surrendered his arms and ammunition to the Taliban, and was taken to prison.

"We do not know his fate and are worried," she said. "No one is telling us about his situation."

Gula Jan, a resident of the southern Helmand Province, has similar concerns.

He is seeking information about his nephew, a former soldier with the ANA.

"He surrendered to the Taliban, but his fate is still unknown," Jan said. "We are asking the Taliban to release him if he is alive."

Women who fought with the ANA say they are at serious risk, as are members of their families.

"Women who were members of the army are being threatened by the Taliban," said Zahra, who once won awards for her military prowess. Now she is afraid for herself and her family.

"I was threatened by the Taliban," she said, adding that the Taliban came for her father with pictures of her in hand. "They showed them to my father and told him that it was a shame for him to have let his daughter serve in the army."

Written by RFE/RL correspondent Michael Scollon in Prague with additional reporting and translation by RFE/RL Radio Azadi correspondents Mustafa Sarwar and Ajmal Aand. Based on reporting by RFE/RL Radio Azadi correspondents in Afghanistan whose names are being withheld for their safety.
The incredible story of American POWs smuggling rations to Russian prisoners | Pass It On
A man accused of shooting and killing two people during a workplace meeting at a Colorado Springs Elks Lodge then fleeing to Florida made his first appearance in court Tuesday.

Lamar Taylor, the suspected gunman in the September Elks Lodge shooting that left two of the facilitys managers dead, was ordered held without bail. On Sept. 17, U.S. Marshals and Miami-Dade police officers arrested Taylor, 43, in a Miami suburb. Authorities then extradited Taylor back to Colorado Springs and booked him into the El Paso County jail on suspicion of murder.

Taylor has been assigned public defenders to represent him. The judge set a set a December hearing to determine whether prosecutors have brought enough evidence against Taylor to take him to trial.

Prosecutors have charged Taylor with murder in the Sept. 9 shooting that left Elks Lodge managers Kevin Patterson, 62, and James Love, 58.

Police identified Taylor, according to arrest warrant papers, by matching video surveillance from within the inn to photos and descriptions listed for Taylor in Colorado Department of Revenue databases. They also said that one of the business employees had reviewed the footage and identified Taylor as the shooter.

At the time of the shooting, witnesses told police, Taylor and the two managers had been holding a meeting to settle their differences after Patterson and Love had taken a sign advertising Taylors catering business, Union Cuisine, down from the building all three shared for their businesses.

Police alleged that at some point during the meeting, Taylor shouted something and then pulled out a small-caliber pistol, which he used to gun down Patterson and Taylor in the kitchen. After killing the two, police said Taylor grabbed a shotgun from his SUV parked nearby and shot at others around the lodge.

In addition to being charged with the first-degree murders of Patterson and Love, Taylors also facing four other counts of attempted first-degree murder after the angry shooting spree outside the Elks Lodge. While he waits for his trial to go forward, he's being held at the El Paso County jail with no bond.
INDUSTRY INSIGHT

Tech advances, continuous training build contracting compliance

Federal contracting, like many other government activities, is constrained by a thick stack of ever-changing regulations.

Embracing change and creating a culture of life-long learning can help agencies comply with evolving requirements  continuous technology evolution, continuous training and continuous process assessment.

New tools heighten compliance

Robotic process automation and artificial intelligence are among the top technologies contributing to contracting compliance. Agencies that use RPA for repetitive processes such as acquisition closeout are improving timeliness and accuracy while ensuring projects are completed as required.

New technologies are also supporting compliance in real time. As contracting professionals complete their responsibilities, they might consult AI-powered chatbots to answer questions and get help to remain compliant. AI can also detect non-compliant actions as they occur and alert the contracting professional, who might have forgotten about a recent change or made a mistake in a rarely used process, for example.

Agencies investing in predictive analytics can more easily evaluate risk and determine the likely result based on prior outcomes. Rather than reacting to non-compliance findings after the fact, agencies can analyze historical data to help identify and mitigate compliance risks before they occur.

At the Department of Defense, automation and reliance on data standards lessen the burden on the workforce and ensure compliance. DOD, for instance, uses AI to review purchase card actions to find fraudulent activities. It ensures fewer errors than a manual review and processes information at a speed that manual reviews could never achieve. DODs data standards ensure consistency and alignment of data sources. For example, the DODs Procurement Integrated Enterprise Environment procure-to-pay application integrates data from multiple sources, analyzes it with AI-based technology and derives actionable intelligence to improve compliance across a dispersed set of users and data.

Ensuring compliance with evolving requirements comes from combining new technologies with incremental training. By adapting tools to include built-in reminders based on new regulations, the system can warn of non-compliance before it occurs. For example, if the system detects an action that does not comply with regulations, AI and chatbot technology can alert the user with guidance on the correct action. This kind of incremental training prevents non-compliance while reinforcing learning at the same time.

Measuring success

To truly recognize the impact of technology and an incremental training methodology on regulatory compliance, agencies must measure their effectiveness.

This is where technology can support the full cycle of compliance. In addition to the real-time, automated compliance enforcement enabled by AI and RPA, automated compliance assurance systems can follow up to measure the effectiveness after actions are complete. These tools use analytics to provide summary-level reporting across organizations, allowing leaders to recognize the impact of their technology and training approaches to increase compliance with new and evolving regulations. They also help to identify effectiveness and trends. For instance, the reports may reveal positive strides at a broad organizational level, while also pointing out perennial trouble spots. This information enables agency leadership to quickly adapt to findings and issue specialized training materials to address the specific points of failure, whether they be regulation-, process-, or role-based.

By focusing on particular areas of challenge, organizations efficiently increase their overall compliance and focus their training processes where the need is the greatest.
The Iowa Democratic Party on Monday asked the Office of Congressional Ethics to investigate U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks' 2020 financial disclosure, saying the ophthalmologist representing Iowas 2nd Congressional District omitted information.

Im very concerned Mariannette Miller-Meeks doesnt want to play by the rules and she doesnt think transparency is important, Iowa Democratic Party Chair Ross Wilburn said Monday.

Miller-Meeks filed her new filer financial disclosure report Aug. 13. The two-page report says none disclosed for assets and unearned income, liabilities, positions or agreements, The Gazette reported on Sept. 17.

For her earned income for 2020, Miller-Meeks reported $100,000 for her salary as a U.S. representative, although she didnt start that job until January 2021. Its possible she intended that amount to represent the share of her $174,000 congressional salary shed been paid through Aug. 13, when the report was filed.

Miller-Meeks did not list her $25,000 annual salary from the Iowa Senate, where she served from January 2019 to January 2021. Will Kiley, a spokesman for Miller-Meeks, told The Gazette on Sept. 15 his boss would update her form to add her Iowa Senate salary, but no update had been filed as of Monday.

Eric Woolson, a Miller-Meeks for Congress spokesman, said in an email Monday: The Congresswoman's office is working with the House Ethics Committee and House Clerk's office on several substantive questions to resolve the discrepancies of her most recent personal financial report. This will ensure that her upcoming amended report covers all the necessary bases. We anticipate that the amended report will be filed as soon as her staff receives the answers to those questions.

Kiley said in September said Miller-Meeks does not have any outside income, including from IRAs or 401(k)s, that she would be required to report on the form.

The Democratic Party complaint disputes this. It pointed to Federal Elections Commissions records showing Miller-Meeks loaned her 2020 campaign $95,000 in March 2020 and $100,000 in October 2020.

She loaned her campaign almost $200,000, so to say she has no assets or income is suspicious, Wilburn said. Where did the money come from?

The request for investigation cites the inaccurate salary information Miller-Meeks filed Aug. 13. Miller-Meeks also failed to list on the new filer report $34,646 in income from Great River Health Systems and her state pension that she listed on a candidate disclosure report in May 2020 covering Jan. 1, 2019, through May 5, 2020.

Miller-Meeks reported on her Aug. 13 financial disclosure form she was paid at least $5,000 in 2020 in deferred compensation from the Great River Health System in Burlington, where she was employed. But the Iowa Democratic Party said that disclosure was made in the wrong section.

The law and guidance are clear that only fees generated by individuals with an ownership interest in their employer should be included on Schedule J, the complaint states. If Rep. Miller-Meeks has an ownership interest in Great River Health

Systems, she must disclose that interest immediately.

The Iowa Democratic Party is requesting an immediate investigation to ensure that Rep. Miller-Meeks complies with federal law and that the public is granted full disclosure of Rep. Miller-Meeks finances as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.

The nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center last month raised questions about the financial disclosures of seven congressional members, including Rep. Cindy Axne, a Democrat representing Iowas 3rd District. The center said Axne did

not report more than 40 transactions with a potential financial range of $43,000 to $645,000, The Gazette reported.

Axne had updated those reports by last week.

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DUBUQUE  Milton Serrano Jr. was found guilty of second degree murder Tuesday in the stabbing death of Chantz Stevens.

Serrano, 22, of Muscatine, was initially charged with first-degree murder in the death of Stevens, of Wilton.

The jury in the murder trial of Serrano retired shortly before noon to deliberate the evidence in the week-long trial regarding the death of Stevens.

The prosecution and defense both gave their closing arguments Tuesday morning. It was standing room only in the courtroom as loved ones of both Steven and Serrano attended the trial.

Serrano was arrested on July 19, 2020 at a Muscatine residence after reports were made of his alleged involvement in an altercation at a party at 938 Quincy Ave. in Clarence, Iowa.

Along with being charged with second-degree criminal mischief for allegedly keying a silver Toyota Camry, reports say that during his second altercation of the night, Serrano allegedly removed a knife from his pocket and stabbed Stevens twice in the abdomen.

Stevens was pronounced dead at the scene while Serrano, who pleaded not guilty to the charges, posted on Facebook Live about the fight that night.

Sentencing is scheduled for 2:30 p.m., Friday, Oct. 29 at the Cedar County Courthouse.

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Updated 4:30 p.m.

GREENSBORO  Authorities identified the police officer who shot an armed Greensboro man on Monday as Officer D.A. Young.

Young, who joined the department in 2013, is currently assigned to the patrol division, police said in a news release.

Young is on administrative duty while the Professional Standards Division conducts an internal investigation into the incident.

GREENSBORO  Authorities identified a Greensboro man as the armed suspect who was shot by a police officer after fleeing a vehicle stop Monday, police said in a news release.

Lewis Latrell Harrison III, 25, is charged with assault by pointing a gun, assault with a deadly weapon on a law enforcement officer, possession of a stolen firearm, felon possessing a firearm and resist, delay and obstruct a public officer.

Shortly before 5 p.m. Monday, Harrison, armed with a handgun, fled from a vehicle stopped at South Elm-Eugene Street and West Vandalia Road, leading an officer on a foot chase, police said.

When Harrison raised his weapon toward the officer, the officer fired his own weapon, striking Harrison, according to police.
Building bridges

In 2019, the nonprofit won a share of a $1 million prize for its innovative and thoughtful approach for getting immigrants, the homeless and other people a form of identification that is recognized by agencies.

The international BridgeBuilder 2019 Top Ideas competition sought out new approaches to some of the worlds most urgent needs involving migrants and refugees.

The FaithAction ID initiative was started with the support of local police to provide identification for any resident in the community who may not have access to government-issued forms of identification, especially immigrants and refugees.

The nonprofit group competed in a pool of 450 submissions from 165 countries.

The competition was based on the question: How do we build bridges?

The application process, which took months, involved intensive interviews and working with mentors to refine the proposals.

FaithAction impressed the judges by its mission of turning strangers into neighbors. Too often, the idea is to fear the other, said Amy Goldman, the chief executive officer of the problem-solving GHR Foundation, which funds the competition.
Updated 8:20 p.m.

GREENSBORO  What began as a vehicle stop ended with a Greensboro police officer shooting a man armed with a handgun, authorities said Monday.

The man was taken to a hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatening, Greensboro police said in a news release.

Shortly before 5 p.m., an armed passenger fled from a vehicle stopped at South Elm-Eugene Street and West Vandalia Road, leading the officer on a foot chase, police said.

"The suspect raised his weapon towards the officer and the officer discharged his weapon striking the suspect," the news release said.

The man continued running, discarding his weapon along the way. Police have since recovered the weapon, Greensboro Police Chief Brian James told the news media. The man was arrested behind a residence in the area, James said.

Police have not released the names of the officer nor the suspect.

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The officer will be placed on administrative duty and the Professional Standards Division will conduct an internal investigation.

It's not the first officer-involved shooting Greensboro Police Department has been at the center of this year.
Theres a bus trip this weekend to Greensboro thats been about 40 years in the making.

Thats roughly when J.C. Taylor and Ken Briggs met each other, as members of the Roanoke Kiwanis Club.

Taylors a Black entrepreneur in the real estate industry. Briggs, now retired, is a white businessman who owned an office-supply company.

Over the years, their introduction grew into a close friendship. And that friendship involved some no holds-barred discussions on some touchy subjects  like race. Those were honest and sometimes beyond their own comfort zones.

Both men recognized that, in terms of civil rights, our nation has come a long way since the days of slavery. They also realized that in other ways, a societal divide remains. And that Sundays are a prime example.

We talked about how segregated we were in our Sunday (church) meetings, said Briggs, who attends Windsor Hills United Methodist Church in Roanoke County. Taylors church is Shiloh Baptist in Salem.
Entrepreneurship and business ownership is one way that folks are able to get out of poverty and build wealth generationally within their lifetimes, Williams said.

The pandemic, she said, also helped show Black entrepreneurs that its important to be in diverse industries, as service or professional-based jobs took a hit during pandemic shutdowns. For example, she said, Black-owned businesses are growing in the home goods sector where people are looking for specific types of decor.

Its opened up the realm of possibilities for people looking to get into the space, Williams said.

She encourages Black-owned business owners to sign up for a Black business directory and register with the city and state as a way to support minority businesses and diversify networking channels.

Whats next for Pretty Dope Society

This fall, Benson will roll out products with her own drawings, plus home decor from rugs and clocks to ottomans and pillows.

Next year, she hopes to do more pop-up shops in Charlotte and get into boutiques, which she didnt pursue because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The network saw an on-average 50% increase in diapers distributed monthly after the pandemic began, it said in the report.

And in stores around the country, some families have been struggling to find diapers on the shelves, The New York Times reported.

We all got a glimpse of that at the beginning of the pandemic, when we couldnt find toilet paper and we were wondering what we were going to do, Old said of the shortage. That is how families living in poverty feel every single day.

The price of diapers has increased over the past two years, she said. That, coupled with pandemic-fueled food insecurity, has made it even harder for struggling families to afford the products, Old said.

Across the state, she said Diaper Bank of NC distributes nearly 4 million diapers a year, serving between 4,000 and 6,000 babies each month.

But with donations, community diaper drives and volunteers down significantly amid the pandemic, she said the organization has been struggling.

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Were now in a position where were buying way more diapers (to distribute) than we have in the history of our organization, she said.

Babies health at risk
We know there are people who probably feel like they have lived through about five years over the past 18 months, Fraher said. I think there will be people who say, I have had enough. Im tired.

Also, Fraher said, nurses tend to respond to economic trends, leaving the field when they can afford to and re-entering when they need more income.

NCs nursing shortage

Though North Carolina has 128 public and private nursing schools, aging and steady growth of the states population has forced it to bring about half the nurses needed each year from other states, Fraher said. Now, because of the pandemic, other states are facing shortages as well, meaning theres greater competition for the same workforce.

A report from the N.C. Board of Nursing in March showed enrollment in nursing programs across the state dropped after the pandemic hit, from 10,675 students in fall 2019 to 7,633 in fall 2020. The losses came in associate and bachelor of nursing degree programs; those for licensed practical nurses saw a slight uptick in enrollment over 2019.

Enrollment numbers for the current academic year arent available yet.
Republican legislators in North Carolina are pushing to inspect voting machines used in Durham County during the 2020 presidential election, in search of the invisible voter fraud that they insist exists, any proof of which has consistently eluded Republican officials across the country. Its a project that will be popular in Trump circles, but in the larger picture, accomplishes nothing but to damage our states reputation and keep a popular lie in circulation.

Rep. Jeff McNeely, a North Carolina Republican and member of the Freedom Caucus, said he and other Republicans want to inspect the voting machines because of many, many millions of accusations of machine tampering and votes being switched because of modems.

This, despite the fact that North Carolinas voting machines dont have modems and cant be connected to the internet. Theyre designed that way by law.

McNeely says he and other members of his group selected Durham County randomly, drawing the name from a hat.

Which is quite a coincidence, considering that the vast majority of Durham Countys votes went to Joe Biden in 2020  and considering Republican legislators fruitless examination of Durham Countys ballots in 2016, which affirmed a preference for Gov. Roy Cooper over incumbent Pat McCrory.
Hundreds of Future Syria Party members, families of the martyrs, a delegation from the Autonomous Administration, and the people of the cities and districts of Al-Jazeera region gathered at the shrine of the martyr Khabat Derek to remember the martyrs Hevrin Khalaf, Farhad Ramadan and mother Aqeeda.

After a minute of silence, she spoke on behalf of the Martyrs' Families Council in Derek and Nessa Shawish and said: "Two yyears on this heinous crime committed against the Kurdish politician Hevrin Khalaf and her companions in front of the international silence.

In turn, the head of the Future Syria Party, Ibrahim Al-Qaftan, said: Were it not for the pandemic circumstances, the Future Syria Party would have organized a rhetorical festival, so we will read a statement to world public opinion on the second anniversary of the martyrdom of the Secretary-General of the Future Syria Party, Hevrin Khalaf. And the martyr Farhad Ramadan.

The text of the statement reads:

Today marks the second anniversary of the martyrdom of the Secretary-General of the Future Syria Party Hevrin Khalaf and Farhad Ramadan, the icon of peace Hevrin, the pioneer of the age and peace, and the voice of the free woman, as well as the comrade Farhad Ramadan, who were targeted by the Syrian mercenaries loyal to Turkey called Ahrar Al-Sharqiya on October 12, 2019 ".

And in conjunction with the Turkish invasion of the cities of Serekaniye and Gire Spi, the Turkish occupation seeks to strike the state of stability and security in northern and eastern Syria, impose the reality of partition and control the future of the Syrian people in light of the ongoing siege in Syria.

The statement added, "The commemoration of the martyrdom anniversary is an occasion to recall achieving the destiny, preserving the unity of Syria, and emphasizing our unity, and that we can send peace and tranquility to the souls of our martyrs and deal responsibly by resolving the Syrian crisis and saving our people from their suffering for eleven years."

The statement indicated, "The Turkish attack on our areas is an occupation and an assault on the legitimate rights of the Syrian components, and the stabilization that has been achieved under the democratic Autonomous Administration and the revival of the terrorist organization ISIS to threaten the region and the world again."

The statement noted, "We in the Future Syria Party condemn these terrorist acts and consider them war crimes against all humanity and women in particular, and the right to experience the democratic AA led by women and men side by side, and we commend the daughters of Syria and the sons of northern and eastern Syria for rallying around the Syrian Democratic Forces to defend their land against The fascist Turkish occupation and its mercenaries violate international law by attacking northern and eastern Syria.

The statement called on the international community and human rights organizations to carry out their responsibilities towards the peoples of north and east Syria and to prosecute the perpetrators and hold them accountable. through the unity of the Syrian people and peace building.

In turn, Kongra Star spokeswoman Ramzieh Muhammad said that the Turkish invasion of the northern and eastern regions of Syria and its occupation of the cities of Serekaniye and Gire Spi is a continuation of the conspiracy that targeted the leader Abdullah Ocalan on October 9, adding, "What is happening in the occupied regions of north and east Syria and Afrin is genocide against the peoples of the region is in the midst of international silence and international and human rights organizations.

The mother of the martyr Hevrin Khalaf Suad Mustafa also deliveded a speech on behalf of the family of the martyr Hevrin Khalaf and the martyr Farhad Ramadan and said: When we demand a cause and rights, precious sacrifices must be made in order to achieve them."

She added: "The enemy's goal is to sow discord to weaken the people unity and then control them and their wealth, gains and legitimate rights. Therefore, it requires everyone to unite ranks and stand in the face of schemes and conspiracies being hatched against the peoples of the region in order to preserve the gains achieved with the blood of martyrs." ".

After the words were finished, many poems were recited in mourning the martyr Hevrin Khalaf, and then the members of the Future Syria Party and the participants in the second annual remembrance and the family of the martyrs Hevrin Khalaf and Farhad Ramadan went to the shrine of the martyr Khabat Dirk and laid wreaths on the tombs of the two martyrs amid the ululations of mothers and slogans glorifying the martyrs .

A

ANHA
Morans Night for Sight Raises more than $1 Million for Charity Eye Care

Oct 12, 2021 1:00 PM

Moran CEO Randall J Olson, MD, left, and auctioneer Bill Menish during the Night for Sight livestream Oct. 9, 2021, at The Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City.

Night for Sight, the John A. Moran Eye Centers largest community event benefitting the Global Outreach Divisions work to end curable blindness in Utah and worldwide, exceeded a fundraising goal of $1 million.

The October 9, 2021 eventincluding speakers, video, and online silent auctionhonored the life and legacy of Alan S. Crandall, MD. All proceeds will support The Alan S. Crandall, MD, Endowment in Global Outreach for Patient Care, Teaching, and Training.

I am awestruck by the outpouring of support weve received, and I am just ecstatic that we have met our fundraising goal, said Moran CEO Randall J Olson, MD. Its an amazing tribute to Alan. I want to thank all of youour sponsors, donors, committee members, board members, colleagues, patients, and friends for seeing the need and rising to meet it. Alan would be proud and profoundly grateful to each of you.

The Grand America Hotels online production crew at Morans Night for Sight fundraising gala Oct. 9.

Moran moved the biannual event online for the first time after considering the impact of the COVID-19 Delta variant in Utah. Olson joined auctioneer Bill Menish, a favorite from past Night for Sight events, on stage at The Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City for a broadcast streamed live at NFS2021.givesmart.com.

The event raised more than $1.2 million, including a matching $500,000 donation from an anonymous supporter.

About the Moran Eye Center's Outreach Program

Crandall, who passed away in October 2020, founded the outreach program, a premier institute for ophthalmology outreach in the United States that is supported solely by donors.

The Moran Eye Center trains doctors, nurses, and other eye care professionals in more than 25 countries. Moran brings the most promising international surgeons to the eye center for intensive training and sends Utah medical residents abroad.

At medical camps in the field, Moran surgeons restore sight to hundreds of patients in a week while teaching local trainees. In Utah, the division provides charitable care to thousands of individuals without adequate access to ophthalmic services across the state and on the Navajo Nation.

About The Alan S. Crandall, MD, Endowment in Global Outreach for Patient Care, Teaching, and Training

The new endowment provides a lasting impact and ensures Crandall's legacy of charitable eye care will continue.

A portion of the funds from the endowment will go directly to Moran's Global Outreach Division to provide excellent patient care and teach and train ophthalmologists in Utah and worldwide.

The remaining endowment funds are added to the principle, which grows over time, ensuring that Moran can continue Crandall's work for decades to come.
Congratulations to Montana Republicans! In the November 2020 elections you had the largest Republican victories in the history of Montana. Republicans won control of all five statewide offices for the first time, elected only the third Republican U.S. senator in our history, and the largest Republican majority in the Montana Legislature ever.

Montana Republicans rightly celebrated as they entered 2021, the year to start governing. But in the last 10 months they must have discovered some very nefarious deeds in their election as they now suggest it was fraudulent. How could that be?

The people who run Montana elections are Republican by large majorities. The secretary of state, who oversees all Montana state local elections, was and is Republican. Most of the county chief election officers are Republican. More Republicans volunteer as election monitors in Montana than Democrats. There surely couldnt have been an election fix or steal that Republicans have discovered, could there?

But, I am sure that most of Montana, including grassroots Republicans, must have been shocked when they found that 88% of their elected Republican Montana legislators have signed a letter to investigate the integrity of this historic Montana election of theirs. Do they know something that we dont know about how they won such a historic landslide victory? Do they know of operatives who are crooked in the secretary of states office or the county election offices? Are they accusing our good Republican neighbors, those who volunteer at local election offices, guilty of corruption?

Some or most of these legislators must have enough information or evidence of wrongdoing to ask the people of Montana to pay large sums of taxpayer public money to investigate their Republican historic election victory. Yet, they have provided no details in their letter.

But, Republican legislators must have plenty information about who was crooked, who was improperly elected, or they surely wouldnt be trying to launch an expensive, taxpayer-paid investigation into their own record Republican victory. Therefore, I propose that all the Republicans who were elected illegally resign immediately, confess their own misdeeds and reveal which other Republicans who work or volunteer in our election offices cheated, so that they, too, can be arrested.

OR Maybe these legislators are just looking for an excuse to reconvene in Helena so that they can all belly up to public money trough and get the taxpayers to pay them salaries while they play political games on your dime/dollar. Or, maybe they want to be filled up again with more thick steaks and old whiskey paid for by lobbyists who curry their favor.

Brian Schweitzer, a Democrat from Seeley Lake, was Montanas 23rd governor, serving two terms from 2005 into 2013, when he was term-limited out.

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Mother Nature did farmers a great favor this year. Warm temperatures and sparse rain in August meant the corn crop matured at lightspeed. And the ensuing weather has been on a parallel track allowing the first half of the crop to be harvested with little delay and particularly at relatively lower than average moisture.

There is not much high moisture corn being harvested this year, as in most years, when it has to go through the dryer for a long time before it gets down to a storable moisture of 15 percent or less. And that could just be very significant when Bill Fields tallies his data next spring. Youll find out who he is in a moment.

Because of the shortage of South American corn last spring and the heavy imports of U.S. corn by China, typical corn stocks at the end of the summer were low and supplies were difficult to find. That is why many processors were paying a premium for early harvested corn, without any moisture discount. Subsequently, most of the corn that was harvested too wet to store in farm bins was delivered to processors.

That means most of the corn being harvested now is about 15 percent moisture or less. Yes, corn that is less than 15 percent means lost money when it crosses the scales. But for the farm family, that lower moisture corn is a Godsend.

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Corn going into a farm bin now at 15 percent moisture or less should be in good condition next spring when it is time to haul it to town. The operable term is good condition. That means it will flow out of the bin without chucks of spoiled grain plugging the floor openings in the bin, enticing farmers to climb inside and try to break it up.

When spoiled corn or soybeans, or any type of grain congeals and does not flow out of a grain bin, the first response is to climb inside, break up the chunks, climb back out of the bin, and resume loading the grain truck.

Not everyone climbs back out. When they dont answer the dinner bell and dont answer their phone, and the family finds the hatch door on the top of the grain bin still open, the rural fire department is called. The side of the bin is cut open, grain flows out. Ones remains are retrieved and Purdue agricultural safety specialist Bill Field tallies another Corn Belt grain bin fatality.

The long-term trend is flat. About the same number of farmers lose their life in grain bins every year. Up a couple some years, down a couple in others. Illinois always is ahead of other states.

With the quick dry down of the corn crop, and processors taking most of the higher moisture levels of corn, grain going into farm bins this fall should be drier than usual. That means it will flow better next spring, fewer farmers will climb inside, and there may be fewer tallies on Bill Fields chalkboard. Godsend.

Stu Ellis is an observer of the Central Illinois agriculture scene. In addition to his weekly column, you can view his From The Farm and Harvest Heritage reports on WCIA 3 News.

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The event, which will include a presentation by Thomas titled, Get It On! What It Means to Lead the Way," will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 21, at Decatur Airport.

Staff Sergeant Thomas was deployed in the summer of 1993 to Mogadishu, Somalia, as part of an elite special operations squadron called Task Force Ranger which was responsible for finding and capturing former criminal warlord Mohammed Farrah Aidid.

On Oct. 3, 1993, Thomas and other rangers distinguished themselves in an 18-hour firefight that would later be depicted in the highly successful book and movie Black Hawk Down.

Nineteen Americans died and 78 were wounded in what is known to be the worst urban combat seen by United States troops since World War II.

Thomas is known for captivating audiences with his story and teaches people the importance of leadership at every level including a persons self.

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Tickets for the event cost $50 a person and tables of ten are available on at decaturchamber.com.

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100 years ago,

Oct. 12, 1921

MATTOON  The monthly meeting of employees of the Big Four Railroad to consider prevention of loss by damage was held by Chairman J.L. Hurst on Monday. Damage claims that have arisen since the last meeting were the subjects discussed. Four claims taken up arose from the mis-shipping of flour in four different cars. In each case, bags of flour were laid on floors from which nails had not been removed which held machinery in place. Fifty-three sacks of flour were torn. Twenty cases of wet eggs were damaged in a refrigerated car due to improper placement of grating that caused chunks of ice to fall on them. A loose cap on a vat of kerosene from Oklahoma resulted in a spilling of large quantities of oil while a car of gravel from Indiana had a crack in in the sideboard, resulting in in a lot of contents slipping away on the trip MATTOON  The body of Mrs. Harvey Hamilton is being disinterred at Cooks Mills today, under the direction of Undertaker Peers, for removal to Dodge Grove Cemetery, where it will be placed at the side of her soldier son, Elmer E. Hamilton, whose body was brought from overseas and buried there Sept. 11. Mrs. Hamilton died several months after her son, but at the time of her passing, the news of his death had not been received here. Anxiety over his fate hastened her death, relatives said.

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50 years ago, 1971

MATTOON  The City Planning Commission yesterday approved a rezoning request involving land to be used for low-rent housing for the elderly on the east side of Mattoon. The commission also approved a unit development plan for low-rent housing on the west side of the city. The rezoning request, which now goes to the Zoning Board of Appeals and Planning, involves six lots just east of Peterson Park. The land is bounded on the east by First Street, on the north by Prairie, on the west by Peterson Park and on the south by the alley between Broadway and Prairie MATTOON  Tony Schedlbauer last night was named the most outstanding Journal Gazette newspaper carrier of the past year. He received the William B. Hamel Memorial Trophy, presented by William B. Hamel Jr., JG publisher. An eighth grade student at St. Mary School, Schedlbauer is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Lester Schedlbauer. He received his award at the annual dinner in the U.S. Grant Motor Inn which the JG hosted for all its carrier boys and girls.

25 years ago, 1996

MATTOON  Officers from several area agencies arrested more than 20 people yesterday on drug-related charges in a sweep that culminated three months of undercover work. The East Central Illinois Task Force coordinated the drug buys in Coles, Moultrie and Shelby counties, but had a lot of help from local agencies, said Dave McLearin of the Illinois State Police. Six of those in custody are from Mattoon, five from Charleston, five from Sullivan and three from Shelby County. Another man arrested is from Chicago. Task force members expected to make two more arrests last night CHARLESTON  An exiled activist who spoke in Charleston during the Trailmobile lockout was one of two men awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their work to end the conflict in East Timor, a former Portuguese colony annexed by Indonesia in 1976. Jose Ramos-Horta, who spoke at Charleston High School in May to support locked-out Trailmobile workers, and Bishop Carlos Felipe Ximenes Belo were named Nobel Prize winners CASEY  The Clark County Board voted yesterday to create a countywide health department. In a 5-2 vote, the board chose to create the department and unanimously passed a resolution to join with Cumberland Countys already existing health department if officials in that county agree. The decision was prompted by a petition delivered by Marci Campbell with 688 signatures asking the board to create the department.

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DECATUR  Macon County Democrats are accusing the Macon County Boards Republican majority of disenfranchising Black voters with a proposal to reduce the board from 21 to 15 seats.

Republicans hit back Tuesday, rejecting that criticism and saying they are looking at all options while trying to do something to reflect the countys loss of population since the last census.

Macon County Democratic Party Chairman Karl Coleman, who is also a county board member, has called for protests before the the county board meeting that will discuss redistricting at 6 p.m. Thursday in the Macon County Office Building.

VIEW THE REPUBLICAN PROPOSAL HERE

Coleman encouraged the community to gather outside the building at 5 p.m. and attend the meeting to voice their opinions.

Coleman has said he believes the Republican map, if adopted, would infringe the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965 which prohibits racial discrimination in voting practices.

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If these illegal maps are enacted, the county is open to legal action from the state of Illinois and the Federal Department of Justice or by Black voters disenfranchised by the redistricting plan, Coleman said.

He said the Democrats are instead backing a redistricting plan drawn up by Republican County Clerk Josh Tanner, which keeps the existing number of seats.

In the spirit of bipartisanship, the Macon County Democratic Party supports the maps presented by Clerk Tanner, Coleman said.

Republican Macon County Board Chairman Kevin Greenfield said he was taken aback by the Democrats reaction to his partys proposed redistricting option.

VIEW JOSH TANNER'S PROPOSAL HERE

Greenfield said he had a discussion about the proposals with Coleman and said he would present all options, including the Tanner proposal, at the Republican caucus meeting that takes place at at 5:30 p.m. Thursday before the main meeting at 6 p.m.

I told Mr. Coleman the 21 member board wasnt off the table and I would present it at our caucus and explain the Democrats would support the 21 member board the way Josh had drawn it and we would go from there, added Greenfield.

And so now, all of a sudden, Mr. Coleman is calling a press conference and is going to start a riot over this thing; I mean, this is ridiculous.

Greenfield said he personally backed the Republican proposal to go from seven to five districts and 15 instead of 21 seats. He said it made more sense considering the drop in the countys population since the last census.

According to U.S. Census data, Macon County's population dropped from 110,768 in 2010 to 103,998 in 2020. During that same period, the county's African American population increased from 16.3% to 18.3%.

There is one minority-majority district under the current map. Three of the board's five African American members represent the district.

Greenfield rejected the idea the Republicans were trying to disenfranchise Black voters and insisted they were just trying to draw up an electoral map that worked and reflected current population realities.

Greenfield said he wasn't aware the Republican map left any Democrats having to run in a primary against each other or targeted their seats.

If I was going to do that, said Greenfield on the idea of erasing Democratic seats with new electoral maps, I would have carved Mr. Coleman out. That obviously wasnt the case and I dont know what he is talking about with this protest; I am disappointed he has dropped to that level.

The Republican-proposed map, which advanced out of the county board's Operations and Personnel Committee last week, carves Decatur's urban core five ways.

Tanner's proposal, described at committee as a "bare minimum map," is similar to the current map, with Coleman contending that it contains a minority-majority district.

Greenfield also found it ironic to see Democrats protesting legislative redistricting, considering the flak state level Democratic legislators have taken for their carving up of electoral maps for political advantage.

If Mr. Coleman is so concerned about Macon County, where was he when the Democrats drew the map for the state and shafted Republicans? Greenfield added.

Tanner told the Herald & Review Tuesday that his redistricting proposal had been prepared to meet the equal district population requirements the law requires while keeping the Macon County Board at its present size. "So I didn't displace anyone that is already a county board member and it basically maintained the status quo," he added.

"I wanted to make sure they had something to pass if they didn't create something of their own," he said of the board, noting the deadline for getting redistricting done was the third Wednesday in November.

Asked about the current controversy over whether the Republican-drawn redistricting alternative was fair, Tanner said: "I just wish there was a little more conversation with regards to maps; but I understand it is a political process."

Reporter Brenden Moore contributed to this report.

Contact Tony Reid at (217) 421-7977. Follow him on Twitter: @TonyJReid

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The largest union in Illinois has filed a motion to join the fight against a Madison County lawsuit over COVID-19 safety mitigations.

The Illinois Education Association filed a motion on Friday to intervene in the lawsuit by 10 teachers from Triad CUSD 2 and Edwardsville CUSD 7 that argued the two districts did not have the authority to require school employees either be vaccinated against COVID-19 or be tested weekly.

The vaccine-or-test guidance did not come from policies developed by the districts. Rather, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced in August that all Illinois school employees, including teachers, would have to get the vaccine or be tested at least once a week. Similar state mandates exist for other professions too, including healthcare workers.

The Illinois Education Association said in a press release Friday that the union filed "in an effort to protect the safety of the workplaces and the health and lives of students and employees by keeping the governor's vaccine-or-test order in place."

When the initial lawsuit was first filed, members of the Triad Education Association and Triad Educational Support Personnel Association packed a school board meeting. The presidents of both unions spoke during public comment, reiterating the need for staff and student health and safety and distancing the unions from the lawsuit.

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In a press release, Triad Education Association President Andrew Frey said 90% of union members were already vaccinated and the majority of those who aren't were complying with the testing process.

Neither Frey nor Edwardsville Education Association Co-President Jennifer Fowler were immediately available for comment on Monday. Schools were closed for Columbus Day, which is a federal holiday.

"We believe the governor did what was legal, prudent and necessary to provide the best educational environment for students and that the districts followed those executive orders because they were following the law, doing their best to keep our students and members safe," Illinois Education Association President Kathi Griffin said in a statement.

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BRISTOL, Va.  Fifteen firefighters battled a blaze early Sunday at a restaurant equipment business in Bristol, Virginia.

Firefighters arrived at the scene on Commonwealth Avenue at 2:30 a.m. after six citizens called to report the blaze at Herbs Restaurant Supply & Equipment, said Stacey Farley, battalion chief of Bristol Virginias Station No. 1, who called the fire difficult.

We had to attack this fire from three different directions. This fire was high into a ceiling. The business had been repurposed several times, Farley said. It had a couple of ceilings, a couple of roofs.

The multiple levels sparked potential danger for the responders, said Bristol Virginia Fire Chief Mike Armstrong.

It was obviously a large-scale fire for us. We already had fire visible from the roof, he said.

Herb Clark, 63, opened the business five years ago to sell restaurant equipment such as plates, trays, ovens and refrigerators.

We sell everything that goes in a restaurant, Clark said. We just dont sell food stuff.

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Armstrong already knew of the business when he arrived in the wee hours of the morning.
Full-time employees of Hickory Public Schools will receive $2,000 in bonuses if the person is still with the school system next May. Part-time employees can earn a $1,000 bonus.

The bonus plan was announced Monday night as the school system unveiled a six-part plan to spend more than $1.7 million of the nearly $12 million the district received in federal pandemic relief money.

The district will also use the funds to hire 18 full-time substitutes at a cost of approximately $250,000. Each school will receive two full-time substitutes to help out wherever they are needed during each school day.

The money is part of the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER-I, II and III).

Superintendent Bryan Taylor presented the plan to, he said, help boost morale and support staff and struggling students. The plan was approved by the Hickory Public Schools Board of Education in a unanimous vote.

The district plans to hire five behavioral specialists or behavioral support staff, two for Hickory High School, one for Hickory Career and Arts Magnet High School (HCAM), one for Northview Middle School and one for Grandview Middle School. Each specialist would receive $45,000. The positions are grant funded and will only last through the end of the year, Taylor said.
Spearman Junior High Selected National Blue Ribbon School

The Department of Education Announces 2021 National Blue Ribbon Schools

Today 325 schools were recognized across the country by U.S. Secretary of Education, Miguel Cardona, as National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2021 including 26 schools in Texas.



Spearman Junior High was selected to be part of this prestigious group of national award winners!



Spearman Junior High is the first public middle school to be selected in the state of Texas for academic achievement since 2015.



The Department recognizes all schools in one of two performance categories, based on all student scores, subgroup student scores and graduation rates: Spearman Junior High was one of thirteen schools in the state of Texas that was recognized as an Exemplary High-Performing Schools. Exemplary High-Performing Schools are among their states highest performing schools as measured by state assessments or nationally normed tests.



The students, teachers, staff, administrators, parents, community members, and businesses of Spearman contributed to the success of the Spearman Junior High campus. We celebrate the partnership with all who contributed to make this campus a national award recipient.



A ceremony will be held on Thursday, November 4, 2021 through Friday November 5, 2021 in National Harbor, Maryland.



Congratulations, Spearman Junior High! You have set the standards high, and it is our goal at Spearman ISD to continue striving to be the BEST in all we do.






" " This 1867 newspaper sketch by Jason E. Taylor shows a freedman being sold to pay his fine in Monticello, Florida. Library of Congress

On April 9, 1865, the long and bloody American Civil War finally came to an end. It had already been two years since President Abraham Lincoln issued his Emancipation Proclamation, but after the Confederacy's surrender at Appomattox Courthouse, word slowly spread among the more than 4 million enslaved Black men, women and children that they were truly and officially free.

White plantation owners, however  in league with Southern lawmakers and Northern corporations  had other ideas. Starting with Mississippi and South Carolina, all-white state legislatures passed a series of laws called the Black Codes intent on re-enslaving African Americans by essentially criminalizing Blackness.

"[White Southerners] have a clear sense of how they want to restructure their society after the Civil War and they're going to make sure that they do that through these legal and extra-legal means," says T. Dionne Bailey, a history professor at Colgate University who specializes in African American women's history and mass incarceration.

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Slavery By Another Name

The Black Codes enacted in late 1865 and early 1866 were devised to keep freed Southern Blacks legally bound to white plantations. The greatest fear of Southern cotton growers and their Northern manufacturing partners was that with the end of slavery they would lose access to the cheap (or free) and plentiful labor that had made cotton a cash crop.

With real emancipation, newly freed Black men and women could strike out on their own, farming their own land or plying a trade as a skilled artisan. But where would that leave the large plantations, which relied on Black bodies to till their fields and pick their cotton? If slavery was illegal, there needed to be another way to keep Black people subservient and indebted to the white planters.

The answer was to pass laws like the Black Codes that criminalized any attempt by Black men and women to break free from servitude. The result was what journalist Douglas Blackmon called "Slavery By Another Name", the title of his 2008 book  namely the widespread practice of free Black men and women unjustly imprisoned, and then auctioned off to plantations and corporations to work off their "fines."

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The Black-only Crime of 'Vagrancy'

Vagrancy laws were common in the 19th-century, giving local sheriffs the authority to arrest "vagrants" who were unemployed, hanging out on the street and potentially looking for trouble. But the Black Codes in states like Mississippi and South Carolina created a whole new category of vagrancy that only applied to Black people.

"After the Civil War, the South was destroyed," says Bailey. "There was no infrastructure left. You have poor whites and newly freed Blacks, and a lot of people didn't have jobs. But these vagrancy laws specifically attacked African Americans."

According to the Black Codes, any Black person without a work contract from a white planter could be arrested for vagrancy. That means that no Black person could farm for themselves or work independently as a blacksmith or carpenter. They had to work for a white planter  often the very same person who formerly enslaved them  or go to jail.

Poor Southern whites, on the other hand, could do whatever they pleased. They could work or not work and they would never be charged with vagrancy.

A Black person arrested for vagrancy under the Black Codes would then enter a cycle of forced labor from which there was little hope of escape. First, they would be hit with a fine so exorbitant that they'd never be able to pay it. To pay off the debt, they would then be auctioned off (literally sold) to a planter who would pay the "vagrant's" wages directly to the state. Once a Black person was convicted of vagrancy, there was no incentive for former slave masters to ever set them free.

"Your labor is costing almost nothing," says Bailey. "They don't have to clothe you, they only have to feed you enough to keep you alive. And there's this sense that even if one vagrant dies, you could get another. Under this guise of vagrancy, they knew it was an unlimited source of Black bodies."

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The 13th Amendment Loophole

The U.S. Congress passed the 13th Amendment formally abolishing slavery in January 1865, before the end of the Civil War. But the amendment contained a gaping loophole that the Black Codes were quick to exploit. The 13th Amendment states (italics added):

"Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction."

Slavery was abolished except when it was a punishment for a crime, which is why the Black Codes made "Black vagrancy" a crime. And why young Black children would be forcibly removed from their parents under the guise of "negligence" and then "apprenticed" to a white planter for no pay.

" " These convicts were leased to harvest timber in Florida, circa 1915. Wikimedia Commons

"This was a legal system set up to not only mimic slavery, but to re-enslave all these newly freed men, women and children," says Bailey. "And it effectively did."

Tens of thousands of African Americans were leased by the state to planters, miners, corporations and others to pay off these debts, the Washington Post reported.

Formerly enslaved Black men and women were afforded some new rights under the Black Codes. They could own land and property, they could legally marry (only other Black people, of course) and they could sue and testify in court (but not against whites).

But those rights were merely window dressing on laws that were expressly designed to strip freed Blacks of any real freedom, particularly the freedom to work for themselves and earn a living wage.

"[Southern lawmakers] try to hide this under the guise of, 'Well, you do have some rights. You can marry, you can testify in court,' but only if it was a person of their race," says Bailey. "[A Black person] could never take recourse against a person they worked for who was taking advantage of them or who didn't pay them."

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The Shameful Legacy of the Black Codes

The Black Codes were short-lived. The U.S. Congress, frustrated with attempts by Southern lawmakers to sidestep Reconstruction, passed the Civil Rights Act of 1866, which affirmed that Black Americans must be afforded the same civil rights enjoyed by white people.

In the wake of the Civil Rights Act, the federal government imposed what's known as "Radical Reconstruction" on the former Confederate states. During this time, Black men were given the right to vote and run for political office, and thousands of public schools opened across the South to serve Black children.

The Black Codes may have been nullified, but their legacy would echo down through racist post-Reconstruction laws and the indignities of Jim Crow laws that were enacted in the South in the 1890s and lasted all the way to the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 60s.

"The Black Codes laid the framework for how this whole system is going to work for the next 100 years," says Bailey. Jim Crow laws made it illegal for Blacks and whites to share any public facilities, meaning that both groups had separate schools, libraries, hospitals, restaurants, etc. with Blacks receiving inferior facilities to whites. Laws were enacted requiring literacy tests and/or poll taxes to be paid before voting, all designed to disenfranchise poor African Americans.

In "Slavery by Another Name," Blackmon wrote about a Black man named Green Cottenham who was arrested in 1908 in Alabama for "vagrancy," the same trumped-up charge invented 40 years earlier by the Black Codes. Cottenham was auctioned off to the northern corporation U.S. Steel, who chained him in a suffocating Birmingham, Alabama, coal mine and tasked him with mining 8 tons (7.25 metric tons) of coal a day until his fine was repaid. If he collapsed from malnourishment or fatigue, he would be whipped. And if he died, he'd be buried in a shallow, unmarked grave with the rest. More than 1,000 Black men were toiling for U.S. Steel along with Cottenham in the same mine. In less than year, 60 were dead from disease, accidents or homicide.

Blackmon called this shameful chapter of American history "neo-slavery" and it was all set in motion by the Black Codes.

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Now That's Messed Up Even today, thousands of prisoners in the U.S., mostly Black and Latino, perform work for some very large corporations and are paid less than $1 an hour.
When people across the world think of Wisconsin, they think of cheese. And for good reason  Wisconsin is The State of Cheese and wins more national and international cheese awards than any other state or country, in large part due to the high-quality milk produced by the states dairy farmers.

But no matter how many amazing cheeses the Badger State continues to tout, we find that people are still fascinated by the Wisconsin cheese curd. Cheese curds are separated from the whey early in the cheesemaking process, and instead of being pressed into cheese forms, the fresh, randomly shaped sweet, salty morsels are packaged plain or in a variety of flavors such as garlic, taco, honey BBQ, or others. And of course, if Wisconsin had an official state appetizer  it would definitely be the fried cheese curd.

Wisconsinites are fortunate to have access to fresh squeaky curds on a daily basis, but October gives us a chance to celebrate our famous curds nationwide. October 15 was first designated as National Cheese Curd Day in 2015 by Culvers, a partner with Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin in driving milk sales for dairy farm families.

Dairy sales significance

How impactful are Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin promotional partnerships with restaurants like Culvers?

In a word  VERY.

The proof is in the numbers:

 Culvers consistently uses more than 6 million pounds of Wisconsin cheese each year.

 Wisconsin milk usage at Culvers surpasses 250 billion pounds each year.

 According to recent data, Culvers served almost 47 million orders of cheese curds from August 20 to 21. Laid end to end, those cheese curds would stretch to the moon and back to Earth nearly four times!

Cheese curds are also an important menu item for other Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin partners, such as Cousins Subs and A&W.

 Wisconsin cheese curds make up 18% of all side orders at Cousins Subs. These sales add up to 700 pounds of cheese curds each day.

 In 2019, A&W sold over 7 million pounds of Wisconsin cheese curds.

Reaching out through cheese curds

Last year, we hosted the nations biggest virtual cheese curd event on social media  with over 20,000 Wisconsin cheese fans in all 50 states celebrating Wisconsin curds together. Our cooking demos, conversations, surprise deliveries of curds, and more put Wisconsin curds in a national media spotlight.

This year, weve expanded our Cheese Curd Day partnership with Culvers to the first two weeks in October, giving us an even greater opportunity to reach more consumers and propel curd and milk sales. Watch our social channels for fun, man-on-the-street interviews as Wisconsinites try to describe what a cheese curd is, how delicious they are, and why they squeak.

Well also be delivering custom media kits to over 100 broadcast and editorial outlets nationwide and hosting a live virtual event for Cheeselandia (our Wisconsin Cheese community that was named 2021 Influencer Program of the Year by AdWeek).

How will you celebrate Wisconsins cheese curd tradition? Share using #nationalcheesecurdday.

Visit wisconsincheese.com to learn more about Wisconsin cheese curds. Or discover more about Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin at wisconsindairy.org.

To comment, email your remarks to intel@hoards.com.

(c) Hoard's Dairyman Intel 2021

October 11, 2021
A well-known Charlotte jeweler is being bought by the worlds largest retailer of diamond jewelry, Signet Jewelers.

Diamonds Direct will join Signets other stores, including Kay, Zales and Jared. The acquisition, a $490-million, all cash transaction, is expected to close late next year, according to Signet.

Diamonds Direct has 21 stores across the country, including four in the Carolinas  in Charlotte, Charleston, Greenville, S.C., and Raleigh.

The company has 100 employees in the Charlotte area between the Charlotte store and the companys Charlotte headquarters, spokeswoman Kelsey Halford Diachenko told the Observer in an email.

Diamonds DIrect was founded in 1995, using a direct importation business model, with diamonds from the world diamond exchange in Tel Aviv, Israel, sold to U.S. customers.

Diamonds Direct was bought by private equity firm Blackstone in 2015 for an undisclosed price, the Observer reported at the time. And in 2017, Diamonds Direct acquired Distinctive Diamonds and its sister company, Global Diamonds, adding four stores to the business, the Observer reported at the time.
The obstacle courses being held on the farm honestly just fell into our lap about eight years ago, Jared said.It is definitely the biggest one held on the farm. They build obstacles on about half of our acreage.

Later in the year, Bonefrog and Muddy Princess USA are also held on the farm to not only get the public involved in the workout, but also to inspire them and support the community.

Bone Frog is a Navy Seal owned and operated obstacle course, so all the support from that race is for them and it is by far my favorite to run, Jared said, Then later that same month we host the Muddy Princess race, which is women only and untimed to inspire an atmosphere of positivity.

Jared and his family enjoy running the courses as a team and seeing the public out on their farm. Although the challenges can be stressful, they are also what keeps Jared going day to day.

I love big projects and a challenge, he said, I have a drive to the task and feel a huge sense of accomplishment when the problem is overcome.
One hates to be the bearer of bad news to News Corp's Jennifer Dudley-Nicholson, but her bombastic report on 10 October, which claimed Chinese telecommunications equipment vendor Huawei Technologies is pulling out of Australia, is wrong. Dead wrong.

Dudley-Nicholson, the national technology editor for News Corp's Australian network, claimed: "One of Chinas most powerful companies is pulling out of Australia, closing research labs, ending partnerships, and retrenching hundreds of employees among fresh claims it poses a national security risk."

iTWire understands that there has been no recent change to Huawei's staffing or sponsorship, apart from what has been announced by the company over the years since Australia was strong-armed into boycotting it by the US. The last announcement was made about six months ago.

And despite Dudley-Nicholson's claims that Huawei's business is falling off a cliff altogether, iTWire understands that the company's enterprise and solar divisions are pulling in the moolah, the pandemic notwithstanding.

Nothing that has happened to Huawei is new. Given that, exactly why Dudley-Nicholson has chosen to wrap together events of more than two years and try to paint them as recent is a mystery. Something like the Loch Ness monster. Or the Abominable Snowman.

There are no "fresh claims" about Huawei being an alleged threat to national security; not unless calls 20-day-old claims fresh in the Internet age.

Those claims were made by Lithuanian officials  after a tiff with Beijing. According to The Guardian: "China demanded last month [August] that Lithuania withdraw its ambassador in Beijing and said it would recall its envoy to Vilnius, after Taiwan announced that its mission in Lithuania would be called the Taiwanese Representative Office."

But Dudley-Nicholson did not provide this morsel of information; had she done so, then Lithuania's claims about Huawei  and also Xiaomi  would have been seen in context and her bid to spread FUD would have fizzled out, like the air escaping out of a balloon. And Lithuania's claims are in no way alarming; reports like this are seen every day on tech mailing lists.

Lithuania's National Cyber Security Centre claimed that it had found security vulnerabilities in the Xiaomi Mi 10T 5G and the Huawei P40 5G.

In the Xiaomi device, there were a list of phrases that could be censored  references to Taiwan's independence, head coverings, dissidents and China.

But then Dudley-Nicholson defeated her own argument by writing that the blocking of these phrases would not happen in European models. Then why make a song and dance about it? Last time I looked, Lithuania was situated in Europe.

The Huawei device was found to redirect users to a third-party app store if the app they were looking for was not available in the Huawei app store. Potential malware  what that means is up to the reader  was found on three of these third-party platforms.

There is nothing unusual about malware being found on the Google PlayStore or Apple's AppStore. if it is reported, then the companies get rid of it and plug the gaps in their defences that let said malware in. The same applies to Huawei's app store. Then why the fuss?

Dudley-Nicholson laid great emphasis on the fact that Sophie Monk was an ambassador for Huawei at a time when the company was doing well. Is it so unusual for a company to recruit a well-known female celebrity as a brand ambassador in a particular market? Under which rock has Dudley-Nicholson been living all these years?

Or could it be that it is not kosher in Dudley-Nicholson's eyes for a Chinese firm to do so?

The US has been waging a campaign against Huawei for a number of years, beginning in 2012 when a 66-page Congressional report found that the Chinese firm had methods of operation that differed from the American norm. I have a copy of that report.

Huawei is not the first company that the Americans have gone after, once it proved to be a threat to that country's technological dominance. In the 1980s, the US went after Toshiba when it threatened to become top dog in the semiconductor business.

And, more recently, the Americans took aim at the French company, Alstom.

Dudley-Nicholson lists what she calls "Huawei 5G bans worldwide", but there are just five countries  Australia, New Zealand, India, the US and the UK  mentioned on that list as having banned the telco.

But even part of that is incorrect. New Zealand has made no formal statement about a ban and India has not done so either. Dudley-Nicholson writes that UK phone carriers are no longer allowed to install new Huawei equipment in 5G networks, "though can maintain [sic] old hardware".

This again is wrong. The UK decision is that it will stop using new Huawei 5G gear and remove old Huawei hardware by the end of 2027.

To back up her claims, Dudley-Nicholson brought in Fergus Hanson from the defence lobby group Australian Strategic Policy Institute which parades itself as an independent think-tank.

This is the same Hanson who, along with two others, produced a "study" which had as its central thesis the claim that only Russia and China try to interfere in elections in other countries. The US, the country that has meddled in more elections than any other, did not rate a mention. Suffice it to say that a person like Hanson has no credibility after such a shoddy piece of work.

Another "expert" who was quoted was one Dr Lennon Chang a senior lecturer from Monash University. But his field of specialisation is criminology, not technology. There is, however, a common thread  he was a visiting fellow with ASPI in 2019.

Next time Dudley-Nicholson sets out on a similar venture to smear someone or a company, it might be a good idea for her to check a few of her claims before rushing to publish. It's quite simple; there's a website called Google [or one called Bing or one called DuckDuckGo can be used as well] using which one can search to see whether what one is about to write is true. It might spare her some embarrassment.
MATTOON  Gloria Lindley has macular degeneration to the point that she cannot see her loved ones' faces, so her family sent a request to the Twilight Wish Foundation for a medical device to enhance low vision.

The 79-year-old Mattoon resident said that request soon led to Lions Clubs International district trustee David Johnson calling her with good news that had tears of joy running down her face.

"He said, 'We are going to get those glasses for you," Lindley recalled. She received her pair of high tech eSight 4 glasses Thursday evening from the Mattoon Lions Club and the Twilight Wish Foundation during the club's monthly meeting in the Honey Bee Cafe banquet room.

The Twilight Wish Foundation is a national nonprofit charitable organization whose mission is to honor and enrich the lives of seniors through intergenerational wish granting celebrations. The Foundation grants wishes to seniors who are over 65 years old and have an income of less than 200 percent of poverty level or who are residents of a nursing facility and cannot make their own wishes come true.

Lindley has a visual acuity of 20/400 in both eyes without an assistive device and is legally blind. She said the eSight electronic eyewear she tried out earlier this year enabled her to read an eye chart at a 20/40 level at the Indiana office of Advanced Low Vision Technology, a distributor of low vision devices. The president, Dennis McKinney, of that business also brought eSight glasses to Lindley for her to try closer to home.

"Gloria saw things she didn't know were there, so it was quite an experience," McKinney said. He added that the glasses can zoom up to 20 times.

The eSight glasses, which look like virtual reality goggles, match camera and lens technology and can be used by headset controls or wireless handheld remote. They enable Lindley to recognize faces, watch television, read and more. She said the glasses are expensive, at nearly $6,000, but are fantastic products.

"I knew I couldn't afford to do it being on a set income," Lindley said of getting eSight glasses. She thanked everyone involved with her wish being granted, saying, "I appreciate it from the bottom of my heart."

To grant what would become wish number 4,098 for the Twilight Wish Foundation since it formed in 2003, this nonprofit organization reached out to the Mattoon Lions Club. One of the focuses of Lions Clubs International is supporting vision health programs. The Mattoon club agreed to assist with the wish for Lindley and cover the cost of the eSight glasses.

Lindley tried out her new eSight glasses at Thursday's club meeting. She used them to visit with the Lions and to read a certificate that the Twilight Wish Foundation presented her for "maintaining an inspiring and uplifting spirit and dedication to others." The foundation also presented a certificate to the club for its service and commitment to seniors, particularly for helping with the wish.

"We really hope that does wonderful things for your life," Johnson told Lindley as she used her new glasses.

Contact Rob Stroud at 217-238-6861.

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CHARLESTON  Registration is now open for several educational opportunities at EIU's Academy of Lifelong Learning.

Older, Wiser, & Smarter

Wednesday, Oct. 13, 3:305 p.m.

This series of discussions will focus on attitudes, beliefs, and values regarding sexuality. In the first weeks session, participants will examine what spirituality has to do with beliefs about sexuality. The other sessions in this series will explore online relationships (Oct.20) and communication about sex (Oct. 27). This event is free and open to the public and will take place in Buzzard Hall (Room 1441) at 1920 9th Street, Charleston.

Eastern Bluebirds

Thursday, Oct. 14, 10:30 a.m.

Members of the East Central Illinois Bluebird Society will meet at Mill Creek Lake at the Lion's Shelter for an educational talk on Eastern Bluebirds. Donna Smith, who monitors the bluebird trail at Mill Creek, will give a presentation on the what, when, where and why, with something 'extra' on bluebirds. Kerry Allen will provide information on the Bluebird Society and resources for additional information will also be shared. Bring a sack lunch and drink to enjoy after the session.

Registration for all the above events is requested due to limited seating. You can register by calling 217-581-5114 or register online at sce.eiu.edu/wconnect/, click "all courses" and choose the course you wish to register for there.

For more information about any of these events or about the EIU Academy of Lifelong Learning, contact Marita Metzke at 217-581-5114 or at mjmetzke@eiu.edu.

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MATTOON  The Lake Land College Board of Trustees has promoted staff member Emily Ramage to serve as the college's first dean of academic operations.

The board created the new dean position and filled this post at the close of its regular monthly meeting Monday night. Lake Land reported that the dean of academic operations will report directly to the vice president for academic services and will supervise all support services within the Academic Services unit.

Ramage previously served as director of grants and academic operations at Lake Land, and has been a member of the Academic Services team since 2016. She has overseen the college's Higher Learning Commission (HLC) Assurance Argument and has been actively involved in the HLC review process for several years.

In other matters, the board voted to extend Lake Land's digital marketing contract with Interact Communications of La Crosse, Wisconsin, for another year for $83,709. The contract went into effect in October 2020.

Lake Land Director of Marketing & Public Relations Kelly Allee has said that the first campaign with Interact resulted in the college's ads appearing 1.5 million times to people in the community college district via YouTube, general internet sites, TV streaming, TikTok and browsing on Google. This comprehensive approach resulted in 33,014 visits to the college website and 463,939 video ad views from December 2020 to August 2021, she said.

The board also voted to:

purchase a CDL driving simulator from Virage Simulation Inc. of Montreal for $115,000;

accept Teutopolis Auto Repair's donation of a vehicle alignment machine valued at $5,000 for the automotive technology program at Lake Land's Marshall location;

hire E.L. Pruitt Co. of Springfield for $53,832 to replace remaining campus water fountains with newer models with bottle fillers.

Contact Rob Stroud at 217-238-6861.

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A couple who grew up in eastern Winston-Salem is embarking on a plan to build a 30-unit apartment building with ground-floor retail spaces on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, a development they hope will be a catalyst for others in a historic Black neighborhood.

Called Rams Pointe, the development will stand in the block of King Drive between Third and Fourth streets, on a site that has been under remediation because it once had a dry-cleaning business.

This is something that has been a long time coming, said Michael Baker, who with his wife Charmon is behind the development through their company, MTB3 Properties LLC. We have been at this for about 10 years. Charmon and I were always passing and saw the land just sitting there. One day she said, Wouldnt it be nice to have a mixed-use apartment here, so we could have something nice like they do downtown. 

10% of the apartments will be for affordable housing, with the rest renting at market rates, the Bakers said.

There will be at fitness center, washer and dryer connections, ceiling fans, granite counter tops, and a green space on top of the building with a view of the downtown area, Charmon Baker said.
CHAPEL HILL  UNC-Chapel Hill officials canceled classes Tuesday after police investigated multiple reports of suicide since the start of classes this fall.

Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz announced the cancellations in a statement Sunday night, saying that on World Mental Health Day, the school was taking a moment to reflect on the seriousness of mental health issues.

We are in the middle of a mental health crisis, both on our campus and across our nation, and we are aware that college-aged students carry an increased risk of suicide, Guskiewicz said. This crisis has directly impacted members of our community  especially with the passing of two students on campus in the past month.

At Carolina, we strive to put our students first in everything we do. We are living in a world that is constantly shifting and changing. We are facing major challenges and the ongoing toll this takes on our health cannot be underestimated. This cannot be solved by one person, or on one day, alone.

Tuesday will be a Wellness Day in which students are encouraged to rest and check in with each other.
While we are optimistic about new developments and encouraged by the latest data, were not out of this just yet.

We cant be complacent, particularly those individuals who are at higher risk of complications from COVID-19.

Merck COVID-19 pill

Priest discussed the Merck pill that, if approved by U.S. health regulators, could be used to treat patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 cases.

The FDA has been asked to review the safety and effectiveness of the drug, molnupiravir.

The Associated Press reported that an antiviral pill that people could take at home to reduce their symptoms and speed recovery could prove groundbreaking, as well as potentially contribute to lowering the number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals.

It can be another tool for getting this virus under control. Hopefully, this could be a real breakthrough, Priest said.

But he warned against seeing the new drug as a reason to skip a vaccination.

... It is always better to prevent illness than to treat it once you have it, so we would hope folks would not forgo immunization or vaccination for COVID because they think, Oh, they can just give me the pill.

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In August, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown privately signed a bill ending a requirement that high school students prove they are proficient in writing, reading and math before graduating. The law lasts for three years. The pandemic was blamed for students falling behind, but the real motive was revealed by the governors spokesman, Charles Boyle, who said existing standards failed students who dont test well and that new standards would aid the states Black, Latino, Latinx, Indigenous, Asian, Pacific Islander, Tribal and students of color. Im surprised he didnt include, as President Biden often does, the LGBTQI-plus demographic.

In New York, outgoing Mayor Bill de Blasio ordered the elimination of the citys gifted and talented program. You can probably guess the reason. Critics of the program claim it is racist because white and Asian students are overwhelmingly represented. De Blasio will let children currently enrolled complete the program, but no new students will be accepted. Instead, reports The New York Times, The system will be replaced by a program that offers the possibility of accelerated learning to students in the later years of elementary school. Who will qualify for that? And who gets to say? What if it is the same racial and ethnic imbalance as now?
Republican legislators in North Carolina are pushing to inspect voting machines used in Durham County during the 2020 presidential election, in search of the invisible voter fraud that they insist exists, any proof of which has consistently eluded Republican officials across the country. Its a project that will be popular in Trump circles, but in the larger picture, accomplishes nothing but to damage our states reputation and keep a popular lie in circulation.

Rep. Jeff McNeely, a North Carolina Republican and member of the Freedom Caucus, said he and other Republicans want to inspect the voting machines because of many, many millions of accusations of machine tampering and votes being switched because of modems.

This, despite the fact that North Carolinas voting machines dont have modems and cant be connected to the internet. Theyre designed so by law.

McNeely says he and other members of his group selected Durham County randomly, drawing the name from a hat.

Which is quite a coincidence, considering that the vast majority of Durham Countys votes went to Joe Biden in 2020  and considering Republican legislators fruitless examination of Durham Countys ballots in 2016, which affirmed a preference for Gov. Roy Cooper over incumbent Pat McCrory.
Dont dismiss UNCSA

I have no issue with columnist Scott Sextons main point in his recent column expressing concern for the former students of UNCSA who suffered sexual abuse and an indifferent administration (UNCSA in an unwanted spotlight, Oct. 7).

However, I disagree with his characterization of the university as a place only to be thought of  when driving past the Stevens Center or buying tickets to a performance.

That description is an insult to a remarkable institution that is consistently ranked as one of the best in the nation in the performing arts. All in our community can be proud of the remarkable job the school does in preparing artists and craftspeople to be among the best in their field.

None of this is meant to downplay the seriousness of the recent charges. But UNCSA does not deserve to be referred to so dismissively; its a vital component of our citys arts world and a great source of civic pride.

Tom Hearn

Winston-Salem

Unworthy of notice
The state has reported 271,550 cases of COVID-19 over the course of the pandemic.

Nebraska tallied 15 additional deaths last week, bringing to 2,845 the number of confirmed or probable deaths since the pandemic began.

Nationally, the seven-day average of new cases has dropped below 100,000 for the first time since early August. Hospitalizations and deaths also are declining.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nations top infectious disease doctor, cautioned on CNN on Sunday that the nation must be careful not to prematurely declare victory over COVID, noting that the virus still could resurge among unvaccinated Americans.

Indeed, areas with low vaccination rates continue to pose a concern in Nebraska. The current case rates in rural Nebraska, where vaccination rates are much lower, are almost double those in the states biggest cities. A World-Herald analysis in June found that Nebraska had the nations widest gap between urban and rural vaccination rates.

In the past month, Douglas, Sarpy and Lancaster Counties have had 101 new cases per 10,000 population, compared with 180 in the states other 90 counties.
A jury Tuesday found Ryan Long guilty of manslaughter and use of a firearm to commit a felony for the shooting death of Michael Whitemagpie in an alley near 33rd and T streets last year.

Long, who was facing a first-degree murder charge, appeared by video to hear the verdict after someone in his housing pod at the county jail tested positive for COVID-19 over the weekend.

Jurors were given what's called a step instruction, asking them first to consider whether Long was guilty of first-degree murder, before moving on to second-degree murder, then manslaughter.

Manslaughter is a killing without malice upon a sudden quarrel. He could get up to 20 years in prison on the charge and another 50 on the gun charge at his sentencing in November.

Long described the killing before sunrise May 23, 2020, as self-defense. He said he feared Whitemagpie was going to seriously hurt or kill him when he approached with a scowl and said "'Sup, (N-word)" in an aggressive tone an hour after Whitemagpie assaulted him at a hotel at 27th and O streets.

Long fired at Whitemagpie 16 times.

In closing arguments Friday, Deputy Lancaster County Attorney Charles Byrd said the number of gunshots showed rage and anger, not self-defense.
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln on Tuesday suspended Phi Gamma Delta through 2026 for violating the universitys rules on alcohol use, stripping the fraternity of its status as a recognized student organization.

The lengthy suspension was handed down by the University Conduct Board, a committee of students and faculty responsible for holding hearings on alleged violations of UNLs Code of Conduct and recommending sanctions.

In a statement, UNL said the board determined Phi Gamma Delta  better known as Fiji  had broken university rules governing alcohol use at its chapter house at 1425 R St. while on probationary status for the same infraction.

A spokeswoman for UNL said Fiji was placed on probation earlier this year for an alcohol-related violation.

The conduct boards recommended penalty was determined so to outlast any current member of the fraternity, forcing Fiji to potentially start over in five years.

Fiji is no longer recognized as a fraternity or a student organization at UNL. As such, it cannot hold meetings or host functions on campus, nor can freshman members live in the chapter house, which though directly across from the Nebraska Union is private property not controlled by UNL.
A Superior-based nonprofit is set to deliver hundreds of toys to homeless and foster children in Lincoln this holiday season.

Ambassadors of Kindness Inc. is on track to donate more than 1,000 gifts to underprivileged children in December. More than 400 of those will go to children in Lincoln.

Every toy Ambassadors of Kindness donates is new. So far, the total donation value amounts to about $6,300, founder Brian Splater said.

Splater and his husband adopted their two children out of the foster care system, sparking the idea for Ambassadors of Kindness. The organization officially began in February 2020, but Splater's family first delivered toys to foster children for Christmas in 2019, he said.

Since then, the organization has only grown. Now, it donates more than double the number of gifts than when it first began.

The numbers show that what were doing is not only successful but is changing lives. After this year, we will have helped 2,282 kids," Splater said. "We see how important this has become to more peoples' lives than I ever dreamed it could."
Anxiety, guilt, fear  no, terror  are almost always present, especially when their girls aren't with them, they say.

Charly and Rachel now are giggling from one corner of the yard, and the moms are leaning into their conversation: Mental distraction impacts their short-term memories; they worry whether their sons are getting enough attention; the near-constant beating back of the what-ifs.

"Every single day in the car, I cry," Charly's mom, Tara, says.

"I wish we could just keep her home with us," Nicole says. "Her life needs to go on, though."

Being young, being strong

Charly and Rachel are asked what people don't know about cancer and what they've learned about themselves by having it.

Charly: "You definitely learn more than you want to. It's kind of like graduating high school, though I haven't done that, yet."

Rachel: "My friends have told me, verbatim, 'You're not the same person. You're so much stronger.'

"The support of my friends and my parents and teachers, everyone  I know I wouldn't be able to do it without that support. Their care and love is absolutely endless."
YAVNE, Israel (AP)  Israeli archaeologists on Monday said they have unearthed a massive ancient winemaking complex dating back some 1,500 years.

The complex, discovered in the central town of Yavne, includes five wine presses, warehouses, kilns for producing clay storage vessels and tens of thousands of fragments and jars, they said.

Israel's Antiquities Authority said the discovery shows that Yavne was a wine-making powerhouse during the Byzantine period. Researchers estimate the facility could produce some 2 million liters (over 520,000 gallons) of wine a year.

Jon Seligman, one of the directors of the excavation, said the wine made in the area was known as "Gaza" wine and exported across the region. The researchers believe the Yavne location was the main production facility for the label.

"This was a prestige wine, a light white wine, and it was taken to many, many countries around the Mediterranean," he said, including Egypt, Turkey, Greece and possibly southern Italy.

Seligman said wine was not just an important export and source of enjoyment in ancient times. "Beyond that, this was a major source of nutrition and this was a safe drink because the water was often contaminated, so they could drink wine safely," he said.
Myron D. Tremain in a letter to the editor thinks that because we dont know when life begins, we should make abortions illegal ("Trying to make a good decision," Oct. 6).

What we know is that both sperm cells and ova are alive. The zygote that is produced in fertilization must also be alive. Embryos and fetuses are also alive, as is the baby that is born alive. If all acts of taking a life are immoral, then this means capital punishment and killing to defend your country or in self-defense are also immoral.

The question is not whether a fetus is alive; we know it is alive. The question is: Does a fetus have the same moral status as a newborn baby? Killing a newborn baby is illegal because it is infanticide. A fetus incapable of surviving outside the uterus is certainly not the same thing as a newborn baby that will survive if the parents care for the baby.

Allowing a newborn baby to die would be child abuse, and parents who do this will be prosecuted.
KENOSHA  In the near future, 52nd Street in Kenosha, once a major thoroughfare dotted with an array of big box department stores, may host a proliferation of storage facilities.

The city Plan Commission on Thursday heard the latest pitch aimed at breathing new life into a dormant building on what still is one of Kenoshas more highly trafficked corridors.

Representatives with Miami-based Larkspur Acquisitions went before city officials with plans of repurposing the existing Shopko building, 5300 52nd St., into a 98,195-square-foot indoor self-storage facility.

Racines former Shopko, 4801 Washington Ave., too is set to become a self-storage facility.

Its a sign of how American consumerism hasnt slowed down, since people still have stuff they want to keep even if it isnt in their home, even as department stores have been closing left and right as more shoppers go online rather than to brick-and-mortar locations.

In 2010, nationwide department store revenue was consistently above $15 billion per month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. By 2019, no month saw more than $11.8 billion in revenue. The pandemic lowered revenues further.

According to data collection from Vox.com, there were zero major department store bankruptcies in 2015 and 2016, then one in 2017, two in 2018, one in 2019 and then six in 2020, including J.C. Penney. Wisconsin-based Shopko, which reported a revenue of $3.3 billion in 2018, reported going into bankruptcy in 2019 and closed the last of its stores that summer.

Racines Shopko building sold for $2.67 million in August, 15 months after the store closed. Cogent Capital Group, based in Wilmette, Illinois, plans to turn it into a self-storage facility with the capability for tenants to drive into the building. It is expected to open in spring 2022 at the earliest.

Self-storage road

The proposed business to replace the 52nd Street Shopko has been referred to as Kenosha Self Storage in documents submitted to city officials, but the naming could change.

The facility will most likely be branded by a nationally recognized self-storage operator, ensuring best in class management and operation, Larkspur representatives wrote in a business plan.

Larkspurs plans for the Shopko site come on the heels of the forthcoming conversion of the former Kmart, 4100 52nd St., into a similar business operated by Devon Self Storage, which was announced earlier this year. Two years ago, U-Haul took over the entire building that housed the original Walmart at 4404 52nd St.

Shopko, which closed all of its department stores amid bankruptcy and spun off its optical businesses, shuttered in 2019. Kmart, which has been struggling for years but still maintains a small footprint elsewhere in the U.S., closed its Kenosha store last year.

The number of planned self-storage and trucking facilities in such a short proximity was not lost on city officials as the latest Shopko proposal was discussed in depth at Thursdays meeting.

My concern is 52nd Street is going to become self-storage road, said Alderman Jan Michalski, who sits on the Plan Commission. This is a major thoroughfare into the city.

In particular, Michalski and others had expressed hope a grocery store, which is lacking in the area, would assume one of the empty big box spaces.

Other city officials, however, pointed to the market realities and said they were happy to see businesses willing to freshen up abandoned buildings and reducing blight.

Ive been waiting for a grocery store to come in. But guess what? Theyre not coming, said Alderman Dominic Ruffalo, who represents the area surrounding the Shopko site. Im all for it. I dont want any vacant buildings in the 16th District.

Larkspurs pitch to city officials for the Shopko site was preliminary and will be coming back to the Plan Commission in a month.

Preliminary details submitted in the companys operations plan call for 600 to 650 storage units spread across 67,000 to 70,000 square feet of rentable space. Tentatively, the business would operate from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, with customers accessing the interior with key-fobs.

Earlier in the meeting, the commission gave final approval to Devon Self Storages plans for the Kmart site. Commissioners have the final say in the issuance of a conditional-use permit for the 120,893-square-foot building.

Devon, which is expected to begin the conversion in the near future, will house 848 storage units within a climate-controlled facility. The company plans a drive-through feature for customers looking to load or unload items at different access points on the property.

Adam Rogan of The Journal Times contributed to this report.

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RACINE  Having passed an ordinance that created the position of social equity officer last week, the city lost no time in pursuing funding for it.

The Finance and Personnel Committee voted unanimously on Monday to recommend the city council use $500,000 of the American Rescue Plan Act money to fund the position over the next four years.

The city recommended a salary range of $77,750 to $100,006, commensurate with experience.

Vicky Selkowe, manager of strategic initiatives & community partnerships for the city, said the intention of the ARPA funds was intervention for communities disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Additionally, funding the position aligns with the citys goal of diversifying the workforce.

According to data from early 2021, of the citys 700 or so employees, only 78 were black and, of that number, only 14 were women.

The data was similar for members of the Hispanic community. Just 79 employees identified as Hispanic and, of that number, just 27 were women.

Although the city has long talked about diversification, the workforce is 76% white, even though only 65% of the citys population is white.

Should the City Council approve the expenditure at its next meeting, the city intends to cast a wide net in its search for the best candidate.

We want to make sure we get really talented applicants, Selkowe said.

What is ARPA? The American Rescue Plan Act is the $1.9 trillion pandemic relief package that immediately became a landmark legislation for President Joe Biden, who signed it into law on March 11. It aims to help the U.S. defeat the COVID-19 virus and nurse the economy back to health. All 17 of Racine Countys municipalities, plus the county as a whole, are due to receive nearly $97 million combined through ARPA. The City of Racine is getting, by far, the largest piece: $46.98 million.

Mayor Cory Mason said he hoped to have the position filled as soon as possible.

Responsibilities

The social equity officer will have a number of responsibilities that will aid the city in incorporating principles of racial equity and inclusion into their operations.

Further, they will work to strengthen diversity on the citys boards and commissions.

The social equity officer will work to identify the barriers that marginalized communities face in pursuing careers with the city or promotions within a department.

Where possible, they will organize training and leadership opportunities of staff-level, equity-focused capacity.

Equity officers

Mason explained one of the challenges the city faces in hiring a social equity officer is the field is particularly competitive right now.

Both Madison Area Technical College and the Overture Center for the Arts in Madison are in the process of hiring an equity officer.

The Overture Center would prefer a candidate with a masters degree, three years of supervisory experience, and is offering a salary of $75,000 to $85,000, depending on experience.

Many municipalities, businesses and schools in Wisconsin have already hired a social equity officer or are in the process of hiring one due to address gaps in hiring and promotions for marginalized people.

The city and county of Eau Claire hired a new Equity, Diversity & Inclusion coordinator in April.

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KENOSHA  A leaked list of Dangerous Individuals and Organizations banned by Facebook includes five groups linked to Kenosha riots.

Chief among them is the Kenosha Guard, the group led by former Kenosha Alderman Kevin Mathewson, who issued a call to arms amid rioting following the Aug. 23, 2020, shooting of Jacob Blake by a Kenosha police officer.

Dozens, if not hundreds, of armed individuals poured into the city, vowing they were there to defend private property. Among them was Kyle Rittenhouse, the Antioch, Illinois teenager who shot three men on Aug. 25, 2020, killing two of them.

The list was published Tuesday by The Intercept, an online publication that specializes in publishing leaked information from private companies and government agencies.

Rittenhouses trial in the shootings is scheduled for next month. He and his supporters assert he only acted in self-defense. His attorneys have tried and failed to get dropped a charge of Rittenhouse carrying a firearm; as he was 17 the night of the incident, he could not legally possess a firearm.

In the hours before the shootings, Rittenhouse described himself to media outlets as being part of a militia.

Facebook deemed the Kenosha Guard, along with Kenosha Citizens Militia  which also was reportedly present at the August 2020 riots  and Kenosha Militia KTP, to be an Armed Militia Group and categorized all three as being part of a Militarized Social Movement.

The Kenosha Guards Facebook event listing, called armed individuals to Kenosha before the deadly night of Aug. 25 was, according to reporting based on documents leaked to Buzzfeed News, reported to Facebook more than 450 times after it was created but was repeatedly cleared by Facebook moderators for being non-violating of the websites terms of use.

Facebook gave five other groups with Wisconsin in their name the same designations and bans:

Anti-antifa Militia Organization of Wisconsin

Wisconsin Defense Militia

Wisconsin Liberty Militia

Wisconsin Militia

Wisconsin Patriot Network Militia

The Proud Boys, a far-right male-only organization, has come to Rittenhouses cause and serenaded him at a Mount Pleasant bar in January, although Rittenhouses attorneys have said hes never been a member of the group. People wearing Proud Boys apparel were present during the Kenosha riots.

Also listed was the 417 Second Amendment Militia. Two men affiliated with that group  Michael M. Karmo, 40, and Cody E. Smith, 33, both of Hartville, Missouri  were charged last year with illegal possession of firearms after being arrested Sept. 1, 2020, at a Pleasant Prairie hotel. According to the criminal complaint, the Kenosha Police Department informed the FBI that the department had received a tip that Karmo was traveling from Missouri to Kenosha to loot and possibly pick people off.

According to reporting from WISN-TV, Wisconsin Liberty Militia also was present during the Kenosha riots. Reporting from Snopes.com found that members of the Wisconsin Liberty Militia private Facebook group discussed shooting any one that starts rioting before the page was taken down.

The Facebook-ban list also includes international terrorist groups such as al-Qaida and the Islamic State, and street gangs such as the Gangster Disciples and Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13).

No other groups on the banned list mention any of Wisconsins four other biggest cities (Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay or Racine) by name.

The 100-page list includes many of the thousands banned by Facebook.

As The Intercept reported: The restrictions appear to trace back to 2012, when in the face of growing alarm in Congress and the United Nations about online terrorist recruiting, Facebook added to its Community Standards a ban on organizations with a record of terrorist or violent criminal activity. This modest rule has since ballooned into whats known as the Dangerous Individuals and Organizations policy, a sweeping set of restrictions on what Facebooks nearly 3 billion users can say about an enormous and ever-growing roster of entities deemed beyond the pale.

According to The Intercept, it is publishing the list because of public concerns about the bias in Facebooks moderation, so that readers may draw their own conclusions about the quality of that moderation.

The Intercept further reported that as with other attempts to limit personal freedoms in the name of counterterrorism, Facebooks DIO (Dangerous Individuals and Organizations) policy has become an unaccountable system that disproportionately punishes certain communities, critics say. It is built atop a blacklist of over 4,000 people and groups, including politicians, writers, charities, hospitals, hundreds of music acts, and long-dead historical figures. A range of legal scholars and civil libertarians have called on the company to publish the list so that users know when they are in danger of having a post deleted or their account suspended for praising someone on it. The company has repeatedly refused to do so, claiming it would endanger employees and permit banned entities to circumvent the policy.

As of 2021, there are more than 2.89 billion active Facebook users, amounting to more than one-third of the world population. That number of users is greater than the populations of the worlds two most populous nations, China and India, combined.

In 2020, Facebooks yearly revenue was reported to be $85.965 billion. From July 1, 2020-June 30, 2021, its revenue was more than $104 billion.

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JACKSON, Miss.  The Mississippi auditor said Tuesday that he is demanding repayment of $77 million in misspent welfare money in one of the poorest states in the nation. This includes $828,000 the auditor is seeking from former Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre and an employee of his business, Favre Enterprises.

The initial allegations of misspending came to light in early 2020 when former Mississippi Department of Human Services executive director John Davis and five other people were indicted in one of the state's largest public corruption cases, which the auditor characterized then as "a sprawling conspiracy."

Favre is not facing any criminal charges, but Auditor Shad White said in May 2020 that Favre, who lives in Mississippi, had repaid $500,000 of the $1.1 million in welfare money he received for multiple speeches for which he did not show up. The demand Tuesday is for the $600,000 balance, plus $228,000 in interest.

Favre has pushed back on White's characterization of the situation.

Its just ridiculous, he said in May. I in no way did anything wrong and wouldnt do anything wrong or would take any money (this way).

Ive never no-showed anyone as far as speaking engagements or commercials or anything of that nature. Thats ridiculous. And what I would have liked for the tax auditor to do  I dont know him  would have been for him to contact us and talk about it and express what he had (in terms of) the documents from his investigation. This is what we have. Rather than broadcast it everywhere.

For him to say I took $1.1 million and didnt show up for speaking engagements is absolutely, 100 percent not true. But yes, we are paying it back.

White issued the demands about two weeks after a Maryland-based CPA firm issued an independent report about how the Mississippi Department of Human Services spent federal money from 2016 through 2019 through Temporary Assistance to Needy Families. The report found nearly $41 million in "questioned costs" for items including travel and programs to support college athletes.

The Mississippi auditor is demanding that interest be paid on the $77 million, bringing the total sought to more than $96 million. White is demanding that whole amount from Davis and most of it from two nonprofit organizations, Mississippi Community Education Center and the Family Resource Center.

On Monday, an accountant pleaded guilty to one charge of conspiracy to commit embezzlement for her role in the case. Hinds County Circuit Court records show that as part of her guilty plea, Anne McGrew, 65, of Jackson, agreed to testify against others indicted, including her one-time employers, Nancy New and Zach New, a mother and son who ran nonprofit and for-profit organizations that received money from the state Department of Human Services.

McGrew said in court records that she assisted Nancy New, Zach New and others in moving money received by Mississippi Community Education Center to bank accounts owned by New Learning Inc. a for-profit company owned by Nancy New and Zach New.

McGrew, who could face up to five years in prison, signed a court document that said prosecutors will make a recommendation about her sentence based on her cooperation in the prosecution of co-defendants and her "willingness to provide truthful testimony" at any trials.

Those indicted were the department's former director, John Davis; former professional wrestler Brett DiBiase; former Department of Human Services employee Latimer Smith; Nancy New, who has been the director of Mississippi Community Education Center and New Learning Resources; Zach New, who has been assistant executive director of the education center; and McGrew, an accountant for the education center.

Davis left the Department of Human Services in July 2019. He has pleaded not guilty and his trial is set for Nov. 1. However, his attorneys are seeking a delay because they said in a Sept. 29 court document that prosecutors have produced "voluminous" information about the case.

Smith has pleaded not guilty, and his trial is scheduled to begin Nov. 8.

Nancy New and Zach New also have been indicted on federal charges. They have pleaded not guilty in federal court and state court, and they await trial in both places.

Mississippi Community Education Center, operating as Families First for Mississippi, received more than $44 million in government grants from mid-2014 to mid-2018, according to nonprofit tax filings. Amounts spiked to $12.9 million and $26.7 million in the final two years, as Davis outsourced a large portion of Mississippi's Temporary Assistance to Needy Families spending to the group.

DiBiase, now 33, pleaded guilty in December to one count of making a false statement. He said in court documents that he had submitted documents and received full payment for work he did not complete. He agreed to pay $48,000 in restitution, and his sentencing was deferred.

Indictments allege Davis conspired with Nancy New to send $48,000 in block grant money to pay for DiBiase's drug rehabilitation in Malibu, California, in early 2019. Payments were made to a company owned by DiBiase supposedly for his teaching classes about drug abuse, with Davis and Smith falsifying invoices and other records, prosecutors said.

In November 2020, Hinds County Circuit Judge Faye Peterson issued a gag order to prevent prosecutors, defense attorneys and others from publicly discussing the case against Nancy New. Another Hinds County circuit judge, Adrienne Wooten, issued the same order in February in McGrew's case.
1. Yes. Council members appear to have taken time to review each section carefully.

2. Yes. The council has set up town halls and a public hearing to inform the residents.

3. No. The council should have set up a charter review committee, including residents.

4. No. Some of the items proposed so far benefit the council more than the community.

5. Unsure. Its hard to say until after the public has had more opportunities to weigh in.

Vote

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UNK also made U.S. News and World Reports list of Best Value Schools, ranking No. 8 among all regional colleges and universities  both public and private  in the Midwest.

Already the most affordable Nebraska university, UNK will keep its tuition rates unchanged through at least the 2022-23 academic year while continuing to support students through financial aid. Nearly 90% of all freshmen received scholarships and/or grants in 2019-20, with the average award totaling $9,823.

When I talk to prospective students and their families, theyre looking at total value, Bartling said. If theyre coming from states that have a relatively high tuition rate, those are the areas that we have a lot of opportunity in.

Along with expanding access to a UNK education, the New Nebraskan Scholarship aims to address a growing workforce shortage in the state.

Part of our mission is to serve Nebraska and workforce development, Bartling said. When we look at the opportunity we have as an institution to increase the number of students migrating to Nebraska to study, it stands to reason that many of those same students are going to choose to live here and work here following graduation.
Jill Claflin, an Ohio native, first worked on the copy desks of the Cincinnati Post and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, but found her way to Nebraska and with two friends bought the Callaway Courier in 1978. She later returned to Cincinnati to become an assistant managing editor, but came back to Nebraska to become managing editor of the North Platte Telegraph in 1985. She served as general manager of the Lexington-Clipper Herald from 1990 to 1993 and then became executive editor of the Telegraph.

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Claflin then moved to Georgia and became editorial manager at Habitat for Humanity headquarters in 1996. She later became Habitats director of creative services and then its senior director of communications, a position she held until her retirement in 2014. She now lives in Cozad and is again active in Nebraska Press Women. She was named the NPW Communicator of Achievement in 2020.

Rheta Childe Dorr, born in Omaha in 1866, was the first editor of The Suffragist, the official newspaper of the new Congressional Union for Woman Suffrage. Once she moved to New York, she became a newspaper society editor who helped broker an alliance between society women and immigrant working women.
We had 120 people that first day, Zuffante said.

There, they vaccinated an average of 150 people each week through the spring and early summer until almost every adult was vaccinated. More recently, they have moved vaccination back to the clinic, where they still average about 25 newly vaccinated people per week.

The elders showed the importance of the vaccine to Winnebago, she said. At one of the tribes first clinics, one woman worried that she was too old to get the vaccine, Zuffante said. But she decided to go through with it because she wanted to hold her baby granddaughter after not being able to hold her for most of 2020.

At another mass clinic, Zuffante watched the elders who had been vaccinated earlier in the day lingering together in a corner of the gym. The senior center was still closed. Some hadnt spoken in months.

It was so powerful because you could tell how much they missed each other ... I asked a nurse how long she told them they had to stay after receiving their shots. 15 minutes, she said. What time was that? An hour. I was going to kick them out.

Nah, Zuffante said. Leave them be.
A spokesperson for the multinational food and beverage company said in an email that the company is facing "high demand for labor" and "logistics challenges." Mondelez believes it is "relatively well-positioned to face the marketplace challenges and will continue to keep a close eye on things" to get products to retail customers and shoppers on time. The company also did not say how many retailers received limits on such items, but said "we prepare communications which our sales team has the ability to use, as appropriate, as they engaged with their customers."

Unilever told a distributor in an email on Sept. 14 that "labor shortages continue to drive a limited ability to meet demand" and it was de-prioritizing production on certain products including Ben & Jerry's Cold Brew Caramel Latte and Ice Cream Sammie flavors, Breyers vanilla fudge twirl ice cream and Firecracker popsicles "until we are able to return to a supply steady-state." The company said it would instead "focus labor hours on our top-selling items."

"Like many sectors, at times there are challenges in getting all our product to stores, for a variety of reasons related to supply and distribution," a Unilever spokesperson said in an email.

Packaging issues also continue to be a problem. For example, some seasonings are in tight supply due to challenges procuring glass bottles.
MADISON, Wis.  The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is asking deer hunters and the public to help slow the spread of chronic wasting disease (CWD) by following baiting and feeding bans and properly disposing of deer carcass waste this hunting season.

Baiting and feeding

Placing bait to hunt deer or feed deer for viewing is banned by state law in certain counties due to the presence of CWD. In counties where CWD has not been found, hunters and other wildlife enthusiasts can still choose not to bait and help reduce the risk of CWD transmission. You can easily check county baiting and feeding bans on the DNR website.

Bait is any material that is placed or used to attract wild animals for hunting purposes, including scent materials, salt, minerals and grains. Feed is any material used to feed or attract wild animals for non-hunting purposes, including recreational and supplemental feeding, except as allowed for birds and small mammals. Bait and feed placed on the landscape, even in limited quantities, often attracts unnatural numbers of deer.

Counties fall under a three-year baiting and feeding ban when wild or farm-raised deer have tested positive for CWD. If the CWD-positive deer is found within 10 miles of a county line, the adjoining county will fall under a two-year ban. If additional CWD cases are found during the lifetime of a baiting and feeding ban, the ban will reset for an additional two to three years.

In counties where baiting and feeding is allowed, the following precautions should be taken when feeding birds and small mammals:

Feeding devices and structures are at a sufficient height or design to prevent access by deer;

Make sure feeding structures and devices are no further than 50 yards from a dwelling devoted to human occupancy;

If deer, bear, or elk are using bird feeding devices or structures, the devices or structures shall be enclosed or elevated higher to prevent access;

More information on Wisconsins deer baiting and wildlife feeding regulations is available here.

Deer carcass disposal

With a successful harvest comes deer carcass waste. Proper carcass disposal helps slow the spread of CWD spread by removing potentially infected deer carcasses from the landscape. To properly dispose of deer carcass waste locate a designated dumpster, transfer station or landfill location accepting deer carcass waste near you on the DNR website.

The department does not recommend transporting whole deer carcasses to areas outside the county or adjacent county where the animal was harvested.

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD)

CWD is a fatal disease that affects the nervous system of deer, elk, moose and caribou. The disease spreads through contact with an infected animals saliva, urine, feces and natural decomposition after death. The known CWD infectious agent, or prion, is very resistant to destruction, making it very difficult to contain. Because of this, baiting, feeding and improper carcass disposal increase the risk of transmission.

While there has not been a documented case of CWD in humans, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, the Centers for Disease Control and World Health Organization recommend against consuming meat from CWD-infected deer. Infected deer can look healthy; however, the Department of Health Services (DHS) encourages testing for the disease regardless of your harvested deers physical condition. The DHS also recommends the public only consume venison from deer that is CWD negative.

To find a CWD sampling location near you where you can submit samples from Wisconsin harvested deer free of charge, visit the DNRs Sampling For Chronic Wasting Disease webpage. Test results are usually available from the DNR within two weeks.

More information about CWD and how to prevent its spread is available on the DNR website here.

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The city of La Crosse may forgo a state program that puts restrictions on its annual spending in order to use more one-time COVID relief for a bigger budget in 2022.

Thats an option the Board of Estimates (BOE) recommended staff explore at its meeting Monday afternoon where it reviewed a now-balanced budget that makes about $1.4 million in department cuts and increases taxes by just over 2%.

Officials weighed whether opting out of the states Expenditure Restraint Program, or ERP, would give the city more flexibility to spend unprecedented funding from the American Rescue Plan Act and other COVID relief funding sources to pay for projects, positions and other services.

The ERP restricts how much a municipality can increase spending and revenue by each year in exchange for state funding. Its an optional program, and a community can choose to withdraw from it.

But this year, the city is looking at how to spend more than $22 million in various COVID relief funds, and although that funding is atypical and extraneous, using it counts against the states program, so the city has been limited in using it in this budget.

La Crosse Common Council members indicated they have contemplated opting out of the program before in order to spend more, but they have not pulled the trigger. But they indicated that the timing could be right this year.

We have these various revenue sources coming into us, finance director Valerie Fenske told the board, and yet in order to stay within our ERP, we still made over a million dollars worth of cuts to our departments.

We dont necessarily have to allow budget cuts, Mayor Mitch Reynolds said. We are really reaching a point that its so confusing that were making cuts, and we really have quite a significant amount of money coming in.

Plus, a bonus that officials found was that eventually when the city would opt back into the states ERP, its past spending would allow for a larger restraint window in future years.

As it stands for 2022, the citys ERP restrictions allow it to spend about 3.6% more than it did in 2021, or about $2 million. If the city would instead choose to opt out of the program this year, whatever it spent in 2022 would then become its starting point for a later year, and would likely be a much larger dollar amount.

Officials also stated that the ERP works on payments a year in advance, meaning opting out of it for 2022 would mean the city would only miss out on its payment in 2023, and next years state funding would not be in jeopardy.

Still, members of the board were content with the currently proposed budget as well, which uses some COVID relief to supplement it, but includes what officials considered a relatively small tax hike.

The BOE recommended that staff create two versions of the budget to bring before the council in the coming weeks, a finalized version of the current one, and another that shows the possibilities if the city opts out of the state funding program.

Staff presented the board with a budget that currently proposes spending $58,633,916 in 2022, and cuts some funding to various departments while supplementing others that were cut in 2020.

The citys fire, planning, parks, police and streets departments are facing budget cuts, largely to repairs or salaries and benefits. The La Crosse Center also saw a budget cut, but that was to offset a series of grants it received for COVID relief.

The library and information technology were the only two departments that saw budget increases to allow for new positions, though the librarys will be funded through ARPA dollars.

The tax rate for this budget would go up just over 2% for property owners, a slightly smaller increase than the council approved last year amid the pandemic, and a much smaller hike than was previously budgeted at 13%.

This increase would cause a boost of about $32 for the average $150,000 homeowner.

Council member Doug Happel, who described himself at Mondays meeting as the second-most conservative member, commended the current budget for its very minimal increase in taxes and the funding increases for departments that previously saw cuts, calling it a workable budget.

But he said looking ahead was important, and if opting out of the ERP could help the city in the years ahead, staff should explore that.

The decision youre making right now always seems the most important, but its really not. The most important decision is the one that comes after that decision, he said.

What possibilities?

Opting out of the ERP would free up the citys COVID relief funds and leaves open a window of opportunity, and officials began discussing the possibilities of spending at Mondays meeting.

Ideas included filling vacant and new positions in city hall and eliminating any other budget cuts departments were asked for, and the exact limitations the city would have on spending is not fully clear yet.

Council members Larry Sleznikow and Mark Neumann said they prioritized adding a public information officer within city hall, a person who would handle the citys messaging with the public, media and within departments.

I dont know how many times since Ive been on council that Ive heard, Who oversees communications directly with our residents and from residents back to the city? Sleznikow said. And Im really thinking that I know its an additional annual expense, but its an area that our city I think is sorely lacking.

We dont help people understand all the benefits that they are purchasing through their local government, Neumann said.

Reynolds agreed, saying that dodging the ERP restrictions could allow them to fill that position, but if the city would choose to go with the currently presented budget, he would need to make cuts somewhere else.

I think I have higher priority items at this point if were staying within this budget, Reynolds said.

I absolutely agree information dissemination, the need for it is dire within the city of La Crosse, he said, so that will be part of our determinations as we go through and figure out whether we should opt out of the ERP.

Staff will now go back and work on the recommendations of the BOE, and bring it back for a public hearing on Nov. 15, after which the council may adopt it.

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Subpoenas issued as part of a GOP-ordered investigation into how the 2020 presidential election was conducted are unlawful, said Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul on Monday, who urged Assembly Speaker Robin Vos to call off a probe he said has been irrevocably tainted by bias.

Kaul faulted lead investigator Michael Gableman for hiring Andrew Kloster, a Republican attorney and former member of President Donald Trumps administration, a hardly neutral fact-finder who has already proclaimed  without providing any evidence  that the 2020 presidential election was stolen, fair and square and that election training in the state was woefully inadequate.

This investigation suffers from glaring flaws that destroy any credibility that its results could have, Kaul said at a press conference Monday. My request to Speaker Vos is simple: Shut this fake investigation down.

In a statement, Vos, who accused Kaul of taking a partisan stance on the matter, said subpoenas he signed earlier this year on behalf of Gableman, a retired state Supreme Court justice, were issued correctly and he has no plans of calling off the review.

In order to restore confidence in our election system, Justice Gableman will continue his investigation, said Vos, R-Rochester.

The condemnation of the inquiry from the states top lawyer, who is representing the Wisconsin Elections Commission, comes after Rep. Janel Brandtjen, who chairs the Assembly Campaigns and Elections Committee, said she has been kept in the dark on Gablemans investigation. While Gableman has tried to distance his effort from the widely panned partisan election review in Arizona, Brandtjen, R-Menomonee Falls, has called for a similar review she has characterized as a full cyber forensic audit.

Gableman, who has largely limited his public comments to YouTube videos and friendly talk radio hosts, did not respond to requests for comment Monday.

Vos has allocated nearly $680,000 in taxpayer money for the one-party investigation, which is focused on some of the procedures voters and clerks relied on in casting and processing ballots. Although some have raised the prospect of fraud, no claims of large-scale cheating have been substantiated, and the investigation, so far at least, is not seeking to review any ballots.

In a video posted on YouTube Saturday, Gableman claimed, without providing evidence, that his investigation had found compelling evidence that Wisconsins election laws were not properly followed by election officials at both the state and local levels.

There is also evidence that ambiguities in the law were expansively interpreted so much so to potentially undermine ballot security measures, Gableman said in the video, without providing specifics.

A recount and court decisions have affirmed that President Biden defeated Donald Trump in Wisconsin by almost 21,000 votes. Four voters out of roughly 3 million who cast ballots have been charged with fraud.

Gableman on Saturday said the investigation is not a prosecution and said city clerks and mayors who have been subpoenaed will be granted immunity.

Intraparty rancor

Brandtjen, who has tried to subpoena voting machines, ballots and other election data in two counties, pushed back against Gablemans comments. Brandtjen, whose subpoenas have not been signed by Vos and have been rejected by the counties, said in a statement Monday that she objected to Gablemans promise of immunity.

Brandtjen said she has not been provided copies of Gablemans subpoenas, while also criticizing the former justice for comments he made in a Friday interview with WISN-AMs Dan ODonnell in which he called the election review in Arizona a waste of money.

Even Justice Gableman seems to find it difficult to have a comprehensive understanding of how elections work, Brandtjen said in reference to comments Gableman made last week to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. A cyber forensic audit, including the recounting of physical ballots and an audit of the machines, would finally rebuild trust in Wisconsin elections.

Kaul on Monday questioned whether Gableman even has the authority to grant such immunity, adding that the subpoenas were not only overbroad, but his request to have officials, including elections commission administrator Meagan Wolfe, testify in secret meetings this Friday was improper.

Kaul said Gablemans request to meet with Wolfe in private is unlawful and any meeting should be held in public before a legislative committee. In a letter to Gableman Monday, Kaul said he hopes to reach a mutual agreement on the matter, but added he may take court action if an agreement is not reached.

Aiming at Evers

Gablemans Saturday statement took aim at Gov. Tony Evers over the Democratic governors criticism of the partisan investigation, with Gableman accusing Evers of having an incomplete and misguided view of the probe.

Evers in late September described the investigation as a $700,000 boondoggle after Gableman said the burden will be placed on local election clerks to prove that the 2020 election was conducted fairly, which Evers called a bit outrageous.

If I was a clerk Id be lawyered up and make sure that youre doing the right thing, Evers told reporters at the World Dairy Expo last month. I hate to see an inquisition like this, especially when youre being told you have to prove it was a good election. Everybody knows it was a good election. Everybody knows there was no fraud.

Gableman contended that local election officials should have no reason to be concerned about the investigation if they complied with the law.

If the governor believes that it has been proven the election has been conducted flawlessly, then he is completely ignorant to the concerns of Wisconsin voters who have great concerns regarding the sanctity and the security of their vote, he said.

In a video last month, Gableman said hes not trying to overturn the election results, even though he told Trump supporters in November, without evidence, that he thought the election had been stolen.

Gableman has said he plans to look into advice the bipartisan state Elections Commission gave to clerks, and donations the Facebook-funded nonprofit Center for Tech and Civic Life gave to Wisconsin communities, to help run the 2020 election.

On Saturday, Gableman said the alternative to his investigation would be to look the other way while millions of dollars in private funds may have been used in the public management of elections to achieve a preferred outcome at the expense of election integrity.

If indeed this occurred would be the true definition of a boondoggle, and it would also mark the beginning of tyranny and the end of the American experiment in democracy, Gableman said.

Sham review

Evers spokesperson Britt Cudaback said in a statement the video further underscores that Gableman has predetermined the results of this sham review.

This video only further underscores the governors comments that this is a $700,000 boondoggle on taxpayer dime to confirm what independent reviews have already proven: Wisconsin had a free, fair and secure election, and President Biden won, Cudaback said.

Republicans have claimed CTCL essentially took over administration of the 2020 election, specifically in Green Bay. The city has forcefully pushed back on that narrative, arguing the allegations are completely without merit and that it followed state and federal laws. A federal judge found nothing in the law to prohibit use of the grant money, which went to more than 200 Wisconsin communities last year to help cover election costs during the pandemic. Most of the money went to the states five largest Democratic-leaning cities, including Madison, which are the focus of Gablemans investigation.

The mayors and clerks in Madison, Milwaukee, Green Bay, Racine and Kenosha had been ordered by Gableman to testify as part of the investigation later this month. But in an about-face last Thursday, investigation officials said they had backed off an initial request for interviews to now only include records that have already been produced in response to public records requests, rather than interviews and hundreds of thousands of additional documents.

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Two people were killed Tuesday when a small plane crashed in a wooded area near a suburban Milwaukee neighborhood, authorities said.

The National Transportation Safety Board tweeted about 12:30 p.m. that a GlaStar crashed near Waukesha. The Waukesha County Sheriff's Office later reported that the plane went down in the Village of Waukesha, which lies just to the south of the city of Waukesha.

Both people aboard were killed, the sheriff's office said. No one on the ground was hurt.

Federal Aviation Administration officials told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that the plane took off from Lawrence J. Timmerman Airport in Milwaukee and was headed to Salina Regional Airport in Salina, Kansas, when it went down at 9:35 a.m.

An NTSB investigator was expected to arrive at the scene on Wednesday.

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Prosecutors are asking a judge to prohibit defense attorneys from referring to the men shot by Kyle Rittenhouse as rioters or looters.

Rittenhouse, 18, is scheduled to go to trial Nov. 1 on charges of homicide and attempted homicide for the shooting deaths of Joseph Rosenbaum of Kenosha and Anthony Huber of Silver Lake, and the wounding of Gaige Grosskreutz of West Allis in August 2020 during protests and rioting in the Kenosha following the shooting of Jacob Blake by a Kenosha Police officer. Rittenhouse, of Antioch, Ill., and his supporters have maintained he was defending himself.

In a motion filed Monday, the defense is asking Kenosha County Circuit Court Judge Bruce Schroeder to prohibit the defense from referring to past criminal history of any of the men, of any pending lawsuits related to the case, or of referring to any of the three men in pejorative terms.

The motion asks that the defense be prohibited from referring to Joseph Rosenbaum, Anthony Huber or Gaige Grosskreutz as rioters, looters, arsonists or any other pejorative term. Much like this court prohibits the state from referring to anyone as a victim, these terms prejudice the status of these individuals.

The motion also asks that all parties in the case refer to Rittenhouse, the witnesses and the men shot formally by their last names. Throughout the case, supporters of Rittenhouse have typically referred to him as Kyle, emphasizing his youth.

At an earlier hearing in the case, Schroeder told prosecutors they could not refer to any of the men shot in the case as victims. That is Schroeders standard practice in criminal cases and is not unique to his handling of the Rittenhouse case.

At another hearing, defense attorney Mark Richards, while arguing that Rosenbaums criminal history should be heard by the jury at trial, called Rosenbaum a rioter. These were not protesters, they were rioters, he said at the time while arguing that he believed Rosenbaum was trying to steal Rittenhouses gun.

There has never been a judicial determination that any of these individuals rioted, looted or committed arson on the night of Aug. 25, 2020, the new motion states. Further, the defendant deprived Mr. Rosenbaum and Mr. Huber of their ability to defend their reputations against these sorts of attacks when he killed them both.

Block also sought on water evidence

In addition to seeking to block the defense from referring to the three men as rioters or looters, the state is asking that Schroeder block the defense from introducing any evidence that an anonymous law enforcement officer provided water to the defendant or told the defendant and other individuals we appreciate you guys, we really do.

In a video widely circulated on social media and news media, a law enforcement officer in an armored vehicle can be seen sharing bottles of water with a group of armed men, including Rittenhouse, the officer saying we appreciate you guys.

The state anticipates that the defense will seek to introduce evidence that an anonymous law enforcement officer made a statement somehow approving the defendants actions that night. Any such statement is irrelevant hearsay, the motion states. The state also anticipates that the defense will seek to introduce evidence that an anonymous law enforcement officer told the defendant or his associates that police were going to let them handle the crowd. Again, any such statement is irrelevant hearsay.

Rittenhouse is next expected in court on Oct. 25 for the continuation of a motion hearing addressing evidence and expert witnesses that will be allowed at trial. The trial itself, scheduled to begin Nov. 1, is expected to last two to three weeks.
With the ongoing strike at Kellogg Co. concluding its first week, management brought temporary workers to the State Road plant for the first time Monday morning, a local union leader said.

Kerry Williams, president of Local 374 of the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers, which represents the plants production workers, said four busloads of temporary workers arrived at 6:45 a.m.

Its not known how many temporary workers were on the buses or how much Kellogg is paying them.

I hope these people work safely, Williams said, noting that newly hired production workers undergo two weeks of orientation, followed by up to two months of on-the-job training.

Even then, you still have a ways to go until youre proficient. When you start a new job, the textbook doesnt always cover everything.

Some 380 union members at the East Hempfield Township plant, among 1,400 employees at Kelloggs four cereal-making plants nationwide, went off the job last Tuesday when their five-year master contract expired. The master contract sets wages and benefits.

After the walkout got underway, Kellogg said last week it would implement contingency plans  having salaried employees and temporary workers man the idled production equipment. According to Williams, management also brought temporary workers to the other three cereal-making plants, which are in Omaha, Nebraska, Memphis, Tennessee, and Battle Creek, Michigan, where Kellogg is headquartered.

Kellogg did not respond to LNP | LancasterOnlines request for specific information about the staffing of the State Road plants production lines.

Williams said the union members are frustrated that Kellogg would spend millions of dollars on scabs and security guards and buses rather than give us a fair and equitable contract. They want to cry that theyre not making money, yet theyre willing to do this.

Products made at the State Road plant before the strike include Corn Flakes, Frosted Flakes, Raisin Bran, Special K, Shredded Wheat, Frosted Shredded Wheat, Crispix, All Bran and Rice Krispies cereals.

The walkout is only the second in the 45-year-old plant's history. The only other strike here was a three-week walkout in 1985, LNP | LancasterOnline records show.

John Fetterman, the states lieutenant governor and a candidate for U.S. Senate, visited the State Road picket line Saturday to show his support for the striking workers.
A 12-year-old has been charged after stabbing another child during a fight Saturday night, according to Manheim Township police.

The two juveniles were fighting near the 400 block of Coventry Road near Bucher Elementary School in Manheim Township at 7:14 p.m. when the 12-year-old pulled out a small knife, police said in a news release. The 12-year-old then stabbed the other child, 11, in the abdomen.

It was not clear if the stabbing took place on school grounds. A Manheim Township police spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for clarification.

Police spoke with the 12-year-old, whose name was not released, who admitted to stabbing the other child.

The 12-year old, of Lancaster, was charged with aggravated assault and released back to their parents.

The 11-year-old was taken to a hospital to be treated for minor injuries including a small puncture wound and a laceration, police said. The child was later released from the hospital.

The case will be handled through Juvenile Probation, according to the news release.
Two women broke into a Lancaster Township home, then began hurling rocks at the residence after they were forced back outside, according to Manheim Township police.

Elicia L. Burgess, 32, of Drexel Hill, and Monique R. Johnson, 42, of Philadelphia, were each charged with criminal trespass, criminal mischief and disorderly conduct.

Burgess and Johnson began pounding on the door of a residence in the 900 block of Clark Street just after 9 a.m. on Oct. 3, entering the home through an open front window, police said in a news release.

The resident forced the two women back outside, where they then began throwing rocks at the homes windows, causing $200 in damage.

Burgess and Johnson created a breach of the peace, police said, causing a disturbance that led to numerous people nearby calling 911.

Both women were released from Lancaster County Prison on Oct. 4 after posting $1,000 bail, court records show. They will each face preliminary hearings before Judge Mary Mongiovi Sponaugle on Oct. 13.

Burgess has previously pleaded guilty to simple assault in Delaware County in 2019, according to court records. Johnson pleaded guilty to simple assault and possession of an instrument of crime with intent in Philadelphia County 2012.
A former WGAL anchor has signed with Fox News Channel to serve as a New York-based correspondent.

Brittany Garzillo previously covered traffic and news in studio daily as an anchor for the NBC affiliate WGAL-TV in Lancaster between 2018 and 2020, Fox said in a news release. She will begin her new role in New York with Fox this month.

Garzillo has worked for the Fox-owned and operated WFLD-TV in Chicago since March 2020, serving as an on-air reporter for evening newscasts, including breaking news such as mass shootings, protests and COVID-19-related stories. Garzillo was also a fill-in solo anchor for weekend morning newscasts for three months.

Prior to WGAL, Garzillo was a reporter, producer and host for the PBS station WLVT-TV in Bethlehem on FOCUS, a half-hour weekly news magazine program covering topics ranging from public affairs to economic development.

Garzillo is a graduate of Moravian College with a bachelors degree in Communications and Media Studies.
The group behind the very public fight in Lancaster County over the COVID-19 vaccine mandate implemented by the University of Pennsylvania Health System has filed a lawsuit.

The health system includes Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health, which announced the requirement for its employees in mid-May.

Filed by Pennsylvania Informed Consent Advocates (PICA) in the U.S. District for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the suit alleges the mandate violates employees First Amendment rights to free speech and is seeking damages.

I dont believe anybody has raised the political speech argument before, Bruce L. Castor, the attorney representing PICA, told LNP | LancasterOnline Tuesday.

Castor added, The issue of compelling vaccination has become a politicized issue.

Castor  a retired Republican politician  has served in a litany of positions that include Montgomery District Attorney, Pennsylvanias first Solicitor General and Acting Pennsylvania Attorney General. Earlier this year he also worked with the defense team in the second impeachment of former President Donald Trump.

John Lines, an LG Health spokesperson, could not be immediately reached for comment.

The new employee vaccination policy was announced in May and went into effect on Sept. 1 across all Penn Medicine hospitals.

PICA, which sprung into existence in response to the mandate, has worked with another grassroots organization opposed to COVID-19 mitigation strategies, FreePA, to hold protests and collect signatures in opposition to the policy.

The University of Pennsylvania Health System  which, in addition to Lancaster General Hospital, has five hospitals in Pennsylvania and New Jersey  was the first in the state to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations.

President Joe Biden has since announced a requirement, which is still in the process of being implemented nationally, for all health care workers.

Only WellSpan Health, which operates WellSpan Ephrata Community Hospital, and LG Health have staff vaccine mandates in place in Lancaster County.

Mandates appear to work.

At the time of the May announcement, roughly 66% of LGHs more than 9,700 employees were fully vaccinated. Just before the Sept. 1 deadline the percentage of vaccinated and exempt employees was greater than 94%.

Roughly 2% of the 38,000 personnel employed by the Penn Medicine health system  including LG Health staff  have received a religious or medical exemption to the health system's COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

The health system has declined to say  unlike other hospitals that have terminated noncompliant staff  how many unvaccinated employees were fired.

Castor said he was uncertain how many employees were negatively impacted by the mandate, but that he was representing dozens.

Under the new mandate, employees could have sought a medical or religious exemption, similar to the health systems flu vaccine policy.

This civil action arises out of the Defendants flagrant disregard for the constitutional rights of American citizens in their attempt to compel vaccinations, the suit says.

Through the actions of Defendants and other non-party individuals and entities, vaccines have been politicized to a point where receiving or declining a vaccine has become a political act in the eyes of the public, and being compelled into discussing ones vaccine status is compelling that person to engage in political speech.

Employees in New Mexico, California and Texas have filed similar lawsuits  with little success  challenging COVID-19 vaccine requirements.

Castor said Tuesday he believed others might follow his free speech argument.

The politicization of this issue has made it such that people who choose not to be vaccinated are considered to be political right-wing extremists, Castor said. If were going to follow the science we should not punish people for expressing their beliefs.
The federal government has endangered Samuel Lazar, the Ephrata man federal authorities charged in July for his actions during the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, by making an unsubstantiated claim that he is a danger to Black people, his attorney argued in court on Tuesday.

Lazar, 36, has been in federal custody since he was arrested at his Ephrata apartment on July 26. In the months since, attorneys for the government and Lazar have been battling back-and-forth in court filings and hearings over whether he should remain locked up while awaiting trial.

In arguing that Lazar is a threat to the public, federal prosecutors have pointed not only to his actions outside the Capitol on Jan. 6, but also his criminal history and to posts on Facebook, one of which Lazar made while the other included photos of him at a 2020 rally in Lebanon County.

Lazars post, prosecutors noted, called for a revolution and euthanizing every Antifa, BLM (Black Lives Matter) member and to drag every last one of the Democrats and DNC members out of their offices and homes, and publicly execute them for their crimes against this Country and its citizens.

Even though the post was shared from another Facebook users account, prosecutors said Lazar loved the post and circled it in red, meaning he agreed with its sentiments.

Lazars attorney, David Benowitz, in a filing submitted on Friday, rejected the governments argument and said anyone could have circled the post. He noted that his client has been held in isolation, presumably for his own safety, ever since the government made the racism allegation.

The government, in its zeal to deny Mr. Lazar his liberty, has in fact jeopardized his physical safety. To be clear, Mr. Lazar has no specific animosity towards Black people and is not a threat to their safety  and there is no evidence to support such a claim, Benowitz wrote.

As for the governments argument that Lazar has demonstrated a pattern of increasing criminal activity, Benowitz wrote that the government was relying on an unspecified criminal mischief conviction that occurred when Lazar was 18.

Benowitz also argued that the court should discount the governments reliance on photos posted to Facebook more than a year ago showing Lazar at a Lebanon County rally holding a rifle.

A group called Concerned Citizens of Lebanon County made the post.

The government provides no information about the individual or entity behind this account. Rather, the government seems to accept the anonymous, unverified account information at face-value and asks the court to do the same. Needless to say, Facebook is not a reliable source of information, and this court should exercise greater scrutiny than the government in assessing the communitys concern over Mr. Lazars conduct, Benowitz wrote.

These isolated pieces of evidence, dating from ten months ago to nearly twenty years, fail to coalesce into a picture of someone who is a danger to the community, Benowitz argued.

U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson, who presided over Tuesdays hearing, said she had hoped to rule from the bench on whether Lazar should be released pending trial. But she said she wanted to watch videos  presumably showing Lazar apparently spraying police outside the Capitol with a chemical irritant and later bragging about it  submitted as evidence by the government before making her decision.

She said she would schedule a hearing as soon as possible, but noted that Lazars defense was responsible for some delays by missing filing deadlines.

Lazar is charged with assault and obstruction-related crimes. His arrest came months after the FBI posted a photo of Lazar taken on Jan. 6 outside the Capitol and asked for the public's help in identifying him. LNP | LancasterOnline first identified Lazar as the man in the FBI photo in April.

Lazar was dubbed #facepaintblowhard, a hashtag reference to the camouflage paint he wore on Jan. 6, by online vigilantes who have been trying to identify the hundreds of people in photos posted to the FBIs website.
Foreign ransomware extortionists disabled access to some critical Steinman Communications systems and computer files in what company executives described as a sophisticated criminal attack that continues to limit the companys ability to publish a complete newspaper.

The ransomware attacker or group of attackers, whose individual identities are unknown, demanded the 227-year-old news organization pay an undisclosed sum of money in return for unlocking critical files typically used in printing the daily LNP and LNP Media Groups other publications.

Company officials declined to say whether they intend to pay the ransom or ignore the demand and continue to work without the compromised files and machines, a move other firms have made with some level of success.

A cybersecurity firm hired by Steinman Communications has been working to evaluate the scope and nature of the attack on the companys systems since it was discovered.

Company officials, who discovered the attack on Sept. 30 and initially described it as a significant criminal act, have reported the matter to the FBI. They said they have no evidence the cyberattacker obtained subscriber payment information; Steinman Communications uses a third-party payment processor and does not store that information on its own network.

The companys IT experts also temporarily shut down some systems and operations to block the spread of the attack.

Caroline Muraro, the president of Steinman subsidiary LNP Media Group, said she could not comment on the specifics of the attack while a criminal investigation is ongoing. But she said she is appreciative of readers and customers for their patience.

She added: "I can say that I am extremely proud of our entire team, who have shown tremendous dedication in continuing our operations as best as possible under the circumstances. In parallel, our IT team continues to work tirelessly around the clock to bring our systems back online.

While the identity of the ransomware attackers remains unclear, federal law enforcement and cybersecurity officials have issued new warnings in recent weeks about a sophisticated Russian outfit known as Conti.

The criminal enterprise has conducted ransomware attacks on hundreds of companies, municipalities, police and healthcare systems by using malicious email attachments, bogus links and other nefarious practices.

Impact on printing

In the first 48 hours at Steinman Communications, the attack significantly hindered the company's ability to publish and distribute LNP and its weekly newspapers. Since last week, though, the production and press crews have slowly rebuilt some of their capabilities without access to that complex network of computer systems they need to print a newspaper.

It has been able to continue printing each of its newspapers, in smaller format in some cases.

The network outage that we have experienced over the past week has eliminated our teams ability to use the automated systems we have in place that allow us to efficiently lay out, print, and distribute LNP and the many other publications we publish and print on a daily basis, said Justin Bucks, the president of Susquehanna Printing in East Lampeter Township, the Steinman Communications subsidiary that prints the newspaper.

As a result, processes such as pagination, layout, ad building, photo toning, plate-making, and control of the press are currently being done manually or through new time-consuming processes, he said. So many members of our team have exhibited extraordinary levels of creativity, determination, perseverance, and self-sacrifice to continue publishing, printing, and distributing our award-winning publications.

Steinman Communications owns LNP Media Group, which publishes LNP and several weekly newspapers, including Lancaster Farming, the leading newspaper for farmers and agricultural industry leaders the mid-Atlantic region; three community newspapers, The Ephrata Review, Lititz Record-Express and Elizabethtown Advocate; and The Caucus, an investigative newspaper covering state government.

Company officials say it is not clear how soon they'll be able to return to publishing newspaper editions that contain all traditional sections and at typical page counts.

About ransomware attacks

Federal law-enforcement officials declined to comment because the investigation is ongoing.

The FBI said earlier this year that Conti was responsible for ransomware attacks on more than 400 companies, including 290 in the United States. Its demands have been as large as $25 million.

Chester Wisniewski, a research scientist at the large global cyber-security company Sophos, said the Conti Group is "probably the biggest or the most prolific" of ransomware firms operating today.

"Weve had more customers victimized by Conti than any other brand, he said.

Wisnieski said the Conti Group itself employs hackers who attack companies, but that it also markets its ransomware tools to independent hackers, who in turn give Conti a share of the ransom.

It is not clear whether the Conti Group or an independent cyberattacker broke into LNP Media Group's systems.

It is also not clear how the cyberattacker gained access. The new generation of ransomware attacks typically use malicious email links and attachments, as well as stolen remote desktop credentials, according to the FBI.

Such attacks have grown in frequency over the past two years. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in May that the number of ransomware cases quadrupled in the United States in 2020.

Recent ransomware attacks ... underscore the growing threat that ransomware and digital extortion pose to the nation, and the destructive and devastating consequences ransomware attacks can have on critical infrastructure, the office of Deputy U.S. Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco wrote in a June memo.

Cybersecurity specialists have said part of the reason is many companies are too quick to pay the ransom because theyre able to get reimbursement through insurance policies.

Marty Edwards, who worked as a senior cybersecurity official in the Department of Homeland Security from 2011 to 2017, told The Wall Street Journal in May that ransom payments create a vicious cycle.

The insurance company pays the ransom, the criminals make more money, so they make more ransomware, which leads to more insurance, which leads to more payment  he told the newspaper.

Steinman Communications officials declined to say whether the company carries insurance for ransomware attacks.

Ransomware attackers typically steal or encrypt files, servers and workstations and threaten to sell the information stored on them or publish it online. The attackers often contact the victims through an online portal to complete the transaction; some offer customer support to help their victims unlock encrypted files after the ransom payment.

In 2018, a ransomware attack forced the publisher of major newspapers including the Chicago Tribune, Baltimore Sun and Hartford Courant to print smaller editions. In June, Cox Media was hit by a ransomware attack that disrupted several of its TV and radio stations. And earlier this month, a ransomware attack took down websites run by Sandhills Global including TractorHouse, AuctionTime and Motorsports Universe.

In June of 2019, Eurofins Lancaster Laboratories announced that it had been the target of a ransomware attack that disrupted many of its IT systems in several countries. Some employees at Lancaster Labs in Leola and other Eurofins locations were sent home from work multiple times because their equipment had been shut down.

Three weeks after the attack, Eurofins said essentially all of its production and reporting IT systems were fully restored, while work continued on less important back office and software development systems. The London-based BBC public broadcasting company reported that Eurofins Scientific had paid an unspecified amount to the hackers.

In February of this year, a cyberattack on Millersville Universitys computer network exposed the personal information of a handful of people and prompted the school to cancel in-person classes. A university spokesperson told LNP|LancasterOnline in June that the hackers hadnt been identified and that they hadnt demanded a ransom.

Stephen diFilipo, Millersvilles chief technology officer, said the university shut down its computer systems as soon as it noticed suspicious activity on its network and began work to prevent the attack from spreading.

There are a lot of moving pieces, he said. It's like trying to solve six Rubiks Cubes at one time with two hands. You think you're prepared, but you're never ready for the level of decision-making that comes at one time.

The university eventually regained control of its network, diFilipo said. The attack prompted the school to speed up plans that had already been underway to improve network security.

Tracking down and prosecuting cyberattackers is difficult, but authorities have been successful in preventing some ransomware proceeds from going to them.

In one of the most highly publicized cases, the Justice Department seized the equivalent of $2.3 million in cryptocurrency paid by Georgia-based Colonial Pipeline Co. to a criminal hacking group called DarkSide. The spring ransomware attack forced the pipeline to shut down for more than a week, prompting fuel shortages up and down the East Coast.

In the Millersville attack, diFilipo said the university consulted with cybersecurity experts and the FBI and decided it would not pay any ransom had it received such a demand for money.

Wisnieski said he's torn over whether firms should pay ransoms.

"... Every time we pay, we are obviously just encouraging more of this behavior," he said. "  The person in me who cares about society says, Don't ever pay the ransom.

"But the truth is, when youre sitting there with that victim ... how do you say to that person, You shouldn't pay the ransom because its bad for society, but oh by the way, your business might go bankrupt?
East Earl Township police

BURGLARY

EAST EARL TWP.: Richard E. Davenport, 50, of Lancaster, was charged with burglary, criminal mischief, criminal trespass and harassment after forcing himself into a residence in the 900 block of Main Street to check on the residents welfare around 8:30 a.m. on Sept. 29, police said.

FIREARMS VIOLATION

EAST EARL TWP.: Lisa D. Mitchell, 55, of Coatesville, was charged with unsworn falsification to authorities after making false written statements while attempting to purchase a gun at The Sportsmans Shop at 1214 Main Street sometime on Aug. 28, police said. The false statements were discovered during the pre-purchase background check and Mitchells purchase was denied, police said.

INTIMIDATION OF VICTIMS

EAST EARL TWP.: Kevin Allan Edwards, 36, of New Holland, was charged with intimidation of victims or witnesses after calling a victim or witness of a previous arrest and begging them to drop the charges around 3:45 p.m. on Sept. 21, police said. Edwards is currently being held in Lancaster County Prison after he was unable to post bail on a previous arrest for simple assault, intimidation of witnesses or victims, endangering the welfare of children and harassment.

THEFT

EAST EARL TWP.: Derek Dwayne Getz, 31, formerly of New Holland, was charged with theft by unlawful taking after stealing property from a resident in the 1100 block of Reservoir Road sometime on Sept. 21, police said.

Lititz Borough police

CRASH

LITITZ: An unidentified vehicle struck a parked car in the 100 block of North Liberty Street and fled the scene without stopping sometime between 4 p.m. on Oct. 9 and 11:40 a.m. on Oct. 10, police said.

DISTURBANCE

LITITZ: A group of about eight children were seen throwing walnuts at street signs in the 700 block of South Broad Street around 10:30 a.m. on Oct. 8, police said. The children were sent home and warned not to throw items at the signs, which appeared undamaged, police said.

New Holland police

FALSE IDENTIFICATION TO LAW ENFORCEMENT

NEW HOLLAND: Dale Jacob Kreider, 26, was charged with false identification to law enforcement and a summary traffic offense after providing officers with a false identity while being questioned at an unstated incident at a residence in the 300 block of West Main Street around 3:30 p.m. on Sept. 1, police said. Kreider was found to have an arrest warrant for a prior retail theft and a suspended drivers license, police said.

Northern Lancaster County Regional police

TRAFFIC VIOLATION

PENN TWP.: Sheena Lynn Shenenberger, 39, of Manheim, was charged with illegal operation of a motor vehicle without ignition interlock after she was stopped for a traffic violation in the 1400 block of Lancaster Road sometime on Sept. 14, police said. The vehicle Shenenberger was driving did not have an ignition interlock system as required by the restrictions on her drivers license, police said.
HARRISBURG  The Pennsylvania legislature spent nearly $10 million during the past two years on private lawyers but routinely shielded the purpose of those expenses, hiding which lawmakers and their staff required representation  and why, according to a new investigation.

A review of thousands of pages of legal invoices and engagement letters from 2019 and 2020 by The Caucus and Spotlight PA shows the cases ranged from public records fights to secret personnel problems to attempts to overturn last years presidential election.

In many instances, Republicans and Democrats in both chambers blacked out the reason for hiring lawyers, flouting case law that requires them to make public those critical details. Other records were so vague it was impossible to identify the reason for the representation.

With near-limitless taxpayer dollars at their disposal, legislative leaders can fund all types of legal battles, defending themselves and colleagues against allegations of wrongdoing, advancing their political interests, and going on the attack against their political opponents.

The decisions on which lawyers to hire, and at what rate per hour  sometimes as high as $750 in the timeframe reviewed  are made behind closed doors by leadership, without input from colleagues and, unlike many state contracts, with virtually no oversight by a third party. Many of those same lawyers are also generous campaign donors, the investigation found.

The expense records provide a window into both the small and large political fights prioritized by top leaders, from harassment cases to the $1.2 million cost for election matters in 2020  a running tab that is about to skyrocket again as GOP leaders in the Senate embark on another review of President Joe Bidens win in the state.

The publics right to know with respect to these sorts of records is incredibly high, said Gunita Singh, a staff attorney at the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, a nonprofit that works on First Amendment and open records cases. Theres tremendous public interest in scrutinizing how these individuals tasked with representing our interests are conducting themselves  including how theyre spending our tax dollars.

The Pennsylvania legislature  one of the largest and most expensive in the U.S.  has fought to hide details of how it spends tax dollars on legal matters. In the Senate, records for a handful of matters were redacted to the point of not disclosing any information at all about their purpose. In the House, it was worse: Roughly half of their engagement letters were redacted.

Democrats in the House and Senate did not return requests for comment. Republican legislative leaders defended their use of outside counsel, saying lawyers on the legislatures payroll, whose roughly $200,000 salaries are more than even legislative leaders, often have other duties and cannot devote the time or work to these cases.

They also said the redactions were required to protect sensitive information that, if revealed, could jeopardize legal strategy. They argued that details are blacked out carefully and on a case-by-case basis, usually in instances when a lawyer has been hired for a private matter and there isnt a public court docket.

The news organizations, however, found that both chambers blacked out information even in high-profile cases that are already in the courts and have been public knowledge for years.

The legislatures handling of legal bills is among the starkest examples of how it spends tens of millions of dollars in taxpayer money each year while shielding most of the details from the public  the subject of a year-long and ongoing investigation by The Caucus and Spotlight PA.

The investigation previously revealed that lawmakers spent $203 million from 2017 through 2020 just to feed, house, transport, and provide rental offices and other perks for themselves and their staff. About one in 10 of those dollars  $20 million in all over the four years  went directly into lawmakers pockets in the form of reimbursements for meals, mileage subsidies, per diems, and other expenses.

In response to the reporting, Republicans who control the Senate for the first time began publishing the chambers expenses online on a monthly basis. The House is considering a similar move. But even with those changes, though significant, the public still cannot easily assess all of the legislatures spending  and, in particular, its spending on legal matters.

As a result, The Caucus and Spotlight PA requested and obtained 4,100 documents earlier this year for details on legal bills and private attorney engagements for 2019 and 2020.

Records show private lawyers were typically paid roughly $250 to $450 per hour, with one earning as much as $750 per hour  described as a discounted rate  for their time. Taxpayers also picked up the bill for travel-related and other expenses, like meals, those lawyers incurred while working on the cases.

For records that were redacted, the news organizations attempted to identify the subject of matters by comparing costs and legal firms with other public records  a labor-intensive and difficult process.

Atheists, fireworks, and personnel problems

The documents covered several types of legal matters over the two years reviewed: the death penalty; the Mariner East pipeline system; the states fireworks law; whether atheists can deliver the opening prayer on the House floor; a ban on Medicaid funds being used for abortions; and efforts to block a community college in Erie opposed by the Senates onetime GOP leader, Joe Scarnati.

In one instance last year, the House paid an outside firm nearly $50,000 to help then-Speaker Mike Turzai, a Republican, write a law review article about school choice, an issue he championed during his legislative career. The invoice shows four lawyers spent 117.4 hours on this, having regular calls and meetings with Turzai between February and June 2020, when Turzai resigned for a job in the private sector.

During that time frame, Turzai paid the same firm, Porter Wright Morris & Arthur, an additional $64,982.50 for help with another law review article, this one on redistricting, financial records show. A year earlier, in 2019, he separately used a special account reserved for the speaker to purchase $1,118 in additional copies of another law review article he had authored. Financial records dont specify the topic of that article.

Another quick but pricey case centered around Democratic Gov. Tom Wolfs problem-laden waiver program for businesses to remain open during the early months of the pandemic, when large swaths of the economy were forced to shut down.

After a Senate committee approved subpoenas in May 2020 to get documents related to the waiver program, Republicans in the chamber hired Kleinbard to litigate the matter. The move came at a time when the Wolf administration was refusing to release key details about the program.

The price tag: more than $90,000. The Wolf administration separately spent another $79,130 to fight the subpoena, according to the governors office.

Senate Democrats paid $174,000 to a firm in 2019 and 2020 to handle labor and employment matters, including to investigate allegations by an Allentown woman that then-Sen. Daylin Leach had sexually assaulted her decades earlier. Leach denied the allegations.

In that same time period, Senate Republicans paid three law firms double that amount  $343,702  to handle sexual harassment allegations by two women, both former employees of the Senate, against the chambers onetime security chief. The women sued the Senate and the former security director, Justin Ferrante, in 2018.

Taxpayers continued to be billed this year to defend both the chamber and Ferrante, and the full cost is still unknown.

Those two cases represent just a fraction of the costs involving employment-related matters for which both chambers hired outside lawyers. In most of those cases, the details are shrouded in redactions or left intentionally vague, making it impossible to know which employees or elected officials are involved and why.

The 2020 election continues

Starting early last year, the Senate spent at least $1.2 million on election matters in the lead-up to and aftermath of the presidential contest  and the actual amount may be much higher, given that there is often a delay in billing. Those costs are only expected to grow in the coming months and into next year as Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman, R-Centre County, is leading an effort by Republicans to conduct a controversial review of last years election.

The Senate paid the law firm Holtzman Vogel Baran Torchinsky & Josefiak $775,000 for election matters between May 2020 and the end of year, records show. It paid $348,000 to another firm, Obermayer Rebmann Maxwell & Hippel where the primary lawyer handling the election cases was state Republican Party Chairman Lawrence Tabas.

Tabas, according to invoices, was paid $575 per hour.

Yet another firm, Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, was paid at least $129,000 by the House and Senate in the months after the election.

A $72,299 bill for just one week of work  three weeks after the Nov. 3 election  involved Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Kellys unsuccessful challenge to the mail voting law that passed with near-unanimous GOP support a year earlier.

Invoices in the case show four attorneys were paid $390 to $750 per hour, including as much as $111 for 15 minutes of work sending emails.

The Kelly case is similar to one that a group of 14 House Republicans brought in recent months to declare Act 77 of 2019, which permitted no-excuse mail voting for the first time, unconstitutional. The costs for that case, filed in late summer, wont be known for months or longer.

The legislatures bills only show a fraction of what ongoing election challenges have cost taxpayers. They dont reflect the $3.1 million in tax dollars that Gov. Tom Wolfs administration had paid to defend itself in those and related cases, according to numbers provided by the governors office.

Asked whether continuing 2020 election-related legal fights is a good use of taxpayer money, Corman spokesperson Jason Thompson said the state is facing a crisis in confidence with our voters not believing their vote was counted.

Whatever we have to spend in that fight is going to be well worth it, he said.

Solving the puzzle

When it modernized Pennsylvanias public records law more than a decade ago, the legislature gave itself a large carve-out, exempting itself from having to turn over records, such as emails, that the executive branch has to make publicly available.

Still, the body put itself on the hook for public access to its financial records, including spending on contracts with private companies, such as law firms.

But from the start, lawmakers were averse to providing detailed information on legal bills. That led to a landmark state Supreme Court ruling in 2013 that directed lawmakers to provide a general description of the legal services being provided. The justices also said the identity of the person being represented was not privileged.

It means they should be taking a scalpel to these legal invoices and not a hatchet, said Melissa Melewsky, media law counsel at the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association, when asked how the legislature should handle redactions. (The Caucus and Spotlight PA are members of the organization.)

One legal matter that started in 2019, records show, involved state Sen. Sharif Street, then a freshman Philadelphia Democrat and now a potential candidate for U.S. Senate. But in billing invoices and other documents reviewed by the news organizations, the chamber redacted every reference to what the case was about.

House Republicans similarly redacted details on all 140 pages of legal bills for a single case. The caucus for that case paid Philadelphia-based Dilworth Paxson $1.5 million in 2019 and 2020  making it possibly the most expensive case in either chamber during those years.

The case, The Caucus and Spotlight PA later learned, involved one of the most high-profile and public legal fights in the legislature during the last seven years: a massive lawsuit over inequities in how Pennsylvania funds its public schools  and how lawmakers have resisted making changes to fix the problem. Arguments in the case are scheduled to start this fall.

The news organizations were only able to determine the nature of the case because the information was included  in unredacted form  in separate expense reports obtained through an earlier public records request.

Such inconsistencies, said Melewsky, raise a red flag. Compounding matters is that Democrats and Republicans in the House and Senate each have their own lawyers review public records, including legal bills, and decide what information to redact.

If you asked four different lawyers a question, you are going to get four different answers. You are seeing some of that play out here, Melewsky said. When in doubt, agencies are more inclined to redact rather than release, which is exactly the opposite of what should happen.

Indeed, Senate Republicans, who hired their own law firm for the school funding lawsuit, did not redact key details in billing records turned over to The Caucus and Spotlight PA.

The records revealed that the caucus paid Harrisburg-based K&L Gates $1,577,594 in 2019 and 2020 for that work, making the firm the highest paid by either the Senate or House in that time frame. The total included expenses for lawyers who charged $470 per hour and four academics who served as expert witnesses at a cost of $38,580.

Singh, who reviewed some of the legislatures legal records, said they appeared to place the burden on the public to solve the puzzle of what they are spending money on instead of the government making it easy to understand what its doing.

The pervasive redactions make the records nearly incomprehensible in some cases, she said. Sure, they may be technically releasing the records. But are they honoring the spirit of the open records law?

Follow The Caucus on Twitter @CaucusPA. Reporter Sam Janesch is @SamJanesch.

Spotlight PA is on Twitter @SpotlightPA; Reporter Angela Couloumbis is @AngelasInk.
There wasnt an empty seat in the West Donegal Township Building on Monday night as more than 50 residents and a handful of R.E. Pierson employees filled the room to hear the verdict on the proposed expansion of the Pierson quarry in the village of Rheems.

After a lengthy and emotional public comment section, township supervisors voted 3-1 to approve the rezoning of 30 acres of agricultural land to a mining and natural extraction district.

The 30 acres sits near the intersection of Heisey Quarry and Landis Road.

Sixteen residents, many of whom have lived in the area for decades, spoke out against the rezoning. Their concerns included property damage due to exacerbated sinkholes, cracks in foundations and a reduced water table. One resident pointed out that the burden of proof of property damage will be on the homeowner, and that property values will surely decline. Others said that increased air pollution has forced residents to install radon pumps, and the original zoning was made for a reason. Some echoed similar complaints, arguing that R.E. Pierson is an out-of-state company and has no investment in the community, is unresponsive to these concerns, and has a history of regulatory infractions.

Rick Caranfa, vice president of Akens Engineering Associates, and attorney Erik Hume attended representing R.E. Pierson, which is based in Bridgeport, N.J. Caranfa explained that quarrying is a highly regulated industry with frequent and thorough inspections. He said that there have only been eight infractions since 2008, and with over 100 inspections since then, that's actually pretty good. Caranfa also stated that this is a local operation, and 90% of the mined limestone stays in Pennsylvania.

Hume explained that the Lancaster County Planning Commission unanimously voted to recommend this rezoning because of how noninvasive the project is. It is an expansion on an existing operation, and there will be no new driveways or access roads paved.

Supervisor Roger Snyder made a motion to reject the ordinance, which did not receive a second. Ralph Horne made a motion to approve the ordinance, which Eric Kreider seconded. Horne, Kreider and Doug Hottenstein voted in favor, and Snyder voted against. Supervisor Philip Dunn was absent from the meeting.
THE ISSUE

As LNP | LancasterOnlines Nicole C. Brambila reported Saturday, WellSpan Health, which operates in Pennsylvania eight hospitals  including WellSpan Ephrata Community Hospital  and employs about 20,000 people, is implementing the federal COVID-19 vaccine mandate for its workers. WellSpan Health is requiring workers to receive their first COVID-19 dose  if taking a two-dose regimen  by Dec. 1 and their second dose by Jan. 5, 2022. Exemptions will be granted for religious and medical reasons. Employees who fail to meet the vaccine requirement or obtain an exemption will lose their jobs.

Welcome, WellSpan, to COVID-19 reality, where its obvious that health care workers must be immunized against infectious illness in order to keep patients safe.

UPMC and Penn State Health: Please follow WellSpan and Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health and do the right thing by requiring your employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Lancaster General Health, of course, was the first health care system in Lancaster County to implement an employee vaccine mandate, and we are grateful for the leadership of Penn Medicine, which announced the mandate in May and set a compliance deadline of Sept. 1.

The mandate was effective. As Brambila reported in late September, Roughly 2% of the 38,000 personnel employed by Penn Medicine  including Lancaster General Health staff  have received a religious or medical exemption to the health system's COVID-19 vaccine mandate. The mandate helped Penn Medicine achieve 99% compliance across its six hospitals, according to the health system. (More than 98% of Lancaster General Health employees were vaccinated as of last month, according to Brambilas reporting.)

A small percentage of employees chose to resign or were terminated from their positions for their decision not to comply with the policy, Marcie Brody, a Lancaster General Health spokesperson, said in an email to LNP | LancasterOnline.

Choices have consequences. And anyone who does not accept the now-considerable body of data showing that the COVID-19 vaccines available (for free) in the United States are safe and effective should not be working in health care.

As Dr. Amesh Adalja, an infectious diseases physician and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, told Brambila in August, If youre a health care worker and you dont realize the value of the vaccine, I question your clinical judgment.

We do, too. And we hope that those terminated from Lancaster General Health have found employment in jobs where they no longer will pose a risk to medically vulnerable people.

An attorney advising Lancaster General Health employees who are opposed to the vaccine mandate told Brambila that an unknown number of staff denied exemptions had filed complaints with the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. They are likely to strike out with those agencies. The EEOC has made it clear that federal laws do not prevent an employer from requiring all employees physically entering the workplace to be vaccinated for COVID-19.

For its part, WellSpan continues to believe that vaccination is the single best way to reduce the spread of COVID-19, Ryan Coyle, a spokesman for that health system, told LNP | LancasterOnlines Brambila in an email last week.

He is right, of course. And in no universe should health care workers be permitted, for nonsensical, political or unscientific reasons, to opt out of vaccination. The refusal of too many Americans to get vaccinated is a primary reason the highly transmissible delta variant has been allowed to flourish, to our detriment.

Coyle pointed to the fact that the majority of WellSpan patients admitted with COVID-19 and requiring breathing support (99%) or intensive care (90%) are unvaccinated.

The burden of caring for the unvaccinated falls to health care employees, the overwhelming majority of whom have worked heroically since March 2020 to battle the COVID-19 pandemic. It strikes us as deeply strange that some health care workers have chosen to be part of the problem, rather than part of the solution, by objecting to COVID-19 vaccination.

We were heartened last month when President Joe Biden announced that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services was taking action to require COVID-19 vaccinations for workers in health care settings  hospitals, long-term care facilities, dialysis centers, etc.  that receive Medicare or Medicaid reimbursement.

That announcement was made Sept. 9. Thirty-two days later, on Monday, Penn State Health spokesman Scott Gilbert said this in an email: We are still working through the implications associated with President Bidens plan. We expect further guidance on the requirements for health care workers to be issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and will respond accordingly. In the meantime, we are continuing to encourage vaccination among our employees and students and are providing them with access to vaccines.

Amber Depew, a UPMC Lititz spokesperson, told Brambila on Friday that the health system has no plans yet to implement a staff vaccine mandate.

UPMC follows all current governmental requirements and will continue its vaccine advocacy and outreach efforts, make vaccines easily and readily available for all, Depew told LNP | LancasterOnline by text message. We continue to monitor any governmental guidance and testing requirements where our employees live and work.

Brambila noted that UPMC is the largest nongovernmental employer in Pennsylvania, with more than 90,000 employees at 40 hospitals, including UPMC Lititz. UPMC has said its staff vaccination rate, across the system, is about 70%. Depew declined to provide an updated rate.

So that would mean that roughly 3 in 10 UPMC employees are unvaccinated  a statistic that should concern UPMC patients, who must worry which of the workers drawing their blood, taking their vital signs, or performing their medical tests, are not inoculated against COVID-19 and therefore are more likely to pass the virus on to them.

We simply cannot understand why some health systems have been so slow to embrace the necessity of employee vaccine mandates. We realize that worker shortages extend to hospitals and long-term care facilities, but of what use is an employee who cannot safely be in the same room  serving food, for instance, or applying dressings to wounds or performing a medical examination  as a medically fragile patient? An unvaccinated employee can test negative for COVID-19 one day and then test positive the next day. So regular testing, though instructive, is not nearly as helpful as vaccination.

Hospital workers are required to sterilize the equipment they use. They cannot reuse syringes. They must follow strict infection control protocols. Vaccination is just one more infection control procedure that they should be required to follow.
Are the Lancaster County commissioners doing an Abbott & Costello routine?

It's not really funny. Heres what I believe the Republican county commissioners are saying:

Well, looks like we need to do something, but not really anything that would cause controversy. But something that looks important.Oh, I know, lets create a volunteer commission! We already have many, so adding one more for public health will be an action! Let's create an advisory health board that will not operate independently, but will only operate when asked. We will never ask them for any input. Problem solved.

More smoke and mirrors! More pretending! Local Republican officials, in my view, have been slow to respond to COVID-19. The variants are spreading and, without sufficient vaccination rates in Lancaster County, the virus will not be eradicated. It will keep spreading.

An effective Lancaster County health department would be independent, free from politicians control. The key word here is control, which seems to be the problem. Spending money is also what the commissioners seemingly object to. What are they saving the money for? Viruses do not recognize political borders.

It's just ridiculous that they do not seem to really care about the public or public health. Surely, we, the citizens of Lancaster County, and the health professionals who have been providing care for all through this pandemic are exhausted.

We deserve so much better.

Mimi Shapiro

Lancaster
I enjoyed reading about the proposed sale of Elizabeth Farms and the history included in the article (Selling the farm, Oct. 9). The paragraph that mentioned how the farms were used to grow crops and raise livestock that fed the several hundred workers under Robert Colemans employ caught my attention. The impression is given that Coleman had paid employees whom he also supported with food and housing. How many of those in his employ were in fact enslaved Africans who raised their own food, as well as that consumed by their master? While informative, the piece glosses over the involvement of Lancasters Colonial elite in the African slave trade. On deposit at LancasterHistory are the fragmentary returns to the Gradual Abolition Act, a law passed in 1780 to provide transition from a slave-based economy to one using indentured servants. In 1780 we find Robert Coleman, ironmaster of Elizabeth Township identifying as his property:

 1 Mulatto female named Bet aged 30 years, slave for life

 1 Negro female named Jame aged 30 years, slave for life

 1 Mulatto male named Anthony aged 17 years, servant until the age of thirty-one years

 1 Mulatto male named Charles aged 12 years, slave for life

 1 Negro female named Nan aged 9 years, slave for life

 1 Negro boy named Tony aged 6 years, slave for life

The above were the returns for 1780; the law was amended in 1788 and additional entries were made. I do not want to imply that the present owners knowingly seek to hide this history. I suspect that, like other contemporaries, they are unaware of the important role enslaved Africans played in the local economy. Coleman was not the only local enslaver. A glance at the 1780 returns for Lancaster Borough (Lancaster did not become a city until 40 years later) reveals that the slave masters came from every ethnicity and were shopkeepers, tavern owners, lawyers and clergymen.

Much as the helots in ancient Greece provided the elite with leisure time to philosophize, enslaved Africans helped to create the local wealth that produced multiacre properties for the majority community.

Leroy Hopkins, Ph.D.

Professor Emeritus,

Millersville University

Editor's note: The article mentioned in this letter has been updated on LancasterOnline.com to reflect additional historical context about Elizabeth Farms.
Californias Surf City USA beach reopens after oil spill

Surfers and swimmers returned to the waves Monday at a popular Southern California beach that was shut for more than a week after an undersea pipeline leaked crude oil into the ocean.

The reopening of Huntington Beach  dubbed Surf City USA  came far sooner than many expected after a putrid smell blanketed the coast and blobs of crude began washing ashore.

City and state park officials decided to reopen the shoreline in Huntington Beach after water quality tests revealed no detectable levels of oil-associated toxins in the ocean. That was good enough for Andrew Boyack, a 54-year-old commercial photographer, who usually surfs the waves in his hometown three or four times a week but has stayed out since the spill.

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Theres lots of guys out, so I figure its probably alright, and I guess they tested it, Boyack said, while rinsing off at an outdoor beach shower.

Its exercise. Its like, you know, if somebody was a jogger or something. We surf every morning. This surf-loving city of 200,000 people and nearby coastal communities have been reeling from the spill. The ocean has been closed, a popular air show canceled, fisheries shuttered and local shops have been walloped. The environmental impact on sensitive wetland habitats has been less severe than initially feared, but advocates say they are concerned about the long-term effects of the spill. The shoreline in nearby Newport Beach also was reopened Monday after water quality testing revealed no unhealthful levels of oil-related toxins, said John Pope, a city spokesman. Coast Guard officials said a pipeline owned by Houston-based Amplify Energy that shuttles crude from offshore platforms to the coast leaked at least about 25,000 gallons (95,000 liters) and no more than 132,000 gallons (500,000 liters) of crude oil into the ocean. The spill was confirmed on Oct. 2, a day after residents reported a petroleum smell in the area. Officials have said the cause remains under investigation, and they believe the pipeline was likely damaged by a ships anchor several months to a year before it ruptured.

On an overcast Monday, a handful of people played volleyball and residents walked, jogged and biked on a path along the beach. Surfers in wetsuits jogged to the shore carrying their boards, eager to return to the waves, some after being shooed away over the weekend by lifeguards on jet skis.

Still, there were far fewer people in the ocean than usual, said Sean Rinehart, a 49-year-old surf instructor and chef from Huntington Beach. Rinehart headed out to surf but said he decided not to go in after the smell of dead fish near the pier gave him pause. The last time he surfed was Oct. 2, when he said he wound up in an oil slick. His skin, even now, is still itching, he said.

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I want to go in, but no way, he said.

In Huntington Beach, shops selling everything from bikinis to stars-and-stripes boogie boards to sand toys and fishing gear have taken an economic hit since the spill. Shop owners hope business will bounce back quickly, but they fear it could take longer.

The sand looked clear near the pier, and there was no smell of oil. Workers in hazmat suits tasked with removing oily blobs continued to comb the sand.

Matt Harty, a 61-year-old retired construction supervisor from the nearby community of Seal Beach, said he was glad to return to the waves in Huntington Beach with other early morning surfers. He said he has seen oil spills before and this one didnt seem that bad, and in fact, the beach looks great.

This is the cleanest Ive seen the beach in years, right, because theres been nobody here for a week, Harty said. I think they cleaned it up really well.
Carson City Council to Declare Foul Odor a `Public Nuisance

The Carson City Council will convene a special meeting today to consider a resolution declaring the foul odor that has been plaguing residents near the Dominguez Channel a public nuisance.

The Los Angeles County Public Works department, fire department, Department of Public Health and the Air Quality Management District have been investigating the odor emanating from the channel at the intersection of South Avalon Boulevard.

Initial indications suggested the odor, which has been emanating for about a week, was the result of organic material along the channel. On Friday, Mayor Lula Davis-Holmes wrote on Facebook that the cause of the odor had been identified as a hydrogen sulfide leaking pipeline, but by Sunday, she wrote that the leaking-pipeline theory has been ruled out, saying investigators again were focusing on organic waste material drying out after being exposed during low tide.

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The Public Works department recommended that residents near the Dominguez Channel keep doors and windows closed. Those who experience symptoms related to the odors are advised to contact their medical care provider. AQMD and Public Health officials have said, however, the odor does not pose a threat to public health.

The City Council will convene its special remote meeting at 4:30 p.m. that will be livestreamed on the citys website, ci.carson.ca.us. The council will consider a resolution declaring the foul odor a public nuisance due to the smell and its negative impacts on residents living within its close proximity. To file an odor complaint or share more information, call 800-CUT-SMOG or 800-288-7664.
Couple Preserving Florida House Linked to Martin Luther King

A house connected to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is now in the hands of a couple who plans to preserve it.

David Manaute and Patti Barry live near 5480 Atlantic View already and were familiar with the houses history. A historical marker stands on the property, which is on the coastline several miles south of St. Augustine.

During the 60s, King came to St. Augustine to advance the civil rights movement, and he stayed in different places around town to maintain his safety.

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The Atlantic View home was the target of attacks by people who apparently thought King was staying there. A bullet hole is still in one of the door frames.

Before the shooting, The St. Augustine Record printed the address of the cottage after getting a tip that he was staying there, according to historian David Colburns book, Racial Change & Community Crisis.

King wasnt in the home at the time of the shooting. But he arrived later, and a photo showing him looking at a bullet hole in glass became one of the iconic images of the civil rights movement, according to the marker at the property, which is from the ACCORD Freedom Trail.

Created by the nonprofit Anniversary to Commemorate the Civil Rights Demonstrations, The Freedom Trail is a collection of markers on properties that played a role in African-American history and the civil rights movement in St. Johns County. Details are at accordfreedomtrail.org.

The home was the winter residence of missionaries who supported the civil rights movement, who opened the house to King, according to information from ACCORD.

SCLC (Southern Christian Leadership Conference) staffers Dorothy Cotton, Rev. C.T. Vivian and Harry Boyte visited or stayed here, but Dr. King had not yet spent a night in the house when the local newspaper ran directions to it on the front page, and segregationists attacked it, according to the marker.

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They shot up the house on May 28, 1964, and then attempted to burn it on May 30. On June 8, they smashed the windows and furniture, painted racist graffiti inside, and firebombed it. All of these events were widely reported around the country, and increased public pressure to do away with racial segregation.

Nancy Fortier inherited the property from her mother and decided to sell the home to simplify her life after her husbands death, she said in an interview with The Record in March. She wanted to find someone to preserve it.

Barry and Manaute passed by the house on walks in the community.

We just thought it would be a cool idea to live in this home and . keep it and restore it, Barry said. We knew that some other people were interested in buying. You know, there arent a lot of beachfront lots. . But we knew their idea was to take it down and build another house. And when we came in and saw the bullet hole and saw the burnt floors, were like, `OK, we cant take this down.

The home sold for $865,000 in September and was purchased through a limited liability company registered in Manautes name, Trino Holdings, according to the St. Johns County Property Appraiser and the Florida Division of Corporations.

Now, with the property in their hands, theyre planning to renovate and add to the house within a couple of years. They plan to keep the historical marker and the bullet hole. And they plan to keep what they believe are burn marks on the floorboards. They also are considering opening the home to the public on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Manaute said.

Manaute said it would be much easier to buy an empty lot and build from scratch, but they want to preserve the history. Manaute said since they bought the house, hes shown two or three groups inside the home who had stopped to take a look at the marker. And just showing them the inside has transformed the visit to them from just seeing the marker, he said.
COVID Hospitalizations Continue Dropping in Los Angeles County

The number of coronavirus patients in Los Angeles County hospitals continues to fall, declining from 670 on Saturday to 656,

according to the latest data released by the state. The number of those patients in intensive care remained the same at 202. It was the 36th time in the past 41 days that the number of COVID patients in county hospitals declined, down from a summer peak of nearly 1,800 brought on by the more contagious Delta variant.

The latest hospitalization numbers came one day after the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health reported 1,195 new cases of COVID-19 and 28 additional deaths, bringing the countys cumulative totals to 1,469,790 cases

and 26,308 deaths since the pandemic began.

Officials have said that about 90% of the fatalities associated with COVID-19 occurred in people with underlying health conditions.

Saturdays test positivity rate was 0.93%.

The health department also reported that between Aug. 29 and Sept. 25, unvaccinated Black and Latinx people had the highest case rates with 587 to 594 new cases per 100,000 people. Across all racial and ethnic groups, infection rates among unvaccinated people remained two to three times higher than among vaccinated people.

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Black residents also had the highest hospitalization rates among both vaccinated and unvaccinated residents, with a rate of 62 hospitalizations for every 100,000 unvaccinated people, 27% higher than the rate in the next highest group, Latinx residents.

Among unvaccinated people, white residents had the highest death rates of all groups, followed closely by Latinx and Black residents.

The higher rates of hospitalization and death among Black and Latinx residents is a tragedy that reflects longstanding inequities in access to the resources that promote good health and prevent chronic illness, Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said. As we approach cooler weather and the accompanied substantial disease spread, these numbers are a reminder of the importance of remaining focused on bringing the vaccine to unvaccinated individuals, especially those with risk factors associated with social and

economic inequities that increase their risk of severe illness. The end of the pandemic is directly related to our collective behavior.

Friday marked the first full day of new COVID-19 vaccination requirements for employees and customers at indoor portions of bars, wineries, distilleries, nightclubs and lounges in Los Angeles County. Employees and patrons of such businesses must show proof of at least one dose of vaccine, while two doses will be required beginning Nov. 4. Unvaccinated customers and employees can still be in outdoor portions of affected establishments.

Meanwhile, people aged 12 and over attending outdoor mega-events of 10,000 or more people are now required to show proof of either full vaccination or a negative COVID test taken within 72 hours. The requirement affects ticketed sporting events, outdoor concerts and theme parks that have 10,000 or more people in attendance. Mask-wearing is also be required at all such events.

The vaccination-or-testing requirement was already in place for large indoor events of 1,000 people or more. We commend all the businesses and venues complying with the new vaccine verification requirements, Ferrer said in a statement. Because unvaccinated people are five times more likely to get infected with COVID-19 and 23 times more likely to be hospitalized, creating more safety at worksites, large events and indoor establishments is best accomplished when most people are vaccinated.

On Thursday, Ferrer said the county has seen an encouraging uptick over the past month in vaccinations among some key younger age groups. The county still has persistent vaccination gaps among ethnic groups, with only 54% of Black residents and 63% of Latino/a residents having received at least one dose, compared to 72% of white residents and 82% of Asians.

Although we continue to have large gaps in vaccination between age and racial and ethnic subgroups, this last month has brought some success, especially among younger residents, Ferrer said.  The greater increases were among our young American-Indian/Alaska Native residents, but we also saw great increases in vaccination among Black and Latinx youth and Black adults

aged 30 to 49.

Ferrer said vaccination increases among younger residents could be the result of mandates for school students, but the approaching winter holidays could also be prompting families to get their kids inoculated. I think a lot of parents are saying, `You know, getting ready for the holidays, I want you vaccinated, she said.  Weve all lived through a devastating winter last year, so I think theres a lot greater push from family members for their teens to get vaccinated.

Overall, 78% of eligible county residents aged 12 and up have received at least one dose of vaccine, while 70% are fully vaccinated. Of the countys overall 10.3 million population, including 1.3 million kids under age 12 who are ineligible for the shots, 67% have at least one dose, and 60% are fully vaccinated.

But Ferrer said the pace of vaccines remains slow, with only about 45,000 first doses administered over the past week.
Southwest Airlines Cancels More Than 1,000 Flights

Hundreds of Southwest Airlines flights were canceled over the weekend, a result of air traffic control issues and weather, according to media reports.

The Los Angeles Times is reporting that Southwest Airlines canceled more than 1,000 flights, or 28% of its scheduled flights, as of 2 p.m. Sunday, according to flight tracker FlightAware. By comparison, Allegiant Airlines canceled 5% of its flights over the same time period, and Spirit airlines canceled 4% of its flights.

American Airlines canceled 2% of its flights, according to the tracker. There were 367 Southwest Airlines flights canceled as of 8:15 a.m. Monday, according to FlightAware.com. There were at least 1,800 Southwest Airline flights canceled nationwide over the weekend  and more than 1,000 flights canceled on Sunday, according to Fox 11.

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In an emailed statement reported by the L.A. Times, Southwest Airlines said it had experienced weather challenges in its Florida airports at the beginning of the weekend, and had unexpected air traffic control issues in the same region.

Those challenges led to delays and cancellations for Southwest Airlines beginning Friday. Southwest Airlines said it is directing customers to use self-service rebooking options on Southwest.com, where updates on the status of their travel plans are available.
Three People Wounded, Suspect Killed, in Lancaster Restaurant Shooting

Three people were wounded and a gunman was found dead this morning in a shooting at a Lancaster restaurant.

A sheriffs SWAT team rescued a woman with a gunshot wound who was believed held hostage in the restaurant in the 42100 block of Sierra Highway and found the suspect inside the restaurant dead, according to Deputy Trina Schrader of the Sheriffs Information Bureau. The shooting was reported at 12:12 a.m. at the restaurant, said Schrader.

Two other men were taken to hospitals with gunshot wounds, she said. It was not clear whether they were taken by ambulance or private vehicles and the conditions of all three wounded people were not available.

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A news videographer at the scene reported the incident started with an altercation inside the Culichi Town restaurant and that a man pulled out a gun and got into a shootout with a security guard. FOX11 reported the sheriffs SWAT team rescued a wounded woman who apparently was a hostage inside the restaurant and found the suspect dead inside.
Town Honors First Black Tow Truck Business Owner in Delaware

A flatbed tow truck from Harris Towing Group sat silently in front of Bennie Smith Funeral Home in Dover Thursday night, a solemn reminder that Delaware businessman and trailblazer Luke J. Harris Jr. had died at age 76 on Sept. 18.

But it turned out that Mr. Harris wasnt going out quietly, as around 18 tow trucks from Harris Towing and several other companies passed by and tooted their horns to show respect for the first Black tow truck business owner in Delaware.

He did it for a long time, said Jon Harris, one of Mr. Harris four sons. Hes probably one of the senior tow companies in the area and at one point was the biggest towing company in Kent County.

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Its difficult, and were going to miss him. Hes left a legacy for us.

The late Mr. Harris story is an incredible one, which saw him transition from a 20-year career in the U.S. Air Force _ he retired as a master sergeant in 1985 after his second stint at Dover Air Force Base _ before hitting the books at Delaware Technical Community College and starting his own business.

His sons, Jon, Michael, Joseph and Luke Anthony, were all trained in the towing business, and all worked for his company at one point.

Michael remembers his father as someone who would sacrifice anything he could to give a hand-up to others.

Just the simple fact that he was kind of like a trailblazer for people to see him and start a business, he said. He sacrificed a lot for us and for my mom, he said of Miriam Celestine Spellman, whom Mr. Harris married in 1967.

I dont know if a lot of people know this, but he helped her start her business, which was a beauty school and beauty salon. And then, after he retired (from the Air Force), he started his own business. He started with one truck and a dream, and it took off from there.

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Son Jon said it was like his father wasnt sure what to do with himself after he retired from the Air Force, so he started to write the next chapter of his life.

He started wrenching out in the yard, and he went back to school at Delaware Tech to get his certification, he said. After that, he started his auto-repair business.

Then, what happened was, he needed to get a tow truck to move the cars to get to him (for repair), and it kind of transitioned from auto repairs to towing/auto repairs.

It was like everything just fell into place. Over time, he eventually grew from that first tow truck to a fleet of nine.

It took time and a lot of hard work and determination, but he went on to leave his mark as a businessman in Kent County, with Harris Towing Group at 5360 N. DuPont Highway, just outside of Cheswold.

He secured contracts with the Dover Police Department, the Delaware State Police and the Dover Post Office. He was known to be one of the hardest-working drivers around.

Luke Harris was very appreciative to the other tow truck operators who came out to pay their respects to his father Thursday.

I wouldnt miss this for the world, he said. My dad is my hero, and hes a legend in my book. The man taught me everything I know. Hes a great man, and he was willing to help anybody and everybody.

Jon said a lot of people will never know that.

He told a story of how another prospective tow operator came calling on his father to get advice on starting his own business.

Jon laughed and said he told his father not to offer any advice to him because that person could eventually become his competition.

It didnt matter to the elder Harris, a man who was always willing to help others.

He made a lot of other people realize that they can go out and start their own business, especially in the Black community, where a lot of people dont realize that they could be entrepreneurs, Jon said.

Those are some big shoes, and weve all (he and his brothers) got to fill them. I cant do it by myself. We always collectively talk about things, and weve all worked for the company for a while.

Many tributes came in praising Mr. Harris on Bennie Smiths memorial page.

Luke was my first Shift Chief when I arrived in August 1981 at Dover AFB, Tim Hahn wrote. Luke drove the Sierra 7 truck on Swings, and after retirement owned a gas station and towing service (Harris Towing) located directly across the street on what was once (U.S.) 113.

When I was (vice president) at Marydel-Hartly Little League in 2010 he sponsored a team. He surprised the kids by putting them on one of his flatbed rollbacks for the opening-day parade. I knew him to be a kind man! RIP Luke, I will miss our chats.

Sally Richardson Nichols also remembered Mr. Harris as a man with a good heart.

Mr. Harris will be admired tremendously by many of us in the community for his kindness and professional manner of dealing with his customers for many years through Harris Towing Services, Ms. Richardson Nichols wrote. This head of this good business and great family had a kind heart. God bless the family and business. I remember how the business and family supported us at Faith Elementary School. Many thanks and honor.


Quillay trees are rare evergreens found mainly in the South American country of Chile. And they are increasingly important to producing new vaccines.

The native Mapuche people have long used them to make soap and medicine. In recent years, quillay trees, also known as quillaja saponaria, have been used in the processing of food and drinks. They have also been used to make a highly successful vaccine against shingles, a painful viral disease, and the worlds first malaria vaccine.

Now, molecules extracted from the bark, or outer covering, of older quillay trees are being used for a COVID-19 vaccine. It is being developed by American drug-maker Novavax. Over the next two years, Novavax plans to produce billions of treatments of the vaccine for use in developing countries.



Making the substance adjuvant

Novavax uses two molecules to make adjuvant, a substance that improves the human immune system. One of those, called QS-21, is more difficult to find. The substance is found mainly in quillay trees that are at least 10 years old.

British drug-maker GlaxoSmithKline uses QS-21 in its highly successful vaccine against shingles called Shingrix. It is also used in several other promising experimental vaccines. The quillay-based adjuvant used in Shingrix is also part of the worlds first malaria vaccine, Mosquirix.

Less than one milligram of quillay extract is required to make a vaccine treatment. But the supply of quillay is stretched by the demand from other industries. Quillay products are used as a natural additive in animal feed. They also are used to kill harmful insects and as an agent to reduce pollution in mining.

Some drug-makers are developing a manufactured version of QS-21. But it could take years to get approval. Exchanging the substance for another in any existing vaccine would require new drug tests to prove the product is safe and effective.

Jason Paragas, a vice president at drug company Agenus, said, The shortage of QS-21 has been an issue for a while. He added, We saw it before COVID, and we made the hard decision that we had to change.

The American company in Massachusetts stopped selling the natural version of QS-21 several years ago. It now centers on trying to grow it from quillay plant cells in a laboratory. Paragas said it is too soon to know when it will be ready.

Botanical Solution, a California-based company, says it can already produce QS-21 from quillay seeds in the laboratory. The company adds that it aims to produce the substance in large quantities for drug companies.



How many quillay trees are left?

No one knows how many healthy quillay trees are left in Chile to meet the demand. Experts and industry officials believe that they will at some point need to switch to grow the evergreens on farms or in laboratories.

Ricardo San Martin developed the pruning and extraction process that created the modern quillay industry. He said producers must immediately work toward making quillay products from younger, farm-grown trees.

My estimate four years ago was that we were heading towards the sustainability limit, he said.

Quillay producers say the harvest can continue for now without destroying the supply of older trees. Novavax told Reuters that the company is working with suppliers to make sure life-saving vaccines will be prioritized.



Andres Gonzalez runs Desert King International which operates a quillay farm in Chile. It is Novavaxs only supplier and the largest quillay exporter in the country. He said it produces enough quillay extract from older trees to make up to 4.4 billion vaccine treatments in 2022.

With new supplies from privately owned forests, he said, the operation can meet demand for the rest of this year and part of the next. He admitted, however, that at some point, these native forests will come to an end.

Gustavo Cruz is a researcher at the University of Chile who worked with San Martin to industrialize the production of quillay. He said he generally trusts quillay producers to deal with supply and demand. He is more worried about other threats  especially a lack of water and fire.

The trees do eventually regrow, he said, but there comes a time when they don't anymore.

Im Mario Ritter, Jr.

Aislinn Laing and Allison Martell reported this story for Reuters. Hai Do adapted it for VOA Learning English. Mario Ritter, Jr. was the editor.

Quiz - A Chilean Tree Gives Hope for New Vaccines Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz

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Words in This Story

extract v. to remove something by pulling it out are using a process to get it out

immune system n. the system that protects the body from disease and infections

prune v. to cut off some of the branches of a tree so that it will grow better

sustainability n. able to be used without being completely used up or destroyed

prioritized adj. to be organized so that the most important thing is done or dealt with first

eventually adv. at some time later

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Students in English as a Second Language (ESL) programs are a large and growing population in American schools. The U.S. Department of Education says that the number of ESL learners increased by more than 1 million from 2000 to 2020. That is about 10 percent of all students in the country.

In states like California and Texas, nearly 20 percent of students are English learners. But English learners are everywhere in the country, notes Leslie Villegas. She is an education researcher with the New America Foundation in Washington, D.C. Her recent study looked at the percentage of ESL students within each state, as well as the most common languages spoken at home for those students.

As the number of English learners grow, there is a need for more ESL teachers. But the U.S. is dealing with a nationwide teacher shortage across all grade and subject areas. And in the next few years, experts expect the shortage to get worse among English language educators, Villegas said.

Josie Gutierrez is the assistant superintendent of the Waco Independent School District in Texas. She said the teacher shortage has slowed down the growth of the districts bilingual program.

There has been an increase in state and federal pandemic aid to schools. So money is not the problem, Gutierrez noted. But the supply of teachers has not increased. And schools are vying for the same supply, she said.

School districts know that ESL teachers are often in short supply. District leaders often try to improve and increase their recruiting efforts.

Grace Benson is the director of ESL and bilingual education of Waco schools.

She said, Being in ESL and bilingual education I am always recruiting, even when were not in a pandemic  just because bilingual education as a whole is under a shortage.

Benson said she has been able to fill almost all ESL positions for this school year.

In Austin, Texas, the city school district requires all elementary school teachers, as well as middle and high school English teachers to be trained in ESL instruction. Assistant Superintendent Dessynie Edwards said that is a large reason why there is currently no shortage of ESL teachers in Austin, where more than 27 percent of the citys 75,000 students are learning English.

Jackie Leroy is head of ESL programs for Syracuse City School District in New York. She said when she started working there 22 years ago, 5 percent of students were ESL learners. Now, more than 18 percent of the citys students are English learners. She said that even though job applications have slowed lately, the city has been very active in recruiting teachers. She also said many students that have gone through Syracuses ESL program later return as teachers.

Academic struggles

English learners are among the students who have struggled the most during the pandemic, school district officials say.

Edwards, with Austin schools, said a large percentage of the citys ESL students were not faring well during the early part of the pandemic. A larger percent had failing grades, she said.

Learning and studying in a home where English was not the main language spoken proved to be very hard for many students. Some parents of ESL students had difficulty communicating with teachers and understanding what learning materials their children needed.

If theyre in their home the whole time, and theres no one that speaks English and all their assignments are in English, how do they get that extra support? Leroy said.

Edwards said ESL students in Austin have greatly benefited from the return to in-person classes. Students are now able to have a full day of classes and the district has started providing small group instruction.

But it is largely unknown how many students are behind in their English and academic progress, said the researcher Villegas. There is not enough data to know for sure. In Texas, for example, there was a statewide test to measure performance, but the test was not required for all students.

English learners, many of whom come from immigrant families, also faced difficulties at home. In Texas, some immigrant families were unable to receive pandemic aid and feared looking for health insurance because they are undocumented, Benson said. Some students needed to get jobs to provide extra money for their families.

The pandemic as a whole has added so many challenges, Benson said. But they face additional challenges that are out of their control.

Im Dan Novak.

Dan Novak wrote this story for VOA Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor.

Quiz-ESL Programs Manage Teacher Shortages, Learning Loss From Pandemic Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz

___________________________________________

Words in This Story

bilingual  adj. able to speak and understand two languages

vie  v. to compete with others in an attempt to get or win something

district  n. an area established by a government for official government business

recruit  v. to find suitable people and get them to join a company, an organization, the armed forces, etc.

fare  v. to do something well or badly

benefit  n. a good or helpful result or effect

undocumented  n. not having the official documents that are needed to enter, live in, or work in a country legally

challenge  n. a difficult task or problem : something that is hard to do
Japans famous Wagyu beef can cost more than $400 for a kilogram. Now, however, it may become less costly as scientists plan to introduce a lab-grown copy.

Japanese scientists say they have recreated Wagyu in a lab that may taste and look exactly like real meat. Wagyu is famous for its fat content, which spreads throughout the meat. And the fat gives the meat a special taste.

Wagyu beef comes from a kind of black cow raised mostly in the Kobe area of western Japan. Osaka University researchers used 3-D bioprinters and stem cells from cows to recreate Wagyus fat content in a single piece. Earlier attempts tried to recreate the meat by joining many pieces.

The research was led by Michiya Matsusaki.

You will not, however, be eating it anytime soon. Right now, it takes nearly four weeks to create a cubic centimeter of the meat. Matsusaki explained that as techniques and efficiency improve, the researchers may be close to making it a real food possibility.

If we are able to quickly produce a lot of meat from a few cells, theres a chance we can better respond to food and protein shortage issues in the future, he told Reuters.

Both environmental concerns and other issues in the meat industry have pushed interest in lab-grown meats. There is also a strong interest in plant-based meat, such as those made by Impossible Foods Inc.

Matsusaki said that bioprinting and lab-growing techniques may have their uses in other areas, such as growing replacements for damaged human muscles.

It now costs about $90 to create a small piece of Wagyu. Matsusaki said that price will come down, and the meat may be on dinner tables within five years.

Im Susan Shand

The Reuters News Agency reported this story. Susan Shand adapted it for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor.

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Words in This Story

bioprinter  n. the utilization of 3D printinglike techniques to combine cells, growth factors, and/or biomaterials to fabricate biomedical parts

efficiency  n. the ability to do something or produce something without wasting materials, time, or energy

respond  v. to do something as a reaction to something that has happened or been done

muscle  n. a body tissue that can contract and produce movement

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Pierre Escudie has a vineyard in southwest France. He has put solar panels over his plants to both produce electricity and protect his fruit.

Many in the area have seen the damage to their crops from this years hot and cold weather.

The solar panels protect the grapes during periods of extreme cold. They also protect the grapes from the sun when it is very hot. The panels also turn, which permits more light to hit the crops on cloudy days.

Earths rising temperatures, the increase of extreme heat, and the increase of dry and cold weather are changing the taste of French wines. Warmer temperatures cause the grapes to sweeten earlier, resulting in more sugar.

"We'll need solutions if we want to keep our local grape varieties," Escudie told Reuters at the vineyard near Perpignan, in southeastern France.

He said the turning solar panel technology might just be the future.

He said, We'll need to do something because their climate is changing. Thirty years ago, we thought 32 degrees Celsius was an extreme temperature, when today it's 38 or even 40," he added.

The fast-growing technology is called Agrivoltaics. It places solar panels over fields and vineyards. This permits farmers to produce power and grow crops with the same land. Several companies in Europe are developing similar technology to cover many different sorts of crops.

Fight for survival

A lower sugar content was found in the crops protected by the solar panels on Escudies land due to reduced sun exposure. This permits him to control the amount of alcohol content in his wine, said Alexandre Cartier. He operates Lyon-based SunAgri, which developed the solar panels.

The panels also help warm the ground by around two degrees Celsius. This protects the crop from frost, which can harm wine production. A frost in late April this year is expected to reduce wine production in France by nearly a third compared to recent years.

An independent power company uses Escudies land to place solar panels. This creates enough energy to power about 650 homes in the area, SunAgri says.

Crop quality is placed ahead of power production. Cartier said this means some 15 to 20 percent of possible energy is lost over a year.

SunAgris technology uses weather information to decide when to block the sun or turn to give the crops more light.

The company aims to have its technology in use on about 40 small farms and vineyards that are between two and four hectares. They will be found in southern France, the Rhone Valley, an important wine production area, and the Mediterranean, between 2022 and 2023.

"When you are in areas affected by climate change, the farmers are looking to survive," Sun'Agri's Cartier said.

Im Gregory Stachel.

Forrest Crellin reported this story for Reuters. Gregory Stachel adapted it for VOA Learning English. Susan Shand was the editor.

______________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

vineyard  n. a field where grapes are grown

solar panel  n. a large, flat piece of equipment that uses the sun's light or heat to create electricity

grape  n. a green, dark red, or purplish-black berry that is used to make wine or is eaten as a fruit

wine  n. an alcoholic drink made from the juice of grapes

variety  n. a particular kind of person or thing

frost  n. a thin layer of ice that forms on the ground, on grass, or on other plants when the air becomes cold


Car makers like Porsche, Ferrari and Mercedes-Benz are known for their fast and light supercars. Most are powered by gasoline engines.

The companies want to create electric versions of their famous cars before policies go into effect that restrict engines powered by gas.

As governments around the world get more serious about climate change, car makers are updating many of their standard vehicles so they can be powered by energy stored in batteries.

However, the batteries currently used by electric cars are too heavy to be used in most supercars. The weight of the batteries would keep drivers from being able to reach very high speeds. In addition, if the cars go too fast, the engines used in electric cars overheat.

If the car makers, which also include Rimac from Croatia, Lotus from Great Britain and Koenigsegg from Sweden, want to keep making vehicles that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, they will need to develop better engines and batteries.

That is why they are working with new companies, such as Britains YASA, which makes engines that weigh just 23 kilograms for use in electric cars. Traditional engines for supercars can weigh as much as 300 kilograms.

YASA uses engine technology known as axial flux. Another company called Saietta is working on axial flux electric engines for motorcycles. It says it can make a larger version for supercars.

The axial flux engines have been around for a long time, but they are only recently seen as a solution for car makers because they can produce a good amount of power for their weight.

Graham Lenden works for Saietta. He said the traditional auto companies are looking for someone to hold their hand during the change to electric cars.

The Reuters news agency suggests the change to electric supercars will require the car makers to risk billions of dollars without knowing if the investment will pay off.

Daimler is the company that makes Mercedes-Benz. It recently purchased YASA so it would have a source for high-powered electric vehicle engines.

Tim Woolmer started YASA in 2009. He said his motor is cooled by oil, and car companies do not need to worry about it overheating. In addition, since the axial flux engines are smaller and lighter than traditional engines, the cars are lighter overall and can go longer distances between charges.

While the cost for the supercar companies is high, they stand to gain over the long run. The market for supercars is small, but profitable. A consumer research company said about 150,000 supercars that cost between $130,000 and $13 million will be sold this year. By 2026, the number could rise to about 220,000.

When Daimler purchased YASA, Woolmer said it asked the company to work on making a small, light engine.

He said the new technology often appears on the costliest cars first.

Chris Harris leads YASA. He said companies other than Daimler, such as Ferrari, will be able to use its engines. They want us to continue working with our supercar customers because thats the leading edge, he said.

Mate Rimac leads the Croatian company Rimac. It makes hyper cars, which are one step above super cars. Rimac is now working with Volkswagens top two brands  Bugatti and Porsche  to make super-fast electric cars.

The British brand Lotus, now owned by companies in China and Malaysia, plans to release a fully electric supercar in 2026. Lotus said it already has a new base for electric cars that is 37 percent lighter than its current supercars.

Another company, known as Silk-FAW is owned by companies in China and the U.S. It will build electric cars in Italy inspired by the aerospace industry. It says some parts will weigh 20 percent less than traditional car parts.

Roberto Fedeli, a Silk-FAW vice president, said saving weight is more important than increasing power.

Once the car parts, engines and batteries are lighter and able to create the same amount of power as traditional supercars, one challenge will remain: how often will the batteries need to be charged?

For people who just want to take their cars to a race track and drive fast, it may not be a problem. However, for those who want to take their supercars on long trips, there could be a wait for even better technology.

Unless batteries go through a massive revolution, you're never going to carry the amount of energy that a fuel tank will carry," said YASAs Woolmer.

Im Dan Friedell.

Dan Friedell adapted this story for Learning English based on reports by Reuters. Susan Shand was the editor.

What would you want more from an electric super car? High speed or long battery life? Tell us in the Comments Section and visit our Facebook page. _________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

battery  n. a device that is placed inside a machine (such as a clock, toy, or car) to supply it with electricity

motorcycle  n. a vehicle with two wheels that is powered by a motor and that can carry one or two people

inspire  v. to make (someone) want to do something : to give (someone) an idea about what to do or create

aerospace  n. an industry that deals with travel in and above the Earth's atmosphere and with the production of vehicles used in such travel

massive  adj. large in amount or degree
Some national parks might be overrun by long lines, no parking and overcrowded attractions this summer.

The National Park Service said its expecting one of the busiest summer seasons on record this year after the coronavirus pandemic halted many vacation plans in 2020.

Before the summer even started, some national parks shattered their visitation records.

At Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, visitation was up nearly 50% from the same time in 2019, according to the National Park Service.

More than 87,700 people visited the popular mountainous park in April, compared to 59,000 in April 2019.

Park staff are working to provide quality visitor experiences as a predicted busy summer season approaches, Grand Teton officials said in a May 20 news release. Visitors to the park are highly encouraged to plan ahead and recreate responsibly in order to make the most of their visit.

Yellowstone National Park officials are echoing that statement and urging tourists to plan ahead. In April of this year, more than 67,500 people visited the park. Thats over 20,000 more than the same month in 2019.

Some gates to enter Yellowstone werent open to visitors in April.

Expect long lines at entrance stations, extremely busy facilities and destinations, as well as delayed travel times due to heavy traffic and wildlife jams, park officials said Monday in a news release.

Other national parks are seeing similar trends. Visitation was also up in Utahs Zion and Arches national parks, according to National Park Service data.

Officials at Arches National Park in Moab turn tourists away from the park every day because it is full. At the Grand Canyon, tourists can wait in line for hours to enter the park or find parking.

How to avoid crowds

National park officials have said the best way to experience the parks during a crowded season is to plan ahead and be flexible.

Tourists can reduce the time they spend waiting at an entrance station by buying a national parks pass online before they head to a park. They should also always check the parks website for road closures and other changes.

Additionally, no one should visit the park without knowing where theyll stay the night, officials said. Campgrounds and hotels fill up far in advance, and camping isnt permitted in some areas.

Being flexible on arrival times also helps reduce the amount of time spent in traffic. Going to main attractions during peak hours will likely lead to getting stuck in a crowd, park officials said.

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LHS band director Chad Scharff noted the freshman and the sophomores of the band had never performed in competition before Saturday. The COVID-19 pandemic shutdown all competitions in 2020, with the Lexington band only able to perform for the community.

Lexington started off with a preliminary performance in the afternoon, with the chance to perform in the finals later in the evening if they did well enough.

Woodside said the preliminary performance from the band was strong, but he could tell some of the students were nervous during their first competition.

Scharff said the band did a nice job, during the preliminary performance but did note the band pushed hard while they were on the field the first time with some overplaying. He said it left some students wore out and unable to play all the way through some phrases.

He said the band was ready to let it fly on the first performance, perhaps with a reliance on, loud is good.

Spencer Hansen, LHS band director, said the first performance went well for the band but there were areas that could use improvement.
MOSCOW  After a slow start for both teams, a second-quarter blitz from Lewiston put the Bengals on the path to their first girls basketball win of the season, a 59-31 Inland Empire League decision against Moscow on Wednesday at Bear Den.
Just in time for Halloween, the Lompoc Theatre Project board recently discovered a secret room behind a sealed door at the back of the building.

A volunteer with the LTP, Jay Salsburg, had noticed that the perimeter of the historic Land Office (theaters dressing rooms since 1933) was four feet longer than the interior wall, meaning that the inside contained an extra space. An old piece of plywood on the back of the structure had hidden a door for about 50 years.

About 10 years ago, someone broke into the secret space, but the smashed door was simply covered by the plywood. Since 2012, when the Lompoc Theatre Project started its journey to purchasing the building, the room had gone unnoticed.

Evidence of rodents and an odd smell led to the rooms discovery, which contained dozens of treasures from the Snack Shop, located at 110 North H street in the alley south of the theater building.

Volunteers found a dusty, white Kelvinator Foodarama refrigerator, partially obscured by boxes. (Luckily, the odor was not from long-ago food left in the fridge).

Also in the space stood a small Wolf stove, which the LTP estimates is circa 1960s. The reasoning: Since the design and renovation of the theaters Snack Shop was completed in 1969, we believe the Wolf stove to be from the 1960s, said Anne Ramsey, LTP board secretary and director of theater operations.

Another key, historical discovery had come just one week earlier  an inventory list for the Snack Shop.

Despite the Snack Shops size, it served full meals to theater patrons, and even had a door connected to the theaters lobby so diners wouldnt miss their movies.

This newly discovered inventory list confirmed for the LTP the importance of the items found in the secret space: the stove/oven; a fryer; a three-compartment sink; grill; long counter; six floor-mounted swivel chairs in dusty but bright aquamarine vintage vinyl; a booth; sundae and banana split dishes; and silver creamer pots.

Most of the Snack Shop treasures have been moved for safekeeping until the LTP can create a mini museum to showcase their historical relevance.

Many of the boxes also found in the hidden room contained junk mail dated from the 60s and 70s.

In recent years, the LTP has discovered hundreds of similar boxes upstairs, including some containing the original contact with Disney for the Lompoc Theater to become one of the first Mickey Mouse Movie Clubs in 1930.

But these recent finds were much more important: They contained original deeds and construction notes from 1926. The theater opened for business in 1927.

Earl Calvert, the theaters original owner/builder, had partnered with his brother-in-law, William Baker. Among the just-found papers was their original partnership agreement, original deed to the land where the theater stands, and the 1926 agreement to start construction on the building.

In addition, boxes contained early lease agreements, leading the LTP to better understand what types of businesses have occupied the building over the years. Movie posters, early press kits and even accounting books from the 1940s were also stashed in the boxes.

Perhaps most importantly, the LTP found a detailed, 20-page accounting of the original blueprints, which might provide the nonprofits structural engineer with some answers.

In all, the LTP found the Snack Shop inventory, the secret room and all the documents within one weeks time last month.

Since the inventory list is dated 1969, the LTP estimates the Snack Shop was in operation from 1927 through the early 1970s.

The LTP invites community members to submit stories for historical documentation. Contact info@lompoctheatre.org, mail to: 740 N. H St., No. 238, Lompoc, CA 93436; or call 805-380-6777.

Lompoc Theatre Project exceeds fundraising goal with live telethon Lompoc Theatre Project's live telethon and variety event that took place virtually in late March was deemed a success, according to board member Michelle Ball.
Thirteen Lompoc Valley Middle School students attended the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America virtual fall leadership meeting Oct. 2, when three were recognized for their participation in skills competitions.

Joel Navarro placed first in the regionwide Creed Recitation and Interpretation competition; Angelica Centino placed second; and Angela Gaitan placed third in the Level 1 division, school officials announced.

Each of the winners had participated in leadership development skills challenges, having either completed a national program or an FCCLA team or individual "Student Taking Action with Recognition" event.

The California FCCLA is a career and technical student program geared toward students in grades 612 who are enrolled in Family and Consumer Sciences Education programs. FCCLA's goal is to help prepare students in their roles as family members, citizens and industry employees, according to its website.

I want to extend my congratulations to all the winners and wish them good luck this spring, said Lompoc Unified School District Superintendent Trevor McDonald.

The FCCLA Region 7 Spring Leadership and Qualifying Competition meeting is slated for Feb. 12 at Oxnard High School.

LUSD to participate in Great California ShakeOut campaign The Lompoc Unified School District will participate in the Great California ShakeOut earthquake preparedness campaign "in the interest of safety to all of the students and staff," a school official said.

+6 Cabrillo High Aquarium welcomes back public with debut of $150K tide pool exhibit The Cabrillo High School Aquarium reopened with a big splash recently, debuting its most extensive sea life exhibit in its 20-year history and
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The Facebook-ban list also includes international terrorist groups such as al-Qaida and the Islamic State, and street gangs such as the Gangster Disciples and Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13).

No other groups on the banned list mention any of Wisconsins four other biggest cities (Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay or Racine) by name.

The 100-page list includes many of the thousands banned by Facebook.

As The Intercept reported: The restrictions appear to trace back to 2012, when in the face of growing alarm in Congress and the United Nations about online terrorist recruiting, Facebook added to its Community Standards a ban on organizations with a record of terrorist or violent criminal activity. This modest rule has since ballooned into whats known as the Dangerous Individuals and Organizations policy, a sweeping set of restrictions on what Facebooks nearly 3 billion users can say about an enormous and ever-growing roster of entities deemed beyond the pale.

According to The Intercept, it is publishing the list because of public concerns about the bias in Facebooks moderation, so that readers may draw their own conclusions about the quality of that moderation.
But two additional women came forward in early October saying they were groomed, prompting the corps to go public with the information in an effort to prevent further abuse and encourage others to come forward, Compton-Allen said.

Victims needed to know that the organization would hold this individual accountable for (his) behavior, Compton-Allen said. As an organization, it was important to let women that have suffered alone, thinking that is was only them, know that they arent alone and that they had the opportunity to share their stories with us and/or detectives.

McGlauchlen said hes been contacted by parents and past corps board members who know of other women whom Henzie-Skogen groomed.

There are additional (students) that have not come forward. I do know that for a fact, McGlauchen said. I dont know what that number is.

District responds

The Oregon School District said it was deeply saddened and troubled to learn of the allegations last week.
Q: What is the highest and lowest point in each county in the Magic Valley?

A: The USGS has an old General Interest Publication which gives high/low points for states, said Ken Dixon with the U.S. Geological Survey. Our agency does have elevation data available through the National Map.

Idahos highest point is Borah Peak in Custer County at 12,662 feet, and the lowest point is the Snake River in Nez Perce County at 710 feet above sea level.

Well, I can certainly speak to the high points, as I am the sixth person in history to have visited the high points of every county in Idaho, said Chris Anderson of Twin Falls.

The best resource is the Idaho County Highpoint Trip Reports page: www.cohp.org, he said. Twin Falls Countys high points are two hills of identical height almost within a stones throw of one another in the extreme southwest corner of the county. Sadly, they are not named (talk about a missed opportunity! Twin Falls Countys high point is a twin!).

Magic Valleys highest point in each county is:

Blaine County- Hyndman Peak (12,009feet).

CamasCounty- Peak 10337 (10,337 feet) and one area 1,200 feet west.

Cassia County- Cache Peak (10,339 feet).

Gooding County- on north county boundary (6,360+ feet).

Jerome County- liner on east county boundary (4,760+/-feet).

Lincoln County- unnamed point (5,950 feet).

Minidoka County- Bear Den Butte (5,104 feet).

Twin Falls County- two unnamed points (7,840+ feet).

Im not aware of any single place you can go to find the low points of counties, but a good starting place is to look at where major rivers leave the county (i.e., Id be very surprised if the low point of Twin Falls County isnt at the extreme northwest corner where the Snake River crosses into Gooding/Elmore County,) Anderson said.

Back in the mid-90s, when I was living in Baltimore, Md., I decided I wanted to visit the highest points of each of the lower 48 states, which I completed in 2007 (atop Mt. Rainier, Wash.), he said. I later got Mauna Kea, Hawaii in 2013, but I have no aspirations to get all 50 states, as that would require climbing Denali (AKA Mt. McKinley) in Alaska, which requires mountaineering skills beyond what I possess.

As I was finishing up the lower 48 (by which time I had been living in Idaho for over a decade), I decided that I needed a new goal, so I started doing Idaho county high points. My first was Mt. Borah (which, of course, I had done while bagging state high points, in 1995); my last was Garns Mountain in Teton County, in 2013. Finding most of them is a matter of basic backcountry navigating and finding your way to an obvious prominent peak, but many of the lower ones were made much easier with GPS. In some counties, theres more than one mountain that could be the county high point, because they are so similar in elevation that the true highest point cannot be determined with certainty. In those cases, one must visit each of the contenders to claim the county (Idaho County has three high point contenders: an unnamed peak on the Continental Divide with Montana, He Devil, and She Devil (in the Seven Devils Range). That was, hands down, the most difficult Idaho county to complete), Anderson said.

Have a question? Just ask and well find an answer for you. Email your question to Kimberly Williams Brackett at timesnewscuriousmind@gmail.com with Curious Mind in the subject line.

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When Heather Haines son, 11, started to get a runny nose, she didnt think much of it.

Days later, he looked a little worse. His eyes were red, he looked tired and he had a slight cough. He was still spunky and energetic, but to be safe, she said hed better get tested for COVID-19. Thats when he says to me, Yeah, that might be a good idea, the girl next to me in class has COVID,  Haines told the Idaho Statesman. And I said, Wait, wait, what? Why wasnt I notified? 

She hadnt heard a thing from the school, she said. The district confirmed to the Idaho Statesman another person in the class had tested positive for the virus since the start of the year, and a total of five students in fifth grade at the elementary school her son goes to had tested positive, according to what was reported to the district. But Joey Palmer, the federal programs director for the district, would not share other details.

Had she known about any possible exposures, Haines said she would have acted differently. She wouldnt have let her son spend time with his grandparents, who are older and  even though they are vaccinated  more vulnerable, she said. Her son tested positive for the virus. Since then, Haines has too, along with her daughter, her ex-husband and her parents. Haines wants to know why she wasnt told her son may have been exposed to the virus in school so she could make her own decisions on whether to quarantine her children, and how to keep those around them safe. She wants to find a solution so parents can make informed choices going forward. This should not be happening, she said. People are dying.

Vallivue district policy restricts exposure info

The Vallivue School District, where masks are optional, has a different policy than many other districts in the region.

The district gives each school a color based on the spread within the school. The data is updated every two weeks.

Schools where less than 1% of students and staff have tested positive for the virus in a two-week period are in the green category. Schools with between 1% and 3% of people positive are in the yellow. And those with more than 3% are classified as red.

For students whose schools are in green or yellow, the district does not notify parents directly of any potential exposures. Instead, the district puts on its website a graphic showing the category of the school, the percent that have tested positive and  for schools in the yellow category  in what grades there were positive cases reported. It doesnt show information on what classes the students were in. Haines sons school was previously in the yellow category, but moved to green last week.

The policy is partially due to confidentiality issues, Palmer said, though he did not cite a law that prevents the district from notifying parents. If the district did contact trace and notify parents in those situations when fewer people had tested positive, it would be easy for others to figure out who had the virus, he said.

We cant dial it in any deeper than that because thats when we get closer to confidentiality issues, he told the Statesman. We get as close as we can to help parents make an informed decision. Southwest District Health, which includes the Vallivue district in its region, said there usually shouldnt be any confidentiality violation when notifying people who may have been exposed to the virus at school.

Notification of close contacts should not provide any identifiable details of the case, the usual text followed being you have been identified as a close contact of a positive COVID-19 (or any communicable disease) case at school/work/community/event. No further details regarding exposure source need to be disclosed, Ashley Anderson from Southwest District Health told the Statesman in an email.

However, in a very rare situation where a school has very few students/staff (say less than five students and staff), making it easy to figure out who the COVID-19-positive person would be, then confidentiality breach can be a concern. However, such a scenario would be extremely unlikely.

Palmer also said the district doesnt contact trace unless schools are in the red category. Part of that is due to staffing and part of it is because if they did, they could have to send home hundreds of kids who arent sick, he said. Last year, when the district did contact trace, it found transmission of the virus was low in schools, he said.

We wouldnt want to unnecessarily quarantine kids, he said.

In schools in the red zone, the school would notify parents.

Palmer said the district has been seeing a decrease in the total number of cases district-wide. The first two weeks of school, the district saw about 200 total cases. Over the most recent two weeks ending on Sept. 28, the district saw about 100, he said. Palmer acknowledged that data isnt perfect and relies on people getting tested and reporting positive cases.

Theres no perfect plan and theres no way we can promise a safe environment from COVID, Palmer said. COVID is everywhere.

So far, he said, the district has been able to keep schools open, with many in the green category. But they are continuing to monitor how COVID-19 is impacting the schools and reviewing the data to see if they need to reevaluate their plans, he said.

What other districts are doing

Other school districts in the region have differing policies for how they track cases and whether they enforce mandatory quarantines or contact trace. But most in the area do notify families when their student has potentially been exposed to someone who has tested positive for the virus.

According to guidelines from Central District Health, when students who are masked are exposed in a school setting, they dont need to quarantine from school and extracurricular activities, but they should watch for symptoms and continue wearing a mask in school. If a student is exposed but is vaccinated, regardless of whether they are masked, they dont have to quarantine but should wear a mask indoors for 14 days following exposure or until they return a negative test. When students who are not wearing masks and are unvaccinated are exposed, they should quarantine, the guidance said.

Thats the policy that the Boise School District follows. The district, which requires masks, has over the past several weeks had more than 1,000 people quarantining each week. The district told the Statesman earlier this month that much of that stemmed from possible exposures outside of the classroom.

The Nampa School District doesnt contact trace, but it does send emails to families when it knows of a possible exposure in a classroom. The Kuna School District also notifies parents about potential exposures.

Worth saying something about

Right before Haines son tested positive for COVID-19, Haines received her second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

The day after she got the second dose, she wasnt feeling well  a normal side effect after the shot. So, she had her babysitter watch her kids, potentially exposing the babysitter to the virus. The next day, she took her son to his grandparents house  her parents  where he stayed the night.

Haines, her ex-husband and her daughter soon after started developing symptoms. Haines said she had a headache, a sore throat and fatigue  but it hadnt been too bad for her.

Its her parents who shes really concerned about, she said. Whenever her mom gets even a cold, she said, she gets pneumonia.

Her mom experienced severe symptoms from the virus, but is doing better now, she said.

Weve been terrified of this happening since COVID happened, she said. Our whole family has been trying to protect her because we know this could take her down.

Dr. David Pate, former St. Lukes CEO, said parents should be notified about possible exposures in the classroom.

I dont understand why you wouldnt tell parents if their child has been exposed, he said. It may have implications for their families. I just think its wrong.

He said he doesnt know of any specific law that would prevent a school from notifying parents.

Pate has been a vocal advocate for mask mandates in the classroom, warning consistently of how transmissible the delta variant is. Some school districts in the Treasure Valley have mandated masks, including Boise and West Ada, and others have mask-optional policies, such as Nampa.

Haines said she doesnt need to know names of students with the virus. It could be as simple as sending kids home with a piece of paper that says your child may have been exposed to the virus and letting parents make their own judgments about how to move forward, and potentially protect people who are more vulnerable.

In several other school districts, such as Nampa and Kuna, parents receive an email if their child was in class with a student who tested positive for the virus.

She said she loves her kids school and is grateful to all of the teachers there, but parents should have this information going forward.

It just really makes me mad, she said. This affects families. This is serious. This is, to me, worth saying something about.

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BOISE  Idaho Gov. Brad Little said Tuesday he wants to use federal coronavirus relief money to increase day care capacity to help alleviate the states worker shortage.

The Republican governor, in a speech about the future of work that was followed by several questions, said expanding day care could help get more workers back in the workforce.

Idahos current unemployment rate of 2.9% puts the state back at pre-pandemic levels last seen in early 2020, a span that includes a period of double-digit unemployment as COVID-19 spread and jobs evaporated. But now, many employers cant find enough workers.

We know part of that is parents who are staying home, Little said. We think we can take some onetime money and build some (day care) capacity.

Nationally, the U.S. Department of Labor said last week that the unemployment rate last month dropped from 5.2% to 4.8%. Officials said 194,000 people found work, a tepid number and evidence that the pandemic remained a problem, with many companies struggling to fill millions of open jobs.

Idaho has had problems with the highly contagious delta variant, with the state currently on crisis standards of care due to so many unvaccinated patients filling hospitals. Crisis care standards mean that scarce resources such as ICU beds will be allotted to the patients most likely to survive.

Idaho is one of the least vaccinated U.S. states. Little, who has been vaccinated, has consistently asked residents get vaccinated too, among other things, help the states economy improve.

The council that held Tuesdays event is an independent office of the governor created by former Gov. C.L. Butch Otter in 2017 to find statewide strategies to help businesses succeed. Lack of workers was a primary topic among the days speakers.

Its a common hymn that I hear from everybody in the workforce, said Little, noting that hes had a series of roundtables around the state with business leaders. We see this all over.

Little didnt offer any numbers on his plan. The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare has requested $100 million in its 2022 budget for existing child care providers. The money to expand day care capacity would come from Idahos share of the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 rescue package signed into law by President Joe Biden in March.

Littles spokeswoman, Marissa Morrison, said details about the plan will be revealed when the governor gives his state of the state speech to lawmakers in early January.

Nationwide, statistics show that the pandemic had a huge effect on women in the workforce, and families are a priority for the governor, she said.

Specifically, Little said hed like to get the states workforce participation rate higher. The rate is comprised of those 16 years and older working or looking for work. Little noted Idahos rate in 1998 was over 71%, but its now dropped to 62.5%, according to the Idaho Department of Labor.

If we want to get the participation rate up, (day care) is something were going have to address, he said.

Its not clear how lawmakers will receive an initiative to increase day care capacity. House Republicans earlier this year killed a federal $6 million early childhood learning grant. Republican Rep. Charlie Shepherd argued against using the money made available by the Trump administration because he was against anything that made it easier or more convenient for mothers to come out of the home and let others raise their child.

He later apologized for the comment but declined to change his vote, and an attempt to get another vote on the legislation failed.
Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin, who served as a state representative from Idaho Falls for a decade (2002-2012), has said often that she needed some time off from state politics to reflect and gain some perspective.

So when she was elected as lieutenant governor in 2018, becoming the first woman to win that office in the states history, McGeachin had a different outlook to go along with a promising political future.

Now, through a bizarre set of circumstances brought on by herself, McGeachin has turned Idaho  and herself  into a national laughingstock. She has gained national attention from the Washington Post and CNN (among other outlets) for being that crazy lieutenant governor who decided to go rogue when Gov. Brad Little was out of the state.

In general terms, nothing good comes from a lieutenant governor who makes news when the governor is away for a few days. For McGeachin, a candidate for governor, its not the kind of attention she needs.

Personally, I prefer the old version of McGeachin to the one Ive been seeing.

I had the opportunity to work with McGeachin during part of her time in the Legislature, serving as communication adviser for the House Republican caucus. She was well respected and mixed well with the conservative nature of the House. There was no pressing need for a right-wing liberty caucus and there was no Idaho Freedom Foundation keeping a scorecard on votes. The caucus, with few exceptions, was solidly on conservative ground.

When McGeachin was appointed to the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee, I saw how seriously she took that position. The preparation was extensive, and she took no shortcuts. After I had left, she was appointed chair of the Health and Welfare Committee  another challenging assignment. At home, she sailed through primary elections without opposition.

Now here she is, pathetically trying to explain away an executive order aimed at bolstering a campaign that appears to be floundering, at best. The wheels of Littles plane were barely off the ground when she fired off a press release with this headline: Today I took action to protect our children from vaccine passports.

Little, who was in Texas talking with Republican governors about solutions to the border crisis, didnt even wait to get home before reversing her action.

McGeachin says the media and critics have it wrong. When Gov. Little has a temporary absence from the state, it is my duty and responsibility to perform such duties as acting governor until the governor returns to that state. Thats exactly what I did, she said.

Of course, the constitution says nothing about McGeachin treating the governorship as her personal queendom  which is exactly what she did.

But theres more. To McGeachins chagrin, the governors office revealed her communication with the adjutant general about deploying the National Guard, presumably to the southern border. As acting governor, it is important that I understand all aspects of the job so that I can properly serve the people of Idaho.

Balderdash. A few days as acting governor under an archaic rule does not change the fact that Little is Idahos duly elected governor. For practical purposes, he is perfectly capable of reacting to emergencies, or deploying the National Guard, whether he is in Texas or anywhere else.

Up to now, there has been no pressing need to change that old constitutional rule. Lieutenant governors have recognized that serving as acting governor does not equate to the beginning of a new administration.

But up to now, we havent had a lieutenant governor like McGeachin. Jim Jones, a former attorney general and Supreme Court Justice, said it well in a CNN clip. This is the only lieutenant governor that I can recall that has acted like an idiot.

So, how is all this showboating working in her campaign for governor? Maybe not so well. According to Kevin Richert of Idaho Education News, McGeachin has raised just over $100,000  which is well behind Little, who has not yet announced plans for re-election. She also trails in fund-raising to Ed Humphreys, a relatively unknown candidate who may emerge as the leading conservative alternative to Little if McGeachin continues with these stunts.

If she wants to get her campaign on track, McGeachin may need to show a little more of the old version of herself  opposed to the loose cannon that she has become.

Chuck Malloy is a long-time Idaho journalist and columnist. He may be reached at ctmalloy@outlook.com.

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A judge dismissed but may later reopen a charge of DWI against James Carl Bridges of Callaway.

Winston Alonzo Wade of Martinsville was found guilty of DWI first offense. The defendant was sentenced to 30 days in jail with the full term suspended, his license suspended for 1 year and ordered to pay a $250 fine plus costs. The offense happened June 12, 2020.

Henry County Circuit Court

Zachery Tyler Conner of Bassett was found guilty of charges of unlawful wielding of a caustic substance, grand larceny, and entering a building to commit larceny. The defendant was sentenced to a total of 15 years in prison with 14 years and 3 months suspended, 2 years of supervised probation, and ordered to pay a total of $1,814.96 restitution plus costs. The offenses happened Aug. 16, 2017.

Adrian James Ryan Orrell of Martinsville was found guilty of aggravated sexual battery of a victim less than 13 years old. The defendant was sentenced to 20 years in prison with 19 years, 11 months, and 8 days suspended with 99 years of supervised probation. The judge dismissed additional charges of rape and forced sodomy. The reported offense happened April 4, 2010 resulting in arrest July 21, 2020.
Somewhat surprising was the total of 222 brown-headed cowbirds. Other abundant birds that numbered more than 200 individuals included mourning dove (316), rock pigeon (285), chimney swift (227), Eastern bluebird (208), American robin (222), cedar waxwing (230) and American goldfinch (216).

A total of 24 species of warblers was found, including 172 individual Tennessee warblers. These greenish-yellow warblers can be quite abundant as they pass through the region each autumn.

Some families of birds, such as falcons and woodpeckers, were well represented on this count with all the expected species being found by count participants.

Five Empidonax species, often referred to as empids by birders were found during the count but do not contribute to the total. These small flycatchers are nearly identical in appearance and silent during the fall. Faced with an inability to positively identify them, birders simply noted that they were seen.

The list follows:

Canada goose, 744; wood duck, 42; mallard, 182; blue-winged teal, 4; Northern shoveler, 2; and common merganser, 4.

Wild turkey, 18; pied-billed grebe, 3; double-crested cormorant, 43; great blue heron, 39; great egret, 4; green heron, 1; black vulture, 61; and turkey vulture, 183.
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

New research indicates that almost half of U.S. adults with breast cancer use cannabis (marijuana and hemp), most commonly alongside cancer treatment to manage symptoms and side effects. However, most patients don't discuss their use of cannabis with their physicians. The findings are published early online in Cancer.

Individuals with cancer often experience pain, fatigue, nausea, and other difficulties that arise from cancer and its treatment. Some turn to cannabis for relief of their symptoms, but many physicians feel that they lack the knowledge needed to discuss cannabis with their patients. Such knowledge is especially important now that cancer is specified as a qualifying condition in nearly all states with medical cannabis programs.

Investigators recently conducted an anonymous online survey to examine cannabis use among adults who were diagnosed with breast cancer within five years and were members of the Breastcancer.org and Healthline.com online health communities.

Among the major findings:

Of 612 total participants, 42% reported using cannabis for relief of symptoms, including pain, insomnia, anxiety, stress, and nausea/vomiting. Among those who used cannabis, 75% reported that it was extremely or very helpful at relieving their symptoms.

Nearly half (49%) of participants who used cannabis believed that medical cannabis can be used to treat cancer itself; however, its effectiveness against cancer is unclear.

Among those using cannabis, 79% had used it during treatment, which included systemic therapies, radiation, and surgery.

Participants reported using a wide range of different cannabis products known to vary in quality and purity.

Half of participants sought information on medical cannabis, and websites and other patients were ranked as the most helpful sources of information. Physicians ranked low on the list.

Among those who sought information on cannabis use for medical purposes, most were unsatisfied with the information they received.

Most participants believed cannabis products to be safe and were unaware that the safety of many products is untested.

"Our study highlights an important opportunity for providers to initiate informed conversations about medical cannabis with their patients, as the evidence shows that many are using medical cannabis without our knowledge or guidance," said lead author Marisa Weiss, MD, of Breastcancer.org and Lankenau Medical Center near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. "Not knowing whether or not our cancer patients are using cannabis is a major blind spot in our ability to provide optimal care, and as healthcare providers, we need to do a better job of initiating informed conversations about medical cannabis with our patients to make sure their symptoms and side effects are being adequately managed while minimizing the risk of potential adverse effects, treatment interactions, or non-adherence to standard treatments due to misinformation about the use of medical cannabis to treat cancer."

Dr. Weiss added that patients should never use cannabis as an alternative to standard cancer treatment, and clinicians should inform patients about the safe and effective use of cannabis as an adjunct to their cancer treatment plan.

Explore further More women using cannabis for menopause symptoms

More information: "A Coala-T-Survey of Breast Cancer Patients' Use of Cannabis Before, During and After Treatment." Cancer (2021). Journal information: Cancer "A Coala-T-Survey of Breast Cancer Patients' Use of Cannabis Before, During and After Treatment."(2021). DOI: 10.1002/cncr.33906
A woman holds an aspirin pill in the Brooklyn borough of New York on Friday, Oct. 15, 2021. According to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force's preliminary updated advice released on Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2021, older adults without heart disease shouldn't take daily aspirin to prevent a first heart attack or stroke. Credit: AP Photo/Emma H. Tobin

Older adults without heart disease shouldn't take daily low-dose aspirin to prevent a first heart attack or stroke, an influential health guidelines group said in preliminary updated advice released Tuesday.

Bleeding risks for adults in their 60s and up who haven't had a heart attack or stroke outweigh any potential benefits from aspirin, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force said in its draft guidance.

For the first time, the panel said there may be a small benefit for adults in their 40s who have no bleeding risks. For those in their 50s, the panel softened advice and said evidence of benefit is less clear.

The recommendations are meant for people with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity or other conditions that increase their chances for a heart attack or stroke. Regardless of age, adults should talk with their doctors about stopping or starting aspirin to make sure it's the right choice for them, said task force member Dr. John Wong, a primary-care expert at Tufts Medical Center.

"Aspirin use can cause serious harms, and risk increases with age,'' he said.

If finalized, the advice for older adults would backtrack on recommendations the panel issued in 2016 for helping prevent a first heart attack and stroke, but it would be in line with more recent guidelines from other medical groups.

This Aug. 23, 2018 file photo shows an arrangement of aspirin pills in New York. Older adults without heart disease should not take daily aspirin to prevent a first heart attack or stroke. That's according to preliminary updated advice from an influential health guidelines group. The draft guidance posted online Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2021 by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force back tracks a bit but puts the panel more in line with other medical groups. Credit: AP Photo/Patrick Sison, File

The task force previously said certain people in their 50s and 60s may want to consider a daily aspirin to prevent a first heart attack and stroke, and that they might get protection against colorectal cancer, too. The updated guidance says more evidence of any benefit for colorectal cancer is needed.

Doctors have long recommended daily low-dose aspirin for many patients who already have had a heart attack or stroke. The task force guidance does not change that advice.

The guidance was posted online to allow for public comments until Nov. 8. The group will evaluate that input and then make a final decision.

The independent panel of disease-prevention experts analyzes medical research and literature and issues periodic advice on measures to help keep Americans healthy. Newer studies and a re-analysis of older research prompted the updated advice, Wong said.

Aspirin is best known as a pain reliever but it is also a blood thinner that can reduce chances for blood clots. But aspirin also has risks, even at low dosesmainly bleeding in the digestive tract or ulcers, both of which can be life-threatening.

Dr. Lauren Block, an internist-researcher at Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research in Manhasset, New York, said the guidance is important because so many adults take aspirin even though they have never had a heart attack or stroke.

This Friday, Oct. 15, 2021 photo shows a bottle of aspirin in the Brooklyn borough of New York. According to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force's preliminary updated advice released on Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2021, older adults without heart disease shouldn't take daily aspirin to prevent a first heart attack or stroke. Credit: AP Photo/Emma H. Tobin

Block, who is not on the task force, recently switched one of her patients from aspirin to a cholesterol-lowering statin drug because of the potential harms.

The patient, 70-year-old Richard Schrafel, has high blood pressure and knows about his heart attack risks. Schrafel, president of a paperboard-distribution business, said he never had any ill effects from aspirin, but he is taking the new guidance seriously.

Rita Seefeldt, 63, also has high blood pressure and took a daily aspirin for about a decade until her doctor told her two years ago to stop.

"He said they changed their minds on that,'' recalled the retired elementary school teacher from Milwaukee. She said she understands that science evolves.

Wong acknowledged that the backtracking might leave some patients frustrated and wondering why scientists can't make up their minds.

"It's a fair question,'' he said. ''What's really important to know is that evidence changes over time.''

Explore further Too many older Americans are taking daily aspirin

 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
A medical assistant prepares a dose of a COVID-19 vaccine to be administered to a patient. Credit: Public domain image courtesy of Lisa Ferdinando, U.S. Department of Defense

South African biotech consortium is working on a messenger RNA jab based on the Moderna formula in a ground-breaking drive to end Africa's life-threatening lack of COVID vaccines.

Cape Town-based Afrigen Biologics and Vaccines is leading a pilot project, backed by the UN's World Health Organization (WHO) and the COVAX initiative, which seeks to tweak Moderna's revolutionary drug.

The goal is an mRNA vaccine that suits poorer countries in hot climates.

It would be a tough, resilient vaccine that would not need to be stored all the time at ultra-cold temperaturesa hefty requirement in places where power cuts are a problem.

Africa is the least vaccinated continent in the world.

More than 10 months after the world's first COVID shot was administered and nearly two years into the pandemic itself, barely five percent of eligible Africans have been fully immunised.

The problem has exposed Africa's huge dependence on imported vaccines and its tech weakness compared with Europe, China and the United States.

"The bitter lesson we've learnt throughout this pandemic is how Africa was almost 100-percent dependent" on vaccines produced outside the continent, Richard Mihigo, the WHO's vaccination coordinator in Africa, told AFP.

Research and development at a 130-million-rand ($8.7-million) facility started three months ago, and talks are underway Moderna for a licensing agreement to use the basic formula.

Tests within a year?

Twenty-two scientists are working on the huge challenges.

The idea is to have a "super efficient and safe (vaccine that) ... will have a different stability and more suitable to be distributed at a temperature which is feasible for Africa," said Afrigen's managing director, Petro Terreblanche.

"It will be developed for maximum protection of the variants that is relevant for the territories where variants are rapidly surfacing," she added.

"What we are looking for is to have a second-generation vaccine," said Martin Friede of the WHO's Initiative for Vaccine Research.

"We have to start with a Moderna look-alike and be as close to Moderna as we can get," he said.

"It's not a copy of Moderna."

If all goes to plan, prototype shots will be ready for clinical trials within a year.

If those tests show that the modified jab is safe and effective, vaccine producer Biovac, a neighbour to Afrigen, will be the first to produce it on a commercial scale.

After that Afrigen will train other countries and hand out production licences to poor nations left out in the race for the life-saving shots.

Patent question

The Medicines Patent Pool, an international organisation that works to facilitate the development of medicines for low- and middle-income countries, is leading negotiations with Moderna.

Hopefully "we might get from them an agreement not to enforce any of their patents," Charles Gore, the organisation's boss, said in Geneva last month.

The Afrigen team say they are "reverse-engineering" the vaccine in a first step to see how it works.

"This is considered R and D (research and development), so there isn't any infringement of intellectual property and in the process we learn how you make mRNA, to be able to produce it at a scale that would be useful for clinical trials," said Afrigen's technical director Caryn Fenner.

Pharma giants are facing huge pressure to ease patent controls over coronavirus vaccines to help production in regions scrambling for shots.

Moderna last week announced plans to build a state-of-the-art mRNA facility in Africa to churn out up to 500 million vaccines doses anually.

It did not state where the factory will be stationed nor the initiation date.

The Afrigen project is funded via the COVAX initiative, which aims to facilitate equitable access to vaccines worldwide.

It is the latest vaccine investment in South Africa this yearthe country on the continent most affected by the pandemic.

Johnson & Johnson has an operational "fill-and-finish" plant in South Africa, and Pfizer/BioNTech have partnered with Biovac to bottle their mRNA vaccine starting next year.

Biotech billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong is also planning to start transferring technology to begin vaccine production in 2022.

Elsewhere on the continent, several COVID vaccine production facilities are in the pipeline, including in Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda to Senegal.

"Africa needs to become over the next 20 years autonomous in vaccine production," said Friede.

"This needs to be done, full stop."

Explore further US pharmaceutical firm Moderna to build plant in Africa

 2021 AFP
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Spending a long time in space appears to cause brain damage. This is shown by a study of five Russian cosmonauts who had stayed on the International Space Station (ISS). Researchers at the University of Gothenburg are among those now presenting the results.

The study is published in the scientific journal JAMA Neurology. Its co-authors at the University, scientists from the Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology at Sahlgrenska Academy, wrote it jointly with colleagues in Moscow and Munich.

The scientists followed five male Russian cosmonauts working on the permanently manned International Space Station (ISS), which is in orbit 400 km from Earth's surface.

The adverse effects on the body of long periods in space have been known for some time. The negative changes include atrophic muscles, decreasing bone mass, deteriorating vision and altered bacterial flora in the gut.

Evidence of brain damage

Blood samples were taken from the cosmonauts 20 days before their departure to the ISS. On average, they then stayed in space for 169 days (approximately five and a half months). The participants' mean age was 49.

After their return to Earth, follow-up blood samples were taken on three occasions: one day, one week, and about three weeks respectively after landing. Five biomarkers for brain damage were analyzed. They were neurofilament light (NFL), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), total tau (T-tau), and two amyloid beta proteins.

For three of the biomarkersNFL, GFAP and the amyloid beta protein A40the concentrations were significantly elevated after the space sojourn. The peak readings did not occur simultaneously after the men's return to Earth, but their biomarker trends nonetheless broadly tallied over time.

"This is the first time that concrete proof of brain-cell damage has been documented in blood tests following space flights. This must be explored further and prevented if space travel is to become more common in the future," says Henrik Zetterberg, professor of neuroscience and one of the study's two senior coauthors.

Several studies underway

"To get there, we must help one another to find out why the damage arises. Is it being weightless, changes in brain fluid, or stressors associated with launch and landing, or is it caused by something else? Here, loads of exciting experimental studies on humans can be done on Earth," he continues.

The notion that the changes concerned may have a bearing on brain function is substantiated by changes also seen in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain after space travel. Further support is provided by clinical tests of the men's brain function that show deviations linked to their assignments in space. However, the present study was too small to investigate these associations in detail.

Zetterberg and his coauthors at the University, scientist Nicholas Ashton and Professor Kaj Blennow, are currently discussing follow-up studies with their other fellow researchers involved in the study, and also with national and international space research institutes.

"If we can sort out what causes the damage, the biomarkers we've developed may help us find out how best to remedy the problem," Zetterberg says.

Explore further MRI scans show brain reorganization during long space flights, but no neurodegeneration

More information: Peter zu Eulenburg et al, Changes in Blood Biomarkers of Brain Injury and Degeneration Following Long-Duration Spaceflight, JAMA Neurology (2021). Journal information: Archives of Neurology Peter zu Eulenburg et al, Changes in Blood Biomarkers of Brain Injury and Degeneration Following Long-Duration Spaceflight,(2021). DOI: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2021.3589
Doctoral student Albert Armoo performs a Western blot to ensure specific genes are absent. Credit: South Dakota State University

A team of South Dakota State University chemistry researchers uncovered how cancer cells utilize a simple sugar residue to disguise themselves from the immune system. What they learned will help scientists develop more effective cancer therapeutics.

"We utilized the lens of organic chemistry to understand how cancer cells evade the immune system," explained assistant chemistry and biochemistry professor Dr. Rachel Willand-Charnley. The project is part of her chemical biology research program, which uses various fields of chemistry to solve biological problems. Willand-Charnley's research has applications in biotechnology and biomedicine.

Willand-Charnley, doctoral students Mathias Anim and Albert Armoo and Susan Grabenstein Roh, a biochemistry major who received her bachelor's degree in May, analyzed what is known as the Sialic acid-Siglec receptor pathway. They examined the pathway in colon and lung cancer cells using CRISPR-Cas9 gene-edited cell lines to determine how the cancer cells evade detection using sugars on their cell surface.

The results are published in the June issue of Glycobiology, a peer-reviewed Oxford Academic research journal. Roh, who at the time was a biochemistry major, is a shared first author on the article. The project was supported by the Willand-Charnley laboratory's startup funding for new faculty members.

Willand-Charnley came to SDSU in 2018 after completing postdoctoral research under the tutelage of renowned chemistry professor Carolyn Bertozzi at the University of California, Berkeley, and then at Stanford University. Her research combines expertise in organic chemistry, glycobiology and cancer immunology.

Using sugar coating

"Cells are literally decorated with sugar residues, known as glycans. Cancers also have a sugar coat," Willand Charnley said. "How do sugars, like Sialic acid, allow cancers to participate in 'immune evasion?' The immune system is programmed to identify cellular abnormalities, including deviations in the sugar coat, and mark them for degradation, but the question is why are certain cancer cells not being killed by the immune system?"

The paper focuses on how cancers use simple sugar residues, which she described as a sugary costume, to mimic healthy cells, thereby evading the immune system. "This research will allow scientists to build better therapeutics that cleave off the sugars, essentially removing the cancer cells' sugary costume," Willand-Charnley said. "It will open avenues for more targeted, effective cancer therapeutics related to glycans."

Both doctoral students see the benefits of this unique approach to improving cancer therapeutics. "It was really intriguing to realize that a single genetic modification could actually make cancers resistant to immunotherapy, make them invisible to the immune system," said Anim, who is from Ashiaman, Ghana. He earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in biochemistry at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi Ashanti, Ghana.

Armoo, who is from Tema, Ghana, said, "For me, it was interesting finding out that a coat of sugar plays a role in resistance to chemotherapeutics. It's not always a drug metabolite, but also the patients' own immune system being able to identify the cancer cells." He began doctoral work at SDSU after earning his undergraduate degree at the University of Bradford in the United Kingdom and a master's degree from the University of Bradford's Institute of Cancer Therapeutics.

Inspiring future scientists

Roh, a Mitchell, South Dakota, native, began working on the project as a sophomore. "I wanted to work with genetics, so when Dr. Willand-Charnley talked about cell lines with gene knockouts the first day in my organic chemistry class, that piqued my interest in doing research with her group," Roh said. "I was the first person to sign on (to the project)."

Willand-Charnley said, "Undergraduates (in my lab) are treated like graduate students. My expectation is that they will run their research like a graduate student."

Roh continued, "I found my own papers relating to the topic, read through them and explained why I felt they were relevant and what I learned from them (during the weekly group meetings)." Every three weeks, it was her turn to present her findings to the groupin a professional fashion. In 2019, Roh received the American Chemical Society award for best undergraduate research poster.

Even though Roh was the only undergraduate student working on the project, she said, "I had a lot of responsibility. I was able to be shared first author on the paper because I put in [an] equal amount of the workthat's what it took."

In addition to doing research part time during the school year, she also spent two summers working full time on the project. Roh, who is now a graduate research assistant in the Department of Biology and Microbiology, feels prepared for graduate school, thanks to her experiences in Willand-Charnley's lab.

In addition to running successful research programs, Willand-Charnley also focuses on diversity and outreach. "One of my goals as a scientist is to increase diversity in the STEM sciences," Willand-Charnley said. However, "as students traverse academia and get older, we tend to have less diversity, why? One school of thought is that the STEM sciences are seen as intimidating. Thus, how do we fix this?"

Willand-Charley is working on launching an outreach program for kindergarten through fifth graders. "I want to elicit interest in the STEM sciences from a very young age. What better way to garner interest and show that science is fun than hands-on demonstrations with scientists in the classroom?"

Explore further Researchers discover a gene that controls the severity of colon cancer

More information: Susan Grabenstein et al, Deacetylated sialic acids modulates immune mediated cytotoxicity via the sialic acid-Siglec pathway, Glycobiology (2021). Susan Grabenstein et al, Deacetylated sialic acids modulates immune mediated cytotoxicity via the sialic acid-Siglec pathway,(2021). DOI: 10.1093/glycob/cwab068
Figure S1. Sunburst plot showing the classes of drugs tested by scFPM. Drugs can be broadly classified into kinase inhibitors, immunomodulatory drugs, epigenetic modifiers, metabolic modifiers, apoptotic modulators, classical chemotherapeutics and other drugs. Credit: DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.CD-21-0538

Standard therapy for advanced recurring aggressive, hematological malignancies, such as leukemias and lymphomas, have a limited effect with patients experiencing short survival times. A study at the Vienna General Hospital conducted by physicians and scientists from Medical University Vienna and the CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine (CeMM), as well as ETH Zurich for the first time demonstrated that therapy selection based on results from a functional test is clinically possible and effective in patients with recurrent hematologic cancers. The researchers quantified drug effects on single cells from real-time patient biopsies using a novel experimental technique, resulting in 56 patients receiving individually tailored treatmentwith significant positive outcome. The work is published in Cancer Discovery.

The central aim of personalized medicine is to find the right treatment for the right patient at the right time by analyzing and using specific characteristics of the patient's tumor. Until now, personalized therapy-matching has been primarily done based on genetic biomarkers. However, these provide treatment options for less than 10 percent of cancer patients. On the other hand, functional precision medicine (FPM) utilizes functionally evaluates the efficacy of numerous drugs directly on cancer cells, similar to the testing of antibiotics in an antibiogram.

This study tested a novel approach of FPM, specifically termed single-cell functional precision medicine (scFPM), where the response to drugs on healthy and malignant cells, isolated from freshly removed tissue from cancer patients, is investigated with an in-depth analysis. Consequently, the method facilitates identification of drugs that show cancer cell specific efficacy, while plausibly exhibiting a reduction in side effects. High precision of this platform is achieved with automated high-content microscopy and computerized image analysis, formerly called pharmacoscopy.

Testing drug efficacy

"We examined patients' tumor cells of real-time biopsies and directly tested the effects of more than 130 candidate compounds to determine which therapy would be effective in each patient," said principal investigator of the study, Philipp Staber, associate professor at the Clinical Department of Hematology and Hemostaseology at MedUni Vienna and the Vienna General Hospital and a member of the Comprehensive Cancer Center (CCC). "To test the individual benefit of patients, the response time to therapy was compared with that to their respective prior therapy. 54 percent of our patients had a significant, at least more than 30 percent prolonged time of progression-free survival under the scFPM-guided therapy. 21 percent of all patients even showed a long-term response. Our study demonstrates that individual therapy tailoring is feasible, and effective in breaking resistance to prior therapies," says Staber.

The image-based scFPM approach was developed in the research group of CeMM Principal Investigator and Scientific Director Giulio Superti-Furga, also professor of molecular systems biology at the MedUni Vienna. Superti-Furga says, "We wanted to enable true personalized medicine in cancer treatment. For years, many, like us at CeMM and MedUni Vienna, have been working on ever-improving molecular profiles of genes, proteins and metabolites that should facilitate individualized treatment of patients. But the approach used here is a kind of a shortcut. We're directly testing which drug actually works on the cancer cells. The idea of personalized cancer medicine is far from new. But many years of research have gone into developing technology behind analyzing tumor tissue in such a way that therapy-relevant information can be extracted. Today, we can perform single-cell analyses of patient samples with unprecedented resolution and precision, observe individual immune cell interactions, and thus test the effect of an enormous variety of drugs."

Targeted therapy selection

This is the first systematic prospective evaluation of a precision medicine cancer approach using a direct functional assay to instruct n-of-one therapies. Thus, active substances were directly tested on the patient's cell material in order to derive an individually tailored anti-cancer therapy. The most advanced patients with aggressive hematological cancers clearly benefited from the approach and the findings validate the utility, efficacy, and feasibility of integrating functional drug testing in clinical routine.

Explore further Pharmacoscopy improves therapy for relapsed blood cancer in a first clinical trial

More information: Christoph Kornauth et al, Functional Precision Medicine Provides Clinical Benefit in Advanced Aggressive Hematological Cancers and Identifies Exceptional Responders, Cancer Discovery (2021). Journal information: Cancer Discovery Christoph Kornauth et al, Functional Precision Medicine Provides Clinical Benefit in Advanced Aggressive Hematological Cancers and Identifies Exceptional Responders,(2021). DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.CD-21-0538
Fig. 1. 7-day moving average of daily positive PCR tests from the Kenyan national linelist and a timeline of the main mitigation events applied by the Kenyan government representing tightening (down-arrow) and relaxation (up-arrow) of measures. (a) curfew from 7pm to 5am; (b) curfew from 11pm to 4am; (c) curfew from 10pm to 4am; (d) front line workers and individuals older than 58 years (approximately 1.2m doses); (e) the region includes Nairobi, Kajiado, Machakos, Kiambu, Nakuru; (f) this restricted movement into and out of the block of counties in (e) but not between these counties; (g) curfew from 8pm to 4am. Credit: DOI: 10.1126/science.abk0414

Combining data on antibody prevalence, PCR test results, genomic surveillance and population mobility from smartphones has allowed infectious disease modelers to explain the evolution of the first three COVID-19 waves that have affected Kenya since the start of the pandemic.

Modeling jointly undertaken by the University of Warwick and KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme in Kenya explains the COVID-19 pandemic in Kenya as sequential waves of transmission through different socio-economic groups, followed by infection boosted by the introduction of new variants.

The study has been published in the journal Science and received funding through the Joint Initiative on Research in Epidemic Preparedness and Response, a collaboration between Wellcome and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), as well as funding from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR).

Forecasting the future spread of COVID-19 requires an understanding of past patterns. The team used a mathematical model to test explanations for the first three COVID-19 epidemic waves in Kenya.

The work, undertaken jointly by scientists at the University of Warwick and the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme in Kenya, for the first time brought together COVID-19 antibody survey data, PCR case data, genomic variant data and Google mobility data, seeking to find an explanation to the waves of COVID-19 in Kenya. The aim was to then provide policy-based forecasts on future waves in the country based on the model findings.

Lower socio-economic groups have been identified as vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2 in the global South due to residence in informal settlements at high population density, reduced access to sanitation, and dependence on informal employment that requires daily mobility. In contrast, those from higher socio-economic groups with job security can work from home, physically distance and readily access water and sanitation, thereby decreasing transmission.

The results from the modeling show that the first and second waves of infections are explained by differences in mobility and contact rates between high and low socio-economic groups within Kenya. In the initial phase of the epidemic (from March 2020), individuals in high socio-economic groups were able to reduce their mobility and contact rates, but individuals in lower socio-economic groups were not. This resulted in transmission among individuals in lower socio-economic groups that was observed as the first wave in urban centers. As these individuals recovered from infection and became immune, at least temporarily, the first wave ended.

By the time of the second wave (from October 2020), individuals in high socio-economic groups had increased their contact rates and mobility. This led to transmission among individuals in the high socio-economic groups that was observed as the second wave, and in addition the second wave involved rural as well as urban areas. It appears that the second wave then ended as individuals cleared the virus and became, at least temporarily, immune. However, the new Beta and Alpha variants introduced into Kenya were more infectious and led to a third wave among both high and low socio-economic groups (from March 2021).

Multiple waves have been observed in many other African countries that do not appear to be completely explained by the timing of restrictions, and since they also have in common similar socio-economic groupings in urban centers, the scientists speculate that these explanations may apply more widely. Understanding the causation of such multiple waves is critical for forecasting hospitalization demand and the likely effectiveness of interventions including vaccination strategy.

Dr. Samuel Brand from the University of Warwick's Zeeman Institute for Systems Biology and Infectious Disease Epidemiological Research (SBIDER), and School of Life Sciences said: "This is one of the first studies to consider detailed predictions of the dynamics of COVID-19 across multiple waves in tropical sub-Saharan Africa. We believe this sets a new standard for the type of public health modeling work that can be conducted in real-time in developing countries."

Dr. John Ojal of KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme said: "There are highly detailed modeling studies of this nature in High Income Countries, but there have been none previously in tropical sub-Saharan Africa."

Professor Matt Keeling, Director of the Zeeman Institute at the University of Warwick, said: "Studies in High Income Countries find the assumption of even mixing of the population works well in explaining the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in those countries. Clearly, this is not always the case as shown in our study of Kenya, and variation in spread by socio-economic group might prevail in other low income settings."

Professor Edwine Barasa, director of the Nairobi hub, KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme said: "I am not surprised by the findings of marked disparity of transmission by socio-economic group in Kenya where there is a very high proportion of the urban population working in the informal sector that do not have the luxury of reducing contacts but need to find work on a day-to-day basis."

Explore further Commuting patterns could explain higher incidence of COVID-19 in Black Americans

More information: Samuel P. C. Brand et al, COVID-19 Transmission Dynamics Underlying Epidemic Waves in Kenya, Science (2021). Journal information: Science Samuel P. C. Brand et al, COVID-19 Transmission Dynamics Underlying Epidemic Waves in Kenya,(2021). DOI: 10.1126/science.abk0414
A medical school lecture taught Dr. Samuel Kung a vital lesson: He needed to see a cardiologist.

As a toddler, Kung had Kawasaki disease, an illness of unknown cause that tends to strike young children. He doesn't remember being sick, just the years of follow-up that stretched into his teen years.

And the handoff from his pediatric doctors to adult experts was virtually non-existent, he said. "The emphasis was never placed on just how important it was for me to follow up with someone."

That could have had life-threatening consequences for Kung, who is now a resident in internal medicine at Scripps Clinic and Scripps Green Hospital in La Jolla, California. He's also co-author of a new scientific statement from the American Heart Association that hopes to protect other Kawasaki disease survivors.

The statement, published Monday in the Journal of the American Heart Association, spells out steps to help patients, their parents and pediatric caregivers prepare for the transition to adult care. It also seeks to make adult cardiologists more aware of the specialized attention someone with a history of Kawasaki disease needs.

"What we're really aiming for with this paper is to build bridges" among all those parties, said co-author Dr. Adriana Tremoulet, a professor of pediatrics and associate director of the Kawasaki Disease Research Center at the University of California San Diego. She called it a disservice to give people excellent care for Kawasaki disease, "then send them off into the world not understanding that they may have a life-threatening illness."

Kawasaki disease is most common in Japan, where it strikes more than 1 in 100 children by their 10th birthday. The rate in the U.S. is about a tenth as high. Still, it is the most common cause of heart disease in children that isn't a congenital heart defect, according to the statement.

Signs include fever, rash, swelling of the hands and feet, redness of the whites of the eyes, swelling of the neck glands and redness of the tongue, lips and throat.

It's rarely fatal in the short term. But the disease can cause bulges, or aneurysms, in arteries that feed blood to the heart. Those aneurysms often disappear, but patients face a long-term risk of them returning. As a result, clots can form and block blood flow to the heart muscle, causing a heart attack.

The new report focuses on the transition from pediatric to adult care of young adults who had such aneurysms.

In children, Kawasaki disease care is generally overseen by a team, which can include a general pediatrician, a pediatric cardiologist and a pediatric infectious disease specialist, Tremoulet said. But the transition to adult care tends to be tripped up by two main issues.

The first is the patients' age. Kawasaki disease usually strikes patients who are younger than 5, so they don't remember much, if anything, about being sick.

Then later, these children, who are likely to have little understanding of their illness, come of age to find "there isn't really a system in place to care for them once they grow up." Even finding a cardiologist who understands Kawasaki disease can be a challenge.

The disease is expected to affect 1 in 1,600 people in the U.S. by 2030. To help those patients make the transition to adult care, the statement calls for "a deliberate and coordinated" series of steps that include general education about the disease starting around age 12 and lessons in self-management skills for teens.

"And we're really aiming also to engage adult cardiologists," Tremoulet said. Pediatric cardiologists and infectious disease doctors know about Kawasaki disease, she said. "They've cared for it. They understand it." Adult cardiologists need to become "educated, interested, engaged, willing to take on these patients as their own patients, and then be able to provide the best care possible."

Parents can help, she said, by talking with children about their illness and by not being "the ones that are the keepers of the information, but the ones that pass it on."

Kung said patients need to be active, too. As they age, they need guidance with practical skills, such as how to get a prescription refilled and knowing what to do if they experience concerning chest symptoms.

For him, he knew he had coronary aneurysms, but was a typical college-age student: "We kind of feel like we're invincible at that age." It took the medical school lecture about Kawasaki disease, followed by a conversation with the speaker, to make him realize he needed to see a cardiologist.

Tests revealed his aneurysms had grown to a size where he needed to start taking blood-thinning medication to lower the risk of developing a dangerous clot. "Truth be told, it's quite possible that my pediatric cardiologist may have intended for me to be on medications previously," he said. But if that happened, the message didn't sink in.

He encourages fellow patients to make sure they understand their condition and, if they don't already have a cardiologist, to gather as much of their medical history as they can and connect with one who understands Kawasaki disease.

As he wrote in the statement, no patient should fall through the cracks. His outcome, he said, could have been disastrous. "I got really lucky."

Explore further New research shows dual therapy upon diagnosis of MIS-C improves cardiac outcomes

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In this May 19, 2021, file photo, a licensed practical nurse draws a Moderna COVID-19 vaccine into a syringe at a mass vaccination clinic at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. Starting Thursday, Oct. 14, 2021, the Food and Drug Administration convenes its independent advisers for the first stage in the process of deciding whether extra shots of Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccines should be dispensed and, if so, who should get them and when. Credit: AP Photo/Steven Senne, File

With many Americans who got Pfizer vaccinations already rolling up their sleeves for a booster shot, millions of others who received the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccine wait anxiously to learn when it's their turn.

Federal regulators begin tackling that question this week.

On Thursday and Friday, the Food and Drug Administration convenes its independent advisers for the first stage in the process of deciding whether extra doses of the two vaccines should be dispensed and, if so, who should get them and when. The final go-ahead is not expected for at least another week.

After the FDA advisers give their recommendation, the agency itself will make a decision on whether to authorize boosters. Then next week, a panel convened by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will offer more specifics on who should get them. Its decision is subject to approval by the CDC director.

The process is meant to bolster public confidence in the vaccines. But it has already led to conflicts among experts and agenciesand documents the FDA released Tuesday suggest this week's decisions will be equally difficult.

In one earlier vaccine dispute, the CDC's advisory panel last month backed Pfizer boosters at the six-month point for older Americans, nursing home residents and people with underlying health problems. But CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky overruled her advisers and decided boosters should also be offered to those with high-risk jobs such as teachers and health care workers, adding tens of millions more Americans to the list.

In this July 30, 2021, file photo, Bradley Sharp, of Saratoga, N.Y., gets the Johnson & Johnson vaccine from registered nurse Stephanie Wagner in New York. Starting Thursday, Oct. 14, 2021, the Food and Drug Administration convenes its independent advisers for the first stage in the process of deciding whether extra shots of Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccines should be dispensed and, if so, who should get them and when. Credit: AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File

Some health experts fear the back-and-forth deliberations are muddling the public effort to persuade the unvaccinated to get their first shots. They worry that the talk of boosters will lead people to wrongly doubt the effectiveness of the vaccines in the first place.

When the FDA's panel meets to review the Moderna and J&J vaccines, experts will discuss whether a third Moderna shot should contain just half the original dose and what's the best timing for a second shot of the single-dose J&J vaccine.

The panel will also look into the safety and effectiveness of mixing-and-matching different brands of vaccine, something regulators have not endorsed so far.

An estimated 103 million Americans are fully vaccinated with Pfizer's formula, 69 million with Moderna's and 15 million with J&J's, according to the CDC. Regulators took up the question of Pfizer boosters first because the company submitted its data ahead of the other vaccine makers.

Tim Anderson, a U.S. history teacher at a high school outside Louisville, Kentucky, already had his two Moderna shots months before he came down with COVID-19 in August. While his symptoms hit him "like a sledgehammer," he is convinced that the inoculation saved him and his girlfriend from the more severe effects of the disease.

The two are now awaiting clearance of a Moderna booster shot.

This May 13, 2021, file photo shows syringes filled with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at a mobile vaccination site in Miami. Starting Thursday, Oct. 14, 2021, the Food and Drug Administration convenes its independent advisers for the first stage in the process of deciding whether extra shots of Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccines should be dispensed and, if so, who should get them and when. Credit: AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, File

"Until we can build up enough immunity within our own self and, you know, as a group of humans, I'm willing to do what I need to do," Anderson, 58, said.

The FDA meetings come as U.S. vaccinations have climbed back above 1 million per day on average, an increase of more than 50% over the past two weeks. The rise has been driven mainly by Pfizer boosters and employer vaccine mandates.

While the FDA and CDC so far have endorsed Pfizer boosters for specific groups only, Biden administration officials, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, have suggested that extra shots will eventually be recommended for most Americans.

In a new review of Moderna's data, the FDA did not indicate Tuesday if it was leaning toward clearing the company's booster. It said vaccines used in the U.S. still provide protection, and it raised questions about some of Moderna's data.

The two initial Moderna shots contain 100 micrograms of vaccine each. But the drugmaker says 50 micrograms ought to be enough for a booster for healthy people.

A company study of 344 people gave them a 50-microgram shot six months after their second dose, and levels of virus-fighting antibodies jumped. Moderna said the booster even triggered a 42-fold rise in antibodies able to target the extra-contagious delta variant.

In this May 21, 2021, file photo, two people wait to receive the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at Providence Edwards Lifesciences vaccination site in Santa Ana, Calif. Starting Thursday, Oct. 14, 2021, the Food and Drug Administration convenes its independent advisers for the first stage in the process of deciding whether extra shots of Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccines should be dispensed and, if so, who should get them and when. Credit: AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File

Side effects were similar to the fevers and aches that Moderna recipients commonly experience after their second regular shot, the company said.

As for people who got the J&J vaccine, the company submitted data to the FDA for different options: a booster shot at two months or at six months. The company said in its FDA submission that a six-month booster is recommended but that a second dose could be given at two months in some situations.

J&J released data in September showing that a booster given at two months provided 94% protection against moderate-to-severe COVID-19 infection. The company has not disclosed patient data on a six-month booster, but early measures of virus-fighting antibodies suggest it provides even higher protection.

Even without a booster, J&J says, its vaccine remains about 80% effective at preventing COVID-19 hospitalizations in the U.S.

Scientists emphasize that all three vaccines used in the U.S. still offer strong protection against severe disease and death from COVID-19. The issue is how quickly, and how much, protection against milder infection may wane.

In one recent study, researchers compared about 14,000 people who had gotten their first Moderna dose a year ago with 11,000 vaccinated eight months ago. As the delta variant surged in July and August, the more recently vaccinated group had a 36% lower rate of "breakthrough" infections compared with those vaccinated longer ago.

 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Surgeons who perform gender-affirming mastectomies know that they help patients. A new study led by Michigan Medicine researchers provides data to show exactly how.

The study, published in the Annals of Surgery, surveyed 70 patients six months after they'd received gender-affirming mastectomies to achieve a more masculine appearance. Patients scored higher on mental health measures, were more satisfied with their appearance and reported higher self-confidence in social settings and improved body image overall.

Megan Lane, M.D., a plastic surgery resident at Michigan Medicine and the first author on the paper, said the data validate what she sees in practice.

"There's not a lot of information out there about how exactly these types of surgeries help people," Lane said. "We're very thankful to have patients who were willing to do this study and follow up with us. The results are relatively dramatic."

Gender-affirming mastectomies, the most common gender-affirming operation, produce physical results for those seeking a more masculine chest appearance. Lane and colleagues wanted to quantify how they improved other, less visible measures, given the wealth of evidence that transgender people experience higher-than-normal levels of anxiety and depression and dissatisfaction with their body image.

Patients enrolled in the study were surveyed before their operations = and six months afterward using criteria that's been well tested and widely accepted in the scientific community. These scales measured anxiety, depression, body image, psychosocial and sexual functioning and patients' satisfaction with their decision, respectively.

All measures improved significantly after the procedures, and patients were highly satisfied with their surgical outcomes. Even though Lane has seen for herself how much these surgeries improve patients' lives, she was struck by the reported changes.

"I was surprised by how dramatic some of the results were," she said. "There are very few survey studies where you're going to find a 50-point improvement on a 100-point scale. We found this on multiple instruments. We knew this would improve most if not every single domain, but we were surprised by how much these measurements changed."

The scales the researchers chose for each health measure lend legitimacy to the findings, according to Lane, because they're widely used and allow for comparisons to other medical conditions.

Lane thought she was destined for another specialty until she rotated through plastic surgery as a student at the University of Michigan Medical School. Seeing gender-affirming surgery performed, and how happy the patients were afterward, pulled her in a different direction.

"For many people, the day they get their operation is life-changing," Lane said. "There are very few specialties in surgery where you get that opportunity."

Wide variation in state laws and insurance coverage put such life-changing results out of reach for many patients. Lane says the motivation behind this research is to influence policy by showing legislators and payers that gender-affirming surgery isn't simply about changing appearance. It's about changing other health measures influenced by gender dysphoria.

"I hope work like this will strengthen the argument that this is health care," Lane said. "These are not cosmetic procedures. That's the main argument for not covering it."

Explore further Gender-affirming surgery linked to better mental health in transgender people

More information: Megan Lane et al, Gender Affirming Mastectomy Improves Quality of Life in Transmasculine Patients, Annals of Surgery (2021). Journal information: Annals of Surgery Megan Lane et al, Gender Affirming Mastectomy Improves Quality of Life in Transmasculine Patients,(2021). DOI: 10.1097/SLA.0000000000005158
Effective population size over time, inferred using SMC++. Credit: Department of Human Genetics, Sidra Medicine, Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar

Researchers in Qatar have unveiled a high-resolution map of the genetic structure of Arab and Middle Eastern populations, providing new insights into human history in the region and ancestral patterns that may help to explain local human traits and disease risks.

Crucially, the Qatar study, published today in Nature Communications , reveals that ancient populations in the Arabian Peninsula played a far more central role in the story of early human migration out of Africa than was previously understood.

Developed by an international team led by Dr. Younes Mokrab and Dr. Khalid Fakhro from Sidra Medicine in Qatar, in collaboration with Qatar Genome Programme, it is the first large-scale analysis of the genetics of Arab and Middle Eastern populations. DNA from more than 6,000 people living in Qatar has been examined, with their genomes compared to those from other populations living around the world today, as well as ancient DNA.

Understanding the genetics of these under-characterized populations breaks down a barrier to precision medicine tailored to address disease risks unique to people with Middle Eastern ancestry.

The study revealed key novel historical and social insights into Arab populations:

A population split from early Africans occurred around 90,000 years ago, followed by a further split between 3042,000 years ago that gave rise to the ancestors of modern-day Arab, European, and South Asian populations. This is supported by the observation that Neanderthal DNA is far rarer in Arab populations than in populations that later mixed with ancient hominins.

Arab ancestral populations have undergone multiple splitting events 12,000 to 20,000 years ago, giving rise to various settling and Bedouin communities concurrent with the aridification of Arabia.

By comparing modern genomes to various ancient human DNA dating back to Paleolithic and Neolithic periods. Peninsular Arabs were found to be the closest relatives to so-called "Basal Eurasian' Neolithic farmers and hunter-gatherers who occupied the ancient Middle East.

The study found very high rates of homozygosity, which is likely to be a result of the tribal nature of Arab cultures, suggesting the suitability of this population in discovering novel disease risk genes and natural human knockouts.

Dr. Mokrab, head of the Medical and Population Genomics lab at Sidra Medicinewhich is a member of Qatar Foundationand Assistant Professor of Genomic Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine Qatar, said "Our in-depth genetic analyses of 6,218 Qatari genomes leverages the biggest dataset of this kind from the Middle East to date.

"Despite the relatively small size of the Qatari population, we discovered diverse ancestries relating to Europe, Asia, Africa and even South America. Notably we found a unique group of Peninsular Arabs as the most ancient of all modern Middle Eastern populations. This provides a fantastic addition to our knowledge of human genetic diversity."

Professor Asma Al Thani of Qatar Genome Programme said: "As producers of the largest genomic dataset in the region, we hold a responsibility as Qatar Genome Programme to represent our part of the world and fill many of the existing knowledge gaps on genomics of the Middle Eastern populations. This paper is a great example of the role that we play."

Dr. Khalid Fakhro, chief research officer at Sidra Medicine, said, "This work builds on the terrific momentum in human genome research taking place in Qatar, allowing us to appreciate, at unprecedented scale, the fascinating trajectory of different tribal ancestries across Arabia over the past millennia. We are discovering every day that modern day Qatar is an excellent proxy for the diverse Arab world, and future discoveries from this population will have tremendous implications for precision medicine for millions of Arabs everywhere."

The group of scientists have also analyzed mitochondrial and Y chromosome DNA of the subjects, which led to the discovery of novel makers among Arab males, supporting the ancient origins of Qataris in the Arabian Peninsula. Prof. Andy Clark, a member of the team and a population genetics expert at Weill Cornell New York said: "This is an exciting landmark effort that provided unprecedented power to study human ancestries of the Middle East. This data will help shape our understanding of disease risk and etiology in populations that have long been under-represented in world studies."

The results of the study are designed to be a benchmark for providing genomic medicine to the people of the Middle East and the Arab world. The researchers have used the data to build a reference panel to impute genetic variation, the first ever dedicated for Arab populations. It is expected to complement excising resources to increase the power to detect disease causing genes in these largely under-studied populations.

Dr. Said Ismail, director of Qatar Genome Programme, said, "This is a timely study that highlights the power of nation-wide genomics initiatives especially at a junction of human history and diversity such as Qatar."

Sidra Medicine is an academic research center in Qatar specialized in treating women and children and in implementing precision medicine in the Middle East. Qatar Genome Programmepart of Qatar Foundation Research, Development, and Innovationis a national initiative in Qatar generating large databases that combine whole genome sequencing and other omics data from the Qatari population, enabling researchers to make breakthrough discoveries and support the future direction of healthcare in Qatar.

Explore further Largest comprehensive Middle East GWAS reveals Arab genetic risk factors

More information: Rozaimi Mohamad Razali et al, Thousands of Qatari genomes inform human migration history and improve imputation of Arab haplotypes, Nature Communications (2021). Journal information: Nature Communications Rozaimi Mohamad Razali et al, Thousands of Qatari genomes inform human migration history and improve imputation of Arab haplotypes,(2021). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25287-y

Provided by Qatar Foundation
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

A researcher at the University of Missouri School of Medicine has discovered an enzyme that plays a key role in the ability of cancer cells to resist drug treatment.

Immunomodulatory drugs like thalidomide, lenalidomide and pomalidomide have improved the treatment of patients with multiple myeloma and other blood cancers. But almost all patients eventually develop resistance to these therapies.

Principal investigator Thang Van Nguyen, DVM, Ph.D., an assistant research professor in the Center for Precision Medicine, discovered that a protein called USP15 is highly expressed in cancer cells that become resistant to the standard immunomodulatory drugs.

"This USP15 protein protects the cancer cells from destruction by removing ubiquitin tags placed on the cells by the immunomodulatory drugs," Nguyen said. "Those tags initiate the cell degradation process. But if those tags are removed by USP15, the cancer cells will continue to grow and multiply."

Nguyen believes testing multiple myeloma patients for USP15 will help determine if a patient will be resistant to immunomodulatory drug therapy. That knowledge could lead to a more precise, customized treatment.

"This work could lead us to discover whether a USP15 inhibitor in combination with other drugs will be more effective to treat cancers," Nguyen said. "Further studies will be required to determine the best combination to improve clinical outcomes of patients with multiple myeloma and other types of cancer."

Nguyen's study was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.

Explore further Enzyme USP15 may have potential role in future treatment of various cancers

More information: Thang Van Nguyen, USP15 antagonizes CRL4CRBN-mediated ubiquitylation of glutamine synthetase and neosubstrates, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2021). Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Thang Van Nguyen, USP15 antagonizes CRL4-mediated ubiquitylation of glutamine synthetase and neosubstrates,(2021). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2111391118
A portrait of Dr James McCune Smith. Credit: University of Glasgow

New evidence has emerged of the first known paper to be published in a British Medical Journal by an African American.

Nineteenth century doctor James McCune Smith was a pioneer in the use of medical statistics which he used to expose a scandal that saw women subjected to a harmful experimental treatment for a sexually transmitted disease.

Research led by Professor Matthew Daniel Eddy, in the Department of Philosophy, at Durham University, UK, shows that Dr. McCune Smith published two research papers during the spring and summer of 1837 in the weekly journal the London Medical Gazette.

Using statistical evidence and interviews with the affected women Dr. McCune Smith revealed the dangerous practices of a senior hospital doctor, Professor Alexander Hannay, who used silver nitrate to treat women for gonorrhea at Glasgow's Lock Hospital.

Silver nitrate was normally used as a last resort and in low concentration to treat infected skin tissue or to stop bleeding.

Women treated by Professor Hannay reported painful burning sensations and one suffered a miscarriage.

Dr. McCune Smith's research also intimated that some patients died after they had received treatment.

James McCune Smith was born in 1813, the son of a runaway slave who had escaped to New York City.

Having had his medical school applications denied in the USA due to his race, he traveled to the UK in 1832 and trained in medicine at the University of Glasgow. He was the first African American to receive a medical doctorate from a university.

Professor Eddy found Dr. McCune Smith's London Medical Gazette papers in the National Library of Scotland, in Edinburgh.

The signature of Dr James McCune Smith from the archives of the University of Glasgow. Credit: University of Glasgow

He also worked with librarian Robert MacLean, in the University of Glasgow's Archives and Special Collections, where they were able to find Dr. McCune Smith's library borrowing record.

This showed he had taken the University's moral philosophy class, which encouraged students to judge the accuracy of statistics when making moral decisions.

Professor Eddy believes Dr. McCune Smith's university training at Glasgow fuelled his desire to research and write the papers published in the London Medical Gazette about the experimental treatment of women.

Professor Eddy, who is Chair in the History of Philosophy and Science, at Durham University, said that "James McCune Smith was a real pioneer of using data to examine the effectiveness of medical treatments from the perspective of both patients and physicians, something that is more readily practiced in the medical profession today.

"He was also extremely brave. Here was a young doctor, not long out of medical school, in a foreign country and the easiest thing for him to do when faced with his findings would have been to say nothing.

"Instead, he was willing to take on the establishment and use his skills to show that the practices of a much more senior doctor were arguably dangerous and harmful to the women who were being experimented on."

On returning to the USA, Dr. McCune Smith set up his own practice in New York and became a leading black physician, a tireless campaigner for the abolition of slavery, an activist and journalist.

In 2021 the University of Glasgow named its new learning hub in his honor.

Professor Eddy added that "James McCune Smith is a fascinating character who deserves to be celebrated as one of the great medical visionaries of his time whose patient-centered approach almost 200 years ago is still relevant to modern medical research."

More about Professor Matthew Eddy's research into the life and pioneering work of Dr. James McCune Smith can be read in The Conversation.

Explore further Gender differences in fear and risk perception during COVID-19
Duc Dong. Credit: Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute

Researchers from Sanford Burnham Prebys have discovered a new source of stem cells just outside the liver that could help treat people living with Alagille syndrome, a rare, incurable genetic disorder in which the bile ducts of the liver are absent, leading to severe liver damage and death.

The findings, published recently in the journal Hepatology, have extensive biomedical implications for Alagille syndrome and for liver disease in general, including cancer.

"We've been aware of the regenerative power of the liver for a long time, possibly even going back to the ancient Greek myth of Prometheus," says lead author Duc Dong, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Human Genetics Program at Sanford Burnham Prebys. "But the existence and nature of liver stem cells remains an intensely debated topic."

The new study suggests that the reason these cells have been so hard to find may be that researchers have been looking in the wrong place.

"The stem cells that we found are actually outside the liver, not within it, which may have made their discovery difficult," adds Dong. "We think these 'outside the box' liver stem cells act more like reserves, only traveling into the liver when all other options are exhausted. It only requires a few of these cells to enter the liver and multiply to repopulate all of the cells lost to the disease."

Over 4,000 babies each year are born with Alagille syndrome, which is caused by a mutation that prevents duct cells from forming in the liver. And while the syndrome can occasionally resolve naturally, and there are treatments available to manage the symptoms, the disease is incurable, carrying a 75% mortality rate by late adolescence for those without a liver transplant.

"We have known and supported Dr. Dong for years and we feel the work he and his team have done on this disease to date is extraordinary," says Cher Bork, Executive Director of the Alagille Syndrome Alliance. "Hope can be difficult to come by for families dealing with any incurable disease, and discoveries like this help give that hope back to families living with this life-dominating condition."

Using zebrafish, which have many of the same genes and cellular pathways as humans, Dong's research team were able to create a model of Alagille syndrome by selectively deactivating genes associated with Alagille syndrome. These genes encode for chemical messengers from the Notch pathway, a signaling system found in most animals that is involved in embryonic development and adult cell maintenance.

"Our work suggests that there is potential for liver regeneration in Alagille patients, but because this signaling pathway is mutated, the regenerative cells fail to fully mature into functioning liver duct cells," says Dong.

In further animal studies, the team showed that by genetically restoring this signaling pathway, the regenerative cells could remobilize to form liver ducts, restoring the function of the liver and improving survival. The researchers are now leveraging their discovery to develop new therapies for Alagille syndrome.

"We've shown not just that regeneration is possible in models of Alagille syndrome, but, importantly, how it can be enhanced," says Dong. "These missing duct cells can regenerate if Jagged/Notch is restored, and our lab has developed the first drug that can boost this pathway."

While the new drug requires further studies to advance into clinical trials, the team has already found that it could enhance regeneration and survival in animal models and can trigger the Notch pathway in cells from Alagille patients. These results will be published in separate studies.

"We're hopeful that this drug will restore the regenerative potential of the liver in Alagille patients, to be more like the liver of Prometheus," adds Dong.

Explore further New clues to treat Alagille syndrome from zebrafish

More information: Chengjian Zhao et al, Intrahepatic cholangiocyte regeneration from an Fgfdependent extrahepatic progenitor niche in a zebrafish model of Alagille Syndrome, Hepatology (2021). Journal information: Hepatology Chengjian Zhao et al, Intrahepatic cholangiocyte regeneration from an Fgfdependent extrahepatic progenitor niche in a zebrafish model of Alagille Syndrome,(2021). DOI: 10.1002/hep.32173
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

A new study, published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, finds that migrant communities may be an under-immunized group in Europe that have been affected by vaccine-preventable disease outbreaksincluding measles, chicken pox and hepatitis A. The results point to a need for improved health and vaccination systems to provide better care for migrant populations and ensure they have meaningful access to appropriate catch-up vaccination services after arrival in Europe, findings which have direct implications for COVID-19 vaccine roll out in the European region.

Funded by the NIHR and led by researchers from the Migrant Health Research Group at St George's, University of London, the systematic review included 45 studies, detailing 47 distinct outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases (measles, chicken pox, hepatitis A, rubella and mumps) involving migrants across 13 countries.

The results show a disproportionate burden of outbreaks among adult and child migrants living in hosting facilities such as camps and detention/reception centers. In these outbreaks, large numbers of migrants were often affected, for example, 351 migrants became infected with chicken pox in a camp in Calais.

The authors point to different vaccination strategies in the countries migrants arrive from as a key reason for the spread of outbreaks, with many coming from countries where healthcare systems have been disrupted due to instability. Migrants may have therefore missed key vaccines as children and subsequent boosters, and/or may not be aligned with the vaccine schedule of the hosting European countries. In addition, the authors write that migrants face considerable barriers to accessing vaccination services on arrival, with limited systems in place to deliver catch-up vaccination.

Since the large influx of migration in 2015, migrant camps have become a new feature in Europe and the numbers of forced migrants residing in overcrowded poor conditions has continued to increase. The paper adds that Greece alone hosted almost 40,000 migrants in temporary reception centers and tented camps in 2020, and these environments are conducive to the spread of vaccine-preventable disease, including COVID-19, in unvaccinated individuals.

With migration on the rise and COVID-19 shining a light on the importance of vaccine delivery in order to prevent outbreaks, the report highlights the need for more research to understand barriers and facilitators to vaccination for migrant populations. The authors add that better data collection is also needed to gain a deeper understanding of vaccine uptake and demand in migrant groups, with a greater focus on co-designing vaccine uptake strategies in collaboration with communities themselves.

Dr. Sally Hargreaves, senior author on the paper from St George's, University of London, said: "Our research shows that a clear policy shift is needed in vaccines and wider healthcare for migrant populations. There are tens of thousands of migrants across Europe operating outside of health and vaccination systems, and we need systems in place to align them with the host country's vaccination schedule on arrival and to ensure they are protected from vaccine-preventable diseases, including COVID-19.

"With COVID-19 vaccination we have begun to make better progress in reaching groups on the fringes of society, but now we need to develop this approach further and apply it to other routine vaccine-preventable diseases. Key to this is directly engaging communities and understanding what works to reduce hesitancy and barriers to vaccination in these populations, then designing and delivering innovative tailored and targeted strategies to improve vaccine coverage where needed."

Anna Deal MPhil, first author on the paper from St George's, University of London, added: "Vaccinations are known to be one of the most effective and cost-effective public health interventions, saving lives as well as the substantial amounts of money that is spent by health systems dealing with outbreaks. Our research ties closely with the goals of WHO's Immunization Agenda 2030, highlighting the importance of vaccination, and a need to reach everyone, everywhere, no matter their situation."

More information: Anna Deal et al, Migration and outbreaks of vaccine-preventable disease in Europe: a systematic review, The Lancet Infectious Diseases (2021). Journal information: Lancet Infectious Diseases Anna Deal et al, Migration and outbreaks of vaccine-preventable disease in Europe: a systematic review,(2021). DOI: 10.1016/S1473-3099(21)00193-6
Deputy Foreign Minister Belarus S.Aleinik takes part in the Second Ministerial Meeting of the Group of Friends in Defense of the UN Charter

On October 12, 2021 the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus, Sergei Aleinik, participated in the Second Ministerial Meeting of the Group of Friends in Defense of the UN Charter, that was held in Belgrade (Serbia) on the margins of the High-Level Meeting to mark the 60th Anniversary of the Non-Aligned Movement.

During the Meeting, S.Aleinik stressed the relevance of states' compliance with the principles and objectives of the UN Charter, which is a cornerstone document in the architecture of international law. The Deputy Minister emphasized the need for joint efforts to counter unilateral coercive measures that pose a threat both to the sustainable development of States and directly to their sovereignty and security.

Members of the Meeting of the Group of Friends adopted Political Declaration in order to confirm joint efforts aimed at protecting the goals and principles enshrined in the UN Charter.

Background Information: The Group of Friends is an informal association of like-minded states in the UN, which was created on the initiative of Venezuela in July 2021. The Group consists of Algeria, Angola, Belarus, Bolivia, Cambodia, China, North Korea, Cuba, Iran, Laos, Nicaragua, Palestine, Russia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Syria, Equatorial Guinea and Eritrea, Venezuela. The objectives of the Group are to resist unilateral coercive measures, to protect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the participating countries in accordance with the principles of international law, to promote joint initiatives aimed at protecting and strengthening the authority of the provisions of the UN Charter.

At the meeting with the Undersecretary of the Foreign Ministry for Diplomatic Affairs of Oman, Khalifa bin Ali bin Issa al-Harthy, issues of the development of political, trade and economic cooperation between the two countries were discussed. Special attention was paid to the enhancement of contacts between states, organizing visits at various levels. The sides exchanged views on the current issues on the international agenda.

The expansion of trade and economic cooperation and mutual support within multilateral organizations were discussed at the meetings with the Senior Political Advisor to the President of Eritrea ,Yamane Ghebreab, and the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the Russian Federation, Ahmed Alsaati.



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Ballots for the Nov. 2 general election will be headed to Missoula voters' mailboxes on Wednesday.

Missoula County's Election Office announced on Tuesday morning that approximately 73,506 ballots will be mailed out. The election is all-mail, and return postage is prepaid.

Polling places will not be open on election day. Late voter registration ends on Nov. 1 at noon and at this point any changes need to be made in person at the elections office. This includes registering to vote  there is no longer same-day registration due to changes in state law.

If voters missed the primary election, now is the time to make sure their information is current with the Elections Office, Elections Administrator Bradley Seaman said in a news release. The best way to ensure you will be able to vote in this election is to register or make any changes by noon on Monday, Nov. 1."

Six city council seats  Wards 1 through 6  as well as three municipal judge positions and Missoula's mayor will be decided in the election. There are also two ballot measures regarding countywide marijuana tax laws.

The first is a 3% tax on non-medical marijuana purchases, while the second is for a 3% tax on medical marijuana purchases.

On Jan. 1, 2022, marijuana will be recreationally legal in Montana.

Incumbent John Engen and Jacob Elder are squaring off for the mayoral seat.

There are six wards in the city, each represented by two councilors. Six spots, one in each ward, are being contested in this election. Jennifer Savage and Jane VanFossen are competing for the Ward 1 seat, while incumbent Jordan Hess is being challenged by Rebecca Dawson in Ward 2.

In Ward 3, Dori Gilels and Daniel Carlino are competing for a position as are Mike Nugent and Alan Ault in Ward 4. Stacie Anderson, the Ward 5 incumbent, is being challenged by Bob Campbell. Kristen Jordan and Tom Taylor are the candidates in Ward 6.

Due to changes in state law, Missoula will also go from having one elected judge to three elected judges. The candidates in Department 1 are Jennifer Streano and Sam Warren with Thorin Geist and Eli Parker competing in Department 2. In Department 3, Ethan Lerman and Jacob Coolidge are squaring off.

Jordan Hansen covers news and local government for the Missoulian. Shout at him on Twitter @jordyhansen or send him an email at Jordan.Hansen@Missoulian.com

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Roughly 150 people braved the cold Monday and gathered at the Missoula County Courthouse for a call to action and a rally on Indigenous Peoples Day.

It's a day recognized by the city government here and by several other communities in Montana but not by the state government, which acknowledges the second Saturday in October as Columbus Day.

The first speaker was Shelly Fyant, the chair of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes.

Weve come here today to celebrate, she said. Every day is Indigenous Peoples Day to the people who are Indigenous to this land.

In the Salish language, the word for human beings is a combination of the words for flesh and land, she said.

Our every step upon this land is a prayer, she said. We try very hard to conduct ourselves light on the land, covering our tracks so as to leave the earth the same, or maybe even better than we found it.

Fyant said the dominant majority would be wise to listen to Indigenous voices.

Our traditional ecological knowledge is time-tested, proven for millennia, living in reciprocity with our Mother, she said. She will continue to provide and care for us only if we take care of her.

The creation stories of Indigenous people are reminders that human beings speak for all life forms that dont have a voice, including animals and plants.

We respect all those life sources equally, she said. We have to care for them, to speak for their protection, especially in these modern times."

Respect for all human beings is important, she said.

"Even those who have disrespected us since contact," Fyant said. "Those who practiced genocide and later erasure. The government, churches and educational institutions were all a part of that dark history of stolen land, language and culture.

Monday was about beginning the long-overdue process of mutual understanding, reconciliation and healing moving forward, she said.

Fyant, like other speakers, called on the state to officially recognize Indigenous Peoples Day.

During the state legislative session this past winter, Sen. Shane Morigeau, D-Missoula, sponsored a bill that would strike Columbus Day from state law and replace it with Indigenous Peoples Day. Although a large number of speakers testified in favor, the bill wasnt supported by enough lawmakers and failed.

In 2015, Patrick Weasel Head made it a priority, as the only Native American member of the Missoula City Council, to have the day recognized by the city. Native Americans account for more than 6% of Montana's population, the fourth-highest percentage in the country.

On Monday, Morigeau said hell keep up the fight to get statewide recognition.

I think its important that we have a day that we can come together and recognize each other and appreciate each other, Morigeau said. Not a day to celebrate a man who committed really egregious atrocities on innocent people, sex trafficking girls as young as age 9. This should not be a day where were honoring somebody like that or celebrating somebody like that.

Dr. Karla Bird, an enrolled member of the Blackfeet Nation and the president of Blackfeet Community College in Browning, said Indigenous activists have been crucial in the push to set aside sacred public lands for protection from industrial development. Their victories include Bears Ears National Monument, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument.

Additionally, Indigenous climate activists in the U.S. and Canada have stopped or delayed greenhouse gas pollution equivalent to at least one-quarter of annual U.S. and Canadian emissions, she said.

Indigenous protesters played a huge role in fighting the Keystone XL pipeline, and several tribes in Montana filed suit against the pipeline.

Today, we acknowledge that traditional knowledge can fuel solutions that can guide intersectional and inclusive environmental policy, Bird concluded. Thank you all for your continued advocacy efforts and lets use today to celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day.

A variety of activities to celebrate the day were also held on the University of Montana campus on Monday, including ethnobotany tours at the Payne Family Native American Center and a presentation by the UM Pacific Islanders Club.

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A woman who gave birth to a premature baby and remains in hospital fighting for her life against Covid has been denied a lung transplant by her health insurers.

Gabriela Acuna delayed getting vaccinated due to her pregnancy, and caught the virus in August, according to her sister Paula Olmeda. Her condition rapidly deteriorated and she was admitted to hospital with failing lungs and heart.

On a GoFundMe page set up by Ms Olmeda, she says her sisters care was complicated by her pregnancy and the hospital held off using a ventilator and other treatments because of risk to the foetus. Her family was unable to visit her due to Covid restrictions at the hospital.

Ms Olmeda wrote: Gaby fought and fought for 2 weeks as her family watched helplessly through FaceTime. Everyone wanted the baby to reach at least 30 weeks before they would take him out but at 26 weeks pregnant she was dying, and her heart was now at risk.

After an emergency caesarian section, Ms Acunas baby Ryden was born weighing just 1 pound and 10 ounces on September 13.

Having survived multiple lungs collapses and a cardiac arrest, Ms Acuna was then told she needed a lung transplant and was approved for the procedure.

Her family was told she would be airlifted from her Las Vegas hospital to a specialist California unit, but Nevada Medicaid denied the treatment at the last minute, and the helicopter that had arrived to collect Ms Acuna flew off without her.

The family learned the following day that the state of Nevada does not approve lung transplants.

There are no words to describe that moment, said Ms Olmeda.

According to News 3LV Nevada Medicaid said in a statement: A lung transplant is not a covered service with Nevada Medicaid.

Ms Olmeda said: I cannot, will not let my sister die when her baby is waiting for her, when she came back from the dead and continues to fight for her life. I know shes on borrowed time. She cannot survive in her current state.

So far the GoFundMe page has raised $47,457 of its $2,500,000 goal, which is the amount needed for the surgery.

Story continues

Ms Aucunas family is appealing the Medicaid decision.

The Independent has contacted Nevada Medicaid for comment.

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In July, Lori Carlson joined MPD as our community resource coordinator (CRC). This position is a combination of community liaison, outreach coordinator, social worker, counselor and victim advocate rolled into one. It is the first of its kind at the department and significantly improves our ability to provide a holistic approach to the problem of domestic violence. Experience has shown us that people in crisis situations, such as being abused at the hand of an intimate partner, need help from others and they often do not have the wherewithal to escape the situation alone. The CRC steps in to facilitate and manage service referrals for victims of domestic violence. These referrals are generally received from officers who encounter individuals in need on calls for service or are simply met during their day. The goal is to increase victim access to legal, health, faith-based, governmental, or other support services as determined through an assessment by the CRC and to reduce repeat victimization.
LONDON (AP)  Paul McCartney has revisited the breakup of The Beatles, flatly disputing the suggestion that he was responsible for the group's demise.

Speaking on an episode of BBC Radio 4's "This Cultural Life" that is scheduled to air on Oct. 23, McCartney said it was John Lennon who wanted to disband The Beatles.

"I didn't instigate the split," McCartney said. "That was our Johnny."

The band's fans have long debated who was responsible for the breakup, with many blaming McCartney. But McCartney said Lennon's desire to "break lose" was the main driver behind the split.

Confusion about the breakup was allowed to fester because their manager asked the band members to keep quiet until he concluded a number of business deals, McCartney said.

The interview comes ahead Peter Jackson's six-hour documentary chronicling the final months of the band. "The Beatles: Get Back," set for release in November on Disney+, is certain to revisit the breakup of the legendary band. McCartney's comments were first reported by The Observer.
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October 12, 2021 by Jill Dvorkin

Category: Climate Change , MRSC News and Updates



Editor's note: Due to a coding error, images in the original post were out of order.

In late July, as part of its Local Climate Response Project, MRSC distributed a survey to local government staff and officials with the following goals:

to better understand local concerns regarding climate change impacts;

to learn about ongoing local climate-related efforts;

to assess the need for and interest in climate-related resources; and

to identify opportunities for local climate-related work going forward.

MRSC received responses from 164 individuals from jurisdictions throughout the state ranging in size and type. MRSC staff reviewed the results and compiled this Climate Survey Report. The report evaluates the responses to each question by jurisdiction type, jurisdiction size, and region of the state, and includes some observations based on the results. The other jurisdiction category includes special purpose districts such as ports and water/sewer districts, as well as tribal jurisdictions.

The responses were divided almost evenly between geographic regions, although the types of jurisdictions reflected in each region varied as shown below. (A few respondents did not specify which jurisdiction they worked for, so a region could not be determined.) The regions are based on the Growth Management Hearings Board regions. Eastern Washington encompasses everything east of the Cascades; Central Puget Sound includes King, Kitsap, Pierce, and Snohomish counties; and Western Washington includes everything west of the Cascades and outside the Central Puget Sound region.

Number of Respondents by Jurisdiction Type and Region Jurisdiction Type Eastern WA Central Puget Sound Western WA Total City 31 29 16 76 County 9 5 15 29 Other 10 16 20 46 Total 50 50 51 151

This blog post will highlight some key takeaways from the survey.

Climate Survey Reponses

While it is worth reviewing the Survey Report in detail, there are some high-level observations about the survey results worth noting:

A majority of respondents indicated significant concerns about the impacts of climate change. There is ample opportunity for local climate-related action. Local governments need resources and expertise to meaningfully address climate effects.

This section will provide a summary of these key takeaways.

#1. Significant Concerns Expressed

A majority of respondents indicated significant concerns about the impacts of climate change. Perhaps not surprisingly during a summer of historic heat waves and wildfires (and coinciding with the release of a grave new UN International Panel on Climate Change Report), most survey respondents expressed concerns about the impacts of climate change on their communities. Of the climate impacts included in the survey, respondents were most concerned about extreme heat, wildfires, and drought -- although other effects such as extreme rain/snow events, water scarcity, and flooding ranked high, as well. Some respondents wrote in additional concerns about climate impacts on ecosystem health, ocean acidification, and water quality.

The concern about different impacts varied throughout the state. From the Survey Report:

[R]espondents from Eastern and Western Washington noted that wildfires, drought, and extreme heat were of most concern to them. In the Central Puget Sound region, extreme rain/snow events and extreme heat were of most concern. Respondents in Western Washington had the highest concern about flooding and sea level rise, while respondents in Eastern Washington expressed the least concern about those issues.

#2. Opportunity for Local Climate-Related Action

There is ample opportunity for local climate-related action. Survey results reveal that there are opportunities for local action to:

engage with community members most impacted by climate change,

identify and reduce sources of local greenhouse gas emissions, and

take measures to adapt to/become more resilient to climate impacts.

Equity & climate change

Of the jurisdictions represented in the survey results, most have not taken steps to engage with those who are experiencing the first and worst effects of climate change  the type of engagement that is central to equity in climate planning.

With that said, a large majority of respondents expressed interest in learning more about various strategies to engage with and to address impacts to those communities hardest hit by climate change. Of particular interest was having access to data to help understand localized climate impacts and emergency response planning for those experiencing the worst consequences of climate change.

Greenhouse gas emissions reduction opportunities

Another key area of opportunity is local greenhouse gas emission reduction through adoption of local policies and strategies. Only about a quarter of survey participants indicated that their jurisdiction has adopted or is in the process of drafting a climate action plan (CAP)  an important and comprehensive planning tool for local climate action (see Climate Change: What Can Local Governments Do? for more on CAPs).

Closer to 35% responded that their jurisdiction has conducted a greenhouse gas emissions inventory and/or targets. More jurisdictions have implemented various standalone greenhouse gas reduction strategies, such as installation of public electric vehicle charging stations (47% ), policies supporting walking, biking, and use of public transit (48%), and policies that advance energy conservation and efficiency (27%). These results show there is room for adoption of more policies at the local level to limit emissions  either standalone or as part of a comprehensive strategy. However, as noted in the Survey Report, the results should be understood within their proper context:

[S]ome climate strategies may not apply to certain jurisdictions or may not be politically or financially feasible for others. For instance, the climate-related strategies of many special purpose districts may be limited primarily to the agencys own capital facilities and operations, while cities and counties have much broader authority, such as land use and transportation planning and implementation.

A separate question asked what operational/capital facilities efforts local agencies are pursuing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. About a third of respondents indicated that their agencies are not pursuing any such efforts. Of the actions local agencies are taking internally, energy retrofits of existing buildings and commitment to purchasing electric or low emissions vehicles ranked highest. About a third of jurisdictions had adopted employee-focused strategies that would reduce vehicle miles traveled such as telecommuting and offering free transit passes. Many of these internal operational changes could not only result in emissions reduction benefits, but also financial benefits.

Local adaptation and resiliency efforts

Despite climate-related events increasing in frequency and intensity, over a quarter of respondents indicated that their jurisdictions are not engaged in any efforts to prepare for and adapt to climate change. With that said, many jurisdictions do appear to be taking meaningful steps such as emergency management planning and coordination with other jurisdictions or agencies to prepare for various impacts.

#3. Local Governments Need Resources and Expertise

A final takeaway is that local governments and agencies need financial resources and technical expertise to meaningfully address climate impacts. Local governments also face the challenge of competing public priorities and lack of political will to take action locally.

What Will MRSC Do with This Information?

This survey was an initial step in gathering information and assessing local needs. MRSC is using these results to inform its ongoing Local Climate Response Project, which will include updated climate-related web resources, trainings, and blog posts.

Registration is now open for the Developing a Local Climate Action Strategy: Approaches for Washington Local Governments webinar on November 15, the first in a series of three climate-related trainings offered at no cost. The presenters will provide insights from their involvement with the Thurston Climate Mitigation Plan planning process, as well as share tools and resources to assist local governments in their local climate planning efforts.

MRSC is also sharing these results with association and agency partners, including Association of Washington Cities (AWC) and the Department of Commerce, both of which are also embarking on important climate-related efforts for local governments. AWC will be hosting the Climate Resilience Forum on November 10.

Finally, check our Climate Change webpage often for Local Climate Response Project and new webpage updates. The new web resources will include an interactive map linking to climate-related policies and plans from around Washington State, links to resources including available financial and technical assistance, and topic pages focused on climate equity, greenhouse gas emissions reductions strategies, and climate adaptation/resilience.

MRSC is a private nonprofit organization serving local governments in Washington State. Eligible government agencies in Washington State may use our free, one-on-one Ask MRSC service to get answers to legal, policy, or financial questions.
DILLON  A judge sentenced 21-year-old Sandy Rose Moore to 40 years in the Montana Womens Prison on Tuesday for strangling an older boyfriend to death in a rental home they shared here.

District Judge Luke Berger agreed with prosecutors that Moore deserved the maximum sentence for mitigated deliberate homicide in the January 2020 death of 49-year-old Larry Coon. Berger said he had no doubt Moore had gone through tough times in life and needed extensive mental-health treatment.

But, he said, "You can't snap and kill someone. I know that sounds basic but I want to explain this to you basically."

Moore pleaded guilty to the charge in June, saying she got into a heated argument with Coon and was in extreme emotional duress when he then threatened to call child protective services on a family member. She said she grabbed a rope, put it around his neck and strangled him.

Defense attorney Walter Hennessey told Berger Tuesday that Moore was low functioning, subject to manipulation and suffered trauma at a young age. A 25-year sentence would provide adequate punishment while allowing her to receive treatment and someday rejoin society, he said.

He said the only person Moore truly cherished and tried to protect was her sister, and that was who Coon threatened to call protective services about.

Moore told Berger on Tuesday she was sorry for killing Coon and thought about it every night.

If given a chance, I would really like to make amends and correct what I did wrong, even though I know I have to live with the guilt of what Ive done, Moore said. Theres no way I can get rid of that guilt. Ill always have to live with it.

But Thorin Geist, who joined Beaverhead County Attorney Jed Fitch in prosecuting the case, balked at suggestions Moore only acted in the heat of the moment.

It took more than a moment for the defendant to wrap a cord around Mr. Coons neck, Geist said. It took more than a moment to pull it tight and it took more than a moment to hold it there until he stopped struggling.

This is a case where the victim would have known what was happening, he said. He didnt die in a moment. He would have realized that his attempts to save himself were for naught.

Prosecutors initially charged Moore with deliberate homicide, which is punishable by death, life in prison or up to 100 years. But in a plea deal, she pleaded guilty to mitigated homicide, meaning it was committed under the influence of extreme mental or emotional stress for which there is a reasonable explanation or excuse.

Under Montana law, the mitigating circumstances are not an element of the reduced crime that the state or defense is required to prove but either side can present evidence of mitigation.

Two others  Christina VanDuinen and Kerry Samuel Johnson  were accused of trying to conceal Coons death. VanDuinen and Johnson were charged with obstruction of justice and VanDuinen was also charged with tampering with evidence.

VanDuinen, 25, pleaded guilty to the tampering charge Tuesday and faces up to 10 years in prison when sentenced. She is already serving time for a separate and previous drug possession conviction and could be sentenced to more time for the tampering conviction.

Johnson, 56, pleaded not guilty to the obstruction charge and his case is still pending.

According to prosecutors, Johnson indicated on Jan. 11, 2020, he might know the location of a dead body. He told police he had been at Coons home to fix the washer and dryer and found Coons wallet but he wasnt there. He said Moore was acting strange and nervous.

Police went to the home and after Moore first refused them admittance, she let officers inside, saying she and Coon had argued and he was out for a walk to calm himself.

Police found Coons body between the washer and dryer, with a plastic bag over his head, in a position that indicated the body had been moved. Moore was arrested immediately.

At Tuesdays sentencing hearing, licensed clinical counselor Jennifer Miller said she had treated Moore in 2019 for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. She said Moore had been kidnapped once by a man in her youth and also suffered from child abuse.

Moore was somewhat slow and was prone to making rash decisions, but given the right inpatient psychotherapy, was treatable, Miller said.

But three of Coons sisters provided statements saying Moore had taken their brothers life and deserved the maximum sentence. Letters from two of them were read in court and the other, Lori Ann Ford, appeared via Zoom from the Montana Womens Prison, where shes serving time for repeated DUIs.

I will never be able to tell my brother Larry goodbye, she said. Who gave you the right to take that opportunity away from me?

Berger called the case tragic and noted the mental issues Moore has faced. But he said those were among mitigating considerations behind the plea deal that lessened the charge and possible prison time.

He also told Moore she would be eligible for parole after serving a quarter of her sentence, plus she was getting 641 days of credit for jail time already served. The Parole Board was better suited to decide then if she was capable of going free, he said.

But he said she deserved the maximum sentence given the nature of the crime and the need to protect society.

I can look at you today and I can tell that you know that you messed up, the judge said. And you said that this is going to haunt you for the rest of your life. Good. I hope it does. I want you to think about it the rest of your life because that is what you brought on yourself.

Fitch, the county attorney, said it was the states decision to modify the charge and he was pleased the judge imposed the maximum sentence allowed for such a conviction.

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After more than a year of battling COVID, employers are in for another fight: finding and hiring great talent and keeping the great employees they already have. Recruiting and retaining talent is at the heart of the Montana Top Workplaces program, which is underway for the second year.

Any organization with 35 or more employees in Montana is eligible to compete for 2022 Top Workplaces recognition. The program identifies the best employers in the state as determined by the people who know best: the employees. Its an ideal way for employers to stand out in the job market, and its a way to make sure employers and employees are on the same page.

Nomination deadline is Nov. 12. Anyone can nominate any organization, whether it is public, private, and nonprofit, a school, or even a government agency. To nominate an employer, just go to https://topworkplaces.com/nominate/montana or call (406) 206-9789.

Workplaces are evaluated by employees using a short 24-question survey that takes about five minutes to complete. Before surveying employees, Energage contacts employers to verify they choose to participate. Montana companies will be surveyed from October to February. Energage, the Pennsylvania-based survey partner for the project, conducts Top Workplaces surveys for media in 59 markets nationwide and surveyed more than 2 million employees at more than 8,000 organizations in the past year.

After gathering data from employee questionnaires, Energage crunches all the numbers from across the state and informs those employers who have earned the distinction of being named a Montana Top workplace.

Through the Top Workplaces survey process, organizations get the data they need to recruit the right talent and the insights they need to retain that talent, said Eric Rubino, Energage CEO. If COVID taught us anything, its that asking questions and listening to employees is critical to navigating this new world of work. More than ever, you need to be more intentional about your culture.

In 2021 we spotlighted 12 companies as Top Workplaces in Montana. In 2022, the top companies will again be honored in a virtual event broadcast statewide and featured in a special print section that will be inserted into the Billings Gazette, the Helena Independent Record, The Montana Standard in Butte, the Missoulian and the Ravalli Republic in Hamilton.

More than 2,700 employees were invited to survey last year, and 1,846 responded. For the 2022 campaign, the results will be published mid-year.

Why participate? Its more than just the well-deserved bragging rights that come with the honor, though impressing your clients  and competitors  is a great benefit. Being selected a Montana Top Workplace also will raise an employers profile and serve as a strong recruiting tool.

The survey reveals the passion of employees for their jobs and gratitude for their employers. Here are some examples:

I work for a company that shows appreciation for the people in it. I love the people I work with, and look forward to the time when we can be together again. I love my job because we had the opportunity to continue working at home during this worldwide pandemic.  An employee from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana.

Everyone works as a team and looks out for one another. The work environment is so positive, and everyone helps team members learn from mistakes. Everyone is so caring, and it makes work feel more like home.  An employee from Missoula Bone & Joint and Surgery Center.

PureWest has given me the opportunity to have a work/life balance that I never had before and I appreciate the flexibility of the company to work with its employees on any matter.  An employee from PureWest Christie's International Real Estate of Montana.

The honor allows winners to celebrate that recognition with its employees, building their pride in their workplace.

Love where you work? We welcome your entry. Its time for Montana to spotlight its best.

Anita Fasbender is publisher of the The Montana Standard.

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Students, staff and others in the University of Montana community are calling for computer science professor Rob Smith to be fired after the student newspaper reported on several of his blog posts and videos that made troubling statements about women, Muslims and individuals who are LGBTQ.

Smith is currently employed as a tenured faculty member at this minute, according to UM spokesperson Dave Kuntz. The university is launching an investigation into the situation.

I am personally disgusted by the homophobic and misogynistic views that were reported in the Montana Kaimin," UM President Seth Bodnar said in a statement on Monday.

"Building a culture of respect, empowerment and equity is foundational to our mission at UM as well as personally important to me," Bodnar added. "I have directed the appropriate university officials to take immediate action to address this matter through investigatory and supportive measures."

Smith has run a blog called Upward Thought since 2013 and joined the university as an associate professor in July 2014, according to his LinkedIn profile.

In one post, he encourages men of all ages to engage in relationships with women as close to 18 as possible because they begin to lose value after the age of 16. In another, he states that crises around child sex trafficking and pedophilia are driven by sins of accepting queer and transgender people.

In January 2017, Smith authored a post titled Muslim Immigration: Stacking the deck to fulfill prophecy.

The fact is that one cannot both be a peaceful Muslim and a faithful Muslim, Smith wrote. In other words, Muslims are only peaceful to the degree that they are not Muslims.

Smith supports his claims by citing the Bible and and Mormon texts. The blog frequently links to a YouTube channel of the same name with 304 subscribers. The Kaimin reported that Smith was excommunicated from the Mormon church.

Smith could not be reached for comment for this story.

His blog posts have been largely deleted or archived since the Kaimin first began reporting on the issue. The newspaper saved PDFs of his blog posts to its website.

The only remaining blog post is titled The next phase of this blog and was published on Sept. 29. Smith writes that the blog's content is derived from scripture.

While this blog has always been public, it has never been written for a general audience. It presupposes specific foundational beliefs, Smith wrote in the post.

It is odd to me that anyone who does not believe the scripture would spend their time on this blog, let alone looking for things they don't agree with, of which there are surely many, he continued.

I expected that there would be a time when this format would no longer be sufficient, and it seems that time has come, the post said.

Smith wrote that he spent some time analyzing the cost and benefit of maintaining the blog and ultimately decided that the costs outweigh the benefits. He alluded to editing previous posts to make them more suitable for general audiences, but said those are unlikely to be republished anytime soon due to book projects.

In the wake of the Kaimins reporting, students on campus have organized a website, a Change.org petition and a Facebook page calling for Smith to be fired.

One of those students is Betta Lyon Delsordo, a UM senior pursuing a double major in computer science and Spanish with certificates in cybersecurity and global leadership. She first learned about Smiths blog posts in early October.

Lyon Delsordo has not had Smith as a professor or advisor for an internship because she deliberately structured her class schedule to avoid him after her sister told her about her own negative experiences with him, she said.

Knowing that this kind of person is in my department and is someone whos supposed to be a role model and inspiring people to be the best that they can be in this field is really disheartening, Lyon Delsordo said.

Computer science is a largely male-dominated profession. Lyon Delsordo has been passionate about engaging young girls with computer science for the past six years and tells them that technology has the power to change the world and that women need to be a part of that change.

The things that technology can do are very scary, but they can also be very powerful and thats why we need to have more women in the field, Lyon Delsordo said. When we just leave that power to guys like Rob, then the things that theyre going to do with technology can be very scary.

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Were political scientists, not partisans. We study elections and voter behavior. But it doesnt take a Ph.D. to know that something is wrong with our politics. Instead of rewarding compromise, our system increases the division between us and leaves voters with unappealing choices.

Democracy requires choice. In a functioning electoral system, candidates compete for your vote and you choose the person best representing your values. But this isnt working in Montana. Take our primary system  most party primaries are not competitive. Over the past five election cycles, state legislative races featuring an incumbent saw no challenger more than 80% of the time on average.

Uncompetitive elections allow incumbents to kowtow to party extremists with little consequence. Not only are many primary elections bereft of challengers, roughly 70% of Montana legislators faced no major party competition in general elections over the past decade. Thats great for politicians, but terrible for voters who have no recourse to hold their elected representative accountable.

To honor the cherished independence of Montanans, abolish partisan primaries. Lets have every candidate run on the same ballot in the primary and allow every eligible voter, regardless of party, to nominate candidates. Instead of just two candidates advancing to the November general election, the top four finishers should.

By creating a top-four primary system, we can inject competition into primary elections, attract more voter participation, and force legislators to heed a wider array of voices and views at every stage of the electoral process. As Austin Ramirez, co-founder of Democracy Found, puts it, I think you could very well implement this election system and not change a single person that we send to Washington  but dramatically change how they behave.

Another problem with our current system is that candidates often win with less than a majority of the vote  which is precisely what happened in the 2017 special election sending Republican Greg Gianforte to the U.S. House and the 2006 election sending Democrat Jon Tester to the U.S. Senate. To address this lets give voters the option of ranking candidates: first choice, second choice, third choice, etc. The candidate with the most support wins.

Ranked choice voting (RCV) is an election system wherein voters rank-order any number of candidates by preference. This raises the likelihood that a candidate with a broad base of support will win due to the instant-runoff feature that eliminates the lowest vote-getter and counts the second and third choice votes until a candidate gets a majority. This makes each vote matter more  even if your top candidate is eliminated, your vote will be shifted to your second preference, and so forth, ensuring a more optimal aggregate outcome.

This system incentivizes candidates to appeal to a broader swath of the electorate  not just partisan loyalists  as each candidate isnt just competing for each voters first choice votes, theyre also competing for the second and third choice votes. RCV also eliminates the temptation for the major parties to play games with third party candidates to gain an edge in the general election.

We anticipate that our recommendations may induce anxiety among Montana politicians. Concerns that these reforms may benefit one of the major parties or other may be common. These concerns would be better founded if only one of Montanas status quo institutions was replaced. For example, doing away with nonpartisan primaries may benefit Democrats, whereas only instituting RCV may benefit Republicans. Replacing both partisan primaries and the plurality winner system in Montana would not clearly advantage either party, but would be a boon for the democratic health of the Last, Best Place.

David C.W. Parker is a professor of political science at Montana State University. Kal Munis is a sixth-generation Montanan and an assistant professor of political science at Utah Valley University. The opinions expressed here are their own and not those of their employers.

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For the 2020 fiscal year, Deere & Co. net income totaled $2.751 billion, according to the company. For 2021, income is projected to be $3.6 billion to $4 billion.

We were not being recognized as the contributor to that, another union worker said. I'd like to see the record profits, quarter after quarter, show some of the same love in which they show the shareholders.

Office workers receive better treatment and more acknowledgement and appreciation for their work, while production workers are treated as second-class citizens, they said. Any past appreciation, like parties or gifts for exceptional employees, have disappeared.

Retirement plans were also cut back for new employees, the employee said.

Those hired before 1997 have a full pension and health care plan when they retire. Those who joined the company after 1997 have a smaller pension and a 401K, but no health care. Under the contract voted down Sunday, those hired on or after Nov. 1 would only have a 401K.

"Right now they're trying to get us to basically cut the throat of the next generation coming in behind us, where they won't even have the retirement which we have," the employee said. "And we're not happy with what we've got."
The Quad-Cities remain in the red.

It's the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's color code for the highest level of community transmission of COVID-19.

Case rates are now comparable to earlier this summer, when Scott and Rock Island counties moved from "moderate" levels of community transmission to "substantial" levels. On July 30, Scott County had a seven-day positivity rate of 8.02%, while Rock Island County's seven-day positivity rate checked in at 6.82%.

On Monday, the rates were 8.5% in Scott County and 6.61% in Rock Island County.

But there is one startling difference between now and the summer: hospitalizations.

As of Friday, Oct. 8, the CDC reported 23 COVID-19 hospitalizations in Scott County during the previous seven days and Rock Island County reported 15 in the same span. During the summer spike, hospitalizations averaged closer to nine in Scott County and three in Rock Island.

The most current numbers from UnityPoint Health-Trinity and Genesis Health System showed 69 people hospitalized with COVID-19 across the Quad-Cities area.
The Iowa Democratic Party on Monday asked the Office of Congressional Ethics to investigate U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks' 2020 financial disclosure, saying the ophthalmologist representing Iowas 2nd Congressional District omitted information.

Im very concerned Mariannette Miller-Meeks doesnt want to play by the rules and she doesnt think transparency is important, Iowa Democratic Party Chair Ross Wilburn said Monday.

Miller-Meeks filed her new filer financial disclosure report Aug. 13. The two-page report says none disclosed for assets and unearned income, liabilities, positions or agreements, The Gazette reported on Sept. 17.

For her earned income for 2020, Miller-Meeks reported $100,000 for her salary as a U.S. representative, although she didnt start that job until January 2021. Its possible she intended that amount to represent the share of her $174,000 congressional salary shed been paid through Aug. 13, when the report was filed.

Miller-Meeks did not list her $25,000 annual salary from the Iowa Senate, where she served from January 2019 to January 2021. Will Kiley, a spokesman for Miller-Meeks, told The Gazette on Sept. 15 his boss would update her form to add her Iowa Senate salary, but no update had been filed as of Monday.
King Soopers shooting suspect Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, 21, appears before Boulder District Court Judge Thomas Mulvahill at the Boulder County Justice Center in Boulder, Colorado on March 25, 2021.
Untalan Middle School robotics teacher Roz Pama conducts a class behind a transparent safety barrier on Monday at the Barrigada campus. Classrooms have been outfitted with temperature check monitors, hand sanitizers, mask supplies and safety barriers, among other equipment.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott speaks at the annual National Rifle Association convention in Dallas, Texas on May 4, 2018.
Read the following case study and write an answer to each of the following 4 questions.

The Queensland Health Payroll Fiasco

There are many reasons why projects of any kind fail. Analysts point to insufficient resources, inappropriate resource allocations, poor communications, and misaligned goals among many other options as possible causes of why projects fail to come in on time or on budget. However, when the project fails because of all of those concerns (as well as many other contributing factors), the high level of disappointment is often overwhelmed by the excessive economic cost of the debacle. Such is the case with the Queensland AU Health sector digital payroll disaster.

They Just Needed an Updated Payroll System

The Queensland Health System (QHS) provides public healthcare services to Australia's Queensland province. The sector has over 65,000 workers employed in its Department of Health and its 16 Health and Hospital departments. In 2006, QHS was looking for a replacement for its then soon-to-be-obsolete payroll system, support for which was set to expire in 2008. In December 2007, the agency finally contracted with IBM Australia to design and implement a new system at a budget of AU $6.9 M, deliverable in July 2008.

Early Signs of an Impending Fiasco

From its very beginning, several factors were playing into the project's ultimately disastrous conclusion:

Insufficient Calculations of Scope and Term

The complexity of the project was immense and involved the management of over 24,000 differing combinations of wage payments and withholdings for over 80,000 workers and subcontractors. Because of the fear that the existing system was in imminent danger of immediate failure, IBM agreed to take just seven months to develop and implement an "Interim Solution" to tide the agency over until a full replacement became operational.

Within that seven months, only two weeks were set aside at the beginning of the project to scope out the "critical business requirements" needed by the agency and the digital solutions that would respond to those demands. Not surprisingly, the lack of identifiable objectives was a significant cause of the project's abject bungling.

Inexperienced "Leadership"

Despite its affiliation with a global digital leader, this was IBM Australia's first attempt at delivering a project of this size. That fact was not helpful considering that QHS was probably the most complex of the Australian agencies needing the overhaul and was perhaps not the best candidate for IBM's first go.

Additionally, the "Solution Design Authority (SDA)," the state agency with the responsibility to define and maintain the scope, architecture, and design of the new system, was "passive, perhaps lazy" about communicating its requirements for a payroll system. Before project development began, the SDA accepted IBM's "incomplete, ..unsatisfactory scope [of work] documents" as is and with no questions. The project was off to a horrible start.

Too Many Players Cluttering the Field

Management of the project became even muddier after it commenced. Numerous agencies and boards divided oversight and authority, causing significant confusion which, in the end, rendered them all "ineffective in establishing a shared understanding of stakeholder expectations in relation to the quality of project deliverables":

The SDA (which, during this period, transformed into the Program Delivery Office (PDO) of the state's "CorpTech" IT division);

The Queensland Health Enterprise Solution Transition (QHEST), the state's information technology management program and acting project manager (which inexplicably retitled the "Interim Solution" as the "Queensland Health Implementation of Continuity" (QHIC)  no confusion there!);

The "Executive Steering Committee" (ESC) which included personnel from CorpTech as well as the Shared Services Agency (SSA) and the Department of Education, Training and the Arts (DETA), and

The "Release Steering Committee" which answered to both the ESC and CorpTech and counselled its Chair regarding the development of the Interim Solution.

While there appeared to be lots of oversight of the program, Australia's Auditor-General reported that "it was not clear which Accountable Officer had responsibility for the overall governance and successful completion of the whole project."

Cut to the Chase: The Consequences of this Disastrous Project

Suffice it to say that the project rolled out with the same high level of difficulty and disaster as it had begun:

When the payroll programming finally went live in March 2010, its estimated cost was AU $101 M and the system still wasn't working. Further, analysis of the botched-but-barely-operational system in 2013 (three years after implementation) indicated that it again wasn't performing as expected and that getting it fully functioning within the next five years (by 2018) would cost another AU $836 M, taking the total cost of the project to AU $1.2 Billion.

The state paid additional millions of dollars pursuing investigations into the causes of the failed project, each of which identified the list of factors cited above, as well as numerous other contributors to the debacle.

The state also sued IBM to recover some of its costs expended during the project term but lost in court and was compelled to pay IBM its costs of the suit.

But perhaps the project's worst failure was caused by the inability of team leadership to adequately plan and test the system during the development process. Back in 2010, because of time constraints and cost overruns, it was determined to let the system go live without testing, which resulted almost immediately in over 35,000 payroll anomalies. Thousands of workers were underpaid or didn't receive payment at all, while the system inadvertently overpaid thousands of other employees by a total of AU $400 M. Queensland has consequently spent millions more collecting those unearned funds from their employees; as of July 2017, almost 32,000 QH workers still owed the state $38 M in payroll overpayment attributable to the failure of the QHS Payroll Project.

Project managers in any sector will do well to delve a little deeper into facts that drove the QHS payroll fiasco, which is an excellent opportunity to embrace the adage that its not necessary to experience a failure to learn from one.

Source: Beyond Software. (2017, November 21). The Queensland health payroll fiasco. Retrieved 21 September 2020, from Beyond Software website: https://blog.beyondsoftware.com/the-queensland-health-payroll-fiasco

Question 1

This case identifies that Queensland Health System (QHS) needed a replacement for its then soon-to-be-obsolete payroll system. The issue was that support for the existing payroll system was set to expire in 2008.

Considering this case, compare the benefits of financial and non-financial project selection approaches. Provide a recommendation as to what project selection approach you would recommend and why? You need to be critical, use relevant theory, reflect on the case, and provide examples to support your answer. Use APA referencing as required.

Question 2

This case discusses a range of risks that have occurred throughout the project lifecycle. The risk project lifecycle (below), illustrates the concept that the chance of a risk occurring is more likely in the defining stage, but the cost is low. The chances of a risk occurring decreases through the project lifecycle but the cost to fix a risk event increases.

(Larson, E., Honig, B., Gray, C., Dantin, U., & Baccarini, D. (2014). Managing risk. In Project management: The managerial process (6th ed., p. 223).

Considering the risk project lifecycle illustrated above, explain how project risks affected the Queensland Health Payroll project through its lifecycle and what the cost implications were. You should describe the risks, critically analyse what actions were taken, and recommend what actions could have been taken to mitigate those risks. You need to be critical, use relevant theory, reflect on the case, and provide examples to support your answer.

Question 3

This case identifies a key issue as being disorganised project leadership. This sentiment was expressed by Australia's Auditor-General who reported that "it was not clear which Accountable Officer had responsibility for the overall governance and successful completion of the whole project."

This case indicates the importance of project managers having appropriate skills. Discuss what skills are needed to be an effective project manager and explain how these skills can address the project leadership concerns. You need to be critical, use relevant theory, reflect on the case, and provide examples to support your answer.

Question 4

This case raises the importance of lessons learnt as a key aspect of project closure. The case concludes with the statement: Project managers in any sector will do well to delve a little deeper into facts that drove the QHS payroll fiasco, which is an excellent opportunity to embrace the adage that its not necessary to experience a failure to learn from one.

Considering this case, what are some of the lessons learnt that you can identify, explain why are they important for future projects. You need to be critical, use relevant theory, reflect on the case and provide examples to support your answer.
Microsoft has launched Azure Availability Zones in its South Africa North region, the company announced in a short update on its website.

Availability Zones in South Africa North are made up of three unique physically separated locations or zones within a single region to bring higher availability and asynchronous replication across Azure regions for disaster recovery protection, Microsoft stated.

Microsoft launched its enterprise-grade data centres in Johannesburg and Cape Town in March 2019.

Availability Zones give users additional options for high availability for their most demanding applications and services as well as confidence and protection from potential hardware and software failures by providing three or more unique physical locations within an Azure region, it said.

The company also issued a statement this week announcing that it had warded off a 2.4Tbps distributed denial of service attack against an Azure customer in Europe.

Microsoft said the attack was the biggest it had ever detected on Azure.

The attack traffic originated from approximately 70,000 sources and from multiple countries in the Asia-Pacific region, such as Malaysia, Vietnam, Taiwan, Japan, and China, as well as from the United States.

The attack vector was a UDP reflection spanning more than 10 minutes with very short-lived bursts, each ramping up in seconds to terabit volumes.

In total, Microsoft says it monitored three prominent traffic peaks: the first at 2.4 Tbps, the second at 0.55 Tbps, and the third at 1.7 Tbps.

Now read: Oracle chooses Johannesburg for its first cloud region in Africa
Calistoga Junior-Senior High School students waved to the crowed as they made their way down Lincoln Avenue on Friday, in a return of the annual Homecoming Parade.
St. Helena Parks & Recreation hosts the 2021 Hometown Harvest Festival and Pet PAWrade on Saturday, Oct. 16.

In its 35th year the Hometown Harvest Festival is a favorite day-long event with a small-town feel and big-time fun! The event features live music, a wine lounge, a food alley, and an array of arts and crafts vendors.

The day kicks off with the Pet PAWrade at 9:30 a.m. on the corner of Oak Avenue and Pine Street.

Pets of all shapes and sizes (and their human companions) are invited to show off their best Halloween costumes. Online or phone registrations for $10 per pet will be accepted through 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 14. Day-of registration will begin at 8:30 a.m. for $20 a pet.

Judging categories this year include Best-in-Show, Best Costumed Pet, Most Creative Combo, Judges Choice, and Best Performer.

Following the the Pet PAWrade, the Hometown Harvest Festival will run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Oak Avenue from Adams Street to Spring Street. Stroll down the tree-lined street fair with a glass of wine to revel in the works of local artists and craftsmen while enjoying tunes from the New Era Marching Band and NOEMA.

The SHPS/SHES Parent Teacher Group will present a free Kids Carnival, St. Helena Preschool For All will offer crafts, and Parks & Rec will organize street games. Blue Zones Project  Upper Napa Valley will offer a complimentary photo booth.

There will be plenty of food and beverage options, all supporting St. Helena service clubs and nonprofits.

Find out more information and register for the Pet PAWrade at cityofsthelena.org/parksrec/page/hometown-harvest-festival or call the Recreation Office at 968-9222.
Tuesday, Oct. 5

0917  Neighbors were having a dispute over a fence being built on Park Street. Someone was reportedly pushing on the fence, creating a possible falling hazard for workers.

Wednesday, Oct. 6

0801  A person reported a hit-and-run that occurred Oct. 1.

0951  Report of someone blowing yard waste onto a neighbors property on Park Street.

0954  A boat and trailer had reportedly been parked on Spring Mountain Court for over a year.

1102  Medical aid on Main Street.

1232  Medical aid for a person with a broken arm near a play structure on Grayson Avenue.

1410  A woman said she was receiving harassing text messages from a neighbor. She plans to seek a restraining order.

1529  A non-injury hit-and-run accident was blocking one lane of traffic near Allison/Pope.

Thursday, Oct. 7

0036  Police cited someone for driving without a license near Main/Vintage.

0113  Police cited someone for driving with a suspended license near Main/Adams. The vehicle was impounded.

0233  Police cited someone for driving without a license near Main/Elmhurst.

0349  Report of someone sleeping in a vehicle on private property on Main Street.

0738  A broken watch was found near the Sulphur Creek Bridge on Main Street.

0806  Report of a parked car partially blocking a driveway on Sylvaner Avenue.

1033  Report of a semi truck parked in the center turn lane of Main Street near Hunt Avenue.

1958  A gray cat with white paws, a white mouth and yellow eyes was reported missing. It was last seen on McCorkle Avenue.

2123  Medical aid for a person with a heart problem on Boyson Lane.

Friday, Oct. 8

0512  Police cited someone for driving without a license near Main/Hunt.

1445  Medical aid for someone who cut their finger on Main Street.

2332  Report of loud music on Main Street. The caller called the property at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m., and the manager said they have a license to play the music. Police contacted the people and told them to turn off the music.

Saturday, Oct. 9

0012  A man was reportedly getting aggressive, threatening, and refusing to leave a Main Street property.

1221  Report of a possible drunk driver on Highway 29. Police located the car and cited the driver.

1338  Report of a major-injury accident on Silverado Trail, with airbags deployed and one driver unresponsive. The Trail was temporarily closed.

1425  Report of cars speeding in the Mountain View Avenue area as vehicles bypassed the closure on Silverado Trail. Dispatch said the Trail had just reopened, so the problem should resolve itself.

1611  Report of computer fraud.

1744  Report of a reckless driver on Main Street near Charter Oak Avenue.

1852  A tree branch fell near the Sulphur Creek Bridge, partially blocking the train tracks and the walkway over the creek. Firefighters helped clear the train tracks. A work ticket was submitted to Public Works.

2345  Police checked on a pedestrian near Main/Dowdell and arrested the 51-year-old St. Helena man on suspicion of public intoxication.

Sunday, Oct. 10

0254  Report of a suspicious car pulling into a Hunt Avenue parking lot. Police contacted the person, whod been planning to sleep there until they were informed of the citys no-camping ordinance.

1230  Police took a report on an online rental scam.

1300  Report of a possible drunk driver turning from Pope Street onto Allison Avenue.

1338  Medical aid for a man who fell off his bike near Main/Adams.

1348  A Louis Vuitton purse, a Chanel wallet, a Louis Vuitton wristlet, and a pair of shoes were reported lost, possibly near Main/Charter Oak.

1533  A caller saw trash with small bags containing suspicious powder in an alley near Spring/Oak. Police took a report.

1724  A small black dog with white markings on his chin was found near Main/Madrona.

2138  Report of an oversize truck blocking the eastbound lane of Madrona Avenue.

2205  A woman with dementia walked away from a house on Valley View Street. Police found her and escorted her home.

Monday, Oct. 11

1502  A tree branch knocked down a power line on Pope Street.

1948  Police responded to a barking dog complaint on Allison Avenue. The resident agreed to bring the dogs inside.

2209  Multiple callers reported an argument on Voorhees Circle, with a woman yelling for a man to get off her. Other callers said the man was choking the woman. Police arrested the 33-year-old St. Helena man on suspicion of aggravated battery, false imprisonment and violating probation.

Tuesday, Oct. 12

0626  Report of two suspicious people walking around with flashlights on Scott Street.

0831  Minor-injury accident on Silverado Trail. A Mercedes hit a guardrail, and a passenger complained of neck pain.

1052  Report of power lines on Oak Avenue hanging low due to wind.

1825  Following a traffic stop at Oak/Mitchell, police arrested a 30-year-old Napa man on suspicion of drug possession, driving without a license, and an outstanding misdemeanor warrant.
The Napa Valley Film Festival (NVFF) has announced its film line-up for its 2021 virtual film festival version taking place Nov. 10 to 14.

The five-day festival showcases nearly 60 narrative, documentaries and short films from a roster of established and emerging artists.

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All-access screening passes for $99 will allow unlimited streaming access to the schedule of films throughout the festival, including Q&As and introductions from the filmmakers.

This years tribute and honoree selections will be announced next week.

The festival is produced by Rick Garber, chairman of Cinema Napa Valley, which produces the festival, described the lineup as an "eclectic and highly curated" program.

The Line-up

Narrative features:

 "Fires in The Dark"  Set in a small village in 17th-century France, 15-year-old Alan is forced to take the place of his father who has sold himself into indentured service for two years to support the family. California premiere.

 "Moving in 2008"  Documenting a family tragedy that takes place during the recession of 2008, the film depicts a family going through a crisis catalyzed by unemployment, personal demons and illness. Post-screening Q&A with director Calogero Carucci.

 "Porcupine"  An adult woman puts herself up for adoption and forms a bond with the misanthropic patriarch of her adoptive family. Starring Jena Malone, "Porcupine" is based on a true story. California premiere.

 "Precarious"  A young man searches for a cursed fortune in an inescapable 1960s dreamscape. This hand-built film recalls an era of fantasy not reliant on digital effects. Post-screening Q&A with director Wes Terray.

 "The Winter House"  Eileen, a grieving novelist seeking to escape her troubles, rents a remote lake house in northern New Hampshire where she meets and forges a bond with Jesse, a young drifter with troubles  and secrets  of his own. Lili Taylor stars. Post-screening Q&A with director Keith Boynton. California premiere.

 "Vagabonds"  Four vagabonds, with seemingly no future, discover the meaning of hope after a chance encounter. For Jo and Faustine, two worlds collide: misery and opulence, illiteracy and culture. One is a young woman living out of her broken car, while the other, a wannabe writer, ran away from her family and a comfortable consumerist lifestyle. California premiere.

 "The Only One"  Tom has just turned 30. She has spent her whole life chasing her wanderlust, collecting passport stamps, experiences and stories to tell her grandchildren. Now, contemplating her biological clock, she arrives on a vineyard in the south of France to revisit the one man who she ever considered settling down with. Post-screening Q&A with director Noah Gilbert.

Documentary features

 "The Choir and Conductor"  A visionary conductor, hired when few women were given the chance to conduct, makes an extraordinary impact on thousands of children who sing together in a choir that is now world-renowned. Directed by Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker and NVFF alumna Freida Lee Mock. Post screening Q&A with Mock. West Coast premiere.

 "The Mustangs: Americas Wild Horses"  An odyssey throughout America to places few people have seen or even know about. There are more than 80,000 wild horses on federal lands and more than 50,000 in government corrals, this is their story. Produced by Robert Redford, Patti Scialfa Springsteen and Jessica Springsteen, the film features songs by Bruce Springsteen, Emmylou Harris and Willie Nelson. Post-screening Q&A with director Steven Latham.

 "The Art of Making It " Against the backdrop of a culture in crisis, the film follows a diverse cast of young artists at defining moments in their careers to explore whether the art world ecosystem meant to nurture them is actually failing them. California premiere

 "Dear Sirs"  After discovering an archive detailing the horrifying journey of his grandfather as an American POW during World War II, a young man from Wyoming sets out to retrace his footsteps across Germany on bicycle in an effort to understand the most influential person in his life. California premiere.

 "Fireboys"  The story of young men incarcerated in California who are offered a way out by fighting wildfires. Immersive and personal, this coming-of-age story is told from the perspectives of the young men as they summon the courage to fight fires and confront their pasts. Post-screening Q&A with co-directors Jakob Hochendoner and Drew Dickler.

 "Dear Ike: Lost Letters to a Teen Idol"  A boys fantastic dream of making movies with his teen idol finally becomes reality, but in the most unexpected way. Dion Labriola recounts his all-consuming childhood quest to contact Ike Eisenmann, of Walt Disneys "Escape to Witch Mountain" fame. Post-screening Q&A with director Dion Labriola.

 "Meeting The Beatles in India"  Filmmaker Paul Saltzman retraces his journey of 50 years ago when he spent a life-changing time with the Beatles at the Maharishi Mahesh Yogis ashram on the banks of the Ganges River in 1968. Post-screening Q&A with director Paul Saltzman. California premiere.

 "SET!" Once a year, a group of highly competitive table-setters vie for the best of show ribbon at the Orange County Fair competition. From taxidermy monkeys to table-reveal parties, eccentric personalities and old rivalries come to a head as contestants spend months preparing their tables only to be penalized by a misplaced dessert fork. Post-screening Q&A with director Scott Gawlik.

 "United States vs Reality Winner"  A state of secrets and a ruthless hunt for whistleblowers  this is the story of a 25-year-old who leaked information election interference to the media and became the number one leak target of the Trump administration. Post-screening Q&A with director Sonia Kennebeck and producer Ines Hofmann Kanna.

 "The Book Makers"  From the esoteric world of book artists to the digital libraries of the Internet Archive, the film spins a tale of the enduring vitality the book and pulls back the curtain on people who are keeping books alive in the 21st century. Post-screening Q&A with director James Kennard.

 "Missing in Brooks County"  Two families arrive in Brooks County, Texas to look for their loved ones who went missing after crossing into the country from Mexico. On their search they meet vigilante ranchers, human smugglers, humanitarian activists, and border patrol agents, all of whom are locked in a proxy version of the national immigration debate.

 "Until The Wheels Come Off"  To raise funds for cancer research, a 50-year-old cyclist enters Race Across America (RAAM), a grueling ultra-endurance event. World premiere.

Shorts programs

 Narrative: From comedic to inspiring to thought provoking, there are three narrative short film programs, 24 films total, including a new animated film from Academy Award-winning animator Bill Plympton.

 Documentary: Featuring compelling stories about government overreach, the arts, the environment and more, there are three documentary short film programs, 15 films total.

Unlimited access to the line-up of short films only is $25.

For more information visit www.napavalleyfilmfest.org.
Fifty more people tested positive for the coronavirus in Napa County over the weekend, after 31 new infections were recorded Friday, the countys health department announced Monday afternoon.

The latest COVID-19 cases followed a week when a decline in county infection rates leveled off, with 147 positive tests recorded Oct. 1-7  just one less than the week before. Infections had been declining since reaching a mid-August peak of 324 in a single week, as a more contagious Delta variant of the virus drove up cases from a June low.

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All of Napa Countys COVID-19 sequenced lab specimens in recent weeks have been of the Delta strain, compared to about a third of specimens in the spring, the countys public health officer Dr. Karen Relucio told the Board of Supervisors last week.

Fifteen people were being hospitalized in Napa County for COVID-19 symptoms as of Monday, and no local intensive care beds were available, the county Health and Human Services agency said in its daily online update. The countys death toll from the virus remained at 98, with the most recent fatality on Sept. 25.

Napa is one of two Bay Area counties, along with Solano, remaining in the high tier of COVID-19 spread on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Preventions four-level scale. The regions seven other counties are at the next lowest substantial tier, with caseloads still above the moderate and low rungs.

Napa County, Bay Area health officers set road map to lifting COVID-19 indoor mask requirements Nine Bay Area governments lay out conditions for relaxing mask rules, including lower transmission and illness rates and increased vaccination.

Bay Area counties on Thursday jointly announced a path to lifting mask-wearing requirements for public indoor areas that were reimposed in August during the Delta-driven infection surge.

A county must see its infection rate fall to the CDCs moderate level for at least three weeks, achieve a low and stable hospitalization rate as judged by the county public health officer, and fully inoculate 80% of its residents against COVID-19  with either two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

An alternative to the 80% vaccination requirement is the passage of eight weeks after federal and state authorities authorize a COVID-19 vaccine for 5- to 11-year-olds.

Sixty-eight percent of Napa County residents have received the vaccine, including 85% of those old enough for inoculation, but none of the three federally approved vaccines has yet been authorized for patients younger than 12. On Thursday, Pfizer asked the U.S. government to authorize its vaccine for patients as young as 5, and a panel advising the Food and Drug Administration on Oct. 26 will publicly debate the evidence for opening up inoculation to youngsters.

On Friday, Gov. Gavin Newsom called the Bay Areas road map to easing mask-wearing rules an encouraging sign, while also offering caution about moving too quickly. This time last year we were experiencing not dissimilar optimism, only to experience that winter surge, he said.

California has the lowest per capita rate of new coronavirus cases in the country. It is one of only two states that the CDC rates as having a substantial" rate of transmission rather than high" rate experienced in the other 48 states.

The state recorded 67 cases per 100,000 people in the last week; the nation's average is 195. And the state's positivity rate in the last seven days was 2.5% while the country averaged 6.1%.

Californias coronavirus death toll had crossed the 70,000 threshold as of Monday, according to data collected by Johns Hopkins University. While its total death count is the highest in the U.S., the states per capita fatality rate of 177 per 100,000 people in a population of more than 39 million ranks in the nations lower third.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

You can reach Howard Yune at 530-763-2266 or hyune@napanews.com

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One Napa resident died and another was seriously injured in separate motorcycle crashes during the weekend, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Sunday evening, a solo motorcycle crash in rural Napa County claimed the life of 36-year-old Austin James Werle, CHP announced in a news release.

Officers were sent at 6:55 p.m. to Cuttings Wharf Road north of Middle Avenue after reports that a 2003 Yamaha R6 ran off the road and into a vineyard, according to the highway patrol.

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Werle, who was wearing a helmet, had been riding at high speed in the northbound lane of Cuttings Wharf when he lost control of the motorbike and it struck a telephone pole on the west shoulder, according to CHP, which said he died at the scene.

CHPs Napa bureau was continuing to investigate the crash Monday.

Earlier, 20-year-old Antonio Zunigaperez suffered major injuries Saturday night in a two-vehicle collision at the interchange of Highway 29 and First Street in Napa, according to CHP spokesperson Jaret Paulson.

At 8:05 p.m., Zunigaperez, who was riding a Yamaha R6 motorbike, was leaving southbound 29 on the First Street exit ramp while a Ford F-350 pickup truck was turning from First Street onto the southbound 29 on-ramp, Paulson said in an email. The motorcycle crossed the on-ramp divider into the path of the Ford, resulting in a head-on collision, according to Paulson.

Zunigaperez was taken to Providence Queen of the Valley Medical Center after the wreck.
Two Napa County supervisors usually travel each year to a foreign country for the Great Wine Capitals Global Network conference, but this year theres a twist.

Supervisors Alfredo Pedroza and Ryan Gregory will be participating in the conference to be held from Oct. 24 to Oct. 29 in Mainz, Germany. But instead of flying to the Rhineland for meetings and winery tours, theyll stay in Napa Valley and use their computers.

Chalk it up to Delta variant pandemic precautions and opportunities offered by modern technology. What is usually a marriage of business and pleasure on the taxpayers dime will be one more Zoom meeting.

Were going to miss out on a couple of things, Pedroza said on Monday. Were going to participate as much as we can virtually.

Meanwhile, the conference will proceed as a live event in Germany, for those who choose to go there.

Virtual attendance could lend itself to such conference sessions as the think tank on innovative ideas for wine tourism after COVID-19 and the effects of climate change on viticulture. The same is true of the executive committee working session.

But the boat trip on the Rhine River to a world heritage site, wine tasting at the Chateau Schembs and the international gala closing ceremony dont translate to computer participation. Those are some of the events listed in the conference program.

That gala as described in the program includes an exclusive three-course meal." It is to take place in the ornate Electoral Palace, where the Archbishop of Mainz lived during the latter part of the Holy Roman Empire.

Besides San Francisco/Napa Valley, the Great Wine Capitals are Adelaide, South Australia; Bilbao/Rioja, Spain; Lausanne, Switzerland; Mainz/Rheinhessen, Germany; Mendoza, Argentina; Porto, Portugal; Valparaiso/Casablanca Valley, Chile and Verona, Italy. Each year, one hosts the annual conference.

Napa County usually sends two county supervisors and the county agricultural commissioner as the government representatives. The county in 2020 allotted a total of $17,500 for travel and conference expenses for the three.

This year, the county doesn't need to allot money for the conference. There is no fee for virtual attendance.

County officials have long said the Great Wine Capitals conference is no mere junket but has tangible benefits. One example they give is how contacts made at the conference helped the county in 2009 respond to an outbreak of the vineyard-maiming European grapevine moth.

Pedroza on Monday said a drawback with the virtual participation this year is not experiencing the community and not having in-person meetings.

Napa County last made a trip to the Great Wine Capitals conference in 2019, when Supervisors Diane Dillon and Brad Wagenknecht traveled to Bordeaux, France.

Its a great opportunity for us to learn about the competition, Dillon said after returning.

The 2020 conference was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. County supervisors also didnt attend the 2017 conference in Chile because Napa County was dealing with Tubbs, Atlas and Nuns wildfire recovery.

Napa Valley Vintners and Visit Napa Valley typically send representatives as well, but not at taxpayers expense. Pedroza said the entire Napa County contingent is attending virtually this year.

It remains to be seen whether the Napa contingent will be attending next years Great Wine Capitals conference live. That event is to be held in Mendoza, Argentina.

You can reach Barry Eberling at 256-2253 or beberling@napanews.com.

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Updated at 10:55 p.m. Monday  A 26-year-old man was detained near a burning car Monday in American Canyon, near the site of the 150-acre fire that broke out on the citys east side and briefly triggered an evacuation warning in the Via Bellagio neighborhood, according to the Napa County Sheriffs Office.

The car, which had been reported stolen in Vallejo, was on fire when authorities contacted the man near the site of the Newell Fire, according to sheriffs spokesperson Henry Wofford. The man, whose identity was not immediately released, suffered non-life-threatening burn injuries and was receiving medical treatment late Monday, Wofford said.

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The man was detained by sheriffs deputies in connection with the reported auto theft, and also is slated for questioning in connection with the Newell Fire, which broke out shortly after 6 p.m. in the Newell Preserve near American Canyon High School, according to Wofford, who said Cal Fire will lead the fire investigation.

It was not immediately known when the car had been stolen, Wofford said.

The Newell Fire spread to 150 acres before fire crews stopped its forward progress, according to Cal Fire spokesperson Tyree Zander. It was 50% contained as of 8:35 p.m.

Less than an hour after the fire began, the Napa County Office of Emergency Services issued an evacuation order for the Via Bellagio neighborhood in south American Canyon east of Highway 29. The warning, which was not an order to evacuate, was withdrawn just before 8:15 p.m. in a Nixle alert from the Sheriffs Office.

The California Highway Patrol closed American Canyon Road from Interstate 80 west to Highway 29 during the fire, according to Laura Provencher, spokesperson for the American Canyon Fire Protection District. Numerous fire departments sent vehicles and personnel to the scene, she said.

American Canyon Road reopened at about 10:15 p.m.

The fire in American Canyon began during a red flag warning the National Weather Service had issued for parts of Napa and other Bay Area counties, mainly higher-elevation areas, due to strong winds, low humidity and vegetation left dry by the California drought. The weather warning began Sunday night and remains in force until 5 p.m. Tuesday.

You can reach Howard Yune at 530-763-2266 or hyune@napanews.com

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For more than 40 years, Democrats in Sacramento have talked fervently about reforming the 1978 Proposition 13 and some of its landmark limits on property taxes, but time and again theyve done nothing when presented with real opportunities for positive change.

What would be positive change in this context? Anything that breaks up the destructive fantasies preserved by the reluctance of most in the state Legislature to change anything at all about Prop. 13. This recalcitrance extends even to administrative rules adopted not in the ballot initiative, but rather by lawmakers in the year or two after it passed.

The mass of voters has similar reluctance to alter Prop. 13, hence rejection of last years Prop. 15, which would have created a split roll taxing commercial and industrial property at higher rates than residences.

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Right now, Prop. 13 limits property tax on any sort of real estate to 1 percent of the 1975 assessed value or 1 percent of the most recent purchase price if the property has changed hands. This levy can subsequently increase by no more than 2 percent each year.

Its easy to gloss over the words change hands in that description, as it seems obvious that changing hands means a shift in who controls a property.

But thats not how Prop. 13 works. Rules set by the Legislature less than a year after the measure passed define a new owner as a person or entity that owns more than 50 percent interest in a property. This means, for example, that a married couple can each buy a 40 percent interest in a house, but still pay the same tax bill as if theyd owned the place for many years. Its the same for partnerships and corporations.

Changing this rule would not be a change in Prop. 13 itself. But Jon Coupal, head of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Assn. (named for Prop. 13s prime author), has always opposed it.

Yet, as long ago as 2004, former Democratic state Sen. Martha Escutia of eastern Los Angeles County asserted the change would produce between $1.5 billion and $12 billion for schools and city and county governments. That cost has only risen since then.

Coupal asserted when this dispute began that Prop. 13 opponents can only point to a handful of alleged abuses of the law. But some of those are major, including shopping malls, a winery, large luxury hotels and myriad houses now used as rental properties.

The notion of treating actual changes of control like full changes in formal ownership for tax purposes had another chance this year, but Democrats in the Legislature voted it down.

While previous efforts to make this obviously needed revision in the definition of ownership all were carried by Democrats, this time the idea was sponsored by Orange County Republican state Sen. Patricia Bates. Her bill, known as SB 706, would have altered the definition of change of control of a corporate entity owning property to include situations where 90 percent or more of ownership changes hands within a three-year period.

Thats a lot easier on new property owners than Escutias original plan where change of control was defined as a new party acquiring decision-making power or a similar 2010 plan by then Democratic Assemblyman Tom Ammiano of San Francisco.

Escutia cited one hotel in Santa Monica where 100 percent of ownership changed, but there was no reassessment of the property because no one new individual or entity owned more than a 50 percent interest. In that case alone, Bates said, Los Angeles County loses over $1 million in tax revenue every year.

She added that the state plainly needs to close a loophole that allows businesses to game the system and avoid being taxed on the full value of the property they buy.

The existing law does nothing but help the rich get richer, yet even the mild reform Bates proposed got no traction among Democrats who control Sacramento. It was quickly rejected by the state Senates Governance and Finance Committee.

This is too bad, because small as this proposed change would have been, it represented a step toward fairness, a concept that seems of little interest to the current Legislature.

Thomas D. Elias writes the syndicated California Focus column. He is author of the book, The Burzynski Breakthrough: The Most Promising Cancer Treatment and the Governments Campaign to Squelch It.
Senate Bill 73: When did California surrender or declare defeat to the War on Drugs? How did our collective societys war become a race-specific problem?

Drugs have done so much damage to our society across all races and genders. Any parent, regardless of race, suffers the same loss of a child, or a loved one to drugs. Poison knows no boundaries to its destruction; it kills and destroys lives indiscriminately.

To allow criminal drug dealers, peddlers, and transporters to avoid jail time seems like we have surrendered to the mayhem these criminals spread in our society, especially to our children. As a parent and grandparent, I cant believe we let the criminal go free to do more destruction and mayhem while the victim suffers from the aftermath of their irresponsible actions.

This is not a victimless or nonviolent crime; drugs destroy lives and it is still a crime to sell, possess, or transport-controlled substances, so why dont we hold those who poison our society responsible for their actions? How can mandatory incarceration be unjust or no bail be fair to those who pay the taxes and try to keep their families safe?

When did Californias fiscal cost in damage to society become less important or more irresponsible than the jailing of the drug criminal? I will never surrender to the criminal on the street or the ones in Sacramento.

Bill Mellberg

Napa
Opposition MP: Granting corridor to Azerbaijan through Syunik Province will be gravest crime against Armenia

US Department of State representative says why Azerbaijan is not invited to Summit for Democracy

Armenian human rights activists to submit letters to ECHR regarding soldiers captured and considered missing

Armenia FM stresses importance of addressable response to Azerbaijan's actions during talk with Greek counterpart

Ex-ruling party official: Armenia authorities found reason for MOD's resignation after his visit to Karabakh

Republican Party of Armenia spokesperson: Nikol Pashinyan gave a confessional testimony in parliament yesterday

Armenia President talks about states' collective responsibility at Bloomberg New Economy Forum

Turkish website reports poisoning of Fetullah Gulen

Armenia FM holds phone talks with Cypriot counterpart, presents situation created after Azerbaijani attack

Mirzoyan, Zas discuss CSTO's possible actions to stabilize situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border, if necessary

Mothers of deceased servicemen demand Armenia PM's resignation

Azerbaijani Armed Forces open fire at tractor in Armenia's Verin Shorzha village

Putin: Events unfolding on Armenia-Azerbaijan border attest to fact that situation has not calmed down in the region

Lithuania supports Armenia's territorial integrity

NEWS.am daily digest: 18.11.21

Ex-ruling party official: Incumbent authorities created deliberately organized chaos in Armenia

Armenia Prosecutor General's Office to examine news about 6 Azeri servicemen captured and then secretly returned

Dollar goes up in Armenia

Armenia MOD planning training camps for reservists

Sergey Lavrov, OSCE Chairperson-in-Office to discuss assistance to resolve situation in Karabakh

High-tech industry minister receives Chinese recipient of Armenia State Prize for global contributions to IT sector

Eurasian Intergovernmental Council's narrow-format session kicks off in Yerevan

Pashinyan views Eurasian integration as one of Armenia's priorities

Two Armenian citizens found in Afghanistan

Armenian health ministry gets $ 2.5 million to fight COVID-19

OSCE Chairperson-in-Office has telephone conversation with Jeyhun Bayramov

Deceased Armenian soldier Taron Sahakyan's brother refutes news that he was captured and tortured to death

Armenia seeks to develop cooperation in food safety within EEU

Armenia Ombudsman, UNICEF Representative discuss problems with right of children of borderline villages to education

Armenia allocates AMD 462 mln for 4 subvention programs ahead of local self-government elections

Major incidents not recorded in Armenia's border zones as of 2 p.m., operative situation is under army's control

Armenia parliament approves several legislative amendments

PMs discuss prospects for development of Armenia-Kyrgyzstan collaboration

Turkish Nationalist Movement Party gifts Erdogan a map of Turkic World, with a part of Russia 'seized'

Man, 49, found dead inside truck near Armenia village sand mine

Armenia emergency ministry uses off-road vehicles to provide for needs of Syunik Province border villages, says minister

There is investment activeness in Syunik Province, says Armenia economy minister

Russia PM arrives in Yerevan

Minister on Armenia economic growth: We are from optimistic realist to optimist

Armenia President, Singapore deputy PM discuss avenues for expanding bilateral cooperation

Ombudsman: Armenophobia, propaganda of enmity have reached extremist fascism in Azerbaijan (VIDEO)

Russia peacekeepers carry out round-the-clock monitoring of ceasefire in Karabakh

1 more person dies of coronavirus in Artsakh

Armenia premier: There is no Syunik Province settlement that is under blockade

Office of Armenia commissioner for diaspora, SADA Global Delivery Center sign memorandum of cooperation

Armenia government approves 2021-2026 action plan

Armenia PM: Russia MOD made proposals on preparatory phase of border delimitation with Azerbaijan

1,019 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Senator calls for end to US military aid to Azerbaijan

Armenia is elected to UNESCO Executive Board

Whose body is brought from Baku to Yerevan by Russian Southern Military District deputy commander?

Armenia MOD: Azerbaijan opened random fire at some directions of Tavush Province late Wednesday evening

World oil prices still dropping

Newspaper: Armenia has set task to change its foreign policy vector, Russia analysts say

Newspaper: Coronavirus death statistics in Armenia are incomplete

Armenian immigrant couple in California sentenced to prison for $20M fraud

EEU countries PMs to arrive in Yerevan for intergovernmental council meeting

Armenian army commander: Azerbaijan wants corridor, leader of Armenia gave consent to that, but refused later

Armenia FM holds phone conversations with Russian counterpart, Karen Donfried and OSCE Chairperson-in-Office

MTS launches inspection of its 'daughter' operations in Armenia upon request of U.S.

Armenia MOD: Defense minister receives Rustam Muradov, who brought body of deceased Armenian soldier to Yerevan

Taliban call on US Congress to ease sanctions and unfreeze Afghanistan's assets

Armenia PM: The meaning of being captured and the circumstances of captivity need to be investigated

Moscow, Ankara agree to not release details about joint manufacturing of S-400s

OSCE Chairperson-in-Office welcomes ceasefire between Armenia and Azerbaijan after Russian mediation

Armenia Ombudsman discusses Armenian captives' issue with acting Head of ICRC Delegation

Armenia PM refutes possibility of giving order 'to not open fire' when it comes to homeland defense

Armenian PM tries to clarify situation regarding use of names "Eyvazli" and "Chayzami"

IAEA Director General to visit Iran

Armenia PM: Our goal is to sign a peace treaty

Rustam Muradov brings body of one Armenian serviceman

Reuters: UAE's high-ranking delegation to visit Tehran soon

James Langevin: Azerbaijani government again unleashed a volley of unprovoked violence against Armenia

Ambassador to the Holy See: Armenia calls on its international partners to condemn Azerbaijan's actions

Armenia President provides Singapore PM with information about Azerbaijan's aggressive actions

Armenia PM: Trilateral task force's work is not interrupted

Armenia Police's Educational Complex has new head

Jackie Speier: We're witnessing Aliyev's attempted land grab in real time

Mass media: Rustam Muradov bringing bodies of Armenian soldiers to Yerevan

Yerevan to host subsequent session of Eurasian Intergovernmental Council

Earthquake hits Turkey

Zakharova on possibility of enforcing Armenia-Russia Treaty, says consultations are being held

NEWS.am 17.11.21 digest: Latest on Armenia-Azerbaijan border situation

European People's Party issues statement on recent hostilities on Armenian-Azerbaijani border

Opposition 'Armenia' Alliance MP: Resistance movement will help get rid of this catastrophe, namely authorities soon

Armenia PM explains why he appointed new defense minister

Opposition MPs remind Armenia PM about treason, get into dispute with ruling party deputies

Armenian PM: There are territories of Soviet Azerbaijan that are under Armenia's control

Armenia ruling party MP Andranik Kocharyan continues to talk about creation of professional army

Armenia and Russia Security Councils' Secretaries discuss regional security issues

Armenia Security Council Secretary: Azerbaijan fails to maintain ceasefire and isn't implementing reached agreements

Cavusoglu blames Armenia 'for terrorist attack against Azerbaijan'

Opposition 'Armenia' Alliance: Authorities' goal is to stay in power through ongoing concessions

Armenia PM: Our proposals are in effect, including proposal for start of delimitation and demarcation

Resident of Armenia's Shaki village panic when they hear the Azerbaijanis' gunshots

Armenia ruling party MP: Enemy can't achieve any success in Syunik Province

Armenia PM and ministers answering MPs' questions (LIVE)

Ambassador: Armenia Security Council Secretary will probably have separate meeting with Nikolai Patrushev

Armenia health minister: Kapan and Goris will have additional SUVs for paramedics

Armen Sarkissian presents situation on Armenia's borders at Bloomberg New Economy Forum in Singapore
The Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), responding to the complaint of the Azerbaijani side, on Monday upheld the decision of the ECtHR of May 20, in which the Azerbaijani authorities were found guilty of illegal arrest, torture and attempted murder in a Baku prison of famous blogger and journalist Alexander Lapshin. The court ordered Baku to pay the Israeli Lapshin a monetary compensation in the amount of 30 thousand euros.

Of course, I am glad that the court in Strasbourg made such a decision, Lapshin told DW. At the same time, he finds it strange that Baku went to court to review the case: After all, the ECtHR, as a rule, in almost 99 percent of cases, does not abandon its earlier decisions, he said.

My crime was that in 2011, as a tourist, I visited the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic [(Artsakh)], said Lapshin. According to him, before that he had visited more than 150 countries on all continents, and it did not even occur to him that he could be put on the international wanted list five years after that trip.

According to the blogger, obviously, the Azerbaijani authorities did not like the publications on social media, which were seen by hundreds of thousands of Lapshins followers. He was accused not only of crossing the border without agreement with the Azerbaijani authorities, but also of supporting separatism and calls for the overthrow of the current government in Azerbaijan.

In 2016, Lapshin was arrested in the Belarusian capital Minsk at the request of Azerbaijan. Two months later, which he spent in one of the local prisons, he was handed over to Baku on the personal instructions of Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko. A year later, a Baku court, considering the bloggers accusations of calls for the overthrow of the government and support for separatism unproven, found him guilty of illegally visiting Karabakh. The prosecution required him six and a half years in prison, but the court sentenced him to three years.

Despite the fact that Israel, Russia, the United States, and the European Union stood up for the blogger, he spent seven months in prison. He was tortured, forbidden to use the telephone, write and read, and the only book he was given was the Koran, although Lapshin was Jewish by religion.

It was seven months later that I was attacked, Alexander Lapshin told DW. The guards tried to kill me, although later the authorities tried to present the incident as a suicide attempt. Lapshin spent four days in a coma, after which Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev pardoned him and sent him on a charter flight to Tel Aviv. The examination at home confirmed the fact of the attempted murder of the blogger.

In 2018, Lapshin complained to the ECtHR, accusing Azerbaijan of illegal imprisonment, ill-treatment in prison and attempted murder. It took about three years until the ECtHR found the Azerbaijani authorities guilty and ordered them to pay monetary compensation to the blogger.
The Human Rights Defender (Ombudsman) of Armenia, Arman Tatoyan, has revealed the third case of Azerbaijani unlawful incursion (October, 2020), causing gross violations of the Republic of Armenia (RA) civilians' rights in Kapan city. His respective statement reads as follows:

Our ongoing fact-finding activities have revealed that during the [Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh)] war, in the end of October 2020 Azerbaijani armed forces incurred the sovereign territory of RA in the border area near the village of Tsav, Kapan community, Syunik province, causing a real threat especially for the residents of the villag[e]s Nerkin Hand and Tsav in Kapan.

With the current report, I also publish the incursions of the Azerbaijani armed forces on the Google map in yellow, with a description of at least 5 specific locations. According to the Google Map measurement, the intrusions are located in the depths of the RA sovereign territory near the village of Tsav, at a distance of 150 m, 190 m, 960 m, 1140 m and 1210 m in a straight line from the border envisaged by it.

They are, in particular, in areas where there are grasslands and pastures. As a result of the incursion, civilians were deprived of the opportunity to use those lands and earn a family income.

On this manner, the Azerbaijani armed forces openly violate the rights of the residents of Kapan community, especially Tsav and Nerkin Hand villages, to life and safe living, to property, to earn a family income, and other vital rights. Their presence is a real threat to people's peaceful lives.

Meaning, the presence of the Azerbaijani armed forces in the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia, in the border area near the village of Tsav in Syunik, is clearly devoid of any legal title.

The rights of the border residents of the Republic of Armenia will be continuously violated as long as they are illegally located in the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia, in the lands of the people.

In parallel to all this, the Azerbaijani hatred and enmity, policy of fascism is continuing.

Therefore, this issue should also be referred to the international instances, such as the European Court of Human Rights, the UN International Court of Justice, and other instances. It should be a mandatory component in order to restore the violated rights of the RA border residents.

Restoration of the rights of the border residents of the Republic of Armenia requires immediate withdrawal of the Azerbaijani armed servicemen.

There should be no Azerbaijani armed servicemen near the villages of Syunik and Gegharkunik, between the roads of Syunik communities.
The Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly) opposes the sale of 40 F-16 fighter jets to Turkey, emphasizing that it was that very same aircraft used against the Armenian people during last Fall's 44-day Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) War, launched by Azerbaijan with the full backing of Turkey. Satellite images confirm F-16 fighters were secretly deployed to Azerbaijan prior to the war, which also saw heavy usage of Turkish strike drones against the Armenian people in Artsakh, the Assembly informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

According to numerous media outlets, the billion-dollar deal is in the Foreign Military Sales process, and will need to be approved by the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Congress, both of which have the authority to block the sale.

"Congress and the American people know that the Erdogan regime in Turkey has become not only an unreliable ally, but a treacherous danger to U.S. interests and human rights in the region and globally," said Assembly Co-Chairs Van Krikorian and Anthony Barsamian. "Using F-16s to advance genocidal attacks against Christian Armenians in partnership with the autocratic Aliyev regime in Azerbaijan is not something the U.S. should advance."

This latest move by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan comes after Turkey was prevented from purchasing over 100 F-35 advanced stealth fighter jets in response to Ankara's acquisition of Russian S-400 missile defense systems, prompting U.S. sanctions. While the U.S. has warned Erdogan to halt buying additional Russian arms, he has publicly indicated that he will purchase another round of S-400s.

During a recent meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi, Erdogan described Turkish military cooperation with Russia as being "of utmost importance." Further, while in New York for the United Nations General Assembly last month, Erdogan told CBS News' Margaret Brennan in an interview that he will continue to acquire Russian defense systems and "nobody can get involved in this." He added, "In the future, nobody will be able to interfere in terms of what kind of defense systems we acquire, from which country at what level. Nobody can interfere with that. We are the only ones to make such decisions."
Lusine Sahakyan, advocate for former Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia and now opposition MP Armen Gevorgyan, left the courtroom as a sign of protest against the judges actions.

When Judge Anna Danibekyan rejected the two motions of the advocate, Sahakyan again declared that she had only received a few documents out of the several volumes of the case and asked for time to get acquainted with the volumes.

My next motion concerns your recusal, the advocate added.

If there are no more motions, the prosecution will start with the indictment, the judge said.

That is impossible since Armen Gevorgyan is going to be left without a lawyer in the courtroom, Sahakyan said, adding that she is leaving so long as the court hasnt provided her with all the required documents.

Judge Danibekyan declared that Sahakyan cant grant herself the right to speak in her absence, labeled her line of conduct as unlawful and gave a warning as a sanction.

The next court hearing is set for Oct. 19.
Today the Armenia faction of the National Assembly of Armenia hosted Chairman of AGBU Canada Shaheh Tanashian and member of AGBU Canada Hagop Arslanian. This is stated in the press release issued by the opposition Armenia alliance.

At the request of the guests, leader of the opposition Armenia faction Seyran Ohanyan presented the challenges facing Armenia following the 44-day war [in Nagorno-Karabakh], as well as Armenia alliances approaches for overcoming the domestic political crisis and the crisis of the nation. Seyran Ohanyan, as well as the deputies of the faction participating in the meeting attached importance to the role of the Armenian Diaspora in consolidating the potential of All Armenians, pursuing pro-Armenian agendas on international platforms and engaging Diaspora Armenians in the programs for helping Artsakh get back on its feet.

The members of the AGBU said they are persistent and have goals to support the Armenians of Artsakh through social and educational programs and help them live in safety and in a dignified manner.

On behalf of the Armenia faction and alliance, Ohanyan emphasized the need for a qualitatively new milestone in the relations between Armenia and Diaspora and the unconditional commitment to working with the Diaspora, the press release reads.
Spears Business welcomes Executive Ph.D. Cohort X

Media Contact: Terry Tush | Director, Marketing and Communications | 405-744-2703 | terry.tush@okstate.edu

The Spears School of Business at Oklahoma State University welcomes Cohort X to the Ph.D. in Business for Executives program.

Students will begin their three-year, AACSB-accredited doctoral program for the 2021-2022 academic year. This program allows organizational leaders to earn a doctorate while continuing their full-time careers. The program is designed to bridge academic study and business practice through a rich, research-based curriculum.

We are excited to welcome the 10th cohort to our nationally recognized executive doctoral program, said Ken Eastman, dean of the Spears School of Business. This diverse group of executives come from a variety of backgrounds including oil and gas, higher education, and technology and medical fields. We cant wait to see what awaits them.

Executives from Cohort X (2021-2024)

Prashant Budhale: Budhale is the Vice President of Technology for SONIC/Inspire Brands and is responsible for all aspects of technology supporting more than 3,500 restaurants, more than 300 franchisees and over $5 billion in revenue. He has worked for Pizza Hut, Fujitsu America and Capgemini US. Budhale earned his MBA (finance) from Butler University.

Lance R. Coffman: Coffman is the Regional Business Consultant for Missouri SBDC at Missouri State University in Springfield, Missouri, where he has assisted business owners in increasing sales by over $10.7 million last fiscal year. He accomplished this through one-on-one consulting and expanding experiential learning programs to pair clients with several new classes and departments. Coffman earned his MBA from MSU.

Bill Fairhurst: Fairhurst is President/Co-Founder of Riverford Exploration, an oil and gas exploration and production company and an oil and gas consulting business with offices in The Woodlands, Austin and Dallas. Fairhurst has also held positions at the University of Texas-Austin, Lee College, and Eagle Oil & Gas, Co. He has an MBA (finance) from the University of Houston and a masters degree in geology from the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Dan Gregory: Gregory is Vice President of Administration at Concordia University Texas where he serves as operational and strategic lead for facilities management, capital projects, land planning and acquisition, campus police, auxiliary businesses, environmental stewardship, risk management, insurance, compliance, contracts and legal. Gregory earned a masters degree in industrial technology from the University of Texas-Austin and a masters in construction engineering management from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Jesse D. Meldru: Meldru recently became CFO at StaffDx. He has more than two decades of diverse experience leading management and financial success with global and domestic organizations in a variety of industries, including healthcare. Meldru earned a masters degree in professional accounting (taxation emphasis) from Colorado State University and an MBA (finance emphasis) from Georgia State University.

Natasha P. Poularikas: Poularikas serves as an Instructor for Marketing and Supply Chain Division at the University of Oklahoma. She previously worked for MidFirst Bank, the Hess Corporation and Burlington Resources. She earned her MBA (finance) from Vanderbilt University.

Dr. Robert E. Sapien: Sapien is a Distinguished Professor of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics at the University of New Mexico and serves as Chief Medical Officer for sapienWELLNESS. Sapien received his medical degree from the University of New Mexico's School of Medicine, and a masters of medical management at the University of Southern California's Marshall School of Business. He has been a practicing physician since 1986. Sapien completed hypnotherapy training at the Hypnotherapy Academy of America in 2005 and is a co-founder of the International Board of Hypnotherapy.

Angela T. Schwartz: As Services Practice Leader for Microsoft Corporation, Schwartz leads an organization of 300 consultants, engineers, project managers and technical delivery managers working with federal government clients to perform platform migrations to the Cloud, infrastructure modernization, cyber security hardening including addressing the people change management, process, and governance aspects of Cloud Services migrations. She earned her MBA from Mercer University.

The Executive Ph.D. program is also accepting applications for Fall 2022. Applications are due Feb. 1. For more information visit: https://business.okstate.edu/execphd/application-process.html.
By John Davison and Ahmed Rasheed

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi voters delivered a sharp rebuke to Iran's allies in an election this week, but loosening the grip of Shi'ite militia from control of the state will still be a politically delicate goal, with the threat of violence always in the background.

The main winner of the election was Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, a populist who has positioned himself as a staunch opponent of both Iran and the United States.

Sadr proclaimed the result a "victory by the people over ... militias". There was elation among his supporters.

"The most important thing in this election is that foreign countries like Iran didn't interfere in the vote," said Yousef Mohammed, an unemployed 21-year-old in Sadr's vast Baghdad stronghold of Sadr City. "We've been celebrating since last night."

Sadr's bloc, already the biggest in the 329-seat parliament, will expand to 73 seats from 54. Its main rivals for years, the Fatah bloc of factions linked to pro-Tehran militia, meanwhile, saw its parliamentary representation collapse -- to just 14 seats from 48.

An unusually unified Sunni Muslim bloc placed second, giving the minority sect perhaps its strongest leverage since the fall of Saddam Hussein. And even upstart groups of reformists who campaigned against the ruling elite managed to defy predictions that they would be outmanoeuvred by established parties: a bloc headed by a pharmacologist emerged with ten seats.

Yet there are still signs that Tehran's grip on the country remains formidable. Most notably, former Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, a friend of Iran who campaigned as a champion of law and order, also won big surprise gains, emerging in third place with 37 seats.

A Western diplomat said the leader of Iran's Quds Force, Esmail Ghaani, was in Baghdad while the initial results were released, still seeking a way to keep Tehran's allies in power.

Story continues

"According to our information, Ghaani was attending a meeting with (Shiite militia parties) yesterday. They will do whatever they can to try to organise the biggest bloc - although that will also be very difficult with Sadr's power," the Western diplomat said.

Tehran and Baghdad both publicly denied Ghaani was in Iraq, but two Iranian sources contacted by Reuters confirmed it.

At least one pro-Iran militia commander said the armed groups were prepared to resort to violence if necessary to ensure they do not lose their influence after what they view as a fraudulent election.

"We'll use legal frameworks for now. If unsuccessful we'll have to go to the streets and do the same thing that was done to us during protests - burn party buildings" of the Sadrists, he said.

PROXY BATTLEFIELD

Iraq has been a proxy battlefield for influence between the United States and Iran since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, which toppled Saddam and created a path to power for a Shi'ite majority led by figures courted for decades by Tehran.

In 2014, when a third of Iraq was captured by fighters from the Sunni Muslim group Islamic State, Washington and Tehran found themselves uneasily on the same side: both providing assistance to Baghdad to fight the militants.

But when Islamic State was defeated in 2017, it was Iran that came out ahead. Factions linked to pro-Iran militias emerged with control over much of the Iraqi state.

That triggered a backlash in 2019, with hundreds of thousands of mainly young Iraqis taking to the streets to protest against corruption, joblessness and foreign influence. Security forces and the militia gunned down 600 of them. A prime minister close to Iran was forced to quit, paving the way for this week's early election.

Sadr, scion of a family of revered clerics including a father and uncle both murdered under Saddam, has emerged as a rare foe of both Washington and Tehran, first leading a Shi'ite uprising against U.S. occupation and later campaigning against Iranian influence.

While he has always held back from playing a leading role in governing coalitions, his followers have quietly secured control of ministries and industries in governments headed by other Shi'ite factions, most with ties to Tehran.

But most of Iraq's Shi'ite political establishment remains suspicious or even hostile to Sadr, including commanders of the security forces who battled his followers in the past. This may have helped Maliki, who as prime minister led a campaign more than a decade ago that successfully wrested southern cities and Baghdad districts from Sadr's followers.

Hamdi Malik, specialist on Iraq's Shi'ite militias at the Washington Institute, said Maliki had spent a lot of money campaigning and appealed to nostalgia among the armed forces, emphasising his own image as a strong leader.

One official from the Badr party, long one of the main pro-Iran factions, said one of the reasons for the poor showing of the militia's Fatah bloc was that supporters shifted their votes to Maliki, viewing him as a more effective bulwark against Sadr.

"Maliki already showed he can stand up to Sadr," the official said.

(Reporting by John Davison and Ahmed Rasheed; Editing by Peter Graff)
By Francois Murphy

VIENNA (Reuters) - Opposition parties attacked Austria's new Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg on Tuesday over his ties to his predecessor Sebastian Kurz, who quit over corruption allegations, while activists outside parliament mocked him as Kurz's puppet.

Kurz, 35, quit as chancellor under pressure from his junior coalition party, the Greens, after prosecutors placed him and nine others including close aides under investigation on suspicion of various degrees of bribery, corruption and breach of trust. He denies any wrongdoing.

Kurz remains leader of his conservative OVP party and is now also its top lawmaker in parliament. Schallenberg, 52, a career diplomat and a relative newcomer to politics, has said he will work closely with his predecessor, and opposition parties say he will just carry out Kurz's orders.

"He who follows blindly cannot lead," the leader of the opposition Social Democrats (SPO), Pamela Rendi-Wagner, said during a special session of the lower house of parliament, called in response to Kurz being placed under investigation.

Outside parliament, the Socialist Youth, which is close to the SPO, set up an installation that depicted Schallenberg as a puppet, with Kurz pulling his strings.

Opposition parties accuse Kurz of presiding over a network that flouted rules on issues ranging from party funding to appointments to state posts.

"You (Kurz) bought yourself a party and carried out a putsch within the party... All that counted was power," the leader of the liberal Neos party, Beate Meinl-Reisinger, told parliament.

UNCERTAINTY

It is unclear whether the conservatives' current coalition with the Greens can last until the next election, due in 2024, or whether the current setup, with Kurz remaining as the conservatives' parliamentary leader, can be sustained.

The Greens, who pressured Kurz to resign on Saturday, had campaigned for greater transparency in politics. They say they hope the coalition can return to "calmer waters".

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Anti-corruption prosecutors say they suspect conservative officials then in the Finance Ministry of using state funds to pay for manipulated polling and coverage favourable to Kurz to appear in a newspaper starting in 2016, when he was seeking to become party leader. He succeeded and won an election in 2017 with pledges to take a hard line on immigration.

Kurz, who is also under investigation separately for perjury, says all the allegations against him are false. He did not attend Tuesday's debate.

(Editing by Gareth Jones)
By Sultan Anshori

BALI, Indonesia (Reuters) - Surf school owner Halfia Londa is pinning all her hopes on Indonesia's plan to reopen the island of Bali to some foreign tourists from mid-October.

Halfia's business at Kuta Beach is among hundreds of tourist businesses to have been crippled by the Indonesian government's decision to suspend all international flights to and from the popular island destination from April 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The closure stripped away most of Halfia's business virtually overnight, plunging her into debt. With very little income, she was evicted from her rented house and has been relying on the generosity of friends to get by.

"Just to be able to eat, I have to borrow money," Halfia said, outside her surfboard rental shack on Kuta Beach. "We try to be economical, we eat twice a day without lunch ... we try to always cook what we can eat for at least two days."

There was some hope this week when the government announced it would reopen Bali and the neighbouring islands of Batam and Bintan on Oct. 14 to travellers from 18 countries, including China, New Zealand and Japan. Previous plans to reopen the tourism hotspot have been repeatedly delayed.

Visitors will be required to quarantine for five days at their own expense.

Indonesia, Southeast Asia's biggest economy, has experienced one of the worst COVID-19 outbreaks in the region. It has officially recorded more than 4 million cases and 142,000 deaths, and public health experts believe the true toll is far higher.

However, case numbers have eased significantly in recent months, to fewer than a thousand cases a day, compared with a peak of 56,000 cases a day in July.

The country exited its first recession in more than two decades in the second quarter, though economists have warned that the subsequent COVID-19 resurgence and the ensuing social restrictions likely weighed on the recovery's momentum.

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Bali, where tourism accounts for more than half the economy, has been particularly hard hit by the pandemic. The once thriving holiday spot has been eerily quiet for months, with hotels, restaurants and beaches shuttered and thousands of hospitality jobs gone.

Tirta Mursitama, an expert in international business at Binus University, said now was the time to seize the opportunity to innovate in Bali's hospitality and tourism sector.

"We know that every business is changing, so there's a need to become innovative," he said.

Halfia has kept her board rental business open for the few local customers still around, offering two-hour rentals for 150,000 rupiah ($10) - half the pre-pandemic price.

"I hope that the arrival of tourists back to the island can give us a chance to work again, live our daily lives and to revive the economic opportunities," she said.

(Reporting by Sultan Anshori, additional reporting by Yuddy Cahya Budiman and Agustinus Beo Da Costa; editing by Jane Wardell)
The Baltimore City school system is monitoring its laptops with software that alerts officials when a student might be considering suicide, a controversial innovation that came about during the pandemic after the system loaned families tens of thousands of the computers for use at home.

Since March, nine students have been identified through GoGuardians Beacon software as having a severe mental health crisis and were taken to an emergency room, according to Stacey Davis, the city schools coordinator of media and instructional technology. In at least two of those cases, the students had never had any mental health care.

Two reports released in the past month question the use of such technology across the country to track students, warning that it might be used for disciplinary purposes, unintentionally out LGBTQ students or squash student expression. The studies also point out that the behavior of economically disadvantaged students may be tracked more frequently than wealthier students because the school-owned laptop is their only device.

Privacy and equity was not being considered as much as it needs to be, said Elizabeth Laird, director of equity in civic technology at the Center for Democracy and Technology in Washington and co-author of one of the reports. Student activity monitoring is quite widespread.

Baltimore County uses GoGuardian software for other purposes but does not monitor for self-harm. School officials said their approach to suicide prevention focuses on building relationships between students and school staff.

Harford, Howard and Carroll counties said they do not monitor student devices for warning signs of self injury. Anne Arundel County did not respond to questions about any monitoring.

In Baltimore City, on weekends and at night when school psychologists or social workers arent available, school police officers have been sent to students homes to check on them after alerts from the software, as first reported by The Real News Network.

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GoGuardian did not respond to questions about what keywords its software uses to identify students who might be planning suicide.

Davis said when a message comes in to school police, the agencys dispatcher first tries to call a family. If they dont get an answer, a school police officer is sent to the home to talk to the family  whats known as a wellness check.

School police Chief Akil Hamm said his officers go to the door of a home, show the parents a copy of the alert and what their child typed. Then, he said, we ask the parents if we can lay eyes on the student.

School police are trained in trauma-informed care and behavioral crisis response, and to recognize signs of mental health crisis and how to respond.

Hamm said parents usually are grateful to have been alerted.

As they talk, they work with the guardian to determine if the alert is serious enough to require the student be taken for a mental health evaluation at Hopkins Davis said. If not, they will leave information about MD 211s crisis line or recommend a visit with the family doctor or a walk-in clinic.

Police only took a student to the emergency room once, and it was at the request of the parents, Hamm said. Students are not handcuffed, Hamm said, and officers dont demand to enter the homes.

The information is passed on to the principal of the students school, but school police dont keep a record of it and its not entered into a students file.

Having school police involved concerns Larry Simmons, president of the city school systems Parent Community Advisory Board. Having a school police officer arrive at the door may look punitive and not supportive. The officers carry firearms when they are off school grounds.

School police are not social workers, he said.

In general, Simmons said, I would say that this is really disturbing. You have not only monitored the kid, but the family, as well.

The monitoring comes out of a need for systems to protect students from inappropriate material on the internet, such as pornography. Inside schools, districts also have firewalls that prevent students from using sites such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

When the coronavirus pandemic hit, many school systems supplied laptops so students could study at home. To make sure they focused on their work, districts purchased web filtering and monitoring software. In some cases, like Baltimore City, the systems didnt set policies on how much of a students work could be seen and monitored.

Davis said the city purchased GoGuardian software that allows teachers to watch what students are doing on their laptops while they were teaching remotely.

GoGuardian, as well as Gaggle, another software company, sells an additional service that uses artificial intelligence to monitor student searches and, in some cases, their writing for evidence that they may harm themselves. Gaggle also provides teletherapy for students by counselors.

Since March, the city schools have gotten 786 alerts from Beacon. Of those, clinicians responded 401 times, while school police went to homes 12 times. In addition to the nine students referred to an emergency room, 12 students were referred to a crisis response center. The races and ages of the affected children were unavailable.

Through the expansion of virtual learning, a lot of things have to be rolled out very quickly, some have unintended consequences, said Zach Taylor, a representative of the Baltimore Teachers Union. Good intentions and policies can have adverse effects.

He said the school system should have an open discussion about the use of the technology.

Holly Wilcox, a professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, whose research focuses on suicide, said Hopkins emergency room doctors became interested in the tool when three students arrived in a short period of time in the emergency room needing mental health care.

Wilcox said the doctors contacted her and she began checking whether the use of Beacon is finding children who might not have been treated otherwise. She said she is in the early stages of looking into it and has contacted other hospitals in the region.

I see the risks and the potential privacy concerns people have, she said. But, if it is going to save someones life and get them the help they need, it is important to have in place.

Wilcox said she wants to determine whether students get the help they need, if their problems could have been spotted before they reached a crisis and who the professionals are that will follow up with their care.

Deborah Demery, president of the Baltimore City Council of PTAs, said she is not concerned by the monitoring.

As far as being concerned personally, Demery said, I feel much better they are monitoring and they are able to get those kids the help. It is a safeguard and it is working.

Sharon A. Hoover, co-director of the National Center for School Mental Health at the University of Maryland National School Mental Health Center would agree, but she believes there should be guardrails on the technologys use.

There is some good intentions behind the technology and, at the same time, they are raising questions and concerns around privacy, said Hoover, who is also a professor of child and adolescent psychiatry.

Society must balance the risks of invading privacy and the loss of that for the common good, she said.

Do I think there is some positive potential in protecting students from suicide? Yes, I do.
Chicago Tribune

The Kyle Rittenhouse jury on Thursday began its third day of deliberations  something that seems almost inconceivable to the social media pontificators who made up their minds about the case more than a year ago. For many legal experts, however, Kenosha County jurors are working right on schedule. I dont think the length of time says anything about what the jurors are thinking, veteran ...
Ambassador Elizabeth Jones was selected to lead the Biden administrations efforts to relocate and resettle Afghan evacuees.

State Department spokesman Ned Price announced Joness appointment to take over for Ambassador John Bass, who had been in the position, on Tuesday afternoon.

VOLUNTEERS EMPTY THEIR RETIREMENT FUNDS TO SAVE AT-RISK AFGHANS

Jones, who served as the ambassador to Kazakhstan and as deputy special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, will assume oversight of the entire Afghanistan relocation effort, from our ongoing efforts to facilitate the departure of individuals from Afghanistan to their onward relocation and resettlement from the United States.

She was the ambassador to Kazakhstan from 1995-98 before serving as the assistant secretary of state for Europe and Eurasia from 2001-05, according to the State Department website.

The U.S. has tapped eight military bases to house Afghan refugees. They will be able to hold 50,000 people once they're operating at full capacity. The U.S. temporarily halted inbound flights of Afghan refugees at the direction of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention after there were more than a dozen cases of measles and a handful of cases of mumps.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Bass, who served as the U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan from 2017 to 2020, had temporarily been in the position of coordinator for Afghan relocation efforts while his nomination to be the undersecretary of state for management is still pending with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Washington Examiner Videos

Tags: News, Military, Afghanistan, State Department, Biden Administration

Original Author: Mike Brest

Original Location: Biden selects former ambassador to oversee Afghan resettlement efforts
A bill spearheaded by Missouri Republican U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt and supported by three state Congressional reps would deliver about $20 million a year in boosted funding for conservation opportunity areas across the Show Me State, where the outdoor industry supports about 100,000 jobs and generates more than $12 billion in annual economic impact.

The broad, bipartisan support for this bill demonstrates how important wildlife and habitat preservation are to states across the nation, said Blunt. Missouri is no exception, with some of the best hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation in the country.

The Recovering Americas Wildlife Act of 2021 (RAWA) earmarks nearly $1.4 billion for conservation or restoration of wildlife and plant species of greatest conservation need (SGCNs).

The House RAWA bill was filed in April by U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., and has drawn 125 co-sponsors, including three of Missouris eight Congressional representative  Reps. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Kansas City, Bill Long, R-Springfield, and Vicky Hartzler, R-Harrisonville.

The Senate RAWA bill was co-filed in July by Blunt and U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-New Mexico. It has 27 co-sponsors, including 14 GOP senators, 12 Democrat senators and independent U.S. Sen. Angus King of Maine.

While the House bill is advancing in the chambers Ways & Means Committee, the Senate version as yet to be heard. Blunt on Friday called on the Senate to get moving on RAWA.

Im encouraged by the growing support we have for the bill and hope to see it considered by the Environment and Public Works Committee soon, he said, noting RAWA is supported by more than 1,500 organizations representing state fish and wildlife agencies, anglers, hunters, conservation groups, industry associations and businesses across the nation as well as in Missouri.

RAWA, among other aims, seeks to accelerate the recovery of 1,600 species in the U.S. listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act by requiring states adopt State Wildlife Action Plans to restore SGCN populations.

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The bill would boost annual funding from $60 million to $1.3 billion for state plans and provide $97.5 million annually to Tribal nations to fund conservation plans for roughly 140 million acres.

If adopted, RAWA would be the second large conservative package passed by Congress since 2019s adoption of the Great American Outdoors Act, which provides $900 million annually for the Land & Water Conservation Fund.

Despite bipartisan support, similar RAWA bills the last few years stumbled over conservatives insistence that hunters and anglers, not taxpayers, ante up more for conservation, no clarity in offsetting the bills expenditures, concerns about state-centric funding and criticism the plan focuses on fauna (animals) to the detriment of flora (plants).

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) maintains RAWA would funnel more than $20 million in additional funding annually into its Comprehensive Conservation Strategy that outlines projects in 209 conservation opportunity areas.

Among them is the MDCs effort with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and St. Louis County to remove 90% of 70,000 Asian carp from Creve Coeur Lake.

MDC maintains RAWAs proactive approach in SGCN-focused plans will lead to preventing the need for federal listing under the Endangered Species Act.

According to USGS, Missouri has about 1.163 million surface acres of water comprised of nearly 900 public lakes, 486 miles of the Mississippi River, 553 miles of the Missouri River, almost 16,000 miles of other permanent streams, more than 39,000 miles of intermittent streams and about 500,000 private lakes.

Each year, 1.1 million anglers in Missouri generate more than $2.1 billion in the state and about 600,000 individuals who hunt and 2.2 million who view wildlife on state land generate $3.6 billion a year, according to MDC.

Washington Examiner Videos

Tags: News, State, Montana

Original Author: John Haughey, The Center Square contributor

Original Location: Blunt calls on Senate to adopt bill supported by Missouris $12 billion outdoor industry
Border agents cleared out the only overflow facility in the Yuma Sector of the United States-Mexico border as they prepared for Sen. Lindsey Graham's visit on Monday, according to a report.

Sources told Townhall.com there was a great deal of "movement" to transfer detained immigrants to various Border Patrol locations, release them into the U.S., or deport them to Mexico.

Some agents claimed they were not given the reason why the overflow facility had to be cleared promptly, but one source told the news outlet that Graham's visit and the clearing of the facility could be linked.

LINDSEY GRAHAM BOOED IN HOME STATE AFTER SUGGESTING CROWD GET VACCINATED

Graham, a South Carolina Republican, said he was headed to Yuma, Arizona, "to meet with [U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials] to discuss border security and the flow of migrants into the United States," according to a Sunday Twitter post.

The clearing of immigrants could "make it look like there is no problem," a source within the Border Patrol said.

Just weeks ago, immigrants were sleeping on the ground as they waited to be fully processed, the source said.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

"There is no way we could have moved people this quickly," the source added.

The Washington Examiner reached out to Customs and Border Protection for comment.

Washington Examiner Videos

Tags: News, Lindsey Graham, Border Patrol, Texas, Immigration

Original Author: Luke Gentile

Original Location: Border overflow facility cleared ahead of Lindsey Graham visit: Report
A bounty hunter shot and killed a wanted man in the parking lot of a Houston, Texas, apartment complex Monday night, according to police.

The man killed has been identified only as a 24-year-old Hispanic male. He was behind the wheel of a car when the shooting occurred around 6:30 p.m., with his fiancee and a 3-month-old infant riding with him, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez told KHOU in a video posted on YouTube.

According to investigators, the bounty hunter tracked the man  who was wanted on charges of felony domestic violence  to the Park Falls apartments in west Houston.

While the man was driving in the parking lot, the bounty hunter pulled up behind him in his vehicle, trapping him with a locked exit gate in front, the sheriffs office said.

The bounty hunter got out of his vehicle, drew his gun and aimed it at the wanted man.

The man put his car in reverse and may have tried to run over the bounty hunter, at which point he opened fire on the driver, he told investigators.

According to the sheriff, the bounty hunter discharged his firearm into the vehicle as the vehicle reversed past him.

The man was pronounced dead at the scene.

An investigation is underway. The bounty hunters name was not released.

Horrified family watches man stab brother to death at birthday party, Texas cops say

Boy shows killings of 3 relatives and 2 dogs on social media, and Texas cops close in

Missing woman found after husbands ankle monitor leads New Mexico cops to grim find

Man slaughters a high school clubs farm animals to break his curse, Texas cops say
To find a multi-bagger stock, what are the underlying trends we should look for in a business? Amongst other things, we'll want to see two things; firstly, a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and secondly, an expansion in the company's amount of capital employed. This shows us that it's a compounding machine, able to continually reinvest its earnings back into the business and generate higher returns. In light of that, when we looked at Standex International (NYSE:SXI) and its ROCE trend, we weren't exactly thrilled.

Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)

For those who don't know, ROCE is a measure of a company's yearly pre-tax profit (its return), relative to the capital employed in the business. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for Standex International:

Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT)  (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)

0.096 = US$78m  (US$962m - US$144m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2021).

Therefore, Standex International has an ROCE of 9.6%. In absolute terms, that's a low return but it's around the Machinery industry average of 9.5%.

Check out our latest analysis for Standex International

roce

Above you can see how the current ROCE for Standex International compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you'd like, you can check out the forecasts from the analysts covering Standex International here for free.

The Trend Of ROCE

When we looked at the ROCE trend at Standex International, we didn't gain much confidence. To be more specific, ROCE has fallen from 15% over the last five years. Meanwhile, the business is utilizing more capital but this hasn't moved the needle much in terms of sales in the past 12 months, so this could reflect longer term investments. It may take some time before the company starts to see any change in earnings from these investments.

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The Bottom Line

Bringing it all together, while we're somewhat encouraged by Standex International's reinvestment in its own business, we're aware that returns are shrinking. And with the stock having returned a mere 26% in the last five years to shareholders, you could argue that they're aware of these lackluster trends. As a result, if you're hunting for a multi-bagger, we think you'd have more luck elsewhere.

One more thing, we've spotted 2 warning signs facing Standex International that you might find interesting.

While Standex International may not currently earn the highest returns, we've compiled a list of companies that currently earn more than 25% return on equity. Check out this free list here.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.



Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.
In July, the food service co-op ChiFresh Kitchen was running out of money for one of its initiatives. It had partnered with an urban farm to deliver free meals to those hit hard by the pandemic, but its founder Camille Kerr realized it would have to stop the deliveries if it didnt get more money.

The food had been delivered to people who were unemployed and often unsure of how theyd get their next meal. Kimberly Britt, one of the companys owners, remembers a line of children outside a Montessori school that stretched around the block in Englewood, a community with about 72% of its residents affected by food insecurity. They were waiting for ChiFreshs white van to arrive with food favorites like pizza with chicken sausage or collard greens with mac and cheese.

Kerr called the schools and nonprofits they worked with to tell them that they would have to pause meal delivery. But the next day, she got a call from the impact investment group Chicago Beyond and learned that $20,000 was coming their way, no strings attached. It was incredible timing, she said. She called the organizations. Never mind, she told them.

Run by formerly incarcerated individuals, ChiFresh Kitchen is one of 26 Chicago organizations that have received money from Chicago Beyond. The money, $1 million of which has been distributed so far with $2 million still to go, is going to smaller organizations doing hyperlocal work that often dont get resources, said Chicago Beyond founder and CEO Liz Dozier, also a former CPS principal.

The organizations were chosen by a peoples assembly of community leaders, whose experiences range from being retired principals to being social workers. There is no application process, allowing the money to get to organizations quickly. Some of the organizations they called thought it was a spam call, said Chicago Beyonds Chief Strategy and Operations Officer Eva Liu.

The focus, according to Dozier, is in trusting leaders to make decisions that are best for communities that they serve. Chicago Beyond did this by making the money unrestricted, meaning the nonprofits have free rein to use the funds however they think is best.

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For organizations such as ChiFresh Kitchen, the money made a difference as basic as allowing them to continue operating. Hood Heroes, started by counselor Jarvis Buchanan, aims to give young people on the South and West sides something meaningful to focus on during the summer. Homing in on teenagers own ideas about neighborhood beautification, Buchanan raised $20,000 through GoFundMe efforts in 2020 to pay young people to carry out their idea of collecting garbage around South Side neighborhoods.

Buchanan wanted to continue the work this summer but was worried it wouldnt happen: Do you think people are going to give $20,000 of their money again? he thought at the time. Then $40,000 in funding from Chicago Beyond came through in July, and Hood Heroes employed nearly 60 students to clean up two more neighborhoods on the South Side.

For the Coalition on Urban Girls, previously known as the South Side Coalition on Urban Girls, the money hasnt yet been put to use but plans are being made. CUG supports and sustain organizations that provide services for girls and do work around gender equity; the aim is to use the funding from Chicago Beyond to expand CUGs capacity to help those organizations.

One of the plans is an event where girl-oriented nonprofits would be invited to set up in a parking lot or outside a church and put up banners with information about the organizations but also about COVID-19. Attendees get to learn about girl-serving organizations close to you, and also COVID-19 education at same time, said CUG president Brianna Lawrence.

The lack of restrictions around what CUG could use the money for allows the organization to pull more people into the planning, said Lawrence.

In the past, the grants we received have been tailored toward a specific thing, but the lack of regulations here gives us flexibility, power and autonomy to be able to apply the funds where we need it most, she said.

Chicago Beyonds Liu acknowledged that the funding only touches a portion of Chicagos nonprofit organizations. There are so many more out there, she said, adding that it shouldnt necessarily be a competition between nonprofits to get funding.

jyan@chicagotribune.com
Several civil rights groups, state legislators and activists are calling on Baltimore County officials to reject and redraw proposed county council lines that they argue violate federal voting laws, warning that not doing so could result in court challenges.

The draft map, approved last month by the countys redistricting commission, includes just one majority-Black district and keeps most of the councils seven districts majority white  in a county where people of color now make up 45% of the voting-age population.

The Randallstown NAACP, Baltimore County NAACP, ACLU of Maryland, Maryland League of Women Voters and Common Cause Maryland assert the draft proposal violates provisions of the federal Voting Rights Act by proposing boundaries that pack Black voters into one district and then split Black communities among other councilmanic jurisdictions, diluting the votes of Black, Indigenous and other residents of color.

The map, in its current form, is simply immoral as well as illegal based on federal law, said Democratic state Sen. Delores Kelley, who in 1994 was the first Black person elected to the state Senate from Baltimore County after Maryland created a majority-minority district.

Speaking during a Tuesday news conference in Towsons Patriot Plaza, state Sen. Charles Sydnor, a Democrat, said that for the council  which has six white members and one Black councilman  to truly reflect the demographics of the county, there should be at least 3 nonwhite council members.

This map hasnt moved us past where we were 20 years ago, when the county redistricting commission first created the only majority-Black district in the western county, Sydnor said.

Then, Black residents made up 20% of the countys population while white people accounted for 75%, according to U.S. Census data. Just two Black council members have been elected in Baltimore Countys history after the county created the western councilmanic district, currently represented by council chair Julian Jones, a Democrat.

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I fully expect that well do better than this, Sydnor said.

Baltimore Countys redistricting commission, which is largely white, unanimously approved a proposal that keeps one majority-minority district  the fourth district encompassing Owings Mills and Reisterstown  and moves Towson to the more Democratic sixth district that currently includes Middle River, creating a fifth district that is largely conservative in the northeast part of the county.

The commission has contended that creating another majority-minority district is difficult because Black and other residents of color are dispersed across the county.

I would agree on the surface that yes there could be more majority Black districts, said Jones, a Woodstock Democrat, in an interview.

But the question is, how do you get that?

Opponents, who have proffered redistricting proposals that create at least one additional majority-minority district, say claims that its not possible to create another one are false.

A map floated by the ACLU and Baltimore County NAACP, for instance, moves some of Jones fourth district electorate to a first district that would then include parts of Woodlawn and Milford Mill, Lochearn, Catonsville, Arbutus and Lansdowne.

In its current form, the map would create a first district that is roughly 47% white and 47% Black, Latino and Asian, with an additional 5% identifying as two or more races.

The Baltimore County Board of Education also will be affected by the councilmanic boundaries, Kelley said. County voters elect seven board members  an additional four are appointed  and there are two Black members of the school board.

Kelley said more school board diversity is needed to resolve many unmet needs in schools.

State legislators said its unclear what powers may be available at the state level to intervene in the redistricting process.

Its really up to the county council to do right, Sydnor said.

Caylin Young, public policy director for ACLU of Maryland, said the current plan would make the county liable to lawsuits.

The county appointed a five-member redistricting commission to redraw the councilmanic lines, which coincides with the once-every-decade U.S. census. The commission is made up of three white men, a white woman and a Black man. There are three Democrats and two Republicans.

Residents who previously brought up the notion of creating a second majority Black district to the commission said they felt disregarded and unheard.

I kind of get the feeling that the commission wasnt listening. And thats frustrating and unfair, said Fergal Mullally, who is white and lives in the fifth district in the northeastern part of the county.

Linda Dorsey-Walker, who is Black and a fourth district resident, has a different idea: She wants to see a voter referendum on creating four additional seats on the council, with more than two majority-minority districts.

We dont need to be fighting with one another over seats, she said. We just need more seats at the table.

Critics of the plan also said the county should hold more than one public hearing.

Baltimore County spokesman Sean Naron said County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr. did not have a position on whether the proposal should be rejected.

But in a statement, the Dundalk Democrat said he shares the concerns raised by community members and I urge the County Council to carefully consider them.

The county charter requires councilmanic districts to be compact, contiguous, substantially equal in population and given consideration to natural, geographic and community boundaries. The council must hold a public hearing on the recommendations and adopt a final plan by Jan. 31.

Five members of the council must approve the plan, and ultimately the power lies with them to alter it.

Were gonna have a hearing on what they propose and then were gonna take all of that into account, Jones said.
By Colin Packham

CANBERRA (Reuters) -Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison is likely to attend the U.N. COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, officials said on Tuesday, after he was widely criticised for failing to commit earlier as his government faces pressure to take stronger action to reduce carbon emissions.

Morrison drew criticism globally late last month when he said he was unsure whether he would join other world leaders, including U.S. President Joe Biden, at the summit on Oct. 31-Nov. 12.

"It not set yet, but it is looking likely now," said one official familiar with Morrison's changing plans.

Morrison had said he might need to skip the meeting due to challenges dealt by COVID-19, but those concerns are receding as Australia is set to end quarantine requirements within weeks.

While many global nations have pledged to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, Australia - one of the world's largest emitters on a per capita basis - has refused to strengthen its targets.

Morrison has said Australia "wants to achieve net zero as soon as possible and preferably by 2050" and that the country expects to beat its pledge to cut carbon emissions by 26% to 28% from 2005 levels by 2030.

Morrison is engaged in negotiations with the junior partner in his coalition government about strengthening Australia's climate targets.

Facing an election by May 2022, Morrison needs to appease moderates in his Liberal Party pressing for more climate action, but at the same time needs support from the rural partner in the ruling coalition, the Nationals, which is concerned about the impact of tougher carbon targets on farming and coal mining.

Morrison has been helped by the Australian arm of Rupert Murdochs News Corp, whose newspapers have endorsed pursuit of net zero emissions by 2050.

Morrison could also draw some support from the position taken by the Australia's leading business lobby group, which last week proposed a plan for a 46-50% emissions reduction by 2030, to put the country on an even faster path to net zero by 2050.

The proposal by the Business Council of Australia marks a sharp reversal from its stance four years ago, when it described the opposition Labor Party's policy to reduce carbon emissions by 45% by 2030 as "economy wrecking".

(Reporting by Colin Packham; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)
Christopher A. Faulkner of Dallas was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison in September for cheating investors out of millions and concealing money from the Internal Revenue Service, according to Chad Meacham, acting U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Texas.

Faulkner, also known as the Frack Master, is a former Bedford tech entrepreneur turned Texas oil and gas mogul who was arrested in June 2018 and pleaded guilty in October 2018 to securities fraud, engaging in illegal monetary transactions and tax evasion. He withdrew the guilty plea after being declined a binding 12-year sentence, before pleading guilty again in December 2020, Meacham said in a news release.

Meacham said plea papers revealed that from 2011-2016 Faulkner raised over $71 million from working interest investors, but in marketing materials distributed to the investors, he inflated the estimated drilling costs by as much as 800 percent. Three companies, Breitling Energy Corp., Crude Energy LLC and Patriot Energy Inc., were able to pocket the difference between Faulkners projections and the actual costs.

U.S. District Judge Jane Boyle also ordered Faulkner to pay $92.4 million in restitution to his victims, Meacham said.

Over a five-year period, Faulkner admitted to diverting about $23 million for his own benefit, shelling out hundreds of thousands of dollars at a time for luxury travel, professional concierge services, maintenance of multiple residences, and at least seven vehicles, including an Aston Martin, a Bentley, and a Mercedes Benz, the release said. During that time, his companies paid out only $6.2 million to investors, according to the criminal complaint filed in June.

In June 2016, Faulkner settled with the Securities & Exchange Commission over allegations of multiple federal securities laws violations, where he had to pay $23.8 million. The settlement also prevents him from serving as an officer or director of any SEC-reporting company and from participating in any penny-stock offering, Meacham said.
House Budget Committee Chairman John Yarmuth announced Tuesday that he will retire from Congress after 16 years in office.

The Kentucky Democrat heads the panel responsible for drafting a federal budget plan each year. Yarmuth has been a close ally of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat. He took office in the 2006 Democratic wave, beating a 10-year incumbent Republican as his party claimed its first majority in a dozen years.

"It's been an incredible journey since my first campaign in 2006 until now. I will continue to fight for Louisville in Washington for another 15 months, and then, I will retire from Congress," Yarmuth tweeted Tuesday with a video of him in front of the Capitol.

The desire to have more control of my time in the years I have left has become a high priority," Yarmuth said in the video. "Candidly, I have found new and incomparable joy in spending time with my young grandson, and Id like to spend more of my Golden Years with my family in Louisville.

The move comes as Republicans in Kentucky get ready to begin the redistricting process. State lawmakers are charged with drawing the Bluegrass State's six House seats, and Yarmuth's Louisville district could be a top target. If Republicans are maximally aggressive in gerrymandering to benefit GOP candidates, the district represented by Yarmuth could be spliced and diced to graft on key liberal precincts to surrounding conservative areas. That would have the effect of somewhat diluting the Republican tilt of the neighboring districts, though not enough to make them truly competitive.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, has cautioned against that approach, warning it could lead to lawsuits that could backfire.

House Republicans need to net about five seats to win back the House majority they lost in 2018. So the district is likely to be a tempting target nonetheless, with Republicans eyeing a chance to hold all six House seats from Kentucky.

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Yarmuth is the eighth House member to announce retirement plans for this election cycle without seeking another office. And 11 House members are giving up their seats to run for other offices.

Washington Examiner Videos

Tags: News, Congress, House Democrats, House GOP, 2022 Elections

Original Author: David Mark

Original Location: Democratic House committee chairman to retire, giving GOP prime pickup opportunity
In this Sept. 29, 2018 file photo, a cargo ship is docked at the port, in Hodeida, Yemen. AP Photo/Hani Mohammed, File

There's potential for an oil spill in the Red Sea that could cause an "environmental catastrophe," a new study warns.

A "dead" oil tanker with 1.1 million barrels on board is stationed off Yemen's coast.

A new study warns that a leak from the deteriorating oil tanker could be a disaster.

A deteriorating oil tanker with 1.1 million barrels on board could cause an oil spill that'd lead to an "environmental catastrophe," according to a new study.

The study, published on Monday in Nature Sustainability, warns that the F.S.O. Safer, an ultra-large crude oil tanker stationed near Yemen's Hodeidah port, poses a huge threat to the region.

The tanker has been been "dead" since 2017 after its steam boilers gave out. In other words, the tanker has been just sitting there off the coast of Yemen, an area UNICEF has labeled as "the largest humanitarian crisis in the world" due to the ongoing civil war.

The tanker is "single-hulled, meaning a breach will cause the onboard oil to spill directly into the sea," according to the study, and a spill "could occur due to a leak or combustion."

Researchers modeled the potential public health implications and found that a spill could disrupt the clean water and food supplies of millions of people. Cardiovascular hospitalizations due to pollution could also increase by up to 42% throughout the duration of a potential spill.

From an economic standpoint, the study said all of Yemen's imported fuel that comes through key ports along the Red Sea could be severed, along with over 90% of the country's Red Sea fisheries.

And as tens of thousands of Yemenis struggle with famine and millions lack access to basic goods, a spill could block the port of Hodeidah, which is where two-thirds of the country's food arrives, the New Yorker reported last week.

As it is, over half the country's population is dependent on the aid that comes through its ports, the study said.

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Still, the disastrous potential of an oil spill is completely preventable through offloading the oil, the study said. But it's a tall order for a country already strangled by conflict.

A skeleton crew aboard the ship has been fighting desperately to prevent the ship from sinking, exploding, or causing a massive oil spill. And the Yemeni Safer Exploration & Production Operations Company, which owns the Safer, reportedly only has enough money to make minor repairs on the ship annually.

To complicate things, Houthi rebels who control the Marib oil fields near where the ship is stationed have obstructed any efforts by the United Nations or NGOS to dislodge or drain the boat.

The study says no long-term solutions to improve the situation have been publicly proposed.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Oct. 11Doctors have deemed the suspect in the Boulder King Soopers shooting incompetent to stand trial, but prosecutors have asked for and have been granted a second evaluation.

Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, 21, is charged with 10 counts of first-degree murder, 47 counts of attempted first-degree murder, one count of first-degree assault, 10 counts of felony possession of a prohibited large capacity magazine, and 47 crime of violence sentence enhancers.

Alissa's attorneys brought up concerns about his competence prior to a scheduled preliminary hearing, and Boulder Chief Judge Ingrid Bakke ordered Alissa undergo an evaluation to determine whether he was capable of assisting in his own defense.

According to a motion filed last week, doctors concluded Alissa's "superficial responses" to hypothetical legal situations indicated a "passive approach to his defense" and "potential overreliance on his attorneys."

The doctors ultimately concluded Alissa is not currently competent to stand trial.

But the Boulder District Attorney's Office filed a motion asking for another evaluation, noting that they felt Alissa's responses indicated he was competent enough for the case to proceed.

"In this first competency evaluation, (Alissa) indicates an understanding of his charges, the potential sentence, the roles of the judge, prosecutor, and defense attorney," the motion read.

While Alissa's attorneys objected to a second evaluation and argued it was an attempt to fast-track the case and "was not made in good faith," Bakke granted the request on Oct. 7.

If a judge were to review the doctors' findings and conclude that Alissa was in fact not competent to stand trial, the case would be placed on hold until Alissa could be restored to competency.

He will remain in custody during the evaluation and any future restoration efforts.

According to an arrest affidavit, police were called to the King Soopers at 3600 Table Mesa at 2:40 p.m. March 22 for a report of an armed man who had shot a person in a vehicle in the store's parking lot and was inside the store.

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Eric Talley, a Boulder police officer, was the first to arrive on scene and was shot and killed. Alissa fired at other responding officers. One of the responding officers shot Alissa in the leg.

Alissa later surrendered to police. Police found an assault rifle, a handgun and tactical body armor at the scene.

In addition to Talley, Denny Stong, 20; Neven Stanisic, 23; Rikki Olds, 25; Tralona Bartkowiak, 49; Teri Leiker, 51; Suzanne Fountain, 59; Kevin Mahoney, 61; Lynn Murray, 62; and Jody Waters, 65, were killed in the shooting.
Watch: Elizabeth Hurley reveals how she helped to save her friends' lives.

Elizabeth Hurley has revealed how she helped saved two of her friends' lives by encouraging them to check for breast cancer.

The model and actor, 56, tragically lost her grandmother to breast cancer and has been campaigning to raise awareness ever since.

Appearing on Good Morning Britain, Hurley explained that she often posts on her social media platform about the importance of checking your breasts for changes.

She went on to say that the sharing of these health messages had contributed to two of her girl friends getting an earlier diagnosis of breast cancer.

"I shared a post on Instagram about self-checking," she told hosts Richard Madeley and Susanna Reid.

Read more: Primark praised for booking cancer patient to model post-surgery bra: 'Strong and beautiful'

Elizabeth Hurley has been campaigning to raise awareness about breast cancer, pictured in October 2019. (Getty Images)

"Two friends, both in their 40s, who had not checked themselves, they both checked after seeing my Instagram and two of them found lumps and went to the doctor, two were diagnosed with breast cancer and two have gone through treatment.

"They're fine because they found it very early. They found a lump themselves, but they actually wouldnt have self-checked had they not seen the Instagram that I did on behalf of our campaign.

"So, just hearing that alone makes you think, please ladies, start to check."

Susanna Reid replied: "The irony is you dont want to check because you dont want to find anything. Bottom line is, thats why people dont check isnt it? And yet if you find something, you're more likely to survive."

Hurley concluded: "Exactly."

Earlier in the interview the model had explained that after finding a lump she did not seek medical help for around a year because she was "scared" and "embarrassed".

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Read more: How and when to check your breasts

She explained that it may have been a different outcome for her grandmother if she had been diagnosed today, rather than in the early 1990s when people didn't talk about it so much.

She went on to urge women to check their breasts more because if breast cancer is discovered early you're more likely to survive.

Watch: Elizabeth Hurley on raising breast cancer awareness and having fun with her bikini snaps.

Hurley is a global ambassador for The Estee Lauder Companies' Breast Cancer Campaign and explained that women should self-examine once a month and at the same time of every month.

She recommended picking a date and then setting an alarm on your phone to remind you to examine your breasts for changes on that date.

"Doctors say if you familiarise yourself with your breasts, which are very different, and every month check you'll notice a difference, you'll notice they look different in the mirror, or they feel different. And that is the time to attempt to go to your doctor and have it checked out," she says.

Read more: I had a double mastectomy at 25. Now I design lacy lingerie for women like me

Elizabeth Hurley has been encouraging women to check their breasts for cancer, pictured in September 2021. (Getty Images)

Breast cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in women under 30 in the UK (with 181 new cases every year and around 12 deaths).

While it is much more common in older women, around 5,000 women under the age of 45 are diagnosed with it every year in the UK.

How often should we be checking our breasts?

Coppafeel! recommends that checking your breasts should become a monthly habit.

"By checking on a regular basis, you will also build the confidence of knowing what is normal for you each month. Everyone has to start somewhere, so dont worry if youre not feeling confident straight away," the charity explains.

Read more: One in five women unlikely to visit doctor with breast health concerns

How to check your breasts

The NHS recommends doing your monthly check in the bath or shower, using the soapy water to make the process a little easier to spot anything out of the ordinary.

You can also look at your breasts in the mirror. Look with your arms by your side and also with them raised.

Feeling your armpits should be a key part of your monthly check, too.

The NHS Breast Screening Programme has produced a five-point plan, making it easier than ever to know what youre looking out for.

The five simple points are:

Know what's normal for you

Look at your breasts and feel them

Know what changes to look for

Report any changes without delay

Attend routine screening if you're 50 or over

Signs and symptoms of breast cancer

The NHS website advises people to see a GP if they notice any of these symptoms:
Alessia Russo (right) has been named in the England squad (Martin Rickett/PA) (PA Wire)

Manchester United forward Alessia Russo has been included in the England Women squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Northern Ireland and Latvia later this month.

Russo, who made her sole appearance for the Lionesses to date in March 2020, returns to the squad as part of a 24-player group selected by Sarina Wiegman.

United captain Katie Zelem and Aston Villa goalkeeper Hannah Hampton are the two uncapped players in the squad.

While the fit-again Keira Walsh is back after missing last months 8-0 win over North Macedonia and 10-0 victory against Luxembourg, there is no place in the squad for Jordan Nobbs, who has also recovered from an injury.

England were skippered for the two games in September by Leah Williamson in the absence of the injured Steph Houghton who remains sidelined along with the likes of Lucy Bronze and Ellie Roebuck.

England face Northern Ireland at Wembley  their first competitive match at the stadium  on October 23 before taking on Latvia away three days later.

Wiegman said: After a wonderful start to our World Cup qualifying campaign last month, we are incredibly excited to play our first competitive fixture at Wembley Stadium.

(PA Wire)

The incredible atmosphere our supporters generated at St Marys Stadium for our match against North Macedonia gave our players and staff a tremendous lift, so the prospect of playing in front of thousands of fans at our national stadium later this month will be a special moment.

Northern Ireland have made strong progress in recent years, qualifying earlier this year for the 2022 home Uefa Womens Euros. On top of that, their recent 4-0 victory over Latvia shows the strength of their team and their determination to qualify for the World Cup.

I cant wait to get back together with our squad this weekend. Every player showed great ability and the collective positivity and ambition within the group was fantastic to see.

We do still have one or two injuries to key players to contend with, but the depth in our squad is very strong. We hope to give our supporters more reasons to celebrate this month as we continue our progress towards qualification.

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Full squad

Goalkeepers: Mary Earps (Man United), Hannah Hampton (Aston Villa), Sandy MacIver (Everton).

Defenders: Millie Bright (Chelsea), Jessica Carter (Chelsea), Niamh Charles (Chelsea), Rachel Daly (Houston Dash), Alex Greenwood (Man City), Demi Stokes (Man City), Lotte Wubben-Moy (Arsenal).

Midfielders: Jill Scott (Man City), Lucy Staniforth (Man United), Georgia Stanway (Man City), Keira Walsh (Man City), Leah Williamson (Arsenal), Katie Zelem (Man United).

Forwards: Bethany England (Chelsea), Lauren Hemp (Man City), Fran Kirby (Chelsea), Beth Mead (Arsenal), Nikita Parris (Arsenal), Alessia Russo (Man United), Ella Toone (Man United), Ellen White (Man City).
By Foo Yun Chee

BRUSSELS (Reuters) -Nvidia's $54 billion bid for British chip designer ARM is expected to face an extended EU antitrust investigation after concessions offered last week failed to address competition concerns, three people familiar with the matter said.

An EU investigation would be the second setback for Nvidia coming two months after Britain's antitrust agency warned that the deal for the country's most important technology company could damage competition and weaken rivals.

The European Commission is scheduled to end its preliminary review on Oct. 27 and a four-month investigation into the deal would now follow, the people told Reuters said.

A spokesperson for the Commission declined to comment.

"The regulatory process is confidential. The transaction will help to transform Arm and boost competition and innovation, including in the UK," Nvidia Corp, a U.S. technology firm headquartered in Silicon Valley, said.

The world's biggest maker of graphics and artificial intelligence (AI) chips has offered "behavioural remedies" to the Commission, the people said, without providing details.

Such remedies usually refer to pledges by companies to take measures aimed at preserving competition.

Nvidia has said it would maintain ARM as a neutral technology supplier in a bid to allay concerns from customers such as Qualcomm Inc, Samsung Electronics Co Ltd and Apple Inc.

The EU competition enforcer has not sought feedback from rivals and customers on the concessions, indicating that they were not sufficient, the people said.

Backers of the deal include ARM customers Broadcom, MediaTek and Marvell.

(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; Editing by Phil Blenkinsop and David Clarke)
ROME (AP)  A European court agreed Tuesday that the Vatican couldn't be sued in a local court for sexual abuse committed by Catholic priests, affirming that it enjoys sovereign immunity and that the misconduct of priests and their superiors can't be attributed to the Holy See.

The European Court of Human Rights dismissed a case brought by two dozen people who said they were victims of abusive priests in Belgium. The 24 had argued the Holy See was liable because of the structurally deficient" way the Catholic hierarchy had for decades covered up cases of priests who raped and molested children.

The plaintiffs appealed to the Strasbourg-based court after Belgian courts ruled they had no jurisdiction given the Holy Sees immunity as a sovereign state.

The European court said the Belgian judges were correct and that the victims hadnt been deprived of their right to have access to a court. It restated the Belgian court ruling that the Holy See enjoys sovereign immunity and that no exception to that rule applied since the misconduct of bishops in handling abuse cases couldn't be attributed to the Vatican.

Citing the Belgian decision, the European court said the pope wasn't the principal" of his bishops, that the misconduct attributed directly to the Holy See hadn't been committed on Belgian territory but in Rome; and that neither the pope nor the Holy See had been present on Belgian territory when the misconduct attributed to the leaders of the church in Belgium had been committed," according to a summary of the ruling.

The European court said it wasnt appropriate to substitute its own assessment since the Belgian decision hadnt been arbitrary or unreasonable.

Tuesdays ruling, the first time the Holy See's immunity was tested by the European court, was a Chamber judgment. Both sides have three months to ask that the case be heard by the courts Grand Chamber for a final decision.

In a dissenting opinion, Judge Darian Pavli disputed the Belgian courts finding about the level of authority that the pope exercises over his bishops. He argued Belgian judges hadnt considered evidence that the pope does in fact hire and fire bishops and that the Vatican as a policy had imposed a code of silence over the handling of abuse cases worldwide.

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As a result, Pavli argued, the European tribunal should have found that Belgian judges did indeed deprive the victims of access to a court.

The Holy See has successfully argued in U.S. courts that the pope isn't the boss of his bishops, blocking attempts by victims who have similarly tried to hold the Holy See and the pope liable for their abuse. More such lawsuits have been filed in recent years, including from victims of ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, who was defrocked by Pope Francis in 2019 after a Vatican investigation found he sexually abused minors and adults.

These lawsuits have cited a Vatican-commissioned report published last year that found a series of popes, Holy See officials and bishops downplayed or dismissed reports of his sexual misconduct as he rose through the church hierarchy.

The Vatican declined to comment on the ruling, saying it speaks for itself. The victims' lawyers didn't immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

Anne Barrett Doyle, co-founder of the online resource BishopAccountability.org, said the ruling was a galling reminder of the Vatican's impunity because of its status as a sovereign state.

The churchs dual identity as a religion and a state allows it to shape-shift according to the threat it faces in courts," she said in a statement. No other religious institution enjoys the same buffet of legal protections. The result is that the church repeatedly evades justice and its untold millions of victims are left to suffer."
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas doubled down this week on the Biden administrations use of a controversial Trump-era policy known as Title 42, dismissing recent criticism from a former senior State Department official who called the policy illegal and inhumane.

In a Tuesday interview aired at an international security conference hosted by the nonprofit Soufan Center in Doha, Qatar, Mayorkas told Yahoo News Chief Investigative Correspondent Michael Isikoff that Title 42 is not an immigration policy that we in this administration would embrace. Rather, he insisted, the policy is seen as a public health imperative.

Migrants cross from a camp in Del Rio, Texas, to get food supplies in Ciudad Acuna, Mexico, on Sept. 22, as U.S. Border Patrol agents watch from their vehicles. (John Moore/Getty Images)

Title 42, which has been used by the Trump and Biden administrations to expel hundreds of thousands of migrants who have crossed into the U.S. over the border with Mexico, refers to an obscure public health authority that allows the government to block noncitizens from entering the country during a pandemic. The Trump administration first invoked Title 42 in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, effectively sealing off the southern border. An emergency order issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention allowed immigration officials to quickly expel mostly Mexican and Central American migrants back to their home countries without giving them a chance to apply for asylum or other protections in the United States.

According to the Associated Press, the Trump White House pressured the CDC to issue its initial Title 42 order back in March 2020 over the objections of the agencys top scientists. Those health experts argued there was no evidence that the policy would slow the spread of the coronavirus.

While human rights advocates and public health experts have called for the policy to be revoked, the Biden administration has instead defended it in federal court. According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data, 938,045 migrants were expelled from the U.S. under Title 42 between October 2020 and August 2021, including more than 7,000 Haitians whod attempted to cross the border in Del Rio, Texas, in late September.

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Haitian migrants seeking asylum wait to get into a van to be transported from Del Rio, Texas, on Sept. 24. (Nick Wagner/Xinhua via Getty Images)

Last week Politico reported that Harold Koh, an outgoing senior adviser and the sole political appointee on the State Departments legal team, had issued a scathing internal memo arguing that the Biden administrations use of Title 42 to expel migrants, particularly those fleeing Haiti, violates U.S. and international laws against returning people to countries where they fear persecution, death or torture.

Koh wrote that expulsions to Haiti, which is suffering from widespread violence, food insecurity and political strife, are inhumane and not worthy of this Administration that I so strongly support. Kohs harsh criticisms echo those of Daniel Foote, the administrations special envoy to Haiti who resigned in protest of the mass expulsions last month, as well as several Democratic lawmakers who have called on Biden to halt deportations to Haiti.

Isikoff asked Mayorkas to respond to the Koh memo, noting that the secretary himself came to the United States as a refugee from Cuba. While Mayorkas said it is heartbreaking that a material percentage of Haitian migrants who recently arrived at the border will be expelled under Title 42, such action is necessary as a matter of public health imperative.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas at a press briefing at the White House on Sept. 24. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

In the interview, Mayorkas also addressed the Biden administrations efforts to combat domestic terrorism, as well as the recent testimony of Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen, who told lawmakers that the social network deliberately promoted harmful content, including conspiracy theories and misinformation about the 2020 presidential election. While Mayorkas said its clear that we are seeing ideologies of hate, false narratives propagated through social media, he declined to say whether Facebook and other social media companies have actively contributed to the rise in domestic extremism.

Im not prepared to say they are part of the problem, Mayorkas said.

____

Read more from Yahoo News:
Robert Durst listens to closing arguments in his Los Angeles murder trial. The real estate scion was convicted last month in the killing of Susan Berman. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

For five months, Robert Durst stood trial in a Los Angeles courtroom for one woman's death that was inextricably linked to the disappearance of another.

Prosecutors have long argued Durst traveled to the West Coast in 2000 and killed his longtime confidante, Susan Berman, in order to prevent her from helping authorities in New York prove he killed his first wife, Kathie McCormack, two decades earlier. At trial, prosecutors spent days offering evidence that Durst and McCormack's marriage was in shambles, and called witnesses who testified that the young nursing student lived in fear of her husband.

When 12 jurors convicted Durst of murder last month, they also upheld the special circumstances allegation that the 78-year-old real estate scion gunned down Berman because she was a witness to a crime.

So when the McCormack family's attorney, Robert Abrams, received an email alerting them that they will not be allowed to speak at Durst's sentencing this week, he was as surprised as he was frustrated.

It was never really a thought that they wouldnt be allowed to give a victim impact statement," Abrams said. "When somebody is the central focus of the criminal trial, you would expect it.

While victim commentary will have no impact on Thursday's hearing  defendants convicted of special circumstances murder in California can only be sentenced to life in prison or death, and prosecutors did not seek capital punishment against Durst  Abrams has said it's outrageous that the McCormacks would be denied a chance to confront Durst after waiting four decades for anything resembling justice.

You have a duty to support and protect the rights of victims and their families, including by notifying them of their right to make a victim impact statement. Yet, rather than advocate for the McCormack family you have sought to silence them," Abrams wrote in a letter to prosecutors on Monday. "Your conduct is appalling and your motives are unethical.

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Legal experts, however, warned that the McCormack family's anger is misplaced. Under California law, the only people who have a right to make an impact statement at a sentencing hearing are the victim or their surviving relatives. While the McCormacks may be victims of a crime committed by Durst in New York  where a grand jury will be convened to weigh charges against the real estate heir in Kathie's 1982 vanishing  only the Berman family would be eligible to confront Durst on Thursday, experts said.

The Los Angeles County district attorney's office did not respond to a request for comment Monday. It is unclear who will speak at Thursday's hearing and Abrams would not say if any of McCormack's four surviving siblings, two of whom testified during trial, planned to appear in court.

According to emails provided by Abrams, prosecutors did not actively try to stop the McCormacks from speaking. Rather, they cited the section of the California penal code governing victims' rights, and noted that Durst's attorneys had objected to the McCormacks' request to speak at the sentencing hearing, according to the email.

Durst's defense team did not respond to a request for comment on Monday. But according to an email sent by Deputy Dist. Atty. Habib Balian, prosecutors indicated Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Mark Windham had tentatively ruled against allowing the McCormacks to speak.

Dave Ring, a Los Angeles-based victims rights attorney, said that McCormacks' frustration is certainly understandable, but California law is clear on the issue. He also warned that Windham might open an avenue for Durst to appeal his sentence if the McCormacks were allowed to speak at the hearing.

It's really unfortunate because this is one of those difficult situations where you absolutely understand why the McCormack family wants to get up in court and speak their piece because this is probably the only chance theyll get to do it," Ring said, noting that Durst is elderly and in poor health.

Abrams insisted the section of the penal code cited by prosecutors doesn't narrowly define who a victim is. He also pointed to a section of the California Constitution, which defines a crime victim as "a person who suffers direct or threatened physical, psychological, or financial harm as a result of the commission or attempted commission of a crime."

Abrams argued that Kathie's surviving relatives have long feared Durst would try to kill them, and also said the family had a right to respond to the defense's repeated allegations that Kathie was abusing cocaine in the months before she vanished.

They really made Kathie out to be this horrible low-level drug addict," he said. "It was devastating for the family to have to listen to all the attacks on Kathie, and given the attacks on Kathie, the family has every right to look Robert Durst in the eye and tell them what he did was unforgivable.

Ultimately, Abrams said he believes prosecutors would not have been able to win a conviction against Durst without the McCormacks. If Kathie's disappearance was critical to the entire legal journey, he said, her loved ones should not be excluded from the final step.

Whether youre a judge or a lawyer or a prosecutor, you cant say in good conscience that the majority of this case did not revolve around Kathie," he said.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Dr. Prakash Patel, a pulmonologist who works in the ICU at TriStar Stonecrest Medical Center, gets a COVID-19 vaccine. Rob Lindsay

A man in Texas man was indicted for allegedly sending threatening messages to a Maryland doctor.

The indictment alleges Scott Eli Harris, 51, threatened to shoot Dr. Leana Wen with his "12 gauge."

Police arrested Harris. His first appearance in court has not been set.

Federal authorities in Maryland indicted a man in Texas, alleging he made threats against a Maryland doctor for publicly supporting the COVID-19 vaccine.

A Maryland federal court unsealed an indictment against Scott Eli Harris, 51, on Tuesday and charged him with interstate communication with threat to injure.

According to the indictment, Harris messaged the threats to Dr. Leana Wen in mid-July 2021. The Baltimore Sun noted Wen is a frequent contributor at CNN, where she serves as a medical analyst.

In the texts provided by authorities, Harris allegedly berates Wen for being of Asian descent and tells her that he's not going to take the vaccine.

"Never going to take your wonder drug," the indictment alleges Harris wrote. "My 12 gauge promises I won't."

Harris then boasts about his alleged time in the military where he notes he is a "5th generation Army veteran" who "can't wait for the shooting to start." Insider was unable to verify Harris' military experience.

Court filings note Harris has been arrested and that his first appearance will be in the Northern District of Texas, though no dates have been set for a court appearance as of yet.

Read the original article on Insider
Gabby Petito, the Long Island woman whose mysterious killing has sparked a manhunt for her fiance, died from strangulation, the Wyoming coroner who performed her autopsy said Tuesday.

Her death had already been ruled a homicide, but this was the first time Teton County Coroner Brent Blue released any details about the autopsy. He told reporters at a virtual news conference that Petitos remains, found last month in Wyomings Bridger-Teton National Forest, had been outside for about three to four weeks.

Blue said his ruling was the result of a detailed investigation that involved forensic pathologists, anthropologists, local law enforcement and the FBI. He would not release any more information about the probe, as the FBI is still investigating who killed Petito. Its also unclear if the strangulation was manual or with an object.

Petitos body was located near a remote campground surrounded by woodlands and brush on Sept. 19, just over a week after she was reported missing by her family. The 22-year-old Blue Point native had been on a cross-country trip with her longtime partner, Brian Laundrie, when her family last heard from her in late August.

This police camera video provided by the Moab Police Department shows Gabby Petito talking to an officer after police pulled over the van she was traveling in with Laundrie, near the entrance to Arches National Park on Aug. 12.

Laundrie, 23, returned to his Florida home by himself on Sept. 1 and disappeared about two weeks later without helping police find the missing woman. Laundrie has not been charged in her death, but hes the only person of interest in the case.

Hes also wanted on a charge of bank card fraud for allegedly using another persons card to spend or withdraw about $1,000. Police have not said whether the card belonged to Petito.

Local law enforcement and the FBI have focused their search for Laundrie on Floridas huge Carlton Preserve, a nearly 25,000-acre site where he was said to be hiking before his Sept. 14 disappearance.

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Attorney Steven Bertolino, who represents the Laundrie family, issued a statement about the coroners findings.

Gabby Petitos death at such a young age is a tragedy, he said. While Brian Laundrie is currently charged with the unauthorized use of a debit card belonging to Gabby, Brian is only considered a person of interest in relation to Gabby Petitos demise. At this time Brian is still missing and when he is located we will address the pending fraud charge against him.

Petitos father and the familys attorney did not immediately return a request for comment Tuesday afternoon. Petitos mother told Tampa NBC affiliate WFLA: His words are garbage. Keep talking.

During a recent news conference, the family urged Laundrie to surrender  a plea that even his sister has publicly made.

Come forward and end this horrible mess, she told ABC News last week.

Laundries father, who has not spoken to the media, joined the search for his son at Carlton Preserve at least once in recent days. Authorities have also investigated unconfirmed sightings of Laundrie in other parts of the country and even in Toronto.

The bizarre case has drawn widespread interest partly because Petito, who had a large following on social media, had been documenting the trip on Instagram and TikTok. The travel-blogging couple began their journey in June with the goal of visiting multiple national parks along the way.

Critics have pointed to the case as an example of missing white woman syndrome, with many saying that missing people of color rarely get the same attention. Asked about the constant press coverage in his typically quiet Wyoming community, Blue said its been quite the media circus.

Unfortunately, this is one of many deaths around the country of people who are involved in domestic violence, he said. Its unfortunate that these other deaths would not get as much coverage as this one.

The Petito family recently launched the Gabby Petito Foundation to help finding missing people and assist victims of domestic violence. The foundations first official fundraiser is scheduled for Sunday in Patchogue, Long Island.

Investigators have not said if it was domestic violence that led to Petitos death, but the couple was involved in at least one altercation during their trip.

Police body-cam video captured the moment officers in Utah questioned the pair about the incident, with a visibly distressed Petito telling cops that she had hit Laundrie first. Petito also said Laundrie grabbed my face with his nail, which caused an apparent cut to her cheek, the footage shows.

Laundrie, meanwhile, told police he was just defending himself because she gets really worked up when upset.

And when she does she swings, and she had her cellphone in her hand, so I was just trying to push her away, he said while still sitting in white Ford Transit the couple was using to travel.

Police ultimately decided not to arrest anyone, ruling that the incident stemmed from a mental-health crisis.


As the Apple v. Epic Games lawsuit goes under appeal, Google on Monday afternoon filed an answer and counterclaim in the Epic Games' antitrust litigation against the company. The tech giant and Android maker denies Epic's allegations of antitrust behavior and instead says that it's owed relief, as Epic Games breached the Google Play Developer Distribution Agreement (DDA) by allowing Fortnite players who download the app through Google Play to use Epic's own payment processing technology.

This situation is similar to what took place on the App Store, where Epic Games updated its app to workaround App Store policies, and then facilitated payments through its own payments system, in violation of its legal contract with Apple. The court's decision in Apple's case was that Epic owed financial relief to Apple, to the tune of $6 million dollars.

Epic Games did much of the same thing on Google Play, the counterclaim alleges. Last year, Epic submitted a build of Fortnite to Google Play which used Epic's own direct payments system and not Google Play Billing. This submission was immediately rejected for failing to comply with Google's policies. Epic then submitted a compliant version in April 2020, which Google now describes as "an act of deception designed to provoke litigation."

The new version had concealed Epic's payment system in an update that was sent to both Apple and Google's app stores. This would allow Epic to switch over to its own payment system by applying a server-side configuration change, or "hotfix," without Google's knowledge.

That switch was flipped on August 13, 2020. It allowed Fortnite users to choose between Google Play Billing and Epic's own direct payments system. This move was meant to trigger the game's rejection from the app stores, paving the way for Epic to pursue its planned litigation. Google said it notified Epic Games on the same day the hotfix was applied that it was in violation of the DDA, Google's Malicious Behavior Policy and the Google Play Billing Policy, and removed Fortnite from Google Play. However, it did not disable Epic's account so the game maker could resubmit a compliant version.

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However, Android users who had downloaded the game from Google Play could still use Epic's own payments system even after the app was pulled down, allowing Epic to evade its contractually obligated service fee to Google, the counterclaim states. Google is asking the court to award restitution of this loss of feeds, in addition to other damages, attorney's fees, interest and any other relief the court deems necessary.

"Epic, a multibillion-dollar company backed by two of the worlds largest video game developers, has profited immensely from the safe, secure platform provided by Google Play, a platform for which it pays a fee equivalent or less than that charged by other major platform providers," the counterclaim states. "Not satisfied with those immense profits, it entered into a legal agreement with Google with which it never intended to comply, deceiving Google and concealing its true intentions to provoke a legal and public relations confrontation that continues to this day. Its actions have put its own users at risk, have harmed Google, and are deserving of relief from this Court," it says.

Epic Games has no further comment on the new filing.

However, Epic's position has been that Apple and Google's requirement to use their own in-app payment systems exclusively is a monopolistic practice that disadvantages developers. In Apple's case, the court agreed that Apple should not block developers from sharing a link to other payment methods inside their own app or communicating to customers. It did not declare Apple a monopoly.

But Google's situation is a bit different, as Android already allows for sideloading apps -- that means there's another method of reaching Android users outside Google Play, making an antitrust claim more difficult.

Google has also filed its answer with the state's attorney general, developer and consumer cases.

2021.10.11 (000183.03) Redacted Version of Defendants' Answers, Defenses, And Counterclaims to Ep by TechCrunch on Scribd
LAGOS, Nigeria (AP)  Gunmen seized three student priests from a Catholic seminary in Nigerias northwest Kaduna state, police and school authorities said Tuesday.

The assailants stormed the Christ The King Major Seminary late Monday night and opened fire at the cafeteria where five of the students were sitting after dinner, according to the Rev. Joseph Hayab, chairman of the Kaduna state chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria.

Before they (the students) knew it, these gunmen came, surrounded them and picked them. It was later that they released two and went away with three, Hayab said.

Police spokesman Mohammad Jalige told AP that security forces have been deployed to comb the nearby bushes and try to rescue the three seminarians abducted.

Six seminarians were injured in the attack, according to school officials.

The school is located in the St. Albert Institute For Higher Education which mostly houses seminarians preparing for the Catholic priesthood. The three students taken captive are in their fourth and final year of classes before becoming priests.

The school is about 230 kilometers (142 miles) from Kaura rural area in Kaduna, where at least 40 residents were killed when bandits stormed remote villages in the area two weeks ago.

Kaduna, like most of Nigeria's northwest and central states, has seen a spike in violent attacks by armed groups operating in remote forests. The gunmen are mostly young men from the Fulani ethnic group who were previously cattle herders and are caught up in a decades-long conflict with Hausa farming communities over access to water and grazing land, say security experts.

Nigeria's security forces are already overstretched by a decade-long war against the Boko Haram insurgency in the northeast part of the country. Last week the military launched special security operations across the country to try to restore peace in violent hotspots.
Oct. 11Hoosiers Feeding the Hungry has received a $10,000 grant from Honda Indiana Auto Plant to support its "Meat" the Need initiative.

According to Feeding America, approximately 834,530 Indiana residents regularly struggle with food insecurity  239,540 of which are children. Deb Treesh, Executive Director of Hoosiers Feeding the Hungry, said that the funds received will be used to pay processing fees on donated livestock and deer, with the meat being given to agencies serving food-insecure residents within Indiana.

"More than ever, families are struggling to buy groceries. Food banks, pantries and soup kitchens work to protect the most vulnerable and under-served in our communities and these agencies continue to face increased demand," Amber Zecca, Fund Development Director of Hoosiers Feeding the Hungry, said. "To donate, farmers and hunters just need to take their livestock or deer to a local participating meat processor (call ahead to schedule livestock). After processing, local food banks and pantries are called to pick up the donation. There is absolutely no charge to the livestock and deer donors."

"Honda Indiana Auto Plant's contribution will allow us to continue and expand on our mission of hunger relief by providing over 30,000 more meals through local hunger relief agencies. We are so grateful for the continued support of our efforts in responding to the needs of those in the community facing hunger," Treesh said.

Information provided  Information provided
Hungary fans clash with police officers (Nick Potts/PA) (PA Wire)

Hungary fans clashed with police at Wembley at the start of Tuesdays World Cup qualifier against England

Last months meeting between the sides in Budapest was marred by monkey chants aimed at Raheem Sterling and Jude Bellingham.

FIFA ordered Hungary to play two home FIFA competition matches behind closed doors, one suspended for two years, following racist behaviour by supporters.

The fanbase was again under scrutiny in London, with the travelling fans booing as England players took the knee before kick-off.

Clashes then broke out in the away section, with police seemingly using batons in an attempt to control the crowd before appearing to be forced into the concourse.
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP)  Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett called Tuesday on the United Nations Security Council to take action against Iran over its escalating nuclear program.

Bennett spoke at a conference in Jerusalem, where he suggested that Irans conduct is every nations problem, and subject to global accountability.

After talks between Tehran and world powers on reviving the nuclear deal stalled earlier this year, Iran has breached limits set by the accord. It has been enriching small amounts of uranium to its closest-ever levels to weapons-grade purity as its stockpile continues to grow.

Bennett said he has made the case to other leaders, including President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, that Iran is violating basic international commitments in the shadow of the now-tattered 2015 nuclear deal.

Merkel, who visited Israel on Sunday in her final official visit, said that Germany remains committed to reviving the deal  a step Israel opposes. The Biden administration is also trying to revive the nuclear deal.

Bennett said he expects global powers to bring (Iran) to the U.N. Security Council, hold Iran accountable for it. That, he added, would be the peaceful route" forward.

Bennett spoke as Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid traveled to Washington, where he was expected to detail Israel's message on Iran in meetings with Vice President Kamala Harris, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and congressional leaders in both parties.

Bennett last month met with Biden for the first time as prime minister and president, with Iran topping the agenda. Were putting diplomacy first and seeing where that takes us, Biden said. If diplomacy fails, were ready to turn to other options.

Israel has vowed to act unilaterally against Iran if need be. Iran says its nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes.

Earlier this year, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz said on Fox News that Israel was still working on its strike plans against Iran.

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And just last month, Israels recently-retired navy chief told The Associated Press that the military has stepped up its activities in the Red Sea exponentially in the face of growing Iranian threats to Israeli shipping.

Vice Adm. Eli Sharvit stopped short of confirming a series of attacks and mishaps on Iranian ships that have been attributed to Israel. But he described Iranian activities on the high seas as a top Israeli concern and said the navy is able to strike wherever necessary to protect the countrys economic and security interests.

Bennett's message on Tuesday underscored that he was pushing diplomacy first.

There are other routes, he warned, but thats the right thing to do. And Im going to continue pursuing that over the next few weeks and months.

___

Follow Kellman on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/APLaurieKellman
Jamie Lee Curtis is one of Hollywood's greatest natural beauties, but according to her, that's always been a very conscious choice.

"I have been an advocate for natural beauty for a long time, mostly because I've had the trial and error of the other part," she told Irish broadcaster Lorraine Keane on Tuesday. "I did plastic surgery  it didn't work. I hated it. It made me feel worse.

"I tried to do everything you can do with your hair," she said. "Personally it felt humiliating. I would go into the nail salon, the smell of the chemicals, the feeling of that color on my hair, the wearing the thing, sitting under the hairdryer. I was like, for what?"

Curtis photographed in her Los Angeles apartment in 1978. (Photo by Paul Harris/Getty Images)

The actress, 62, has certainly experimented with her hair over the decades  going from brunette to long blonde locks, and finally to a short pixie cut, which she says came about after a series of hair mishaps.

"Very early on in my career, I had a perm and then had to dye my hair for a movie and it burned my hair off my head," she explained. "The first time I cut my hair short, I went, 'Oh! Oh my god. Oh, wow. I look like me.'"

Since then, she's also stopped dying her hair brown  pivoting away from her iconic look made famous in 1994's True Lies, alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger.

For Curtis, natural doesn't stop at her hair color.

"I've also been an advocate for not f***ing with your face," Curtis said. "And the term 'anti-aging.' What? What are you talking about? We're all going to f****ing age. Were all gonna die. Why do you want to look 17 when you're 70? I want to look 70 when I'm 70!"

This isn't the first time the Halloween Kills star has been outspoken about eschewing plastic surgery.

"The current trend of fillers and procedures, and this obsession with filtering, and the things that we do to adjust our appearance on Zoom are wiping out generations of beauty," she recently told Fast Company. "Once you mess with your face, you can't get it back."

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Curtis at the 9th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in 1998. (Photo by Frank Trapper/Corbis via Getty Images)

Curtis is part of a growing movement of Hollywood starlets who've chosen to embrace their natural gray hair.

Earlier this year, Andie MacDowell revealed her long gray hair at the Cannes Film Festival, later telling The Zoe Report that she'd "been wanting to" go gray "for a few years. Then when COVID happened and I saw the roots coming in, I thought it suited me."

"I think women are tired of the idea that you cant get old and be beautiful," MacDowell said. "Men get old and we keep loving them. And I want to be like a man. I want to be beautiful and I dont want to screw with myself to be beautiful."

In a February interview on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Jane Fonda said she's never been happier letting her hair go grey at age 83. "Enough already with so much time wasted, so much money spent, so many chemicals Im through with that," she said.

Want lifestyle and wellness news delivered to your inbox? Sign up here for Yahoo Lifes newsletter.
Jelani Day, a missing grad student whose body was found last month (Bloomington Police Department Illinois )

The mother of missing Illinois grad student Jelani Day has challenged claims that her sons body was found without its organs, amid comparisons to Gabby Petitos disappearance.

Jelani, who studied at Illinois State University (ISU), went missing on 25 August and was last seen walking away from the campus in Normal, Illinois, and in nearby Bloomington. He was found 10 days later in a riverbed in Peru, Illinois.

Citing both Jelanis mother, Carmen Bolden Day, and her attorney, Hallie M Bezner, an initial report in The Chicago Sun-Times suggested that his body was found without organs, which were allegedly liquefied.

The autopsy conducted by La Salle County coroners also found a number of missing teeth, and that Jelanis body allegedly had no eyeballs, it was alleged.

A further autopsy said his jaw had been sawed out.

Ms Day, following a funeral service on Sunday, said in a statement that her sons body had not been missing organs, and ruled out suicide or organ harvesting, as MEAWW and other news websites have reported.

No organs were missing. I do not want to stray off from the facts, she was reported as saying. There were contradicting facts from the first preliminary autopsy compared to the second independent autopsy.

She continued by saying that it was not a case of organ harvesting and neither did her son put himself in a river where his body was found on 4 September.

My son was murdered and my goal and purpose are to find out what happened and hold those responsible accountable, she said.

On Monday, attorney Ms Bezner told Fox32 Chicago that Jelanis body was in the river for around 10 days and that his remains were found in a condition "that is consistent with a body in the warm water for that period of time.

There has been no official cause of death following two autopsies, and the FBI is still assigned to the investigation into Jelanis disappearance and death.

Dozens of Twitter users reacted to the details of the autopsy following The Chicago Sun-Timess report and tweeted with demands for Justice For Jelani on Sunday.

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One person wrote: Justice for Jelani Day. Those details were painful to read regarding his autopsy. Morally reprehensible and just plain evil, whoever did this to him.

Another added: WHY are black youths continually losing their lives with no attention? #JelaniDays body and family have been treated like dirt. Why has a young black man deserved to have his future taken from him, his memory disrespected in this way?

His mother had been among those to accuse authorities of being slow to find Jelanis body and investigate his disappearance, following national attention around the murder of Ms Petito, a missing YouTuber.

The Independent has approached Ms Bezner for comment.

Read More

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Oct. 12BELLAIRE  A judge denied a motion from Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson seeking to lift a stay order in a dismissed Antrim County election-related lawsuit to assess whether court-protected images from Antrim County's voting equipment were shared during a "cyber symposium" hosted by Donald Trump supporter and My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell.

A data security expert, Harri Hursti, said in a declaration included with Benson's motion, he attended the August event where a link to download an image which appeared to have originated from Antrim County was shared on social media by one of the event's speakers  CodeMonkeyZ  who has nearly 400,000 followers.

A December court order signed by 13th Circuit Court Judge Kevin Elsenheimer allowed for a forensic examination of the county's voting equipment after a local man, Bill Bailey, filed a lawsuit. But the judge's decision to allow access to voting equipment also placed controls on what could be released to the public.

Elsenheimer, responding to Benson's motion, said that Bailey's lawsuit  dismissed in May  had been referred to the Michigan Court of Appeals and until that court decided whether to hear the case, he was denying the motion.

"I think that frankly having a two-track process in this case is not in the best interest of the public, not in the best interest of the parties," Elsenheimer said, following a hearing Monday morning conducted over Zoom.

"I can understand the position of the defense, but I believe that this matter should be resolved by the court of appeals before we take it back up for enforcement or any other purposes here in circuit court," Elsenheimer said. "I look forward to the direction of the court of appeals, if any."

Bailey is represented by Portage attorney Matthew DePerno, who on July 16 filed leave for appeal with the state court.

Also in July DePerno announced he is seeking the Republican nomination for Michigan's attorney general.

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The case is pending in the court of appeals.

Benson, who is represented by attorneys with the state's Attorney General's office, said in court filings that Col. James P. Waldron and Douglas Frank, two of Bailey's expert witnesses, appeared as speakers at the symposium and that Waldron told attendees "the Antrim information" would be available. He also invited attendees to view the images.

Bailey, of Central Lake Township, sued Antrim County on Nov. 23, after he said his constitutional rights had been violated by the county's handling of the 2020 presidential election. He asserted that the county's Dominion Voting Systems equipment was programmed for fraud  an accusation repeatedly denied by Dominion.

Court filings show DePerno was advised of the distribution of the Antrim County images in an email sent Aug. 12 by Assistant Attorney General Erik A. Grill.

"We have received information that during an event earlier this week, Mike Lindell publicly displayed or distributed images of the Antrim County EMS software," Grill said in the email.

The same court filing shows DePerno answered Grill, also by email, stating he'd sent Lindell a "cease and desist demand."

"Understood and just to be clear, on Wednesday at 9:49 a.m., as soon as I heard, I sent the following cease and desist demand to Mike Lindell," DePerno said in the email.

The demand from DePerno to Lindell stated, "This is a demand that you immediately cease and desist disclosing or displaying any forensic images of Antrim County. Those images are under protective order. Neither you or your team are permitted to display or use those images."

DePerno did not respond to an email seeking comment.

In a declaration submitted to the court as part of Secretary Benson's now-denied motion, Hursti said he attended Lindell's cyber security symposium in Sioux Falls, South Dakota from Aug. 10-12 where organizers made available to attendees copies of forensic images of three Dominion Election Management System Server installations.

"The organizers did not give consistent explanations for how the images were made, where they were made, or any other details," Hursti said. "Two of the images appear to have originated from Mesa County, Colorado and one from Antrim County, Michigan."

According to court filings, another expert, J. Alex Halderman, a University of Michigan computer science professor  who in March authored a 54-page report stating initial mistakes in Antrim County's handling of the 2020 presidential election were the result of human error, not fraud  authenticated the image as from Antrim County.

"The data obtained from the 'Cyber Symposium' includes a nearly complete forensic image of the Antrim County Election Management System (EMS)," Halderman stated in an affidavit filed in 13th Circuit Court. "It is missing only one file (out of 37), but is otherwise a complete copy of the forensic image collected by Plaintiff's forensic team and provided to me for review in this case."

"The data also includes complete forensic images of the Antrim County tabulator memory cards that were provided to me for review in this case," Halderman said. "In addition, the data distributed at the 'Cyber Symposium' includes forensic images of thumb drives that purport to be from Antrim County and include metadata indicating that they were collected by Plaintiff's forensic team, but which were not provided to me for review in this case."

Hursti and Halderman both expressed concern over the release, stating it was sufficiently detailed to assist those who might be planning or developing ways to compromise voting systems in Antrim County and elsewhere.

Dominion previously issued a lengthy statement in response to the reported public release of court-protected images, stating they'd reported the incident to the proper authorities, including the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Also on Monday Benson and Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel issued a press release, stating three Michigan residents had been charged following investigations related to attempted voter fraud.

Trenae Myesha Rainey, 28, of Macomb County, Carless Clark, 59, of Wayne County and Nancy Juanita Williams, 55, also of Wayne County were each charged with multiple felony counts of violating election law.

Rainey, a nursing home employee, is accused of deciding where approximately two dozen nursing home residents should be registered, whether they should be provided with an absentee ballot and of forging their signatures, the release states.

Clark is accused of signing her grandson's absentee ballot and returning the ballot by mail.

Williams, a court-appointed guardian, is accused of multiple felony violations in five downstate district courts, after the release states a Michigan State Police investigation found she submitted absentee ballot applications for people under her care without their knowledge.
DUBAI (Reuters) - The lawyer for an Iranian American jailed in Iran for security offences urged Tehran to allow him to leave jail temporarily if his elderly father undergoes surgery in the country, a news website reported on Tuesday.

Baquer Namazi, 84, was convicted of "collaboration with a hostile government" in 2016 and sentenced to 10 years in prison. Iranian authorities released him on medical grounds in 2018 and closed his case last year, commuting his sentence to time served.

His son, Siamak Namazi, 49, remains in prison in Iran after being convicted of the same offence. The U.S. government has described the charges against both as baseless.

"Siamak Namazi has served six years of his 10-year prison term without a single day of furlough ... From a human and emotional point of view, in these difficult conditions (he) wants to be with his elderly father, who has no other children in Iran," attorney Hojjat Kermani told the Emtedad website.

U.S.-based lawyers for urged Tehran last week to let him leave the country for medical care, saying he needed immediate surgery for an arterial blockage.

Kermani urged Iranian authorities to allow Baquer Namazi to leave Iran for medical treatment or at least temporarily release his son if he is to undergo surgery in Iran. This was required by "the law and the principles of Islamic and humanitarian compassion", Kermani told Emtedad.

Iranian Americans, whose U.S. citizenship is not recognised by Tehran, are often pawns in relations between the two nations, now at odds over whether to revive a fraying 2015 pact under which Iran limited its nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief.

(Dubai newsroom; Editing by Nick Macfie)
The governor of Massachusetts called in the National Guard to assist amid the school bus driver shortage. Boston Globe

Massachusetts' governor activated the National Guard to help test students for COVID-19.

Two hundred National Guard members will help test students in public schools across the state.

It comes as many of the state's school districts face testing delays due to a staffing shortage.

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker activated 200 members of the state's National Guard to help test students for COVID-19 in public schools, the Boston Globe reported on Tuesday.

Baker's decision comes as many of the state's schools are facing delays in testing due to a staffing shortage caused by an increase in districts signing up for testing services, the report said.

Members of the National Guard will begin training this week before helping at schools starting on Monday.

CIC Health, which provides testing for schools in the state, has hired over 1,500 people to help with the efforts and is looking to increase that number.

State Rep. Mindy Domb put pressure on the Baker administration to activate the National Guard last month, and wrote in a letter to state leaders that "the inconsistent rollout of the pooled testing program could be jeopardizing the health of our school communities."

According to the Globe, schools can participate in different testing programs for free.

Schools can test individuals who have symptoms at the school, they can test students or staff in large groups, and they can test close contacts of positive cases to determine if they need to be sent home to quarantine or not.

The move comes after Baker activated the National Guard last month to drive school buses as a driver shortage forced school delays and interruptions around the country, Insider previously reported.

The Baker administration did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is directing officials to cease workplace raids targeted at illegal immigrants, according to a new memo.

Mayorkas is directing Tae Johnson, acting director for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement; Ur Jaddou, the director for the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services; and Troy Miller, acting commissioner for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency, to shift their focus to "exploitative employers" who have hired and taken advantage of illegal immigrants rather than going after the employees themselves, Tuesday's memo said.

"The deployment of mass worksite operations, sometimes resulting in the simultaneous arrest of hundreds of workers, was not focused on the most pernicious aspect of our country's unauthorized employment challenge: exploitative workers," Mayorkas wrote. "These highly visible operations misallocated enforcement resources while chilling, and even serving as a tool of retaliation for, worker cooperation in workplace standards investigations."

CENSUS: THERE ARE NO JOBS AMERICANS WON'T DO, POOR CITIZENS HURT BY ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION

The Department of Homeland Security echoed Mayorkas, vowing in a Tuesday statement that it will "take actions to promote a fair labor market."

"We will not tolerate unscrupulous employers who exploit unauthorized workers, conduct illegal activities, or impose unsafe working conditions," Mayorkas said. " Employers engaged in illegal acts compel the focus of our enforcement resources. By adopting policies that focus on the most unscrupulous employers, we will protect workers as well as legitimate American businesses."

The targeted agencies must "develop strategies for prioritizing workplace enforcement against unscrupulous employers" and "facilitate the participation of vulnerable workers in labor standards investigations" through "prosecutorial discretion," among other new protocols outlined in the memo.

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The number of workplace enforcement operations resulting in arrests of unauthorized workers and employers spiked more than 700% during former President Donald Trump's first fiscal year in office, with 2,304 arrests taking place in fiscal 2018.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Border Patrol agents encountered roughly 212,672 people trying to enter the United States illegally through the southern border during the month of July, the highest number of encounters recorded in nearly 21 years. That number dropped slightly the next month, with 208,887 migrants encountered at the border in August, still marking one of the highest totals in two decades.

Washington Examiner Videos

Tags: News, Alejandro Mayorkas, Homeland Security, Border Patrol, ICE

Original Author: Elizabeth Faddis

Original Location: Mayorkas directs ICE and Border Patrol to cease workplace raids
STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP)  Mississippi State womens basketball coach Nikki McCray-Penson says she is stepping down as Bulldogs coach immediately after one season to focus on her health.

The Womens Basketball Hall of Famer said in a release Tuesday that she has been faced again with unspecified health concerns she had hoped were behind her. To devote time and energy toward addressing these issues, McCray-Penson stated that she decided to step away. The Bulldogs were 10-9 (5-7 Southeastern Conference) in her lone season as coach.

Although I look forward to returning to coaching when I am able, the coach said, I believe this is the best decision for me and my family at this time. I appreciate the support MSU has shown me, and I will be pulling for the teams success this season.

Associate head coach Doug Novak will be MSUs interim coach and the school will conduct a national search for a new coach. Athletic director John Cohen said the school appreciated McCray-Penson's time and effort and respected her decision to focus on her health and family.

Throughout her time as a player and as a coach, Nikki has shown herself to be a competitor, Cohen said, and we fully support her as she takes some time away from the game to address her health concerns.

MSU hired McCray-Penson to replace Vic Schaefer in April 2020 after she led Old Dominion to consecutive 20-win seasons and was a WBCA Coach of the Year finalist. She was a South Carolina assistant under Dawn Staley and helped the Gamecocks win the 2017 NCAA championship and was also on the staff at Western Kentucky.

The former University of Tennessee standout won the 1997 ABL title with the Columbus Quest and was the leagues MVP. She also won Olympic gold medals with Team USA in 1996 and 2000 before serving as a USA Basketball court coach for the Under-19 and Pan Am Games team trials in 2019.
By Giselda Vagnoni and Emily Roe

ROME (Reuters) - Rwanda, Senegal and South Africa could be potential locations for Moderna's planned vaccine factory in Africa, the U.S. drugmaker's co-founder and chairman said as it steps up its search for a site on the continent.

Moderna said last week it would build a plant in Africa to produce up to 500 million doses of vaccines a year, including its COVID-19 shot, as pressure grows on pharmaceutical companies to manufacture drugs in lower-income countries.

Noubar Afeyan, a biochemical engineer of Armenian origin who co-founded Moderna in 2010, said in an interview with Reuters late on Monday that the selection process would likely intensify now it has announced its Africa plans.

Health experts have said Rwanda, Senegal and South Africa could be candidates because they either have existing vaccine expertise and production, or have expressed an interest in developing such an industry.

Asked by Reuters whether those three countries were on Moderna's list of potential candidates, Afeyan said: "I can confirm that, yes."

He declined to give further details about which countries Moderna has been talking to as the selection process is ongoing.

"What matters to us most is the conditions under which we could operate. That is, the healthcare system ... the presence of trained folks who can actually at least help us on some of the clinical testing that needs to be done," said Afeyan.

"We know several countries that already have good healthcare systems and quite a lot of interest in working on this, so we will find partners," he said.

South Africa has a medical research capacity and a domestic pharmaceutical industry, Senegal's Pasteur Institute produces yellow fever vaccines and Rwanda has expressed interest in making vaccines and drugs.

Some countries in North Africa, such as Tunisia and Egypt, also have pharmaceutical industries.

BOOSTER DECISION

In August, German drugmaker BionTech said it was considering building malaria and tuberculosis vaccine production sites in Rwanda and Senegal.

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Public health and government officials in Africa welcomed the news last week, but said the plant won't address the continent's urgent need for COVID-19 vaccines now.

Under 5% of Africans have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, the continent's top public health official, John Nkengasong, noted after Moderna's announcement.

Afeyan said the overall goal was to have a plant that could make multiple vaccines so that "in the future, if there is a pandemic, and there will certainly be, then we can very rapidly convert it and provide the vaccine security on the continent".

Afeyan's comments come as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reviews the booster dose of Moderna's vaccine for adults, as well as its shot for teenagers.

A panel of independent FDA advisers will meet on Thursday to discuss the booster dose.

He said Moderna's request for emergency authorisation for its teen shot filed in June has not been delayed, but rather boosters were considered a more urgent issue at the moment.

"I think they are sequencing decisions and evaluations and they are considering the booster decision more urgent," he said.

PATENTS AND DONATIONS

Moderna's plans in Africa comes as debate rages between drugmakers and governments about waiving intellectual property rights for COVID-19 vaccines to help end the pandemic and give more developing countries access to shots.

Politico reported last week that the U.S administration has urged Moderna to increase its vaccine production to boost donations to countries in need but the company is hesitating for fear it would be paid less for the shots it contributes.

"Our interests with the White House are common and that is to get as many ... vaccines as possible next year to low-income countries as we have this year. In that regard, we're similar," Afeyan said, when asked about the Politico report.

"I only know what the discussions with the White House have been, and I think they've been very constructive," he said.

Moderna said on Friday it aimed to deliver 1 billion doses of its COVID-19 vaccine to low-income countries in 2022, in addition to the doses it has already committed to the global vaccine-sharing programme COVAX.

These vaccines will be part of the 2 to 3 billion doses the company has forecast to produce next year.

Afeyan said the notion that Moderna was not ramping up production to meet the requirements of countries in need was inconsistent with simple arithmetic.

"OECD countries have a need for a billion doses. The only way the other two billion doses could be used is to be used in low- to middle-income countries," he said.

The focus now was on the mechanism for doing that, whether through COVAX or direct bilateral agreements, for example with the African Union or other constituencies.

"That's ... yet to be worked out. But we have every commitment," Afeyan said.

(Reporting by Giselda Vagnoni and Emily Roe; Editing by Josephine Mason and David Clarke)
Standing beside North Korea's largest missiles, leader Kim Jong Un defended his country's weapons development on Monday.

State media carried comments from Kim, saying it was necessary to increase the North's military for self defense in the face of hostile policies from the U.S and South Korea.

Kim made his comments in a speech at the Defense Development Exhibition on Monday, according to a report by state news agency KCNA.

Photos in the ruling party newspaper showed Kim standing next to the country's largest intercontinental ballistic missiles, that have been unveiled, but not yet test fired.

A spokesperson for South Korea's defense ministry said they are monitoring the situation closely.

South Korea recently test fired its first submarine-launched ballistic missile, and has bought American-made F-35 stealth fighters.

North Korea has pushed ahead with its missile program, and analysts say it has begun a major expansion of its main nuclear reactor, for fuel for nuclear bombs.

The U.S has said it is willing to hold diplomatic talks at any time with Pyongyang.
Netflix has announced it has signed Lupin star Omar Sy to a multi-year feature film deal.

As reported by Variety, the partnership will see Sys production company, which is based in Paris and LA, develop multiple Netflix Original films.

Sy will star in the films and act as an executive producer.

Per the report, this is the first deal of its kind Netflix has signed with a French actor or filmmaker.

I have experienced Netflixs collaboration with artists and their passion to bring unique and diverse stories to homes all over the world, said Sy.

A thriller inspired by the beloved fictional character Arsene Lupin, Lupin sees Sy play a modern-day thief out to avenge the death of his father.

According to Netflixs own metrics, Lupin has been a major success for the streaming service.

Earlier this year, Netflix revealed that Lupins first season is the joint second most-watched series in the platforms history, alongside The Witcher and behind Bridgerton (though Squid Game is reportedly poised to overtake it).

Sy added that he was happy to have the opportunity to extend the relationship and look forward to this next step of our journey together.

Before starring in Lupin, Sy was an acclaimed actor within the world of French cinema, and was the first Black actor to win a Cesar award, for his role in 2011s The Intouchables.

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Tara Fields Twitter thread about Chappelles The Closer went viral.

Netflix has suspended a trans employee for attempting to join a leadership meeting after she called out Dave Chappelles comments from his latest special, The Closer.

Since the streaming giant dropped The Closer last week, the internet has been ablaze with both critique and praise  especially pertaining his jokes targeting the LGBTQ+ community. While many Chappelle fans insist his critics are simply missing the point, others continue to share their frustration with the comedian.

Tara Field, a software engineer at Netflix and trans woman, tweeted about the comedian shortly after the specials release.

Dave Chappelle looks on during UFC 264: Poirier v McGregor 3 at T-Mobile Arena on July 10, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

Field wrote in the viral tweet thread, I work at @netflix. Yesterday we launched another Chappelle special where he attacks the trans community, and the very validity of transness  all while trying to pit us against other marginalized groups. Youre going to hear a lot of talk about offense. We are not offended.

Field goes on in the thread to break down the harm jokes like Chappelles can have on the trans community, and specifically ,the Black trans community.

Being trans is actually pretty funny, if you're someone who actually knows about the subject matter. How could volunteering for a second puberty *not* be funny? That isn't what he is doing though. Our existence is 'funny' to him  and when we object to his harm, we're "offended".  Terra Field (@RainofTerra) October 7, 2021

What we object to is the harm that content like this does to the trans community (especially trans people of color) and VERY specifically Black trans women. People who look like me aren't being killed. I'm a white woman, I get to worry about Starbucks writing "Tara" on my drink.  Terra Field (@RainofTerra) October 7, 2021

Field was suspended shortly after posting the thread. While many social media users began wondering why she would be suspended for sharing her opinion, Netflix shared a statement that Field was suspended for attempting to join a quarterly meeting meant only for directors or vice presidents.

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It is absolutely untrue to say that we have suspended any employees for tweeting about this show. Our employees are encouraged to disagree openly and we support their right to do so, Netflix said in the statement.

Still, the decision has received more backlash on social media, with many pointing out the hypocrisy in Netflixs recent defense of Chappelles comments as free speech. Acclaimed writer Roxane Gay wrote in a tweet on Monday, This is just lousy @netflix. If Chapelle gets free speech to air his noxious ideas, certainly an employee who is directly affected gets that same right.

This is just lousy @netflix. If Chapelle gets free speech to air his noxious ideas, certainly an employee who is directly affected gets that same right. https://t.co/jm0NnxFwSv  roxane gay (@rgay) October 11, 2021

Earlier this week, the National Black Justice Coalition and GLAAD called out the comedian for Chappelles jokes targeting trans people. The NBJC shared a statement highlighting the very real dangers Black transgender people face everyday in this country. It reads, With 2021 on track to be the deadliest year on record for transgender people in the United States  the majority of whom are Black transgender people  Netflix should know better. Perpetuating transphobia perpetuates violence. Netflix should immediately pull The Closer from its platform and directly apologize to the transgender community.

Comedian Dave Chappelle arrives to watch Jake Paul take on Tyron Woodley in a cruiserweight fight during a Showtime pay-per-view event at Rocket Morgage Fieldhouse on August 29, 2021 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)

Despite the controversy, Netflix is sticking by Chappelle. They shared in a statement obtained by Variety on Monday, Chappelle is one of the most popular stand-up comedians today, and we have a long standing deal with him. His last special Sticks & Stones, also controversial, is our most watched, stickiest and most award winning stand-up special to date.

Some talent may join third parties in asking us to remove the show in the coming days, which we are not going to do.

Have you subscribed to theGrios podcast Dear Culture? Download our newest episodes now!

TheGrio is now on Apple TV, Amazon Fire, and Roku. Download theGrio today!

The post Netflix suspends trans employee who called out Dave Chappelle special appeared first on TheGrio.
Netflix has suspended a transgender employee who spoke out against comedian Dave Chappelles new special The Closer on Twitter.

The stand-up comedian faced heavy criticism last week after his latest special was released in which he mocked trans people and said he was team Terf like JK Rowling.

In response, Netflix software engineer Terra Field called out the special, claiming that it attacks the trans community, and the very validity of trans-ness. Field then shared the names of 38 trans persons who were brutally murdered in the US this year.

On Monday (11 October), The Verge reported that Netflix had suspended Field.

The publication reports that the suspension came after the engineer, along with two other employees, tried to attend a director-level meeting they werent invited to. Another trans employee is said to have quit over the handling of Chappelles special and Fields subsequent comments.

However, a Netflix spokesperson told The Verge that it was absolutely untrue that any employees were suspended for objecting to the show.

The New York Post also reported that the suspension was related to an investigation into a matter not related to Fields social media activity, citing a source familiar with the incident.

The Independent has contacted Netflix and Field for a comment.

I work at @netflix. Yesterday we launched another Chappelle special where he attacks the trans community, and the very validity of transness - all while trying to pit us against other marginalized groups. You're going to hear a lot of talk about "offense".



We are not offended   Terra Field (@RainofTerra) October 7, 2021

In a memo sent to the staff at Netflix, which was obtained by Variety, CEO Ted Sarandos defended Chappelles right to artistic freedom.

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Sarandos wrote: Chappelle is one of the most popular stand-up comedians today, and we have a long standing deal with him. His last special Sticks & Stones, also controversial, is our most watched, stickiest and most award winning stand-up special to date.

He argued that artistic freedom in stand-up comedy has a very different standard of speech than what is allowed internally within the organisation. Sarandos added that Netflix would not be removing The Closer from the streaming service.

Many on social media came out in support of Field in the aftermath of the incident.

The violence and harm perpetuated against Trans, NB & Intersex folks is relentless and people pay with their lives, their livelihoods, and were sick of it. It breaks my heart that such important people and platforms continue to ignore that.  Jonathan Van Ness (@jvn) October 11, 2021

As a trans woman, I have usually defended Dave Chappelles specials because I think theyre hilarious and his jokes about trans women never felt intentionally malicious.



The Closer changed my mind on that. That special felt so lazy and disingenuous and Im really disappointed.  Taylor Ashbrook  (@taylor_ashbrook) October 5, 2021

I stand with Terra Field. Netflix has long-benefited from playing to the queer community in its programming, one user wrote. To see their behaviour right now is not only appalling, but a steadfast reminder that corporations dont see you as people; they see you only as a market.

Netflixs Queer Eye star Jonathan Van Ness and LGBTQ+ rights activist and writer Taylor Ashbrook also condemned the special.

The Closer is expected to be Chappelles last special.

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By Terje Solsvik

OSLO (Reuters) -Norway should sharply cut spending from its $1.3 trillion sovereign wealth fund in 2022 as the economy rebounds from the pandemic, the outgoing centre-right minority government told parliament on Tuesday.

In one of its last official acts before stepping down later this week, the government proposed withdrawing 322.4 billion Norwegian crowns ($37.6 billion) from the wealth fund next year, down from 406.8 billion crowns in 2021.

The government of Conservative Party Prime Minister Erna Solberg lost https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/norway-opposition-expected-win-election-fought-oil-inequality-2021-09-13 last month's election for parliament and will be replaced https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/norways-labour-centre-agree-form-minority-government-2021-10-08 by a coalition of the leftwing Labour Party and the rural Centre Party.

The new government will have only a few weeks to introduce its own budget amendments and is thus expected to incorporate a significant part of Solberg's spending plan for 2022.

In it, the so-called structural non-oil deficit for next year was set at 2.6% of the fund's expected value at the end of 2021, the finance ministry said, well within parliament's 3.0% spending cap.

Projected spending for 2021 corresponds to 3.6% of the fund's value under a rule that allows extra withdrawals in times of economic hardship, below the 3.7% projected in May.

EXPANSION OF FISCAL POLICY?

The 2022 budget deficit is "still markedly higher" compared to 2019's, before the pandemic began and extraordinary measures to support the economy were put in place, economists at Nordea Markets said.

It "should not be seen as a contractionary budget," they said in a note, with the amount of money used from the wealth fund amounting to an increase to 10% of trend mainland GDP in 2022 from 7.4% in 2019.

"This is a clear expansion of fiscal policy," Nordea said.

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Mainland gross domestic product, also known as non-oil GDP, is expected to grow by 3.9% in 2021, up from the 3.7% seen in May and more than reversing the 2.5% contraction of 2020, with a further expansion of 3.8% next year.

The wealth fund, which invests proceeds from the country's oil industry in foreign assets, is worth about $250,000 for every Norwegian citizen.

($1 = 8.5759 Norwegian crowns)

(Editing by Gwladys Fouche, Kirsten Donovan and Barbara Lewis)
Foul odors emanating from the Dominguez Channel were declared a public health nuisance by the Carson City Council on Monday, with Los Angeles County health officials making a similar declaration. The channel crosses through industrial areas on its way to the Port of Los Angeles. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

Foul odors emanating from the Dominguez Channel were declared a public health nuisance by the Carson City Council on Monday, with Los Angeles County health officials making a similar declaration.

The odors, which have been likened to rotten eggs, vomit, unwashed body parts or a "fart bomb," are probably caused by hydrogen sulfide from decomposing organic material and have prompted thousands of complaints from residents since they started about a week ago.

To lessen health effects, people should leave the area, the health department said in a news release Monday declaring the odors "sufficiently pervasive to be considered a public nuisance."

Residents should keep doors and windows closed when the air smells bad and contact air conditioning specialists about upgrading filters, the health department said. Pets should stay indoors.

The colorless gas should not cause serious health problems, county health officer Dr. Muntu Davis said at a news conference Sunday.

But residents could experience symptoms such as nausea, headache and irritation of the eyes, nose or throat, Davis said, noting that the situation "is a nuisance and must be addressed."

More than 100 residents called into a Carson City Council meeting Monday evening, mostly to voice health concerns.

The council voted 4 to 0 to declare the odors from the Dominguez Channel a public nuisance.

Gabriel Villalobos, 23, said he has been suffering from a "very horrible headache" and burning nostrils.

"It's good that you guys are trying to solve the issue," Villalobos said in an email read by the city clerk. "But there's another issue that people are getting hurt from this, and I'm not the only person feeling sick."

Several callers who did not give their names yelled "Fix it," "Hurry up" and "Let's go."

Council member Jawane Hilton said the county responded slowly and did not communicate adequately with residents.

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"I just wanted to put on the record that Carson, we deserve equitable treatment," said Hilton, citing the county's response to a massive sewage discharge at the Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant in Playa del Rey.

The city's public nuisance declaration will give residents access to county funds for upgraded air filters, said L.A. County Supervisor Holly Mitchell.

But Mitchell said a nuisance declaration would not provide for housing vouchers for residents looking to leave town, as an emergency declaration would.

Elevated levels of hydrogen sulfide near the Dominguez Channel, which empties into the port of Los Angeles, have been confirmed by several agencies, including Los Angeles County's fire and public health departments.

At the Sunday news conference, L.A. County Public Works Director Mark Pestrella blamed the ongoing drought for the fumes. In a normal year, storm water would have flushed the material out of the channel, he said.

He said local birds could be at risk because they eat bugs that may have ingested toxic substances.

Carson Mayor Lula Davis-Holmes initially said the noxious gas came from a leaking pipeline.

She later updated her statement, saying on her Facebook page on Sunday that investigators had ruled out leakage.

Pestrella encouraged residents of Carson and unincorporated West Carson to purchase air filters.

Advice on the best filters and how to get reimbursed will soon be posted on the county public works website. Pestrella said his department was trying to secure funding for residents who want to temporarily relocate.

HEPA air filters with an activated charcoal potassium permanganate filtration system are the most effective at eliminating dangerous particles, Davis said.

County public works teams determined on Friday that the odor was caused by "organic material drying out" along the Dominguez Channel.

Much of the area is cleared of debris each day, but crews did not address that section because of its classification as a soft bottom channel.

Engineers are trying to figure out how to clean the odor-causing waste. Some ideas include chlorinating or flushing out the material, Pestrella said.

Residents should report issues with the odors to the South Coast Air Quality Management District at (800) CUT-SMOG.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Workers comb the Huntington Beach shoreline on Monday. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

As oil began washing up on the shores of Huntington Beach early Sunday, officials were preparing for a worst-case scenario.

Tens of thousands of gallons of oil had gushed into the ocean from a broken pipeline connected to an offshore platform, just miles from shore. Crude had already entered the ecologically sensitive Talbert Marsh area, and officials feared more wetlands and the life inside them were at risk.

They still were not sure whether the source of the leak had been plugged.

Over the next few days, crashing waves churned up dead fish and oil covered birds struggled to take flight. Large plumes of oil menaced the coast from Huntington Beach to San Clemente. But a combination of luck, favorable weather conditions and aggressive response from officials who had learned from previous oil spills resulted in a less severe crisis than was originally feared.

It will still take months to assess the long-term effects and to determine exactly how much oil spilled. The estimates range from 24,696 gallons to 131,000. Yet officials know it could have been a lot worse.

We really dodged a bullet, Huntington Beach Mayor Kim Carr said. When you hear that thousands of gallons of oil has been released and is quickly approaching your shores you cant help but think the worst.

The biggest break Orange County got was the one officials could not control: ocean currents. That pushed the plumes of oil south without large amounts breaking onto the shores. Beaches as far south as San Diego County were hit by tar balls but escaped large inundations of oil. That was in marked contrast to the much larger 1990 American Trader oil spill, which left beaches, jetties and wetlands covered in crude. That spill ended up fouling 15 miles of beach in Orange County.

Also spared in the recent spill were some of the picturesque, rocky coves along the coast south of Newport Beach, which officials initially feared could be hit.

"The winds and where the spill was located was really in our favor," Laguna Beach Mayor Pro Tem Sue Kempf said. "Even though we don't have a lot of evidence of negative effects on the marine protected areas, there's a lot we don't know, so we have to remain vigilant for a while."

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Vessels working along the coast have benefited from light winds that have enabled them to deploy more than 11,400 feet of booms to help contain the spill and prevent it from washing into sensitive marine habitats. Pollution-control vessels have skimmed more than 5,500 gallons of oil from ocean waters. An army of 1,600 workers and volunteers had removed 250,000 pounds of oily debris from the shoreline by Monday.

Experts say wind, waves and tides can all steer an oil slick, which is a thin layer that sits on the surface of the ocean.

The slick, which has crept south several miles offshore of San Clemente, is also affected by the churning ocean. That action helps to break up more concentrated parts of the spill and send a small portion to the ocean floor. The movement of the ocean also helps some of the oil dissolve and pushes some oil to the surface, where its affected by the wind and currents.

Mild conditions have kept the bulk of the oil offshore, which is much simpler for crews to clean than crude that has made its way onto the coast, said Matthew Bracken, a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at UC Irvine.

"We're seeing tar balls and some patches on shore, but none of the real devastating effects that we have seen in past spills that we're really afraid of," Bracken said. "Once it hits the beaches, gets into the sand and the gravel and into the cracks and crevices in the rock, it's a whole different situation. In that case a lot of the cleanup efforts are at least as immediately damaging to the animals and plants that live there as the oil itself."

John Villa, executive director of the Huntington Beach Wetlands Conservancy, watched in horror last weekend as an oily sheen seeped into Talbert Marsh, a 25-acre ecological reserve considered to be a critical link along the migratory bird route called the Pacific Flyway.

His mind raced with questions: Where's it going to go? How bad is it going to be?

On Saturday afternoon, even as Coast Guard officials said an oil incursion likely wouldn't happen before Monday, Huntington Beach officials decided to deploy booms to protect their wetlands. They installed the protective barriers at the Talbert Inlet Channel, the Warner Bridge off Pacific Coast Highway and the Warner Fire Station to protect the Bolsa Chica Wetlands, a nearly 1,500 acre swath that remains the largest saltwater marsh between Monterey Bay and the Tijuana River Estuary. Officials also placed roughly 1,000 feet of protective boom across the entrance to Talbert Marsh.

The Bolsa Chica Wetlands have remained unscathed. Though some oil did seep into Talbert Marsh, Villa credits the fast response of city officials with keeping larger slicks from entering and destroying the sensitive habitats inside.

Every time that high tide came in, it would be carrying more contaminated oil, Villa said. It was devastating.

He called Orange County Public Works a day after officials learned of the spill and asked them to block the entrance of the Talbert channel, the conduit by which oily ocean water was entering the marsh. Workers quickly erected a sandy berm  10 feet tall and higher than the king tide  at the entrance of the inlet.

Villa said it was 10 years after the American Trader oil spill of 1990 that the Talbert Marsh began to rebound. Pickleweed and cordgrass, which provided habitats for two endangered birds, the Belding's savannah sparrow and the Ridgways rail, died from the contaminants. This time, he said, officials were faster to react.

I'm relieved that we were able to stop the flow as fast as we did, because if it wasn't for that I think we would have had a lot more contaminants in the marshes, he said.

Huntington Beach's oil spill response plan, which was developed several years ago, outlined the tools they would need in the event of a large intrusion, but officials didn't have the supplies on hand until earlier this year. Fire Chief Scott Haberle, who took over the department in 2020, saw gaps in the plan and applied for grants to get the gear they needed. It was fortuitous timing, Carr said.

"He has been very forward thinking and has made sure we're prepared for this on all levels," she said.

Much about the cause of the spill remains unknown. Questions also remain about what actions were taken by Amplify Energy Corp., the pipeline operators parent company, once it realized oil was leaking. Coast Guard investigators said that damage to the nearly 18-mile oil pipeline, which runs from the Port of Long Beach to an offshore oil platform known as Elly, could have occurred several months to nearly a year before the spill.

Investigators suspect an initial anchor strike displaced a portion of the pipeline 105 feet and stripped away its concrete casing, causing it to be more vulnerable to other potential anchor strikes or environmental stressors, U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Jason Neubauer said last week. Coast Guard investigators plan to bring in experts to determine how long ago the pipe was damaged and when it began leaking.

As officials await answers, Huntington Beach and Newport Beach once again welcomed swimmers and surfers Monday. Water quality testing showed no toxins associated with the spill , officials said.

Surfers paddled out to catch waves. Children wet their ankles at the shoreline. A man wearing headphones sat on a red towel at the shore to draw. The only lingering signs of the spill were yellow-vested cleaning crews carrying rakes to scoop up tar balls and oil-soaked kelp from the sand.

Surfer Monica Dunn, 36, emerged from the water elated, after crude oil and caution tape kept her away from the water for more than a week.

The waves are not good, but it feels good to be in the water, she said. I feel alive.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
A Black paraplegic man in Ohio has accused the Dayton Police Department of racial profiling and brutality after bodycam footage released last week showed officers dragging him out of his car on suspicion of a drugs crime.

OFFICER: "So, you can cooperate and get out of the car or I'll drag you out of the car. Do you see your two options here?"

39-year-old Clifford Owensby filed a complaint with the NAACP over the weekend, accusing officers of "total humiliation," telling reporters "They dragged me like a dog, like trash."

Dayton police said officers had been observing a "suspected drug house," stopping Owensby after seeing him depart from the house in his car.

Bodycam video shows Owensby handing over his identification, which police said revealed he had been convicted of illegally possessing drugs and guns.

The officer then orders him out of the car so it can be checked by a drug-sniffing police dog.

Owensby demands to speak with police supervisors before the argument escalates.

He threatens a "lawsuit" if police lay hands on him, before calling someone to the scene to record what's happening.

One officer pulls Owensby out by his hair as he screams for help, before pinning him down to the street, handcuffing him, and dragging him away.

Police say a bag containing over $22,000 in cash, which a sniffer dog identified as having been near illegal drugs, was later found in the car.

Owensby told reporters the money was savings, that no drugs or weapons were found in his vehicle, and that he was not charged with any drug-related crime.

Local media said he was charged with resisting arrest.
WASHINGTON  A massive new leak of secret financial documents highlights how some smaller U.S. states have become magnets for the world's wealthiest people to hide their fortunes, including those accused of crimes and human rights abuses.

On Oct. 3, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists and news organizations worldwide began publishing the Pandora Papers, based on millions of leaked records from more than a dozen global firms offering offshore financial services. The confidential documents revealed previously unknown details about how hundreds of public figures and politicians from countries across the globe move their money to offshore havens.

Though certain tropical island nations and U.S. states such as Delaware have been more commonly known for offering financial secrecy to questionable international clientele, the Pandora Papers put in stark relief lesser-known trends that experts have previously identified  particularly that South Dakota has become a major player in the offshore game through the legal but secretive trust services it offers, attracting unsavory customers in the process.

"The only thing that is new is the publication of these specific papers," Jim Richards, a former prosecutor and head of financial crimes risk management at Wells Fargo, told the Washington Examiner. "It's not a surprise to anyone who knows anything about this that Nevada registered agents and Wyoming LLCs and South Dakota trusts all have attributes that, if all the actors aren't playing by the rules, will encourage financial crime, kleptocracy, etc."

South Dakota, a state of fewer than 1 million residents, is now home to $360 billion in assets in trusts, the ICIJ and Washington Post reported, and one trust company alone has clients from 54 countries. "The industry's rapid expansion was led by a group of trust company insiders, who, year after year, pitched legislative proposals that were highly appealing to customers in the United States and abroad: protecting trusts from creditors, from taxing authorities, from foreign governments," the publications wrote.

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Another South Dakota trust company, Trident, set up trusts for the family of the former president of a Dominican sugar producer accused of human rights abuses, the publications found, shielding millions in assets. Trident also set up large trusts for a Colombian textile tycoon who paid the U.S. government $20 million as part of an investigation into a Colombian drug and money laundering operation, as well as a powerful Guatemalan whose family business was accused by the U.S. of labor abuses and polluting an important river in the Central American country.

But as Richards and the ICIJ note, it's not just South Dakota. States such as Nevada and Wyoming have also become attractive places for the world's most powerful people, however problematic, to store their funds.

"Wyoming is actually the original home of the limited liability company in the United States," said Richards, who now runs financial compliance consulting firm RegTech. "They borrowed it from Panama, so Wyoming is somewhat famous for establishing LLCs."

Wyoming, Nevada, and other states also offer shell companies and "shelf" companies, which experts have said are prone to abuse.

"These are shell companies that were officially incorporated some time ago but have been sitting inactive  'on the shelf'  for many years, providing the appearance of a business history," wrote Moyara Ruehsen, a professor at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies who specializes in financial crime, and Leonard Spector, a nuclear nonproliferation expert, in 2015. "This can give a patina of legitimacy to what might otherwise be easily detected as a sham corporation.

"Reflecting the value of such camouflage, shelf corporations are more expensive than simple shell companies: A new shell company might cost as little as $300 to set up, whereas acquiring a five-year-old shelf company might cost $3,000," they wrote in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.

Though both shell and shelf companies have legitimate purposes, they can be exploited by those looking to hide ill-gotten gains. But Richards said the states have a strong financial incentive to keep the practice going because they profit from the fees they charge to create companies and trusts.

"It's what they call a race to the bottom," Richards said. "The lesser the standards, the more trusts and LLCs they'll get."

Graham Barrow, a British expert in fighting money laundering, wrote on LinkedIn that the Pandora Papers "deeply reinforce what we already know."

"Offshore centers and complex legal entity structures allow rich or influential people (almost exclusively men) to hide wealth that they would find hard to justify were it disclosed transparently," Barrow wrote. He has worked with major European banks, including HSBC, Societe Generale, and Nordea. "Too many institutions, be they financial, legal, accounting or corporate service providers, are still far too willing to turn a blind eye to make a fast buck."

In a 2016 report, the Financial Action Task Force, an international regulatory body, found that the U.S. was "non-compliant" with several recommendations related to oversight of businesses outside traditional financial institutions, identifying it among the "significant gaps" in the American regulatory regime.

"The U.S. is one of a very few major countries in the world that does not require these gatekeepers to adhere to anti-money laundering laws," Richards said.

The Pandora Papers are the latest in a series of projects led by ICIJ that have relied on secret documents to uncover financial wrongdoing worldwide, such as the Panama Papers in 2016 and the FinCEN Files last year.

"The question I think within the financial crimes community is, this layering on of disclosure after disclosure ... is it accumulating enough weight that it will eventually lead to change?" Richards said. "And I think the community feels that it is."

Last year, the U.S. enacted broad anti-money laundering reforms following the publication of the FinCEN Files by BuzzFeed News and ICIJ, which was based on leaked Treasury Department records that showed how banks and the U.S. government stand by as criminals, kleptocrats, and drug kingpins move their money through the financial system.

And already, members of Congress have introduced legislation to address some of the issues identified in the Pandora Papers. On Oct. 6, a bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced the Enablers Act, which would extend due diligence requirements and suspicious activity reporting beyond the banks to accounting, real estate, and law firms that set up investment vehicles such as trusts.

"If we make banks report dirty money but allow law, real estate, and accounting firms to look the other way, that creates a loophole that crooks and kleptocrats can sail a yacht through," New Jersey Rep. Tom Malinowski, a Democrat, said in the press release. "Our bill closes that loophole and encourages the administration to move in the same direction."

"Dictatorships like the Castro regime in Cuba, the Maduro regime in Venezuela, and the Ortega regime in Nicaragua regularly use enablers to facilitate the movement of stolen assets into the United States," Florida Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, a Republican, said in the release. "These kleptocrats rob their people and undermine democracy. It's time to crack down on this manipulation and stand with the victims of corruption who cry out for freedom from this oppression."

Washington Examiner Videos

Tags: Wealth, Taxes, Finance and Banking, Economy, Income Inequality, Panama Papers, North Dakota, Nevada, Wyoming, Congress, money laundering

Original Author: Emma Loop

Original Location: Pandora Papers shine light on US states where the world's elite hide wealth
I was in fear of my life, Owensby told CNNs Erin Burnett. All I could do was just close my eyes and grab the steering wheel.

The paraplegic Ohio man who was pulled from his car by police officers in Dayton is speaking out about the experience.

Clifford Owensby told CNNs Erin Burnett he was under the impression that he was pulled over late last month because of the tint on his cars windows. He said he was expecting officers to write him a ticket and that he would go about his day.

Dayton Police abuse victim Clifford Owensby (left) and his attorney, James Willis (right), speak to CNNs Erin Burnett about the experience  and his future legal plans. (Photo: Screenshot/CNN)

Unfortunately, for me, said Owensby, I ended up with a bad scratch-off lottery ticket  straight to jail.

Burnett replayed the bodycam video when Dayton police officers dragged the 39-year-old man out of the car. In the clip, Owensby repeatedly tells officers he is a paraplegic, saying, You can hurt me, maintaining that he got help getting into the vehicle. At one point, it is obvious the officers are dragging Burnett by his dreadlocks.

When asked what was going through his mind during the incident, he responds, I was in fear of my life. All I could do was just close my eyes and grab the steering wheel.

With a heavy sigh, Owensby added that he prayed. I cant get past the fact that Ive been humiliated like that, he said, and that they would do anybody like that. Treat any citizen of Dayton, Ohio, or anywhere else like that.

Owensby appeared on CNN beside his attorney, James Willis. He has since filed a complaint with the NAACP, and plans to file a civil lawsuit. Itll take a little time to do some investigating, but well probably get something filed in the next month, Willis said Monday.

As previously reported, Owensby was pulled over and subsequently dragged from his vehicle by Dayton police officers on Sept. 30. He told a local news outlet he was out running errands without a wheelchair in his car. I usually get assistance with getting in and out of the vehicle, he said.

"I was in fear of my life."



 Clifford Owensby, a Black paraplegic man from Ohio, has filed a complaint with the NAACP after body camera video shows police officers pulling him out of his car by his hair and arms after he refused officers' orders during a September traffic stop. pic.twitter.com/68XiMOy2dF  OutFrontCNN (@OutFrontCNN) October 12, 2021

In police body camera footage obtained and shared by WHIO, responding officers told Owensby that because of his history of past drug and weapons convictions, he had to get out of the car. But Owensby made clear he could not.

Story continues

Im paraplegic, he said to the two officers several times.

Sir, Im going to assist you to get out of the vehicle, one responded.

No, youre not. No, youre not. Youre not going to touch me, Owensby replied. He then called someone from his cellphone, asking them to come to witness the situation. Bring cameras, he said, before asking for a police supervisor.

Youre getting out of this car. So you can cooperate and get out of this car, or I will drag you out of this car. Do you see your two options here? he shouted to Owensby. Moments later, two officers pull the man from the car, at times, dragging him by his hair.

Owensby was ultimately arrested and charged with obstructing official business and resisting arrest. Dayton Police Department authorities released the entire 12-minute video this week. They also disclosed that Owensby was pulled over after he left a suspected drug house. The police found more than $20,000 in cash in his car  which he said was his savings  and there were no drugs or firearms.

A 3-year-old toddler was in Owenbys back seat unrestrained, for which he was issued a traffic citation, and he was also ticketed for his cars tinted glass.

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Private equity firms are sitting on the sidelines when it comes to vaccine mandates for portfolio companies, despite often requiring shots for their own employees.

Why it matters: Private equity employs around 7% of all American workers, and is represented in almost every industry and geography, which means that PE vax mandates could have a significant impact on public health.

Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free

Yes, vax mandates are controversial. And, as of last night, not allowed in Texas (where private enterprise autonomy only goes so far).

But if firms implement vax mandates in their own offices, why not in the offices of companies they own? Is the health and safety of portfolio company employees considered less valuable than that of their direct employees?

Behind the scenes: Several firms tell me that they encourage portfolio company vax mandates, and that they've provided virtual trainings and information sessions on COVID and vaccinations. But they've stopped short of requirements.

Part of the apathy is tied to President Biden's plans to require vaccinations or regular testing for all private companies with at least 100 employees. In short, firms are waiting on those rules, which Labor Secretary Marty Walsh recently told me should come "in the next several weeks."

But even if those rules don't get caught up in legal red tape, there are plenty of PE-backed businesses that fall below that 100 employee threshold.

The bottom line: For private equity, all of this is unprecedented. And hard. And uncomfortable. And part of doing the job.

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Critics of Arce came out to block city streets, while groups linked to the government's Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) party came out in solidarity with the President.

Presidential spokesperson, Jorge Richter, said the protests intended to destabalize Arce's government.

Protesters are critical of legislation that could see authorities be given the power to investigate the private assets of citizens without an order from the court.
Queen Elizabeth II used a cane at an event on Tuesday. Frank Augstein/AP Images

Queen Elizabeth II attended a service at Westminster Abbey on Tuesday.

She used a cane at the event, as pictures from Westminster Abbey show.

The Queen was last photographed using a cane in 2003 after a knee surgery.

Queen Elizabeth II was photographed using a cane for the first time in over a decade.

On Tuesday, the Queen and Princess Anne attended a Service of Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey to celebrate 100 years of the Royal British Legion, the United Kingdom's largest military charity group, as the royal family shared on its official Instagram account.

The Queen, who is the head of the armed forces, came to the event wearing a floral dress, a dark-blue coat, and a matching blue hat.

Princess Anne, who gave a reading at the event according to the same Instagram post, wore a similar monochromatic outfit in purple.

The Queen was also photographed holding a cane for support throughout the event.

Queen Elizabeth II attends the Service of Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey on October 12, 2021. Arthur Edwards/Associated Press

The 95-year-old monarch has not been photographed using a cane since 2003, according to People. At the time, she had just had knee surgery.

It was unclear why the Queen was walking with additional support on Tuesday at the time of writing, though People also noted that the monarch did not use a cane at an event at Buckingham Palace last Thursday.

Queen Elizabeth is the longest-reigning living monarch and the oldest British queen in history.

In September, a leaked memo warned that London may be overwhelmed when the Queen dies, as officials expect people will flock to the city to pay their respects to the monarch.

Buckingham Palace did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Read the original article on Insider
NEW YORK (AP)  A $2 billion project to build a rail link connecting New York City to LaGuardia Airport was officially put on hold Tuesday, after weeks of criticism from public officials and a lawsuit from neighborhood and environmental groups.

In a news release, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said it is pausing the project to consider alternatives.

In recent weeks, Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul had criticized the project, which was championed by her predecessor, Andrew Cuomo. Democratic Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, who represents part of the area the link would pass through, also has spoken out against it, as has outgoing New York Mayor Bill de Blasio.

The Federal Aviation Administration issued environmental approval in July but recently had asked the Port Authority to reconsider in light of a lawsuit filed by neighborhood and environmental groups.

At Governor Hochuls request, the Port Authority is undertaking a thorough review of potential alternative mass transit options to LaGuardia Airport, the news release said.

Preliminary construction on the roughly $2 billion, 1.5-mile (2.4-kilometer) elevated link was to begin this year.

Public and transit officials have sought for years to build a rail link to LaGuardia, which opened more than 80 years ago and remains one of the few major U.S. airports without rail service. In a preliminary report last year, the FAA said it reviewed dozens of other proposed alternatives including ferry service, improved bus service and the extension of subway service to the airport.

The monorail was the best alternative because it provides a time-certain transportation option and supplemental access to the airport and will reduce vehicle traffic, the FAA wrote in July. The FAA also concluded the project was reasonable to construct and operate given cost considerations and wouldnt affect subway or rail service during construction.

Critics had opposed the plan, saying it would negatively impact the Queens neighborhoods it traverses and wouldnt be appreciably faster than driving since it would involve taking a train or subway from points east or west to a stop serving CitiField, home of the New York Mets, then switching to the rail link.

Story continues

In a lawsuit filed last month, environmental and neighborhood groups asked the FAA to request the Port Authority to pause the project, alleging it was pushed through too fast by Cuomo and the Port Authority and used arbitrary screening criteria to pre-empt meaningful consideration of numerous alternatives to the rail link.

Some of those alternatives include ferry service, the extension of existing subway lines and optimized bus service using dedicated lanes.

Michael Dulong, an attorney for Riverkeeper Inc., one of the groups that filed the lawsuit, said Tuesday the group isn't opposed to the project per se, but wants a more thorough review.

It's going to take parkland from an environmental justice community, he said. "We just want to make sure this is the right project for New York City.

Port Authority officials said last year that the plan wouldn't require the taking of any public property and that the rail links initial proposed path was shifted to the north, further away from a neighborhood that sits across the Grand Central Parkway from the airport.

Other critics had said the link's ridership wouldn't be enough to justify the high price tag. A Port Authority study projected ridership at 17,000 people per day in 2026 and slightly over 18,000 by 2031; the FAA has estimated daily ridership at 13,000 people by 2026 and 14,000 by 2031.
Red Hot Chili Peppers have announced a major world tour scheduled for 2022.

The rock band will begin in Spain before performing at stadiums in London, Paris, Dublin, Los Angeles, Chicago and more before concluding their tour at Globe Life Field in Arlington on 18 September next year.

For their UK dates, they will be joined by special guests including A$AP Rocky, Anderson .Paak and The Free Nationals, and Thundercat.

The tour will mark the return of guitarist John Frusciante and also the bands first stadium tour in the US. They will perform classic songs from their previous albums along with material from their new record.

Tickets will go on sale on Friday 15 October at 10am and be available here.

For fans with presale access, tickets will be available from 10am on Wednesday 13 October.

The UK dates are as follows:

Wed Jun 22  Manchester, UK  Emirates Old Trafford

Sat Jun 25  London, UK  London Stadium

Fri Jul 01  Glasgow, UK  Bellahouston Park

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Photo credit: The CW

Roswell, New Mexico spoilers follow.

Roswell, New Mexico surprised fans of the original show in its season three finale, as the sci-fi spin-off welcomed back former Liz Parker actor Shiri Appleby.

Towards the end of the double-bill, a naked woman  believed to be "one of the sky people"  was seen confusedly wandering the streets of Careyes, Mexico, and was taken in by a mysterious woman named Allie.

When the dazed stranger started talking about Liz Ortecho, Allie seemed to perk up, informing her that Liz was once a student of hers as she stepped out of the shadows, and viewers saw that the character of Allie was being played by original Roswell star Appleby.

Photo credit: Paul Morigi/Getty Images The Creative Coalition

Related: Roswell, New Mexico boss breaks down season 2 finale and Malex's future in season 3

"We've been having discussions about this since episode 10 last year," executive producer Chris Hollier told TVLine after the reveal aired in the US. "We reached out to her, we started talking about how to fold her into the show, and pitched her a mini arc.

"She said, 'I love it! I'll come out and do it.' We know the fans are going to love that moment."

While Appleby has directed a couple of episodes across Roswell, New Mexico's run ('Songs About Texas' from season one, and 'What If God Was One of Us?' in season two), she hasn't appeared on camera until now.

Photo credit: 20th Century Fox Television

Related: Roswell, New Mexico season 3: Who dies in Maria's funeral vision?

Her extended cameo is certainly a long time coming, too, given that Jason Behr, who starred alongside her in the '90s show, returned to the universe briefly in mid-2020  swapping his former character Max Evans for newbie Tripp Manes.



As for Allie's agenda, Hollier remained tight-lipped but he did urge viewers to look beyond what's right in front of them, as things on this show are rarely as they seem.

"You can never trust what your first image is," he said. "But I look forward to people speculating for a couple of months."

Story continues

Roswell, New Mexico airs on The CW in the US and on ITV2 in the UK.

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Rudy Giuliani, the former New York City who worked as the personal attorney for Donald Trump. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Rudy Giuliani discussed the controversy over Christopher Columbus with Steve Bannon on Monday.

Giuliani suggested the Italian explorer didn't do anything that others of his time wouldn't have.

Most historians acknowledge that Columbus committed and allowed his men to commit several crimes.

Rudy Giuliani appeared to shrug off the many crimes attributed to Christopher Columbus during a conversation with Steve Bannon.

The conversation between the two Trump associates on the network Real America's Voice coincided with Monday's celebration of Columbus Day, a national holiday meant to commemorate the Italian explorer's arrival to the Americas in 1492.

Criticism of the holiday's eponym has surged in recent decades, with Indigenous Americans and other groups protesting the celebration of a man who most historians believe committed and allowed his men to commit atrocities, including rape, enslavement, and murder.

But when asked about the explorer by Bannon on Monday, Giuliani seemed to look past the countless allegations against Columbus, as first reported by Raw Story.

"Did he engage in some immoral acts himself?" Giuliani said. "Did he allow his crew to do it? There seems to be evidence that he did. But we don't know that for sure. It's hundreds of years ago."

"Did he do anything that other men and women of his age would have done? No," he added. "And have all of our other heroes done that? I mean, John F. Kennedy - now it's a different age, but now we know things about John F. Kennedy that make him considerably less than perfect."

The former New York mayor went on to bring up the Roosevelt administration's turning away Jewish asylum seekers fleeing the Nazis.

"I can find every single one of their heroes, on the left and on the right," he said.

In recent years, several US states and cities have replaced Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples' Day to acknowledge the atrocities committed against Indigenous communities throughout America's history.

Story continues

President Joe Biden last week issued the first presidential proclamation of Indigenous Peoples' Day, declaring the holiday would be observed October 11 in honor of America's first inhabitants.

In a White House release acknowledging that the holiday would share a date with Columbus Day, Biden encouraged the country to not bury "shameful episodes of our past."

Read the original article on Business Insider
Sally Rooney photographed at the Costa Book Awards in 2019 (Getty Images)

Sally Rooney has confirmed that she turned down an Israeli publishers request to print a Hebrew translation of her latest book due to her stance on the Palestine conflict.

In a statement, the bestselling author said that the Hebrew-language translation rights to Beautiful World, Where Are You are still available, and she would be pleased and proud to have the translated novel published in a way that was compliant with the BDS movements institutional boycott guidelines.

Israel-based publisher Modan had published translations of Rooneys previous two novels, Normal People and Conversations With Friends, but told press yesterday that their request to publish her best-selling new book had been declined.

Here is Rooneys statement in full, provided to The Independent:

Firstly, I was very proud to have my previous two novels translated into Hebrew by Katyah Benovits. I would like to thank everyone involved in the publication of those books for supporting my work. Likewise, it would be an honour for me to have my latest novel translated into Hebrew and available to Hebrew-language readers. But for the moment, I have chosen not to sell these translation rights to an Israeli-based publishing house.

Earlier this year, the international campaign group Human Rights Watch published a report entitled 'A Threshold Crossed: Israeli Authorities and the Crimes of Apartheid and Persecution'. That report, coming on the heels of a similarly damning report by Israels most prominent human rights organization BTselem, confirmed what Palestinian human rights groups have long been saying: Israels system of racial domination and segregation against Palestinians meets the definition of apartheid under international law.

The Boycott, Divestments and Sanctions (BDS) movement is a Palestinian-led, anti-racist and nonviolent grassroots campaign calling for an economic and cultural boycott of complicit Israeli companies and institutions in response to the apartheid system and other grave human rights violations. It is modelled on the economic and cultural boycott that helped to end apartheid in South Africa.

Story continues

Of course, many states other than Israel are guilty of grievous human rights abuses. This was also true of South Africa during the campaign against apartheid there. In this particular case, I am responding to the call from Palestinian civil society, including all major Palestinian trade unions and writers unions.

I understand that not everyone will agree with my decision, but I simply do not feel it would be right for me under the present circumstances to accept a new contract with an Israeli company that does not publicly distance itself from apartheid and support the UN-stipulated rights of the Palestinian people.

The Hebrew-language translation rights to my new novel are still available, and if I can find a way to sell these rights that is compliant with the BDS movements institutional boycott guidelines, I will be very pleased and proud to do so. In the meantime I would like to express once again my solidarity with the Palestinian people in their struggle for freedom, justice and equality. Thank you.
Sally Rooney, author of Normal People, pictured in January 2020 (Getty Images)

Sally Rooney has turned down a bid from Israeli publishing house Modan to publish a Hebrew translation of her latest book, Beautiful World, Where Are You.

Modan has previously published Hebrew versions of Rooneys two other novels, Normal People and Conversations With Friends.

The English edition of Beautiful World, Where Are You was released in September and has topped the bestseller charts in the UK and Ireland.

An interview with Rooney originally published by The New York Times in September was translated into Hebrew by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, which added further information relating to the novels prospective Hebrew translation.

Per the papers report, Rooneys agent Tracy Bohan confirmed that the author had turned down Modans bid for translation.

The report also claimed that Rooneys agent had told Modan that the request was declined due to Rooneys support of the cultural boycott movement on Israel.

A spokesperson for the publisher confirmed to The Daily Telegraph that it would not be publishing Beautiful World, but did not confirm whether this was due to a boycott by the author.

The Independent has contacted Rooneys representative for comment.

Several prominent figures from across the arts world have previously committed to a cultural boycott of Israel, in support of Palestine.

In May, 600 musicians, including Pink Floyds Roger Walters, published an open letter asking fellow artists to refrain from performing in Israel until there is a free Palestine.

However, the notion of a blanket cultural boycott remains a controversial one, even among many critics of the Israeli state.

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Oct. 12ALBANY  One person each from Schenectady and Ballston Spa were among 10 charged in a gun case linked to a weekend shooting that killed one and wounded six others, Albany Police said.

The shooting happened just before 11 p.m. Saturday in the area of 117 North Lake Ave., police said.

The investigation into the shooting itself remained open Tuesday, but it soon led police to 10 individuals inside 117 North Lake Ave. A search warrant uncovered two loaded 9mm handguns inside, police said.

All 10 individuals arrested were charged with two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and one count of third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, felonies.

Arrested related to the guns were: Ashley St. John, 33, of Schenectady; Eric Patel, 34, of Ballston Spa; Michael McDermott, 29, of Troy; Jasmine Torres, 31, of Troy; Shalaeko Banks, 34, of Albany; Robert Stallings, 35, of Troy; Victor Gonzalez, 43, of Troy; Jacqueline Gonzalez, 47, of Troy; Carmen Guzman, 47, of Troy; and David Bridges, 54, of Troy.

At the shooting, officers arrived and found one man hurt. He was treated at the scene and taken on to Albany Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, police said.

Police identified the man killed as Alexander Bolton, 29, of New Bedford, Mass.

Shortly after the call, Albany Medical Center reported six men had entered the emergency room, all with gunshot wounds.

Those wounded ranged in age from 25 to 42. Three had a gunshot wound to the shoulder, two had a gunshot wound to his arm and one had a gunshot wound to his leg.

Police described the injuries to the six as non-life-threatening.

Police soon determined that all six were shot during the incident on North Lake Avenue, police said.

The investigation into the shooting remained ongoing Tuesday. Anyone with information is asked to contact Albany Police detectives at 518-462-8039.

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Pro-Trump protesters surround and assault a DC police officer during the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. Shannon Stapleton/Reuters

Sen. Gary Peters in a letter to TikTok's CEO on Tuesday asked for information on how it handles extremism on the platform, according to The Washington Post.

He asked the company to provide information about how it responded to extremism ahead of and after the Jan. 6 riot at the US Capitol.

At an April 19 briefing, the Department of Homeland Security said US extremists used TikTok to organize, Politico reported.

Sen. Gary Peters, who serves as the chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, sent a letter to the CEO of TikTok on Tuesday, asking the company to provide details about how it responded to extremism ahead of and following the January 6 riot at the US Capitol.

In the letter, Peters expressed concern to TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew that "domestic extremists reportedly used TikTok to recruit, organize, and communicate" ahead of the Jan 6. riot and "continue to spread their messages through content supporting white supremacists, extremists, and terrorist organizations."

Peters also sent letters to the Department of Homeland Security and Federal Bureau of Investigation, asking both to provide information about how they are tracking domestic terror threats on social media.

In a statement, Peters said he remains concerned "that after failing to identify and prepare for the attack on the Capitol as it was planned in plain sight online, DHS and FBI have still not taken the necessary steps to align their resources to eliminate this deadly threat, while protecting the rights and liberties of Americans."

As Politico reported in September, officials in the Department of Homeland Security Office of Intelligence and Analysis in an April briefing to local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies warned that political extremists had used TikTok to recruit others and to share "tactical guidance" for terrorist or criminal activities, according to the report.

Peters referenced that briefing in his letter to TikTok on Tuesday.

Story continues

"DHS' I&A determined that TikTok's algorithms and processes 'can unintentionally aid individuals' efforts to promote violent extremist content,'" the Democrat from Michigan wrote.

He also referenced an investigation from The Wall Street Journal in July that explored TikTok's mysterious algorithm that recommends users' videos. The investigation found the algorithm most valued how long a user spent watching a particular video and could lead a user interested in politics to videos about election conspiracy theories or QAnon.

"These algorithms increase user engagement, which in turn increases the amount of time users spend on these platforms, and by extension, the amount of advertisements that can be shown," Peters wrote.

"There is a financial incentive for social media platforms like TikTok to keep users engaged on their platforms and viewing content, including extremist content," he added.

Representatives for TikTok did not immediately return Insider's request for comment Tuesday. In its community guidelines, the company says it takes "a firm stance against enabling violence on or off TikTok."

"We do not allow people to use our platform to threaten or incite violence, or to promote dangerous individuals or organizations," the company says. "When there is a threat to public safety or an account is used to promote or glorify off-platform violence, we may suspend or ban the account. When warranted, we will report threats to relevant legal authorities."

In June this year, TikTok said it removed more than 300,000 videos for spreading "violent extremism" in the first three months of the year. The Institute of Strategic Dialogue in an August report said it found more than a thousand videos that promoted Holocaust denial, white supremacy, and ISIS propaganda on TikTok.

Peters asked the company by Oct. 27 to provide the panel investigating the Jan. 6 riot with information regarding its enforcement of policies that prohibit extremism and violence, whether algorithms amplified extremism, and if the company cooperated with federal authorities.

Peters previously sent similar letters to Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

Read the original article on Business Insider
A man was shot and killed early Tuesday in Wynwood, police said.

Miami officers responded to the area of Northwest Second Avenue and 22nd Street around 2 a.m. after receiving a ShotSpotter alert, a system that notifies officers to gunfire in an area. The area is a short walk from the Wynwood Walls art complex.

Once officers arrived, they found a man dead with several gunshot wounds, police said.

Detectives are combing the area for clues and are asking people to avoid Northwest Second Avenue between 21st and 23rd streets.

TRAFFIC ALERT: please avoid the area along NW 2nd Ave between 21st - 23rd Street as detectives investigate a shooting that occurred in the area. pic.twitter.com/6EMaYV1xEq  Miami PD (@MiamiPD) October 12, 2021

No other information was immediately available.

Anyone who saw or knows something about the shooting is asked to call police.

This bulletin will be updated.
In a recent conference call with Democrats, President Joe Biden joked that putting liberal Sen. Bernie Sanders in the same room as centrist Sen. Joe Manchin to negotiate a massive social welfare spending bill could result in homicide.

While Democrats laughed at the comments, the growing animosity between the partys divided factions is no joke  and now it threatens to sideline Bidens entire economic agenda.

Manchin, a West Virginia centrist, told reporters last week he is not budging from a $1.5 trillion cap on the spending measure Democrats hope to pass in the coming weeks.

RETIRED JUSTICE ALLEGES 'SOME EVIDENCE' ELECTION OFFICIALS DID NOT FOLLOW STATE LAW

In addition to slashing the cost, Manchin opposes some of the green energy policies to end fossil fuels. He also opposes a move by liberals to end a decades-old ban on taxpayer-funded abortions.

My number has been $1.5 (trillion), Manchin told reporters last week. Ive been very clear.

Manchins limit is $2 trillion below the price tag Democrats initially sought, and it's nowhere near where liberals are willing to compromise. Its also $1.5 trillion less than a $2 trillion compromise figure Biden recently recommended to Democrats in a private meeting.

I want to keep it as close as I can to at least $3 trillion because we have a lot of things we want to do, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, a Washington Democrat who heads the 95-member House Progressive Caucus, told CNN.

Meanwhile, Democrats face an Oct. 31 deadline to strike an agreement and advance the measure. The party has linked the bill to a critical infrastructure measure that makes up the second half of Bidens economic agenda. That infrastructure bill includes highway funding authorization that must be renewed by Halloween.

With no deal in sight on the social welfare spending bill, the infrastructure measures fate is uncertain.

The liberal wing of the party, making up most of the Democratic caucus in the House and Senate, is becoming increasingly angry with Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema, an Arizona Democrat who also opposes the $3.5 trillion package and some of its policies.

Story continues

In a recent interview on CBS, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez characterized the opposition from Manchin and Sinema as hard-line tactics from a very tiny cadre of conservative Democrats.

Sanders, a socialist, called an impromptu press conference last week to rail against Manchin and Sinema, who he said are standing in the way of passing a $3.5 trillion package everyone else in the party supports.

Two people do not have the right to sabotage what 48 want and the president of the United States wants, Sanders said. To me, that is wrong.

Manchin fired back at lawmakers who have publicly attacked him for opposing the bill, telling reporters outside the Capitol last week that Democrats should elect more liberals if they want enough votes to pass their agenda.

Biden is in the middle, trying to salvage his agenda and sinking poll numbers.

The latest Quinnipiac poll issued last week found Biden underwater on job approval, with only 38% in favor of his performance and 53% disapproving.

Among independents, an increasingly critical voter group, 60% disapproved of his performance and only 32% approved.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Biden and Democrats are eager for a legislative victory, which would help the president and House and Senate party lawmakers struggling to hang on to their seats in what is poised to be a brutal midterm election.

Sen. Chris Coons, a Delaware Democrat and top Biden ally in Congress, said he believes Biden will prevail and lawmakers will end up agreeing to the compromise number the president presented to Democrats at a recent closed-door meeting.

I think the ultimate price will be around $2 trillion, Coons told Fox News Sunday. But it's the policies that really matter. And as a caucus, we agree on those.

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Tags: News, Congress, Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, Joe Manchin, government spending, Infrastructure

Original Author: Susan Ferrechio

Original Location: Short deadline and party infighting threaten Biden agenda
A group of analog astronauts will spend four weeks living on a fake version of Mars to prepare for the challenging environment on the Red Planet.

The mission, hosted by the Israel Space Agency, will take place in the Negev desert, and managed by mission control at the Austrian Space Forum with a built-in 10-minute delay to simulate the time difference between Mars and Earth.

They will be homed in a habitat similar in design to those astronauts will use if and when they visit Mars on future missions. Geologically the composition of the Negev desert is very similar to that on Mars, with researchers saying it is an ideal setting to test out the practises.

This is our first mission where our analog astronauts will live and work entirely independent in their habitat for three weeks. A small on-site support team will be available for technical problems and maintenance, but will not be allowed to interact with the analog astronauts, said Dr Gernot Gromer, director of the Austrian Space Forum.

The simulation, known as AMADEE-20, will see five men and one woman wearing an elaborate space suit prototype when they step outside or drive the rover.

The 45kg suit simulates wearing a pressured suit, as it impedes movement and is equipped with medical telemetry  with scientists looking for weak points in the system so that real missions go smoothly.

This method makes it easier to understand the advantages, but also the limitations of future astronautical missions on foreign planets. It also helps developing so-called remote science operations. These scientific processes that do not take place at the test site are designed to support the analog astronauts as efficiently as possible in researching the terrestrial Mars analog environment, Dr Gromer also said.

The isolation phase begins today and will continue until 31 October. The team will carry out tests with regards to human behavioural techniques  such as mindfulness  to help them cope with long-duration isolation, as well as developing life-detection, 3D printing techniques for aerospace-quality plastics, and other geoscientific techniques.

Story continues

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Watch: Minister refuses to apologise 11 times for government's handling of COVID

A minister has refused to apologise 11 times in one interview for the governments handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

Cabinet Office minister Stephen Barclay was repeatedly asked by Sky News presenter Kay Burley to say sorry for the deaths of thousands of people, but kept dodging the question.

His interview came after a report by MPs found the failure to prevent the spread of COVID-19 at the beginning of the pandemic was one of the countrys worst ever public health failures.

The 151-page report said the decisions on lockdowns and social distancing during the early weeks of the pandemic  and the advice that led to them  rank as one of the most important public health failures the United Kingdom has ever experienced.

Cabinet Office minister Stephen Barclay refused to apologise for the government's handling of the COVID pandemic. (Sky News)

Burley began her interview with Barclay on Tuesday morning by saying: I suppose you want to start with an apology to the British public.

But Barclay refused to apologise, despite constant attempts by Burley to get him to do so.

Read more: Parents threaten to sue school if children are given COVID vaccines

I dont understand why you dont want to apologise, she said at one point, later asking: Why dont you just say, Were sorry?

Instead, Barclay, who admitted he had not yet ready the scathing report on the governments handling of the crisis, said: I recognise the devastation to the families concerned, but we took logical decisions at the time, based on the information we had.

He added: The decisions were taken on the evidence and the scientific advice at the time, they were taken to protect the NHS.

It was an unprecedented pandemic, we were learning about it as we went through and of course with hindsight theres things we know about it now that we didnt know at the time.

Of course there are going to be lessons to learn, thats why weve committed to an inquiry, but the government took decisions at the time based on the scientific advice it received, but those scientists themselves were operating in a very new environment where they themselves were learning about the pandemic.

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We protected the NHS, we got the vaccine deployed at pace, but we accept where there are lessons to be learnt, were keen to do so.

In a separate interview on Tuesday with LBC Radio, Barclay refused to apologise eight times when asked by presenter Nick Ferrari.

Cabinet Office minister Stephen Barclay, left, was asked to apologise 11 times by Sky News presenter Kay Burley. (Sky News)

Barclay said: I recognise its devastating and my heart goes out to any family, any of your listeners where they lost a loved one.

As the prime minister said in May, he was sorry for the suffering the country has experienced, we take responsibility for everything that has happened, and that is why weve committed to an inquiry in order to get the answers to what has happened and to explain to those families the basis of the decisions that have been taken.

Read more: Jeremy Vine left 'unnerved' after anti-vaxxers turn up at his home

The report on the handling of the pandemic said that while herd immunity was not an official government strategy at the beginning of the crisis, there was a policy approach of fatalism about the prospects for COVID in the community.

Experts and ministers sought to only moderate the speed of infection through the population  flattening the curve  rather than seeking to stop its spread altogether, MPs said.

The report added: The policy was pursued until 23 March because of the official scientific advice the government received, not in spite of it.

Watch: Serious errors and delays led to COVID deaths, MPs say
A line of cars pull up at 7:45 p.m. on a recent Friday night in South Tampa. They park on the tree-lined road and get out. Neighbors amble over, kids already in pajamas.

By 8 p.m., more than 50 people have found a spot on the sidewalk or across the street to watch a dazzling 20-minute light and special effects show. There is music, video, computerized dancing lights and even sparks and fire balls that wow the crowd. At the end, they cheer.

Sam Johnson, 22, was a teenager when he came up with an idea to entertain and give back. The largely self-taught techie puts on three shows a night every weekend during Halloween and in December for Christmas to raise money for charity.

He has put on the light shows for five years. Last year, between the Halloween and Christmas events, he was able to raise more than $10,000 total for multiple charities.

His parents, Bruce and Lisa Johnson, are retired IBM executives. Bruce was in sales and marketing and Lisa was a project manager, so they have transferred those skills to support their sons project. But hes the guy who does the programming, his father said. He is the guru behind it.

Sam was in middle school at Tampa Day School when he first came up with an elaborate light show at Christmastime for the schools cafeteria.

I couldnt believe they let me do it, he said. It was probably 20 extension cords with a ton of lights in the cafeteria.

As a toddler, he tore apart CB radios to see how they worked. After talking his dad into buying him a computerized light program for the middle school display, he dove into the world of light displays and special effects.

At 12, he started volunteering in the audiovisual department at Hyde Park United Methodist Church. He now works on the tech team at Skycrest United Methodist Church in Clearwater. He learned tricks of the trade from Facebook groups and ordered special displays from China and a company in Arizona that supplies theme parks.

He came up with elaborate haunted houses and put out a donation box for charity. Then he suggested the home light shows. His parents, he said, liked the idea, especially since the haunted house had grown so much. His mother was happy their plants wouldnt get trampled by people walking through the haunted pathway on their property.

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He bankrolled the idea himself, with money raised through his 3D printing business. He spends about $6,000 every year upgrading his equipment and special effects.

He currently has almost 16,000 LED lights that are run by a light sequencer program called xLights, and it all runs off a $30 Raspberry Pi computer about the size of a cellphone, he said.

There are 16 flood lights, including some that move to make the display dance. There are also cold spark machines on the roof that make it look like fireworks are shooting into the sky and flames that burst from spots on the porch.

He added extra lights this year to what he calls the mega tree, which looks like a spider web for Halloween and a Christmas tree in December. The added pixels make it easier to animate the tree, creating images like the face of Oogie Boogie, the boogeyman from Nightmare Before Christmas. And the lit pumpkin over the front door has mouth movements that track with the songs. Thats accomplished with a tedious process of lip-syncing, he said, which uses the computer to match mouth positions to key phrases.

The Johnsons want to be good neighbors, so they only run the light show on Fridays and Saturdays, then daily during Halloween week, with the last show always at 9 p.m. They set up a Sylvan Ramble Light Show page on Eventbrite.com to try to limit crowds. The first year, they walked a five-block radius handing out letters to neighbors with Sams cell phone number to call if they thought the music was too loud.

I walked over figuring this would just be some nice lights, but this is phenomenal, neighbor Theresa Baxter said after seeing it for the first time.

Social media has helped spread the word, and lately more people are donating online at sylvanramblelights.com instead of dropping dollars into the lockbox set up in the driveway. Almost $3,000 has already been raised online by mid-October for Clothes To Kids, a nonprofit that supplies school clothes for children who qualify for free lunches.

It was a pretty ingenious way to support a cause, said Jennifer Jacobs, executive director of Clothes To Kids, which also runs a storefront where kids in need can shop for free.

Over the years, Johnsons effort has brought in more than $12,000 for the organization. He has clothed more than 150 children by using his talents in a pretty neat way.

Kudos to him, Jacobs said. He is literally lighting up the world.

If you go

Sylvan Ramble Halloween Light Show: Every Friday and Saturday in October, 20-minute computerized musical light shows begin at 8, 8:30 and 9 p.m. Shows will be nightly starting Oct. 25 with the first show at 7:30 p.m. Search for the Sylvan Ramble Light Show page at Eventbrite.com for that weeks schedule.

Location: 4412 W Sylvan Ramble St., Tampa.

Donations: Theres a donation bin in the driveway or you can donate online at sylvanramblelights.com. The Halloween show will benefit Clothes To Kids and the Christmas display will benefit Where Love Grows, a nonprofit that focuses on childhood hunger initiatives.
Southwest Airlines and American Airlines, both based in Texas, will still require employees to get vaccinated despite the state's new ban on vaccine mandates by private businesses, Politico reports.

Why it matters: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a sweeping executive order Monday night banning vaccine mandates by any "entity," including private employers.

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The new ban signed by the Republican governor goes further than the state's previous vaccine mandate ban, which applied to state government entities or entities that received public funds.

Last month, the Biden administration said it would require private companies with more than 100 employees to require workers to receive a COVID-19 vaccine or produce a weekly negative test.

The big picture: "Federal action supersedes any state mandate or law, and we would be expected to comply with the president's order to remain compliant as a federal contractor," a Southwest spokesperson told Politico in a statement.

A representative for American Airlines told Politico that they're also reviewing the new executive order, but that for the time being company leaders "believe the federal vaccine mandate supersedes any conflicting state laws, and this does not change anything for American."

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By Javier Barbancho

MADRID (Reuters) - Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez urged unity on Tuesday as the country marked its national day with a military parade in Madrid attended by more than 2,000 troops in a sigh Spain's COVID-19 situation has improved.

His remarks in a tweet come as his government entered talks with the pro-independence Catalan regional authorities to solve Spain's territorial crisis.

Sanchez, who was booed by a section of the crowd at the parade who appeared to be against his left-wing government, is opposed to a referendum on independence for Catalonia. Pere Aragones, the Catalan president who stayed away from the parade in Madrid, has demanded a vote on secession from Spain.

"This October 12 let's reaffirm what unites us, what makes us great as a society, what makes Spain a welcoming, open, diverse country. Let's celebrate our commitment, solidarity, cooperation, multilateralism. Let's celebrate who we are," Sanchez said in the tweet.

King Felipe and Queen Letizia attended the traditional parade to cheers accompanied by members of the government, opposition politicians and members of Spain's Olympic team.

Spain's coronavirus incidence dropped below 50 cases per 100,000 people on Oct. 7, reaching the threshold considered "low risk" by the health ministry for the first time in over a year.

Some 2,656 soldiers took part in a march past along with 115 military vehicles while air force planes took part in a fly past as well as a parachutist with a giant Spanish flag.

Last year, the parade was cancelled because of COVID-19 restrictions but in 2019 some 4,000 soldiers took part in the traditional military march.

(Reporting by Javier Barbancho, writing by Graham Keeley; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise)
New York must allow religious exemptions to the state's COVID-19 vaccine mandate for medical workers, a federal judge ruled Tuesday.

U.S. Northern District Justice David Hurd of Utica granted a preliminary injunction temporarily barring New York state and employers from enforcing the COVID-19 vaccine mandate against medical workers claiming a legitimate religious exemption. Last month, Hurd issued a temporary restraining order blocking enforcement of the mandate in relation to religious beliefs.

The mandate requires most medical workers statewide to get the first COVID-19 vaccine dose by Sept. 27, or lose their jobs. It prodded about 55,000 workers to get the shot, but left the fate of at least 35,600 other workers refusing shots uncertain.

Many of the medical workers who had claimed religious exemptions had been placed on suspensions pending the outcome of the court battle. These workers, potentially numbering in the thousands, could now return to jobs as some hospitals and nursing homes face staffing shortages.

 David Robinson

Also in the news:

Florida is investigating dozens of local governments, performing arts centers, the Miami Marlins, a law enforcement counter-terrorism unit and a concert by singer Harry Styles for violating a law that bans requiring proof of vaccination.

The FDA's independent advisers convene Thursday to begin weighing whether booster shots for Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines should be dispensed and who should get them. Final approval is not expected for at least another week.

 United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says the pandemic has forced more than 100 million people into poverty and left over 4 billion people with little or no social support, health care or income protection.

Russia registered a record 973 daily coronavirus deaths Tuesday as it faces a rapid surge of contagion amid low vaccination rates.

 Today's numbers: The U.S. has recorded more than 44.5 million confirmed COVID-19 cases and more than 714,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data. Global totals: More than 238.5 million cases and 4.86 million deaths. More than 187.7 million Americans  56.8% of the population  are fully vaccinated, according to the CDC.

Story continues

 What we're reading: COVID-19 vaccines offer the best protection against severe illness and death. New antibody and antiviral treatments offer "interlocking benefits," experts say. Read more here.

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.

White House says Gov. Abbott playing politics with Texans' health

The White House charged Tuesday that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott was motivated by politics and not public health concerns when he issued an executive order Monday banning COVID-19 mandates for employees or consumers across the state.

Its pretty clear when you make a choice that's against all public health information and data out there that it's not based on what is in the interests of the people you are governing, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said. It's perhaps in the interest of your own politics.

Abbott's executive order expands on a prior order limited to government entities. Abbott also asked lawmakers to tackle the issue during the current special legislative session, ensuring that "no entity in Texas can compel receipt" of the vaccine.

Asked if the White House plans to sue to stop the ban, Psaki said the administration intends to enforce the vaccine requirements that President Joe Biden announced in September.

Biden ordered employers with 100 or more workers to ensure their workforce is entirely vaccinated or face weekly COVID testing. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is expected to issue new rules in the coming weeks that would make the mandate enforceable.

 Michael Collins

Brooklyn Nets ban unvaccinated star Kyrie Irving from games, practices

Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving, a seven-time All-Star who has refused to get vaccinated against COVID-19, won't play or practice with the club until he is eligible to be a full participant, general manager Sean Marks said Tuesday.

Irving had been practicing with the Nets but is ineligible to play in home games because of New York City's vaccination mandate. Marks made it clear Tuesday the team won't settle for a part-time player, although he said Irving would continue to be paid for road games. Irving stands to lose more than $381,000 for every home game he sits out.

The Nets are considered among the favorites for the NBA title thanks to a loaded roster that includes former MVPs Kevin Durant and James Harden, along with Irving, who has averaged 22.8 points a game for his career.

The NBA players union has said more than 90% of its members are fully vaccinated. Irving is the most prominent among the holdouts. The Golden State Warriors faced a similar quandary with forward Andrew Wiggins because of San Francisco vaccination requirements, but he eventually relented and got the vaccine less than two weeks ago.

Unvaccinated kids may face less risk than some vaccinated adults

The risk of serious illness from COVID could be smaller for unvaccinated children than it is for some vaccinated adults. The New York Times looked at statistics from the Seattle area and found that unvaccinated children get hospitalized at about the same rate as vaccinated people in their 50s. British data shows kids under 12 appear to be at less risk than vaccinated people in their 40s  if not 30s.

"Covid is a threat to children," tweeted Dr. Alasdair Munro, a pediatric infectious-disease specialist at the Britain's University of Southampton. "But its not an extraordinary threat. In fact, its very ordinary."

Illinois VA nursing home didn't follow guidelines. 11 residents died.

Leaders and staff at a federal veterans nursing home in Illinois mismanaged a coronavirus outbreak that killed 11 residents in fall 2020, well after employees had been put on notice about the danger the pandemic posed to its elderly population, a government investigation found. A staff member exposed at home was denied a test and told to just wear a mask while finishing a shift caring for residents. The employee tested positive the next day. Testing was inconsistent, even after the virus started to spread within the Veterans Affairs complex in Danville. Isolation of exposed individuals was haphazard, the investigation found.

Direct care staff described chaos and a lack of awareness of what to do, the inspector general at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs said in a report released last month. Read more here.

 Donovan Slack

More virus treatments expected soon

Several new COVID-19 treatments are likely to become available within the next few months. Each drug fills a slightly different role, but together they could change the course of the illness, at least in the United States. An experimental antiviral from Merck and a monoclonal antibody from AstraZeneca, along with a handful of other drugs making their way through the development process, could make COVID-19 a much less fearsome disease.

"We're at the point where if we could use these medications all to their interlocking benefits  we could really begin to control the impact this virus has on us, and in particular on the health care system," said Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease physician at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville.

 Karen Weintraub

Moderna doesn't intend to share its COVID-19 vaccine recipe

Moderna has no plans to share the recipe for its COVID-19 vaccine because executives have concluded that scaling up the company's own production is the best way to increase the global supply, the companys chairman said. The United Nations health agency has pressed Moderna to share its vaccine formula.

Moderna chairman Noubar Afeyan said the company analyzed whether it would be better to share the messenger RNA technology and determined instead it could expand production and deliver billions of additional doses in 2022.

Within the next six to nine months, the most reliable way to make high-quality vaccines and in an efficient way is going to be if we make them, Afeyan said. Asked about appeals from the World Health Organization and others, he contended that such pleas assumed that we couldnt get enough capacity, but in fact we know we can. The COVID-19 vaccine is Modernas only commercial product.

Health workers, educators see high vaccination rates with mandates

Almost all of Washington and North Carolina's state health workers are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, while 99.99% of Cincinnati Public School employees have complied with the district's mandatory vaccination policy. The high vaccination rates come after mandates from the federal government, states and local school districts. The White House released a report last week contending that vaccine mandates would lead to millions more Americans getting vaccinated.

The report found that businesses instituting vaccine mandates have seen their number of fully vaccinated workers rise above 90%.

California coronavirus death count tops 70K as cases fall

Californias coronavirus death toll reached another once-unfathomable milestone  70,000 people  on Monday as the state emerges from the latest infection surge with the lowest rate of new cases in the nation. Last year at this time, cases in California started ticking up and by January the state was in the throes of the worst spike of the pandemic, becoming the country's epicenter for the virus. Daily deaths approached 700.

The latest surge started in summer and was driven by the delta variant, which primarily targeted the unvaccinated. But at its worst during this spike, Californias average daily death count was in the low 100s.

Contributing: The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: New York must allow religious exemptions to vaccine mandate: COVID now
The government has kicked off a review of listing rules. Photo: Toby Melville/Reuters

The UK has kicked off its review of listing and capital raising rules, with veteran Freshfields partner Mark Austin at the helm.

The Treasury said the new review would act to boost companies listed on UK stock markets by giving them more options when raising capital.

The review will examine whether rule changes and better use of technology could make capital raising more efficient for companies already listed on UK markets.

We want to make sure companies who already tap our world-leading capital markets can raise finance efficiently and include their current shareholders in the process, said chancellor Rishi Sunak.

The launch of the review is the latest step in the governments response to Lord Hills UK Listings Review, which was set up to make the UK an even more attractive destination for IPOs and optimise the capital raising process for large and small companies.

Read more: Gas price crisis: PM expected to back millions in bailout loans for industry

The UKs capital markets were a lifeline for many companies through the pandemic, with 30bn ($40.8bn) of new equity raised in 2020 to shore up businesses, protect jobs and seize opportunities to grow.

However, most of these businesses chose to raise funds through private placings with a small group of institutions, which can be completed faster and at a lower cost, but exclude existing shareholders and dilute their stakes in the company.

The UK Listings Review found companies are deterred from using other mechanisms like rights issues, which preserve the interests of existing investors in the company, because they involve greater costs, time and uncertainty, and require the publication of a prospectus.

Improving the efficiency of secondary capital raisings by listed companies is an important element of making the UK an even more attractive place for businesses to list," said Austin, noting that the review has launched a call for evidence from interested parties.

The call for evidence runs until 9 November, with the findings released in spring 2022.

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Read more: Sunak likely to have 'little money for public services' despite tax rises

The expert group led by Austin will review these regulatory barriers and open up the choices for listed companies seeking to raise capital, including by looking at the overall duration of the process, considering whether new technology can be used to speed up the information flow to shareholders and help them exercise their rights, and assessing other fundraising mechanisms that are used in international markets.

The work will be carried out in consultation with relevant stakeholders including the government and the Financial Conduct Authority, buy-side and sell-side firms, listed companies, and legal and academic experts.

Watch: Will Interest rates stay low forever?
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill canceled classes Tuesday as campus authorities investigated two possible suicides within the past month.

University chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz made the announcement via email on Sunday, which was also World Mental Health Day.

"We are in the middle of a mental health crisis, both on our campus and across our nation, and we are aware that college-aged students carry an increased risk of suicide," Guskiewicz said. "This crisis has directly impacted members of our community  especially with the passing of two students on campus in the past month."

The announcement adds: After meeting with student and faculty leaders over the weekend, I am announcing a Wellness Day for our students on Tuesday, Oct. 12, as a step in addressing mental health. Classes will be canceled."

The dean of UNCs College of Arts & Sciences sent an email to instructors Sunday night reminding them to offer flexibility to students.

UNC junior Kendra Randle woke up to the news that two students had attempted suicide, first through social media and then through the campus newspaper, The Daily Tar Heel.

"Theres sometimes I cant even put into words how Im feeling and Im just hoping the friends and families of those students are doing okay," she told USA TODAY. "I still am shocked, because no one prepares you for a suicide, you cant ever be prepared for that, but it doesnt surprise me that people are really struggling right now."

She's using her day off from classes to relax and check in with friends about how they're doing.

"Just remember that you come first," is Randle's message to other students. "School is never that important to where its deeply affecting you."

UNC senior Emma Olson told USA TODAY that she was frustrated when she saw the schools announcement arrive in her email inbox. She had learned about the suicides from friends and on social media before hearing from the university.

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Crushing isolation during COVID?: Sure, you've felt it. Imagine being young and incarcerated.

Related: ER visits for suicide attempts among girls rose 51% during COVID-19 pandemic, CDC says

Honestly, I was quite angry because I watched people on social media beg the school to release a statement, she said

The Jed Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on mental health and suicide prevention for teens and young adults, found that 63% of students say that their emotional health was worse than before the COVID-19 pandemic and 1 in 5 students have had suicidal thoughts in the past month.

Dr. Rebecca Kreitzer, a UNC public policy and political science professor, has noticed an uptick in mental health struggles among her students over the past year.

"I am very concerned, especially as I talk to my students who have been struggling with anxiety and depression with the pandemic and the transition to school," she told USA TODAY. "Being exposed to the death of somebody by suicide can increase the rates of suicide."

The mental health crisis is an institution-wide problem, she said, but she feels like individuals are bearing the load of supporting students.

"It also affects the mental health and morale of our grad students and our faculty and staff as well, who are taking on the burden of helping students navigate this space," she added.

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill saw two student suicides within the past month.

The university reported that 90% of its students were vaccinated, while only 54% of North Carolina is fully inoculated, according to state data. Olson believes the pressure of school, compounded with the pandemic, is contributing to a rise in mental health issues at the university.

She accessed the schools mental health services her freshman year of college but was referred to an out-of-network therapist she couldnt afford.

Olson decided to withdraw from the fall semester to focus on her mental health and the high amount of pressure she felt from school and the pandemic.

If you or someone you know may be struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) any time day or night, or chat online.

Crisis Text Line also provides free, 24/7, confidential support via text message to people in crisis when they dial 741741.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: UNC canceled Tuesday classes after student suicides within past month
After a summer of residents complaints about packs of ATV riders speeding recklessly through town, West Hartford is preparing an ordinance to make it simpler for police to crack down on illegal riding.

If it passes, the ordinance would ban all-terrain vehicles from all public roads, parks and sidewalks. It would authorize local police to seize the ATVs from violators  and possibly auction them off later.

This is a dangerous and reckless activity that should not take place on public roads, Mayor Shari Cantor said Monday. None of this is unique to West Hartford  its happening regionally.

Like many large towns and cities around the Northeast, West Hartford has been hit with a wave of people riding dirt bikes, quads and ATVs on the street. Motorists say the operators are often reckless and speeding, while pedestrians and homeowners complain of extreme noise.

New Haven, East Hartford and New London are among the other Connecticut communities that have adopted ordinances aimed specifically at ending illegal riding on public streets.

Police say that huge group rides  often with 50 to 100 at a time  became more common during the pandemic, but illegal and reckless riding has been around long before that.

Its been going on for quite some time now in the Northeast  Maryland, New York and other locations, West Hartford Chief Vernon Riddick said.

It began well before COVID-19, New Britain Police Chief Christopher Chute said Monday. Its slowly getting worse every year.

Waterbury, for instance, banned ATVs from its streets starting in 2015, but police there still get periodic waves of complaints from drivers and residents. This summer, Waterbury asked for public help tracking down ATV and dirt bike riders whod torn up the Library Park lawn late at night.

As reckless riding worsened in Bridgeport early this year, city police restarted their task force to track down illegally used ATVs.

Hartford police last week announced they will deploy drones for a variety of anti-crime initiatives, and specifically cited using them to follow packs of ATVs and dirt bikes to wherever the operators store them.

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Soon after the pandemic began, Hartford police seized about 30 ATVs and dirt bikes and crushed them at an auto parts yard, but like police in other communities they usually have trouble catching the drivers. Officers rarely pursue speeding ATVs because of the risks of a chase; also, when dozens of riders go together in a pack, police have no way to follow them all when they split up.

In some instances, riders gather on I-84 or I-91 and weave through traffic, speed or deliberately ride slowly, forcing motorists to brake. Those groups sometimes use local roads and pass through several central Connecticut communities in a row.

We are seeing large groups of ATVs and motorbikes coming from out of town and passing through the city on the weekends. We are continuously identifying these operators and seizing their vehicles. So far in the month of October, we have seized seven ATVs and dirt bikes, Chute said.

Providence, Boston, Kansas City and Washington, D.C., have all experienced surges of reckless ATV riding this year; Boston last month alone seized 17 ATVs and dirt bikes. New York City police already this year have sent more than 1,500 seized ATVs to an auto parts yard to be crushed, and expect to seize another 1,000 before New Years.

West Hartfords concerns spiked this summer when more than 200 riders roared through town in early August, followed by a smaller group ride last month. Residents complained of riders speeding, weaving in and out of traffic, blowing through red lights and jeering at pedestrians along the way.

The public safety committee of West Hartfords council worked out details of an ordinance Thursday night, and the full council is expected to take it to a public hearing before the year ends.

This will give us some extra tools we can use, Riddick said. If we can get information from the public  and anonymously is fine  about where theyre kept, we can do surveillance and take action.

Police suspect some ATVs are kept in self-storage units, while others are in garages and sheds. Riddick is asking neighbors to contact his officers when they see signs of illegally used ATVs being hidden.

The police departments anonymous tip line is 860 570-8969; Riddick said people can also send information to whpdtips@westhartfordct.gov.
Elementary schoolchildren wearing a protective face masks in the classroom. Education during epidemic.

Getty

Two Wisconsin parents are suing their children's school districts after their kids contracted the coronavirus.

Shannon Jensen and Gina Kildahl are both suing the School District of Waukesha and the School District of Fall Creek, respectively, after their sons tested positive for COVID after attending Rose Glen Elementary School and Fall Creek Elementary.

According to court documents, Jensen sued the Waukesha School District, the Waukesha Board of Education, a number of school board members and district employees on Oct. 6 for "knowingly, needlessly, unreasonably, and recklessly exposing the public to Covid-19  endangering public health." They claim classes are being held with inadequate safety protocols, the Washington Post reports.

She said her child, who was wearing a mask to school, contracted COVID from another student who did not have any face coverings, according to the Guardian. Jensen further claims that the school district didn't provide any educational plans for students in quarantine.

RELATED: Florida School Students Won't Be Required to Quarantine After Being Exposed to COVID

On Monday, Kildahl filed a separate lawsuit claiming that the Fall Creek School District, the board, superintendent and individual board members "recklessly refused" to implement COVID mitigation policies, per CNN.

"I am just hoping that they will start masking and take some responsibility to keep our kids safe at school," Kildahl told the outlet on Tuesday. "On my school's website, on all of their board documentation, they say that they want to provide a safe place to learn. And I think that to do that, especially with the Delta variant out there, they need to start masking kids."

"Universal masking is what our county health department suggests, just so that all the kids are on the same playing level," she added.

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Over 80 Students Potentially Exposed to COVID After a Parent Sent an Infected Child to School

Ina Fassbender/AFP via Getty

According to the Waukesha School District website, the school board "removed most of the COVID-19 mitigation measures" in May ahead of the 2021-22 school year. Kildah's suit states that the Fall Creek School District did the same, Washington Post reports.

Kirk Bangstad, owner of Minocqua Brewing Company Super PAC, said Sunday on social media that the company is funding both lawsuits and plans to sue "every school board in Wisconsin that doesn't follow CDC guidelines to protect the spread of COVID in schools."

"Wisconsin communities have exploded with the Delta variant because many school districts have dropped all forms of COVID mitigation that were in place last year," the Facebook post said, noting it's already raised over $50,000 in donations to support the lawsuits.

RELATED: Pediatric COVID-19 Cases Hit Pandemic High in US as New School Year Begins

James Sebert, Waukesha District superintendent, confirmed to PEOPLE that the school district was served with the lawsuit Friday afternoon, declining to comment further after obtaining legal representation.

Representatives for the Fall Creek School District did not immediately respond to PEOPLE'S request for comment.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends indoor masking for all teachers, staff, students, and visitors of K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status, as the Delta variant continues to spread.

However, mask mandates at schools and other public spaces vary from state to state. States like Florida, Texas, and Arizona have prohibited these kinds of mandates for the 2021-22 school year, but many districts have defied them despite threats of slashed funding.

As information about the coronavirus pandemic rapidly changes, PEOPLE is committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage. Some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For the latest on COVID-19, readers are encouraged to use online resources from the CDC, WHO and local public health departments. PEOPLE has partnered with GoFundMe to raise money for the COVID-19 Relief Fund, a GoFundMe.org fundraiser to support everything from frontline responders to families in need, as well as organizations helping communities. For more information or to donate, click here.
After racial justice protests gripped the country and politicians pledged progress, Virginia Secretary of Education Atif Qarni felt confident in his paragraph-long pitch for lawmakers to boost diversity at the states governors schools.

The bill, HB2305, was less muscular than an earlier two-and-a-half page version that never got a hearing.

But when Del. Roslyn Tyler, D-Sussex, brought forward the effort to disrupt a pipeline to the elite public magnet schools that historically has shut out Black, Latino and economically disadvantaged students, debate quickly soured.

Lawmakers  locked in talks that centered on the Thomas Jefferson High School for Sciences and Technology in Fairfax County  ended up at odds over whether the admissions process even needs to be changed.

You had a school that was the number one rated high school in America," said state Sen. Chap Petersen, D-Fairfax, who voted down the proposal.

The measure would have laid the groundwork for wholesale change but stopped short of requiring it; instead it asked the Virginia Board of Education to craft guidelines on the importance of increasing access to Governor's Schools for historically underserved students."

Qarni had hoped the state would begin untangling the interwoven challenges blocking children from accessing potentially life-changing education.

Virginia has a long history of local control leading to inequitable outcomes in education. And while incremental reforms to selection processes for elite programs have begun in some places, Qarni sees more room for movement.

The patchwork methods local school districts and governing boards have been using to identify and advance gifted students aren't working if they're leaving huge groups of children behind, he said.

Its fragmented. Theres not robust guidelines on how gifted education should be done, how we should accept children, [or] how children should enter and get the programs, he said. And then what is the true purpose of gifted education?

In some cases, feeder school systems next door to one another have different rules for picking students who ultimately go on to attend the same school.

Advocates for equity frustrated with the legislature's inaction have sharpened their focus on the governing body that oversees that states public primary and secondary schools, the Virginia Board of Education.

I was definitely disappointed because I felt like it was a common sense, equity and inclusion bill, said Makya Little, a Black alumna of Thomas Jefferson.

Qarni, a cabinet-level appointee of Gov. Ralph Northam, welcomes the scrutiny.

This three-part series, produced as part of reporter Kenya Hunters participation in an Education Writers Association mentorship program, examines the lack of diversity at the Maggie L. Walker Governor's School and others across the state.

The investigation found that white children were nearly four times more likely to gain admissions to the school over 20 years; that Black youth who were selected felt isolated and unsupported; and that local and state-level responses to the pipeline problem have largely failed to yield wholesale change.

***

Black children make up 22% of the states public school enrollment. Rarely are they represented in proportion to the overall population at the states magnet schools. State data shows that Black students account for less than 10% of enrollment at 12 of the states 19 governors schools, and less than 5% at 8.

About 7% of freshman entering Thomas Jefferson this year are Black  an improvement from just over 1% the year prior.

The schools makeup dominated pointed discussions last February of HB2305, which was drafted by Qarni after the formation of a task force launched to examine access issues at governor's schools.

The group found that economically disadvantaged students are largely locked out of opportunities to attend the elite schools, whose graduates often go on to attend Ivy League colleges.

But when it came time to chip away at those barriers, Petersen and state Sen. Dick Saslaw, D-Fairfax, and a majority of the Senate Education and Health committee, had concerns.

Saslaw, who did not return an interview request, ultimately moved to spike the bill. Petersen joined in voting it down, saying it had anti-Asian undertones (more than 70% of students who attend TJ are Asian).

There was this assumption that somehow the system was not working, that somehow it was defective, Petersen said in an interview.

His comments at the time, along with Saslaws, earned a slam from the states legislative Black Caucus, who deemed their pronouncements racist.

We must fervently and consistently reject any suggestion that these educational inequities - particularly for Black, Latinx, and low-income students - are the result of inherent intellectual inferiority or a lack of hard work. These false narratives must finally be put to an end, the caucus said in a statement. The reality is that the status quo prevents and excludes Black and Latinx students from effectively accessing equitable admission to Virginias Governors Schools.

The African American Superintendent's Advisory Council, which advises State Superintendent of Public Instruction James Lane on equity issues for the state's Black students, held a meeting within 10 minutes of the bills demise, Little said.

I basically was like If we stay silent on this issue, I dont know why we have this council, Little recalled. It was designed to advocate for students who look like us. If we stay silent, to me, its pointless.

The council wrote the Virginia Board of Education to demand action, which it can take without legislative direction.

Consistent inequities in access make the development of guidance for the governance of Governors Schools to increase access for historically underserved students imperative, the council wrote.

Many other individuals likewise sent in public comments, urging the Board to take up the work. A spokesperson said the board is working on regulations - but they wont be done until at least next year.

Anne Holton, a board member and former Virginia Secretary of Education, said theres a need for action, but its unclear what kind.

I definitely think the state could play a role, said Holton, speaking on her own behalf. But whether it should be regulatory, which would mean the board, or whether there is the power of the bully pulpit that the secretary could exercise more, or are there other levers of influence? But certainly the ideal way to fix it the issue [is] the boards of these institutions.

***

The Maggie L. Walker Governors School, which occupies a building that housed an all-Black high school during legal segregation, has been slow to change.

While the freshman class is more diverse than in recent years, white students who apply have been admitted to the school at a rate nearly four times that of Black students over the past 20 years, data provided by the Governor's school shows.

The school is the subject of an open federal Office of Civil Rights complaint filed in 2013 by a group including Paul Fleischer, a retired Richmond Public Schools gifted and talented teacher and Genevieve Siegel-Hawley, a Virginia Commonwealth University professor who studies segregation and sat on Qarnis task force.

In it, they allege that the Governors school's admissions process "shows clear evidence of persistent bias against Black and... Latino students." The problems persisted even after a 118 page study of the school done by the University of Virginia offered various policy recommendations on its admissions and recruitment processes.

The board had, for a long period of time, a number of policy recommendations, and chose to do nothing, Siegel-Hawley said of the complaint.

The complaint predates the tenure of Maggie Walker's current director, Bob Lowerre, who says he is adamant about attempting change at the Governor's school, including its admissions process and school culture. His administration has since created a strategic plan that aims to be more welcoming to historically underserved populations at the school. He is also adamant that the school is not "lowering standards," as many detractors of diversifying governor's schools have claimed.

Lowerre ultimately doesn't control who gets accepted into the school. Maggie Walker owns the application materials, but local school districts select which students they'll send.

Qarni credits individual localities and schools that have taken steps to build equity into their processes. Chesterfield County Public Schools, for example, just recently sent its most diverse class yet to Maggie Walker after switching from a county-wide to a two-phase selection process, which starts at individual schools.

But an earlier proposal Qarni crafted for the legislature would have required swifter movement across the state. A draft targeted changes to admissions at Thomas Jefferson and Maggie Walker in the form of a pilot program.

If passed, the bill would have required schools to strike course requirements not directly related to the schools mission (for example, no need to have taken Algebra I to attend a government affairs magnet program). It also would have eliminated admissions tests to the schools for three years.

The unpublished copy, obtained by The Richmond Times-Dispatch, sought to bolster economically disadvantaged students chances of attendance.

Students who are living in concentrated poverty, they have all these missing resources. All they need is a little bit of scaffolding and support, so they can thrive, he said of the potential score increase for economically disadvantaged students. He also noted that the more poor students a school might have, the likelihood that their resources get more and more thin.

***

State research found that economically disadvantaged students made up 18% of governors school enrollment in the 2018-2019 school year while making up 40% of Virginias public school population. State data also shows that economically disadvantaged students are more likely to be Black and Latino.

I think that us as human beings have to realize that everybody's coming from different situations, he said. Other [families]... their children are going to school, the reason they get financial support is because their parents cannot afford that. We have to understand that we have to empathize that each individual has different needs.

Lamont Bagby, who chairs the legislative Black Caucus and also once served on the Henrico County School Board, said he liked the more stringent proposal.

I would have loved to support it, Bagby said in an interview. Its sort of attempting to level the playing field for that student that doesnt have all the resources, but is still showing up.

The proposal targeted busting up pipelines in competitive districts that see many selected candidates come from a single middle school, with a rule limiting each middle schools share of attendees to 5% of the cohort (unless the locality only has one middle school).

An open enrollment analysis of Richmond Public Schools found that many who apply for specialty programs in the district come from two middle schools, Albert Hill and Binford middle schools, and private schools.

In one lawsuit challenging the Fairfax County School Board's new admissions policy for TJ in Fairfax, families said that the new policy, which set aside a certain number of slots for every feeder middle school, would hurt Asian American families clustered in a handful of middle schools that send a large number of students to TJ.

Sometimes, the problems seem intractable, said Siegel-Hawley.

New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio just announced that the school system would be phasing out their gifted enrollment program, with two months left on his term.

Siegel-Hawley said she isnt sure abolishing gifted programs altogether is the answer, but that wholesale change is needed.

I have serious questions about whether or not they should continue to exist if the persistent racial inequities in access continue, she said. I think thats absolutely fair game to call them into question."

The governing board of Maggie L. Walker is slated to consider a revamp of their admissions policies later this month.

READ PART ONE OF THE SERIES

READ PART TWO OF THE SERIES

For 20 years, white students have been accepted into Maggie Walker at a rate nearly four times higher than Black students In 2010, Tiyanna Stewart was the only Black student from Chesterfield County Public Schools selected to attend the Maggie L. Walker Governors School, a common tale for many Black students entering the school.
The most contentious topic of Mondays meeting was a debate over whether Harris had verbally resigned from the commission when she left abruptly on Friday. Del. Les Adams, R-Pittsylvania, asked that the commissions attorneys draft an opinion about whether her statements on Friday amounted to a resignation.

Im not aware of any reason that a verbal resignation is not effective in Virginia, he said. I think we need to have some sort of legal discussion about that and see where we are. Prior to moving forward with any votes.

Harris on Friday had said: Regrettably, I am done. So, thank you very much for the opportunity to serve. But I will remove myself from the commission at this point.

On Monday, Harris clarified that she meant she was removing herself from the meeting at that moment, not from the commission. In an email to the Richmond Times-Dispatch and to legislative aides on Friday, Harris confirmed she had not resigned.

Some Democrats on the commission accused Adams of partisanship in suggesting that Harris had imperiled her seat on the commission.
Why place a cornerstone for a pedestal that hadnt been designed? There was a lot of debate about where to place the Lee statue, Driggs said. Libby Hill and Gambles Hill were considered. But city leaders decided that if the Lee statue would improve the prestige of a new neighborhood, the city would benefit with larger real estate tax revenue. Placing the cornerstone ended the debate, Driggs said.

If its not farther in, maybe its farther down, hidden under a few feet of mortar and rock, said Dale Brumfield, an author and historian who has studied the time capsule. The northeast cornerstone looked special. It was finished on all six sides and looks like it was meant to be put on display during the large ceremony held in 1887 when the cornerstone was placed.

A newspaper account says workers embedded the time capsule in masonry, so Brumfield believes the capsule is right where workers looked for it. They just didnt go far enough.

The farther under the rock and rubble, the less likely the time capsules contents have survived the air and water that can destroy them, he added.

But burying it that deep isnt consistent with other time capsules, said Givens, the Jamestown Rediscovery archaeology director. Time capsules are meant to be found. He believes its in one of the other corners.
Japan's Princess Mako visited the graves of her great-grandparents in Tokyo on Tuesday to offer prayers ahead of her controversy-hit marriage to boyfriend Kei Komuro later this month.

The visit was made at the request of the 29-year-old princess, a niece of Emperor Naruhito, who is set to go ahead with the marriage that was imperiled by a financial dispute involving Komuro's mother.

Princess Mako will skip the traditional wedding rites, the first time a female member of the royal family has done so in postwar Japan. Under the current rules, women lose their royal status once they marry a commoner.

Wearing a gray dress and a white face mask on a rainy day in the Japanese capital, Princess Mako bowed deeply in front of the mausoleums of Emperor Showa and his wife Empress Kojun and bowed to the press before leaving the site.

About 100 people gathered at the entrance of the Musashino Imperial Graveyard in Tokyo's Hachioji city to catch a glimpse of the princess, who will be leaving the imperial household upon marrying Komuro on Oct 26.

As Komuro, who arrived in Japan last month from the United States, completed a two-week coronavirus quarantine period Monday, he and the princess are expected to start preparing for the marriage registration. Komuro works at a law firm in New York.

Due to public concern about the Komuro family's financial dispute, which led many to oppose the couple's marriage, the Imperial Household Agency said the traditional ceremonies associated with royal family members' weddings would not be held.
Gurugram (Haryana): ApplyBoard, the online platform empowering students around the world to access top-quality education, announces the grand opening of its brand-new office in Gurugram.

The state-of-the-art office located in DLF World Tech Park will provide international students, recruitment partners and schools increased access to exceptional service and technology.

Expanding ApplyBoards presence in India and the growing number of India team members will play an integral part in ApplyBoards mission to educate the world and break down barriers to international education.

Despite the challenges brought on by the pandemic, ApplyBoard experienced pent-up demand from international students across the world and continues to grow its global presence to help meet the market demand. The investment in India is a testament to the strength of the India team and future growth of the entire region.



ApplyBoards expansion in India also comes at a time where the country is placing more and more investment in education following Indias National Education Policy approved in July 2020, which outlines the transformative vision of Indias new education system.

In just six years, ApplyBoard has become the global leader in international student recruitment and were thrilled to make new strides through this expansion in India. In order to scale and help the millions of students seeking to further their education, we need to expand and grow our team, said Martin Basiri, CEO and Co-founder of ApplyBoard. Considering we have more than 400 team members in India and the country is home to one of the largest student populations aspiring to study abroad, opening our new Gurugram office was the natural next step.

The new Gurugram office features amenities such as an expanded cafeteria, thoughtfully-designed meeting rooms, relaxation spaces, flexible design options, touchless entry and exits, and more. As ApplyBoard celebrates, the team continues to execute its return to the office strategy in a safe and phased manner with policies in place due to COVID-19 health and wellness guidance.

The grand opening of ApplyBoards Gurugram office is an important milestone that will help further build the Indian education sector, said Rt. Honourable Jo Johnson, ApplyBoard Advisory Board Chairman. ApplyBoard is building a movement  an education revolution. Its building a world where anyone anywhere can have access to the best education regardless of where they were born. In India, ApplyBoard is already serving thousands of students and Indian recruitment partners with over 1,500 schools in Canada, the United States, United Kingdom and Australia and this new office expansion will help more Indian students during their education journey.

Since being founded in 2015, ApplyBoard has assisted more than 200,000 students with their educational journey and works with over 1,500 primary, secondary, and post-secondary educational institutions. Outside of its headquarters based in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, ApplyBoard has team members in 25 countries including India, China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Nepal, Bangladesh, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the United States.

ApplyBoard empowers students around the world to access the best education by simplifying the study abroad search, application, and acceptance process to more than 1,500 institutions across Canada, Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom.

ApplyBoard, headquartered in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, has helped more than 200,000 students from more than 125 countries along their educational journeys since 2015.
New Delhi: The Deputy Commissioner of Police Special Cell Pramod Kushwaha on Tuesday informed that the Pakistani national who was arrested from Delhis Laxmi Nagar area has been living in the country for more than a decade using Indian identity.

Addressing the media persons here, Kushwaha said: One Pakistani national Mohd Asraf was arrested by Delhi Police Special cell, yesterday. He has been in India for more than a decade using Indian identity. Initial probe revealed his involvement as sleeper cell, orchestrating subversive activities.

The landlord of the arrested Pakistani national told ANI that they will cooperate with the police in the investigation.

He revealed his involvement in several terrorist activities in J&K , the rest of India Lately, he was tasked to carry out terror activities, the place was not mentioned. He has been trained by Pakistan ISI We are trying to identify his other associates: DCP Special Cell pic.twitter.com/gebKGB0MwZ  ANI (@ANI) October 12, 2021

He (arrested Pakistani national) lived here for 6 months. My father got his Aadhar Card made for documentation. After he left, we were not in touch with himIf needed, we will cooperate with the police, Uzaib, landlord of terrorist Mohd Asraf told ANI.

The Delhi Police Special Cell foiled a big terror plan with the arrest of a Pakistani national from Laxmi Nagar and seized an AK-47 rifle from his possession.

As per information shared by the police, the accused was living with a fake ID of an Indian national and had obtained the Indian identity cards through forged documents.

He has been trained by Pakistan ISI, was sent through Siliguri border via BangladeshOne Naseer from Pakistan had tasked him (to carry out terror operations). In the last, he was also disguising as 'Peer Maulana' in and around Delhi: DCP Special Cell pic.twitter.com/CppJrEjAtz  ANI (@ANI) October 12, 2021

Apart from an AK-47 rifle with one extra magazine and 60 rounds, the police seized one hand grenade and two sophisticated pistols with 50 rounds.

The accused, identified as Mohd Asraf, has been booked under relevant provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Explosive Act, Arms Act, and other provisions. He was a big part of the Sleeper Cell.

Asraf is a resident of Narowal in Pakistans Punjab province. A search has been conducted at his present address at Ramesh Park in Delhis Laxmi Nagar. He was apprehended by the police around 9.20 pm on Monday.
The Blue Ribbons kind of the icing on the cake, Knost said.

All in all, Knost feels good about his time at Lewis Central and his years in education.

I am so thankful for my countless experiences over the years as an educator, and I cannot adequately express how much I enjoy being a part of Lewis Central, he said in his message to parents. As I have navigated each year of my career, I have learned that even with precise planning and meaningful intention, change remains yet another constant factor in our lives.

I have enjoyed every one of my 34 years, and my final three with LC will always be special to me, Knost said. I am sure there will be much unnecessary speculation over my decision, but I kindly ask everyone to trust what I have stated in this communication regarding my reasoning. While there have most certainly been some challenging circumstances to tackle these last few years, I have never shied away from challenges. In fact, it has always been the challenges that attract me to this work while pushing me to be a better leader. Regardless, I believe family must always be a priority.
John Friend, clerk of the Douglas County District Court, said the sealing of cases in Douglas County happens more often than (people) think. A judge must order each case to be sealed, except for rare automatic sealings required by law, such as a dismissed felony case or the appeal of a mental-health commitment. Judges also are expected to hold hearings before they seal cases.

Judges have sealed certain cases when they involve someone famous or infamous, or couples who have $25 million businesses together, things like that, Friend said. I think it happens quite a bit, especially when youre talking about people arguing over millions of dollars (in a marital estate) or over business interests they want to protect.

However, under state law, fear of publicity or notoriety is not a reason for an order to seal; nor is the fact that some people have more zeroes at the end of their net worths.
When she still refused to leave the school, saying she has a right to be there, she was arrested. A pair of LPD officers had Smith put her hands in front of her, placed her in handcuffs and transported her to the police station in downtown Laramie, where Smith was released. The episode was captured on video by Smith on her phone and shows the interactions were calm and respectful on all sides.

While she knew another $500 citation was coming her way, Smith said she was surprised the incident evolved to include a schoolwide lockdown and her arrest, especially as she wasnt making a scene, wasnt yelling and had made no threatening comments or actions.

They told me they were going to do that, she said about the time leading up to her arrest. I was surprised they followed through. They came up to me probably 20 minutes before I was arrested and said that if you continue to not leave, we will arrest you.

That also was a departure from an early conversation the Smith family had with Laramie police about what would happen if Grace continues to show up to school and not mask up, said Andy Smith, Graces father.
For the 2020 fiscal year, Deere & Co. net income totaled $2.751 billion, according to the company. For 2021, income is projected to be $3.6 billion to $4 billion.

We were not being recognized as the contributor to that, another union worker said. I'd like to see the record profits, quarter after quarter, show some of the same love in which they show the shareholders.

Office workers receive better treatment and more acknowledgement and appreciation for their work, while production workers are treated as second-class citizens, they said. Any past appreciation, like parties or gifts for exceptional employees, have disappeared.

Retirement plans were also cut back for new employees, the employee said.

Those hired before 1997 have a full pension and health care plan when they retire. Those who joined the company after 1997 have a smaller pension and a 401K, but no health care. Under the contract voted down Sunday, those hired on or after Nov. 1 would only have a 401K.

"Right now they're trying to get us to basically cut the throat of the next generation coming in behind us, where they won't even have the retirement which we have," the employee said. "And we're not happy with what we've got."

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That said, with the right kind of data, authorities can seek to address specific harms. Suppose the Federal Trade Commission made a list of outcomes it wants to prevent. These might include self-harm among teen girls, radicalization of the type that led to the Capitol riots, and undermining trust in electoral processes. It could then order Facebook to provide the data needed to test whether its algorithms are contributing to those outcomes  for example, by seeking causal connections between certain types of posts and young female users reported concerns about body image. To provide a robust picture, there should be multiple measures of each phenomenon, with daily or weekly updates.

Under such a system, Facebook would be free to go about its business as it sees fit. There would be no need to amend Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act to make the company edit or censor whats published on its network. But the FTC would have the evidence it needed to hold the company liable for the effects of its algorithms  for the consequences of its efforts to keep people engaged and consuming. This, in turn, could help compel Facebook itself to act more responsibly.

Facebook has had ample opportunity to get its act together. It wont do it on its own. The limited monitoring I propose is far from perfect, but its a way to get a foot in the door and at least start to hold big tech accountable.

 Cathy ONeil is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. She is a mathematician who has worked as a professor, hedge-fund analyst and data scientist. She founded ORCAA, an algorithmic auditing company, and is the author of Weapons of Math Destruction. This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.
First, use long, unique passwords. If you have to remember one, consider song lyrics for inspiration. Longer passwords are tougher to crack. Never use the same password twice  thats how youll get hacked. Criminals dont guess your password. They already have it from dozens of massive breaches that have occurred in the past. For extra credit, use a password manger like KeePass, LastPass, Keeper, or others.

Second, use two-factor or multi-factor authentication (2FA / MFA) everywhere you can  especially on your email account. All major providers support this. Its an extra step to login, but it becomes very, very difficult for your account to be compromised even if someone gets your password. Cyber nerds will tell you that text messages (SMS) are less secure. Theyre right, but its better than no MFA, especially if youre not being targeted by foreign intelligence agencies.
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Sally Rooney confirmed Tuesday that she has declined to sell Hebrew translation rights of "Beautiful World, Where Are You" to an Israeli publisher.

On Tuesday, the Irish writer said in a statement that she made her decision because of her support for the Palestinian people and the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement in opposition to the Israeli government.

Rooney said she would be honored to have her latest book translated intro Hebrew and "available to Hebrew-language readers. But for the moment, I have chosen not to sell these translation rights to an Israeli-based publishing house."

Modan Publishing House, the Israeli publisher that previously released "Normal People" and "Conversations with Friends" in Hebrew, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

"I understand that not everyone will agree with my decision," Rooney continued, "but I simply do not feel it would be right for me under the present circumstances to accept a new contract with an Israeli company that does not publicly distance itself from apartheid and support the U.N.-stipulated rights of the Palestinian people."


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Staff Writer

Brad Hundt came to the Observer-Reporter in 1998 after stints at newspapers in Georgia and Michigan. He serves as editorial page editor, and has covered the arts and entertainment and worked as a municipal beat reporter.
So are they done with thanksgiving too.

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Hdu. It was in this important year that the natives told the whites to wash their asses. 400 years later, they still fighting it.

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They only learned this year they have to wash their legs. They're still making their way up to their asses

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American Thanksgiving is too close to Christmas anyway, we need to get rid of it and make Halloween the paid time off.

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I live in Columbus Ohio, let's change this city name too.

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Tbh all of Ohio needs to be renamed. Im from Waynesville, a cutesy little village known for antiquing. Went my whole life knowing who it was named for, this Revolutionary War hero who was named Mad Wayne. Turns out he was known to be Mad bc of how many Natives he brutally murdered. Makes me want to throw up.



Edit: FUCK just realized that now I live in a town named after Andrew Jackson 



Edited at 2021-10-12 02:49 am (UTC)

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Remember the Flavortown idea the subreddit had? Still supporting that one.

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I'm Team Flavortown.

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I know the guy that started this lol

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Pretty sure the subreddit is still aiming for BigRussTown.

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I see I am the only 1 out of 20 votes to have the day off. Is it primarily banks and federal and state employees?

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i guess so? i work for the gov (and got today off)

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Same

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the small nonprofit i work at has the day off for indigenous people's day

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I live in TN & the schools always find a way to wiggle out of having to address it.



Like my middle schooler is out for fall break right nowthey always have it the week of the holiday. And my preschoolers is out for a teachers in service day.



Its so shady & typical of where I live. Im so tired of it.



Edited at 2021-10-12 02:45 am (UTC)

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Im in New Orleans. We dont have Columbus Day because we get off for Lundi Gras, Mardi Gras, and usually Good Friday. Were a historically Catholic, and still socially Catholic city, and we enjoy our secular Catholic holidays mainly to give us reasons to eat and drink. And maybe think about Jesus once in a while. 

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I work at a university and have the day off.

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I had it off when I worked for the federal government. I work for the state now and don't, but I get the day after Thanksgiving and Cesar Chavez Day off.

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Pharmacy tech but we got a few calls today seeing if we were open or closing early.

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I've never gotten it off - but I do find it amusing that, as someone who attended multiple universities, I only got Presidents' Day off at the one that was named after a president. one of the other schools I went to was literally in the same city and they still had class. seethe!

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i fucking should have- after all, i am 25% indigenous americas- mexico, and 1% indigenous americas- chile, i fucking deserve a paid day off of work /s

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But wouldnt the true spirit of Columbus Day be to give the undeserving white people the day off instead of the people with an indigenous heritage?



Sarcasm there because Columbus Day is bullshit, and sad but true commentary on how Americans are. I mean no disrespect to you and your family or indigenous people. I hope that come across, but you never know online.



Edited at 2021-10-12 02:48 am (UTC)

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i work at a university, and we rarely get days off. they even make us work christmas eve (up until recently though then they made it a mandatory floating holiday)

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I did for Canadas Indigenous Day.

But its also Thanksgiving here today.

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Fuck Christopher Columbus

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I've seen so many fucking people post Reagan's statement about Columbus Day. Fuck 'em both.

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I want to take a shit on Reagan's grave

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we should make it a field trip. poop side-by-side like Meghan Trainor and the spy kid.

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That man was a monster.

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I try to watch my mouth when I say stuff like this but I hope hes burning in hell

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i know biden will be too chicken shit to officially change the holiday (if that's something he can even do) so columbus's assholery being attached to this is a damn shame



and yes it's been a lovely three-day weekend

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he made juneteenth an official federal holiday so i don't see why he couldn't change the name of this holiday!

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Federal Holidays are created by Congress- they voted on Juneteenth and Biden signed it into law. So Congress would have to vote first, and I kinda doubt it would pass, and if it did it would certainly be on party lines. And I can see asshats like Manchin being like it should get its own day, not take Columbus Day. But they did do it for Juneteenth so maybe Im wrong.

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I actually thinks he has that in him, tbh.





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I do not, but I took the whole week off cuz I haven't taken a real vacation yet this year. my trip to Ireland next month got cancelled :( I'm gonna go up to Maine this week and relax in the nice fall weather...



oh and fuck Christopher Columbus

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I am of the mind that anyone should be able to get a national day off work for any reason at all because I hate the standardized work day.

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Same lol I hate working in general. Dream jobs are bullshit.

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the actual construct of working (most jobs) is such bullshit anyway if you think about it, it's all busywork, paper pushing, stupid emails etc. and ultimately for what?

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One of the local museums in Santa Monica had an exhibit on the Tongva people (the tribe native to Los Angeles) and I wish I knew more about them prior to then. They were recognized by the state of California in 1994 but have yet to achieve federal recognition. (Article for context)

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I do some work with the Tongva/Kizh and the tribe(s) are splintered. They do not agree on the name of their people. From Wikipedia:

"Since 2006, four organizations have claimed to represent the people: the Gabrielino-Tongva Tribe, known as the "hyphen" group from the hyphen in their name; the Gabrielino/Tongva Tribe, known as the "slash" group; the Kizh Nation (Gabrieleno Band of Mission Indians); and the Gabrieleno/Tongva Tribal Council. Two of the groups, the hyphen and the slash group, are the result of a hostile split over the question of building an Indian casino."



Edited at 2021-10-12 03:52 am (UTC)

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I didn't know that oop at me.

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Also obligatory:





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lol today i got to the sopranos episode where they complain about the columbus day parade protests...



its anti-italian discrimination!!!!

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my Italian-American ass would like to offer a resounding CAZZO COLOMBO! IL FIGLIO DI PUTTANA!



like, seriously, we're celebrating the dipshit who landed in Cuba and thought it was Japan. these assholes would probably celebrate Mussolini.

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also, I had the day off, but it's retail and I just got lucky. store was open.

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My work only has the big national holidays off but we are getting MLK day off next year so maybe in a few years.



I have been enjoying watching white conservatives lose it on twitter.

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twitter decided to show me a mike cherno whatever tweet, about indigenous day which should be considered a hate crime in itself but the comments... I just... conservafucks talking about how we lost and "get over it", which may as well be my trigger words.



Natives are entitled to a little white genocide. For fun.

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as a treat!

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Losing because the fight isnt fair isnt normally seen as a win to celebrate though. Actually, all of official history is written by the victors, so I guess I shouldnt be surprised. But you know they wouldnt say the same for the Confederacy.

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How can you lose something that was stolen ... you know what, never mind. These people use their own magic logic that makes them Always Right

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He's never long enough on my radar to think anything about, to be honest.

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we haven't generally progressed well tbh. if anything people are more obsessed with finding out people's sexuality -- for good or ill -- than they were back then. people just try to push it as being okay because "representation" when really it's another facet of a stan war or an expression of homophobia or transphobia.

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Look at any post here about Shawn Mendes tbh, and any tweet etc.

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i wasn't gonna say it but you're absolutely right.

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Yes, I avoid them bc the comments are awful

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who the fuck wants to be represented by shawn tho

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Yeah, every single post about Shawn is incredibly uncomfortable.

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Exactly this. People literally force their speculation on them and are negative to them for not coming out/being closeted/somehow spin it into how they must be homophobic for apparently not being gay or they just actually shove someone out of the closet who's actually gay but wasnt quite ready yet or frankly just didnt want everyone in their private business not caring about the impact it could have on their career/livelihood/mental state because "yaassss slayyy!! It's 2021, I stan you so what else matters!!"

I'll never understand it.

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representation my ass its just picking apart a dude for standing a certain way

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yes, i even read someone here basically say about shawn that it's "for his own good" that ppl are forcing him to come out bcus he'd be much happier once he's out. like.. it's not for you to fucking decide, wth is this entitlement to someone else's life. gross.

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I agree that it crosses the line at times, like with Mendes and a lot of these Kpop boys, but isn't most of it just general gossiping? Is this not a gossip site where we speculate about the love lives of famous people? Can we only gossip and speculate if it's in a straight affirming way?



Again, I don't disagree that there's a lot of mean spirited and homophobic aspects to it. But I also do think a good portion falls into general celebrity gossip which isn't any more mean spirited than other forms of celebrity gossip.





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I didn't question his sexuality but I did question his relationship with Priscilla Desert.

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God, those Toothy Tile blinds were a lot! I didn't care if they were true or not, though.



Rewatched this last year, and I think I appreciated it more than I did when it was initially released.

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I felt similarly about the movie when I rewatched it, it really aged well.

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I didnt question his sexuality but why he did Prince of Persia.

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Tbh besides being a bad movie and the questionable of him playing a Persian he was fucking ripped and that was worth everything to me.

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That blog thats convinced he's dating Austin Nichols is still running to this day

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lol I forgot about that, wonder if they're still friends.

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I hope so lol

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Isnt Ted fired

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No, because I'm a rational human who understands the concept of acting.

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I didnt question it but I did (do) lust after him *points to icon*

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Every sexually active gay man in the audience cringed and shifted in their seat.

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i remember being so taken aback by that. even as a bisexual woman i was like NO, THAT'S NOT OKAY.

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Is he still marrying his child bride

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Depends on how close he gets to an Oscar nom for The Guilty.

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So no chance at all?

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Jesus fuck. He looks so much like my ex in the still.

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is your ex single?

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He is not, but that never stopped him.

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People are dumb. The pandemic proved it. They ask dumb questions and make stupid assumptions.

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A.K.A. the reason ontd exists.

Thank god for stupid questions and assumptions about celebs and lame media denizens.



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That movie was awful when it was released and it's unwatchable now.

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As you've never stopped saying, lol.

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Live From NSC 2021 Day 1

The first day of NSC 2021 kicked off to a safe start.

Despite COVID-19 taking over last years conference, the expo floor was back in action this year in Orlando, Florida. Demonstrations, speakers and more made Day 1 a hit, and theres even more to come on day 2 and 3! Follow OH&S coverage of the show so that you dont miss out at ohsonline.com/live.

OH&S was excited to see that Columbia Southern University was constantly driving traffic to its booth to talk about all of its educational opportunities. Make sure that you head over to their booth (2109) to talk to their representatives about how you can start, or continue, your safety education.

Another booth OH&S stopped by was Honeywell  one of our New Product of the Year 2021 winners! The company showed us all of the PPE that made the cut. The booth was full the entire first day with people asking questions about all the products showcased. Make sure to stop by Honeywells booth (1925) tomorrow to see it all for yourself!

OH&S is also at Safety 2021! Make sure you stop by our booth (1439) to grab the most recent edition of the magazine!

If you are unable to attend the show this year, you can follow all OH&S coverage at ohsonline.com/live.
NATE's latest #ClimberConversation video highlights a tower worker's decade of service in the wireless infrastructure industry, and his views on the importance of training to work safely in the field. The #ClimberConversation video is a companion series to the association's popular #ClimberConnection campaign and is a vital component of NATE's workforce development outreach to promote the profession and attract new workers into the industry. The video, entitled "10 Years in the Industry," includes testimonial footage of a company safety director emphasizing the importance of training and discussing how much he has enjoyed his career working in such a dynamic industry.
If the new government fails to solve the energy crisis in Lebanon, there are very real fears that the country could fall into civil war

This weekend, the country saw a 24-hour blackout that was only solved when the central bank provided the energy ministry with $100 million of credit to secure fuel

Lebanons fuel crisis has worsened over the last week as the country experienced a 24-hour blackout over the weekend, following years of instability in the energy sector. Lebanons population of 6 million faced a total 24-hour blackout starting Saturday as two of the countrys major power plants, Deir Ammar and Zahrani, run out of diesel fuel meaning they were unable to supply the electricity the country needed.

Power was only restored on Sunday after the central bank provided the energy ministry with $100 million of credit to purchase the fuel needed to get back up and running. If it hadnt have been for the intervening of the central bank, the outage might have lasted several days. In addition, this credit will only contribute to short-term power restoration, with the country relying on a fuel shipment from Iraq later this month to keep it going.

Power outages are not uncommon for the Lebanese population, which deals with power cuts on a daily basis. While the rest of the world is currently battling with petroleum and gas shortages, this has been an ongoing challenge in Lebanon for years, with the shortcomings of state electric company Electricite du Liban. However, these cuts used to be managed by the energy sector to ensure enough power was provided throughout the day and night. Now, energy companies are losing control due to high fuel prices and scarcity.

Outages have been so frequent that residents fear buying perishable foods because their fridges have become useless without power. Food poisoning is a serious risk. Hospitals have had to suspend operations due to the uncertainty of a stable power supply. In addition, shop keepers have to close during power cuts or operate in the dark, with only the lucky few having access to generators as a backup. Now those that could afford generators are facing the same problem as the energy companies  severe fuel scarcity.

Related: Canadas Oil Stocks Are Trading At Bargain Basement Prices One of Lebanons major challenges in access to fuel is its heavy reliance on energy imports, with fuel making up over 20 percent of the countrys import bill. Fuel scarcity and increasing energy prices have hit the Lebanese population hard. There is also a prevalence of smuggling fuel from Iran through Syria to sell on the black market at higher prices, mainly by the militant group Hezbollah. In addition, the central bank has fallen into trouble as its stockpile of dollars is depleting, meaning it has had to restrict imports of subsidized fuel. Moreover, Lebanons fluctuating currency means that the price of fuel is only guaranteed in dollars.

In August, Lebanon raised gasoline prices by 66 percent in an attempt to tackle the countrys fuel shortages, reducing government subsidies on fuel. By September, the government had been forced to raise prices even more, at one point increasing the price of fuel twice in just five days. The government has, until now, offered subsidies for fuel purchase in a country that is facing increasing levels of poverty. According to the UN, around 78 percent of the Lebanese population has fallen into poverty, following years of political instability, the 2019 financial crisis, and last years bombing in the capital of Beirut.

While we are just now seeing the dramatic effects of Lebanons poor energy management, the issue has been mounting for years. Ineffective energy spending and poor organization have plagued the country for decades. In 2020, the government estimated that the electricity sector constituted around $1.6 billion of public funds, with some saying these costs are nearer $2 billion, or around 3 percent of the total Lebanese economy. For a country ridden by debt, the mismanaged energy industry is a huge burden, making up almost half of the public debt.

Related: This Key Indicator Is Pointing To Higher Oil Prices

Yet no real progress seems to have been made in reforming the sector, mostly due to political corruption and vested interests. This has been such as significant challenge to change that both the World Bank and IMF have so far declined to interfere for risk of mismanaged funds due to rampant corruption.

Lebanon voted a new government into power this September, a year after the resignation of the previous government following the fatal explosion in Beirut in August 2020. The government will be led by President Michel Aoun and veteran politician Najib Mikati as Prime Minister. Upon his inauguration, Anon stated that he intends to resume talks with the IMF to fund a recovery program for the countrys economy. He also vowed to tackle corruption, the root of many of the countrys problems.

But some worry that if this fuel crisis is not resolved it could push a country with rising poverty levels and insecurity into civil war. With all hopes resting on the new government, this may be the last chance that the political sphere has to get it right before Lebanon spirals into destruction.

By Felicity Bradstock for Oilprice.com

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Asias insatiable appetite for energy and its willingness to pay a premium for U.S. LNG because of the lack of major pipeline supplies, it is likely to remain as the ultimate market for U.S. LNG.

U.S. LNG has never been particularly competitive in most of Europe because of the availability of pipeline gas.

Most American gas has been going to Asia, where buyers have been more generous with prices.

U.S. shale drillers appear to be worried about losing market share in Europe to Russia, Bloomberg reported last week, citing data from a Kansas Fed survey. But this worry may be more of a hypothetical than actual problem.

Associated gas will increase as the U.S. shale drilling ramps up in future years, an executive from the oil and gas industry told the Kansas Fed. European demand will be further satisfied from Russian supply, reducing the U.S. market share.

Yet most U.S. gas exports havent been going to Europe at all this year. Instead, most American gas has been going to Asia, where buyers have been more generous with prices.

In September, the Financial Times reported that Asian gas buyers have been outbidding European buyers precisely for U.S. gas.

They have more purchasing power now, one LNG broker told the FT, referring to Asian gas buyers. Europe has pipeline supplies and China and Japan dont have alternatives.

In other words, the European market may not be as key for U.S. gas exports as some media coverage would have you believe. Some of that coverage includes a report that U.S. energy companies are once again in a rush to build more liquefaction capacity in a bid to take advantage of Europes gas shortage.

Additional gas export capacity would certainly be in order in a scenario featuring growing global demand for gas. However, the current shortage of gas in Europe will be over long before any of that new capacity comes online. After all, LNG projects take years and billions of dollars to complete, so any capacity boost should be based on the long-term outlook for the commodity.

The Real Reason OPEC+ Refused To Boost Production Further This outlook seems quite bullish right now. The energy crunch in Europe and Asia has shown that Europe may have rushed a bit with its energy transition, making itself vulnerable to high commodity prices when renewables fail to deliver as expected. So, it does make sense for U.S. LNG companies to build more export terminals.

As for capitalizing on the current crisis, the opportunities are limited, and its not because of Gazprom. Analysts point to the output loss resulting from this years hurricane season in the Gulf of Mexico as one constraint on U.S. gas exports, and to the continued production discipline among shale drillers.

At any other time, we would have seen a huge surge in investment, Kristen, Holmquist, LNG forecasting manager at broker Poten & Partners, told Natural Gas Intelligence. What were seeing instead is that companies are being very disciplined, she added, as a direct consequence of last years industry crisis.

Related: Is America Doomed To Replicate Europes Energy Crisis?

U.S. LNG has never been particularly competitive in most of Europe because of the availability of pipeline gas. Still, in earlier years, the major boost in global LNG capacity brought prices to comfortable lows on spot markets, making U.S. gas a welcome addition to European sources of energy. That did notand could notlast because of how demand developed. Now, spot cargos are mostly prohibitively expensive for European buyers.

Going forward, a rebalancing of the gas market could once again make U.S. gas popular with European buyers, for diversification reasons if nothing else. Yet, with Asias insatiable appetite for energy and its willingness to pay a premium for U.S. LNG because of the lack of major pipeline supplies, it is likely to remain as the ultimate market for U.S. LNG.

This means shale drillers neednt worry about Russian competition in Europe  Europe is, after all, on a quest to wean itself off gas, so whatever dominance Russia has on European energy markets should be over by 2050 if all goes well.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

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China has taken a step back from emission reduction commitments amid the energy crunch that caused factory closures and power rationing.

In a statement, Premier Li Keqiang said that the stable supply of energy must be the foundation of any transition to a less emission-intensive future.

Energy security should be the premise on which a modern energy system is built, and the capacity for energy self-supply should be enhanced, Li said as quoted by Bloomberg.

Based on this, Beijing now plans to make sure that its goal to reach peak emissions by 2030 and a net zero emission status by 2060 will be pursued in a sound and well-paced manner.

Last month, the International Energy Agency estimated that China was on track to achieve its peak emission target before its own deadline in 2030 thanks to its latest efforts in this respect. The IEA also said, as quoted by Argus, that China could become a net-zero economy before 2060.

This, however, was before the energy crunch caused a shortage that immediately boosted Chinas demand for fossil fuels, like Europes. The Financial Times reported earlier this week that factory owners in China were buying diesel generators to keep their businesses going as the government imposed power rationing because of the shortage.

The demand for oil, coal, and gas is likely to remain strong, based on the Chinese Premiers statement. In it, Li also said that economic development took priority because it holds the key to solving all its problems. To that end, China will continue building its production capacity in all three fossil fuels, the Premier also said.

Li also spoke against power rationing, saying the government was working to keep homes in the north warm and safe this winter, and ensure the stability of industrial and supply chains and sustained, steady economic development.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

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This years oil price rally will help Middle Eastern oil producers book current account surpluses of $165 billion in 2021, compared to current account deficits of $6 billion in 2020, the Institute of International Finance (IIF) said in a new report cited by Reuters.

According to the IIF, the oil producing and exporting countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region will also book $138 billion in current account surpluses in 2022, based on an oil price forecast of $66 per barrel Brent next year. For this year, the current account surplus estimate is based on an oil price outlook of $71 per barrel Brent.

The MENA region has weathered the economic storm from the health crisis, the IIF says, adding that higher energy prices are expected to improve the fiscal and current account positions in oil-exporting countries.

Oil importers, on the other hand, will continue to find themselves with high deficits, government debts, and unemployment rates, the IIF said in the report.

While the economic recovery continues to gain momentum, a split in macroeconomic prospects has emerged within the region ... the divergence in economic performance between oil-exporting and oil-importing countries has widened further, the institute noted in the report, as carried by Reuters.

The public foreign assets of the oil exporters in the Gulf are set to exceed $3 trillion by the end of 2022, including foreign reserves and reserves at the oil producers sovereign wealth funds, the IIF said.

The rebound in oil demand and oil prices has been a boon to Middle Eastern oil producers this year, after a difficult 2020 when prices collapsed amid crashing demand.

For example, oil revenues at the worlds top oil exporter, Saudi Arabia, are flowing in at the highest rate in three years, thanks to the strong price recovery since the start of this year. Revenues from oil hit $19 billion in July, according to Bloomberg data from last week.

Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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Pakistan is looking to buy liquefied natural gas (LNG) for the winter, but it couldnt find any sellers in a recent tender, which highlights the fact that the natural gas market in Asia is tight.

Pakistan has issued a tender seeking eight LNG cargoes for delivery in December and January, but has not received any bids, according to a document from Pakistan LNG.

Industry sources told Reuters that the main driver behind the lack of offers was the long validity period of the offers, 15 days, considering the volatile prices of spot LNG cargoes in Asia right now.

It was not immediately clear if Pakistan will re-issue the tender at a later stage.

Pakistan is one of the price-sensitive buyers of spot LNG cargoes in Asia, but it still needs spot supply on top of its contractual term LNG deliveries to meet gas demand and avert a power crisis.

Pakistan is likely to slash spot LNG purchases this winter to avoid the record-high prices, which could result in a gas crisis in the country, Pakistani outlet The Express Tribune reported earlier this month.

High import prices of LNG will impact Pakistans finances, if the country manages to attract offers for cargoes, analysts say.

Pakistans predicament comes amid a global natural gas crunch and surging prices for the fuel in Europe and Asia.

Last week, natural gas prices in Europe hit a fresh record high to the equivalent of $205 a barrel oil, based on the relative value of the same quantity of energy from each source. The worsening global energy crisis sent Asias spot LNG prices soaring by 40 percent last Wednesday, as a cargo for delivery into North Asia in November was priced at as much as $56 per million British thermal units (mmBtu)a record high that beat the previous record from the week prior of $34.52/mmBtu.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

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Russia's gas giant Gazprom has started withdrawing gas from its storage facilities to stabilize the gas market, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told a BBC program on Tuesday, adding that "It's not in our interest to rock the boat further."

Some analysts and Members of the European Parliament have suggested that Russia has been deliberately withholding gas supply to the European market in recent weeks, exacerbating the gas crisis and pushing prices higher, possibly with the ultimate goal of pushing the European Union into admitting that it needs the controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline to avoid a more severe crisis when the winter comes.

More than 40 members of the European Parliament from all political groups have reportedly urged the European Commission to launch an investigation into Gazprom over alleged market manipulation that could have contributed to the record-high natural gas prices in Europe.

Ryabkov dismissed any such suggestions in an interview with the BBC program Hard Talk on Tuesday.

"We favour energy security of Europe; we want to work collaboratively ... Gazprom has in fact started pumping out from its reserves into the pipelines to stabilise the market," the Russian diplomat said, as carried by Reuters.

"We work deliberately, quietly, soberly towards stabilisation. It's not in our interest to rock the boat further," he added.

Haidach, a storage facility in Austria used by Gazprom, switched from injecting gas to withdrawing gas for one day after gas prices in Europe hit a record last week, Russian news agency Interfax reported on Monday, citing data from Gas Infrastructure Europe.

After reaching another record high last Wednesday, natural gas prices in Europe and the UK reversed some of the gains later in the day after Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested that Gazprom could send more gas to its European customers.

On Thursday, the International Energy Agency's executive director Fatih Birol told the Financial Times that the IEA's assessment points to the fact that Russia could boost its European exports by 15 percent of peak winter supply.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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Other questions

The other Nebraska students and their questions:

Connor Weidman, Sarpy County: How do you get chosen to go to space?

Abby Lindsley, Butler: What knowledge, skills, and experiences should astronauts have to qualify for this job?

Marline Ahmed, Douglas: How does the Space Station stay up there?

Rylan Mueller, Sarpy: Why is there no gravity in space?

Elizabeth Hilkemann, Lancaster: If you have a toaster in space, do you have to chase the toast when it pops out?

Garrett Scholz, Phelps: Whats the biggest problem youve had to solve while in space?

Carson Reiman, Dawson: How, when scientists are doing spacewalks, how do they decide who gets to go outside the space station for missions?

Jacie Wolfinger, Dawson: If you get into a disagreement with other astronauts, how do you solve that problem?

Mythili Venkatesh, Douglas: How fast does the International Space Station move?

Ashlyn McGarry, Sarpy: What is the most difficult experiment you have done at the International Space Station?

Franklin Polacek, Madison: I know gravity would make this challenging, but do you play sports in space and have you ever tried a trick shot?

Amy Rueda, Garden: What does the Milky Way look like from space?

Parker Walahoski, Dawson: What kind of beef do you get on the space station?

Riley Rapier, Sarpy: Has the Space Station ever been hit by something in space?

Kolby McGowan, Hall: When and what do you do when you exercise on The Station?

Javier Lizzaraga-Hascall, Sarpy: When an astronaut comes back from space the first time, does he/she sometimes drop things because they are expecting them to float?

Paige Walahoski, Dawson: How do you communicate with your family in space?

Landon Boppre, Garden: What does Earth look like in space?

Crissy Keller, Sarpy: What do you do with your free time on The Station?
At some point, Kinkeads mother, Sarah, also moved to Plattsmouth. She died in 1901 of severe burns after her dress accidentally caught fire.

In the early 1900s, Ralph, a tailor, moved to Seattle, while Laura worked as a schoolteacher in Lincoln and Etta was studying art in Chicago. The family got together at Christmas 1909 and decided they would all follow Ralph in moving to Washington state.

But Cynthia Kinkead didnt make it. On a cold Thursday morning in February 1910, Benton overslept. When he got up, he found Cynthia dead, apparently from a heart attack. She was 60.

By 1913, Benton was living at Ettas home in Seattles Wallingford district. Ralph and his wife, Lillian, lived nearby. So did Laura, who taught at a school in the neighborhood.

Three years later, Benton Kinkead fell ill with pneumonia and died on Nov. 8, 1916, at age 71. He was cremated  a practice far less common at that time than it is today.

But for reasons that are lost to history, his ashes were never claimed by his three children or another relative.

We dont know, said Mike Pauly, an Air Force veteran from Plattsmouth who is working with Reisdorph on Kinkeads funeral tribute. Thats where everything kind of drifts into the clouds.
Ponca Tribal Chairman Larry Wright Jr. talked of the rich history of the Indigenous people who lived in what is now Nebraska and of their contributions to the states past, present and future. He particularly noted the number of Native Americans who have served in the military.

Our people are still here, Wright said. We are the results of our ancestors prayers. We are those seeds of resistance. Our people have survived reservations, forced relocation, forced assimilation, boarding schools and, for some of us, termination.

Today were here to celebrate who we are as an Indigenous people, he said.

Tribal veterans carried the flags into the Capitols Warner Chamber, where they were installed. An eagle staff led the procession, with the American flag, the Nebraska flag and flags of various military branches joining the flags of Nebraskas four recognized tribes, the Omaha, Winnebago, Santee Sioux and Ponca.

Another veteran, State Sen. Tom Brewer of Gordon, played a key role in the days events. He is a member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe and the first Native American in the State Legislature.
Phi Gamma Delta suspended the charter of its Lambda Nu chapter at the University of Nebraska, closing the chapter, following a trial where it was found guilty of violations of the fraternitys risk management policy related to alcohol use and social events, Caudill said in an email.

The fraternity expects its chapters to abide by its laws and policies, and holds them accountable if they are not upheld, Caudill said.

We hold all of our members to high standards of ethical behavior, and will continue to do everything in our power to have a positive impact on college and community, he added.

The moves made Tuesday did not specifically address an alleged sexual assault at the Fiji house on the first day of fall classes.

According to university police, a 17-year-old student said she was sexually assaulted by a 19-year-old member of the fraternity during the early morning hours of Aug. 24.

Later that day, thousands of students and others gathered outside the fraternity house for the first of four nights of demonstrations that included chants, marches and calls for Fiji to be banned from campus permanently.

The next day, UNL temporarily suspended the fraternity, citing the previous violations of the Student Code of Conduct.
"That's a good life lesson to have in a lot of areas," he continued. "Don't do anything in your life that you wouldn't want to see on the front page of the newspaper."

The student told police that the posts were intended to net laughs and upvotes on YikYak, according to the affidavit. He consented to a digital download of his phone's contents, where police found that he told a group of his friends that he'd been banned from the app for making too many "sus posts"  slang for suspect or alarming  according to the warrant.

It's unclear if the student will actually be charged with a crime. Fehringer declined to comment directly on the case, instead speaking in generalities about what the app's prominent role on campus means for the Police Department  and for the students who use it.

Fehringer said UNL police don't monitor the app  or any social media channels  with any degree of regularity, in part because staff levels don't allow for it. He said they investigate threats and internet-based concerns only when they're first reported to the department.
NORMAL  A donation shortage has put blood inventory levels at about half of what they need to be in order for Carle BroMenn Medical Center and Carle Eureka Hospital to be prepared for emergencies.

The Red Cross  which supplies blood to both hospitals  on Tuesday said there is a special need for donations of type O blood.

"We are distributing blood donations faster than they are coming in and blood cannot be manufactured," Lynn Hruska, executive director of the American Red Cross Serving Central Illinois, said in a statement. "It's only the generosity of donors who roll up their sleeves that make sure patients get the lifesaving blood that they need."

The Red Cross' national inventory levels are at a low not seen in six years. The agency said it needs to collect 10,000 additional blood donations each week for the next month to keep up with hospital demand.

"No family should have to worry if there will be an essential resource like blood at the hospital for them or a family member experiencing an accident or medical emergency," Carle BroMenn and Carle Eureka Vice President of Operations Tim Bassett said. "We have about half the supply that we typically keep ready for such emergencies."

Appointments to donate blood at a Red Cross donation site or at a Red Cross-run drive can be found online or via the nonprofit's app, Blood Donor App.

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NORMAL  Keeping older adults connected to the Activity and Recreation Center despite its physical doors being shut has landed the center's director of operations, Rick Lewis, a leadership award from East Central Illinois Area Agency on Aging.

Lewis is the recipient of the Dr. Arthur H. Larsen Leadership Award for 2021.

The recognition is giving annually to a community member who has "demonstrated outstanding leadership in advancing programs, services and opportunities for older persons in East Central Illinois," according to a statement from the group.

By way of pivoting to Zoom and phone calls to keep seniors connected to the ARC, as well as holding blood drives and mass vaccination clinics, Lewis "improved the lives of thousands of seniors during the COVID-19 pandemic," the agency said.

ARC Member Services kept some programming ongoing virtually, even though COVID mitigations prevented in-person gatherings, made 5,800 wellness check and 3,800 birthday calls via phone under Lewis' direction. Once vaccinations were available, a partnership between ARC, the McLean County Health Department and Carle BroMenn Medical Center resulted in vaccination clinics where 5,800 older adults to get their shots.

Lewis also serves on ECIAA's Advisory Council. He has been director of ARC since 2019.

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HEYWORTH  Heyworth schools are taking an adaptive pause and returning to remote learning this week amid rising COVID-19 cases and staffing shortages.

Staffing and substitute shortages have been a challenge all school year, and the issue is heightened when we have multiple staff missing for extended periods of time, Superintendent Lisa Taylor told The Pantagraph on Tuesday.

In a social media post Monday after students were off for the Columbus Day holiday, Taylor said students would not have homework Tuesday and would begin working in the remote learning schedule Wednesday.

Positive cases at Heyworth Elementary have more than doubled in the last week; those students will be in remote learning at least through the end of this week, expecting to return Monday as long as we do not have a significant increase in cases, Taylor wrote in a letter to families.

All school activities or events at the elementary are canceled until in-person learning resumes.

Four staff members and 17 students at the elementary school currently are testing positive. Because of the increase, Taylor said the elementary school also needs to be deep cleaned and disinfected, and contact tracing has been conducted as more cases come in.

Districtwide, more than 75 people are now in quarantine, and the majority of those are from the elementary school, Taylor said. In the last public health update released by the district Friday, 48 people were in quarantine, indicating an increase of more than 56% in the last four days.

Very few are in quarantine at the junior/senior high school, and after consulting with the McLean County Health Department, Heyworth administrators determined those students can resume in-person learning on Thursday with regularly scheduled activities and events.

Regional Superintendent Mark Jontry, whose office covers DeWitt, Livingston, Logan and McLean counties, said Heyworth is the only district in the region that has taken an adaptive pause this semester.

For rural districts, staffing constraints related to the pandemic are the biggest issue that would prevent in-person learning to continue, he said.

Like Taylor has done, district administrators work with the health department to come to a collective decision for the best course of action, and they can choose to go remote even if they dont meet a threshold for number of cases or percentage in quarantine, Jontry said.

Taylor said the safety of students and staff continues to be the priority, with existing and increased mitigation efforts.

That includes: deep cleaning and disinfecting surfaces in both buildings, offering voluntary weekly testing for staff, increasing physical distance during in-person learning, using outdoor spaces as allowable, increasing ventilation, offering hand sanitization and encouraging those with COVID symptoms to stay home.

Contact Kelsey Watznauer at (309) 820-3254. Follow her on Twitter: @kwatznauer.

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The largest union in Illinois has filed a motion to join the fight against a Madison County lawsuit over COVID-19 safety mitigations.

The Illinois Education Association filed a motion on Friday to intervene in the lawsuit by 10 teachers from Triad CUSD 2 and Edwardsville CUSD 7 that argued the two districts did not have the authority to require school employees either be vaccinated against COVID-19 or be tested weekly.

The vaccine-or-test guidance did not come from policies developed by the districts. Rather, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced in August that all Illinois school employees, including teachers, would have to get the vaccine or be tested at least once a week. Similar state mandates exist for other professions too, including healthcare workers.

The Illinois Education Association said in a press release Friday that the union filed "in an effort to protect the safety of the workplaces and the health and lives of students and employees by keeping the governor's vaccine-or-test order in place."

When the initial lawsuit was first filed, members of the Triad Education Association and Triad Educational Support Personnel Association packed a school board meeting. The presidents of both unions spoke during public comment, reiterating the need for staff and student health and safety and distancing the unions from the lawsuit.

In a press release, Triad Education Association President Andrew Frey said 90% of union members were already vaccinated and the majority of those who aren't were complying with the testing process.

Neither Frey nor Edwardsville Education Association Co-President Jennifer Fowler were immediately available for comment on Monday. Schools were closed for Columbus Day, which is a federal holiday.

"We believe the governor did what was legal, prudent and necessary to provide the best educational environment for students and that the districts followed those executive orders because they were following the law, doing their best to keep our students and members safe," Illinois Education Association President Kathi Griffin said in a statement.

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100 years ago

Oct. 12, 1921: Prosecution and defense have agreed on Waukegan as the venue for trying Gov. Len Small on corruption charges. Its 200 miles from Springfield, about as remote as one can get and still be in Illinois. Vernon Curtis, a co-defendant, will be tried with the governor.

75 years ago

Oct. 12, 1946: Logan County deputies know more about the man found murdered near Atlanta. Al Bloom, 40, an ex-convict, was identified by his bride of four months. He is now linked to a $100,000 diamond robbery in Los Angeles on Oct. 1. Bloom will be buried in Milwaukee.

50 years ago

Oct. 12, 1971: Notable obituaries today include former Community Players actor Lily Weatherly; Rev. Sam Kuntz, a Disciples of Christ minister; former Secretary of State Dean Acheson, and actor Chester Conklin. Conklin was a Keystone Kop in the early days of movies.

25 years ago

Oct. 12, 1996: Central Illinois farmers appear headed into a bountiful harvest. Grain elevator operators say yields from area fields so far have been higher than expected. This is something of a surprise. Spring planting began late, and the weather turned cool and dry at the wrong time.

Compiled by Jack Keefe; jkeefe@coldwellhomes.com.
They say that two things in life are unavoidable  death and taxes. While the former is impossible, there are ways to minimize tax debt with the right resources. Tax planners, optimizers, accountants, and lawyers are all there to help individuals minimize, or completely avoid paying taxes in the United States while staying on the right side of the law and avoiding fraud audits.



Graham Michael Byers is among those who wish to help others minimize their tax debt. A successful entrepreneur in his own right, Byers has moved his business operations  and relocated his life  to Puerto Rico to take advantage of Act 60, a Tax Incentive Program that can help businesses and entrepreneurs significantly reduce their tax burden.



Having found the move beneficial, Graham Michael Byers is currently working on a book about how others can make the move to relocate themselves. As a strong proponent of the policies supported by Act 60, and as someone who has fallen in love with Puerto Rico, he is more than willing to get into the details of Act 60.



What is Act 60?



Byers explains that Act 60 was implemented in 2019, and is often known as The Code of Incentives. The Act was implemented to regulate the consolidation of, and the building upon the many different tax incentive acts that were already in place, like Acts 20 and 22, for instance. The Act created a more predictable legal landscape that was easier to navigate, with the end goal being to promote job creation, investment, and innovation in Puerto Rico, a designated Targeted Employment Area.



The Act makes Puerto Rico more attractive for investment through various tax incentives. Some might be familiar with the promise of 0% capital gains tax for entrepreneurs who move to Puerto Rico, or the 4% corporate income tax for businesses that make the move.



Who Can Benefit from Act 60?



Act 60 isnt equally beneficial for everyone, as Byers explains. To get the most out of the Act, entrepreneurs need to be in the right industry, and should ideally be willing to relocate themselves to Puerto Rico, along with their business. The 4% corporate income tax is only offered to companies that are Puerto Rican and that also export services to third-party countries. This model is especially well-suited to online businesses that can employ a local workforce to perform services that are placed on foreign markets.



For a one-person operation, that local workforce can be the entrepreneur themselves, but they need to become a real local. One of the major prerequisites to benefit from the low tax rates is to become a bona fide resident of Puerto Rico. Bona fide'' means that an entrepreneur will move most of whats considered to make up their life (place of living, family, possessions) to Puerto Rico. They will then need to start building a life in Puerto Rico, even though theyll have room to make occasional trips back to the States.



For anyone whos still on the fence about this type of migration, Graham Michael Byers assures that his personal experience has been great. He hasnt had to give up on many of the benefits of living in the United States, as any real difference is more than compensated by the difference in tax rates.





























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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STC Boss, Nana Akomea, has made a shocking revelation of the company's expenses on fuel.



The Chamber of Petroleum Consumers (COPEC) recently called for the government to remove the Price Stabilisation and Recovery Levy (PSRL) to curb the persistent petroleum products' price hikes.



The two key indicators, that is international market prices and foreign exchange differentials, are all likely to affect average pump prices of petroleum products by between 2% to 3% or (10p/Litre for both products) in this second pricing window of September 2021.



This would likely translate to reviewed figures by the various Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) as those selling at current prices for gasoline and gasoil at GH6.38 could be reviewed upwards to between GH6.45/-GH6.52/L for both Gasoline and Gasoil, a COPEC statement read.



Nana Akomea, like COPEC, is equally worried about the petrol price increases.



According to him, the State Transport Corporation (STC) spends millions of cedis on fueling its buses and what is more shocking is that these millions are expended in two weeks.



"We pay GHc 2 million to Goil every two weeks," he disclosed on Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo''.



Nana Akomea also expressed worry over the company's losses as a result of the border closure arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.



He stated; ''In the last 17 months, from March last year, we've lost over 42 million cedis because of the border closure''.



This, he said, indicating that STC incurs a huge cost in running its business.

Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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The maiden edition of the Africa Real Estate Conference and EXPO 2021 is currently ongoing with Real Estate professionals across the globe assemblying in Accra, Ghana to share ideas and experiences on how to take the industry to the next level.



ARCE 2021, which is under the theme "AN OPPORTUNITY TO INNOVATE & OPTIMIZE" which is a week-long program was preceded with professional training for real estate practitioners earning them a recognised certificate in CIPS to practice in the United States.



The grand opening of the event which happened on Monday at Movenpick Ambassador Hotel saw the Deputy Minister Works and Housing Hon Abdulai Abanga as the Special Guest of Honor.



He extolled the significance of the conference and the role it can play in changing the face of the real estate industry in Ghana and Africa in general.



The Founder GREPA, Mrs Vicky Sampah in her opening remarks, said "GREPA is here to help change the face of the industry and also to assist the Ghana Revenue Authority to rake in more revenue for the State."



First of its kind, the event is expected to host over 1000 local attendees and more than 300 international attendees both physical and virtual from all over the world including experienced local and international speakers, instructors, investors, industry practitioners as well as a global audience with a vision to empower, motivate and equip industry professionals with tools to succeed.



It is a 5 full-day event with a half-day wrap-up on the 5th day open for attendees to network and tie knots.



The program is Powered by GREPA (Ghana Real Estate Professionals Association): An organization set up in 2011 to bring Professionals in the Ghanaian Real Estate Industry together for purposes of promoting the goals of its members, promoting ethics and professional standards within the industry as well as creating and supporting local and international networking opportunities for its members. We are connecting with Global Stakeholders in the industry to promote Real Estate in Ghana, gathering support for Legislation, Research andEducation.

Over the past decade, GREPA has achieved remarkable successes and notable milestones among including:



The first organization in Ghana to bring together real estate professionals in Ghana together.



Joining the US National Association of Realtors Bilateral Partners with an agreement signed in 2015



Obtaining License to teach NAR certification and designation courses



Joined a stakeholder in drafting, reviewing and advocating for the passing of the Real Estate Act of 2020



Providing industry professionals with countless resources



Creation of a multiple Listing Service (MLS) for Ghana with its public-facing portal LoopGhana.com



Syndication of the loop to Realtor.com



GREPA hopes to provide a solution to the dearth of real estate professionals that understand the African market by rolling out a number of carefully designed educational packages in Ghana to provide in-depth knowledge in real estate market dynamics across the entire African continent. We are among the very few organizations faced with the responsibility of improving Africas real estate space.



There are a number of challenges impeding the optimal exploitation of Africas real estate potential, we believe that with continuous training, education, and advocacy for proper legislation, the industry will reach the full potential

Source: Peacefmonline.com/ghana









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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Vote counting was underway in Iraq on Monday, a day after a record low turnout in a parliamentary election, reflecting what many Iraqis said was a loss of faith in the country's democratic process and political class.



The turnout in Sunday's election was 41%, the electoral commission said. The lowest turnout was in Baghdad, with between 31% and 34%.



Machines counting votes and turnout at polling stations that Reuters visited across Baghdad had showed no more than 25% turnout by the end of voting on Sunday. The commission's count was announced 12 hours later.



Sunday's vote was held in response to mass protests in 2019 that demanded jobs, services, the removal of Iraq's ruling parties and overhaul of the political system. Security forces and militias killed hundreds of protesters in a brutal crackdown on the unrest.



The country has held five parliamentary elections since the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 that toppled dictator Saddam Hussein, but most ordinary Iraqis say their lives have not improved even during the relative peace since ISIS was defeated in 2017.



Large parts of Iraq's infrastructure lie in disrepair and there is inadequate healthcare, education and basic services especially electricity.



Initial election results are expected on Monday.



Election commission officials begin to count ballots at a polling station after the Iraqi early general elections end in Baghdad, Iraq on October 10, 2021.

The established, Shia Islamist-dominated ruling elite, whose most powerful parties have armed wings, is expected to sweep the vote.



The movement led by populist Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, who opposes all foreign interference and whose main rivals are Iran-allied Shi'ite groups, is seen emerging as the biggest single party in parliament.



Iraqi officials, foreign diplomats and analysts expect the Iran-backed parties, which are accused of involvement in killing protesters in 2019, to lose some of seats.



Such a result would not dramatically alter the balance of power in Iraq or the wider Middle East, they say.



The United States, Gulf Arabs and Israel on one side and Iran on the other compete to influence Iraq, which provides Tehran with a gateway to back armed allies in Syria and Lebanon.



The 2003 invasion toppled Saddam Hussein, a Sunni Muslim, and catapulted to power majority Shia and the Kurds, who were oppressed under the autocrat. It unleashed years of sectarian violence, including the takeover of a third of the country by ISIS between 2014 and 2017.

Source: CNN









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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In one of Africas most eagerly awaited trials for years, 14 people will be tried starting October 25 at a military court in Burkina Fasos capital Ouagadougou for the murder of the countrys former president, Thomas Sankara, and 12 members of his entourage.



Nicknamed the African Che Guevara, Sankara came to power in a coup in 1983. He was a hero to many  who say he championed national sovereignty by rejecting aid from the International Monetary Fund and cite his advancement of womens rights by banning forced marriages, polygamy and female genital mutilation. Sankaras detractors say he was an authoritarian leader, alleging human rights violations including arbitrary arrests of political opponents and extrajudicial killings.



Sankara was killed four years after taking power when commando troops stormed the headquarters of his National Revolutionary Council and shot him dead  bringing to power Blaise Compaore, formerly Sankaras close friend and right-hand man.



Compaore then ruled Burkina Faso for nearly three decades before a popular uprising overthrew him in 2014 and he fled to neighbouring Ivory Coast. The ex-strongman is the main defendant in the forthcoming trial  but he will not go to Ouagadougou to stand in the dock, his lawyers said.



Despite Compaores absence, the trial is hotly anticipated, with more than 200 hundred journalists from across the world accredited to cover the proceedings.



What does Sankara represent?



Sankara left an indelible mark on his country and became a pan-African icon in the process.



In a symbolic move he changed the country's name from Upper Volta, the name bestowed by France, to Burkina Faso, meaning the land of upstanding men.



Can the Great Green Wall carry out Sankaras ecological, pan-African dream?



Sankara made a break with its former colonial ruler France, which maintained clientelist relationships with former African colonies in an approach known as Francafrique.



Sankara developed complete independence in his country by giving its people confidence in themselves, said Bruno Jaffre, author of Linsurrection inachevee: Burkina 2014 (The Unfinished Rebellion: Burkina 2014) and who runs a website devoted to Sankara, thomassankara.net. Outside of Burkina Faso, he is seen as an anti-imperialist revolutionary who spoke for the oppressed and bolstered his nations sovereignty in the face of France.



In this context, the Sankara legend continues to grow, especially among young people who worship him despite having no memory of his rule in Burkina Faso.



Why did it take 34 years for a trial to take place?



The trial announcement in August was a huge shock, Jaffre pointed out, since the 1987 assassination had long been a taboo subject in Burkina Faso: When the trial was announced, Burkinabes didnt even dare to believe it, he said.



Compaores regime did everything it could to prevent the criminal justice process from doing its work over Sankaras death  and it wasnt until [Compaore was ousted in] autumn 2014 that the ball got rolling, Jaffre continued.



Indeed, it was the government put in place for Burkina Fasos democratic transition that started the justice process in March 2015. An international arrest warrant was issued for Compaore in December of the same year. Eventually, the first reconstruction of Sankaras assassination took place at the scene of the crime in February 2020. The judge presiding over the inquiry then transferred it to a military court in October  paving the way for the trial starting on Monday.



But obstructionism delayed this historic trial. Compaores defence lawyers did everything they could to delay or even cancel it, Jaffre noted. In particular, they got a lot of mileage out of saying that Compaores international arrest warrant was cancelled by Burkina Fasos highest court in 2016. Compaores defence lawyers also said their client had never been summoned for questioning and that he had never been notified of any procedure by the Burkinabe criminal justice system except for his final summons to stand trial. The defence lawyers have also argued that Compaore benefits from immunity as a former head of state.



In April 2016, the attorney general of Burkina Fasos highest court did indeed announce a cancellation due to a technicality of the international arrest warrant targeting Compaore. But a month later, the governments commissioner at the military court denied reports that the trial was cancelled, clarifying that the cancelled warrants only concerned a September 2015 coup case against the transitional government.



Given that the ex-president has always denied responsibility for anything that has gone wrong in Burkina Faso, its not surprising that Compaore will not be at the court to face the accusations against him, Guy Herve Kam, the lawyer representing the civil party in the case against Compaore, told AFP.



Who are the accused?



Compaore is one of 14 people who stand accused. General Gilbert Diendere  one of the main Burkinabe army chiefs at the time of the 1987 coup  is the other main defendant. After serving as Compaores chief of staff during the latters long presidency, Diendere was imprisoned for 20 years for attempted murder in the 2015 coup attempt. At the forthcoming trial, he and Compoare both stand accused of complicity in murder, concealment of dead bodies and attacking state security.



Soldiers in Compaores former presidential guard  in particular Hyacinthe Kafondo, who is accused of leading the commando group that assassinated Sankara and who is currently on the run  are also among the defendants.



Initially, more people were expected to stand trial. However, many defendants died, according to lawyers for the civil party.



What should be expected from the trial?



There has been much speculation about the possible role of foreign countries  including France, Ivory Coast, Liberia and Libya  in the killing of Sankara. But the trial will focus exclusively on Burkinabe people involved in his assassination.



The focus will be on Compaore, according to Jaffre. His absence is regrettable; nevertheless, the question of his responsibility for the killing will be at the heart of the trial, he noted.



The judge in charge of the inquiry was able to question all the surviving witnesses present on the day of the assassination who had never before spoken.



These witnesses have already clarified some important issues  in particular, they have established that the commando force came from Compaores house and that Diendere was present to direct the operations, Jaffre observed.



As well as trying to understand the exact sequence of the assassination, the trial will also seek to hold people responsible for complicity in the attempted cover-up of Sankaras murder. For example, the doctor Jean Christophe Diebre said he died a natural death; Diebre is being prosecuted for forging a public document.



Will Frances alleged role be addressed?



While the focus is on the role of Burkinabe actors, France will still be relevant to the trial.



The inquiry established that French agents were present in Burkina Faso on the day after the assassination to destroy wiretaps targeting Blaise Compaore and Jean-Pierre Palm, a gendarmerie officer implicated for his alleged role in Sankara's killing, Jaffre said.



Many observers note that Sankaras government opposed the operation of Francafrique, rejecting his countrys longstanding alliance with France. He also angered Paris by calling for New Caledonia, a French overseas territory, to be included on the UNs list of places to be decolonised.



During a 2017 trip to Burkina Faso, French President Emmanuel Macron promised to lift the national defence secret classification of all French archives concerning Sankaras killing. Since then, three batches of declassified documents have been sent to Ouagadougou. But these contain only secondary documents and do not include any documents from the offices of Francois Mitterrand and Jacques Chirac, who were respectively president and prime minister of France at the time of the assassination.



There is no sign, in the documents provided so far, of a French presence in Ouagadougou the day after the assassination. But these documents must exist  and the fact that Macron didnt keep his word shows a certain degree of embarrassment, said Jaffre.









Source: FRANCE 24









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Board member of the LGBTQ+ Rights Ghana, Va-Bene Elikem Fiatsi, has said that she will use every energy she has to fight the anti-gay bill proposed by the Parliament of Ghana.



Earlier this year, the Speaker of Parliament received a private member bill from some MPs that seeks to criminalize LGBTQ+ and adjacent activities.



But Va-Bene describes the bill as hateful and has added that all those who argue in favour of the bill do so without substance.



Speaking on how she is likely to react if this bill is passed into law, she shared with Sefa Danquah on the Happy Morning Show: I dont know what I will do yet but that is never going to change my position on this bill and that will not change my sexuality and gender. Therefore, I will have to fight until the last blood drops.



On 29 June 2021, some legislators presented a copy of the draft of the Bill to the Speaker of Parliament. This bill is seeking to expand on the current law that provides up to three years in prison for same-sex activity.



The new bill when passed will prohibit and criminalize advocacy, funding and act of LGBTQ+ while promoting conversion therapy programs seeking to convert people from homosexuality to heterosexuality.



Meanwhile, fifteen renowned legal, academic and civil society professionals have filled a memorandum challenging the anti-gay legislation submitted to Parliament.



In the memorandum, they contend that the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill 2021, which seeks to criminalize LGBTQ+ and adjacent activities, is an impermissible invasion of the inviolability of human dignity.



Some Christian leaders, on the other hand, have submitted a memorandum to Parliament on the Proper Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, endorsing the bill.













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The Vice President of the Republic of Ghana, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has called for increased access to quality education for young people by African governments.



Dr Bawumia made the call during his virtual address to the annual conference of the Young Democrat Union of Africa (YDUA) underway in Lilongwe, Malawi.



This years conference has drawn participants and speakers from all over Africa and Europe, most of who belong to political parties with centre-right ideologies.



Dr Bawumia however, praised the effort of the YDUA President, Louisa Atta-Agyemang, for the effort to put together the conference and working to promote democracy on the continent.



He reiterated President Akufo-Addos commitment to invest massively in making education accessible to all Ghanaians and further called on other African leaders to follow suit.



The theme of this conference resonates well with some of the aspirations of the 'Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want', the UN Sustainable Development Goals and also with the agenda many African leaders have set for themselves including President Akufo-Addo and the Malawian President H. E. Dr. Lazarus Chakwera," he said.



The engagement of young people is critical to the development of African countries. Africa's biggest resource is our young people and their zealousness to create and make a change. Every policy directive and initiative by governments, state and non-state actors should be done in a way that prioritizes the interests of young people as well as the future, Dr Bawumia noted.



He further stated how impressed he was with the work of the union even within its short period of establishment.







Source: graphiconline.com









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Winneba, in the Central region of Ghana, would be the venue to host a High-Level Interactive Summit and the 2021 Second Extraordinary Session of the ECOWAS Parliament from Wednesday, October 13 to Friday, October 22, 2021.



Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Hon. Dr. Sidie Mohamed Tunis from Sierra Leone, other big wings including over 200 participants would consider and adopt the draft 2020 budget as well as discuss pertinent matters including the desire of some heads of state to amend their countries constitutions.



President Akufo-Addo, in his capacity as Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, is expected to officially open the event which would be under the theme, High-Level Evaluation on Two Decades of Democratic Elections in the ECOWAS; Achievements, Challenges and the Way Forward.



Readiness



Speaking on Peace FM Kokrokoo, Chairman of Ghanas eight-member delegation to the ECOWAS Parliament, Mr. Alexander Afenyo-Markin said, In the history of ECOWAS Parliament, this is the first time such a meeting is held outside the capital city at Winneba.



We take a look at Western Africa, our stability is questionable and democracy to there is a bit of problem. Insecurities all over, if you take a look from Saharan region to Niger, Mali to Burkina is a bit hectic. The whole program is to review our democracy, political, economic situation for the past 20years and to make a serious recommendations as a Parliament for the authority of heads of State. The democracy strength can help Africa.



He added, We need to allow our citizens know that democracy would help us grow efficiently. If democracy would help the nation and then institutional pillars must be seen to be functioning independently. Therefore, these are the main issues we would be discussing in Winneba and experts, resource persons of high repute which I cannot mention their names but we have the former president, former diplomats in the sub-region coming and the program is of high-powered personnel.



Effutu



Mr. Afenyo-Markin gave an assurance that Winneba was ready to host the event as sufficient preparations had been made in terms of infrastructure and logistics adding that, it is in line with his core values of selling the Effutu Dream to relevant stakeholders in ways to bring down the poverty disaster seen in the area.



The whole thing is that we are selling the Effutu Gomoa enclave. The poverty in the Central region is a bit harsh. For some time, the Eastern region and Volta region they've opened up their economy. Now I have been in Parliament for the past 9 years, 95% of all workshops, conferences if not Volta then is Eastern. We are going to the Central region this time. I have a responsibility and is my duty to sell Effutu to the world. This is because when you come to the enclave, Effutu has nice beaches among other things.



We are developing that enclave whether you are a native of Gomoa, Effutu, Ekumfi, we are all one people. Tourism potential needs to be explored and we can only do that if we are united. ECOWAS coming to the Central region which would be hosted in Winneba should be seen as Central region receiving in order to open up the region for visitors to see that after Greater Accra, we have the Central region. There is coastal belts which their cities are nice. We are taking advantage of this to say Winneba is going to be the gateway to Central region and once you enter, you are in for beauty, pleasure and profits. We would complete 22nd October and there would be businesses for taxi drivers, markets women, restaurants, ushers among others. Because of COVID, hotel businesses were down but through this - all the hotels in Winneba are booked. The sons and daughters of your Effutu, Gomoa Central region would be proud because they are hosting it.













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Investigative journalist, Manasseh Azure Awuni, has waded into the controversy surrounding the anti-LGBTQI+ bill laid before parliament.



In his view, the bill in its current form is disturbing and too North Korean.



In a Facebook post sighted by GhanaWeb, Manasseh Azure said, "Even if you don't support LGBTQ+, you should find the bill in its current form disturbing. It's too North Korean."



Some people, including the Majority Chief Whip, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, has noted that the bill needs some modifications as it is defective in its current state.



He said the shortcomings ought to be fine-tuned before the bill is approved.



The Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill 2021 was presented to the Speaker on June 29, 2021, and got laid on Monday, August 2, 2021, for its first reading.



The bill being sponsored by the Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram, Sam Nartey George, wants the promotion, advocacy, funding, and acts of homosexuality to be criminalized in the country.



Meanwhile, 18 prominent people have rejected the proposed anti-gay bill in parliament.



Read Manasseh's post below.













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The 42-year-old man who was busted with 656 ATM cards connected to nine banks operating in Ghana and Nigeria has been remanded again by an Accra Circuit Court.



Bachir Musa Aminou, who is facing two counts of electronic trafficking and stealing at the court, presided over by Ms. Evelyn Asamoah, was remanded to allow the banks involved to respond to the prosecutions claim against the accused person as part of ongoing investigations.



The prosecutor, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Fuseini Yakubu, prayed the court to adjourn the case to give the banks more time to respond.



The accused person is expected to reappear on October 28, this year.



The facts, as presented by ASP Yakubu were that Aminou, who is a Nigerian, was arrested at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) for possessing 656 ATM cards in different names.



He said during interrogation, Aminou said the ATM cards were given to him by one Rabiu Suleman based in the Kano State, Nigeria, to be given to one Baffa Bawarije, a Nigerian based at the Daira Night City Hotel in Dubai.



On September 12, this year, Aminou was arrested while boarding an Ethiopian Airline en-route to Dubai.



Search



A search conducted on the accused disclosed 656 ATM cards bearing 656 different names issued by eight Nigerian banks and one Ghanaian bank, he said.



Also found on the accused was $12,000.



ASP Yakubu told the court that investigations further disclosed that the accused person had first visited Ghana on April 29, 2021 through the Aflao border and left for Dubai on May 26, 2021.



He said the accused persons second visit to Ghana was on August 20, 2021 and was arrested on the day of his departure to Dubai.



ASP Yakubu told the court that the case was still under investigations.







Source: graphiconline.com









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The government has adopted an innovative sensor bin built by the all-girls robotic club of the Methodist Girls High School (SHS), Mamfe in the Eastern Region, to improve sanitation management in the country.

The caretaker Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Ms. Cecilia Dapaah, who announced this at the commemoration of this year's International Day of the Girl Child in Accra yesterday, said the government would scale up the production of the bins to encourage more innovations.



The girls demonstrated how they built the smart bins and the way they operate.



The bins have sensors that enable them to open automatically to protect users from contracting germs.



Ms. Dapaah, who is also the Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, said she was impressed by the innovation, which demonstrated girls potential towards national development.



She, therefore, called for the replication of robotic and coding clubs in all schools to encourage more innovations for accelerated growth.



Event



The World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995 unanimously adopted the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action  the most progressive blueprint ever for advancing the rights of not only women but also girls.



On December 19, 2011, the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 66/170, which declared October 11 as the International Day of the Girl Child, in recognition of girls rights and the unique challenges girls face around the world.



The day focuses attention on the need to address challenges girls face, the promotion of girls empowerment and the fulfilment of their human rights.



The global theme for the commemoration of the day was: Digital generation, our generation, while the national theme was: The digital generation: Promoting citizenship for girls without discrimination.



Technology



We recognise the profound transformation that has taken place where many countries turned to high-tech education to ensure continuity of learning during the COVID-19 pandemic and what this means for girls who, due to gender digital divide, are more likely than boys to be missing out on precious learning opportunities, Ms. Dapaah said.



She said this years commemoration sought to leverage the power of technology to advance education, adolescent girls and womens leadership and gender equality and also empower them to maximise their potential, both online and offline.



The Chief Director of the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr. Afisa Zachariah, said although inclusive development was critical to a well-developed nation, discriminatory social norms, traditional barriers and gender stereotyping continuously affected women and girls economic empowerment and social well-being.



Pledge



The UN Resident Coordinator, Mr. Charles Prosper Abani, pledged the UNs support for the governments agenda to scale up innovations in the country.



He observed that increased access to the digital space presents new threats to adolescents, especially girls. Online child sexual exploitation and abuse is on the rise in Ghana.



Overall, around 40 per cent of children in Ghana do not feel safe online, while 30 per cent had experienced something that bothered or upset them while online because of the lack of awareness and limited skills, Mr. Abani said.



According to him, a study conducted in 2016/2017 found that two in five children had seen indecent images at least once during the past year that made them uncomfortable, while nearly a quarter of all surveyed children received such messages on their phones.



And one in five children had met someone face-to-face whom they first got to know on the Internet, with 25 per cent of them being upset about the meeting, he added.

Source: graphiconline.com









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The Central Regional branch of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has suspended Mr Kwesi Dawood, the Regional Communications Officer for alleged misconduct.



Mr Dawood has been accused of alleged incest and abortion with his biological daughter.



Mr Kojo Quansah, the Regional Secretary of the NDC, confirmed the suspension in an interview with the media in Assin-Fosu on Monday.



He said Mr Dawood's suspension was in line with the Party's Constitution on misconduct and anti-party behaviour.



"Now, we want to put it on record that Mr Dawood is suspended as the Regional Communications Officer until further notice," he said and noted that the NDC could not pretend to be unconcerned about the incident.



Mr Quansah said the decision was taken after a thorough investigation and information from the Ghana Police Service, the victim and the mother, stating that "the NDC will not cover up anything."



He said as a leading political force in Ghana, the NDC regretted the alleged act and expressed strong optimism in the Party's unflinching quest to, at all times, uphold the rights and freedoms of all manner of persons without prejudice.



"The Party is not pleased with the alleged misconduct of Mr Dawood because it vehemently frowns on such attitudes, especially in his former capacity as the Regional Communications Officer.



"Though the alleged incident concerned one person, its rippling consequences cast a slur on the Party and its leadership," he stated.



Mr Dawood was reported by his former wife to the police for allegedly having sex with his daughter multiple times, leading to a pregnancy.



He allegedly contacted a quack doctor, who performed an abortion on the victim.



According to a petition submitted by the victims mother, Mavis Ayitey to the Central Regional Police Command, the suspect had allegedly engaged in the act since the girl was 15.



She is now 16 years,



The father, Mr Dawood, has been forcibly having sexual affair with the daughter since at the age of fifteen years (Incest) and even had an abortion with her and warned her not to inform anyone else he will make her life miserable, the petition read in part.



According to details contained in the same petition, the victim who could not bear the pain of the fathers actions anymore, on Friday, August 24, 2021, confided in her schools Housemaster.



The school official then invited the girls grandmother, with whom she was staying at Swedru and informed her about the victims ordeal, and they reported the case to the police.

Source: GNA









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The General Secretary of the governing NPP, John Boadu, has reminded members of the Party that his Office is still open to receive various proposals or motions for amendments to the NPP Constitution ahead of the Partys 2021 National Annual Delegates Conference, until the 19th of October, 2021.



The NPP Constitution, he said, provides in Article 19, that, every amendment to the Partys Constitution shall be made at the National Annual Delegates Conference so long as notice of such amendment has been submitted in writing to the General Secretary not later than two months before the National Annual Delegates Conference.



The 2021 National Annual Delegates Conference of the Party is scheduled to take place from August 18 to August 20, 2021, in the Ashanti regional capital, Kumasi.



Mr. John Boadu made these remarks when he was delivering the keynote address at the Western North Regional Annual Delegates Conference of the Party, on Monday, October 11, 2021, at Sefwi Wiawso, the Western North regional capital.



He encouraged members of the Party who have inputs to make to the Party Constitution to make written submissions to that effect, in the form of amendment proposals to his office before the 19th of October, (which is one-week away) per the stipulation in the Party Constitution.



The Western North delegates conference was attended by party executives from all the 9 constituencies in the region as well as Ministers, MMDCEs and CEOs from the region. Equally in attendance was a Representative from the Office of Vice President Dr. Bawumia, Mr. Fred Oware.



It was held on the theme: Consolidating the gains of 2020 elections - the role of stakeholders. The Western North Regional Chairman, William Benjamin Assuah, also led conference to consider and approve the statement of accounts as well as a statement on the state of the party presented by the Regional Treasurer, Mrs Gifty Adu Ankamah and Regional Secretary, Samuel Kofi Abiaw respectively.



The Conference was supervised by National Officers of the Party including the National 1st Vice Chair (Madam Rita Asobayire), General Secretary (John Boadu), National 2nd Vice Chair (FF Anto), National Youth Organizer (Lawyer Nana Boakye), Deputy National Youth Organizer (Joseph Kwayaja) and National Deputy Communications Director (Yaw Preko).





Source: Peacefmonline.com









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Dr. Arthur Kennedy, a leading member of the New Patriotic Party has alleged that Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram, Sam Nartey George and Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin have received threats over their backing of the anti-LGBTQ bill currently before Parliament.



The US-based politician also disclosed that some Members of Parliament have been denied visas to certain countries due to their advocacy for the bill.



In a statement issued on Monday, October 11, 2021, on the raging topic, Arthur Kennedy alleged the diplomatic community has resorted to intimidating Ghanaian lawmakers on the matter.



Some lawmakers, including the bills sponsor, Sam George have been threatened publicly and privately. Calls have been made to the Speaker, threatening MPs. Some have been denied visas and warned to stay away from this issue. It is sad that this intimidation is coming mainly from the Western diplomatic community, parts of his statement read.



Arthur Kennedy also complained about the intolerance being exhibited by both pro and anti-LGBTQ+ proponents in the country.



Unfortunately, the opposition to the bill, motivated by the noble desire to promote tolerance for our homosexual community, has been characterized by intolerance.



In addition to democracy and the rule of law, the West exemplifies, to the eternal admiration of people like me, the attitude of tolerance. It is at the heart of multi-party democracy and the support of minority rights etc that make the West such a powerful example to the rest of the world.



As JFK put it, 'Tolerance implies no lack of commitment to ones own beliefs. Rather, it condemns the oppression or persecution of others'.



Below is his full statement



TOLERANCE AND THE DEBATE ABOUT HOMOSEXUALITY IN GHANA



The pending legislation about homosexuality in Ghana has led to unfortunate manifestations of intolerance. Parliament is considering a bill that would criminalize certain aspects of homosexual conduct in Ghana.



In response, significant segments of the community, including Christian, Muslim and traditional authorities have offered support. On the other hand, there is an impressive array of intellectuals and government officials who are opposing the proposed bill. Indeed, a significant part of the diplomatic community too, has weighed in, to oppose the bill.



My goal today, is not to opine on the merits of the bill. Indeed, I wish, in the words of the sages, we had allowed sleeping dogs to lie. The homosexual community, in my view, were doing fine, in their private spaces, subject to the protections of the law accorded to all citizens.



Unfortunately, the opposition to the bill, motivated by the noble desire to promote tolerance for our homosexual community, has been characterized by intolerance.



Some lawmakers, including the bills sponsor, Sam George have been threatened publicly and privately. Calls have been made to the Speaker, threatening MPs. Some have been denied visas and warned to stay away from this issue. It is sad that this intimidation is coming mainly from the Western diplomatic community.



The West argued that dealing with China and Russia was better that isolating them. The West insisted on constructive engagement with Apartheid South Africa while we beat War drums. They were right.. Let us not fight intolerance with intolerance.



The next time there is an election dispute or tribal fighting and the West comes preaching tolerance, it would help if opportunists cannot remind us of Western intolerance!



The problem of this bill is not the Parliament. It is reflecting public opinion. Let us continue to educate the public.



Finally, to Parliament, continue this new attitude, by championing the interest of the public for Healthcare, jobs and for fighting the canker of corruption.



Long live tolerance. Long live Ghana. Arthur Kobina Kennedy

















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The Paramount Chief and Overload of Weta Traditional Area in the Ketu North Municipality, Torgbuiga Akpo Ashiakpor VI, has called for wider support for the passage of the Anti-Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer and its related activities (LGBTQI+) Bill currently before Parliament into law.



He asserted that traditional leaders are the custodians of customs and traditions hence the need to get them protected at all cost.



"Every nation is built on traditions and customs and we are the custodians of these customs and traditions of the people," he said.



In an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Tema on the position of the traditional leaders on the debate on passage of the promotion of proper human sexual rights and Ghanaian family values Bill, 2021 and the opposition against it, Torgbuiga emphasised the urgent need to protect the family system hence the need to pass the Anti-LGBTQI+ bill.



Torgbuiga Ashiakpor VI, who is also the Ashaiman Area Chairman for the Church of Pentecost Royals Ministry, said the activities of the LGBTQI+ was devious, unbiblical and unclean and urged Ghanaians to avoid such practices.



He stressed that traditional leaders were strongly behind the passage of the bill and would resist any attempt to push the practice into the Ghanaian system.



He said the practice conflicted with the traditions and customs of Ghanaians.



On Wednesday, October 6th, 2021 Apostle Eric Nyamekye, who is the chairman of The Church of Pentecost and Apostle Dr. Aaron Ami-Narh, President of the Apostolic Church, Ghana, led a delegation which presented a memorandum of 15,000 signatures to Parliaments Committee for Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs to express strong support for the bill dubbed The Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill 2021.



Meanwhile, the group of 18 high profile professionals in various fields including law and academia have submitted a memo to Parliament to kick against the anti-LGBTQI+ bill.



To them, the proponents of the bill had not provided any data or evidence to suggest that there is such a threat, beyond a resort to some dogmatic religious tenets and so-called Ghanaian family values hence want the bill rejected.





Source: GNA









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Former President John Dramani Mahama will take his Thank You tour to the Eastern Region, the backyard of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Tuesday, 12 October 2021.



The 2020 flag bearer of the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) will interact with the support base of the party during his tour.



Mr Mahama is expected to highlight the achievements of the NDC in the region.



He will be welcomed at the Koforidua-Galloway area in the regional capital.



Mr Hackman Kobore, the Eastern Regional Organiser of the party, made this disclosure on Accra-based Happy FMs socio-political programme Epa Hoa Daben.



The former president, upon touching base in the region, will grant some media interviews.



Mr Kabore said the programme for welcoming the former president to the region will be in three folds: meeting with the traditional rulers, meeting with the zongo chiefs and imams, and meeting with the leadership of the local council of churches.



He said the visit to the region will afford the former president the opportunity to interact with the supporters of the party in the region.



He said this is the first phase of the former presidents tour to the region.



Mr Kabore explained that the second phase of the former presidents tour to the region will be in 2022, where he will be expected to interact with regional and constituency executives of the NDC.



He further commended the regional executives and former appointees in the region for their roles in organising the visit.

















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The Majority Leader and Member of Parliament (MP) for Suame constituency, Hon. Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, has said Parliament will not disappoint the people with regard to the anti-LGBTQI+ bill which is currently before the House.



He emphasized that no Member of Parliament will be against the principle of the bill.



The Majority Leader gave the assurance this morning at a press conference held by the Majority caucus of Parliament.



He expressed delight over the high public interest generated in the bill and pleaded with the public to demonstrate the same high interest in other bills which will appear before the House such as the Property rights of spouses bill.



Hon Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said the bill will be considered in line with provisions of the Constitution and made particular reference to article 125 of the 1992 Constitution which states that justice emanates from the people.



Calls for Live Telecast



On the issue of live telecast of debate on the bill, he said proceedings of Parliament on the floor has always been done in the full glare of the media and added that discussion on the bill in Parliament will be done in the same manner.



The Majority Leader urged the public to be dispassionate when discussing the LGBTQI+ issue.



Speaker cannot determine passage



On a comment reported to have been made by the Speaker, Rt Hon Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin that Parliament will pass the anti-LGBTQI+ bill, Hon Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said the Speaker cannot decide for the House, as he is not a Member of Parliament.



Adding his voice to comments made by the Majority Leader, Hon Frank Annoh-Dompreh, the Majority Whip said the Majority caucus fully supports the anti-LGBTQI+ bill which is currently before the House.



Anti-LGBTQI+ bill



The proponents of the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values 2021 bill are seeking to criminalise the LGBTQ+ community in Ghana.



Should it be passed, persons who identify as LGBTQ and or engage in said practice could face up to five years imprisonment.



LGBT activists could also face up to 10-year-jail time.

Source: Emmanuel Akorli/Parliamentary Correspondent/Peace FM









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" " Demonstrators hold signs during a rally against voter ID laws, Sept. 13, 2012 in Philadelphia. William Thomas Cain/MCT via Getty Image

In the U.S., the right of adult citizens to vote and elect public officials is one of their most hallowed principles  or at least, that's what is taught in middle-school civics class. In reality, though, there's another tradition that goes back even further in American history: finding ways to keep people from voting, whether through arcane laws or open intimidation.

In some ways, voter suppression, as such efforts are called, goes back to the earliest days of the country. As historian Jill Lepore wrote in a 2008 New Yorker article, only 6 percent of the U.S. population was eligible to vote in the first presidential election in 1789. That's because most states only allowed white male landowners to vote.

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In the 1800s, the property requirements started to fade, and over the next century, racial minorities and women legally got the right to vote. But, local and state governments came up with a variety of ways to limit who actually got to participate in elections, whether it was requiring poll taxes, literacy tests or changing the dates and times for polling stations.

Efforts to restrict voting continue even today. According to the Brennan Center for Justice, a New York-based think tank and civil rights advocacy organization, since 2010 alone, 25 states have passed new laws making it more difficult to vote.

Here are 10 ways that people have been kept from voting, both in the past and the present.
" " U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin participate in a press briefing at the White House Jan. 10, 2020 to discuss new sanctions imposed against Iranian officials. Alex Wong/Getty Images

In early January 2020, as tensions between the U.S. and Iran that some feared would lead to war seemed to ease slightly, the Trump administration opted for an alternative to more missiles or bombs to attack Iran. Instead, President Donald Trump announced a set of "intensified" sanctions against eight senior officials in the Iranian regime and an array of Iranian steel, aluminum and copper producers.

The administration also targeted Chinese businesses that bought and transported the metals, including the owner of a ship that hauled steel slabs from Iran to China. (Here's a complete list of the targets.)

"As a result of these actions we will cut off billions of dollars of support to the Iranian regime, " the Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said during a press briefing with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Jan. 10, 2020.

If you follow the news about foreign policy, you may have seen or heard the ominous-sounding S-word before. But you might be wondering what are sanctions, anyway? How are they imposed? What are they supposed to accomplish? And do they really work?

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What Are Sanctions?

Basically, sanctions are a sort of economic version of bombs and bullets, designed to turn up the pressure on another country and its regime's leaders by hitting them in the wallet.

"Sanctions are any penalty or disruption in the normal economic relations between two countries," explains Ellen Laipson, director of the Master's in International Security degree program and the Center for Security Policy Studies at George Mason University's Schar School of Policy and Government. She's also a former vice-chair of the U.S. government's National Intelligence Council.

"Usually, sanctions are supposed to target a particular bad behavior or send a signal to an unfriendly country," Laipson says.

Sanctions often involve freezing any of the target's assets  such as real estate or funds in bank accounts  that happen to be inside the U.S., and threatening to punish any financial institution inside or outside the U.S. that does transactions for the adversary or helps in some other way. (Those sorts of actions were laid out in a June 2019 executive order on Iranian sanctions signed by President Trump.)

But as Laipson explains, sanctions also can take a variety of other forms as well, from interrupting international trade or closing a border to suspending arms sales. Sanctions can even be tailored to hit a specific industry or part of another nation's economy. Either way, it's a form of what's called coercive diplomacy.

Sanctions come down to this. "How do you get their attention so that they're feeling some pain, and give them incentives to change their behavior? "

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Who Has the Authority to Use Sanctions?

The U.S. president has sweeping authority to impose sanctions on other countries and leaders under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977, often referred to as IEEPA for short, which allows him or her to impose them "to deal with any unusual and extraordinary threat."

Congress also has the power to hit other nations and people with sanctions as well. Back in 2012, for example, legislators passed the Magnitsky Act to impose sanctions against the Russian Federation. (The law is named after a corruption-exposing lawyer named Sergei Magnitsky, who died in a Russian prison cell in 2009.) Congress imposed additional sanctions against Russia for its 2014 invasion of Ukraine, as detailed in this Congressional Research Service report.

Congress often resorts to sanctions to avoid having tensions with another country explode into armed conflict, Laipson says. "Congress often believes, let's go carefully up the escalatory ladder. Let's express our disapproval in a resolution. If they don't pay attention, we'll then threaten sanctions," she explains. "If they still don't pay attention, we'll impose sanctions. And then we'll impose more sanctions. It's a longer continuum from peace to war."

Either way, once sanctions are imposed, the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Asset Control enforces the restrictions. Here's the lengthy list of U.S. sanctions programs currently in force, against countries ranging from Belarus to Zimbabwe.

Other countries can impose sanctions as well, though nobody utilizes the economic weapon as frequently as the U.S. does, according to Laipson. Instead, most only want to participate in multinational sanctions, such as those imposed by the U.N. Security Council, which have included economic and trade sanctions, as well as arms embargoes and travel bans. Since 1966, the U.N. has used such measures 30 times punishing regimes ranging from Apartheid-era South Africa to North Korea.

" " On the eve of new sanctions being imposed, Iranian protesters demonstrate outside the former U.S. embassy in the Iranian capital of Tehran on Nov. 4, 2018, marking the anniversary of its storming by student protesters that triggered a hostage crisis in 1979. Majid Saeedi/Getty Images

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Do Sanctions Actually Work?

"There's always this range of opinion about whether sanctions work or not," Laipson says. "It depends on what your intentions were. If your intention was to punish, then just measuring the economic pain on another country is a way of saying the sanctions are working. If your intention is to truly change the behavior of the other country, you have to use a very different metric. And in that case, most sanctions fail. Because countries become resistant  they are willing to absorb the pain for nationalistic reasons. They don't want to concede to a more powerful country."

Instead of giving in, for example, a targeted nation may find another, more powerful nation to act as its patron. After the U.S. imposed a sweeping embargo on the communist regime of Fidel Castro in Cuba in 1960, the island nation relied upon trade with the Soviet Union, which for years bought Cuban sugar at five to six times the world market price as a way of tweaking the U.S., its Cold War adversary.

There's also increasing political pushback against the sort of sanctions that broadly target a nation's economy, out of concern that they punish the population rather than an adversarial government. As Laipson explains, that's led to a shift toward so-called smart or targeted sanctions, which might be designed to target a regime's leaders but allow the country to import needed medicines. Targeted sanctions might also include arms embargoes, financial sanctions on the assets of individuals and companies, travel restrictions on the leaders of a sanctioned state and trade sanctions on particular goods.

Now That's Interesting As detailed in this analysis published by the Harvard Kennedy School's Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, someone who violates IEEPA can end up facing federal money-laundering charges, which have far stiffer penalties.
" " Is arresting a child as young as 6  for a temper tantrum  crossing a line? HowStuffWorks

Criminals come in all shapes and sizes, though it may strain definition that we can count a 6-year-old throwing a temper tantrum at elementary school among them. Yet ... welcome to America. In late September 2019, a Florida cop arrested two grade schoolers, slapped a pair of handcuffs on at least one of them and sent them off to be booked, fingerprinted and have their mugshots taken. Both children, again 6-year-olds who misbehaved at school, were charged with misdemeanor battery.

Bad day for a harried police officer? Well, yeah. Maybe. Bad day for schools and the juvenile justice system? Absolutely.

"Does it get more ridiculous? It's absurd. It is a ridiculous abuse of law enforcement power and authority," says Marsha Levick, the chief legal officer for Juvenile Law Center, which bills itself as the country's first non-profit, public-interest law firm for children. "But it's also a really unnecessary but all-too-common abdication on the part of schools, and school districts and teachers, to just defer their management of school misconduct to police."

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Should a 6-year-old Be Arrested?

The pure legality of charging a juvenile as young as 6 with a crime varies across the U.S. Of 51 jurisdictions (the states and the District of Columbia), 33 have no lower-level limit on holding a young person criminally accountable, Levick says. That includes Florida. In effect, that means that an overzealous cop, legally, can arrest even an unruly 2-year-old.

Of those 18 other jurisdictions, most put the lower level that a kid can be charged with a crime at 10 years old. In those locations, a 6-year-old like the two in Florida simply could not be arrested or charged with a crime.

"Obviously, it begs the question, 'How can that be? How can we possibly have created a juvenile courts system that allows for the possibility that 6- and 7-year-olds can be arrested?'" Levick asks. "I think what I would say ... is that they never envisioned a 6- or 7-year-old would be hauled into court. I think that's a fair assumption. That's not who they designed the system for."

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What Happened in Florida?

A police officer with Orlando's Reserve Unit arrested the two 6-year-olds on separate misdemeanor battery charges on Sept. 19, 2019. One was a girl who lashed out in a tantrum that was brought on by a sleep disorder, the girl's family told The New York Times. On Monday, Sept. 23, the Orlando Police Department fired the officer who made the arrests for not following protocol that required he get approval from his supervisor to arrest any minor younger than age 12. No charges were filed against the two children.

Cops in schools, of course, are not new. Florida is one of many states that has bumped up its police presence in schools over the years. The Florida legislature mandated it after a shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland claimed 17 lives in February 2018.

The increased show of force, though, seems to come with some problems. For one: As the Orlando Sentinel points out, citing a report by the Education Week Resource Center, black students are arrested at school at a disproportionately high rate. At least one of the children arrested in Orlando was black.

"It's unfortunate that these are things that you have to think about while navigating a public school," Justin Henry, a political consultant and activist in Orlando, told the Sentinel. "Little black girls and teenage black girls, when they do have outbursts, it's looked upon as aggression."

The buildup of police in schools is understandable, of course. It has been more than 20 years since two students killed 13 people and injured 21 others at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. Since Columbine, up until April of this year, America has been through 238 other school shootings, according to a year-long investigation by The Washington Post.

Still, as the recent news out of Orlando shows, police and schoolkids  even elementary school kids  just sometimes don't mix.

"We know where this is coming from. This fear of what happens when a child acts out in school  that there's going to be some catastrophic consequence  emanates from Columbine. For 20 years, we've been overreacting," Levick says. "I'm not aiming to trivialize schools being so quick to call law enforcement. There are obviously many situations [in which that is] appropriate. But this is one that defies common sense. Do we have no ability to discern a serious situation from a non-serious situation? We've lost our ability to exercise good judgment."

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Finding Common (Sense) Ground

Most would agree that slapping cuffs on first graders probably is crossing a line. Zero tolerance, certainly, has its costs.

"Initially, the thought was that ... there would be some rationality, some reasonableness injected into the school environment that would curb those extreme and absurd responses," Levick says. "But it may be that trusting and waiting for common sense to kick in isn't going to work. It may be that it does require a legislative response."

Some movements across the nation aim to raise the minimum age that a child can be charged with a crime to 12 years old. In some of those 33 jurisdictions where no minimum age is set, there are calls to set something. "What I would like to see done, as an advocate, is to see all of those states put a number in," Levick says. "Put in a 10, or put in a 12."

Until then, though, school police officers may have to lean on something much less complicated than legislative action when faced with a pre-pubescent troublemaker.

A deep breath. Maybe a countdown from 10. And a little common sense.

NOW THAT'S INTERESTING A juvenile  in 45 states, plus D.C.  is anyone younger than 17. In Georgia, Michigan, Missouri, Texas and Wisconsin, it's anyone younger than age 16. A juvenile offender normally doesn't move through the criminal courts, but through the juvenile justice system, which is guided, according to the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, "by the concept of rehabilitation through individualized justice." For more serious offenses, though, juveniles may be tried in criminal court where, if found guilty, the court focuses on punishment, not rehab.
Aurora Borealis or northern lights over Jokulsarlon in Iceland. (Getty)

People across Scotland enjoyed spectacular displays of "northern lights" on Monday night as an outburst on the sun caused a geomagnetic storm in the UK.

On Monday, the Met Office said moderate geomagnetic storms were likely, with a possibility that they will continue on Tuesday.

The Met Office's website explains: "Geomagnetic storms are large disturbances in the Earth's magnetic field caused by changes in the solar wind and interplanetary magnetic field structure.

"These changes in the solar wind arise from disturbances on the sun, such as in powerful coronal mass ejections)."

This geomagnetic storm was caused by a coronal mass ejection on the sun.

The Space Weather Prediction Center, part of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, also issued a geomagnetic storm warning on Sunday for Monday and Tuesday.

Read more: Geomagnetic storm warning as blast from sun to hit Earth

Coronal mass ejections are large clouds of solar plasma and magnetic fields released into space after a solar eruption.

Stretching over millions of miles, they can cause northern lights when they hit Earths atmosphere.

Magnetic lines of force surrounding Earth known as the magnetosphere interact with particles from the sun. (Getty)

Solar storms are ranked from G1 to G5, with stronger storms having the potential to cause radio blackouts.

This weeks storm are at the lower end of the scale, the Met Office says.

Read more: Aurora glitters over northern Wisconsin

G5 storms only occur roughly four times per 11-year solar cycle, and can cause problems with power grids and satellites.

In 1859, a massive geomagnetic super-storm known as the Carrington event sent powerful coronal mass ejections toward Earth, disrupting communications on the ground.

If such an event were to happen in todays world, the effects would be catastrophic.

It destroyed telegraph lines, and lit up the skies so brightly people could read at night.

Read more: A 1988 warning about climate change was mostly right

A Lloyds study in 2013 predicted that the effects on our wired society of such a super-storm would be far, far worse  costing at least 1.67tn, and devastating transport, communication, finance and even food supplies due to the lack of refrigeration.

Story continues

The Met Office said aurora may be visible on Tuesday, but that cloudy conditions and decreasing activity make sightings less likely.

It said: "Minor storms may continue into 12 October, before a fast wind from a coronal hole may arrive, perhaps continuing the rather active period of geomagnetic activity cloud amounts are increasing, meaning sightings are unlikely for most."

Watch: Northern lights dance across plains
The research team studied rat snakes and wild boar across a range of radiation exposures, examining biomarkers of DNA damage and stress. Credit: Hannah Gerke/University of Georgia and Michael Eickelmann/Flickr

More than 10 years ago, the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami damaged the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant, resulting in a massive release of radioactive material into the environment. Radiation dose rates led to the evacuation of over 150,000 residents from an area estimated at 444 square miles. Although people were evacuated, wildlife remained within the Fukushima Exclusion Zone, as it is sometimes called, and generations of animals have since been exposed to radiation levels above the safety threshold for human occupancy.

Colorado State University and the University of Georgia launched graduate student programs in collaboration with Fukushima University's Institute of Environmental Radioactivity to conduct research on the effects of life-long radiation exposures to wildlife. Their most recent results were published online in Environment International and appears in the October issue of the journal.

Between 2016 and 2018, the multi-disciplinary team studied wild boar and rat snakes across a range of radiation exposures in Fukushima. The team examined biomarkers of DNA damage and stress and did not find any significant adverse health effects.

Dr. Kelly Cunningham, first author of the paper and a recent graduate of CSU's Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program, said the biggest takeaway is that perhaps people do not need to be as fearful of moving back into the remediated areas10 years after the accidentfollowing this type of chronic, low-dose environmental radiation exposure.

The wildlife study is relevant to humans because human physiology is not so dissimilar to wild boar, said co-author James Beasley, an associate professor from the University of Georgia's Savannah River Ecology Lab and Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources.

While mice have traditionally been used as a radiation biology model from which human effects are extrapolated, pigswhich are descendants of wild boarare physiologically more like humans than mice and thus a more appropriate biomedical model species, he said.

Researchers respond to local residents' questions

Hiroko Ishiniwa, a co-author and project assistant professor at Fukushima University, said the research helped respond to questions from local residents. In Fukushima, there have been many unfounded rumors about health effects related to radioactivity, she said.

"With hopes of explaining the situation, many local people took part in research activities, including capturing wild boars," she said.

Thomas Hinton, a co-author on the paper and retired professor from Fukushima University, said environmental radiation decreased precipitously after the accident.

By the time this research began in 2016 to 2018, cesium-134, one of the major radionuclides released from the accident, had decreased by as much as 90% because of its short half-life. Hinton received his bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees from CSU.

What signs of stress did researchers see for wildlife?

CSU Professor Susan Bailey, senior author on the paper, is an expert on assessing markers of stress and DNA damage due to radiation exposure.

She was a principal investigator on the groundbreaking NASA Twins Study, which examined the effects of space on identical twin astronauts Scott and Mark Kelly while one of them remained on Earth during a space mission. Bailey studies telomeres, or the protective "caps" on the ends of human, as well as wildlife, chromosomes.

Bailey said the telomeres of the boar and snakes could provide clues as to whether the animals were stressed from radiation exposures. "If the boar were stressed, we would see telomeres shortening," she explained. "We didn't see any changes related to radiation dose, and we didn't see it in the snakes either."

The researchers thought that with wild boar rooting behavior and snakes living in contaminated soil they would have received large doses of radiation.

Hinton said they spent a great deal of time quantifying the dosimetryhow much of the radiation was absorbed by wildlifeas precisely as possible.

The researchers also found lower levels of the hormone cortisol, a primary indicator of stress, in wild boar living within the Exclusion Zone. Bailey said this finding is supported by the fact that animal populations are thriving in areas where humans have not returned.

"It's similar to what they're seeing in Chernobyl," she said. "The animals are flourishing mostly because there aren't people around, and they don't experience the related stress that brings."

Cunningham, now working as a veterinarian in New Zealand, said being able to conduct this research while pursuing a DVM degree at CSU was amazing.

"It taught me about this other world of science aside from veterinary medicine," she explained. "I had an opportunity to work with some of the leading radiation scientists from all over the world, and I could contribute with my veterinary skill set."

She said being a member of the research team also helped her develop an interest in public health and epidemiology, which she hopes to explore more as her career progresses.

Explore further Using snakes to monitor Fukushima radiation

More information: Kelly Cunningham et al, Evaluation of DNA damage and stress in wildlife chronically exposed to low-dose, low-dose rate radiation from the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident, Environment International (2021). Journal information: Environment International Kelly Cunningham et al, Evaluation of DNA damage and stress in wildlife chronically exposed to low-dose, low-dose rate radiation from the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident,(2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2021.106675
A southern resident killer whale seen from a drone swimming past a school of salmon near the mouth of the Fraser River. Credit: K. Holmes, Hakai Institute and University of British Columbia

A popular belief that there are fewer Chinook salmon during the summer in Canadian waters for southern resident killer whales, compared to an abundance of fish for northern resident killer whales, has been debunked by a study led by scientists at the University of British Columbia.

In a paper published today in the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, researchers report that the numbers of Chinook salmon in the Salish Sea in summertime are four to six times more abundant for southern resident killer whales than northern resident killer whales.

"People have been talking about a prey shortage as if it's a fact, but this is the first study to quantify and compare the amount of their preferred prey, Chinook salmon, available to southern and northern resident killer whales," said lead author Dr. Mei Sato, a research associate at the Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries at UBC at the time of the study, and now an assistant scientist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

While the small southern resident population numbered 73 individuals as of October 2021, the increasing northern resident population numbers around 300. In recent years, southern residents have also been returning later than normal to the inside coastal waters of British Columbia and Washington.

"Measurements from drone footage has shown the southern resident killer whales are thinner on average than the northern residentswhich supports the common belief that the southern residents are experiencing a food shortage," said co-author Dr. Andrew Trites (he/him), professor and director of the Marine Mammal Research Unit (MMRU) at the Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries at UBC. "Our findings suggest that this food shortage is probably not occurring during the summertime when they have traditionally fed in the Salish Sea."

A southern resident killer whale feeding with J-pod members near Vancouver on Chinook salmon returning to the Fraser River. Credit: A.W. Trites, University of British Columbia

For the study, the team spent the summers of 2018 and 2019 surveying two areas known to be important foraging habitats for resident killer whalesthe Johnstone Strait for northern residents and the Juan de Fuca Strait for southern residentswhere killer whales intercept migrating Chinook salmon returning to the Salish Sea.

Using state-of-the-art fish finders, the team compared the number and size of Chinook salmon in the two straits.

"We got help from sport and commercial fisherman, chartered fishing vessels and used echosounders to detect the number and size of fishes in the water," said Dr. Sato. "Killer whales use a similar technique to locate the fishonly it's much better than the electronic one we use because they can distinguish between different fish species in the water."

The team collaborated with sport and commercial fisherman, the Sport Fishing Institute of British Columbia, and whale watching companies to design the survey and conduct fish sampling. The collaboration identified the best timing to conduct field work based on peak salmon availability and killer whale foraging behavior.

A young southern resident killer whale calf (J56) carrying a dead fish between her teeth while swimming next to her mother (J31) in the Salish Sea. Credit: A.W. Trites, University of British Columbia

The team also captured sample fish to validate the acoustic signals from their fish finder and distinguish between different fish species, as killer whales prefer larger, older Chinook salmon.

They found that while the distribution and sizes of fish were similar in both straits, there were four to six times as many fish in each patch in the Juan de Fuca Strait.

Estimating prey fields for resident killer whales is a tall order, and this is the first study to use acoustic surveys to estimate the relative abundance of large salmons in the Salish sea. Dr. Stephane Gauthier (he/him), a scientist with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, believes that these measurements should be expanded, and that this study highlights the importance of assessing salmon distribution at sea using hydro-acoustics methods.

While the study looked at the availability of salmon, it did not assess other factors that might prevent the killer whales from catching the fish, such as higher vessel presence and noise in the Juan de Fuca Strait compared to Johnstone Strait.

Dr. Sato and a summer undergraduate student, Taryn Scarff, aboard ship surveying important foraging habitats for resident killer whales. Credit: A.W. Trites, University of British Columbia

Dr. Sato with echosounder equipment used to detect fish from onboard ship. Credit: A.W. Trites, University of British Columbia

Now that there is evidence that southern residents are not facing a prey shortage in their traditional summer feeding areas in Canadian waters, Dr. Sato and Dr. Trites agree that the focus of research efforts should be directed to other factors, areas and seasons.

"We don't really know about prey availability outside of the Salish Sea and outside the summer season. To answer the question of whether there's an overall prey shortage, we still need to figure out what's happening during winter and spring, whether there are significant fluctuations year-to-year and in the different locations these whales travel to, like California," said Dr. Sato.

Explore further Feds OK plan to cut salmon fishing when needed for orcas

More information: Mei Sato et al, Southern resident killer whales encounter higher prey densities than northern resident killer whales during summer, Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences (2021). Journal information: Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences Mei Sato et al, Southern resident killer whales encounter higher prey densities than northern resident killer whales during summer,(2021). DOI: 10.1139/cjfas-2020-0445
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Some aspects of military culture and lifestyle contribute to experiences of intimate partner violence and abuse (IPVA) in civilian partners of military personnel, according to a new report.

The report, led by Dr. Deirdre MacManus at the King's Centre for for Military Health Reserach, is one of the first UK qualitative studies to explore the unique experiences of civilian victim/survivors of IPVA perpetrated by serving or ex-service personnel.

In 25 interviews with survivors of IPVA perpetrated by military personnel, most reported multiple forms of abuse, with physical and psychological trauma resulting from their experiences.

Interviewees perceived some aspects of military culture as having contributed to their experiences. These included: military training or rank dynamics contributing to a normalization of violence and aggressive communication styles; alcohol use; the pressures resulting from work-family conflict (where family were viewed as "second best"); and a gender-focused expectation of female spouses within predominantly male military communities.

Aspects of military lifestyle, including frequent relocations, deployments and transition out of the military, were also seen to provide contexts in which IPVA was more likely to occur or worsen. Examples given were deployment separations and the challenges of reintegration into family life and/or relationships or difficulties adjusting to life after military service.

The research also examined reasons for and barriers to help-seeking among victim-survivors. Barriers to seeking help included a lack of understanding of IPVA, self-blame, isolation, a lack of awareness of help available and difficulty accessing services. Some common motivating factors for seeking help included extreme violence or an escalation in violence, and the need to protect children or other family support networks.

Those who did seek help reported mixed experiences of civilian and military support services, with many feeling that military support services prioritized or wanted to protect the serving person, and did not similarly prioritize their needs as civilian partners or provide sufficient victim protection. And yet many also reported lack of resources and staff skills in dealing with IPVA in civilian services and problems with sharing of information between military and civilian services, including between the Royal Military Police and the civilian justice system.

"This study forms part of a larger program of research which has explored IPVA in military communities. The voice of civilian partners and spouses who are victims-survivors of IPVA by military personnel was an essential part of this research. We hope that our findings will help the MOD in their review of their 2018 Domestic Abuse Strategy. Participants' experiences suggest that a shift in attitude to and understanding of IPVA is needed from the top down and bottom up in the military and action taken to reduce barriers to help-seeking for civilian partners, and improve access to and experience of both military and civilian support services," said Dr. Deirdre MacManus, lead researcher from KCMHR.

Recommendations in the report include:

Education on IPVA for military families

Training for health and welfare staff on identification and management of IPVA

Greater awareness of periods of increased risk of IPVA, such as post-separation, the peri-deployment period and transition to civilian life

Consideration of how to mitigate the negative impact of geographical relocations

More accessible, independent support, confidential of chain of command, for partners and families

Thomas McBarnet, Director of Programmes at Forces in Mind Trust, said, "The latest UK Armed Forces Families Strategy aims to recognize the vital role that Service families play. As part of this, we must recognize that sometimes, the challenges of military life can lead to violence and abuse at home. The findings and recommendations of the report are welcomed for raising important questions for the military chain of command and support services.

"This report is a wake-up call that there are vulnerable partners and groups at risk within the serving and veteran community."

Kathryn Fox experienced abuse from her former partner, who was in the Army. She said, "He was the love of our lives. But we lived a nightmare for 18 months when he came back from Afghanistan.

"Although I desperately wanted to help him, we had no support. I tried to speak to the Army Welfare Service, but they wouldn't help us because he wouldn't admit there was a problem, and my word wasn't enough. To walk away from the man you loved, when he was in so much pain, was the hardest decision I ever had to make. But it was the right decision to keep myself and my children safe.

"I know things have changed since then, but there is such a long way to go to make sure other families are supported in the way I wasn't. I hope people will take note of the experiences people have shared in this report, and act to improve the lives of Service families both past and present."

Explore further Colonels and generals more likely to find quality jobs after leaving armed forces than other ranks

More information: The study is available as a PDF at The study is available as a PDF at s31949.pcdn.co/wp-content/uplo  EPORT-DIGITAL-AW.pdf
The intestinal inhabitant Klebsiella pneumoniae is one of the most dreaded hospital germs. Credit: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)

Most people have already experienced first-hand how important a healthy microbiome is when they had to take a broad-spectrum antibiotic. Unfortunately, the drug does not only destroy the pathogens. It also affects the 'good' bacteria in the bowel that otherwise occupy the most important niches and help fend off pathogens. This protective mechanism is called colonization resistance. But which bacterial species are 'good', or 'commensal' in technical terms, and how can they protect against colonization, i.e. how can they prevent pathogens from settling? Prof. Till Strowig, HZI, and Prof. Barbel Stecher, LMU Munchen, decided to take a closer look at these questions.

Klebsiella pneumoniae has a strong opponent

The intestinal inhabitant Klebsiella pneumoniae is one of the most dreaded hospital germs, as it can cause severe pneumonia, urinary tract infections or even sepsis in weakened patients. It is increasingly resistant to common antibiotics and can facilitate further infections. In collaboration with partners in Magdeburg and Hannover, the HZI department led by Till Strowig, was able to isolate strains of a related bacterium from the intestine that are highly effective against K. pneumoniae. This species, identified as Klebsiella oxytoca, uses the same sugars as the pathogen, but it does it more efficiently so that there is not enough left for the pathogen to survive. "K. oxytoca can specifically force out multiresistant K. pneumoniae bacteria because it effectively blocks the niche to be occupied by the hospital germ", explains Strowig. The scientists were also able to show in mice that these bacteria help the bacterial composition inside the intestines regenerate more quickly after antibiotic therapy and ensure that protection against infections is restored.

"First we wanted to find out how susceptible healthy adults and children are to colonization with multi-resistant K. pneumoniae bacteria", says lead author Lisa Osbelt to explain the study approach. For this study, the scientists took stool samples from 100 healthy people and incubated them with the germ overnight. The next day, the growth of the bacteria was measured. It revealed a great variability in the colonization depending on each individual's microbial community in the intestine. Next, the group examined the samples in which the germ had grown poorly; in many of them K. oxytoca could be identified. The researchers then tested the behavior of the two bacteria in different mouse models and found that the addition of K. oxytoca can significantly reduce susceptibility to the hospital germ. When germ-free mice were colonized with different groups of bacteria (12 bacterial strains in total), three additional strains cooperated with K. oxytoca for the protective effect.

How 'good' E. coli bacteria can protect against salmonella infection

One of the best-known bacteria in the human gut is Escherichia coli, or E. coli for short. It is frequently mentioned in headlines as a 'bad' bacterium because it is considered an indicator of fecal contamination of drinking water, and certain variants can cause infections. But the bacterium has many different strains and, besides the pathogenic variants, there are also commensal representatives. However, so far little is known about the role of these variants for human health. Barbel Stecher and her team at the Max von Pettenkofer-Institute at the LMU found out some time ago that commensal E. coli protect against salmonella infection. Again, it is their sugar consumption that limits the growth of the salmonellae by depriving them of food.

In the current study, the researchers were able to demonstrate that this protective effect of E. coli also depends on the microbial environment in the gut. This means that it depends on which microorganisms are still present, in other words, whether E. coli is in good company. "If there are lachnospiraceae present in our model that can also metabolize simple sugars, E. coli can provide protection  otherwise, it can't", explains Stecher. She adds that "Overall, we now understand better why probiotics may also help in some people but not in others. The reason for it is the microbial environment, which varies greatly from person to person."

About mice and men: a step towards a protective bacterial cocktail?

Studying hundreds of bacteria and other microorganisms of the microbiota for their effects is an incredibly complex undertaking  even in mice. With their mouse model developed in Munich, the scientists can investigate the colonization and influence of pathogens in a specifically targeted manner. A synthetic cocktail of 12 bacterial strains colonizes germ-free mice stably over several generations and forms an intestinal microbiota representative of mice. Both studies involving Klebsiella and E. coli respectively use this model to carefully identify the interdependencies in the intestinal flora. But even in mice, it becomes clear how complex the interdependencies are. However, the studies of the microbiota researchers give us hope, because they show once again that we are on the right track with regard to the processes in the intestine.

"The use of live bacteria, so-called probiotics, for the treatment of patients with existing colonization and as preventive administration after antibiotic therapy is generally conceivable', says Till Strowig confidently. Barbel Stecher adds: "The utilization of a broad sugar range plays a major role for the design of these bacterial cocktails, and a protective cocktail must always contain more than one bacterium."

The research was published in Cell Host & Microbe.

Explore further Defining a healthy microbiome

More information: Lisa Osbelt et al, Klebsiella oxytoca causes colonization resistance against multidrug-resistant K. pneumoniae in the gut via cooperative carbohydrate competition, Cell Host & Microbe (2021). Journal information: Cell Host & Microbe Lisa Osbelt et al, Klebsiella oxytoca causes colonization resistance against multidrug-resistant K. pneumoniae in the gut via cooperative carbohydrate competition,(2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2021.09.003

Provided by German Center for Infection Research
Large eddy simulation model representing the evolution of a cough jet. Credit: Indian Institute of Technology Bombay

As the highly infectious delta variant of the coronavirus continues to spread across the United States, guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend even the vaccinated wear masks indoors to prevent exposure and transmission.

However, it is less clear what people should do when outside.

In Physics of Fluids, researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay found when a person coughs outdoors, wind flowing in the same direction can propagate the virus faster over longer distances than in calm conditions.

"The study is significant in that it points to the increased infection risk that coughing in the same direction as the wind could bring about," co-author Amit Agrawal said. "Based on the results, we recommend wearing masks outdoors, particularly in breezy conditions."

Other guidelines, such as coughing in an elbow or turning the face away while coughing, should be followed to reduce transmission when socializing outdoors.

Most studies model cough flow using puffs of air or a simple pulsating profile. But a real cough is more complicated, exhibiting turbulent flow with prominent vortical structures swirling like mini whirlpools.

To investigate these vortices, the researchers used a large eddy simulation, a numerical model in computational fluid dynamics that simulates turbulence. They modeled cough jets in breezy conditions and in calm conditions representing a typical indoor environment.

These simulations show even a light breeze of about 5 mph extends effective social distancing by around 20%, from 3-6 feet to 3.6-7.2 feet, depending on cough strength. At 9-11 mph, spreading of the virus increases in distance and duration.

The researchers found the vortices enable bigger droplets to persist in the air longer than has been typically assumed, increasing the time it takes to adequately dilute the viral load in fresh air. As the cough jet evolves and spreads, it interacts with the wind flowing in the same direction, and the bigger infected droplets become trapped in the jet's vortices instead of falling relatively quickly to the ground under gravity.

"The increase in residential time of some of the larger droplets will increase the viral load transmitting through the cough jet and, therefore, the chances of infection," Agrawal said. "Overall, the study highlights increased chances of infection in the presence of even a light breeze."

More information: "Effect of co-flow on fluid dynamics of a cough jet with implications in spread of COVID-19" Physics of Fluids, aip.scitation.org/doi/10.1063/5.0064104 Journal information: Physics of Fluids "Effect of co-flow on fluid dynamics of a cough jet with implications in spread of COVID-19"
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

A hard-hitting research report has revealed the devastating impact on COVID-19 lockdowns on communities due to people being unable to physically attend local groups and services, and recommends additional support for voluntary organizations.

Researchers from Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) interviewed members and organizers of these community groups and clubs, used by various ages and ethnicities in the north Essex districts of Colchester and Tendring, which includes Harwich and Clacton.

The impact of the removal of these valuable services, described by research participants as "lifelines" is laid bare in the new report, commissioned by North East Essex Health and Wellbeing Alliance with additional funding from local health commissioners, titled "Lessons of Lockdown: Community Asset Members' Experiences During the COVID-19 Pandemic."

The groups featured in the research included a cafe used by dementia sufferers, a toddler group, a bowls club, a project for military veterans, a support group for refugees, and organizations catering to different ethnic minorities.

Following on from their previous research, where they were able to capture members' experiences during the first few weeks of lockdown in the spring of 2020, in this latest study researchers interviewed members and leaders by telephone and via online calls between January and June 2021 to find out about their experiences since.

Interviews revealed members of all ages suffering from increased isolation, loneliness and anxiety as a result of the closures. Several members and leaders cited examples of marriage and relationship breakdown, financial hardship, and issues around domestic violence.

Older and vulnerable people and those shielding were particularly hard-hit, with some members and carers experiencing mental breakdown and suicidal thoughts.

The Dementia Cafe in Tendring, a place for those living with dementia and their carers to socialize and share information, was only able to provide a weekly phone call to members during lockdown.

Carers and leaders reported that those living with dementia were confused about the change, and many saw their condition worsen. One regular attendee, who cares for her husband said:

"I had a bit of a breakdown and social services got involved. I just lost it one day with one of the nurses. I just couldn't cope."

Some members of the community groups, particularly older people, also had difficulty either accessing or using the technology designed to help people communicate during the pandemic. Younger people, surveyed in the TeenTalk group, often lived in rural areas with poor access to public transport and many felt very isolated.

The TeenTalk group leader said:

"Some have coped with it quite well but others have really struggled with not being able to go out and see their friends. Some of their anxiety is going towards coronavirus. "When is it going to end? Are my parents going to catch it?" They have got worse through this time. Especially the ones who are suffering from extreme anxiety or have eating disorder and those early mental health issues."

The report also details some of the positive initiatives that some of the groups managed to involve members in, despite restrictions. The TeenTalk group provided activity packs containing craft materials and delivered them to more than 300 young people across Tendring.

The Colchester Islamic Community Centre (CICC) distributed food parcels for its members, including a box of chocolates for men and flowers for ladies. The members also formed a sewing group and made PPE items such as face masks that were donated to members and the community.

Dr. Oonagh Corrigan, Senior Lecturer at ARU, said:

"Of all our study participants, older people and those shielding have suffered the most during lockdown, often with little or inadequate community support.

"Those living with and caring with partners with dementia experienced extreme stress and anxiety, with some experiencing mental breakdowns. However, our study shows that the negative impact of social isolation on mental wellbeing was experienced by many other participants, including veterans who were diagnosed with PTSD, and refugees who had fled war and persecution.

"We found examples of relationship strain and breakdown for some participants as well as fear of the virus and concerns about vaccination.

"It is clear from our data that community assets play a key role in sustaining members' mental health and wellbeing. This capability needs to be recognized and possibly strengthened as groups physically reconvene, and they need to have access to more support such as funding and training opportunities for group leaders."

More information: Lessons of Lockdown: Community Asset Members' Experiences During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Lessons of Lockdown: Community Asset Members' Experiences During the COVID-19 Pandemic. aru.ac.uk/-/media/Files/press-  6E2439F052CE359881A8
From left: Doctoral student Thiago Grigolo, Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry Joel Smith, and undergraduate Ariana Subhit are looking for ways to synthesize a class of compounds used in new medications. Credit: Florida State University

A team of Florida State University chemists has developed a faster way to synthesize a class of compounds that are commonly used in the development of new medications.

Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry Joel M. Smith along with doctoral student Thiago Grigolo and undergraduate Ariana Subhit published a paper in the journal Organic Letters that outlines the process. This new reaction uses readily available materials and merges them with alkynyl building blocks with exquisite selectivity to synthesize dihydropyridines and piperidines, important rings that contain carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen.

Researchers across the world often make synthetic versions of naturally occurring organic compounds and turn them into therapeutics. Commonly, chemists typically use a piperidine ring as the starting scaffolding to build upon to forge new medicines. Substituted versions of piperidine rings can be difficult to synthesize, especially when substitution patterns and molecular space become more and more demanding to access.

Smith, Grigolo and Subhit created a simpler, faster process that chemists could use to produce piperidine rings more quickly and thus speed pharmaceutical development. Using their method, they were also able to asymmetrically synthesize a variety of piperidine-related products that have never been synthesized in a laboratory setting previously.

"Being able to build a variety of piperidines is of great interest to chemists," Smith said. "We're trying to create a toolbox of chemical reactions one could use to build a piperidine."

In order to selectively control the stereochemistry into this new reaction, the team attached an amino acid derivative to a specific spot on the piperidine that allowed them to control the outcome of the coupling event. Inspired by how enzymes use amino acids to control chemical reactions in a biological setting, the leveraging of amino acids to afford selectivity makes the process practical and economical. This was important in their asymmetric construction of the natural product lupinine, a chemical compound that can be used to interfere with the breakdown some neurotransmitters.

"It was wildly efficient," Smith said.

In the future, the team hopes to use this process on a variety of other compounds that have even greater value.

"There are a lot of potential applications," Grigolo said. "Also, since we put it out there, anyone can use it."

Smith said the team's ultimate goal is to make a variety of processes that are easily accessible to other researchers who are working to develop drugs for any manner of conditions. Smith noted that his undergraduate students were able to perform these reactions, so any industry chemist would easily be able to use it in drug development.

"We want it to be practical," he said. "Lots of chemistry is novel but not practical because people don't have access to esoteric entities needed to do it. We want it to be accessible."

Explore further Nobel Prize for groundbreaking way of building molecules that made chemistry greener

More information: Thiago A. Grigolo et al, Regioselective Asymmetric Alkynylation of N-Alkyl Pyridiniums, Organic Letters (2021). Journal information: Organic Letters Thiago A. Grigolo et al, Regioselective Asymmetric Alkynylation of N-Alkyl Pyridiniums,(2021). DOI: 10.1021/acs.orglett.1c02276
Protecting trees is key to meeting ambitious climate goals, with tropical rainforest loss accounting for about eight percent of annual carbon dioxide emissions, according to monitoring platform Global Forest Watch.

The collapse of a $1-billion deal to curb Indonesian deforestation has highlighted the pitfalls of a UN-backed global initiative, which critics say has been ineffective and trampled on indigenous communities' rights.

Protecting trees is key to meeting ambitious climate goals, with tropical rainforest loss accounting for about eight percent of annual carbon dioxide emissions, according to monitoring platform Global Forest Watch.

"This is make or break for the global climate," said Frances Seymour, a forestry expert from US environmental think-tank the World Resources Institute.

A key tool in the fight has been the United Nations-backed REDD+ mechanism, a framework where public and private funds are paid to developing countries to curb emissions by reducing deforestation.

Hundreds of projects have sprung up worldwide under the initiative over the past decade and major donors include Norway, Germany and Britain.

Projects range from national-level schemes supported by foreign governments to smaller, private ones, which generate "carbon credits" to be sold to firms seeking to offset emissions.

But the initiative has been dogged by controversy, with environmentalists saying projects in some places, including Cambodia, Peru and the Democratic Republic of Congo have failed to involve local communities and deliver on promised benefits, in some cases leading to conflict.

Last month, Indonesia, home to the world's third-largest expanse of tropical forest, walked away from the $1-billion deal with Norway, having received only a tiny fraction of the money.

Fundamentally flawed

Globally deforestation has only escalated in recent yearsdestruction of pristine rainforest was 12 percent higher in 2020 than the year before despite a global economic slowdown, according to Global Forest Watch.

Joe Eisen, executive director of Rainforest Foundation UK, said REDD+ is fundamentally flawed: "The architecture is wrong. It reduces forests down to their carbon values, rather than the intrinsic other values they havelike the people and nature."

Graphic showing the extent of forest cover loss in Indonesia 2001 - 2020, according to data from Global Forest Watch.

"Forests are so much more than the amount of carbon they absorb."

For the initiative's detractors, the collapse of Indonesia's deal with Norway, which was agreed in 2010 in a bid to reduce the Asian nation's rampant deforestation, has underlined REDD+ weaknesses.

The agreement outlined steps Jakarta needed to take, including developing a strategy to combat forest loss and come up with a monitoring system with the bulk of the payment to be based on deforestation reduction results.

But changes "advanced more slowly than expected" and deforestation actually increased initially, according to a 2015 report by the Center for Global Development.

And while figures show forest loss slowed in Indonesia in the past five years, authorities say they did not receive the expected first payment of $56 million for this success.

Indonesian officials told the Jakarta Post they terminated the deal because Norway had shown "no goodwill" and set additional requirements such as documentation on how the cash would be spent.

But Norway's ministry of climate and environment told AFP they believed the "few issues that remained could have been resolved relatively quickly".

Environmentalists fear the unravelling of the agreement is a blow to Indonesia's climate efforts.

"Does this rejection of Indonesia's most prominent international partnership signal a lack of ambition to reach... emissions reductions goals?" said Greenpeace forests campaigner Kiki Taufik.

Ancient forests lost forever

According to Global Forest Watch, Indonesia in 2001 had 93.8 million hectares (230 million acres) of primary forestancient forests which have largely not been disturbed by human activityan area about the size of Egypt.

Globally deforestation has only escalated in recent yearsdestruction of pristine rainforest was 12 percent higher in 2020 than the year before despite a global economic slowdown, according to Global Forest Watch.

By 2020, this figure had decreased by about 10 percent, meaning the archipelago lost virgin forest cover the size of Portugal.

Although the rate of forest loss has slowed since 2016, experts are sceptical the Norway deal played a substantial role, pointing to other factors, such as slower economic growth and higher rainfall.

Another major criticism of REDD+ is that schemes often fail to consider indigenous groups, whose lands and rights are often affected, or to properly compensate them for their role in protecting forests.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, local communities were not consulted before projects began, leading to violence and bloodshed, according to a Rainforest Foundation UK report.

A report by NGO Fern found villagers in one Cambodian project said they had received little if any of the money for their work patrolling lands to help prevent trees being cut down.

"REDD+ has so far been pursued without really paying attention to (indigenous communities') rights," said Alain Frechette, from the Rights and Resources Initiative, which has studied some REDD+ schemes.

The Amazon Fund set up in 2008 to pay for curbing deforestation in Brazil, to which Norway contributed $1.2 billion, has been hailed as a REDD+ success by some.

Seymour said: "It was definitely a thumb on the scale in terms of getting international recognition and finance that solidified political support."

But deforestation has escalated sharply since President Jair Bolsonaro came to power and rolled back environmental policies.

Seymourwho is also chair of the Architecture for REDD+ Transactions, which certifies national and provincial-scale credits under the mechanismsays the system should not be dumped but overhauled to focus on large-scale initiatives.

Referring to the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius compared with pre-industrial levels, she said: "There's no way you can meet the Paris temperature targets without stopping tropical deforestation."

Explore further Paying countries for carbon protects forests, but only if payments continue

 2021 AFP
42 of the largest objects in the asteroid belt, located between Mars and Jupiter. Most of them are larger than 100 kilometers, with the two biggest asteroids being Ceres and Vesta, which are around 940 and 520 kilometers in diameter, and the two smallest ones being Urania and Ausonia, each only about 90 kilometers.The images of the asteroids have been captured with the Spectro-Polarimetric High-contrast Exoplanet REsearch (SPHERE) instrument on ESOs Very Large Telescope. Credit: ESO/M. Kornmesser/Vernazza et al./MISTRAL algorithm (ONERA/CNRS)

The detailed images of these 42 objects are a leap forward in exploring asteroids, made possible thanks to ground-based telescopes, and contribute to answering the ultimate question of life, the Universe, and everything.

"Only three large main belt asteroids, Ceres, Vesta and Lutetia, have been imaged with a high level of detail so far, as they were visited by the space missions Dawn and Rosetta of NASA and the European Space Agency, respectively," explains Pierre Vernazza, from the Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille in France, who led the asteroid study published today in Astronomy & Astrophysics. "Our ESO observations have provided sharp images for many more targets, 42 in total."

The previously small number of detailed observations of asteroids meant that, until now, key characteristics such as their 3-D shape or density had remained largely unknown. Between 2017 and 2019, Vernazza and his team set out to fill this gap by conducting a thorough survey of the major bodies in the asteroid belt.

Most of the 42 objects in their sample are larger than 100 km in size; in particular, the team imaged nearly all of the belt asteroids larger than 200 kilometers, 20 out of 23. The two biggest objects the team probed were Ceres and Vesta, which are around 940 and 520 kilometers in diameter, whereas the two smallest asteroids are Urania and Ausonia, each only about 90 kilometers.

By reconstructing the objects' shapes, the team realized that the observed asteroids are mainly divided into two families. Some are almost perfectly spherical, such as Hygiea and Ceres, while others have a more peculiar, "elongated" shape, their undisputed queen being the "dog-bone" asteroid Kleopatra.

By combining the asteroids' shapes with information on their masses, the team found that the densities change significantly across the sample. The four least dense asteroids studied, including Lamberta and Sylvia, have densities of about 1.3 grams per cubic centimeter, approximately the density of coal. The highest, Psyche and Kalliope, have densities of 3.9 and 4.4 grams per cubic centimeter, respectively, which is higher than the density of diamond (3.5 grams per cubic centimeter).

This large difference in density suggests the asteroids' composition varies significantly, giving astronomers important clues about their origin. "Our observations provide strong support for substantial migration of these bodies since their formation. In short, such tremendous variety in their composition can only be understood if the bodies originated across distinct regions in the Solar System," explains Josef Hanus of the Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic, one of the authors of the study. In particular, the results support the theory that the least dense asteroids formed in the remote regions beyond the orbit of Neptune and migrated to their current location.

These findings were made possible thanks to the sensitivity of the Spectro-Polarimetric High-contrast Exoplanet REsearch (SPHERE) instrument mounted on ESO's VLT. "With the improved capabilities of SPHERE, along with the fact that little was known regarding the shape of the largest main belt asteroids, we were able to make substantial progress in this field," says co-author Laurent Jorda, also of the Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille.

Astronomers will be able to image even more asteroids in fine detail with ESO's upcoming Extremely Large Telescope (ELT), currently under construction in Chile and set to start operations later this decade. "ELT observations of main-belt asteroids will allow us to study objects with diameters down to 35 to 80 kilometers, depending on their location in the belt, and craters down to approximately 10 to 25 kilometers in size," says Vernazza. "Having a SPHERE-like instrument at the ELT would even allow us to image a similar sample of objects in the distant Kuiper Belt. This means we'll be able to characterize the geological history of a much larger sample of small bodies from the ground."

Explore further ESO telescope reveals what could be the smallest dwarf planet yet in the solar system

More information: P. Vernazza et al, VLT/SPHERE imaging survey of the largest main-belt asteroids: Final results and synthesis, Astronomy & Astrophysics (2021). Journal information: Astronomy & Astrophysics P. Vernazza et al, VLT/SPHERE imaging survey of the largest main-belt asteroids: Final results and synthesis,(2021). DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/202141781
Credit: AzamKamolov, Pixabay

Emergency federal dollars given to the unemployed during the COVID-19 pandemic bolstered health care spending as jobless rates skyrocketed, a new University of Michigan study found.

But the negative consequences of unemployment and moderating effects of federal income support were greatest in states that did not adopt Medicaid expansion. The study, published in the current issue of Health Services Research, contributes to previous findings that federal income support programs can mitigate hardship during economic crises.

Before the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation of $600 weekly was implemented nationwide, health services spending declined by 1% for every percentage point increase in the unemployment insurance claims rate, as compared to pre-pandemic levels.

"Yet the reality that a temporary federal program bolstered health care spending during a public health and economic crisis underscores the perils of a fragmented and costly health care system that ties coverage to employment for working-age people and fails to provide universal coverage," said study co-author Luke Shaefer, U-M's Poverty Solutions faculty director.

The study targeted a brief period, spanning 31 weeks starting in mid-January 2020, when the pandemic was in its early stages. At that time, the federal government passed many unprecedented spending measures. Unfortunately for millions of workers, Congress allowed those federal unemployment insurance programs that were studied to expire last month, said lead author Michael Evangelist, a postdoctoral research scientist at Columbia University's School of Social Work. He conducted the research with others as a U-M doctoral student of social work before going to New York this past summer.

Researchers used data on credit and debit card purchases nationwide to estimate the buffering effects of expanded unemployment insurance benefits on declines in health care services spending during the pandemic.

Specifically, the spending focused on regular visits to doctors and other health practitioners like dentists and optometrists, as well as ambulance services, visits to hospitals and nursing home costs. These data, however, do not capture insurance premiums or prescription drugs purchased at retail outlets.

For each percentage point increase in the unemployment insurance claims rate, health care spending declined by 1% in Medicaid expansion states and by 2% in nonexpansion states. Overall, FPUC payments mitigated half of this negative association, the research indicated.

Researchers also noted that other studies have found that unemployment insurance mitigates the negative health effects of job loss. When benefits are generous, it can lower suicide rates, improve physical activity among the unemployed, and increase health insurance coverage and utilization.

Shaefer, the Hermann and Amalie Kohn Professor of Social Justice and Social Policy and associate dean for research and policy engagement at U-M's Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, and Evangelist also co-authored the study with Pinghui Wu, who works at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. She was a postdoctoral research fellow at Poverty Solutions when she did this work.

More information: Michael Evangelist et al, Emergency unemployment benefits and health care spending during Covid, Health Services Research (2021). Journal information: Health Services Research Michael Evangelist et al, Emergency unemployment benefits and health care spending during Covid,(2021). DOI: 10.1111/1475-6773.13772
Researchers believe this fossil of a jaw bone found in Costa Rica belongs to a dog that lived 12,000 years ago.

The fossil of a jaw bone could prove that domesticated dogs lived in Central America as far back as 12,000 years ago, according to a study by Latin American scientists.

The dogs, and their masters, potentially lived alongside giant animals, researchers say.

A 1978 dig in Nacaome, northeast Costa Rica, found bone remains from the Late Pleistocene.

Excavations began in the 1990s and produced the remains of a giant horse, Equus sp, a glyptodon (a large armadillo), a mastodon (an ancestor of the modern elephant) and a piece of jaw from what was originally thought to be a coyote skull.

"We thought it was very strange to have a coyote in the Pleistocene, that is to say 12,000 years ago," Costa Rican researcher Guillermo Vargas told AFP.

"When we started looking at the bone fragments, we started to see characteristics that could have been from a dog.

"So we kept looking, we scanned it... and it showed that it was a dog living with humans 12,000 years ago in Costa Rica."

The presence of dogs is a sign that humans were also living in a place.

"We thought it was strange that a sample was classified as a coyote because they only arrived in Costa Rica in the 20th century."

Costa Rican researcher Guillermo Vargas says the fossil sample could be the oldest evidence of a dog in the Americas.

First of its kind

The coyote is a relative of the domestic dog, although with a different jaw and more pointed teeth.

"The dog eats the leftovers from human food. Its teeth are not so determinant in its survival," said Vargas.

"It hunts large prey with its human companions. This sample reflects that difference."

Humans are believed to have emigrated to the Americas across the Bering Strait from Siberia to Alaska during the last great ice age.

"The first domesticated dogs entered the continent about 15,000 years ago, a product of Asians migrating across the Bering Strait," said Raul Valadez, a biologist and zooarcheologist from the National Autonomous University of Mexico.

"There have never been dogs without people," Valadez told AFP by telephone.

The presence of humans during the Pleistocene has been attested in Mexico, Chile and Patagonia, but never in Central America, until now.

"This could be the oldest dog in the Americas," said Vargas.

Originally though to be that of a coyote, the jaw sample's teeth are not as pointy and thus more likely to be that of a dog.

So far, the oldest attested dog remains were found in Alaska and are 10,150 years old.

Oxford University has offered to perform DNA and carbon dating tests on the sample to discover more genetic information about the animal and its age.

The fossil is currently held at Costa Rica's national museum but the sample cannot be re-identified as a dog without validation by a specialist review.

"This dog discovery would be the first evidence of humans in Costa Rica during a period much earlier" than currently thought, said Vargas.

"It would show us that there were societies that could keep dogs, that had food surpluses, that had dogs out of desire and that these weren't war dogs that could cause damage."

Explore further How did dogs get to the Americas? An ancient bone fragment holds clues

 2021 AFP
In a world that heats two degrees above preindustrial levels, land currently inhabited by 700 million people would regularly be inundated by high tides.

Even if humanity beats the odds and caps global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels, seas will rise for centuries to come and swamp cities currently home to half-a-billion people, researchers warned Tuesday.

In a world that heats up another half-degree above that benchmark, an additional 200 million of today's urban dwellers would regularly find themselves knee-deep in sea water and more vulnerable to devastating storm surges, they reported in Environmental Research Letters.

Worst hit in any scenario will be Asia, which accounts for nine of the ten mega-cities at highest risk.

Land home to more than half the populations of Bangladesh and Vietnam fall below the long-term high tide line, even in a 2C world.

Built-up areas in China, India and Indonesia would also face devastation.

Most projections for sea level rise and the threat it poses to shoreline cities run to the end of the century and range from half-a-meter to less than twice that, depending how quickly carbon pollution is reduced.

But oceans will continue to swell for hundreds of years beyond 2100fed by melting ice sheets, heat trapped in the ocean and the dynamics of warming waterno matter how aggressively greenhouse gas emissions are drawn down, the findings show.

Not 'if' but 'when'

"Roughly five percent of the world's population today live on land below where the high tide level is expected to rise based on carbon dioxide that human activity has already added to the atmosphere," lead author Ben Strauss, CEO and chief scientist of Climate Central, told AFP.

Number of people living in zones that could be underwater due to rising sea levels, after 2100.

Today's concentration of CO 2 which lingers for hundreds of yearsis 50 percent higher than in 1800, and Earth's average surface temperature has already risen 1.1C.

That's enough to eventually push up sea levels nearly two meters (more than six feet), whether it takes two centuries or 10, Strauss said.

The 1.5C warming limit enshrined in the Paris Agreement that nations will try to keep in play at the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow next month translates into nearly three meters over the long haul.

Unless engineers figure out how to quickly remove massive amounts of CO 2 from the atmosphere, that amount of sea level rise is not a matter of "if" but "when", according to the study.

These are the optimistic scenarios.

"The headline finding for me is the stark difference between a 1.5C world after sharp pollution cuts versus a world after 3C or 4C of warming," Strauss said.

"At Glasgow and for the rest of this decade, we have the chance to help or to betray a hundred generations to come."

Buying time

National carbon-cutting pledges under the 2015 Paris treaty would, if honored, still see Earth warm 2.7C by 2100. If efforts to reign in greenhouse gases falter, temperatures could rise 4C or more above mid-19th century levels.

In China alone, land occupied today by 200 million people would fall below high tide in a 3C scenario.

This much warming would add six to nine meters to global oceans over the long haul, and force cities currently home to nearly a billion people to either mount massive defenses against future sea level rise or rebuild on higher ground.

In China alone, land occupied today by 200 million people would fall below high tide in a 3C scenario. And the threat is not only long-term: absent massive sea walls, Chinese cityscapes home to tens of millions could become unlivable within 80 years.

"1.5C of warming will still lead to devastating sea level rise, but the hotter alternatives are far worse," said Strauss.

"We're in bad shape but it is never too late to do better, and the difference we could make is enormous."

At higher levels of warming, the danger increases substantially of triggering the irreversible disintegration of ice sheets or the release of natural stores of CO 2 and methane in permafrost, scientists warn.

Capping global warming as low as possible also buys us time to adapt.

"It is almost certain that seas will rise more slowly in a 1.5C or 2C warmer world," Strauss said.

Researchers from Princeton University and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany contributed to the study.

Explore further Half a degree makes a big difference in a warming world

More information: Benjamin H Strauss et al, Unprecedented threats to cities from multi-century sea level rise, Environmental Research Letters (2021). Journal information: Environmental Research Letters Benjamin H Strauss et al, Unprecedented threats to cities from multi-century sea level rise,(2021). DOI: 10.1088/1748-9326/ac2e6b

 2021 AFP
Schematic illustration of a freshwater lens on an island. Credit: Wikimedia Commons.

Portland, Ore., USA: Coastal regions and small ocean islands face significant risks from rising sea levels due to climate change, because waters can flood and inundate low-lying land surfaces. "Climate change has become a more critical issue recently, especially for island countries and island provinces like the Bahamas. They are not only facing a water shortage problem because of the limitations of the islands, but also they are facing a coastal inundation problem due to sea level rise caused by climate change," said Yipeng Zhang, a postdoctoral associate at the University of Texas at El Paso.

Zhang will present research on Wednesday at the Geological Society of America's Connects 2021 annual meeting in Portland, Oregon, that evaluates the impact on freshwater resources on small tropical islands due to sea level rise.

"What makes the news quite a bit, rightfully so, when we think about sea-level rise and islands is inundation and loss of land, especially for low-lying islands, but our focus is water resources," said Alex Mayer, a professor of civil engineering at the University of Texas at El Paso and principal investigator of this freshwater resource project. "In island aquifers, freshwater is usually found on a lens sitting on top of seawater, due to density differences. That [freshwater] lens can be a very precious and valuable resource especially because many of these islands don't have access to sufficient surface water resources, so they're maybe completely dependent on the groundwater."

While it has been well known that freshwater lenses shorten as sea level rises and the coastline becomes inundated, thus putting freshwater resources at risk, Zhang and Mayer's research group focuses on the effects of lakes forming and expanding on small islands. As sea level rises, there will be more flooding or inundation in the center interior of islands, so lakes or wetlands will expand laterally, and lakes may even form where there were none previously.

"The lakes are in hydrologic connection to the groundwater. Evaporation rates from the lake are much greater than the evaporation rates from the land surface, and so the lakes can act as a pump, essentially, in drawing water from below. And that can result in saltwater coming up all the way to the surface," said Mayer.

This "pumping" effect that brings saltwater to the surface can divide and compromise the lens of freshwater, thereby reducing the volume of available freshwater to use for drinking and other needs. To investigate the impact of expanding lakes on freshwater resources, Zhang and Mayer modeled different scenarios using a 30-year climate record from San Salvador Island in the Bahamas and different rates of sea-level rise with seasonal climate variability.

Zhang's work in particular focuses on the effect of mixing at the interface of the freshwater lens and saltwater below, because mixing between these layers can contaminate the freshwater. As sea level rises and lakes form and expand, the mixing zone increases, consequently reducing the available freshwater. Seasonal climate variations between wet and dry phases also cause enhanced mixing, since the lens will grow in the wet season and retract in the dry season, thus moving back and forth in a cyclical motion.

Understanding the impact of sea-level rise and lake formation on freshwater lens resources is critical in developing sustainable groundwater management strategies for ocean islands. For islands that rely on this groundwater as their main source of potable water, desalination may become an inevitable part of their future.

"I would hope there's some kind of climate justice involved, too, to help island nations overcome the problems of sea-level rise," said Mayer. "In my mind, the island nations did not cause the problem, it's the responsibility of the industrialized nations."

More information: Yipeng Zhang et al, Freshwater resource depletion on ocean islands as lakes form and expand with sea level rise, Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs (2021). Yipeng Zhang et al, Freshwater resource depletion on ocean islands as lakes form and expand with sea level rise,(2021). DOI: 10.1130/abs/2021AM-370157
The picture shows the head of an individual resting on the ground, just after its eyes were uncovered for release. Usually, these lizards spent a few minutes relaxing and recovering from the handling process before running away. During the handling their eyes are folded with a bandana to reduce stress. Credit: Sergio Guerrero-Sanchez, CC-BY 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

A team of researchers from Cardiff University working with staff at the Danau Girang Field Centre in Sabah, Malaysia, has found that monitor lizards living in the Malaysian part of Borneo prefer to reside in the natural forests that abut oil plantations, rather than in the plantations themselves. They have published a paper describing their findings on the open-access site PLOS ONE.

Prior research has shown that Asian water monitor lizards do well in areas where oil palm plantations replace the native plants and trees. At times, their numbers grow higher than in their native surroundings because of the abundant food supply courtesy of tree leftovers and the rodents that feed on them. The researchers with this new effort were puzzled when they found that the monitor lizards living in the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary seemed to prefer living in the forests next to the plantations, rather than in them.

The sanctuary outlines the path taken by the Kinabatangan River and in addition to the monitors, is home to exotic species such as Bornean elephants, orangutans and proboscis monkeys. To learn more about the monitors, the researchers set traps and captured 400 specimens, each of which was weighed and measured and tagged with a tracking chip. After three years of studying the movements of the lizards, the researchers found that they clearly preferred living in the forests that surrounded the oil palm plantations. They mostly traveled to the plantations when they wanted an easy meal. They also found that the monitors were thrivingtheir numbers were higher than in places where there are no oil palm plantationsand some were bigger than those in natural habitats. The researchers suggest the high numbers of lizards could also be explained by the scarcity of Sunda clouded leopards, a competitor for food.

Speculating about why the lizards preferred the nearby forest, the researchers suggest it is likely because they provide better breeding grounds by giving shelter for hatchlings (almost all of the younger lizards lived exclusively in the forest). They also suggest the tree cover helps keep eggs cooler.

Explore further Limited value of tree plantations for biodiversity conservation

More information: Sergio Guerrero-Sanchez et al, The critical role of natural forest as refugium for generalist species in oil palm-dominated landscapes, PLOS ONE (2021). Journal information: PLoS ONE Sergio Guerrero-Sanchez et al, The critical role of natural forest as refugium for generalist species in oil palm-dominated landscapes,(2021). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0257814

 2021 Science X Network
Desert Locust: mature adult. Credit: A. Monard, CIRAD

In 2019 and 2020, desert locusts once again plagued parts of East Africa and huge areas as far as India and Pakistan through the Arabian Peninsula, in an infestation that was described as the worst in decades. A serious agricultural pest, the desert locust Schistocerca gregaria can feed on most types of crops, including grains, vegetables and fruit, causing significant damage to agricultural production and threatening food security in many countries.

Since the 1960s, a preventive control strategy against this pest has been implemented, based on monitoring of outbreak areas and ecological conditions, followed, if necessary, by early intervention and limited use of pesticides, so that any outbreak can be stopped as soon as possible. With 60 years of hindsight, desert locust invasions are now less frequent, smaller in scale and, if they cannot be stopped early, they are adequately managed.

However, financial and political uncertainties in many parts of the desert locust's range continue to sustain the threat, and not all invasions can be stopped early. This was the case in 2018, when such an upsurge was largely aided by rains in the southern Arabian Peninsula. Locusts could not be detected for several months and therefore went unchecked, mainly due to the insecure conditions, especially in Yemen. The swarms then progressively contaminated a large part of East Africa and spread to Iran, Pakistan and India. Pakistan, in particular, subject to periodic swarm invasions in the past, faced a particularly severe situation in 2019-2020, where the swarms could only be contained after several months of intensive control.

Scientists Riffat Sultana, Ahmed Ali Samejo and Samiallah Soomro (University of Sindh, Pakistan), Santosh Kumar (University of Cholistan, Pakistan) and Michel Lecoq (former director of a locust research unit at CIRAD, France) synthesized these two years of upsurge in a new research article published in the open-access Journal of Orthoptera Research. They focused on Pakistan, the damage caused in this country, and the surveillance and control operations undertaken, clarifying, at the same time, at both national and international level, the role of the different actors in the management of this pest, and suggesting some improvements for the future.

Desert Locust: hopper. Credit: A. Foucart, CIRAD

During this upsurge, a great deal of damage was caused to all types of crops. The Government of Pakistan's preliminary estimate of monetary losses due to desert locusts for the agricultural seasons 2020 and 2021 ranges from $3.4 billion to $10.21 billion. More than 3 million people were facing severe acute food insecurity.

The authors also note that Pakistan needs to continue to be prepared and improve the prevention system already in place. They suggest developing compensatory measures for local populations in the event of an uncontrolled invasion at an early stage, increasing the use of alternatives to chemical pesticides such as mycopesticides, and maintaining funding mechanisms that provide sustainable support even in times of recession. Perhaps the most important challenge is certainly to maintain long-term efforts to build resilience, despite the apparent absence of imminent threats.

Explore further Indian drones pursue locusts as swarms destroy swathes of crops

More information: Riffat Sultana et al, The 20192020 upsurge of the desert locust and its impact in Pakistan, Journal of Orthoptera Research (2021). Riffat Sultana et al, The 20192020 upsurge of the desert locust and its impact in Pakistan,(2021). DOI: 10.3897/jor.30.65971
The drill hole from Perseverance's second sample-collection attempt can be seen, in this composite of two images taken on Sept. 1, 2021, by one of the Perseverance rover's navigation cameras. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

NASA, along with the European Space Agency, is developing a campaign to return the Martian samples to Earth.

On Sept. 1, NASA's Perseverance rover unfurled its arm, placed a drill bit at the Martian surface, and drilled about 2 inches, or 6 centimeters, down to extract a rock core. The rover later sealed the rock core in its tube. This historic event marked the first time a spacecraft packed up a rock sample from another planet that could be returned to Earth by future spacecraft.

Mars Sample Return is a multi-mission campaign designed to retrieve the cores Perseverance will collect over the next several years. Currently in the concept design and technology development phase, the campaign is one of the most ambitious endeavors in spaceflight history, involving multiple spacecraft, multiple launches, and dozens of government agencies.

"Returning a sample from Mars has been a priority for the planetary science community since the 1980s, and the potential opportunity to finally realize this goal has unleashed a torrent of creativity," said Michael Meyer, lead scientist for NASA's Mars Exploration Program based at NASA Headquarters in Washington.

This illustration shows a concept for a set of future robots working together to ferry back samples from the surface of Mars collected by NASA's Mars Perseverance rover. Credit: NASA/ESA/JPL-Caltech

The benefit of analyzing samples back on Earth  rather than assigning the task to a rover on the Martian surface  is that scientists can use many kinds of cutting-edge lab technologies that are too big and too complex to send to Mars. And they can do analyses much faster in the lab while providing far more information on whether life ever existed on Mars.

"I have dreamed of having Mars samples to analyze since I was a graduate student," said Meenakshi Wadhwa, principal scientist for the Mars Sample Return program, which is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. "The collection of these well-documented samples will eventually allow us to analyze them in the best laboratories here on Earth once they are returned."

Mars Sample Return would involve several firsts aimed at settling an open question: Has life taken root anywhere in the solar system besides Earth? "I've been working my whole career for the opportunity to answer this question," said Daniel Glavin, an astrobiologist from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Glavin is helping design systems to protect the Martian samples from contamination throughout their journey from Mars to Earth.

Being developed in collaboration with ESA (the European Space Agency), Mars Sample Return would require autonomously launching a rocket full of precious extraterrestrial cargo from the surface of Mars. Engineers would need to ensure that the rocket's trajectory aligns with that of a spacecraft orbiting Mars so the sample capsule could be transferred to the orbiter. The orbiter would then return the sample capsule to Earth, where scientists would be waiting to safely contain it prior to transport to a secure biohazard facility, one that is under development now.

Before bringing Martian samples to Earth, scientists and engineers must overcome several challenges. Here's a look at one:

Collecting samples from Mars and bringing them back to Earth will be a historic undertaking that started with the launch of NASAs Perseverance rover on July 30, 2020. Perseverance collected its first rock core samples in September 2021. Credit: NASA/ESA/JPL-Caltech

Protecting Earth From Mars

Keeping samples chemically pristine for rigorous study on Earth while subjecting their storage container to extreme sterilization measures to ensure nothing hazardous is delivered to Earth is a task that makes Mars Sample Return truly unprecedented.

Billions of years ago the Red Planet may have had a cozy environment for life that thrives in warm and wet conditions. However, it's highly unlikely that NASA will bring back samples with living Martian organisms, based on decades of data from orbiters, landers, and rovers at Mars. Instead, scientists are hoping to find fossilized organic matter or other signs of ancient microbial life.

Despite the low risk of bringing anything alive to Earth, an abundance of caution is driving NASA to take significant measures to ensure the Martian samples remain securely sealed throughout their journey. After collecting rock cores throughout Jezero Crater and placing them inside tubes made mostly of titanium, one of the world's strongest metals, Perseverance tightly seals the tubes to prevent the inadvertent release of even the smallest particle. The tubes are then stored in the rover's belly until NASA decides on the time and place to drop them on the Martian surface.

A sample return campaign would include an ESA sample fetch rover that would launch from Earth later this decade to pick up these samples collected by Perseverance. Engineers at NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio, are designing the wheels for the fetch rover. The rover would transfer samples to a lander, being developed at JPL. A robotic arm on the lander would pack the samples into the tip of a rocket that is being designed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

The first cored sample of Mars rock is visible (at center) inside a titanium sample collection tube in this from the Sampling and Caching System Camera (known as CacheCam) of NASA's Perseverance rover. The image was taken on Sept. 6, 2021 (the 194th sol, or Martian day, of the mission), prior to the system attaching and sealing a metal cap onto the tube. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

The rocket would deliver the sample capsule to Martian orbit, where an ESA orbiter would be waiting to receive it. Inside the orbiter, the capsule would be prepared for delivery to Earth by a payload being developed by a team led by NASA Goddard. This preparation would include sealing the sample capsule inside a clean container to trap any Martian material inside, sterilizing the seal, and using a robotic arm being developed at Goddard to place the sealed container into an Earth-entry capsule before the return trip to Earth.

One of the primary tasks for NASA engineers is figuring out how to seal and sterilize the sample container without obliterating important chemical signatures in the rock cores inside. Among the techniques the team is currently testing is brazing, which involves melting a metal alloy into a liquid that essentially glues metal together. Brazing can seal the sample container at a temperature high enough to sterilize any dust that might remain in the seam.

"Among our biggest technical challenges right now is that inches away from metal that's melting at about 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit (or 538 degrees Celsius) we have to keep these extraordinary Mars samples below the hottest temperature they might have experienced on Mars, which is about 86 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius)," said Brendan Feehan, the Goddard systems engineer for the system that will capture, contain, and deliver the samples to Earth aboard ESA's orbiter. "Initial results from the testing of our brazing solution have affirmed that we're on the right path."

Careful design by Feehan and his colleagues would allow heat to be applied only to where it is needed for brazing, limiting heat flow to the samples. Additionally, engineers could insulate the samples in a material that will absorb the heat and then release it very slowly, or they could install conductors that direct the heat away from the samples.

Whatever technique the team develops will be critical not only for the Martian samples, Glavin said, but for future sample-return missions to Europa or Enceladus, "where we could collect and return fresh ocean plume samples that could contain living extraterrestrial organisms. So we need to figure this out."

NASA's rigorous efforts to eliminate risk of harmful contamination of Earth date to the international Outer Space Treaty of 1967, which calls on nations to prevent contaminating celestial bodies with organisms from Earth, and to prevent contamination of Earth through returned samples. To safely return a Martian sample to Earth, NASA is partnering not only with ESA, but also with at least 19 U.S. government departments and agencies, including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Explore further NASA Mars rover may have snagged 1st rock sample for return
MiR-574-5p and mPGES-1 colocalize in human lung cancer. Paraffin-embedded tissue sections were stained for miR-574-5p (blue) via in situ hybridization (ISH) and for mPGES-1 (brown) via immunohistochemistry (IHC). (a) AC tissue section stained for miR-574-5p, counterstained with nuclear fast red (red). (b) AC tissue section stained for mPGES-1, counterstained with haematoxylin (blue). (c) SCC tissue section stained for miR-574-5p, counterstained with nuclear fast red (red). (d) SCC tissue section stained for mPGES-1, counterstained with haematoxylin (blue). Representative images of 14 independent patients (7x AC and 7X SCC) are shown. Scale bars in AC tissue sections: 3 mm, SCC tissue sections: 2 mm, magnified images: 200 m. Credit: DOI: 10.1002/jev2.12143

All cells in a multicellular organism must be precisely coordinated in order for the organism to function correctly. This applies both to healthy tissue and also tumors. Communication between the cells is extremely important and is achieved via direct cellular contact or using messenger substances. Recent studies have also shown that cells emit extracellular vesiclesso-called exosomes with a size of 50 to 200 nanometresinto the surrounding environment that play a key role in intercellular communication.

For a long time, these vesicles were not considered to have much biological significance. It was assumed that the cells used them to dispose of unnecessary molecules. We now know that these vesicles are fundamentally important for the regulation of different physiological processes and illnesses such as cancer.

In cellular communication, microRNA (miRNA) in exosomes plays a particularly important role. MicroRNAs are small ribonucleic acid molecules that play a key role in the regulation of gene expression and cellular protein synthesis.

The research group headed by Dr. Meike Saul in the Department of Biology at the Technical University of Darmstadt is investigating the physiological functions of these exosomal miRNA and recently had great success in their research into lung cancer. Lung cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death around the world. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common type of lung carcinoma and accounts for about 80 percent of all cases.

It is known that most cases of non-small cell lung cancer are associated with an overexpression of the pro-inflammatory lipid mediator prostaglandin E 2 (PGE 2 ) which strongly promotes tumor growth. The extent to which tumor and inflammation-promoting lipid mediators influence the communication between cells via exosomes had not been investigated up to now. Saul, her scientific assistants Dr. Julia Donzelli and Eva Prostler as well as other researchers at TU Darmstadt, the University of Gieen and the Karolinska Institute (Stockholm/Sweden) were able to demonstrate for the first time in this study that PGE 2 significantly increases the exosomal secretion of microRNA miR-574-5p in lung cancer cells.

In addition, the team discovered that miR-574-5p transported in exosomes activates an immune receptor that lowers PGE 2 levels. This function in exosomes differs from the function of intracellular miR-574-5p, which initiates PGE 2 biosynthesis. The study showed that a combination of intracellular and exosomal miR-574-5p controls PGE 2 levels via a feedback loop. This suggests that it may be possible to use this finding to influence tumor growth.

There are various subtypes of non-small cell lung cancer. In one of the most common types, adenocarcinoma, the researchers discovered that exosomal miR-574-5p had an influence on PGE 2 biosynthesis. The research team headed by Saul suggests that this is due to the unique composition of the various proteins on the exosomal surface.

In this study, Saul and her colleagues were able to show for the first time that the function of a miRNA within a cell can be the exact opposite of its function in the exosome. Depending on the uptake mechanism, an exosomal miRNA can be released at different locations within a cell, which can decisively influence the function of the miRNA.

This newly discovered relationship between miR-574-5p and PGE 2 opens up new therapeutic possibilities for lung cancer. "The results will act as the basis for the development of innovative and personalized therapies," explains Saul. "Combining standard cancer therapies with inhibitors against PGE 2 synthesis is a very promising treatment strategy." Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are a well-known inhibitor of PGE 2 synthesis. "Unfortunately, the tumor-inhibiting effect of PGE 2 inhibitors was not observed in all of the tumor patients," says Saul. Saul believes that this is due to the individual PGE 2 synthesis rates of the patients. The aim is thus to find a biomarker that identifies those patients who could benefit from the administration of PGE 2 inhibitors (stratification marker).

"miR-574-5p could be used as a tumor and stratification marker to select lung tumor patients who are likely to respond to the pharmacological inhibition of PGE 2 biosynthesis. We are currently conducting a clinical study to further validate our hypothesis," says Saul.

The results were recently published in the Journal of Extracellular Vesicles.

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More information: Julia Donzelli et al, Small extracellular vesiclederived miR5745p regulates PGE2biosynthesis via TLR7/8 in lung cancer, Journal of Extracellular Vesicles (2021). Julia Donzelli et al, Small extracellular vesiclederived miR5745p regulates PGE2biosynthesis via TLR7/8 in lung cancer,(2021). DOI: 10.1002/jev2.12143
Sarah L. Milton, Ph.D., pictured with a green sea turtle with Green Turtle Fibropapillomatosis at Gumbo Limbo Nature Center. Credit: Rachel Bladow

Juvenile green sea turtles (Chelonian mydas) living in nearshore waters often exhibit tumors that grow on their soft tissues and shells, symptoms of a disease called Green Turtle Fibropapillomatosis. While the disease has been linked to a virus called chelonid alpha-herpesvirus 5, the virus has co-existed within turtle populations for more than 300 million years, although the disease itself has become pandemic only in the last century. The virus can be found in clinically healthy turtles that don't have any tumors, suggesting that expression of the disease is multi-factorial. Evidence from other studies shows that there is a link between environmental pollution and immune suppression in a variety of animals.

Researchers from Florida Atlantic University's Charles E. Schmidt College of Science examined immune function in two populations of non-captive green sea turtles, comparing resident turtles from an area of poor water quality with those in a more pristine environment.

Researchers obtained blood samples from 87 green turtles captured and released from the Indian River Lagoon, a heavily polluted estuary with high levels of heavy metals, persistent organic pollutants and excessive nutrients, and the more pristine, man-made Trident Basin, located near Cape Canaveral. They examined two branches of the immune system: the very specific adaptive immunity, which involves the recognition of antigens and the development of memory cells and is most often measured by how actively white blood cells respond to an immune challenge (lymphocyte proliferation); and innate immunity, which acts as an initial defense mechanism against pathogens and in part involves phagocytic white blood cells that gobble up foreign particles.

Results of the study, published in the Journal of Wildlife Diseases, showed that both adaptive and innate immune function were compromised in green sea turtles captured in the Indian River Lagoon, where historical rates of Green Turtle Fibropapillomatosis in that population are greater than 50 percent. Within the Indian River Lagoon, turtles that expressed tumors had less immune competence that those in that habitat without tumors. By comparison, turtles from the Trident Basin are free of Green Turtle Fibropapillomatosis, and both their innate and adaptive branches of immune function exhibited greater immune competence.

"Findings from our study suggest that habitat quality, disease state, and immune function are intertwined, forming a positive feedback loop wherein polluted environments impact the immune system and make animals more prone to the expression of Green Turtle Fibropapillomatosis, which in turn further compromises the immune system," said Sarah L. Milton, Ph.D., lead author and chair and professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. "Reduced immune competence may initially permit disease, and disease status in turn may then further hinder immune-competence. Such a vicious cycle could explain why certain locations have such a high incidence of disease, while other areas have turtles that test positive for chelonid alphaherpesvirus 5 but are clinically healthy."

An earlier study by Milton of stress responses at the molecular level also suggested that green sea turtles in the Indian River Lagoon are physiologically stressed. Whether they had visible tumors or not, levels of cellular stress markers were higher in these animals than in the Trident Basin turtles.

Study co-authors are Patricia Sposato, FAU Department of Biological Sciences and Walkabout Ecological Team, Inc.; Patricia Keating, Ph.D., post-doctoral researcher, FAU Department of Biological Sciences; and Peter L. Lutz, Ph.D., (deceased), FAU Department of Biological Sciences.

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More information: Patricia Sposato, Patricia Keating, Peter L. Lutz, Sarah L. Milton, Evaluation of Immune Function In Two Populations of Green Sea Turtles ( Chelonia mydas ) In A Degraded Versus A Nondegraded Habitat, Journal of Wildlife Diseases, (2021). Journal information: Journal of Wildlife Diseases Patricia Sposato, Patricia Keating, Peter L. Lutz, Sarah L. Milton, Evaluation of Immune Function In Two Populations of Green Sea Turtles ( Chelonia mydas ) In A Degraded Versus A Nondegraded Habitat,(2021). DOI: 10.7589/JWD-D-20-00204
The Lucy spacecraft is tucked into the launch vehicle fairing, which closed around it like a clamshell in preparation for liftoff. Its first launch attempt is scheduled for October 16 at 5:34 a.m. EDT from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The SwRI-led Lucy mission will investigate eight asteroids over 12 years, as the spacecraft travels 4 billion miles to the Trojan asteroids. Credit: NASA/KSC

NASA's Lucy spacecraft is encapsulated in a protective fairing atop an Atlas V rocket, awaiting its 23-day launch window to open on October 16. All is go for the Southwest Research Institute-led mission to begin, as the spacecraft prepares to launch on a 12-year journey of almost 4 billion miles to visit a record-breaking eight asteroidsone main belt asteroid and seven Jupiter Trojan asteroids.

"The Trojan asteroids are leftovers from the early days of our solar system, effectively fossils of the planet formation process," said SwRI's Harold Levison, the principal investigator of the mission. "They hold vital clues to deciphering the history of our solar system. Lucy, like the human ancestor fossil for which it is named, will revolutionize the understanding of our origins."

The Lucy mission is the first space mission to explore this diverse population of small bodies known as the Jupiter Trojan asteroids. These small bodies are trapped in stable orbits shared with the solar system's largest planet, forming two "swarms" that lead and trail Jupiter in its path around the Sun.

"Lucy's ability to fly by so many targets means that we will not only get the first up-close look at this unexplored population, but we will also be able to study why these asteroids appear so different," said SwRI's Cathy Olkin, deputy principal investigator of the mission. "The mission will provide an unparalleled glimpse into the formation of our solar system, helping us understand the evolution of the planetary system as a whole."

The SwRI-led Lucy mission will survey eight asteroids in 12 years with one spacecraft, breaking records in its epic journey to Jupiters Trojan asteroids. These diverse, never-before-visited fossils left over from the formation of the solar system will reveal much about the origins of the solar system. Credit: SwRI

Following pandemic protocols, Lucy team members have spent nearly two months at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida preparing the spacecraft for flight. Engineers have tested the spacecraft's mechanical, electrical and thermal systems, and they have practiced executing the launch sequence from the mission operations centers at Kennedy and Lockheed Martin Space in Littleton, Colorado.

"Launching a spacecraft is almost like sending a child off to collegeyou've done what you can to get them ready for that next big step on their own," Levison said. "Lucy is ready to fly."

Lucy's first launch attempt is scheduled for 5:34 a.m. EDT on October 16. That day, the team will be "called to stations" at 1 a.m. to monitor the spacecraft and run through the full launch countdown procedures. If weather or any other issues scrub launch that day, the team will have additional launch opportunities every morning over the next couple of weeks.

SwRI is the principal investigator institution for Lucy. NASA Goddard provides overall mission management, systems engineering, and safety and mission assurance. Lockheed Martin Space in Littleton, Colorado, built the spacecraft. Lucy is the 13th mission in NASA's Discovery Program. NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, manages the Discovery Program for the agency's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. The launch is managed by NASA's Launch Services Program based at Kennedy.
After the custom-built shipping container carrying Webb is unloaded from the MN Colibri, Webb will be transported to its launch site, Europes Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. Credits: NASA/Chris Gunn

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope successfully arrived in French Guiana Tuesday, after a 16-day journey at sea. The 1,500-mile voyage took Webb from California through the Panama Canal to Port de Pariacabo on the Kourou River in French Guiana, on the northeastern coast of South America.

The world's largest and most complex space science observatory will now be driven to its launch site, Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, where it will begin two months of operational preparations before its launch on an Ariane 5 rocket, scheduled for Dec. 18.

Once operational, Webb will reveal insights about all phases of cosmic historyback to just after the big bangand will help search for signs of potential habitability among the thousands of exoplanets scientists have discovered in recent years. The mission is an international collaboration led by NASA, in partnership with the European and Canadian space agencies.

"The James Webb Space Telescope is a colossal achievement, built to transform our view of the universe and deliver amazing science," said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. "Webb will look back over 13 billion years to the light created just after the big bang, with the power to show humanity the farthest reaches of space that we have ever seen. We are now very close to unlocking mysteries of the cosmos, thanks to the skills and expertise of our phenomenal team."

After completing testing in August at Northrop Grumman's Space Park in Redondo Beach, California, the Webb team spent nearly a month folding, stowing, and preparing the massive observatory for shipment to South America. Webb was shipped in a custom-built, environmentally controlled container.

The MN Colibri arrived Oct. 12 at Port de Pariacabo on the Kourou River in French Guiana, carrying NASAs James Webb Space Telescope as cargo. Credits: NASA/Chris Gunn

Late in the evening of Friday, Sept. 24, Webb traveled with a police escort 26 miles through the streets of Los Angeles, from Northrop Grumman's facility in Redondo Beach to Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach. There, it was loaded onto the MN Colibri, a French-flagged cargo ship that has previously transported satellites and spaceflight hardware to Kourou. The MN Colibri departed Seal Beach Sunday, Sept. 26 and entered the Panama Canal Tuesday, Oct. 5 on its way to Kourou.

The ocean journey represented the final leg of Webb's long, earthbound travels over the years. The telescope was assembled at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, starting in 2013. In 2017, it was shipped to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston for cryogenic testing at the historic "Chamber A" test facility, famous for its use during the Apollo missions. In 2018, Webb shipped to Space Park in California, where for three years it underwent rigorous testing to ensure its readiness for operations in the environment of space.

"A talented team across America, Canada, and Europe worked together to build this highly complex observatory. It's an incredible challengeand very much worthwhile. We are going to see things in the universe beyond what we can even imagine today," said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. "Now that Webb has arrived in Kourou, we're getting it ready for launch in Decemberand then we will watch in suspense over the next few weeks and months as we launch and ready the largest space telescope ever built."

After Webb is removed from its shipping container, engineers will run final checks on the observatory's condition. Webb will then be configured for flight, which includes loading the spacecraft with propellants, before Webb is mounted on top of the rocket and enclosed in the fairing for launch.

"Webb's arrival at the launch site is a momentous occasion," said Gregory Robinson, Webb's program director at NASA Headquarters. "We are very excited to finally send the world's next great observatory into deep space. Webb has crossed the country and traveled by sea. Now it will take its ultimate journey by rocket one million miles from Earth, to capture stunning images of the first galaxies in the early universe that are certain to transform our understanding of our place in the cosmos."

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Oil wells operating in Signal Hill, a city in Los Angeles County, California. Researchers found that drilling and operating wells emits harmful levels of pollution that may affect the health of nearby residents. Credit: David Gonzalez

In a 14-year analysis of air quality across California, Stanford researchers observed higher levels of air pollutants within 2.5 miles of oil and gas wells, likely worsening negative health outcomes for nearby residents.

The scientists analyzed local air quality measurements in combination with atmospheric data and found that oil and gas wells are emitting toxic particulate matter (PM2.5), carbon monoxide, nitrous oxide, ozone and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The findings, which appear in the journal Science of the Total Environment, will help researchers determine how proximity to oil and gas wells may increase the risk of adverse health outcomes, including preterm birth, asthma and heart disease.

"In California, Black and Latinx communities face some of the highest pollution from oil and gas wells. If we care about environmental justice and making sure every kid has a chance to be healthy, we should care about this," said lead author David Gonzalez, who conducted research for the study while a Ph.D. student in Stanford's Emmett Interdisciplinary Program in Environment and Resources (E-IPER). "What's novel about our study is that we've done this at a population, state-wide scale using the same methods as public health studies."

The findings align with other smaller-scale studies that have measured emissions from a handful of wells. At least two million Californians live within one mile of an active oil or gas well.

"It's really hard to show air quality impacts of an activity like oil and gas production at a population scale, but that's the scale we need to be able to infer health impacts," said senior study author Marshall Burke, an associate professor of Earth system science at Stanford's School of Earth, Energy & Environmental Sciences (Stanford Earth). "While it's not necessarily surprising that drilling and operating oil and gas wells emit air pollutants, knowing the magnitude of the effect improves our broader understanding of who is exposed to what and how to intervene to improve health outcomes."

A global killer

The research reveals that when a new well is being drilled or reaches 100 barrels of production per day, the deadly particle pollution known as PM2.5 increases two micrograms per cubic meter about a mile away from the site. A recent study published in Science Advances found that long-term exposure to one additional microgram per meter cubed of PM2.5 increases the risk of death from COVID-19 by 11 percent.

"We started in 2006 because that's when local agencies started reporting PM2.5 concentrations," said Gonzalez, who is now a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, Berkeley. "We're very concerned about particulate matter because it's a leading global killer."

The team evaluated about 38,000 wells that were being drilled and 90,000 wells in production between 2006 and 2019. They developed an econometric model incorporating over a million daily observations from 314 air monitors in combination with global wind direction information from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to determine if the pollutants were coming from the wells.

Other factors that could be contributing to elevated emissions were controlled forsuch as wildfire smoke or industrial activitiesand monitors located far from drilling sites were used to identify those factors unrelated to wells. They also analyzed locations with air quality data from both before and after a well was drilled.

"Sometimes the wind is blowing from the well, sometimes it's not, and we found significantly higher pollution on days when the wind is blowing from the wells," Gonzalez said. "As a control, we assumed wells that are downwind of the air monitor shouldn't contribute any pollutionand that is indeed what we saw."

The research also reveals that ozonea powerful oxidant that can cause wheezing, shortness of breath and aggravated lung diseasewas present up to 2.5 miles from wells. Children are at the greatest risk from exposure to ozone because their lungs are still developing, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Chronic exposure

The new study contributes to a growing body of evidence about the dangers of living near oil and gas wells that may help guide ongoing policymaking around residential setbacks from drilling sites. For example, LA County recently voted to phase out oil and gas drilling, citing issues of climate change, environmental impacts and equity, and other California cities are in discussion about neighborhood drilling regulations.

"Many of California's oil fields have been operating for decades. People that live near them have been chronically exposed to higher levels of pollutionand a lot of these wells are located in neighborhoods that are already burdened by pollution," Gonzalez said. "Our study adds to the evidence that public health policies are needed to reduce residents' exposure to air pollution from wells."

Although data for the research is from California, the co-authors say the findings are likely applicable to other regions with oil and gas operations.

"We've had earlier papers suggesting that proximity to oil and gas production worsens health outcomes, and the likely channel was through air pollutants, but we previously didn't have a good way to demonstrate that was the case," Burke said. "This new work is helping confirm that air pollution was the missing link between this type of energy production and the bad outcome that we cared about."

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More information: David J.X. Gonzalez et al, Upstream oil and gas production and ambient air pollution in California, Science of The Total Environment (2021). David J.X. Gonzalez et al, Upstream oil and gas production and ambient air pollution in California,(2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150298 X. Wu et al, Air pollution and COVID-19 mortality in the United States: Strengths and limitations of an ecological regression analysis, Science Advances (2020). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abd4049 Journal information: Science Advances , Science of the Total Environment
Credit: Umberto on Unsplash

Quantum technology typically employs qubits (quantum bits) consisting of, for example, single electrons, photons or atoms. A group of TU Delft researchers has now demonstrated the ability to teleport an arbitrary qubit state from a single photon onto an optomechanical deviceconsisting of a mechanical structure comprising billions of atoms. Their breakthrough research, now published in Nature Photonics, enables real-world applications such as quantum internet repeater nodes while also allowing quantum mechanics itself to be studied in new ways.

Quantum optomechanics

The field of quantum optomechanics uses optical means to control mechanical motion in the quantum regime. The first quantum effects in microscale mechanical devices were demonstrated about ten years ago. Focused efforts have since resulted in entangled states between optomechanical devices as well as demonstrations of an optomechanical quantum memory. Now, the group of Simon Groblacher, of the Kavli Institute of Nanoscience and the Department of Quantum Nanoscience at Delft University of Technology, in collaboration with researchers from the University of Campinas in Brazil, has shown the first successful teleportation of an arbitrary optical qubit state onto a micromechanical quantum memory.

Repeater nodes for a quantum internet

Quantum teleportationthe faithful transfer of an unknown input quantum state onto a remote quantum systemis a key component of long-distance quantum communication protocols needed to build a quantum internet. Just like the regular internet, distribution of quantum information between quantum devices anywhere in the world will require a network of repeater nodes. Each node will temporarily store the quantum information in a memory before teleporting it to a subsequent node, ultimately establishing long-distance quantum communication.

Two micromechanical resonators sharing a single quantum state

In their experiment, the researchers create a polarization-encoded photonic qubit in an arbitrary quantum state. They then transport this photon over tens of meters of optical fiber and teleport it onto their quantum memory comprised of two massive, mechanical silicon resonatorseach about 10 micrometers in size and consisting of tens of billions of atoms. The quantum information was stored in the single-excitation subspace of the two resonators. To test the reliability of the process, the researchers further demonstrated that they could faithfully retrieve this teleported state from the memory.

Telecom wavelengths

Although quantum teleportation has already been demonstrated in various quantum systems, the use of optomechanical devices is a breakthrough because they can be designed to operate at any optical wavelength, including the low-loss infrared telecom fiber wavelengths. "It is this wavelength that results in the lowest transmission loss, allowing the longest distance between repeater nodes," Groblacher says. "This milestone was possible due to the quality and flexibility of our nanofabricated optomechanical systems, which, unlike most other quantum systems, allow for independently engineered optical properties. A future quantum internet will undoubtedly make use of the existing telecom network at this wavelength."

All the building blocks

In principle, quantum teleportation can be done over arbitrary distances. By teleporting a photonic quantum state over tens of meters of optical fiber onto a quantum memory, the researchers have demonstrated the requirement for a fully functional optomechanical quantum repeater node. Groblacher: "We now have to further improve the performance to the level required for a system that can be deployed in a real-world application, such as increasing the repetition rates, fidelities and the success-rate of the qubit teleportation and storage." According to Thiago Alegre, researcher at the University of Campinas and collaborator on this project, one route will be to design optomechanical systems that are resilient to parasitic optical absorption. "This can be realized due to the flexibility of these nanofabricated devices."

A hybrid approach

The current research is a big step towards Groblacher's vision of a future hybrid quantum internet. "We are working towards a heterogeneous network where you have various physical systems communicating and performing different functionalities," he says. "You may have optomechanical quantum repeater nodes connected to a quantum computer or memory consisting of superconducting qubits or spin quantum systems, respectively. All of these will have to be compatible with one another and operate at the same wavelength in order to faithfully transfer quantum information."

Quantum-to-classical transition

Besides enabling building blocks for novel quantum technologies, the ability to teleport an arbitrary qubit state onto massive, mechanical oscillators can also be used for testing quantum physics itself at a fundamental level. Whereas very small systems typically behave according to the laws of quantum mechanics, large systems are governed by the classical laws of physics. "Experiments have excluded certain theories describing decoherence mechanisms leading to the quantum-to-classical transition, but we are far away from a definitive answer," Groblacher says. "As it is relatively easy to scale our optomechanical systems and to use teleportation to create interesting quantum states, this is an important step in understanding this boundary."

Explore further The best of both worlds: Combining classical and quantum systems to meet supercomputing demands

More information: Niccolo Fiaschi et al, Optomechanical quantum teleportation, Nature Photonics (2021). Journal information: Nature Photonics Niccolo Fiaschi et al, Optomechanical quantum teleportation,(2021). DOI: 10.1038/s41566-021-00866-z
Lily Tsai is the author of a new book, When People Want Punishment: Retributive Justice and the Puzzle of Authoritarian Popularity, published by Cambridge University Press. Credit: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

By some lights, it seems curious how authoritarian leaders can sustain their public support while limiting liberties for citizens. Yes, it can be hard to overthrow an entrenched leader; that does not mean people have to like their ruling autocrats. And yet, many do.

After all, authoritarian China consistently polls better on measures of trust and confidence in government than many democratic countries, including the U.S. And elected leaders from Africa to East Asia and Europe have seen their popularity rise after rolling back civil rights recently. What explains this phenomenon?

"Successful authoritarians do not take public support and the durability of their systems for granted," says MIT political scientist Lily Tsai, who has spent years studying autocratic regimes. "They know they have to constantly work hard to make sure there is support and voluntary cooperation."

The specific way many autocrats achieve this, Tsai believes, is by investing heavily in "retributive justice," the high-profile use of punishment against people who have run afoul of values shared by leaders and their supporters. Such punishments, it seems, signal to the public that its leaders are maintaining a social order based upon core moral values, even as they restrict certain liberties.

"It's an important strategy for mobilizing public support that unfortunately we don't always acknowledge," Tsai says. "Successful authoritarians understand that people need to feel there is a stable social and moral order, arguably before anything else, and they have to consciously and continuously produce it."

Now Tsai, the Ford Professor of Political Science and chair of the MIT faculty, has examined this idea at length a new book, "When People Want Punishment," published by Cambridge University Press. In it, she explores how retributive justice functions, and seeks to shift our understanding of how authoritarians prosperan especially urgent question while many have gained traction around the globe.

The overlooked 'foundation of any stable political system'

As Tsai observes, there are multiple kinds of justice that citizens expect from governments. Distributive justice is the allocation of material goods. Procedural justice is the impartial application of the rule of law. And retributive justice, as Tsai says, is "the just allocation of punishment when there is wrongdoing." However, she adds, "retributive justice is not revenge, which is an emotional reaction to a wrong that's been done, and often violent."

In a high-functioning democracy, retributive justice appears as the normal legal process. In other countries, it takes other forms. In the Philippines, it has been made manifest through the government's campaign against criminality and drugs. In China, where Tsai conducted fieldwork for the book, retributive justice is evident in the national government's long-running anticorruption campaigns that punish local officials, often severely.

Through a variety of empirical means, including sophisticated public-opinion research in rural and urban China, Tsai has established that the Chinese public has a strong interest in public anticorruption campaignseven in the absence of evidence that those campaigns reduce corruption. Being publicly against corruption helps political figures at moments of economic struggle; as an issue, Chinese citizens rank anticorruption efforts alongside welfare measures and administering elections fairly.

Indeed, popular anticorruption campaigns against local officials are such a persistent part of politics in China that, in Tsai's interpretation, the presence of local corruption is virtually by design. Local officials have many unfunded mandates, and often seem to have to choose between failing in their jobs or finding dubious means of accomplishing their goals.

"It's very hard [for local officials] not to be breaking some rules at some point," Tsai says. "This is very useful for the Chinese [federal] state because it allows them to always position local officials as the bad guys. They can always be the good guys and punish the local officials. It's a robust system of maintaining public support." Of China's national government, she adds, "They have made both the production of the moral order and the production of threats to that order a mainstay of their approach to governance."

All told, Tsai writes, "retributive justice is one of the most important and perhaps the most fundamental public good that a government provides to its citizens." And in contrast to what other scholars have concluded, Tsai contends that retributive justice is virtually the key to state-building, because without civic order, distributive and procedural justice cannot operate.

"Retributive justice is the foundation of any stable political system, but we just don't think about it that way," Tsai says.

Commitment to a common project

Tsai's analysis of retributive justice represents a shift in thinking about authoritarian regimes. Many scholars have focused on elite sources of support for autocrats, such as business, the military, and more. But sometimes authoritarians survive not only through coercion and repression. When they gain public support, Tsai believes, we need to understand that process better.

"I think those of us who are committed to liberal democracy often find it difficult to see the strength of these authoritarian regimes," Tsai says. And, realistically, she notes, some portion of people in a given country "would rather just live and have a livelihood" than suffer the risks of fighting for more freedom.

Other political scientists have lauded Tsai's new book. Anthony Saich, a professor of international affairs and director of the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at the Harvard Kennedy School, has called it a "brilliant study" that "resonates far beyond China to help explain why even in established democracies there can be a yearning for a strong ruler who will set wrongs to right."

For her part, Tsai hopes the book will be read by anyone with an interest in state-building, democracy-building, and simply understanding the current trends toward illiberal authoritarianism.

"People in international development are typically thinking about the need to get government to provide basic public services, health care and clean water and education, but one of the most important and basic public goods governments need to provide is moral order and social stability," Tsai says. "That is not something that has always been articulated before."

And while supporters of democracy might feel "allergic" to learning lessons about authoritarian popularity, those dynamics are important to grasp, Tsai saysnot in order to imitate them, but to understand how democratic countries can also provide a sense of order and stability.

"Until you have that, promoting democracy really doesn't have the salutary effects that we think it will have," Tsai says. "You need a functioning state that can uphold the social order first.  The foundation for a commitment to a common project has to be laid from the very beginning."

Explore further How authoritarian leaders maintain support

More information: When People Want Punishment: Retributive Justice and the Puzzle of Authoritarian Popularity. When People Want Punishment: Retributive Justice and the Puzzle of Authoritarian Popularity. doi.org/10.1017/9781108882545

This story is republished courtesy of MIT News (web.mit.edu/newsoffice/), a popular site that covers news about MIT research, innovation and teaching.
Left hind limb of P. dominicanus. Credit: Robert McAfee

Scientists at Johns Hopkins Medicine and the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine report new evidence that some 5,000 years ago, a sloth smaller than a black bear roamed the forest floor of what is now the Dominican Republic in the Caribbean Sea, living a lowland life different from its cousins on the other side of the island. The newly identified mammalian speciesnow extinctwas smaller and had anatomical differences in its forelimb that gave it greater range of motion, possibly to help the animal occupy more lowland areas than its tree-dwelling kin.

The evidence was uncovered initially in January 2009, when divers found the sloth's bones in a flooded cave on the island of Hispaniola, now home to the Dominican Republic and Haiti. After extensive study of the partial skeleton and bones from several other specimens, the scientists have concluded it is a previously unknown species of ground sloth, which they dubbed Parocnus dominicanus.

The scientists say the discovery is important: "It allows us to explain variation in the fossil record," says Siobahn Cooke, Ph.D., assistant professor of functional anatomy and evolution at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. "If we're trying to reconstruct an animal's life, we need to understand their relationships, anatomy and habitat." No sloths live on the island today, although fossil evidence shows they were the largest mammal there at the very end of the 2.5-million-year Stone Age.

The researchers' findings were published Aug. 31 in Vertebrate Anatomy Morphology Palaeontology.

Cooke notes that the two- and three-toed, tree-dwelling sloths found in today's forests of Central and South America are smaller than the diverse group of sloths that existed 5,000 years ago. The ancient precursors to modern sloths migrated as far north as parts of present-day North America, some species as large as elephants, faster and semiaquatic, like otters living part of the time in the sea and on land.

"I'm biased, but I think sloths are wonderful animals," says Robert McAfee, Ph.D., associate professor of anatomy at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. "They are an underappreciated species, with unique adaptations to live in a variety of habitats," he adds. "Some 80 types of sloths have existed across 50 million years, and we're left with just two species today."

On Hispaniola, scientists previously found six or seven species of ancient sloths.

Evidence of the new addition, says Cooke, was found in a now flooded but once dry cave, called Padre Nuestro, on the eastern tip of the Dominican Republic. To explore the cave, the scientists collaborated with diving experts who specialize in navigating water-filled cave environments.

The scientists don't know if the sloths fell into the cave or crawled in and could not escape.

Compared with the first-identified species of sloth on the island, P. dominicanus was about 10% to 15% smaller in all measurements of the discovered bones. The scientists also found that the location where deltoid muscles attached to the forelimb was different from previously identified species P. browni and P. serus.

The difference in the muscle attachments placed the muscles in a different position, potentially providing a greater range of motion, strength and ability to manipulate its forearms, a potential advantage for walking on its forearms in more lowland habitats rather than climbing and hanging upside down in trees, hallmarks of modern sloths.

To solidify their belief that P. dominicanus was a new species, they studied fossil records of ancient and extinct sloths found across Caribbean islands. The new bone specimens, they say, were consistently smaller. "We accounted for some level of size variation due to male/female size differences, but overall, P. dominicanus was much smaller," says Cooke.

Sloths disappeared from the Caribbean about 4,000 years ago, and humans arrived about 5,0006,000 years ago. So, people and sloths coexisted in the region for about 1,000 years, say the researchers. It's not clear, they say, whether sloths were widely hunted on the islands or if they disappeared due to human-spurred change in the habitat.

Funding for the expedition and research was provided by 2015 Ernst Mayr Travel Grants in Animal Systematics from Harvard's Museum of Comparative Zoology.

In addition to Cooke and McAfee, other contributors to the research included Sophia M. Beery from Ohio University, Renato Rimoli from the Museo del Hombre Dominicano, Dominican Republic, Juan Almonte from the Museo Nacional de Historia Natural, Dominican Republic, and Phillip Lehman from the Dominican Republic Speleological Society.

Explore further Extinct ground sloth likely ate meat with its veggies

More information: Robert McAfee et al, New species of the ground sloth Parocnus from the late Pleistocene-early Holocene of Hispaniola, Vertebrate Anatomy Morphology Palaeontology (2021). Robert McAfee et al, New species of the ground sloth Parocnus from the late Pleistocene-early Holocene of Hispaniola,(2021). DOI: 10.18435/vamp29369
Artists illustration of hydrodynamical behavior from an interacting ensemble of quantum spin defects in diamond. Credit: Norman Yao/Berkeley Lab

In 1998, researchers including Mark Kubinec of UC Berkeley performed one of the first simple quantum computations using individual molecules. They used pulses of radio waves to flip the spins of two nuclei in a molecule, with each spin's "up" or "down" orientation storing information in the way that a "0" or "1" state stores information in a classical data bit. In those early days of quantum computers, the combined orientation of the two nucleithat is, the molecule's quantum statecould only be preserved for brief periods in specially tuned environments. In other words, the system quickly lost its coherence. Control over quantum coherence is the missing step to building scalable quantum computers.

Now, researchers are developing new pathways to create and protect quantum coherence. Doing so will enable exquisitely sensitive measurement and information processing devices that function at ambient or even extreme conditions. In 2018, Joel Moore, a senior faculty scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and professor at UC Berkeley, secured funds from the Department of Energy to create and lead an Energy Frontier Research Center (EFRC)  called the Center for Novel Pathways to Quantum Coherence in Materials (NPQC)  to further those efforts. "The EFRCs are an important tool for DOE to enable focused inter-institutional collaborations to make rapid progress on forefront science problems that are beyond the scope of individual investigators," said Moore.

Through the NPQC, scientists from Berkeley Lab, UC Berkeley, UC Santa Barbara, Argonne National Laboratory, and Columbia University are leading the way to understand and manipulate coherence in a variety of solid-state systems. Their threefold approach focuses on developing novel platforms for quantum sensing; designing two-dimensional materials that host complex quantum states; and exploring ways to precisely control a material's electronic and magnetic properties via quantum processes. The solution to these problems lies within the materials science community. Developing the ability to manipulate coherence in realistic environments requires in-depth understanding of materials that could provide alternate quantum bit (or "qubit"), sensing, or optical technologies.

Basic discoveries underlie further developments that will contribute to other DOE investments across the Office of Science. As the program enters its fourth year, several breakthroughs are laying the scientific groundwork for innovations in quantum information science.

During diamonds formation, replacement of a carbon atom (green) with a nitrogen atom (yellow, N) and omitting another to leave a vacancy (purple, V) creates a common defect that has well-defined spin properties. Credit: NIST

More defects, more opportunities

Many of NPQC's achievements thus far focus on quantum platforms that are based on specific flaws in a material's structure called spin defects. A spin defect in the right crystal background can approach perfect quantum coherence, while possessing greatly improved robustness and functionality.

These imperfections can be used to make high-precision sensing platforms. Each spin defect responds to extremely subtle fluctuations in the environment; and coherent collections of defects can achieve unprecedented accuracy and precision. But understanding how coherence evolves in a system of many spins, where all the spins interact with one another, is daunting. To meet this challenge, NPQC researchers are turning to a common material that turns out to be ideal for quantum sensing: diamond.

In nature, each carbon atom in a diamond's crystal structure connects to four other carbon atoms. When one carbon atom is replaced by a different atom or omitted altogether, which commonly occurs as the diamond's crystal structure forms, the resulting defect can sometimes behave like an atomic system that has a well-defined spinan intrinsic form of angular momentum carried by electrons or other subatomic particles. Much like these particles, certain defects in diamond can have an orientation, or polarization, that is either "spin-up" or "spin-down."

By engineering multiple different spin defects into a diamond lattice, Norman Yao, a faculty scientist at Berkeley Lab and an assistant professor of physics at UC Berkeley, and his colleagues created a 3D system with spins dispersed throughout the volume. Within that system, the researchers developed a way to probe the "motion" of spin polarization at tiny length scales.

Schematic depicting a central pocket of excess spin (turquoise shading) in a diamond cube, which then spread out much like dye in a liquid. Credit: Berkeley Lab

Using a combination of measurement techniques, the researchers found that spin moves around in the quantum mechanical system in almost the same way that dye moves in a liquid. Learning from dyes has turned out to be a successful path toward understanding quantum coherence, as recently published in the journal Nature. Not only does the emergent behavior of spin provide a powerful classical framework for understanding quantum dynamics, but the multi-defect system provides an experimental platform for exploring how coherence works as well. Moore, the NPQC director and a member of the team who has previously studied other kinds of quantum dynamics, described the NPQC platform as "a uniquely controllable example of the interplay between disorder, long-ranged dipolar interactions between spins, and quantum coherence."

Those spin defects' coherence times depend heavily on their immediate surroundings. Many NPQC breakthroughs have centered on creating and mapping the strain sensitivity in the structure surrounding individual defects in diamond and other materials. Doing so can reveal how best to engineer defects that have the longest possible coherence times in 3D and 2D materials. But exactly how might the changes imposed by forces on the material itself correlate to changes in the defect's coherence?

To find out, NPQC researchers are developing a technique for creating deformed areas in a host crystal and measuring the strain. "If you think about atoms in a lattice in terms of a box spring, you get different results depending on how you push on them," said Martin Holt, group leader in electron and X-ray microscopy at Argonne National Laboratory and a principal investigator with NPQC. Using the Advanced Photon Source and Center for Nanoscale Materials, both user facilities at Argonne National Laboratory, he and his colleagues offer a direct image of the deformed areas in a host crystal. Until now, a defect's orientation in a sample has been mostly random. The images reveal which orientations are the most sensitive, providing a promising avenue for high-pressure quantum sensing.

"It's really beautiful that you can take something like diamond and bring utility to it. Having something simple enough to understand the basic physics but that also can be manipulated enough to do complex physics is great," said Holt.

Another goal for this research is the ability to transfer a quantum state, like that of a defect in diamond, coherently from one point to another using electrons. Work by NPQC scientists at Berkeley Lab and Argonne Lab studies special quantum wires that appear in atomically thin layers of some materials. Superconductivity was unexpectedly discovered in one such system, a triple layer of carbon sheets, by the group led by Feng Wang, a Berkeley Lab faculty senior scientist and UC Berkeley professor, and leader of NPQC's effort in atomically thin materials. Of this work, published in Nature in 2019, Wang said, "The fact that the same materials can offer both protected one-dimensional conduction and superconductivity opens up some new possibilities for protecting and transferring quantum coherence."

Scientists at Berkeley Lab and UC Berkeley unexpectedly discovered superconductivity in a triple layer of carbon sheets. Credit: Feng Wang and Guorui Chen/Berkeley Lab

Toward useful devices

Multi-defect systems are not only important as fundamental science knowledge. They also have the potential to become transformative technologies. In novel two-dimensional materials that are paving the way for ultra-fast electronics and ultra-stable sensors, NPQC researchers investigate how spin defects may be used to control the material's electronic and magnetic properties. Recent findings have offered some surprises.

"A fundamental understanding of nanoscale magnetic materials and their applications in spintronics has already led to an enormous transformation in magnetic storage and sensor devices. Exploiting quantum coherence in magnetic materials could be the next leap towards low-power electronics," said Peter Fischer, senior scientist and division deputy in the Materials Sciences Division at Berkeley Lab.

A material's magnetic properties depend entirely on the alignment of spins in adjacent atoms. Unlike the neatly aligned spins in a typical refrigerator magnet or the magnets used in classical data storage, antiferromagnets have adjacent spins that point in opposite directions and effectively cancel each other out. As a result, antiferromagnets don't "act" magnetic and are extremely robust to external disturbances. Researchers have long sought ways to use them in spin-based electronics, where information is transported by spin instead of charge. Key to doing so is finding a way to manipulate spin orientation and maintain coherence.

In 2019 NPQC researchers led by James Analytis, a faculty scientist at Berkeley Lab and associate professor of physics at UC Berkeley, with postdoc Eran Maniv, observed that applying a small, single pulse of electrical current to tiny flakes of an antiferromagnet caused the spins to rotate and "switch" their orientation. As a result, the material's properties could be tuned extremely quickly and precisely. "Understanding the physics behind this will require more experimental observations and some theoretical modeling," said Maniv. "New materials could help reveal how it works. This is the beginning of a new research field."

Now, the researchers are working to pinpoint the exact mechanism that drives that switching in materials fabricated and characterized at the Molecular Foundry, a user facility at Berkeley Lab. Recent findings, published in Science Advances and Nature Physics, suggest that fine-tuning the defects in a layered material could provide a reliable means of controlling the spin pattern in new device platforms. "This is a remarkable example of how having many defects lets us stabilize a switchable magnetic structure," said Moore, the NPQC leader.

An exotic magnetic device could further miniaturize computing devices and personal electronics without loss of performance. Scale bar shown above is 10 micrometers. Credit: James Analytis/Berkeley Lab

Spinning new threads

In its next year of operation, NPQC will build on this year's progress. Goals include exploring how multiple defects interact in two-dimensional materials and investigating new kinds of one-dimensional structures that could arise. These lower-dimensional structures could prove themselves as sensors for detecting other materials' smallest-scale properties. Additionally, focusing on how electric currents can manipulate spin-derived magnetic properties will directly link fundamental science to applied technologies.

Rapid progress in these tasks requires the combination of techniques and expertise that can only be created within a large collaborative framework. "You don't develop capabilities in isolation," said Holt. "The NPQC provides the dynamic research environment that drives the science and harnesses what each lab or facility is doing." The research center meanwhile provides a unique education at the frontiers of science including opportunities for developing the scientific workforce that will lead the future quantum industry.

The NPQC brings a new set of questions and goals to the study of the basic physics of quantum materials. Moore said, "Quantum mechanics governs the behavior of electrons in solids, and this behavior is the basis for much of the modern technology we take for granted. But we are now at the beginning of the second quantum revolution, where properties like coherence take center stage, and understanding how to enhance these properties opens a new set of questions about materials for us to answer."

Explore further How flawed diamonds 'lead' to flawless quantum networks

More information: C. Zu et al, Emergent hydrodynamics in a strongly interacting dipolar spin ensemble, Nature (2021). Journal information: Nature C. Zu et al, Emergent hydrodynamics in a strongly interacting dipolar spin ensemble,(2021). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03763-1
Artist's impression of radio signal ASKAP J173608.2-321635 arriving at Earth. Credit: Sebastian Zentilomo/University of Sydney

Astronomers have discovered unusual signals coming from the direction of the Milky Way's center. The radio waves fit no currently understood pattern of variable radio source and could suggest a new class of stellar object.

"The strangest property of this new signal is that it is has a very high polarization. This means its light oscillates in only one direction, but that direction rotates with time," said Ziteng Wang, lead author of the new study and a Ph.D. student in the School of Physics at the University of Sydney.

"The brightness of the object also varies dramatically, by a factor of 100, and the signal switches on and off apparently at random. We've never seen anything like it."

Many types of star emit variable light across the electromagnetic spectrum. With tremendous advances in radio astronomy, the study of variable or transient objects in radio waves is a huge field of study helping us to reveal the secrets of the Universe. Pulsars, supernovae, flaring stars and fast radio bursts are all types of astronomical objects whose brightness varies.

"At first we thought it could be a pulsara very dense type of spinning dead staror else a type of star that emits huge solar flares. But the signals from this new source don't match what we expect from these types of celestial objects," Mr Wang said.

The discovery of the object has been published today in the Astrophysical Journal.

Mr Wang and an international team, including scientists from Australia's national science agency CSIRO, Germany, the United States, Canada, South Africa, Spain and France discovered the object using the CSIRO's ASKAP radio telescope in Western Australia. Follow-up observations were with the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory's MeerKAT telescope.

Artist's impression of the oscillating, variable radio signal ASKAP J173608.2-321635 arriving at Earth from towards the centre of the Milky Way. Credit: Sebastian Zentilomo/University of Sydney

Mr Wang's Ph.D. supervisor is Professor Tara Murphy also from the Sydney Institute for Astronomy and the School of Physics.

Professor Murphy said: "We have been surveying the sky with ASKAP to find unusual new objects with a project known as variables and slow transients (VASTs), throughout 2020 and 2021.

"Looking towards the center of the galaxy, we found ASKAP J173608.2-321635, named after its coordinates. This object was unique in that it started out invisible, became bright, faded away and then reappeared. This behavior was extraordinary."

After detecting six radio signals from the source over nine months in 2020, the astronomers tried to find the object in visual light. They found nothing.

They turned to the Parkes radio telescope and again failed to detect the source.

Professor Murphy said: "We then tried the more sensitive MeerKAT radio telescope in South Africa. Because the signal was intermittent, we observed it for 15 minutes every few weeks, hoping that we would see it again.

"Luckily, the signal returned, but we found that the behavior of the source was dramatically differentthe source disappeared in a single day, even though it had lasted for weeks in our previous ASKAP observations."

However, this further discovery did not reveal much more about the secrets of this transient radio source.

Mr Wang's co-supervisor, Professor David Kaplan from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, said: "The information we do have has some parallels with another emerging class of mysterious objects known as galactic center radio transients, including one dubbed the 'cosmic burper."

"While our new object, ASKAP J173608.2-321635, does share some properties with GCRTs there are also differences. And we don't really understand those sources, anyway, so this adds to the mystery."

The scientists plan to keep a close eye on the object to look for more clues as to what it might be.

"Within the next decade, the transcontinental Square Kilometer Array (SKA) radio telescope will come online. It will be able to make sensitive maps of the sky every day," Professor Murphy said. "We expect the power of this telescope will help us solve mysteries such as this latest discovery, but it will also open vast new swathes of the cosmos to exploration in the radio spectrum."

Explore further Dancing ghosts point to new discoveries in the cosmos

More information: Discovery of ASKAP J173608.2-321635 as a Highly-Polarized Transient Point Source with the Australian SKA Pathfinder, Astrophysical Journal (2021). Journal information: Astrophysical Journal Discovery of ASKAP J173608.2-321635 as a Highly-Polarized Transient Point Source with the Australian SKA Pathfinder,(2021). DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/ac2360
Credit: DOI: 10.1039/D1EE00332A

Researchers at The University of Manchester have developed a novel treatment technology that may help to significantly reduce the UK's nuclear waste burden.

The management of radioactive graphite waste is one of the major challenges of nuclear power plant decommissioning throughout the world, particularly in the UK, as well as in France and Russia.

More than 300,000 tons of nuclear graphite waste worldwide, and around 100,000 tons in the UK, await disposal in a Geological Disposal Facility that is yet to be built.

Dr. Tatiana Grebennikova, Dr. Clint Sharrad and Professor Abbie Jones have found a novel and non-destructive method of removing radioactivity from this type of waste and downgrading it from the category of 'higher activity waste' to that of a much lower level. This breakthrough could therefore significantly speed up disposal of such material and reduce the overall cost of dealing with our legacy waste.

The treatment developed uses electrolysis to drive the removal of radioactive species from irradiated nuclear graphite into a molten salt medium. Molten salts have an advantage over, for example, water in that molten salts have a wide electrochemical window, which means we can readily access electric potentials that can better force the removal of these nuclear graphite isotopes.

Using this method the team was able to reduce the radioactivity of UK Magnox grade graphite so that reclassification of the graphite from Intermediate Level Waste to Low Level Waste is possible, making it far easier and cheaper to dispose of.

Professor Abbie Jones, Chair in Nuclear Graphite, said: "The UK nuclear industry has built all but one of its reactors (>40 in total) using graphite as core moderator material and structural components. As these cease to operate, this will result in a volume of graphite waste equivalent to ~ 1300 double decker buses (~ 100'000 tons). As most of the advanced modular nuclear reactor technologies proposed for future low carbon energy production may also use nuclear graphite, technologies that can minimize the burden of this waste are vital.

"We have submitted an international patent with The University of Manchester on this technology and are planning follow-on research to determine if we can decontaminate nuclear graphite to levels even further than observed thus far. We will also use our ongoing links with the International Atomic Energy Agency to explore the feasibility of upscaling this technology for the treatment to address further extensive legacy nuclear graphite waste worldwide."

Dr. Clint Sharrad, Reader in Nuclear Decommissioning Engineering, added: "If we are successful in industrializing this technology, it could lead to up to 1 billion in savings for the UK taxpayer by reducing disposal costs for current graphite legacy wastes, as well as improved sustainability of advanced reactor technology where graphite will be deployed again.

"The nuclear sector as a whole is already exploring and developing innovative technologies to decommission legacy facilities quickly and safely. Our work has shown how innovation can be successfully achieved by possessing a willingness to work across disciplines and research areas."

The paper, titled "Electrochemical decontamination of irradiated nuclear graphite from corrosion and fission products using molten salt," was published in the journal Energy & Environmental Science.

Explore further Nuclear waste could be recycled for diamond battery power

More information: Tatiana Grebennikova et al, Electrochemical decontamination of irradiated nuclear graphite from corrosion and fission products using molten salt, Energy & Environmental Science (2021). Journal information: Energy & Environmental Science Tatiana Grebennikova et al, Electrochemical decontamination of irradiated nuclear graphite from corrosion and fission products using molten salt,(2021). DOI: 10.1039/D1EE00332A
The statue in question for the project is represented by this image of the upper torso. The torso still sits in Delos today. Credit: Ken Sheedy, Macquarie University, Australia.

The source of marble for a statue of Apollo on the Greek island of Delos has been a mystery to art historians and archaeologists for decades. The stone's chemistry pointed geochemists to the southern end of the nearby island of Naxos, but no one thought there were ancient marble quarries there. A geoarchaeologist believes he found the source.

"We had actually been told that we were not going to find what we were looking for," says geoarchaeologist Scott Pike of Willamette University. But after two field seasons traipsing across Mediterranean shrublands, Pike believes he has found the source. He is presenting his findings on Monday, 11 October 2021 at the Geological Society of America's GSA Connects 2021 annual meeting in Portland, Ore.

The Greek Archaic period (approximately 800 to 480 B.C.E.) is known in part for its "larger-than-life" kouros statues, which depicted young men. Together, the massive Apollo kouros on Delos would stand around ten meters (33 feet) high, although today it is broken into several parts. The massive marble chunks are white and worn; at a glance, some of the pieces hardly resemble parts of a human figure. But the statue has drawn researchers all the same. Searching for its source was sparked in part by an ambiguous inscription at its base, roughly translated as, "I am of the same stone, statue and plinth," with a later addition stating that the kouros was "from the Naxians, to Apollo," according to Pike.

It was not clear whether the inscription referred to the statue's structure, being hewn from a single piece of marble, or the origin of its stone. Pike sampled various parts from the statuea hand, the upper and lower torso, a bit of legand analyzed its carbon and oxygen isotopic composition. That composition can be used to trace the marble source by comparing it against other analyzed marbles, like finding a fingerprint match in a database.

"The analyses showed the marble came from Naxos, but from a region where there hasn't been any evidence of ancient quarrying. We know that there are two quarries in the northern part of the island, where there are still large kouroi in place in the quarries. But we didn't know of any ancient quarries in the south," says Pike.

Marble quarry at Sangri Valley. Credit:Scott Pike.

Pike headed to the southern side of Naxos, despite locals assuring him his efforts were in vain. He relied on local knowledge of other archaeological sites and geologic maps to guide him as he "scoured the landscape" looking for, essentially, outcrops of white marble and possible small pits. Remnants of Archaic quarries bear little resemblance to the vast open-pit mines humans create today and were difficult for Pike to find.

After a couple of weeks of searching, Pike began finding small bands of white marble that were not marked on the geologic maps. Some were close to archaeological sites, giving Pike some confidence that these small quarries could be the source.

"Finding what we were looking for was exciting because being told several times that you're not going to find anything is discouraging, but we knew," Pike says. "The evidence pointed to the south. I felt the most Indiana Jones I'll ever be."

Survey area. Credit: Scott Pike/Google Earth.

Back in the lab, Pike analyzed his marble samples and found that two of the newly-uncovered southern white marbles were good matches for the Apollo kouros at Delos. Knowing that these early marble quarries exist in the south of the island will be helpful for tracing the source for other ancient marble artifacts, such as older Bronze Age Cycladic figurines that have puzzled geoarchaeologists. It also has implications for knowledge of commerce at the time.

"Knowing now that there is a marble source on Naxos for these Bronze Age statues and figurines will place the region more in the center of commerce, trade and influence than had been previously understood," Pike says.

Explore further Greece: Wreck survey fails to find more parts of ancient cog

More information: Scott Pike, Finding apollo's marbles: Rediscovery of a white marble source in southern Naxos, Greece, Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs (2021). Scott Pike, Finding apollo's marbles: Rediscovery of a white marble source in southern Naxos, Greece,(2021). DOI: 10.1130/abs/2021AM-371225
The Cumbre Vieja volcano, pictured from Tijarafe, spews lava, ash and smoke, on the Canary Island of La Palma, at night on October 10, 2021.

Spanish officials on Tuesday ordered hundreds more residents to leave their homes on La Palma in the Canary Islands, as lava continues to ooze from its volcano.

La Cumbre Vieja began erupting on September 19 and has already forced more than 6,000 people from their homes, with lava wrecking 1,200 buildings and scorching 600 hectares (1,400 acres) on the Atlantic island off Morocco's coast.

Emergency services wrote on Twitter on Tuesday that a new evacuation order had been issued "owing to the forecast of the advance of the lava flow".

"The 700 to 800 people affected by this evacuation order should leave their homes, with their belongings and pets," the services tweeted, telling the residents to go to a meeting point in the western town of Los Llanos de Aridane.

On Monday, about 3,000 people were ordered to stay indoors after lava destroyed a cement works and raised fears that toxic gases might be released.

Despite the massive damage caused by the eruption on La Palma, home to 85,000 people, nobody has been killed or injured.

It is the island's third volcanic eruption in a century, the last one taking place in 1971.

Explore further Thousands locked down as La Palma volcano destroys cement works

 2021 AFP
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

The increased use of face coverings as a defense against COVID-19 creates social norms that encourage more people to mask up in public, according to a new study co-authored by Yale researchers.

The study, published Oct. 11 in the journal PLOS One, is based on two survey-based experiments conducted in the United States and Italy, countries that have experienced severe COVID-19 outbreaks. It found evidence that, in both countries, when increasing numbers of people wear masks, it creates a self-reinforcing cycle that promotes the behavior in others. It does not cause people to "free ride" by not wearing face coverings while enjoying the protection afforded by those who wear masks in public places, according to the study.

"Community mask-wearing may be self-reinforcing," said Scott E. Bokemper, an associate research scientist at Yale's Institution for Social and Policy Studies and the Center for American Politics, and lead author of the paper. "People are more likely to wear masks, and encourage others to do so, when mask-wearing is ubiquitous. Importantly, we found no evidence that widespread masking reduces people's willingness to wear masks or ask others to wear their masks properly.

"Of course, we often observe that some communities have greater mask-wearing than others, which hints at explanations based on social norms," he added. "But the experimental design of this research allows us to rule out the possibility that those patterns arise for other reasons, like people in different communities having different beliefs about mask efficacy or fears about COVID-19."

The study also showed that, in the United States, public health campaigns that emphasize the use of face coverings to safeguard others are likely more effective than appeals highlighting how masks protect the wearer.

The study teamed researchers from across Yale with colleagues from Columbia University and institutions in Italy and Switzerland. The team included scholars and faculty from Yale's School of Medicine, School of Public Health, School of Nursing, Department of Political Science, and the Institute for Global Health.

The researchers conducted vignette-based survey experiments conducted in the United States between Oct. 1 and Oct. 22, 2020, and in Italy between Oct. 22 and Nov. 8, 2020. At the time, the United States did not have nationwide mask mandate while Italy did. The U.S. and Italian experiments had samples of 3,100 and 2,659 respondents, respectively.

Initially, respondents were asked about the frequency with which they wear masks and how often they see others in their communities doing the same. Next, they were randomly assigned to read a text that explained either how masks protect the wearer or other people. A control group was presented with information not associated with masking.

The participants read three vignettes: one about withdrawing money at an ATM, another about walking in a public park, and a third about going to an indoor meeting in their neighborhood. The behavior of the people described in the vignettes was randomized so that either almost everyone or very few were wearing masks.

In each scenario, respondents were asked what they would do if they had forgotten a mask or if they encountered someone improperly wearing a face covering. They were presented four options: continue the activity as normal; continue the activity but keep their distance from others; abandon the activity; or either retrieve their own mask or ask the other person to wear theirs properly. They were also asked to read the scenarios as unaffected third parties and report their evaluation of the behavior depicted.

The experiment found that in scenarios in which everyone, or nearly everyone, was wearing masks, the likelihood that respondents would retrieve their own mask increased by 32% among U.S. respondents and 27% among Italian respondents. It also increased the likelihood that respondents would ask an individual to adjust their masks to fit properly by 26% and 29.4% in the U.S. and Italian experiments, respectively. Overall, the presence of people wearing masks made respondents more willing to retrieve masks or ask others to adjust their masks across all scenarios in the United States and in the meeting and ATM scenarios in Italy.

"We saw no evidence that seeing more people wearing masks encourages free riding," said Gregory A. Huber, the Forst Family Professor of Political Science in Yale's Faculty of Arts and Sciences and a co-author of the study. "Rather, it made people more likely to follow the social norm by wearing masks or intervening when encountering somebody with a mask sliding down their nose. One policy implication of our work is that mask-wearing may persist in communities where it is widely embraced absent a government policy mandating face coverings."

Providing information on how face coverings protect the wearer had no effect on people's behavior concerning masks in either country. However, the message about the efficacy of masks in protecting others increased U.S. respondents' willingness to retrieve their face coverings in the experimental scenarios by 10.3% and their willingness to encourage others to properly wear masks by 13.6%. In the Italian experiment, the effects of the message about protecting others were not statistically significant, according to the study.

Explore further Largest study of its kind finds face masks reduce COVID-19

More information: Scott E. Bokemper et al, Experimental evidence that changing beliefs about mask efficacy and social norms increase mask wearing for COVID-19 risk reduction: Results from the United States and Italy, PLOS ONE (2021). Journal information: PLoS ONE Scott E. Bokemper et al, Experimental evidence that changing beliefs about mask efficacy and social norms increase mask wearing for COVID-19 risk reduction: Results from the United States and Italy,(2021). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0258282
Entrance of Heppe Ice Cave. Credit: Jordan Kemp/NPS.

The landscape at Lava Beds National Monument in northern California is typically home to sage and junipers, with unique lava caves twisting underneath the surface. But in the summers of 2020 and 2021, wildfires tore through the region, burning thousands of acres and leaving the surface charred.

The fires that scorched the surface also impacted life in the caves below, according to new research that will be presented at the Geological Society of America's GSA Connects 2021 annual meeting on Monday in Portland, Oregon.

Healthy caves are fragile ecosystems that host far more than bats: They are also home to diverse communities of small mammals, birds, insects, and invertebrates. Cave dwellers can be highly adapted to their niche and therefore sensitive to any changes to their environment. When a wildfire intensely burns the ground above a cave, it is reasonable to expect the cave ecosystem could be affected. And with wildfires affecting larger areas every year, understanding those impacts has never been more important.

Scientists at Lava Beds had been monitoring ecology in 33 caves for six years when the Caldwell Fire struck in July 2020, burning around 70% of the park. The Antelope Fire, which began in August 2021, burned 27% of the park's area. "So 97% of the park has burned within the past year," said Jordan Kemp, a Scientists in Parks intern at Lava Beds and graduate student at Indiana State University. The disaster provided a natural opportunity to study the effect wildfires have on cave ecology.

The burned landscape after the Antelope fire. Credit: Jordan Kemp/NPS.

"We've never had a fire like this before, so the worry was, 'Now that we've lost all this vegetation at the surface, what will happen to life underneath?'" said Kemp.

Invertebrates like cave millipedes, dipluran, and isopods are small but have an outsize impact on overall cave health: Disturbances at the bottom of the food web can ripple up to the top, especially in ecosystems where many species are highly specialized. Because communities within lava tubes in caves tend to be isolated, unique species can evolve that are only found in a few cave environments.

To answer that question, Kemp and colleagues returned to the caves to see what damage had been done and to document specimens that had been attracted to the tiny baits laid for invertebrates. Their preliminary results, tracking population changes and species diversity, suggest a significant drop in ecosystem diversity in the caves under surfaces burned by the Caldwell and Antelope Fires. Those community changes could be driven by moisture.

"After the fires, we've seen wet caves in burn areas become drier, and some dry caves become wet. Loss of vegetation on the surface could have led to a change in groundwater flow, and how water is percolating down through the soil," said Kemp.

A cave millipede. Credit: Jordan Kemp/NPS.

That change in hydrology affected cave humidity, an environmental factor to which invertebrates can be highly sensitive. The fundamental relationship between vegetation mediating water flow at the surface and how much moisture makes it into caves likely holds true for other caves under fire-affected landscapes. Understanding how fires change caves' moisture, and therefore diversity, will help scientists and land managers protect fragile caves ecosystems as fires become ubiquitous across much of the country.

The caves at Lava Beds National Monument are also home to artifacts and paintings of the Indigenous Modoc people, whose ancestral lands the Monument occupies today. Because invertebrates are so sensitive to overall cave health, they can be a good indicator for preservation risks to the artifacts.

Explore further Earthly lava tubes may offer insights into extraterrestrial life

More information: Jordan Kemp et la, Unprecedented wildfire season leaves lasting impact on cave resources: A case study from Lava Beds National Monument, Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs (2021). Jordan Kemp et la, Unprecedented wildfire season leaves lasting impact on cave resources: A case study from Lava Beds National Monument,(2021). DOI: 10.1130/abs/2021AM-368950
Nine out of 10 startups fail, and even among venture-backed fledgling companies, the success rate is only about 25%. It's even tougher for women entrepreneurs, who face challenges their male counterparts don't, according to new Cornell University research.

One reason is noncompete agreementslegal compacts or clauses in a contract specifying that an employee may neither join nor found a rival business after leaving the company.

There are no references to gender in a typical noncompete agreement, said Matt Marx, professor of management and organizations in the Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, but they still have a more deleterious effect on women entrepreneurs.

"The reason noncompetes have an impact is not because people get sued by their former employers," he said, "but because they think they might get sued. It's the fear factor."

Marx is the author of "Employee Non-compete Agreements, Gender, and Entrepreneurship," which published in Organization Science. In his research, he examined startups founded by more than 5.7 million workers who were employed exclusively within 25 states and the District of Columbia from 1990 to 2014.

Noncompete agreements have been in the news recently, with President Joe Biden's signing on July 9 of his Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy. Among other things, the order "encouraged" the Federal Trade Commission to use its rulemaking authority to curtail the use of noncompete clauses and other agreements that may unfairly limit worker mobility.

"We would have a national policy, for the first time in American history. That could happen," he said. "This has never been on the table before."

Several states have recently implemented, or will implement, legislation limiting noncompete agreements, a move jump-started by Massachusetts, which in 2018 passed its Noncompetition Agreement Act. A similar law in Illinois will take effect Jan. 1, 2022.

There's plenty of literature, Marx said, on the differences between men and women when it comes to risk aversion. But perhaps more telling factor, he said: the fact that women are penalized more than men for failure.

"It's a very persistent effect," Marx said. "We see it in medicine, in financial services, and you also see that among entrepreneurs. When women entrepreneurs abandon their startups and go back and look for paid employment, they suffer more of a penalty than men do."

Many relevant statistics point to a more difficult entrepreneurial journey for women compared to men, Marx writes. Although women outnumber men among college students and comprise more than half the workforce, men are nearly 1.5 times more likely than women to start new businesses. Only one in five new businesses, and less than 10% of ventures backed by professional investors, are woman-owned.

And the specter of legal action that comes with signing a noncompete agreement further dampens women's ability to start and sustain a business. According to Marx, constraints on a founder's ability to hire experienced employees, or to even start a business in an industry with which they're familiar, make an entrepreneurial venture risky.

"Plus, women start companies earlier in their careers, having earned less money on average," he said. "So if they get sued, they have less money saved up to defend themselves. And so even though they're paying the same hourly rate [in legal fees], the relative expense is higher."

In his research, Marx wondered if the "fear factor" associated with noncompetes was actually serving a Darwinian purpose: weeding out the less viable companies and rewarding stronger ones. He found that the opposite is true.

Same-industry startups founded under stricter noncompete enforcement penalized potentially strong women-owned businesses. That's likely due to the fact that hiring workers with relevant experiencewith the threat of legal action due to noncompeteshas a chilling effect on startup growth and sustainability, his research found.

"This is the really sad thing," he said. "You look at women who start businesses nonetheless, despite the risk. The companies that get blocked are not the companies that would have failed anyway; they're the high-potential, high-risk companies. And that's the real tragedy: The noncompetes are actually blocking women from starting the kind of companies that we care about most, the high-growth companies, and that's why they're making the gender gap worse. That's the real point of the study."
Oct. 6, 1988Oct. 7, 2021

CORINTH  Robert T. Bobby Buehler, 33, of Overlook Drive, passed away Thursday, Oct. 7, 2021 at Glens Falls Hospital surrounded by his loving family.

Born on Oct. 6, 1988 in Columbus, NE he is the son of Michael and Diana (Green) Buehler of Corinth.

Bobby graduated from Corinth High School in 2006.

He joined the New York Air National Guard on Sept. 15, 2008 serving as a Staff Sergeant for 13 years until March 2021 as a member of the 109th Airlift Wing, and he was deployed to Afghanistan and also to Greenland multiple times. He received the Air Force Achievement Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal with 1 Service Star, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Air Force Expeditionary Service Medal, Air Force and the Expeditionary Service Ribbon and also graduated from Basic Training with Honors.

Bobby married Clare V. Ridzi on Sept. 21, 2018 in Nassau, NY and the couple has resided in Corinth in the third generation Buehler family home on Overlook Drive with their three awesome cats.

He was employed at several companies, most recently working at Albany Airport for Valet Parks of America.

Bobby loved watching movies, and his favorite show, Brooklyn Nine-Nine. He also loved music, singing and traveling with his wife to many locations including Aruba, Bermuda, and enjoyed weekends away. He had a great sense of humor and way of living.

Although he had been dealt a difficult situation with his health, he took it head-on with his incredible positive outlook on life and loved every moment of time he had left with his family, keeping that positive outlook throughout.

Bobby was predeceased by his paternal grandparents, Robert Bob and Harriet Buehler.

Survivors besides his loving wife, Clare of Corinth and his parents of Corinth include his dear sister, Elizabeth Westcott (Stephen) of Honolulu, HI; one niece, Adelaide Westcott; his father and mother-in-law, Frank and Linda Ridzi of Nassau; his maternal grandparents, Thomas and Janette Green of La Puente CA; and Clares siblings, Frank, John, Tom, Mary, and their spouses; and also many aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins who loved him dearly.

A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 14, 2021 at Holy Mother and Child Parish, 405 Palmer Ave, Corinth.

A Rite of Committal will be held at St. Marys Cemetery, Corinth. A celebration of life will follow the Rite of Committal at the Corinth Fire Department, 16 Saratoga Ave.

Friends may call from 5-8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 13, 2021 at the Densmore Funeral Home, Inc., 7 Sherman Ave., Corinth. Members of the Horace D. Washburn American Legion Post 533 of Corinth will conduct a brief service at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, at the funeral home.

The family wishes to thank our guardian angel, Aunt Pat, who left no stone unturned to obtain the best possible treatment in pursuit of a miracle and his devoted and dedicated nurse and doctor, RN Misty and Dr. Christopher Mason, who traversed Bobbys journey with humor and love.

The family suggests that in lieu of flowers, memorials take the form of donations to St. Judes Childrens Research Hospital at www.stjude.org. Bobbys last words to his family and friends are words to live by: Do something that makes you happy every day. Life can be anything that you make it out to be. Choose to make it fun. Love surpasses everything else. Carpe Diem.
GRANVILLE  The Granville Community Foundation is $100,000 closer to its $1 million fundraising goal thanks to a donation from Telescope Casual Furniture.

The furniture company donated the funds to the charitable foundation in celebration of its centennial year.

We have always believed it is very important that the company be a very good citizen of the community we live in, Kathy Juckett, Telescope CEO, said in a statement. This foundation is the perfect way for us to be able to promote our community and to ensure that the future of Granville will be supported as well.

The Granville Community Foundation was launched last year by high school sweethearts Michael and Paula Freed, who grew up in the rural town and wanted to give back. The Freeds now live in Michigan.

Money raised by the organization will help fund community development projects, including those pertaining to education, health and social needs, art and culture and environmental issues.

The Freeds pledged $250,000 of their own money to start the foundation, a subsidiary of the Glens Falls Foundation. The couple also set a $1 million fundraiser goal by the end of 2021, and vowed to match 50% of any donation contributed up to $250,000.

Following the donation, less than $200,000 needs to be raised to meet the Freeds goal. Funds will start being distributed next year.

Telescope has given so much to Granville over the past 100 years. Were very grateful for this latest example of their ongoing generosity and certainly motivated by their willingness to invest in the future of Granville, Michael Freed said in a statement.

Juckett also challenged Granville-area businesses to contribute to the foundation and said Telescope will continue to give back to the town in the years ahead.

Telescope has enjoyed being in Granville for the past 100 years, and this donation represents our plan to invest in its future, she said.

For more information on the Granville Community Foundation, visit: glensfallfoundation.org/granville.

Chad Arnold is a reporter for The Post-Star covering the city of Glens Falls and the town and village of Lake George and Washington County government. Follow him on Twitter @ChadGArnold.

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Warren County plans to hire a Chicago-based firm to research the best practices of other tourist destinations to see what this region could do to become more competitive.

The Tourism and Occupancy Tax Coordination recommended hiring Hunden Strategic Partners at a cost of $72,000.

Company founder Rob Hunden told the committee at its Sept. 30 meeting that Warren Countys request for proposals was a little bit different than the normal marketing studies.

Youre really trying to figure out whats the special sauce, what we can do to smooth out our seasonality and really dig in and see what our competitors are doing, he said.

Hunden said his firm collects and analyzes data such as number of visitors, from where they are coming and their demographics.

He also interviews tourism officials in other communities.

They love to share what theyve done well. Theyll usually admit what theyve messed up, he said.

Hunden plans to develop information about what this regions top five competitor destinations are and how they stack up against Warren County. He will also look at how much these communities spent on marketing.

Among some of the key questions the study will ask is which seasonal competitive vacation destinations have shown the most growth over the five years. Also, what are the top 10 fastest-growing summer destinations by visitor spending and number of room nights and increase in occupancy tax revenue, according to a slide-show presentation.

Other questions to be answered are what best practices have these destinations followed to grow at a faster rate. Also, the study would aim to identify emerging groups of visitors to Warren County.

Hunden said he has done studies for cities large and small including one for Kingsville, Texas, on the expansion of King Ranch, one of the largest continually owned ranches, and a study of tourism to the Great Lakes Bay region of Michigan.

Hunden said his employees are passionate and creative.

Well tell you the truth and be transparent about what we learn, he said.

The matter will now head to the full Warren County Board of Supervisors for approval.

Michael Goot covers politics, crime and courts, Warren County, education and business. Reach him at 518-742-3320 or mgoot@poststar.com.

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Its an effort by the diocese .... to dictate to the victims what the diocese thinks is good for them, Baldante said.

I dont want to engage in hyperbole, but its just outrageously offensive that they would offer such a paltry amount of money, and offer it under the guise of being generous, Baldante said.

Last October, the diocese filed for bankruptcy, seeking protection from financial claims after Gov. Phil Murphy signed a bill into law in 2019 that allows victims of decades-old abuse to file new lawsuits. The diocese also cited a loss of revenue due to the coronavirus pandemic.

St. Padre Pio Parish priest killed in car crash The Rev. Alfred Onyutha, a priest who had served in the Diocese of Camden since 2005, was ki

A bankruptcy reorganization plan submitted in December 2020 would have created a $10 million fund for survivors. That plan was rejected by U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Jerrold Poslusny.

In making the case for Tuesdays plan, the diocese said Monday that the bankruptcy has led to enormous legal fees of more than $7 million, noting the money is no longer available to victims. It has also paid $11 million to victims from the mid-1990s to late 2010s and $8 million to victims through New Jerseys Independent Victim Compensation Program in 2019.

Victims attorneys, however, say the church has more money than it is disclosing.
3D printing potential

There is a video online about a 3D printed arm designed and built by students associated with Central Florida University. The video, titled "An Affordable 3D-Printed Arm" aired in 2015.

It tells about a child born with one arm, and the efforts of his mother to get an artificial limb. Conventional limbs are very expensive, 5 figures, and must be replaced as the child grows.

A group got together to try to help, one from Germany, another from California, most from central Florida through online communication. Eventually an artificial limb was developed, and was given to the boy and his family. The cost was under $400.

3D technology is very new, developed in the 1980s. I believe it will enable a great deal of innovation in many fields, including medicine and consumerism.

It might be something to look into for this area. Stockton University offers some classes in the field, and maybe some area high schools do the same. Also, it might be possible to have a lab in the FAA William Hughes Technical Center.

Jim Munroe

Absecon

Biden mandates unfounded
October 12, 2021 in Utility (E)

[prMac.com] Denver, Colorado - St. Clair Software is pleased to announce the availability of Default Folder X version 5.6 today. This release of its award-winning utility for enhancing Open and Save dialogs fully supports soon-to-be-released macOS 12.0 Monterey. It also delivers compatibility updates and a number of refinements.



Default Folder X's custom keyboard shortcuts put your favorite and recent folders at your fingertips. Pop-up menus let you quickly navigate your folders and open Finder windows. Previews, file information, Spotlight tagging and comments are there when you need them. Open, save, and get back to work: Default Folder X speeds your workflow by making file management fast and efficient.



The changes in Default Folder X 5.6 include:

* Support for macOS 12 Monterey

* Improved support for Google Drive and Dropbox

* Compatibility fixes for Photoshop, Affinity Designer and other Affinity apps, MoneyDance, Flying Logic and PDF Studio Pro

* User interface refinements and bug fixes to make Default Folder X more attractive and more efficient



While the marquee feature for this release is support for Monterey, many improvements and fixes apply to older versions of macOS as well. For a complete change history, visit the St. Clair Software website.



System Requirements:

* macOS 10.10 through 12.0

* Default Folder X runs natively on both Intel and Apple Silicon Macs



Pricing and Availability:

Default Folder X 5.6 is a free update for existing version 5 users. New licenses are $34.95 (USD) and upgrades from version 4 and prior are $14.95. Please see the St. Clair Software web site for screenshots, a full change log, and additional feature information. St. Clair Software strongly recommends that anyone using Default Folder X install this update.

Based in Denver, Colorado, St. Clair Software is a privately held company that has been specializing in utilities and custom software solutions for the Macintosh since 1988. St. Clair Software can be contacted at: St. Clair Software, 271 S. Emerson Street, Denver, CO, USA 80209. Copyright (C) 1988-2021 St. Clair Software. All Rights Reserved. Apple, Macintosh, Apple Silicon, macOS and Finder are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.

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The credits, which are sold separately from the energy itself but entitle the buyer to claim its environmental benefits, each represent 1 megawatt-hour of electricity. For context, the average ComEd customer, using bundled electric service, consumes a little less than seven megawatt-hours of electricity per year, according to the ICC.

Previously, the credits were sold at a fixed price, which exposed wind and solar project developers to potential risks from fluctuating energy prices. Under the new law, the price of the credits is linked to the price of energy, moving in the opposite direction to hedge against volatility and provide steadier revenue for companies looking to develop large-scale wind or solar energy projects.

Proponents say that arrangement, which was a major request from the renewable industry in negotiations, should make it easier to finance projects, spurring development and keeping costs low.

You just make that space so much more viable and just as a matter of volume, you end up with more wind and solar on the grid simply because you are getting larger-scale projects, you are reducing the financing costs for the private companies, and youre reducing their risk, said Mitchell, the Pritzker deputy who led energy negotiations. So when you do that, that just allows you to get much more on the grid much faster.
Interstate 90 west of Rapid City will close at 10 p.m. Tuesday until further notice as conditions continue to worsen from a strong winter storm in the Black Hills.

The South Dakota Department of Transportation announced the enforced closure will impact Interstate 90 in both directions from the Wyoming border to Exit 55/Deadwood Avenue in Rapid City. There is no expectation when the highway will reopen as of Tuesday night.

The winter storm is associated with a low pressure system in Colorado and began earlier than originally anticipated for Rapid City and the Black Hills, transitioning from rain to snow during the late morning and early afternoon hours on Tuesday.

As conditions changed Tuesday, the Sturgis Police Department issued a no travel advisory for the rest of the evening into Wednesday for all city streets. Reports indicate more than 6 to 8 inches of snow in Sturgis and Belle Fourche. Higher totals are expected in Spearfish.

Additionally, the Meade School District cancelled classes for Wednesday due to the winter weather.

In the Lead-Deadwood area, the National Weather Service in Rapid City forecasts more than two feet of snow.

Large snowflakes equivalent to 1-2 inches of snowfall per hour were observed in Rapid City around noon Tuesday. However, with temperatures above freezing the snow quickly turned into a slushy mess on roads and some accumulation in grassy areas.

As of 1:15 p.m. Tuesday, the city's Communication Coordinator Darrell Shoemaker said Street Department crews were treating hills and bridge decks and patrolling road conditions along Rapid City's 19 snow routes.

"Drivers are advised to use caution as snow conditions persist," Shoemaker said. "In addition, drivers are advised to watch for fallen tree branches in roadways due to the heavy, wet snow."

Melissa Smith, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Rapid City, said the snow accumulation dwindled in the late afternoon Tuesday but was expected to pick back up later Tuesday night and through Wednesday.

"We are expecting the intensity of the snow to go down some this afternoon, then pick back up," Smith said.

Smith said the surface temperatures in Rapid City are warm, causing the snow to melt in the daytime hours, but it could cause icy patches and slushy roads throughout Tuesday evening and into Wednesday, especially during the overnight hours with more snow accumulation expected.

Farther into the Northern Black Hills, areas from Hill City to Lead-Deadwood saw significant snow beginning to accumulate Tuesday in grassy areas and along some roadways.

Tuesdays wintry weather also caused power outages affecting thousands of customers, according to Black Hills Energy.

The largest reported outage was in Sturgis where 3,072 customers lost power at around 3:45 p.m. Earlier in the day, 1,000 Black Hills Energy customers in southwest Rapid City lost their power for three hours. It was reported that all but 31 had power restored by 4:45 p.m.

Information on Black Hills Energy power outages and a map of the affected area can be found at https://www.blackhillsenergy.com/outages.

According to the National Weather Service in Rapid City, steady daytime temperatures Tuesday in Lead were at 32 degrees, with conditions expected to continue deteriorating throughout Tuesday afternoon, evening and into Wednesday. The weather service called for 4 to 8 inches of Tuesday daytime snow accumulation in Lead, 10 to 14 inches during the overnight hours, and an additional 4 to 8 inches on Wednesday.

In Rapid City, precipitation transitioned to a rain/snow mix with some sleet after 4 p.m. Tuesday. The National Weather Service said additional snow is expected during the overnight hours and into Wednesday, with an additional 3 to 7 inches of snow ending by 11 a.m. The rest of Wednesday is expected to transition to a rain/snow mix Wednesday evening.

Daytime temperatures in Rapid City are expected to be in the low- to mid- 40s through Wednesday, with overnight temperatures below freezing. A warm-up is expected by the weekend, with Sunday's high temperature forecast to be in the high 60s.

 Journal reporter Shannon Marvel contributed to this report.

Contact Nathan Thompson at nathan.thompson@rapidcityjournal.com.

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South Dakota lawmakers redrawing the state's political boundaries kicked off a three-day tour of public input meetings on Monday amid intra-party Republican bickering and competing proposals for new legislative districts.

The House and Senate committees, both dominated by Republicans, had previously sought accord in the once-in-a-decade process. But as they presented divergent map proposals at a public-input meeting in Box Elder, the schism between the House and Senate was on full display. Each side sought to use the tour  dubbed the redistricting roadshow by lawmakers  to gain support for their respective proposals.

The Legislature will convene on Nov. 8 to consider new political boundaries, which must also be approved by Gov. Kristi Noem. If they can't reach a consensus by Dec. 1, redistricting would be determined by the state Supreme Court.

Senate Pro Temp Lee Schoenbeck  one of the most influential Republican lawmakers  accused House members of maintaining gerrymandered boundaries in order to preserve current districts that are favorable to their plans for reelection.

It looks like someone accidentally spilled something on the map, he said of one district proposed by the House. They are making a concerted effort to create or protect districts for people.

Republican Rep. Drew Dennert, who proposed the House's map, acknowledged that his proposal kept boundaries close to their current version but contended that is a good thing. He was confident that the public meetings would show support for his map, which he said best represented the communities of the state.

He charged that Schoenbeck was a very intelligent political operative, who had taken to attacking the House proposal because he was losing support.

House Speaker Speaker Spencer Gosch, a Republican, also accused Schoenbeck of employing DC political tactics.

Baseless and hypocritical accusations are only meant to divide, he said in a statement. The rest of the Legislature will continue to work in a fair and open manner to ensure that all South Dakotans are represented.

Meanwhile, members of Native American communities used the meetings to press for greater representation in the Legislature. At the first meeting on Monday, advocates pushed for compact political boundaries around northern Rapid City  which has a large number of Native Americans  that would allow the community to elect someone who represented their interests. Federal law requires that racial minorities receive adequate representation in legislative boundaries.

Democratic Sen. Troy Heinert argued that a map proposed by the Senate would do that best. He also raised concerns that the U.S. Census Bureau had undercounted the population on American Indian reservations. He saw Monday's second meeting, held on the Rosebud Indian Reservation, as an opportunity to underscore that point.

My biggest hope is that as the committee members drive through our reservation, they see how vast it is, but also how many housing units there are, he said. You have to trust your eyes on this.

However, the committee chair, Republican Sen. Mary Duvall, has consistently pointed out that the process has to be primarily based on census numbers.

The lawmakers will wind their way through the state, making a total of seven stops this week and culminating with two meetings in Sioux Falls on Wednesday. Both sides of the fight said they hoped a consensus would begin to emerge by the time the Legislature meets next month.

I dont think theres anything wrong with having two different maps. The question is, is there a majority of both bodies that are going to support one of them, Schoenbeck said. If there isn't, then the Supreme Court is going to look at it.

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A proposed 2022 cannabis legalization ballot initiative has been approved by the South Dakota Secretary of State for signature gathering, according to a news release from South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws.

The statutory cannabis legalization initiative would make personal cannabis possession and cultivation legal for adults 21 and over, according to Matthew Schweich, SDBML campaign director.

To make it on the 2022 ballot, SDBML will need to collect just under 17,000 valid signatures from South Dakota registered voters by Nov. 8.

"At the 2020 Election, 54% of South Dakota voters approved Amendment A, a constitutional cannabis legalization initiative," the release states. "However, since then, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem has orchestrated a taxpayer-funded lawsuit that has suspended implementation of the law. The case is currently before the South Dakota Supreme Court. The hearing was on April 28 but a ruling has still not been issued.

In 2020, 70% of South Dakota voters also approved Measure 26, a medical cannabis law, making South Dakota the first state to approve recreational and medical cannabis reform at the same time.

The proposed short, statutory ballot initiative was one of five filed with the state. Out of those five, Schweich said the short statutory legalization initiative was chosen to move forward because it is the most likely to withstand any future legal challenges.

"Statutory is less likely to be scrutinized than a constitutional amendment. Courts are going to be a little harsher, stricter if you're trying to do a constitutional," Schweich said. The short version has less components to it as well, which helps negate potential challenges to it for predicating too many areas of public policy, he added.

Signature drives in Rapid City, Aberdeen, Sioux Falls and other locations in South Dakota are planned to help garner the required number of signatures before the Nov. 8 deadline.

The locations and dates of the signatures drives will be announced within the next few days.

We have less than a month to collect the signatures we need, but our supporters are very energized," Schweich said. "They are deeply frustrated by Governor Noems decision to launch a taxpayer-funded lawsuit against Amendment A, the lack of a ruling in the case, and Governor Noems failed attempt to severely delay the implementation of Measure 26."

The initiative text and related documents can be found on the South Dakota Secretary of State's website at https://sdsos.gov/elections-voting/upcoming-elections/general-information/2022-ballot-questions.aspx.

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Late last week, Gov. Kristi Noem hit the reset button on an effort to revise South Dakotas social studies standards after the end product of the recent process drew criticism from several sides, even from those who were tasked with crafting those standards.

This most likely wont end the controversies, but for now, starting over is the best course.

Since this effort began several months ago, one specter hovering over it was Noems intent to come up with something that closely mirrored the 1776 Project proposed by former President Donald Trump a year ago. The mission of that project was to, in effect, promote Americas greatness while mostly glossing over some of the more problematic terrain such as the role of racism in this country.

The group tasked with writing South Dakotas new social studies standards began its work several months ago. According to former Yankton High School teacher Paul Harens, who was part of that group, they were told by a Department of Education (DOE) representative that the state was criticized the last time the standards were redrawn for not being inclusive enough in terms of Native American culture and history. The DOE rep advised them, I would like to see every group have at least one standard for the Native Americans, Harens told the Press & Dakotan

The group did its work with that in mind, he said, including the crafting of a preamble to serve as a mission statement for its efforts and submitted the final document in late June.

But when those proposed standards were released several weeks later, they had been greatly revised. Harens said only two sentences of the preamble had been kept, with the rest rewritten. Also, they eliminate(d), I think it was, three-fourths of the Native American standards, he said. We were told to do one thing. We did it, and they took it away. Thats why we were so shocked.

Harens said efforts to find out who authorized those changes have made little headway. But he said the fact that the final document closely mirrors the 1776 Project recommendations  which he said whitewashes U.S. history and massively skip(s) over the indigenous population in the United States  likely offers some guidance.

Its basically the 1776 Project or comments that (Noem) has made, Harens said. Somebody had to tell the Department of Education to make those changes, and it wasnt somebody in the Department of Education. I dont know who it was, but I can make a guess.

The uproar over this has been quite strong, and Noem, who had earlier put a delay on the process, pulled the plug last week and announced a do-over.

Our focus remains the same: ensuring that South Dakota students learn a true and honest account of American and South Dakota history, the governor said.

But how it will be done over remains to be seen. Many education officials were unhappy with the final proposal issued, while some conservative entities have been critical of what are viewed as liberal efforts in crafting the document. Also, Noem took to social media recently and said radical education activists were trying to impose a left-wing agenda. Restoring honest & true American & South Dakota history in our schools wont be easy but we must win, she said in words that were echoed in last weeks statement.

So, you can see where this might be headed.

It seems that the best place to start, or re-start, this process is to follow the DOEs original advice: Be inclusive. We cant shunt the Native American aspect of the states history to a back burner. Indigenous views need to be well represented on whatever group is formed to write these standards.

Weve made enough mistakes in education, Harens said. Lets not make another one.

Revising the standards should be seen as an effort to cultivate some constructive honesty in the educational process, and that needs to be the mission going forward.

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" " Bitters are an essential ingredient in cocktails. They add aromatics, flavor and sharpness to the drinks. Maksym Fesenko/Shutterstock

In our "How to Stock a Beautiful Bar Cart" explainer, Samantha Montgomery, the national brand ambassador for Kentucky's Bardstown Bourbon Company, says bitters are like the "spice rack" of a bar. They're necessary ingredients to "add tang" or sharpness to alcoholic drinks.

To learn more about this versatile  and sometimes misunderstood  component of a great cocktail we talked to Nate Beske, bar manager at the Hewing Hotel in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Beske grew up in northern Wisconsin, where the muddled orange and cherry Old-Fashioned with a topper of Squirt was the drink of choice.

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What Are Bitters?

Bitters, according to Beske, are high-proof spirits infused with fruits, herbs, spices and botanicals used to flavor cocktails. They're usually named for the ingredient responsible for the principal taste  think orange bitters and peach bitters. The alcoholic strength varies but is generally about 40 percent by volume.

There are two types of bitters: digestive bitters and cocktail bitters. When you drink digestive bitters, they help you digest your food, hence the name. These are more popular in Europe than North America, and they're typically sipped straight or on the rocks after a meal. Some of the most common digestive bitters include:

Amaro

Campari

Aperol

Jagermeister

Unicum

Cocktail bitters, on the other hand, are those mixed in cocktails. The flavors are much more concentrated than digestifs so they're rarely served straight. Some of the best cocktail bitters include:

Regans' Orange

Peychaud's

Angostura

Bittermens

The Bitter Truth

" " (L-r) Some of the best cocktail bitters include Regans' Orange, Peychaud's, Angostura Bitters, Bittermens and The Bitter Truth. Corresponding brands

For anyone just getting into mixology or interested in learning about "starter bitters," Beske says angostura is a given. Angostura bitters are the original aromatic bitters and the oldest bitters brand. They were the leaders when the cocktail industry essentially launched in the early 1800s. And it's not just that; angostura bitters are required for classic cocktails like the Manhattan and the Old-Fashioned.

Montgomery agrees and also suggests angostura as a good bitter to start learning with.

"I would start with angostura bitters as they are amongst the oldest, most traditional, and most often called for in classic cocktail recipes, but definitely experiment with others," she says.

"Cherry bark vanilla bitters is the way to go if I want to turn someone on to gin or a good whiskey sour," Beske says. "Hands down, it's the best bitters ever."

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Why Use Bitters?

Bitters are designed to add complexity and depth to cocktails. Aromatic bitters, for instance, are those flavored with herbs, spices and barks, giving them strong aromas. Citrus bitters are high-proof alcohols infused with the peels of citrus fruits. Orange bitters are the most popular. Herbal bitters can add flavors and aromas like thyme, lavender and tarragon.

As far as using bitters in day-to-day bartending, Beske says he prefers the Bittercube brand.

"For instance, in our Moscow Mule, we use Jamaican No. 1, which has flavor profiles of ginger which is the base flavor of the Mule," he says. "Not only does it just impart ginger, but it also offers black pepper and citrus to the cocktail, making for a superior drink."

In fact, the Hewing (and any good mixologist) uses bitters in most of its cocktails. Beske says the flavors push their cocktail program to a higher level. The hotel sells 300 to 400 classic Old-Fashioneds, every weekend.

"We have our own custom blend of bitters from Bittercube (orange bitters, cherry bark vanilla bitters and root beer bitters)," he says. "Those mixed with Piloncillo sugar and our custom blend of Knob Creek and Maker's Mark whiskeys is why people can't stop ordering the Old-Fashioned."

" " The Angostura brand has been a staple since 1824 and is featured in cocktails like the Old-Fashioned, Manhattan and the Vieux Carre. Alexander Prokopenko/Shutterstock

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Demystifying Bitters

But there are more ways than adding a few dashes of angostura bitters to an Old-Fashioned to have fun with bitters. "I personally love a Vieux Carre. The delicate blend of rye, cognac, vermouth, Benedictine, Peychauds and angostura bitters is magical and with a kiss of lemon oils on top, consider it done," Beske says. "This is also my favorite drink to make. It feels like I'm cooking comfort food for someone because it's a drink that hugs you from first sip to finish."

Overall, the mixologist and longtime barkeep wants to demystify bitters. "Don't be afraid of bitters," Beske says. "When adding them to cocktails, [they're] not bitter, but add a level of balanced sweet and dryness."

And while a little goes a long way, don't short yourself on bitters. At-home cocktail enthusiasts shouldn't be intimidated by the flavoring. Instead, take Beske's pro tip to heart: "Don't just throw in a few drops; hold your bitters bottle and go from 12 o'clock to 6 o'clock with the bottle and dash with confidence."

Now That's Interesting Angostura's oversized label initially began as a mistake when the family business entered a contest in the late 19th century. One brother designed a new bottle for the competition while the other brother designed a new label. The two never discussed the new bottle's size. The label turned out to be too large for the new bottle, but they entered the contest anyway, oversized label and all. They lost the competition, but kept the oversized label after a judge told them the bottle would always stand out. And the rest is history.
" " An Italian vendor serves a glass of Prosecco Valdobbiadene superior. The Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG designation was created in 2009, to recognize the true home of prosecco in Italy. GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images

Like most wines, all prosecco is not made equally. Prosecco, a type of sparkling wine, is made with grapes from the Conegliano Valdobbiadene region in Veneto, Italy, primarily with the glera grape. Grapes in this region grow at different altitudes; the higher the altitude, the better the prosecco quality, says wine expert Vince Anter, founder and host of the "V is for Vino" show on Amazon Prime.

Sadly, we can't just jet-set to Veneto's vineyards every time we need a new bottle of prosecco. So how do we buy a good bottle of prosecco closer to home? We talked with Anter to find out.

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A Brief Prosecco Explainer

Before buying a good bottle of prosecco, it's important to understand what prosecco actually is  and more specifically, what it isn't. Some think prosecco is just another version of Champagne, but the two are quite different. While true Champagne (from the Champagne region of France) has bready, yeasty, creme brulee flavors, prosecco tastes fruitier, like green apples, pears or honeydew melons. Champagne bubbles are also finer, while prosecco bubbles are bigger. These key differences stem from each sparkling wine's production process.

"The big difference is how the bubbles are formed," Anter explains. "Prosecco is made in the Charmat method. All the fermentation is done in pressurized tanks and that's where the bubbles occur. In Champagne, bubbles occur in individual bottles."

This method variance brings about another important difference: price. To make Champagne, Anter says winemakers add yeast and sugar to each individual bottle before capping it to trap the byproducts of heat and CO2. (In still wines, these elements evaporate into the air.) With the Charmat method, they do the same thing but in big tanks versus individual bottles. "You can do hundreds or thousands of bottles at a time," Anter says.

Champagne's tedious production process correlates with a higher price point. "Champagne itself [from the Champagne region] starts at about $40 to $50, and you can spend way more than that," Anter says. "Prosecco taps out in the $50 to $75 range for the high end, and you can easily get a really good prosecco for $30."

" " Prosecco is made using the Charmat method, which means the fermentation is created in huge pressurized tanks like these. MIGUEL MEDINA/AFP via Getty Images

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Selecting a Good Bottle of Prosecco

You don't have to go to the slopes of Veneto, Italy, to determine which prosecco is best. Just look for the DOCG label, Anter says. It's an acronym for denominazione di origine controllata e garantita, which in English means controlled and guaranteed designation of origin.

"There's DOC prosecco and DOCG. DOC is made in the flatlands; these are the uninteresting, low-acidity grapes," he says. "DOCG is much higher quality. Most of it has to be picked by hand and grapes are grown at a higher altitude."

DOC and DOCG are certifications from the Italian government; they help buyers know what they're purchasing, and specify the production area, the method used for the wines and the quality of the wines. DOC (appellation d'origine controlee), which means controlled designation of origin isn't quite the same. You want to look for the "G" in DOCG. It's more stringent and basically a guarantee that the wine was evaluated and tasted by a government-licensed committee before it was bottled. Anter says to look for these certifications on the bottle's label or neck.

Anter's second trick for buying good wine? Skip the grocery store.

"I'm big on this for any wines: Go to your local wine shop," he says. "Grocery stores have to stock the wine in, say, 50 stores. When you do that, you essentially say this wine has to be mass produced  but wine isn't like something made out of a factory. When you bring up the yields, you diminish the quality."

Buying prosecco online is a good way to find a specific bottle, Anter says, but he still recommends shopping at your corner wine store because they often carry unique, small-batch prosecco bottles you won't find anywhere else. Two of Anter's favorite proseccos include the well-balanced Valdo Spumante 1926 and Sorelle Bronca, a prosecco known for its fresh, apple aroma.

" " One sure sign of a high-quality bottle of prosecco is a DOCG label on the neck of a bottle. The label refers to the Italian government's guarantee of the wine's origins. In prosecco's case, it's the Conegliano Valdobbiadene region. David Silverman/Getty Images

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How to Serve and Store Prosecco

For the optimal prosecco experience, chill the bottle in the refrigerator. "Fridge cold, which is actually too cold for white wines, is just right," Anter says. "Sparkling wines should be served out of a refrigerator or an ice bucket."

He also recommends white-wineglasses for the fullest flavor. "Flutes aren't the best for getting everything out of the wine," he says. "You lose the aromatics. You want more from the nose than the palate, so most people who seriously drink wine will use white-wineglasses."

And finally, it's best to consume prosecco right away. "It's not meant to age unless it's a really high-quality bottle," Anter says. "The more that's left in the bottle, the longer it can keep. A half to three-quarters could last a day. It won't go bad, but it goes flat. And absolutely preserve it in the refrigerator. This slows down the oxygenation process."

NOW THAT'S INTERESTING While prosecco's popularity grows, it's availability is not a given  which the global prosecco shortage of 2016 made clear. Unusual weather patterns are often to blame for this catastrophe; in 2016, up to 50 percent of harvests failed.

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Originally Published: Dec 3, 2020
Chop Suey Books, the Carytown bookstore that has been written about by The New York Times and ranked the best bookstore in the state, is being sold by owner Ward Tefft. Tefft has owned the store for nearly 20 years.

The new owners, Berkley and Chris McDaniel, are longtime customers who have been in the Richmond area since the 80s, and we are all really excited about the new chapter for the store, Tefft said.

The sale is expected to be completed by the end of this week. Terms of the sale were not disclosed.

The sale includes all the intellectual property and assets affiliated with Chop Suey Books, including its Instagram account and the beloved bookstore cat WonTon.

WonTon, a resident of Chop Suey Books since 2008, can be spotted around the book shop and in the bright murals that adorn its walls.

Ward and his employees have created such a lovely space and community, we want to keep it like that and grow it, Berkley McDaniel said. We want to make as few changes as possible and keep the same vibe and the same kind of books.

The only big change theyre planning is implementing a new inventory system, which the store doesnt currently have.

***
When I speak to students, I explain that discrimination and bullying are learned. I describe how my father finally changed his mind about Jews. After my mother died, Daddy wept as dozens of my Jewish friends lined up to shake his hand, telling him they loved me. At 86, he finally saw Jews as human beings.

We all need to see one another as human beings with value. Bullying is a component of the growing problem of teen suicide, the third-leading cause of death among young people  about 4,400 deaths annually, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For every teen suicide, at least 100 are attempted. More than 14% of high schoolers have considered suicide.

Im convinced that children emulate their parents, so I never miss an opportunity to ask adults to be careful of what they say or do. There could be a child watching. There could be a child listening. There could be a child trying to make up his or her mind.
Most employers realize they cant discriminate against candidates for employment by seeking someone younger or seeking male only.

Likewise, they shouldnt be hiring a staffing agency to discriminate on their behalf.

Staffing agencies also cannot comply with a clients request for a preference in a candidate that could result in discriminatory recruitment and hiring practices.

Staffing firm Aerotek learned this lesson the hard way.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced earlier this month that it settled a discrimination investigation against Aerotek for $3.52 million over allegations of systemic discrimination in hiring and placement of individuals assigned to work at Aeroteks clients.

According to the EEOC, Aerotek failed to recruit and denied assignments, placements and/or hiring to individuals based on age (over 40), sex and race in violation of federal law.

Aerotek agreed to continue to maintain and distribute to its employees and clients a policy prohibiting compliance with discriminatory requests by clients and will conduct internal EEO audits of its placement of temporary workers, as well as other settlement terms.
One of the first responsibilities of a U.S. attorney is to be able to form relationships with a wide variety of stakeholders, he said.

At the same time, he said, I absolutely need to reconnect with the folks here in the Roanoke office, many of whom he has worked with in the past. They dont have to win me over, he said, because I know the work they are doing every day.

Kavanaugh has practiced before all of the judges in the Western District, which has seven courthouses. In his new job, the bulk of his work will be administrative.

Some of the offices policies will be guided by the administration of President Joe Biden, who nominated Kavanaugh for an appointment that was confirmed last week by the Senate.

In June, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced that he was imposing a moratorium on federal executions while the Justice Department conducts a review of its policies and procedures. He gave no timetable.

Under the administration of former President Donald Trump, the Justice Department authorized federal prosecutors to seek the death sentence for Samuel Silva, who is charged with killing a fellow inmate in the U.S. Penitentiary in Lee County.
At Julys meeting, Williams railed against critical race theory, a phony issue thats about as dangerous as the sky-high legumes in the childrens fairy tale, Jack and the Giant Beanstalk.

Then at Augusts meeting, U.S. Rep. Bob Good (a Republican who lives in Campbell County) tried unsuccessfully to talk during the public comment period. He got shot down because he hadnt signed up in advance.

By the time Septembers meeting came along, Williams was present again. On that occasion, he voiced outrage about the boards newly enforced policy of not letting politicians speak during the comment period.

Below is the relevant section of that policy, which Assistant Schools Superintendent Sue Rogers told me dates to 2010. Its on the form that would-be speakers fill out to get on the public comments agenda.

Speakers appearing before the board will not be allowed to campaign for public office, promote private business ventures, engage in personal attacks, or use profanity or vulgar language.

Now heres how Allens story described that September meeting scene, when Williams blustered:
The most contentious topic of Mondays meeting was a debate over whether Harris, the Democratic co-chair, had verbally resigned from the commission when she left abruptly on Friday. Del. Les Adams, R-Pittsylvania, asked that the commissions attorneys draft an opinion about whether her statements on Friday amounted to a resignation.

Im not aware of any reason that a verbal resignation is not effective in Virginia, he said. I think we need to have some sort of legal discussion about that and see where we are. Prior to moving forward with any votes.

Harris on Friday had said: Regrettably, I am done. So, thank you very much for the opportunity to serve. But I will remove myself from the commission at this point.

On Monday, Harris clarified that she meant she was removing herself from the meeting at that moment, not from the commission. In an email to the Richmond Times-Dispatch and to legislative aides Friday, Harris confirmed she had not resigned.

Some Democrats on the commission accused Adams of partisanship in suggesting that Harris, the Democratic co-chair, had imperiled her seat on the commission.
The Lower Drug Costs Now Act is a critical piece of legislation for lowering prescription drug prices and improving Medicare for seniors and families across the country. Most Americans support the idea of Medicare negotiation for drug prices, yet Republican obstructionism to critically important, publicly supported policy solutions such as this, is once again preventing Congress from getting any work done on behalf of the American people.

We have got to hold our lawmakers accountable. Rep. Morgan Griffith, in the House Energy and Commerce Committee, voted against H.R. 3 even though it benefits everyone  except the prescription drug corporations with their army of lobbyists. Whose side is Rep. Griffith on? H.R. 3, as one aspect of the Build Back Better package, reflects something that matches the level of need in our communities, and deserves better than to be sidelined by partisan politics and corporate greed.

The possibility of real-life improvement contained within the Build Back Better Act is paid for by getting the super-rich and big corporations to pay their fair share in taxes instead of lining their pockets. Here are a couple of actions you can take right now:

Hold Representative Griffith accountable by calling him at 202-225-3861.

Tell Sen. Mark Warner to stand strong.
" " The smog that blanketed the small town of Donora, Pennsylvania in October 1948 caused at least 21 deaths and ultimately resulted in the passage of the Clean Air Act of 1963. This photo shows 9 of the 10 spelter stacks of U.S. Steel's Donora Zinc Works. Donora Historical Society

In Donora, Pennsylvania, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) by car south of Pittsburgh along the Monongahela River, what used to be a Chinese restaurant is now the home of the Donora Historical Society and Smog Museum.

Over the years, scholars from academic institutions all over the world have made their way to the humble local volunteer-run institution to peruse its archive of documents, blueprints, microfilm, scientific studies and film footage, according to volunteer curator and researcher Brian Charlton, who notes with amusement that he also doubles as the janitor. "I was just mopping before I returned your call," he explains one recent Saturday morning.

There's continuing interest in the museum's collection because it documents one of the worst pollution catastrophes in U.S. history, a toxic smog that enveloped Donora in late October 1948 and killed more than 20 residents, in addition to sickening thousands more. Many credit the disaster with awakening the American public to the dangers of air pollution, and stirring an outcry that eventually led to enactment of the first federal clean air laws in the 1950s and 1960s.

In the words of a historical study published in April 2018 in the American Journal of Public Health, Donora's killer smog "changed the face of environmental protection in the United States."

Today, Donora is an out-of-the-way town of just 4,000 inhabitants, without even a gas station or a grocery store, But back in 1948, Charlton explains, it was several times larger, a bustling center of industry that was home to both a zinc works with 10 smelters and a steel mill that used the zinc to galvanize its products. While the zinc works provided thousands of residents with good-paying jobs, there was a major downside. Workers were paid a full day's wage for just a few hours of work, because too much exposure to the zinc could make them ill. "The layman's term was the zinc shakes," Charlton explains.

The plant also continuously released billowing emissions into the local sky, laden with a soup of pollutants that included "hydrogen fluoride, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, multiple sulfur compounds, and heavy metals within fine particulate matter," according to the AJPH study.

In the neighboring village of Webster, the pollution from Donora had a devastating effect on local farmers' orchards. "It just destroyed their way of life," Charlton says. In Donora, the pollution killed vegetation, denuding hillsides and causing so much erosion that a local cemetery became an unusable wasteland of rocks and dirt.

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It Crept Up Slowly

But nobody imagined that the pollution would turn deadly. Then, in the last week of October 1948, the Monongahela-Ohio valley experienced an unusually severe temperature inversion, a weather phenomenon that in Donora trapped smoke from the plants at ground level.

Donora resident Charles Stacey, who in 1948 was a 16-year-old high school senior, recalls that several days before the deaths began, the smog that enveloped the town was so thick that when he walked to school in the mornings and evenings, it was difficult to see the traffic signals. "You had to be careful stepping off the curb," he says.

At first, he and his friends didn't think anything of it. "We thought the smog was something that had to be," he says. "It was part of our heritage."

But older people and those with chronic respiratory conditions weren't faring as well. By the end of the week, close to 6,000 had taken ill, as federal researchers later determined. Charlton, who has combed through county death certificates for that weekend, says that he's documented 21 deaths from respiratory causes between noon that Friday and 6 a.m. the following Monday. More probably died in the weeks that followed, he believes.

With nearby hospitals filling up and funeral directors overwhelmed, the old Donora Hotel became an improvised infirmary and morgue, Stacey recalls. The hotel's street level was filled with sick people, while the lower level was for the dead.

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Aftermath

In the aftermath of the horrific event, state and federal public health investigators descended upon the town. But as U.S. Public Health Service official Dr. James Townsend noted in this 1950 account, some residents  fearful of incurring the wrath of their employer (the Zinc company)  tried to minimize the illnesses they'd suffered during the smog. Others, though, "were more angry than afraid."

Eventually, dozens of local residents filed lawsuits against the company that owned the zinc works  which, in its defense, asserted that the smog had been an Act of God for which it was not responsible, according to a 1994 article by Lynn Page Snyder published in Environmental History Review. In order for families to participate, the court required an autopsy of the person who'd died, which probably kept many more from participating, Charlton says.

Eventually, the families ended up settling the case for $250,000. "They were afraid they were going to end up with nothing," Charlton explains.

But the lives lost in Donora did lead to change. As Townsend wrote, the federal investigation ultimately found that the smog's harmful effects probably were caused by a combination of pollutants, rather than one single chemical culprit. But they also discovered "considerable evidence" of previous smog events in which the death rate had soared. The Donora investigation "has shown beyond doubt "that the combination of gases and particulate matter in emissions could have an adverse effect upon health, Townsend concluded. He recommended more research on pollution's effects and urged industry to work on cutting the amount of pollution emitted.

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The Clean Air Act of 1963

As this 2012 article by Arthur C. Stern in Journal of the Air Pollution Control Association details, slightly more than a year after the Donora Smog, President Harry S. Truman ordered the creation of a government committee to study the air pollution problem. It was the start of a research effort that ultimately led to passage of the Clean Air Act of 1963. (Congress further strengthened that law with the Clean Air Act of 1970.)

By then, the Donora zinc works was gone. "People thought it was because they had said bad things about the plant," Charlton says. "They believed for years that it was their fault." In reality, though, the 1957 closure was just a business decision, the result of an English company developing a more efficient process that made Donora's smelters obsolete.

The demise of the zinc works  followed by the demise of the nearby steel mill a decade later  started Donora on a gradual economic decline from which the town is still trying to recover, Charlton said. But Donora's residents can rightfully be proud of their town's historic role in the fight against pollution.

"One of our tag lines is 'Clean Air Started Here,'" Charlton says. "Everyone looks to us as the ground zero of the environmental movement, of making sure that industry doesn't get out of control."

Now That's Interesting Then-high school student Stacey recalls that he first learned of the death toll when he turned on the radio and heard nationally syndicated columnist Walter Winchell talking about Donora.
" " Climate activist Greta Thunberg gives the final speech in Milan during the Fridays for Future demonstration, Oct. 1, 2021. Matteo Rossetti/Archivio Matteo Rossetti/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images

Greta Thunberg is "open" to meeting with United States President Joe Biden at the United Nations climate summit in Glasgow, though the young Swedish activist does not expect much from either the U.S. leader or the make-or-break summit that runs Oct. 31 to Nov. 12.

In an interview with the global media collaboration Covering Climate Now last Wednesday, Thunberg expressed surprise at the idea that Biden, or any world leader, might want to sit down with her at COP26, but said she was open to the possibility, if asked. "I guess that will depend on the situation," she said. "I don't see why these people want to meet with me, but yeah."

A week before she entertained the question about whether she would meet with Biden, Thunberg had accused the U.S. president and other world leaders of offering pretty words but no real action on climate, only "blah blah blah," in a speech to the Youth4Climate summit. That Sept. 28 clip went viral.

In the CCNow interview, conducted by NBC News, Reuters and The Nation, she complained that youth climate activists "are not being taken seriously" by world leaders. "They're just saying, 'We listen to you,' and then they applaud us, and then they go on just like before."

The suggestion that Biden has not only spoken strongly about the climate crisis but also is trying to pass the most ambitious climate legislation in U.S. history does not impress Thunberg. The climate measures in the Democrats' spending plan now under ferocious negotiation in Washington have "been so much watered down by lobbyists," she said; "so we should not pretend that this would be a solution to the climate crisis."

Biden's political problem  that as president in a democracy, he shares power with a legislative body where he faces unanimous Republican opposition that is determined to block his agenda  does not interest her. She judges by results only: "Emissions are still going up."

" " Ugandan activist Vanessa Nakate (left) and Swedish activist Greta Thunberg demonstrate during a Fridays for the Future in Milan, Oct. 1, 2021. Matteo Rossetti/Archivio Matteo Rossetti/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images

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End the Empty Talk and Greenwashing

The notion of meeting with the president of the world's other climate change superpower, Xi Jinping of China, seemed even more distant to Thunberg than a meeting with Biden. Calling Xi "a leader of a dictatorship," she nevertheless did not rule out the idea. She stressed, however that "democracy is the only solution to the climate crisis, since the only thing that could get us out of this situation is ... massive public pressure."

Wearing a gray hoodie and speaking from her kitchen table in Stockholm, Thunberg said that she will attend November's COP26 despite the summit's potential for "empty talk" and "greenwashing" because the gathering of thousands of government officials, activists, scientists and journalists is an opportunity "to show that we are in an emergency, and ... we are going to try to mobilize people around this."

"In such an emergency as we are in right now, everyone needs to take their moral responsibility, at least I think so, and use whatever power they have, whatever platform they have, to try to influence and push in the right direction, to make a change," she said. "I think that's our duty as human beings."

Making COP26 a success, Thunberg suggested, requires unflinching honesty about "the gap between what we are saying and what we are actually doing ... That's not what we are doing now. We are trying to find concrete, small solutions that are symbolic in order to make it seem like we are doing something, without actually confronting the problem at all. We are still not counting all the emissions when we are announcing targets. We are still using creative accounting when it comes to emissions cuts, and so on. As long as that's the case, we will not get very far."

Thunberg endorsed the many lawsuits demanding compensation from fossil fuel companies for their decades of lying about climate change and the resulting damage and suffering, especially in front-line communities. "I think that these people need to be held accountable for all the damage that they have caused ... especially for the people whose communities and whose health and livelihoods have been devastated by the actions of these companies," she said. "I think that's the bare minimum to ask for."

The activist also called out the world's media, which she said has largely "failed ... to communicate the emergency that we are in." She noted that "there are many, many news organizations and journalists that are trying" to do more, and she called the media "one of my biggest sources of hope right now."

Citing the coronavirus, she said that "when the media decided to treat this pandemic as an emergency that changed social norms overnight. If the media decided, with all the resources that they have, to use their platform ... they could reach countless people in no time, and that could have huge consequences, positive consequences."

" " Greta Thunberg started out striking solo outside of the Swedish parliament building before she garnered worldwide attention and turned her strike into a global youth movement to raise awareness for climate change. Michael Campanella/Getty Images

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Staying on Message

Thunberg's core message has been consistent from the time she first emerged onto the world stage with a fiery denunciation of global elites at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January 2019: Listen to the science and do what it requires; the science says our planetary house is literally on fire, and world leaders and everyone else should act like it.

The fact that world leaders, by her own account, are not doing what she and millions of activists are demanding has not led her and other movement leaders to consider new strategies and tactics, at least not yet. "Right now, we are just repeating the same message, like a broken record," she said. "And we are going out on the streets because you need to repeat the same message ... until people get it. I guess that's the only option that we have. If we find other ways of doing it in the future that work better, then maybe we will shift."

Thunberg emphasized that she sees "many, many bright spots" in the climate emergency, citing the millions of people around the world who are taking action. "When I'm taking action, I don't feel like I am helpless and that things are hopeless, because then I feel like I'm doing everything I can," she said. "And that gives me very much hope, especially to see all the other people all around the world, the activists, who are taking action and who are fighting for their present and for their future."

Asked where she sees herself, and humanity, 10 years from now, Greta Thunberg smiled and said, "I have no idea. I think as long as I'm doing everything I can, as long as we are doing everything we can, we can just live in the moment and try to change the future while we still can, instead of trying to predict the future."

Mark Hertsgaard is the executive director and co-founder of Covering Climate Now and The Nation's environment correspondent.

This story originally appeared in The Nation and is part of Covering Climate Now, a global media collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. The interview with Greta Thunberg was conducted by CCNow partners NBC News, Reuters and The Nation.
With that in mind, here are four tips that can help first-generation college students not only get into the college of their choice, but also secure scholarship money to help pay for it.

1. Look up how students do after they graduate

If you want to see your odds of getting into a particular school, how much it will cost or what percentage of students graduate from the school each year, the federal government has provided several websites to do that.

One website is called the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, or IPEDS. More user-friendly websites include the College Navigator and the College Scorecard.

The College Scorecard provides information about how much student loan debt and what kind of salary you can expect after graduation. This information can be looked up by particular majors.
A third issue for the city could be that it was not notified of the headquarters move until a staff member found out and arranged a meeting with the authoritys leadership team despite the citys focus on redeveloping the area.

Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}}

That the city was not notified is disputed by the Housing Authority.

However, Elmore said that she could not provide additional plans without first having the letter due to the regulations of the federal Housing and Urban Development agency.

Myers Ervin disputed this, saying that the housing authority had already issued a request for proposal for three properties, including the East Pine Street building.

Elmore also provided evidence of the steps that the authority was taking to alleviate the citys concerns over the move.

She said that the authority was planning to keep its community managers in place at their offices on the properties they serve and that the authority had also secured bus passes and a bus stop for residents who need to visit the new headquarters. Elmore also said that the most visitors to the headquarters were people seeking assistance and that the authority had updated its website to facilitate service that way.
The interplay between social networks and gang violence has been widely known since at least 2016. That was when then-interim Chicago police Superintendent John Escalante blamed gang disputes for the spike in violence welling up that year and continuing with painfully little relief ever since.

He described how street conflicts often arise through social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook and Snapchat, where gang members threaten and taunt one another, often escalating beefs to the point where somebody gets shot.

As gangbangers and others find a new way to flaunt their toughness, firearms and even some of their crimes by posting photos online, police have learned to track their activities, too.

So have some academic researchers. For example, former University of Chicago sociologist Forrest Stuart, a 2020 MacArthur Foundation genius grant recipient, has become an emerging expert on the topic since he embedded himself like a war correspondent for two years with Chicagos Gangster Disciples, while also running an after-school violence prevention program.
 "How End Mass Incarceration Became a Slogan for D.A. Candidates" | Main | Supreme Court grants cert on Haymond from Tenth Circuit to address when Apprendi and Alleyne meet supervised release!! 

I recently received a kind offer from Alison Siegler, Clinical Professor of Law and Director of the University of Chicago Law School's Federal Criminal Justice Clinic, for an update on the extraordinary litigation her clinic has done in response to so-called "stash house stings" in which federal agents lure defendants into seeking to rob a (non-existent) drug stash-house. In this post last year, I highlighted this lengthy Chicago Tribune article, headlined "ATF sting operation accused of using racial bias in finding targets, with majority being minorities," on this topic. Alison's update is so detailed and interesting, I will need three posts to report all she has to report. This first one covers what she calls "sentencing Victories":

The Federal Criminal Justice Clinic that I founded and direct at the University of Chicago Law School has engaged in systemic litigation against fake stash house robbery cases in Chicago. Our litigation has resulted in dramatically lower sentences for scores of clients and is changing the law around the country.

Sentencing Victories

Several years ago, the Federal Criminal Justice Clinic (FCJC) filed pretrial Motions to Dismiss for Racially Selective Law Enforcement on behalf of 43 defendants charged in the 12 pending fake stash house cases in Chicago, alleging that the ATF had unconstitutionally discriminated on the basis of race in targeting people of color. The FCJC approached the legal issue of racially selective law enforcement in an innovative fashion by coordinating across cases and bringing empirical evidence to bear. See ATF Sting Operation Accused of Using Racial Bias in Finding Targetsthe Majority of Them Being Minorities, Chicago Tribune (Mar. 3, 2017). Last December, the 9 federal judges presiding over these cases held a joint evidentiary hearing on our motions, an unprecedented occurrence. See Was Racial Profiling Behind ATF Stash House Stings? Chicago Judges to Take Up Landmark Case Today, Chicago Tribune (Dec. 13, 2017); Court Decision Could Force Changes to ATFs Undercover Operations, NPR: Morning Edition (Dec. 15, 2017).

When the FCJC began this litigation, our clients were facing 15-to-25-year mandatory minimums and far higher sentences under the federal Sentencing Guidelines. In the wake of the hearing, the U.S. Attorneys Office in Chicago made highly unusual plea offers in all of the cases, offering to dismiss all of the remaining mandatory-minimum gun and drug charges. See Under Pressure by Judges, Prosecutors to Offer Plea Deals in Controversial Drug Stash House Cases, Chicago Tribune (Feb. 21, 2018).

Of the 43 clients who participated in our selective enforcement challenge, 34 have now been sentenced. Fully 27 of the 34 received sentences of time served, despite requests by the government for within-Guidelines sentences that ranged as high as 12 years. The remaining clients received significantly below-Guidelines sentences. The chart linked here depicts these incredible outcomes and is being filed publicly with the judges to show that time-served sentences are now the norm in these cases. As a result of the plea offers and time-served sentences, clients on bond were allowed to remain in the community, clients in custody were promptly released, and our clients collectively were spared hundreds of years in prison. These remarkable results are attributable to the tremendous efforts of everyone in the FCJC: Professor Erica Zunkel (the Associate Director of the FCJC), Professor Judith Miller, and the many students who worked on the litigation.

These extraordinary sentencing outcomes show the power of litigating creatively and demonstrate that sometimes the fight alone can bring about systemic change, regardless of the legal outcome. The FCJC did not win the motions to dismiss, but the U.S. Attorneys Office and the ATF have entirely stopped bringing fake stash house cases in Chicago, even as those cases continue to be prosecuted elsewhere. The FCJCs litigation also changed the judges perspective on these cases. Although Chief Judge Castillo reluctantly denied the FCJCs Motion to Dismiss in his two stash house cases, he wrote: Our criminal justice system should not tolerate false stash house cases in 2018. United States v. Brown, 299 F. Supp. 3d 976, 984 (N.D. Ill 2018). In particular, he said, The inherent problems of this Districts false stash house cases must be seen through the lens of our countrys sad history of racism, id. at 985, and implored the government to relegat[e] them to the dark corridors of our past, id. at 984; see also Editorial: Even Fighting Capone, Feds Knew Better Than to Resort to Cheap Tricks, Chicago Sun Times (Mar. 13, 2018). In another FCJC case, Judge Gettleman issued a sentencing opinion express[ing] this courts disgust with the ATFs conduct in this case. United States v. Paxton, 2018 WL 4504160, at *2 (N.D. Ill. Sept. 20, 2018).
 Following the Charleston script, will federal authorities take the lead in capital prosecution of anti-Semitic mass murderer Robert Bowers? | Main | "Mass incarceration isnt always the issue. Uneven incarceration is." 

In this prior post, I explained that Alison Siegler, Clinical Professor of Law and Director of the University of Chicago Law School's Federal Criminal Justice Clinic, sent me an extraordinary update on the extraordinary litigation her clinic has done in response to so-called "stash house stings" in which federal agents lure defendants into seeking to rob a (non-existent) drug stash-house. (In this post last year, I highlighted this lengthy Chicago Tribune article, headlined "ATF sting operation accused of using racial bias in finding targets, with majority being minorities," providing an overview on this topic.) As explained in the prior post, Alison's update is so detailed and interesting, I have divided into three posts all she has to report. The first post covered "Sentencing Victories," and this one covers "Legal Victories":

Legal Victories

The FCJCs stash house litigation has also changed the law in a way that makes racially selective enforcement challenges easier to litigate going forward, which in turn will result in better outcomes and lower sentences for clients around the country. Last week, the Ninth Circuit built on the framework created in a stash house case litigated by the FCJC and became the third federal court of appeals to institute a lower standard for defendants seeking discovery regarding racially selective law enforcement.

In United States v. Davis, 793 F.3d 712 (7th Cir. 2015), a stash house case that was litigated and argued by the FCJC on appeal, the en banc Seventh Circuit became the first court of appeals in the country to relax the legal standard for defendants seeking discovery to support a race discrimination claim against law enforcement officers. Davis eroded the onerous standard for obtaining discovery regarding racially discriminatory practices set by the Supreme Court in United States v. Armstrong, 527 U.S. 456 (1996). Davis went to great lengths to distinguish racially selective law enforcement claims from the racially selective prosecution claim in Armstrong, holding, [T]he sorts of considerations that led to the outcome in Armstrong do not apply to a contention that agents of the FBI or ATF engaged in racial discrimination when selecting targets for sting operations. Davis, 793 F.3d at 721. Davis represented a sea change in the law  for the previous 20 years, courts had routinely denied the claims of defendants seeking discovery in support of selective prosecution and selective law enforcement claims alike.

Last year, the Third Circuit joined the Seventh Circuit in drawing a distinction between the two types of claims. See United States v. Washington, 869 F.3d 193, 216 (3d Cir. 2017). But the Third Circuit took this distinction even further, definitively eliminating two requirements that had made it virtually impossible for defendants to obtain discovery in the twenty years since Armstrong. Specifically, Washington jettisoned both (1) the requirement under the discriminatory effect prong that defendants provide some evidence that similarly situated persons of a different race or equal protection classification were not arrested or investigated by law enforcement, and (2) the requirement that defendants provide some evidence of discriminatory intent . Id. at 221. The Third Circuits elimination of these onerous standards represented an enormous development in the law of discovery for selective enforcement cases.
 Notable federal sentencing argument that "nature and circumstances of the offense" includes "rhetorical China shop bull who is now our president" | Main | "The defendant faces a maximum possible penalty of death, or life without parole, followed by a consecutive sentence of 535 years imprisonment." 

October 31, 2018

Guest post series on Chicago "stash-house sting" litigation: Part 3 on "A Path for Future Litigation"

In this prior post, I explained that Alison Siegler, Clinical Professor of Law and Director of the University of Chicago Law School's Federal Criminal Justice Clinic (FCJC), sent me an extraordinary update on the extraordinary litigation her clinic has done in response to so-called "stash house stings" in which federal agents lure defendants into seeking to rob a (non-existent) drug stash-house. (In this post last year, I highlighted this lengthy Chicago Tribune article, headlined "ATF sting operation accused of using racial bias in finding targets, with majority being minorities," providing an overview on this topic.) As explained in the prior post, Alison's update is so detailed and interesting, I have divided it into three posts to cover all she has to report. The first post covered "Sentencing Victories," the second covered "Legal Victories" and this final one set out "A Path for Future Litigation":

A Path for Future Litigation The new legal standards forged by these three courts of appeals [discussed in this prior post] make it markedly easier for criminal defendants to obtain discovery in support of racially selective law enforcement claims, which in turn makes it possible for defendants to win motions to dismiss on the merits. The lower discovery standard also supports a lower merits standard for motions to dismiss for racially selective law enforcement than the standard set in Armstrong. Under Armstrong, a defendant must provide clear evidence of discriminatory effect and discriminatory intent to prevail on a selective prosecution claim on the merits. Armstrong, 517 U.S. at 465. As Sellers notes, the Supreme Court explicitly rested that merits standard on the presumption that prosecutors properly discharged their official duties. Sellers, 2018 WL 4956959 at *6 (quoting Armstrong, 517 U.S. at 464). Courts have made clear that such a presumption simply does not apply in the selective law enforcement context. See, e.g., Davis, 793 F.3d at 721; Washington, 869 F.3d at 22021; Sellers, 2018 WL 4956959 at *6. Accordingly, there is no basis for applying the clear evidence standard to a motion to dismiss for selective law enforcement. Instead, courts should apply the ordinary preponderance of the evidence standard. In our Motions to Dismiss, the FCJC asked the district court judges to apply a preponderance of the evidence standard rather than a clear evidence standard. See, e.g., Defendants Amended Reply in Support of Motion to Dismiss for Racially Selective Law Enforcement at 24, United States v. Brown, 12-CR-632 (N.D. Ill. Nov. 6, 2017) (Dkt. No. 630). Although the only judge to issue a merits ruling rejected our proposed lower standard, see Brown, 299 F. Supp. 3d at 99597, Sellers supports the FCJCs position that the standard for obtaining dismissal based on a selective enforcement claim must be less onerous than the merits standard for a selective prosecution claim. Lawyers in other jurisdictions can use the litigation and precedents discussed above and in Parts 1 and 2 of this guest post series to fight race discrimination by law enforcement in their own cases. Here are a few ideas: Hire experts and gather data about racial disparities created by law enforcement in fake stash house robbery cases, gun cases, and others.

Litigate motions to obtain discovery regarding selective law enforcement in stash house cases and others, and ask district court judges to apply the lower evidentiary standard set by the Seventh, Third, and Ninth Circuits. Appeal denials of selective enforcement discovery motions and advocate for other courts of appeals to adopt the lower discovery standard.

Litigate motions to dismiss for selective law enforcement in stash house cases and others, and ask district court judges to apply a preponderance of the evidence standard rather than a clear evidence standard. Appeal denials of such motions to dismiss and advocate for other courts of appeals to adopt a preponderance of the evidence standard on the merits.

Use the plea agreements in the Chicago cases to advocate to U.S. Attorneys Offices to dismiss mandatory minimum charges in fake stash house robbery cases.

Use the example of the Chicago U.S. Attorneys Office to convince other USAOs to cease bringing fake stash house robbery cases altogether.

Use the time served sentences imposed in the Chicago cases to advocate for lower sentences in stash house cases elsewhere. Sentencing memoranda prepared by the Federal Criminal Justice Clinic in several of the Chicago cases can be found at these links:

U.S. v. Alexander, 11-CR-148Sentencing Memorandum (redacted): Mr. Alexander was originally facing a 25-year mandatory minimum and sentencing as a career offender. He was released on bond in 2016. In 2018, he was sentenced to 68 months time served.



U.S. v. Cousins, 12-CR-865Memorandum Opposing Leadership Role Enhancement: Mr. Cousins was originally facing a 25-year mandatory minimum. He was released on bond in 2015. In 2018, the judge declined to impose a leadership role enhancement and sentenced him to 28 months time served.



U.S. v. Mayfield, 15-CR-497Sentencing Memorandum: (Mr. Mayfield was originally convicted at trial and sentenced to 26 years in prison. The verdict was reversed on appeal. In 2018, he was sentenced to 114 months time served.)

Prior related posts:

October 31, 2018 at 04:20 PM | Permalink

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 So many cert denials, and lots of Davis and Rehaif GVRs, in first big SCOTUS order list of OT19 | Main | Series of state court stays slows down Texas machinery of death 

Via a series of posts last year, I was able to report updates from Alison Siegler, Clinical Professor of Law and Director of the University of Chicago Law School's Federal Criminal Justice Clinic, concerning the extraordinary litigation her clinic has done in response to so-called "stash house stings" in which federal agents lure defendants into seeking to rob a (non-existent) drug stash-house. In this 2017 post, I highlighted this lengthy Chicago Tribune article, headlined "ATF sting operation accused of using racial bias in finding targets, with majority being minorities," on this topic.

I now see that the Chicago Tribune has this new lengthy article, headlined "Convicted in a controversial stash house sting operation, Leslie Mayfield is struggling to rebuild his life after prison." which focuses on one stash-house defendant while also telling the broader stories of these cases. I recommend the new Tribune article in full, and here are excerpts:

Leslie Mayfield wasnt used to entering a courtroom except in shackles. Over the years, through his trial for conspiring to rob a drug stash house, his sentencing to a decades-long prison term and his long-shot fight to overturn his conviction on entrapment grounds, Mayfield had always been escorted into court by deputy U.S. marshals from a lockup in back....

But recently, he took a seat in U.S. District Judge Edmond Changs courtroom gallery, whispering to his attorney that it all felt strange as he waited for his name to be called.... Reviewing reports on Mayfields progress, Chang noted that since his release from prison, hed found a job, reconnected with his family and maintained a strong motive to stay straight. Then the judge made the transformation official, agreeing that Mayfield, 51, no longer needed court supervision.

The ruling marked a quiet milestone in the widely criticized sting operations in which the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives used informants to lure unsuspecting targets into a scheme to rob drug stash houses  an undercover ruse concocted by the government.

For years, the stings were considered a smashing success, touted as a law enforcement tool to remove dangerous criminals from the streets. But the practice came under fire in 2014 when attorneys for the University of Chicago Law School mounted a legal challenge on behalf of nearly four dozen Chicago-area defendants alleging the stings disproportionately targeted African Americans and Hispanics.

Both the ATF and the U.S. attorneys office staunchly defended the operations in court, saying they followed rigorous guidelines to ensure the stings were lawful. While the legal effort to prove racial discrimination fell short, the tactics drew sharp rebukes from many judges. Prosecutors began quietly dismissing the more serious charges, and over the next year or so, most of the defendants  including Mayfield  were sentenced to time served.

As the first to be cleared of all court supervision, Mayfield could be viewed as a success story, but hes struggled in many ways. Like so many ex-cons, Mayfield is learning how hard it can be to rebuild his life after prison. He also continues to fight guilt over the plight of his brother and cousin  both of whom he recruited into the scheme and are still serving decadeslong prison sentences....

The outlines of each stash house sting followed the same basic pattern: ATF informants identified people they believed would commit a drug-related robbery. If the target met certain criteria  including a violent criminal background  agents approved the sting.

The elaborate operations included a fake stash house location, fictitious amounts of money and drugs, and other made-up details of a robbery plot. An undercover agent posing as a disgruntled drug dealer followed a script aimed at convincing the target to agree on secret recordings to take part in the robbery, pledge to bring guns  and use them if necessary.

Since agents claimed that massive quantities of drugs were involved, the prosecutions often carried eye-popping sentences, sometimes even life behind bars. Nearly all the targets, though, turned out to be African American or Hispanic  many of whom had minimal criminal histories....

Mayfield was convicted at trial in 2010 and handed a 27-year sentence. His brother, with only a nonviolent drug conviction in his past, and his cousin both were given 25-year prison terms.

In 2014, the University of Chicagos Federal Criminal Justice Clinic led an effort to have charges against 43 defendants dismissed on grounds that the cases were racially biased. In a landmark hearing in December 2017, nine federal judges overseeing the cases heard testimony from dueling experts on policing who came to dramatically different conclusions.

The U.S. attorneys office denied that the stings disproportionately affected minorities, arguing that targets were selected by their propensity for violence, not race. For instance, while out on bond, two men facing stash house-related indictments were charged in separate shootings, including the wounding of a Chicago police officer.

But many judges overseeing the cases had clear concerns that the ends did not justify the means. In a decision that wasnt binding but served as a guide for other judges, then-U.S. District Chief Judge Ruben Castillo said the stings shared an ugly racial component and should be relegated to the dark corridors of our past.

While Castillo stopped short of dismissing the case before him, his 2018 ruling had a ripple effect. At the urging of Castillo and other judges, the U.S. attorneys office began offering plea deals and dropping counts that involved stiff mandatory minimum sentences.

The results were startling. While many of the 43 defendants faced mandatory sentences of 15 to 35 years in prison if convicted, 32 instead were released with sentences of time served after pleading guilty to lesser charges. Most of the others received prison terms that were significantly below federal sentencing guidelines.

While the cases hadnt been thrown out of court, Alison Siegler, the Federal Criminal Justice Clinics founder, noted in an April report to the 7th Circuit Bar Association that "the U.S. Attorneys Office and the ATF have entirely stopped bringing stash house cases in Chicago, even as those cases continue to be prosecuted elsewhere in the country.
 "Fatalism and Indifference  The Influence of the Frontier on American Criminal Justice" | Main | Rounding up some recent notable criminal justice commentary 

October 11, 2021

Terrific review of some ugly realities of stash-house stings

I hope readers recall the series of posts from a few years ago authored by Alison Siegler, Clinical Professor of Law and Director of the University of Chicago Law School's Federal Criminal Justice Clinic, concerning the extraordinary litigation her clinic has done in response to so-called "stash house stings" in which federal agents lure defendants into seeking to rob a (non-existent) drug stash-house. Those posts (which are linked below with a few others) provides one look at one ugly part of the drug war represented by stash-house sting. And now Rachel Poser has this great lengthy article in the newest issue of The New Yorker discussing the stash house sting story as part of the broader realities of undercover law enforcement operations.

The article is worth a full read, and its title highlights its themes: "Stash-House Stings Carry Real Penalties for Fake Crimes; The undercover operations seem like entrapment, but their targets can receive long sentences  sometimes even harsher than those for genuine crimes." Here is a small excerpt:

In the past four decades, sting operations of all types have become a major part of law enforcement in the United States, and stash-house stings are perhaps the most extreme example of this trend, because of the harsh penalties they carry. They can result in longer sentences than real crimes of a similar nature.... No judge is required to sign a warrant, and law-enforcement officials do not have to provide any evidence that a person is already engaged in criminal activity before initiating an undercover investigation.... The A.T.F. claims that stash-house stings catch established crews who already have the means to commit armed robbery. If we wanted to go out and cast a wide net, we could do one of these a week  thats not what we want to do, an agent said in 2014, according to the Los Angeles Times. This technique is designed to take trigger-pullers off the streets. Through the years, the A.T.F. has targeted many men with long and violent criminal histories, some of whom have shown up on the day of the robbery armed with assault rifles and bulletproof vests.... Nevertheless, the agency has also ensnared low-level offenders, and even people with no criminal records. I reviewed thousands of pages of court transcripts from more than a dozen stash-house cases and found that many of the so-called crews were haphazard groups of family members, acquaintances, or strangers thrown together at the last minute, as targets scrambled to find willing participants. Suspects in these cases frequently asked the undercover agents for help distributing cocaine or obtaining guns.... As large numbers of stash-house cases made their way to court, some judges began to voice concern about the A.T.F.s tactics. In this era of mass incarceration, in which we already lock up more of our population than any other nation on Earth, Stephen Reinhardt, a judge on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, wrote in 2014, it is especially curious that the government feels compelled to invent fake crimes and imprison people for long periods of time for agreeing to participate in them. But the difficulty of proving entrapment, combined with mandatory minimums for drugs, left judges little choice but to affirm the convictions. You guys are dragging half a million dollars through a poor neighborhood, William Fletcher, another Ninth Circuit judge, said the same year. Now, the laws the law and Im going to follow it, but I think you guys are making a mistake.

Some prior related posts:

October 11, 2021 at 09:43 PM | Permalink

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Semi-OT, but SCOTUS denied cert in the Safehouse case today. I guess the final result isn't all that surprising because the Court didn't even request a response from the gov't. But it's a little surprising the Court didn't show much interest in the first place.

Posted by: kotodama | Oct 12, 2021 12:48:39 PM

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 Terrific review of some ugly realities of stash-house stings | Main | Does Prez Trump's statement to clemency advocates to "get this guy home" constitute an enforceable commutation? 

October 12, 2021

Rounding up some recent notable criminal justice commentary

With limited time and lots going on, a round-up of links allows me to highlight quickly some interesting recent criminal justice commentary:

From Balls and Strikes, by Josie Duffy Rice, "The Supreme Court Can't Deliver Justice for William Wooden: The Courts preoccupation with the precise definition of occasion obscures a multitude of deeper failures of the criminal legal system."

From Balls and Strikes, by Jordan Paul, "How Courts Robbed Juries of a Powerful Tool for Doing Justice: Jury nullification is a pre-colonial tool that allows jurors to send a message to the state that certain criminal prosecutions are unacceptable. But for centuries, courts have been working out to hollow that right."

From The Marshall Project, "When Mom Is In Prison  And When She Comes Home: 'Oh, Mother of Mine,' a short documentary and photography project by Anna Rawls, explores the generational impact of incarcerating mothers."

From National Review, by Kevin Williamson, "Criminal-Justice-System Error"

From Reason, by Ira Stoll, "The Varsity Blues Trial Is a Reminder of Our Corrupt Criminal Justice System: Plead guilty and get "punishments ranging from probation to nine months in prison." Insist on a trial and face decades in prison."

From The Oklahoman, by Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, "Oklahoma's rush to execute harms culture of life"

From Slate, by John Pfaff, "Why Our Fixation on the Murder Rate Is Killing Us"

October 12, 2021 at 08:47 AM | Permalink

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The jury nullification one to me is misguided.

These days, if anything, it often will the case that ignoring the law can hurt the cause of criminal justice. I'm far from sure that net a general power to nullify, with the jury being able to be told/encouraged to consider doing so, will help in that respect.

Juries have a hard enough time to think through the facts. That made me wary in a past thread to add the responsibility to determine sentences. Determining "justice" requires a result is that much harder. And, they still can nullify, after all. A crafty advocate (on either side really) can in many cases push the jury there.

Posted by: Joe | Oct 12, 2021 4:48:57 PM

Separately, this is another case where some "originalist" take can mislead. The "pre-colonial tool" existed in a rather different time.

For instance, there was a lot less appellate examination. A person often had no lawyer. The law itself was often much less complicated, much law "common law" and not written down. And, so forth.

Also, where it exists, grand juries also provide a means to block even bringing a case to trial.

Posted by: Joe | Oct 12, 2021 4:52:35 PM

Are the Jan. 6 Plea Deals Too Lenient?

By Carissa Byrne Hessick

https://www.lawfareblog.com/are-jan-6-plea-deals-too-lenient

Posted by: Joe | Oct 13, 2021 12:06:33 PM

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Jesus Garcia Topete, 36, entered his written plea Monday in Sioux County District Court to single counts of second-degree sexual abuse, third-degree sexual abuse, continuous sexual abuse of a child and lascivious acts with a child.

According to court documents, Garcia Topete forcibly raped an 11-year-old several times at a Sioux Center home from December 2017 to March 2018. He is charged with raping the victim again in March. On several occasions from December to this March, Garcia Topete forced the victim to touch his genitals, court documents said.
SIOUX CITY -- A Sioux City man was placed on probation Tuesday for smuggling gun silencers into the United States.

Lloyd Clark, 72, pleaded guilty in April in U.S. District Court in Sioux City to one count of smuggling goods into the United States. Chief U.S. District Judge Leonard Strand placed Clark on two years' probation and fined him $5,000.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Customs and Border Protection officials in October 2020 seized parcels, one of which was falsely labeled as "spiral tube," coming into the country from China and addressed to Clark's Sioux City home.

On Nov. 12, authorities seized seven silencers, a modified rifle with an installed silencer and a World War II-era machine gun from Clark's home. He did not have legal authority to possess the items, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

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They rolled the race car into his garage a few years ago, and Jim Schuman took stock.

It was incomplete. Chassis, rear end, front axle and hood. Some parts in boxes, some parts missing.

But what remained was familiar to Schuman.

Four decades ago, hed used this same car to help inaugurate a new class of sprint car racing at the speedway near 27th and Superior streets. The sport had needed a resurrection at the time; Schuman had watched it peak in Lincoln in the late 1970s, but then crash and burn.

It was becoming an arms race, but not all owners could afford aluminum wheels and heads, fuel injectors, bigger stroker motors.

Racers are so competitive. There was always somebody willing to spend more money, Schuman said. We thought we could make an economical sprint car class. You could buy the old parts for little or nothing.

One night, over beers, he and his friends schemed up a set of rules that favored low-budget builds. Iron heads, steel wheels, 360-cubic-inch maximum motor size.

And it caught on. They started the 1981 season with a dozen so-called 360 Sprint cars, ended it with 25 and started the next season with 40. The Mecca of sprints  Knoxville, Iowa  added 360s to its lineup the year after that.

It ended up going nationwide. Its one of the biggest classes of races in the country. But most people dont know it kind of started by accident, and that it started in Lincoln.

But before any of that could happen, Schuman needed a car to prove his point  that he could make an affordable sprint car using available, castoff parts. The very first 360.

He found an old roller in southern Minnesota, hauled it to his home in north Lincoln and built it with his own two hands.

And 40 years later  his long-lost No. 77 back in his garage  he rebuilt it with just his left hand.

* * *

The last time Schuman used his right hand, he signed his will from his hospital bed.

He was 40 in 1989. Hed just closed his racing shop  and had started the job of building the new museum at Speedway Motors  when the trouble surfaced.

His hand was opening and closing by itself.

He dismissed it as muscle cramps, maybe from running a surface grinder all day. But his girlfriend was a nurse, and she was concerned.

She asked her doctor and her doctor said, No. It sounds more serious. I need to look at him.

A neurologist diagnosed an arteriovenous malformation in his brain, a birth defect; the capillaries connecting his veins and arteries were knotted up like a nest and ripe for rupture, setting him up for a stroke.

The neurologist planned to operate that Friday afternoon, but Schuman  recently divorced and with custody of his son  wanted a will first, and insisted on waiting through the weekend to see an attorney.

He nearly made it, but the stroke caught up to him that Monday morning at his lawyers office.

I stood up and my legs wouldnt support me. I was conscious, I told them I had to sign my will before I leave. They brought the will for me to sign in the hospital.

He woke from surgery with no use of his right side. He couldnt talk. He couldnt read. He couldnt know what lay ahead.

They tell you its going to come back. But they cant tell you how soon, or how much.

* * *

In his basement art studio, Schuman is seated at a small desk, his right hand resting on his legs, his left clutching a narrow paint brush.

Almost every inch of the walls surrounding him is draped with his drawings, sketches and paintings. Race cars, mostly, but a couple of nudes, animals, pastoral scenes.

He stares at his canvas  a 15-inch-by-30-inch pane of glass that will sell at auction to benefit the Nebraska Corvette Association  and makes a few strokes.

Then he breathes, relaxes, stares again and makes a few more.

To do a painting like this exhausts me more than a day of labor, he said. The level of concentration I need to do that is not a natural thing.

Schuman grew up with one foot in the art world, the other on a race cars gas pedal.

His mother, Gerry, was an artist. And she started me drawing as soon as I could hold a pencil. We sat around and drew in the evenings all the time.

His father, Bill, raced cars. But his mother tried to keep her son off the track. She didnt want me racing. Dad said, Let him try it; it will get it out of his system.

His father sold his own stock cars to buy Schuman a 2.5-horsepower quarter midget to race around near 14th Street and Cornhusker Highway. And as an 11-year-old, he was named Lincolns 1958 quarter midget champion. He went on to race motorcycles, stocks and, occasionally, sprint cars.

He started building cars for others, opening Blue Engineering near 17th and O streets in 1975.

Everything that came out of that shop was a work of art, said Ed Bowes, who raced Schumans cars after his friend retired from the drivers seat. Sometimes hed make the thing so pretty, I didnt feel right about driving the thing. I worried I was going to hurt it.

In 1988, Schuman built a record-setting car for Bonneville Salt Flats legend Big Daddy Don Garlits. And two decades later, he was inducted into the Nebraska Auto Racing Hall of Fame.

Racing had won out, though hed never abandoned his art. Hed pursued it in college after serving a year in Vietnam but dropped out. He was already trying to juggle a full-time job at the phone company and his racing career, he said, and something had to give.

He painted and lettered his own cars, and then others. He filled his studio walls with his drawings. Before his stroke, he enrolled in a college art class.

One of the assignments: Go home and sketch something with your off hand.

Schuman wasnt naturally ambidextrous, but years of working on cars  wrenching and welding and pinstriping and painting  had given him control over his left hand.

The instructor was skeptical. When I turned it in, the professor didnt believe me. He had me draw it again in class.

So he sat down and, with his teacher watching, redrew a picture of his perfectly good right hand, using his left.

* * *

His therapists at Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital told him hed need to find a new profession, encouraged him to collect disability.

Before the stroke, hed just started working for Bill Smith, building what is now the 150,000-square-foot museum at Speedway Motors. He started from scratch.

When he hired me, it was just a pile of motors on pallets in the warehouse.

After the stroke, Smith was good to him, Schuman said. He would let Schuman work when he wanted, where he wanted  building the museum at Speedway, or building its motors in his garage.

He said, I hired you for your knowledge, not your skills. Youve got a job at Speedway for life.

Schuman appreciated the time and the flexibility. He needed it. He was starting over.

It was a challenge. You dont remember learning how to walk, but I do. You dont remember learning how to talk, but I do.

Everything was new, different  and more difficult from what it had been. Hed try to read, but his eyes raced ahead of his brain. It was gobbledygook. My brain was trying to comprehend each word.

Bowes had worried about his friend at first. But then he didnt.

Hes human. When he lost the use of his arm, of course it was a big blow to him. He knew he couldnt do a lot of the things he had done before. But watching him train his left hand to do what his right had done was fun.

Klara Schuman, his girlfriend and future wife, watched Schuman try to make sense of physical therapy sessions designed for men twice his age.

Most people would have given up, she said.

But Schuman didnt. Instead, he grew tired of waiting for his right hand to refire and started learning with his left. Hed leave Madonna under the guise of getting lunch with his father so he could see yet another therapist, and squeeze in even more rehabilitation. He made annual, weeklong visits to a stroke-recovery specialist in Wisconsin.

Schuman retaught himself the tasks two-handed people take for granted. Opening a twist-top. Tying his shoes. Tightening a nut and bolt.

Or just zipping your pants. Its not like anybodys going to help you do that. Oftentimes, it takes me longer to figure out how to do a job than to do it.

Still, he developed a series of tricks and hacks to get through his day. A rubber-padded table vise for jars and bottles. Duct tape, Vise Grips and clamps to thread a bolt through an unseen nut. Leaning against a wall to tug a zipper.

But just getting through his day wasnt enough. He wanted some semblance of his old life. He modified a motorcycle to all left-handed controls  both brakes, clutch, throttle and shifter  and nearly crashed it on his inaugural ride through his neighborhood.

More importantly, he continued creating. Building cars, picking his paintbrushes back up. He learned his brain  not his hand  was the tallest hurdle, and he taught himself how to clear it.

* * *

Ed Bowes was driving down West O a few years ago when he saw a familiar figure in a roadside field.

I just knew the shape of it and how it was built. It was a bare frame, but I spent enough time in the car that I knew what it looked like.

He stopped, talked to the owner and, after paying $1,100, reunited with the first 360. Here was the prototype Schuman built to launch a new class of sprints, the car Bowes raced in 1981 and 1982 before his friend built a second.

It was all apart. We rummaged around. The parts were in three or four buildings out there.

Bowes hauled it home and started the rebuilding process, sanding and powder-coating the frame. But then it all ended up in Schumans garage.

It had been used pretty hard. It was tired; lets put it that way. It took a lot of restoration. We welded up broken stuff and kind of got it pretty much back together.

But not right away. The car sat in Schumans garage  a project in need of progress  for several years, until the COVID-19 lockdown. Schuman took the virus seriously because of his preexisting conditions.

For more than a year, he didnt go anywhere, except to his garage.

He estimated he started with about a fourth of his original car, and he had to toss even more parts too worn to save. But he disassembled what remained, cleaned and polished it all, and started the rebuilding process.

He had to make it perfect, because its eventually headed to Speedways museum.

He fabricated some components  like the kick-up bars and bumpers  himself. He scoured the country for others. And that was hard, in part due to the pandemic, but also because he was looking for parts from the 1950s and 1960s.

Those parts were already old when we started, so finding them now was tough, and trying to find them during COVID was twice as tough.

But he slowly gathered what he needed: rotors from New Mexico, pitman arms from Illinois, hubs from Pennsylvania, the fuel tank from Tulsa.

His friend and former driver, Bowes, drove down to Oklahoma to pick that up. He also helped with the two-handed TIG welding. But beyond that, he just watched Schuman coax the old car back to life.

When he had both arms, it was just absolutely incredible, Bowes said. But what hes doing with one hand is beyond belief.

The first time Schuman built this car, he had it ready to race after about 300 hours. His recent one-handed build took more than 1,200, he estimated.

Hes used to that now. Everything takes more time. Before he lost the use of his right hand, hed spend a day or two on a painting. Now, he holds the brushes for up to 100 hours to get it right.

But he still gets it right. Id say, almost everything I do, I do better than what I did right-handed. Before, I just did it. Now, left-handed, I have to think about it.

Toward the end of summer, after he finished the sprint car in his garage, it was time to see it in the sunlight. With his left hand, he started moving all of the obstacles between the car and the garage door  the floor jacks, a small work table, a chair.

His wife Klara had to help steer while Schuman shoved, his right arm dangling.

But once it rolled onto the driveway, he stepped back. He liked what he saw.

Thats pretty good, he said to himself.

He took another moment to take it all in. The baby-blue and white paint, delicate pinstriping and lettering, his own history resurrected, single-handedly.

Reach the writer at 402-473-7254 or psalter@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSPeterSalter

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The University of Nebraska-Lincoln has suspended the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity through 2026 following a reported sexual assault that took place on the first day of classes this school year.

The suspension comes a little more than a year after Phi Gamma Delta, better known as Fiji, emerged from a three-year suspension that was handed down in 2017.

In a statement, UNL said the University Conduct Board determined violations of the Student Code of Conduct took place at the fraternity house, 1425 R St.

Just what violations of the code took place were not specified.

The suspension comes more than a month after a 17-year-old UNL student told UNL Police she was sexually assaulted by a 19-year-old member of the fraternity during the early morning hours of Aug. 24.

The alleged assault was reported to campus police at 3:47 a.m. from Bryan East Campus hospital, where the 17-year-old was evaluated, police said.

Around 18 hours later, protesters gathered outside the fraternity house near 14th and R streets for the first of four consecutive nights of demonstrations that brought chants, marches and calls for Fiji's abolition.

The next day, UNL temporarily suspended the fraternity, which was already on probation for previous violations of university policy.

The accused student has not been charged with any crime in Lancaster County. The campus police investigation into the alleged assault is still listed as "open" and is ongoing, the university said.

After the first two nights of protests were marked by hours of intense, vulgar call-and-response chants that directly targeted both the accused and his fraternity, the third night of protests saw a shift in tone that placed an emphasis on survivors and continued calls for a broader cultural reckoning.

The demonstrations also seemed to prompt action from UNL administrators.

Eight days after protesters first descended on the Fiji house, Green announced sweeping changes that included altering the university's sexual assault prevention training and furthering investment into support programs for survivors.

The efforts, which Green referred to as "first steps" when he introduced them at a student government meeting on Sept. 1, were largely applauded by student leaders and survivors of sexual assault.

"It's always gonna feel like it's not enough," said Patrick Baker, the external vice president of student government at UNL and a member of Greek life.

"But we were really quite impressed with what (Green has) done," he said. "We recognize within ASUN that the chancellor is not able to just abolish Fiji essentially with one strike of a gavel, or something. But we do recognize that he can provide more funding to CARE and other organizations on campus."

The promised changes seemed to quell demonstrators, who had vowed to continue protesting "every night until they move the letters  letter for letter  off this house," said Dominique Liu-Sang, who led several of the demonstrations.

Hours before the chancellor introduced the changes, protesters canceled a scheduled sit-in and announced a two-week hiatus from in-person demonstrations that was set to end Sept. 15.

No further gatherings took place that day or any days since, however.

This is a developing story. Return to JournalStar.com for updates.

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Young adults worldwide have blunt message for governments: We dont trust you.

Posted on 12 October 2021 by Guest Author

This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Karin Kirk

Elizabeth Marks describes herself as a psychologist who works on difficult problems. Her past research aimed at helping people cope with challenging health conditions, apt training, it appears, for taking on climate change issues.

A few years ago, she altered the course of her research. I really needed to do something in my working life that aligned with my values, she said, describing her recent efforts to study peoples emotions around climate change. She has a reassuring tone and shes a terrific listener  attributes one would hope to find in a psychologist.

Climate anxiety has become a sadly familiar topic, and as with many aspects of climate change, the problem has shifted from an abstract notion to a symptom many are now experiencing personally. Wildfire smoke chokes the sky, even at great distance from the fires themselves. Streets and subways fill with floodwaters, and the power grid falters under pressure wrought by extreme weather.

As the reality of climate change becomes increasingly evident, Marks says, a lot of people will feel some level of distress.

Marks is a lead author on a recent study, Young Peoples Voices on Climate Anxiety, Government Betrayal and Moral Injury: A Global Phenomenon, in pre-print in The Lancet. The paper sheds new light on climate anxiety, measuring how teens and young adults feel about governmental responses to climate change. Young people across the globe expressed an unequivocal admonishment of governments tepid actions thus far to address climate change.

The pre-print phase means the paper still is undergoing the peer review process. Results from this work are consistent with public opinion research recently published by the Pew Research Center, showing young people are more concerned about climate change and are more motivated to take action on climate than older adults.

Among those surveyed by Marks and her coauthors, young people in the U.S. expressed the lowest levels of trust in government, and American young adults overwhelmingly said that their climate concerns are not being taken seriously enough.

Young people in this study are really, clearly telling us how they feel, says Marks. I think the most important influence they can have is for us to listen to them.

The future is frightening

The researchers surveyed 10,000 young people, aged 16 to 25 years, in 10 countries. They gauged how people feel about the future, how well humanity has cared for the Earth, and if governments responses have been honest, sufficient, and aligned with climate science.

This is devastating because its the reality  I think it is sad.

The first set of questions measured climate-related distress, and the authors found that an astounding 83% of young adults feel that people have failed to care for the planet, and three-quarters are frightened by what the future will hold. Around half feel that theyll have less opportunity than their parents and fear their family security will be threatened. Humanity is doomed is an emotion shared by more than half of these young respondents.

Marks points out that the survey was taken before the 2021 summer floods, fires, heat waves, and extreme drought reverberated through many parts of the globe.

Nevertheless, in a few cases Marks is open to speculating about specific nations. Young adults in the Philippines lead the rankings in anxiety, with 92% saying they fear the future. Marks notes, The highest levels of worry were in places that are more exposed to extreme weather events already.

Governmental responses ... a betrayal

Young peoples feelings about their own governments response to climate change evoked scathing criticism from around the globe.

The authors indicated that young people feel that governments are lying to them, betraying their generation, and failing to protect them. These feelings are held by more than half of the people surveyed. Only around one-third of young people think that governments are acting in line with climate science, and nearly 70% say governments cant be trusted.

Marks clarifies that the survey questions were asking both about ones own government, and also about other governments around the world. In certain countries and cultures, it may be perceived as more dangerous or less acceptable to criticize your government directly, she says.

Furthermore, the global response to climate change cant be carried out by a single nation, Marks explains. Because if all the other governments dont respond well, were still facing quite a catastrophe, she says.

Young people in particular are really tuned into whats fair, she says. When people witness grave problems firsthand, the governments lack of action and dismissal of science is a bitter blow.

Experiencing that is a betrayal, Marks says.

Parsing results by nation

Finland scored considerably higher confidence in government response compared to most other nations. Marks speculates that wealthy nations with robust social support systems may feel more secure in an unpredictable future. In Finland, its very possible that there are fewer people that are going to be vulnerable, she said.

At the other end of the scale, young people in Brazil expressed the least confidence in governments in all but one category, and again Marks offers two possible explanations, suggesting first that it could be a cultural phenomenon, rather than the action of the Brazilian government per se.



But she also explains how direct, lived experiences are powerful. As Brazils rainforests are intentionally set ablaze, Its having the smoke from the fires in the Amazon  its having to close your windows, she says. This is not just climate change; but might also be experienced as government betrayal.

The only nation to eclipse Brazils negative outlook was the U.S., which ranked the lowest in trust of government, with only 21% of those surveyed saying that governments can be trusted. This may reflect the dour national discord, or may be influenced by a cultural willingness to criticize ones own government. American and Brazilian youth were the least likely to feel that governments are taking their concerns seriously, with 79% saying that governments are falling short.

Marks looks forward to further research that will tease out specific differences around the world. Until then, she says, The broad message is regardless of which government, levels of trust are pretty low across the board.

Results are devastating

Amid the traditionally emotionless prose of a scientific publication, one sentence in the study stands out in sharp contrast: Whilst researchers do hope for significant results, we wish that these results had not been quite so devastating.

Marks elaborates on that sentiment, This is devastating because its the reality, she says. I think it is sad.

As her tone shifts from researcher to counselor, Marks offers advice for framing negative emotions in a way thats productive, rather than demoralizing. First off, anxiety is not unwarranted. This is a very rational, normal response if you follow what the science is telling us, she says.

Our concern for the world is an indicator of what we care about, she explains, noting that anxiety can reflect ones kindness, compassion, and empathy. In a way, feeling bad can be sort of a good thing.

Marks uses an analogy to grieving: If you lose someone you love, the grief that you feel is the other side of the coin of the love.

And if someone you love is unwell, she explains, you dont just tear your hair out with worry. You do everything you can to help.

Start by listening

For those wanting to help ease the emotional burden on young people, Marks has a concrete recommendation: Young people dont want to be seen as victims here, she says. They do want to be listened to.

But theres a twist. If were going to be able to listen to the young people, weve got to be okay at feeling our own emotional response to climate change as well. This will help us hear what young people are saying without being overwhelmed by it.

The emotional work is part of the action we need to take, Marks says .

Being alone with these emotions is especially difficult for young people, but together, they can feel this sense of hope, and empowerment, and engagement, Marks continues. She notes that activism is one way the younger generation is using collective experiences to grapple with their uncertain future.

This isnt work one can do on ones own, says Marks. By definition, global climate change is a collective problem, but the solutions are collective, too, and there are myriad ways to work for a better, cleaner future. Marks advises that contributing to solutions that benefit ones own community can build a sense of connection and engagement.

If we respond as adults who do potentially have a bit more agency  so those of us who can vote; those of us who can influence our workplace, or divest from fossil fuels  there is an influence that we can help to share.

From anxiety to action

Were social creatures, arent we? Marks asks rhetorically. One of the reasons weve been successful as a species is because we work together. We have this ability to collaborate. Were a community looking at it from different ways. And because its a global issue, we need everybodys perspective if were going to solve it.

Talking with Marks has a calming effect. She has a gentle knack for taking a depressing dataset and outlining specific ways to build hope. Its hope, grounded in action, she says; a phrase she returns to throughout the conversation.

Although Marks recognizes the gloomy outcome from this study, the larger point is clear to her: This is a call to action, she says.

When governments and communities have faced crises, weve seen it is possible to act quickly and effectively, she says. So there is that sense that we can come together to act with some urgency and make the dramatic changes that we need.

Its not too late to change the ending of the story. Thats where the hope comes from. Thats whats engaging all of the people who are active in this arena, she says. Weve got to act now.
Right before the pandemic, Peter Holley moved back to his hometown of Austin, Texas, and was surprised by what he saw. He knew Austin had been booming with tech jobs and tourist attractions, following the basic gentrification blueprint. But Holley, a senior editor at Texas Monthly, also noticed that there were just fewer people who live here: There are neighborhood streets where people used to hang out on their porches and talk. And now you see them replaced with these McMansions that people come into on the weekends and use to throw large parties and then take off, he explains. The McMansions and large parties are possible because houses that used to be rented for a year by people who live in Austin are now rented for a weekend by people who just visit Austin. Holley got word from someone that the island of Galveston, which is less than an hours drive from Houston, was even worse than Austin when it came to this trend. Its been a vacation destination for decades, but it used to have more of a working-class population. As Holley told me, We had a handful of neighborhoods with largely Hispanic and Black communities that have quickly transitioned into hot spots for Airbnbs and vacation rentals, turning these close-knit areas into playgrounds for wealthy people and for partiers. On Tuesdays episode of What Next, I spoke with Holley about how Galveston shows the pitfalls of the short-term rental boom, and what happens when the people who make up an entire neighborhood are really just visiting, not living there. Our conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.

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Mary Wilson: Can you characterize how a short-term rental in Galveston is typically used?

Peter Holley: Well, typically its been people coming in and spending a long weekend there, often from Houston. Thats the main source of tourists. But during the pandemic, you also had a lot of people coming from New York and California and other places, who were spending several months there at a time. Some of these homes, especially the old and historic ones, can go for more than $1,000 a night. So if youre a homeowner, theres a huge incentive to rent out your house and make far more than you ever could renting the property out conventionally.

There are all these property management companies that are selling their services as being able to manage your property for you. So you just buy the house and clean it up, I guess, and then theyll manage the rental for you. And what they what they tell prospective buyers is that average guests spend about $240 a night for a vacation rental in Galveston.

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Its a lot of money and it adds up really quick. If you think about it from the perspective of an investor, if you know that you can make $250 a day by just buying a house that you can flip  its a great investment for a lot of people, and theres a real incentive to invest and then not live on the island.

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You went to Galveston to get a feel for what it was like with these booming short-term rentals. What did it feel like to walk around the neighborhoods where short-term rentals have dominated?

Its really strange because on the one hand, when you walk around these neighborhoods, theyre really beautiful. The flip side of that is that theres a sense of complete emptiness. We went to a particular neighborhood where there were maybe 20 short-term rentals in a two-block. And as we walked around, I didnt see any people, but I did see maids scurrying from one short-term rental to the other, as if on some sort of timed clock, carrying cleaning supplies. It was like being in a big open-air hotel, except it was outside and in the middle of the day. It was a really strange experience.

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You got numbers from the city that show there are about 5,000 homes on the island being used as short-term rentals, and the island only has about 30,000 homes. Did you get any sense of whether thats a big or a small number compared to those for other vacation towns?

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What is notable about that number is that since 2019, there have been about a thousand new short-term rentals in Galveston each year. So at the current pace, about a third of the islands housing stock would be short-term rentals within the next five or six years. That is a really startling fact, the idea that a third of your citys housing is essentially empty.

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This boom does help economically: The city gets to take a 9 percent tax right off the top of every short-term rental. Another 6 percent tax goes to the state. So thats a lot of money to reinvest locally. But so far, that cash hasnt been enough to save long-term residents from being displaced.

There is a discussion thats just beginning about whether that money can be pushed toward affordable housing, because theres a major lack of affordable housing in Galveston. Short-term rentals have grown so quickly, so dramatically over the past year or so that its been hard to actually get them to stop and say, Hey, this is also a problem. Should we change it? People are kind of reveling in the cash flow, and I think its going to take a few years and maybe even a more inequity for people to take a step back and say, Hey, we need to fix this.

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Galveston has also traditionally been a middle class haven. So this is all harder, I think, on folks there than it would be in a place like Austin, where you have a lot of tech money and people can adapt more easily to the housing surge.

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Galveston is where the original Juneteenth celebration happened. It has a really significant history for Black Texans. But its lost more than 40 percent of its Black residents over the past 20 years. I was wondering if you talked to anybody on the island who was frustrated by that.

People are really frustrated because one of Galvestons claims to fame, if you will, is the sense that it was this egalitarian, racially diverse haven for Texans, and losing 40 percent of the Black population over the past two decades is devastating. It changes the culture of the island, and it changes the historical legacy: With more investment and more outsiders, its becoming an older, whiter population.

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Galveston sits on the Gulf of Mexico. Thats part of the towns charmits got a beachbut its also right in the path of high-intensity storms. One thing you heard is that when people started getting priced off the island, Galveston lost this cadre of locals who knew how to weather a bad storm and what to do when it passed.

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One woman I spoke with moved to Galveston from Idaho, and she realized that the island had this kind of routine where, after a big storm, people would go out onto the streets and clean up shingles, pick up trees, look for downed power lines, and check on their neighbors. There was a storm last month, and this woman realized that she didnt even know her neighbors anymore. There was no one to check on the houses she normally would check onthey used to be full of families and were all short-term rentals now. What really struck her was that she no longer had a community, and she no longer necessarily felt safe or taken care of.

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Do people in Galveston see a connection between storms and gentrification?

They absolutely do. I think theres a real sense that if even our firefighters cant live here, what are we going to do when the island is inundated with flooding? You can end up with older folks and vulnerable residents who are trapped there. There is a very real possibility of a storm hitting Galveston and people not having first responders there to help them.

In 2008, Hurricane Ike wiped out the island entirely. It destroyed 60 percent of the islands public housing, and that was one of the first changes that ushered in this new era on the island: You lost public housing and it was replaced by upscale housing and housing that has since become short-term rentals, so theres a connection between hurricanes and affordability that continues to this day.

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I think what it really comes down to is storm insurance. People who can afford expensive storm insurance will always have the ability to rebuild, and people who cant afford storm insurance find themselves at a real loss. That makes it less likely for people to come back to the island because if you cant afford the insurance and another hurricane is going to come in a decade, why would you invest there?

What are some of the proposed remedies?

Some of the remedies look similar to what New Orleans has done with its short-term rental market: placing caps on the number of rentals in some neighborhoods and outright banning short-term rentals in other neighborhoods. The city realized it was losing its culture and its history to the Airbnbs of the world. It took really decisive action, and from what I understand, thats already helped quite a bit.

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Care and Feeding is Slates parenting advice column. Have a question for Care and Feeding? Submit it here or post it in the Slate Parenting Facebook group.

Dear Care and Feeding,

My son, Jack, 14, has been maintaining a spreadsheet that tracks all of his classmates problematic actions. Jack has always had difficulty fitting in, but he is a compassionate and intelligent boy. We do not allow our children to have their own computers to prevent the risk of them being radicalized by alt-right websites, so our kids share a laptop that we monitor and control access to. We found an excel spreadsheet in Jacks folder that listed the names of all of his classmates, as well as dates and descriptions of their problematic behavior. Some of the descriptions I saw include has a mom who is a cop, no pronouns in insta bio, laughed at a fat joke, lists problematic show as one of their favorites, mimicked a foreign accent, and used cis-normative language.

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While I am pleased to see Jack taking an interest in his peers, I get a weird feeling about his spreadsheet. As much as I dont condone the behaviors mentioned, it seems a bit creepy for him to be monitoring his classmates. I also wonder what he is trying to do with the document. Another concern is that we are white and some of the kids on the list are Black. Given the long history of white people policing Black existence, I question whether Jack is the right person to be taking on this task and whether it would be more appropriate coming from a BIPOC person.

We have asked Jack about the spreadsheet and he denies involvement, but we know that it couldnt be anyone else. Am I right to be concerned about Jacks list? I dont know that it is the best way for him to engage with his peers and promote social justice. On the other hand, I am proud of how committed he is to this cause and I dont want to stop him from bearing witness to injustices within his own community.

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Problematic or Productive?

Dear PoP,

Based on what youve mentioned here, his list does seem a little creepy. Kids at that age should be having fun, not documenting every transgression his peers are making. Also, the fact that hes blatantly lying about his involvement in creating this list should be a huge red flag. If everything is on the up and up, then what does he have to hide? I would personally call his bluff and say, OK, if this spreadsheet has nothing to do with you, then lets delete it. If he raises a stink, then you know that something bigger is at play here.

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I respect your viewpoint about being uncomfortable with Jack policing the behavior of his Black peers, but as a Black man, that should be the least of your concerns. Your main objective is to find out why he wants to monitor his classmates in the first place. Is he trying to be a social justice vigilante in an effort to be viewed as cool? Does he want his classmates to be cancelled for doing things that he considers to be wrong as a form of payback for not being accepted by them? The possibilities are endless. If you dont feel equipped to get to the bottom of it, then I highly recommend getting a therapist involved because his behavior is not typical for a 14-year-old.

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On a positive note, there are far worse things Jack could be doing than thisand it seems as if his heart is in the right place by being in the corner of marginalized groups. He could use his energy to volunteer as a Big Brother, write for the school newspaper (if they have one), or look for other opportunities at school to make everyone feel included.

I just think the spreadsheet is something that could end up being bad news for him, and I hope you enroll him in therapy so an unbiased mental health professional can tell him the same thing.

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Help! How can I support Slate so I can keep reading all the advice from Dear Prudence, Care and Feeding, Ask a Teacher, and How to Do It? Answer: Join Slate Plus.

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Dear Care and Feeding,

I am a single African-American man with an 8-year-old daughter and a 6-year-old son. Our neighborhood is mostly African-American, but a white family moved in about two years ago. Theyve been friendly, open, and pleasant people, and after a short period of getting to know them, theyve been arranging time for their kids to play with other kids in the neighborhood. This slowed down when Covid hit, and even then it never fully stopped.

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About a week ago, my daughter Danielle came back from a playdate with one of their girls and said, Daddy, the [neighbors name] is the only family I know of where the parents dont hit each other? Is it because theyre white? I know what I should have said. I should have told her that there are good people and bad people no matter what their race is, and that no group of people is more inclined to hit each other than any other, and that theyre just good people.

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That is not what I did. Instead, I broke down crying. The reason I did so is Im a single father, and my childrens mother is in prison for assaulting me with a deadly weapon. She is currently serving a 16-year prison sentence. I dont think they fully realize that (Danielle was three and Levon was 1 when she was arrested), but they do know that Mommy did something bad and had to go away. Im not even sure how to articulate everything thats swirling around inside me. I dont know why there is so much domestic abuse in our neighborhood. I dont know how to raise my children in a way that not only avoids repeating the pattern but teaches them that it is WRONG to attack your family. I dont know how to teach them how to avoid an abusive partner in a way that I didnt fully know how to do myself. And most of all, I dont know how to deal with this racist bias Danielle has already absorbed and Levon is probably absorbing that the other is better than we are. I know I have to do something. And that sooner is better than later. But I dont know what to do or even who to turn to for help. Please help me.

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Frozen Father

Dear Frozen Father,

As a Black man reading this, Im completely heartbroken for you and your kids. The first thing I would tell you to do is find a good therapistand not just any therapist. I believe a therapist of color would be best-equipped to discuss the issues youre dealing with in a way that could lead to lasting change. Im not saying that a white therapist couldnt help you, but Ive burned through my share of therapists throughout the years, and Ive found that the ones who shared the same lived experiences in terms of being Black in America have been the most effective for me. If youre looking for a virtual option, I highly recommend Talkspace.

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I also know that therapy isnt something that many Black men are interested in, but I truly hope you take my advice on this. Its not hyperbole to say that Id probably be in a very bad place (potentially even dead) without my regular therapy visits. If you dont do it for yourself, please do it for your kidsthey need you.

Speaking of your kids, part of the way to combat the implicit bias Danielles experiencing is to model the correct behavior at home at all times. Show her that Black men are more than capable of being amazing fathers. As a matter of fact, a CDC study said that Black dads are more involved in their kids lives than their counterparts of other races, and Im confident that youre one of those dads.

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In the event shes still struggling to believe that Black families can be non-violent, Id also suggest she (and her brother, if needed) visit with a therapist as well. Even though it happened when Danielle was very young, its evident that losing her mom to prison impacted her in a negative way, so you may want to be proactive on that front.

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In the meantime, keep introducing your kids to Black people who are doing great things in this world. You can do this through books, documentaries, your friends and relatives, and more. Its a myth to believe that good Black men are unicorns, because we are everywhere.

Please dont beat yourself up too much. The fact that you showed such vulnerability by writing in is all of the proof I need that youre doing a great job.

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From this weeks letter, Our Nanny Keeps Judging Our Choices and Its Driving Me Crazy: We were clear early on that consent is a two-way street, and that we would always tell her what we are doing if she did the same.

Dear Care and Feeding,

Last week, my 13-year-old daughters school notified me of an extremely serious incident, and we are still reeling. It seems that my daughter sent nude pictures of herself to a boy in her classshe said they arent dating but that he asked for pictures, so she said yes. Two days later, the boy asked her to perform a sexual act on him. She refused. He threatened to send the nude pictures to others if she didnt comply. She freaked out and told one of her teachers, who told an administrator, who told me. The boy has been expelled from the school.

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According to my daughter, everyone knows what happened. (Im not sure if this is factually true, or if its just her perception, but either way shes in great distress.) I am beyond horrified at pretty much every detail of this incident. Im shocked my daughter sent nude pictures, and of course disgusted that this boy used them to blackmail her. Im glad he doesnt go to her school anymore. But the damage has still been done. I put her on the waiting list for a therapist but in the meantime, what in the world should I do? Take her phone away? Connect her with some sort of sexual violence support group? Punish her for sending the pictures? Pull her out of the school and send her somewhere where she can get a fresh start? I am completely out of my element here and didnt anticipate dealing with anything like this for at least 2-3 more years so Ive been blindsided. Please help.

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Out of My Depth

Dear Out of My Depth,

Yikes, this indeed is an extremely serious incident. As a dad with two daughters, I would make a beeline to his house and demand that his parents make him delete the photos and inform me who else has copies of the photos. In a perfect world, I would assume that the boys parents would be mortified by their sons behavior, but you should also prepare yourself to have them pass along the blame to your daughter for sending the photos to him. Either way, you should take whatever action possibleeven legal action, if need beto ensure your daughters photos are not circulated widely.

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Next, I would tread very carefully with your daughters emotions because shes clearly dealing with intense pain and embarrassment. She obviously made a grave error, but punishing her heavily only will serve to pour salt in an open wound. Im thankful that youre taking her to therapy, but I also think your suggestion of taking her to a sexual violence support group could potentially be helpful. As you know, sometimes kids are more apt to listen to a message by someone other than their parents. Your daughters school counselor may be an excellent resource as well.

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If there are shreds of good news here, theyre twofold: first, your daughter had her hot stove learning experience, and I doubt shell do something like this again due to the pain shes experiencing. Secondly, in todays hyper speed social media world, people (especially kids) have a short memory. Eventually theyll move on to the next shiny object and it will be old newsbut it certainly could be rough for her until it gets to that point.

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Based on what youve told me here, moving to a new school seems extreme to meshe must have friends who love and support her, right? If so, she needs them now more than ever to show her that she still belongs there. That said, its worth monitoring her emotions closely, because only you can evaluate whether thats an option you need to consider. Also, Id keep a very watchful eye on her to ensure shes not a suicide risk. This website is a helpful resource if youre unfamiliar with the signs.

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Last but not least, you dont have to take her phone away, but you should monitor her social media usage to ensure shes staying safe. I highly recommend Bark for that.

Hopefully these suggestions will help you, but I also think you should hug her and tell her how much you love her. Being a kid in todays world isnt easy and she needs all of the support she can get as she navigates through it.

 If you missed Mondays Care and Feeding column, read it here.

 Discuss this column in the Slate Parenting Facebook group!

Dear Care and Feeding,

I have a 16-year-old daughter. We live in a fairly progressive community, and everyone we socialize with got their Covid vaccine except one of my daughters friends. Since getting their vaccines, my daughter and her friends have been getting together, but theyve excluded their unvaccinated friend.

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About two weeks ago, I received a phone call from the kids mother, accusing my daughter and her friends group of bullying. I told the mother that while normally I would consider this bullying, I do not believe that forcing my teen to share unmasked space with somebody who is not vaccinated is a good idea. The conversation did not end on good terms. I talked to my daughter the day of the call and checked her social media accounts to see that no actual bullying was going on. There was none. She also assured me that as soon as the teen in question is vaccinated, they will be welcome to hang out with everyone else again.

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Today, I found out that the same phone call was made to a parent or stepparent of every single kid in the group, and, apparently, the mom received the same response: all the parents agree our kids are wise to distance themselves right now from the unvaccinated friend.

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But are we wrong? I would never normally be OK with excluding a friend from activities and refusing to sit with them at lunch, and would even consider it bullying. But COVID hit our community and family hard. We lost two family members to it and two close friends, and my sister-in-law has been left permanently disabled. The families of my daughters friends have suffered similar lossesdeaths of grandparents, neighbors, and family friends, disabilities, long-hauler COVID symptoms that wouldnt go away month after month. A 14-year-old boy in the neighborhood also died from COVIDone of those rare child deaths. And my youngest child is not even old enough to be vaccinated yet. We also know that although fully vaccinated people generally do not develop symptoms if they are exposed to COVID, they are not fully immune either. Do I convince my daughter to discuss with her friends the possibility of letting the unvaccinated friend join the group again? Or do I back her up in her decision not to?

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Conflicted in the Inland Empire

Dear Conflicted,

I would 100 percent side with your daughter on this. First of all, bullying is loosely defined as behavior seeking to harm, intimidate, or coerce someone viewed as vulnerable. I dont think thats what going on here. COVID is extremely serious and its pretty obvious to me that getting vaccinated is the most effective way to protect yourself from this virus. If her unvaccinated friend chooses not to get the shot, then she has to live with the consequences that she cant sit with her friends at lunch. Now, if your daughter and her friends were making fun of this kid, then that would be a problembut youve assured me that isnt the case. I applaud your daughter and her friends for taking the proper precautions. Its not a bullying thing, its a public safety thing.

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The same noise is happening on a larger scale with vaccine mandates becoming more prevalent across America. Unvaccinated people are complaining that theyre getting bullied, but that isnt the case. The choice to vaccinate is always in the hands of the individual, but every choice has consequencesyou may lose your job, you may not be allowed to eat at restaurants, attend sporting events, and more.

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I wouldnt worry about the mom because shes just trying to protect her kids feelings. Instead, I would advise your daughter and her friends to make the unvaccinated kid feel more welcomed in situations where everyone is masked and participates in social distancing. At that point, this kid will understand that the only issue is her vaccination status, not her personality.

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October is bullying prevention month. As someone who was bullied all throughout my childhood, I take this very seriously. I also take precautions against COVID very seriously and Im glad your daughter does too. I would be extremely proud of your daughter for taking a mature stance on this topic.

Doyin

More Advice From Slate

My husband and I want to have our first kid soon. Before we start trying, we need to figure out how to handle my mother. We arent close at all. But shes learned that there will probably be a kid eventually, and shes become obsessed with moving near me and being Grandmas Babysitting Service, which I dont want at all. What should I do?
One of the most horrific immigration policies of the Trump administration was the practice of mass raids on work sites that indiscriminately arrested and expelled hundreds of undocumented immigrants at a time. The policy began during the Bush and Obama administrations, but reached an ugly nadir under Trump with a 2019 raid of Mississippi poultry plants that led to the arrest of 680 undocumented immigrants. The practice was so widely condemned that the Biden administration announced on Tuesday that it would be put to a halt.

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Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas deserves credit for Tuesdays memo ending the raids. Mayorkas recognizes that the workplace raids misallocated enforcement resources while chilling, and even serving as a tool of retaliation for, worker cooperation in workplace standards investigations. The memo, though, raises the question: What about the thousands who have suffered during the raids under past administrations? Tuesdays memo is a good start, but its nowhere near enough to address past harm. The ongoing saga of Maria Domingo-Garcia illustrates that perfectly.

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It turns out that as of last month, Domingo-Garciaone of the most well-known targets of the 2019 Mississippi poultry raids as a mother of three American children whose youngest was still breastfeeding at the time of the raidwas back in the United States. She is in ICE custody and facing deportation again. This time, though, Domingo-Garcias attorney is begging Mayorkas and the Biden administration to help rectify the damage that Trump did, particularly given Tuesdays stand against workplace raids like the one that ensnared Domingo-Garcia and her family.

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Domingo-Garcias story went viral shortly after ICE raided her poultry plant, when it was reported that her breastfeeding 4-month-old daughter was struggling to learn to bottle-feed. Ultimately, the Trump administration showed her no mercy: She was deported in December 2019, just before the start of the pandemic. As reported in Slate last year, the logistical challenges of the pandemic, including the Trump administrations border closure, prevented her from seeing her children in the months afterward.

More than two years later, she still hasnt seen them. Finally, after living in Mexico for nearly two years, last month she decided to return to the United States to seek asylum. Her attorney, Ray Ybarra Maldonado, says that while she was living in Mexico, Domingo-Garcia was robbed in the street and just became more terrified of continuing to live there, she became more depressed not having her kids with her.

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On Sept. 9, she arrived at the Brownsville Port of Entry. Ybarra Maldonado says, as is typical in such cases, he requested to be present for her credible fear interview last month. Instead of the standard practice of including him via a call, though, the asylum officer conducted the interview without Domingo-Garcias attorney present. The asylum officer then made the determination that Domingo-Garcia did not have credible fear and was not a candidate for asylum.

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She just said that the interview was extremely rough, she didnt even know that it was the asylum interview, and she felt like she didnt have a chance to tell her story, Ybarra Maldonado said in an interview on Tuesday. Theyre talking about the raids again and how horrible they were during the Trump administration, but this administration continues to have someone detained who first came into their crosshairs in one of these unjust family separation raids.

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Last week, Domingo-Garcia was moved from Brownsville to the Richwood Correctional Center in Monroe, Louisiana, which is much closer to where her family still lives. She is currently being held in quarantine there, but once her quarantine is over, Ybarra Maldonado is hopeful that she will finally have a chance to see her children again face to face. For Domingo-Garcia, everything now rides on her review hearing with an immigration judge to determine if the original credible fear ruling will stand, or if shell be able to enter the asylum process and finally return to her family.

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Ybarra Maldonado says Domingo-Garcias case is an opportunity for the Biden administration to finally put its money where its mouth is in terms of righting the wrongs of the Trump administration.

This is a new administration now, and they talk about correcting the wrongs that were done of the Trump administration. Heres a perfect opportunity for them to do it, he told me. Weve seen a lot of talk on the campaign trail; we havent seen a lot of action. Heres an opportunity for the Biden administration to take a real action instead of just sending memos as they did today.
The constitutional right to abortion is under concerted attack by a deeply conservative Supreme Court. Last month, the Supreme Court permitted Texas ban on abortion at six weeks to go into effect in a one-paragraph ruling decided without full briefing and oral argument, stripping inhabitants of the Lone Star State of constitutional rights enjoyed in the rest of the country. On Dec. 1, the court will consider the constitutionality of Mississippis ban on abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization. In Dobbs, Mississippi is urging the Supreme Court to overrule Roe v. Wade and take away from millions of Americans the fundamental right to control their bodies, choose whether and when to start a family, determine their life course, and participate as equals in American life.

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But the right to abortion is not the only fundamental right at risk. The arguments being advanced by Mississippi, if accepted, would destabilize a central part of the courts jurisprudence protecting fundamental constitutional rights. As a result, Dobbs also threatens the fundamental rights to use birth control, marry a loved one, and make decisions about sexual intimacy.

The linchpin of Mississippis attack on Roe and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, the 1992 case that reaffirmed Roe, is that the right to abortion cannot be a constitutional right because states restricted abortion in 1868 at the time of the ratification of the 14th Amendment. Mississippi argues that the public in 1868 would have understood the 14th Amendment to permit state restrictions on abortion to continue.

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This is not a new argumentit formed the basis of then-Justice William Rehnquists dissent in Roe and was made repeatedly by Justice Antonin Scalia over the course of his career on the bench, including in his dissent in Caseybut it is a far-reaching and radical one. It would not only hollow out the 14th Amendments protection of liberty, but also jettison many decades of Supreme Court precedent safeguarding a broad range of fundamental rights. And as Chief Justice John Roberts recognized in his confirmation testimony, it is completely circular, using state practice to interpret the constraints the 14th Amendment was written to impose on the states.

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Reading the 14th Amendment to allow states to enact laws similar to those in effect in 1868 is a perversion of originalism. In fact, the text and history of the 14th Amendment provide no support for the idea that the courts should look to state practice in 1868 to define the scope of the amendments protections. The 14th Amendment sought to disrupt discriminatory state laws and practices, not perpetuate them. In the wake of a bloody Civil War fought over slavery, the 14th Amendment attempted to transform our federal system against the backdrop of a long history of suppression of fundamental rights. It makes little sense to make state practice at the time of ratification determinative of the amendments sweeping protections of fundamental rights. Indeed, the courts wholesale failure to vindicate the 14th Amendment, in cases like the Slaughter-House Cases and United States v. Cruikshank, in the years after Reconstruction speaks to how an approach that slights the 14th Amendments transformative guarantees and broadly defers to the states utterly fails. The 14th Amendment was written to redress state denials of fundamental rights, not leave them in place in perpetuity.

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For good reason, state practice in 1868 has never been a measure of what fundamental, personal rights are guaranteed against state infringement by the 14th Amendment. This is illustrated not only by Roe and Caseywhich explicitly rejected the idea that the state practice in 1868 fixes the fundamental rights for all future generationsbut also by many other landmark Supreme Court rulings vindicating the 14th Amendments promise of liberty for all.

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For example, in 1967, in Loving v. Virginia, the Supreme Court struck down Virginias anti-miscegenation statute, holding that the freedom to marry a person of another race is a fundamental right. It did not matter that anti-miscegenation laws had been common in Virginia as far back as the colonial period because, under the 14th Amendment, the right to marry cannot be infringed by the government.

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Similar examples abound. In 1965, in Griswold v. Connecticut, the Supreme Court struck down a restriction on the use of birth control dating back to 1879, holding that it infringed on the right of a married couple to choose whether to start a family and bear children. The fact that restrictions on birth control had a long historical lineage did not give the government the right to intrude on a married couples decision about whether and when to start a family.

In 2003, in Lawrence v. Texas, the Supreme Court held that the 14th Amendment protected a right to sexual intimacy by LGBTQ adults, despite a very long history of laws that prohibited same-sex intimacy and sexual conduct. In Obergefell v. Hodges in 2015, the Supreme Court held that the 14th Amendment guaranteed the right to marry a loved one of the same sex, even though marriage had historically been limited to a union of a man and a woman. Both decisions drew on Loving to safeguard bedrock rights to love, marry, and form a family, ensuring equal dignity to LGBTQ persons.

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The lesson of more than half a century of 14th Amendment jurisprudence is that a state cannot defend a law challenged for violating a fundamental right merely by pointing to the fact that similar enactments existed at the time of the ratification of the 14th Amendment. Otherwise, as the court recognized in Obergefell, received practices could serve as their own continued justification and new groups could not invoke rights once denied.

All of these landmark precedents are now in the crosshairs. If the fundamental rights protected by the 14th Amendment are determined by looking to state practice in 1868as Mississippi and its allies urgeLovings holding protecting the right to marry as a fundamental right would be in doubt, as would many other landmark precedents, including Lawrence and Obergefell.

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Indeed, the amicus brief filed in Dobbs on behalf of Texas Right to Lifeand signed by Adam Mortara, a former clerk to Justice Clarence Thomas, and Jonathan Mitchell, the architect of S.B. 8demonstrates that Dobbs is just the beginning, and conservatives are seeking a much larger jurisprudential reversal. In urging the Supreme Court to overrule Roe, the brief contends that virtually all of the courts fundamental rights jurisprudence is questionable. It explicitly rejects Lovings reasoning, arguing that the Supreme Court was wrong to recognize a fundamental right to marry in that case. It claims that Lawrence and Obergefell are lawless rulings and urges the Supreme Court in Dobbs to leave those decisions hanging by a thread.

The stakes in Dobbs are sky-high. The court has never recognizedand then stripped awaya fundamental right that millions of Americans have relied on to determine the course of their lives and participate as equals in American life. And the right to abortion is not the only right at risk of being taken away. The endgame for conservatives is to roll back the 14th Amendments broad protection of fundamental rights essential to autonomy, dignity, and equality.
The Supreme Court is back in session, and public opinion of the justices has never been lower. According to a Marquette University poll, fewer than half of Americans now approve of the courts performance. Now, many of the justices have gone on the record to defend their reputations. Justice Amy Coney Barrett spoke out against accusations that the court is packed with partisan hacks at an event for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. Thats ironic. Meanwhile, liberal Justice Stephen Breyer is hoping to remind people of the courts mission. But does anyone who doesnt serve on the court actually buy the vision that theyre impartial anymore? And how could this court reshape American lives in the upcoming session? On this weeks episode of A Word, I spoke with MSNBC analyst and the justice correspondent for the Nation Elie Mystal. His upcoming book is titled Allow Me to Retort: A Black Guys Guide to the Constitution. We discussed whats on the docket and why so many Americans are braced for the court to shred their rights. Our conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.

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Jason Johnson: What does it mean that right now, large numbers of Americans dont think the court is representing them? What does it mean that people dont trust the integrity of the decisions? What does that actually mean in a practical sense to have the highest court in the land be an institution that people question?

Elie Mystal: The Supreme Court has no army. It has no money. It has no power to tax or spend. Thats not me saying that. That is Alexander Hamilton saying that in the Federalist Papers. That was Alexander Hamilton spitting bars about how weak the Supreme Court is. The only reason why it has any power at all is because we let it. And at the point where the people believe that the Supreme Court is illegitimate, at the point where the people believe that its decisions no longer carry water, well, whats it going to do? It cant fight, it cant take your money, so its legitimacy is the only currency that it has, and the conservatives are burning it. And theyre taking their only legitimacy currency and throwing it out of the window in their rush and excitement to achieve victory in the culture wars.

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Were both old enough to remember the 2000 election, right? That was a situation where the Supreme Court makes a ruling that pretty much dumps on 50 percent of the country. I mean, it was a legitimate split. Fifty percent of the country wanted Al Gore. Fifty percent of the country thought that they wanted George W. Bush. Even after that, public confidence with the court did not drop as far as we have it right now. What is the difference between what happened 20 years ago versus what they are doing right now?

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A couple of reasons. First of all, look, I was a first year at law school when Bush v. Gore dropped, so my entire legal journey is shaped by that decision. Despite the dripping hypocrisy of the conservatives on that day with Sandra Day OConnor basically deciding that she didnt want Al Gore to be president and Antonin Scalia going against his entire ideological philosophy to make George W. Bush president despite all of that, the key thing that the court had in 2000 that it doesnt have in 2021 is the knowledge that the people who were on the court got there fairly.

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I might have spent my entire life disagreeing with Antonin Scalia, but I cannot disagree that he legitimately, through the regular process, was placed on the Supreme Court. The same with Sandra OConnor, the same with all five conservatives who voted for George W. Bush. George W. Bush might have been an illegitimate president, but I could not say that the five justices that made him so were illegitimate justices.

We all saw how Neil Gorsuch greedilywas happy to take that boon from Mitch McConnell. We all saw what happened with Amy Coney Barrett. Look, you can have Gorsuch or Barrett, but you cant have both, right? You can stick your flag in the sand that you cant confirm a justice during an election year, and so thats how Gorsuch gets on, but then you cant have Barrett. Or you can flip it, whenever the justices come up, you got to put them on, which means you can have Barrett, but you cant have Gorsuch. Right? And then they put an alleged attempted rapist on the court in between.

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The Kavanaugh hearings rivaled the O.J. Simpson trial as far as the ratings and level of attention that people paid. So, yes, youve got two illegitimate-process judges sandwiching a guy whose personal and financial integrity is so bad that, only in the Trump administration, could he ever have gotten a job.

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Right? And he gets to be now, according to the Supreme Court, the fifth vote to decide whether or not women have the right to choose. Youre literally putting a person whos been accused of forcing his will on a teenage girl in charge of forcing teenage girls to carry pregnancies to term against their will. That is monstrous. And that is why the Supreme Courts public perception has taken such a hit in recent years. Its not because of their decisions. Their decisions are awful. I have literally made a whole career explaining why their decisions are awful, but the way that theyve gotten the power to make those decisions is anti-democratic, anti-American, if not straight-up immoral.

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This is the thing, Elie, Im glad that you mentioned Kavanaugh and the upcoming abortion issue. The court allowed Texas to go forward with this restrictive law. And then were hearing about this thing called a shadow docket. What is the shadow docket, and how was the court using it to weasel their way into decisions like ending abortion and limiting voting rights without having to actually put their thumb on the signature?

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If theres one thing most people know about the Supreme Court is that it takes a long time to get there. The wheels of justice grind slowly. Most people understand that. The shadow docket is, at core, the emergency process. Some things we dont have time to wait on for a long time, for years and years and years for it to get the Supreme Court. So thats the emergency appeal. You appeal an emergency to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court quickly, without debate, without public hearing, they make a decision, issue a ruling. Bam, youre done, you live or die. Thats what the shadow docket is for historically. Theres nothing wrong inherently with having an emergency process for emergencies. What the conservatives have done is taken the emergency process and used it for things that are not emergencies. The conservatives have decided to overturn laws through its emergency shadow process without a full hearing and importantly, without explaining what they do.

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It is particularly important that I understand why the Supreme Court does what it does, because the way our common law system works, it requires us to know not just what the law is, but why it is that way, so that we can iterate and figure out what other laws may or may not mean. Thats how the common law system works. You have to explain in your opinion, your written, long-ass opinion. Thats why people go to law school. In the shadow docket, you dont have an explanation. So for S.B. 8, for the Texas law, I dont really know why its suddenly OK to use bounty hunters to subvert the Constitution. Brett Kavanaugh just said so. Thats not law; that is authoritarianism. And I can be light about it, but its a direct threat to our system of government. And its a direct threat to our rule of law. And theyre doing it in plain sight, and nobody is stopping them.

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What are, say, one or two other really critical cases that you see that could happen in this courts session that could basically fundamentally alter the balance of power in this country irrevocably?

By the time we get to June, when they make these decisions, Ive said this a lot, owning a gun is going to get you more rights than owning a uterus. In a world where abortion was not on the table this term, the direct challenge to gun rights would be the big case everybody was talking about. This is called New York State Rifle and Pistol. Theyve sued New York state over the issue of gun licensing, arguing that gun licenses itself are unconstitutional. Which, I mean, look, the state can make you have a license to drive a car, the state can make you have a license to sell a beer, but according to the ammosexuals, you dont need a license to own a gun and to carry it outside your house. Thats their argument.

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The Supreme Court is likely going to agree with that argument. And the justification for that argument will stick in my craw particularly, because conservatives are going to agree because conservatives think the Second Amendment is the only amendment that countsbut they got some help over the course of this case with an amicus brief filed by a group of public defenders in the city who predominantly represent urban clients. Urban being the euphemism in this world for Black people and brown people. So these Black attorneys argued that the New York state licensing requirements were racist.

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All of the arguments that a person like me would make about why drug enforcement laws are racially biased, these public defenders made about gun laws. They said, gun laws were used as a pretext to stop otherwise law-abiding people and harass them for no reason, that they had different penalties depending on the color of your skin, how hard you would get hit with an infraction. I mean, get this, in New York, the very people who control whether you can get a license or not are NYPD, which aint right. So the public defenders made really great arguments for why New York gun licensing requirements are racist. I agree with their arguments. They have identified a problem. They have come to the wrong solution.

Their solution was to sidle up with the ammosexuals and argue for gun rights as opposed to arguing for civil rights. Argue for 14th Amendment equal protection rights, dont argue for a more engorged, chesty, violent version of the Second Amendment. I have two predictions for this term: one, pain. Two, theyre going to let Clarence Thomas write the pro-gun opinion in the language of civil rights that was given to him by the New York public defenders. And that will bother me when it happens.

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.
Every year, about 35,000 people are added to a national waitlist in hopes of receiving a kidney. This list hovers around a total of 100,000 names. Several thousand die every year while waiting for the organ. Many others become too ill to successfully receive a transplant. The need is so severe that people are driven to painting their blood types on their cars, next to the words I need a kidney. If you type need kidney into the search bar on twitter, you will find users whose entire social media profiles are devoted to looking for a kidney, identifying themselves as Need O+kidney or need_new_kidney_help_us.

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Last week, the New York Times published a story that was, in part, about a woman, Dawn Dorland, who decided to give one of her own kidneys to a total stranger on that waitlist. Her donation inspired the strangers wife, who had not been a blood match for her husband to also undergo surgery to remove one of her kidneys, which would then, too, go to a stranger. Dorland wrote about her experience for a small private group on Facebook, sharing medical updates. She also posted a short letter shed sent to the recipient of the wifes kidney: Throughout my preparation for becoming a donor, she wrote, I focused a majority of my mental energy on imagining and celebrating you.

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That letter is at the center of the New York Times piece, Who Is the Bad Art Friend?, which is a story that is not exactly about kidney donation, but friendship and ethics in creative writing. A writing peer, Sonya Larson, whom Dorland had invited to the Facebook group, included some of Dorlands letter in a piece of fiction, titled The Kindest, about a condescending and entitled kidney donor, which was, Larson admitted, inspired by Dorland. Leaving aside many, many specifics of this whole tangled sagaboth Dorland and Larson filed lawsuits!one important theme emerged in Larsons writing and group texts: Dorland was being awfully self-righteous about her supposed altruistic gift. A similar question emerged on social media in response to the piece: Should kidney donors brag at all?

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The answer is a resounding yes: If you donate an organ, it is actually very good to talk about it. What makes the kidney shortage uniquely tragic is that there is technically no shortage of actual kidneys. Most people have two kidneys but can be perfectly healthyand live a long lifewith only one. There are literally millions of spare kidneys in the United States. Given 35,000 people are added to the waitlist every year, only .014 percent of our countrys adult population, or one in about every 7,000 people, would have to donate a kidney each year to meet the demand. In this light, there is actually a massive kidney surplus.

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Of course, the system to get healthy, spare kidneys into sick people is not entirely simpleafter all, they belong to people. The United States has settled on a kidney donation system that combines deceased and living donation. The vast majority of kidneys, around 70 percent, come from deceased donors. However, the supply from deceased donors is not nearly enough to meet the demand. In 2019, 16,534 deceased kidneys were donated, barely a dent in the waitlist of 100,000 people. This is where living donors come in.

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Most living donors are called directed donors, as they donate directly to a family member or friend in need. But not everyone has a family member who matches their blood type and is willing to undergo the procedure, which is very safe but can require time off from work and financial savings in the event of complications. Others, about 2 percent of all kidney donors per year, are called nondirected donors. They are strangers to the recipient who have simply decided to give up their organ to a person in need. Giving someone, whether a loved one or a stranger, a kidney really is an incredible act: Kidneys from living donors allow for reduced time on dialysis compared with those from deceased donors, which improves recipient outcomes. They also last almost twice as long. Getting someone to be a nondirected donor has even further benefits: They can inspire donor chainsa family member of someone who receives a strangers kidney in turn donates a kidney to a strangerinvolving many otherwise incompatible donor-recipient pairs. These chains can produce dozens of donations.

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So: an incredible solution to a dire crisis. But in reality, there just arent that many nondirected donorsin 2019, there were only 388. The question is: How do we as a society encourage more people to donate?

Kidney foundations, doctors, and medical ethicists have struggled with this question for years. Some ethicists have proposed giving donors Congressional Medals of Honor, rewarding donors with lifelong insurance coverage, or making government contributions to a retirement fund. Some advocate for donor compensation, such that the government would reimburse donors not only for lost work but also for their donated organ.

In this country, we have adopted none of these proposals. Although some ethicists argue that forms of compensation for donation would both solve the kidney crisis and ultimately benefit donors, others fear the potential for exploitation. Given this unresolved debate, the method we, as a society, have settled on is altruistic messaging. We simply try, as hard as we can, to inspire people to give a piece of themselves to save others. To encourage deceased donation, we place a heartthe symbol of lovenext to Organ Donor on drivers licenses. To encourage living donation, donors like Dorland might be asked to speak out about their experience. After giving her kidney, Dorland was invited to walk in the Rose Bowl parade, a fact she shared in the private Facebook group with the hashtag #domoreforeachother.

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This became a point of mockery for Larsonthe writer who authored a short story inspired by Dorlands donationand her friend group. I just cant help but think that she is feeding off the whole thing, she wrote in a text, which was unearthed during the discovery phase of a lawsuit. Yes, it might seem a little cringey to post on social media about an altruistic gift. But posting about the gift is exactly what kidney advocates are hoping donors will do. The National Kidney Donation Organization states, on its webpage, Be Someones Gift of Life. Anotherthe National Kidney Foundationadvocates for the hashtag on twitter: #bigaskbiggift. This same organization shares videos of kidney donors with tweets proclaiming, Honor a kidney donor or recipient who has inspired you and How one womans selfless kidney donation made her a hero. Donors are also encouraged to sport bumper stickers signaling their act of selflessness: Ask me about my kidney donation and Share Your Spare. Organizations have initiated living donation storytelling projects, telling both donors and recipients: By sharing their candid personal stories, they each help to raise awareness about the need for living donors to help solve the kidney donor shortage.

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I should note that nondirected kidney donors are often wary of claiming heroism. The nondirected donors I know rarely tell their stories. The reactions to doing so can be strange, resulting in excessive praise or, in many cases, being treated like weirdos. One nondirected donor, Katie Acosta, wrote in a piece about the experience that the reactions generally fell into two camps: I was either completely crazy or a saint, both of which I knew to be untrue. And some take the disclosure and advocacy as a reason to pull out their microscopeDorland wasnt the first person to be swept into a piece of art as a result of making the donation. Writes Acosta: I also somehow ended up as one of the subjects of a documentary exploring altruism.

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The New York Times story raised all kinds of difficult questions far beyond kidney donationabout race, about plagiarism, about the nature of group textsleaving things muddled, at the end, as to which protagonist was more blameworthy. However, one thing is incredibly clear: Kidney donors should tell their stories. They should encourage others to donate as well. They should reassure these same people that you can live a long and happy life with just one kidney. Maybe this will seem a little smug to the rest of usbut we should just deal with it. Because in being loud about their generosity, donors might just save a few more lives. If anything concrete comes out of the strange and complicated viral saga, I hope its that someone else is inspired to donate one of their kidneys, too.
Mary Baliker, a 58-year-old kidney transplant recipient living in Middleton, Wisconsin, is no stranger to blood tests. But this one was different. As part of a clinical study on antibody responses, she has been periodically FedEx-ing her blood to Johns Hopkins, where doctors have been looking for immune responses to the Moderna vaccine. Because she takes immunosuppressive drugs so her body doesnt reject the donated organ, it wasnt very likely that the vaccine would prompt the immune response it is supposed to. Nevertheless, she held out hope. When the final results came backnegative, no antibodiesshe was heartbroken. I guess all my fear of not building antibodies had just been proved, she said. I was discouraged. I just tried not to think about it.

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Baliker is one of many Americans whose immune systems are weakened either because of disease or because of the medications used to treat disease. Its tricky to tally the exact number of the immunocompromised, which includes people with a wide range of conditionsnot only transplant patients but also people with arthritis, HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease, and cancer. A recent estimate puts the proportion of privately insured adults ages 18 to 64 on immunosuppressives at 2.8 percent, or some 3.6 million Americans. But Dr. Beth Wallace, a rheumatologist at the University of Michigan Medical School who authored the study, said this estimate didnt account for those on Medicare or Medicaid, nor did it count innately immunocompromised adults not on immunosuppressives. She noted pinning down the true number of Americans with weakened immune systems is surprisingly difficult, but some experts I spoke with thought it could be as high as 10 million or even 15 million.

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For this group, breakthrough infections arent a source of anxiety; theyre a mortal threat: A positive COVID test means they face a 1 in 10 chance of death.

To put that in perspective, if the immunocompromised were a state, it would be the fifth largest in the nationabout the size of Pennsylvania. If they all worked in the same industry, theyd be the size of the hospitality labor force. There are about as many immunocompromised people as there are Americans over 80 years of age. You might not know itor might not have known it until recentlybut if you know someone from Pennsylvania, if you know someone who works at a restaurant or a hotel, or if you know someone over 80, youre just as likely to know someone whos immunocompromised. If you include the people who live or are in regular contact with the immunocompromisedspouses, children, relatives, roommatesthen it becomes clear that this is not a small sliver of America.

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Which is whyeven though vaccines are on the verge of being authorized for kids, and boosters could be authorized for everyone in a matter of monthswe need to consider how the pandemic is going for the many Americans who still must face it immunologically unarmed. As the delta variant circulates, the stakes are even higher. Take transplant patients like Baliker: According to a recent study, transplant recipients are 82 times more likely to get a breakthrough infection, and 485 times more likely to be hospitalized or die. For this group, breakthrough infections arent a source of anxiety; theyre a mortal threat: A positive COVID test means they face a 1 in 10 chance of death.

Whats next for immunocompromised peoplewhat the pandemic easing really looks like for themis a complicated puzzle. Many people, worn down from pandemic restrictions, seem to no longer want to hear about the enormous group of people that the progress with COVID vaccines has been leaving behind. Sometimes it gets to the point that you feel a little bit marginalized, and that no one cares about people like me who are higher risk, Baliker told me. As COVID becomes an ever-present feature of our lives, she wonders, What exactly is the plan for us? The real answer to that question lies in a patchwork of surprisingand, to some, controversialsolutions that are just beginning to come into focus.

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Not all immunocompromised patients are as vulnerable as transplant patients, especially after vaccination. However, because the immunocompromised were left out of the original vaccine trials, scientists have had to play catch-up to determine exactly how much protection immunization might offer. Dr. Dorry Segev, director of the Epidemiology Research Group in Organ Transplantation at Johns Hopkins, has spent the past year and a half furiously studying this question. In 2021 alone, hes published nearly 40 papers on the topic, and he recently received a $40 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to study the effect of booster shots in kidney transplant patients like Baliker. Its been a real black box, but were starting to make progress, he said.

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In March, Segev published a pair of studies showing only half of kidney transplant recipients produced an antibody response even after the second dose of an mRNA vaccine. In a small study on Johnson & Johnson vaccine recipients, only two of 12 transplant recipients produced antibodies. As for boosters, Segev collected antibody counts of transplant recipients who sought out third doses this spring, before boosters were authorized by the Food and Drug Administration. Of those who didnt respond to the first two shots, only a third responded to the boosterwhich is in line with estimates from a larger study from France. What these studies suggest is that a significant number of transplant recipients, like Baliker, are left without any antibody protection even after multiple attempts at inoculation.

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People with other conditions fare better, although results are mixed. People with autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis generally produced antibodies in response to the first dose of an mRNA vaccine, although consensus is emerging that those taking widely prescribed drugs that suppress B cell function, such as rituximab, are far less likely to do so. A case series suggested that some patients with lupus, myositis, vasculitis, and Sjogrens syndrome who take certain drugs do not develop antibodies at all. People with blood cancers may also have significant difficulty mounting an immune response. A French study found that only half of blood cancer patients produced antibodies, although its highly dependent on the type of blood cancer. According to a study led by researchers at the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, only 44 percent of patients with mantle cell lymphoma produced antibodies, but 99 percent of Hodgkin lymphoma patients did. Out of all blood cancer nonresponders given boosters, 33 percent still failed to produce antibodies. Although theres more to the immune system than antibodies, its almost certain that large numbers of people have diminished or no protection, even after a booster shot.

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Segev estimates theres probably at least a million or so people who will need some sort of protection beyond the vaccine. Were in wave four now, he said, but what happens at wave 11? Im healthy and vaccinated, so Ill just wear masks in the grocery store. And if I get sick, it wont be that scary. But, he said, many immunocompromised will have to put their entire lives on hold again, or risk death.

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They know that. And as with so many things about this pandemic, they also know it didnt have to be this way. For other infectious diseases, such as measles and polio, the immunocompromised are protected because the rest of us are vaccinated, creating herd immunity, that situation in which new outbreaks fizzle instead of spiraling out of control. When COVID vaccines arrived on the scene, many grew hopeful that Americans would rise to the occasion and get immunized to protect societys most vulnerable. Those hopes were dashed as politicization and disinformation fueled widespread vaccine refusal.

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And the immunocompromised are really getting fed up with this state of affairs. I spoke with Dr. Larry Saltzman, a leukemia patient who is also a former family practice physician. Hes currently principal investigator of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Societys National Patient Registry, and he published two of the studies above. When he was vaccinated earlier this year, his body didnt seem to produce any measurable antibody immune response. Its essentially as if Im vaccinated, yet I dont really have a defense against COVID. This means hes never been able to let up precautions. My blood cancer has caused me and my wife to be far more sheltered than any of our friends. I havent seen my mother, whos 89, since March 2020.

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People living with these conditions have been isolated because thats the way they can keep themselves safe. And that isolation then has mental health impacts.  Dr. Shilpa Venkatachalam

Saltzman assumed the availability of effective, free vaccines would enable his community to step up for him. But where he lives, in Sacramento, California, the vaccination rate was only about 50 percent when it started leveling off (though mandates recent success might start to change this for the better). Frankly, Im very angry. Really angry. Herd immunityand I hate saying this because I dont want to sound selfish or self-servingits to protect people like me because I am so vulnerable to this thing. Professionally, hes at a loss too. In my role here, Ive heard from people who have [since] died from COVID, Ive heard of people whove come down with COVID, theyve been hospitalized. They have long COVID, you know, and theyre just beside themselves. They dont know what to do.

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Saltzman is fortunate because he can work from home and restrict his social contacts. But some people with blood cancer dont have those choices. Dr. Gwen Nichols, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Societys chief medical officer who collaborated with Saltzman on the studies above, said that their information resource center is currently flooded with back-to-school concerns. Parents with blood cancers who have healthy children are nervous that their kids could bring the virus home from school, particularly in places where mask mandates are outlawed and vaccination rates are low. People should realize that cancer doesnt just affect old people. It affects people in the prime of their lives.

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That includes children. Leukemia is the most common pediatric cancer, affecting more than 41,000 children and teens, with most diagnoses between 2 and 5 years of age. These are young kids who cant get vaccinated, and its tragic that people around them might expose them when theyre already struggling so hard to have a life, Nichols said. If I was a parent of a kid with leukemia, Id be really mad at anyone who didnt want to help that kid survive.

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Saltzmans and Nichols anger and disappointment were echoed by Dr. Shilpa Venkatachalam, associate director of patient-centered research at the Global Healthy Living Foundation, a nonprofit that supports and advocates for people living with chronic medical conditions such as arthritis. This August, the foundation surveyed 2,137 of its members about the rise of the delta variant. Before delta, some members were cautiously resuming their favorite activities for the first time in over a year, such as going to restaurants or socializing indoors. But when delta arrived, they had to dial those activities back again. In the survey, multiple members reported feeling sad and angry that people wont get vaccinated. The relentlessness of the virus is taking a toll on themand not just physically. People living with these conditions have been isolated because thats the way they can keep themselves safe, Venkatachalam said. And that isolation then has mental health impacts.

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Venkatachalam, who lives with arthritis, is hopeful that some of the flexibility afforded to the immunocompromised during the pandemic could at least herald a cultural change in accommodations for people who may not administratively qualify as disabled. During COVID, there were work accommodations for many people, she said. A long-term concern for our community is, will there continue to be flexibility by employers for people living with autoimmune inflammatory conditions? Those affected need permanent remote work options, flexible commute times to avoid crowded public transportation, and for insurance companies to continue pandemic-era policies like covering telehealth (though there are already signs the latter is being walked back). When leaving your house entails significant risk, it just makes ethical sense to give people the tools to mitigate those risks, particularly because they are possible.

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If the immunocompromised do catch COVID, more drugs and treatments could be on the horizon to help them. Merck just announced a promising antiviral, and monoclonal antibodies (which famously may have saved the ass of a certain former president) are already available. Monoclonal antibodies can also confer passive immunity, which protects those who cant make antibodies themselves. [Editors note: Read this accompanying piece about how that works.] Monoclonals arent a permanent solution or a cure, more of an immunological loan, but for those at highest risk, they could even be given as a preventive measurealthough not FDA-approved for this purpose yet. Data from AstraZenecas antibody compound seems promising, though, and the company has just applied to the FDA for emergency use authorization. But there are a few hitches. Monoclonal antibodies require blood infusions, and there isnt a limitless supply of sites that can administer the drug, according to Dr. Emily Blumberg, director of transplant infectious diseases at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Because infusion sites are also used for treatments such as chemotherapies, she said, there could be logistical hurdles to getting the lifesaving treatment into arms in time.

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Another more troubling hitch is that monoclonals are currently being rationed by the federal government because of short supplyin part because so many are being used to save the lives of the unvaccinated. And some politicians are cynically exploiting the treatment to sustain the political benefit of opposing vaccine mandates: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis cut a side deal with GlaxoSmithKline for monoclonals while undermining efforts to increase vaccination. This means this kind of scenario could be playing out in Florida and elsewhere: An immunocompromised patient lying in bed, dying, because an available, lifesaving treatment has been rerouted to the arms of people whove refused to be vaccinated. Its terrible that the immunosuppressed, who are vulnerable and desperate and doing anything they possibly can to seek protection, would be denied the only protective avenue that they have because people are refusing the vaccine, acting recklessly, getting infections, and then soaking up the monoclonal antibodies. Thats a disappointing thought for me, said Segev, the Johns Hopkins transplant researcher.

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So what are we to do? In terms of policy, Baliker, the kidney transplant patient, said she welcomes the vaccine mandates politicians like DeSantis oppose. I know not everybody agrees with the government coming down and saying, if you have a hundred employees or more, that you need to get vaccinated, but I cant tell you how happy I was when I heard that. Apart from what looks to be a highly effective employer mandate, theres a new bill proposing mandated vaccination for domestic travel, and Gov. Gavin Newsom of California just announced that all eligible children K12 will have to be vaccinated before next fall. More mandates are expected to be announced in the coming weeks and months.

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Baliker hopes these policies mean herd immunity is closer than it currently feels, and that shell soon be able to return to what were once everyday activities without fear. Baliker, who has endured four kidney transplants, said, This isolation is the hardest thing Ive ever done, not being able to do the things that everyone else does. When I asked what she would want people to know about those in her position, she reminded people that they never really know for certain how long they will be able-bodied: Theres a lot of people that are at risk, and it could be your family, or it could be yourself, or your friends.

Nichols, the chief medical officer of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, put it more bluntly. That politicians dont encourage people to get vaccinated or take basic public health precautions, she said, just seems like a lack of empathy. Put yourself in someone elses shoes for once.
ARCHIVED - Solar megapark threatens protected imperial eagle in Spain



The species was once on the brink of extinction and is found only in Spain

The recovery of the imperial eagle, a species native to Spain which is currently classified as vulnerable, has once again come under threat by plans to build a large solar power park between Madrid and Toledo in an area where the eagle, along with several other endangered bird species, are known to nest.

According to environmental group SEO/BirdLife, this is yet another example of large-scale renewable projects being implemented in areas that have been clearly identified for their high environmental sensitivity.

The solar megapark will be divided into three projects and will occupy some 472 hectares of land in total, along with a 37-kilometre-long power line. The group has called on the Ministry of Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge to block the development, which risks the decimation of a species that was on the brink of extinction until recently. As well as the eagle, colonies of red kite, bustards and kestrels, all of whose populations are in decline, make this area their home.

The environmental NGO has been advocating for a system that marries renewable responsibility and the natural heritage of Spain for years, and has now called for a system to be implemented that requires all autonomous communities to draw up maps of areas of environmental significance. This land would then be permanently classed as an exclusion zone for any kind of development.

The Iberian imperial eagle is not found anywhere else on Earth, and the species is being painstakingly recovered through careful conservation . In the 1960s, it was classified as critically endangered when only 30 breeding pairs remained in Spain. While the situation is gradually improving, the delicate species faces many challenges such as power lines, hunting and the loss of their preferred habitats due to human development.

Image: SEO / BirdLife
Slovakia and Czechia may become closer allies in the Visegrad Group and lead an attempt to depoliticise cooperation with Hungary and Poland.

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"Hungarians would be overjoyed to have such a good prime minister," Hungarian PM Viktor Orban said in the Czech city of Usti nad Labem during a campaign event he attended to support his Czech counterpart Andrej Babis.

Slovak-born billionaire-turned-politician Andrej Babis, whose campaign was to a significant extent based on the kind of anti-migrant rhetoric that Orban represents, lost the election to a coalition of three centre-right parties that teamed up with the aim of ousting him as prime minister.

While observers are reluctant to subscribe to the headlines that appeared in some international media announcing the defeat of populism in Central Europe in their Czech election reports, they do expect the new Czech government to have an impact on the cooperation within the Visegrad Group, the regional grouping that includes Slovakia, Czechia, Poland and Hungary.

"Perhaps the Czech-Slovak relations will be stronger within the Visegrad Group and [the two countries] will focus on de-politicising the V4, said Tomas Strazay, an analyst with the non-governmental think tank Slovak Foreign Policy Association. Orban's attendance of Babis's election rally is the kind of politics that Czechia and Slovakia may now reject together, he noted.

Viktor Orban (right) and Andrej Babis during the latter's campaign rally in Usti nad Labem in early October 2021. (Source: Sme - Marko Erd)

Anti-corruption sentiments on both sides

Observers do not expect the new Czech government, which will most likely consist of the two anti-Babis subjects, SPOLU and STAN with Pirates, to do anything to negatively affect the "above-standard" friendly relations that Czechia and Slovakia have enjoyed ever since their breakup in 1993, regardless of what government is in power on either side of the border.
https://sputniknews.com/20211011/texas-governor-bans-all-vaccine-mandates-by-any-entity-1089847791.html

Texas Governor Bans All Vaccine Mandates in the State by Any Entity

Texas Governor Bans All Vaccine Mandates in the State by Any Entity

Abbott has been one of the most strident opponents of compulsory COVID-19 regulations, arguing, along with another Republican governor of Florida Ron DeSantis... 11.10.2021, Sputnik International

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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has issued an executive order prohibiting all vaccine mandates by any entity.Abbott, while expressing confidence in the efficacy of the vaccines against COVID-19, nonetheless insisted Americans should be free in deciding whether to get a jab or not.Abbott requested the House and the State Senate to formalize his initiative in the form of legislation, after which the executive order could be canceled. Amid rising cases triggered by the Delta variant of COVID-19, believed to be more contagious, US President Joe Biden signed an executive order that includes vax mandates for businesses with more than 100 employees and federal government officials as part of his plan to curb the virus. It also calls on state governors to mandate jabs for school teachers.Those who wont abide by the rules, may face consequences, up to removal or termination of work.Several Republican governors have challenged vaccine mandates, with South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster calling the measure unconstitutional. Abbott has slammed Biden for his assault on private businesses, calling it nothing more but a power grab.The Texas governor has also opposed federal abortion policies, barring terminations after 6 weeks of pregnancy in his state. He has vowed to protect Texas from federal overreach.

https://sputniknews.com/20211011/us-travel-chaos-blamed-on-bidens-no-jab-no-job-covid-19-vaccine-mandate-1089830026.html

asavetmd This Law supersedes the PGA Tours rules, the NFL and NBA rules on forced injections. 1

FeEisi The Cherokee Nation, Navajo Nation and Sioux Nation can places where COVID-vac refugees can go to escape the mandates. Mexico under president AMLO may also be willing to give refuge. 1

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us, texas, executive order, gregg abbott, vaccines, covid-19, joe biden, republicans, mask mandate
https://sputniknews.com/20211012/as-tata-group-raises-debt-to-acquire-air-india-bjp-govt-slammed-for-handing-them-a-gift-1089851990.html

As Tata Group Raises Debt to Acquire Air India, BJP Gov't Slammed for 'Handing Them a Gift'

As Tata Group Raises Debt to Acquire Air India, BJP Gov't Slammed for 'Handing Them a Gift'

The Indian government last week sold off its ailing national airline Air India to the highest bidder -- Tata Sons who had founded it 68 years earlier. It... 12.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-12T10:23+0000

2021-10-12T10:23+0000

2021-10-12T10:23+0000

bharatiya janata party (bjp)

india

air india

narendra modi

communist party

priyanka gandhi

india

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The Narendra Modi-led federal government has come under fire from opposition parties for selling the national airline Air India for a pittance. This latest criticism has come from the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M) while the board of Tata Sons, the holding company of $103-billion Tata Group, is meeting on Tuesday to discuss plans to raise debt to fund the Air India acquisition. Senior CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury has slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government for a "relentlessing loot of India's national assets"."The iconic national flag carrier, Air India, has been sold to [the] Tatas. This sale is tantamount to giving a free gift to the Tatas by the Modi government", said Yechury."This debt to Air India accrued because of buying a new fleet of aircraft which as assets now will be owned by the Tatas. Why didn't the government sell these aircraft and clear the debt instead of handing them as a gift to the Tatas", questioned the Communist Party leader. On Tuesday, the board of Tata Sons is set to come up with consolidated plans for its airline business. Aside from spending $2.4 billion on the acquisition, it is estimated that Tata Sons will also have to spend an additional $3 billion to turn the debt-ridden airline around, which might take at least five years. Opposition parties have seized the airline sale issue as an instance of the BJP government helping its "billionaire cronies".Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, a key Congress politician, during a public rally in Uttar Pradesh on 10 October, also took a dig at Prime Minister Modi for buying expensive aircraft for himself while selling the national airline for a pittance. "Modi bought two aircraft for himself for INR 160 billion last year. He sold the entire Air India of this country for just INR 180 billion ($2.4 billion) to his billionaire friends", she said. The ruling BJP has, however, has supported the long overdue disinvestment saying that the bleeding has finally stopped.

https://sputniknews.com/20211008/indias-national-airline-air-india-back-in-founder-tata-sons-hands-after-68-years--1089767602.html

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https://sputniknews.com/20211012/chinese-foreign-ministry-rejects-cnn-whistleblowers-allegations-of-uyghur-torture-1089869147.html

Chinese Foreign Ministry Rejects CNN Whistleblower's Allegations of Uyghur Torture

Chinese Foreign Ministry Rejects CNN Whistleblower's Allegations of Uyghur Torture

BEIJING (Sputnik) - The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Tuesday called a former Chinese police detective, who spoke of the alleged torture of Uyghurs in Xinjiang... 12.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-12T15:53+0000

2021-10-12T15:53+0000

2021-10-12T15:53+0000

xinjiang uyghur autonomous region

whistleblower

china

cnn

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"A lie repeated a thousand times is still a lie. Despite the fact that these clowns try their best, the audience for this farce is small, as well as those who respond to this lie. This is sufficient evidence that the international community no longer believes in false information spread by them and even began to feel disgust and dislike for it", Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said at the briefing.The spokesman suggested that that the alleged former policeman in question, identified as Jiang, had previously impersonated a policeman named Wang, who was sent to Xinjiang in 2018 to investigate separatist activities.On October 5, an alleged former PRC law enforcement official who fled to Europe reported "a systematic campaign of torture against ethnic Uyghurs" in an interview with CNN. The whistleblower said that hundreds of police officers armed with rifles went door-to-door in Uyghur communities, dragging people out of their homes, handcuffing them and threatening to shoot them if they resisted. According to him, the interrogations of men, women and teenagers were accompanied by battery and severe torture.The Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region is the largest province in China, home to about 25 million people from various ethnic groups, but about 43% of whom are Uyghurs, a Muslim population. The US has previously stated that China's actions against the Uyghurs can be regarded as "genocide." China flatly denies the assertion.In late August 2018, experts from the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination reported that up to 1 million ethnic Uyghurs may be in "re-education camps" in Xinjiang. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said the information is not confirmed by anything and does not correspond to reality. Chinese authorities argue that the problems associated with Xinjiang are not at all a human rights matter, but are related to the issues of violence, terrorism and separatism.

https://sputniknews.com/20210621/pakistani-pm-imran-khan-slams-western-hypocrisy-for-ignoring-kashmir-focusing-on-uyghurs-in-china-1083197024.html

Martian On Earth CNN!!?? CNN Whistleblower!!?? 'Uyghur Torture!!?? Just like its soulless Criminal Bankster Alien Bug owners, the corporate lying machine, CNN has neither grace nor shame! 5

Hess Torture is a US-Israeli thing. It is part of Anglo-Zionist values. 3

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xinjiang uyghur autonomous region, whistleblower, china, cnn
https://sputniknews.com/20211012/commercial-airline-pilot-warns-of-us-aviation-industry-disruptions-prompted-by-bidens-vaxx-mandate-1089871418.html

Commercial Airline Pilot Warns of US Aviation Industry Disruptions Prompted by Biden's Vaxx Mandate

Commercial Airline Pilot Warns of US Aviation Industry Disruptions Prompted by Biden's Vaxx Mandate

The American transportation system is already suffering from major problems and delays due to a lack of necessary labour and a significant surge in consumer... 12.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-12T19:00+0000

2021-10-12T19:00+0000

2021-10-12T19:03+0000

us

joe biden

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covid-19

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The Biden administration's vaccination mandate, issued in September, risks disrupting the entire American transportation system, since as much as 30% of pilots and other airline personnel might quit their jobs to avoid having to get jabbed, Joshua Yoder, co-founder of the US Freedom Flyers union of pilots, has warned in an interview with Fox News host Tucker Carlson.Yoder warned of potential repercussions for the economy as a result of carrying on with the vaccination order, which mandates all government employees, as well as workers at government contractors, to get COVID-19 vaccine shots under the threat of losing their jobs.The co-head of the pilots' union noted that the power in this situation is not with the US government, but with the US workers, who can simply say "no" to the vaccination demands. And if they lose their jobs, transport system disruptions will follow, hurting many Americans. Yoder added that if this happens, it would be Joe Biden's fault.The pilot added that he would not be openly calling for his colleagues to organise "mass sick-outs or walkouts", but said he strongly opposes the infringement of rights by the US administration.Yoder is not alone in the airline industry to openly oppose the vaccine mandate from Joe Biden, who said in September that the vaccinated portion of the US, 56.4% of the total population, had waited long enough for the vaccine-hesitant to take their shots and that they had sacrificed a lot for them already. CEO of Southwest Airlines, Gary Kelly, said he opposed the mandate, which affected most American airlines since they are government contractors. Kelly said he believes that whether or not to take the vaccine should be decided by every person individually, not by some corporation or the government.The Southwest Airlines CEO added that the company advises its employees to seek accommodation either for medical or religious reasons if they do not want to get vaccinated. He noted that the company still plans to comply with the order and to get everyone except those with accommodations vaccinated against COVID-19 by the 8 December deadline.The warning about possible disruptions in airline services comes as many retailers have resorted to air transportation amid disruptions and delays in shipments by sea and land across the country. Dozens of ships are waiting in queues outside major US ports as the latter struggle to process the increased flow of goods ahead of the holiday season, coupled with labour force shortages due to the pandemic. Railroad junctions are also struggling to send out goods in time, but are still falling behind schedule. Trucking companies are also experiencing a severe lack of drivers to move goods across the US and deliver them in time.

https://sputniknews.com/20211011/us-travel-chaos-blamed-on-bidens-no-jab-no-job-covid-19-vaccine-mandate-1089830026.html

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us, joe biden, vaccination, covid-19
https://sputniknews.com/20211012/even-his-family-members-didnt-vote-for-him-netizens-mock-indian-politician-for-securing-one-vote-1089866544.html

'Even His Family Members Didn't Vote For Him': Netizens Mock Indian Politician For Securing One Vote

'Even His Family Members Didn't Vote For Him': Netizens Mock Indian Politician For Securing One Vote

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) politician D Karthik stood in the local village council polls to become a ward member in Periyanaickenpalayam union in Tamil Nadu... 12.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-12T17:39+0000

2021-10-12T17:39+0000

2021-10-12T17:39+0000

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The #SinglevoteBJP is trending on Twitter after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) politician D. Karthik secured only one vote, after standing in local village council polls in India's Tamil Nadu state.Netizens couldn't conceal their glee as they pointed out that even his four family members didn't vote for him. Noted writer-activist Meena Kandasamy applauded Karthiks relations for voting for others, Congress politician Ashok Kumar mocked BJPs presence in Tamil Nadu state. After becoming the butt of jokes on social media, Karthik clarified in an interview with 'The New Indian Express' that he took part in the election as an independent candidate instead of representing BJP.However, a Twitter user pointed out that Karthik campaigned extensively using photographs of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and seven other leaders appear on his election campaign posters. Meanwhile, I am being wrongly mentioned in social media by trollers that I had stood on behalf of BJP and could not even be voted for by my family, which is not true," Karthik added.Netizens, on the other hand, sparked a meme fest on social media, poking fun at him.

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poll, election, bharatiya janata party (bjp), news, local elections, poll, election, poll, election, netizens, india
https://sputniknews.com/20211012/first-rocket-may-lift-off-from-uk-soil-in-2022-reports-suggest-1089853380.html

First Rocket May Lift Off From UK Soil in 2022, Reports Suggest

First Rocket May Lift Off From UK Soil in 2022, Reports Suggest

LONDON (Sputnik) - The Edinburgh-based rocket company, Skyrora, has struck a multi-launch deal with the Shetland Space Centre that could see the first rocket... 12.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-12T07:02+0000

2021-10-12T07:02+0000

2021-10-12T07:25+0000

space

rocket

uk

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

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The deal envisages up to 16 space launches per year from Unst, Britain's most northerly island, over the next decade.He also noted that Britain is a global leader when it comes to space technology and that this launch will be an important step to "offering a significant space service from our own soil".Frank Strang from Saxavord Spaceport described it as an "exciting development".

2ontrack Britain is a global leader when it comes to space technology. Bit of BS there 0

LINDADREW i WISH the opposition to uk arsehole could beat TORTURE DEPT WE HAVE NO LIFE IT IS BEING E-TINGUISHED BY SCIENCE IN MI6 0

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space, rocket, uk
https://sputniknews.com/20211012/high-crime-rates-and-depleted-police-resources-whats-happening-in-israeli-city-of-beer-sheva-1089851301.html

High Crime Rates and Depleted Police Resources: What's Happening in Israeli City of Be'er Sheva?

High Crime Rates and Depleted Police Resources: What's Happening in Israeli City of Be'er Sheva?

According to reports, the city, which is home to more than 200,000 people, only has 300 police officers working in shifts. In addition, during the night it... 12.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-12T05:10+0000

2021-10-12T05:10+0000

2021-10-12T05:10+0000

israel

middle east

police

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The largest city in southern Israel, Be'er Sheva, has traditionally been associated with a rich history and being a family-friendly vacation destination.Now, however, recent headlines suggest that it is gradually turning into a crime hub. For weeks, the Israeli media has been showcasing incidents involving young women being attacked, properties being damaged, and shooting sprees between gangs and warlords have become a regular phenomenon. Some outlets have even suggested that Israel has lost control over the south.Largely Exaggerated?Amnon Yosef, a spokesman for the municipality of Be'er Sheva's, is aware of the Israeli media accusations levelled at his city. He acknowledges the existence of the problem, but says the issue has largely been exaggerated.In a way, this is true. Be'er Sheva is not the only Israeli city that has seen an upswing in crime and violence. Per a recent report, the past several months have registered a 22 percent spike in the amount of illegal weapons holders all around the country.Another report released by the Knesset Research and Information Centre revealed that crime rates in southern Israel, in general, make up 20 percent of all cases and are considered to be the highest in the country.It is hard to pinpoint the reasons behind this phenomenon. Some are pinning the blame on the local Bedouin community, a number of whose members have long been linked to organised crime. Others explain the surge by the rise in tensions between Jews and Arabs, a situation that became particularly strained during Israel's recent measures in Gaza - "Operation Guardian of the Walls". And many accuse the police of failing to address these burning issues.Police Unable or Unwilling to Help?Reports suggest that Israeli police have been struggling to cope with the situation in the south as a whole, and in Be'er Sheva in particular. The city, which is home to 220,000 residents and provides services to 750,000 people who reside in the area, only has 300 police officers working in shifts and who are barely able to provide a timely answer to residents seeking assistance.The same reports suggest that equipment is also lacking. During the night, Be'er Sheva only operates eight patrol cars. Surveillance cameras only exist at main road intersections, and the city lacks a security hotline that would provide residents with immediate help.Yosef says the police "are doing everything they can to provide the residents of the city with stability and security". But he agrees, just as many others in the area, that the resources they have are way too limited, and they need to be increased.Over the years, the Israeli police have seen a boost in resources and funds, and in the last decade, their budget has doubled, reaching more than $4 billion. However, experts warn that the distribution of money was done improperly and unevenly, with the end result being that Israeli citizens, especially those in areas with relatively high crime rates, haven't noticed a change on the ground.Taking Control Over Their Own FutureIt was due to these depleted resources that the Be'er Sheva municipality has set up its own patrol units. They are operational 24/7 and give a boost to the existing police forces. But their power is also limited.The Be'er Sheva municipality, says the spokesman, is constantly approaching the relevant government bodies, asking them for assistance. Their demands are often answered but for the residents of the city, this is hardly enough.Residents have set up a number of volunteer organisations that aim to patrol the city, escorting women, children, and the elderly or helping law enforcement to arrest culprits.Many have even taken to the streets to protest against the tenuous situation in the city, while others have decided to simply pack up and leave, feeling they lacked security. But Yosef reassures that Be'er Sheva, which in recent years has seen more than $2 billion in investments, will continue to develop the city, attract new residents, and make sure that their security is maintained.

Hess Good news. The majority of the population is Jewish Colonies ("settlers"). The number of Indigenous Palestinians is decline because of Jewish violence against them. 0

LINDADREW same as what mi6 are doing to uk!!!!!! 0

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Elizabeth Blade

Elizabeth Blade

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israel, middle east, police
https://sputniknews.com/20211012/ill-fulfill-my-civic-duty-another-facebook-whistleblower-ready-to-go-before-congress-to-testify-1089862455.html

'I'll Fulfill My Civic Duty': Another Facebook Whistleblower Ready to Go Before Congress to Testify

'I'll Fulfill My Civic Duty': Another Facebook Whistleblower Ready to Go Before Congress to Testify

During last week's congressional testimony, whistleblower Frances Haugen pointed the finger at Facebook for allegedly being in the know that the platform had... 12.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-12T12:37+0000

2021-10-12T12:37+0000

2021-10-12T12:37+0000

whistleblower

testimony

facebook

violations

us congress

safety

users

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

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Ex-Facebook data scientist Sophie Zhang has told CNN that she is ready to testify against her former employer before Congress. Zhang went public with her criticism of the social networking giant in September 2020.In an interview with the US broadcaster on Sunday, Zhang said she was encouraged by the apparent bipartisan support for action on children's online protection, in the wake of congressional testimony by another Facebook whistleblower, Frances Haugen.Shortly before the CNN interview, Zhang tweeted that she provided "detailed documentation regarding potential criminal violations to a US law enforcement agency".When asked by the US broadcaster, Zhang did not elaborate on which agency she gave the documents to. An FBI spokesperson declined to comment on the matter, saying "the FBI does not generally confirm, deny, or otherwise comment on information or tips we may receive from the public".The woman was fired from Facebook in August 2020, after she posted a 7,800-word memo, in which Zhang detailed how the company allegedly failed to do enough to tackle hate and misinformation, especially in developing countries.Her interview with CNN came as Facebook said that it is planning to meet with former employee, Frances Haugen, over the latter's claim that the social network disregards the safety of its users.Haugen argued in congressional testimony last week that the social networking giant was aware it had inflicted harm on the mental health of teenagers, but did not do much to stop content promoting "hate and division", as well as content that created a toxic environment for teenage girls.She added that Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg should be held accountable because "he holds more than 55 percent of all the voting shares for Facebook".The social network insisted Haugen's accusations "don't make sense", with Zuckerberg stressing the company cares "deeply" about users' safety-related issues.

https://sputniknews.com/20211005/buck-stops-with-mark-no-one-holding-zuckerberg-accountable-facebook-whistleblower-tells-senate-1089687084.html

Unbeliever Sure Facepoop is a complete wasteland, but this is just another big pile of the usual b_s to keep the cattle convinced everyone everywhere is nothing short than a lunatic racist. The usual leftist garbage are profiting from the not so leftist vultures mistakes as Facepoop can be considered to be. Just another poor and empty soul with nothing helpful to say. It seem the only word that rests from their dictionary is "racist" or "racism"! We can clearly conclude that the future will become a nasty place to be part of looking at this kind of mentally illnesses with legs. We are doomed! 0

feketehollo if you die of the kidney disease will these spam posts stop? 0

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whistleblower, testimony, facebook, violations, us congress, safety, users
https://sputniknews.com/20211012/macron-touts-bigger-investment-in-nuclear-energy-despite-frances-plans-to-reduce-share-by-2035-1089867384.html

Macron Touts Bigger Investment in Nuclear Energy Despite France's Plans to Reduce Share by 2035

Macron Touts Bigger Investment in Nuclear Energy Despite France's Plans to Reduce Share by 2035

Macron Touts Bigger Investment in Nuclear Energy Despite France's Plans to Reduce Its Share by 2035

2021-10-12T15:48+0000

2021-10-12T15:48+0000

2021-10-12T15:48+0000

france

nuclear power plant

europe

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French President Emmanuel Macron has announced that his government has plans to invest as much as 1 billion euros ($1.15 billion) in the country's nuclear power development. He added that investing should start "very quickly".The small-scale nuclear reactors Macron mentioned are easier to produce for domestic use and can give France a competitive edge on the global market as well.Historically, France has been ahead of all European states on investmenting in nuclear energy and 75 percent of the energy it produces is done via nuclear power plants. France has been focusing on developing nuclear energy generation since 1974, when the world witnessed global oil shocks and rocketing fuel prices.The shift in policy only occurred in 2011 after the disaster at Japan's Fukushima nuclear power plant, when a tsunami caused an outage and subsequent uncontrolled leak of radioactive waste into nearby waters and land. France adopted a plan to reduce the share of nuclear energy to 50 percent by 2025, later shifting the deadline to 2035.This plan put a cap on the maximum accumulated amount of power produced at power plants. However, it did not prohibit the country from building new plants to replace the ageing ones. It is unclear at this moment, whether the new investment policy declared by Macron involves upgrades to the country's present nuclear power capacities, or a reversal of the 2011 policy with a subsequent increase in nuclear power generation in France.The new nuclear power investment plan has also notably arrived as gas prices in Europe continue to rocket, driving concerns about the lack of fuel and soaring energy prices for consumers and businesses alike. The global deficit of energy resources, reduction in supplies from Russia of liquified natural gas, along with decades-low levels of gas reserves in the EU has caused the price to jump from around $700 to more than $1900 per thousand cubic metres.

https://sputniknews.com/20180120/france-nuclear-plant-closure-1060912031.html

france

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france, nuclear power plant, europe
https://sputniknews.com/20211012/no-israel-for-us-swedish-star-journalist-in-hot-water-over-comparing-europeans-with-jews-1089854986.html

'No Israel for Us': Swedish Star Journalist in Hot Water Over Comparing Europeans With Jews

'No Israel for Us': Swedish Star Journalist in Hot Water Over Comparing Europeans With Jews

Journalist Ivar Arpi, who suggested that unlike Jews Europeans have nowhere to flee, described his tweet as a reference to French writer Michel Houellebecq. He... 12.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-12T08:25+0000

2021-10-12T08:25+0000

2021-10-12T08:25+0000

news

europe

israel

sweden

jews

scandinavia

/html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content

https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/104940/79/1049407929_0:0:1280:721_1920x0_80_0_0_73afc6fb54d70f39c8b49fa21ad483f5.jpg

onservative opinion-builder and Svenska Dagbladet journalist Ivar Arpi has sparked controversy with a recent tweet in which he compared Jews and Europeans."Jews are fleeing Europe, and Sweden, and moving to Israel. When the rest of us are attacked, where should we go? When the majority population in Sweden, Britain, or France is terrorised? There is no Israel for us", Arpi tweeted, commenting a publication by the newspaper Dagens Nyheter on "Jewish flight" from Malmo, Sweden's third-largest city, due to harassment and anti-Semitism.Arpi's wording, however, made the Swedish Committee Against Anti-Semitism, SKMA, see red."Ivar Arpi provides a good example of how the Jewish experience and history is falsified and instrumentalised, here for xenophobic and Islamophobic purposes. The minority of Jews are also portrayed as privileged compared to the majority populations in France, Great Britain, and Sweden. It is a sad and dangerous rhetoric", SKMA tweeted.Furthermore, SKMA chairman Svante Weyler penned a rebuttal in the newspaper Aftonbladet titled "Arpi's nonsense is dangerous enough to be taken seriously".According to Weyler, Arpi normalises "particular patterns of thought in the western context", including the idea of "The Great Exchange". Weyler described it as "an idea that there is a kind of war going on against the 'majority populations' in Europe whose purpose would be to 'exchange' Christians for Muslims. Weyler described these ideas as "common in right-wing radical circles".Weyler additionally suggested that Arpi alludes to "broad efforts to relativise the Holocaust and its significance"."And we are not talking here in Sweden about the small, pathetic crowd of deniers or the approximately 5 percent die-hard anti-Semites, or even about the Nazis, but about people from both right and left who seem to find it unbearable that the Holocaust has the decisive significance for the understanding of the European 20th century and the societies of today that most of us do accept", Weyler wrote.Arpi in his defence described his tweet as a reference to French writer Michel Houellebecq and a kind of a Rorschach test. He also said he received praise for it from Isaac Bachman, former Israeli ambassador to Sweden."Thank you Ivar Arpi for writing of Israel with such a deep understanding and sympathy. And for pointing to Israel as an example in the struggle against international terror", he quoted Bachman as saying.Ivar Arpi is a columnist and debater working for Svenska Dagbladet. He is known as a supporter of freedom of speech, an opponent of globalism, and a co-author of the book "This is how we all became racists" on the dangers of political correctness.

https://sputniknews.com/20201208/jewish-organisations-urge-sweden-to-act-more-forcefully-against-racism-anti-semitism-1081390807.html

vot tak One of those false controversies used by zionists to promote themselves. Neither side in this article is worth anything. Both are full of govno. 0

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sweden

scandinavia

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Igor Kuznetsov

Igor Kuznetsov

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Igor Kuznetsov

news, europe, israel, sweden, jews, scandinavia
https://sputniknews.com/20211012/people-gather-outside-austrian-parliament-in-vienna-to-protest-chancellor-kurzs-resignation-1089867767.html

People Gather Outside Austrian Parliament in Vienna to Protest Chancellor Kurz's Resignation

People Gather Outside Austrian Parliament in Vienna to Protest Chancellor Kurz's Resignation

Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz resigned on Saturday amid an ongoing corruption probe against him. The Austrian prosecution confirmed the investigation last... 12.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-12T15:33+0000

2021-10-12T15:33+0000

2021-10-12T15:33+0000

austria

sebastian kurz

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People have gathered outside the parliament in Vienna to protest against the resignation of Sebastian Kurz as Austria's chancellor.On 11 October, Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg was sworn in as the country's new chancellor. Kurz stepped down on Saturday after the prosecution confirmed a corruption probe against him and nine other politicians. He emphasised that he made the decision in order to "make space" and to ensure that the nation has a "government that is stable". Nonetheless, the politician denied the allegations against him, describing them as "baseless".The prosecution charged Kurz and nine others with bribery and media manipulation. The Finance Ministry is said to have used public funds to manipulate opinion polls in favour of the People's Party between 2016 and 2018. Follow Sputnik's Live Feed to Find Out More!

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austria, sebastian kurz
https://sputniknews.com/20211012/politicians-community-leaders-in-india-head-to-lakhimpur-kheri-for-funerals-of-slain-farmers-1089854187.html

Politicians, Community Leaders in India Head to Lakhimpur Kheri for Funerals of Slain Farmers

Politicians, Community Leaders in India Head to Lakhimpur Kheri for Funerals of Slain Farmers

Eight people, including four farmers, were killed on 3 October in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh when a federal minister's convoy hit a group of protesting... 12.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-12T11:19+0000

2021-10-12T11:19+0000

2021-10-12T11:19+0000

politics

politics

narendra modi

farmers

bharatiya janata party (bjp)

india

politics

farmers

uttar pradesh

congress

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Security has been beefed up in the Lakhimpur Kheri district of India's Uttar Pradesh as various politicians and farming community leaders are heading to attend a prayer meeting for the farmers who died earlier this month.The event is part of the funeral rites organised days after one's cremation. Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra along with several other party members reached Lucknow to go to Lakhimpur Kheri to attend the event. Uttar Pradesh party president Ajay Kumar Lallu and the party's official Twitter handle shared information about Vadra reaching Lakhimpur Kheri through tweets in Hindi.Manjinder Singh Sirsa, the president of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC), also tried to reach Lakhimpur Kheri, but police stopped him. He shared the experience on Twitter in a post in Hindi, saying: "We are going to attend the last rites of Lovepreet Singh, Guruwinder Singh, Daljit Singh, and Nashtar Singh who were martyred at Lakhimpur Kheri. The Uttar Pradesh Police are stopping us but we are trying to reach there on time".Farmers' Union to Observe Day of RemembranceFarmers from the states of Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand, and other parts of Uttar Pradesh have been streaming into the district to attend the event.Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body for farmers, said in a statement that preparations have been made to organise the event. It also said that tens of thousands of farmers are expected to attend the prayer meeting.However, another farmers' group -- the Bharatiya Kisan Union -- asserted that no politician will be allowed to share the dais with farm leaders during the event.The SKM has also appealed to farmer organisations and progressive groups across the country to mark a "Shaheed Kisan Diwas" (a day of remembrance for farmers) today by organising prayer and homage meetings all over the country, followed by candlelight vigils in the evening.The farmers' organisation has made a public appeal to light five candles outside their houses at 8 p.m. on Tuesday.Posters Appear Against Congress Ahead of Priyanka's VisitWhile Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra reached Lakhimpur Kheri, there were several spots where posters and signs were put up against her party. According to local media reports, the posters were put up by the Sikh community, targeting the Congress leader for showing "fake sympathy" for the deceased farmers.Some of the posters also carry messages about the 1984 anti-Sikh riots that took place following the assassination of then-Prime Minister and top Congress leader Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards. Priyanka happens to be her granddaughter. The posters in Hindi read: "Farmers don't want fake sympathy from those responsible for the 1984 Sikh riots. Those responsible for 1984 Sikh riots should not rub salt on the wounds of the Sikhs".Meanwhile, an Uttar Pradesh Special Investigation team has arrested a fourth person in connection with the 3 October violence. The fourth suspect was present in the Toyota Fortuner that knocked down the protesting farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri.On 3 October, a convoy of three vehicles drove through a crowd of protesting farmers in the Lakhimpur Kheri village of Tikonia. After the four farmers were mowed down by the minister's convoy on 3 October, four others, including the ministers driver, two Bharatiya Janata Party workers, and a journalist, were beaten to death in the subsequent violence. Ashish Mishra, the son of federal Minister of State Ajay Kumar Mishra, who is accused of killing the farmers by hitting them in an SUV, has been put into three-day police custody.Congress and other political parties have been demanding that the minister be sacked. On Monday, Vadra staged a silent protest through a sit-in in Uttar Pradesh's capital Lucknow for over three hours, reiterating her party's demand that federal Minister Mishra should be sacked.

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politics, politics, narendra modi, farmers, bharatiya janata party (bjp), india, politics, farmers, uttar pradesh, congress, farmers, indian national congress, congress, narendra modi, politics, lucknow, yogi adityanath, priyanka gandhi, india
https://sputniknews.com/20211012/russia-proposes-us-drop-all-mutual-restrictions-imposed-over-past-few-years-1089864782.html

Russia Proposes US Drop All Mutual Restrictions Imposed Over Past Few Years

Russia Proposes US Drop All Mutual Restrictions Imposed Over Past Few Years

Russia Proposes US Drop All Mutual Restrictions Imposed Over Past Few Years

2021-10-12T13:57+0000

2021-10-12T13:57+0000

2021-10-12T14:52+0000

us

russia

diplomatic missions

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The Russian Foreign Ministry has made a proposal to the US to mutually lift all restrictions on the operations of the two countries' diplomatic missions that have been imposed over the last few years. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said that Russia will not leave hostile actions against Moscow unanswered, but noted that the Kremlin does not seek to further escalate tensions between the two countries.The statement was delivered in the wake of talks between Russian Foreign Ministry officials and US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland, who arrived in Russia on 11 October with the goal to start building stable and predictable bilateral ties. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said during the day that the initial talks did not yield much result due to the US refusing to agree to Moscow's demands.However, he noted that some progress was still made and that the intensity of the dialogue on the matter of bilateral relations would be increased. Ryabkov did not rule out a temporary cessation of operations of Russian and American diplomatic missions, but stressed that the Kremlin would prefer to avoid such a scenario.Russia-US ties started to rapidly deteriorate in the wake of the 2014 coup in Ukraine, which Moscow blamed on Washington and other Western states. The US, in turn, accused Moscow of meddling in Kiev's affairs and condemned Crimea's reunification with Russia, which was carried out following a referendum the same year. The tensions have also affected the two states diplomatic missions, with Washington expelling dozens of diplomats under various pretexts and Moscow responding in kind.

https://sputniknews.com/20211012/russia-not-ruling-out-temporary-shutdown-of-diplomatic-missions-in-us-1089857720.html

mandrake Morons dont understand their own good so the answer is gonna be noooo! 7

Charlie McD  6

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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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us, russia, diplomatic missions
https://sputniknews.com/20211012/trump-asked-whether-ex-vietnamese-pm-had-name-fook-you-ahead-of-meeting-with-him-book-claims-1089870827.html

Trump Asked Whether Ex-Vietnamese PM Had Name 'Fook You' Ahead of Meeting With Him, Book Claims

Trump Asked Whether Ex-Vietnamese PM Had Name 'Fook You' Ahead of Meeting With Him, Book Claims

In recent years, many former assistants and officials who previously worked in the Trump administration have written tell-all books about the 45th president... 12.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-12T18:14+0000

2021-10-12T18:14+0000

2021-10-12T18:14+0000

vietnam

donald trump

us

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https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/0a/0c/1089870907_0:0:2993:1683_1920x0_80_0_0_72f03fa2bc9d2afb0d4d2ce07cc6e714.jpg

Former US President Donald Trump asked whether the ex-Vietnamese prime ministers name was pronounced Fook You", claims the new book Nothing is Impossible: America's Reconciliation with Vietnam, penned by Ted Osius, who served as US ambassador to Vietnam from December 2014 to November 2017.Excerpts from the book were published in Salon ahead of its 15 October release. Mr Osius alleges Trump made the remark ahead of his meeting with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.The former official writes that all those present in the room "laughed dutifully". Mr Osius then proceeds to describe the negotiations between Trump and his aides that reportedly took place.The Republican asked then-US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to bring the US trade deficit with Vietnam to zero in four years after he learned that Hanoi had a [$32 billion] trade surplus with Washington. The former ambassador also described his conversation with former senior adviser to the president Jared Kushner. The two discussed a deal on the construction of a new US embassy in Vietnam. Kushner seemed surprised when he heard that the building could cost $500 million to build.Ted Osius claims that just like his father-in-law, Jared Kushner stressed that the Vietnamese leadership needs to bring the trade deficit to zero "If they're going to get that [embassy]". "I repeated my argument about security for American citizens, but Kushner's dark eyes had shifted elsewhere. He was no longer listening", Osius writes.Ted Osius resigned in November 2017 in protest against the Trump administrations proposal to deport Vietnamese refugees back to their home country.

Tolerance Trump also urged his people to inject disinfectants into their bodies because disinfectants kill viruses in less than one minute. 4

Najjar The 'most important' news I have read today, amazing Sputniknews. This is is truly of 'great concern' to today's world we live in. 1

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Max Gorbachev

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Max Gorbachev

vietnam, donald trump, us
https://sputniknews.com/20211012/trump-claims-6-january-committee-is-just-sideshow-to-distract-us-from-bidens-massive-failures-1089862061.html

Trump Claims 6 January Committee is Just 'Sideshow' to Distract US from Biden's 'Massive Failures'

Trump Claims 6 January Committee is Just 'Sideshow' to Distract US from Biden's 'Massive Failures'

Trump Claims 6 January Committee is Just 'Sideshow' to Distract US from Biden's 'Massive Failures'

2021-10-12T12:24+0000

2021-10-12T12:24+0000

2021-10-12T12:24+0000

donald trump

us

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Ex-US President Donald Trump has lambasted the work of the 6 January Committee set up by Democratic lawmakers, calling it a "sideshow to distract America" from the "massive failures" by current POTUS Joe Biden and the Democratic Party.Trump went on to argue that the only people at fault for the 6 January riot, whom the committee claims to be trying to determine, are those officials who failed to do their jobs and look at the "intelligence" at hand. The ex-POTUS namely cited a Capitol Police whistleblower's letter that was sent to congressional leaders several days ago and accused the force's acting chief of uniformed operations, Sean Gallagher and assistant chief of police for protective and intelligence operations, Yogananda Pittman, of being responsible for failing to prevent the riot.The letter claimed that the two failed to share their intelligence regarding the possibility of the riot and did not support officers, who were put in a diffocult positon, once the angry crowd rushed into the Capitol. Trump compared the failure to back up the Capitol Police officers on that day with the Biden administration's failure to evacuate all Americans and former local interpreters from Afghanistan before completing the withdrawal this August.The ex-president further slammed the Democrats on the 6 January Committee for failing to consider the whistleblower's letter and, instead, "going after innocent staffers and attacking the Constitution". He went on to add that the committee's work is similar to numerous investigations launched against Trump himself during his presidency, as well as against his staffers and aides, which he collectively refers to as the "witch hunt".The Democratic Party, which narrowly controls both chambers of Congress, launched the committee under the pretext of finding the people who purportedly orchestrated the 6 January mayhem. On that day, a large group of Trump supporters frustrated by his loss in the 2020 election stormed the Capitol building just as lawmakers were formally counting Electoral College votes. The rioters demanded the votes be recounted, but all of the lawmakers were eventually evacuated from the building and later successfully certified the election results in favour of Joe Biden. Several protesters were killed during the storming, as well as one Capitol Police officer. Trump was among those who later condemned the riot.

https://sputniknews.com/20211008/trump-says-biden-request-for-documents-related-to-january-6--not-based-in-law-or-reality-1089779767.html

vot tak It is bibi's boy toy trump which is the sideshow. That was true also when israel allowed him to be the nominal prez of their american colony. Thumbs down for promoting this neocon govno. 5

mandrake Trump better be gagged and then locked up forbthevrest of his life- it is impossible to have s fully fledged idiot running around flailing and ranting and raving! 2

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donald trump, us
https://sputniknews.com/20211012/uk-brexit-minister-to-warn-eu-against-historic-misjudgment-over-northern-ireland-protocol-1089858811.html

'It's Not Working': UK Brexit Minister Tells EU Northern Ireland Protocol 'Has to Change'

'It's Not Working': UK Brexit Minister Tells EU Northern Ireland Protocol 'Has to Change'

Last week, European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic announced that the EU plans to brief London on new "far-reaching" proposals pertaining to the... 12.10.2021, Sputnik International

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2021-10-13T17:10+0000

european commission

speech

brexit

concessions

uk

eu

david frost

northern ireland protocol

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UK Brexit Minister David Frost has told the EU that the Northern Ireland protocol, which regulates post-Brexit trade, "has to change" because it "is not working".The minister emphasised that London would not "gratuitously" trigger Article 16, a clause which is specifically designed to allow the EU or the UK to override the agreement if the Northern Ireland Protocol starts causing "economic, societal, or environmental difficulties"."It is our responsibility to safeguard peace and prosperity in Northern Ireland and that may include using Article 16 if necessary. We would not go down this road gratuitously or with any particular pleasure".The Telegraph reported earlier in the day that Frost would warn that if Brussels fails to make fresh concessions on the Northern Ireland Protocol, there will be consequences.The newspaper saw the excerpts of his speech and wrote that Frost was to urge the European Commission to acknowledge that the European Court of Justice (ECJ)'s jurisdiction in Northern Ireland should be scrapped. The jurisdiction stipulates the province continuing to stick to EU single market and customs rules."For the EU now to say that the Protocol  drawn up in extreme haste in a time of great uncertainty  can never be improved upon, when it is so self-evidently causing such significant problems, would be a historic misjudgment", the Brexit minister was to argue.The remarks come after European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic signalled the EU's readiness to brief the UK on "very simple but far-reaching" proposals related to the Northern Ireland Protocol by "the middle" of this week.Sefcovic is reportedly considering tabling at least four papers to improve the protocol, including measures to resolve the availability of UK-approved medicines and inspections on meat, dairy, and plant products.The Guardian cited an unnamed source as saying that the European Commission's proposals include a "national identity" exemption for British sausages from EU rules on prepared meat, which may help tackle a protracted dispute between Brussels and the UK government on the issue.This was preceded by Brussels and London agreeing on a six-month "grace period", which has been in place since January, to temporarily suspend the rules of the protocol, including on the deliveries of chilled meat to Northern Ireland. In early September, the "grace period" was unilaterally extended by London.While the UK is no longer in the customs union with the European Union, Northern Ireland remains an entry point into it, creating a de facto customs border down the Irish Sea.Accordingly, food products entering Northern Ireland (NI) from Britain require professional certification and are subject to checks and controls at ports.

https://sputniknews.com/20210914/uk-threatens-to-ditch-northern-ireland-protocol-urges-eu-to-start-negotiations-seriously-and-soon-1089056737.html

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european commission, speech, brexit, concessions, uk, eu, david frost, northern ireland protocol
https://sputniknews.com/20211012/us-naval-institute-claims-china-testing-unmanned-combat-ships-at-secret-naval-base-1089865197.html

US Naval Institute Claims China Testing Unmanned Combat Ships at Secret Naval Base

US Naval Institute Claims China Testing Unmanned Combat Ships at Secret Naval Base

BEIJING (Sputnik) - China is testing experimental unmanned combat ships at a secret naval base off the country's northeast coast, U.S. Naval Institute (USNI)... 12.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-12T14:07+0000

2021-10-12T14:07+0000

2021-10-12T14:07+0000

us

china

navy

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According to USNI News, the official media outlet of the institute, two unmanned surface vessels were spotted at a new naval base about 14 kilometers (8.7 miles) from the Xiaopingdao submarine base and eight kilometers from the major Chinese shipbuilding center Dalian.One of the ships is described as an unmanned surface vessel, similar to the JARI vessel seen in the area in 2020. It is a small destroyer equipped with powerful weapons. The second vessel resembles a large catamaran, which also has several characteristics similar to the JARI.The institute claimed China has repeatedly tested its unmanned surface ships at the naval pier near Dalian. The construction of the pier began in 2016 and, according to satellite images, lasted for about a year. Since then, it has been periodically used for short-term tests and exercises. Remoteness from major naval bases provides room for safe maneuvers.According to the publication, China has a significant number of unmanned ships projects. Some of them have been presented at arms exhibitions, while others became known only from intelligence data taken from open sources.The Chinese side hasn't commented on the claims yet.

https://sputniknews.com/20211011/china-says-us-approached-nuclear-submarine-accident-irresponsibly-1089838016.html

babai And what? Do they need US permission?! They don't and one day they will bust US's ass and balls. 6

koursk koursk unlike one of the regular nato armies, on the orders of the billionaire mobsters, the people's republic of china did not launch a nuclear bomb, napalm, having caused the death of several million deaths *** if the chinese base is really secret , how the NATO services know nothing about what the Chinese army is doing there *** if the NATO services have discovered the base, why the media bazaar of the rascal billionaires does not give more details *** the truth is that the big mafia which reigns economically, and therefore politically and mediatically in the nato zone, fortunately knows nothing at all about the military activities of the people's republic *** china must keep secret all military activities aimed at developing the sense of the 'general interest on the whole planet, and therefore to thwart the particular interests and the embezzlement of the crooked billionaires who control and plunder the nato and euro zones *** bravo to China, to russia, and their allies 6

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us, china, navy
https://sputniknews.com/20211012/us-under-secretary-of-state-nuland-arrives-at-russian-foreign-ministry-1089854786.html

US Under Secretary of State Nuland Arrives at Russian Foreign Ministry

US Under Secretary of State Nuland Arrives at Russian Foreign Ministry

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - US Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland has arrived at the Russian Foreign Ministry where she is expected to hold a meeting with Russian... 12.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-12T08:02+0000

2021-10-12T08:02+0000

2021-10-12T08:12+0000

victoria nuland

us

russia

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The American diplomat plans to hold meetings with Ryabkov, Kremlin Deputy Chief of Staff Dmitry Kozak, and Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov during her visit. On Monday, Nuland told Sputnik upon her arrival in Moscow that her negotiations with Russian officials would focus on stable and predictable bilateral relations.Previously, Nuland was barred from entering the country - which was a response to Washington's entry ban on several Russian officials and foreign affairs experts. However, before her visit, the US removed several diplomats from the black list.

Dang! Heart attack anyone?? Please??? 2

TruePatriot She should have been arrested immediately upon arrival, then transported to the farthest northern reaches of Siberia for a long stay. 1

2

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victoria nuland, us, russia
https://sputniknews.com/20211012/west-refuses-to-respond-to-talibans-request-to-unfreeze-afghan-assets-spokesman-says-1089872665.html

West Refuses to Respond to Taliban's Request to Unfreeze Afghan Assets, Spokesman Says

West Refuses to Respond to Taliban's Request to Unfreeze Afghan Assets, Spokesman Says

DOHA (Sputnik) - Western countries remain silent in response to the request of the government formed by the Taliban to unfreeze foreign Afghan assets in... 12.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-12T18:49+0000

2021-10-12T18:49+0000

2021-10-12T18:49+0000

us

afghanistan

frozen funds

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"Today, the Afghan government delegation met with representatives of the United States and about 15 European countries, including Norway, Italy, Germany, France, the UK, Sweden. We discussed well-known problems  human rights, women's rights, the creation of a safe corridor for entry and exit from the country, as well as unfreezing Afghan foreign assets, which are the money of the people. It is the right of the people to return this money. However, we have not received any answer yet, they are silent and do not give us any answer. They mention the provision of humanitarian aid for certain amounts, but that's all temporary solutions," Naeem said.The Afghan delegation, which included members of the new government, made its first overseas visit to Qatar.According to the spokesman, there is a difference between humanitarian and political issues, but ordinary people should not suffer from problems in politics.Afghanistan is on the verge of a major humanitarian catastrophe, and Western countries continue to talk about separate issues, such as the education of women, he said.According to the Taliban government, about $9-$10 billion of Afghan funds have been frozen in Western banks.*The Taliban is a terrorist group banned in Russia and many other countries.

https://sputniknews.com/20211009/afghan-delegation-demands-unfreezing-countrys-foreign-assets-at-doha-talks-with-us-1089793369.html

vot tak The zio-oligarchy wants to keep the funds they stole. Gee, what a surprise. 2

linw Well that's no surprise. They've spent it! Same with Irans billions. Whats yours is mine & mine's my own! 2

3

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us, afghanistan, frozen funds
https://sputniknews.com/20211012/woke-rolling-stone-magazine-roasted-for-attacking-eric-clapton-who-said-az-vaccine-is-not-safe-1089849784.html

'Woke' Rolling Stone Magazine Roasted for Attacking Eric Clapton Who Said AZ Vaccine Is Not Safe

'Woke' Rolling Stone Magazine Roasted for Attacking Eric Clapton Who Said AZ Vaccine Is Not Safe

The legendary rock musician has been a vocal opponent of COVID-19 vaccine mandates and harsh restrictive measures introduced by the government. In late August... 12.10.2021, Sputnik International

2021-10-12T03:26+0000

2021-10-12T03:26+0000

2021-10-12T03:26+0000

twitter

rolling stone magazine

vaccine

viral

twitter reaction

covid-19

cancel culture

eric clapton

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Social media users have criticized world-renowned music magazine Rolling Stone for a recent article nagging "Layla" author Eric Clapton for his "pro-choice" stance on COVID-19 vaccination mandates and restrictive measures.The magazine noted in a resonant article that Clapton not only distributes "vaccine nonsense", but also financially helps those who actively advocate the abolition of compulsory vaccination against the disease.The 76-year-old rocker reportedly donated 1,000 pounds ($1,360) to the British band Jam For Freedom through a GoFundMe set up to help pay for legal bills incurred after "breaching COVID-19 regulations" at one of their shows. He reportedly praised the band's founding member, Cambel McLaughlin, for the "great work" he has been doing, and allegedly agreed to lend Jam For Freedom his own six-person Volkswagen Transporter van to drive them around to shows after the two chatted on the phone.The article specifically criticized Clapton's May statement, in which he spoke about his "disastrous" reaction to AstraZeneca's vaccine, and admitted that he feared he would never be able to play again. In the letter, Clapton noted that because of his "peripheral neuropathy," he "should've never gone near the needle," but "propaganda said the vaccine was safe for everyone."Renowned writer and producer Bill Oakes, known for the Grease movie franchise, told Rolling Stone that if Clapton had a negative reaction to the vaccine, "that's bad."But fans of the blues guitarist disagreed with the magazine's conclusions regarding the anti-vaccine stance of the "Tears in Heaven" author.Some of them specifically noted the magazine's recollections of Clapton's racist and obscene statements which allegedly took place in the 1970s.Some readers of the magazine took offense at the article's aim itself more than at Clapton's statements and views.However, some agreed with the article's conclusions and even stated that they would never be able to listen to or play his music again.Clapton, who once was even called a "god" of rock music, in July this year shared a statement on social media that he would refuse to perform at packed venues if vaccinations were required, explaining "I wish to say that I will not perform on any stage where there is a discriminated audience present."However, the musician was filmed taking the stage for a concert at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans in late September, effectively playing at a venue where all of the visitors older than 12 had to provide proof of vaccination or a recent negative PCR test.

Hess Everything about The Rolling Stone is load of BS. The Magazine and the Band are nothing more than Western propaganda. They were/are worse than the Beatles. At least there was a John Lennon in the Beatles. The Stone got nothing. Jagger is only a stick who produced more children ans destroying Nature. 4

Nevi'im Eric Clapton made a point of a totalitarian enforcement of BIG PHARMA experimental vaccines in the pandemic e.g. AstraZeneca and mRNA in lieu of safer vaccines e.g. Sputnik V which was politically restricted from use. I did not have a positive experience with AZ! 4

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twitter, rolling stone magazine, vaccine, viral, twitter reaction, covid-19, cancel culture, eric clapton
On Friday, Oct. 15, The Meadows and the Meadows Standardbred Owners Association (MSOA) will stage their fifth annual Pinkout to benefit cancer awareness and research, and this years event will include an exciting new feature  corgi races.

While the MSOA has successfully conducted wiener dog races a number of times, this will be The Meadows debut for the popular Welsh breed. The event includes several divisions and a final, with the champion corgi winning $200 and a doggie basket from Poochtique & Spaw in Bentleyville.

A Chinese auction will raise money for the American Cancer Society. Other Pinkout activities include:

 A pet costume contest. Dress up your pet and register at the MSOA table by 5 p.m. and you could win $200;

 Family Fun Night on the apron with a face painter, a balloon artist and airbrush tattoos;

 Food trucks and live music from disc jockey A.J. Fresh.

Special fall/winter post time is 4 p.m.

(MSOA)
Lane closures between Centreport and Route 3 are scheduled to be in place during a 19-hour stretch, from 7 p.m. Tuesday through 2 p.m. Wednesday. During that time, crews will be milling and paving the roadway and uncovering overhead signs that will guide traffic through the new zone.

When the new zone opens, work will continue on some of the new lanes and exit ramps.

The exit to U.S. 17 will remain a single lane, with the loop ramps remaining closed until the end of the year. Temporary traffic signals on U.S. 17 will manage exiting traffic. When the work is complete, the exit lanes to U.S. 17 will be expanded to two lanes and the ramp to southbound I95 will widened to two lanes.

Local I95 traffic not exiting at U.S. 17 will continue south where the lanes will expand to three prior to reaching the bridge over the Rappahannock River. That traffic will be able to exit at the Rest Area, onto Route 3, or continue to the merge with the mainline lanes.

That new stretch of I95 for local traffic will not be fully opened immediately. For an estimated three to four weeks, crews will continue work at the Route 3 interchange, which will keep some of the local I95 lanes closed beyond Cowan Boulevard.
The Panhandles premier organizations for working women will celebrate National Business Womens Week from Oct. 17 - 23.

The week serves as an opportunity to highlight women entrepreneurs, women leadership in business and also to recognize companies...that improve the lives of working women in our community, Lisa Peden, who works with the DOVES domestic violence awareness program, said.

Peden also serves as president of the Panhandle Business and Professional Women (BPW) organization. It is one of two such BPW groups serving the Scottsbluff area. The group has around 50 members who network with each other.

Theres a wide variety of people representing women in the workplace. Peden said. ...Our goal is really to build those relationships and help people in their professional and personal development.

The national week, held during the third full week in October, serves as an opportunity for BPW groups to do just that. It was first held in 1928 and was moved to its current spot on the calendar a decade later. BPW groups advocate for causes supporting women in the workplace during this time, and in general.

The local groups are far from the only ones. Peden said there are BPW chapters in each state, and even international chapters.
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln has suspended the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity through 2026 following a reported sexual assault that took place on the first day of classes this school year.

The suspension comes a little more than a year after Phi Gamma Delta, better known as Fiji, emerged from a three-year suspension that was handed down in 2017.

In a statement, UNL said the University Conduct Board determined violations of the Student Code of Conduct took place at the fraternity house, 1425 R St.

Just what violations of the code took place were not specified.

The suspension comes more than a month after a 17-year-old UNL student told UNL Police she was sexually assaulted by a 19-year-old member of the fraternity during the early morning hours of Aug. 24.

The alleged assault was reported to campus police at 3:47 a.m. from Bryan East Campus hospital, where the 17-year-old was evaluated, police said.
Scottsbluff Public Schools was recognized as the large employer, with more than 400 women among its employees. According to the information presented, 74 women were hired in 2020 and three women were promoted. A large percentage of the districts employees are women, which provides significant advancement opportunities for women, including leading committees, taking on administrator roles and other professional development.

Marianne Carlson, director of finance, accepted the award with Scottsbluff Public School board member Scott Reisig and noted the many women in leadership roles within the district. Reisig noted the woman in such roles, from building principals to those in executive roles.

The district was also praised for its support of families during the pandemic, Weinberg said, citing its commitment to the community during the pandemic. Anyone with a child in school experienced the hardship of having to juggle homeschooling with full-time work, and district leaders understanding of the needs of the community, particularly working women in the community, is an outstanding example of the embodiment of the ideas of BPW.

In accepting the award, Carlson said, the district was grateful for the employees who embody our message of every child, every day, every where.
Stobel also made it clear that she is service-minded and relationship-oriented, both in her application and in her acceptance speech at the BPW meeting.

While excellence in the content of my position is still my utmost priority, I have discovered the importance of building trust and relationships along the way, she said in her application. In the years to come, I want to continue to serve clients in a manner filled with compassion and expertise, so that each person I work with and for feels more informed and empowered for their time spent with me.

Stobel said at the meeting that she really enjoys getting to know clients, getting to know personalities  I just love those areas in my job that our relationship-oriented. I love opportunities that I have not to just to meet with somebody once, but the time to build on that and move on and see them for the years to come.

Following Stobels recognition at the meeting, Berggren was introduced as the Woman of the Year. Winn spoke to Berggrens character, explaining why Berggren, who is the director of volunteer services at Regional West, was deserving of this years award.

She is just kind of like the Energizer Bunny  she keeps going and going and going and has just contributed so much to our community, she said.
A New Jersey man learned about a Cozad 5-year-old with pediatric brain cancer and decided to walk across Nebraska to raise funds for her.

Paishence Hansen started chemotherapy last December, and her familys medical expenses have risen dramatically. Jim Hickey said he contacted Tara Meyer, Paishences mom, and asked if he could walk for her.

From what I saw (Tara) wasnt getting the help that she needed, Hickey said. I thought that needed to change.

On Friday morning, Hickey was in North Platte, having started in Scottsbluff about three weeks ago. He averages about 21 miles a day.

I started on Sept. 15, which is Paishences birthday, Hickey said, and September is also childhood cancer awareness month.

Meyer said in a phone interview that she appreciates Hickeys efforts.

Jims walk means a lot to us, Meyer said. Hes helping our family out just with the love and support, getting the word out for pediatric brain cancer and for my daughter.

Over the past four years, Hickey has left his hair uncut. On Friday morning, he stopped into Allure Salon at 203 S. Chestnut St.
On Wednesday, Celina ISD hosted the first of multiple monthly sessions aimed at supporting parents of English as a Second Language and Bilingual students.
Drum Fit is a non-competitive program with no required skill level allowing for all participants to work together.
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A granddaughter and her boyfriend have been arrested and charged with second-degree murder in the death of an 88-year-old Danville woman, authorities announced Monday evening.

Lindsey Mae Johnson, 24, and 22-year-old Nicasio Antonio Guzman, both of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, are charged in the homicide of Elizabeth Morris Adkins who was found dead in her home at 368 Juless St. on Sunday morning.

The police department cannot speak on the motive for this homicide, as the investigation is ongoing, but investigators do not believe this to be a random act nor are any further suspects being sought, authorities announced in a Monday evening news release.

Police have worked around the clock since discovering Adkins dead shortly after 10:45 a.m. Sunday. Officers responded to a 911 call after someone found the woman unresponsive inside her home. She was pronounced dead on scene.

Evidence at the scene led to the death being investigated as a homicide, police reported in a news release, without providing any other details.

Through the assistance of the members of the local Juless Street community, the suspects in this tragic homicide were identified, arrested and are now being held at the Danville City Jail without bond, police wrote in the news release.
Statewide, 88% of hospital staff are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 ahead of the Oct. 18 deadline, according to a Washington State Hospital Association survey conducted last week.

Vaccination rates vary among facilities and hospital officials are concerned about further delays in care when staff leave because of the requirement.

We are pleased that most hospitals and health systems have achieved a high rate of vaccination, which will allow patients to continue to access life-saving care across Washington State, said Cassie Sauer, hospital association CEO, in a statement. We know there will be some impacts on services, and we will continue to support hospitals and health systems in navigating the vaccine requirement.

In August, Gov. Jay Inslee announced the requirements for most state employees, healthcare, long-term care workers and school staff to be fully vaccinated by Oct. 18. Employees could request a medical or religious exemption to receive a reasonable accommodation.

PeaceHealth announced its own vaccine requirement before the governors mandate. As of its Sept. 1 deadline, 94% of PeaceHealth caregivers had met the employers requirements and those who did not were placed on unpaid leave.

Statewide, the 12% not fully vaccinated includes people who are partially vaccinated, who have an approved exemption and accommodation, who have applied or plan to apply for an exemption, who have not provided vaccine verification and those who are choosing not to be vaccinated.

Although Oct. 4 was the last day staff could receive the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine and to be fully vaccinated by the deadline, most hospitals will allow staff to still start their vaccination series, Sauer said. Most organizations will place staff on unpaid leave until they are fully vaccinated, she said.

The hospital association estimates 2% to 5% of staff, about 3,000 to 7,500 people, could leave the workforce because of the requirement. The final number likely will not be clear until November, Sauer said.

Staffing loss will vary across the state, and rural eastern Washington likely will see the highest number of workers leave because of the requirement, Sauer said.

In Grays Harbor County, the two hospitals are strained by nursing and other staff shortages as well as high COVID-19 numbers, said Dr. Julie Buck, Harbor Regional Health emergency department physician during a press briefing Monday. Buck said while she didnt know the hospitals staff vaccination rates, some nights there is only one nurse in the emergency room.

Losing one more person is going to be a problem, she said.

Several hospitals anticipating staff loss reported they will need to reduce or consolidate some services, according to the hospital association. If COVID-19 cases continue to decrease, that could ease some pressure on hospitals but delays in care likely will worsen through the vaccine requirement, Sauer said.

Washingtons COVID-19 hospitalizations have declined over the last several weeks, partially because people are dying, Sauer said.

I think its worth noting how many people are dying every day ... Its a community tragedy I think is going unrecognized at this moment, she said. Thats our ultimate goal to prevent hospitalizations and especially deaths. This is a deadly disease and I think people seem to be forgetting that.

Cowlitz Countys COVID-19 cases appear to be declining and hospitalizations may be flattening.

The county recorded 91 new confirmed cases over the weekend, bringing the total to 11,342 confirmed and 1,354 probable cases. Cowlitz County recorded three new COVID-19 deaths, with 214 total.

As of Monday morning, PeaceHealth St. John Medical Center had 22 COVID-19 inpatients.

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A falsehood-fed fire is engulfing American democracy, where more than half of Trump voters -- and 4 out of 10 Biden voters -- support secession from the union.

Those startling numbers are from an online survey by the University of Virginia Center for Politics in partnership with Project Home Fire, an initiative "dedicated to finding common ground in American politics."

According to their survey, 52% of the respondents who voted for Donald Trump and 41% of those who voted for Joe Biden at least somewhat agree with the idea of states seceding from the union. One in four Trump voters strongly agreed.

Eight out of 10 voters for each man view elected officials from the opposition party as "a clear and present danger to American democracy." Four out of 10 respondents could support a president operating without checks and balances. And 4 out of 10 Trump voters surveyed strongly agree that the nation needs a powerful leader "to destroy the radical and immoral currents in our society today," according to findings of an online survey of more than 1,000 Trump and Biden voters in late July and early August.

"I was surprised that such a large percentage on both sides want the other side to secede," said Larry Sabato, founder and director of the Center for Politics. "That's beyond stunning. It's threatening."

Didn't we settle this matter 160 years ago?

"You're not gonna have secession like you did in 1861," Sabato assured me, pointing out that every state, red or blue, has pockets of the other hue. "Are you going to build a fence around them, or build a wall?"

But not everyone in the Confederate states supported secession; Union-supporting counties in northwestern Virginia broke away from the Old Dominion at the start of the Civil War.

We live in a nation where minority rule is enshrined through the electoral college, and through a U.S. Senate that gives equal weight to California and Wyoming. Gerrymandering has already walled off folks from real democracy; others appear ready to try something else.

"If you look throughout the course of history, and you see times when people have veered towards authoritarian or totalitarian lines of thinking, thats been in times when theres some big withdrawals being made from peoples body budgets," Lisa Feldman Barrett, a psychology professor at Northeastern University, told National Public Radio on Oct. 6. "And the two most expensive things your brain can do is move your body and deal with uncertainty and chaotic circumstances."

Let's not assume these stresses started with Trump, the police murder of George Floyd, or the pandemic. They're as old as our nation's contradictions. America becomes most unsettled when it pursues truth, justice and equality.

Sabato says he's worried, and not just because of the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

"You're talking to a guy from Charlottesville, with the Neo-Nazis marching in front of my home" during that city's August 2017 rally of white supremacists, he said. He called Jan. 6 "probably the dress rehearsal for what's to come."

"The purpose of this study was not just to tell people we're in trouble, because I think most people knew that already, though this suggests we're in deeper trouble than they knew," Sabato said. "The purpose of the study was also to find some common ground between pieces of the Trump coalition and pieces of the Biden coalition."

The common ground appears to be substantial bipartisan support for investment in infrastructure: bridges, roads, ports, rail lines, water and wastewater systems. This gives Sabato a hope he acknowledges may be idealistic.

"We need some idealism," he said. "We need to inject it back into the system and get people thinking how to stave off violence and disaster."

Of course, this common ground has been poisoned by the big lie of a stolen election, a fallacy most Republicans profess to believe in.

Others are just playing along.

"This is their way of taunting the left and making it impossible for Biden and the Democrats to govern," Sabato said. "But they're also destroying our system. Because once people lose faith in the honesty of the election process, it is over. The republic is dead."

We can't stave off this disaster for democracy if we refuse to acknowledge how undemocratic this nation has been from the git-go. What we're witnessing is not so much a radical departure from the norm as a return to form. If there's little-to-no accountability for the attempted takedown of U.S. democracy, it doesn't take a lot of imagination to figure out what's next.

This nation was built not on common ground, but on a foundation of inequality. A home that's truth-resistant will never be flame-resistant.

Williams: Pharrell Williams is not happy. If his Virginia Beach music festival is to continue, that city's leadership must listen and learn Pharrell Williams has reeled in a boatload of awards as a recording artist and producer. But the Virginia Beach natives greatest hit may have been the 2019 Something in the Water music festival on that citys waterfront.

Michael Paul Williams is a Pulitzer Prize winning columnist with the Richmond Times-Dispatch in Richmond, Va.; read more of his columns on Richmond.com.

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Realme is all set to launch the Realme GT Neo 2 smartphone via a special launch event on October 13. Ahead of the official launch event, a microsite detailing key features of the Realme GT Neo 2 smartphone has gone live in India. But the Realme GT Neo 2 is not the only device that Realme will be launching in India on October 13. Realme has confirmed that it will also be launching the Realme 4K Smart Google TV Stick alongside the Realme GT Neo 2 smartphone at its launch event on October 13.

Ahead of the October 13 launch event, a microsite dedicated to the Realme 4K Smart Google TV Stick has gone live in India. The microsite shows that the Realme 4K Smart Google TV Stick will launch in India at 12:30PM on October 13. The microsite also sheds light on the key features of the upcoming Realme 4K Smart Google TV Stick.

The microsite shows that the upcoming Realme 4K Smart Google TV Stick is powered by Googles Google TV operating system and that it features support for Googles smart assistant, that is, Google Assistant that will enable them to set reminders, interact with their smart TVs and check weather forecasts among other things. In addition to that, the Realme 4K Smart Google TV Stick offers up to 4K resolution with support for up to HDR10+ technology and HDMI 2.1 port. The microsite also shows that the Realme 4K Smart Google TV Stick features content from Netflix, YouTube, YouTube Music, Amazon Prime Video, Sony Voot, Google Play Game and MX Player among other things.

Separately, Realme via its microsite for the Realme GT Neo 2 smartphone has revealed that the phone will come with a 120Hz AMOLED display with 600Hz of touch sampling rate and 1300 nits of peak brightness. The Realme GT Neo 2 will be available in Neo Green, Neo Blue and Neo Black colour variants. It will feature a triple rear camera setup consisting of a 64MP primary camera and it will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 processor and be backed by a 5,000mAh battery with 65W SuperDart Charge technology.
Besides the latest iPhone 13 series, the Apple iPad and iPad Mini are finally launching in Malaysia too. As a reminder, the new tablets cost starting from RM1499 and RM2299 respectively, and you may visit the nearest authorised Apple reseller stores or Apple Malaysia website here.

Just to recap the tech specs, the new iPad is featuring an A13 Bionic chipset, 10.2 Retina display, an 8MP camera and more. Compared with the predecessor, it has twice the storage and its new 12MP ultrawide front camera has a Centre Stage feature that tracks the subject's face around without being held.

As for the iPad Mini, it uses a far advanced A15 Bionic chipset, an 8.3-inch Liquid Retina all-screen design as well as having the same 12MP ultrawide front camera with Centre Stage function. Since it's using an A15 Bionic chipset, it also supports 5G connectivity with up to 3.5Gbps download speeds. Of course, both of the iPads support Apple Pencil too.

The new iPad is available in Space Gray and Silver, alongside a memory option of 64GB and 256GB, WiFi or WiFi + Cellular. Meanwhile, the iPad Mini can be purchased in Space Gray, Pink, Purple or Starlight with the aforementioned model options. If you purchase the new iPads from Apple Malaysia's website, you can get a free Engraving of your choice.

That's all, folks. You may visit the new iPad or iPad Mini's official webpage here or here respectively. Are you getting one? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.
Left: X-ray of lost "Lonesome Crouching Nude" found beneath Picasso's "The Blind Man's Meal." Credit: Estate of Pablo Picasso. Right: Full color recreation. Credit: Oxia Palus.

A painting of a naked woman by Pablo Picasso that has been hidden beneath one of his "Blue Period' masterpieces for more than a century has been recreated by UCL scientists using a combination of X-rays, AI and 3D printing.

Ph.D. researchers Anthony Bourached (UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology) and George Cann (UCL Space and Climate Physics) have developed a five-step technology to reproduce art works that have been painted over.

For this, their third reproduction, they bought back to life the Spanish artist's depiction of a crouching nude woman; the painting was thought to have been lost until 2010 when X-rays revealed it lay behind "The Blind Man's Meal."

Dubbed "The Lonesome Crouching Nude," the image is also depicted as an unfinished painting in the background of Picasso's famous "La Vie" (The Life).

By using a combination of spectroscopic imaging, artificial intelligence, and 3D printing, the duo have created a full-size, full-color painting, which includes 3D textured brushstrokes.

To help ensure the recreation was as close in look, feel and tone to the original, they developed an AI algorithm that analyzed dozens of Picasso's paintings and trained itself to understand the artist's style.

Commenting, Bourached, who is researching Machine Learning and Behavioural Neuroscience at UCL, said, "We believe that Picasso likely painted over this piece with reluctance. It was common for his blue period work as it was early in his career, and materials were expensive.

"Furthermore, its appearance in the background of one of his most famous blue period pieces, 'La Vie,' indicates that it was likely significant to him.

"I believe Picasso actively welcomed such forensics, since he himself said, 'I just painted the images that rose before my eyes. It is for other people to find the hidden meanings.' Like Leonardo imagining the helicopter, was Picasso envisioning technology that could recall his lost or incomplete work? It is certainly a hidden secret that 'La Vie' points to."

"The Blind Man's Meal" hangs in the Metropolitan Museum in New York and has been hailed as one of his most important works, following its completion in 1903. Art scholars had known of the earlier work, "Crouching Nude," as it appears in "La Vie" of 1903, on display in the Cleveland Museum of Art.

This is the first attempt to accurately recreate, "The Lonesome Crouching Nude," and will feature at the inaugral "Deeep AI" festival, held at the Morf Gallery, London, this month.

Left: "The Blind Man's Meal." Credit: Estate of Pablo Picasso. Right: "La Vie," highlighting Picasso's other depiction of the nude. Credit: Estate of Pablo Picasso

Cann, a UK Space Agency Ph.D. candidate at UCL researching trace gases in the Martian atmosphere, said, "I hope that Picasso would be happy in knowing the treasure he's hidden for future generations is finally being revealed, 48 years after his death and 118 years after the painting was concealed. I also hope that the woman within the portrait would be happy in knowing that she hadn't been erased from history and that her beauty was finally being revealed in the 21st century.

"At the time that Picasso painted 'The Lonesome Crouching Nude' and 'The Blind Man's Meal' he was poor and artist materials were expensive, so he likely painted over the former work with reluctance. The fact that the woman within 'The Lonesome Crouching Nude' is also within 'La Vie' and a few of Picasso's sketches suggests that Picasso may have had an affinity towards this woman."

He added, "It's very exciting to see a work that's been locked up. It's quite eerie seeing the brushstrokes, the color and the way in which lights reflects off the work. It's a beautiful piece."

Five step technology

Spectroscopic imaging: X-ray and/or Infrared imagery allows an underpainting to be more clearly revealed. However, the trace of the exterior piece remains within the spectroscopic imagery, along with the hidden interior piece.

Image processing: This imagery is processed to separate the exterior and interior pieces.

Artificial intelligence: A neural network is trained on a collection of artworks by the artist that is believed to have painted the underpainting. This network is then able to stylise an image of tthe processed interior piece in the style of the artist.

Heightmap generation: Using the stylised piece with the processed interior piece, a heightmap of the artwork is generated. The heightmap gives the piece texture and is used in the last stage, 3D printing.

3D printing: Finally, the piece is brought to life, through 3D printing the artwork on canvas, to the exact size of the original painting, using the stylised piece and the heightmap.

The UCL researchers' reproductions, called "NeoMasters," are conducted through a company they co-founded called Oxia Palus and have so far recreated two other paintings for exhibition.

They reproduced a woman's portrait that lies beneath Amedeo Modigliani's "Portrait of a Girl of 1917" in the Tate. And they recreated a mountainous landscape that lies beneath Picasso's "The Crouching Beggar," which art curators believe is Parc del Laberint d'Horta, near Barcleona.

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Remote islands are going green, establishing energy independency that relies on their abundant renewable energy resources including sun, wind and biomass. Credit:  El Hierro

Islands face exorbitant electricity costs when importing fossil fuels and are also among the most vulnerable regions to rising sea levels, drought and flooding. Innovative teamwork is putting them on the fast track to 100% energy independencethe green way.

Carbon dioxide from power generation must be reduced to reach EU climate targets for cutting greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030 and becoming climate neutral by 2050. European research and innovation are fostering new disruptive technologies and sustainable solutions to make this happen.

So how is it possible to establish energy self-sufficiency that simultaneously safeguards the islands' futures and meets climate goals? The wind blows, the sun shines and the waves lap their shores. Harnessing these renewable energy sources (RES) has tremendous potential to reduce or eliminate the need for fossil fuel-derived energy.

Clean electricity by the islands, for the islands

The ways in which islands can make changes to transform their energy landscapes are nearly as diverse as the islands themselves, and Europe's islands are making pioneering contributions across the board that have caught the world's attention.

The island of r in Denmark, with its brightly painted houses and cobblestone streets, is well on its way to a complete transition to RES, garnering it first place in the EU's RESponsible Island competition rewarding holistic achievements in local renewable energy initiatives.

According to Halfdan Abrahamsen, Media and Information Manager at r EnergyLab, the island now regularly generates more energy with its wind farms than it usesabout 125% to 140% annually. District heating plants integrated with warm water storage rely on solar energy, heat pumps, biomass and biofuels to take care of about 70% of the island's heating needs.

On smaller and more isolated islands, being "off the grid" may seem like a busy urban dweller's dream vacation, but for inhabitants it means energy isolation leading to challenges such as creating potable water. These islands can now take some cues from the second smallest of the Canary Islands, El Hierro, which joined r as another RESponsible Island prize winner.

"Desalination and water distribution accounts for more than 40% of El Hierro's annual energy demand and was really the impetus for the wind-pumped hydroelectric plant developed in the context of the 100%RES-EL HIERRO project," explained Santiago Gonzalez, Chief Executive Officer of Gorona del Viento El Hierro, the company that runs, operates and maintains the power station.

When the winds are blowing, they turn the turbine to generate electricity. Surplus wind power is used to pump the water from a lower reservoir to a higher elevation, ready to work with gravity to generate electricity even when the winds cease to blow. The plant will be able to cover up to 70% of the annual energy demand of the island and has even supplied 100% for up to 25 consecutive days.

Hybrid technologies like these that find ways to make "deposits" in times of excess boost the potential of intermittent RES. The tiny Greek island of Tilos has exploited this potential in a pioneering hybrid power station consisting of a wind turbine, a small photovoltaic (PV) park and a battery storage system, the first of its kind in Greece and among the first in Europe. These accomplishments and more have won it three European awards and a RESponsible Island prize.

According to Eustathios Kontos, General Secretary of the Island of Tilos, prior to the TILOS project, which began in 2015, there were only a handful of residential PV installations. A few years later, the island boasts a fully functioning hybrid power station that can supply about 50% to 60% of needed energy even during a mild wind year and, during some winter months, has exported excess clean energy to neighboring islands.

More than energy production

There's more than one way to support a clean energy transition and the islands are powering ahead with a multifaceted approach.

"TILOS' success inspired us to expand the penetration of clean energy production, energy saving measures and intelligent energy management in areas including public lighting and management of the water network. We also added a conventional and a PV-based electric vehicle (EV) charging station. Carbon neutrality is our ultimate aim in the near future," added Kontos.

Transportation is a major contributor to climate-changing emissions and islands are moving forward in this area too. r is encouraging EVs and has cut bus emissions by 40% with solar panels and gas-to-liquid fuel. Free bus rides means the green buses now transport five times as many people, significantly reducing car-related pollution and the expenses of road maintenance and expansion.

And you won't hearor smellEllen on the Danish seas. r's fully electric ferry, Ellen, is the world's largest, developed within the context of the E-ferry project.

Building sustainability takes a village

Community involvement is a recognized prerequisite for long-term success, and while this holds true everywhere, on small islands it is even more critical.

Cooperatives are a Danish tradition, from the first cooperatively owned dairy created by Danish farmers in 1882 to the oldest operating wind turbine in the world (43 years and counting) developed by Danish teachers.

r's first community-owned wind farm was established in 1985, and its wind farms continue to be community-owned. Similarly, the district heating plants are private companies that are cooperatively owned. Abrahamsen noted: "When you hook up to one of our three district heating plants, you must buy a share by default. In our experience, local ownership results in local acceptance and local enthusiasm. 'Not in my backyard' is a phrase known to anyone who has tried to erect a wind turbine or build a solar plantlocal ownership lubricates the gears of change."

Gonzalez agreed: "Ultimately, changes that benefit citizens foster acceptance and support. Our charging points for cars are free and a portion of savings from the wind-pumped hydroelectric facility are passed on to islanders as subsidies to purchase EVs or home PV systems."

The rich tradition of Tilos' inhabitants in progressive innovation has played a significant role in the island's successful transformation. Tilos is not alone: a survey of 15 Aegean islands showed that nearly 75% of islanders supported the transition to an energy future in line with the Tilos model.

Planning for success

Deciding on what to implement and how is not as simple as the successes featured here might make it seem. Because future scenarios are difficult to explore and strategies are hard to align, the INSULAE project has developed a novel investment planning tool for islands, offered as software-as-a-service.

"The investment planning tool gives robust insights from scenarios with sustainable options tailored to an individual island and with a step-by-step long-term pathway," said Jeanne Fauquet, product manager at Artelys. It is also a communication tool that helps share visions of the future with a larger audience to get everyone on the same page.

So how do the islands turn their action plans into actions? "The NESOI European Islands Facility provides professional onsite technical assistance to local authorities and private bodies, such as energy analyses, business and financial modeling, definition of tender procedures, etc. The idea is to empower local island entities through capacity building and networking," explained Andrea Martinez, deputy managing director at Sinloc and NESOI project coordinator.

NESOI support is open to all of Europe's 2,400 inhabited islands and the team is ready to invest a total of 6.2 million. Each beneficiary will receive a maximum grant amount of 60,000 and an additional 60,000 worth of technical assistance provided onsite by the NESOI team of experts.

The Facility's first open call in October 2020 resulted in approval of 28 projects expected to eliminate around 300 kilotonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually. The second funding call will be launched in October 2021.

NESOI is ensuring the long-term viability of projects by selecting those that can maintain positive profitability with medium- to low-risk investments, but projects at all levels of maturity can apply for funding. Interested parties can check out the NESOI website and subscribe to the NESOI newsletter for updates.

Martinez added: "Perhaps the most impressive outcome of the NESOI project was that, after the success of the first call, our initial projected investment mobilization of 100 million has increased almost 10-fold, reaching a new projection close to 1 billion."

Gaining momentum and setting the pace

Europe's clean energy transition is gaining momentum, and islands are at the forefront of this movement. Leon Nielsen of CIRCE, and INSULAE project manager, put it in a global context: "Infrastructure improvements and societal changes tend to happen together, creating a positive feedback loopsocieties benefit from maintaining ecosystems, "green credentials" enhance the islands for citizens and visitors, and local economies and their populations are revitalized, motivating further actionhopefully on the mainland as well since energy is a global problem requiring global action."

Approximately 11,000 islands on our planet have permanent inhabitants and Europe's 2,400 islands are home to 16 million people. Their physical separation from the mainland creates significant challenges when it comes to a steady supply of things the rest of us often take for grantedfrom potable water and the energy to power our homes and businesses.

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A researcher flies a drone over an apple orchard at Penn State's Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center. The drone was used to shoot a video of the demonstration of the over-current driven LED lights machine vision mechanism. Credit: Penn State

A novel camera system using active lighting devised by Penn State researchers may be a crucial step in developing machine vision systems that allow robotic devices to more clearly "see" the agricultural targets with which they will react.

The systemusing "over-current driven" LED lights to produce a powerful flash capable of firing multiple times a secondcreates reliable daytime imaging, according to team leader Daeun Choi, assistant professor of agricultural and biological engineering in the College of Agricultural Sciences. The approach overcomes variable lighting and color inconsistencies due to sunlight, she explained, and largely eliminates motion blur that occurs due to vehicle movement and vibrations from ground terrain.

"In the future, this system or one like it will likely be used to guide mechanisms that independently perform labor-intensive tasks such as pruning apple trees, estimating fruit yield, fruit thinning and mushroom picking," Choi said. "The innovative aspect of this research was that the current drawn by the LED lights was increased by a factor of six times its normal rating, resulting in increased illuminance."

The research is important, Choi added, because more farmers are interested in adopting technologies in precision agriculture and automation to increase output and efficiency. Driven by an increase in global competition, rising food demand from population growth, and consumers' expectations of higher quality agricultural products, producers are turning to machine vision systems with remote sensing devices for collecting and analyzing data in agricultural applications.

A demonstration of the machine vision device, featuring over-current driven LED lights. Credit: Pennsylvania State University

Research team member Omeed Mirbod, a doctoral student in agricultural and biological engineering, designed a circuit for storing and releasing energy to the LEDs to produce a strobe-like effect and a controller used for synchronizing the strobe with a camera to acquire images. He began exploring the LED strobe concept while working at Carnegie Mellon University, prior to coming to Penn State, where xenon flash lamps were being used for daytime imaging.

"Artificial intelligence does well with images that are really rich with information, so the important thing is capturing high-quality images," he said. "For agriculture, we need images that are invariant to outdoor lighting conditions. If you capture an image in which a fruit is very saturated with light due to the sun, and then capture another one in shadow where there is little sunlight, the artificial intelligence that you're training to detect the fruit might struggle to identify it."

The researchers deployed the system in an apple orchard on three days in the summer of 2020. Images of different canopy structures were taken throughout the day in both sunny and cloudy conditions. Employing the LED flashes resulted in substantial improvement in image brightness and color consistency.

In findings recently published in Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, the researchers reported that images captured by the prototype system were of very high quality. During an 11-hour period, the images showed an average decrease of 85% in standard deviation for the hue-saturation-value channels compared to that of the auto-exposure setting. Additionally, the prototype system was able to fix motion blur in machine vision images with the camera moving at about 4 miles per hour.

Doctoral candidate Omeed Mirbod demonstrates how drone imaging would work in an apple orchard to first-year engineering students. This lab photo was taken prior to required indoor masking. Credit: Penn State

The results show that the designed LED flash system can reduce the undesirable effects of lighting variability and motion blur in images stemming from outdoor field conditions, Mirbod noted. The research was needed, he added, because most previous studies related to machine vision and robotics were conducted under indoor conditions.

Xenon flash lamps had been used for daytime imaging and LEDs were used for nighttime imaging in previous studies, but Mirbod thought this research was necessary because no one had made an evaluation about the performance of overcurrent-driven LED lights for daytime imaging applications.

"When we apply the same technology to agriculture fields, we encounter lots of difficulties," he said. "The most challenging thing is weather and varying sunlight conditions. And when we use a regular camera setup, with a lighting system designed for indoor use, we end up getting really terrible images that are difficult to work with."

The active LED lighting, machine vision concept designed by Penn State researchers is aimed at guiding ag robots that can work in the field 24 hours a day, seven days a week, Mirbod said.

"So, it won't matter what time they are working or whether there is much sunlight," said Mirbod. "Because, at the end of the day, we want to have fully automated systems that can work in the field anytime."

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There is nothing wrong with that judge being proud of her accomplishment as the first college graduate in the family, as long as it is mentioned with humility and generosity of spirit and not as some attempt to separate herself from her origins. As someone who was blessed with the ability to spend 20 years of her life in a classroom on someone elses dime, I am in no position to undervalue importance of a college education. It is the greatest gift my parents gave me, after life.

But I would never, ever say that I was the first in my family to do something (especially since Im actually the second). My father was no longer alive when I got my degree from Bryn Mawr, but Mamie was. The first person I ran to when I got the diploma, the first person whose arms wrapped tightly around me in an embrace that smelled of Jean Nate and powder, was my grandmother.

And the first person I thought of at the party afterward, looking at the plates of half-eaten food and empty bottles of soda, was Mike. He would have cleaned up the mess, and not danced in the aisles.

There are reasons that I am able to write at all and reach strangers with these thoughts, and they have nothing to do with my college education.
Microsoft on Monday revealed that its Azure cloud platform mitigated a 2.4 Tbps distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack in the last week of August targeting an unnamed customer in Europe, surpassing a 2.3 Tbps attack stopped by Amazon Web Services in February 2020.

"This is 140 percent higher than 2020's 1 Tbps attack and higher than any network volumetric event previously detected on Azure," Amir Dahan, senior program manager for Azure Networking, said in a post, calling it a "UDP reflection" lasting for about 10 minutes.

Reflected amplification attacks are a type of denial of service attacks wherein a threat actor takes advantage of the connectionless nature of UDP protocol with spoofed requests so as to overwhelm a target server or network with a flood of packets, causing disruption or rendering the server and its surrounding infrastructure unavailable.

The attack is said to have originated from a botnet of approximately 70,000 compromised devices primarily located across the Asia-Pacific region, such as Malaysia, Vietnam, Taiwan, Japan, and China, as well as the U.S.

Microsoft said it observed three short-lived bursts, each ramping up in seconds to terabit volumes  the first at 2.4 Tbps, the second at 0.55 Tbps, and the third at 1.7 Tbps.

This is far from the first time cloud infrastructure has come under disruptive cyber assaults. In October 2020, Google disclosed that it absorbed a 2.5 Tbps DDoS attack in September 2017 targeting thousands of its IP addresses, with the adversary using "several networks to spoof 167 Mpps (millions of packets per second) to 180,000 exposed CLDAP, DNS, and SNMP servers, which would then send large responses to us."

News of the DDoS attack comes a month after Russian internet giant Yandex became the target of a record-breaking distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack by a new botnet called Meris, which battered the company's web infrastructure with millions of HTTP requests, before hitting a peak of 21.8 million requests per second (RPS).

"Bad actors, now more than ever, continuously look for ways to take applications offline," Dahan said. "Attacks of this size demonstrate the ability of bad actors to wreak havoc by flooding targets with gigantic traffic volumes trying to choke network capacity."
An emerging threat actor likely supporting Iranian national interests has been behind a password spraying campaign targeting U.S., E.U., and Israeli defense technology companies, with additional activity observed against regional ports of entry in the Persian Gulf as well as maritime and cargo transportation companies focused in the Middle East.

Microsoft is tracking the hacking crew under the moniker DEV-0343.

The intrusions, which were first observed in late July 2021, are believed to have targeted more than 250 Office 365 tenants, fewer than 20 of which were successfully compromised following a password spray attack  a type of brute force attack wherein the same password is cycled against different usernames to log into an application or a network in an effort to avoid account lockouts.

Indications thus far allude to the possibility that the activity is part of an intellectual property theft campaign aimed at government partners producing military-grade radars, drone technology, satellite systems, and emergency response communication systems with the likely goal of stealing commercial satellite images and proprietary information.

DEV-0343's Iranian connection is based on evidence of "extensive crossover in geographic and sectoral targeting with Iranian actors, and alignment of techniques and targets with another actor originating in Iran," researchers from Microsoft Threat Intelligence Center (MSTIC) and Digital Security Unit (DSU) said.

The password sprays emulate Firefox and Google Chrome browsers and rely on a series of unique Tor proxy IP addresses expressly used to obfuscate their operational infrastructure. Noting that the attacks peaked between Sunday and Thursday from 7:30 AM to 8:30 PM Iran Time (4:00 AM to 5:00 PM UTC), Microsoft said dozens to hundreds of accounts within an entity were targeted depending on the size.

The Redmond-based tech giant also pointed out the password spraying tool's similarities to that of "o365spray," an actively updated open-source utility aimed at Microsoft Office 365, and is now urging customers to enable multi-factor authentication to mitigate compromised credentials and prohibit all incoming traffic from anonymizing services wherever applicable.

"Gaining access to commercial satellite imagery and proprietary shipping plans and logs could help Iran compensate for its developing satellite program," the researchers said. "Given Iran's past cyber and military attacks against shipping and maritime targets, Microsoft believes this activity increases the risk to companies in these sectors."
Ukrainian law enforcement authorities on Monday disclosed the arrest of a hacker responsible for the creation and management of a "powerful botnet" consisting of over 100,000 enslaved devices that was used to carry out distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) and spam attacks on behalf of paid customers.

The unnamed individual, from the Ivano-Frankivsk region of the country, is also said to have leveraged the automated network to detect vulnerabilities in websites and break into them as well as stage brute-force attacks in order to guess email passwords. The Ukrainian police agency said it conducted a raid of the suspect's residence and seized their computer equipment as evidence of illegal activity.

"He looked for customers on the closed forums and Telegram chats and payments were made via blocked electronic payment systems," the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) said in a press statement. The payments were facilitated via WebMoney, a Russian money transfer platform banned in Ukraine.

But in what appears to be a trivial opsec error, the actor registered the WebMoney account with his legitimate address, thus allowing the officials to zero in on his whereabouts.

The development comes weeks after Russian cybersecurity firm Rostelecom-Solar, a subsidiary of the telecom operator Rostelecom, disclosed late last month that it had sinkholed a portion of the Meris DDoS botnet that's known to have co-opted an estimated 250,000 hosts into its mesh.

By intercepting and analyzing the commands used to control infected devices, the company said it was able to "detect 45,000 network devices, identify their geographic location and isolate them from the botnet." Over 20% of the devices attacked are located in Brazil, followed by Ukraine, Indonesia, Poland, and India.
The key to housing growth is southwest Cairo, which has not gotten near as much attention as the north side of Cairo.

The rights of private property owners must be respected, though, Pettit argued.

We are still a capitalist society and we still believe in private property rights, so willing landowners come first, she said, but if you have this future land use map in place and this updated comprehensive plan, we want to reduce the regulatory risk if we can convince these landowners on the southwest part of Cairo this would be the best place to add smaller lot, affordable housing.

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A second focus is commercial land development.

North of Highway 2 and west of the villages lagoons is Cairos newly developed commercial industrial park.

We really need to fill that in with businesses, Pettit said. The village has spent a lot of money in the last couple of years to serve that. Weve got to try to get that land out of the public classification and into the private and commercial classification.

Cairo is not trying to recruit large employers, Pettit noted.
Theres been increasing confusing over the legality of delta-8, a cannabis derivative that can be found in vape cartridges, tinctures and candy at smoke shops and CBD stores in Texas. While the Texas health department maintains that delta-8 is a controlled substance and is on the states list of unlawful drugs, the 2018 federal Farm Bill legalized the production of hemp, which naturally contains delta-8 and has less than 0.3% THC. In 2019, Texas also legalized hemp growing. Delta-8 retailers believed the substance was as legal to sell as hemp. Delta-8 is legal in Texas for now after a Travis County judge blocked the state from criminalizing it. Should delta-8 continue to be legal in Texas?

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A SIU math professor and researcher accused of fraudulently obtaining $155,099 in grants has now been hit with additional charges from the feds, court records show.

On Oct. 5, prosecutors from the Southern District of Illinois filed a superseding indictment against MingQing Xiao, of Makanda.

The additional counts accuse him of wire fraud, tax fraud and the failure to report a foreign bank account. Xiao was previously indicted by a grand jury in April on two counts of wire fraud and one count of making a false statement.

Previous reporting by The Southern states Xiao fraudulently obtained the grant money from the National Science Foundation by concealing support he was receiving from the Chinese government and a Chinese university, according to allegations outlined in a U.S. Department of Justice news release.

Xiao had worked with SIU since 2000 and was placed on administrative leave following the initial indictment.

Under federal law, the crime of wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.

A final pretrial conference is set for 9:30 a.m. April 12.

Xiao's jury trial that was set for Oct. 25 has been reset to 9 a.m. on April 25 in 2022.

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A foreign policy expert who wrote a viral 2017 U.S. State Department resignation letter is the next guest in the virtual event series hosted by Southern Illinois University Carbondales Paul Simon Public Policy Institute.

Elizabeth Shackelford, an author, former diplomat, and senior fellow at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, will speak with institute director John Shaw in a virtual conversation at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 19.

Shackelford and Shaw will discuss Shackelfords career as a diplomat, which ended in 2017 when she resigned from the state department in protest of then-President Donald Trumps policies. Her resignation letter to then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson gained nationwide attention for its pointed criticisms of the Trump administrations approach to diplomacy.

Shaw and Shackelford also will talk about Shackelfords book, The Dissent Channel: American Diplomacy in a Dishonest Age, and her work as a foreign policy analyst.

Shackelford was a decorated career diplomat with the state department, having worked in Poland, Kenya, South Sudan, Somalia, and Washington, D.C. She received the prestigious Barbara Watson Award for Consular Excellence for her work in South Sudan.

She later joined the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft as a nonresident fellow, conducting research on the costs of militarization of U.S. foreign policy. She earlier this year joined the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, where she works to build awareness of the restraint approach to foreign policy, according to the organization.

We are very eager to discuss Elizabeth Shackelfords riveting memoir and her incisive essays about Americas many foreign policy challenges, Shaw said.

The event will be held live over Zoom. It is free and open to the public; registration is required to receive the Zoom link. Attendees are encouraged to submit questions for Shackelford on their registration form or send questions to paulsimoninstitute@siu.edu. For more information and registration, visit paulsimoninstitute.org/events.

The event is part of the institutes Understanding Our New World virtual conversation series with government and private sector leaders, policy experts, political analysts, authors, and journalists.

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Chicago blues legend Muddy Waters South Side home is on the cusp of earning landmark status, which would protect the look of the structure where his descendants plan to launch a museum and event space.

Waters lived at the house in the North Kenwood neighborhood from 1954 to 1974, where he composed some of the songs that formed the rubric for rock n roll. The Zoning Committee approved the designation Tuesday, and the full City Council will consider it Thursday.

I think that, due to the history, that Muddy Waters has been a huge contributor, to the blues, to rock n roll, said local Ald. Sophia King, 4th. And that having his particular home landmarked here in the city of Chicago would also be, not only something that recognizes his contributions, but also would recognize the contributions of blues to Chicago.

King late last year proposed tougher zoning rules for museums in residential areas like that at the Waters home that his family wants to convert into the Muddy Waters MOJO museum. King at the time said she wanted to give neighbors more input into such changes.

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But the alderman withdrew that plan this spring.

In neighboring Woodlawn, the home where Emmett Till and his mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, lived at the time the 14-year-old Black Chicagoan was tortured and murdered during a 1955 trip to Mississippi was granted city landmark status earlier this year.

Plans are in the works to operate a museum in that building as well.

Another home once owned by Waters in west suburban Westmont, where he moved after leaving the North Kenwood residence, recently sold for $329,000.

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DANVILLE  Champaign County Coroner Duane Northrup released Monday the name of a Sunday morning shooting victim in Urbana.

Adrian Watson, 20, of Danville, was pronounced dead at 7:50 a.m. Sunday at the Carle Hospital Emergency Department.

Watson died from multiple gunshot wounds he received during an incident in the 1000 block of Smith Road, Urbana.

An autopsy will be performed Tuesda at the Champaign County Regional Autopsy Facility. An inquest may be held at a later date.

The circumstances surrounding this shooting and the death of Watson are under investigation by the Urbana Police Department, Illinois State Police Crime Scene Services, and the coroner's office.

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CHEYENNE  Cross-country traveler Gabby Petito was strangled, a Wyoming coroner announced Tuesday.

Petito, 22, died three to four weeks before her body was found Sept. 19 near an undeveloped camping area along the border of Grand Teton National Park in remote northern Wyoming, Teton County Coroner Dr. Brent Blue said in a news conference.

It wasnt clear if the determination might lead to additional charges against Petitos boyfriend and traveling partner, Brian Laundrie, who is considered a person of interest in her disappearance and remains unaccounted for.

Blue declined to say more about the autopsy or the case overall, saying he was prevented by Wyoming law that limits what coroners can release.

Petito had been on a cross-country trip with Laundrie, visiting Colorado, Utah and other states. She was reported missing Sept. 11 by her parents after she did not respond to calls and texts for several days while the couple visited national parks in the West.

Blue previously classified Petitos death as a homicide  meaning her death was caused by another person  but had not disclosed how she was killed pending further autopsy results.

A detailed analysis led to his conclusion Petito was strangled, Blue said.

Nothing is obvious in a case like this, he said.

Blue said little more about Petitos physical condition  including whether she may have been strangled directly by somebodys hands, a rope or some other item  but noted when asked that she wasnt pregnant.

The three to four weeks her body was believed to be in the wilderness, however, put her death around the Aug. 27-30 period investigators believe Petito and Laundrie had traveled to the area.

Petitos case has led to renewed calls for people to pay greater attention to cases involving missing Indigenous women and other people of color, with some commentators describing the intense coverage of her disappearance as missing white woman syndrome.

The search for Laundrie has generated a frenzy, with TV personalities like Duane Chapman  known as Dog the Bounty Hunter  and longtime Americas Most Wanted host John Walsh working to track him down.

Petito and Laundrie posted online about their trip in a white Ford Transit van converted into a camper. They got into a physical altercation Aug. 12 in Moab, Utah, that led to a police stop, which ended with police deciding to separate the quarreling couple for the night. No charges were filed, and no serious injuries were reported.

Investigators have searched for Laundrie in Florida and also searched his parents home in North Port, about 35 miles (56 kilometers) south of Sarasota.

Federal officials in Wyoming last month charged Laundrie with unauthorized use of a debit card, alleging he used a Capital One Bank card and someones personal identification number to make unauthorized withdrawals or charges worth more than $1,000 during the period in which Petito went missing. They did not say to whom the card belonged.

Asked about the coroners determination, the attorney for the Laundrie family, Steven Bertolino, in a statement noted his client only faces the fraud charge in the case.

At this time Brian is still missing and when he is located we will address the fraud charge pending against him, Bertolino said.

In Florida, FBI-led search teams have been looking in a vast nature preserve for any sign of Laundrie. Weeks of searching in the swampy Carlton Reserve south of Sarasota  where Laundries parents say he went after returning home from the West  have turned up nothing.

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When Roy Barnes left Casper at age 16, he didnt look back.

His family moved in around 1977, when he was just 10 years old, he said. The next six years werent exactly easy.

Barnes was bright  a straight-A student  but inside, he was troubled. He had a hard time making and keeping friends, and struggled with his self-image.

Much later, Barnes would be diagnosed with Aspergers syndrome, an autism spectrum disorder, he said. But in the 70s and early 80s, barely anyone had heard of it. He spent much of his teenage years feeling alienated and misunderstood.

So when Barnes moved to Cheyenne in 1983, he was ready to leave Casper behind him.

I was basically glad to be done with it, he said.

More than 35 years later, he stumbled across a curious online community that gave him a second look: a Facebook group called If you grew up in Casper, WY you remember.....

The historical research group is a catch-all discussion page for people to reminisce about Casper. Barnes wasnt sure what to think at first, but sent a request to join.

Hes been an active contributor ever since.

Today, the group boasts over 16,000 members, making it one of the citys most popular Facebook communities. Anyone whos ever lived in or visited Casper can request to join.

Barnes and other members said its been a valuable window into Caspers past, helping them develop a deeper appreciation for the city and the people who call it home.

An online community

The Facebook group was founded by Casper native Michael Brown in 2011.

At the time, Brown was living in Bradenton, Florida. One day, he noticed an online community for locals to discuss Bradenton history, so he thought itd be fun to make one for Casper.

It didnt take long for the group to grow, however. Within a day or so, over a hundred people had joined, he said.

It was really miraculous how many people gravitated toward it, Brown said.

Members can share most anything Casper-related, within reason, but typical post are scans of old pictures, books and newspaper clippings.

Some depict Casper landmarks or headline-worthy events, while others capture more modest slice-of-life scenes.

Its not uncommon for members to show off something obscure they dug up at the library. Sometimes they just want to indulge in a trip down memory lane, though.

Imagine you are a kid again growing up in Casper, Barnes posted recently. You find $5 on the sidewalk. How do you spend it?

Other members quickly chimed in: Candy and comics at Grant Street Grocery, or The Blue Bird. Roller skating at Wagon Wheel.

Dean Mahaffey is the groups administrator, and another one of its most active posters. He can talk in detail about lesser-known aspects of Casper trivia  the steam tunnels under the city, or the now-blocked-off cave system beneath Casper Mountain, for example.

Mahaffeys interest in history started early, he said. He was raised by his grandparents, and grew up hearing them and their friends recount tales from Caspers past.

Ive always loved to listen to my elderly tell stories of years gone by, and how things have changed, he said.

A shared bond

At more than a decade old, the community is still going strong. About 180 posts have been added in the past month.

A mix of nostalgia fever and small-town pride could explain its popularity, said Leigh Flack, a moderator for the group.

Every city has its own unique culture  an experience only shared by the people who were there. Theres something special about having a space where you can bond over that common culture, she said.

Its a platform where members help reunite childhood friends, jog memories, celebrate and commiserate.

And you never know who will show up in posts.

Its fun to see these people that you lost track of, and where they end up, she said.

A second look

Barnes is still one of the groups regulars.

Sometimes, his posts are more academic  detailing the origins of street names, for example. Other times, he shares personal stories from his childhood.

The chance to reflect on his years in Casper has been freeing, he said  therapeutic, even. Its helped him put his life in perspective, and to appreciate the deep connection he still has to the city.

His time in Casper was tough, but some of the most formative years of his life, he said.

Looking back, hes especially thankful to the community members who believed in and supported him as a kid. He often posts tributes to teachers and former peers who had a positive influence on him, he said.

I just want people to know how much the city means to me, he said.

And by the looks of it, thousands of other Casperites feel the same way, he said. The size of the group speaks for itself.

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The Wyoming Legislature completed the first major step toward holding a special session intended to fight back against a recent federal COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

For the Legislature to call itself into a special session, two rounds of votes are needed: One that surpasses 35% of both the House of Representatives and the Senate to decide whether a formal vote should take place. That second vote requires a majority of both chambers.

As of Tuesday, the Legislature had attained the necessary votes for the first round of voting.

Roughly 50% of each chamber voted for the special session. No Democrats voted in favor of it.

Members have until 5 p.m. Thursday to vote in the poll. If a special session is approved by a majority of both chambers  which is 30 representatives and 16 senators right now  the session would likely start on Oct. 26, Dockstader and Barlow said in a Tuesday press release from the Legislative Service Office.

It remains undetermined whether or not the session will be held virtually or in person.

The first order of business at a special session will be holding a vote on the rules of the session. To adopt them, lawmakers need two-thirds of the membership of both the House and the Senate.

If the two-thirds supermajority is not achieved, legislative leadership will ask the respective majority floor leader to move for an immediate adjournment of the special session without considering any legislation, Barlow and Docskstader said in a Tuesday memo.

Technically, if they were not to achieve the two-thirds, lawmakers could use the rules of the 66th Legislature, but that would allow the special session to go on for several days and allow legislators to introduce topics that do not have to do with federal COVID vaccine mandates.

No, I dont want to go on for several days and no, I dont want to consider multiple topics, Dockstader said.

The rules as now proposed would limit the special session to COVID-19 vaccine mandates, allow members to appear remotely (which would save on costs) and require any bill eligible for introduction to be posted five days prior to the session.

If the lawmakers do reach the majority threshold in the second vote and the supermajority threshold in the vote on the rules, it remains unclear exactly how they will fight the mandate with legislation.

The Biden Administration issued an executive order in early September that mandates employees at private companies with over 100 workers get vaccinated or be tested weekly for COVID-19. In Wyoming, that order would potentially apply to more than 300 companies, according to the governors office.

The federal mandate is not yet in effect, and must still go through the federal rule-making process. In practice, this means that its next to impossible to know exactly how to fight back against the vaccine mandate until those details are released, multiple lawmakers have previously told the Star-Tribune.

I think theres a legal fix in the courts, Sen. Cale Case, R-Lander, said at a recent committee meeting. But I dont see a way the Legislature can fix this, he later added.

Final forms of bills must be submitted to the Legislative Service Office by noon on Oct. 21 for posting on the legislative website.

Follow state politics reporter Victoria Eavis on Twitter @Victoria_Eavis

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At the last Joint Corporations committee meeting, both chairmen were hesitant to make any big decisions because the committee was down two members.

Now, theyve got their replacements: Two guys named Mike.

Rep. Mike Yin, D-Jackson, will replace Rep. Andi Clifford, D-Riverton, who is resigning her committee position  but not her legislative seat  because of personal and health reasons, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter.

I intend to keep working with Rep. Clifford to ensure her views are well represented, Yin told the Star-Tribune. I look forward to working with the committee on redistricting and the other issues they will be tackling this interim.

Rep. Mike Greear, R-Worland, will replace former Rep. Hans Hunt, who recently resigned from the legislature to join Sen. Cynthia Lummiss staff.

These replacements come at a time when the committee is in the thick of the once-in-a-decade redistricting process, meaning that the lawmakers have a lot of work on their plates in the near term.

Greear was chosen, in part, to replace Hunt because he currently only has one committee assignment: chairman of the Joint Minerals, Business and Economic Development Committee.

Additionally, he represents a portion of the Bighorn Basin, which has proven to be one of the trickiest areas to redistrict because of its loss in population.

We didnt have a [Representative] on the corporations committee from the Bighorn Basin, Greear said.

Greear was also in the Legislature in 2011, when the state performed its last redistricting, and he represents a rural area like Hunt did.

The Joint Corporations Committee has a number of meetings before the budget session, which starts Feb. 14. The committee is aiming to have a bill with the final redistricted map by January.

While Greear is replacing Hunt on the corporations committee, Hunts replacement in House District 2 may replace him on Travel, Recreation, Wildlife and Cultural Resources committee, a press release from the Legislative Service Office signaled.

Speaker Eric Barlow, R-Gillette, has full discretion over committee assignments, but did consult the chairmen of the corporations committee when making reassignment decisions, Co-Chairman Dan Zwonitzer, R-Cheyenne, said.

Its unclear whether or not Clifford will resign any other committee assignments, as she currently sits on the Joint Labor, Health and Social Services Committee as well as the Select Committee on Tribal Relations.

Follow state politics reporter Victoria Eavis on Twitter @Victoria_Eavis

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ASSET by asset, the liquidators of the CL Financial group are selling off the company that it took Cyril Duprey and his nephew, Lawrence, 73 years to build up.

The liquidators are plodding through the sale of thousands of acres of land, millions of dollars worth of shares in a local conglomerate, a major local insurance firm, a manufacturer of resins and a security company.
Stress levels are rising largely due to challenges brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic and people are being urged to seek help if they are having difficulty coping.

Harvard University Professor of Public Health Dr David Williams stressed yesterday that there is no shame in asking for help.

Williams was speaking during the opening ceremony of the 2021 National Health Research Conference which was held virtually.

The pandemic has brought an added burden, an added layer of stressful life experiences, Williams said.
Is mask wearing more important than purchasing testing kits for Covid-19? Proper mask wearing prevents you from transmitting or receiving infection.

The testing kits tell you if you are asymptomatic but carrying the virus.

Wearing your mask properly prevents you from spreading it. A Covid-19 testing kit cannot do this. I am of the view that while it is nice to know if you are a carrier how many times do you have to self-test?
By all accounts, Lando captured the hearts and imaginations of many people in the storied New York City hall that night, including that of New York Times classical music critic Anthony Tommasino.

Lando returned to Carnegies Zankel Hall two years later for his solo debut, which Tommasino said showed flashes of brilliance and plenty of room to grow as Lando, who was all of 17 then, matured as an artist and an adult.Lando is just getting back to in-person concerts after nearly all of his recitals and events in 2020 were canceled or postponed.

Ive been very lucky to have had a number of in-person concerts again since early April, Lando said in an email. Most of them have had socially distanced audiences, but a few of them were surprisingly full.

One of those performances was his return to Carnegie Hall in June as part of an all-star tribute to the jazz composer and pianist Corea, who died in February at the age of 79.
CPLCs community development financial institution was also awarded $5 million from philanthropist Mackenzie Scott last December.

Over the past year, the annual budget of CPLC has quadrupled from $100 million to $400 million according to Tony Moya, the chair of CPLCs board of directors and manager of Latino relations at the Salt River Project.

Thats not (by) accident. We are committed to being 75% self-sufficient, Moya said.

With people seeking out CPLC from countries all over the world, Adame believes they are interested in learning more about the model of self-sufficiency, with less reliance on government funding.

Thats how we work with our clients, right? We want you to be self-sufficient, Adame said.

Although the organizations flagship state is Arizona, over the years it has expanded itself to Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, California and Mexico. The organization is set to expand to Utah, Colorado and Puerto Rico over the next 18 months.
That theoretically could be solved by moving the line between the districts to the east to take in more of Tucson. But then this district, which already takes in all of Cochise County, would be short of population.

That could be solved by moving sections of Marana, Oro Valley and southern Pinal County into the district. Only thing is, that would add more Republicans than Democrats, giving the GOP an edge.

And then there are ripple effects.

Marana and Oro Valley now are proposed to be in a district that sprawls all the way through not just Casa Grande and Apache Junction but into southwest Phoenix. Take away population to balance a Tucson district and the remaining district then needs to pick up more people elsewhere.

There are other issues.

One is trying to keep Native American tribes in the same congressional and legislative districts even as population growth in their areas have not kept pace with the rest of the state.

This is more than an academic goal. The Voting Rights Act generally forbids changes in state election laws that make it harder for minorities to elect someone of their choice.
To celebrate 100 years of service above self, the Rotary Club of Tucson just keeps serving.

Rotarians from Arizonas oldest clubs fuel their service through one of Southern Arizonas largest car shows: Tucson Classics Car Show.

The fall tradition returns to the Gregory School from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 16 after a 2020 hiatus due to COVID-19.

This is our 15th year of the Tucson Classics Car Show and every year we try to perfect it a bit more. We hope to have a fabulous day with more than 400 fantastic cars and hope to raise at least $250,000 to benefit Pima JTED, our centennial beneficiary, said Joni Condit, chair of the event.

A school district that partners with local public, private and charter schools to provide tuition-free career and technical education, Pima JTED serves about 20,000 students annually across 48 locations. The program boasts a 98 percent graduation rate.

Rotary funds will be gifted to the Innovative Learning Center located at 3300 S. Park Ave. in The Bridges development. The 50,000-square-foot center serves high school sophomores, juniors and seniors who have not earned a diploma or GED and are under the age of 22.
Funding for national park projects in the state will climb steeply, from $20.2 million for the Grand Canyons historic powerhouse last year to almost $82 million in fiscal 2022, that will go to projects at the Grand Canyon, the Petrified Forest National Park and the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument.

The wastewater treatment center is really important because up to 6 million people visit the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, and its a really small town that lives there to serve that, Dahl said of one project for the coming year.

At the Petrified Forest, the visitor center that was built in the 60s and needs maintenance to bring it back up to speed with current requirements for public buildings, he added.

Those projects, along with others coming in the next three years, will help the parks get back to pre-pandemic visitor numbers, he said. Not only will it let the National Park Service catch up on much-needed repair, it will also show the parks in their best light, for U.S. and foreign visitors, an important source of revenue.

Before the pandemic, in the West, up to half the visitors are from foreign countries, and outdated, dysfunctional toilets does not show America in the best of lights, Dahl said. If you put things off, they get worse, so its great that the GAOA is helping us catch up with this really needed repair.
OPINION: "The importance of an opinion journalist at a newspaper, and the reason the press is mentioned in the First Amendment, is to call out powerful people when they abuse their power," writes the Star's new Opinion editor, Curt Prendergast.
OPINION: "The catch is, these fines could be applied to something as small as hanging a flyer or notice in the wrong spot, which has nothing to do with a workplaces actual labor conditions. Even worse, the budget bill even includes fines that could be levied against directors or officers of a company personally," according to four chambers of commerce in Arizona.
Dear Dr. Fox: I have no expertise in climate, since I am a retired journalist/editor whose work (over some 50 years) has been read by many hundreds of millions of North Americans. My job was to disbelieve anything that was not supported by empirical facts. There is no question we are experiencing global warming, but I am not convinced one way or the other that the principal cause is man-made.

Now, that does not mean the man-made theory is wrong. Frankly, I don't know. However, I did find that around 1972 (only about 50 years ago), the great climate scientists all over the world agreed that we were headed for an ice age soon, that it would be caused by man, and that by the year 2000 we would likely be in a worldwide hunger catastrophe. It was headlined all over the Western world by TV networks, and by papers like The New York Times and the Times of London. Newsweek ran a scary cover story about it. They all quoted the top climatologists and university scientists in the U.S., the U.K., Australia, etc. Basically the same lofty titles now saying our global warming is man-made. So how could these people be so WRONG then and so RIGHT now?
Fifteen years ago, Tulsas Community Food Bank opened a distribution center that was designed to handle 20 million pounds of food per year, or nearly three times more than the organization was giving away at the time. It seemed to have plenty of room for growth.

Last year, however, the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma distributed 32.7 million pounds of food, well beyond the facilitys designed limits. The room for growth was already being pushed to extremes, officials said.

Now the Food Bank is going public with a $28 million fundraising effort to double the distribution centers capacity, officials told the Tulsa World on Monday. With significant donations already secured, construction could start as soon as November north of downtown Tulsa, officials said.

After 40 years fighting hunger in eastern Oklahoma, said Mercedes Millberry Fowler, the board president, our Food Bank is set to embark on a transformational journey as we enlarge our campus and broaden our purpose.
Gov. Kevin Stitt has said he promised Oklahomans the state would fight efforts that could result in job losses for those who choose not to be vaccinated.
Considering the high number of deaths and survivors with unknown long-haul conditions, masking seems like a minor request for areas with high spread.

A popular argument against school masking has been that children contracting the virus dont get that sick. The delta variant then came along to prove that wrong.

Also, the notion of freedom ought not to harm others.

Oklahoma has one of the nations highest rates of Adverse Childhood Experiences, as pointed out by reporter Corey Jones in Sundays story.

Trauma from the pandemic adds to the burdens being placed on schools. They will need resources to help students through mental health and academic needs.

Schools are dealing with this against a rising teacher shortage crisis and a lack of substitute teachers.

The worst-case scenarios of death or serious illness arent that unusual, and these newly published studies ought to refocus the arguments when it comes to schools.
Here are todays leading news stories:

COVID-19 Updates

-- The Parliament of Latvia (Saeima) has announced that it will resell to Vietnam 200,000 doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, the Vietnam News Agency reported.

Society

-- Tropical Storm Kompasu was located 850 kilometers northeast of Vietnams Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago at 7:00 am on Tuesday, packing winds at 90-120km per hour. It is forecast to travel west and continue picking up strength.

-- Long haul buses between Ho Chi Minh City and other localities are expected to resume operations from Wednesday, the municipal Department of Transport said on Monday.

-- Tens of thousands of people flooded COVID-19 vaccination sites in the southern province of Binh Duong on Monday as they feared the locality would soon run out of doses.

-- Dr. Do Kim Chi, head of the medical station in Khanh Hung Ward, located in the Mekong Delta province of Ca Mau, has tendered a resignation following an incident where 15 dogs and one cat of COVID-19 patients were culled in the ward last weekend.

-- The Ministry of Transport has decided to resume the Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi-Hai Phong passenger train services on a trial basis from Wednesday.

-- Many coffee shops in Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City have been letting customers enjoy their drinks at their venues even though the municipal authorities have only allowed takeaway service due to the serious COVID-19 pandemic.

-- Air travelers from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi are now only required to quarantine at their home or accommodation establishments for seven days, according to a new decision announced by the Hanoi Peoples Committee on Monday evening.

-- Police in the south-central province of Binh Thuan confirmed on Monday they had arrested four suspects aged 34 to 44 for selling fake COVID-19 test results.

-- Multiple streets in Hanoi were inundated on Monday morning and afternoon following a prolonged downpour, resulting immense challenges for commuters.

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Vietnam is witnessing a surge in symptoms of anxiety and depression amid the COVID-19 pandemic, a trend that is putting the countrys healthcare workers, among other demographics, in harms way.

After contracting COVID-19, I was faced with insomnia and anorexia, which made my body weight drop dramatically, a patient who is coping with depression told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.

As witnessed by the countrys general public, these depressive disorders are not only exclusive to coronavirus-positive individuals but have grown into a public health threat by themselves.

Anxiety-driven ailment

Speaking with Tuoi Tre, Dr. Nguyen Thu Van, a practitioner at the National Institute of Mental Health in Hanoi, said her department is tending to multiple patients with mental disorders triggered by the pandemic and its related restrictions.

Among them is a student pursuing a masters degree in the UK, who was recently repatriated after facing mental health problems.

Obsessed with contracting the virus while being abroad, the patient used to lock herself indoors, shun all physical connections, including her boyfriend, and only use her phone for contact, Dr. Van said.

Even when she returned to Vietnam, the patient still refused to take her family members phone calls, only responding to them in text messages.

Being a person with academic achievements, she only started taking the medicine recently after diligently studying the prescription, Dr. Van said.

We have not been able to do much intervention with her.

Another case in treatment at the institute is a 42-year-old man from Nghe An Province, who works labor jobs in a factory.

During the COVID-19 outbreak this summer, he was not infected with the pathogen but was facing another condition while being at home.

The patient was not able to eat or sleep, which led to weight loss and a lack of focus, the doctor said.

After testing negative for the virus, he reached out to us and was diagnosed with depression and anxiety disorders.

The hospital is also monitoring a senior-year student at Hanoi University, who refused to take the vaccine for fear of adverse consequences, but later took it as his parents forced him to.

He first exhibited symptoms of anxiety after taking the first jab and the disorder exacerbated after the second, causing him to lose sleep, cry, hallucinate, and abandon hygiene routines.

He was later diagnosed with brief psychotic disorder and has received treatment for one month, which has yielded good results so far.

Vulnerable demographics

A synopsis of 66 studies globally on mental health problems enkindled by the COVID-19 pandemic has pointed out that 31.4 percent of the patients surveyed face depressive disorders, while 31.9 percent encounter anxiety disorders, 41.9 experience stress episodes, and 37.9 percent have sleep disorders.

Frontline workers and health officers, plus people with underlying conditions and single tenants, are the most vulnerable groups when it comes to these conditions.

In Vietnam, 45.1 percent said they are suffering from anxiety and fatigue, as suggested by a survey carried out by the Vietnam Psychotherapy Association (VnPA) in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi back in July and August.

Among the causes for mental health fallouts, financial hardship is the most mentioned, followed by job problems, fear of COVID-19 infections, threats of transmissions from relatives, and family confrontations.

Through online interviews, VnPA also found out that 40 percent of the individuals surveyed are in need of mental health consultations, which draws near to the global figure of 47 percent.

The surge of mental health issues may not stop even after the epidemic is quelled, many doctors warned.

According to Dr. Van, both overthinking about the past and future can lead to mental health issues during this bout of hardship.

More specifically, repetitively dwelling in the past may lead to depression, while excessive musing on the future can possibly cause anxiety disorders.

When faced with these situations, people should seek out support and a sense of intimacy from families, friends, and communities, Van underlined.

Therapeutic activities, including breathing practices, jogging, listening to music, and cleaning the house, are also recommended for people struggling with mental health problems, she added.

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Tens of thousands of people, mainly factory workers, have flocked to COVID-19 vaccination sites in the Vietnamese southern province of Binh Duong to compete for the second Sinopharm vaccine shots due to concerns about low vaccine supplies, local sources said.

The Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control of the provinces Thuan An City convened an urgent meeting on Monday to improve the organization of vaccination after many inoculation points had become overcrowded and chaotic due to a slew of vaccine seekers.

One of these venues was in Thuan Giao Ward, where workers gathered in large quantities without keeping a required distance, resulting in an overload.

Many of them said they had arrived there as early as at 2:00 or 3:00 am.

The same situation was seen at some other sites in Ben Cat Town and Thu Dau Mot City, where many people waited in long lines for Sinopharm second-shot inoculation or had to leave unvaccinated due to insufficient vaccine supplies.

N.T.L., a 51-year-old man in Thuan Giao, said he was given the second jab at 3:00 pm on Monday after standing in waiting lines from the morning.

Such a chaotic situation involving thousands of people might cause high risks of COVID-19 spread, the man said worriedly.

Talking to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper, a local official said competent agencies should have publicized the volume of jabs available to avoid public confusion which prompted people to flock to inoculation sites to check it out.

An immunization point where a large number of people wait for getting the second dose of coronavirus vaccine in Binh Duong Province, Vietnam, October 11, 2021. Photo: B.D. / Tuoi Tre

In fact, the vaccine supply is enough for vaccinating all residents, and around 722,000 people have received the second doses, said Thuan An Citys steering committee.

By Monday afternoon, over three million out of nearly 4.6 million doses of different vaccines allocated to the province have been administered to residents, so the remaining 1.5 million shots is enough for immunizing all locals in the days to come, the committee clarified.

Nguyen Huu Chau, head of the Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control of Thuan Giao Ward, said that many people who had no vaccination tickets or used fake tickets also gathered at inoculation sites.

In order to ease the overcrowding at vaccination points and facilitate people in getting immunization, a local official suggested that more medical points should be set up across the city.

At the same time, private health facilities should be mobilized in vaccinating people and enterprises should be provided with vaccines so that they can flexibly immunize their workers.

Nguyen Hong Chuong, director of the provincial Department of Health, said that he had asked relevant health units to immediately rectify the vaccination organization and submit relevant reports.

Since the pandemic hit the country in early 2020, Binh Duong has documented 222,427 COVID-19 cases, including 2,199 deaths, according to the Ministry of Healths data.

The province ranks second in COVID-19 suffering after Ho Chi Minh City, whose infections and deaths have reached 408,758 and 15,834, respectively.

Nationwide, 843,281 coronavirus patients have been recorded, of whom 784,748 have recovered and 20,670 died, the ministry said.

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Air travelers from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi are now only required to mornitor their health at home or accommodation establishments, according to a new decision announced by the Hanoi Peoples Committee on Monday afternoon.

Hanoi authorities had stipulated mandatory seven-day quarantine at centralized facilities and another seven days of self-isolation at home or other accommodations for fully-vaccinated air passengers from Ho Chi Minh City.

The capital administration agreed with the Ministry of Transport to restart commercial flights on Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi-Da Nang routes from October 10 to 20 with one return trip per day.

The authorities limited the number of passengers on each flight to 50 percent of its normal capacity.

Passengers must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, with the second dose taken at least 14 days and no longer than 12 months before departure, or COVID-19 recovery certificates issued six months before departure time.

In addition, passengers must show negative COVID-19 test certificates issued within 72 hours before boarding time.

In the new decision signed by the capitals deputy chairman Nguyen Manh Quyen on Monday afternoon, officials made some amendments to those regulations, which had been criticized by the public and experts as unnecessary and troublesome in the context of the economic and travel reopening.

Accordingly, passengers fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and testing negative for the virus within 72 hours before departure can monitor their health at home or accommodation establishments upon their arrival in Hanoi.

Other regulations, including the number of passengers on each flight and the flight frequency, remain the same.

Following the amendments, nearly 120 passengers on Vietnam Airlines flight VN216 that left Ho Chi Minh City for Hanoi at 5:00 pm on Monday became the first commercial customers to successfully travel on the route after it had been suspended since mid-July.

They were subject to mornitoring their health at home in accordance with the new regulations.

Vietnam has documented 838,653 community transmissions in 62 out of 63 provinces and cities since the fourth outbreak started on April 27.

Ho Chi Minh City is the hardest-hit locality with 411,655 cases, while Hanoi has recorded 4,270 cases and Da Nang has registered 4,927 infections in this bout.

The Ministry of Transport recently allowed 38 flights on 19 domestic routes, including those connecting Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, and Da Nang, to resume operations on Sunday.

However, the lack of detailed instructions on quarantine regulations in Hanoi prevented Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet from carrying out flights from Ho Chi Minh City to the capital city on the same day.

The situation repeated on Monday as some passengers who purchased tickets for flights from the southern city to Hanoi that day complained that all 20 hotels designated by authorities in the destination as concentrated quarantine facilities rejected them for various reasons.

The Vietnamese government has gradually reopened the national economy since early this month, as the country has basically kept the COVID-19 pandemic at bay, with new infections and deaths falling markedly nationwide, as assessed by the Ministry of Health at a meeting on Saturday.

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Vietnams health ministry reported 2,949 coronavirus cases across the country on Tuesday, alongside 1,347 recoveries and 93 fatalities.

The latest cases, including ten imported and 2,939 local infections, were recorded in 43 provinces and cities, the Ministry of Health said, elaborating that 1,183 patients were detected in the community.

Ho Chi Minh City registered 1,018 of the new cases, Dong Nai Province 501, Binh Duong Province 447, Tay Ninh Province 112, An Giang Province 111, Dong Thap 87, Khanh Hoa Province 38, Can Tho City 28, Da Nang four, and Hanoi four.

Vietnam had found 3,617 locally-transmitted infections on Monday.

The country has confirmed 841,592 community transmissions in 62 out of its 63 provinces and cities since the fourth virus wave emerged on April 27.

Ho Chi Minh City tops the list with 412,673 patients, followed by Binh Duong Province with 222,975, Dong Nai Province with 55,989, Long An Province with 33,376, Tien Giang Province with 14,628, Dong Thap Province with 8,801, Khanh Hoa Province with 8,297, Da Nang with 4,931, Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province with 4,335, and Hanoi with 4,274.

Vietnam documented only 1,570 locally-transmitted infections in total in the previous three waves.

The health ministry logged 1,347 recoveries on Tuesday, bringing the total to 786,095.

The toll has climbed to 20,763 deaths after the ministry announced 93 fatalities on the same day, including 64 in Ho Chi Minh City and 13 in Binh Duong Province.

Vietnam has recorded 846,230 patients since the COVID-19 pandemic first hit it early last year.

Health workers have administered above 55.2 million vaccine doses, including 1,020,039 shots on Monday, since inoculation was rolled out on March 8.

Over 16.1 million people have been fully inoculated.

Health authorities target to inoculate 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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The head of a commune-level medical station in the Mekong Delta province of Ca Mau has tendered a resignation following an incident where 15 dogs and one cat of COVID-19 patients were culled in the locality last weekend.

Dr. Do Kim Chi, head of the medical station in Khanh Hung Commune, Tran Van Thoi District, has submitted her resignation, according to Tran Tan Cong, the districts chairman.

A lot of information on social media stated that Chi was the one making the decision to cull 15 dogs and a cat after their owners tested positive for COVID-19 last weekend, Cong continued.

The public has strongly criticized her decision, some even insulting her with nasty words and pushing her into a state of stress, the chairman explained.

The health official also has a history of heart disease and hypertension, he added.

The chairman believed that Dr. Chis resignation would result in difficulties in the provinces COVID-19 prevention and control efforts as the local pandemic response force is still limited.

The district authorities have thus encouraged the health official to continue working until the COVID-19 vaccination drive in the southernmost province is complete.

Chairman Cong also reiterated that protecting the health and lives of local residents is the top priority during the COVID-19 pandemic, as an explanation for Dr. Chis controversial decision when handling a wave of returnees from virus-hit localities.

Pham Minh Hung and his dogs on their way to Ca Mau Province on October 8, 2021 in this supplied photo

According to previous reports, the families of Pham Minh Hung, 49, and Nguyen Duy Khanh, 39, traveled from southern Long An Province to Ca Mau Province on their motorbikes on Friday, joining tens of thousands of their peers in returning to their hometowns in the wake of the pandemic.

Hung and Khanh worked as masons in Long An, but their livelihood was negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The two families brought along 17 dogs, including 13 puppies, and one cat. They later gave away two of the pups.

After arriving in Ca Mau, they and their pets were brought to a quarantine center in Khanh Hung Commune.

Five out of seven people in the two families later tested positive for COVID-19, and all of their pets were killed on Saturday morning.

The incident stirred up an uproar across social media, with many people saying the decision was unscientific and too cruel.

During a press conference on Sunday, Tran Van Thoi Districts administration said that the culling was necessary to ensure pandemic prevention and control, blaming it on the fact that many people at the quarantine facility and local residents were concerned that the dogs posed high risk of transmission.

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The big story is Seven is going to return to Number 1 this year, says Seven Head of Programming, Angus Ross.

Whether youre looking at Calendar year, Survey year, Olympics in, Olympics out -Seven is going to be Number 1, in 2021.

Some of the demos -if youre pulling Olympics out- are going to be a tighter race. I think people under 50 and 16 to 39 will probably go down to the wire.

But Seven is the only network to grow share in every key demographic this year. Significant growth. But were going to be number one in All People.

While Seven has been resurgent in 2021, there were problems in Q1 with Holey Moley slipping after a strong debut and Ultimate Tag failing to get out of the blocks -neither is on the list for 2022.

Weve been dominant from Q2 this year. Weve been pretty honest that weve got to fix Q1. Under James weve had a 3 year plan to rebuild the schedule and were in Year 2 of that plan in 2021. Id like to think were ahead of schedule by returning to Number 1 this year.

In 2022 I think were going to come out with our full armoury. no COVID-affected shows being scuttled or anything like that. When were out there with all the rounds in the chamber, I think were going to be unstoppable. When you combine that with Winter Olympics and Commonwealth Games, I think were going to have a very dominant 2022.

In speaking to TV Tonight, heres a summary of Ross take on other 2022 content.

The Voice

Therell be a few structural changes within it, but nothing that youd say, This isnt the show that I loved in 21.

This is the only show for the whole year that never dropped below 1m metro viewers. There may have been some social chatter about The Cut but thats not always representative of the audience as a whole.

SAS Australia

Were halfway through filming. there could certainly be more (than one season in 22). At this stage, were going to have one in the can for Q1 next year.

Australian Idol

Were not going to make COVID-compromised shows because we see what happens when they get made in many overseas markets, and they dont perform. So if were going to bring back Idol, it has to be the Idol that people are expecting: crowds, live, bigger than Ben Hur, and thats what were going to do. So the conditions have to be appropriate for that to happen. That that will determine the timing on it. But clearly, its not going to be Q1. We would had to have been in production for a number of months already.

Q1

Its no secret thats the one part of the year, we felt that we need to improve things. The whole kickstart for 2022 comes about with the Ashes, into the Winter Olympics, and then using proven formats being Dancing with the Stars: All Stars, SAS Australia, and The Voice: Generations, being a spin-off of a proven format.

Q1 is a lot more solid with tried and tested formats in there. I think were going to end up having our best Q1 for a number of years, which has been something weve been endeavouring to fix as part of this new plan under James Warburton.

4 Talent Shows?

People have asked Is there enough talent? They asked that before The Voice this year. The reality is with those key talent shows, we control them in this market -and I said this last time- well roll them out in a manner thats going to work best for each of them. Youre not going to run things back to back or anything like that. Nothings going to be done that would undermine any of these formats. We want to keep them going for a long time.

My Kitchen Rules, Apartment Rules

Its going to be a different approach this time, in that theyre clearly not going to be made by Seven Studios. Theyre going to be made by third party companies. So we are going to have a fresh set of eyes on these formats. I think weve had a very good record over the last two years of our ability to refresh and reinvent some of these classic formats.

Both of those formats were very successful for us for a long period of time, but perhaps lost their way at the end of their runs.

In terms of judges weve got a lot of people to choose from, with borders opening will be scouring far and wide. Theyre both theyre both formats we believe we can reinvent with a little help from outsiders.

Home & Away

Its there 4 nights a year, 40-something weeks of the year, its another tentpole and we treat it as such.

Claremont

They were the longest unsolved serial killings in Australia. COVID has impacted the timelines on the delivery of that show. We were hoping to actually have it kick off next year, but borders and things have made that impossible. But its gearing back up now.

RFDS?

That is in the To Be Decided basket. Theres a number of number of shows which well decide probably closer decisions havent been made by Upfronts on a number of these.

Holey Moley?

Being able to do that show relies on us piggybacking off other internationals coming to this market. Thats a decision (where well) run the numbers at that time, and look at it again. We have an investment in the set here so wed love people to come and start using it.

And finally

When you look at that content slate there is a hell of a lot of investment in Australian content for next year.

You can read more at Upfronts 2022: Seven.
Veteran actor Bruce Kerr, who has a long career on stage and screen, has died, aged 87.

He died in hospital on Saturday surrounded by family.

British-born Kerr enjoyed a 50+ year career in performing in the UK and Australia.

In Television this included multiple roles, especially in Crawfords & Grundys dramas (often as several characters in the same drama): Division 4, Matlock Police, Homicide, Skyways, Cop Shop, Carsons Law.

On Prisoner one role was as Gordon Humphrey, accusing Lizzie Birdsworth of having financial interests in his father, Sid Humphries. On Neighbours he played Neil Taylor, father to Scott Robinsons girlfriend Kim.

He played Lieutenant Keogh on both Cash & Company and Tandarra, while other credits included Rush, Andra, I Can Jump Puddles, Ryan, McCloud, Power Without Glory, Bellbird, Bluey, Cornflakes for Tea, Anzacs, The Great Air Race, Snowy River: The McGregor Saga, Correlli, Blue Heelers, Something in the Air, Bootleg, Bastard Boys, Valentines Day and film credits included The Man from Snowy River, Compo, Lex and Rory, Hostage to Fate and Remembering Nigel.

He was particularly prolific in the Melbourne theatre scene as actor, director and tutor, working with Melbourne Theatre Company, Playbox, La Mama, various productions for Edgleys, JC Williamsons and Cameron Mackintosh, earning 5 Green Room nominations.

Kerr kept working into his later years including with independent theatre such as HST Theatre in the Australian Premiere of Sam Shepards, The Late Henry Moss as well as Stephen Adly Guirgis,

The Last Days of Judas Iscariot.

Friend and colleague, director David Myles told TV Tonight his legacy would be mentoring young theatre companies.

His presence made them much better. A lot of younger actors are very grateful for the fact that he brought old school professionalism, he said.

If he wasnt acting there was something missing from his life. He took a lot of shows, that possibly werent up to what they should have been, but his objective was to help people along.

Kerr landed the role he coveted most in Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett with John Flaus at La Mama -both were in their late 70s at the time.
The jury in the capital murder trial of a former nurse accused of killing four patients is expected to begin deliberations today after the def
William George Davis stands Sept. 28 during opening day of his capital murder trial. The former nurses charges are connected to the deaths of four patients at Christus Trinity Mother Frances Louis and Peaches Owen Heart Hospital in Tyler (Michael Cavazos/News-Journal Photo)
The University of Houston College of Pharmacy is helping create healthier communities by joining a nationwide network of universities to transform how medications and vaccines are delivered. Photo courtesy: GettyImages

The University of Houston College of Pharmacy is joining the RAPID Alliance Medications 360 Study with a goal of transforming how medications and vaccines are delivered in the U.S. from 2022  2031. The RAPID Alliance is a multi-stakeholder research consortium founded in the University of Louisville Center for Health Organization Transformation (CHOT), a National Science Foundation-funded research center.

The college will help lead an all-hands-on-deck effort to co-create the RAPID Alliance Medications 360 Framework 2022-2031, a set of transformational strategies and a nationally prioritized research agenda for optimizing the use of medications, vaccinations and other therapies from 2022-2031.

This project is building on a 2020 research study, conducted by UofL researchers during the COVID-19 pandemic, that identified strategic opportunities to improve health and wellbeing for tens of millions of people while reducing U.S. spending on likely avoidable hospitalizations and emergency department and doctor visits by as much as $528 billion dollars.

The University of Houston College of Pharmacy will contribute to this effort by supporting research and action in areas, including state-level strategies for Texas. In addition, UHCOP will help support special study sections on such topics as medication adherence, real-world evidence, prescription drug misuse, geriatric care, and chronic disease state management.

Technological advancements and the rise of pharmacogenomics and personalized medicine are leading to a new golden age in the discovery, development and delivery of safe, effective pharmacotherapies, but we continue to wrestle with long-standing challenges in areas like health disparities, medication adherence and misuse, and more recently, vaccine hesitancy and misinformation, said College of Pharmacy Dean F. Lamar Pritchard, professor and Humana Endowed Deans Chair in Pharmacy. Our college is proud to join this broad-based initiative working toward evidence-based solutions to help create healthier communities nationwide.

Universities participating in the RAPID Alliance and its Medications 360 Study include American University of Health Sciences, Belmont University, Binghamton University, California Northstate University, Chapman University, Ferris State University, Howard University, Lipscomb University, Loma Linda University, Long Island University, Marshall University, Medical College of Wisconsin, Mercer University, North Dakota State University, Oregon Heath & Science University, Oregon State University, South Dakota State University, Sullivan University, Temple University, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, University of Cincinnati, University of Colorado, University of Georgia, University of Hawaii Hilo, University of Houston, University of Kentucky, University of Louisville, University of Michigan, University of Mississippi, University of Nebraska Medical Center, University of Nevada Reno, University of Pittsburgh, University of Rhode Island, University of South Carolina, University of Tennessee, Washington State University, Wayne State University, and Western University of Health Sciences.

We are delighted to see this multi-university research consortium developing, said Lucinda Maine, chief executive officer of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP), a founding member of the RAPID Alliance Practice Council. We believe national and state strategies driven by research are key to optimizing medication use for U.S. populations in the next decade.

The consortium plans to add up to 30 additional universities in the coming months to support the effort.

Want to join the strategic planning effort? Leading health care companies, associations, government agencies, foundations, technology providers and other stakeholders at national and state levels are invited and encouraged to have one or more strategic leaders participate in the strategic planning process.
Penelope Jackson, left, stabbed her husband of 24 years, David Jackson, right. (SWNS)

A woman accused of murdering her husband of 24 years told police she would do it again after being informed he had died, a court has heard.

Penelope Jackson, 66, stabbed her husband David, 78, in the kitchen of their home in Parsonage Road, Berrow, Somerset, on 13 February.

She has accepted manslaughter but denies murdering her husband, who she claims subjected her to "years of abuse".

On the second day of her trial at Bristol Crown Court on Tuesday, jurors heard she expressed joy when it was confirmed her husband had died from the stab wounds she inflicted at their home.

She was arrested after knifing David Jackson three times and refusing to offer help while he lay dying on the kitchen floor.

Prosecuting, Christopher Quinlan QC said Jackson was told the allegation had been upgraded to murder when she arrived at the police station.

David Jackson was found dead at the home he shared with his wife Penelope in Berrow, Somerset. (SWNS)

He said she replied: Oh, murder, not attempted murder? Oh, good.

The court heard she then told police: It was a long time coming. I am glad.

Read more: Tinder and Instagram 'predator' raped and assaulted teen girls

If I was given the chance again I would do it again even if they locked me up for 125 million years.

"I should have walked away years ago but I didn't. I deserve everything coming my way but sometimes you've got to do what you've got to do."

Jackson was detained by police who noted injuries on her arms and a small cut to her finger, and she was interviewed under caution the following day.

The court heard she had refused to answer questions but provided a statement.

She told police she had been the victim of "extreme violence" following the death of her husbands 28-year-old son Gavin, who killed himself in 1998, the court heard.

She then referred to an incident in December 2020 when she called police and locked her husband in the conservatory to protect herself before he smashed his way out and allegedly assaulted her.

She said that on 13 February she and her husband had enjoyed a video call with her daughter and son-in-law in which they all ate crab and lobster.

Story continues

Speaking about her husband, she told police: His face changed into something I had seen so many times. I knew at the end of the call there would be trouble."

She said she went to bed in fear and put a knife under her pillow.

I felt I could not do this any more and tried to take my own life by slitting my wrist. I told David I had had enough and could not go on."

She said Mr Jackson goaded her to use the knife.

Penelope Jackson has accepted manslaughter but denies murdering her husband, David. (SWNS)

She said: I did not intend to kill or do him serious harm, but I stabbed him once with a knife. I got up and went towards the kitchen.

I put the knife down and said, Now you know what it feels like.' He then came towards me but what happened next is not clear.

She added: I did not intend to kill him - I just wanted him to stop. I wanted David to know the years of abuse had to stop."

Mr Quinlan told the jury that when police carried out a search of the scene they discovered what he described as a "confession note".

The court heard the note read: I have taken so much abuse over the years  look at my records.

David Jackson tried to call 999 after being stabbed by his wife, Penelope. (SWNS)

But he was a good Daddy. However the mask slipped tonight. That was unforgivable.

I accept my punishment, may he rot in hell.

Mr Quinlan said it was clear the note had been written before the 999 call as police arrived during that period.

Read more: Scientist dubbed 'Britain's worst stalker' to remain behind bars

On Monday, the trial heard that Jackson told a 999 operator: I thought Id get his heart but he hasnt got one.

The victim managed to call emergency services, telling the operator his wife had stabbed him, and could be heard screaming in pain as Jackson allegedly drove the knife into him for the final time.

Jackson herself then took over the call, and calmly told the call handler: Ive killed my husband, or tried to, because Ive had enough.

When asked where he was, she replied: Hes in the kitchen bleeding to death with any luck.

Jackson denies murder but has accepted manslaughter.

The trial continues.

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Vladimir Peck Wins 2021 WSOP Event #18: $2,500 Mixed Triple Draw Lowball ($134,390)

October 12 2021 Christian Zetzsche

The 2021 World Series of Poker (WSOP) crowned another mixed game champion on Monday and Vladimir Peck prevailed in an intense heads-up duel with Venkata "Sandy" Tayi to claim his maiden gold bracelet in Event #18: $2,500 Mixed Triple Draw Lowball. It was the first tournament of the ongoing festival that required an extra day in order to divide up the lion's share of the $562,925 prize pool in a field of 253 entries.

Peck and Tayi entered the additional day with fewer than 15 big bets in play and the 44-year-old, who grew up in Chicago, won a key hand in 2-7 Triple Draw to get back in contention and turn things around. Peck spent the last ten years on the East Coast and frequently visited the Borgata and Parx. Poker has always been a recreational activity for Peck, who usually works in software engineering and took some time off from work to compete in the entire WSOP festival.

Tayi dominated large portions of the final table and held a commanding lead several times without being able to close it out on Day 3, getting involved in a lot of pots and getting there often. However, he had to settle for the runner-up spot and a consolation prize of $83,056. The victory for $134,390 also represents the biggest live cash for Peck, toppling the previous best score of $109,040 at the Borgata Summer Poker Open back in 2008.

Event #18: $2,500 Mixed Triple Draw Lowball Final Table Results

Place Winner Country Prize (in USD) 1 Vladimir Peck United States $134,390 2 Venkata Tayi United States $83,056 3 Joao Vieira Portugal $57,558 4 Aaron Rogers United States $40,443 5 Brian Yoon United States $28,818 6 Hal Rotholz United States $20,828 7 Carlos Rodriguez United States $15,272

It wasn't smooth sailing for Peck by any means en route to claiming his first gold bracelet as he was on the brink of elimination with fewer than one big bet behind several times. On Day 3 close to the seven-handed final table, Peck was seemingly always near the bottom of the leaderboard.

"I know I made a few folds that I would usually never make but there were these big stacks and suddenly the bets were so big," he said. "You pick a hand to get involved in and that's your tournament right there."

An early turning point on the unscheduled extra day came in A-5 Triple Drawn when Peck opted to break a ten and made a better seven-low.

"It was tough to do because sometimes he got those hands and I hate to break and pair up. It was a spot where I didn't think he was bluffing, he wasn't bluffing a lot. I made a lot of mistakes calling some of his bets with bluff catchers and he always had it."

It wasn't just about the money and the gold bracelet, however, but also an important lesson in mixed games as well, during which he considered Ace-To-Five as his best poker variant throughout the event.

"Honestly, I learned so much in just those three days because there were a lot of very good players in this tournament. I don't know if it's my best game but I think it's most likely that other people are not as good," he added.

Runner-Up Venkata Tayi.

Peck will be competing in tournaments throughout the entire series with a preference for further mixed game adventures.

"This is fun and reminds me more of playing poker as a kid where it was essentially Dealer's Choice. All these different random games, we just played a bunch of different games. The no-limit hold'em games are fun and big, and I will play some of those as well. The Dealer's Choice was a lot of fun and there were many very good players in it."

The tournament certainly showcased that it is never over until the final bet has vanished. Peck staged a similar comeback story as the defending champion Dan Zack, who achieved the same feat back in 2019 as well and came back from very few chips.

Also featured on the seven-handed final table were two WSOP bracelet winners in Brian Yoon and Joao Vieira. It was Yoon who dominated the early stages on Day 3 with two tables remaining but he eventually came up short of a fourth victory and bowed out in fifth place. Vieira was involved in a tense three-handed battle with Tayi and Peck, during which the topsy-turvy affair sent the Portuguese prodigy to the rail in third place.

Peck joins Vieira in the winner's circle and will certainly be involved in more tournaments of the 2021 World Series of Poker at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino.

Check out our 2021 WSOP Hub here!
Armenian analysts have responded with caution to apparent overtures between Yerevan and Ankara over a possible detente between the two countries, IWPR reports. Both Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have repeatedly hinted in recent weeks that they were prepared to begin talks on repairing bilateral relations.

The two countries have never established diplomatic ties and their shared border has been closed since the early 1990s. Relations further deteriorated last year over the 44-day Nagorony Karabakh war, in which Turkish military support for Azerbaijan may have played a decisive role in its victory. However, last month Erdogan said that Turkey was willing to open talks towards normalising ties if Armenia also declares its readiness to move in this direction. He has also raised the prospect of creating a regional platform that would help establish links from Turkeys Igdir to Azerbaijan, possibly via a rail route through Armenia.

In turn, Pashinyan told a September 8 cabinet meeting said that Erdogans remarks presented an opportunity to discuss normalisation of Armenia-Turkey relations and de-blockade the Armenia-Turkey railroad and [other] communications. We are ready for such discussions. Pashinyan added that global players including Russia, US, EU, China and India would welcome such a move. Oppositions figures have expressed scepticism about Pashinyans approach. Lawmaker Hayk Mamijanyan, of the Pativ Unem (I Have Honour) faction, said that Ankaras lack of extensive preconditions made him question whether Turkey might have already have received some kind of assurances. Critics have previously accused Pashinyan of covert negotiations to end the Karabakh war, in which Azerbaijan took control of extensive territory previously controlled by Armenia.

Mamijanyan said that Pashinyan should seek to dispel such doubts, or else [it means] he once again has decided to strike some sort of a backdoor deal. However CCA lawmaker Eduard Aghajanyan, who heads parliaments foreign relations committee, dismissed suggestions of any back door negotiations. He said that progress could not be made without separating Armenia relations with Turkey from those with Azerbaijan. We want Turkey to realise  and we ourselves need to do it too  that Azerbaijan and Turkey are totally different entities and individual players in the region, whose interests are not necessarily identical, Aghajanyan said.

Eric Hacopian, a contributor to Civilnet media, noted that successive governments in Armenia had supported the idea of normalising relations with Turkey without achieving any kind of breakthrough. He said that Bakus opposition may play a part in this stalemate. Azerbaijan thinks they can impose their will or get the worst for us-best possible for them deal and any kind of a Turkish rapprochement with Armenia actually would weaken the case, Hacopian said. He added, however, that domestic Turkish considerations might derail any fresh efforts to start talks, given that the National Movement Party (MHP)  part of Turkeys ruling coalition  would likely oppose better relations with Armenia.

As a result, Erdogan would be reluctant to press forward with any dialogue as he will need MHP support in the upcoming 2023 elections. His [Erdogans] words are meaningless, only his actions matter, Hacopian continued. I do not see anything changing on the primary relationship between those two countries until the fall of the Erdogan regime. However, historian Hrant Ter-Abrahamyan said that the very fact of holding talks with Turkey was in itself significant, even though it was important to have realistic expectations about what could be achieved.

There is a lot to talk about with Turkey and it is expected that Armenian society cannot have a positive attitude towards that state  that is quite natural for understandable reasons  but we need to be pragmatic, he said. If Armenia and Turkey have something to give and receive, if they expect something from us  and it is through a dialogue that such a thing can be revealed  then we should follow that path. We needed to have it done earlier.

Ara Sahakyan of the opposition Hayrenik (Homeland) party, said that although Armenian-Turkish relations needed to be slowly normalised, the internal politics of both countries did not currently support this. It needs to be done slowly, stage by stage, he said. The authorities need to understand that succeeding in laying the foundations of Armenian-Turkish relations would be an achievement by itself. But it will take more than one generation to achieve that. Such matters are not resolved by an [Armenian] government which has 53 per cent of votes, but rather by large coalitions.
Referring to recent visit of Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian to Beirut, the spokesman said the talks in Lebanon were after pursuing implementation of projects without paying attention to pressures and sanctions. Amirabdollahian and his delegation arrived in the Lebanese capital on October 7 to hold talks with the countrys top officials including the president, foreign minister and parliament speaker on various issues, IRNA reports.

About Amirabdollahians flight to Syria which took place after his visit to Lebanon, the spokesman dismissed the rumors about fueling the foreign ministers plane, adding that the visit to Damascus had been pre-scheduled and the fuel problem has been a smear.

Turning to the issue of the parliamentary election in Iraq, Khatibzadeh said that the event was in continuation of democracy in the country. The Islamic Republic of Iran welcomes successful elections in Iraq, he said, adding that Tehran thinks that Baghdad is on the right way to democracy. Also about attack on anti-Iranian bases in Iraq, the spokesman said that the Islamic Republic has told the Iraqi friends and those in Iraqi Kurdistan region over and over again that it is against neighborliness that some anti-Iran bases exist in Iraq.

Those bases cannot continue their work and Iran will act on the basis of its interests wherever needed, he underlined. Elsewhere, the spokesman mentioned about online talks between foreign ministers of Afghanistans neighboring countries and said that a meeting is slated to be held in Tehran but its time has not been set yet.

He went on to say that Russia, at the suggestion of Iran, will attend the Tehran meeting. Also about the situation of Afghan Shias, the spokesman said the situation of tthe Shias, women and freedom of expression are our red lines.

Touching upon Tehran-Baku ties, the spokesman said that the relations are normal and that Irans borders and its air space are open. The Islamic Republic has expressed its concerns and they have promised to remove them, Khatibzadeh said, stressing that Tehrans main principle follows brotherly behavior.

At his remarks, the spokesman referred to Iran-Saudi Arabia talks which as he noted are underway without interruption. Further, he referred to travel of the governor of a northeastern Iranian province to Afghanistan and said that Iran has good ties with the neighboring state. About the developments in Afghanistan, the spokesman said it is soon to discuss inclusive government in that country.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Khatibzadeh talked of Vienna talks and said they will be held. About time of return to the talks, the spokesman said it will be shorter than the US return.

About Azerbaijans drills in the Caspian Sea, the spokesman said the region is so sensitive and some events have made it more sensitive. Iran made its northwestern neighbors including Azerbaijan informed of its maneuvers, he said, stressing the importance of following principles of neighborliness. It is important to understand the regional conditions and follow principles of the Caspian Seas situation, he added.

About the presence of the Zionist regime of Israel in Azerbaijan, the spokesman said that Israel wants to make the region insecure, so Tehran and Baku should pay attention to not let the third party interfere in their bilateral ties. Iran is not kidding about its national security, he said. Turning to the Climate Change Conference slated for late October in Scotland, Khatibzadeh said that Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi will not attend the event and had no plan to do so; meanwhile, a delegation from Iran will participate the conference.

Again about Vienna talks, the spokesman said all sides who come to Vienna for talks should have right understanding about this issue that they cannot run away from their commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). He went on to say that they should assure Iran that no sides would violate the international nuclear deal, aka JCPOA. Asked whether Iran will substitute a transit route for that in Azerbaijan, the spokesman stressed that Iran due to neighborliness will not replace any country with another.

There has been no discussion about substitution, but Iranian products should be dispatched without problems, he added. About relations with Iraq and Iraqi Kurdistan region, the spokesman said that Irans economic ties with Iraq are at the excellent level and that the main problem is the issue of paying debts by Iraq. At the end of his briefing, the spokesman talked of Tehran-Moscow relations and said that the final parts of document on comprehensive cooperation between the two countries are under finalization.
Abdul Qadeer Khan, considered to be the father of Pakistans nuclear weapons programme and later accused of smuggling technology to Iran, North Korea and Libya, has died aged 85. The Guardian reports that the atomic scientist, who spent the last years of his life under heavy guard, died in the capital, Islamabad, where he had recently been hospitalised with Covid-19.

Khan died after being transferred with lung problems to the citys KRL hospital, the state-run broadcaster PTV reported. He had been admitted to the same hospital in August with Covid-19. After returning home several weeks ago, he was rushed back after his condition deteriorated. Khan was hailed as a national hero for transforming Pakistan into the worlds first Islamic nuclear weapons power and strengthening its clout against rival and fellow nuclear-armed nation India. However, he was declared by the west to be a dangerous renegade for sharing technology with rogue nuclear states.

The news of Khans death prompted an outpouring of grief and praise for his legacy. Deeply saddened by the passing of Dr AQ Khan, tweeted Pakistans prime minister, Imran Khan, stressing how loved the nuclear scientist had been within the country because of his critical contribution in making us a nuclear weapon state. For the people of Pakistan he was a national icon.

Khan was lauded for bringing the nation up to par with India in the atomic field and making its defences impregnable, but he found himself under international scrutiny when he was accused of illegally sharing nuclear technology with Iran, Libya and North Korea.

Born in Bhopal, India on 1 April 1936, Khan was just a young boy when his family migrated to Pakistan during the bloody 1947 partition at the end of British colonial rule. He took a science degree at Karachi University in 1960, then went on to study metallurgical engineering in Berlin before completing advanced studies in the Netherlands and Belgium. His crucial contribution to Pakistans nuclear programme was the procurement of a blueprint for uranium centrifuges, which transform uranium into weapons-grade fuel for nuclear fissile material. He was charged with stealing it from the Netherlands while working for the Anglo-Dutch-German nuclear engineering consortium Urenco, and bringing it back to Pakistan in 1976. On his return to Pakistan, the then prime minister, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, put Khan in charge of the governments nascent uranium enrichment project.

By 1978, his team had enriched uranium and by 1984 they were ready to detonate a nuclear device, Khan later said in a newspaper interview. Khan maintained that nuclear defence was the best deterrent. After Islamabad carried out atomic tests in 1998 in response to tests by India, Khan insisted Pakistan never wanted to make nuclear weapons. It was forced to do so. None of the controversies that dogged Khans career appeared to dent his popularity at home. Many schools, universities, institutes and charity hospitals across Pakistan are named after him, his portrait decorating their signs, stationery and websites.
Exactly a year ago, on September 27, 2020, Azerbaijan's Patriotic War began. On that day, Armenia's occupying forces subjected the positions of the armed forces of Azerbaijan along the front line and the adjacent populated areas in Azerbaijan to intensive fire with the use of large-calibre weapons, artillery and mortars. Baku decided to launch a counter-offensive operation to ensure the safety of the civilian population. Vestnik Kavkaza offers its readers to follow the events of the 44 days of Azerbaijan's Patriotic War as they were covered a year ago.

On the sixteenth day of the war, October 12, the Armenian occupation troops continued shelling the front-line settlements of Azerbaijan and attempted to re-capture the positions from which they had been driven out earlier by the liberation Azerbaijani army. Armenian drones were destroyed while trying to cross the border and the front line.



Italy condemned Armenia's war crimes, the U.S. drew the first conclusions about the nature of hostilities in the 21st century on the basis of the Patriotic War of Azerbaijan. The Iranian Foreign Ministry stressed that the occupied lands of Azerbaijan must be de-occupied.

Azerbaijan organized a trip for representatives of the diplomatic corps and international organizations to Ganja and Mingachevir, which were attacked by Armenia. Meanwhile, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan acknowledged Yerevan's territorial claims against Georgia.



The Armenian Foreign Minister, arriving in Moscow the day after the terrorist attack in Ganja, where an Armenian medium-range missile killed ten people, complained to his Russian colleague about Azerbaijan's violation of the ceasefire. The Russian Foreign Minister, in response, urged not to drag out the peace talks. The Kremlin stressed the fundamental importance of observing the ceasefire agreements.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev stressed Baku's commitment to the implementation of agreements that were violated by Armenia. The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry has published the video footage from Suleymanli village of Jabrayil district liberated from the occupation. ANAS said that most of the historical and cultural monuments in the occupied lands were destroyed.



The Russian Foreign Ministry disclosed the details of the armistice talks that took place three days earlier. In the evening, a telephone conversation between the heads of the Prosecutor General's Offices of Russia and Azerbaijan took place. The head of the Federation Council, in turn, phoned the speakers of the parliaments of Azerbaijan and Armenia, and the Russian defense minister - with his Turkish counterpart. Finally, the Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation spoke with representatives of the OSCE Minsk Group.

Late in the evening, video footage of the aftermath of the terrorist attack in Ganja was published by Russian media outlets.

Thus, on the sixteenth day of the war, the Azerbaijani army continued to advance towards Fizuli and drive out the invaders from the villages of the Jebrail region, which were trying to re-occupy the liberated lands. The intensity of shelling of Azerbaijani settlements decreased after the terrorist attack in Ganja on the eve of the Armenian Foreign Minister's visit to Moscow. The diplomatic work of the Russian authorities intensified to restore the ceasefire regime, which was officially introduced two days earlier, but lasted less than half an hour.
The National Anti-Terrorism Committee reported on the prevention of 29 terrorist attacks in the North Caucasus in three years and the destruction of 84 militants.

In addition, the press service of the department said that 379 accomplices of terrorists were detained in three years.

"In three years in the North Caucasus, 29 terrorist attacks were suppressed, 84 bandits were eliminated in the North Caucasus Federal District in three years, 379 accomplices were detained," it was reported.
Azerbaijan Tourism Week has kicked off on October 11 within the Expo 2020 Dubai international exhibition.

According to the State Tourism Agency (DTA), various events will be held in the Azerbaijan pavilion within the week organized by the Heydar Aliyev Center.

First, the DTA and the Azerbaijan Tourism Bureau (ATB) presented Azerbaijan's agro and gastro tourism potentials.

Attending the event, ATB CEO Florian Sengstschmid noted that the exhibition, which will last until March, is an important platform for presenting Azerbaijan's numerous tourism opportunities. He said that a series of events dedicated to Azerbaijan's promotion will be held in the national pavilion until the end of March 2022.

The opening day also featured a presentation of a national tourism product called "The Ark of Taste" of the Slow Food international project, which combined the potential of Azerbaijan's agro-gastro tourism and was funded by the European Union.

Azerbaijan is represented at Expo 2020 Dubai with a national pavilion designed with the "Seeds of the Future" theme.

The interactive electronic devices in the national pavilion present videos on Azerbaijan's history, geography, culture, and modern art. They also provide information on the sustainable development and innovations of Azerbaijan in the economic and social spheres under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, the construction work carried out in Azerbaijani lands liberated as a result of the 44-day Patriotic War.

As part of the Tourism Week, presentations demonstrating the tourism potential of Azerbaijan's different regions will be held: "From the semi-desert to dense forests" about Baku, Lankaran and Lerik, "From the lowest point to the highest" covering Baku, Khizi, Guba and Gusar, "Ancient traces, amazing views" about Baku, Shamakhi, Ismayilli, Gabala, "Therapeutic nature, inspiring history" covering Baku, Ganja, Naftalan and Goygol.

The exhibition, which started on October 1, will last until March 31, 2022.
A pavilion "Window to Azerbaijani culture", created by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, has opened in the Park of Culture "Ancient Settlements" of Chinese Benbu city.

The pavilion is the first of a limited number of foreign national pavilions that opened in the park.

The pavilion includes carpets and rugs, samples of art made of copper, arts and crafts and shebeke art, ornaments, national costumes, musical instruments, as well as publications of the Foundation on Azerbaijani culture, history, modern development of our country, national souvenirs. In addition, among the exhibits are a bust of the great Azerbaijani poet and thinker Nizami Ganjavi, sculptures from the cycle "Kharybulbul", "Giz Galasy" and "Gazelle", imitation of rock paintings of Gobustan.

Various souvenirs about Azerbaijan are presented to visitors at the "I love Baku" stand. The monitors installed in the pavilion show videos about Azerbaijani culture, history and modern architecture of our country, prestigious events held in Azerbaijan.

According to the agreement reached, the Azerbaijani pavilion will operate on a long-term basis, and millions of guests of the Ancient Settlements Culture Park, one of the largest tourism projects in China, will be able to receive information about Azerbaijani culture every year.

On October 11, Deputy Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China Wang Chen, leaders of Anhui Province and Bengbu City, representatives of the diplomatic corps in China visited the Azerbaijani pavilion opened in the "Ancient Settlements" Park.

Park of Culture "Ancient Settlements", built around Longji Lake in Bengbu, is a major cultural project covering an area of 333 hectares. It has 450 buildings in the style of traditional Chinese architecture, including similar temples that hold a special place in the history and culture of China. About 10,000 rare species of trees have been planted in the park. The "Ancient Settlement" Park, supported by the Anhui Provincial Government and Bengbu City, serves as a historical, cultural and environmental museum. The park will not only display pavilions dedicated to Chinese culture, various regions of the country, Chinese historical figures and famous artists, but also the culture of various peoples.
Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi hosted a special summit of the Group of 20 major economies on Tuesday to discuss Afghanistan, as worries grow about a looming humanitarian disaster following the Taliban's return to power.

"The summits focus points include urgent humanitarian support for the Afghan population, the fight against terrorism, freedom of movement inside the country and open borders," Draghi's office said in a brief statement.

The video conference kicked off at 1.00 p.m. (11:00 GMT) and was due to last around 2-1/2 hours, Reuters reported.

U.S. President Joe Biden, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Europe's G20 leaders were expected to take part. However, Chinese President Xi Jinping did not dial in and it was not clear if Russian President Vladimir Putin would participate, underscoring differing international positions on the emergency.

The U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres joined Tuesday's summit, highlighting the central role being given to the United Nations in dealing with Afghanistan - in part because many countries don't want direct relations with the Taliban.

Two neighbouring states, Pakistan and Iran, were not invited to join Tuesday's G20 call, but Qatar, which has played a key role as an interlocutor between the Taliban and the West, was taking part.

Since the Taliban took over Afghanistan on August 15, the country - already struggling with drought and severe poverty after decades of war - has seen its economy all but collapse, raising the spectre of an exodus of refugees.
Greece will increase the number of border guards on the country's border with Turkey, fearing a spike in illegal migration linked to the crisis in Afghanistan, officials said Monday.

An additional 250 officers will join the 1,500-strong border force over several months, with the number rising from around 1,000 early last year. About 800 extra border guard personnel will also be hired to staff airports and regions close to the Greek-Turkish border, The AP reported.

The increase was spurred in part by the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan, according to authorities. Greece has toughened its migration policy and border policing over the last two years, extending a wall along its land border with Turkey and installing a high-tech surveillance network to try and deter asylum-seekers from making the crossing.

Greece has also denied mounting allegations by human rights groups that migrants caught after crossing into Greece are being summarily deported without being allowed to claim asylum.
Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov dismissed Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Ulukbek Maripov, as well as the entire government, on Tuesday, the presidential press service said.

"The president signed a decree on the resignation of Kyrgyzstans Cabinet of Ministers. According to the document, the current government has been dismissed," the statement reads.

Furthermore, Japarov dismissed Maripov, Chairman of the government, by another decree.

According to the presidents decision, those who held posts in the Cabinet "will continue to fulfill their duties until the new government is declared." At the same time, Maripov "has been relieved of his duties as Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers." The Kyrgyz president appointed then Minister of Economy Akylbek Japarov as new Chairman of the Cabinet and Head of Presidential Administration. As head of the administration, Japarov succeeded Suyunbek Kasmambetov, who took over as Kyrgyzstans Secretary of State.

On Monday, the Kyrgyz leader signed a constitutional law, previously adopted by the parliament, according to which the Head of the Presidential Administration also chairs the Cabinet.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is on a working visit to Russia, the PM's spokeswoman Mane Gevorgyan wrote on Facebook.

Earlier, it was reported that Pashinyan will pay a working visit to Russia on October 12.

Pashinyan will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. The parties will discuss the implementation of the trilateral statements of November 9, 2020 and January 11, 2021, as well as the further steps to strengthen stability, resumption of economic ties, and current developments in the region.

In addition, the leaders will discuss issues on the agenda of Armenian-Russian allied relations, as well as further cooperation in integration unions.
Regional arch-rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran are showing signs of warming relations, a foreign diplomat said.

A foreign diplomat residing in the kingdom who is privy to the negotiations said that the two sides "were on the verge of agreeing... to ease tensions between them and the (diplomatic) proxy war in the region" during the last round of talks.

The foreign diplomat said the two sides would "most likely put the final touches to an agreement" in a new round of talks that could come within days.

"They, in principle, have reached an agreement to reopen consulates... and I think an announcement of normalisation of ties may come in the next few weeks," the diplomat told AFP on condition of anonymity.

Saudi Arabia and Iran cut ties in 2016 after protesters attacked Saudi diplomatic missions in the Islamic republic following the kingdom's execution of a revered Shiite cleric.

In recent weeks, officials from both countries, on opposing sides in multiple Middle East conflicts, have spoken positively about breakthrough talks held in Baghdad since April.

The discussions were launched under Iran's former moderate president Hassan Rouhani and have continued under his ultraconservative successor, Ebrahim Raisi.
Despite impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the inflow of foreign direct investment (FDI) into Vietnam still rose 4.4 percent year on year in the first nine months of 2021 to 22.15 billion USD.

Despite COVID-19 impacts, Nestle has announced that it will invest an additional 132 million USD in Vietnam. (Photo: congthuong.vn)

An upturn was recorded in both value of investment to new projects as well as additional capital to existing ones. Specifically, 12.5 billion USD was poured into 2,212 newly-licensed projects, up 20.6 percent over the same period last year, while 6.4 billion USD was added into underway projects, a rise of 25.6 percent.

Particularly, Vietnam saw many large-scale FDI projects in the January-September period.

According to Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Thi Bich Ngoc, the result manifested the attractiveness of the Vietnamese market and foreign investors confidence in Vietnams capacity in controlling the pandemic and its economic recovery as well as the effectiveness of measures taken by the Government to accompany and support businesses.

The fourth wave of COVID-19 infections in Vietnam since late April that caused prolonged social distancing in many provinces and cities nationwide has greatly affected production and business activities in the country.

However, many foreign investors have remained optimistic about the business and investment environment in Vietnam, and affirmed that Vietnam will still be a top choice for their new and expanded projects.

Binu Jacob, CEO of Nestle Vietnam, pledged that the company will continue to expand its investment in Vietnam and make more contributions to the countrys sustainable growth and socio-economic development.

Meanwhile, Choi Joo Ho, General Director of Samsung Vietnam, said that Vietnam is providing an attractive investment environment for foreign investors thanks to its numerous advantages.

Vietnam sees FDI shift to hi-tech industries: Experts

Foreign direct investment (FDI) flows into Vietnam are shifting to hi-tech sectors, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ha Van Hoi from the UEB-VNU has said.

The FDI from large corporations who own advanced technologies is setting the scene for transfer of technology, know-how and expertise to Vietnamese enterprises to improve their competitive edge and build capacity for local economic sectors, he told an international conference on Global FDI and Responses of FDI Enterprises in Vietnam in the New Context held last week.

Echoing Hois view, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi Minh Nhan from the University of Commerce said studies show that there is a shift in FDI from the textile and garment industry to hi-tech industries, for example, computer and electronics manufacturing.

Hoi made several recommendations to help Vietnam lure more new-generation FDI, saying it is necessary to produce outstanding and competitive incentives to attract high-tech, eco-friendly projects, particularly those building R&D and innovative centres in Vietnam; and to strengthen linkages between foreign and domestic investors and facilitate technology transfer.

The country should also accelerate investment promotion to catch the eye of financially capable and experienced multinationals; keep a close watch on the movement of FDI and technologies into Vietnam to select proper investment projects; and enhance human resources quality, he added.

According to Assoc. Prof, Dr Nguyen Truc Le, Rector of the Vietnam National University (VNU)s University of Economics and Business (UEB), Vietnam was named among the worlds Top 20 FDI recipients for the first time last year.

The new normal may pose various challenges to Vietnam but it also provides the country with many chances, he said, adding that these opportunities have been driven by the governments highly-regarded effort to keep the COVID-19 at bay and boost economic growth at the same time for months. Vietnam is also taking advantage of new-generation free trade agreements to draw more FDI, he continued.

The launch of new incentives to selectively attract FDI and improve business climate also play a role in enhancing the quality of the FDI, he cited.

Expectation from the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) is driving the FDI from the EU into Vietnam, said Prof. Dr. Andreas Stoffers, Country Director of Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom in Vietnam.

Vietnam is the most attractive destination among ASEAN member states, Stoffers said. Having one of the most liberal economic systems in the region, Vietnam offers appealing conditions for foreign investors to actively do business in the country, he noted, adding that it was not without reason that Vietnam was chosen by the EU to sign a trade pact with./.

Source: VNA
Intel Corp. and Samsung Electronics Co. are both aiming to resume full operations of their HCM City plants by the end of November.

The US' business publication Bloomberg has recently published an article to highlight that Intel Corp. and Samsung Electronics Co. are both aiming to resume full operations of their HCM City plants by the end of November, a move that could provide relief to global supply chains.

At present Saigon Hi-Tech Park is helping many of its tenants, several of whom are currently running at approximately 70% capacity, to operate fully next month, according to Le Bich Loan, the parks deputy manager, during a phone interview.

According to the article, Loan did not elaborate further on the steps that the park is taking, particularly with regards to the efforts aimed at bringing back workers who fled to their home provinces due to COVID-19.

The newswire stated that the Ho Chi Minh City unit of Nidec Sankyo Corp., maker of magnetic card readers and micro motors, is also looking to return to full operation in late November, Saigon Giai Phong reported, citing details given by Loan.

Samsung, Intel, and Nidec Sankyo did not immediately respond to requests for comment, according to the article.

The technology park is home to dozens of factories that produce components or services for global companies. Several companies operating within the Saigon Hi-Tech Park lost roughly 20% of their export orders in July and August due to COVID-19, Loan was quoted as saying by Saigon Giai Phong newspaper.

Throughout July Samsung shut three of its 16 workshops in Saigon Hi-Tech as it reduced workers at its HCMC CE Complex by more than half. Elsewhere, Intel, which has a test and assembly plant in Saigon Hi-Tech, had its workers on a sleepover arrangement in a bid to avoid halting operations.

Domestically, Samsung has six factories and is building a research and development centre. With 110,000 local employees, Samsung has invested more than US$17.7 billion in the country, with export turnover reaching more than US$56 billion last year.

During a recent meeting with the Prime Minister, Choi Joo-ho, general director of Samsung Vietnam, said that the company achieved a growth rate of 10% from January to July compared to the same period last year, and that if the factory in Ho Chi Minh City resumes normal operations, Samsung could exceed this year's export target.

Source: VOV/Bloomberg
Sugar producers expect the 2021-2022 crop, which is starting from July 1, will be more prosperous.

Lam Son Sugar's products on a shelf in a supermarket.  Photo tinnhanhchungkhoan.vn

Lam Son Sugar JSC (LSS) plans revenue and profit growth of 15-20 per cent in the new crop year, partly supported by increased protection measures for the domestic sugar industry, Le Trung Thanh, Vice President of the Board of Directors of Lam Son Sugar, told tinnhanhchungkhoan.vn.

On September 21, the Ministry of Industry and Trade issued Decision 2171/QD-BCT on investigating and applying measures to prevent evasion of trade remedies, including anti-dumping and anti-subsidy measures, on sugar products originating from Thailand.

The probe is based on the accusation of representatives of the domestic industry and the Vietnam Sugar and Sugarcane Association (VSSA) as they believed that Thailands sugar products have evaded trade remedies through five ASEAN countries including Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia and Myanmar.

Malaysia does not grow sugarcane, while Indonesia and Cambodia do not produce enough sugar products and often have to import sugar. But now there are sufficient sugar products to export to Vietnam.

The decision to investigate circumvention of trade remedies on sugar originating from Thailand will bring fairness to domestic sugarcane businesses, Trung added.

The move is right and timely. Many countries dont grow sugarcane, hence dont produce sugar, but import sugar from Thailand and then export to Vietnam, causing damage to Vietnamese businesses and taxes.

We expect that in the new crop year, the sugarcane industry will thrive on the positive impacts of this investigation.

Previously, the Ministry of Industry and Trade has imposed anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duties at the rate of 47.6 per cent on refined sugar and raw sugar imported from Thailand for five years, effective from June 16.

VSSA said that since the imposition of the duties, sugar imports from Thailand have dropped to a low of 15,000 tonnes in June compared to a peak of 183,000 tonnes in April 2020. Smuggled sugar has been strictly controlled as the country closed its border to control the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Thailands sugar products have reportedly evaded taxes by transiting in other ASEAN countries before arriving in Vietnam.

Spreading momentum

With the tax rate of 47.6 per cent imposed on imported refined sugar and raw sugar, small factories importing raw sugar will not be profitable, said SSI Securities Corporation (SSI). Therefore, the expansion of sugarcane areas is very important for the growth of the sugar industry in the coming years.

Many enterprises such as Lam Son Sugar, Quang Ngai Sugar SJC (QNS) and Son La Sugar JSC (SLS) have been focusing on expanding sugarcane growing areas.

In the 2021-2022 crop year, VSSA expects the sugarcane growing areas to increase by about 10-20 per cent and the expansion may continue in the following years when farmers reap good profits from sugarcane.

Enterprises have the motivation to invest in expanding productivity, raising output, expanding sugarcane planting areas in the new crop year, as well as supporting farmers to push the price of sugarcane higher. In the future, the price of sugarcane may climb by 15-20 per cent, Trung from Lam Son Sugar said.

Meanwhile, Quang Ngai Sugar expects the output of sugarcane in the current crop year to rise by 50 per cent and by 40 per cent in 2022-2023. Increased operating capacity will boost revenue and profit.

Similarly, Son La Sugar sees sugarcane output increasing in the next crop year.

SSI said that in the current crop year, Son La Sugars consumption volume will grow by 14 per cent year-on-year, with an estimated gross margin up 25 - 29.5 per cent on the expectation of 31 per cent higher selling prices and 77 per cent increase in operating capacity.

It is forecast that the worlds sugar deficit is 3.8 million tonnes of sugar in the 2021-2022 crop year, after being short of 3.1 million tonnes in the previous year.

Bullish sentiment on stock market

The sugarcane industry is a cyclical group, with enterprises revenues and profits often fluctuating according to the selling price. With the positive outlook from the policy to protect domestic sugar products and the uptrend of sugar prices, businesses in the industry have foundations for growth in 2021 - 2022, helping stock prices to move positively.

Since June, when the Ministry of Industry and Trade imposed anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duties on sugar products originating from Thailand, sugar stocks jumped.

During June 1 - September 22, LSSs share price surged 74 per cent and QNS shares rose 36 per cent. These companies share prices are only equivalent to the prices at the beginning of 2021.

Thanh Thanh Cong - Bien Hoa JSC (SBT) shares struggled, mostly in the range of VND18,000 - 22,000 per share. Given the positive news for sugar producers, investors expect that the stock group will continue to rally in the near future.

Currently, businesses in the industry have not announced business plans for the fiscal year 2022, starting from June 30, 2021 to June 30, 2022, but with positive signs from the market, SSI believes that SBT can reach VND19.8 trillion in revenue and VND825 billion in profit, up 33 per cent and 32 per cent over last year, respectively.

In the past five years, sugar stocks have been valued at a low level due to fierce competition from Thailands sugar. But as trade remedies are effective for the domestic sugar industry, this issue will improve, creating a bullish sentiment for the stocks.

Source: Vietnam News

Sugar industry eyes solid 2021 after bitter year The domestic sugar industry looks brighter in 2021 on the effort to control smuggling and the imposition of duties on sugar imported from Thailand.
Localities need to keep calm but stay vigilant over pandemic developments, and not be impatient in making decisions, said Party Committee Secretary General Nguyen Phu Trong.

In his closing remarks at the fourth Party Central Committees plenum on October 7, Trong stressed that its necessary to implement feasible plans to prevent and control the pandemic, and effectively remedy the consequences caused by the outbreak.

Prior to that, on September 25, at the online session of the National Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control with 63 cities/provinces, 705 districts, towns and 10,400 communes/wards, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh summarized lessons mentioned by the participants.

The committee and local authorities agreed on shifting from a zero Covid strategy to safe and flexible adaption and effective control over the pandemic, recovering the economy when fighting the pandemic.

Vietnam will continue to pursue the 5K (in Vietnamese: Khau trang  facemask, Khu khuan  disinfection, Khoang cach  distance, Khong tu tap - no gathering, Khai bao y te - health declaration) message + vaccine and drugs + technology + peoples awareness of testing, quarantine and treatment, as well as the harmonious combination of prevention and attack, the smallest possible isolation areas, faster testing and flexible operations.

The purposeful distancing lesson

The Prime Ministers official telegram to localities about measures to fight Covid-19 has the message of turning communes/wards/towns into fortresses and turning people into soldiers in the fight against the pandemic.

The clear message of the Prime Ministers instructions is that localities must implement purposeful social distancing, which means they must set detailed targets when imposing distancing campaigns.

Social distancing must be implemented within the smallest possible spheres (hamlets, residential quarters). This is a turning point in Vietnams actions to fight the pandemic. Localities wont isolate entire districts or provinces when positive Covid-19 cases are found as they did in the past.

Vietnam will continue to pursue the 5K principle + vaccine and drugs + technology + peoples awareness of testing, quarantine and treatment, as well as the harmonious combination of prevention and attack, the smallest possible isolation areas, faster testing and flexible operations.

When imposing lockdowns, localities must strive to control the pandemic as quickly as possible, within 14 days and drastically apply necessary measures to reach that goal.

Ha Nam province has been cited by Chinh as a good example of pursuing the strategy set by the national committee.

Ha Nam Province's Chairman Truong Quoc Huy stressed the importance of testing in areas with high risks, saying that the testing campaigns helped discover 99 cases. Carrying out tests at a lightening speed, faster than the virus spreads, plays a decisive role in fighting the pandemic.

Huy also mentioned the experience on localizing hotbeds. At first, the province intended to impose social distancing on the entire city of Phu Ly with 180,000 people.

However, he was warned by the Prime Minister that large-scale isolation would arouse difficulties in goods circulation and food supply to people. Finally, the local authorities decided to isolate some places only after an urgent night meeting. In a ward with 12,000 people, only one alley with 36 households and 100 people was isolated.

Testing must be faster than virus spread

When the outbreak occurred in HCM City, the local authorities decided that it was necessary to carry out large-scale testing campaign. The decision then faced opposition from some people, who believed it was unnecessary and too costly. However, the results have shown that it was a right decision.

On September 11, Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long said at a meeting that if Hanoi had not organized large-scale testing, it would have had hundreds of thousands of infection cases.

After three lockdowns, Hanoi Mayor Chu Ngoc Anh signed a decision on testing 100 percent of people in the city from September 6 to 12.

With support from neighboring provinces, Hanoi fulfilled the testing campaign and gave 600,000 vaccination jabs a day, paving the way for the loosening of lockdown.

Kien Giang Party Committee Secretary Do Thanh Binh on September 25 said that after being criticized by the PM, the province immediately implemented five important tasks as instructed by PM to fix problems.

The province conducted large-scale testing, with a focus on communes/wards/towns with high and very high risks in five districts and cities within five days and through three campaigns.

Thanks to drastic measures, it has controlled the situation, re-considered the risk levels and decided to change the status by region since September 20.

Safe adaptation

In treatment strategy, Vietnam made a turning point when, instead of bringing all positive cases to medical units, it let asymptomatic patients and patients with mild symptoms stay at home and be treated with drugs delivered to them. The new strategy has helped ease overloading at healthcare facilities.

According to HCM City Vice Mayor Duong Anh Duc, the city has shifted to paying higher attention to treatment at grassroots level, timely treating newly discovered positive cases, quickly organizing tests and delivering drugs, giving psychological advice and instructing patients about how to take care for themselves.

According to Duc, the flexibility in treatment has helped ease the rate of patients becoming more severely ill or dying, and has mitigated the pressure on concentrated quarantine zones and field hospitals.

To implement the new strategy, the city has established 531 mobile clinics, strengthened counseling and monitored positive cases from a distance via Switchboard 1022, and improved the performance of the 115 emergency service.

Bao Van

Hanoi isolation and vaccination strategy helped curb spread of Covid-19 Hanoi's strategy of quickly isolating areas where positive cases were found and carrying out testing campaigns at "lightening speed" helped prevent the spread of the virus.
Completing a first university degree in biochemistry and participating in many extracurricular activities, Vuong Truc Linh has been accepted to four pharmacy schools in the US.

Vuong Truc Linh

Linh is now a freshman at the University of Texas at Austin's College of Pharmacy.

Prior to that, she graduated from Central High School in the US.

In 2018, realizing that she was good at mathematics and chemistry, Linh decided to apply for the biochemistry major at Washington State University (WSU) with a partial tuition scholarship.

After the first year at WSU, she was determined to study pharmacy and decided to accelerate her study to finish the school early with a high GPA.

I registered 18 credits each semester and I studied throughout summers. I also worked as a teaching assistant in mathematics and joined scientific research projects on drugs and prostate cancer cells in a lab headed by a professor of the school, she recalled.

She attended a lot of community activities, becoming chair of the Vietnamese students club at WSU, working as a volunteer at hospitals and taking an extra job at drugstores.

Linh said her timetable was always full.

Her great efforts were rewarded with the GPA of 3.8/4.0 after three years of study, which allowed her to finish school early.

In November 2020, Linh applied for a series of pharmacy schools with letters of introduction from professors and pharmacists with whom Linh once collaborated. However, she believes that the essay was an important factor that persuaded the enrollment council to admit her.

I wrote about the reasons why I chose to study pharmacy. I want to help people to better understand about drugs and how to use drugs most effectively. And I explained why I chose to become a pharmacist, not a nurse or a physician. I also mentioned the difficulties I had and how I overcame the challenges, she recalled.

According to Linh, if candidates dont have high GPAs, they need to prepare their essays very well. Schools not only consider GPAs to choose students but all aspects of candidates.

In addition, preparing carefully for interview is a good way for candidates to leave a good impression on the admission council.

Good news came in early 2021. Four schools accepted Linh, namely University of Texas at Austin's College of Pharmacy, Washington State University, Oregon State University and University of Washington's College of Pharmacy. Two of them granted a 50 percent scholarship.

She finally chose the University of Texas at Austin's College of Pharmacy, though the school doesnt offer scholarship. But it has research projects fitting her study orientation. Linh plans to take a job to earn money to cover her basic needs and study.

Ngoc Linh

VN girl's bumpy road to the world's leading research institute As a student who once failed entrance exams to universities, Doan Thi Hai Duong has just won a scholarship with a monthly stipend of 2.800 in a doctoral program at Max Planck for Plant Breeding Institute  Germany.
The Health Ministrys National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology held a ceremony in Hanoi on October 12 to receive 77 ultra-low temperature freezers donated by the US.

At the event (Photo: suckhoedoisong.vn)

Speaking at the event, Deputy Minister of Health Truong Quoc Cuong highlighted the significance of the donation, saying that it is a meaningful gesture that is a great source of encouragement for the Vietnamese Government and people amid the current difficult period.

He said previously, the US Government also presented and provided 9.5 million doses of Moderna and Pfizer vaccines to Vietnam via COVAX Facility mechanism when the entire Vietnamese political system and people were striving to control the spread of the pandemic.

Charge d'Affaires a.i at the US Embassy in Vietnam Christopher Klein, for his part, recalled that Vietnam had presented millions of personal protective suits to the US during the hardest period of fighting the pandemic last year.

He expressed his belief that with cooperation, the countries will defeat the pandemic./.

Source: VNA
Vietnam has detected 2,949 coronavirus cases in 43 cities and provinces across the country during the past 24 hours, a record low daily figure in the past two and a half months.

The October 12 figure showed a fall of 678 cases compared to the previous day, the Ministry of Health said in its 06.00pm coronavirus update on October 12.

As many as 1,183 cases were detected in the community through random testing or test screening, and 10 people tested upon their returning from overseas. The remaining cases were diagnosed in the lockdown and quarantine areas.

Notably, Ho Chi Minh City, the countrys largest coronavirus hotspot, recorded 1,018 new cases, down by 509 cases from a day ago. Elsewhere, Tien Giang reported only 20 new cases, down by 47 cases.

Meanwhile, Tay Ninh, Bac Lieu, and Gia Lai saw their daily counts increase by 57, 37 and 35 cases to 112, 51 and 48 cases respectively.

Ha Nam, the largest coronavirus hotspot in the north, did not register a single new case during the day, though its tally of infections has risen to more than 600.

As of 06.00pm on October 12, Vietnam has recorded 846,230 coronavirus cases since the start of the outbreak in January 2020, and 841,592 locally acquired infections following the resurgence of the virus in late April 2021.

Of the total, 783,278 patients have been discharged from hospital after making a full recovery from the disease, including 1,347 recoveries announced on October 12.

The MoH has also confirmed 93 COVID-19 deaths during the past 24 hours, with HCM City and Binh Duong reporting 64 and 13 fatalities respectively.

So far the COVID-19 death toll in Vietnam has risen to 20,763, making up 2.4% of the total number of infections.

More than 55.2 million vaccine doses have been administered nationwide, with more than 16.1 million people getting their second shot.

Source: VOV
The Charge d'Affaires of the U.S. Embassy Ha Noi, Christopher Klein (right) talks with Dr. ang uc Anh, Director of the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology (NIHE) in front of the newly arrived ultra-cold freezers on Tuesday.  VNA/VNS Photo Minh Quyet

HA NOI  The US has delivered 36 ultra-low temperature freezers to the Ministry of Health at the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology (NIHE) to assist Viet Nam in storing life-saving COVID-19 vaccines.

These freezers are the first of 111 ultra-low temperature, medical-grade storage units that the U.S. Department of Defence is providing to the Government of Viet Nam, with a total value of approximately US$1 million.

These freezers can reach between -40C to 90C and are suitable for storing vaccines that require extremely cold temperatures, such as the 3 million does of Pfizer vaccine that has arrived from the United States since October 2. Viet Nams purchase contract with the US company is to deliver 31 million doses within this year.

NIHE will keep 14 of the freezers for national-level distribution while 63 will be sent to regional distribution centres throughout the country.

The remaining 34 units were requested by the Pasteur Institute in HCM City City. The addition of these storage units will greatly improve Viet Nams capacity and flexibility in distributing and storing COVID-19 vaccines nationwide.

"The support of 9.5 million vaccine doses from the US through bilateral and COVAX mechanisms is a meaningful gesture to the Vietnamese Government and people in this challenging time," Deputy Health Minister Truong Quoc Cuong said at the symbolic handover ceremony held on Tuesday.

The Charge d'Affaires of the U.S. Embassy Ha Noi, Christopher Klein, said Viet Nam donated millions of protective items for the US people during the early days of the pandemic when there was a critical shortage of things like masks.

The US donation represented the hope that through cooperation, we could together overcome the pandemic, he said.  VNS
Weve worked these cases all over the country and it doesnt matter where you are at, Scaramucci said. We are flipping more rocks than most stations are, so we are finding more because we are flipping those rocks over.

During the online sting, detectives place an ad on websites known to be used for purchasing sex and once they get someone to reach out, they begin carrying a conversation with them until a date, time, and price is agreed upon to lead to an in-person meeting. Once there, detectives arrest the perpetrators.

The absolute overall majority of trafficking is occurring online, its not occurring in person, Scaramucci said. There are very few jurisdictions that will have the streets where you can pull up and find someone, we dont have that here and that is pretty consistent nationally.

Scaramucci said having human trafficking move to mostly online is a double-edge sword.

It does increase the ability for them to do this but it increases the ability for us to track them and find them, Scaramucci said. While it is very simple for them to do these things, it is also easy for us to exploit that and track them and hold them accountable.
Waco police are looking for a man accused of shooting another man during a fight early Sunday near Baylor University, then fleeing an off-duty police officer, who shot at the vehicle during a confrontation, officials said.

The shooting occurred around 1:55 a.m. in a parking lot in the 1200 block of Speight Avenue, police spokeswoman Cierra Shipley said.

The incident began when a man and woman were arguing and the victim stepped in to try to stop the argument, Shipley said. The two men began arguing, and two more men showed up to oppose the victim, Shipley said.

The victim was punched in the mouth and knocked to the ground. The victim got up and began walking toward the suspect, who pulled a gun and fired it first in the air, then at the victim, according to the news release.

A Mart police officer working off-duty security across the street at the Scruffy Murphy's pub heard the first shots, and as he approached the scene he witnessed the suspect shoot the victim, police said.
Of all the supersonic interceptors which emerged during the 1950s, it is doubtful that any are as charismatic nor more futuristic-looking than the iconic Lockheed F-104 Starfighter. It is easily one of the most elegant aircraft ever designed, and still looks wickedly fast  even today  when just sitting on the ground. With the production run continuing into the late 1970s, the type enjoyed significant success on the export market too, even if it lingered only briefly as a front-line fighter in domestic air arms. The Starfighter is beloved across the vintage aviation community, so much so that when an flyable example comes on the market, there is a collective inhalation of breath in the hope that someones bank balance (or lottery ticket!) might make ownership and regular operation of such a magnificent beast an actual reality. Well, such a moment has arisen again, with the recent news that an immaculate-looking CF-104D is on the market via Platinum Fighter Sales.

Lockheed built this specific aircraft at their factory in Palmdale, California during 1961. She was the third of 38 such two-seat trainer variants which Lockheed delivered to the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), who assigned her the serial number 12633. The RCAF trained their initial cadre of Starfighter pilots in this and a handful of other such variants at Palmdale before formally accepting the airframe in March, 1962 and assigning it to No.6 (Saint/R) Operational Training Unit at RCAF Station Cold Lake, which sits about halfway up Albertas eastern border with the neighboring province of Saskatchewan. Here the aircraft took part in pilot training and flight test duties. When the RCAF lost its independence with the merger of Canadas military branches into the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) in May, 1970, the remaining aircraft within the air arm underwent serial number changes; 12633 becoming 104633.

Three years later, Canada down-sized their Starfighter fleet, selling 18 their single-seaters and four dual control CF-104Ds to Norway to supplement that nations existing Starfighter fleet. The Norwegians assigned the airframe a new serial number on July 21st, 1973, truncating her Canadian designation simply to 4633. The aircraft became operational again in September, 1973, joining No.334 Squadron of the Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF) at their base in Bod. Here the CF-104 continued to train Starfighter pilots until its formal retirement on December 9th, 1982. The aircraft then went into storage at Sola, but she didnt linger there long. In 1984, Bruce Goesslings Combat Jet & Aerospace Museum (CJAM) of Chino, California arranged a trade for the airframe, with Lockheed C-60A Lodestar 42-55983 going to the Norwegian Armed Forces Aircraft Collection in Gardermoen in part exchange. CJAM commenced restoring the Starfighter to flying condition in Chino, placing her on the civil register as N104JR. In 1987, Jim Robinsons Combat Jets Flying Museum of Houston, Texas acquired the project, but continued funding the restoration out in California. They successfully completed the restoration, with the first flight taking place on November 11th, 1987 in Mojave, California, with NASAs then-current Starfighter pilot, Ed Schneider at the controls.

The airframe changed hands again in May, 1992, with the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) taking ownership. The aircraft made several flights during the EAA Convention in Oshkosh, Wisconsin that year. Fuel Fresh Inc. then acquired the aircraft in April, 1996, flying the two-seat fighter to her new home at Williams Gateway Airport in Mesa, Arizona, where the aircraft currently resides, albeit re-registered as N104 since August, 1999. While the aircraft reportedly last flew in 2008, she has been maintained in flyable storage ever since. According to the owners, the N104 has roughly 2,500 hours on the clock, with just 200 of these having been made during the past 22 years. The engine is reportedly about half way through its theoretically available hours since its last overhaul.

According to Platinum Fighter Sales, the aircrafts current FAA registration lists the airframe in the Experimental Exhibition category, but they note that N104 has pre-moratorium guidelines, which mean it is allowed on condition maintenance (yearly inspection under part 43 sub D) which is impossible to obtain today  thus making this airframe with its paperwork that much more desirable.

Fuel Fresh Inc has apparently accumulated a substantial spare parts cache during their ownership of the Starfighter. According to Platinum Fighter Sales this inventory includes the following key items (among many others):

2 spare J-79 engines

4+ spare afterburners; 1 new nozzle assembly

Roughly 150 main gear tires

Two dozen or so nose gear tires

aileron, flap, rudder, horizontal actuators

ailerons, flaps

canopy and windscreen glass, in frames; other glass

brakes, new assemblies

air condition units, new overhaul

Main Landing Gear shock struts

3 axis damper amplifiers (several)

starters, generators

spare drag chutes, cockpit chutes

boundary layer control valves (many)

wingtip fuel tanks (a few)

volumes and volumes of maintenance manuals

spare set tip charges

Many other parts of all descriptions (barn & hangar full)

Given this amazing array of spares and a beautifully maintained airframe, heres hoping that someone acquires the package for displaying on the air show circuit. It wont be an inexpensive venture . but it will be an exquisite adventure!
WATERLOO  A Waterloo man has been sentenced to a decade in prison for attacking a Texas man in May and leaving him with permanent brain damage.

Judge Brad Harris sentenced Michael Thomas Heggebo, 25, to up to 10 years in prison Monday on a charge of willful injury causing serious injury.

You deserve more, but thats the most he can give you, said Wendy Brown, the mother of 23-year-old Derrius Hollis, who had to have part of his skull and brain removed to alleviate pressure and still requires around-the-clock care.

Authorities allege Heggebo came over to the West Third Street home of his childs mother in May 2020 and attacked Hollis, a Texas resident who traveled to Waterloo after meeting the woman on a dating app.

Witnesses for the state said Heggebo threw a punch, Hollis swung back, and Heggebo picked him up, dropped him on his head and then repeatedly stomped on his head while he was down.

He could not defend himself. You were totally wrong, said Brown, who attended Mondays sentencing hearing via video conference.

She said her son underwent six surgeries and has another scheduled this week. He was in a medically induced coma and remained hospitalized in Waterloo for months after the incident and remains partially paralyzed. Only recently was he able to be moved to a rehabilitation facility in Texas to be closer to family.

Heggebo renewed the claim that he acted in self-defense, saying he was jumped by Hollis and others as part of set up when he came over because he was concerned about who had been looking after their child earlier that day.

I was simply defending myself, he said. If Darrius would have kept his hands to himself, he never would have been hurt.

In handing down the sentence, which was the maximum for the charge, Judge Harris said Heggebo has blamed everyone but himself for what happened.

Your attitude has been to take no responsibility for your actions, Harris said.

Heggebo was convicted of willful injury following a trial in August.

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WATERLOO  A Waterloo woman has been arrested for allegedly receiving public benefits to which she wasnt entitled.

Jordan Marie Reiter, 24, was arrested Monday on a charge of first-degree fraudulent practices, a felony. She was released pending trial.

Reiter allegedly made false statements when applying for funds from the states Child Care Assistance Program in 2017 and 2018, according to court records. She allegedly received $23,600 in benefits from the Iowa Department of Human Services, records state.

The case was investigated by the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals, and an arrest warrant was issued in September.

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CEDAR FALLS  The Board of Education is giving Superintendent Andy Pattee a larger boost in salary and benefits than it has in past years.

Board members on Monday extended his contract for three years and unanimously approved a $210,000 salary, part of a 5.73% increase in overall compensation. The higher salary, retroactive to July 1, is an increase of $8,222, or just over 4%.

Board president Jeff Hassman highlighted some factors in determining the increase, which came out of several closed sessions during the past months to review Pattees job performance.

Since starting in the job of superintendent in 2013, Hassman noted, enrollment in Cedar Falls Community Schools has grown more than 600 students. He also pointed to the passage of bond issues that allowed for renovations at two elementary schools and construction of a new one. In addition, the district is now building a new high school.

Among the academic programming changes are the development of career education through the Center for Advanced Professional Studies and an online learning program. The districts professional learning communities are also in the process of being enhanced for building staff.

Thats occurring under your watch, Hassman told Pattee. In addition, he said, is the whole last 20 months. There was nothing in your superintendents handbook that says heres how you deal with a pandemic.

Besides salary, the superintendent is receiving a $5,000 contribution to his retirement plan, growing the total to $11,000. He also receives health insurance among the Cedar Falls Community Schools standard administrative benefits. Pattees $3,500 car allowance is unchanged from past years.

His total compensation package, not including insurance benefits, is growing $13,222 to $224,500. During the past two years, he received smaller salary and benefit increases of 2.87% and 2.53%. The year before that, Pattee requested no raise.

Another factor considered by the board is the peer groups of similar-sized Iowa school districts. Hassman said Pattee was near the bottom of this group of superintendents in compensation.

He acknowledged that the increase may seem a little bit higher, based on what the district has paid the superintendent in past years. However, you have a tough job and the board thinks youve done well, he told the superintendent.

Board member Jenny Leeper hopes to see that good work continue. She said its crucial that in the midst of a growing community we continue to have success and growth in our school district.

Board member Alan Heisterkamp called Pattee a life-long learner who works well with district staff.

That is to be applauded, he said. These jobs are hard and in the climate were currently operating in for education, its even more difficult.

In other business, the board approved submitting a request to the states School Budget Review Committee for modified allowable growth of $1.15 million after expenditures for the special education program exceeded revenues during the past year. That would increase the unspent balance of the districts authorized budget. The board can choose to fund this through its cash reserve levy.

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WATERLOO  Cedar Valley marching bands worked hard to get their complete shows on the field during recent weeks and that effort paid off Saturday.

The Cedar Falls, East, and West high school bands each earned a Division 1, or superior, rating from judges at the State Marching Band Festival. A total of 17 bands participated in the Iowa High School Music Association festival at Waterloo Memorial Stadium, one of four that happened across the northern half of the state. Gilbertvilles Don Bosco High School band, performing at Kingston Stadium in Cedar Rapids, also earned a Division 1.

Each band presented music and a field show that was eight minutes or less. Rather than competing against each other, they were judged on a set of standards to earn the rating.

We had a really excellent performance, said Kyle Engelhardt, co-director of the Cedar Falls band. The students were well prepared and worked hard.

The band earned a Division 1 rating from all six of the judges, he added. We had some really nice comments on the show from the judges up in the press box and on the field.

Joelle Smith, East band director, said the students did so much work during the past week and were able to add choreography to the show. Going into the festival, they understood the stakes were high.

We got our solid Division 1 and were really, really stoked about that, said Smith.

Jason Dobbs, West band co-director, said state was by far the best performance of our show. Students did a lot of work to get ready. He praised the assistance of co-director Sally Lange, volunteer Janelle Ewing, percussion instructor Matthew Kokatovich and color guard instructor Melina Tyson in bringing the show together.

We added some pretty fun and exciting acting and choreography that really came off well this weekend, said Dobbs. The kids had a blast and the crowd reacted to it.

Myron Mikita, Don Bosco band director, said, the kids performed very well and received many outstanding comments from the judges at the state festival.

Other high school bands at the state festival in Waterloo receiving a Division 1 rating included Nashua-Plainfield, North Fayette Valley, Decorah, Independence and Cedar Rapids Prairie. Division 2, or excellent, ratings were received by high school bands from Denver, Sumner-Fredericksburg, Crestwood, West Delaware, Dubuque Hempsted, Dubuque Senior and Western Dubuque.

The West and Don Bosco bands also competed in marching contests later on Saturday.

West got ninth out of nine bands at the Valley Fest Showdown in West Des Moines. While music was the bands strongest point at the state festival, I think for Valley we had a stronger marching formation, said Dobbs, noting the field drill was cleaner in the second performance.

Don Boscos second performance was at the Muscatine Marching Invitational.

The band earned a score of 68.5 and received first place out of six bands, said Mikita. Don Bosco was the only 1A band at the competition so they were judged in the 2A Class and received first place over the other five Class 2A bands.

The kids went way past my level of expectation at both contests and surprised the judges and audiences with their superior performances for a band of 25, he said.

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CEDAR FALLS  A statement unveiled Monday honors the ancestral stewards of the land where the University of Northern Iowa sits and the indigenous people in the state who are descended from those tribal nations.

The mission stewardship statement was really developed with the input, the guidance of the Meskwaki Nation, said UNI President Mark Nook during a ceremony at the Center for Multicultural Education. The Meskwakis, whose settlement is located in Tama County, are the only federally recognized Native American tribe in Iowa.

Officials chose Indigenous Peoples Day, established in Iowa in 2018 as the second Monday in October, to unveil the statement. Columbus Day is also marked on that date.

The eight paragraph statement is addressed to Native and Indigenous Communities of Iowa and Beyond. It references the Iowa, Sauk, Fox, Sioux, Omaha and Ho-Chunk  tribes that once resided in state  as well as the Meskwaki, also known as the Sac and Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa. A number of Native American UNI students attended the event.

Work began on the statement following a July 2020 meeting between Nook and the Meskwaki Tribal Council. COVID-19 issues and last falls derecho, which impacted the settlement, slowed completion of the effort.

None of this would have happened without groups at both the Meskwaki Settlement and here on campus, said Nook.

Angela Waseskuk, a UNI alum and former art department faculty member, was part of the group working on the statement. She read it to the audience during the ceremony.

When we first started this process, it became very clear to us that a statement on its own really doesnt do anything, she said. Waseskuk called it a living and breathing document that she hopes can evolve over time.

The statement reads, in part: As an institution of higher learning now stewarding the land of ancestral caretakers, we hold responsibility to ensure the histories and cultures of Native and Indigenous Peoples are woven into the fabric of our mission as we endeavor to create an institution that is welcoming to and inclusive of all. As guardians and creators of knowledge, the University of Northern Iowa also recognizes the importance of integrating Native and Indigenous culture in our community outreach and engagement efforts. We seek to live our responsibility of mission stewardship through collaboration based on mutual trust, care, and learning.

It goes on to say that the university aspires for indigenous people to see a community that honors their people and culture, lives the seventh generation principle, does good for those it serves, and embraces stewardship of UNIs mission and land.

Nook explained the seventh generation principle of Native Americans by saying my life impacts the life the next seven generations. He noted that seven generations accounts for 140-150 years and UNI was established 145 years ago.

Its important for us to renew that seventh generation commitment, said Nook. The process has been an opportunity for us to build a relationship with indigenous people. The statements a symbol of that relationship.

Yolanda Pushetonequa, another graduate of the university who worked on the statement, called creating the document meaningful because its needed. This movement and growth is so beneficial. I really look forward to the future of indigenous Panthers coming through this university.

She highlighted the struggles that Native Americans have faced over the centuries since Europeans arrived on the continent including colonization, forced resettlement, children being removed from their homes and more.

Every indigenous person that you see is truly a survivor, said Pushetonequa, who works as an adult education instructor at the Meskwaki Apprentice Program. Genocide is the reality that some of our people still grapple with as a consequence of our past.

Others making comments during the ceremony joined through video conference. They included Trisha Etringer, director of operations for the Great Plains Action Society; Judy Bender, Meskwaki tribal chairwoman; and Johnathan Buffalo, Meskwaki tribal historian.

Pushetonequa addressed the native students in the room, expressing her pride in them.

Weve made a lot of strides and we have so much work to do, but we can do it together, she said. We all have a voice.

Several students said after the ceremony that they had recently learned about process UNI was involved in and the mission stewardship statement.

Im just glad that it started, said Azra Papakee, a junior.

She and sophomore Kaisha Wanatee expressed a desire for the growing relationship that Nook talked about between UNI and the indigenous community.

Hopefully, it continues, said Wanatee.

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WATERLOO  The airline serving the Waterloo Regional Airport has updated its flight schedule starting Nov. 2.

American Airlines notified the airport and the city of Waterloo that it would now provide daily 10:30 a.m. and 1:26 p.m. flights from Chicagos OHare International Airport to Waterloo, and flights at 1:12 p.m. and 3:19 p.m. from Waterloo to OHare, the airport said Monday.

The flight schedule begins Nov. 2 and runs through Dec. 5. However, there will be no morning arrival or departure Nov. 6 and Nov. 13, and no departures from Waterloo on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 25.

The timely notice for a new schedule for holiday season travel for Cedar Valley area passengers will provide our regions passengers the ability to make their reservations well in advance to secure their travel, airport Director Keith Kaspari said in a release.

Kaspari had previously bemoaned Americans early-morning arrival flight to Waterloo as inconvenient for passengers, pointing to low passenger numbers on those flights, and has lobbied the airline for more favorable times.

He has also asked American to consider adding a second destination, potentially Dallas/Fort Worth, or a third daily flight to Chicago.

As American Airlines continues to provide additional flights at their Chicago hub to more destinations throughout Americans extensive network of cities, (that would) only be welcome news for our passengers, Kaspari said in the release.

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CEDAR FALLS  The manuscript for Ferner Nuhns memoir about his sister, the acclaimed watercolorist Marjorie Nuhn, has been in the Hearst Center for the Arts collection since its doors opened in 1989. He wrote it in 1985 and gave it to a friend in 1986 for safe keeping with a note that read, if and when the center is a legal entity, perhaps funds could be found for its publication.

Thirty-six years later, Passion for Beauty: Marjorie Nuhn Watercolorist finally has been published.

The manuscript has been in our collection all that time, with the note still attached, said Heather Skeens, Cedar Falls Cultural Programs Supervisor at the Hearst. She wrote the preface for the book, published by Final Thursday Press. A grant from the Diamond Arts and History Fund at the Cedar Falls Community Foundation and support from Friends of the Hearst made it possible to bring the project together, she said.

Skeens first learned about the manuscript shortly after she began working at the Hearst Center in 2017. Curator and registrar Emily Drennan left a copy of it on her desk in the midst of organizing an exhibition of women artists from the permanent collection.

Nuhn, an author, artist and literary critic who was married to author Ruth Sukow, also donated a significant number of his sister's paintings to the Hearst Center. The center has steadily been adding to the collection through the years and now houses the largest collection of the watercolorists work which now numbers between 50 and 60 artworks, Skeen said.

Marjorie Nuhns expressive watercolors were  and still are  appreciated for her vivid, exciting and rich use of color and bold strokes, particularly landscapes. A Chicago art critic wrote about her intensity of spirit; her colors sing, wrote another critic, and her startling originality was applauded. The Cedar Falls native studied at the Chicago Fine Arts Academy, the Chicago Art Institute and Stone City Art Colony in Iowa with Grant Wood and Adrian Dornbush as her instructors.

Barbara Lounsberry, professor emerita at the University of Northern Iowa, wrote the first essay in Passion for Beauty, which sets the stage for the memoir by placing the Cedar Falls art scene into context.

Ferner Nuhn wrote about Marjorie with compassion and appreciation, but writer Robyn Groth, whose essays book-end the biography, noted that the story is told solely from his perspective. He hints at Marjories deeper nature, but the Marjorie's personal diaries are still tucked away.

Skeens is trying to track down those diaries and add them to the collection.

I describe Marjorie as an anachronism. Ferner said she was an exotic,'" Skeens explained. She had an interesting personality and really struggled against the societal norms of her time, especially in the 1920's, '30s and '40s. She was independent and rebellious, and Ferner said she was fearless." She could be rude, moody, childlike and unpredictable, which people attributed to an artistic temperament.

At 20, she was hospitalized for depression at the mental hospital in Independence, where she remained for two years. She also had a secret affair that resulted in an abortion and sterilization. In the memoir, Ferner wondered if Majorie full understood what had happened, but she later told him "they had hurt her." He quickly moves past it in the memoir.

"You get the sense that Ferner was protecting his sister," Skeens said.

Not long after, Marjorie earned a certificate to teach kindergarten from Iowa State Teachers College (now UNI), but was inspired by art classes and took a different path.

In the '30s and '40s, she traveled independently to the Southwest, the West Coast, Mexico and Guatemala, where she lived and painted before periodically returning home with her portfolio packed with artwork, her beloved cat Daisy Belle and plenty of loot from her travels. That wanderlust lasted throughout her life.

Eventually Majorie returned to Cedar Falls where she lived alone in the family home on Tremont Street. Her eccentricities became the stuff of neighborhood legend. She had the house painted yellow and a red roof installed. Sidewalks were pink, and the homes interior was decorated in shades of pink and filled with antiques and souvenirs of her travels, as well as her paintings.

She loved clothes and big hats, but wandered nude around her house and backyard. She gave her paintings as wedding gifts, then reclaimed them. Eventually she lost most of her vision to cataracts that she refused to have surgically removed, and Ferner moved her to the Western Home where she died in 1989.

The memoir includes 19 full-color plates reproducing some of Marjorie Nuhns most significant watercolors and a list of her works. It is available at the Hearst Center, UNI Bookstore and Ragged Edge, or online from Final Thursday Press or online booksellers.

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But her love affair with Cedar Falls has been going on for years.

Growing up in the small town of Fredericksburg, Timmer looked forward to back-to-school shopping trips and attending events and activities in Cedar Falls. We came here a lot, and I really loved it. I loved the downtown, she recalled.

She attended the University of Northern Iowa, earning a degree in general communication, married Ben Timmer, and now the couple and their young family, Frederick, 2, and Adelaide, 5, live in downtown Cedar Falls.

Im a history nerd, so I love the history and the historic architecture that you find in the downtown, and I also enjoy how vibrant Cedar Falls is, and that everything downtown is within walking distance. We love the trails, said Timmer, a member of the Cedar Falls Historic Preservation Commission.

Timmer came to the foundation from the Volunteer Center of the Cedar Valley, where she served as the RSVP coordinator to recruit, train and match volunteers to community needs. Previously, Timmer spent six years as a programs specialist for the Alzheimers Association, coordinating and delivering educational programs and managing the associations marketing programs. She also is a professional photographer.

Sally brings a passion for Cedar Falls, professional non-profit leadership experience and significant community volunteer involvement. We are excited to have her help to grow the impact of CFCF, said John Lehman, president of the foundations board.

Timmers job is a part-time position, and she replaces Cyndi Sweet. Sweet also served as part-time Iowa Museum Association executive director since 2007 and left the foundation to accept the role full time.

The Cedar Falls Community Foundation is a nationally accredited community foundation serving Cedar Falls and vicinity. It began as the Cedar Falls Civic Foundation in 1976, with late Mayor Jon Crews serving as catalyst. He called together a meeting of citizens to raise private funds to benefit the public good which couldnt be accomplished through taxation. The foundation was incorporated in 1977.

The foundation partners with nonprofits, investing and managing their resources for maximum return and works with individuals who want to leave a legacy of support for projects and organizations in the community through grants and scholarships, Timmer explained.

She is looking forward to connecting with donors and potential donors. I want to find out what they care about, what matters to them, what they want to accomplish. And I want to work with organizations to help figure out their needs and how to bring the two together, she said.

The foundation provides the stewardship for donor funds to make sure that the funds are used as planned and designated. I also love that we can see a need and fill it. Id like to see that keep happening.

In addition, the foundation presents the annual Melendy Spirit Award recognizing an individual, family, group or organization that has made contributions that enhance, improve or positively affect Cedar Falls quality of life. It also hosts the Community Builder Celebration to recognize donors.

For more information, go to www.cf-communityfoundation.org.

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Less than two years after Facebook hired Frances Haugen to help correct dangerous distortions spilling across its platform, she had seen enough.

The idealism she and countless others had invested in promises by the worlds biggest social network to fix itself had been woefully misplaced. The harm Facebook and sibling Instagram were doing to users was rivaled only by the companys resistance to change, she concluded. And the world beyond Facebook needed to know.

When the 37-year-old data scientist went before Congress and the cameras last week to accuse Facebook of pursuing profit over safety, it was likely the most consequential choice of her life.

And for a still-young industry that has mushroomed into one of societys most powerful forces, it spotlighted a rising threat: The era of the Big Tech whistleblower has most definitely arrived.

There has just been a general awakening amongst workers at the tech companies asking, `What am I doing here? said Jonas Kron of Trillium Investment Management, which has pushed Google to increase protection for employees who raise the alarm about corporate misdeeds.

When you have hundreds of thousands of people asking that question, its inevitable youll get more whistleblowing, he said.

Haugen is by far the most visible of those whistleblowers. And her accusations that Facebooks platforms harm children and incite political violence  backed up by thousands of pages of the companys own research  may well be the most damning.

But she is just the latest to join in a growing list of workers from across tech determined to speak out. Nearly all are women, and observers say thats no coincidence.

Even after making inroads, women and especially women of color remain outsiders in the heavily male tech sector, said Ellen Pao, an executive who sued Silicon Valley investment firm Kleiner Perkins in 2012 for gender discrimination.

That status positions them to be more critical and see some of the systemic issues in a way that people who are part of the system and who are benefiting from it the most and who are entrenched in it, may not be able to process, she said.

In recent years, workers at companies including Google, Pinterest, Uber and Theranos, as well as others from Facebook, have sounded alarms about what they say are gross abuses of power by those in control.

Their new outspokenness is ruffling an industry that touts its power to improve society, while earning billions. Workers, many well educated and highly paid, have long embraced that ethic. But for a growing number, faith in the company line is fading.

Still, there is a difference between stewing about your companys failings and revealing them to the world. There is a price to be paid, and Haugen certainly knew that.

It absolutely is terrifying, terrifying to get to the point of doing what she did. And you know that the moment you start your testimony, your life is going to change, said Wendell Potter, a former health insurance executive who blew the whistle on his own industrys practices.

Since coming before Congress last week, Haugen has receded from public view. A representative said she and her lawyer were unavailable for comment.

The Iowa-born daughter of a doctor and an academic turned pastor, Haugen arrives in the spotlight with sparkling credentials, including a Harvard business degree and multiple patents.

Long before she became a whistleblower, Haugen was something of a local wunderkind.

Raised near the University of Iowa campus, where her father taught medicine, Haugen was a member of a high school engineering team ranked in the countrys top 10. Years later, when the local newspaper wrote about Haugens landing at Google, one of her elementary school teachers recalled her as horrifically bright, while not at all self-conscious.

In the fall of 2002, she left for the newly established Olin College of Engineering, outside Boston, to join its first class of 75.

Many had declined offers from top universities, attracted by Olins offer of a free education to the first arrivals, and the chance to join in creating something new, said Lynn Andrea Stein, a computer science professor.

But the school couldnt get its accreditation until it began producing graduates, making it a non-entity in the eyes of some employers and presenting a hurdle for Haugen and others like her.

The Google folks actually threw out her application without reading it, Stein said.

Stein helped persuade the company to change its mind, sending an email that described Haugen as a voracious learner and an absolute can-do person with terrific work ethic and communication and leadership skills.

At Google, Haugen worked on a project to make thousands of books accessible on mobile phones, and another to help create a fledgling social network.

Google paid for Haugen to get a graduate business degree at Harvard, where a classmate said even then they were having deep discussions about the societal effects of new technology.

Smartphones were just becoming a thing. We talked a lot of about ethical use of data and building things the wrong way, said Jonathan Sheffi, who graduated with Haugen in 2011. She was always super-interested in the intersection of peoples well-being and technology.

Sheffi said he laughed when he saw social media posts in recent days questioning Haugens motivations for whistleblowing.

Nobody puts Frances up to anything, he said.

While at Harvard, Haugen worked with another student to create an online dating platform to put like-minded mates together, a template the partner later turned into dating app Hinge.

Haugen returned to Google, before moving on to jobs at Yelp and Pinterest, at each stop working with the algorithms engineered to understand the desires of users and put them together with people and content that fit their interests.

In late 2018, she was contacted by a recruiter from Facebook. In recent interviews on 60 Minutes and with the Wall Street Journal, Haugen recalled telling the company that she might be interested in a job if it involved helping the platform address democracy and misinformation. She said she told managers about a friend who had been drawn to white nationalism after spending time in online forums, and her desire to prevent that from happening to others.

In June 2019, she joined a Facebook team that focused on network activity surrounding international elections. But she has said she grew frustrated as she became more aware of widespread misinformation online that stoked violence and abuse and that Facebook would not adequately address.

She resigned in May, but only after working for weeks to sift through internal company research and copy thousands of documents. Still, she told congressional investigators, she is not out to destroy Facebook, just change it.

I believe in the potential of Facebook, she said during her testimony last week. We can have social media we enjoy, that connects us, without tearing apart our democracy, putting our children in danger, and sowing ethnic violence around the world. We can do better.

Maybe, but those who know the industry say Facebook and other tech giants will dig in.

Theres going to be a clamp down internally. There already has been, said Ifeoma Ozoma, a whistleblower at Pinterest now trying to encourage others in tech to expose corporate misconduct. In that way theres a chilling effect through the increased surveillance that employees will be under.

Within the larger community of whistleblowers, many are rooting for Haugen, praising what they see as her gutsiness, calm intellect and the forethought to take the paperwork that reinforces her case.

What she did right was she got all her documentation in a row and she did that up front. ... Thats going to be her power, said Eileen Foster, a former executive at Countrywide Financial who struggled to find another job in banking after exposing widespread fraud in the companys approval of subprime loans in 2008.

Sophie Zhang, a former Facebook employee who last year accused the social network of ignoring fake accounts used to undermine foreign elections, said she was surprised the company had not caught Haugen when she was going through company research. Fierce denials by its executives now betray their unwillingness to change.

I think theyve fallen into a trap where they keep making denials and hunkering down and becoming more incendiary, she said. And this causes more people to come forward.

Still, Haugens actions could well make it impossible for her to land another job in the industry, said Foster. And if Facebook goes after her legally for taking documents, it will have the resources for battle that a lone employee can never hope to match.

Foster recalls how her boss at Countrywide, an ally, begged her to give it up.

He said Eileen what are you doing? You are just a speck. A speck! And I said, `Yeah, but Im a pissed-off speck, Foster said.

Years later, after enduring villainization by colleagues, rejections by employers and a lengthy court battle over her claims, she knows better. But she does not regret her choices. And she senses a similar conviction in Haugen, though their whistleblowing is separated by a generation.

I wish the best for Frances, she said.

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Before we begin, I would like to once again wish all the best on Agriculture and Processing Industry Workers Day, which we marked yesterday, October 10, to everyone who works in this industry: researchers, agronomists, farmers, workers, machine operators, livestock specialists  everyone. Largely thanks to your dedicated work, my friends, we have seen a good harvest even in this years difficult weather conditions. It will meet Russias demand for all major food groups.
As the cozy season arrives, we have a hankering for warm drinks and fuzzy blanketswouldn't it be nice to camp out in a sweet rustic cabin for the weekend?

Whether you're itching for a by-the-sea escape, an off-the-grid spot, or a redwood retreat, there's a cabin for rent in Northern California to suit every style and occasion.

Serene Redwood Cabin in Mill Valley (Courtesy of Airbnb) Serene Gem in the Redwoods With the original hardwood floors refinished throughout the house, a Kohler farmhouse sink, vintage restored gold-lined bathtub, three outdoor decks, and lavender growing around the property, this gorgeous Mill Valley rental house is magazine-cover-ready. Be sure to bookmark this rental for your next group getawaythe four-bedroom, two-bathroom property can sleep six, and is a peaceful retreat with hikes directly from the house to Mt. Tam and Muir Woods, as well as walking paths to the town square of Mill Valley. // $495/night at Airbnb Plus

Things to Do Nearby Take 7x7's guide to A Perfect Day in Mill Valley for coffee at Equator, a hike or bike ride on Mt. Tam, tacos at Parranga, and shopping at the Mill Valley Lumber Yard.

A Goat Farm Cabin in Big Sur (Courtesy of Airbnb) A Goat Farm Cabin With Ocean Views A goat farm might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of a Big Sur getaway, but that's what makes this cozy two-bedroom cabin (sleeps five) so unique. Set on a private working ranch with goats, chickens, horses and cows, the stay provides guests the opportunity to milk the goats and learn how to make goat cheese during their stay. Of course, you'll also enjoy the cabin's sunny reading nook and the ocean view from its spacious decks. // $796/night, airbnb.com

Things to Do Nearby Big Sur is a place of jaw-dropping beauty. Experience it up close with our guide to The Best Hiking, Camping, Beaches, and Waterfalls.

Rustic Creative Cabin in Mendocino (Courtesy of Airbnb) Handcrafted Hideaway Near Mendocino This peaceful refuge in the Mendocino redwoods is perfect for couples looking for some silence in their lives, or for the writers looking to hole away and finally finish that manuscript. This rustic getaway comes with a queen-bed up on the loft, a wood burning stove, a handcrafted oak table designed for your creative juices to flow, and a southern-exposure deck perfect for stargazing at night. All that you'll hear at night is "a breeze in the top branches of the redwoods" or "frogs, an owl, or the red-tailed hawk who soars nearby." // $232/night, airbnb.com

Things to Do Nearby Don't miss our guide to ever-so-quaint town of Mendocino with its charming shops and farm-to-table eats. You can also drive a little further out to the scenic wine country of Anderson Valleywe love the Burgundian-style pinots at Toulouse Vineyards.

Upscale Log Cabin at Mt. Shasta (Courtesy of Glamping Hub) Upscale Log Cabin With Mt. Shasta Views This isn't your run-of-the-mill ole log cabin. This expansive hideaway situated on a two-acre-property facing the Shasta Cascade Mountains comes with a home theater, a sauna, pool table, and a soaking tub for two. Each of the four bedrooms and loft comes with its own TV, guaranteeing you can Netflix and chill after a day of hitting the slopes at Mt. Shasta Ski Park or embarking on an alpine hike. // From $494/night, glampinghub.com

Things to Do Nearby Mt. Shasta is a bit removed, but well worthy as a destination in its own right. Here are 10 reasons to visit Mt. Shasta.

Luxury Cabin with Japanese Teahouse in Guerneville (Courtesy of Glamping Hub) Luxury Cabin with Japanese Teahouse Look no further for a trio couples getaway or trip with the homiesthis two-unit luxurious cabin with three bedrooms comfortably fits up to six visitors. The couple needing to reconnect can have more privacy and stay in the custom-built Japanese teahouse, which comes with a king-sized bed, its own gas fireplace, slate floors, and windows with views of the lush wildlife of Sonoma County. Others can stay in the main cabin, with two bedrooms with queen beds. With a flat-screen TV that comes with cable and a DVD player, a hot tub right in the backyard, and a gas barbecue grill for your alfresco dining desires, it's hard to imagine why you'd ever leave this relaxing haven. // From $333/night with a 3-night minimum stay, glampinghub.com

Things to Do Nearby For terrific restaurants, homemade pie and ice cream, and quirky shops, downtown Guerneville is a must. In warmer months, you can plan a float trip down the Russian River. The Sonoma Coast is glorious year-roundtake our guide to its most scenic hikes and beaches, wine tasting rooms, and restaurants.
Denise Morgan, Tax-Aide Volunteer

En espanol

Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night can keep U.S. postal workers from delivering the mail  and the same thing might be said for AARP Foundation Tax-Aide volunteers, who found a way to help their mostly older, low-income taxpayers prepare and file their tax returns despite the constraints of a global pandemic last spring.

AARP Foundation Tax-Aide is the nations largest free, volunteer-based tax assistance and preparation program. Each year, 36,000 volunteers in nearly 5,000 communities around the country help prepare and file tax returns for taxpayers. Until last March.

When the pandemic hit, service at every AARP Foundation Tax-Aide site was suspended while the Foundation determined how to resume safely. Although volunteers at Augusta Road UMC in South Carolina could no longer provide service in person, none of them wanted to stop helping.

"Most people are stunned, overwhelmed, and flummoxed by their tax returns."

As a Tax-Aide volunteer for the last three years, Denise Morgan knows how important this program is. Most people are stunned, overwhelmed and flummoxed by their tax returns. They are just grateful for the help, she says.

A lot of folks did not grow up with computers, she adds. Many did not use them in their jobs. Maybe its because they worked in the mills that closed in the 1970s and 1980s.

So, when it was decided last June that the Augusta Road UMC Tax-Aide site would be the only one in South Carolina permitted to reopen, Denise and her fellow volunteers knew they had to make things work in the physically-distanced environment of the pandemic. And they did.

Between June 15 and July 1, 2020, the Tax-Aide Augusta Road UMC site prepared some 150 returns, compared to a typical year where they help about 200 taxpayers. People have a lot of trust in AARP Foundations program, Denis explains. They are pleased to know the training and structure are there.

"If you get the same person from year to year, its kind of like a friendship. It builds community."

Denise says that volunteering with Tax-Aide is a job you couldnt pay me to do, but I do it because I think its worthwhile. If you get the same person from year to year, its kind of like a friendship. It builds community  not bounded by a highway, but bounded by trust and need and caring.



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Horse Well Drilling Update & Other Company Developments

Melbourne, Oct 12, 2021 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Cohiba Minerals Limited ( ASX:CHK ) is pleased to announce that Titeline Drilling has completed HWDD05 at the Horse Well Project and is currently underway with a wedge hole off HWDD05 (HWDD05-W1).HWDD05 was completed on 29 September 2021, at a dip of 80.9degand an azimuth of 84.6deg for a final hole length of 1,417.46m (vertical depth at 80.9deg of approximately 1,399m).The drill core (Figure 1*) from HWDD05 has been photographed and transported to Adelaide where it is currently being prepared for analysis. Further detailed logging of the drill core will also be undertaken in Adelaide.Based on a visual assessment of the stratigraphy and the mineralogy encountered in HWDD05 the decision was made to wedge a hole off HWDD05 (Figure 2*) and further investigate some of the encouraging signs encountered in HWDD05. As of 10 October 2021, the wedge hole (HWDD05-W1) was at 994.1m at a dip of 59.6deg and an azimuth of 34.9deg (vertical depth of approximately 990m) - Figure 3*.Horse WellThe EPEPR has been completed for the next drilling program at Horse Well which comprises up to 12 deep drill holes. The Company is awaiting a final date from the Kokatha Aboriginal Corporation for the heritage survey prior which is the final approval required prior to rig deployment.Pernatty CIt should be noted that the Company will commence drilling at Pernatty C immediately following completion of HWDD05-W1 with an initial focus on PSDDH01 and PSDDH02, which will be angled holes (70deg declination) drilled to the west-south-west. It is expected that PSDDH01 will be drilled to around 900m, while PSDDH02 will be drilled either to basement or the base of the Tapleys Hill Formation (THF) depending on observations made as the drilling progresses.Warriner CreekThe EPEPR documentation and heritage survey for the Warriner Creek drilling program are nearing completion and will enable the Company to test two shallow IOCG target zones.Tenement StatusAt Lake Torrens all of the tenements (EL6118, EL6119, EL6120 and EL6122) were successfully renewed. Exploration Licence EL5970 (Horse well and Pernatty C) ended its 5-year term and an application over the same ground was applied for and granted under a new licence number (EL6675) for a period of 5 years. All other tenements have been maintained in good standing.Cohiba's CEO, Andrew Graham says, "The Company is continuing to focus on the eastern part of the Horse Well Project as a key IOCG exploration target area. The Company's subject matter experts have continued to provide exceptional technical feedback to inform ongoing exploration decisions including the decision to undertake the wedge hole off HWDD05. Ongoing petrological and mineralogical work will continue to provide significant insights for enhanced exploration decision making. The Company is encouraged by what it has seen to date and very excited about the ongoing program of work including the larger proposed drill program at Horse Well and the imminent Pernatty C drilling."*To view tables and figures, please visit:About Cohiba Minerals Limited

Cohiba Minerals Limited (ASX:CHK) is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange with the primary focus of investing in the resource sector through direct tenement acquisition, joint ventures, farm in arrangements and new project generation. The shares of the company trade under the ticker symbol CHK.

The Company recently acquired 100% of the shares in Charge Lithium Pty Ltd, which holds exploration licences in Western Australia.


High-grade gold intersections at Woods Point Gold Project

Ballarat, Oct 12, 2021 AEST (ABN Newswire) - White Rock Minerals Limited ( ASX:WRM ) ( OTCMKTS:WRMCF ) is pleased to announce drill assay results from the Company's Woods Point Gold Project in Victoria for drilling of the Kenny's target area from underground at the Morning Star gold mine.The Kenny's target area includes the historic Whitelaw, Burns and Campbell quartz vein reefs, all of which come closer together towards the northern end of the Morning Star Dyke (Figure 1*). Analysis of historic data (mining and exploration) has highlighted Kenny's as an immediate high priority target for drilling. Historic high-grade production from the Whitelaw Reef1 (65,421 tonnes @ 31.2g/t gold for 65,600 ounces) was the focus of mining activities from 1920-1927, centred just off the main Morning Star shaft, which is still used for the current operations. As this historical mining extended north, the Burns and Campbell Reef splays were also exploited. Current drilling is targeting the down plunge extensions of each of these reefs beyond the northern limits of historic production.White Rock's vision is to ramp-up exploration drilling throughout the mine to define sufficient mineral inventory in multiple reef positions such as the Whitelaw, Burns and Campbell Reefs at the Kenny target area, prior to considering recommencement of production in 2022. Analysis of data to prioritise additional target areas is underway, with plans for additional diamond core drill rigs (surface and underground) to operate over the next 6 to 9 months at the Morning Star gold mine.Kenny's Drill ProgramThe drilling program at the Kenny's target area commenced in June using a short-hole underground Kempe drill rig that produces LTK48 size core (Photo 3*). To date, 27 short holes have been drilled for 1,002 metres. Abundant visible gold in the core is providing considerable encouragement that the Whitelaw, Burns and Campbell Reef extensions are capable of carrying high-grade gold "pay runs" that will provide a future focus for mine planning.Assay results have been received for the first 23 drill holes. Significant drill intersections from the current drill program are summarised in Table 1 below. All drill assays >1g/t gold are provided in Table 3*.Important geological observations relating to gold mineralisation of the multiple quartz reefs in the Kenny's target area include:1. The Whitelaw Reef extension is found to continue northwards beneath the east dipping Campbell and Burns Reef. Significant mineralisation occurs to the east where the Whitelaw Reef truncates both the Campbell and Burns Reefs.2. Between the Campbell and Whitelaw Reefs are a number of fault splays containing mineralised quartz veining, with thicker veins and higher gold grades developed close to the contact with these two reefs.3. The presence of visible gold in many drill holes (Photos 1 & 2*) shows a potential for each of the Whitelaw, Burns and Campbell Reef's to host major coarse and nuggety gold mineralisation.4. The quartz vein reefs extend east of the host dyke into a sandstone unit with mineralised veins occurring continuously for 150 metres of strike within the sandstone unit. This offers further untested gold mineralisation potential.5. A series of cross cutting and conjugate structures have been identified in this complex area of veining where multiple reefs coalesce, some of which may be important controls on the local distribution of gold grade.*To view tables and figures, please visit:About White Rock Minerals Ltd

White Rock Minerals Ltd (ASX:WRM) (OTCMKTS:WRMCF) is a diversified explorer and near-stage producer, headquartered in Ballarat, Victoria. The Company's flagship exploration project is Red Mountain in central Alaska. At Red Mountain, there are already two high grade zinc - silver - gold - lead VMS deposits, with an Inferred Mineral Resource of 9.1 million tonnes @ 609g/t AgEq / 13% ZnEq. The Company is also exploring its recently discovered large intrusion related gold anomaly at Last Chance, also located in the Tintina gold belt of Alaska, home to multi-million gold ounce deposits like Pogo, Fort Knox and the Donlin Project. The Company also has the Mt Carrington project, located near Drake, in Northern NSW, which is a near-production precious metals asset with a resource of 341,000 ounces of gold and 23.2 million ounces of silver on an approved mining lease, and with a Gold First PFS and JORC Reserve.


Thick Aircore Intercepts Enhance West Island Prospect

Perth, Oct 12, 2021 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Musgrave Minerals Ltd ( ASX:MGV ) ( FRA:6MU ) ( OTCMKTS:MGVMF ) and Evolution Mining Ltd ( ASX:EVN ) are pleased to report further assay results (Table 1a*) from the current aircore and diamond drilling programs on the Cue Joint Venture over Lake Austin in Western Australia's Murchison district. The aircore results have extended the large regolith gold mineralisation to over 1.6km at the West Island Prospect and are centred 700m south of the recent diamond drilling.The West Island zone is part of a broader regional 7km-long anomalous gold corridor within the joint venture (Figure 1*). The mineralisation at West Island is hosted within a differentiated dolerite unit, similar to that hosting the high-grade Great Fingall and Golden Crown deposits 25km to the north at Cue.The Great Fingall and Golden Crown deposits host a combined 4.4Mt @ 14.1g/t Au for 2.0Moz gold (Total Indicated and Inferred Resources and past production) (see Westgold Resources Ltd (WGX) ASX announcement 10 June 2020, "Investor Presentation June 2020 - ASX Release", page 15).Musgrave Managing Director Rob Waugh said: "This is an excellent result from aircore drilling and shows the extensive and thick nature of the regolith gold dispersion in this area. Diamond drilling has commenced in this new target zone 700m south of previous basement drilling and we look forward to providing the results as they come to hand. The diamond drilling will test for the possibility of multiple parallel basement gold lodes which have the potential to enhance the economics of a potential new discovery."Evolution's Vice President Discovery and Business Development Glen Masterman said: "We are very pleased with the recent drilling results which have significantly increased the footprint of the mineral system we have identified on Lake Austin. The results reinforce our belief in the high-quality project we are delineating and validate the original area selection work by the Evolution team that led to the formation of our partnership with Musgrave. Evolution is well on its way to completing the 75% earn-in and we are developing plans with our partner to accelerate the drilling program over the next several months".Lake Austin Aircore Drilling Program ResultsUnder the Musgrave - Evolution Joint Venture (Figure 1*), two phases of regional aircore drilling have been completed on Lake Austin since October 2019 and a third phase of over 17,000m of drilling is currently underway. 141 drill holes for 13,799m of aircore drilling has been completed to date in the current phase of the program.Assay results for the first 32 drill holes in the program have been received. Strong aircore results in the West Island area have extended the regolith gold anomalism to over 1.6km of strike where it remains open to the north and south. The regolith mineralisation is hosted within weathered Archaean dolerite below approximately 60-90m of Tertiary lake sediment cover. The regolith gold mineralisation is extensive and is over 150m wide on some sections (Figure 4*).New aircore results include:o 67m @ 0.82g/t Au from 87m to EOH (21MOAC018) including:- 44m @ 1.17g/t Au from 87mo 67m @ 0.87g/t Au from 88m to EOH (21MOAC019) including:- 12m @ 3.33g/t Au from 108mo 46m @ 0.72g/t Au from 96m (21MOAC020) including:- 20m @ 1.46g/t Au from 110mo 68m @ 1.49g/t Au from 110m to EOH (21MOAC024) including:- 12m @ 4.41g/t Au from 134mo 53m @ 2.01g/t Au from 108m to EOH (21MOAC025) including:- 27m @ 3.63g/t Au from 134m to EOHo 41m @ 0.57g/t Au from 138m (21MOAC027) including:- 20m @ 0.99g/t Au from 158mo 69m @ 0.67g/t Au from 106m to EOH (21MOAC028) including:- 36m @ 1.06g/t Au from 112mo 42m @ 0.55g/t Au from 116m (21MOAC032) including:- 18m @ 1.0g/t Au from 124mThe aircore results above are approximately 700m south of the existing diamond drilling at West Island (21MODD024) and are the strongest aircore intersections to date on Lake Austin. Diamond drilling to test the basement fresh rock below this new zone has commenced (Figure 4*). All new aircore drill hole collars with assay results above 100ppb Au are presented in Tables 2a and 2b*.Lake Austin Diamond Drilling Program ResultsNine diamond drill holes have been completed in the current program for 2,850m (of a planned total of 7,000m) with seven holes drilled at West Island. Assays have been received for the first two diamond holes with significant intercepts including:o 8.0m @ 3.0g/t Au from 212m (21MODD024) including:- 0.9m @ 19.7g/t Au from 214.8mThis diamond drill hole is approximately 700m north of the high-grade aircore results reported above.The West Island diamond drill holes are interpreted to have intersected multiple parallel zones of basement gold mineralisation (Figure 2), all hosted within differentiated dolerite, a favourable host unit that extends over multiple kilometres of strike (Figures 2 and 4*). The intersections are associated with extensive gold-in regolith mineralisation which aircore drilling has shown to extend for at least 1.6km of strike length at West Island. The West Island zone is part of a broader regional 7km-long anomalous gold corridor within the joint venture tenements (Figure 1*). The diamond drilling to date at West Island has only tested a small area of basement and the mineralisation remains open along strike and at depth. Diamond drilling at West Island is continuing.All new diamond drill hole collars with assay results above 1g/t are presented in Tables 1a and 1b*.*To view tables and figures, please visit:About Musgrave Minerals Ltd

Musgrave Minerals Ltd (ASX:MGV) is an active Australian gold and base metals explorer. The Cue Project in the Murchison region of Western Australia is an advanced gold and copper project. Musgrave has had significant exploration success at Cue with the ongoing focus on increasing the gold and copper resources through discovery and extensional drilling to underpin studies that will demonstrate a viable path to development in the near term. Musgrave also holds a large exploration tenement package in the Ni-Cu-Co prospective Musgrave Province in South Australia.
Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

Just hours after losing another round in his prolonged and fruitless legal fight for public campaign financing, Bernalillo County Sheriff Manuel Gonzales said he will try a new tack in the 2021 mayors race.

Gonzales said Tuesday afternoon he would turn to private donors for support, forgoing his quest to get taxpayer money for his campaign.

The decision comes just seven weeks before Election Day and concludes his monthslong battle over the publicly funded campaign pot worth about $600,000. Gonzales battle sustained a blow earlier Tuesday when a state judge ruled that City Clerk Ethan Watson had taken the appropriate actions necessary to deny Gonzales the taxpayer money and rejected Gonzales claims that Watson was biased.

The sheriff told a news confere

nce Tuesday that he was disappointed in the judges ruling but that his supporters will not be hushed and are ready to power him through private donations and in the voting booth.

This is something that has never happened to another campaign. And I think thats going to be the driving force, and the motivation, and the inspiration for us winning this race, he said at his Northeast Albuquerque campaign office as about 15 supporters stood behind him.

As a privately funded candidate, Gonzales will be able to solicit contributions of up to $6,250 per donor.

Gonzales has a lot of ground to make up on incumbent Tim Keller, who did receive the public financing and had $524,710 in his campaign coffers as of last week, according to campaign finance reports. Gonzales has $20,830. Candidate Eddy Aragon  who launched a late mayoral bid and is privately funded  has $13,360 in hand, his latest report shows.

Private donors for months have been supporting Gonzales mayoral candidacy through Save Our City, a political action committee backing the sheriff. But the latest campaign finance report shows that donations recently have waned. Save Our City raised $12,672 in the past month after bringing in $75,855 in July and $52,500 during the June reporting period.

Asked by the Journal on Tuesday whether that was cause for alarm, the sheriff said he does not pay attention to the PACs efforts and is not worried. He said donors could have been sitting back until they could give directly to the sheriffs campaign, which his Tuesday decision allows.

Maybe they were waiting for today, Gonzales said.

Gonzales shift in strategy comes after a contentious and high-profile clash with City Clerk Watson over whether Watson had improperly denied Gonzales about $600,000 to run his mayoral campaign.

To qualify for the funding, mayoral candidates must demonstrate sufficient community interest in their bids by getting 1% of city voters  3,779 people  to make a nominal donation of $5.

Keller and Gonzales both appeared to reach that mark, according to numbers posted on the city clerks website in June.

However, Watson on July 9 declined to certify Gonzales for the money, citing evidence he had received as part of two ethics complaints Kellers reelection campaign had filed against the sheriff. Both complaints involved alleged fraud in the collection of the $5 qualifying contributions.

In the first ethics complaint, a voter said that he signed a $5 receipt to support the sheriff but that Gonzales told him he did not need to pay the money because the campaign would cover it. Candidates can only submit money received from the named contributor. The citys Board of Ethics & Campaign Practices  after a three-hour hearing  decided that Gonzales violated the citys Open and Ethical Elections Code in the case.

In the second complaint, Kellers campaign challenged the authenticity of signatures on paperwork Gonzales turned in to the city clerk and subsequently provided statements from about 40 voters who said they never signed the $5 receipts Gonzales submitted in their names.

Many of the questioned receipts were tied to two women with key roles in the Gonzales campaign  women Gonzales had designated as official representatives with authority to interact with the Clerks Office on his campaigns behalf.

The citys Office of Inspector General  an independent city accountability agency  has since investigated the matter, finding last month that there were problems with nearly 16% of the 239 randomly selected Gonzales campaign receipts it reviewed. The voters identified in those instances said either that they signed the receipt but never gave money or that they never signed the receipt or gave $5.

Gonzales attorneys have acknowledged forgery likely did occur but deny that the sheriff himself knew about it. They also have contended that Gonzales still had enough contributions to qualify for the public money even after disregarding the questionable receipts. And they have argued that Watson  who was appointed by Keller and whose term as clerk is tied to Kellers  is not impartial and that he made his July decision without giving Gonzales the opportunity to answer the claims.

The sheriff has had little success fighting Watsons determination.

Gonzales first appealed it in July, prompting an administrative hearing. The hearing officer upheld Watsons decision.

The sheriff subsequently appealed in New Mexico District Court. Judge Bryan Biedscheid of the 1st Judicial District ruled on Aug. 27 that Watson had not given Gonzales due process and sent the matter back down to the clerk to rectify.

In response, Watson gave Gonzales a chance to address the fraud claims during a Sept. 1 hearing  after which Watson decided, for the second time, that Gonzales should not get the money due to rules violations.

The sheriff asked Biedscheid to rehear the case, but the judge on Tuesday said Watsons hearing was sufficient.

Gonzales also had requested that the New Mexico Supreme Court intervene in the case, but the high court denied that petition last week.
QUARTZSITE, Ariz.  A La Paz County Sheriffs sergeant was fatally struck by a vehicle following a pursuit near the Arizona-California border, authorities said Monday.

Sheriffs officials said Sgt. Michael Rudd exited his car and was subsequently struck head-on by a commercial motor vehicle along Interstate 10.

They said Rudd was rushed to a hospital in Blythe, California, where he later died from his injuries.

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey ordered flags at all state buildings be lowered to half-staff from sunrise to sunset Wednesday to honor Rudd, who was promoted to sergeant in March and had worked for La Paz County since 2013.

Quartzsite police, the La Paz County Sheriffs Office and Arizona Department of Public Safety began the pursuit of a fraudulent schemes suspect just after midnight Monday and it ended about 20 miles (32 kilometers) east of Quartzsite.

Authorities said the pursuit suspect was taken into custody while the driver of the commercial motor vehicle stayed at the scene. Their names werent immediately released.

DPS officials said the departments vehicular crimes unit were investigating the fatal incident.
A New Mexico man stuck in Afghanistan as the country fell to the Taliban is back home, after getting whisked to safety in a clandestine rescue just days before the withdrawal of American troops from the country.

Ali Azimi, who was born in Afghanistan and has lived in Santa Fe since 2015, was in Kabul in mid-August, where he was working as a consultant for a bank on a hydropower project planned in the country.

During that time, cities and regions in the country were falling to the Taliban, which surged back to power ahead of the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the country after a 20-year war. As the group took control of Kabul in mid-August, Azimi realized he needed to get out of the country.

But thousands of people from the rural areas had been flooding into Kabul for days, creating chaos at the airport. Azimi tried around Aug. 20 to have a driver get him to the airport, but he never made it to the entrance because it was too dangerous to navigate the thousands of panicked people surrounding the airport.

So, I came home and sort of was in an (anxious) state, he said in an interview. I couldnt understand How did this happen? 

It wasnt long before Azimi said he received a call from an unknown number and a woman on the line asked him if he wanted to come back to America.

She said, We have a code word for you. The code word is Beirut. Somebody will be calling you and so you  respond back to it, using the code word, Azimi said.

An hour later, Azimi got a text asking him if he wanted to go to Beirut.

Yes, I believe Beirut has amazing restaurants, he texted back.

Azimi was born in Afghanistan and raised in India. He was educated in America, earning a doctorate in environmental science.

Since the Taliban fell to U.S. forces in 2002, Azimi has traveled regularly to Afghanistan to work as a consultant for different groups, usually on renewable energy projects aimed at powering the vast rural villages around the country. He also helped develop the countrys first national parks.

I was just fascinated by the kindness and generosity of the (Afghan) people, he said. And my (intent) was always to return to Afghanistan to help those folks to take part in its development.

Azimi arrived in Afghanistan on July 17 for a hydropower project, which got delayed because other people involved in the work couldnt get to Afghanistan in time. Then, the Taliban started surging back to power.

After giving the code word, Azimi was instructed to go to a specific location and meet an Afghan man, who would bring him to an American base. He was told to consolidate his clothes into small carry-on bags and to dress in traditional Afghan garb, as opposed to Western clothes.

The instructions led him to a truck, which drove him to Eagle Base, a compound used by the Central Intelligence Agency on the outskirts of Kabul.

The New York Times reported last week that the compound, which was used by the CIA to train Afghan counterterrorism units, was the hub for the countrys clandestine evacuation efforts in the days leading up to the troop withdrawal.

The Times reported that three Mi-17 helicopters made at least 35 flights to or from the compound after the Taliban took over Kabul on Aug. 15. Hundreds of people were evacuated to the airport from that base over the course of a couple of weeks, according to the Times.

Azimi was one of them.

He said that, when he arrived at the base, he met two American men, dressed in Western clothes, who were coordinating the evacuation. They never identified which agency they worked for, Azimi said.

He had to turn over his passport and phone to the Americans while he was on the base, and was told to wait in a small room, where food was brought to him, for the day.

Azimi said he waited in the room as explosions went off around the base. He asked one of the Americans what the noise was.

He said, Were just alerting the Taliban that were alive and well, but actually they were blowing up sensitive equipment at the base, Azimi said.

That night, Azimi and others at the base were flown by helicopter to the airport, where he boarded a plane for Qatar at about 2 a.m. Aug. 26.

Hours later, a suicide blast outside the airport, carried out by an Islamic State affiliate, killed 13 American service members and about 170 Afghans.

After years working to help develop Afghanistan, Azimi said its depressing to hear how quickly the country fell back under Taliban control.

The Taliban enforces a strict interpretation of Islamic law. For example, women under Taliban rule face restrictions on working and going to school.

Other problems continue for the country, too, Azimi said. He said Afghan citizens cant access money from banks and that prices for goods are rising quickly. And this is all happening while Afghans are faced with an uncertain future.

Im very sad, he said. Im in touch with former colleagues, and its a desperate situation.
Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

In 2015, an Albuquerque woman filed for a restraining order against Michael Garcia alleging he beat her, choked her and threatened to kill her and their unborn son.

I feel society needs to know what this man is capable of, she wrote in the motion.

Fast forward to Oct. 1, when the couples 2-year-old daughter, Diana, was found dead inside the mobile home Garcia shares with his mother and his other three children. The childs body was covered in bruises and burns.

Garcia has been charged in her death.

Court records and police reports detail the six years between that first restraining order and Dianas death. They describe a lengthy custody battle and turbulent relationship between the couple, Garcias arrests for domestic violence, several welfare checks on the couples children and the mothers noncompliance with court orders, one reason Garcia had full custody of the children at the time of Dianas death.

Albuquerque police were dispatched to Garcia and his mothers home after paramedics were unable to revive Diana and noticed the injuries. Garcia and his mother told police that Diana had fallen in the tub and had been burned by a hot pan.

One of the other children told police Garcia and his mother beat them with belts.

Garcia, 32, is behind bars and facing a charge of child abuse in the Oct. 1 death of Diana McGrory. The couples other three children were taken into the custody of the New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department after Garcias arrest.

Garcias attorney could not be reached and relatives declined to comment. And the Journal was unable to reach the childrens mother for comment.

It is unclear in court documents when Garcia actually took custody of the children.

According to court documents and police reports:

Garcia was first arrested for domestic violence on Oct. 30, 2015, after the childrens mother  eight months pregnant with their first son  told police he slammed her head into a wall and choked her.

Police found her with a black eye, cuts to her lip, a bruised arm and neck pain. Garcia told police she pushed him and he pushed her back into the wall.

She filed a petition for an order of protection the following month, saying Garcia also threatened to kill her if she took his child away and there had been unreported instances of abuse before. She said in the motion, which was granted, that Garcia had a bad temper and was possibly using methamphetamine.

Garcia pleaded no contest to assault and disorderly conduct in the case and was sentenced to probation, which he violated repeatedly, and was arrested in another domestic violence case involving the woman in April 2017.

By that time, the couple had twin boys.

Although police reports were not available in another case, court records show the childrens mother accused Garcia of physically abusing her over several days and not letting her leave their apartment.

The case was dismissed by prosecutors within months of the incident, and Garcia petitioned for joint custody of the couples three boys.

A time-sharing agreement was reached by January 2018 that stipulated Garcia pay child support and have visitation rights.

In the years that followed, Diana was born and the couple went back and forth trading barbs and filing motions, with the mother accusing Garcia of harassment and him accusing her of withholding the children.

In March 2019, Garcia called police three times to report that he had not seen his children for a month and that their mothers behavior had grown bizarre.

The mother, who, police said, appeared very shaken up and paranoid, told officers she was having issues with a man posing as the father of her children. She said the man was calling her and showing up to her home and leaving notes.

In May 2019, the mother filed another order of protection against Garcia, accusing him of stalking her and trying to take her children.

This man is claiming to be my childrens father, she wrote.  Its starting to affect my babies, my life, my emotions. He has been asked to stop over and over. I need help.

Garcia filed a motion accusing her of not answering his calls and leaving town with his children. Garcia requested full custody and wrote that he was extremely worried for his children and made a CYFD report. He also asked that she get a mental evaluation and be drug tested.

A judge awarded Garcia full custody of the children in September 2019 and issued a bench warrant for the mother after finding she violated the conditions set in the order of protection, including possibly fleeing the state and hiding the children.

The bench warrant was canceled and the order of protection expired by the time Garcia called police to say he found the mother at a Motel 6 in Albuquerque in April 2020. She told police Garcia was not the childrens father and was stalking her. Garcia told police he found her at the motel through social media and had rented a room near hers with a window overlooking her vehicle.

The officer did not feel comfortable taking the children from their mother due to there being no active arrest warrant, no verified proof of parenthood and finding previous allegations against Garcia. The officer said all four children appeared fine and healthy, according to the report.

The next month, the mother was issued a criminal summons after scratching Garcias face during a dispute at the mobile home he lived in with his mother. Garcia told police he and his mother recently invited the childrens mother to stay with them as she was homeless and he was still working to get custody.

In April 2021, the childrens mother called police to report that Garcia had not returned one of the sons to her, but she could provide no proof she had full custody. She called police again in June for a welfare check on the son, claiming she had not seen him in months.

Garcia allowed officers inside the mobile home and police said there was plenty of food, electricity and running water.

Police told the childrens mother that the son was OK and she replied that she just wanted to know that he was OK and was working to get full custody.

I observed (the son) sitting on the couch eating a Popsicle. (He) told me that he had just finished eating dinner. The house is safe for a child to be living, the officer wrote.
New Mexico officials say voters who show up at polling places to register to vote on Nov. 2 for municipal elections will be out of luck.

This year, New Mexico began allowing voters to register or update their registration immediately before casting their ballot on Election Day. That same-day registration was available for a special congressional election in June, but it wont be in next months election, KUNM reported.

Same-day registration is always available during the early voting period at county clerks offices and at additional sites in some counties. However, offering same-day registration on Election Day itself requires approval from the Voting System Certification Committee, and the Secretary of States Office decided not to make that request after getting feedback from participating counties.

Mandy Vigil, elections director with the Secretary of States Office, told a panel of lawmakers last month that her office made the request for Junes congressional election as a pilot program. She described it as successful, noting that nearly 2% of voters in that election used the service.

Nonetheless, the Secretary of States Office is working on some technical updates, including improvements to the county clerks portal, fixing a software bug and improving email notifications. Vigil said the office will present its plan to the certification committee before the 2022 primary.
WASHINGTON  The International Monetary Fund expressed full confidence in its managing director Tuesday in response to allegations that while she was a World Bank official, she and others pressured staffers to change business rankings in an effort to placate China.

The IMFs 24-member executive board said in a statement that its review did not conclusively demonstrate that the managing director, Kristalina Georgieva, played an improper role.

But it said a probe into possible misconduct by World Bank staff was continuing. The United States, the IMFs largest shareholder, said it planned to closely monitor the further investigation into the issue. The World Bank and IMF are both global lenders in the United Nations system.

Georgieva has denied any wrongdoing in response to an investigative report by the WilmerHale law firm. The report found she played a role in pressuring World Bank staff to amend data affecting 2018 rankings that were meant to show how welcoming China and other nations were to businesses.

Countries used the annual Doing Business report, which evaluated tax burdens, bureaucratic obstacles and regulatory systems, to attract foreign investment.

The rankings have been discontinued due to the controversy, which also prompted criticism that China, the worlds second-largest economy, has too much influence over international finance organizations.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen spoke with Georgieva by phone and said the report raised legitimate issues and concerns, the Treasury Department said in a statement.

However, the Treasury agreed that absent further direct evidence with regard to the role of the managing director there is not a basis for a change in IMF leadership.

Yellen said it was crucial to defend the integrity of the IMF and the World Bank.

The U.S. believes proactive steps must be taken to reinforce data integrity and credibility at the IMF, and that the institution and its leadership must renew their commitment to upholding transparency and whistleblower protections surrounding policies, research, and analysis to provide accountability and public oversight over key decisions, the Treasury statement said.

Addressing the controversy Wednesday, Gita Gopinath, the IMFs chief economist, said that the IMF took very seriously the need to protect the integrity of its economic reports. She noted that the investigation focused on a World Bank report, not a report produced by the IMF.

We are constantly working to ensure the highest standards for our data and for our research, she told reporters at a briefing on the IMFs updated World Economic Outlook. As part of that we have ongoing reviews all the time and will continue to do so.

The IMF had said late Friday it was seeking more clarifying details in its investigation and the board met again with Georgieva on Sunday.

Georgieva appeared before a panel for more than five hours last week after a presentation by WilmerHale that alleged she and other World Bank officials had pressured staff to alter the data.

The 190-nation IMF and World Bank annual meetings are being held this week in Washington and the controversy surrounding the Doing Business report was threatening to overshadow the agenda of those meetings.

Georgieva, a 68-year-old Bulgarian economist, has served as managing director of the IMF since 2019. She was the funds first leader to come from an emerging market economy rather than one of the traditional European economic powers, like Germany or France.

In taking over the leadership of the IMF, she succeeded Christine Lagarde, who stepped down to take over as head of the European Central Bank.
PARIS  The British official who will preside over an upcoming U.N. climate summit said Tuesday that hes losing sleep over how to get long-promised funding for poorer nations to switch to cleaner energy and cope with the worst impacts of climate change.

Alok Sharma, president of the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference, used a speech in Paris to jolt richer nations into action in the last weeks before the Oct. 31-Nov. 12 event in Glasgow, Scotland.

Sharma said that securing the previously promised annual package of climate change funding for poorer nations is vital to the success of the summit.

Without finance, tackling climate change is well-nigh impossible. So developed countries must deliver on the $100 billion a year promised to developing nations. This is a totemic figure. A matter of trust. And trust is a hard-won and fragile commodity in climate negotiations, he said.

Thinking about this does keep me awake at night, he added.

Sharma, who was the U.K.s secretary of state for business before he stepped down to oversee the COP26 conference, also put pressure on the Group of 20 nations that together account for the bulk of global wealth and trade and around 80% of polluting emissions that contribute to global warming.

In July, G-20 nations all agreed that before the COP26 meeting, they would each lay out ambitious targets to reduce emissions by 2030, Sharma said. But some havent yet done so and must deliver, he said.

I say to those G-20 leaders: They simply must step up ahead of COP26, he said.

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Follow APs coverage of climate issues at https://apnews.com/hub/climate-change
ARLINGTON, Texas  Classes resumed Tuesday at a Texas high school for the first time since a classroom shooting last week that wounded a teacher and student.

The shooting happened Oct. 6 at Timberview High School in Arlington. According to police, 18-year-old Timothy George Simpkins opened fire in a classroom after a fight with another student. A teacher and student were shot and two others had unspecified injuries, police said.

Simpkins was arrested on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. His family said he had been repeatedly bullied at school.

On Monday, wounded teacher Calvin Pettit was released from the hospital, Dallas TV station WFAA reported. A wounded 15-year-old student who had been in critical condition was upgraded to good condition, police said.

Timberview is part of the Mansfield Independent School District. In a statement, the district said there would be a heightened police presence on campus Tuesday.

Separately, classes also resumed this week at YES Prep Southwest Secondary school in Houston following an Oct. 1 shooting that wounded the schools principal. A former student is charged in the shooting.
WASHINGTON  With many Americans who got Pfizer vaccinations already rolling up their sleeves for a booster shot, millions of others who received the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccine wait anxiously to learn when its their turn.

Federal regulators begin tackling that question this week.

On Thursday and Friday, the Food and Drug Administration convenes its independent advisers for the first stage in the process of deciding whether extra doses of the two vaccines should be dispensed and, if so, who should get them and when. The final go-ahead is not expected for at least another week.

After the FDA advisers give their recommendation, the agency itself will make a decision on whether to authorize boosters. Then next week, a panel convened by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will offer more specifics on who should get them. Its decision is subject to approval by the CDC director.

The process is meant to bolster public confidence in the vaccines. But it has already led to conflicts among experts and agencies  and documents the FDA released Tuesday suggest this weeks decisions will be equally difficult.

In one earlier vaccine dispute, the CDCs advisory panel last month backed Pfizer boosters at the six-month point for older Americans, nursing home residents and people with underlying health problems. But CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky overruled her advisers and decided boosters should also be offered to those with high-risk jobs such as teachers and health care workers, adding tens of millions more Americans to the list.

Some health experts fear the back-and-forth deliberations are muddling the public effort to persuade the unvaccinated to get their first shots. They worry that the talk of boosters will lead people to wrongly doubt the effectiveness of the vaccines in the first place.

When the FDAs panel meets to review the Moderna and J&J vaccines, experts will discuss whether a third Moderna shot should contain just half the original dose and whats the best timing for a second shot of the single-dose J&J vaccine.

The panel will also look into the safety and effectiveness of mixing-and-matching different brands of vaccine, something regulators have not endorsed so far.

An estimated 103 million Americans are fully vaccinated with Pfizers formula, 69 million with Modernas and 15 million with J&Js, according to the CDC. Regulators took up the question of Pfizer boosters first because the company submitted its data ahead of the other vaccine makers.

Tim Anderson, a U.S. history teacher at a high school outside Louisville, Kentucky, already had his two Moderna shots months before he came down with COVID-19 in August. While his symptoms hit him like a sledgehammer, he is convinced that the inoculation saved him and his girlfriend from the more severe effects of the disease.

The two are now awaiting clearance of a Moderna booster shot.

Until we can build up enough immunity within our own self and, you know, as a group of humans, Im willing to do what I need to do, Anderson, 58, said.

The FDA meetings come as U.S. vaccinations have climbed back above 1 million per day on average, an increase of more than 50% over the past two weeks. The rise has been driven mainly by Pfizer boosters and employer vaccine mandates.

While the FDA and CDC so far have endorsed Pfizer boosters for specific groups only, Biden administration officials, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, have suggested that extra shots will eventually be recommended for most Americans.

In a new review of Modernas data, the FDA did not indicate Tuesday if it was leaning toward clearing the companys booster. It said vaccines used in the U.S. still provide protection, and it raised questions about some of Modernas data.

The two initial Moderna shots contain 100 micrograms of vaccine each. But the drugmaker says 50 micrograms ought to be enough for a booster for healthy people.

A company study of 344 people gave them a 50-microgram shot six months after their second dose, and levels of virus-fighting antibodies jumped. Moderna said the booster even triggered a 42-fold rise in antibodies able to target the extra-contagious delta variant.

Side effects were similar to the fevers and aches that Moderna recipients commonly experience after their second regular shot, the company said.

As for people who got the J&J vaccine, the company submitted data to the FDA for different options: a booster shot at two months or at six months. The company said in its FDA submission that a six-month booster is recommended but that a second dose could be given at two months in some situations.

J&J released data in September showing that a booster given at two months provided 94% protection against moderate-to-severe COVID-19 infection. The company has not disclosed patient data on a six-month booster, but early measures of virus-fighting antibodies suggest it provides even higher protection.

Even without a booster, J&J says, its vaccine remains about 80% effective at preventing COVID-19 hospitalizations in the U.S.

Scientists emphasize that all three vaccines used in the U.S. still offer strong protection against severe disease and death from COVID-19. The issue is how quickly, and how much, protection against milder infection may wane.

In one recent study, researchers compared about 14,000 people who had gotten their first Moderna dose a year ago with 11,000 vaccinated eight months ago. As the delta variant surged in July and August, the more recently vaccinated group had a 36% lower rate of breakthrough infections compared with those vaccinated longer ago.

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AP Writer Bobby Caina Calvan contributed to this story from New York.

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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.
BAGHDAD  Iraqs Shiite militias that often serve as a proxy for neighboring Iran have taken a beating in Iraqs election, while a Shiite cleric who set himself apart by taking a more nationalistic approach has emerged as Iraqs strongest political figure.

The results underscore growing divisions over Irans heavy-handed influence in the country, weakening Irans allies as it seeks to revive its nuclear deal with world powers and engage with its regional rival, Saudi Arabia.

It also heightens tensions among Shiite factions in the country, potentially further complicating Iraqs challenge in balancing its alliances with adversaries Iran and United States.

Iran-backed militias rejected the results Tuesday after it became known that their electoral list, known as the Fatah Alliance, saw its parliament seats drop from 48 to between 12 and 14. The Sairoon list of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr picked up to 20 additional seats, consolidating its status as the single largest bloc in the 329-member parliament.

A Sunni faction headed by Parliament Speaker Mohamed al-Halbousi came in second  a spot gained by the Fatah Alliance in 2018  while independent candidates won around 10 seats. Its the first representation in parliament of candidates linked to the 2019 anti-government protest movement.

Hadi al-Ameri, leader of the Fatah Alliance, said the results were a scam. Abu Ali al-Askari, a senior leader with Kataib Hezbollah, one of the most hard-line militias loyal to Iran, claimed voting manipulation and said the militias were being targeted.

CLERIC ON THE ASCENDANT

Widespread disillusionment with Iraqs current political class appears to have helped the political coalition of al-Sadr in the elections marked by record low turnout.

The 47-year-old militant-turned-populist preacher tapped into widespread resentment of Irans heavy-handed interference in Iraq through armed militias.

Remembered for leading an insurgency against U.S. forces, al-Sadr has in recent years sought to recast himself as a nationalist, railing against corruption and failing services.

Although he enjoys close ties with Irans political and religious leadership, he is publicly critical of both Iranian and U.S. influence in the country. In recent years he has criticized the flow of Iranian arms to Shiite militias in Iraq.

Al-Sadr commands the devotion of millions of Iraqis, including those who fought in his former Mahdi Army militia from the early days of the U.S. occupation. In 2014, he reorganized his fighters under the name the Peace Brigades  Saraya Salam  and fought against Islamic State militants.

Celebrations erupted Monday evening in Baghdads Sadr City, an impoverished quarter that is home to about 3 million people and is named after the clerics father, Ayatollah Mohammed Sadeq al-Sadr, who was killed by suspected agents of Saddam Hussein in 1999.

While many did not turn out to vote amid a general mood of apathy, al-Sadrs sophisticated political machine mobilized his loyal base of followers to cast their ballots and successfully made use of a new electoral law based on smaller constituencies.

The preliminary results will almost certainly give al-Sadr increased sway over the government.

IRANS DIVISIVE ROLE

Iranian-backed Shiite militias known collectively as the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) gained popularity and outsized influence after playing a key role in defeating IS militants beginning in 2014. The Fatah Alliance made up of PMF candidates came in second place in the 2018 elections, which was seen as an indication of Tehrans growing influence in Iraq.

But the armed groups have been increasingly seen as a threat to the states authority, and the issue of arms outside state control has become contentious. When tens of thousands of people rose up in late 2019 in Baghdad and the predominantly Shiite south, raging against corruption and Irans influence, Iraqi militias took part in suppressing them with live ammunition. Activists accused them of a spate of kidnappings targeting protesters and young activists.

On several occasions recently, masked Shiite militiamen armed with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades drove openly through central Baghdad in an ominous display that underscored the growing threat that rogue militias loyal to Tehran pose for Iraq.

The parties that claim to represent the PMF were punished by the public because of their stances against the Tishreen movement,  said Nisan al-Zayer, an independent candidate, referring to the protests by the month they occurred. Al-Zayer ran on the list for the Imtidad Movement, drawn from the protest movement, and got more than 22,000 votes in the southern province of Nasiriyah, a flashpoint in the demonstrations.

The assassinations of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in Baghdad by a Washington-directed drone strike in January 2020 led to new splits within militia factions, making them increasingly unruly and disparate.

The election results were a strong message to Iran that its political arms are rejected by the Shiite street even if Iran will not let go of its armed militias, said political analyst Ihsan Alshamary.

WHAT NEXT?

The result of the election will have repercussions domestically and will go a long way in determining Iraqs relationship with its neighbors and the U.S. for the next four years.

It is unlikely that al-Sadr can pull together a governing coalition without the Iran-aligned political groups. Any political party or alliance must gain a majority of the 329 seats in parliament to be able to choose a prime minister and form a government.

Months of negotiations are expected before a coalition representing at least 165 members of parliament can be formed and elect a prime minister.

Also, Iran still holds considerable sway with several Shiite blocs and figures, and will seek to exert pressure on the negotiations.

The United States and Gulf Arab states will be looking to see whether incumbent Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi can secure a second term.

Al-Kadhimi, a former intelligence chief who is supported by Washington, has been successful in balancing between U.S. and Iranian interests in Iraq. He has also hosted several rounds of talks between regional rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia in a bid to ease tensions. These talks now hang in the balance, while al-Sadr decides whether to opt for Kadhimi again as a compromise candidate.

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EDITORS NOTE  Zeina Karam, the news director for Iraq, Syria and Lebanon for The Associated Press, has reported from the Middle East since 1996. Qassim Abdul-Zahra is an AP correspondent based in Baghdad since 2003. Follow them on Twitter at www.twitter.com/zkaram and www.twitter.com/qabdulzahra.
Kailani Mariano, age 7, cools off after performing with the Sky City Buffalo Ram dancers from Acoma Pueblo during the Indigenous Peoples Day celebration Monday. (Roberto E. Rosales/Journal) Athena Martinez, 14, performs with the Sky City Buffalo Ram dancers from Acoma Pueblo during an Indigenous Peoples Day celebration at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center. (Roberto E. Rosales/Journal) Maurice Chino, 18, of Acoma Pueblo, performs the Buffalo Dance at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center on Indigenous Peoples Day. (Roberto E. Rosales/Albuquerque Journal) Seven-year-old Marcus Yamutewa of Zuni Pueblo watches the performances at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center on Indigenous Peoples Day. (Roberto E. Rosales/Journal) Dancers from Acoma Pueblo perform the Buffalo Dance at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center on Indigenous Peoples Day. (Roberto E. Rosales/Journal) Prev 1 of 5 Next

The Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque hosted an Indigenous Peoples Day celebration Monday. The holiday became official in 2019 in New Mexico  a state that is home to 23 tribes, nations and pueblos.

The celebration featured Native speakers, dancers and artists.

Being Indigenous is about being proud of who you are, said state Rep. Derrick Lente, D-Sandia Pueblo. We have a place, and this is the place that our ancestors have called home forever.

President Joe Biden recently issued a proclamation commemorating the holiday, becoming the first president to do so.

The contributions that Indigenous peoples have made throughout history  in public service, entrepreneurship, scholarship, the arts, and countless other fields  are integral to our Nation, our culture, and our society, the proclamation says.
MADRID  Pomp, pageantry and a grand military parade marked Spains national day ceremonies in Madrid on Tuesday, overshadowing protests against what some see as a misguided celebration of Spanish colonial history.

Cavalry members escorted King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia to a platform where the royal couple watched more than 2,600 troops march along the flag-lined Paseo de la Castellana. The parade featured dozens of aircraft flying overhead and a 21-gun salute.

A parachutist with a giant red-and-yellow Spanish flag attached to his ankle landed on the avenue, drawing cheers from the thousands of spectators.

The Dia de la Fiesta Nacional, also known as Dia de la Hispanidad, is a public holiday in Spain. The 1987 law which made Oct. 12 the national holiday said it commemorates the linguistic and cultural projection of Spain outside of its European limits.

The date marks explorer Christopher Columbus Oct. 12, 1492 sighting of land while traveling under Spanish royal sponsorship in search of what came to be known as the Americas. That event heralded centuries of colonization of the Americas by European nations while bringing violence, disease and death to indigenous people.

In Spain, the suffering of native populations during that period has not received the same attention or prompted the kind of historical reevaluation as it has, for example, in the United States, where in many places Columbus Day has been paired or replaced with Indigenous Peoples Day to switch the focus of the annual holiday.

Near to where Tuesdays official national day celebrations were held in Madrid is a statue of Columbus atop a pedestal. It is 17 meters (56 feet) high.

In the U.S. city of Chicago, by contrast, three statues of Columbus remain in storage by order of the local government after protesters targeted them last summer.

The debate over Columbus historical legacy has raged for many years. But it came into sharper focus in the United States after a campaign to remove monuments dedicated to Confederate generals flared into deadly violence in 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Protests staged to coincide with Spains national day mostly were driven by other grievances.

The king, for instance, received jeers and whistles from people who want to abolish the Spanish monarchy. Regional officials fighting for the independence of Spains Catalonia region went to work as normal as a way of thumbing their noses at the countrys central authorities.

Even the anti-establishment, left-wing Unidas Podemos (United We Can) party supported the formal ceremonies in Madrid even though fighting inequality is one of its banner issues. The left-wing party, which is part of Spains coalition government, sent its three government ministers to attend the parade.

Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez sought to focus the celebrations on a more modern appreciation of Oct. 12.

He said the holiday was meant to celebrate what bonds us together, what makes us bigger as a society, what makes Spain a friendly, open, diverse country.

Groups protesting against the tribute to Columbus and his legacy organized scattered demonstrations, including in Madrid, though turnout was light.

Joan Felguera, a 17-year-old student attending a protest in Barcelona against crimes committed by Spanish colonizers, said people had to choose how to react to what was known about the period.

History is history, he said. But culture is changing and ways of thinking have evolved.

But at a separate far-right rally in the northeastern Spanish city, participants argued that the Spanish conquests were benign. But now things are being twisted around, said Ester Lopez, a 40-year-old office worker.

Paula Guerra, a Chilean anti-racism activist, said the celebrations ought to be replaced by an acknowledgment of the damage caused by the horrors committed by Spain in the Americas.

It was a regime of terror. It was a regime of barbarism, she said.

Dora Turin, 35, who works in Spains audiovisual sector, said in advance of the parade that people should reflect positively on Spains colonial rule.

It was a contribution of cultures, in addition to ours, she said. It meant adding more knowledge and being able to mix inter-culturally and reach what we are now.

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Barry Hatton reported from Lisbon, Portugal. German Martinez and Hernan Munoz contributed from Barcelona, Spain.
Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE  Gov. Michelle Lujan Grishams administration is likely to extend a mask mandate for indoor public settings beyond the scheduled expiration date of a state public health order this week, a spokesman said Tuesday.

New Mexico has seen a stubbornly high number of new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in recent weeks as a surge caused by the highly contagious delta variant has plateaued, but not subsided, as previously hoped.

State health officials on Tuesday reported 2,433 new virus cases since Friday  roughly 600 new cases per day over a four-day period  and 16 additional deaths related to COVID-19.

The deaths brought the states toll to 4,885 since the pandemic hit in March 2020. The majority of those who have died have been elderly residents with underlying health conditions, though the latest deaths included three men in their 30s  from Lea, Eddy and Santa Fe counties.

While some vaccinated individuals have tested positive for COVID-19 in recent weeks, most new cases, hospitalizations and deaths have occurred in unvaccinated people.

From the start of February through Oct. 4, 864 of the 924 virus-related deaths  or 93.5%  were unvaccinated residents, according to state Department of Health data.

Meanwhile, New Mexicos mask mandate, which applies to all state residents, regardless of their vaccine status, was reimposed in mid-August amid the spike in new COVID-19 cases.

It is part of a public health order issued by acting state Health Secretary David Scrase thats set to expire Friday. But Lujan Grisham spokesman Tripp Stelnicki said the mandate will likely be included in an extended  and possibly revised  order.

A separate public health order requiring that hospital employees, corrections officers and other workers in group home settings get the COVID-19 vaccine or risk losing their jobs does not have a set expiration date.

New Mexico was among the first states to require that face coverings be worn in public settings when Lujan Grisham revised a previous public health order to include a face mask mandate in May 2020.

Before being recently reimposed for indoor public settings, the mask mandate had been lifted in May for fully vaccinated individuals in order to conform to federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance.

New Mexico is currently one of just seven states that require people to wear masks in indoor public places, according to the AARP. The others are Illinois, Louisiana, Oregon, Washington, Nevada and Hawaii.

Online

For the latest news on the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on New Mexico, go to ABQJournal.com/coronavirus
Instagram Celebrity

The 'WAP' himaker has been attacked for making the trip to Europe with her husband Offset after citing travel-safety concerns to get to New York court for an October trial date.

Oct 12, 2021

AceShowbiz - Cardi B has defended her recent trip to Paris Fashion Week after abandoning a trial date in New York. The rapper has been attacked for making the trip to Europe with her husband Offset after citing travel-safety concerns to get to court for an October trial date.

Her face-off with Kevin Brophy, who is suing the "WAP" star for stealing his likeness for racy mixtape cover art, will now take place in February 2022, and the plaintiff isn't happy, especially after seeing footage of Cardi and her man in the French capital recently - he feels she should be sanctioned for putting the trip to France ahead of her legal obligations.

In a new legal statement, obtained by Rolling Stone magazine, the "Bodak Yellow" star points out she and Offset only needed a week for the business trip, while she would have had to put her life on hold for almost a month for a trial.

"This was the only trip I have taken since the birth of our son on September 4, 2021," she explains. "I was of course very concerned with, and made thorough arrangements for, the well-being and care of our children in our absence."

"During our absence, our three-year-old daughter and our newborn son stayed with my mother and a baby nurse for our son in New York. Both children were and remain in perfect health."

"I have had the good fortune to become identified almost as much for fashion as for my music, and the opportunity to be part of the 'inner circle' of the elite of the fashion world, representing some of the most famous designers' work, was a rare opportunity, and important for my career, especially given my absence from live performance over most of the last two years due to the pandemic, and the fact that I have been working on a new, upcoming album."

"That opportunity was so important and compelling to my career that I could not reasonably turn it down, provided of course that we were able to make adequate provision for the care of our children for the few days my husband and I would be gone."

Cardi explains bosses at fashion brand Mugler invited her to attend Paris Fashion Week, where she attended Balenciaga and Messika shows.

"During the trip, I talked to our children, via FaceTime, daily. I spoke with our daughter each morning, afternoon, and evening, and the baby nurse would contact me via FaceTime in the afternoon whenever our son was up so I could see and speak to him," she adds.
Instagram Celebrity

After Camaryn Swanson claims that he put his hands on her following a heated argument at his home in California, the 'Loyal' rapper is reportedly planning to go to the LAPD to tell his side of the story.

Oct 12, 2021

AceShowbiz - Tyga is facing accusations of domestic violence from Camaryn Swanson. However, the "Ayy Macarena" crooner is reportedly cooperating with the authorities after his ex-girlfriend claimed that he assaulted her following an altercation.

On Monday, October 11, the 31-year-old rapper was allegedly involved in a heated argument with Camaryn after she showed up to his California mansion "screaming in the middle of the night" and causing a scene at 3 A.M. Sources close to the situation told TMZ that the musician's family members, who were present during the incident, believed the 22-year-old influencer "appeared to be under the influence," but he "still let her inside to talk" though the shouting continued.

The screaming escalated to fight, Camaryn told the authorities. The fashion designer, who is represented by Genflow Talent, also claimed that Tyga, who shares 3-year-old daughter Stormi Webster with Kylie Jenner, got physical with her before she called her mother to pick her up and phoned the cops.

The outlet also reported that responding police officers saw "visible marks" on her and "took a report for felony domestic violence." Tyga hasn't been arrested and declined to speak with law enforcement that same day but he's reportedly planning to talk to the Los Angeles Police Department to "tell his side of the story" on Tuesday, October 12.

Following TMZ's report, Camaryn took to her Instagram Story to share photos of the alleged injuries. "I've been emotionally, mentally and physically abused and I'm not hiding it anymore," the social media star wrote along with a photo of her bruised face. In a following Story, she uploaded a video of her showing marks on her eyes and arms. "I'm so embarrassed and ashamed it had to get to this but I have to stand up for myself," she captioned the clip.

Camaryn also denied claims that she showed up at his home uninvited. "I didn't show up 'screaming' or uninvited. When i tried to leave, he physically assaulted and refused to let me leave for hours," she wrote over a screenshot of iMessages with an unidentified man. In it, the man said that the "Loyal" rapper had sent a car to pick her up to head to his home.

Tyga and Camaryn reportedly began dating in early 2021. The pair went Instagram official in February, with the influencer sharing a sweet snap of their date at Disneyland Resort in California. At the time, she captioned her post with heart emojis.
Movie

Speaking about Jon Kent's dating life depicted in 'Superman: Son of Kal-El', writer Tom Taylor expresses his gratitude that 'DC and Warner Bros. share this idea.'

Oct 12, 2021

AceShowbiz - DC Comics' new Superman, Jon Kent, son of Clark Kent, is dating a guy in an upcoming issue of "Superman: Son of Kal-El".

In the comic, out on November 9, Clark and Lois' child is the latest character to "come out" as bisexual after the publishing bosses made the same reveal earlier this year (March 2021) about their current Robin, Tim Drake, in "Batman: Urban Legends".

And just as dad Clark dated a reporter in Lois Lane, Jon Kent is also romancing a journalist, college friend Jay Nakamura.

"I've always said everyone needs heroes and everyone deserves to see themselves in their heroes and I'm very grateful DC and Warner Bros. share this idea," writer Tom Taylor tells The Hollywood Reporter.

"Superman's symbol has always stood for hope, for truth and for justice. Today, that symbol represents something more. Today, more people can see themselves in the most powerful superhero in comics."

DC chief creative officer and publisher Jim Lee adds, "We couldn't be prouder to tell this important story from Tom Taylor and John Timms. We talk a lot about the power of the DC Multiverse in our storytelling and this is another incredible example. We can have Jon Kent exploring his identity in the comics as well as Jon Kent learning the secrets of his family on TV on 'Superman & Lois'. They coexist in their own worlds and times, and our fans get to enjoy both simultaneously."

In the spring (2021), rival comics publisher Marvel introduced new character Aaron Fischer, who serves as the first gay Captain America.
The Walt Disney Company Celebrity

The Disney legend, who was known for her works on 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs', died at the Motion Picture and Television Fund's Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, California.

Oct 12, 2021

AceShowbiz - Disney trailblazer Ruthie Tompson has died, aged 111. The beloved animator spent four decades working at at the Walt Disney Co. working on films from "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" to "The Rescuers".

She died on Sunday, October 10 at the Motion Picture & Television Fund's Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, California.

In a statement mourning her death, Bob Iger, Executive Chairman and Chairman of the Board, The Walt Disney Company, said, "Ruthie was a legend among animators, and her creative contributions to Disney-from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to The Rescuers-remain beloved classics to this day." He continued to pay tribute, "While we will miss her smile and wonderful sense of humor, her exceptional work and pioneering spirit will forever be an inspiration to us all."

Tompson is credited with helping to establish the technology used to photograph animated scenes and background art onto film.

Born in Portland, Maine, Tompson and her family settled in Los Feliz, near Walt Disney's first studio. Her curiosity led her to the place and she was invited to be part of one of Roy Disney's home videos.

Years later, she was working at Dubrock's Riding Academy in the San Fernando Valley, where the Disney brothers were learning to play polo, and she was offered a job. Her mathematical skills helped animators on "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" figure out the logistics of camera moves and she became a studio favorite.

She was part of the teams that worked on films like "Fantasia", "Alice in Wonderland", "Sleeping Beauty", and "The Jungle Book". Tompson retired in 1975 after working on "The Rescuers".

She was officially named a Disney Legend in 2000.
Instagram Celebrity

The Elio Perlman depicter in 'Call Me by Your Name' addresses the matter just months after his co-star reportedly checked into rehab in Florida to get treatment for drug, alcohol and sex issues.

Oct 12, 2021

AceShowbiz - Timothee Chalamet has spoken out about sexual assault allegations against his "Call Me by Your Name" co-star, Armie Hammer. In a new interview, the Elio Perlman depicter in the 2017 movie declared that he won't give a "partial response."

"I totally get why you're asking that," the 25-year-old said when asked about the matter in an interview with Time magazine. "But it's a question worthy of a larger conversation, and I don't want to give you a partial response."

Armie was accused of rape back in March. One of his exes, Effie, alleged that he "mentally, emotionally and sexually" abused her during a four-year on/off relationship. At that time, he was still married to Elizabeth Chambers.

In a March press conference, Effie said that the alleged abuse escalated to rape in April 2017, when she was 20 years old. She detailed that during the attack, the "Rebecca" leading man "repeatedly slammed" her "face against the wall" and left her bruised.

Armie's attorney Andrew Brettler, however, was quick to shut down the allegations. "Her own correspondence with Mr. Hammer undermines and refutes her outrageous allegations," Andrew said in a statement. "As recently as July 18, 2020, (Effie) sent graphic texts to Mr. Hammer telling him what she wanted him to do to her. Mr. Hammer responded making it clear that he did not want to maintain that type of relationship with her."

Before Effie came forward with her claims, Armie's other ex, Courtney Vucekovich, brought up cannibalism allegations against him. Another ex, Paige Lorenze, also claimed that the actor used a knife to carve the letter "A" into the skin near her vagina.

The allegations prompted Armie to exit several projects, including "Shotgun Wedding" with Jennifer Lopez and drama series "The Offer". He was also dropped by his talent agency, WME.

In June, it's reported that Armie checked into rehab in Orlando, Florida to get treatment for drug, alcohol and sex issues. According to Vanity Fair, his estranged wife Elizabeth and their kids dropped him off at the facility.
Instagram Celebrity

The Judas Priest guitarist has to undergo 10 hours in surgery after suffering an acute cardiac aortic dissection during a performance at the Louder Than Life festival in Kentucky.

Oct 12, 2021

AceShowbiz - Judas Priest star Richie Faulkner has thanked the cardiothoracic surgeon who saved his life.

The guitarist suffered an acute cardiac aortic dissection during a performance at the Louder Than Life festival in Kentucky last month (September 2021) and was admitted to the nearby Rudd Heart and Lung Center in Louisville, where Dr. Siddharth Pahwa and his team spent 10 hours in surgery fixing his health emergency.

Now resting at home in Nashville, Tennessee, Faulkner reveals he had no idea what was going on when he suddenly felt light-headed onstage, but he knew something was seriously wrong when he felt a sharp pain as he was heading backstage after the gig.

"That's when it exploded," he says. "The more I read about it, the more astonishing it is to me to think that I even made it to the hospital... I don't know how I'm still around today."

Speaking directly to Pahwa, who was part of the video call interview with reporters, Faulkner added, "You saved my life. My little girl saw me come home, and that just means everything. So I thank you from the bottom of my heart. There's really nothing more to say other than that, really."

"He was only four miles away, but miles equal minutes and he did not have many to spare," the surgeon said. "Mr. Faulkner is alive today because the stars aligned. He had an outstanding emergency care team, he was close to a world-class heart center, and he was quick to recognize he needed help."

The guitarist, who joined Judas Priest in 2011, added, "From what I've been told by my surgeon, people with this don't usually make it to the hospital alive. Five parts of my chest were replaced with mechanical components. I'm literally made of metal now."
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Though 'deeply disappointed' by the one-day postponement, the 'Star Trek' actor still cannot wait to get into space as part of the crew on board Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket.

Oct 12, 2021

AceShowbiz - "Star Trek" icon William Shatner can't wait to get into space as part of the crew on board Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket, but he hopes he doesn't see any aliens.

The TV veteran will blast off with Amazon founder Jeff Bezos' latest Blue Origin mission on Wednesday, October 13, alongside Bezos' vice president of Mission and Flight Operations Audrey Powers, former NASA engineer Chris Boshuizen and healthcare entrepreneur Glen De Vries.

At 90, Shatner will become the oldest person ever to go into space. "I plan to be looking out the window with my nose pressed against the window and the one thing I don't want to see is a little gremlin looking back at me," he says.

The 11-minute flight will blast off in the same rocket that took Bezos and his crew into space two months ago. That was Blue Origin's first mission.

Shatner will get to experience weightlessness and a view of earth few see during his out-of-this-world trip. The launch was supposed to take place on Tuesday morning, but it has been delayed a day due to high winds.

"I'm deeply disappointed because I was building up the enthusiastic response and now we've gotta wait another day, but it is really worth it," the actor tells "Good Morning America". "What's a day with this extraordinary experience?"

The mission, dubbed NS18, is set to liftoff at 6:30 A.M. PT (8:30 A.M. CT) on Wednesday, Oct. 13. Live coverage from Blue Origin is set to begin 90 minutes earlier and will be streamed live. CNET will livestream the launch.
Instagram Celebrity

When leaving Lost Hills police station, the former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion is seen pumping his fist into the air as he enters a car awaiting his arrival.

Oct 12, 2021

AceShowbiz - Chuck Liddell has opened up about his domestic violence arrest. In a new interview, the former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion insisted that he was the victim and accused his wife of assault.

"Last night the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department deputies who responded were professional. While the information about this case will be revealed in due course, I believe it is important to convey and clarify a few facts about the situation," the 51-year-old wrote in a statement he shared on his Instagram page on Monday, October 11. "I was the victim of the incident last night at our family home, as details of the case will reveal."

Chuck went on to share that "the deputies informed [him] that [his] wife would be arrested." The former UFC star further detailed, "As I did not respond to her assault while I sustained bruising and lacerations. I volunteered to go in her place."

"This was one of the many times I have tried to shield a family mental health issue from the public purview," his statement continued to read. "It has become painfully apparent that this cannot continue, as our private life has now reached a public breaking point." He went on to ask the public, "Please respect our privacy as I help to navigate our family through this difficult time."

Chuck was arrested on early Monday after authorities determined he had been involved in a physical argument with his wife Heidi Northcott at his Hidden Hills home. The authorities explained that they responded to a call at his home "regarding a family disturbance."

"Upon arrival deputies determined Chuck Liddell and his wife had been involved in a physical altercation," the sheriff's department stated. "Mr. Liddell was arrested for domestic battery." Following the altercation, his wife reportedly did not require any medical attention.

As for Chuck, he was taken into custody with bail set at $20,000. Later that day, however, Chuck was released from jail. When he walked out of the Lost Hills sheriff's department, the martial artist could be seen pumping his fist into the air as he entered a Mercedes-Benz awaiting his arrival in a video obtained by TMZ.
ABC TV

In the new episode of the long-running ABC dancing competition show, 'the remaining 13 celebrity and pro-dancer couples take on iconic Disney characters across two nights.'

Oct 12, 2021

AceShowbiz - It's the "Disney Heroes Night" in the new episode of "Dancing with the Stars". Airing on Monday, October 11, the episode featured "the remaining 13 celebrity and pro-dancer couples take on iconic Disney characters across two nights."

The first pair to hit the ballroom were JoJo Siwa and her partner Jenna Johnson. They opted to dance the Viennese Waltz to "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes" from "Cinderella". Judge Len Goodman loved it, saying, "It was beautifully danced, your footwork was fantastic and I enjoyed watching you so much, well done." JoJo earned 35/40.

Following it up were Mel C (Melanie C) and Gleb Savchenko as they danced Jazz to "Step in Time" from "Mary Poppins". "That was so difficult, the tempo was spend up and you did the Mickey Challenge perfectly. Way to go," Bruno Tonioli raved. The pair were given 31/40.

As for Matt James and Lindsay Arnold, they chose to dance Quickstep to "The Incredits" from "The Incredibles". Carrie Ann Inaba adviced "The Bachelor" star to "work on your technique," but she "liked the way you did the Mickey Challenge." He got 26/40.

Dancing the Paso Doble to "I'll Make a Man Out of You" from "Mulan" were Jimmie Allen and Emma Slater. Carrie Ann was satisfied with the number as she commented, "That was incredible, there was dignity, there was passion, I loved how you did the Mickey Challenge. It was delicious, I loved it." The pair were given 30/40.

Amanda Kloots and her partner Alan Bersten then danced their way to the ballroom to dance the Rumba to "You'll Be in My Heart" from "Tarzan". "I didn't think you missed the Mickey Challenge at all, it was really well done. I love the way your move, every fiber and muscle in your body is moving, well done," Derek Hough said of the performance. Amanda got 32/40.

Olivia Jade and Valentin Chmerkovskiy danced the Samba to "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" from "The Lion King". "I loved everything about that, you dealt with a music change, I love your chemistry and trust," Carrie Ann commented, while Len said that there were "lots of zip and no do dah anywhere, well done." The judges gave 35/40.

Dancing the Quickstep to "Friend Like Me" from "Aladdin", The Miz and Witney Carson earned praise from Carrie Ann. "I loved the funky remix for the Mickey Challenge. I love that you are honing your energy into your steps, you elevate the mood of the room and you are so much fun to watch, well done," the judge said. The Miz ot 31/40.

Kenya Moore and Brandon Armstrong danced the Contemporary to "How Far I'll Go" from "Moana". Len called it "beautiful," adding, "I complement you on the way you perfumed that. When you came to the Mickey Challenge you were in mirror position, I liked it. It was a first class performance." The pair earned 29/40.

Opting for Waltz to "Someday My Prince Will Come" by Ray Chew Live (from "Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs") were Brian Austin Green and Sharna Burgess. "The opening was as pretty as a picture, when you are in frame, your frame is fantastic. That was beautiful, well done," said Derek. However, Carrie Ann noted, "There was a little lift, you are not supposed to lift in waltz." The real-life couple got 25/40.

Suni Lee and Sasha Farber, meanwhile, danced the Salsa to "Colombia, Mi Encanto" from "Encanto". "It was a fiesta of a salsa, you are getting free and express more every week, well done. The Mickey Challenge added extra flavor to the salsa," said Bruno. The pair got 33/40.

Up next was Melora Hardin, who danced the Quickstep to "I Wanna Be Like You" from "The Jungle Book" with pro-dancer partner Artem Chigvintsev. Of the performance, Len said, "That was by far your best dance so far. It was great, your technique and hold was great, never doubt yourself." Melora earned the highest score of the night with 36 points.

Cody Rigsby and pro Cheryl Burke, who danced remotely last week due to COVID-19, danced the Jive to "Stand Out" from "A Goofy Movie". Len commented, "Welcome back, it is so good to have you back. My favorite part of that was the Mickey Challenge, you lit up Cody. Maybe you could work on finishing your moves." The pair got 27/40.

Concluding the night were Iman Shumpert and Daniella Karagach who danced the Foxtrot to "Let It Go" from "Frozen". The judges praised him for his improvement. "You can see your improvement, you were so smooth, I loved it, well done," Derek gushed. Carrie Ann added, "We could see the love in every movement and it is what makes you stand out." He earned 30/40.

Winner of the Mickey Dance Challenge were Jimmie Allena and Emma Slater and they got 2 additional points. Meanwhile, the rest of the results will air tomorrow night.
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Confirming that the 'We're the Millers' star has landed the role, director James Gunn praises the 28-year-old British as 'an amazing actor and wonderful guy.'

Oct 12, 2021

AceShowbiz - "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" has officially found its Adam Warlock. English actor Will Poulter has been announced to be cast in the role of the character, who was teased at the end of "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2".

Confirming the news, James Gunn retweeted Deadline's post about Poulter's casting and wrote along with it, "As you guys know I often strike down false rumors, so um Welcome to the Guardians family, Will Poulter."

Praising the 28-year-old star, the filmmaker gushed, "He's an amazing actor and wonderful guy." He went on confirming the November start of the production on the movie as adding, "See you in a couple weeks."

James Gunn confirmed Will Poulter's casting as Adam Warlock in 'GOTG Vol. 3'.

In the Marvel comics, Adam Warlock is an artificial human created in a facility called the Beehive by scientists calling themselves the Enclave. Also often called as Him, he was first introduced in "Fantastic Four" #66 (September 1967) in a story written by Stan Lee and pencilled and co-plotted by Jack Kirby.

The casting news was soon met with mixed responses by MCU fans. Giving an approval, one person tweeted, "He is a great actor." Another reacted to the news, "A+ casting, James. This dude is the real deal," to which Gunn replied, "He really is something incredible."

Someone else agreed that Poulter is "a great actor," but seemed to still have doubt about him playing Warlock. "Wil Poulter to play #adamwarlock  did I read that right? Interesting," the said person commented. "Kid is a great actor; I'm just tryna picture Adam warlock tho."

Some others, meanwhile, appeared to have different actors in mind to portray the character. "Not what I expected," reporter and media personality Van Lathan Jr. tweeted. Another remarked, "1 peculiar casting."

Someone else reasoned why he/she deemed Poulter unfit for the role, "Adam is supposed to be as strong as, if not stronger than Thor yes? Will doesn't even come close to the size and build of Chris [Hemsworth] nevermind the overall 'powerfully intimidating' look that Thor has when surrounded by tiny humans. How is Will supposed to be taken seriously as Adam?"

Poulter is perhaps best known for his role as Eustace Scrubb in the fantasy adventure film "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" (2010). He received praise for his portrayal of Kenny Rossmore in "We're the Millers" (2013), for which he won the BAFTA Rising Star Award. His other recognized works include his roles in "The Maze Runner" (2014) and the sequel "Maze Runner: The Death Cure" (2018), "The Revenant" (2015), "Detroit" (2017), "Black Mirror: Bandersnatch" (2018) and "Midsommar" (2019).

"Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" is slated for a May 5, 2023 release in the U.S. Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Sean Gunn, Pom Klementieff and Karen Gillan are among stars returning for the movie.
Instagram TV

After 'The King of Staten Island' actor impersonates him on 'Saturday Night Live', the 'Bloody Valentine' crooner jokingly criticizes the sketch and insists that he doesn't 'talk like that.'

Oct 12, 2021

AceShowbiz - Machine Gun Kelly has reacted to Pete Davidson's "Saturday Night Live" impersonation of him. Taking to his social media platform, the "Bloody Valentine" rapper hilariously called out "The King of Staten Island" actor.

On Monday, October 11, the 31-year-old took to his Instagram Story to criticize Pete's performance on "SNL". Alongside a video of the sketch, the rapper, whose real name is Colson Baker, wrote, "Pete you know damn well I don't talk like that," adding several laughing emojis.

In a following Story, MGK revealed that he was in on the sketch the whole time, as he FaceTimed Pete while he's still in his costume. The "Loyal" crooner could be seen laughing at the 27-year-old comedian, who wore a head full of white hair, suit and pink butterfly clip. "Twins," the musician captioned the photo.

Machine Gun Kelly jokingly called out Pete Davidson for his 'SNL' impersonation.

Not stopping there, MGK turned to his Twitter account to hint that he wants revenge after Pete poked fun at his relationship with Megan Fox. "I think it's time for me to come on the show as Pete @nbcsnl," the "Midnight in the Switchgrass" actor joked, tagging the variety show.

Machine Gun Kelly wanted revenge after Pete Davidson poked fun at his relationship.

The sketch saw guest host Kim Kardashian hilariously mocking her older sister Kourtney Kardashian and her relationship with Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker in a TV court show parody titled "The People's Kourt". The SKIMS founder, imitating Kourtney's infamously monotone voice, called in her "bailiffs" as Pete and co-star Chloe Fineman appeared as MGK and Megan, dressed in the same outfits that the real-life couple wore to the 2021 iHeartRadio Music Awards.

"Hey, hey what's up?" Pete said. Chloe then asked Kim, who portrayed Kourtney, "Wait, why are we best friends?" In response, Kim jokingly said, "Because our boyfriends have tattoos for necks."

Pete then tried his best to laugh like MGK before he told Chloe, "I wish I could vape you." They then wiggled their tongues together in a cringe-worthy make out session that mirrored MGK and Megan's past PDA.
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The 'Ric Flair Drip' rapper is seen walking out of celebrity hot spot Giorgio Baldi in Santa Monica with the 'Bodak Yellow' raptress as they celebrate her 29th birthday.

Oct 12, 2021

AceShowbiz - Offset is clearly not hiding his affection towards Cardi B. In photos surfacing online, the "Ric Flair Drip" rapper was spotted grabbing his wife's butt after the two enjoyed a romantic dinner date ahead of the "Bodak Yellow" hitmaker's birthday.

On Sunday, October 10, the 29-year-old crooner and his wife could be seen walking out of celebrity hot spot Giorgio Baldi in Santa Monica together. At one point, the rapper, whose real name is Kiari Kendrell Cephus, could be seen putting his hand on her bottom while guiding her to the awaiting car.

For the night date, Offset sported a white knitted sleeveless top and black leather pants. To complete his outfit, the "Bad and Boujee" rapper added a matching bum bag across his body, black sunglasses and black boots.

As for Cardi, she could be seen donning sparkling purple bottoms, a glittery short-sleeved purple and white Chanel top and a pair of silver heels. Making sure all eyes were on her, the "WAP" raptress wore her $400,000 160 carats Playboy necklace and small framed eyeglasses.

Their outing came after a trip to Paris Fashion Week together. Following their Europe visit, Cardi faced backlash after she postponed a court trial in New York, citing travel safety concerns. In a legal statement, she pointed out that they only needed a week for the business trip.

"This was the only trip I have taken since the birth of our son on September 4, 2021," Cardi explained. "I was of course very concerned with, and made thorough arrangements for, the well-being and care of our children in our absence."

"During our absence, our three-year-old daughter and our newborn son stayed with my mother and a baby nurse for our son in New York. Both children were and remain in perfect health," Cardi further stressed. She went on to say, "During the trip, I talked to our children, via FaceTime, daily. I spoke with our daughter each morning, afternoon, and evening, and the baby nurse would contact me via FaceTime in the afternoon whenever our son was up so I could see and speak to him."

Cardi gave birth to her second child on September 4. At the time, she shared the exciting news on her Instagram page by posting a family hospital bed shot of the newborn. "9/4/21," she captioned the shot without revealing the baby's name. "We are so overjoyed to finally meet our son," the "I Like It" rapper said at the time. "He is already loved so much by family and friends and we can't wait to introduce him to his other siblings."
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In a new interview, the former star of 'The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' is also asked if she would ever make a return to the Bravo series following her 2019 departure.

Oct 13, 2021

AceShowbiz - Lisa Vanderpump has weighed in on the legal drama surrounding Erika Jayne and her estranged husband Tom Girardi. The former star of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" shared in a new interview if Erika should leave the show or not.

Of the matter, the British star admitted to HollywoodLife.com when asked ahead of Travel & Give fundraiser's to assist children with physical and mental disabilities in Kenya and Haiti on October 11, "She's gotta make her own decision." She added, "That's a very difficult question."

"She's gotta make her own decision or someone will make it for her. I haven't watched the show since," the restaurateur advised. "I think about all the people who died and were victimized by this. I have no idea whether she knew. I haven't watched so I don't know how things are playing out."

Lisa also shared that she hoped the best for the families of the victims of the 2018 plane crash. Tom was accused of embezzling funds meant for the families of the crash victims. Erika insisted that she didn't aware of the alleged crimes, but many have expressed doubts over her claims.

During the interview, Lisa was also asked if she would ever make a return to the Bravo series following her 2019 departure. "It's not at all," Lisa said. "I'm very busy. I'm trying to finish my book. I'm busy with my podcast. I'm opening another restaurant. That ship has sailed."

This arrived after Bravo released an explosive teaser of "RHOBH" reunion. In the sneak-peek for the four-part televised event, host Andy Cohen grills her about the scandal surrounding Tom. "We're going to put you on a skewer, and I'm going to fire up the barbecue," Andy says, before asking. "Why didn't you leave Tom sooner?"

Erika replies, "Where was I going?" to which Andy answered, "I know what you make on this show." Later, Andy noted that Tom "put $20 million and more" into Erika's account. "Who believes Erika did not know anything about what Tom was doing?" Andy went on to say. It prompted Erika to angrily exclaimed, "Can someone please back me the f**k up on what I'm saying?"
Instagram Celebrity

The 17-year-old teen seems unbothered despite the nasty war of words between her parents after the former 'Two and a Half Men' star stopped paying his ex-wife child support.

Oct 12, 2021

AceShowbiz - Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards' daughter is seemingly enjoying her sudden rise of fame amid her parents' child support drama. Sami Sheen is celebrating her Instagram milestone after reaching 30,000 followers on the photo-sharing platform.

Sami, who is the eldest child of Charlie and Denise's two children together, took to her Story on early Tuesday, October 12 to share a screengrab of her account's homepage. "YOOOOO WE JUST HIT 30K," she wrote over the snap. "very very happy & appreciative of this little milestone. So thank u hehe," the 17-year-old added.

Sami Sheen celebrated her Instagram milestone.

Sami recently also updated her page with some glam gothic pictures. Sporting a see-through black outfit covered by a cardigan covering her entire body except for her belly area, she rocked a nose piercing and red lipstick while her nails were painted black.

In one of the snaps, she flipped the bird to the camera. Another image, which was posted in black and white, showed her holding an adorable cat on her lap. "clairvoyant," so she captioned the pictures.

Charlie and Denise's relationship has turned sour lately after the former was granted his request to stop paying his ex spousal support. The "Anger Management" alum claimed the decision was only "fair," considering the fact that he has maintained custody of Sami and their other daughter, 16-year-old Lola, since April.

"I think what transpired today is extremely fair," the former "Two and a Half Men" star said after the court hearing. He added, "It speaks to not just today, but it speaks historically to that same fairness."

Denise, however, was reportedly "very saddened by the entire situation." A source said she was "heartbroken that Charlie has taken this road. She loves those kids." Responding to this claim, her ex said to Us Weekly, "If [Denise] has a problem, she should go to the courthouse and talk to the judge."
ABC TV

After performing a waltz to 'Someday My Prince Will Come' in the latest episode of the competition show, the professional dancer and her partner face criticism for showcasing PDA too much.

Oct 12, 2021

AceShowbiz - Sharna Burgess and Brian Austin Green are facing criticism for their performance on "Dancing With the Stars". The stars, who are competing in season 30 together, got slammed by the judges for showing PDA too much while dancing.

In the Monday, October 11 episode of the long-running competition show, the 36-year-old pro dancer performed a dance inspired by "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" with her partner. The couple was challenged to dance a waltz to "Someday My Prince Will Come" and portray Snow White and her prince. From their performance, they scored 25 out of 40 possible points, putting them at the bottom of the leaderboard.

Despite the fairy tale vibe the performance called for, judge Len Goodman made it clear that he wasn't a fan of the "kissing and cuddling and messing about" during their dancing. The 77-year-old judge stated, "I wanted to see a much more traditional waltz." Fellow judge Bruno Tonioli agreed, saying, "Sometimes too much sweetness gives you a toothache."

Many fans took to Twitter during the live show to share their thoughts on the harsh feedback. "They picked the song choice and dance style for Brian and Sharna and then criticized them for it being a romantic dance. SMH," one fan defended Sharna and Brian. "Plus, if you watched Sharna's IG stories, Brian has neurological issues that make it difficult for him to learn choreo  learning two dances is especially hard for him."

"This was the right week for all the love," a second user tweeted. Meanwhile, another shared, "I feel like [Sharna's] choreo has been lacking this season compared to other seasons. I'd love to see her come out with more for Brian to do during dances, more content."

This wasn't the first time Sharna was criticized for showing PDA on "DWTS". Earlier this month, the professional dancer fired back at critics who claimed that she and Brian "kiss too much." Taking to her Instagram account, she wrote, "For those that say we kiss too much, here's a full [a**] grab instead. But for real though, we kissed once in the first show that's it."

The Australia native went on to deny accusations that the couple was playing up their relationship for the cameras. "This isn't a showmance, this is real life love and it's a part of our journey," she stressed. "Every step. Every struggle. Every success. And anyone that thinks it's an advantage I can assure you, it's not. ITS SUPER HARD!"
WENN/Instar Celebrity

Jennifer Hough, the victim in Kenneth Petty's 1995 first-degree attempted rape, is currently suing the father of one and the 'Anaconda' femcee for alleged harassment.

Oct 12, 2021

AceShowbiz - A woman suing Nicki Minaj and her husband Kenneth Petty for harassment won't let the couple ignore her lawsuit. Jennifer Hough, the victim in Kenneth's 1995 first-degree attempted rape, is reportedly seeking a default judgment against the couple.

Revealing the news was Hollywood Unlocked on Monday, October 11. The outlet reported that Jennifer has filed a default judgment that could be $15M against the "Anaconda" hitmaker and her spouse.

In a request to Douglas Palmer of U.S. District Court - Eastern District of New York, Jennifer's lawyer, Tyrone A Blackburn, asks to "please enter the default of defendants Onika Tanya Maraj, and Kenneth Petty, AKA Zoo, pursuant to Rule 55(a) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure for failure to plead or otherwise defend this action as fully appears from the court file herein and from the attached affirmation of Tyrone A. Blackburn, Esq."

Jennifer filed her lawsuit against Nicki and Kenneth in August. She accused the duo of intentional infliction of emotional distress, harassment as well as witness intimidation.

Jennifer claimed Nicki sent her lawyers to her home to pressure her into withdrawing her rape allegations. Prior to that, the "Starships" raptress allegedly tried to bribe Jennifer's brother through her assistants. The attempts, however, didn't work.

Later in September, Jennifer slammed Nicki and Kenneth during her appearance on "The Real". Speaking to hosts Garcelle Beauvais and Adrienne Bailon, she said, "I feel like the actions that were taken in regards to this whole situation have put me in a different type of fear... and it was wrong. I don't want to be afraid anymore. So the only way not to be afraid is to continue to speak up."

Kenneth was convicted and placed on a sex offender list, but Nicki has always maintained her husband and Jennifer were dating at the time of the incident, insisting he was 15 at the time. To the claim, Jennifer said, "It wasn't true." She added, "We both were 16, we were never in a relationship. I just felt woman to woman that was wrong of her."
Instagram TV

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association won't cancel the upcoming Golden Globe Awards although NBC refuses to air the ceremony amid backlash over diversity issues.

Oct 13, 2021

AceShowbiz - The Golden Globes will still be handed out in 2022.

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) will honour the best performances of 2021 despite NBC officials previously confirming the network wouldn't be airing the annual ceremony next year (22).

"The HFPA plans to recognise the performances of 2021 to celebrate the great work of the industry this past year at the 79th Annual Golden Globes," a source told Variety.

According to the publication, a letter was sent out to film studios on Friday (08Oct21) explaining eligibility rules for the upcoming Golden Globes.

The focus is reportedly on performances, and it's currently unclear whether or not other areas like directing and music will be honoured.

In May, NBC cancelled plans to broadcast next year's event after the HFPA came under fire for its lack of diversity amongst its members.

In a statement at the time, the HFPA responded, "Regardless of the next air date of the Golden Globes, implementing transformational changes as quickly - and as thoughtfully - as possible remains the top priority for our organisation."

"We invite our partners in the industry to the table to work with us on the systemic reform that is long overdue, both in our organisation as well as within the industry at large."

The organisation then shared a lengthy and detailed timeline of "reform milestones" to show a "commitment to achieving these goals with extreme urgency."

The plan including admitting 20 new members by August this year - each with the power to vote - while membership as a whole would increase by 50 per cent within the following 18 months.

The statement also confirmed the organisation would consult with studios and publicists regarding a new code of conduct and revealed plans for a hotline in response to any violations.

The timeline also committed to mandatory diversity and inclusion, which comes after it was revealed the HFPA did not have a Black member in its line-up of 87 journalists.
BUTTE COUNTY, Calif. - Firefighters are responding to a vegetation fire in the Powelton area of Butte County, according to CAL FIRE Butte County.

CAL FIRE says the fire has been contained to less than one acre and heavy mop-up will continue into the night.

Eight engines, three water tenders, two crews, two air tankers, two helicopters, one air attack, and four overhead personal all worked to contain the fire.

Crews are calling it the College Fire.

This is a developing story. Action News Now will keep you updated with new information on-air and online.
CHICO, Calif. - The Chico Police Department Criminal Investigations Section is actively investigating the shooting incident that occurred at the Downtown City Plaza on Oct. 7 at 5:01 a.m.

At this time a suspect has not been identified, according to CPD.

Detectives are following up on all leads and request that anyone with information regarding this crime contact Detectives at (530) 897-5820.

The continued rise in violent crime is very concerning. The Chico Police Departments recently formed Violent Suppression Unit (VSU) continues to be a highly active unit. In addition to the VSU, the police departments Criminal Investigations Section, as well as the Patrol Division, are aggressively investigating this shooting and several other cases, including two recent homicides. The police department will continue to prioritize our staffing and resources to focus on the reduction of violent crime in our community," Chico Police Department Chief Matthew Madden said.
True to its philosophy of democratizing technology, Cashify, Indias leading recommerce marketplace to sell and buy old electronic gadgets, has partnered with Amazon India for the companys Delivering Smiles initiative - a one-of-a-kind online giving movement to bridge the prevailing digital divide in the country. The program will digitally empower the students from marginalised communities that have been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. It will open up a multitude of opportunities for them to learn, explore and grow for a brighter future. Through this partnership, Amazon India and Cashify employees , sellers and customers will be able to donate their old mobile phones online on the Cashify portal in a seamless and easy way. Cashify will organize the free home pick-ups of old mobiles then clean and refurbish the smartphones and provide the devices to the partner NGO, Goonj, Indias leading nonprofit organization which then will give them to kids who can use them for their online classes.

As India gears up for the upcoming festive season, Amazon India is simplifying the process of contributing by leveraging the power of technology by collaborating with Cashify. Both the companies aim to provide xxxx digital devices to underprivileged young people.

Cashify is always on the forefront to give back to communities, as millions of businesses and livelihoods have been severely impacted by the pandemic. In April- May last year, the company tied up with NGOs to help them procure smartphones that could be sent to kids for studies, this was the starting of the campaign Donate for Education. Through this activity, Cashify attempted to help the students who did not have access to technology by giving free refurbished smartphones, the fundamental assistance for studies in the post-Covid era. This campaign was primarily Delhi- NCR focussed, the company also announced Mission Digital Shiksha and extended it to other parts of the country.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought to focus the stark digital divide, not only in the field of education but also in access to essential services. Amongst the most adversely affected are young people from marginalized communities. Together with our customers, employees and partners, we aim to bridge the gap by enabling young people with digital devices for continued access to online education and essential services for their families. This is also our way to bring more smiles and add to the festive cheer of Amazons Great Indian Festival across the length and breadth of the country, said Manish Tiwary, Vice President, Amazon India. Amazon is committed to investing in the future of our country. We are aware that while talent and passion is spread across all young people, opportunity is not. This also led us to recently launch our global signature computer science education initiative, Amazon Future Engineer, in India that aims to enable access to quality computer science education and career opportunities for underprivileged students, Manish added.

Talking about the partnership, Mandeep Manocha, Co-founder & CEO, Cashify, said, As the country went into a lockdown for months, the need to have a smartphone with internet connectivity and supportability of apps became a necessity. Be it for keeping up with jobs or education, digital became the new normal which has further widened the digital divide between have and have nots. Through this partnership, our aim is to help those who are left behind in the rush to go digital. We'd love it if we can make an unused phone useful for a student in need and bring our country forward. This is not our first attempt in the e-learning space, in the past we rolled out a Donate For Education campaign in collaboration with various NGOs across the country to narrow the digital gap of the country.

Amazon will directly provide 20,000 digital devices to underprivileged young people, in partnership with over 150 large and small non-profit organizations, impacting over 100,000 students across India. Of these 150 organizations, 100 non-profit partners will be selected based on internal employee nominations as part of Amazons volunteering program. Additionally, customers are encouraged to either contribute in cash or give their old mobile phones that will be refurbished and distributed to provide digital learning devices for young people.
FoxyMoron, the full-service creative and performance agency under the Zoo Media network has won the full-funnel digital performance media mandate for Lido, following a multi-agency pitch. The business will be handled by the agencys Gurgram office. Amongst other programs, FoxyMorons digital strategies would aim to highlight Lidos newly launched ACE programme which guarantees improvement in student results within 8 months of enrollment.

Established in 2019, Lido is Indias first-mover in small-group online tutoring in the K-12 segment offering classes in Maths, Science, Coding, and English. Lido leverages artificial intelligence to deliver an immersive experience to the students with cutting-edge animated video content and gamified learning taught by India's top 5% tutors. Lido currently services students from India, the US, Canada, UAE, and Saudi Arabia, and will soon expand to the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and South-East Asia.

Commenting on the win Prachi Bali, National Head Partnerships and Business Head, North, FoxyMoron (Zoo Media), said, Our partnership with Lido cements Zoo Medias expertise and domain knowledge in the EdTech space, given our demonstrated success in this category. With the pandemic bringing with it an unprecedented demand for EdTech, we are driven to build a long-term partnership with Lido with the singular focus of achieving their business goals

Sanket Narkar, Head of Marketing, Lido said, With new initiatives like the ACE Program, which essentially guarantees measurable academic improvement, it was imperative for us to tie up with marketing partners that were capable of clearly communicating and demonstrating our commitment to transparency and accountability towards the education of our students. In FoxyMoron, weve found an agency that is agile, but with a deep understanding of Indias EdTech industry and Indias uniquely aspirational relationship with education. We are confident that our collaboration with FoxyMoron will be a successful one.
Sohum Shah has had a great year so far with couple of releases. The actor's versatility was on display as he played the role of politician for the very first time in his career in the show Maharani which earned him a lot of praise. He also played the role of brother of scamster Harshad Mehta in Big Bull. Sohum Shah has been a part of some of the best movies that bollywood has witnessed over the years, one such film, Tumbbad, completes three years of it's release today and here's what Sohum Shah has to say.

Opening up on three years of Tumbbad, Sohum shares, "I can't begin to express my true feelings for this lovely film that I was a part off. The film has completed 3 years but it feels like just yesterday I was working on the film. Tumbbad was not just a great script but a great work of art in the sense that all that we imagined while shooting is what we were able to bring onscreen. The movie played a huge role in boosting my career, I didn't just manage to impress fans in the nation but also got global recognition. I still receive praises for my role in the film. There are International acclaims that I have got all because of this wonderful film that I am thankful for having worked in."

Sohum's talent and skill cannot be questioned, the actor till date gets a lot of praise for his role in the film Tumbbad. The actor made sure that he stayed in character and maintained his physique for 6 years while working on Tumbbad. Tumbbad is the best periodic horror film tha bollywood has churned out in recent times. A sequel to the hit film is in works.

Moreover, a trivia contest has been put in place as the film marks 3 years. The winners of the contest will get the chance to attend the special screening. Alongwith this they will also be gifted exciting Tumbbad merch.

Reema Kagti's 'Fallen' is lined up for the Tumbbad actor next. He will be seen taking on the role of a cop for the first time in the series and he is set to be going under hardcore training to get the nuances right.
Sukkhi, Indias leading online-first fashion jewellery brand has roped in the iconic Bollywood actress Karisma Kapoor as their brand ambassador. The actress will be seen as the face of the brand, promoting its premium quality products which are available at attractive prices across India.

As the festive season is approaching, Sukkhi is expecting a huge demand in the fashion jewellery segment. With Karisma Kapoor as its brand ambassador, Sukkhi aims to leverage its marketing efforts by launching its new designs and collections across the country. Adopting an omnichannel presence, Sukkhi is widely available on various E-commerce platforms such as Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, Nykaa amongst others along with its own website sukkhi.com as well as 125+ offline touchpoints spread across India to meet the rising demands of consumers.

Announcing the appointment, Bhavesh Navlakha, Founder & CEO, Sukkhi said, Karisma Kapoor has always been a well-known face across India. The timeless beauty, Karisma Kapoor has her own unique style which resonates with Indians and expresses her true glorious self which aligns with Sukkhis ethos of being fashionable and trendy. At Sukkhi, our aim has always been to make the best of designs available to our customers for any occasion or festivity. We believe that the new-age women are looking for stylish yet affordable jewellery options that not only enhance their beauty but also help them stay up to date with the fast paced industry and its ever- evolving trends. We are extremely excited to collaborate with Karisma Kapoor for our various branding initiatives on marketplaces, our website, our offline touchpoints and ATL BTL marketing across India.''

Commenting on the collaboration, Karisma Kapoor said, I am glad to be collaborating with Sukkhi as the brand has a wide collection of jewellery which complements the modern Indian women and their style. Personally I am always looking for versatile pieces that I can pair with multiple outfits. Jewellery makes a women feel confident and brings out her true personality. I am excited to be a part of Sukkhi Jewellery.

Founded in 2012, Sukkhi makes high-quality fashion jewellery using allergic-free material that is designed by women for women. One of the top-selling brands on e-commerce platforms, Sukkhi aims at delivering quality products at exciting prices. Every piece of jewellery by Sukkhi is intricately designed and works as the perfect style statement that can be flaunted on several occasions.
The purity of love can outshine the gleam of evilness and revenge. But when revenge is the sole driving force, how far is one willing to go? This will come to the fore in Zee Telugus all-new family drama show Agnipariksha  a unique story that reiterates the power of a true and pure heart in transforming hatred to love. Bringing together a stellar cast including actors Thanuja Puttaswamy, Akarsh Byramudi, Maahi Gouthami, Navin Vetri, and Prabhakar, the show highlights the journey of two sisters compelled into a loveless relationship. The show will emphasize the conflicting emotions of blazing love and heartless revenge. Agnipariksha will premiere on 18th October, aired every Monday to Saturday at 9:30 PM only on Zee Telugu.

Set in Hyderabad, the tale revolves around two sisters, Radhika (Thanuja Puttaswamy), Priyanka (Maahi Gouthami) and their father (Prabhakar) who is against love marriages. Radhika, an obedient, graceful and kind girl, loves her longtime friend Amar (Akarsh Byramudi) who loves her back unconditionally. However, due to destiny's play, Kailash (Navin Vetri) enters into the life of Radhika, changing the dynamics of her relationship with Amar. Priyanka, the younger sister to Radhika, is a vivacious girl. Her life will take a 360-degree turn with her sister's change of relationships. The gripping plot, theatrical characterization and intense performances make Agnipariksha a roller coaster ride of emotions as Radhika, Priyanka, Amar and Kailash meet at crossroads, creating the sense of anticipation on the twists and revelations that will transform equations among the characters at every stage.

Akarsh Byramudi who plays the character of Amar says, I have always believed in experimenting as an actor and I found Amar's character very promising. A layered character, Amar is a complex but interesting and intriguing person. I'm grateful and delighted to be working with Zee Telugu once again and connect with the audience through this new project. I hope that we reach remarkable heights with this show.

Will love triumph over revenge and hatred? Watch Agnipariksha to see how the story unfolds, starting from 18th October 2021 every Monday  Saturday at 9:30 PM only on Zee Telugu

To enjoy the show, subscribe to Zee Telugu, available in the Zee Prime Pack at Rs. 20 per month

To ensure you do not miss out on your favorite Zee Telugu shows, choose the Zee Prime Pack that includes Zee Telugu, and Zee Cinemalu alongside 7 other top channels of the Zee Network that cater to the daily entertainment needs of your entire family at Rs. 20 per month only. For further information, contact your DTH or Cable Operator.
Federal Department of Foreign Affairs

Bern, 12.10.2021 - At the beginning of 2021, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) produced its general guidance and handbook on private sector engagement, which is becoming increasingly important for international cooperation. At a symposium in Bern today, representatives of the SDC, the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), the private sector and civil society discussed the potential and challenges of private sector engagement and how it can contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

The focus of the symposium was on possible cooperation between the private and public sectors in order to combat global poverty. In his opening speech, Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis stressed the importance of the private sector in achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals: "Nine out of ten jobs in developing countries are created by private companies, generating income and improving living standards," he said, speaking before an audience of some 250 participants from the private sector, civil society, academia and government.

An important complement to traditional instruments

During the symposium it was highlighted that the private sector is a source of innovation and progress and that it should be increasingly involved in international cooperation. Innovative and sustainable products  such as renewable energy technologies and new medicines to tackle deadly diseases  help to improve people's lives. Digitalisation is also playing an increasingly important role, giving people easier access to financial services such as microcredits and microinsurance. It is not only households and families that benefit from this, but also many businesses in developing countries.

Alongside its private sector engagement, Switzerland continues to use the traditional instruments of international cooperation. Its main objectives are to support good governance and respect for human rights, to fight corruption, to promote peace and to provide high-quality education and healthcare. Nevertheless, private sector engagement remains an important complement to these efforts. The local population and the private sector both benefit from stable framework conditions, an investment-friendly environment, good working conditions and a sustainable ecological and social environment.

SDC Director General Patricia Danzi referred to the long-established cooperation between public institutions and the private sector. Today, more than 100 cooperation projects are already under way with the private sector. In January of this year, the SDC published its general guidance and handbook on private sector engagement.

Clear conditions for public-private partnerships

Private sector engagement focuses on improving economic policy frameworks and international standards for greater sustainability, as well as promoting local businesses in SDC priority countries. The SDC sets out clear conditions for public-private partnerships, which must continue to meet ecological standards as well as social and governance criteria in the future.

Address for enquiries

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CH-3003 Bern, Switzerland

Tel. Communication service: +41 58 462 31 53

Tel. Press service: +41 58 460 55 55

E-mail: kommunikation@eda.admin.ch

Twitter: @SwissMFA

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Federal Department of Foreign Affairs

https://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home.html



State Secretariat for Economic Affairs

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Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research

Bern, 12.10.2021 - On Tuesday, 12 October, President Guy Parmelin attended the G20 Ministerial Meeting on trade and investment in Sorrento, Italy. Against the backdrop of the economic and health crisis related to COVID-19, ministers agreed to strengthen the rules-based multilateral trading system for a resilient, strong, sustainable and inclusive economic recovery and to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on international trade and investment.

On Tuesday, 12 October, G20 trade ministers held a meeting on trade and investment against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the meeting, ministers discussed how the G20 can contribute to strengthening multilateral cooperation to improve the ability of the trading system to respond to public health emergencies and how these efforts could be translated into a concrete outcome at the 12th World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Conference (MC12) in Geneva at the end of November. Ministers reaffirmed the importance of improving timely, equitable and global access to COVID-19 vaccines and other medical goods. In addition, trade measures at the border must be targeted, proportionate, transparent and temporary.

Ministers took the opportunity to reiterate the need for WTO reform to improve its way of working, in particular with regard to its role in negotiations and the dispute settlement system. With a view to potential outcomes at MC12, ministers addressed the issue of trade and the environment, with priority given to concluding negotiations on fisheries subsidies, which aim to prohibit sustainably harmful subsidies.

Mr Parmelin stressed the importance of open markets in the fight against the pandemic and the contribution that the WTO can make. A positive outcome on trade and health at MC12 is a priority to promote a collective and coordinated response to the pandemic. He also stressed the need to take into account sustainability objectives in international trade negotiations. The WTO needs to be better equipped to face the current challenges through the necessary reshaping of the organisation.

Address for enquiries

GS EAER Communication Service

info@gs-wbf.admin.ch

Tel. 058 462 20 07

Publisher

Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research

http://www.wbf.admin.ch




WEST FARGO, N.D.  Good farmers and ranchers sometimes need to talk about personal items.

When the coffee club, the crew at the bar, the pastor, or even your best friend isnt what you need, it could be that a counselor or therapist is appropriate.

But adding the cost of a therapist may be something that farmers dont want.

Fortunately, farmers and ranchers have a new resource that can help pay for all or some of the cost of seeing a professional mental health counselor, said Sean Brotherson, NDSU Extension family science specialist.

Brotherson was at Big Iron in mid-September to talk with farmers and families about mental health services.

He explained that a regional group of states has partnered together to apply for a USDA Farm & Ranch Stress Assistance Network (FRSAN) grant.

This program provided $7.187 million in funding across the U.S., with applications accepted in 2020.

Grants were accepted for both Minnesota and North Dakota. The FRSAN grants provide support or education programs related to stress, health, and farming. They also offer support through crisis line services, suicide prevention programming, mental health awareness and counseling services.

In North Dakota, there is a three-year grant that totals hundreds of thousands of dollars, Brotherson said. A portion of those funds are for counseling services. Together Counseling, a new counseling service in North Dakota that has farm connections, as well as other partner providers, can provide mental health support services at no or low cost to the individual through this grant.
CORNUCOPIA, Wis.  Buy a burger from a fast-food place in a big city. Chances are it will be the same as any burger from the same fast-food ch
In recognition of his work as a rancher, business owner, farm broadcaster and former Montana legislator, Taylor Brown will be receiving an honorary doctorate from Montana State University. A selfless supporter of 4-H, FFA, and all things MSU, Brown is deeply humbled by this award.

Born in Sheridan, Wyo., Brown moved with his family to a ranch outside the small eastern Montana hamlet of Sand Springs in 1960. Growing up in such a rural landscape and attending a one-room school house through his eighth grade year, Brown had no early aspirations of being the public figure he is today. The paradigm of his life began to change, however, when he started attending high school in Lewistown, Mont.

When I started high school, I got into FFA, and the FFA experience, like it did for a lot of us, helped give me the tools to succeed at about everything I can do today, Brown reflected.

It seemed that Brown was a naturally articulate speaker. During his junior year of high school, he won the state FFA Prepared Public Speaking contest, and although that award was but the tip of the iceberg for Brown in terms of speaking engagements, it was a serendipitous experience.

After high school, Brown attended MSU where he became very involved in the Alpha Gamma Rho (AGR) Fraternity. Much like FFA shaped his formative years, Brown credits AGR with giving him the leadership, public speaking, and lifelong connections he needed to be successful in his adult and professional career.

After graduating from MSU with a degree in animal science, Brown returned home to the family ranch. In 1979, family friend, Conrad Burns, approached Brown and asked him to come work as a farm broadcaster. It was an opportunity Brown couldnt pass up, and the rest, as they say, is history.
So, what is going on in the Ahwatukee real estate market? Is the bubble going to burst?
Here is a bizarre observation: Climate scientists claim they can explain every facet of the climate-weather system, yet they still dont know why ice-ages occur. Isnt that peculiar? They will arm-wave about orbital cycles (regular and specific changes in the earths orbital relationship to the sun) and CO2, while desperately hoping you wont ask troubling questions, such as Why do some orbital cycles produce ice-ages and interglacials (that is, the milder climates between ice ages), while others do nothing at all? Or Why should a climate system be selective in its response to orbital cycles?

And thats not the only problem for classical climate scientists because they have not even begun to explain the convoluted complexities of the ice-age cycle. And yet they will still claim a thorough understanding of both ancient and modern climate systems.

There were no answers to these problemsuntil now....

To begin, what are the missing pieces from this palaeoclimatic jigsaw puzzle?

Contrarian CO2 feedbacks

The first problem for CO2 supposedly controlling global temperatures during the Earths many ice-ages is that when CO2 concentrations were high the world cooled and when CO2 was low the world warmed. This counter-intuitive temperature response strongly suggests that CO2 was not the primary feedback agent.

Selective orbital cycles

The second problem for CO2 supposedly controlling ice-age temperatures is that interglacial warming periods are always initiated by increased Milankovitch insolation (i.e., increased sunlight because of Earths orbital cycles) in the Northern Hemisphere (NH), but never by sunlight increases in the Southern Hemisphere (SH).

If the feedback agent assisting this orbital sunlight forcing was a global gas (CO2), it would be logical for increased sunlight in either hemisphere to force interglacials. That, however, is not what happens. Interglacials are only ever NH sunlight events, a fact that strongly suggests that the true feedback agent for interglacial warming periods is regional rather than global. Something is happening in the northern hemisphere.

Missing orbital cycles

The third problem for CO2 as the factor controlling ice-age temperatures is the vexing fact that, during each roughly 100,000-year ice age, many orbital cycles will come and go, with many producing little or no temperature response. Why would the temperature response to predictable orbital cycles be selective? Again, this is an unlikely result if omnipresent CO2 was the primary feedback agent controlling global temperatures.

A weak feedback agent

The fourth problem for CO2 controlling ice-age temperatures is that CO2 is a very weak feedback agent. During an interglacial warming era, the CO2 feedback requires warming from decade-to-decade to feedback-force (that is, to bring about) warmer temperatures in the next decade. Unfortunately, the CO2 feedback is only 0.007 W/m2 per decade, which is less energy than a bee requires to fly.

The conundrum

This is a problem for those invested in the CO2 theory because of the fact that not every orbital cycle produces an ice-age or interglacial shows that the climate must need a feedback agent to assist Milankovitch orbital cycles. If orbital cycles were sufficiently powerful, the Earth would experience an ice age every 22,000 yearsyet it doesnt.*

To see the answer to this conundrum, a true scientist must shake off the shackles of CO2 indoctrination and look for other feedback possibilities. What we need is a feedback agent that is quite strong but is situated in the NH rather than the SH. Now, what on Earth could that be? How can a feedback agent be regional?

The obvious difference between the northern and southern hemispheres is that all the great landmasses reside in the NH and, during ice-ages, all the great ice sheets likewise reside in the NH. So, could the missing feedback agent be ice sheet albedothat is, ices reflectivity?

Fresh snow on polar ice sheets can have a very high albedo, reaching up to 0.95 albedo, meaning that it reflects 95% of inbound sunlight back into space. This reflectivity can have a huge regional cooling effect on the climate. Indeed, this bright, white ice can reflect so much sunlight that it negates entirely some orbital cycles that, in theory, should bring more sunlight to earth. Thus, the reflection can reach hundreds of W/m2 when measured regionally, rather than the 0.007 W/m2 of CO2. Fig 1 demonstrates the result of this reflectivity.

Fig 1. A graph of sunlight strength (blue) vs Antarctic temperatures (red).

Each red peak represents an interglacial warming event, which occurs roughly every 100,000 years. The blue peaks represent orbital cycle sunlight maxima in the northern hemisphere. Note that some sunlight maxima produce no temperature response at all.

Sources: Laskar 2004 orbital cycles, Epica3 2007 temperature data.

These facts suggest that we may have discovered the true ice-age temperature feedback agent: It is albedo (reflectivity), rather than CO2.

However, if ice sheet albedo is such a strong feedback agent (keeping the earth cool no matter its orbital cycle vis-a-vis the sun), how can the climate system generate a sudden interglacial warming era? The simple answer is that ice-sheet albedo has a very prominent Achilles heel: Dust.

If dust gets onto ice sheets their albedo is reduced considerably, so they can absorb much more sunlight, causing them to melt very quickly. Surprising as it may seem, this is exactly what happensevery interglacial warming period is preceded by about 10,000 years of intense dust storms.

So, why are dust storms generated just before every interglacial warming era? The answer to this is even more enigmatic and esoteric. In fact, it is so counterintuitive that no indoctrinated climate scientist would ever dream up such a scenario. The unexpected answer to this problem is that CO2 is plant food, making it the most essential gas in the atmosphere. Without CO2, all life on Earth would perish. But due to oceanic absorption during ice-ages, CO2 concentrations eventually reach as low as 180 ppm, which is dangerously low for much of the worlds plant life, especially at higher altitudes.

The result of this low CO2 is that the Gobi Plateau in northern China turns into a true desert caused, not by a lack of rain, but by a lack of CO2a CO2 desert. Without plant life, it becomes a vast shifting-sand desert that is whisked eastwards by strong prevailing winds, forming the Loess Plateau in China and coating the Laurentide and Eurasian ice sheets in dust. These dust storms last for some 10,000 years, allowing the increased sunlight during a new orbital cycle to be absorbed instead of reflected, melting the ice sheets, and heralding the warming of an interglacial period.

Thus, the delightful conclusion to this study, is that during ice-ages it is low CO2 concentrations, not high ones, that cause global warming.

Q.E.D.

Fig 2. A summary graph of all the factors that play a role in glacial modulation.

* Ice sheets (light blue and grey) grow, forcing temperature (red) to fall.

* CO 2 (yellow) reduces with temperature (red), due to oceanic absorption.

* As CO 2 reaches 180 ppm there are CO2 deserts and dust storms (purple).

* When the next orbital cycle (blue sine wave) comes along,

* the dusty-ice sheets can melt and the world warms (red peaks).

The above analysis is extracted from Modulation of Ice-ages via Precession and Dust-Albedo Feedbacks.

_________________________________________

*This used to happen 1 million years ago, but it does not happen now. The change between orbitally induced ice-ages and feedback-induced ice-ages is another fascinating topic.

Image: The ice sheet on Greenlands east coast by Hannes Grobe. CC BY-SA 2.5.

To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has publicly called for the annexation of Taiwan. Chinese warplanes have entered Taiwans air defense space with increasing frequency. Reuters reported on October 11, 2021, that China carried out beach-landing military exercises in a province opposite Taiwan. We may be drifting toward war in the South China Sea.

The German political geographer Friedrich Ratzel once wrote that great statesmen have never lacked a feeling for geography... When one speaks of a healthy political instinct, one usually means a correct evaluation of the geographic bases of political power. One hundred twenty years ago, the American naval historian and strategist Alfred Thayer Mahan wrote an article for the North American Review which was later included in a book called The Problem of Asia in which he identified the geographical middle-belt of Asia as the debatable and debated ground, ranging from Asia Minor (present-day Turkey) in the west to Korea and Japan in the east.

Mahan at the time was one of our nations most respected and influential public intellectuals. He had served in the Union Navy during the Civil War and later taught history and strategy at the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island (eventually becoming president of the college). His second book, The Influence of Sea Power Upon History (which was based in part on his lectures at the war college) made him world-famous. In all, he wrote 20 books and hundreds of articles on history, sea power, strategy, and international relations. He was also a friend of, and informal adviser to, President Theodore Roosevelt.

In The Problem of Asia, Mahan wrote that the struggle for power in Asia -- the worlds greatest landmass -- would center in and around the debatable and debated ground. In his time, the vast, uninterrupted mass of the Russian Empire to the north of this region posed the greatest danger of Asian dominance, but he also noted some of Russias technological and logistic difficulties that manifested themselves a few years later in Russias war with Japan. In our time, however, China is Asias predominant power, is strategically allied with Russia, and is situated to economically and politically dominate the debatable and debated ground.

Within Mahans Asian middle-belt is Iran, Afghanistan, the Central Asian Republics, much of India, most of Myanmar (Burma), Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan. In some respects, Mahans debatable and debated ground roughly corresponds to the land portion of Chinas Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Mahan noted the importance of India to Great Britain -- then the worlds preeminent sea power -- in Britains 19th-century effort to contain Russia known as the Great Game. Today, India has that same importance to the United States if we are to successfully contain China. The Indian Ocean, as Robert Kaplan has pointed out, is the 21st centurys pivot region of global politics. Geographically, the Indian Ocean connects the Indo-Pacific to Africa and the Middle East. It is part of the worlds most important maritime highway that includes the Strait of Malacca near Singapore, the South China Sea, and the East China Sea.

Mahan was confident that the sea powers of his time (Great Britain and the United States) could effectively oppose Russian land power principally because Russia lacked effective access to the sea. China today -- with a lengthy seacoast -- suffers from no such geopolitical handicap. It was Britains great geopolitical thinker Sir Halford Mackinder who pointed out three years after Mahan that should China become Asias dominant land power she would add oceanic frontage to the resources of the Asian landmass and thereby threaten to become the empire of the world.

The struggle for Asia, Mahan wrote, will be fundamentally between land power and sea power, but he was quick to note that neither is a pure factor. [E]ach side, he explained, will need and will avail itself... of the services of the other element; that is, the land power will try to reach the sea and to utilize it for its own ends, while the sea power must obtain support on land. Mahan suggested in 1901 an alliance between the United States, Great Britain (including India and Australia), Germany, and Japan based on a solidarity of interest in containing the Asian land power. Today, a solidarity of interest should result in effective strategic cooperation between the United States, Japan, Australia, India, and England.

At the other end of the Asian middle-belt, Mahan noted the importance of maintaining access to the Persian Gulf (which is even more important today) and the Red Sea, and preserving a balance of power in the Middle East (it was Mahan who coined that term Middle East).

And although primarily focused on Russia as a threat, Mahan also presciently wrote that it is difficult to contemplate with equanimity such a vast mass as... China concentrated into one effective political organization [and] equipped with modern [military] appliances. We face such a China today, which is establishing strategic ports on and near the Indian Ocean (the so-called String of Pearls) and is rattling her sabers about Taiwan, a key geographical position in the new Great Game of the 21st Century.

The United States needs to form today what Mahan recommended 120 years ago -- an alliance of sea powers that will confront China with counterforce at key geographical positions in the Indo-Pacific region. The 21st centurys struggle for the debatable and debated ground has begun.

To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here.
To paraphrase Jeff Foxworthy, if you feel a shiver of excitement when school shooting trends on Twitter, you just might be woke. Last Wednesday, Erica -- a nurse and humanist -- proved her wokeness in spades.

Theyre already making excuses for the shooter he got in a fight with someone, she tweeted. Okay, but who chooses to shoot people? White males are a problem #TexasShooter #EnoughIsEnough.

Although reluctant to admit as much, many on the Left welcome a school shooting. Perhaps more than any other event, a shooting reinforces their empty mishmash of a worldview. It allows them to flaunt their hatred both of guns and of their lily-white selves. For Erica, the Texas shooting was a twofer -- or at least it seemed to be.

Alas, the rush was short-lived. About 20 minutes after the original tweet, Erica tweeted back to her 405 followers, Oh F***. Hes a POC. For the record, Erica did not use asterisks, and POC is woke shorthand for person of color.

Had Big Media been even just a little bit honest about race and crime, Erica would not have embarrassed herself as she did. A well-informed Erica, upon hearing of a school shooting, might have tweeted, Oh F***. Hes probably a POC. In the real world, Erica, he almost always is.

The POC in question was 18-year-old Timothy Simpkin, a black student at Timberview High School in Arlington, Texas. Systemic racism had apparently failed to keep this young man down. He wore fancy clothes and drove a $35,000 car. Others allegedly bullied Simpkin because of his good fortune.

Weary of the bullying -- or so the story goes -- Simpkin shot and critically wounded a 15-year-old student, race unknown, and a 25-year-old man. Also injured in the panic that followed the shooting were a teenage girl and a pregnant teacher. Incredibly, Simpkin was released on a $75,000 bond and was home partying while the 15-year-old remained in a coma.

Simpkin was not an outlier. Less than a week prior, also in Texas, Dexter Kelsey, a former student at YES Prep Southwest Secondary School in Houston, shot and injured the schools principal. Kelsey is black, the principal Hispanic. This case generated almost no media attention beyond Houston.

These news stories should have surprised no one. Based on the available evidence, it would seem that all of the 14 school shootings to date this school year involve a person of color. This year, too, as in most years, every incident took place in or around a public school.

Given that these cases usually involve minors -- one shooter was age 7 -- the evidence that the police and media provide does not always include names or photos. In a few of these cases, I have had to deduce the race of the shooter from the milieu of the shooting and the identity of the victims, bystanders, and witnesses. In thirteen of the cases, as best as I can figure, the shooter was black. In the fourteenth case, a fatal one out of Albuquerque, the accused 13-year-old shooter was, in fact, Hispanic and the 13-year-old victim black.

The Albuquerque shooting on August 13 was the first this school year. On August 18, in Orangeburg South Carolina, a 14-year-old opened fire in the high school parking lot, wounding three. On August 27, in Woodbridge, Virginia, a teenager shot and wounded two students in his high school parking lot. On September 1, a student at a Winston-Salem High School shot and killed another student. And the list goes on.

Erica might take comfort knowing that none of these 14 shootings resulted in mass casualties as occurred most notoriously at Columbine and Sandy Hook. Although white students were responsible in both those cases, white males have no monopoly even on the mass shooting subset of the larger phenomenon.

In November 2019, for instance, an Asian-American student named Nate Berhow shot five of his Santa Clarita, California, classmates before shooting and killing himself. In 2007, unforgettably, a Korean student shot 49 others at Virginia Tech, killing 32 during the most lethal school shooting in American History.

For all the disinformation the major media spreads, on no other subject are they as consistently and perversely wrong. Indeed, to even suggest that white males dominate school shootings makes no more sense than to suggest white males dominate the NBA.

Counting on the ignorance of the public, academics take race and crime disinformation to another level still. Consider this excerpt from a 2020 article by Joshua Gregory in the journal Children & Schools:

Even though nearly all school shootings are committed by white students, no etiological theory has contemplated the possibility that whiteness contributes in any meaningful way to the perpetration of school shootings. The present article takes up the task of beginning to theorize the relationship between whiteness and school shootings, exploring the likelihood that whiteness acts as a moderator, leading whites, but not non-whites, to commit school shootings in response to similar antecedents.

To report that nearly all school shootings are committed by white students is Orwellian in its wrongness. Gregory, who is himself white, teaches in the Social Welfare program at UC-Berkeley. Not surprisingly, his work focuses on whiteness and neo-abolitionism (the abolition of whiteness), critical theory and philosophy, histories of whiteness and social welfare, and the integration of critical theories with social work praxis modalities and research methodologies. Despite the Berkeley gig, this taxpayer-funded CRT propagandist is no more a scholar than Al Sharpton or AOC.

Denying reality has consequences. In their race-addled wisdom, officials of the Broward County, Florida, School District convinced themselves a few years back that the huge differential in arrests between white and black students had less to do with actual behavior than it did with institutional racism.

To minimize the arrest gap, the school district adopted a program that allowed school officials, not the police, to determine what acts deserved referral to the criminal justice system. To make the issue seem less stark, authorities cloaked the black/white crime disparity with EEOC boilerplate about "students of color. This semantic game-playing opened the door for a young man named Nikolas de Jesus Cruz to continue his violent ways unchecked.

In February 2018, that violence culminated in the deadliest high school shooting in American history. Cruz shot 34 of his fellow students, killing 17. This shooting happened specifically because the school district designated Cruz as a POC.

Parkland was on you and your friends, Erica. Think about it before the next time you tweet.

Jack Cashills latest book, Barack Obamas Promised Land: Deplorables Need Not Apply, is now widely available. See www.cashill.com for more information.

Image: PxHere

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Every week there seems to be another racist graffiti hoax, with racist words getting traced back to a Black person. And every time, depending on whether progressives believe the graffitist to be a White racist or Black hoaxer, we see that race is the determining factor in deciding whether we should punish motives or just deeds.

I thought of this because of an op-ed article in my local newspaper headlined, Racism isnt innate. Youve got to be taught. The title alludes to a song from Rogers and Hammersteins South Pacifica favorite of mine. The lyrics continue, Before its too late. Before you are six or seven or eight. To hate all the people your relatives hate. Youve got to be carefully taught. I sang that song and promoted it in my younger years as an antidote to the racism American Blacks experienced. In the local newspaper article, the author stated, Racism doesnt start in the womb. Kids learn it by hearing and observing. I agree.

The writer tells of racist graffiti vandalism in a local high school. Student and staff outrage was quite intense until it was discovered that a Black student wrote the graffiti.

The reaction? Mutedno visible outrage. The opinion writer hopes the principal and parents can ferret out his motivespossibly self-hate.... A student responded, ...discovering a fellow black student was responsible was embarrassing, but it did not diminish the student protestors anti-racism message. The writer responded, I so agree...the race of the criminal is less important than the core question of why racism exists in any environment....

These are sympathetic messages towards the vandal but, in this case, is sympathy the most appropriate or wisest response? Which matter mostdeeds or motives? This is a valid and crucial question today because our institutions are increasingly determining whether to penalize or excuse a crime based upon the actors perceived motives. In the op-ed, the person writing says that the graffiti writers racist words suddenly become less important (unspoken: because hes black), redirecting the inquiry beyond his acts to societal racism.

But if the race of the criminal is less important, shouldnt that be true for all races? Evidently, that principle is not practiced fairly or justly today. Throughout history, people were judged guilty or innocent based on deedsnot unknowable motives.

Consider this phenomenon based on diverse crimes. Take for instance a person murdered. Does the murderers motive alter the fact that a person is dead? Would a person be less dead if jealousy rather than hate was involved?

The one thing we know is that different races receive different treatment. We live in a dark, funhouse world in which race matters just as much as it did during Jim Crow, although now Whites are the disfavored race. If a White person kills a Black or Asian person, hate immediately becomes a factor and an added charge. However, if a Black or Hispanic person kills a White person, hate never becomes an issue. Even those Asians whom Blacks murder are not treated as hate crimes.

Likewise, consider vandalism, such as the case discussed above. Is property less damaged or less expensive to repair if a Black person vandalizes it, rather than a White person or a member of another race? The answer is, No. There are many illustrations where both the deed and outcome of a crime are the same regardless of the perpetrators race.

The opinion writer was concerned with ferreting out the suspects motive, but she seemingly never considered hatred of another race. Or what about wishing to stir up more racial division? Statistically, hundreds of race-based hoaxes are committed annually by people intent upon stirring up racial division or hatred. Motives are elusive. Psychiatrists attest to the fact people often cannot identify their own motives related to their actions. Some criminals are coddled while others guilty of similar crimes are exaggeratedly accused and charged and penalized based on inscrutable or unfathomable motives.

Consider one last example of unfair or unjust usage of a hate crime accusation and penalty. Most people probably remember the Matthew Shepard case: a gay man in Wyoming allegedly murdered because of his sexual orientation. The media loudly contained that it was an anti-gay hate crime, but the facts showed otherwise. Indeed, one perpetrator apparently had prior sexual relations with Shepard. The defendants, acquainted with the victim, claimed it was a robbery of drug money gone awry. And though falsely considered as a hate crime (though not charged), we now have a hate crime law pertaining to gays named after Shepard.

There are too many fallible and intentionally false interpretations of motives as well as the unfair and unjust selectivity applied to different persons. Its time to unbiasedly apply judgments based on actual and knowable actions and deeds.

Deeds or motives? Which matters most? The wisdom and universality of the ages that dealt only with deeds prove once again to be the fairest and just measure to judge people of attitudes or crimes regardless of any motive.

Image: Graffiti by Jason Dent. Unsplash license.

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Doctor Anthony Fauci revealed plenty about himself when he disclosed that a line from The Godfather has shaped his career: Its not personal, its strictly business.

Apparently, Fauci doesnt understand the lines real meaning. The line is used in the movie because it accomplishes what screenwriters and directors strive for in a movie -- irony. It discloses the mindset of people involved with organized crime. And its not a very healthy mindset.

It is first used in the movie when Vito Corleone, The Godfather, is brutally gunned down by a rival faction. The line is used by Tom Hagen, Sonny Corleones stepbrother and family attorney. Sonny wants to retaliate against those who shot his father. Tom tells him, Its only business, Sonny. Its not personal.

Here the audience gets to see what kind of business organized crime actually is. Its revealing that anyone would accept the murder of a loved one as nothing personal. What kind of business is this?

If Fauci had ever studied business or economics, he would know that good business practice is personal. Customers and employees respond better and appreciate being treated pleasantly and personally rather than as just another business decision. His one-size-fits-all COVID mandates are consistent with Its not personal, its strictly business. One has to question, just what is Faucis business?

At the end of the movie Michael Corleone, the new head of the Corleone family, tells his brother-in-law Carlo that today he took care of all family business. His enemies, including those in the family business, have been killed. After convincing Carlo that his punishment will only be that he is thrown out of the family business, Carlo admits he set up Michaels brother Sonny to be murdered and tells Michael who it was that murdered Sonny. Carlo is later murdered by Clemenza on orders from Michael.

Another scene with the use of the "Doctor Fauci career guidance theory" is at the end, when Tessio is taken away to be murdered. He had plotted to kill Michael Corleone. He tells Tom Hagen, Tell Michael its was only business, nothing personal, I always liked him. I imagine Doctor Fauci got a lump in his throat hearing that emotionally touching dialogue.

Fauci has also adopted other techniques from The Godfather, like the one where Michael tells his girlfriend Kay of his fathers ability to make an offer someone cant refuse. His father had his bodyguard Luca Brasi put a gun to a bandleader's head and tell him, Either your signature goes on the contract or your brains. Doctor Fauci adopted that policy with vaccine mandates. He even called for a national mask mandate, despite first saying that masks wont protect anyone from COVID. It seems consistency is not a Fauci mainstay. He recently hinted at possibly canceling Christmas.

All these Fauci orders are offers you cant refuse. Many of these mandates involve people choosing between remaining in their job or profession, including the military, or getting the vaccine. As a result of Dr. Faucis strongarm tactics, people are even being denied access to many public venues for not showing proof of a vaccine.

These mandates are false choices. The options are not much better than what Vito Corleone offered that bandleader.

Id like to give Dr. Fauci some further advice from the film. To paraphrase Clemenza: Doctor Fauci, leave the job, take the cannolis.

David Ennocenti, is a retired accountant and Graduate of the State University of NY at Buffalo, School of Management with a degree in Accounting and Finance. He passed the CPA Examination in 1983. His writing has appeared in The American Thinker, The USA Today, The New York Times and several other publications. His screenplay, Sniper Queen, was an official selection of The Artemis Women in Action Films Festival. He is a past winner of the Writers Digest Annual Competition.

Image: Cheryl Grayum

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Weve written before about the madness in the Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS), most recently when it comes to parents protesting LGBTQ pornography in the school systems libraries. Thereve also been newsworthy moments when parents spoke out about Critical Race Theory in the school district. One of the most explosive moments occurred when the school board, tired of having angry parents (i.e., voters) yell at them, called the cops, who made several arrests, including that of one man getting physically dragged out. It now turns out that the man was protesting the fact that the schools policies led to a boy in a skirt sexually assaulting his daughter in a girls bathroom.

Luke Rosiaks full story is at the Daily Wire, behind a paywall. This report is so important, though, that I splurged on a readers pass ($4/mo) so I could get to it. Ill try to summarize the reports high points but there are so many important details I can only touch the surface.

On June 22, Scott Smith, a White plumber, was filmed as the police arrested him and dragged him out of an LCPS board meeting. It was his arrest, writes Rosiak, that the National School Boards Association cited when it sought the federal help that AG Merrick Garland so willingly gave, referred to as a possible form of domestic terrorism.

But thats not where the actual "domestic terrorism" occurred. It took place three weeks before at Stone Bridge High School. On May 28, a boy wearing a skirt entered the girls bathroom at Stone Bridge High School and subjected Scott Smiths ninth-grade daughter to a violent sexual assault.

The school called Smith but, when he arrived, told him they were going to handle the matter in-house. When the school eventually called the sheriffs office, it wasnt to arrest the alleged perpetrator (who later admitted the act) but was because Smith was making a scenehe wasnt violent, but he launched obscenities at the principal. Still, the sheriffs deputies took Smiths daughter to a hospital, where a rape kit showed that she had, in fact, been sexually assaulted.

The principal then sent a message to the school community saying that, while the deputies had shown up at school, everyone at the school was fine. He made no mention of the fact that a sexual assault had occurred on campus.

Fast forward to June 22. Rosiak writes that, immediately before Smiths arrest, the LCPS superintendent lectured the public that concerns about the [proposed] transgender policy [on the agenda] were misplaced because the school system had no record of any assault occurring in any school bathroom. That was followed by Jackie Schworm, a leftist activist, telling Smith she thought his daughter was lying and threatening to destroy his business. Smith responded angrily and suddenly found himself handcuffed and dragged across the floor with his pants trailing behind him, a perfect image for leftists of a violent, White, transphobic man.

The local prosecutor, a Soros-style activist who opposes mass incarceration, did her best to get Smith locked up. At this point, of course, she knew or should have known what happened to Smiths daughter, for the suspect was charged and under house arrest. Although Smith doesnt know what happened to the boy (his records, as a juvenile, are sealed), he does know that, in October, the boy sexually assaulted another girl at the school.

Although Smith and his wife are L(esbian) and G(ay) friendly, theyre not into the T(ransgender) stuffand the boy who assaulted their daughter was a B(isexual). Still, when they heard that the LCPS board was planning to expand protections for Ts, they felt theyd better show uponly to have Beth Barts and other board members insult and ridicule them. Moreover, board members denied that there was any safety issue for girls in the restrooms. Smith tried to contain himself as activists who prioritize lived experience and believe women ignored his daughter.

About this Beth Bartsyouve heard of her before, for she was so aggressively hostile to anyone that challenged leftist policies that people moved to get her off the board, which resulted in her setting up a Facebook group to attack parents. One of the Facebook women was Jackie Schworm, the same person who verbally attacked Smith at the board meeting, leading to Smiths arrest. During his arrest, Smith cried, I cant breathe, but nobody cared.

The Daily Wire interviewed Schworm who denied everything, even as she claimed Smiths daughterwho passed the rape kit testhad mental stability issues and accused Smiths wife of confessing that theres no such thing as CRT but that she still planned to incite parents at board meetings over CRT.

Ultimately, based upon the LCPS superintendents either ignorant or fraudulent denial that sexual assault happened in girls bathrooms, the LCPS passed its transgender policieswhich might not have happened had Smith been allowed to tell his daughters story.

Theres so much more but whats clear is that a formerly middle-of-the-road-conservative-ish community of working- and middle-class people is seeing a massive culture shift to the left. Many parents are unhappy and claiming that (a) the shift is hurting their children (and Smiths daughter and the other girl prove this) and (b) that the board and its allies are lying and defaming people, including students, to advance their goals.

As Rosak writes, the aftermath is Two girls, allegedly sexually assaulted in school, four months apart, by the same person. And so far, the only person to be convicted of a crime is the victims father. And the ultimate irony, despite Smiths daughter being sexually assaulted and later beaten, is that shes a progressive. What kids learn in school matters.

Image: Scott Smiths arrest. YouTube screen grab.

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John Eastman, a former clerk to Justice Clarence Thomas, is a distinguished constitutional scholar, as demonstrated by his insights into such legal arcana as Privileges & Immunities, the General Welfare Clause, and Separation of Powers. A decade ago, I drew heavily on his insights in a short book examining the pathologies of our Special Interest State.

Eastman also acted as a legal advisor to President Trump during the controversy over the 2020 election. This was a demonstration of courage, because the legal profession, with all the morality of a pack of rabid weasels, viciously and systematically attacks any lawyer who defends Trump. During the post-election period, law firms were threatened with economic ruin and even physically threatened. Eastman was forced to sever long ties with Chapman Law School, and the latest tactics are to denounce him to the state bar association and to successfully pressure the supposedly conservative Federalist Society to exclude him from its next convocation.

The only supporters that I have seen come to his public defense are his allies at the Claremont Institute, and for that Claremont was banished from the annual meeting of the American Political Science Association.

Few of these attacks have dealt with substance. Some of them purport to do so, but these do not look at what Eastman actually wrote, relying instead on a bastardized summary of uncertain provenance.

As with all the products of hysterical cancel culture, this approach impoverishes discussion. The 2020 election raised profound legal, political, and moral questions, and to override all debate and possible agreement on future remedies irresponsibly undermines Our Republic.

I do not know whether Eastmans proposed legal conclusions about counting electoral votes are correct. Neither does anyone else because the answers would come only from nine persons in black robes after extensive briefing and argument. But the questions he raises are real ones, and his answers are persuasive.

Eastman has explained his thinking in two recent articles. Setting the Record Straight on the POTUS Ask (Jan. 18, 2021) is the most comprehensive, and Trying to Prevent Illegal Conduct From Deciding an Election in Not Endorsing a Coup has additional material and also attaches the actual memo to the President, which I have seen nowhere else.

The substance involves the interplay of the Constitutions mandate that Presidential Electors be selected by each states legislature, not its executive, and the Electoral Count Act of 1887, which purports to give primacy to the executive in cases of uncertainty. There are also tricky issues of how the electoral votes are counted in cases of competing slates of electors -- whether the vice president determines the correct slate (arguable under the Constitution) or the Congress (clear under the Electoral Count Act, but probably unconstitutional insofar as this favors any slate coming from the executive as opposed to the legislature).

Eastmans argument was that Pence, confronted with competing slates of Electors from the contested states, could and should pause the counting and ask each state legislature to clarify which slate was legitimate.

This would have been a good, common-sense solution. In addition, rather obviously, the Democrats would have instantly filed a legal action to stop it, and we would have quickly had a Supreme Court resolution of the contested issues.

Eastmans plan ran aground with Pence, who was perhaps badly advised, perhaps too poor a lawyer to grasp the argument, or perhaps anxious to get rid of Trump. He would have none of it.

In any case, I would bet heavily that the Democrats had a backup plan in case Pence showed signs of going along -- the January 6 riot, which disrupted the electoral counting, threw Congress into a tizzy, and aborted consideration of Eastmans recommendations. It is odds-on that those who think that January 6 was an attempted coup have a point, but it was successful rather than attempted, and it was against Trump rather than for him.

So here we are, with half the nation convinced the election was fraudulent, and the rabid weasels determined to bring down anyone who questions their authority, starting with scholar/activists whose recommendations would have led to sober consideration and legal resolution.

Like Thomas Jefferson, I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just.

James V DeLong is former editor of the Harvard Law Review and a former Research Director of the Administrative Conference of the United States.

Image: Jeastman

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Israels Foreign Minister Yair Lapid is arriving in Washington for talks with a wide range of American political figures and establishments. But most important is likely to be his peer-to-peer meetings with counterpart Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The last such meeting took place in May, at the end of the Hamas rocket war against Israel, abetted by intense incitement to anti-Israel violence by the Palestinian Authority (PA). That meeting, between Secretary of State Antony Blinken and PM/FM Benjamin Netanyahu, was itself cordial, but it laid out a wide gulf in the priorities of the two countries -- and that gulf remains for FM Lapid.

Blinken laid out four priorities for the Biden administration:

To demonstrate the commitment of the U.S. to Israels security.

To start to work toward greater stability and reduce tensions in the West Bank and Jerusalem.

To support urgent humanitarian and reconstruction assistance for Gaza, to benefit the Palestinian people.

To continue to rebuild our relationship with the Palestinian people and the Palestinian Authority.

Netanyahu had five:

I hope the U.S. will not go back to the JCPOA.

To expand normalization between Israel and the Arab and the Muslim world and deepen the peace treaties that we already have.

To improve the humanitarian conditions in Gaza, including the question of the return of our MIAs and two civilians.

Building economic growth for Judea and Samaria, the West Bank, with international cooperation and participation.

Peace itself with the Palestinians, a formal peace... Biden was absolutely correct when he said youre not going to get peace until Israel is recognized as an independent Jewish state.

The Biden administration had the Palestinians at the center: the peace process, the two-state solution, reopening the U.S. consulate in Jerusalem for Palestinians, and restoration of U.S. funds to the PA despite the language of the U.S. Taylor Force Act were at the top of the list. And Israels job was to facilitate those things. The whole list of American goodies delivered to the PA is huge and financially rewarding to an authority known not only for its financial corruption but its crackdown on human rights and protests that include the killing of protest organizer Nizar Banat.

Israel has Iran at the center: rejecting the JCPOA and stressing the Abraham Accords as the way forward for the region.

This meeting is unlikely to be as cordial as the Blinken/Netanyahu meeting precisely because Israels priority has been slipping away for Biden & Co. While the president (and Blinken) continue to talk a pretty good game on Iranian nuclear capability, its actions have had the opposite effect: delisting the Iranian proxy Houthis from the terror list and failing to condemn Houthi rocket attacks against Saudi Arabia -- even as the U.S. pulled its air defenses from the Kingdom; organizing funds for Iran by, among other actions, allowing it access to money frozen after Tehran hijacked a South Korean ship and held its sailors for ransom; removing sanctions from two Iranian missile producers; providing financial aid to Iranian proxy Hezballah as it plunders Lebanon; pulling U.S. air defenses from Jordan, shaking the King, and probably accounting for Jordanian overtures to Syria and Iran; and making direct overtures to Iranian proxy and war criminal Bashar Assad.

Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Hady Amr bewailed the state of the population of Gaza without reference to its control by Iranian proxy Hamas, or the fact that Hamas locates its terror infrastructure within Palestinian towns and villages and fires on Israel from within its civilian population (a double war crime). Amr asked Israel to collaborate on aid without referring to Israels demand that two Israeli civilians and the bodies of two soldiers be released by Hamas.

If the Biden administration really wants to focus on Palestinians and the place of Arabs and Israelis -- Jews, Muslims, Christians, and Druze, all citizens of a democratic state -- it could do worse than look for a recent precedent.

The prior administration invited the Palestinians to the table if they met five basic requirements, respect for human rights; financial and political transparency; the end of incitement against Israel; halting financial compensation to terrorists; and eliminating Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

It is a low bar, but it would put Secretary Blinken and FM Lapid on the same page, which would be better than where they are now, and allow for focus on the regional threats posed by Iran.

Image: Brookings Inst.

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Suddenly, your health is everybodys business.

If you have the misfortune of living in New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New Orleans, where you can no longer enter a restaurant, museum, or concert hall without proof of a COVID-19 vaccination, you may find yourself having intimate discussions about your health with strangers.

A restaurant owner in New York City recently expressed to me his discomfort stemming from the citys new measures. Unvaccinated customers have been inundating him with personal health details about reasons for noncompliance -- such as undergoing treatment for cancer or concern of the vaccines potential interactions with other health conditions -- just to be let through the restaurant door.

Unfortunately, the owners empathy for his customers circumstances landed him in trouble with New York Citys health department, which threatened to revoke his liquor license should he continue to treat his customers with basic human decency.

Many of his customers, incidentally, happen to be African American, a group with historic reasons for not trusting government health orders (for an excellent discussion on the horrific things the government has done in the name of science, listen to the Doctor, Doctor podcast with Carter Snead, as a guest). Ironically, Mayor Bill de Blasio put an end to stop and frisk because it might unfairly target minorities. Dont vaccine mandates pose a similar threat?

Lets go back in time to 1981, the beginning of the AIDS epidemic, as well as a time of heightened sexual promiscuity. Imagine asking members of the gay community to show proof of a negative test prior to being allowed into an establishment. Such a law would not have been all that unreasonable because contracting AIDS was a near-certain death sentence in the absence of a vaccine or other treatment options.

Rather than promote such a potentially authoritarian measure, individual rights to privacy over their sex lives were considered paramount. Today, our legal system continues to uphold the privacy of individuals with HIV, nearly universally prohibiting disclosure of their personal information. In fact, privacy laws have become so overreaching they have caused confusion and become even a nuisance to families trying to get health information on loved ones in trouble.

All bets have been off for COVID-19, a disease significantly less deadly than AIDS at its peak. President Bidens hell-bent effort to get the entire nation vaccinated could result in public lists of Americans who are refusing the shots.

This is not about freedom or personal choice, Biden stated on September 9.

Biden is turning up the heat as he tries to order employers to fire unvaccinated workers or face fines that could be as high as $700,000. Theyre killing people, said Biden of the unvaccinated. This is a pandemic of the unvaccinated, said Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky. The administrations cronies in the mainstream media and in local health departments then weaponize this misinformation to turn the public against the unvaccinated.

Not only do such statements inhibit the ability of the unvaccinated to go about their daily lives, Biden and Walensky neglect to account for why the vaccine is clearly failing to protect the vaccinated from these individuals. It is nearly impossible for people who do not want to receive the vaccine to keep their decision private.

This shows how compromised the notion of individual liberty has become in 40 years. Health care privacy is only a concern if one aligns with the governments ideology.

It would behoove us to remember the words of Lawrence W. Reed. Government has nothing to give anybody except what it first takes from somebody, and a government thats big enough to give you everything you want is big enough to take away everything youre got.

Privacy laws are a perfect example. Americans should have complete ownership of their personal health data without the government having to dictate the intricacies of how that should work and then the authority to take it all back. Besides, few people understand how privacy laws under HIPAA actually work. The regulations dont necessarily assure privacy.

Our government was created to provide national security from foreign threats and to protect the civil liberties of individual American citizens. Unfortunately, this purpose has been corrupted, and the governments primary goal now seems to be utilizing fear and propaganda to turn American society against itself.

AnneMarie Schieber (amschieber@heartland.org) is the managing editor of Health Care News and research fellow at The Heartland Institute.

Image: HIPPA

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Indian Government Removes Restrictions On Domestic Aviation Capacity:- The Indian government lifted the restrictions on the capacity on the domestic flights from October 18th. The domestic flights capacity is capped at 85 percent currently. Since August 12th last year, the carriers have been operating 72.5 percent of the flights as per the instructions from the Union Civil Aviation Ministry. The cap was 65 percent between July 5th and August 12th this year and the cap was 50 percent before that. The Union Civil Aviation Ministry asked the carriers to operate with 33 percent capacity last year from May 25th. The cap was gradually increased and with the coronavirus cases coming down, the government of India lifted all the restrictions.

From October 18th, the domestic carriers can operate flights with 100 percent capacity. The coronavirus cases in the country came down and India reported 14,313 new cases of coronavirus in the last 24 hours. The current cap will go up from 85 percent to 100 percent. With the decline in the new cases of coronavirus and the tourism across the country reopening and considering the upcoming Dasara and Diwali holiday seasons, the domestic carriers have been asked to restore the operations on a complete note. The Ministry of Civil Aviation announced the same officially today.
Andover, MA (01810)

Today

Showers this evening, becoming a steady rain overnight. Low 38F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch..

Tonight

Showers this evening, becoming a steady rain overnight. Low 38F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch.
Semiconductor technology has been getting better over the years, and chips are coming with thinner processes. According to AnandTech, Samsung plans to manufacture chips with a 2nm process by 2025.

Samsung says 2nm processor mass production will take a few years

Several companies including Intel have been working on manufacturing thinner silicon, and Samsung is one of them. The company is simultaneously working on 3nm chips and 2nm chips, as both are pretty hard to do.

Samsung was able to have some prototypes for a 3nm chip as early as 2019, and it was able to get them to its partners. The company plans to have 3nm chips in mass production by the end of next year. For the time being, we dont know if the company was able to keep things on track, as it unveiled the prototypes before the Coronavirus pandemic.

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When it comes to the 2nm chips, the company will need to take some more time. We dont know too much about these chips, but Samsung is talking about getting these into production as early as 2025. However, as stated by AnandTech, the mass production process may take an additional 3-6 months, which could possibly push this into 2026.

Theres still one elephant in the room the chip shortage

At this point, its really hard to say what will actually happen. Companies have been planning on 3nm and 2nm chips for years and working on the technology, but that was all before this chip shortage. The world is still dealing with the shortage and its hard to tell if its had any impact on production.

So far, it doesnt seem that companies have come out to say so. The past year and a half has put a lot of things on hold and a lot of things in perspective. Samsung looks to be leading the pack, so if we see 3nm chips next year, it could actually be a good sign.

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Other Samsung news includes a possible dual-sided fingerprint scanner on the Z Fold 4

The Galaxy Z Fold 3 has just launched, so it seems odd that were talking about the Galaxy Z Fold 4. In any case, Samsung was just awarded a patent for a dual-sided fingerprint scanner.

From the looks of the patent images, youll be able to unlock the phone regardless of whether its open or closed. We dont know if Samsung will use this in the very next Galaxy Fold devices, but at this point, it seems likely.
Samsung is looking to increase the use of in-house Exynos processors in its devices. According to Koreas ET News, only about 20 percent of Galaxy smartphones currently run on Exynos chipsets. The company is now aiming to use its in-house processors in more than half (50-60 percent) of its smartphones. This means Samsungs System LSI division, which handles the semiconductor-related works, will more than double its shipments to the companys mobile division.

The new report adds that two business units of Samsung have already reached an agreement to increase the proportion of Exynos processors in its smartphones. So we should see more Galaxy smartphones featuring Exynos chipsets next year.

Samsung to more than double the use of Exynos processors in Galaxy smartphones

Samsung is one of the very few companies with a chip fabrication plant. The Korean behemoth is, in fact, second only to Taiwans TSMC in terms of chip manufacturing market share. The Taiwanese company doesnt make its own chips but manufactures for the likes of Qualcomm, Apple, MediaTek, and many more. Samsung also manufactures chips for others but mostly its in-house Exynos processors.

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However, a bulk of Samsung smartphones still run on chipsets from Qualcomm and MediaTek. The company uses the formers Snapdragon solutions in its flagship models, sometimes all over the world, sometimes in select markets. For instance, the Galaxy S21 series uses the Snapdragon 888 in the US and China and the Exynos 2100 in Europe and other markets. The Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Flip 3 foldables, meanwhile, use the Snapdragon 888 globally.

Thats because Samsungs Exynos processors have evidently underperformed competing Snapdragon counterparts. The gap has been wider when it comes to flagship products. But the company has been able to close down that gap in recent years. The upcoming Exynos 2200 is expected to be on par with the Snapdragon equivalent, or perhaps go one better than it. So it shouldnt be surprising if the Fold 3 and Flip 3 successors feature an Exynos processor across the world.

But, while Samsung had a reason to not use Exynos processors in its flagship offerings, more and more MediaTek chipsets have been making it into the companys budget and mid-range offerings in recent times. Thats certainly not good for the companys reputation. The mid-range Exynos 1080, which launched late last year, hasnt made it into any Samsung device so far. Instead, the company has used competing solutions from MediaTek and Qualcomm in its mid-range smartphones. That could change very soon.

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Exynos processors have undergone some optimizations

The new report suggests that Samsung System LSI has made some necessary optimizations to its Exynos processors. I know that the 5G communication and heat issue, which were the most problematic issues in Exynos, have been resolved in the next production, the report quotes an industry insider. So they should now be able to better compete against rivals. As such, Samsung Mobile should now be more confident using Exynos processors in its smartphones rather than opt for rivals solutions. But only time will tell whether this push delivers the desired results for the company.
Posted on: January 19, 2021 10:27 AM

The Bishop of Swaziland, Ellinah Wamukoya, died this morning (Tuesday) after contracting Covid-19. Her death was announced by Archbishop Thabo Makgoba of Cape Town, Primate of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa. Bishop Ellinah, known around the world for her advocacy on environmental issues, was admitted to hospital late last week and put on Oxygen therapy after contracting Covid-19. She was 69.

It is with profound sorrow that I have to announce the devastating news that the Bishop of Swaziland in eSwatini, the Right Revd Ellinah Wamukoya, died today, Archbishop Thabo said. We express our deepest condolences to her husband, Okwaro Henry Wamukoya, their children and grandchildren. May her soul rest in peace.

The Anglican Communions Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Jack Palmer-White, paid tribute, saying: She was wonderfully dedicated to so many causes  particularly demonstrated through her leadership of the Anglican Communion Environmental Network for a number of years.

The Executive Director of the Anglican Alliance, Rachel Carnegie, added: This is such desperately sad news. Bishop Ellinah was an inspiration to so many. A great loss to the whole Communion, but my prayers especially for her husband and family and those who worked most closely with her in the diocese, province and around the world.

Bishop Ellinah Ntfombi Wamukoya was elected Bishop of Swaziland in 2012, becoming the first female bishop in the Anglican Church in Africa. She was previously the Town Clerk of Manzini, eSwatini's commercial hub, having earlier served as the City Planner. She held a Masters degree in Town and Regional Planning.

She had a history of serving in community offices and organisations, and had a long involvement with the Anglican Diocese of Swaziland. She was ordained priest in 2005. At the time she was elected bishop, she was Anglican chaplain to the University of eSwatini.

In her Diocese, the Province of Southern Africa and throughout the wider Anglican Communion, Bishop Ellinah was widely known for her advocacy of the integrity of creation. She was the liaison bishop for the environment in the Province of Southern Africa.

In 2016, BBC News listed her as one of the 100 most inspirational and influential women in the world.

In 2018 Bishop Ellinah took part in a panel discussion at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in London, to discuss the role faith communities can play in tackling gender-based violence.

The Anglican Communions Director for Gender Justice, Mandy Marshall, described Bishop Ellinah as an excellent advocate for women.

Watch Bishop Ellinah's contribution to the 2018 Chogom meeting:
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(ANSA) - ROME, OCT 12 - Africa is the focus of a slew of conferences and discussions taking place at Expo Dubai 2020 this week, focusing on the business opportunities the continent has to offer.

A forum dedicated to Africa, on new models of cooperation in exploiting energy resources, infrastructure and the digital transformation is one of he main events taking place at Expo and being hosted by the Italian pavilion.

The event is promoted by Italian industrial employers group Confindustria to support growth and the development of business with the African continent.

Another event, which sees Italian investors as rapporteurs, is taking place contemporaneously at the Egyptian pavilion, on the eco-tourism opportunities the country has to offer, as well as the classic tours around the Red Sea and Pyramids.

Each African country is represented at the Expo with its own pavilion, for he first time at a universal exposition, and the African Union has its own exhibition space.

The United Arab Emirates are their biggest investor, with over 1.2 billion euros put into the continent over the last five years.

The Global Business Forum Africa is the main event devoted to Africa this week.

High-potential sectors that have been identified include fintech, health, agriculture, and online commerce.

The forum is taking place at the Earth Pavilion and will bring together African leaders for two days of talks on climate change and reducing catastrophe risks.The event is led by Levi Uche Madueke, General Commissioner of the African Union's Expo, and aims to showcase Africa's efforts to reduce risks thanks to technological innovations in the sector.

Chad Ambassador Deby said while visiting his country's pavilion: "What attracts us the most as an African country are the opportunities the Expo offers. We can meet other countries and exchange points of view and flag up business opportunities; but we can also show our culture and history. I is important for Chad to be part of this dialogue.

Another African country, Uganda, signed accords worth some 650 million dollars in new investments for the development of its economy. (ANSA).


(ANSA) - ROME, OCT 12 - Premier Mario Draghi was chairing an extraordinary G20 summit on Tuesday on the crisis caused by the Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan.

The Italian presidency of the G20 pushed hard for the extraordinary summit, which was held via video-conference and started at 13:00 Italian time.

A statement said the issues on the agenda included "urgent humanitarian support for the Afghan population; the fight against terrorism, freedom of movement within the territory and open borders".

Draghi will give a press conference afterwards. (ANSA).


(ANSA) - ROME, OCT 12 - Now is the time to restart after the COVID emergency, President Sergio Mattarella told his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier at the Italian embassy in Berlin on Tuesday.

"This is the time to restart. We are laying the foundation for the EU's future, which must be stronger and more cohesive," he said.

Mattarella said "today we are celebrating the very strong agreement between Italy and Germany with the firm determination to continue it.

"The dynamic energies of our two countries - at all levels, from the central one to the local bodies - are directed at the crucial economic recovery, and the social one too.

"This is the time, I repeat, of the restart".

Earlier Tuesday Mattarella met Chancellor Angela Merkel. (ANSA).


(by Patrizio Nissirio) (ANSAmed) - CORFU, 12 OTT - Politician, diplomat, intellectual, doctor and even philosopher: all this was Ioannis Kapodistrias, a citizen of the Republic of Venice who became the first governor of free Greece after the revolution against Ottoman rule 200 years ago. His hometown of Corfu dedicated an international conference to his complex cosmopolitan figure - largely forgotten outside the Hellenic borders - of a democratic and liberal thinker who already imagined Europe and the Mediterranean in a peaceful coexistence.



Historians, political scientists, art historians and artists discussed the 'lesson' of Giovanni Antonio Capodistria (Vittori was the original surname of the noble family, later identified with the city of origin of Koper, called Capodistria in Italian, today in Slovenia) for a Euro-Mediterranean world engaged in the difficult search for unity and sharing.



In this sense, the presence of mayors and deputy mayors of the Slovenian Istrian cities Izola-Isola, Koper-Capodistria, Piran-Pirano, and Ankaran-Ancarano, was particularly significant. These places were also for a long time part of the Serenissima, as the Republic of Venice was called, where cultures have always intertwined and influenced each other.



"Kapodistrias was a man with a humanistic philosophy, who had a vision of Europe as a place of freedom and peace," said Petros Gallias, the director, choreographer and event manager who organized the international conference together with the municipal administration of Corfu led by mayor Meropi Idreou.



A student of medicine, philosophy and law in Padova, then medical doctor in Corfu, then diplomat in the service of Russia and Switzerland, he was chosen in 1828 as the first Greek head of state precisely for his intellectual and political caliber and his relentless commitment to Hellenic independence. But three years later, in 1831, he was assassinated by his opponents in Nafplio, the first capital of modern Greece.



"We wanted to celebrate him here, on the island where he was born, bringing together history teachers, writers, artists and listening to music of his time, inspired by the revolution of 1821," Gallias said.



"This is also to discover his private personality as a universal thinker, not only Corfiot, not only Greek, but European".



Myth Euromed, an agency that deals with Euro-Mediterranean ties, also contributed to the conference in Corfu. It is run by the Italian - and Venetian - Alberto Cotrona, who recalls how the story of Kapodistrias and the Greek revolution that began in 1821 was "an inspirer of poetic fervor, as Lord Byron teaches, and political involvement", including for the Italian Risorgimento.



During the three-day conference, the book 'Repubblica di Venezia' by Giovanni Vale, an Italian journalist based in Zagreb, was presented. It is the first volume of a series dedicated to exploring what today remains of the 'vanished nations', just like the rule of Venice, whose echoes continue to exist between Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro, Albania, Greece, and all the way to Cyprus. (ANSAmed).


CAIRO - The Libyan Coast Guard tweeted on Monday it rescued 140 migrants from a struggling wooden boat that was trying to reach the coast of the European Union, and found 15 dead bodies on board.



In a brief video, the dead bodies can be seen on the deck of the boat and people pull some of them from two portholes.



The tweet and video were published on the website of the Libya Observer.



The first to give news of the shipwreck was Alarm Phone, followed by confirmation from UNCHR.



"Bodies of 15 persons recovered as two boats arrived at Tripoli Naval Base this evening," tweeted UNHCR Libya, providing different numbers than those of the Libyan Coast Guard.



"177 survivors were provided aid, some in need of urgent medical help," it tweeted.



"Tragic loss of life," UNHCR tweeted, along with two photos of migrants aboard and next to a patrol boat at night in Tripoli.



According to the most recent bulletin released Monday by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), on the "Central Mediterranean route" - the one from Libya to Italy - so far this year 474 people have died and 689 have gone missing, compared to 381 deaths and 597 missing people in all of 2020.



As of 9 October, a total of 26,314 migrants have been brought back to Libya, IOM said, and recalled that in the 12 months of last year that total was 11,891.
NAPLES - The local Camorra mafia is killing Naples, its archbishop said Tuesday, urging Camorristi to convert after a wave of murders.



"They are killing Naples! The Camorra and graft are killing it, with the violence and cruelty of those who have forgotten they are human beings!", said Metropolitan Archbishop Monsignor Domenico Battaglia.



"To the men of the Camorra, to the corrupt and those in collusion with criminality I say: become human beings again! Convert! Your Bishop will not shy away from welcoming and accompanying the steps of conversion and human rebirth".



Naples centre-left Mayor-elect Gaetano Manfredi said Battaglia's "appeal to the entire city against organized crime, which has once more bloodied our streets, contains a strong call to consciences that deserves concrete responses from the institutions to start with".


BEIRUT - Former Lebanese minister and deputy Ali Hassan Khalil, close to the unshakable Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, on Tuesday received an arrest warrant as part of the ongoing investigation in Lebanon into the explosion at the port of Beirut on 4 August, 2020, in which 219 people were killed, according to judicial sources in Beirut, cited by local media.



Sources said former finance minister Khalil is charged, along with other senior members of the Lebanese institutional establishment, including former Prime Minister Hassan Diab, with "manslaughter, misconduct and neglect".



The issuing of the arrest warrant against Khalil comes a few hours after the heavy accusations made last night, in a speech broadcast live on TV, by Hasan Nasrallah, leader of the pro-Iranian Shiite armed party Hezbollah.



The Party of God accuses Judge Tareq Bitar of wanting to "politicize" the investigation into the explosion of 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate on 4 August 2020.



The material had been stored for seven years in the heart of the Lebanese capital, in a hangar in the port of Beirut.



Hezbollah is an integral part of Lebanese institutions and is a political ally of the Amal movement, led by the Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, and of the party of Lebanese President Michel Aoun.



In recent weeks, Judge Bitar, who is leading the investigation into the explosion at the port of Beirut, issued an arrest warrant for former Minister of Transport Youssef Fenanios.



Former ministers Khalil and Fenanios, along with other high-profile defendants, attempted to block the investigation by filing a request for the magistrate to recuse himself.



But the Beirut Court of Appeals rejected the requests in recent days and Judge Bitar's work was able to resume.



However, on Tuesday the investigation was suspended by the Beirut Court of Cassation just hours after Bitar issued the arrest warrant, due to a new request for recusal presented yesterday by Khalil himself and by another suspect in the investigation, former minister Ghazi Zeaiter.



Both Khalil and Zeaiter are members of parliament from the Shiite Amal movement, headed by the Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.



The investigations led by Judge Bitar had been suspended in recent weeks after a request for recusal by another former minister and deputy, also under investigation, Nohad Mashnuq (Nouhad Machnouk).


Brexit minister Lord Frost is to set out Britains demands for changes to the Northern Ireland Protocol amid a stand-off with the EU over the role of the European Court of Justice (ECJ).

In a speech to the diplomatic community in Lisbon on Tuesday, Lord Frost will warn the protocol cannot survive without fundamental reform to governance arrangements.

But even before he delivered his address, he was accused by the Irish Government of creating a red line barrier to progress in resolving the dispute over post-Brexit trading arrangements.

Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said the peer was setting demands he knew the EU could not move on and questioned whether the UK really wanted to agree a way forward.

The Daily Telegraph reported that Lord Frost is expected to say: For the EU now to say that the Protocol  drawn up in extreme haste in a time of great uncertainty  can never be improved upon, when it is so self-evidently causing such significant problems, would be a historic misjudgment.

Lord Frosts speech comes a day before the EU is due to produce its plans to resolve issues with the protocol, which has led to the creation of economic barriers between Northern Ireland and Britain.

He is expected to argue that Brussels has been too quick to dismiss the row over the ECJ as a side issue.

The minister will say the court prevented the UK from implementing very sensitive arrangements in the protocol in a reasonable way, creating a deep imbalance in the way it operates.

The protocol is intended to ensure the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic stays open while protecting the single market, which Northern Ireland remains a part of.

However the need for checks on goods crossing to Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK has led to growing tensions both within Northern Ireland and between London and Brussels.

The EU plan is likely to include a proposal that chilled meats can continue crossing the Irish Sea after the end of current grace periods, in a move to alleviate the so-called sausage wars.

However Lord Frost is expected to argue the changes need to go much further if there is to be a sustainable solution.

Simon Coveney (Niall Carson/PA)

Ahead of his speech, Downing Street said the UK had signed up to the protocol good faith but the way it was being operated by the EU could not continue.

It was formed in the spirit of compromise in challenging circumstances, the Prime Ministers official spokesman said.

Since then we have seen how the EU is inclined to operate the governance arrangements, issuing infraction proceedings against the UK at the first sign of disagreement.

These arrangements arent sustainable. We need to find a new way of resolving issues that arise between us using mechanisms normal in other international treaties.

It is unheard of for bilateral agreements being policed by the courts of one of the parties.

Mr Coveney questioned why the UK had signed up to an agreement which made the the ECJ the final arbiter of the protocol when it was now such an absolute red line for them.

This is being seen across the European Union as the same pattern over and over again  the EU tries to solve problems, the UK dismisses the solutions before theyre even published and asks for more, he said.
EasyJet saw a four-fold jump in sales in the days following the recent relaxation in travel rules for UK passengers, with winter sun seekers keen for some warm weather.

The boss of the airline said it shows there is a pent-up demand for travel and called on the UK Government to remove all restrictions for double-vaccinated passengers.

Johan Lundgren explained: We had a 400% increase to Egypt and Turkey, so customers are eager to go and the testing is a big obstacle for them to go.

Johan Lundgren, the boss of easyJet, said it is clear a recovery is under way (David Parry/PA)

He added: Its important to note that from July 1 the rest of Europe removed all restrictions for double-vaccinated passengers and clearly thats what wed like to see happen in the UK.

The new announcements are a good step in the right direction. In Europe, travel has been allowed to grow there and there hasnt been any evidence that travel has been any increase in the pandemic in those countries.

As a result, some airports in Europe are now operating back to pre-pandemic levels.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps recently announced eligible fully-vaccinated arrivals can use a cheaper and quicker lateral flow test for their post-arrival test  rather than the PCR version  with rules in place by the end of the month.

Travel advisories to dozens of countries were also lifted this week.

Mr Lundgrens comments come as EasyJet revealed a jump in the number of passengers taking intra-European flights but said UK international travel continued to struggle.

As a result, capacity for the group is now expected to be up to 70% of 2019 levels over the winter months and 100,000 new seats have been added for travellers looking to get away for the festive season.

The plan to increase services comes as the company saw a marked shift in passenger numbers over the summer months, with capacity in the past three months hitting 58% of 2019 levels.

EasyJets boss did not rule out trying to take over some of British Airways Gatwick slots should the rivals plan for a new low-cost airline fail (Gareth Fuller/PA)

This compared with just 17% of pre-pandemic levels in the three months to the end of June.

The summer growth was driven by strong growth in domestic traffic in the UK and intra-European flying, however UK international travel remained low at just 32% of 2019 levels.

As a result of the difficult year just gone, bosses predict they will record a pre-tax loss of between 1.14 billion and 1.18 billion, which is slightly ahead of City expectations.

Looking forward, bosses said they see more holidays being booked as Covid-19 restrictions ease on international travel, with bookings over the next six months double those compared with a year ago.

Mr Lundgren said he would be looking at expansion opportunities and did not rule out trying to take over some of British Airways Gatwick slots should the rivals plan for a new low-cost airline fail.

He said the firm will be ready to capture those opportunities for growth where they come.

The boss also appeared unconcerned about BAs proposed new airline, adding: We have proven that we can compete against any airline, so we will just have to wait and see, but its not something were losing sleep over.

Asked whether EasyJet has any plans to follow Virgin Atlantics announcement that all staff must be double-vaccinated against Covid-19, he said the airline would not.

He added: We are encouraging our staff to take up the vaccination but we will follow the procedures in the countries we operate in It is not a requirement.
Ladbrokes parent company Entain has said revenues for the past three months have been buoyed by continued online growth and improvement in its UK betting shops, in an update weeks after a takeover approach.

Last month, the company, which also owns betting brand Coral, was the subject of a roughly 16 billion approach from US rival DraftKings.

Draftkings has until 5pm on Tuesday October 19 to formally submit its offer.

Entain did not reference the takeover interest as it highlighted to investors that its performance has been business as usual.

The Coral owner said its store revenues have been closing on pre-pandemic levels (Matt Alexander/PA)

The betting giant hailed a strong performance in its third quarter to September 30, as net gaming revenue increased by 4% against the same period last year.

It revealed that online revenues rose by 10%, marking the 23rd consecutive quarter of double-digit online growth.

The firm said this was driven by strong performances across its major markets, including Australia and Brazil, although it saw a weaker performance in Germany.

Meanwhile, its stores business saw 1% growth as it highlighted that UK volumes were recovering to pre-Covid levels as high street footfall recovers.

Jette Nygaard-Andersen, Entains chief executive officer, said: These results demonstrate Entains continuing ability to deliver sustainable, consistent and diversified growth.

By offering customers ever more engaging products, while leveraging our scale and technology, we will drive the flywheel effects of secular growth dynamics that can triple the size of our business.

As a result, we remain very confident in Entains future prospects.

The firms annual earnings are still due to be in line with its previous guidance of between 850 million and 900 million.

Shares in the company were 0.3% lower at 2,101.4p in early trading.
Marysville, CA (95901)

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During the Oct. 6 in-person meeting on TSPLOST 2, Communications Specialist Lavonia Jones shared a virtual meeting room that will be available on the citys website for voters to access from any mobile device. It includes video and animation about the projects that are planned for the City of Roswell if the sales tax is renewed.
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YEREVAN, OCTOBER 12, ARMENPRESS. South Korea and the US will discuss the recent proposal by President Moon Jae-In to legally cement the end of the Korean War, Director of National Intelligence Service Suh Hoon said, reports TASS.

Since the inter-Korean communication channels have been restored, we must ramp up the interaction between the two Koreas and the US. Further consultations will be dedicated to this, Suh Hoon said.

Meanwhile, he refrained from speculating whether the US will support the idea to legally declare the end of the Korean War, but confirmed that his issue has been included in the agenda.

Suh Hoon is expected to meet US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on October 12.

On September 21, Moon Jae-In urged to sign the declaration on the end of the Korean War, which ended with a truce in 1953. Formally, the sides remain in a state of war.
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 12, ARMENPRESS. The meeting between Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan and President of Russia Vladimir Putin took placein the Kremlin. ARMENPRESS reports, welcoming his Armenian colleague, the Russian President said that personal meetings are always effective for reaching necessary results.

We will talk in both formal and informal environments, will have dinner, discuss current affairs, talk about prospects. We have the CIS summit coming soon, and we would like to achieve a consent over positions also over that issue, and naturally, over the main directions of our cooperation, including over the issue of the short and long-term normalization of the situation in the region. I am very glad to see you, you are welcome, Putin said.

The Armenian PM thanked for the invitation, noting that this is alsready his 4th meeting with the Russian President this year. "I think such frequent meetings testify to the high dynamics of our relations and the mutual understanding of the importance of our strategic allied relations. Of course, dynamic processes are taking place in our region and all over the world, and it is very important that the allies meet often, talk, as you said, achieve a consent over positions. Of course, unfortunately, we can not talk about the full stabilization of the situation in our region. As you noticed, the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict remains unresolved, and it is clear that Russia, which is also an OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing country, plays a key role in resolving the conflict and ensuring security in our region in general. Of course, all these issues are very important, they are key issues. I am very happy to discuss this whole agenda with you," Pashinyan said.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is on a working visit to the Russian Federation.
Afghanistan's economy remains in a parlous state with international aid cut off, food prices rising and unemployment spiking

Union Minister Piyush Goyal held a meeting with South Korean Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo on the sidelines of the G20 Trade Ministers' Meeting in Italy. (PTI)

ROME: G20 leaders will hold a virtual summit on Tuesday to discuss Afghanistan, with the Italy-hosted talks focused on the humanitarian and security situation following the takeover by the Taliban.

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, whose country holds the rotating G20 presidency, has been pushing to widen the global discussion on Afghanistan to countries including Russia and China.

It was not clear if all the leaders of the G20 economic powers, which include the United States, EU, China, Turkey, Russia and Saudi Arabia among others, would join Tuesday's meeting.

But an Italian government official said it would be "mostly heads of state and government".

The summit will be held behind closed doors but Draghi will hold a press conference afterwards.

The hardline Islamist Taliban returned to power in August following the withdrawal of US troops after 20 years of war.

Afghanistan's economy remains in a parlous state with international aid cut off, food prices rising and unemployment spiking.

Announcing the meeting last month, the Italian premier said it would address what he said was the risk of a "humanitarian catastrophe" in Afghanistan.

Draghi, whose country was part of the NATO mission in Afghanistan, said leaders would also look at measures the international community can take "to stop Afghanistan from again becoming a hotbed of international terrorism".

The Taliban regime, still yet to be recognised as a legitimate government by any other country, is itself facing a threat from the Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K), who have launched a series of deadly attacks.
The vaccine manufacturer had completed the Phase 2/3 trials of Covaxin for use in children under 18 years of age in mid-September

A health worker carries vials of the Covaxin vaccine against the Covid-19 coronavirus at a health centre in New Dehi. (Photo: AFP/File)

HYDERABAD: The Subject Expert Committee (SEC) on Covid-19 has recommended that the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) grant emergency use authorisation for Bharat Biotechs Covaxin for children in the age group of two to 18 years, who constitute 41 per cent of the population.

This does not mean that the vaccine will become immediately available for children. There are more steps ahead.

The SEC clearance will be evaluated by two more panels  the technical expert committee and the apex committee. These panels will make their own recommendations.

The DCGI has to then officially give the green signal to launch Covaxin for children. This clearance has still not been given by DCGI.

Once the vaccine is granted final approval by DCGI, Covaxin will become the second vaccine cleared for use for children in India. In August, Zydus Cadilas three-dose DNA jab was allowed to be used on adults and children over 12.

Covaxin, when approved, will be administered in children in two doses, with a gap of 28 days between the first and second doses. The gap and dosage of vaccine for adults and children will be the same according to the trial data submitted to the government.

The committee noted that Covaxin tested on children was the same formulation as used on adults, but separate trials were needed to guarantee safety and efficacy on younger recipients. It noted that the data of the trials conducted on over 1,000 children across the country showed similar efficacy rates against Covid-19 as that on adults  77.8 per cent.

There are four conditions which have been put in the emergency use authorisation where the company has to continue its studies on the inactivated Covid-19 virus, provide updated information and factsheet of the product, submit safety data and adverse events every 15 days for two months and a risk management plan.

The data of 525 children has been submitted by the company to the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) and reviewed by the subject expert committee. There were a total of 1,000 children who were recruited for the trial. There were 60 children from Hyderabad in the age group of 12 to 18 years.

They were followed up for one month after the two doses of vaccine and are also on the radar for the next three months, according to company sources.

The company had completed Phase-2 and Phase-3 trials of Covaxin on children between the ages of two and 18 years in September and submitted the trial data to the DCGI in the beginning of October.

A doctor from Secunderabad told this correspondent that his 13-year-old son had taken part in the trial in Hyderabad. There have not been any side-effects related to the vaccine. Others with him too are safe. This is a big relief for parents, the doctor said.

Dr T.P. Karthik, senior paediatrician, said parents wanted the vaccine to be rolled out to all private hospitals so that children suffering from chronic diseases and those who are immunodeficient are prioritised in the vaccination process.

Dr Bipin Singh, an associate professor, said, "It would be better if the vaccine was first approved for children in the age bracket of 10 to 18 years. Based on a large and diverse pool of clinical trials data, the long-term evaluations would give a balanced real time data. It is very interesting to observe that the DCGI has given a nod on a very small clinical trial data compared to the much larger data that they sought for adults. Paediatric population cannot be treated equivalent to adults."

Other paediatricians state that there are about 10 to 15 different vaccines which are given to children from 0 to 2 years of age. There is also a booster dose given to children at 5 years of age. With so many vaccines, Covaxin in children from two years old is raising concerns and they want that only those who are immune compromised, suffering from diseases and co-morbid conditions must be made eligible for vaccines first.
The Centre, in its affidavit, had said that Asthana's appointment and the extension of his service tenure was done in public interest

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday dismissed a PIL challenging the appointment of Gujarat-cadre IPS officer Rakesh Asthana as Delhi Police Commissioner.

The writ petition and the pending applications are hereby dismissed, said the bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh.

The 1984-batch IPS officer, serving as the Director General of Border Security Force, was appointed the Commissioner on July 27, four days before his superannuation on July 31.

The petitioner, lawyer Sadre Alam, sought quashing of the July 27 order issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs appointing Asthana as the Delhi Police Commissioner while granting him inter-cadre deputation and extension of service by one year.

The petition claimed that the appointment of Asthana was in clear and blatant breach of the directions passed by the Supreme Court in Prakash Singh case as the officer did not have a minimum residual tenure of six months and no UPSC panel was formed for his appointment of Delhi Police Commissioner.

The Centre, in its affidavit, had said that Asthana's appointment and the extension of his service tenure was done in public interest, keeping in mind the diverse law and order challenges faced by the national capital, which have national security implications as well as international and cross border implications.

Defending his appointment, the Centre said that it felt a compelling need to appoint a person as a head of the police force of Delhi, who had diverse and vast experience of heading a large police force in a large State having diverse political as well as public order problem/ experience of working and supervising Central Investigating Agency(s) as well as para-military forces.

The Centre, submitted that the PIL, as well as the intervention of NGO Centre for Public Interest Litigation (CPIL) -- which has challenged Asthana's appointment before the Supreme Court, deserves to be dismissed with exemplary costs.

CPIL claimed before the high court that the PIL was mala fide and a complete copy-paste of its plea pending before the apex court.

Asthana, in his affidavit, told the court that there was a sustained social media campaign against him and the legal challenge to his appointment was an abuse of process of law, arising from vendetta.

He said that ever since he was appointed Special Director, CBI, proceedings are being consistently filed against him by certain organisations as part of a selective campaign.

On August 25, the Supreme Court, while hearing the petition by CPIL, had asked the high court to decide preferably within two weeks the plea pending before it against the appointment of the senior IPS officer as Delhi Police Commissioner.
More than 200 people were detained by Mumbai Police on Monday in connection with Maharashtra Bandh-related violations

Activists of Youth Congress hold placards during a silent protest in New Delhi on October 11, 2021, days after at least eight people died in an incident involving protesting farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri. (Sajjad HUSSAIN / AFP)

Mumbai/New Delhi: The Congress on Monday observed maun vrat or a silent protest across the country to demand the resignation or sacking of Union minister Ajay Mishra, whose sonAshish Mishra has been arrested over allegations of running over farmers in Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri. Priyanka Gandhi, general secretary incharge of Uttar Pradesh, led the protest in Lucknow along with Rajya Sabha MP Deependra Hooda, senior leader Pramod Tewari and state unit chief Ajay Kumar Lallu.

On the day that the Congress had asked all its state and Union Territory chiefs to observe a three-hour maun vrat, from 10 am to 1 pm outside Raj Bhavans or Central government offices, normal life was hit in major cities of Maharashtra due to the statewide bandh called by the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance to protest the killing of farmers at Lakhimpur Kheri in UP.

While shops and markets were closed, local train services in Mumbai remained unaffected. Barring a few incidents of stone-pelting and clashes, the bandh went off quietly.

The shutdown was observed peacefully amid widespread support, Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik said, but he added that "some incidents of people throwing stones were reported.

The coalition's bandh call has received support from Left, some other parties and trade unions. The bandh was observed peacefully, he said.

Heavy police security was deployed in Mumbai, with police personnel, including women, seen on patrolling duty in every area of the city. There was extra traffic police deployment on the city roads, where people were mostly seen travelling in private vehicles.

More than 200 people were detained by Mumbai Police on Monday in connection with Maharashtra Bandh-related violations.

In Mumbai and neighbouring cities like Thane, Kalyan-Dombivali, Navi Mumbai, most of the shops and commercial establishments, barring those connected with essential services, remained closed. Bus services were affected and taxis and auto-rickshaws also remained off roads. However, local train services were unaffected, due to which there were large crowds on railway stations. The Metro rail services were also operating normally in the city.

The BEST bus services were closed after incidents of stone-pelting at some places. BEST said its buses were damaged in areas like Dharavi, Mankhurd, Shivaji Nagar, Charkop, Oshiwara, Deonar and near Inorbit Mall. Non-cognisable offences were registered against unknown persons for vandalising BEST buses.

The Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMCs) in the state remained shut. Mumbais well-known dabewallas also extended their support to the bandh. We condemn the attack on the farmers at Lakhimpur Kheri in UP, said the association.

A union of traders in Maharashtra had earlier objected but later decided to support the bandh. After the request of Shiv Sena and other party leaders, we have decided to keep shops closed till 4 pm in support of the shutdown call, Viren Shah, chief of Federation of Retail Traders' Welfare Association (FRTWA), said. Pune shopkeepers supported the band by keeping all shops closed in the district except the essential services.

According to onlookers, activists of the Shiv Sena beat autorickshaw drivers who were ferrying passengers in Thane with canes. At many places, protesters forced shopkeepers to down their shutters in the presence of police personnel.

In Navi Mumbai, activists of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) threatened shopkeepers and forced them to down shutters near the APMC market area in Vashi.

Shiv Sena workers ransacked a Shivbhojan hotel located near the bus stand in Chandrapur. Notably, this hotel provides food at a cheap rate to underprivileged people under the Shiv Bhojal Thali (food plate) scheme of the Shiv Sena-led MVA government. Local Congress MP Suresh alias Balu Dhanorkar led a motorcycle rally. A separate rally was organised by the NCP.

Clashes were reported between MVA and BJP supporters in Bhusawal. Several activists from both sides were injured in the clashes.

Former Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis from the BJP alleged that though traders and businessmen were against the bandh, they were being threatened to participate in it. This is a state-sponsored bandh that has been imposed and implemented with the administrations help. The ruling coalition is misusing the police to impose the shutdown, he said.
Rakesh Sasibhushan is the CMD of Antrix Corporation Ltd and chairman of CIIs National Committee on Space

As of now, revenues from Satcom services in India are estimated at around $11 billion, though this is not a true indication of the demand

Currently, the demand for space-based services in India is met only by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). (Representational image: PTI)

On May 16, 2020, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a set of reforms for the hitherto restricted domain of space as a part of creating new opportunities to revive the Covid-19 pandemic-stricken domestic economy. The announcements opened a new frontier and promised a level playing field and liberal policies for the private sector, among other things.

A startup ecosystem has already kicked off in the space domain with nearly 50 players and many venture capitalists looking at it as a potential sector to invest in.

Currently, the demand for space-based services in India is met only by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), which leaves room to increase the capacity both in Satellite-Communications (Satcom) and EarthObservation (EO) data services. The gap is bridged through imports, which is as high as 40 per cent for Satcom. The prevailing costs for Satcom services in India are high compared to terrestrial communication services. These high costs can be attributed to imports from developed countries, high levies, licensing,and operating costs.

As of now, the revenues from Satcom services in India are estimated at around $11 billion, though this is not a true indication of the demand. The private sector can explore the latent demand to manufacture satellites through industry-friendly policies.

While opening the sector for private participation, the government had announced that future commercial demands will be demand-driven as opposed to the present supply-driven framework where ISRO supplies

capacity and then users request for it. This means that ISRO needs to run its commercial programmes through its two commercial arms -- Antrix Corporation and NewSpace India Ltd -- and not from government funding. The decision to let markets drive the business segment will help the commercial arms of ISRO function more efficiently.

Indian industry can leverage manufacturing and operating costs to build satellites. The current in-house capacity is limited to serve the diverse geographical terrains and islands, where running cables for fixed broadband can be costly and impractical.

EO data for satellite imagery is another market that can be explored. It was a restricted domain until now and mandated all customers to source data requirements only through ISRO.

Low supply, hidden demand

Currently, ISRO has not forayed much into the civilian markets as most of the EO satellites launched have been mainly for fulfilling the requirements of the State. To serve the heavy demand from other users, ISRO imports satellite data and re-sells to the customers. Also, due to the restrictions and costlevels, only a few state governments are using advanced satellite services.

The National Geospatial Policy (NGP) indicates that the total worth of the geospatial market in India is projected to grow to nearly Rs 1 lakh crores by the year 2029-30. It indicates a high hidden demand in downstream applications.

The draft Space-based Remote Sensing Policy (Space RS Policy-2020) seeks to legalise remote sensing by private entities by stating that the Government of India shall promote Indian Industries to carry out space-based remote sensing activities within and outside India. This will give a fillip to Indian corporates looking to enter this field, help grow the upstream sector, and aid in the development of a space ecosystem in the private sector.

The Final Approved Guidelines on Geospatial Data, released by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) in February this year, has scrapped the restrictions by stating that there shall be no requirement for prior approval, security clearance, licence or any other restrictions on the collection, generation, preparation, dissemination, storage, publication,updating and/or digitisation of geospatial data and maps within the territory of India. It allowed accessing data directly from the suppliers for all downstream players.

This landmark measure will spur growth in downstream applications both in the governmental and commercial domains. Though foreign providers are prevalent in the Indian market, the pricing for high-resolution data and applications gives scope for improvement for the Indian market. An end-to-end solution emanating from India is best suited to capitalise on this market opportunity. It will also help India reach out to developing countries that are looking for an affordable solution.

A way forward

ISRO has an important role to play in enabling Indian industry to take up this business successfully with technology and handholding. Another way forward is to look for technology partners while investing in the infrastructure for building satellite technology in India, as many leading global players see India as a potential future market.

The time may be ripe for Indian industry to embark on a space odyssey and play a meaningful role in the governments drive to build a space ecosystem and make space a significant contributor to the Indian economy. The early birds will find a smooth ascent to emerge as one of the top satellite service providers in India as well as for global markets.
Latinx Arts Community Leader and Children's Program Coordinator Olivia Martinez poses with a group of children Saturday at Anderson Ranch Arts Center during an afternoon of mural painting to showcase the power of community in the Roaring Fork Valley, as described by the Anderson Ranch website.
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1 This 1988 BMW K 75 C Wears Pichler Fairings With Pride, Rolls on Michelin Rubber

1954 DeSoto Firedome Coupe Flexes Old-School HEMI V8 Muscle

The HEMI engine and Chrysler go back to the XIV-2220 inverted V16 from the 1940s As far as production cars are concerned, the first road-going HEMI came in the form of the FirePower in the early 1950s. 31 photos



Currently located in Maryland, this blast from the past was originally purchased from Wagner Auto Sales in Pennsylvania for use by the Lincoln Hotel. It later spent a few years in West Virginia prior to the selling dealers acquisition. Performance Auto Gallery highlights an older repaint in whats believed to be the original color, corrosion on the undercarriage, a blemished bumper, whitewall tires, and the original two-speed auto tranny.



PowerFlite is how Chrysler used to call its torque-converter box, which used fewer parts than competing transmissions from the Ford Motor Company and General Motors. Although the TorqueFlite was introduced in 1956 with three forward ratios, the two-speeder was offered through 1961.



Based on the literature that came with the vehicle almost seven decades ago, the 276 cu.in. V8 is rocking 170 horsepower at 4,400 revolutions per minute and 255 pound-feet (346 Nm) of torque at 2,000 revolutions per minute. Those figures pale in comparison to the Dodge Hellcat Redeye of today, but do bear in mind that the 1954 Chevrolet Corvette didnt even feature a V8.



Trimmed in black and white cloth upholstery, the Firedome V8 Club Coupe still has the original radio, analog clock, and tilt-adjustable steering column. Amenities further include a lockable glovebox, air ventilation, and a beautifully vintage speedometer that tops 120 miles per hour (193 kph).



With seven days of bidding left on this fellow, no bids have been received at the moment of writing. Performance Auto Gallery lists their car with call for price, but fear not because Hagertys valuation tool comes to the rescue. A concours vehicle is currently going for $43,800 on average, an excellent-condition vehicle is approximately $32,300, and a good vehicle like chassis 55155611 is valuated in the ballpark of $21,900 depending on originality.



DeSoto called their hemispherical V8 the Firedome, which brings us to the car offered by Performance Auto Gallery on Bring a Trailer . Chassis 55155611 is one of 5,762 Club Coupe models produced for 1954, and the odo reads 16,148 miles (25,988 kilometers) that are believed to be genuine.Currently located in Maryland, this blast from the past was originally purchased from Wagner Auto Sales in Pennsylvania for use by the Lincoln Hotel. It later spent a few years in West Virginia prior to the selling dealers acquisition. Performance Auto Gallery highlights an older repaint in whats believed to be the original color, corrosion on the undercarriage, a blemished bumper, whitewall tires, and the original two-speed auto tranny.PowerFlite is how Chrysler used to call its torque-converter box, which used fewer parts than competing transmissions from the Ford Motor Company and General Motors. Although the TorqueFlite was introduced in 1956 with three forward ratios, the two-speeder was offered through 1961.Based on the literature that came with the vehicle almost seven decades ago, the 276 cu.in. V8 is rocking 170 horsepower at 4,400 revolutions per minute and 255 pound-feet (346 Nm) of torque at 2,000 revolutions per minute. Those figures pale in comparison to the Dodge Hellcat Redeye of today, but do bear in mind that the 1954 Chevrolet Corvette didnt even feature a V8.Trimmed in black and white cloth upholstery, the Firedome V8 Club Coupe still has the original radio, analog clock, and tilt-adjustable steering column. Amenities further include a lockable glovebox, air ventilation, and a beautifully vintage speedometer that tops 120 miles per hour (193 kph).With seven days of bidding left on this fellow, no bids have been received at the moment of writing. Performance Auto Gallery lists their car with call for price, but fear not because Hagertys valuation tool comes to the rescue. A concours vehicle is currently going for $43,800 on average, an excellent-condition vehicle is approximately $32,300, and a good vehicle like chassis 55155611 is valuated in the ballpark of $21,900 depending on originality.

Editor's note: This article was not sponsored or supported by a third-party. This article was not sponsored or supported by a third-party.
Nowadays, there are howitzers where ever one looks, being deployed and used in most of todays conflicts. They come in many shapes and sizes, and research is being conducted round the clock by defense companies that strive to come with better versions.British company BAE Systems is one of these companies, and the Archer wheeled howitzer is one of their most recent offerings in this segment.The weapon is already deployed by the Swedish Army, and it operates successfully in cold weather environments. The U.S. Army is eyeing adding it to the arsenal as well, but given how the American military usually operates in much hotter environments, some kind of testing was needed to see how the weapon behaves.During the summer, the Archer was put through its paces at the Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona, when it had to fire rounds at temperatures that reached 120 degrees Fahrenheit (50 degrees Celsius). And it did, spitting out roughly 450 rounds over an undisclosed period of time, including six to 12 round bursts, and up to as many as eight rounds per minute.The rapid rate of fire is not something unheard of when it comes to this system. Its specs point to it being capable of firing rounds within 30 seconds of receiving an order and can depart the firing position in about the same amount of time, giving the enemy very few options of locating it.The 155 mm Archer can fire a variety of shells, from anti-armor munition (range 35 km/22 miles), conventional munitions (40 km/25 miles), and even precision-guided munitions (50 km/31 miles).One magazine holds 21 rounds, which can all be fired within three minutes. Theres no need for soldiers to exit the cabin of the carrier truck, as the gun can be commanded remotely, down to the loading system.BAE Systems announced this week the success of this summers tests in the hands of the U.S. Army, but did not say whether the Americans have made up their minds about it yet.
NEDC

EV

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The main characteristic about the Dolphin that we still did not know is that it offers V2L (vehicle-to-load), something Elliot Richards uses to heat his hot pot lunch. We also had no idea that would provide a six-year or 150,000-kilometer (93,206-mile) warranty on the car. The BYD Dolphins prices in China start at RMB93,800 ($14,545 at the current exchange rate). The most expensive one costs RMB121,800 ($18,887) and offers anrange of 405 km (252 mi).What Richards did not mention in his video is that the Dolphin is the first really affordable car to offer an 800V system with an LFP (lithium iron phosphate) battery pack, two elements that make it a remarkable. The video presenter says that it is little, but it is slightly larger than a Honda Fit/Jazz, at 4.07 meters (160.2 inches) long, even if its platform allows it to offer a much longer wheelbase: 2.70 m (106.3 in). LFP batteries are now leading production numbers in China. Although they present a lower energy density than ternary cells, they are considered much more robust and safer, with fewer risks of thermal runaway episodes. They can also be charged to 100% of their capacity regularly, something that manufacturers do not recommend that you do if your car has NMC or NCA batteries.With these cells working at 800V, the Dolphin can charge very quickly. BYD states that it can recover 150 km (93 mi) of range in only five minutes with adequate fast chargers. If you could find them in multiple locations along the way in a road trip, you could buy the more affordable Dolphin with no concerns about the 301 km (187 mi) of NEDC range that the 30.72-battery pack offers. Theoretically, you would only need to make two five-minute stops to travel 600 km (373 mi) if you left with a full charge.With the LFP battery pack, you could even do that with a reasonable frequency with no concerns for how long it would last. BYD said the Blade Battery could stand 1.2 million km (745,645.4 mi).Another point that the video should have addressed better is the name of the architecture the Dolphin introduced. BYD calls it e-platform 3.0 , not Ocean, as Richards said. One of the future cars BYD plans to present with the new platform is so far known only as ocean-X . Although it was just a concept, we do not doubt it may retain the same name in production form.According to the video presenter, BYD did not confirm if it will call the Dolphin like that when it begins to sell it abroad. When it reaches Europe, it may be called only EA1, its development codename. We think that Dolphin could be a good name unless it means something else in the languages of the EVs target markets. Thats why the Fit is called Jazz in Europe and why the Hyundai Kona changed its name to Kauai in Portugal.
It appears that forces largely outside of its control could see everything grind to a halt. The latest report by globalnews.ca details how auto production in Canada has sunk to lows not seen since 1982. Canada supports manufacturing centers for companies like Ford , GM, Honda/Acura, and Toyota , among others. But what Canadian manufacturing gains in production quality, they lose in the number of facilities.When a profound shortage such as the one impacting the semiconductor market hits Canadian soil, the lack of numerous facilities means production numbers fall even faster and more abruptly than in more substantial national infrastructures like the US, Germany, Japan, or China. Canada's on pace to fall short of the national average for automobiles of 2.2 million vehicles by one million units.The global chip shortage comes at a time when many Canadian facilities are re-tooling for the upcoming infrastructure change to support a growing electric and hybrid fleet on national roads. With the onslaught of chaos from natural changes in the industry and global resource shortages that couldnt have been foreseen, Canadas national vehicle production could sink to lows it hasnt seen since the Second World War.Even the most liberal estimates dont foresee the chip shortage letting up at all until at least late 2022 and likely even later. Canadian autoworkers, just like their international counterparts, will have to spend the meantime not knowing whether theyll be called into work or not each week.The global auto manufacturing sector, much like the economy, is much like a long, elaborate line of dominoes with trillions of dollars in GDP playing as the pieces. When one falls, others are more than likely to fall as well. Recent events in the auto sector have been a classic case in point.
Look at the image we have here. It shows a CV-22 Osprey moving over a desert floor, with a majestic city in the background, engulfed in a mild haze. It could very well be a scene from Call of Duty, or Battlefield, or whatever other war video game with decent graphics comes to mind.Only its not. This pic (click main photo to enlarge) is as real as they get. That is a solid Osprey, flying over the suburbs of this planets Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates. Back in mid-September, when the tiltrotor was captured in this amazing still by a U.S. Air Force Master Sergeant, it was conducting an undisclosed chase mission around the city.This flying machine is one of the most spectacular to presently be deployed in the skies of the world. Its design, with two nacelles holding Rolls-Royce Liberty engines, allow it to operate both as an airplane and as a helicopter.Introduced back in the late 1980s, the tiltrotor is capable of traveling at speeds of 322 mph (518 kph), and at altitudes of up to 25,000 feet (7,620 meters). The massive machine can lift off weighing up to 60,500 pounds (27,400 kg), and can carry 32 floor-loaded personnel, or 10,000 pounds (4,500 kg) of cargo.Back in September, Bell Boeing delivered the first Osprey boasting improved nacelles, as part of a $81 million contract awarded by the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), one that will see the capabilities of most such flying contraptions being improved by the middle of this decade.
AMG

When it does, the garage will be empty because Bolian is unloading his 15-car collection online. The announcement came a couple of days ago, with the mention that everything must go  which later proved inaccurate since some items have since been withdrawn from the sale.Bolian isnt just a popular YouTuber: hes a passionate collector with a taste for the most eccentric , whether that means salvaged or celebrity cars, rare items, and restoration projects. He never made a secret of how he considers the lost McLaren F1 , chassis #39, which used to belong to infamous drug lord El Chapo and has been lost for the past two decades , the most desirable car ever, and that hed be willing to sell off everything to get his hands on it.Bolians hunt for El Chapos McLaren is widely documented. He called it the treasure hunt of a lifetime, both because of the challenges in tracking it down and what it would entail to take it out of Mexico and possibly into the U.S., where hed risk having it seized by authorities. Still, its the only McLaren F1 Bolian could ever afford, and he once said hed even consider sending it to Europe and driving it there only, just so he could call it his own.And this brings us to his lot sale. It includes the infamous Paris Hilton-owned 2006 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren , a 2009 Ferrari 430 Scuderia, a rebuilt 2006 Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder, a 2007 Ferrari 599 HGTE, a 2002 Mercedes S55, a 2008 Porsche Cayenne S, and a 1999 Porsche Carrera X51 Aero, all of which sold right away, well over asking price. His Cannonball Run record-setting 2004 Mercedes-Benz CL55 AMG is still up for grabs if you have some $200K lying around.Bolian ended up keeping a 201X Lamborghini that he calls the unrevealed cheapest functional Lambo in the world, a 2007 Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 Coupe, and the perfect wife car, 2014 Mercedes-Benz GL63, which his wife has decided on keeping.In January this year, Bolian recounted an attempt to scam him out of $2.5 million with the promise of getting El Chapos McLaren F1 . This was when he admitted to considering selling his fleet to raise the money. With that on the record, his followers and fellow car enthusiasts believe this is the something really crazy he wants to buy: hes finally tracked down the F1, has been in contact with whoever has it, and is raising money for it. When and if that happens, you can count on a most entertaining story.
Based on proprietary, cutting-edge technologies, with a state-of-the-art Ultra-Wideband (UWB) sensor, the Xaver LR80 system can accurately detect live objects behind standard wall materials. The latest addition to Camaro-Techs product range, this unique system seems to be the first in the world to be able to detect live objects from an incredible distance of almost 330 feet (100 meters).Controlled by a 10 touchpad with an intuitive user interface for easy operation, this portable imaging system provides real-time critical data to intelligence operators from a safe distance. Its for the first time that military operators are able to see through walls from such a long distance, according to Amir Beeri, the Israel-based companys CEO. The system can even detect unseen micro-movements of live objects, such as breathing, enabling an unprecedented level of situational awareness Not only ultra-sensitive but also lightweight, the Xaver LR80 shows remarkable versatility: it can operate from inside a moving vehicle, from a rooftop, or on the combat field, camouflaged under a cover-up. It can basically operate in any type of urban or rural environment. Its only limit? Metal. Theres no radio signal that can penetrate metal, and the Xaver LR80 is no exception.The Israeli company has also developed a similar system, called Xaver LR40, able to detect live objects behind walls from around 164 feet (50 meters) away. Both imaging systems are part of the companys Xaver range, which is currently deployed by military forces around the world, not just for intelligence operations but also for search and rescue missions.Camaro-Tech will be showcasing the XaverLR80 system at the prestigious Milipol military expo in Paris. The event is taking place between October 19 and 22, 2021.
There are a number of established garages on the Old Continent handling V-Rods, most of them located in Germany, but some in places like Russia or Poland as well. The one were here to talk about today is a tad smaller than the likes of Thunderbike or Box39, and its based in Estonia.Going by the simple name of Fredy, the guy behind the garage, Fredy Jaates, seems to be a real talent when it comes to custom work, and aside from bikes he also works his magic on the likes of the Dodge Charger and the Buick Apollo. Well kick off our coverage of his work though with something called V-Rod SS, one of the cleanest and sharpest builds of its kind weve seen in a long time.The thing is a custom shop supermarket on wheels. The rims are Ricks Motorcycles Seven Sins, sized 18 inches, and beautifully styled with chrome all around. The rear one is supported by a single-sided swingarm from the same garage, motogadget supplied the instrumentation, and Brembo signed the hand controls.The same chrome that can be spotted on the wheels can be seen shining beautifully on the coolant hose cover, thermostat housing, bits of the engine, and of course the exhaust system, a CFR hardware.Fredy himself contributed, aside from the vision of the build, a long list of parts, ranging from the front fork lowering kit to the seat. In between, we get custom fenders, fuel tank, and various covers.The V-Rod SS is no longer listed for sale on Fredys website , meaning someone must have snatched it recently. We are not being told for how much it could have gone, but for reference, another V-Rod, this time almost fully chromed, is priced at 27,000 euros, or about $31,000.
The ION M640x has evolved from the companys ION M440 short-range reconnaissance drone, one of the five UAS platforms approved by the U.S. Department of Defense under the Blue sUAS program, meaning it is approved for sale to the military and federal agencies.FLIRs M640x boasts high-resolution infrared imaging, smart object tracking, and laser illumination, to name just a few of its features.Weighing approximately 4 lb (1.8 kg), the tactical quadcopter is easily rucksack portable. It measures 11.1 x 5.7 x 4.9 (28.2 x 14.5 x 12.4 cm). Thanks to its infrared sensors, the UAS is suitable for both daytime and nighttime missions. The ION M640x can stay in the air for up to 35 minutes and reach a top speed of 23 mph (37 kph).Teledyne FLIR equipped the ION M640x with an upgraded FLIR 640 thermal imager that doubles the infrared resolution, maximizing clarity and sensor detection. In addition, with its smart object tracking capabilities, the quadcopter can follow and maintain a safe distance from the designated object.The NIR (near-infrared) laser illumination feature is another selling point of the M640x, allowing the operator to pinpoint the object of interest for increased visibility, communicating to other mission participants who and what to look at, without the target knowing it.Other notable features of the UAS are its tri-band radio capabilities and includes an SD card so that you can easily get access to the videos and photos taken during the flight.All in all, the ION M640x is the result of Teledynes engineering expertise and focus on defense and public safety, being a reliable, next-gen tactical quadcopter built for military missions as well as other types of applications. There is no information related to the pricing of the UAS, but you can request more info on the Teledyne FLIR website
SUV

Sure, we have seen all sorts of classics go for the pristine vintage looks and hide the high-performance modern amenities. After all, the companys Hellcat is a powerplant with an extremely wide range of uses. And the Dodge Challenger/Charger/Durango SRT Hellcat, Ram 1500 TRX , or the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk are just some of the cool examples.But virtual automotive designers have a way of disregarding real life whenever it suits their CGI purposes. So, as if an old Jeep with a Hellcat powertrain is something that just got invented, this pixel master charged head-on with a digital SJ Cherokee conversion to a Trackhawk way of life... or two.Disregarding the all-new Grand Cherokee/ Grand Cherokee L siblings, Jim  the pixel master behind the jlord8 account on social media  has decided to rework the full-size Wagoneer-based SJ Cherokee. But, just to make sure everyone gets along with the upgrade program, he also prepared not one, but a couple of Trackhawk-based versions So, while the slammed body remains crimson, the beauty is of course hidden in the details. As such, one can have the CGI (SJ) Cherokee with a chromed or a blacked-out grille, vintage slotted Mags or contemporary dark alloys, as well as different tops and pinstriping. Naturally, the latter two match the overall looks, so theyre either white or black Now, considering the new Trackhawk DNA, its not hard to guess what hides under the reworked hood. That would be the 6.2-liter supercharged V8 engine, complete with its stable of 707 ponies. We have no idea about the virtual performance of this SJ Cherokee Trackhawk restomod, but the modern Jeep gets to 60 mph (96 kph) in 3.6 seconds and then up to 180 mph (290 kph).
Just as we like to celebrate our birthday, military aircraft and warships celebrate milestones in their career within the U.S. Air Force, Navy, or National Guard. One of them, the UH-72 Lakota helicopter, just celebrated a huge milestone, announced at the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) trade show, in Washington, D.C. The Airbus UH-72 Lakota fleet has reached one million flight hours with U.S. Army, Navy, and National Guard units.Its been 15 years since the first Lakota UH-72A entered service within the U.S. Army , when it was selected as the new light utility helicopter. No less than 463 units of the first Lakota model were delivered since then and served as entry rotary-wing training helicopters. Only a month ago, the National Guard added the new UH-72B version to its fleet, after an order placed in 2020.By the end of this month, the new Lakota will be operational for military units within the Army and the National Guard of 45 states. It also serves as a key asset for the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School, the test range mission at the Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific, and for U.S. Army combat training operations at several military bases.Versatile and reliable, the Lakota helicopter can be deployed for a variety of operations, from search and rescue, disaster response, homeland security, and drug interdiction, to command and control, and VIP transport. Lakota helicopters have proven to be essential for responding to wildfires, hurricanes, and other natural disasters, including the recent ones in Haiti.The new UH-72B is based on a commercial model and boasts more powerful engines, advanced controls, plus the Airbus Helionix avionics suite. With one million flight hours reached so far, the Lakota helicopters have proven their incredible performance , reliability, and versatility, and are ready to mark the next million flight hours.
On September 1st, NASA's Perseverance rover got to drilling. Using a percussive drill at the end of its 7-foot-long (2-meter-long) robotic arm and a hollow coring bit, it successfully took a sample from an alien world that could be returned to Earth by future spacecraft. The coring was sealed in a titanium sample tube, and now it's waiting to be joined by other samples.Along with the European Space Agency, NASA is currently developing a campaign to bring Martian samples back to Earth. The mission is designed to retrieve several cores collected by Perseverance over the following several years.The campaign, which will include various spacecraft, multiple launches, and dozens of government agencies, is currently in the concept design and technological development phase."The collection of these well-documented samples will eventually allow us to analyze them in the best laboratories here on Earth once they are returned," said Meenakshi Wadhwa, principal scientist for the Mars Sample Return program.It's much easier to bring the sample back to Earth than it is to carry the necessary equipment to Mars . Here, scientists can use various cutting-edge laboratory technologies that are way too large and complex to be carried by spacecraft. In addition, they can do investigations in the lab much faster while providing far more information on whether the rock samples show signs of ancient microbial life.However, to get the sample on Earth requires several steps. The campaign would involve autonomously launching a rocket carrying extraterrestrial cargo from Mars' surface. Engineers would need to verify that the rocket's trajectory coincides with that of a spacecraft orbiting Mars in order to transfer the sample capsule to the orbiter.Then, the orbiter would return the sample capsule to Earth, where scientists would be waiting to safely contain it before transporting it to a secure biohazard facility, which is now under development.One of NASA's key challenges is figuring out how to seal and sanitize the sample container without destroying crucial chemical signals inside the rock cores. Whatever method the team develops will not only decide the fate of the Martian samples, but it will also be essential to future sample-return missions.
SUV

Hyundai is already thriving and selling loads of 2022 Santa Cruz trucks in North America. The Latin region is also absolutely delighted by models such as the Fiat Toro (Ram 1000 in certain markets) or Renaults Duster Oroch. And more companies are joining the party, with Chevrolet eager to give customers the all-new (Nova) Montana, for example.Naturally, the compact pickup truck movements havent escaped the watchful eyes of the automotive worlds virtual artists. And they have been hard at work proposing all sorts of potential newcomers. Naturally, as Ford has the Maverick to compete against Santa Cruz and General Motors will soon fight the Toro and Duster Oroch with the Nova Montana , theres just one large Detroit automaker left.So, pixel masters are joining forces to try and lure Stellantis into the battle. After recently seeing a potential Ram 1200 unibody for Latin America, its time for Theo, the virtual artist better known as theottle on social media, to suggest something for the United States as well.Naturally, the customers might relate better to something they already know and love, so the CGI expert cooked up a revival of the XJ Cherokee compact-based Jeep Comanche pickup truck (produced for model years 1986-1992). And hes not taking the lazy approach of simply grafting the Compass styling onto the Fiat Toro body.Instead, the pixel master proposes a fresh take for the compact unibody pickup truck based on the manly 2022 Grand Cherokee . With a little help from the 2022 Maverick as well, as shown in the behind-the-scenes making-of video embedded below.But we really dont mind the stolen CGI credentials because the result is extremely alluring. Besides, the reinvented Comanche also kept the Grand Cherokee 4xe plug-in hybrids charging port... so that makes us dream of a little electrified Jeep truck that would be even more sustainable than a 2022 Maverick hybrid!
With The Expendables 4 starting shooting recently in London, the cast is now constantly teasing us with photos and videos from the set, like the latest ones shared by Stallone on his Instagram.The actor behind the fast and sharpshooter Barney Ross posted a video of himself firing up a bike on the set, dark sunglasses, cigar in his mouth, and all. While the Expendables star discloses no details, you can still get a taste of whats to come on the big screens.In addition to the video with him on the motorcycle, the Hollywood star also shared a few photos from the set. One shows Stallone alongside his long-time friend and colleague Jason Statham, with both of them equipped in those all-too-familiar black combat outfits with berets and holding the movie scripts in their hands. Both actors appeared in all the installments of the franchise.In the other photo, Stallone sits next to the other co-star of the Expendables, a smiling, long-haired Dolph Lundgren.As far as the upcoming sequel's plot goes, it is yet to be revealed, and the cast is not entirely disclosed either. However, we know that Randy Couture will return as Toll Road, and there are some new, exciting names in the cast as well. 50 Cent is one of them as well as Megan Fox.The Expendables 4 is scheduled to be released in 2022 by Lionsgate, after a seemingly endless waiting period of eight years. The franchise debuted in 2010 as a tribute to 80s and 90s action movies.
YADEA is pleased to announce two new products, in partnership with Huan Huan, that leverage @WeAreGogoro's leading battery swapping tech. YADEA is transforming into a solution provider that enables greater freedom & enjoyment to ride. #yadea #HuanHuan #gogoro #electrifyyourlife pic.twitter.com/TwT9hhgDff  Yadea Global (@YadeaGlobal) October 11, 2021

With over 50 million customers around the world and a network of over 35,000 retailers, its safe to say that Yadea is one of the largest global manufacturers of electric two-wheel vehicles, ranging from motorcycles to bicycles and kick scooters. Add to that the fact that China is the largest two-wheeler market in the world and you can see why the company is coming up with new products and new technologies on a regular basis.Yadea recently announced the launch of two new e-scooters, as part of a new series developed together with Huan Huan. The two new vehicles, which will be introduced in Hangzhou, China, are meant to provide the best electric refueling experience, based on Gogoros innovative battery swapping technology.What the new technology promises is that users can recharge their scooters in just a few seconds, at Swap and Go stations, without having to scan a QR code or wait for charging. The system is not only fast, but also accessible and convenient, since 45 swapping stations are already available starting from the launch day, and 80 more stations will be added by the end of this year. This means that e-scooter riders will have access to swapping stations within a 1.2-mile (2 km) radius, 24/7.The innovative Gogoro batteries also feature a safety protection system and an intelligent BMS battery management system. The paraffin wax thermal insulation keeps them protected in any environment, and they also boast an IP67 dustproof and waterproof rating.With a remarkable range of up to 62 miles (100 km), the new Huan Huan e-scooters with Gogoro batteries can handle short-distance commuting for an entire week, without having to wait for recharges.Yadea hasnt revealed more details about the new models design, so most likely there wont be any big surprises in that area, with the products focused on the fast-charging batteries and extensive range.
Dealing with an abandoned vehicle is not always an easy task. Sometimes it is impossible to get it, even if it is on your recently purchased property, hidden in a barn somewhere, covered by dust in New Mexico , or rust in New York.The first thing that should come to mind when thinking about New Mexico is the wine. But don't drink too much of it because that might get you to dance with a sombrero on, which is illegal here, and most likely, you'll end up spending the night in jail. If you spend 30 days in there, you can say goodbye to your car, as someone else could claim it.In this state, depending on where the owner abandoned the vehicle, police or a tow service can remove it from public property. They won't do that if it's sitting on private property, such as a bar's parking lot or someone else's yard, unless they're called. Either way, the car might be titled and sold at an auction by law enforcement, garages, towing companies, or private individuals (in this case, only if they found it on their premises).If you own a piece of land in New Mexico and find a vehicle abandoned on your property, first call the police. They will come to see if it's stolen or involved in a crime. Then, if it's been abandoned for more than 30 days, you can claim it and sell it at an auction which you have to advertise twice in two consecutive weeks after the vehicle is declared abandoned. The advertisement might be in the local newspaper or by hand-outs. Either way, you have to prove that you tried to get in touch with the vehicle's owner, including by mailing him a letter with a return receipt.If the vehicle is not sold at the auction, the landowner cannot auction it again. Instead, they must get a title for it from the nearest Motor Vehicle Department. With that title in hand, they can do whatever they want. They just need to be sure to follow a few simple steps if they choose to restore it The Empire State hosts the famous New York, the city that never sleeps. But beyond its borders and suburbs, New York state has many other things to enchant its residents and visitors with. It stretches between the Niagara Falls and the Hudson River , which separates New York City from New Jersey state. And, while you're reading this starring at that roll of toilet paper, remember that it was invented in New York by Joseph Gayetty. Also, New York was the first state that required license plates for automobiles back in 1901, but vehicles' owners made them themselves. State-made ones appeared in 1903 in Massachusetts.And maybe that's why it is very important to know if an abandoned vehicle has plates or not. If it has been left unattended with plates for more than 24 hours on public property, it is considered abandoned. If it doesn't have any, then that time is reduced to only six hours. A vehicle with a value of $1,250 or less, with no license plates, parked on public property, automatically becomes the property of the municipality , who may title it, junk it, or sell it. The DMV will try to track the owner, but the claimed property is sold at a public auction if they can't be reached in ten days.If a private individual finds an abandoned car on their property, they should call the police. They can authorize a towing company to remove the vehicle. If the car is very old or damaged, the boys in blue may decline to take it and, if the vehicle is ten years or older and has a value of $1,250 or less, the NY DMV will provide a form for dismantling.For a garage owner or for a towing company, things are easier. If the vehicle is left for repairs and its owner fails to return, the repair shop may claim it as a lienholder. The garage has to notify the owner about their intention to sell the vehicle. They must send the notification to the vehicle owner by certified or first-class mail, and give the purchaser a copy after that receipt. With these in hand, the purchaser may title the vehicle in their name.As a last solution, one may get a bonded title for that vehicle, but remember that if a certified owner appears in three years, one may lose the car or have to pay for it, so it's better not be restore it by then.
A decade after the Arab League voted to suspend Syria at the onset of a brutal civil war, Bashar al-Assad is being welcomed back in from the cold by some of America's closest regional allies.

Driving the news: Jordan's King Abdullah II, the first Arab leader to call for Assad to resign in 2011, spoke to the Syrian dictator last week for the first time since the conflict broke out, and recently reopened the two countries' main border crossing to help boost trade.

Egypt's foreign minister met his Syrian counterpart at the UN General Assembly last month and vowed to help "restore Syria's position in the Arab world."

And the United Arab Emirates announced Sunday that it had agreed to deepen economic cooperation with Syria.

Flashback: All three countries supported Western-backed rebels against Assad in the civil war, which Assad has now largely won thanks to Russian and Iranian interventions.

The big picture: Hopes for regime change are long gone, the U.S. isn't focused on Syria, and regional actors feel they must step into the vacuum to protect their own interests, says Charles Lister, director of the Middle East Institute's Syria program.

Those include economic necessities, a desire to counter regional rivals like Iran and Turkey, and a practical embrace of Assad as "the devil they know."

But at the crux of it all, Lister contends, is that the region has "given up on the U.S. having a more forceful posture against the regime."

Zoom in: Congress passed a law in 2019 known as the Caesar Act, which requires the U.S. to sanction Syrian officials and entities responsible for atrocities, as well as actors that support the regime.

The Biden administration has only issued one set of sanctions under the Caesar Act, and the public nature of recent normalization steps  including the UAE's brazen claim that it is Syria's "most prominent global trade partner"  suggests that the law is not a concern.

"The fact that we're seeing this rhetoric coming out so publicly in the open would seem to suggest to me there does appear to be a kind of tacit acceptance by the Biden administration that it is okay for the region to re-engage," Lister says.

The Biden administration itself recently backed a deal that would route Egyptian gas to Lebanon  which has been experiencing crippling power outages  via Syria.

For the record: A State Department spokesman told Axios that the Caesar Act was an "important tool" but that sanctions had to be balanced with humanitarian concerns.

"The U.S. do not express any support for other countries to normalize or rehabilitate relations with the Assad regime," the spokesperson added.

What to watch: Saudi Arabia is one powerful regional actor that has continued to resist normalization with Syria thus far. "Eventually there will come a point at which the Saudis decide to go with the direction that the wind is blowing," a move that will likely put an end to any hopes of a UN-brokered political solution, Lister predicts.
China's energy crisis is a wild card in the fraught efforts to secure a meaningful deal at the UN climate summit in Glasgow.

Driving the news: Power shortages and the push for more coal supplies are in tension with calls for Chinese officials to accelerate their climate efforts.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, per state media, said officials must "take into account...the contradiction between the supply and demand of electricity and coal" as they assess their emissions timeline.

President Xi Jinping has previously vowed an emissions peak before 2030, but advocates are hoping for more aggressive moves ahead of the summit that have yet to emerge.

Why it matters: China is by far the world's largest carbon emitter.

What they're saying: "The energy crisis will make China's climate politics complicated," Li Shuo, a China analyst with Greenpeace, tells Axios via email.

"The timing here is unfortunate  the optics of releasing a bunch of climate policies while struggling with power supply is one that policy makers have to consider carefully," he added.

The Bloomberg piece is more blunt, noting that China's power crisis and its threat to economic growth is "prompting policy makers to rethink the pace of the nations energy transition."

Between the lines: Some of China's coal shortage is due to extreme weather, in the form of heavy rains and flooding in the coal-producing Shanxi region. Flooding has knocked dozens of mines out of commission.

Climate studies have tied upward trends in extreme precipitation events to human-caused climate change.

Data: BP; Chart: Kavya Beheraj/Axios

The chart above helps explain why limits on coal supplies are creating a crisis in China and why it matters for climate change talks.

The big picture: China accounts for roughly half of global coal demand to power its huge industrial base and provide electricity to its population.
Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen said Monday she will meet with the social media company's Oversight Board sometime in the coming weeks. The Oversight Board said in a statement it wants to "gather information that can help push for greater transparency and accountability."

Why it matters: Last week, Haugen urged lawmakers to regulate Facebook, saying it knows its algorithms can lead teens to pro-anorexia content and that it boosts extreme content more likely to elicit a reaction from users.

The big picture: Facebook established and funded the Oversight Board in 2020 to provide an independent review of its content moderation decisions.

Haugen tweeted confirming that she has accepted the invitation to brief the Oversight Board, adding "Facebook has lied to the board repeatedly, and I am looking forward to sharing the truth with them."

Of note: Haugen's busy schedule this month will include appearing before the U.K. parliament on Oct. 25 to give evidence to the joint committee considering the Online Safety Bill, legislation geared toward regulating social media companies.

"There needs to be greater transparency on the decisions companies like Facebook take when they trade off user safety for user engagement. We look forward to discussing these issues with Frances Haugen," Member of Parliament Damian Collins, chair of the committee, said in the press release.

Go Deeper: 4 takeaways from the Facebook whistleblower hearing
Citing information provided by Armenias Civil Aviation Committee, the Yerevan-based Union of Informed Citizens (UIC), said last month that Sarkisian used a government plane to travel to the German resort town of Baden-Baden on at least 16 occasions from 2008 through 2017.

In a written complaint submitted to state prosecutors, the non-governmental organization claimed that the flights were financed by taxpayers money illegally and without any justification. The Office of the Prosecutor-General ordered the Special Investigative Service (SIS) to look into the claims.

The SIS announced on Tuesday that it has opened a criminal case in connection with what it called a possible abuse of power. It said at least some of Sarkisians flights to Germany appear to have been carried out in breach of official rules and procedures for the use of the government jet.

A spokesperson for the law-enforcement body told RFE/RLs Armenian Service that investigators have not yet identified any suspects in the case.

A lawyer for Sarkisian, Amram Makinian, dismissed the inquiry as a publicity stunt organized by the current Armenian government. This is the most baseless criminal case Ive ever seen, he said.

Makinian insisted Sarkisian did not violate any laws or regulations. He said the ex-president had simply taken advantage of social security guarantees given to high-ranking government officials by Armenian law.

Sarkisian, who co-heads one of the opposition groups represented in Armenias current parliament, admitted earlier this year spending vacations in Baden-Baden. But he flatly denied allegations that he visited the world-famous German resort for gambling purposes.

Sarkisians political allies have repeatedly accused law-enforcement authorities of targeting him and his relatives on government orders.
An Armenian government statement said they discussed ongoing developments in and around the conflict zone, efforts to shore up stability in the region and the implementation of Russian-brokered agreements to establish transport links between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Russian-Armenian relations were also on the agenda, added the statement.

Neither the government nor the Kremlin announced any agreements reached by the two leaders.

We will talk in a formal and informal setting -- have lunch together, discuss current affairs, talk about prospects, Putin told Pashinian in his opening remarks at what was their fourth meeting in less than a year. He said they will talk about a short-term and long-term settlement in the region.

Unfortunately, we still cannot speak of a full stabilization of the situation in our region, Pashinian said for his part. He stressed that Russia continues to play the key role in international efforts to resolve the Karabakh conflict.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and his Armenian counterpart Arshak Karapetian also met in Moscow on Monday.

The Armenian Defense Ministry said they discussed Russian-Armenian military ties, the situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and a number of issues relating to regional security. It did not elaborate.

The Russian Defense Ministry issued no statements on Shoigus latest talks with Karapetian.

Putin also said on Tuesday that he wants to compare notes with Pashinian with regard to next months summit of ex-Soviet states, including Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia. The leaders of all three countries are expected to attend it.

Both Pashinian and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev expressed readiness earlier this month to meet with each other. Their most recent face-to-face meeting was hosted by Putin in Moscow in January.
AZoCleantech speaks with Stephanie Ribet and Prof. Vinayak Dravid from Northwestern University. Stephanie and Vinayak were part of a team that has developed a way to remove phosphate from aquatic systems and reuse it. The system hinges on a porous flexible membrane that can grab up to 99% of phosphate ions from polluted water. The team has named their system Phosphate Elimination and Recovery Lightweight (PEARL) membrane.
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S. Oregon Coast's Coos County Historical Society Celebrates 130 Years

Published 10/08/21 at 5:26 PM PDT

By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff





(Coos Bay, Oregon)  A major attraction and fount of information on the southern Oregon coast hits the 130-year mark this year, and it's going to whoop it up in a big way. Coos Bay's Coos County Historical Society will celebrate this milestone with its annual fundraiser and some educational programs. (Photo above courtesy Coos History Museum)

They will be taking a look at who they are  then and now.

To kick off this big 130, they are hosting two fun social media contests themed around historical Coos County black and white photos. Pop on to Coos History Museum's (CHM) Facebook and Instagram pages to join in and win prizes.

Then there's the History Trivia Tuesday Contest on its Facebook page.

Look for Tuesday's photo trivia posts beginning October 12th, and comment your answer correctly to be entered to win. There will be a new winner every week.

First, check out the three photos for each themed week.

Second, comment on the CHM posts with your answer for each photo and tag Coos History museum with the hashtag: #CoosHistory130.

Now you're entered in to win. Watch the CHM's stories to see who was the first to get all three answers correct.

Also look for the Throwback Thursday Photo Recreation Contest.

Every Thursday CHM will post three historical photos for you to re-create and submit. Here are the rules:

1. Your photos must be black and white

2. Post on your own page and tag Coos History museum with the hashtag: #CoosHistory130

3. That's it! You are in to win. Watch the museum's posts for voting opportunities and winner announcements.

A handful of live and online events follow.

View the online auction, register to bid, and make a donation  the auction goes live October 30th at 5 p.m. to November 5 at 7 p.m.

Join them for a week of events, both in-person and online to mark the occasion. Participate in the black and white themed cooking, art, and photography classes, and more. There are more details to come on these, but nothing is completely firmed up as yet, the CHM said.

Learn about and celebrate the Society's last 130 years with bookend programs on October 30th and November 5th, including the history of the last 130 years, volunteer awards ceremony and a CHM open house during the November 5th Coos Bay Wine Walk.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cooshistorymuseum

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cooshistorymuseum

Website: https://cooshistory.org/celebrate-coos-history-2021/

Online Auction: https://onlinefundraiser.events/CelebrateCoos2021



Coos History Museum. 1210 N Front St, Coos Bay, Oregon. 541-756-6320.

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Ruthie Tompson, who began her career at the Walt Disney Studios as a painter in the Ink and Paint Department during the first golden age of Disney animation, died peacefully in her sleep at her home at the Motion Picture and Television Fund in Woodland Hills, Calif. on Sunday. She was 111.

Tompson worked at The Walt Disney Company for nearly 40 years, retiring in 1975 after completing work on The Rescuers (1977). Additionally, she was one of the first three women invited to join the International Photographers Union, Local 659 of the IATSE, in 1952. In 2000, as the employee with the longest history with Walt and Roy O. Disney, Tompson was named a Disney Legend, the prestigious honor awarded to individuals in recognition of their extraordinary contributions to The Walt Disney Company.

Born in Portland, Maine, on July 22, 1910, Tompson was raised in Boston, Mass. Her family moved to California in 1918, arriving first in Oakland on Nov. 11, Armistice Day, which marked the end of World War I. Tompsons association with Disney began before she was a studio employee, having grown up in Hollywood, a short distance away from the Disney Bros. Cartoon Studio. At age 18, she took a job at Dubrocks Riding Academy in the San Fernando Valley, where Walt and Roy frequently played polo. Walt offered Tompson a job as a painter in the Ink and Paint Department, where she helped put finishing touches on the studios first full-length animated feature, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937). Tompson was soon promoted to final checker and scene planning as she was skilled in reviewing animation cels and guiding camera movement and also worked on Disney features Pinocchio (1940), Fantasia (1940), Dumbo (1941), Sleeping Beauty (1959), Mary Poppins (1964), The Aristocats (1970) and Robin Hood (1973).

A lifelong fan of two things  Disney and the Los Angeles Dodgers  Tompson last year shared some words with D23 to mark her 110th birthday. Have fun, she said. Try to do as much as you can for yourself. Remember all the good things in life.

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When flood waters come, as they frequently have been in Southeast Texas over the past decade, it often leaves homeowners to decide whether to move up or move out.

Fortunately, funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Texas General Land Office are finally becoming more readily available for at least one community in northern Jefferson County, allowing homeowners to rise above the flood waters.

Currently, five homes in Bevil Oaks are in the middle of elevation projects to rise almost five feet from ground level, serving as a pilot for the more than 20 homes already targeted for the next round of projects.

One of those homes is owned by Doug and Barbara Emmons, who have now had to face flooding twice in the 10 years theyve owned their home in Bevil Oaks.

Related: Cities, homeowners seek safety in elevated houses

But, after five months of work to gradually lift their two story home, Doug Emmons said hes feeling confident the days of stripped dry-wall and water damage are likely behind them.

We got 7 and a half feet in Harvey and 26 inches in (Tropical Depression) Imelda, but I dont think Ill have any issues at this point, he said.

That sense of relief is a far cry from what most people in Bevil Oaks were feeling after either Harvey or Imelda, when most were preoccupied with how to replace their lives and their homes.

But, once long-awaited grants and aid funds have finally been dispersed --sometimes years after storms have occurred-- homeowners can often be left in the same position without programs to help mitigate the next disaster.

Related: PA citizen group taking drainage problems into own hands

Without approval from the GLO for the elevation projects in Bevil Oaks and an experienced contractor, Emmons said most homeowners would have been left with the option to move or try to completely rebuild with a higher foundation.

On Thursday, over $15 million in flood mitigation grants were awarded for projects in Jefferson County by the Texas Water Development Board, including more than $1 million for home elevations.

Bevil Oaks selected the Arkitektura Development firm to lead its projects, which has been performing engineering work for elevations since at least 2002, but has recently been taking on large projects in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.

Phillip Contreras, founder and president of Arkitektura, said home elevations werent something that homeowners along the Gulf Coast were particularly clamoring for, until Hurricane Ike drove home the potential for catastrophic damage in Texas.

Our first grant project actually came through in 2009 for FEMA and after that, it really took off, Contreras said.

Related: Bevil Oaks flood history sign gets new benchmark

The same is true for Harvey, as funds are still being calculated and dispersed for the damage caused from that storm.

Contreras said Arkitektura has been able to prevent costly rebuilds and future flooding for its clients that have gone through the process, using a series of hydraulic jacks and tunneling techniques under foundations to lift almost any residential structure.

The volume of projects and advancements in the process have also helped gradually bring down costs, but most homeowners still have to rely on government aid programs or loans from the Small Business Administration to make an elevation a reality.

Contreras said the round of 20 homes in Bevil Oaks will likely be between $1 and $2 million by the time theyre all completed.

While any elevation may help prevent some damage, Contreras said the real key to make sure a project is worthwhile has been ensuring it will be effective for the lifetime of the home.

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Through sea-level rise and shifts in the intensity of the Atlantic hurricane season, he said the kind of damage his company has been addressing has only seemed to grow more intense and frequent over the years.

FEMA has guidelines that dictate elevation projects be built at least a foot higher than the high-water mark recorded for an area, and cities sometimes also have building requirements for new structures, but the engineers at Arkitektura often recommend adding a foot or two beyond the minimum requirement.

Contreras said he sometimes clients question the added elevation, but several of the completed projects like one in Meyerland have already prevented damage from seasonal flooding that brought waters within a foot of a homes front door.

Its important to remember that FEMA recommendations and flood maps are routinely adjusted, Contreras said. Ive never seen the map go down, it always goes up.

jacob.dick@beaumontenterprise.com

twitter.com/jd_journalism
The Nederland City Council gave its final approval Monday to allow the economic development corporation to purchase the former Bank of America Building, adding it to its list of potential city improvement projects.

The EDC is betting that the 55-year-old building 1308 Boston Ave. could be the next major space it can improve and leverage in its plan to create an active town square on Nederlands historic thoroughfare.

That bet is now worth at least $520,000, the amount of money the EDC asked the council to approve for the purchase of the building.

They are free to move forward with closing (on the purchase), City Manager Chris Duque said after the meeting. This fits their overall goal of the town square project.

The EDC still has plenty of time to form its final plans for future projects or renovations there, as the current tenant at 1308 Boston Ave. still has a two-year lease.

Until then, the EDC will maintain the building and the grounds as the landlords.

But, sometime in the near future, leadership with the EDC believe the former bank building will be a premier space helping to generate activity in a rejuvenated town center.

Were not going backwards. Were moving forward, Kay Decuir, executive director of the Nederland Economic Development Corp., said after the council gave its approval. Whatever it takes to grow this community and all facets of diversity, job creation, bringing in different types of business  that is our future, and we want to leave anything that we touch better than we found it.

As part of its plan to reinvigorate the downtown area, attract and grow primary industry jobs, support a positive business climate, and promote local business, the EDC has already purchased many buildings including a former hotel, Duque said.

Those spaces are then renovated and intended for lease to small business owners who can share space and cut overhead costs while growing their companies. Later, the EDC can sell the properties back to those who leased the building and use the money to repeat the process elsewhere in town.

Thats one possibility for the former Bank of America building.

Other possibilities include making the building into a bed and breakfast or an event center, but nothing has been decided yet.

Getting approved for this vision was something Decuir said she was cautiously hopeful for.

With five councilmembers to convince, she knew that her proposal could always be rejected. But when it was approved, she stood to thank the council and impress on them how special the Bank of America Building is for the city.

The EDC is comprised of 7 board members, an executive director and one other employee.

We are very small, but we do a whole lot for a small operation, Decuir said. We never stop.

rachel.kersey@beaumontenterprise.com

twitter.com/ontheREKord
It may not be widely known, but Jordan is a country with biblical history. One of the most famous biblical kingdoms, Gilead, was in Jordan, as well as the kingdom of Moab. The Bible rarely mentions Jordan directly, but there are a few biblical events that happened in Jordan. Perhaps the most significant was the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River. The Israelites had to cross through Jordan to get to the Promised Land, though they ran into some trouble with the kingdom of Edom. Moses could only see the Promised Land from the top of Mount Nebo, where he died. Jordan is significant in the Bible, yet rarely discussed. The only time Jordan is ever discussed is when it comes to the Jordan River. Even today, thousands of people flock to the Jordan River to be baptized. With it being the site of so much biblical history, there are numerous biblical sites to visit in Jordan. By visiting the following sites, youre able to travel through time and walk in the footsteps of Jesus. Visit these sites and indulge into the life of Jesus and other biblical characters. You may be surprised and learn something new.

The Dead Sea The Dead Sea is also known as the Salt Sea, for its high salinity The Dead Sea is a substantial body of water that sits near the southern end of Jordan. It is given multiple names like the Salt Sea, for its high amount of salinity, the Sea of Arabah, and the Eastern Sea. Archaeologists believe that the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah happened near the Dead Sea. During the fall of Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham asked that he and Lot be spared because they were righteous. God told them to leave, but dont look back. Lots wife didnt heed Gods word, so it is believed that she was turned into a pillar of salt, like those that sit near the Dead Sea. When David ran from King Saul, he took refuge in a town near the Dead Sea called En Gedi. Ezkiel also prophesized that the Dead Sea would turn into a river of life flowing from the throne of God; Ezekiel chapter 47, verses 8-12 described a river that was filled with fish and fishermen would flock to this river; there would be fruit trees on both sides of the bank and their leaves would serve for healing purposes. In modern times, the Dead Sea is believed to be shrinking due to water evaporating faster than the inflow from the Jordan River and other bodies of water can replace.

Sea of Galilee Many of the events of Jesus' earthly life happened near the Sea of Galilee A lot of the events of Jesus earthly life happened in Galilee and in places near the Sea of Galilee. The prophet Isaiah also prophesized that the Messiah would come from Galilee. Jesus, coming from Nazareth, ultimately fulfilled that prophecy. Perhaps the most famous story of the Sea of Galilee is when Jesus walked on water. Jesus asked Peter to get out of the boat and come towards him. Skeptically, Peter did so but when he took his eyes from Jesus, he started to go under. Once he kept his eyes on Jesus, he was able to successfully walk towards him. Jesus also taught by the shore and even preached a sermon on a boat. Matthew chapter 13, verse 2 describes crowds gathering around Jesus so he got on a boat and sat down. People then gathered on the shore just to hear his word. Sick people would come to the sea of Galilee in order to be healed and to visit the medicinal springs in Tiberias. Matthew 9:2-8 describes a paralyzed man being brought to Jesus on a bed; Jesus told the man his sins were forgiven and that he could rise and walk. Some gathered around said this was blasphemous, but the paralyzed man got up and walked home. When the crowds saw this, they were scared and gloried God.

Petra Petra was the land where the Edomites lived The city of Petra is never mentioned in the Bible as Petra. Rather its referred to as Sela, which means rock in Hebrew. The city is described as carved into sandstone cliffs and sits about 50 miles west of the Dead Sea. In biblical times, it was the land of the Edomites, descendants of Esau. It was Edom who refused to let the Israelites pass through their land on their way to Canaan. This event is documented in Numbers 20: 18-21; Edom wouldnt let the Israelites pass through and threatened them with a sword. The Israelites then asked again if they could just pass through on foot, and Edom still refused, coming against them with a substantial army. After this incident, Israel turned away from Edom. King Saul and David both fought the Edomites. During King Jehoshaphats reign, Edom invaded Judah and was deterred. It wasnt until King Amaziah defeated Edom and took control of Petra and renamed it Joktheel. Today, Petra sits empty and in ruin, as prophesized in Jeremiah 49:18. This verse says that since Sodom and Gomorrah were overthrown, along with their neighboring towns, no one will live there, and no people will dwell in it.

Tomb of Aaron The tomb where Aaron, Moses' brother, is believed to be buried is located in Jordan Aaron is Moses older brother. When God told Moses to go to Egypt and free his people, Moses questioned him, saying that he was not the best person for the job and that someone else should be sent in his place. Then God brought his brother Aaron, saying that Aaron was on his way to meet him, and that Aaron would be his spokesperson. At the same time, God also spoke to Aaron and told him to meet Moses in the wilderness. Moses shared Gods instructions and Aaron went along with it. Fast forward to when Moses went into the mountain and Aaron was put in charge; things didnt go too well. When the people got tired of waiting for Moses to come back down, they asked Aaron to make them a god. Without hesitation, Aaron asked for their gold jewelry, formed it in the shape of a calf, and made an idol. When Moses heard what was going on, he got mad and came down from the mountain and scolded Aaron. Fast forward to when Aaron and his sons were appointed by God to be priests for the people and Aaron was the first high priest. God told Moses that the priesthood would belong to Aaron and his descendants by lasting ordinance. Although they entered the priesthood, God killed two of Aarons sons when they offered unauthorized fire to the Lord against his command. Instead of questioning or fighting God, Aaron simply accepted his sons fate.

Lot's Cave The cave where Lot and his family lived after escaping Sodom Lot is first mentioned in Genesis, when he and his brother Abraham were partitioning off land for themselves. Lot chose the Jordan Valley because he saw the potential of what could be. He saw the lush land and even attempted to take advantage of it. During the fall of Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot and Abraham asked God if he would spare them since they were righteous. God agreed on the condition that they run and not look back. Unfortunately for Lots wife, she looked back and was turned into a pilar of salt. Even in modern times, the pillars of salt in Jordan are still visible. Genesis 19:30-38 describes how Lot and his family lived in a cave after escaping Sodom. One night when Lot got drunk, his daughters seduced him and both conceived and had children. His oldest daughter named her son Moab, which is where the Moabites came from and his youngest daughter named her son Ben-ammi, where the Ammonites came from.

Mount Nebo Shutterstock.com Mount Nebo is described as a high mountain in Moab that sits east of the Jordan River. During the final phase of their trek to the Promised Land, the Israelites camped out in Moab near Mount Nebo. It is also the place where Moses was able to see the Promised Land before he died. Deuteronomy 32:48-52 describes God telling Moses to climb to the top of Mount Nebo and look at Canaan, the land that the Israelities would have. God also told Moses that he would die on that mountain and that he would only see the Promised Land from a distance, unable to enter the Promised Land that God was giving the people of Israel. Moses prayer to see the Promised Land was answered, just not the way that he imagined it would be. Mount Nebo is also believed to be the scene where the archangel Michael and Satan fought over Moses body.

Jordan is a beautiful country with lots of biblical history. These six sites are just the tipping point of what the country has to offer. From the Dead Sea to Lots Cave, Jordan was the site of many biblical miracles. The Jordan River was an important place in the Bible; it is most known for being the site of Jesus baptism. As you explore these sites, imagine what it must have been like to experience these places in the biblical days. Walk in the path of Jesus and his disciples. It will be an experience that you wont soon forget. Read more about Jordan on Beliefnet: Bringing the Bible to Life in Jordan What Does the Bible Say About Jordan? Can I Be Baptized Where Jesus Christ Was Baptized in Jordan?

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Lauren McKeithen is a University of Maryland University College graduate who has always had a passion for writing. Accepting the Lord into her life at a young age, she strives everyday to walk along the path that He has provided for her.
Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen (center) listens to a relative of slain Rohingya leader Muhib Ullah during a visit to the crime scene at the Kutupalong refugee camp in Ukhia, Coxs Bazar, Oct. 9, 2021.

Bangladesh police have arrested nearly 40 refugees, including many suspected of involvement with illegal weapons and drugs, since they launched a crackdown against criminality at Rohingya camps after community leader Muhib Ullah was slain last month, an official said Tuesday.

Among the dozens of Rohingya refugees taken into custody as part of the crackdown, five are suspected of being linked directly to the Sept. 29 killing of Ullah, a prominent Rohingya activist, at his office in the Kutupalong refugee camp in Coxs Bazar district, according to the authorities. During a statement before a judge on Saturday, one of suspects confessed to being involved in the killing, police told BenarNews.

Police so far arrested 38 Rohingya from different refugee camps since the murder of Muhib Ullah, Rafiqul Islam, an additional police superintendent in Coxs Bazar, told BenarNews on Tuesday. Law enforcers are continuing the drives to reduce any offenses or illegal activities in refugee camps.

Of those taken into custody, five were arrested over their suspected roles in Ullahs killing, he said, adding that weapons and Yaba (methamphetamine) were recovered from the other 33 people who were taken into custody on suspicion of involvement in different criminal activities.

Md Elias, 35, one of the five accused in the Muhib Ullahs murder case, has made a confessional statement before a Coxs Bazar court admitting his involvement in the incident, Islam said, adding that the suspect appeared in court after being arrested on Oct. 3.

Armed Police Battalion 14 commander Naimul Haque, whose officers arrested Elias at the Kutupalong camp, said a special hotline number was launched in the Rohingya camps on Sunday and that the identities of those who call would be kept confidential.

Camp dwellers were asked to inform the law enforcers about criminals or criminal activities through the hotline, he said.

About 1 million Rohingya live in refugee camps in and around Coxs Bazar, a southeastern district that borders Myanmars Rakhine state. As many as 740,000 Rohingya fled across the border after the Burmese military launched a brutal offensive in August 2017, in response to deadly raids mounted on government outposts in Rakhine by Rohingya rebels.

Efforts between Bangladesh and Myanmar to repatriate the Rohingya to their homes in the Rakhine state have failed since soon after the 2017 mass exodus to Bangladesh began.

Meanwhile, the leader of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), the rebel group blamed for the 2017 attacks on police posts in Rakhine, issued a video message on Monday that went viral.

ARSA is in favor of a safe and dignified full repatriation which Muhib Ullah also wanted. There was no difference between the work of ARSA and Muhib Ullah, Ataullah abu Ammar Jununi, the groups commander-in-chief, said in the video message.

Myanmar agents or any other international NGO, those who are against the repatriation, have killed Muhib Ullah and now are trying to get an advantage by accusing ARSA. The killing made the Myanmar military government very happy, Ataullah said.

Police in Bangladesh said they were investigating the source of the ARSA video.

We are collecting all the video and audio messages that spread among the Rohingya in various ways since Muhib Ullahs murder, said Islam, the additional police superintendent in Coxs Bazar.

Habib Ullah, who filed a complaint with Ukhia police accusing unnamed people of killing his brother, had previously told BenarNews that ARSA members were responsible.

Foreign ministry visit

On Saturday, a four-member Bangladeshi foreign ministry delegation led by Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen visited the office at the Kutupalong camp where Muhib Ullah, the chairman of the Arakan Rohingya Society for Peace and Human Rights, was gunned down by a group of armed intruders.Muhib Ullahs group maintained a database of information related to alleged atrocities carried out by the Burmese military against Rohingya during the 2017 offensive in Rakhine.

The delegation at the beginning asked me is ARSA was my brothers killer? I replied yes. And, I asked them to ensure our security, Habib Ullah told BenarNews.

Momen did not share details about his conversations, but said the ministry remained committed to helping the refugees return to their home villages across the border.

The killing of Rohingya leader Muhib Ullah will not have any impact on repatriation of Rohingya people to their homeland Myanmar, Momen told reporters. Five persons have been arrested over the Muhib Ullah killing and the government is taking into account the incident with due importance.

Also on Saturday, Bangladeshs government signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) for humanitarian relief efforts on Bhashan Char, a remote Bay of Bengal island where 19,000 Rohingya have been relocated. The government plans to house 100,000 on the island.

The MoU covers key areas of protection, education, skills-training, livelihoods and health, which will help support the refugees to lead decent lives on the island and better prepare them for a sustainable return to Myanmar in the future, UNHCR said in a news release.

Some Rohingya in the refugee camps welcomed the pact.

We are very happy for the MoU. Many Rohingya already showed interest in going to Bhashan Char, Mohammad Amin, a Rohingya leader in Coxs Bazar, told BenarNews.
Rappler CEO Maria Ressa waves to supporters as she leaves the Manila Regional Trial Court after being found guilty of cyber libel, June 15, 2020.

A spokesman for the Philippine president congratulated journalist Maria Ressa on Monday for winning the Nobel Peace Prize, but warned she has been convicted of cyber libel and faces additional criminal prosecution over her reporting on the governments war on drugs.

Announcing the award last week, the Nobel committee lauded Ressa for her efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, calling it a precondition of democracy and lasting peace. She shares the award with Russian journalist Dmitry Andreyevich Muratov.

Well, its a victory for a Filipina and were very happy, presidential spokesman Harry Roque said in response to a reporters question during a virtual news briefing.

Maria Ressa still has to clear her name before our courts as in fact shes a convicted felon for libel, cyber libel in the Philippines and she faces other cases in the Philippines, Roque said, adding Thats for the courts to decide.

Ressa, 58, is CEO of Rappler, a digital media news agency noted for its dogged coverage of President Rodrigo Dutertes war on drugs. Duterte has attacked Rappler as a source of fake news.

In a span of five years, Philippine courts have issued 10 arrest warrants against Ressa.

Roques statement was the first from Dutertes administration since Ressa received a call on Friday from a Nobel committee member. She is the Philippines first Nobel winner in any category.

US congratulations

While her own government was slow to react, global response poured in following the announcement.

U.S. President Joe Biden issued a statement on Friday congratulating Ressa and Muratov.

Like so many journalists around the world, Ressa and Muratov have pursued the facts  tirelessly and fearlessly. They have worked to check the abuse of power, expose corruption and demand transparency, Biden said.

Ressa, Muratov and journalists like them all around the world are on the front lines of a global battle for the very idea of the truth, and I, along with people everywhere, am grateful for their groundbreaking work to hold the line, as Ressa so often says, he said.

U.S.-based independent watchdog Freedom House offered similar praise.

Independent, fact-based journalism that holds the powerful to account is one of the great bulwarks of democracy. Maria and her colleagues at Rappler have courageously stood up to the Duterte regimes efforts to undermine the Philippines long tradition of press freedom, it said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Roque said the peace prize, which is to be awarded on Dec. 10, was not a slap against the government.

It was made by private individuals in Norway. We respect their decision but as I said, criminal liability of Maria Ressa remains pending in our courts and we leave it to our courts on that fate, he told reporters.

In June 2020, Ressa and a former colleague were convicted of cyber libel and could face up to six years in prison. They are free on bail pending appeal and she has seen two other cyber libel cases against her dismissed.

Ressas conviction was part of Dutertes effort to muzzle journalists reporting on the drug war, human rights and press freedom advocates have said. The International Criminal Court in The Hague is investigating his administrations crackdown on narcotics that it said left as many as 30,000 dead while the administration listed the toll at around 8,000.

Press freedom

Roque also quoted National Artist F. Sionil Jose on press freedom.

So this comes from a national artist: I have criticized Duterte but not on press freedom. The Philippine press is alive and well not because of Maria Ressa. No writer is in jail. There is no censorship. Duterte hasnt closed a single newspaper or radio station, Roque said.

Sure, journalists have been killed in the Duterte regime but just as it were in the past administrations; but those killings cannot be laid at Dutertes door. Usually, they are made by minor politicians or officials attacked by journalists, Roque said quoting Jose.

Meanwhile, the board of directors of Philippine PEN (Poets, Playwrights, Essayists, Novelists) issued a statement on Facebook declaring that Jose, the organizations founder, is entitled to his own opinion.

Whether one agrees or not with the decision of the Nobel to award its peace prize to certain personalities, one cannot deny that press freedom and human rights have been under attack in the Philippines under the government of Rodrigo Duterte, the statement said.

All of this constitutes a threat to freedom of expression that is anathema to the Charter of the International PEN: PEN stands for the principle of unhampered transmission of thought within each nation and between all nations, and members pledge themselves to oppose any form of suppression of freedom of expression in the country and community to which they belong, as well as throughout the world wherever this is possible.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, in a late-night speech, threatened to have Filipinos forcibly inoculated against COVID-19 in their sleep if they were reluctant to receive vaccinations, but the presidential palace later brushed off the comments as a joke.

In remarks made during a televised cabinet meeting on Monday evening, Duterte expressed frustration over the spread of COVID-19, which has infected more than 2.6 million Filipinos since the pandemic began.

I know a lot of people do not want to be vaccinated, Duterte said. That is the problem, those who refuse vaccination.

The president called for village officials to scour neighborhoods for people refusing to be vaccinated.

Lets enter their homes while they are sleeping and inoculate them, he said. I will lead the journey.

Duterte insisted that everyone who is eligible for vaccines be inoculated. He said it was their civic duty to protect others and also allow us to turn the page to get everyone back on track to normalcy.

Duterte appeared to be serious in his comments. But he was asked on Tuesday about Dutertes comments, presidential spokesman Harry Roque described them as a joke only.

This was not the first time the president, whose six-year term ends in 2022, has made controversial statements or threats.

In June, he caused a stir when he threatened Filipinos who refused to be inoculated to leave the country.

At the time, Roque, a former human rights lawyer, said Duterte could compel compulsory vaccinations if supported by legislation.

50 million doses

The Philippines has delivered at least 50 million shots of COVID-19 vaccine, according to statistics. In Metropolitan Manila, the nations coronavirus epicenter, about 77 percent of 7.5 million people have been fully vaccinated.

Still, disease experts at U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University listed the Philippines as the seventh nation hardest hit by the virus based on more than 426,000 COVID-19 infections  an average of more than 15,000 cases per day  over the previous 28 days.

The nation tops Malaysia, ninth, and Thailand, 10th, on the list while Indonesia, which for months had topped Southeast Asian nations in terms of infections, is listed as 30th with more than 58,464 infections over the last four weeks.

Citing health statistics, Duterte emphasized that the countrys weekly average of COVID-19 cases had dropped in recent weeks. The government recorded 8,615 infections on Tuesday, driving the seven-day average to about 10,000.

The challenge is now to further speed up our vaccination rollout, especially in the provinces, in the key cities and municipalities to achieve our target of at least 50 percent of the countrys target population by the end of the year, Duterte said during his address.

He noted that some children between the ages of 12 and 17 would receive vaccinations during a test program in selected capital-region hospitals.

If we continue to ramp up the vaccination of our people, along with our consistent practice of wearing a mask, washing hands and avoidance, and the gradual resumption of economic activities, then we can hope for a better and truly merry Christmas, Duterte said.
Former combatants of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) voluntarily turn over 920 high-powered firearms to a decommissioning body in Sultan Kudarat town, Maguindanao province, southern Philippines, July 9, 2019.

A government program to decommission the weapons of thousands of former separatist rebels in the southern Philippines has been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, President Rodrigo Dutertes chief peace adviser said on Wednesday.

Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Carlito Galvez Jr. spoke about the setback while defending his request to the Senate finance committee for a 4.5 billion peso (U.S. $90 million) budget next year.

He said next years proposed budget includes funds that would go the National Amnesty Commission, which is processing application from the former fighters of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which had wanted an independent Muslim state in the southern island of Mindanao before striking a peace deal with the government in 2014.

While our country faces immense challenges in the form of the COVID-19 pandemic, the precious lives of millions of Filipinos in conflict-affected areas should not be compromised by budgetary constraints, Galvez told the Senate committee.

Beyond all of the signed peace agreements, documents and formalities, we recommend that we should not forget the human cost that any delays will inflict on vulnerable communities.

During the deliberations, Galvez, said that only 12,000 former MILF fighters weapons had been decommissioned, or handed over to the authorities. The former separatist groups leaders have said they have some 40,000 fighters with weapons, but analysts believe that the group is larger.

Galvez said 14,000 MILF combatants were supposed to be decommissioned this year, and the same number next year.

So we are delayed [by] 28,000 already, Galvez said.

The handover of weapons is part of the peace deal between the government and MILF, which led to the establishment of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) in the southern Philippines.

Under the deal, each combatant who hands over weapons is expected to receive a cash payment, including money for education.

Galvez said he was hopeful that all fighters weapons would be fully decommissioned in three years.

If  the COVID-19 situation will improve, we will finish the normalization program in 2024, Galvez told the Senate committee.

Dutertes peace chief Galvez said that his proposed budget for next year would also partly fund the deployment of additional joint peace and security teams to prevent hostilities, and a program to control the proliferation of light weapons and small arms inside the autonomous region.

Murad Ebrahim, head of MILF as well as of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority, had told BenarNews last December that he was certain the remaining weapons of former rebels will be decommissioned in the next two years.

Murad heads the transitional local government in five provinces and a handful of districts that make up the autonomous region.

He had said the decommissioning process had been slow because of the pandemic, and because the former guerrillas were reluctant to give up their weapons amid ongoing threats and attacks from Islamic State group-linked militants, and disgruntled factions that broke away from MILF, Murad said.

The violence has gone down, but there are many groups here that have splintered. Here in mainland Mindanao, we have the BIFF, Murad told BenarNews, referring to the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, a small group that is known for audacious attacks on law enforcement.

MILF had signed a Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) with the government in 2014 after 17 years of conflict and negotiations in Mindanao.

The agreement ended MILFs rebellion  which began in the 1970s  to create a separate Muslim homeland in the southern Philippines. The group settled for expanded autonomy and its members agreed to turn in their weapons.
Bennington, VT (05201)

Today

Cloudy and damp with rain early...then becoming partly cloudy. Low 33F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch..

Tonight

Cloudy and damp with rain early...then becoming partly cloudy. Low 33F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch.
For Evaguel Rhysing, president and CEO of United Aircraft Technologies, challenges are what make being an entrepreneur so special. "I don't like having a regular kind of monotonous day-to-day. I like different things ...," she says. "It started when I was little, making rockets. To my mother's dismay, I burned a good patch of my backyard, and my mother was not happy; then I did it to my grandmother's. I always liked building things, and then [that trait] trended into building businesses."
Business writer

Tony Dobrowolski's main focus is on business reporting. He came to The Eagle in 1992 after previously working for newspapers in Connecticut and Montreal. He can be reached at tdobrowolski@berkshireeagle.com or 413-496-6224.
PITTSFIELD  The citys Board of Health soon could decide whether the countys largest municipality should have a mandatory indoor mask policy.

The board said last week that it will discuss at its November meeting if Pittsfield should require masks indoors, given that the COVID-19 outbreak is much worse in Pittsfield than in communities such as Lee, Lenox and Stockbridge, which have had mask mandates since early September.

Pittsfields 14-day daily case average is 21 cases per 100,000 people, more than four times the rate in Lee, which has a 14-day daily case average of 4.9 cases per 100,000 people, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

City health officials agreed to consider the mandate after hearing from a Lee resident and his two young daughters who spoke before the board Wednesday.

Josh Bloom said his daughters, Lola, 7, and Goldie, 5, cant attend the dance studio they frequent in the city, because the studio owners dont require masks.

Up until COVID, I took break dancing lessons here, and I loved it and I want to go back, Lola said.

Me too, Goldie added.

Quote "You already have a mask mandate for schools; it's time to have one for all children's activities."  Josh Bloom

Pittsfield currently only advises people who are unvaccinated to wear masks inside businesses, but Bloom said a mandate is at least necessary to protect the children who cant get vaccinated.

You would be hard-pressed to find any indoor childrens activity in the rest of the Southern Berkshires that doesnt require masks, said Bloom, who added that he has a masters degree in public health.

You already have a mask mandate for schools; its time to have one for all childrens activities.

Bloom had hoped the board immediately would enact a mask mandate, but the public health panel felt that the matter required more research.

I think it requires a little more thought, but you bring up some very valid points and we will take a look at this, said board member Brad Gordon.

Bloom felt that waiting another month wasnt necessary.

I dont think this should be punted down to the next meeting, if you meet once a month, as that takes us toward winter, he said.

Pittsfield, which has a population of slightly less than 44,000, has had 129 new COVID-19 cases in the past two weeks. Three-fourths of eligible city residents have been vaccinated fully.

This story has been modified to correct the 14-day daily case average and the vaccination rate in Pittsfield.
A Lee resident is asking the Pittsfield Board of Health to issue a mask mandate, claiming that the COVID-19 rate is higher in the city than in his hometown of Lee, where a mask mandate has been in effect since early September.
Canna Provisions in Lee doesn't have to pay town $1 million community impact fee

But, the cannabis shop is still obligated to pay an annual municipal excise tax based on 3 percent of its gross sales
Danny Jin, a Report for America corps member, is The Eagles Statehouse news reporter. He can be reached at djin@berkshireeagle.com, @djinreports on Twitter and 413-496-6221.
Reporter

Greta Jochem, a Report for America Corps member, joined the Eagle in 2021. Previously, she was a reporter at the Daily Hampshire Gazette. She is also a member of the investigations team.
Monument Mountain Regional High School, in Great Barrington, is the recipient of a $300,000 grant that will help rethink how teachers teach and how students learn.
With Berkshire Countys four seats in the Massachusetts House cut to three, the district Paul Mark represents would see its population reshuffled among five existing districts, under a proposed map released Thursday.

The proposal, however, is unlikely to pit Berkshire County lawmakers in elections against each other. State Sen. Adam Hinds, D-Pittsfield, has registered to run for lieutenant governor, and Mark, D-Peru, likely would pursue Hinds seat if it opens, as would former state Sen. Andrea Nuciforo, D-Pittsfield.

That Senate seat  the Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden and Hampshire District  escaped major changes in the map that the Legislatures redistricting leaders released Thursday. But, the Senates largest geographic district would grow from 52 to 57 cities and towns, expanding eastward once more to make up for population decline.

In the House, Marks district would be split between state Reps. John Barrett III, D-North Adams; Tricia Farley-Bouvier, D-Pittsfield; William Smitty Pignatelli, D-Lenox; Natalie Blais, D-Sunderland; and Susannah Whipps, I-Athol.

The public has until Monday to weigh in on the Legislatures proposals, which still can change. Comments can be submitted until 5 p.m. Monday through malegislature.gov/Redistricting/Contact.

During the previous redistricting process a decade ago, Marks district remained the 2nd Berkshire District in name, although more than two-thirds of its population already lies in Franklin County.

Weve held onto something for 10 years longer than math really dictated, said Mark, who chaired the House Committee on Redistricting from 2017 to 2020.

Our delegation put a lot of effort into fighting to preserve as many seats as possible in our region, he said. But being up against math, we have to find growth in the next 10 years.

The eight Franklin County towns Mark represents would go to Blais 1st Franklin District, which would split the city of Greenfield with Whipps 2nd Franklin District.

Barretts 1st Berkshire District would add Hinsdale, Peru, Savoy and Windsor. Farley-Bouvier, whose 3rd Berkshire District would be rebranded as the 2nd Berkshire District, would add Ward 1B in Pittsfield. Pignatelli, whose 4th Berkshire District would become the 3rd Berkshire District, would pick up Dalton while shedding three Hampden County towns.

The Berkshire County maps match the proposal that Farley-Bouvier submitted to leaders of the Special Joint Committee on Redistricting, of which she and Hinds are members.

We just really wanted to have three strong Berkshire County districts, and the numbers worked out, quite frankly, just right, Farley-Bouvier said, noting that Northern Berkshire and Southern Berkshire County are fairly evenly split between Barretts and Pignatellis districts.

Farley-Bouviers map kept Greenfield in a single district, although she believes the committee sought to balance that priority with keeping the Quabbin Reservoir communities in a single district.

For the most part, the Western Massachusetts maps appear less contentious than those in the eastern part of the state.

Its larger, going to be more travel time, but Im happy with those communities, Barrett said of the four towns he is set to add.

Im very happy with that, personally, Pignatelli said. Although its kind of a funny shape with Dalton at the top there, if thats what it takes to make the numbers work, it appears [the committee has] listened to us.

Further east, observers have voiced some criticisms, although many have applauded the Legislature for increasing the number of majority-minority districts from 20 to 33 in the House and three to five in the Senate. The Drawing Democracy Coalition, for one, said the Senate proposal misses a vital opportunity to draw a strong coalition district in Boston and fails to unite Brockton with the similar communities of Randolph and Stoughton.

On the Senate side, lawmakers strongly opposed talks of splitting the Berkshires into two Senate districts, an idea Pignatelli called draconian. Hinds previously has said he has been fighting to keep the district Berkshire-centric.
Dave Chappelle has been accused of homophobia and transphobia thanks to his latest Netflix special, The Closer. But the streaming platform is standing by the legendary comedian, despite a viral video stating that the streaming service is pulling the special.

On Oct. 8, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos in a memo, "We don't allow titles [on] Netflix that are designed to incite hate or violence, and we don't believe The Closer crosses that line. I recognize, however, that distinguishing between commentary and harm is hard, especially with stand-up comedy which exists to push boundaries. Some people find the art of stand-up to be mean-spirited but our members enjoy it, and it's an important part of our content offering."

There are also reports that three transgender employees were suspended after crashing a Netflix leadership committee meeting. Netflix denies that the employees were disciplined for speaking out on Twitter and other media platforms about their views.

The 48-year-old comedy legend has been called out for repeatedly targeting the LGBTQ community with his material. The National Black Justice Coalition asked for the content to be pulled, which Netflix has refused. Several activists have said his comedy is harmful.

Activist and writer Raquel Willis, who is also a Black trans woman, tweeted about the special. Willis wrote about Chappelle, Its convenient for Black cishet male comedians to talk about LGBTQ+ folks as if our group is only or even predominantly white. With that frame, they dont have to contend with how Black cishet folks often enact (physical and psychological) violence on Black LGBTQ+ folks.
Kenosha Police Officer Rusten Sheskey, who shot and paralyzed Jacob Blake in August of 2020, will not face civil right charges.

The Department of Justice said in an Oct. 8 statement, "After a careful and thorough review, a team of experienced federal prosecutors determined that insufficient evidence exists to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the KPD officer willfully violated the federal criminal civil rights statutes.

Blakes father, Jacob Blake Sr., told ABC News, "I was expecting more from the administration than this. I was expecting much more than this. I believe that we're in a systematic racist system, and that this system was not set up for us. So I didn't expect the system to work for us, because it never works for us. It wasnt made for us."

He also added, Seven times in the back is excessive. I don't care if you're a dog. Seven times in the back, that's not excessive?"

On August 23, a viral video showed Blake walking towards his vehicle as officers had their guns drawn on him. As soon as he entered the car, one of the officers began shooting him multiple times in front of his three sons.

He had reportedly been attempting to break up a fight between two women when officers were called to the scene.

Rusten Sheskey was placed on administrative leave.The officer returned to duty in April of 2021.
Carmen Bolden Day had to wait a month to be able to see the body of her son, Jelani who was found dead in the Illinois River on Sept. 4. But the fact that she had to wait so long, according to an article series published in the Chicago Sun-Times, only worsens the questions about what happened to him after she went missing Aug. 24.

Although no suspects have been taken into custody, and no one has been questioned yet, foul play is suspected by the family. According to the Chicago Tribune, the 25-year-old was a graduate of Alabama A&M. He was in his second semester at Illinois State University for speech pathology.

Day disappeared under mysterious conditions, according to police, and when the LaSalle County, Ill., coroners office contacted his mother, they went through a back and forth about dental records, and she was left more confused about the offices procedures.

The Pantagraph, a Bloomington-Normal, Ill. newspaper reported a backlog of more than 3,700 DNA cases through the end of August and that the average turnaround time for results was 81 days. The Illinois State Police and the LaSalle County Coroners Office has not been able to explain why Jelani Days results were not made available, even though they were expedited.

RELATED: Jelani Days Body Found In Illinois River, Coroner Confirms

Bolden Day accuses the coroner of moving at a slow pace, saying he barked at her, Do you want us to identify your son or not? Her attorney Hallie M. Bezner said that she told the coroner he had no right to speak to her client that way.

The next day, Jelani Days body was positively identified, but the Illinois River had badly decomposed the body as it lay there, according to the Sun-Times. According to the coroner, there were no eyeballs, his jawbone had been sawed out and Day was missing his front top and bottom teeth, and the organs were completely liquefied due to the amount of time the body was in the river.

Bezner said its possible the familys private forensic pathologist will not be able to find a brain, organs, liver, or spleen. She said she is looking for plausible scientific explanations about what happened to him.

Bezner told The Chicago Sun Times, Im really trying to ask questions and not go down the path of a lot of conspiracy because I think its easy to go that way. Days mother did not view his body, but his grandmother and one of his brothers did. Bezner advised her not to see the remains.

He was in such bad shape, she said. Its just a heartbreaking story, for sure.

"Whatever it takes to find out what happened to him, that's what I want them to do," Bolden Day said in an appearance on ABC News. "I want them to use their tools and their resources so that we can find out what happened to Jelani, because he did not disappear into thin air."

Meanwhile, a Change.org petition is urging a federal investigation of Jelani Days death and more than 22,000 have signed. The FBI has told The Pantagraph that it is assisting in the investigation, but details are unclear.


Spearfish, SD (57783)

Today

Partly cloudy. Low near 35F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy. Low near 35F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.
Oil spills, in and of themselves, are bad news.

They're bad for the environment, as the petrochemicals foul waters, wildlife and human habitat.

They're bad for business, especially ones relying on a clean natural resources.

But bad spills can still prompt good responses. Swift action. Effective clean-ups. Transparency on behalf of the responsible party.

Unfortunately, this last pipeline rupture in California was not that.

The 140,000 gallon spill came from a 17-mile long, 40-year-old pipeline owned by Amplify Energy Corp. An anchor strike from the influx in COVID-19-related cargo shipping traffic in Huntington Beach likely caused the 13-inch long gash in the pipe, according to preliminary reports. Divers recently found a piece of the pipe bent and dragged 105 feet, according to USA Today.

But beyond the strike itself, news now tells us what we've come to expect -- revelations of botched responses.

Yes, the company had an automated leak detection system and a 24/7-staffed control room. Yes, an alarm should have been triggered and people notified.

Yes, the first report came by way of a bystanding ship that noticed the sheen. Yes, Amplify did get a low-pressure, "possible failure" alarm on the pipe. No, they did not shut it down until three hours later. No they did not inform the National Response Center for more than six hours. Yes, the Coast Guard was told about the spill from bystanding ships reporting the sheen, but no it did not investigate until nearly 12 hours later.

In Michigan, we have our own stories, including the 840,000 gallon spill (nearly seven times the amount spilled in California) into the Kalamazoo River system via Enbridge's 6B pipeline. Crude pumped for 17 hours before the response. Afterward, federal reports rapped Enbridge for knowing its 41-year old pipeline was in bad shape, and its own Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration for not doing its job.

Enbridge's Line 5 in Michigan was built in 1953. It too has seen anchor strikes and gaps in its required protective coating. What to do with it -- whether to shut it down outright or run it through a utility tunnel under the lakebed -- has effectively left it in stasis, operating and aging.

The Canadian government (Enbridge is Canada-owned and the majority of the 22 million gallons of crude oil and gas a day Line 5 transports is refined for use in Canada and abroad) recently invoked a 1977 treaty with the United States that will bring the issue to the national stage.

No pipeline can operate indefinitely, no matter what some may posit about 68-year-old pipelines "built to last."

Even with supposed fail-safes, errors happen. But it's the responses to these errors that eat away confidence in the ability to make good on a bad spill. Parties, now federal, state and private and nonprofit, need to quit stalling and resolve what to do with this aging infrastructure that puts 20 percent of the world's fresh water supply at risk -- before the spill.

That would be good news.

-- Traverse City Record-Eagle
A staffing crisis at Michigan hospitals has renewed efforts to protect nurses from unmanageable patient loads and too many hours of consecutive work.

The Safe Patient Care Act, first introduced in 2017, has picked up additional cosponsors from both parties in the House and Senate. It seeks to regulate how many patients a nurse can care for and the number of consecutive hours that they can work.

It would also publicize hospital nurse-to-patient ratios.

Nurses are forced to make painful choices every day, Jamie Brown, the president of the Michigan Nurses Association, said in a statement.

The hospital industry has been purposely getting by with inadequate (registered nurse) staffing levels for years, said Brown, who leads the states largest nurses union.

Nurses have long warned that our communities would suffer the kind of dangerous crisis that nurses and patients are facing now. The pandemic has only worsened and exposed hospitals emphasis on money above all else, Brown said.

The union says that those choices are a result of hospitals trying to protect their bottom line. But Brian Peters, the chief executive officer of the Michigan Hospital Association, argues that government mandates for every hospital would be ineffective and make it harder for hospitals to operate.

The one-size-fits-all approach inherent in legislatively mandated decisions impacting clinical care typically fails to recognize the complexity of patient care and the diversity of healthcare environments, Peters said in a statement.

Unlike truck drivers, air-traffic controllers, pilots and rail operators, nurses have no federal limit on how many consecutive hours they can be forced to work, according to the Michigan Nurses Association.

Nurses can be fired and have their licenses stripped for refusing forced overtime even if they dont feel fit to work because hospitals can claim that they are abandoning their patients.

Medical errors are the leading cause of preventable death, beating out smoking and obesity, according to the Journal of Patient Safety.

Nationally, the Nurses Association estimates that 440,000 people in the United States die every year due to infections and delayed or incorrect medications, problems that proper nursing care could prevent. Studies over the past two decades have linked patient mortality and staffing ratios, according to the union.

In Michigan, even before the pandemic, one in five nurses was aware of when understaffing led to a patients death, and half of registered nurses said they are assigned unsafe patient loads at least half the time they are working, according to the union.

Hospitals say that staffing is a collaborative process and fixed ratios dont allow for flexibility and innovation, said John Karasinski, the communications director for the Michigan Hospital Association.

Every hospital in Michigan has a process in place to ensure that each of their clinical units is appropriately staffed, Karasinski said. These processes are based on individual patient needs and the training, experience and capabilities of the entire clinical care team, including nurses.

However, half of Michigan nurses say hospitals rarely or never adjust their schedules, even when they report unsafe workloads, according to a survey paid for by the Nurses Association. The majority (80%) of Michigan nurses are not protected by a union and face harsh repercussions for speaking out against hospital practices. The Nurses Association reports that multiple nurses have been fired over the last two years for trying to raise the alarm over this issue, worsening staffing shortages that are already at crisis levels.

Staffing shortages are affecting hospitals across the state. The Michigan Hospital Association says 80% of nursing groups nationally have reported an increase in turnover due to the pandemic and that there are nearly 2 million openings for nurses across the country.

Hospitals want to hire more nurses, and they want to retain the nurses they currently employ, but the current national demand for nurses far exceeds the available supply, Karasinski said.

The Michigan Nurses Association said that the Safe Patient Care Act will bring nurses back to work. It points to data from the federal Department of Health and Human Services that indicates Michigan was on track to have a more than 5,000 nurse surplus by 2030 as proof that there are plenty of nurses, but that hospitals are causing them to leave their jobs.

Brown, who also works as a critical care nurse at Ascension Borgess Hospital in Kalamazoo, said nurses are staying away from hospitals for safety concerns.

Evidence shows there are enough qualified nurses to fill needed positions, Brown said. However, unless there is a serious commitment to safe staffing, fewer and fewer nurses will continue to choose to work in these dangerous settings.

The Safe Patient Care Act was introduced in March and is a continuation of previous failed efforts. But supporters say they hope the pandemic has refocused attention to safer hospital care.

The legislation dealing with limits on forced overtime has 45 sponsors in the 110-member House. Thats 34 more cosponsors than it did the last time it was introduced in 2017.

The package of legislation was sent to a committee in March and there are currently no meetings scheduled to take up the issue.

Brown said the problem cannot be put off any longer, and she hopes to see movement on the issue before the end of the term.

We are seeing this downward spiral happen in real time, Brown said. Michigan legislators need to address the problem. We dont need Band-Aids, we need substantive solutions.
BIG RAPIDS  A four-year-old case came to a close this week after a convicted sex offender received a lengthy prison sentence for sexually assaulting a minor.

Daniel J. Welch, 26, appeared in Mecosta County's 49th Circuit Court, via Zoom, from a cell at the Earnest C. Brooks Correctional Facility on Monday for sentencing.

Welch was initially charged with four counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, court records state. He later pleaded no contest to one count of first-degree CSC and the remaining charges were dismissed.

The charges stem from a Big Rapids Department of Public Safety investigation in late 2017. The victims parents contacted police and reported an inappropriate relationship between Welch and their child, according to a police report. The victim, at the time, was a girl under the age of 13.

At that time, there was not enough probable cause developed to arrest him. Welch later left the area.

In December 2020, Big Rapids police were contacted by the Tuscola County Sheriffs Office advising Welch was in custody there and charged with another similar, but unrelated, CSC case.

Welch had admitted to the CSC incident in Big Rapids in 2017, according to the report. After further investigation, he was arrested and charged.

At sentencing, Mecosta County Prosecutor Brian Thiede and defense attorney Dennis Duvall requested the judge follow the sentencing recommendations. The sentencing guidelines, at a minimum, were 171-285 months, Judge Kimberly L. Booher said.

He is very remorseful for his actions, Duvall said of his client. He is trying to take corrective measures while in prison.

Welch is currently a 25- to 40-year prison sentence for six counts of first-degree CSC connected to a case in Tuscola County, according to the Michigan Department of Corrections.

Welch declined to speak in court Monday during his given opportunity.

Booher sentenced Welch to a minimum of 25 years  maximum 40 years  in the states prison system. He was given credit for 115 days served. His sentences will run concurrently with his Tuscola County case.

Welchs earliest release date, according to the states DOC, is September 2045.
RxCell to establish a Joint Lab to work with IMCB, A*STAR, NUS and SERI in Singapore

RxCell, a US-based biotechnology company focused on therapeutic applications of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC), together with the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)s Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine at the National University of Singapore (NUS) and the Singapore Eye Research Institute (SERI), has announced a co-funded collaboration to develop cellular therapeutics for age-related diseases.

Through this collaboration, RxCell will contribute their clinical grade iPSC as well as hypoimmunogenic iPSC generated by their proprietary technologies  which confer the advantage of being able to evade the hosts immune system and avoid an unwanted immune response.

This will complement IMCBs expertise in retinal diseases and animal modelling, NUSs expertise in age-related cell therapy strategies and SERIs expertise in rabbits and non-human primates ocular disease models.

Our partnership with RxCell signals Singapore's move towards harnessing stem cell regenerative technologies to improve health outcomes. In the near future, we plan to conduct a first-in-man clinical trial in Singapore, said Dr. Su Xinyi, Senior Principal Investigator at IMCB, and Vitreo-Retinal Consultant at the National University Hospital.
Releases e-booklet developed by NACO to showcase the variety of awareness activities conducted under Phase-1

Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, has launched Phase II of awareness campaigns on HIV/AIDS & TB under Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.

She also virtually interacted with students from across the country and encouraged them to contribute to nation-building, as India commemorates 75th year of Independence.

Dr Pawar said, Following the launch of Phase I, I am happy to note that weeklong activities like painting, extempore debate and mask making about awareness generation of HIV/AIDS, TB and Blood Donation were organised in 25 schools and 25 colleges of each State.

Dr Pawar congratulated National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) for the successful launch of the Phase 1 of Awareness Campaigns on HIV, TB and Promotion of Blood Donation on 12th August, on the occasion of International Youth Day.

She also appreciated the NACOs work in reaching out to youth throughout the country during the COVID-19 pandemic. On the occasion, she also released an e-booklet developed by NACO to showcase the variety of awareness activities conducted under Phase-1. The booklet will work as a guide to connecting more students from across the country to participate in activities ahead.
In celebration of the uniquely American history of Bourbon, craft distilleries share their knowledge about their distilleries, as well as each one's inimitable Bourbon expressions.

B-Bird Distillery

Stephen Gould - Founder and master distiller of Golden Moon Distillery

Gunfighter Golden Moon

B-Bird Distillery

Start with 20ml lime juice

Combine with simple syrup and honey syrup into a goblet

Top with water and stir

Pour over a goblet with ice and sliced lime

Add 40ml Kentucky Statehood Bourbon and stir well

Garnish with a sprig of mint

44ml Bourbon

10ml Maple Syrup or simple syrup

4 Dashes Aromatic Bitters

Garnish  Orange Zest

Stir and strain into a rocks glass.

Flag Hill - Bourbon

To be considered Bourbon, the spirit must be distilled in the United States, consist of at least 51% corn, aged in charred, new oak barrels, and contain no colouring or flavouring additives. Bourbon may be produced in any state in America. To be designated straight Bourbon whiskey, it must be aged in new charred oak barrels for at least two years.Depending on the mash bill, distiller and ageing process, the flavour notes in various Bourbons will vary considerably. However, aficionados will often identify notes of cereal, vanilla, caramel and spice.The B-Bird Kentucky Statehood Bourbon is based on a recipe that is over 200 years old from one of the oldest bourbon distilling sites in Kentucky, comments Dinah Bird of B-Bird Distillery.Stephen Gould, founder and master distiller of Golden Moon Distillery says, Our bourbon is matured for at least six months in new heavy char American oak before finishing their maturation in French oak casks that previously held a California port-style wine. The whiskeys are bottled at 50% to provide an extra bit of heft to the whole affair.Dinah Bird describes the B-Bird Kentucky Statehood Bourbons flavour as a rye bourbon that has a touch of sweetness from the corn mash which is very smooth.The Gun Fighter American Double Cask Bourbon is described by Gould as having a unique smoothness and complexity coupled with a rye spiciness.Dinah Bird explains that the unique distillation process is all by hand with a 50 gallon still. It is a craft bourbon based on locally grown corn in the Northern Kentucky area, which creates a classic bourbon flavour profile.On the other hand, Golden Moon uses Moravian 2-Row barley. This particular strain of spring barley was brought into the United States by Coors Brewing in 1947. Coors is also located in Golden, Colorado, explains Gould. So, in a bit of Goliath helping David good will, small lots of this light, sweet malt will periodically make their way over to Golden Moon Distillery into its 1,600-bushel grain silo.Neat into a club glass with an ice cube, which really opens up the Bourbon says Dinah Bird, Executive Bourbon Stewart and Wine & Food Pairing Professional at B-Bird Distillery.Dinah Bird: The Bullfrog.How to make it:How to make it:A number of globally recognised American Whiskey brands are widely available in South Africa, including Jack Daniels, Wild Turkey, Jim Beam, Makers Mark, Bulleit Bourbon, Woodford Reserve and Knob Creek.The local market is growing as South Africans discover the variety, quality and versatility of Bourbons available. Building on the market initially created by globally recognised American Whiskey brands such as Jack Daniels, Wild Turkey, Jim Beam, and Bulleit Bourbon, growing numbers of small Bourbon producers, such as Whistling Andy, B-Bird, Flag Hill and Golden Moon distillerys Gunfighter Bourbon are also being well received in South Africa. Whistling Andy  a Straight Bourbon Whiskey comprising 60% corn, 17.5% barley, 17.5% wheat and 5% rye, this award-winning and complex Bourbon is aged for three to four years. B-Bird  B. Bird Distillerys young Bourbons recognise historic distillers who did not have time to age Bourbon. B. Birds Straight Bourbon Whiskey, aged for two years, is described as fruity, with notes of ripe berries, dates, sweet corn, vanilla and oak. Flag Hill  Flag Hill distillerys Straight Bourbon Whiskey is distilled and aged in New Hampshire, where ever-changing weather impacts the complexity of the spirit. It develops soft, warm notes of butterscotch and toffee, with layers of earthy flavours. Gunfighter  Golden Moon Distillerys Gun Fighter American Bourbon - Double Cask is aged for a minimum six months in new American oak casks, and then finished in used French oak casks that previously held California port-style wine. This gives the whiskey a unique smoothness and complexity.For recipes Follow @usdistilledspiritssa on Instagram and @USwhiskeyZA on Facebook.
Blackboard Community recently partnered with Nikon on its mission to democratising photography. I spoke with founder and creative director Nkanyezi Masango, also ECD at The King James Group and Creative Circle Exco member, to find out more.

What motivated you to start Blackboard back in 2017?

Tell us more about your current role and involvement in Blackboard.

How did you go about attracting a brand as big as Nikon?

When did Nikon come on board, and when does the sponsorship take effect?

What does the partnership entail? / What is Nikon offering? / How will Nikons sponsorship assist in democratising photography, so to speak?

Whats in it for both parties, and of course the students?

How many students has Blackboard introduced to the world of creativity, and photography specifically, to date?

Blackboard has won numerous awards, particularly for its creative assets. Please elaborate.

Comment on the growth or success of Blackboard over the past four years.

What change do you hope to see in the creative industry, and what impact do you hope to achieve through the organisation?

Diversity should come standard. It must be baked in so much that we can focus on other things  like our craft, innovation and building brands.

Any exciting plans in the pipeline?

Masango founded the NPO back in 2017 to expose township high school students to creative careers, especially in advertising and film production, but the objective is to democratise creativity, in every discipline and ultimately contributing to a more impactful, racially diverse creative industry.The industry is tough to access for most young South Africans without connections and the money to pay for exorbitant fees at private institutions, explained Masango. And the photography industry in particular is very exclusive. So, Nikons sponsorship will assist Blackboard in breaking these barriers to entry, promoting photography as a viable career to students who would otherwise never consider it or even know it exists.He explained that how it will work is that they will identify the talented, passionate ones and equip them with the tools they need to succeed, including workshops with leading photographers and Nikon gear to create content.Were excited to come together and break barriers. South Africa is rich in talent, all thats needed is to open the doors for everyone.Here, an exclusive interview with Masango on how theyre doing just that, how they attracted a global brand, and coincidentally it turns out that both of Blackboards award-winning print ads were developed during a photography workshop and shot on NikonAs a creative director in SA, Ive always wanted to work with creatives who represent the broad spectrum of this countrys population. After years of trying to find young black talent in Cape Town colleges, I realised that the barrier is actually at a high school level. Most township students are not pursuing creativity as a career because they dont know about it and the various disciplines available. So, I came up with the idea to raise awareness of our industry at township schools and refined it with Tseliso Rangaka and the late SJ Myeza-Mhlambi.My title is founder and creative director, but I have multiple roles at Blackboard. The main one is to maintain and build relationships with the students, schools and parents. Theyre the heart of the organisation. I always make sure that the students are at the forefront of everything we do.It didnt happen overnight. More than a year ago, I reached out to Christine Tonking, who runs the marketing for Nikon. We eventually met for a chat and discovered we share the same passion for uplifting young talent. She then had to sell us to her colleagues at Nikon locally and abroad. Ultimately, its Christines belief in us and our purpose that got us this sponsorship.Nikon got on board in September, so its kicked in right now.Weve been doing photography workshops for two years, but the only way students can really hone their craft of photography is to take photos. With Nikon onboard, the students will have Nikon gear to practice and refine their skills using excellent equipment. On top of that, they will learn from some of the best people in photography. That kind of access to gear and mentorship can easily cost R100,000 at a photography school. Were breaking that barrier.The students are the real winners in this deal and the industry at large.We have exposed over 70 students to the world of creativity so far  and about 30 specifically on photography. But from day one, we have intentionally kept our groups small. Blackboard is not open to everyone. We only select the most talented, passionate students. We believe its important to demonstrate that excellence is not given, its earned.As a mini agency made up of teenagers, Blackboard creates ads with the students so that they learn in real-time. So far, we have made two print ads featuring our students, which highlight the lack of transformation in advertising. Our very first ad won Adfocus Financial Mail Ad of the Year and the second ad received a finalist at One Show and the Loeries. Both of these were developed during a photography workshop and coincidentally were shot on Nikon.Its been unreal. We started with a handful of students in Gugulethu. Today we have 74 active students from Soweto, Diepsloot, Gugulethu and Nyanga. Its taken a lot of personal sacrifices to get to this point, but we couldnt have done it without the support of the industry.For instance, Creative Circle funded our expansion into Johannesburg. On top of that, individuals like Neo Mashigo, Pete Khoury, Frances Marais, Saf, Paul Ward and so many others, have donated their time to host workshops. The success of Blackboard is determined by the support of industry leaders like that.I would love to see the industry reach a point where transformation and diversity are no longer part of the conversation.I hope Blackboard can play a role in getting us there.Yes, were looking into expanding our offering in film production. Watch this space.
Andile Khambule, creative group head at Ogilvy Johannesburg

How do you feel about judging at this years Loeries?

Tell us more about yourself and why you believe you were selected  your judging experience and so on.

When you heard about being selected as a judge, how did you celebrate the news?

What does this mean to you, personally?

I have to be responsible and help push for work that pushes work that is uniquely us; work that cant be made anywhere in the world, but here.

Which category will you be judging?

What do you expect to experience as a judge?

What specific criteria will you be looking for when judging?

You have some major experience in the creative industry. Could you comment on the impact of Covid-19 on the industry?

Share a few of your favourite Loeries-related moments over the years  either from attending personally or agency winning work-related.

Any predictions of trends that are likely to stand out at Loeries 2021?

What do you believe SA creatives bring to the Loeries judging mix?

We are taking up our rightful place in the global creative community. The work that we put out there is starting to gradually represent who we are as society.

Lastly, what are you most looking forward to from Loeries 2021?

I am honoured and privileged to be rubbing shoulders with the greatest minds of the industry and being in the panel of judges of Africas greatest creative showcase.Im a creative group head at Ogilvy Johannesburg and have been in the industry for almost 17 years. Prior to judging this years Loeries I have judged a number of Ad of the Month and Loeries Awards 2020 in the Film category. I believe I was selected because of my local and international accolades from various award shows.I couldnt believe that I was selected for the second year in a row. The first thing I did was get on the phone and call my mother. Then I celebrated the news with my ECDs, creative directors and my work partner. My girlfriend then took me out for drinks.Personally, it means great responsibility.It means keeping the spirit of Mo and Zee alive. They always fought for work that was truly world-class but locally relevant.Radio and Radio Crafts categories.To learn and learn. After a tough two years, I expect work to hear work that will make me laugh and smile (we all need that more than ever). And not forget work that empowers.I'll be looking for innovative, fresh, relevant, world-class African and Middle Eastern work.Clients are now risk-averse and agencies are also scared to put out brave work so as not to rock the boat. Im missing the bravery and risk-taking from the pre-Covid world.My favourite moment for me at the Loeries is when we won nine Golds and a Grand Prix for #ShaveToRemember campaign. That was unforgettable!I think we will see work that is truly inspired and uniquely to our region that takes the big accolades than work that is Eurocentric being awarded like the previous years. Our voices are being heard. Also, the work that adds a smile or a chuckle into peoples lives will stand out more than ever  we all need that at the moment.I think our voices are getting louder... And louder.Im looking forward to work that is truly and uniquely regional to be awarded. Work that will get up-and-coming admen and women to be inspired to do represent our region.
Fu'aad Kasu, creative director at Duke Group

How do you feel about judging at this years Loeries?

Tell us more about yourself and why you believe you were selected  your judging experience and so on.

When you heard about being selected as a judge, how did you celebrate the news?

What does this mean to you, personally?

Its such a great achievement and quite an honor to be chosen for Africa and Middle Easts most prestigious creative awards ceremony.

Which category will you be judging?

What do you expect to experience as a judge?

What specific criteria will you be looking for when judging?

You have some major experience in the creative industry. Could you comment on the impact of Covid-19 on the industry?

Share a few of your favourite Loeries-related moments over the years  either from attending personally or agency winning work-related.

Any predictions of trends that are likely to stand out at Loeries 2021?

What do you believe SA creatives bring to the Loeries judging mix?

Lastly, what are you most looking forward to from Loeries 2021?

What does #FightTheGoodFight mean to you?

Like the Indian Simon Cowell! But, in all seriousness, super excited.Ive been in the industry for about 13 years now. Still no regrets. Im currently a creative director at Duke and loving it! It was my first time judging for the Loeries. It was also my favourite category, print! It was such an honour and privileged to judge with some of the industry greats.I called my mum, obviously.That theres a new judge in town, move over Judy.As I said already, I judged my favourite category, Print.Learning from others and seeing work differently. Its also great to see all the work thats out there and what agencies are producing, be it an award piece or not.Innovation and quality! With Print being such an old medium, work really needs to stand out and be fresh and different.Like most industries, Covid has messed things up. As a creative industry, we thrive on challenges and our job is to find solutions to problems. During this time, we had to think a bit differently and ideate smarter but at the end of the day, work was work, and the context of Covid was just a minor extra mandatory on every brief that came through.What happens at Loeries, stays at Loeries ;)Probably a lot of during Covid, we were faced with bla bla bla - thats almost a given. I hope Im proved wrong on the awards night though. What was nice about judging print is that none of the work actually played into that. It almost went back to old school ideas that were visually beautiful, crafted and smart.South Africans are such diverse people, and we have so many unique insights about our daily lives. I believe that this brings an interesting dynamic to the judging panels, and allows us to celebrate work that is distinctly South African.Suiting up and sharing a non-alcoholic beverage with some industry folk - in person.For me, its simple - just keep fighting for cool creative work. That idea that youre too afraid to present or you think is too crazy is probably what the idea we should be making. Were so bombarded with boring and safe.In some categories, we can no longer differentiate between brands anymore. We need to push; we cant only be creative when it comes to award entries, it should show in all the work that we do.Make work cool enough that your mum will share it in the family WhatsApp group.
Pfft. Who needs those board certified doctors, anyway? Walk em off the property without notice. Take their id badge away. Tell em not to come back. Ruin their careers while youre at it. Maybe they can get retrained by writing some computer code, or something.  TN Editor

This is what happens when you stand up for freedom.

This was being summarily fired, escorted, and deposited from the premises like so much refuse by security guards at University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Health.

Thats the Westwood hospital where Dr. Christopher B. Rake worked until Tuesday as an anesthesiologist.

Its unclear what Dr. Rake is now. Is he fired? On unpaid leave? Whats clear is that the anesthesiologist cant go to work. All because he refused a forced medical procedure  a shot  that he didnt want, didnt think was right, and didnt believe he needed. The mandate was imposed on him by bureaucrats who know less about medicine than he does.

He was escorted from the hospital by three security guards, one of whom warned him, dont come near me, as Rake recorded his own ouster.

Rake may be starting a new, unwanted career as the face of anti-COVID-mandate Americans  perhaps millions of them  who will lose or already have lost their jobs, careers, and livelihoods because of Joe Bidens and Democrat governors orders to get shot up or lose everything.

Dr. Rake said he knew the cost and was willing to pay it  for freedom.

This is what happens when you stand up for freedom and when you show up to work, willing to work, despite being unvaccinated, and this is the price you have to pay sometimes. But what they dont realize is that Im willing to lose everything  job, paycheck, freedom, even my life for this cause.

It could be a tragic end to a career at one of the Californias premier medical facilities.

UCLA anesthesiologist Dr. Chris Rake, a COVID-19 vaccine mandate opponent, was escorted out of the UCLA medical plaza yesterday and placed on unpaid administrative leave for refusing to get vaccinated or request an exemption. Im willing to go lose everythingeven my life. pic.twitter.com/7AxUX4uyeF  Samuel Braslow (@SamBraslow) October 6, 2021

UCLA issued a statement following Rakes ouster saying, Per the state public health order and University of California policy, active UCLA Health employees not working remotely must be vaccinated or receive an exemption. Those out of compliance are subject to progressive discipline including access denied to worksites and being placed on leave.

The progressive discipline double entendre certainly has an interesting ring to it, no?

UCLA Health staff were scandalized by Rakes anti-mandate activism. The UCLA student newspaper, The Daily Bruin, wrote that faculty and staff were upset by what they characterized as his misinformation, which they claimed threatened public safety.

A social media user recorded Dr. Christopher Rake, an anesthesiologist at UCLA Health, at an anti-vaccination rally. In the video, Rake said he was opposed to mandatory vaccination in the workplace and that he founded Citizens United for Freedom  an organization against mandatory vaccines  in response to an Aug. 5 California order that all health care workers must be vaccinated against COVID-19 by Sept. 30.

I think its mind boggling that a physician at a world-class institution would go to such a rally and use their name as a physician to directly contradict public health, said Dr. Anna Yap, a resident physician in emergency medicine at UCLA.

Dr. Nina Shapiro, a professor of head and neck surgery at the School of Medicine and the director of pediatric otolaryngology at Mattel Childrens Hospital, said vaccine misinformation from doctors could be extremely dangerous.

Rake told the crowd at that August rally something so outrageous that he put a target on his back. So, obviously, the people in charge of the progressive discipline needed to silence him.

Read full story here
So hey theyve started mounting sniper rifles on robodogs, which is great news for anyone who was hoping theyd start mounting sniper rifles on robodogs.

At an exhibit booth in the Association of the United States Armys annual meeting and exhibition, Ghost Robotics (the military-friendly competitor to the better-known Boston Dynamics) proudly showed off a weapon that is designed to attach to its quadruped bots made by a company called SWORD Defense Systems.

The SWORD Defense Systems Special Purpose Unmanned Rifle (SPUR) was specifically designed to offer precision fire from unmanned platforms such as the Ghost Robotics Vision-60 quadruped, SWORD proclaims on its website. Chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor allows for precision fire out to 1200m, the SPUR can similarly utilize 7.6251 NATO cartridge for ammunition availability. Due to its highly capable sensors the SPUR can operate in a magnitude of conditions, both day and night. The SWORD Defense Systems SPUR is the future of unmanned weapon systems, and that future is now.

Back in May the US Air Force put out a video on the Robotic Ghost Dog these weapons are designed to be used with, showing the machines jogging, standing up after being flipped over, and even dancing. All of which becomes a lot less cutesy when you imagine them performing these maneuvers while carrying a gun designed to blow apart skulls from a kilometer away.

At one point in the video a Senior Master Sergeant explains to the host how these robodogs can be affixed with all kinds of equipment like communications systems, explosive ordnance disposal attachments, gear to test for chemicals and radiation, and the whole time youre listening to him list things off youre thinking Guns. Yeah guns. You can attach guns to them, why dont you just say that?

The SPUR prototype is just one of many different weapons well surely see tested for use with quadruped robots in coming years, and eventually well likely see its successors tested on impoverished foreigners in needless military interventions by the United States and/or its allies. They will join other unmanned weapons systems in the imperial arsenal like the USAs notorious drone program, South Koreas Samsung SGR-A1, the Turkish Kargu drone which has already reportedly attacked human beings in Libya without having been given a human command to do so, and the AI-assisted robotic sniper rifle that was used by Israeli intelligence in coordination with the US government to assassinate an Iranian scientist last year.

And we may be looking at a not-too-distant future in which unmanned weapons systems are sought out by wealthy civilians as well.

In the new episode of Medium's Playback podcast, @rushkoff reads his story 'Survival of the Richest,' about the billionaires plotting to survive the apocalypse while maintaining their power, then discusses it with host @manoushz. Listen: https://t.co/dQgRC9v4Ir pic.twitter.com/DYAYcqUpLC  Medium (@Medium) September 5, 2018

In 2018 the influential author and professor Douglas Rushkoff wrote an article titled Survival of the Richest in which he disclosed that a year earlier he had been paid an enormous fee to meet with five extremely wealthy hedge funders. Rushkoff says the unnamed billionaires sought out his advice for strategizing their survival after what they called the event, their term for the collapse of civilization via climate destruction, nuclear war or some other catastrophe which they apparently viewed as likely enough and close enough to start planning for.

Rushkoff writes that eventually it became clear that the foremost concern of these plutocrats was maintaining control over a security force which would protect their estates from the rabble in a post-apocalyptic world where money might not mean anything. I encourage you to read the following paragraph from the article carefully, because it says so much about how these people see our future, our world, and their fellow human beings:

This single question occupied us for the rest of the hour. They knew armed guards would be required to protect their compounds from the angry mobs. But how would they pay the guards once money was worthless? What would stop the guards from choosing their own leader? The billionaires considered using special combination locks on the food supply that only they knew. Or making guards wear disciplinary collars of some kind in return for their survival. Or maybe building robots to serve as guards and workers  if that technology could be developed in time.

Something to keep in mind if you ever find yourself fervently hoping that the world will be saved by billionaires.

LinkedIn cofounder Reid Hoffman has said that more than half of Silicon Valleys billionaires have invested in some type of apocalypse insurance such as an underground bunker to ensure they survive whatever disasters ensue from the status quo they currently benefit so immensely from. The New Yorker has published an article about this mega-rich doomsday prepper phenomenon as well. We may be sure that military forces arent the only ones planning on having eternally loyal killing machines protecting their interests going forward.

We are ruled by warmongers and sociopaths, and none of them have healthy plans for our future. They are not kind, and they are not wise. Theyre not even particularly intelligent. Unless we can find some way to pry their fingers from the steering wheel of our world so we can turn away from the direction we are headed, things will probably get very dark and scary.

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The University of California Los Angeless Law School plans to hire an administrator whose job will include cataloguing legislation and policies opposed to Critical Race Theory and drafting legal challenges to them.

According to a posting for the job on the schools website, the new administrator will oversee the creation of a database on legislation and "other formal policies suppressing antiracist education, training, or research associated with CRT."

The administrator will also work with lawyers and academics to develop "legal theories" that contest laws that prevent CRT from being taught in schools. The director will work in the schools department of Critical Race Studies, which "trains students to both analyze how the law and legal institutions erect racial hierarchies and how to dismantle those same hierarchies."

Some states, including Florida and Oklahoma, have banned schools from teaching CRT to students. And school board meetings across the country have exploded in recent months with upset and concerned parents who do not want CRT taught to their children.

CRT and other so-labeled antiracist curricula hold that U.S. society and institutions are inherently racist. Parents have begun publicly oppose those ideas being taught to their children.

Last week, the Justice Department announced it will work with the FBI to investigate the actions of some of these parents, who teachers unions seek to label as "domestic terrorists" because they do not want CRT being forced on their school-aged children.
The wife of the Navy submarine engineer who was charged with spying on the U.S. for an unidentified foreign government is a leftist who organized a babysitter on Facebook with her husband so they could make their last secret drop of stolen intelligence before they were caught by the FBI.

Navy nuclear engineer Jonathan Toebbe, 42, and wife, Diana, 45, appeared in court in Martinsburg, West Virginia, today, and are accused of selling military secrets and classified information about nuclear submarines to an unidentified foreign country.

They were ordered detained without bail until a detention hearing on Friday at 11am. A preliminary examination hearing into their case is slated for Wednesday, October, 20, at 1pm.

The Toebbes, both of whom were represented by court-appointed counsel, could face either life in prison or a fine of $100,000 and five years of supervised release.

The social media account for Diana revealed that she supports 'The Resistance' and Hillary Clinton, and has shared performative posts about the Black Lives Matter movement and 'stopping Donald Trump.'

On July 28, she asked for a babysitter on Facebook to watch her children early on Saturday morning for up to five to six hours.

She then posted an update to the original post, only visible to friends, with the word '*FOUND*', implying a babysitter had been organized.

She and her husband then left their home in Annapolis, Maryland, unaware they were being watched by the FBI and headed to West Virginia.

The agents then witnessed Jonathan place a 32-gigabyte memory card hidden in a sealed Band-Aid wrapper in a container set up as a drop point by an undercover FBI operative, officials said.

The FBI said that Jonathan added a note with the package saying he was interested in selling information on Virginia-class nuclear submarine reactions to a foreign power back when Donald Trump was president.
"The magnitude has really blown up over the last few months," AAA President Shawn Baird told NBC News.

"When you take a system that was already fragile and stretched it because you didn't have enough people entering the field, then you throw a public health emergency and all of the additional burdens that it put on our workforce, as well as the labor shortages across the entire economy, and it really has put us in a crisis mode," Baird said.

What's making the EMS labor shortage worse is President Biden's vaccine mandates. First responders are quitting across the county because they don't want to get the jab and have realized they can transfer to other higher-paying jobs.

Waldoboro, Maine, town manager Julie Keizer told News Center Maine that "the vaccine mandate has contributed to the loss of first responders."

"I think part of the problem is everybody thought they (workers) would conform because nobody wants to lose their jobs," Keizer added. "But when you look at the rate of pay for emergency workers, they can make more delivering packages than patients."

The pushback against vaccine mandates is not just with EMS personnel. Hundreds of firefighters in Los Angeles have filed a notice of intent to sue the city over the order.

The goal of federal, state, and local governments is to get everyone vaccinated, but opponents say constitutional authority to impose these requirements on the workforce is wrong.

The LA firefighters' attorney wrote that the vaccination order is "blatantly wrongful conduct," citing several reasons, including interference with employment rights; infliction of emotional distress; violation of constitutional privacy rights; and violation of the protection of human subjects in the medical experimentation act.

... and there's even LA County Sheriff Alex Villanueva, who refused to enforce the vaccine mandate, saying he would risk losing up to 10% of his workforce if he did so.

What's becoming clear is that EMS, firefighters, and police, are not down with the mandated jab by the government, resulting in some to leave their posts - threatening the already fragile 911 system.
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Macleans magazine released its annual rankings for universities across the country last week.

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Macleans magazine released its annual rankings for universities across the country last week.

Dropping one place in this years list of primarily undergraduate universities, BU placed 18th out of 19 schools.

Last year, BU placed 17th but was 18th in 2019.

Like with previous editions of the rankings, university officials argued in a release that the ranking system doesnt adequately take into account everything that makes BU great.

"There are really no surprises any year with rankings like these  they are a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy," BU president David Docherty stated in a news release. "The raw data shows quite a few bright spots for BU, and were staying focused on doing whats best for our community."

The release points out that BU scored in the top 10 in the rankings for student-to-faculty ratio and for student services.

Like in previous years, BU again argued the rankings penalized the institution for valuing things differently than the survey does. For example, while BU ranks poorly for its per-student budget in the rankings, the university argues that is an essential component of its tuition being affordable.

"The number-one thing we could do to juice our national rankings would be to accept fewer students and charge them more. Thats not who we are," Docherty stated. "We believe in the value of an education that is more accessible, not less."

Coming in at number one in the primarily undergraduate rankings was the University of Northern British Columbia in Prince George, B.C.

Additionally, B.C.s Simon Fraser University and the University of Victoria tied for the top comprehensive university, while McGill University in Montreal was the number one medical doctoral school.

CFB Shilo soldiers holding drill Tuesday

Soldiers from CFB Shilo are heading for the hills Tuesday morning.

The base announced Friday that soldiers from the 2nd Battalion Princess Patricias Canadian Light Infantry will be conducting combat fitness drills in the Brandon Hills from around 8 a.m. to noon.

Approximately 50 soldiers will be completing a 13-kilometre march while carrying their rifles, though no ammunition will be used.

According to a release sent out by the base, the uneven terrain of the Brandon Hills paths are ideal for this kind of exercise.

Three BSD schools with new cases

The Brandon School Division announced new cases of COVID-19 in three of its schools over the Thanksgiving long weekend.

The first notice, issued Saturday, announced two cases at King George School in the Grade 1/2 CR classroom and the Grade 4/5 S classroom.

According to the notice, the infected individuals were in class on Oct. 6 and 7 while possibly infectious.

On Sunday, the division announced a case had been discovered among someone in the Grade 6 class at St. Augustine School. No dates were announced for when that individual might have been infectious while at school.

Later that same day, the division announced a case had been confirmed in the Grade 1/2 DM classroom at Betty Gibson School.

In this case, the individuals may have been infectious while at the school on Sept. 28 and 29.

With all three notices, the division stated the cases were not believed to have been contracted at school.

Close contacts for all the cases have been notified so they can self-isolate.

Parents of children in these classes who have not been identified as a close contact are advised to monitor their kids for COVID-19 symptoms as a precaution.

 The Brandon Sun
OAK LAKE  Getting back in the saddle for one last round of rodeo before the snow falls, the Manitoba High School Rodeo Association was in Oak Lake Saturday.

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CHELSEA KEMP/THE BRANDON SUN Jett Lockie competes in junior high chute dogging at the Oak Lake High School Rodeo at the Oak Lake Ag Society Grounds Saturday.

OAK LAKE  Getting back in the saddle for one last round of rodeo before the snow falls, the Manitoba High School Rodeo Association was in Oak Lake Saturday.

It was bittersweet watching youth compete in the final rodeo of 2021, said Kurt Heinrichs, president of Manitoba High School Rodeo Association (MHSRA).

"Our kids are having fun, were seeing the smiles on their faces, and its been a great year for us," he said.

CHELSEA KEMP/THE BRANDON SUN High School Rodeo members cheer on chute dogging competitors at the Oak Lake High School Rodeo at the Oak Lake Ag Society Grounds Saturday.

The Oak Lake event saw 85 athletes from across Manitoba compete in a variety of rodeo sports, including saddle steer, saddle bronc, goat-tying, barrel racing and more for about six hours of competition.

While the MHSRA was able to host a few rodeos in 2020, Heinrichs said, the number of competitions was lower than in a typical year. The challenging season capped off with the finals being forced to take place in Saskatchewan.

"We got that done and we got our kids off to Canadian [High School Rodeo finals], which was nice. We had a great representation at Canadians, which was in Swift Current, [Sask.]," Heinrichs said. "It was a good season."

MHSRA started the 2021-22 season off with rodeos in Oak Lake  two events in September and one over the Thanksgiving weekend.

CHELSEA KEMP/THE BRANDON SUN Zavery Hollingshead wrestles a steer in the junior high chute dogging event in the Oak Lake High School Rodeo at the Oak Lake Ag Society Grounds Saturday.

Heinrichs said he is grateful for the community support around high school rodeo. He added Oak Lake has been a great location because its central for most athletes.

"Theyve got a great community here, and they do a great job with accommodating us," Heinrichs said.

MHSRA membership has been on the rise, he said. Typically the organization sees athlete numbers hover around 60 for a rodeo day, but some events are starting to draw more than 90 athletes.

Heinrichs added the 2021-22 season has been energizing as the athlete pool has expanded to include Grade 5 students into the arena for the first time.

MHSRA members can receive scholarships for doing a great job in the ring and in the classroom. For athletes to compete with the MHSRA, they must have good marks, he said, and the association works to ensure youth learn the importance of respect, dedication to grades and thinking about the future.

The goal is to foster skills in athletes both in and out of the arena, Heinrichs said.

"It teaches them to be respectful, be part of the community and be part of the association," he said. "We have some amazing communities. Our communities are what help make the rodeo go."

MHSRA events will head back to the arena in the early spring with finals for the 2021-22 season taking place in May.

"We want to preserve the western way of life and western heritage," Heinrichs said. "These contestants that are here, theyre athletes, just like any other sport."

Visit the organizations website mhsra.ca for more details.

 ckemp@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @The_ChelseaKemp
Three days a week, Adriana Kratzmann, an administrator, opens the door at 8:30 am to Courtroom 4 of the Robert F. Peckham Federal Building and US Courthouse.

Journalists and spectators present her with numbered paper tickets that they get from security guards at the building entrance. Once Kratzmann checks their tickets, they stream into the beige-walled room, jostling for a place on five long wooden benches and a single, prized row of cushioned chairs.

Elizabeth Holmes and husband Billy Evans. Her trial has just started its sixth week. Credit:AP

Then from a door on the east side of the windowless room, Elizabeth Holmes walks in.

Only a select few have made it inside the San Jose courtroom where Holmes, the disgraced founder of the failed blood-testing startup Theranos, is being tried on 12 counts of fraud, charged with misleading investors about her companys technology. Just 34 seats are open for the public, and when those are filled, spectators are directed to an overflow room one floor down, where around 50 people squeeze in to watch the trial on large monitors.
Sally Rooney, the acclaimed Irish author, has reportedly refused to allow her new novel to be published in Hebrew owing to her views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The disclosure was made in a recent newspaper interview that said Rooney had turned down a translation bid from Modan, an Israeli publisher, as she supports a boycott of Israel.

Author Sally Rooney. Credit:Kalpesh Lathigra

Rooneys novel, titled Beautiful World, Where Are You, was released in September and quickly topped books charts in Australia, Britain and Ireland.

When Modan approached Rooneys agent in an attempt to sign another translation deal, the agent announced that Rooney supports the cultural boycott movement on Israel and therefore does not approve translation into Hebrew, Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported.
A six-month delay to the completion of Sydney Opera Houses Concert Hall will cost the Sydney Symphony Orchestra up to $5 million in lost box office revenue.

The SSO was to have made a triumphant return to the concert hall in February with Simone Young as its chief conductor after the auditoriums two-year closure for renovations.

A render of the completed renovation of the Concert Hall at the Sydney Opera House. Credit:Sydney Opera House

The pandemic lockdown has slowed work on the revamp, part of a $275 million renewal for the Sydney Opera House.

Sixteen concerts across five programs have been rescheduled for the smaller Sydney Town Hall as part of the SSOs autumn season, a quarter of the performances originally programmed for 2022.
The hot new genre on television right now just happens to be one of its oldest: scripted drama is back on top.

In recent weeks, two limited series have rapidly accumulated the kind of fanfare and fixation that all too often are the province of reality televisions latest conflagration. Both the South Korean survival thriller Squid Game and the British crime procedural Vigil have enjoyed wildfire success  momentarily, at least; who threw a glass of wine over who after they uttered that totally spontaneous dig feels like yesterdays hype.

Suranne Jones plays a detective investigating foul play in a submarine in the thriller Vigil, which is the UKs most-watched new drama since 2018. Credit:Binge

The success of the dual productions has managed to respectively turn back the clock and set new benchmarks. Debuting as a traditional Sunday night drama broadcast on the BBC (in Australia its streaming on Binge), Vigil drew the most viewers in the United Kingdom to a new drama since 2018. Squid Game released worldwide, streaming as an exclusive Netflix production, and quickly topped the platforms viewing charts in almost 100 countries. Netflixs co-CEO Ted Sarandos has predicted that the show will become the streaming services most highly sampled original series launch yet.

While neither show is perfect, and nor are they particularly similar in design and execution, together theyve reset the expectations around a new drama.
People will be able to travel more freely across the border into Queensland from northern NSW local government areas.

Queensland Health announced the non-restricted border zone rules would be reinstated to all northern NSW local government areas from 1am on October 13.

Queensland Police stop trucks at the border in Coolangatta in August. Credit:Chris Hyde/Getty Images

This will mean Queenslanders travelling to, and residents of, Bourke Shire, City of Broken Hill, Kyogle, Lismore City, Richmond Valley, and the unincorporated Far West will be able to cross the border for more reasons, the department said in a statement.

People in a non-restricted LGA in the NSW border zone can cross for a range of reasons, including to get food or other essential goods, medical care, or attend school.
Two people believed to be involved in a shooting in Brisbanes northern suburbs are still on the run.

Two other teenagers faced court on Wednesday charged with attempted murder after allegedly being involved in the storming of a Brisbane home and the shooting of a young woman inside.

The scene in Zillmere after the alleged shooting. Credit:Nine News Queensland

Police said the attack, after 11pm on Sunday at a Handford Road house in Zillmere, was not random and that the people involved knew each other.

On Wednesday afternoon, police said two other people involved in the incident were still on the run.
Queensland has recorded its seventh day in a row with no local cases of coronavirus, as the state is set to roll out vaccine clinics at hardware stores.

On Tuesday there were four cases recorded in hotel quarantine, including three from a ship off the coast of Queensland, the Imabari Queen.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has delivered the latest COVID update in Parliament. Credit:Matt Dennien

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said from Saturday, vaccine clinics would come to Bunnings.

More than two dozen sites have been identified across the state, so families can get their Bunnings sausage and a dose of the vaccine, she said.
West Australian Attorney-General John Quigley and his legal advisors have been caught in the centre of an unprecedented dispute between the president of the Childrens Court and one of his magistrates.

Magistrate Catherine Crawford has brought before the Supreme Court an improper purpose lawsuit against her courts president, Judge Hylton Quail, claiming he sought the endorsement of her removal from the Childrens Court through the Attorney-General.

Attorney-General John Quigley; Childrens Court Magistrate Catherine Crawford; Childrens Court president Hylton Quail.

But Judge Quails defending barrister David Grace QC painted a very different picture of what occurred, saying his client took measured steps in rightly seeking advice of the government executive about how best to handle Ms Crawfords case.

Mr Grace said Ms Crawford had a pattern of behaviour that had continued over the years of doctoring reports of experts that have been provided to the court over matters magistrate Crawford presided.
Chinese pro-democracy groups have lashed West Australian Premier Mark McGowan for attending two separate events celebrating the founding of the Peoples Republic of China by communist leader Mao Zedong.

In an open letter signed by several prominent Uighur, Hong Kong, and Tibetan figures, the activists condemned Mr McGowans attendance and warned of the dangers of fostering close relationships with Beijing.

Premier Mark McGowan during the event organised by the Chinese Consulate in Perth.

As tensions between Australia and China simmer, Mr McGowan has been dipping his toes in foreign policy, straying from the Commonwealths tough stance on national security and doubling down on WAs commitment to keep good relations with Beijing.

On September 30, Mr McGowan and other Labor MPs attended an event organised by the WA branch of the Australia China Business Council and the China Chamber of Commerce to mark the 72nd anniversary of the republics founding.
Labor leader Anthony Albanese has refused to say whether one of his MPs who admitted to branch stacking in Victoria before the states anti-corruption watchdog should stand down.

The MP for Holt, Anthony Byrne, told the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission he had paid for other peoples party memberships as he turned whistleblower on what he described as a larger scheme of branch stacking led by former powerbroker Adem Somyurek.

Anthony Albanese distanced himself from the problems in Victorian Labor. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer

Asked during a press conference at a metalware factory whether Mr Byrne should stay in his job, Mr Albanese declined to comment directly.

Look, its not appropriate for me to comment on the specifics while IBACs procedures are taking place, they are legal processes, he told reporters. And its important that they be allowed to take their course.
Australia will play a key role in establishing a sustainable human presence on the moon after striking an agreement with the United States civilian space program for a locally made rover to be part of future missions.

NASA is aiming to return humans to the moon as soon as 2024 to build a strategic presence at the Artemis Base Camp  a permanent outpost at the lunar south pole  which will pave the way for long-term scientific activity as well as the first human mission to Mars in the 2030s.

An artists impression showcasing how an Australian-made rover could contribute to a bigger international exploration program on the moon.

The federal government will support Australias leading businesses and researchers to develop the semi-autonomous robot through its $50 million trailblazer program. The robot will be sent to collect lunar soil that contains oxides and, using separate equipment, NASA will aim to extract oxygen from the soil.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the mission would contribute to growing the nations economy, with an opportunity for Australia to succeed in a global space sector that is forecast to be worth more than $1 trillion by 2040.
Businesses will be forced to inform the federal government when they have been hit by a ransomware attack under a major change to Australias cyber security regime.

Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews will on Wednesday release a ransomware plan that includes mandatory reporting requirements for companies with turnover of $10 million or more a year.

Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews will release the plan on Wednesday. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Ransomware attacks  where hackers upload a form of malware that encrypts the victims files and then demand a ransom to restore system access  have increased 60 per cent over the past year.

Ransomware gangs have attacked businesses, individuals and critical infrastructure right across the country, Ms Andrews said. Stealing and holding private and personal information for ransom costs victims time and money, interrupting lives and the operations of small businesses.
Big industries would be offered protection under a federal plan to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 using incentives for sectors like resources and farming to lift exports.

Energy Minister Angus Taylor is telling industry it will not be hurt in the shift to net zero and that key export sectors such as gas will keep producing for many, many years under a new climate change policy road map.

Federal Energy Minister Angus Taylor has rejected calls from environmental groups to phase out gas exports and insists the government can achieve net zero emissions. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

The government is preparing to reveal its new climate targets and technology road map early next week with a message to industry that there are no nasties in the package.

Agriculture Minister David Littleproud is also promising credits for farmers to boost biodiversity with conditions that aim to prevent investors buying up too much land when it should be used for farming.
The Womens Safety and Justice Taskforce will take longer to report due to the number of submissions received and the complexity of issues raised.

The taskforce, headed by former judge Margaret McMurdo, was established by the Palaszczuk government amid concerns about sexual violence in Australia.

Queensland Attorney-General Shannon Fentiman and Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk attend a march earlier in 2021 calling for action against gendered violence in Parliament. Credit:Jono Searle/Getty

It has been examining the experience of women, including those victims who have made complaints to police.

The Department of Education, in a submission made public on Monday, welcomed the focus on sexual offences committed against women.
So, ex-vice-chancellor of the University of Melbourne Glyn Davis, 62, is joining the board of Opera Australia and will take over as chairman. Smiles all round.

No phantom: Virginia Judge and incoming Opera Australia chairman Glyn Davis. Credit:Shakespeare

Davis, who left MU three years ago and is chief executive of the billion-dollar Paul Ramsay Foundation, joins OA next month and takes over from chairman David Mortimer early next year. Just dont expect any Ramsay Foundation cash to flow to the COVID-starved arts organisation, which slumped to a deficit of $2.9 million.

Davis will be wielding the baton as the organisation attempts a Phantom of the Opera-led recovery next year during a time of flux.

Chief executive Rory Jeffes is off next month, replaced by Fiona Allan, the Aussie-born chief executive of Britains Birmingham Hippodrome.
London: Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel held talks with Vladimir Putin over Ukraine on Monday (Tuesday AEDT), as it emerged the EU could buy emergency gas supplies from Russia in an effort to drive down energy prices.

Vladimir Chishov, the Kremlins ambassador to the EU, earlier suggested Europe could have more gas if it stopped treating Russia as an adversary.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Credit:AP

Britains Treasury minister, Lord Agnew of Oulton, told Parliament that spiralling energy costs were nothing to do with supply shortages, but were due to a geopolitical move by Russia to put pressure on Europe to clear the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.

Record-breaking gas prices hit a new high last week, before falling after Putin suggested the Russian state-owned company Gazprom could increase supplies.
A 10-year-old girl was shopping with her mother one day when she asked a question.

Why were some toys off limits to her as a girl but would be okay to play with if she were a boy?

The girl was the daughter of a staffer who worked for a California lawmaker. This year, Assemblyman Evan Low cited the girls question as an inspiration for a bill he wrote that will force some retailers to create gender-neutral childrens sections in their stores.

Yvette Ibarra holds a Dancing Princess Barbie doll while shopping at a toy store in Monrovia, California. Credit:AP

California Governor Gavin Newsom on Saturday signed Lows legislation, Assembly Bill 1084, which will force large retailers to have non-gendered toy sections starting in 2024.
The University of Bristols Quantum Technology Enterprise Centre (QTEC) is launching a new pre-incubator programme, QUEST, this November.

The QUEST programme will support the rapid generation of new quantum, engineering and scientific technology companies.

The University of Bristol has a strong track record in contributing to the development of the UK quantum industry with a third of all UK quantum start-ups originating out of the University. Since 2016, QTEC has supported the creation of 28 active companies with a combined valuation of over 120 million. These companies have raised over 57 million and created over 175 new highly skilled jobs within the UK.

QUEST is a six-month programme for UK university researchers who are looking to commercialise their tech. Selected founders will receive skills and training designed specifically for the creation of deep tech companies, plus mentoring from respected industry leaders, regular road-mapping sessions with a team of Entrepreneurs in Residence and the potential to pitch for capital from a network of UK and European angel investors and VCs.

Participating founders will benefit from the proximity to the Bristol and Bath region, one of the most innovative, creative and desirable places to live in the UK. The Bristol and Bath smart city region is home to a 5G testbed and the UKs most productive tech cluster, providing world class digital connectivity. In addition, the founders will have access to the entrepreneurial network in the West of England, which has a strong track record of commercial success in bringing research and innovation to market.

Kimberley Brook, Programme Manager of QUEST, said: To ensure the UK remains at the forefront of deep tech innovation, it is vital that we upskill our PhD students and researchers to enable them to develop companies based on university research. Through QTEC we have demonstrated that scientists make excellent CEOs and CTOs provided they are given the training, skills and support they need to succeed early on in their entrepreneurial journey.

Neciah Dorh, CEO and Co-founder of FluoretiQ, who has previously been a Fellow at QTEC, said: QTEC gave me the freedom to explore the commercial possibilities of my technology.

Matthew Hutchings, CPO and Co-founder of SEEQC, said of his time at QTEC: If QTEC had not instilled the confidence that I was ready to pitch my business, I would not be in the position I am now. I am a co-founder of a VC-backed company based in the USA and the UK, with 18 employees and counting.

QUEST applications close on 31 October 2021. Visit the QTEC website to apply.
Bryan, OH (43506)

Today

Mostly cloudy with snow showers during the evening. Low 29F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 70%..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy with snow showers during the evening. Low 29F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 70%.
Bryan, OH (43506)

Today

Mostly cloudy with snow showers around before midnight. Low 29F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 70%. Snow accumulations less than one inch..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy with snow showers around before midnight. Low 29F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 70%. Snow accumulations less than one inch.
GMR-run expects hub traffic to surge to 25 per cent in three years as the now cash-strapped will expand its domestic and international network under the stewardship of Tatas, according to a senior official.

The Indira Gandhi International Airport, operated by DIAL, is the country's largest aerodrome and is already the hub for Air India, Vistara and IndiGo.

Currently, accounts for 15 per cent hub traffic. Hubs serve as a key point for airlines to operate flights to various destinations, including stopovers and connecting services.

Besides, Jet Airways, under the new owner Kalrock-Jalan Consortium, will be making as the base once its restarts operations from 2022. Prior to its grounding in April 2019, the airline was operating most of its flights from Mumbai.

Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) CEO Videh Kumar Jaipuriar told PTI that Tata Group coming on board is definitely a very positive move. As the airline is cash-strapped, it is actually affecting its operations and growth plan, which obviously is affecting other stakeholders, including airports, he added.

He hoped that the salt-to-software conglomerate will retain Delhi airport as the hub for Air India's operations as the aerodrome is the biggest hub full of potential.

"We are missing this potential because we didn't have a very strong anchor airline here unlike most of the hub airports (in other countries)," he said on Tuesday.

Even though Delhi is the hub airport for Air India, the airline was neither expanding its fleet nor the network internationally. With availability of cash, Tata Group-led will expand much faster and help the airport in hub operations, Jaipuriar said.

"Currently, our hub operation is about 18 per cent of the total traffic -- domestic and international. I expect that to go up to about 25 per cent in the next three years or less and it should improve further because in the hub operations, the benefit is for everybody, whether it is airline or airport," he said.

According to him, Air India will be able to meet up with the demand for direct long haul flights from India, which are quite limited after the grounding of Jet Airways.

Air India is the only airline with wide-body aircraft which could fly to Germany or North America directly, among other destinations.

"... in fact, a lot of our transfer traffic as well as our direct traffic we lost to Middle East. Therefore, with Tatas coming in, and they have also a long haul in Vistara, I see that long haul traffic to North America and Europe is going to go up which means good business for all the stakeholders, including airport," he pointed out.

Also, there was a big dip in full service carriers' market share after Jet Airways shut down. It was low-cost carriers which were driving growth and "we see a lot of demand from many passengers for full-service carrier that's where you will find that with Vistara is normally doing pretty well in terms of load factor", Jaipuriar said.

With enough funds available, Air India's operations level is expected to go up. There will also be more business class seats and more full service carrier seats, which will be good from the airport economics point of view as well as the passenger convenience and passenger fees, he said.

DIAL is majority-owned by 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.)
will be able to operate at 100 per cent capacity from October 18, with the lifting all restrictions on domestic flight movements. These curbs were imposed when resumed operations after a Covid-induced break last May. However, the government is yet to remove the fare caps.

The decision was taken following a review of the current status of scheduled domestic operations, the ministry said in its order on Tuesday.

Last month the government allowed to increase their capacity from 72.5 per cent to 85 per cent. The decision coincided with the festival season which has seen improved seat occupancy and rise in

On Saturday, airlines flew over 300,000 passengers for the first time since February-end. The first seven days of the month saw 1.7 million passengers flying, which is 10 per cent higher than September, while the number of departures was around 8 per cent higher. Currently, airlines are operating at 70-75 per cent capacity while passengers carried each day are between 60-70 per cent of the pre-pandemic level.

It is a welcome move as we believe that with the recent pent-up demand combined with the upcoming festival season it will be great to operate on pre-pandemic levels. We are quite bullish about the overall growth and demand for domestic travel, said an IndiGo spokesperson. The airline is operating around 1,200 daily, which is around 80 per cent of its pre-Covid-19 capacity, while its average passenger loads is around 75-80 per cent.

Among the airlines, IndiGo has been quite vocal about the need for phasing out capacity restrictions.

Growing travel confidence has also resulted in a shift in advance purchase pattern trends, said Aloke Bajpai, co-founder and CEO of ixigo.

Attractive rates are also encouraging travellers to make advance bookings. For example, the average one-way fare for Delhi-Goa route was Rs 4,400 for travel in the first week of October if booked 30 days in advance. Fares for the same route if booked at the last minute (0-7 days before travel) is Rs 7,600.



Last month, along with increasing the capacity to 85 per cent, the government had also tweaked the price cap formula letting airlines set fares for travel beyond 15 days of the booking date. Until then price caps were applicable on tickets up to 30 days of booking date.

Ameya Joshi, founder of aviation blog Network Thoughts, believes that the government could begin with removing price caps for short-duration Even if there is a price war, airlines will bleed less as cost of operations is lower on short-duration flights, he said.
Creative Galileo, an education technology startup, said on Tuesday it has raised $2.5 million for scaling up business, product development and hiring.

The company raised the amount through a round led by Kalaari Capital (which invested $2.1 million) and the rest from angel investors Harish Bahl, Shashin Shah, Jinesh Patel, Atul Nishar, Ashwin Puri and Giridhar Malpani.

Kalaari Capitals investment came from CXXO, the companys initiative to promote female founders in Indias start-up ecosystem.

Creative Galileo says it is one of the fastest growing early learning apps in India, getting more than 4 million downloads in the first 12 months of its launch. Outside the Indian subcontinent, the app recorded 10 per cent downloads recorded from Nepal, Bangladesh, UAE, USA and other countries.

We are excited to partner with Kalaari Capital, the CXXO initiative, and angel investors on our growth journey ahead. Our vision is to provide millions of children with access to high-quality content for learning in the early years for a solid foundation while keeping the process fun," said Prerna A Jhunjhunwala, founder of Creative Galileo.

According to a recently published report by UNESCO, over 800 million learners from around the world do not have access to quality education. Creative Galileos Kids Early Learning App was launched to make learning accessible especially for the early learning segment which represents an under-penetrated and under-invested sector.

"At Kalaari we believe that technology in learning can bring unmatched access and affordability and improve literacy for a much larger target segment, said Vani Kola, Managing Director, Kalaari Capital.

Creative Galileo has tie-ups with Big Animation, Amar Chitra Katha, Periwinkle, Shermaroo, Toonz. The $2.5 million it has raised will also be used for creating new content and partnerships with animation houses.
American private investment firm Bain Capital, with investments of about USD 5 billion in Indian companies, is looking forward to investing even more in the country and the next decade will be very important for both India and the US to work together to build businesses on a global basis, top executives of the company said.

Co-Chairman Stephen Pagliuca and Co-Managing Partner John Connaughton met Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman here on Monday, with Pagliuca describing the meeting as fantastic, during which they talked about the Financial Services District in Gujarat.

Sitharaman arrived in the US on Monday for a week-long trip to attend the annual meet of the World Bank and IMF in Washington as well as G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (FMCBG) meeting.

During the official visit to the US, Sitharaman is expected to meet US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.

Connaughton said that whenever you see the kinds of reforms that we're seeing in India, and we've been there for almost over a dozen years, it really allows us to accelerate our investment activity, particularly across the broader sectors that we participate in, such as banking, outsourcing and pharmaceuticals.

Connaughton said the ability to reform all those industries that the government is now reforming allows us to participate in a broader way and we're looking forward to investing even more. We've invested USD 5 billion already and we see it accelerating.

Pagliuca said the markets can be made more business-friendly and I think that's happening in India right now. It'll make it a great attractive climate for foreign direct investment."



Pagliuca added that has invested over USD 5 billion in a dozen and had great success in India. And I think the next decade will be very important for both countries to work together to build businesses on a global basis and really increase the GDP of both countries.

The Finance Ministry in a tweet said that Connaughton appreciated the friendly business atmosphere in India and mentioned that he is upbeat about investment in India. Sitharaman spoke about exploring opportunities in Gift City in Gujarat and other opportunities in infrastructure in India.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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NexWafe GmbH (NexWafe) on Tuesday announced the induction of Reliance New Energy Solar Ltd (RNESL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ltd, as a strategic lead investor in its 39 million euros ($45 million) Series C financing round with an investment of 25 million euros ($29 million) in phase one.

The investment by Reliance will accelerate product and technology development for NexWafe, including completion of the commercial development of NexWafe's solar photovoltaic products on prototype lines in Freiburg.

Reliance and NexWafe have also entered into an India Strategic Partnership Agreement providing for joint technology development and commercialisation, at scale, of high- efficiency monocrystalline "green solar wafers".

Reliance, through this partnership, will secure access to NexWafe's proprietary technology and plans to build large-scale wafer manufacturing facilities in India using the NexWafe processes and technology.

NexWafe is developing and producing monocrystalline silicon wafers grown directly from inexpensive raw materials, going directly from the gas phase to finished wafers. This proprietary process obviates the need for costly and energy intensive intermediate steps such as polysilicon production and ingot pulling on which traditional wafer manufacturing relies.

NexWafe uses in-line manufacturing, both for the formation of an initial release layer as well as for epitaxial deposition of silicon in an atmospheric chemical vapour deposition process.

Its patented technology is expected to drastically cut wafer production costs, making solar photovoltaics the lowest-cost form of renewable energy available.

Reliance's investment in NexWafe further underscores its goal of making India the world's leading green energy provider by leapfrogging existing technology, thus creating the world's most cost- and energy-efficient photovoltaic process at scale.

RIL Chairman said: "We at Reliance have always believed in being ahead of the technology curve in all our businesses. Our partnership with NexWafe testifies to this yet again, as we embark on an ambitious mission to meet affordable green energy needs of India's rapidly growing economy.

"Our investment in NexWafe signals an important step towards accelerating India's green energy transition and positioning India as a global leader in photovoltaic manufacturing. We believe NexWafe's innovative ultra-thin wafer will give solar manufacturers a significant advantage over existing photovoltaic technologies, helping consumers in India and globally realise the benefits of solar energy more quickly and more efficiently.

"For Reliance, our foray into solar and other types of renewable energy is much more than a business opportunity. It is our way of caring for Planet Earth and contributing to the global mission of saving it from the looming climate crisis."

NexWafe CEO Davor Sutija said: "With its strategic partnership with NexWafe, Reliance can bring the latest in solar wafer innovation to India while also leveling the global playing field for photovoltaic manufacturers, expanding manufacturing beyond a single source market."

NexWafe Chairman Bart Markus added: "Reliance is famed for its ability to create quality products at the most competitive prices, so its commitment to helping us reshape and reinvent the silicon wafer will be, we believe, game-changing for helping the world deploy high-efficiency photovoltaics at scale."

Other investors joining Reliance in the Series C Round include InnoEnergy, Lynwood, Saudi Aramco Energy Ventures and other incumbent and new investors, adding another nearly 10 million euros ($12 million) to the round. Additionally, InnoEnergy, will also convert its current debt of 4 million euros ($4.7 million) in NexWafe into equity at the same share price as the Series C Round shares.

ACXIT Capital Partners are acting as the exclusive financial advisor to NexWafe. International law firms GORG and Raeder are acting as legal counsel to the company.

Linklaters acted as the legal advisor and Deloitte as the accounting and tax advisor to Reliance on this transaction.

(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.)
Rising prices of international  both coking and thermal - used in the making of ferrous and non-ferrous metals, respectively, are expected to have an impact on margins of metals in July-September quarter (Q2) as steel may see margins getting eroded, while the base firms could stand to benefit, said brokerages.

Since metals is a cyclical sector, a year-on-year comparison for earnings would give a better picture. However, due to the ongoing pandemic and last years low base, sequential comparison has been taken in consideration to show a clearer picture on pricing and volume trend.

Coking prices, a key raw material used in the making of steel, have risen $25-$30 per tonne sequentially along with prices of other consumables.

Due to this, varied impact on margins is expected for steel depending on their consumption pattern (domestic, international), share of captive resources and other factors, said brokerages.

For Tata Steel, the country's oldest steel producer, domestic operations may be impacted partially by higher coking coal costs. Despite this, domestic realisation is expected to increase by Rs 2,000 per tonne, said an Edelweiss report. The company does have a captive source of coking coal up to 25-30 per cent which could lend support to realisations.

On a consolidated basis, however, a sharp improvement in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and ammortisation (EBITDA) is likely for Tata Steel led by turnaround performance of European operations, it said.

For Naveen Jindal-led Jindal Steel & Power (JSPL), despite a sharp uptick in sales volume, its EBITDA for July-September quarter is expected to be impacted by higher coking coal and iron ore prices. On the realisation front, steel longs have declined by Rs 2,000 per tonne sequentially, accentuating EBITDA further, said the Edelweiss report.

JSPLs steel sales volume surged 32 per cent sequentially in the September quarter and 10 per cent year-on-year to hit a record of 2.13 million tonne during the quarter. In Q2FY22, JSPL steel sales for the first time breached 2 million tonne for the quarter, said the company in its recent release.

For Sajjan Jindal-led JSW Steel, EBITDA growth led by higher realisation, stable sequential volumes and reliance on exports would be the key for the quarter gone by. Overseas subsidiaries are likely to do well owing to robust prices.

In JSW Steels India operations, crude steel produced for the quarter under preview stood at 4.92 million tonne, up 26 per cent year-on-year and flat from the preceding quarter. In the companys US operations, production was up 12 per cent sequentially.

Domestic have been muted compared to April-June and there has been a divergence between flat and long products prices, said Systematix Institutional Equities.

July-September being a seasonally weak quarter has also led to feeble demand in the domestic market, leading companies to turn to exports for increased sales.

Exports continue to boost sales with the share of exports rising to greater than 40 per cent in Q2FY22 (from 34 per cent in Q1FY22 and 38 per cent in Q2FY21), said JSPL in its release.

On the other hand, on a year-on-year basis, net sales and profit growth for the steel pack is expected to be strong due to a low base and sharp increase in Analysts at IDBI Capital, thus say, that the deleveraging will continue. Higher profits will lead to strong improvement in balance sheets of steel companies which should likely improve further during H2FY22 in our view, it said.

Alongside, non-ferrous metal companies are set to report strong performance on increased London Metal Exchange (LME) prices and higher competitiveness due to fixed coal prices.

International thermal coal prices have surged by more than 100 per cent since May21 to about $240 per tonne. Indonesian benchmark low GCV (gross calorific value) coals witnessed similar trends, said Systematix Institutional Equities.

This has increased the competitiveness of domestic aluminium producers who procure more than 80 per cent of the coal at fixed prices from Coal India, it said.

Anil Agarwal-led Vedanta Limiteds EBITDA in the quarter under preview is seen rising 58 per cent year-on-year and 4 per cent sequentially. Vedanta is also expected to gain from higher crude oil prices. Hindalcos EBITDA is also seen rising 36 per cent year-on-year and 5 per cent sequentially.

In the case of the aluminium industry, prices of both alumina and aluminium have gone up, which in turn will push up realisations for the companies.

The current thermal coal shortage situation for the domestic aluminium industry, though continues and has been an issue since a month, but production of the metal has not been impacted even as coal stockpiles have taken a hit dropping to 3-4 day levels from usual 20-25 days inventory, said industry officials.

For Indias largest coal miner, Coal India's topline and bottomline performance for the quarter under preview is expected to be muted sequentially, while on YoY basis it is seen as a mixed bag. According to Bloomberg estimates, earnings are seen falling 7.2 per cent in July-September from the preceding quarter but could be flat YoY, while topline is also expected to be flat sequentially and up 19 per cent YoY.

Outlook

Going ahead, during Oct-Mar FY22, domestic steel profitability should diverge materially across companies given different coking coal consumption patterns and product mix.

Assuming spot coking coal prices remain unchanged, how much of this impacts EBITDA per tonne in Q4FY22 will depend on steel price hikes in second half of the fiscal, auto exposure, contract price hikes, volume growth and fixed cost absorption along with captive coking coal and sourcing patterns, said JP Morgan's Asia Pacific Equity Research report.

Coking coal (ex-Australia) prices rose sharply over Apr-Jun21 from $130 per tonne to about $180 per tonne and are now above $350 per tonne.




Small towns will write the next chapter of India's startup story, OYO Founder and Chairman Ritesh Agarwal said on Tuesday, as he extended his support to four from Ladakh and the Himalayan region that are part of the Naropa Fellowship programme.

Naropa Fellowship, co-founded by Drukpa Thuksey Rinpoche and Pramath Raj Sinha is a Ladakh-based fellowship programme aimed at creating environmentally and socially conscious entrepreneurs from the Himalayan region.

"Small towns in India will write the next chapter of India's startup story & I'm delighted to extend my support to this momentum, through an initial pledge of INR 1CR equity-free grant & mentorship to entrepreneurs across India-starting with 4 fantastic from @TheNaropa," Agarwal said in a tweet.

Small town entrepreneurs often struggle with a lack of access to resources and expertise, he added, stating that through strategic feedback, mentorship sessions and funding, he looks forward to doing his part for grassroots entrepreneurship.

"The 4 startups- EcoKash, My Pahadi Dukan, Zarin & The Himalayan Chocolate stand out because of their positive social impact, their unique approach toward the economic + ecological growth of their local communities & the resilience of their business models to adversity," Agarwal said in another tweet.

Agarwal has worked closely in collaboration with the Naropa Fellowship to shortlist the four

"Being from Rayagada (a small town) myself, I know the unique privilege of being able to give back through your own efforts. These startups are poised to put their hometown on the map & let the world experience their rich culture. I hope my contribution can support their journey," 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.)
Homegrown auto major on Tuesday said it will raise $1 billion (Rs 7,500 crore) in its passenger electric vehicle business from TPG Rise Climate at a valuation of up to $9.1 billion. Ltd (TML) and TPG Rise Climate, the dedicated climate investing strategy of private investment firm TPG, have entered into a binding agreement in this

Under the agreement, TPG Rise Climate along with its co-investor ADQ, will invest in a subsidiary of that will be newly incorporated, the company said in a statement.

TPG Rise Climate along with co-investors shall invest Rs 7,500 crore in compulsory convertible instruments to secure between 11- 15 per cent stake in this company translating to an equity valuation of up to $9.1 billion, it added.

ADQ is a strategic partner of Abu Dhabi's government and is one of the region's largest holding companies with direct and indirect investments in more than 90 companies locally and internationally.

Commenting on the development, Tata Motors Chairman N Chandrasekaran said,"I am delighted to have TPG Rise Climate join us in our journey to create a market-shaping electric passenger mobility business in India.

We will continue to proactively invest in exciting products that delights customers while meticulously creating a synergistic ecosystem." He further said the company is "committed to playing a leading role in the government's vision to have 30 per cent electric vehicles penetration rate by 2030." The new EV company will leverage all existing investments and capabilities of TML and will channelise the future investments into electric vehicles, dedicated BEV platforms, advanced automotive technologies and catalyse investments in charging infrastructure and battery technologies.

"Over the next 5 years, this company will create a portfolio of 10 EVs and in association with Tata Power Ltd, catalyse the creation of a widespread charging infrastructure to facilitate rapid EV adoption in India," the statement said.

Commenting on the investment, TPG Rise Climate Managing Partner and Founding partner of TPG, Jim Coulter said,"There is a significant momentum around India's EV movement, supported by the government's vision and policies, as well as growing consumer demand for greener solutions. The investment aligns with TPG Rise Climate's focus on decarbonized transport and builds on TPG's long history in India." Tata Motors said the first round of capital infusion is expected to be completed by March 2022 and the entire funds will be infused by the end of 2022.

It is expected that the first round of capital infusion will be completed by March 22 and the entire funds will be infused by end of 2022. Morgan Stanley and JP Morgan are the joint financial advisors to TML, while BofA Securities India Ltd are representing TPG Rise Climate for this transaction.

Khaitan & Co are legal advisors to TML, Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co, Cleary Gottlieb are legal advisors to TPG Rise for the transaction.

The transaction is subject to conditions precedent and customary approvals.

The company, which sells EVs such as the Nexon EV and Tigor EV, had achieved cumulative EV sales of 10,000 units in September this year.

(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.)
In a boost to its electric vehicle (EV) push, on Tuesday closed a deal to raise Rs 7,500 crore from Rise Climate and Abu Dhabis ADQ. This is the first major by an Indian carmaker to push clean mobility.

The investment will be in a newly formed subsidiary has formed for the EV business. The Rs 7,500 crore (close to $1 billion) will give a stake of 11-15 per cent stake to the TPG-ADQ combine in this subsidiary.

Bank of America was the advisor to Rise Climate, and Morgan Stanley and JP Morgan have advised Tata Motors EV unit. The group is the leading player in the EV business with more than a 70 per cent market share.

Chief Financial Officer P B Balaji said the company would invest more than Rs 16,000 crore over next five years. The investors will be issued compulsorily convertible instruments over an 18-month period. Investment will be made in tranches.

The company said the first round of capital infusion would be completed by March 2022 and all the money will come by the end of 2022.

N Chandrasekaran, chairman of Tata Sons, said over the next five years, this company would create a portfolio of 10 EVs and, in association with Tata Power, catalyse the creation of a charging infrastructure to facilitate rapid EV adoption in India.

We are committed to playing a leading role in the governments vision to have 30 per cent penetration rate by 2030.

The new EV company will leverage the existing investments and capabilities of and will channelise future investments in electric vehicles, he said.

The wholly-owned electric vehicle subsidiary, which the company calls EvCo, will undertake the passenger electric mobility business while the passenger business unit will own the existing assets like manufacturing plants, dealerships, and brands.



ELECTRIC EFFECT TPG, ADQ will hold 11 to 15%

Funds will be used for EVs, dedicated battery electric vehicle platforms, charging infra and battery technologies

Over the next 5 years, the company will create a portfolio of 10 EVs

According to consulting firm AlixPartners, EV sales may jump to about a quarter of total global vehicle sales by 2030 from about 2% now

This new subsidiary will be asset-light, and all the investment will go towards creating intellectual properties like new vehicle designs and EV platforms. The Tata Motors passenger vehicle business doesnt have the wherewithal in the EV space. Creating that needs investments of $2 billion, Balaji said in a conference call organised after the announcement of the deal.





The EV business in the commercial vehicles segment will remain with the parent company and is out of the purview of this deal.

Shailesh Chandra, head of Tata Motors passenger vehicle business. said the investment would be used to develop vehicles, platforms, and charging infrastructure and drive localisation.

Experts said the investment signified global investors interest in Indias effort to electrify transport.

This is a welcome step. It would be interesting to see how the proposed networks of charging Infra are set up and their interplay with the cost of electricity with various state distribution This could be the first step for many on this road at a large scale, said Santosh Janakiram, partner and head (projects), Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas.

Headquartered in San Francisco, Rise Climate was founded in 2016 and has $5 billion under management. It primarily invests in with an environmental and social focus.

The investment aligns with TPG Rise Climates focus on decarbonised transport and builds on TPGs long history in India, said TPG founding partner Jim Coulter.
Chief of Army Staff Gen MM Naravane on Tuesday left for Sri Lanka on a four-day visit to explore ways to further expand bilateral military cooperation and discuss issues relating to regional security challenges.

Gen Naravane's visit comes days after the foreign secretary travelled to the island nation and held extensive talks with the top leaders of the country to boost cooperation in a range of areas.

"General MM Naravane #COAS proceeded on a four day visit to #SriLanka. #COAS will be meeting the apex civilian and military leadership of #SriLanka and discuss avenues for further enhancing India-Sri Lanka defence cooperation," the Army tweeted.

Defence and security ties between India and Sri Lanka have been on an upswing.

Currently, the armies of the two countries are carrying out a mega military exercise with a focus on enhancing counter-terror cooperation.

The eighth edition of the 'Mitra Shakti' exercise began on October 4 at Combat Training School in Sri Lanka's Ampara and it will conclude on October 15.

Security Advisor Ajit Doval paid a two-day visit to Colombo in November last year to attend a trilateral maritime security cooperation dialogue among India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

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Bangladesh aims to administer Covid-19 vaccines to nearly half of its population by next January.

Health Minister Zahid Maleque on Monday said the Bangladeshi government is working to vaccinate 80 million people by December and January, Xinhua news agency reported, citing the Bangladesh's state-run news agency BSS.

The minister said the government is considering vaccinating children aged between 12 and 17 years.

Bangladesh has already announced a target of vaccinating 80 per cent of its population by 2022. The South Asian country has so far got nearly 70 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine.

Bangladesh launched the vaccine rollout in January.

As of October 9, 36,178,946 people in Bangladesh have reportedly received their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine while 17,940,300 were fully vaccinated.

The infection and fatality rates have fallen significantly since August as the government bolstered inoculation drives in extensive areas to rein in Covid-19, according to Bangladesh's Directorate General of Health Service (DGHS).

--IANS

int/shs

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Hyderabad-based pharmaceutical company has sought permission from India's drug regulator to conduct the phase-3 clinical trial for its COVID-19 vaccine Corbevax as a single booster dose for those who have been fully vaccinated with Covishield or Covaxin.

Currently, phase 2/3 clinical trials of the second indigenously developed Corbevax, an RBD protein sub-unit vaccine to be administered in adults aged 18 years to 80 years, is underway and the results are likely to be declared this month.

The company, meanwhile, has put in an application seeking the nod of the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) to conduct the phase-3 clinical study of Corbevax as a single booster dose in those fully inoculated with either Covishield or Covaxin.

"Currently there are several literatures indicating the decline in antibodies in the vaccinated individuals, and that several countries have begun or are in the process of administering booster dose to the people who have completed the primary vaccination," it said.

"In view of this, we are herewith submitting the application for grant of NOC to conduct a phase-3 clinical study to evaluate the immunogenicity and safety of Corbevax when administered to COVID-19-negative adult volunteers primed with either Covishield or Covaxin," stated the application submitted to DGCI last week.

The Subject Expert Committee (SEC) on COVID-19 of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) is likely to take up the matter in its next meeting.

The DCGI in September also granted permission to the to conduct phase 2/3 clinical trials of the vaccine in children aged between 5 and 18 years with certain conditions.

The government last week said that the science relating to the use of booster doses of COVID-19 vaccines is still evolving and the developments are being closely watched.

At a press conference, NITI Aayog Member (Health) Dr V K Paul had said there are several studies that are looking into the subject of booster doses.

"This is an evolving science and a paradigm of information...that data is still emerging. We are watching this science very very carefully through our NTAGI system.

"We know that Covaxin has done a study on booster doses and those results can be available anytime...We also know that WHO has not given a clear-cut recommendation on the matter...we are watching science as it emanates and in India also, there are studies which are looking at this aspect," he had said.

will supply 30 crore doses of Corbevax to the central government by December, as announced by the Union Health Ministry in June. The Union Health Ministry finalised arrangements with Hyderabad-based vaccine manufacturer to reserve 30 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses, an official statement had said.

The Biological-E's COVID-19 vaccine candidate has been developed with support from the Department of Biotechnology and its PSU Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) from the preclinical stage to phase-3 studies.

Department of Biotechnology has not only provided financial assistance in terms of grant-in-aid of over Rs 100 crore but has also partnered with Biological-E to conduct all animal challenge and assay studies through its Research Institute Translational Health Science Technology Institute (THSTI), Faridabad, a health ministry statement earlier had stated.

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The Union Ministry of Power has directed state-owned power generators and DVC to meet the power demand of Delhi, which has complained of coal and gas shortage at its power generation units and raised alarms of power cuts.

The power ministry has directed the two generators to ensure that distribution companies (discoms) of Delhi get as much power as requisitioned by them.

 and DVC may offer the normative declared capacity (DC) to the Delhi discoms as per their allocations made to them under respective PPAs, from their coal based power stations. Both and DVC have committed to provide as much electricity to Delhi as demanded by DISCOMs of Delhi, said a power ministry statement.

NTPC may offer the normative DC to the Delhi discoms as per their allocations (from gas based power plants) made to them under respective PPAs. The gas available from all sources including Spot, LT-RLNG etc may be included while offering the DC to Delhi discoms, the ministry said.

According to the data shared by the ministry of power, Delhis daily power demand since September 25 till date has ranged between 95-115 Million Units (MU) and no energy supply shortfall was observed during these days.

However, Arvind Kejriwal wrote to the prime minister last week asking the Centre to divert more coal and gas to power units supplying to the city. Andhra Pradesh also followed suit.

Last week, Tata Power Delhi Distribution, one of the three discoms in the capital of Delhi, sent an alarming message to the consumers in its area. Due to the limited coal availability in generation plants across the North, the scenario between 2 pm and 6 pm is at a critical level. Kindly use electricity judiciously. Be a responsible citizen. Inconvenience caused is regretted - Tata Power-DDL, read the SMS sent to the consumers.

Media reports indicated the Prime Ministers Office (PMO) will convene a meeting on Tuesday with coal and power ministries to review coal stocks and the situation. On Monday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah held a meeting with coal minister Pralhad Joshi and power minister R K Singh and officials of the ministries concerned, on the same. This came a day after Union ministries of coal and power denied any energy shortage in the country.
Extremely heavy rainfall events over the last two monsoon periods may have led to a perception that India's summer monsoon rainfall has increased, but it has in fact decreased by 6% over the past 60 years, say Indian government and international assessments. The summer monsoon in 2021, though 'normal', was marked by a number of such localised extreme rainfall events and displayed variability in patterns of rainfall dispersal, both of which will only increase in future, these assessments warn.

The summer, or south west, monsoon, accounts for 70% of India's annual rainfall and is crucial for its agricultural economy, which accounts for 11% of gross domestic product. In the 2021 monsoon season, India recorded 870 mm rainfall, against a long period average (LPA; 1961-2010) of 880 mm, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on October 1. The realised rainfall being 99% of LPA, this year's monsoon was categorised as normal.

The way this normal was achieved, however, was unprecedented, IMD data show. The monsoon started off at a healthy 110% of normal levels in June, dipped to 93% in July, dipped further to drought levels of 76% in August, then bounced back to a rare 135% of LPA in September. The incidence of localised extremely heavy rainfall events in July and September, especially on the western coast, were among the highest in the past five years. Hundreds died in floods triggered by extreme rain in Maharashtra in July, and in Gujarat in September. A cloud burst on October 9 flooded the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad in two hours. Cyclones like Tauktae and Gulab, which bookended the summer monsoon in 2021, have increased and are set to increase further, IndiaSpend had reported in May 2021.

In mid-August, a report by ratings agency CRISIL had flagged concerns about patterns of rainfall dispersion across the country, noting that the monsoon "went on a hiatus" during the important kharif (monsoon) sowing months of July and August. It also expressed concerns about reservoir levels falling below the long-term trend. Then came the excess September rain. By the first week of October, official data showed an increase in both reservoir levels and area sown under kharif crops.

But the September rain could not make up the overall seasonal deficit by end-August in the north and northeast, with the latter region particularly affected. As of October 8, the Indian Institute of Technology's Drought Monitor showed high levels of drought over most of the north east and parts of the Indo-Gangetic plain.

The abnormally high rain in September could also adversely impact yield for some short duration monsoon crops, experts told us. The paddy harvest in Punjab and Haryana has also been delayed due to untimely showers in late September, the central government said on October 1. Worse, October rain has become so unpredictable in recent years that it is becoming hard to advise farmers on what to do, experts said. Monsoon 2021 missed even the revised, extended dates for monsoon withdrawal, adding to the October uncertainty.

Such uncertainties in the monsoon will only increase, the assessments say, which also project that will lead to an increase in overall monsoon rainfall by the end of this century. Experts told us the recent monsoons show that these projected increases in the variability of rainfall patterns and extreme rainfall events have already begun.

Uneven rainfall over time and across regions

The countrywide total summer monsoon rainfall in 2021 was unevenly spread over both time and across four broad regions: South Peninsula (Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and the island union territories), Central India (Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Odisha), East and Northeast India (Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and all north eastern states), and Northwest India (Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi, Chandigarh, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh).

All regions saw above-normal rainfall in June. The deficits started in July, with three out of the four regions seeing below normal rainfall. Conversely, the South Peninsula states and UTs saw rainfall 26% above the July normal. All regions except the east and north-east recorded below normal rainfall in August. At a 24% deficit, 2021 saw the first August drought since 2009, according to Climate Trends, a Delhi-based strategic communications initiative on climate change and energy transition. By the end of the month, India was staring at a deficit monsoon, with overall rain at -11%. Nearly a fifth of the country was facing a drought scare.

Recovering from a deficit as large as 24% on August 31 was unlikely, Climate Trends had said. In August 2009, 26% deficit rainfall was followed by rain deficiency of 19% in September. But September 2021 was different, recording surplus rainfall of 35 percentage points, the second highest rainfall in September in the last 28 years, after only 2019, according to IMD. With that, monsoon 2021's overall performance touched the normal range.

The geographical rainfall imbalances were reduced after the September rain, with only the east and north-east region showing a significant shortfall.

Even after the September rainfall recovery, however, reservoir levels in some northern states remain low, per Central Water Commission (CWC) data.

The CRISIL report in mid-August had noted concerns about reservoir levels below normal or lagging the 10-year average in 10 of 19 reservoir states, and cautioned that further deficient rainfall in the reservoir catchment areas in these states would not bode well for irrigation buffers. By October 7, reservoir levels across most of the country had recovered. Reservoirs in only Himachal Pradesh and Punjab remained far below their 10-year average, per CWC, at 26% and 41%, respectively. This is despite Punjab recording 77% excess rainfall in September.

Western coast bears the brunt

IMD data show that the number of heavy rain events in 2021 was the second lowest in the last five years, but further illustrate the unusual pattern of low August rainfall and very high September rainfall this year. Heavy rain events encompass very heavy (115.6 to 204.4 mm) and extremely heavy rainfall events (more than 204.4 mm of rain). August 2021 recorded the least extremely heavy rainfall events in the last five years and September 2021 the most. September 2021 also saw the second highest number of very heavy rainfall events since 2017.

Very heavy rainfall events were witnessed across the country, while extremely heavy rainfall events were seen mostly on the western Konkan coast spanning south Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka.

"Maharashtra bore the brunt of extreme rain events this year," R.K. Jenamani, senior scientist with the IMD's Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting in Noida, told IndiaSpend. "The Raigad floods caused a lot of damage. We have never seen Mahabaleshwar receiving more than 500 mm rain for two days in a row. That one week's rainfall in the Konkan-Goa belt [in July] made up a big part of our total seasonal rainfall."

The formation of a tropical storm in September, i.e. during the monsoon, was another rare event this season. Cyclone Gulab, only the third cyclone in the 21st century to form in September, had formed in the Bay of Bengal and made landfall near Srikakulam over north coastal Andhra Pradesh on September 26. Even more rare was the fact that after landfall, the remnants of Gulab crossed over peninsular India to the Arabian Sea, where it re-emerged as Severe Cyclonic Storm Shaheen.

Unseasonal rain affects short-term monsoon crops

Adding to the unseasonal rain in September, monsoon 2021 has not withdrawn in expected time frames. On May 15, 2020, the IMD had revised the monsoon arrival date for 58 of 64 cities and withdrawal dates for 52 of these cities, effective June 1, 2020, in line with changing arrival and withdrawal patterns over the past five decades. In some regions like north-western Rajasthan, north-western Maharashtra and north-western Gujarat, the monsoon withdrawal date was revised by as much as 10-14 days. In Jaisalmer, for instance, the monsoon could now be expected to withdraw by September 17 instead of September 1.

Even so, the monsoon in 2021 missed its renewed withdrawal date in Rajasthan and other parts of north-western India, sticking around for an additional three weeks, till October 6. 2021 is the third year in a row when India will see a delayed monsoon retreat. In 2020, withdrawal started on September 28 and in 2019, on October 9. All this unseasonal rain will adversely affect the yield of some short duration monsoon crops, say experts.

In the Indian subcontinent, the two main crop planting seasons are kharif (planted at the start of the monsoon) and rabi (planted at the end of the monsoon). The kharif season is thus entirely dependent on the monsoon. By September 17, 110.5 million hectares had been covered by kharif crops in India, a 4% increase over the average of the corresponding week in the past five years, and marginally less than last year, according to Ministry of Agriculture data. Among 21 major crops, seven showed a greater than 5% decrease in coverage area compared to the 5-year average.

By October 1, the overall area under kharif crops had increased by 0.21% over last year's levels, but the deficit for six of the 21 major crops had increased.

Putting this in context for farmers and the farm economy, Hetal Gandhi, director, CRISIL Research in Mumbai, said the overall kharif coverage data mask sharper decreases for some crops. "For kharif crops, we are expecting the sowing numbers to be flat or marginally down compared to last year, which would be less than a 0.5% drop. Even though overall acreage may show a flat trend, [sowing of] crops like cotton, jowar, bajra and groundnut are seeing a sharper drop," Gandhi told IndiaSpend on October 1.

Sowing, however, is only half the story; yield is the other. Maturation of the standing paddy crop in Punjab and Haryana was delayed due to unseasonal rain in September, the central government said on October 1. Noting high moisture content ranging from 18% to 22% in paddy samples from Punjab and Haryana, respectively, it advised agencies in both states to assist farmers with drying of paddy, to ensure that procurement could commence from October 11.

"Heavy rainfall in September is expected to impact yields of short duration kharif crops, which include groundnut, urad, soybean and maize," said Gandhi. These four crops are at the maturity stage, due to be harvested within the next couple of weeks. If the rains don't stop, the storage and transportation of these crops will be disrupted, and the rain is already affecting the quality of harvested and stored onions.

"Market placement is being done early and onions are being sold at a lesser price [by farmers, for fear of spoilage due to rain] which otherwise would have fetched better [prices] during the lean season of September to November," Gandhi said, adding that due to the rains, the farmers have sold much of their produce already, leading to prices crashing as supply has exceeded demand. "Overall, for farmers, we should hope there is no unseasonal rain now ahead of rabi sowing," she said.

September a 'new August', October an anomaly

Erratic rains may get worse and farmers will have to prepare, Sridhar Balasubramanian, associate professor of mechanical engineering and faculty at the IDP Climate Studies Centre at IIT Bombay, told IndiaSpend. "For example, often in June, an initial wet spell is followed by a lull or a bout of very heavy rain, neither of which are conducive to sowing."

"Looking at the past 10 years of data, September has become like a new August. October is also becoming unseasonably active but a clear pattern is not emerging. So it is very, very hard to advise the farmer on what to do," said Balasubramanian.

Monsoon rainfall data for the last 10 years show a trend of increasing rain in September, and widely varying patterns in October.

and international climate change assessments have flagged these increasingly varying patterns, and IMD's seasonal rainfall data over the past 120 years show a decrease in the amount of monsoon rain.

The Ministry of Earth Sciences' first ever climate change assessment for the Indian region, released in 2020, said that monsoon rainfall had declined by around 6% from 1951 to 2015, with notable decreases over the Indo-Gangetic plains and the Western Ghats. At the same time, India was seeing more frequent dry spells and more intense wet spells during the summer monsoon season, said the assessment, a pattern witnessed in August and September 2021 as well. Over central India, the frequency of localised extreme single-day rain events exceeding 150 mm per day increased by about 75% between 1950 and 2015, the assessment said.

Climate change perpetuating monsoon uncertainty

What caused India's monsoon rainfall to decrease? Mean rainfall should have increased due to the effects of global warming induced by greenhouse gas emissions, per the government assessment, but the radiative effect of human aerosol emissions, which were at high levels in the 20th century, "considerably offset" the effects of warming, leading to a decrease in mean rainfall. With human-caused aerosol emissions expected to decrease in future, and with continued global warming, mean monsoon rainfall will increase by the end of the 21st century, as will variability in rainfall dispersal and frequency of localised extremely heavy rain events, the assessment cautioned.

Simply put, climate change means we will have more monsoon rain in future, but also more variability in rainfall dispersal over the monsoon period, as witnessed in 2021, and more localised extremely heavy rain in short spans of time, as seen in coastal Maharashtra, west Gujarat and Hyderabad this year.

The findings of the government assessment were repeated in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's Working Group I 6th Assessment report, published ahead of the Conference of Parties 26 on climate change, to be held in Glasgow, UK, later this month.

"There has been a noticeable declining trend in rainfall with monsoon deficits occurring with higher frequency in different regions in South Asia. Concurrently the frequency of heavy precipitation events has increased over India while the frequency of moderate rain events has decreased since 1950 (high confidence)," said the 6th Assessment.

The IPCC's assessment also projected increased monsoon rainfall and intensifying monsoon extremes in India and South Asia towards the end of the 21st century, based on models showing the dominance of 20th century human aerosol emissions giving way to the dominance of greenhouse gas emissions. Even a 0.5 degree centigrade increase in warming would imply increased precipitation of 3%, it said.

Pulak Guhathakurta, head of the Climate Research Division at IMD, Pune, said that the trend of increasing rain and increasing variability of monsoon precipitation is already being observed.

"The observed trend of rainfall all over India, whether during the monsoon or other months, is slightly showing a decreasing trend. We have seen multi-decadal variability, where 1901-1930/40 was a dry epoch, then there was a wet epoch up to 1970. Ever since, it has been a dry epoch, but slowly India is recovering from it. Last two years, we had a good monsoon. There is already a significant increasing trend in extreme rain," Guhathakurta told IndiaSpend. "The number of days with zero rain and very heavy rain is increasing, but the number of days with moderate rainfall, which is very good for agriculture, is decreasing," he added.

Balasubramanian of IIT Bombay also believes the increase in precipitation will be in the form of extreme rainfall. "If you look at India overall, IMD has actually reduced the long period average rainfall amount from 889 mm to 880 mm. But, if you look at individual places, Mahabaleshwar which used to get 4,000 mm rainfall is now getting 6,000 mm. So what IPCC is trying to say is that warming will increase the likelihood of precipitation by means of extreme events. We will still receive 880 mm annually, but we will see an increase in extreme rainfall events."
Commerce and Industry MInister on Tuesday called for waiver of (IPR) in (WTO) and dismantling new trade barriers in the global fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.

In October 2020, India and South Africa had submitted the first proposal, suggesting a waiver for all WTO members on the implementation of certain provisions of the Trade-Related Aspects of (TRIPs) in relation to the prevention, containment or treatment of Covid-19.

In May, a revised proposal was submitted by 62 co-sponsors, including India, South Africa, and Indonesia. The TRIPS agreement came into effect in January 1995.

Our response to the pandemic needs to ensure equitable access to vaccines and other COVID-19 related health products by ensuring quick resolution of the supply side constraints. One of the ways to demonstrate this is by accepting the TRIPS waiver proposal, Goyal said, in his address to the G20 Trade and Investment Ministerial Meeting in Naples, Italy.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
India on Tuesday reported a net reduction of 12,447 in active cases to take its count to 214,900. Indias share of global active cases now stands at 1.2 per cent (one in 83). The country is ninth among the most affected countries by active cases. On Monday, it added 14,313 cases to take its total caseload to 33,985,920 from 33,971,607  an increase of 0.1%. And, with 181 new fatalities, its Covid-19 reached 450,963, or 1.33 per cent of total confirmed infections.

With 6,586,092 more Covid-19 vaccine doses being administered on Monday, Indias total count of vaccine shots so far reached 958,978,049. The count of recovered cases across India, meanwhile, reached 33,320,057  or 98.04 per cent of total caseload  with 26,579 new cured cases being reported on Tuesday.

Now the ninth-most-affected country by active cases, third by deaths, second by total cases and recoveries, India has added 132,872 cases in the past 7 days.

India now accounts for 1.2% of all active cases globally (one in every 83 active cases), and 9.26% of all deaths (one in every 11 deaths).

India has so far administered 958,978,049 vaccine doses. That is 2821.69 per cent of its total caseload, and 68.64 per cent of its population.

Among Indian states, the top 5 in terms of number of vaccine shots administered are Uttar Pradesh (119831510), Maharashtra (92387991), Gujarat (68705375), West Bengal (68526716), and Madhya Pradesh (67823238).

Among states with more than 10 million population, the top 5 in number of vaccine shots per one million population are Kerala (1098341), Gujarat (1075666), Delhi (1073897), Jammu and Kashmir (1008245), Uttarakhand (1005106) and.

Backwards from here, the last 1 million cases for India have come in 37 days.

The count of active cases across India on Monday saw a net reduction of 3,624, compared with 5,627 on Sunday. States and UTs hat have seen the biggest daily net increase in active cases are Maharashtra (443), Odisha (207), Puducherry (21), West Bengal (15), and Manipur (13).

With 21,563 new daily recoveries, Indias recovery rate stands at 98%, while fatality rate remained unchanged at 1.33%.

The Indian states and UTs with the worst case fatality rates at present are Punjab (2.75%), 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 21,756  193 deaths and 21,563 recoveries. The share of deaths in total closed cases stands at 0.88%.

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 1298.3 days, and for deaths at 1618.6 days.

Overall, five states with the biggest 24-hour jump in total cases are Kerala (10691), Maharashtra (2294), Tamil Nadu (1329), West Bengal (760), and Odisha (652).

Among states with more than 100,000 cases, the five with worst recovery rates at present are Kerala (97.12%).

India on Sunday conducted 1,035,797 to take the total count of tests conducted so far in the country to 583,631,490. The test positivity rate recorded was 1.8%.

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 (13.26%), Goa (12.68%), Sikkim (12.3%), and Maharashtra (10.92%).

Five states with the highest TPR by daily numbers for tests and cases added  are Kerala (13.05%), Manipur (7.43%), Mizoram (4.96%), Sikkim (4.45%), and Himachal Pradesh (2.7%).

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 (1510287), J&K (1128246), Kerala (1013187), Karnataka (722119), and Telangana (680570).

The five most affected states by total cases are Maharashtra (6577872), Kerala (4794800), Karnataka (2981027), Tamil Nadu (2678265), and Andhra Pradesh (2057252).

Maharashtra, the most affected state overall, has reported 2294 new cases to take its tally to 6577872.

Kerala, the second-most-affected state by total tally, has added 10691 cases to take its tally to 4794800.

Karnataka, the third-most-affected state, has reported 406 cases to take its tally to 2981027.

Tamil Nadu has added 1329 cases to take its tally to 2678265.

Andhra Pradesh has seen its tally going up by 624 to 2057252.

Uttar Pradesh has added 16 cases to take its tally to 1709954.

Delhi has added 29 cases to take its tally to 1439195.
Former bureaucrat Amit Khare, who last month retired as higher education secretary, has been appointed as advisor to Prime Minister for two years on contract basis, a personnel ministry order issued on Tuesday said.

Khare, a 1985 batch (retired) IAS officer of Jharkhand cadre, had superannuated on September 30.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Khare as advisor to the prime minister in Prime Minister's Office, in the rank and scale of secretary to government of India, on contract basis, initially for a period of two years, it said.

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Vaccines for and dengue, tropical mosquito-borne infections, could take two to four years to hit the Indian market, say industry insiders.

At present, there are several candidates in the works with the Serum Institute of India (SII), Bharat Biotech, and Zydus Cadila all working on either developing or manufacturing anti-malarial vaccines.

As for dengue, French firm Sanofi and Japans Takeda are looking to bring their vaccines here.

SII, the worlds largest vaccine maker, and Novavax are collaborating for phase-3 clinical trials of the Oxford Universitys Jenner Institutes vaccine on over 4,800 children in four African countries. It has shown 77 per cent efficacy in trials on infants, the first vaccine to cross the World Health Organizations (WHO) target of 75 per cent efficacy.

Work has begun in the last few months on this, said a source close to the development, without divulging details on India-specific plans. Industry insiders say regulators would require local trial data before allowing it.

Data on safety and immunogenicity, even if on a small cohort, would be sought by the regulator here even if they decide to base their decision of approval on global efficacy trial data, said a senior official of a vaccine firm. This could extend the timelines for availability here.

Adar Poonawalla, chief executive officer of SII, could not be reached for a comment on when he wished to start the Indian arm of the trial.

Besides, most of the vaccines being developed, in fact, are targeted at African countries. GSKs plasmodium falciparum vaccine (RTS,S/AS01E tentatively branded Mosquirix), which Bharat Biotech will produce will initially go to African countries. The tech transfer of the vaccine has begun. The antigen RTS,S will be made by Bharat Biotech, while GSK will supply the adjuvant.

GSK, which has developed the vaccine over 30 years, is currently piloting it in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi under the Implementation Programme (MVIP). The WHO said last week that it has recommended widespread use of the GSK vaccine for children in sub-Saharan Africa.

Sources close to the development said Bharat Biotech is currently working on setting up the manufacturing site. Hence, it would take a few years before the vaccine becomes available either in African nations or in India. Bharat Biotech will be the sole supplier of the vaccine till 2029 and will supply 15 million doses annually to these African countries.

A new facility is being constructed at Bhubaneswar for manufacturing the The process of technology transfer has already started, said a source close to the development. The person added that it would take two to three years before the vaccine is ready.

Bharat Biotech will have to take regulatory approvals from the Indian drug regulators before manufacturing, the source added.

Closer home, Zydus Cadila too has a candidate for malaria, being developed by its Vaccine Technology Centre in Ahmedabad. It is also working on vaccines for Haemorrhagic Congo Fever, Ebola, and Japanese Encephalitis, among others.

Sharvil Patel, Zydus Cadilas managing director, told Business Standard that the firm is working on both a vaccine and a therapy. We are working on both a and a drug, Patel said, without divulging further details.

Zydus has started work on an anti-malarial compound (ZY19489) along with Swiss partner Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV). The drug has completed phase-1 clinical trials. It is a single-dose cure for plasmodium falciparum and plasmodium vivax.

Meanwhile, Takeda Pharmaceuticals has initiated discussions with the Indian regulator for its dengue vaccine that has prevented 83.6 per cent of hospitalisations and 62 per cent of dengue illness overall.

Around July Sanofi had sought marketing authorisation for its dengue vaccine from the Central Drugs Standards Control Organisation (CDSCO). Sanofi has already presented data from phase-2 clinical trials in the country before the expert committee along with efficacy results from studies from other countries, said a person close to the development at the regulators office.

The Subject Expert Committee (SEC) advising the CDSCO has asked the French drugmaker to identify endemic areas for dengue based on the Indian Council of Medical Researchs serosurvey. This vaccine can be given only to children and those who have had at least one laboratory confirmed case of dengue. This is a hurdle for the Sanofi vaccine, as a lab test to confirm a previous infection of dengue is not available in India as of now.
Entry of advocates in court premises here should be allowed based on a smart card having a digital chip for verification of identity, lawyers' bodies Tuesday told the Delhi High Court in view of the recent shootout that killed three people in a Rohini courtroom here



The Delhi High Court Bar Association (DHCBA) and Bar Council of Delhi (BCD), in their suggestions given to a bench headed by Chief Justice D N Patel on improving court security, said that such smart cards would be akin to the proximity cards issued to lawyers for securing entry in the Supreme Court premises.

The bench, also comprising Justice Jyoti Singh, was hearing a petition concerning the security and safety at court premises, which is initiated on its own following the September 24 shootout at Rohini Court.

The bench had earlier asked all stakeholders, including the Centre, Delhi government, and various bar associations to also give their suggestions on the issue so that they could be incorporated in the order.

Advocates may be permitted with ID cards, like proximity cards in Supreme Court... There will be a mechanical scanning of these digitised cards, said DHCBA President and senior lawyer Mohit Mathur.

Lawyer Devendra Singh, appearing for BCD, stated that a new card containing a chip will be issued to advocates to regulate their entry into court premises.

He added that all advocates must abide by the security checks and any refusal to follow the same shall amount to misconduct.

The DHCBA further suggested that all visitors including advocates must be frisked by using advanced metal detectors, all the vehicles should be checked by employing hi-tech devices and entry of hawkers should be banned.

It also said that only licensed shopkeepers must be allowed access and identity cards should be issued for their staff.

The BCD called for a three-tier security system, including posting police personal in civil clothes inside courtrooms, setting up a 24-hour control room and installing more CCTVs to monitor the security at court premises.

It was also suggested that an active interaction and meetings of stakeholders must be ensured to deal with the issues and a separate uniform may be prescribed for law interns.

Both lawyers' bodies opined that the production of undertrials should be through the virtual mode and the number of security personnel should be increased.

Lawyer Robin Raju, appearing for a petitioner lawyer who has filed a separate plea on the issue, said that an advisory should be issued to all members of the Bar to cooperate with the security checks in courts.

Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma, appearing for Delhi Police, said that his suggestions were more or less the same.

It seems that the issue is only going to get worse due to overcrowding. Courts are soft targets, he said.

By and large we have got a good number of suggestions, said the Chief Justice who listed the matter for further hearing on October 25.

We expect respondents who have not filed so far the affidavit to give valuable suggestions (may do so) so that the matter is brought to an end by giving directions for safety (of court premises), the court said.

Earlier, Delhi Police had suggested that the use of technology should be maximised to reduce the physical presence of parties in all the seven district courts here and updated security gadgets are installed there to obviate security concerns.

It said the security of the seven district courts has been taken over by the Security Unit, which is a specialised unit of Delhi Police, and necessary security arrangements and staff are being deployed accordingly.

The high court had on September 30 initiated on its own a petition concerning security at courts in the national capital following the September 24 shootout at Rohini Court, saying there was a need for proper and effective deployment of a sufficient number of police personnel in courts.

Jailed gangster Jitendra Gogi and his two assailants posing as lawyers were killed inside the Rohini courtroom on September 24 in a dramatic shootout that also saw the police fire bullets in retaliation, the officials had said.

Video footage of the incident showed policemen and lawyers rushing out in panic as gunshots rang out inside courtroom number 207.

The two gunmen dressed as lawyers are suspected to be members of rival Tillu gang, an official had said, adding that over 30 shots were fired.

On September 24, Chief Justice of India N V Ramana had expressed deep concern over the shootout inside the crowded Rohini courtroom and spoke to the Delhi High Court Chief Justice in this regard and advised him to talk to both police and the Bar to ensure that the functioning of the court is not affected.

(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.)
Maharashtra and Gujarat could face an electricity crunch. seeks regulatory help after buying More on those stories in our top headlines this morning. After buy, ask govt to ease regulatory process

Tata Sons, which won the bid to acquire on Friday, has approached the government for expediting the regulatory process for the consolidation of its airlines. Read more...

Govt may consider higher GST, fewer rates to simplify structure: Report

India may look at increasing tax on some goods and services in a step toward moving to a simpler structure with fewer rates, according to people familiar with the matter.

A panel on goods and services tax, headed by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, will likely meet in December to consider the overhaul from the current four-rate system, the people said, asking not to be identified, as the discussions are private. Read more...

Zostel asks Sebi to reject and suspend Oyo's $1.2-billion IPO

Zostel Hospitality has written to the markets regulator, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi), requesting it to reject Oyo's draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) and suspend its proposed initial public offering (IPO). Read more...

Home minister meets with power and coal depts over energy crunch

A day after both the Union ministries of coal and power denied any energy shortage in the country, Union Home Minister on Monday held a meeting with Coal Minister Pralhad Joshi and Power Minister R K Singh and officials of the ministries concerned. Read more...

Gujarat, Maharashtra on the verge of energy crisis amid coal shortage

The two major industrial states of the country  Maharashtra and Gujarat  could face an energy crunch, as domestic is running short and imported coal-based generation has been stopped. There were, however, confusing signals from Maharashtra with the states energy department raising alarm while generating stations saying the power supply situation was under control. Read more...
Finance Minister on Tuesday highlighted "significant reforms" undertaken by the government including National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP) and National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP) as she met here.

Sitharaman arrived in the US on Monday for a week-long trip to attend the annual meet of the World Bank and IMF in Washingon as well as G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (FMCBG) meeting.

During the official visit to the US, Sitharaman is expected to meet US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.

After arriving in New York, Sitharaman travelled to Boston where she met investors during a roundtable hosted by FICCI and US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF).

The roundtable on Tuesday was attended by from across a wide spectrum of sectors including software, consulting, financial advisory, insurance, telecom hardware and investment management.

"The FM highlighted significant reforms including the setting up of #IFSC at #GiftCity, #NIP and #NMP. The US companies welcomed the reforms and initiatives undertaken by the Government of India and committed to work with it to increase foreign investments in India, the Finance Ministry said in a tweet.

Following the roundtable, Sitharaman held one-on-one discussions with top executives. Advent International Corporation Chairman and Managing Partner David Mussafer, after his meeting with Sitharaman, said that the reforms that have happened in India are a great step forward."



"For international investors like ourselves, we are always looking for opportunities to take friction out of the system. The opportunity to invest more in India really rests upon some of the reforms that have been made," Mussafer said.

He added that some of the insolvency provisions that create opportunity for companies to invest in and breathe life into new opportunities that have struggled are critical to the type of things that we look for and so we're incredibly excited about some of the reforms that have happened.

(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.)
As part of the corporatisation of the Ordnance Factories, the Central government will formally launch seven new companies on October 15, informed the Ministry of Defence on Monday.

The government is converting Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) into corporate entities.

These seven new defence companies will have 66 firm contracts worth Rs 65,000 crore from the three services and paramilitary forces.

The new companies are - Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited, Troop Comforts Ltd, Avani Armoured Vehicles, Munitions India Limited, India Optel Limited, Gliders India Limited, Yantra India Limited.

(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 Centre has asked generators to import for at least 10 per cent blending, citing shortage of domestic supply. This is a sharp reversal of its earlier directive of using domestic

At the same time, it alleged that "several states" were selling unallocated power from central generating stations on power exchanges "at a high price" and would be penalised.

The Union power ministry's warning came without the ministry spokesperson disclosing which states they were.

The mandate to use imported coal for blending came two days after the coal and power ministers denied any shortage of domestic coal.

" plants based on domestic coal will use imported coal of up to 10 per cent for blending with domestic coal, wherever technically feasible, to meet the increased power demand in the country. Power generation companies (gencos) shall expedite the process of importing coal for blending to meet the requirement, stated the notification on Tuesday.

The said the revival of the economy had led to an increase in demand and consumption of electricity.

During the August-September period, the share of coal-based generation increased to 66 per cent, from 62 per cent in 2019. As a consultant, total coal consumption during the same period increased 18 per cent over the corresponding period in 2019. However, supply from Coal India is not commensurate with the requirement," said a notice from the fuel management division of the Central Electricity Authority, the technical arm of the

It further said the coal stock at power plants was fast depleting and currently stood at 7.3 million tonnes (mt).

When the crisis started in August with a shortfall, the Union earlier urged gencos to "consider import of coal". Only state-owned NTPC imported a meagre 2 mt.





ALSO READ: PMO reviews coal supply, power availability situation

As part of the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative, the government decided to reduce the import of coal. Union Minister for Coal Pralhad Joshi said India would have zero coal imports by 2023-24, according to a media release by the Press Information Bureau in February 2020.

In a November 2020 interview to Business Standard, Joshi said the government has decided not to import coal and that states and the Centre should work together towards it.



"Despite having large reserves, we spent some Rs 2.4 trillion in 2018-19 on importing coal. Coal India does pay for land and rehabilitation. It is building houses on wastelands, giving employment, and paying compensation for land taken. No state or central government, or their agencies, offer these many jobs. The question is whether we want to go for imports or domestically produce it by building a whole ecosystem," he had said.

The Centre in 2017-18 had tried for zero coal imports, but it led to a shortage, compelling thermal units to resume the import of coal.

Coal stocks at thermal units fell to five days in September 2018, following complaints from several states over supply deficit. But in less than three years, a chain of events since August led to diminishing coal stock levels at thermal units. Currently, 16.8 gigawatt (Gw) of power generation capacity has zero days of coal stock and 25 Gw has less than three days of coal.





ALSO READ: India allows power plants to blend imported coal with local grade

With and electricity shortage looming, several power distribution companies are panic buying on the power spot market, taking spot prices to record highs of Rs 20 per unit (kilowatt-hour, or kWh) - the ceiling price in the day-ahead market.

The Union Ministry of Power has, however, blamed states for this. "It has been observed that some states are not supplying power to consumers and imposing load-shedding in some areas. On the other hand, they are selling power in the power exchange at a high price," said a statement from the ministry.

The statement is in regard to the 15 per cent power from central generating stations kept under 'unallocated power'. This power is given by the central government on a need-basis to states.

"States are requested to use the unallocated power for supplying electricity to consumers of the state. In case of surplus power, states are requested to intimate, so that this power can be reallocated to other needy states. If any state is found selling power in power exchange or not scheduling this unallocated power, their unallocated power will be temporarily power-reduced or withdrawn and reallocated to other states in need," said the statement.

The average market clearing price on Tuesday on the Indian Energy Exchange was Rs 15.85 per kWh. The maximum price was Rs 20 per kWh.
Four were among the 20 largest in the Asia-Pacific region in terms of market capitalisation in the third quarter of 2021, according to data compiled by Global Market Intelligence.

was ranked seventh with a market cap of $119 billion, which represented a quarter-on-quarter rise of 6.7 per cent. It was followed by ICICI Bank, which saw its market cap rise 11.2 per cent QoQ to $65.5 billion, helping it move up three spots to 12th.

State Bank of India climbed two spots to 17th on the list after its market cap rose 8.1 per cent to $54.5 billion. made it to the list after logging a 17.5 per cent gain in market cap, the highest on the list.

Elsewhere in the region though, the situation was grim. Most of the largest in China saw their market capitalisation fall further in the third quarter of 2021 amid a slowing economic outlook and loan worries at one of the nations biggest property developers.

With the exception of Postal Savings Bank of China, all other Chinese lenders in the top 20 logged QoQ declines in market cap in the quarter.

Most non-Chinese in the list saw improvements in their market cap during the quarter, however. Chinese banks have for months faced slowing loan growth and compressed interest margins amid a softening economic outlook and regulatory clampdown on excess leverage in the corporate sector.

In July, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) reduced its 2021 forecast for Chinas GDP by 0.3 per cent to 8.1 per cent. Global Ratings also revised its 2021 GDP forecast for the country to 8 per cent from 8.3 per cent. Some analysts say the ongoing debt crisis at China Evergrande Group could further hit the lenders' confidence.

The performance of Chinese banks in the third quarter was mainly dragged by investors concern over the slowdown of Chinas macro recovery, market sentiment curb amid regulatory crackdown, as well as contagious risk from the property sector, said Bruce Pang, Hong Kong-based head of macro and strategy research at China Renaissance.

Pang, however, is optimistic that the last leg of the year will mean more opportunities for Chinese lenders, given the well-rounded improvements on asset quality, solid fee income growth, undemanding valuation levels, mutual funds potential increase of holdings to secure returns towards year end, partly eased pressure from regulatory turbulence, and the growth of total social financing expected to bottom in September.

In July, Global Ratings said the return to normalcy from the Covid-19 pandemic may take longer for lenders in the Asia-Pacific region due to a slower rate of vaccination.

As of September, daily coronavirus cases remain high in several parts of the region and lockdowns remain in place for some jurisdictions. The rating agency believes the impact of ongoing and subsequent pandemic waves will be lower for high-income Asian countries with wide vaccination coverage. However, it still cut its outlook for most economies in the region and retained forecasts for India and Hong Kong.

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Disclosure: Entities controlled by the Kotak family have a significant shareholding in Business Standard


Chief of Army Staff Gen MM Naravane is on a four-day visit to Sri Lanka beginning Tuesday to further expand bilateral military ties and discuss regional security challenges in the backdrop of China's increasing attempts to expand influence in the island nation.

The Army chief will hold wide-ranging talks with top military brass of Sri Lanka and is scheduled to call on President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, officials said.

Gen Naravane's first visit to Sri Lanka as the Army Chief came days after the foreign secretary travelled to the island nation and held extensive talks with the top leaders of the country to boost cooperation in a range of areas.

The Defence Ministry said he will be meeting the country's senior military and civilian leadership and discuss avenues for enhancing defence relations.

"The Army chief will take forward the excellent defence cooperation between Sri Lanka and India through multiple meetings with senior officials of the security establishment and exchange views on various defence-related issues," it said in a statement.

He will also interact with the Sri Lankan service chiefs and visit the headquarters of the Sri Lankan Army, the Gajaba regimental headquarters and a military academy.

Gen Naravane's visit to Sri Lanka comes in the backdrop of China's increasing attempts to expand influence in that country, particularly in the maritime sphere.

The Army chief was accorded a warm welcome by Gen Shavendra Silva, Chief of Defence Staff and Commander of Sri Lankan Army, on his arrival in Colombo.

Defence and security ties between India and Sri Lanka have been on an upswing, particularly after the island nation was hit by a series of deadly bomb blasts in April 2019 in which over 300 people were killed.

Currently, the armies of the two countries are carrying out a mega military exercise with a focus on enhancing counter-terror cooperation.

The eighth edition of the 'Mitra Shakti' exercise began on October 4 at Combat Training School in Sri Lanka's Ampara and it will conclude on October 15.

The Army chief will also witness the culmination phase of the exercise and address the students and faculty at the Defence Services Command and Staff College at Batalanda.

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval paid a two-day visit to Colombo in November last year to attend a trilateral maritime security cooperation dialogue among India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

(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 Asian Development Bank's will boost its climate financing goals by $20 billion to a new target of $100 billion for the 2019-2030 period and aims to launch its concept for retiring coal-fired power plants at the COP26 climate conference in Scotland next month, the lender's chief said on Tuesday.

The plans, disclosed by ADB President Masatsugu Asakawa in an interview with Reuters, increase a previous $80 billion goal for climate financing for developing countries in Asia for the decade announced in 2018.

"The fight against will be won or lost in Asia and the Pacific, and we are committed to serving as a climate bank and a long term climate partner for our region," Asakawa said.

The additional $20 billion in financing support will provide support for climate mitigation efforts including low-carbon energy sources, climate adaptation projects and private sector projects.

Asakawa said ADB now plans for $66 billion for climate mitigation financing through 2030, including for new energy storage, energy efficiency and low-carbon transportation investments. The Manila-based lender will plan for climate adaptation financing of $34 billion, including agriculture, urban and water adaptation projects.

The bank also plans to boost its private sector operations to attract more private sector capital to new climate technologies and innovations, using $12 billion from its balance sheet to attract up to $30 billion in new private capital, due to increased demand for such financing, Asakawa said.

The plans were presented on Tuesday to U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who had convened a meeting with multilateral development banks, including ADB and the World Bank, to discuss their efforts to boost climate financing in line with the 2015 Paris Agreement.

COAL PLANT RETIREMENTS

Reuters first reported https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/exclusive-citi-hsbc-prudential-hatch-plan-asian-coal-fired-closures-sources-2021-08-03 in August that ADB was working with major financial firms to develop a mechanism to buy up coal-fired power plants in Asia and retire them early to shrink the biggest source of carbon emissions.

Asakawa said the group has finished an initial feasibility study and is now embarking on a longer study of the concept in three target countries -- Vietnam, the Philippines and Indonesia.

The initial feasibility study provided a framework for the ADB to engage with a broad set of country, regional and global stakeholders to support the transition from coal to clean energy. Asakawa said that interest is growing among other developing countries to join the initiative at a later date.

ADB and its partners, including British insurer Prudential, lenders Citi and HSBC and BlackRock Real Assets, are aiming to complete and launch a pilot investment fund in 2022 and make its initial power plant purchase next year or early 2023.

The concept is not included in the ADB's overall climate financing goals, because most of the money will come from private investors and donor sources, including philanthropists, Asakawa said.

A study by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis estimated that retiring half the coal power plants in Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam would require as much as $55 billion in financing, requiring strong support from Southeast Asian governments to attract financing.

The ADB will announce the partnership to design and establish the Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM) at COP26.

"Even now, some philanthropists have already shown interest in investing in this new initiative. So we plan to launch the ETM at COP26 in Glasgow," Asakawa said.

Asakawa added he hopes to be able to present the plans along with Indonesian Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati and Philippines Minister Carlos Dominguez.

(Reporting by David Lawder; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Aurora Ellis)

(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.)
said on Tuesday it will allow coal-fired to charge some customers market-driven prices for electricity, as a worsening energy crisis persuaded authorities to rush through their boldest reform of the power sector in decades.

Responding to shortfalls in power generation brought on by shortages and record high prices for coal, the government has taken a range of steps to boost coal production and manage electricity demand at industrial plants.

To help power companies pass on the high costs of coal, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said that all electricity generated by coal-fired plants would be priced via market trading in an orderly manner from October 15.

It also instructed commercial and industrial users to buy direct from the market or via agents over the grid as soon as possible.

A worsening power crunch has forced production curbs across industries such as cement, steel and aluminium, dampening the outlook for China's Utilities have struggled to keep up with post-pandemic demand for electricity, and generated less as rising price of coal rendered operations uneconomic.

Pushing all industrial and commercial users to the power exchanges and allowing prices to be set by the market may encourage loss-making generators to increase output.

Addressing a press briefing, NDRC official Peng Shaozong said the reform was designed to reflect power demand and consumption, and to some extent to ease operation difficulties of power firms and encourage plants to increase power supply. The most-active thermal coal futures contract soared 11 per cent to a record high 1,507.8 yuan ($233.55) a tonne on Tuesday.

About 44 per cent of Chinas industrial and commercial firms are currently trading in power markets, buying electricity over exchanges in cities such as Beijing and Guangzhou, while other such customers buy electricity at fixed prices direct from the state-owned grid firms. Chinas State Council on Friday said it would allow coal-fired power prices to fluctuate by up to 20 per cent from base levels.
The drew record demand for its debut green bond, in the sectors biggest-ever offering.

The bloc registered more than 135 billion euros ($156 billion) in orders Tuesday for a sale of 12 billion euros of securities maturing in 2037. Both the demand and size eclipse last months debut from the U.K. The transaction is just the first in a 250-billion-euro program of EU green-bond sales earmarked for the coming years.

This will be the largest green bond out there and it will provide investors with one of the most -- or the most -- liquid green bonds, said Julian Kreipl, a credit analyst at UniCredit SpA in Munich.





The jostle for orders was an absolute riot, according to Kerr Finlayson, the head of the frequent borrowers group syndicate at NatWest Markets Plc in London. The EU also holds the overall debt-market record, with 145 billion euros of orders for a social bond debut last year.

Its big business for joint lead managers Bank of America Securities, Credit Agricole SA, Deutsche Bank AG, Nomura Holdings Inc. and TD Securities, as banks compete for fees from record green sales this year of over $400 billion. The worlds top three arrangers -- JPMorgan Chase & Co., BNP Paribas SA and Citigroup Inc. -- werent on the deal.

Green Premium

Demand for this kind of debt is typically so high it commands a green premium, or greenium, versus conventional bonds. The pricing was set at eight basis points below midswaps, cut from initial guidance of five basis points below swaps.

That was around fair value for Floortje Merten, a strategist at ABN Amro Bank NV in Amsterdam, who sees the bond going on to outperform its conventional peers in the market.

The bond can perform -- we think the greenium can grow to potentially around five basis points, said Merten.

The proceeds will be chanelled to member states for spending in areas such as energy efficiency, clean energy and climate change adaptation.

However, the rush to start the funding means the debut comes before lawmakers and member states have actually approved the EU Commissions green bond framework, potentially undermining its goal to make that a gold standard for other borrowers around the world.

The Commission said the debt will adhere to its framework where feasible, and also to widely-used principles from the Capital Market Association. It has been reviewed by a second party opinion provider, Vigeo Eiris, part of Moodys ESG Solutions.

The EU had to find a compromise between the urge of issuing its first green bond and waiting for the final version of its taxonomy, which is currently suffering from heavy lobbying, said Maia Godemer, a sustainable finance associate at BloombergNEF. If the EU wants to show the robustness of its green action plan, the next issuance should be fully financing projects aligned with the taxonomy.
will remain as head of the International Monetary Fund after the lenders board reviewed accusations that she improperly influenced a World Bank ranking of Chinas business climate and reaffirmed its full confidence in her.

The fate of Georgieva--a Bulgarian economist and the first person from an emerging-market nation to run the IMF--had been in limbo since Sept. 16. A report written by law firm WilmerHale and commissioned by the World Bank, her previous employer, asserted that she pressured subordinates to boost Chinas position in the banks influential Doing Business report.

The executive board considered that the information presented in the course of its review did not conclusively demonstrate that the managing director played an improper role regarding the Doing Business 2018 Report when she was CEO of the World Bank, the fund said in a statement following board deliberations Monday.

Having looked at all the evidence presented, the executive board reaffirms its full confidence in the managing directors leadership and ability to continue to effectively carry out her duties.

Even with the vote of confidence, the allegations against her and Georgievas subsequent fight for her job threaten to overshadow the annual meetings of the two institutions -- which kicked off in Washington Monday -- at a time when both are tasked with supporting economies through the Covid-19 pandemic.

Legitimate concerns

The U.S.--the largest shareholder in both the and World Bank--had called the allegations regarding Georgievas time at the World Bank serious, and debated calling for her resignation, Bloomberg News reported last week. Other major shareholders had held back from voicing support pending the outcome of the IMFs internal review.

On Monday, the U.S. decided that the allegations ultimately didnt warrant removing Georgieva, a move that helped clear the way for her to stay.

However, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told Georgieva in a call Monday that the law firms report raised legitimate issues and concerns.

Accordingly, the U.S. believes proactive steps must be taken to reinforce data integrity and credibility at the IMF, the Treasury said.

The executive board, with 24 directors representing 190 member nations, had been racing to reach a decision, after hours of discussions over multiple days with both WilmerHale and Georgieva.

Georgieva, the World Banks chief executive officer from 2017 to 2019, denied the allegations, telling the board that the report did not accurately characterize my actions nor accurately portray my character or the way that I have conducted myself over a long professional career.



Allegations unfounded

In a statement released by her public-relations firm late Monday, Georgieva thanked the board and said it agrees with her that the allegations were unfounded.



Trust and integrity are the cornerstones of the multinational organizations that I have faithfully served for more than four decades, Georgieva said.

Even as Georgieva holds on to her job, the accusations impact her tenure at the IMF, which is expected to deliver unbiased analysis and serve as an honest broker and tough advice-giver among governments, especially those seeking its aid. The report also ignited fresh criticism about Chinas growing influence at the IMF and World Bank.

Georgievas continued tenure as head of the IMF would weaken the credibility of the institution and future decisions will be shrouded in a cloud of uncertainty, Representative French Hill, an Arkansas Republican, said in an emailed statement.

A French Finance Ministry official said a review of the WilmerHale report didnt provide details on precise elements to call Georgievas conduct directly into question, which is why France has supported her.

Another European official, who asked not to be named, said countries including France and the U.K. were among those still behind the IMF chief because they dont see clear evidence against her.

While the U.S. is the IMFs largest shareholder, France has traditionally had a big say in who gets to be managing director. Five IMF chiefs have been French, and even when the country didnt secure the top job, it played a pivotal role in determining who did.
Pakistan's Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said on Tuesday that law would be followed in the matter of the appointment of the chief of the powerful ISI, amid reports of differences between the civilian government and the army over the key appointment.

The Army last week announced that Lt Gen Nadeem Ahmed Anjum was appointed as the new Director General of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in place of Lt Gen Faiz Hameed who was appointed as Peshawar Corps Commander.

However, the notification of his appointment has not been issued by the office of Prime Minister Imran Khan, giving air to rumours about differences between the civilian government and the army over the key appointment.

As per law, the Prime Minister has the legal right and prerogative to appoint the chief in consultation with the army chief.

Despite speculation on social media over the delay in notification, the government kept silent on the issue until Chaudhry addressed the matter during a press conference after the meeting of the Cabinet.

He said that Prime Minister Khan and Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa had a "long sitting" last night to discuss the matter of the chief and the premier had subsequently taken the Cabinet into confidence over the issue.

"The legal procedure will be followed in the appointment of the new DG ISI, for which both (Gen Bajwa and Prime Minister Khan] are in agreement," he said.

Chaudhry also said that the premier and the military leadership were in close coordination. "Both (PM Khan and Gen Bajwa) are in agreement over this and the prime minister has the authority over it," he said.

The minister rejected the rumours regarding differences between the civilian and military leadership on the matter.

"I see on social media, there are many who have wishes; I want to tell them that the Prime Minister's Office will never undermine the respect of the Army and army chief. And the COAS and the army will never take any step that will undermine the respect of Pakistan's prime minister or civil setup, he said.

The chief legally is answerable to the Prime Minister who is the legal appointing authority.

However, due to Pakistan's peculiar history of army's dominance, the ISI chief is also considered very close to the army chief whose blessings are key for the appointment to this sensitive post.

The post of ISI chief is considered one of the most important in the Army, which has ruled the country for more than half of its 73 plus years of existence and has hitherto wielded considerable power in the matters of security and foreign policy.

(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.)
Samsung conglomerate leader Jay Y. Lee is set to stand trial on Tuesday charged with the unlawful use of a controlled substance, as legal woes continue to haunt the executive even after his release on parole in August following a bribery conviction.

Lee's release had raised market watchers' expectations of a flurry of major decisions at crown jewel Samsung Electronics Co Ltd and its affiliates, including the location of a $17 billion chip factory being planned in the United States.

But Lee is having to refocus on his legal troubles, with the Seoul Central District Court scheduled to hold its first hearing of a case in which Lee is suspected of receiving propofol - a sedative used in anaesthesia - outside of medical purposes at a clinic in Seoul.

Under South Korean law, the recipient of a controlled substance deemed to have been administered illegally is liable for prosecution, as well as those who administered the drug.

Lee's counsel has said his use was hospital treatment and not unlawful. Clinic staff, who are being tried separately, have denied wrongdoing.

Prosecutors were first made aware of the matter in 2020 but were advised to drop their investigation in March 2021 by an independent panel reviewing prosecution probes. They continued to seek the maximum fine as recently as June before another police report of sedative use led the court to order a trial.

The crime carries a maximum sentence of five years in jail or a maximum fine of 50 million won.

Legal experts, however, said they do not expect the maximum penalty should Lee be found guilty because propofol is less likely to be misused than many other controlled substances.

Lee was convicted in January of bribery and embezzlement and sentenced to 30 months in jail - including a year served before his sentencing. He was paroled in August, with the presidential office calling for public understanding, citing hope that he will help the country produce "semiconductors and vaccines".

After his release, Samsung said it would invest 240 trillion won in the next three years in fields such as chips and biopharmaceuticals. Lee himself has kept a low profile.

Lee is simultaneously on trial accused of stock-price manipulation and accounting fraud related to the $8 billion merger of two Samsung firms in 2015, with hearings held weekly.

(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.)
Treasury Secretary and Federal Reserve Board Chairman will meet with their Indian counterparts this week to address issues ranging from the economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and financial regulation to climate finance, a senior Treasury official said.

The meeting will mark the eighth gathering of the U.S.-India Economic and Financial Partnership, and the first such event since the onset of the pandemic, the official said.

The meeting underscores the growing importance of the U.S.-India relationship, and increasing economic and financial ties between the two countries, the official said.

It will take place on the sidelines of the annual meetings of the Monetary Fund and World Bank in Washington, which also includes a meeting of officials from the Group of 20 major economies, to which both countries belong.

U.S. and Indian officials will dedicate a session to climate finance, reflecting Yellen's commitment to push for progress in combating climate change, and her view about the critical role climate finance can play in achieving that goal, the official said.

No further details were immediately available.

(Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Shri Navaratnam)

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IPO-bound fintech firm has turned unicorn after a recent secondary ESOP sale round led by former Blackstone India head Mathew Cyriac, sources aware of the development said on Tuesday.

employees exercised their ESOPs (Employee stock ownership) in a recently opened window by selling part of their shares in a secondary sale.

"The secondary round was led by ex-Blackstone India Head, Mathew Cyriac, who topped up his holding at almost double of his previous price," the sources said.

The transaction size could not be ascertained.

did not respond to the email query sent in this regard.

"The transaction in the round took place at an enterprise valuation of around USD 1 billion," the sources said.

The last valuation shared by Mobikwik was USD 720 million in May 2021, after USD 20 million stake purchase by UAE's sovereign wealth fund Abu Dhabi Investment Authority.

The company, under its ESOP 2014 Scheme, has reserved 4.5 million equity shares for creating a pool of ESOPs for the benefit of the eligible employees.

MobiKwik Chairperson, co-founder and COO Upasana Taku had said the number of equity shares that would arise from the full exercise of options granted implies 7 per cent of the fully diluted outstanding shares.

The company has received regulator Sebi's approval to launch an initial public offering, through which it plans to raise up to Rs 1,900 crore.

The Gurgaon-based company had filed the Draft Red Herring Prospectus (DRHP) for the initial public offering (IPO) with Sebi in July.

Through the IPO, the company plans to offer shares aggregating to Rs 1,900 crore. Out of the total, Rs 1,500 crore will be mopped up through fresh issue of shares, while stocks worth Rs 400 crore will be offloaded through the offer-for-sale (OFS) route by existing shareholders.

According to the draft paper, Mobikwik had over 101.37 million registered users and more than 3.44 million online, offline and biller merchant partners as of March 31, 2021.

The sources informed that MobiKwik is eyeing valuation between USD 1.5 billion to USD 1.7 billion, which is expected to hit the market before Diwali.

(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.)
BLS International Services said that it has been authorized by The Embassy of Brazil in India for visa application processing.

Under this mandate, the company will be accepting visa applications from centres in Delhi and Mumbai in India. Brazil has opened its borders from 5 October 2021.

BLS will initiate Brazil visa processing along with several convenience services like photocopy, photograph, courier, form filling, etc. This is in addition to the robust portfolio of visa, passport, consular and citizen services of BLS International with over 46 client governments spread across 66 countries.

Shikhar Aggarwal, joint managing director, BLS International, said, We are glad to partner with The Embassy of Brazil in India to provide seamless visa processing across the country.

We are already working with the Government of Brazil in Lebanon as well as China and this is the testimony of our best-in-class service delivery that they choose BLS for India as well.

BLS International Services is a global services partner for governments and citizens in the domain of visa, passport, consular, citizen, e-governance, attestation, biometric, e-visa and retail services.

The company reported a consolidated net profit of Rs 20.33 crore in Q1 FY22 as against a net loss of Rs 0.79 crore in Q1 FY21. Net sales surged 242.41% to Rs to Rs 178.53 crore in Q1 FY22 over Q1 FY21.

The scrip fell 1.42% to currently trade at Rs 257 on the BSE.

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From its centres in Delhi and Mumbai

BLS International announced today that it has been authorized by The Embassy of Brazil in India for visa application processing. Under this mandate, the company will be accepting visa applications from centres in Delhi and Mumbai in India.

BLS will initiate Brazil visa processing along with several convenience services like photocopy, photograph, courier, form filling, etc. This is in addition to the robust portfolio of visa, passport, consular and citizen services of BLS International with over 46 client governments spread across 66 countries. This reflects company's focus on efficiency and continuous excellence in its operations. Brazil has opened its borders from 5 October 2021.

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Hester Biosciences surged 5.62% to Rs 2634.45 on reports that Bharat Biotech's Covaxin has received emergency use approval for children in the 2-18 years age group.

Covaxin is India's indigenous COVID-19 vaccine by Bharat Biotech developed in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) - National Institute of Virology (NIV).

The media reported that the Subject Expert Committee on COVID-19 has granted emergency use approval to Covaxin for children in the 2-18 years age group. The made in India vaccine will be administered in two doses, with a gap of 20 days between the first and second dose, reports added.

In May this year, Gujarat Covid Vaccine Consortium (GCVC) signed a pact with Bharat Biotech International towards contract manufacturing for the drug substance for Covaxin.

The GCVC comprises Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC) (a Government of Gujarat undertaking), Hester Biosciences and Omnibrx Biotechnologies.

As per the pact, Hester will provide complete infrastructure at its Gujarat plant for manufacturing the drug substance for Covaxin. Hester has estimated an outlay of Rs 40 crore for this project.

On a consolidated basis, Hester Biosciences' net profit rose 118.36% to Rs 12.49 crore in Q1 June 2021 on 51.04% rise in net sales to Rs 60.19 crore in Q1 June 2021 over Q1 June 2020.

Hester Biosciences is one of India's leading animal healthcare companies and is the second largest poultry vaccine manufacturer in the country.

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Krsnaa Diagnostics fell 6.43% to Rs 750.15 after the company's net profit declined 44.56% to Rs 12.54 crore on 27.9% decline in net sales to Rs 108.26 crore in Q2 September 2021 over Q2 September 2020.

In April-September 2021 period (H1 FY22), the company's revenue from operations stood at Rs 241 crore, up 19% year-on-year (y-o-y). Profit after tax without CCPS of Rs 34 crore, up by 167% with margins of 13.8%.

In H1 FY22, EBITDA (excluding CSR and ESOP expense) was reported at Rs 74 crore, up 76% y-o-y. EBITDA margin increased to 30.9% in H1 FY22 compared with 20.9% in H1 FY21. The company's net cash position stood at Rs 326 crore at the end of September 2021.

During the first half of the current fiscal, the company said its core business (radiology and pathology) registered a revenue increase of 143% y-o-y, which was partially offset by a decline of 75% during Covid-19. Core business contribution was 89% whereas Covid-19 business contributed 11% to the total revenues in H1 FY22.

Yash Mutha, executive director, said: In the last 3 years (FY18-21), our total centre count has increased at a CAGR of 39% from 682 in FY18 to 1,803 in FY21, and during the same period our revenues grew at a CAGR of 64%. From a balance sheet perspective, the company continues to strengthen its capital structure and has repaid a total debt of Rs 178 crore in H1 FY22. We have utilized Rs 143 crore out of the total IPO proceeds of Rs 146 crore in line with our stated objective, and remaining amount is funded by internal accruals. In the last six months, we have won 5 PPP and private contracts to commission 29 CT scanners and 8 MRI machines in the states of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra.

Looking ahead, Krsnaa Diagnostics remains confident to further expand its geographical footprint and penetrate deeper into the tier II and II cities under the PPP business model by offering competitive prices while maintaining quality diagnostic services. Furthermore, our hub and spoke model radiology facility in Pune is fully capable to process large volumes and will continue to allow us to maintain strong margins and profitability."

Krsnaa Diagnostics is India's fastest growing differentiated diagnostic services provider, both in radiology and pathology.

Shares of Krsnaa Diagnostics entered the bourses on 16 August 2021. The scrip was listed at Rs 1025 per share, at a premium of 7.44% to the initial public offer (IPO) price of Rs 954 per share. The issue opened for bidding on 4 August 2021 and closed on 6 August 2021. The price band of the IPO was set at Rs 933-954 per share. The issue was subscribed 64.40 times.

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Trigyn Technologies hit an upper circuit limit of 10% at Rs 137.90 after the company said its subsidiary secured a staff augmentation contract from the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA).

The company's wholly-owned subsidiary will provide general, professional and information technology staff augmentation services to NYCHA.

The contract is for a potential duration of five years through 30 September 2026 (initial term three years with two one-year options at NYCHA's discretion).

The contract has a maximum fee of $50 million and contains a provision to increase the maximum fee to $125 million.

The contract covers 143 position titles across the labor categories of general, professional and technical information technology staff augmentation services.

The company said that this contract facilitates the continued expansion of Trigyn's public sector business and presence in the region.

On a consolidated basis, Trigyn Technologies' net profit declined 20.34% to Rs 14.22 crore on 0.60% rise in net sales to Rs 250.35 crore in Q1 June 2021 over Q1 June 2020.

Trigyn Technologies is a public multi-national information technology firm with 2,000 resources deployed in 25 countries across Asia, North America, Europe, and Africa. Trigyn has an established client base of major fortune 500 companies in diverse industries, intergovernmental organizations, and US State Governments.

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Vedanta Ltd is quoting at Rs 304.45, up 2.25% on the day as on 12:54 IST on the NSE. The stock is up 205.52% in last one year as compared to a 50.22% gain in NIFTY and a 156.62% gain in the Nifty Metal index.

Vedanta Ltd rose for a third straight session today. The stock is quoting at Rs 304.45, up 2.25% on the day as on 12:54 IST on the NSE. The benchmark NIFTY is down around 0.1% on the day, quoting at 17928.35. The Sensex is at 60074, down 0.1%. Vedanta Ltd has dropped around 1.33% in last one month.

Meanwhile, Nifty Metal index of which Vedanta Ltd is a constituent, has dropped around 1.13% in last one month and is currently quoting at 5766.4, up 0.12% on the day. The volume in the stock stood at 72.92 lakh shares today, compared to the daily average of 91.42 lakh shares in last one month.

The benchmark October futures contract for the stock is quoting at Rs 307.95, up 2.94% on the day. Vedanta Ltd is up 205.52% in last one year as compared to a 50.22% gain in NIFTY and a 156.62% gain in the Nifty Metal index.

The PE of the stock is 10.03 based on TTM earnings ending June 21.

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Ahead of the World Bank-IMF annual meet,examines the impact of the Evergrande debt crisis and argues that despite expectations that Beijing will ring-fence the problem, the crisis should concentrate minds on building resilience and not politicising the multilateral financial architecture.Theargues that the key lesson to be learnt from this years eccentric monsoon is that given the low credibility of the Meteorological Departments weather forecasts, the need is to be constantly prepared to face any weather-related eventuality during the monsoon season.

The global agreement on taxing multinational corporations is likely to be thrashed out at the G20 finance ministers meet this week and finalised at the G20 leaders summit later. India is a party to this agreement which has implications for the digital taxes it has been imposing since 2016. This means Indias negotiators will have to ensure that revenues are not lost once these taxes are withdrawn. India, therefore, should use the upcoming G20 meetings to press its position and ensure that multinationals pay their fair share of taxes so that the country does not end up at the losing end of the burgeoning digital economy, the top edit points out. Read it here...

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Delhi leaders and workers staged a protest near Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence here on Tuesday against the ban on celebration of Chhath festival in the capital.

Meanwhile, MP Manoj Tiwari got injured during the protest and was rushed to Safdarjung hospital. He sustained an injury on his ear, said party leader Neelkant Bakshi.

Delhi president Adesh Gupta and others condemned Kejriwal-led for the ban on the festival that is celebrated by lakhs of Purvanchalis in the capital.

Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), in its order on September 30, prohibited Chhath at riverbanks, water bodies and other public places in view of Covid.

However, Gupta asserted on Monday that Chhath would be celebrated grandly and the BJP-ruled municipal corporations would make arrangements for it.

The protesters demanded Kejriwal government to send a proposal to DDMA for lifting the ban on the festival.

Earlier, Kejriwal had said that the decision to prohibit of Chhath at public places was taken in view of health and safety of the people.

(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 will field at least hundred new faces in the next Assembly elections in Gujarat, state president C.R. Paatil said on Tuesday in a party cadre meeting in Himmatnagar. The state polls are slated by the end of the next year.

Addressing the Page President (Panna Pramukh) Card distribution event, the state chief said, "There will be hundred new faces which will be replacing the old ones in the upcoming state assembly elections in 2022. The sitting MLAs present here need not take this message personally."

"I also say that nobody should approach me for tickets, as this decision has been taken from the higher ups and if someone is dissatisfied, he should go to Delhi," Paatil added.

He said, "The workers hold a very important position in the scheme of things in the saffron party and nobody should underestimate this. If we receive any complaints from the workers, that will be considered seriously. It should be ensured that workers' demands and proposals must be met."

Recently the party High Command changed the entire Cabinet in the government, replacing every minister including Chief minister Vijay Rupani with Bhupendra Patel and deputy chief minister Nitin Patel.

The major change in party's stance towards the upcoming elections might be attributed to the government's poor handling of the second wave of the pandemic as well as the strong outreach of the Aam Aadmi Party in the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.

The State assembly consists of 182 constituencies, of which the saffron party holds 112 seats, the opposition Congress 65 seats, the Bharatiya Tribal Party (BTP) 2 seats and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) one seat. The lone independent legislator was Jignesh Mewani, who will be contesting the next elections from the Congress ticket, while one seat is vacant.

--IANS

amc/skp/

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The delegation led by Rahul Gandhi will meet President on Wednesday over the Lakhimpur Kheri incident, the sources informed.

The party, earlier on October 10, wrote to the Rashtrapati Bhavan seeking an appointment with the President for a seven-member party delegation to meet him. The delegation will present a detailed memorandum of facts in connection with the Lakhimpur Kheri incident that claimed the lives of eight people earlier this month.

The delegation will consist of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, AK Antony, Mallikarjun Kharge, KC Venugopal, Ghulam Nabi Azad, and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury besides Rahul Gandhi who will lead the delegation.

As many as eight people including four farmers had died in the violence that took place on October 3. police have so far arrested three people including Ashish Mishra.

Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), a body of several farmer unions, had issued a statement regarding the incident claiming the death of four farmers and alleged that one of the four farmers was shot dead by Ashish Mishra, while the others had been allegedly run over by the vehicles of his convoy.

Meanwhile, refuting SKM's allegations, Minister of State Ajay Mishra Teni said that his son was not present at the spot, adding that some miscreants merged with protesting farmers and pelted stones on the car, which lead to the 'unfortunate incident'. Ashish Mishra also refuted SKM's allegations and reiterated his absence at the spot where the incident took place.

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Congress general secretary Vadra joined a large gathering of farmers from various states in Tikonia village here on Tuesday as part of last prayers in honour of the four deceased farmers and a journalist, who were killed in the recent violence.

Samyukta Kisan Morcha and BKU leaders, including Rakesh Tikait, Darshan Singh Pal, Joginder Singh Ugrahan, Dharmendra Malik besides local farm union leaders also arrived in the village to pay tributes during the 'antim ardas' to the deceased, who were mowed down by speeding vehicles on October 3 during a protest.

Vadra along with other Congress leaders reached the venue around 1 pm.

Samajwadi Party leaders, including district president Rampal Singh Yadav, Dr R A Usmani and others were also among those who reached to pay tributes and RLD president Jayant Chaudhary is scheduled to arrive later in the day.

No political leader has been allowed to share the stage, as announced earlier.

On the stage set up at the sprawling ground, family members of deceased farmer Daljeet Singh and Gurvinder Singh of Bahraich district, Nachhatar Singh and Lavpreet Singh of Kheri district, brother and daughter of deceased journalist Raman Kashyap of Nighasan (Kheri) sat holding photographs of the deceased persons.

Heavy security arrangements have been deployed in and around the programme venue.

Lucknow Commissioner, ADG, IG and other senior officers were camping in Tikonia monitoring the programme.

Police, PAC and paramilitary forces have been deployed to maintain law and order.

(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.)
Radico Khaitan Ltd

Radico Khaitan Limited (RKL) was incorporated on 21 July 1983. The Company is among the oldest and one of the largest manufacturers of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) in India. Earlier known as Rampur Distillery Radico Khaitan commenced its operations in 1943 and over the years emerged as a major bulk spirits supplier and bottler to other spirit manufacturers. The company's brand portfolio acros...> More
New Delhi (Delhi) [India], October 12 (ANI/NewsVoir): Best Agrolife Limited, a leading agrochemical company headquartered in Delhi and one of India's largest manufacturers of agro-inputs has been ranked 15th among top 20 Agrochemical companies in India.

The ranking has been released by AgroPages which is a prominent online media platform for the agrochemical industry devoted exclusively to the global agricultural business. Best Agrolife Ltd. registered 22% growth in revenue, FY 2020-21 proved to be a significant year for the company. The visionary agrochemical company took progressive steps towards upgrading the portfolio from old generics to patented combinations and recently off-patented molecules.

Best Agrolife Ltd. is preparing to increase its formulation plant capacity to 50,000 MTPA, which will be significantly higher from its present capacity. Considering its international footprints, the company is actively exploring various markets such as Africa, Asia, South East Asia and the Asia Pacific, European Union (EU) and the US and plans to own subsidiary companies in the Africa, EU, and the US markets. The company also plans to expand in technical manufacturing owing to the disruptive supply chain from China and consistent unmet demand of the agrochemical market. With its R & D leverage, Best Agro is also working on a novel IP formulation which is under field trials that will help in creating more value for the farmers in fighting the major diseases on staple and F & V crops.

India's agrochemical industry is expected to grow 8-10 per cent by 2025, according to data by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI). Presently, India is the fourth-largest producer of agrochemicals after the US, Japan, and China. Its key segments include insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, bio-pesticides, and others. Agropages provides insightful industry information, deep market analyses, product searches, professional database, market reports, and personalized online marketing solutions for brand establishment.

Elaborating upon this recognition, Vimal Alawadhi, Managing Director, Best Agrolife Ltd. said, "In FY20, India's market was valued at Rs. 40,000 crore, with domestic consumption being Rs. 20,000 crores. It feels great to be recognized as a prominent player in a market of this potential. The agrochemical sector is highly impacted by the domestic agriculture sector and exports. Therefore, our significant efforts have always been dedicated to catering our end-buyers' needs at priority. The end buyer of our products is farmers, our product workshops, seminars and awareness sessions are streamlined to make the farmers fully aware and aim for the betterment of their crops."

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Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], October 12 (ANI/PRNewswire): MBA is one of the most promising and significant courses that students can pursue in today's date and time.

The recent upheaval in the business world due to the COVID-19 has further justified the necessity of management education as businesses face tougher market conditions than ever before.

Those graduates who are interested in pursuing business management as their field of study can now take their chances by appearing at IBSAT 2021. The IBSAT is the admission test for the prestigious MBA program at the ICFAI Business School (IBS), and it is considered one of the important MBA entrance exam that MBA aspirants can try their hands at. Here are some of the important things that the aspirants need to keep in mind if they wish to attempt the IBSAT 2021.

IBSAT is an aptitude test conducted by The ICFAI Foundation For Higher Education for admission to the MBA program for the ICFAI Business School (IBS) campuses. The IBSAT also provides admission to the Ph.D. program ICFAI Business School (IBS). It is a Computer-based Test or CBT that can be attempted online.

The test has different sections and the total duration of the IBSAT is 120 minutes. The areas that the test evaluates are Quantitative Aptitude, Verbal Ability, Data Adequacy & Data Interpretation, and Reading Comprehension. The questions are modeled as Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQ) with no negative marking.

Students who have valid scores from 2019 onwards of CAT, GMAT, or NMAT by GMAC, can skip the IBSAT and apply for ICFAI Business School directly. The 9 campuses of ICFAI Business School accept IBSAT scores for admission.

The aspirants need to have graduated in any discipline with the medium of instruction being English and having secured 50% or more marks. The students who have completed their regular education on a 10+2+3 or 10+2+4 basis can attempt the IBSAT test. Even the students who are doing their graduation and are in their last year of graduation are eligible to attempt the IBSAT. This comes as a great relief for the students who do not need to wait for their graduation results for giving the entrance examination which might lead them to miss the test deadline.

The students who successfully clear the IBSAT 2021 can be a part of the (https://ibsindia.org/mba) MBA and PGPM program at the various ICFAI Business School (IBS) campuses. ICFAI Business School (IBS) has a stellar reputation as one of the foremost business schools in the country, and the students can undergo their management education at ICFAI Business School (IBS) to receive a world-class learning experience.

The learning at ICFAI Business School (IBS) is pragmatic and differentiated from most other MBA curriculums in business schools. The ICFAI Business School (IBS) leverages its unique CASE-based learning to provide real-world business challenges to the students so that they can develop unique business insights.

This unique approach has been well admired by the students as well as corporate bodies which see a great value in the practical approach of these methods. ICFAI Business School (IBS) also has a robust learning infrastructure incorporating the Quicforce LMS that is used for providing students an easier way of managing their academics while providing contemporary instructional methods such as blended learning. Online learning also provides much-in-demand flexible learning options that can provide the optimum academic experience to the students.

The ICFAI Business School (IBS) campus experience is an exciting journey that has many extra-curricular activities and events adding to the holistic development of the students. The premier business school also has a great alumni community that adds additional value for the students leveraging the power of networking. Another advantage that ICFAI Business School (IBS) offers to the students is in the form of focus on soft skills and leadership development. This aids the students in enhancing their executive presence and communication skills so that they can reach greater heights once they enter the corporate world.

As a testament to these practices, The ICFAI Business School (IBS) has won the Leadership Legacy Award in Higher Education at the 20th World Education Summit. Organized by EletsTechnomediaPvt Ltd the summit awarded IBS in recognition of the exemplary and continuous contribution to the area of the Education sector.

The students who wish to be a part of this prestigious institute can proceed to the IBS website for the details of the IBSAT and to acquire the application form for the same. The last date for application is 16th December 2021.

For more information visit (https://ibsindia.org)

To apply for IBSAT (https://admissions.ibsindia.org/IBSAT2021/registration/index.asp?utm_source=PRNEWSWIRE & utm_medium=PR1) Click Here

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Sonipat (Haryana) [India], October 12 (ANI/OP Jindal University): To honour the memory of the former Hon'ble Union Minister of Law & Justice, Dr. H.R. Bhardwaj, O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU) hosted a Memorial Lecture on "Law, Democracy and The Idea of India" by Dr. Shashi Tharoor, Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha.

This took place in the presence of Hon'ble Justice Ashok Mathur, Former Judge, Supreme Court of India. JGU also announced the institutionalization of awards, faculty fellowships and student scholarships to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. H.R. Bhardwaj.

This occasion was also graced by the esteemed presence of Dr. Bhardwaj's family members including Dr. Prafullata Bhardwaj, wife of late Dr. Bhardwaj, Arun Bhardwaj, son of late Dr. Bhardwaj and Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India, and Karan Bhardwaj, the grandson of late Dr. Bhardwaj.

During the Inaugural Memorial lecture, Dr. Shashi Tharoor, Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha said, "The late Dr. H.R. Bhardwaj had a distinguished political and legal career that can scarcely be matched. His deep knowledge of the law was developed through decades of public service during which he served as a five-term parliamentarian, Union Minister of Law and Justice and the Governor of Karnataka and my own home-state, Kerala. His contributions to legal and judicial reforms such as pressing for women's right to property, the introduction of rural courts and improving access to justice for all, the right to information act and fighting for reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and in legislative assemblies, as well as his encouragement, which Dr. Raj Kumar has described so well to our hosts at the Jindal Global University, to establish and develop their fine institution, have been of incalculable benefit to the social and legal progress in India."

Elaborating on the theme of the lecture - 'Law, Democracy & The Idea of India', Dr. Tharoor further observed, "It's in many ways a fitting theme, given the current state of our nation; but what does the idea of India even mean? The idea of India is in some form or another arguably as old as antiquity itself and numerous other proofs of the aspiration for cultural unity that appear throughout the history of our civilization. India as a modern nation state based on a certain conception of human rights and citizenship, vigorously backed by due process of law and equality before the law, is a relatively recent and strikingly modern idea. But the modern idea of India despite the mystical influence of Tagore and the spiritual and moral influences of Gandhiji and others, is a robustly secular and legal construct based upon the vision and intellect of our founding fathers - notably Ambedkar, Nehru and Patel, and the preamble of the Constitution itself is the most eloquent enumeration of this vision."

Earlier during this event, during the welcome address, the Founding Vice Chancellor of O.P. Jindal Global University, Professor (Dr.) C. Raj Kumar introduced the initiatives by JGU in memory of Dr. Bhardwaj. He said, "O.P. Jindal Global University has institutionalized multiple forms of awards and recognition to commemorate the memory of Dr. H.R. Bhardwaj. Firstly, we have instituted the 'Dr. H.R. Bhardwaj Annual Lecture Series' on a theme related to Dr. Bhardwaj's work and vision. We've also decided to institute the 'Dr. H.R. Bhardwaj Memorial Gold Medal' to be awarded to a student of Jindal Global Law School (JGLS), who stands first in the course on Constitutional Law at the university's convocation ceremony. There will be an annual moot court competition, and we will institute the 'Dr. H.R. Bhardwaj International Faculty Fellowship' to be awarded to a distinguished young scholar annually."

Later, in a discussion, while reminiscing over his earlier memories of Dr. Bhardwaj, Dr. Raj said, "More than a decade ago, in 2004, I had the privilege to present my paper on 'Establishing India's First Global University' in the esteemed presence of Dr. Bhardwaj. He was gracious enough to take time out on the eve of Independence Day to allow me to further elaborate on my vision. This discussion stretched to over two hours, and a few weeks later Dr. Bhardwaj introduced me to our Benefactor and Founding Chancellor, Naveen Jindal. The rest is history. We will always be grateful to Dr. Bhardwaj for having faith in our vision, and giving us the platform to make this dream of word-class education in India a reality. We feel truly privileged, fortunate and humbled to have such an inspirational leader as our mentor and guide. His presence will always be missed, and we are truly honoured to spend this occasion with members of his family and his loved ones."

Dr. H.R. Bhardwaj was a visionary leader, an eminent lawyer, a humanitarian, an erudite educationalist and a politician who left behind a remarkable legacy. A lawyer by profession, designated as a senior advocate by the Supreme Court of India in 2000, Dr. Bhardwaj's legal and political career spanned over five decades and was widely credited with possessing an acute appreciation for the intersection between law and politics. As a five-time member of Parliament in Rajya Sabha from 1982 till 2009, Dr. Bhardwaj served as the Union Minister of Law and Justice, Senior Vice President, Institute of Constitutional and Parliamentary Studies, Minister of State (Independent Charge) in the Ministry of Planning and Programme Implementation and more.

This memorial lecture was further elevated by the presence of Honorable Justice Ashok Mathur, Former Judge, Supreme Court of India, who delivered the Presidential Address. During his address, he highlighted the impact of Dr. Bhardwaj's work, and said, "Dr. H.R. Bhardwaj was himself a great prolific writer and was the author of seminal works. He had a great heart and he never discriminated on the ground of any religion or caste. Dr. Bhardwaj was always involved in great service to the judiciary. He also made great contributions to the development of law depending on the case delivered by the judgment of the supreme court."

Highlighting the significance of institutionalization of awards by JGU in the memory of Dr. Bhardwaj, Professor Dabiru Sridhar Patnaik, Registrar, JGU said, "Without Dr. Bhardwaj's support we would not have been able to reach where we are today. In the memory of Dr. H.R. Bhardwaj's long-standing contributions to the field of law and justice, we are committed to these activities which are based on access to justice, standards of excellence and advocacy of nation-building pursued by Dr. H.R. Bhardwaj. This is the inspiration to commemorate his legacy and we are certain that these activities will encourage students of law, scholars and legal practitioners to achieve excellence in areas of law and public policy, thus contributing to the interpretation of the development of law and jurisprudence."

This memorable event was made truly special by tributes given by Dr. Bhardwaj's family members. In response to the memorial lecture on "Law, Democracy & Idea of India", the celebrated jurist's family welcomed JGU's initiative and said that it was a great way to remember and celebrate him and perpetuate his memory.

This story is provided by OP Jindal University. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/OP Jindal University)

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], October 12 (ANI/PRNewswire): (https://www.sell.do) Sell.Do, India's leading integrated CRM solution for real estate businesses hosted a CEO Summit in association with Realty+ Masterclass along with top RE leaders of Bengaluru.

The CEO Summit was chaired by a panel of industry stalwarts like Abhishek Kapoor - CEO Puravankara Ltd, Rajendra Joshi - CEO Residential Business - Brigade Group, Srinivasan Subramanian - CEO SNN Builders, Ashwinder R Singh - CEO Residential Bhartiya City and S. Baaskaran - Group CEO, Ozone Group.

Ahead of the festive seasons, the webinar encapsulated experts views on 'Bengaluru Realty poised for Transformation & Growth' highlighting key insights on government policies and regulations within the sector, changing consumer preferences, and financial options such as bank loans and construction finance available to consumers and developers both.

Sharing his thoughts on the CEO Summit, Vikram Kotnis, Managing Director, Sell. Do, emphatically stated, "Bengaluru has been successful in leveraging the global IT boom, making it the favoured destination for Millennials to relocate. Also, the state government's policies and attractive festive bank loans are helping fuel homebuying in Bengaluru. The Bengaluru consumer is progressive and has evolving preferences which need to be met through data-driven proptech solutions. Increasingly, Real Estate developers are innovating by using technology solutions to streamline operations and create enhanced customer experiences to service this new consumer."

Abhishek Kapoor - CEO Puravankara Ltd, elaborated, "Bangalore is one of the most desired real estate destinations across the globe. Its unparalleled concentration of IT, manufacturing hubs, and startup capital have transformed it into a highly attractive location for white-collar jobs. With an influx of job seekers and growing civic amenities, Bangalore has witnessed tremendous growth over the last decade. The rapidly rising smart infrastructure, an abundance of commercial establishments, conducive market dynamics, a balmy climate, tree-lined streets, and vibrant culture make this metropolis a favorite among end-users and investors alike."

With a promising future outlook, the Bangalore RE industry is now poised for transformation and exponential growth. Bengaluru RE has always been a fast adopter of technological trends and with implementation of Government reforms like reduction in stamp duty, lucrative Home loan interest and festive offers have paved the way for its revival. Widely regarded as the silicon valley of India- Bengaluru continues to emerge as a preferred hub for commercial real estate, primarily led by the BFSI, Tech & Pharma companies.

This story is provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PRNewswire)

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Meerut (Uttar Pradesh) [India], October 12 (ANI/NewsVoir): Parul Shukla, a successful woman entrepreneur from Meerut, was honoured for her outstanding contribution to print and digital media.

In the program organized by Bhagirathi Arya Kanya Inter College Lalkurti Meerut Cantt under 'Mission Shakti', the school principal honoured Parul Shukla.

Parul Shukla is serving across India as a female entrepreneur with her brother Amit Bishnoi in the name of her company (https://swatcatpr.com) Swatcat Communication) (PR and Content Placement). Parul Shukla who has been working for years in the field of Print and digital media, is today a well-known name in this sector. Parul Shukla has established a different image in the field of Print and digital media in Meerut.

With a memento the Principal of the school, Lata Sagar honoured Parul Shukla. Under the program 'International Girl Child Day' the students of Bhagirathi Arya Kanya Inter College asked her questions. Excited to find successful women entrepreneurs in front of them, the students learned many important facts about Print and digital media from them.

Parul Shukla told the girls what courses related to PR i.e. public relations can be done after the intermediate examination. In which new courses like MBA etc. Public relations have been attached. Which degree can they get further after doing these courses? Women entrepreneur Parul Shukla shared such important information with the girls.

On the occasion of International Girl Child Day, the students enthralled everyone by presenting beautiful poems. The program was completed under the supervision of Dr. Sneh Prabha. Smt. Swati Singh, Nodal Officer of Mission Shakti Bhagirathi Arya Kanya Inter College gave impetus to the program by conducting the stage. Entire Bhagirathi family contributed to make this program a success.

This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir)

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
After COVID-19 canceled the event last year, College Night is making is returning from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Cadillac High Schools Auxiliary Gym, 400 Linden St. As in years past, the event is for junior and senior students from around the area and their parents/guardians.
Heavy fog enveloped cities across China Thursday morning, causing low visibility in several regions. The fog started to appear in cities like Wuhan in Central China and Urumqi in Northwest China earlier this week, creating traffic jams. On Thursday, Beijing authorities shut down multiple highways to avoid accidents, while the northeastern city of Shenyang issued the highest-level alert as visibility reduced to less than 20 meters in some areas

Nov 18, 2021 06:18 PM
The Facebook Papers project represents a unique collaboration among 17 American news organizations, including The Associated Press. Journalists from a variety of newsrooms, large and small, worked together to gain access to thousands of pages of internal company documents obtained by Frances
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A barber shop clips and snips some of their first costumers in months after more than 100 days of lockdown to help contain the COVID-19 outbreak in Sydney, Monday, Oct. 11, 2021. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)
FILE - In this June 7, 2017 file photo, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) headquarters is pictured in Paris, France. Nearly 140 countries have agreed on a tentative deal that would make sweeping changes to how big, multinational companies are taxed in order to deter them from stashing their profits in offshore tax havens where they pay little or no tax. The agreement announced Friday foresees countries enacting a global minimum corporate tax of 15% on the biggest, internationally active companies. (AP Photo/Francois Mori, File)
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The Morehead City Rotary Club will present Flags for Heroes on Veterans Day. The exhibit will be similar to the one presented for the Fourth of July, seen in this photo. The club is seeking sponsors to fly 100 flags Thursday, Nov. 11. (Cheryl Burke photo)
Melrose (Atkinson-Sanbornville, NH) - Atkinson-Sanbornville: With deep sadness we announce that Lewis Charles Stevens "Chucky" passed away on Thursday, October 21, in the comfort of his son's home. He fought a hard battle with cancer and heart disease and was blessed to be surrounded by love
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Carroll, IA (51401)

Today

Mostly clear this evening then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 22F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Mostly clear this evening then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 22F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph.
Ojari and Please studied at Londons Royal College of Art, where they both directed remarkable metaphysical stop-motion shorts about humans experience of time: Pleases BAFTA-winning The Eagleman Stag and Ojaris Sundance-playing Slow Derek. After graduating, they formed Parabella Studios and did commissioned work  including a deliriously fun food-based spot for reality show The Great British Bake Off  while developing personal projects.

One of those projects, Robin Robin, took flight in 2018, after Ojari and Please sang a song theyd written for it to an Aardman executive. She was charmed, and the short was greenlit and set up at Netflix. Ahead of its launch on November 24, we spoke to the directors about how they came to make this most unusual of Aardman films, and how the pandemic helped them along the way 

Cartoon Brew: How did you pitch Robin Robin to Aardman?

Mikey Please: We pitched it at Annecy Film Festival in 2018. Wed gone there with a pilot that wed made [for series Alan the Infinite], and Robin Robin as a kind of back-pocket idea. We bumped into [executive producer] Sarah Cox in the canteen. So it was very, very serendipitous, the meeting.

We presented her with this very, very simple story-book-format version of Robin Robin. Wed written Magpies song at that point and sung to her in the canteen. She wasnt put off by that. She was really excited by the fairy-tale nature of [the project].

She took it back to Aardman, pitched it to Pete [Lord, studio co-founder] and the sort of creative council here, they liked it too. So then we came to Aardman. We bought with us lots of fuzzy-felt, needle-felt Christmas decorations and did a proper pitch. And then they optioned it, and then we took it to Netflix and Alexi Wheeler [director of kids and family content, EMEA].

Dan Ojari: What we showed to Sarah was a storybook synopsis, which weve done for a few of our ideas, which is just like a really sort of visual and simple way of telling the story. We also had the first draft of the script, which is wildly different from what we ended up making. Wed also worked with an illustrator, Briony May Smith  to create some concept art.

How did the development process work? Was the creative council closely involved?

Please: Yeah, we had various touchstone moments with them. Sarah Cox was very involved in the development. We worked very closely with Sam [Morrison, co-writer] on the screenplay. We had one fantastic session watching the animatic with Nick Park, who gave some very insightful feedback.

Ojari: One thing thats worth mentioning: [it was] Aardman and Netflix. I think that they sort of align on this approach to filmmaking: putting a lot of trust in the creators, because with that trust, you then take responsibility for how good it is on yourself. There were lots of really helpful notes from Aardman, but there was never any pressure to act on them. And the same with Netflix.

How do you divide creative responsibilities between the two of you?

Ojari: I do act one, part of act two.

Please: And I take part of act two and just see it through to the credits. [Laughs]

Ojari: Its very fluid.

Please: Its a Wild West. Its whoevers volume is louder during the discussion. Obviously weve been working together for a very long time, and when we were on smaller productions  weve always worked completely together on the conceptual and the writing structure side.

When it came to production, there would sometimes be an easier divide between areas of focus. But coming to work at Aardman, weve come to be part of this absolutely incredible, amazing team. So that divide isnt really relevant anymore. We were both really across everything. When it came to directing on the floor  handling shots  we did kind of split the film into two, and we would take more focus on particular areas of the film. It wasnt mid-act two, but 

Ojari: It was a little bit like that, wasnt it? The structure at Aardman, and I think in other stop-motion productions, is that if youve got two directors, which is quite common, you sort of have your own scene. Because having two people executing every shot would get confusing.

One of the strengths in having two people doing, in a sense, one role is that, in order to figure stuff between each other, you have to vocalize it and externalize it. It has to be a clear thing for us both to understand  So then when you communicate it to someone else, you know its got a clarity to it and a logic.

Theres an Aardman house style, which is a kind of combination of Nick Parks and Peter Lords styles: plasticine puppets, etc. Was it clear from the beginning that your film would deviate from that?

Ojari: [Initially,] we didnt know the ins and outs of Aardman and the way theyd want to push it. We were like, We wonder if theyre going to push the in-house look on it. Its not something that we do naturally, but, you know, its kind of interesting. But then to come here and see that, actually, the spirit of Aardman is just passionately trying to make interesting, odd things. Everyone here was welcoming [and open to] trying something out, trying a new venture.

What do you like about felt? Had you used it before in animation?

Please: Not in a central way. Its a beautiful material to work with. Obviously, theres a huge, growing body of felt stop-motion [animation], lots of amazing artists working in that way.

It has a lot of similar qualities to plasticine, in that you can sculpt and it has that immediate, tangible visceralness, which is what you want when youre going to the pains and efforts of making a stop-motion film. You want it to be unmistakable, what youre actually doing.

Theres also something lovely about the way that felt absorbs light. Having worked with that plastazote material [in the past], one of the things we loved about it was that you could sort of hit it from the back with a strong light, and the whole thing would kind of glow through. Felt has a similar quality to it, in that theres a sort of numinosity that glows out of felt  you get these beautiful rim lights.

Theres also something [about felt] that felt tonally right for the kind of film, in that its a very wool-soft, squeezable material. You could hang it on a tree at Christmas.

Did you watch any of this body of felt stop motion for reference, or did you speak to any of the directors? Im thinking Oh Willy, that kind of stuff.

Please: There were lots of artists [at Aardman] whod worked with felt before. And obviously we did a lot of research and development into how to make them, you know, bendy without them feeling like their skins are stretching. Felt isnt innately stretchy, but if you clad the body in the right way, it can feel as though its one solid thing.

Obviously, were huge fans of Marc [James Roels] and Emma [de Swaef, directors of Oh Willy]. And youve got other practitioners. Theyre all peers.

Ojari: I remember when we screened This Magnificent Cake! [by Marc and Emma]  incredible. Needle felt is a material, but those films, they have their own set of rules for how they use that material. You could say [Robin Robin] is another needle-felt film, but the way we use it, I think, is quite different, really. A part of it is how much boil, and how loose it is.

We actually went quite clean with it. We used the texture and the way it lights. Theres an element of boil to it, when youre touching it, but it was a considered amount. We did tests [to see what happens] if you just dont care about where you touch it or anything, and just let it boil. But it can be quite wild. For certain intimate scenes, it kind of steals the show.

You were saying that the puppet makers and the animators had experienced working with felt already? Were you specifically casting people who did?

Please: Yeah, we brought in a couple of needle-felt experts.

Ojari: I think we even got some people who run needle-felting workshops. Theres loads of interesting techniques  really beautiful, intricate techniques that you can use with needle felt.

Please: It can almost feel photorealistic with some rendering. You can do pinpoint work. We were working from Matt Forsythes production art, which is very painterly, lots of hues overlapping. We wanted to push the look and the use of the felt in that way.

Ojari: And also the simplicity of the character design. We did a lot of tests, doing really intricate rendering of the characters, rendering each one of their feathers and things like that. It was really nice, but Matt pushed us to just be really bold and simple with it, and let the shapes of the characters and the simplicity of the material shine.

Some of the effects are in camera  you have woolly smoke  but some are 2d 

Please: Thats right. We started out with a lot of 2d hand-drawn reference  But yeah, we did lots of multiplane effects of smoke and snow.

And then Jon Biggins, our vfx supervisor, would shoot the sets in stereoscopic. So although its not a 3d film, most of it was shot in 3d so that we could get a depth map of the set and then integrate all of those real stop-motion elements behind the characters. All the mist and the felt snowballs, even the water effects are all properly integrated within the film as if it was a cg film.

That was incredibly helpful. As well as having the real elements shot on a rostrum camera, we were able to integrate them in a real way. Because otherwise it could have been really flat and felt like a sort of stuck-on-the-top collage.

The pandemic. Theres no avoiding it. Did it interrupt your shoot? Had you already started?

Please: Yeah, it massively did.

Ojari: I think we started filming about three weeks or so [before the lockdown]. So we were kind of getting into the stride of the shoot. And it was a very ambitious shoot. We always knew that the ambition of the project and the schedule that we had didnt quite align, so we knew we were really up against it.

So it was a bizarre situation where youre just trying to hit full speed, and then everything started and people just started dropping out. But the silver lining for the production, aside from anything else, was that, because wed filmed enough of it already, we were definitely making it. So there was that security.

But then it gave us about three or four months to [put down our] tools  because theres so many departments when youre gearing up to shoot something  and just focus with the story team, an editor, and the musicians. So it was just amazing to be given these few months to go, Okay, lets fix these bits; lets make these bits better.

So we worked the whole time pretty much purely on the animatic, while the team at Aardman were putting in a lot of work to make the studio Covid-safe  they were expanding all the units. Certain parts of the film were dramatically better because we had this time.

Please: The less good knock-on, I suppose, is that we werent able properly to integrate with the team on the level that we usually would in a production. Because everything had to be so business, you know, the minimal communications between the departments.

Ojari: [Aardman studio] Aztec West is not the prettiest of places, but theres an amazing community there. People have worked there so long, and are ridiculously talented and passionate about what they do. So theres this lovely community and atmosphere there, and it was really sad to have that formally taken away.

And also knowing that there were risks involved in just coming to work. It was sort of an intense time, but the spirit of everyone and the passion to make the best thing we could make was still there.

Please and Ojaris answers have been edited for brevity and clarity.
Re: Trudeau meets refugees

After reading this article online, I can't help thinking how the Kamloops Indian band must feel.

In your article it states: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met a family of newly settled Afghan refugees on Saturday marking the start of the Thanksgiving weekend and said: "This is what Thanksgiving is all about, reflecting on how lucky we are."

Too bad the prime minister could not have been with the Kamloops Indian Band chief and band members on the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation to let them know what the National Day of Reconciliation and Truth was all about and to reflect on how lucky we are.

As a white Canadian, I am embarrassed that he would welcome refugees and ignore our Canadian Indigenous population on their special day.

Prime Minister Trudeau has made too many stupid mistakes, which he shrugs off. It is time for (him) to resign.

C.E. Murray, West Kelowna
Photo: The Canadian Press

Opponents of Line 5 want the White House to reject Canada's bilateral effort to prevent a Michigan judge from shutting down the cross-border pipeline.

Canada has formally requested negotiations with the U.S. under the terms of a 1977 treaty that specifically deals with the bilateral transmission of energy.

Environmental groups, however, call the gambit an "audacious" and misleading attack on American sovereignty.

A coalition dedicated to the shutdown of Line 5 is delivering petitions to members of Congress and the White House, urging them to side with Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

Whitmer's government is locked in a court dispute with Calgary-based Enbridge Inc. over the pipeline, which traverses the Great Lakes beneath the Straits of Mackinac.

Lawyers for the state argued last week that Canada's decision does not require the court to put the case on hold.
Arson is attempted murder.

I am appalled at the number of arsonists in the Okanagan Valley.

I am thoroughly disgusted with the judges in Kelowna (who) have no respect for us or our safety and willingly release attempted murderers back into our society and put all of us at risk yet again in a time of record draught and raging out of control wild fires.

If the jails are that full, perhaps the esteemed well-educated judges (thanks to the education we all subsidized but they forget about or never bothered to learn aboutfree elementary and high school then $5 per $1 of post secondary tuition) would welcome the arsonists into their neighbourhoods. We could place one arsonist in each judge's neighbourhood, preferably on their street where the judge can admire firsthand the results of their poor disrespectful decisions.

What was the intent of the laws governing arson is the question but sadly only those who have completed critical legal studies to the Masters level could ever possibly answer that question. But, with only one university in Canada having that level of legal study, there is faint hope the judges have ever read any of the critical legal studies books so necessary to understanding the intent of the of the law. The requirement for a lawyer is high school and a passing grade on the LSAT followed by law school where they are not even able to draft a legal agreement on their own however the college education of their assistants provides the templates as do the firm records when their article. Of course errors within the firm are copied and repeated for decades by all following the originator.

What mental health help is guaranteed for the very sick arsonist?

Let's start there and follow up with the necessary mental health help for those who suffer the trauma of constant threat for their safety. That is us, the public who live in fear while judges release arsonists back onto the street to perfect their technique.

Debbie White, Kelowna
Re: 'Racist' patch in Blue River (Castanet, Oct.12)

Q: Do you know what the Thin Blue Line represents?

A: The line represents the line between civility and chaos, good and evil, and the lives of all our fallen brothers and sisters in law enforcement.

The short story:

The term thin blue line was originally derived from the thin red line, which was the formation of the 93rd Highland Regiment of the British Army. The British, wearing red uniforms, were vastly outnumbered but stood their ground and defeated advancing Russian troops during the Crimean War in 1854. Over the next 50 years, the symbolism of the thin red line would get adopted by the United States Army but colour changed to blue, as US soldiers wore blue uniforms between the 18th and 19th centuries.

In 1922, New York City Police Commissioner Richard Enright, was the first documented law enforcement figure to use the term thin blue line during a speech to describe the men and women of the New York City Police Department who wore blue uniforms. The term would continue to be used and began to catch on in other major police departments throughout the United States.

In the 1950s, Los Angeles Police Department began using the phrase thin blue line to describe their police officers as the barrier between law, order, and anarchy. The LAPD would later lend the term to the department-produced television show, The Thin Blue Line.

By 1988, the term thin blue line was starting to become main stream and recognized by officers and the public worldwide. The term was once again used as the title for a TV documentary which discussed the murder of Dallas Police Officer Robert W. Wood. Since the documentary and up until this day, the symbol of the thin blue line has represented not only good vs evil, but a remembrance to the line of duty deaths of law enforcement officers.

These flags have no association with hatred, racism or bigotry. The thin blue line represents peace, order, safety, remembrance and respect; the hundreds of line of duty deaths each year must be kept sacred and secure.

Please do not make them out to be anything other than what they are, display, protect and support this line.

Guy Pollock, retired RCMP officer
Photo: The Canadian Press FILE - This police camera video provided by The Moab Police Department shows Gabrielle "Gabby" Petito talking to a police officer after police pulled over the van she was traveling in with her boyfriend, Brian Laundrie, near the entrance to Arches National Park on Aug. 12, 2021. Teton County Coroner Brent Blue is scheduled to announce the findings of Petito's autopsy at a news conference early Tuesday, Oct. 12. (The Moab Police Department via AP)

Cross-country traveler Gabby Petito was strangled to death, a Wyoming coroner announced Tuesday.

Petito, 22, died three to four weeks before her body was found Sept. 19 near an undeveloped camping area along the border of Grand Teton National Park in remote northern Wyoming, Teton County Coroner Dr. Brent Blue said in a news conference.

It wasn't clear if the determination might lead to additional charges against Petito's boyfriend and traveling partner, Brian Laundrie, who is considered a person of interest in her disappearance and remains unaccounted for.

Blue declined to say more about the autopsy or the case overall, saying he was prevented by Wyoming law that limits what coroners can release.

Petito had been on a cross-country trip with her boyfriend. She was reported missing Sept. 11 by her parents after she did not respond to calls and texts for several days while the couple visited parks in the West.

Blue previously classified Petito's death as a homicide  meaning her death was caused by another person  but had not disclosed how she was killed pending further autopsy results.

Petitos case has led to renewed calls for people to pay greater attention to cases involving missing Indigenous women and other people of color, with some commentators describing the intense coverage of her disappearance as missing white woman syndrome.

The search for Laundrie has generated a frenzy, with TV personalities like Duane Chapman  known as Dog the Bounty Hunter  and longtime Americas Most Wanted host John Walsh working to track him down.

Petito and Laundrie posted online about their trip in a white Ford Transit van converted into a camper. They got into a physical altercation Aug. 12 in Moab, Utah, that led to a police stop, which ended with police deciding to separate the quarreling couple for the night. No charges were filed, and no serious injuries were reported.

Investigators have searched for Laundrie in Florida and also searched his parents home in North Port, about 35 miles (56 kilometers) south of Sarasota.

Federal officials in Wyoming last month charged Laundrie with unauthorized use of a debit card, alleging he used a Capital One Bank card and someones personal identification number to make unauthorized withdrawals or charges worth more than $1,000 during the period in which Petito went missing. They did not say to whom the card belonged.

In Florida, FBI-led search teams have been looking in a vast nature preserve for any sign of Laundrie. Weeks of searching in the swampy Carlton Reserve south of Sarasota  where Laundries parents say he went after returning home from the West  have turned up nothing.

Laundrie family lawyer Steve Bertolino said in an email there was nothing new in the search.
The CEOs of Southwest Airlines, American Airlines and Delta Air Lines, pictured here on April 29, in Baja California state, Mexico, say they are not requiring unvaccinated employees to receive the shot, breaking with United Airlines' mandate that workers get vaccinated by October 25.
California Department of Education

News Release

California Department of Education

News Release

2021 California STEAM Symposium Keynotes & Early Registration Prizes

SACRAMENTOThe California Department of Education is excited to announce keynotes and early registration prizes for the ninth annual California STEAM Symposium taking place online October 2123, 2021, presented by Chevron. This incredible event will bring together passionate educators seeking inspiration, energizing engagements via numerous peer-led breakouts, and the opportunity to collaborate with STEAM education experts. Register on the California STEAM Symposium registration web page by October 14, 2021, to be eligible to win a family trip to Disneyland!

Women take the stage! Check out the amazing keynote lineup:

Dr. Moogega Cooper Planetary protection lead of the famed NASA 2020 Mars mission.

Planetary protection lead of the famed NASA 2020 Mars mission. Gabby Rivera Author of Juliet Takes a Breath and the Marvel comic series America.

Author of Juliet Takes a Breath and the Marvel comic series America. Kate Stanforth Disabled dancer, math & science enthusiast making the world more inclusive.

Disabled dancer, math & science enthusiast making the world more inclusive. Dr. Marissa Pei, Asian OprahPsychologist, motivating people to be happy 88 percent of the time.

Register by October 14, 2021, to be eligible for these prizes:

Family trip to Disneyland in 2022 & complimentary 2022 registration. Full details are available on the California STEAM Symposium registration web page .

. Private Q&A with Dr. Moogega Cooper on Thursday, October 21, 2021.

Complimentary CA STEAM Symposium 2022 registration.

More prizes will be given away for active participation during the event.

Details:

California STEAM Symposium (All times in PT)

Thursday, October 21, 20213:00 p.m. to 6:15 p.m.

Friday, October 22, 20213:00 p.m. to 6:15 p.m.

Saturday, October 23, 20219:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Location: Any laptop or mobile device.

Visit the California STEAM Symposium registration web page for more information.

The current registration is only $285!

The California STEAM Symposium is cohosted by the California Department of Education, the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls, and the Californians Dedicated to Education Foundation.

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Tony Thurmond  State Superintendent of Public Instruction

Communications Division, Room 5602, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100

Last Reviewed: Monday, October 11, 2021
Cemex announces release of secured notes under the Facilities Agreement

12 October 2021

Cemex has announced that the collateral that guarantees Cemex's debt under its main bank agreement and its senior secured notes have been released.

Under Cemex's Facilities Agreement of July 2017, the release of collateral was automatically triggered after Cemex previously reported two consecutive quarters with a consolidated leverage ratio of 3.75x or less.

We are very pleased with this momentous milestone which is a culmination of the substantial strengthening of our capital structure and paves the way towards an investment grade rating. This will simplify our debt structure and reduce teh cost of managing our debt stack, said Maher A-Haffar, Cemex CFO.

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Chatham, VA (24531)

Today

A shower is possible early. Cloudy early, becoming mostly clear after midnight. Low around 35F. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

A shower is possible early. Cloudy early, becoming mostly clear after midnight. Low around 35F. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph.
I am a veterinarian in Hixson. We need national standards that allow for safety and freedom casting our ballots.

I seek an impartial system where every vote counts. We must call for fair elections so that our elected constituents can deliver for us.

Please fix the Jim Crow filibuster.

Jessica Claudio

* * *

Jessica Claudio makes some interesting points in her tirade against the, "Jim Crow," filibuster. The problem is she is 57 years too late. The only Jim Crow filibuster I am aware of was the one Southern Democrats used in the summer of 1964 against the Civil Rights Act. The Democrat Senate Majority leader Richard Russell from Georgia actually introduced a law on the floor of the Senate that would export black Americans from the south to the north to reach an approximate even proportion of blacks and whites in every state. His reward for this was to be honored by Democrats with a Senate office building in DC and a federal office building in downtown Atlanta named for him.

The filibuster has been utilized by both parties forever. It depends on whose goose is being cooked where both parties stand on the issue. Here is a quote from Chuck Schumer on the issue.

"We are on the precipice of a crisis. A constitutional crisis. The checks and balances which have been at the core of this republic are about to be evaporated by the nuclear option," Schumer said, referencing an option to eliminate the filibuster, during a 2005 speech. "The checks and balances which say that if you get 51 percent of the vote, you dont get your way 100 percent of the time."

Perhaps they should teach more history and political science in Vet school.

Douglas Jones

Ooltewah

* * *

Last year Democrats used the Jim Crow filibuster for a total of 327 times while Republicans used the filibuster only once (Boston Herald, June 9, 2021). Senator Chuck Schumer defended using the Jim Crow filibuster to stop Trumps agenda but says its different now that they are in charge (The Hill, Alexander Bolton, March 25, 2021).

Over the 36 years Joe Biden was in the senate, he argued to keep the filibuster and a video of his speeches appears online (Washington Post, J M Rieger, April 2, 2021). In past years other Democrats have argued to keep it. Barrack Obama said, ending the senate filibuster is putting an end to democratic debate (Newsweek, Ewan Palmer, Mar 26, 2021). Now they all want it gone. Why now?

Democrats want no debate on their legislation that will change the way Americans vote. Remember Schumers words, its different now that they are in charge. They will say or do anything to fix the system. Their scheme would fix the system all right, in their favor, otherwise why would they work so fiercely to crush dissent?

Ralph Miller

* * *

I would like to remind any and all Americans that just because a standard is nationally mandated does not improve it. Our states get things right more frequently than does our federal government. Currently, we have an impartial system of voting. That does not guarantee that all people are honest. However, it is my belief that the great state of Tennessee does a very good job handling elections. We usually know the outcome of our elections within about four hours of the polls closing.

In fact, just this past year the Tennessee Legislature passed a bill that requires the addition of a watermark on all our absentee ballots, a deterrent measure to prevent cheating. This bill passed the Senate in a 27-0 vote. I am so proud of this state, and I love it. If I thought there was a better state I would have moved there.

I never fail to vote. The precinct in which I vote is run by my neighbors. When I enter the fire hall to vote I notice that everyone is quietly laughing and chatting with each other. Each poll worker has a job to do, and they do it without ever touching a voters ballot once it has been marked. I dont know which ones are Democrats and which ones are Republicans. Ive never heard an argument or a cross word. One cant improve on something that isnt broken.

I can only wonder if Jessica Claudio has ever voted in Hixson. I have voted at different precincts in Hixson and never experienced a problem. Yes, we should all call for fair elections, and thanks to all our hard-working volunteers who provide this for us. Thanks also to all those who work at the county election commission. I know there are problems there from time to time, but all in all they do a good job.

Sue Thompson










Lee University alumni, staff, and students have been working on a feature length film, Christmas in July, which recently released to major streaming services.

The film is directed by Lee 2009 graduate Miles Matsuno; produced by April Reuning, part-time faculty at Lee, and Dr. Jeff Salyer, assistant professor of communication; and crewed by Lee cinema students, alumni, and various professionals. In addition to Lee family, the Cleveland community assisted the project by serving as extras and providing locations.

I was inspired by the heart of the story by the original writer, Bret Kofford, and the impact of the overall message it had, said Mr. Matsuno. The films and content I make are uplifting, meaningful, and mostly family oriented.

Mr. Matsuno reached out to Dr. Salyer with early drafts of Christmas in July.

I read the script from cover to cover, and we talked about how beautiful and touching the story is and how amazing it would be to collaborate on it one day, said Dr. Salyer.

After countless rewrites to the script, production began summer of 2017. The team shot over the course of three weeks in southeast Tennessee and north Georgia. Throughout the film, various Cleveland locations such as Bon Life Coffee, Pathway Press, the Old Woolen Mill, the Lee University Chapel, and the historic homes on Centenary Avenue make an appearance.

During the process there were lots of ups and downs, as is such with filmmaking, but I had a good support system and team along the way, said Mr. Matsuno. Im very happy with the film and the way that it turned out and how its been received throughout the country, and Im grateful for everyone who played a role in making this a reality.

Mr. Matsuno worked with several Los Angeles-based companies over the course of a year to complete post-production, which includes editing, sound design, music scoring, and coloring. After completion, it was submitted to and accepted by many film festivals, including some of the largest faith and family centric festivals in the world, where it was the Featured Film of the Knoxville Film Festival, finalist for Best Faith Based Feature Film at Burbank International Film Festival, and won Best Supporting Actress at Canadian International Faith and Film Festival, among others.

For me, the best part about making this film was collaborating with other people, said Dr. Salyer. We keep hearing, this film has heart or it connected with me because I know what that family is going through. To have those kinds of comments makes it worth the effort. Myles Matsuno is a wonderful storyteller who really cares about the subject of his stories. You can see his compassion for people in the characters of Christmas in July, and I can't wait to see what is next in his career.

Mr. Matsuno continues to work on several projects, including a documentary about his familys wrongful imprisonment in Japanese internment camps during World War II, First to Go. He is also writing more screenplays and working with brands to create meaningful cinematic content.

In addition to teaching, Dr. Salyer serves as the director of marketing at Lee. He has, in collaboration with students and faculty, produced four short films that have been in film festivals across the country including the Austin, Chattanooga, Knoxville, and Nashville Film Festivals, winning several awards including Best Short Film four times.

Christmas in July released in a limited number of theaters over the summer and is currently available for rent and purchase on major digital platforms including AppleTV, Amazon, Google Play, and Fandango Now.
CHI Memorial Foundation, the fundraising arm of CHI Memorial, announces Jake Johnson will serve as the director of development and major gifts. He will work to advance major gifts by partnering with foundations, community leaders and individual donors.



We are very excited to have Jake join the team at CHI Memorial Foundation, shared Jennifer Nicely, president, CHI Memorial Foundation. His experience is a perfect compliment to our fundraising efforts, including an upcoming capital campaign to help fund the new hospital planned for Northwest Georgia and efforts to develop the new Stroke and Neuroscience Center at CHI Memorial.



A native of Ringgold, Mr. Johnson brings nearly 10 years of fundraising experience to CHI Memorial. Most recently, he served as a director of development for the American Heart Association where he led annual campaigns in Chattanooga and Northwest Georgia. Before his time at AHA, Mr. Johnson was a senior consultant at Pennington & Company and worked extensively to conduct feasibility studies and develop and manage capital campaigns. He has raised nearly $12M dollars during his career.



To learn more about the CHI Memorial Foundation, call 423.495.4438, or visit memorial.org/foundation.
Eight states  including Tennessee  have banned the controversial Critical Race Theory from being taught in schools and another 20 states have legislation in the works to do the same thing. But at Chattanooga-based Blue Cross-Blue Shield of Tennessee, the openly racist program is allegedly being force fed to its 6,700 employees. According to a number of sources, the vastly unpopular theory is being foisted on the BCBST workforce and is believed to be grossly inappropriate in a state so diametrically opposed to it.

It is believed a large number of employees have already been subjected to the controversial but compulsory program.

This news comes just days after the mammoth health-care provider began firing employers who refused to take the coronavirus vaccine based on religious or personal grounds.

It has been confirmed 19 longtime and faithful employees were terminated and another group has since been threatened unless they take the vaccine no later than the first week of November. It has been alleged BCBST has routinely rejected those applying for religious exemptions.

Currently many BCBST employees are required to attend diversity and equity and inclusions sessions, which some anonymous employees claim is absolutely stupid. Blue Cross has no such problems. Granted, there is still some 'systematic racism' by their definition throughout the United States but BCBST is probably at the forefront of an employee workforce where such garbage most certainly is nonexistent, according to an employee with almost 20 years experience.

Dr. J.D. Hickey, who lives on Lookout Mountain, is the BCBST chief executive officer while the chief medical officer of the company is Dr. Andrea Willis. The Chairman of the Board is civic leader and prominent Nashvillian Marty G. Dickens. Chattanooga physician Jack McCallie is a board member.

In late May Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed an Executive Order effectively banning teaching racial concepts of race and racism in public schools, agreeing strongly that students should learn the exceptionalism of our nation, not the things that inherently divide people.

We need to make sure that our kids recognize that this country is moving toward a more perfect union, that we should teach the exceptionalism of our nation and how people can live together and work together to make a greater nation, and to not teach things that inherently divide or pit either Americans against Americans or people groups against people groups, the governor told reporters at the time.

The Tennessee Star, an online news website, first reported the Critical Race Theory was being foisted on Blue Cross employees on Sunday and in an article written by Laura Baigert, the headline read:

* * *

WHISTLEBLOWER: BLUECROSS BLUESHIELD OF TENNESSEE IS PUSHING CRITICAL RACE THEORY ON ITS EMPLOYEES

Written by Laura Baigert for Tennesseestar.com on Sunday, October 10, 2021

BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee (BSBCT) is pushing Critical Race Theory on its employees, even though the company serves a state that largely disagrees with these values.

This is according to a long-term employee of BCBST, who provided information to The Tennessee Star on the condition of anonymity for fear of losing their job.

This story follows that of another BCBST employee who came forward last week also on the condition of anonymity to tell The Star that BCBST  a near $1 billion vendor to Tennessees state government and a TennCare Health Plan contractor  is forcing some of its employees to get a COVID-19 shot and not allowing for religious accommodation.

BCBSTs policies have significant impact in the state, being the states largest health plan  serving 3.4 million members and 11,000 companies  and the employer of 6,700 Tennesseans, according to BCBSTs by the numbers.

The employee who read the previous story about BCBSTs termination of employees for not receiving a COVID vaccine made them come forward about this additional topic that BCBST employees are finding disturbing.

The long-time employee says that they are finding the current culture very divisive and serving of a political agenda.

Since the George Floyd protests of last year  which caused billions of dollars worth of property damage, dozens of deaths and at least 2,000 injuries to police officers  the employee told The Star that BCBST has taken a very progressive stance on workplace culture.

As such, BSBCT has been pushing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policies very hard on employees.

This includes publishing articles on the companys intranet pushing the concepts as well as recommending employees watch videos, read materials and buy books on the topic of Critical Race Theory.

The employee provided a four-page internal document dated July 13, 2021, titled Read, Watch and Learn, encouraging the use of the included resources to help better understand systemic racism and its impacts on individuals, organizations and society.

Several of the materials can be accessed only by BCBST employees who enter a username and password, such as a BCBS video series, Talking About Race. In the collection of two-minute videos, co-workers discuss their experiences with racism and share their memories and feelings about racisms effects and let fellow employees know what they can do differently. All employees are encouraged to participate in the self-education exercise.

Another self-education source encouraged by BCBST is a 60-minute video from How to be an Antiracist fame Dr. Ibram X. Kendi. As The Star reported, Kendi was paid $20,000 by Fairfax County Virginias public schools for a one-hour virtual presentation, while the average teaching assistant earns just $23,000 for an entire year.

BCBST even reaches into what they think employees should be doing in their homes and raising their children.

Under a category titled Pass it On, BCBST tells employees, Even babies notice differences like skin color, eye shape and hair texture. Experts agree its never too early to start talking about race. These resources can help start the conversation, as well as help parents address feelings children may have about protests and events in the news.

The employee shared with The Star that there are several employees who are afraid to speak up on such issues, because it is clear which direction BCBST is moving even though the company serves a state that largely disagrees with these values.

* * *

My grandfather, Roy McDonald, founded BCBST of Tennessee and served as its board chairman for the first 42 years of its existence. That noise you just heard was Mr. Roy rolling over in his grave. My goodness gracious.

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Since Signal Mountain Town Manager Boyd Veal is retiring effective in December, Honna Rogers gave the town council an overview of the process recommended for the search of a new town manager, which typically takes three-four months. Ms. Rogers is the municipal management consultant with MTAS, the organization that assists municipalities in the state of Tennessee.

MTAS will assist the town in interviewing employees and department heads as will Mr. Veal to develop an updated job description and in advertising the position. MTAS will grade the resumes to help narrow the number of applicants. City manager professionals at an assessment center will look for qualities that cannot be put on a resume and will give a recommendation. The council will interview the narrowed field as a group and individually. An online test can also be used to show qualities that do not show up in a standard interview. The council asked Ms. Rogers to move forward with the interviews of city employees and creating the job description. She will also put together a calendar/timeline for the process.

Ms. Rogers, who was the Signal Mountain town manager for five years, said, "I am so appreciative of Mr. Veal and for all he has done for the town. He taught me more about leadership than most people in my life. He has done a great job as police chief and as town manager.

Mayor Charles Poss said, "Boyd has been an amazing servant to the town for most of his adult life, including as the towns police chief. He has done so much for this town and added stability.

Ms. Rogers was also present at the council meeting to give advice about MTAS helping to streamline government operations. MTAS will conduct departmental reviews in which consultants in each specialty will look for efficiencies. It will take three-five months to review each department, she said, and will be done at no charge to the city.

The council was given an update on stormwater projects in Signal Mountain. There is a five-year capital improvement plan that is really a living document, which will be continually changing to focus on the most pressing needs, said Stormwater Manager Cliff Fite. Currently, he said, corrugated drainage pipes that are rusting are causing road failures from sinkholes. Both the pipes and roads will have to be replaced. Only five of these pipes can be replaced each year, he said. Some of them are really big projects, where pipes are long and deep making them expensive to replace.

The stormwater department also wants to purchase a street sweeper with a special arm that will assist in cleaning catch basins and piles of leaves that the leaf machines cannot reach. A camera system is needed to evaluate pipes and stream restoration. For just the initial assessment of the restoration of Bee Branch, the cost will be $90,000. Grants may help do the work after the studies and design is done, he said, but none cover 100 percent of the cost. Some roads need hydrology studies for drainage issues and relocating utilities before road can be repaved. "The recently approved stormwater fees will help move us forward," he said.

Extensive discussion was held concerning the Mountain Arts Community Center board that now is empty. All the former members resigned to join the Signal Mountain Elementary Preservation Fund (SMEPF) which now is in charge of operations. The council members decided to leave the vacant board in place and review it again in May before deciding if it is needed.

The current mask policy will remain in place for the time being. If COVID infections drop, the issue will be reviewed at the next council meeting and staff members will be consulted about their individual offices and departments before making any changes.

The council approved the purchase of a Bobcat tractor for the water company at a price not to exceed $27,334.

October 22 was recognized at Arbor Day in the town of Signal Mountain.
Volkswagen of America and The Conservation Fund announced the completion of a multi-year effort to buy, conserve and transfer approximately 1,500 acres of land to the U.S. Forest Service for inclusion in the Cherokee National Forest. The protection of this land, consisting of three separate tracts near the Volkswagen Chattanooga Assembly Plant in Tennessee, enhances statewide efforts to help preserve wildlife habitats and cultural resources, improve water quality, and provide additional recreation access and environmental education to the community.





The conserved lands, located in Monroe, Polk and Cocke counties are now open for public use and recreation, including hunting, wildlife viewing, and fishing.

This conservation effort also benefits wildlife by securing key habitats used by black bears and federally endangered Indiana bats. As part of the 660,000-acre Cherokee National Forest, these sites will provide enhanced protection for ecologically important waterways, like the French Broad River, Little Toqua Creek and the Conasagua River, one of the most aquatically diverse rivers in the state that contains critical habitat for 11 federally endangered fish and mussel species.This conservation effort also benefits wildlife by securing key habitats used by black bears and federally endangered Indiana bats.





We are proud of the environmental strides we have made with The Conservation Fund and believe this work is integral to our endeavor of giving back to a community where more than 3,800 of our colleagues live, said Hein Schafer, senior vice president, product marketing and strategy, Volkswagen of America. Working with The Conservation Fund underscores our sustainability commitments to bolster the positive impacts in the communities where we work and live.





. Grants of up to $50,000 each are advancing efforts that provide environmental learning and leadership opportunities for local youth, help keep rivers and waterways within the Cherokee National Forest clean and provide up-to-date recreational access information for outdoor lovers in the region. This land conservation effort is part of an ongoing initiative to help protect and restore forestland in the United States, starting in eastern Tennessees Cherokee National Forest. A portion of Volkswagens $1.25 million donation to The Conservation Fund was used towards the purchase and permanent protection of the 1,500 acres. The remaining amount was awarded via the Volkswagen Community Grant Program to five charitable organizations . Grants of up to $50,000 each are advancing efforts that provide environmental learning and leadership opportunities for local youth, help keep rivers and waterways within the Cherokee National Forest clean and provide up-to-date recreational access information for outdoor lovers in the region.





Forests are one of the most important life-sustaining systems on the planet because they play an integral role in cleaning the air we breathe and water we drink, absorbing harmful greenhouse gas emissions, and offering natural habitat for wildlife to thrive as well as opportunities for people to explore the outdoors, said Larry Selzer, president and CEO of The Conservation Fund. Our collaboration with Volkswagen continues to deliver tangible benefits for forests and wildlife, while supporting local communities.





Support from our local communities and partners enables us to better serve the public and protect important forest habitat, said Cherokee National Forest Supervisor JaSal Morris. We are grateful to The Conservation Fund and the other partners for their hard work on making this happen.





The protection of these lands as part of the national forest were also made possible with funding from the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), a grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services Imperiled Bat Conservation Fund, the National Wild Turkey Federation, and private contributions provided through the Tennessee chapter of The Nature Conservancy, from The Tucker Foundation and the Lyndhurst Foundation. The Nature Conservancy was an acquisition partner with The Conservation Fund in this initiative.





The Appalachian forests of the eastern U.S., including the Cherokee National Forest in Tennessee, are globally recognized as a climate change-resilient landscape that will provide refuge and life-sustaining ecosystem services for people and nature now and for years to come. The Nature Conservancy is honored to play a land acquisition role side-by-side with The Conservation Fund to implement Volkswagen of Americas ongoing initiative, said Terry Cook, State Director for The Nature Conservancy in Tennessee.





Tennessees U.S. Congressional delegation representing Monroe, Cocke and Polk counties where the lands have been added to the national forestSenator Marsha Blackburn, Senator Bill Hagerty, Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (TN-3), and Rep. Diana Harshbarger (TN-1)supported the use of federal LWCF funding for this conservation effort.





Thank you to Volkswagen for investing in the Volunteer State. The recent partnership program demonstrates a renewed commitment to the areas surrounding the state-of-the-art assembly facility in Chattanooga, said Senator Blackburn. I look forward to the next stage of Volkswagens involvement across Tennessee.





I applaud The Conservation Fund and Volkswagen of America for their hard work and commitment to protecting thousands of acres of pristine wilderness within the Cherokee National Forest. The 1,500 acres added to the Cherokee National Forest will increase recreation opportunities for Tennesseans, strengthen Tennessees State Wildlife Action Plan, and preserve our states natural heritage for generations to come, said Rep. Chuck Fleischmann.
The Tennessee Valley Authority has issued a traffic caution on Highway 64 near the Ocoee No. 1 Dam due to spillway gate maintenance work.

Between Oct. 19-21, from 6 a.m.-4 p.m., Highway 64 will be restricted to one lane as TVA crews use the Ocoee No. 1 overlook to stage equipment and load barges to prepare for the work.

TVA is coordinating this work with the Tennessee Department of Transportation. Travelers should plan for delays. Use caution when driving through the area. Traffic controls will be in place, along with support from TVA police.

Completed in 1911, Ocoee No. 1 dam was among the first hydroelectric projects in the region. The dams spillway gates and hoists were installed in 1925 and were lifted manually. TVA acquired the dam in 1939 and has since added motors to the gate hoists. This project replaces the gate hoists that TVA installed in 1997.

Since 2010, TVA has invested about $900 million on dam safety to continue to provide, clean, low cost, reliable power.
Hiller Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electrical (Hiller), the regions premier provider of residential and commercial plumbing, HVAC, and electrical service and repair, announced its expansion into Chattanooga. With the addition of this new location, Hiller will enter Georgia, its fourth state, and now serve customers across the entire state of Tennessee.





The new location, opening next month at 7339 Lee Highway, Chattanooga, Tn. 37421 will serve homeowners across the Greater Chattanooga area, including Tennessee and Georgia. Hiller, while new to this area, has provided over 30 years of plumbing, HVAC, and electrical service to neighboring communities. Founded on the principles of high-quality customer service, expert technical knowledge, honesty, integrity, and caring for others, Hiller has developed a strong regional reputation for an exceptional customer experience. Local Chattanooga families can expect to enjoy this same experience for years to come.





We are so excited to open this new location in Chattanooga, said Jimmy Hiller, founder and chief executive officer at Hiller Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electrical. What started out as a vision to serve the entire state of Tennessee has come to fruition, and we could not be happier to be here, he continued. have always loved spending time in Chattanooga and the whole Happy Hiller team is looking forward to serving homeowners here.





Hillers General Manager in Chattanooga, Jake Self, has been with the company for many years, formerly serving as Hillers Operations Manager in Knoxville, and is excited about the family-like, hardworking team developing locally. In addition to the managerial team, Hiller will be hiring experienced and novice service technicians, installers, and customer support representatives in the upcoming weeks.





I am so grateful for the opportunity to lead the new Chattanooga branch, said Mr. Self. My family and I are very excited to be members of such an active, vibrant community, he continued, And I look forward to meeting and helping our new neighbors in their homes.





Since 1990, Hiller has grown to include over 480 trucks and 630 team members across 14 locations and 4 states. As a result, Hiller can provide key benefits, like industry-leading training and education, 24/7 emergency services, cutting-edge scheduling, and a 100% satisfaction guarantee of Happy Youll Be or the Service is Free! to homeowners. Local clients can contact this branch at 423 299-6110 for appointments.
If youre getting sentimental about Supergirl coming to an end after six seasons, it looks like youre not the only one. The CW show about the Girl of Steel will get its own farewell tribute during DC FanDome 2021. Many cast members will be there to discuss Supergirl and its impact on them and the world. So, fans better prepare and get a few boxes of tissues. The Supergirl farewell tribute at DC FanDome 2021 is sure to be emotional and tear-jerking. Of course, there will be a few laughs during the special as well.

Nicole Maines, Mechad Brooks, Melissa Benoist, and Azie Tesfai | Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images

DC FanDome 2021 will show a special Supergirl farewell tribute

The Supergirl actors slated to appear at DC FanDome 2021 are Azie Tesfai, Chris Wood, Chyler Leigh, David Harewood, Jeremy Jordan, Jesse Rath, Julie Gonzalo, Katie McGrath, Mehcad Brooks, Melissa Benoist, Nicole Maines, Peta Sergeant, and Staz Nair.

DC FanDome recently released an exclusive sneak peek of the Supergirl farewell tribute, which you can view in the tweet below. In it, Benoist discusses her craziest stunt day on set, which included Tyler Hoechlins Superman. Then, the cast, including Tesfai and Brooks, talks about how great it is when their characters get carried by Supergirl. Benoist claimed, Ive carried almost all of you. Tesfai replied, Its lovely. Its quite comfortable.

While this video segment from DC FanDome 2021 is quite light-hearted, fans should expect heavier, more emotional parts of the tribute as the actors reflect on their Supergirl experiences.

Kara Zor-El is ready to protect Earth from harm Check out https://t.co/DiyQ9OwejV for more of your favorite Super Heroes at the all-new epic streaming event on October 16! #DCFanDome #Supergirl pic.twitter.com/tCw6no7Qo0  Supergirl (@TheCWSupergirl) October 11, 2021

Will there be a sneak peek at the Supergirl series finale during the event?

Neither DC FanDome 2021 nor Supergirl has confirmed that fans will see exclusive footage from the series finale or any upcoming episodes. But, of course, we expect that there will be a new trailer or behind-the-scenes video played during the convention.

The Supergirl farewell tribute might also feature a montage of the best moments from the past six seasons of the series. At this point, though, everything is speculation. Fans will just have to wait until Oct. 16 to see what DC FanDome 2021 has in store for Supergirl. Nevertheless, the cast is bound to be emotional when talking about the series ending.

Per Deadline, Melissa Benoist recently reflected on her time as Kara Danvers at New York Comic Con. Benoist said, I dont think I truly realized what I was signing up for, so my expectationsmy mind was blown right from the start. It was one of the hardest, most challenging experiences of my life, and I think it will remain that for the rest of my life.

How to watch DC FanDome 2021

DC FanDome 2021 is the second event of its kind. Last year, Warner Bros. held the first convention due to the cancellation of many other conventions because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The convention is a virtual event streamed on DCFanDome.com, Twitch, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. So, there are five different options for viewers to experience the event. Plus, its all for free. DC FanDome 2021 will caption all panels in Arabic, Brazilian Portuguese, Traditional Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Russian, and Spanish.

Fans can tune in to DC FanDome 2021 on Oct. 16 at 1:00 p.m. EST.

RELATED: Supergirl Actor Chyler Leigh Teases Final Episodes and Series Finale
Jill Duggar and her husband Derick Dillard recently learned they were expecting their third child. But their joy at discovering they were about to become parents again soon turned to sadness when Jill experienced a miscarriage. Now, the former Counting On star and mom of two is getting some support from her sisters whove been in a similar situation.

Jill Duggar of Counting On reveals she had a miscarriage

Jill Duggar Dillard and Derick Dillard visit Extra in 2014 | D Dipasupil/Getty Images for Extra

On Oct. 11, Jill and Derick both took to Instagram to share a sad update.

We recently found out we were expecting our third baby. We were thrilled! However, a few days later we started miscarrying, Jill wrote, adding that they planned to name the child River Bliss. A video she posted showed the couple reacting to the news of the positive pregnancy test.

In a blog post on their familys website, the couple wrote about the pregnancy loss in more detail, sharing that their two sons, Israel, 6, and Samuel, 4, were excited about the idea of another sibling joining the family.

It was fun to see so much joy in the boys faces as we shared the news with them, they wrote. They were full of questions and so excited as we talked about the pregnancy and how they would get to be involved along the way and after baby was born.

Jinger Duggar, Joy-Anna Duggar offer words of support

RELATED: Counting On: Jinger Duggar Reveals the Devastating Details of Her Miscarriage

Jill and Dericks social media posts were met with an outpouring of support, with many people sharing messages of support and condolence. That included some kind words from two of Jills sisters, Jinger Duggar and Joy-Anna Duggar.

Both Jinger and Joy-Anna have experienced pregnancy loss. Jinger had a miscarriage in late 2019, just after announcing to her family she was pregnant with baby No. 2, she revealed on an episode of her familys now-canceled TLC reality show. Earlier that same year, Joy-Anna gave birth to a stillborn daughter, Annabell Elise, at 20 weeks.

River Bliss was so loved! Joy-Anna commented. I love you, Jill. My heart breaks for yall. Im so so sorry you are having to go through this. Praying for you all.

Jill, my heart aches for you all, Jinger wrote. Love you so much and praying for you, sis!!

Audrey Roloff, Carlin Bates also offered the Counting On star sympathy

RELATED: Counting On: How Many Duggars Are Having Babies in 2021?

Jills sisters werent the only ones comforting her on social media. Family friend Audrey Roloff, who previously appeared in the TLC series Little People, Big World, commented that she was praying for Jill and Derick. So did Carlin Bates and Josie Bates Balka, who both appear on the UPtv series Bringing Up Bates.

Jills cousin Amy Duggar also offered words of comfort. Love you so much and your sweet family, she wrote. River would have been beautiful. Wrapping you in prayers.

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George Harrison didnt always enjoy his time in The Beatles. He had no desire to write songs early on, so John Lennon and Paul McCartney took over. Eventually, George bloomed into a phenomenal songwriter. However, John and Paul still pushed George to the back, underestimated him, and sometimes treated him as inferior. George thought Paul was difficult to work with and domineering while John was ready to replace George at the drop of a hat.

But this wasnt all that upset Geroge during his time as a Beatle. On top of the bands internal struggles with one another, George didnt enjoy the fame that came with being in one of the biggest bands in the world.

The Beatles in the studio | Keystone Features/Getty Images

Paul McCartney treated George Harrison like a glorified session-man

According to the Daily Mail, Paul treated George more like a glorified session-man than an equal bandmate. Many people outside the band saw how uncomfortable it could get in the studio, including Georges wife, Pattie Boyd, and Let It Be producer Glyn Johns. Even fellow musicians like Peter Frampton saw how frustrated George was.

Id put on Paperback Writer and say, I love the guitar on that, and hed say, Oh, thats Paul. I put all these other Beatles tracks on: Oh, thats Paul. It wasnt until then I realised he had been stifled. It was very frustrating for George, Frampton told the Daily Mail.

Johns witnessed George and Pauls row during the recording of Two of Us, and it was not pretty. At one point, an agitated George sarcastically told Paul, Whatever it is that will please you, Ill do it. Later on, George advised the band to put an ad out in the papers because he was leaving. It was very uncomfortable, said Johns. To watch this begin and be there in the immediate aftermath was very unpleasant.

But this wasnt the first time George thought about leaving The Beatles. Being in the band started to stress him out as early as the early 1960s.

RELATED: George Harrison Once Pulled a Diabolical Prank on Phil Collins Before His Death

George never enjoyed the fame

The Daily Mail writes that as early as 1965, Georges time in The Beatles was a horror story awful maniccrazy, a nightmare, marked by madness, panic and paranoia.' For George, Beatlemania was real mania. He got through flights taking uppers and drinking whisky and coke. Soon George had a fear of planes, cars, airports, and crowds.

After John F. Kennedys assassination, George was hesitant about driving around big crowded streets. I was very nervous, George said. I didnt like the idea of being too popular.

He told me often how afraid he was in The Beatles, how he thought he was going to die, producer Ted Templeman said. He had a terror of it, and that did affect him a bit overall. Boyd would receive phone calls from her then-husband saying he and the band were locked in their hotel rooms. They couldnt go out, and the audience couldnt hear them, and it all started to seem a little pointless, she said.

When The Beatles traveled to Japan, snipers lined the roof of the hotel. Choosing not to receive the Philippines president and his wife, turned catastrophic too. Angry mobs greeted them at spat at them. He had a very, very bad experience in Manila and it remained unforgettable for George, said Boyd. He was a very slight man, very light, and the fear of being vulnerable to fans, and crazy people, remained with him.

Then there were Johns comments about The Beatles being more popular than Jesus. It sturred a worldwide boycott and death threats. David Acomba, who filmed Georges 1974 solo tour, said, George was constantly worried about being shot.

RELATED: George Harrison Wasnt the Quiet Beatle According to Tom Petty: He Wouldnt Shut Up

Paul McCartney says John Lennon instigated The Beatles split

When The Beatles stopped touring, Georges fears were alleviated for a time, until things inside the studio proved just as volatile as outside. Then, there was not much point in staying in the band.

However, theres always been a debate on who exactly instigated the bands split. While George might have thought about leaving years before anyone else, Paul is under the impression that John inspired everyone else to leave.

Speaking on a recent episode of BBC Radio 4s This Cultural Life (per Snopes), Paul said, I didnt instigate the split. That was our Johnny. It seems as if Paul was the only member who wanted the band to stay together. This was my band, this was my job, this was my life. So I wanted it to continue, Paul said. However, Paul later quit in 1970.

Whoever did initiate the breakup, it could have happened way earlier by George. If hed voiced his concerns and threw in the towel, exhausted by the mental toll of being in the biggest band in the world, The Beatles would have ended in 1966.




Kevin Williamson turned Lois Duncans novel I Know What You Did Last Summer into a horror movie in 1997. The franchise expanded with two more horror films released in 1998 and 2006. But now, the story is getting another revamp thanks to the Amazon Prime series I Know What You Did Last Summer (IKWYDLS). In each iteration of Duncans story, the biggest question is, Who is the killer?

Showbiz Cheat Sheet spoke with Fiona Rene, who plays Lyla in the Amazon Prime show. Rene shares what it was like being kept in the dark as her character searches for the killer.

Fiona Rene | Michael Desmond, Amazon Studios

I Know What You Did Last Summer tells the story of a mysterious killer

In the I Know What You Did Last Summer novel, the killer is Bud, who the main character Julie starts dating a year after she and her friends accidentally run over a cyclist. As fate would have it, Bud is the brother of the young man killed in the accident.

The I Know What You Did Last Summer film flips the story slightly. Instead of the person involved in the hit and run being killed, the character is incapacitated. Played by Muse Watson, Ben Willis becomes a crazed fisherman hellbent on seeking revenge against the four kids who struck him with their car and left him for dead.

Ben Willis returns as the fish-hook-wielding killer in I Still Know What You Did Last Summer. This time, Bens killing spree takes place in the Bahamas. Later, in Ill Always Know What You Did Last Summer, Ben returns from the dead and goes on another killing spree, attacking a different group of teens.

I Know What You Did Last Summer cast didnt know who the killer was while filming

During the 2021 New York Comic-Con, IKWYDLS creator Sara Goodman spoke about the upcoming Amazon Prime series. I didnt want anyone to know [who the killer is] until the last minute, Goodman said (via Polygon). Even on a subconscious level. I didnt want anyone to be reacting to that actor differently. I felt like it was very important that everybody not know until they had to know  which made everybody crazy.

Madison Iseman | Michael Desmond, Amazon Studios

According to Goodman, her phone still contains multiple texts from actors surmising who they thought the killer could be at various points during filming. But for Rene, who plays local cop Lyla in the series, being kept in the dark was for the best.

Fiona Rene found herself genuinely searching for the killer on the set of IKWYDLS

During our Zoom call with Rene, we had to ask what it was like not knowing who the killer was while filming I Know What You Did Last Summer. Was it a constant state of stress? Did Rene constantly question her character and wonder if she was the killer?

I felt that it was great personally for my own character work, she tells us. As Lyla  as the police chief, you dont want to know. You want to genuinely be searching.

RELATED: I Know What You Did Last Summer: Johnny Galeckis Death Scene Changed the Entire Movie, According to the Director

Rene admits being kept out of the loop allowed her to play the role of a genuinely invested cop. It felt very natural, she adds. It felt very realistic for Lyla to consistently be looking at everyone as a possible suspect and not really have anyone jump into her mind frame of who it is.

As Rene explained, not knowing who the killer was in I Know What You Did Last Summer forced her to consider all of the clues and evidence. Ultimately, this influenced the decisions Renes character makes in the show.

Youll have to watch I Know What You Did Last Summer on Amazon Prime to find out who the killer is this time. Stream new episodes beginning Oct. 15.
ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS

NCIS: Hawaii fans meet the Paniolo community

Law enforcement in Hawaii faces unique challenges

The paniolo on NCIS: Hawaii was shot on purpose

Vanessa Lachey as Special Agent in Charge Jane Tennant on NCIS: Hawaii | Karen Neal/CBS via Getty Images

NCIS: Hawaii is supposed to be a show about Navy crimes that are committed on the Hawaiian islands. But this latest addition to the NCIS universe is way more interested in local culture. That trend continued in episode 4 Paniolo, which introduced fans to the world of Hawaiian cowboys.

NCIS: Hawaii fans meet the Paniolo community

Ahead of episode 4, CBS released an episode description that revealed the latest installment of NCIS: Hawaii would introduce fans to the Paniolo community. Which is the world of Hawaiian cowboys.

When a beloved Paniolo (Hawaiian cowboy) is shot while out riding his horse, Jane and her team must gain the trust of the Paniolo community to help find the culprits and protect the Paniolos life, the episode description read.

The opening scene featured the Paniolo riding into the middle of town on a horse after getting shot in the stomach and causing a car accident. The victim also happened to be a former Navy man  Master Sergeant Kaleo Whitman.

Law enforcement in Hawaii faces unique challenges

As Jane (Vanessa Lachey) and her team begin their investigation, the unique challenges faced by law enforcement in Hawaii are on full display. NCIS: Hawaii is a celebration of local culture and island natives. And there is skepticism among many communities when it comes to the police  especially from the military base.

The Paniolo community is no exception, and they are the latest Hawaiian locals to clash with NCIS. Outsiders often bring more harm than good, and Janes team has a problem with their victim cooperating.

The investigation begins with Lucy (Yasmine Al-Bustami) and Jesse (Noah Mills) questioning Master Sergeant Whitman while he recovers in the hospital. He claims to be the victim of a hunting accident. But Lucy and Jesse dont believe he is telling the truth.

The paniolo on NCIS: Hawaii was shot on purpose

Further investigation of the crime scene reveals that the shooting wasnt an accident. Someone was trying to kill Whitman. But who? When the team returns to the hospital to talk to Whitman again, they discover hes bounced.

The clues lead the team to a drug-dealing gang, and their connection to the Master Sergeant is eventually made clear. He was protecting his son Micah, who accidentally got himself mixed up with the local group of meth distributors.

Jane Tennant takes on a gang

The gang, headed by Crazy Sam (Tom Schanley), had attempted to kill Micah when he discovered what was in the packages hed been delivering. But Master Sergeant Whitman took it upon himself to protect his son. Which is what led to him riding through town on horseback while bleeding out.

Jane and Jesse head up to the Hawaiian mountains on horseback to find them. (Jesses got no riding skills, but Jane appears to be a pro). However, when they do eventually find Whitman and his son, Crazy Sam and his crew are closing in on their location.

Their attempts to call for help dont work because Jane cant get a phone signal. She sends the Master Sergeant and his son away, who leave on horseback as fast as they can. But Jane stays behind to face Crazy Sam on her own, with Jesse flanking her position.

Jane Tennant takes down her suspect on NCIS: Hawaii

Luckily, Lucy and Kai (Alex Tarrant) figure out from their end of the investigation that Jane and Jesse are in need of the cavalry. At the perfect moment in time  just as Jane confronts Crazy Sam and tells him shes not alone  Jesse appears from the woods and starts shooting. But its Jane who gets the kill shot. The helicopter also appears, and the rest of the gang is done fighting and ready to give themselves up. Case closed.

The episode ends with Jane and her team partying with Whitman, his family, and other members of the Paniolo community at a fun event that looks like a cross between a luau and a hoe-down.

The episode ends with Whitmans cousin giving Jane and Jesse gifts  flower-adorned cowboy hats. Jesse also gets a pillow for his bruised bum after a day of riding horses.

New episodes of NCIS: Hawaii air Monday nights on CBS.

RELATED: NCIS: Hawaii EP Christopher Silber Explains Exactly What Sets the Aloha State Version Apart
ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS

Gibbs tells McGee to his grab his gear on NCIS one last time

What question did Gibbs answer before leaving NCIS?

Will fans see Mark Harmon again?

Mark Harmon and Gary Cole on NCIS | Michael Yarish/CBS via Getty Images

NCIS fans, its the end of an era. After 18+ seasons and more than 400 episodes, Mark Harmons Leroy Jethro Gibbs has finally found some peace and has said goodbye to his team. Season 19, Episode 4  titled Great Wide Open  was Harmons last as the star of televisions most-watched drama. Before he left, he finally answered a burning question that fans have been asking for years.

Gibbs tells McGee to his grab his gear on NCIS one last time

The episode began with Gary Coles FBI Agent Alden Parker kicking down the door at Gibbs home to serve an arrest warrant. But hes already skipped town with McGee (Sean Murray) after getting a lead on their Sonova case.

The duo is in Alaska, and Gibbs orders McGee to grab his gear one last time as they head out to investigate and follow their lead. McGee doesnt know it yet, but hes part of Gibbs final mission. As the very first NCIS probie and the final OG agent, McGee joins Gibbs to talk to the father of freelance writer and LeMere victim, Libby.

The goodbyes begin

Director Vance (Rocky Carroll) refuses to help Parker locate Gibbs, who wants to arrest the suspended agent for obstruction of justice. This comes after Gibbs stole a government vehicle in episode 3 and kidnapped a suspect before he died under mysterious circumstances.

Its at this point that we jump back in time a bit to see the first of Gibbss many goodbyes. Vance meets Gibbs at his beloved diner before he leaves for Alaska. The director gives his former agent a sat phone and lends him McGee for his trip. As Gibbs dramatically drops his cell phone into his cup of coffee, he starts to choke up a bit while thanking the director for everything.

While running out the door with his gear, Gibbs is interrupted by Ducky (David McCallum). Fans get a final scene between the two OG characters, as Ducky tells Gibbs hes worried about him.

The former Marine sniper admits that hes been searching for something without knowing what it is hes looking for. Then, the two share a hug while Gibbs tells Ducky hes been a great friend. And every NCIS fan grabs a box of tissues.

What question did Gibbs answer before leaving NCIS?

The episode wasnt just filled with sad goodbyes. Fans also got the answer to a question theyve been asking for nearly two decades. At the beginning of the episode  when Agent Parker served the FBI warrant at Gibbs home  fans finally got to see how Gibbs has been getting boats out of his basement all these years.

The answer: through the wall. Agent Parker discovered a boat-sized hole in the wall that clued him into the fact that Gibbs wasnt anywhere near his house. It also sent Parker to Alaska to arrest Gibbs.

Gibbs and Parker work together

The NCIS agents quickly solve the Sonova case and find evidence that points to CEO Sonia Eberhard. She appears to be the person behind the murders that Gibbs started investigating in season 18 with journalist Marcie Warren (Pam Dawber). Its also the same case that Parker has been working on, and now he and Gibbs are working together.

The team figured out that Sonovas copper mine at Naktok Bay would destroy the entire area. But instead of taking no for an answer, Sonova and Eberhard killed the people in the way so they could build their mine without any problems.

As Parker cleverly takes Eberhard into custody, fans also get a flashback to Gibbs saying goodbye to Torres (Wilmer Valderrama) as he drives him to the airport.

Dont let this job become all that there is. Take care of you, he tells the young agent.

Agent Parker loses his job to help Gibbs

With the CEO in custody and the case solved, McGee takes Gibbs to Parker so he can arrest him. But, Parker decides that he doesnt want to be the FBIs errand boy and cuts Gibbs loose. He made that decision after doing his own research on Gibbs and talking to his colleague, Tobias Fornell (Joe Spano).

RELATED: NCIS Season 19: All the Signs Mark Harmon Is Being Replaced By Gary Cole  Despite CBS Denials

His decision not to arrest Gibbs and his refusal to testify against him about the vehicle theft and suspect kidnapping ended up getting Parker fired from the FBI. And fans can be sure that will pave the way for him to join NCIS as soon as next week.

Gibbs passes the torch to McGee on NCIS

The episode ends with Gibbs and McGee fly fishing, with the 70-year-old agent telling his probie that he needs to find his own rhythm. He says the key is to focus on progress instead of perfection. Of course, theyre not talking about fishing. Instead, Gibbs is officially passing the NCIS torch.

After reminiscing about fishing with his dad, Gibbs tells McGee he isnt going back to NCIS or Washington DC. Hes still not sure what hes looking for, but hes staying behind. For the first time since Shannon and Kelly died, Alaskas brought him a sense of peace.

I could not have hoped for anyone better to watch my back for the past 18 years than you, Tim, Gibbs tells McGee before they hug and each one tells the other that he loves him.

McGee heads back to Washington all alone, and Gibbs stays behind in the water to fly fish. The last shot fans see is Gibbs in waders casting his line, with a smile on his face.

Will fans see Mark Harmon again?

CBS has not issued an official statement about Harmons exit from NCIS. However, showrunner Steven D. Binder did say that hes still an important part of the show as executive producer. This means fans could possibly see him again in the future.

RELATED: NCIS Is Only 2 Episodes Into Season 19 and It Seems Pretty Clear This Is Mark Harmons Final Season

As an executive producer and dear friend, Mark continues to be an integral part of the fabric of the show. Our north star has always been staying true to our characters, and that truth has always guided the stories we tell and where those characters go. So regarding the future of Gibbs, as long-time fans of the show may have noticed over the years never count Leroy Jethro Gibbs out, Binder said.

New episodes of NCIS air Monday nights on CBS.
NCIS boss Gibbsand Mark Harmonare leaving for good. After 25 years on the job, Leroy Jethro Gibbs is giving up his role as special agent in charge. Heres a look back on Harmons last NCIS episode.

What happened during NCIS Season 19 Episode 4

Mark Harmon | Eddy Chen/CBS via Getty Images

NCIS Season 19 Episode 4 (titled Great Wide Open) starts with FBI Agent Alden Parker looking for Gibbs. One of the agents declares she has a warrant for Gibbs arrest. Parker gets down to the basement and realizes Gibbs isnt home. He has apparently vanished. Parker calls McGee, but he claims he doesnt know where Gibbs is.

When Gibbs appears, McGee (Sean Murray) tells him Parker is looking for him. What Parker doesnt realize is that Gibbs is with McGee in Alaska. Gibbs followed Paul Lemeres lead and went to check out Naktok Bay. His goal is to find out who hired Lemere and close the case on a string of mysterious killings that seem to be linked to a company called Sonova.

Before Gibbs Alaska trip, Director Vance (Rocky Carroll) meets him at a diner. Vance knows about Gibbs trip, so he gives him a satellite phone. Gibbs then dumps his work phone into a cup of coffee and thanks Vance for everything. At that point, its clear Gibbs wont be returning to NCIS.

Ducky and Gibbs have a heart-to-heart

During another scene, Ducky (David McCallum) stops by Gibbs home. He tells him hes concerned about him. Considering everything Gibbs has been through over the last couple of months (most notably the blowing up of his boat), Ducky has reason to be concerned.

At first, Gibbs says theres nothing to worry about, but then he shares that hes going through a rough patch. Youre right, says Gibbs. Lately, Ive been searching. I dont know what Im looking for. I know being alone without the job, that was hard.

Ducky tells him to come back to NCIS, but Gibbs replies, Thats even harder. Ducky offers him a ride, but he tells him he already has a ride. Gibbs then hugs Ducky and tells him how much he appreciates him. The look in Duckys eyes conveys that he knows it will be a long time before he sees Gibbs again.

Gibbs and Torres (Wilmer Valderrama) also have a heart-to-heart. While Torres is driving him to the airport, they talk about how things are going. Gibbs tells Torres hes a good agent and a good man. However, he warns him against becoming consumed by the job. Dont let this job become all there is, says Gibbs. Take care of you. Now.

Gibbs and McGee are on the job

One of the victims, Libby Alonak, was the key to solving the case. The team discovered Libby wrote a tell-all about Sonova and their plans to dig a mine that could put Alaskas ecosystem in danger. However, she was killed before the article was published. Three other people who could have put the mine at risk were also killed. With Kasie, Torres, and the rest of the teams help, they discover Sonovas CEO and her partner were responsible for the killings.

Gibbs leaves NCIS

Parker eventually finds Gibbs. When McGee asks whats going on, Parker tells him hes arresting a fugitive, reminding him that Gibbs took a government vehicle and kidnapped a suspect. However, Gibbs convinces Parker to let him finish the investigation before taking him into custody.

Parker later has a change of heart and lets Gibbs go. He tells McGee and Gibbs he changed his mind after talking to an FBI colleagueTobias Fornell.

Vance gives Agent Knight (Katrina Law) and Torres an update on Gibbs. Much to Torres dismay, he tells them Gibbs wont be coming back to NCIS. When Torres asks Vance if he can talk to Gibbs and convince him to take his badge back, he simply says, I already tried. He doesnt want it.

Toward the end of the episode, the plane arrives for Gibbs and McGee. When McGee asks Gibbs if he needs help loading his gear, he tells him he doesnt have plans to go back to work or home. Hes staying in Alaska. He tells McGee he finally has a sense of peace he hasnt had since his wife and daughter died.

Gibbs hugs McGee and tells him he loves him. After exchanging a few more words, McGee walks away and boards the plane.

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One of Kody Browns wives may have reached the end of her rope when it comes to polygamy. In a just-released teaser for the upcoming season of Sister Wives, Christine Brown makes it clear she isnt interested in living with the rest of the Brown family on their Coyote Pass property in Arizona. Some of her comments in the trailer suggest that she might even be ready to give up on her plural marriage altogether.

Tensions are running high on the new season of Sister Wives

Foundations are crumbling? The Browns question everything they thought they knew. Dont miss an explosive new season of #SisterWives, premiering Sunday, November 21 at 10/9c. pic.twitter.com/RzsDqZCMVJ  TLC Network (@TLC) October 12, 2021

RELATED: Sister Wives Season 16 Gets an Official Premiere Date

In the new season of Sister Wives, the Browns are still dealing with the effects of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. To keep everyone safe, Kody is forced to shuffle between the homes of his four wives.

Weve basically been quarantined for each other for the past six months, Meri Brown says in the teaser, which TLC shared on Twitter on Oct. 12.

The separation is taking its toll on the family  and leaving some to question their future together.

What COVIDs brought out is how much we want to be a family. Or not, Christine Brown says.

Sister Wives star Christine Brown calls her marriage dysfunctional

Janelle Brown, Meri Brown, Kody Brown, and Christine Brown from Sister Wives in 2012 | Ethan Miller/Getty Images for AEG Live

RELATED: Sister Wives: Is Janelles Big Move Proof That Polygamy Doesnt Work for the Browns?

Christine has made it clear in the past that she is interested in leaving Arizona and moving back to the familys home state of Utah. When the Browns gather to discuss how to divide the Coyote Pass property  where they are hoping to build separate homes for each wife  Christines lack of enthusiasm for the plan is evident.

The best I can give today is just to pretend, Christine says. I dont want to move on the property. I want to move back to Utah.

Christine then reveals she doesnt want to live in such close proximity to her sister wives. She also mentions how broken her marriage to Kody is.

Why would I want to live on the same property with a dysfunctional marriage, where right over there, hes got a full-functioning marriage? Who would ever want to live like that? she says.

This isnt the first time Christine has expressed her frustrations about her relationship. I cant do marriage with Kody anymore, she told her sister wife Meri in an episode of Sister Wives that aired earlier in 2021. She also talked about feeling like her opinions dont matter when it comes to major family decisions.

Christine isnt the only wife who may not want to remain part of the family.

They question if Im going to stay, Meri Brown says of her fellow sister wives. Ive considered everything.

Kody Brown lashes out at Robin Brown

While Meri and Christine are questioning how committed they are to their polygamous relationship, their sister wife Robyn Brown is taking on more of a leadership role in the family, especially when it comes to enforcing COVID safety protocols. That doesnt sit well with Kody.

It pisses me off. Theyre looking to Robin like for some kind of approval, he says. Kody makes it clear that no matter what his wives might think, hes still the boss. I dont have a head wife in this family, he says.

A new season of Sister Wives premieres Sunday, Nov. 21 at 10 p.m. ET on TLC.

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The Flash Season 8 is shaping up to be one of its biggest seasons in a long time. While it makes us wonder if the rumors regarding season 8 being the shows last outing are true, it also makes us excited for the episodes to come. Among the teases for the new season was the announcement that The Flash will kick off with a five-part event titled Armageddon. Many characters from across the Arrowverse will join Team Flash to fight against a powerful alien. If that news isnt enough to make fans excited for season 8, then another actor who just confirmed that he would return to the show might do the trick.

Jessica Parker Kennedy, Jordan Fisher, Kayla Compton, John Wesley Shipp, Brandon McKnight, Danielle Panabaker, Candice Patton, and Grant Gustin | Bettina Strauss/The CW

Jay Garrick will return in The Flash Season 8

CBR recently interviewed John Wesley Shipp regarding his role in Stargirl Season 2. When asked if he would return as Jay Garrick in The Flash, though, Shipp said, I would and theyve set it up. I can tell you that I will be going back in about a week and a half to shoot more Flash.

Shipp has appeared in The Flash multiple times as many different characters. Fans first saw him as Barry Allens wrongly incarcerated father, Henry Allen. Later in season 2, Shipp played the real Jay Garrick from Earth-3, who Zoom, aka Hunter Zolomon, was impersonating. Since then, Garrick has popped up now and then when Barry and the rest of Team Flash need a little extra help. After Crisis on Infinite Earths, Garrick is now one of the residents on Earth-Prime.

Shipp appeared in the final two episodes of The Flash Season 7 when the Godspeed War came to Central City. He helped Team Flash defeat Godspeed and restore order to the city. In the end, Jay was one of the guests at Barry and Iris vow renewal ceremony. So, its entirely possible that he will appear in the premiere of The Flash Season 8.

Shipp recently played Jay Garrick in Stargirl Season 2

John Wesley Shipp reprised his role as Jay Garrick, aka The Flash, in Stargirl Season 2 Episode 9. In Stargirl, which takes place on a different Earth than The Flash does in season 8, Jay appeared in flashbacks to the days of the old Justice Society of America. On this Earth, Jay was one of the members of the original JSA.

In episode 9, Eclipso targeted Courtneys family, including Pat. Eclipso tormented Pat with flashbacks to when the original JSA had to make a tough decision to stop Eclipso. They had to kill the villains innocent host, something that both Pat and Jay were against.

Earlier in the series, we learned that the Injustice Society wiped out almost the entirety of the JSA. Unfortunately, this most likely included Jay Garrick. But, hopefully, the show will bring him back for a future episode somehow. If not, at least fans can look forward to his role in The Flash Season 8.

What can we expect from Garrick in The Flash Season 8?

Per CBR, Shipp, in regards to his return to The Flash, said, Im not sure exactly what time it will be, but Eric Wallace and I have discussed having the opportunity to explore Jay Garrick as a mentor that we missed with Wally. There was an opportunity with Wally, but we missed it. I would love now to be able to fulfill that playing Jay, that relationship that they set up and that Jordan Fisher set up and the writers set up so beautifully in those last two [The Flash] episodes.

So, its unknown if Shipp will be a part of the massive cast of Armageddon. But we do know that he will be in The Flash Season 8 whenever Jordan Fisher, who plays Bart Allen, is. In the two-part finale of The Flash Season 7, Bart revealed that Godspeed murdered Jay in the future. Since Jay was like an uncle to Bart, his death greatly affected him. Bart even compared his relationship with Godspeed to Barrys dynamic with Reverse Flash.

The Flash Season 8 premieres on Nov. 16 at 8/7c on The CW.

RELATED: The Flash Season 8: Kat McNamara Shares Behind-The-Scenes Photo of Armageddon
Ana Navarro is adored by fans of The View and many look ahead for her appearances on the ABC talk show. The political commentator has a sharp tongue and clap backs that leave people at the end of it shaking. However, one thing that has fans concerned recently is the health of her mother who had been hospitalized but recently release from the intensive care unit. Navarro is now explaining why she cant travel to Nicaragua to visit her mom in person.

Ana Navarro | Lorenzo Bevilaqua/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images

Ana Navarro opens up about not traveling to Nicaragua

Navarro recently opened up on The View about regretting not having spent more time with her mother when she was healthy. She shared that her mom had recently been hospitalized and was bracing for the worst. However, she miraculously got better and was even released from ICU and able to go back home. Fans urged Navarro to go see her but the Republican pundit has revealed she hasnt traveled to Nicaragua at her parents request.

Nicaraguan strongman, Daniel Ortega has cracked down on members of the free press and on his political opponents and critics. I am both things. Many have been indiscriminately jailed or disappeared. Many more have fled into exile, Navarro explained in an Instagram post where she shared our Showbiz Cheat Sheet article.

Due to the political landscape in Nicaragua, Navarros mother and father have asked her not to go. She has obliged because she doesnt want to cause them additional stress and worry.

It is a very difficult time for my family. Like many people around the world who have not been able to visit sick loved ones during the pandemic, I use technology to keep in touch, she continued. I FaceTime daily with my dad. He is usually at my mothers bedside. Theyve been married sixty years. Its been beautiful to see his love for her. Whenever she is awake and able to talk, I speak with her too.

Ana Navarro | Heidi Gutman/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images

RELATED: The View Fans Applaud Ana Navarro for Having Whoopi Goldbergs Back and Clapping Back at Barbara Corcoran

Just as she stated on The Views episode that aired on Oct. 1, Navarro confirmed that her mother is at home now after being released from ICU. Fans had been wanting to get a health update and the TV commentator shared the news with all of her fans.

Some days, shes a little better. Some days, shes a little worse, Navarro wrote. If she gets better, they want to come to Miami to visit her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren and meet the new granddaughter who is scheduled to be born next month. She will be named, Violet, for my mom. Shes beaten the odds before. God, I so badly hope she makes it.

Many will understand that for Navarro, talking about her mother during these uncertain times is not easy for her. She explained that she tries to stay as busy as she can but her mom is always on her mind.

RELATED: The View Co-Host Ana Navarro Had a Hilarious Take on Kim Kardashians Met Gala Costume

I know Im not the only one. There are many, many people dealing with or whove dealt with similar circumstances. Ive had almost 50 years of life with loving parents. That makes me one of the lucky ones, she continued. My moms health has been declining for several years. Ive been bracing for this for a long time. Stupidly, I thought I was ready.

Furthermore, Navarro ended her post by thanking everyone who has prayed for her mother and noted that she told her that she was getting a lot of support.

I told her the other day many people were praying for her and it made her smile. She is a woman of great faith. I think it helps in moments like this, she ended.

The View airs weekday mornings at 11 a.m. ET and 10 a.m. CT/PT on ABC.
A Northwestern University research team has developed a versatile composite fabric that can deactivate both biological threats, such as the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19, and chemical threats, such as those used in chemical warfare. A material that is effective against both classes of threats is rare.

The material also is reusable. It can be restored to its original state after the fabric has been exposed to threats by a simple bleach treatment.The promising fabric could be used in face masks and other protective clothing.

Having a bifunctional material that has the ability to deactivate both chemical and biological toxic agents is crucial since the complexity to integrate multiple materials to do the job is high, said Northwesterns Omar Farha, an expert in metal-organic frameworks, or MOFs, which is the basis for the technology.

Farha, a professor of chemistry in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, is a co-corresponding author of the study. He is a member of Northwesterns International Institute for Nanotechnology.

The MOF/fiber composite builds on an earlier study in which Farhas team created a nanomaterial that deactivates toxic nerve agents. With some small manipulations, the researchers were able to also incorporate antiviral and antibacterial agents into the material.

MOFs are sophisticated bath sponges, Farha said. The nano-sized materials are designed with a lot of holes that can capture gases, vapors and other agents the way a sponge captures water. In the new composite fabric, the cavities of the MOFs have catalysts that can deactivate toxic chemicals, viruses and bacteria. The porous nanomaterial can be easily coated on textile fibers.

The study was published recently in the Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS).

The researchers found that the MOF/fiber composite exhibited rapid activity against SARS-CoV-2 and both gram-negative bacteria (E. coli) and gram-positive bacteria (S. aureus). Also, the active chlorine-loaded MOF/fiber composite rapidly degraded sulfur mustard gas and its chemical simulant (2-chloroethyl ethyl sulfide, CEES). The nanopores of the MOF material coated on the textile are wide enough to allow sweat and water to escape.

The composite material is scalable, Farha added, as it only requires basic textile processing equipment currently used by industry. When incorporated into a facemask, the material should be able to work both ways: protecting the mask wearer from virus in his or her vicinity as well as protecting individuals who come into contact with an infected person wearing the mask.

The researchers also were able to develop an understanding of the materials active sites down to atomic level. This allows them and others to derive structure-property relationships that can lead to the creation of other MOF-based composites.
President Joe Biden delivers remarks on his Build Back Better agenda during a visit to the International Union Of Operating Engineers Local 324 on Oct. 5 in Howell, Michigan.
President Joe Biden on Oct. 8 gestures on the North Lawn of the White House in Washington with White House national climate adviser Gina McCarthy, Brenda Mallory, chair of the council on environmental quality, and Interior Secretary Deb Haaland during an event announcing that his administration is restoring protections for two sprawling national monuments in Utah that have been at the center of a long-running public lands dispute, and a separate marine conservation area in New England that recently has been used for commercial fishing.
Unprecedented. New normal. Post-pandemic world.

Those are just a few of the words that have been swirling around after COVID-19 upended our collective lives. The pandemic left so many of us reeling from job losses to losing loved ones, to racial trauma, emotional trauma, isolation traumaand everything in between.

How do we start to pick up the pieces mentally, spiritually and relationally after so much has changed?

Just as the impact COVID had on us is multi-layered, so is the approach to finding health in the post-pandemic world. Here are three initial steps you and your community can take:

Begin to lament

Though we are beginning to see the world open up again, the reality is that any time we experience trauma or suffering, our bodies keep the scoreand we have all been through a major collective trauma. If we want to move forward in healing, it is imperative that we learn how to share our pain and hurt with God. Lament, a biblical expression of crying out to God in grief, is the Christians response to pain. We lament for our own pain and for the pain of others.

In Psalm 13, David laments, How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me? Consider and answer me, O Lord my God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death (Psalm 13:1-3).

Do you see the honesty with which David spoke? Do you hear the depth of his pain? Can you feel the desperation in his voice? He did not hold back. And by doing so, David began to experience healing from his hurt. Consider beginning a lament journal, form a grief circle, or host a night of lament with your neighbors. As you lament, youll find Gods presence meeting you in your post-pandemic experience.

Seek wise counsel

After the difficulties that have come our way this past year and a half, it can be easy to remain disconnected from others, and even from our own sense of self. We need wise voices to guide us, to help us sift through our emotions, and to empower us to take some initial steps toward healing. Proverbs 13:10 says it this way: Where there is strife, there is pride, but wisdom is found in those who take advice.

Our spiritual, mental and relational worlds have gone through a major upheaval. So, of course, there is wisdom in finding a therapist, talking to a safe friend, or sharing your burden with a pastor. In so doing, youll find strength and greater wholeness.

Move towards others

When we are hurting, it is easy to retreat in isolation. Add to that, a year and a half of isolationwell, there is an understandable amount of anxiety that comes with returning to social gatherings. Events that used to be easy, like church or work or parties, can be difficult to return to. But we were made for community, and we can find healing in safe spaces within relationshipseven if it takes time.

Like the apostle Paul encouraged the Thessalonians, we are called to encourage one another and build each other up (1 Thessalonians 5:11). It is through our relationships with one another that we can begin to find the encouragement we need, especially in the midst of our collective new normal.

If youre struggling to be in community again, take a small step. Invite one friend over to sit on your back porch. Or return to your favorite local spot for a few minutes. Be kind to yourself as you step out in bravery towards others.

By learning to lament, seeking wise counsel, and moving towards others in community, we can begin to untangle the layers of hurt and find hope after (and in the midst of) our season of suffering.

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Pastors Brian From and Aubrey Sampson host The Common Good podcast Monday through Friday from 4 to 6pm (CT) on AM1160 Hope for Your Life. Aubrey is the author of The Louder Song: Listening for Hope in the Midst of Lament and the upcoming Known: How Believing Who God Says You Are Changes Everything. Brian leads Four Corners Community Church in Darian, Illinois. They are passionate about civility, compassion, and unity in a divided world.
Churches werent always ready to help Evelyn Mangham. When she cold-called them in 1975 seeking sponsors for refugees from the Vietnam War, they often had other plans and other financial commitments.

But in call after call with Christian and Missionary Alliance (CMA) churches, and then any congregation affiliated with the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE), Mangham pushed, quoted Scripture, told stories about Vietnamese people from her 20 years as a missionary, and applied moral pressure.

One pastor told Mangham his congregation couldnt help because they were in the middle of a building projectworking on a new parking lot. She sputtered, But these are people.

By the end of the year, she had convinced evangelical churches to sponsor 10,000 refugees from Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.

Mangham, who cofounded World Reliefs refugee resettlement program with her husband, Thomas Grady Mangham Jr., died on October 5 at age 98.

Matthew Soerens, the current direct of church mobilization for World Relief, said she was a remarkable, faithful follower of Jesus. Jenny Yang, World Reliefs vice president of advocacy and policy and coauthor, with Soerens, of Welcoming the Stranger, described Mangham as faithful and feisty.

Her love for refugees, for the church, and for her Lord were contagious, Yang said. Her impact on the lives of those who are vulnerable will be felt for generations to come, and I know there was a huge celebration for her in heaven as so many people whose lives she touched welcomed her to her eternal home.

Mangham was born to George and Lola Breaden in 1922. Her father was the heir of a well-off family in Greenville, Ohio, who abandoned the family business and his inheritance when he heard about the need to spread the gospel in Arabia.

Evelyns birth disrupted the familys missionary call, however, because she was their third child, and the CMA had a rule that missionaries could only take two children to the mission field. George Breaden prayed and asked the denomination to make an exception and send the family anyway. The CMA waived the rule, and the Breadens went to Maan, Jordan, in the far reaches of the British-created Emirate of Transjordan.

Daddy wasnt happy in Jerusalem, Bethlehem, or Beersheba, Mangham later recalled. That was big time. He wanted to be at the end of the line, so thats where we always were.

It was in some ways an austere childhood. Mangham didnt have a doll and instead played with half-burnt birthday candlesthe longer ones designated the father and mother, the shorter ones the children. But she also recalled joyous times running around with local children, feeding sheep, and petting camels.

Mangham was sent to school in Jerusalem with other CMA missionary children. When it was time for college, she was sent back to the US to study at Nyack College, which was then called the Missionary Training Institute.

I was alone, and I was so scared, I cant even remember parts of it, Mangham said. Id just go back to Scripture: Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God (Philippians 4:6, NKJV). And I did that. And I knew that he heard me.

Mangham met Grady, the son of an Alliance pastor, at Nyack, and the two graduated and married in 1943. Grady, who was originally from Florida, took a position at a church in Georgia for a few years, and then the couple became Alliance missionaries to Vietnam.

The CMA was the oldest Protestant denomination in the French colony. Hoi Thanh Tin Lanh Viet Nam (the Evangelical Church of Vietnam) had more than 30,000 Vietnamese Christians worshiping in about 350 congregations. The CMA also supported about 130 missionaries, who planted churches, trained pastors, translated Scripture, taught people to read and write, and provided medical care in the remote regions of the country.

The Manghams learned four languages and pushed into the interior of the country, to reach the ethnic and linguistic groups that were isolated from the rest of Vietnam. For a while they made their home base in Cheo Reo, in the Central Highlands, about 270 miles north of Saigon.

They traveled the area in jeepsincluding one donated by the city of Orlando, Florida, emblazoned with decals promoting the cityover the rutted roads through the jungles. The missionaries treks were occasionally dangerous. In 1957, Grady shot a 12-foot tiger that had been accused of killing 200 people.

In 1962, Grady and Evelyn were briefly captured by Communist fighters and forced to listen to a two-hour lecture on class conflict and revolutionary history. The lesson ended with general well wishes for their mission, however. The Communists told the Manghams, We know you missionaries are here only to help the people of this country.

North Vietnamese fighters did not always look so kindly on the American missionaries presence, though. As US involvement in the war escalated under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson, the Manghams and other CMA missionaries occasionally had people shout at them, Get out and stay out. You are enemies of the people.

The Manghams served to the end of their allotted time, however, remaining in Vietnam until 1967. Then they returned to New York and went to work for the denomination. They spoke widely in support of missions and were also frequently asked to speak about the war. They supported Americas involvement in the conflict and argued it was a just cause.

When Americans withdrew in 1975 and Communists took over, the couple started getting desperate calls from people they had known who needed to get out. Mangham and two friends started making endless phone calls and found sponsors for thousands of refugeesChristians from the church in Vietnam, but also Buddhists and followers of folk religions.

Mangham told churches they should dedicate time and funds to help the refugees because they were people, because Scripture said to welcome strangers, and because it created a mission field, backwards.

But mostly, she argued, it was what Jesus would want.

Its what Jesus said, thats all, she once explained, quoting Matthew 25. I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I was a strangerrefugeeand you took me in.  Its simple obedience.

The refugee resettlement program began under the auspices of the CMAs relief aid agency, Compassion and Mercy Associates. It eventually became part of World Relief. When Grady and Evelyn stepped down in 1987, the organization was resettling about 6,300 refugees per year.

The couple retired to Florida and continued to support refugee work to their ends of their lives. In her 90s, Mangham loved to throw her arms around Muslim refugees she saw in the grocery store and tell them how happy she was to see them, speaking the Arabic of her childhood.

She also frequently urged people to teach their children Scripture and learn to lean on the faithfulness of God.

I know Im in his hands. Im in his hands, and he can do with me whatever he wants, she said in 2019. I love to do, I love to be, I love to talk, I love people, and that takes care of it.

Mangham died a day before her 99th birthday. She is survived by her four children, Ed Mangham, Connie Fairchild, Thomas Grady Mangham III, and Patty Whalen.

Its not the loss that overwhelms us, her son Thomas wrote in a tribute on Facebook. its the thought that we had the honor of knowing, seeing and experiencing what its like to live with a Hebrews 11 hero of the faith.

A memorial is planned for 2 p.m. on Saturday at Good Samaritan Village Church, in Kissimmee Florida.
In its 63 years of independence, Guinea has had three presidents. Last month, the West African nation suffered its third coup detat.

This time, says the local Christian minority, their Francophone country might just get it right.

Alpha Conde cannot return, said Etienne Leno, a Christian and Missionary Alliance (CMA) pastor. We are praying that the new military authoritieswho we find to be wise and intelligentwill be led by God.

On September 5, Colonel Mamady Doumbouya, head of the Guinean special forces, ousted the 83-year-old president. Once an imprisoned opposition leader, Conde became the nations first democratically elected head of state in 2010 and won a second term in 2015.

Leno originally found much hope in Condes mandate, which was ushered in after the international community aided domestic forces to remove the military junta that violently seized power in 2008. Conde improved the business, tourism, and energy sectors, restoring Guineas global reputation.

Local infrastructure was neglected, however, and the Oregon-sized nation lagged in domestic development. One-third of the economy was linked to the mining of bauxite, the primary resource for aluminum. Guinea boasts the worlds largest reserves, but foreign companies dominate the extraction.

Despite 7 percent annual growth, nearly 50 percent of the 13 million population lived in poverty. And by late 2019, 36 percent of the country believed Guinea was moving in the wrong direction.

And then Conde made his power grab. He pushed through a March 2020 referendum for constitutional changes to reset his term limits and in October won reelection again. Both votes were challenged by violently suppressed protests.

Almost a year later, Doumbouya had had enough.

He promised no political witch hunt as he made love to Guinea, but it was nonetheless clear that opposition would not be tolerated. As the colonelsworn in on October 1 as Guineas interim presidentassembled a national dialogue, protests in support filled the streets and Christians noted the surprising calm.

Five days after the coup, the Association of Evangelical Churches and Missions of Guinea (AEMEG)affiliated with the World Evangelical Allianceissued a televised statement recognizing the new authorities. Catholic and Muslim groups made similar announcements.

Relations are good in general, Leno told CT. Our message is for peace and national unity.

One aspect of the takeover may have helped ensure it: Doumbouya shares the same Malinke ethnicity as Conde. Representing one-third of Guineans, the Malinke are second in population to the Fulbe people (41%), more widely known across West Africa as Fulani. Both groups are Muslim, as is the third-largest ethnic group, the Soussu (12%).

The Ministry of Religious Affairs counts Christians as 8 percent of the population, with the remaining 7 percent belonging to traditional religions. Christians are generally from the Kpelle and other smaller ethnic groups, though conversions have taken place among all tribes.

We are grateful to God for our religious freedom, in this moment of crisis, said Emmanuel Ouamouno, an Assemblies of God (AG) pastor and head of the evangelical radio ministry IBRA. We pray for our various religious leaders to serve together in advancing the principles of Gods kingdom.

It will be essential. While only 52 percent of Guineans trust the military, 79 percent trust their spiritual guides.

Ouamouno is staying neutral.

If the army takes on the needs of the population, it will be difficult to take power out of their hands, he toldEvangelical Focus. Everything will depend on how the army behaves.

Immediately after the coup, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) issued sanctions on junta leaders. Already dealing with supposedly transitional military leadership in Mali and Chad, the regional body called for elections within six months.

Early signs may be encouraging.

Though no timeline was given, Doumbouya promised neither he nor any transitional official will run for office. A national council of 81 people will be established, consisting of politicians, trade unions, businessmen, youth, and security members, with 30 percent female representation. Serving as the legislature, they will draft a new constitution and prepare for local, regional, and national elections.

And on October 7, Doumbouya fulfilled his pledge to appoint a civilian prime minister, choosing a respected diplomat and economic development expert.

Though the coup appears to be popular, support for democracy is strong, favored by 77 percent of Guineans. The same percentage rejects military rule. And 76 percent support term limitsthe issue that upended Condes presidency.

We should all participate in the restoration of democracy, in prayer and if necessary, in demonstrations, said Tamba Kondiano, an AG pastor. We are not officially taking a position, but we remain vigilant and are ready to accompany the new authorities.

Guineans once welcomed Conde as a sign of relief, he said, and urged caution. The former president still commands 90 percent support among his ethnic group, he estimated. Among Christians, however, it has dropped to single digits.

Violence was severe in Nzerekore, a predominantly Christian city in the southeastern forested region, where Muslim supporters of Conde clashed with Christians and animists over the referendum. Mosques and churches were damaged in the melee, which killed 30 people and injured 70.

In 2013, a similar conflict in the city, Guineas second largest, killed 54.

Ethnic politics characterizes the nation, multiple Guinean sources told CT, and elections predictably consist of two rounds.

In the first round, the Fulbe candidate wins a plurality but falls short of the 51 percent necessary for victory. In the runoff, the Malinke and Soussuwhose ethnic groups share more similaritiesteam up to defeat the outsiders, whose 18th-century jihad conquered the area. Christians, who are concentrated in the cities, the southern coast, and the forested areas, tend to join the other minorities.

Before Conde, the second president was Soussu. The first president was Malinke. Many Fulbe believe it is now their tribes turn. Their leading politician, Cellou Diallo, was among the first to endorse the coup.

Doumbouya has not appealed to ethnic interests, instead framing the overthrow as the will of the people. Both Leno and Kondiano called on ECOWAS to support Guinea in the military-led return to democratic legitimacy.

But for much of Guineas history, Christians have stayed on the sidelines. The first president, Sekou Toure, expelled foreign missionaries in 1967, hindering the church from developing mature theological reflection.

These realities ended up convincing us that a good Christian could not do politics, said Leno. But today, there is a new generation of evangelical youth.

These believers tend to be less attached to ethnicity and are strongly pro-democracy. The National Front for the Defense of the Constitution, formed in response to Condes referendum, is headed by a Fulbe and assisted by an influential Baptist.

The former head of parliament was a Christian, though few have risen to the level of ministers, governors, and prefects. AEMEG, however, serves as an effective liaison between state and church, said Kondiano.

In addition to hosting a yearly March for Jesus, the evangelical association conducts a yearly prayer meeting in the legislature, to which it invites leading politicians. Most recently, Diallo was in attendance.

Some Christians believe this shift is a mistake.

Young people should be very careful with politics, said Ouamouno. Once our brothers make friends with politicians, we lose them.

Rather than serving the church through their positions of influence, he said, they become corrupt mouthpieces for their party. It can polarize a congregation, he said, which instead should be united around Jesus.

While divided in opinion about politics, Guinean sources agreed: Denominational division must be overcome. Kondiano has sought to complement the work of AEMEG by cofounding the Christians of Guinea Facebook page. He is currently seeking to expand cooperation with the nations Catholic churches.

The Holy Ghost Fathers first evangelized the area in 1877, and the CMA started work in 1919. Today, the evangelical denomination counts 437 churches and an additional 154 unofficial fellowships. Christians have influence beyond their share of population through a network of schools and hospitals.

Though the days of Toures persecution have long passed, Guinean Christians still view their religious freedom as incomplete. Sources told CT they want government funding for theological education, as is provided for Muslim imams. There should be more Christians in the administrationespecially the deputy position in the Ministry for Religious Affairs. And they said discrimination exists against Christians in housing, making it difficult to rent in the larger cities.

Some Muslim converts to Christianity fear family reaction but are not harassed by the state. On both government restrictions and social hostilities involving religion, the Pew Research Center ranks Guinea moderately lowscoring between 2 and 3 on a 10-point scale.

Churches have been planted in all regions of Guinea, though most in attendance are Christians originally from the forested region. But the IBRA radio station operates freely in a Muslim region, and the constitution guarantees the right of individuals to choose and profess their religion.

The evangelical church is like a wounded panther, regaining its strength, said Ouamouno. Our main challenge is to return to the unity of the body of Christ.

And though the AG pastor distrusts politics, he longs for national leaders like David, Ezra, and Daniel. Until Christians can play that roleand some are already tryingthese hopes must be directed to the junta.

Pray for the new authorities in our transition, Ouamouno said, that the Eternal One will illumine their path, toward peace in Guinea.
By Jeffry Blair, a Northern Seminary DMin graduate and pastor. He was asked by a group of leaders to advise them on how to finish seminary while in ministry and Jeff puts together a wise presentation for all of us.

I want to encourage you to complete your education. I hope to show you why you should and how you can. Here are six strategies for finishing your studies while you are up to your armpits in ministry.

One - Feel the Weight

I was twenty-three years old in the fall of 1999 when I first stepped foot on the campus of Southwestern Seminary in Fort Worth. Each student received a copy of The Religious Life of the Theological Student by the Princeton theologian, B. B. Warfield, who said,

The ministry is a learned profession; and the man without learning, no matter with what other gifts he may be endowed, is unfit for its duties. But learning, though indispensable, is not the most indispensable thing for a minister. Apt to teachyes, the minister must be.... Not apt merely to exhort, to beseech, to appeal, to entreat, not even merely to testify but to teach. And teaching implies knowledge:he who teaches must know But aptness to teach alone does not make a minister; nor is it his primary qualification A minister must be learned, on pain of being utterly incompetent for his work. But before and above being learned, a minister must be godly.[1]

Warfield was right, and this is the big idea of his speech: godliness is the indispensable attribute of the pastor. As Robert Murray MCheyne said, A holy minister is an awful weapon in the hand of God. Warfield was also at great pains, however, to contend that Christian pastors must be capable teachers (1 Timothy 3:2). This is so central to the Christian mission that it is embedded in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) where Jesus commanded the apostles to make disciples (matheteysate) and teach (didaskontes) what they had learned from Him. This is a crucial idea in Matthew; notice how the math- root [2] progresses through the gospel. In 11:28-29 Jesus invites His hearers, come to Me and learn (mathete) from Me. Those who learned from Jesus continued their education until they were fully trained and able to skillfully handle the whole Word of God, Every scribe who has been trained (matheteutheis) for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old (13:52, ESV). To sum up: in Matthew, Jesus is a teacher who invites disciples (learners) to come to Him and learn (11:28-29) until they are fully trained (learned) (13:52) so that they are able to teach others (28:18-20). This is central to His invitation and His commission.

I hear an objection, What about Acts 4:13? The Bible says the disciples were unlearned and ignorant men (KJV). The authorities in this text did not mean Peter and John were illiterate ignoramuses. Their words mean, rather, that Peter and John were what the rabbis called am haaretz, people of the land.[3] They were ordinary laymen who had no degrees from accredited schools and no impressive diplomas hanging on their walls. The people said the same thing about the apostles Master, How is it that this man has learning, when he has never studied? (John 7:15, RSV). To be under the impression that Peter and John were uneducated is no trivial error. They had, in fact, recently completed the most thorough theological education in history. For the last three years they had been enrolled full-time in the seminary of the Messiah-Savior-Son of God. It took me three years to complete a Master of Divinity degree; the apostles spent three years at the feet of the Divine Master. Heres the point Im making: Christian ministers must be pastor-scholar-theologians, and pastors cannot fulfill the Great Commission according to Jesus unless they have first learned.

Moses was a man of remarkable learning, trained as a sage in Egypt.[4] Paul was a certified scholar, instructed at the feet of the illustrious Gamaliel (Acts 22:3) and may have, in addition to this, spent the first decade or so of his Christian life in study, reflection, and meditation in preparation for his missionary ministry (Galatians 1:14).[5] Moses and Paul, the most prodigious authors of Old and New Testament books, respectively, were men of exceptional formal education. Still, both felt the great weight of the work God had given them. Moses moaned, Who am I that I should go? (Exodus 3:11, RSV), and Paul questioned, Who is sufficient for these things? (2 Corinthians 2:16b, RSV). Their competence did not come from their scholarship, just as Warfield argues, but they could not have accomplished their mission without their education.

I will never forget my ordination at Sulphur First Free Will Baptist Church in 1999 when I knelt at the altar, and they laid their hands upon meKeith Burden, Dr. Thomas Marberry, Dr. Timothy Eaton, Brad Ransom, Darryn McGee and others. I thought Id be crushed. That moment continually reminds me of the weight of the gospel ministry with which Ive been entrusted, and I do not want to be weighed and found wanting because of a lack of learning. It is possible, of course, with tremendous discipline in reading and study to learn without getting a degree, and I give thanks to God for those who have; but its rare. The pastor today must be prepared to intelligently engage the culture on a bewildering range of issues. Someone in your city may be waiting to hear from a man of God who knows something. If not for the godly scholar, Bishop Ambrose of Milan, there may have been no Augustine.[6]

When youve been convinced that you need to continue your education, what next?

Two - Find the Right Fit

Not all schools or programs or professors are created equal, and its crucial if you would finally finish to first find the right fit. Here are five areas of consideration.

Find the right fit theologically. There are excellent institutions in our own denomination, and these ought to be considered first. This is especially true for the undergraduate degree. Its critical to establish a sound foundation at the beginning of your theological education. Also, the younger you are both physically and spiritually, the closer you ought to stay to your own tradition. Countless are the cautionary tales of the forfeited faith of young scholars whove gone away to institutions which have strayed away from the truth. Its always good to ask someone you trust who moves in theological higher education if a particular school is a good fit for you at this point in your journey.

Find the right fit for your purpose. What is your goal? To teach? To enhance ministry skills? What do you want to do with the degree? Make sure the school and the degree you pursue fit with the calling you have received. Verify, and do not assume, that the program you choose will properly equip you and open doors, whether to ministry opportunities or subsequent degrees.

Find the right fit in the professor. For graduate degrees especially, choose to study under somebody. The person is more important than the institution. I chose my DMin program primarily because of the professor. Our first day of class at Northern Seminary, the seventeen doctoral students were asked the reason we chose this program. Every one of us said, Scot McKnight. Truth is, I had never heard of Northern Baptist Theological Seminary (I later learned it is where F. Leroy Forlines completed his Bachelor of Divinity in 1962), but I knew the concentration, New Testament Context, and, more importantly, the professor, were the perfect fit for me.

Find the right fit financially. Choose a school you can afford. When I attended Southwestern Seminary, the school offered no tuition loans because they did not want their graduates going into ministry saddled with debt. They reasoned that if it was the Lords will for you to attend there, He would provide. Im not exactly advocating that position; education is an investment. I am, however, counseling you to count the cost up front (Luke 14:27-33). The best case scenario is that you find a benefactor, either your church (the church of which Ive been senior pastor for seventeen years paid for my DMin, for which Im eternally grateful) or someone else who has both a heart for the Kingdom and the means to do this.

Finally, find the right fit in terms of format. These days there are a myriad of options: online, live stream, cohort, on campus, everything in between, and some combinations of the above. For my MDiv, Jennie and I were like the Clampets: we loaded up and moved everything we had to Fort Worth where we resided for the next three years. For my DMin, I traveled to Chicago twice a year for several years for one-week intensives. The rest of the time I studied at home.

I searched hard for a while before I found the right subject, the right professor, the right school, the right price, and the right format. There is a perfect fit for you, too.

Three - Enlist Optimistic Supporters

When it comes to completing your education, It is not good that man, or woman, should be alone. Having cheerleaders and truth-speakers is critically important.

The best-case scenario is to find a friend to go through the program with you, if possible. This is one of the benefits of the cohort model. If you dont start with an already-known friend, it doesnt take long to develop deep friendships within the program. My doctoral cohort from Northern is still dear to me, professors and classmates, and the intimacy of our friendships spurred us on to finish together.

Also, be intentional in enlisting some people who will encourage you to keep going. First on the list should be your spouse, if you have one. Mine kept me from quitting. Thats why the top lines of the dedication page of my thesis read:

To JennieYour love, patience, and prayers have made this possible. You are the consummate  , wise woman.

2 Samuel 14:2, 20:16

The support of numerous other family members was indispensable as well.

If youre a minister in a church in some capacity, get your leadership involved. The support of your deacons, elders, etc. makes a tremendous difference. Share with them why continuing your training is important to the mission of the Kingdom. The Locust Grove Free Will Baptist Church encouraged me every step of the way, even allowing me to take a 6-week retreat at a critical moment to allow me to finish.

During my doctoral studies, Terri, Kelli, Phil, and Craig were the members of what we called an MSG (Ministry Support Group). They encouraged me and helped me in so many ways and their wisdom was an indispensable resource. One day I met Dr. Craig Shaw for Mexican food to talk about my work. He shared with me the story of how he stayed the course and urged me to do whatever was required to finish my degree because, he reasoned, it was not just for me; the work was a labor of love and service to the denomination and the Kingdom. That conversation came to my mind many times when I wanted to give up.

Paul always had encouragers close by. In fact, when he was all alone, even he was nearly paralyzed (2 Corinthians 2:12-13). Scores of co-laborers are listed in Acts and in Pauls letters because he needed encouragement, too.

Find an Aaron and Hur to keep your hands lifted up. Some days may require as many as four friends not just to hold up your hands, but to hold you up and carry you along (Mark 2:3)!

Four - Set your Face like Flint

Luke 9:51 says, When the days drew near for him to be received up, Jesus set (esterisen) his face to go to Jerusalem. Thats a Hebrew way of saying that He was absolutely resolved to do it (see Isaiah 50:6-9). Set is the word in Luke 16:26 where Abraham tells the rich man in hades that the chasm has been fixed and theres no going from one side to the other. According to Exodus 17:12, Aaron and Hur held (esterizon) Moses hands so that his hands were firm (esterigmenai) until sunset. We need Aarons and Hurs, but we also must set our own face like flint.

Angela Duckworths work has shown that success in life is determined far more by tenacity than talent or intelligence.[7] Grit is the word she uses to describe the characteristic necessary for accomplishing hard and worthwhile things. Although Duckworth, herself, earned degrees from Harvard, Oxford, and the University of Pennsylvania, and for her research received the MacArthur Fellowship, sometimes called the genius grant, when she was in the third grade she didnt even test high enough for the gifted and talented program.[8] How was this possible? Grit. She says that Grit is about holding the same top-level goal for a very long time.[9] One of countless illustrations of this in her book is from the world of Microsoft,

Back in the days when he had a more direct role in hiring software programmers at Microsoft, (Bill Gates) would give applicants a programming task he knew would require hours and hours of tedious troubleshooting. This wasnt an IQ test, or a test of programming skills; it was a test of their ability to muscle through, press on, get to the finish line. He only hired programmers who finished what they began.[10]

Luke 9:51 is a turning point in the gospel. When He set his face and started on His journey to Jerusalem, He sent His disciples ahead of Him into Samaria to prepare for His arrival. But the people would not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. (Luke 9.53). When He set his face, He hadnt taken a single step before He faced opposition and rejection. Thats what it can be like when we set our face toward something worthwhile. As Bono sings, Its not a hill, its a mountain, when we start out the climb (from U2s If I Dont Go Crazy Tonight. But you knew that already). Jesus knew a long time before He got to Jerusalem what was waiting for Him there, and it was a long, winding, difficult road. Im glad He set his face You can, too.

Five - Set aside Seasons for Study

When I received this writing assignment, on our Facebook group (we still stay in contact with one another there) I asked my fellow doctoral students for their thoughts. This was the recurrent theme, and here are some of their responses.

Dr. Kristen Bennett Marble said, Think about it in terms of seasons. It wont always be like this in terms of craziness and extra work; its for a season and seasons end/change. And Grace. Give yourself grace in the process. Some things are going to have to give - you cant simply add a degree program on top of an already-packed schedule/life. What can you share, delegate, let up on?

Dr. Doug McPherson advised, Have a plan to carve out time and space to work. For me, some work was best done in small, steady steps of 1-2 hours at a time. Some tasks really were best done in larger chunks of time away from home or office to minimize interruptions. Know how you work and plan accordingly. Id tell Rebekah (his wife) what I needed in terms of time, and we would agree on the scheduling of big chunks. And I worked hard to make sure that she wasnt the only one sacrificing time, that the church had to give some as well.

Dr. Amanda Hecht counseled, Plan ahead, carve out space. I always found that if I was reading/researching that I could fit that in in smaller chunks around other things, but when I need to write, I need a longer dedicated space of time. And practice Grace toward yourself, for the things you need to delegate or let go for this season.

Dr. Scot McKnight, our professor, said simply, Blocks... of time Tranquility in your family life permits deeper concentration.

Finally, and most colorfully, Dr. Ben Tertin recommended, Take a for-real Sabbath every week. And dont try to get it done ASAP so you can get on with real life; go slow, like the turtle, who is carefully eating all the nutritious food while the rabbit runs over that food and straight off a cliff...into a lava pit.

My church gave me weeks off to finish my dissertation and time away from the office to study at home. The deacons and others took up the slack in preaching, visiting, and other pastoral responsibilities, for this season.

Six - Finish the Race

Abraham Lincoln said, Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe. This point is directed toward those who may think its too late to start or that at this point its not worth it.

Consider Rabbi Aqiva, the first century teacher who is considered the greatest Torah scholar of his day and a sage par excellence.[11] One strand of rabbinic tradition says that Aqiva had been an am ha aretz until he was forty years old. Aqiva called himself an unlettered man (Pesa. 49b) when he was a shepherd for his landlord. At the age of forty, he finally turned to formal schooling in Torah and tradition, spent the next several years immersed in study in the rabbinic school, became an eminent scholar, and made thousands of disciples. Below is a late narrative of the account:

How did R. Aqiva begin his wonderful career?... It has been said that when he was forty years old he had not learned yet anything. (At that age, however, he conceived the idea of applying himself to study.) It once happened that, standing at a well, he asked: Who has made that hollow in the stone? The people whom he asked answered: The water which continuously, day after day, falls upon it. They also said (by way of reproach): O Aqiva, it is strange that thou knowest not the passage in Scripture which reads: Water weareth out stones (Job 14:19). Aqiva then drew an a fortiori conclusion. He said: If the soft has so much power over the hard as to bore it (water over stone), how much more power will the Torah, the words of which are as hard as iron, have over my heart, which is flesh and blood? He at once turned to the study of the Law. (Tosefta on Avot by Rabbi Nathan)

In my own educational experience, and in our Free Will Baptist movement, a number of the most influential teachers and leaders did not complete their studies until well into their forties or beyond. Keith Burden, my father-in-law, completed his Master of Arts in Ministry when he was 49. Dr. Tim Eaton completed his PhD at 53. Dr. Janice Banks, missionary to Japan from 1972-91 and professor of ethic and missions at Randall University, completed her BA in 1969, her MA in 89 and her Doctorate of Educational Ministry in 09!

Before I answered the call to ministry, in 1996 I was studying history at a state school. In the course, Contemporary American History (1945-present), one student was an especially helpful addition to the class, because he was a full-grown adult through that entire period of US history! I believe he was in his 80s at the time, and Im fairly certain he graduated with this bachelors degree. I later discovered when I preached a revival at a local Free Will Baptist church that he was a member there.

As you are deciding what to do about your schooling, whether to take the first step or finish the race, I commend to you a quote by the mother of H. Jackson Brown, who instructed her son with sage counsel,

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didnt do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.[12]

Finally, I hope youll take to heart what New Testament scholar Nijay Gupta shares at the conclusion of his excellent book, Prepare, Succeed, Advance: A Guidebook for Getting a PhD in Biblical Studies and Beyond, which applies to every level and aspect of formal education,

Remember the privileges of what you are doing. In broader perspective, only a small percent of the worlds population will have the chance (and honor) to study In those smaller moments of failure and difficulty, I encourage you to remember the blessing it is to have done the kinds of things you have done and to have the resources and support to participate in the privileges of higher education.[13]

[1] Emphasis mine. This essay was originally a discourse delivered by Warfield at Princeton Theological Seminary in October 4, 1911. The essay can be accessed online for free here https://www.tms.edu/m/tmsj6g.pdf and in a helpful abridged form here https://faculty.gordon.edu/hu/bi/ted_hildebrandt/SpiritualFormation/Texts/Warfield_ReligiousLifeOfTheologicalStudents/Warfield_ReligiousLifeOfTheologicalStudents.pdf. The booklet can also still be purchased.

[2] The manth/math- root has to do with learning, as in polymath  one who has learned much, in many areas.

[3] See Sota 22A, which describes the am ha aretz and includes, Even if one recites Scripture and repeats Mishnah-sayings, but has not attended upon a disciple of sages, such a one is an am ha ares.

[4] See Acts 7:22, Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was mighty in his words and deeds. Philo says that Moses, raised in Pharaohs palace, was worthy of a royal education attending diligently to every lesson of every kind which could tend to the improvement of his mind(Vita Mos. 1.2024; Charles Duke Yonge with Philo of Alexandria, The Works of Philo: Complete and Unabridged [Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1995], 461).

[5] See Richard N. Longenecker, Galatians, vol. 41, WBC (Dallas: Word, 1990), 34, and David A. deSilva, The Letter to the Galatians, NICNT (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2018), 158. Recall also Agrippa, flummoxed by Pauls erudition, charging, Your great learning has made you mad. (Acts 26:24)

[6] Augustine confessed to God concerning the role of Ambrose in bringing Augustine to faith, To him was I led by Thee, unknowing, that by him I might be brought to Thee (Confessions, 5.13; Augustine of Hippo, St. Augustines Confessions, vol.1, The Loeb Classical Library [London; New York: William Heinemann; Macmillan, 1912], 255). See books 5, 6, and 9 for Augustines discussion of the influence of Ambrose upon him.

[7] See Angela Duckworth, Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance (New York: Scribner, 2016).

[8] Ibid, 3.

[9] Ibid, 73.

[10] Ibid, 253.

[11] Robert Goldenberg, Akiba, Rabbi, ed. David Noel Freedman, The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary (New York: Doubleday, 1992), 137.

[12] H. Jackson Brown, P.S. I Love You (Nashville: Routledge Hill, 1990), 13.

[13] Gupta, Nijay K.. Prepare, Succeed, Advance, Second Edition: A Guidebook for Getting a PhD in Biblical Studies and Beyond (Cascade Books, an Imprint of Wipf and Stock Publishers. Kindle Edition), loc. 3061.
Answers in Genesis skeptical of researchers' claims Noah's Ark may have been found in Turkey

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Young Earth creationist organization Answers in Genesis, which operates the Ark Encounter attraction in Kentucky, has expressed doubt over researchers' claims that a boat-like formation found in eastern Turkey could likely be the location of Noah's Ark.

Earlier this year, archaeologists associated with a project called Noah's Ark Scans reported that ground-penetrating radar showed unusual formations underneath a boat-like formation found near Mount Tendurek, which they say matched the "exact length" of the ark given in the Old Testament.

Moving forward, a team of Turkish researchers and other supporters plan to do the "most complete geophysical survey and scientific study of this site to date."

In a post online last week, Answers in Genesis President Ken Ham noted that the Durupinar formation site had been speculated to be the site of Noah's Ark as far back as 1959.

In his post, Ham included statements by geologist Andrew Snelling, director of Answers in Genesis' research department. Snelling does not expect the ark to have survived intact to this day.

"With no mature trees available for Noah and his family to build shelters after they got off the Ark, there is every reason to expect they dismantled the Ark (which they didn't need anymore) to salvage timber from it," stated Snelling.

"Besides, this claimed Ark site is in a valley and not on a mountain as described by the Genesis account. It is unclear exactly the identity and location of the 'mountains of Ararat' [Genesis 8:4; notice the plural word 'mountains'], but even this site sits on volcanic lava flows (under the mud flows), which like Mount Ararat itself is a post-Flood volcano that even recently erupted."

Snelling stated that the "geophysical imaging" used by the researchers is ultimately "subject to interpretation based on the bias of the interpreter."

"The reality is that these 'investigators' will never be able to establish what is inside this 'boat-shaped formation' until such time as they actually excavate the site by digging through it," he continued.

"They can theorize all they like about the unusual parallel linear and angular features shown up by the geophysical imaging, but until they actually dig into the site to expose those features for visual identification, their theorizing simply remains that."

Snelling assured that the Ark does not need to be found for believers to "accept it as a historical reality."

"We already have the infallible testimony of the ever-present, all-knowing Creator in His Word," Snelling wrote. "And even if the Ark were found, scoffers would still reject the evidence, dismissing it as a replica built by worshippers to a myth they believed in."

The Noah's Ark Scans researchers have referenced private geophysical surveys conducted in 2014 and 2019 that show "layers and interesting angular structures below the ground."

"The new GPR data shows parallel lines and angular structures 8 to 20 feet down," stated the project on its website.

"These parallel lines and right angles below the surface are something you would not expect to see in a natural, geologic formation. Interestingly, the boat formation has also been confirmed to be the exact length of the ark given in the Bible (Genesis 6:15)."

In an interview with The U.S. Sun, project head Andrew Jones said that the GPR data is "not what you would expect to see if this site is just a solid block of rock or an accumulation of random debris from a mudflow."

"But these results are what you would expect to see if this is a man-made boat matching the Biblical requirements of Noah's Ark," added Jones.

Jones is joined in the project by Ryan Mauro, president of the Doubting Thomas Research Foundation, and Dr. Fethi Yuksel from Istanbul University. Members of the team spent four days in August surveying the site. Jones had previously stated that there won't be an excavation until the "geophysical surveys, core drilling and geological studies are complete."

According to Jones, Yuksel has obtained a permit to work in the area, which will "speed up the process."
Church of the Highlands Pastor Dino Rizzo named in sexual harassment lawsuit

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Dino Rizzo, a member of the Church of the Highlands' senior leadership team in Alabama, has been named as a defendant in a lawsuit filed by a former intern at Vibrant Church in Columbus, Mississippi.

Laura Ashley Eagan alleges Rizzo failed to intervene when she told him she was sexually harassed by Vibrant Church's former senior pastor, Jason Delgado.

In addition to his work with Alabama's largest church, Rizzo is also executive director and founder of the Association of Related Churches, an umbrella group under which Vibrant Church falls.

Church of the Highlands and ARC officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the lawsuit when contacted by The Christian Post on Tuesday. A Vibrant Church official told CP, "at this time we are not making any statements or comments on the issue."

In the lawsuit, Eagan alleges discrimination/sexual harassment, intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligence, The Commercial Dispatch reported.

Along with Rizzo and Jason Delgado, the lawsuit lists as defendants Delgado's parents  Vibrant Church staff pastor Ronald D. Delgado and Vibrant Church's human resource director Miriam Delgado.

John Does 1-25 were also named defendants in the lawsuit and seek compensatory and punitive damages.

Eagan alleges that Jason Delgado, who resigned from Vibrant Church amid sexual harassment allegations in April, made unwanted sexual advances by "various electronic means" to her beginning in February 2020 and lasted through the end of the year.

She claims the advances began after telling Ronald Delgado during a confidential counseling session that she was having marriage troubles. She contends he shared that information with his son.

The former intern said her supervisor at the church, identified as Laurel Jones, gave her a poor evaluation without providing documentation to support the evaluation. She further asserts that Jones told her she was "too sexy" to be an intern.

She was later referred to Jason Delgado for mentoring, placing her in a vulnerable position. Soon after the assignment, Jason Delgado began sending Eagan benign messages that escalated to sexual overtures over time.

"Mr. Jason Delgado used his position of confidence, and his knowledge of Mrs. Eagan's situation to fulfill his sexual perversions," the suit alleges. "At best, this is a deliberate manipulation of those in need to fulfill unnatural, sexual fantasies. At worst, this is a calculated sexual predator, with his free pick of vulnerable victims."

The suit said that Eagan "was left with nowhere to turn" when Jason Delgado's communications became sexual in nature.

Since she could not turn to Jason Delgado's parents in their senior positions due to the conflict of interest, Eagan reached other church officials, including Pastor Mike Stephens, Stacy Peterson and 25 others who were made aware of the harassment. But, no one did anything to help.

The lawsuit claims Rizzo investigated the claims but did nothing to intervene in his role at ARC.

It was also alleged that church officials were aware of Jason Delgado's predation on others as far back as 2016 but did nothing to protect future victims.

Jason Delgado resigned his position this spring, three days after The Columbus Dispatch reported that two former employees who spoke on condition of anonymity accused him of sexual harassment.

Rizzo returned to public ministry in August 2013 at Church of the Highlands, just over a year after he resigned as senior pastor of the Healing Place Church in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, over an inappropriate affair with a woman who was not his wife.

In welcoming Rizzo back to the ministry, Church of the Highlands Pastor Chris Hodges called his longtime friend an inspiration.

"Dino has been an amazing inspiration to me and to people all over the world," said Hodges in a recording of the presentation.

"In the spring of 2012, Dino found himself in a very depleted, tired state with an unhealthy relationship with God and his family, and it was during that time that Dino got involved in the early stages of a brief  but inappropriate  friendship with another woman. When the situation came to light, I, and the other overseers at HPC, got involved. It was our responsibility. We guided the church over the past year through healing and restoration," said Hodges.

Hodges noted that it was Rizzo who inspired the planting of the Church of the Highlands.

"Dino is a large part of the reason I even came to Birmingham," Hodges said. "He was the first person who challenged me to go plant a church."
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Our shocking slide into the surreal world of leftist leadership has led to this: American parents are now the enemy. Big Education and a weaponized Department of Justice are going after the very people who should have the most say in public education. School boards and public school administrators, like in Loudoun County, Virginia, where I live, have faced unprecedented informed dissent from parents of every background. Instead of acting like public servants, they act like the petty gods of Mount Olympus recklessly wielding their (unconstitutional) power as they try to strike down (e.g. silence, fire, dox and demonize) anyone who dares to challenge their rule.

But like typical progressives, theyre the victims. Theyre more than deserving of the outrage and peaceful protests by American parents. Were fed up with the pollution of our childrens minds with LGBT pedophilia and porn, racism, colorism, anti-capitalism, religious bigotry, anti-free speech, and other anti-American propaganda.

I dont advocate violence in any form. I fully advocate parent-led education and fully oppose government-led indoctrination. My wife and I withdrew our school-aged children from Loudoun County Public Schools. I wont be silenced by those who think parents have no right to help shape what our children learn in schools funded by our tax dollars. We now homeschool all of our children and are passionate about school choice. Sorry, Terry McAuliffe. Not sure why you dont think parents should be telling schools what they should teach. There are no schools without students. There are no students without parents. Parents are the primary educators, the primary influencers, and the primary individuals who have to deal with the emotional and psychological fall-out of public educations increasingly destructive liberal indoctrination.

The National School Boards Association, bolstered by the leftist news establishments false narratives, has called for President Joe Biden (whose children didnt attend public schools) to sic the Department of Justice on dissenting parents, now grotesquely labeled as domestic terrorists.

Let me introduce you to some of the parents leading this fight in my county. These are passionate individuals who never wouldve thought theyd be forced into such a battle. These are everyday moms and dads who defy the fake news caricatures. Ive shared the stage with each of these remarkable women and men. So, Ive asked them why theyve chosen to get involved.

Meet Xi Van Fleet.

Xi fled communist China. She knows, firsthand, about the suppression of basic human rights like life, free speech, and religious liberty. She knows what unlimited government control looks like. Many black/brown/Asian parents speak up against Critical Race Theory. The Left always uses the Trump card to divide Americans and to discredit those who dare to push back on their radical agenda, Xi explains. I asked her why it matters if you use someones preferred (and made up) pronouns. This is not about pronouns, she says. The radical Left is altering reality and forcing us to conform. The goal is not to help transgenders. The goal is to control everyone else.

Meet Joe Mobley.

Joe is another Loudoun county parent. Hes a podcaster and describes himself as an uncloseted conservative. One of the viral videos with his informed dissent focused on the insanely sexually explicit diversity books offered by the school district to young children (see it here.) I asked him about the most shocking thing he learned since getting involved in fighting LCPS [Loudon County Public Schools]. LCPS willingness to openly lie, even when the truth is a matter of public record. Like saying CRT isnt in our schools while CRT Develop Planning is a line item in the budget, Joe explains. Media Matters says were billionaire-backed professional activists. I can assure you I am struggling to stay in the fight for my family, community, and country. I have a real job that is extremely demanding and important, Im active in my church. We are about to have our fourth child under seven. The only support I have is emotional support from my family.

Meet Patti Hidalgo Menders.

Patti is the president of the Loudoun County Republican Womens Club (the largest in Virginia). For some reason, its only a problem when a conservative is involved politically. On the Left, it is a standard operating procedure. Her parents fled communist Cuba; they were branded enemies of the state. Now, Patti has become the enemy of Big Education as she was blacklisted by a private Facebook group made up of former and current LCPS teachers and board members who wanted to target her publicly. Shes also a mom of six boys, one of whom is still a student at LCPS.

I asked her why shes involved. If parents dont get involved, then the school boards will continue to dictate what is best for their children. I do not coparent with the government. I do not coparent with the school board. This Loudoun County school board continues to listen to special interest groups and equity consultants instead of listening to the parents and the children/students. Parents need to take a stand!

Meet Michael Rivera.

Michael is yet another Loudoun County parent, with two children in LCPS. Hes a public safety professional who is deeply concerned about the safety of childrens minds in public education. Students may not have the intellectual wherewithal to fight per se but we can educate our children. As a result of the indoctrinating topics being proliferated, our job as parents got harder, he explains. We need to explain things to our children by stating and explaining reality and facts. That explanation includes ugly facts about the history of the United States. We need to give our children evidence and truth so they can debate and refute radical political ideologies. In the end, our children will be independent thinkers, but it is our job as parents to guide them down the right paths.

Michael opposes the blatant CRT principles being pushed on students in government schools. Im not white, but I prefer not to lead with that fact. There is absolutely NO good that comes from reinforcing judgment of others solely by color. We know for a fact that it is illogical and was a false proposition during the awful years of slavery and oppression of blacks. I look to all of the successful minorities in America and only see progress for all. How ironic and ludicrous is it that wealthy, powerful, successful black Americans are trying to destroy the very [capitalist] system that allowed them to be who they are?

Meet Shawntel Cooper.

Shawntel is a working, fighting mom. She is a no-nonsense warrior for her children who doesnt mince words. Her speeches at school board meetings are straight fire! I asked her if shes the parent fake news keeps talking about that wants to oppress black and brown people (insert eye-rolling and laughter here). Im black, and Im very happy with my natural skin tone. I have noticed a lot of flip-flopping with the school system stating they are not teaching CRT. But then they changed the name to Culturally Responsive Framework anti-bias with the same curriculum they lied about. I was taught to never listen to rumors but check the facts before assuming. Ive seen so many people marching for BLM, and we all witnessed BLM didn't do a thing for those communities they encouraged [activists] to burn down. When I saw the shooting and looting, I knew then and there it was a political move to keep racism alive.

Meet you.

The great thing about these parents, who apparently threaten Big Education and the Biden administration, is that they not only peacefully oppose the destructive policies being passed, but they also offer detailed alternatives. There are lots of great teachers and administrators in the public education system. My wife was a private and public school teacher for thirteen years (and continues as a homeschool educator). But Critical Race Theory, Feminist Theory (FemCrit), Queer Theory and other radical ideologies have been supplanting actual education for years. And the National Education Association (here, here and here) and the American Federation of Teachers (here, here and here) insist on this radicalization.

As a parent, are you willing to be silent while our childrens minds become experimental grounds for forced political activism?

There are resources to help inform and equip you like Fight for Schools, Parents Defending Education, and Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA). There is a battle going on for the very heart and soul of our youth who are daily bombarded with dangerous and divisive ideologies. We must have zero tolerance for schools marginalizing parents and pretending our voices dont matter. Its a struggle parents cannot lose. Its a struggle America must win.
Episcopal Church lost 61K members, faced declining attendance before pandemic in 2020

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The Episcopal Church lost a little over 61,000 members in 2020 and saw a decline in worship attendance even before the pandemic lockdowns occurred, according to data released by the denomination.

The Episcopal Church's General Convention posted reports this week on the liberal mainline denomination's 2020 statistics and how they compared to previous years.

Baptized Episcopal Church membership declined from approximately 1.798 million in 2019 to approximately 1.736 million in 2020  a loss of about 61,760 people.

The total for 2020 is approximately 350,000 less than the 2.096 million members reported in 2011 and is less than half of the 3.6 million members reported in 1966.

Another report shows that the total of "active baptized members" is even lower. In 2020, there were just over 1.5 million active baptized members of the Episcopal Church, compared to over 1.6 million in 2019.

Unlike past years, the denomination calculated average Sunday attendance by using the numbers reported from Jan. 1 to Mar. 1, 2020, as COVID-19 pandemic-related cancellations of worship began in March.

Even before government lockdowns compelled Episcopal congregations to suspend worship for months on end, the average Sunday attendance in 2020 dropped considerably compared to past years.

Sunday attendance declined from approximately 547,000 in 2019 to 483,000 in 2020, about 210,000 fewer average Sunday attendees than the roughly 698,000 reported in 2011.

Jeff Walton of the theologically conservative think tank Institute on Religion & Democracy, an expert on Anglican and Episcopal church politics, wrote Wednesday that the Episcopal Church "took a major hit in the year 2020."

"These numbers indicate a doubling in the rate of membership decline and a tripling in the rate of attendance decline over the previous year," wrote Walton.

"From 20192020, weddings across the denomination dropped from 6,484 to 3,530, down 46% (an additional 309 weddings were reported conducted online in virtual services). Children's baptisms dropped from 19,716 to 7,286, down 67%. Adult baptisms dropped from 3,866 to 1,649, down 57%."

Multiple factors have often been attributed to the decline in membership and attendance in Episcopal Church, which traces its origins back to the 18th century and is a member of the worldwide Anglican Communion.

These include an aging demographic and the overall decline in religious affiliation in the United States. Additionally, the increasing theologically liberal direction of the Episcopal Church has prompted considerable numbers of conservatives to leave.

In February 2020, Kristine Stache, interim president of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America-affiliated Wartburg Theological Seminary, told the Episcopal Church's Executive Council that, at the current rate of decline, worship attendance may effectively cease to exist by the year 2050.

"[Data] depicts a church that appears to be dying," said Stache, according to the Episcopal News Service.

Last November, similar thoughts were echoed by Episcopal priest Rev. Dwight Zscheile, an associate professor of congregational mission and leadership at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota.

"The overall picture is dire," Zscheile was quoted as saying, according to ChurchLeaders. "Not one of decline as much as demise within the next generation unless trends change significantly."
New youth program helps teens overcome barriers to answer God's call to ministry

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A new youth program launched by the Georgia Baptist Mission Board is working alongside churches to help teenagers who feel called into ministry overcome societal, emotional and personal barriers to answering God's call in their lives.

Founded in early 2021, The Called to Ministry Initiative provides mentorship to teens ages 14 to 18 who feel called to be pastors, evangelists or ministry leaders.

So far, about 12 to 15 teenagers have been attending the online program since its inception.

"There is a lot of openings for youth pastors and ministry leaders that aren't being filled, and we realized we aren't developing teens to go into ministry enough," Chris Trent, who has worked for Georgia Baptist Mission Board for the past nine months as the Next Generation Catalyst ministry leader, told The Christian Post.

"We wanted to help play a role in putting an end to this. I'm a product of mentors who have gone before me to help me become who I am today, so I'm passionate about mentoring as well."

Data has shown that Generation Z is largely not engaged in Scripture but eager for mentors, including religious leaders, to invest in their lives.

Meetings for the program, held over Zoom once a month for hour-long sessions, provide teens with answers to questions about various ministry vocations as they engage in conversations on spiritual and ministerial topics.

The ministry leaders have mapped out 11 foundational topics they say are essential for someone going into ministry to develop in their lives. Each meeting, a new topic is covered.

Every student who participates in the program is responsible for finding their own ministry mentor  either a pastor or someone who understands the components that go into leading a ministry on a full-time or part-time basis.

In addition to attending the program's sessions, teens must meet with their mentors once a month to further discuss the topic discussed in each month's program session.

Trent said the goal is to help teenagers overcome and tackle any obstacles that might delay or deter them from fulfilling their calling to go into ministry.

There are various barriers that teens called to ministry can face, such as feeling outcasted among peers, having a fear of pursuing the calling, a lack of understanding of the calling and lack of guidance or support in pursuing a calling into full-time or part-time ministry.

"Going into ministry is not very common," he said. "It's counter-cultural and it's not like public schools are addressing this as something youth should have as career goals."

"I'm not saying that all churches are like this, but it's not that common for churches to help provide guidance to youth about answering a calling into ministry," Trent added. "And other times, teens are the only ones in their friend groups considering this calling, which also presents challenges."

Many churches have stopped asking their youth to consider a future in ministry, and in some cases, family members are a barrier in the pursuit to answering God's call, according to Trent.

"Many churches have just stopped calling out the called," he said. "Sometimes parents can be an obstacle  not necessarily because they are against their children going into ministry but because they occasionally lack understanding of what the calling is."

Doubt and fear are also leading causes that can derail or delay a youth's desire to pursue a career in ministry as a young adult, Trent said.

"If a teen feels a calling, but they don't have anyone or any resources to understand their calling and they don't know what school to go to or what major to do, they might encounter a roadblock of doubt or fear," he said.

"A lot of times, people who have this calling don't enter into it until way later in life due to doubt about if they are qualified enough or fears about if working in ministry will be able to provide them with enough financial stability and comfort. And so, we want to challenge this and make teens approach doubt and fear head-on so they can answer the call."

The program discusses what it means to be in ministry and how to prepare for the calling.

Trent said he accepted Christ as his Savior in his senior year of high school in 1987. He said that answering his call into ministry did not come without guidance from his youth pastor at the time.

"I didn't even know that ministry could be a career until my youth pastor helped me to understand what to do to prepare for the calling," Trent recounted. "The first example of a mentorship relationship is Jesus and how He mentored His 12 disciples. Also, Scripture shows how Paul led Timothy through mentorship. In any career, it's important to have people to show you the ropes and accomplish goals."

Under the direction of his pastor, Trent attended a private, Baptist institution University of Mobile in Alabama and later attended Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Texas for seminary school.

"We don't think we are rescuing teens because there is no guidance that exists out there. In every church, there's someone who can help a young person navigate what it means to be in ministry," he said.

"And that's why we encourage them to find a mentor. Because we know this exists."

He said that The Called to Ministry Initiative is just a "starting point" to encourage youth to reach out to mentors in their church.

"Many teens don't know where they should start once they are called," Trent said. "We are working alongside churches for this mission to help these teens begin to navigate their calling."

The ministry also teaches teens that "ministry leaders and pastors are held to a higher standard in the overall Body of Christ."

"One of our lessons talks about having a ministry plan, how they currently live their life, preparing for the call and how they spend time with the lord," Trent said.

Trent hopes to expand the ministry to college students and young adults in their early 20s and provide participants opportunities to network and engage in hands-on ministry experiences.

"We hope to help more older young adults who feel called to ministry and we are having conversation about how to do that," he concluded. "We hope to eventually connect participants to churches to allow them to have additional connections and opportunities to serve."
Pastor killed by speeding driver while helping friend repair car in New Jersey

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Nearly $20,000 has been raised to support the family of a beloved youth pastor who was struck and killed by a speeding car in New Jersey last Friday while he was helping his friend with car repairs.

The 56-year-old youth pastor of Christ Glory International Ministry in Irvington, Rev. Israel Razak Adebayo of Easton, Pennsylvania, performed automotive repairs underneath his friend's Nissan Altima on Somerset Street in Newark when a driver of a Dodge Charger traveling at high speed rammed into the vehicle.

Following the collision, the driver of the Dodge Charger remained at the scene. Adebayo was pronounced dead at 2:55 p.m., Acting Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II and Newark Public Safety Director Brian O'Hara told the Mercer Daily Voice.

The church plans to hold a burial service at 1:30 p.m. at the Gethsemane Cemetery in Easton on Friday. A home-going service will follow at Christ Glory International Ministries. The service will be streamed online.

Adebayo is survived by his wife, four daughters and relatives.

"There are no words to express our heartfelt gratitude for the support you have extended towards our family during this difficult time of loss," family members of Adebayo stated on a flyer for the funeral service posted on the Christ Glory International Ministries Facebook page.

A GoFundMe online fundraising campaign was launched to support the family. In four days, the campaign raised over $19,316 as of Thursday afternoon.

Adedamola Adedeji, who created the GoFundMe page, wrote that Adebayo "was a wonderful husband, father, uncle, brother and youth pastor who touched the lives of those around."

"Pastor Israel Adebayo dedicated his life to preaching the gospel and winning souls for Christ," the fundraising page states. "He was instrumental in the upbringing of a lot of young souls and teaching the way of the Lord. We are all devastated by Pastor Adebayo's passing and we want to honor his life and say our last goodbyes."

The Christian Post reached out to Christ Glory International Ministries to learn more about Adebayo's life and ministry. A response was not received by press time.

In a post on Facebook, Christ Glory International Ministries called on believers to continue praying for the fallen pastor and support his family with donations.

Many who knew Adebayo donated and gave words of condolences to the family on the GoFundMe page.

"Pastor Israel, I find it difficult to believe you are no longer here with us. What most people fail to realize is, it is painful and uncomfortable to live a righteous life. It requires sacrifice and a life of servitude. You lived your life righteously," wrote Rev. Deborah Windapo. "I pray for strength and comfort for your wonderful wife, your four marvelous daughters, the entire family, the church of God, and our community as a whole. May you rest peacefully."

Another donor, Elizabeth Sodeke, said that the pastor was a "blessing" in her life.

"He will be greatly missed," Sodeke wrote.

Dr. Simbiat Adighije said he had known Adebayo since he was a teenager at Christ Glory International Ministries.

"He was gentle and extremely kind. Gentle is the only word that comes to my mind when I think of him. May his soul Rest In Peace," he wrote. "Prayers for his wife Aunty Bose and children, the family and the church. God knows why He called him home so soon. It is well. Sleep well Pastor Isreal."
Baptist pastor resigns as lawsuit alleges cover-up of youth minister's sexual assault of minor

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A Baptist pastor in Illinois has resigned amid an ongoing sexual abuse scandal involving his churchs former youth pastor, who was accused of sexually abusing a teenage girl for roughly three years.

The resignation of Rev. Paul Kingsbury of North Love Baptist Church in Rockford was announced earlier this month in a Facebook post issued by another staff member of the church that was later removed from the social media platform, according to several news reports.

The deacons are fully aware and take serious the allegations being made against Pastor Kingsbury and North Love Baptist Church, the employee reportedly said in the video, according to Northern Public Radio. The deacons are united and looking into these matters. Please give us time and have patience as we seek the truth in Christ.

The Christian Post reached out to North Love Baptist Church for comment. No response was received before press time.

Northern Public radio reports that the current interim pastor, Ron Haese, stated that Kingsbury had done nothing to disqualify him as pastor of the church. Haese also reportedly said the North Love Baptist Church will be going on virtual hiatus until the church leaders decide otherwise. The church, however, remains occupied by staff who continue to run its operations.

The Rockford Register Star reports that a woman who filed the seven-count lawsuit claims that when she was a teenager, Rev. Kingsbury and other church staff knew she was being sexually abused by former youth pastor John Neese. The alleged abuse occured from 2004 to 2006. However, the lawsuit claims that the pastor was kept on staff at the church.

In the complaint, the woman claims Neese sexually assaulted her when he served as a deacon and youth pastor when she was 15 to 17.

Neese also worked at Independence Village, a retirement facility in the area, in a managerial position. The suit alleges that the retirement home should have had knowledge about Neeses explicit interactions with underaged children at the church, the retirement facility and his residence.

The woman, who is now 32 and lives outside of Rockford, claims in the lawsuit that the alleged abuse involved "inappropriate touching, fondling, masturbation, groping and other sexual acts."

The woman also alleges that Neese subjected her to physical and verbal threats, intimidation, manipulation and fraud in hopes of keeping her silent about the abuse, according to the Rockford Register Star.

The case was assigned to Judge Lisa Fabiano of Illinois 17th Judicial Circuit Court. The civil matter will reportedly begin proceedings on Sept. 1.

The woman who filed the lawsuit is just one of about two dozen former attendees of the church and its affiliated school and ministries who have alleged to have been sexually abused.

At this point weve talked to 21 females who say they were sexually abused at North Love or one of the related ministries," former church member Nate Plautz told WIFR.

Kyra DeBerry, another former attendee of the church who graduated from the high school and Bible college and runs a support group for survivors, told WIFR that "Theres no vindictiveness in what we are doing."

"Theres heartache, such heartache, said DeBerry.

Before his departure, Kingsbury shot down the idea that sexual abuse issues in his church have been "put under a proverbial rug" during a sermon.

There is nothing ... that has gone on in the ministry or has gone on in all these years ... [that] has ever been just put under a proverbial rug," he was quoted as saying. "If you lift the rug, its clean under there.

This is not the first time a sexual abuse scandal has unraveled involving North Love Baptist Church.

Another former church employee Charles Tucker was sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of four counts of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child under 13 years of age and nine counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse.
China's economy now paying for past forced abortion policy

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In early August, I wrote about the then-emerging Chinese financial crisis, arguing that the underperformance of Chinese stocks was in part a consequence of the one-child policy  and could be interpreted as a form of Providential judgment. I regret to report that the situation has not improved in the intervening two months. While Chinese stocks have partially recovered from the initial shocks of the summer, the crisis has taken on a more macro-economic scope, expanding beyond tech and education and into the real estate market. I would contend that this phase, too, can be laid at the feet of the one-child policy (or, rather, laid at the feet of those who imposed the one-child policy.)

Heres a refresher on the story up to now: Over the spring and summer of 2021, the Chinese government announced a series of unexpected, extreme regulations on domestic markets, leading to the underperformance of Chinese stocks and bonds in comparison to their neighbors. These interventions included regulations on video gaming, an attack on foreign ownership of Chinese businesses, and, perhaps most importantly, a complete overhaul of the education sector.

Today, the real estate sector, which accounts for nearly 30% of Chinas gross domestic product, is in a state of crisis. A recent New York Times piece ponders Is Chinas housing market a huge bubble thats starting to burst? The first domino to fall could be Evergrande, Chinas largest property developer. The real estate giant is now the most heavily indebted real estate company in the world, and is on track to default this month.

Real estate was, and is, a key part of Chinas rapid economic growth, but supply has outpaced demand. The large real estate companies, Evergrande in particular, now find themselves unable to pay their debts as they sit on vast swaths of unsold buildings. According to one analyst interview in the Financial Times, there are enough empty apartment buildings in China to house 90 million people. This is not some minor story; it is an imminent problem, with no clear solution, that lies at the heart of the Chinese economy.

I argued in my last piece on China that the one-child policy is at least partially to blame for their financial crisis. The intervention in the education industry, which sparked a sell-off of Chinese assets, was an attempt to lower the cost of child education in order to boost birth rates which were suppressed by the forced abortions and sterilizations of the one-child era.

The real estate bubble is no different. The supply of real estate outpaced demand because the generations that would have inhabited these now-derelict buildings were either aborted en masse or were never conceived in the first place. While its difficult to ascertain exactly how much of Chinas population was lost to the one-child policy, we can make some educated guesses. As of 2016, there were approximately 30 million more boys in China than girls. The Chinese governments official estimate is that the one-child policy prevented 400 million births.

Granted, that number is highly debatable: it assumes that birthrates would have remained the same as they were just before the introduction of the policy. But even if we say that the Chinese government is overestimating their success by a factor of 4, were still left with around 100 million people who were never born. Back in April, China reported the first decline in its population in 5 decades  in other words, since Maos Great Leap Forward, which resulted in up to 55million deaths.

Chinas population is now expected to shrinkfrom 1.4bn to 1.3bn by 2050. In the 1970s, the average Chinese woman had 5 children; today, the average Chinese family is composed of just over 3 people. The one-child policy was introduced in 1979.

China was able to achieve such rapid economic growth because of its adoption of market-oriented policies in the post-Mao era, sparking - among other things - a massive expansion in real estate. Today, vast complexes of office buildings and apartments sit empty, until theyre eventually toppled in controlled demolitions.

Though the Chinese Communist Party is deeply immoral, they are not insane, and they know that this is a problem that must be dealt with. They understand now that Marxism and Malthusianism are not conducive to a prosperous society. In fact, in 2015, China dropped the one-child policy in favor of a three child policy. But the damage has already been done:

The new three-child policy received generally lukewarm responses in China. Many Chinese couples say they prefer not to have multiple children due to the rising cost of child rearing, how it would complicate womens professional aspirations and declining preference for a son." East Asia Forum

Lest someone interpret this series on Chinas financial crisis as an attack on China the nation, rather than the post-1949 Chinese government, I would be remiss not to point out that the whole program was Western in origin. Marxism and Malthusianism, the animating principles of the CCPs cult of death, came from Marx and Malthus. The traditional pro-family stance of Chinese culture was forcibly suppressed over the course of decades by the Communist Party, on the basis of Western ideologies.

As Christians, we believe in the divine injunction to be fruitful and multiply, that children are a gift from the Lord, and that humans, being made in the image of God, are of intrinsic infinite value. In the post-Enlightenment period, anti-Christian philosophies that denigrated the dignity of humanity were espoused  even, in the case of Thomas Malthus, from the mouths of priests. That is the philosophy the Chinese government adopted. Now they are paying for it.
Christian star Dog the Bounty Hunter 'has not ended his search for Brian Laundrie' despite injury

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Though Duane Chapman, who is better known as "Dog the Bounty Hunter," is taking a break from searching for fugitive Brian Laundrie due to an injury, the Christian reality star and his team arent giving up the chase.

Weeks after joining the search for Laundrie, a person of interest in the homicide of his 22-year-old fiancee, Gabby Petito, Chapman and his wife, Francie, returned to their home in Colorado.

In a statement to The Christian Post, Chapmans spokesperson, Jennifer Willingham, explained that the bounty hunter needed to attend to a "variety of matters," including an ankle injury he incurred during the search.

Dog has not ended his search for Brian Laundrie, Willingham said, adding that there is still a group of investigators working with Dog who remain in Florida and are researching regional tips.

Additionally, Dogs command center team led by Lyssa Chapman and Greg Zecca continue to assist in managing the search logistics and researching leads from Hawaii and Colorado, respectively, she said.

Laundrie, 23, went missing shortly after he returned home from a vacation with Petito, who was found dead in Wyoming on Sept. 19. Petitos death was ruled a homicide. In a press conference Tuesday, Teton County Coroner Dr. Brent Blu revealed she died from strangulation.

Though Laundrie has not been charged in the death of Petito, he was indicted on charges of using two financial accounts that did not belong to him in the days following her death.

Chapman, who has apprehended more than 8,000 fugitives, joined the search for Laundrie on Sept. 27, four days after a warrant was issued for the latter's arrest. Dog believes that Laundrie is hiding somewhere in the 1,136-acre Fort De Soto Park in Florida, which is made up of five interconnected islands.

Last month, Willingham revealed that it was Chapmans faith that compelled him to join the search for Laundrie.

"Dog and Francie, who are devout Christians, felt as if their proximity to the search was not a coincidence and they wanted to do something to help the Petito family," she said. "At the same time, Dog's fans were sending him tips and urging him to join the search."

"Therefore, Dog and his team, including his daughter Lyssa and Francie's son Greg who are working from Hawaii and Colorado respectively, opened up a formal tip line, 833-TELLDOG, and volunteered their time to search for Mr. Laundrie this past weekend."

Willingham revealed that Dog received the blessing of the Petito family to be involved in the search and have been in touch periodically.

"During their search, they have unearthed multiple new leads. They will be continuing the hunt in the coming days, following evidence and tips in an effort to aid law enforcement," she said.

Laundrie's parents, Chris and Roberta, told investigators they have not seen their son since Sept. 14. At the time, they said, he left their home with a backpack, saying he was going to a nearby nature reserve.

But Dog previously told the Sun that he believes Laundrie was encouraged by his parents to return to their home in North Port following Petitos death.

Of course he murdered her. I think he called the mom and dad right from the scene and said, OMG! Chapman told the news outlet.

Now we have to remember that they lived  Gabby and Brian  with his mom and dad for almost two years, he continued. And the house, I was there, its not a huge house, so Im sure they heard, the parents probably heard Gabby screaming.

I was told by a very close source that he was a gentleman, he said. I think he said, Mom, she was screaming, she was screaming so I put my hand over her mouth, and I held my hand and she was screaming and when I took it away she wasnt breathing and I tried CPR."

Petitos case has dominated headlines in recent weeks and, on social media, sparked a flurry of theories regarding her death and Laundries involvement. Across the country, numerous vigils and memorial services have been held in Petito's memory.

At a memorial service for Petito held at Moloney Holbrook Funeral Home in New York on Sept. 26, her family reflected on her passion for life and love of others.

They passed out a prayer card that read: Do not grieve for me, for I am free. I am traveling a path the Lord has taken me. 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.
Former African slave criticizes Black Lives Matter, says slavery still exists in Africa today

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A former African slave said that Black Lives Matter and critical race theory advocates do not understand what is happening in Africa, where more than 9.2 million people "are still in captivity in slavery."

"I believe Black Lives Matter does not understand what is going on in Africa. They don't know what is going on around the world," Bol Gai Deng, a former slave and South Sudanese presidential candidate, said during an interview with CBN News.

"They need to understand that slavery still exists in Africa today.  More than 9.2 million [people] are still in captivity in slavery," he said.

Deng shared that in 1987, Sudanese government-backed Mujahadeen raiders kidnapped him, burned down his village and made him a slave. Deng recalled how he  at age 7  and more than 700 other captured children were forced to walk 250 miles from their homes through jungles.

"I was beat up, I was told what to do, and sometimes they used to put chains on my legs to the point where I would become so disciplined to my master," he recalled.

After escaping captivity three years later, Deng went to Khartoum, where a Catholic charity helped him. Following a later move to Egypt, the U.S. offered him asylum.

Deng contends that in Libya, women are being sold into slavery for as little as $400.

"A woman is being sold for $400 in a market in Libya right now," he said.

He argued that Black Lives Matter activists "need to listen to people with my background."

In the U.S., there has been much debate nationally and locally on critical race theory, a theory embraced by many social justice advocates and opposed by those who feel it exaggerates the state of race relations in America today.

Encyclopedia Brittanica defines critical race theory, which is tied to the Marxist discipline of critical theory, as an "intellectual and social movement and loosely organized framework of legal analysis based on the premise that race is not a natural, biologically grounded feature of physically distinct subgroups of human beings but a socially constructed (culturally invented) category that is used to oppress and exploit people of colour."

Adherents of the theory believe that "racism is inherent in the law and legal institutions of the United States insofar as they function to create and maintain social, economic, and political inequalities between whites and nonwhites, especially African Americans."

Deng suggested that those who focus on America's past slavery and racism should also look at the opportunities and freedom the country provides in the present.

"In fact," he said, "the United States is the only country in the world that can give the slave freedom to become a congresswoman. You cannot find that in the world except in the United States of America."

In addition to raising questions about the accuracy of its assessment of the U.S., opponents of critical race theory have alleged that its premises directly contradict the teachings of Christianity.

In August, an activist who spent over two decades advocating for critical race theory shared how she grew to believe that its theoretical framework was incompatible with Christian teachings.

During a livestream event sponsored by Southern Evangelical Seminary in North Carolina, Monique Duson, who co-founded The Center for Biblical Unity, attributed her abandonment of her "secular frameworks" to a conversation with theologian Krista Bontrager.

She noted that although the people she knew growing up did not use the term "critical race theory," "everyone used some of the same terms or some of the same phrases."

They sympathized with the allegations that racism was pervasive, that whites do not change their views on a race-related issue until it directly benefits them and that "white privilege" informs every aspect of American society.

Duson encouraged her audience to urge those who subscribe to critical race theory, especially any Christian friends sympathetic to the worldview, "to truly get into the Word of God to understand truly what it means."
Large toy retailers must have gender-neutral section or face fines under new California law

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Retailers in California that sell childcare items or toys and have 500 or more employees will face fines of up to $500 if they fail to maintain a gender-neutral section or area, according to a new bill signed into law by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom on Saturday.

The bill, AB 1084 sponsored by California Assemblymember Evan Low, who also chairs the state's LGBTQ Caucus, requires large retailers that sell toys or childcare items to maintain a gender neutral section or area, to be labeled at the discretion of the retailer, in which a reasonable selection of the items and toys for children that it sells shall be displayed, regardless of whether they have been traditionally marketed for either girls or for boys. This new law will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2024.

Stores that fail to comply with the law, which is the first of its kind in the U.S., will be liable for a civil penalty not to exceed $250 for a first violation or $500 for a subsequent violation, as provided.

"I'm incredibly grateful to Governor Gavin Newsom for signing AB 1084, which will bring California law up to speed with what many retailers have already realized: We need to stop stigmatizing what's acceptable for certain genders and just let kids be kids. My hope is this bill encourages more businesses across California and the U.S. to avoid reinforcing harmful and outdated stereotypes, Low said in a statement.

He told The Sacramento Bee in an earlier report that he was inspired to introduce the bill after learning that retail giant Target abolished gendered childrens sections in 2015.

The Consumer Federation of California also supported the bill in a statement, noting: This bill will allow consumers to easily identify similar childrens items which will be displayed closer to one another in one, undivided area of the retail sales floor. Keeping similar items that are traditionally marketed either for girls or for boys separated makes it more difficult for the consumer to compare the products and incorrectly implies that their use by one gender is inappropriate. ... Separating products by gender also helps to disguise the unfortunate fact that female products are often priced higher than male products.

Reacting to the news on Sunday, Texas' Republican Gov. Greg Abbott publicly decried the law, noting that in Texas, it will be "businesses  NOT government  that decide how they display their merchandise, he tweeted.

The bill was one of several, including AB-367, signed into law by Newsom on Saturday to wrap up the 2020-'21 legislative session to advance his California Comeback Plan. AB-367, enacted the Menstrual Equity for All Act of 2021.

On or before the start of the 2022'23 school year, this bill requires public schools with a combination of classes from the sixth grade to the 12th grade that meets a 40% pupil poverty threshold specified in federal law, to stock 50% of the schools restrooms with feminine hygiene products, and prohibits a public school from charging for any menstrual products provided to pupils.

In a time when the state and country are more divided than ever, this legislative session reminds us what we can accomplish together. I am thankful for our partners in the state Legislature who furthered our efforts to tackle the states most persistent challenges  together, we took action to address those challenges head-on, implementing historic legislation and the California Comeback Plan to hit fast forward on our states recovery, Newsom said of his plan in a statement. What were doing here in California is unprecedented in both nature and scale. We will come back from this pandemic stronger than ever before.
John Piper says non-Christian marriages are valid but 'fall short of God's highest purpose'

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Pastor and author John Piper, head of the influential theology website DesiringGod, recently stated that he believes non-Christian marriages are valid even though they "fall short" of God's purpose for marriage.

In an episode of the podcast Ask Pastor John posted online on Monday, a listener named Steve asked Piper, who also serves as chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary in Minneapolis, Minnesota, about whether secular marriages are considered valid by God.

A coworker asked me if I thought God honored secular marriages. My gut reaction was yes. My coworker said no. He believes that if two parties dont believe in God, then God is not in that marriage, and therefore God does not recognize the marriage, he wrote.

He went further to state that God does not even hear non-Christian prayers. Ill be honest, I didnt know how to respond or defend my opposition to his stance. Is there biblical backing for the legitimacy of secular marriages?

Piper responded that while he considers non-Christian marriages  or the marriage of two non-Christians  to be marriages in the literal sense, he still believes that they fall short of Gods highest purpose for marriage.

The theologian focused on Romans 14:23, which reads: But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.

God intended food to be eaten and drinks to be drunk with thankfulness and faith in him. All other uses of his gifts are sinful. They are failures to live up to Gods design for meat and drink, Piper reasoned.

God does not require of unbelievers that they stop eating; he requires that they trust him and thank him when they eat. And if they dont, theyre going to be in big trouble. The same thing is true of marriage, since marrying without trusting Jesus and thanking Jesus is sinful.

Nevertheless, Piper noted that non-Christian marriages can still reflect the ideals of marriage, as described in the New Testament even if the husband and wife do not intend to do so.

The ultimate purpose of marriage, according to Genesis 2:24 and Ephesians 5:32, is to portray the covenant love between Christ and his church. This is done most clearly in an obedient, faithful Christian marriage, he continued.

But it is done obscurely even in a lifelong, promise-keeping, adultery-avoiding, unbelieving marriage. So marriages accomplish some of Gods purposes imperfectly, even when the spouses are unbelieving.

Last December, Piper said in an episode of Ask Pastor John that he believes a Christian who marries a non-believer should be excommunicated from the Church.

Piper concluded that excommunication was the best response since the Christian who marries a non-Christian is defying and rebelling against an explicit command of the New Testament of God and showing how deeply compromised the believers love for Christ is.

How can the heart of a believer embrace Jesus as its supreme treasure and satisfaction, and reject the words of Jesus in order to be in the arms of one who has no faith and no true affection for the believers most treasured possession? stated Piper at the time.

Its inconceivable to me. Ive always found that incomprehensible. Something is deeply, deeply wrong with the hearts affection for Christ.
NC Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson refuses to resign amid backlash over calling transgenderism, homosexuality 'filth'

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North Carolinas Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson has indicated that he has no plans to resign after facing backlash led by a leading LGBT activist group for calling homosexuality filth.

Robinson, a Republican, is responding to criticism for describing homosexuality as filth during a speech at Asbury Baptist Church in Seagrove, North Carolina. While he made the comments in June, Robinson has faced renewed criticism in recent days, including calls for him to resign.

Addressing the congregation, Robinson remarked that Theres no reason anybody anywhere in America should be telling any child about transgenderism, homosexuality, any of that filth. And yes, I called it filth. And if you dont like it that I called it filth, come see me and Ill explain it to you. The lieutenant governors comments were part of a larger conversation about the state of public education in the United States.

Robinsons comments received backlash from President Joe Bidens Deputy White House Press Secretary Andrew Bates, a North Carolina native, who condemned the lieutenant governor's repugnant and offensive language in a statement to The Charlotte Observer.

The role of a leader is to bring people together and stand up for the dignity and rights of everyone; not to spread hate and undermine their own office, he said on behalf of Biden.

State Sen. Jeff Jackson, who is seeking the Democratic Partys nomination to run for the open U.S. Senate seat next year, went a step further by calling for Robinsons resignation. Theres no debate here, Jackson stated on Twitter Thursday. This is open discrimination. It is completely unacceptable. Mark Robinson should resign.

North Carolina's Lt. Governor, Mark Robinson, just angrily referred to the LGBTQ community as "filth."



Then he says, "Yes, I called it filth."



There's no debate here. This is open discrimination. It is completely unacceptable.



Mark Robinson should resign. pic.twitter.com/rUhzXZm8Jd  Sen. Jeff Jackson (@JeffJacksonNC) October 7, 2021

In a statement published Friday, Joni Madison, the interim president of the LGBT activist group Human Rights Campaign, slammed Robinsons disgraceful, hateful statements directed at LGBTQ people. Maintaining that North Carolinians deserve better than these dehumanizing comments, Madison expressed a desire to see Robinson step down, adding, This is not the first time Robinson has shared his discriminatory views, but it should be the last time he gets away with at as an elected leader.

Robinson addressed his critics directly in a Facebook video published Saturday. For several days now, I have been viciously attacked because of a clip video where I talk about removing the sexualization of children from the classrooms in our public education system, he said.

Of course, the media and those on the left have tried to change the focus from education to the LGBTQ community, specifically that I hate them, Robinson added. Let me be clear: I will fight for and protect the rights of all citizens, including those in the LGBTQ community  to express themselves however they want.

The lieutenant governor spent the rest of the video reiterating his concerns about the material children are exposed to in public schools. He added, The idea that children should be taught about the concepts of transgenderism and be exposed to sexually explicit materials in the classroom is abhorrent.

Robinson specifically expressed concern about a book recommended to elementary school students in North Carolina titled George that tells the story of a biological boy in elementary school who wants to remove his genitals so he can become a girl. He also mentioned the book Gender Queer, which a parent in Fairfax County, Virginia, also raised concerns about due to its graphic illustrations of sexual acts.

Noting that the book is currently in North Carolina schools, Robinson challenged viewers to describe the explicit photographs, which he shared in the video, as anything other than filth. For those who are calling on me to resign, for those who are saying I dont represent North Carolina values, let me ask you something: Does forcing these on children represent your values? Do you really believe that these images should be shown in the classroom? Robinson asked.

Robinson characterized the calls for his resignation as an attempt to change the argument and silence voices on the right.

I will not back down," he continued. "I will not be silent and I will not be bullied into submission. I will continue to fight for the right of our children to receive an education that is free from sexual concepts that do not belong in the classroom.

In 2020, Robinson was elected lieutenant governor of North Carolina, making him the first African American to hold that position in the states history. He narrowly beat his Democratic challenger by securing a margin of victory of 3.2% even as Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper was reelected to a second term.
Pope Francis: Christians Facing 'Polite' Persecution in Form of 'Modernity and Progress'

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Pope Francis has warned that as Christians face severe persecution in countries where they are a minority, others are encountering what he calls "polite" persecution disguised as "culture, modernity and progress," where people see their rights to conscientious objection taken away.

The Roman Catholic Church leader said during mass on Tuesday that so called polite persecution does not occur over "confessing Christ's name, but for wanting to have and manifesting the values of the son of God."

"We see every day that the powerful make laws that force them to go on this path, and a nation that does not follow these modern, cultured laws, or at least does not have them in their legislation, are accused (and) are politely persecuted," he added, according to Catholic News Service.

The pontiff also spoke of the "everyday men and women" who are martyred for the faith, such as the men, women and children celebrating Easter Sunday in Pakistan who were killed in a bomb attack for practicing their faith.

He further noted that polite persecution "takes away from man and woman their freedom, as well as their right to conscientious objection."

The Vatican leader added: "Jesus has named the head of this 'polite' persecution: the prince of this world. And when the powerful want to impose behaviors, laws against the dignity of the son of God, they persecute them and go against God the Creator. It is the great apostasy."

While Francis did not single out particular issues or cases in his speech, he has argued for the right of conscientious objection on a number of occasions.

Back in September, he said "conscientious objection is a right  it is a human right," when asked by reporters about the case of Kentucky clerk Kim Davis, who spent several days in jail for refusing to issue marriage licenses to gay couples. Francis later visited and prayed with Davis, though the Vatican said he remained unaware of the specifics of the case.

In the same month, Francis visited the Little Sisters of the Poor organization during his trip to Washington D.C., offering his support to the group of nuns that is challenging President Barack Obama's birth control mandate in the Affordable Care Act.

The Little Sisters, who are due to have their case heard at the U.S. Supreme Court, are asking to be exempt from the mandate and from having to offer insurance that covers birth control drugs, as it goes against their Catholic faith.

"The Holy Father spoke to each of us individually, from the youngest postulant to our centenarian, and then he spoke to all of us about the importance of our ministry to the elderly," said Sister Constance Veit, communications director of the Little Sisters of the Poor. "We were deeply moved by his encouraging words."
Pro-Trump Pastor Mark Burns announces run for Congress

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A prominent pastor who was an early supporter of former President Donald Trump during his 2016 campaign has announced a run for the U.S. House and vows to protect our God-given and America first agenda if hes elected in 2022.

Pastor Mark Burns, who became well-known for his outspoken support for the 45th president, announced that he was running for the Republican nomination for South Carolinas 4th Congressional District in a tweet Wednesday: I am humbled to announce my run for Congress in SC CD 4. I will fight to restore election integrity, secure our borders, [and] protect our God-given & America 1st agenda.

I am humbled to announce my run for Congress in SC CD4. I will fight to restore law & order, election integrity, secure our borders, protect our God-given & America 1st agenda! Go to https://t.co/Fpg0vsj7Xf and join me in helping to save America! https://t.co/d7egyqb8Kf  Pastor Mark Burns (@pastormarkburns) October 7, 2021

Burns elaborated on the motivation behind his congressional bid in a subsequent tweet posted on Saturday. The pastor proclaimed, We have to have fighters in Congress bold enough to deal with the radical Marxist policies thats destroying our country! He concluded the tweet by referring to the U.S. as GODS COUNTRY.

We have to have fighters in Congress bold enough to deal with the radical Marxist policies thats destroying our country! THIS IS AMERICA, GODS COUNTRY..! pic.twitter.com/dh37EL86xX  Pastor Mark Burns (@pastormarkburns) October 9, 2021

As noted on his campaign website, Burns has been labeled by Time magazine as Donald Trumps Top Pastor and named on a list of 16 People Who Shaped the 2016 Presidential Election. His campaign website also describes him as "the co-founder and CEO of The NOW Television Network," which is based in South Carolina and broadcast in the U.S. and 83 other countries, reaching over 200 million people worldwide.

The pastor of Harvest Praise and Worship Center in Easley, South Carolina, gave an impassioned speech at the 2016 Republican National Convention, where he led the crowd in chanting All Lives Matter. Even after he stopped uttering the phrase, the audience continued to shout, All Lives Matter.

Burns lays out his beliefs on his campaign website, asserting that life begins at conception, marriage is defined as between one man and one woman, [and] our right to keep and bear arms is INHERENT, given to us by God almighty  NOT by any man. He also refers to the controversial critical race theory as communist, anti-white racism.

In 2017, The Christian Post reported that Burns claimed he saved Trump from a poisonous spider as a group of evangelical leaders presented the then-president with the Friends of Zion award for recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Burns reported that as a massive, huge white spider was darting toward the back of his neck, he felt an instinct to kill the spider, protect Donald Trump.

I cannot stand spiders, I have always had a fear of spiders, but because it was the president of the United States of America, and I saw it running literally toward his neck, Burns said he felt an obligation to jump into action. Also in 2017, Burns made headlines for advocating against the destruction and removal of Confederate statues and erecting statues of civil rights icons.

Weighing in on the contentious debate about whether to remove monuments to those who fought for the Confederacy during the Civil War, Burns remarked that its so important that we dont destroy history, but we create new history. He suggested that we dont need to be removing statues  but we need to be erecting new statues of civil rights leaders of both races.

Burns had previously considered running against Sen. Lindsay Graham, R-S.C., in the Republican primary in his 2020 reelection, but ultimately decided against doing so. He previously ran to represent South Carolinas 4th Congressional District in 2018, when then-Rep. Troy Gowdy declined to run for a fourth term. Burns came in eighth place in the crowded Republican primary field, capturing 2.5% of the vote.

Rep. William Timmons, R-S.C., who won the 2018 Republican primary, still represents the Spartanburg-based district in Congress and hasnt yet announced whether he will seek a third term in the House. According to The Daily Kos, the district voted for Trump over President Joe Biden by more than 20 percentage points in the 2020 presidential election, making it the second-most Republican-leaning district in the state.

However, following the 2020 census, all states with more than one congressional district will receive new districts based on the latest population figures ahead of the 2022 elections. According to the political website Five Thirty-Eight, which is keeping track of the proposed and enacted congressional maps ahead of the midterm elections, only four states have implemented new maps and South Carolina has yet to propose a new map based on the 2020 census figures.

Based on the forthcoming redistricting process that will alter South Carolinas seven congressional districts to give them roughly equal population figures, Burns could change which district he ultimately decides to run in. The deadline for implementing a new map in South Carolina is March 16, 2022, and the primaries will take place on June 14, 2022.
Why Columbus Day is worth defending and celebrating

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Among the federal holidays, Columbus Day has become one of the least honored, partially due to controversy about misdeeds associated with colonization. In fact, Columbus never set foot on or came close to any territory that later became part of the continental United States.

The history of Christopher Columbus is actually less messy and more consequential than many of the other heroes of our national holidays. There is not only a great deal to celebrate in Columbus, but the man embodied a range of attributes that are necessary to solving many of our contemporary problems and even saving our country from further decline and collapse resulting from groupthink, corruption, and abuse of power.

The American story began with Columbuss successful 4,000 miles long sail from Europe across the Atlantic Ocean. His quest was twofold: to find a western passage to the Spice Islands and India, and second, to carry the good news of Jesus the Savior to people in new parts of the world.

Columbus had grown up in a working-class family and his life was one of hardship, punctuated by near-death and failures that would have been the demise of most ordinary people. If he had not been a man of character and determination with deep faith in God, self-confidence to ignore critics, and steadfastness in his vision and his calling, he never could have accomplished what he did, which was of course the discovery of the New World of the Western Hemisphere.

Columbus left voluminous writings that bear witness to what motivated him to do what he did. Born and raised in Genoa, Italy, he was the consummate self-made man who shipped out at an early age. Experiencing the militant face of Islam at the eastern end of the Mediterranean that created a blockade to Europes important overland trade with the Orient, he knew that finding a western sea route would have far-reaching benefits.

Columbus faced death when the Flemish-flagged ship on which he was crew was attacked and sunk off the coast of Portugal. But for a seafarer with his ambition and vision, as providence would have it, there was no better place to wash up than on the shore of Portugal, a nation that had developed the worlds most advanced tools of navigation and map-making. In Portugal, Columbuss exposure to celestial navigation further confirmed his confidence to sail west across the Atlantic and find a trade route to India and the Spice Islands. By his late 30s he felt called, writing in his diary, It was the Lord who put into my mind, [and] I could feel his hand upon me  that it would be possible to sail from here to the Indies.

Recognizing that such an undertaking would need state sponsorship, Columbus and his brother spent the next 6 years traipsing across Europe seeking support from sovereignties of the leading maritime countries, only to find rejection and ridicule. Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain had turned down Columbus several times. But because of his seafaring skills, conviction in his vision, and his bravery and willingness to lead an armed flotilla to rescue the Holy Sepulcher from Muslim hands in the eastern Mediterranean, they had a change of heart.

Few years in history have been punctuated by such pivotal events as what happened in 1492. It was in that year that Christendom  still suffering from the loss of Constantinople to the Muslim Turks 40 years prior  was liberated from the Muslim conquest of Spain and Europe with Isabella and Ferdinand playing the pivotal role. They then decided to support Christian expansion and back the exploration and evangelistic expedition of Columbus.

In his first voyage, after being at sea for nearly 2 months, Columbus faced an anxious and increasingly frustrated crew. The situation became mutinous with threats to heave Columbus overboard if he did not agree to their demands to turn back. Recognizing that he could hardly restrain let alone punish his mutinous crew, given that there were 40 of them, Columbus turned to God. In a letter that has been preserved among his personal historical records, Columbus wrote that God inspired him to make a deal with his Spanish crew and stake his life on it. He asked for 3 more days, and if land was not sighted, the crew could do with him as they wished.

In the early morning hours of the third day on October 12, the lookout from the ship Pinta gave the long-awaited signal of sighting land. Assuming it was an island to the east of India or perhaps China, Columbus had no idea that he was about to discover a new part of the world  the outskirts of a massive continent  far from the Orient.

Todays woke culture, which has held Columbus accountable for the chain of disasters that followed in his wake in the Caribbean and South America is not only unfair to him, but it overlooks the essence of the man. Not of Spanish culture, Columbus was at heart a simple but ambitious individualist  a seafaring explorer and evangelist. He had neither interest in founding colonies nor was he an effective leader and administrator of strong-headed hidalgos that undertook setting up colonial outposts at the behest of Queen Isabella.

Columbuss perseverance and courage in his transatlantic feat of crossing a vast ocean inspired successors from northern Europe who had been transformed by the Protestant Reformation with the ideas of equality and freedom. They would set out to pursue a new life in a new world, ultimately establishing 13 different colonies in coastal North America.

Suffering injustice from Great Britain, those colonists reluctantly banded together to fight for independence. Over 6 years of war they lost more battles than they won. But like the course of Columbus, George Washingtons persistence, courage, and faith in God empowered an underequipped and underfunded colonial army to get to final victory and achieve independence. That, in turn, enabled the founding of a new nation, unlike any other  one based on the revolutionary idea that peoples life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness were inviolable because those rights came from God and not man or the state.

Seen as a bigger picture, Columbus Day is worth keeping and honoring for the simple reason that it celebrates beliefs and qualities of character that are foundational to America. It could even be said that Columbus Day is the holiday that commemorates the human character, attitudes, and choice of action that made the other American holidays possible.
Afghan ambassador says Biden doesn't care about fate of women under Taliban control

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Afghanistan's ambassador to the United States said she doesn't believe President Joe Biden cared about the "fate" of women as his administration pulled U.S. troops out of the Taliban-controlled country after 20 years.

Ambassador Adela Raz, who became ambassador to the U.S. in July, was interviewed by Axios on HBO regarding the developments in Central Asian country following the U.S. troop withdrawal. A portion of the interview was posted to YouTube by HBO on Monday.

This summer, as the U.S. pulled the last of its armed forces out of Afghanistan, the Taliban quickly took control of the Central Asian country amid the collapse of the U.S.-backed government.

Raz noted that despite the withdrawal of U.S. troops, which was something the Trump administration also planned for, she had wanted there to be "conditions on Taliban that they commit to the achievements that the Afghan society has made."

The Taliban, which refers to itself as the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, has a history of unfairly treating women through its interpretation of sharia law when it held control of much of Afghanistan during the late '90s and early 2000s.

When asked if she believed that President Biden was concerned about Afghan women under Taliban rule, Raz replied that she did not think he was.

"I don't think so. He said, 'U.S. cannot be the police of the world, to protect women in any other country,'" responded Raz.

When read a quote from Biden in which he argued that diplomacy, international support and "economic tools" would be used to encourage human rights in Afghanistan, Raz replied, "what type of tools are left right now to pressure Taliban that they respect the human rights?"

Over the past several years, the U.S. has gradually reduced troop numbers in Afghanistan after toppling the Taliban regime in 2001 in the wake of the 9/11 terror attacks.

In February 2020, then-President Donald Trump announced at the Conservative Political Action Conference that he had made a deal with Taliban insurgents and the Afghan government to end the war.

"Today, the United States signed a deal with the Taliban so that we can hopefully begin the immediate process of finally bringing our troops back home," Trump said at the time.

"I want to just thank our military because we've been really a police force there for the last long time. We're not supposed to be a police force. We're supposed to be fighting soldiers."

Earlier this year, President Biden announced a plan to withdraw the remaining U.S. forces by the beginning of September, reportedly against the advice of his military advisors.

In August, the Taliban retook large parts of Afghanistan, including the capital of Kabul, with an unexpected speed that spread chaos as thousands of Afghans tried to flee the country.

Western sympathizers, Americans and others desperately tried to flee the country via the airport in Kabul. The Biden administration sent around 6,000 troops to help evacuate U.S. citizens and Afghans who aided the U.S. during its time in the country.

Biden also ordered "our Armed Forces and our Intelligence Community to ensure that we will maintain the capability and the vigilance to address future terrorist threats from Afghanistan."

"America went to Afghanistan 20 years ago to defeat the forces that attacked this country on September 11th. That mission resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden over a decade ago and the degradation of al Qaeda," said Biden in an Aug. 14 statement.

"I was the fourth President to preside over an American troop presence in Afghanistantwo Republicans, two Democrats. I would not, and will not, pass this war onto a fifth."

By September, there were reports of Taliban insurgents stopping Americans and others from leaving the country, as well as an uptick in the persecution of women and religious minorities.

A recent Quinnipiac poll found that only 34% of surveyed Americans approved of Biden's handling of foreign policy, while 28% agreed with removing all U.S. troops from Afghanistan.

Former President George W. Bush, who was in office when U.S. involvement in Afghanistan began, has argued that the withdrawal of U.S. troops would endanger women and minorities.

In September, women took to the streets in Afghanistan to protest the newly formed interim government that includes over a dozen leaders who are designated terrorists. The United Nations condemned the Taliban's "violent response" to the peaceful protests in which militants were said to have used live ammunition, batons and whips to beat women and journalists.
New lawsuit challenges NY vaccine mandate, cites Gov. Hochul's comments at megachurch

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A new federal lawsuit backed by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., founder and chairman of anti-vaccine advocacy group Children's Health Defense, is challenging New Yorks COVID-19 vaccination mandate for healthcare workers for not allowing a religious exemption, citing Gov. Kathy Hochuls recent comments at a Brooklyn megachurch.

The lawsuit was filed Friday in Albany federal court on behalf of four anonymous healthcare workers at Lourdes Hospital who are all Catholic, Press Connects reported.

Lawyers representing the workers, which include two doctors, a nurse and a scientist, cited statements Hochul made at the A.R. Bernard-led Christian Cultural Center in Brooklyn on Sept. 26 urging members to become her apostles and promote the good news of COVID-19 vaccines.

"I need you to be my apostles. I need you to go out and talk about it and say, we owe this to each other. We love each other. Jesus taught us to love one another, and how do you show that love but to care about each other enough to say, please get the vaccine, she said.

They contend that other remarks made at the church by Hochul, who is Catholic, indicated that anyone whose religious beliefs conflict with her own on vaccines is "invalid."

We are not through this pandemic. I wished we were, but I prayed a lot to God during this time and you know what, God did answer our prayers. He made the smartest men and women, the scientists, the doctors, the researchers  He made them come up with a vaccine. That is from God to us and we must say, thank you, God. Thank you, Hochul, who noted that Pope Francis didn't have a problem with Catholics taking the vaccine, said at the church.

The workers, however, said they believe their Catholic faith prevents them from "committing a grave sin" by taking COVID-19 vaccines that have used aborted fetal stem cell tissues as part of their research and development.

"The governor has declared open war against those who oppose vaccination on religious grounds because these religious beliefs are in conflict with her own," the complaint says. "Gov. Hochul repeatedly claims that religious beliefs in opposition to vaccination are illegitimate and invalid."

On Sept. 13, 17 Christian healthcare workers, including several doctors, also filed a lawsuit seeking religious exemptions from the COVID-19 vaccine mandate. A day later, a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order against New York's health department from rejecting employer-approved religious exemptions to the vaccine mandate. A week later, the order was extended until Oct. 12, when a hearing is scheduled for the case.

Kennedy is listed as a supporting attorney on the most recent lawsuit against the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for healthcare workers in New York.

Last Friday, The Defender, the news outlet of the Childrens Health Defense, cited data from the Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System showing 752,803 reports of adverse events from all age groups following COVID-19 vaccines, including 15,937 deaths and 105,758 serious injuries between Dec. 14, 2020, and Sept. 24, 2021.

This data includes case reports from U.S. manufacturers that were reported to their foreign subsidiaries. Under FDA regulations, if a manufacturer is notified of a foreign case report that describes an event that is both serious and unexpected, they are required to submit it to VAERS.

When these reports from foreign subsidiaries are excluded, 581,851 adverse events, including 7,215 deaths and 45,952 serious injuries, were reported in the U.S. between Dec. 14, 2020, and Sept. 24, 2021.

Of the 7,215 U.S. deaths reported as of Sept. 24, the data show that 11% occurred within 24 hours of vaccination, 16% occurred within 48 hours of vaccination and 29% occurred in people who experienced an onset of symptoms within 48 hours of being vaccinated.
Pennsylvania lawmaker's bill aims to force men to get vasectomy by 40th birthday

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A Pennsylvania lawmaker has introduced a bill that would force men to undergo sterilization in response to the Texas law banning abortions after a fetal heartbeat can be detected.

Democratic state Rep. Chris Rabb announced his intention to introduce legislation designed to enforce reproductive responsibility among men. In a memorandum sent to his colleagues Saturday, Rabb lamented that for far too long, the public debate around abortion, contraception and related reproductive matters has thrust government into the center of restrictions on the bodily autonomy of women and girls.

I will be introducing legislation that will require all inseminators to undergo vasectomies within six weeks from having their third child or 40th birthday, whichever comes first, he wrote. Further, this legislation will allow Pennsylvanians to take civil action for unwanted pregnancies against inseminators who wrongfully conceive a child with them.

If enacted, the proposed law would offer a $10,000 reward to private citizens in Pennsylvania who fail to abide by its requirements. It would also define wrongful conception to include negligence to prevent conception during intercourse.

Rabb suggested that his measure was initiated as a response to pro-life laws passed in other states: As long as state legislatures continue to restrict the reproductive rights of cis women, trans men and nonbinary people, there should be laws that address the responsibility of men who impregnate them.

He concluded the memorandum by encouraging his colleagues to examine this forthcoming bill that seeks to end this egregiously gendered double standard for the benefit of all individuals, our families and our great commonwealth. The bill stands little chance of passing in Pennsylvanias Republican-controlled Legislature.

In a statement released Monday, Rabb referred to his effort as parody legislation while addressing the reaction he's received: I have received the affirmation and support of people in and far beyond my district who hold reproductive rights sacrosanct  not to mention people who see the value in satire to raise awareness around serious issues such as this.

Rabb also directed a message at critics of his legislation: To each person who views this bill Ive introduced as absurd, Id urge you to apply equal scrutiny to laws in places like Texas and right here in Pennsylvania, which enact paternalistic restrictions on the personal liberty of cis women, trans men and nonbinary individuals who have an unwanted pregnancy. Whats good for the goose is good for the gander!

In a series of tweets unveiling his intention to introduce the legislation, Rabb indicated that he was inspired by Illinois state Rep. Kelly Cassidy, a Democrat, who introduced The Expanding Abortion Services Act. Cassidys legislation allows private citizens to bring a civil suit against anyone who commits an act of sexual assault or domestic abuse or causes a person to have an unintended pregnancy.

I will be introducing a bill inspired by @RepKellyCassidy that requires all inseminators to undergo #vasectomies within 6 weeks of having their third child or 40th birthday, whichever comes first. /1



Additionally, . . .#ReproJustice#ReproductiveRights#AbortionIsHealthcare  Rep. Chris Rabb (@RepRabb) October 2, 2021

In response to criticism from Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who derided Rabbs bill as more far-left insanity, the Pennsylvania legislator informed him that Your sister-in-law @RepKellyCassidy partly inspired me, Newty! Cassidy is married to Gingrichs half-sister Candace.

While Cassidys bill will require courts to award statutory damages of at least $10,000 for each of sexual assault or domestic abuse or act that causes an unintended pregnancy, it does not require the perpetrators of such actions to undergo a vasectomy.

However, the legislation does require one-half of the damages to go to a special fund in the State treasury, known as the State Abortion Freedom Expansion Fund, to be used by the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, to pay the costs of abortions for pregnant persons who travel to Illinois from states that prohibit abortions for the purpose of obtaining access to abortions in Illinois. Unlike Rabbs proposal, Cassidys legislation has a much higher chance of becoming law in heavily Democratic Illinois.

Both pieces of legislation come after the United States Supreme Court allowed Texas Senate Bill 8, which bans abortions after a baby's heartbeat can be detected, to go into effect. In addition to effectively banning abortions after six weeks gestation, the law allows private citizens to sue abortionists or anyone who knowingly engages in conduct that aids or abets the performance or inducement of an abortion, including paying for or reimbursing the costs of abortion through insurance or otherwise.

The provisions of the legislation proposed by both Rabb and Cassidy allowing individuals to take civil action against violators of the law closely mimic the language of SB 8. Democrats at the national level are also taking action to counter the Texas law.

Late last month, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to approve the Womens Health Protection Act, which would codify the 1973 Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade into federal law and prevent states from passing pro-life laws. The bill is unlikely to pass the U.S. Senate, where most legislation requires 60 votes to pass.

The Democrats have a narrow 50-50 majority in the upper chamber, with Vice President Kamala Harris casting the tie-breaking vote for the Democrats. Democrats would need to pick up support from 10 Senate Republicans for the bill to pass. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, one of the few remaining pro-choice Republican lawmakers in Washington, told The Los Angeles Times that she would not support the measure.
Hero Firefighter Releases New Book Detailing Battle for Religious Freedom

For 30 years, Atlanta Fire Chief Kelvin Cochran was a firefighter, selflessly serving his community and his country. He even served as the U.S. Fire Administrator under President Barack Obama and led the City of Atlanta to attain the highest level of fire and rescue preparedness for the first time in its history.

But his dream career of serving others came to an abrupt halt in 2015 when the City of Atlanta fired Chief Cochran.

Why?

Because he wrote a mens devotional book in his spare time that briefly mentions his views on a biblical understanding of marriage and sexuality, the City suspended and fired him.

The City even investigated his conduct (which showed he had never discriminated against anyone in the fire department).

All because Chief Cochran wrote about his faith on his own time, he was subjected to a three-year court battle. Thankfully, in 2017, a federal district court recognized that the City of Atlantas actions were unconstitutional and the City agreed to settle the case the next year.

During all of this, the Chiefs instinct to protect others never wavered.

On October 12, Chief Cochran is releasing a book detailing his career as a firefighter and his stand for religious freedom.

DOWNLOAD THE FIRST CHAPTER

Chief Cochran Chose His Faith over His Dream Job

At just five years old, Kelvin Cochran knew what he wanted to do with his life.

He was watching T.V. one evening with his brothers and sisters when they heard sirens outside. They opened the door to find their neighbors house on fire.

Kelvin watched the firefighters with amazement. And right then and there, he told his family that he wanted to be a firefighter when he grew up.

And he did.

He rose through the ranks, battling racism and discrimination as a young black fireman in the South. Chief Cochran made it all the way to the top of his profession when President Obama appointed him as U.S. Fire Administrator.

Then in 2010, the Mayor of Atlanta begged Kelvin to come back as the citys fire chief, he didnot knowing that he would soon lose his dream job.

On his own time and on his own dime, he wrote and self-published a devotional for a Christian mens Bible study. Some people got angry and complained about the bookand about six pages in which Kelvin discusses biblical sexuality and marriage.

And thats when everything went wrong.

The City of Atlanta suspended him without pay for 30 days and ordered that he participate in sensitivity training. They launched an investigation into his conduct. And even though the investigation showed that he had never discriminated against anyone, he was fired at the end of the 30-day suspension.

START READING NOW

Facing the Fire

The City of Atlanta tried to pass it off as an ethics violation, saying that a book that Chief Cochran wrote and self-published  on his own time, to support his men's Bible study at church  required the Mayor's permission.

We can all agree that if Chief Cochran had filled the pages of his book with his favorite firehouse recipes, we would not be having this conversation.

"What earned the ire of Atlanta officials is that the 162-page tome includes a few passages criticizing homosexual conduct," a Wall Street Journal article found.

How do we know this? Well, city officials were quite clear when Cochran was suspended that the content of his book put it at odds with the City.

I want to be clear that the material in Chief Cochrans book is not representative of my personal beliefs and is inconsistent with the Administrations work to make Atlanta a more welcoming city for all of her citizensregardless of their sexual orientation, gender, race and religious beliefs, said then-Mayor of Atlanta, Kasim Reed.

If the roles had been reversed and a city official fired an employee because they supported same-sex marriage, people would have been outraged.

The City's actions showed quite clearly that they believed Chief Cochran's biblical values and his speech are not only less important than those of people who disagree with the Bible on the topic of sex and marriage, but that he didnt deserve to keep his job because he holds them.

But faith is not reserved for pastors and chaplains, and the free exercise of religion and freedom of speech doesnt mean that people may only be faithful or discuss their faith within the walls of their churches.

If the government could punish a distinguished firefighter  a presidential appointee  for living consistently with his faith, whats stopping them from punishing any one of us?

DOWNLOAD THE FIRST CHAPTER

Chief Cochran could have mourned the loss of his career. He could have retreated. Instead, he took a stand for his rights and the rights of others who simply wish to live according to their faith without fearing government punishment.

Thats why, with the help of Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys Chief Cochran filed a lawsuit against the City of Atlanta. In 2017, a federal district court ruled that the City had violated Chief Cochrans religious freedom.

Throughout his career as a firefighter and in his stand for hisand all AmericansFirst Amendment freedoms, Chief Cochran proved himself a hero.

Download the first chapter of former Alliance Defending Freedom client Kelvin Cochrans new book, Facing the Fire, for free and get lost in his remarkable story of courage in the face of persecution.
Christians slam Playboy magazine's 'flood of ever-degenerating filth' for featuring young gay man on cover

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Many people have condemned Playboy this week for its decision to feature a young gay man dressed in the magazines iconic sexy bunny outfit on its most recent digital cover.

Playboy, one of the most recognized pornographic magazines in the world, featured Bretman Rock on the cover of its latest issue. Described as an iconic influencer and social media personality, the Filipino American Rock is not the first male to wear the bunny costume or appear on the cover, but he is the first gay man to do so.

The Playboy bunny outfit includes satin bunny ears, a black bowtie, a low-cut leotard-style suit and a bunny tail. Tights and various types of footwear frequently accompany the costume. In Rocks case, he wore tights in the cover photo while donning tight pants and high-heeled boots for the extended photoshoot.

In several of the additional pictures taken as part of his photoshoot, Rock posed shirtless, without the suit. Rock shared pictures from the photoshoot on his Instagram page, where he has nearly 18 million followers.

The magazine shared Rocks reaction to appearing on the cover on its Twitter account: For Playboy to have a male on the cover is a huge deal for the LGBT community, for my brown people community and its all so surreal. A total is this even f******g happening right now? type of vibe. And Im so pretty.

Several Christians criticized Rocks inclusion on the cover of Playboy, highlighting it as the latest example of a coarse popular culture that celebrates sexual degeneracy in all forms. In his syndicated op-ed published in The Christian Post, Michael Brown cited Rocks appearance on the cover of Playboy as a crystallization of the magazines moral degeneration over the course of its nearly 70-year history from lewdness to perversion.

Jennifer Roback Morse of the Ruth Institute, a global interfaith coalition committed to upholding and promoting the ancient Christian teachings about marriage, family, and human sexuality and ministering to those negatively affected by the sexual revolution, shared her concerns about Rocks appearance on the cover of Playboy in an interview with CP, saying, Playboy has gone from degrading women to erasing women. Playboy Mexico had a man who says hes a woman on the cover last year.

Now they have a self-described gay man on the cover. Evidently, men are better at being a woman than a woman is, she quipped.

This cover blurs the boundary between male and female, she added. I suspect they think they are defying the gender binary as the radicals like to call the differences between male and female.

Morse told CP that the Playboy cover proves that the Sexual Revolution really is a unified ideology.

She added: People initially embrace the ideology because it furthers some specific sexual interest or proclivity of their own. But once theyve embraced the ideology, many people will hang on to every part of it, even the parts that are superficially unrelated.

Morse asserted that proponents of the sexual revolution see sex as a sterile recreational activity with no moral or social consequences.

Brown agreed with Morses analysis about the sexual revolution, writing that the story of Playboy magazine is the story of the sexual revolution, from its first cover featuring Marilyn Monroe in 1953 to its current cover featuring a gay man dressed as a Playboy bunny.

Playboy had helped swing the door wide-open, and what followed was a flood of ever-degenerating filth, often at the primary expense of women, he contended. Brown suggested that a desire to push back on the narrative that it was behind the times and not lewd enough, not racy enough and not pushing the boundaries enough motivated Playboys decision to feature a gay man on the cover.

Brown expressed hope that the American people, including Rock, will learn to celebrate a healthy sexuality, within the bonds of marriage, one man and one woman together for life, as intended by God.

In a Twitter thread posted Monday, Playboy lamented that it had received far too many negative comments in response to releasing its first-ever cover with an openly gay model. The magazine likened such criticism to the same kind of comments Playboy received when we put Darine Stern, an African American woman on the cover in 1971, [and] when we featured transgender model Tula Cossey in 1991.

Standing for freedom and equality is in the DNA of this brand. Today, Playboy is much more than a magazine. Our digital covers are creative snapshots that drive and reflect the current dialogue around pleasure, sexuality, equality and culture.

The Twitter thread went on to ask If a gay man feels sexy in a bunny costume, an iconic symbol of sexiness, why shouldnt he [be] able to wear it proudly? The magazine vowed that serving as a platform for representation and freedom of expansion is and will always be what Playboy stands for.

Last week, we released our first-ever cover with an openly gay model, @bretmanrock. Since posting, we've received a lot of great comments, but far too many offensive ones as well.  Playboy (@Playboy) October 4, 2021
Atheist group FFRF demands NC school district stop holding Christian prayers at meetings

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The atheist group Freedom From Religion Foundation has demanded that a school district in North Carolina quit the practice of beginning meetings with Christian prayers.

The Union County Board of Education received a letter from the Madison, Wisconsin-based atheist organization demanding that it stop offering Christian prayers at school board meetings.

The Union County Board of Education has received the letter from the Freedom from Religion Foundation and is evaluating the request, read a statement from school district spokeswoman Tahira Stalberte to The Christian Post.

Last week, FFRF sent a letter to Michele Morris, general counsel with Union County Public Schools, expressing opposition to the boards practice of allowing Christian clergy to open meetings with prayer.

We write to remind the Board that opening school board meetings with prayer is unconstitutional and to request that it end this practice immediately, wrote FFRF staff attorney Christopher Line to Morris.

Board members are free to pray privately or to worship on their own time in their own way. The school board, however, ought not to lend its power and prestige to religion, amounting to a governmental endorsement of religion which alienates non-religious Americans.

In 2014, the United States Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in Town of Greece v. Galloway that prayers, even sectarian ones, could be given at government meetings.

The Court must decide whether the town of Greece, New York, imposes an impermissible establishment of religion by opening its monthly board meetings with a prayer. It must be concluded  that no violation of the Constitution has been shown, wrote Justice Anthony Kennedy for the majority.

As practiced by Congress since the framing of the Constitution, legislative prayer lends gravity to public business, reminds lawmakers to transcend petty differences in pursuit of a higher purpose, and expresses a common aspiration to a just and peaceful society.

However, in 2018 a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upheld an injunction against a California school districts practice of allowing school-sponsored Christian prayers at meetings.

The Board's prayer policy and practice violate the Establishment Clause. The invocations to start the open portions of Board meetings are not within the legislative prayer tradition that allows certain types of prayer to open legislative sessions, read the panel ruling.

This is not the sort of solemnizing and unifying prayer, directed at lawmakers themselves and conducted before an audience of mature adults free from coercive pressures to participate, that the legislative-prayer tradition contemplates.
Nearly 4 in 10 American adults live without spouse or partner as single population grows: Pew

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About four out of 10 adults in the United States are living without a romantic partner, which is part of a growing trend, according to a new report by Pew Research Center.

Using census data, Pew noted in a report Tuesday that 38% of U.S. adults in 2019 were neither living with a spouse or other romantic partner, which was an increase from the 29% reported in 1990.

By contrast, 53% of adults in 2019 were married, representing a decline from the 64% reported in 1990. Meanwhile, 6% of adults were cohabitating in 2019, up from 4% in 1990.

"The growth in the single population is driven mainly by the decline in marriage among adults who are at prime working age," Pew Senior Researcher Richard Fry and Pew Director of Social Trends Research Kim Parker wrote in an analysis.

"While the unpartnered population includes some adults who were previously married (those who are separated, divorced or widowed), all of the growth in the unpartnered population since 1990 has come from a rise in the number who have never been married."

The researchers concluded that this growing single population had "broad societal implications, as does the growing gap in well-being between partnered and unpartnered adults."

"Looking across a range of measures of economic and social status, unpartnered adults generally have different  often worse  outcomes than those who are married or cohabiting," the report continued.

"Unpartnered adults have lower earnings, on average, than partnered adults and are less likely to be employed or economically independent. They also have lower educational attainment and are more likely to live with their parents."

In recent years, much has been made about the growing population of American adults experiencing what some have described as a loneliness epidemic.

In January 2020, before the pandemic lockdowns occurred in the United States, global insurance company Cigna released a survey of around 10,400 adults, which found that 61% of respondents reported feeling lonely.

"The trends shaping how we work  increasing use of technology, more telecommuting and the always-on work culture  are leaving Americans more stressed, less rested, spending more time on social media, and less time with friends and family," Cigna President and CEO David M. Cordani said in a statement at the time.

"For the business community, it is resulting in less engagement, less productivity and lower retention levels. To confront these issues at home and at work, we are helping people build stronger connections and driving deeper health engagement to improve overall well-being and vitality."

Last year, the Virginia-based Institute for Family Studies released a report drawing data from the U.S. Census Bureaus American Community Survey. The report found that the U.S. experienced its lowest rate of divorce in about 50 years in 2019.

The data showed that for every 1,000 marriages, 14.9 ended in divorce in 2019.

People are getting married later in life these days, and they are less likely to rush into a marriage which they may regret later on. On the other hand, we've seen the record low marriage rate happening in the U.S., IFS Director of Research Dr. Wendy Wang told The Christian Post at the time.

College-educated adults are more likely than those without a college degree to get married, and their divorce rate is lower.

In April 2020, the National Center for Health Statistics produced a report on the marriage rates from 1900 through 2018. The report stated that marriage rates had reached their lowest point in more than 100 years.
Students nationwide take part in 'Bring Your Bible to School Day' to speak God's truth into culture

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Hundreds of thousands of Christian students nationwide were encouraged to bring their Bibles to school on Thursday as part of a Christian advocacy organization's annual Bring Your Bible to School Day.

Focus on the Family spearheaded its eighth annual Bring Your Bible to School Day as students were emboldened to share the word of God with their classmates.

The purpose of the occasion is to have students "read and treasure Scripture as God's Holy Word, to encourage others with the hope we have in Christ Jesus, and to celebrate our religious freedoms in the United States."

"This annual campaign empowers Christian students of all ages to speak God's grace and truth into the culture around them, starting with two simple steps  bringing their Bibles to school and sharing what God's word means to them," Focus on the Family Program Manager Bret Eckelberry said in a statement.

"It opens doors for students to talk to their friends about the gospel. It connects them with other believers in their school. And it allows them to celebrate their religious freedoms in the United States."

Focus on the Family's Vice President of Parenting and Youth Danny Huerta told The Christian Post that it was too early to say whether participation in this year's event surpassed the more than 514,000 students who participated last year.

However, he noted that this year's registration totals "surpassed last year's registration numbers."

"Our eventual goal is to get 1 million kids bringing their Bible to school or more," he added. "It's basically just a starting point  for kids to maybe start Bible studies in their school, [or] pray together in their school."

Huerta said that while the bulk of participants in Bring Your Bible to School Day are high school students or junior high school students, students can participate "all through college."

He emphasized that students have "the freedom to bring their Bible to school in a public school setting as long as they're not disruptive in the school." Huerta said lunch, recess as well as before and after school are appropriate times for students to share the word of God with others.

In the past, students attempting to participate in Bring Your Bible to School Day have faced headwinds from school staff despite their established right to do so.

Huerta told CP that the religious liberty law firm Alliance Defending Freedom "has been a resource that we have pointed parents to  and/or students that have faced that adversity."

He stressed that as long as Bring Your Bible to School Day at a particular school is student-led, "a teacher can participate in it and a principal can participate in it."

Huerta expressed hope that the annual day can unify American students at a time that has become very divisive.

"We've really been focused even more so now on the opportunity to offer hope, to invite peers and students into conversation about God's word and about their faith and just standing courageously and with love and hope," Huerta said.

"This is more about  [standing] united and pray[ing] for one another and lov[ing] our school, pray[ing] for our school, pray[ing] for our nation  engag[ing] in God's word so that we're guided and seek wisdom."

He said the goal is "much more unity and love and hope rather than where the world is at right now."

"It's about inviting people into something that is very loving, which is a relationship with their Heavenly Father and with God's word," Huerta added.

As the coronavirus pandemic significantly changed the aspects of day-to-day life in the U.S. and around the world last year, Focus on the Family saw a new opportunity to engage with homeschool students.

"It gave us an opportunity to remind homeschool students that 'Hey, you can also participate, go on social media, intentionally engage with God's word throughout the day [and] share your favorite scriptures," he said.

"As a homeschooled student, as a private school student, it's so important to also participate in Bring Your Bible to School Day. And so through the pandemic  we did a full online Bring Your Bible to School Day where kids shared [pictures] of themselves with the Bible," he recalled.

While Bring Your Bible to School Day only happens once a year, the Bring Your Bible to School Day website has activities that can help children and their families remain engaged with the Bible all year long.

"When they sign up and register, they get Live Your Faith challenges once a month," he explained. "And so, it's a starting point  either as a family or as a friend group  to live out their faith."

Huerta sees Bring Your Bible to School Day and the "Live Your Faith" challenges as a way to create "contributors in God's Kingdom's story rather than consumers."
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With all the ominous things taking place in America  and there are certainly quite a few  perhaps none is more ominous than this: Parents are being demonized. Moms and dads have become the enemy. It is now the government (or the education system) vs. those entrusted with raising the next generation. How on earth did this happen? We have certainly come a long way from the days of Father Knows Best  very long way.

Back in the 1960s, when the generation gap grew large as a result of the counterculture revolution, young people viewed their parents as out of touch, out of step, and out of style. But that was the view of the kids, not the view of the state (or of the system). Parental authority remained firmly ensconced when it came to the education of their children.

But that authority has been increasingly challenged in recent decades, with schools hosting GSA (Gay Straight Alliance) clubs, where kids can come out to their peers, counselors, and teachers, without their parents knowing. Or where objectionable curricula can be taught at the teachers discretion, without parental notification, from K-12.

One mother told me that, without her or her husbands knowledge, their 16-year-old daughters school was about to announce publicly that their daughter was now he, with a new name and a new set of pronouns. The parents only found out because they happened to meet with her daughters teachers the night before the announcement was planned, having been concerned about the negative influence the school was having on their daughter. How can this be? Who gave the public school system such rights?

Something has been brewing under the surface for some time now, and today, it has reached the boiling point. And the more that parents learn what is really going on, the more they are taking a stand. (For a recent, shocking example of gay porn in a school library, defended by the Library Director, something that is hardly uncommon, see here.)

The line must be drawn in the sand. If not now, then when?

Back in 2013, atheist biologist Richard Dawkins spoke out against parents forcing their religious beliefs on their children  in other words, he spoke out against raising them in the faith.

He said, What a child should be taught is that religion exists; that some people believe this and some people believe that.

Yes, he opined, Forcing a religion on your children is as bad as child abuse. And he added, There is a value in teaching children about religion. You cannot really appreciate a lot of literature without knowing about religion. But we must not indoctrinate our children.

He followed this up in an interview in 2015, speaking together with physicist Lawrence Krauss at Trinity College in Dublin.

As reported by the Independent, Dawkins called on schools to protect children from being indoctrinated by their religious parents.

In his words, There is a balancing act and you have to balance the rights of parents and the rights of children and I think the balance has swung too far towards parents. Really? The balance has swung too much towards parents?

He continued, Children do need to be protected so that they can have a proper education and not be indoctrinated in whatever religion their parents happen to have been brought up in.

Krauss, himself an atheist as well, agreed with Dawkins, saying, That means parents have a limited  it seems to be  limited rights in determining what the curriculum is.

In his view, The state is providing the education, its trying to make sure all children have equal opportunity. And parents of course have concerns and a say, but they dont have the right to shield their children from knowledge.

Sorry about that, moms and dads. The state knows best. Stay out of the way!

And if some lawmakers in California have their way, you will be told to stay out of the way when it comes to your childs own health, with children as young as 12 forced to receive the COVID-19 vaccination if they want to remain in school.

I ask again: how on earth did this happen?

Perhaps more shocking still was the recent announcement from the Department of Justice that parents who spoke against their schools attempt to indoctrinate their children with radical race ideology could be viewed as domestic terrorists guilty of hate speech. This was now a matter for the FBI.

As expressed by Matt Walsh, Leftist activists can come to your house with bullhorns. Film you in the bathroom. Loot your business. Burn police stations. The FBI does nothing.

But if conservative parents raise their voices at a school board meeting, theyre hunted down as terrorists.

The law is dead.

As for those parents who actually made threats against school board members, administrators, or teachers, something that is unacceptable and unjustifiable, why is this a matter for the FBI? And how on earth does this make these overzealous parents domestic terrorists?

The bad news is that things are going from bad to worse.

The good news is that, with tens of millions of parents in America, we can say no to these radical and destructive ideas. That doesnt mean with threats of violence or intimidation, God forbid. But it does mean taking principled stands. And if enough parents will stand strong, others will follow.

Patrick Henry once said, For good or for ill, the estate of the family will most assuredly predetermine the estate of all of the rest of the culture.

Lets resist this current attack on our families as if the future of our culture depended on it. It does.
Pro-life students receive threats as over 7K sign petition against them at UK university

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University students in the United Kingdom say they have received threats from those opposed to their new pro-life activist group on campus, while over 7,000 have supported an online petition calling for the new organization to be abolished.

Meeting for the first time this semester at the University of Exeter, students affiliated with the campus chapter of Students for Life recently reported receiving death threats online from pro-choice students.

According to the groups lawyers at Christian Legal Centre, one student allegedly told the group's members that they would end up at the bottom of the Quay  a local area next to the River Exe and the Exeter Ship Canal.

The Exeter University Students for Life group is described as a society that takes a stand for the rights of pre-born children respectfully and sensitively.

Devon and Cornwall police, as well as university authorities, have been informed of the threats.

As a society we speak up for and take a stand for the rights of pre-born children, 200,000 of which lose their lives to abortion every year in this country, said Alireza Ghazi-Torbati, the president of the Exeter University Students for Life.

Our student group should enjoy the same rights as every other student group on campus, free of discrimination or harassment. The death threats made against members of our society are completely unacceptable and deeply disturbing. We have contacted the university. We would like them to take immediate action on this.

In a statement, the University of Exeters Student Guild said that it supports freedom of speech for its students.

[W]e want to foster an environment where our members can participate fully, feel able to question and challenge, express new ideas, discuss controversial and or unpopular opinions within the law  all without fear of intolerance or discrimination, the statement reads.

Over 7,700 individuals supporters backed a Change.org petition that opposes what they call the existence of a pro-life single issue society. The petition accuses the Students for Life chapter of hate speech.

University must be a safe space for healthy debate; a place where intellectual curiosity is able to flourish and people are in turn able to learn and develop their opinions. However, by allowing the existence of a society based around an opinion, that belief is shielded from the necessary scrutiny that would normally occur, the petition argues.

It is especially alarming when this society has adopted such a controversial and harmful point of view, a view which is a direct attack on womens rights.

The petition further contends that the pro-life group represents those in society [who] wish to perpetuate the fallacy that no woman really wants an abortion, or that to have an abortion is comparable to murder.

Ghazi-Torbati assures that the group aims to equip pro-life students to advocate for the pro-life position and provide a space to discuss the issue while striving to support prospective and current student parents and those who may be suffering post-abortive trauma.

Exeter University must be a marketplace for free thinking, which is what universities are designed to be. As George Orwell said: If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they dont want to hear, Ghazi-Torbati added.

The U.K. has traditionally been a bastion of free speech, but in recent years that has been eroded and the trend has been reflected in over 100 of our universities. Pro-life groups in particular have been targeted and faced attempted censorship for valid beliefs held by many across the world.

Ghazi-Torbati told CP in an email that the organization has received thousands of comments on Instagram and had to close the comments sections to "give us a break from the vitriol and viciousness of people online."

She said the specific threat about drowning in the "bottom of the Quay," she said, was directed at the group's vice president.

"The University of Exeter and the Students Guild are in conversation with us to consider how best to support us," she stated. "The Wellbeing Team is in touch and hopefully we will feel safe to continue our studies on campus soon enough."

Christian Legal Centre Chief Executive Andrea Williams, who will represent the pro-life society, told The Christian Post that through her work, she had seen a shocking increase in assaults on university pro-life groups in the U.K.

She commends the university for defending free speech and not bowing to the cyber-mob by seeking to punish the pro-life society merely for existing.

Unfortunately, violent threats and personal attacks are becoming commonplace when such situations arise and in the United Kingdom, free speech is still free, so too, is the freedom to associate and the right to hold and manifest pro-life beliefs, she said.

In a number of these situations, the university was not nearly as supportive as the Students Union has been here and legal action was required to remedy the wrong done to pro-life groups.

Williams advises pro-life groups to know and exercise their legal rights to enjoy the same freedoms on campus as any other society.

It is disturbing that we appear to be living in a world where students advocating on behalf of our preborn children, are being subjected to death threats, Williams concluded. A pro-life society has just as much right to enjoy its freedom of association as any other society at the university. The treatment the society is receiving at the hands of cancel culture activists is very disturbing.
Southwest Airlines faced a fourth day of disruptions Monday - after canceling hundreds of flights over the weekend - a sign of airlines' struggles to capitalize on a growing appetite for travel amid a pandemic that has scrambled the industry and left some carriers stretched thin.

Southwest said the airline was working to return flight operations to normal as it dealt with a backlog of passengers from more than 2,000 canceled flights and thousands more that were delayed since Friday. The airline on Monday canceled 363 flights - about 10 percent of scheduled departures - while more than 1,300 were delayed, according to flight-tracking site FlightAware.

The disruptions inconvenienced, angered and stranded tens of thousands of passengers. The cancellations and delays Monday at the nation's fourth-largest domestic carrier were a costly extension of disruptions that stressed travel during the long holiday weekend.

The latest problems mirrored disruptions that travelers encountered over the summer in a scenario that has become increasingly common as the industry recovers from the pandemic. Airlines have shed staff during the pandemic, and analysts say scheduling problems can more easily snowball, leading to mass flight cancellations.

Southwest reiterated Monday that inclement weather and air traffic control disruptions in Florida on Friday triggered the problems. Federal regulators said that air traffic control staffing shortages caused delays out of Florida but that airlines generally are experiencing operational issues because of their own staffing and aircraft issues.

Southwest on social media asked for patience as airport lines grew amid passengers seeking to rebook their flights. The carrier is trying to recover after canceling more than 1,000 Sunday departures - nearly 30 percent of its flights - which followed 800 cancellations Saturday.

As of Monday, many of the flights that were canceled or delayed continued to involve large cities - including Chicago, Denver and Baltimore - where many of the airline's transfers occur. Many flights also were canceled in Dallas, where the carrier has its headquarters.

"We have a closer to normal operation today, navigating some new weather across our system," the airline said in a statement Monday. "We spent the weekend working to recover from the high number of displaced Crews, aircraft and Customers."

Passengers and airline observers questioned Southwest's explanation for the widespread disruptions, noting that other airlines have seen no significant effects from weather or air traffic control challenges.

FlightAware said that as of Monday morning, 38 percent of Southwest's flights since Friday had been delayed, at least double the rate of its biggest competitors. For Delta Air Lines and American Airlines, that figure was 19 percent, while 14.5 percent of United Airlines flights were delayed.

The flight woes ignited claims from conservatives, apparently based on a coincidence in timing, that issues were the result of a protest of Southwest's vaccine mandate. The travel problems came days after Southwest announced it was requiring employees to receive vaccinations against the coronavirus - a mandate that some airlines have had for weeks without experiencing similar issues.

The carrier said last week that employees will have until Dec. 8 to provide proof of vaccination or face the possibility of losing their jobs, with allowances for religious, disability or medical exemptions. President Biden last month announced that private companies with 100 or more employees would be required to ensure that their workers were vaccinated or implement weekly testing programs.

Although U.S. airlines fall into that category, many also are government contractors who must meet a Dec. 8 deadline for vaccinations. There is no testing option for contractors.

"Joe Biden's illegal vaccine mandate at work!" Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) tweeted Sunday about Southwest's woes. "Suddenly, we're short on pilots & air traffic controllers."

Southwest on Monday countered reports about employee protests, saying "the weekend challenges were not a result of Employee demonstrations, as some have reported." The Southwest Airlines Pilots Association also rejected speculation of pilot protests as "false claims."

"I can say with certainty that there are no work slowdowns or sickouts either related to the recent mandatory vaccine mandate or otherwise," association president Casey Murray said in a statement.

Stranded passengers took to social media to voice frustrations, searching for answers from the airline as many struggled with long waits at the airline counters and on a customer service phone line. Rebooking, some said, was a nightmare.

Erin Cadwalader had hatched a plan to surprise her sister this weekend, heading from her house in Maryland on Friday to meet at their aunt's house in Florida.

"My sister loves surprises, so I was really excited to have the opportunity to pull something off like this," she said. Their mother - her aunt's sister - died last May, and it was to be the first time the two women had seen their aunt since the pandemic began.

Cadwalader, 40, had picked up food at Reagan National Airport and ordered a drink when she got a text message indicating her flight had been canceled. Not knowing whether she would be able to fly, she revealed her plan to her sister.

Cadwalader got a flight from Baltimore-Washington International Marshall Airport Saturday afternoon, but woke up at 4:30 a.m. Monday to news that her return flight had been canceled. She had been booked onto a Tuesday night flight but decided to spend $250 on a flight with American.

"I don't honestly have confidence that Southwest won't cancel my flight tomorrow night as well, given how untransparent they've been about what's causing these problems," Cadwalader said.

Kurt Ebenhoch, executive director of the Air Travel Fairness Coalition, which advocates for air travel consumers, called Southwest's handling of the crisis "disingenuous," noting the company's homepage Monday offered no information about operational problems to customers.

"By blaming air traffic and weather, Southwest is just not being honest with their customers . . . If that was the cause, other airlines would be impacted at the same magnitude, and that's not happening," he said. "The data speaks for itself."

Murray blamed the weekend's meltdown on airline management's poor planning, questioning Southwest's claims that issues at the Jacksonville Air Control Center and weather in the Southeast are to blame.

"What was a minor temporary event for other carriers devastated Southwest Airlines because our operation has become brittle and subject to massive failures under the slightest pressure," he said.

Airlines received tens of billions of dollars in federal aid to ensure they kept staff on the payroll during the pandemic, which slashed demand for flights. Nevertheless, carriers have slimmed down, shedding thousands of jobs as employees have retired or left voluntarily. Southwest had about 62,000 employees as the pandemic took hold, but employed 54,500 workers in August, according to Transportation Department figures.

Staffing shortages were blamed for flight cancellations and delays at Southwest over the summer, prompting the airline to reduce its schedule to avoid more disruptions.

Delays and cancellations have also hurt several other airlines. In August, bad weather set off a cascade of issues at low-cost Spirit Airlines that left it reeling for a week. American Airlines blamed storms in Texas for the delays and cancellations over the summer.

The Transport Workers Union of America, AFL-CIO, which represents airline employees, warned in July that staffing shortages were affecting morale and that some workers reported feeling exhausted and overwhelmed.

Experts say staff reductions during the pandemic have left airlines vulnerable to disruption as travel demand has grown.

Southwest is especially vulnerable because unlike other airlines that base crews and aircraft in central locations, it has a "point-to-point" system with aircraft and crews scattered in more places. That setup makes it more difficult to move crews after a disruptive event.

The delays and cancellations at Southwest are an indication of a growing problem facing airlines that have been stretched thin for months during a travel rebound, said Max Leitschuh, a senior transportation analyst at Crisis24, a global risk management firm.

"Pretty much every major U.S. airline out there is really overstretched, especially the pilots and flight attendants. And adding those types of employees is not a very quick task," he said. "All it takes is one little issue and that creates a ripple effect throughout the airline. And if the airline doesn't handle it right, that can cause their operations to basically melt down for days."

- - -

The Washington Post's Lori Aratani contributed to this report.
Houstonian food blogger Suu Khin impressed the judges with her Burmese menu on the season finale of "MasterChef," which aired Sept. 15.

She was one of two Houstonians competing in the 11th season of "MasterChef" and made it all the way to the final. She entered the competition with a Burmese coconut noodle soup, which greatly impressed judge Gordon Ramsay (and she later shared the recipe with the Houston Chronicle's Emma Balter).

"Burmese cuisine is something the world is missing out on, and I just want the world to have a taste of it," Khin said in the finale.

Judges Ramsay, Aaron Sanchez and Joe Bastianich were joined by Curtis Stone for the first courses and Michael Cimarusti for the second half of the finalists' menus. Khin competed against Autumn Moretti and Kelsey Murphy for a prize of $250,000 and the MasterChef trophy in the show's first all-female finale.

Khin's first course, a surprise canape course the judges requested at the last minute, was a beef and potato curry in puff pastry with tamarind sauce. Sanchez described it as "memorable."

Her official appetizer consisted of a Burmese chickpea tofu salad with baby octopus, tamarind fish sauce caramel, red cabbage and lime leaf slaw and crispy lotus chips. However, she left the beak in the octopus, and Bastianich called the octopus a "huge mistake" in an otherwise delicious and beautiful dish.

Khin's main course was a banana leaf-wrapped sea bass with coconut rice, herb salad, shishito peppers and banana ketchup. Ramsay noted the dish was slightly too spicy but told Khin she needed to "get that [banana ketchup] in a bottle and sell it."

For dessert, Khin created a rose flan cake with saffron and cardamom ice cream, pistachio tuile and pistachio dust. Her dish had an interactive element that impressed the judges and the gallery of former contestants. Each judge dipped a provided red rose into liquid nitrogen, which Khin then smashed over her dish, sending rose petal fragments across the plate for a colorful (and flavorful) final touch.

"I feel like you are the person who could put Burmese cuisine on the map," Cimarusti told Khin.

Murphy's modern fine-dining inspired menu ultimately earned her the prize, but Khin received a new Viking range and other tools for her home kitchen.

"I'm feeling so happy," Khin said after Murphy was announced as the winner. "I feel like I've accomplished so much, and I'm so, so happy for Kelsey."
For San Antonians dreaming of moving to New York City and making a life Frank Sinatra would be proud of, there are a lot of variables to consider: Where do I get groceries without H-E-B? How will I start my mornings without breakfast tacos?

We don't have the answer for the first question, but now city-slickers can find a piece of San Antonio in the Big Apple. Known as Yellow Rose, this East Village taqueria-style joint is owned by husband-wife duo Dave and Krystiana Rizo.

Yellow Rose is a month shy from celebrating its first anniversary on November 11, and it's already made a name for itself in New York. The bean-and-cheese tacos were so impressive to New Yorker food critic Hannah Goldfield, she said she'd brave a tundra just to get to the "obsession-worthy" restaurant.

Rizo, a product of San Antonio's Westside, launched his cooking career here under the ranks of James Beard semifinalist Michael Sohocki. Rizo and his wife agreed that once they tied the knot, they'd push themselves out of their comfort zone and move out of the Alamo City. They packed up for the East Coast in 2017.

Courtesy, Dave Rizo

"San Antonio is kind of a hard to city to move out of. It's really comfortable and you get really relaxed there," Rizo says. "It's a good life. I always tell people up here: everyone's super friendly and there's really good food. I never thought that I'd actually move out of San Antonio, to be honest."

Rizo had only visited New York once prior to their jump, but he trusted the move would bolster his career. During his first few days as a New Yorker, he was hired at Superiority Burger, which he says "shot off" his start in the city.

"It was kind of a test myself to see, 'Could I hang here?' And if so, what does that look like," he says.

The pandemic marked the start of his own venture. After he was laid off by the burger joint, Rizo's quarantine boredom took him back to his pop-up roots. Yellow Rose started off setting up at bars and in backyards, drumming up appetites and interests. One pop-up took over what the space that would eventually become their East Village brick-and-mortar. And the rest was history.

Courtesy, Dave Rizo

A year later, it's clear San Antonio can hang in the Big Apple. Oddly enough, the cuisine that's such a staple in San Antonio is a niche in New York City. He says there's an array of food choices covering every corner of the world, from Caribbean to Bangladeshi, but there aren't many places where you can grab heaven in a handheld, foil-wrapped package.

Rizo says his own longing for a simple yet satisfying breakfast taco is what inspired Yellow Rose.

"It was the first week living New York City and I was like, "Okay, where am I going to get my carne guisda? Where's my taco shop?" he remembers. "I looked around I was like, 'Oh, they don't have that up here.'"

Rizo dreamed of a place that would be representative of his city  lots of comfort food, hold the tacky Party City-style sombrero decor. Rizo says even the play list is inspired by the Alamo City, and includes everything from the Rolling Stones to Sir Douglas Quintet, a band formed in San Antonio in the 1960s.

"This is something that we thought that we could create that was representative of our childhood and of my neighborhood, which is the Westside of San Antonio, and there's a lot of pride in that," Rizo says.

The Texas-inspired cuisine has needed some translation to help East Coasters adapt. For the first time, Rizo had to learn to describe food that rarely needs any kind of introduction in San Antonio. The Yellow Rose menu includes brief descriptions, like "beef simmered in gravy" for carne guisada tacos, to build a bridge. Still, the "totally foreign" tacos are lost on some who complain in online reviews about the tacos being too low-frills for their taste. No fancy garnishes here, but Rizo says his team always recommends adding cheese to the carne guisada  word to San Antonio.

"I'm only making these tacos, because I miss these tacos, not because I'm trying to reinvent these tacos. This is just as close of a representation of the guisada I love from Ramona's Cafe. I love it so much and I miss it," Rizo says.

Courtesy, Dave Rizo

If you couldn't tell, bean-and-cheese tacos are the big seller at Yellow Rose (along with margaritas), but Rizo also introduces specialty plates and opportunities to get the full San Antonio experience. On weekends, as an ode to The Original Donut Shop, Yellow Rose sells doughnuts. He says it's reminiscent of mornings he spent alternating bites between tacos and doughnuts  mornings when he should've been in class at Jefferson.

Rizo also recently got his hands on a small batch of Big Red and introduced it to the menu for a limited time. A friend of his, born and bred in the Bronx, had the following reaction to the beloved elixir: "He was like 'What is this? This is crazy. This is so sugary. What is the flavor of this?'" Rizo recalls. "Then some people are like 'I don't know what's going on with this, I don't know what y'all are drinking in San Antonio, this is wild.'"

Yellow Rose has become a place of discovery, whether that's sipping Big Red or biting into a breakfast taco for the first time. Rizo says he frequents a farmers market where a customer recently bought a bag of Yellow Rose bean-and-cheese tacos to take home to his family to try. His father-in-law ate the stash clean before anyone else could get to them.

"[The father-in-law] said, 'These little bean-and-cheese burritos are pretty good,'" Rizo says with a laugh. "He had no idea what it was, he just ate it all  that was amazing."

Yellow Rose is also a place where homesick Texans can reconnect or pass on traditions. Texpats raising families in New York City bring their kids in to eat tacos the way they did growing up. The dish provides a sense of comfort, a healing power during times of isolation brought on by the pandemic when customers were unable to travel home.

"It definitely gets people emotional sometimes. People say, 'I just really miss home, I haven't been home for so long and eating this papa con huevo taco reminds me of Sunday mornings with my family.' And that's really sweet," he adds. "It's more than just making a dish. It's kind of like striking an emotional chord with people and making them feel something and making them feel at home."

He says that bond over food is part Yellow Rose's mission.

"That's why we made it, we made it for for those people and for ourselves, but then also to showcase where we're from, and our culture from San Antonio," Rizo says. "We're very proud people and it's a very proud city that gets kind of thrown under the radar a lot of times. So it was really to try to push myself as a cook, but then also as someone from 78207. It's one of the poorest ZIP codes in America, and there's pride in that. We're hardworking people and I want to showcase that."
Spooky woods, movie history and the possibility of being eaten by murderous cannibals? Exactly what I want from a weekend away.

The gas station where parts of the 1974 cult horror classic "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre" is just two hours away in Bastrop and has become a Halloween pilgrimage for fans. But for those unafraid of a cannibal family wielding power tools, it's also a motel and camping destination fittingly named The Gas Station.

"Chain Saw" fanatics Roy and Lisa Rose from Ohio purchased the building in 2014 and opened the motel in 2016, raising it from the dead to its former, spooky glory. They installed four cabins on the property with beds, air conditioning, Wi-Fi and a TV (for on-site viewing of "Texas Chain Saw Massacre," of course). There are also around four tent spots the Gas Station rents out for brave campers who don't need the security of four walls and a lock.

Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images

Horror fans will also find horror movie merchandise for sale; photo ops, including the van from the movie and a memorial bench with a chainsaw; and the replica Coca-Cola sign that proclaims "WE SLAUGHTER BARBECUE."

It's true; the Gas Station is also a barbecue joint serving up brisket and sausage (presumably not made with human meat) by the pound or plate to anyone who'd prefer to keep their visit short and before dark. No head cheese on the menu, though.

While the campsites and cabins are booked through October, the restaurant is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

If you can't make it out to Bastrop to see where a tragedy befell five youths, The Gas Station sells collectibles and merchandise on its website, including autographs, action figures and "face skin" earrings  no actual butchering required.

The Gas Station is located at 1073 SH 304 in Bastrop, Texas.
Bloomberg photo by Luke Sharrett.

Southwest Airlines Co. will follow President Joe Biden's mandate requiring employees be vaccinated against coronavirus over an order from the Texas governor blocking such actions.

The Dallas-based carrier's decision Tuesday comes as corporate America has been caught between a White House measure requiring federal contractors to mandate vaccinations and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's move to outlaw companies from ordering the shots.
Vehicular upgrades may be on the way for Montgomery County officers to better respond to mental health crisis calls during weather events like Februarys historic arctic blast and hurricanes.

The ice storm was pretty challenging, said Montgomery County Precinct 1 Lt. Brian Luly, commander of the countys roughly 14-member crisis intervention team.

The storm showed the four-year-old CIT what obstacles it still faces in answering crisis calls, which often include threats of self-harm. The current use of two-wheel Chevrolet Tahoes proved problematic on icy roads, Luly and Pct. 1 Constable Philip Cash said.

Four-wheel cars and all-terrain vehicles are something were looking at and weve talked about maybe getting a few of those added to our fleet, Cash said.

The extra help is crucial in the Greater Houston area, which is familiar to hurricanes and flooding. Natural disasters, Luly and Cash said, aggravated mental health issues.

As someone whos lived in the Gulf South for the majority of my life now, Ive seen firsthand the stressors and the anxieties that precede, co-occur and follow these national disasters, said clinical psychologist Deb Michel, regional clinical director at the Pathlight Mood & Anxiety Center facility in The Woodlands.

A native Texan, Michel, 57, relocated from New Orleans in 2006 following Hurricane Katrina. Her home lost power for two weeks from Hurricane Ike in 2008.

Michel said she understands the economic impacts involving natural disasters, along with how peoples work and school are affected. She pointed to how stress and other mental health conditions are exacerbated during a weather event like a hurricane.

Even seeing the images on television can be vicariously traumatizing for people, she said, referencing indirect trauma endured when witnessing people experiencing trauma.

Michel became involved with Pathlight, which includes hospitalization and outpatient treatment, in 2015 after running a private practice for several years.

Having to treat adolescents and adults that are continuing to have greater difficulty, this was near and dear to my heart. Seeing what these community needs are and realizing really the dearth of services of this level of care  the higher levels of care  for individuals in our area, Michel said.

The onset of isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic only further complicates matters, she said.

I think much of this has been exacerbated due to social distancing, lack of connection with folks, Michel said. Emotional support systems are very, very important for people and their mental health and their mental well-being.

The CIT experienced a 50 percent increase in crisis intervention calls in 2020 compared to the year before, as previously reported by The Courier.

The pandemic has helped instruct some on how to deal with oncoming mental health crises, Luly pointed out.

Because of COVID-19, a lot of (family members) have learned coping skills, he said.

Situations can still get dire.

During the arctic blast, Luly and Cash remember one county woman who the CIT responded to. The woman was convinced she was the cause of the storm and the CIT had to reassure her neither she or her thoughts were to blame.

We can get you somewhere, a place of better care where you can talk to somebody about it, Luly said the CIT members responding to the womans distress call told her.

She voluntarily went with them to Conroes Tri-County Services Psychiatric Emergency Treatment Center for evaluation and counseling.

Based out of Precinct 1, the countywide service was instituted by Constable Cash shortly after his election.

After Hurricane Harvey, the Lone Star Convention Center in Conroe had a trauma center with professionals on hand available for evacuees being housed there, Cash mentioned.

The realization (of) what was going on. Their house is gone, couldnt find loved ones exacerbated mental health issues, Cash said. We expected that and we prepared for it.

Montgomery Countys CIT encourages people possibly facing a mental health crisis during a weather event to stay calm, stay informed and have resources available. The CIT will be on standby to respond, they assure.

We need to be there for these people in their time of darkness. If we can save their lives, thats just part of what we do, Cash said.

jose.gonzalez@chron.com

twitter.com/jrgzztx
It's not every day you see someone directly express their displeasure to Gov. Greg Abbott's face. A TikTok video posted over the weekend shows the governor greeting and then being castigated by a man outside Harper's Restaurant in Dallas, Texas.

The footage shows a grinning Abbott stopping outside the restaurant to shake hands with a man. The San Antonio Express reports that the man behind the camera is named Eric Katzenberger, who deployed a bit of charm before flipping the encounter on its ear.

"Oh my God, are you the governor?" Katzenberger asks. Abbott replies in the affirmative, and the situation quickly changes tenor.

"Why would you sign a law telling women whether they can have an abortion or not? That makes you a d*******g." The video cuts Abbott's response short, and the clip ends with the politician still smiling

WARNING: Video contains NSFW language

The video has accumulated nearly 7 million views on TikTok since being posted Saturday. Katzenberger told the San Antonio Express News on Monday he was working at his business across the street when he saw the governor and decided to make his anger known. He first shared the video with his friends, and after receiving positive feedback, decided to create an account on TikTok just for sharing the moment.

Katzenberger's encounter with the governor has also garnered attention on Twitter, where one user wrote "Seeing other people live out my dreams."

His face-to-face berating has also drawn criticism from some TikTok users, leading Katzenberger to make another video addressing his detractors in plain, unapologetic terms.

"Nobody is sitting around on a Monday morning thinking wow' an abortion sounds like fun," he said in response to one comment praising the governor. "If someone is considering an abortion they're in a difficult situation. Passing a bunch of laws to make that situation more difficult makes you a d*******g."
With working from home becoming the norm over the last year and a half, chances are good youve traded that LBD for the PBL, also known as the perfect black leggings. And for good reason: They look pulled together with a button-up and sandals for a pre-WFH coffee date, and after a quick top swap, youre ready for a mid-day workout. Since theyre so transitional, finding the perfect pair is very exciting. Its one of those IYKYK moments, where you slip them on and you have no doubt youll be living in them for the foreseeable future.

Thats the feeling I had when I pulled on the new lululemon Instill Legging. The sleek fabric felt buttery soft against my legs, and the stitching outlining the thick double-layered high waistband was extremely flattering on my stomach and made my glutes look great. I felt confident in these leggings right away, which made me even more excited for my next workout. I also immediately noticed the waistband pocket could actually fit my iPhone 12 (a rarity in the legging world), so this was an added bonus!

Instill High-Rise Tight 25" Lululemon lululemon.com $118.00 Shop Now

Originally created as an ultra-supportive yoga pant, the leggings are constructed from SmoothCover fabric, a four-way stretch, sweat-wicking, quick-drying material that took lululemon two years to perfect. The inspiration came from the feeling of being completely supported and steady in your practice, says Sun Choe, lululemons chief product officer. We used that feeling as our brief and made sure every seam, every stitch, and every detail would contribute to making you feel hugged, held-in, and secure, so you can focus on your practice.

These tights have quickly become my go-to for everything from yoga to Pilates to lounging while working from home. Let me tell you even more about why.

The color doesnt fade, and the pants dont pill.

One of the worst things that your go-to black leggings can do is lose their color and shape. It might not be that obvious at first, but then one day you throw them on with a black tank and realize the blacks dont match. With these tights, I dont have to worry about the color fading after multiple washes. Laundering them, per the instructions on the tag, also hasnt created any pilling or breakdown in the construction. They look and fit as good as the first time I put them on!

The top doesnt roll over when you bend over.

Theres nothing that bothers me more than buying a pair of leggings (especially pricier ones), only to have them fit funky. They either bulge out in back when I come to the ground for seated poses, or the top continuously flips down during every vinyasa flow and I find myself constantly having to adjust them. I can honestly say that the Instill stayed in place during all my workouts, which included yoga, but also Pilates, and cross training. It was nice to just focus on breaking a sweat without having any wardrobe malfunctions distracting me.

Amy Schlinger

They hug you in, but not too tight.

When youre on the hunt for a legging that offers some support, its hard to find a balance between comfort and compression. Some pairs suck you in so much that they restrict movement, and no one wants that! But dont fearthe Instill legging is here. They never feel too tight when I slip into them (even on a day where Im a bit bloated), but at the same time, they still give me with the serious support that some yoga leggings lack.

They dry really quickly.

I was shocked that even after a sweaty 50-minute in-studio flow, the tights are dry by the time I get home, just 20 minutes later. Theyre my go-to pair now if I know Im grabbing coffee or meeting a friend for lunch post-sweat session.

Hearst Newspapers participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.
HOUSTON (AP)  Texas child welfare agency is being accused of removing a webpage that provided information about a suicide prevention hotline and other resources for young LGBTQ people, following criticism by one of Gov. Greg Abbotts primary challengers.

The Houston Chronicle reported Tuesday that Abbott challenger Don Huffines posted a video on Twitter in August accusing the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services of promoting transgender sexual policies to Texas youth. Within hours of the video being posted, the webpage was removed.

The page appears in a section of the agencys website called Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation.

Also gone was the entire website for the Texas Youth Connection, a division of Family and Protective Services that steers young people in foster care to various resources, including education, housing and those on its LGBTQ page.

These are not Texas values, these are not Republican Party values, but these are obviously Greg Abbotts values, Huffines said in his video.

Abbott, who appoints the departments commissioner and nine-member council, didnt respond to the newspapers request for comment. A spokeswoman for Abbott didnt immediately return an email from The Associated Press seeking comment Tuesday.

Patrick Crimmins, the department spokesman, declined to answer the newspapers detailed questions.

But agency communications obtained by the Houston Chronicle through a public records request showed employees discussed removing the Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation page in response to Huffines tweet.

After he was contacted by media relations director Marissa Gonzales that the Huffines video was starting to blow up on Twitter, Crimmins contacted Darrell Azar, the agencys web and creative services director, who oversees the page.

Darrell  please note we may need to take that page down, or somehow revise content, Crimmins wrote.

Ricardo Martinez, chief executive of the LGBTQ advocacy group Equality Texas, said LGBTQ kids are disproportionately represented in foster care and face truly staggering discrimination and abuse.

The state is responsible for these kids lives, yet it intentionally removed a way for them to find help when they need it the most, Martinez said. This action is unconscionable, and it reminds us that political aspirations are part of every attack on LGBTQ+ kids in Texas.

Huffines, one of three GOP primary challengers Abbott is facing next year, has criticized the governors response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the surge of migrants at the states southern border.

Huffines, a former state senator, has claimed his campaign has prompted Abbott to take more conservative stances on certain issues.

In August, Abbott asked Department of Family and Protective Services Commissioner Jaime Masters to determine whether gender reassignment surgery for transgender minors is a form of child abuse. He also called on the agency to investigate parents whose children undergo the procedure if it finds such surgeries constitute abuse.

Masters responded by agreeing with Abbott, classifying the surgeries as child abuse. LGBTQ advocates say the surgery is rarely performed on children.
A. A sales tax would have meant visitors contributed to repaving.

B. We already are taxed too much.

C. Money for repaving should be put into the county's annual operational budget.

C. The road resurfacing program is behind schedule so the county needs to act ASAP.

Vote

View Results
Data and big data analytics are the lifeblood of any successful business. Getting the technology right can be challenging but building the right team with the right skills to undertake data initiatives can be even harder  a challenge reflected in the rising demand for big data and analytics skills and certifications.

If youre looking to get an edge on a data analytics career, certification is a great option. Certifications measure your knowledge and skills against industry- and vendor-specific benchmarks to prove to employers that you have the right skillset. The number of data analytics certs is expanding rapidly.

Below is our guide to the most sought-after data analytics and big data certifications to help you decide which cert is right for you.

If you would like to submit a big data certification to this directory, please email us.

The top 11 data analytics and big data certifications

Associate Certified Analytics Professional (aCAP)

Certification of Professional Achievement in Data Sciences

Certified Analytics Professional

Cloudera Data Platform Generalist

EMC Proven Professional Data Scientist Associate (EMCDSA)

IBM Data Science Professional Certificate

Microsoft Certified Azure Data Scientist Associate

Microsoft Certified Data Analyst Associate

Open Certified Data Scientist

SAS Certified Advanced Analytics Professional Using SAS 9

SAS Certified Data Scientist

Associate Certified Analytics Professional

The Associate Certified Analytics Professional (aCAP) credential is an independent, entry-level analytics certification that shows education in the analytics process though the individual may not have practical experience yet. The certification focuses on the seven domains of the analytics process: business problem framing, analytics problem framing, data, methodology selection, model building, deployment, and lifecycle management.

Organization: INFORMS

Price: $200 for INFORMS members; $300 for nonmembers

How to prepare: A list of study courses and a series of webinars are available through registration.

Certification of Professional Achievement in Data Sciences

The Certification of Professional Achievement in Data Sciences is a nondegree program intended to develop facility with foundational data science skills. Candidates are required to complete a minimum of 12 credits, including four required courses: Algorithms for Data Science, Probability and Statistics for Data Science, Machine Learning for Data Science, and Exploratory Data Analysis and Visualization.

Organization: Columbia University

Price: Students pay Columbia Engineerings rate of tuition ($2,196 per credit). The online program includes an additional nonrefundable technology fee of $395 per course.

How to prepare: An undergraduate degree and prior quantitative and introductory to computer programming coursework are required.

Certified Analytics Professional

The Certified Analytics Professional (CAP) credential is a vendor- and technology-neutral analytics certification that certifies end-to-end understanding of the analytics process, from framing business and analytic problems to acquiring data, methodology, model building, deployment, and model lifecycle management. It requires completion of the CAP exam and adherence to the CAP Code of Ethics.

Organization: INFORMS

Price: $495 for INFORMS members; $695 for nonmembers; team pricing available for organizations

How to prepare: A list of study courses and a series of webinars are available through registration.

Cloudera Data Platform Generalist Certification

Cloudera has discontinued its CCP and CCA certifications in favor of the new Cloudera Data Platform (CDP) Generalist certification, which verifies proficiency with the platform. The new exam tests general knowledge of the platform and applies to multiple roles, including administrator, developer, data analyst, data engineer, data scientist, and system architect. The exam consists of 60 questions and the candidate has 90 minutes to complete it. Specialized certifications are planned, including CDP Certified Administrator, CDP Certified Administrator  Public Cloud, CDP Certified Data Developer, and CDP Certified Data Analyst.

Organization: Cloudera

Price: $300

How to prepare: Cloudera recommends candidates take the Cloudera Data Analyst Training course, which has the same objectives as the exam.

EMC Proven Professional Data Scientist Associate (EMCDSA)

The EMCDSA certification demonstrates an individuals ability to participate and contribute as a data science team member on big data projects. It includes deploying the data analytics lifecycle, reframing a business challenge as an analytics challenge, applying analytic techniques and tools to analyze big data and create statistical models, selecting the appropriate data visualizations and more.

Organization: Dell EMC Education Services

Price: $230 for exam voucher

How to prepare: EMC offers training courses, available via instructor-led classes (physical or virtual) or on demand.

IBM Data Science Professional Certificate

The IBM Data Science Professional Certificate is a beginner-level certificate that demonstrates an individuals skills in data science topics, including open source tools and libraries, methodologies, Python databases, SQL, data visualization, data analysis, and machine learning. Earning the certificate requires completing nine courses (taking roughly three months at 12 hours per week), during which the candidate will complete several hands-on assignments and build a portfolio of data science projects. At the end, candidates earn a Professional Certificate from Coursera and a digital badge from IBM recognizing proficiency in data science.

Organization: Coursera

Price: $39 per month for access to graded materials and a certificate

How to prepare: No prior computer science or programming knowledge is necessary.

Microsoft Certified Azure Data Scientist Associate

The Microsoft Certified Azure Data Scientist Associate credential is a measure of a candidates ability to define and prepare Azure development environments, prepare data for modeling, perform feature engineering, and develop models. The exam requires the candidate to use applications involving natural language processing, speech, computer vision, and predictive analytics. The credential does not expire.

Organization: Microsoft

Price: $165 for the exam

How to prepare: Microsoft offers free online training and a paid, instructor-led course.

Microsoft Certified: Data Analyst Associate

The Data Analyst Associate certification is one of several role-based certifications that replaces the Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE): Data Management and Analytics certification that Microsoft will retire in January 2021. This certificate demonstrates subject matter expertise in enabling businesses to leverage their data assets using Microsoft Power BI. Holders of this certificate can design and build scalable data models, clean and transform data, and enable advanced analytic capabilities.

Organization: Microsoft

Price: $165 per exam

How to prepare: Microsoft offers free online training and a paid, instructor-led course.

Open Certified Data Scientist

The Open CDS is an independent global certification that qualifies the skills, knowledge, and experience of data scientists. Open CDS requires candidates demonstrate their skills and experience against a set of conformance requirements through written applications and peer interviews. It does not include training courses and there are no written exams. Attaining the certification follows three stages: First, the candidate must obtain four to five milestone badges; second, the candidate must complete the Experience Application Form; finally, the candidate must attend a board review. The certification lasts for three years, after which the holder may re-certify.

Organization: The Open Group

Price: $400 for a Level 1 certification, $500 for a Level 2 certification, and $550 for the Level 3 certification. Each certification requires the completion of certain milestone badges, which carry an additional fee. There is no specific recertification fee, but there are fees to maintain milestone badges.

How to prepare: The Open CDS certification is an evaluation of a candidates skills and experience. Candidates should use the certification self-assessment tools on the certificate authoritys website to validate their readiness to certify at the level and discipline theyve selected.

SAS Certified Advanced Analytics Professional Using SAS 9

The SAS Certified Advanced Analytics Professional Using SAS 9 credential validates the ability to analyze big data with a variety of statistical analysis and predictive modeling techniques. Candidates should have experience in machine learning and predictive modeling techniques and their application to big, distributed, and in-memory data sets. They should also have experience with pattern detection, experimentation in business, optimization techniques, and time series forecasting. The certification requires passing three exams:

Predictive Modeling Using SAS Enterprise Miner 7, 13, or 14

SAS Advanced Predictive Modeling

SAS Text Analytics, Time Series, Experimentation and Optimization

Organization: SAS

Price: The Predictive Modeling Using SAS Enterprise Miner exam is $250, while the others are $180 each

How to prepare: SAS recommends candidates prepare using its Applied Analytics Using SAS Enterprise Miner training and SAS Academy for Data Science: Advanced Analytics training or several eLearning courses. It also recommends answering sample questions it provides and taking a practice exam.

SAS Certified Data Scientist

The SAS Certified Data Scientist credential validates the ability to manipulate and gain insights from big data with a variety of SAS and open source tools, make business recommendations with complex machine learning models, and deploy models at scale using the SAS environment. The certification requires a combination of the SAS Data Curation Professional, SAS Advanced Analytics Professional, and SAS AI & Machine Learning Professional credentials.

Organization: SAS

Price: $180 for each exam

How to prepare: SAS recommends candidates prepare using its SAS Academy for Data Science, or several eLearning courses. It also recommends answering sample questions it provides and taking a practice exam.
As enterprises look to tackle issues such as business continuity, disaster recovery and data sovereignty more efficiently in the wake of rapid digital transformation, Oracle announced on Tuesday that it is adding 14 new regions over the next year to expand its global cloud footprint, taking the total number of available cloud regions to 44.

The expansion plan will be carried out in two phases, with the cities of Milan, Stockholm, Marseille, Johannesburg, and Jerusalem, as well as Spain, Singapore, Mexico, and Colombia seeing new cloud regions first, said Oracle CIO Jae Evans. The second phase will see additional regions in Abu Dhabi (UAE), Saudi Arabia, France, Israel, and Chile.

One of the things that we see as a big differentiator for us is from a business continuity and disaster protection perspective. We're delivering these regions so customers can keep their data and the data sovereignty perspective in place, Evans said, adding that the cloud expansion was part of the companys plan to achieve triple-digit growth.

In places where the company offers single regions, Evans said that there were at least three fault domains inside each region to ensure disaster recovery and business continuity for enterprises. Oracle describes fault domains as groupings of hardware and infrastructure that allow for the distribution of an organization's cloud instances (or, virtual servers) so they are not on the same physical hardware within a single availability domain.

Cloud regions from hyperscale public cloud providers vary in performance, price and services being offered. However, Evans said that Oracle plans to deliver all its cloud services including Autonomous Database, Container Engine for Kubernetes, Oracle Cloud VMware, and Oracle Fusion Cloud Applications to all its 44 regions.

Oracle has been behind and is now catching up. It follows its client locations and strongholds so it can help them move their local databases to a local cloud, said Constellation Research VP Holger Mueller.

As enterprises around the world increase spending on cloud infrastructure, cloud providers including AWS, Microsoft and Google have gone on a global cloud infrastructure building spree.

Most enterprises with global operations choose a cloud provider based on geographic reach and services, said IDC VP of cloud and edge infrastructure services Dave McCarthy. "By building out additional cloud regions, Oracle is committing to offer its services in more locations than ever before, he said.

Additional regions can have an impact on performance as these regions allow customers to deploy applications closer to where users reside, reducing network latency, according to McCarthy
Wilkes-Barre, PA (18701)

Today

Cloudy and damp with rain early...then becoming partly cloudy. A few flurries or snow showers possible. Low 33F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%..

Tonight

Cloudy and damp with rain early...then becoming partly cloudy. A few flurries or snow showers possible. Low 33F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%.
Earlier this year, Synopsys, Inc., a Silicon Valley-based technology company and federal contractor that produces computer chips and software, published its demographic diversity data on its website. The companys talent snapshot for 2020 showed that just 1 percent of its overall employees in the United States were Black, 3 percent were Hispanic/Latinx, and just 23 percent of its global employees were women. That same company now claims in federal court that the raw numbers underneath these public percentages are a trade secret and thus exempt from government disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

As part of an ongoing case brought against Synopsys by Reveal from the Center for Investigative Reporting, the newsroom argues that Synopsys alleged exception from FOIAs general rule of disclosure is illegal and a serious concern that will hinder the collection of public records by journalists. The case, argued on October 4 in the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, asks whether corporations can have even more power to dictate what records the government can withhold as confidential business information, even where releasing records would not harm the company and would benefit the public interest. A further shift toward increased secrecy around government contractors records is especially concerning for democracy, as federal contractors increasingly perform more and more government functions.

The case stems from litigation brought by Reveal in federal court in California in 2019. As part of its reporting on Silicon Valley, Reveal sued the Department of Labor under FOIA for government forms containing diversity data from Synopsys and 35 other federal contractors. The district court ruled in Reveals favor in December 2019, after which the government disclosed the data for every company except Synopsys, which objected to release. In January 2020, Synopsysthe one remaining holdoutintervened in the case and appealed to the Ninth Circuit.

Last week, Synopsys argued to a court panel that its workforce data (available in its aggregated form to anyone online) should be withheld as confidential business information and as a trade secret shielded from disclosure under an enumerated exception to FOIA known as Exemption 4. Although the case might be decided on procedural grounds, it also has the potential to create precedent that dictates how much information the government can provide FOIA requesters about federal contractors data, even where information is crucial to public accountability. Imagine not being able to determine what rules and safeguards a company puts in place for water sanitation  even where public health is at issue and billions of tax dollars went to pay for the companys contract.

The outcome of this pending case, which should be decided in the next few months, is especially concerning because of the growing number of federal contractors like Synopsys that are doing core government work. It is no secret that many prisons, schools, and other public bodies have handed off responsibilities to private hands. According to one analysis, As of 2015, over 40 percent of the federal workforce was made up of contractors. In this case, Synopsys is a longtime contractor with the Department of Defense. The day after the Ninth Circuit argument earlier this year, the Pentagon announced it had awarded Synopsys a contract worth nearly $300,000. And while the services that contractors are providing are increasingly central to citizens lives (whether its helping collect biometric data for the government or helping develop an algorithm to determine recidivism for sentencing prisoners) there remains little oversight over how these companies function as our new governors. This lack of access to records that shed light on core government functions is a serious problem for democracy.

This problem was first highlighted in a 2019 Supreme Court case in which the Court expanded the Exemption 4 non-disclosure clause under FOIA to allow more company records to be kept secret. The case, FMI v. Argus Leader Media, resulted in the Court ruling that commercial information can be withheld as confidential business information simply when it is both customarily and actually secret. Prior to Argus Leader, if the government wanted to invoke Exemption 4, it had to show that companies would suffer some sort of competitive harm if records were released. But following Argus Leader, companies now argue they can simply mark records as confidential to withhold them from public oversight  which is what Synopsys did in Reveals case against them.

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The stakes are even more stark when understanding that the alleged confidential business records at issue here are government forms that merely contain aggregate diversity statistics. These reports, known as EEO-1 forms, which federal contractors like Synopsys are required to submit to the US Department of Labor each year, include basic demographic information about each companys workforce broken down by race and gender. They do not contain Synopsys trademarked information nor do they include information about the companys products, services, or bottom line. Instead, these reports have been used by the government since 1966 to support civil rights enforcement and analyze employment patterns, such as the representation of women and minorities within companies.

For years, members of Congress have called for greater access to these diversity reports. A 1995 report published by a glass ceiling commission created by the Civil Rights Act of 1991 argued that the government should explore the possibility of mandating public release of EEO-1 forms for Federal contractors and publicly-traded corporations. In March 2019, in response to Reveals lawsuit, a member of Congress wrote to the DOL stating that diversity reports should not be withheld because they enumerate the diversity of firms accepting the taxpayer money.

At the same time, for the past two decades, dozens of technology companies like Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google have proactively posted these diversity reports online in full. Shareholder proposals also increasingly require companies contracting with the federal government (like CVS, First Republic, and Starbucks) to publish their EEO-1s.

In addition to the increasing private sector custom of releasing these records, the government itself has made EEO-1 reports public for decades. As far back as 1974, courts have ruled that the DOL may disclose diversity data, which the agency has since done, including to news outlets. And in a previous settlement with Reveal in 2018, the DOL released EEO-1 reports for other Silicon Valley federal contractors such as Palantir.

Given these circumstances and despite the difficult new precedent from Argus Leader, the federal district court ruled in Reveals favor in the Synopsys case. The court found that:

1) EEO-1 reports were not commercial in the first place.

2) The claims that EEO-1s were confidential were unconvincing.

3) The government had failed to show a foreseeable harm would result.

Because the Synopsys case is one of the first cases of its kind to reach a federal appellate court since the Supreme Courts decision in Argus Leader, the Ninth Circuit has the opportunity to decide three unique ways on how to apply Argus Leader (as in,what qualifies as confidential commercial records under FOIA Exemption 4).

First, the Ninth Circuit has the ability to introduce new teeth to the Exemption 4 test by looking at whether the federal contractors records are commercial in the first place. While Synopsys argued that any company record can qualify as commercial, Reveal clarified that records have to be more directly related to the companys products, services, or bottom line to be considered commercial. And while Synopsys blanketly asserted that EEO-1s would divulge the companys experience and expertise as well as its workforce structure, Reveal argued that the company failed to explain how the number of African Americans in its workforce reveals commercial information. As one D.C. court put it, not everything a company submits to the government is commercial. To rule otherwise would make every document a contractor creates for the government a secret.

Second, the Ninth Circuit has the opportunity to look at real world evidence to see if records are actually confidential  for instance, how competitors treat them  rather than take Synopsys and other companies at their word. This is a faithful application of Argus Leader, which requires commercial records to be both customarily and actually confidential to be withheld under FOIA. In Reveals case, Synopsys argued that all they had to do was submit a statement from the company labelling the information as secret. But Reveal pointed out that even in Argus Leader, the Court considered how other members in the industry treated the information at issue. The Justice Department has interpreted Argus Leader similarly to mean that confidentiality must normally be established at least with evidence about general industry practices. Lower federal courts have also considered the records of other competitors in similar cases.

Last, the Ninth Circuit faces one major question left unanswered by Argus Leader: whether courts should consider foreseeable harm when looking at business records. In 2016, Congress amended FOIA to add a requirement that in order to withhold records, the government must show that a foreseeable harm would result from their disclosure (in addition to showing that the documents fall into the nine exemptions of FOIA). But the FOIA request at issue in Argus Leader was filed in 2011, before this foreseeable harm requirement went into effect, so the Supreme Court didnt address it. Here, Reveal argued that disclosing diversity numbers on Synopsys would not result in a foreseeable harm to the company, particularly where Synopsys discloses nearly synonymous data on its website. Synopsys however argued that this would destroy the rule of Argus Leader and reinstate the old competitive harm test. If the Ninth Circuit agrees with Synopsys, companies will have an even stronger argument in claiming all records they submit to the government are not public.

Whether the Ninth Circuit answers these questions on records disclosures or leaves them for future courts to decide, they must be addressed. Reporters at Reveal and other outlets continue to have their FOIA requests stonewalled by companies who claim their records are confidential without having to back up that claim. The publics ability to hold these companies accountable is diminishing as corporate entities are able to assert an exemption from disclosure in ever more fantastical ways. And while members of Congress have previously introduced amendments to fix Exemption 4 after Argus Leader, right now the future of access sits in the courts.

Victoria Baranetsky is General Counsel at The Center for Investigative Reporting and a fellow at the Tow Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia University. She argued the Synopsys case on Reveals behalf before the Ninth Circuit.

Shawn Musgrave is the First Amendment Fellow at The Center for Investigative Reporting. Before law school, Shawn was an investigative reporter, with work published in Politico, The Boston Globe, and elsewhere.

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Victoria Baranetsky and Shawn Musgrave
A former medical supply executive in Arkansas who conspired with physicians to dispense pain creams and patches to workers compensation claimants defrauded private insurers out of about $2 million and the federal government out of $3.9 million, federal prosecutors say.

Amanda Dawn Rains, 39, pleaded guilty to a single conspiracy charge last Wednesday, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Western District of Arkansas. The U.S. Attorneys Office said in press releases that she defrauded both the governments Office of Workers Compensation Programs and private insurers from 2011 to 2017.

Rains supplied physicians with pain creams and patches that were dispensed to injured workers and billed the government and insurers from 15 to 20 times the actual costs. The physicians who prescribed the medications were typically paid half of the profits, the U.S. Attorneys Office said.

Dr. Robert Dale Bernauer, who ran a clinic in Lake Charles, La., pleaded guilty to fraud charges related to his role in the conspiracy on July 30. He has paid $1,025,273 in restitution to victims in the case, but has not yet been sentenced, prosecutors said.

The U.S. Attorneys Office said Rains was hired in 2013 by a medical supply and billing company in Rogers, Arkansas and continued the fraud scheme she had started two years earlier. She handled all of the paperwork necessary to bill the government and insurers for the pain creams and patches dispensed to injured workers, responded when insurers questioned the charges and shipped the medications to physicians and clinics.

Prosecutors did not identify Rains employer. Court documents related to the case are sealed.

Charging papers stated that the scheme cost the government $3.9 million. Losses to private insurers are still being calculated, but include almost $2 million in payments for medications dispensed by Bernauer alone, the press release said.

Rains may be sentenced to up to five years in prison for the single felony to which she pleaded guilty, but she wont be sentenced until the U.S. Probation Office completes a pre-sentence investigation report, the U.S. Attorneys Office said.

Topical pain creams have been a cross driver for workers compensation insurers for years. The Workers Compensation Research Institute reported in May that payments for dermatological agents increased by 10 percentage states in five states, Connecticut, Kansas, Louisiana, South Caroline and Virginia from 2017 to 2021. Physician dispensing accounted for the majority of payments for dermatological agents and contorted to the rapid growth, WCRI said.

Schemes involving topical pain creams have also been keeping prosecutors busy for years.

On Sept. 24, 72-year-old Virginia physician Leonard Rosen pleaded guilty to a role in a $1.8 million health health care fraud scheme that involved medically unnecessary compounded pain and scar creams.

On Sept. 17, a federal grand jury in New Jersey indicted a Christopher Gualtieri, 48, with conspiracy to commit health care fraud. He allegedly recruited co-workers to submit fraudulent claims for medications, including pain and scar creams that cost a health insurer $4 million.

On July 23, the U.S Attorneys Office in New Jersey announced that pharmaceutical sales representative Carmine A Mattia Jr., 60, was indicted on health care fraud charges for a compounded medication scheme that defrauded an employee benefit plan.

On May 13, federal prosecutors in Pensacola, Fla. announced that 35-year-old pharmacist Andrew E. Fisher was sentenced to two years in prison for after billing Tricare $4.8 million for compounded pain and scar creams and wellness vitamins.
Avis "Darlene" Searan, age 75, formerly of California, passed away at Restwell Home Plus in Oskaloosa, KS, on Tuesday, November 16, 2021. She was born the daughter of Leo Abraham and Avis Amelia (Gabbert) Searan in Claremore, OK, on June 25, 1946. Darlene loved watching baseball, especially,
The European Unions executive branch, the European Commission, unveiled a nine-year strategy last week to counter anti-Semitism and foster Jewish life among its 27 member states. Within hours of its release, the strategy had won generous plaudits from Jewish organizational leaders, with the head of the European Jewish Congress, Moshe Kantor, hailing the 26-page document as an unprecedented and vital document that will act as a roadmap to significantly reduce antisemitism in Europe and beyond.

Is such optimism justified? In some ways, that question cannot be answered comprehensively until 2030, by which time the various programs and initiatives now being launched by the commission will be ready for a thorough assessment. But it can be said that the strategy contains some encouraging ideas, that its understanding of what antisemitism constitutes is nuanced and sophisticated, and that the team behind the strategy  I am thinking in particular of Katharina von Schnurbein, the commissions coordinator on combating antisemitism  is deeply committed to rooting out the worlds oldest hatred from the continent that offers it the most fertile soil.

It is the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance working definition of antisemitism that undergirds the commissions assessment of the situation in Europe and the obligations, moral and legal, member states have when it comes to safeguarding Jewish life in the E.U. All told, Jewish communities across the E.U. number 1.5 million people (a number depleted by Brexit, incidentally, which took the 300,000 Jews in the United Kingdom out of the E.U.s orbit). It is these individuals and these communities whom the commission wishes to see  as its president, Ursula von der Leyen, put it  thriving again.

The IHRA definition is comprehensive enough to identify various expressions of antisemitism, including the kind that hides behind hatred of Zionism and Israel. That the commission formally recognizes this reality is a positive step and consistent with the statements over the years of a number of European leaders, among them French President Emmanuel Macron, outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte  that the public needs to be wary of an antisemitism that masks itself as a righteous crusade against racism or for the rights of the Palestinians.

Additionally, the strategy acknowledges that Israel is a key partner of the E.U., including in the fight against antisemitism, and it entertains no doubt that the kinds of statements about Israel one hears on university campuses in the E.U., as here in the United States  that the Jewish state is a racist endeavor, that Jews everywhere bear responsibility for its alleged crimes  fall under the rubric of antisemitism.

That, too, is a significant step forward because it certainly wasnt always this way. Exactly 41 years ago, four people were killed and 46 were wounded in an attack on the rue Copernic synagogue in Paris carried out by Palestinian terrorists. In the aftermath, then-French Prime Minister, Raymond Barre, denounced what he called an odious attack aimed at Jews going to the synagogue that struck innocent French people as they crossed rue Copernic. When he drew that division between Jews and French people, Barre was not speaking in a vacuum. Many of his colleagues felt the same way, and there were similarly anti-Semitic sentiments elsewhere in the governing circles of European countries more broadly, particularly in their foreign ministries, nearly all of which would have balked at the suggestion, at a time when the influence of the Arab oil lobby was greatly feared, of describing Israel as a key partner.

The commissions strategy indicates that prejudices such as these have no place in the present thinking of the E.U.s governing bodies. The raft of peace agreements in the last year between Israel and several Arab nations will certainly have helped this process, insofar as there is no longer a bloc of Arab states whom the E.U. feels it has to mollify on the issue of Israel.

Yet the fact that the E.U. has a much-improved understanding of what antisemitism is and how to identify it probably wont, unfortunately, cause the radical reduction in antisemitism that the strategys authors are hoping for. That absolutely doesnt mean that the educational programs, hate-crime training, Holocaust remembrance projects and Jewish life experiences that the strategy will roll out over the next nine years are worthless; anything that dents the appeal of Jew-hatred in the public imagination is to be welcomed. But no national government, and no transnational body, can exercise full control over what happens in a free society.

As the COVID-19 pandemic has graphically demonstrated, old-style antisemitism that depicts Jews as the poisoners of wells has joined forces with a much newer antisemitism that appropriates the language and imagery of the Holocaust to make the case for vaccine refusal. On top of that, in May and June of this year, the nations of the E.U., and the United Kingdom as well, reverberated to the sound of pro-Palestinian demonstrations that openly vilified Jews, as anti-Semitic incidents soared.

As the commissions strategy understands very well, mass communications technology has been critical for keeping alive the antisemitic memes that we see manifesting in physical form on the streets. Over the next decade, this technology will become more sophisticated and more compelling, encouraging people to spend even more time online in contexts enhanced by virtual-reality tools. In the new iteration of the Internet that is crystallizing, there will be new opportunities for anti-Semites to make themselves known and to spread the doctrine that whenever a crisis hits  a pandemic, war in the Middle East, war outside the Middle East, a government default, a stock-market crash  the Jews are to blame.

Will taking teenagers on trips to synagogues, Jewish museums and concentration camp sites be able to compete with the competing messages that will be pushed online, and perhaps reinforced by friends or family? Will reminding ordinary Europeans of the Jewish contribution to their culture insulate those same people from the anti-Semitic messages they see online and on phones, or among pro-Palestinian demonstrators urging boycotts of Israeli produce outside of local supermarkets, or from vaccine refusers dressed up in concentration camp uniforms?

The wise guess is, probably not. From the evidence so far, the 2020s are shaping up to be a decade marked by sharpening divisions in European societies, particularly among the many political parties and voters who dont want anything to do with the E.U. anyway. Antisemitism thrives in divided polities. So, with the publication of the commissions strategy, we may say that the E.U. has changed, but let us not assume that all of Europe will follow.

Ben Cohen, senior editor of TheTower.org & The Tower Magazine, writes a weekly column for JNS.org on Jewish affairs and Middle Eastern politics from New York.
Beachwood, OH (44122)

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Cloudy with snow showers becoming a steady accumulating snow later on. Low 29F. Winds W at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of snow 100%. 3 to 5 inches of snow expected..

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Beachwood, OH (44122)

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Snow showers early, with a steadier snow developing late. Low near 30F. Winds W at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of snow 90%. 3 to 5 inches of snow expected..

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Clinton, IA (52732)

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Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low around 20F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph..

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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 11)  Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa on Monday revealed he was asked to file a certificate of candidacy as PDP-Laban's presidential candidate at 3 p.m. on October 8, two hours before the deadline.

"Tinawagan ako 3 o'clock in the afternoon na pumunta sa Sofitel para magfile ng COC. So sabi ko, bakit? Pwede malaman anong rason? Ang sabi sa akin ng liderato ng PDP-Laban na si Secretary Cusi e wala na tayong ibang nakitang pwedeng magpapatuloy sa legacy ni President Duterte," Dela Rosa recalled in an online media interview.

[Translation: I received a call at 3 o'clock in the afternoon asking me to come to Sofitel and file a COC. I asked, why? May I know the reason? The party leader, Secretary Alfonso Cusi said there's no one else to continue President Rodrigo Duterte's legacy.]

Dela Rosa said he was surprised although he knew that within PDP-Laban, he was next in line after Senator Christopher "Bong" Go opted to run for Vice President to replace party chairman Duterte who announced his retirement.

Dela Rosa said Senator Francis Tolentino was the third choice, but for him, the best bet is someone from outside the ruling partypresidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte of the regional group Hugpong Ng Pagbabago. He said four days before the surprise filing of his candidacy, he was texting Mayor Sara and encouraging her to run for President.

Dela Rosa said Cusi and other party officials never said he was a placeholder for the mayor. But he knew this was a possibility, and made it clear he would give way if Mayor Duterte changes her mind and decides to vie for her father's post.

Quizzed about his seriousness to run for President then, dela Rosa said, "Kung ayaw ni Mayor Sara talaga na tanggapin 'yung offer ng PDP-Laban (if Mayor Sara really does not want to accept PDP-Laban's offer), then I am a serious candidate."

"I filed my candidacy both as a principal or as a supernumerary. Pwede akong palitan (I can be replaced) anytime," he added.

"My aim was to offer myself to the Filipino people na pwede akong maging Pangulo ng ating bansa, iyan ang aking pinaka-aim. Pero back in my mind, alam ko may scenario na ganoon, na pwedeng tumakbo si Inday Sara at pwede akong mag give way sa kanya," Dela Rosa further explained.

[Translation: My aim was to offer myself to the Filipino people that I can be the President of our country that is my greatest aim. But back in my mind, I know there's that scenario that Mayor Sara may run and I might give way to her.]

Melvin Matibag, secretary general of PDP-Laban, said this may be Dela Rosa's own opinion. As far as the party leadership is concerned, there are no talks of substitution to date, Matibag said without ruling it out.

"The option is there up to November 15 so we are open to any possibilities. Pero right now ang nakataga ngayon sa bato ay si Senator Bato ang aming presidential candidate (But right now what's set in stone is Senator Bato is our presidential candidate)," Matibag said.

He said the senator will work on his campaign platforms this week. The "Ba-Go" tandem of Senators Bato and Go will then start touring the Visayas and Mindanao next week, Matibag said.

Dela Rosa, who first led Duterte's war on drugs as then chief of the Philippine National Police, said he would continue the flagship anti-drug campaign "Oplan Tokhang" if he wins the presidency. He said he will ensure that all anti-drug cops wear body cameras to prevent abuses.

The other faction of PDP-Laban, led by their presidential bet Senator Manny Pacquiao, said the Cusi wing violated the party constitution in fielding Dela Rosa and other candidates who were not nominated during a national assembly. Ron Munsayac, executive director of the Pacquiao faction, said they are studying its possible implications in the ongoing legal battle at the Commission on Elections.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 11)  Malacanang on Monday called for the immediate prosecution of the assailant in the death of a 58 year-old Filipino medical frontliner in the United States over the weekend.

"All victims of violations of the right to life are entitled to a speedy domestic remedy. So we appeal of course to the US administration to investigate and prosecute the killer of this Filipino nurse," said presidential spokesperson Harry Roque.

The Philippine Consulate General in New York confirmed the death of Maria Ambrocio after she was assaulted by a "mentally disturbed" homeless man in New York City. Ambrocio was on life support, which was eventually removed.

"[W]e call upon the US government to do what is incumbent upon any state where there is a killing," he said.

RELATED: Palace calls for end to hate crimes against Filipinos in the U.S.

Nonprofit organization Stop AAPI Hate's latest report listed Filipinos as the third ethnic group reporting more hate incidents from March last year to June 2021, next to Chinese and Koreans.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 12)  The PDP-Laban faction of Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi is so far not backing down from its Bato-Go tandem, ahead of the deadline for possible substitute political candidates next month.

Speaking to CNN Philippines' The Source on Tuesday, the party's secretary general Melvin Matibag said the faction is already rolling out its caravan for presidential aspirant Sen. Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa and vice presidential aspirant Sen. Christopher Bong Go this week.

"Sabi November 15 yung cut-off but what is important right now is we will roll out already our caravan of a Bato-Go tandem starting this week," he said.

Matibag did not divulge further details of the initial campaign, but said that they are so far sticking to their two bets and are preparing for other developments that might unfold until November 15, the deadline of substitution for political contenders for the 2022 polls.

He added the group is ready for any possibilities, just like what happened during the rejected nomination of Go as the party's standard bearer after its chairman President Rodrigo Duterte suddenly announced his retirement from politics.

"Kung ano man ang mangyari sa (Whatever happens on) November 15, we are ready for that, we are preparing for that," he said.

"We are rolling the campaign of a Bato-Go tandem. Sabi nga namin, 'BA-GO 2022 para sa tuluy-tuloy na pagbaBA-GO' (Like we said, 'BA-GO 2022 for continued change')," he added.

Matibag acknowledged that another party, Lakas-CMD, has fielded a placeholder as its presidential candidate in hopes that reelectionist Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte will eventually run for the top post.

He noted that PDP-Laban members will simply follow the President's guidance, but Lakas-CMD may also have to accept the younger Duterte's decision if she stands firm on her decision not to seek the presidency.

Meanwhile, Dela Rosa stressed that as a "team player," he is willing to do what is best for the party. He said that he can either continue "as a good soldier," or even withdraw his bid to give way to Mayor Duterte, regardless of which party she wants to represent.

Matibag said the party is also set to announce soon the complete list of its senatorial line-up. He did not mention names but President Rodrigo Duterte, the party chairman, on Friday endorsed the senatorial bids of Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo, Public Works Secretary Mark Villar, Agrarian Reform Secretary John Castriciones, Anti-Corruption Commission chair Greco Belgica, action star Robin Padilla, broadcaster Rey Langit, Rep. Rodante Marcoleta, and Information Technology chair Gringo Honasan.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 12)  Presidential aspirant Sen. Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa has touted his three years of legislative experience in the Senate, stressing the importance of having co-equal branches of government. But does he agree with President Rodrigo Duterte's order barring Cabinet members from attending Senate hearings?

"Yung konteksto ngayon na kinaroroonan ni Pangulong Duterte ay iba. Iba yung konteksto ngayon," he told CNN Philippines' The Source on Tuesday.

[Translation: The context of where President Rodrigo Duterte currently stands is different. It has a different context now.]

Dela Rosa, the standard bearer of Duterte's PDP-Laban faction, said he understands where the President is coming from in the ongoing probe on supposed irregularities on government-purchased COVID-19 supplies.

Medical workers recently called out the President for supposedly blocking attempts to block the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee's investigation, which is being spearheaded by Dela Rosa's colleagues.

Five former Health department chiefs and over 300 doctors have spoken out against Duterte's alleged attempt to obstruct' the Senate probe.

"If I will be put in his (Duterte's) shoes, I will respect the separation of powers but then again I have a duty to protect my Cabinet members, my people in the executive," Dela Rosa said. "Kaya siguro nagawa niya yan, baka kasi sumosobra na rin ang ginagawa ng kabilang co-equal branch of government."

[Translation: Maybe he did that because what the other co-equal branch of government is doing is too much.]

Dela Rosa clarified that he does not want to smear the very institution which he is a part of, but he acknowledged the difficulty in unearthing more details in the controversy, especially since the Senate has done a lot of hearings already on the issue.

"Sa katotohanan naman siguro...kahit umabot yung hearing mo ng 24 hearings, kung wala ka talagang ma-unearth na katotohanan, wala talaga," he said.

[Translation: The truth is, if you can't really get anything even in the course of, let's say, 24 hearings, if you can't unearth the true details, there's really nothing you can do.]

Duterte earlier issued a memorandum forbidding Cabinet officials from attending hearings looking into the alleged misuse of COVID-19 pandemic response funds worth more than 67 billion.

Among the biggest issues raised was the deal made by the government with Pharmally Pharmaceutical to procure alleged overpriced face masks and face shields.

RELATED: Senators slam Duterte's 'unconstitutional' order barring Cabinet members from hearings
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 12)  Drivers of public utility vehicles could possibly receive cash assistance if the proposed fare hike will not be granted or if it is too low, the Department of Energy (DOE) said on Tuesday.

DOEs Oil Industry Management Bureau director Rino Abad said they met with officials of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) and they are waiting for the agency's decision on the proposed fare hike.

"Agaran din pong nagkaroon ng utos from Sec. Cusi na aralin yung posibleng kapalit kung walang fare hike o insufficient yung magiging fare hike then kailangan suportahan natin ng cash assistance," he said in a media briefing.

[Translation: There is an order from Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi to study what can be done in case there is no fare hike or if it's insufficient, then we should support it with cash assistance.]

Abad added the LTFRB would determine how much would be given to drivers.

LTFRB executive director Joel Bolano said the agency is also considering cash or fuel subsidy.

"Iyon po ay pag-uusapan ng mabuti at ipapaabot sa ating department," he said.

[Translation: This is being thoroughly discussed and will be relayed to the department.]

Last week, transport groups said they were seeking a fare increase due to higher fuel costs and reduced number of passengers because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pasang Masda national vice president Jojo Martin told CNN Philippines they would ask for a fare hike of 2 to 3. But Bolano said based on LTFRBs computation and on year-on-year increases, the hike could be lower.

"Kung pagbabasehan yung formula na ginagamit...batay sa mga increases ng petrolyo, based dun sa aming computation, kung babalikan yung year-on-year na increase...hindi lalampas sa 1.26 more or less," he said.

[Translation: If we base it on the formula we are using...and on petroleum increase, based on our computation, if we go back on the year-on-year increase...it will not be over P1.26 more or less.]

Bolano added they are waiting for the PUV drivers petition for fare adjustment.

"Pag-aaralan po ng ating board...Kasi kailangan balansehin at dahil nasa pandemic pa tayo, naintindihan po yung mataas na fuel prices pero tinitignan rin yung capacity ng pasahero at commuters sa ganitong sitwasyon," he said.

[Translation: Our board will study it...We have to balance everything. We understand the cost of fuel is high, but we also have to consider the capacity of passengers and commuters in this situation.]
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 12)  Nearly 35 years after labor leader Rolando Olalia and union worker Leonor Alay-ay were brutally tortured and killed, an Antipolo court found three former military officers guilty in the double murder case.

Judge Marie Claire Victoria Mabutas-Sordan of the Antipolo Regional Trial Court Branch 97 convicted Fernando Casanova, Dennis Jabatan, and Desiderio Perez of two counts of murder for the deaths of Olalia and Alay-ay.

The three were members of the Reform the Armed Forces Movement (RAM), and are among the 13 men accused of committing the high-profile crime.

The court sentenced them to reclusion perpetua, or up to 40 years in prison, without eligibility for parole.

They were also ordered to pay the heirs of Olalia 1.2 million and of Alay-ay 900,000 in civil indemnity and damages.

'Fight for justice not over'

On November 12, 1986, Olalia was abducted in Pasig City along with his driver Alay-ay. They were found dead a day later in Antipolo, Rizal.

Olalia  who at the time was the leader of the Kilusang Mayo Uno  was nearly unrecognizable after sustaining several gunshot and stab wounds. He was bound, and newspapers were shoved into his mouth. Alay-ay's body was also riddled with bullets and stab marks.

In a statement, the slain leader's son and namesake Atty. Rolando Rico Olalia welcomed the court's verdict, which he noted came amid a "glacial pace of justice."

"Today is a day of celebration and of restored belief in our judicial system," he said. "It is also a day of loss and a day of remembrance in honor of two brave and honorable men we were privileged to know as father and as a friend."

However, Rolando Rico stressed his family's "fight for justice is not over," as nine others linked to the killings remain at large: Cirilo Almario, Jose Bacera Jr., Ricardo Dicon, Gilbert Galicia, Oscar Legaspi, Filomeno Maligaya, Gene Paris, Freddie Sumagaysay, and Edger Sumido.

"Our victory today has only stiffened our resolve to never abandon our search for the remaining 9 men involved in our father's brutal killing," the son said.

In 2016, former Col. Eduardo Kapunan, Jr., another person implicated in the case and one of RAM's founders, was cleared by the same Antipolo court. He is currently the Philippine ambassador to Myanmar.

According to the younger Olalia and the KMU, justice will only truly be served when all those involved in the killings but "managed to evade the long arm of the law" are held accountable.

Edre Olalia  president of the National Union of People's Lawyers and the late KMU chairman's cousin  also said much has yet to be done. But he added that the ruling proves "law and justice will in time catch up with perpetrators later if not sooner."
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 12)  The Department of Education is closely coordinating with the Department of Health as they continue to assess public schools allowed to reopen next month.

Education Secretary Leonor Briones says the DepEd is meeting with the DOH to expand the list of qualified public schools for the resumption of face-to-face classes.

"Every Monday, that means yesterday, we met with the Department of Health and they reassessed their endorsement of the 59 public schools. In the meantime, several local governments have decided that they will still observe what is happening," she said at a webinar before business groups.

The pilot run of physical classes will begin on Nov. 15 in schools identified by the DOH as low risk for COVID-19. As of Oct. 4, only 59 schools, mostly in Visayas and Mindanao, have been allowed to participate.

Briones said the target is to increase the number of schools to 120 before the start of the pilot run. Regional directors in areas not listed by the DOH can also submit a justification to include some schools for further evaluation.

RELATED: Pilot run of limited face-to-face classes to start Nov. 15

Online learning here to stay in new normal?

Briones also said online learning should not be scrapped entirely once physical classes resume in the country.

"You look at other countries wala namang (there are no) eight hours, full day, pure face-to-face classes. In some schools they have one half day, one hour, two hours and the rest is online because of the risks also... And whether there are health risks or not, technology is advancing and it is changing every day, so hindi yan mabubura (It cannot be scrapped)," she explained to business leaders.

She pointed to connectivity as a bigger issue, as seen in the transition to blended learning. During the shift to the hybrid mode of classes, many students and teachers faced internet issues and lack of gadgets, causing disruption in learning.

Briones hopes future leaders, including those aspirants in the 2022 national elections, will commit to investing more in technology for education.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 12)  If Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Art Tugade could have his way, there won't be a minimum jeepney fare hike for now.

Transport groups have been seeking an increase in the minimum jeepney fare to P12 from P9 due to rising fuel costs.

"Ayaw ko ho ng increase ng mga plete (ng jeep) pagkat ang tatamaan ho diyan ay 'yung nakakarami," Tugade said in a press briefing on Tuesday.

[Translation: I don't want an increase in jeepney fares because many people will be affected.]

Tugade added stakeholders should continuously look for other ways to help struggling jeepney drivers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

He also clarified he's only protecting the majority and not fighting against jeepney drivers and operators.

"Huwag ho tayong tumutok lang sa tinatawag na increasing of (jeepney) fares," Tugade said.

[Translation: Let's not only focus on increasing jeepney fares.]

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board said it will hold hearings in case it receives a fare hike petition.

Transport group Pasang Masda earlier said drivers are also open to other forms of aid such as fuel subsidies or discounts if there's no fare hike.

Aside from grappling with higher fuel costs, drivers also have reduced incomes due to less passenger demand.

"Ang aming mga drivers po ay halos dumapa na sa pagha-hanapbuhay. Sa sunod-sunod pong pagtaas ng produktong petrolyo, marahil ito po'y isang bagay na dapat maunawaan din po ng ating mga mahal na mananakay," Pasang Masda vice president Jojo Martin said.

[Translation: Our drivers are already overburdened. With the consecutive increases in prices of petroleum products, perhaps this is one thing our beloved passengers should understand as well.]

The Department of Energy earlier said the government has been providing cash assistance to the affected sector, especially amid the pandemic.

According to Martin, however, "almost 80%" of jeepney drivers have yet to receive any aid from authorities.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 12)  A flawed political party system is the reason a number of aspirants have been allowed to gun for the highest post in the land, according to political and public relations experts.

Retired political science professor Temy Rivera explained that the many presidential choices offered to Filipinos every six years has been a product of the country's weak electoral system, unlike in the United States, which upholds a strong two-party system.

"As long as you meet the basic constitutional requirements, pwede kang mag-apply (you can apply)," Rivera told CNN Philippines' Politics As Usual.

Rivera pointed out that the large crop of candidates resulted in a president elected by plurality, which realistically did not have the support of the majority of the electorate.

Rivera emphasized that having a "plurality" president created many governance problems in the country, as evident in the past where leaders change directions in government policies.

Meanwhile, among the 97 presidential hopefuls who filed their candidacies last week, political advocate Yolly Ong said she believes only six are considered to be "serious."

Ong added that she hopes by the Nov. 15 deadline for substitution of candidates, the list of those vying to replace President Rodrigo Duterte next year will be further shortened.

"I really wish na kumonti at mag-consolidate. Gusto ko makita ay shared ideologies, principles, and beliefs na magti-team up," Ong said. "Wala pa talagang nago-offer ng clear vision na kung ano ang gusto mong mangyari sa Pilipinas kung sakaling ikaw ang maging presidente."

[Translation: I really wish the choices will be fewer and for other candidates to consolidate. I want to see shared ideologies, principles, and beliefs among those who are planning to team up. I cannot see any candidate as of now who can offer a clear vision on what they want to happen in the Philippines if they will be elected as president.]

Public relations executive Ron Jabal also observed there are tandems that are not genuine with their partnership, having conflicted statements on government policy issues in the past.

"Dapat ang tandem ay tamang-tama at swak na swak sila sa isa't isa. Kung saan malakas yung isa, dapat suportahan niya yung kahinaan ng isa. Kaya may mga tandem na hindi masyado pinag-isipan ng mabuti," Jabal said.

[Translation: The tandem should be perfect for and very close to each other. Where the other is strong, the partner must support the weakness. So there are tandems that aren't very well thought out.]

"It's almost like a marriage of convenience," he added.

Aside from the 97 presidential hopefuls, there are 29 aspirants for vice president, 176 for senator, and 270 party-list groups that filed their candidacies in the 2022 elections.

LIST: National aspirants who filed COCs for 2022
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 12)  A leader in the House of Representatives is pushing for an "almost absolute" ban on the substitution option for candidates of political parties.

Cagayan de Oro 2nd District Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, who sits as deputy speaker, proposed that substitution be prohibited "unless the candidate-nominee of a political party dies or is disqualified before election day."

Without dropping names, Rodriguez lamented that "some aspirants" might not be serious and qualified for the positions they are vying for.

"For the May 2022 elections, certain candidates for the presidency are perceived to be proxies for some personalities, even if they can be considered as serious aspirants," he said.

The lawmaker also wants to bring back the policy requiring incumbent officials to resign or be deemed automatically resigned upon the filing of their certificates of candidacy (COCs), whether they are running for local or national posts.

"A candidate would not agree to be a proxy for a dawdling, wavering, or indecisive aspirant if he would have to give up his office," Rodriguez said, stressing that the move will "prevent them from using their public funds and influence to promote their candidacies."

He added this will give the Commission on Elections (Comelec) more time to screen candidates and make preparations for the upcoming polls.

"Alternatively, we can move the timelines closer to election day, like setting [November 15] as the [end] of the filing period," Rodriguez said.

The filing of candidacies ended last Oct. 8.

However, under the current election law, the Comelec has to wait until the Nov. 15 substitution deadline before finalizing the roster of candidates.

The House leader said he believes his proposal will ultimately put a stop to the "manipulation and mockery of the election process."

"[This] would also make more people believe in the integrity of our elections," he added.

Sen. Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa  who filed his candidacy for the country's highest position under the Cusi-led faction of the ruling PDP-Laban party  has repeatedly said he is willing to give way to Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte if she decides to gun for the presidency.

Sought for comment, former Comelec commissioner Luie Guia cited a provision in the Omnibus Election Code, which states any person who filed his or her COC but has no real intention to run may be considered a nuisance candidate.

Comelec deliberation on nuisance bets entails a proceeding and presentation of facts. Guia said this then means any aspirant who says he does not actually mean to push through with the race runs the risk of having his candidacy canceled.

"'Pag sinabi mo 'yun diretso, then... hindi ba pruweba 'yun na hindi mo talaga gustong maging presidente?" he told CNN Philippines' News Night.

[Translation: If you say something like that directly, then isn't that evidence that you don't really want to become president?]

"A certificate of candidacy that is canceled or denied due course means that the one who filed the certificate of candidacy has never been a candidate," Guia added. "Hindi siya pwedeng ma-substitute kung hindi siya kandidato [He can't be substituted if he's not a candidate]."

Dela Rosa earlier admitted he personally wants the presidential daughter to change her mind and run in his place.

READ: Bato: 'Deep in my heart, I am hoping' for Sara's substitution

The Lakas-CMD, on the other hand, backtracked on its statement that its candidates were mere placeholders.

But the party said it is still open to Mayor Duterte as a possible substitute standard bearer if she changes her mind on her 2022 plans.

The Lakas-CMD earlier said its final picks will only be known after Nov. 15.
Uh-oh! It could be you, or it could be us, but there's no page here.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 12)  A "game changer" pill that could potentially treat COVID-19 will soon be more accessible in the country as local firms forge a partnership to bring it closer to Filipinos.

More supplies of Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics oral antiviral drug molnupiravir may be available in the country as early as November, Faberco Life Sciences Inc. (Faberco) said in a statement.

The local biopharmaceutical company was appointed to import molnupiravir by one of Merck's manufacturing licensees. It tapped RiteMed Philippines, Inc. to distribute the anti-COVID-19 pill to hospitals, medical institutions, and treatment sites.

Hospitals need to receive a special permit from the Food and Drug Administration. Currently, four hospitals have received it.

We are confident that through the distribution channels of RiteMed, molnupiravir will reach healthcare facilities throughout the country faster, giving more Filipinos access to this lifesaving drug the soonest possible time, Faberco founder Kishore Hemlani said.

Merck announced that molnupiravir could halve the risk of death or hospitalization from COVID-19. The company said 7.3% of 385 patients who received the pill were either hospitalized or died from COVID-19, compared with 14.1% of the 377 patients who received a placebo.

Full data from the molnupiravir trial has not yet been released, and this information has not yet been peer-reviewed or published.

Merck on Monday sought authorization from the United States Food and Drug Administration. If granted, molnupiravir could be the first oral treatment for COVID-19.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 12)  Metro Manila Development Authority Chairperson Benhur Abalos is hoping the Health Department will consider easing the COVID-19 alert level status in Metro Manila starting October 16, citing decreasing cases.

Abalos on Tuesday said Metro Manila mayors are hoping to further open the economy especially this upcoming Christmas season.

He said the COVID-19 reproduction rate in Metro Manila based on the data of OCTA Research group has significantly gone down from 1.25 last September 17 to just 0.61 last October 8. OCTA also reported that the growth rate from improved to a -41% from the -17% from Sept. 25 to Oct. 1.

Abalos also reported that families affected by granular lockdowns also decreased  from 3,337 families in September 16 to 1,366 families in October 10.

"Everything is going down. Even the hospitals. That's why the mayors really are praying that the alert level will also go down. In fact, right now, ginagalawan na namin ang economy [we're making the economy move]. Talagang full support kami dito [We are fully supporting this]," Abalos said during a press briefing on Tuesday.

78% of NCR residents fully vaccinated

Abalos also reported that around 78% of the eligible population of Metro Manila are now fully vaccinated or at at least 91% have already received one dose.

That is equivalent to more than 16.5M doses of COVID-19 vaccines inoculated in the region since early this year.

Abalos projects 86.5% of Metro Manila population will be fully vaccinated by November 11. Eligible population refers to residents who are 18 years old and above.

Meantime, the MMDA chairman said Metro Manila mayors will be busy preparing for the vaccination of children with comorbidities starting October 15.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 12)  The Supreme Court (SC) has ordered three members of the Senate to answer the petition to release Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp. director Linconn Ong from detention.

"Per Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo, the respondents in the petition filed by Linconn Ong were required by the Court to file their comment to the main petition and prayer for TRO (temporary restraining order)," SC public information chief Brian Hosaka told reporters on Tuesday.

"The Chief Justice did not elaborate but the usual period is 10 days," he added.

Aside from a release order, Ong - through his lawyer - asked the high court to declare as "unconstitutional" the Senate's power to cite in contempt and detain witnesses who testify "falsely or evasively."

The respondents in Ong's petition are Blue Ribbon Committee chairman Richard Gordon, Senate President Tito Sotto, and Senate sergeant-at-arms Rene Samonte.

Last month, the Blue Ribbon Committee cited Ong in contempt and ordered his arrest for allegedly evading lawmakers' questions in one of the Senate hearings on Pharmally's procurement deal with the government for COVID-19 supplies worth billions of pesos.

READ: Pharmally exec detained at home, cites bout with COVID-19

CNN Philippines Correspondent Anjo Alimario contributed to this report
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 13)  There is still a strong possibility that Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte could run for president in the 2022 national elections, international think tank Fitch Solutions said.

We at Fitch Solutions believe there remains a strong possibility that Sara Duterte could still run for president, it said. There remains a loophole in which Sara could still run, substituting for another candidate before the November 15 deadline.

"Sara has insisted that she intends to run for Davao City mayor, but the potential for her to mount a late bid for the presidency remains," it also said. "Indeed, campaigning will officially begin in January, allowing time for further political surprises and alliance shifting before year-end."

There remains the issue over who represents the governing PDP-Laban, with an internal struggle ongoing, in which the electoral commission is set to give a ruling, it added.

The think tank cited the case of Sara Duterte's father, President Rodrigo Duterte, who filed his candidacy at the last minute under PDP -Laban. Rodrigo Duterte replaced Martin Dino, who withdrew his COC for the 2016 presidential race.

During the filing of certificates of candidacy that ended Oct. 8, the presidential daughter filed for reelection for her last term as Davao Citys chief executive. However, her supporters remain hopeful that she would change her mind and run for presidency.

Even Sen. Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa, the standard bearer of the ruling party PDP-Laban, said he personally hopes for the mayors substitution.

READ: Bato: 'Deep in my heart, I am hoping' for Sara's substitution

All in all, there are 97 presidential aspirants and 29 vice presidential hopefuls. Voluntary substitution is allowed until Nov. 15, and the final list of candidates for the 2022 elections will be released in December.

READ: LIST: National post aspirants who filed COCs for 2022

The American research firm noted some presidential aspirants will provide some policy continuity from the Duterte administration, while others would end the current administrations war against illegal drugs and take tougher stance over disputes in the South China Sea.

The next president would take a distant approach with China and may seek international support over maritime disputes, Fitch said.

Nevertheless, we at Fitch Solutions believe a shift to a liberal democratic presidency remains of low probability and highlight the potential for key Duterte policies, such as his focus on infrastructure development and the 'drug war', to be continued to varying degrees, it added.
The Centre Film Festival announced Friday it will host its third annual festival with a one-week hybrid, in-person and online event from Nov. 1-7.

The awards ceremony is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Nov. 7 at the Rowland Theatre in Philipsburg, Pennsylvania, according to a Happy Valley Studios release.

The ceremony will feature filmmaker Madeline Anderson and Penn State alumnus, filmmaker and actor Keegan-Michael Key, the release said.

Happy Valley Studios also said there will be "surprise celebrity appearances," including Patrick Fabian and many other filmmakers.

Out of more than 80 films playing at this year's festival, the in-person films will play at the Rowland Theatre in Philipsburg, the Mishler Theatre in Altoona and the Carnegie Building at Penn State, according to the release.

People can purchase tickets online, and students with valid Penn State IDs can attend for free, the release said.

MORE LIFESTYLE CONTENT
A new social networking app called IRL  which stands for In Real Life  specializes in group communication for Penn State students and college students nationwide.

Our goal is to bring people together through groups, events and general community engagement, Alexandra Kostpoulou, a content strategist for IRL, said.

A cross between groups on Facebook and GroupMe, IRL provides a space where users can join groups to socialize with their peers and offers a Social Calendar, Kostpoulou said.

[In the Social Calendar], you can create groups and invite your friends, and then, you can create events and add them into that group chat, Kostopoulou said.

Once more of an event-based platform, Kostopoulou said IRL is transitioning in the direction of becoming a group chat-based platform.

During these difficult times because of COVID, its very important for people to have some sort of online community, Kostopoulou said.

Penn State students can use their specific university-issued email address to sign up, which allows students to enter a specialized Penn State platform within the app.

Once users join the Penn State page, students can see every other student who also is a part of the Penn State page, according to Kostopoulou.

You will be able to see events going on at Penn State that are populated by the current [IRL] ambassadors, Kostopoulou said.

Users can create their own group chats, events or follow other members they know in the app. By adding themselves to the Penn State community page, users can see what events other members are going to attend, according to Kostopoulou.

Our target is for each college to have its community all in one place, Kostopoulou said.

Similar to Instagram, there is an explore page where users can see events and communities they are interested in. Because IRL is partnered with Ticketmaster, Eventbrite, Meetup, YouTube, Twitch and Spotify, users can see events from those platforms.

In general, you can discover communities you are interested in, Kostopoulou said.

Maeve DAndrea, student ambassador for IRL at Penn State, said shes been using outreach and social media posts to gain exposure in the Penn State community.

MORE CAMPUS COVERAGE

Hopefully, as the semester goes on, more people will be downloading it, DAndrea (senior-advertising) said.

DAndrea said she believes IRLs characteristics right now are best-suited for college students.

Classes can use it, different clubs can use it, DAndrea said. I feel like its more of a student-based and college-based environment.

DAndrea also said its a good tool for college freshmen to use because she didnt always know what was going on when she was new to college. This app is a good opportunity to remedy that problem, she said.

Jessica Cohen, an assistant account executive at ASTRSK PR  the public relations agency representing IRL  said there are many schools across the country on IRL.

Founded by CEO Abraham Shafi and launched during the pandemic after seeing a gap in the market, Shafi brought the concept of IRL to life with the goal of bringing people with similar interests together, Cohen said.

Cohen said if she had this app back when she was in college, she said she believes it wouldve been so beneficial to connect with other students.

There are so many different events that go on that I think it could be a really cool way for kids to get in touch with each other.
Penn State students, employees, and graduates as of spring 2020 and later are invited to participate in a research project that will assess coronavirus beliefs throughout the university community, including vaccine hesitancy.

The project is conducted by the Penn State College of Medicine and Penn State University Libraries. The information obtained through surveys will be used to help researchers understand the impact of misinformation during a pandemic.

All participants will remain anonymous. The survey will be available from Oct. 11- Nov. 19.

Those who participate in the survey are eligible for a random drawing in which they will have the opportunity to win one of 15 $10 Starbucks or Panera Bread gift cards. One participant will win a $30 Grubhub gift card.

The survey can be found here.
Pennsylvania District 77 Democratic Rep. Scott Conklin held a press conference Monday afternoon in State College, announcing a new bill designed to increase election security and flexibility ahead of Election Day on Nov. 2 for local mayoral, borough council and school board seats.

[This bill would] update our laws and create a system that not only expands voting access and makes voting easier but also strengthens trust in our system, Conklin said.

The press conference was held at Conklins State College office in the downtown Allenway Building and included statements from Centre County Board of Commissioners Chair Michael Pipe, and Vice-Chair Mark Higgins.

This bill was not written by me, Conklin said. It was written by the county commissioners  I worked with Mark Higgins and Mike Pipe on this bill this is a bill that helps the voters, it helps across the board.

The bill would allow pre-canvassing of ballots up to 21 days prior to Election Day, which would enable "election officials to pre-count the ballots to not just dump them all on the morning of election day, according to a spokesperson for Conklin.

According to Higgins, Centre County needed upwards of 300 volunteers to start at 7 a.m. in order to count the ballots on Election Day in 2020, so the extended 21-day early counting period would be a huge relief.

The bill would also require early voting, a public voter fraud hotline and give local election boards more flexibility in selecting ballot return locations  such as drop boxes, according to a press release.

Conklin said the bill would address concerns raised by the 2020 general election, which was a perfect storm of events that resulted in confusion around the legitimacy of the voting process and led to several state-level election audits.

In order to clear up any voters lingering misgivings from the 2020 election, Conklin said the bill would require risk-limiting pre- and post-election audits supervised by a representative from both the Democrat and Republican parties.

This [bill provides] common sense, county-led opportunities to strengthen our democracy, Pipe said.

Pipe said he hopes the bill will serve as a model of election reform to county election officials across Pennsylvania, noting that similar laws have been passed in other states.

This is nothing new, Pipe said. These are [measures] that are proven to work in making our democracy strengthened  making our elections more accessible.

MORE BOROUGH COVERAGE
After a lower court determined that an Adams County prosecutor had committed misconduct, the state Supreme Court on Tuesday heard two different interpretations of what the prosecutor meant when he told the jury how a defendant's flight "has continued up and to this point."
This year our dine and drink business locations throughout the Gorge have suffered with closures. You can help support your favorites by purchasing take out and gift cards. Many of these business will offer curb-side delivery and some will deliver to your home. Lets keep the Gorge going strong!
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The Missourians Opinion section is a public forum for the discussion of ideas. The views presented in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Missourian or the University of Missouri. If you would like to contribute to the Opinion page with a response or an original topic of your own, visit our submission form
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Today

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 22F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 22F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph.
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Amid the coronavirus, 2020 was unpredictable in more ways than anyone would have expected. But one thing that stayed fairly constant was the steady flow of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) across the tech sector.

Global tech M&A deals last year totalled $634 billion, a 91.8% year-over-year increase, according to GlobalData. Among a late flurry of big deals was the $35 billion acquisition of Xilinx by Advanced Micro Devices and Salesforce's $27.7 billion acquisition of Slack.

[ Further reading: Biggest technology acquisitions of 2020 ]

As for whether 2021 will maintain last years pace, if the first part of the year is anything to go by, there will be no slowing of big deals across the industry, with silicon innovations and collaboration software already proving to be hot areas.

Here are the biggest enterprise technology acquisitions of 2021 so far, in reverse chronological order:

Oct. 28: Zendesk is set to acquire Momentive

Zendesk and Momentive reached a deal under which Zendesk will acquire Momentive, including its iconic SurveyMonkey platform. The terms of the transaction give Momentive stockholders 0.225 shares of Zendesk for each share of Momentive; that ratio represents an implied value of $28 per outstanding share of Momentive stock.

According to Zendesk CEO Mikkel Svane, the purchase will enable Zendesk customers to build more meaningful relationships by allowing the two companies to cross-sell and co-develop existing and future products.

The SurveyMonkey brand is iconic, and weve admired their business from afar since the inception of Zendesk. They truly democratized an industry  almost everyone in the world has responded to one of their surveys at some point, Svane said in a statement. Were very excited to have them join the Zendesk mission along with Momentives market research and insights products and together create a powerful new customer intelligence company.

Oct. 20: Stripe buys payment automation platform Recko

Jack Dorseys Stripe is acquiring the Bangalore-based accountancy platform Recko. Its automated payments reconciliation software aims to replace the manual process of correctly matching transactions and considers currency conversions, refunds and chargebacks.

Reckos solution will be added to Stripes existing suite of financial tools, and the fintech firms team will join Stripes remote engineering hub.

Payments reconciliation shouldnt be a mild headache that balloons into a migraine as a company grows  it should be an easy, highly automated process, Will Gaybrick, Stripes chief product officer, said in a statement. Stripe helps millions of businesses around the world streamline their revenue management  from subscriptions and invoicing to revenue recognition and bookkeeping. With Recko, well automate their payments reconciliation, a critical input into their overall financial health.

Oct. 19: Instacart acquires smart checkout startup Caper AI

Instacart has acquired Caper AI for $350 million; the startup builds smart cart and cashier-less checkout technology using computer vision and other techniques to detect items and ring them up for shoppers.

The announcement came less than two weeks after Instacart unveiled its acquisition of FoodStorm, a SaaS order management system (OMS) that powers end-to-end order-ahead and catering for grocery retailers. The acquisitions are part of Instacarts expanding B2B2C retail technology strategy, with the company looking to build a stack of products and services for stores that they, in turn, can use to provide new services to customers.

The powerful technology weve created is intuitive for customers, easy to deploy for retailers of all sizes, and creates a physical retail ecosystem that never existed before, Caper co-founder Lindon Gao said in a statement. We share Instacarts vision of enabling grocery retailers with new innovations that create step changes for their businesses, and were proud to now be joining forces with Instacart to develop even more solutions that help bring the online and offline together for retailers.

Oct. 11: Emerson plans to merge its industrial-software businesses with AspenTech

Emerson Electric Co. has announced it will merge its software units with smaller rival Aspen Technology in a deal worth about $11 billion. The newly merged company will comprise Emerson's grid modernization technology and geological simulation software, and AspenTech's software offerings to mining, manufacturing, and pharmaceutical industries.

"We saw an attractive opportunity to accelerate our software strategy to capitalize on the rapidly evolving industrial software landscape," Emerson CEO Lal Karsanbhai said. "Our customers are increasingly seeking partners to help realize stronger performance as they automate workflows."

The cash-and-stock deal is for about $160 per share, with AspenTech shareholders set to receive $87 and 0.42 shares of the combined company for each share they currently own.

Oct. 7: Microsoft acquires Ally.io for undisclosed price

Microsoft announced that it has acquired Ally.io, a software service that helps companies measure their progress against OKRs (objectives and key results). Microsoft plans to incorporate Ally.io into its Viva family of employee-experience products, providing a more transparent way to communicate company goals and objectives to workers.

Aligning employee work to the companys strategic mission and core priorities is top of mind for every organization. To do this, leaders need to invest in tools that communicate transparency around big company bets and create ways to cascade aspirational goals and report results at all levels of an organization, Kirk Koenigsbauer, chief operating officer and corporate vice president in charge of experiences and devices, wrote in a blog post announcing the deal.

Oct. 6: Siemens acquires Wattsense

Siemens Smart Infrastructure has completed the acquisition of French startup Wattsense, a hardware and software firm that offers IoT management systems for small and mid-size buildings. Wattsense enables the adoption of energy management practices in facilities with little or no building management system technology.

Together with Wattsense, we will accelerate the adoption of IoT systems in a wider range of buildings, bringing the sustainability, comfort and cost benefits to more people and businesses, said Henning Sandfort, CEO of building products at Siemens Smart Infrastructure. The SaaS business model and innovative technology stack of Wattsense perfectly complement our growing digital portfolio for our customers.

Oct. 4: NetApp to Acquire CloudCheckr

NetApp announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire CloudCheckr, expanding its Spot by NetApp CloudOps platform.

CloudCheckr is a leading cloud optimization platform that provides cloud visibility and insights to lower costs, maintain security and compliance, and optimize cloud resources. The financial details of the deal were not disclosed.

In a statement, Anthony Lye, executive vice president and general manager of NetApps Public Cloud Services business unit said: By adding cloud billing analytics, cost management capabilities, cloud compliance and security to our CloudOps platform through the acquisition of CloudCheckr, we are enabling organizations to deploy infrastructure and business applications faster while reducing their capital and operational costs.

Oct. 4: Qualcomm acquires Veoneer for $4.5B

Qualcomm scored the purchase of Swedish automotive tech company Veoneer, outbidding Magna International who had already agreed to by Veoneer.

Under the deal, Qualcomm and New York-based SSW Partners will acquire Veoneer for $37 a share. SSW Partners will then sell Veoneers autonomous-driving software operation known as Arriver to Qualcomm and find owners for the rest of its businesses. As a result of the new deal, Veoneer will pay Magna a breakup fee of $110 million.

Qualcomm is the natural owner of Arriver. By integrating these assets, Qualcomm accelerates its ability to deliver a leading and horizontal ADAS solution as part of its digital chassis platform, said Cristiano Amon, president and CEO of Qualcomm Incorporated.

The acquisition has been accepted by the Qualcomm and Veoneer boards of directors, but will require regulatory approval. If the deal moves forward, it is expected to close in 2022.

Sept. 29: Blue Prism acquired by Vista, to become part of Tibco

Blue Prism has acquired robotic process automation vendor Blue Prism for $1.5 billion and plans to combine the company with Tibco.

Founded in 2001, UK-based Blue Prism offers a no-code automation platform that enables organizations to automate certain processes, with capabilities including the Intelligent Automation Platform, Blue Prism Clou,d and Automation Lifecycle Management.

"Combining with Vista and Tibco will ensure we remain at the forefront of the next generation of intelligent automation," Blue Prism CEO Jason Kingdon said. "We can expand the range of products we offer our customers with Tibco's global footprint and technologies and, as a privately owned company, we will also have greater access to capital to pursue new growth opportunities via product investment and other potential M&A."

Sept. 13: Intuit buys Mailchimp for $12B

Intuit, best known for its financial service offerings, is set to acquire the email marketing company Mailchimp for $12 billion in cash and stock.

As part of the agreement, Mailchimp will work with QuickBooks, Intuit's accounting software, to help small and medium-sized businesses acquire and retain customers.

In a statement on the acquisition, Intuit said that the deal advances its powering prosperity around the world, and its strategy to become an AI-driven expert platform.

The company added that its Mailchimp buy would allow it to work to deliver on the vision of an innovative, end-to-end customer growth platform for small and mid-market businesses, allowing them to get their business online, market their business, manage customer relationshipsand have experts at their 

Sept. 1: Apollo Global Management acquires Yahoo for $5B

Private equity firm Apollo Global Management has completed its acquisition of Yahoo, formerly known as Verizon Media Group, from Verizon. The deal is valued at $5 billion, including $4.25 billion in cash, with Verizon retaining 10% of the newly rebranded company.

We look forward to partnering with Yahoos talented employee base to build on the companys strong momentum and position the new Yahoo for long-term success as a standalone consumer internet and digital media leader, Apollo Partner Reed Rayman said in a statement announcing the news. We couldnt be more excited about this next chapter for Yahoo as we look to invest in growth across the business, including accelerating its customer-first offerings and commerce capabilities, expanding its reach and enhancing the daily user experience.

Aug. 26: Zendesk acquires AI startup Cleverly

Zendesk is looking to grow its customer service capabilities with the acquisition of artificial intelligence (AI) startup Cleverly.

Cleverlys product platform offers a series of AI-powered capabilities, including what the company refers to as AI-powered human augmentation; its agent assist capability aims to help customer service agents provide the right answers to inquiries. The companys technology already integrates with Zendesk, as well as with Salesforce.

With Cleverly, we will deliver a range of capabilities that automate key insights, further reduce manual tasks and improve workflows, and overall lead to happier, more productive support teams, Shawna Wolverton, executive vice president of product at Zendesk, said in a statement. We will have more news to share on that front once the team is up and running.

Aug. 19: Adobe buys Frame.io for $1.275B

Adobe announced it is acquiring Frame.io, a video review and collaboration platform for $1.275 billion in cash.

The Frame.io platform helps creative professionals streamline the video creation process by centralizing dailies, scripts, storyboards, works-in-progress, and more, while also allowing for frame-accurate feedback and comments, annotations, and real-time approvals. The company also touts faster upload speeds than other cloud hosting services such as Vimeo, Box, and Dropbox.

In a statement about the acquisition, Adobe said the combination of its creative software and Frame.ios review and approval functions deliver[s] a collaboration platform that powers the video editing process.

Aug. 16: Cisco acquires app-monitoring startup Epsagon

Cisco announced its acquiring Israeli applications-monitoring startup Epsagon at a price pegged at $500 million.

The acquisition comes after two other high-profile app-monitoring deals for Cisco, including AppDynamics, which the company bought in 2018 for $3.7 billion, and ThousandEyes, which it nabbed last year for $1 billion.

Epsagon is built from the ground up to monitor modern applications built with containers and Kubernetes giving users tracing and metrics.

Ciscos approach to full-stack observability gives our customers the ability to move beyond just monitoring to a paradigm that delivers shared context across teams and enables our customers to deliver exceptional digital experiences, optimize for cost, security and performance and maximize digital business revenue, Liz Centoni Ciscos senior vice president & chief strategy officer, wrote in a blog post.
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Joyce Carol Brooks, 78, of Crossville, passed away on Friday, Nov. 12, 2021, at Cumberland Medical Center. Mrs. Brooks was born on July 12, 1943, in Charleston, WV, daughter of Owen Haynes and Margaret (Withrow) Haynes. She was self-employed in the health and body industry and of the Penteco
Though often elusive, Bigfoot has been spotted around Cumberland County the past several months as organizers prepare for the first Upper Cumberland Bigfoot Festival, including a surprise visit to check out Friday at the Crossroads in August. The festival is set for Oct. 16 at the Cumberland County Community Complex.
There has been an exponential increase in cyberattacks around the globe in the last five years and a major chunk of it happened in October each year, according to a study by Infosec Institute.

A similar offensive appears to be building up this month, judging from the study's projections for an "October surprise" as well as observations of cyberattacks that have occurred so far.

The study underscores that the attacks that have occurred in the month of October in the past five years have been traced back to mainly five offending entities  Russia, China, North Korea, Iran, and a catchall grouping termed anonymous. The anonymous grouping is used to refer to unclaimed attacks with unknown assailants and could not be linked to any offending parties or nations.

Although no specific explanation could be ascertained for the sudden spike in attacks in the month of October over the last five years, the study's author presumes that part of it could be attributed to the "all-hazard" incidents  disruptive events of all different types  experienced by both hemispheres during the month of October. The cyberattacks could have been timed to coincide with nations already battling natural disasters.

Before reaching the assumption that the cyberattacks may be related to natural disasters, Jerri Clairday  who prepared the Infosec Institute report under the guidance of James Phelps, a security consultant and academic  had also reviewed the data against political, science and technology news, not finding any conclusive connections with cyberattacks occurring during the months of October from 2017 to 2020.

Cyberattacks correspond to natural disasters

The only plausible co-relation I could find to the October spikes was the natural disasters," says Clairday. "Upon performing a basic rudimentary Google search for global disasters in the month of October, I found that there was a significant increase in that period. The fall in the northern hemisphere and spring in the southern hemisphere both experience higher calamities. This led to the theory that there could be a connection. Clairday says she is following this up with subsequent research and intends to drill down on the notion and attempt its validation.

The correlation, I figured, owes to the fact that maybe whenever there's a national disaster the bad guys look to take advantage of any opportunity they can. They know that they can get to people at that time as their heartstrings are already being tugged at and most forgo good cyberhygiene, thereby falling prey to phishing and other attacks as they look to donate and be helpful, explains Clairday. The disasters dont necessarily have to be natural, many attacks have happened in the backdrop of men-caused national distresses.

Wave of cyberattacks builds this month

A similar wave of cyberattacks appears to be growing this month. Earlier this month, security researchers uncovered cyberespionage operations by an Iran-based hacker group targeting aerospace and telecom firms with a previously undocumented stealthy Trojan program that's been in use since 2018.

In addition, Cybersecurity firm DarkOwl has recently discovered a cyber-criminal group offering to hack hospitals located across the European Union (EU) to access and falsify Covid-19 vaccination records for willing buyers on the darknet.

In one of the bigger recent hacking incidents, Amazon-owned gaming platform Twitch suffered a data breach earlier this month. According to multiple media reports, the breach has revealed a large stock of sensitive data, including Twitchs entire source code and several years of payout information on the services most popular streamers.

October cyberattacks jump in last 5 years



The data from 2016 through 2020 reveals that there were 41 significant attacks in 2016, a 17% increase from the previous year, with a monthly average of 3.41 attacks. For 2020, the numbers stood at 134, a 23% increase on the previous year, at 20.6 attacks a month on average. The five-year period had, in entirety, registered a 283% jump in attacks.

The anonymous grouping led the ranks of offenders with 111 incidents for the five-year period. Russia was a close second with 95 incidents, China at 91, Iran at 54, and North Korea at 42.

The report underlined that the 14 attacks registered as coming from the US were either mitigations or countermeasures in response to breaches or attacks, and were not further evaluated.

Zeroing in on the October incidents from 2016  2020, the numbers rose from three to 25, for an increase of 1,150%.

We indeed witness a dramatic uptick in attacks in the months of October, although I cant quite place a valid explanation," says Forrester analyst Allie Mellen. "My best guess is that this is related to people coming back from the summer holiday and experiencing being back in the workforce and in situations that they haven't been in a while. They must leave out a vulnerable window that they need to be brought up to speed.

The attacks during October during the five years that were analyzed included government data sweeps; breaches of banks, elections and national security contractors; transportation and media disruptions; and distributed denial-of-service attacks (DDoS). Significant targets included intellectual property, energy, military and political infrastructures.

The nature of attacks in the period ranged from malware to botnets.

Right now ransomware is the flavor of the day. I think we can probably reliably predict that there will be more ransomware attacks and theyll continue to grow until we make some policy decision around cryptocurrency and paying a ransom, says J. R. Cunningham, CSO at cybersecurity vendor Nuspire.

Security takeaways for October 2021

The Infosec Institute study predicts that there will be at least a 40% increase in incidents in October 2021 by the "anonymous" grouping that are broad in reach in terms of the number of victims, types of information sought, purpose, duration, and method of attack.

The study forecasts offenses by China will increase by 92% and would mainly involve espionage, intellectual property theft, transportation and military defense infrastructure, and diplomatic surveillance.

Iran has been a consistent offender and despite having smaller numbers in the past is expected to increase efforts by 224%, launching military and political attacks against neighbors Iraq, Kuwait and United Arab Emirates. The US could also be a target, judging from prior-year data.

North Korea is expected to increase attacks by 76% against private companies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and government agencies involved with novel events (for instance pandemic research institutes).

Russian attacks are expected to grow by 36%, centering mainly around energy, telecommunication and research infrastructures. It could also hack into novel research and sporting facilities.

Elaborating on the many threats that could go into an "October surprise," Nuspire's Cunningham warns of ransomware attacks on critical infrastructure, pointing to recent incidents involving Colonial Pipeline, and meat supplier JBS. "We kind of know that the bad guys have critical infrastructure in their sights, he said.

The other interesting phenomenon to watch out for, according to Cunningham, is supply chain shortages in retail as people start shopping for the holiday season. It's going to be a ransomware attack against critical infrastructure or retail providers, he added.

What CISOs can do to avoid risks

Speaking about the possible steps CISOs around the globe could take in preparation, Cunningham says, When we talk to our customers, we advise them essentially to do a couple of things. We don't need to get fancy here. It's back to basics  patching, privileged access management, multifactor authentication, these are all critical and they're relatively inexpensive and easy ways to thwart enemy activity. One of the struggles that we have in the cybersecurity industry is that we try and overthink the problem and many times the bad guys are using very simplistic methods to compromise organizations.

To efficiently tackle upcoming threats, Forresters Mellen says CISOs must try to cover the basics by implementing multifactor authentication using strong passwords, advocating for password managers, and patching on a consistent schedule.

Training reviews are also crucial for CISOs, says Keatron Evans, principal security researcher at Infosec Institute. They need to make sure that they're paying closer attention and getting their people fully trained," Evans says. "Training is usually overlooked in the day-to-day grind, but its imperative that they're constantly being trained and informed on what these latest threats are, because the threats that we got hit with October 2020 were probably significantly different than some of the attacks that we might see this October, he said.

He added that since there's a likelihood that an increase in cyberattacks is coming, CSIOs should allocate some temporary resources toward detection and prevention of threats.sec
Wedged between the colossus of New York City and New Englands capital, Boston, Connecticut was declared a land of steady habits in 1827, by Bostons own Commercial Gazette. That branding extends to the common perception that Connecticuts architecture is as exciting as vanilla ice cream. It then may surprise some that Connecticut is actually home to some of the most fertile fields of expression in Modern Architecture.

The vast majority of houses in Connecticut can be labelled traditional. Like every mainstream, there is a countercurrent. Modern homes in Connecticut are unusual and often viewed as harder to sell, but contemporary architecture has a cache and appeal that is established and vital. Modernist architecture is an alternative to the safety of established aesthetics most associate with this land of steady habits as reflected in an October 2020 Harris national poll that showed about 30 percent of us prefer modern architecture, while 70 percent favor traditional architecture.

Justin Papp / Hearst Connecticut Media

Perhaps Connecticuts conservative branding serves to highlight the power of radical departures from the cultural norm. Connecticut was an early home to radical abolitionists, suffragists, and prohibitionists. When radical Modernist architects were fleeing Hitlers atrocities they found safe harbor in New England, particularly Connecticut. In the years after World War II, New Canaan had a subculture of Modern Architectural expression second to none in the United States. This cluster of the new amid the land of steady habits was led by A. Everett Chick Austin, director of the Wadsworth Atheneum, who triggered the move with sustained acquisitions of Modern work and voluble support for the Modern Movement.

If one architect could be said to manifest Europes Modern Movement it was Frances Le Corbusier, who visited Austin in Hartford and declared that he was turning the little town in upper Connecticut into a place where burns the lamp of the mind. Then architect Philip Johnson touted that Austin had changed Mark Twains Hartford into the navel of the world. The attention made creating an art piece country home in Connecticut, specifically in New Canaan, a cutting-edge act of aesthetic innovation.

Photo by Keystone-Underwood/FPG/Archive Photos/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Boston then, again, defined Connecticut by having some of its architecture schools faculty members, dubbed The Harvard Five, become another group of Connecticut rabble rousers  this group included Johnson, Marcel Breuer, Landis Gore, John M. Johansen and Eliot Noyes who were soon joined by about 20 other architects from 1939 on. In the next 40 years, about 50 significant modern homes in New Canaan came to be lauded by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty

Beyond this seminal breakthrough infestation of Modernist thought, Yales own architecture school jumped into the aesthetic revolution with the 1950 commissioning of the Yale University Art Gallery by Louis Kahn who taught there starting in 1947. Followed by Modernist expressions in architecture by Eero Saarinen, Paul Rudolph, Kevin Roche, Gordon Bunshaft and Charles Moore, and others creating more than 100 significant Modernist buildings in New Haven, as recognized by the New Haven Preservation Trust.

Enzo Figueres/Moment Editorial/Getty Images

This institutionalization of the once revolutionary Modern Movement has created a niche architectural residential market in Connecticut. Beyond New Canaan, Guilford's Sam Hill/Old Quarry section has a generation of Modernist homes were built by Yale-centric architects, and a number of homes in Greenwich, Westport and Weston enrich those real estate markets.

In this mainstreaming of the revolutionary, Connecticut has fostered some of this generations Modern masters. Yale-trained New Haven architects Alan Organschi and Lisa Grey project internationally famous High Modern designs around the world. Another Yale product Joeb Moore in Greenwich produces Modernist tour de force signature homes that also win national acclaim. While declaring that she has no signature style architect Laura Kaehler creates the lush modern residences that have become a staple niche in the Fairfield County real estate market.

Neil Landino Photo

Connecticuts embrace of Modernism mimics the aesthetic movements shift from radical reinvention to living in its own tradition  an oxymoronic evolution of the modern becoming an established and venerated cultural sidebar. Culture is anything but static, and Connecticut has a legacy of radical ideas finding public voice  first abolition with Henry Ward Beecher and Harriet Beecher Stowe, onto contraception with Griswold v. Connecticut, and then becoming one of the first states to sanction same-sex marriage in 2008. It should not be surprising that this land of steady habits was an incubator of the Modern Movement in architecture and fine art, led by The Hartford Atheneum and Yale University.

In each of these social revolutions, bands of zealots invaded the quaint safety of sleepy Connecticut because they relied on the states collective intelligence to transform the status quo to reflect new ways of thinking. Despite its traditional branding, Connecticut embraces the Modernist aesthetics that are the literal signature of new ways of thinking.

Duo Dickinson is a Madison-based architect.






CLINTON  Customers crammed The Coffee Break on a recent Sunday morning, spilling out onto the patio and sidewalk, eating at tables under umbrellas in the mild fall air.

The place was buzzing inside with a full counter and dining room. The small eatery served over 400 people that day. The much-loved breakfast spot reopened earlier this month after being closed since August 2020.

After many upgrades, which the owners paid for themselves, they opened their doors.

Owners Donna and Fran Uricchio had planned on getting a Small Towns Economic Assistance Program grant to pay for 75 percent of the costs for the upgrades, but ultimately decided against it.

Timing was a factor, as they had wanted to open in the fall, but they would not get the money in time, according to the towns Economic Development Commission.

And, the owners said they thought another business could use the money. Were in the position where we really didnt need it right now, Fran Uricchio said. There are other places downtown that could use it.

John Allen, head of the EDC, noted that turnaround to qualify for the STEAP grant wasnt quick enough for the Uricchios timetable.

Because contractors are so busy now, its tough to get the required three bids, he noted.Their train was already moving on the tracks. They wanted to open in the fall, Allen said.

An additional hurdle is that applications must also be approved by the Connecticut Historic Preservation Council, he said.

But this should not deter other property and business owners from applying now for projects they want to do next spring, Allen stressed, adding that there should be ample time to line up bids.

Even without the grant, the Uricchios pretty much followed the design created for the EDC as part of the Clinton Facade Improvement Program. Local architect Diane Nazarko developed the designs for many downtown buildings as a sort of blueprint for local businesses to follow.

The $120,000 STEAP grant is administered by the town managers office and EDC.

We did all the work they really wanted done, Fran Urichio said about the facade plan. Theyre all happy with that.

He said he and his wife decided to skip the grant in 2021: Well wait until next year  let somebody else get the first grant.

Still, they replaced the tired ceiling, lighting, dark and dingy carpet and repainted. And, most dramatically, they removed the indoor porch in front to add extra outdoor seating under the roof, while adding two large bay windows, bringing more light into the small eatery.

It makes it a lot brighter, Uricchio said

Unlike other restaurants on the Shoreline, the pandemic didnt shutter The Coffee Break. The couple closed it due to health reasons, when they were both diagnosed with cancer at the same time, and subsequently underwent major surgery and treatment, said Uricchio.

After getting back into the swing of things with the restaurant now open Thursday through Sunday until 2:30 p.m., Sundays crowd was welcome  though Uricchio admitted he was hard pressed to keep up with the hungry after-church crowd that came in waves in the morning.

Thats a lotta people for a little place with a couple of cooks. Only problem was I cant cook fast enough on Sunday, he said, joking. And since the opening, he said, hundreds of people have come in to say hello.

But the very first day was like a homecoming for some regulars who have not seen each other since the restaurants shutdown. The first day, a lot of the customers were happy to see a lot of the customers, Uricchio said with a laugh.

They came in and they hadnt seen people for a year  they got a chance to talk. It was nice for the townspeople, he added.
Thanks to the legislation in Hartford, Guilford and the rest of Connecticut now live in the era of commercialized marijuana.

Do you know what shatter, wax, dab products and highly potent THC vaping products are? Most Guilford parents and kids are not aware of the health risks of marijuana use by teens, especially the new high THC concentrates.

The cannabis industry denies its products pose a risk. The new profiteers portray their product as a benign plant, harmless recreation. In fact, they sell highly processed psychoactive chemicals, far more dangerous than the marijuana with 0.5 percent  10 percent THC content sold by the cartels in the past.

Connecticuts new law explicitly allows up to 30 percent THC concentration for cannabis flower and plant material and up to 60 percent THC potency in concentrated products. And the law excludes any limits for prefilled cartridges for use in vaping systems. One has to wonder if the industry wrote Connecticuts potency limits as a joke. Of course, the concentrated products are increasingly popular among youth.

Last year in Colorado high THC concentrates comprised more than 50 percent of the industry sales. What are the health risks? The higher the THC, the higher the potential for addiction, psychosis, schizophrenia, demotivation, memory impacts and other damage to the brain, particularly for kids.

The industry doesnt mention that the four key factors causing severe cannabis use disorder are: (1) age when use begins, due to the still developing brain in adolescents, (2) the THC potency of the product consumed, (3) frequency of use, and (4) genetics.

Dont take our word about the health threats for teens. Guilford DAY has compiled links to scientific information on the risks of cannabis for kids, and we posted the links on our website- itsworthitguilford.org.

For example, the six page U.S. Surgeon General Advisory: Marijuana Use and the Developing Brain. Frequent marijuana use during adolescence is associated with changes in the areas of the brain involved in attention, memory, decision-making, and motivation. Chronic use is linked to declines in IQ, school performance that jeopardizes professional and social achievements, and life satisfaction. Marijuana use is also linked to risk for and early onset of psychotic disorders, such as schizophrenia. The risk for psychotic disorders increases with frequency of use, potency of the marijuana product, and as the age at first use decreases

Marijuanas increasingly widespread availability in multiple and highly potent forms. coupled with a false and dangerous perception of safety among youth, merits a nationwide call to action.

Do I believe that parents alone will be able to protect their children from the dangers? I do not. The entire Guilford community is deeply involved in the COVID fight, and we need a comparable effort to address the risks of marijuana for our kids.

William Bo Huhn is a member of Guilford DAY, and a grandfather who for 20 years has volunteered to protect youth from substance abuse.
More than two dozen state employees have been fired and hundreds of health care workers have been suspended and face termination for failing to comply with COVID vaccination requirements.

After announcing last week the termination of 12 probationary employees  state workers who have been hired within the last six months  Gov. Ned Lamont said that number has grown to nearly 30.

During an event in Southington, Lamont said Tuesday 28 state employees were fired Friday for noncompliance. He said Tuesday was the last day for employees to comply with the vaccinate-or-test orders.

I think we were at 28 as of the end of Friday. Were contacting all the folks who are not in compliance, saying come into human resources, one more chance, see if we can help you fill it out correctly, make sure youre following the rules, the governor said. Otherwise, theyll be on unpaid leave.

But the governor sounded more hesitant about issuing a vaccine mandate for the state National Guard, only about 1 percent of whom he said remain unvaccinated.

Asked about staffing shortages, Lamont said the state is considering sending additional support to Whiting Forensic Hospital in Middletown. The comment came on the heels of an investigation by the state Department of Public Health that found drastic staffing shortages at the facility.

Youre working in there with those folks, youve got to be vaccinated. Thats the CDC guidance and thats our rules as well, Lamont said.

Connecticut health systems are also facing shortages as several hundred workers face termination for refusing to be vaccinated or seek an exemption.

At Yale New Haven Health, 225 employees are expected to be fired next week, the hospital said Monday. Those employees have received written notice they will be suspended until they are terminated. The employees can avoid termination if they show they are completely vaccinated before Oct. 18.

At Hartford HealthCare, 176 employees had been suspended as of last Thursday, Chief Clinical Officer Dr. Ajay Kumar said at the time. He said those employees could still choose to take the vaccine, otherwise they will be choosing a different type of career, at least in health care for Hartford HealthCare.

Kumar said the employees, who had each been contacted, represented a small fraction of the health systems 26,373 workers.

As of Tuesday, a Hartford HealthCare spokesperson said 99.6 percent of employees were in compliance. She said about 97 percent are fully vaccinated, while the remaining have approved exemptions and will undergo weekly testing.

The percentage is a significant increase from early July, when around 72 percent of the hospital systems employees were fully vaccinated.

Nuvance Health, which operates Norwalk, Danbury, New Milford and Sharon hospitals as well as others in New York, said as of Monday 2 percent of employees were suspended without pay for failing to comply with its vaccine mandate. Nuvance employees had until Oct. 1 to get vaccinated, while new hires were required to show proof they had been vaccinated starting Aug. 23.

A Stamford Health spokesperson said 99.7 percent of its approximately 3,700 staff members were in compliance as of Oct. 6 with the health networks vaccine mandate. The spokesperson said the network has approved 86 religious or medical exemptions. The remaining 0.3 percent of employees  about 10 people  who have not complied have been suspended and could be terminated, the spokesperson said.

Trinity Health New England said about 96 percent of its employees were in compliance with its vaccine mandate as of Oct. 1.

Griffin Health officials did not respond to a request for their employee vaccination rates.

While hospital officials address internal vaccine mandates, the number of COVID patients requiring admission has been declining.

Since Friday, hospitalizations remained flat at 234  one of the lowest numbers in weeks. The state on Tuesday reported 1,473 new cases since Friday with a three-day positivity rate of 1.98 percent.

Overall, the states vaccination rate continues to slowly rise. Statewide, about 88.7 percent of those who are eligible have received at least one dose as of Saturday, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

More than 68,000 doses of vaccine were administered in the state during the most recent week of data available. It was the first time the number of weekly shots had risen above 60,000 since June, according to state figures.
MILFORD  A series of proposed zoning regulation changes at the Connecticut Post Mall brought forth by Centennial, the mall owner, were denied by the planning and zoning board recently.

The zone change application was denied, 7-3, with Peg Kearney, John Mortimer and Chair Jim Quish in favor, and Nancy Austin, Joseph Castignoli, James Kader, Brian Kaligian, Carl Moore, Robert Satti and Marc Zahariades voting against the plan.

We are disappointed in the P&Z decision, as we feel strongly that it is imperative for a property like Connecticut Post Mall to diversify its offerings to better serve the needs of the community, Steven Levin, Centennials chief executive officer, said.

The mixed-use plan that weve proposed will transform the suburban mall into a place where people come to work, shop, dine, and live, allowing the center to remain a vibrant destination for years to come, Levin added. We remain committed to the long term success of the project and will continue to work with the city to find a mutually beneficial solution for all involved.

Some commissioners expressed concern that a regulation change would have unintended consequences during deliberations held Oct. 5 over the proposal, the public hearing for which was closed at the September meeting.

Centennials zone change proposal called for making 5 percent (15 units) of the total 300 planned units state statute 8-30g, or affordable housing, compliant, expanding the types of schools permitted in the zone, explicitly allowing outdoor dining in the zone for all types of food service establishments, and reducing the height of apartment buildings.

Both Castignoli and Kader agreed that housing on-site would compete with the downtown area and be a detriment rather than a positive impact.

Mortimer said housing is already allowed on-site and asked the board what material change was before them.

I dont think it is alarming, he said. It is just a change to the format of the already-permitted housing use.

City Planner David Sulkis said the proposed regulation would allow mixed-use with commercial and residential in the same building, and the applicant is asking for a height reduction.

Right now, buildings can go up to 120 feet, but the request would limit these new mixed buildings to 85 feet, he said. Another proposed change is making the minimum lot size 4 acres to permit ownership subdivision like what is used by Target.

Sulkis added the smaller lot sizes still function as part of the mall, and the proposed parking change would not base calculations on gross square footage but would section off areas of the mall based on use, such as retail, warehouse, or residential.

John Knuff, representing Centennial, told the board during the Sept. 21 meeting that the proposed changes were in the best interest of Centennial and the city for the mall to thrive since neither side wanted the property to be vacant.

While this application is a very modest first step, it opens the next step in taking the next bigger step together, he said. We want to do something (that makes) the center productive, makes the city proud, adds vitality to the center.

Knuff said the changes are modest tweaks to the regulation, and it will have a critical impact at the mall whether the P&Z approves or denies the application.

But in terms of the application itself, said Knuff to the board on Sept. 21. In the overall scale and context of the existing shopping center and design and regulations, it is a very modest request we are making.

The redevelopment project of the Connecticut Post Mall is planned to be completed in phases. Phase 1 would include about 300 apartments around a central plaza in the area formerly occupied by Sears Auto Service. Phase 2 includes demolishing the entire wing of the mall formerly occupied by Sears, which would free up 450,000 square feet of commercial space.

Kearney said after listening to the previous proceedings four or five times, she wished she had voted for the original plan that features housing being more distinct from the mall area.

I would prefer to see a new tenant in the Sears building that would bring jobs, possibly a tech company, and add housing in the rear, she said.

Quish said the mall is a gateway to the city.

I have become convinced that the mall owner wants highest and best use of the property for the city, Quish said. If their proposed solution to re-imagining the mall doesn't work for Milford, it wont work for them either.

The relationship between the city, board and mall is symbiotic, he added. And I dont think there will be much of a downside to implementing the regulation change.
Ned Gerard / Hearst Connecticut Media

BRIDGEPORT  A 16-year-old boy was killed after he was shot in the head Monday by another juvenile who was playing with the gun, according to police.

Shortly before 6 p.m., officers responded to Valley Avenue for a report of a person shot.
STRATFORD  A portion of Route 113 was named in honor of former state Rep. Terry Backer during a ceremony Tuesday near some of the natural resources he spent his life protecting.

The lobsterman turned lawmaker died in 2015 from brain cancer after representing Stratford in the state legislature for more than two decades.

Standing at the entrance to Sikorsky Memorial Airport in Lordship, Backers successor and former aid, Rep. Joseph Gresko, D-Stratford, handed members of his former boss family a proclamation from Gov. Ned Lamont and a miniature sign like those installed on Route 113 marking it the State Representative Terrance E. Backer Memorial Highway.

Terry was larger than life, an icon in the environmental community, Gresko said, noting the presence of several heavy hitters in the preservation movement, including another Backer successor: Soundkeeper Bill Lucey.

Lucey said he didnt know Backer personally  but that he related to him as someone who had made his living from the sea.

He fished a lot of lobster in Long Island Sound and a little bit in Alaska too. I fished a little bit of lobster in Long Island Sound and a lot in Alaska, so I could relate, Lucey said. When you think about it the people who are directly connected to the resource are the ones who are going to fight the hardest for it, and he really embodied that.

Backer helped lead the state fight against Long Island Sound pollution, starting in Norwalk, where sewage overflow had killed off the lobsters that were part of Backers fishery. Then he became executive director of the Soundkeeper Fund. Within months, the alliance had filed lawsuits against Norwalk, Bridgeport, Stratford, Stamford, Greenwich, West Haven, New Haven and others.

He spoke out. He stood up. He sued, said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, who attended Tuesdays ceremony. And he left nothing on the table in the fight. Because he believed so deeply in the values of environmental conservation, and life.

Like many others, the senator said that Backer didnt mince words  and that he might have had a few choice ones for those gathered to honor him.

Beneath that crusty exterior was a truly magnificent beating heart that loved every one of us, Blumenthal said.

Carlo Leone, a former colleague of Backers in the legislature who now works for the state Department of Transportation, said Backer was fearless in his advocacy.

He never shirked away from a fight when it came to protecting the environment, Leone said.

James Albis, another former lawmaker now working in the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, said Backer was one of a handful of legislators who had commanded the respect of all of his colleagues.

When he spoke, you could hear a pin drop, Albis said. Everybody was paying attention, because Terry carried a sort of gravitas that not many people had in that building.

Former Stratford Mayor John Harkins  who said he had refused to wear a tie Tuesday in Backers honor  agreed.

You dont find many individuals like Terry, Harkins said. We all respected him for what he did and who he was.

Marc Yaggi, executive director of the Waterkeeper Alliance, said Backer was the driving force behind a small group of clean water advocates who created a global movement for clean water.

It was Terrys work right here on Long Island Sound that inspired whats now 350 clean water advocacy organizations in 47 countries around the world, Yaggi said.

I looked up to him as a hero and a mentor, and I know many other people did as well, Yaggi said.

Backers nephew Adam said his uncle was always direct and honest with people, and set an example for him and others.

He was a great person, he said. He was always to quick to throw an arm around you.

Hes certainly missed, said Kathleen Patchen, one of Backers sisters.
I recently finished reading The Four Winds, by Kristin Hannah  an engaging read that I commend to you. Set against the backdrop of the 1930s Dust Bowl, its a story of struggle and humanitys inherent capacity for resilience.

For her characters, hope is scarce, financial security a pipe dream, and environmental catastrophes are exacerbating social inequities. Sound familiar?

The applicability to 2021 shook me. Much in life is cyclical, but this was a stark reminder that so many of the challenges credit unions were established to overcome, remain.

Earlier this year, the Federal Reserve reported  once again  that some 45 percent of Americans were unable to weather a $400 emergency.

In the same report, the Fed noted that those who entered 2020 with the fewest financial resources were increasingly left further behind. There is much good work to do.

What sustains me, however, is our industrys proven willingness to work together. Filene, Bergengren, Herring: they saw those most in need being ignored or passed over, and they acted. H.R.1151 galvanized credit unions and opened up financial opportunities to millions of consumers.

We can, and will, do it again.

That was the message I shared during a recent working session, co-hosted with CUNA, and with leagues, system partners, credit unions, the Financial Health Network, and others. We discussed Financial Well-being for All not as a discrete project or a strategy, but as the rallying cry for our movement.

The alignment in the (virtual) room was incredible, with several recurring themes:

You cant tackle what you dont understand: Every credit union is unique, so how we conceptualize, develop and integrate programs to build financial well-being will always be unique, too. Where we can align though, is a North Star. If we can have a mutually accepted definition of Financial Well-Being for All and define success, or even the roadmap to get there, we can move in unison toward it. Measurement is vital: Like the programs they track, our respective KPIs are specific. Even with a defined vision, we will struggle to make industry-wide progress until we can measure industry-wide progress. How powerful it would be to identify some core, translatable metrics, we could track and plan action against at scale. Financial Well-Being for All is intrinsically linked to diversity, equity and inclusion: We know that culture and ethnicity heavily influence financial behaviors. So too does age, sexuality and any number of other aspects that make up our identity. The credit union system still has a long way to go on our collective DEI Summer shot of happy african family playing in the park. Family portrait with happy people smiling at the park, father lifts the cute girl child up. Lifestyle and happy family day conceptjourney, and our ability to meet the macro-needs of an increasingly diverse membership will only grow stronger with increased diversity in thought, leadership and programs.

Credit unions were formed to serve disenfranchised populations with access to credit and thrift products to improve financial lives. That same purpose (should) drive our movement today.

It starts and ends with the people we serve. Im excited to see the growing volume of this conversation. If you are too, I would encourage you to visit the Foundations website and/or reach out to me directly.

This is not easy. Its longitudinal work, but, to borrow a phrase from The Four Winds: History has shown us the strength and durability of the human spirit. In the end, it is our idealism and our courage and our commitment to one another  what we have in common  that will save us.
In this June 18, 2015 photo, prisoners stand in a crowded lunch line during a prison tour at Elmore Correctional Facility in Elmore, Ala. The Justice Department has determined that Alabama's prisons are violating the Constitution by failing to protect inmates from violence and sexual abuse and by housing them in unsafe and overcrowded facilities, according to a scathing report Wednesday, April 3, 2019, that described the problems as "severe" and "systemic."
Marye Louise Howse, age 71, of Cullman, passed away on Tuesday, November 16, 2021, at Hanceville Nursing Home. She was born April 23, 1950, to Rayburn R. and Thelma L. Brown. She was preceded in death by her parents and brother, Randall Brown. Survivors include her husband, David Howse; son,
Kankakee, IL (60901)

Today

Light snow this evening followed by clearing late. Low 23F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 70%..

Tonight

Light snow this evening followed by clearing late. Low 23F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 70%.
Elizabeth City, NC (27909)

Today

Cloudy with occasional rain showers. Low around 45F. SW winds shifting to NNW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Cloudy with occasional rain showers. Low around 45F. SW winds shifting to NNW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
Ryan Anderson/Daily Citizen-News

"Whether you want it or not will show at the end of the day," inventor and entrepreneur Bob Mackey told Wright School of Business students during his visit to Dalton State College on Thursday. "It's hard to compete with someone who wants it a lot more than you, (so) understand what you want, and don't let anyone get in the way."
The Many Nations Longhouse, located on the University of Oregon campus, serves as a meeting place for Indigenous/Native American students at UO. The UO Senate and Board of Trustees have approved a new Bachelors of Arts degree in Native American and Indigenous Studies. (Will Geschke/Emerald)
MIFFLINBURG  Buffalo Township Supervisors wont allow Mifflinburg Area School District to use the township building as an auxiliary site for Tuesdays virtual school board meeting.

Supervisor Chairman Joseph Wise and Supervisor William Zimmerman each said the district hadnt sought permission to use the building again. Since the district was granted permission last week to use the building for a virtual forum Oct. 5, district officials may have assumed continual use, Wise and Zimmerman said.

However, Wise and Zimmerman each expressed concern that the district could be challenged legally about potentially violating Pennsylvanias open meeting law.

Mifflinburg school board moves meetings online, cites masking order, controversy MIFFLINBURG  Mifflinburg Area School District announced the Board of Directors meetings will be moved to a virtual format indefinitely.

+3 Evangelical doctors address COVID-19, vaccines for Mifflinburg community Three doctors asked to address the Mifflinburg Area School District community advised the public that vaccines against COVID-19 are safe, they

Mifflinburg officials: 'Threat' caused sudden meeting shift online Officials with the Mifflinburg Area School District provided few details about an alleged threat that spurred board directors to suddenly sh

Buffalo Township shouldnt get caught in this, Zimmerman said, adding that he didnt know the districts intentions until this weekend.

We didnt even know, Wise said. We had no idea.

Last week on Oct. 4, the Board of Supervisors permitted the district use of the township building as an auxiliary site on Oct. 5. It allowed residents with spotty internet service, or no service at all, to watch the forum. That was the districts intent again for Tuesdays board meeting.

That night, the district hosted an online forum where medical staff with Evangelical Community Hospital answered questions about COVID-19 and vaccines. The full presentation is available via the district website.

The vote to allow permission was date-specific, both Wise and Zimmerman said.

The Mifflinburg Area School Board announced this month that its meetings would be held online indefinitely beginning Tuesday. Log-on information is available at www.mifflinburg.org. The meeting begins at 7:30 p.m.

The shift was out of concerns about adhering to state orders about mandatory masking inside public school buildings along with unspecified threats against district board members and administrators, according to a letter sent to district residents.

Melissa Melewsky, media law counsel with the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association, said the Mifflinburg boards actions raise compliance questions with the Pennsylvania Sunshine Act and create potential liability for the district and individual directors.

The last school board meeting on Sept. 14 shifted suddenly online as approximately 70 people waited outside the high school building to attend in person. Members of the crowd, the majority not wearing face masks, eventually walked into the building and held an impromptu town hall while board members had traveled to the administration center to conduct a virtual meeting streamed online.

The next day, the district released a statement about the sudden change in meeting format, citing a growing number of threats to our board and administrators being reported by numerous staff members to law enforcement agencies.
Sunbury, PA (17801)

Today

A shower is possible early. Mostly cloudy early, then clearing overnight. Low near 30F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

A shower is possible early. Mostly cloudy early, then clearing overnight. Low near 30F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph.
This week, No 10 gave the green light to a scheme mooted by the chief executive of BT, Philip Jansen, for a new emergency phone number designed to protect lone women, in the wake of the death of Sabina Nessa and murder of Sarah Everard.

The 888 number could even work as an app, and would enable anyone to have friends or family track their progress home, triggering alerts if they failed to reach their destination within a certain time limit.

Downing Streets blessing is quite an endorsement for the idea, and means the system could be in place as early as Christmas.

But, as with all these things, its not that straightforward.

No 10 gave the green light to a scheme for an emergency phone number designed to protect women, in the wake of the death of Sabina Nessa (right) and murder of Sarah Everard (left)

The emergency phone number was first mooted by BT chief executive Philip Jansen (pictured)

The problem is not the technology  that already exists, it would simply be a case of modifying it to suit the purpose. No, as ever, its the politics of the thing.

On the surface, its hard to see what the objection would be. Whats not to like about an app that allows young women  or, for that matter, anyone out on their own  to travel safe in the knowledge that should the unthinkable happen, help will not be far off?

But this is 2021, and nothing is ever simple. The problem is that by trying, in an uncomplicated and practical way, to do his bit to help safeguard women, Mr Jansen has unwittingly stumbled into a political minefield.

The accusation  as put forward on Radio 4s PM programme at the weekend, and by various critics of the idea since  is that the plan would not only be ineffective, it might even be positively harmful, on the basis that it puts the onus on women to take steps to keep themselves safe.

That is like throwing a drowning man a life jacket and him refusing to put it on because he doesnt like the colour. (OK, fine, orange doesnt suit your complexion. But shall we have this conversation once youve stopped turning blue and swallowing water?)

The Home Secretary Priti Patel (pictured) has publicly backed the safety concept

Of course, in an ideal world everyone should be able to walk the streets at any time of the day or night, confident that nothing untoward will befall them.

But we dont live in an ideal world. And sometimes a pragmatic approach is the only practical way forward.

Of course we need long-term solutions. Of course we need fundamentally to change the underlying culture of male violence against women.

But the two are not mutually exclusive. And sometimes a sticking plaster is exactly whats needed.

Women are being hurt. Surely all that matters right here, right now, is that we make it stop.

How we tackle the problem at the root, how we change society and the way we educate boys and men towards behaving differently, thats a bigger conversation.

Critics of the concept says it puts the onus on women to take steps to keep themselves safe

There are many aspects to consider: confronting the toxic effects of online porn; tracking offenders more effectively; tackling a culture of misogyny in the police and elsewhere.

These are all vital parts of the jigsaw. But it doesnt mean we shouldnt also do something in the short term.

And that means setting politics to one side for a moment and thinking practically. Because until we do manage to change attitudes, until men such as Wayne Couzens are neutralised, we all have to look out for each other. Its simply no good to say: It shouldnt be like that. One has to be realistic.

So, yes, lets work towards a safer world for all. But lets not, in the meantime, make the best the enemy of the good.

If Mr Jansens idea can help keep just one person safe, it will have been worth it.

Delicious trolling of Dominic Raab by new Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, who posted a picture of herself roaring with laughter outside Chevening, the grace-and-favour home that comes with the job.

Her predecessor had reportedly hoped to hang on to it as part of his package of perks as Deputy Prime Minister  presumably on the basis that Nick Clegg got to use it when he took on that role.

I asked Truss about this when I bumped into her the other day, and she just gave an impish smile.

Either way, it has 115 rooms. Surely they can come to some arrangement before one locks the other in the cellar?

Pictures of Madonna promoting her new concert film on TV have underlined the sometimes stark difference between the heavily filtered images on Instagram (left) and the reality (right)

Recent pictures of Madonna promoting her new concert film on TV have underlined the sometimes stark difference between the heavily filtered images she regularly posts on Instagram and the reality of being a 63-year-old woman with bleached blonde hair.

No one could blame her  or any woman  for wanting to look her best. Madonnas problem is that she seems to want to look like she did in her 30s, which just isnt possible. In fact, the more she tries, the worse she looks  to the point of seeming almost ghoulish.

Its such a shame, because this is a woman who has achieved so much.

Why does she lack the confidence to show the world who she really is?

Prickly pillow talk

Well, fancy that. An Insulate Britain/Extinction Rebellion protester who has been arrested on numerous occasions for blockading roads and gluing herself to a train turns out to be married to a Transport for London boss.

I know wives dont always see eye to eye with their husbands, but thats like me joining Momentum while still being married to a certain Conservative Cabinet Minister.

On the PMs holiday  first, there is never an ideal time to take a break when youre Prime Minister, so now is as good/bad a time as any.

Second, if you go to a hotel, the entire world follows, taking photos of you helping yourself to too many mini-croissants from the buffet.

Let Boris have his break. Not only does he deserve it, the country needs him back at his desk rested and ready for the next catastrophe. Rest assured, it wont be far away.

Pictured: a scene from popular Netflix TV series Squid Game which stars HoYeon Jung (right)

I am no sucker for Squid Game

I might have been a bit rude about Netflixs Squid Game (starring HoYeon Jung, right) last week, and a few readers reprimanded me.

So I re-watched the series  and still found it to be a sadistic, soul-sapping experience.

Think Willy Wonka meets Lord Of The Flies in the fevered imagination of Goebbels.

Not saying its not clever or brilliant. But that doesnt change the fact its full of gratuitous violence and cruelty.

As a lifelong Trekkie, Im tickled pink to see that Captain Kirk, aka 90-year-old William Shatner, will be blasting off into space for real with Blue Origin.

Good to see also that hes not yet baldly going . . . but still sporting that suspiciously full thatch. Hope it doesnt burn up on re-entry.

Jon Kent - the son of Clark Kent and Lois Lane - took over the Superman title from his father, and will come out as bisexual and begin dating his male friend in a new issue of the series

DC Comics has said that the new Superman, Jon Kent (son of Clark), will embark on a same-sex relationship while fighting climate change and protesting against the treatment of refugees.

How wonderfully modern. Why dont they just go the whole hog and rename him Superwoke?

Within hours of a Covid report finding the UKs failure to lock down early enough resulted from flawed advice from the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), Patrick Vallance  a leading light of Sage  said integrating science and politics is the primary aim, thus putting science at the heart of future government thinking.

Spot on, as always . . .
Boris Johnsons opponents want the world to believe that thousands of Britons died because a cavalier Prime Minister and his cruel, callous colleagues in the Tory Party rode roughshod over scientific advice.

Thats why the Governments opponents lost no time yesterday morning in trying to exploit the dramatic new report into the Covid-19 pandemic in Britain to reinforce their preferred narrative.

Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said the damning report revealed monumental errors made by ministers in responding to the pandemic.

He added: Ministers were warned but responded with complacency.

What Mr Ashworth and others failed to point out in their rush to put out statements is that the two committees who wrote the report were actually making the opposite point: that the scientific advice itself was wrong and that Mr Johnson and his Cabinet colleagues followed it slavishly.

If ministers did make an error it was not in closing their ears to scientists pleas  it was in failing to interrogate them properly.

Predictions: Professor Neil Ferguson (pictured above), who published a paper predicting up to 500,000 deaths from Covid if the Government did nothing to tackle it

The report could not be clearer on this. It asserts that other countries made better decisions specifically because their leaders used their own judgment rather than relying so exclusively on scientific advisers.

Other governments, the report claims, had greater licence to take decisions more quickly. Nor were they hamstrung by pandemic plans that proved hopelessly inadequate because they were based on a flu epidemic, not a novel coronavirus.

Britain is a global scientific leader, boasting more Nobel prizes than any country bar the United States. Our universities frequently top international league tables for the quality of scientific teaching and research.

And many British scientists conducted themselves admirably during the pandemic: not least those who designed the AstraZeneca vaccine (sold at cost) and who developed some of the first Covid tests.

No, it is one very particular group of scientists who have, as we all know by now, dominated Britains response to Covid: the 92 members of the Governments Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies  or Sage, to use its thoroughly inappropriate acronym.

Until last March, few Britons were even aware of the existence of the group, still less which luminaries were on it. At the beginning of the pandemic, its membership was a closely guarded secret. Now the names of its most prominent members trip from the tongue like so many celebrities.

Led by the Governments chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance, Sage also includes such notorious figures as Imperial Colleges Professor Lockdown Neil Ferguson, who last May resigned in disgrace after it was revealed that he had broken the lockdown rules he had drawn up to restrict everyone elses lives  by allowing his married mistress to visit his flat.

He has since quietly crept back on to the group and is still given a platform on the BBC. Other regulars on Aunties broadcasts are professors Graham Medley and John Edmunds, who are on record in March 2020 as having advocated a herd immunity approach. They later performed a dramatic U-turn, demanding we stay under severe restrictions even when Covid infection numbers were low.

Led by the Governments chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance (above), Sage also includes such notorious figures as Imperial Colleges Professor Lockdown Neil Ferguson

On Sage, too, is deputy chief medical officer Jenny Harries, who in March 2020 confidently assured us all that masks could actually trap the virus and make its spread more likely. That was somewhat at odds with the advice given by another familiar Sage member, long-standing Communist Party member Susan Michie, in a television interview this June, who laughed merrily as she said we would have to go on wearing masks forever  in spite of most of the population by then having been vaccinated.

It is nice to know there is some vigorous debate among Sage members, but it isnt very helpful for us, the public, to be given such contradictory advice from a body that is supposed to be charged with producing a scientific consensus on how to tackle an emergency.

Only the most tribal voters would not feel a degree of sympathy for ministers who had to make hugely important decisions on the back of advice and predictions that turned out to be so wide of the mark  even if the same scientists also gave a stamp of authority to Government decisions.

Sage has been getting things wrong on Covid right from the beginning. Some of the earliest Covid tests were developed in Britain in January 2020, the same month as the disease was first reported by the World Health Organisation (WHO), having been circulating in China for some weeks previously.

Yet, as we learn from the MPs report, Sage failed to develop a testing system to learn how the disease was spreading, telling the committee on January 28 that testing asymptomatic people would not be useful. Yet at the same meeting Sage members told MPs that they suspected asymptomatic transmission was occurring. Had we started testing people then, we would have had six weeks to prepare for the explosion of cases that occurred in March.

As late as March 12, Sage members were still advocating a policy of herd immunity. On that day, Sir Patrick told reporters at the first of what became daily press conferences in Downing Street: Its not possible to stop everybody getting it and its also actually not desirable because you want some immunity in the population. We need immunity to protect ourselves from this in the future.

Four days later Sir Patrick and many in Sage did a screeching handbrake turn after a paper was published by Prof Ferguson predicting up to 500,000 deaths from Covid if the Government did nothing to tackle it.

Within a week, the country was in full lockdown, with police apprehending sunbathers in London parks and deploying drones to catch those who dared go for a harmless walk in the Peak District.

Yet Prof Fergusons study was every bit as dubious as Sages previous advice. We will never know what would have happened had the UK Government done nothing to tackle Covid-19, but we can get some idea of the usefulness and quality of the professors modelling thanks to a team at Uppsala University in Sweden.

In April 2020, these researchers used a version of Fergusons model

to predict that Sweden would suffer 90,000 deaths by the end of May 2020 if it carried on with its liberal policy, and 40,000 deaths if it introduced a full lockdown. In the event, Sweden didnt impose a lockdown  and suffered just 4,350 deaths by that date.

Following criticism that the UK Government didnt impose its first lockdown early enough, Sage seemed to flip to the opposite extreme.

In September 2020, for example, it implored the Government to introduce a two-week circuit-breaker lockdown to forestall a second wave of Covid. The Welsh government later took the advice  only to find infection numbers surging again when the two weeks were up.

When the Government at Westminster refused at first to call a second lockdown, Sages sub-committee on modelling, SPI-M, produced a frightening-looking graph showing deaths peaking at 4,000 a day by the middle of December  a graph which did nudge the Prime Minister into calling that second lockdown. Yet as others pointed out, the graph was already out of date when it was published.

Sage has continued getting it wrong ever since, most recently on September 8 when it predicted 6,000 hospitalisations per day by early October as schools and colleges returned. Fortunately, the Government resisted calls for school closures or another lockdown  because the number of people being admitted to hospital has fallen since then, from around 1,000 per day to 800 or so.

Follow the science, we were told ad nauseum at the start of the pandemic. As todays report makes clear, thats exactly what the Government did in the first three months of the crisis  by bowing to Sages every recommendation.

And a fat lot of good it did. Scientific method might often give us answers to lifes problems, but in the case of Sages modelling the Government might as well have responded to Covid by reading tea leaves.
Wallaman Falls in Queensland is the highest single-drop waterfall in the country

Travellers are flocking to 'Australia's answer to the Leaning Tower of Pisa' in a tropical rainforest in northern Queensland.

Instead of 'holding' the iconic Italian bell tower, tourists are capturing photos at Wallaman Falls, the highest permanent single-drop waterfall in Australia.

Holding a bottle at the right angle above or below the cascading water creates optical illusions that make for spectacular photos.

Towering 268 metres high, the waterfall in the heart of Girringun National Park, 110 kilometres northwest of Townsville, has been attracting droves of adventure-starved Queenslanders locked in by the state's border closure.

Travellers are flocking to 'Australia's answer to the Leaning Tower of Pisa' (pictured) in a formidable landscape in northern Queensland

Photos of the falls have racked up thousands of likes on Instagram and Facebook, with many calling them 'absolute gold'.

'How good,' one woman wrote, while a second added:'

A third said the prospect of taking pictures with the falls would be a good way to keep kids interested on a hike.

Others were disappointed to have visited the park and missed the chance to snap keepsakes.

'How did we miss this opportunity? We need to go back,' one man tagged his friends and wrote.

Travellers have left glowing reviews on TripAdvisor, describing the falls as 'mesmerising' and 'spectacular'.

Holding a bottle at the right angle above or below the cascading water creates optical illusions that make for spectacular photos

Towering 268 metres high, the waterfall in the heart of Girringun National Park has been attracting droves of adventure-starved Queenslanders locked in by the state's border closure

Travellers have left glowing reviews on TripAdvisor, describing the falls as 'mesmerising' and 'spectacular'

'Wowzers! What an awesome waterfall,' one woman wrote.

'The view from the lookout at the top was amazing and watching the water fall that distance was mesmerizing.'

Wallaman Falls is just one of the attractions at Girringun National Park, which is comprised of six sections: Blencoe Falls, Dalrymple Gap track, Mount Fox, Princess Hills, Wairuna, and Wallaman.

The park, which has camping, picnic, and barbecue facilities, contains breathtaking lookout points, challenging walking trails and magnificent rivers that plunge down over rockfaces.
A woman who was adopted after being found wrapped in a blanket in a hospital toilet cubicle as a baby broke down after she learned her birth father had died during a TV search for her biological parents.

Leah, 26, whose surname was not given, was abandoned by her birth mother on a toilet cistern at Wythenshawe Hospital, south Manchester, on December 29, 1994.

The discovery of the three-day-old baby sparked a search for the mother but she was never identified.

More than two decades later, Leah, who was adopted at four months old by Debbie and Andrew of Greater Manchester, launched a fresh search for her birth parents in TV documentary Our Lives: Finding My Family, which aired last night on BBC1.

Abandoned as a baby: Leah, whose surname was not given, was abandoned by her birth mother on a toilet cistern at Wythenshawe Hospital, south Manchester, on December 29, 1994. Pictured, Leah as a baby with one of the nurses. She was named 'Holly' by hospital staff

Difficult news: Leah launched a fresh search for her birth parents in TV documentary Our Lives: Finding My Family, which aired last night on BBC1. She broke down (pictured) when she learned her father was Lee Penney, a man who had died in 2014 just before his 40th birthday

Connection: Leah said seeing a photo of Lee (pictured) gave her a sense of belonging but admitted it was difficult not being able to ask him if he was proud of the woman she became

Filmed over three years, the programme tracked Leah's journey as she carried out online DNA tests in the hope of finding a match on an online database.

After false starts, Leah was matched with a first cousin once removed and through him was able to find her paternal grandmother and, eventually, her father.

But she was dealt another blow when she learned her father, Lee Penney, had died in April 2014 after suffering a seizure shortly before his 40th birthday.

He had lived just six miles from Leah and her family for more than 20 years.

'It's good that we know,' Leah said, tearing up at the discovery. 'But I think it's just a little bit hard because he's passed away. It feels a bit like too little too late.'

Leah was discovered by staff at Wythenshawe Hospital shortly before New Year's Eve in 1994.

Doctors believed the baby, named 'Holly' by nurses, was approximately three days old at the time she was found. Due to the circumstances, police believed the mother was likely a teenager or young woman, but no details about her were ever revealed.

Uncertain beginnings: Leah as a child. Due to the circumstances, police believed the mother was likely a teenager or young woman, but no details about her were ever revealed

Adopted parents: Debbie and Andrew, pictured, who already had one adopted daughter and wanted to adopt another, saw coverage of 'baby Holly' on the news. They adopted her at four months old and gave her a 'love-filled life', but understood her desire to find her birth parents

Debbie and Andrew, who already had one adopted daughter and wanted to adopt another, saw coverage of 'baby Holly' on the news. The baby was placed with them four months later.

'I have had a very love-filled life,' said Leah. 'I've not gone without. Mum and Dad have loved me. I have been part of a family, I've not felt ostracised or pushed out, at all. But there is always something that is not quite there.'

Debbie added: 'I do remember her wanting to search for her birth mum from when she was quite young... I can feel that hurt, from feeling she was abandoned. That drive to find out what happened is so strong.

'And then the other part of me thinks "well, I'm your mum now"... As a parent you want to fix things for your children. And that's something I couldn't fix.'

Leah, who is a mother to two boys, said she needed to know why she was abandoned, because she couldn't imagine leaving her own children.

Needing answers: Leah, who is a mother to two boys (pictured), said she needed to know why she was abandoned, because she couldn't imagine leaving her own children

'Not knowing even the basic facts of where you came from does have a knock on effect on everything else,' she said. 'I'm at a point where I have to get the answers.'

The mother-of-two has previously tried to find her birth parents without success but hoped new online DNA databases might hold the key.

The first match was a third cousin, meaning they share the same great-great grandparents. It meant it would be almost no way to fill in the gaps in the family tree.

But after months of waiting, Leah's DNA received another match: this time it was a first cousin once removed named Robert.

'He was born and bred in Wythenshawe, in and around the hospital where I was left. I could have passed him in the street and not known... That's close.'

With Robert's help, Leah pieced together the family tree and learned one of her parents was from a large Catholic family in Wythenshawe.

The DNA results suggested one of Robert's seven maternal aunts or uncles might be Leah's grandparent.

Piecing together answers: DNA results were enough to determine that Lee Penney was her father and had lived within a few miles of her for decades. He died in 2014

Leah decided to start by looking into the family of Robert's youngest aunt, Christine, whose sons would have been young adults at the time Leah was born, making it possible they could have fathered a child with a young mother.

Christine was willing to take a DNA test and five weeks later, Leah learned she was in fact her grandmother.

'Oh wow, I'm a bit shocked to be honest,' Christine said, when Leah phoned with the news. 'You've got a lot of cousins and aunties and uncles, you'll get a shock when you see them. We'll have to meet up and have a talk. That's good news, isn't it?'

The results meant one of Christine's four sons, from two different relationships, was Leah's father. But she also revealed that her youngest, Lee, had died years before.

Just two of the three surviving sons was willing to take a test, but the results were enough to determine that Lee was her father and had lived within a few miles of her for decades.

'Am I supposed to feel sad for someone I don't know?,' Leah asked, visiting her father's grave. 'Is it normal to feel like you're grieving for someone? I don't know him. Something hurts, but I don't know what hurts, or why.

Family: Although she was unable to meet her father, Leah was still able to travel to John O'Groats to meet Christine, who greeted her granddaughter with a warm embrace, pictured

'He actually looks quite a lot like me. To look like someone, it's that little sense of belonging somewhere but it's what I'm not ever going to be able to find out from him... Am I what he would hope for from a daughter? Is he proud of me? And then the obvious questions about who is my Mum.'

Although she was unable to meet her father, Leah was still able to travel to John O'Groats to meet Christine, who greeted her granddaughter with a warm embrace.

'You are like Lee,' Christine said. 'He was very clever at his work and his drawing was fantastic.' Leah shared: 'I'm quite arty in that sense, I draw a lot.'

However Christine was not able to shed any light on the identity of Leah's mother.

'I'm trying to think about the girls he went with,' she said. 'But I can't.'

Before they parted, Christine presented Leah with a bracelet Lee had gifted her.

'I had nothing that tied me back to who I was,' said Leah. 'Now I have something. It's personal, it's nice.'

She added: 'I still need to find my mum, I still need to know why... We've already done the impossible by finding my dad, so it's not as impossible now to find my mum.

'My life can't stop in the meantime, I've got to focus on being a mum to my two. I've got to make sure I put them first. I can't let it stop my life and I can't let it stop me from being a good mum to them because that's all I've ever wanted, to be a good mum to them.'

Our Lives: Finding My Family is available on BBC iPlayer
Controversial mummy blogger Constance Hall has been slammed by thousands of her own fans for urging Sam Frost to get vaccinated.

The 37-year-old mother-of-seven penned a lengthy Facebook post to the embattled Home and Away star, 32, who has faced scathing criticism after tearfully revealing she is unvaccinated in an emotional Instagram video on Saturday.

While Sam claims society has made her feel 'less of a human' because of her decision to decline the jab, Constance begged her to consider the vulnerable who are most at risk of contracting life-threatening Covid infections.

Reflecting on her own battle with mental health, the West Australian author said she could empathise with the 'fear' and 'anxiety' in the former Bachelorette's eyes, but assured her the 'darkness it convinces you of is not real'.

Despite addressing the issue with balance and compassion, Constance was blasted by an army of anti-vaxxers who accused her of 'bullying' the TV personality, 'tearing women down' and branding all unvaccinated Australians 'mentally unstable'.

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Outspoken mummy blogger Constance Hall (pictured) has been slammed by thousands of her own fans for urging Home and Away star Sam Frost to get vaccinated

Sam Frost (pictured) deactivated her Instagram account on Saturday, hours after tearfully revealing she is unvaccinated in an emotional video

'Dear Sam Frost, to top off what is no doubt your week from hell I'm now piping in, but hear me out,' she began.

'The other day I spent the day with my soul sister Tash who currently fights, fights for her rights to be here, to be a part of this world that homes her parents and children and closer than close mates.'

Constance said her friend is being treated with 'so many chemicals' she is too weak to fight off even the mildest infection, and would need emergency treatment if she got so much as a paper cut due to her failing immune system.

'It's a terrifying battle and I think you understand that,' she wrote.

The Margaret River-based writer went on to reflect about her personal struggle with hypochondria, the fear of having an undiagnosed illness despite being perfectly healthy, which led her to drink heavily during her early 20s.

She wrote: ''I've suffered from hypochondria my whole life...it's more than the joke it's become in modern culture.

'It's a terrifying debilitating hell that can swallow all of your happiness with a dark cloud of the assumption that the first signs of a sinister disease are presenting themselves.

'It has been so bad in the past that when someone made a joke or something great happened my brain would use that endorphin hit as a trigger immediately think about an illness I was convinced I had and I'd become instantly terrified in the face of anything wonderful that happened to me.'

As a young woman, Constance said she 'drank a lot' to mask her anxiety and always expected the worst case scenario about her health.

'Every time my phone would ring I was expecting a doctor with a sympathetic tone telling me it's serious or an ex telling me that he has HIV. Or a friend who had heard that a guy I had slept with was terminal with a STD,' she wrote.

Reflecting on her own battle with mental health, Constance (pictured) said she could empathise with the 'fear' and 'anxiety' in Sam's eyes, but assured her the 'darkness it convinces you of is not real'

Despite her respectful approach, Constance was slammed by an army of her own fans

Many of them accused her of 'bullying' and 'tearing women down'

Constance said she was 'too young and secretive' to share her fears with anyone but her mother and sister, perhaps hinting that Sam's refusal to get the vaccine could be a result of a similar battle.

'I look back at that time and I feel so sorry for little Con, I wish she knew that this was anxiety and not some reflection of shameful life style choices,' she added.

'I wish I could tell her that everything will been ok, I will get older, fall in love with kids and a husband who together will make my intimate world and personal space a lot more crowded, more exposed, and anxiety doesn't like being exposed.'

Constance concluded by explaining how growing older had helped her to overcome anxiety, saying: 'Another thing anxiety hates are real problems.

'You see slowly real problems started to take over the problems my anxiety was making up, they fill my brain space and while big and valid, are never anywhere near as dark as the problems my anxiety invented.

'I think with age comes a humility, everything became a little less self indulgent, I couldn't imagine now sitting at home googling diseases that I might have instead of being the best mate I can be to a friend who actually has it.'

Sam admitted she could 'get in trouble' for coming out publicly as unvaccinated, before urging people to treat each other with more kindness and compassion

Constance said she saw much of her younger self in Sam when she asked for greater acceptance for the unvaccinated.

'I recognise that fear in your eyes when I watched your video and I want you to understand that I recognise your anxiety, it is real,' she wrote.

'But the darkness it convinces you of is not real. Like a bad movie or a nightmare, you will wake up from this.'

Constance signed off by begging Sam to spare a thought for her cancer-stricken friend, Tash, who cannot be vaccinated because she is immunocompromised.

'A virus like Covid would probably kill her, taking her away from her parents and her twin children. And she cannot be immunised, she does not have that choice,' she said.

'She is one of so many. None of this is your fault, but you have now found yourself in a position of power amongst the scared and mentally unstable unvaccinated Australian public.'

Constance (pictured) said she saw much of her younger self in Sam when she asked for greater acceptance for the unvaccinated

The majority of patients being treated for Covid in ICU wards are unvaccinated. Getting the Covid-19 vaccine significantly reduces your risk of hospitalisation.

Constance immediately clarified what she meant, writing: 'Ok that came out wrong - what I meant was, those who are mentally unstable and also unvaccinated.

'I was not calling all unvaccinated people mentally unstable, I was speaking of mental instability as in the medical condition - not as an insult thrown around to push an agenda, I actually never use mental instability as an insult - not my style.'

Constance reminded Sam she can 'literally make a decision that could save lives' just by choosing to get vaccinated.

'Your fears are so valid and so scary. But now we think collectively and we focus on those who don't have the time for fear, those whose realities are that scary and we step out, in the face of those fears,' she wrote.

'We show the world what bravery looks like, because bravery comes in so many forms and one of the most powerful is someone who genuinely didn't think she could do it.. Admitting she was wrong and doing it.

'Please don't ever feel like there is no way out. And remember that anxiety thrives where it isolates.

'You don't need an internet hate pile on Sam Frost, you need a hug. Now get the jab so we can all give you one.'

Stars of Home and Away are said to be concerned for Sam's welfare after she shared a troubling video explaining why she didn't want to get the vaccine

Her words, which have racked up 4,700 'likes' and 100 shares since they were posted online on Monday, sparked passionate responses.

'Nope, don't tell her to get the jab. Her body, her choice,' one woman wrote.

Another added: 'Calling someone out publicly like this on social media is bullying! Poor Sam like she needs this like a hole in the head. I expected better.'

Others lashed out at Constance for 'tearing down women' despite her famously feminist stance.

'As someone who preaches women supporting other women, it seems with this post you are telling Sam that her feelings don't actually matter and she should do something AGAINST her will because it's only "anxiety" not a real issue driving her to not want the vaccine,' one woman wrote.

'I understand you are speaking from a place of wanting to protect your friend, but no one should have to make a medical choice for anyone but themselves and what is right for them!'

Feminist activist Clementine Ford called Constance (pictured) a 'shining light'

A second said: 'This is a disappointing post. No matter where you stand on this topic whether you are pro vax or not, we all have a right to choose.'

But others jumped to Constance's defence, with feminist activist Clementine Ford urging her to stand by her beliefs.

'Constance, you're a shining light against a backdrop of misinformation peddlers, charlatans and frauds. Ignore the naysayers - you're on the right side here,' she wrote.

Many threw their support behind the blogger and praised her for addressing a divisive issue with balance and respect.

'What a compassionate response to such an important issue,' one woman wrote.

'We all have a duty of care to protect the vulnerable in our community, but it is good to see people's anxieties being treated with empathy, but also the understanding that empathy doesn't change the facts.'

Constance's plea was met with criticism from her own fans

Others lashed out at Constance for 'tearing down women' despite her famously feminist stance

Constance's plea comes after Frost's employer, Channel Seven, clarified the network's stance on Covid vaccines and confirmed she was still an employee.

A spokesperson said: 'Seven strongly encourages vaccination for all our people and all Seven productions strictly adhere to the public health Covid-19 safe protocols.

'All Home and Away cast and crew also undertake Covid-19 testing three times a week in addition to other preventative measures.

'Sam Frost continues to work on Home and Away and follows the safety protocols in place.'

Frost deactivated her Instagram account on Saturday afternoon, hours after revealing her mental health had suffered as a result of other people 'judging' her for being unvaccinated

The actress, who has played nurse Jasmine Delaney on the long-running soap since 2017, called for less judgement towards unvaccinated Australians.

Sam (pictured on Home and Away with her co-star, Ada Nicodemou) deactivated her Instagram account on Saturday afternoon, hours after revealing her mental health had suffered as a result of other people 'judging' her for being unvaccinated

'I was really hesitant about doing a video or even speaking up about this sort of thing, but I feel like it's getting to a point now in the world where there's a lot of segregation,' she said.

'There's a lot of harsh judgement and opinions being thrown around a lot and it's taking its toll on my mental health for sure, and I know people around me are struggling - particularly if they're on the side of they don't want to get vaccinated, for whatever reason.'

She continued: 'There are lots of different reasons why people are not getting vaccinated and it might be because of their medical history, their concerns, they might have family history, it could be religious reasons.'

Frost then revealed she hadn't been vaccinated, but claimed she had spoken to her doctor as well as a psychologist about her decision.

However, it's understood she does not have a valid medical exemption.

She added tearfully: 'It's a really hard time to be in society right now and you feel like you are less of a human and you feel like people judge you.

'And you're too scared to talk about your opinion or your feelings and part of you wants to go, 'Well, it's none of your damn business why I'm not! And there's good reasons why I'm not and I don't want you to judge me.''

She explained it was important for the unvaccinated to look after their mental health, especially as freedoms return for fully vaccinated Australians.

Backlash: Her video caused a great deal of controversy, mainly because of her use of the word 'segregation' when referring to the way society 'judges' unvaccinated people

'I'm struggling a lot with my mental health and I like to think that I'm pretty on to it. I see a psychologist regularly. So I can't imagine what it's like for people who don't have a support network around them,' she said.

She also said she could 'get in trouble' for coming out publicly as unvaccinated, before urging people to treat each other with more kindness and compassion.

Her video caused a storm of controversy, most of it linked to her use of the word 'segregation' in reference to how society 'judges' unvaccinated people.

'Segregation' is typically used to describe societies that are divided due to race, religion or sexual orientation.

'Sam Frost, if you want fewer people to judge you and more people to empathise with you - maybe, just maybe don't use the word 'segregation' 30 seconds into your video. This isn't 1950s Alabama. You ain't Rosa Parks,' journalist Antoinette Lattouf tweeted.

Comedian Em Rusciano added: 'Watching Sam Frost tearfully speak about 'segregation' because she chooses not to get vaccinated and being called 'brave' by her followers is taking me to a level of 'what the f**k' I didn't know was possible.'

Vaccinations are vital to reducing the spread of contagious diseases, and suggesting otherwise flies in the face of science and the advice of medical experts around the world.
Since Naked Harvest launched its Moon Mylk powder onto the market, thousands of stunned customers have left rave reviews claiming their sleep quality has never been better.

Founders Georgie Stevenson and her brother Coopa, from Queensland, came up with the blend while struggling with restless nights and wanted a tasty sleep aid that instantly calmed the nervous system.

The $39.95 Moon Mylk, which can be mixed with hot water, a milk of your choice or baked into an after-dinner treat, comes in three flavours: chocolate, vanilla maple chai and salted caramel.

The secret lies in the blend of natural herbs and vitamins to help your body relax and de-stress; it includes magnesium which is known to quiet the nervous system and activate calming mechanisms in the brain.

Since Naked Harvest launched its Moon Mylk powder onto the market, thousands of stunned customers have left rave reviews claiming their sleep quality has never been better

The Australian supplements company, founded by fitness influencer Georgie Stevenson (pictured) and her brother Coopa, came up with the blend while struggling with restless nights and wanted a tasty sleep aid that instantly calmed the nervous system

The blend also contains zinc, which plays an essential role in the metabolism of melatonin (sleep hormone in control of the sleep-wake cycle) and has a sedative effect on the nervous system.

Other key ingredients include organic Ashwagandha root to help with brain function and anziety, L-tryptophan, an amino acid that helps build proteins and certain brain-signalling chemicals in serotonin, glycine, passion flower, cacao and Camu Camu.

The reviews for the product speak for themselves, with many claiming they 'can't live without it' and naming it an essential step of their nightly routine.

'Tried the Moon Mylk because I've had insomnia for a long time and the sleep supplements I tried didn't work. Since having it I fall asleep quicker and when I wake at night I also sleep quickly, rather than rolling around for hours. It is now a nightly ritual,' one woman wrote.

Recipe: How to make sleepy Moon Mylk Double Choc Cookies Not only will these decadent cookies cure your sweet tooth, but they will help you relax, unwind and recover. Ingredients 65g Coconut Oil 85ml Almond Milk 40g Flaked Almonds 100g Dark Chocolate Chips 40g Hot Choc Moon Mylk 2 tbsp Almond Butter 200g Coconut Sugar 180g Plain Flour 1 tsp of Baking Powder Pinch of sea salt + extra to taste Method 1. Preheat the oven to 180C, fan setting. Melt the coconut oil over a low heat, ensuring it never comes to the boil. Once melted, remove from heat and leave to cool a little. 2. In a large bowl combine the coconut sugar, Hot Choc Moon Mylk, flour, baking powder, flaked almonds & pinch of salt. Mix to combine. 3. Pour in the almond milk, cooled coconut oil and almond butter & mix well until a thick mixture forms. 4. Add in dark chocolate chips and bring the cookie dough together. 5. Shape the dough into twelve balls, rolling them and then gently pressing them down a little. 6. Place the balls onto a baking tray. Space them out evenly across the baking tray, leave at least 3cm between them. 7. Sprinkle a small pinch of sea salt over each cookie. 8. Bake for 15 minutes. Once baked, leave the cookies to cool for at least 5 minutes & ENJOY! Advertisement

The $39.95 Moon Mylk powder, which can be mixed with hot water, a milk of your choice or baked into an after-dinner treat, comes in three flavours: chocolate, vanilla maple chai and salted caramel

'So, I'll admit I was a sceptic, but goddess was I wrong! Not only does it taste divine, I was calmer during my bedtime routine and I slept so well last night, I didn't even dream,' another added.

'I can't wait to drink more tonight and dabble in cooking it into a late night snack. Thank you for such an amazing product.'

Naked Harvest was started by the sibling duo in 2019 after the pair struggled to find the perfect nutritional supplements that supported their lifestyles.

They set out to create a range for men and women without artificial nasties and misleading information and since have built up a collection of successful protein powders, greens powders and natural pre-workouts.
A leading nutritionist has shared her favourite healthy nachos bowl as a quick and easy weeknight dinner option.

Jessica Sepel, the brains behind multi-million dollar Australian vitamin empire, JS Health, combined her two favourite things - Mexican and nourish bowls - together for the delicious dish.

'It's zesty, creamy, spicy and fresh all at once, plus loaded with protein, fibre and good fats,' Jessica said.

'To make it vegan-friendly, use plant-based substitutes for yoghurt and cheese, or simply omit them.'

Jessica Sepel, the brains behind multi-million dollar Australian vitamin empire, JS Health, combined her two favourite things - Mexican and nourish bowls - together for the delicious dish

Recipe: How to make Jessica Sepel's Nachos Nourish Bowls Ingredients 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil  red onion, diced 1 garlic clove, crushed 2 tsp cumin powder 2 tsp sweet paprika 1 400g tin black beans, rinsed & drained 1 head cos lettuce, shredded 2 handfuls corn chips  cup corn kernels, we used frozen  avocado, smashed 3 tbsp Greek yoghurt, optional, or coconut yoghurt for dairy-free 40g (1.4oz) cheddar cheese, grated, omit for dairy-free 6 jalapeno slices Salsa 10 cherry tomatoes, quartered  cucumber, diced 1/8 red onion, diced  lime, juiced 1/8 bunch coriander, leaves shredded Method 1. Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a non-stick pan over a medium high heat. Add the red onion, garlic, cumin and sweet paprika and saute for 2-3 minutes or until the onion has softened. 2. Add the black beans to the pan with a splash of water. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Saute for a further 3-4 minutes. 3. To make the salsa, combine all of the ingredients in small bowl and stir to combine. Season with sea salt and black pepper. 4. To assemble your nacho bowl, arrange the shredded cos lettuce and corn chips across the base of 2 serving bowls. Add the bean mix, corn kernels and salsa. Top with smashed avocado, Greek yoghurt, cheddar cheese and jalapeno slices. Advertisement

To begin, Jess heats extra virgin olive oil in a non-stick pan over a medium high heat and adds red onion, garlic, cumin and sweet paprika before sauteing them for two to three minutes.

She then adds black beans to the pan with a splash of water, seasons with sea salt and black pepper and sautes for a further three to four minutes.

To make the salsa, Jess combines all of the ingredients in small bowl and stirs to combine before seasoning the tasty mix with sea salt and black pepper.

'It's zesty, creamy, spicy and fresh all at once, plus loaded with protein, fibre and good fats,' Jessica said

Once ready to assemble, she arranges the shredded cos lettuce and corn chips across the base of two serving bowls then adds the bean mix, corn kernels and salsa.

To finish, she tops with smashed avocado, Greek yoghurt, cheddar cheese and jalapeno slices.

Since the launch of her vitamins in 2019, Jessica's JSHealth has gone from strength to strength

Since the launch of her vitamins in 2019, Jessica's JSHealth has gone from strength to strength and she has thousands of loyal fans who follow her for her tasty recipe ideas and simple health advice.

Today, a JSHealth product sells somewhere in the world every 27 seconds, Jessica's vitamin range is the second most popular stocked in Australian pharmacies and there are more than 25,000 independent glowing reviews for her products online.

'Every single product has come about through an issue that's been raised within the community. I've always been more gratified by customer reviews and personal stories more than by hitting KPIs and making millions,' she told FEMAIL.

'While it's obviously great to financially reach a certain level of success, I'm more interested in empowering women and creating a safe space for women to learn more about nutrition and health.'
A couple have divided opinion after they turned up at a restaurant with instructions for the chef on how to cook their meal.

In the post shared to Facebook page 'Don't F With Your Server,' a couple, known only as Alan and Karen, from the United States, penned a six-step guide for the professional on how to prepare their burgers which they wanted for take-out.

In the very precise note, the duo requested each part of the meal - from the buns, burger patties, vegetables, cheese, fries and sauces - to be placed in individual containers.

Alongside a snap of the note, which was reportedly shared by a staff, was a caption which read: 'Ok, so I don't usually post, but this I couldn't resist... 2 guests came in today with their own printed instructions on how they wanted their food prepared. Absof***Kinglutely, Karen..'

Alan and Karen, from the United States, have divided opinion after they turned up at a restaurant with instructions for the chef on how to cook their meal

Taking to the comments section, one person penned: 'Wtf. Go to the grocery store and cook it yourself Karen' (pictured)

And it wasn't long before social media users took to the comments section to express outrage at the couple's sheer nerve.

'LOL!!!!! My restaurant would say no. We don't waste to go containers on stupidity,' commented one, while a second penned: 'Wtf. Go to the grocery store and cook it yourself Karen.'

A third joked: 'I'd put every single thing in a separate container, here's your 25 boxes, Karen,' while a fourth added: 'So two can play at that game Karen. I have a masters dealing with your crew and I do the inventory. So when I charge her for every container she uses separately?!? She can't say #byekaren.'

Another wrote: 'The names say it all,' while a further added: 'Omfg her name really is Karen.'

Meanwhile, others took the opportunity to share their own experiences of very demanding customers.

Some took the opportunity to share their own experiences of very demanding customers (pictured)

'I had a customer come in many years ago with a list of all his allergies and intolerances and used to bring in a can of green beans.....eat at home if you have that many,' wrote one.

A second penned: 'I use to have a guy that would give his server a note to give to me on how to make his Bombay up martini. Every Friday for 2 year,' while a third revealed:

'I had this guy that used to come in to my job and I s*** you not he printed business cards with these ridiculous modifications. To a salad.'

Others defended the couple's request and praised the instructions for being 'clear' (pictured)

However, elsewhere some defended the couple's request and praised the instructions for being 'clear.'

'They are annoying, but at least they are clear, and also seem to understand that they know they are annoying "fries, of course".

'I wouldn't get too bent about this, but it's totally reasonable to charge for all the extra containers, since depending on what you're working with each container can be pretty costly.

Another added: ''They might be travelling some distance with their food. They will probably put the meat and the fries in a thermal warming bag. I would accept the compliment that they chose your restaurant for their road trip meal.'
The screenwriter who wrote Skins has revealed how she was compelled to pen a new play about sexual violence against women following the 'horrific' murders of Sabina Nessa and Sarah Everard.

Lucy Kirkwood wrote Maryland in just two days and describes the 30-minute theatre piece, which is already being performed at London's Royal Court Theatre, as a 'howl' and 'a way of expressing what I feel about a culture of violence against women.'

Speaking to the Guardian, Kirkwood said she hadn't been commissioned to write Maryland but after doing so had sent it to the theatre who agreed to stage it.

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The award-winning writer's latest work, Maryland, is based on male sexual violence; Lucy Kirkwood, pictured in 2013, says the play 'had to happen now', telling the Guardian she wrote it in just two days

The murder of Sabina Nessa, a primary school teacher who was killed in Cator Park, south-east London, as she made her way to meet a friend on September 17 'galvanised' Kirkwood to write Maryland

The short play - just 30 minutes long - is 'unfortunately, rooted in real life' says Kirkwood

The award-winning playwright, 37, said the murder of Sabina Nessa, a primary school teacher who was killed in Cator Park, south-east London, as she made her way to meet a friend on September 17, had prompted her to write a play about male sexual violence that had been in her head for a decade.

Nessa's death took place just days before the sentencing of Wayne Couzens, who will spend the rest of his life in prison for the kidnap, rape and murder of Sarah Everard.

She said: 'It had been in my head for years as sketches and lines but Sabina Nessas death compounded everything and galvanised me  I felt like this had to happen now.'

Kirkwood said the short play was 'unfortunately, rooted in real life' and that its plot had been 'informed by something real  my experience or someone I know or something on the news.'

Describing the work as a piece of 'agitprop' that's designed to provoke, she added: 'I want to put a stick in it and shake it and make that wasp nest more angry. The gesture of this is to ask why we are not angry.'

The murder of Sarah Everard, pictured, also influenced the playwright, who described the play as a 'howl'

Sabina Nessa's death took place just days before the sentencing of Wayne Couzens, pictured, who will spend the rest of his life in prison for the kidnap, rape and murder of Sarah Everard

In a quote given to The Royal Court Theatre, Kirkwood said: 'This play was for many years a private conversation with myself. The horrific murders of Sarah Everard and Sabina Nessa this year have galvanised me into making it public.

'I hesitate to even call it a play when it is simply a howl, a way of expressing what I feel about a culture of violence against women, but I am sharing it because I wonder if it might express a little of what other people feel about it too.

It was written very quickly, and I am grateful to the Royal Court for snatching up a gauntlet thrown down last Friday night with such energy, care and seriousness.'

Maryland runs at The Royal Court Theatre in London until October 16th
University Challenge viewers were left reeling last night's episode of the quiz show which saw Sussex finish with one of the lowest scores in the show's history.

Yesterday's BBC2 show, hosted by Jeremy Paxman, saw the University of Birmingham annihilate their competitors with a score of 245, while Sussex bagged just ten.

They answered only three questions correctly - including one in the picture round and one in the music round, identifying the song The Beautiful Briny From Bedknobs and Broomsticks.

The team would have had 25 points in total but came away with only 10 due to wrong answers.

It was over half way through the episode until the team got a question right: What middle initial links the authors of all these works of fiction, The Camberwell Miracle, An Unsuitable Job for a Woman, Lorna Doone and The Catcher in the Rye?

And at one stage the competitors had minus five points after their score was deducted for a wrong answer.

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Last night's episode of University Challenge saw the University of Birmingham annihilate their competitors' ten points with a score of 245

Sussex doesn't have a good track record on the show and in 1971, the university scored the lowest in an episode hosted by Bamber Gascoigne - with just ten points once again.

The lowest score of the Paxman-era was from the University of Reading, who were obliterated by Keble College Oxford 240 points to zero in the BBC show's 2017 Christmas special.

The University of Sussex last won the series in 1969 when they trounced the University of Essex, having claimed a victory against King's College London two years prior.

No student teams have scored nothing in the Paxman era, with one of the lowest scores from Exeter in 2009 when it finished a quarter final against Corpus Christi College, Oxford with just 15 points.

Could YOU answer more questions correctly than Sussex? In what major mountain range is the point on earth that is farthest from the planet's centre? Name the Shakespeare tragedy in which the following lines appear: 'Ravens, crows, and kites, flying over our heads and looking down on us' Name the Shakespeare play in which the following lines appear: 'Light thickens and the crow makes wing to the rooky wood' Name the Shakespeare play in which the following lines appear: 'Come, thou day in night, For thou wilt lie upon the wings of night Whiter than new snow upon a raven's back' Which Dutch born Nobel chemistry laureate gives his name to a characteristic frequency of crystals and to a related temperature and specific heats applying to solids at a very low temperature? The Triumph of the Innocents, The Scapegoat, The Light of the World are works of which artist? A word meaning extremely hot or intensely passionate, used to describe the zone of earth bounded by the two tropics A word meaning inactive, slow or sluggish A word often used in reference to prose meaning inflated, pompous or bombastic What is the first book of the Old Testament with a main title that includes the name of a specific person? Which constellation is named after the Queen of Ethiopia? Which French priest gives his name to the design of a two mirror reflecting telescope? Which Italian born astronomer discovered four satellites of Saturn? In statistical physics, for what do the letters SOC stand for? Since the late 19th century successive flags of which country have included those known as Yellow Dragon, Five Races Under One Union, Blue Sky White Sun? Herding Cats and Big Mushy Happy Lump are collections on which series of web comics by Sarah Anderson? Her graphic novel Cheshire Crossing is a collaboration with which US author? Which novel includes the words: 'The Great Frost was, historians tell us, the most severe that has ever visited these islands. Birds froze in mid-air and fell like stone to the ground'? What is the name of a recent TV drama co-produced by BBC and HBO created by and starring Michaela Cole? A short series following a group of young graduates competing for jobs at a fictional investment bank An ongoing adaptation of a trilogy of fantasy novels, Dafne Keen and Amir Wilson play two young protagonists? What is the name of the event which occurred on June 30th, 1908 where a a massive explosion caused by the breakup of an unknown object released energy equal to about 10-15 megatons of TNT? Kangaroos, aquarium and characters with long ears are successive movements of what humorous fantasy? Sciurus carolinensis is a rodent with what common two word name? Dumetella Carolinensis is a North American perching bird named in part after what domestic animal? The green anole belongs to what general group of reptile? What middle initial links the authors of all these works of fiction, The Camberwell Miracle, An Unsuitable Job for a Woman, Lorna Doone and The Catcher in the Rye? What property of a planetary orbit assures the extent to which it deviates from a circular path? The chronicles of court historian John Froissart largely document which war? Irrfan Khan played the adult version of the title character in the film adaptation of a novel by Yann Martel? In 2004 Khan starred in an adaption by which play of Shakespeare? Khan plays a police inspector who questions the young Jamal Malik, played by Dev Patel in which film? What academic subject did an Oxford professor describe as an analytical discipline which pre-dates even theology in the study of humanity? Give the original French title of the work of the 1830s that begins with chapters titled in English The Grand Hall and ends with chapters Phoebus's marriage Quasimodo's marriage Books of the King James bible and The Apocrypha - in each case name the female title character from the description: This book takes place in Persia the title figure averts a massacre of the Jews The title character is a Moabite, the daughter in law of Naomi This book takes place during an Assyrian invasion, the title figure cuts off the head of the enemy commander as he lay drunkenly asleep The birth places of the poet Kahlil Gibran and actor Keanu Reeves are in which present day country? In linear algebra which term is defined as the dimension of the kernel of a linear map? What term is used in set theory to refer to sets that have one-to-one correspondence with a set of natural numbers? In classical statistics the null hypothesis of a hypothesis test is typically written as h subscript 0 which name is given to the statement written as h subscript 1? What is the only two digit square number to be exactly divisible by both 2 and 3? Which Saint is introduced with a series of temptations supposedly induced to endure during a solitary retreat of more than 15 years? The Temptation of Saint Anthony is a work by which French author? What compass direction links the location of Jay Gatsby's mansion, and an American drama series created by Aaron Sorkin? What city is now the capital of the Italian region of Friuli Venezia Giulia? Trieste lies at the head of which large peninsula? The majority of the religion of Istria lies in the territory of which country? Of the major cities of China which is closest to the Japanese city of Nagasaki? Who was the first won to win the Nobel Prize in literature? Name any two of the three group 18 elements discovered in 1898 by Ramstein Travers PICTURE ROUND Which animal species is this description in Spanish referring to? Which three other animal families have English names which are direct borrowings from Spanish? What are the titles of the below four films? Advertisement

After scoring ten points on the picture round for correctly guessing a film, their score climbed to 15 - but they soon got a question wrong and ended up with a measly ten.

Viewers were quick to poke fun at last night's contestants with several claiming to have beat the team themselves while another teased they 'should get a refund of their tuition fees'.

'Oh dear, it has been a bad week for Sussex!', wrote one viewer.

Another said: 'lolol University of Sussex matched the lowest score ever on #UniversityChallenge by...the University of Sussex.'

'Catching up on #UniversityChallenge, beat Sussex Uni all by myself tonight.', wrote a third.

Sussex's team was made up of geography and international development student Spike Asri, Jack Harcourt, who is studying for a masters in social anthropology, medicine student Thomas Khan-White and Marianne Glascott, studying climate change development and policy.

Viewers were quick to poke fun at last night's contestants with several claiming to have beat the team themselves while another teased they 'should get a refund of their tuition fees'

Michael Joel Bartelle, who is studying a PhD in Shakespeare Studies, led the Birmingham team, who bagged one of the highest scores in the first round of the contest this year.

Elsewhere on the team was MA Literature student, John Robinson, Jaimy Sajit, who is studying Medicine, and History and English student, Mark McParlan.

Speaking to the Tab Birmingham about their appearance on the show, Michael said: 'Birmingham's historical track record on the show hasn't been particularly stellar, and we came into the competition with a real desire to change that.'
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Princess Sofia of Spain looked perfectly poised as she joined her parents King Felipe and Queen Letizia for National Day celebrations in Madrid today.

Sofia, 14, wearing a white long-sleeved dress, stood by her father's side as he led the festivities at the Paseo de la Castellana.

Her sister Leonor, 15, heir to the Spanish throne, did not attend because she is at boarding school at UWC Atlantic College in Wales.

Queen Letizia, 49, looked typically elegant in a belted sky blue dress with brown suede heels and a co-ordinating leather clutch bag.

Festivities: Princess Sofia of Spain joined her parents King Felipe and Queen Letizia for National Day celebrations in Madrid

Elegant: Queen Letizia, 49, looked typically chic in a belted sky blue dress with brown suede heels and a leather clutch bag

Family outing: Felipe and Letizia were joined by their younger daughter Sofia, while Leonor is at boarding school in Wales

Meet and greet: Letizia (in blue) and Sofia spoke to Labor Minister Yolanda Diaz and First Deputy Prime Minister Nadia Calvino

Display: Members of the Spanish Royal Guard attend a military parade to mark Spain's National Day

Pomp and ceremony: Crowds gathered to watch the military parade as part of the National Day festivities

Taking to the air: A T-23 and two F-18 C-15 fighters participate in the military air parade as part of today's celebration

She wore her brunette locks pulled back into a simple ponytail and added a pair of delicate drop earrings.

King Felipe, 53, who ascended the throne in 2014, looked dapper in full military uniform as he oversaw a military display.

Crowds waving Spanish flags lined the streets of the capital as they soaked up the pomp and pageantry of National Day. The holiday commemorates Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas in 1492.

The royal family watched proceedings from a specially built platform decorated with the royal crest.

In keeping with public health guidelines, Felipe, Letizia and Leonor wore face masks throughout the ceremony. At one point King Felipe saluted members of the Spanish Royal Guard as they marched past.

By her mother's side: Letizia and Sofia spoke to Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez at the military parade

Royal reception: Later King Felipe and Queen Letizia chaired an official reception at the Royal Palace in Madrid

Safety first: In keeping with public health guidelines, Felipe, Letizia and Leonor wore face masks throughout the ceremony

Royal leader: At one point King Felipe saluted members of the Spanish Royal Guard as they marched past

VIPs: Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, left, joined the royal family in their box at the event in Madrid today

Historic: King Felipe of Spain led the parade in Madrid, marking Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas

Decorated: King Felipe, who ascended the throne in 2014, had his military medals on display at the event in Madrid today

There was also social distancing measures in place, with officials standing 2ft apart to watch the procession.

Leonor enrolled at UWC Atlantic College in September, alongside Princess Alexia of the Netherlands, 16.

They are both on a 67,000, two-year course to study for their International Baccalaureate diploma.

The school, situated in a 12th century castle in the Vale of Glamorgan, offers activities and subjects like Tai Chi and Tibetan literature, leading it to be nicknamed 'Hippie Hogwarts'.

UWC Atlantic College has a proven track record educating royalty. King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands studied there in the Eighties and Belgian heir to the throne Elisabeth graduated last year.

King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain dropped Leonor off at Madrid's Adolfo Suarez Barajas Airport on August 30, later releasing photos of their farewell.

Sophisticated: Letizia wore her brunette locks pulled back into a simple ponytail and added a pair of delicate drop earrings

Keeping their distance: There was also social distancing measures in place, with officials standing apart to watch the parade

Standing out: King Felipe of Spain inspects members of Spain's Royal Guards during the parade in Madrid
Celebrated with larger-scale wedding on Saturday in Germany

Wed amid pandemic in September in a small civil ceremony at Buckeburg Palace

Mahkameh Navabi, 40, is third wife of Prince Alexander of Schaumburg-Lippe

Prince Alexander of Schaumburg-Lippe and his third wife, Persian pianist Mahkameh Navabi have celebrated one year on from their scaled-down civil ceremony by having a larger-scale wedding at the Buckeburger Stadtkirche in Germany.

The royal, 62, and his third wife Mahkameh Navabi, 40, tied the knot amid the pandemic in September 2020 in a small civil ceremony at Buckeburg Palace - the family home for 700 years.

Among the royal guests included Alexanders ex-wife, Princess Marie-Louise of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, as well as his 27-year-old son, Prince Heinrich Donatus of Schaumburg-Lippe.

However, the pair, who had been together for five years and got engaged in January 2020, decided to celebrate with a larger-scale wedding on Saturday, which took place at the Buckeburger Stadtkirche in Germany.

Prince Alexander of Schaumburg-Lippe, 62 and his third wife, Persian pianist Mahkameh Navabi, 40, have celebrated one year on from their scaled-down civil ceremony by having a larger-scale wedding at the Buckeburger Stadtkirche in Germany

Mahkameh looked every inch the blushing bride in a couture gown by Azzi and Osta and dazzled in the family Schaumburg-Lippe Palmette Tiara. Pictured, with husband Prince Alexander zu Schaumburg-Lippe

Mahkameh's couture gown by Azzi and Osta boasted off-the-shoulder sleeve detail, intricate embroidery detail and a very impressive train. Pictured, with husband Prince Alexander zu Schaumburg-Lippe

Mahkameh looked every inch the blushing bride in a couture gown by Azzi and Osta which boasted off-the-shoulder sleeve detail, intricate embroidery detail and a very impressive train.

The pianist dazzled in the family Schaumburg-Lippe Palmette Tiara, which was previously worn by Prince Alexanders mother, Eva-Benita von Tiele-Winckler, at her wedding to his father, Prince Philipp-Ernst, in 1955.

The tiara, which dates back to the 19th-century, has also previously been worn by his first two wives.

The couple weren't short of royal guests either - with the likes of Prince Guillaume and Princess Sibilla of Luxembourg, as well as Prince Ernst August and Princess Ekaterina of Hanover, the Earl and Countess of St Andrews, and European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, all in attendance.

Mahkameh, who could be seen clutching a beautiful bouquet, looked the picture of happiness as she was congratulated by wellwishers who lined the streets, before being whisked off in a waiting horse-drawn carriage.

The married couple (pictured) share a joint passion of music, with Mahkameh a concert pianist and Alexander a jazz pianist

The family Schaumburg-Lippe Palmette Tiara (pictured), was previously worn by Prince Alexanders mother, as well as his first two wives

Mahkameh waves to wellwishers who lined the streets, before being whisked off in a waiting horse-drawn carriage (pictured)

The married couple share a joint passion of music, with Mahkameh a concert pianist and Alexander a jazz pianist.

Prince Alexander's family ruled over the small principality of Schaumburg-Lippe in northern Germany until 1918, when they lost their titles and lands at the end of WWI.

Prince Alexander, who today lives at the family seat Schloss Buckeburg, was married to Princess Marie-Louise of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg from 1993 to 2002 and they had a son together, Heinrich.

He wed his second wife, Nadja Anna Zsoeks in 2007, before divorcing in 2018. They share two daughters, Princess Friederike and Princess Philomena.
An 18-year-old fitness enthusiast has captured the shocking moment a stranger confronted him and went off on a homophobic rant because he was exercising shirtless at the gym, calling him a 'weirdo' and a 'f****t.'

TikToker Nick Nush, a college student from Bensalem, Pennsylvania, was recording his back workout to judge his progress when he noticed another man filming him from across the gym and asked what he was doing.

In the video, shot on Nick's phone, the gymgoer appeared to be mocking the teen, asking: Getting that shirtless workout in?'

Say what? Nick Nush, a college student from Bensalem, Pennsylvania, shared a shocking video of the moment a man confronted him at the gym for exercising shirtless

Yikes: The 18-year-old was recording his back workout on his phone to judge his progress when he noticed the stranger was filming him from across the gym

For real? When the teen asked what the guy was doing, he mocked him for working out shirtless and called him a 'weirdo'

'Yeah,' replied Nick, who has been going to the gym since he was 16.

The stranger then became aggressive and called the fitness enthusiast a 'weirdo' for his shirtless attire.

After questioning why he was being called a weirdo, the man hit back: ''Cause you're shirtless in a f*****g gym r****d.'

Nick graciously explained that he was filming his back muscles, asking: 'What's your problem? You ain't gotta record me.'

'F**k you. That's weird as s**t. F**k you f****t,' the man said, using a homophobic slur.

Argument: After Nick questioned why he was being called a weirdo, the man hit back: ''Cause you're shirtless in a f*****g gym r****d

Hate language: As they continued to go back and forth, the stranger got more aggressive and used a homophobic slur, telling Nick: ' F**k you f****t'

Hitting back: Nick eventually retaliated by asking the man if he was 'mad an 18-year-old is bigger'

Close to fighting: The man slammed his water bottle down and squared up to Nick, coming within inches of his face

'So I don't even know this dude, and I am confused as hell of what's going on, because I don't understand why he's cursing me out and stuff,' Nick admitted in the video.

'But he continues to stare at me and flip me off and mouth things at me  so I just had to say something.'

Nick could be heard asking: 'What you mad an 18-year-old is bigger than you?'

The man then slammed his water bottle down and squared up to Nick, coming within inches of his face. Nick once again asked him what was his problem, prompting a tense back and forth.

When Nick told the man to get out of his face, he threatened him, saying: 'I'll f**k up, p***y.' The teen laughed and puts on his headphones as the guy finally walked away.

Bigger man: The man looked like he was trying to pick a fight with Nick, but the teen refused to throw a punch

Over: The ordeal ended with Nick ignoring the guy, who finally left him alone to continue his workout in peace

Going viral: The TikTok video has been viewed more than seven million times and has received nearly 30,000 comments

Nick told Jam Press that he was surprised by the confrontation, explaining: 'I normally only workout shirtless if I'm recording my back or want to record any body part you can't see with a tank top on.

'I have never received this type of reaction before.'

The fitness lover said the ordeal ended with him ignoring the guy, who finally left him alone to continue his workout.

'I did show the gym managers the video and it's up to them what they want to do with him,' he added.

The viral TikTok video has been viewed more than seven million times and has received nearly 30,000 comments. Many people were impressed by how Nick kept his cool during the heated exchange.

Hard to handle: Nick, who has been going to the gym since he was 16, was admittedly surprised by the confrontation

Looking back: Nick told Jam Press that he only works out shirtless when he is recording parts of his body that aren't visible when he is wearing a tank top, saying it's never been problem

Fans: Many people were impressed that Nick kept his cool during the heated exchange

'Good job being the adult,' one person wrote, while another agreed: 'Beta as hell. You did good my guy, not even worth the breath.'

'My god, this is toxic masculinity in action,' someone else shared. 'Mate, you just experienced a tenth of what most women have to endure in the weights section EVERY DAY.'

However, there were some TikTokers who thought he should have hit the man after he got in his face, with one person saying he 'should've smacked him silly.'

'For everyone saying why didn't I hit him,' Nick responded in the comments, 'I know he was being a tool and an a**hole, but these people aren't worth it.

'I'm more mature than this guy. Also I don't wanna deal with the police for assault or being banned from the gym,' he added.

'I can control myself, obviously this dude has problems.'
Queen Rania of Jordan has said she's 'humbled and honoured' to be a judge for Prince William's Earthshot prize.

The royal, 51, penned an article for Hello! where she discussed the impact of climate change in the Middle East.

'Prince William's visionary Earthshot Prize, which I am humbled and honoured to be part of, is a launching pad for groundbreaking green ideas.'.

She added it will 'invest activists and innovators' and connect environmental leaders with business leaders, to 'provide the capital and platform they need to maximise their impact and bring solutions to scale'.

Queen Rania of Jordan has said she's 'humbled and honoured' to be a judge for Prince William's Earthshot prize.

'For me, climate change hits close to home. My country, Jordan, is one of the four driest nations in the world, and we share our limited water supplies with a significant refugee population. With rising temperatures and shifting weather patterns, scientists predict Jordan will receive even less rain in the years to come. Already, local crops are suffering, dams are running dry, and the Dead Sea is shrinking,' she wrote.

She added the Middle East had seen 'more than their share of emergencies' and that the climate emergency has 'reached its boiling point'.

'Many Middle Eastern countries are experiencing record-breaking heatwaves, punishing droughts, tropical cyclones and unprecedented forest fires. The region is warming at twice the global average, with scientists predicting 4C rise in average temperatures by 2050.

'This situation is urgent, but it is far from hopeless. The Earthshot Prize aims to repair our planet by harnessing one of our most powerful renewable resources: human ingenuity. There is no limit to our potential, and every new idea takes us one step closer to preventing environmental disaster and reversing the damage we've already done.

The royal, 51, penned an article for Hello ! where she discussed the impact of climate change in the Middle East and praised Prince William (pictured)

The Duke of Cambridge, 38, launched the award, which has been likened to a green Nobel Prize last week.

It will see see a total of 50 environmental pioneers each awarded a 1million prize for their work tackling major problems across climate and energy, nature and biodiversity, oceans, air pollution and fresh water.

In the coming months, further members of The Earthshot Prize Council will be announced as the global coalition supporting the Prize expands.

Every year from 2021 until 2030, The Earthshot Prize Council will award The Earthshot Prize to five winners, one per Earthshot.

Prince William revealed unveiled the team of A-listers and environmental activists who will sit alongside him on the Earthshot Prize council today (pictured, clockwise from top left, Shakira, Sir David Attenborough, Indra Nooyi, Dani Alves, Christiana Figueres, Naoko Yamazaki, Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah, Cate Blanchett, Yao Ming, Jack Ma, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and Prince William)

The Duke spoke with high-profile environmental activists, philanthropic leaders and a-listers as members of The Earthshot Prize Council, including Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah

They will be supported by a distinguished panel of experts will support the judging process, making recommendations to the Prize Council who will select the final winners.

Speaking after her announcement on the council, Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah said: 'Seen from outer space, our planet is borderless; the same can be said for the greatest challenges we face today.

'For too long, we have neglected our shared world, and today we are reaping the shared consequences. None of us can opt out of the damaging ramifications of climate change, pollution, or resource depletion.

'And while the situation is urgent, it is not hopeless. When our backs are against the wall, humanity has a knack for coming together to find innovative solutions.

'We push back and power through. I am hopeful that platforms such as the Earthshot Prize will help us do just that.'

The Earthshot Prize, which has been likened to a green Nobel Prize, will drive change and help to repair the planet over the next 10 years.

The ambitious decade-long project will see a total of 50 environmental pioneers each awarded a 1million prize for their work tackling major problems.

The 50million project is funded by a network of philanthropic organisations and private companies and individuals including Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Jack Ma Foundation and US billionaire Marc Benioff and his wife, Lynne.
The SMI, with members such as BP, is discussing whether to allow China to join

His aides said there were no plans to go to country but did not rule it out in future

Prince Charles launched a charm offensive towards China yesterday after president Xi Jinping invited him to speak to ten of its most important business leaders.

Charles took part in a virtual round table discussion after he was told China wished to join his Sustainable Markets Initiative, a global coalition of the willing working towards economic growth and prosperity in a more environmentally friendly way.

He was applauded by the executives when he began by speaking in Mandarin and was invited to visit the country to discuss the issue further. Aides said later there were no plans to go but did not rule it out in future.

The SMI, with members such as BP, Bank of America, KPMG and AstraZeneca, is now discussing whether to allow China to join.

Round table: Prince Charles pictured during a virtual round table discussion after he was told China wished to join his Sustainable Markets Initiative

The prince said: China is, of course, critical to our shared future on this planet. It is therefore my great hope that, together, we will be able to work towards establishing a China Council as part of my Sustainable Markets Initiative.in order to help accelerate the green economy globally.

This Initiative aims to help find immense and accelerating solutions to the practical problems posed by climate change, and to scale them up to promote the global cooperation which is critical to achieving a sustainable future for our children and grandchildren. I am delighted that we now have an opportunity to engage with you all as representatives of the Chinese private sector.

Though China is known to be one of the worlds most polluting nations, he added: I know that a deep understanding of nature has underpinned Chinese civilisation, healthcare, craftsmanship and philosophy for thousands of years. The world has much to learn from this timeless wisdom, which is one of Chinas great gifts to this world of ours.

He continued: China has already done a great deal to advance the green economy... we have much to learn from each other.

Ten of the country's most important business leaders on video. The SMI, with members such as BP, Bank of America, KPMG and AstraZeneca, is now discussing whether to allow China to join

Charles boycotted a state banquet to mark the visit of president Xi Jinping (pictured above) in 2015, but discussed environmental concerns at a private meeting

Charles has been a vocal critic of China over the years, particularly on human rights.

He boycotted a state banquet to mark the visit of president Xi in 2015, but discussed environmental concerns at a private meeting.

The prince also gave the opening remarks by video link at the China-hosted COP15 Biodiversity Conference yesterday after again being invited by the Chinese president. He called for nature to be put at the heart of our economy.

He added: Everything we need to survive the food we eat, the water we drink, the oxygen we breathe  depends on the work of other species and the ecosystems they create. Yet we continue blithely to wipe out species. We seem intent on testing our unique world to destruction.

But, as Chinese culture has long understood, our inter-relationship with nature is critical for our own health and that of everything around us. When we protect lands and ocean, we in fact protect ourselves. Time, Im afraid, is not on our side.
Modern life may be making breast milk less beneficial for babies and leaving them prone to allergies, a study suggests.

Experts analysed the milk of dozens of Mennonite women, who follow a traditional way of life devoid of modern technology and pesticides  similar to the Amish.

Samples were also taken from women living in the nearby city of Rochester.

Comparisons of the collections revealed Mennonite women produced milk which was more abundant in antibodies and bacteria.

University of Rochester researchers believe their traditional way of life  which sees women exposed to farm animals and unpasteurised food  could help 'programme' the developing gut microbiota and immune system of their babies.

They say the 'farm-life effect' may also explain why allergies are less common among Mennonites.

Dr Antti Seppo, a paediatrician involved in the research, claimed the findings were important because they could point to why rates of atopic disease are 'exploding' in western countries.

He added: 'Perhaps one day these insights may help to prevent or mitigate these diseases.'

Old order Mennonites, anabaptist christians, are people of Swiss and South German heritage who live on traditional one-family farms with little modern technology

More than a quarter or Britons and a third of Americans have allergies, such as to peanuts, shellfish and latex.

But immunologists believe the figure will continue to rise over the next decade.

Some scientists have suggested that the 'hygiene hypothesis'  that sterile modern living weakens our immune systems  is to blame.

WHAT CAUSES ALLERGIES? An allergy is when the body reacts to a certain food or substance as though it is harmful. They are very common, affecting around a quarter of Brits and a third of Americans. Children are the most likely to suffer from allergies, although some will fade with age. Most allergies, such to pollen, dust mites and foods, are mild and can be kept under control, but severe reactions can happen. It's not clear why allergies happen, but most people affected have a family history of allergies or have closely related conditions, such as asthma or eczema. The number of people with allergies is increasing every year. The reasons for this are not understood, but one of the main theories is it's the result of living in a cleaner, germ-free environment, which reduces the number of germs our immune system has to deal with. It's thought this may cause it to overreact when it comes into contact with harmless substances. Source: NHS Advertisement

Without exposure to dirt and germs early in life, it is claimed the immune system doesnt learn how to control its reaction to everyday particles such as dust and pollen.

This could cause the body to overreact when it comes into contact with harmless substances.

But the science behind the theory is still disputed, with other academics saying it distracts from finding the true cause of the rising prevalence of allergies.

The new findings, published in the journal Frontiers in Immunology, may add more weight to the theory.

Mennonites  a group of 1.4million people scattered in pockets across the world  have a lower prevalence of atopic diseases.

The anabaptist christians live on traditional one-family farms with little modern technology. Their lifestyle is similar to rural communities in Western countries in the early 1900s.

Dr Kirsi Jarvinen-Seppo, lead author, said: 'Such a lifestyle was once common around the world.

'Today [it] is largely restricted in Western countries to some religious communities, such as the Amish or old order Mennonites.

'Allergies are far less common among them, which suggests their traditional lifestyle may be a protective factor against the development of atopic diseases.'

The study collected breast milk from 52 old order Mennonite mothers with young children who lived in Penn Yan, New York.

Researchers compared their samples to 29 mothers living in Rochester.

The mothers completed surveys on their lifestyle, environment and whether their babies had symptoms of atopic diseases.

Old order Mennonite mothers  a branch of the group who have Swiss and South German heritage  were more likely to give birth at home and their children were more exposed to farm animals, dogs, unpasteurised foods and barns.

Their milk had higher concentrations of antibodies against food allergies, dust mites and bacteria associated with farm animals.

They also had higher levels of cytokines, which are proteins important for regulating the immune system.

Dr Jarvinen-Seppo added: 'Our results indicate that women on such traditional farms generate immunity through long-term exposure to farm animals and foods such as unpasteurised farm milk and eggs.

'The results also suggest that babies can acquire some protection against allergic diseases through their mothers milk.'
The Cleveland Clinic will no longer offer organ transplants to people unvaccinated against COVID-19 due to concerns patients could be at a high risk of contracting the virus.

The hospital says the reason for the policy change is the immunosuppressant drugs transplant recipients must take after receiving a new organ so their body does not reject it.

Unvaccinated people will also no longer be able to become a living organ donor over fears Covid may be able to transmit through the procedure.

The move comes days after University of Colorado Health (UCHealth) in Aurora, made headlines for implementing a similar policy and denying a woman an opportunity to receive a new kidney after she refused the vaccine.

The Cleveland Clinic (pictured) will now require people to be vaccinated in order to receive an organ transplant or become a live donor. This is because recipients must take immunosuppressant medication following the receival of a new organ, leaving them vulnerable to the virus

'The health and safety of our patients is our top priority,' Cleveland Clinic wrote in a statement sent to DailyMail.com.

'Cleveland Clinic has recently developed safety protocols for solid organ transplantation that require COVID-19 vaccination to be an active transplant candidate or living donor.

'Vaccination is particularly important in these patients for their safety.'

Transplant recipients will have until November 1 to get vaccinated, or they will be removed from the waitlist.

For transplants involving a living donor, such as for kidney and liver transplants, the person giving the organ will need to be vaccinated as well.

'Living donation for organ transplantation has been a life-saving treatment, but it is not without risks to the donor,' the clinic wrote in the statement.

'For the living donor, preventing COVID-19 infection around the time of their surgery and recovery is crucial.

'We continually strive to minimize risk to our living donors, and vaccination is an important component to ensure the safest approach and optimal outcomes for donors.'

Health experts have discovered the potential for the virus to transmit from a living donor to the recipient after the transplant.

Organ transplant recipients are among the most vulnerable people to COVID-19.

After receiving the organ, recipients will often take immunosuppressant drugs for as short as around six months to potentially the rest of their lives.

This is to prevent a person's immune system from rejecting the new organ as an unrecognizable foreign object.

These drugs also weaken a person's immune system, however, and it is hard for them to fight infections like Covid.

The vaccines may also not be particularly effective in people taking immunosuppressant drugs, though.

A Johns Hopkins study from June found that people who had recently received kidney transplants were not generating a strong immune response to the COVID-19 vaccines.

Less than one out of every five kidney transplant recipients in the study generated a strong anti-body response to the vaccine.

A later Johns Hopkins study found that organ transplant recipients were showing acceptable antibody responses after vaccine booster doses, though.

Leilani Lutali (pictured), 56, who has renal failure has been denied a life-saving kidney transplant because she is unvaccinated due to religious beliefs

The Cleveland Clinic joins UCHealth in decinding to bar unvaccinated people from receiving organ transplants.

Leilani Lutali, a born-again Christian woman from Colorado, made headlines last week when the hospital would not approve her kidney transplant surgery until she got the COVID-19 vaccine.

For people with kidney disease, receiving a transplant instead of receiving treatment like dialysis can greatly lengthen their lifespan.

But Lutali said that the fetal cell lines used to develop some of the vaccines go against her Christian faith.

Fetal cell lines, which are laboratory-grown cells based on aborted fetal cells that were collected in the 1970s and 1980s, were used for research and development of the shots, along with many other popular medications.

'As a Christian, I can't support anything that has to do with abortion of babies, and the sanctity of life for me is precious,' she told the Associated Press.
A 'testicle bath' which zaps sperm with ultrasound waves could revolutionise male contraception, its designers hope.

The device works by men placing their testicles into a small bowl-like gadget, which gets filled with water. It then emits ultrasound waves that limit sperm production and mobility for up to two months.

The zapper was designed by Rebecca Weiss, who wanted to create a form of male contraception after she contracted cervical precancer, which she linked to the HPV virus and taking hormonal contraceptive pills.

She said the device, known as COSO, is painless and reversible and should prevent unwanted pregnancies.

But so far, the ultrasound wave technology has only been trialled as a contraceptive on animals  not on humans.

Condoms and a vasectomy are currently the only two contraceptives for men, while there are 12 tailored to women. Although there's ongoing research into a pill for men, there is not one available yet.

The proposed COSO device needs to be filled up with water, which it automatically heats to the temperature of a warm bath. A man then sits with his legs spread apart and puts his testicles in the water, which are ultra-sounded for two 15-minute treatments, two days apart

If the device receives the go-ahead, it would include an app that can be shared with a partner, keeps track of treatments and reminds men when to use the gadget again

Ultrasound  currently used to reduce pain and speed up healing for deep tissue injuries  was first proposed as a contraceptive in the 1970s and is thought to work by generating a deep heat in the testicular tissue.

This alters sperm mobility, which prevents them from being able to fertilise a female egg and temporarily suppresses the creation of new sperm.

What are the current male contraceptives? There have been few changes in male contraception compared with the range of options available to women. Although there's ongoing research into a male contraceptive pill, there is not one available yet. At the moment, the 2 contraceptive methods available to men are: condoms  a barrier form of contraception that stops sperm from reaching and fertilising an egg vasectomy  a minor, usually permanent, surgical procedure that stops sperm from reaching the semen ejaculated from the penis The withdrawal method of taking your penis out of your partner's vagina before ejaculating is not a method of contraception. This is because sperm can be released before ejaculation and cause pregnancy. Advertisement

The proposed COSO device needs to be filled up with water, which it automatically heats to the temperature of a warm bath.

A man then sits with his legs spread apart and puts his testicles in the water, which are ultra-sounded for two 15-minute treatments, two days apart.

Mrs Weiss, from Munich, said the contraceptive should become effective within two weeks and last for at least two months.

And fertility would return to normal six months after the last treatment, she estimates.

If approved, doctors would have to configure the device to each user before it is used for the first time.

She hopes to sell COSO directly to customers for 250 to 420, but the price depends on whether it is declared as a medical device.

But Mrs Weiss said the device is still a concept and it is a long way off being launched, as thorough clinical trials would need to test it.

Whether COSO is released depends on results from these clinical study, but Mrs Weiss predicts 'major milestones' will be reached in the next two to three years.

If the device receives the go-ahead, it would include an app that can be shared with a partner, keeps track of treatments and reminds men when to use the gadget again.

She noted that the science underpinning her concept has already been studied on animals.

Italian researchers used ultrasound on 100 dogs and found that it could be used to permanently sterilise them.

And a study at the University of California found the treatment made monkey produce 90 per cent less sperm, but levels crept back to normal after eight weeks.

However, experts have warned it may be difficult to prove the ultrasound used as a contraception is safe, effective and doesn't cause long-term fertility problems.

And couples may struggle to know when they become fertile again as the treatment wears off, medics said.

So far, Mrs Weiss said the interest in the product has been 'overwhelming'.

She said: 'The original intention was on the one hand to raise awareness about alternatives to male contraceptives and on the other hand to trigger controversial discussions about COSO.

'A deliberate choice was therefore made to present the still-hypothetical concept in a realistic way on the website and the Instagram channel.

'This strategy was so successful that many potential participants in the study and people interested in buying the product contacted us from all over the world.'

The device won the German heat of the James Dyson Award and will is being considered for the international stage of the contest.
Life expectancy was already falling before Covid struck in a fifth of communities in England, according to research.

Imperial College London scientists analysed mortality trends for all 7,000 districts scattered across the country.

Results showed life expectancy for women declined in approximately 18.7 per cent of neighbourhoods between 2014 and 2019, by an average of two months. Meanwhile, in men it fell in around 11.5 per cent of communities, by an average of a month-and-a-half.

Experts claimed there was a gap of around 27 years between the richest and poorest parts of England  where the average life expectancy sits at around 79.8 for men and 83.4 for women.

People living in the north of England and in urban areas had the lowest life expectancy.

Lead author Professor Majid Ezzati said the findings were a warning sign of an ongoing policy failure to address health and socioeconomic disadvantages across the nation.

These two maps of life expectancy in England show both the current situation and how it has changed since 2002. The top map shows the life expectancy of women (left) and men (right) colour coded with red tones representing lower than average and bluer tones representing higher than average. The bottom map shows the life expectancy change for women (left and men (right) between 2002 and 2019. It shows that women have seen smaller gains in life expectancy than men.

The Imperial College study has found life expectancy has been falling in some areas of England long before the Covid pandemic. They say their findings show that current policy is not working and have called for urgent investment in England's poorest communities

Professor Ezzati said: 'There has always been an impression in the UK that everyone's health is improving, even if not at the same pace.

'These data show that longevity has been getting worse for years in large parts of England.

'Declines in life expectancy used to be rare in wealthy countries like the UK, and happened when there were major adversities like wars and pandemics.

'For such declines to be seen in normal times before the pandemic is alarming, and signals ongoing policy failures to tackle poverty and provide adequate social support and health care.'

He added: 'The post-Covid 'Build Back Better' agenda can create an opportunity for better health, but it currently does not focus on equity and the resources allocated to levelling up agenda are too little to address these concerning trends.

'To level up health, the government must make significant investments in people, communities and health services to first reverse this deterioration of health in so many communities.'

Improvements to life expectancy in England have slowed down over the past decade, with rising obesity rates thought to be behind the stall. Bad flu seasons and fewer improvements in cardiovascular treatment have also been blamed.

It comes after official data showed life expectancy fell for the first time in 40 years due to the Covid crisis.

But the latest study  which looked at data from 2002 onwards  shows life expectancy was dropping in swathes of the country well before the current pandemic.

Professor Ezzati and colleagues analysed all 8.6million deaths recorded in England over the time-frame for the study, published in one of the Lancet's journals

Life expectancy had been rising steadily in England since 1981, when women lived for 77.1 years on average and the figure for men was 71.1 years. Improvements to life expectancy in England began slowing down in the decade up to 2018, as improvements to death rates among different age groups and from different illnesses slowed over all. But the trend was bucked in 2019, which saw an increase of 0.4 years for both genders, up to 80 years for men and 83.6 years for women  the highest figures recorded. The latest bleak statistics show life expectancy dropped by 0.9 years (1.1 per cent) for women in just one year to 82.7 years. While it fell by 1.3 years (1.6 per cent) for men to 78.7 year. Both figures are the biggest fall ever recorded

They used data for all of England's 6,791 middle layer super output areas  statistical neighbourhoods home to around 8,000 people each.

Life expectancy losses were as large as three years for women between 2002 and 2019. Men saw comparatively smaller losses, with the biggest fall being around four months.

In comparison, life expectancy in the more affluent areas in the country increased by as much as nine years in parts of central and north London.

The team's breakdown of rates among men across the country revealed a gap of 27 years between the best- and worst-performing areas.

Men in the richest parts of England live 10 years more than the poorest Men in England's wealthiest areas now live for a decade longer than those in the poorest, an analysis has revealed. A King's Fund report showed male life expectancy in Westminster rose from 77.3 years in 2001 to 2003, to 84.7 years by 2020. But over the same period men in Blackpool saw their life expectancy rise just two years on average, from 72 to 74.1 years. Veena Raleigh, who uncovered the figures and is a fellow at the think-tank, said the regional differences were likely a reflection of the North/South economic divides. Ms Raleigh added: 'The divide in life expectancy has amplified. Reducing the gross health inequalities has never been a steeper mountain to climb.' Improvements in life expectancy across England have stalled in recent years, with the pause being blamed on bad flu seasons, fewer improvements in cardiovascular treatment, economic deprivation and Covid. The King's Fund analysis painted a similarly bleak life expectancy picture among women, where the gap is now eight years between England's most and least deprived areas. Among women in Westminster life expectancy was 82.3 years by 2003, before rising to 87.1 years by 2020. But in Blackpool it was 78.4 years by 2003, and 79 years almost two decades later. A comparison between the areas with the highest and lowest life expectancies among men twenty years ago and today reveals a similar picture. In 2001 to 2003 the biggest gap among men was 8.2 years between Hart, in Hampshire, and Manchester, in the north west. But by 2018 to 2020 the biggest gap was 10.7 years between Westminster and Blackpool. The data for the King's Fund analysis comes from an Office for National Statistics report looking into disparities in life expectancy between regions. It showed life expectancy among men grew in the South East and South West between 2015 and 2020, but fell in every other region. And among women life expectancy over the same period only grew in the East of England, London, South East and South West. Advertisement

In 2019, a man Central Blackpool was expected to live until he was 68.3, on average. In Hans Town in Kensington and Chelsea, the rate was 95.3.

For women the largest life expectancy gap was 20 years (74.7 in one part of Leeds compared to 95.4 in Hampstead Town in Camden).

Imperial PhD student Theo Rashid, who was involved in the study, said: 'These results mirror an earlier trend in the USA  which also saw life expectancy declines prior to the pandemic.

'In both England and the US, life expectancy declines are associated with unemployment and insecure employment following deindustrialisation, compounded by reductions in social and welfare support, and reduced funding for local governments.'

Mr Rashid also highlighted how different areas of the country had been hit by unemployment harder than others.

'These factors had larger effects in the North of England than in London and Southern parts of the country,' he said.

'These changes impact life expectancy because they are associated with poorer nutrition and housing, riskier behaviours, and more restricted health care services, all of which lead to worse health and premature deaths.'

Life expectancy in England was highlighted recently after official figures showed Covid has caused the biggest drop in life expectancy in England since modern records began back in the 1980s.

The now defunct Public Health England (PHE) recorded that excess deaths from the virus shaved 1.3 years off the average man's life to just 78.7, while it dropped by 0.9 years to 82.7 in women.

This is the lowest since 2011 for both genders, according to the Government agency's Health Profile for England report. And it is the sharpest fall since 1981, when the data collection began.

The same data showed that Covid was also exacerbating the life expectancy gap between England's least and most deprived areas in what PHE said was demonstration that the pandemic 'exacerbated existing inequalities'.

One limitation in the study, which was published in the The Lancet Public Health journal was that the authors did not explore the reasons for the 8.6million deaths.

This meant they could not determine which diseases are driving the life expectancy differences in England's communities.

The findings underline the mammoth task Health Secretary Sajid Javid now faces, with No10 committed to 'levelling up' the whole of the UK.

Mr Javid used a recent keynote speech in Blackpool on 'levelling up' health to pledge to tackle 'the disease of disparity'.

Boris Johnson said in his speech at Conservative Party Conference last week that levelling up was 'the greatest project that any Government can embark on'.

The Prime Minister pledged his team would 'get on with our job of uniting and levelling up across the UK', and made it his mission to solve the country's 'imbalanced society' to 'promote opportunity with every tool we have'.

The Office of National Statistics currently lists life expectancy in the UK as 79 years for men and nearly 83 years for women.

Within the UK life expectancies were the highest in England with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland lagging behind by between one to two years.
Moderna and Johnson & Johnson are pushing to get COVID-19 vaccine boosters approved ahead of a key U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory committee meeting later this week.

The two firms say that data in briefing documents, published on Tuesday by the FDA, show extra doses are needed.

Moderna said the data support the use of boosters for people aged 18 and older six months after receiving the second shot, citing the waning effectiveness of the shots at preventing infection, and the increased antibody levels provided by third shots.

J&J is also vying for its booster shot to be given to adults six months after they received the first dose, and said its clinical trial data showed boosters should also be given to adults.

The New Brunswick, New Jersey-based company also says those who are especially at high risk should receive the second shot as early as two months after the first shot.

On Thursday, a two-day advisory advisory meeting will commence to discuss whether the companies' boosters are needed.

Moderna is hoping its COVID-19 vaccine booster shot will receive authorization for people over the age of 65 or with serious comorbidities - the same as the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine received (file image)

Johnson & Johnson is hoping a second shot of its COVID-19 vaccine will be authorized for use six months after receival of the first shot, or only two months for people with serious vulnerabilities to Covid (file iamge)

Currently, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is the only shot with a booster dose authorized for those aged 65 or older or who at high risk of severe disease due to underlying condition or their jobs.

A booster dose can also be given to immunocompromised Americans as can a third shot of Moderna's vaccine.

Official data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that 7.8 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine boosters have been distributed as of Tuesday.

A vast majority, 6.2 million, are of the Pfizer vaccine, though just under 1.5 million doses of the Moderna booster have been distributed as well.

Some of these shots are unauthorized, being given out by primary care physicians and other doctors at regular check ups.

Moderna, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is now pushing to get its booster as widely distributed as Pfizer's, and have eligibility expanded.

Moderna's booster shot will be discussed by the FDA advisory panel on Thursday.

Booster shots for the Moderna vaccine were expected to roll out to all Americans 18 or older on September 20.

The White House announced in late August that the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines would both have boosters available in late September, pending approval from regulators like the FDA.

Despite the waning efficacy of the vaccines, the shots are still deemed to be effective at preventing hospitalization or death.

Because of this, regulators did not approve the shots by the September 20 deadline, and even when the Pfizer booster was eventually authorized it did not receive the full clearance for all Americans that the White House was aiming for.

Meanwhile, J&J makes the only one-shot vaccine available in the U.S., and is hoping to gain authorization for second shots later this week.

The company reports some rare side-effects such as blood clotting or heart inflammation in people who received the booster, but not to the extent that it believes the shot is unsafe.

Authorization for the second shots of the J&J vaccine will be discussed by the advisory panel on Friday.

Initial regimens of the J&J and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines are available to all adults in the U.S.

The Pfizer vaccine - unlike the other two - is also available to minors between the ages of 12 to 17.

More than 150 million doses of the two-shot Moderna vaccine have been used in the U.S since the shot received authorization in December - trailing the Pfizer shot by 80 million - and 15 million doses of Johnson & Johnson have been administered.

Nationwide, 65 percent of Americans have received at least one dose of a Covid vaccine, and 56 percent are fully vaccinated.

Booster shots are not yet accounted for in the definition of 'fully vaccinated' so anyone who receives two shots of Pfizer or Moderna or one shot of J&J is considered fully vaccinated.
Children and adults contract COVID-19 at near equal rates, but kids are much more likely to have asymptomatic cases, a new study finds.

Researchers from Liege University Hospital in Belgium - 25 miles from the border with Germany - set up a testing and tracing program at a local elementary school to discover how the virus transmits in the school environment.

A total of 63 children and 118 adults took part in the study that lasted from September to December 2020.

During the study period, around an even share of adults and children contracted the virus, though the kids were four times as likely have an asymptomatic case.

The team also found that adults often transmitted the virus to other adults while children were contracting the virus from other children.

Adults and children contracted COVID-19 at almost the same rates during the study period, though children were nearly four times as likely to have an asymptomatic case (above)

Researchers found that adults often contracted the virus from other adults while children mainly transmitted the virus among each other as well (above)

Of the 63 children who took part in the study, which was published on Tuesday in JAMA Network Open, 13 tested positive for the virus - or one out of every five.

The team also detected 32 cases among the 118 adults - or just over one out of every four adults contracting the virus during the 15 week period.

While there was almost an even amount of cases between adults and children, infection was more severe for the adults.

Only four of the 32 adults who contracted COVID-19 were asymptomatic compared to six of 13 children.

Children were 3.8 times more likely to have an asymptomatic case than their teachers and other staff at the school.

The median days of symptoms for children was zero, while it was 15 days for the adults.

The Belgian researchers are worried that so many people contracted the virus within schools, and think more measures should be put in place to prevent outbreaks and safely maintain in-person learning. Pictured: A child receives a COVID-19 test in New York, New York on August 5

The Belgian study matches findings from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention last week.

A CDC team found that around half of children who contract COVID-19 will not experience any symptoms, while nearly 90 percent of adults will.

While serious cases among children are low, the Belgian researchers are still worried about the high level of Covid transmission found in schools.

'Despite the implementation of several mitigation measures, the incidence of COVID-19 among children attending primary school in this study was comparable to that observed among teachers and parents,' the researchers wrote.

'Transmission tree reconstruction suggests that most transmission events originated from within the school. Additional measures should be considered to reduce the transmission of [Covid] at school, including intensified testing.'

In the U.S., schools have been found to be at the center of many Covid outbreaks.

While cases are relatively minor among children - and adult staff members have access to the COVID-19 vaccines that can protect them from serious infection - these outbreaks can still disrupt school and force closures.

Currently in the U.S., everyone aged 12 or older is eligible for a Covid vaccine.

Just over 76 percent of eligible Americans have received at least one shot of the vaccine, and 66 percent of people are fully vaccinated.

Many health officials are pushing for vaccine eligibility to widened to include children as well.

Pfizer is also pushing for its vaccine - a joint effort with BioNTech that is the most commonly distributed shot in America - to be made eligible to all Americans five or older.

Even if vaccine eligibility is expanded, parents of children seem to be evenly split on whether or not their children will be receiving the shots.

One survey, conducted by CS Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health at Michigan Medicine in July, that 39 percent of parents said their children already gotten a coronavirus shot.

However, 40 percent of parents also said it was 'unlikely' that their children would be getting vaccinated.

Another poll from Axios/Ipsos in September found that 44 percent of parents of children aged five to 11 said their kids were likely to get a vaccine and 42 percent said it was unlikely their children would be immunized.
Face masks should be worn outside when it is windy to thwart the spread of Covid, academics say.

Indian experts say even a slight breeze can increase the chance of infected people spreading the coronavirus.

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay simulated just how far the coronavirus can spread in both calm and windy conditions.

Results showed there was an 'increased infection risk' even if there was just a small gust of five miles per hour.

Lead author Professor Amit Agrawal said: 'We recommend wearing masks outdoors, particularly in breezy conditions.'

Even a slight breeze increases transmission of the virus if an infected person coughs, according to researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay

Some 89 per cent of Britons said they wore face masks outside the home at the end of August, according to data from the Office for National Statistics. For comparison, in May it was 98 per cent

Face masks have been enforced around the world as one of many curbs to limit the spread of the virus, especially in crowded indoor spaces.

But throughout the pandemic there has been fierce scientific debate about how well the guards work at reducing transmission.

Ministers dropped the legal requirement to wear coverings in England in July, when No10 pushed ahead with 'Freedom Day'.

But people are encouraged to wear them in crowded places and some businesses  such as Transport for London  still require them.

The new study examined how Covid is transmitted in the air when someone coughs, using an equation designed to measure turbulence.

What are the rules on face coverings? In England, the legal requirement to wear face masks was lifted on July 19. But they must will be worn in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in certain venues, such as public transport and shops. However, the Government says people in England should continue to wear masks when indoors with others who they don't normally meet. And its guidance states patients and visitors continue to wear face coverings in all healthcare settings, such as hospitals and GP surgeries. Masks are no longer required in classrooms in England, but some local authorities have told schools to bring them back to control local outbreaks. And as part of No10's 'Plan B' to control an expected fourth wave this winter, face coverings could become mandatory if the NHS comes under unsustainable pressure. Advertisement

Earlier studies modelled a cough using puffs of air but the researchers argued a real cough is more complicated and can swirl 'like mini whirlpools'.

They examined how a cough spreads in still conditions  comparable to indoors  and in various wind speeds.

The study, published in Physics of Fluids, showed when an infected person coughs outdoors, wind flowing in the same direction can spread the virus faster and further than in calm conditions.

Even a small breeze of five miles per hour (mph) in the same direction someone is coughing increases how far the virus spreads by 20 per cent.

This means social distancing would need to be increased from 1 to 2 metres to up 2.2 metres to be effective, the team found.

'At 9-11 mph (14-18 kph), spreading of the virus increases in distance and duration,' the researchers said.

The experts believe wind projects bigger droplets for longer, increasing how long it takes to dilute the viral load in the air.

As the cough jet is spurred on by the wind, infected aerosol droplets  which seems to be the dominant mode of Covid transmission  become 'trapped' in the breeze instead of falling quickly to the ground.

Professor Agrawal said: 'The study is significant in that it points to the increased infection risk that coughing in the same direction as the wind could bring about.

'The increase in residential time of some of the larger droplets will increase the viral load transmitting through the cough jet and, therefore, the chances of infection.

'Overall, the study highlights increased chances of infection in the presence of even a light breeze.'
Moderna Inc intends to dramatically increase production of its COVID-19 vaccine in the next year rather than sharing the technology with manufacturers in other parts of the world.

'Within the next six to nine months, the most reliable way to make high-quality vaccines and in an efficient way is going to be if we make them,' chairman Noubar Afeyan said in an interview with the Associated Press.

This interview follows a recent report indicating the Biden administration is pressuring Moderna to send more doses abroad or share its vaccine manufacturing know-how with companies in other countries.

The company has faced increasing criticism in recent months, sending the smallest share of its vaccine doses to low-income countries of any vaccine manufacturer.

'They are behaving as if they have absolutely no responsibility beyond maximizing the return on investment,' Dr Tom Frieden, former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), told the Times.

'The most reliable way to make high-quality vaccines and in an efficient way is going to be if we make them,' said Moderna chairman Noubar Afeyan. Pictured: Afeyan listens to questions during his interview with the Associated Press, October 11, 2021

In the U.S., about 65% of the population has received at least one vaccine dose - compared to under 5% in low-income countries in Africa

In the U.S., about 56 percent of the population is fully vaccinated while 65 percent have received at least one dose, CDC figures show.

Though millions of eligible Americans are not yet vaccinated and some doses have gone to waste, the country has a far higher vaccination rate than many others.

For example, just 0.6 percent of Tanzania's population has received at least one vaccine dose, according to Our World in Data.

Vaccination rates are similarly low for other African nations: 2.3 percent in Nigeria, 2.5 percent in Ethiopia and 5.7 percent in Kenya.

Overall, more than half of people living in the world's high-income countries are fully vaccinated while under one percent of the world's lowest-income countries are fully vaccinated - according to an analysis by Nature.

Some global health experts say that vaccination rates are so much higher in the U.S. and other wealthy nations in part because the manufacturers of these vaccines have not shared their technology with other companies.

The Global South is already home to companies that manufacture other vaccines and similar products. These companies would produce Covid vaccines if they were allowed to do so.

Yet most vaccine manufacturers have not shared the intellectual property or technical knowhow needed to make this possible, insisting that they are best suited to produce the vaccines they developed.

Moderna's chairman, Noubar Afeyan, doubled down on this stance in an interview with the Associated Press on Monday.

He reminded of Moderna's pledge to not enforce patent infringement on other Covid vaccine manufacturers.

'We didn't have to do that,' Afeyan said.

'We think that was the right, responsible thing to do. We want that to be helping the world.'

Afeyan told the AP that he is confident in Moderna's ability to build sufficient manufacturing capacity for global vaccination efforts, without relying on other companies.

Moderna's Covid vaccine is currently the company's only commercial product. Pictured: Vials of this vaccine, February 2021

The company 'went from having zero production to having one billion doses in less than a year,' Afeyan said.

He expects the Moderna to continue this trend, and dramatically increase production to three billion doses in 2022.

'We think we are doing everything we can to help this pandemic, Afeyan told the AP.

Afeyan is also a co-founder of Moderna, which was started in 2010 as a company dedicated to mRNA technology.

mRNA - or messenger RNA - refers to a piece of genetic material that can teach cells to produce specific proteins, such as a coronavirus protein that would prime the immune system against Covid.

Due to Moderna's history with this technology, Afeyan said that the company has a unique expertise and capacity to produce its mRNA vaccines at a large scale.

If patents were shared with other manufacturers, 'it's hard for me to imagine that they would be able to get any meaningful scale in a short time frame at the quality we would be able to do as a certainty' for 2022, he told the AP.

Moderna's mRNA-based Covid vaccine is currently the company's only commercial product.

The company saw $1.73 billion in revenue in just the first quarter of 2021, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Meanwhile, the company has sent just one million doses to low-income countries so far - compared to over 190 million doses delivered in the U.S.

Pfizer has sent about eight million doses to low-income countries while Johnson & Johnson has sent 25 million, according to the New York Times.

Some U.S. officials are now pressuring Moderna to send more doses abroad or license its vaccine to other manufacturers, the Times reports.

While Moderna has pledged doses to other nations through the U.S. government and through COVAX, the international vaccine effort, those doses have yet to arrive.

In fact, countries like Botswana and Tunisia are waiting on Moderna's deliveries while the company develops booster shots for wealthy nations.
A feature on August 19 about a TV drama depicting the investigation into Stephen Lawrence's murder said that 'on the steps of the Old Bailey when the convictions [] were announced, it was Met Superintendent Gill Bailey who took the credit for the success of [DCI] Clive [Driscoll] and his team'. While this was a scene in the TV programme, Ms Bailey QPM says that she was invited to assist the investigation, did not take the credit for anyone's work, and was not on the steps at the Old Bailey as she had recently retired abroad.

If you wish to report an inaccuracy, please email corrections@dailymail.co.uk.

To make a formal complaint under IPSO rules please go to www.dailymail.co.uk/readerseditor where you will find an easy-to-use complaints form.
Since Saturday, Money Mail has shared advice to help protect your savings from scammers.

But with fraudsters becoming increasingly sophisticated, it is inevitable some people will still fall victim and lose life-changing sums of money.

The good news is that there are rules in place to ensure the vast majority get their money back. The bad news is that many banks will still try to wriggle out of paying refunds.

Fight back: There are rules in place to ensure the vast majority of fraud victims get their money back, but many banks won't give it up without a fight

In fact, fewer than half of victims of bank transfer scams are reimbursed after being tricked into making payments to crooks.

Campaigners are calling for tougher laws to force banks to do the right thing by their customers.

And ministers and the police are under mounting pressure to do more to control the fraud epidemic after it emerged just one in 700 scams results in a conviction. Yesterday, it was revealed that just 2 per cent of police powers are dedicated to fraud.

In the meantime, it's up to you to fight your corner. To help you, here's Money Mail's ultimate guide to winning a fraud refund.

Stolen card information

There are two types of fraud  unauthorised and authorised. And refund rules differ for each.

Unauthorised fraud involves any payment you did not make yourself. This might include purchases made by crooks online using stolen credit card details or cash withdrawals if they get their hands on your PIN.

Under what's known as the Payment Services Regulations, banks must refund victims of unauthorised fraud in full, so long as they have not been grossly negligent.

The Financial Ombudsman Service, which handles disputes between customers and financial firms, sets a high bar as to what would count as negligent.

It goes far beyond carelessness and could include keeping your Pin written down in your purse next to your card.

So while customers lost 398.6 million to unauthorised fraud in the first six months of this year, industry analysis suggests banks refunded victims in more than 98 per cent of cases.

If you are refused your money back, you can complain to the Ombudsman. Of the 506 cases resolved in the past 12 months, 89 per cent were upheld in favour of the customer.

Call 0800 023 4567 or fill in a form online (financial-ombudsman.org.uk/contact-us/complain-online/), which takes around 30 minutes.

I won back 15k lost to a bank con William Ballard was tricked out of 15,000 by a conman claiming to be from his bank William Ballard successfully fought his bank for a refund after losing 15,000 to fraudsters in August last year. He had been called by a conman claiming to be from his bank, NatWest, who said his card had been misused and his account was at risk. William, from Buckinghamshire, was told to move his money into a safe account to protect it. But after he did as instructed, the fraudster failed to call back as promised. Realising something was amiss, William reported the call to NatWest. The bank said he was the victim of a scam but warned there was not much chance of getting his money back. William says: I appealed and went through the complaints process and the bank still said no. But he took his complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service in December. He argued the bank was wrong not to refund him as he had not been grossly negligent. But before the Ombudsman could rule, NatWest agreed to refund the money lost. William says: I thought the banks initial reaction was disgusting. I have been a customer for 60 years. A NatWest spokesman says: Keeping our customers safe and secure is of paramount importance to us. Banks will never ask you to transfer money to a safe account and if asked to do so end the call immediately and contact the bank directly on a trusted number.

Bank transfer tricksters

Authorised fraud  also known as a push payment scam  is where you are tricked by crooks into making a payment yourself.

Sophisticated conmen typically pose as trusted authorities such as banks, the police, HMRC and telecoms firms.

They may call from a spoofed telephone number that appears to match the organisation's real phone line.

And they know all sorts of personal information about their victim that they have pieced together by trawling social media websites and hacking other accounts.

After gaining your trust, they will then create a believable reason for the transfer.

Bogus bank staff might claim there have been suspicious transactions on your account and tell you to move your savings to a 'safe account'.

Or fake HMRC officers might threaten you with a fine or even prison for an alleged unpaid tax bill.

For years, banks washed their hands of customers tricked into making payments to fraudsters on the grounds that victims had authorised the payment.

But, in May 2019, rules were introduced to ensure victims are refunded when scammed by this type of con.

Campaigners hoped that if banks were responsible for making repayments they would have a greater incentive to invest in systems that can prevent fraud happening in the first place. But the code of conduct is still only voluntary.

And only the biggest banks and building societies, including Barclays, The Co-Operative Bank, HSBC, Lloyds, Metro Bank, Nationwide, NatWest, Santander and Starling Bank, have signed up. Virgin Money will be a member of the code by next summer.

Confidence trick: Authorised fraud Conmen posing as trusted authorities such as banks, the police, HMRC and telecoms firms, trick you into making a payment yourself

But many firms, including Tesco Bank and Monzo, have not yet signed up.

TSB has its own refund guarantee, which promises to reimburse all innocent customers.

Yet even those firms which have signed up to the new code of conduct often take a hard line when making decisions about when they will refund victims.

And if the bank believes you could have done more to prevent the scam and cannot retrieve the cash lost, it may refuse to repay you or only offer half your money back.

How firms duck coughing up

Under the code, banks can deny you a refund if you have ignored effective warnings or proceeded with a payment even after receiving an alert that the payee's account details do not match the account holder's name  a new fraud check known as confirmation of payee.

Six-week wait for 10k Retired police officer Susan Burdett was forced to wait more than six weeks to get back 10,000 stolen by fraudsters. She first knew something was wrong when she was unable to access her online account. After requesting help from her bank, The Co-operative, she discovered a mobile phone number she did not recognise registered to her account. Susan, 64, reported the issue and was told a 10,000 payment had been made that morning, in August. Under City watchdog rules, banks are obliged to refund unauthorised transactions without delay. Yet Susan, from Bury, Lancashire, was still waiting six weeks later. Susan has no idea how crooks accessed her account. She says: Customer care has been non-existent and Ive been kept in the dark  which is poor from a bank that claims to be ethical. The bank eventually refunded her on October 8. A spokesman says: The refund was not made in the timescales that it shouldve been made in and we apologise... We will recompense Ms Burdett for this error.

You also must have a reasonable basis to believe the payment you are making is for genuine goods or services, and that the person or business is legitimate.

But with fraudsters now so sophisticated, banks have been accused of using these exceptions to wriggle out of repaying innocent victims.

In the first half of this year, major firms refunded customers in just 42 per cent of cases. So of the 355.3 million stolen, just 150.7 million was repaid.

In June, a damning review by the Lending Standards Board (LSB), which governs the code, identified 'systemic failings'.

It accused firms of unfairly blaming customers, providing inconsistent information and exceeding time limits for investigations, which should be 15 days.

Earlier this year, the watchdog, the Payment Systems Regulator, called for firms to be required to publish their refund data so customers can see how their bank compares  but this proposal is still under consultation.

Gareth Shaw, from Which?, says: 'Fraud can have a devastating financial and emotional impact on victims. The lack of help provided to some victims of bank transfer scams is particularly concerning.

'Protections for this type of fraud have to be strengthened. The payments regulator must introduce mandatory and clearer reimbursement requirements for all payment providers to ensure customers are treated fairly and consistently when trying to get their money back.'

Tips to fight your corner

So what can victims of bank transfer scams do to give themselves the best chance of getting their money back?

Rebecca Craig, of Tenet Law, which specialises in financial fraud, suggests first making a note of every interaction with the fraudster and to collect any screenshots of text messages and emails you may have been sent.

This evidence will show how you were tricked and help prove you were not negligent.

When making your case to the bank, cite the Contingent Reimbursement Model (CRM), which states that banks must refund customers when they have taken care to protect themselves.

It is also worth referencing the Banking Protocol, which sets out the standards expected of banks when protecting customers from financial harm.

Highlight any checks you carried out to ensure you were paying the right person. Keep a note of all correspondence with your bank, including who you spoke to and the contents of each conversation.

Were you left waiting on hold for hours? Was the call handler unsympathetic? This will be helpful should you later need to make a complaint to the Ombudsman.

If your complaint is rejected by your bank, this is your next step. It is always worth going down this route because over the past year the Ombudsman ruled in favour of scam victims in the vast majority  some 73 per cent  of cases.

Describe what happened in your own words. Familiarise yourself with the relevant consumer protection in place but the onus is not on you to know the details of every law and regulation. You just need to put forward a clear argument.

Explain that you had no idea you were speaking to a conman and why you believed the payment was genuine.

For example, did the fraudster call from a number that appeared to match the one belonging to that bank? Or did the crook know personal details only your bank would know?

Next, specify what you want as a resolution. This could include a full refund of what was stolen plus compensation for time spent on the phone, writing letters and emails, as well as any distress caused.

You do not need to provide proof of any conversations with your bank as the Ombudsman can demand the firm hands over call transcripts and other internal correspondence.

Even if you get part of your money back, you can still complain if you think you should get a full refund.

Martyn James, from complaints website Resolver, says: 'It is important not to reflect on the mistakes you may have made.

'So many victims believe they are responsible for making the payment when they have been manipulated, and it stops many reporting the scam. You have been a victim of crime and we need to stop thinking we are to blame.'

a.murray@dailymail.co.uk
President Joe Biden could become embroiled in an FBI investigation of Hunter's finances, experts say, as emails reveal the father and son shared accounts and paid each other's bills.

Emails recovered by DailyMail.com from Hunter's abandoned laptop between Hunter and Eric Schwerin, his business partner at consultancy Rosemont Seneca, show Schwerin was working on Joe's taxes, discussing the father and son paying each other's household bills, and even fielding requests for a book deal for the then-vice president, as well as managing the donation of Joe's senate papers to the University of Delaware.

It is unclear why Schwerin had this intimate role in the vice president's affairs rather than government officials in the Office of the Vice President.

Hunter's claim that he and his father shared a bank account also raises serious questions whether funds from the alleged joint account were used for Hunter's May 2018 week-long bender with a prostitute in a Hollywood hotel.

Last December, Hunter admitted in a public statement that he was under federal investigation over his tax affairs.

A former federal prosecutor and expert on money laundering and criminal tax law tells DailyMail.com that if money was flowing between Hunter and his father, that could make Joe a target of the probe  but that investigators would have a tough time sitting down with the president.

'Whatever transaction you're looking at, if there's a connection to a family member or a friend, sure the answer is yes [they would be investigated],' the ex-prosecutor, who asked not to be named, said.

'Obviously, if you're talking about the President of the United States, you'd better have a pretty damn good reason to talk to that person.'

Emails from Hunter Biden's abandoned laptop, obtained by DailyMail.com, reveal Joe and Hunter shared bank accounts and paid each other's bills

The claim raises serious questions whether funds from the joint accounts were used for Hunter's May 2018 week-long bender with a prostitute. This photo of him grabbing a woman's hair was recovered from his laptop

Emails between Hunter and Eric Schwerin, his business partner at consultancy Rosemont Seneca, show Schwerin was working on Joe's taxes

The FBI and IRS probe is reportedly also looking into his foreign business relationships and the potential for money laundering charges.

The Senate security committee issued a report last year raising fears that the Chinese government was attempting to influence the White House through a billion-dollar business deal between Hunter's company he co-founded with Schwerin, Rosemont Seneca, and Chinese oil giant CEFC.

John Cassara, a former U.S. Intelligence Officer and Treasury Special Agent who is an expert in money laundering investigations, said that were Joe not president, he would probably be in prosecutors' crosshairs by now along with his son.

'The information available publicly is very worrisome, particularly in the areas of corruption,' Cassara told DailyMail.com.

'They could go at this from all different avenues. Follow the corruption trail and then charge money laundering.

'Corruption is a predicate offense for money laundering. And besides corruption, it's the perception of corruption. This kind of thing should not be happening. It undermines full faith in the US government. It undermines trust and our international reputation. It's an embarrassment.'

In yet more evidence of the deep commercial relationship between Hunter's firm and the VP's office during Joe's tenure, Rosemont Seneca received special favors from the White House while Joe was in office, including dozens of tickets to exclusive 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue events and private tours for Rosemont Seneca clients or associates.

And when an aide to Senator Robert Menendez requested VP Biden host the U.S.-Spain Council's 2010 annual meeting at his official Naval Observatory residence in Washington DC, they contacted Schwerin rather than Joe's White House office.

Hunter and Schwerin then privately discussed the potential to ingratiate themselves with 'CEOs of the major banks' if they helped arrange the request.

In 2010, Danny O'Brien, then chief of staff to U.S.-Spain Council chair Senator Menendez, contacted Schwerin asking if VP Biden could host the group's annual meeting at his naval observatory official residence

Schwerin was also involved in the process of gifting Joe's senate papers to the University of Delaware. A member of the VP's office, Katherina Oyama, wrote to Schwerin in March 2010 detailing the restrictions Joe's White House attorney was recommending over the public release of the papers

Hunter complained that 'half' of his salary went to paying his father's bills while he was VP, casting doubt on Joe's previous claims that he's never benefited from his son's business dealings.

In a 2019 text to his daughter Naomi, he wrote: 'I hope you all can do what I did and pay for everything for this entire family for 30 years.

'It's really hard. But don't worry, unlike Pop [Joe], I won't make you give me half your salary.'

Bills Hunter paid for Joe included a $190-a-month AT&T phone bill and thousands in repairs on the president's lakeside home in Wilmington.

In a 2018 email to one of his own assistants, Hunter complained that he had been shut out of his own bank account and that his father had been using it.

'Too many cooks in the kitchen. Too many profile changes and such. Happened 10 days ago too...

'My dad has been using most lines on this account which I've through the gracious offerings of Eric have paid for past 11 years,' he said.

Schwerin made repeated references to Joe and Hunter paying each other's bills, in emails on Hunter's laptop.

Last December, Hunter admitted in a public statement that he was under federal investigation over his tax affairs. The FBI and IRS probe is reportedly also looking into Hunter's foreign business relationships and the potential for money laundering charges

On June 5, 2010 he wrote: 'FYI, there are a few outstanding bills that need to be paid and I am not sure which ones are a priority and which should get paid out of 'my' account and which should be put on hold or paid out of the 'Wilmington Trust Social Security Check Account.' It's unclear why he put the word 'my' in quotation marks

In June 2010 he wrote: 'Mike Christopher [builder] is hassling me so I am paying a couple of the smaller things since I haven't heard from your Dad. Know he's busy  so it's OK.

Penguin Random House editor at large Susan Mercandetti emailed Joe's assistant Kathy Chung in November 2015 saying the publishing house would like to 'engage in a conversation about the possibility of [Joe] writing another book'

On June 5, 2010 he wrote: 'FYI, there are a few outstanding bills that need to be paid and I am not sure which ones are a priority and which should get paid out of 'my' account and which should be put on hold or paid out of the 'Wilmington Trust Social Security Check Account.'

'There is about $2,000 extra in 'my' account beyond what is used for monthly expenses.'

It's unclear why he put the word 'my' in quotation marks.

A former federal prosecutor tells DailyMail.com that if money was flowing between Hunter and his father, that could make Joe a target of the probe

Later that month he wrote: 'Mike Christopher [a construction worker Joe hired] is hassling me so I am paying a couple of the smaller things since I haven't heard from your Dad. Know he's busy  so it's OK.

'But if you think he has a moment or two to review the e-mail I sent you let me know.'

The following month, he said: 'Does it make sense to see if your Dad has some time in the next couple of weeks while you are in DC to talk about it? Your Dad just called me about his mortgage . . . so it dawned on me it might be a good time [for] some positive news about his future earnings potential.'

Emails on Hunter's abandoned computer show that as early as 2010, Schwerin was involved with the vice president's tax returns.

On April 9, 2010, Schwerin wrote to Hunter: 'I was dealing all afternoon with JRB's taxes (but solved a big issue - so it was all worth it).'

On June 10 that year, he wrote: 'Your Dad's Delaware tax refund check came today. I am depositing it in his account and writing a check in that amount back to you since he owes it to you. Don't think I need to run it by him, but if you want to go ahead. If not, I will deposit tomorrow.'

It is unclear why Joe allegedly owed his son money.

Schwerin also appeared to be coordinating with other tax professionals for the tax return of Joe's wife, Jill Biden, affectionately called 'Mom-Mom' by family and close friends.

'FYI, we have a bill for approx. $800 from Bill Morgan for all the work he did for Mom-Mom on her taxes, household help, etc,' Schwerin wrote to Hunter.

'Who should pay the bill? Do you and Beau want to split it? Should I ask [Joe's sister] Val, [sister-in-law] Sara or your Dad? I'd like to get it paid sooner rather than later.'

Schwerin's involvement in Joe's personal affairs even extended to fielding requests for book deals.

Penguin Random House editor at large Susan Mercandetti emailed Joe's assistant Kathy Chung in November 2015 saying the publishing house would like to 'engage in a conversation about the possibility of [Joe] writing another book.'

'We thought that a book on living with grief is something that would be important to so many people and clearly it a subject about which he has spoken so poignantly,' the editor wrote.

Chung forwarded the email to Schwerin, saying: 'Hey, do I send these to you? If yes, can you pls email her and tell her you received, or she'll continue to email me.'

Schwerin then wrote to Mercandetti: 'Right now, we are compiling a list of all the requests that come in to the VP regarding books, etc. so that when he's ready to focus on this we'll have them all in one place.

'Fee [sic] free to reach out to me if you have any questions in the meantime.'

Schwerin also appeared to be coordinating with other tax professionals for the tax return of Joe's wife, Jill Biden, affectionately called 'Mom-Mom' by family and close friends. 'FYI, we have a bill for approx. $800 from Bill Morgan for all the work he did for Mom-Mom on her taxes, household help, etc,' Schwerin wrote to Hunter

Rosemont Seneca got dozens of tickets to White House events, which they used to woo business associates and potential clients, including '12 spots to fill for the Mexico State Dinner in May' 2010 and an estimated 20 tickets for the White House Easter Egg Roll that year, according to a March 2010 email

Schwerin was also involved in the process of gifting Joe's senate papers to the University of Delaware.

A member of the VP's office, Katherina Oyama, wrote to Schwerin in March 2010 detailing the restrictions Joe's White House attorney was recommending over the public release of the papers.

A month later, Danny O'Brien, then chief of staff to U.S.-Spain Council chair Senator Menendez, contacted Schwerin asking if VP Biden could host the group's annual meeting at his naval observatory official residence.

Schwerin wrote to Hunter about the request, suggesting the favor for the council could help them ingratiate themselves with potential future clients.

'Spanish members include CEOs of the major banks - Banco Santander, etc, Iberdrola, Spanish Rail, etc. Amb. Solomont is a big supporter and JRB [Joe] went to speak to group in Boca when a Senator,' he said.

Hunter's claim that he and his father shared a bank account also raises serious questions whether funds from the alleged joint account were used for Hunter's May 2018 week-long bender with a prostitute in a Hollywood hotel.

'Having their annual meeting in DC in July. Spanish Foreign Minister attends. Danny wants to explore with you possibility of getting VP to host event at NAVOBs [Naval Observatory] for group. Maybe even an appearance at a reception at a hotel. I'll get more info and we can discuss with Danny next week. I think Solomont mentioned your interest in Spain and that is why Danny is calling us.'

The email suggests Hunter was a target for those wanting access to his powerful father  and was willing to benefit from his perceived influence with the VP.

That influence appeared to extend to special favors from the White House to Hunter's company.

Rosemont Seneca got dozens of tickets to White House events, which they used to woo business associates and potential clients, including '12 spots to fill for the Mexico State Dinner in May' 2010 and an estimated 20 tickets for the White House Easter Egg Roll that year, according to a March 2010 email.

In November 2015 Schwerin also wrote to Hunter noting that members of the VP's office offered 20 tickets for 'White House Holiday Tours'.

'Anne Marie and Kathy also offered up 20 tickets for Joan and I to use - separate from what you have,' he wrote. 'So it seems like between all of us we have plenty. Let us know if you have anyone specific you want to offer yours up to.'

Hunter's claim that he and his father shared a bank account also raises serious questions whether funds from the alleged joint account were used for Hunter's May 2018 week-long bender with a prostitute in a Hollywood hotel.

On May 24, 2018, a recently retired senior Secret Service officer, Robert Savage, texted Hunter warning he would 'have to assume you are in danger' and commandeer keys to the room if he didn't come out of his $470-per-night suite at The Jeremy Hotel in Los Angeles where he had been holed up with a Russian hooker to whom he wired $25,000.

The agent added: 'Come on H this is linked to Celtic's account'  the Secret Service code name for Joe Biden. 'DC is calling me every 10. Let me up or come down. I can't help if you don't let me H.'

It is unclear whether the agent's reference to 'Celtic's account' was about charges for prostitutes on a Joe Biden bank account, or his employment by Joe Biden to monitor his son.
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Days before joining the dramatic search through dense Florida woodland for fugitive Brian Laundrie, Dog the Bounty Hunter and new wife Francie Frane were sipping mocktails poolside and basking in the sun at a luxury beach resort.

The reality star, 68, celebrated his sixth marriage with a romantic honeymoon getaway at the JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort near Naples last month, just a few weeks after secretly tying the knot in his native Colorado.

Exclusive DailyMail.com photos show the happy couple enjoying a wild ride on a jet ski before indulging in some refreshing drinks by the pool and a scenic stroll along the beach to catch a romantic sunset.

But the newlyweds' idyllic vacation ended up getting cut short on September 25, when Dog decided to join in on the Florida manhunt for Laundrie, the sole person of interest in Gabby Petito's death.

Newly weds: Dog the Bounty Hunter and new wife Francie Frane enjoyed their honeymoon at a luxury beach resort in Marco Island, Florida weeks after tying the knot in Colorado

DailyMail.com has obtained exclusive photos of the couple basking in the sun and enjoying fruity cocktails on their private balcony at the JW Marriott on September 24, before embarking on the ongoing hunt for fugitive Brian Laundrie

Dog, real name Duane Chapman, surprised fans early last year when he announced his engagement to sixth wife Francie Frane, less than 12 months after the death of his wife Beth Chapman

The happy couple were the picture of love as they took a long romantic stroll on the beach to celebrate their nuptials

Dog and new wife Francie Frane were seen arriving at Fort De Soto Park in Pinellas County on September 28 after it emerged that 23-year-old Laundrie (right) had gone camping there with his parents five days before his fiancee Gabby Petito was reported missing

About 100 miles north from where the couple was honeymooning, authorities had announced they were combing through a nature reserve near North Port, Florida where Laundrie was reportedly last seen on September 14.

Dog would receive over 1,000 tips from the public about Laundrie's potential whereabouts, including the revelation that he had gone camping at a nearby Florida park with his parents just days before he disappeared.

For the bounty hunter, it was a case of being in the right place at the right time, so he decided to put his own expertise to use and launch his own search for the wanted 23-year-old.

'Brian went missing in the area where we were honeymooning, and I knew my skills would be useful,' he told the Enquirer. 'An innocent girl has turned up dead, and Brian appears to be the only person who can explain it.'

Since then, Dog, real name Duane Chapman, has been zeroing in on a Florida campsite in Fort De Soto Park, where Laundrie and his parents were revealed to have traveled days after Brian returned home without girlfriend Gabby.

The former bail bondsman has also had the support of his new bride, 52, who he described as being 'invaluable' and 'so understanding' during the search.

We were supposed to be taking it easy, but when something like this calls I can't let it go,' he said.

The happy couple, who are based in Colorado, made the most out of their getaway by taking a wild ride on a wave runner, drinking mocktails, and sunbathing on the sand

The pair's whirlwind wedding and honeymoon vacation was ultimately cut short when Dog dramatically joined the hunt for fugitive Brian Laundrie in Fort De Soto, Florida late last month

Dog, who lost his wife Beth to cancer in 2019, initially vowed that he would never remarry but had a change of heart after meeting Francie

The reality star, 68, said his bride has been 'invaluable' in his manhunt for Brian Laundrie which comes on the heels of their wedding and honeymoon

DailyMail.com last month exclusively revealed that Chapman married for the sixth time with Frane in an inmate wedding ceremony at The Pinery at The Hill, a luxury resort in Colorado Springs, Colorado on September 2.

Dog, 68, wore a black tuxedo but kept his trademark shades on, while Francie, 52, wore a billowing white dress paired with custom crystal-encrusted sneakers.

Three of his sons were in attendance. Jon, Leland, and Garry Boy Chapman all escorted their father down the aisle.

The couple exchanged vows in front of minister Katie Souza and 100 of the couple's closest friends and family at the Tuscan-style estate with breathtaking Rocky Mountain views.

Choking back tears, Dog said: 'This was a match made in heaven. Francie, I give you my word, I will love you every day until I die.

'I will love you, guard you and protect you. I love you more than I do myself, Francie. I will love you more than any man ever has.'

'What I thought was the end was just the very beginning,' Francie responded. 'We have walked alongside each other through one of the hardest things we could ever face in this life and through that we've found an incredible friendship and inner strength we didn't know we have.

Dog, whose dramatic manhunts for fugitives have been documented on the his hit A&E reality series, couldn't help but take part in the search for Laundrie after learning he had disappeared days after Gabby Petito's body was found

Dog and Francie enjoy a romantic stroll along the beach at sunset during their honeymoon on September 24

DailyMail.com last month exclusively revealed that Chapman had secretly tied the knot for the sixth time with Frane in an inmate wedding ceremony a luxury resort in Colorado on September 2

Chapman has given himself a six-week deadline to find the fugitive - ahead of Brian's 24th birthday in November

Dog announced he was launching his own manhunt for Laundrie days after Petito's body was discovered. He posted footage of himself wading through the Fort De Soto Park looking for him

'I will walk alongside you to the ends of the earth and back and be your loyal wife, your best friend and your biggest fan.'

But it wasn't all emotional vows, first dances, and wedding cake. The former bails bondsman was forced to beef up security with Navy SEALs and German Shepherds after an anonymous person threatened to throw paint on his bridge's wedding gown.

One guest claimed their car tires had been slashed with razor blades and another said vandals left a 'mysterious pungent odor' in their car.

Many guests suspected it had something to do with the family rift between Dog and his two daughters, Cecily, 28, and Bonnie, 22, who weren't invited to the wedding after accusing their father of making racist remarks and cheating on his late wife Beth, who died of throat cancer in 2019. The two had been married for 13 years.

Dog and Frane, who also lost her spouse in 2018, reportedly met six months after Beth's death and their bond grew through their shared grief. The couple became engaged in May 2020.

Dog's daughter Bonnie claimed that her involvement with Black Lives Matter fractured their relationship.

She took to Facebook to blast her father in a lengthy statement where she accused him of racism, homophobia, and cheating on his late wife 'all the time,' even when she was 'sick in the hospital.'

The TV personality, 68, and Francie, 52, tied the knot at The Pinery At The Hill, a luxury resort in Colorado Springs, Colorado early last month

During their emotional vows, the couple professed their love and commitment to one another. Despite the hiccups, the couple exchanged heartfelt vows in front of minister Katie Souza and their guests at The Pinery At The Hill, a luxury resort in Colorado Springs, Colorado

In the post she also brandished him as having 'racist ways,' said he sat idly by when her life was 'threatened on several occasions by QAnon wackos,' and said she felt inclined to speak out to honor her mom's legacy as she would have not 'stand for this.'

Bonnie also claimed Francie traveled on a plane 'knowing' she was infected with COVID-19 and attended events as she wrote: 'She didn't seem to care about the thousands of people she could have infected.'

Beth Chapman died at 51 in May 2019. Dog had vowed never to remarry, but was struck by cupid when he met Francie

'If my dad and his new wife want to travel to right-wing churches attacking gay people and advancing QAnon theories, he can certainly do that, but I'm going to stand by the memory and legacy of my mom, Beth Chapman. Her memory, and the values she stood for, are worth fighting to advance,' it read.

A representative for Dog denied Beth's allegations in a statement obtained by E! saying: 'Bonnie's allegations are false and a misguided attempt to derail our wedding.'

Last year Dog an Francie opened up to DailyMailTV in an exclusive interview, where he gushed about how cupid shot him when he least expected it and how both of them connected by sharing the pain of being widowed.

'We didn't expect it,' Dog said.

'It was God for sure,' Francie added.

Dog initially vowed that he would never remarry after losing the love of his life in 2019.

When asked what changed for Dog, he said: 'Well, Francie is a Christian and unless you marry you can't uh....' he drifted off, as Francie nudged him and said 'be nice'.

'What changed was I had no idea I was going to meet someone like Francie because a rancher was not in my black book,' Dog said.

'And when I did, she put down some rules - like you must go to church, you gotta start eating grass and weeds, and you got to quit smoking, and you got to quit using the A-word every other sentence. And you just gotta get your heart rate because maybe someday you'll be gone.'

The couple's blinged-out wedding bands are pictured. 'I will walk alongside you to the ends of the earth and back and be your loyal wife, your best friend and your biggest fan,' Francie said in her vows

Three of Dog's son were in attendance. Jon, Leland and Garry Boy Chapman all escorted their father down the aisle

Many guests suspected it has something to do with the family rift between Dog and his two daughters, Cecily, 28, (left) and Bonnie, 22, (right) who weren't invited to the wedding

Dog said his late wife Beth is up in heaven laughing at all of those restrictions.

Francie said he's checked off all of her requirements and he wears a couple of nicotine patches. He said he's gone down from three packs a day to just one.

Francie said she feels she has her late husband Bob's blessing from above.

'Bob and I had a lot of conversations before he went about moving on and what that looked like and what he wanted,' Francie said. 'I didn't know who Duane [Dog] was when I met him. I actually think Bob is in heaven laughing that it's Dog The Bounty Hunter that God brought into my life.'

'I think Bob would be very happy about where I'm at and who Duane is in my life and how we've been walking alongside each other.'
A man accused of fatally shooting ten people at a Colorado grocery store has reportedly been found incompetent to stand trial by psychologists.

Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, 22, is charged with 10 counts of first-degree murder, and dozens of attempted murder and related charges stemming from the March 22 rampage at a King Soopers grocery store in Boulder, Colorado.

Prosecutors allege Alissa stormed the supermarket and opened fire with a Ruger AR-556 semi-automatic pistol that he had legally purchased six days before the rampage.

Among those killed was 'heroic' responding Boulder police officer and father-of-seven Eric Talley.

Last month, judge Ingrid Seftar Bakke ordered that one or more state psychiatrists or psychologists conduct an evaluation of Alissa within three weeks at the Boulder County jail, where Alissa has been detained without bond since the shooting.

Although the report by two court-appointed psychologists has not been released, their conclusions were set out in a motion filed by prosecutors for a second examination, to which defense lawyers object.

Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa (pictured on September 7), 22, is charged with 10 counts of first-degree murder related to the March 22 rampage at a King Soopers grocery store in Boulder, Colorado

Among those killed in the grocery store shooting was 'heroic' responding Boulder police officer and father-of-seven Eric Talley (pictured)

Prosecutors argued that the initial evaluation showed that Alissa is aware of his legal predicament.

'Defendant indicates an understanding of his charges, the potential sentence, the roles of the judge, prosecutor, and defense attorney,' the prosecution motion said.

In objecting to the prosecution request, defense attorneys said Alissa mistakenly believes he could be executed if found guilty.

'The death penalty is not a potential sentence in this case, and the report reflects his (Alissa's) fixation on that as a sentence,' the defense motion said.

Under Colorado law, a judge is required to conduct a competency hearing before ruling on whether a defendant is mentally fit to stand trial.

The judge has not ruled on the prosecution request, though the issue will likely be argued during an October 14 competency review hearing.

His mental health is a separate legal issue from a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity, which hinges on whether someone's mental health prevented them from knowing right from wrong when a crime was committed.

A finding either way on competency potentially could slow the case down, as it would require state doctors to try and make Alissa competent to stand trial before proceedings can continue.

Prosecutors allege Alissa (pictured being arrested) stormed the supermarket and opened fire with a Ruger AR-556 semi-automatic pistol he purchased six days before the rampage

Based in part on an evaluation it arranged, the defense claims there is a 'reasonable belief' that Alissa suffers from an unspecified 'mental disability'.

Further details about Alissa's mental health issues are not known, contained in a court filing sealed under state law.

Public defender Daniel King previously said the defense will use its right to ask for another evaluation if the state evaluation finds that Alissa is competent.

If Alissa is found incompetent, he could not go on trial unless he can be treated to make him well enough to at least be able to understand proceedings and help his lawyers.

Alissa's brother Ali, 34, told CNN in March that he was bullied at school for his name and for being Muslim, and that he became 'anti social'.

Alissa (pictured) has reportedly been ruled incompetent to stand trial by psychologists, according to a motion filed by prosecutors

'People chose not to mess with him because of his temper, people chose not to really talk to him because of all - how he acted and things like that,' he said.

Alissa had become increasingly 'paranoid' around 2014, believing he was being followed and chased, according to his brother, who he lived with.

'He always suspected someone was behind him, someone was chasing him,' Ali Alissa said.

'We kept a close eye on him when he was in high school.

'He would say, 'Someone is chasing me, someone is investigating me.' And we're like, 'Come on man. There's nothing.'

'He was just closing into himself.'

Alissa is accused of killing nine shoppers and workers inside and outside the store and one of the first three police officers who entered.

Alissa has also been charged with attempted first-degree murder over allegedly firing at 26 other people, including 11 law enforcement officers.

He is also accused of unlawfully possessing 10 high-capacity ammunition magazines, devices banned in Colorado after previous mass shootings.

Investigators have not released a possible motive for the attack.

District Attorney Michael Dougherty said the victims and their families were frustrated that the original evidentiary was delayed with short notice.

He was glad that Bakke set a next hearing so soon but noted that he did not expect the complicated case to be resolved until about two years after the shooting.

'We'll just continue to work through each obstacle on this journey,' said Dougherty after the hearing, joined by two relatives of slain store manager Rikki Olds.

A police vehicle driven by slain officer Eric Talley, who was among 10 people killed in the shooting, is parked outside the police station where people placed flowers on it on March 23

Prosecutors argued that the initial evaluation showed that Alissa (pictured on May 25) is aware of his legal predicament, to which defense lawyers object

Dougherty urged people not to lose sight of the victims and others impacted by the shooting during the long process.

He read the names of Olds and the nine other people killed: Boulder police Officer Eric Talley, Denny Strong, Teri Leiker, Neven Stanisic, Tralona Bartkowiak, Suzanne Fountain, Kevin Mahoney, Lynn Murray and Jody Waters.

One local woman, Susan Gilmore, told AP she came to court to show the victims and their families that they are loved and not forgotten.

She said she and her son Gil have been to some memorial services for those killed and also hold signs of support outside the Boulder Police Department, sympathizing with how they had to grieve their loss while also investigating the shooting.

As she drove in the busy morning traffic to get to court, she wondered if those who lost loved ones in the shooting might feel the rest of the world has moved on.

'I just hope that the community continues to lift them up,' she said.

In March, witness to the shooting Maggie Montoya, who was working at the King Soopers supermarket, said she heard gunshots ring out through the store as she took cover in a pharmacy room and called 911 and her family.

Once police arrived and ordered the shooter to surrender, Montoya was shocked to hear Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa respond from just in front of the pharmacy, she told CPR.

Alissa was subsequently seen being escorted away in handcuffs with a bloodied leg outside the supermarket in Boulder, and now faces ten counts of murder.

Montoya, 25, described how she ran for cover in a room where pharmacists had been giving out Covid-19 vaccines on the day of the shooting.

She heard what she said were several bursts of rapid gunfire, against the background of supermarket music still playing over the public address system.

While she hoped for safety behind a metal door, Montoya said she was 'just imagining the person hopping the counter and just coming in the room'.

From her hiding place, she called 911 and contacted her parents and her boyfriend, as well as the husband of a pharmacy co-worker who did not have her phone.

After the shooting died down she said she 'thought everybody was dead' and wondered why police had yet to storm inside the supermarket.

People comfort each other outside the store while police watch over them following the mass shooting in Boulder on March 22

Further details about Alissa's (pictured on April 21) mental health issues are not known, contained in a court filing sealed under state law

But finally she heard the voice of a police officer on the loudspeaker telling the shooter that 'the entire building is surrounded... I need you to surrender now'.

In a further shock to Montoya, she heard a voice respond from close to her pharmacy hiding place: 'I surrender, I'm naked'.

But there was no immediate response and long minutes passed before Montoya heard police forcing their way inside.

The shooter 'was still by the pharmacy when they told him to surrender', Montoya said, adding that the suspect had repeated that he was naked.

She then heard him walking away from the pharmacy before hearing the voices of police attending to the scene - but she still feared there could be more gunmen.

Montoya also described her relief when police, rather than a shooter, knocked on the door of her hiding place - saying 'the right people came through the door'.

Once outside the supermarket, she was reunited with her boyfriend Jordan Carpenter who was among those who had gathered outside the store.

Meanwhile, Alissa was being taken to hospital after being shot in an exchange of fire with officers.

Colorado has previously suffered two of the most infamous mass shootings in US history - at Columbine High School in 1999, and at a movie theater in Aurora in 2012.

The city of Boulder imposed a ban on 'assault-style weapons' and large-capacity gun magazines in the wake of the Parkland, Florida shooting in 2018.

But a judge in March blocked that ban, the Denver Post reported, in a decision hailed by the National Rifle Association.
Nigel Farage has been conned into reading a greeting supporting the IRA by jokers who targeted him on a personalised video message site.

The former politician is seen raising his drink and saying 'up the RA' in a clip on the Cameo video-sharing platform.

The message was sent to Brian O Ceileachair after his friend Aidan Hart paid 73 for Mr Farage to read out a congratulatory birthday greeting.

'This message is for Brian O Ceileachair, brexiteer,' Mr Farage says in the short clip.

Nigel Farage has been conned into reading a greeting supporting the IRA by jokers who targeted him on a personalised video message site

'I hope you have a great birthday and this comes from your good friend Aidan,' he continues before raising a cup of coffee to give a toast.

'Now, it's a bit early in the day so all I've got actually is coffee, but I hope you enjoy a few pints with the lads tonight.'

He then says 'up the RA!' before taking a sip.

The phrase is known to be one of 'support or encouragement of the Provisional Irish Republican Army', although it is not widely used.

The former politician is seen raising his drink and saying 'up the RA' in a clip on the Cameo video-sharing platform

When approached about the video, Mr Farage told MailOnline: 'If I saw 'up the RA' I would have looked at that as something very innocent, and wouldn't have even known there was an implication to it'

Mr O Ceileachair, from Ireland, posted the video on social media, writing: 'Quite possibly the best birthday present I've ever gotten courtesy of Aidan Hart and my mate Nigel Farage.'

The footage has been viewed over 90,000 times.

When approached about the video, Mr Farage told MailOnline: 'If I saw 'up the RA' I would have looked at that as something very innocent, and wouldn't have even known there was an implication to it.

'A lot of messages that I get are friends sending each other messages with their own little jokes or their own little words which I have to judge - and of course I reject some if they are crude or offensive.

Mr Farage added that he does a 'very large number' of videos and is one of Cameo's most popular users.

Asked if he would accept a message request that was supportive of the IRA, Mr Farage replied: 'Are you joking? I had a face-to-face death threat from them.'

In a description on his Cameo page, Mr Farage writes: 'They call me Mr Brexit... some people say I am controversial, and I couldn't care less.'
Donald Trump revealed that his youngest child Barron was critical of his first 2020 presidential debate performance against Joe Biden, claiming the then-14-year-old told him he was being 'too tough,' according to a new book excerpt released Tuesday.

In a section exclusively obtained by DailyMail.com, the former president said he was still fuming at Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace's moderation of the September debate.

Trump made the comments to Fox commentator and The Federalist senior editor Mollie Hemingway in her forthcoming book, 'Rigged: How the Media, Big Tech, and the Democrats Seized Our Elections.'

'The problem was Biden would speak and it was lie after lie, after lie. Everything he said was a lie, this guy, and then Chris Wallace wouldnt let you respond. Chris Wallace was terrible,' Trump said.

During the infamously chaotic debate, Biden and Trump took turns dismissing and speaking over each other. Their unruly and at times aggressive conduct forced debate organizers to release a statement vowing to make the next engagement 'more orderly.'

Trump admitted to catching wind of some of the negative feedback - including from his 15-year-old son, then just 14 years old.

'People thought I was too belligerent,' he said.

'I will say my own son Barron said, "Dad, you were too tough. You didn't have to keep interrupting him".'

Trump admitted to catching wind of some of the negative feedback from the debate - including from his then-14-year-old son, Barron (pictured in August 2020, roughly a month before the infamous event)

Trump said his son Barron, now 15, told him he was being 'too tough' on Biden and Wallace (pictured with his mother Melania Trump in New York City in July)

Trump also accused Wallace of covering for Biden when the moderator cut Trump's attempt to confront Biden on his son Hunter, specifically a 2014 incident when the recovering drug addict was wired $3.5 million by the billionaire widow of a Moscow mayor ousted for corruption.

He said the Fox host 'protected' Biden, an accusation that would put Wallace in ethically murky waters as a moderator.

'He wouldnt let us talk about the mayor of Moscows wife giving three and a half million dollars to [Hunter] Biden. He protected him from the Ukraine questions, Chris Wallace protected [Biden],' Trump said.

Chris Wallace later admitted he was 'sad' about how the debate went

'He was unable to protect himself. I had Biden and Chris Wallace would not let those questions be asked.'

Republican senators detailed the allegation against Hunter Biden in a late 2020 report focused on Hunter Biden's business dealings in Ukraine.

During a particularly contentious moment at the September debate, the current president denied that his son was paid the money and called Trump a 'clown.'

'Joe got $3.5 million from Russia. And it came through Putin, because he was very friendly with the former mayor of Moscow and it was the mayor of Moscow's wife. He got $3.5 million. Your family got $3.5 million and you know, someday you're gonna have to explain  why did you get three and a half [million]?' Trump said at the event.

Wallace intervened, telling both men the American people 'would rather hear about more substantial topics.'

'I'd like to talk about climate change,' he added, and Biden replied 'So would I.'

In March 2021 White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki was asked about the $3.5 million payment.

Psaki said she was 'not familiar' with it.

Trump and Biden's aggressive behavior at the September debate prompted debate organizers to take steps to make future debates 'more orderly'

'I'm not familiar with that claim. It doesn't sound like it's backed up by a lot of evidence. If you have evidence or specifics, I'm happy to discuss it further,' the Biden official said.

'I'm not familiar with the report at all,' she added when asked about the report from the Finance and Homeland Security committee Republicans that made the claim.

During the debate Biden's pithy retorts of 'Will you shut up man?' and 'Come on, man,' went viral and were subsequently used to sell his campaign merchandise.

At several points Wallace attempted to reign the candidates in, prompting Trump to reply, 'I guess I'm debating you, not him.'

In the Tuesday excerpt Trump told Hemingway that Wallace left him 'frustrated' after the debate.

The previously-unknown discourse between Trump and Barron is part of Fox News contributor Mollie Hemingway's new book

'Trump says he agreed to Wallace as a debate moderator in the hopes that Wallace would be mindful of the fact Trump had appeared on his Fox show, while Biden had snubbed him and previously forgotten his name,' Hemingway writes.

At another point the Fox contributor points out that Wallace asking Trump why he was against 'racial sensitivity training' was 'no doubt helpful to the Biden campaign' - a not-so-veiled jab at her network colleague.

Wallace later confessed the debate was a 'terrible missed opportunity' in an interview with the New York Times.

In his first public comments since the event, Wallace said the day after that he was 'sad with the way last night turned out.'

'I never dreamt that it would go off the tracks the way it did,' the veteran journalist told the outlet.

He then blamed Trump for the chaos, adding 'I guess I didn't realize  and there was no way you could, hindsight being 20/20  that this was going to be the president's strategy, not just for the beginning of the debate but the entire debate.

'I'm a pro. I've never been through anything like this.'

Wallace revealed he never thought he had full control and said it left him feeling 'desperate' at points.

Biden called the debate a 'national embarrassment.'

Viewers and political analysts likened Wallace's performance to that of a kindergarten teacher as he repeatedly asked the candidates to stop interrupting each other and his pleas fell on deaf ears.

By the end of the night Wallace had spent more time scolding - mainly in Trump's direction - than he did asking the questions he had to fight to get out.

The following October presidential debate moderated by NBC's Kristen Welker was noticeably more civil, mostly free of interruptions and candidates more or less keeping to their allotted time.

Hunter Biden again took center stage, though he wasn't physically present.

During the September debate Trump brought up a GOP report that claimed Hunter Biden was wired $3.5 million by the widow (right) of a late former mayor of Moscow (left) who was ousted over corruption

Less than two weeks before the debate a bombshell story in the New York Post detailed allegations that Hunter Biden used his father's position as vice president to bolster his own foreign business dealings.

The report cited emails allegedly found on a hard drive from a water-damaged MacBook Pro, which was brought to a Delaware repair shop in April 2019. The shop owner said the person who left it never paid or came back to get it.

A sticker on the laptop promoted the Beau Biden Foundation, named after the president's oldest son who died of brain cancer. But the shop owner couldn't say whether it was Hunter Biden who dropped it off.

Records obtained by the Post show the FBI seized the laptop and hard drive in December. A copy was also given to Rudy Giuliani's lawyer.

During the October debate Trump called it 'the laptop from hell.'

Welker, like Wallace, tried to intercede.

'President Trump, were talking about race right now and I do want to stay on the issue of race. President Trump,' she began before Biden asked to respond.

The 'laptop from hell,' as Trump called it, took center stage at the second and final debate. A laptop hard drive reportedly left at a Delaware repair shop under mysterious circumstances contained a damaging trove of emails detailing the president's son's business dealings as well as images of him appearing to perform sex acts and smoking crack

Then-candidate Biden went on to cite '50 former national intelligence folks' who he claimed said allegations amounted to 'a bunch of garbage.'

'Nobody believes it except him and his good friend Rudy Giuliani,' Biden said.

Trump mocked him referencing the 2016 Russian interference investigation, 'Is this where youre going? This is where hes going. The laptop is Russia, Russia, Russia?'

'You have to be kidding. Here we go again with Russia. Boy oh boy.'

The hard drive purported to offer a revealing look into the president's youngest son's personal and business life. Among the raunchier contents was a 12-minute video in which Hunter Biden appeared to be engaging in a sex act with a woman while smoking crack.

It contained other nude images as well as pictures of Hunter seemingly passed out with and using a crack pipe.

But for the 2020 Biden campaign, the most damning allegations came from email correspondence with foreign business leaders, particularly in Ukraine.

Hunter previously sat on the board of Ukrainian gas company Burisma, where some reports say he earned up to $50,000 per month.

In April 2015 a Burisma adviser thanked Hunter for 'giving an opportunity to meet your father' in an email reportedly from the laptop.

Biden has denied ever becoming involved in his family's foreign business dealings. But if the implication from the email is correct, it would mean the president was incorrect.

During the debate Trump labeled Biden a 'corrupt politician' if the allegations were true.

'So dont give me the stuff about how youre this innocent baby. Joe, theyre calling you a corrupt politician,' the former president said.
Kathleen McGuiness, 58, hired her daughter and her daughter's best friend to do a no-show job at the state government agency she heads, according to an indictment

Delaware's top anti-corruption official paid her daughter $19,000 and the girl's best friend - both high school seniors - more than $7,700 to do no-show temporary jobs even as other workers were laid off due to the pandemic, according to an indictment.

Kathleen McGuiness, 58, who as Delaware's state auditor is responsible for rooting out government fraud, waste and abuse, was indicted Monday on public corruption charges.

An indictment issued by a New Castle County grand jury charges McGuiness with felony counts of theft and witness intimidation, and misdemeanor charges of official misconduct, conflict of interest and noncompliance with state procurement laws.

Prosecutors said the charges include allegations that McGuiness hired her daughter and one of her daughter's friends, both high school seniors at the time, as temporary employees in May 2020. At the time other temporary employees had to leave their positions because of the lack of available work amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Authorities said McGuiness' daughter, Elizabeth McGuiness, who has not been charged, continued to be paid even after enrolling at a college in South Carolina last August, and that she was still listed as an employee as recently as August 28 of this year.

She was initially listed as a 'public information officer' and later as an 'intern.'

Elizabeth McGuiness (far right) was paid $19,000 for working a 'no-show' job, according to an indictment. Kathy McGuiness is pictured center alongside President Joe Biden in a photo posted to Kathy McGuiness' Facebook page in November 2020

Payments to McGuiness' daughter totaling $19,000 were deposited into a bank account for which McGuiness is a listed owner. The daughters friend was paid more than $7,700.

'As millions of Americans, including her own employees, lost their jobs, the auditor, whose job is to protect your tax dollars from abuse, used her power to hire her daughter, no questions asked,' state Attorney General Kathleen Jennings, a fellow Democrat, said at a news conference outside the New Castle County courthouse Monday.

'She paid her daughter thousands of tax dollars, even when the daughter wasnt showing up to work.'

McGuiness also is charged with orchestrating a 2019 no-bid 'communications services' contract for a company she had used as a campaign consultant when running for lieutenant governor in 2016.

Investigators said McGuiness evaded public bid requirements by keeping the initial contract with My Campaign Group just under the $50,000 threshold that requires public bids.

She also avoided getting approval from he Division of Accounting, a separate state agency, for the payments to My Campaign Group by splitting up invoices and keeping payments under the $5,000 reporting threshold.

Prosecutors also said two payments to My Campaign Group were made outside the initial $45,000 purchase order, bringing the total the company was paid to $49,900, just $100 under the public bidding threshold.

'The auditor, whose job is to root out fraud, handed out state contracts to a campaign consultant and deliberately avoided oversight meant to protect taxpayers from the very fraud and abuse she swore to root out,' Jennings said.

According to investigators, McGuiness approached My Campaign Group again in September 2020 and suggested a second contract under $50,000 but was told the contract should proceed through the public bidding process.

Another company successfully bid on that contract and had been paid $77,500 as of February.

Authorities said that when employees in her office became aware of McGuiness' misconduct, she responded by trying to intimidate the whistleblowers, including submitting more than three dozen requests to the Department of Technology and Information for the contents of their email accounts.

That allowed McGuiness to monitor several employees' email communications in real time, according to prosecutors, who said McGuiness also monitored the email of a former employee who now works in a separate government agency.

'When her staff discovered her misconduct and did the right thing by speaking up, the auditor, whose job is to be a government watchdog, engaged in an extensive pattern of surveillance and intimidation against those whistleblowers,' Jennings said.

'If anyone should know better, it is the state auditor,' Jennings added.

'Instead, as our investigation has shown, Kathleen McGuiness carried out the very misbehavior that she was elected to stop.'

McGuiness, who was elected in 2018, declined to speak with investigators with the state Division of Civil Rights and Public Trust, according to the attorney general, who said the investigation is continuing.

McGuiness, who is expected to surrender to authorities for arraignment this week, did not respond to an email seeking comment, or to a message left on her cellphone.

Her attorney, former state prosecutor Steve Wood, said in an email that McGuiness is 'absolutely innocent,' and the indictment is 'full of misleading statements and half-truths.'

McGuiness, a Democrat, is Delaware's state auditor. She is responsible for rooting out government fraud, waste and abuse

Wood said Delaware law does not prohibit family members from hiring family members, and there have been such instances throughout state government, including in the attorney generals office.

He also said the contractor McGuiness hired has performed policy development services for other elected officials in Delaware, and that all of the relevant contracts were 'entirely lawful.'

'The witness intimidation charge is pure fiction, and is clearly the result of fanciful tales spun by former employees with an axe to grind,' Wood said.

'Ms. McGuiness will continue to work hard on behalf of Delaware's taxpayers and intends to focus on the job that she was elected to do,' he added.

The chairwoman of the Delaware Democratic Party, meanwhile, issued a statement calling for McGuiness to resign.

'To see that she broke the public's trust while executing her official duties is disheartening and downright embarrassing to our party,' said Betsy Maron.

'Based on today's grand jury indictment, it is clear that Kathy McGuiness cannot be trusted to do her job in accordance with the law. It would be a disservice to every Delawarean for her to continue in her role.'
Southwest Airlines on Monday evening issued 'a tremendous apology' to its customers and said the weather was to blame for the cancellation of almost 2,000 flights at the weekend - insisting that employees striking in protest at a vaccination mandate was nothing to do with the chaos across its network.

Mike Van de Ven, the president of the airline, told employees in a video on Sunday that staffing shortages were to blame.

The airline initially said air traffic control issues in Florida caused the problem, but the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) then issued a statement saying there were problems for a few hours on Friday, but not at the weekend.

Furious passengers said that they were told in airports that the cancellations were due to Southwest employees walking out in protest at the airline's decision to enforce COVID-19 vaccinations.

But the airline said that that was not the case, and said poor weather in Jacksonville, Florida, sparked a knock-on effect.

Southwest Airlines cancelled almost 2,000 flights over the weekend. The airline initially said it was due to air traffic control issues, then blamed the weather in Florida for causing a knock-on effect. The airline denied that employees protesting against a COVID mandate had anything to do with the problem

Southwest issued a 'tremendous apology' to its passengers on Monday evening

Passengers are seen at Fort Lauderdale airport lining up to speak to assistants on Monday

'Southwest Airlines extends a tremendous apology to our Customers and Employees for the flight cancellations and delays which occurred over the weekend and on Monday,' the airline said.

'On Friday evening, the airline ended the day with numerous cancellations, primarily created by weather and other external constraints, which left aircraft and Crews out of pre-planned positions to operate our schedule on Saturday.

'Unfortunately, the out-of-place aircraft and continued strain on our Crew resources created additional cancelations across our point-to-point network that cascaded throughout the weekend and into Monday.

'Southwest Teams have been working diligently to restore stability to the network, and we are experiencing less disruptions on Monday. We hope to restore our full schedule as soon as possible.

'As a note, the operational challenges were not a result of Southwest Employee demonstrations.'

The Dallas-based airline was the only airline to report such large-scale issues over the weekend, and customers accused Southwest of not being honest with them about the delays.

American Airlines canceled just two percent of its flights while Spirit Airlines axed two percent of theirs, according to FlightAware.

Mondays cancellations amounted to 10 per cent of Southwests schedule, and at least 1,400 other flights, or roughly 40 per cent, were delayed, according to the FlightAware tracking service.

Shares of Southwest Airlines Co. fell 4.2 per cent.

Southwest cancelled 28 per cent of its flights, while the second-worst airline this weekend, American, cancelled 2 per cent

Southwest initially said that the delay was due to air traffic control problems

Passengers are pictured lying on the floor following widespread cancellations of Southwest flights

'Youre clearly lying to your customers. Acknowledge the pilots union striking is the main reason for cancellations. Southwest customer service has been spiraling downward dramatically the past year,' said one man.

'Strange how the ATC issues and weather are still only affecting your airline at MCO,' said another angry passenger.

'Must be some crazy storms if theyre only targeting your planes.'

A third tweeted: 'Keep lying when your staff at Midway specifically told us it was because the Pilots went on strike, because of your vaccine mandate.

'Now we missed a wedding and out luggage is stuck at midway with mine and my wife's medication.'

Another woman wrote: 'This is absolutely horrible! Your lack of compassion & resolution is appalling! My sister has been left stranded in Atlanta while traveling en route to my Wedding scheduled for tomorrow.

'I am now driving round trip from FL to ATL on the EVE of my wedding!!'

The airline canceled about 360 more flights Monday and delayed 970 others.

Long lines of stranded passengers formed inside the Southwest terminal at Denver International Airport before dawn on Monday.

The scenes were similar to those from August, when frustrated passengers were left stranded at airports after Spirit and American Airlines canceled more than 670 flights over the course of three days.

Van de Ven told employees late on Sunday that he expected Monday to be 'more normal' than the weekend, when staffing shortages forced the company to cancel nearly 2,000 flights nationwide.

Van de Ven told workers the airline was working to develop a plan to address several shortcomings, including tight staffing on weekends as well as chronic delays and cancellations, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Since lockdowns were lifted and air travel resumed, airlines have had trouble meeting the higher-than-expected demand, particularly after furloughing tens of thousands of workers during the pandemic.

As Americans resume air travel, airlines have had to play catch up while struggling to fill manpower shortages.

'We are still not where we want to be with staffing, and in particular with our flight crews,' he said in a video message to his company.

'We simply need more staffing cushion for the unexpected in this environment and we are bringing new people onboard every day.'

Van de Ven said that Southwest 'already made significant reductions from our previously published November and December schedules, and if we think we need to do more, we will.'

The lines are long this morning Southwest check-in after hundreds of flights were delayed or canceled on Sunday. The airline is blaming it weather and air traffic control issues. However, the other airlines are running normal. Live updates. #9news. pic.twitter.com/zVK25K7k2C  Jon Glasgow (@Glasgow_Reports) October 11, 2021

On Sunday, Southwest canceled more than 140 flights out of Denver International Airport alone

On Saturday, 102 Southwest flights originating from Denver were canceled while 160 were delayed

Southwest Airlines canceled hundreds more flights Monday following a weekend of major service disruptions. The above table shows the flights canceled and delayed on Monday, with Southwest reporting the highest number of all major airlines

'A tremendous apology to our customers and employees': Southwest says it's 'working diligently to restore stability to the network' Southwest Airlines provided a statement to DailyMail.com which read: 'Southwest Airlines extends a tremendous apology to our Customers and Employees for the flight cancellations and delays which occurred over the weekend and on Monday. 'On Friday evening, the airline ended the day with numerous cancellations, primarily created by weather and other external constraints, which left aircraft and Crews out of pre-planned positions to operate our schedule on Saturday. 'Unfortunately, the out-of-place aircraft and continued strain on our Crew resources created additional cancelations across our point-to-point network that cascaded throughout the weekend and into Monday. 'While we do not have specific airport numbers to share, Southwest Teams have been working diligently to restore stability to the network, and we are experiencing less disruptions on Monday. 'We hope to restore our full schedule as soon as possible. 'As a note, the operational challenges were not a result of Southwest Employee demonstrations, as some outlets are reporting. 'To every Customer that experienced a cancellation or delay, Southwest offers our sincerest regret regarding disrupted travel plans, and we look forward to a future opportunity to demonstrate our safe, reliable, friendly, and legendary Southwest Hospitality  something that Customers should always expect from Southwest Airlines.' Advertisement

Alan Kasher, Southwests executive vice president of daily operations, said the airline was staffed for the weekend but got tripped up by air-traffic control issues and bad weather in Florida, and couldnt recover quickly.

Because of cutbacks during the pandemic, he noted the airline has fewer flights to accommodate stranded passengers.

'The weekend challenges were not a result of Southwest employee demonstrations,' said airline spokesman Chris Mainz.

But the president of the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association told News4Jax that staffing and a 'poorly run operation' were to blame for the delays.

'SWAPA is aware of operational difficulties affecting Southwest Airlines today due to a number of issues, but we can say with confidence that our Pilots are not participating in any official or unofficial job actions,' a press release by the union said.

The Federal Aviation Administration also has denied reports of a 'mass sickout' at the air traffic control center at Jacksonville International Airport, which was said to have affected Southwest.

Also, in a statement to DailyMail.com, the FAA said: 'No FAA air traffic staffing shortages have been reported since Friday.

'Flight delays and cancellations occurred for a few hours Friday afternoon due to widespread severe weather, military training, and limited staffing in one area of the Jacksonville Air Route Traffic Control Center.

'Some airlines continue to experience scheduling challenges due to aircraft and crews being out of place.

On Sunday, Jacksonville Aviation Authority COO Tony Cugno said that the delays were in fact due to staffing issues at the Jacksonville International Airport (JAX) on Friday.

He claimed that many controllers had been getting their first or second COVID-19 vaccinations, which required them to take two days off to recover - leaving JAX air control short staffed.

In a letter, obtained by ActionNewsJax, he said: 'A rumor is circulating in traditional and social, media outlets stating JAX Center was closed due to an organized walkout late Friday by controllers in response to the FAA's mandate that all employees get vaccinated for COVID.

'A contact at FFAA confirmed they did have some staffing issues at JAX center last Friday, however, those staffing issued were due to the following: Normal approved leave (and) controllers who received either their first or second dose of the vaccine and by policy are required to stay home for 48 hours to self monitor for side effects ... thus creating some staffing issues.'

In August, Southwest announced that it would be cutting the number of flights in the fall after operational failures hampered its service in the summer.

The company said that it would trim its daily schedule from September 7 to October 6 by 27 flights per day.

Another Twitter user who goes by the handle 'Sonoran Trail Davis' posted a photo showing a man lying down on the floor inside an airport terminal in Nashville. The man is using what appears to be a small fanny pack as a pillow. There's a t-shirt covering the man's face

One Twitter user who identified as 'Sierra' tweeted that they were on their way home to Dallas from Las Vegas and had to endure three delays before arriving at Love Field. After arriving in Dallas, Sierra observed that 'hundreds of people' were at the terminal 'without flights, food or lodging and that they were 'stuck in the airport this evening'

Between October 7 and November 5, Southwest plans to cut 162 daily flights from its schedule. More flight cuts are planned for November and December, though the company pledged to protect holiday bookings.

The world's largest low-cost carrier canceled more than 140 flights on Sunday out of DIA alone. On Saturday, 102 Southwest flights originating in Denver were canceled while 160 were delayed.

Thousands have waited at the Southwest terminal in Denver since Sunday. Some customers waited in line for hours only to be told at the check-in counter that the earliest flights out of the Mile High City would be Wednesday, according to KUSA-TV.

'I started looking through (online) and there is just nothing, nothing, nothing for the next few days,' Ainsley Parfitt, who flew to Denver from Florida this past weekend to shop for a wedding dress with her future sister-in-law, said.

Parfitt received a text message indicating that her flight back to Florida, which was scheduled for Sunday, was canceled. She and other stranded passengers waited on hold for hours trying to book tickets through other airlines.

'I have been on the phone since 4:30am this morning on hold, waiting for somebody to answer. I am still waiting,' said Jeff Coles, a doctor who is trying to get home in time to see patients on Monday.

'There is nothing available at any price point today, tomorrow or Tuesday.'

Southwest has either reimbursed stranded customers whose flights were canceled or provided $200 vouchers for those who rebooked, but frustrated passengers said that if they need to stay at hotels and rent cars for longer periods of time, the vouchers won't cover their expenses.

Frank Spicher tweeted a photo of a 'baggage graveyard' in Baltimore. The photo showed what appear to be hundreds of abandoned suitcases inside the baggage claim at Baltimore Washington International

Southwest passengers are seen above waiting on line at LaGuardia Airport on Sunday

@SouthwestAir one of only two lines in LaGuardia airport that are longer than 45 minutes to see customer service. No boarding passes are printing for anyone in the airport. pic.twitter.com/ZH1ZhRlp7i  Kate Peifer (@KatePeifer) October 10, 2021

Southwest had canceled some 20 flights - or 10 percent of its schedule for Monday - from Orlando, according to Orlando International Airport.

According to Flightaware, the carrier canceled 363 flights Monday and delayed another 773 flights. Most of the cancellations and delays affected airports with a large Southwest presence, including Denver, Dallas, Baltimore, Houston, Las Vegas, and Chicago.

'I got to do something. I didn't come here to stay, just to visit,' Nathan Hurst, a Southwest passenger stranded at Indianapolis International Airport, told WTHR-TV.

'We were both just sitting at the gate getting ready to board our flight, and they canceled it,' said Michele Wickman, another stranded passenger in Indianapolis.

Kate Peifer told CNN she had to rent a car and drive 900 miles after Southwest canceled the second part of her flight on Sunday.

She was at LaGuardia Airport in New York and traveling back to Phoenix.

'I am on my way to my final destination,' Peifer told CNN. 'We were forced to rent a car and drive 900 miles home.'

Passengers took to social media to upload photos and post complaints about the difficult experiences at airports.

One Twitter user who identified as 'Sierra' tweeted that they were on their way home to Dallas from Las Vegas and had to endure three delays before arriving at Love Field.

After arriving in Dallas, Sierra observed that 'hundreds of people' were at the terminal 'without flights, food or lodging and that they were 'stuck in the airport this evening.'

Another Twitter user who goes by the handle 'Sonoran Trail Davis' posted a photo showing a man lying down on the floor inside an airport terminal in Nashville. The man is using what appears to be a small fanny pack as a pillow. There's a t-shirt covering the man's face.

'Thanks Southwest Air! Love spending the entire day at Nashville's airport,' the Twitter user wrote.

'Keep standing up for what you believe in while I lay on the scraggly carpet instead of seeing my dogs.'

The Twitter user added: 'Looking forward to taking a bus from Las Vegas to Phoenix tomorrow. Great work team!'

Frank Spicher tweeted a photo of a 'baggage graveyard' in Baltimore. The photo showed what appear to be hundreds of abandoned suitcases inside the baggage claim at Baltimore Washington International.

Others took to social media to post their observations from airports affected by the mass cancellations.

Kurt Taylor tweeted: 'Our flight to Chicago on American was canceled and the same with the flight to Dallas at the adjoining gate. 5pm yesterday.

'Heading to airport now for our rebooked flight. Sure hope we make it out.'

Another Twitter user wrote: 'Flying home from Chicago (Midway) on Delta today. Got to the airport early because of the Southwest mess.

'One with issues means the others scramble to accommodate passengers.'

Andrew Capasso tweeted that two morning flights were canceled from Tucson.

A Twitter user who goes by the handle 'Nathalie' tweeted: 'I spent HOURS in the Chicago Midway airport. I watched one young man, probably college-aged, anxiously watch the happenings at our gate.

'Then, he called his parents and promised to pay them back the $300 for his flight if they came and picked him up.

'He was crying as he spoke.'

Kirk Cresto tweeted: 'I took quite a bit of time to pause and walk through the Chicago (Midway) Airport last night and listen to the conversations. So so much emotional human pain.

'Weddings and funerals being missed, family gatherings, family vacations, loved ones on death beds & no help.'

Another Twitter user, Deanna, reported that she was stranded at the Chicago airport for 'almost a day.'

She said she had to wait in line for eight hours before finally making it back home to California. Four of her flights were canceled.

'I made it home to California with no idea where my luggage is,' she wrote. 'It was a total mess! The SW employee who were there said it was because of the mandates.'

Another frustrated passenger tweeted at Southwest: 'Canceled my flight and you rebooked me for a flight 27 hours later.

'I now have another night in hotel plus transportation to airport since my rides flight wasn't canceled by United.

'How do I get reimbursed? No ATC or weather issue in Chicago or Denver. We deserve the truth SW!'

Another Twitter user wrote: 'Yes. Southwest is a disaster! I am stuck in Nashville.

'They canceled my flight to Chicago at 5:00 this morning. 4 hour+ wait time on the phone, lines at the airport to try and rebook 2.5 hours!

'No guarantee that your rebook flight will not be cancelled too!'

Twitter user Anthony Anaya posted a screenshot of his phone showing that he was waiting on hold for more than two hours and 17 minutes while trying to get through to a customer service representative for Southwest.

Angry customers inundated Southwest's Twitter feed with complaints about the cancellations.

Brian Staab tweeted: 'Very disappointed in Southwest Airlines.

'Were missing our daughters college game because you struggle to be the reliable airlines you use to be.

'Over 2 hour wait times with customer service; no online solutions/options.

'Southwest to Southlate to simply dont bother.'

On Wall Street, shares of Southwest Airlines dipped by more than 3 percent on Monday

The highest number of delays and cancellations on Monday were reported at Southwest hub airports including Dallas and Houston

Passengers queue up at the ticketing counter for Southwest Airlines flights in Eppley Airfield in Omaha, Nebraska on Sunday

A flight information board shows cancellations for a number of Southwest Airlines flights at Dallas Love Field on Sunday

The image above shows passengers stranded on Sunday at the Southwest departure terminal at Indianapolis International Airport

"I got to do something. I didn't come here to stay, just to visit," said Nathan Hurst, who was stranded as a result of the cancellations

Jason Pinkley tweeted: 'This is a cluster.

'Connecting flight to DAL cancelled as were mid-flight on the first leg of our trip home.

'Using the excuse that its because weather is moving into Dallas is the biggest bag of crap.

'Other flights going into DAL from DEN.'

Justin Johnson tweeted a photo from inside a Southwest passenger plane set to take off from Burbank, California.

'Sitting on Southwest 2919 in Burbank, at the gate, doors open for an hour,' tweeted Johnson.

'Connecting flights have been canceled, so were rebooking the affected passengers while the other 160 people on this plane sit here with our thumbs up our butt?'

Another frustrated Southwest customer tweeted from Orlando International Airport

'I've been in this line for 2 hours at MCO,' tweeted 'Norra the Explorer'.

'My flight was canceled 3 times now. I knew I shouldnt have checked in my bags. Y'all are killing me @SouthwestAir.

'I literally have always spoken so highly of your airline. Im so disappointed.'

Another stranded Southwest passenger, Becca Kostyo, posted a screenshot showing that she had waited more than eight hours to speak to a Southwest customer service representative.

'Im not really sure what to do, as I need to speak to someone about my canceled flight and lost bag,' Kostyo tweeted.

'Any suggestions, Southwest?'

Southwest nixed more than 1,800 flights during the weekend, leaving passengers stranded

A passenger and his child were left sleeping on the floor after being stranded in Las Vegas

A passenger at Orlando International Airport shared a picture of four children sleeping on the floor due to flight cancellations
Regional parts of Queensland may not hit the 80 per cent Covid double vaccination rate until 2022 - fuelling fears the state may still be months away from opening up to the rest of Australia.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk last week said she wanted a more 'even spread' of Covid-19 vaccination rates across the state before she would consider allowing interstate travel again.

Her stance is similar to that of Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan, who wants to shut the rest of the country out until a 90 per cent double-dose rate is achieved.

Brisbane, Noosa and Goodiwindi in the state's south-east are all forecast to hit the 80 per cent mark within the next six weeks.

But in Rockhampton in central Queensland only 64.8 per cent of the eligible population are forecast to be fully vaccinated by November 22, according to a data analysis by The Courier-Mail.

Pictured: A neighbourhood in Gladstone in central Queensland. The town may not hit an 80 per cent double dose vaccination rate until early 2022

Pictured: A pedestrian wearing a mask in Brisbane on September 28. Brisbane, Noosa and Goodiwindi are all forecast to hit 80 per cent within the next six weeks

In nearby Gladstone that figure is predicted to be only 61.7 per cent, while just 62.7 per cent are set to be fully vaccinated by that date in the Lockyer Valley west of Brisbane.

In those regional areas the 80 per cent fully vaccinated mark may not be reached until the start of 2022.

Queensland as a whole is expected to hit the 80 per cent figure by the end of November.

Modelling shows it may take until 2024 for Aboriginal communities such as Cherbourg, 250km north of Brisbane, to hit that milestone.

The double-dose rate in that town currently sits at only 19.4 per cent.

Ms Palaszczuk has repeatedly refused to set a date for reopening Queensland's borders.

The state's Health Minister Yvette D'Ath said the state's 'target' was to avoid the 60,000 cases recorded in NSW during its latest Delta outbreak.

'If someone wants a target, the target is getting yourself protected in the next five to six weeks,' Ms D'Ath said.

THE PARTS OF QUEENSLAND WITH LAGGING COVID VACCINATION RATES Over 15 double-dose vaccination rate as of October 10: Lockyer Valley - 43.7 per cent Western Downs - 43.4 per cent Logan - 42.4 per cent Banana - 41.7 per cent Charters Towers - 37.6 per cent Central Highlands - 37.1 per cent Isaac - 25.3 per cent Cherbourg - 19.4 per cent Yarrabah - 19 per cent Advertisement

Queensland's double-dose rate is only slight ahead of WA, the nation's least vaccinated state, which is considering mandatory jabs in more sectors.

That could include the broader public sector workforce including school teachers.

Australian Industry Group chief executive Innes Willox said Queensland would have to open before WA because of its connection to other eastern states.

'They can't stay hidden behind their border forever,' he told the ABC.

'It's not feasible, it's not possible, it's not real to do that.'

Only 62.7 per cent are set to be fully vaccinated by November 22 in the Lockyer Valley west of Brisbane

Mr Willox said he understood the reluctance of Covid-free states to reopening borders.

'WA will do things at their own time. They're vital to the national economy but less connected, with their reliance on iron ore and other natural resources,' he said.

'They can afford to stay a little bit longer if they need to but both are starting to really feel the pinch of labour shortages and of that disconnection from the rest of the country.'

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk last week said she wanted a more 'even spread' of Covid-19 vaccination rates across the state before she would consider allowing interstate travel again

ACTU secretary Sally McManus urged every employer to have a plan to address risks for workers and customers as Australia moves closer to normal life.

'That's going to be just critical,' she said.

'Otherwise there'll be more transmission and this will all be about hospitalisations and deaths.'

Unions want boosted ventilation, social distancing and testing regimes, along with assurances retail and hospitality workers will be protected when checking customers' vaccination status.
After two years of domestic and overseas travel restrictions courtesy of the Covid-19 pandemic, Aussies are craving a much-needed holiday more than ever.

And with state and international borders on track to reopen by December, 2022 shaping up to be an ideal time to put banked-up annual leave to use, with a new study by Instant Offices revealing eight in 10 Australians are dealing with burnout.

But with some strategic planning around public holidays, Australians can maximise their break to take 54 days off while only using 23 days of leave.

Christmas Day this year and New Year's Day both fall on weekends, meaning there will be a number of 'substitute' public holidays in December and January.

Holiday-starved Australians will soon be able to travel interstate and overseas, with border restrictions set to be eased in months (stock image)

With many public holidays falling on weekends in 2022, there will be several 'substitute' public holidays during the week

Monday December 27 will become a public holiday in place of Christmas, while Monday January 3 will substitute for New Years Day.

By planning a break from Saturday December 25 until Monday January 3, you can take ten days off using just four days of leave.

The next opportunity for extended leave will come in April when there are several Easter and national holidays in a row.

Workers can take an 11 day break in exchange for four days of leave by booking time off from Friday April 15 (Good Friday) through till Monday April 25 (Anzac Day).

Alternatively, the break can be extended to Friday April 29 for a total of 17 days off using eight days of leave for a longer mid-year holiday.

With Monday May 30 marking Reconciliation day, holiday-makers can nab a nine-day break for just four days of leave by taking off Saturday May 28 to Monday June 6.

Those who plan their breaks around all of the public holidays could score 54 days off work while using just 23 days of annual leave (stock)

The same break-to-leave ratio is available the following week by booking time off from Saturday June 11 (with the Queen's birthday public holiday falling on Monday 13) until Monday June 20th.

While public holidays will be sparse over winter, Aussies will be able to enjoy a nine day break for four days of leave as the weather begins to warm in spring.

Labour Day will fall on Monday October 3, offering the chance for a holiday from Saturday October 1 to Monday October 10 - at more than double the amount of days to leave.

Christmas and New Years Day will again fall over the weekend in 2022 and 2023, giving Aussies additional public holidays on December 27 and January 2.
When Barnaby Joyce talks, Australia - and the Liberal Party leadership in particular - listens. You can knock him down, but he'll come back again, stronger.

Social media companies and environmental activists are also listening carefully to whatever Joyce says. They may not like him, but they can't avoid dealing with him.

The Nationals' leader and Deputy Prime Minister's massive hold on federal politics comes despite his party holding just 16 of the 151 seats in the lower house and five out of 76 in the upper house.

But the lack of numbers does not hold Joyce back - the Liberals need him to remain in power. He knows it and so does Scott Morrison.

The Liberals' need is the Nationals' opportunity, and Joyce exploits that every step of the way, putting National Party voters before the national interest on anything to do with the bush, from addressing climate change to saving koalas.

But it is his daughter Bridgette's recent bad experience at the hands of online trolls that has really seen Joyce show just how powerful he is.

Barnaby Joyce (third from right) with his daughter Bridgette (third from left). former wife Natalie (left) and their other children

Barnaby Joyce (pictured right) with his partner Vikki Campion and their sons Sebastian and Thomas

For many, the relationship between the junior and senior partners in the Liberal-National Coalition government is a case of the tail wagging the dog.

But for Joyce, it is the natural order of things. From the day he entered parliament after the 2004 federal election, he has never been shy about his thirst for power.

The proof of that is he is now in his third stint as Deputy Prime Minister.

He first stepped down as deputy PM in October 17 when his eligibility for a New Zealand passport caused him to resign, renounce his ties to NZ and face a byelection, which he won easily.

Some say the relationship between Barnaby Joyce (pictured right) and Scott Morrison (left) is a case of the tail wagging the dog

Not long after, in February 2018, he had to step aside again after his relationship with political staffer Vikki Campion was revealed and he was subject to a formal complaint alleging he had sexually harassed a Western Australian woman.

His party's investigation into the allegations was unable to make a determination, and its report remains confidential.

Joyce and Campion have since had two sons together, and Joyce also has four daughters with his ex-wife Natalie.

In 2018 Joyce was replaced by Michael McCormack as Nationals leader, but he saw McCormack as too close to the Liberal Party and challenged him for the leadership on February 4, 2020. He was unsuccessful then, but challenged McCormack again in June 21 this year and was returned as leader of the Nationals and Deputy Prime Minister.

He wasted no time in making his presence felt again in the corridors of power in Canberra.

Having spent much of his political career as a climate change sceptic, Joyce suddenly last month said he had 'no problems' with backing net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 - so long as regional communities are protected and fossil fuels continue to supply affordable energy and export sales.

Then Treasurer Scott Morrison (standing) hands Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce (second left) a lump of coal during in the House of Representatives at Parliament House in Canberra on February 9, 2017

It was a stunning turnaround for a man who looked ecstatic to be holding a lump of coal in parliament on February 9, 2017. But Joyce's previous firm opposition to doing doing much, if anything, about climate change means everyone listens when he appears to change his mind.

A year ago, Joyce rushed to defend then NSW Nationals leader John Barilaro for a state policy that protected property owners at the expense of koalas.

Joyce said 'none of us wanted koalas to die', but he was less concerned about the protection of koala habitat than he was about the protection of property rights.

Environmentalists will be hoping Joyce's change of heart on carbon emissions will be followed by more concern for koalas.

Barnaby Joyce rushed to defend John Barilaro over a policy that protected property owners at the expense of koalas

But the biggest influence Joyce has had on politics in recent days has been about the power and influence of social media companies.

From a government that rarely threatened more than a slap on wrist to social media firms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, suddenly Scott Morrison was taking no prisoners.

'Social media has become a coward's palace where people can just go on there, not say who they are, destroy people's lives and say the most foul and offensive things,' Morrison said at a press conference.

The possibility of a serious crackdown made headlines around the world.

Morrison added that it was 'not a free country' if people could destroy lives with impunity. 'So people should be responsible for what they say, in a country that believes in free speech.

'I think that's very important  we intend to set the pace because we value our free society and in a free society, you can't be a coward and attack people and expect not to be held accountable for it.'

It was Morrison who made these strong statements, but it was Joyce who was behind them.

Bridgette Joyce, daughter of Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce, was subjected to hateful comments online

Joyce had just found out that his daughter Bridgette was being abused by anonymous online trolls, supposedly for being in a relationship with John Barilaro, who had just announced his retirement from NSW Parliament.

Bridgette had worked for Barilaro, but it was a 'devastating lie' that they'd been in a relationship, her father said.

Joyce was enraged at the attack on his child, but unlike most affronted parents, he had the power to do something.

He called Morrison last Thursday morning to demand the government brought the US social media corporations to heel.

Joyce says he told Morrison: 'This is enough.' And Morrison listened, and acted.
An anti-vax mummy blogger has been slammed for pinning the Star of David onto her children's clothing in an offensive comparison between 'segregated' Australians who refuse the Covid jab and Holocaust victims.

Sarah Mills, from the NSW mid north coast, is among a minority refusing the Covid vaccine - and therefore was unable to celebrate Freedom Day on Monday after 106 days in lockdown.

She compared the treatment of anti-vaxxers to Holocaust victims, stating 'history is repeating itself', beginning with the 'segregation and exclusion' of people who choose not to get the jab.

In a separate post, Ms Mills wore a striped button down shirt with a sticker numbered '385968' on the breast of her shirt.

'Does anyone know where we get our full uniform? I've found the shirt but wasn't sure if there's anywhere you can get them as a set? or are we just provided them upon arrival? Sending love to my future inmates,' she captioned the photo.

A holistic mummy blogger has pinned the Star of David on her children's clothing in an offensive attempt to hit out against the 'segregation' of anti-vaxxers

A yellow star with the word 'Jew' in the middle was pinned on the shirts of Jewish people over the age of six to humiliate and dehumanise them

Thousands of cooped-up revellers braved the rain and chilly conditions across Sydney on Monday as they partied for the first time in 106 days (pictured, pub-goers at The Marlborough in Sydney's Newtown)

Six million Jewish people were systemically murdered by Nazis during the Holocaust while many more were displaced, tortured and discriminated against.

It was considered an offence to be gay, a Gypsy, or a Jehovah's Witness.

A yellow star with the word 'Jew' in the middle was pinned on the shirts of Jewish people over the age of six to humiliate and dehumanise them.

They were segregated, deported and eventually murdered.

The Holocaust will forever be remembered as one of the most significant crimes against humanity in history, and for Dr Dvir Abramovich, Chairman of the Anti-Defamation Commission, watching anti-vaxxers exploit the trauma of victims is 'beyond offensive'.

'It's hateful,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

In a separate post, Ms Mills wore a striped button down shirt with a sticker numbered '385968' on the breast of her shirt

Prisoners in Nazi concentration camps were forced to wear striped uniforms like the shirt Ms Mills wore

People enjoy their drinks at a pub on October 11, 2021, as Sydney ended a lockdown against the Covid-19 coronavirus after 106 days and restaurants began throwing open their doors to anyone who could prove they were vaccinated

'It is beyond outrageous to compare actions taken by state governments in response to the Covid-19 outbreak to the monstrous laws enacted by Hitler's Third Reich or to claim that the vaccination policies are in any way similar to the 'Final Solution' that led to death camps.'

He slammed Ms Mills for using 'her children... to exploit the infamous yellow star'.

Ms Mills said pinning the star to her children's clothing - as well as her own - was symbolic of 'how things began' during the Holocaust.

She claimed the vaccine was in 'violation of the Nuremburg Code', which was introduced post World War 2.

The post attracted significant backlash, but the 34-year-old said she was 'no stranger to controversy' and was actually 'glad this has people talking... that was the point'.

'This is not Freedom Day. This is history repeating our mistakes, and if you've wondered what you would've done in the past, take note because you're doing it now.'

She told Daily Mail Australia she 'was not saying this lockdown was comparable to the holocaust' and instead wanted to highlight that there is 'a whole community being discriminated against and bullied for their personal medical choices'.

Ms Mills said pinning the star to her children's clothing - as well as her own - was symbolic of 'how things began' during the Holocaust

Pubs are allowed to operated under the one person per four sqm rule, but only for those who are fully vaccinated (pictured, The Marlborough in Sydney's Newtown)

'I am in NO way comparing the deaths of millions of people to not being allowed into Kmart, but people need to look at where that "them/us" situation began,' she said.

In Nazi Germany, the word 'Jew' was printed in the centre of all stars. In Ms Mills' version, she and her children wear the badge 'no vax'.

She previously shared a post which suggested any person who has been vaccinated and supports government mandates would have 'turned Anne Frank over to the Nazis'.

The mother-of-three argues every person should have the right to refuse the vaccine, which they do.

The Covid vaccine is not mandatory in Australia, but there are frontline industries which require all employees to have the jab.

In NSW, where residents have endured 106 days of lockdown to stem the spread of a Covid outbreak, restrictions were tentatively lifted on Monday for the double-jabbed.

On December 6, when up to 90 per cent of eligible residents are expected to be immunised, non-vaccinated residents will be able to live freely.

She previously shared a post which suggested any person who has been vaccinated and supports government mandates would have 'turned Anne Frank over to the Nazis'

Lockdown orders on the mid north coast were lifted in early September, and Ms Mills claims that she and her family have lived relatively freely since then.

But from Monday, when lockdown lifted for the rest of the state and Sydney in particular, new rules were introduced banning the unvaccinated from restaurants, cafes, salons, shopping centres and theatres.

Dr Abramovich accused Ms Mills of using the infamous yellow star to 'score a political point', describing the move as 'outrageous and abhorrent'.

'Such foolish equations demean the murder of millions of Jews and others and are historically inaccurate and extreme. This conduct is also a spit on the memory and on the graves of those brave diggers who fought to defeat the Nazis and only serves to inflict further pain on Holocaust survivors living here,' he said.

He is now calling on Ms Mills to apologise for the divisive post.

Pictured: Liberated Polish inmates from the Dachau concentration camp raise bottles of wine and celebrate. Six million Jewish people were systemically murdered by Nazis during the Holocaust while many more were displaced, tortured and discriminated against
Republican Sen. Josh Hawley condemned the Biden administration for asking the FBI to help tackle violence and intimidation at heated school board meetings, saying it was 'unprecedented' and 'unconstitutional.'

The meetings have been flashpoints for anger this year over everything from pandemic mask mandates to critical race theory.

Last week, Biden's attorney general announced federal agencies, including the FBI, would look into growing cases of harassment, intimidation and threats directed at parents and educators.

But Hawley, of Missouri, said it was an effort to silence parents.

'I had the opportunity this past week to confront the Justice Department about their effort to use the FBI to silence these parents,' he told OAN, a hardline, rightwing political TV channel, after speaking at the Vote, Pray, Stand Summit in Virginia on Friday.

'Boy that's wrong, that's wrong. I think it's unconstitutional.

'I think it's dangerous that Joe Biden would try to use federal law enforcement to shut down moms and dads from talking about school boards.

'I mean that's just unprecedented so they're gonna have to fight me every step of the way, if they actually try to go through with that.'

Sen. Josh Hawley said the Biden administration would have to fight him if it was really intent on setting the FBI on parents at school board meetings

President Biden returned to the White House after spending the holiday weekend at his home near Wilmington, Delaware. He has condemned threats at school board meetings

In a memo, Attorney General Merrick Garland asked the FBI to take the lead on investigations into 'a disturbing spike in harassment, intimidation and threats of violence' against boards

Angry school board meeting have been one of the most visible flashpoints during a year of tensions.

A school board meeting in Minnesota over masking degenerated into violence last month, after a speaker wearing a face covering was confronted by an unmasked man.

One video that went viral showed doctors and nurses being harassed in Tennessee after they left a school board meeting where they had spoken in favor of mandatory masking.

One enraged looking man roared: We know who you are, you can live freely, but we will find you.'

Biden condemned their behavior.

And last month, the National School Boards Association wrote to Biden requesting federal help.

'Coupled with attacks against school board members and educators for approving policies for masks to protect the health and safety of students and school employees, many public school officials are also facing physical threats because of propaganda purporting the false inclusion of critical race theory within classroom instruction and curricula,' it said.

In response, Biden's attorney general issued a memo saying the FBI would convene meetings with local leaders to take action.

Video shows disgruntled parents and anti-mask demonstrators harassing health care professionals and school board officials after the Williamson County Schools Board of Education voted to require masks for students, staff and visitors inside and on school premises

'Threats against public servants are not only illegal, they run counter to our nations core values,' wrote Garland.

'Those who dedicate their time and energy to ensuring that our children receive a proper education in a safe environment deserve to be able to do their work without fear for their safety.'

But the move has been condemned by conservatives.

Republicans accused the Biden administration of heavy handed tactics during a Senate Judiciary hearing last week.

And two school board associations have distanced themselves from their parent group, the NSBA, saying they were not consulted.

'Those citizens who serve on Virginias local school boards deserve our thanks,' said the Virginia School Boards Association.

'There is no justification for physical or verbal threats directed against them, their staff and certainly not the students.

'Nor is there any excuse for disrupting a public meeting. When such unfortunate events occur, the local officials, working with local law enforcement, must deal with the situation appropriately.

'While we look for support to our state and federal governments, we do not seek the involvement of federal law enforcement or other officials in local decisions.'
Ibtihaj Muhammad (pictured), who won bronze in women's team sabre in Rio, claimed on social media last week that Seth Boyden Elementary School teacher Tamar Herman 'forcibly removed the hijab' from a second-grader's head

A New Jersey elementary teacher is getting death threats after she says an US Olympic medal-winning fencer falsely accused her of pulling off a student's hijab in the middle of class.

Ibtihaj Muhammad, who won bronze in women's team sabre in Rio, claimed on social media last week that Seth Boyden Elementary School teacher Tamar Herman 'forcibly removed the hijab' from second-grader Sumayyah Wyatt's head.

The unfounded allegation forced Herman to seek police protection after being threatened, said her civil rights attorney Samantha Harris.

'The misinformation shared on social media has caused tremendous harm to Ms. Herman  a teacher who, after more than 30 years of devoting her heart and soul to children of all backgrounds, has now had to ask for police protection due to the threats she is receiving following the dissemination of false information on social media,' Harris said in a statement obtained by Patch.

The threats followed claims Muhammad made on Instagram last week.

'Herman told the student that her hair was beautiful and she did not have to wear hijab to school anymore,' Muhammad told her 384,000 followers.

'Imagine being a child and stripped of your clothing in front of your classmates. Imagine the humiliation and trauma this experience has caused her.'

Muhammad claimed on social media last week that Herman 'forcibly removed the hijab' from second-grader Sumayyah Wyatt's head (pictured)

Sumayyah Wyatt's mother, Cassandra Wyatt, told ABC7 that the teacher needed to 'pay' for the incident

Sumayyah Wyatt's mother, Cassandra Wyatt, told ABC7 that the teacher needed to 'pay' for the incident.

'She had to know that was a hijab,' she said. 'She has to pay for that. I'd love for her to apologize to my daughter, and then my daughter would feel better.'

'I have to go introduce her to a different world that I've been trying to protect her from,' Cassandra Wyatt said.

She added that she had told her daughter that her hijab is her protection.

'Now she's asked me, 'Well, if this is my protection, my teacher took this off of my head.' So how can you explain to your child?' she said.

The family's lawyer branded the incident as 'incredibly disturbing'.

'It is very, very, symbolic of disregard of her religion and certainly something that has affected my clients overall.'

Numerous social media users accepted Muhammad's account as fact, and demanded the teacher be punished.

'(She) needs to be fired or suspended without pay for at least a month,' said one Twitter user. 'You touch my child it's assault. And we not just having words.'

Seth Boyden Elementary School teacher Tamar Herman was accused of removing a Grade 2 student's hijab, and her lawyer says the 'false narrative' resulted in threats

Ibtihaj Muhammad, an Olympic bronze medalist, made the claims publicly on Instagram

The Olympian, who became the first American Muslim woman to wear a hijab while competing at the Olympic games, won bronze in women's team sabre in Rio 2016

Another user tweeted to the South Orange and Maplewood School District: 'Looks like you failed to educate your teachers on this. Have Tamar Herman's actions been reported to @MaplewoodTWP police department for assault and hate crimes?

'Forcible removal of a hijab is a hate crime and should be prosecuted accordingly.'

But Harris said the accusations being levelled against Herman aren't just unfair: they're untrue.

'The false narrative being pushed by activists is quickly turning this veteran teacher's life upside-down,' she said on Twitter.

'This is not a story about a teacher forcibly removing a student's hijab. This is a story about the power of social media to spread misinformation and destroy lives, and about the 'shoot first, ask questions later' approach to journalism.'

Harris said in the statement that Herman was trying to help a student whose hood was obscuring her vision.

'In accordance with school policy, Ms. Herman directed a student in her class to pull down the hood on a hooded sweatshirt because it was blocking her eyes  and immediately rescinded that request when she realized that the student was wearing the hood in place of, rather than on top of, her usual hijab.'

Herman has been placed on leave and is currently under investigation, said her attorney Ronald Ricci.

Numerous social media users called for Herman's resignation, and said she should be charged

'The versions depicted on social media are 100-percent untrue,' Ricci told NBC News on Friday. 'We're confident that after a full, fair investigation that it'll be found that Ms. Herman committed no wrongdoing.'

Herman's ex-husband, Leonard Herman, also vouched for the teacher's character and noted that she knows Muhammad.

'My wife is a friend of hers, they work out in the gym together,' he said. 'I don't know why she's doing this.

'I know she would never do something like that.'

The Council on American-Islamic Relations of New Jersey said it was troubled by the accusation, with Executive Director Selaedin Maksut describing it as 'absolutely unacceptable' as he joined others calling for the Herman's termination.

Muhammad is widely known for being the first American Muslim woman to wear a hijab while competing at the Olympic games and is a New Times bestselling author who wrote about her experiences growing up as a Muslim-American.
Patrick Blumenthal has settled a lawsuit filed in February 2020 against Goldman Sachs and his boss at the bank, claiming he was viciously and violently hazed in 2018

Goldman Sachs has settled a lawsuit filed by a former intern who claimed that he was hazed by his boss so severely he was left with lasting brain damage.

Patrick Blumenthal interned for Goldman Sachs in San Francisco from September 2017 through February 2018.

The settlement, first reported by Bloomberg on Friday, came a week before a hearing on the investment bank's request to dismiss the lawsuit.

Terms of the settlement were not disclosed in a filing in San Francisco Superior Court.

'Goldman Sachs has no comment on this matter,' said Maeve DuVally, a spokeswoman for the bank.

While working with the company, Blumenthal was assigned to 'Team 007' under the leadership Julius Erukhimov, a private financial wealth advisor for Goldman Sachs nicknamed 'Fast Julie'.

On February 9, 2018, Blumenthal went for a drink after work with around a dozen of his co-workers.

Erukhimov, according to Blumenthal's suit, told the Drexel University student he would 'teach him how to drink,' and then he started pounding on the bar until the bartender told him to stop.

Erukhimov then allegedly punched Blumenthal in the stomach and asked him to punch him back.

Blumenthal declined, then Erukhimov punched him again, wrestled with him then dragged him outside in a chokehold.

Erukhimov allegedly held him 'so long' in the choke hold that he 'thought he was going to die.'

Blumenthal said that none of his colleagues stepped in to help him, and senior managing directors 'simply sat and watched the brutal attack unfold.'

Blumenthal interned for Goldman Sachs in San Francisco from September 2017 through February 2018, according to a suit he has filed against the company

Erukhimov and Goldman Sachs are listed as defendants in the case, which has been settled

Blumenthal passed out and urinated on himself in what his lawyers said was 'a bodily response to prolonged oxygen deprivation.'

When he came round Erukhimov took him home to his apartment, gave him painkillers and warned him not to tell anyone, according to the suit - claiming his uncle and cousin were 'contract killers' for Russian oligarchs.

In his complaint, Blumenthal said he feared for his life because Erukhimov had also previously told Blumenthal about his 'extensive gun collection,' including assault rifles, and about how his cousin had left a bouncer at a nightclub in 'a vegetative state'.

Two days later, Blumenthal went to the hospital, where he claimed he was diagnosed with a 'hemorrhagic stroke.'

In his suit, filed in San Francisco County Superior Court in February 2020, Blumenthal said that he continues to suffer from some of the side effects of the incident such as PTSD, mental anguish, a brain injury, and physical pain which may be permanent.

The intern was 'terrified to speak' about what transpired, eventually emailing Kimberly Vivas - a business-unit manager at the bank - about the incident on March 26, 2018. She told him to email an HR rep in New York

Erukhimov and Goldman Sachs are listed as defendants in the case, which Bloomberg reported on Friday has now been settled.

The court documents claim that the hazing began months before.

'On multiple occasions, Julius was very physically aggressive with the Plaintiff,' the filing states.

'On one occasion, Julius threatened to punch Plaintiff if Plaintiff didn't tell him something that someone had said about him. It was well known at Goldman Sachs that Julius had a habit of getting drunk and punching people.'

Even prior to Blumenthal starting the internship, there were allegedly complaints about 'Julius' hazing and 'frat' behavior that were reported to managing agents at the company.

Blumenthal claimed that he was treated as a fraternity 'pledge' and that his nickname, 'Bloomy,' was pronounced 'Blew Me.'

He alleged that he went to a kickball party in Fort Mason in San Francisco and was pressured to drink, despite being underage.

He wrote he 'was teased and made fun of' and told to expect to take 'an infinite amount of s*** from people.'

Blumenthal said that Erukhimov gave him Adderall and Tums, telling him it would help him drink more.

After a few months, Blumenthal asked Michelle Kelly, who had hired him, to allow him to switch to another team.

He claimed Kelly acknowledged he was being treated 'poorly,' but she did not reassign him.

A frightened Blumenthal reported the incident to Kimberly Vivas, an HR executive, after a month, on March 28, 2018.

The HR executive replied on April 22, 2018, saying that they had 'taken actions we have deemed appropriate.'

He said he was never interviewed by anyone about the incident, and claimed Goldman 'swept this brutal attack under the rug and never spoke of it again.'

The bank said that he did not reply to an offer of an interview regarding the incident, but Blumenthal's attorney said he had no recollection or evidence of any communications.

'No disciplinary measures were ever taken by Goldman Sachs, thereby approving and ratifying Julius' conduct,' the filing adds.

Blumenthal did not return to work at the company.

Blumenthal claims that the hazing occurred at various Goldman Sachs across the world, including having four first-year associates having to dress as Teletubbies.

Others were forced to attend meetings where they had to regurgitate the company's history in order to get a decent performance evaluation.

Blumenthal was seeking more than $25,000 in damages.

In a statement to Business Insider when the case was filed, the company claimed that it had 'tried unsuccessfully to obtain more information' from Blumenthal.

They added that they were 'committed to maintaining a safe and welcoming workplace, asserting that 'the alleged behavior does not reflect our values.'

Lawyers for Goldman Sachs argued in court filings that the company wasn't liable for the intern's injuries.

'That evening, Mr. Blumenthal went out drinking with some of his co-workers from Goldman Sachs after attending an in-office happy hour,' they wrote.

'While out, he was 'playing around' and 'wrestling' -- his words, immediately after -- with one of his colleagues when he fell and hit his head.'

They added that Erukhimov was no longer employed at Goldman Sachs.

According to his LinkedIn, he now works at J.P. Morgan in San Francisco, as a vice president.
Ministers failed to challenge flawed advice from Government scientists which allowed Covid to rip through Britain, the damning inquiry concluded.

Todays report said the UKs failure to lock down early enough stemmed from false groupthink among members of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage).

In a devastating verdict, the report insisted the deadly delay in imposing the first national lockdown was because of the official scientific advice the Government received, not in spite of it.

It added that an over-reliance on specific mathematical models  many of which were later proved to be wildly inaccurate  was a key factor in the UKs disastrous response to Covid.

In the early days of the pandemic Boris Johnson consistently stuck to the mantra that his Government was following the science.

The inquiry found that Ministers failed to challenge flawed advice from Government scientists which allowed Covid to rip through Britain. Pictured: Chris Whitty (L) and Patrick Vallance (R) look on as Boris Johnson holds the daily press conference to address the nation in 2020

Pictured: Chief Medical Officer for England, Chris Whitty (R) and Chief Scientific Adviser, Patrick Vallance walk from Downing Street for the weekly cabinet meeting in September 2020

However, the inquiry suggests much of this early advice from Sage was wrong  but ministers felt it was difficult to challenge the views of their official scientific advisers.

On March 12, 2020, chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance told a Government news conference it was not possible or desirable to stop everyone being infected.

And at a Sage meeting the next day  ten days before lockdown  members were unanimous that measures seeking to completely suppress spread of Covid-19 will cause a second peak.

The report said: Modelling at the time suggested that to suppress the spread of Covid-19 too firmly would cause a resurgence when restrictions were lifted.

It criticised a degree of groupthink which meant that during this period Government policy did not deviate from the scientific advice it received in any material respect.

The report said that in the days leading up to the first lockdown ministers and advisers experienced simultaneous epiphanies that the course the UK was following was wrong, possibly catastrophically so.

Sage only recommended a full lockdown when a study led by Professor Neil Ferguson, of Imperial College London, said an unmitigated epidemic could result in 510,000 UK deaths.

MPs said it was astonishing this had taken so long when most other nations had already imposed stay-at-home orders.

The report found that much of the early advice from Sage 'was wrong' but that ministers found it difficult to challenge the science. Pictured: A newspaper's front page from March 2020

Since the pandemic began, members of Sage have been under fire for gloomy predictions which were later proved wrong. Pictured: Boris Johnson at a press conference last September

The report also criticised Sage for promoting the idea it would be difficult to persuade Britons to stay at home, noting: It transpired that the UK public were very compliant with the eventual lockdown measures.

Both former chief aide to the PM, Dominic Cummings, and ex-health secretary Matt Hancock told the inquiry they felt unable to challenge a scientific consensus as it became clear a catastrophe was unfolding.

Mr Hancock said: I bitterly regret that I did not over-rule that scientific advice at the start.

The report stressed: Science proceeds through challenge and disputation...Yet ministers and other advisers reported that they felt it difficult to challenge the views of their official scientific advisers.

Those in Government have a duty to question and probe the assumptions behind any scientific advice given, particularly in a national emergency, but there is little evidence sufficient challenge took place.

The MPs on the committee were also highly critical of the mathematical models produced by members of Sage.

The inquiry said evidence suggests mathematical modelling was playing too influential a role in UK scientific advice as the models came with significant limitations and often failed to take into account real-world observations.

The report noted: Despite this, throughout the pandemic, detailed modelled projections have evidently had great influence on Government decisions.

Since the pandemic began, members of Sage have been under fire for gloomy predictions which were later proved wrong.

Only last month, they published modelling suggesting there could be between up to 7,000 hospital admissions a day in mid-October. In reality, daily admissions are currently averaging just 736.

Other prominent members of Sage, including Professor Ferguson, also claimed that cases could reach 200,000 a day over summer when cases actually peaked at around 50,000.

Criticising the groupthink among members of Sage, the report noted that all but one of the 87 members are from UK institutions.

It said: For a virus that has affected every country in the world and which was experienced first by other countries, it is also right to consider whether our scientific advisory bodies are sufficiently international.

Yesterday Sir Patrick defended his actions, telling BBC Radio 4: Science informs  it doesnt decide and it doesnt lead the way.
Former President Trump hit back at the House Jan. 6 probe on Monday saying it was an attempt to distract Americans from President Biden's failings and said the attack on the Capitol would never have happened if intelligence warnings were heeded.

Lawmakers are stepping up pressure on Trump, subpoenaing his close aides and requesting White House documents.

Members of the Select Committee to Investigate the Jan 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol now say they will prosecute anyone refusing to cooperate.

'The highly partisan Unselect Committee is just a sideshow to distract America from massive failures by Biden and the Democrats,' railed Trump in an emailed statement.

'What happened to the Capitol would have never happened if the people in charge did their job and looked at the intelligence.

'They abandoned the officers on the ground, just like Biden abandoned Americans in Afghanistan. Instead of holding bad leaders accountable, the Democrats are going after innocent staffers and attacking the Constitution.'

Former President Donald Trump demanded the 'partisan hearings' stop in a Monday evening message that cited whistleblower evidence that Capitol Police failings likely contributed to the events of Jan. 6

Hundreds of Trump supporters invaded the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 as lawmakers tried to certify Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 election

Critics were quick to point out on social media that the people in charge included Trump himself on Jan. 6.

But the former president pointed to reports that a U.S. Capitol Police whistleblower wrote to congressional leaders last month criticizing the agency's chiefs for failing to share intelligence and not doing enough to support officers caught in the trouble.

'Why is the just released bombshell January 6th whistleblower report being ignored by the mainstream media? Based on this high ranking Capitol Police officials report, these partisan hearings must stop at once,' asked Trump, going on to repeat his familiar complaint that the investigation amounted to a witch hunt.

In fact, the details of the whistleblower's complaint have been extensively reported by major news outlets since being revealed by Politico last week.

The 16-page letter accuses Sean Gallagher, the Capitol Polices acting chief of uniformed operations, and Yogananda Pittman, its assistant chief of police for protective and intelligence operations, of deliberately choosing not to help officers under attack.

'A lot has changed since January 6,' said a spokesperson for the force in response to the allegations.

'Although there is more work to do, many of the problems described in the letter have been addressed.'

Earlier longtime Trump aide Dan Scavino condemned reports that he was trying to avoid a subpoena.

Tear gas is released into a crowd of protesters, with one wielding a Confederate battle flag that reads 'Come and Take It,' during clashes on Jan. 6

Scavino blasted the media and suggested the Jan. 6th committee was leaking disparaging information about him, after a process server was finally able to deliver legal documents to Mar-a-Lago, where the Trump aide says he spent six days over the last period of time.

'FACT: The dangerous and false narrative of me trying to avoid or evade a subpoena is a disgrace. I can only wonder where it came from, and what their goal was,' Scavino tweeted Sunday night,' he tweeted adding an inquisitive face emoji.

'Not ONE attempt was made to contact/serve me when I was at Mar a Lago for 6 days, or home in NY for 8 days thereafter!' he wrote.

Last week, former White House strategist Steve Bannon said he would not cooperate with a subpoena, saying Trump had 'executive privilege.

'I stand with Trump and the Constitution,' he told DailyMail.com

The committee specifically wants to know about Trump attempting to convince members of Congress not to certify the 2020 election, as well as his whereabouts on the day of the Capitol riots and any other communications his administration had in the days leading up to the violent rally on January 6.
Yale doctoral student Matt Amodio's historic winning streak on 'Jeopardy!' - known to fans as the 'Amodio Rodeo' - came to an end on Monday's show, leaving the contestant with 38 wins and more than $1.5 million in prize money.

Amodio failed to answer the Final Jeopardy! clue correctly and came third on Monday's show, his streak cut short by new champion Jonathan Fisher, an actor originally from Coral Gables, Florida.

He incorrectly answered 'What is Poland,' rather than 'What is Austria' for the final jeopardy question: 'Nazi Germany annexed this nation and divided it into regions of the Alps and the Danube; the Allies later divided it into four sectors.'

'Jeopardy!" contestant Matt Amodio is pictured during a taping of the popular game show. Amodio's historic run on the show ended on Monday's show, leaving the Yale doctoral student with 38 wins and more than $1.5 million in prize money

Amodio (left) incorrectly answered 'What is Poland,' rather than 'What is Austria' for the final jeopardy question: 'Nazi Germany annexed this nation and divided it into regions of the Alps and the Danube; the Allies later divided it into four sectors'

'l know going into every bar trivia game that I play that Im going to come in with a little intimidation factor. But also, I just like the badge that it represents,' Amodio (pictured on Monday's show), a fifth-year computer science Ph.D student at Yale University, said in a statement

Amodio finished second on the all-time consecutive wins list behind only Ken Jennings with 74 wins.

He won a total of $1,518,601, which puts him third on the all-time non-tournament cash winnings list behind James Holzhauer ($2,462,216) and Jennings ($2,520,700).

'l know going into every bar trivia game that I play that Im going to come in with a little intimidation factor. But also, I just like the badge that it represents,' Amodio, a fifth-year computer science Ph.D student at Yale University, said in a statement.

'As somebody who prioritizes knowledge and knowing things, this is really a good one to have following me everywhere,'

He became known for starting all of his questions with "Whats..." instead of using suitable alternatives such as "Who is...," an unorthodox approach that made some longtime viewers groan.

Amodio failed to answer the Final Jeopardy! clue correctly and came third on Monday's show, his streak cut short by new champion Jonathan Fisher (pictured), an actor originally from Coral Gables, Florida

But it was within the quiz shows rules and, as Amodio explained, helped him limit any 'unnecessary moving parts' that might undermine his effectiveness.

Amodio's popularity on the show proved a welcome distraction for the quiz show and its producer Sony Pictures Television, which saw its effort to replace its late and beloved host Alex Trebek founder.

Sony turned to guest hosts Mayim Bialik and Jennings after its original pick for the job, 'Jeopardy!' executive producer Mike Richards, exited the show following the disclosure of his past disparaging podcasts remarks about women and others.

Sony has said it was resuming its search for a permanent host.
Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott, responding to what he called 'bullying' by the Biden Administration, has barred all COVID-19 vaccine mandates in the state by any entity, including private employers.

Abbott's move sets him up for a clash with President Joe Biden, a Democrat who last month called on businesses nationwide to order their workers to be vaccinated or lose their jobs. At least several thousand people have since been fired for refusing to comply.

'In another instance of federal overreach, the Biden Administration is now bullying many private entities into imposing COVID-19 vaccine mandates,' Abbot wrote in an executive order.

'In another instance of federal overreach, the Biden Administration is now bullying many private entities into imposing COVID-19 vaccine mandates,' Texas Governor Greg Abbot wrote in a Monday executive order, which prevents any entity in the state from imposing vaccine mandates

Abbott said that the mandates were 'causing workforce disruptions that threaten Texas' continued recovery from the COVID-19 disaster'

In the order, he encouraged residents to get the vaccine, but said that it 'must always be voluntary for Texans'

The Governor's order, according to the document, also supersedes any municipal or county mandate that would allow entities to impose such mandates

He said that the mandates were 'causing workforce disruptions that threaten Texas' continued recovery from the COVID-19 disaster.'

In the order, he encouraged residents to get the vaccine, but said that it 'must always be voluntary for Texans.'

As of today, 44.396,097 have contracted COVID-19 in the US, and 713,706 have died

The White House had no immediate comment.

In July, he issued an earlier executive order banning all mask and vaccine mandates.

Abbott's latest order states that 'no entity in Texas' could compel proof of vaccination by any individual, including employees or customers. He called on state lawmakers to take up the issue in an upcoming special session.

Abbott's latest order states that 'no entity in Texas' could compel proof of vaccination by any individual, including employees or customers. He called on state lawmakers to take up the issue in an upcoming special session

As of today, 44.396,097 have contracted COVID-19 in the US, and 713,706 have died since the pandemic began in 2020.

Tech giants Facebook Inc and Alphabet Inc's Google have both told employees that they would need proof of vaccination to return to their offices. Both companies employ large numbers in Texas.

Fort Worth-based American Airlines, the largest U.S. carrier, last week told its 100,000 U.S.-based employees they must submit proof of full vaccination no later than November 24 - or be fired.

United Airlines imposed a vaccine mandate on its 60,000 employees, around 9,000 of whom are based in Texas.

The company is defending a lawsuit filed in Fort Worth, and a federal judge on Wednesday will hear a request by United employees for an injunction to prevent the carrier from firing those who requested exemptions.

As of today, 44.396,097 have contracted COVID-19 in the US

In the US, 713,706 have died of COVID-related complications since the pandemic began in 2020

Biden issued his mandate in September as his administration struggled to control the pandemic, which has killed more than 700,000 Americans.

Political leaders across the United States have ratcheted up pressure on the unvaccinated in recent weeks.

Laws requiring proof of vaccinations are deeply controversial in the United States, with many Americans criticizing them as unconstitutional and authoritarian.

Proponents of vaccine mandates see them as necessary to pull the nation out of the nearly two-year pandemic and return to normalcy.
Britain led the world on vaccine development and medical research throughout the pandemic  saving millions of lives globally, the report concluded.

MPs said the jab vaccine programme was one of the most stunning scientific achievements in history and that it redeemed many of the UKs other policy failings.

They praised the boldly planned and effectively executed project that meant Britain was the first Western country to roll out a vaccine against Covid-19.

The report said it was a masterstroke to bring in Dame Kate Bingham, a venture capitalist, as head of the newly-established Vaccine Taskforce in May 2020.

The report concluded that the vaccine programme was one of the most stunning scientific achievements in history and that it redeemed many of the UKs other policy failings. Pictured: Professor Andrew Pollard receives the AZ vaccine in January

Putin's spies 'stole details of AstraZeneca vaccine' Russian spies stole secret blueprints on the Oxford- AstraZeneca vaccine so President Putin could claim his country produced the worlds first Covid-19 jab, it is claimed. They were said to have targeted early human trials and taken key documents  and possibly even a vial of the vaccine  which was then used to produce the Sputnik V jab, say security sources. Experts noted startling similarities between the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine and Sputnik V, triggering an investigation by UK spy chiefs. Security Minister Damian Hinds would only say it was a fair assumption that foreign states, such as Russia, were seeking to obtain sensitive information but biosecurity expert Colonel Hamish de Bretton-Gordon said: Attempting to steal western technology saves the Russians time and money. Enhanced security at labs is necessary. The theft took place after a wave of cyber-attacks on Oxford University in March 2020. The first human tests by Oxford-AstraZeneca came in April. In May Russia claimed it had invented its own vaccine. Advertisement

It said the Government quickly identified that a vaccine would be the route out of the pandemic and invested heavily in development, providing 20million to fully fund clinical trials of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.

The report praised an aggressive approach that meant the UK had secured agreements for more than 300million vaccine doses by November last year.

It said the UKs medical regulator adopted an agile and innovative approach of constantly reviewing trial data so vaccines could be deployed as soon as possible.

This meant Britain was the first Western country to approve a vaccine and, on December 8 last year, 91-year-old Margaret Keenan, from Coventry, became the first person in the world to receive a Covid-19 jab outside of a clinical trial.

The report concluded: The UK vaccination programme  from discovery of potential vaccines against Covid-19 to the vaccination of nearly 80 per cent of the adult population by 1 September 2021  has been one of the most successful and effective initiatives in the history of UK science and public administration.

Millions of lives will ultimately be saved as a result of the global vaccine effort, in which the UK has played a leading part.

In the UK alone, the successful deployment of effective vaccines has allowed, as at September 2021, a resumption of much of normal life, with incalculable benefits to peoples lives.

The MPs also praise the decisive and courageous decision taken by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation to extend the gap between doses to 12 weeks.

This allowed the 15million most vulnerable adults to receive their first dose by February 15.

The NHS mass vaccine rollout was hugely successful and outshone the efforts of almost all other nations, the report said.

The report also praised British scientists for outperforming other countries in finding treatments for virus victims

It also praised British scientists for outperforming other countries in finding treatments for virus victims.

In particular, the RECOVERY trial, led by Oxford University, identified dexamethasone as the first effective treatment for Covid-19  saving millions of lives around the world.

Meanwhile an antibody treatment developed by AstraZeneca has shown its ability to both prevent and treat Covid-19.

The firm submitted a request to the US Food and Drug Administration last week for emergency use authorisation for AZD7442.

Data released yesterday by AstraZeneca showed it was effective in preventing severe disease in non-hospitalised patients with mild to moderate coronavirus, when compared with a placebo.

Most of the 903 people in the study were at high risk of progression to severe Covid-19.

Hugh Montgomery, professor of intensive care medicine at University College London, and lead researcher on the trial, said AZD7442 could play an important role in the pandemic.
Melburnians enduring the world's longest Covid lockdown have reacted with despair after Sydney emerged from lockdown before them.

NSW got its first taste of what life will look like after the pandemic on Monday after the state hit the 70 per cent double-vaccination mark.

Bars, shops, cafes, gyms and hair salons were overrun with fully-vaccinated customers as Sydneysiders enjoyed their 'Freedom Day' after three months of being stuck inside.

Victorians though - whose state recorded 1,466 cases and six deaths on Tuesday - are at least two weeks away from hitting that milestone.

Cooped-up Melburnians who have spent more than 250 days in lockdown since the pandemic began took to social media to vent their frustration.

Cooped-up Melburnians who have spent more than 250 days in lockdown since the pandemic began have taken to social media to vent their frustration at Sydney getting their freedom back

Pubgoers pictured in Sydney as NSW celebrated its 'Freedom Day'. The state got its first taste of what life will look like after the pandemic on Monday after hitting the 70 per cent double-vaccination mark

One resident on Twitter used the 'it's been 84 years' meme from the movie Titanic to joke about how long Melbourne has spent in lockdown compared to Sydney.

'I can't believe how much Sydney is celebrating 'freedom' after their short lockdown compared to Melbourne,' another wrote.

'I'm sorry but how did Sydney get out of lockdown before Melbourne - it makes no sense to me,' another said.

Melburnians enduring the world's longest Covid lockdown have reacted with despair after Sydney emerged from lockdown before them

TikTok personalities living in the city 'dubbed the Covid capital of the world' were also less than impressed that Sydneysiders got out of lockdown before them.

'That was supposed to be me!' one TikToker said while lamenting the fact he still can't go to the gym in Melbourne.

Another lip-synced to the words 'how does it feel to live my dream', before captioning the post 'sincerely from Victoria'.

The 1,466 cases recorded in Victoria on Tuesday marked a significant drop from the 1,612 confirmed on Monday - a promising sign rising vaccination rates in the state are stemming the spread of the virus.

Minister have vowed long-suffering Victorians will still be out of lockdown in time for summer as hospitals take unprecedented steps to protect the public from the ongoing outbreak.

Health Minister Martin Foley said he was confident Melbourne would be rid of stay-at-home-orders within weeks, with pubs, shops, restaurants and gyms given the green light to reopen their doors.

Melbourne overtook Buenos Aires as the most locked down country on earth in late September, moving past Argentina's capital and their 234 days stuck at home, but Mr Foley says the end is on the horizon for the fully-vaccinated.

Social media users living in the city 'dubbed the Covid capital of the world' were less than impressed that Sydneysiders got out of lockdown before them

Cooped-up Melburnians who have spent more than 250 days in lockdown since the pandemic began

'With Victoria preparing to open in time for summer, based on our implementation of the national plan for reopening, we'll also be launching today a new campaign to remind everyone that your vaccination is your ticket,' he said.

Meanwhile, one Victorian hospital is opening up extra intensive care wings in preparation for a spike in cases when the state re-opens.

Victoria is set to hit the 70 per cent vaccination rate threshold on October 24, nearly two weeks after their New South Wales counterparts who escaped lockdown on Monday.

It too will enjoy an easing of restrictions when that milestone is reached.

The state has battled several Delta outbreaks, with the latest seeing Victoria register an Australian record of 1,965 cases on a single day last week.
A kind-hearted elderly man was the victim of a savage carjacking on Monday night after offering to give a stranger a lift home.

The man, in his 70s, was attacked with a hammer in Ascot Park, in Adelaide's inner south, soon after giving a ride to the other man around 7pm.

With the thug in his car passenger seat - who had requested a lift nearby - the victim was then allegedly hit in the head, causing him to smash into a parked car in South Plympton.

Horrifying vision shows the man (pictured right) in his 70s attacked by a thug in Adelaide's south on Monday

Vision from the scene shows the younger man in his 20s continuing to assault the older man after the crash before speeding off in the vehicle.

The victim received a minor head injury and was taken to Flinders Hospital for observation.

Neighbour Rei Zhang, 19, said the elderly man was a 'really good guy' and 'would do anything for anyone.'

'He probably just can't say no, he's too nice,' Mr Zhang told the Adelaide Advertiser.

'Whoever did this is a coward.'

The suspect is described as being Caucasian, in his early 20s with a shaved head and dark beard.

At the time of the alleged incident, he was wearing a black long sleeve T-shirt, black Adidas trackpants, white sneakers and was also sporting an 'eshay' type red bum bag.

The attacker fled in the victim's car, a white 2011 Ford XR sedan with the registration plates S581AKT.

Anyone with information about this incident is urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

The offender, who was wearing a black long sleeve T-shirt, black Adidas track pants, white sneakers and was also sporting an 'eshay' type red bum-bag the stole the victim's car, with the registration S581AKT
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Kim Jong Un looked slimmer than ever with his suit hanging loosely on him as he spoke at a defence exhibition on Monday.

The North Korean leader, 37, appeared noticeably trim in new photos released by state media as he walked on a red carpet lined with big missiles mounted on trucks in front of portraits of himself when he was heavier.

He wore a dark suit with wide trouser legs and jacket, which seemed to hang off him, where months ago the fabric would have been pulled tight around his belly.

During the defence exhibition, Kim showed off North Korea's latest weaponry including the Hwasong-8 hypersonic missile it allegedly tested last month which allegedly has nuclear capabilities.

Also on display were an intercontinental ballistic missiles and a new long-range cruise missile, and US intelligence agencies said they are already analysing the equipment.

Kim's weight loss is a remarkable contrast to a year ago when reports surfaced that he had ballooned to 22stone (308lbs) - having gained nearly 110lbs in eight years.

Earlier this year North Korea banned citizens from discussing Kim's weight loss and told people that gossip is a 'reactionary act'. Government authorities insisted the despot was eating less 'for the sake of the country' as it grappled with severe food shortages and claimed Kim was healthy.

Speculation about Kim's health started after photos showed him looking increasingly thin after he apparently shed up to 44 pounds earlier this year.

The latest pictures of his weight-loss transformation come a day after he urged his officials to overcome the 'grim' food situation facing North Korea in a speech to mark the ruling party's founding on Sunday.

Kim Jong Un looked slimmer than ever this week with his suit hanging loosely on him as he walked past portraits showing him when he was much heavier

The North Korean leader, 37, wore a dark suit with wide trouser legs and jacket, which seemed to hang off him, where months ago the fabric would have been pulled tight around his belly

The leader of nuclear-armed North Korea blamed the United States for tensions, calling it the 'root cause' of instability in a speech, as he stood in front of an intercontinental ballistic missile

Transformation: A year ago almost to the day, Kim Jong-Un was pictured looking massively overweight with reports suggesting he had ballooned to 22stone (308lb)

He said his party was determined to achieve the economic goals set out during their congress in January, which includes solving the country's food, clothing and housing problems.

The impoverished, nuclear-armed country has been hit by severe flooding in recent years which has left families without homes and is currently tackling a food crisis as the nation struggles to feed itself amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Photos emerged in June this year showing a dramatic change thought to represent a roughly 44-pound weight loss in six months, speculation that he has been suffering health problems as international analysts seek clues about his health, which is a closely guarded secret in the North.

In a speech at the exhibition in Pyongyang, the leader of nuclear-armed North Korea blamed the United States for tensions on the peninsula saying it is the 'root cause' of instability, state media Korean Central News Agency reported.

Kim said his country's most important objective is possessing an 'invincible military capability' that no one can dare challenge.

He also used his speech at a rare exhibition of weapons systems to stress that his military might isn't targeted at South Korea and that there shouldn't be another war pitting Korean people against each other.

Pyongyang is under multiple international sanctions over its banned nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes, which have made rapid progress under Kim.

In 2017 it tested missiles that can reach the whole of the continental US and carried out by far its most powerful nuclear explosion to date, and Pyongyang says it needs its arsenal to protect itself against a US invasion.

The Biden administration has repeatedly stated that it has no hostile intent towards the North, but Kim told the 'Self-Defence 2021' exhibition, but he said there was 'no basis' in their actions.

In a speech at the exhibition in Pyongyang, Kim said his country's most important objective is possessing an 'invincible military capability' that no one can dare challenge

A slimmed down North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (centre) speaks with officials during a visit to the 'Self-Defence-2021' defense development exhibition, in Pyongyang on Monday

Kim Jong Un (centre-right) presents a commendation award during the defence development exhibition 'Self-Defence-2021' at the Three-Revolution Exhibition House in Pyongyang

The dictator was pictured observing some of the country's military weapons at the Defence Development Exhibition

'The US has frequently signaled it's not hostile to our state, but there is no action-based evidence to make us believe that they are not hostile,' Kim said. 'The US is continuing to create tensions in the region with its wrong judgments and actions.'

Kim's address came after the North in recent weeks tested a long-range cruise missile and what it said was a hypersonic weapon.

The exhibition was the first of its kind since Kim took power in late 2011, according to Seoul officials, and included a multiple rocket launch system on display as well as jets flying in a formation.

It featured an array of newly developed weapons, including intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) North Korea has already test-launched or displayed during military parades in recent years, experts say.

Yang Wook, a military expert who teaches at South Korea's Hannam University, said the weapons in the photos include what appears to be a new ICBM that North Korea disclosed during a military parade last year but hasn't test-fired, Yang said. That missile mounted on an 11-axel launch vehicle during the parade is considered to be the North's biggest-yet ICBM.

The exhibition featured an array of newly developed weapons, including intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) North Korea has already test-launched or displayed during military parades in recent years, experts say

Photos showed Kim walking on a red carpet lined with big missiles mounted on trucks, passing by a multiple rocket launch system and watching jets flying in a formation (pictured)

Other weapons on display were another ICBM that North Korea tested in 2017; ballistic missiles that can be fired from submarines or a train; solid-fueled, short-range missiles; and a developmental hypersonic missile that had its first test-flight last month, said Lee Choon Geun, a missile expert at South Korea's Science and Technology Policy Institute.

In 2018, Kim became the first North Korean leader ever to meet a sitting US president when he met Donald Trump at the headline-grabbing Singapore summit.

But the talks process has been largely at a standstill since a second meeting in Hanoi the following year collapsed over sanctions relief and what Pyongyang would be willing to give up in return.

The Biden administration has said it is willing to meet North Korean officials at any time or place, without preconditions, in its efforts to seek denuclearisation.

In 2018, Kim became the first North Korean leader ever to meet a sitting US president when he met Donald Trump (pictured together) at the headline-grabbing Singapore summit, but talks collapsed since a second meeting in Hanoi over sanctions relief

Washington and Seoul are security allies and Washington stations around 28,500 troops in the South to defend it against its neighbour, which invaded in 1950.

The South and the United States held joint military exercises in August. The wargames always infuriate Pyongyang, which decries them as preparations for invasion.

The South has been stepping up its own military capabilities, successfully testing its first submarine-launched ballistic missile in September and revealed a supersonic cruise missile.

Kim accused the South of hypocrisy, saying their 'unrestricted and dangerous attempts to strengthen military power are destroying the military balance on the Korean peninsula and increasing military instability and danger'.

Seoul's Defense Ministry said South Korean and US intelligence authorities were analyzing the North Korean weapons displayed but didn't elaborate.
A Victorian council is considering banning dogs, scooters and skateboards around the CBD of the tourist haven in the coming summer months.

The Moyne local government area, west of Melbourne, is home to Port Fairy, a popular family friendly tourist destination.

If passed, the local rules will ban dogs and toy vehicles from parts of the main roads between 9am-6pm from Christmas Eve until Easter Monday each year.

The small town is divided over the issue, with council bombarded with submissions including a 1500-strong petition in opposition.

The Moyne Shire council is considering banning dogs, scooters and skateboards from the Port Fairy CBD during the busy summer months

Port Fairy (pictured), located on the Victorian coast west of Melbourne, is a popular family-friendly tourist destination with many visitors bringing pets with them

Resident Amy Armstrong told 7 News many tourists bring their dogs with them on holiday and thinks it is an 'overreaction' to ban them for months at a time.

The proposal bans dogs from a section of Sackville Street, between Cox and Bank streets with locals worried it could keep away the desperately-needed summer tourist.

The motion was presented to council in April by Councillor James Purcell following a serious dog fight in the town's CBD.

'I was approached by a number of citizens who said what can we do about it, can you raise the subject and see what the community feels about it,' Cr Purcell said on Monday to the Herald Sun.

'So I put a motion up to the council meeting to review the local law and a part of that is to go out into the community and see what they think.'

Councillor James Purcell (pictured) presented the motion to council following a serious dog fight in the town

Residents of Port Fairy (pictured) are divided over the issue, with over 800 submissions entered including a petition against the motion with over 1500 signatures

There is concern the ban could ruin the image of the town (pictured) including impacts to safety and loss of trade considered by council

Cr Purcell said the debate around the issue was a good thing as people in the community were getting involved and having their say.

The ban has potential to mar the image of the popular tourist destination with Cr Purcell saying the matter needs to be carefully considered including impacts to safety, loss in trade and the image of the town.

A similar rule exists in Port Fairy banning dogs from certain beaches during the summer months which Cr Purcell said has also divided people.

A similar law exists in the town that bans dogs from certain beaches during the summer months, with many saying further restrictions could turn tourists away

Robert Gibson the manager of the Moyne Shire Environment and Regulatory Services said all of the submission for the motion would be tabled at the meeting in November.

'All submissions, including the petition and joint letter are expected to be considered by Council at its November meeting where further details of the nature of the feedback will be presented,' he said.

He said the review came after a dog fight on Fiddler's Green in April this year and is being considered following a number of incidents involving dogs in the recent years.

Moyne Shire Council Mayor Daniel Meade told 7 News there has been complaints about the amount of dogs on the main streets during the busy period as well as issues with dogs attacking other dogs.
A neurologist who allegedly hooked dozens of women on 'astounding' doses of painkillers before sexually abusing them was reportedly protected by staff who 'looked the other way' over 12 years at three different hospitals, according to the latest of 22 lawsuits against him.

Ricardo Cruciani, 63, is accused of forcing patients to touch his penis, masturbate him, give him oral sex, allow him to grope and digitally penetrate them.

If they refused, he allegedly withheld the huge and addictive doses of pain medications he prescribed them.

The latest lawsuit, filed on behalf of six alleged victims in July, states that the failure of hospital staff to report Ivy League-trained Cruciani 'fail(ed) victims every step of the way.'

None of the medical practices that employed the disgraced doctor - including Beth Israel Medical Center in New York, Capital Institute for Neurosciences in Hopewell Township, New Jersey, and Drexel University in Pennsylvania - have been held liable for employing him despite the repeated red flags raised throughout his 35-year tenure.

The shocking failure of nurses, therapists and administration to report Ivy League-trained Ricardo Cruciani, 63, for repeated inappropriate behavior 'fail[ed] victims 'every step of the way,' was revealed in a lawsuit filed this July that is still in litigation

When the women resisted Ricardo Cruciani's advances (pictured leaving court with his wife, pediatrician Nora Cruciani, in 2018) - which included forcing patients to touch his penis, masturbate him, give him oral sex, allow him to grope and digitally penetrate them - he withheld their doses of pain medications, which were so overprescribed that other doctors wouldn't match his prescriptions

'[The hospitals] knowingly ignored their reporting and oversight duties... and knowingly let [Cruciani] walk out the door so that he could continue his predatory sexual misconduct... at subsequent healthcare systems,' reads the lawsuit.

Attorney Jeffrey Fritz, who is representing six women in a suit against the New Jersey and New York hospitals, told Dailymail.com that there are typically multiple checks to prevent abuse going unchecked.

'All of the checks failed these women, therefore the hospitals failed these women every step of the way,' he said.

The attorney is also representing 18 more women suing Drexel University, where Cruciani served as the chair of the neurology department.

In total, Fritz said, there are 18 pending civil suits against Cruciani in Pennsylvania, three in New Jersey covering 18 or 19 women and one in New York on behalf of 12 victims.

At one point, she said in an interview with the New York Times, plaintiff Tanisha Johnson was prescribed a heady dose of 1,300 pain pills per month. Over the course of several months in Cruciani's care, the doctor's behavior escalated from putting an arm around her during his first consultation to exposing his penis, masturbating in front of her and forcing her to perform oral sex

One of the earlier victims, Hillary Tullin, told a psychologist at Beth Israel that Cruciani 'forcibly grabbed her face and stuck his tongue down her throat,' according to the suit. The psychologist never reported the accusation

Fritz said the doctor is facing more then 30 criminal charges in New Jersey, and more in New York and Pennsylvania.

After he was fired in 2017 from his last position at Drexel, Cruciani was merely forced to register as a sex offender and surrender his medical license in a plea deal that year.

In 2018, Cruciani was released on $1million bail for criminal charges against him in New York, and has yet to reappear in court, in part due to COVID-related postponements.

One of the plaintiffs in the latest suit, Tanisha Johnson, told the New York Times on Monday how she began seeing Cruciani at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York for her repeated migraines.

She said Cruciani overprescribed her a heavy dose of 1,300 pain pills per month, and then began to exhibit inappropriate behavior.

Over the course of several months he allegedly went from putting an arm around her during his first consultation, to exposing his penis, masturbating in front of her and forcing her to perform oral sex, according to the suit.

When she attempted to refuse, Cruciani threatened to withhold the cocktail of medications that she had become dependent on.

'The first week of opioid withdrawal is excruciatingly painful,' she told The Times.

On one occasion in 2010 or 2011, according to the lawsuit, a nurse at Beth Israel walked into the room when Johnson was in Cruciani's office and his penis was exposed.

Yet, Cruciani was never reported to the New York Board for Professional Medical Conduct.

Another patient, Nella Vince (pictured), reported Cruciani's sexual assault in 2013 to the New York City Police Department and offered evidence: a shirt with his semen on it, according to the New York Times

The lawsuit states that multiple patients across the hospitals he worked told nurses that they had been sexually assaulted.

Several patients said they repeatedly asked nurses or other staff members to stay in the room with them during consultations, but the requests were usually turned down.

One of the earlier victims, Hillary Tullin, told a psychologist at Beth Israel that Cruciani 'forcibly grabbed her face and stuck his tongue down her throat,' according to the suit. The psychologist never reported the accusation.

'I told her, 'I want you to report it,''Tullin told The Times.

Tullin, a former producer with ABC and CBS, experienced severe chronic pain, which said said '15 or 18' doctors failed to treat before she went to see Cruciani at Beth Israel Medical Center (now Mount Sinai Beth Israel) who diagnosed her with full-body complex regional pain syndrome, which is not well understood.

She said the doctor began to call her on a daily basis, telling her about his personal and family life, complimenting her appearance and telling her that he was thinking of her. He began embracing her during sessions, which soon escalated into extended touching and then sexual assault, she said.





'These hospitals created this perfect storm of opportunity for him to victimize so many patients,' she said. 'The system failed.'

Another patient at Beth Israel, Nella Vince, reported Cruciani's sexual assault in 2013 to the New York City Police Department and offered evidence: a shirt with his semen on it, according to the Times.

She was even preparing to wear a wire but the case was dropped, with the police citing Vince as 'uncooperative.' In an interview, she said that they did not take her accusation seriously because, they told her, Cruciani had no criminal record.

Later in 2013, Cruciani abruptly resigned from the New York hospital and went to work at Capital Institute in Hopewell, New Jersey - many of his patients, including ones that were abused, followed him there, unable to get other doctors to prescribe the amounts of medication he would.

In a statement at the time of Cruciani's 2017 arrest, a Mount Sinai spokesman told DailyMail.com: 'We are deeply disturbed to learn about these charges and have been working closely with the investigation being led by the District Attorney's office.

'The Mount Sinai Health System is committed to a safe environment for all patients, faculty, staff, students, trainees and visitors.'

In 2014, a patient at Capital and her mother approached Dr. Steve Boyland, who also worked at the hospital, to report that Cruciani had forcibly groped and french kissed her. Boyland, the lawsuit said, never reported the behavior.

The next year, according to the lawsuit, an unnamed victim messaged Capital Nurse Ann Friedland on Facebook to report Cruciani's behavior, which the victim said made her feel 'uncomfortable.' The woman specifically asked the nurse whether Cruciani had abused any other women at the Capital Health facility.

Friedland replied that she 'didn't know of any circumstances [where Cruciani was] inappropriate with patients,' but that she 'did suspect it.'

The nurse also told the unnamed woman that, while Cruciani was 'flirtatious' with her, she 'kept him at arms length.'

Friedland, the lawsuit alleges, did not share this information with Hopewell detectives when the neurologist's behavior was under investigation.

After Cruciani left Capital for Drexel in 2016, Friedland allegedly told another unnamed woman that she knew Cruciani had been 'sexual with other women in the office' and that she had urged him not to be alone in examination rooms with female patients.

Another patient's husband reported that Cruciani was overmedicating and sexually abusing his wife at Capital through the hospital's Patient Advocacy Office, the lawsuit alleges- the office never reported the allegation to the state of New Jersey.

Representatives of Capital Health denied that numerous members of its staff were approached about the abuse, saying that the hospital received no complaints about Cruciani from patients while he worked there.

'We were shocked and saddened when these allegations came to light,' a statement issued by Capital Health's press office said.

In a statement at the time of Cruciani's 2017 arrest, a Mount Sinai Beth Israel spokesman told DailyMail.com: 'We are deeply disturbed to learn about these charges and have been working closely with the investigation being led by the District Attorney's office

''We were shocked and saddened when these allegations came to light,' a statement issued by Capital Health's press office regarding Ricardo Cruciani's sexual misconduct said

In 2015, the disgraced doctor transferred to Drexel amid mounting accusations.

By February of 2017, at least five patients and at three staff members came forward, forcing Drexel t initiate an investigation into the doctors behavior, according to the lawsuits filed in 2018 in Philadelphia.

Drexel representatives blamed Cruciani's former hospitals for failing to raise the alarm.

'Drexel hired Cruciani after conducting a thorough background check, as is done with all potential employees, that did not reveal any improper or illegal conduct,' the statement said.

In September 2017, Cruciani was arrested on charges of multiple counts of indecent assault and a single count of indecent exposure. Two months later, he was sentenced to serve seven years probation in connection with the allegations in Philadelphia.

While he avoided jail time, he was forced to give up his license and to register as a sex offender. He was also fired from Drexel University following his conviction.

During his sentencing, Cruciani apologized for the pain he had caused victims.

Months later in February, Cruciani was arrested for the set of disturbingly similar allegations out of New York.

Azza AbuDagga, a researcher with Public Citizen's Health Research Group, told the New York Times that Crucianis ability to continue seeing patients despite the slew complaints against him isn't atypical.

'Weve been calling for zero tolerance for sexual abuse by health care providers against patients,' said AbuDagga.

'If that standard isnt adopted, were not going to be anywhere close to solving the problem.'
The CEO of Australia's new affordable airline designed for 'teachers and tradies' has revealed his predictions on travelling in a post-pandemic world.

Pictured: Bonza CEO Tim Jordan

Tim Jordan, the businessman behind the brand new low cost airline Bonza, said he expected more Australians to choose domestic travel over a flight overseas.

Australians will be free to explore their own backyard when their state surpasses 80 per cent double dose vaccination coverage.

'There is a lot of pent-up demand for travel in Australia and what we've seen around the world is domestic travel has recovered a lot quicker,' Mr Jordan said.

The airline CEO predicted more travellers would opt to holiday a little closer to home as the country continues to transition to a Covid-normal.

'The regulations could be more understandable and comfortable and cause people less concern if they're physically closer to home,' Mr Jordan said of domestic travel.

'It's fantastic that international travel is on the horizon for us, however it's going to be cumbersome, with more stress involved than historically was the case.

'There are more hurdles involved with international travel.'

Mr Jordan (pictured) has more than 25 years of experience in the aviation industry and recently was managing director of FlyArystan, the first low-cost carrier in Central Asia

Mr Jordan predicted travellers from all Australian states would waste no time booking a much-needed beach break at popular 'leisure destinations'.

'All of us want to go out and explore, we want to catch up with family and friends,' the CEO said.

He said Bonza hoped to give the 'tradies, teachers, kids and carers' the chance to explore their own backyard at a reduced cost following a tough year.

The airline boss said he had seen a gap in the market for a new domestic airline almost two years before the Covid-19 pandemic hit Australian shores.

He explained that because Australia previously didn't have an independent, low cost airline it meant there wasn't a huge amount of competition or price stimulation.

Australia is soon to get a brand new domestic airline called Bonza (pictured, a Bonza plane)

The airline will have a focus on regional communities and 'leisure destinations' (pictured, Bateman's Bay on the NSW South Coast)

Bonza, which is backed by a US investment firm and headed by ex-Virgin Blue executive Tim Jordan, is promising 'ultra low prices' to travel the country in 2022.

Bonza's ambition is broad but it appears there will be a focus on flying to regional communities and 'leisure destinations' without a connection at a major city.

Mr Jordan said the airline wasn't interested in business travellers and instead would prioritise bringing a domestic holiday into the reach of everyday Australians.

The cost of Bonza flights promises to be 30 to 40 per cent lower than their competition with tickets to go on sale during the first quarter of 2022.

Subject to gaining approval from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, a handful of Boeing 737s are due to take off from the second quarter of next year.

Mr Jordan has more than 25 years of experience in the aviation industry and recently was managing director of FlyArystan, the first low-cost carrier in Central Asia.

CEO of Bonza airline Tim Jordan predicted Australians will favour a domestic holiday over international travel (pictured, Batemans Bay in NSW)

The airline boss began his career with United Airlines before moving on to Virgin, Cebu Pacific in the Philippines.

US investment firm 777 Partners is backing Bonza, which subject to regulatory approval expects to launch services in early 2022 with Boeing 737-8 aircraft.

'We see huge potential in the Australian market to deliver the benefits and options that an independent low fare airline brings,' 777 Partners managing partner Josh Wander said in a statement.

The Miami-based private investment firm also invests in the Canadian airline Flair, the only independent low-cost carrier in the country.

Bonza will sport white and purple livery on its aircraft and plans to base its headquarters in regional Australia, with the exact location yet to be revealed.

The affordable new airline will focus on domestic travel throughout Australia in early 2022 (pictured, people in Byron Bay on Australia's east coast)

The announcement of the new domestic airline comes just a day after lockdown restrictions were eased in NSW after 106 days of strict stay-at-home orders.

Sydneysiders can now move anywhere across the Harbour City as far as the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, or Shellharbour but are still unable to travel regionally.

Premier Dominic Perrottet on Monday suggested the international border would open for fully vaccinated NSW residents from as early as November 1.

When the state hits the 80 per cent double-dose mark earmarked for October 25, domestic travel will resume with millions finally allowed to book a trip.

The fully vaccinated will be allowed to travel unrestricted all over the state, meaning road trips, camping breaks and holidays up and down the coast will be back on.

Caravan parks and camping grounds will be allowed to operate, including for those that are not fully-vaccinated.

In Victoria, intrastate travel will also be allowed after the 80 per cent fully-jabbed rate is hit - due to be around November 5.

When NSW hits the 80 per cent double-dose mark earmarked for October 25, domestic travel will resume and allow millions to book a trip (pictured, Byron Bay in NSW)

Prime Minister Scott Morrison echoed the premier's sentiments when he pledged to fast-track international travel for the fully vaccinated in November.

Mr Morrison announced on Monday he had discussed opening the border early for holiday-hungry NSW residents when home quarantine is made available.

'The NSW premier and I have been discussing how we can accelerate our plan to open international travel when home quarantine is made available,' he said.

'I know the NSW Government is looking at ways to fast track home quarantine in November and if that happens we will be able to move to facilitate the opening up of the international border into NSW sooner.

'Now, that would mean home quarantine for vaccinated Australians wishing to return home via Sydney and giving the option for international travel for vaccinated Australians to leave and return.'

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has pledged to fast-track international travel for NSW residents once home quarantine becomes available (pictured, a woman in Byron Bay)

Travellers would be required to isolate at home for seven-days after returning from international destinations like London, Fiji, Canada, mainlands Europe and the US.

Australia's flagship airline Qantas has announced it will resume flights on November 14, with flights scheduled to London, Los Angeles, Vancouver and Singapore.

The major airline had planned for international flights to resume on December 18, but said on Friday this would now be moved a month forward.

Qantas will start flying three weekly Sydney to London services and the same number of Sydney to Los Angeles return flights from November 14.

Vaccinated travellers will be able to quarantine at home for seven days upon their return while quarantine-free travel may also be set up for countries like New Zealand.

Australia's flagship airline Qantas has announced it will resume flights for December 18, with flights scheduled to London, Los Angeles and Vancouver (pictured, a woman in Singapore)

States and territories will resume international travel at different times given varying vaccination rates.

On current projections NSW will hit the 80 per cent vaccination rate on October 16. Victoria will reach the mark on November 23, Queensland on December 8 and Western Australia on December 15.

Qantas will require all passengers to be fully vaccinated while they must also provide a negative PCR Covid test 72 hours before departure.

NSW is conducting a four-week trial of seven-day home quarantine for returning Australians with the aim of stamping out hotel quarantine by the time the borders open late this year.
A DJ has claimed that she was flashed by killer Wayne Couzens in 2008 and that police 'laughed in her face' when she reported it.

Magic FM DJ Emma Wilson, known on the radio as Emma B, has waived her right to anonymity and said that the former police officer exposed himself to her 13 years before he killed Sarah Everard.

In an interview with The Telegraph, she said: 'I really wouldn't say anything out loud if I wasn't very sure, because it's important and it's serious, but as soon as I saw the pictures of him, I said 'That's him'.'

Describing the 'horrific' incident, Mrs Wilson said she was walking in Greenwich with her baby son in a pram after dropping her five-year-old daughter off at school when a man shouted 'hey' at her.

When she turned around, she saw a man she claims was Couzens with his trousers down, exposing himself, which left her feeling 'panicked'.

Between December 2006 and September 2010, Couzens was working as a Special Constable for Kent Police.

The DJ ran to a nearby shop and called 999 and it was during her recounting of the incident to police that she was met with laughter from officers, she says.

Radio presenter Emma Wilson, aka Emma B, claims she was flashed by Couzens, 48, while walking with her child through Greenwich in 2008 - 13 years before he killed Sarah Everard

The newspaper reports that is why she has chosen to speak out.

She said: 'They laughed when I was describing the graphic bits and what he was doing, they thought that bit was particularly funny.

'The reason why I'm saying something is because now a girl is dead. I have a daughter who's at university.

'As a mother, I'm thinking if somebody didn't say something, and that resulted in my daughter's death, I wouldn't be able to live with that.'

The Metropolitan Police are now investigating the incident, according to the Telegraph.

It comes days after it was claimed former Met officer Couzens, 48, allegedly molested a drag artist while he was in costume at the New Inn pub in Deal, Kent, in 2018, before propositioning him to have sex.

Mrs Wilson (pictured) says when she reported the incident, police officers 'laughed in her face'

The performer claimed that Couzens told him that he was a police officer when he told the father-of-two to stop touching him, the Mirror reported.

A slew of claims have come to light about the Metropolitan Police officer since he was jailed for life with no chance of parole after he kidnapped, raped and murdered Sarah Everard while she was walking home.

Couzens is known to have committed an indecent exposure, driving round naked from the waist down in his car, when he served with them in 2015.

He has also been identified as being responsible for carrying out the same offence at a McDonald's restaurant days before he targeted Ms Everard, 33, while she walked home from her friend's house in Clapham, south London.

On March 3, he staged a fake Covid arrest, handcuffed Ms Everard and put her in his car before driving 80 miles to Kent where he raped and murdered her. Days later, he burned her body and left it in woods near land he owned.

He has since been handed a whole life sentence after admitting the kidnapping, rape and murder of the 33-year-old marketing executive.

Couzens has been identified as being responsible for indecent exposure at a McDonald's restaurant days before he targeted Ms Everard, 33, while she walked home in Clapham

On March 3, Couzens staged a fake Covid arrest, handcuffed Sarah Everard (pictured), 33, and put her in his car before driving 80 miles to Kent where he raped and murdered her

Priti Patel has announced there will be an independent inquiry into the 'systematic failures' that allowed Wayne Couzens to serve as a Met police officer and murder Sarah Everard.

The Home Secretary said that 'recent tragic events have exposed unimaginable failures in policing'.

A Met Police spokesperson said: 'On Friday, 8 October, the Met received a complaint concerning an investigation into an alleged incident of indecent exposure that occurred in Greenwich in November 2008.

'The complaint is being assessed by officers from the Directorate of Professional Standards.'

In light of Ms Everard's murder, all sexual and domestic abuse allegations against Metropolitan Police officers over the last ten years will also be reviewed.

Dame Cressida Dick, commissioner for the force, announced on Friday that an investigation is being launched into all current cases of sexual misconduct or domestic abuse allegations against London's police officers.

Dame Cressida, 60, also revealed similar allegations that have been made against both officers and workers at the force over the last ten years will be reviewed.

Officers from the force's Directorate of Professional Standards will analyse each of the cases internally and will undertake a check of the vetting history of the staff involved in the claims.
Even fewer face-to-face GP appointments are being held than feared because some phone consultations are wrongly being recorded as having taken place in-person, it emerged today.

Officials have admitted the error, blaming it on the way appointments are booked.

But the true extent of the issue is unknown, with a cloud of doubt now cast over the official statistics.

Face-to-face appointments have still not returned to pre-Covid levels, despite family doctors being ordered to offer them to those who still want them.

Statistics for England from NHS Digital show only 58 per cent of GP appointments in in August were held face-to-face. This is well below levels seen before the pandemic struck, when 80 per cent of consultations were carried out in-person.

But campaigners fear the actual figure has been 'fiddled', following the revelation that some appointments have been incorrectly classified in official data.

The number of GP appointments taking place face-to-face dropped dramatically at the beginning of the pandemic, as virtual appointments were encouraged in an attempt to keep social mixing low and hospitals virus-free. In-person appointments began to increase last summer, before dropping again during the second wave. Despite being on the rise, the figures are still much lower than pre-pandemic levels

The average number of sessions GPs works in a day have gone down over the last decade while their wage growth has gone up. In 2012 the average GP worked 7.3 sessions a week but this has now fallen to 6.6 a week, the equivalent of just over three days of work a week. In the same period the average GP income went up by more than 6,000. A GP's daily work is divided into sessions. According to the NHS, a full-time GP works 8 sessions a week, formed of two sessions a day, generally starting at 8am and finishing at 6.30pm, though these hours can vary

'My wife would've been saved if the GP had come to our home' A grieving husband today claimed his cancer-stricken wife would still be alive if a GP hadn't refused to make a home visit. Anton, a father-of-three from Bromley, begged a doctor to visit his 44-year-old wife who was in 'severe pain'. But a nurse was sent instead, who only checked her pulse and temperature. By the time his wife eventually made it to hospital, it was 'too late', he told LBC in a heartbreaking interview this morning. She died three months ago after her disease had spread to her brain. Anton, who only gave his first name, said: 'My wife would have been saved or treated much earlier if that doctor would have paid a home visit, which I was entitled to.' Face-to-face and home visit appointments have still not returned to pre-Covid levels, despite doctors being ordered to offer them to those who still want them. Just 0.6 per cent of appointments in August were home visits, down from one per cent before the Covid crisis. Senior doctors have long called for the visits  a cornerstone of general practice for decades  to be scrapped because they are time-consuming, even in the face of warnings from campaigners that it would be disastrous for the housebound, elderly and dying. Anton said: 'I lost my wife three months ago. 'She had cancer. Once she developed severe pain, I called my GP and I explained to the GP and, in fact, I begged them to pay a home visit and to advise me [whether] to take her to the cancer unit straight away or not.' But Anton revealed the GP instead sent a rapid service nurse, and claimed they only took his wife's pulse and temperature. When his wife later collapsed, he took her to A&E. Tests revealed the cancer had spread to her brain. Details of the timeline were vague, and it is unclear how long it was between the visit from the nurse and her collapse. It is also unclear what type of cancer she had. Anton added: 'My wife would have been saved, or treated much earlier, if that doctor would have paid a home visit, which I was entitled to. 'I checked on NHS England and it clearly said at that time doctors are supposed to make a home visit for the people who can't come to the surgery. 'But it's not happening and even today, surgeries are only trialling by phone.' Advertisement

In a caveat in its official data, which is classified as experimental, NHS Digital explained that since the start of the Covid pandemic some GP appointments have classified some remote interactions as face-to-face.

It says: 'From March 2020, face-to-face appointment mode data may not be entirely reflective of what happens in the practices.'

The body adds: 'Appointment types have been assigned to appointment modes prior to the pandemic.

'Thus, even if the appointment was carried out through a different mode, the appointment registers as a face to face appointment on the system.'

A NHS Digital spokesperson added: 'We do acknowledge that there may be data quality issues with the data and instances where the data may not be a true representation of what may be happening in all practices.'

One potential scenario for this to happen would be if a patient booked for a face-to-face appointment was then told to self-isolate as they may have Covid.

The GP in this situation could change the consultation to happen over the phone but since it was originally booked as a face-to-face appointment that is how it could be recorded in the official data.

As the NHS Digital dataset details, although there are national guidelines for GPs to record appointment data, these are not standardised across all practices, making drawing conclusions on the data problematic.

Further muddying the waters is so called 'block booking' appointments which involves classifying a large amount of consultations as a single type of appointment.

For example, if a GP were to enter into their appointment system a single telephone consultation but actually call 10 different patients this would still only be classified as one appointment in the data.

If the above scenario were to occur this could vastly underestimate the actual number of telephone consultations.

While starting in March 2020, some patients are also reporting misclassification of their appointments as happening recently.

Anne Bedish, 68, told The Telegraph that after checking her patient record online she was surprised to learn all 12 of her telephone consultations had been classified as face-to-face.

This included those held just one month ago, she told the newspaper.

Silver Voices, a campaign group representing elderly Britons, called for the issue to investigated.

Its director Dennis Reed suggested the figures may have been massaged by GP practices under pressure.

'This needs to be investigated. How many of the figures have been fiddled in this way? It is really worrying,' he said.

'I know that practices are under a lot of pressure to increase the number of patients getting a face-to-face appointment, and it worries me that we could see more and more of this.'

Questions over official data represents the latest blow to the trust between patients and GPs, following a string of reports of missed diagnoses due to a lack of face-to-face appointments.

Yesterday, a grieving husband claimed his cancer-stricken wife would still be alive if a GP hadn't refused to make a home visit.

Anton, a father-of-three from Bromley, begged a doctor to visit his 44-year-old wife who was in 'severe pain'. But a nurse was sent instead, who only checked her pulse and temperature.

By the time his wife eventually made it to hospital, it was 'too late', he told LBC in a heartbreaking interview yesterday. She died three months ago after her disease had spread to her brain.

The widower's comments came as fury erupted yesterday over other government-backed data showing that the average GP who earns around 100,000 a year  was working just 6.6 sessions each week before Covid.

The news prompted outrage and calls from campaigners for family doctors to work a minimum number of hours a week in return for their taxpayer-funded training.

It can cost up to 230,000 to train up a doctor over the course of several years, but the Government makes some money back through student loan repayments.

Reacting to the news Mr Reed told MailOnline: 'If people are put through very expensive health training all that is partly provided for free, there should be an expectation that they will work a certain amount of hours.'

He blamed the drop in sessions for being one of the main reasons why patients are struggling to see their GP in the flesh. Other critics said it was 'disgraceful' doctors were earning six-figure salaries for working three-day weeks.

Mr Reed was reacting to a report which showed the number of sessions the average GP works has dropped from 7.5 to 6.6 sessions per week in the last decade.

And the number of hours doctors work for each week has dropped from 46.4 in 1998 to 40 in 2019, according to the National GP Worklife Survey of 1,332 GPs, carried out by the University of Manchester.

A doctor consults with a patient in April 2020, during the first Covid lockdown (stock image)

Just 0.6 per cent of appointments in August were home visits, down from one per cent before the Covid crisis. Doctors have long called for them to be scrapped because they are too time-consuming

Meanwhile, practitioners' salaries have increased dramatically, with the proportion of doctors earning less than 100,000 falling.

In 2010, just 2.6 per cent of GPs were making 170,000 or more  a larger sum than the Prime Minister  but 7.1 per cent were making that much by 2019.

And 5.9 per cent were making between 150,000 and 170,000 in 2019, compared to 3.3 per cent making the sum in 2010.

The British Medical Association, the trade union for doctors, argued the notion of a 'part-time GP is often anything but'.

It said the average doctor still works 40 hours per work  just split into fewer sessions, and the current levels of workload were made worse by 'piles of admin and bureaucracy'.

It called for family doctors to be relieved of red tape, in a move it claims would allow them to devote more time to patients.

The BMA's calls come after it was revealed GPs could be stripped of responsibilities to free up their time. Under plans being considered by ministers, pharmacists could also be given the power to dish out prescriptions.

THE MAIL'S FIVE-POINT MANIFESTO FOR GPs A guarantee that face-to-face GP appointments are the default  and anyone who wants to see their family doctor in person should be able to do so The Government should act to ensure a greater proportion of GP appointments are 'in person'  providing incentives or penalties for local surgeries if necessary End of the postcode lottery so everyone has the same chance of seeing their doctor face to face Urgent action to ensure the Government delivers on its election promise to recruit 6,000 more GPs and provide 50million more appointments a year If necessary, pharmacists or nurses based at GP practices should receive extra training so they can ease burden on doctors and help with face-to-face cases Advertisement

The Royal College of GPs has blamed rising a workload and falling numbers for the 'tremendous pressure' doctors are under. This has led to many burning out, working less than full-time or leaving the profession, it said.

There is now just one practitioner for every 2,000 patients, with the rate having risen 5 per cent since 2015. In the worst-affected parts of England, the rate is nearly one in 3,000.

Matthew Lesh, head of research at the Adam Smith Institute (ASI) thinktank, told MailOnline: 'The NHS is systematically broken.

'Millions of people are on waiting lists, it can take weeks to see a GP and many are still unable to get a face-to-face appointment.

'Now we discover that GPs, who earn six figure salaries, were working just three days a week on average before the pandemic. This is simply disgraceful.

'We urgently need to reassess the structure of the NHS and GPs to ensure it delivers for patients.

'The top-down, bureaucratic nature is letting far too many people down.

'It may be time to move from a bulk payment per patient to a per appointment funding structure, to encourage doctors to actually see patients as quickly as possible.

'It may be time to allow for co-payments, so patients can pay small amounts to see a doctor faster.'

GP practices are currently paid by NHS England on the basis of how many patients they have registered.

John O'Connell, head of campaign group TaxPayers' Alliance said: 'Taxpayers expect a certain standard of care, given the huge amount they pay for the NHS.

'Health professionals should ensure that all patients get the level of service they need.'

And Tory MP Peter Bone told MailOnline there were a 'small number' of GPs that were 'to some extent using Covid as an excuse' not to provide face-to-face appointments.

Boris Johnson and his ministers promised in May to ensure face-to-face appointments were offered to all.

But the Royal College of General Practitioners warned MPs this would be an empty promise if there was still too little capacity.

The Daily Mail has been campaigning for in-person GP appointments to be the default option
Former chief prosecutor Nazir Afzal slammed Tory MP James Gray after he declared two of his party's most senior Asian ministers Nadhim Zahawi and Sajid Javid 'look the same to me'.

Mr Afzal said the Conservative politician 'looks like a racist to me' after the 66-year-old made the derogatory remark at an event he hosted at Parliament for the cause where both cabinet ministers were guests.

In a tweet the ex-CPS chief wrote: 'First you had Williamson mistaking one black sportsman for another. Now you have James Gray MP saying he can't tell two of his own ministers apart because Asians ''all look the same''.

'Strange that, he looks just like a racist to me.'

His comments came as a Conservative Party chief branded Mr Gray's comments 'misjudged'.

The MP for Wiltshire - who is 'commander of charity' at St John Ambulance - left honoured volunteers and frontline staff at the reception stunned yesterday as he made the slur against the then Minister for COVID Vaccine Deployment Mr Zahawi and Health Secretary Mr Javid.

The 50 invited guests - who also included Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer - had been watching Mr Gray onstage when he made the remark.

He mixed up Mr Zahawi, who has a distinctive white beard, and clean-shaven Mr Javid as he attempted to introduce the former to the audience on the Houses of Parliament's Terrace Pavillion as the Health Secretary.

When his error was pointed out to him, he was said to have told the guests: 'They all look the same to me'.

An eyewitness said Mr Zahawi immediately had a private conversation with him following the remarks.

Following the incident a Conservative Party spokeswoman said: 'These comments were misjudged. We do not tolerate racism or discrimination of any kind.'

Tory MP James Gray, Nadhim Zahawi and SJA chief exec Martin Houghton-Brown at the event

Health Secretary Sajid Javid poses with hero volunteers and staff at the thank-you reception

In a tweet Mr Afzal wrote: 'First you had Williamson mistaking one black sportsman for another. Now you have James Gray MP saying he can't tell two of his own ministers apart because Asians ''all look the same''

The former chief prosecutor Nazir Afzal said Tory MP James Gray 'looks like a racist to me' after the 66-year-old made the derogatory remark yesterday

Last night St John Ambulance asked Mr Gray to stand down from all charity activities with immediate effect.

It said: 'St John does not tolerate racism in any way, shape or form. We spoke with James Gray following the event about our values as an open, inclusive and progressive charity.'

Mr Gray insisted to MailOnline he had not said 'they all look the same to me,' but admitted confusing the two men with each other. He added they were also close, long-term friends of his.

He denied being racist and added: 'I said: 'I am sorry to confuse the two of you. You two look very alike'. I said 'I am sorry if I got you two mixed up'.'

The comment could be a devastating blow to the Tory party, who have frequently been forced to deny there is any racism among members.

Just weeks ago he apologised for saying 'a bomb' should be planted in a female Labour politician's office.

On the eve of Labour's party conference in Brighton, he made the comment about Anneliese Dodds, the shadow women and equalities minister and Labour Party chair.

On the latest furore a source told MailOnline: 'Gray introduced Mr Zahawi to the stage as the Health Minister at the reception and made the remarks when corrected.

'He told the people in the room 'They all look the same to me'.

'He acknowledged to the audience that his comments weren't appropriate but in a low-key, jokey way.

Labour leader Keir Starmer spoke at the Parliament event as well as the two Tory ministers

Around 50 of the charity's volunteers and employees from across England, plus many of the charity's senior executives and trustees, met Members of Parliament and the House of Lords, along with other VIP guests

Labour deputy also confused names of Mr Javid with other politician In June this year Labour MP Angela Rayner also mixed up the names of Sajid Javid and London Mayor Sadiq Khan. She was carrying out interviews criticising the Government over a lack of NHS resources. In her interview with Sky News she said: 'We've got Sadiq Javid who starts as health secretary.' Then in a separate chat with Radio 4's Today programme she said 'Our NHS is staved of the resources it needs, and Sadiq Javid, who's coming into that role,' before being cut off by the presenter. The mix-up was noticed by Mr Javid, who wrote on social media: 'Angela Rayner, I know we're both sons of Pakistani bus drivers, but we're different people. Despite their different political leanings Mr Javid and Mr Khan are good friends. When Mr Javid was appointed Health Secretary, Mr Khan told him on social media: 'Always good to see the children of bus drivers do well! 'Congrats Sajid Javid on your appointment as Health Secretary. 'Look forward to working together to protect our communities from this awful pandemic, get London vaccinated and continue opening up our city and country safely.' Advertisement

'But a lot of volunteers at the event were upset by them and Mr Zahawi spoke to Gray afterwards.

'A lot of people at the event - who were all working hard to roll the vaccine out - have been talking about what had happened.'

Gray had been hosting the reception on September 8 to thank St John Ambulance volunteers and frontline staff for what he described as their 'extraordinary efforts' during the pandemic.

The Monday after the get-together he proudly posted a picture of himself with Mr Zahawi and SJA chief exec Martin Houghton-Brown online. It is not clear whether the photo was taken before or after the incident.

In fact Mr Javid had not yet arrived at the event when it happened and only turned up later and posed for pictures.

The day before the reception, at Prime Minister's Questions, Mr Gray had raised the importance of the role of St John, adding: 'This is, I think, the first opportunity for the whole House to thank all those who have played a role in rolling out the superb vaccine programme over the past six months or so, ranging from the whole of the national health service to the military.

'If I may, I should like to make particular mention of the Order of St JohnSt John Ambulance.'

Boris Johnson had replied: 'The volunteers have been fantastic and I have met many of them over the past 18 months who have done an absolutely astonishing job.'

Mr Gray was admitted as a commander of the Order of St John back in September 2020.

He has been the MP for North Wiltshire since 1997 but has been dogged by a number of scandals

In 2006 he was exposed to have been having an affair while his then wife was battling breast cancer.

Mr Gray had been conducting a 19-month affair with married Philippa Mayo when their relationship was revealed.

They subsequently set up home together just eight miles from his wife's cottage and got married in 2009.

His former wife Sarah was said to have told friends after the split she wanted 'His political career to crash and burn'.

After MailOnline put the story to Mr Gray, he insisted he had not been racist in any way or said 'They all look the same to me'.

He said he had been expecting Mr Javid to be there earlier and saw the top of Mr Zahawi's head and wrongly assumed it was him.

He added: 'The notion that this is some sort of racist remark is ridiculous. They are two very good friends of mine.

'I said 'I am sorry to confuse the two of you. You two look very alike'.

'I said 'I am sorry if I got you too mixed up'

'The idea that this is racist is completely untrue.

'Nadhim did not speak to me about it afterwards, he spoke to a lot of people.

'They are very close friends of me, both men.'

He said he had not mixed them up before, adding 'They are very close friends of me, both men.'

Mr Gray also denied St John Ambulance had asked him to step back from charity engagements.

Mr Javid has previously spoken passionately about who critics on the far right and the left racially abused him.

The former home secretary said he had been called 'P***' and 'come to expect' abuse over his Muslim background.

Speaking to Nick Robinson's Political Thinking podcast in 2019, he said: 'I get it from the far-left, including lots of Asians, who would say 'he's not brown enough'.

'I get it from the right, and the far-right in particular, saying 'he's too brown'. Those critics have got a lot in common  they don't like me because of my colour

'They believe, whether they're coming from the far-left or the far-right, that someone's colour, faith or background should define who they are  rather than the content of their character.

'That is something that sadly I've got used to. I don't like it, I try to fight it more broadly in terms of the work I do.'
Queenslanders will soon be able to get a Covid-19 vaccine at their local Bunnings in a bid to encourage people to have a 'jab and a snag'.

Pop-up vaccination clinics will be set up at almost two dozen participating hardware stores and will begin administering vaccine doses from Saturday.

Those who roll up their sleeve to get vaccinated can enjoy an iconic Bunnings sausage afterwards, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced on Tuesday.

Bunnings stores across Queensland will offer the Covid vaccines to customers in a bid to encourage people to have a 'sausage sizzle and a jab' (pictured, a Bunnings sausage)

Almost two dozen pop-up vaccination clinics will be set up at participating Bunnings stores across the state on Saturday, the premier announced on Twitter (pictured)

'Pop-up vaccination clinics are coming to Bunnings. From this Saturday, you can get a Bunnings sausage and vaccine dose at several sites across Queensland #getvaccinated,' the premier posted to Twitter.

Ms Palaszczuk said her government is finding new ways to bring protection to the population after the state hit the 70 per cent single-dose mark on Monday.

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'So families can get their Bunnings sausage and a dose of vaccine,' the premier told parliament on Tuesday.

Twitter users were quick to voice their enthusiasm for the vaccine incentive.

'If that doesn't do it, I don't know what will,' one user replied to the premier.

'Great initiative to speed things up,' another agreed.

'Important question: do the onions go on top of, or underneath the vaccine?' a third user joked.

It comes as the state recorded zero new locally-acquired cases on Tuesday, with four cases in hotel quarantine.

A total of 16,628 vaccines were administered across the state on Monday, and 8929 tests undertaken.

Queensland has also hit a significant milestone in its vaccination push with 70.2 per cent of people having received their first dose and 52.7 per cent fully vaccinated.

Ms Palaszczuk paid tribute to the Queenslanders who came forward for testing as other states have been ravaged by the Delta variant.

'In the past 118 days, they have come forward to provide 1,745,000 tests,' she said.

'We have opened 156 vaccination clinics. They have helped deliver a total of more than 2.8 million vaccines including at pop-up clinics everywhere from football finals to high school halls.

'We continue to find new ways to bring the vaccine closer to people ... I can announce that starting this Saturday, vaccine clinics are coming to Bunnings.'

Queenslanders were also offered a jab and a sausage sizzle as part of the Super Pfizer Weekend' last Saturday.

Health Minister Yvette D'Ath said several high schools across the state operating as vaccination hubs were offering sausage sizzles as well.

'As we hoped, there's a sausage sizzle going as well so pop down to your local high school, get a sausage sizzle, support the school and get vaccinated,' she said.

More than two dozen sites have been identified across the state, stretching from the Gold Coast, inland to Dalby and as far north as Townsville.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk (pictured) told parliament her government was finding new ways to boost vaccination rates as the state hit the 70 per cent single-dose mark on Monday

Queensland recorded zero new cases of Covid-19 on Tuesday marking the seventh consecutive day of no community transmission (pictured, a student is vaccinated in Brisbane)

A home quarantine trial for 1000 stranded residents has also begun as the government begins to hint at plans for reopening.

Health Minister Yvette D'Ath wants Queenslanders to return home safely from interstate hotspots, and the trial will be expanded if successful.

'It is important that we do everything we can to implement strategies that will help manage the virus in our state,' she told parliament on Tuesday.

'As with any trial it offers us the opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness of the program and make improvements to enhance or expand the trial.

'So, if you've come forward to participate in this trial, check your emails and texts in case you've been offered to home quarantine, we want as many people taking up this opportunity as possible.'
Emmanuel Macron has been slapped down after his calls to EU members to unite against the UK in the fight for post-Brexit fishing licences fell on deaf ears.

Countries including Germany, Spain and Italy condemned a French government statement circulated at the weekend that took aim at Britain for 'unsatisfactory behaviour' in its 'clear failure to comply with provisions' of the Brexit trade deal.

Britain has refused to grant all the fishing licences sought by French boats as part of a post-Brexit access deal, leaving Paris furious and fishermen worried for their livelihoods.

But other EU member states refused to be suckered in to France's attack and instead recommended that 'further technical work' needed to be carried out to reach a deal acceptable for both parties.

The EU member states' disapproval of Macron's aggressive tactics comes just days after Brussels accused Emmanuel Macron of weaponising the EU for his own interests by encouraging the European bloc to cut off Britain's access to energy markets and impose trade tariffs as part of 'retaliatory' measures.

Brussels sources said the EU Commission, which negotiates on behalf of the bloc, has told France to 'cool the waters' and stop making threats so an 'amicable' solution can be found.

Emmanuel Macron has been slapped down after his calls to EU members to unite against the UK in the fight for post-Brexit fishing licences fell on deaf ears. The states refused to be suckered in to France's attack and instead recommended that 'further technical work' needed to be carried out to reach a deal acceptable for both parties

Emmanuel Macron has been slapped down by Brussels over French threats to UK amidst post-Brexit row over fishing rights and was accused by diplomats of 'instrumentalising' the EU for national interests

The UK rejected the Channel licences because it says the French boats cannot provide geolocation data to prove that they used to fish in the regions previously, and therefore could be trying to benefit from fishing in new territory

Jersey has thus far refused licences for 75 French vessels, while the UK has turned down applications from 35 small boats requesting permission to fish between six and 12 miles off the British coast.

The UK rejected the Channel licences because it says the French boats cannot provide geolocation data to prove that they used to fish in the regions previously, and therefore could be trying to benefit from fishing in new territory.

The European Commission has thus far not interfered in the row between France and Britain, but rejected Macron's suggestion that Britain was acting in an unacceptable fashion and encouraged the two parties to work together to reach an arrangement.

France last week reiterated a threat that it could cut off electricity to the Channel Islands, which are close to the French coast and depend on France for their electricity.

The threat was 'disproportionate' and 'unacceptable' and violated Britain's post-Brexit treaty with the European Union, according to Jersey's Minister for External Relations Ian Gorst.

Jersey said on Thursday that France is unlikely to follow through on the threat to cut off electricity because it would deprive 108,000 islanders of power, as well as Jersey's hospital and schools.

'I do not believe therefore it will happen,' Jersey's Minister for External Relations Ian Gorst told reporters via videolink.

But should France carry out the threat after all, 'we do have contingencies in place', he said.

France has threated to 'retaliate' after its fishing fleets (pictured) were denied licences, and was urging the EU to limit the UK's access to energy and impose trade tariffs

Jersey has thus far refused licences for 75 French vessels, while the UK has turned down applications from 35 small boats requesting permission to fish between six and 12 miles off the British coast (pictured: a French fishing boat protesting Jersey's refusal of fishing permits)

Paris had been demanding that all licences be restored or else the UK would suffer consequences, with more details to be unveiled later this month.

But the Commission has taken a softer approach and wants to carry out a full investigation into the dispute before deciding whether to react, insiders said.

Diplomats are believed to be negotiating with Britain 'boat by boat' to see which ones should be given access.

Speaking to The Telegraph, one source said: 'Once again France is instrumentalising the EU for national interests.'

France has accused Britain of violating the post-Brexit trade agreement it signed by denying licences to fishermen who have historically fished in UK waters.

But London says licences have only been denied to boats where skippers were unable to provide evidence of their traditional grounds.

France counters by saying such evidence was not mentioned in the agreement, and that smaller fishing vessels are not fitted with the kind of technology that allows them to prove where they have sailed in the past.

The issue was behind a standoff in the waters off Jersey earlier this year, when French seas minister Annick Giradin threatened to cut off electricity to the island.

Fighting renewed last week when Britain granted 12 licences to a fleet of 47 boats which had applied to fish an area six to 12 nautical miles off the UK coast.

The issue is particularly important to Emmanuel Macron at the moment because he is heading into an election which he risks losing to challengers from the far-right.

Fishing makes up just a tiny fraction of the economies of both the UK and France, but is seen as a symbolic issue for two nations which once conquered vast parts of the globe thanks to their naval prowess.

France has threatened to push ahead with a package of 'retaliatory' measures to be unveiled later this month if the issue is not resolved.

Little is known about measures under consideration, but Jean-Pierre Pont - an MP for Macron's En Marche party - has suggested it should include a threat to tear up a key migration pact called the Touquet Treaty.

The 2003 deal effectively extended Britain's border to French soil, allowing it to set up checkpoints so migrants can be stopped before reaching the UK, where they can claim asylum.

Tearing up the agreement would mean substantially more migrants ending up on British shores.

Unless firm action is taken, Mr Pont warned, then furious fishermen will take the law into their own hands by blocking UK ports and the Channel Tunnel.

One MP has suggested tearing up a migration treaty with the UK which means asylum seekers can be stopped on French soil (pictured), unless more licences are granted

Olivier Lepretre, chief of the powerful northern France fisheries committee, said: 'If negotiating fails, we will stop all French and European products reaching the UK, and we will stop all British products reaching Europe.'

'Unless Boris [Johnson] backs down, the Brits will not have so many nice things to eat this Christmas. I hope it doesn't come to that.'

On Thursday, he said that London has just 'two weeks' to take action or else the blockade would begin.

Britain and France have already clashed in recent months over an Australian submarine deal, the EU's bid to block life-saving jabs arriving in the UK, and the Northern Ireland protocol.

Former Cabinet minister Theresa Villiers said: 'This is an unacceptable attempt at bullying. Ministers should stand firm.'

Senior Tory MP David Jones urged Mr Macron to 'dial down the rhetoric' adding: 'Resorting to gangsterism, which is what this effectively is, can never be justified'.

France's foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said differences with Britain were getting bigger and it was up to London to offer ideas to improve relations. 'The ball is in their court,' he added.
An award-winning Irish author has been accused of anti-Semitism after reportedly refusing to allow her new book to be published in Hebrew.

Sally Rooney, 30, was asked by Israeli publisher Modan to translate her new book -Beautiful World, Where Are You - but the author allegedly rejected the request because she supports a cultural boycott of Israel.

Miss Rooney's new book was released in September and topped book charts in the UK and Ireland.

However it was later reported that the writer's views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict had seen her turn down a translation of her book from Modan.

The row has sparked a wave of criticism against the Irish author and screenwriter, whose book Normal People won a series of awards and was later adapted into a BBC TV drama.

Some took to social media to accuse Miss Rooney's decision as 'anti-Semitic', while others questioned why her books were published for an audience in China - which has been accused of human rights abuses over its treatment of Uighur Muslims.

But the author today defended her decision - which she said was not to have the book published by an Israeli-based publishing house - and that the Hebrew language rights were 'still available'.

Sally Rooney, 30, was asked by Israeli publisher Modan to translate her new book -Beautiful World, Where Are You - but the author allegedly rejected the request

Miss Rooney's Normal People was later adapted into an acclaimed BBC series in 2020

Beautiful World, Where Are You follows the life of novelist Alice after she asks a distribution warehouse worker to travel to Rome with her

The New York Times published the interview with Miss Rooney in September but this was then translated into Hebrew and published with more details by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz.

Haaretz reported: 'When Modan approached Rooney's agent in an attempt to sign another translation deal, the agent announced that Rooney supports the cultural boycott movement on Israel and therefore does not approve translation into Hebrew.'

Miss Rooney's agent, Tracy Bohan, said the author had declined the translation when approached for comment, according to Haaretz.

The two previous novels written by Miss Rooney, Conversations With Friends and Normal People, have both been published in Hebrew by Modan.

Miss Rooney's support for a boycott of Israel has seen her sign an open letter which called for 'an end to the support provided by global powers to Israel and its military; especially the United States' and also urged governments to 'cut trade, economic and cultural relations'.

The Jewish Telegraphic Agency also noted that in her second novel, Normal People, the main characters attend a protest against Israel's role in the 2014 Gaza war.

Academic Gitit Levy-Paz highlighted the boycott revelation last night in a blog post on the website Forward.

She wrote: 'Rooney's decision surprised and saddened me. I am a Jewish and Israeli woman, but I am also a literary scholar who believes in the universal power of art.'

Meanwhile Ben Judah, a British author and journalist, wrote on Twitter: 'Depressing and unpleasant that Sally Rooney won't allow her new novel to be translated into Hebrew.'

Another critic of the decision was Ruth Franklin, author of Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted Life. She said: 'Sally Rooneys novels are available in Chinese and Russian.

'Doesnt she care about the Uighurs? Or Putin-defying journalists? To judge Israel by a different standard than the rest of the world is antisemitism.'

Joel M Petlin, Superintendent of the Kiryas Joel School District, in New York state, also criticised Miss Rooney's stance, saying: 'When Sally Rooney books are translated into Yiddish then we can stop calling her an anti-Semite. Until then, the label is well deserved.'

Meanwhile, Ron Kampeas, the Washington, D.C. bureau chief of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, urged Miss Rooney to distinguish between boycotting an Israeli publisher and the Hebrew language.

He said: 'The Internet has been around for quite some time now. If youre Sally Rooney and youre boycotting Israeli publishers there are ways to make a text available in Hebrew to make clear you are not boycotting a culture, a people, an ethnicity.

Asked if it was her responsibility to have the texts translated, he replied: 'It's not her responsibility, no. But unlike a boycott of, say, a book festival in Israel, or a university symposium, this involves keeping the book from appearing in a Jewish language. I think it behooves a writer to explain that they would not object to translation per se.'

But today Ms Rooney defended her decision, saying in a statement: 'Earlier this year, the international campaign group Human Rights Watch published a report entitled A Threshold Crossed: Israeli Authorities and the Crimes of Apartheid and Persecution.

'That report, coming on the heels of a similarly damning report by Israels most prominent human rights organization BTselem, confirmed what Palestinian human rights groups have long been saying: Israels system of racial domination and segregation against Palestinians meets the definition of apartheid under international law.

'Of course, many states other than Israel are guilty of grievous human rights abuses. This was also true of South Africa during the campaign against apartheid there.

Today Ms Rooney defended her decision, saying in a statement: 'Earlier this year, the international campaign group Human Rights Watch published a report entitled A Threshold Crossed: Israeli Authorities and the Crimes of Apartheid and Persecution.'

She also addressed criticism that her books were translated into other languages from countries which have come under scrutiny for human rights abuses

She added that the Hebrew-language translation rights were 'still available' to those 'compliant' with the BDS movement - a Palestinian-led movement promoting boycotts, divestments, and economic sanctions against Israel

'In this particular case, I am responding to the call from Palestinian civil society, including all major Palestinian trade unions and writers unions.'

She added that the Hebrew-language translation rights were 'still available' to those 'compliant' with the BDS movement - a Palestinian-led movement promoting boycotts, divestments, and economic sanctions against Israel.

She added: 'I will be very pleased and proud to do so. In the meantime I would like to express once again my solidarity with the Palestinian people in their struggle for freedom, justice and equality.'

Miss Rooney's three novels are renowned for their minimalist writing style and melancholy depiction of life in post-financial crisis Ireland. Her work also addresses tensions between Ireland's working and middle classes.

She won four book awards in the UK, including Young Writer of the Year by the Sunday Times in 2017 and the Costa Book award in 2018.

Normal People, based on the on-off relationship between Marianne Sheridan and Connell Waldron during their youth, was adapted into an acclaimed BBC series in 2020.

Following the show's success Miss Rooney described the downfalls of fame.

She told The Guardian: 'Of course, that person could stop doing whatever it is they're good at, in order to be allowed to retire from public life, but that seems to me like a big sacrifice on their part and an exercise in cultural self-destruction for the rest of us, forcing talented people either to endure hell or keep their talents to themselves.

'I don't think it is graceless for people in those positions to speak out about how poisonous this system is. It doesn't seem to work in any real way for anyone, except presumably some shareholders somewhere.'

Her latest novel Beautiful World, Where Are You follows the life of novelist Alice after she asks a distribution warehouse worker to travel to Rome with her.

In 2018, Miss Rooney told The Daily Telegraph that she struggled with socialising while growing up, despite her newfound status as the voice of the so-called 'millennial' generation.

She said: 'I thought school was immensely boring and, as a teenager, I often found social life quite mystifyingI was not someone to whom it came easily to be charming.'

A spokesman for Modan told The Daily Telegraph it would not be publishing Rooney's third novel but declined to say whether this was due to a boycott.
Sixth-generation farmer Oscar Pearse is gearing up for what he expects to be the best crop his family farm has seen in 90 years.

The mixed-crop farmer from Moree in northeast NSW, began managing the 2800-hectare property 11 years ago.

Since then he's helped regenerate some of the land which has meant reducing the cropping footprint.

Farmer Oscar Pearse (pictured) said carbon is being sequestered in front of him and he is not receiving any compensation for it

While his parents planted trees for environmental reasons 30 years ago, he's regenerating the land for economic reasons, he says.

'Building soil carbon helps with soil health, and it makes for a more productive, drought-resilient farm,' he told AAP.

But the 41-year-old says he hasn't planted more trees because of economics, in that he doesn't get paid for it.

'There is carbon being sequestered as we speak in front of me and I'm not receiving any compensation for it, and I'm quite frankly sick of it... people of my parents generation are worried about just getting ripped off again,' Mr Pearse says.

He is part of a growing chorus of farmers who want a 'fair go' in return for supporting an economy-wide aspiration of net zero emissions by 2050.

He says his support for the Nationals like many farmers and people in agricultural businesses will be dependent on these decisions.

A growing chorus of farmers want a 'fair go' in return for supporting an economy-wide aspiration of net zero emissions by 2050 (pictured: A sheep farmer near Gunnedah, NSW)

The National Farmers Federation supports a net zero emissions target by 2050, but they also want appropriate redress for members affected by Australia's previous climate change targets.

Federation president Fiona Simson was due to address the Nationals party room regarding climate change targets for primary producers on Monday, but that meeting was delayed.

Ms Simson says farmers need recognition for the losses they suffered during the Kyoto climate change negotiations and in the 1990s when their property rights were removed without compensation.

'The Commonwealth government now owns the carbon rights under land that still belongs to farmers. Returning the carbon rights... would be a big step forward,' she told AAP.

National Farmers Federation president Fiona Simson (pictured) said they support the target, but also want appropriate redress for members affected by previous climate change targets

The federation says more than 400 million tonnes of excess carbon sequestration was delivered through this process.

Although Ms Simson concedes any financial compensation is unlikely because of the complicated arrangements between the states and the Australian Government.

'If we don't get all of the things we're asking for we'll have to address that when the time comes,' Ms Simson told AAP.

Mr Pearse says without farmers getting recognition for growing carbon-neutral products it will be difficult to convince producers to help to reduce emissions in the future.

'In meeting its Kyoto obligations the Australian government relied on agriculture doing the heavy lifting,' Mr Pearse said.

'Going forward, in meeting the Paris commitments, significantly more offsets are going to be required and agriculture is one of the few places that you're going to get those offsets.

'We see that the Australian Commonwealth has been getting free emissions credits and offsets from agricultural land and haven't been paying in most cases anything to farmers so we want that ledger squared.'

Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce said on Monday regional Australia had been 'done over' on emissions targets before and farmers should be compensated over Kyoto.

'We're not giving anything away. We're just keeping our cards very close to our chest and we're being polite - we're being polite to the prime minister,' Mr Joyce said.

The Nationals are in talks with the coalition over its stance on emissions reductions.

Nationals Deputy Leader David Littleproud said farmers had a right to be angry, but on Monday laid the blame back on the states.

'The federal government did compensate for those land clearing regulations. They were paid to state governments. So it's actually the state governments that need to kick the tin to Australian farmers for that property right was taken away.'

Back near Moree, Mr Pearse wants more done on climate change targets.

'Australia needs to do more in terms of its part with global emissions reduction, signing onto a net carbon neutral 2050 is almost the minimum that is required of the Australian government,' he said.

Mr Pearse said while he wants action on climate change, it's unreasonable to ask those who feel like they've been ripped off for the last 25 years to suddenly increase what they're doing

And while he wants action on climate change, moving forward for farmer requires action on the past.

'To ask someone who feels like they've been ripped off for the last 25 years to now suddenly increase what they're doing is not reasonable, other sectors can not expect agriculture to provide these offsets to help Australia meet the future emissions targets,' the farmer says.

'If the Commonwealth decides to embrace the science and face up to the reality of climate change then they'll need agriculture, but right now farmers on the ground feel like we've been ripped off for the last couple of decades and it's got to be fixed up before we move forward.'

'The management of our farmland is one of the few ways that emissions can be offset in an economically viable way, that can be through farmers planting trees, through farmers improving their soil carbon.'

'Realistically the wider Australian economy need farmers to be engaged and to be participating in that market ... and if we don't get any recognition they can't expect us to participate in the future, it's that simple.'
Anthony Albanese has backed a controversial Labor candidate after she apologised for linking Scott Morrison to a junior doctor's suicide.

Michelle Ananda-Rajah, an infectious diseases expert and Labor's candidate for the marginal seat of Higgins in Melbourne, tweeted on Saturday that a junior doctor may have taken their own life as a consequence of working in an overwhelmed hospital system in Sydney.

Dr Ananda-Rajah suggested the Prime Minister was to blame for the city's Covid-19 outbreak because of leaks from the hotel quarantine programme and the initially slow vaccine rollout, and called for increased hospital funding.

Michelle Ananda-Rajah deleted this Twitter post on Saturday night and has apologised

'A junior doctor took their own life in the past few days. You can't rule in or out the impact of working in an overwhelmed health system,' she wrote.

'Why overwhelmed? Due to the incompetence of Morrison et al who failed at 2 critical jobs and now denies help to hospitals.'

A spokesman for Health Minister Greg Hunt Hunt called the post 'troubling' and said 'the ALP may wish to reconsider whether this person is an appropriate and credible representative for them.'

On Saturday night, Dr Ananda-Rajah removed the post and released a statement, saying: 'I regret and apologise for any hurt caused which was motivated by the exhaustion and frustration that I, like so many of my healthcare colleagues, feel in this difficult time.'

On Tuesday Mr Albanese said Dr Ananda-Rajah would remain Labor's candidate for Higgins.

'She is a candidate in the election. She apologised, it was wrong what she did and she was right to apologise,' he told reporters.

Dr Ananda-Rajah is pictured with Victorian Labor MP and deputy leader Richard Marles

Although never won by the ALP, Higgins is the ninth most marginal Coalition-held seat.

This means Dr Ananda-Rajah could be among a handful of Labor hopefuls who win the election for Mr Albanese, who needs a net gain of eight seats for a majority.

The Alfred Health physician has received strong support from locals for campaigning on climate change and women's rights in a series of videos posted on her Facebook page.

Dr Nick Coatsworth (pictured) backed use of AstraZeneca

But the furore over her latest social media post was not the first time she has courted controversy.

In an appearance on ABC show Q&A in February, Dr Ananda-Rajah talked down the AstraZeneca vaccine which the Government had decided would be its main jab in the vaccine rollout.

Referring to a South African study of only 3,000 people, she said the Oxford-made jab was far less effective at stopping transmission of the Beta variant of Covid-19 which originated in Nelson Mandela Bay in May 2020.

'There may be a problem with the vaccines because they were essentially developed using the original strain, right,' she said.

Dr Ananda-Rajah said using AstraZeneca instead of Pfizer would leave Australia vulnerable when the international borders opened.

'I feel that is a population level experiment which has high stakes attached to it. And, personally, I'm not comfortable with that approach at all,' she said.

Former deputy chief medical officer Dr Nick Coatsworth disagreed, saying it was important to use AstraZeneca because it could be made in Australia and was more abundant than Pfizer.

Anthony Albanese (pictured on Monday) has backed Dr Ananda-Rajah Labor after she apologised for linking Scott Morrison to a junior doctor's suicide

'Let's use the vaccines that we've purchased. They DO stop severe disease,' he said.

'We've got to come back to the objectives of this vaccination program - we want to prevent severe disease and death.

'We want to stop our ICUs being overwhelmed [and] protect our most vulnerable people, and we can do it with the vaccines we've got.'

Dr Ananda-Rajah's comments were later seized on by Liberals who even branded her an anti-vaxxer and said she was undermining the rollout.

NSW Senator Hollie Hughes said Mr Albanese was 'recruiting anti-vaxxers as candidates'.

Dr Ananda-Rajah - who has supported vaccination - strongly rejects these claims and has blamed hesitancy over AstraZeneca on 'the government's poor handling of changing health advice'.

In a statement in September, she accused the Liberals of launching 'orchestrated attacks' on her - and said they will continue right up to the election.

'I expect the attacks against me to continue because we can make history in Higgins.

'They will continue their political games against me because this is all they know,' she wrote.
New Zealand's finance minister Grant Robertson has unveiled a vastly improved set of government books than in May's budget, bolstered by the country's reaction to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Jacinda Ardern's government recorded a $NZ4.6 billion ($A4.3 billion) deficit for the year ending in June, according to the Treasury's financial statements released on Tuesday.

That is closer to the black than in May's budget, when Mr Robertson forecast a $NZ15.1 billion ($14.3 billion) deficit.

Debt is also lower than forecast, at $NZ102 billion ($A96 billion), or 30 per cent of GDP, rather than the predicted $NZ114 billion ($A108 billion).

Treasury secretary Caralee McLiesh said she saw 'economic resilience' in the books, 'reflecting a strong economic rebound from the initial shock of the Covid-19 pandemic'.

'Across all main financial indicators results are stronger than forecast back in budget 2021,' the Australian economist said.

New Zealand ran five consecutive budget surpluses until the pandemic, when Ms Ardern's government borrowed heavily to fight a Covid-induced economic downturn.

Jacinda Ardern's government recorded a $NZ4.6 billion ($A4.3 billion) deficit for the year ending in June, according to the Treasury's financial statements released on Tuesday.

Debt has still skyrocketed in the wake of the virus, nearly doubling from the 2019 figures of $NZ57.8 billion ($A54.6 billion).

'As all countries around the world have done, we have had to take on some debt to support businesses and workers through the Covid-19 pandemic - any responsible government would have done the same thing,' Mr Robertson said.

'However the level of debt remains lower than expected ... the average for advanced economies is above 90 per cent.'

Stimulus spending and household support has tanked the budget's bottom line, as has an increase to health spending at roughly double the five-year average.

A budget surplus is next forecast in 2026/27.

Government asset values have been bolstered by the increase in property prices.

The books also do not take into account New Zealand's latest COVID-19 outbreak, identified on August 17.

Auckland - which accounts for around 40 per cent of the country's economy - has been in lockdown since then, with the government emptying its pockets to provide wage subsidies amid restrictions on many industries.

Mr Robertson said the improvement in the 2021 books 'bodes well for emerging from the current outbreak'.
Scammers have enjoyed their most lucrative year yet preying on investors, as the perfect storm of the pandemic and low-saving rates pushed millions of Britons online.

In the financial year ending April 2021, fraudsters trousered a shocking 535 million from investment cons, making them the most costly of all scams.

With 20,989 incidents reported to Action Fraud, this works out as an average loss of 25,496 per saver  and many victims are unlikely to see their money again.

Retired medical researcher Mohamed Parkar thought he would be the last person to be caught an investment scam

A survey by Hargreaves Lansdown found that 79 pc of over-55s believed they had been approached by a scammer in the past year

Despite campaigners raising the alarm about the scams for years, fraudsters continue to thrive, constantly resorting to new tricks to stay one step ahead.

There are two types of investment cons. The first involves fraudsters posing as a legitimate firm and vanishing the moment you hand over your money.

The second is where victims are flogged dodgy deals which fail to deliver the promised returns or are so high risk you stand to lose everything.

A survey by Hargreaves Lansdown found that 79 pc of over-55s believed they had been approached by a scammer in the past year.

Just as worryingly, though, the research showed that far too many people were still unaware of the telltale signs: with more than one in four saying they wouldnt be suspicious of an investment promising guaranteed returns of 10 pc.

So what do you need to know about investment scams  and how can you keep your savings safe?

In the past, a typical con involved fraudsters dangling high returns  often as much as 10 pc per year  to lure in savers frustrated at low savings rates.

Over the years, scammers have touted everything from high-risk corporate bonds to niche investments such as wonder material graphene and holiday resorts as the must have investment.

And, after the arrival of Bitcoin, crooks turned their attention to the cryptocurrency craze.

In 2020, savers were cheated of 113 million after being tricked into buying fake cryptocurrency investments alone.

Over the years, scammers have touted everything from high-risk corporate bonds to niche investments such as wonder material graphene and holiday resorts as the must have investment

The promise of risk-free returns is a definite red flag, but there are other warning signs, too.

Unlike genuine investment firms, for example, fraudsters are notorious for high-pressure tactics, bombarding potential victims with intensive sales calls.

But criminals have other tricks up their sleeve, many of which give them a dangerous edge.

T here has been a sharp rise in scammers posing as reputable investment firms, using fake websites and email addresses.

By placing adverts on search engines and social media, the fraudsters can then draw in people seeking investment advice.

The scams are highly sophisticated, with crooks investing time and money in building adverts and websites that look very realistic.

And by imitating genuine investment products, rather than too good to be true schemes, it can make cons even harder to spot.

Banking trade body UK Finance estimates that 70 pc of so-called authorised frauds (where victims are tricked into transferring their money) begin with online adverts. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the UKs financial regulator, says it identified 1,200 adverts for investment scams last year.

Efforts to stop this online crime boom has led to an extended cat and mouse game, with scammers on one side, and regulators and campaigners on the other.

Campaigners, including fraud experts and consumer groups, have repeatedly called for tougher rules to force the online giants to get tougher on fraudsters.

This summer, after years of pressure, Google finally agreed to tighten its rules in the UK on who can advertise investment products in search engine results.

Under the new rules, only firms regulated by the FCA can advertise financial investment products like bonds and savings accounts.

But reformers say the scammers have managed to get around the rules by pivoting instead towards luxury goods  which arent treated as financial products.

Anti-scam campaigner Mark Taber, who has spoken in Parliament about fraud, says hes seen a sudden rise in adverts pushing the chance to invest in whisky.

The biggest red flag for me is that the adverts are aimed at people looking for information on investment and financial advice  not for whisky, says Mr Taber.

Now a powerful coalition of campaigners, including Which?, the Bank of England, and the FCA are calling on the Government to intervene, making web companies liable for fraudulent adverts posted on their platforms.

In particular, the coalition wants to see online fraud included in the Governments Online Safety Bill, which is designed to prevent online crime and abuse.

Which? has published a detailed guide to spotting potential scams, with telltale signs including being contacted out of the blue and getting high-pressure sales calls

Currently, the Bill fails to address fraudulent ads on online platforms, which can have such devastating financial and emotional consequences for consumers, says Rocio Concha, Which? director of policy.

For the time being, campaigners say, the best option is for savers to be vigilant when managing their money and investments online.

Which? has published a detailed guide to spotting potential scams, with telltale signs including being contacted out of the blue and getting high-pressure sales calls.

I invested all my life but still lost 15k Retired medical researcher Mohamed Parkar thought he would be the last person to be caught an investment scam. I have been investing all my life and have always gone for fairly safe investment products and reputable companies, he says. Mohamed, 68, from Middlesex, was looking for new investment opportunities when he spotted an advert he believed to be from investment company Vanguard. After entering his details, he received a call. They were extremely professional on the phone, he says. They offered him the chance to invest 15,000 in a bond, paying 2.8 pc interest per year. To seal the deal, the crooks, who used fake Vanguard email addresses, sent him a convincing brochure claiming the investment was FCA-regulated and backed by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. After sending the money and posting his signed agreement, Mohamed could not reach the agents he had spoken to. Weeks later, the real Vanguard  to which Mohamed had posted his signed form  called, warning he may have been scammed. When he alerted his bank, they arranged to pay back 7,500  half of what hed lost. When HSBC was asked why Mr Parkar wasnt refunded in full, it said he should have carried out checks before transferring the cash, including researching the firm, verifying the email address and potentially seeking advice from a financial adviser. A spokesman adds: Remember if an offer seems too good to be true, it probably is. Advertisement

They also stress that anything that seems too good to be true  for example, a bond paying 10 pc a year  is likely just that.

But have these toolkits kept pace with the changing online threat  and the rise of clone firms?

An FCA survey suggested that 77 pc of savers  many of whom considered themselves scam-savvy  were unaware of the problems posed by copycat websites.

It can be possible to spot clone firms by looking closely at their websites (for example, using advanced search tools to find how long theyve been online), but this is far from easy.

If youve received an email, check the address extremely carefully, says Sarah Coles, of investment company Hargreaves Lansdown.

If its a scam, the email address may include a misspelling of the company name, or random letters or numbers.

Sometimes, they will add a word related to the industry such as bonds or investments, so its worth checking if its the right address.

Pay careful attention, too, to the FCAs warning list of suspected clone firms  but remember this list might not be exhaustive.

New clone websites pop up every week, and many will slip through the net before regulators notice.

Ms Coles adds that the most reliable way to check youre not dealing with a copycat scammer is to telephone the real firm.

If theyve contacted you by phone, hang up and call them back on a number you already have for the company, or the number on the FCA register, found at register.fca.org.uk.

Scammers can be pretty sophisticated and they have fake websites and fake call centres. However, they wont ever let you call back on a number you already have for the company, she says. She reiterates that any unsolicited investment offers should be ignored  even if you initiate contact by giving out your phone number.

In reality, legitimate investment companies face extremely tight regulation governing how they market their products, and would be extremely unlikely to make such a call.

If you suspect youve already fallen for a scam, you should contact your bank immediately, as well as reporting it to the FCA and Action Fraud. Your bank will be able to investigate what has happened, and may, in some cases, be able to reimburse you (either in part or in full).

Be sure to let your bank know everything about the scam and whether there are any issues in your life that might have affected your decision-making.

Factors such as mental health difficulties, or life-changing events like bereavements, may be very relevant to the case and may strengthen the duty of care owed by your bank.

The fraudster's greatest prize, your pension

Fraudsters are happy to get any money they can, but one pot remains the ultimate prize: your pension.

With many people sitting on large savings  and pension freedom rules making it easier to take control of your money  scammers have identified the perfect opportunity to cash in.

Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) research reveals that, in the first six months of 2021, more than 2 million was reported lost to pension scammers, with the average loss amounting to 50,949. But anti-scam campaigner Mark Taber believes this is likely just a fraction of the true amount, with many victims unaware theyve been cheated.

The scams are highly sophisticated, with crooks investing time and money in building adverts and websites that look very realistic

So how do these scams work and why are they so effective?

The fraudsters know savers worry whether their money will go far enough in retirement, and so they tout alternative pension investments which they claim will boost retirement income  often with returns of 8 pc per year.

Bogus advert cost me 30k Retired medical researcher Mohamed Parkar thought he would be the last person to be caught an investment scam. I have been investing all my life and have always gone for fairly safe investment products and reputable companies, he says. Mohamed, 68, from Middlesex, was looking for new investment opportunities when he spotted an advert he believed to be from investment company Vanguard. After entering his details, he received a call. They were extremely professional on the phone, he says. They offered him the chance to invest 15,000 in a bond, paying 2.8 pc interest per year. To seal the deal, the crooks, who used fake Vanguard email addresses, sent him a convincing brochure claiming the investment was FCA-regulated and backed by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. After sending the money and posting his signed agreement, Mohamed could not reach the agents he had spoken to. Weeks later, the real Vanguard  to which Mohamed had posted his signed form  called, warning he may have been scammed. When he alerted his bank, they arranged to pay back 7,500  half of what hed lost. When HSBC was asked why Mr Parkar wasnt refunded in full, it said he should have carried out checks before transferring the cash, including researching the firm, verifying the email address and potentially seeking advice from a financial adviser. A spokesman adds: Remember if an offer seems too good to be true, it probably is. Advertisement

In recent years, pension scams have focused on things such as overseas property investments, airport car parks, storage units and renewable energy bonds. While these can be dressed up to sound attractive, in reality the investments are highly risky or even fictitious.

After the arrival of the pension freedom rules in April 2015, savers reported a plague of cold calls, trying to persuade them to re-invest their pensions. Now a ban on pension cold calling, which began in 2019, has driven the crooks to look elsewhere, including by setting up online adverts.

Often scammers want to get your details to send plush brochures by post, looking like they come from reputable investment firms, then call you afterwards.

According to the Pensions Regulator, warning signs of pension scams include guarantees of high returns and complicated investment structures. Other red flags relate to the firm itself  in particular if it isnt FCA-registered.

Beware of things that signal illegitimacy, says Myron Jobson from Interactive Investor. If a firm doesnt allow you to call back, its most likely because it is a fraudulent enterprise. Also, avoid firms that only list mobile phone numbers or a P.O. box address on their website.

Pension scammers are known for offering would-be victims a free pension review, or advice on how to cash in their savings. But this isnt always what it seems. Though such moves are possible, they often leave savers with a heavy tax bill  which scammers dont mention.

Schemes offering to unlock your pension before age 55 should be avoided at all costs, says Mr Jobson. The scammers are trying to get you to break the rules, which will likely result in huge administration and tax costs, potentially leaving you with no retirement savings.

Charity Age UK advises anyone considering transferring their pension to take extreme caution.

As well as checking that the firm youre dealing with is fully FCA-regulated (and isnt a clone firm), they also suggest that savers keep seeking independent financial advice.

The government-backed Money Helper, which you can find at moneyhelper.org.uk  can give free information and advice to savers.

If you fear youve been caught in a pension scam, report it to Action Fraud, the UKs national reporting centre for fraud.

Be aware, though, its notoriously difficult to get your money back, so take great care.
Now revealed she is married to Ben Plowden, a Transport for London director

She has been arrested several times at blockades and with Extinction Rebellion

An Insulate Britain protester arrested for blocking the M25 is the wife of a Transport for London director, it has been revealed.

Cathy Eastburn, 54, has vowed to 'unleash hell' on drivers even though her husband is public transport boss Benedict Plowden, 58.

Ms Eastburn has been arrested several times during M25 blockades with fringe group Insulate Britain and for other activities with Extinction Rebellion.

Her antics recently became the subject of a High Court injunction by TfL which means she could be jailed if she attempts to join a blockade again.

And 170,000-a-year Mr Plowden, who was charged with the Covid Restart and Recovery Scheme, has also been accused of 'harbouring' another eco-extremist in the South London home the couple share.

Cathy Eastburn glued herself to the roof of a DLR train at London's Canary Wharf station in 2019

Eastburn speaks to protesters from Extinction Rebellion, from the top of a boat, placed outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London on July 15, 2019

An Insulate Britain protester arrested for blocking the M25 is married to Benedict Plowden, a Transport for London director in charge of public transport Covid recovery scheme

The arrangement has been called 'staggeringly inappropriate', The Sun reported.

Cambridge philosophy graduate Ms Eastburn has become one of Britain's most prolific climate change activists.

In December 2019 she avoided jail for gluing herself to a train in London.

She was sentenced for halting Docklands Light Railway services at Canary Wharf station in east London as part of a series of protests carried out across the city.

Eastburn was given a 12-month conditional alongside Mark Ovland, 36, and Luke Watson, 30, who both took part in the demonstration with her.

The trio had denied the charges of obstructing an engine or a carriage using a railway on April 17 this year, claiming the stunt was justified because of the threat of climate change.

Cathy Eastburn, 54, has vowed to 'unleash hell' on drivers even though her husband is public transport boss Benedict Plowden, 58

Sentencing them at Inner London Crown Court, Judge Silas Reid warned against protesting that would amount to them committing further criminal offences.

"Each of you planned these offences and were prepared to go to prison for committing them," he said.

"You each are clear that you did as you did to raise the alarm as to the dire situation you each believe the earth faces in respect of climate change.

But she was apprehended four times in nine days as protesters from the campaign group blocked London's Orbital Motorway last week.

But even the sound therapist was surprised by the lack of police action. While protesting she set her out-of-office email to: 'If youre reading this, it is because I have been arrested and possibly put in prison on remand.'

But Ms Eastburn was released without charge without being interviewed each time she was arrested.

She told the Sunday Times she thought her actions were 'proportionate' because forcing drivers to sit in traffic for hours was 'incomparable to the kind of chaos that's coming down the track - major flooding and major food shortages'.

Mr Plowden meanwhile has been tasked with 'getting London moving after the pandemic', though last night it emerged he was leaving his post.

He has held a number of senior roles at TfL since joining in 2004, including Director of Borough Partnerships and Director of Strategy and Planning in Surface Transport.

Mr Plowden does have his own green credentials as well, described as a 'leading environmental campaigner' he founded climate group Living Streets which works to create a better walking environment across the country.

Ms Eastburn is taken away by police after her DLR stunt for Extinction Rebellion in 2019

Ms Eastburn was apprehended four times in nine days as protesters from the campaign group blocked London 's Orbital Motorway last week. Pictured: Being arrested in 2019

The 1.5million South London home he shares with Ms Eastburn is believed to have been used by activist David McKenny, 38, with whom Ms Eastburn pledged to 'unleash hell' on innocent drivers in the run up to next month's COP26 climate summit.

Last night the couple were blasted by Tory MP and transport select committee member Greg Smith.

'Insulate Britain has caused untold misery for individuals and businesses over recent weeks,' he told The Sun.

'It is an absolute kick in the teeth that someone senior in TfL  an arm of the British state  has been harbouring them in their house. This is unacceptable.'

London mayor Sadiq Khan, who oversees TfL, has previously accused Insulate Britain of risking people lives on busy roads.

'Youre endangering your own life, youre endangering the lives of those on the M25,' he said previously.

'They could be people rushing to get to a hospital, it could be theyre going to an appointment, and youre jeopardising their safety by jumping in front of cars.'
Miami's police chief is being fired just six months into his role after he appeared to support compulsory vaccine mandates for cops, and over claims he sat and watched as his deputy bullied staff at a meeting.

Miami City Manager Art Noriega said in a statement Monday that he suspended Chief Art Acevedo with the intent to terminate his employment.

'The relationship between the Chief and the organization has become untenable and needed to be resolved promptly,' Noriega said. 'Chief Acevedo is not the right fit for this organization.'

Acevedo was recruited by Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, who earlier this year hailed him as 'Americas best chief.'

But Acevedo is said to have infuriated rank-and-file cops by twice signaling his support for a vaccine mandate for police officers, despite Florida Governor RonDe Santis threatening to fine municipalities that enforced such edicts.

He has been accused of speaking without authority when pushing for the vaccine mandates, which also saw him tease a possible clash with DeSantis over the move.

CNN reported that Acevedo also angered cops after he watched his deputy chief 'verbally assault his executive staff after a commission meeting and did not intervene.'

That deputy - Heather Morris - who moved from Houston earlier this year to join Acevedo in Miami - was fired from her job on October 1.

'The relationship between the Chief and the organization has become untenable and needed to be resolved promptly,' Miami City Manager Art Noriega said on Monday. 'Chief [Art] Acevedo (pictured) is not the right fit for this organization'

CNN reported that Acevedo further infuriated rank-and-file cops by standing and watching while his deputy Heather Morris, pictured, berated staff at a meeting. She was fired on October 1

Morris was dismissed with this letter dated October 1, just months after she moved from Houston to join the police department

Acevedo was recruited by Miami Mayor Francis Suarez (pictured), who earlier this year hailed him as 'Americas best chief.'

Miami City Manager Art Noriega (pictured right) said in a statement Monday that he suspended Chief Art Acevedo with the intent to terminate his employment.

He was seen as a progressive law enforcer who headed the police department in Houston, but also shared ancestry with hundreds of thousands Cubans in Miami, as a Havana-born refugee.

Acevedo was sworn in in April and began making waves almost immediately by taking over internal affairs and making significant changes to his command staff.

He demoted four majors and fired two high-level police officials - a married couple - because they werent truthful about a crash involving a city-issued SUV.

At two raucous meetings over the past month, commissioners attacked Acevedo and his leadership, appointing themselves to an investigative committee with subpoena power to examine his appointment.

At one of those meetings, videos were played of Acevedo impersonating Elvis Presley dancing the 'Jailhouse Rock' in the iconic white jumpsuit and entering a dance floor of a fundraiser, slapping a womans rear with a piece of paper.

Commissioner Joe Carollo, a Cuban politician, and the other two Cuban Americans, have said they were deeply offended when reports emerged last month that Acevedo talked to officers about a 'Cuban mafia' that runs the city. He is pictured here at an October 10 demonstration supporting a National Strike in Cuba

At another meeting, city commissioner Joe Carollo asked to be arrested right there by him if it was true the new police chief had proof that he and other politicians were interfering with internal affairs investigations.

In an eight-page memo sent by Acevedo to the city manager and mayor before those meetings, Acevedo stated that Carollo and the other commissioners were interfering with internal affairs investigations, and improperly ordering police resources to be deployed against certain establishments 'based on nothing more than the whims of commissioners.'

He also accused the commissioners of hampering his reform mandate by eliminating positions.

Commissioner Carollo, a Cuban politician, and the other two Cuban Americans, have said they were deeply offended when reports emerged last month that Acevedo talked to officers about a 'Cuban mafia' that runs the city.

He later apologized, saying he didn't know that was a term former Cuban leader Fidel Castro used to refer to exiles.

Acevedo was sworn in in April and began making waves almost immediately by taking over internal affairs and making significant changes to his command staff. He is pictured on July 14, 2021 hugging a demonstrator, in Miami's Little Havana neighborhood, as people rallied in support of antigovernment demonstrations in Cuba

'He must be the only individual of Cuban background in the world who doesnt know that,' Carollo said. 'You are not in the middle of the Amazon.'

Among other things, the city commissioners alleged that Acevedo has been hypocritical for firing officers for some of the things he is accused of doing.

Carollo, the most vocal politician opposing Acevedos leadership, scrutinized an older photo where the police chief was seen using a 'white power' hand gesture similar to the OK hand sign, saying a Miami officer was relieved of duty by Acevedo after being accused of using the same gesture.

Carollo and another commissioner are also scrutinizing damage seen on Acevedos SUV they claim was not properly reported. They say that was similar to the incident that led to Acevedos firing of the husband and wife police officers.

Assistant Police Chief Manny Morales will take over as interim chief while the city searches for a permanent replacement.

The Associated Press was unable to reach Acevedo for a comment about his firing Monday night.
Chaos caused by Southwest Airlines cancellations was set to enter a fourth day on Tuesday after the airline warned it is still working on the problems that triggered hundreds of flight cancellations.

The third straight day of canceled and delayed flights left passengers stranded and steaming from California to the East Coast, with pictures from airports showing long queues and children sleeping on the floor.

More than 350 flights on Monday were canceled by the Texas airline following a weekend of major disruptions that it blamed on bad weather and air traffic control issues - but was the only airline to face problems on such a scale.

Monday's cancellations amounted to 10 percent of Southwest's schedule, and at least 1,400 other flights, or roughly 40 per cent, were delayed, according to the FlightAware tracking service.

By comparison, the second worst airline this weekend, American, saw two percent of its flights canceled. Shares of Southwest Airlines Co. fell 4.2 percent.

Since Saturday, more than 2,000 Southwest flights have been canceled, potentially affecting tens of thousands of people.

The widespread disruptions began shortly after the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association, representing 9,000 pilots, asked a federal court on Friday to block the airline's order that all employees get vaccinated by December 8.

The timing has caused many to question whether the disruptions is related to the company's vaccine mandate, with some claiming staff are staging industrial action over the decision.

The Southwest Airlines Pilots Association has denied the claims, but accused the company of a botched response to what it said would have been a minor challenge for other airlines.

A passenger at Orlando International Airport shared a picture of four children sleeping on the floor due to flight cancellations after Southwest Airlines canceled more than 350 flights on Monday, with a further 1,400 flights delayed

Travelers wait to check in at the Southwest Airlines ticketing counter at Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport on October 11, 2021 in Baltimore, Maryland

Passengers check in for a Southwest Airlines flight at Orlando International Airport in Orlando, Florida, U.S., October 11, 2021

The union argued that Southwest must negotiate over the issue because it could involve sick leave or disability if pilots have a reaction to the vaccine.

'We are not anti-vaccination at all, but our pilots are extremely worried about how their medicals are going to be handled' if they are unable to fly, union president Casey Murray told The Associated Press.

Murray said pilots had not staged a sickout because of the vaccine mandate.

He instead blamed the chaos of the past few days on Southwest's operation, which he said has become 'brittle' and 'cracks under the slightest pressure.'

He said the airline uses antiquated crew-scheduling technology that leads to cascading disruptions when flights are canceled in one part of its network.

Unions at both Southwest and American have also argued that management has been too slow to bring pilots back from leaves of absence that the airlines persuaded them to take during the pandemic, leaving them short-handed.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) also denied that the delays and cancellations were related to vaccine mandates.

'To be clear: None of the information from Southwest, its pilots union, or the FAA indicates that this weekend's cancellations were related to vaccine mandates,' the FAA wrote on Twitter.

Southwest's incoming CEO Bob Jordan told the Dallas Morning Post on Monday: 'There is absolutely no evidence of any kind of job action.

'Their trips are disrupted, they have unscheduled overnights and they have all the same types of impacts that our customers experience. If anything, I think they've been heroes through this trying to operate.'

In a video for employees, Southwest Chief Operating Officer Mike Van de Ven said that despite 'a very aggressive hiring plan ... we are still not where we want to be with staffing,' especially pilots.

The airline said on Monday that they had 'numerous cancellations, primarily created by weather and other external constraints, which left aircraft and Crews out of pre-planned positions to operate our schedule on Saturday.'

They added: 'Unfortunately, the out-of-place aircraft and continued strain on our Crew resources created additional cancelations across our point-to-point network that cascaded throughout the weekend and into Monday.'

And they denied that the problems were created by a strike against the vaccine.

'As a note, the operational challenges were not a result of Southwest Employee demonstrations,' they said.

The FAA denied that that the cancellations and delays to Southwest flights were related to vaccine mandates in a tweet on Monday (pictured)

Southwest Airlines canceled almost 2,000 flights over the weekend. The has airline denied that employees protesting against a COVID mandate had anything to do with the problem. Pictured: Southwest planes are seen at the Southern California Logistics Airport in Victorville, California

Southwest issued a 'tremendous apology' to its passengers on Monday evening

The FAA said Sunday that 'some airlines' were experiencing problems because of planes and crews being out of position. Southwest was the only airline to report such a large percentage of canceled and delayed flights over the weekend.

Southwest spokeswoman Brandy King said there was no evidence that would indicate the disruptions were caused by any sort of employee protest over vaccinations.

Some passengers were frustrated not just by flight delays but also the lack of a clear reason for them.

'My concern is we had no explanation really that was, I feel, very legitimate or believable,' said Brian Gesch of Cedar Grove, Wisconsin, who was traveling through Reagan Washington National Airport with his wife. He doubted that weather and air traffic controllers were the real issue. 'So we are frustrated and missing a day of work.'

Others were just concerned about getting home - any way they could.

Kent Moddelmog ended up driving 700 miles with his 14-year-old son from Phoenix to Dublin, California, after Southwest canceled their flight and he couldn't find a flight on a competing airline that wasn't exorbitantly priced. 'I wasn't going to drop $3,000 to get back,' Moddelmog said.

The sales director for a consulting company said he flies Southwest dozens of times a year but had 'never been in a situation like that.'

Savanthi Syth, an airlines analyst for Raymond James, said the weekend problems will increase Southwest's costs and worsen the company's strained relations with unions.

Southwest has struggled all summer with high numbers of delayed and canceled flights. In August, it announced it was trimming its September schedule by 27 flights a day, or less than 1 percent, and 162 flights a day, or 4.5 percent of the schedule, from early October through November 5.

The White House has pushed airlines to adopt vaccine mandates because they are federal contractors - they get paid by the Defense Department to operate flights, including those that carried Afghanistan refugees to the U.S. this summer.

Travelers check in at the Southwest Airlines ticketing counter at Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport on October 11, 2021 in Baltimore, Maryland

Passengers queue up at the ticketing counter for Southwest Airlines flights in Eppley Airfield, Sunday, Oct. 10, 2021, in Omaha, Nebraska

United Airlines was the first major U.S. carrier to announce a vaccination requirement. Southwest had remained silent even after President Joe Biden announced his order for federal contractors and large employers.

Finally last week, Southwest told employees they must be fully vaccinated by December 8 to keep their jobs. Workers can ask to skip the shots for medical or religious reasons.

Biden in September ordered that all companies with more than 100 employees bring in a vaccination mandate.

He has argued it is the only way to bring the pandemic under control, with 700,000 Americans dead from COVID and more than 2,000 people still dying every day from the virus.

The ruling has proved extremely controversial, with Republican politicians describing it as an attack on personal freedoms.

Greg Abbott, the governor of Texas, on Monday banned companies based in his state from enforcing a vaccination mandate.

Fort Worth-based American Airlines, the largest U.S. carrier, last week told its 100,000 U.S.-based employees they must submit proof of full vaccination no later than November 24 - or be fired.

United Airlines imposed a vaccine mandate on its 60,000 employees, around 9,000 of whom are based in Texas.

Fox News host Tucker Carlson on Monday night claimed the Southwest Airlines chaos at the weekend was caused by pilots striking in protest against compulsory COVID-19 vaccines.

Carlson on Monday night insisted the airline was lying.

'All of that is a lie, it's not what happened,' he said.

'We've spoken to several people with direct knowledge of what actually did happen.

'We can tell you the shutdown of Southwest Airlines over the weekend was a direct consequence, it was a reaction to, Joe Biden's vaccine mandates.'

Carlson praised the supposed strikers for standing up for their beliefs.

Tucker Carlson on Monday night accused Southwest Airlines and their pilots' union of lying, after they both said that there was no strike of staff. Carlson said that airline employees walked off the job in protest at a vaccine mandate

Carlson told his viewers: ''We can tell you the shutdown of Southwest Airlines over the weekend was a direct consequence, it was a reaction to, Joe Biden's vaccine mandates.' His claim was denied by the airline and the union

A passenger and his child were left sleeping on the floor after being stranded in Las Vegas

Carlson said that one pilot told him that the employees were stressed by the vaccine order

'So this weekend, in protest, large number of Southwest pilots called out sick and they effectively shut down their airline,' he told his viewers.

'For many of them, you should know admire the company they work for - they love Southwest Airlines but felt they had no choice but to do this, nobody was standing over them, not the Congress, which by the way has excepted itself from vaccine mandates.

'Not even their labor union, which exists and is paid to defend them, but they are not.

'So in desperation, the pilots committed the most basic act of nonviolent civil disobedience, something we used to celebrate in this country.

'They stayed home.'

Carlson said that the employees may have chosen to reject the vaccine because they already had had COVID; or they may have a religious reason; or they might be scared of stories about the side effects.

He said the vaccine mandate 'has nothing whatsoever to do with public health and everything to do with the accumulation of political power.'

Carlson continued: 'That is happening right now. Make no mistake.

'It will continue to happen until good people work immediately to stop it.'

Carlson also claimed that the air traffic controllers working out of Jacksonville, Florida - who control much of the southern U.S., Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean - also decided to go on strike over the vaccine mandates.

Officials denied Carlson's account.

A representative for the Federal Aviation Administration told Action News Jax: 'Due to a combination of severe weather, active military training in the airspace, and unexpected limited staff at the Jacksonville facility that handles high-altitude, en route traffic, the FAA took steps to safely manage air traffic the evening of Oct. 8. Normal operations returned at approximately 10 p.m.'

Casey Murray, president of the pilots' association, said: 'I can say with certainty that there are no work slowdowns or sickouts either related to the recent mandatory vaccine mandate or otherwise'

But Carlson insisted that it was a walkout due to protests.

His comments echo those of Republicans such as Texas senator Ted Cruz, who tweeted: 'Joe Biden's illegal vaccine mandate at work! Suddenly, we're short on pilots & air traffic controllers.'

Donald Trump Jr said: 'The fact that thousands of Southwest employees walked off the job protesting the COVID vaccine mandate forcing the airline to cancel more than 1000 flights is not getting enough attention.

'Media will make sure you don't see it but keep watching, it won't be the last protest!'

And Andy Biggs, a congressman for Arizona, tweeted: 'I stand with #Southwest Airlines employees who are fighting against these mandates.

'This isn't about a vaccine, this is about freedom.'

The airline and unions both insisted Carlson and the Republicans were incorrect.

'There is absolutely no evidence of any kind of job action,' said incoming CEO Bob Jordan in an interview with The Dallas Morning News on Monday.

'Their trips are disrupted, they have unscheduled overnights and they have all the same types of impacts that our customers experience.

'If anything, I think they've been heroes through this trying to operate.'

The Southwest Airlines Pilots Association on Friday filed for an injunction in federal court over the vaccine mandate.

But they blamed the management of the airline, rather than striking workers.

'SWAPA is aware of operational difficulties affecting Southwest Airlines today due to a number of issues, but we can say with confidence that our Pilots are not participating in any official or unofficial job actions,' the union said.

'Our Pilots will continue to overcome SWA management's poor planning, as well as any external operational challenges, and remain the most productive Pilots in the world.

'They will continue to be focused on their highest priority  safety.

'SWAPA Pilots are true professionals and will always maintain the highest level of responsibility to their crews, their passengers, and our airline.'

The union called reports that pilots staged a 'sickout' in protest of the airline's requirement 'erroneous.'

'There are false claims of job actions by Southwest pilots currently gaining traction on social media and making their way into mainstream news,' said the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association (SWAPA) president Casey Murray in a statement issued late Sunday.

'I can say with certainty that there are no work slowdowns or sickouts either related to the recent mandatory vaccine mandate or otherwise.'
Telstra is 'coming out of the shadow of the NBN,' chairman John Mullen says, as the company reaffirmed a return to growth in 2021/22.

The telco says it has lost more than $6 billion in profit over about the past decade due to the impact of the National Broadband Network and the loss of other revenue sources.

But Mr Mullen told investors at the company's annual general meeting, held via videolink on Tuesday, that Telstra had reached a turning point.

'There are few precedents in corporate Australia for an impact or a challenge of this magnitude,' he said.

'With the NBN rollout now complete you can finally see the company coming out of the shadow of the NBN.'

On Tuesday, the company also revealed it will let its employees choose to work from home on an ongoing basis.

Its 25,000 workers were some of the first to move to home-based work when the Covid-19 pandemic hit.

Telstra has slashed costs by $2.3 billion and chief executive Andy Penn said the company is on track to reach its target of $2.7 billion.

Telstra CEO Andy Penn (pictured) had his pay packet of about $5m approved by investors at the AGM on Tuesday at which chairman John Mullen said staff would be allowed to work from home after the Covid-19 pandemic

In September, Mr Penn promised earnings per share to reach the high teens between 2021 and 2025 under a new strategy called T25.

He said the company has reduced its number of employees by one third, but further job cuts were off the table, with more savings to come from reduced IT spending.

At Tuesday's meeting more than 97 per cent of shareholders voted in favour of Mr Penn's pay package worth about $5 million, but chair John Mullen faced a series of questions from an investor about executive pay.

He defended the CEO's pay packet, saying the share price of around $3 under Andy Penn's leadership reflected far more than just his performance.

'I can assure you that if Andy had not done an outstanding job, the share price would be a hell of a lot worse than it is today,' Mr Mullen said.

Telstra acknowledged there was still more work to do to upgrade its network coverage.

'We absolutely recognise and accept that there are still too many failures,' Mr Mullen said.

The number of customers ringing Telstra's call centres has fallen by more than two thirds, and Mr Penn said he expects all of those to be answered within Australia, rather than offshore call centres, by June next year.

The company's total income fell 11.6 per cent to just over $23 billion in 2020/21, while reported earnings before interest, tax and depreciation decreased 14.2 per cent to $7.6 billion.
Public schools in NSW will welcome back students from next week as lockdown further lifts, but some elite Sydney private schools are making their own rules.

A few prestigious colleges are so concerned about Covid clusters during Year 12 exams they are offering remote learning to some students until next year.

Trinity Grammar at Summer Hill has barred senior students from returning to class until January, despite the government's roadmap specifically opening schools before the HSC period begins on November 9.

Sydney's Trinity Grammar School (pictured) said they would not allow Year 12s back on campus until 2022 in case a Covid case disrupted the Year 12 exams

The school said the importance of students completing International Baccalaureate exams - a globally recognised alternative to the HSC - unhindered was more important than resuming in-person classes.

'If one of the boys was infected because of that return, it would prevent many members of the cohort from attempting their examinations  we deemed this risk was not worth taking,' headmaster Tim Bowden told The Daily Telegraph.

The college prides itself on the performance of students in IB exams with five students last year attaining a perfect score of 45 - equivalent to an ATAR rank of 99.95, according to a press release from the school.

'There were 35 perfect scores in Australia  and Trinity students had five of them,' the $37,030-a-year school wrote.

High school students have dealt with more than 18 months of intermittent lockdowns and at-home learning (pictured: Year 12 students at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney line up for the Pfizer vaccine as defence force troops assist)

St Vincent's College in Potts Point (pictured) said they would push back the return of students in Years 7 to 10 by a week to give vaccination rates a chance to grow

Public schools do not have such a luxury and are required to open on October 18 under the government's roadmap out of Covid restrictions.

On this day Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 12 students return to campus, with the remaining year groups returning on October 25.

In exclusive Potts Point in Sydney's east, St Vincent's College said they would push back the return of students in Years 7 to 10 by a week.

This would allow vaccination rates among 12 to 15-year-olds to climb higher before resuming in-person classes.

While those aged over 16 have been able to get the Pfizer vaccine since August 30, teenagers in the 12 to 15-year-old age bracket had to wait another two weeks until September 13 for the jab to be available.

'I believe achieving the highest possible vaccination rate is the best way forward,' principal Anne Fry said.

On the lower north shore, Knox Grammar at Wahroonga said they would require students in years 7 to 10 to do three days a week of at-home learning throughout November.

This would have the allow more physical distancing in the less vaccinated age group and also more space on campus for Years 11 and 12.

Knox Grammar (pictured) said Years 7 to 10 would be three-days of remote learning a week throughout November despite the government roadmap saying they should at in-person classes

At Waverley College near Bondi, principal Graham Leddie said they would follow the NSW government's plan for when to re-open.

'Our staff are 100 per cent double vaccinated and we have been encouraging parents and students for the past few months to get vaccinated to ensure our school community can be as safe as possible,' he said.

While Scots College in Bellevue Hill was letting families decide - saying they would by open in line with the government guidelines but there might also be reasons some students couldn't return to campus.

Principal Dr Ian Lambert said some may be in regional areas or interstate or may have concerns about group learning in the short term and they would support them with remote learning.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Knox, St Vincent's, Waverley, Trinity and Scots Colleges for comment.
A mother has issued a heartbreaking warning about the dangers of vaping after her 15-year-old daughter's secret habit left her with a rare life-threatening lung illness.

Sydney teenager Dakota Stephenson went to hospital with a high temperature and back pain last September, seven months after she first started vaping with friends at school.

Dakota was diagnosed with hypoxia within hours - meaning her lungs weren't getting enough air - and spent three days on partial ventilation struggling to breathe.

Sydney schoolgirl Dakota Stephenson, 15, spent three days on partial ventilation struggling to breathe after taking up vaping

Dakota pictured left. Doctors at Randwick Children's Hospital believe she was suffering from a recently discovered lung condition called EVALI

Her doctors at Randwick Children's Hospital believe she was suffering from a lung condition called EVALI that was first reported in the US in 2019.

EVALI - which stands for e-cigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injury - is thought to be caused by vapes containing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a psychoactive substance also found in marijuana, and the additive vitamin E acetate.

Dakota's mother Natasha Stephenson only found out her daughter had started vaping when she was admitted to hospital.

'She was really sick,' Ms Stephenson told Daily Mail Australia. 'They took about a dozen syringes from her lungs to drain 250ml of fluid that had built up from the vaping.'

The teenager started vaping in early 2020 before moving onto nicotine cartridges and at her peak was smoking up to three times a week with her friends.

'Sometimes it would be a vape every day,' her mother said.

'She would ask for $5 to buy snacks or go to McDonald's after school, but little did we know she was saving that money up to buy nicotine cartridges.

Dakota pictured in hospital. Her mother Natasha Stephenson only found out her daughter had started vaping when she had to seek medical attention

'The guy she was buying them off would get them in with different flavours like grape, strawberry and watermelon.

'It's basically a menu for kids.'

Ms Stephenson said she wanted e-cigarettes banned and called for Australian authorities to get tougher on manufacturers who put potentially harmful chemicals into their products.

Pictured is a scan of the teenager's lung, which was filled with fluid. Within hours of being admitted to hospital she was diagnosed with hypoxia - meaning her lungs weren't getting enough air

'I don't see why Australia just can't ban them from the market,' she said.

'You can also order vapes online though. It's just too easy for young people to get their hands on them.'

The teenager's mother said she wanted e-cigarettes banned

While Dakota was released from hospital after a week, abnormal growths called nodules were still appearing on her lung scans several months after her discharge.

'They call them popcorn lungs - the nodules eventually pop on their own. But if Dakota is running or doing PE she still gets out of breath,' her mother said.

A respiratory expert said despite Dakota never using a vaping device that included THC, her case met all the obvious criteria of EVALI.

The Alfred Hospital Melbourne respiratory physician Eli Dabscheck said doctors may never know for sure what caused her lungs to fill with fluid.

'There's definitely risks from nicotine in terms of cardiac toxicity. It's definitely not something I would want my children doing,' he told ABC News.

Between March 2019 and February 2020, the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention reported 2,807 hospitalised cases of EVALI.
An infuriated restaurant owner has banned an unhappy customer from returning to his venues after they left a bad review calling the restaurant a 'rip off'.

Ben Walsh, owner of Miss Moneypenny's in Noosa on Queensland's Sunshine Coast, was quick to come to his restaurants defence after the review was uploaded online.

A user by the name of 'Richard T' slammed the venue for charging $4.50 for a 'lousy' coffee and $5 for a glass of sparkling water 'equivalent to a Soda Stream'.

An unhappy customer who visited Miss Moneypenny's in Noosa on Queensland Sunshine Coast (pictured) has been banned from the venue for posting a bad review

In the bad review - which was posted to TripAdvisor - the customer said he had been charged $4.50 for a 'lousy coffee' and $5 for a glass of sparkling water 'equivalent to a Soda Stream'

'Incidentally talking to locals about this place, the reputation is that they are owned by greedy owners, good luck to them!' he wrote.

The unhappy customer finished his rant by saying he usually hated leaving bad reviews but that the restaurant had 'pushed it too far'.

Mr Walsh responded to 'Richard T' by saying he similarly didn't normally respond to reviews but was compelled to after reading his venue was a 'rip off'.

'With all due respect it seems that you have zero understanding of even the slightest grasp of the price attached to dining out in 2021, or even from anytime this century,' the restaurant owner hit back.

Mr Walsh said he couldn't remember a time in the last ten years he had been charged less than $4.50 for a coffee in any Australian restaurant.

The owner claimed the price was fair seeing as Miss Moneypenny's was located on Hastings Street, one of the most 'prestigious retail streets in Australia'.

'The cafe's up at Noosa Junction sell their coffee for $4.50 whilst you sit on a plastic chair looking at a bus terminal,' he wrote.

'Those cafe's also pay circa 70 to 75 per cent less rent than Hastings Street businesses do yet our pricing is still aligned!'

Owner of Miss Moneypenny's Ben Walsh (pictured) was quick to come to the restaurant's defence and said the pricing was fair due to the price of rent and the venue location

Mr Walsh said the unhappy customer would be banned from Miss Moneypenny's (pictured) until they had grasped the pricing attached to dining out in 2021

Mr Walsh also refuted claims the sparkling water used in his restaurant was 'overpriced' and 'equivalent to a Soda Stream'.

He said Miss Moneypenny's had decided to serve customers sparkling water from a 'leading restaurant water brand' called 'Vestal' after extensive considerations.

'Now consider this, $5 per person for unlimited sparkling water, where competing restaurants sell 750ml bottles for $10-$12 (or even more!),' the owner wrote.

'That works out to be $5 -$6 per 375ml glass of water. Once again we are $5 for unlimited water (we also offer tap water free of charge).'

Mr Walsh finished the lengthy rebuttal by announcing the customer was officially banned from Miss Moneypenny's joints in Broadbeach and Noosa.

The bad reviewer 'Richard T' will also be denied service in his restaurant Fat Freddy's, a popular beach bar and American-style diner on the Gold Coast.

'As of today we are officially banning you from our restaurants until you can provide us with evidence that you have somewhat actually grasped the pricing attached to dining out in the year 2021 at any decent restaurant, let alone one that is on one of the most expensive retail streets in Australia,' Mr Walsh said.

The bad reviewer 'Richard T' will also be denied service in his restaurant Fat Freddy's, a popular beach bar and American-style diner on the Gold Coast (pictured)

Social media users were quick to defend the restaurant owner's response to the unsatisfied customer with one encouraging Mr Walsh to stick to his morals (pictured, Miss Moneypenny's)

'Good day to you, and may I suggest you open up your world and get out of the house a bit more and into the real world of dining out in 2021!'

Social media users were quick to defend his response to the unsatisfied customer.

'Stick to your morals Ben,' one user wrote on Instagram.

'Well said. I thought maybe it was just me, but people seem to be getting ruder and seem to be wanting more for less,' another commented.

'They're the morons that ignore prices before ordering,' a third agreed.
A private school graduate who developed a daily meth addiction after he was stabbed by his own mother has revealed cops were 'trying to get him to hospital' as he sipped on a beer overnight.

Hugo Ball, 23, committed to clean up his act after he was spared jail time for robbing an elderly lady of $400 at an ATM in May.

He had developed a debilitating ice addiction and was using daily at the time of the attack, spurred on by his 'trauma' over being stabbed by his mum inside their Bellevue Hill mansion on November 20, 2020.

On Monday night, Ball shared a short video to social media showing two people in medical gowns inside his home.

'Bending with cops... tryna get me to go [to] hospital,' he captioned the video.

Ball sang an Eminem song and sipped on a bottle of VB as the officers waited in two corners of the room, blocking the exit.

A second bizarre video showed Ball spraying a fire extinguisher inside the home.

Hugo Ball, 23, has been trying to clean up his act after he was spared jail time for robbing an elderly lady of $400 at an ATM in May

On Monday night, Ball shared a short video to social media showing two people in medical gowns inside his home

A court heard in August Ball was making an effort to turn his life around after moving in with his biological father at a multi-million dollar Paddington home.

He told the court he was worried his grandmothers would think less of him for targeting an elderly woman when he was desperate for cash.

The court heard he was waiting behind the 71-year-old woman and snatched the cash from the ATM before she could and did not assault the victim.

He admitted the crime was 'a low thing to do'.

Ball, a Scots College graduate, was stabbed by his mother Samantha Palmer, 55, back in November after returning home from a party about midnight.

He suffered head and shoulder wounds during the incident, which his mother pleaded guilty to.

He had developed a debilitating ice addiction and was using daily at the time of the attack, spurred on by his 'trauma' over being stabbed by his mum inside their Bellevue Hill mansion on November 20, 2020

Ball's mother Samantha (top left) stabbed her son with a 12 inch kitchen knife in November (pictured with Mr Ball and his biological father Ian Ball)

Ball being stretchered to hospital by paramedics after the attack in Sydney's east (pictured) back in November

The agreed facts state Ball's older sister Daphne Palmer-Ball and stepfather James Tilley woke at about 1.30am to the sound of the 23-year-old screaming.

Palmer had repeatedly stabbed him. Mr Tilley used a tea towel to slow the bleeding and called an ambulance while Ms Palmer-Ball bundled her mother into a separate room.

Palmer repeatedly told her 'he threatened me, he was going to hurt me', the court heard.

Ms Palmer-Ball responded: 'You've got just as many issues as he does  you just stabbed Hugo.'

In sentencing over the theft, Ball's defence lawyer told the magistrate he had already been using drugs when the attack occurred but became more dependent on illicit substances in the aftermath.

He developed a 'daily ice habit', the court heard.

'That (stabbing) incident has really sent him tailing down this road of increased drug use, anxiety, depression and PTSD, all of which he has been diagnosed with,' she said.

'Those emotions regarding that incident are still really raw and really unprocessed.'

Mr Ball is pictured on a mate's shoulders at a music festival in 2017, above. A court heard he had drug issues after graduating from Sydney's prestigious Scots College

The former private school kid's mum Ms Palmer pleaded guilty to reckless wounding with the court hearing she told officers Mr Ball was 'threatening her'

The agreed facts state Ball's older sister Daphne Palmer-Ball (pictured together) and stepfather James Tilley woke at about 1.30am to the sound of the 23-year-old screaming

He was convicted after pleading guilty to stealing less than $2,000 from a person and slapped with an 18-month good behaviour bond.

Ball was also ordered to repay the elderly woman, must also abstain from drugs for six months and submit to drug testing.

Magistrate Ross Hudson also warned Ball that it was 'critical' he seek professional help to deal with his mental health issues and not use illegal drugs as a 'barrier'.

'Make sure you treat yourself legally is that understood?' he said.
Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia residents are being offered holiday vouchers to use in Tasmania as the island state looks to boost tourism numbers.

The federal and Tasmanian government on Tuesday announced 10,000 vouchers worth $300 each will soon be up for grabs.

The vouchers, which include $200 for accommodation and $100 for attractions or tours, will be issued via an online ballot and can be used in November and December.

Tasmania has maintained a hard border with coronavirus-hit NSW and Victoria, its two biggest domestic tourism markets, for some time.

Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia residents are being offered holiday vouchers to use in Tasmania as the island state looks to boost tourism numbers

The Tasmanian government says the $3 million program will likely inject $25 million into the state.

'Tasmania's vibrant tourism industry adds millions to our economy and supports thousands of jobs around the state, particularly in regional areas,' Tourism Minister Sarah Courtney said.

'This voucher program will bring attention to our spectacular products and destinations to encourage visitation.'

Successful recipients will have to book their travel and redeem the voucher through a Tassie Holiday Voucher online marketplace.

Successful recipients will have to book their travel and redeem the voucher through a Tassie Holiday Voucher online marketplace

Tasmania is open to travel from Queensland, WA and SA, but has declared a number of premises in each high risk.

The island state is expected to unveil its reopening plan next week.

Premier Peter Gutwein has indicated he won't reopen until all Tasmanians have had the opportunity to be vaccinated against the virus.

He has targeted a 90 per cent fully vaccinated rate by December 1 and says any decision to reopen to mainland states with COVID-19 will still be subject to public health advice.

Tasmania has just one case, a 15-year-old boy who tested positive in Launceston while undergoing home quarantine.

More than 65 per cent of people over 16 in Tasmania are fully vaccinated.
Australia will land on the moon for the first time in the nation's history after Scott Morrison signed a deal with NASA.

The American space agency will fly an Australian-made rover to the moon sometime after 2026.

Australian businesses and research organisations will bid for up to $50million of taxpayer cash to build the rover, with applications submitted early next year.

Residents watch the 'Super Flower Blood Moon' at Bondi Beach in Sydney on May 26

The semi-autonomous rover weighing less than 20kg will collect lunar soil and NASA will then try to extract oxygen.

This is a key step towards establishing a sustainable human presence on the moon because humans need oxygen to breathe.

Prime Minster Scott Morrison wants to triple the size of Australia's small space industry by 2030 and create 20,000 jobs in the process.

'This is an incredible opportunity for Australia to succeed in the global space sector, and is central to our Government's vision to secure more jobs and a larger share of the growing space economy,' the Prime Minister said.

'Our Government has invested more than $700 million in the civil space sector since July 2018, supporting core industries including manufacturing, robotics, engineering, mining and resources.

'This mission to the Moon is just one exciting way that we can create opportunity and jobs for the future, and our Government will ensure Australians reap the benefits.'

Minister for Science and Technology Melissa Price said the agreement with NASA puts Australia 'front and centre' of scientific discoveries.

The American space agency will fly an Australian-made rover to the moon sometime after 2026. Pictured: Stock image of NASA rocket taking off

'With our expertise in robotics technology, NASA wants to partner with us on this project to the Moon, creating our own lunar history,' she said.

Head of the Australian Space Agency Enrico Palermo said Australia would draw from expertise in the resources and mining sector for the historic mission.

'Australia is at the cutting-edge of robotics technology and systems for remote operations, which are going to be central to setting up a sustainable presence on the Moon and eventually supporting human exploration of Mars,' he explained.

'This agreement will leverage our expertise in remote operations to grow our space sector here at home, while developments that come from preparing for space will make sure our resources sector keeps powering ahead too.'

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said the agreement will 'serve to strengthen the long-time relationship between the United States and Australia in areas related to space exploration  a relationship that goes back more than half a century to the days of the Apollo program.'

'By working together with the Australian Space Agency and our partners around the world, NASA will uncover more discoveries and accomplish more research through the Artemis program,' he added.
The ACT is set to end its harsh lockdown restrictions by the end of the week, Chief Minister Andrew Barr has confirmed.

The territory's leader announced Canberra will officially emerge from lockdown at 11.59pm on Thursday as the state increases its vaccination coverage.

'Case numbers are expected to increase as restrictions are eased, but being fully vaccinated provides you with protection,' he said.

The national capital recorded 28 infections and six deaths on Tuesday, bringing the territory's total active cases to 450.

The ACT will come out of lockdown at 11.59pm on Thursday as the territory is on track to hit a 90 per cent double-vaccinated milestone by the end of October (pictured, a resident receives a Covid jab at Kenolta Medical Centre in Canberra)

Mr Barr announced additional minor changes to restrictions from Friday, which will allow for non-essential retail to have up to two people from the same household in the store for booked appointments, such as for test-driving cars or trying on clothes.

Cross-border areas will also be expanded to regions including Goulburn, Cooma and as far as Gundagai for residents to be able to enter the ACT to visit family, for work or essential shopping.

While ACT residents are still not able to enter NSW unless for essential reasons, Chief Minister Andrew Barr says travel to Sydney and the NSW south coast is likely to be possible by November.

Chief Minister Barr (pictured) confirmed the territory will come out of lockdown at midnight on Thursday while cross-border areas are expanded

Travel restrictions for Canberrans going into NSW are expected to be in place by that point for only high-risk local government areas.

The ACT is also on track to have 99 per cent of its eligible population fully vaccinated, and is expected to reach the milestone by the end of November.

Currently, 98 per cent of over-12s have had a first dose and 72 per cent are fully vaccinated.

The ACT is set to reach a significant milestone by the end of October, having 90 per cent of residents having received both jabs (pictured, Parliament House in Canberra)

The ACT is set to reach the milestone of 90 per cent of its eligible residents being fully vaccinated for Covid-19 by the end of the month.

Chief Minister Barr said Canberra was on track to be one of the most vaccinated cities in the world, as the government's largest vaccination clinic expanded to include walk-up appointments.

As the ACT heads towards the end of its lockdown on Friday, Mr Barr said there would be a renewed focus during the next four days to distribute first doses to the remaining unvaccinated sections of the population.

Canberra reported 32 new cases on Monday, with 25 of those linked to known cases (Pictured, a Moderna vaccine being loaded in Canberra)

The government's mass-vaccine clinic at the Australian Institute of Sport will take walk-up appointments, while further pop-up clinics will also be established.

'The next four days are about those remaining first doses, and with the interval of three or four weeks we're looking forward to see the fully vaccinated figures match the first-dose figures,' Mr Barr said.

'What this means is Canberra will be among the most vaccinated places in the world, and this is just so critical to our economic recovery and to protect Canberrans as we emerge from lockdown.'

The ACT on Monday became the first jurisdiction to pass more than 70 per cent double-dose vaccination for people aged 12 and over, with 98 per cent having had a first dose.

Mr Barr said the ACT's vaccination rates had defied expectations.

ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr said the nation's capital is on track to be the most vaccinated city in the world (pictured, Minister Barr speaking to the media)

'No one believed that we would get here,' he said.

'We should be ambitious about the national vaccination program, but none of the modelling was based on 90, 95 or 99 per cent coverage, but would much rather be there than at 70 per cent.'

ACT health authorities have said the number of Covid-19 cases associated with the outbreak has risen to 1262, with 806 of those having recovered.

The territory's chief health officer, Dr Kerryn Coleman, said of the total number of cases in the recent Canberra outbreak, 72 per cent were unvaccinated, 17 per cent had just one dose and 11 per cent were fully vaccinated.

Breakthrough cases, where a patient developed Covid more than two weeks after becoming fully vaccinated, made up eight per cent of cases.

Dr Coleman said there had also been a number of cases linked to people sharing vaping devices.

She said the territory was in a good position to come out of lockdown on Friday.
John Oliver has attacked the parent company of his own show, lashing out at the executives for launching One America News Network - a news channel which he described as 'a rag-tag bunch of fascists'.

Oliver spoke out after a Reuters investigation published last week showed the role AT&T played in creating and funding OAN, a network that continues to spread conspiracy theories about the 2020 election and the COVID-19 pandemic.

OAN founder and chief executive Robert Herring Sr has testified that the inspiration to launch OAN in 2013 came from AT&T executives.

'They told us they wanted a conservative network,' Herring said during a 2019 deposition seen by Reuters.

'They only had one, which was Fox News, and they had seven others on the other [leftwing] side. When they said that, I jumped to it and built one.'

John Oliver on Sunday night used his show - broadcast on HBO - to attack AT&T, which owns HBO

The British comedian said OAN was 'a rag-tag bunch of fascists' who were 'happy to give a platform to bats*** election-fraud theories'

Since then, AT&T has been a crucial source of funds flowing into OAN, providing tens of millions of dollars in revenue, Reuters reported.

Ninety percent of OAN's revenue came from a contract with AT&T-owned television platforms, including satellite broadcaster DirecTV, according to 2020 sworn testimony by an OAN accountant.

AT&T owns WarnerMedia, which in turn owns HBO - the network that broadcasts Oliver's Last Week Tonight.

The British-born host was unrelenting in his criticism of AT&T's role in OAN.

'Turns out AT&T has been up to some s***,' he told his viewers on Sunday night.

'And it is worth noting: AT&T is still technically our business daddy, making OAN our business step-sibling - and not in a hot way.'

Oliver continued that AT&T had helped to turn OAN 'into the toxic network that it is today - one that's happy to give a platform to bats*** election-fraud theories from America's most out-of-breath pillow fetishist [Mike Lindell].'

Oliver showed a clip from OAN, with an anchor stating: 'Despite their best efforts, the radical Democrats left fingerprints all over the country providing a trail of evidence that the 2020 election was not only tampered with, but was also overthrown any American who was involved in these efforts, from those who ran the voting machines to the very highest government officials, is guilty of treason under U.S. Code  2381, which carries with it the penalty of death.'

Oliver called out OAN for giving a platform to figures such as Mike Lindell, founder of My Pillow and a passionate believer in evidence-free election conspiracy theories

Oliver mocked a host on OAN for calling for the execution of those who worked on the November 2020 election

Oliver responded: 'Are you really saying those who ran the voting machines could be traitors? You mean Dolores? Dolores who lives down the street? Who volunteered to spend 12 hours or her, let's face it, dwindling NCIS-watching time, doling out participation stickers to voters?

'All right, death to Dolores, I guess.'

He said that OAN 'would be literally nothing without AT&T.'

The network's television ratings are hard to measure, partly because it is available in only about a quarter of the estimated 121 million TV households in the United States.

Ratings services Nielsen and Comscore, which both show that Fox News continues to be the leading cable network, do not release OAN figures.

OAN says it is the fourth-rated news network, behind Fox, CNN and MSNBC - and ahead of CNBC, the BBC and Newsmax. It has not provided figures to back this up.

OIiver said that his team approached AT&T for their comment about their role in OAN's success.

Oliver's segment was inspired by a Reuters report delving into the history of OAN

Donald Trump, who frequently promoted OAN while president, is seen being interviewed by Chanel Rion, their White House correspondent

He said AT&T told them that the company 'respects the editorial the channels it carries' and was not involved in dictating content.

He continued: 'Just as AT&T is committed to providing editorial independence for every WarnerMedia show - including this one'

'And that is such a relief - especially the last part - because if I may, I'd like to use that generous editorial independence to offer some constructive feedback to AT&T.'

He concluded by referencing attempts by AT&T to spin off its ownership of Time Warner.

In May, AT&T merged with Discovery, which has sparked further debate about the direction of the company.

'Look, AT&T, I know our relationship is a little awkward, especially since you're trying to spin this business baby off in your deal with Discovery,' said Oliver.

'But while we are still technically related, let me just say this: You're a terrible company.

'You do bad things and you make the world worse.

'Please don't bother keeping in touch once the merger's complete - although that really should not be a problem for you.

'You're AT&T, it's not like your messages will go through anyway.'
Pictured: Elham Naaman, 24

A woman accused of kidnapping a teenage girl before she was allegedly plied with drugs and raped by a group of men has appeared in court, playing with her hair and smiling.

Elham Naaman, 24, from Berkshire Park in Sydney's north-west, appeared in Sutherland Local Court on Tuesday via video link in her prison greens.

She crossed her arms and gave the magistrate the name of her new lawyer, Gazi Abbas - smiling so widely when he came on screen that it was difficult to discern whether she understood the severity of the allegations against her.

Naaman faces a string of charges relating to the 14-year-old girl's alleged ordeal in July this year, including kidnapping in company, supplying a prohibited drug, stealing, intimidation and damaging property by fire with intent to injure.

In court on Tuesday, the young woman appeared before the judge over a separate incident in which she allegedly set fire to a studio apartment in Hamilton, in Newcastle's western suburbs, on August 14 - causing $30,000 worth of damage.

Elham Naaman (pictured) smiled widely when her lawyer came on screen in court via video link

Elham Naaman faces a range of charges, including kidnapping, and setting fire to an apartment

Police allege she deliberately lit the fire in an an attempt to destroy evidence of a stabbing - allegedly writing a text to an unknown person which said: 'I lit a hotel room on fire to cover your a**e'.

She moved her long hair behind her ears, flicked it in front of her shoulders, behind her shoulders, and back in front of her ears again before she was told she would enter a plea in Newcastle Local Court on October 28.

Naaman is also accused of stealing goods in custody in Riverwood, south Sydney, in February, though the nature of the goods remain unclear. She will reappear in Sutherland Local Court on October 26.

The magistrate made reference to the alleged kidnapping incident during Tuesday's appearance.

Naaman was arrested in Berkshire Park on October 3 for her involvement in the alleged kidnap of the teenage girl.

Police allege she met the 14-year-old at a party, where the pair added each other on social media and planned to party together in a hotel room in Parramatta, the Daily Telegraph reported.

Elham Naaman, 24, (pictured) is accused of kidnapping a 14-year-old girl and trying to set her hijab on fire

But court documents state the 14-year-old was allegedly held against her will at the hotel, a unit in Greenacre in Sydney's south-west, and other locations where she was allegedly sexually and physically assaulted by a group of men.

Naaman has not been charged with sexual assault.

Police allege Naaman stole the teenager's iPhone and threatened her with a blowtorch held up to her face, setting alight the hijab-like scarf she was wearing.

Court documents state the teenager had drugs including ice and GBH forced upon her and police also allege she was injected with heroin.

Elham Naaman looked spritely in her prison greens on Tuesday. She will reappear in court on October 26 and 28

Naaman was refused bail on October 5 at Bankstown Local Court after a magistrate heard of her 'violent' criminal history, which included motor vehicle theft, common assault and destroying property.

Her then-solicitor Upol Amin said at the time that she would defend the charges.

Naaman was again refused bail by the magistrate in Sutherland Local Court on Tuesday.

Investigations into the kidnapping are continuing and further arrests are expected.
Coronavirus vaccines for children aged five to 12 will have to clear two approval hurdles when Pfizer lodges an application.

The pharmaceutical giant is expected to apply for its vaccine to be used in younger children following a similar move in the US.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration gives safety and efficacy approval, while the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation make recommendations about use.

Pfizer is expected to apply for its vaccine to be used in children aged five to 12, but will need to clear two approval hurdles (Pictured: Lydia, 7, receiving the Pfizer vaccine during a trial in North Carolina, USA)

Health Minister Greg Hunt said Australia had secured enough doses to vaccinate five to 12-year-olds if approval was granted.

'Our approach has always been that we see this as a double green light,' Mr Hunt told reporters on Tuesday.

But he refused to speculate about the potential of clashing TGA and ATAGI advice after similar agencies in the US split on booster shots for certain groups of adults.

'I'm very confident they have aligned their advice right throughout the pandemic and I would expect that would continue,' the health minister said.

Health Minister Greg Hunt (pictured) said Australia had secured enough doses to vaccinate five to 12-year-olds if approval was granted

ATAGI is expected to release recommendations about booster shots for the wider population in coming weeks after backing third jabs for immunocompromised people.

Australia's vaccination rollout continues to motor ahead after a sluggish start, with more than two million doses administered in the past week.

Despite fears jab rates may taper off, the program is maintaining pace with almost 83 per cent of over-16s having received at least one dose.

Despite fears jab rates may taper off, the program is maintaining pace with almost 83 per cent of over-16s having received at least one dose (Pictured: Syringes containing Pfizer vaccine)

About 1.3 million doses are needed to lift second-jab coverage from 63.4 to 70 per cent.

More than 53 per cent of children aged 12 to 15 have received a first jab just four weeks after the age cohort was added to the rollout.

More than 53 per cent of children aged 12 to 15 have received a first jab just four weeks after the age cohort was added to the rollout (Pictured: Charlotte Taylor, 14, receiving vaccine at a pop-up drive through vaccine clinic in Sydney)

'Australians are stepping forward in extraordinary numbers on a continuing basis,' Mr Hunt said.

Labor's health spokesman Mark Butler said Australia had controlled the virus but failed to leverage success by being the slowest developed nation on vaccines.

'Best in show last year, worst in show this year,' he told ABC radio.

About 1.3 million doses are needed to lift second-jab coverage from 63.4 to 70 per cent (pictured: A health worker preparing Pfizer vaccine dose inside vaccination hub in Melbourne)

'Which means that for the last three months, particularly the communities of New South Wales and Victoria have languished in lockdown.'

There remains pockets of concern with Western Australia and Queensland trailing the nation, and the Northern Territory losing momentum.

Mr Hunt declined to blame the NT government, saying issues around vaccine hesitancy in remote communities were hampering progress.

'There is also a lot of damaging mythology which is being fought on the ground,' he said.

There remains pockets of concern with Western Australia and Queensland trailing the nation in vaccination rates, and the Northern Territory losing momentum (Pictured: Vials of Pfizer vaccine)

'They are trying very hard but there are some communities where some pernicious anti-vax materials have been widely circulated.'

He also gave full support to the TGA's legal action against former Liberal MP Craig Kelly who is under fire for spreading vaccine misinformation.

'I reject and condemn the comments from Mr Kelly.'

Local cases in Victoria fell for a second consecutive day, with 1466 new coronavirus infections and eight deaths.

Another 360 people tested positive and five people died in NSW.

There were 28 new cases in Canberra, which will exit lockdown on Friday.
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Fire crews are desperately battling to save a ranch, which was at one time owned by former President Ronald Reagan, from being set ablaze by the Alisal Fire in Santa Barbara County.

Until now, the fire has been tearing its way through the region just north-west of Rancho del Cielo, but crews have now been dispatched to protect the site.

Speaking about the decision to deploy firefighters to the property, Santa Barbara County Fire public information officer Mike Eliason wrote on Twitter: 'The fire was several miles from the ranch, which has good defensible space, and several USFS engines were arriving to provide structure protection.'

The property itself is the former vacation home of President Reagan, who frequently visited with his wife Nancy during his tenure in office.

Fire crews are desperately battling to save a ranch (pictured), which was at one time owned by former President Ronald Reagan, from being set ablaze by the Alisal Fire in Santa Barbara County

The property itself is the former vacation home of President Reagan (pictured), who frequently visited with his wife Nancy during his tenure in office

Pictured: A line of firefighters from the California Conservation Corps set about making preparations to fight the Alisal Fire which is moving towards La Paloma Ranch and the Rancho del Cielo

Pictured: Thick smoke is seen clouding this wooded area as flames continue to tear their way through California - it is now believed to cover 7,000 acres

A firefighter blasts water from a fire truck at some of the Alisal Fire flames, with one of his crew members helping hold the hose so he can direct the water

Pictured: A tall plume of smoke rises high into the sky from a commercial building which was set ablaze by the Alisal Fire which continues to burn

A team of firefighters begin to organize a defense against the Alison Fire as it continues to tear its way through the Refugio Canyon

Pictured: Santa Barbara County Fire Hand Crew members are seen walking along a road with smoke billowing into the sky behind them as flames continue to rage

California Fire Captain Stephen Warren is seen checking for hot spots at homes near to the Circle Bar B guest ranch after the Alisal Fire tore through the area yesterday

A row of mailboxes are seen lying on the ground, damaged by flames which continue to burn around them as the Alisal Fire continues to grow

The Reagans purchased the ranch retreat in 1974 as his term as governor was ending, and was eventually sold to the Young Americas Foundation in 1998.

As of 12pm, the foundation confirmed that the blaze was burning in the Refugio Canyon just below the ranch, and that their team had been working to provide firefighters with water from two of the property's lakes, Deadline reports.

It comes as the California wildfire, driven by intense winds, has quickly expanded leading to mandatory evacuations and freeway closures as firefighters struggle to contain the flames.

The Alisal Fire, which started on Monday near the Alisal Reservoir, has expanded to 8,000 acres overnight driven by up to 35 mph winds in the area and 70 mph wind gusts and remained uncontained, according to an incident overview from Inciweb.com

The wildfire has already caused damage at two mobile home parks, destroying some trailers, and one person suffered burns, officials said.

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Santa Barbara fire officials battle flames on the northbound lanes of Highway 101 on Tuesday

Santa Barbara City Fire Department firefighters attempt to extinguish flames spreading to Highway 101

Santa Barbara County Fire Department firefighters race by in a fire truck early Tuesday morning while responding to a fire as seen from Refugio Road

On Monday the Alisal Fire toppled trees, whipped up blinding dust clouds and forced the a utility to cut power to thousands of customers in an effort to prevent wildfires, AP reported.

The wind-driven wildfire currently threatens as many as 100 structures, including ranches and homes, Inciweb reported.

Santa Barbara authorities were forced to shut down portions of U.S. Highway 101 on Monday after the wildfire jumped four lanes of the freeway, spreading to Tajiguas Beach, NBC News reported.

Currently more than 600 fire fighters are working to contain the flames, which are still being spread by strong winds, allowing wildfire to spread rapidly.

'Gusty winds continued overnight,' a fire official said Monday. 'Hopefully, lesser winds will allow air support to work the fire today.'

Flames from the Alisal Fire jumped four lanes of Highway 101 and continued to burn early Tuesday morning along the Gaviota Coast near the freeway sign 26 miles north of Santa Barbara

A pair of firefighting dozers cut a line along the western flank of the fire early Tuesday morning near Tajiguas Beach in Santa Barbara County

A fire engine, parked on the side of the road in Refugio Canyon late Monday evening as the Alisal Fire can be seen burning in the distance

The Alisal Fire has quickly spread overnight to 8,000 acres as the flames have been fanned by 70 mph wind gusts

According to officials most of the homes threatened by the fire are in Refugio Canyon, and residents in that area were ordered to evacuate on Tuesday, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Evacuation orders expanded to include El Capitan State Beach and the El Capitan campground.

The winds arrived Monday as a low-pressure system moved from Oregon toward the Great Basin. Red flag warnings for critical fire danger remained in effect Tuesday for much of the interior of Northern California, with lesser wind advisories continuing in Santa Barbara County.

In anticipation of the wind event, the Pacific Gas & Electric utility shut off power to about 24,000 customers in targeted areas of 23 counties to prevent fires from being started if gusts damaged electrical equipment, AP reported.

PG&E said Monday night that its meteorologists had begun issuing 'all-clear' advisories for portions of the areas affected by the public safety power shutoff and crews were patrolling de-energized lines to check for damage before restoring electricity.

Windy weather is a nightmare for firefighters in a state where heat waves and historic drought tied to climate change have left forests and brush tinder-dry. Fires that began in late summer are still burning after destroying hundreds of homes.

In the Sierra Nevada, the KNP Complex fire that may have burned hundreds of giant sequoias was only 30 percent contained. On Monday, a firefighter was struck by a rolling rock. The firefighter was airlifted to a hospital and is in stable condition, fire officials said.

Smoke and flames can be seen in the Refugio Canyon as the 8,000 acre Alisal Fire continues to churn the bone dry vegetation

In what started as a vegetation fire Monday, Santa Barbara City Fire Department assisted the Los Padres National Forest fighting the fire in the area of Refugio and West Camino Cielo

Statewide, more than 9,000 firefighters remained assigned to 10 large, active wildfires, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

California fires have burned 3,671 square miles this year, destroying more than 3,200 homes, commercial properties and other structures.

Those fires include two big forest blazes growing in the heart of California's giant sequoia country on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada.

Historic drought tied to climate change is making wildfires harder to fight. It has killed millions of trees in California alone.

Scientists say climate change has made the West much warmer and drier in the past 30 years and will continue to make weather more extreme and wildfires more frequent and destructive.

Last month, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a $15 billion package that will fund programs to tackle drought and climate change in the state after a devastating wildfire season.

Newsom signed 24 bills focused on climate and clean energy efforts, droughts, and wildfire preparedness, his office said in a statement on Thursday, describing the funding as the largest climate package in California's history.

The package's largest portion, $5.2 billion, will go towards funding for emergency drought relief projects and expanding California's water supplies.

The package includes $3.7 billion to address climate change risks, investing in projects that will mitigate extreme heat and tackle the threat of rising sea levels.

About $1.5 billion will go toward preventing wildfire risk in forests, according to the statement from Newsom's office.

This month, President Joe Biden renewed his push for significant investments to combat climate change as he visited California and took an aerial tour of areas hit by one of the country's worst fire seasons.

California typically experiences its peak fire season in late summer and fall. The state is on pace to see more of its landscape go up in flames this year than last, which was the worst year on record for the state.

Human-caused climate change has intensified the withering drought gripping the Southwestern United States, the region's most severe on record, with precipitation at the lowest 20-month level documented since 1895, a U.S. government report said on Tuesday.

Over the same period, from January 2020 through August 2021, the region also experienced the third-highest daily average temperatures measured since record-keeping began near the end of the 19th century, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The report warned that extreme drought conditions are likely to worsen and repeat themselves 'until stringent climate mitigation is pursued and regional warming trends are reversed.'
Senior black scientists have claimed that research culture in the UK is 'institutionally racist' and is failing them at every stage of their careers, as it emerged they hold just 0.5 per cent of professor posts.

Professor Christopher Jackson, a geoscience professor at Manchester University, said he believes that publicly-funded research conducted in universities discriminates against black academics.

He told the BBC the problem is compounded by the fact that white scientists believe they're so 'clever, liberal and progressive' that they don't recognise that 'racism and racists persist within those networks too'.

'They are not engaging to give black people the support they need to navigate a system which is often quite alien to them and to tell you about some of the unspoken norms and hidden laws that are in there,' Prof Jackson said.

The most recent data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency shows only 155 out of 22,810 university professors in the UK are black - equating to 0.7 per cent. Recent figures also show that 0.5% of STEM professors are black.

And a Royal Society report found that a greater proportion of black scientists are dropping out at every stage of their careers than their white counterparts, whereas other minority groups are better represented.

It found that 6.5 per cent of black people who begin research eventually drop out, compared with 3.8 per cent white students.

For those in science, 3.5 per cent are made professors - compared to nearly 12 per cent of their white counterparts. Overall, black people account for 1.7 per cent of research staff - whereas they make up 3.4 per cent of the UK population.

Professor Christopher Jackson, a geoscience professor at Manchester University, said he believes publicly-funded research discriminates against black academics

Imperial College researcher Dr Mark Richards said the Royal Society data 'seem to show that there is an element of racism or structural bias'. He also claimed that black students are not getting the backing they need from their professors.

Dr Jazmin Scarlett, who received a distinction in her masters and is a recipient of the President's medal from the Royal Geological Society, said that she has received more than 30 rejections for full-time research posts.

She told the BBC that academia is a tough sector but that she suspects her race may be a factor, after she received feedback following one unsuccessful application in which it was felt that she 'would not fit in'.

The volcanology student said: 'I feel almost paranoia that it is because of the colour of my skin. Because the feedback I constantly get has been: 'Your CV is great, you are great in the interview, but there's someone that's got that little bit extra' - and those people have been white.

'My credentials and my CV and experience for the position are great, but why is it that someone else has been hired instead of me?'

Dr Jazmin Scarlett (left) said that she has received more than 30 rejections for full-time research posts and received feedback explaining it was felt she wouldn't 'fit in'. Imperial College researcher Dr Mark Richards (right) said the Royal Society data 'seem to show that there is an element of racism or structural bias'

Jariatou Jarra, who had wanted to research quantum mechanics when she started her physics degree at Imperial College London, decided to change careers because she felt she 'did not belong'.

Some black academics are also concerned that the research funding system is biased against them, after an investigation into the UK Research and Innovation agency -the body that allocates research grants - found that the majority of the 4.3million funding went to white and Asian scientists.

Dr Addy Adelaine, who led the investigation, called the findings a 'kick in the teeth' and warned: 'There seems to be these closed doors and, unless you are in that circle, there is no way in to raise the issues that will affect you in your community.'

UKRI's chief executive, Professor Ottoline Leyser, apologised for 'the persistent racial inequalities evident across the research sector, the stark data and, most importantly, the experiences people have suffered'.

The President of the Royal Society, Professor Sir Adrian Smith, called the situation 'completely unacceptable', adding: 'We have global challenges to meet. We need the very best talent and people to be involved.'

Sir Adrian also said that there may be some unconscious racism in academia, with senior professors choosing to back people like themselves - either consciously or unconsciously.
The Chinese Communist Party's mouthpiece has unleashed on Tony Abbott, labelling him 'evil' and 'vicious' after he warned Australia could be dragged into a war over Taiwan.

The scathing attack by China's The Global Times was a direct response to comments by the former prime minister during and after his trip to Taipei last week.

Mr Abbott in a speech on Friday criticised Beijing for launching 'intimidatory sorties against Taiwan' and urged democracies to show 'solidarity' with the island of 25 million people which lies 161km east of China.

He then followed this up with his own opinion piece where he said Taiwan should 'prepare to fight' in the event China tried to take the island.

On Tuesday, Global Times editor-in-chief Hu Xijin delivered returned fire through the government propaganda outlet, and even threatened conflict with Australia.

The Chinese Communist Party's mouthpiece has unleashed on former Prime Minister Tony Abbott, labelling him 'evil' and 'vicious' after he warned Australia could be dragged into a war over tensions between Taiwan and Beijing

'To put it bluntly, Abbott actually asked Taiwan to 'stand up and die' for Western interests and to act as cannon fodder on a war that the island is destined to lose in order to win praise from the West,' he wrote.

'Abbott is so vicious. I just do not know if the people of Taiwan who listened to his speech are stupid enough to get blood boiled by his words.

'I think rational Taiwan people would tell him: It is better for you Australians prepare to fight. Australia can deploy most of its warships around the Chinese mainland and give young Australian soldiers "a worthy death defending democracy".'

Mr Hu hoped the people of Taiwan would have 'basic judgement' and 'refuse to become pawns' to Western nations like the US and Australia.

'Unification of China is a consistent and justified agenda since modern times. Those who vilify it are definitely the evil forces of anti-history and anti-humanity,' he wrote.

The piece finished off with Mr Hu writing Taiwan had two choices, either to walk to 'peaceful unification' or be 'be led to disaster by those evil forces'.

The Chinese embassy in Canberra earlier labelled Mr Abbott a 'failed and pitiful politician' on its website over the weekend.

'Tony Abbott is a failed and pitiful politician,' a spokesperson said.

'His recent despicable and insane performance in Taiwan fully exposed his hideous anti-China features.

'This will only further discredit him.'

On October 1, Beijing flew 148 aircraft into Taiwan's 'air defence zone' in one of the largest displays of force in recent years

On October 1, Beijing flew 148 aircraft into Taiwan's 'air defence zone' in one of the largest displays of force in recent years.

Financial services minister Jane Hume stepped in to defend Mr Abbott following the publication of the statement made by the Chinese embassy.

Ms Hume said while Australia had 'a very important economic relationship with China' the country had to 'act in our best strategic national interest as well'.

The Chinese Government believes Taiwan - which has governed itself since the Second World War - is a breakaway province and wants to 'reunify' it with the mainland.

On Saturday, Chinese president Xi Jinping said: 'Reunification through a peaceful manner is the most in line with the overall interest of the Chinese nation, including Taiwan compatriots.

'The historical task of the complete reunification of the motherland must be fulfilled, and will definitely be fulfilled.'

Mr Abbott issued a stark warning that conflict could escalate during his press conference in Taiwan last week.

'Sensing that its relative power might have peaked with its population ageing, economy slowing and finances creaking, it is quite possible that Beijing could lash out disastrously quite soon,' he said.

'Our challenge is to try to make sure that the unthinkable remains unlikely and that the possible does not become the probable.

'That's why Taiwan's friends are so important now, to stress that Taiwan's future should be decided by its own people and to let Beijing know that any attempt at coercion would have incalculable consequences.'

Former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott speaks next to Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen on Thursday

Mr Abbott said the US and Australia would likely join Taiwan in repelling any Chinese military aggression.

'I don't believe America could stand by and watch [Taiwan] swallowed up.

'I don't believe Australia would be indifferent to the fate of a fellow democracy of almost 25million people,' he said at the annual Yushan forum, a conference organised by the Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation.

The former prime minister, who led Australia from 2013 to 2015, said he did not attend the summit in 2019 'lest that provoke China'.

'But since then, Beijing has torn-up the "one country, two systems" treaty on Hong Kong; put upwards of a million Uighurs into concentration camps; and boosted cyber spying on its own citizens,' he said.

'[It also] cancelled popular personalities in favour of a cult of the new red emperor; brutalised Indian soldiers in the Himalayas; coerced other claimants in its eastern seas; and flown ever-more intimidatory sorties against Taiwan.

'It's weaponised trade, especially against Australia, with our barley, wine and coal exports all stopped on spurious safety grounds, and its embassy has published 14 demands - essentially that we become a tributary state - that no self-respecting country could accept.

'The trigger was politely seeking an impartial inquiry into the origins of the Wuhan virus. So this year, I'm here, having concluded that China's belligerence is all self-generated.'

Tony Abbott signed a free trade deal with President Xi Jinping in 2015 (the pair are pictured in Canberra in 2014) - but he says he would not sign the same agreement today

Mr Abbott said China 'could hardly succeed while it mistreats its own people and threatens its neighbours'.

He was incensed that China applied to join a trade group of Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, Vietnam, and the United States.

'It could never be admitted to the Trans Pacific Partnership while engaged in a trade war with Australia and in predatory trade all round,' he said.

Mr Abbott concluded his 12-minute speech by saying 'nothing is more pressing right now than solidarity with Taiwan'.

Beijing, via The Global Times, earlier claimed Australia was becoming a 'chess piece' in what it called America's 'anti-China strategy'.

'Abbott is not visiting Taipei in an official capacity, but should a member of the Australian Parliament or even an incumbent cabinet minister visit Taiwan in an official capacity, or should Canberra allow the change of the name of ''Taipei Economic and Cultural Office'' into something that violates the one-China principle, the bilateral relations between China and Australia would suffer irreparable damages,' the article threatened.

Officially, Taiwan is not recognised as a country under international law but considers itself to be an independent state.

Western nations have been rushing to reaffirm their support for Taiwan as it faces down threats from an increasingly assertive China.

Tensions have been building ever since a 2019 speech by President Xi Jinping in which he vowed to 'reunify' Taiwan with mainland China - using force if necessary.

He spoke against the backdrop of a rapid expansion of China's military, including the construction of new bases in the South China Sea - where Taiwan is located and over which Beijing claim supreme authority.

That has prompted the US - a long-standing ally of Taiwan - to forge new alliances in the region to counter-balance the growing threat.

China's sorties near Taiwan have included nuclear-capable H-6 bombers (pictured) along with fighters and recon planes

As well as the AUKUS pact, Biden has entered into a strategic partnership known as The Quad with India, Japan and Australia to share intelligence and carry out joint military drills in the region.

In a huge show of force to Beijing, the US is also participating in huge naval exercises in the region led by Britain's newest aircraft carrier - HMS Queen Elizabeth.

'Big Lizzie', as she is affectionately known, is currently leading drills with a joint carrier strike group that includes the USS Carl Vinson and USS Ronald Reagan, along with ships from New Zealand, the Netherlands, Canada and Japan.

The carriers and their escorts have been carrying out drills in the South China Sea, and are expected to arrive in Singapore shortly.

Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen last week vowed to 'do whatever it takes' to guard Taiwan against invasion as she indicated that without help from the country's allies 'authoritarianism has the upper hand over democracy.'

Tsai added: '[Democratic nations] should remember that if Taiwan were to fall, the consequences would be catastrophic for regional peace and the democratic system.

'It would signal that in today's global contest of values, authoritarianism has the upper hand over democracy.'

Taiwan hopes for peaceful coexistence with China, she said, but 'if its democracy and way of life are threatened, Taiwan will do whatever it takes to defend itself.'

Tsai's government on Monday urged Beijing to stop 'irresponsible provocative actions' after the warplanes breached Taiwan's air defence identification zone.

'Amid almost daily intrusions by the People's Liberation Army, our position on cross-strait relations remains constant: Taiwan will not bend to pressure,' Tsai added.
NSW motorists will face 'staggering' fines and toll fees over the next four years, Chris Minns will say in his budget reply speech on Wednesday.

The state Labor leader is demanding a pause in toll increases and wants speed camera warning signs, which were taken away last year, to be brought back.

In a pitch to hard-up families struggling with the cost of living, he will say NSW motorists face $3.5billion in fines over four years and $2.3billion a year in toll fees - a total of $12.7billion over four years.

NSW motorists will face 'staggering' fines and toll fees over the next four years, Chris Minns will say in his budget reply speech on Wednesday. Pictured: Police at Bondi Beach

Mr Minns will also call for more more social housing, more schools and an extension of Covid business support beyond December.

'Every time you pay a toll, send your kids to an overcrowded school, are stuck in traffic, or find the cost of living just that little bit harder, that's the record of the former treasurer - the new Premier Dominic Perrottet,' he will say.

'What is the best way I can introduce him? Let me introduce you to his budget. Fines go up - a staggering $3.5 billion in fines over four years.

'Tolls go up - Sydney motorists now pay $2.3 billion a year in tolls.

'The blatant revenue raising from low range speed cameras rolls on. Housing affordability get worse - and stamp duty increases by 65 per cent in just two years.

'And what's more: debt is forecast to be $104 billion by 2025  or a whopping 13.7 per cent of Gross State Product,' he will say.

Under Mr Perrottet's plan, the Covid JobSaver payment - which now hands companies cash worth 30 per cent of their wage bills - will be tapered down to 15 per cent when the state reaches an 80 per cent vaccination rate before ending on November 30.

Labor leader Chris Minns gets a haircut in Groom Room Barbers at San Souci in Sydney on Monday

Mr Minns said this date is too early to switch off support.

'After months of lockdowns  it's simply not as simple as opening your front door and turning on the lights for tens of thousands of businesses across this State.

'Business is relying on ongoing support to cover accrued debts and to support cashflow during reopening,' he will say.

'Our businesses have taken huge hits financially and personally to follow the health advice of the NSW Government. They've done the right thing, back them in.

'Nobody expects support payments indefinitely but cutting too quickly will have serious consequences.

'We should be talking about economic support packages to kickstart the economy again, not winding them down.'

Mr Minns wants the payroll tax reduction from 5.45 per cent to 4.85 per cent to be extended for another year.

He will also set out an agenda to build social housing and schools across the state and particularly in western Sydney, which is emerging as a key battleground for the 2023 election.

The Labor leader is demanding a freeze in toll increases and wants speed camera warning signs, which were taken away last year, to be brought back. Pictured: The WestConnex tunnel at Homebush, Sydney

'It is time for a big build in social housing and schools  bringing back jobs, getting young people into their homes, and our kids learning in classrooms fit for our future,' Mr Minns will say.

'Schools like the primary school in Tallawong. The high school in Marsden Park. The K-12 school in Rydalmere. And the primary school in Gregory Hills. All promised  all still not delivered.

'These are growing communities which urgently needs dozens of classrooms, libraries, new playgrounds  tens of millions of dollars should be at work there, with all the economic boost that would bring.'

Mr Minns will conclude by saying he hopes the Government pinches his ideas.

'A better New South Wales is possible. Let's work together to get it done,' he will say.
Just one in 140 rapes are being solved by Britain's worst performing police force, as official figures show that a victim's chances of their attacker being prosecuted can double depending on which side of a street they live.

Only 0.7 per cent of rapes reported to Wiltshire Police resulted in a charge or summons, whereas Durham - the most successful force - had more than 10 times the success rate in bringing prosecutions at 7.1 per cent, according to Home Office data for the three years from 2018-19 to 2020-21.

Astonishingly, Cleveland - the police force neighbouring Durham - solved just half as many rapes during the same period, the figures compiled by Police Federation researcher Gavin Hales and seen by the Telegraph show.

Victims' Commissioner Dame Vera Baird slammed the 'pathetic and terrifying' figures and warned that women were being deterred from reporting street harassment because of the 'appallingly low' rape prosecution rates.

She also urged the Government to put violence against women on a par with terrorism, county lines drug-dealing and child sexual exploitation by including it in its national Strategic Policing Requirements.

'There is no difference between rape in Durham and rape in Wiltshire or Cleveland. What is different is the effort and skill put into investigating and prosecuting rape by some forces over others. None of these figures are anything but appallingly low. There is no crime with prosecution percentages as pathetic and terrifying as these across the board,' Dame Vera told the paper.

A Wiltshire Police spokesman told MailOnline it had been 'working hard' to improve outcomes, with the level of rapes resulting in a charge rising from 3.8 per cent in October last year to 4.1 per cent this month.

It comes amid growing demands to improve the investigation and prosecution of all sex crimes following the rape and murder of Sarah Everard by serving Metropolitan Police officer Wayne Couzens.

There are growing demands to improve the investigation and prosecution of all sex crimes following the rape and murder of Sarah Everard by serving Metropolitan Police officer Wayne Couzens

Victims' Commissioner Dame Vera Baird slammed the 'pathetic and terrifying' figures and warned that women were being deterred from reporting street harassment because of the 'appallingly low' rape prosecution rates

'I was flashed by Wayne Couzens' says radio's Emma B: DJ reveals she was targeted 13 YEARS before crazed policeman murdered Sarah Everard  and officers 'laughed in my face' when it was reported A DJ has claimed that she was flashed by killer Wayne Couzens in 2008 and that police 'laughed in her face' when she reported it. Magic FM DJ Emma Wilson, known on the radio as Emma B, has waived her right to anonymity and said that the former police officer exposed himself to her 13 years before he killed Sarah Everard . In an interview with The Telegraph , she said: 'I really wouldn't say anything out loud if I wasn't very sure, because it's important and it's serious, but as soon as I saw the pictures of him, I said 'That's him'.' Describing the 'horrific' incident, Mrs Wilson said she was walking in Greenwich with her baby son in a pram after dropping her five-year-old daughter off at school when a man shouted 'hey' at her. When she turned around, she saw a man she claims was Couzens with his trousers down, exposing himself, which left her feeling 'panicked'. Between December 2006 and September 2010, Couzens was working as a Special Constable for Kent Police. The DJ ran to a nearby shop and called 999 and it was during her recounting of the incident to police that she was met with laughter from officers, she says. Advertisement

A Wiltshire Police spokesman said: 'It goes without saying that we take reports of rape and sexual assault incredibly seriously and we want our communities to have complete confidence in reporting these types of offences to the police. Dealing with rape and sexual assault is the Force's priority.

'We accept that the figures both locally and nationally do not paint a reassuring picture, but we must stress that we are being very proactive in trying to make improvements.

'We have been working closely with our colleagues at the Crown Prosecution Service to improve our joint response to rape and serious sexual offences (RASSO) and now have a tri-force Wessex RASSO Action Plan in place.

'This has seen the introduction of a range of measures with a greater focus on improving the service we provide for victims and increasing the likelihood the perpetrator will be brought to justice.

'We have recruited extra specialist staff to ensure victims are supported throughout the whole process and all RASSO cases are investigated by specially-trained detectives. In addition, all cases are prosecuted by specialist lawyers who are trained to understand the challenges that are often associated with such cases.

'We are pleased to say that we are already seeing the benefits of this approach and we are hopeful that this will be reflected in future data. We are seeing more cases referred to CPS more quickly. We are also increasing the number of perpetrators being charged and prosecuted.

'This is not something which can be drastically improved overnight, but we want this to be a sustained, long-term action plan that makes a real difference for victims and brings offenders to justice.'

An analysis of last year's Crown Prosecution Service figures also show that the prospect of rape victims getting justice is half as likely in some regions compared with others.

The 94.4 per cent rape conviction rate in Gloucestershire is the highest in England and Wales. However, in Warwickshire, a neighbouring county, the proportion of convictions is 46.7 per cent.

The figures, disclosed by the Labour Party and first reported by the Times, sowed that in Sussex, it took an average of 474 days last year from the police passing their investigation to the CPS to when a decision was made - compared with 231 days in Wiltshire.

Among the 14 CPS regions, the South West had the highest rape conviction rate in England and Wales, at 84.5 per cent. The lowest was in Wales, where two thirds of rape suspects were convicted.

Among the regions, rape victims in the South West were left waiting the longest for a decision, with an average of 389 days compared with 307 in South London.

Earlier this year, Home Office figures showed record numbers of victims of crime including rape were withdrawing from prosecutions because of court delays and falling conviction rates.

The Government is considering whether to make street harassment a new offence in order to force police to take it more seriously and record it as a crime.

Indecent exposure is massively under-reported, according to the Official for National Statistics. Some 10,709 cases were reported in 2019 but just 735 resulted in a prosecution.

Do rogue officers face justice? Misconduct hearings explained There are two types of public hearings for the most serious cases of misconduct. Chief constables can hold accelerated hearings when evidence is irrefutable, often because an officer has pleaded guilty to a crime. Open hearings, in which officers are named and the public can attend, are the starting point of legislation and Home Office guidance. Officers can be granted anonymity, or hearings can be private, because of extenuating circumstances. These can include national security, the risk of prejudicing a court case or risks to welfare of parties. Home Office guidance states: 'Blanket restrictions should be avoided and careful consideration should be given to which parts of the hearing can remain open.' Advertisement

It comes as almost 2,000 police and community support officers have been accused of sex offences including rape, sexual assault and child sex offences since 2017, official data has revealed amid the outcry over Sarah's horrific abduction and murder by Couzens.

The allegations - made mostly against men - include more than 370 of sexual assault, nearly 100 of rape and 18 of child sex offences, according to Freedom of Information figures - and just eight per cent of those accusations led to a dismissal, 39 of the 43 police forces in England and Wales said.

Police officers across the country accused of serious offences - including having sex with a female colleague on police premises, sleeping with a drug dealer and even taking cash from a dead person - have been granted anonymity after being dismissed or disciplined in secret hearings.

Forces are reportedly holding hearings in private despite misconduct legislation being designed to maintain 'transparency where possible'. They are reportedly sending out ambiguous and anonymised misconduct outcomes that fail to detail the officer's rank and nature of their offending and have blocked journalists from making the argument for open proceedings.

Official figures seen by the Times show forces also delete public misconduct outcomes relating to the most serious offenders, including the notice that detailed the sacking of serving Met officer Wayne Couzens, who kidnapped, raped and murdered Miss Everard in March.

It comes days after it was announced that Baroness Casey will lead a review into Scotland Yard's culture and vetting processes which will re-examine historical sexual misconduct allegations involving officers still serving in the force.

The review, in response to Sarah Everard's murder by serving Met officer Wayne Couzens, will re-examine historical sexual misconduct allegations involving officers still serving in the force.

A separate independent inquiry announced by Home Secretary Priti Patel last week will investigate the 'systemic' failures that allowed Couzens, 48, to be employed as a police officer despite reports of indecent exposure and other signs he could be dangerous.

The parliamentary and diplomatic protection officer was said to have been referred to as 'The Rapist' by former colleagues in the Civil Nuclear Constabulary because he made women feel uncomfortable. In March this year, he used his police-issue handcuffs and warrant card to stage a fake arrest of Miss Everard, a 33-year-old marketing manager, before killing her.

The Times reported that in the past month there were more than 40 misconduct outcome notices published relating to officers and staff in England and Wales - and nearly half of them were anonymised.

Figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act reveal that there have been 1,147 hearings since 2018. Forces were unable to say whether 502 of them were held in public or private. Of the remaining 645 hearings, one in four were held in private, the paper added.

The National Police Chiefs' Council told the paper: 'Without question, it's expected and important in terms of accountability and public trust for every force to demonstrate the greatest levels of transparency possible around misconduct hearings and outcomes.'

The body said dismissed officers were placed on the barred list. However, the list is only searchable by the name of the officer, which is not possible in cases where they are given anonymity.

In March this year, Couzens used his police-issue handcuffs and warrant card to stage a fake arrest of Miss Everard, a 33-year-old marketing manager, before killing her

The End Violence Against Women Coalition - which includes organisations such as Rape Crisis and Women's Aid - said few officers faced 'any meaningful consequences' for sexual misconduct against women and girls.

The group's deputy director Deniz Ugur called for a radical overhaul of how police respond to violence against women, adding: 'Ultimately, we need to address these widespread institutional failings before we can even begin to address women's confidence in the police.'

A separate study from Bournemouth University found there were 514 proven cases of sexual misconduct across 33 forces in the past five years - the most common of which was 'abuse of position for a sexual purpose'.

According to the Bournemouth research, the most common sexual misconduct offence involved officers allegedly using their power to form a relationship with a victim for sexually motivated purposes.

One such officer was detective constable Jatinder Bunger who was jailed for ten months in May. The former Lancashire Police officer admitted sending sexual messages to victims and obtaining intimate images from the phones of vulnerable women - including a rape victim.

The research also found that, of the 514 proven cases of sexual misconduct, 15 per cent involved officers who were at sergeant rank or higher.

Thirty officers were at a senior level of inspector or above - with the highest-ranking being an assistant chief constable. Separate data shows there were more than 500 claims of sexual offences against officers and staff at Scotland Yard between 2016 and 2020.

The findings are the latest blow for the police service and come just a week after the Mail revealed that nearly 1,000 officers and staff have been probed for posting offensive social media content.

The National Police Chiefs' Council's Louise Rolfe told Channel 4's Cops on Trial: Dispatches: 'We absolutely must, in policing, get to the bottom of what might have been behind these cases.

'We know, very sadly, a small number of people are attracted to policing because of the power, the control and the opportunity it affords them. Our vetting processes are designed to root those people out.'

The Independent Office for Police Conduct said it was down to individual forces to stamp out abuses of police powers.
Navy nuclear engineer Jonathan Toebbe, 42, and wife, Diana, 45, were charged Saturday with selling secret information to an unidentified foreign country

The wife of the Navy submarine engineer who was charged with spying on the U.S. for an unidentified foreign government is a leftist who organized a babysitter on Facebook with her husband so they could make their last secret drop of stolen intelligence before they were caught by the FBI.

Navy nuclear engineer Jonathan Toebbe, 42, and wife, Diana, 45, appeared in court in Martinsburg, West Virginia, today, and are accused of selling military secrets and classified information about nuclear submarines to an unidentified foreign country.

They were ordered detained without bail until a detention hearing on Friday at 11am. A preliminary examination hearing into their case is slated for Wednesday, October, 20, at 1pm.

The Toebbes, both of whom were represented by court-appointed counsel, could face either life in prison or a fine of $100,000 and five years of supervised release.

The social media account for Diana revealed that she supports 'The Resistance' and Hillary Clinton, and has shared performative posts about the Black Lives Matter movement and 'stopping Donald Trump.'

On July 28, she asked for a babysitter on Facebook to watch her children early on Saturday morning for up to five to six hours.

She then posted an update to the original post, only visible to friends, with the word '*FOUND*', implying a babysitter had been organized.

She and her husband then left their home in Annapolis, Maryland, unaware they were being watched by the FBI and headed to West Virginia.

The agents then witnessed Jonathan place a 32-gigabyte memory card hidden in a sealed Band-Aid wrapper in a container set up as a drop point by an undercover FBI operative, officials said.

The FBI said that Jonathan added a note with the package saying he was interested in selling information on Virginia-class nuclear submarine reactions to a foreign power back when Donald Trump was president.

The alleged submarine spies: Diane Toebbe (left) posted anti-Trump rants, praised Hilary and organized a babysitter on Facebook so the couple could make secret drop of stolen intelligence - while her husband Jonathan Toebbe (right) was a medieval buff

The social media posts on Diana Toebbe's Facebook account include one saying 'Women Can Stop Trump'

The couple will appear in court in Martinsburg, West Virginia, at 11am today and are accused of selling military secrets and classified information about nuclear submarines to an unidentified foreign country

One retweet from the her account in 2017, just days after Trump's inauguration, shows a photo saying, 'To the rest of the world, due to an insufficient amount of moral courage, America is temporarily out of order. We hope to restore service as quickly as possible. In the meantime, we in the resistance movement join hands with those around the world who realize we are one people. May the forces of good be with us. #TheResistance.'

Diana also retweeted an anti-trump tweet from TED Talk follower and cosmologist Katie Mack, saying the Trump administration suppressed LGBT right

She also supported liberal ideologies, including the Black Lives Matter movement

Her profile picture reads 'Black Lives Matter,' and a post last year celebrating the social media protest against racism called '#blackouttuesday'

The country the Toebbes were allegedly trying to sell the nuclear secrets to were not clear and neither are their motivations.

However, court documents suggest that the country was most likely an ally or neutral government because it cooperated with the FBI during the sting operation to expose the Toebbes.

Some experts suggested that the Toebbes were trying to sell the information to France, but French officials said they were not involved in the incident, according to the New York Times.

Diana was a Humanities professor at the Key School for the last ten years, a progressive private school in Annapolis, where she taught history and English.

Former graduates and current employees described Diana as a strong feminist and very liberal.

Craig Martien, 20, a 2019 alum who collaborated with Diana on a yearbook and an after-school anthropology club, said she was 'insanely smart'.

However, he said she was shocked by Trump's 2016 election and mentioned several times the possibility of moving to Australia  one of six countries that currently possesses nuclear submarines.

'She said she couldn't stand the current state of politics and actually had found some job opportunities over there,' he said.

On her Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, Diana shared pictures of her dogs, her family and selfies - a far cry from her alleged life as a spy.

But some posts hinted that she was unhappy with the government and her country.

On her Facebook, Diana used filters, including the LGBT one (pictured) on her profile pictures to show her liberal views

One post she shared in 2019 is a photo from an unidentified Women's March with the above quote about 'staying angry'

She made multiple posts about supporting The Resistance and in one she retweeted that 'America is Temporarily Out of Order.'

She also supported liberal ideologies, including the Black Lives Matter movement. Her profile picture reads 'Black Lives Matter,' and a post last year celebrating the social media protest against racism called '#blackouttuesday.'

One post she shared in 2019 is a photo from an unidentified Women's March overlaid with the quote, 'Stay angry, little Meg. You will need all your anger now,' from Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time.

The accounts her Twitter profile follows are mostly 'resistance' accounts in protest of Trump, including the 'Rogue NASA' account described as 'the unofficial "Resistance" team of NASA' on its bio description.

In 2016, she retweeted a post from liberal activist group MoveOn about former First Lady Michelle Obama's speech criticism of then-presidential candidate Donald Trump for his treatment of women.

In 2016, she retweeted a post from liberal activist group MoveOn about former First Lady Michelle Obama's speech criticism of then-presidential candidate Donald Trump for his treatment of women

Around the same time, she retweeted a post from self-proclaimed 'activist against Islamophobia' CJ Werleman which included a video of an Iranian-American discussing Trump's travel ban

She followed up with another tweet from an account called ALT DOJ, which describes itself as the 'Resistance' Department of Justice, that included a photo of people protesting the travel ban outside then-Senator Orrin Hatch's office at the Capitol

One retweet in 2017, just days after Trump's inauguration, shows a picture caption:, 'To the rest of the world, due to an insufficient amount of moral courage, America is temporarily out of order. We hope to restore service as quickly as possible. In the meantime, we in the resistance movement join hands with those around the world who realize we are one people. May the forces of good be with us. #TheResistance.'

Around the same time, she retweeted a post from self-proclaimed 'activist against Islamophobia' CJ Werleman which included a video of an Iranian-American discussing Trump's travel ban with the caption, 'Watch this video and then try to describe immigrants in dehumanizing terms such as "waves" or "floods." '

She followed up with another tweet from an account called ALT DOJ, which describes itself as the 'Resistance' Department of Justice, that included a photo of people protesting the travel ban outside then-Senator Orrin Hatch's office at the Capitol.

It's caption read: 'Scene in front of Hatch's office right now. capitol police threatening arrests for seated protesters! #RESIST #TheResistance #MuslimBan'

One Facebook post on Diana's account said 'Women Can Stop Trump;' while other profile pictures feature failed 2016 presidential candidate Hilary Clinton's campaign symbol; a photo of the transgender flag; and various profile photos supporting the LGBTQ+ community.

The residence of Jonathan and Diana Toebbe is shown on Sunday in Annapolis, Maryland, a day after it was searched by FBI agents

Meanwhile, her husband appears to be a wannabe medieval swashbuckler who took sword-fighting classes and owned his own swords.

About two months after Jonathan allegedly sent a package of secret Navy information to a foreign contact, he boasted about buying a new sword to members of the Mid-Atlantic Society for Historic Swordsmanship on Facebook.

'[That feeling when] a box from Amazon and Purpleheart Armoury arrive on the same day,' Toebbe wrote on the society's Facebook page, while also posting a photo of a new sleek sword, medieval-style armor and a book titled 'The Medieval Art of Swordsmanship.'

'New sword day is always a good day,' he added in 2020.

The group's founder, Larry Tom, told the New York Post that he knew Toebbe in the 'context' of historic swordplay.

Jonathan also attended classes at the group's nearby center.

He was listed as a student of longswords, bucklers and rapiers on the group's Facebook page, which seems to have been deleted or frozen as of Monday.

Jonathan's Facebook account's most recent public post is from 2013. The posts included stories from satire site, The Onion, including one headline he posted in 2011, reading, 'New GOP Strategy Involves Reelecting Obama, Making His Life Even More Miserable.'

Prior to his arrest on Saturday, Jonathan hid encrypted memory cards in a peanut butter sandwich and a chewing gum packet at different drop-off locations.

In a criminal complaint detailing espionage-related charges against Jonathan and Diana Toebbe, the government said he sold information for nearly the past year to a foreign power representative.

The FBI says in April 2020 Toebbe sent a package of Navy documents to a foreign government and wrote that he was interested in selling information on Virginia-class nuclear submarine reactors.

The unidentified foreign government sat on the documents before turning them over to the US in December 2020, after the election.

Toebbe was arrested in West Virginia on Saturday along with his wife, a teacher, after he had placed a removable memory card at a prearranged 'dead drop' in the state, according to the Justice Department.

He hid encrypted memory cards in a peanut butter sandwich, a chewing gum packet and band-aid wrapper.

Toebbe worked for 15 months in the office of the chief of naval operations, the top officer in the military's branch.

He has worked on naval nuclear propulsion since 2012, including secret technology devised to reduce the noise and vibration of submarines, factors that can give away their location.

Toebbe stated in one message that he had hoped the foreign government would be able to extract him and his family if he was ever tracked down, saying 'we have passports and cash set aside for this purpose.'

PICTURED: Diane Toebbe, 45, and Jonathan Toebbe, 42, were charged with espionage and violation of the Atomic Energy Act after the FBI received a package from an unidentified foreign country saying it had received sensitive classified information on American nuclear submarines in December 2020, a month after President Biden was elected

Authorities say he provided instructions for how to conduct the furtive relationship, with a letter that said: 'I apologize for this poor translation into your language. Please forward this letter to your military intelligence agency. I believe this information will be of great value to your nation. This is not a hoax.'

An undercover FBI agent posing as a representative of the foreign government made contact with Toebbe and agreed to pay thousands of dollars in cryptocurrency for the information he was offering.

The emails show that at first Toebbe remained wary but that he came to trust the undercover agent due to the hefty amount he was going to be paid. It was agreed he would receive $100,00 in crypto and was paid $70,000 before he was caught.

The FBI also arranged a 'signal' to Toebbe from the country's embassy in Washington over the Memorial Day weekend. The papers do not describe how the FBI was able to arrange such a signal.

Last June, the FBI says, the undercover agent sent $10,000 in cryptocurrency to Toebbe, describing it as a sign of good faith and trust.

Weeks later, federal agents watched as the Toebbes arrived at an agreed-upon location in West Virginia for the exchange, with Diana Toebbe appearing to serve as a lookout for her husband during a dead-drop operation for which the FBI paid $20,000, according to the complaint.

The FBI recovered a blue memory card wrapped in plastic and placed between two slices of bread on a peanut butter sandwich, court documents said.

The FBI provided the contents of the memory card to a Navy subject matter expert who determined that the records included design elements and performance characteristics of Virginia-class submarine reactors, the Justice Department said.

The FBI conducted similar dead-drop exchanges over the next several months, including one in August in Virginia in which Toebbe was paid roughly $70,000 and concealed in a chewing gum package a memory card that contained schematic designs for the Virginia-class submarine, according to court documents.

One memory card included a typed message that said, in part: 'I hope your experts are very happy with the sample provided and I understand the importance of a small exchange to grow our trust.'

Many of the emails that were exchanged between Toebbe and the representative of the foreign country were transcribed in the court documents. He used two pseudonyms: Alice Hill and Bob Burns.

The messages suggest that Toebbe was offering the classified information to a power that already has nuclear submarines.

Toebbe states in one message that the information 'reflects decades of U.S. Navy 'lessons learned' that will help keep your sailors safe.'

Only six countries currently operate nuclear-powered submarines  China, France, India, Russia, the UK and the US. The US and UK are set to provide Australia with the technology to deploy nuclear-powered submarines, as part of the first initiative under the new trilateral security partnership AUKUS.

Prior to the new deal, which ignited a diplomatic row between Washington and Paris, the US had only shared the technology of its submarines with Britain. Each of these underwater craft cost an estimated $3billion to build.

The leaked secrets contained 'militarily sensitive design elements, operating parameters and performance characteristics of Virginia-class submarine reactors,' according to a federal court affidavit.

According to public Navy records, he worked for 15 months in the office of the chief of naval operations, the top officer in the military's branch.

Since 2012, Toebbe has worked for the Navy and he had high-level clearances in nuclear engineering.

Toebbe started working in the military as a civilian in 2017. He was commissioned in the Navy and rose to the rank of lieutenant before moving to the Navy Rescue, which he left in December 2020  the month the FBI established contact with him.

According to court documents, he has worked on naval nuclear propulsion since 2012, including on technology devised to reduce the noise and vibration of submarines, factors that can give away their location.

He also worked on naval reactors in Arlington, Virginia, from 2012 to 2014. He then was a student at naval reactor school in Pittsburgh before returning to Arlington to work on reactors again.

The complaint alleges violations of the Atomic Energy Act, which restricts the disclosure of information related to atomic weapons or nuclear materials.

It is unclear how many counts the couple, who have two children and live in Annapolis, Maryland, face. However, espionage carries a maximum sentence of ten years under US law.

Diana Toebbe is a humanities teacher at the Key School, a private school in Annapolis. The K-12 school said on Sunday that she had been suspended indefinitely.

The FBI also stated that Toebbe would only have had access to the documents that he allegedly shared with the undercover FBI agent while working at the Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory, a government research facility in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania.





A bird's eye show of Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory lab, where the FBI claims is the only place where Toebbe could have obtained the classified information on US nuclear subs

The Toebbes are expected to have their initial court appearances Tuesday in Martinsburg, West Virginia.

No one answered at the Toebbe residence on Sunday afternoon in a waterside Annapolis community by the South River.

An outside light was on above the door of their home, and a dog barked inside.

John Cooley, who lives across the street from the Toebbes, said he counted more than 30 FBI agents on his block on Saturday from about 2.30 p.m. until after dark. He said agents went inside the home.

Jerry LaFleur, a neighbor of the Toebbes, said he would occasionally waive to the Toebbes, but the only time they spoke was when to ask permission to trim the weeds on the family's side of the backyard fence they share.

'He seemed like a nice, ordinary guy, nothing that would make me think twice,' Mr. LaFleur said.

It wasn't immediately clear whether the Toebbes, who are from Annapolis, Maryland, have lawyers. The Navy declined to comment to the Associated Press on Sunday.

The Toebbe's arrest has already been compared to Jonathan Pollard, a former US intelligence analyst who served 30 years in jail for selling navy secrets to Israel.

He is the only American in US history to receive a life sentence for spying for an ally, and the only one to serve more than 10 years in prison for the crime.

Both, Diana and Jonathan Toebbe are scheduled to appear in a West Virginia federal court on Tuesday.

Emails exchanged between Jonathan Toebbe and FBI agent posing as representative of unidentified country

On December 26, 2020, the FBI initiated the first of several emails to 'ALICE' on ProtonMail. The FBI utilized a ProtonMail account utilizing the pseudo name 'BOB.' The email stated, 'We received your letter. We want to work with you. It has been many months, so we need to know if you are still out there. Please respond to this message, then we will provide instructions on how to proceed.'

On February 10, 2021, 'ALICE' responded and stated, 'Thank you for contacting me. I am still here. The covid disease has made it more difficult to find chances to check this email. Let us discuss how to proceed.'

On February 24, 2021, an FBI agent acting in an undercover capacity ('the UC') responded and stated, 'We understand the delay and hope you are well. Our experts reviewed the information you provided. We would like to sample your [US. Navy Information  Specific Sections].' We have a trusted friend in your country who has a gift for you to compensate for your efforts...

On March 5, 2021, 'ALICE' replied with the following. ' I am uncomfortable with this arrangement. Face to face meetings are very risky for me, as I am sure you understand. I propose exchanging gifts electronically, for mutual safety. I can upload documents to a secure cloud storage account, encrypted with the key I have provided you. You can send me a suitable gift in Monero cryptocurrency to an address I will provide. 100,000 usd should be enough to prove to me that you are not an unwelcome third party looking to make trouble for me. When I have confirmed receipt of your gift, I will provide you with the download link. We are both protected. I understand this is a large request. However, please remember I am risking my life for your benefit and I have taken the first step. Please help me trust you fully.'

On March 18, 2021, the UC posing as a representative of COUNTRY1 wrote, 'We understand a face to face meeting would be uncomfortable. We suggest a neutral drop location. When you visit the location alone, you retrieve a g~fi and leave behind the sample we request. We hope to have a very long friendship that benefits mutually.'

On March 22, 2021, 'ALICE' replied. 'I understand your proposal to start a dead drop. I am concerned that using a dead drop location your friend prepares makes me very vulnerable. If other interested parties are observing the location, I will be unable to detect them. I am not a professional, and do not have a team supporting me. I am also concerned that a physical gift would be very difficult to explain if I am questioned. For now, I must consider the possibility that you are not the person I hope you are. It would be very easy for the serial numbers of bills to be recorded. Tracking devices and other nasty surprises must be considered as well. I propose to mod~ your plan in the following ways:

1. I will place the sample you requested on a memory card and place it in a drop location of my choosing... . I am not a professional and I am sure that publicly available information on this subject is incomplete.

2. The samples will be encrypted using GnuPG symmetric encryption with a randomly generated passphrase.

3. I will tell you the location and how to find the card. I will also give you a Monero address. This form of gift protects both of us very well. I am very aware of the risks of blockchain analysis of BitCoin and other cryptocurrencies, and believe Monero gives both of us excellent deniability.

4. Once I confirm receipt of my gift, I will give you the passphrase.

Your friend and I will never go to the same drop location twice. I will give you a new Monero address each time. The decryption key will be different each time. No patterns for third parties to observe. The only electronic footprints will be Proton to Proton, so there is less risk of encrypted traffic being collected for future analysis by third parties. That part is not perfect. Perhaps as our friendship develops we will change addresses periodically?'

On April 1, 2021, the UC posing as a representative of COUNTRY1 responded to 'ALICE' and stated, 'We understand your concern and appreciate the thoughtful plan... as a sign of good faith and trust we wish to pay you the equivalent of 10,000 USD immediately on Monero to address you provided.

Drop locations are safest and allow us to make exchanges without coming in contact and of course leave no electronic footprint... Your proposed method of memory card with encryption/passphrases is acceptable. For the small sample we requested you will receive another 20,000 USD. Once you confirm Monero address we will activate payment. Our next step will be information on the drop location we have selected. This method will build trust between usfor a larger transaction in future. Our experts are interested in the information you have but we insist on maintaining our discretion and security as a priority.'

On April 9, 2021, 'ALICE' wrote, 'I am sorry to be so stubborn and untrusting, but I can not agree to go to a location of your choosing. I must consider the possibility that l am communicating with an adversary who has intercepted my first message and is attempting to expose me. Would not such an adversary wish me to go to a place of his choosing, knowing that an amateur will be unlikely to detect his surveillance? If you insist on physically delivering the package, then it must be a place of my choosing.

I ask you to consider the viability of an electronic dead drop. I can establish an encrypted online storage account without providing any identifying information and without provoking any suspicion...Another possibility occurs to me: is there some physical signal you can make that proves your identity to me? I could plan to visit Washington D.C. over the Memorial Day weekend. I would just be another tourist in the crowd. Perhaps you could fly a signal flag on your roof? Something easily observable from the street, but nothing to arouse an adversary's suspicion?... '.

On April 23, 2021, the UC posing as a representative of COUNTRY1 emailed the following: 'You do not need to apologize. We appreciate you being careful. That is much better than someone reckless. Your thoughtful plans indicate you are not amateur. This relationship requires mutual comfort. There is risk on both sides and we understand your need for safety assurance of who you are communicating with. As you suggest we can accommodate a signal in Washington D.C. over the Memorial Day weekend. We will set a signal from our main building observable from the street. It will bring you comfort with signals on display from the area inside our property that we control and not a [sic] adversary. If you agree please acknowledge. We will then provide more instruction about the signal. We hope this plan will continue to build the necessary trust and comfort of our identity.'

On May 5, 2021 'ALICE' wrote, 'I will make plans to be in the capitol [sic] over the Memorial Day weekend. It would be best to leave the signal visible for the entire holiday weekend so I can plan to pass by in the natural course of my tourist day. I may be on foot or passing by in a bus or car or bicycle, so please plan for something easy to spot.

On May 17, 2021, the UC posing as a representative of COUNTRY1 responded and said, in part, 'We are happy to set a signal to bring you comfort and build necessary trust between us. The signal will be inside our main building from Saturday morning until Sunday evening Memorial Day weekend.'

During the weekend of May 29-30, 2021, the FBI conducted an operation in the Washington, D.C. area that involved placing a signal at a location associated with COUNTRY1 in an attempted effort to gain bona fides with 'ALICE.'

On May 31, 2021, the FBI received confirmation via the ProtonMail from 'ALICE' that the signal was received. 'ALICE' also wrote that, 'Now Jam comfortably telling you your assumption that Pittsburgh would be a convenient location for me is incorrect.. for now I can tell you I am located near Baltimore, Maryland. Please let me know when you are ready to proceed with our first exchange. Once you have dropped location details for me, I will give you the Monero address and prepare the sample you have requested.' 'ALICE' went on to request clarity of the U.S. Navy information requested by the UC posing as a representative of COUNTRY1.

On June 4, 2021, the UC posing as a representative of COUNTRY1 requested the Monero address to provide 'ALICE' a payment of $10,000 USD as a sign of good faith and trust. The UC also informed 'ALICE' that new communication instructions would be provided at the exchange location.

On June 8, 2021, 'ALICE' wrote that, 'For maximum security it is very important that you do not send Monero to the same address twice.' 'ALICE' then provided the FBI with a payment address. 'ALICE' then went on to state, 'I will place information you have requested~ encrypted, on a memory card along with the address for the second payment you offered in a plain text file. After I confirm the second payment I will provide you with the decryption passphrase using the new communication method. I am also excited to continue our relationship...'

On June 10, 2021, the FBI paid 'ALICE' approximately $10,000 USD in Monero cryptocurrency.

On June 17, 2021, 'ALICE' thanked the FBI for the first payment and stated that he/she was 'eagerly waiting for your instructions.'

On June 18, 2021, the UC posing as a representative of COUNTRY1 emailed 'ALICE' to provide detailed instructions on servicing a dead drop location in Jefferson County, West Virginia to occur on June 26, 2021.

The UC discussed instructions regarding the next payment to 'ALICE' as well as additional assurance that 'ALICE' would be paid $20,000 upon the sample verification and authenticity of the information provided at the drop location.

On June 23, 2021, 'ALICE' sent the FBI a confirmation email stating, 'I understand your instructions and am ready to move forward.'

On June 26, 2021, at approximately 10.41 a.m., the FBI observed Jonathan Toebbe physically service a dead drop location in Jefferson County, West Virginia. Records show that Jonathan Toebbe is a government employee working as a nuclear engineer for the United States Navy and holds an active Top Secret Security Clearance through the United States Department of Defense and an active Q clearance from the United States Department of Energy.
Drinkers are facing huge three hour queues to get a taxi home after a number of private hire drivers quit during the pandemic.

It is believed that thousands of drivers have quit in the past 18 months, with many now working for takeaway delivery firms or services like Amazon or DPD.

Uber has previously admitted it is hoping to recruit 20,000 new drivers to tackle shortages and it appears that the lack of drivers is now starting to bite revellers.

One revealed how she was forced to walk home late at night while another said she was approached by several men as she waited in the street.

Taxi companies have also been affected, with one manager describing the situation as like 'the zombie apocalypse' with cars vandalised and workers abused.

Cerys Edwards, 23, night shift manager for Coxon's Cars in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, said: 'We've had cars vandalised, I've had my window spat at, punched on. We've got a lot of this since the shortage of drivers. And people are drinking harder. It's like the zombie apocalypse  if they're not staggering everywhere, they're angry and violent.'

Meanwhile, Glasgow Taxis revealed that it has had a third of its drivers leave following the pandemic, leaving riders feeling 'extremely scared' about getting home at night.

Nightclub DJ Rosie Shannon, 29, said: 'I am waiting for a taxi for up to two hours when I leave work at the club. It is freezing cold, sometimes it is raining. I am being approached by random men on the street. It is getting to the point I am having to walk home on unlit, dangerous streets. It is extremely scary.'

A lack of private hire drivers is hitting revellers who have revealed they are waiting hours to get home. [File image]

Rosie performs under the name AISHA and has DJ'd in nightclubs in Berlin as well as recently joining as a resident at Sub Club in Jamaica Street, Glasgow.

When she returned to work in September, she found she was unable to get a taxi at all.

She added: 'I finish at around 3am or 5am, depending on what time I'm playing at.

'When I was back in a club for the first time since restrictions lifted, I couldn't get a taxi at all. I had to walk back with my friend and I've never been so scared for our safety before.

'During that walk, men were coming up to us in the street and trying to talk to us.

'We were phoning taxis and telling them 'we're scared, we're in the street' and they told us we'd need to walk home. This was about 4am.

'Every time I've had to walk home since it has been the same story and this is what I am hearing from my friends too. It's a dangerous situation to be in.

'We would be on the other side of the street and men would come over and start speaking to us.

'To make the effort to come to girls who clearly don't want to have to say, 'We don't want to speak to you, can you go away?'

'It's just recognising that you don't just come up to people in a dark street at 4am.

'It was disconcerting, if it's friendly or not friendly, there's just a heightened sense of anxiety.

'There are some streets we know not to go down because they are not well-lit.'

One Twitter user, discussing the taxi situation in Scotland, said: 'This is a really serious issue. I tried to get a taxi to Queen St station at 9.30pm yesterday since it was already dark - 2 taxi companies didn't answer, 2 couldn't help, one had an hour's wait and four Uber's cancelled. At 9.30pm on a Wednesday.'

Another said: 'Is there a complete shortage of taxis in London? Trying to book for tomorrow morning and on third app with no success.'

While a third wrote: 'I'm having to wait 10 minutes on my own for a bus from central London to get me home because no taxis or ubers are available. As a woman this is terrifying because of the recent events. The tubes are closed so the only option I have is to wait alone.'

Another woman said: 'Last weekend I had to walk 20 minutes from the pub to my house, alone, at 1am down roads which mostly had no street lighting, because there were no ubers or taxis available. I'm guessing it would have been my fault if I was hurt, right?'

Dougie McPherson, Glasgow Taxis chairman, said: 'The taxi trade in Glasgow was already under serious pressure and facing mounting challenges prior to the pandemic, Covid has only been the catalyst to exacerbate these issues.

'From the average age of our drivers and the cost of owning or operating a taxi, to the growth of the gig economy and the prospect of Low Emissions Zones, it's a ticking time bomb.

'So for the last three years we have been warning Glasgow City Council of an impending shortage of drivers coming through, only made worse by Covid.

'From registering an interest in becoming a driver to fully qualifying and getting on the road, that process can take more than a year.

'We're asking the council to reduce that to a matter of months.

'Should that happen, alongside our own ongoing recruitment campaign, we hope to turn this situation around - but it won't happen overnight and we need help.'

A spokesman for Glasgow City Council said: 'The issues facing the taxi and private hire trade are found far beyond Glasgow and also the influence of the licensing system.

'However, we have met with representatives of the taxi trade on the issue of driver availability and we will work with the trade to identify whatever measures we can in an attempt to have more drivers operating in the city.'

Marshals are having to supervise queues for cabs, it has been claimed, as people wait to get home after a night out.

Dee Grant, 57, a director at C Cabs in Blackpool since 1995, said the violence is the worst she has ever known it.

She told the Mirror: 'The council put marshals on but passengers are still throwing things at taxis, frustrated they can't get in. One of our drivers got punched through his window.'

Uber has previously admitted it is hoping to recruit 20,000 new drivers to tackle shortages

She added that drivers would 'rather work for Amazon or DPD, where they meet people smiling at the door, instead of being punched'.

Jim Buchanan, who worked as a taxi driver in Glasgow for 25 years, became a HGV driver during the pandemic when cab work dried up.

He told the BBC: 'I was looking for a bit more security compared to what I had before. Now the pay is a steady income every week. It has been good for my family.

'In my new job, I don't have to deal with drunks or anti-social behaviour. I don't get as stressed anymore.'

Uber previously said it is launching a recruitment campaign to up its numbers, as current drivers say many who left during last year's lockdowns are yet to return.

Meanwhile, drivers are said to be furious about changes to their pay deal with Uber, meaning they are now having to fork a larger chunk of their fare to the San Francisco-based tech firm.

Uber increased the service rate from 20 to 25 per cent for thousands of drivers after Supreme Court judges in the UK ruled the company must give its workers benefits such as holiday pay.
China has proposed banning all news organisations that are not directly funded by the Communist Party.

The new law, drafted by the National Development and Reform Commission, would ban any private investment in 'news gathering, editing, and broadcasting'.

It marks the ruling CCP's latest crackdown on private enterprise, after the country's booming tech sector and billionaire owners were hammered earlier this year.

China is moving to ban all private investment in media, in just the latest crackdown on business and freedom of speech by leader Xi Jinping's government (file image)

Laws controlling who can fund news gathering have been in place since at least 2005, according to the South China Morning Post - one of the papers which could be affected by the change.

But the rules have generally only applied to physical papers and enforcement has been lax, allowing online outlets to proliferate with private investment.

The new law, which was drafted by the National Development and Reform Commission and is currently out for review, appears designed to close that loophole.

It is contained within a document called the Market Access Negative List, which outlines sectors where private investment - money that does not come directly from the state or state-owned companies - is prohibited or restricted.

Item six on the list amounts to a broad and near-total ban on private investment in all types of media - from news agencies, to radio and TV, and online content.

It would also ban private companies from live broadcasting anything to do with 'politics, economics, military, and foreign affairs, or major activities or incidents in society, culture, technology, health, education, and sports.'

Privately-owned media would also be banned from 'introducing news released by foreign entities' - suggesting that overseas outlets operating within China could also be caught up in the ban.

The ban would even affect 'summits and award shows' hosted by news publishers.

A retired lecturer at Shanxi University, who gave his name only as Luo, told Radio Free Asia that the Communist Party 'is making sure that it controls its message'.

Analysts said China's ruling Communist Party 'is making sure that it controls its message' and 'wants a dominating voice to rule over everything' (file image)

'It wants a dominating voice to rule over everything. The message is very clear: don't mess with the media or try to do anything connected with it,' he said.

The move comes after the CCP also launched a crackdown on the country's tech sector - one of its largest and most-profitable.

In public, the party has insisted it is cracking down on wealth inequality, exploitation of workers, and anti-competitive practices.

But many believe President Xi Jinping has grown wary of the growing power of the billionaires who lead the industry, and wants to cut them down to size.

Jack Ma - formerly China's richest man and owner of the South China Morning Post - is widely thought to have been censured by the CCP after he publicly criticised the way the country's financial markets work.

The billionaire subsequently disappeared for five months without explanation, had his companies forcibly restructured, and was hit with billions in fines.

Others point out that the companies targeted in the CCP's crackdown have all raised money on foreign markets, suggesting Xi is trying to limit China's exposure to the influence of foreign money.

Ride-hailing firm Didi, China's equivalent of Uber, raised $4.4billon when it debuted in New York in July - but just days later was pulled from app stores in China and banned from accepting new users.

Two other firms - truck-hailing app Manbang and recruitment firm Kanzhun - also faced similar probes not long after floating in New York, devastating their value.
The head of the academy that awards Nobel Prizes has ruled out having quotas for gender and ethnicity when selecting laureates of the prestigious award.

Goran Hansson, the head of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, said people should win a Nobel Prize 'because they made the most important discovery' - not because of their gender or ethnicity.

The Swedish scientist said the Nobel Prize committee have discussed the prospect of giving more prizes to women based on their gender, but decided that it would be 'considered that those laureates got the prize because they are women, not because they are the best'.

He added that because there are no quotas, there is 'no doubt' that scientists like Emmanuelle Charpentier or Esther Duflo were awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry and economic sciences respectively because they 'made the most important contributions'.

Since the first Nobel Prize was awarded in 1901, 59 of the prestigious awards have gone to women, which is 6.2 per cent of the total.

Goran Hansson, the head of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, said people should win a Nobel Prize 'because they made the most important discovery' - not because of their gender or ethnicity

Investigative journalist Maria Ressa of the Philippines shared the Nobel Peace Prize this year and was the only woman honoured this year. Marie Curie was the first woman to get the prize, and remains the only woman to get it twice.

Hansson, who heads the Academy that awards the chemistry, economics and physics prizes, said the low number of women Nobel laureates reflects 'the unfair conditions in society'.

He said: 'It's sad that there are so few women Nobel laureates and it reflects the unfair conditions in society, particularly in years past but still existing. And there's so much more to do.

'We have decided we will not have quotas for gender or ethnicity. We want every laureate to be accepted... because they made the most important discovery, and not because of gender or ethnicity.'

Hansson added: 'In the end, we will give the prize to those who are found the most worthy, those who have made the most important contributions.

'And that is in line with the spirit of Alfred Nobel's last will.'

Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel founded the Nobel prizes in his will, which was written in 1895, a year before his death.

Investigative journalist Maria Ressa of the Philippines shared the Nobel Peace Prize this year and was the only woman honoured this year

Other organisations such as the Oscars have set quotas for nominees based on their gender, sex or race. In 2020, the Oscars set new diversity rules which means films hoping to win Best Picture from 2024 will have to hire more black, female, LGBT or disabled cast and crew or address themes that affect those communities.

But Hansson said the Nobel Prize committee will not follow suit. He said they had discussed the notion that giving more prizes to women would send a strong signal.

'But then it would be, we fear, considered that those laureates got the prize because they are women, not because they are the best,' Hansson explained.

He added: 'Now, there's no doubt that scientists like Emmanuelle Charpentier and Esther Duflo got the prize because they made the most important contributions.'

Last year, Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for developing the tools to edit DNA - becoming the first two women to share the honour. In 2019, Duflo won the Nobel Prize in economic sciences.

Hansson said so few women are awarded laureates because of the 'unfair conditions in society'. He added that there are an increasing number of women being awarded prizes in sciences but admitted it is 'from a very low level'.

'Keep in mind that only about 10 per cent of the professors in natural sciences in western Europe or North America are women, and even lower if you go to East Asia,' Hansson explained.

But the scientist said in the future, the committee will make sure to have more women scientists being invited to nominate.

Hansson said: 'We will make sure that we have an increasing portion of women scientists being invited to nominate.

'And we will continue to make sure we have women on our committees, but we need help, and society needs to help here.

'We need different attitudes to women going into sciences... so that they get a chance to make these discoveries that are being awarded.'
Jason Bell was arrested on suspicion of stabbing to death his girlfriend Nicole Hurley, 37, (pictured) in a flat in Primrose Hill at around 1am on Sunday

Neighbours have paid tribute to an 'incredible' mother of four after she was allegedly stabbed to death in a flat by her boyfriend.

Locals in Primrose Hill, west London, said Nicole Hurley, 37, was a 'lovely lady' and a fond member of the community.

They hailed her children as 'bright, ambitious, curious and generous' in emotive comments since Sunday's tragedy.

Meanwhile her brother said his world had been 'flipped upside down and changed forever' following her death at around 1am Sunday.

Ms Hurley's boyfriend Jason Bell, 40, was arrested later that day and was last night charged with her murder.

He was also charged with false imprisonment in relation to a third party, driving a motor vehicle dangerously and driving whilst disqualified and with no insurance.

Bell appeared at Thames Magistrates Court wearing a grey tracksuit this morning and was remanded in custody.

The killing marks the 14th woman to be slain in London since the landmark death of Sarah Everard in March.

It will pile yet more pressure on Met chief Cressida Dick and Mayor Sadiq Khan to tackle spiralling violence against women in the capital.

Cards, flowers and cuddly toys flooded the street where the attack took place, with one saying: 'Rest in peace, going to miss you, love you always.'

Brigitte Clements, who set up a fundraiser for the victim's family, said online: 'These children have been the heart of our community.

'They help carry groceries for you if they see you carrying bags. They offer to water your plants when you are away.

'They come and offer to help to paint and repair whenever someone is busy tinkering. These children are not average.

'These children are extraordinary, and this is a testament to their incredible mother. They are bright, ambitious, curious and generous.'

She added: 'They are four individuals that give you hope in what the future generation will bring.'

Eleisha Prichard, 22, who lives with her aunt a few doors down said: 'She was always really good with her kids, but had not been smiling recently.

'The kids were nice and well-mannered. They were always out playing with in the court head with the other children.

'You would never expect this to happen in this area. It's quiet and there's hardly any trouble. I thought it was a joke when my aunt told me what had happened.'

He was also charged with false imprisonment in relation to a third party, driving a motor vehicle dangerously and driving whilst disqualified and with no insurance. Pictured: The scene

A neighbour who has lived on the Kingsland estate for eight months said: 'She was a lovely lady with three girls and one boy - all school age.

'They are really beautiful kids and used to play out in the playground with my daughter.'

Another said: 'I just moved in a year ago and saw her walking around with her children. She would always stop and say hello, and always seemed very nice and polite.'

Meanwhile Ms Hurley's brother Ryan said: 'Our world was flipped upside down and changed forever, the impossible happened and we lost our beautiful sister to the hands of a monster.

'We will pull together as a family as we always do and ensure that the four most amazing children have the best possible lives.'

Police were called to the flat on Broxwood Way in upmarket Primrose Hill in the early hours of Sunday.

They found Ms Hurley with multiple stab wounds and she died at the scene despite paramedics attending.

Police launched a manhunt and arrested Bell on Sunday evening, with him being charged with murder last night.

He appeared at Thames Magistrates Court wearing a grey tracksuit and carrying a newspaper this morning, Bell spoke only to confirm his name, age and address.

Mr Atlee, defending said: 'Due to the nature and gravity of the charges I wonder if the court could recommend a more in-depth medical report.'

But Deputy district Judge Bolton said: 'I don't have the power to do that here.'

Mr Bell from Broxwood Way, Primrose Hill, was remanded in custody to next appear at the Old Bailey on October 14 at 10am.

He sat low in his chair, looking ahead the judge said due to the allegation of murder and false imprisonment, 'I have no option but to send you to the crown court.'

He also stated that because the driving offences were said to be connected, they too would be dealt with at crown court.

Ms Hurley marks the 14th women to be killed in the capital since Ms Everard, 33, snatched in Clapham and murdered.

Former Met Police officer Wayne Couzens was sentenced to life in prison for her kidnap, rape and murder at the end of last month.

The 14 women to be killed also includes Sabina Nessa, 28, who was found under leaves in a park in Kidbrooke, south east London, last month.

The killing marks the 14th woman to be slain in London since the landmark death of Sarah Everard (pictured) in March

Plans for an 888 emergency phone number to protect lone women have been welcomed by Downing Street.

BT offered to develop a 'walk me home' service in the wake of the outrage at the murder of Ms Everard.

And in a major boost for the plans, the Prime Minister's spokesman revealed Whitehall officials will consider the proposals 'very carefully'.

BT, which has run the 999 service for 84 years, said the mobile phone app would allow the vulnerable to have their journeys tracked.

It would triggered an alert if they failed to reach home in time. They could also use it to summon police if they felt threatened.

Bell was remanded in custody to appear at Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court today.
This is the moment a small boy was hit by a combine harvester in front of his horrified parents - but miraculously survived with only cuts and bruises.

Footage from Bozhou, Anhui province, China, shows the boy helping his father dry grain on the side of Xiyi Avenue on October 4.

After one combine harvester passes by the child decides to cross the road to his mother.

But a large parked truck blocks his view and he fails to spot a second combine harvester barrelling down the road.

Footage captured the moment the boy was struck by the combine harvester on Xiyi Avenue in Bozhou, China but miraculously survived

After being hit by a bar between the prongs on the front of the harvester, the boy was knocked under the machine between its huge wheels

The boy started to get back on his feet after the vehicle passed over him and escaped with just cuts and bruises

The child is floored by the huge vehicle but the prongs on the front of the agricultural equipment miss his head.

He is instead knocked over and apparently falls between its wheels, avoiding being crushed.

The CCTV footage shows the boy then stand back up as if nothing has happened before his parents rush over and carry him out of the road.

The three of them hug and the boy bursts into tears.

After the boy was hit, his parents rushed over and carried the boy out of the road

Another child watches as the family carry the boy to side of the road where he starts to cry

Adults on the other side of the road could only look on in horror as the harvester hit the boy

The nerve-shredding incident was captured on CCTV and then shown on Chinese local media.

The harvester is a common sight in the largely rural city of Bozhou which has a population of three million.

Anhui is a landlocked province in eastern China and is the eighth-largest region in the country.
This is the moment a man faced-off with a deer as it repeatedly tried to attack him and his motorcycle in southern China.

Footage shows the biker grabbing hold of the wild deer's antlers and pushing the animal away after it charged his motorbike, knocking it over.

The belligerent animal refused to leave until passersby threw stones to drive it away. Neither the creature nor motorcyclist were injured.

The clip of the dramatic confrontation in Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan Province, starts with the deer walking up to the biker and attacking.

The man, who is stationary beside a rural road, can be heard shouting as he tries to push back against the antlers.

At first the deer walks away, directing its antlers at another scared motorcyclist, but then it returns to its original target for round two as onlookers observe.

The motorcycle falls over in the struggle and the crazed animal continues to attack the man.

The fight makes its way onto the main road where man and beast continue to face off

The biker struggles against the aggressive deer's antlers as the two wrestle against eachother

Their struggle continues away from the motorcycle as he man tries to hold off the deer by its antlers while crawling on his knees.

Eventually the man pushes the animal off the verge and onto the main road

Another man tries to helping him by standing up the man's motorcycle but struggles to do so.

In the struggle the motorcycle falls over as the deer and biker take their fight towards the main road

The wild deer repeatedly tries to knock over the motorcycle and attack its owner

Male deer, full of testosterone, will be very aggressive during rutting - or mating - season, which generally occurs in the autumn.

They lock horns with male rivals to compete for females and can sometimes turn on people if they get too close.

They have also been known to attack vehicles, perhaps confusing them for rivals or becoming confused by their own reflections in the shiny bodywork.

The deer steps away from his first target to scare off another biker standing nearby

The fight escalates as the persistent deer repeatedly goes for the motorcycle and its owner

Last year in London a wild deer slammed into the side of a car as it fled a fight with a competing stag.

The pair of rutting deer had got a little bit carried away when they locked antlers for a showdown in Richmond Park.

A video captured by a walker showed the more powerful male land a series of blows on his weaker opponent, who was forced to retreat.

Sensing defeat, the deer fled but ran into the road and smashed into the side of a car.
The barista who was the target of a verbal attack by an anti-vaxxer admitted she was 'scared' by the man's abuse, but has since been inundated with customers leaving hefty tips to support her.

The unknown man posted the video showing him proudly launching into a furious spray at a bewildered Andrassa Kest after being infuriated at the new health regulations that are part of NSW reopening rules after lockdown.

The employee at Tempe's Cafe Dzajko said she was frightened by the irate man but appreciated the outpouring of support from the local community.

'I am a little bit scared and frustrated because I was just following the rules,' told 9News.

The man posted the video of him launching into a furious spray at a bewildered Andrassa Kest at Cafe Dzajko in Tempe on Monday

Andrassa Kest (pictured) said she was frightened by the irate man but appreciated the outpouring of support from the local community

The anti-vaxxer filmed himself roaring abuse at the cafe worker, who was simply following the law in requiring proof of vaccination before service.

As his video starts, the man addresses viewers, saying 'Guys, if you think this is a joke, I'm here in Tempe, NSW and they're saying you need to show your proof of vaccination to enter. Just to buy a cup of coffee. You've gotta be kidding me.'

He then walks into Cafe Dzajko and interrupts the barista serving a customer - both of whom are properly masked - asking why he needs to share private medical information just to get a coffee.

The barista attempts to calm the man down, before they eventually close the doors on the hysterical anti-vaxxer.

Ms Kest thanked locals who turned up in droves to support the cafe on Tuesday, with many leaving tips between $10 and $50.

'One bad thing brings a lot of nice and good things,' she said.

The cafe's owner described him as a 'faceless man' who was 'attacking people for no reason'.

He said people were coming in and buying 10 coffees at a time just to support the establishment.

Cafe Dzajko in the Sydney suburb of Tempe was subjected to a tirade of abuse from an anti-vaxxer

The video, recorded on Monday, shows the man shouting: 'Excuse me, what makes you think that I'm going to hand over my medical, private information of whether I'm vaccinated or not vaccinated to buy a cup of coffee?'

The angry anti-vaxxer, who uses a made up name on his Instagram page, then shouts in the video: 'Do you see how insanely hypocritical that sounds? That you are actually going to be walking implicitly into segregation.'

The man suggests the business owner will suffer consequences for daring to obey the laws of NSW.

'Do you realise how dangerous that territory is as a business owner, madam? 'Cos I do. I'm a business owner and I'm opening up for all!'

The man's rant ends with him bizarrely screaming, 'I'm very powerful and I will come back'.

With Ms Kest trying to ignore him and the customer looking at the anti-vaxxer in seeming disbelief, the man gets further frustrated and shouts out :'Do you have anything to say to that? 'Cos I know I'm protected, under this discrimination and this putrid attempt to segregate, OK.'

Around 75 per cent of people in NSW are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 - but that has not stopped a small but vocal minority from lashing out against vaccine rules (pictured, a woman is vaccinated in Sydney)

Buying a coffee while wearing a mask and obeying health regulations is seemingly not that hard (pictured, a woman following the rules in Bondi)

The barista is finally pushed to respond, and while what she says is unclear, it was most likely a suggestion that he try somewhere else for his coffee.

'Oh, no, no. They're asking for vaccination passports as well,' the man replies.

Things then get even weirder, as the man adds a wild and false conspiracy to his anti-vaxx rantings.

'I'm just wondering if you work for the government, because the government would imply this... it's not actually your privilege or power to ask for my private information,' he says.

As a parting shot, he threatens Ms Kest by saying 'you can dismiss it all you like, but I'm very powerful and I will come back.'

He then starts to mutter that his treatment amounted to 'absolutely shameful discrimination against an unvaccinated healthy person. Unbelievable.'

Cafe Dzajko was just following the law, as the signs on its door make plain (pictured)

The man then continues with his persecution complex in a rant to go with his video, saying it was about 'the principle of me not being welcome for what I choose or not choose to inject into my body that got me infuriated today!'

He then seems to be referring to the United Nations, seemingly a favourite target for conspiracy theorists, when he repeatedly writes the word 'UNvaccinated'.

The man claimed people are 'being guilt tripped and segregated ... hunted by ambulance services, fellow workers and police men'.

He ends with a misspelt swipe at the new NSW premier. 'Dominic Perrotet (sic) you are not my premier & your actions prove that you are not a Christian! Hope your (sic) happy!'

There are a handful of supporting comments beside his video, with one using the name elifasan saying 'Disgraceful in 2021 who thought this is where we would be.'

Cafe Dzajko owner Sally Dzajko did not witness the encounter with the anti-vaxxer, but told Daily Mail Australia she was appalled at what happened.

'It is dreadful. I don't know why people have to be so mean. It's a shame, it's just heartbreaking.'

She and her husband Dimce just opened the business six months ago after their travel firm became a victim of the Covid-19 pandemic.

'That was going nowhere, so we opened up the cafe,' she said.

'Why are we being abused when we're just trying to make a living?'

Cafe Dzajko owner Sally Dzajko (pictured) was appalled at the behaviour of the anti-vaxxer

The cafe's Facebook page was full of supportive messages. Anita Taylor posted that it was 'Great to see you stand up for OHS for staff and customers. Keep up the great service.'

Divna Damceska posted 'don't let anyone else bad mouth you' and many others said they will go to Cafe Dzajko the next time they are in Sydney.

One man tweeted that he had walked 4km to support the cafe.

When he got there his coffee was free because someone else had just shouted the next ten customers.

Inner West Councillor Darcy Byrne said on Twitter that he had visited for lunch and urged others to do the same.
Despite engineering being one of the most respected professions in the world, one academic has called for the job title to be changed to 'ingeniators', to differentiate the discipline from the repair trade industry.

According to Professor Elena Rodriguez-Falcon this country 'needs to wake up to what engineers actually do' claiming that the word has been hijacked by people who fix TVs, washing machines, cars and boilers.

Rodriguez-Falcon, who is CEO of the New Model Institute for Technology and Engineering (NMITE), said that she has been campaigning for 25 years for perceptions to change to help inspire young people and particularly women into the profession.

The likes of Thomas Edison, George Stephenson and Isambard Kingdom Brunel were all famous engineers who left their imprint on the world, and the subject still remains incredibly popular at university.

Professor Elena Rodriguez-Falcon (pictured) says this country 'needs to wake up to what engineers actually do'

The academic said the word 'engineer' has been 'stolen' by people who fix TVs, washing machines, cars and boilers.

It is also one of the most difficult degrees an undergrad can take - according to UCAS, to get on an engineering-related degree, universities and colleges most commonly ask for ABB.

Maths A level is normally essential, with many universities requiring or preferring a second A level in physics.

However, Rodriguez-Falcon, who moved to the UK from Mexico 25 years ago has called for a 'war on words'.

She has suggested the word 'ingeniators', as an alternative to 'engineer', to help set the profession apart from the repair trade.

The academic told the Times: 'Engineering is not about engines but ingenuity and innovation. Engineer in Spanish is ingeniero, in German ingenieur, in French ingenieur, in Norwegian ingenir.'

She added: 'All of these words come from 'ingenious' or 'ingenuity'. I challenge all the professional engineering bodies to do the unthinkable  change the name of the profession.'
Kathleen Stock, a Philosophy professor at the University of Sussex, was targeted by mob

An embattled professor who sparked fury after writing that people cannot change their biological sex says her union has now 'ended her career' after issuing a statement 'in solidarity' with 'trans and nonbinary communities'.

Feminist philosopher Kathleen Stock has been warned by police to stay away from the University of Sussex campus and teach online amid a furious backlash from critics who accuse her of being 'transphobic'.

Demonstrators have held banners saying 'Stock Out' alongside burning flares, and scores of people have been criticising her under the Twitter hashtag #ShameOnSussexUni  while many others have been using it to support her.

Amid the deepening row today, Prof Stock announced on Twitter that her former union branch, Sussex UCU, has now 'effectively ended my career' at the university.

In a statement 'in support of trans and nonbinary communities', sent to all members and posted online by Prof Stock, the union reps write: 'We extend our solidarity to all trans and nonbinary members of our community who, now more than ever, should receive the unequivocal support of the University and its management'.

The statement goes on: 'As a union, we strongly condemn all forms of transphobia, and call the University of Sussex leadership to heed its institution's values and commitments as set out in its Trans Equality Statement and its Dignity and Respect policy.

'We urge our management to take a clear and strong stance against transphobia at Sussex.'

Prof Stock had last week been backed by the head of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, Baroness Falkner of Margravine, who called the attacks disgraceful.

And she received a further boost over the weekend courtesy of equalities minister Liz Truss, who added her approval to Baroness Falkner's thoughts.

In a statement 'in support of trans and nonbinary communities', sent to all members and posted online by Prof Stock, the union reps write: 'We extend our solidarity to all trans and nonbinary members of our community who, now more than ever, should receive the unequivocal support of the University and its management'

Online, she has been targeted with abuse from users who say she is 'on the wrong side of history' while posters are put up around campus campaigning for her dismissal

Now a group of transgender people have written a letter to The Times voicing their support for the academic. It says: 'As transsexual people, we deplore the continuing attacks on Professor Kathleen Stock.

'We are appalled that trans rights  our rights  are being used to excuse an unprincipled campaign of harassment and abuse.

'Like any other group, trans people hold a range of opinions. Attacks on the freedom of expression are not progressive, and do nothing to fight against actual prejudice or win better services for trans people.

'If bullies manage to silence Kathleen Stock, they will not stop there.'

NHS worker Kristina Harrison, who had been penalised by Twitter for tweeting that 'sex and gender are not the same', is among the signatories, along with school teacher Debbie Hayton, who previously wore a T-shirt saying 'Trans women are men. Get over it.'

Ms Truss tweeted 'No one should be targeted and harassed simply for holding an opinion'

The Equalities Minister said people should not be hassled over holding an opinion

Liz Truss has tweeted her support, saying: 'Fully support this letter from the chair of the equality and human rights commission - no one should be targeted and harassed simply for holding an opinion.'

Online, Prof Stock has been targeted with abuse from users who say she is 'on the wrong side of history'. One post shared a picture of a man with a gun captioned 'Kathleen Stock rest your weary head.'

Police have become so concerned for her safety that the 48-year-old has been given access to a hotline to call.

Now, Stock, who was awarded an OBE earlier this year, says she 'fears for the future' and is questioning her career.

Banners saying 'Stock Out' have been held alongside burning flares and scores of people have been criticising her under the Twitter hashtag #ShameOnSussexUni

It's not the first time Ms Stock feels she has been in danger. When writing for MailOnline earlier this year, she revealed she has previously been advised to take measures to protect herself.

In her own words: What does Kathleen Stock believe about gender and trans issues? Kathleen Stock explained her views on trans issues in written evidence to Parliament in November 2020 here: Womanhood and manhood reflect biological sex, not gender or gender identity;

The claim 'transwomen are women' is a fiction, not literally true

Sexual orientation (being gay, being lesbian) is determined by same-sex attraction, not attraction to gender identity

Spaces where women undress and sleep should remain genuinely single-sex, in order to protect them;

Children with gender identity disorders should not be given puberty blockers as minors. Advertisement

'Two years ago, I was shocked when the campus security manager advised me about the emergency phone system and arranged to have a spyhole put in my door,' she said.

'When, at a later graduation event, I was taken aside by security and told the quickest way to get off the stage in an emergency, I was no longer shocked  the experience had become commonplace.'

Recently, she filed a complaint against the University because she believes it has failed to support her, uphold its duty of care and protect her academic freedom - claims that the university is said to be investigating.

In a groundbreaking and similar case earlier this year, Essex University was found to have failed to uphold free speech after two female professors, Jo Phoenix and Rosa Freedman, were dropped from speaking events.

The pair hold similar views to Ms Stock.

Earlier this year, the Government announced plans to crack down on issues around free speech at universities, launching the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill.

The Bill aims to end 'no-platforming' on campuses by giving a regulator the power to issue fines, giving the Office for Students (OfS) a mandate to promote the importance of 'freedom of speech within the law' and 'academic freedom for academic staff' at universities.

The OfS has the power to fine institutions and student unions for breaching new duties designed to foster 'a culture of open and robust intellectual debate'.

The university's vice chancellor Professor Adam Tickell said today that if any students can be identified as being involved, then 'we will certainly take investigations and disciplinary action as appropriate under our regulations'

Attention on her views has intensified since her book Material Girls came out in May

People who believe their freedom of speech has been impinged also have the power to go to court to seek financial compensation.

Ms Stock has repeatedly insisted in the past that she is not a transphobe, but attention on her views has intensified since her book Material Girls came out in May.

She has written and spoken extensively about sex and gender identity - arguing that womanhood and manhood reflect biological sex, not gender or gender identity.

Ms Stock also claims trans women are not women; and sexual orientation is determined by same-sex attraction, not attraction to gender identity.

And she wants a ban on transgender women in women's changing rooms, saying in 2018 that 'many trans women are still males with male genitalia'.

The first waves of criticism about her views on gender first emerged in 2018, from some students and some of Ms Stock's colleagues at the university.

For the past three years, Ms Stock has argued that men cannot become women by surgery, and that it is important to protect women-only spaces in places such as prisons and refuges.

Writing for MailOnline earlier this year, Ms Stock said: 'From placing trans women  some of them sex offenders  in female prisons, to the rise of 'gender-neutral' toilets and changing rooms, to trans women being placed on shortlists for women's prizes and a rethink of women's sport, the alterations have been rapid and seismic.

'The Stonewall campaign group has been particularly influential with its simple and powerful message  that trans people are an intensely vulnerable minority and that to help them, we must recognise individuals' 'gender identity', not biological sex, wherever possible.

'Government departments, the judiciary, media organisations, schools and  most significantly for me  universities have embraced this message. I abhor discrimination against trans people but I also believe we should be free to examine the effects of changes, including any costs to women and the rights of gay people, and to the health of children wishing to change gender.

'As a lesbian with teenage children, these topics are close to my heart. As an academic philosopher whose job it is to investigate truth, they are even closer. I believe we should be free to discuss these things in public.'

Earlier this week, Sussex University's vice-chancellor Professor Adam Tickell stood up in support of Ms Stock, telling the BBC Radio 4 that staff have 'an untrammelled right to say and believe what they think'.

'I have to say I am really concerned that we have masked protesters, putting up posters, calling for the sacking of somebody for exercising her rights to articulate her views, and it is a matter of real concern,' he said.

When asked what will happen if those protesting are students, he said: 'If they're students, and we can identify them, we will certainly take investigations and disciplinary action, as appropriate under our regulations.

'I think we have to be really careful in universities and in society in general to ensure that we do everything to make sure that where we have very, very complicated and different views that we find the space to allow people to articulate those views,' he added.

'I think what we have to do is we have to listen to people. We have very strong policies both on freedom of speech and on inclusion. And I think the trouble we've got is that people aren't prepared to stop and think and listen, rather than to just shout.'

Ms Stock, who has also been backed by Equalities Minister Kemi Badenoch, praised him for speaking out in support of her 'academic freedom.'

Ms Stock isn't the first person in the public eye to be condemned for her views.

In June 2020, author JK Rowling was accused of being 'transphobic' after insisting only women experience menstruation

In June 2020, author JK Rowling was accused of being 'transphobic' after insisting only women experience menstruation. She had challenged an article entitled: 'Opinion: Creating a more equal post-COVID-19 world for people who menstruate.'

Taking issue with the phrasing, she copied a link to the article and posted above it on Twitter: 'People who menstruate.' I'm sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?'

Amid the backlash she later posted: 'I know and love trans people, but erasing the concept of sex removes the ability of many to meaningfully discuss their lives. It isn't hate to speak the truth.'

It also comes after medical journal The Lancet was accused of using the phrase 'bodies with vaginas' in lieu of the word 'female', which later saw editor Richard Horton apologise for conveying the impression that 'we have de-humanised and marginalised women'.

Earlier this week, students at Sussex University criticised the professor's views.

Speaking to the Times, Rees, 20, a student with a transgender girlfriend, said: 'I do not think she should be working at the university. Trans people are a marginalised group in society and institutions simply do not care about trans people. People I love very much are trans and are clearly upset by Professor Stock.

'There is the matter of academic freedom but these things should have limits. If someone wanted to espouse racist rhetoric in a lecture hall, should they be allowed to because of academic freedom?'

Despite the backlash, Ms Stock has stuck by her words.

'I do not regret doing this,' she said. 'I admire everyone taking risks to speak out.'
Police are offering a 20,000 reward for information as they continue to investigate a suspected homophobic murder in a historic east London cemetery.

Ranjith 'Roy' Kankanamalage, 50, was found at about 6.30am on August 16 in Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park with head injuries and pronounced dead at the scene.

A post-mortem examination showed that Mr Kankanamalage, a gay man who had lived in Tower Hamlets for many years, had died from blunt-force trauma to the head.

Ranjith Kankanamalage, 50, (above) was found with 'blunt force trauma' injuries to his head in a cemetery in Tower Hamlets, London

Police have also released images of two men known to have been near the cemetery at the time of the attack and who they feel may hold information which could be crucial in the investigation

Officers from the Mets Specialist Crime Command are investigating his murder, which has been categorised as a homophobic hate crime.

Local residents said that the graveyard was well known as a 'cruising' spot for gay men, but gangs of youths had also been gathering there during lockdown.

They have now offered a 20,000 reward for any information which could lead to the identification and conviction of Mr Kankanamalages killer.

The Met said in a statement detectives had pursued leads with the help of the local community but believe there may be key witnesses who have not yet come forward.

Police have released images of two men known to have been near the cemetery at the time of the attack and who they feel may hold information which could be crucial in the investigation.

The first of the two possible witnesses is described as being of medium build with short, light-coloured hair, and wearing a dark T-shirt, light-blue shorts, dark-brown trainers and carrying a black backpack.

The second person is also of medium build but with short dark hair and was wearing a dark jacket and dark trousers.

The Met Police were unable to confirm the exact locations the two men were seen on CCTV, when asked by MailOnline.

Detective Superintendent Pete Wallis, from the Mets specialist crime command, said: 'We understand that given the circumstances of the murder, people may be reluctant to come forward.

'We continue to urge anyone with information, no matter how insignificant they believe it to be, to report it to police or any of our LGBT+ partners. We are particularly appealing to the two people pictured to come forward.

'I can assure the public that any information shared will be treated with the utmost sensitivity and consideration. My colleagues and I remain dedicated to finding Ranjiths killer.'

Local residents said that the graveyard (above) was well known as a 'cruising' spot for gay men, but gangs of youths had also been gathering there during lockdown

Derek Lee, from the Mets LGBT+ advisory group, said: 'We appeal for anyone who knows anything about this horrendous crime to come forward using the many channels available. We are aware that, while it remains unsolved, this is causing considerable concern amongst LGBTQ+ people in Tower Hamlets and across London.

'We are advising the police on sensitive ways of keeping our parks safe and wider reassurance for all communities. At the same time we ask everyone to please use common sense when going home or out late at night. We must all be vigilant.'

In November 2015, a foetus, which was between 10 and 12 weeks, was discovered in Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park.

Reported here, Scotland Yard treated the find as unexplained but urged the mother to come forward over concerns she may have needed medical help.

Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park is considered among the 'Magnificent Seven' cemeteries - an informal term referring to seven large private graveyards that were established in the Victorian period.

The City of London and Tower Hamlets Cemetery opened in 1841 and closed for burials in 1966.

Formerly called Bow Cemetery by locals, the 27-acre cemetery is now surrounded by a mixture of Victorian and post-war housing, in addition to modern low-rise flats.

People with information are urged to contact 101, giving the reference 1277/16AUG.

Information can also be provided to Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111, or to GALOP on 0207 7704 2040 or ELOP on 020 8509 3898.
President Biden is facing increased criticism from other Democrats over his handling of the $1 trillion infrastructure bill currently gridlocked in Congress.

The President has come under fire recently for the way his administration has dealt with the evacuation from Afghanistan and the southern border problem, but this latest round of criticism comes just days after a poll revealed the President's voter approval rating had fallen to 38 percent.

Both the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill and the $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation package have stalled as a result of in-fighting between Democrats.

The Democrat's nominee for Governor in Virginia, Terry McAuliffe (pictured with Biden on July 23, 2021) has admitted his frustration at the slow pace of the $1 trillion infrastructure bill

The most recent criticism of President Biden has come from the Democratic nominee for Governor in Virginia, Terry McAuliffe.

Speaking to CNN on Sunday, the gubernatorial nominee said: 'We have got frustration with Washington.

'Why haven't we passed this infrastructure bill? It passed the U.S. Senate with 69 votes two months ago.

'I have been very straight on television. We're tired of the chitty chat up in Washington. Get in a room and get this figured out.  They're paid to get up in Washington, get this done.'

President Biden is facing increased criticism from other Democrats over his handling of the $1 trillion infrastructure bill currently gridlocked at Congress

Meanwhile, Rep. Jim Costa, D-Calif., also recently criticized the President over his pitch for the infrastructure bill, saying that it was a priority for him, if not for the President, who he said spent more time talking about the reconciliation package instead.

And speaking recently to the New York Times, Rep. Stephanie Murphy, D-Fla. said that the way Biden is currently operating in office doesn't reflect 'the skills I know he must have from his years as a legislator.'

After months of wrangling over the size and makeup of the package  which would fund paid leave, pre-K, seek to lower prescription drug costs, and tack new benefits onto Medicare  just a tenth of the country knows a lot about what's in it.

Another third say they have a 'general sense and some specifics,' according to a a CBS News / YouGov poll released Sunday.

Fewer, 28 percent, say they have a 'general sense' of what's in the bill without knowing specifics, with 29 per cent saying they don't know what is in it  meaning a majority don't know any specifics about the president's signature plan.

What the broader public has absorbed is a fight about the top-line number  amid a standoff between caucus leaders and a sliver of centrist Democrats who want to trim the $3.5 trillion overall number.

Asked what they have heard about it, 59 per cent said the cost, 58 percent said tax hikes on the wealthy, 40 per cent said lower Medicare drug prices, and 40 percent said new dental and hearing coverage for the federal drug program for the elderly.

Other lesser known provisions establish paid leave, provide pre-K support, and extend a child-tax credit.

Speaking to CNN on Sunday, the gubernatorial nominee said: 'We have got frustration with Washington. 'Why haven't we passed this infrastructure bill? It passed the U.S. Senate with 69 votes two months ago'

Aside from the chaos in Congress, Biden also was criticized for the southern border issue as migrant numbers continue to swell.

Former Democratic Rep. Beto ORourke said, 'none of this should have been a surprise to our government,' while Rep. Susan Wild, D-Penn. expressed disappointment at not seeing any results in terms of dealing with the issue.

The criticism comes after Biden's approval rating among voters fell to 38 per cent in a poll released on Friday - continuing a downward trend which began in June.

The figures, which also showed 53 percent said they disapprove of how Biden has handled the presidency, according to the Quinnipiac University poll, represent the lowest rating Biden has received in his time in office to date.

Responding on Saturday to the President's latest approval ratings, White House press secretary Jen Psaki pinned at least part of the blame on the pandemic and the 20 per cent of unvaccinated Americans.

A majority don't know any specifics about what is in Biden's plan, according to a CBS/YouGov poll

When asked at a press briefing about the figures, Paski said: 'I would say that this is a really tough time in our country. We're still battling Covid and a lot of people thought we'd be through it - including us.

'Because of the rise of the Delta variant, because of the fact that even though it was a vaccine that was approved under a Republican administration, even though we now have full FDA approval and even though it's widely available across the country we still have a quarter of the country - less than that, 20 percent of the country - who've decided not to get vaccinated.

'No question that's having an impact,' Psaki said, adding that, 'as the President has said, the buck stops with him' before signing off.

Three weeks ago, the same poll found that 42 percent approved and 50 percent disapproved.
A female mugging victim has claimed that a 'flirtatious' Metropolitan Police officer asked her out on a date while taking her statement ten years ago and allegedly telling her that he was 'as determined in his pursuit of criminals as he was of beautiful women'.

The woman, who spoke to BBC Radio 4's Today programme anonymously and was given protective screens at Detective Chief Inspector James Mason's misconduct hearing this year, claimed the officer asked her 'invasive' questions with 'sexual overtones' after she was physically assaulted by four men during a daylight mugging in London in October 2011.

DCI Mason was found to have breached the standards of professional behaviour in respect of authority, respect and courtesy, discreditable conduct and integrity at a misconduct hearing on October 5. He will remain on the force despite the allegations being proven against him.

In an interview with the Today programme this morning, the woman claimed the then detective sergeant asked her whether she had a boyfriend at home, what she wore to work, and whether he could take her out for dinner. She had been attacked while buying groceries on her way home.

After rejecting his advances, DCI Mason gave the woman his police email address. The next day, the mugging victim followed up on the case by asking if they could take fingerprints from her phone. Instead, he allegedly replied that he could take photographs of her injuries.

When the woman told him that he had 'no shame', DCI Mason allegedly told her that 'coming on to victims is positively encouraged', before adding: 'It's all part of the friendly and accessible face of the Met Police.'

She told the Today programme that she didn't report the detective for ten years, during which time she sank into a depression and suffered such a crisis of trust in the authorities that she didn't report an abusive partner to the police for fear it would invite 'unwanted behaviour' from serving officers.

Remarking on last week's misconduct hearing, the woman said she was initially 'relieved' - but then felt 'disregarded' after she learned that DCI Mason will keep his position within Scotland Yard. Responding to MailOnline's request for comment, Scotland Yard referred this publication to a statement released after DCI Mason's misconduct hearing.

The interview comes amid growing pressure on under-fire Met chief Cressida Dick to improve vetting procedures in Scotland Yard following the shocking rape and murder of Sarah Everard by serving officer Wayne Couzens.

A female mugging victim has claimed that a 'flirtatious' Metropolitan Police officer asked her out on a date while taking her statement ten years ago, allegedly telling her that he was 'as determined in his pursuit of criminals as he was of beautiful women' (stock image)

An independent inquiry announced by Home Secretary Priti Patel will investigate the 'systemic' failures that allowed Wayne Couzens to be employed as a police officer despite reports of indecent exposure before he murdered Sarah Everard

Worst-performing police force solves just one in 140 rapes: Fury at 'pathetic and terrifying' prosecution rates as victims face postcode lottery in battle for justice Just one in 140 rapes are being solved by Britain's worst performing police force, as official figures show that a victim's chances of their attacker being prosecuted can double depending on which side of a street they live. Only 0.7 per cent of rapes reported to Wiltshire Police resulted in a charge or summons, whereas Durham - the most successful force - had more than 10 times the success rate in bringing prosecutions at 7.1 per cent, according to Home Office data for the three years from 2018-19 to 2020-21. Astonishingly, Cleveland - the police force neighbouring Durham - solved just half as many rapes during the same period, the figures compiled by Police Federation researcher Gavin Hales and seen by the Telegraph show. Victims' Commissioner Dame Vera Baird slammed the 'pathetic and terrifying' figures and warned that women were being deterred from reporting street harassment because of the 'appallingly low' rape prosecution rates. She also urged the Government to put violence against women on a par with terrorism, county lines drug-dealing and child sexual exploitation by including it in its national Strategic Policing Requirements. 'There is no difference between rape in Durham and rape in Wiltshire or Cleveland. What is different is the effort and skill put into investigating and prosecuting rape by some forces over others. None of these figures are anything but appallingly low. There is no crime with prosecution percentages as pathetic and terrifying as these across the board,' Dame Vera told the paper. A Wiltshire Police spokesman told MailOnline it had been 'working hard' to improve outcomes, with the level of rapes resulting in a charge rising from 3.8 per cent in October last year to 4.1 per cent this month. Advertisement

Baroness Casey will lead a review into Scotland Yard's culture and vetting processes which will re-examine historical sexual misconduct allegations involving officers still serving in the force.

A separate independent inquiry announced by Home Secretary Priti Patel last week will investigate the 'systemic' failures that allowed Couzens to be employed as a police officer despite reports of indecent exposure and other signs he could be dangerous.

Speaking to the Today programme, the woman said: 'I could see that the detective sergeant that was going to take my statement was just a little bit overly friendly and a little bit flirtatious. I wasn't sure whether he was just trying to sort of strike up a rapport with me or whether it was something else. But then his questions were quite invasive and with quite heavy sexual overtones.

'He asked whether I had a boyfriend at home, he asked what sort of thing I wear to work because I'd expressed that I was working somewhere in particular where you have to wear a quite, little bit of a revealing uniform, so he was asking questions in detail about that. He asked whether he could take me for dinner, seeing as I was on my way to buy ingredients for dinner at the time that I was mugged.

'Obviously he could see that I'd been physically assaulted by men and I guess I felt targeted by someone else, someone I was hoping would protect me but perhaps had ulterior motives. Obviously in person I said 'no, I don't really want you to take me for dinner, I don't want you to do anything but help me with this case'. At which point he gave me his police email address and I followed up with an email the next day because I was feeling really quite angry and upset at being assaulted pretty much on my doorstep and I wanted to catch these people because I'd been informed that they hadn't been caught.

'So I reached out to him to ask could we take fingerprints from my phone, is there anything we can do - and he responded saying no, there's nothing we can do but I'm very happy to take photographs of your injuries if you'd like me to do. I can't remember word for word exactly what I said but it was something like 'ha ha that's a little bit inappropriate, you've assumed that I'm unaffected by this crime to be saying that'.

'And he said something like 'please have faith in my detective ability, I am as determined in my pursuit of criminals as I am of beautiful women'. At the time I was quite feisty and I sort of said you've got no shame, you could be fired for this. And he said 'actually, coming on to victims is positively encouraged. It's all part of the friendly and accessible face of the Met Police'.'

The woman said that the fate of Miss Everard in March prompted her to finally complain about DCI Mason. Asked if she now trusts the police, she said: 'I feel safer putting something on social media and saying help me than I do calling the police really.

'And in the time since 2011, I've had a number of different occasions when I definitely should have called the police. I entered into a relationship which became quite violent and abusive and there were times where I really needed some support and help desperately, but I thought actually I don't want to invite any more unwanted behaviour into my home.

'My opinion is that the police force attracts potentially violent men and then enables them to enact that violence and then protects them when they follow through with it. I don't think at all actually that they deal with it in the right way.

'He knew he was writing from name@metpolice.com, perhaps just as Wayne Couzens was using his identity card. I don't see any difference. Obviously the crime is completely different, but it's still a sense of being empowered by an authority that protects you.'

In a statement on the hearing, a Met Police spokesman said: 'The panel found he made comments to a victim of an attempted robbery while taking her witness statement that were inappropriately personal.

The interview comes amid growing pressure on under-fire Met chief Cressida Dick to improve vetting procedures in Scotland Yard

In March this year, Couzens used his police-issue handcuffs and warrant card to stage a fake arrest of Miss Everard, a 33-year-old marketing manager, before killing her

'These included questions about her personal life, relationships and whether she would like to go for dinner that evening. The hearing found that subsequent emails the officer sent the victim on 24 October 2011 were also inappropriate and an attempt to establish a relationship with a person he knew to be a victim of crime.'

Met Detective Chief Superintendent Donna Smith said: 'The behaviour of DCI Mason was unacceptable and unprofessional. A victim of crime is already likely to feel vulnerable, they should never be made to feel worse by the actions of a police officer.

'DCI Mason abused his position as a police officer and the victim's trust. I want to thank the woman concerned for having the courage to come forward, it cannot have been easy for her... DCI Mason has been given a final written warning for three years - this is very serious and means that any future misconduct during this time could result in dismissal.'

It comes as almost 2,000 police and community support officers have been accused of sex offences including rape, sexual assault and child sex offences since 2017, official data has revealed amid the outcry over Sarah's horrific abduction and murder by Couzens.

Do rogue officers face justice? Misconduct hearings explained There are two types of public hearings for the most serious cases of misconduct. Chief constables can hold accelerated hearings when evidence is irrefutable, often because an officer has pleaded guilty to a crime. Open hearings, in which officers are named and the public can attend, are the starting point of legislation and Home Office guidance. Officers can be granted anonymity, or hearings can be private, because of extenuating circumstances. These can include national security, the risk of prejudicing a court case or risks to welfare of parties. Home Office guidance states: 'Blanket restrictions should be avoided and careful consideration should be given to which parts of the hearing can remain open.' Advertisement

The allegations - made mostly against men - include more than 370 of sexual assault, nearly 100 of rape and 18 of child sex offences, according to Freedom of Information figures - and just eight per cent of those accusations led to a dismissal, 39 of the 43 police forces in England and Wales said.

Police officers across the country accused of serious offences - including having sex with a female colleague on police premises, sleeping with a drug dealer and even taking cash from a dead person - have been granted anonymity after being dismissed or disciplined in secret hearings.

Forces are reportedly holding hearings in private despite misconduct legislation being designed to maintain 'transparency where possible'. They are reportedly sending out ambiguous and anonymised misconduct outcomes that fail to detail the officer's rank and nature of their offending and have blocked journalists from making the argument for open proceedings.

Official figures seen by the Times show forces also delete public misconduct outcomes relating to the most serious offenders, including the notice that detailed the sacking of serving Met officer Wayne Couzens, who kidnapped, raped and murdered Miss Everard in March.

The Times reported that in the past month there were more than 40 misconduct outcome notices published relating to officers and staff in England and Wales - and nearly half of them were anonymised.

Figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act reveal that there have been 1,147 hearings since 2018. Forces were unable to say whether 502 of them were held in public or private. Of the remaining 645 hearings, one in four were held in private, the paper added.

The National Police Chiefs' Council told the paper: 'Without question, it's expected and important in terms of accountability and public trust for every force to demonstrate the greatest levels of transparency possible around misconduct hearings and outcomes.'

The body said dismissed officers were placed on the barred list. However, the list is only searchable by the name of the officer, which is not possible in cases where they are given anonymity.

The End Violence Against Women Coalition - which includes organisations such as Rape Crisis and Women's Aid - said few officers faced 'any meaningful consequences' for sexual misconduct against women and girls.

The group's deputy director Deniz Ugur called for a radical overhaul of how police respond to violence against women, adding: 'Ultimately, we need to address these widespread institutional failings before we can even begin to address women's confidence in the police.'

A separate study from Bournemouth University found there were 514 proven cases of sexual misconduct across 33 forces in the past five years - the most common of which was 'abuse of position for a sexual purpose'.

According to the Bournemouth research, the most common sexual misconduct offence involved officers allegedly using their power to form a relationship with a victim for sexually motivated purposes.

One such officer was detective constable Jatinder Bunger who was jailed for ten months in May. The former Lancashire Police officer admitted sending sexual messages to victims and obtaining intimate images from the phones of vulnerable women - including a rape victim.

The research also found that, of the 514 proven cases of sexual misconduct, 15 per cent involved officers who were at sergeant rank or higher.

Thirty officers were at a senior level of inspector or above - with the highest-ranking being an assistant chief constable. Separate data shows there were more than 500 claims of sexual offences against officers and staff at Scotland Yard between 2016 and 2020.

The findings are the latest blow for the police service and come just a week after the Mail revealed that nearly 1,000 officers and staff have been probed for posting offensive social media content.

The National Police Chiefs' Council's Louise Rolfe told Channel 4's Cops on Trial: Dispatches: 'We absolutely must, in policing, get to the bottom of what might have been behind these cases.

'We know, very sadly, a small number of people are attracted to policing because of the power, the control and the opportunity it affords them. Our vetting processes are designed to root those people out.'

The Independent Office for Police Conduct said it was down to individual forces to stamp out abuses of police powers.
Furious Ryanair customers have accused the budget airline of 'blackmail' after it apparently blocked passengers from taking flights over disputed refunds.

Customers of the Irish low-cost airline claim they have been barred from Ryanair flights until they repay money 'refunded' for trips missed during the Covid pandemic.

Ryanair customers say the airline refused to refund them for flights they backed out from due to advice at the time by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) not to travel.

They turned to credit card 'chargebacks' - a function where credit and debit card users can reverse a disputed transaction - to reclaim their money.

But when the same customers attempted to book new flights through the budget airline refused to let them fly until they had paid back the cash, a MoneySavingExpert investigation found.

Some customers even claim they were met with payment demands at check-in, just hours before they were due to fly.

Personal finance experts have described the decision to block people from flying due to the refund row as 'outrageous', while a Ryanair customer took to social media to accuse the budge airline of 'blackmail'.

But Ryanair has defended the decision, saying it has the right to stop passengers from flying if they owe the company money.

Ryanair (pictured) customers say the airline refused to refund them for flights they backed out from due to advice at the time by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) not to travel

What is chargeback and how does it work? Customers of certain credit card firms, such as Amex, Mastercard and Visa, can use chargeback to reclaim disputed payments made on their debit, credit and charge cards. The process is usually used when a company refuses a refund. If requested, the card company will step in to claim the money back from the supplier's bank. The function is particularly useful for customers when a company goes under in the time between payment and delivery of goods or services because the money is usually still recoverable from the suppliers bank - though this is not always guaranteed. But in order to use chargeback you must prove that you have tried to get a refund first and that your request has been refused. Customers must submit a claim within 120 days of purchase or payment for the service. And it is particularly useful when an item or service costs under 100 - beyond which the more powerful and legally-backed Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act is available. Advertisement

The row between the airline and customers is over the chargeback function available through payment cards.

Customers of certain credit card firms, such as Amex, Mastercard and Visa, can use chargeback to reclaim disputed payments made on their debit, credit and charge cards.

The process is usually used when a company refuses a refund. If requested, the card company will step in to claim the money back from the supplier's bank.

The function is particularly useful for customers when a company goes under in the time between payment and delivery of goods or services because the money is usually still recoverable from the suppliers bank - though this is not always guaranteed.

But in order to use chargeback you must prove that you have tried to get a refund first and that your request has been refused.

Customers must submit a claim within 120 days of purchase or payment for the service.

And it is particularly useful when an item or service costs under 100 - beyond which the more powerful and legally-backed Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act is available.

Rapidly evolving travel policy earlier this year left some holidaymakers with tough decisions to make over whether to fly.

Though some countries were designated as green or amber on the Department for Transport's travel list, separate FCDO guidance, at times, was not to fly to these countries - often invalidating travel insurances.

It meant that while customers felt compelled not to travel, the flights still went ahead.

And Ryanair's terms and conditions state it does not refund customers who choose of their own accord not to travel on flights that are still going ahead.

The Competitions and Markets Authority (CMA) - which recently dropped an investigation into Ryanair and British Airlines over complaints they refused to give refunds for missed flights in the Covid pandemic - says airline passengers are not guaranteed refunds for flights when a FCDO warning is in place.

But it says such refunds are 'not impossible'.

British Airways, Easyjet, Jet2 and Virgin Atlantic told passengers who missed such flights they can rebook or, in some cases, request a voucher in this scenario.

However some customers, who wanted full cash refunds, utilised chargeback to get reclaim the money for missed flights.

Now the company are demanding the money back from customers in order for them to continue using Ryanair.

Travel solicitors Coby Benson from Bott and Co and Colin Murphy from Leigh Day told MoneySavingExpert the airline was wrong to ban passengers from flying unless they paid the money back.

He said: 'The question is whether or not there were 'reasonable grounds' to deny the boarding, and in this case I don't think there are.'

Meanwhile Mastercard and Visa told the website that while a retailer has the opportunity to challenge a Chargeback claim, the card firm's decision is final.

Amex, it reported, would not give its view on this issue.

Guy Anker, MoneySavingExpert.com deputy editor, described the decision by Ryanair to refuse travellers flights was 'outrageous'.

He said: 'Some may have sympathy for the airline given it incurred the costs of the original flights that went ahead that passengers chose not to take.

'However, it's used up any sympathy by the way it's treated holidaymakers afterwards.

'The concern is this could happen again, so if you've made a Chargeback against Ryanair then think twice before booking with it again.'

He added: 'But don't let this put you off using chargeback. It is still a very useful scheme and we don't recall ever seeing an incident such as this before.

'Even if it's to get money back off Ryanair then do just that and pick another airline to fly with after.'

A spokesperson said: 'The many millions of Ryanair customers whose flights were cancelled during the Covid-19 pandemic and who applied directly to Ryanair for refunds, which they received directly from Ryanair, will be completely unaffected by these measures.

'There is a tiny minority of passengers who purchased non-refundable tickets on Ryanair flights which operated as scheduled during Covid-19 but who chose not to travel and then processed chargebacks via their credit card company.

'These few passengers will be required to settle their outstanding debt before they will be allowed to fly with Ryanair again.

'This regretted restriction applies to only a tiny fraction of Ryanairs 150 million passengers annually who chose to break their booking agreements with us.'
Parkrun has dropped The Happy Egg Company as a sponsor after animal rights activists claimed the firm kept hens in filthy, overcrowded conditions.

The 5km event charity ditched the British egg company after Peta released video showing animals packed into dingy sheds.

Footage showed thousands of birds cramped together on farms in Cumbria, Herefordshire, and Gloucestershire.

Other images appeared to show hens left to scratch around on muddy fields rather than grassy landscapes like The Happy Egg Company's website shows.

Parkrun said its contract had ended 'naturally' and was nothing to do with the claims made by Peta.

PETA Director of Corporate Projects Dawn Carr said: 'We'll all run a bit easier knowing that cruelty to animals is no longer funding our Saturday morning Parkrun.

'Hens suffer on egg farms, which is why so many people are turning to truly happy vegan eggs, which are cholesterol-free, nutritious, and perfect for any athlete.'

Peta's probe into farms run by The Happy Egg Company started in March and claimed it found the animals in horrendous conditions.

The activists said hens were 'crammed tightly inside dark sheds', 'could not engage in natural behaviour' and 'some had open wounds'.

Footage showed thousands of birds cramped together on farms in Cumbria, Herefordshire, and Gloucestershire. Pictured: File photo of a Parkrun event

The 5km event charity ditched the British egg company after Peta released video showing animals packed into dingy sheds

It added: 'Peta also documented that the corpses of dead birds were left to rot among the living.'

Peta concluded: 'Happy Egg Co positions itself in a bright, cheery way to lead consumers to believe that its products come from 'happy hens'.

'A whole section of its website is dedicated to the unsubstantiated and misleading claim that the hens are ''happy''.

'In reality, we filmed hens in filthy, overcrowded sheds who had been subjected to routine mutilation.

'As a result of being stressed, frustrated, and kept in unnatural conditions, they likely peck each other's feathers out until they are red, raw, and bleeding.'

Parkrun, which is now a worldwide running event, had been sponsored by The Happy Egg Company since 2018.

The Happy Egg Company portrays its farms as green landscapes where chickens roam freely

The charity's CEO Nick Pearson previously told how he turned down 'big cheques' from companies he decided were 'unethical'.

He appeared on the Free Weekly Times podcast in 2018 and touched on the partnership with The Happy Egg Company.

He said: 'There is a process that we would go to with regard to filtering any sponsor, and that filter would specifically be ''can it support our objectives around health and wellbeing''.

'We feel this decision was authorised, our view is that nutrition is a critical part of health and wellbeing'

He added: 'The more we can encourage less processed consumption and more natural consumption the stronger we feel we're doing the job.'

Parkrun is funded through cash from sponsors and individual donations. The Happy Egg Company is no longer listed as a sponsor on its website.

But it is still partnered with Vitality, Alzheimer's Research UK, Persil and Co-op.

A spokesman for Parkrun said: 'The three-year partnership between Happy Eggs and parkrun came to a natural conclusion on 30 September 2021.

'As is customary with all of our partnerships, some time prior to the end of any agreement both parties are contractually obliged to confirm whether or not the partnership will continue for a subsequent term.

'In this instance, a year ago (12 months prior to the end of the contract) we mutually agreed that, purely for commercial reasons, the partnership would not continue into a second term.'

MailOnline has contacted The Happy Egg Company for comment.
Lord Frost today claimed it 'doesn't always look like' the EU wants the UK to succeed as he warned it will 'take two' to repair the 'fractious' post-Brexit relationship between Britain and Brussels.

The Government's Brexit chief said 'we didn't want it to be like this' and 'if there is a trust problem... it is not the responsibility of only one party' to fix it.

Delivering a major speech in Lisbon, Portugal, the Cabinet Office Minister urged the bloc to compromise and agree to a major overhaul of Brexit border rules in Northern Ireland.

He said the existing Northern Ireland Protocol 'is not working' and 'has to change'.

Lord Frost said the two sides will not be able to move on 'once and for all' unless the EU accepts there needs to be 'significant' alterations made to the protocol.

He warned the UK is willing to unilaterally tear up some of the customs rules in Northern Ireland if the bloc refuses to budge.

But he told the EU that if a compromise can be found then the 'poison' will finally be 'drawn' from a significant part of the Brexit debate.

Lord Frost set out a list of negotiating demands which included ending the European Court of Justice's oversight of protocol matters.

The peer had faced a backlash before he had even delivered his address, as the Irish Government accused him of creating a 'red line' barrier to making progress.

Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said the peer was setting demands he knew the EU could not accept as he questioned whether the UK really wants to agree a joint way forward.

Lord Frost today claimed it 'doesn't always look like' the EU wants the UK to succeed as he warned it will 'take two' to repair the 'fractious' post-Brexit relationship between Britain and Brussels

The Northern Ireland Protocol requires checks on goods travelling from GB to Northern Ireland to be carried out at ports in order to avoid the return of a land border with the Republic but it has caused trade disruption and inflamed community tensions

The UK wants to renegotiate the terms of the protocol but the EU is only willing to make minor changes.

The Government has repeatedly threatened to trigger Article 16 of the protocol which would allow Britain to unilaterally ditch some of the rules.

Unilaterally tearing up the arrangements would almost certainly result in a legal challenge from the EU.

The protocol, agreed as part of the Brexit deal, requires checks on goods travelling from GB to Northern Ireland to be carried out at ports in order to avoid the return of a land border with the Republic.

But it has caused disruption to trade and angered unionists who have demanded the rules be scrapped, arguing they create a barrier between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.

Lord Frost's speech in Lisbon took place one day before Brussels is due to publish its proposals to resolve issues with the protocol.

Government sources have warned the UK will trigger Article 16 if the EU's blueprint only amounts to 'tinkering around the edges'.

Lord Frost said this afternoon that the EU would be making a 'historic misjudgment' if it refuses to give ground on the protocol.

The peer told diplomats that the two sides had 'got into a low-equilibrium, somewhat fractious relationship' following Brexit and 'it takes two to fix it'.

Questioning the EU's approach to relations with the UK, he said: 'What we do see, instead, is an organisation that doesn't always look like it wants us to succeed.

'We didn't want it to be like this. We just want friendly relations, free trade, and the chance to do things our own way, all within the framework of a meaningful and robust Western alliance.'

He added: 'If there is a trust problem, as we are constantly told there is, it is not the responsibility of only one party.'

Lord Frost said the current version of the protocol 'is not working' and 'it has to change'.

He said: 'We need to move on from this, once and for all. That simply won't happen without significant change to the existing protocol.'

The Cabinet minister insisted the UK will 'seriously, fully and positively' consider the EU's proposals.

'But - I repeat - if we are going to get to a solution we must, collectively, deliver significant change,' he said.

One of the UK's key negotiating demands is to end the ECJ's oversight of the protocol, with Lord Frost arguing the EU has been 'too quick to dismiss governance as a side issue'. The UK wants to shift to a system of 'international arbitration'.

Lord Frost said the UK is willing to trigger Article 16 'if necessary' but stressed such a decision would not be taken 'gratuitously'.

He concluded: 'In short, let's try to get back to normal. With some effort of will, we could still, despite all the problems, be in a position where the poison is drawn from this issue entirely and it is removed from the diplomatic top table once and for all.'

Jenny Chapman, Labour's shadow Cabinet Office Minister, said: 'Today was an opportunity for the Government to reset relations with our partners in the EU after a fractious start to our new relationship. Instead of approaching the occasion with maturity and in the spirit of cooperation, Lord Frost has effectively asked to rip up the agreement he negotiated  and the Prime Minister signed  just two years ago.'

European Commission Vice-President Maros Sefcovic is expected to publish the EU's plans to resolve issues with the protocol tomorrow

The EU's plans are likely to include a proposal that chilled meats can continue crossing the Irish Sea after the end of current grace periods, in a move to alleviate the so-called sausage wars.

However, Lord Frost made clear that changes will need to go much further if there is to be a 'durable' solution to the ongoing disruption.

Ahead of his speech, Downing Street had said the UK had signed up to the protocol in 'good faith' but the way it was being operated by the EU could not continue.

'It was formed in the spirit of compromise in challenging circumstances,' the Prime Minister's Official Spokesman said.

'Since then we have seen how the EU is inclined to operate the governance arrangements, issuing infraction proceedings against the UK at the first sign of disagreement.

'These arrangements aren't sustainable. We need to find a new way of resolving issues that arise between us using mechanisms normal in other international treaties.

'It is unheard of for bilateral agreements being policed by the courts of one of the parties.'

Mr Coveney questioned why the UK had signed up to an agreement which made the the ECJ the final arbiter of the protocol when it is now such an 'absolute red line'.

'This is being seen across the European Union as the same pattern over and over again  the EU tries to solve problems, the UK dismisses the solutions before they're even published and asks for more,' he said.
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Sir Keir Starmer has called for the Covid inquiry to be brought forward (Pictured today visiting a training centre near Oldham, Greater Manchester)

Keir Starmer today called for the Covid inquiry to be brought forward in the wake of a scathing report that laid bare a string of failures ministers made in handling the pandemic.

The first major probe into the Covid crisis concluded that thousands of care home residents died needlessly in the pandemic, and that ministers were blinded by 'groupthink' among scientific advisers who wrongly wanted to manage the spread of the virus, rather than suppress it.

The dossier also claimed that No10's early decisions on lockdowns and social distancing rank as 'one of the most important public health failures the UK has ever experienced'.

Speaking on a visit to a lorry driver training centre near Oldham, Labour's leader said: 'I think the least the PM could do is address the families, apologise, and bring forward the public inquiry just as quickly as possible.'

Sir Keir added: 'The PM should take responsibility because the responsibility is his, and he should apologise.

'But I'd like to just start by acknowledging just how difficult a day this will be for the bereaved families learning what they will learn in this report, which is a damning indictment of the Government and the flaws and errors and failures of the Government running down the NHS before the pandemic, being far too slow to respond, with the price being paid by those bereaved families, chaotic track and trace.'

Meanwhile, one of the Government's own ministers today refused to apologise 11 times for the mistakes that had led to thousands of deaths in Britain.

Stephen Barclay, who replaced Michael Gove as the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster in No10's reshuffle last month, was grilled about the report and repeatedly given the opportunity to say sorry by Sky News presenter Kay Burley, but he instead dodged the chance. He even admitted he had not yet read the 151-page report.

Boris Johnson has promised a formal inquiry into the Government's response to the pandemic will start in Spring 2022 but an exact date has yet to be set. When he announced the probe, he insisted key players would be put 'under the microscope'.

Labour had originally called for the inquiry to begin in June this year, in line with No10's lifting of virus restrictions. There are currently virtually no Covid curbs on daily life in England.

Elsewhere, Dominic Cummings today slammed his old boss for his handling of the pandemic, branding the Prime Minister a 'joke'.

Speaking to Sky News outside his home, the Prime Minister's ex chief adviser labelled No10's system for dealing with crises a 'disaster'. He said: 'The system was bad for many years before Covid.

'Me and others put into place work to try and improve the system in 2020 after the first wave, unfortunately the Prime Minister  being the joke that he is  has not pushed that work through.'

Mr Cummings, who has been a vocal critic of Mr and Mrs Johnson since leaving Downing Street, added: 'Now we have a joke Prime Minister and a joke leader of the Labour party, and we obviously need a new political system.'

The report, published today by the health and science committees at the House of Commons, is the first to shine a light on the catalogue of failures made at the top of Government. It castigated the 'chaotic' performance of the 37billion test and trace system.

Families of coronavirus victims today called report 'laughable', with one campaigner pointing out that it 'barely mentions the over 150,000 bereaved families'.

She added: 'Sadly, this is what we expected, as the committee explicitly refused to speak to us or any bereaved families, instead insisting they were only interested in speaking to their colleagues and friends.'



Minister Stephen Barclay refused to apologise 11 times for the Government's failures at the start of the pandemic when he was on Sky News today. Former top adviser Dominic Cummings today branded Boris Johnson a 'joke'

Mr Cummings, an Oxford-educated former aide who resigned from Downing Street after losing an internal power struggle, has repeatedly savaged the Prime Minister and his Government.

He unleashed a blizzard of complaints about his old boss during a one-hour chat with the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg in July.

During the interview, Mr Cummings attacked Mr Johnson over his fitness to lead, saying he 'doesn't have a plan' for Government, and accused his wife Carrie of 'trying to appoint clowns to key positions', as well as slamming the Covid response.

The 49-year-old was the director of Vote Leave and is widely seen as the architect of Brexit.

He was also invited to appear in front of MPs in the summer, delivering a number of bombshells including that tens of thousands had died unnecessarily because of the way Covid was handled, and accusing former Health Secretary Matt Hancock of lying to his colleagues.

Today's report vindicated some of Mr Cummings's criticisms. Giving evidence to politicians in the summer, Mr Cummings argued 'false groupthink' was prevalent in Whitehall.

What were the key findings of the first Covid report? The UK's first Covid inquiry was published today by MPs from the health and science committees in the House of Commons. It revealed a catalogue of failures right up to the top of Government, and sparked anger among families who lost loved ones. Pressure is building for an independent judge-led inquiry to begin as soon as possible. Key findings included: Thousands of care home residents needlessly died during the pandemic, with the elderly treated as an 'afterthought';

The performance of the 37billion test and trace system was 'chaotic';

Early decisions on lockdowns and social distancing ranked as 'one of the most important public health failures the United Kingdom has ever experienced';

Ministers were blinded by 'groupthink' among scientists, who wrongly wanted to manage the spread of the virus rather than suppress it;

The UK's response was too 'narrowly and inflexibly based on a flu model' that failed to learn lessons from Sars, Mers and Ebola;

This was a 'serious early error' when other countries were taking drastic action;

The lack of a proper test and trace system early on meant a full lockdown was 'inevitable' and should have come sooner;

Decision-making was dysfunctional with the exchange of important information between public bodies 'inadequate';

Death rates among black, Asian and minority ethnic communities and those with learning disabilities were unacceptably high. Advertisement

Mr Cummings' barb came after Mr Barclay was wheeled out this morning to face the media in the wake of the report into the Government's Covid response.

He said: 'We followed, throughout, the scientific advice. We got the vaccine deployed extremely quickly, we protected our NHS from the surge of cases.'

Asked again by Ms Burley if he would say sorry in the wake of the report, Mr Barclay said: 'Well no, we followed the scientific advice, we protected the NHS, we took the decisions based on the evidence before us.

'But of course, we've always said with something so unprecedented as the pandemic, there will be lessons to learn, we're keen to learn them.'

Ms Burley said later in the interview: 'I don't understand why you don't want to apologise.'

Mr Barclay responded: 'Well, there are lessons to learn but the point is that we took decisions based on the science, we protected the NHS, we got the vaccine deployed at pace but we accept where there are lessons to learn we are keen to do so.'

Ms Burley said: 'But you're representing the Government this morning, and there were 20,000 unnecessary deaths in the UK, many of them elderly people, and you don't want to apologise?'

He responded: 'What I'm saying is we took decisions based on the scientific evidence we were presented with.'

During the interview, Mr Barclay admitted: 'The report that you're talking about came out at midnight, I have not had an opportunity to read it yet.'

Also asked for an apology by LBC radio today, Mr Barclay said: 'Well I recognise it's devastating and my heart goes out to any family, any of your listeners where they lost a loved one.'

Families who lost loved ones to the virus have slammed the report for saying the vaccine rollout  which has jabbed more than nine in ten adults  had 'redeemed' many failures at the start of the crisis.

Hannah Brady, spokeswoman for the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice group, said in a statement: 'What a surprise: a committee led by the previous health secretary and which exclusively spoke to his friends in Government, found that the deaths of 150,000 people were 'redeemed' by the vaccine rollout.'

She added that the report 'barely mentions' the tens of thousands of families that lost loved ones to the virus.

Sir Keir made the comments during a visit to a lorry driver training centre near Oldham, Greater Manchester, today. He also called on the Prime Minister to apologise to the country for his mistakes during the pandemic

Sir Keir is pictured above talking to people at the training centre. Labour called for a Covid inquiry to begin by the end of July, or 'as soon as all restrictions are lifted'. Virtually all Covid measures have been eased in England

Ms Brady said: 'The report it's produced is laughable, and more interested in political arguments about whether you can bring laptops to Cobra meetings than it is in the experiences of those who tragically lost parents, partners or children to Covid.

'This is an attempt to ignore and gaslight bereaved families, who will see it as a slap in the face.'

Ms Brady said the report proved that a judge-led independent inquiry, which has been promised by the Government in spring, 'must have bereaved families at its heart'.

She added: 'That is the only way that the serious questions, like why families were told their loved ones were not fit for intensive care without medical assessment, or advised by 111 to keep their loved ones at home even in their dying moments, or why there were even more deaths in care homes in the second wave than the first, will be answered.'

Dr David Nabarro, the special envoy for Covid at the World Health Organization (WHO), said that delayed action at the start of the pandemic led to 'suffering'.

He told Sky News: 'What we're learning is when you get a virus, starting to really spread in a community, the one thing that you must not do is to delay  it doesn't help anybody.

'And occasionally people think: 'Well if we delay, everybody will get infected. So the problem will go away, because they'll all be immune.' That also doesn't work.

'So I think what we have to remember is: be rapid and be firm as soon as you get cases of the disease.

'It doesn't mean you have complete lockdown, it just means you need to be able to test and to isolate and to stop spread.'

He added: 'If you delay, what we're learning all over the world, is that people suffer.'

On Test and Trace, he added: 'What we have learned in Britain, and in many other countries, is you can't just tell people to isolate and expect them to stay at home without any kind of financial compensation.'

Dr Nabarro also called on other countries to start investigating their response to the pandemic, to ensure that 'lessons can be learned'. He said he hoped every country would open an inquiry.

Dr David Nabarro (left), the special envoy for Covid at the World Health Organization (WHO), said today that delayed action at the start of the pandemic led to 'suffering'. Pictured right: Mike Carr and Katie Ffolloitt-Powell of the Patient Transport Services of South Central Ambulance Services help to settle an elderly non-COVID-19 patient into a care home after moving her from hospital, near Portsmouth

The above graph shows the ten countries that have recorded the most Covid deaths. The US has registered the highest toll at 714,000 fatalities involving the virus, and the UK has the eighth highest toll at more than 137,000

Former Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt admits he was part of 'groupthink' that focused on flu A devastating report today laid bare the catalogue of failures at the top of Government at the start of the Covid crisis. One key criticism is that ministers were subject to 'groupthink' among scientists in the early stages, who wanted to manage the spread of the virus rather than suppress it. Former Health Secretary and Tory party leadership candidate Jeremy Hunt has today admitted he was also part of this 'groupthink' that failed to plan for the pandemic. He told Good Morning Britain that the country should have locked down earlier. He said: 'The Prime Minister is of course ultimately responsible, but some of the advice that he got was also wrong.' He added: 'There was a groupthink that the way you tackle a pandemic should be similar to a flu pandemic, I was part of that groupthink too when I was Health Secretary. 'In fact, you know, during that period, an American university said we were the second-best prepared country in the world. We know that clearly wasn't the case.' He said countries 'that have direct experience of SARS and MERS were the ones who responded best in the first half of the pandemic'. Asked whether Mr Johnson refused to shutdown the country in the early stages because he thought it would be 'unpopular', Mr Hunt said that 'every Prime Minister's personality matters but in this particular case, on those particular decisions, he was following the scientific advice, and the question we have to ask is why across the whole of the system in those early months, everyone was advising the wrong approach?' Advertisement

Some 8.1million Britons have tested positive for the virus since the pandemic began  with thousands more cases likely undiagnosed due to a shortage of tests in the first half of last year.

More than 137,000 Covid deaths within 28 days of being diagnosed with the virus have also been recorded, with the bulk happening during the second wave in January. There have been more than 150,000 death certificates that mention the virus.

The UK has the eighth highest Covid death toll in the world, and the highest in Europe.

The US (714,055 Covid deaths), Brazil (601,213), India (450,963), Mexico (282,227), Russia (213,522), Peru (199,703) and Indonesia (142,716) are the only countries to have recorded more fatalities.

Mr Johnson said earlier this year that he took 'full responsibility for everything that has happened'.

The Prime Minister added he was 'truly sorry for the suffering the people of this country have experienced'.

He has also promised to open a full inquiry into ministers' handling of the pandemic.

Layla Moran MP, who chairs the All-Parliamentary Group on Coronavirus, said today: 'This report is no substitute for the full public inquiry this Government has promised.

'The Government must now commit to releasing interim findings from this inquiry before the next general election.'

Jeremy Hunt and Greg Clark, the Tory MPs who chair the two committees, said that while the vaccine drive had been 'boldly planned and effectively executed' there were also 'big mistakes'.

One was that hospitals discharged patients into care homes without testing them for the virus because officials were focused on 'protecting the NHS'.

The report describes Covid as a 'scourge of the elderly' and says over-80s were 70 times more likely to die than those aged under 40. Yet in the first month of lockdown around 25,000 patients were discharged into care homes without being checked for Covid.

This had the devastating impact of 'seeding' the disease among the vulnerable. Almost one in four people who died from Covid lived in a care home, with 41,675 residents succumbing to the virus up until this May.

The report notes: 'The UK was not alone in suffering significant loss of life in care homes, but the tragic scale of loss was among the worst in Europe and could have been mitigated.'

This rapid discharge of people from hospitals into care homes 'led to many thousands of deaths which could have been avoided'.

The inquiry also says Covid-19 exposed decades of underfunding and neglect of the entire social care system.

Extending to 151 pages, the report draws on evidence from former health secretary Matt Hancock, chief scientist Sir Patrick Vallance and chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty.

It makes 38 recommendations. The delay in imposing the first lockdown stemmed from flawed advice from scientific advisers, the report finds. Ministers felt 'unable to challenge' members of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies even as it became clear a catastrophe was unfolding.

The UK's response was also 'severely hampered' by the 'slow, uncertain, and often chaotic performance' of the test, trace and isolate system.

This was partly because NHS Test and Trace was established only when daily infections had risen to 2,000, with the result that it 'ultimately failed in its stated objective to prevent future lockdowns despite vast quantities of taxpayers' money being directed to it'.

Test and Trace was set up in May last year with a budget of 22billion. Since then it has been allocated 15billion more  37billion over two years.

MPs brand the decision to stop community testing in March 2020 a 'serious mistake' and a 'seminal failure' because it meant officials were no longer able to track the spread of the virus.

However, the report notes that the UK 'outperformed' other countries with the development and rollout of vaccines and trials of treatments.

Caroline Abrahams of the charity Age UK said: 'Social care was something of an afterthought during the early terrifying months of Covid.

'Tens of thousands died as a result, leaving their families wondering whether their loved ones could have been saved if we had been better prepared as a nation, and more savvy in government about the role and capability of this vital public service.'

Chaand Nagpaul, chairman of the British Medical Association, criticised ministers for delays while the virus was 'spiralling out of control'.

Jonathan Ashworth, Labour's health spokesman, described the errors as 'monumental', adding: 'At every step ministers ignored warnings, responded with complacency and were too slow to act.'

A Government spokesman said: 'Throughout the pandemic we have been guided by scientific and medical experts and we never shied away from taking quick and decisive action to save lives and protect our NHS, including introducing restrictions and lockdowns.

'We are committed to learning lessons from the pandemic and have committed to holding a full public inquiry in spring.'

Report blasts ministers for failing to lockdown sooner after following flawed advice

By Eleanor Hayward for the Daily Mail

Ministers failed to challenge flawed advice from Government scientists which allowed Covid to rip through Britain, the damning inquiry concluded.

Today's report said the UK's failure to lock down early enough stemmed from 'false groupthink' among members of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage).

In a devastating verdict, the report insisted the deadly delay in imposing the first national lockdown was 'because of the official scientific advice the Government received, not in spite of it'.

It added that an 'over-reliance on specific mathematical models'  many of which were later proved to be wildly inaccurate  was a key factor in the UK's disastrous response to Covid.

In the early days of the pandemic Boris Johnson consistently stuck to the mantra that his Government was 'following the science'.

The inquiry found that Ministers failed to challenge flawed advice from Government scientists which allowed Covid to rip through Britain. Pictured: Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty (L) and Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance (R) look on as Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson hold one of the daily press conferences to address the nation in March last year

However, the inquiry suggests much of this early advice from Sage was wrong  but ministers 'felt it was difficult to challenge the views of their official scientific advisers'.

On March 12, 2020, chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance told a Government news conference it was not possible or desirable to stop everyone being infected.

And at a Sage meeting the next day  ten days before lockdown  members were 'unanimous that measures seeking to completely suppress spread of Covid-19 will cause a second peak'.

The report said: 'Modelling at the time suggested that to suppress the spread of Covid-19 too firmly would cause a resurgence when restrictions were lifted.'

It criticised a 'degree of groupthink' which meant that 'during this period Government policy did not deviate from the scientific advice it received in any material respect'.

The report said that in the days leading up to the first lockdown ministers and advisers 'experienced simultaneous epiphanies that the course the UK was following was wrong, possibly catastrophically so.'

Sage only recommended a full lockdown when a study led by Professor Neil Ferguson, of Imperial College London, said an unmitigated epidemic could result in 510,000 UK deaths.

MPs said it was 'astonishing' this had taken so long when most other nations had already imposed stay-at-home orders.

The report also criticised Sage for promoting the idea it would be difficult to persuade Britons to stay at home, noting: 'It transpired that the UK public were very compliant with the eventual lockdown measures.'

Both former chief aide to the PM, Dominic Cummings, and ex-health secretary Matt Hancock told the inquiry they felt unable to challenge a 'scientific consensus' as it became clear a catastrophe was unfolding.

Mr Hancock said: 'I bitterly regret that I did not over-rule that scientific advice at the start.' The report stressed: 'Science proceeds through challenge and disputation...Yet ministers and other advisers reported that they felt it difficult to challenge the views of their official scientific advisers.

'Those in Government have a duty to question and probe the assumptions behind any scientific advice given, particularly in a national emergency, but there is little evidence sufficient challenge took place.'

The MPs on the committee were also highly critical of the mathematical models produced by members of Sage. The inquiry said evidence suggests 'mathematical modelling was playing too influential a role in UK scientific advice' as the models came with significant limitations and often failed to take into account real-world observations.

The report noted: 'Despite this, throughout the pandemic, detailed modelled projections have evidently had great influence on Government decisions.'

Since the pandemic began, members of Sage have been under fire for gloomy predictions which were later proved wrong.

Only last month, they published modelling suggesting there could be between up to 7,000 hospital admissions a day in mid-October. In reality, daily admissions are currently averaging just 736.

Other prominent members of Sage, including Professor Ferguson, also claimed that cases could reach 200,000 a day over summer when cases actually peaked at around 50,000.

Criticising the 'groupthink' among members of Sage, the report noted that all but one of the 87 members are from UK institutions.

It said: 'For a virus that has affected every country in the world and which was experienced first by other countries, it is also right to consider whether our scientific advisory bodies are sufficiently international.'

Yesterday Sir Patrick defended his actions, telling BBC Radio 4: 'Science informs  it doesn't decide and it doesn't lead the way.'

UK played leading role in saving lives

ByShaun Woollerand Eleanor Hayward For The Daily Mail

The report concluded that the vaccine programme was 'one of the most stunning scientific achievements in history' and that it 'redeemed' many of the UK's other policy failings. Pictured: Professor Andrew Pollard receives the AZ vaccine in January

Britain led the world on vaccine development and medical research throughout the pandemic  saving millions of lives globally, the report concluded.

MPs said the jab vaccine programme was 'one of the most stunning scientific achievements in history' and that it 'redeemed' many of the UK's other policy failings.

They praised the 'boldly planned and effectively executed' project that meant Britain was the first Western country to roll out a vaccine against Covid-19.

Putin's spies 'stole details of AstraZeneca vaccine' Russian spies stole secret blueprints on the Oxford- AstraZeneca vaccine so President Putin could claim his country produced the world's first Covid-19 jab, it is claimed. They were said to have targeted early human trials and taken key documents  and possibly even a vial of the vaccine  which was then used to produce the Sputnik V jab, say security sources. Experts noted startling similarities between the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine and Sputnik V, triggering an investigation by UK spy chiefs. Security Minister Damian Hinds would only say it was a 'fair assumption' that foreign states, such as Russia, were seeking to obtain 'sensitive information' but biosecurity expert Colonel Hamish de Bretton-Gordon said: 'Attempting to steal western technology saves the Russians time and money. Enhanced security at labs is necessary.' The theft took place after a wave of cyber-attacks on Oxford University in March 2020. The first human tests by Oxford-AstraZeneca came in April. In May Russia claimed it had invented its own vaccine. Advertisement

The report said it was a 'masterstroke' to bring in Dame Kate Bingham, a venture capitalist, as head of the newly-established Vaccine Taskforce in May 2020.

It said the Government quickly 'identified that a vaccine would be the route out of the pandemic' and invested heavily in development, providing 20million to fully fund clinical trials of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.

The report praised an 'aggressive' approach that meant the UK had secured agreements for more than 300million vaccine doses by November last year.

It said the UK's medical regulator adopted an 'agile and innovative' approach of constantly reviewing trial data so vaccines could be deployed as soon as possible.

This meant Britain was the first Western country to approve a vaccine and, on December 8 last year, 91-year-old Margaret Keenan, from Coventry, became the first person in the world to receive a Covid-19 jab outside of a clinical trial.

The report concluded: 'The UK vaccination programme  from discovery of potential vaccines against Covid-19 to the vaccination of nearly 80 per cent of the adult population by 1 September 2021  has been one of the most successful and effective initiatives in the history of UK science and public administration.

'Millions of lives will ultimately be saved as a result of the global vaccine effort, in which the UK has played a leading part.

'In the UK alone, the successful deployment of effective vaccines has allowed, as at September 2021, a resumption of much of normal life, with incalculable benefits to people's lives.'

The MPs also praise the 'decisive and courageous' decision taken by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation to extend the gap between doses to 12 weeks.

This allowed the 15million most vulnerable adults to receive their first dose by February 15.

The NHS mass vaccine rollout was hugely successful and outshone the efforts of almost all other nations, the report said.

It also praised British scientists for 'outperforming' other countries in finding treatments for virus victims.

In particular, the RECOVERY trial, led by Oxford University, identified dexamethasone as the first effective treatment for Covid-19  saving millions of lives around the world.

Meanwhile an antibody treatment developed by AstraZeneca has shown its ability to both prevent and treat Covid-19.

The firm submitted a request to the US Food and Drug Administration last week for emergency use authorisation for AZD7442.

Data released yesterday by AstraZeneca showed it was effective in preventing severe disease in non-hospitalised patients with mild to moderate coronavirus, when compared with a placebo.

Most of the 903 people in the study were at high risk of progression to severe Covid-19.

Hugh Montgomery, professor of intensive care medicine at University College London, and lead researcher on the trial, said AZD7442 could play an important role in the pandemic.
The former head of the Royal Marines died as a result of hanging after having 'concerns about his marriage and service career', a hearing to open the inquest into his death was told today.

Major General Matthew Holmes, 54, was found in a bedroom at the home in Winchester, Hampshire, on October 2 - and his body was formally identified by his wife Lea, the inquest heard.

It also emerged that police attended another incident at the home on September 22. The officer, who served in Northern Ireland, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan, was Commandant General from June 2019 until April 2021.

Hampshire coroner Jason Pegg told the hearing in Winchester today: 'It's suspected that Matthew Holmes had a number of concerns at the time of his death including matters relating to his marriage and his service career.'

Major General Holmes commanded 42 Commando Royal Marines from 2006 to 2008 and was appointed as a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order for his leadership on operations in Afghanistan in 2007.

The father-of-two was also awarded a CBE in 2019 and has been described as 'one of our most senior and highly decorated Royal Marines'. The inquest was adjourned for a full hearing on February 10 next year.

It comes after a war of words raged over Navy top brass mudslinging surrounding his death, with relatives said to have been angered by naval officials who raced to 'settle scores and pass the buck' over his mental health.

Major General Matthew Holmes, who has died, won the Distinguished Service Order for his leadership on the frontline in Afghanistan. He is pictured with his wife Lea and daughter Eleanor after receiving the award at Buckingham Palace in 2007

Major General Matthew Holmes welcomes Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to the Royal Albert Hall in London in March 2020

He had told colleagues he was struggling to cope with Britain's withdrawal from Afghanistan, and said he felt 'beaten down' and 'constrained' in his role.

His family feels the head of the Armed Forces, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, played 'a significant part in the turmoil' the veteran faced.

But friends of Sir Tony, named Chief of the Defence Staff on Thursday, denied he undermined him.

A source close to Sir Tony said he and his wife Louise had been friends with the Holmeses for more than 20 years and were devastated by his death and claims that conflict with Sir Tony contributed to the decline in his mental health.

They said critics would be left with 'red faces' when the truth emerged, and blamed 'people with agendas' for the mudslinging.

Major General Holmes had split from his wife Lea and lost his job as Commandant General.

He and Sir Tony, 55, had been close friends, but fell out over changes to the Marines. It led to Major General Holmes leaving his post in April, halfway through his three-year role.

A friend of the Holmes family said Sir Tony and his deputy, Vice Admiral Nicholas Hine, had played a role in Major General Holmes's decision to leave his job.

The friend said: 'The poor family haven't even had time to bury him and certain naval factions are already trying to settle scores and pass the buck. It is so undignified, unfair. Ultimately... the truth will out.

Major General Matthew Holmes receives the Distinguished Service Order from the Queen at Buckingham Palace in 2007

'An inquest is the proper forum in which to consider all the pressures bearing down on Matt. Not the court of public opinion.'

Relations between the two were said to have come to a head following arguments over Major General Holmes's post.

The Daily Mail reported last week that Sir Tony undermined Major General Holmes, according to messages from the officer.

Former First Sea Lord Sir Tony became the first naval officer for two decades to land the top job and will lead 159,000 soldiers, sailors and air personnel from next month.

Sir Tony and Major General Holmes were previously close friends, but fell out bitterly over changes to the Marines this year. The dispute led to Major General Holmes leaving his post as Commandant General in April  halfway through a three-year appointment.

Major General Matthew Holmes was a pallbearer at Prince Philip's funeral during the procession to the steps of St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle in April. He is pictured speaking to Sky News before the service

Last week a Daily Mail investigation found that he felt deeply let down by the admiral, who was his boss as the Marines are part of the Navy.

A directive from Sir Tony's office included a gagging order banning the Marines officer from discussing key issues with colleagues, including the commander of the US Marine Corps (USMC), General David Berger.

Major General Holmes was also warned to 'expect a more limited role' in the Marines. The order and the tone of Sir Tony's remarks left the father-of-two deeply upset.

He wrote to a friend: 'I've had a very tough year. I feel beaten down. Not listened to, merely run over by someone with no military judgment: Too much is about appearance.

'I don't trust Radakin. It's been awful. Awful. You should see the tone of some of the emails I've had from Radakin. Basically imposing his authority and keeping me constrained.

'Kept away from ministers. All about his narrative. He doesn't get the corps. But I know Gen Berger recognises my concerns (another one that Radakin ordered me not to engage with regarding my post).

'Radakin sees himself as owning the USMC relationship. Berger doesn't! At all. He wants to talk to me. How do you think I feel...'

Sir Tony's efforts to bring the Commandant General into line came to a head late last year after a series of heated arguments between the two about the future of Major General Holmes' post.

A document distributed to senior officers read: 'I [Sir Tony] will engage with ministers and our international partners. The debate has to be toned down and ideally stopped. This is about my authority. International engagement by CGRM [Major General Holmes] is to stop. The CGRM focus is to ensure the corps delivers on its tasks, seeking opportunities for increased integration with the Royal Navy and preparing for a more limited role as CGRM from April 2021.'

The pair are also said to have disagreed about closer integration of the Marines within the Navy  a move resisted by Major General Holmes.

The complaint in Major General Holmes' text to a friend that 'too much is about appearance' was said to refer to jibes about his height  he was 5ft 2in, according to media reports.

But he was well-liked by Marines and enjoyed their company. He served in all Britain's recent conflicts and won a Distinguished Service Order for commanding troops under fire.

Sir Tony will take over as Chief of Defence Staff from Army General Sir Nick Carter on November 30.

The admiral was described last week as an 'outstanding military leader' and, as head of the Navy, has been credited with deploying more naval personnel on the frontline and more ships at sea.

He is being replaced as First Sea Lord by Vice Admiral Sir Ben Key, who led the UK's airlift of British citizens and Afghans from Kabul after the Taliban takeover.

For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116123, visit a local branch or go to www.samaritans.org
A former Facebook employee who said she felt like she had 'blood on her hands' after working at the social media giant is willing to testify before Congress.

Sophie Zhang, who last year accused Facebook of ignoring fake accounts used to undermine foreign elections, told CNN on Sunday that she passed documents onto a US law enforcement agency.

'I provided detailed documentation regarding potential criminal violations to a U.S. law enforcement agency. My understanding is that the investigation is still ongoing,' Zhang tweeted Sunday.

She declined to reveal which agency she contacted, or describe the documents.

Zhang told the outlet that she had been encouraged by the response to the testimony of fellow Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen, who last week spoke to a Senate subcommittee after leaking tens of thousands of internal documents.

Haugen's testimony, which covered a broad range of issues, in part described to the negative impact of social media on users' mental health. Following the testimony, there appeared to be bipartisan support for action to protect children online.

Sophie Zhang (pictured), who last year accused Facebook of ignoring fake accounts used to undermine foreign elections, told CNN on Sunday that she has passed documents on Facebook onto a US law enforcement agency

Zhang's concern was that Facebook was not doing enough to combat misinformation on its platforms.

After being fired from her role as a data scientist last year, she wrote a memo explaining her concerns and saying that she believed Facebook was particularly poor at policing misinformation and hate speech in smaller and developing countries.

Zhang, who had worked for the tech giant for almost three years, was told that she was being let go because of issues with her performance.

In the memo, she wrote that she had 'blood on her hands.' It was picked up by Buzzfeed and prompted The Guardian to launch an investigation into the allegations.

Facebook has consistently denied that it is not doing enough to tackle misinformation and hate speech on its platforms.

'We have also taken down over 150 networks seeking to manipulate public debate since 2017, and they have originated in over 50 countries, with the majority coming from or focused outside of the US. Our track record shows that we crack down on abuse abroad with the same intensity that we apply in the US,' a spokesperson told CNN on Monday.

Zhang's claims investigated Former Facebook employee Sophie Zhang's claims that the social media giant does not do enough to combat misinformation and hate speech, particularly in developing countries, prompted a series of reports by The Guardian. One report from April this year found that Facebook permitted a 'network of fake accounts' to 'artificially inflate' the popularity of an MP from India's ruling Bharatiya Janata party (BJP). The Guardian alleged that this continued for months after Facebook was first alerted to the problem. The paper said internal documents showed that Facebook halted its efforts to remove fake accounts when it found evidence that the politician was likely directly involved with the network. The Guardian described the incident as 'just the latest example of Facebook holding the powerful to lower standards than its regular users'. Facebook has been accused of being unduly lenient towards BJP members that break the rules of its platforms, particularly on the issue of sharing anti-Muslim hate speech. The tech giant denies giving BJP members preferential treatment. Advertisement

Speaking to The Associated Press on Sunday regarding Haugen, Zhang said she was surprised the company had not caught her when she was going through company research.

Zhang added that she believed Facebook's fierce denials encourage employees to speak out.

'I think they've [Facebook] fallen into a trap where they keep making denials and hunkering down and becoming more incendiary.

'And this causes more people to come forward.'

On Sunday, Facebook announced three new controls it says will help keep children safe online.

The move came just days after Haugen accused the company of putting profits over the wellbeing of its users.

Speaking on NBC's State of the Union Sunday, Facebook's Vice President of Global Affairs Nick Clegg unveiled the new 'nudge' feature, which he claims will dramatically boost the wellbeing of young social media users.

Clegg said: 'We're going to introduce something, which I think will make a considerable difference which is where our systems see that a teenager is looking at the same content over and over again.

'And it's content which may not be conducive to their wellbeing we will nudge them to look at other content.'

Clegg, who is the former Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, didn't say which platform the tool will be used on.

But Facebook's Instagram photo sharing app is far more popular among youngsters than its flagship Facebook app itself, and allows users to search hashtags related to topics they are interested in - sometimes with dangerous effects.

Clegg went on to highlight two other features, one of which will prompt users to take a break after too long on Instagram. And the other will see parents given as-yet-unspecified control over how their teenagers use the social media app.

The social media giant also came under increased scrutiny over its role in the January 6th Capitol riot and for allegedly ignoring internal research that revealed the social media platform harmed the mental health of teenage girls.

Following the backlash, Instagram revealed just last month that it would be halting its plans for Instagram Kids, a version of the app for those under 13 which would feature optional parental controls.

In her testimony, Haugen said that Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is only 'accountable to himself' and has even been directly involved in company decisions that saw Facebook putting profit over 'changes that would have significantly decreased misinformation, hate speech and other inciting content.'

Zhang told the outlet that she had been encouraged by the response to the testimony of fellow Facebook whistle blower Frances Haugen (pictured), who last week spoke to a Senate subcommittee after leaking tens of thousands of internal documents. Haugen's testimony, which covered a broad range of issues, in part related to the negative impact of social media on user's mental health

Her claims were devastating for Facebook's public image and prompted multiple senators to attack Zuckerberg - who Haugen alleges knew of and encouraged his site's harmful practices.

She said that executives were aware that Facebook and Instagram were harmful for children, with a leaked internal study revealing that teenage girls had increased suicidal thoughts from using Instagram.

She said that Facebook's algorithms, centered around 'likes' and 'shares', rewarded 'dangerous online talk has led to actual violence that harms and even kills people.'

Haugen's accusations were supported by tens of thousands of pages of internal research documents she secretly copied before leaving her job in the company's civic integrity unit.

The tech giant attempted to discredit Haugen after she testified, saying that the data scientist never attended meetings with top executives and that she was wildly misinformed about the company.

Zuckerberg wrote in an open letter to his staff: 'I think most of us just don't recognize the false picture of the company that is being painted.'

Facebook's director of policy communications, Lena Pietsch, responded to Haugen's testimony by pointing out she worked at the company for less than two years.

Pietsch added that Haugen 'had no direct reports, never attended a decision-point meeting with C-level executives - and testified more than six times to not working on the subject matter in question.'
France has rallied its European allies to present a 'common front' against the UK in the row over post-Brexit fishing licences.

Ten nations - including Germany, Italy, Spain and Belgium - today joined the French in signing a joint statement that calls on the UK to abide by the terms of the Brexit trade agreement and ensure 'continuity' for French fishing fleets.

They take particular issue with Britain's demand that French vessels supply geolocation data to get a licence, saying it 'is not provided for in the deal.'

But the statement also rows back on threats coming from the Elysee Palace in recent weeks, calling on all sides to 'calmly' negotiate a solution.

France accuses Britain of violating the post-Brexit agreement by denying licences to French fishermen who have historically fished in UK waters.

But London says licences have only been denied to boats where skippers were unable to provide evidence of their traditional grounds.

France and ten other EU members have called for a common front against Britain over its handling of a row with Paris over post-Brexit fishing licences in its waters. Pictured: French fishermen empty a fishing net in the North Sea

Their statement came after a meeting of EU agriculture and fisheries ministers in Luxembourg - and a week after French President Emmanuel Macron called for more pressure to be applied to Britain in the dispute

Countries backing France in fishing row Germany Spain Italy Belgium Cyprus Greece Ireland The Netherlands Portugal Sweden Advertisement

The statement by the 11 EU nations came after a meeting of agriculture and fisheries ministers in Luxembourg - and a week after French President Emmanuel Macron called for more pressure to be applied to Britain in the dispute.

French Fisheries Minister Annick Girardin tweeted out the statement, saying it was designed 'to push the UK to respect the Brexit deal.'

The statement says Britain's request for geolocation data from small fishing boats to prove their historic hunting grounds 'is not provided for in the deal, and is not required by European regulations'.

'We therefore call on the United Kingdom to promptly respond and undertake further technical work work in accordance with... the agreement,' the statement says.

However, it also dials back on some inflammatory threats made by France in recent weeks - including cutting off power to Jersey and Guernsey, as well as blocking ports around Christmas - by saying 'this response is necessary to calmly approach forthcoming negotiations.'

The statement was revised from an earlier version, penned by French diplomats, that included harsher language criticising the UK's 'unsatisfactory' and 'contradictory' response.

Nevertheless, Girardin signed off her tweet in English with the words: '#IWantMyLicencesBack.'

France is still thought to be preparing separate 'retaliatory' measures designed to punish the UK and which will be unveiled in the coming weeks.

It is the latest threat from across the channel in a dispute over access to rich fishing grounds from next year.

'This joint declaration marks an important step because only a collective response will allow the European Union to contemplate serenely the continuation of the negotiations with our British partner,' said Girardin.

Fishing rights were a key sticking point in getting the Brexit deal signed in the first place, and dragged talks into overtime before an agreement was finally signed off at the start of the year.

But it wasn't long before a row broke out again, with a standoff around the islands of Jersey and Guernsey after just a handful of licences were granted to French fleets.

French fishing boats blockaded Jersey's main port while the UK deployed the Navy to keep guard as tensions ran high.

The latest round of fighting broke out over a different set of fishing grounds, located 6-12 nautical miles off the British coast, when just 12 licences were granted to 47 French boats which had applied.

French Fisheries Minister Annick Girardin (pictured right) welcomed Monday's statement and said the French and European response to Britain's position would be made public in the second half of October and could include retaliatory measures

That sparked threats from the fishermen to block UK ports around Christmas, interrupting shipments of gifts and food.

Jean-Pierre Pont - an MP for Macron's En Marche party - also suggested the Channel Tunnel could be blocked, and that a key migration treaty could be torn up.

In France's parliament last week, Prime Minister Jean Castex accused Britain of reneging on its promise over fishing.

'We see in the clearest way possible that Great Britain does not respect its own signature,' he said, adding that 'all we want is that a given word is respected.'

France's European Affairs Minister Clement Beaune lashed out at the UK's Brexit 'failures' and said that France's trawlermen would not 'pay the price' for the UK's decision to leave

In a relationship where both sides often fall back on cliches about the other, Castex was harking back to the centuries-old French insult of 'Perfidious Albion,' a nation that can never be trusted.

Meanwhile, French European Affairs Minister Clement Beaune added to this late Monday. He said: 'The European Union scrupulously implements the agreement it reached with the United Kingdom. We expect the same from Britain.'

French fishing barons last week gave Britain two weeks to grant them more access to its waters or face being cut off from crucial Christmas supplies.

They handed down the ultimatum a day after skippers vowed to block the port of Calais and the Channel Tunnel unless their demands were met.

Beaune backed the move and threatened to cut off supplies of Christmas turkeys unless continental fishermen are allowed to work in British waters.

'They failed on Brexit. It was a bad choice. Threatening us, threatening our fishermen, will not settle their supply of turkey at Christmas,' Beaune told BFM TV.

'We will hold firm. The Brits need us to sell their products,' he added.

French boats were free to fish in the six-to-12 mile zone when the UK was in the EU, but now have to prove that they previously did so. France says they should keep the same level of access, accusing Britain of breaching the Brexit trade deal.

French fishermen have also said they could block the northern port of Calais and Channel Tunnel rail link, both major transit points for trade between Britain and continental Europe, if London does not grant more fishing licences in the next 17 days.

They previously blockaded Jersey over access to Channel Island waters.

French Fishermen previously blockaded Jersey over access to Channel Island waters.

Beaune said France had asked for 450 fishing licences but had only received 275. 'We're 40 percent short, but we insist on those 450,' he said.

'Britons need us to sell their products, including from fishing, they need us for their energy, for their financial services and for their research centres,' Beaune said.

'All of this gives us pressure points. We have the means to modulate the degree of our cooperation, to reduce it, if Britain does not implement the agreement,' he said.

'If they don't do their share, then we won't do 100 percent of our share either.'

The Brexit trade agreement, signed by both sides last year, reduces the catch for EU trawlers in British waters by 25 per cent over five-years. After that expires, access will be negotiated on an annual basis.

The French government wants other EU members to support their push for Britain to be brought before an arbitration panel set up to thrash out post-Brexit disputes.
The family of Sabina Nessa are still waiting for her body to be released for a funeral while investigations remain ongoing into her cause of death.

The primary school teacher, 28, was allegedly killed in Cator Park, south-east London, as she made her way to meet a friend on September 17.

Her body was discovered by a dog walker nearly 24 hours later covered with leaves near a community centre in the park.

An inquest was opened into her death at Inner South London Coroner's Court today.

The 'amazing, caring, beautiful' teacher was making her way through the park to meet a friend for a drink at a pub nearby when she was allegedly attacked

Police near Pegler Square in Kidbrooke, south London, near to where the body of 28-year-old school teacher Sabina Nessa was found on September 18

The inquest heard that Ms Nessa's family have still been unable to hold a burial service for the 'amazing, caring, beautiful' teacher while they wait for her body to be released.

Senior Coroner Andrew Harris told the court that an initial post-mortem had left a pathologist 'in no doubt' that Ms Nessa had been assaulted 'by homicide in nature'.

Koci Selamaj, 36, of Eastbourne, East Sussex, is charged with her murder. He is next due to appear at the Old Bailey for a plea hearing on December 16.

The coroner received an application from his defence team for a second post-mortem to take place.

The application was granted despite protestations from Ms Nessa's sister, Jebina, who said she 'doesn't see why she should be put through this'.

She added: 'We just want to bury her.'

Mr Harris granted the second post-mortem on the basis that it will take place later today and will be a 'non-invasive' assessment of Ms Nessa's external body.

He said: 'I understand that you wish for the brain to be reunited with the body for before burial, but I understand that if I approve it will be conducted today and there will be no further delay.

'He wishes just to inspect the external body and look at paperwork and scans.

A court sketch of Koci Selamaj appearing via video-link from Wormwood Scubs prison for a hearing at the Old Bailey. He is charged with the murder of Ms Nessa

Officers comb through a field in Kent as part of the investigation into the death of murdered schoolteacher Sabina Nessa

'I understand the concern that might arise. If to do so [to grant the application] was to introduce further delay, I would not grant approval for it, but given it can happen today, it does not seem to me that there is a reason I should not let this go ahead.

'I think it is very difficult to put oneself in the shoes of the family in this case. She will be wheeled out and shown to him and no more than that.'

Hundreds gathered at peaceful vigils in south London and Eastbourne in the days following Ms Nessa's death amid continuing public outrage over woman's safety.

More than 500 well-wishers attended a memorial event in Pegler Square, including young children, to pay their respects.

Jebina Yasmin Islam, Ms Nessa's sister, speaks at a candlelight vigil on September 24 in south London. The family attended the inquest opening of their beloved sister remotely today

Speaking at the vigil, sister Jebina told the crowd: 'We have lost an amazing, caring, beautiful sister, who left this world far too early.

'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.'

Her death took place just days before the sentencing of Wayne Couzens, who will spend the rest of his life in prison for the kidnap, rape and murder of Sarah Everard.

As calls continue for action to better protect women and girls from violence, Justice Secretary Dominic Raab vowed that the issue was his 'number one priority'.

Asked what would change following Ms Everard's death, Government sources said a victims bill to strengthen the rights of those in the position of Miss Everards family would be published soon.
Conservative MP Dehenna Davison was branded 'sinful' and 'deluded' after twisted online trolls targeted her for coming out as bisexual.

The Bishop Auckland MP, 28, was told a relationship between two women was 'a sin' in one cruel post.

She was also told she wouldn't be allowed in a church again and branded 'deluded' in other hate-filled messages.

Davison, who is in the process of divorcing her husband John Fareham, revealed her sexuality on Sunday and admitted she did not consider it to be 'a big deal'.

Ms Davison is understood to be the first female Conservative MP to come out publicly as bisexual.

She told GB News: 'If anyone were to explicitly ask me, I certainly wouldnt try and hide it because I dont think its anything to be ashamed of.

'The reason I havent done a kind of, "By the way, guys", is because I dont want being bi to be considered a big deal.

'If I did a very public kind of coming-out parade, that would be me saying theres something really unusual about this and trying to make a big deal of it when to me its not. Its just part of who I am.'

Conservative MP Dehenna Davison, 28, was branded 'sinful' and 'deluded' after twisted online trolls targeted her for coming out as bisexual

Davison also outed one person's particularly cruel message (above) which described her as 'deluded' and demanded she be 'deselected' at the next General Election

After news broke on Sunday, Davison tweeted: 'Really overwhelmed by the outpouring of love this evening.

'Thank you so much for your support.'

But the Tory MP's announcement wasn't entirely met with praise - with a hateful section of online commenters accusing her of a 'publicity stunt'.

One Twitter user wrote: 'Publicity stunt.

'Be more surprised if celebs and MPs came out as straight to be honest.'

Davison, who is in the process of divorcing her husband John Fareham (pictured together), revealed her sexuality on Sunday and admitted she did not consider it to be 'a big deal'.

Troll Chakib Miraoui added: 'When admitting sexual duality becomes a virtue in itself.

'Sex between two women is a great sin in the eyes of God.

'I hope youre not planning on ever going to church again.'

Davison also outed one person's particularly cruel message which described her as 'deluded' and demanded she be 'deselected' at the next General Election.

The anonymous email read: 'If you are so deluded to think bisexual, homosexual, trans etc is normal, you are not someone to represent us in Parliament.

'I dread to think of all the hate crime, pro queer laws you would want.

'You have been deselected.'

In response, Davison joked: 'Someone clearly needs more rainbows in their life'.

Fellow Tory MP Chris Clarkson, who is openly gay, quipped: 'Wait until they meet the rest of the Parliamentary Party.'

Ms Davison became the first Conservative MP in the former Labour stronghold in more than 80 years when she won the seat from Helen Goodman in 2019.

She won a majority of almost 8,000 as her party made unprecedented gains across the North East.

Following the General Election, she split from Hull councillor John Fareham - who she married in 2018.
The diaries of a First World War U-boat officer who went on to order the massacre of thousands of Jews during the Holocaust have come to light after lying unseen for more than 100 years.

Hans Kawelmacher, who was then an Oberleutnant  the equivalent of a British First Lieutenant  wrote the diary between October 1916 and March 1917 while serving on SM U-80, a Type UE I mine-laying submarine.

In it, he wrote movingly about losing crewmates and how he 'worried' about his girlfriend, who he went on to marry and have children with.

In one passage, he told how now he had 'found happiness', he wanted to 'grasp it and never let it go'.

In another, he expressed sorrow about the 'poor parents' of a crewmate who was washed overboard while on watch.

However, in the Second World War, Kawelmacher became the naval commandant in the Nazi-occupied city of Libau (Liepaja in Latvian) in Latvia.

In 1941, he ordered the acceleration of the public killings of men, women and children in the town. Around 5,000 Jewish people were murdered. Incredibly, some of the killings were caught on film.

Despite his crimes, Kawelmacher escaped justice after the war and opened a solicitor's practice before dying of natural causes in 1965.

His diary has been in the hands of a private collector in Germany and has now been brought to public attention by German military historian Robin Schafer.

The diaries of First World War U-boat officer Hans Kamelwacher, who went on to order the massacre of thousands of Jews during the Holocaust, have come to light after lying unseen for more than 100 years. Pictured: The war criminal with his newborn baby and in the Second World War (right)

Mr Schafer said the 'unique' diary is a 'fantastic depiction' of the 'daily danger' the men who served on the rudimentary vessels faced, 'even without enemy contact'.

He added: 'Even though the daily entries are brief, it reads well, it is very detailed. He seems to be very caring and cares about his family but turns into this other being 25 years later.'

Throughout the course of the war, the Imperial German Navy's 375 U-boats sank astonishing 5,554 Allied merchant ships but suffered heavy losses themselves, with 187 boats lost and 5,000 sailors killed.

A mine laid by Kawelmacher's vessel sank the British transatlantic ocean liner the SS Laurentic off the coast of Ireland in 1917, leading to the loss of 354 lives.

The ship had been carrying 43 tons of gold bars worth 5million (around 354million in today's money) when she sank.

In the Second World War, Kawelmacher became the naval commandant in the Nazi-occupied city of Libau (Liepaja in Latvian) in Latvia. In 1941, he was one of the men who ordered the public massacre of around 5,000 men, women and children in the city. Incredibly, some of the killings were caught on film

The treasure was going to be used by the UK to buy munitions from the US and Canada.

While on board U-80 in October 1916, Kawelmacher worried during bad weather about how he may never see his girlfriend, Dita, ever again.

'The boat is being thrown from one side to the other,' he wrote.

'And then I am worried about Dita! So far during this war I was always carefree and unconcerned and now that I have found happiness I want to grasp it and never let it go.

If I will ever see her again? If only there was fresh air and sunshine, that would get rid of the gloomy thoughts.'

The same month, he went on to describe the moment a crewmate was washed overboard while on watch when the vessel was at the surface of the ocean, near the Shetland Islands.

'Oberleutnant Schliemann is swept overboard! Both strap supports are broken. A terrible wave coming in from astern.

'We kept looking for him until 3:30 pm and then dived to 27 meters.

Kawelmacher wrote the diary between October 1916 and March 1917 while serving on SM U-80 (pictured), a Type UE I mine-laying submarine

The diary reveals how he worried about never seeing his girlfriend again, and also his distress at losing a crewmate

Kawelmacher also drew this map of the north of Scotland during his time on the U-boat

'The commander had spotted him briefly, floating aftwards, about 60 meters out in his bad weather gear and waving to us.

'The commander waved back to confirm that he had been seen, but while the boat was still turning, Schliemann had disappeared. The poor, dear fellow.'

In another passage later the same day, he worried about how his lost crew member's parents would feel upon learning of their son's death.

'I still can't believe it, I just thought that Schliemann must be on watch because he isn't in the mess with us.

'We are still at 30 meters depth. His poor parents! It will be weeks until they'll learn about their son's death.

'And if it had been my watch, then that fate would have been mine, standing in the same spot, secured by the same straps.'

He then added: 'My parents and Dita expect me to return. I can't believe that Schliemann is gone, and I don't want to think about it.'

The moving descriptions contrast starkly with Kawelmacher's actions in the Second World War.

The shootings in Libau began in June 1941, after Nazi Germany had begun their invasion of the country.

When the takeover was complete on July 10, the full-scale elimination of the Jewish and Roma population began and executions in Libau were stepped up.

On July 16, Kawelmacher was appointed the naval commandant of Libau.

Soon after, he sent a telegram ordering the sending of soldiers - including 100 members of the feared SS - to the town to carry out the 'quick implementation of the Jewish problem'.

The shootings in Libau began in June 1941, after Nazi Germany had begun their invasion of the country

When the takeover was complete on July 10, the full-scale elimination of the Jewish and Roma population began and executions in Libau were stepped up. Pictured: Jewish women being forced to undress before they are killed

Shocking video filmed by German photographer Reinhard Wiener shows how some Jewish people were forced to stand in trenches as men above shot them while others looked on

Mass arrests then began and around 2,000 more Jewish people were killed, including at least 900 men over the course of just two days.

The witness statement of a police commander who was present at some of the killings revealed how some of the executions were carried out by Latvian civilians.

He said that he told SS commander Wolfgang Kugler that 'it was intolerable that shootings were being carried out in front of spectators.

Shocking video filmed by German photographer Reinhard Wiener shows how some Jewish people were forced to stand in trenches as men above shot them while others looked on.

Mr Schafer said of Kawelmacher's actions: 'There was a genocide ongoing, what he did without any orders, he telegraphed to his superiors to say 'the solution to the Jewish Question' is not progressing fast enough, he ordered commandos to speed up the killing.

'A Lithuanian killer brigade then murdered 2,000 people.'

The historian added: 'He basically ordered the escalation of murder. He is responsible for that.'

Later in the war, Kawelmacher became the naval commandant of the occupied Greek island of Milos.

Despite his horrendous actions, Kawelmacher escaped any form of justice after Germany's defeat in the war in 1945

In February 1943, he ordered the mass execution of 14 male civilians after they were accused of stealing German military items from a German cargo ship which had been sunk by Allied aircraft.

Despite his horrendous actions, Kawelmacher escaped any form of justice after Germany's defeat in the war in 1945.

The war criminal happened to be friends with the head of the German Navy, Karl Donitz. He asked to be discharged from the navy in 1944.

Following the end of the conflict, he was interred along with thousands of other soldiers by British troops.

Mr Schafer said he was then 'released very quickly' and 'got the certificate that he was clean and not a Nazi'.

'He then lived a normal life. He was a doctor of law as well. He opened a solicitor's practice,' he said.

'Then some sources claim that there is evidence that someone in the German ministry of interior warned him something was going on in the background and said he should change his name.

'He did and then he died in 1965 of natural causes,' the historian added.
A pregnant mother-of-two found fatally injured in a pool of blood next to her ex-partner last Saturday was discovered by her own devastated father.

Michelle Darragh, 32, died at her former partner Ben Coman's Bayswater North home in Huntington Avenue east of Melbourne on Saturday at about 7.30pm.

Ms Darragh's father made the horrific discovery after becoming worried she had been away from her parents' home nearby at The Basin for several hours.

The couple, who lived at the address with their two young boys, separated a fortnight ago.

Michelle Darragh, a pregnant mother-of-two found in a pool of blood next to her injured ex-partner last Saturday, was discovered by her devastated father

Ms Darragh returned to her former partner Ben Coman's Bayswater North house (pictured) to collect some belongings on Saturday

Michelle Darragh, 32, died at her former partner Ben Coman's Bayswater North home in Huntington Avenue east of Melbourne on Saturday at about 7:30pm. The former couple are pictured together

Ms Darragh returned to Mr Coman's house to collect belongings on Saturday.

Mr Coman, a tradesman who runs a cabinet-making business, was seen going for a walk nearby at the time.

Several hours later Ms Darragh, a social worker, died at the couple's former home in a tragic scene which has become a homicide investigation.

A neighbour reported seeing police forensic experts remove a bloodied mattress from the Bayswater North home on Monday. Police are pictured at the home

Police forensic experts are pictured at the Bayswater North home where Michelle Darragh, 32, died on Saturday

Her father become concerned she had been gone several hours and rushed to the property, a neighbour at Huntington Avenue said, news.com.au reported.

When nobody answered the door and the father could not access the house, he climbed over a neighbour's fence to gain access.

When he discovered the tragic scene he immediately called emergency services.

Mr Coman, 29, was found with life-threatening injuries at the home and survived.

Ms Darragh's heartbroken family said: 'She lived for her kids and family and always put other people first in front of her own self'

When nobody answered the door of the couple's former home and Ms Darragh's father could not access the house, he climbed over a neighbour's fence to gain access

He remains under police guard at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and has yet to be interviewed by homicide detectives.

No charges have been laid over Ms Darragh's grisly death.

Neighbours also said they saw police forensics experts remove a bloodied mattress from the house on Monday.

Emergency services visited the couple's home four weeks before Ms Darragh's death over fears for Mr Coman's mental and physical health, the Herald Sun reported.

Forensic specialists scoured the home on Sunday which was cordoned off with police tape.

Victoria Police said they were 'not looking for anyone else in relation to this incident'.

Ms Darragh's heartbroken family said they want her to be remembered as 'the most beautiful soul that you could ever get,' a family member told The Age.

'She lived for her kids and family and always put other people first in front of her own self.

'We will always remember her beautiful nature and her infectious smile that lit the room up when she walked into it.'

They said she adored her two sons and was a dedicated, loving mother.

It was also reported emergency services visited the couple's home four weeks before Ms Darragh's death over fears for Mr Coman's mental and physical health. The couple are pictured together

Michelle Darragh, 32 (pictured), died at her former partner's Bayswater North home 28km east of Melbourne's city centre on Saturday night at about 7:30pm, with homicide detectives now investigating the circumstance around the gruesome death

A neighbour of the deceased woman said he saw the victim's parents outside the house crying and screaming.

Neighour Trent Falahey said he saw Ms Darragh's distraught parents crying outside the home before the woman's mother asked if he had 'heard anything'.

'You don't expect these things to happen in your neighbourhood,' he said.

He added they were a 'fantastic' and 'lovely couple' who had been at the property for about four years.

'They were great neighbours  it is a pretty tight neighbourhood we all know each other,' he said.
Councils are using secretive orders to lock up hundreds of thousands of people they deem unfit to care for themselves - but patients claim they are having their freedom stripped unjustly.

Social services slap little-known Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards on adults and children as young as 13 to stop them leaving health facilities.

The controversial tool lets staff impound people or layer 'draconian' restrictions on their life if they judge the person not to have to capacity to stay safe.

But there have long been calls from campaigners to reform the system that sees residents reduced to 'being treated like criminals'.

Lawyers admitted the safeguards 'undoubtedly have problems' due to so many 'authorisations', stretched local authorities and the scheme being 'overly complex'.

In a chilling case, a businessman revealed today how he was issued a Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards order lasting two weeks a year ago but remains locked up.

David Walker, 70, said he has been forced to stay at Ash Lodge, run by Proudfoot Care Group, in Hull since October 2020.

The father of two said the order was supposed to be for two weeks and was made against his will - but remains in respite care a year later.

He said he feels locked up 'like a criminal' and cannot even go across the road for tobacco and groceries unless accompanied by a carer.

His daughter Dawn, 45, echoed him and said he is 'fully able' to care for himself and is demanding his release.

David Walker (pictured), 70, said he is being forced to stay at Ash Lodge, run by Proudfoot Care Group, in Hull due to a Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) order

What are controversial Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards? What are they? NHS Digital figures show there were 256,610 applications for DoLSs by local authorities between April 1, 2020, and March 31, 2021. A staggering 246,025 of these were completed - an increase of 1 per cent on the previous year's figures. The Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards are outlined in the Mental Capacity Act 2005. They are meant to ensure people in care homes and hospitals are looked after without impeding their liberty. DoLSs detail how staff must act if they think it is best for a person to restrict their freedom. It is up to the social services to arrange for tests to make sure the DoLS is best for the person. They can be used for a range of restrictions, including home detention and depriving someone of a phone. When can they be used? DoLSs are used when a patient is under continuous supervision and control in a care home or hospital. They are only brought in when a person's freedom is restricted to the point that they cannot leave the facility alone. They are triggered when a person is believed to lack the capacity to consent to these arrangements. How can they be challenged? If someone feels a care home or hospital is wrongly using an order they can challenge it or ask for it to be less restrictive. A standard authorisation test can be requested while a DoLS is being prepared. The manager of the facility can be approached about an order on a patient. A person looking to contest an order can also get in touch with the supervisory body, the local authority, or fight it through the Court of Protection. Why are they controversial? Mr Walker's case is not the first to demonstrate how DoLSs can be controversial. A report last year found more and more of them were being used against children in care. The BBC reported the number used on young children skyrocketed from 43 in 2016-17 to 134 in 2018-19. Campaigners branded it 'wilful neglect' and called for them to be revised. One gruelling order was placed on a 13-year-old girl by a court last year. She was shut away in a rented council house and lived with four local authority staff. The girl could be locked in her room all right, have loose items taken off her and restrained to stop her self harming or hurting workers. The judge even admitted the restrictions were 'draconian'. Advertisement

Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards are outlined in the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and are meant to ensure people in care homes and hospitals can be looked after safely.

They detail how staff must act if they think it is best for a person to have their freedom restricted and it is up to the social services to ensure they are fair.

They can be used for a range of restrictions, including home detention and depriving someone of a phone.

But the little-known tool is seen as controversial among human rights lawyers and activists, with them dished out in the privacy of care homes or hospitals or secretive courts often closed to the press.

They can also be hard to shake once imposed on a patient, with people often having to fight them through the Court of Protection.

Experts have long called for the measures to be reformed to make them fairer and prevent them from being incorrectly advised.

There were plans to shake up the system but these were put on the backburned when Covid struck in March 2020 and the justice system came under huge pressure.

These stemmed from the government publishing an amendment to the Mental Capacity Act in July 2018 to replace Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards with Liberty Protection Safeguards.

It was passed in May 2019 but was slammed for not taking into consideration reforms suggested by the Law Commission.

In another blow for civil rights campaigners, the new act also widened the scope to deprive people of their liberty in a medical emergency without prior authorisation.

The revised target date for these to be brought in is now April 1, 2022, following the pandemic and a 12-week consultation period this year.

The changes were desperately needed, as outlined by a a House of Lords Select Committee report in 2014.

it said: 'The provisions are poorly drafted, overly complex and bear no relationship to the language and ethos of the Mental Capacity Act.

'The safeguards are not well understood and are poorly implemented. Evidence suggested that thousands, if not tens of thousands, of individuals are being deprived of their liberty without the protection of the law, and therefore without the safeguards which Parliament intended.

'Worse still, far from being used to protect individuals and their rights, they are sometimes used to oppress individuals, and to force upon them decisions made by others without reference to the wishes and feelings of the person concerned.'

The report called for the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards to be subjected to a comprehensive review 'with a view to replacing them with provisions that are compatible in style and ethos to the rest of the Mental Capacity Act'.

Jonathan Landau, a barrister at 5 Essex Court, told MailOnline: 'It is necessary to stress that DoLS is intended to protect people who are being deprived of their liberty by providing a legal framework for detaining people when necessary which includes a means to challenge the deprivation of liberty.

'The scheme was introduced because the European Court of Human Rights found that there was a gap in the law. However, there are undoubtedly problems with the scheme.

'Because so many people required authorisations, and because the authorisations only last a year, local authorities that are responsible for the assessments struggle to comply with the statutory time limits for carrying out assessments.'

He added: 'The scheme is also perceived as overly complex.'

Amy Dutton, a solicitor in the Court of Protection department at Stephensons, added: 'The term ''deprivation of liberty'' is very often viewed negatively due to the fact that the person is, by definition, deprived of their liberty, and their freedoms restricted.

'However, the term is not a negative one and does not always mean that someone is doing something wrong.

'Sometimes restricting a person's liberty may be in their best interests, in order to keep them safe and ensure that they are receiving the appropriate care and support that they require.

'The person may be vulnerable due to their disabilities, and the deprivation of their liberty may be necessary to prevent harm or risk to the person.

'Where a deprivation of liberty is not correctly authorised, this would amount to a breach of the individual's right to liberty under Article 5 of the European Convention of Human Rights ('ECHR'), and may give rise to a claim for compensation on behalf of the individual for breach of their Article 5 right to liberty.'

Mental health charities have blasted the system for having 'critical issues', saying even those who work in social care 'groan' about it.



The law as it currently stands is also seen as too tough by many, including Mr Walker who remains shut away in Hull.

The father of two (pictured) said the order was made against his will and he has been in the mental health facility for a year

The businessman had run a building and home insulation business called Save It Insulation and had a five-storey house, a Jaguar and 90 employees.

But he revealed the firm ran into trouble with people owing him money and his wife became ill.

Hull City Council's social services intervened and said he should go into respite care 'for two weeks' in October 2020.

But a year later Mr Walker says he still has not got his liberty back and remains cooped up in the care home.

He told the Hull Daily Mail: 'I have been incarcerated in my room, in which I have to eat and sleep, everything.

'Yet I haven't committed an offence. I am appealing it, and I plan to sue for loss of earnings. I am now on benefits, and I want to be able to go out to work.

'I can't actually believe what has happened to me. I thought I was signing details for my next of kin, I feel I have been tricked. The DoLS was without my knowledge.

'They now have the authority to keep me here. It is one year since I was incarcerated and I am in total limbo, I think they expect me to stay here until I go out in a coffin.

'This is a miscarriage of justice, I have committed no crime.'

Mr Walker says he has been told an appeal can take up to six months and he is in the process of consulting with a solicitor.

He added: 'I am like a rabbit in hutch and I just want to be able to go outside to the shop and to earn a living.'

David's daughter Ms Walker said 'No one was consulted in the family. My dad should not even be in that place.

'I believe he is being treated like a prisoner which is completely unjustified. He is intelligent and knowledgeable and shouldn't be in there.

'We will do whatever we can to help my dad come out, it has gone on for too long now. He is not confused, he is totally on the ball.'

The paperwork for his DoLS, which was initially for a period of seven days, described Mr Walker as lacking 'capacity' and states there is no mental illness present.

The home's manager has written in the paperwork Mr Walker cannot feed or dress himself and would be at risk of 'malnutrition and dehydration'. David and his daughter both dispute this.

The records also say he could be suffering from Korsakoff syndrome, a memory disorder caused by a lack of vitamin B1, which is easily treatable and reversible.

Ms Walker added: 'He is more than capable of carrying out daily tasks of looking after himself, washing, shaving, and dressing. His knowledge and understanding is 100 per cent.'

He said he feels locked up 'like a criminal' and cannot even go across the road for tobacco and groceries unless accompanied by a carer (pictured, Mr Walker in the care home)

Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards overruled after desperate fight by father In 2011 a father was forced into a desperate fight to overturn the little-known order on his son. Mark Neary was praised for refusing to give up on then 21-year-old Steven, who was 'unlawfully' kept from his family by heavy-handed council officials. Steven had only gone into care for three days to give his father a chance to recover from flu. But social workers flagged up the young man's behaviour as 'challenging' and decided to keep him permanently. He was upset at being parted from his father, and had a habit of tapping people on the shoulder to attract their attention. Mark Neary was praised for refusing to give up on then 21-year-old Steven, who was 'unlawfully' kept from his family by heavy-handed council officials Absurdly, Steven's shoulder-tapping was recorded in the respite centre's daily log as a series of 'assaults'. To Mr Neary's horror, he was informed his son was not allowed to return to his family home in north west London but was to be placed in a care home 150 miles away. Steven would have languished there indefinitely had it not been for Mr Neary's fierce determination that the system would not be allowed to steal his son. They were finally reunited a full year after social workers had tried to rip the family apart. Advertisement

Barrister Mr Landau said the next step for Mr Walker is an application under section 21A of the Mental Capacity Act, which would act as an appeal against the DoLS.

He said: 'The court will aim to have a first hearing within five days of the application, though it may take much longer before the case is finally decided.

'Meanwhile, the court can make interim orders such as requiring further assessments, seeking expert evidence and/or placing conditions on the authorisation.'

A spokesman for Hull City Council refused to be drawn on Mr Walker, saying: 'We do not comment on ongoing, individual cases.

'Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLs) ensure that people who cannot consent to their care arrangements in a care home or hospital are protected, if those arrangements deprive them of their liberty.

'Arrangements are assessed to check they are necessary and in the person's best interests.

'Where a person is objecting to the arrangements for their care and treatment either they and/or their representative can make an application to the Court of Protection, under Section 21A of the Mental Capacity Act.

'This ensures that the person's Article 5 rights, under the Human Rights Act, are protected (Right to Liberty and Security).'

Proudfoot Care Group declined to comment.

Deprivation of Liberty orders are mostly used on adults who are seen not to have the capacity to act for themselves.

But there have been numerous shocking cases of children as young as 13 to restrict their movements.

One gruelling order was placed on a 13-year-old girl by a court last year. She was shut away in a rented council house and lived with four local authority staff.

The girl could be locked in her room all right, have loose items taken off her and restrained to stop her self harming or hurting workers.

The judge even admitted the restrictions were 'draconian'.

Meanwhile in 2011 a father was forced into a desperate fight to overturn the little-known order on his son.

Mark Neary was praised for refusing to give up on then 21-year-old Steven, who was 'unlawfully' kept from his family by heavy-handed council officials.

Steven had only gone into care for three days to give his father a chance to recover from flu.

Mark Neary was praised for refusing to give up on then 21-year-old Steven (pictured together), who was 'unlawfully' kept from his family by heavy-handed council officials

But social workers flagged up the young man's behaviour as 'challenging' and decided to keep him permanently.

He was upset at being parted from his father, and had a habit of tapping people on the shoulder to attract their attention.

Absurdly, Steven's shoulder-tapping was recorded in the respite centre's daily log as a series of 'assaults'.

To Mr Neary's horror, he was informed his son was not allowed to return to his family home in north west London but was to be placed in a care home 150 miles away.

Steven would have languished there indefinitely had it not been for Mr Neary's fierce determination that the system would not be allowed to steal his son.

They were finally reunited a full year after social workers had tried to rip the family apart.
An eight-year-old boy who nearly died after he was thrown from the Tate Modern by a teenager because he 'wanted to be on the news' has returned to school again.

Jonty Bravery, now 19, grabbed the child at random and hurled him 100 ft (30m) from the 10th floor viewing platform to the ground, inflicting horrific life-changing injuries two years ago.

But the unnamed victim - who was on holiday in the UK with his parents when the attempted murder happened - is bravely defying the odds to rebuild his life.

His mum and dad said he is loving being back to normal in the classroom even if he's tired because he's getting homework.

They also said he has also enjoyed trips with a friend in a catamaran as he tries to get back to normal.

In a joint statement, his parents said: 'The start of the school year went well and our little knight got an additional school slot on Friday.

'Even though the class was closed for a week due to covid, our son is super happy to be going back to 'normal' school, as he says.

The Tate Modern where attacker Jonty Bravery threw a boy from the high viewing area

Bravery was sentenced to detention for life, with 15 year minimum, for the attempted murder

'The weeks have however become very tiring because he has of course some homework to do at home but very little time considering all his rehabilitations.

'Which he continues to have in the hospital and the fatigue that this causes.

'Despite everything, we are happy that he can continue this rehabilitation because it enables him to continue to progress.

'For example, we were able to put away the cumbersome tetrapod cane to replace it with a simple cane.

'And, if our son still does not walk on his own, there has not been another fall and we feel that it is progressing little by little.'

They added: 'Likewise, he has new small movements in the left shoulder, and those that were already there are getting stronger.

'His work with the orthoptist is also bearing fruit, he is less lost in front of a page of writing and manages to follow a line of his gaze for longer.

'Regarding the tricycle, he continues to train with physiotherapists but we still have not received the one that was scheduled for September, problem of supply of equipment.

Police were called to the Tate Modern in 2019 after the boy was thrown from the 10th floor

'In the absence of short family outings, we were however able to offer him two catamaran rides, generously organized by a neighbour, a sailing teacher who adapted to our son's limitations.

'He loved it, especially when the co-captain purposely 'fell' into the water to make him laugh.

'At last, our little knight finally passed his first swallowing test with the speech therapist, he managed to drink a full glass of water without coughing.

'It's a great progress that lightens his daily life and ours because it is no longer necessary to thicken one in two or three glasses depending on his fatigue.

'He can finally drink water.

'He is so delighted that he takes the opportunity, as soon as he can, to drink from our glasses when our back is turned.

'Thank you for your messages and your support. Take care of yourself and of those you love. The family of the child. '

Bravery, 19 was sentenced to detention for life, with a minimum of 15 years, at the Old Bailey in June last year after pleading guilty to attempted murder.

In December, a judge dismissed his appeal against his sentence.

He was also given an extra 14 weeks' jail time in December for two counts of common assault following attacks at Broadmoor Hospital, Berks.

A report published by the Local Safeguarding Children Partnership in West London failed to blame anyone for Bravery being free to attack the child.

A serious case review into him highlighted a series of violent incidents in the two years before he struck, as well as other examples of troubling behaviour including putting faeces in his mother's make-up brushes or throwing it out of his window at neighbours as well as threatening to kill members of the public.

One support worker said they believed it was 'only by luck' he hadn't killed someone, while Bravery's attacks were often premeditated and appeared to give him pleasure, especially when he drew blood after he bit another child.
France is leading a group of ten EU countries pushing for nuclear energy to be labelled 'green' as the continent tries to end its dependence on fossil fuels without wrecking the economy.

The group - which includes Poland, Hungary and Finland - argue that nuclear is 'essential' to lowering energy costs and ending Europe's reliance on foreign imports, while also cutting emissions without becoming over-reliant on renewables.

But they are being opposed by another group led by Germany, which gets around 75 per cent of its energy from fossil fuels and stands to benefit from the new Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia - who argue that it is unsafe.

Pointing to the 1986 Chernobyl disaster and 2011 Fukushima meltdown, the nuclear opponents - backed by some environmental campaigners - say the technology cannot be trusted and that plants produce waste which is difficult to dispose of.

The debate comes amid a global energy crisis that has seen supplies of traditional fossil fuels such as coal and gas run low - causing prices to soar while countries such as China and Lebanon suffer blackouts and rationing.

France is leading a group of 10 countries trying to persuade the EU to classify nuclear energy as 'green', saying it is 'essential' to ending the bloc's reliance on foreign imports

France - which gets around 70 per cent of its energy from nuclear, has some of the lowest energy costs in Europe, and makes 2.5billion per year as the continent's largest energy exporter - is leading the charge to have the industry labelled 'green.'

In a joint letter published at the weekend, French ministers Bruno Le Maire and Agnes Pannier-Runacher argue that nuclear power is 'safe and innovative' while also being carbon-free.

Renewable energy is also carbon-free, the pair freely admit, but nuclear is far more reliable and uses technology that has been available for decades.

Under-production of renewable energy, caused by calm winds in Europe, is thought to be at least partially responsible for its current power crisis.

'[Nuclear] is a clean, secure, independent and competitive source of energy,' they write in a letter published this weekend in major European newspapers.

'It offers Europeans the chance to... create thousands of qualified jobs, to strengthen our environmental ambitions and to ensure the... energy autonomy of Europe,'

The letter was also signed by ministers from Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Finland, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia and Romania.

Like France, most of the signatories generate significant amounts of power from nuclear - ranging from 30 to 50 per cent - and have committed to investing billions more in the technology.

Only two - Poland and Croatia - currently have no nuclear power plants.

However, Poland has invested some 30billion in nuclear with its first plant due to be commissioned in 2033.

Meanwhile Croatia shares ownership of a nuclear plant in neighbouring Slovenia, from which it draws 10 per cent of its power, and has backed plans for a second reactor at the same site

The group is being opposed by the likes of Germany - Europe's largest coal producer (pictured) which gets 75 per cent of its energy from fossil fuels - which argue it is unsafe

Backed by green campaign groups, the anti-nuclear lobby point to disaster such as Chernobyl (pictured) to argue the technology can't be trusted and say it produces harmful waste

By contrast, the opposition group - which includes Germany, Austria, Denmark, Luxembourg and Spain - generate little or no power from nuclear.

The only two countries which do have nuclear plants - Germany and Spain - have both committed to phasing them out, with Germany's due to shut next year.

Austria and Denmark both generate most of their power from renewables such as hydropower and wind, while Luxembourg imports 95 per cent of its energy which is mostly generated from fossil fuels.

All five countries have committed to reducing their carbon emissions, but plan to do it using renewables - with Austria aiming to become 100 per cent renewable by 2030, mostly relying on hydropower generated from rivers.

The debate around nuclear energy is happening against the backdrop of the European Green Deal, which aims to make the EU carbon neutral by 2050 in order to mitigate the worst effects of climate change.

As part of the deal, the EU has published a list of what activities can be considered 'green' or 'sustainable'.

In the near future, the bloc will force companies and investors to disclose what share of their activities fall into this category in an attempt to shame the worst offenders.

Nuclear energy is not currently on the list of 'green' activities - though the EU is consulting on it and plans to make a decision before the end of the year.

A scientific paper published by the bloc's advisers earlier this year found that nuclear energy produces no more carbon than popular renewables.

However, campaigners are still pushing back on safety grounds and argue that renewable energy is the better solution.

Europe's energy supply has shot to the top of news agendas in recent weeks, prompted by a severe gas shortage.

French President Emmanuel Macron (left) is due to announce a major energy policy soon in which nuclear is expected to feature heavily, while outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel (right) is being lobbied to open a new gas pipeline with Russia

The shortage - caused by low production last year during Covid shutdowns and a spike in demand this year as they eased - has caused prices to shoot up amid warnings of blackouts.

European leaders have been forced to turn to Russia, sitting on the world's largest gas reserves, for a top-up - but supplies have not been forthcoming.

That has prompted accusations that Vladimir Putin is deliberately throttling supplies for political leverage, as his energy minister suggested that opening the Nord Stream 2 pipeline would help resolve the crisis.

The pipe - which was completed earlier this year - would bring gas into Europe via Germany, bypassing Poland and Ukraine and depriving them of revenues.

But experts say Russia's already-existing pipes have more than enough spare capacity, and Nord Stream 2 is simply being used as a bargaining chip.

The issue of the pipeline is expected to top the agenda when EU leaders meet Tuesday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky who is firmly opposed to it.

'This summit will take place in a very tense atmosphere,' said Leonid Litra, an analyst at New Europe Centre, a Kiev-based think tank.

Ukraine - in conflict with Russia since Moscow's 2014 annexation of Crimea - wants to ensure it will remain a key transit country for gas because it makes around $1billion-per-year maintaining the route.

European Council leader Charles Michel and European Commission leader Ursula von der Leyen will try to 'reassure' the Ukrainian president that Ukraine will remain a transit country, an official said.

President Putin stressed last week that his priority was not to put Ukraine 'in a difficult position', but to be an 'absolutely reliable partner' of Europe.

At the same time the Kremlin chief said that Ukrainian gas pipelines had not been repaired 'for decades' and ramping up supplies via the post-Soviet country could lead to 'negative consequences.'

Shortages of fossil fuels - caused by Covid lockdowns - have driven steep rises in the price of gas in Europe amid warnings that bills could rise significantly

'Something can burst there at any moment,' Putin said.

Moscow has not booked additional gas transit capacity via Ukraine to Europe for October, raising concerns.

Russia denies any pressure, saying it needs to fill its own reserves for the winter before sending supplies on to Europe.

Since 2014, Ukraine's army has been fighting pro-Russian separatists in the country's east in a conflict that has claimed more than 13,000 lives.

Kiev accuses Europe of timidity when it comes to Russia, whether on gas, military cooperation or Ukraine's prospects for integration into NATO and the European Union.

For its part, Europe has repeatedly called on Kiev to commit greater efforts to combating graft and reforming Ukraine's notoriously corrupt judicial system.

'We are going to encourage our Ukrainian friends to go a little faster,' the European official said.

The summit will also be an opportunity for Europeans to 'reaffirm their commitment to strengthen Ukraine's political association and economic integration with the EU', the official added.

'There is tension and grievances on both sides', and Ukraine feels 'ignored,' said Litra of the New Europe Centre think tank.
An international shipping company suspended five crew members after a cadet from the US Merchant Marine Academy revealed she was raped while serving a semester at sea.

The actions by Maersk followed the anonymous blog post written by the student, now a senior, who said crew members made her drink 'shot after shot' of liquor before she passed out and an engineer in his 60s took her virginity on one of the company's ships in 2019.

'There was blood on my sheets, and I knew immediately that I had been raped. I was a virgin and had been saving myself, and as soon as I woke up I could feel that I was very sore and knew exactly what had happened,' she wrote.

The woman was 19 years old at the time and completing what is known as a 'Sea Year' - a mandatory program in which students work on commercial vessels to gain experience.

The names of the suspended crew members or the alleged rapist were not released.

The woman wrote in the post, uploaded last month to the Maritime Legal Aid & Advocacy website, that sexual harassment against female cadets serving a Sea Year is rampant.

'There are more than 50 young, strong, amazing women in my class at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy where I am currently in my Senior/1st Class year,' her post began.

'I have not spoken to a single one of those women who has told me that she has not been sexually harassed, sexually assaulted, or degraded at some point during the last 3 years at the Academy or during Sea Year.

'Most people, and even the leaders of our school, do not seem to understand how serious this problem is, especially at sea.'

The academy in Kings Point, New York, trains students to become commissioned officers in the armed forces or Merchant Navy.

International shipping company Maersk has suspended five crew members pending the results of an investigation into sexual abuse claims

The woman revealed in painful detail the horror she experienced. After the night of forced drinking, she wrote that the next morning she woke up naked in her bed and realized she had been raped.

The woman said she could not remember the entire alleged rape due to the alcohol but that she did remember a senior engineer in his 60s being in her room.

She recalled the man, who she said had been sexually harassing her for weeks prior to the incident, getting undressed, standing over her and forcing her to perform a sex act.

The woman wrote in the blog post that she confided in her 'Sea Partner' - a male fellow cadet aboard the ship - about what had happened and he asked if she wanted to report it.

She wrote that she had told him she was worried no one would believe her, and wrote that she did not trust the captain and was worried about negatively impacting the Sea Year for the male cadet by getting him involved in an investigation.

The woman wrote that several hours later, her alleged rapist called her, asking her to come to his room and saying they needed to talk.

The woman said she told her Sea Partner where she was going and asked him to come and get her in 10 minutes if she had not returned.

Once in the engineer's room, the woman said he denied any sexual assault had taken place and explained his version of events in what she took to be a threat against her speaking out.

The woman wrote that the man put his hand on her thigh and propositioned her, telling her after she rejected him and made to leave the room, that no one would believe her if she said anything.

'Back in my room I decided that the only thing I could do was to tough it out,' she wrote.

'No one was going to believe me, and toughing it out was the only option I felt like I had. I was trapped.'

The woman did not report the alleged rape and returned to campus after the end of her Sea Year - having had to work under her alleged rapist for a further 50 days.

Back at school, the woman became a victim's advocate and learned that at least nine other female students at the academy had been raped during their Sea Year, she wrote in the blog post.

It was this that prompted her to write the post, which quickly gained media attention and spurred responses from politicians and Maersk, as well as a slew of comments on the original post - including by users who say they are female students and crew who have experienced similar harassment and abuse.

CNN reported the woman's lawyer Ryan Melogy as saying: 'She was sickened by the number of young women getting raped at sea.

'Nothing was being done about the problem. She wants to see real change and real accountability for what happened to her and far too many others.'

Maersk issued a statement on Friday, saying its US subsidiary is working closely with the academy, labor unions and the US government, and that five crew members would remain suspended until the inquiry is complete.

'We are shocked and deeply saddened about what we have read. We take this situation seriously and are disturbed by the allegations made in this anonymous posting which has only recently been brought to our attention,' CNN reported Bill Woodhour, CEO of Maersk Line, Limited, the company's US subsidiary, as saying.

The woman wrote in the post, uploaded to the Maritime Legal Aid & Advocacy website, that she is currently a senior at the US Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) in Kings Point, New York (pictured)

'We do everything we can to ensure that all of our workplace environments, including vessels, are a safe and welcoming workplace and we've launched a top to bottom investigation.'

The U.S. Maritime Administration, which oversees the academy, said it had 'zero tolerance for sexual assault and sexual harassment'.

It said the school's superintendent had informed the Coast Guard Investigative Service of the blog post the day after it was published.

Maersk Line CEO William Woodhour vowed 'a top to bottom investigation' of the alleged sexual attack against a female cadet.

A spokesperson for the administration told CNN that government officials would be reviewing the requirements on commercial vessels to ensure student safety.

Last week, Congressman Tom Suozzi and US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand demanded an immediate investigation into the blog post.

Despite the furor around the post, this is not the first time the Sea Year program has come under scrutiny.

It was suspended in 2016 amid reports of sexual assault and harassment, but reinstated the following year after new rules were introduced including a zero tolerance policy.

Last year, the government said the 2018-19 academic year had seen a decrease in reports of sexual assaults of academy students.

The period saw nine allegations of sexual assault, two of sexual harassment and one of retaliation.

However, the government acknowledged that barriers remained to women coming forward to report harassment and assault, including 'fear of reprisal from peers, social stigmatization, and ostracism.'
Former chief whip Julian Smith said a police and crime commissioner 'should go' for suggesting women 'need to be streetwise' about arrests in the wake of the Sarah Everard case.

Philip Allott, who oversees police and fire services in North Yorkshire, was widely condemned for his comments suggesting Ms Everard 'never should have submitted' to the arrest by killer Wayne Couzens.

Couzens, a Metropolitan Police officer, used his position to falsely arrest the 33-year-old for breaking lockdown rules in order to kidnap her before raping and murdering her.

He was given a whole life sentence last month, meaning he will almost certainly die behind bars.

The North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime panel will meet on Thursday with discussion of Mr Allotts comments, for which he subsequently apologised, forming part of the agenda.

Mr Smith, MP for Skipton and Ripon and a former cabinet minister, tweeted: 'Recent comments of the NY Police & Crime Commissioner were completely unacceptable.

'Prior to Thursdays Police & Crime Panel meeting to discuss the PCCs future I believe the PCC has lost trust of women and victims groups & should go - I have communicated this to the PCC & panel Chair.'

Former chief Julian Smith (pictured) said the recent comments were 'completely unacceptable'

Former chief whip Julian Smith said Philip Allott 'should go' for suggesting women 'need to be streetwise' about arrests in the wake of the Sarah Everard case

Mr Allott made the comments during an interview on BBC Radio York and were branded 'horrifically offensive' by critics.

During the interview, host Georgey Spanswick asked: 'How on earth do my stepdaughters, me, my friends, how do we protect ourselves now?

Mr Allot said: 'A police officer cant just arrest you. There has to be a reason.

Wayne Couzens was jailed for the rest of his life after using his position as a Metropolitan Police officer to falsely arrest Miss Everard, 33, for breaking Covid rules before raping and murdering her

'So, Covid for example I would classify as a summary offence, its not an indictable i.e. sent to prison or potentially go to a Crown Court.

'So women, first of all, need to be streetwise about when they can be arrested and when they can't be arrested.

'She should never have been arrested and submitted to that.

'Perhaps women need to consider in terms of the legal process, to just learn a bit about that legal process.'

His comments were challenged by host Spanswick, who said: 'Why is it down to me Philip? Why is it down to women because actually, this is down to one man in the police force and there are serious doubts about this man's conduct?'

He later issued an apology for his remarks.

On Twitter, he said: 'I would like to wholeheartedly apologise for my comments on BBC Radio York earlier today, which I realise have been insensitive and wish to retract them in full.'

North Yorkshire crime commissioner Mr Allot said Miss Everard 'never should have been arrested and submitted to that'

Tory chairman Oliver Dowden said he and Boris Johnson had been 'outraged' by the comments from Mr Allott.

Asked about the comments last week Mr Dowden told Sky News: 'The Prime Minister and I were outraged by what he said. It was completely unacceptable.

'I have been very clear in condemning it but I know the Prime Minister shares that view.

'He (Allott) did immediately apologise and I think that's appropriate for him to do so.'

Asked whether Mr Allott would be able to stand again for election to the role, Mr Dowden said 'I'm not going to pre-empt the selection process.

'The Prime Minister and I profoundly disagreed with what he said, it was a stupid thing to have said and he has rightly apologised for it.'

Oliver Dowden blasted North Yorkshire PCC Philip Allott over his 'stupid' comments, which sparked demands for his resignation.

Wayne Couzens used his position as a Metropolitan Police officer to falsely arrest Miss Everard, 33, for breaking lockdown rules before raping and murdering her

Mr Allott received angry feedback on social media, with some users calling for him to resign.

Janemortsdrizz posted on Twitter: 'No Philip. You told us that Sarah Everard is to blame for her own murder because she didnt question her false arrest by a serving police officer. DISGUSTING. RESIGN!'

Victoria Wilkie tweeted: 'I'm disgusted by your comments. It's victim blaming... the only person to blame is him.'

Another user, FedUpandBack, added: 'Nice victim blaming, you should be ashamed.'

Before moving to London, 33-year-old Sarah Everard was originally from York, the area covered by Mr Allot's force, and her family still lives there.

Lucy Arnold, of campaign group Reclaim the Streets, who organised a vigil for Ms Everard outside York Minster, was among those angered by Mr Allott's comments.

She said: 'I think frankly that was a horrifically offensive thing to say.

'Does anyone really feel like they can stand up to a police officer?

'I am very confident I know my rights, I know the law, but no I wouldn't feel confident at all.'

In his earlier interview, Mr Allot was critical of the Met Police's handling of reports about Couzen's behaviour leading up to the murder.

He said: A murderer typically commits seven crimes before going on to murder, that man we know committed at least two crimes.

'The police knew, so what should have happened is that it should have been picked up straight away.'
The parents of a 'brilliant' student who took her own life days after catching Covid have paid tribute to her 'kind, genuine, bright and bubbly' personality.

Sinead Bowles, 21, was found hanged in her family home in Hanley, Staffordshire after telling friends she wished she could 'go to sleep and not wake up'.

Her heartbroken parents, Andy and Anita Bowles say their daughter had shown no signs of feeling depressed or having mental health issues.

Sinead, who had been a team leader at theme park Alton Towers, 'put her head down' and studied while she was on furlough with work.

But days before her death, she had met up with friends and contracted coronavirus - forcing her into self-isolation.

Forty-eight-year-old Andy, who lives in Biddulph, Staffs, said: 'I think her feelings came on quickly. She just felt she'd got Covid and was locked up.

'Like a lot of parents who are in this position, the common denominator is you never expect your child to take that course of action.'

Sinead Bowles, 21, (above) was found hanged in her family home in Hanley, Staffordshire after telling friends she wished she could 'go to sleep and not wake up'

Sinead had just completed the second year of her degree course at Staffordshire University and hoped to eventually go on to Cambridge to do a master's degree.

From the tender age of five, family said she had dreamed of becoming a lawyer.

But after studying criminal justice and offender management, she realised her real passion lay with helping transform the lives of former prisoners.

The 21-year-old was never able to realise her lofty ambitions as she was found hanged at her family home in Hanley, on July 14.

Concluding the death was the result of suicide, North Staffordshire senior coroner Andrew Barkley said Covid may have been a factor in what happened, although it was unclear.

An inquest on Monday heard that her best friend Keisha Nichols, who lived next door, had raised the alarm after realising she hadn't let her dog out.

Earlier that day, Sinead had also sent a worrying text, saying 'I genuinely wish I could go to sleep and not wake up'.

But by the time she was found, it was too late for paramedics to save her. Sinead, who had left several 'goodbye' notes on her bed, had hanged herself.

Sinead had just completed the second year of her degree course at Staffordshire University and hoped to eventually go on to Cambridge to do a master's degree

Her devastated parents Andy and Anita Bowles revealed their daughter had never previously shown them signs of struggling with her mental health.

The loss of her grandparents when she was aged 13 had 'hit her hard', but Anita, 51, said her daughter had started to 'focus on life again' in the months leading up to her death.

'As part of her university course, she went to visit prisons around the UK, which she loved. She was a natural talking to people,' Anita added.

During the pandemic, Sinead and Keisha had set up a podcast from a storage room, which they used to talk about positive ways to improve mental health.

Anita, 51, who lived with Sinead at the three-storey house in Hanley, said: 'She had a passion for Men Unite and helping others.'

Her parents said the young woman had been a 'shining light in our lives and was loved dearly by her family and many friends'.

Now the family have channelled their grief into raising more than 1,800 for the charity Young Minds in her memory.

Andy scaled Mount Snowdon on Friday and is planning to take on the Three Peaks Challenge next year.

For confidential support call Samaritans on 116123 or visit a Samaritans branch
Thousands of children with the sniffles may wrongly be being told to stay at home over concerns they have Covid, scientists have suggested.

Secondary school children are asked to take two lateral flow tests per week. If they test positive, they must stay at home until they receive a result from a gold-standard PCR swab.

Latest Test and Trace (T&T) statistics reveal 18,930 of the 615,000 rapid swabs taken by pupils in the week ending September 29 came back positive.

Of those, 13 per cent  or 2,053  were either negative or voided when followed up with a PCR.

The proportion of children being wrongly told they have Covid by the devices has doubled in a month.

It has prompted health chiefs to launch a probe, with the scientific community now discussing whether the rise is actually down to the resurgence of colds.

Experts have suggested the heavy mucus samples from children who test positive may be skewing the accuracy of the swabs.

Gaming tests to get time off school and faulty LFDs have also been suggested as possible factors behind the rise.

Latest data from Test and Trace shows the proportion of children being told they are positive for Covid when they don't have the virus by lateral flow devices has doubled in the last month (red line). More than one in ten positive results from lateral flows are incorrect

Latest Test and Trace data showed there were 614,407 lateral flow swabs carried out in the final week of September

Latest Test and Trace data showed there were 614,407 lateral flow swabs carried out by secondary school students in the final week of September  the most up-to-date data available.

Almost 13 per cent of the positive results were inaccurate (2,053 came back negative or void out of 15,916 positives that were followed up with PCRs).

For comparison, the figure stood at 8 per cent the week before (1,112 out of 13,709).

In the first week of September six per cent of school children (213 out of 3,314) received false positives.

What could be behind the rise in false positives? More than one in ten pupils who test positive for Covid using lateral flow devices are not infected with the virus, official figures show. In the latest week some 2,053 secondary school children (13 per cent) who were told they had the virus by lateral flows, tested negative using PCRs. The proportion of false positives has doubled in a month. Scientists say several factors could be behind the rise. These include: More blocked noses : More children have runny or blocked noses over winter. Scientists say this may be impacting the accuracy of LFDs because people taking the tests have more viscous liquid up their noses;

: More children have runny or blocked noses over winter. Scientists say this may be impacting the accuracy of LFDs because people taking the tests have more viscous liquid up their noses; Other coronavirus es : Some scientists have suggested the tests may be 'cross-reacting' with other coronaviruses alongside SARS-CoV-2, the virus behind the pandemic. These also circulate at this time of year, and can trigger colds;

: Some scientists have suggested the tests may be 'cross-reacting' with other coronaviruses alongside SARS-CoV-2, the virus behind the pandemic. These also circulate at this time of year, and can trigger colds; Gaming LFDs : Videos on social media show children can get a positive from LFDs if they pour fruit juice onto them. In some cases pupils may be doing this so that they can take time off school;

: Videos on social media show children can get a positive from LFDs if they pour fruit juice onto them. In some cases pupils may be doing this so that they can take time off school; Faulty LFDs : It has also been suggested some tests in use may not be working properly. Officials say there is no evidence that tests are working incorrectly;

: It has also been suggested some tests in use may not be working properly. Officials say there is no evidence that tests are working incorrectly; LFDs not done properly : Some scientists have warned that the public may not be completing LFD tests correctly, leading to a rise in false positives;

: Some scientists have warned that the public may not be completing LFD tests correctly, leading to a rise in false positives; PCR test mistakes : Although they are heralded as the gold-standard, PCRs do occasionally miss infections. Studies suggest they may miss one in ten cases. Advertisement

Dr Susan Hopkins, the chief medical adviser of the UK Health Security Agency, said: 'We have been made aware of some areas reporting positive (lateral flow) test results with subsequent negative PCR tests and we are looking into the cause.'

There have been several anecdotal reports of children testing positive with LFDs, but then getting a negative result from PCRs.

Dr Kit Yates, a mathematician at the University of Bath and member of Independent SAGE, tweeted that officials were saying the false positives were likely down to colds and heavy mucus samples.

'PHE (a now-defunct body replaced by the UKHSA) advising schools that lateral flow test positives followed by PCR negatives are likely because of colds/heavy mucus samples,' he said.

'My understanding is that lateral flow devices are designed to avoid cross-reactivity with other viruses, which suggests this is not the case.'

Writing in The Conversation, Dr Yates said: 'A number of explanations have been put forward.

'Some have suggested a faulty batch of lateral flow tests could be causing people to test positive when they dont have Covid.

'Others have hypothesised a new variant could be circulating that isn't detected by the standard PCR test.

'There have also been well-publicised stories of children faking a positive LFT result using the acidic properties of soft drinks. These spoofers would subsequently test negative on a follow-up PCR test.'

He added: 'But theres also a potential mathematical explanation, given neither test is 100 per cent reliable.'

Professor Francois Balloux, a geneticist at University College London and scientific commentator on the pandemic, suggested it was possible some lateral flows were 'cross-reacting' with seasonal coronaviruses that cause common colds.

He tweeted: 'I feel it would be worthwhile investigating further the potential for LFDs cross-reactivity between SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes Covid) and endemic HCoVs (other coronaviruses).

'While somewhat unlikely, this remains a far more plausible hypothesis to me than an increase in PCR false-negatives due to recent SARS-CoV-2 evolution.'

Dr Angela Raffle, an honorary senior lecturer in community medicine at Bristol University, told MailOnline Britons could be completing the tests without reading the instructions, increasing the risk of a false positive.

'The Department of Health had to seek special emergency authorisation from the MHRA [Britain's medical regulator] in order to be allowed to issue these tests for people without symptoms, and special permission to be allowed to issue them for use by the person themselves without supervision,' she said.

'There have been no studies that I know of to assess how well they perform when done as self-tests, and very few studies to assess how well they perform in people without symptoms.'

She added: 'Asking the public to test themselves, particularly if they have an incentive either to get a negative result (in which case people are unlikely to take a thorough swab) or an incentive to get a positive result (in which case you can use fizzy drink to drop onto the testing device), is not a reliable way of establishing who does and does not have SARS-CoV-2 infection.'

Dr Catherine Moore, a clinical scientist for Public Health Wales, suggested the spread of common colds may be behind the rise.

She said lateral flow tests rely on non-viscous liquids  those which are not thick and sticky  to allow the test fluid to flow across the device.

But mucus can be more viscous among patients with a runny nose, which may stop the fluid flowing as well and lead to a false positive.

Writing on Twitter, Dr Moore said: 'If the flow is inhibited, you can fail to clean off anything that might cause a false reaction.

'See all the posts of kids using sugary drinks. The tests rely on non-viscous liquid being applied.'

Dr Rupert Beale, a biologist at the Francis Crick Institute, claimed it was still 'highly speculative' that a lateral flow could be fooled by a 'snotty kid' infected with another coronavirus.

Sir David Spiegelhalter, an eminent statistician at the University of Cambridge, told The Times that some false negatives should also be expected.

'We know lateral flows have very low false positives, and that PCRs miss infections,' he said.

Lateral flow tests rely on a nasal swab that is mixed with a solution to diagnose a Covid infection within 30 minutes.

More than 1billion has been spent on purchasing the devices, but studies suggest they may only pick up the virus in the early stages of an infection. And real-world data has shown they may only spot up to 70 per cent of cases.

On the other hand, PCR tests have been held up as the gold standard for detecting the virus. But they can take around a day to complete.

Government Sources said there is currently no evidence of any technical issues with LFDs or PCRs that could be behind the rise.

They added it was vital to follow the instructions when carrying out a PCR, and that no test is 100 per cent accurate.
Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen is set to give evidence in Britain in less than a fortnight's time after her bombshell testimony to the US Congress.

The 37-year-old former data scientist at the tech firm will speak to Parliament's joint committee in London on the draft Online Safety Bill on October 25 from 2.30pm.

The hearing will mark the first public evidence Miss Haugen has given in Europe regarding her experiences at the company and her ideas to regulate social media.

Facebook will fall within the scope of the new bill, which will give UK regulator Ofcom the power to hand out multi-million pound fines to tech companies.

Miss Haugen, a former product manager on Facebook's civic misinformation team, has been invited to help inform the committee in how they will shape the bill.

Ex-Facebook worker Frances Haugen speaks to the US Congress in Washington on October 5

Tory MP Damian Collins, who is chair of Parliament's joint committee on the Online Safety Bill

Conservative MP Damian Collins, who is chair of the committee, said: 'Frances Haugen's evidence has so far strengthened the case for an independent regulator with the power to audit and inspect the big tech companies.

'Mark Zuckerberg and Nick Clegg have complained that she has only presented a partial view of the company, whereas they want to stop any insights into how the company manages harmful content to get into the public domain, unless they have personally approved them.

Who is whistleblower Frances Haugen? Former Facebook employee Frances Haugen, a Harvard-educated data scientist, had worked as a product manager on its civic misinformation team after joining the team in 2019. Before leaving, she secretly copied tens of thousands of pages of internal research documents and leaked them to the Wall Street Journal. One internal study cited 13.5 per cent of teen girls saying Instagram makes thoughts of suicide worse and 17 per cent of teen girls saying it makes eating disorders worse. The 37-year-old told the US Congress last week that she had leaked the documents to prove to the world that Facebook 'intentionally hides vital information from the public'. Miss Haugen said it had 'repeatedly misled' about what its own research revealed about 'the safety of children, the efficacy of its artificial intelligence systems and its role in spreading divisive and extreme messages'. She argued that people deserved to know the truth - adding that 'almost no one outside of Facebook knows what is happening inside'. But Facebook executives have fought back, arguing that she had not worked directly on some of the issues she has been questioned on. Advertisement

'There needs to be greater transparency on the decisions companies like Facebook take when they trade off user safety for user engagement. We look forward to discussing these issues with Frances Haugen.'

Miss Haugen last week went before the US Congress in Washington DC to accuse the social media platform of failing to make changes to Instagram, which it owns.

She said internal research had showed its apparent harm to some teenagers and claimed Facebook was being dishonest in its public fight against hate and misinformation.

Miss Haugen's accusations were accompanied by tens of thousands of pages of internal research documents she secretly copied before leaving her job, which she said revealed Facebook was aware its products fuelled hate and harmed children's mental health.

She also claimed Facebook was 'tearing society apart' as it continues to put profits before safety.

Miss Haugen accused the firm of relaxing efforts to stop misinformation after last year's US election, allowing it to be used by those who stormed the Capitol in Washington in January.

She also said Facebook's profits are based on advertising and its research has shown that 'angry content' is more likely to keep users engaged, helping it earn more, said Miss Haugen.

But Facebook's vice-president of global affairs Sir Nick Clegg, the former British deputy prime minister, rejected the allegations.

Miss Haugen has agreed to meet with Facebook's oversight board in the coming weeks to brief them about what she learned while working at the company.

The Online Safety Bill legislation aimed at regulating social media is due to be put before Parliament for approval next year after the draft bill was published in May.

Others due to give evidence to the committee in the coming weeks include MoneySavingExpert founder Martin Lewis and barrister Gavin Millar QC.

Frances Haugen told the US Congress last week (pictured) that she had leaked the documents to prove to the world that Facebook 'intentionally hides vital information from the public'

Facebook's vice-president of global affairs Sir Nick Clegg (pictured on CNN on Sunday), the former British deputy prime minister, has rejected the allegations by Miss Haugen

Also speaking will be Society of Editors president Alison Gow and Peter Wright, editor emeritus at DMG Media, whose brands include MailOnline and the Daily Mail.

Yesterday, the father of tragic teenager Molly Russell has slammed Facebook for 'a crisis comms initiative' after it announced new features to help safeguard children.

Ian Russell set up a suicide prevention charity after his 14-year-old daughter killed herself in 2017 after viewing disturbing content on the company's Instagram app.

And Mr Russell, of Harrow, North West London, is yet to be convinced about the new functions which include prompting teenagers to take a break from using Instagram.

Molly Russell killed herself after viewing thousands of online posts about suicide and self-harm

Ian Russell set up a suicide prevention charity after his 14-year-old daughter killed herself

Another feature will see the app start 'nudging' teenagers if they are repeatedly looking at the same content which may not be good for their wellbeing.

Facebook is also planning to introduce new optional controls to allow parents and guardians to supervise their children's online activity.

But critics say the firm has acted only after pressure from outside, while others claim the plan lacks detail and they are sceptical about the effectiveness of the features.

A Facebook spokesman told MailOnline that the new parental supervision tools were announced at the end of last month in a blog post by Instagram chief Adam Mosseri.

Frances Haugen will speak to the UK Parliaments Joint Committee on the draft Online Safety Bill on Monday, October 25 from 2.30pm
Baffled residents have slammed council bosses after a 10ft bike route that takes just two seconds to ride along was added to a roundabout.

The tiny stretch was painted on a roundabout at the junction of Ilkeston Road and Pasture Road, in Stapleford, Nottinghamshire, last week.

Cyclists have branded the bizarre lane, which only stretches half way around one side of the mini-island, as 'completely pointless' and a 'crazy waste of taxpayers cash'.

Baffled residents have slammed council bosses after a 10ft bike route that takes just two seconds to ride along was added to a roundabout

The tiny stretch was painted on a roundabout at the junction of Ilkeston Road and Pasture Road, in Stapleford, Nottinghamshire, last week

The lane was installed by Nottinghamshire County Council to encourage green transport but has instead caused an angry backlash.

The council has since denied it is a cycle lane, despite the road markings clearly showing it is for cycles only  similar to other cycle lanes across the country.

A national line marking company based in Nottinghamshire estimated it would cost around 2,380 to install similar markings.

Dad-of-one Simon Lafferty, 37, of Sandiacre, Nottinghamshire, cycles through the town on his way to work as a software engineer.

He said: 'It has got to be the most pointless cycle lanes in the UK. Youre on it for two seconds, if that, and then theres no continuation of it anywhere nearby.

Richard MacRae (above), independent councillor for Stapleford North on Broxtowe Borough Council, popped on his bike to give it a whirl

The lane was installed by Nottinghamshire County Council to encourage green transport but has instead caused an angry backlash

'I thought cycle lanes were supposed to make travel safer but whats the point of one where youre back among traffic on the main road before you can blink?

'I just couldnt believe my eyes when I saw it. That lane is doing nothing to encourage people to get on their bike.

'I obviously welcome cycle lanes as long as its done properly. But this is just comical really and a crazy waste of taxpayers cash.'

Local resident Jim Fearnall, 56, added: 'Its completely useless and more dangerous if anything.

'Im not sure who had this bright idea but they need their heads examining. It makes the area a laughing stock.'

The move comes after Stapleford received a government grant of 21.2m as part of the Local Towns Fund which will look at developing cycle lanes in the local area.



Mr MacRae said: 'Its got to be one of the smallest cycle tracks in the world'

Derek Higton, service director for place and communities at Nottinghamshire County Council said: 'I can confirm that this is not a cycle lane but new road markings which were introduced as part of a casualty reduction scheme to improve safety for cyclists at this specific location.

'There have been multiple accidents where cyclists have been injured at this junction in recent years and as such the contrasting road surfacing, along with improvements to signage and the junction itself, have been introduced to alert drivers to the presence of cyclists.

'Similar measures have been used at other locations both in the county and nationally previously and have had a positive impact in reducing casualties.'

Richard MacRae, independent councillor for Stapleford North on Broxtowe Borough Council, said: 'Its got to be one of the smallest cycle tracks in the world.

'Its neither use nor ornament and the baffling thing is the state of our roads locally are really poor - there is a lot of other work that needs doing.

'If this specific cycle lane was extended, then fair enough. Cycle paths in a good location are a good thing, weve got to keep cyclists safe.

'But this is a joke. A lot of residents have called this a complete waste of money.

'We have a lot of money coming into the area from the government, which, in turn, will be divided into six projects - one being cycle lanes.

'I know they are looking at future cycle lane projects, it makes sense for the planning team to wait a little bit longer to make a better decision and do it properly.

'This would have potentially cost thousands. Its not even a week old and the paint is fading already. Im just a little bit shocked.

'It took me two-and-a-half seconds to ride along it on my bike - I just dont get the point of it.'
A headteacher who carried on teaching after she was convicted of running a 2,500-a-year illegal Islamic private school has been spared jail.

Nadia Ali, 40, denied that Ambassadors High School in Streatham, south London, was a full-time school on the basis that the institution only offers 18 hours of education per week.

But Ali and her father Arshad Ali, 74, were first convicted of running an unregistered school following one of the first prosecutions of its kind in September 2019.

Westminster Magistrates Court heard the school failed to carry out proper background checks on teachers and had 'failed to promote fundamental British values'.

A month later, Ali told BBCs Victoria Derbyshire programme she wanted to continue operating and would apply for registration.

Between September 2019 and March 2020, inspectors found the classes were still being held in the building, despite the school not being registered.

Now Ali, of Streatham, has been given a suspended sentence after being convicted for a second time. Her father was also fined during a sentencing hearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court yesterday.

Commenting on the case HM Chief Inspector Amanda Spielman said Ali and her father had acted with 'breathtaking arrogance' in continuing to run the school.

Nadia Ali, 40, denied that Ambassadors High School in Streatham, south London, was a full-time school on the basis that the institution only offers 18 hours of education per week. After being convicted of running the illegal school, Ali (pictured) told BBCs Victoria Derbyshire programme she wanted to continue operating and would apply for registration

Ali and her father Arshad Ali, 74, were first convicted of running unregistered school (pictured) following one of the first prosecutions of its kind in September 2019

Ms Ali claimed her school, which had 34 students, was not breaking the law because it was open for just 18 hours a week.

She said the school had applied for an Ofsted registration but failed an inspection because of safeguarding concerns.

Speaking to the BBC in the wake of her first conviction, she said she wished to continue teaching while running a registered school.

What is classed as a school under UK law? A school is regarded as an establishment which provides all, or substantially all, of a childs education and has five or more pupils of compulsory school age attending. All schools must be registered with the Department for Education (DfE) and comply with set standards. Ambassadors Home School Limited had 34 boys and girls aged between five and 13 on its register but its operators failed, despite warnings from Ofsted, to register the establishment as a school, as required by law, the CPS said. Ali denied that Ambassadors High School in Streatham, south London, was a full-time school on the basis that the institution only offers 18 hours of education per week. Advertisement

Ive been teaching for 15 years and Ive seen how children need a different approach and that what were trying to do at Ambassadors, she said.

This is why I believe in what were trying to do because weve seen a lot of results within our children. Theyre happy learners.

Deputy Chief Magistrate Tan Ikram earlier told Ms Ali: In defiance of your previous conviction you gave an interview in which you said you intended to carry on. I find that very serious, and contemptuous.

Ms Ali, of Streatham, admitted breaching regulation provisions contrary to the Education and Skills Act 2008.

She was sentenced to eight weeks imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, 120 hours of unpaid work, a 10-day rehabilitation activity requirement, and a prohibited activity requirement of not running or managing a school.

She was also ordered to pay costs of 500.

Arshad Ali was fined 300 and ordered to pay costs of 200 while Ambassadors Home School Limited was fined 1,000 and ordered to pay costs of 500 for conducting an independent educational institution that is not registered.

Despite Ofsted flagging almost 300 suspected unregistered schools since 2016, only a handful of cases have ever been brought to court because of the regulators limited investigatory powers.

Paul Goddard, from the CPS, said: These defendants continued to run an illegal school despite their previous conviction for the same offence.

'Nadia Alis determination to defy the law was made clear by an interview she gave to the BBC, following her first conviction, in which she vowed that the school would remain open.

Ofsted inspectors carried out three further inspections and found the setting to be operating yet again as a school.

'During two of these inspections children appeared to be sent home from classes early in an attempt by staff to conceal the fact that the space was being run as a full-time establishment.

Unregistered schools pose a serious threat to children.

'During one visit to the school inspectors found a lack of evidence to indicate that all teachers employed by the school were qualified to teach, or that all had passed DBS checks.

Registration of schools enables inspectors to regularly visit and inspect schools to ensure standards are being met, appropriate and quality teaching is being provided and children are being kept safe. By failing to register with the DfE, illegal schools are able to evade these checks, putting children at risk.

It is a criminal offence to conduct an unregistered independent school and we will work with Ofsted to take appropriate steps to prosecute those who are responsible for running these illegal institutions where there is the evidence to do so.

HM Chief Inspector Amanda Spielman said: It is with breathtaking arrogance that Nadia and Arshad Ali continued to run this illegal school after their convictions two years ago.

HM Chief Inspector Amanda Spielman said: It is with breathtaking arrogance that Nadia and Arshad Ali continued to run this illegal school after their convictions two years ago.'

'Im pleased that the judge ruled that a suspended prison sentence was appropriate, given the seriousness of the repeat offending.

Unregistered schools deny children a proper education and put their safety and well-being at risk.

'I hope todays sentence sends a clear message to all those running unregistered schools that Ofsted will not tire in our efforts to bring them to justice.

'But as I have said many times over the last few years, and as this case demonstrates, we urgently need the legislation to be strengthened so that we can take action against these places quickly and conclusively.'
A glamorous former prison guard who narrowly escaped jail time for having a fling with an inmate has now been charged with allegedly biting another lover who she also met in the slammer.

Melissa Maree Goodwin, 26, allegedly sunk her teeth into Rebels bikie Caleb Valeri during a furious argument at his home in Liverpool, in Sydney's west, in September.

But the blonde bombshell told 9News on Tuesday that she vehemently denies the allegations and will defend the charges.

Melissa Maree Goodwin, 26, (pictured) allegedly sunk her teeth into Rebels bikie Caleb Valeri during a furious argument at his home in Liverpool, in Sydney's west, in September

Goodwin once described her ex-con lover Valeri (pictured together) as 'king' and 'my world' on Instagram

'I'm the victim so I'll be pleading not guilty,' she said.

Goodwin back in August was sentenced to 100 hours of community service for sexual misconduct after details of a relationship with an inmate surfaced.

Convicted thief Corey London had claimed she gave him oral sex five times between November 2019 and April 2020 when she was working as a NSW Corrective Services officer at Silverwater Prison.

Goodwin, who now works as a personal trainer, pleaded guilty to being in an intimate relationship with London, but was always adamant that the relationship wasn't sexual.

But London failed to testify during the case prompting Magistrate Daniel Reiss to formally refuse to consider a statement London gave to police as evidence.

Goodwin pursued an entirely legal relationship with Rebels bikie associate Caleb Valeri (pictured together) after the two met in jail

Goodwin's lawyer Robert Webb described London's list of alleged store room sex acts Goodwin (pictured, leaving court) supposedly performed upon him as nothing but a 'wish list'

Rebels bikie associate Caleb Valeri is pictured during his time inside Silverwater Prison

Prosecutors were relying on his statement as vital evidence.

Goodwin's lawyer Robert Webb described London's list of alleged store room sex acts Goodwin supposedly performed upon him as nothing but a 'wish list'.

Mr Webb slammed London as a 'jealous' man with a vivid imagination.

'Your Honour would think a maximum security prison is used more like a brothel house', based on London's statement, Mr Webb said.

London was brought to Burwood Local Court but refused to come up from the cells, despite being driven from Parklea Prison.

London was charged with contempt of court but still declined to testify.

'A real catch': That is how Magistrate Daniel Reiss sarcastically described Corey London in court

The court heard a recorded phone call from London following Goodwin's arrest last May. In the call, London exclaimed to his mum: 'Did you see the news? Did you see the news?'

'No, what? she replied.

London added that he was 'burning' that Goodwin was dating a 'gronk' and asked his mother to message her.

His mother replied, sagely: 'At the end of the day ... she was probably seeing like ten of you'.

London replied: 'Nah... what do you mean, I was the first one.'

Goodwin has spoken publicly about all the drama surrounding her former career telling the Kyle and Jackie O radio program.

Goodwin (pictured) concedes she made a mistake in not alerting corrective services of her relationship with Valeri, but is adamant it was above board

'Perhaps I wasn't the perfect person for the job... My personality doesn't really suit a jail,' she said.

Ms Goodwin concedes she made a mistake in not alerting corrective services of her relationship with Valeri, but is adamant it was above board.

'I didn't do anything with him until he got out because I loved my job and I followed the rules... to a degree... It's not illegal to have a relationship with a former inmate,' she said.
A backbench Tory MP has escaped censure for saying two senior British Asian ministers 'look the same to me' - as it was revealed the pair have a 'running joke' about being mistaken for each other.

North Wiltshire's James Gray faced calls to quit over remarks he made about Health Secretary Sajid Javid and Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi at a House of Commons reception.

He mixed up Iraq-born Mr Zahawi, who has a distinctive white beard and wears glasses, and clean-shaven Mr Javid, whose family came to the UK from Pakistan, at a St John Ambulance event.

When his error was pointed out to him, he was said to have told the guests: 'They all look the same to me'.

Last night he denied using that phrase but told MailOnline he had confused the two men with each other. He added they were also close, long-term friends of his.

He denied being racist and added: 'I said: 'I am sorry to confuse the two of you. You two look very alike'. I said 'I am sorry if I got you two mixed up'.'

Following the incident a Conservative Party spokeswoman said: 'These comments were misjudged. We do not tolerate racism or discrimination of any kind.'

But no further action is expected to be taken against the 66-year-old, who has represented North Wiltshire since 1997.

One ally of Mr Javid said he was frequently confused with Mr Zahawi - and also with fellow Cabinet minister Alok Sharma.

'Saj and Nadhim have a long running joke about it,' the ally told MailOnline. 'It's not even the worst. Saj is often mistaken for Alok.'

Tory MP James Gray, Nadhim Zahawi and SJA chief exec Martin Houghton-Brown at the event

Health Secretary Sajid Javid poses with hero volunteers and staff at the thank-you reception

In a tweet Mr Afzal wrote: 'First you had Williamson mistaking one black sportsman for another. Now you have James Gray MP saying he can't tell two of his own ministers apart because Asians ''all look the same''

Health Secretary Sajid Javid (left) and Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi (right)

The former chief prosecutor Nazir Afzal said Tory MP James Gray 'looks like a racist to me' after the 66-year-old made the derogatory remark yesterday

Former chief prosecutor Nazir Afzal slammed Mr Gray. In a tweet the ex-CPS chief wrote: 'First you had (Gavin) Williamson mistaking one black sportsman for another. Now you have James Gray MP saying he can't tell two of his own ministers apart because Asians ''all look the same''.

'Strange that, he looks just like a racist to me.'

Last night St John Ambulance asked Mr Gray to stand down from all charity activities with immediate effect.

It said: 'St John does not tolerate racism in any way, shape or form. We spoke with James Gray following the event about our values as an open, inclusive and progressive charity.'

Just weeks ago he apologised for saying 'a bomb' should be planted in a female Labour politician's office.

On the eve of Labour's party conference in Brighton, he made the comment about Anneliese Dodds, the shadow women and equalities minister and Labour Party chair.

On the latest furore a source told MailOnline: 'Gray introduced Mr Zahawi to the stage as the Health Minister at the reception and made the remarks when corrected.

'He told the people in the room 'They all look the same to me'.

'He acknowledged to the audience that his comments weren't appropriate but in a low-key, jokey way.

Labour leader Keir Starmer spoke at the Parliament event as well as the two Tory ministers

Around 50 of the charity's volunteers and employees from across England, plus many of the charity's senior executives and trustees, met Members of Parliament and the House of Lords, along with other VIP guests

Labour deputy also confused names of Mr Javid with other politician In June this year Labour MP Angela Rayner also mixed up the names of Sajid Javid and London Mayor Sadiq Khan. She was carrying out interviews criticising the Government over a lack of NHS resources. In her interview with Sky News she said: 'We've got Sadiq Javid who starts as health secretary.' Then in a separate chat with Radio 4's Today programme she said 'Our NHS is staved of the resources it needs, and Sadiq Javid, who's coming into that role,' before being cut off by the presenter. The mix-up was noticed by Mr Javid, who wrote on social media: 'Angela Rayner, I know we're both sons of Pakistani bus drivers, but we're different people. Despite their different political leanings Mr Javid and Mr Khan are good friends. When Mr Javid was appointed Health Secretary, Mr Khan told him on social media: 'Always good to see the children of bus drivers do well! 'Congrats Sajid Javid on your appointment as Health Secretary. 'Look forward to working together to protect our communities from this awful pandemic, get London vaccinated and continue opening up our city and country safely.' Advertisement

'But a lot of volunteers at the event were upset by them and Mr Zahawi spoke to Gray afterwards.

'A lot of people at the event - who were all working hard to roll the vaccine out - have been talking about what had happened.'

Gray had been hosting the reception on September 8 to thank St John Ambulance volunteers and frontline staff for what he described as their 'extraordinary efforts' during the pandemic.

The Monday after the get-together he proudly posted a picture of himself with Mr Zahawi and SJA chief exec Martin Houghton-Brown online. It is not clear whether the photo was taken before or after the incident.

In fact Mr Javid had not yet arrived at the event when it happened and only turned up later and posed for pictures.

The day before the reception, at Prime Minister's Questions, Mr Gray had raised the importance of the role of St John, adding: 'This is, I think, the first opportunity for the whole House to thank all those who have played a role in rolling out the superb vaccine programme over the past six months or so, ranging from the whole of the national health service to the military.

'If I may, I should like to make particular mention of the Order of St JohnSt John Ambulance.'

Boris Johnson had replied: 'The volunteers have been fantastic and I have met many of them over the past 18 months who have done an absolutely astonishing job.'

Mr Gray was admitted as a commander of the Order of St John back in September 2020.

He has been the MP for North Wiltshire since 1997 but has been dogged by a number of scandals

In 2006 he was exposed to have been having an affair while his then wife was battling breast cancer.

Mr Gray had been conducting a 19-month affair with married Philippa Mayo when their relationship was revealed.

They subsequently set up home together just eight miles from his wife's cottage and got married in 2009.

His former wife Sarah was said to have told friends after the split she wanted 'His political career to crash and burn'.

After MailOnline put the story to Mr Gray, he insisted he had not been racist in any way or said 'They all look the same to me'.

He said he had been expecting Mr Javid to be there earlier and saw the top of Mr Zahawi's head and wrongly assumed it was him.

He added: 'The notion that this is some sort of racist remark is ridiculous. They are two very good friends of mine.

'I said 'I am sorry to confuse the two of you. You two look very alike'.

'I said 'I am sorry if I got you too mixed up'

'The idea that this is racist is completely untrue.

'Nadhim did not speak to me about it afterwards, he spoke to a lot of people.

'They are very close friends of me, both men.'

He said he had not mixed them up before, adding 'They are very close friends of me, both men.'

Mr Gray also denied St John Ambulance had asked him to step back from charity engagements.

Mr Javid has previously spoken passionately about who critics on the far right and the left racially abused him.

The former home secretary said he had been called 'P***' and 'come to expect' abuse over his Muslim background.

Speaking to Nick Robinson's Political Thinking podcast in 2019, he said: 'I get it from the far-left, including lots of Asians, who would say 'he's not brown enough'.

'I get it from the right, and the far-right in particular, saying 'he's too brown'. Those critics have got a lot in common  they don't like me because of my colour

'They believe, whether they're coming from the far-left or the far-right, that someone's colour, faith or background should define who they are  rather than the content of their character.

'That is something that sadly I've got used to. I don't like it, I try to fight it more broadly in terms of the work I do.'
School teachers could be the next group targeted for mandatory coronavirus vaccinations in Western Australia in a bid to accelerate the state's rollout.

Education Minister Sue Ellery says the idea is being considered by the state government amid concerns about the highly infectious Delta strain.

'In Victoria and New South Wales they have mandated it, and you have to look at the impact that Delta has had in schools. It's being spread in schools and young people have caught it and are being affected by it,' she told reporters on Tuesday.

Western Australia's Premier Mark McGowan is considering introducing a vaccine mandate for teachers (pictured, McGowan leaving Dumas House)

'Obviously we'll act on the health advice but you've got to look at what's happening in other jurisdictions.'

As NSW edges closer to an 80 per cent vaccination rate, WA continues to trail behind at about 53 per cent for those aged 16 and above.

WA has enforced mandatory vaccinations for port, transport and freight workers, health and aged care staff, police and other frontline workers.

Up to 100,000 fly-in, fly-out workers in the mining and resources sectors must also be fully vaccinated by the end of the year.

Almost 42,000 full-time equivalent staff are employed by WA's Department of Education with the majority teachers and support workers.

Currently all frontline staff as well as port, transport and freight workers, health and aged care workers are required to be vaccinated (pictured, a vaccine being administered in Perth)

The union representing WA's public school teachers said it would support mandatory jabs if they were backed by health advice.

'Vaccinations are widely supported by the union movement as being the best way to avoid ongoing serious health, economic and social disruption from Covid-19 outbreaks,' the State School Teachers Union of WA said.

'Any decision to mandate vaccination for teachers and lecturers should be made on the basis of an assessment of the risks to staff, students and their families and should be the subject of a public health order rather than left to the employer.'

The state government is also seeking legal advice on potentially forcing MPs to get jabbed, with two upper house politicians reportedly yet to be vaccinated.

The State School Teachers Union of WA said it would support a vaccine mandate if introduced (stock)

Premier Mark McGowan said all of Labor's 75 state MPs had received at least one dose.

He acknowledged the government had not received health advice recommending mandatory jabs for MPs but said they should set an example.

'We're saying to nurses and cleaners in hospitals they must get vaccinated. Surely a member of parliament who represents the community and visits hospitals regularly should get vaccinated as well,' he said.

'Virtually every single day, myself, my team get out there and are part of the community. You mix with vulnerable people, older people, sick people ... you should set the right example and make sure you are not a risk to those people as well.'

WA recorded one new case on Tuesday with a flight crew worker testing positive in hotel quarantine.
London's traditional New Year's Eve firework show will not take place again this year due to 'uncertainties caused by Covid'.

Organisers fear the event, which regularly attracts 100,000 people to the streets around Victoria Embankment, could be curtailed or cancelled at a later if Covid cases spike this winter.

Last year's event was scrapped in September and by December the country was pushed into a second lockdown.

But almost 80 per cent of people in the UK are now double-vaccinated, while large events have been operating since June.

A light and fireworks show - watched by millions on television - was held over London in place of the traditional fireworks show.

And a spokesman for Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said his team were looking at 'exciting new options' as an alternative for this New Year's Eve.

'This year, as always, London will be welcoming the new year in a spectacular way,' the spokesperson said.

'Due to the uncertainty caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, our world-famous New Year's Eve display will not be held on the banks of the Thames this year.

Organisers fear the event, which regularly attracts 100,000 people to the streets around Victoria Embankment, could be curtailed or cancelled at a later if Covid cases spike this winter

A spokesman for Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan (pictured), said his team were looking at 'exciting new options' as an alternative to the firework show

Britain's daily Covid cases jump by 15% in a week as outbreak continues to grow - but deaths dip by the same proportion to 28 Britain's daily Covid cases have jumped again today as the outbreak continues to grow  but deaths have fallen. Department of Health figures showed 40,224 infections were recorded over the last 24 hours, a 15 per cent rise on last Monday. It marked the sixth day in a row that cases have risen week-on-week, although they have been hovering between 30,000 and 40,000 a day since mid-August. The current daily average is 37,991 new cases per day. England appears to be driving the current surge, with infections ticking upwards across the country. Northern Ireland is also seeing a rise in cases, while infections in Scotland and Wales appear to be plateauing. Health chiefs also posted another 28 Covid fatalities, which was down 15 per cent on the same time the previous week when 33 were recorded. It was the fewest daily deaths posted in two months. But death counts tend to be lower than expected on Mondays because of the weekend. No Covid hospitalisation figures were published for the UK today, but latest data for England showed admissions rose 11.7 per cent in a week on October 9 after 613 people went to hospital with the virus. Hospitalisations and deaths lag behind Covid cases by at least a week because of the time taken for someone who has caught the virus to fall seriously ill. Advertisement

'Last year's successful show took place in a slightly different way due to the pandemic, and this year a number of exciting new options are being considered as part of our New Year's Eve celebrations in London.

'Further details of this year's celebration will be announced in due course.'

Last year New Year's Eve took place in the midst of the third Covid lockdown, which was imposed in December after the sudden spread of the Alpha (Kent) variant.

All events were cancelled and people were urged to only celebrate the start of 2021 with friends or family that they already lived with.

Instead of London's traditional firework show, there was a 10-minute display over the Thames aired on the BBC at midnight.

The show started with a poem which addressed the pandemic, saying: 'In the year of 2020 a new virus came our way; We knew what must be done and so to help we hid away.'

Light projections lit up the sky over the O2 Arena, including the NHS logo in a heart accompanied by a child's voice saying: 'Thank you NHS heroes'.

The show also recognised the late Captain Sir Tom Moore and the Black Lives Matter movement.

More than 49 million people have now had a first vaccine dose - about 85 per cent of over-12s. More than 45 million - about 78 per cent of over-12s - have had both doses.

Cases numbers however have been rising since the start of this month, with yesterday's figures showing 40,224 new infections.

It marked the sixth day in a row that cases have risen week-on-week, although they have been hovering between 30,000 and 40,000 a day since mid-August. The current daily average is 37,991 new cases per day.

A New Year's Eve fireworks display was first held in London on New Year's Eve 1999, when the city saw in the new millennium.

It has then been held in most years since with displays that often celebrated major events of the year including the Olympics, Queen's jubilee and centenary of women being given the vote.

A 10 charge for tickets was introduced for New Year's Eve 2014, by then London Mayor Boris Johnson.

Plans for an alternative event in Trafalgar Square have been lodged with Westminster Council.

Plans for an alternative event in Trafalgar Square (pictured) have been lodged with Westminster Council

Organisers want to host films, live and recorded music, alcohol sales and dance events.

Details from the authority's website states it will run from Friday, December 31 at 12pm to 1am on New Year's Day.

Trafalgar Square has capacity for up to 19,999 people. However the documents state the event will be limited to 9,999.
Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene conducted a poll on her Twitter asking if America should have a 'national divorce' between red and blue states

Marjorie Taylor Greene conducted a poll on her Twitter asking her followers if they feel America should divide into two different nations based on red and blue states.

'Should America have a national divorce?' the Republican Georgia congresswoman posed on Monday.

The three options are 'Yes, by R & D states', 'No, stay together' and 'Undecided'.

More than 18,500 people have cast a vote as of Tuesday morning and there are still two days remaining in the polling period set out by Greene.

So far, a simple majority of survey respondents  50.8 per cent  claim they want the country divided. Another 38.7 per cent say they want all U.S. states to stay together and 10.5 per cent say they don't know.

Greene, a Donald Trump loyalist, has 448,300 followers on her personal Twitter and more than 331,800 on her official congressional account.

Some Twitter users suggested in response to the poll tweet that the representative is inciting a civil war with her poll.

'Are you suggesting civil war for real?' one user asked in the comments beneath Greene's tweet.

Of the 18,680 so far, 50.8% said 'yes', they want America to divide by states' party alignment, while 38.7% say they want the country to 'stay together'

Many commented on the poll, claiming Greene is calling for a civil war, while others pointed out how some states change color regularly in federal elections

Another wrote: 'just straight up calling for civil war are we?'

One user tagged the FBI and said they are reporting the tweet for 'inciting violence.'

Greene's poll comes after a poll revealed earlier this month that more than half of Trump voters want red states to secede from the union, while 41 per cent of Biden voters want blue states to split off.

The analysis from the University of Virginia's Center for Politics notes that 52 per cent of Trump voters at least somewhat agree with the statement: 'The situation is such that I would favor [Blue/Red] states seceding from the union to form their own separate country.'

Twenty-five percent of Trump voters strongly agree with the statement.

Meanwhile, 41 per cent of Biden voters at least somewhat agree with the same sentiment, while 18 per cent strongly agree.

Another poll taken earlier this month shows 52% of Trump voters agree with secession while 41% of Biden voters at least somewhat agree with the sentiment

84% of Trump voters at least somewhat agree Biden voters are a danger to democracy and 80% of Biden voters at least somewhat agree Trump voters are a danger to democracy

More surprisingly, over 40 per cent of voters in both parties favor abolishing the checks and balances built into the federal government and instead handing essentially full control to the president.

Forty-six percent of Biden voters at least somewhat agreed, 22 per cent strongly, with the statement: 'It would be better for America if whoever is president could take needed actions without being constrained by Congress or the courts.' Forty-four percent of Trump voters at least somewhat agreed, while 19 per cent strongly agree.

Trump and Biden voters agreed in the survey that democracy is still preferable to any other governing system  at least 80 per cent of them do.

Over 75 per cent of Trump and Biden voters agreed with the statement: 'I believe that Americans who strongly support the [OPP_PARTY] have become a clear and present danger to the American way of life.'

Seventy-five percent of Biden voters at least somewhat agreed with the statement, as did 78 per cent of Trump voters.
The chances of Australia experiencing the soaking wet La Nina weather phenomenon again this summer have tripled, but at least this coming weekend should bring some sunshine.

Experts at the Bureau of Meteorology issued a La Nina alert from November onwards, most likely meaning heavier than usual rainfall for Australia's eastern states throughout spring and summer.

While the east coast will continue to cop a drenching mid-week, with storms occurring, the weather should brighten in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra during the weekend.

Brisbane will see the best weather on Australia's east coast this week, with a sunny weekend and temperatures reaching 30. But forecasters warn wet La Nina conditions could be just around the corner (pictured, beachgoers on the Gold Coast)

Sydney's wettest day this week will be Thursday, particularly in the afternoon, with the chance of a severe thunderstorm. But the NSW capital could see sunshine both Saturday and Sunday (pictured, Sydneysiders brace the rain for a night out on Monday)

Brisbane is likely to cop a soaking on Thursday and Friday but recover in time for a weekend of sunshine and warm temperatures both days.

Sunday should reach 30C in the Queensland capital.

Sydney's wettest day this week will be Thursday, particularly in the afternoon, with a strong chance of a severe thunderstorm.

There should be sunny periods both days at the weekend with temperatures in the mid-to-low 20s.

Frequent rainfall is expected across spring and summer this year (pictured) with swathes of Australia's east forecast to far exceed their usual levels

It looks set to a cooler, wetter summer on Australia's east coast this year (pictured, a Sydneysider caught in a downpour)

Canberra will see some grim weather mid-week, with rain and temperatures getting as low as 5C on Wednesday and Friday, with heavy rain on Thursday, but the capital could see a sunny Sunday.

Melbourne will cop the worst weather in the major capitals this week, with a very high chance of rain until Saturday and wintry temperatures.

Friday looks the wettest day for the Victorian capital, with thunderstorms also possible but luckily Melbourne could also see some sunshine on Sunday.

Meanwhile in the west, Perth looks set for warm sunny weather from Thursday to Saturday.

This is about as good as it's going to get in Melbourne this week - with cold temperatures and rain forecast all week (pictured, a cyclist at Albert Park Lake in Melbourne)

FIVE DAY WEATHER IN YOUR CITY SYDNEY WEDNESDAY: Min 13. Max 20. Showers. THURSDAY: Min 15. Max 24. Showers, possible storm. FRIDAY: Min 13. Max 24. Shower or two. SATURDAY: Min 12. Max 23. Mostly sunny. SUNDAY: Min . Max 23. Sunny. BRISBANE WEDNESDAY: Min 16. Max 24. Shower or two. THURSDAY: Min 17. Max 25. Showers, possible storm. FRIDAY: Min 19. Max 29. Showers easing. SATURDAY: Min 14. Max 28. Sunny. SUNDAY: Min 14. Max 30. Sunny. ADELAIDE WEDNESDAY: Min 10. Max 17. Showers. THURSDAY: Min 8. Max 17. Showers. FRIDAY: Min 9. Max 18. Showers easing. SATURDAY: Min 10. Max 17. Possible shower. SUNDAY: Min 7. Max 20. Partly cloudy. CANBERRA WEDNESDAY: Min 5. Max 16. Shower or two. THURSDAY: Min 9. Max 18. Showers, possible storm FRIDAY: Min 5. Max 14. Showers. SATURDAY: Min 5. Max 15. Shower or two. SUNDAY: Min 3. Max 18. Mostly sunny. MELBOURNE WEDNESDAY: Min 12. Max 21. Rain developing, possible storm. THURSDAY: Min 9. Max 18 Showers. FRIDAY: Min 10. Max 16. Showers. SATURDAY: Min 10. Max 15. Showers. SUNDAY; Min 9. Max 17. Shower or two. PERTH WEDNESDAY: Min 7. Max 22. Mostly sunny. THURSDAY: Min 9. Max 32. Mostly sunny. FRIDAY: Min 13. Max 31. Mostly sunny. SATURDAY: Min 15. Max 26. Mostly sunny. SUNDAY: Min 13. Max 23. Partly cloudy. HOBART WEDNESDAY: Min 7. Max 18. Cloudy. THURSDAY: Min 10. Max 16. Rain. FRIDAY: Min 12. Max 19. Rain. SATURDAY: Min 10. Max 15. Showers. SUNDAY: Min 8. Max 16. Shower or two. DARWIN WEDNESDAY: Min 26. Max 34. Partly cloudy. THURSDAY: Min 26. Max 34. Shower or two. FRIDAY: Min 26. Max 34. Shower or two. SATURDAY: Min 26. Max 34. Shower or two. SUNDAY: Min 26. Max 33. Shower or two. Source: Bureau of Meteorology Advertisement

The key weather modelling assessed by the BoM had led to the weather office declaring an unusual La Nina alert, with the likely patterns set to arrive within weeks.

'Historically, when La Nina alert criteria have been met, La Nina has subsequently developed around 70 per cent of the time,' the BoM announced.

'A 70 per cent chance of an event is approximately triple the normal likelihood.'

It is however not expected to be a severe La Nina pattern and could even be weak to moderate.

La Nina could mean an increased risk of flooding again for the east coast this summer (pictured, floods at Wingham, NSW in March 2021)

How La Nina typically works: Strong trade winds draw cooler water from ocean depths and warm surface waters north of Australia, leading to rainfall

La Nina is caused by cooling of the ocean surface, or below-average sea surface temperatures, in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean.

It leads to wetter weather from Indonesia down to Australia's north and east coast.

As well as rainfall up to 20 per cent more rain than average for the eastern states, La Nina has many other features and impacts.

It also typically brings increased chances of flooding, cooler daytime temperatures and an increased risk of tropical cyclones in the eastern states and northern Australia.

Positives from a La Nina season may be a reduced chance of catastrophic bushfires and some relief from the soaring temperatures Australia seems to increasingly endure.

Other La Nina patterns can include slightly warmer night-time temperatures, especially further north and decreased frosts.

Australia saw La Nina conditions from last summer into autumn, with December 2020 the third wettest since national records began in 1900.
They include an attorney for a woman whose husband was killed by a self-driving Tesla over the summer

The rollout has also drawn criticism from regulators, safety investigators, and legal practitioners

CEO Elon Musk has admitted that the update is not fully ready for the public - hence its limited release  after delaying its unveiling earlier this month

One YouTuber shared a clip of himself trying it out, and claimed turning a corner in the car made him feel anxious

Many have criticized Tesla for the limited release, accusing the company of subjecting the public to little more than a dangerous experiment

However, a slew of drivers say the criteria to obtain such ratings encourages them to widely accepted traffic laws

Drivers give the firm permission to monitor their driving, with a score decided per 100 miles of driving

The car company is rolling out a 'Full Self-Driving' update to car owners who garner '100/100 safety scores' while operating their vehicles.

Tesla is rolling out a 'Full Self-Driving' update to drivers it deems safe, even though the car giant is currently being probed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration over multiple autopilot crashes, two of them deadly.

The update, unveiled by Tesla boss Elon Musk last week, works in neighborhoods and city streets, allowing drivers to navigate their cars from Point A to Point B, ideally with no driver interventions.

Tesla's more basic autopilot feature, found on all its cars, enables the car to steer, accelerate and brake automatically within its lane, with the firm insisting that drivers should keep their hands on the wheel at all times when using autopilot and Full Self-Driving.

Full Self-Driving is available to drivers with high safety scores of 100 out of 100, with those scores decided by giving the firm permission to monitor their driving using in-car software. Drivers scores will be ranked per 100 miles of driving.

Musk made the announcement October 7, tweeting: 'FSD Beta 10.2 rolls out Friday midnight to ~1000 owners with perfect 100/100 safety scores. Rollouts will hold for several days after that to see how it goes. If that looks good, beta will gradually begin rolling out to 99 scores & below'

YouTuber Jeremy Judkins shared a clip of himself trying out Full Self-Driving, and admits turning a corner in his Tesla while in the new mode made him feel anxious

New Yorker Jean Louis, pictured, was struck and killed by a Tesla while changing a car tire in Long Island in July. His death has been added to an ongoing probe by the NTHSB into crashes linked to Tesla's autopilot software

The aftermath of the smash that killed Louis is pictured, with an attorney hired by his wife condemning the rollout of Full Self-Driving

He shared another update October 9, writing: 'A few last minute concerns about this build. Release likely on Sunday or Monday. Sorry for the delay.'

And on October 11 he added: 'A few last minute concerns about this build. Release likely on Sunday or Monday. Sorry for the delay.

Select Tesla drivers then gained access to the software this week.

One of them was YouTuber Jeremy Judkins, who shared a video of himself testing out Full Self-Driving on his car Monday.

He was noticeably nervous as the car took its first corner in the new mode, and said afterwards: 'That was a little wild, the wheel was a little wild. It gave me a little bit of anxiety.'

And a Tesla worker claims the scoring criteria used to select drivers to try out the new software has flaws.

Braking sees drivers penalized, with many saying there's now an incentive to gun their Tesla through yellow lights, instead of stopping in anticipation of a red.

Sharp turns also see a safety score hit - with drivers in densely-populated areas like New York at a disadvantage compared to those living in areas with widely-spaced, quiet roads like Kansas.

Tesla wants to test the software on safe drivers in the hopes it will 'learn' good habits from safe drivers, rather than people who behave dangerously behind the wheel, and who could influence their software to do the same.

Full Self-Driving was unveiled as the NHTSA continues to investigate 12 different crashes - two of them fatal - involving Teslas running on the firm's autopilot software.

Many of those smashes have involved Teslas slamming into emergency responder vehicles, sparking speculation that flashing lights may confuse the Teslas' sensors which help operate the self-driving software.

Musk's announcement has seen him condemned for using the general public as guinea pigs, with one New York woman whose husband died after a Tesla Model Y hit him in July, blasting the firm for 'outsourcing testing.'

Tesla has previously rolled out 'Ludicrous' and 'Insane' modes on its cars, which let drivers accelerate extremely rapidly, and have been condemned for encouraging drag racing

'They outsourced the testing to total nonprofessionals and fans,' said Joshua Brian Irwin, attorney for Bernadette Saint Jean, whose husband, Jean Louis, was killed on New York's Long Island Expressway in July when a Tesla using automated features struck him on the side of the road while he changed a tire.

'Of course they're going to figure out how to hack the scoring system and cover up the AI's flaws.'

Tesla previously raised eyebrows after unveiling 'Ludicrous' and 'Insane' modes on its cars, which let drivers accelerate extremely rapidly, and which some critics say encouraged drag racing.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a federal government agency designed to oversee transportation safety in the United States and prevent vehicle-related crashes, are currently investigating the crash.

Jean Louis's death joins 11 other accidents they are probing, including a December 2019 smash in Indiana which saw young mom Jenna Monet die of her injuries.

Meanwhile, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chair Jennifer Homendy told The Washington Post last month that she was worried Tesla was rolling out new features without addressing the Board's prior safety recommendations.

They include limiting the use of automated features to the conditions for which they were designed and developing better driver monitoring.

The company says that the emphasis on drivers meeting the aforementioned safety criteria and caution as to the update's wider release was meant to ensure that the feature only gets granted to the safest of road users - but others argue the criteria encourages the opposite.

'The lesson of Safety Score Beta is to gun every yellow light,' wrote one Twitter user hours after the update's release, adding that if drivers do not slow their car considerably before coming to a stop, 'you're gonna get dinged for hard braking.'
A Virginia father who went viral after being dragged out of a Loudoun County school board meeting and arrested for protesting its proposed transgender policies has now revealed he was trying to tell the room that his daughter had been raped by a boy at school in the girls' bathroom.

Scott Smith was photographed on June 22 being dragged out of the heated meeting with his torso exposed in Leesburg, Virginia. The 48-year-old plumber was ridiculed on social media afterwards and was painted by the left to be a deranged, right-wing bigot.

But in an interview with The Daily Wire that was published on Monday, he explains that he was trying to stick up for his daughter, who was attacked at Stone Bridge High School on May 28 by a boy 'wearing in a skirt.'

Smith says the boy took advantage of the school's trans policies to get into the girls' bathrooms and assault her.

Two months after the incident, the boy - who has not been named because he is a juvenile - was arrested for forced sodomy.

And in October, he was arrested again on different charges for allegedly assaulting a different girl, at a different school. He is now in a juvenile detention center.

But Smith says Loudoun County schools went out of their way to protect the child - 'a sexual predator'. The school still has not commented.

'It has been so hard to keep my mouth shut and wait this out. It has been the most powerless thing Ive ever been through,' he said.

On June 22, Scott Smith was dragged out of a Loudoun County school board meeting after listening to the woke school board justify its transgender bathroom policies. He says he was trying to tell the room that his daughter had been raped by a boy 'wearing a skirt' in the girls' bathroom just weeks earlier and that the school ignored it

Smith was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct. He said he was trying to contain himself after listening to school board staff say they'd never had a report of a sexual assault in a bathroom, when that is what his daughter reported weeks earlier

'My wife and I are gay- and lesbian-friendly.

'We're not into this children transgender stuff. The person that attacked our daughter is apparently bisexual and occasionally wears dresses because he likes them.

'So this kid is technically not what the school board was fighting about.

'The point is kids are using it as an advantage to get into the bathrooms,' he said.

On the day of the incident, Smith says the school told him to come to the campus because his daughter had been physically assaulted. They did not say she had been sexually assaulted.

Once he got there, he says school staff told him they would handle it internally, choosing not to call the police for an as-yet unexplained reason.

He was enraged by the decision and challenged them on it. The school board then did call the police but to report Smith, not the boy, for making a scene.

'I went nuts. I called the principal a p****. Six cop cars showed up like a f****** SWAT team,' he said.

The school's principal sent out an alert that day warning parents of what had happened involving Smith, but it said nothing of the sexual assault allegations in the bathroom.

It's unclear exactly what happened next but Smith ended up at the hospital with his daughter.

There, they told doctors what happened and a rape kit was performed.

'Thank God that I drew enough attention to it, without getting arrested, that we got an escort to the hospital and they administered a rape kit that night,' he said.

The rape kit verified his daughter's claim so they took it to the police and a case was opened.

The teenager was arrested two months later - after the school board meeting - after an investigation by the sheriff's office.

'We did respond. At the time, the juvenile was 14-years-old. He was charged with forcible sodomy. After that, it goes through the courts.

'The May 28, 2021, case at Stone Bridge High School involved a different set of circumstances and a thorough 2-month-long investigation was conducted to determine the facts of the case prior to arrest.

'This case is still pending court proceedings,' a spokesman for the sheriff's office told DailyMail.com on Tuesday.

The boy was charged with sodomy for the alleged assault on Smith's daughter in May, but the sheriff's department did not release details of it at the time. The same boy was charged on October 7 with assaulting a different girl in a different school. A sheriff's spokesman confirmed to DailyMail.com that it was the same boy, but they could not reveal his identity

In the weeks and months that followed, Lancaster and the juvenile boy's attorneys' were working out a plea deal but it's unclear if the school board ever took action against him.

According to Lancaster, the boy confessed to what happened in police interviews.

Lancaster, who is a partner at the Leesburg firm Whitbeck Bennett, says she accompanied Smith's daughter to interviews with prosecutors.

At the meeting on June 22, Loudoun County School Superintendent Scott Ziegler said the school had never had any form of incident inside a bathroom or locker room involving a transgender child.

'To my knowledge, we dont have any record of assaults occurring in our restrooms,' he said first.

Smith is shown left, with his wife Jessica. The 48-year-old plumber (shown right at work) says he was only ever trying to stick up for his daughter and other people's kids

He went on to quote Time magazine research that he said disproved the notion transgender kids might sexually attack cisgender kids, and said: 'I think its important to keep our perspective on this, weve heard it several times tonight from our public speakers but the predator transgender student or person simply does not exist.'

Smith said he became irate. He started arguing with another woman at the meeting, labeling her a 'b***h' after she allegedly denied his daughter's claim.

He was then charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.

The family then retreated from the public eye but were working with Lancaster to resolve the criminal case against the boy who assaulted their daughter, they say.

They were preparing for an October 14 court date, they say, but were stunned when the same boy was arrested again on October 6, at a different school in the same district.

On this occasion, he was charged with 'with sexual battery and abduction'. In that case, he allegedly held a different girl in a classroom to attack her in Broad Run High School - 2.5miles from the high school where Smith's daughter was assaulted.

Loudoun County Schools Superintendent Scott Ziegler told the meeting that 'to his knowledge' the school system had never had a report of a sexual attack in a bathroom

Smith's attorney says prosecutors told her it was the same child as was involved in the case with Smith's daughter.

'If someone would have sat and listened for thirty seconds to what Scott had to say, they would have been mortified and heartbroken,' his attorney added.

He said he does not know if the boy identifies as female, is bisexual, or was taking advantage of the system.

'I dont care if hes homosexual, heterosexual, bisexual, transsexual. Hes a sexual predator,' he said.

Because the case involves two juveniles, there are few publicly available records and Loudoun County will not comment or give out any information.

When contacted by DailyMail.com on Tuesday morning for a response to Smith's explosive allegations, the school board did not immediately respond.

Lancaster, Smith's attorney, did not name the prosecutors who she said she was working with and sheriff's deputies will not comment.

It remains unclear why the boy in question was in the different school, where the second assault allegedly took place on October 6, when he had apparently been in talks with prosecutors to agree to a deal for the May 28 assault against Smith's daughter.

Loudoun County won't say whether or not he was ever suspended or excluded from the school system.

The Loudoun County Sheriff's Office did confirm the October 6 incident, saying in a press release on October 7: 'A teenager from Ashburn has been charged with sexual battery and abduction of a fellow student at Broad Run High School.

'The investigation determined on the afternoon of October 6, the 15-year-old suspect forced the victim into an empty classroom where he held her against her will and inappropriately touched her.'

Smith says he couldn't contain himself after watching Loudoun County staff lie about never receiving a report of an incident in a bathroom. Board chair Brenda Sheridan is pictured

Loudoun County has become a microcosm for the issues tearing parents and teachers all over America apart.

The school board has been repeatedly accused of ignoring parents' concerns and vilifying anyone who challenges their view.

Teachers have quit in outrage over the proposed changes and they say the school board is trying to force CRT and transgender issues onto the kids.

It is a snapshot of what is happening all over the country.

Last week, Florida mother Quisha King called for a mass exodus of kids from the public school system because of how 'pervasive' CRT had become.

Many parents were stunned by a Justice Department announcement last week that the FBI would now investigate and prosecute any parent who it deems to be 'threatening' towards school staff.

The order from Attorney General Merrick Garland was in response to a request from the National School Board Association to President Biden, asking him to protect them from angry parents.

Maud Maron, a 'life-long liberal', mother-of-four and former NYC public defender, is among those who says it is going too far.

Writing for Bari Weiss' substack channel Common Sense on Monday, she said: 'I am a mother of four, a criminal defense attorney and a lifelong liberal who is deeply concerned about the direction of New York Citys public schools. Ive been outspoken about my views, along with an untold number of frustrated parents.

'For that, the FBI is considering using the PATRIOT Act against me. '
The BBC has defended Andrew Marr after he was accused of being 'aggressive' towards Prime Minister Boris Johnson in an interview on his flagship show earlier this month.

The corporation said it had received a number of complaints about the political host's tone during the grilling, accusing him of repeatedly interrupting Mr Johnson.

The Prime Minister appeared on The Andrew Marr Show on October 3 during which the presenter accused him of not telling the truth about wage growth.

Following the broadcast, John Redwood, the Tory MP for Wokingham, said BBC interviewers 'seem to want to impose their view' rather than allow room for answers.

During an appearance on LBC radio, Nadine Dorries, the culture secretary, went further in questioning the impartiality of Mr Marr.

But BBC bosses have hit back at the accusations, saying they are satisfied Mr Marr conducted the exchange in a 'fair, duly impartial and professional manner'.

In a statement, the BBC said: 'We received complaints from viewers who felt the interview with Boris Johnson was aggressive, and he was interrupted too much.

The BBC said it had received a number of complaints about Andrew Marr's tone during the grilling of Boris Johnson (pictured) on October 3, accusing him of repeatedly interrupting the PM

BBC bosses have hit back at the accusations, saying they are satisfied Mr Marr (pictured interviewing Mr Johnson) conducted the exchange in a 'fair, duly impartial and professional manner'

'There were many issues covered in the interview with the Prime Minister, such as violence against women, the HGV driver shortage and the National Insurance Tax rise, and so it was imperative for Mr Marr to keep the conversation on track in order to have time for them all.

'Sometimes Mr Marr repeated his question to press the Prime Minister into giving a clear answer for the audience.

'As Prime Minister, Mr Johnson is no stranger to robust and challenging interviews, and we consider it is appropriate to hold the leader of the nation to account on different issues.

'However we're satisfied that Mr Marr questioned Mr Johnson in a fair, duly impartial and professional manner.'

The interview covered everything from the murder of Sarah Everard to the struggling pork industry.

When it got to the issue of fuel shortages, Mr Johnson said the real problem was wages.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson (pictured right) appeared on The Andrew Marr Show on October 3 during which the presenter (pictured left) accused him of not telling the truth about wage growth

Following the broadcast, John Redwood, the Tory MP for Wokingham, said BBC interviewers 'seem to want to impose their view' rather than allow room for answers

He told Mr Marr that British companies had for too long been hooked on cheap labour, leading to a lack of people wanting to become HGV drivers.

The Conservative leader said it was time to start paying workers properly.

As Mr Marr glanced at his notes, the PM added: 'We're investing massively in skills, we're investing massively in infrastructure.'

Mr Marr replied: 'I'm sorry, this is getting towards bluster', to which Mr Johnson huffed: 'No, it's not!'

The two sparred again when Mr Johnson repeated his line about investing in skills, adding: 'I'd rather do that than raise taxes to subsidise low wages', to which Mr Marr exclaimed: 'You are raising taxes!'

He then accused the PM of behaving more like ex-Labour premier Harold Wilson than Margaret Thatcher.

Mr Marr said in July that MPs who are ex-reporters and columnists  such as Mr Johnson  have a tendency to exaggerate, and added that the UK needs more ministers who better understand technical details

Mr Marr accused the PM of behaving more like ex-Labour premier Harold Wilson than Margaret Thatcher, to which Mr Johnson said: 'You're talking total nonsense'

Mr Johnson told him: 'You're talking total nonsense', adding that neither of those leaders had to face the 'fiscal meteorite' of a pandemic.

It comes after Mr Marr said in July that the number of former journalists in the corridors of power is 'dangerous'.

He said ex-reporters and columnists  such as Mr Johnson  have a tendency to exaggerate, and added that the UK needs more ministers who better understand technical details.

Speaking at the Buxton International Festival, Derbyshire, Mr Marr said: 'Having a country where so many [former] journalists are in charge of the Government is dangerous because we are all encouraged to exaggerate.'

Mr Johnson began his journalism career as a reporter for The Times in the late 1980s, before going on to work for the Daily Telegraph and The Spectator.
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On October 14, 1947, a unique, terrifying sound pierced the air above California's Mojave desert.

US Air Force pilot Chuck Yeager had carried out a feat which some believed to be impossible: he had broken the sound barrier by flying above Mach 1 (767mph), causing a sonic boom.

The brilliant pilot did so in 'Glamorous Glennis', the experimental Bell X-1 plane which was named after his wife.

Now, ahead of the anniversary of his famous accomplishment, an upcoming TV documentary sheds further light on how the pilot came extremely close to death when his plane spun out control on a previous test flight.

He was only saved by quick-thinking which saw him turn off his engines to slow himself down and regain control.

Breaking The Sound Barrier, which airs in the UK and US tonight on the Smithsonian Channel, hears from aviation experts and reveals newly-colourised footage of the famous flight.

Yeager, who passed away in December last year, had previously shot down at least 11 enemy aircraft in the Second World War.

His 1947 feat pipped other countries  including the UK  in the race to fly faster than the speed of sound and sparked off the global development of both commercial and military aircraft capable of flying at supersonic speeds.

A little over six years later, the US Navy's Skyrocket plane reached a new speed of Mach 2 (1,500mph), before Yeager became top dog again by flying at 1,600mph.

And, within less than 20 years of Yeager's flight, the Concorde supersonic airliner had taken to the skies, ushering in a revolution in commercial transatlantic travel.

On October 14, 1947, a unique, terrifying sound pierced the air above California's Mojave desert. US Air Force pilot Chuck Yeager had carried out a feat which some believed to be impossible: he had broken the sound barrier and caused a sonic boom. The brilliant pilot did so in 'Glamorous Glennis', the experimental Bell X-1 plane which was named after his wife. Pictured: The plane is seen in footage that has been colourised for TV documentary Breaking The Sound Barrier, which airs in the UK and US tonight at 8pm on the Smithsonian Channel

Yeager's 1947 feat pipped other countries  including the UK  in the race to fly faster than the speed of sound and sparked off the global development of both commercial and military aircraft capable of flying at supersonic speeds

In the year before Yeager broke the sound barrier, a rival British project had nearly succeeded in doing the same.

This unmanned aircraft was flown 35,500 feet above the Atlantic Ocean, west of Land's End in Cornwall.

Although it was theoretically capable of flying between 800-100mph, the A2 crashed after exploding in mid-air.

Although work continued on the project after the setback, the British Government then cancelled it out of the blue  despite the 100,000 which had already been spent on it.

Insider Don Brown told how he was 'fuming' because the team were '15 months ahead of the Americans'.

Yeager had been selected to take part in the American X-1 project after his heroic war service, which saw him posted to Britain.

He took over in the X-1 from the plane's second test pilot, Slick Goodlin, who had laid the groundwork for his counterpart by completing 20 powered flights and reaching 0.8mach (614mph).

The X-1's first pilot, Jack Woolams, had been killed in a crash in another plane in 1946.

Yeager had been selected to take part in the American X-1 project after his heroic war service, which saw him posted to Britain. Pictured: Yeager sitting in the cockpit of Glamorous Glennis

Bell X-1 rocket plane in which Chuck Yeager became the first human to break the sound barrier on October 14, 1947. The facts of the flight remained classified until publicly announced on June 10, 1948. However, details of the flight began leaking to the press in December 1947

Yeager's first powered flight in the X-1 on August 29, 1947. After successfully accelerating to speeds of 0.85mach (652mph), the daring pilot carried out a series of unplanned stalls and rolls to try to assess the limit of the aircraft. Above: A scene from the footage shown in the documentary

Unlike a jet aircraft, the rocket-powered X-1 used onboard liquid oxygen  instead of oxygen from the atmosphere  to generate thrust. Above: Colourised footage of the X-1 as it looked from the ground

The Air Force team involved in the X-1 project were starkly aware of the risks involved in attempting to reach supersonic speeds.

British test pilot Geoffrey de Havilland Jr was killed in 1946 when the plane he was flying  the de Havilland 108  broke up mid-flight during a test run.

Speaking in tonight's show, USAF's Colonel Randy 'Laz' Gordon told how experts at the time were uncertain about what the sound barrier actually was.

'The understanding of people at the time was that the sound barrier was truly that, a barrier,' he said.

'So they knew as they were accelerating that they were going to enter this region of the unknown that we needed to somehow figure out how to break through.'

Yeager's first powered flight in the X-1 on August 29, 1947.

After successfully accelerating to speeds of 0.85mach (652mph), the daring pilot carried out a series of unplanned stalls and rolls to try to assess the limit of the aircraft.

But when safely back on the ground, he was reprimanded by his superiors for taking unnecessary risks.

Unlike a jet aircraft, the rocket-powered X-1 used onboard liquid oxygen  instead of oxygen from the atmosphere  to generate thrust.

It meant that Yeager was flying a machine that was highly explosive.

On October 8, during his seventh flight in the X-1, Yeager had a brush with death that illustrated just how dangerous the project was.

Yeager later flew the X-1 from take-off, proving that it could reach supersonic speeds from a ground start. Pictured: The plane in flight in 1949, after taking off from the ground

Yeager (pictured above in 1948) was an enormously experienced pilot by the time he started flying the Bell X-1 aircraft

Two days before his most famous flight, the pilot had broken three of his ribs while riding a horse and was worried he would not be able to climb into the cockpit (pictured)

After he and his aircraft were flown to an altitude of 12,000feet by a B-29 bomber, the pilot was lowered into the plane on a plywood platform.

After emerging from the B-29, Yeager fired up the X-1's engine and quickly flew to 40,000 feet. Checking his speed, Yeager then realised he had hit his target for that flight of 0.94mach (721mph).

However, an unexpected shockwave caused by a pocket of supersonic air colliding with slower air then caused the pilot to lose control of his aircraft.

Unable to control the pitch (the up and down movement), Yeager thought his controls were broken and was in a situation which had killed previous pilots because the plane was now liable to spin or stall out of control.

However, Colonel Grant tells in the programme how the pilot came up with a 'brilliant' solution. He shut down the plane's engine, slowing the aircraft enough for the controls to begin working again.

Once on the ground, Yeager's team worked to diagnose the problem.

They discovered that the shockwave had formed on the plane's horizontal tail, creating an air flow which negated the movement of the plane's elevator  which controlled its pitch.

Bell X-1 is now on permanent display at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.

The plane was rocket-powered, meaning that whilst it was capable of reaching incredibly high speeds, it was also filled with highly flammable liquid oxygen

By using the adjustable horizontal tail when nearing the speed of sound (Mach 1), the engineers said Yeager would be able to re-establish control of his plane.

Then on October 14, Yeager had recovered from his ordeal and was set for an attempt at breaking the sound barrier.

However, two days before, the pilot had broken three of his ribs while riding a horse and was worried he would not be able to climb into his plane.

Fortunately, he was able to withstand the pain and successfully set himself up in the X-1's cockpit and emerged from the belly of the B-29.

When he neared 0.9mach, the pilot engaged the horizontal stabliser and saw the Mach meter then go haywire, looking as though it was broken.

Then, what is described in the programme as 'two sharp blasts' then rolled across the desert.

Yeager was nearly killed flying the Bell X-1, but put his enormous skill and experience to good use to save himself. Pictured: The pilot poses next to a plane in 1949

Yeager had been stationed in the UK during his time as a fighter pilot in the Second World War. Pictured: Yeager in 1948

After the original X-1 was retired, further models - the X-1 A, B, C and D - were produced to further advance knowledge of supersonic flight. Pictured: The X-1A in flight

As it passed Mach 1, the X-1 had overtaken the sound waves in front of it, whilst continuously generating new ones as it flew forwards.

These sound waves were then forced together, forming a trailing shockwave and producing the thunderous noise that Yeager had heard. It was the first sonic boom ever made by a pilot.

Colonel Grant said: 'For Yeager after all the worry about controlling the X-1, getting through the buffeting in the barrier, it is perfectly smooth.

'And he realises, there wasn't a physical barrier, it was a barrier in our understanding of how the shockwaves affected an aircraft.

'They have solved those problems and the mysterious barrier has vanished.'

Fourteen minutes later, Yeager landed back on the ground.

Whilst news of the record-breaking feat leaked to the press in December 1947, its validity was soon questioned by rival US Navy pilots, who said it should not count because the X-1 was dropped from the B-29 rather than taking off.

Yeager finally retired from the Air Force in 1975 and moved to a ranch in Cedar Ridge, Northern California. Above: Yeager wears full flying gear as he poses for a photograph at Edwards Air Force Base in 1986

To prove that the X-1 could rise to the challenge, Yeager then attempted a ground take-off on January 5, 1949.

Less than 80 seconds after climbing above 23,000 feet, the pilot went supersonic for the second time. It was the first supersonic flight achieved from a ground take-off.

After the X-1 was retired, Yeager flew its successor, the X1-A, to 2.4mach (1,600mph) in 1953, setting yet another record.

After reaching the speed, the plane then lost lift and began to roll in a phenomenon known as intertia coupling.

Yeager dropped 4,000 feet in less than a minute and, at 30,000 feet, utilised the denser air at that altitude to flip the X-1A into a two-dimensional spin before regaining full control.

Expert Richard P Hallion says in tonight's show: 'The fact that he recovered the aircraft was a tremendous tribute both to the structural strength of the airplane but also to his phenomenal flying abilities.'

He was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal in 1954 for the feat.

Yeager finally retired from the Air Force in 1975 and moved to a ranch in Cedar Ridge, Northern California.

In 2012 he flew, aged 89, at the speed of sound as a passenger in an F-15 fighter jet.

Breaking the Sound Barrier airs on Smithsonian Channel, tomorrow night (Tuesday 12th October) at 8pm.
A TikToker has claimed that interracial relationships, particularly between white men and Asian women, are a by-product of American imperialism and the United States' roles in wars.

The American TikToker, who goes by username @youngqim and is known as Young Kim on Instagram, argued women were not easily granted access to the US under strict immigration rules as the US didn't want 'Asian people to start families here'.

Young, who says he is a history student, said this changed in the 20th century when women were exempt from restrictions if they were married to an American soldier, which he said led to interracial relationships and Asian women being 'fetishized'.

He went on to claim that the Korean War and the Vietnam War then prolonged global conflicts, leading to more interracial relationships, when American soldiers married Asian women after serving on the frontlines and brought them back to the US.

His video started with a short clip from TikToker @virtualflop, also known as Elise, who mouthed to along to a voiceover about interracial relationships, which poster Elise said she had used as a 'joke'.

The voiceover said: 'Interracial relationships are not natural. 'Y'all are gonna [sic] hate me for this one, but I don't give a f**k. It's the truth.'

A TikToker, who is known as Young Kim (pictured), has argued that white men having a 'fetish' for Asian women is a result of American 'imperialism'

Alongside the comments, reads the caption: 'Writing my paper about how romantic relationships between yt [sic] males and Asian females wouldn't be as common in society if it weren't for US involvement in wars.'

Responding to the TikTok, Young says that he is going to 'elaborate' on Elise's claims by talking about federal laws that restricted immigration from Asian countries, which he claimed saw hardly any Asian women moving to the United States.

He claims: 'Throughout most of American history, immigration from Asia had been limited to exclusively men.

'The biggest reason for that was they didn't want Asian people to start families here. We were considered an "undesirable element".'

In the 1850s, young single men were recruited as laborers and the Chinese made up 20 per cent of California's labour force by 1870, but were only 0.002 per cent of the entire US population, according to Asia Society.

Young goes on to talk about the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, which was a federal law signed by President Chester Arthur barring the immigration of Chinese laborers to the United States.

He says that this act, along with the Immigration Act of 1924, virtually ended 'immigration from Asia and severely limited immigration from Europe', with Chinese immigration declining from 39,500 in 1882 to just 10 in 1887.

Under the Immigration Act of 1924, only a limited number of immigrants were allowed into the US through an 'origins' quota, which gave visas to two per cent of the total number of each nationality as of the 1890 national census.

But he explained that this began to change when Asian women were allowed to immigrate to the US in large numbers under the War Brides Act of 1945, which exempt 'war brides' from the restrictions laid out by the 1924 act.

Young, who claims to be a history student, comments came in response to a clip from TikTok user @virtualflop, who mouths along to audio saying 'interracial relationships are not natural'

Following the brides act, which allowed wives and children to enter the US 'if admissible' as non-quota immigrants after World War Two, around 30,000 foreign war brides moved to the US.

After World War Two, many allied servicemen married women in countries where they were stationed during the war, which occurred in the likes of France, Vietnam, Korea, the Philippines, Japan and China.

Young argued that America's 'imperialist' position in the First and Second World Wars, led white men bringing Asian women back from the frontlines to the US as their wives, rather than them previously being seen as 'undesirable'.

He added: 'Yup! I said war brides, which meant they could only come here if they were married to a white American soldier.

'The Japanese internment camps - one of the only ways you could leave is if you were a woman and you married a white man.'

Young claimed that both the Korean War, from 1950 until 1953, and the Vietnam War, from 1955 to 1975, 'prolonged conflicts', which led to more American soldiers marrying 'impoverished' Asian women who were looking for a way to 'survive'.

America sent around 550,000 troops to the front lines during the Vietnam War and some 1,780,000 US soldiers serving during the Korean War.

Immediately after the Korean War, some 6,423 Korean women wed US military personnel as war brides, while 8,040 Vietnamese women came to the US between 1964 and 1975.

Young argued that Asian women moving over to the US as brides, and white men then dating Asian women following this movement, is a 'by-product' of America's 'imperialist' role in these wars and the immigration rules that came before.

He added: 'White men having Asian fetishes is a by-product of American imperialism.'
Frankie Morris, 18, vanished after going to a rave party at a disused quarry

A teenager who had a rape claim dropped against him took his own life weeks after a 'chance meeting' with his accuser, an inquest heard.

Frantisek Morris, 18, went missing on May 2 and sparked a month-long search by North Wales Police as divers scoured a local river in an effort to trace him.

He had attended a rave at a disused quarry in Waunfawr, near Snowdonia National Park, the night before his disappearance.

His body was found on June 3 at Caerhun on the outskirts of Bangor after police were called by a member of the public.

An inquest heard Mr Morris had been accused of rape around nine months before his disappearance - but no further action was taken by police.

The allegation was brought up by people at the rave in Waunfawr near Snowdonia National Park - and may have 'troubled his mind.'

Detective Inspector Lee Boycott said Frankie was never spoken to by police officers over the alleged incident.

He said: 'The accusation was eight to nine months prior but people had mentioned the alleged rape to Frankie during the rave.'

DI Boycott said there had been a 'chance meeting' between Frankie and the accuser weeks before the rave - and they were 'seen to shake hands.'

The inquest heard he believed 'any bad feeling had subsided' between the pair.

Mr Morris's brother Robin said his sibling had told him he felt suicidal around a month before he disappeared.

His body was found on June 3 at Caerhun on the outskirts of Bangor after police were called by a member of the public

North Wales Police had appealed for anyone who attended the rave to come forward following Frankie's disappearance

He said: 'Frankie was not known for being the most socially confident but he had a lot of friends. He was a happy person. He had been working with me and had a positive mindset.

'One day he told me he felt suicidal, like he was not getting anywhere in life, but to me, he seemed OK and not depressed.'

Toxicology reports found Frankie had taken cocaine before his death. Witnesses also reported seeing him take ketamine at the rave.

His mother Alice Morris described Frankie as 'generous, sincere and honest' with a 'good sense of humour'.

His dad James Morris added his son, of Llandegfan, Anglesey, was 'a lovely young person with a good heart'.

Acting senior coroner Katie Sutherland concluded Frankie, full name Frantisek Morris, intended to take his own life.

Frantisek 'Frankie' Morris, 18, from Llandegfan, Anglesey, who went missing on 2 May 2021

She said: 'There is evidence surrounding a rape allegation and conversations at the rave, no further police action was taken but this may have troubled his mind.

'I am satisfied that Frankie intended death to be the consequence of his actions.'

In a dedicated Facebook group set up to help share information about his whereabouts, Mr Morris's mother Alice said she feared something bad happened to him.

The post, which was shared with the groups 3,800 members, said: 'I know Frankie so well and I also know his lifestyle.

'I do think that he visited one of his friends in Bangor and something bad probably happened to him there.

'I have been asking the police to investigate the people who he knows in Bangor and go to their houses to check but the response seems to me to be a bit slow.

'I think they should make it a priority to investigate all his friends in Bangor.'

An urgent plea was shared by police investigating the disappearance, asking the public to check CCTV and dashcam footage in the Bangor and Caerhun areas of North Wales for any signs of the 18-year-old.

A GoFundMe page to help provide funds for Frankie's family has now raised close to 7,500.

Confidential support is offered by the Samaritans on 116 123.
A Jewish member of the 'Texas 7' on death row for killing a cop should get a new trial because the judge who presided over the case used anti-Semitic slurs during his trial, a Dallas District Court ruled.

Randy Halprin, 44, was among the Texas 7 gang who escaped from jail in 2000 with six other inmates and shot officer Aubrey Hawkins at an Irving sporting goods store.

Dallas Criminal District Court Judge Lela Mays found that her predecessor, former Judge Vickers 'Vic' Cunningham, 59, violated Randy Halprins right to a fair trial by not recusing himself from Halprin's trial for bias.

Cunningham, who oversaw Halprin's 2003 trial, allegedly used racial slurs and anti-Semitic language against Halprin and other gang member, according to an appeal they filed in state court.

Cunningham allegedly called Halprin 'that f***ing Jew' and a 'God d**n k**e' during his trial. The retired jurist denied the accusation.

A new trial has been ordered for Texas 7 death row inmate Randy Halprin, 44, after anti-Semitic comments were made at him by a former judge during his case

Former state District Judge Vickers 'Vic' Cunningham, 59, had allegedly called Halprin slurs such as a 'f***ing Jew' and a 'God d**n k**e'

Halprin's execution was halted in 2019 after the states highest criminal court, the Court of Criminal Appeals, sent the case to Mays for review.

On Monday, Mays rendered her decision.

'In light of all the evidence, this court finds both that Judge Cunningham harbored actual, subjective bias against Halprin because Halprin is a Jew and that Judge Cunninghams anti-Semitic prejudices created an objectively intolerable risk of bias,' Mays, according to the Dallas Morning News.

The judge said that her predecessor had presided over the selection and instruction of the jury, the evidence used during the trial, and the deliverance of the death sentence.

'Judge Cunningham's bias towards Halprin not only harmed him, but it undermined the publics confidence that criminal justice has been  and will be  dispensed impartially,' she also wrote.

She also noted that the Texas Department of Criminal Justice had previously made a ranking of the seven gang members' culpability and had put Halprin as 'the weakest'.

Cunningham had denied the jury to see the document after Halprin's lawyers had attempted to show them during the trial.

'Jurors could have found the ranking document corroborated Halprins testimony about his subordinate role in the group of escapees, testimony the prosecution urged the jury not to believe,' Mays said.

Dallas Criminal District Court Judge Lela Mays made the order on Monday and requested that the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals toss Halprin's conviction and death sentence aside

A previous story from the Dallas Morning News in 2018 revealed that Cunningham also had a living trust fund that rewarded his children for not marrying someone of a different race or the same sex.

He confirmed the trust fund to the newspaper but claimed he was not a bigot.

His brother Bill Cunningham, however, had told the paper that the former judge was a lifelong racist.

Halprin escaped from the John B. Connally Unit in 2000 along with the other gang members

Tivon Schardl, one of Halprin's attorneys, applauded Mays' decision for a new trial.

'The facts were never in dispute,' Schardl said. 'Contrary to what the state said, the Constitution protects Texans from religious bigotry in the criminal justice system.

'Were confident the Court of Criminal Appeals will reach the same conclusion and order a new, fair trial for Randy Halprin.'

Cunningham did not comment on Mays' decision.

Halprin and fellow member Patrick Murphy, 60, are the only two from the Texas Seven gang to remain on death row.

Members of the Texas 7 clockwise from top left: Joseph C. Garcia, Randy Halprin, Larry Jame Harper, Patrick Henry Murphy Jr., Michael Anthony Rodriguez, George Rivas, and Donald Keith Newbury

The members of the Texas 7 shot and killed Officer Aubrey Hawkins on Christmas Eve 2000 when he was dispatched to a sporting goods store that were looting in Irving, Texas

Larry Harper, one of the members, had killed himself before the trial began and the other four have already been executed.

The Texas Seven gang had escaped the John B. Connally Unit, a high-security prison in the southern part of the state in December 2000.

Halprin was serving a 30-year-sentence for beating a child in Tarrant County.

Following a string of robberies, the group shot Officer Aubrey Hawkins 11 times on Christmas Eve after he was dispatched to a sporting goods store that they were looting.

They were apprehended by authorities a month later in Colorado after a six-week manhunt.
Curtis Edward Smith, 61, (in mug) claimed he knew nothing about the plot to kill Alex Murdaugh until he met him by the side of a road on September 4

Alex Murdaugh's alleged hitman has claimed he knew nothing about the plot to kill the legal scion for a multi-million-dollar insurance windfall until he met him by the side of a road and was told 'I want you to shoot me in the head'.

Curtis Edward Smith, 61, told the New York Times that Murdaugh - who is one of his distant cousins - was accidentally shot when he tried to wrestle the gun from him to stop the scandal-hit lawyer from killing himself.

Smith denied conspiring with Murdaugh, 53, and has shared how bitter he feels after was slapped with charges for allegedly trying to save the man he 'loved like a brother.'

'I don't know if betrayed is even the word for it,' he said.

'I thought of him as a brother, you know, and loved him like a brother. And I would've done almost anything for him. Almost.'

The 61-year-old, who has been accused of being Murdaugh's opioid dealer, said he got a phone call from Murdaugh on the morning of September 4 asking him to drive in his work truck to meet him in Hampton.

Murdaugh didn't tell Smith the reason for the meeting, Smith said, but he went anyway.

Smith said he arrived at the location and Murdaugh drove past, honking his horn for him to follow in his vehicle.

When they arrived along a rural road, Murdaugh pulled over at the side of the road so Smith did the same, he said.

Smith claimed that it was only then that he learned about Murdaugh's reason for their meeting.

Murdaugh allegedly got out a loaded gun and asked Smith to shoot him in the head with it, killing him.

'I want you to shoot me in the back of the head,' Murdaugh allegedly told him.

Smith insisted he refused to do Murdaugh's bidding, allegedly telling him: 'It ain't going to happen.'

When he refused, Smith said Murdaugh moved as though to shoot himself in the head.

At this point, the alleged hitman said he grabbed Murdaugh's arm, twisting it behind his back to stop him shooting himself.

The gun accidentally discharged, shooting Murdaugh in the head, he said.

Smith, 61, is seen at his bond hearing last month at Hampton County Detention Center

Smith has denied being a co-conspirator and said Murdaugh - a distant cousin - was accidentally shot when he tried to wrestle the gun from him to stop him from killing himself

Smith said he saw Murdaugh sink to the ground holding his head and asked if he was okay.

He said Murdaugh - who only suffered superficial injuries - confirmed he was fine so he swore at the legal scion and drove off in his truck with the gun, leaving Murdaugh by the side of the road.

Murdaugh called 911 and was airlifted to hospital where he survived.

At the time, Murdaugh claimed he had been the victim of a drive-by shooting as he changed a tire by the side of the road, fueling speculation he was targeted amid the ongoing investigation into the double murders of his wife and son.

But his story quickly fell apart and he confessed to orchestrating the plot so that his surviving son Buster would receive a $10 million life insurance payout.

It is not clear what Murdaugh has told investigators about Smith's involvement in the botched assisted suicide plot.

It emerged Murdaugh was in the grips of financial ruin due to a 20-year opioid addiction which he has been accused of funding by siphoning off money from both his law firm PMPED and from a settlement for the family of his housekeeper who died in a mystery 'trip and fall.'

He checked himself into rehab days later for opioid addiction and resigned from PMPED in shame.

Murduagh in court last month after he admitted to plotting the hit so his surviving son Buster could get a $10 million insurance payout

A fire truck blocks the road on September 4 as investigators were on the scene of the shooting

Smith, according to Murdaugh's attorney, was his drug dealer and they met 'many years ago' when Murdaugh represented him in a legal case.

Police said Smith was paid by the disgraced attorney to carry out the hit making it look like a random, drive-by attach.

Murdaugh is said to have provided the gun for the shooting which Smith then drove off with and disposed in an unknown location.

Smith confessed to disposing of the gun and being present at the shooting but told investigators he wasn't in on the plot.

He appeared to maintain his innocence during his bond hearing last month muttering that 'it's all bogus' as he left the courtroom.

But, DailyMail.com exclusively revealed last month that Smith had allegedly been boasting about his involvement in the plot before his arrest.

Murdaugh in mug. Smith said 'betrayed' doesn't even cover how he feels after was slapped with charges for allegedly trying to save the man he 'loved like a brother'

Henry Vandermark, who has known Smith for more than a decade, said he had boasted that cops 'wouldn't find anything' when they searched his home and told him he was a suspect in the shooting.

Murdaugh represented Smith as his attorney in minor traffic matters as well as a 2015 lawsuit that Smith filed against a forest management company where he worked after he was left permanently disabled in a logging accident.

Smith, from Walterboro, South Carolina, had also reportedly done many odd jobs as a handyman for the Murdaughs over the years.

Smith was charged with multiple counts including assisted suicide and conspiracy to commit insurance fraud.

He was released on $55,000 bond.

Murdaugh was charged with insurance fraud, conspiracy to commit insurance fraud and filing a false report and was also released on the condition that he entered an out-of-state rehab facility for his opioid addiction.

The botched hitman plot is just one part of the elaborate saga which has encircled the powerful legal dynasty family which has dominated South Carolina for the best part of a century.

Back on June 7, Murdaugh's wife Maggie and son Paul were found shot dead at the family's hunting lodge in a horrific double murder.

Buster, Maggie, Paul and Alex Murdaugh. Murdaugh's wife Maggie and son Paul were found shot dead at the family's hunting lodge in a horrific double murder

Buster (center) is hugged at the funeral for his mom and brother back on June 11. No arrests have been made for their murders

Now, more than four months on, their deaths remain a mystery with no arrests made and no suspects or persons of interest named.

Questions instantly swirled that the motive for the slayings could be tied to one of three mysterious past deaths connected to the Murdaugh family.

At the time of his murder, Paul was accused of causing the 2019 death of 19-year-old Mallory Beach, who was killed as a passenger in a boat he crashed while allegedly drunk driving.

Paul was due to stand trial for her death but was killed before his day in court.

Police have also reopened the investigation the 2015 death of gay teen Stephen Smith since the double murder.

The teen's death was ruled a hit-and-run, though no suspects have ever been named or charged and there was no evidence he was struck by a vehicle.

Stephen was a classmate of Buster's and there were rumors reported at the time that he was in a relationship with him.

Law enforcement also reopened the investigation into the mystery trip and fall death of the family's housekeeper of 25 years Gloria Satterfield in 2018.

Satterfield was found by Maggie on the front steps of the family home bleeding and the family said she had tripped over their dogs. She died weeks later.

Smith being escorted to jail last month over the alleged hitman plot involving the legal scion

The 57-year-old's death was not reported to the coroner at the time and no autopsy was carried out.

The death certificate cites the manner of death as 'natural' - something that is inconsistent with injuries sustained in a trip and fail accident.

This does not match the information documented in the wrongful death suit which said she died as a 'result of injuries sustained in a trip and fall accident, in Hampton County'.

Murdaugh allegedly then defrauded the Satterfield family out of a $4.3 million wrongful death settlement - which they said they had not received a dime of.

Last week, new legal documents claimed Murdaugh set up a fake firm called Forge to syphon off $3.5 million of the settlement money when it was paid out by his insurance firms.

The civil suit brought by Satterfield's sons Tony Satterfield and Brian Harriott said the payouts were redirected to what was essentially a PO Box in Hampton instead of to them.

Two other defendants were named in the civil suit - Murdaugh's old college roommate Cory Fleming, who acted as a lawyer on behalf of Satterfield's families, and Chad Westendorf, Vice President of Palmetto State Bank who took over the sons as personal representative of their mom's estate.

Fleming has his law license suspended Friday but has insisted he was also a victim of Murdaugh's deceit.
A Bosnian husband built a house that rotates 360 degrees in a labour of love for his wife, Ljubica, after she said she wanted to choose what she sees out of the windown.

The rotating house in Srbac, a small town in northern Bosnia, was designed and built by 72-year-old Vojin Kusic, who has no formal architectural or engineering training as he never went to university.

With a green facade and red metal roof, it can rotate a full circle to satisfy his wife's shifting desires as to what she would like to see when she looks out of its windows.

Vojin Kusic, 72, built a rotating house for his wife, Ljubica, that can turn 360 degrees to grant her wish to be able to change the position of rooms in her house whenever she wants

'After I reached an advanced age and after my children took over the family business, I finally had enough time to task myself with granting my wife her wish' to be able to change the position of rooms in her house whenever she wants, Vojin said.

Many years ago when they married, Vojin had built another, typical house for himself and his wife in which they raised their three children.

At the time, his wife wanted their bedrooms to face the sun, so they did. But this meant their living room faced away from the road.

After a while, he says his wife complained that 'she could not see people entering our front yard' and Vojin had to remodel everything.

Vojin, who did not have a chance to go to university, designed and built his rotating house in Srbac, Bosnia, using electric motors and the wheels of an old military transport vehicle (pictured, starting the motor to his rotating house)

The house can rotate a full circle to satisfy his wife's shifting desires as when they first married she wanted their bedroom to face the sun but then complained it faced away from the road

At its fastest speed, the spinning house can rotate a full circle in just 22 seconds, and at its slowest it completes the turn in 24 hours

'I had to tear down the wall between our two bedrooms to turn them into a living room and move all (electrical) installations. It was a very demanding task, it took a lot from me, but I did what she wanted,' he said.

Then six years ago, the only one of Vojin's three children not to fly the nest, a son, got married and his parents decided to let him live on the top floor of their family house while they moved to the ground floor.

'Once again, this time on the ground floor, I had to start tearing down some walls, at which point, to not wait for her to change her mind again, I decided to build a new, rotating house so that she can spin it as she pleases,' Vojin said.

Vojin, who did not have a chance to go to college, designed and built his rotating house by himself.

The hosue is mounted onto a concrete plinth and it turns using electric motors and the wheels of an old military transport vehicle.

'Now, our front door also rotates, so if she spots unwanted guests heading our way, she can spin the house and make them turn away,' he joked.

At its fastest speed, the spinning house can rotate a full circle in just 22 seconds, and at its slowest it completes the turn in 24 hours.

In Bosnian, his wife's name, Ljubica, means 'loved one.' She declined to be interviewed.
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Southwest CEO Gary Kelly apologized to frustrated passengers during an appearance on Good Morning America on Tuesday, though he denied that the chaos was caused by pilots upset over the vaccine mandate

Southwest Airlines top executive said operations were pretty well back to normal Tuesday after the company was forced to cancel more than 2,300 flights over the holiday weekend, and blamed earlier air traffic control staffing problems in Florida and its 'linear' route system.

It just put the airline way behind on Friday, Southwest CEO Gary Kelly told GMA.

Kelly apologized to furious and frustrated passengers during an appearance on Good Morning America Tuesday, though he denied the chaos was caused by pilots upset over the vaccine mandate.

Southwest has been hampered by staffing shortages as demand for travel has ramped up more than anticipated following the lockdowns. According to government statistics, the airline employed 62,000 workers pre-COVID - eight thousand more than the 54,000 employees who worked there as of August 2021.

The head of Southwest's pilots union, Capt. Casey Murray, blamed the company's management for the snafu and denied that pilots were calling out sick en masse to protest the vaccine mandate.

Murray told CBS News that the pilot sick rate was 'right in line with what was occurring this summer.'

When asked where he would put the blame, Murray said: 'Squarely on Southwest, I point to how they manage the network and how their IT also supports that network.

'Once a little hiccup occurs due to the internal processes, our pilots aren't getting to where they need to be.

'We've been sounding this alarm for about four years and have seen very little approach to correcting it,' Murray said.

Meanwhile, already angry customers trying to get service through Southwest's web site and app reported outages on Tuesday.

Downdetector, an online platform that monitors such complaints, reported that disruptions peaked just before 8am Tuesday as dozens of customers had trouble with the system. As of 12:15pm there were 72 complaints.

A spokesperson for Southwest told DailyMail.com: 'Ive checked with Internal Teams and there are no reports of outages for Southwest.com or our mobile site.'

By 11am ET Tuesday, Southwest had canceled 89 flights - or 2 percent of its daily operations - and delayed more than 240, according to the FlightAware tracking service.

The Federal Aviation Administration has acknowledged delays in part of Florida on Friday, but pushed back against Southwests air-traffic control explanation.

It said Sunday that 'some airlines' were experiencing problems because of planes and crews being out of position. But Southwest was the only airline to report such a large percentage of canceled and delayed flights over the weekend. American Airlines canceled just 63 flights as of Sunday while United Airlines had just nine cancellations.

I want to apologize to all of our customers. This is not what we want but unfortunately it just takes a couple of days to get things back on track."



Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly speaks out on cancellation chaos. https://t.co/bwAoBRTkWX pic.twitter.com/UCuh4vr3HR  Good Morning America (@GMA) October 12, 2021

A Southwest passenger claims his baggage at General Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee on Monday

Damian Ward of Washington, DC, sits in the Orlando International Airport with his family on Monday after flight delays kept them from returning home for two days

Southwest passengers check their tickets at General Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee on Monday

A Southwest Airlines jet sits at a gate at Orlando International Airport in Orlando, Florida, on Monday

Meanwhile, already angry customers trying to get service through Southwest's web site and app reported outages on Tuesday. Downdetector, an online platform that monitors such complaints, reported that disruptions peaked just before 8am Tuesday as dozens of customers had trouble with the system. As of 12:15pm there were 72 complaints

As of 9am Eastern Time on Tuesday, Southwest had cancelled 87 flights - or 2 percent of its daily operations - and delayed more than 240, according to the FlightAware tracking service

At the start of trading on Wall Street on Tuesday, shares of Southwest opened higher, rising by more than a half percent

When asked why his competitors didnt face the same issues, Kelly said his airline was particularly affected by delays in Florida because unlike other airlines, over half of our fleet touches the state of Florida.

We have a linear route system. Were just different, Kelly told GMA.

Southwest is rare among large airlines in that it uses the old-fashioned, point-to-point 'linear' route system that takes people short distances with few connecting flights. The airline offers very few non-stop flights on longer routes. The system leaves crews and aircraft in many different areas, making it harder to recover from any delay.

Other large airlines use the 'hub-and-spoke' network in which companies rely on a central airport - or 'hub' - through which flights are routed. The 'spokes' are the routes that the planes take from the hub airport - and they keep planes and crews centrally located.

Most US airlines have at least one central airport that their flights go through in order to take passengers to select destinations, or 'spoke' routes. This allows the airline to cut costs by eliminating flights to non-popular destinations while ensuring flights to economically viable cities in their region are filled up.

After the federal government deregulated the airlines in 1978, most of the large carriers switched to a 'hub-and-spoke' network in order to cut down on half-empty flights between small markets that didn't generate demand from travelers.

According to its route map, Southwest flies to nine different destinations in Florida, including Panama City Beach, Tampa, Sarasota/Bradenton, Fort Myers/Naples, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Orlando, and Jacksonville.

A representative for the Federal Aviation Administration told DailyMail.com: 'Due to a combination of severe weather, active military training in the airspace, and unexpected limited staff at the Jacksonville facility that handles high-altitude, en route traffic, the FAA took steps to safely manage air traffic the evening of Oct. 8. Normal operations returned at approximately 10pm.'

Kelly insisted Southwest and other airlines were affected by the disruption. Everyone was impacted on Friday and everyone was impacted in a very big way.

But, Kelly said, it took Southwest longer to reset after the delays in Florida on Friday.

So there were no ATC (air traffic control) issues over the weekend, thats absolutely true, but I think any industry expert knows that it takes several days - if you have that large of an impact on the operation - to get the airplanes where they need to be and then to match the crews up with that, he said.

Southwest canceled nearly 2,000 flights over the weekend and an additional 350 flights on Monday due to disruptions it blamed on bad weather and air traffic control issues.

Passengers wait to board a Southwest flight at the airport in El Paso, Texas, on Monday

Passengers at the Southwest terminal in El Paso, Texas wait to board a flight on Monday

Passengers check in for a Southwest Airlines flight at Orlando International Airport in Orlando on Monday

A woman claims her baggage at the arrival terminal at General Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee on Monday

A woman and a child wait to check in at the Southwest terminal at General Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee on Monday

Southwest on Monday cancelled more than 350 flights on Monday, though the company said things were 'returning to normal' on Tuesday

Southwest's 'linear' route system unique among large US carriers The above image is a map showing Southwest destinations Southwest is rare among the large airlines in that it uses the old-fashioned, point-to-point 'linear' route system that hauls people short distances with few connecting flights. Other large airlines use the 'hub-and-spoke' network in which companies rely on a central airport - or 'hub' - through which flights are routed. The 'spokes' are the routes that the planes take from the hub airport. Most US airlines have at least one central airport that their flights go through in order to take passengers to select destinations, or 'spoke' routes. This allows the airline to cut costs by eliminating flights to non-popular destinations while ensuring flights to economically viable cities in their region are filled up. After the federal government deregulated the airlines in 1978, most of the large carriers switched to a 'hub-and-spoke' network in order to cut down on half-empty flights between small markets that didn't generate demand from travelers. Delta Air Lines uses the 'hub-and-spoke' model. The Atlanta-based airline has its hub at Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport. If a passenger wants to fly from Charleston, South Carolina, to Memphis, Tennessee, they would in all likelihood need to fly to Atlanta and then catch a connecting flight to Memphis. That's because there isn't much demand for direct, nonstop Charleston-to-Memphis flights, so it would make more economic sense for the airline to operate its flights through its 'hub'. Advertisement

Monday's cancellations amounted to 10 percent of Southwest's schedule, and at least 1,400 other flights, or roughly 40 percent, were delayed, according to the FlightAware tracking service.

Shares of Southwest Airlines fell 4.2 percent.

'As we complete efforts to stabilize our network, Southwest expects a more normal operation on Tuesday with approximately 90 system-wide cancellations out of the airline's almost 3,300 flights scheduled for the day,' the airline told DailyMail.com on Tuesday.

'The Southwest Team appreciates the patience of Customers, and we extend our gratitude to our Employees who have worked tirelessly to stabilize our operation.

'We've built a reputation around safe, reliable, friendly air travel, delivered with legendary Southwest Hospitality, and we're sorry to anyone whose experience did not reflect that over the past several days.'

Kelly flatly denied rumors on social media that the delays were caused by pilots who walked out on the job to protest the companys vaccine mandate.

Theres just no evidence of that, the CEO said.

Our people are working very hard. Theyre doing a great job. Im very proud of them.

Kelly said he would have rather avoided the thorny issue of vaccine mandates, but the decision was out of his hands.

The vaccine mandate, obviously, is controversial. And its not anything that I wish for our company, he said, adding: This is a government mandate.'

Its a presidential order and were doing our best to comply with that according to the deadlines that have been set, he said.

Fox News host Tucker Carlson on Monday night claimed the Southwest Airlines chaos over the weekend was caused by pilots striking in protest against compulsory COVID-19 vaccines.

Carlson on Monday night insisted the airline was lying. 'All of that is a lie, it's not what happened,' he said.

'We can tell you the shutdown of Southwest Airlines over the weekend was a direct consequence, it was a reaction to, Joe Biden's vaccine mandates.'

Carlson praised the supposed strikers for standing up for their beliefs.

Joshua Yoder, the co-founder of US Freedom Flyers, told Carlson that he and other pilots should not be forced to submit to an 'illegal' mandate. It is unclear which company Yoder works for.

'My motive for resisting it is primarily religious for myself,' Yoder told Fox News. 'Among my friends I saw a need. Many of us dont want to take [the COVID-19 vaccine].

Carlson's comments echo those of Republicans such as Texas senator Ted Cruz, who tweeted: 'Joe Biden's illegal vaccine mandate at work! Suddenly, we're short on pilots & air traffic controllers.'

Fox News host Tucker Carlson (left) on Monday night claimed the chaos was caused by pilots striking in protest against compulsory COVID-19 vaccines. Joshua Yoder (right), the co-founder of US Freedom Flyers, told Carlson that he and other pilots should not be forced to submit to an 'illegal' mandate

Donald Trump Jr said: 'The fact that thousands of Southwest employees walked off the job protesting the COVID vaccine mandate forcing the airline to cancel more than 1000 flights is not getting enough attention.

'Media will make sure you don't see it but keep watching, it won't be the last protest!'

And Andy Biggs, a congressman for Arizona, tweeted: 'I stand with #Southwest Airlines employees who are fighting against these mandates.

'This isn't about a vaccine, this is about freedom.'

The airline and unions both insisted Carlson and the Republicans were incorrect.

The widespread disruptions began shortly after the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association, representing 9,000 pilots, asked a federal court on Friday to block the airline's order that all employees get vaccinated.

The union argued that Southwest must negotiate over the issue because it could involve sick leave or disability if pilots have a reaction to the vaccine.

'We are not anti-vaccination at all, but our pilots are extremely worried about how their medicals are going to be handled' if they are unable to fly, union president Casey Murray told The Associated Press.

Murray said pilots had not staged a sickout because of the vaccine mandate.

He instead blamed the chaos of the past few days on Southwest's operation, which he said has become 'brittle' and 'cracks under the slightest pressure.'

He said the airline uses antiquated crew-scheduling technology that leads to cascading disruptions when flights are canceled in one part of its network.

Unions at both Southwest and American have also argued that management has been too slow to bring pilots back from leaves of absence that the airlines persuaded them to take during the pandemic, leaving them short-handed.

Casey Murray, president of the pilots' association, said: 'I can say with certainty that there are no work slowdowns or sickouts either related to the recent mandatory vaccine mandate or otherwise'

Southwest spokeswoman Brandy King said there was no evidence that would indicate the disruptions were caused by any sort of employee protest over vaccinations.

Some passengers were frustrated not just by flight delays but also the lack of a clear reason for them.

'My concern is we had no explanation really that was, I feel, very legitimate or believable,' said Brian Gesch of Cedar Grove, Wisconsin, who was traveling through Reagan Washington National Airport with his wife.

He doubted that weather and air traffic controllers were the real issue.

'So we are frustrated and missing a day of work.'

Others were just concerned about getting home  any way they could.

Kent Moddelmog ended up driving 700 miles with his 14-year-old son from Phoenix to Dublin, California, after Southwest canceled their flight and he couldn't find a flight on a competing airline that wasnt exorbitantly priced.

'I wasnt going to drop $3,000 to get back,' Moddelmog said.

The sales director for a consulting company said he flies Southwest dozens of times a year but had 'never been in a situation like that.'

Savanthi Syth, an airlines analyst for Raymond James, said the weekend problems will increase Southwest's costs and worsen the companys strained relations with unions.

Southwest has struggled all summer with high numbers of delayed and canceled flights.

In August, it announced it was trimming its September schedule by 27 flights a day, or less than 1 percent, and 162 flights a day, or 4.5 percent of the schedule, from early October through Nov. 5.

The White House has pushed airlines to adopt vaccine mandates because they are federal contractors  they get paid by the Defense Department to operate flights, including those that carried Afghanistan refugees to the US this summer.

United Airlines was the first major US carrier to announce a vaccination requirement.

Southwest had remained silent even after President Joe Biden announced his order for federal contractors and large employers.

Finally last week, Southwest told employees they must be fully vaccinated by December 8 to keep their jobs.

Workers can ask to skip the shots for medical or religious reasons.
A six-year-old Louisiana boy died after he and two siblings, nine and four, started a 'campfire' in their play 'fort' made under a concrete stairway on a flatbed trailer on Sunday afternoon.

The children used a lighter to set fire to 'a small pile of combustible objects as though it was a campfire,' the Louisiana State Fire Marshal's Office said in a news release on Monday.

They had covered a hollow, prefabricated concrete stairway as a makeshift fort. When the firefighters responded to a call about a trailer fire at about 2.30pm, they said the flatbed truck, cargo trailer and everything inside was ablaze.

The boy's body was found under the cargo trailer's contents, the news release said.

A six-year-old boy died after he and two siblings, nine and four, started a 'campfire' in their play 'fort' made from a concrete stairway on a flatbed trailer in the front yard of a relative's home, which was next door to theirs, on Sunday afternoon (scene pictured above)

The six-year-old boy's siblings were able to escape but he was trapped in the blaze. His identity and official cause of death are pending an autopsy by the Coroner's Office

State Fire Marshal H 'Butch' Browning (pictured) called the fire 'purely tragic' and urged other families 'to learn from this devastating loss'

'While the other two children were able to escape unharmed, the six-year-old was trapped and died,' the statement from the Fire Marshal's Office said.

The young boy's identity and official cause of death are pending an autopsy by the coroner's office.

The victim and his two siblings were playing in the front yard of a relative's home, which was next door to theirs, located on Cornerview Road in Geismar, about 20 miles south of Baton Rouge.

His two siblings escaped the fire and tried to alert the children's family members. The statement noted that adults were inside both homes at the time of the incident.

State Fire Marshal H 'Butch' Browning said: 'There is no other way to describe this other than purely tragic.'

Firefighters responded to a call about a trailer fire at about 2.30pm and found the boy's body under the cargo trailer

The State Fire Marshal's (SFM) Office released a statement after the fatal fire (pictured). In it they recommended that parents and guardians keep lighters away from children

'While we are keeping this child and his family in our prayers, were also pleading with other families to learn from this devastating loss,' he added.

The State Fire Marshal's (SFM) Office recommended that families make sure all smoking-related materials in and around the house, including lighters, are kept out of the reach of children.

'The SFM asks parents and guardians to remind children and teenagers that fire is not a toy and that playing with fire can have dangerous consequences for them as well as the people and property around them,' the statement added.
A hairdresser has revealed her terrifying ordeal after hackers stole her customers' money and data before taunting her with creepy and threatening emails, even claiming they could see her through her own mobile phone camera.

Brooke Cleall owns Zazu Hair Salon in Brisbane and had been receiving a string of texts and emails from a payment app she uses to charge clients - all after hackers simply got hold of her email address and phone number.

She was inundated with messages saying there had been attempts to change her password before the hacker got access to her customers' information.

The cyber criminals then sent Ms Cleall frightening messages with promises to keep stealing her data and fleecing her loyal customers - stealing thousands of dollars.

'I have already taken over your emails and phone number and banking b*tch,' an email from one of the hackers read.

'I see all. Fear me we are coming... I'm also listening to all of your phone calls.'

Brooke Cleall owns Zazu Hair Salon in Brisbane (pictured) and had been receiving a string of texts and emails from a payment app she uses to charge clients that the hackers infiltrated

PROTECT YOUR ACCOUNT FROM HACKERS Always use two-factor authentication with either a text message or code generator to log in

Use a secure password for every account with capital letters, numbers and symbols

Do not click on suspicious looking emails even from recognisable sources

Government organisations will not ask for personal details in text messages and emails

Report any suspicious activity immediately to your bank or appropriate companies Advertisement

Ms Cleall said the early warning signs came when she received messages that she told her someone had tried to change the password on her GetTimely booking app.

She then quickly received notifications she had made transfers to the hackers, with the criminals now in full control of her information.

'They literally just need your email and password and they can hack all your client's data,' the salon owner told A Current Affair.

The hackers began taunting Ms Cleall, sending her threatening emails and writing swear words across her computer's screen saver.

'That was horrible, that's what I woke up to the next morning. Absolutely horrible,' she said.

The hackers would go on to steal $2,000 from Ms Cleall and another $6,000 from her clients, simply by obtaining her email address and phone number.

'I was just in panic mode, I straight away went to police,' she said. 'No one could help me.'

One of her customers said she found two emails in her inbox invoicing nearly $1,000.

'I thought something was strange quite quickly and let Brooke know and she told me they had been hacked,' Jacinta Bullock said.

The hackers began taunting Ms Cleall, sending her threatening emails and writing swear words across her computer's screen saver - and even saying they could see her through her phone camera

'They literally just need your email and password and they can hack all your client's data,' the salon owner (pictured)

Ms Bullock had her money refunded by her bank after reporting the suspicious transactions, but was forced to get a new credit card and set up all her direct debits all over again.

'They (hackers) have no regard for the damage that this is doing to businesses, their reputations and to the end user in customers,' she said.

'Honestly I think they're probably scum.'

A cyber security expert at Griffith University told the program there has been an increase in 'homegrown hackers' and that people can prevent intrusions with simple preventions.

He said two-factor authentication, requiring a text message to your phone or a code from a code generator app, can help safeguard your accounts.

Ms Cleall's Zazu Salon (pictured) lost $2,000 with clients losing more than $6,000 combined as the hackers illegaly charged people invoices for fake appointments

The cyber criminals then sent Ms Cleall frightening messages with promises to keep stealing her data and her customers' money (stock image)

'It's becoming quite easy to get the tools, you buy them from the dark web and have everything they need to launch a ransomware attack,' Dr David Tuffley said.

Ms Cleall did not have two-factor authentication on her GetTimely booking app and also had an insecure password, lacking numbers and different symbols.

Cyber security expert Dr David Tuffley from Griffith University said hackers have traditionally targeted us from overseas but we're now seeing a spike in 'homegrown hackers' within Australia.
Major polluters like China must 'step up' with new plans to cut emissions or targets to cut global warming will be missed, the UK's top environmental minister warned today.

Alok Sharma said action by G20 countries will be 'make or break' for keeping the goal to limit global temperature rises to 1.5C within reach.

In a speech in Paris less than three weeks before the UN Cop26 climate talks take place in Glasgow, Mr Sharma, president of the summit, warned leaders of major economies such as China must present new plans.

He urged leaders from the major economies to honour the Paris Agreement in 2015, which commits countries to keeping temperature rises to well below 2C above pre-industrial levels and pursue efforts to limit them to 1.5C - beyond which the most dangerous climate impacts will be felt.

Current action and pledges leave the world well off track to meeting the 1.5C goal and avoiding the most dangerous heat waves, floods, damage to natural systems, rising sea levels and diseases that higher temperatures will bring.

Mr Sharma said: 'If temperatures continue to rise we will step through a series of one-way doors, the end destination of which is climate catastrophe.'

Chinese President Xi has still not committed to attending the talks in Glasgow.

Alok Sharma said action by G20 countries will be 'make or break' for keeping the goal to limit global temperature rises to 1.5C within reach

In a speech in Paris less than three weeks before the UN Cop26 climate talks take place in Glasgow, Mr Sharma, president of the summit, warned leaders of major economies such as China must present new plans.

Sharma said the world had already seen devastating flooding, raging wildfires and record temperatures.

At 1.5C of warming, 700 million people would be at risk of extreme heatwaves, while at 2C of warming it would be two billion, and while the lower temperature rise would destroy 70 per cent of the world's coral reefs, they would all die at 2C.

Cop26 is the deadline by which countries are expected to bring forward more ambitious plans, under a five-year cycle, to get the world on track to meet the Paris goals, and is being seen as the most significant climate meeting since the talks in the French capital.

More than 70 countries have come forward with new plans to cut emissions to 2030, including the UK and all of the G7 group of leading industrial nations, and some of the most vulnerable countries in the world.

Some of the G20 - who together account for 80% of global emissions - have put forward new plans for 2030 emissions cuts, but eyes are on major polluters, and what they will do with a meeting of the group of nations scheduled immediately before Cop26.

They must put forward new plans - known as nationally determined contributions (NDCs) - ahead of Cop26, as they have promised to do, Mr Sharma urged.

'The response of the G20 will quite simply be make, or break, for keeping 1.5 within reach,' Mr Sharma said.

'We know that we can only tackle climate change if every country plays its part. So I say to those G20 leaders, they simply must step up ahead of Cop26.'

Questioned on how confident he was that G20 countries would put forward new plans, at a press conference after the speech, he said every leader will want to ensure they and their country were part of the solution in Glasgow.

'The ball is in the court of all these nations, and I can ask, I can request, as I have done going round the world - but ultimately it is up to the leaders to deliver, and I think they do understand the responsibility they face.'

In his speech, Mr Sharma warned concrete action is needed to deliver the plans, including agreements on shifting away from coal, boosting electric cars, protecting trees and cutting emissions of methane, a powerful but short-lived greenhouse gas.

Chinese President Xi has still not committed to attending the talks in Glasgow.

While the Paris Agreement is driving action, more is needed, so the Glasgow meeting must have an outcome of the negotiations that accelerates progress before 2030.

And countries must deliver on their promise - made at a UN summit more than a decade ago - to provide 100 billion US dollars (73 billion) a year in finance to help developing nations cope with climate change and develop cleanly.

He said reaching the 100 billion dollar target was 'within touching distance' and urged every donor nation to step forward before Cop26, as delivering the funding was vital to the success of the summit.

There must also be new commitments on finance to support the countries most vulnerable to climate change and progress on helping communities adapt to the crisis, accounting for the loss and damage it can cause.

He warned that Cop26 was 'not a photo op, nor a talking shop', but must be the forum that puts the world on track to deliver on climate.

Mr Sharma said that at a recent Youth4Climate event, which heard from campaigners including Greta Thunberg, he heard 'young people direct real anger at world leaders'.

'So now it is the time to redeem ourselves,' he urged.

'It is leaders who made a promise to the world in Paris six years ago. And it is leaders that must honour it,' he said.
China's over-leveraged property sector could spell disaster for Australia's resources-rich economy with a slow down in Sino construction meaning commodity prices are likely to tank.

With Australia's pandemic recovery in serious jeopardy and ASX investors fearing a lean 2021, one of Australia's most powerful unions has come up with a controversial solution that might help spur economic growth - a domestic nuclear industry.

China's $64trillion real estate market is on the verge of collapse with the nation's second largest property developer at significant risk of defaulting on its more than $400billion of debt.

But while the downfall of Evergrande was well-publicised, several other major Chinese players are also at the brink including luxury apartment developer Fantasia, Beijing firm Modern Land and homebuilder Sinic Holdings.

There has been far less panic in North America and Europe with policymakers and economists confident they can shield their economies from the impending crash, however Australia is particularly exposed.

China's over-leveraged property sector could spell disaster for Australia's resources-rich economy with a slow down in Sino construction meaning commodity prices are likely to tank. Pictured: Evergrande city plaza in Beijing

The Goldman Sachs graph shows a 78 per cent fall in land transactions in China

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Why is China's property market on the brink of collapse? Many economists fear China's $64trillion real estate market market is in a bubble that is about to pop. There are two primary reasons for this: REASON ONE: PROPERTY SPECULATION Investing in the stock market is far less common in China than it is in other nations - not surprising given capital markets aren't a hallmark of communist nations. But that means investors almost exclusively pour their money in the property sector just waiting for the price to go up. This, coupled with a soaring economy over the past two decades has seen prices inflate to what may be unsustainable levels. At the moment there are 80 million apartments sitting empty across China with speculators holding onto them as an asset with no intention to live in them. In Chinese culture it can be considered 'bad luck' to live in a home which belonged to someone else as you may inherit their misfortunes. REASON TWO: BORROWING TOO MUCH MONEY The other reason Chinese developers are on the verge of a major crash is because they are massively over-leveraged. Firms like Evergrande borrow hundreds of billions of dollars to build apartment blocks before selling them off. As the Chinese real estate market and the broader economy was soaring the risky financial strategy paid off. But with the Communist Party's 'three red lines' crack down on property developers borrowing too much cash, many firms have started to run into financial difficulty. Advertisement

Iron ore - the key component in making steel - is Australia's largest export and despite frosty relations between Canberra and Beijing the China construction sector is still the nation's largest market.

It seems inevitable that the cash cow is set to dry up substantially with a conservative 25 per cent less building work expected to take place next year, meaning far less steel will be required.

In the hopes of keeping Australia's economy afloat in the face of growing international turmoil, particularly in the face of an increasingly dominant Beijing, Australian Workers Union National Secretary Daniel Walton is urging the government to invest in a nuclear industry on the heels of Scott Morrison's AUKUS submarine deal.

Britain and America are to help Australia build a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines as part of an unprecedented alliance known as AUKUS to combat China (pictured, a British Astute-class nuclear sub which is likely to mirror the Australian design)

The pact does not make the design of Australia's new submarines clear, but they will be based on previous US and UK designs. Pictured above is a cross-section of Britain's Astute-class nuclear attack subs, which is likely to mirror the new vessels

Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison (pictured) during a virtual press conference with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and US President Joe Biden announce the landmark sub deal

'If Australia is going to have nuclear subs our national security demands we develop the capacity to build and maintain them, and include their reactors,' he told News Corp Australia.

'If these subs are going to help secure our national interest against China or anyone else, we need to be able to develop and maintain them ourselves.'

Mr Walton said the technology could also solve the problem of how to get energy emissions down.

'If we are going to develop the forging capability to build the very small nuclear reactors required for submarines, it only makes sense to ensure we simultaneously develop the forging capacity to make the slightly larger components required for small modular reactors,' he said.

'That would make Australia part of the international supply chain for this nascent, zero-emissions energy technology.'

Australian Workers Union National Secretary Daniel Walton is urging the government to invest in a nuclear industry on the heels of Scott Morrison's AUKUS submarine deal (pictured, Lucas Heights Nuclear reactor in Sydney)

But while the downfall of Evergrande was well-publicised, several other major Chinese players are also at the brink including luxury apartment developer Fantasia, Beijing firm Modern Land and homebuilder Sinic Holdings. Pictured: Chinese President Xi Jinping

Pictured: A look inside the Opal Nuclear Research Reactor at Lucas Heights in Sydney Australia

The union boss said Australia could attach the reactors to factories, steel mills, and aluminium smelters to provide a constant source of reliable energy that would rapidly increase Australia's manufacturing capability.

But to date Australia has shown very little appetite for a domestic nuclear industry.

The federal government had originally signed a deal to buy conventionally-powered French subs because it was previously not possible to acquire nuclear-powered vessels without a domestic nuclear industry.

But rapid advances in military technology means it's now possible to operate nuclear-powered subs without having to develop a nuclear power industry.
Tandem Marketing owner Arthur Freydin, 38, has been accused in a federal lawsuit of secretly videotaping his live-in assistant in the bedroom and bathroom

A married marketing executive has been accused of secretly videotaping his young live-in assistant at his family's Manhattan apartment, and then attempting to blame his 10-year-old son for installing the recording device and the spy app on the father's cellphone.

Arthur Freydin, 38, his wife, Sarah McLoughlin, 34, and the man's Manhattan-based company, Tandem Marketing, were all named as defendants in a federal lawsuit filed Monday in the US District Court for the southern District of New York, alleging violations of New York human rights and labor law, gender discrimination, sexual harassment and negligent infliction of emotional distress.

'This action arises from yet another tragic tale of a New York couple...using their influence and money to commit unthinkable acts of depravity and sexual deviance at the expense of a young, trusting woman in desperate need of gainful employment,' the complaint states.

According to the 24-page lawsuit, the plaintiff, identified only as Jane Doe, was 'sexually assaulted, sexually harassed and surreptitiously recorded in various stages of undress in the bathroom, bedroom and other places by Freydin and McLoughlin.

Court documents obtained by DailyMail.com allege that McLoughlin, who worked with Freydin, initially hired Doe - a recent college graduate - as a babysitter to her two children in February 2021, but later expanded the scope of her employment to include working as an assistant to her husband at his marketing agency.

Plaintiff Jane Doe says she found a hidden camera disguised as a USB charger in the bathroom of family's apartment on East 56th Street in Midtown Manhattan (pictured) in September

As part of her duties, Doe was required to live at the couple's apartment on East 56th Street in Midtown Manhattan 4-to-5 days a week, where the atmosphere was described as being 'controlling and sexually charged.'

The plaintiff's attorney, Dan Perrone, claimed in the filing that in August, Freydin forced his assistant to strip down to her bra, ostensibly so he could photograph and videotape himself applying kinesiology tape to her neck and back as part of a marketing demonstration.

'In the process of doing so, [Freydin] ran his hands along her exposed neck and back,' the complaint alleges. 'Freydin then proceeded to take photographs and video recordings of Plaintiff in her bra on his cellular phone under the guise of depicting application of the kinesiology tape.'

He later told his assistant that the photos and video he took of her were 'inappropriate' and could not be used in the marketing campaign.

According to the filing, Freydin, required his female assistant to have dinner with him while his wife was out of town, accompany him to his chiropractor appointments, and also join him at the gym where he 'would follow her around the gym to watch her workout [sic].'

But things came to a head on September 19, when the assistant allegedly discovered a hidden camera in her bedroom at Freydin and McLoughlin's home, and unplugged it, only to find it actively recording the next day.

When Doe disconnected the device a second day, Freydin allegedly confronted her about it and demanded to known why the gadget had been unplugged.

In text messages to his assistant (pictured), Freydin claimed it was his 10-year-old son who had installed the recording device and also the accompanying app on his father's phone

Freydin, the owner of Tandem Marketing and Basic Creative, hired the plaintiff, named in the complaint as Jane Doe.

Ten days after Doe discovered the device in her room, she asked Freydin if she could use his phone to make work-related calls because hers was not working, and on it discovered a spy camera application called LookCam.

The lawsuit claims that the app contained video of the assistant from inside the bathroom she shared with Freydin and McLoughlin at their apartment. The footage was in the man's recently viewed history.

The assistant went to the couple's apartment and found a hidden camera made to look like a USB charger in the bathroom.

'During the 4- to 5-nights a week Plaintiff stayed in the apartment, she used the bathroom in which the spy camera was hidden daily to urinate, defecate, dress, undress and shower, among other things, and, thus, had been nude therein on multiple occasions,' the complaint reads.

McLoughlin then contacted her husband to tell him that his assistant had found the spy camera, and Freydin later that night texted Doe, admitting that the device had been recording in the bathroom, but claimed that the culprit was his 10-year-old son for a previous marriage.

'I'm mortified,' he wrote to his assistant. 'Ive already sorted things out with [my son]... He of course had no idea what he was doing and this is a serious lesson for him but I want to make sure you are okay.'

The complaint alleges that when the assistant reported the incident to the police, Freydin and McLoughlin fired her from her $55,000-a-year job and deleted her work email.

The young assistant was said to have been left suffering from mental, emotional and psychological injuries, and 'feeling dirty, used, and damaged.'

DailyMail.com on Tuesday reached out to Freydin and his company seeking comment and was awaiting replies.
Cops say they are continuing to probe how a Texas toddler vanished for three days before being found naked in the woods five miles from his home.

Christopher Ramirez, 3, was found by a Good Samaritan on Saturday far from his home, where he disappeared last Wednesday while chasing a dog into the woods as his mom and another relative unloaded groceries from their car.

Grimes County Sheriff Don Sowell says that although he does not suspect any foul play, federal and state investigators are still looking into the boy's disappearance.

'The case is not closed,' said Sowell during a Monday interview with KWTX.

'Our investigators, including the federal partners, state and local are wrapping up all aspects of it. We'll be closing it out when it's finished.'

Although it remains unclear how the child managed to stray five miles from his home, his rescuer, Tim Halfin, speculates that Ramirez may have followed a pipeline that runs through the woods.

'No one expected him to travel five miles in that terrain,' Halfin told DailyMail.com Tuesday morning. 'Maybe he followed a pipeline.'

'I asked some neighbors near Chris' house and they said about the pipeline is 100 yards from his home, but he could've taken several paths.'

Investigators are continuing their probe into the discovery of Christopher Ramirez (pictured), a missing Texas toddler who was found safe three days after he vanished into the woods

Grimes County Sheriff Don Sowell (left) says that although he does not suspect any foul play, federal and state investigators are still looking into the boy's disappearance. Ramirez's rescuer, Tim Halfin (right), speculates that the boy may have followed the pipeline that runs through the woods

Halfin found Ramirez in the woods, completely naked, in thick undergrowth about 10 yards off Texas Highway 249.

He took to the woods after receiving, what he says, was a call from God Friday night.

'The Holy Spirit prompted me: tomorrow morning you will go look for that boy,' Halfin recalled.

On Saturday morning, after starting his day with prayer, Halfin set out to look for the boy in the woods near his home, following the pipeline as he walked.

'I was walking along the pipeline and I hear a noise. It sounded like a child,' Halfin shared.

He called out 'hello, hello,' but received no response.

After hearing the noise for a second time, he contacted authorities who dispatched the sheriff's department to assist.

Halfin said they were looking through very dense woods, noting that you couldn't see more than two or three feet on either side of the pipeline, when he heard the child-like noise again.

Ramirez was reported missing on Wednesday afternoon from his home in Plantersville, prompting a multiple-day search involving law enforcement, the FBI and local volunteers

The above map shows were Ramirez went missing from (Deer Park Lane) and where he was found (near Texas State Highway 249)

Ramirez went missing last week after following a neighbor's dog into the Texas woods. He was found three days later found, completely naked, in thick undergrowth about 10 yards off Texas Highway 249 - five miles from his home

'I'm walking back down the pipeline, praying to God and I hear the voice again. I yell out, "Chris is that you?" and he responds,' he said.

'I hone in on where the sound was coming from and chop back brush with the machete I was carrying ... and there he stands.'

He continued: 'It was surreal that I found him. He appeared healthy. He was peaceful. I looked at him and said, "little man, Jesus loves you and God must have a plan for you."'

After Halfin found him, Ramirez was reunited with his mother, Araceli Nunez, and taken to Texas Children's Hospital for treatment and observation.

Speaking with DailyMail.com on Monday, Sheriff Sowell said Ramirez was found 'just in time.'

'Thank goodness he wasn't too dehydrated or his organs didn't shut down,' the sheriff said. 'He is doing well. He is not in critical condition.'

The toddler was released from the hospital Monday afternoon.

Ramirez and his family were escorted from the hospital to their residence by numerous law enforcement members, first responders, fire departments and many others that participated in the search for the three-year-old, including Halfin.

Nunez said she is extremely grateful to rescuers who brought her son home.

'This is definitely a miracle,' she told Good Morning America while speaking in Spanish, 'I can't even explain to you all with words.'

After being released from the hospital on Monday, Ramirez (pictured with his family and members of law enforcement) was honored at a special celebration

Sheriff Sowell (left) recognized the boy (pictured in his mother's arms, left of Halfin) for his bravery: 'It's my honor to pin him a badge - junior deputy badge. He can look back with pride'

Ramirez and his family were then escorted from the hospital to their residence by numerous law enforcement members, first responders, fire departments and many others that participated in the search for the three-year-old, including Halfin

The sheriff's office also recognized the boy for his bravery.

'It's my honor to pin him a badge - junior deputy badge,' said Sowell. 'He can look back with pride.'

The sheriff added: '[Chris] can be a Navy Seal if he wanted to. He has already passed survival training.'

Halfin, who met Ramirez's mother at the escort, said Nunez believed her son would be rescued.

'She knew he was going to be found,' Halfin told DailyMail.com. 'She is a woman of strong faith herself. She kept praying and she never gave up hope.'

'There is no other explanation. This was a miracle.'

Halfin said he was unaware of Ramirez's disappearance until Friday night when a a member of his Bible study group asked parishioners to pray for the child.

After learning about the boy's situation, he felt called to search for him.

'God laid it on my heart to go look, to reunite that boy with his mom,' he said.

'There were three miracles. One, Chris survived the elements and wild animals. Two, that he survived that many days without water, and three, that he was even found.'

The boy's mother, Arceli Nunez said, is extremely grateful to rescuers who brought her son home. She said: 'This is definitely a miracle. I can't even explain to you all with words'

Halfin (pictured), who is still in awe by the alleged act of divine intervention, does not know why he was called to search for Ramirez, believes the rescue was all part of God's plan

It remains unclear exactly how Ramirez managed to survive on his own.

The weather in Houston was extremely mild last week and survival experts say the toddler's age may actually have helped protect him from harm.

That is because very young children are less likely to worry about whether water they find is safe to drink, or to be scared of bugs on a tree they need to shelter under.

'Kids 6 and younger have a better outcome being lost in the woods than kids 7 to 12 do,' Ray McKee with Texas Survival School told KHOU.

'They worry less about (if) the water looks bad or smells bad or maybe bugs are over in the log I am huddling by to stay out of the wind.

'They are more concerned about meeting that immediate physical need. Whereas when kids get older, they start to process things a little bit more and start to think about things a little bit more.'

Hilary Fairbrother, associate professor of emergency medicine at UTHealth Houston, echoed McKee's claims: 'Children can pretty easily survive without food for a week, especially if they dont have medical problems.

'Most people can survive without water for a couple of days. But again, children have a less long amount of time that they can survive without water.'

McKee also noted that the weather was 'almost perfect' while Ramirez was missing.

'Sheltering is a big deal but the weather was almost perfect for him. Super mild, not too hot during the day, not too cold at night,' he said.

In the days leading up to his rescue, hundreds of searchers look through the woods day and night. The sheriff says many did not eat or sleep knowing that the boy wasn't eating or sleeping

Ramirez has been receiving treatment at Texas Children's Hospital in the Woodlands since his rescue

In the days leading up to his rescue, hundreds of searchers look through the woods day and night. The sheriff says many did not eat or sleep knowing that Ramirez wasn't eating or sleeping.

A police radio call, obtained by GMA, demonstrates the relief personnel felt when Ramirez was found.

'The child was found alive. He is alive, he's thirsty. He is with his mother and going to the hospital,' an officer said.

'Praise the Lord,' a dispatcher answered.

The officer then replied: 'Yes sir, yes sir.'

Halfin, who is still in awe by the alleged act of divine intervention, does not know why he was called to search for Ramirez.

He took to the woods during a time when there were 'no leads or tips to go on.'

'Things were looking bad,' he told DailyMail.com.

When he was in the woods, Halfin said he felt discouraged as he looked for any sign of the child. He ultimately asked God for help.

'I turned to the Lord -- you called me come out here and do this,' he shared.

He heard Ramirez's voice shortly afterwards.

Although Halfin, doesn't know how Ramirez survived or why he was told to search for him, he believes the rescue was all part of God's plan.

'I was hospitalized with a bad case of COVID in November,' he said. 'I don't know why God spared me from succumbing to COVID but I'd like to believe it's because he knew I'd have a part in saving Chris.'

'I don't know what to make of it. All I know is Chris was found safe. It was a miracle.'
Democratic New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has paid $150,000 to settle a sexual harassment claim from a former campaign spokesman, new documents reveal.

James Hallinan has alleged that, while running for governor, Lujan Grisham poured a bottle of water on his crotch during a meeting before grabbing his crotch and laughing.

Lujan Grisham denies any sexual harassment, and also denies that Hallinan struggled to find a job after leaving her campaign, as he claims.

In April, it was revealed that Lujan's campaign had paid $62,500 to a law firm representing Hallinan, but documents filed on Monday disclosed a schedule of payments between April and September totalling $150,000.

The final payment was made on September 29, according to The Albuquerque Journal.

James Hallinan has alleged that, while running for governor, Michell Lujan Grisham (pictured) poured a bottle of water on his crotch during a meeting before grabbing his crotch and laughing. Lujan Grisham denies any sexual harassment [File photo]

Kendall Witmer, a spokeswoman for Lujan Grisham's campaign, told the paper that it had reached the settlement last year 'due to the expense of litigating business disputes and to prevent any distraction during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.'

Hallinan came forward with his claim in 2019, alleging that then-campaign manager Dominic Gabello persuaded him not to report it at the time.

Gabello, who became a senior policy adviser to the governor before stepping down in April to pursue other career opportunities, denies the claim.

It is thought he will play a significant role in Lujan Grisham's reelection bid next year.

The payments to the law firm are legal under state law because they relate to an employment dispute, according to the New Mexico Secretary of State's Office.

However, they have been described as 'hush money' by the state's Republican Party.

In a statement on Monday, party spokesman Mike Curtis branded Lujan Grisham as 'a habitual hypocrite'.

'During former New York Gov. [Andrew] Cuomo's sex scandal, Lujan Grisham cried out for transparency and a full investigation.

'When she's the accused, however, our Governor sweeps it under the rug and pays off her accuser with cash, disguised conveniently as 'legal expenses' in campaign finance reports.

Hallinan (pictured) came forward with his claim in 2019, alleging that then-campaign manager Dominic Gabello persuaded him not to report it at the time. Gabello denies this

'When she's the accused, however, our Governor sweeps it under the rug and pays off her accuser with cash, disguised conveniently as 'legal expenses' in campaign finance reports.

'The Governor's latest payments again expose her hypocrisy and her true character,' added Curtis.

'Sexual harassment is a serious offense, and she seems satisfied to pay her way out,' Republican National Committeewoman Tina Dziuk added.

'This is offensive, and tells you a great deal about her moral character. She doesn't deserve a second term.'

The first news of the payments came one year after the governor signed a bill into state law limiting the use of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) in sexual misconduct cases.

The law, signed in March and going into effect in May 2020, banned employers from requiring employees to sign NDAs about sexual harassment, assault, discrimination or retaliation claims.
The Trump Organization is reportedly closing in on a deal to sell off its Washington, DC hotel for somewhere between $370 and $400 million.

If the deal were to fetch $400 million, it would represent a near doubling of the money former President Trump's family company spent to convert the government building into an ostentatious lodging.

CGI Merchant Group, a Miami-based investment firm, is in talks to acquire the lease, sources familiar with the matter told the Wall Street Journal. The property is owned by the federal government as the hotel is located in the former Old Post Office, but the lease could run as long as 100 years.

CGI has also discussed with hotel operators, including Hilton's luxury Waldorf Astoria brand, removing the Trump name from the lodging.

The Trump Organization is reportedly closing in on a deal to sell of its Washington, DC hotel for somewhere between $370 and $400 million

If the deal were to fetch $400 million, it would represent a near doubling of the money former President Trump's family company spent to convert the government building into an ostentatious lodging

The Trump organization bought the property in 2012 years ago and the hotel opened in 2016. It had beat out some of the biggest names in the hotel business for the lease, including Marriott and Hilton.

Since 2016, the hotel reportedly lost more than $70 million, requiring Trump to inject $24 million in aid from other businesses. The Trumps have disputed such findings.

Just a short walk from the White House, the Trump Hotel offers some of the biggest rooms in the nation's capital. To book a room for two guests for one night on Saturday, Oct. 16, the cost begins at $636 and could run as high as $1,636 for a signature suite.

CGI Merchant Group founder and Chief Executive Raoul Thomas donated to Biden and Democrats in 2020, but more recently to Gov. Ron DeSantis' campaign committee

CGI founder and chief executive Raoul Thomas donated $72,000 to Joe Biden and the Democratic Party in the 2020 election, but more recently has given $25,000 to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' campaign committee.

He donated to former President Obama in 2008 and Hillary Clinton in 2016, according to campaign finance records.

Just last month, he donated $2,900 to PAC 'Becker for Arizona,' to elect Republican Nina Becker to the House in 2022.

CGI owns and invests in a number of other hotels, apartment buildings and commercial real estate properties.

A recent congressional report from the House Oversight Committee found that Trump lost $73 million on the DC hotel, while claiming multi-million dollar profits in his disclosure forms.

Trump's most recent disclosure, which covered all of 2020 and the first few weeks of 2021, showed the hotel took a major hit from shutdowns due to the coronavirus pandemic. The hotels revenue fell to $15 million, compared with $40 million in 2019.

Trump family members (L to R) Eric Trump, Donald Trump Jr., Donald Trump and Ivanka Trump break ground at the Trump International Hotel Washington, D.C Groundbreaking Ceremony at Old Post Office on July 23, 2014 in Washington, DC. Trump featured the business during his 2016 campaign

CGI Merchant Group, a Miami-based investment firm, is in talks to acquire the lease

A recent congressional report from the House Oversight Committee found that Trump lost $73 million on the DC hotel

The hotel has come under renewed scrutiny from Democratic-controlled House committees, as it was a fixture of Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and became a hub of activity for supporters during his administration.

Once bustling with Trump world heavyweights, often including the former first family, the hotel was eerily quiet when DailyMail.com took a trip in the weeks following Biden's inauguration.

But far from being a revenue-generator, it was a 'failing business saddled by debt,' according to a letter the Democratic-run Oversight panel wrote to the General Services Administration, known as the nation's landlord.

'Taken together, these documents show that far from being a successful investment, the Trump Hotel was a failing business saddled by debt that required bailouts from President Trumps other businesses,' panel chair Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) wrote.

'In deciding to conceal the Trump Hotels true financial condition from federal ethics officials and the American public, President Trump hid conflicts of interest stemming not just from his ownership of the hotel but also from his roles as the hotels lender and the guarantor of its third-party loans.'

The panel found that Trump 'provided misleading information about the financial situation of the Trump Hotel in his annual financial disclosures; received undisclosed preferential treatment from a foreign bank on a $170 million loan to the hotel that the President personally guaranteed; accepted millions of dollars in emoluments from foreign governments without providing an accounting of the moneys source or purpose; concealed hundreds of millions of dollars in debts from GSA when bidding on the Old Post Office Building lease; and made it impossible for GSA to properly enforce the leases conflict-of-interest restrictions by engaging in opaque transactions with other affiliated entities,' according to the letter.

The letter charges that Trump 'hid' the losses from the public by failing to disclose them.

But the letter does not charge that Trump necessarily violated the law. The president is officially exempt from criminal conflict-of-interest laws that apply to other federal employees.

'While the Committee did not draw a conclusion about whether President Trumps federally mandated disclosures were in technical compliance with reporting requirements, it is clear that the disclosures failed to provide the public with an accurate picture of President Trumps businesses, their financial health, and the nature and extent of the conflicts of interest they posed,' Maloney writes.

Instead, it says, 'By portraying the hotel as a successful business, President Trump concealed significant ethical issues stemming from his failing business. The hotels massive losses decreased President Trumps personal net worth, compromised the hotels ability to repay loans from other entities owned by the President, and potentially jeopardized his other personal assets due to the personal guarantee he provided for the Trump Hotels $170 million debt.'

The money-losing state of the hotel follows a report that Trump has tumbled out of the ultra-exclusive Forbes 400 list of America's richest people for the first time since making it on in 1996, worth $400 million shy of this year's cutoff, the outlet revealed Tuesday.

According to the committee, Trump renegotiated a construction loan for the hotel with Deutsche Bank, converting it in 2018 to an interest-only loan, with no principal due until 2024.

The former president is worth $2.5 billion, according to Forbes, after he lost $600 million of his fortune during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Trump International Hotel Washington D.C. features a spacious lobby and bar area, where allies of the president are often spotted hanging out

Trump's ranking had been dropping throughout his years at the White House and peaked in 2003

Trump was ranked 339th last year. His highest ever position was at 71st in 2003, the year before he launched his NBC hit series The Apprentice.

But in March 2020, three years after Trump refused to divest from his name-brand real estate holdings, the coronavirus pandemic upended the economy.

Divesting when he took office in 2017 would have been an opportunity to diversify his assets, Forbes argues.

Even if he divested and paid maximum capital gains tax, investing the rest into wider portfolios like the S&P 500 could have left him 80 percent richer than he is today.

If the maximum penalties were applied Trump would have lost about $1.1 billion in wealth, leaving $2.4 billion.

However, if the rest had been re-invested into a stock portfolio tracking something more stable and diversified like the S&P 500 index, Trump could have been worth a staggering $4.5 billion today.

Instead, his narrow wealth portfolio was dealt a blow by the pandemic's particularly powerful impact on tourism and hospitality, as well as big city real estate prices.

Trump's luxury apartment holdings in New York City and other urban centers also lost value as parts of the city saw rent prices slashed.

A June Associated Press review of more than 4,000 transactions over the past 15 years in 11 Trump-branded buildings in Chicago, Honolulu, Las Vegas and New York found prices for some condos and hotel rooms available for purchase have dropped by one-third or more.

That's a plunge that outpaces drops in many similar buildings, leaving units for sale in Trump buildings to be had for hundreds of thousands to up to a million dollars less than they would have gone for years ago.

'They're giving them away,' says Lane Blue who paid $160,500 in March for a studio in Trump's Las Vegas tower, $350,000 less than the seller paid in 2008.
UFC lightweight fighter Luis Pena was arrested last weekend in Florida for allegedly punching a woman with a closed fist.

The 28-year-old Italian-born MMA star was charged with battery with intent to cause bodily harm and domestic-violence battery, according to Broward County (Florida) court records. Both charges are misdemeanors.

'[Pena] did actually and intentionally strike [the victim] in the face multiple times with a closed fist and continued to strike [the victim] while she was on the ground,' according to police.

UFC lightweight fighter Luis Pena was arrested last weekend in Florida for allegedly punching a woman with a closed fist

As reported by the Miami Herald, Pena was in an 'intimate relationship' with the woman for more than a year.

On Saturday, deputies were called to the scene of an altercation in Deerfield Beach, which is north of Fort Lauderdale. Once on the scene, they spoke with several people shortly before arresting Pena.

The woman suffered hand and wrist abrasions, according to police, and there was 'an alleged bite mark to her left knee region.' It's not known how that occurred.

Pena is being held at Broward County jail in Fort Lauderdale on $6,000 bond.

He was previously arrested in Florida last June for robbery by sudden snatching, battery and criminal mischief following a fight with his ex-girlfriend, according to Palm Beach County records. The robbery charge has since been dropped, and his ex-girlfriend has requested that the other charges are as well, according to the Miami Herald.

Pena (9-3), who has not fought since April, is due back in court in connection with the June charges on October 28.
Trump asked national security aides if the Vietnamese prime minister's name was pronounced like 'Fook You' shortly before their meeting, the ex-US Ambassador to Vietnam's new book claims

Donald Trump once asked aides if the Vietnamese prime minister's name was pronounced like 'Fook You' just minutes before meeting with the Southeast Asian leader, a new book excerpt revealed on Tuesday.

Former US Ambassador to Vietnam Ted Osius said 'nothing could have prepared [him] for the strangeness' of the ex-president's May 2017 White House meeting with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc in a section of his forthcoming book about US-Vietnam relations.

Osius only met Trump just before the meeting, he claimed in the excerpt released by Salon. He recounted stepping into a crowded Oval Office where he 'stared at a stiff helmet of orange hair.'

The diplomat said Trump told him he was 'lucky' to have such a 'good job.'

He agreed, adding 'I love my job and feel privileged to do it.'

Shortly before the planned state visit began Trump asked him, 'So, who are we meeting?'

A senior national security official apparently foresaw trouble and tried to help the ex-president pronounce the head of state's name.

'Nguyen Xuan Phuc,' they said, according to Osius. 'Rhymes with book.'

'You mean like Fook You?' Trump allegedly replied before following the racist comment up with an unprompted tangent.

'I knew a guy named Fook You. Really. I rented him a restaurant. When he picked up the phone, he answered "Fook You." His business went badly. People didn't like that. He lost the restaurant,' he said.

Trump participated in an expanded bilateral meeting with Vietnam's communist leader in May 2017 after reportedly having to be reminded who he was meeting with that day

DailyMail.com has reached out to a Trump spokeswoman and the Trump Organization for comment.

The former president was well-known to make racially charged statements even before he took office. When Barack Obama was in the White House he pushed the 'birther' theory that the Democrat wasn't really born in the United States.

Former White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham's account of working with the ex-president lends credibility to Osius' claims.

Trump 'frequently said insane things to foreign leaders,' Grisham wrote in her memoir.

Grisham claimed at a G20 summit in 2019 he asked Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan if he'd seen the movie Midnight Express, adding that 'that's a dark movie for you guys' to the Turkish leader and his aides.

The 1978 film is about an American imprisoned in Turkey after trying to smuggle out hashish. It's been criticized for its violent depiction of Turks.

Ted Osius recounted Trump's May 2017 meeting with the Vietnamese prime minister in his forthcoming book, Nothing Is Impossible: America's Reconciliation With Vietnam

Osius is a seasoned diplomat with decades of experience in embassies across Asia. He's worked under Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama as well, but served as Trump's ambassador only until November 2017.

He resigned in protest of the Trump administration's proposal to deport Vietnamese refugees who had lived in the US for decades.

His memoir, Nothing is Impossible: America's Reconciliation with Vietnam, details Osius' firsthand account of watching the US build up relations with Vietnam after the years of fallout from the Vietnam War.

In the Tuesday excerpt Osius outlined several incidents during the Vietnamese prime minister's trip that made it stand out against his nearly 25-year career.

The day before meeting with the president, Osius accompanied Phuc to an 'unsettling' meeting with Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross.

'The eighty-one-year-old secretary seemed lost, unable to find his place in his briefing notes or to determine which trade challenges to emphasize. His translator was also hapless, and we had to rely on the prime minister's,' Osius wrote.

Trump allegedly forgot or wasn't aware that he had a planned visit to Vietnam in November 2017 just six months before it was scheduled to happen (pictured: Trump at the 2017 meeting)

His following meetings with Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer were far more productive, the diplomat claimed.

While plotting the meeting with Phuc in the Oval Office Trump instructed Lighthizer to 'bring the US trade deficit with Vietnam to zero in four years.'

Osius noted that it was an 'impossible task,' and said Lighthizer tried to shift focus toward asking Trump about a new embassy for Hanoi and a potential groundbreaking ceremony during the president's trip to Vietnam.

But Trump was caught by surprise, asking 'I'm visiting?'

He went on a scheduled trip to Vietnam in November 2017, but no groundbreaking ceremony took place. On the November visit the White House instead touted an 'agreement' to secure land for a new compound.

In his book Osius appears to claim Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, had some part in the delay.

After Trump 'disappeared into another room' when he learned of his planned trip, Osius claimed Kushner asked how much the embassy would cost.

Jared Kushner instructed Osius to leverage the building of a new embassy in Hanoi against the trade deficit, Osius claims

Osius told him it would likely cost 'half as much' as the recently-constructed $1 billion Beijing embassy.

But Kushner wasn't satisfied, with Osius noting he 'seemed surprised.'

'That's a lot. Why are we spending so much? If we're going to give them that, we should get something back,' Kushner reportedly replied.

Osius observed, 'I wondered if he understood that we were trying to build a new embassy for the United States and not for Vietnam.'

He warned the Trump family member-turned-adviser that the existing embassy - where Osius operates when he's in Vietnam - was meant to be temporary and lacked the necessary safety features.

'It's not safe. A truck bomb could drive right up to it and blow us up in a moment. Like in Benghazi,' he advised, recalling the devastating attack that left a black mark on Obama and then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's legacies and killed four Americans including the US ambassador to Libya.

But he said Kushner shrugged off the potentially life-threatening need for repairs - and repeated his father-in-law's impossible task.

'We need something in return. Tell them we'll build it if they bring our trade deficit to zero,' the adviser replied.

Osius wrote, 'I repeated my argument about security for American citizens, but Kushner's dark eyes had shifted elsewhere. He was no longer listening.'

Barack Obama nominated him to serve as US Ambassador to Vietnam, a post he continued under Trump until November 2017. Another instance of Trump's racism was when he fueled 'birther' conspiracy theories that Democratic president was born outside of the US

Another aide influencing Trump during the meeting, the career official claimed, was senior adviser Stephen Miller.

During the Trump administration Miller was alleged to be behind some of the White House's more controversial policies, often accused of being racially-charged, like the Remain In Mexico policy for asylum-seekers.

The diplomat said Miller was behind Trump demanding the leader of Vietnam's Communist government publicly 'extol the virtues of free and fair trade.'

His other demands to Phuc in addition to reducing the trade deficit to nothing in four years included urging the country to increase pressure against North Korea.

Trump pointed out to the prime minister that 'Saudi Arabia had placed orders worth $450 billion during the president's recent visit there.'

Trump told him, 'Jared [Kushner] and Rex [Tillerson] worked really hard,' according to Osius' account.

He urged Phuc to 'make more progress' on his requests before he came to Vietnam in November.

The diplomat wrote, 'The message was clear: presidential visits came with a price tag.'
A Japanese fighter pilot was forced to make an emergency landing after the cockpit canopy of their F-2 jet fell off in mid-air while on a mission to intercept a foreign plane.

The Mitsubishi F-2 fighter jet lost its canopy, which weights about 198lb (90 kg), while flying over a mountainous area in southwestern Japan on Sunday, Japan's Defence Ministry said.

The pilot, who has not been named, was in the middle of a scramble mission in response to reports that a foreign plane had entered Japan's airspace when the canopy fell off, leaving the aviator exposed to the air mid-flight.

The pilot made an emergency landing at the Tsuiki Air Base in the Fukuoka Prefecture, where the jets are stationed, after the incident took place on Sunday afternoon at 12.50pm, reports Japan Today. Another F-2 jet was deployed in its place to complete the scramble mission.

The Mitsubishi F-2 fighter jet (file image) lost its canopy, which weights about 198lb (90 kg), while flying over a mountainous area in southwestern Japan on Sunday, Japan's Defence Ministry said

It is understood that there have been no reports of any injuries or property damage from the technical failure.

Japan's Air Self-Defence Forces have been searching for the 150 centimetre long and 90 centimetre wide canopy which is believed to have fallen in the southern city of Asakura.

The jet also lost an emergency ladder, which weighs 1 lb (480 grams), in the incident.

The pilot, who has not been named, was in the middle of a scramble mission in response to reports that a foreign plane had entered Japan's airspace when the canopy fell off, leaving the aviator exposed to the air mid-flight. Pictured: File image of the F-2 fighter jet

'We are sorry for causing concern to local residents and the general public,' the Defence ministry said. Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said the technical failure was serious as it could have injured the public.

Yoshitomo Aoki, an aviation expert, told Japan today that it is rare to lose the cockpit canopy, but defective parts of the aircraft, or the loosening of those parts, could cause the canopy to fall off.

But he added that the loss of the cockpit canopy would not impact an aircraft's flight functions.

The Air Self-Defence Forces have since conducted inspections of all of their jets at the base.
Russian warships have staged a show of strength in the Sea of Japan after the country's new Prime Minister laid claim to a chain of islands controlled by Moscow.

The Varyag, a Russian cruiser and flagship of the Pacific Fleet, took part in the drills alongside anti-submarine destroyer Admiral Tributs and 12 support ships on Monday.

Part of the exercise took place inside Japan's 'economic zone' where military drills are banned under international law, local media said, likening it to a 'welcome message' for new Prime Minister Fumio Kishida who was sworn in just last week.

It comes after Kishida staked a claim to part of the Kuril Islands chain which separates the Sea of Okhotsk, on Russia's far eastern coast, from the Pacific.

Russia's Pacific Fleet held combat drills in the Sea of Japan on Monday, part of which is thought to have taken place in Japan's 'economic zone'

Speaking to parliament on Tuesday, a day after the military drill, Kishida vowed to resolve a dispute over the islands that dates back to the Second World War.

But Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for Vladimir Putin, was quick to shoot down the claim - describing all the islands as 'Russian territory'.

Russia's Defence Ministry said Monday that the Varyag had shot down 10 'high-speed flying targets' using three of its missile systems - dubbed Fort, Klinok and Osa.

Video of the drill, released Tuesday, showed Varyag firing its AK-630 machine-gun turret,and a heavy artillery cannon mounted on its deck.

The drills were 'planned', Russia said - a phrase meant to imply they were not a response to Kishida - and were 'part of the final inspection for summer training.'

Russia and Japan are currently in talks over the Kuril Islands, a volcanic archipelago which stretches from the northern coast of Japan to the southern tip of Russia's Kamchatka province.

Historically, ownership of the islands has been split with the Russian Empire and Empire of Japan agreeing to the division in the 1855 Treaty of Shimoda.

That treaty gave Japan control over the four southern-most islands, which it calls the 'Northern Territories', while handing the rest to Russia.

Russia said the Varyag, flagship of its Pacific Fleet, destroyed 'high-speed flying targets' using its anti-missile defence systems (pictured)

Video of the drill also showed the ship firing its machine-gun turrets and main cannon, which Russia said was a drill to mark the end of the summer training period

Video of the drill was published as Japan's prime minister laid claim to a set of disputed islands, prompting some to liken the drill to a 'welcome message'

But, at the end of the Second World War, the Soviets seized control over the whole chain though Japan refused to recognise the move.

The two countries have still not signed an official peace treaty due to the dispute.

Vowing to resolve the issue, Kishida told ministers on Tuesday: 'Our countrys sovereignty covers the Northern Territories.

'We must solve this issue and not leave it to future generations. The government intends to sign a peace treaty with Russia.'

But Peskov hit back against the claim, saying simply: 'We do not agree.'

Lavrov said last week that Russia had 'constructive, frank relations' with Japan, but the prospect of the islands returning to Tokyo are seen as highly unlikely while Putin remains in office.

The island chain is just the latest flashpoint in the Pacific, amid an ongoing standoff between China and Taiwan that is threatening to drag in the US, Australia and other allies including the UK.

A week ago, China flew 150 aircraft into Taiwan's air defence zone in a huge show of force that coincided with its National Day celebrations.

Japan claims sovereignty over the four southern islands, which were seized by the Soviets towards the end of the Second World War

Taiwan then held a National Day parade of its own at the weekend, during which President Tsai Ing-wen gave a speech vowing not to bow to pressure from Beijing.

China's President Xi Jinping has vowed to 'reunify' the island with the mainland, using force if necessary.

Meanwhile North Korea is continuing to test new weapons systems and just yesterday accusing the US and South Korea of threatening its safety.

Kim Jong Un, attending a weapons exhibition where he spoke surrounded by missiles, vowed to build an 'invincible military'.

But the dictatorial ruler insisted it will only be used for self-defence in the face of America's 'hostile policies'.
A Michigan pastor with eight drunk driving offenses tried to escape another DWI arrest by ramming his car into a police cruiser, officials said.

David Jones, 57, was allegedly drunk in his car around 1am last Wednesday when officers arrived at the convenience store off Interstate 75 in Arenac County, Michigan, after someone called to report a suspicious man.

The plastered pastor 'refused to roll down his window, refused to do anything,' Arenac County Undersheriff Don McIntyre told WXYZ.

He then sped across the highway and briefly stopped in a parking lot before speeding up and crashing into the back of a building, according to the TV station.

Jones then turned around and intentionally slammed into the police car, officials said.

David Jones (pictured), 57, has been charged with attempted assault after an incident that happened at 1am last Wednesday when officers arrived at a convenience store off Interstate 75 in Arenac County, Michigan, after someone called to report a suspicious man

Jones sped up and crashed into the back of a building (left) then turned around and intentionally slammed into the police car (right), officials said

Jones often led sermons at Hilton Oaks Baptist Church in Ferndale, about 10 miles north of Detroit.

'He struck their building, turned his vehicle towards deputies, accelerated, smashing our patrol car,' McIntyre told the news station.

After the crash, the pastor refused to get out of his car and the two deputies had to break the windows and wrestle Jones from his car, police said.

Arenac County Undersheriff Don McIntyre (pictured) said that the deputies were not injured in the 'very scary' crash

It was 'very scary for the deputies involved,' McIntyre said.

He added: 'If you turn your vehicle around and intentionally collide with a police vehicle, you are going to be charged with attempted murder on police.'

McIntyre also noted that 'luckily our deputies were not injured'.

The pastor faces 10 charges in total, including his ninth incident involving drinking and driving, and attempted murder.

He is being held on a $1million bond and faces life in prison if he is convicted, according to ABC 12.

Prior to the October 6 incident, his most recent drunk-driving arrest was just two months ago in August. It was not immediately clear if Jones was out on bail when last week's crash happened.

Jones is being held on a $1million bond after cops had to break his car windows and wrestle with him before his arrest

The Hilton Oaks Baptist Church in Ferndale has yet to comment on Jones's latest arrest

McIntyre was relieved that nobody else was injured in the chaotic chase in the small, northern Michigan county, located about 150 miles from Detroit.

'If he enters the freeway, right there by the freeway or right on M-33, crosses that centerline, its likely a collision will occur that will kill somebody,' the undersheriff told WXYZ.

Jones often led sermons at Hilton Oaks Baptist Church in Ferndale, about 10 miles north of Detroit. It is unclear what the pastor was doing two hours and 20 minutes away from where he lived and worked.

The church has yet to comment on the incident.

Geraldine Beguhn, one of Jones's neighbors, attributed the crime to his job as a pastor.

'They probably feel because of their position in the community, they can get away with some of this stuff,' she told Fox 2.

When Beguhn found out Jones was a repeat offender, she asked: 'Who lets him go? Doesnt he ever appear in front of a judge?'

A friend of the Jones family, Ralph White, said that he's 'sad' for Jones 'because it keeps happening'.

'Its sad that our system allows it to keep happening its sad for the people that are affected by it. I knew Davids mother, she passed away - she wouldnt be pleased,' he said, according to Fox 2.
A courier caught with 130,000 worth of cannabis on the M6 near Carlisle told police he had no idea the drugs were inside his car because he could not smell after recovering from Covid.

Quynh Thai, 40, was found in possession of 13kg of drugs concealed within vacuum-sealed packages in the boot of his car after being stopped by officers.

He was initially told to pull over along the motorway close to Southwaite, between Penrith and Carlisle, at around 12.30pm on September 9.

However, Thai accelerated away from officers and was pursued for several minutes before being stopped, reported the BBC.

Quynh Thai has been jailed for 14 months after being caught with 13kg of cannabis amounting to a total street value of 130,000

Thai, an illegal immigrant of no fixed abode, appeared at Carlisle Crown Court on Monday to be sentenced after admitting possession of a class B drug and, in doing so, breaching a suspended sentence already in place for an earlier conviction relating to cannabis production.

He was jailed for 14 months.

The court heard how the courier was the sole occupant of a Toyota Prius and initially tried to evade police before being brought to a halt in the Durdar area close to the city.

Officers noted a strong smell of cannabis coming from the car and, following a search, recovered packages hidden within large laundry bags inside a cardboard box.

In total, 13kg of cannabis with a street value of 130,000 was seized by police.

Carlisle Crown Court, where Thai was sentenced to more than a year in prison after trying to evade police along the M6. When he was eventually brought to a stop, he told officers he had been offered 200 to drive a vehicle from Manchester to Carlisle

Thai, who entered the UK illegally in 2014, told officers he could not smell the drugs because he had contracted Covid three weeks earlier and had lost his sense of smell.

He also told police he had been offered 200 by an unidentified man in an Asian food shop in Manchester to drive the vehicle to an address in Carlisle.

The court also heard he had never driven the car before.

Passing sentence, Judge Nicholas Barker said: 'You fled from the police initially. I am quite satisfied that was because you knew exactly what was in the car and you knew the reason why you were driving it.'
Former Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe has invited former President Barack Obama to stump for him in the final stretch of his race  after acknowledging that President Biden is 'unpopular' in his state.

The former president, a popular figure among Democrats, will join McAuliffe later this month.

First lady Jill Biden will hold an event with McAuliffe this week, as Virginians begin early voting.

'The stakes could not be greater,' McAuliffe said as he announced the news Tuesday morning on MSNBC.'

President Joe Biden (L) stands with Terry McAuliffe, Democratic gubernatorial candidate for Virginia, during a campaign event at the Lubber Run Community Center on July 23, 2021 in Arlington, Virginia. Former President Barack Obama is set to campaign with McAuliffe this month

His announcement came after he spoke to the challenges he faces regaining the governor's mansion in a state Biden carried handily in 2020.

'We are facing a lot of headwinds from Washington, as you know. The President is unpopular today unfortunately here in Virginia, so we got to plow through,' he said in a virtual call with supporters last week.

McAuliffe tried to walk back the comments in an apperance on CNN's 'State of the Union' on Sunday. 'It's not dragging me down. I worry about the people of Virginia,' he said.

Even with Biden's numbers down, McAuliffe said the president will be back to stump for him, in a race McAuliffe is casting as critical to any Trump comeback.

'Joe Biden will be coming back,' he told CNN.

McAuliffe's race against the GOP nominee, first-time political candidate Glenn Youngkin, is tightening according to the latest polls. His effort to win a second, nonconsecutive term in office is one of only two regularly scheduled governor's races in the country this year and is being closely watched for indications of voter sentiment ahead of next year's midterms.

McAuliffe's campaign announced that Obama will join him in Richmond on Oct. 23 to mobilize Virginians during early voting, which began weeks ago.

Joe Biden won Virginia by 10 percentage points in 2020, running up vote margins in Richmond and the Northern Virginia suburbs.

But Biden's own approval ratings have dipped in recent weeks amid the chaotic Afghanistan pullout and difficulty getting his agenda through Congress. Virginia is home to a substantial portion of military voters.

Youngkin trails McAuliffe narrowly in the Fivethirtyeight polling average.

Barack Obama in 2008 became the first Democrat to win the state since Lyndon Johnson in 1964

Virginia Democratic gubernatorial candidate and former Gov. Terry McAuliffe, left, and Republican challenger, Glenn Youngkin, participate in a debate at Northern Virginia Community College, in Alexandria, Va., Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2021

McAuliffe said Sunday that Biden was 'unpopular' in his state right now

Republican gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin trails McAuliffe narrowly in the Fivethirtyeight polling average. Youngkin is backed by former President Donald Trump. Obama is coming in to campaign for McAuliffe

Obama in 2008 became the first Democrat to win the state since Lyndon Johnson in 1964  a win that saw the state transform from reliably Republican to a 'purple' swing state.

Obama, who rallied Democrats in Virginia's capital city in 2017 before Ralph Northam beat Republican gubernatorial nominee Ed Gillespie, will follow other high-profile Democrats supporting McAuliffe.

First lady Jill Biden is set to visit Virginia on Friday. Stacey Abrams, the voting rights activist, grassroots organizer and former Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate, will campaign with McAuliffe in Norfolk and northern Virginia on Sunday.

McAuliffe said on 'Morning Joe' that Obama would be coming Saturday, in a way that suggested the visit would precede Abrams events. His campaign then had to clarify his remarks.

McAuliffe stumped with President Joe Biden in July. The president has not announced plans to return.

Former President Donald Trump has endorsed Youngkin but has not visited Virginia to support the former private equity executive.

Election Day is Nov. 2, and Tuesday is the last day to register to vote.

The lifelines from top political figures come after McAuliffe raised alarms on CNN about the failure for Democrats, who hold unified control but must contend with Republican Senate filibusters as well as internal divisions, to enact Biden's agenda.

'We have got frustration with Washington,' he said.

'Why haven't we passed this infrastructure bill? It passed the U.S. Senate with 69 votes two months ago.

'I have been very straight on television. We're tired of the chitty chat up in Washington. Get in a room and get this figured out.  They're paid to get up in Washington, get this done,' McAuliffe said.
A group of animal lovers became internet and real-life heroes after posting a video of them aboard a small plane crammed with 27 puppies during a rescue mission to prevent the dogs from being euthanized.

Cassandra Bergeron and her friends had recorded the rescue during their 45-minute flight from the shelter in Enterprise, Alabama, to Orlando on September 29.

The TikTok video, which has since garnered 13.4 million views and 2.9 million likes, captured the puppies happily wagging their tongues and cuddling with their human saviors.

'I was in pure bliss. I didn't want to land,' Bergeron said, according to DailyPaws. 'I couldn't stop smiling the entire time.'

Animal lover Cassandra Bergeron posted heartwarming footage of her and her two friends on a flight from Alabama to Florida with 27 rescue puppies onboard

Bergeron has called the moment one of the best days of her life and even helped on a couple other rescue missions

The girls were submerged in puppies who were seen climbing around, wagging their tongues and cuddling with their saviors

University of Central Florida professor and pilot runs the Alabama Puppy Rescue Flights and has reportedly saved over 7,000 puppies so far

She and the other women made the rescue in July after Bergeron was asked by a pilot friend, who is in training, to help get the dogs from the shelter.

Many Southern states have been forced to euthanize animals in shelters because of overcrowding.

The women contacted Michael Young, a University of Central Florida professor and pilot, who has saved more than 7,000 dogs as part of Alabama Puppy Rescue Flights.

Bergeron said that the puppies were excited to see the women after they landed and played with them until it was time to board again.

The women made sure not to pack or bring anything that took up too much space in order to fit all the puppies.

One of Bergeron's friends was seen surrounded by a group of the puppies as they climbed and cuddled with her

Some of the puppies slept on Bergeron's lap during the 45-minute flight

Bergeron's video captured several of the puppies cuddling in her arms while the others were jumping on her friends in the back of the plane.

She captioned the video 'Guess how many puppies we rescued?' as her and her friends were delighted to be in the puppy-filled aircraft.

The dogs were handed over to Florida rescue volunteers, who took the tiny creatures to Orlando-area shelters. They have all been adopted, according to Newsweek, since the rescue mission.

About 44,000 users commented on the heartwarming viral video.

'Are you trying to tell me being on a plane filled with dozens of puppies is an option in life? I'm signing up,' @kelschecht.art commented.

'They must be flying...FUR-st class.....ok I'll see myself out,' @TxTikTokKt said.

'Somewhere in the sky there might be a plane full of puppies, such a comforting thought,' @Maybee also said.
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A haunting poem by one of Captain Robert 'Falcon' Scott's Antarctic crew, along with a trove of photos from his doomed race to the South Pole, has been found in an old travel trunk in a garage 109 years later.

The archive that contains photos of the Terra Nova expedition, along with previously unseen charts and the poignant 'They Died Like Men' tribute to Scott and his men is valued at 60,000.

It belongs to the family of Francis 'Chippy' Davies, who served as the Terra Nova's carpenter and oversaw the preparation and building of the expedition huts on Antarctica.

Davies, who did not join Scott and his men on their final trip to the South Pole, also constructed the wooden memorial cross after the deaths of his fellow explorers. It still stands on Observation Hill in Antarctica.

The annotated charts found inside the case are titled 'Antarctic Ocean Sheet VIII and IV' and plotted their progress in the Antarctic Ocean.

They would have been studied by Scott as they navigated a route through the pack ice.

They detail voyages off South Victoria, McMurdo Sound and the Bay of Whales, including their difficulties landing off Cape Crozier.

Scott famously made it to the South Pole in 1912 only to discover Norwegian Roald Amundsen had beaten him to it by 34 days.

The five-man party, which also included Lawrence Oates, Edgar Evans, Edward Wilson and Henry Bowers, all died on the return leg.

The archive is being sold by auctioneers Bearnes, Hampton and Littlewood, in Exeter.

A remarkable polar archive collated by a crew member on Captain Robert 'Falcon' Scott's doomed expedition to the South Pole has been found in an old travel trunk in a garage 109 years later. The archive that contains photos of the Terra Nova expedition, along with previously unseen charts and a poignant poem (above) in tribute to Scott and his men is valued at 60,000

It belongs to the family of Francis 'Chippy' Davies (pictured in the archive) who served as the Terra Nova's carpenter and oversaw the preparation and building of the expedition huts on Antarctica

Davies sailed with the men to the Antarctic but did not join the men on their final doomed trip. Above: The Terra Nova ship is seen in pack ice in a photo from the archive

Scott famously made it to the South Pole in 1912 only to discover Norwegian Roald Amundsen had beaten him to it by 34 days. His five-man party, which also included Lawrence Oates, Edgar Evans, Edward Wilson and Henry Bowers, all died on the return leg

The poem penned by another crew member, is titled 'They Died Like Men'.

It reads: 'Far, far from help of kindred, hid dreary tastes of blinding snow and ice.

ILL-FATED TERRA NOVA EXPEDITION Captain Robert Falcon Scott led the Terra Nova expedition, officially called the British Antarctic Expedition 1910, with the aim to be the first to reach the geographical South Pole. But when his team of four companions arrived on 17 January 17, 1912, they discovered a Norwegian team led by Roald Amundsen had already arrived 33 days earlier. Captain Scott's entire team died in March during their return on the Ross Ice Shelf from a combination of exhaustion, starvation and extreme cold. Captain Scott was a Royal Navy officer and explorer from Devon, who had previously led the Discovery Expedition to the Antarctic from 1901 and 1904. Scott's Hut was built in 1911 on Cape Evans, Ross Island in Antarctica. There is a second hut, built during the Discovery Expedition of 1901 to 1904, south of Cape Evans, which is also referred to as Scott's Hut, as well as Discovery Hut. Advertisement

'Nought but the howling gale to soothe their miseries, they went, they saw, they conquered and at last.

'Their work was done, their sufferings were past...

'Their memory lives, we shall forget it never, let Englishman the wide world over be proud to say.

'They died like men.'

The photos show the Terra Nova trapped in pack ice, crew members on board and smoke billowing from the vessel.

There is an expedition schedule chart for crew members and a receipt addressed to Scott from the manufacturer of the huts' materials.

Davies' name is commemorated by Davies Bay, situated between Drake Head and Cape Kinsey, which was discovered in February 1911.

The archive has remained in the Davies family for over a century and is now going under the hammer with auctioneers Bearnes, Hampton and Littlewood, of Exeter, Devon.

The 'historically important' collection had been tucked away in a trunk in a garage of a home in the south west.

Davies was born in 1885 in Plymouth and did a shipwright's apprenticeship at the Royal Naval Dockyard, Devonport.

He was shipwright on HMS Vanguard before applying to join the British Antarctic Expedition in 1910.

On the expedition, he earned praise for keeping the unreliable Terra Nova sailing despite a raft of problems.

During the voyage to the Pole he cut through a bulkhead to clear a hand pump which got blocked in a severe storm.

He was so valued on board that Scott sided with him in an argument with factory representatives over which timber to use for the expedition huts.

Following the Terra Nova expedition, Davies served on board the HMS Blanche and HMS Exmouth, and in 1919 went to Archangel in Russia where he was in charge of ship repairs.

A photograph of the crew of Terra Nova, British Antarctic Expedition 1910 inscribed 'Officers and Crew, Capt Scott's Antarctic Exped 1910'

The archive contains various images of the Terra Nova, long with photos of ice bergs seen on the trip. Tow men are also seen standing next to a horse

Expedition dog handler Demetri Geroff is seen standing with one of his animals. The image is signed by Geroff and dated June 25, 1916

Davies also constructed the wooden memorial cross after the death of Captain Scott and his team. It still stands on Observation Hill

Between 1927 and 1934, he was on board the Royal Research Ships 'Discovery II' and the 'William Scoresby', doing scientific work in the southern oceans.

Davies volunteered with the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve in World War Two and saw action on board the HMS Victory III in Norway, before being transferred to the Boom Defence Department.

Brian Goodison-Blanks, maritime specialist at Bearnes, Hampton and Littlewood, said: 'This historically important archive has come from the descendants of Davies and had been tucked away in a trunk in a garage.

'Davies was a carpenter and shipwright who kept the Terra Nova sailing and had the crucial job of building the huts.

'The expedition charts are incredibly significant and it is remarkable to think of Capt Scott studying and referring to them as they made their way through pack ice.

'The Terra Nova expedition is part of the Golden Age of exploration and has a very poignant legacy with the fate which befell Scott's five-man party.

'When my colleague and I first went through the archive we said to each other 'this is amazing'.'

Scott's Terra Nova expedition arrived at Cape Evans on Ross Island in January 1911.

The Terra Nova under tow during the expedition. The archive has remained in the Davies family for over a century and is now going under the hammer with auctioneers Bearnes, Hampton and Littlewood, of Exeter, Devon

Following the Terra Nova expedition, Davies served on board the HMS Blanche and HMS Exmouth, and in 1919 went to Archangel in Russia where he was in charge of ship repairs. Above: Davies is seen in photos which are part of the archive

After seeing out the austral winter Scott's polar party of 16 men set off in the November to be the first people to reach the South Pole.

The supporting party of 11 men returned as planned at various stages during the 800-mile trek, leaving Scott, Wilson, Oates, Evans and Bowers to reach the pole.

On their return journey, they endured dreadful conditions and suffered from a lack of food and frostbite.

Evans died on February 17, 1912 and Scott, Wilson and Bowers died in the tent around March 29.

Eight months later, a search party found the tent, the bodies and Scott's diary.

The sale takes place on October 19.
A prosecutor will not charge the officers who shot and killed a black man in Minneapolis last year because the man, who had an active arrest warrant, drew a weapon and fired at officers.

The undercover US Marshals were 'reasonable and justified' in their actions, according to Crow Wing County Attorney Donald Ryan. 'Their conduct was clearly in response to an apparent threat of death or great bodily harm.'

Winston 'Boogie' Smith, a 32-year-old father of two, was shot inside a loaned SUV in the top floor of a parking garage at around 2pm on June 3. A search of the vehicle later revealed a handgun and six fired cartridges from the same gun.

His killing drew more fiery protests in Minneapolis, which was still inflamed from last year's police killing of George Floyd a couple of miles from where Smith was killed.

He was killed in Hennepin County, but the county attorney sent the case to Crow Wing County to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest.

A prosecutor has decided not to charge the US Marshals who shot and killed 'Boogie' Smith

The father of two had just left a lunch date at Stella's in Minneapolis when he was killed in June

Authorities caught up with him at the parking lot above. Smith had an active warrant out for failing to show up to court, where he was expecting a four-year sentence on a gun charge

The identities of the officers who shot Smith are unknown.

'Though I am unable to determine who fired first, it is irrelevant in this case,' Ryan wrote in a letter dated October 6 but released Monday, according to the Star Tribune.

'Once an individual initiates a deadly force confrontation, a law enforcement officer does not have to wait to be shot/shot at before reacting.'

Ryan said the US Marshals Service's Northstar Violent Offender task force began looking for Smith after May 19, when he failed to show up to court for a sentencing.

Smith was facing a four-year sentence for illegal possession of a firearm, to be served concurrently with an underlying aggravated robbery case, the prosecutor wrote. He was first arrested on November 30, 2019 in Ramsey County.

A warrant was issued on May 20 and officers caught up with him two weeks later on June 3. They had spotted his car atop a parking garage near Stella's Fish Cafe, where he had a lunch date.

'The identity of Smith, and the connection to the vehicle, were confirmed with recent social media videos. Some of these videos, and other posts, contained content of Smith pulling a handgun out of his pants; and Smith stating that he possessed guns and drugs for sale,' Ryan wrote.

Smith's family expressed outrage at Ryan's decision.

Marshals said they used Smith's social media to help determine where he was. He had posted recent videos selling drugs and guns before his death, according to a county prosecutor

Smith had told his date, who was in the car with him when he was shot, that he did not want to go back to jail and that he was going to die, according to a letter released Monday

'They had no reason to kill this man,' cousin Marshawn Cheeks told the Star Tribune.

'It's very relevant who fired first.'

Ebony Kirkman, another cousin, told the newspaper that she wants to see the full report by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and learn the names of the two officers who fired.

'I wish I could say I'm surprised, but I'm not, and it's going to happen again,' Kirkman said.

Smith refused to comply with officers for more than three minutes before he was approached, Ryan wrote. During that time, officers observed him talking with a woman in the car, who appeared to be yelling at Smith and 'crying hysterically and shaking.'

His death led to several nights of unrest over the summer in Minneapolis, which was still reeling from last year's killing of George Floyd and the subsequent Black Lives Matter protests

There is no body or dash cam footage of the incident.

Officers moved in to break his window and get him out, but Smith ignored them on his phone before looking at them with a look of 'annoyance/disgust on his face,' Ryan wrote.

The shooting began after Smith dropped his phone, twisted around and leaned over the center console to reach for something in the back seat.

'The lead stack [Marshal] who is providing cover is heard yelling, "Don't do it," then "Gun, gun, gun, hes reaching for/hes got a gun.'

Smith's date was seen 'crying hysterically and shaking' during the standoff with Marshals. Above, an investigator goes through the scene of the shooting on June 3

'This [Marshal] then begins firing his handgun at Smith. This causes the [Marshal] attempting to break the window to drop the break tool, pull his handgun, and fire at Smith as well. Smith is seen slumping but is still moving with his hands out of view.'

'The task force is ordered to all back.'

Smith's date got out of the car, and was detained and moved to a squad vehicle.

Marshals began life-saving efforts until paramedics arrived and pronounced Smith dead at the scene 15 minutes later, according to Ryan's findings.

A nearby witness said he heard officers shout 'Put your hands up' or 'put your hands on the steering wheel' for more than two minutes.

In an interview immediately after the shooting, Smith's date said it all 'happened really fast.'

'Smith made comments to [her] that he did not want to go back to jail; and that, he was going to die. [She] stated Smith attempted to go live on Facebook and continued to refuse to cooperate,' Ryan wrote.

Deona Knajdek, 31, was killed in Minneapolis on June 13 while protesting the death of 'Boogie' Smith when a driver plowed into a crowd of activists

The smashed car was 'going at 100 miles an hour,' according to a cameraman at the scene

A handgun was found on the driver's side floor between the seat and the door area. A live cartridge was in the chamber, and the magazine was empty.

Six other fired cartridges, consistent with the handgun, were found in the car.

Smith's death sparked nights of protests in Minneapolis, Minnesota's largest city.

Videos and images from the summer showed downtown streets in flames as firefighters tried to put out the fire and officers worked to restore peace.

One night, the spot where Smith was fatally shot had been marked with graffiti reading, 'No trail for them' and 'Mpls still hates cops.'

Activist Deona Knajdek, 31, was killed while protesting Smith's death on June 13 when a driver plowed into a crowd of activists.

The incident injured three other people.

Protesters pulled the driver, who is white, from his vehicle and began hitting him as he called for police to intervene.

The driver was ultimately taken into custody and treated for injuries at a hospital.
More than 700 residents were today ordered to abandon their homes on La Palma as lava advanced towards their neighbourhood.

Footage shows homes on the Spanish island bursting into flames as a river of molten magma descended from the Cumbre Vieja volcano and struck houses.

Authorities ordered families in La Laguna to leave home with their belongings and pets, according to the Canary Islands Volcanic Emergency Plan (Pevolca).

Footage shows homes on the Spanish island bursting into flames as a river of molten magma descended from the Cumbre Vieja volcano

Satellite image shows the new lava stream from the Cumbre Vieja volcano erupting on the island of La Palma on Sunday

The lava flow is heading towards homes, threatening to cause even further destruction on the island

'We have been obliged to evacuate a new area. The lava is advancing slowly. People should have time to take their documents, their personal items and anything of value,' said Miguel Angel Morcuende, technical director of Pevolca.

There were 64 seismic movements on Tuesday, the strongest measuring 4.1, the Spanish National Geological Institute said.

La Palma airport remained open but 11 flights were cancelled on Tuesday and others were delayed, airport operator AENA said.

Earlier on Tuesday, officials lifted a lockdown ordered because of a cloud of smoke over two villages caused by the eruption, allowing more than 3,000 residents to go outside.

There were 64 seismic movements on Tuesday, the strongest measuring 4.1, the Spanish National Geological Institute said

Authorities ordered families in La Laguna to leave home with their belongings and pets today on the island

Volunteers help Enrique Gonzalez and his uncle carry belongings as they prepare to evacuate the area

Lava gushing from the volcano engulfed a cement plant on Monday, raising clouds of smoke and prompting authorities to instruct people in the area stay at home.

Emergency services had told residents in the towns of El Paso and Los Llanos de Aridane to stay indoors, shut their windows and turn off air conditioning units to avoid inhaling toxic fumes from the burning cement plant as it was gradually swallowed by the lava.

Lava from the eruption that began on September 19 has laid waste to nearly 600 hectares in total, authorities said.

The Cumbre Vieja volcano spews lava and smoke as it continues to erupt on the Canary Island of La Palma today

Lava from the eruption that began on September 19 has laid waste to nearly 600 hectares in total

Torrents of molten rock have destroyed 1,186 buildings in the three weeks since the eruption

After the volcano's cone partially collapsed on Saturday, a new river of lava streamed towards the sea, devouring banana and avocado plantations and most of the remaining houses in the town of Todoque.

Torrents of molten rock have destroyed 1,186 buildings in the three weeks since the eruption, the Canary Islands Volcanic Institute said.

About 6,700 people have been evacuated from their homes on La Palma, which has about 83,000 inhabitants.
A British tourist has been killed in Georgia by a 'group of men who beat him unconscious and threw him into a river following an argument', authorities say.

The body of musician Thomas Kennedy, 28, washed up in the Mtkvari river near the village of Kvakhvreli in Gori on Friday, three days after he was allegedly killed by a group of five Georgian citizens.

Giorgi Balashvili, 28, along with his friends Giorgi Okhanashvili, 17, Giorgi Kareli, 20, and Zura Palavandishvili, 19, were taken into custody on suspicion of murder along with Vasil Okropiridze, 24, who denied any part in the plot.

Kennedy is thought to have been invited to drink by the men after striking up a conversation with street busker Okropiridze in Gori city, but was later severely beaten by the group after they got into a drunken disagreement.

A police probe suggests Kennedy was alive but unconscious when he was thrown into the river after the defendants panicked, believing they had killed him when he passed out.

A Georgian court heard Kennedy was thrown into the water in Gori city, but his body travelled two miles down-river before being discovered three days later.

British musician Thomas Kennedy, 28, (pictured) was killed in Georgia following a dispute with a group of local men who attacked him and threw into the Mtkvari River, authorities said

Talented musician Kennedy, 28, was targeted by the group according to police.

After a day trip to the Joseph Stalin Museum, Kennedy began speaking with Okropiridze when four local shady Georgians invited him for beers, a prosecutor told a Georgian court yesterday.

Kennedy's phone, wallet and credit card were missing when he was found, prompting police to launch a murder investigation when they discovered his phone had been sold in a local pawn shop.

Okropiridze denied not notifying police of the plot, which he says he had no part in.

The other defendants admitted robbery but denied murder, instead claiming that Kennedy was running away from the fight when he fell into the river by himself and drowned.

But prosecutor Mikheil Beriashvili said: The prosecution is not satisfied with the defences argument that the victim himself jumped or fell into river.

We believe we are dealing with a premeditated murder in order to destroy the incriminating evidence of another crime - robbing.

This was also carried out against a person who was helpless.

All five defendants have been detained by a court for two months. They face from 13 to 17 years in prison if found guilty at their trial, which has been scheduled for November 8.

The musician (pictured playing the guitar) had arrived in Georgia on August 30, and was a student at a local music college. Thomas was attacked and then thrown 'unconscious' into the river and his body was found near the village of Kvakhvreli on October 8

A report on Mtavari TV channel said Kennedy had arrived in Georgia on August 30, and reports said he was a student at a local music college.

Kennedy is said to have told friends he wanted to go somewhere far away after struggling with lockdown, and is thought to have met a Georgian girl online before making the trip to the former Soviet republic.

He was staying in the capital, Tbilisi, but had been visiting the museum to the communist dictator on the day he died.

On social media last month, Kennedy posted: I figured I would go somewhere far away. And Georgia seemed ideal. Small place. Big history.

Tragically, he joked: Still havent see Stalins house yet either.

Five Georgian citizens, including one minor, have been detained on suspicion of murder and face between 13 to 17 years in prison if found guilty

Relatives have paid tribute to kind Kennedy, who comes from a large Irish family and whose death has left parents Eddie and Cathy devastated.

Aunt Patricia Pointon, from Derbyshire, wrote on Facebook: RIP my beautiful nephew. You were unique in every way. One of the kindest souls to ever walk this earth, you trusted your heart and played your music as a genius! We will never forget youTom sleep tight.

Her husband Darren Pointon, told the Mail Tom had left the family home in Larhardane, County Mayo, Ireland, after talking to a Georgian girl online.

Pointon said: We are a very close knit family. As far as I know, Tom had been chatting to a girl online and had gone out to meet her.

'But after a week or so, it didnt work out. I dont know whether he had been staying with her or just travelling around.

'Tom decided to stay on because he had a few weeks left on his visa and he liked the place.

Tom was a lovely, clean living lad. He had not had a drink for three years and the family are upset at reports that he had been drinking.

'We are waiting to find out what happened but I have not seen him have a drink at family occasions for three years.

He was a lovely, talented lad who lived for music. He played the guitar, violin and piano and used to do a bit of busking himself and wrote his own songs. Maybe that is how he got talking to these people.

The family over in Ireland are trying to get out there so they can bring Tom home.

A spokesman for the Foreign Office said: We are in contact with the local authorities following the death of a British man in Georgia and are providing support to his family.
Jeffrey Evans, 55, a repeat offender with 11 open cases, is being sought for the brutal being of an Asian woman in Fort Greene, Brooklyn

Police in New York City have identified a career criminal with nearly a dozen court cases pending against him as the prime suspect in a violent attack on an Asian woman, captured on surveillance video in Brooklyn last week.

The NYPD said 55-year-old Jeffrey Evans is being sought in connection with the September 28 incident in the Fort Greene neighborhood, that left a 65-year-old can collector cut and bruised, and requiring medical attention.

The daytime beating took place amid a series of violent crimes in New York, as reflected in videos showing innocent bystanders and subway riders assaulted at random.

NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea revealed during an interview on 1010 WINS that Evans is a repeat offender who has been free despite having 11 open criminal cases to his name.

'This is what happens when you upend the system too drastically without conferring with law enforcement,' Shea added, alluding to New York's 2019 controversial bail reform law. The law allows people charged with misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies to be released without bail on desk appearance tickets.

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The would-be mugger drags and punches elderly woman in broad daylight

On Thursday, video was released depicting the victim running into the street to avoid the man  who ultimately ran after her

Shea argued that judges should have the ability to jail offenders, instead of letting them go.

'When you see instances of people over and over arrested and nothing happens to them, thats the changes that New Yorkers are demanding to be addressed,' he said.

Shea pointed to the case of New Jersey nurse Maria Ambrocio, 58, who died on Saturday after she was knocked to the ground in Times Square by a homeless man who police say was fleeing after stealing someone's phone. That suspect, identified as Jermaine Foster, faces charges of murder and robbery.

'He was arrested three weeks earlier and released on his own recognizance,' Shea said of Foster. 'You have to have consequences for the people that are committing these crimes.'

Distressing footage depicting the Fort Greene attack shows a mugger, now identified by the police as Evans, chase the can collector and try to wrestle her bag from her.

The surveillance camera footage - shared by the NYPD - shows the 65-year-old woman being chased down St Edwards Street and Willoughby Avenue in Fort Greene at 4:40pm September 28, by the hooded mugger.

She was seen running onto the road in a bid to escape, with the mugger - whose face was partially covered with a mask - punching the woman as he tried to wrestle her handbag from her.

The incident happened on the edge of Fort Greene Park, widely regarded as one of Brooklyn - and New York's - ritziest neighborhoods, with median house prices of $1.1million.

Fort Greene's leafy avenues are lined with immaculate brownstones, with celebrity residents of the area including movie stars Christina Ricci, Adrian Grenier, Holly Hunter and supermodel Alek Wek.

After the assailant catches up to the woman, a struggle immediately ensues in the middle of the street

Moments after collecting money she earned from picking up cans, the 65-year-old victim was approached by the assailant on his bike at St. Edwards and Willoughby streets in Fort Greene

Footage of the incident shows the suspect repeatedly yanking at the woman's purse, while she refuses to let go

Despite the distressing assault, the woman holds on to her bag, with the mugger eventually flees after realizing he was not going to get it.

He was filmed swinging at his victim again, only for her to duck out of the way, with the woman seen clutching her head in apparent pain from an earlier blow that did land successfully.

Several people are seen passing the street and sidewalk as the incident occurred, including two people who stood feet away while it unfolded.

The woman suffered swelling to her face, in addition to back pain and cuts on her body. She was transported nearby to Brooklyn Hospital Center in stable condition.

Crime rates within New York have escalated tremendously. NYPD data shows crime rose 2.6% overall in September, with assaults climbing 18.5 percent and robberies up 6 percent.

The biggest increase was for felonious assault - or assault with a dangerous weapon - which surged by a shocking 18.5 percent from 1,802 in September 2020 to 2,135 in September 2021, as New Yorkers have been plagued by random attacks in the streets of the city.

On October 4, a 16-year-old girl was eating at a sushi restaurant in Astoria, Queens, when police say Minerva Martinez, a 36-year-old homeless woman, walked up from behind and put the teen in a chokehold before releasing her.

The attack last Monday, outside a Watawa Sushi on Ditmars Boulevard in Queens, occurred in broad daylight just after 5 pm

Maria Ambrocio, 58, died a day after after being knocked over by a fleeing mugger in Times Square on Friday, with her alleged attacker Jermaine Foster, right, now charged with her murder

Martinez, who has a lengthy rap sheet, including six felony arrests, was arrested and charged with strangulation, an NYPD spokesperson said Sunday in a statement. Four days later, Ambrocio was knocked over in Times Square.

In August, a homeless man was caught striking a victim in the back of the head with a hammer at the Union Square subway station, before leaving him bleeding on the platform after the victim looked at him in the 'wrong way.'

Police arrested 41-year-old Jamar Newton, from Brooklyn, and charged him with assault, reckless endangerment, criminal possession of a weapon and robbery.

That incident occurred one day after another woman was randomly attacked on a subway platform and beaten with a metal pole by a homeless man while waiting for the G train.

And back in February, a 21-year-old homeless man, Rigoberto Lopez, with four prior arrests and a history of hospitalization for mental illness, was arrested for a string of stabbings that left two dead and two wounded on the city's subway system.

Violent crime continues to spike in NYC as Bill de Blasio tries to lure office workers and tourists back: Assaults up 19% and robberies increased 6% in September as NYPD makes more than 3,400 gun arrests in 2021

Violent crime has continued to escalate in New York City, with assaults climbing 18.5 percent and robberies up 6 percent in September as the NYPD revealed it has made more than 3,400 gun arrests so far this year.

Stark data released by the NYPD Wednesday shows crime rose 2.6 percent overall in September 2021 compared to the same month in 2020, with an extra 243 incidents reported.

It comes as Mayor Bill de Blasio tries to lure tourists and office workers back to the COVID-ravaged Big Apple, with the data likely to deter many over personal safety concerns.

The biggest increase was for felonious assault - or assault with a dangerous weapon - which surged by a shocking 18.5 percent from 1,802 in September 2020 to 2,135 in September 2021, as New Yorkers have been plagued by random attacks in the streets of the city.

The data also reveals a concerning trend in other criminal activity, with robberies up 6 percent, car theft up 4.1 percent and grand larceny up .7 percent within the same timeframe.

Over the last year, New York has been rocked by a wave of violent crime, fueling fears it is returning to the dark days of the '70s and '80s when murders were rife and the Big Apple earned the nickname Fear City.

A map showing the New York City boroughs where crime has increased (in red) and decreased (in green) in September 2021 compared to the same month last year

This prompted former state Governor Andrew Cuomo to take the unprecedented step of launching the nation's first ever state of emergency over gun violence back in July.

But now, the situation appears to be getting even worse with a staggering 393 gun arrests made last month alone, bringing the total number of gun arrests to 3,425 between January and the end of September.

This is a dramatic increase of 20.9 percent from the same period in 2020 when 2,832 gun arrests were made.

Last year, the city and the nation was reeling from COVID-19, civil unrest following the murder of George Floyd and political turmoil in the run-up to the presidential election.

Now, COVID-19 restrictions have almost all lifted, the US's borders are poised to reopen to major tourist destinations and Mayor Bill de Blasio is trying to lure back office workers to the city.

Yet, violent and horrific subway attacks and gang-related gun battles are still a common occurrence in the streets of the city.

Some boroughs have been ravaged by the crime wave more than others, with Manhattan South recording the biggest spike in crime (20.1 percent) last month compared to the previous September.

Violent crime has continued to escalate in New York City, with total crime up 2.6% in September 2021 compared to September 2020

Manhattan North has also seen a rise in crime, up by 3.2 percent in the same timeframe.

Brooklyn South saw crime spike by 5.3 percent, Staten Island by 9 percent and the Bronx - where a terrifying gun fight broke out between gangs last month - by 4.9 percent.

The NYPD released footage this week of a September 16 gun battle between seven alleged gang members, firing at an unidentified target across the street before running off down the street in the Morrisania section of the Bronx.

Crime has, however, fallen in some boroughs of the city, down by 4.2 percent in Brooklyn North, 5.8 percent in Queens North.

In Queens South, crime fell 3.7 percent between the two months - even though there were six murders recorded there last month.

Despite the rise in some violent offenses, NYPD Police Commissioner Dermot Shea hailed the fall in murders and shootings last month.

Murders fell by 22 percent from 59 in September 2020 to 46 last month, while shootings were down 9.3 percent from 150 to 136.

Mayor Bill de Blasio touted the rise in gun arrests as an 'extraordinary success' Wednesday rather than a concerning sign of a rise in firearm use

Burglaries also fell by 14.9 percent and rapes by 12.4 percent between the two timeframes.

Shea said in a statement that this is part of a wider fall in some violent crimes from the summer as the city focuses on curtailing gun violence.

'The ongoing, downward trend in violence reflects the hard and often dangerous work of the men and women of the NYPD,' said Shea.

'And while I applaud their courage and tenacity, the police cannot do this alone. Public safety must be a collective mission.

'It requires intelligence-based policing, but it also requires a fully functioning court system and meaningful consequences that send a clear message to those who would pull a trigger: expect to be caught, and expect to be held accountable.'

De Blasio also gave an optimistic outlook of the new crime figures in his press briefing Wednesday morning.

The mayor touted the rise in gun arrests as an 'extraordinary success' Wednesday rather than a concerning sign of a rise in firearm use.

The NYPD released footage this week of a September 16 gun battle between seven alleged gang members, firing at an unidentified target across the street before running off down the street in the Morrisania section of the Bronx

'It's a typical thing out there for certain folks to doubt New York City, or to doubt our ability to make a comeback, or doubt the NYPD, but the facts speak for themselves,' he said.

'Even in the most extraordinarily difficult circumstances - total disruption of our society because of a global pandemic, unprecedented - the NYPD has fought back, neighborhood folks have fought back, the city has fought back and we're seeing it in so many ways.'

He added: 'We're seeing the city come back to life.'

The mayor said several crimes such as robbery and felony crime are currently at the lowest rate in the last three decades on a year-to-date basis.

And de Blasio said things will improve further as the city continues to come back to life - through a return of tourism and workers returning to their offices.

That is part of his 'safety in numbers' theory, where larger crowds of people gathering are likely to deter opportunistic criminals from carrying out attacks.

Yet, the tourist hotspots have been at the center of some of the violence of late.

Times Square - known for its flashing billboards and bright lights which draw in around 50 million visitors every year - has been the site of three shootings and a horrifying incident where a woman pushed a bystander in front of a subway train.

Shocking surveillance footage taken this Monday shows a woman jump up from a bench and shove the female victim as a train hurtled into the station.

Anthonia Egegbara, 29, of Queens, was charged with attempted murder Tuesday over the incident. The victim Lenny Javier, 42, suffered a broken nose and chin but luckily survived.

Historic crime data shows how crime fell from the 1990s and has inched up in recent years

This came just hours before a man shot himself in the leg in that same subway station.

Back in May, three innocent bystanders, including a four-year-old girl, were also shot by stray bullets in Times Square when a man started shooting indiscriminately in the middle of the day during an argument with someone else.

The young girl was struck in the leg, a 24-year-old woman was hit in her thigh and a 44-year-old woman was shot in the foot.

All survived the shooting, which sent shoppers and tourists fleeing for their lives.

In June, US Marine Samuel Poulin was shot in the back in the tourist hotspot.

He was walking through the area with his family when he was randomly struck by a stray bullet from an altercation involving other people. Poulin was not seriously injured.

The mayoral candidate frontrunner Eric Adams has vowed to tackle the escalating violence when de Blasio leaves office at the end of this term.

On Tuesday, he said his first focus will be to crack down on guns entering the city.

His other plans include the creation of a dedicated plain-clothed anti-gun violence unit in the NYPD.
Grindr serial killer Stephen Port's first victim may have still been alive when he was propped up against a wall after being given a lethal dose of the drug GHB, an inquest has heard.

Anthony Walgate, 23, was found outside Port's block of flats on Cooke Street, Barking, east London, in the early hours of Thursday June 19 in 2014.

He was the first of four drug-related murders of young gay men carried out by Port over a 16-month period, in which he used the dating and hook-up app Grindr to lure in his victims.

It was confirmed by Home Office pathologist Dr Olaf Biedrzycki on Tuesday that Mr Walgate, who worked as an escort, died after being poisoned with excessive quantities of GHB.

But he said bruising on his body suggested he was may have still been alive when he was moved by Port and dragged outside and left propped up against a wall - even if he was unconscious or near-death.

Dr Biedrzycki said: 'I don't think he was dead when those bruises occurred.

Anthony Walgate (pictured), 23, was found outside Port's block of flats on Cooke Street, Barking, east London, in the early hours of Thursday June 19 in 2014.

'But if he was quite unwell with low pulse, low blood pressure, if he was in the process of dying, it's possible they would have formed.'

He ruled out death by 'natural causes' following his first post-mortem examination.

Andrew O'Connor QC, counsel to the coroner, said: 'The evidence will be that Anthony was alive on Tuesday June 17 and was in touch with some friends and went to Barking that evening.

'We know he met Stephen Port, his body was found in the morning of Thursday June 19.

'The first question is whether in 2014 you (Dr Biedrzycki) were asked to provide an opinion as to when within that time of one-and-a-half days Anthony may have died, and second whether you can have a view now?'

Dr Biedrzycki replied: 'I don't think pathology is helpful.

'I imagine if there was a body at the entrance to the block of flats on Wednesday morning, someone might have seen it.'

The inquest previously heard that a paramedic and police officers all thought Mr Walgate's death was suspicious, but were later contradicted by a forensic medical examiner.

Mr Walgate was the first of four drug-related murders of young gay men carried out by Port (pictured) over a 16-month period, who used the dating and hook-up app Grindr to lure in his victims

After killing Mr Walgate, over the next 16 months Port went on to kill three more young men, Jack Taylor, 25, Gabriel Kovari, 22 and Daniel Whitworth, 21, with overdoses of the drug GHB before he was eventually stopped. He was sentenced to a whole life order in 2016 after being found guilty of four counts of murder

The alarm was first raised by Port himself, who initially said he had discovered Mr Walgate making a 'gurgling' sound.

In his 999 call, Port claimed not to know what happened to Mr Walgate but later told police they met for a sexual relationship, inquest jurors heard.

He also admitted he had picked him up, dragged him away and propped him up against the wall, jurors were told.

Port was later convicted of lying to police about the circumstances of Mr Walgate's death.

Fellow victims Gabriel Kovari, 22, and Daniel Whitworth, 21, were found dead by the same dog walker on August 28 and September 20 2014, respectively, in a corner of the walled cemetery near Port's address.

The final victim, Jack Taylor, 25, was found on the other side of the stone wall on September 14 2015.

An inquest heard how bruising on Mr Walgate's body suggested he was may have still been alive when he was moved by Port and dragged outside and left propped up against a wall - even if he was unconscious or near-death (Pictured: Scene where body was discovered)

Port was sentenced to a whole life order after being found guilty of four counts of murder

Port, now 46, was found guilty at the Old Bailey in 2016 of the four murders and sentenced to a whole life order.

The long-awaited inquest into the deaths is examining whether police made mistakes in their investigation which could have cost lives by failing to stop Port sooner.

It comes after a senior officer denied 'unconscious bias' in the handling of the investigation at the inquest yesterday.

Det Ch Insp Chris Jones attended the scene of Mr Walgate's death.

The court heard that Mr Jones, having classified Anthony's death as 'unexplained' rather than 'suspicious', had determined the case should be dealt with by borough officers rather than his specialist homicide team.

However, Mr Jones was not aware at the time of 'inconsistencies' around the time of death or that the man who called 999 was a suspected rapist.

Giving evidence at the inquests into Port's four victims, Mr Jones, who has since retired, denied there was 'bias' because the victim was a young gay man and his death potentially involved drugs.

He said: 'I cannot accept for one minute there is any bias in the approach to the investigation into the death of Anthony Walgate.

'You are alluding to unconscious bias. I have reflected on that. I have challenged myself. I am absolutely content that that does not exist in the way I approach any investigation.'

The hearing continues.
The family of Liam Adams will commission an independent expert to examine the circumstances of his death ahead of his inquest, a coroner has been told.

The sex offender brother of former Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams died from pancreatic cancer in a hospice in 2019.

Adams, 63, had been moved from Maghaberry Prison, where he was serving a 16-year sentence for the rape and sexual assault of his daughter, Aine Dahlstrom, who waived her right to anonymity.

Dahlstrom was attacked over a six-year period between 1977 and 1983 when she was aged between four and nine.

Last week, Northern Ireland's Prisoner Ombudsman found there had been no missed or delayed diagnosis of his cancer.

Lesley Carroll's investigation was prompted by concerns raised by Adam's family about his care.

Liam Adams (pictured) arrives at Belfast Crown Court on October 1, 2013 where he was found guilty of sexually abusing his daughter Aine Dahlstrom

Ms Carroll said she accepted the findings of an independent clinical reviewer, who concluded that he had received 'appropriate clinical care'.

However, a lawyer for the family told coroner Maria Dougan that the family intends to commission an expert.

'On behalf of the next of kin it is anticipated we will instruct an expert,' said Paul Burns at Belfast Coroner's Court on Tuesday.

Mr Burns added that the expert will need access to Adams' medical notes in order to prepare a report.

Aiden Corrigan, representing the South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust, which provided medical services for Adams in Maghaberry, will await the findings compiled on behalf of the Adams family before seeking an expert of their own.

Aine Dahlstrom (right), daughter of Liam Adams, is hugged as she leaves Belfast Crown Court in October 2013

Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams at the Leinster House in Dublin, Ireland, the day after his brother Liam was found guilty of of a string of child sex abuse charges

Counsel for the coroner Mark Reel said the Prisoner Ombudsman's report will be circulated to those involved in the inquest hearing.

He added that the Coroners Service does not intend to commission its own expert.

Today's short hearing also focused on issues around the disclosure of files relating to Adams' treatment and death to all the parties participating in the inquest.

Ms Dougan said it is too early to be in a position to set a date for the full inquest.

'I hope to be in a position to list this for hearing at the next preliminary hearing,' she said.

The next hearing will take place on December 14.
Industries reliant on carbon dioxide have just eight weeks to find a long-term solution to the impact of soaring prices after ministers brokered a deal to ensure supplies up to and through Christmas.

Spiking energy prices forced a major CO2 producer, CF Fertilisers, to shut down its two UK plants last month as the Government stepped in for three weeks to prop up the firm in a move that was expected to cost taxpayers tens of millions of pounds.

The situation put pressure on CO2 supplies which are used across numerous key industries including stunning animals for slaughter, extending the shelf life of food, producing fizzy drinks, aiding in surgical operations and cooling nuclear power plants. Carbon dioxide is a by-product of fertiliser manufacture and the US firm supplies around 60 per cent of the UK's needs.

The Government has now helped secure a temporary fix, lasting until January 2022, which will see CO2 suppliers pay a higher price to CF Fertilisers for the gas, ensuring production remains viable.

MailOnline understand that the deal means a price increase from 0.3p per litre to more than 1p per litre.

But there are fears that while this will being short-term certainty it is partly pushing the problem down the road, while the country is reliant on a small number of producers who are themselves at the mercy of global gas prices.

An industry source told the Telegraph said: 'We have eight weeks to sort out the long-term solution.'

Spiking energy prices forced a major CO2 producer, CF Fertilisers, to shut down its two UK plants last month as the Government stepped in for three weeks to prop up the firm in a move that was expected to cost taxpayers tens of millions of pounds

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said the agreement means 'critical industries can have confidence in their supplies of CO2 over the coming months without further taxpayer support'

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said the agreement means 'critical industries can have confidence in their supplies of CO2 over the coming months without further taxpayer support'.

However, there are fears that a higher purchasing price will be passed onto consumers, hitting families in the pocket, while the short term nature of the deal has prompted concerns about the UK's long term supply of CO2.

The shortage is part of a storm of crises the Government is accused of failing to get a grip on, including a shortage of fuel and 100,000 HGV drivers, a lack of food processing workers and butchers due to the pandemic and Brexit, gaps in the global supply chain and the highest rise in energy prices for decades hitting households and businesses.

The PM has brought in the former boss of Tesco, Sir Dave Lewis, to unblock Britain's choked supply chains.

Meanwhile, desperate steel, chemicals and glass factories today pleaded for tax breaks to help them cope with soaring energy bills - as Boris Johnson prepares to sign off hundreds of millions of pounds in loans to keep them afloat.

Energy-intensive businesses insisted cutting taxes and levies was more important than a bailout, after an extraordinary bout of wrangling in Whitehall.

Mr Johnson appears to have sided with Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng following his spat with Chancellor Rishi Sunak over the need for government support.

A package is now due within days, but rather than handouts or a price cap on industrial energy costs, it is expected to come in the form of loans.

It is understood the support will also come with 'strings attached', ensuring companies cannot pay out big bonuses while they are benefiting.

The move could raise concerns that the government is merely kicking the can down the road, as firms will have to repay the costs later when energy prices have settled down.

The Treasury is said to have been alarmed at the prospect of doling out more cash, warning that 'demands simply increase' when sectors know the Chancellor is involved in the process.
An award-winning Irish author has defended rejecting an offer from an Israeli publisher to translate her book into Hebrew saying the decision was on political grounds - after critics accused her of anti-Semitism.

Sally Rooney was asked by Israeli publisher Modan to translate her new book -Beautiful World, Where Are You.

But the 30-year-old author rejected the request because she supports a cultural boycott of Israel.

Miss Rooney's new book was released in September and topped book charts in the UK and Ireland.

However it was later reported that the writer's views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict had seen her turn down a translation of her book from Modan.

The row has sparked a wave of criticism against the author and screenwriter, whose book Normal People won a series of awards and was later adapted into a BBC TV drama.

Some took to social media to accuse Miss Rooney's decision as 'anti-Semitic', while others questioned why her books were published for an audience in China - which has been accused of human rights abuses over its treatment of Uighur Muslims.

But the author today defended her decision - which she said was not to have the book published by an Israeli-based publishing house - and that the Hebrew language rights were 'still available'.

Writing in a statement, Rooney said: 'Earlier this year, the international campaign group Human Rights Watch published a report entitled A Threshold Crossed: Israeli Authorities and the Crimes of Apartheid and Persecution.

Sally Rooney, 30, was asked by Israeli publisher Modan to translate her new book -Beautiful World, Where Are You - but the author allegedly rejected the request

Miss Rooney's Normal People was later adapted into an acclaimed BBC series in 2020

Beautiful World, Where Are You follows the life of novelist Alice after she asks a distribution warehouse worker to travel to Rome with her

Today Ms Rooney defended her decision, saying in a statement: 'Earlier this year, the international campaign group Human Rights Watch published a report entitled A Threshold Crossed: Israeli Authorities and the Crimes of Apartheid and Persecution.'

She also addressed criticism that her books were translated into other languages from countries which have come under scrutiny for human rights abuses

She added that the Hebrew-language translation rights were 'still available' to those 'compliant' with the BDS movement - a Palestinian-led movement promoting boycotts, divestments, and economic sanctions against Israel

The rise of millennial-favourite Sally Rooney: The self-confessed Irish Marxist who calls herself 'a borderline controversially strong advocate of free speech' and 'hates Yeats' In the world of fiction writing, Sally Rooney's rise to fame has been meteoric - but not one she always welcomes. The Irish author, 30, burst onto the scene in 2017 with her book Conversation with Friends - which earned her that year's Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award. Her next book, Normal People, not only accelerated her success, it propelled her into becoming one of the most prominent millennial writers, selling over a million copies. It was also adapted into an equally popular BBC drama, of the same name. Consequently, there has been much anticipation for her third book, Beautiful World, Where Are You. Announced in 2019 it was finally published last month. But with success has brought a certain degree of controversy for the Irish author. Born to a telecoms worker father and arts centre manager mother in County Mayo, Ireland, Rooney described herself as a 'loner' growing up. But she found a voice while at university at Trinity College Dublin, where she studied English. It was here she, in her third year, she was involved in a successful campaign to stop the BNP leader at the time, Nick Griffin, appearing at the debating society. Speaking to the The Times in 2019, she described herself as 'a borderline controversially strong advocate of free speech' - even on hate speech.' She said: 'I feel hesitant to allow the government power to legislate,' adding: 'I believe very strongly in the informal regulation of protests and no-platforming.' A self-confessed Marxist, she has also been vocal about her industry. In a Youtube interview, named 'Writing with Marxism', she addressed her own concerns, addressed by one of her own characters in her book, that the books were a 'commodity' and that people were 'essentially paying to belong to a class of people who read books'. Speaking about her own beliefs, she added: 'The way I see the world today is most through a Marxist framework. And Im never quite sure how to make that way of thinking sit alongside the fiction that I write. I dont know what it means to write a Marxist role. Even though thats the analytical structure that helps me to make sense of the world around me, I cant necessarily cant always accommodate that structure in the form of a novel. The one way that influences my work is that I write a lot about social class, but I dont think theres a straightforward way of doing that.' Controversy for Rooney first struck in 2017 after an interview in the Irish Independent in which she criticised prominent Irish Poet William Butler Yeats - the 1923 Nobel Prize-winner. 'I hate Yeats,' she said. 'A lot of his poems are not very good but some are obviously okay. But how has he become this sort of emblem of literary Irishness when he was this horrible man? 'He was a huge fan of Mussolini, he was really into fascism, he believed deeply in the idea of a 'noble class' who are superior by birth to the plebs. And he was in the Senate. 'He wasn't just this harmless weirdo who wrote poetry. People misinterpret him in this country, and when we're taught about him in school, it's just hagiography.' She later described her comments, just before the release of Conversations With Friends, as 'ill-advised'. Along with addressing her Yeats 'controversy', Rooney has also in the past talked about her unhappy relationship with fame. In a Guardian article earlier this year she said the 'hell' of fame is that of a person 'enduring variably serious invasions of their privacy from the media, from obsessive fans, and from people motivated by obsessive hatred'. She also revealed she had quit Twitter, having been unable to see things about herself. She said: 'I dont read reviews or profiles, and back when I used social media, I actually "muted" my own name to try and avoid seeing things accidentally.' Advertisement

'That report, coming on the heels of a similarly damning report by Israels most prominent human rights organization BTselem, confirmed what Palestinian human rights groups have long been saying: Israels system of racial domination and segregation against Palestinians meets the definition of apartheid under international law.

'Of course, many states other than Israel are guilty of grievous human rights abuses.

'This was also true of South Africa during the campaign against apartheid there.

'In this particular case, I am responding to the call from Palestinian civil society, including all major Palestinian trade unions and writers unions.'

She added that the Hebrew-language translation rights were 'still available' to those 'compliant' with the BDS movement - a Palestinian-led movement promoting boycotts, divestments, and economic sanctions against Israel.

She added: 'I will be very pleased and proud to do so. In the meantime I would like to express once again my solidarity with the Palestinian people in their struggle for freedom, justice and equality.'

It comes after The New York Times published an interview with Miss Rooney in September. This was then translated into Hebrew and published with more details by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz.

Haaretz reported: 'When Modan approached Rooney's agent in an attempt to sign another translation deal, the agent announced that Rooney supports the cultural boycott movement on Israel and therefore does not approve translation into Hebrew.'

Miss Rooney's agent, Tracy Bohan, said the author had declined the translation when approached for comment, according to Haaretz.

The two previous novels written by Miss Rooney, Conversations With Friends and Normal People, have both been published in Hebrew by Modan.

Miss Rooney's support for a boycott of Israel has seen her sign an open letter which called for 'an end to the support provided by global powers to Israel and its military; especially the United States' and also urged governments to 'cut trade, economic and cultural relations'.

The Jewish Telegraphic Agency also noted that in her second novel, Normal People, the main characters attend a protest against Israel's role in the 2014 Gaza war.

Academic Gitit Levy-Paz highlighted the boycott revelation last night in a blog post on the website Forward.

She wrote: 'Rooney's decision surprised and saddened me. I am a Jewish and Israeli woman, but I am also a literary scholar who believes in the universal power of art.'

Meanwhile Ben Judah, a British author and journalist, wrote on Twitter: 'Depressing and unpleasant that Sally Rooney won't allow her new novel to be translated into Hebrew.'

Another critic of the decision was Ruth Franklin, author of Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted Life. She said: 'Sally Rooneys novels are available in Chinese and Russian.

'Doesnt she care about the Uighurs? Or Putin-defying journalists? To judge Israel by a different standard than the rest of the world is antisemitism.'

Joel M Petlin, Superintendent of the Kiryas Joel School District, in New York state, also criticised Miss Rooney's stance, saying: 'When Sally Rooney books are translated into Yiddish then we can stop calling her an anti-Semite. Until then, the label is well deserved.'

Meanwhile, Ron Kampeas, the Washington, D.C. bureau chief of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, urged Miss Rooney to distinguish between boycotting an Israeli publisher and the Hebrew language.

He said: 'The Internet has been around for quite some time now. If youre Sally Rooney and youre boycotting Israeli publishers there are ways to make a text available in Hebrew to make clear you are not boycotting a culture, a people, an ethnicity.

Asked if it was her responsibility to have the texts translated, he replied: 'It's not her responsibility, no. But unlike a boycott of, say, a book festival in Israel, or a university symposium, this involves keeping the book from appearing in a Jewish language. I think it behooves a writer to explain that they would not object to translation per se.'

Miss Rooney's three novels are renowned for their minimalist writing style and melancholy depiction of life in post-financial crisis Ireland. Her work also addresses tensions between Ireland's working and middle classes.

She won four book awards in the UK, including Young Writer of the Year by the Sunday Times in 2017 and the Costa Book award in 2018.

Normal People, based on the on-off relationship between Marianne Sheridan and Connell Waldron during their youth, was adapted into an acclaimed BBC series in 2020.

Following the show's success Miss Rooney described the downfalls of fame.

She told The Guardian: 'Of course, that person could stop doing whatever it is they're good at, in order to be allowed to retire from public life, but that seems to me like a big sacrifice on their part and an exercise in cultural self-destruction for the rest of us, forcing talented people either to endure hell or keep their talents to themselves.

'I don't think it is graceless for people in those positions to speak out about how poisonous this system is. It doesn't seem to work in any real way for anyone, except presumably some shareholders somewhere.'

Her latest novel Beautiful World, Where Are You follows the life of novelist Alice after she asks a distribution warehouse worker to travel to Rome with her.

In 2018, Miss Rooney told The Daily Telegraph that she struggled with socialising while growing up, despite her newfound status as the voice of the so-called 'millennial' generation.

She said: 'I thought school was immensely boring and, as a teenager, I often found social life quite mystifyingI was not someone to whom it came easily to be charming.'

A spokesman for Modan told The Daily Telegraph it would not be publishing Rooney's third novel but declined to say whether this was due to a boycott.
A crack addict serial killer was able to murder his third and final victim at a Brooklyn apartment complex filled with vulnerable elderly residents because Andrew Cuomo's moratorium stopped him being kicked out, police say.

Kevin Gavin was charged in January with the brutal murders of Myrtle McKinny, 82, Jacolia James, 83, and most recently, Juanita Caballero, 78 - all of whom lived in the Carter G. Woodson Houses in between Brownsville and East New York.

McKinny was killed in 2015, with James murdered in 2019. But Caballero was killed in January 2021, when Gavin was squatting in his late cousin's flat after his relative died.

New York state's moratorium on evictions meant he couldn't be evicted, meaning Caballero could potentially have been spared her gruesome death - which saw her found with a telephone cord wrapped around her neck - had that Andrew Cuomo-backed edict not been in place.

Gavin moved into the building in 2015, sleeping on a mattress on his brother's floor.

His brother, Leon, had been in the building for years and was affectionately known to the other residents as Music Man because he held parties in the courtyard by hooking up a speaker to his mobility scooter and playing music, according to a feature on the murders by New York Magazine on Tuesday.

When Leon died in April 2020, his brother simply stayed in his apartment. He wasn't evicted - despite the best efforts of residents who had grown suspicious of him - because of a statewide COVID ban on evictions.

Gavin became known as 'Point' because he carried an ice pick. He was lurking around the residents' apartments, according to their neighbors, had a glass-eye, and sometimes begged for money for drugs.

By April 2020, he had allegedly already killed McKinny (who was found dead in 2015) and Jacolia James (found dead in the building in 2019).

NYPD detectives considered him a suspect at the time but did nothing to follow up leads beyond calling him once or twice.

Kevin Gavin was charged in January with the brutal murders of Myrtle McKinny, 82, Jacolia James, 83, and most recently, Juanita Caballero, 78. They all lived in the Carter G. Woodson Houses in between Brownsville and East New York

The victims and alleged serial killer all lived at Carter G. Woodson Houses in between Brownsville and East New York

Juanita Caballero (pictured) 78, was found dead at her apartment with a telephone cord wrapped around her neck, police said

Gavin was eventually arrested in January this year after Cabellero's death, despite cops claiming to have been suspicious for him for years.

Al Brust, the detective who was assigned to the case but who no longer works for the NYPD, said he tried to interview Gavin in 2015 McKinny's death was ruled a homicide, but was told over the phone once he was 'out of state'.

'It bothered me that it was basically left open,' he said.

He then says his team moved on to other cases.

The next murder was in 2019 - nearly four years later. In that case, 83-year-old James was found in her home, lying in the hallway with bruises covering her neck and face.

Her grandson told NY Magazine he was immediately suspicious of Gavin when he saw him weeks earlier

Police say he killed his victims because they hadn't paid him for handyman jobs in the building.

Gavin is accused of killing 82-year-old neighbor, Myrtle McKenny (left) who was found dead in her apartment in November 2015. Almost four years later, the battered body of Jacolia James, (right) 83, was discovered by her grandson in her home

McKinney, first victim, was found in her kitchen in 2015 lying under a table with bruises around her face, dried blood on her face and on the floor. Her dentures was lying next to her body.

Her niece was suspicious at the time, and insisted her late aunt's body was lying too far under her kitchen table for her to have died as the result of an accidental fall.

Police ruled it an accident because there was no evidence of foul play but they now believe Kevin murdered her.

It wasn't until she was being dressed for her funeral that the funeral director discovered a long thin slit on the back of her neck - proof that she had been stabbed - that the cops ruled her death a murder.

But the crime scene had been cleared and there were no other leads.

By 2020, residents wanted him out. His brother had been found dead on the floor of his apartment, though there is no evidence to tie him to that crime.

'We had our suspicions,' Diane Johnson said.

Had the moratorium that banned evictions not been in place, the New York City Housing Authority would have been able to evict him once his brother died.

But because it was banned, they had no choice but to leave him there, until his arrest on reasonable grounds.

Gavin was arrested in January and charged with the three murders.

He remains in custody awaiting his next court date. He pleaded not guilty earlier this year.
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Gabby Petito's mother has slammed the family lawyer of fugitive Brian Laundrie after he released a statement expressing sympathy for her death following a coroner ruling that the van-life woman died from strangulation.

Nicole Schmidt called Anthony Bertolino's words 'garbage' in a brief text message to a reporter Thursday.

Teton County Coroner Dr. Brent Blue released the findings of 22-year-old Petito's autopsy in a press briefing Tuesday afternoon.

Petito was a victim of domestic violence and her body lay undiscovered in the remote Wyoming wilderness for up to four weeks after her murder was announced, Dr. Blue revealed Tuesday.

CNN later obtained an official docket saying Petito had been killed by manual strangulation, meaning she'd hadn't been strangled using a ligature such as a cord or belt. Dr Blue had refused to comment further on how Petito was strangled during his press conference.

The Laundrie family lawyer, Anthony Bertolino, gave a statement attempting to express sympathy to Gabby's family Thursday.

'Gabby Petitos death at such a young age is a tragedy,' he wrote.

'While Brian Laundrie is currently charged with the unauthorized use of a debit card belonging to Gabby, Brian is only considered a person of interest in relation to Gabby Petito's demise,' Bertolino wrote. 'At this time Brian is still missing and when he is located we will address the pending fraud charge against him.'

Petito's mother, Nicole Schmidt, texted a reported a curt, blunt response.

'His words are garbage. Keep talking,' she texted a reporter from WFLA in Tampa Bay.

The Laundrie family lawyer, Anthony Bertolino, offered a statement attempting to express sympathy for Gabby's family Thursday

Petito's mother, Nicole Schmidt, texted a reported a curt, blunt response. 'His words are garbage. Keep talking,' she texted a reporter from WFLA in Tampa Bay

This happened as Laundrie spent his fourth week missing without trace as cops continue to search for him.

'We find the cause of death to be strangulation and the manner is homicide,' said Blue.

Blue said he could not determine the specific date Petito was murdered, saying only that 'the body was in the wilderness for three-to-four weeks' and that an 'approximate date' would have to be placed on her death certificate.

Petito's body was discovered in a campsite close to the Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming on September 19 - eight days after her family reported her missing, and 22 days after the last reported sighting of her alive on August 27.

The coroner refused to reveal several details about the autopsy's findings including: the condition of Petito's body, if her body was buried, whether any drugs were found in her system and whether she was killed in the same spot her body was found.

He did confirm that Petito was not pregnant at the time of her death - after internet sleuths circulated that theory online in recent days. Blue added that DNA samples had been taken by law enforcement as the investigation into her murder and who was responsible continues.

Gabby Petito (pictured) was killed by strangulation and her body lay for three to four weeks before it was found, the autopsy results revealed Tuesday

Teton County Coroner Dr. Brent Blue released the cause of the 22-year-old van-life vlogger's death in a videoconference press briefing (above) Tuesday afternoon

Blue said he could not comment on whether his findings pointed to Laundrie being the murderer - before slipping up and describing Petito as a victim of domestic violence.

'I cannot make any comment about any suspects as we are not involved in that part of the investigation,' he said.

'So who committed the homicide is really to be confirmed by law enforcement.'

However, he then referred to the case as 'domestic violence', saying there are many domestic abuse incidents but that this had gained greater attention due to Petito being a YouTube blogger.

'It was quite the media circus and continues to be. Unfortunately, this is one of many deaths around the country of people who are involved in domestic violence,' he said.

'It's unfortunate that other deaths do not get as much coverage as this one.'

The coroner's briefing still left more questions than it answered as he refused to provide further details when asked in the question-and-answer session.

Blue refused to say whether any other bruising or injuries had been found on Petito's body and what condition her body was found in.

When asked about any drugs being found in her system, he said only the cause and manner of death is released in the state of Wyoming and not the toxicology tests.

Blue also refused to confirm whether Petito's body was buried or left out in the open in the remote location close to the campsite.

He also wouldn't reveal if his findings showed she was killed at the site her remains were found or if her body was moved there after being murdered in another location.

Brian Laundrie and Gabby Petito. He has been on the run for more than three weeks following their doomed campervan trip

A memorial of stones arranged in a cross pattern at the Spread Creek Dispersed Campsite east of the Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming on September 20 - where Petito's body was found one day earlier

Timeline of Gabby Petito case July 1: Gabby Petito and her boyfriend, Brian Laundrie left Blue Point, New York for a cross-country road trip

Gabby Petito and her boyfriend, Brian Laundrie left Blue Point, New York for a cross-country road trip August 12: Police in Moab, Utah respond to a domestic incident involving the couple

Police in Moab, Utah respond to a domestic incident involving the couple Aug. 17: Laundrie allegedly flies back to Florida to 'clear out a storage unit'

Laundrie allegedly flies back to Florida to 'clear out a storage unit' Aug. 21: Petito's father, Joseph Petito, has his last FaceTime video call with his daughter who was in Salt Lake City, Utah

Petito's father, Joseph Petito, has his last FaceTime video call with his daughter who was in Salt Lake City, Utah Aug. 23: Laundrie flies back to Utah to 'rejoin Gabby' on their trip

Laundrie flies back to Utah to 'rejoin Gabby' on their trip Aug. 24: Petito is last seen at a hotel in Salt Lake City with Laundrie

Petito is last seen at a hotel in Salt Lake City with Laundrie Aug. 25: Petito makes final call to her mother, Nichole Schmidt, saying she was in Grand Teton National Park

Petito makes final call to her mother, Nichole Schmidt, saying she was in Grand Teton National Park Aug. 25 or 26: The couple chats with the owner of a shop called 'Rustic Row' in Victor, Utah for about 20 minutes

The couple chats with the owner of a shop called 'Rustic Row' in Victor, Utah for about 20 minutes Aug. 27: Video of Petito's van was taken by blogger Jenn Bethune around 6.30 pm at the Spread Creek Campground; Witnesses say they saw a 'commotion' with the couple at Merry Piglets Tex-mex restaurant in Jackson, Wyoming

Video of Petito's van was taken by blogger Jenn Bethune around 6.30 pm at the Spread Creek Campground; Witnesses say they saw a 'commotion' with the couple at Merry Piglets Tex-mex restaurant in Jackson, Wyoming Aug. 29: The day that Wisconsin TikToker Miranda Baker claimed that she and her boyfriend were approached by Laundrie at Grand Teton National Park and asked them for a ride at 5.30pm

The day that Wisconsin TikToker Miranda Baker claimed that she and her boyfriend were approached by Laundrie at Grand Teton National Park and asked them for a ride at 5.30pm Aug. 30: Schmidt receives the last text from Petito's phone: 'No service in Yosemite'

Schmidt receives the last text from Petito's phone: 'No service in Yosemite' Sept. 1: Laundrie returns to his parents' home in North Port, Florida in a van without Petito

Laundrie returns to his parents' home in North Port, Florida in a van without Petito Sept. 6-7: Laundrie and his parents visit Fort De Soto campsite in Florida

Laundrie and his parents visit Fort De Soto campsite in Florida Sept. 11: Schmidt reports Petito missing to authorities in New York; Petito and Laundrie's van was impounded by police in Florida that same day

Schmidt reports Petito missing to authorities in New York; Petito and Laundrie's van was impounded by police in Florida that same day Sept. 12: Grand Teton National Park rangers search for Petito

Grand Teton National Park rangers search for Petito Sept. 13: Laundrie's lawyer says on October 5 that his parents now 'believe' this was the day they last saw him heading for a hike

Laundrie's lawyer says on October 5 that his parents now 'believe' this was the day they last saw him heading for a hike Sept. 14: Laundrie issues a statement about Petito's disappearance through his lawyer; Laundrie's parents claim on September 17 that Laundrie left his parents' home for a hike this day and they hadn't seen from him since

Laundrie issues a statement about Petito's disappearance through his lawyer; Laundrie's parents claim on September 17 that Laundrie left his parents' home for a hike this day and they hadn't seen from him since Sept. 15: Laundrie is officially named a person of interest in Petito's case

Laundrie is officially named a person of interest in Petito's case Sept. 17: Laundrie family attorney confirms his whereabouts are unknown

Laundrie family attorney confirms his whereabouts are unknown Sept. 18: North Port police and the FBI start searching the Carlton Reserve in Sarasota County for missing Brian Laundrie

North Port police and the FBI start searching the Carlton Reserve in Sarasota County for missing Brian Laundrie Sept. 19: Bethune realizes she has video of Petito's van around 12am and submits the FBI with the footage 10 minutes later; Officials announce a body was found near Grand Teton National Park that matched Petitos description in the afternoon

Bethune realizes she has video of Petito's van around 12am and submits the FBI with the footage 10 minutes later; Officials announce a body was found near Grand Teton National Park that matched Petitos description in the afternoon Sept. 21: Coroner confirms remains found in Grand Tetons belong to Petito. Her death is ruled a homicide but her cause of death is still under invesetigation

Coroner confirms remains found in Grand Tetons belong to Petito. Her death is ruled a homicide but her cause of death is still under invesetigation Sept. 20 - 22: FBI and North Port police continue search for Laundrie in Carton Reserve

FBI and North Port police continue search for Laundrie in Carton Reserve Sept. 22 : Neighbors say they saw the Laudrie family pack up their detached camper on the day Gabby was reported missing. DailyMail.com photos show the camper was back in the driveway two days later, on September 13

: Neighbors say they saw the Laudrie family pack up their detached camper on the day Gabby was reported missing. DailyMail.com photos show the camper was back in the driveway two days later, on September 13 Sept. 23 : FBI issues an arrest warrant for Laundrie for 'use of unauthorized access device' for fraudulently using a Capitol One Bank debit card that was not his between August 30 and September 1 to spend $1,000; A probe is launched into the police handling of the Utah police incident on Aug. 12; Laundrie's parents visit their attorney in Orlando

: FBI issues an arrest warrant for Laundrie for 'use of unauthorized access device' for fraudulently using a Capitol One Bank debit card that was not his between August 30 and September 1 to spend $1,000; A probe is launched into the police handling of the Utah police incident on Aug. 12; Laundrie's parents visit their attorney in Orlando Sept. 25: Dog the Bounty Hunter joins the search for Laundrie

Dog the Bounty Hunter joins the search for Laundrie Sept. 26: A funeral is held for Petito in Holbrook, New York, and her family launch a charity to help parents find missing children

A funeral is held for Petito in Holbrook, New York, and her family launch a charity to help parents find missing children Sept. 27: Manhunt for Laundrie in the Carlton Reserve is scaled back after 10 day search doesn't find him. Dog the Bounty Hunter says Laundrie and his parents stayed at Fort De Soto Park from September 1-3 and September 6-8 - and that on the latter visit only the parents left

Manhunt for Laundrie in the Carlton Reserve is scaled back after 10 day search doesn't find him. Dog the Bounty Hunter says Laundrie and his parents stayed at Fort De Soto Park from September 1-3 and September 6-8 - and that on the latter visit only the parents left Sept. 28: Laundrie's mom is accused of using a burner phone to contact her son Sept. 29: Documents reveal Laundrie's mom canceled a reservation for the Fort De Soto Park campsite for two from September 1 to 3 and booked for three from September 6 to 8; FBI seizes surveillance footage from site; FBI investigates lead Laundrie bought a burner phone on September 14;

Laundrie's mom is accused of using a burner phone to contact her son Sept. 29: Documents reveal Laundrie's mom canceled a reservation for the Fort De Soto Park campsite for two from September 1 to 3 and booked for three from September 6 to 8; FBI seizes surveillance footage from site; FBI investigates lead Laundrie bought a burner phone on September 14; Sept. 30: Bodycam footage from a second officer at the August 12 incident is released showing a distressed Petito admitting Laundrie hit her; FBI agents collect more evidence from the Laundrie home

Bodycam footage from a second officer at the August 12 incident is released showing a distressed Petito admitting Laundrie hit her; FBI agents collect more evidence from the Laundrie home Oct. 1: It emerges Laundrie's sister had contact with him after she said she did

It emerges Laundrie's sister had contact with him after she said she did Oct. 2 : A hiker along the Appalachian Trail claims to have seen Laundrie near the border of Tennessee and North Carolina

: A hiker along the Appalachian Trail claims to have seen Laundrie near the border of Tennessee and North Carolina Oct. 3 : Investigators searched the area on the Appalachian trail for any signs that Laundrie had been there

: Investigators searched the area on the Appalachian trail for any signs that Laundrie had been there Oct. 4 : Laundrie's sister told protestors outside her home that her family has been ignoring her after they rebuked her story and that she does not know where her brother is

: Laundrie's sister told protestors outside her home that her family has been ignoring her after they rebuked her story and that she does not know where her brother is Oct 5 : Laundrie's sister appeared on Good Morning America to say she would turn her brother in if she knew where he is;

: Laundrie's sister appeared on Good Morning America to say she would turn her brother in if she knew where he is; Oct. 7: Laundrie's father Christopher joins FBI agents on the search for his son at the Carlton Reserve but the search brings up no clues

Laundrie's father Christopher joins FBI agents on the search for his son at the Carlton Reserve but the search brings up no clues Oct. 12: Teton County Coroner Dr. Brent Blue announces autopsy findings which show Petito died by strangulation; No specific date of death was given - only that she was dead 3-4 weeks before her body was found

Teton County Coroner Dr. Brent Blue announces autopsy findings which show Petito died by strangulation; No specific date of death was given - only that she was dead 3-4 weeks before her body was found Oct. 16 : Petito's parents are seen collecting her ashes from the Valley Mortuary in Jackson, Wyoming

: Petito's parents are seen collecting her ashes from the Valley Mortuary in Jackson, Wyoming October 20 : Human remains found in Carlton Reserve Advertisement

When asked why the autopsy results took almost one month to release, the coroner said it had involved various experts joining the investigation and detailed toxicology testing.

'It was just a matter of making sure we had everything right,' he said.

Dog the Bounty Hunter, who launched his own search for Laundrie last month before cutting it short Monday due to an ankle injury, also released a statement saying the coroner's findings make the fugitive 'look guilty.'

'The coroner's statement has established a timeline that looks worse for Brian Laundrie. His continued evasion of law enforcement makes him look guilty. His best decision now would be to turn himself in,' said Dog.

'I can't fathom how Brian's parents can live with themselves after how they've stonewalled the Petito family. They need to be doing more to signal Brian to stop running.'

Dog announced Monday he had flown back to Colorado due to an ankle injury, leaving behind a team to continue in their search as he said he was trying to raise more money for what he described as an 'expensive search.'

DailyMail.com revealed Tuesday that Dog had been on his honeymoon in Florida when he decided to cut it short to join the search for Laundrie 100 miles north in the state in late September.

The coroner previously ruled the manner of Petito's death a homicide but the cause of her death was not disclosed, pending further autopsy results.

In Wyoming, the term homicide encompasses varying degrees of murder and manslaughter and so the circumstances of her death were a mystery until now.

While the autopsy was not able to determine an exact cause of death it matches the timeline based on the last sightings of the 22-year-old and her final conversations with her loved ones.

The FBI has been focusing its investigation around the belief Petito was killed between August 27 and August 30.

Petito last spoke to her mom Nichole Schmidt over the phone on August 25.

The last reports of Petito being seen alive were on August 27 when witnesses said they saw the couple involved in a 'commotion' in a restaurant in Wyoming.

That same day, Schmidt received an 'odd' text message from her daughter's phone where she referred to her grandfather as 'Stan' - sending alarm bells that something was wrong.

On August 30, her mom received the last text message from Petito's phone reading: 'No service in Yosemite.' Petito's phone has never been found.

Laundrie, 23, allegedly used Petito's stolen bank card to spend around $1,000 between August 30 and September 1 and returned to his family's home in North Port, Florida, on September 1.

Laundrie is the sole person of interest in his fiancee's disappearance and death but has not yet been charged in connection with it.

It is not clear if he is even still alive to potentially face charges.

A warrant was issued for his arrest on September 23 over the stolen Capitol One Bank card. The attorney for Petito's family said last week the card belonged to her.

Petito set off on a once in a lifetime four-month-long trip with Laundrie on July 2, traveling across America in the couple's white campervan and documenting their adventures on YouTube.

On September 1, Laundrie returned to his family's home in North Port, Florida, without his fiancee but driving their white Ford van.

Laundrie did not report her missing and, in the days that followed, he and his parents allegedly ignored her concerned family's pleas for information about her whereabouts.

Petito was reported missing on September 11 by her mom and police visited the Laundrie's home.

But the Laundrie family lawyered up and refused to let cops speak to the 23-year-old about his fiancee's whereabouts.

On September 17, two days before Petito's body was discovered, Laundrie's parents Christopher and Roberta told cops their son had gone missing.

Their version of events has changed in the weeks that followed - first telling authorities Laundrie had left their home to head to the Carlton Reserve nature park on September 14 and didn't return.

Now, the fugitive's parents have claimed they actually 'believe' Laundrie set off from their home one day earlier on September 13, meaning he had a four-day head start before they finally reported him missing to authorities.

The exact timing of when Laundrie went on the run is not clear.

Police revealed last week that they did not see or speak to Laundrie at all after Petito was reported missing.

It is not clear if authorities have any evidence of Laundrie even being at the family home prior to September 13.

The young couple were stopped by police in Moab, Utah, back on August 12 after a witness reported seeing a man slapping a woman outside a grocery store before driving off in a white van.

Bodycam footage has revealed Petito told cops Laundrie had hit her and cut her face by grabbing her 'with his nail'.

The video shows a cop pointing out 'new' marks on Petito's face and arm and asking if Laundrie had hit her, to which she replies: 'I guess.'

'He like grabbed me with his nail, and I guess that's why it looks, I definitely have a cut right here. I can feel it, when I touch it it burns,' she tells the officer.

The 22-year-old quickly backtracks and defends her fiance, saying she 'hit him first' when he locked her out of their van and refused to let her in.

Laundrie meanwhile instantly defends himself and pushes the blame onto Petito for the altercation as soon as the cops arrive on the scene.

He claims Petito was 'really worked up' and that he 'was just trying to push her away' when asked about allegations he had hit her.

Bodycam footage from one Moab officer was released when Petito was still a missing person, showing Petito telling the officer she slapped Laundrie, while he is seen showing the cop scratches on his face and arm, which he claims were caused when she 'hit me with her phone'.

A second officer's camera was released on September 30, with some of the previous inaudible comments by the couple revealed for the first time.

The cops determined Petito was 'the primary aggressor' and separated them for the night.

The domestic incident less than two weeks before she was last seen alive.

A probe has been launched into the police handling of the August 12 incident and Moab City Police Department Chief Bret Edge has since taken a leave of absence pending the investigation.

Meanwhile, the manhunt for Laundrie has entered its fourth week with the search continuing to focus on the Carlton Reserve, close to the Laundrie family home.

Laundrie's dad Christopher joined the search last Thursday as his family continues to face mounting scrutiny over what they know.

The FBI is also investigating 11 alleged sightings of Laundrie along the Appalachian Trail near the North Carolina-Tennessee border.

The young couple were stopped by police in Moab, Utah, back on August 12 after a witness reported seeing a man slapping a woman. Bodycam footage showed Gabby Petito telling cops Brian Laundrie had hit her

The video shows a cop pointing out 'new' marks on Petito's face and arm and asking if Laundrie had hit her, to which she replies: 'I guess'
Now revealed she is married to Ben Plowden, a Transport for London director

She has been arrested several times at blockades and with Extinction Rebellion

The Insulate Britain protester married to a Transport for London director tonight said she was 'just a human being doing her best' - as he stepped down from his 170,000-a-year role and perks that entitled her to free travel.

Cathy Eastburn, 54, had previously vowed to 'unleash hell' on drivers during her protesting, despite her long-term partner's role.

She has been arrested several times during M25 blockades with fringe group Insulate Britain and for other activities with Extinction Rebellion.

Her husband public transport boss Benedict Plowden, 58, is leaving TfL at the end of the month after standing down a few weeks ago.

She said last night from the door of her private estate 1.6million property: 'As you already know my husband works for TfL.

'I'm working as an activist if you want to call it that.

'But I'm just a human being doing my best.'

It is understood TfL bosses were aware of her views and actions, but insist it was Mr Plowden who resigned for unrelated reasons to 'pursue new opportunities'.

He had most recently been in charge of the Covid Restart and Recovery Scheme.

TfL operates a reward scheme for staff, which includes free travel for workers and their partners.

It means Ms Eastburn may well have used her free public transport to get to her various stunts and protests, which included gluing herself to a DLR train at London's Canary Wharf.

A Transport for London spokesperson said: 'We do not comment on the activities of the families of our staff.

'Ben Plowden has been a dedicated servant of London for many years  including playing a pivotal role in ensuring the London 2012 Games were a success.

'He decided several weeks ago that he will be leaving TfL at the end of October to pursue other opportunities.'

Cathy Eastburn glued herself to the roof of a DLR train at London's Canary Wharf station in 2019

An Insulate Britain protester arrested for blocking the M25 is married to Benedict Plowden, a Transport for London director in charge of public transport Covid recovery scheme

Ms Eastburn was entitled to free travel because she was a partner of a TfL worker

Ms Eastburn's actions recently became the subject of a High Court injunction by TfL which means she could be jailed if she attempts to join a blockade again.

And 170,000-a-year Mr Plowden, who was charged with the Covid Restart and Recovery Scheme, has also been accused of 'harbouring' another eco-extremist in the South London home the couple share.

The arrangement has been called 'staggeringly inappropriate', The Sun reported.

Cambridge philosophy graduate Ms Eastburn has become one of Britain's most prolific climate change activists.

In December 2019 she avoided jail for gluing herself to a train in London.

She was sentenced for halting Docklands Light Railway services at Canary Wharf station in east London as part of a series of protests carried out across the city.

Eastburn was given a 12-month conditional discharge alongside Mark Ovland, 36, and Luke Watson, 30, who both took part in the demonstration with her.

The trio had denied the charges of obstructing an engine or a carriage using a railway on April 17 this year, claiming the stunt was justified because of the threat of climate change.

Eastburn speaks to protesters from Extinction Rebellion, from the top of a boat, placed outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London on July 15, 2019

Cathy Eastburn, 54, has vowed to 'unleash hell' on drivers even though her husband is public transport boss Benedict Plowden, 58

Sentencing them at Inner London Crown Court, Judge Silas Reid warned against protesting that would amount to them committing further criminal offences.

'Each of you planned these offences and were prepared to go to prison for committing them,' he said.

'You each are clear that you did as you did to raise the alarm as to the dire situation you each believe the earth faces in respect of climate change.

But she was apprehended four times in nine days as protesters from the campaign group blocked London's Orbital Motorway last week.

But even the sound therapist was surprised by the lack of police action. While protesting she set her out-of-office email to: 'If you're reading this, it is because I have been arrested and possibly put in prison on remand.'

But Ms Eastburn was released without charge without being interviewed each time she was arrested.

She told the Sunday Times she thought her actions were 'proportionate' because forcing drivers to sit in traffic for hours was 'incomparable to the kind of chaos that's coming down the track - major flooding and major food shortages'.

Mr Plowden meanwhile has been tasked with 'getting London moving after the pandemic', though last night it emerged he was leaving his post.

He has held a number of senior roles at TfL since joining in 2004, including Director of Borough Partnerships and Director of Strategy and Planning in Surface Transport.

Mr Plowden does have his own green credentials as well, described as a 'leading environmental campaigner' he founded climate group Living Streets which works to create a better walking environment across the country.

Ms Eastburn is taken away by police after her DLR stunt for Extinction Rebellion in 2019

Ms Eastburn was apprehended four times in nine days as protesters from the campaign group blocked London 's Orbital Motorway last week. Pictured: Being arrested in 2019

The 1.5million South London home he shares with Ms Eastburn is believed to have been used by activist David McKenny, 38, with whom Ms Eastburn pledged to 'unleash hell' on innocent drivers in the run up to next month's COP26 climate summit.

Last night the couple were blasted by Tory MP and transport select committee member Greg Smith.

'Insulate Britain has caused untold misery for individuals and businesses over recent weeks,' he told The Sun.

'It is an absolute kick in the teeth that someone senior in TfL  an arm of the British state  has been harbouring them in their house. This is unacceptable.'

London mayor Sadiq Khan, who oversees TfL, has previously accused Insulate Britain of risking people lives on busy roads.

'You're endangering your own life, you're endangering the lives of those on the M25,' he said previously.

'They could be people rushing to get to a hospital, it could be they're going to an appointment, and you're jeopardising their safety by jumping in front of cars.'
The world's oldest white rhino, fondly known as Grandpa Tony, has died at the age of 54 after collapsing on his way to bed at a zoo in northern Italy.

'Nonno Toby' passed away after falling to the ground as he walked back to his nighttime shelter at the Parco Natura Viva on October 6, a zoo near the northern city of Verona.

'He collapsed on the floor on the way back to his nighttime shelter, and after about half an hour, his heart stopped,' said Elisa Livia Pennacchioni, the zoo's spokeswoman.

Toby will be embalmed and put on display at the MuSe science museum in Trento, where he will join Blanco, a white lion from the zoo who died five years ago, Pennacchioni said.

The world's oldest white rhino, fondly known as Grandpa Tony (pictured in 2019), has died at the age of 54 after collapsing on his way to bed at a zoo in northern Italy

'Nonno Toby' passed away after falling to the floor as he walked back to his nighttime shelter at the Parco Natura Viva on October 6, a zoo near the northern city of Verona

White rhinos normally live up to 40 years when held in captivity, and up to 30 years in the wild, she said.

The zoo's CEO Cesare Avesani Zaborra said: 'We knew it would happen sooner or later, but to greet the last hour of the "good giant", who has built with us the history of the last half century, remains deeply sad.'

Toby's death, which follows the passing of his female partner Sugar in 2012, leaves the Parco Natura Viva with one remaining white rhino: Benno, aged 39.

Toby was a southern white rhino - only one of five rhino species that are not considered endangered, with an estimated population of around 18,000, according to the WWF.

However, there are only two examples left of the northern white rhino subspecies who live in Kenya, which are watched round-the-clock by armed guards, the environmental group says.

Toby (pictured in 2017) will be embalmed and put on display at the MuSe science museum in Trento, where he will join Blanco, a white lion from the zoo who died five years ago, Pennacchioni said.

White rhinos normally live up to 40 years when held in captivity, and up to 30 years in the wild. Pictured: Toby at the Italian zoo in 2016

Toby was a southern white rhino - only one of five rhino species that are not considered endangered, with an estimated population of around 18,000, according to the WWF

Rhinos are killed for their horns, highly prized across Asia for traditional and medicinal purposes.

But breeding them is difficult, as a female only gives birth to a calf once every three to four years, after a 16-month pregnancy.

In 2019, the world's oldest black rhino died aged 57 in a Tanzanian sanctuary after living most of her life in the wild.

The female rhino, named Fausta, is thought to have died of natural causes on December 27, 2019, according to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority.
The family of a trans woman who Dave Chappelle said was hounded to death for defending his jokes in 2019 in a Netflix show have slammed the woke mob trying to cancel him, saying they do not know how much he did for her.

Daphne Dorman was 44 when she killed herself in 2019 after defending her friend Chappelle for jokes made during a Netflix special that year.

'When she did that, the trans community dragged that b**** through Twitter,' Chappelle told the audience in The Closer, his latest standup act on Netflix that has had many critics calling for him to be cancelled.

'For days, they was going in on her and she was on her own because she's funny,' he continued, hinting the harassment might have contributed to her suicide.

'It's a true story; my heart was broken. I don't know what was going on, but I'll bet dragging her didn't help.'

Dorman, who began transitioning to a woman in 2014, was an up-and-coming comedian who opened a show for Chappelle.

Her humor veiled a dark past mired by a troubled childhood that left her with severe PTSD, her family said.

But despite her inner demons, she tapped into her comedy to make the world around her laugh, her sister said.

Her sister brushed off critics who have slammed Chappelle's transgender jokes, saying the comedian 'loved' Dorman and said people cannot demand that 'everyone see it your way'.

Meanwhile, Chappelle paid tribute to his 'beautiful' friend Dorman in his Netflix special, describing her as being part of his 'tribe', a word which is commonly used to mean being like someone's family.

The comedian praised Dorman for her sense of humour and her bravery, even revealing that he set up a trust fund for her daughter following Dorman's death, which he plans to personally hand over to her when she turns 21.

Daphne Dorman, 44, was a transgender amateur comic opened for comedian Dave Chappelle

Speaking about her sister's comedy streak, Becky Kugler told DailyMail.com: 'Just from the word 'go' she was always very funny.

'She could make the sentence, 'The dog took a crap' hysterically funny. It's just the way she can use her descriptive words and how she worded things.'

Kugler said Dorman likely would have found some of Chappelle's material funny, and that she wouldn't have taken offense at his comedic fodder.

'In her mind, he wasn't giving (the LBGTQ community) lack of support, nor was he giving them support. He was making jokes because that's what comedians do,' Kugler told DailyMail.com. 'In her opinion, you make jokes about everything.'

Dorman drew criticism after defending Chappelle's show Sticks and Stones, which took jabs at gay and trans people, with tweet on August 28, 2019.

'Punching down requires you to consider yourself superior to another group,' she tweeted. '@DaveChappelle doesn't consider himself better than me in any way. He isn't punching up or punching down.

'He's punching lines. That's his job and he's a master of his craft.'

Dorman (right) told her sister Chappelle was 'f***ing awesome' and said she wished people were less sensitive. Dorman was mentioned in Chappelle's 2019 special Sticks and Stones

Dorman was born William Richard Brown Jr. on April 30 1975, and had a 'very traumatic childhood' growing up in Pennsylvania, said Kugler.

She declined to elaborate on those troubled years, except to say they left the siblings with extreme post-traumatic stress disorder that Dorman struggled to cope with.

She seemed 'very sad' during their last text exchange, Kugler said.

Dorman posted a note on Facebook October 11, 2019, before taking her own life that day.

'I'm sorry,' she wrote. 'I've thought about this a lot before this morning. How do you say 'goodbye' and 'I'm sorry' and 'I love you' to all the beautiful souls you know? For the last time.

'There's no good way. That's what I got out of all that thought.

'To those of you who are mad at me: please forgive me. To those of you who wonder if you failed me: you didn't. To those of you feel like I failed you: I did and I'm sorry and I hope you'll remember me in better times and better light.'

Chappelle's transgender jokes on The Closer have drawn the ire of the LGBTQ community, but Dorman's sisters brushed off the critics, saying the comedian 'loved' Dorman.

Dorman's other sibling, Brandy, told The Daily Beast: 'Dave loved my sister and is an LGBTQ ally.'

The aspiring comedian committed suicide in San Francisco on October 11, 2019

Dorman faced backlash from the trans community after publicly aligning with Chappelle

Chappelle told his audience in The Closer that Dorman was hounded for days over the tweet

'She was bringing up our childhood  she didn't feel it was fair that our father didn't lose out on raising children, even though he was the one causing all of our PTSD now,' she told DailyMail.com. 'She was very sad and that's why I truly believe that's what she meant by 'she failed'.

'She feels she failed at getting past our trauma.'

Meanwhile, Chappelle also paid tribute to Dorman during his Netflix special The Closer, where he revealed that he has set up a trust fund for his friend's daughter.

He ended the show with a 10-minute minute segment paying tribute to Dorman, who he described as 'one of the coolest people I've ever met' and a 'beautiful friend'.

The comedian said he met Dorman after seeing her 'laughing loud and hard' at every single one of his jokes at all 18 of his San Francisco shows.

He said he got the chance to meet her one night after his show, and she said it was her dream to be a comedian, describing him as her 'hero'.

He said: 'It was very moving. I could not dislike somebody who felt that way about me. We became fast friends.'

Chappelle explained that when he made the Sticks And Stones special, he called her on the phone and asked her to be his opening act when he performed in San Francisco, much to her delight and surprise.

Although she had only done eight stand-up comedy gigs in her life, he described her as being 'an amateur in stature but very professional in practice'.

He continued: 'She showed up early, which is something I appreciate cos I like people to be on time. She was dressed to the motherf***in' nines.'

He added: 'Went up on the stage with all the swag of a professional comedian, grabbed that mic and walked down the middle and looked at the crowd like a gangster. Man you should have seen her work.'

Dorman defended Chappelle by saying 'he doesn't consider himself better than me in any way'

Chappelle then revealed she 'bombed' her 45-minute set, but added that he was left impressed when she not only stayed for the rest of the show, but sat in the audience.

He explained: 'Any other comedian that I have seen, if they had bombed as bad as she did, would have snuck out the back of the theatre and went home and cried. But she didn't do that. Not only did she not leave but she found a seat right up front.

'You know, when a new comedian watches an experienced comedian, in comedy we call this 'taking class'. And this b**** took my whole class, she sat up there and was laughing as hard as she always laughs as if nothing bad had ever happened to her.'

Chappelle said Dorman then started talking to him while he was on-stage, with one person in the audience growing irritated, even though Chappelle said he didn't mind.

He said: 'A guy in the back of the room stood up and Daphne's hair was dyed blonde at the time and the guy screamed out, the energy felt wild as f***. He said 'hey Daphne!' and everyone clamped, they got tense.

'We didn't know if it was a heckler or an active shooter and he said 'does the carpet match the drapes?' It was f***ed up, the whole crowd groaned because it was so mean.

'Everybody groaned, except for Daphne. She kinda laughed, which was weird, she didn't even look all the way back. She said 'Sir, I don't have carpets, I have hardwood floors'. Just like that.

'Boy when she said that s*** it blew the roof off the place. Cut through all the tension with that one joke, she made up for 45 minutes of a stinker of a show. And after that, she could do no wrong.'

Chappelle said from then on, the show completely changed and became a conversation between 'a black man and a trans woman', saying he asked questions that he had always been afraid to ask while she came up with funny responses.

Daphne posted a note on Facebook before taking her own life, saying: 'I love you all. I'm sorry'

He added: 'The crowd was falling out of their chairs and at the end of the show I go, 'well Daphne', I said, 'well that was fun', I go 'I love you to death but I have no f***ing idea what you're talking about'.

'The whole crowd laughed except for Daphne. Man, she looks at me like I'm not her friend anymore. Like I'm something bigger than me, like I'm the whole world in a guy.

'Then she said 'I don't need you to understand me'. I said 'what?, she said 'I just need you to believe that I'm having a human experience'.

'And then when she said it, the whole crowd kind of gasped. And I gave her the fight club look. I said 'I believe you b****. Because she didn't say anything about pronouns.

'She didn't say anything about being in trouble, she said 'just believe I'm a person and I'm going through it'. I know, I believe you because it takes one to know one.'

Chappelle said that after the extraordinary show, Dorman got a bigger round of applause than he did and even got a standing ovation from the amused crowd.

He said: 'I looked at her and tears came out of her eyes, she couldn't believe it was happening.'

After the show, he said he told her that she could be his opening act every show he did in San Francisco while he also volunteered to be her mentor and give her pointers on stand-up comedy.

But he then went on to speak about the Twitter abuse Dorman for defending his jokes, saying he was honored that she bravely went 'against her tribe' to show solidarity with him.

Dorman, pictured with her sister Becky, was born William Richard Brown Jr. on April 30, 1975

Dorman (pictured at left with her mom and little sister Becky) had a 'very traumatic childhood'

Exactly what I said here & what Dave said without spelling it out. Dephine was trolled by the transgender community just because she vouched for Dave. Trolled to suicide. Dave told the suicide in a joke , but he described how Dephane killed herself. Which he describes as hardcore  Truth (@truth50252066) October 12, 2021 Twitter Privacy Policy

The oldest of 4 siblings, the 'hysterically funny' woman could always be counted on for a laugh

He explained: 'Beautiful friend. It took a lot of heart to defend me like that. And when she did that the trans community dragged that b**** all over Twitter.

'For days they were going in on her, and she was holding her own cos she's funny. But six days after that wonderful night I described to you, my friend Daphne killed herself.'

Chappelle said he was 'angry' at the people on Twitter who had directed abuse her way, and decided to get in touch with Dorman's family after he read her obituary, which mentioned Dorman's daughter.

The comedian revealed that he has started a trust fund for Dorman's daughter, saying he knew she was the only thing that his friend had 'ever really cared about'.

He added: 'I don't know what the trans community did for her but I don't care because I feel like she wasn't their tribe, she was mine. She was a comedian in her soul.

'The daughter is very young but I hope to be alive when she turns 21 'cause I'm going to give her this money myself.'

After paying tribute to his friend, he added: 'Empathy is not gay. Empathy is not black. Empathy is bisexual. It must go both ways.'

According to Dorman's sister, she had spent much of her adult years trying to find peace in her life; she tried therapy and 'explored every religion out there'.

Some people have called for The Closer to be cancelled due to its insensitive content

But Dormer (pictured at left) would not have been offended by his jokes, her sister said

She was known among friends and family for her thought-provoking conversations, affinity for memorizing random facts, 'hysterically funny' personality.

Dorman spoke to her sister on a weekly basis but had not seen her physically since the gender transition.

Kugler said she learned of her sibling's plan to make a drastic life change about 12 years ago, when Dorman called her from her then-Texas home.

'I explained to her that I just don't care what she did, as long as she was happy and safe,' Kugler said. 'That was my biggest concern and at the time she was living in Texas, and I just told her the Texas it was not the state to be in if she was going to do this, because they're not safe.'

Dorman then moved to California, where Kugler saw her for the last time during a 2013 family vacation. The siblings continued to communicate on at least a weekly basis through video calls.

Kugler said she wasn't offended by Chappelle's special, but she understands that other people might have been.

'My opinion, nor Daphne's estimated opinion, does not mean people's feelings weren't crushed over Dave Chappelle's show,' she said. 'People's reactions and emotions cannot be belittled or pushed to the side.

Chappelle in The Closer commented on the anatomy of transwomen, joking that they lacked real female reproductive organs and that they did not have blood but 'beet juice.'

'I still support everyone and respect everyone's right to be treated like a human being. We don't all have to agree on what's funny, what's crossing the line, or where any of those lines are. If you don't like something, you're entitled to that opinion, but to demand everyone see it your way won't work.'

Dorman's best friend, Mia Satya, said she bonded with Dorman more than five years ago over mutual interests such as cartography, history, sociology, psychology and comedy.

They also had their share of difference, she said.

'I'm a vegan Buddhist who can't code or remember acting lines to save my life, and she was a carnivorous atheist software engineer and actress,' Satya wrote in a Facebook tribute on the second anniversary of Dorman's death.

'When we would eat together and I would order a meal with no meat, dairy or eggs and she would order a meal with all three she would always joke 'how are we friends?!'

Satya cheered Dorman on as her comedy gig picked up, and had a feeling she was going to make a career of telling jokes.

Dorman (pictured at right with a friend) met Chappelle at a comedy club in San Francisco

'I saw her start to get booked for more and more comedy performances and I felt like 'Damn! She's about to be a celebrity and I'm going to get to say - I knew her before she was famous,' she said.

'And then she killed herself.'

Satya implored her friends not to watch Chappelle's latest special, which has been criticised for its jokes about the LGBTQ+ community.

Dorman met Chapman and a comedy club where he was performing, and later opened a show for him, saying she used jokes to heal from her 'pain'.

'She used humor to heal from pain, she told self-deprecating jokes, and used humor to educate people about trans issues,' she wrote. 'She never used humor to be hateful.'

Dormer (in red) is pictured with siblings after graduating high school around 1993

Dorman died less than two months after Sticks and Stones was released, and Satya said she did not think it was the 'main cause' in her death, as she had battled with PTSD and suicidal thoughts for 'years'.

'I don't think it was the main cause, but who know,' she said. 'Daphne had PTSD from a life of trauma and she had battled suicidal thoughts for years.

'I think the final blow was a combination of her losing custody of her daughter, losing her job, and dealing with a lot of transphobic harassment on the streets of San Francisco. I lived with her, and yet I didn't know how bad she was feeling.'

Suicidal thoughts and attempts are higher among transgender adults than in the general population, according to a UCLA study.

The Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Law and Public Policy study found 51percent of transgender adults attempted suicide in 2015.

If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-8255.
The elite boarding school Gordonstoun should set up a trust to help those who suffered abuse, a former pupil who was drugged and sexually assaulted by a teacher at its preparatory school has said.

John Findlay says the school, which Prince Charles attended as a boy, needs to take responsibility for abuse he and others suffered at Aberlour House, a nearby school which acts as the junior school of Gordonstoun in Moray.

Mr Findlay, who has waived his right to anonymity, said he was assaulted in a dormitory at Aberlour in the 1980s when he was 12, with the teacher responsible later being dismissed.

However, Mr Findlay later discovered the teacher went on to find work in other schools in England and abroad.

Mr Findlay, 43, gave evidence at the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry on Tuesday.

After his evidence session, he said he believed Gordonstoun should accept responsibility for the abuse he suffered at Aberlour.

John Findlay said he believed Gordonstoun should accept responsibility for the abuse he suffered at Aberlour

Lady Smiths inquiry is examining elite boarding schools. Mr Findlay, who has waived his right to anonymity, said he was assaulted in a dormitory at Aberlour when he was 12, with the teacher responsible later being dismissed

He said: 'Irrelevant of the legal obligation, they most definitely have a moral obligation.

'Considering this is Gordonstoun, that teaches ''you have to be the right person and do the right thing''.

'If they're going to sit there and shirk their own morals, well they're going to run up against people like me.'

He said Gordonstoun had stated Aberlour House was a separate legal entity when discussing who was responsible for historical abuse there. The schools are now merged.

Mr Findlay said: 'Gordonstoun needs to accept fully what has happened and provide support fully.'

He said the abuse he suffered aged 12 continued to have a major impact on him.

'It's affected absolutely every element of my life,' he said.

'When you get abused like that, by somebody that you trust, it means you never trust anybody.

Senior members of the royal family have attended Gordonstoun, including Prince Charles

'It affects you personally, it affects your family life, it affects your friendships, it affects your life professionally.

'Imagine your life without trust, trust is the basis for everything good in life.'

The teacher responsible for the alleged abuse, Derek Jones, is now dead.

Mr Findlay said he bore no animosity towards anyone currently teaching at Gordonstoun, but called on leaders there to make sure survivors of past abuse receive help.

He is due to meet the current principal of Gordonstoun, Lisa Kerr, to discuss the issue next month.

Earlier, Mr Findlay gave evidence to Lady Smith's inquiry into child abuse at boarding schools and other institutions.

He said: 'Both Aberlour and Gordonstoun are exceptional educational establishments, I walked away a far better, stronger individual.

'The fact I can sit here today despite what happened to me is testament to the education I received.

'It taught me to stand up for what's right.'

Lady Smiths inquiry is taking evidence from former pupils

He described the night a teacher came into his bedroom and sexually abused him, after he had asked for help with an injury.

The teacher gave him medicine before abusing him, with Mr Findlay saying he was 'horrendously conscious' but unable to stop the attack.

He later told his parents about the incident, who contacted Aberlour's headmaster.

His parents were told the teacher would never work at a school again, he said, so they decided not to press charges.

Mr Findlay said: 'I know my father and mother both regretted not pursuing police action.

'With hindsight I'm disappointed that the police didn't take action irrelevant of what the school thought or my parents thought.

'It was their duty to take action.'

Mr Findlay said the teacher in question went on to teach again at a school in Essex before 'leaving under a similar cloud', later working at a school in Kenya.

After he spoke publicly about the abuse several years ago, another former pupil from his year group told him he had been abused by the same teacher in similar circumstances.

He said survivors of abuse, including himself, had struggled to access mental health treatment.

Mr Findlay told the inquiry: 'I believe an institution such as Gordonstoun has the possibility of setting up a trust or something similar, whereby victims would be able to access treatment for mental health illnesses before having to go through prolonged civil action.'

The latest phase of the SCAI, being heard before Judge Lady Smith, is focusing on alleged abuse carried out in Scottish boarding schools.

Gordonstoun is famous for its links with the royal family, with both the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Edinburgh having attended.

The current principal of Gordonstoun, Ms Kerr, gave evidence to the inquiry in March and apologised on behalf of the school to those who had suffered abuse.

She said: 'I'd like to offer a very sincere apology to anyone who has suffered abuse either at Gordonstoun or Aberlour House.'

Ms Kerr is due to give more evidence at the inquiry later this week.
Mayorkas issued a memo on Tuesday that could open a pathway for the first-ever workplace protections for undocumented people in the US

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas ordered immigration officials to halt workplace raids for undocumented people, according to a memo sent Tuesday.

But while building up protections for undocumented people already in the country, the Biden administration continues to crack down on migrants encountered at the southern border using controversial public health rule Title 42.

'We can most effectively protect the American labor market, the conditions of the American worksite, and the dignity of the individual by focusing our worksite enforcement efforts on unscrupulous employers,' Mayorkas told immigration officials in the memo.

In the same message, he called for policy changes that would pave the way for the first workplace protections for undocumented people in US history by shielding those who report employers for workplace violations.

He called for officials to figure out a way to reduce the demand for undocumented workers by increasing penalties for business owners who employ them, as well as 'increase the willingness of workers to report violations of law by exploitative employers.'

Mayorkas threw out several options for steps in that direction, including deferring immigration enforcement or simply allowing the continued presence of undocumented people who witnessed or were subjected to harmful workplace standards.

'We will not tolerate unscrupulous employers who exploit unauthorized workers, conduct illegal activities, or impose unsafe working conditions. Employers engaged in illegal acts compel the focus of our enforcement resources,' Mayorkas said.

'By adopting policies that focus on the most unscrupulous employers, we will protect workers as well as legitimate American businesses.'

The memo gives DHS officials 60 days to make a blueprint for Mayorkas' proposed new policies.

The language here from the DHS secretary explaining why the Trump-era immigration measure that Biden has continued isn't * actually * an immigration measure that they're continuing is quite something https://t.co/Aylfy6gaFj  Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) October 12, 2021 Twitter Privacy Policy

Also on Tuesday, Mayorkas bizarrely claimed that Donald Trump's Title 42 expulsion rule is not an immigration policy the Biden White House 'would embrace' - despite the Democratic administration waging a legal battle to keep it in place.

In fact Biden officials used the policy to deport thousands of Haitian migrants who has recently made their way to the southern border in record numbers.

During the seven-minute Yahoo News interview Mayorkas acknowledged that his department has been under fire for its enforcement of the controversial order, particularly against Haitians.

'The Title 42 authority is a public health authority. And it is not an immigration policy. It is not an immigration policy that we in this administration would embrace,' Mayorkas said.

'But we view it as a public health imperative as the Centers for Disease Control has so ordered.'

It's a line that Biden officials have used to deflect criticism from immigration and civil rights groups that once supported his candidacy on his promise to roll back Trump's more restrictive immigration policies.

Some of those same groups are now suing to get the order repealed. In September the Biden administration faced a setback when a judge ordered officials to let Title 42 expire, but federal lawyers appealed the ruling.

Just one day before it was set to end, a US Appeals Court judge issued a stay on the previous order, allowing Title 42 to remain in place.

The CDC also reinforced the order at the end of their 60-day review on October 3.

The Trump administration had been criticized for using the pandemic as a shield to circumvent US and international refugee laws to deport thousands of migrants.

But on Tuesday Mayorkas continued to push the Republican's argument.

'We're in the midst of a pandemic. For anyone to think it's business as usual I think would be, frankly, ignoring a pandemic that has taken more than 700,000 American lives,' he said.

When the COVID-19 pandemic upended life across the globe, Trump administration officials pushed the CDC to invoke a seldom-used public health order that allows the government to crack down on immigration in a public health emergency.

Migrants seeking asylum in the U.S. watch a puppet show performed by local police officers on October 10

Migrants seeking asylum in the U.S. queue to receive used clothing. Under the Biden administration's watch a record number of asylum-seekers have come to the southwest border

Customs officers are enabled to turn certain persons away if 'there is serious danger of the introduction of disease into the United States,' according to Section 265 of U.S. Code Title 42.

So the CDC enacted the rule in March 2020, permitting any border agent to turn migrants away regardless of asylum status.

President Biden did roll back enforcement to allow unaccompanied minors and families with young children to stay. His other reforms including reducing the number of officers on patrol mean the rule's enforcement significantly decreased under the Democratic administration.

But Biden has used Title 42 nearly twice as much as Trump has, according to a report released just days ago.

From March to December 2020, Trump officials deported about 395,000 people using the measure.

Biden expelled nearly 700,000 migrants under Title 42 from February through August of 2021, according to calculations by Time.

Mayorkas said on Tuesday that DHS was at one point 'reviewing' Title 42 but again passed responsibility to the CDC.

'It's a public health-driven analysis that we ourselves in the Department don't conduct but the Centers for Disease Controls conducts. And we were, in fact, reviewing it,' he said.

Last month thousands of migrants from Haiti crossed the perilous Darien Gap to try and claim asylum in the U.S.

'I think we are unanimous in the fact that we hope public health authorities are no longer necessary because we have the pandemic behind us. But that is not where we are.'

Last week a group of medical experts sent a letter to CDC Director Rochelle Wallensky urging her to repeal Title 42. They claimed its enforcement in the name of fighting COVID-19 had 'no basis in science.'

But the Biden administration appears desperate to curb a record surge of migrants at the border under the president's watch.

The total number of migrants encountered at the border in Fiscal Year 2021, which ended on September 30, topped 1.7 million.

Trump released a statement bashing Biden officials for being 'stupid enough to allow such a thing to happen' on Tuesday.

'Our Border has gone from the safest and most secure in history, by far, to a broken, dirty, and disgusting wreck with thousands of unknown people from unknown countries, including from their now emptied prisons all over the world, unsustainably pouring in,' the former president said.

'Crime will go up at levels that the U.S. has never seen before (it is actually already there), and terrorism will be the next big wave to lead the way.'

Mayorkas and the CDC both said that Title 42 is in place to stop the spread of COVID-19 as the rate of new infections falls after a summer surge

After a summer increase the number of COVID deaths is also beginning to decrease, though the CDC said as recently as early October that Title 42 is still necessary

In July more than 212,000 migrants were encountered at the southwest border, a 21-year record high.

In August the number was just north of 208,000 - a 317 percent increase from the same period in 2020.

Images of mostly Haitian migrants camped out under a bridge in Del Rio, Texas in squalid and crowded conditions prompted a humanitarian outcry against the Biden administration. Within days there were approximately 15,000 people in the small area.

A majority of them had moved to South America following the devastating 2010 Haiti earthquake. But after the COVID-19 pandemic ravaged economies across the continent, many were desperate for a chance at a new life in the US.

Asked about the record-breaking surge of migrants coming to the country this year, Mayorkas said it was due to an 'accumulation of factors'

'I think that pieces of the many different theories compiled together form a very compelling answer. The downturn in economies, the attendant rise in violence, the downturn in economies made more acute by reason of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the suppression of any humanitarian relief over the past number of years, and the pent-up thirst for relief among many different populations,' he said.

'I think an accumulation of factors contributes to the rise in migration that we've seen.'
Some 766 people were admitted to hospital with coronavirus on Friday, up 11.8 per cent in a week

The number of people dying within 28 days of a positive test also increased today, with 181 victims recorded

Department of Health bosses posted 38,520 cases today, up 13.7 per cent on the 33,869 recorded last week

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Britain's coronavirus crisis is continuing to tick upwards, with new daily infections jumping by nearly 14 per cent today.

Department of Health bosses posted 38,520 positive tests, up 13.7 per cent on the 33,869 recorded last Tuesday. Infections have now risen week-on-week every day for a week.

Meanwhile, deaths and hospital admissions are also trending upwards. Both the measures lag weeks behind cases because of how long it can take for infected people to become severely ill.

Another 181 victims were added to the Government's official death toll today, up nine per cent on the 166 seen last week.

And hospitalisations also increased 11.8 per cent in a week. Some 766 infected patients were admitted to an NHS ward on Friday, the latest date data is available for.

The figures come after Keir Starmer today called for No10's Covid inquiry to be brought forward in the wake of a scathing report that laid bare a string of failures ministers made in handling the pandemic.

The first major probe into the Covid crisis concluded that thousands of care home residents died needlessly in the pandemic, and that ministers were blinded by 'groupthink' among scientific advisers who wanted to manage the spread of the virus, rather than suppress it.

The dossier also claimed that No10's early decisions on lockdowns and social distancing rank as 'one of the most important public health failures the UK has ever experienced'.

Health officials are investigating a rise in the number of incorrect Covid lateral flow tests Thousands of children with the sniffles may wrongly be being told to stay at home over concerns they have Covid, scientists have suggested. Secondary school children are asked to take two lateral flow tests per week. If they test positive, they must stay at home until they receive a result from a gold-standard PCR swab. Latest Test and Trace (T&T) statistics reveal 18,930 of the 615,000 rapid swabs taken by pupils in the week ending September 29 came back positive. Of those, 13 per cent  or 2,053  were either negative or voided when followed up with a PCR. The proportion of children being wrongly told they have Covid by the devices has doubled in a month. It has prompted health chiefs to launch a probe, with the scientific community now discussing whether the rise is actually down to the resurgence of colds. Experts have suggested the heavy mucus samples from children who test positive may be skewing the accuracy of the swabs. Gaming tests to get time off school and faulty LFDs have also been suggested as possible factors behind the rise. Advertisement

It comes as:

Jeremy Hunt admitted he was part of 'groupthink' which wrongly focused too much on flu and failed to adequately plan for a coronavirus pandemic;

Scientists suggested thousands of children with the sniffles may wrongly be being told to stay at home over concerns they have Covid;

Indian experts claimed people should wear masks outdoors because gusts of wind blowing in the same direction as a cough increases the transmission of Covid.

Government data shows that of the 94,428,905 Covid jabs given in the UK up to yesterday, 49,216,092 were first doses, a rise of 29,172 on the previous day.

Some 45,212,813 were second doses, an increase of 23,632.

But health chiefs have yet to release any daily figures for third doses, despite the booster drive kicking off last month.

The Government said a further 181 people died today bringing the UK total to 137,944.

Separate figures published by the Office for National Statistics show there have been 163,000 deaths registered in the UK where Covid was mentioned on the death certificate.

The total death toll comes after politicians slammed the Government for its handling of the pandemic in the early stages of last year after a joint report by the health and science select committees

Speaking on a visit to a lorry driver training centre near Oldham, Sir Keir said: 'I think the least the PM could do is address the families, apologise, and bring forward the public inquiry just as quickly as possible.'

The opposition leader added: 'The PM should take responsibility because the responsibility is his, and he should apologise.

'But I'd like to just start by acknowledging just how difficult a day this will be for the bereaved families learning what they will learn in this report, which is a damning indictment of the Government and the flaws and errors and failures of the Government running down the NHS before the pandemic, being far too slow to respond, with the price being paid by those bereaved families, chaotic track and trace.'

Latest data from Test and Trace shows the proportion of children being told they are positive for Covid when they don't have the virus by lateral flow devices has doubled in the last month (red line). More than one in ten positive results from lateral flows are incorrect

Former Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt admits he was part of 'groupthink' that focused on flu A devastating report today laid bare the catalogue of failures at the top of Government at the start of the Covid crisis. One key criticism is that ministers were subject to 'groupthink' among scientists in the early stages, who wanted to manage the spread of the virus rather than suppress it. Former Health Secretary and Tory party leadership candidate Jeremy Hunt has today admitted he was also part of this 'groupthink' that failed to plan for the pandemic. He told Good Morning Britain that the country should have locked down earlier. He said: 'The Prime Minister is of course ultimately responsible, but some of the advice that he got was also wrong.' He added: 'There was a groupthink that the way you tackle a pandemic should be similar to a flu pandemic, I was part of that groupthink too when I was Health Secretary. 'In fact, you know, during that period, an American university said we were the second-best prepared country in the world. We know that clearly wasn't the case.' He said countries 'that have direct experience of SARS and MERS were the ones who responded best in the first half of the pandemic'. Asked whether Mr Johnson refused to shutdown the country in the early stages because he thought it would be 'unpopular', Mr Hunt said that 'every Prime Minister's personality matters but in this particular case, on those particular decisions, he was following the scientific advice, and the question we have to ask is why across the whole of the system in those early months, everyone was advising the wrong approach?' Advertisement

Meanwhile, one of the Government's own ministers today refused to apologise 11 times for the mistakes that had led to thousands of deaths in Britain.

Stephen Barclay, who replaced Michael Gove as the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster in No10's reshuffle last month, was grilled about the report and repeatedly given the opportunity to say sorry by Sky News presenter Kay Burley, but he instead dodged the chance. He even admitted he had not yet read the 151-page report.

Boris Johnson has promised a formal inquiry into the Government's response to the pandemic will start in Spring 2022 but an exact date has yet to be set. When he announced the probe, he insisted key players would be put 'under the microscope'.

Labour had originally called for the inquiry to begin in June this year, in line with No10's lifting of virus restrictions. There are currently virtually no Covid curbs on daily life in England.

Meanwhile, Dominic Cummings today slammed his old boss for his handling of the pandemic, branding the Prime Minister a 'joke'.

Speaking to Sky News outside his home, the Prime Minister's ex chief adviser labelled No10's system for dealing with crises a 'disaster'. He said: 'The system was bad for many years before Covid.

'Me and others put into place work to try and improve the system in 2020 after the first wave, unfortunately the Prime Minister  being the joke that he is  has not pushed that work through.'

Mr Cummings, who has been a vocal critic of Mr and Mrs Johnson since leaving Downing Street, added: 'Now we have a joke Prime Minister and a joke leader of the Labour party, and we obviously need a new political system.'

The report, published today by the health and science committees at the House of Commons, is the first to shine a light on the catalogue of failures made at the top of Government. It castigated the 'chaotic' performance of the 37billion test and trace system.

Families of coronavirus victims today called report 'laughable', with one campaigner pointing out that it 'barely mentions the over 150,000 bereaved families'.

She added: 'Sadly, this is what we expected, as the committee explicitly refused to speak to us or any bereaved families, instead insisting they were only interested in speaking to their colleagues and friends.'

Mr Cummings, an Oxford-educated former aide who resigned from Downing Street after losing an internal power struggle, has repeatedly savaged the Prime Minister and his Government.

He unleashed a blizzard of complaints about his old boss during a one-hour chat with the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg in July.

During the interview, Mr Cummings attacked Mr Johnson over his fitness to lead, saying he 'doesn't have a plan' for Government, and accused his wife Carrie of 'trying to appoint clowns to key positions', as well as slamming the Covid response.

Minister Stephen Barclay refused to apologise 11 times for the Government's failures at the start of the pandemic when he was on Sky News today. Former top adviser Dominic Cummings today branded Boris Johnson a 'joke'

What were the key findings of the first Covid report? The UK's first Covid inquiry was published today by MPs from the health and science committees in the House of Commons. It revealed a catalogue of failures right up to the top of Government, and sparked anger among families who lost loved ones. Pressure is building for an independent judge-led inquiry to begin as soon as possible. Key findings included: Thousands of care home residents needlessly died during the pandemic, with the elderly treated as an 'afterthought';

The performance of the 37billion test and trace system was 'chaotic';

Early decisions on lockdowns and social distancing ranked as 'one of the most important public health failures the United Kingdom has ever experienced';

Ministers were blinded by 'groupthink' among scientists, who wrongly wanted to manage the spread of the virus rather than suppress it;

The UK's response was too 'narrowly and inflexibly based on a flu model' that failed to learn lessons from Sars, Mers and Ebola;

This was a 'serious early error' when other countries were taking drastic action;

The lack of a proper test and trace system early on meant a full lockdown was 'inevitable' and should have come sooner;

Decision-making was dysfunctional with the exchange of important information between public bodies 'inadequate';

Death rates among black, Asian and minority ethnic communities and those with learning disabilities were unacceptably high. Advertisement

The 49-year-old was the director of Vote Leave and is widely seen as the architect of Brexit.

He was also invited to appear in front of MPs in the summer, delivering a number of bombshells including that tens of thousands had died unnecessarily because of the way Covid was handled, and accusing former Health Secretary Matt Hancock of lying to his colleagues.

Today's report vindicated some of Mr Cummings's criticisms. Giving evidence to politicians in the summer, Mr Cummings argued 'false groupthink' was prevalent in Whitehall.

Mr Cummings' barb came after Mr Barclay was wheeled out this morning to face the media in the wake of the report into the Government's Covid response.

He said: 'We followed, throughout, the scientific advice. We got the vaccine deployed extremely quickly, we protected our NHS from the surge of cases.'

Asked again by Ms Burley if he would say sorry in the wake of the report, Mr Barclay said: 'Well no, we followed the scientific advice, we protected the NHS, we took the decisions based on the evidence before us.

'But of course, we've always said with something so unprecedented as the pandemic, there will be lessons to learn, we're keen to learn them.'

Ms Burley said later in the interview: 'I don't understand why you don't want to apologise.'

Mr Barclay responded: 'Well, there are lessons to learn but the point is that we took decisions based on the science, we protected the NHS, we got the vaccine deployed at pace but we accept where there are lessons to learn we are keen to do so.'

Ms Burley said: 'But you're representing the Government this morning, and there were 20,000 unnecessary deaths in the UK, many of them elderly people, and you don't want to apologise?'

He responded: 'What I'm saying is we took decisions based on the scientific evidence we were presented with.'

During the interview, Mr Barclay admitted: 'The report that you're talking about came out at midnight, I have not had an opportunity to read it yet.'

Also asked for an apology by LBC radio today, Mr Barclay said: 'Well I recognise it's devastating and my heart goes out to any family, any of your listeners where they lost a loved one.'

Families who lost loved ones to the virus have slammed the report for saying the vaccine rollout  which has jabbed more than nine in ten adults  had 'redeemed' many failures at the start of the crisis.

Hannah Brady, spokeswoman for the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice group, said in a statement: 'What a surprise: a committee led by the previous health secretary and which exclusively spoke to his friends in Government, found that the deaths of 150,000 people were 'redeemed' by the vaccine rollout.'

She added that the report 'barely mentions' the tens of thousands of families that lost loved ones to the virus.

Sir Keir made the comments during a visit to a lorry driver training centre near Oldham, Greater Manchester, today. He also called on the Prime Minister to apologise to the country for his mistakes during the pandemic

Sir Keir is pictured above talking to people at the training centre. Labour called for a Covid inquiry to begin by the end of July, or 'as soon as all restrictions are lifted'. Virtually all Covid measures have been eased in England

Ms Brady said: 'The report it's produced is laughable, and more interested in political arguments about whether you can bring laptops to Cobra meetings than it is in the experiences of those who tragically lost parents, partners or children to Covid.

'This is an attempt to ignore and gaslight bereaved families, who will see it as a slap in the face.'

Ms Brady said the report proved that a judge-led independent inquiry, which has been promised by the Government in spring, 'must have bereaved families at its heart'.

She added: 'That is the only way that the serious questions, like why families were told their loved ones were not fit for intensive care without medical assessment, or advised by 111 to keep their loved ones at home even in their dying moments, or why there were even more deaths in care homes in the second wave than the first, will be answered.'

Dr David Nabarro, the special envoy for Covid at the World Health Organization (WHO), said that delayed action at the start of the pandemic led to 'suffering'.

He told Sky News: 'What we're learning is when you get a virus, starting to really spread in a community, the one thing that you must not do is to delay  it doesn't help anybody.

'And occasionally people think: 'Well if we delay, everybody will get infected. So the problem will go away, because they'll all be immune.' That also doesn't work.

Dr David Nabarro (left), the special envoy for Covid at the World Health Organization (WHO), said today that delayed action at the start of the pandemic led to 'suffering'. Pictured right: Mike Carr and Katie Ffolloitt-Powell of the Patient Transport Services of South Central Ambulance Services help to settle an elderly non-COVID-19 patient into a care home after moving her from hospital, near Portsmouth

'So I think what we have to remember is: be rapid and be firm as soon as you get cases of the disease.

'It doesn't mean you have complete lockdown, it just means you need to be able to test and to isolate and to stop spread.'

He added: 'If you delay, what we're learning all over the world, is that people suffer.'

On Test and Trace, he added: 'What we have learned in Britain, and in many other countries, is you can't just tell people to isolate and expect them to stay at home without any kind of financial compensation.'

Dr Nabarro also called on other countries to start investigating their response to the pandemic, to ensure that 'lessons can be learned'. He said he hoped every country would open an inquiry.

Some 8.1million Britons have tested positive for the virus since the pandemic began  with thousands more cases likely undiagnosed due to a shortage of tests in the first half of last year.

More than 137,000 Covid deaths within 28 days of being diagnosed with the virus have also been recorded, with the bulk happening during the second wave in January. There have been more than 150,000 death certificates that mention the virus.

The UK has the eighth highest Covid death toll in the world, and the highest in Europe.

The US (714,055 Covid deaths), Brazil (601,213), India (450,963), Mexico (282,227), Russia (213,522), Peru (199,703) and Indonesia (142,716) are the only countries to have recorded more fatalities.
Brian Laundrie's sister Cassie has received a slew of death threats over her missing sibling's disappearance, with police being called out to her Florida residence nine times in just two weeks, police records reveal.

Records obtained by Tampa Bay news outlet WFLA reveal that Manatee County Sheriff's deputies have dropped by the home numerous times since September 19 - the day the body of Laundrie's deceased fiance, Gabby Petito, was discovered by investigators in a Wyoming national park, and two days after her brother was reported missing.

According to the dispatch records, Cassie's husband, James, first reported the calls on September 19, telling deputies that he and his wife were receiving 'messages from random people,' which included threats about 'killing his family and kidnapping his kids.'

Brian Laundrie's older sister Cassie has received a slew of death threats over her missing sibling's disappearance, with police being called out to her Florida residence nine times in just two weeks, police records show

Following the first of these alleged threats, deputies periodically checked in on the family at their Lakewood Ranch residence - which is located 40 miles from the North Port home where Laundrie lived with his parents before disappearing on September 13

The pair has two young sons.

Following those initial threats, deputies periodically checked in on the family at their Lakewood Ranch residence - which is located 40 miles from the North Port home where Laundrie, 23, lived with his parents before disappearing on September 13.

Call logs on the Manatee County Sheriff's website reveal that deputies were dispatched to Cassie's home at least three times over the course of the two week period.

WFLA obtained further records which that deputies came nine times during that period.

According to the records, on October 1, deputies responded to another call about 'suspicious circumstances' at the couple's home, after Cassie chided one of the callers, telling them: 'Youre making my children cry.'

Police were called to Cassie and husband James' home after protesters swarmed the residence, and after she addressed the mob, telling them she 'didn't know' if her fugitive brother had murdered fiance Gabby Petito

Laundrie, 23, has been at large for more than three weeks, and was last seen, according to his parents, September 13

During this visit, deputies investigated and dismissed claims that Laundrie had been spotted on the premises.

Three days later, on October 4, Manatee County police received another call from the couple, and arrived to find a crowd of protesters and journalists stationed outside their home.

During the encounter, Cassie addressed the mob, telling them she 'didn't know' if her fugitive brother had murdered Petito and claimed that their parents are refusing to talk to her.

'I am losing my parents and my brother and my children's aunt and my future sister-in-law on top of this, and you're not helping,' Cassie told them, while being recorded, with her husband at her side, eyeing the mob with his hands crossed.

'They're not talking to us either.'

Cassie drew scrutiny herself after she told several news outlets and protesters that she hadn't seen Brian since he returned to Florida without Gabby - and then admitted days later that she saw him on the camping trip

When asked why this was, she responded, 'If I knew, I would say'

'I don't know,' she emphasized.

A protester then asked Cassie if she thought her parents were involved in helping her brother evade investigators, to which she vehemently replied, 'I don't know. We have literally been finding out everything from the news like everyone else.'

Cassie drew scrutiny herself after she told several news outlets and protesters that she hadn't seen Brian since he returned to Florida without Gabby - and then admitted days later that she saw him on the camping trip.

During the encounter October 4, Cassie attempted to clear up the sordid timeline of events, confirming that her brother left he and Petito's highly-publicized cross country excursion around August 17 to come back to Florida, shortly after the couple was pulled over by police in Moab, Utah - an incident which was recorded on police bodycam footage that was later shared.

Cassie said she saw him on September 1, but he came to her home in the family Mustang and not the van he and Petito had been driving. She also saw him at a family vacation September 6 at Fort De Soto Park, but said that Petito's name did not come up in conversation and she didn't know Petito was missing at the time.

'We had s'mores, we had dinner. We had our kids there. Nothing came up. We've told the FBI everything and the world does not need to know what the FBI knows. That's why we're silent. This is me coming out against them.'

Cassie told the protesters that her children didn't know their Aunt Gabby was dead until the demonstrators screamed it outside her home and called her a liar.

She claimed on Monday that the media 'misconstrued' her words about when she had last seen her brother, and that she meant she has not been able to talk to him since he went missing.

She said: 'The media ended up misconstruing what I said when they asked me if I'd seen my brother.'

Laundrie was named a person of interest in the homicide death of fiance Petito, whose body was foundby investigators a Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming on September 19

At one point during the encounter, a member of the crowd asked Cassie, who's in her late thirties, if she wanted her brother to turn himself in.

Cassie promptly replied: 'Of course.'

'Do you think that Brian killed Gabby?' one blunt protester asked her.

'I don't know,' she said, during the tense exchange.

Cassie then urged the assembly on her front yard that she had never once witnessed her brother hit Petito prior to her death -nor had she ever seen him act violently toward any other women.

Cassie said the last time she spoke to her brother or her parents was on a family camping trip in Fort De Soto on September 6.

Asked if Brian mentioned Gabby on the trip, Cassie said: 'Nothing came up.'

She then alleged that she has been 'thrown under the bus' by her family.

'This is not what we want to be doing,' she said.

'This is not how we want the world to find out when we're angry and upset. But I can't have my kids be crying for three days in a row,' referring to the string of calls she had received since October 1.

The following day, on October 5, Cassie appeared on Good Morning America and urged her parents to cooperate with authorities.

'I don't know if my parents are involved,' she said. 'I think if they are,' she then speculated, before adding, 'They should come clean.'

Protesters continue to visit the makeshift memorial to Petito outside the home of Laundrie's parents, like the woman pictured here on Monday, placing a bouquet of a dozen roses among the growing pile of flowers and other items that have been left by others

Petito, 22, and Laundrie, set off on their trip July 2, planning to travel across the US in the over the course of several months while chronicling the journey on YouTube.

On September 1, Laundrie arrived back at his family's home in North Port without his fiancee, still driving the couple's shared van.

Petito was not reported missing for another ten days, until September 11, after her mother grew concerned after not hearing from her for multiple days and receiving an unsettling wall of silence from Laundrie and his parents.

The Laundrie family then proceeded to lawyer up, and refused to let police speak to Brian about his fiancee's whereabouts.

His parents then reported him as missing on September 17 - two days after he was last seen, after allegedly telling his mother and father that he was going hiking in the nearby Carlton Reserve - five miles from the family's home.

Petito's body was subsequently discovered at a campsite near the Grand Teton National Park on September 19, and her death was ruled a homicide by investigators.

However, it is still unclear how Petito died.

According to the FBI, the Long Island native was likely killed between August 27 and August 30.

The last reports of Petito being seen alive were on August 27, when witnesses said they saw the couple involved in a 'commotion' in a Wyoming restaurant.

After her body was discovered and her missing persons case turned into a homicide, protesters promptly plagued the North Port, Florida, residence that the 23-year-old shared with his parents, after the pair refused to police in the search for their runaway son.

Local police and the FBI have now been searching for Laundrie - the sole person of interest in the homicide case - for more than three weeks - but he has somehow managed to evade capture.

He is still at large.
Petrol shortages are still serious in London and the South East - with 10 per cent of forecourts remaining empty.

Industry experts say a 'large majority' of retailers did not know when they would receive their next fuel delivery as the crisis continues to rumble on.

Drivers who have been fortunate enough to find petrol and diesel in recent weeks have often had to endure long queues and increased prices when filling up.

While bosses acknowledge the situation has improved in the last few days, shortages still remain in many areas.

Petrol shortages are still serious in London and the South East - with 10 per cent of forecourts remaining empty

Brian Madderson, chairman of the Petrol Retailers Association, said: 'There are many reports of wet sites quickly going dry because the continuity of tankers remains out of kilter with orders.

'The situation in London and the South East remains serious.'

Mr Madderson said there had been 'a welcome improvement' in the region over the weekend with 10% of non-motorway sites running out of fuel, which was 'not far behind the rest of the country'.

The figure was based on a survey of a quarter of petrol stations.

He cited figures from motoring research charity the RAC Foundation which indicated that filling stations in London and the South East were used more intensely than those elsewhere.

Mr Madderson said: 'These filling stations therefore need to be refuelled more often.

'The need to refuel filling stations in London and the South East is even more necessary when customers panic buy, because there are more cars to be filled per station there than the GB average.'

The fuel crisis begin when demand surged after BP announced on September 23 it would have to close a handful of its petrol stations.

The Government says it has taken a number of steps to relieve pressure on petrol stations, such as deploying military tanker drivers and exempting the fuel industry from competition laws.

New figures from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy show the average price of petrol at UK forecourts was 137.17p per litre on Monday, up 2p per litre from before the crisis began.

Drivers who have been fortunate enough to find petrol and diesel in recent weeks have often had to endure long queues and increased prices when filling up

Diesel has increased by 3p per litre over the same period, to 140.66p per litre.

These are the most expensive average prices for petrol and diesel since September 2013.

It comes as new figures show shoppers have cut back on trips to the supermarket to save petrol amid Britains fuel crisis.

The latest data from Kantar revealed that the average household made 15.5 grocery store visits in the past four weeks  the lowest monthly figure since February.

The report showed that visits to forecourts in the South of England jumped by 66% on Friday September 24, at the height of the fuel crisis, as motorists queued to fill up their tanks ahead of the weekend.

Overall grocery sales fell 1.2% to 28.8 billion year on year in the 12 weeks to October 3, although they remained 8.1% higher than before Covid-19, according to the figures.

Supermarket sales have been easing back since May due to tough comparisons with a year earlier, when coronavirus lockdowns and hospitality closures saw grocery sales soar.

But the drop in supermarket trips meant a rise in the proportion of groceries bought online  up 12.4% in the past month compared with a 12.2% rise in September and following seven months of declines.
An apparent anti-masker boarding a United flight became the latest unruly passenger to get hauled off a plane by cops after he screamed at a flight attendant and threatened fellow flyers when he was asked to put on his mask.

The unidentified passenger went on a foul-mouthed tirade on the Los Angeles-bound flight, warning someone who tried to diffuse the situation, 'I'll break your neck!'

TikTok user Alexander Clark posted the footage last Thursday of the raving anti-masker, who was seated directly behind him.

The viral video posted to Clark's Tik Tok account @starcadearcade - which has been viewed 4.3 million - begins with the anti-masker angrily yelling at a male flight attendant after he was asked four times to put his phone away and put his mask on.

'What the f*** you talking to me like that for bro?' he aggressively asked the flight attendant.

Tik Tok user Alexander Clark recorded the moment an anti-masker was seen screaming and threatening other passengers and yelling at a flight attendant after he was asked to hang up his phone and put on his mask 4 times

The anti-masker threatened to break a passenger's neck after he attempted to intervene in the argument between him and the flight attendant

The fuming flyer then repeatedly screams for him to be taken off the flight before ripping off his mask and saying, 'I don't even want to go to Cali!'

He then threatens the flight attendant before pushing the aisle seat passenger out of the way and walking towards the crew member.

'I will find your name, date of birth and address. I'll know your social security number before I get off this plane,' he said.

Another male passenger attempted to intervene between the screaming anti-masker and the flight attendant.

'You mind your business,' he told the fellow passenger. 'Mind your business. Cause I'll break your neck!'

A second male passenger then got involved in an attempt to calm things down.

'Gangster there's no need. Gangster there's no need,' the other passenger said.

The man was seen getting up to approach the flight attendant and pushed the aisle seat passenger out of the way

He was then seen yelling at the flight attendant before the other passengers intervened

'I'm trying to leave bro!' the anti-masker angrily shouted in response.

A follow-up video from Clark revealed that he was threatened by the anti-masker for recording him and the man even took away his phone.

'Why you recording s**t bro?' Clark was asked by the passenger as he stood over him.

'Let's go to jail! I'm the only 'n-word' on this plane that's going to jail!' he yells.

That's when cops arrived to finally escort the man off the flight. It was not clear if he was arrested or fined for the outburst.

In a follow-up video, Clark said that the anti-masker had grabbed his phone in anger over being recorded

Clark added that the cops later came to escort the anti-masker off the plane

About 17,000 users commented on the wild incident after it was posted.

'...What's he gonna do with his date of birth?', @Patrick J Reilly asked.

'Send him a birthday note,' Clark replied.

Another commenter made fun of the threats against the flight attendant.

'Before the end of the flight ima know your shoe size, your Xbox handle, your favorite candy in a Whitman's sampler...' @So Lil O'Queef quipped.

Tik Tok users were seen commenting on the wild incident

The incident was the just the latest in a series of verbal and physical assaults by passengers who refused to comply with the mask mandate.

In August, a woman on a JetBlue flight from Palm Beach to Hartford was arrested and taken off the plane on a wheelchair after she refused to comply with the mask mandate.

The incident, recorded by Tik Tok user Brooklyn DeGumbia, was fighting with JetBlue staff and police officers and had apparently delayed the flight for three hours.

Another woman in July also refused to wear a mask on an American Airlines flight from New Orleans to Dallas.

Passengers witnessed the woman screaming and throwing a tantrum, even after she was removed from the flight.

The woman was arrested for disturbing the peace and simple assault after she aggressively resisted being taken off the plane by staff and officers.

Other flight companies have reported similar experiences of anti-maskers on flights as the FAA reported that almost 73% of on-flight incidents have been over the mandate

The FAA has reported that nearly 73% of the 4,724 unruly passenger incidents on flights this year have been because of arguments over the mask mandate.

The fines for passenger violations have totaled more than $1 million this year, the agency said.

The FAA states on its website that 'no person may assault, threaten, intimidate, or interfere with a crewmember in the performance of the crewmember's duties aboard an aircraft being operated.'

The organization can propose up to a $37,000 fine for unruly passengers.

The TSA has extended the mask mandate for air travelers through next year.
A Vietnamese woman who was forced to work as a prostitute after being trafficked to Britain has won a High Court battle to stay in the UK in a landmark ruling today.

The woman, a 33-year-old who cannot be named for legal reasons, had taken legal action against Home Secretary Priti Patel regarding a government policy on victims of modern slavery.

After losing an asylum fight, the woman claimed a policy relating to 'discretionary leave' to remain for modern slavery victims was contrary to a Council of Europe convention.

A High Court judge ruled in her favour on Tuesday, with a lawyer saying the landmark ruling would have implications for hundreds of others in similar situations.

The High Court in London, where today a Vietnamese woman was granted leave to stay in Britain in a landmark ruling that will have implications for hundreds

Prior to the ruling, victims of modern slavery could be sent back to their home countries - carrying a risk they could be trafficked again by the same criminal organisations.

As a result, many apply for asylum or humanitarian protection in the UK, before often spending years waiting for their applications to be processed by the Home Office.

However, Mr Justice Linden said the decision taken in the woman's case was contrary to a Home Office policy of compliance with a section of the Council of Europe Convention on Action Against Trafficking in Human Beings.

The ruling ordered that trafficking victims be granted leave to remain in Britain en masse.

The woman, who was not named in the written ruling, had taken legal action against Home Secretary Priti Patel regarding a government policy on victims of modern slavery

Lawyer Ahmed Aydeed, who represented the woman and is based at Duncan Lewis Solicitors, said the decision would have implications for hundreds, if not more.

Mr Justice Linden considered had considered arguments at a High Court hearing earlier this year, before now outlining decision in a written ruling.

He said that the woman's 'broad case' was that she should have been granted discretionary leave to remain, in accordance with the convention, on the basis that she needed to stay to pursue asylum and human rights claims based around a fear of being re-trafficked if she was returned to Vietnam.

The judge's written ruling added: 'The decision-maker did not consider whether the fact that the claimant had made an asylum/protection claim based on the fear of re-trafficking, and therefore needed to stay in this country to pursue that claim, was a basis for granting (discretionary leave for victims of modern slavery).'

The Home Office had decided against granting the woman leave to remain as it was not necessary to protect her or assist or her recovery, he added.

An official had decided that treatment was available in Vietnam and, therefore, there were no medical grounds upon which she could stay.

The woman was taken through several countries over a period of 21 months in which she was forced to work as a prostitute.

She was then subjected to further forced labour, including as a prostitute and on cannabis farms, after arriving in Britain.
Three migrants were killed and one seriously injured by a train as they slept on railway tracks in southwest France.

The three victims were killed instantly when the train hit them on the tracks in Ciboure, near Saint-Jean-de-Luz, southwestern France, at about 5.30am today in what one official called a 'terrible human drama'.

One of those who died was a 21-year-old man, while a fourth migrant survived with only a broken leg.

The migrants are believed to have crossed over the border from Spain, which is around seven miles away.

The mayor of Ciboure, Eneko Aldana-Douat, said a heightened police presence meant some migrants shied away from main roads.

'The victims are migrants who were sleeping or were lying next to the tracks,' he told the BFM TV channel.

Three Algerian migrants were killed instantly when a train struck them as they lay sleeping on a railway track in southwestern France

Another person survived, although they were seriously injured and rushed to hospital with a broken leg

The accident happened in Ciboure, near Saint-Jean-de-Luz, southwestern France, at about 5.30am today. The regional prosecutor Jerome Bourrier, from Bayonne city, said the victims appeared to be Algerian migrants who had been expelled from Spain

San-Juan-de-Luz police station and the Bayonne judicial police opened an investigation after the incident

He said 'many migrants pass through the area' after they cross the border illegally from Spain and they often stay away from main roads towards Paris and Bordeaux because of 'police pressure'.

The regional prosecutor Jerome Bourrier, from Bayonne city, said the victims appeared to be Algerian migrants who had been expelled from Spain and had been sleeping on the tracks.

He said it was a 'terrible human drama'.

The train was travelling northbound from Hendaye, a seaside resort town on France's border with Spain, towards the city of Bordeaux.

The mayor of Ciboure, Eneko Aldana-Douat, suggested migrants were avoiding capture by staying away from main roads heading towards Paris and Bordeaux

The train was travelling northbound from Hendaye, a seaside resort town on France's border with Spain, towards the city of Bordeaux.

Mr Bourrier said one of the victims was a 21-year-old man who had recently received an expulsion order from Spanish immigration police.

Two others had documents suggesting they were in the same situation but French police had not yet verified their identities.

Mr Bourrier said while migrants walk on the tracks in the area, given its proximity to the border, 'what's more surprising here is that the people were lying down, even resting'.

Although there were initially delays, trains resumed within three hours, France's national rail company SNCF said

Police attended the scene early on Tuesday morning and were trying to understand why the migrants would sleep on the tracks

Bayonne prosecutor Jerome Bourrier said while migrants walk on the tracks in the area, given its proximity to the border, 'what's more surprising here is that the people were lying down, even resting'

The only survivor is seriously injured in hospital although the Bayonne prosecutor said their life was not in danger.

A police spokesman said it was unclear why the migrants were on the tracks but the San-Juan-de-Luz police station and the Bayonne judicial police opened an investigation.

Although there were initially delays, trains resumed within three hours, France's national rail company SNCF said.

The number of migrants in France has steadily increased in the last ten years.

The latest records show the number of migrants jumped by 77,080 from 194,920 in 2009 to 272,000 in 2019, according to Statista.

It comes as tensions rose between France and the UK as Priti Patel threatened to hold back 54million of funding for the Channel migrant operation unless Paris stepped up efforts to limit the flow of migrants to Britain.

France has been making veiled threats about its activities to quell the problem, with interior minister Gerald Darmanin complaining that 'not one euro has been paid' of the pledged funds.

A group of migrants were brought into Dover, Kent, by Border Force officers yesterday after their small boat was picked up in the Channel

Tensions were fraught between France and the UK since Priti Patel threatened to hold back 54million of funding for the Channel migrant operation unless Paris stepped up efforts to limit the flow of migrants to Britain

Although more than 18,000 migrants have crossed the Channel illegally into Britain so far this year, the number of migrants in France jumped by 77,080 in the space of ten years

People smugglers took advantage of calm seas before the weather closed in to make dozens of crossings to the UK

Border Force officers have detained 1,568 migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats in just four days as the crisis continues.

People smugglers took advantage of calm seas before the weather closed in to make dozens of crossings.

Around 20 to 30 migrants were brought into Dover yesterday, although official figures have yet to be confirmed.

On Thursday 89 were intercepted before 624 were detained on Friday.

A whopping 491 migrants were intercepted on Saturday and a further 364 on Sunday.

It takes the total so far in October to 1,568 after a spell of two weeks where weather conditions were too rough for inflatables to attempt the 21 mile treacherous crossing. In September there were a record 4,646 detained.

Official figures take the number detained in the UK so far this year to 18,641.
US workers are quitting their jobs at record rates, as the number of job openings across the country remains near record highs, new federal data shows.

Voluntary resignations jumped to 4.3 million in August, the highest on records dating back to December 2000, and up from 4 million in July, the Labor Department said in its monthly Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, or JOLTS report, on Tuesday.

That's equivalent to nearly 3 percent of the workforce walking out on their jobs in a trend some have dubbed 'the Great Resignation'.

Hiring also slowed in August, the report showed, and the number of jobs available fell slightly to 10.4 million, from a record high of 11.1 million the previous month.

The number of jobs available fell slightly to 10.4 million in August, from a record high of 11.1 million the previous month

Job vacancy rates remain high in many industries including restaurants (pink) and transportation (orange) as employers

Resignations in August rose the most in increased in hotels and restaurants (+157,000), wholesale trade (+26,000), and public education (+25,000).

Yet in industries such as manufacturing, construction, and transportation and warehousing, quits barely increased.

In professional and business services, which includes fields such as law, engineering, and architecture, where most employees can work from home, quitting was largely flat.

The number and rate of layoffs and discharges were little changed from July, at 1.3 million and 0.9 percent, respectively.

The new data show that the number of open jobs in the country continues to exceed the number of people seeking work, increasing the bargaining power of workers and giving them more confidence to quit unpleasant jobs.

The data from August are probably too early to reflect the impact of President Joe Biden's vaccine mandates, which were not announced until September 9.

Workers at a Nebraska Burger King announced their mass resignation on a sign earlier this year. Workers are quitting their jobs at record rates

But millions have dropped out of the labor force since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, for reasons that include early retirement, seeking new training for a career change, and remaining at home as a caregiver.

Unemployment figures released on Friday showed that the labor force participation rate remained 1.7 percentage points lower than in February 2020.

There were 7.7 million unemployed jobseekers in September, less than the total number of openings.

It all adds up to a dire labor shortage that has forced many businesses to scale back hours or services, and threatens economic growth by disrupting supply chains.

'With open jobs exceeding the number of people looking for work by over 2.7 million, the workforce shortage is the single most significant threat to America's economic recovery,' said US Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Suzanne P. Clark in a statement.

'Coupled with Friday's disappointing employment figures, this is yet another reminder that the recovery remains very fragile,' she added.

'Congress should drop the multi-trillion dollar tax and spend proposals that would further undermine the economy and focus on getting Americans back to work and helping employers fill open jobs,' Clark said, referring to deadlock among Democrats over Biden's $3.5 trillion social and climate spending plans.

A pedestrian walks by a now hiring sign at a Lamps Plus store on September 16 in San Francisco, California. There were 7.7 million unemployed jobseekers in September, less than the total number of openings

Applicants take part in a job fair at a Post Office in Los Angeles, California on September 30, as the US Postal Service looks to fill 40,000 seasonal-worker positions for the holidays

Over the 12 months ending in August 2021, US hires totaled 72.6 million and separations totaled 66.7 million, yielding a net employment gain of 5.9 million.

However, there are still about 5 million fewer people working today than there were in February 2020.

Friday's employment report showed that job gains were weak for a second straight month in September, with only 194,000 jobs added, though the unemployment rate fell to 4.8 percent from 5.2 percent, in part reflecting dropouts from the labor force.

Friday's hiring figure is a net total, after quits, retirements, and layoffs are taken into account. Tuesday's JOLTS report includes raw figures, and showed that total hiring in August fell sharply, to 6.3 million from 6.8 million in July.

The data is 'highlighting the immense problems businesses are dealing with,' Jennifer Lee, an economist at BMO Capital Markets, told the AP.

'Not enough people. Not enough equipment and/or parts. Meantime, customers are waiting for their orders, or waiting to place their orders. What a strange world this is,' Lee added.

The sharp increase in job openings is also playing out in other advanced economies.

Job vacancies have reached a record level in the United Kingdom, though that is partly attributed to European workers leaving the UK after Brexit.

Job openings in Australia also remain near record highs, up nearly 50 percent from February 2020 levels.
President Joe Biden discussed counterterrorism in Afghanistan with world leaders on Tuesday morning but - in a sign of uncertainty about how to deal with the country's new rulers - the White House did not refer to the Taliban in a readout of the call.

G20 leaders on the call also agreed to deliver humanitarian aid to Afghans and protect the rights of women and girls.

'The leaders discussed the critical need to maintain a laser-focus on our enduring counterterrorism efforts, including against threats from ISIS-K, and ensuring safe passage for those foreign nationals and Afghan partners with documentation seeking to depart Afghanistan,' said the White House in a statement referring to the local affiliate of the Islamic State.

'The leaders also reaffirmed their collective commitment to provide humanitarian assistance directly to the Afghan people through independent international organizations, and to promote fundamental human rights for all Afghans, including women, girls, and members of minority groups.'

The Biden administration has taken pains not to take a stand on the Taliban since it took power, preferring to repeat that it will be judged by its actions not its words

The Taliban swept into the capital of Afghanistan in August as U.S. troops withdrew, leading to the collapse of the country's government as local troops melted away

Afghanistan's new interior minister, Sirajuddin Haqqani, has a $10 million U.S. bounty on his head and is wanted for an attack on a Kabul that killed six people, including an American

ISIS-K has been a troubling presence in Afghanistan since about 2015.

It claimed responsibility for the suicide attack that killed almost 200 people - including 13 American service members - during the final, chaotic days of the U.S. withdrawal.

But experts say its impact and reach are dwarfed in the country by the Taliban, which fought U.S. troops for 20 years.

Its new government includes terrorists wanted by the FBI.

For example, Sirajuddin Haqqani, head of the network believed to be responsible for many of the suicide attacks in Kabul in recent years, is now the Taliban's interior minister.

His presence is just one of the thorny issues that foreign governments must navigate if they are to continue rescuing citizens and Afghan allies, while ensuring the supply of aid to a country broken by two decades of conflict.

The problem of how to deal with Afghanistan was clear from who was on the call and who was not.

China and Russia, both members of the exclusive club of the world's 20 major economies, did not take part.

They have made clear they will not join Western nations who want to put conditions on aid in order to keep the Taliban in line.

At the same time, other leaders are grappling with whether to recognize Afghanistan's new hardline rulers.

The Biden administration has been at pains to avoid casting judgement on an Islamist movement known for its brutality.

At the weekend, the State Department characterized talks with its representatives in Doha, Qatar as constructive.

'The discussions were candid and professional with the U.S. delegation reiterating that the Taliban will be judged on its actions, not only its words,' it said.

That stance has angered human rights groups which have already begun documenting brutalities against Afghanistan's minority groups, such as the Shia Hazara community, and recording how women are being told to stay at home.

That presents governments with a dilemma if they want to help Afghans.

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, who hosted the call, said the G20 would have to maintain contact with the Taliban government but that was not the same as formally recognizing it.

'It is very hard to see how you can help people in Afghanistan without involving the Taliban,' he said after the virtual summit.
Planned October strikes have been called off to consider offer but November action remains in place

The operator has offered a 2.5 per cent and a separate 300 bonus payment

ScotRail have offered staff a pay rise in a desperate bid to stop strikes during COP26.

The government-controlled rail operator wants to avoid disruption to the Glasgow summit next month, the prospect of which unions have called a 'national embarrassment'.

Workers at the firm have been holding a series of strikes over pay in recent weeks, with plans to continue each Sunday between now and November 28.

But it is understood an offer has been made to staff of an initial 2.5 per cent backdated to April this year, with an additional 2.2 per cent promised in April 2022.

There is also a separate offer on the table of a 300 bonus payment to all staff for ensuring that COP26 is fully supported between October 31, and November 12.

ScotRail have offered staff a pay rise in a desperate bid to stop strikes during COP26, the prospect of which unions have called a 'national embarrassment'

It is understood the offer represents improved terms made to staff, after weeks of disruption across Scotland's rail network.

If strikes continue as scheduled, they will occur all day on consecutive Sundays; October 31, November 7, 14, 21, and 28.

Planned strikes for October 17 and 24 have been called off while the offer is considered.

Unite says members will be balloted on the latest offer between October 13 and 25.

A spokesperson for RMT said: 'The offer has been received, and going through normal process of being discussed by our reps across Scotland.

'It needs to be given full consideration and will be taking whatever time is necessary before taking the right decision.

'We'll be issuing a further statement in due course.'

A ScotRail spokesperson said: 'We're seeing customers gradually return to Scotland's Railway, but the scale of the financial situation ScotRail is facing is stark.

'We will continue to engage with the rail trade unions to find an agreement on pay and conditions.

'To build a more sustainable and greener railway for the future and reduce the burden on the taxpayer, we need to change.

'All of us in the railway - management, staff, trade unions, suppliers, and government - need to work together to modernise the railway so that it is fit for the future.'
A QAnon-obsessed dad who allegedly shot dead his two young children with a spear gun at a Christian resort in Mexico pleaded not guilty to the gruesome murders in a California court.

The plea comes after Matthew Taylor Coleman, 40, admitted to the FBI that he killed his two young kids just days after the 'heinous, cruel and depraved' act, according to court documents.

Coleman had told the agents that 'he received visions and signs that his wife possessed serpent DNA and had passed it onto his children'.

He will remain in an undisclosed federal prison - after prosecutors at the US District Court in San Diego argued Coleman is a flight risk and a danger to others or himself - until his next hearing, which is scheduled for November 5.

Santa Barbara District Attorney Joyce E Dudley said his not guilty plea last Wednesday was expected, even with the FBI's testimony. She told the Santa Barbara News-Press that 'a confession isn't the same as an admission of guilt'.

QA-non-obsessed father-of-two Matthew Taylor Coleman (pictured in court sketch), 40, pleaded not guilty to fatally shooting his young children with a spear gun on Wednesday in a San Diego US District Court

Last month Coleman was charged with two counts of foreign first-degree murder of United States nationals after allegedly shooting his two-year-old son Kaleo and 10-month-old daughter Roxy to death with a spear gun. The charge makes him eligible for the death penalty

Last month, Coleman was indicted and charged with two counts of foreign first-degree murder of United States nationals after he took his two-year-old son Kaleo and 10-month-old daughter Roxy to a Christian ranch in Mexico to murder them.

He told federal agents he used a spear fishing gun to shoot Kaleo and Roxy in the heart before dumping them in a field outside Rosarito.

Deputy Federal Public Defender Elena Sadowsky (pictured) was assigned to Coleman's case on Thursday

According to court documents, when they did not die right away, Coleman stabbed his son 17 more time and his daughter 12 more times, cutting his own hand in the process.

The charges make him eligible for the death penalty. If the Attorney General decides against the death penalty, Coleman's maximum sentence would be life in prison with a fine of up to $250,000.

Coleman was represented by a public defender.

While Coleman's wife Abby had no clue her husband was a QAnon follower, one of his childhood friends said that the alleged killer 'was constantly checking those sites on his phone'.

The friend, who spoke anonymously to People, was referring to conspiracy theory websites and message boards.

'He spent hours each day just glued to his phone looking at that stuff,' he added.

Although the friend didn't know the exact websites Coleman frequently looked at, he said he would bring up QAnon theories throughout their conversations and say: 'Listen to this one'.

'He's show me other posts of other people who believed the strangest things,' the anonymous source told People.

Coleman admitted to FBI that he murdered his son Kaleo (left), two, and daughter Roxy (right), 10 months, back in August. Court documents noted that Coleman was 'enlightened' by 'QAnon and Illuminata' conspiracy theories and thought he 'was saving the world from monsters'

Meanwhile, a longtime family friend of the Colemans is finding it harder to believe the seemingly perfect father was behind the crime.

The insider, speaking on behalf of Coleman's entire family, said: 'At this point, we all believe that he had a psychotic break.

Coleman was sketched in court days after the murder, on August 11, as he faced charges

'It's the only explanation that makes any sense to us. Something clicked, and he did something that was incomprehensible. Before August 7, we thought his life was damn near perfect.'

The family friend told People that Coleman 'has spoken to his family on the phone'.

'It's sinking in what happened, and he's devastated. He has begged his family for forgiveness,' they said.

The family friend also shockingly told People: 'We're standing by him as this goes ahead. The hope is that he'll get the help he clearly needs.'

'We don't know what the future holds,' they said, adding that their support does not mean they're endorsing any of Coleman's actions. 'I think there's some compassion there,' they said of Coleman's apology, 'but forgiveness is going to take some time. What he did is just so horrific'.

'It's going to take a lot of time for everyone to wrap their heads around it,' they added, noting that 'we're still grieving the senseless loss of Kaleo and Roxy'.

An anonymous family friend told People that Coleman's wife Abby, 35, 'didn't see this coming' and is haunted by questions of 'what she could have done to stop it'

Coleman lived in Santa Barbara, California with his wife and two kids. He left on August 7 and checked into the City Express Hotel in Rosarito, Mexico. Two days later he was arrested after trying to get back in the US at the San Ysidro Point of Entry for the murder of his two children

Coleman murdered his toddlers on a Christian ranch in Rosarito, Mexico (pictured) on the morning of Monday, August 9, after leaving his Santa Barbara home on Saturday and crossing the border without his wife's knowledge

On August 7 the Santa Barbara native left his California home in a Mercedes Sprinter van with his toddler son Kaleo and infant daughter Roxy.

He crossed the border into Mexico and drove to Rosarito, where he checked into a City Express Hotel without Abby's knowledge.

He told his wife that they were going on a camping trip but did not say where. He did not take a car seat and instead left with his 10-month-old daughter in a box.

Coleman didn't answer any of his wife's calls or texts the next day - a Saturday. Family members reported that they also could not reach Coleman.

CCTV footage from the hotel showed him checking out of the hotel early Monday with his children and returning later in the morning by himself.

Abby, 35, reported her husband and children missing that same day. She said she was concerned for her family's well-being and because she knew her husband didn't have a car seat, according to the documents.

When she spoke to police the day before the murder she said she did not believe Coleman would harm her children and that they would eventually return home.

Federal agents also confirmed that she and her husband did not have any sort of argument before he left.

Video footage showed Coleman (left), Kaleo (right) and Roxy (not seen in the picture) checking into the City Express Hotel in Rosarito on Saturday, August 7

CCTV footage shows Coleman leaving the hotel on Monday morning at 2.54am with his two children, Kaleo and Roxy

Coleman returned alone later Monday morning and then left the hotel for good in a Mercedes-Benz vehicle, authorities said

On August 9 Coleman was apprehended by police when trying to reenter the USA at the Ysidro Point of Entry. He then admitted to killing Kaleo and Roxy, telling federal agents that he was 'enlightened' by 'QAnon and Illuminata' conspiracy theories which claim the world is run by a group of Satan-worshipping pedophiles.

He also said he was 'saving the world' because his children were 'going to grow into monsters' since he believed they inherited serpent DNA from their mother.

According to court documents filed in LA, Coleman was 'receiving visions and signs that his wife possessed serpent DNA and had passed it onto his children'.

If he didn't kill them, he 'believed his children were going to grow into monsters'.

Oddly enough, the surf school owner also admitted that he knew what he did was wrong.

In the indictment obtained by DailyMail.com Coleman allegedly 'committed the offence after substantial planning and premeditation to cause the death of a person'.

After the murder Coleman put his children's slain bodies in some nearby brush, discarded their bloody clothes in a blue trash bin and threw the spear fishing gun near a creek, the affidavit said.

He was taken to Santa Ana jail the day after the murder and the Mexican authorities found the murder weapon, bloody clothes and a baby's blanket.

The investigation started after the children's mother Abby Coleman (pictured) reported her husband, son and daughter missing when Coleman didn't answer any of her phone calls or texts

The surf instructor told federal agents that he knew what he did was wrong 'but it was the only course of action that would save the world'

An affidavit was filed in LA following Coleman's arrest. In the court documents, Coleman told federal agents that he was 'receiving visions and signs that his wife possessed serpent DNA and had passed it onto his children'

According to the court documents, when a jailer asked him why there was a band-aid on his hand he said it was from 'hurting his children'.

A month ago an anonymous source said that Abby 'didn't see this coming' and is 'devastated'.

The insider added: 'No one did. But for her, she's starting to question everything she ever knew about her husband. It's devastating.

'So now she's wondering what she could have done to stop it. Those questions are going to haunt her. If she had any idea that he was believing all this she would've helped him get help. But she didn't know. And now the worst has happened.'

In the months leading up to the crime Coleman's posts on social media, which have since been taken down, veer from biblical quotes to prophetic and revelatory language.

Coleman openly talked about a new type of 'Great American Renaissance' that 'will empower each person's heart to come alive and explode'. He goes onto ask if 2020 could just be the 'birth pains' of what is on its way in 2021?

Indeed, the troubled father of two declares that his daughter Roxy Rain was 'hand picked by God to slay the giants of the land' and calls both his children 'gifts from God'.

Federal agents will most likely be looking into the surf instructor's social media accounts, which grew increasingly devout since the pandemic. It is unknown how long Coleman was entrenched in QAnon

Investigators will no doubt note how he appears to use increasingly biblical, prophetic and revelatory language

Religious screed: Coleman posted this picture to celebrate the birth of his daughter and declared that his daughter Roxy Rain was 'hand picked by God to slay the giants of the land'

In another post, Coleman says 'There is a truth buried in the heart of every man and woman which holds the key to God-likeness. This will open the door to a limitless flow of divine power and creativity'.

From kids trapped in a pizza shop basement to drinking children's blood here are some of QAnon's most bizarre theories THE UNDERPINNING PEDOPHILE THEORY QAnon is founded on and operates under the belief that there is a deep-state organization of powerful, Democratic politicians who are pedophiles. Supporters of the theory think that for years, these pedophiles have been able to operate free from criticism by protecting each other. It also teaches that they are Satan worshipers who, after abusing children, drink their blood. None of it is true. FRAZZLEDRIP One theory that has been tied to QAnon but was not necessarily borne out of it is the idea that there is a video, found on the laptop of disgraced congressman Anthony Weiner, which shows his wife Huma Abedin and Hillary Clinton abusing a child and then drinking the child's blood. PIZZAGATE Pizzagate erupted as a theory during the first Trump election in 2016. It is the theory that the Comet pizza shop in Washington DC has been used for years as a base for the pedophile and child sex trafficking ring. Again, there is no evidence of it. Advertisement

In yet another post that borne some similarity to the anti-establishment ethos of QAnon, Coleman says he is 'convinced at some point in our lives we will accumulate enough valid evidence for why we should stop trusting our government officials, bosses, coworkers, church, family and friends'.

He said doing so is a 'doorway to experiencing the most liberating reality on earth'.

The killer dad also waxes lyrical about The Renaissance and the Dark Ages. Wondering if we are living in our own Dark Age right now that is waiting to be lit up by a 'creative explosion'.

'The Crazy thing about history is that you don't know what your season will be labeled as until years down the road. And more so, sometimes your time period isn't labeled by what happens during it, but rather what happens after it.'

Investigators have begun the process of trying to work out how and why the otherwise seemingly happy family man could have become so twisted as to murder both his children, who he described as his 'jewels' on social media.

The murders are all the more baffling considering Coleman's very public love for Abby, Kaleo and Roxy.

He often fawned over his wife on birthdays, anniversaries, describing his spouse of four years as 'wifey'.

Coleman captioned Instagram photos of her saying he's 'deeply in love' and shared photos of father-son days spent with Kaleo, to which he said: 'When I'm with him, things that Ive experienced a thousand times start to feel new and awe-inspiring.

'He has this special gift in being able to recognize the glory all around him, and then bringing other people into it.'

'You could say I enjoy being a dad,' he wrote in an earlier post with his only son.

Neighbors of Coleman exclusively told DailyMail.com that they are hey are 'sickened' after hearing the devastating news about the seemingly happy family next door.

Richard Galindo, 82, lives near surf school owner Coleman in the beach town of Santa Barbara, California.

And while Galindo says that Abby was the 'sweetest mother' who would always stop by and say hello, he tells DailyMail.com that Matthew was less amiable.

The murder is all the more baffling considering Coleman's very public love for Abby, Kaleo and Roxy. He often fawned over his wife on birthdays, anniversaries or just because and the two appeared very happily married for the past four years

In a 2018 post Coleman said he 'can't wait to go spearfish' with Kaleo one day. It's unknown if he believed in QAnon and Illuminata conspiracy theories then but he would go on to kill his toddler son using a spearfish gun as the murder weapon

Before murdering his son over QAnon-inflicted fears he would grow into a 'monster,' Coleman said Kaleo was an 'amazing son'

'I've known Abby for the past year, she used to walk by with her two children. She would have one in a buggy and the older one would walk. I'd see her at least once a week as she passed by my house on the way to the beach. Her oldest child loved playing with the cement animal statues in my yard,' he said with a tear in his eye.

'[Matthew] was never really the friendly type. When Matthew walked by my house with his kids, he seemed he was in another land, he never acknowledged me to say hi, he just looked straight ahead.'

The last time Galindo spoke with Matthew was just a few weeks ago. 'I brought a bag of avocados over to their house, Matthew answered the door and for the first time he was actually nice as I handed him the bag. He said thank you,' he said.

The family lived in a modest three-bedroom, two-bath, 1300-square-foot home with a two-car garage built in 1956.

Located just blocks from Arroyo Burro Beach in Santa Barbara, the home is worth $1.4 million.

The couple co-founded the surfing school Lovewater Surf Co in Santa Barbara, California - where Coleman was born.

Another neighbor said the young couple have a middle aged man and his mother living in their garage. It was a condition of their rent from the owners, they said.

A different neighbor told DailyMail.com: 'Abby was the social one of the two, but I was wary of Matthew. He seemed a little too happy and disingenuous, fake nice almost.'

The family lived in a modest three-bedroom, twi-bath, 1300-square-foot home with a two-car garage built in 1956 and located just blocks from Arroyo Burro Beach in Santa Barbara

Coleman co-founded the surfing school Lovewater Surf Co in Santa Barbara, California, with his wife. According to the surf school's website, 'Matt and Abby enjoy finding ways to better lives through surfing, experiential education and community-based projects'
A new mom who got COVID-19 while she was pregnant - and gave birth to her baby 14 weeks early to save him - was denied a double lung transplant just before she was set to board a helicopter for surgery because her insurance wouldn't pay for it.

Day care worker Gabriela Acuna, 29, had been in and out of the hospital by the time she had an emergency C-section September 13 at just 26 weeks pregnant.

As of Tuesday, she still has four tubes in her chest and needs constant attention.

She was revived after going into cardiac arrest on October 1, and her family thought the worst had passed when they were promised that Acuna would be flown to California for a lung transplant.

But the rug was pulled out from under them when the hospital called and said the helicopter had flown off without her on October 6.

'Medicaid denied her last minute. The helicopter arrived at the hospital awaiting her and they let it fly away,' her sister Paula Olmeda told KLAS. 'It wasn't until the following day that we learned that Medicaid in the State of Nevada does not approve lung transplants.'

'It went from, "Your sister is going to get safe" to "Your sister is going to die" in a couple of seconds,' she told The Daily Beast. 'It was almost like a joke.'

It turns out that Nevada Medicaid doesn't cover heart or lung transplants. Kidney, liver, bone marrow and corneal transplants are covered with some conditions, according to the state's Medicaid manual.

Day care worker Gabriela Acuna, 29, was unvaccinated and hospitalized with COVID in August

The new mom, seen above on Saturday, underwent an emergency C-section at 26 weeks of pregnancy in September. She then went into cardiac arrest on October 1

Paula Olmeda, above, says her sister was supposed to fly to California for a double lung transplant, but Nevada Medicaid told them they don't cover the operation at the last minute

Acuna is being treated at Centennial Hills Hospital in Las Vegas, Nevada

'A lung transplant is not a covered service with Nevada Medicaid,' Nevada Medicaid spokeswoman Ky Plaskon told DailyMail.com. 'Covered services are determined by state and federal law and the legislatively approved budget.'

Olmeda also wrote to Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak hoping he could override the department's decision, though the department told the family to begin an appeal instead as the governor does not have that power.

Acuna is being treated at the Centennial Hills Hospital in Las Vegas. She has been accepted as a perfect candidate for a transplant at Keck Medicine at the University of Southern California, her family says.

'Shes young and passed all the necessary tests for her to get admitted into USC,' Olmeda told the Daily Beast.

'We were told by Centennial Hills Hospital that her insurance had approved her transport to USC to perform a lung transplant. There are no words to describe that moment.'

Centennial Hills' parent network, the Valley Health System, declined to answer questions from DailyMail.com about turning away helicopters for patients who need transplants, citing federal patient privacy laws.

Acuna was not vaccinated and was waiting for the go-ahead from her OBGYN before the shot

Her son Ryder was born on September 13 at one pound and ten ounces. Acuna has only seen her son, who is now two pounds, via video link from the neonatal intensive care unit

Acuna's family has since set up a GoFundMe seeking $2.5 million for an out-of-pocket double lung transplant. They have raised $69,800 as of Tuesday afternoon, including a single anonymous donation of $10,000.

A photo on the fundraising page shows part of Acuna's son's baby blanket from the NICU, or neonatal intensive care unit, placed next to her on the bed.

'So she could smell him,' Olmeda told the Daily Beast. 'Looking at her just close her eyes and just smell her baby for the first time. It was heartbreaking.'

The GoFundMe page reads: 'Like so many pregnant women she held off on getting the vaccine until she got the A-okay from her OB

'The week she had her appointment to ask for OBs blessing, she got Covid. Like so many she went to the ER asking for help to breathe but she was turned away 3 times before they had no choice but to take her.'

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that pregnant people who get COVID-19 are at increased risk having an adverse pregnancy or neonatal outcomes.

About 97 percent of pregnant women hospitalized for COVID were unvaccinated, according to data from this year.

Acuna was first hospitalized on August 30. She was sent home from the emergency room twice before her blood oxygen levels got low enough for her to be admitted.

'The timing of it all was just awful,' Olmeda said.

She was just 24 weeks pregnant at the time, but the doctors wanted her to hold just a little longer so the baby's lungs would develop further before performing any invasive procedures on Acuna.

Acuna's family has written to Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak asking him to override the Medicaid rules and allow her to get the double lung transplant, which costs $2.5 million out-of-pocket

Acuna's family has raised less than $70,000 as of Tuesday afternoon

'Everyone wanted the baby to reach at least 30 weeks before they would take him out,' Olmeda later said.

But the doctors were worried that her heart would fail if they didn't intervene. She spoke to her family over FaceTime and went under for an emergency C-section.

'The last thing she told my mom was, "Mom, I have nothing for the baby,'" Olmeda said. 'I was like, "Gab, dont worry, I will take care of it. I will make your nursery ready, I will get your registry, I will take care of it."'

Ryden was born at one pound and ten ounces on September 13.

He was immediately sent to the NICU while his mother fought for her own life in the ICU.

'She didnt get to see her baby because she was under anesthesia and they put the ventilator in right then, and its been a journey ever since,' Olmeda said.

Olmeda traveled to Vegas with her husband, two children and their dog to help set up a nursery for Ryden.

'We got some family members to come in and help us paint,' Olmeda said. 'We got the nursery ready for her. I got the registry. Shes ready to go. We just need her to get better.'

The last thing Acuna told her family before her emergency C-section on September 13 was, 'Mom, I have nothing for the baby,' according to her sister

A helicopter that was supposed to take Acuna from Centennial, above, to the University of Southern California for a transplant left without her on October 6 because of insurance issues

When Acuna went into cardiac arrest on October 1, doctors allowed her mother and father into her hospital room while Olmeda watched from FaceTime.

'They only do that when they think that person is going to die,' Olmeda later said.

Doctors managed to revive her, but Acuna's family was praying for any kind of relief for their sick daughter.

'In that moment her eyes are like rolled back, her mouth is open, her tongue hanging out, and its just like, "Oh God, dont make her feel this anymore,"' Olmeda told the Daily Beast.

'We went from praying, "Please God, let her live," to that night we were just so defeated we went home and prayed for, "God, please take her," because of the amount of suffering that she was experiencing for so long.'

The botched medevac to California was October 6, five days after Acuna went into cardiac arrest.

She has since slowly recovered, even managing to sit up at the edge of the bed on Monday, though she still has four tubes in her chest and doctors continue to recommend a double lung transplant.

Acuna, in the ICU, has only caught a few glimpses of her son via video link from the NICU

Nevada is averaging 577 daily COVID cases, down from a summer high of 1,193 on August 16

About 55 percent of Nevada residents ages 12 and up are vaccinated. The CDC warns that pregnant people with COVID are at increased risk of adverse pregnancy or neonatal outcomes

She got her first look at her son, who now weighs two pounds, on Saturday via live video from the NICU.

'Her being able to see her baby now shes conscious enough to really understand whats happening, it just gives her so much hope,' Olmeda said.

'She has these moments where she is just so happy to see him and then she just like, breaks down.'

Nevada is averaging 577 daily new COVID cases, down from a summer high of 1,193 on August 16 and significantly lower than the 2,787 daily average in December 2020.

About 55 percent of Nevada residents ages 12 and up are fully vaccinated, according to state health department data, lower than the national average of 66 percent.

As of September 27, more than 125,000 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases have been reported in pregnant people, including more than 22,000 hospitalized cases and 161 deaths, according to the CDC.
All police forces in England and Wales will review allegations of violence against women and girls involving serving officers and staff in the wake of Sarah Everard's murder.

Police chiefs have also been tasked with checking incidents of indecent exposure in a bid to restore public trust in the service after Metropolitan Police officer Wayne Couzens was jailed for the 33-year-old marketing executive's kidnap, rape and murder.

In addition, forces will look again at vetting practices to make sure checks are complying with procedures as part of an action plan set at a National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) meeting with all chief constables last week.

Martin Hewitt, chairman of the National Police Chiefs Council, said police bosses were doing 'everything that we can' to investigate violence against women and girls

NPCC chairman Martin Hewitt told the PA news agency that police bosses were doing 'everything that we can do to ensure that the way we deal with violence against women and girls is as effective and as assertive as it can be'.

He said: 'We've commissioned a review of all of the incidents that relate to violence against women and girls, and issues around indecent exposure... any of those incidents by serving police officers and staff.'

This is so forces can make sure allegations are being, or have been, properly investigated and also to check that information is being shared between forces if officers have moved jobs or have been arrested in a different area.

Mr Hewitt reiterated the 'betrayal' and disgust felt at the actions of Couzens in what has been an 'unpleasant period' for the police service.

He said: 'It was a sombre and quite a reflective meeting but also positive in the sense of the determination of all of the chief constables to do what is necessary to start rebuilding the trust that has been lost as a result of this.

'There are things that we can do, there are things that we know we need to do, we absolutely have to be listening.'

Sarah Everard was murdered by serving police poffice Wayne Couzens on March 3

While the work is being co-ordinated by the NPCC, forces will conduct the individual reviews internally. No timeframe has yet been set for carrying out the checks and it is so far unclear whether the findings will be made public.

Mr Hewitt added: 'But be under no illusion, these are immediate actions that we determined last week needed to be taken. This is not something that people are going to be sitting on and waiting.

'Everyone clearly understood, and clearly came with the absolute determination that we need to know... precisely what has gone on, what is going on and any action that needs to be taken in any of those cases.'

The news comes as Deputy Chief Constable Maggie Blyth was appointed to lead the NPCC's work on violence against women and girls and to co-ordinate police action across England and Wales.

Ms Blyth, who took up the role on Monday, is responsible for overseeing a new police strategy which will focus on how to prevent violence, target perpetrators and help victims get justice, while Mr Hewitt will continue to look at how the NPCC responds in the long term.

Mr Hewitt added: 'This is long work and significant work that needs to be done... This is something that will be with us now for many months, if not years, in terms of how we take this forward.'

Last week the Metropolitan Police announced it was carrying out an urgent examination of all ongoing sexual and domestic abuse allegations against officers and staff alongside its own independent review of the force's standards and culture.

Meanwhile, the Home Secretary launched an inquiry to look into the 'systematic failures' that allowed Ms Everard's killer to be employed as a police officer.

Earlier on Tuesday Met deputy assistant commissioner Bas Javid acknowledged there is a 'crisis' of confidence that women and girls have in policing in the wake of Ms Everard's murder.

'We want women and girls particularly to feel safe in communities,' he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme, adding: 'There's a lot of work to be done to rebuild that trust and give people the confidence to come forward.'
The mom of a three-year-old girl who was almost abducted by a homeless man in the Bronx Monday afternoon said she doesn't want the suspect to go to prison and that he is 'not mentally OK.'

The mom, who didn't want to be identified, said in an interview with ABC7NY that she wanted the kidnapper, who was arrested and identified as Santiago Salcedo, 27, 'to get help. I don't want him to go to jail because he's not mentally OK.'

The incident was captured in shocking video from the front of a BP gas station and shows three children walking with their grandma.

Salcedo crosses the road and walks towards the group. In an instant, he suddenly wraps the girl in a blanket and runs off with her much to the horror of the other kids.

The 65-year-old woman immediately chases him. 'She saw him coming closer and she thought that he would want to ask for money, so that's why she wasn't fully aware of what can happen,' the child's mom told CBS News on Tuesday.

'The kids are OK. Thank god they're still too young to fully understand or grasp what happened.'

The three-year-old girl is OK because of brave good Samaritans, two men and two women.

Fermin Bracero, 63, who works at the BP was chased down the suspect. He told DailyMail.com on Tuesday that he was sweeping the sidewalk when he saw Salcedo wrap a blanket around the young girl and take off.

He thought it was a joke, but then realized it wasn't a family prank and chased the suspect. Another man and two women who were pumping gas joined the pursuit.

A homeless man tried to abduct a little girl walking with her grandmother in the Bronx in broad daylight on Monday

The man wrapped the little girl in a comforter and snatched her from the sidewalk

The mom of girl, 3, who was nearly abducted in the Bronx on Monday speaks to a reporter on Tuesday. She missed to remain anonymous

Bracero told DailyMail.com that the suspect let the girl go, and didn't say anything to the four. He simply walked away and went across the street.

'He didn't say nothing. He just stood there looking at us. He stood there for a while. I was still thinking, "Is this real?"' Bracero told DailyMail.com.

He said Salcedo finally took off on an electric scooter before it 'quit on him' and then he ran off. NYPD officers later found him asleep in a nearby doorway and arrested him.

Salcedo was charged with kidnapping, attempted kidnapping, unlawful imprisonment and endangering the welfare of a child.

He was seen laughing and smiling as he was escorted out of the 45th Precinct in the Bronx and in the back of the police car

The Bronx District Attorney's Office told DailyMail.com at 11am that Salcedo hadn't been arraigned, but was expected to be later Tuesday.

After the three-year-old girl was saved, the Bracero turned his attention to the hysterical family.

There were three children - including the young girl - their grandma. Their mom and dad also arrived.

'They were screaming and crying. I just told them there's a bench in the gas station and to sit down. I gave the kids lollipops,' Bracero said.

He described the neighborhood where he lives and works as close-knit and quiet. He felt uncomfortable being called a hero and said it was a collaborative effort.

Salcedo was charged with kidnapping, attempted kidnapping, unlawful imprisonment and endangering the welfare of a child. He was seen laughing and smiling as he was escorted out of the 45th Precinct in the Bronx and in the back of the police car

Police caught Santiago Salcedo, 27, later in the day sleeping in the doorway of a nearby business and was seen grinning as he was charged on Monday night. He was charged with kidnapping, attempted kidnapping, unlawful imprisonment and child endangerment

Fermin Bracero, 63, who works at the BP gas station was one of the heroes who chased down the suspect. After the girl was safe, he told DailyMail.co, 'He didn't say nothing. He just stood there looking at us. He stood there for awhile. I was still thinking, "Is this real?"'

Bracero has noticed more homeless people in the area who come into the store at the gas station, but he said they're not violent or erratic and haven't done anything violent.

They beg or sell water bottles to drivers, but leave people alone. 'It's a quiet neighborhood. I've never experienced anything like that,' he said. 'You don't expect to see anything like that. It's something that only happens on TV.

'I just thank God that we were all there, and the girl is OK.'

There are a few day cares within a couple-mile radius of the incident as well as a school. P.S. 14 at 3047 Bruckner Blvd. is less than a half a mile from the BP gas station, but it was closed on Monday for Columbus Day.

A school official told DailyMail.com that it's believed to be a one-time incident and no extra security has been added.

The attempted abduction comes amid a surge in violent crime committed by homeless suspects in New York City. The number of single adults sleeping in municipal shelters has spiked by 103 percent in the past decade and has continued to soar since coronavirus pandemic.

A homeless man is pictured near Washington Square Park in Manhattan on Monday. The city's vagrant population has doubled to 50,000 in a decade

The man was filmed wandering off in what appeared to be a pair of boxer shorts after his interaction with cops

In the past few years, NYC homelessness has reached its highest levels since the Great Depression in the 1930s, according to the New York Coalition for the Homeless. There were 47,979 homeless people, including 14,881 homeless children, sleeping each night in the NYC municipal shelter system in August 2021, according to the agency. In the same month, there were 18,357 single adults in shelters.

The coalition adds that thousands of homeless people sleep throughout the streets, subways and other public spaces throughout the Big Apple, but there is 'no accurate measure' of such data and city surveys 'significantly underestimate the number of unsheltered homeless New Yorkers.'

Many have said that Mayor Bill de Blasio's attempts to handle the ongoing mental health crisis have only exacerbated it.

A homeless man is pictured talking to cops while sat against a concrete barrier next to Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan

New York City is seeing a surge in violent crime committed by homeless suspects with untreated mental health issues. Above, a homeless woman pushes a cart through Times Square

The Office of Community Mental Health, which was once known as first lady Chirlane McCray's $1.25 billion ThriveNYC initiative, has yet to reinstate two in-person training programs, Mental Health First Aid and Crisis Intervention Training due to COVID-19 safety precautions even though city workers have been back in their offices for months, according to the New York Post.

The number of crime victims offered emotional support services also dropped from 49,000 in the 2020 fiscal year to 39,000 in 2021 fiscal year, the outlet reported.

And mental health service in high-needs schools saw a change of guard this year. They are now run by the Department of Education and the Department of Health instead of the Office of Community Mental Health.

There have been 16,899 felony assaults in NYC this year through October 3, with multiple terrifying examples carried out by homeless people, according to the the most recent data from the NYPD.

That is up seven percent from the 15,787 committed in the same time period the previous year. Felony assaults are up almost 16 percent in the past 28 days, with 1,949 incidents through October 3 compared to 1,685 in the same duration last year.

Robberies in the Big Apple are down just 0.4 percent with 9,647 through October 3 compared to 9,686 committed in the same period last year. Robberies are up nine percent in the past 28 days with 1,222 occurring in in 2021 as compared to 1,117 in 2020.

A woman is pictured chatting with a group of homeless men in Harlem on Monday

A homeless encampment is pictured on the entrance to the Manhattan Bridge in Brooklyn on Monday

The homeless crisis in New York appears to increase as more people are left without a place to stay

A man on crutches sits on a Big Apple sidewalk, amid an explosion in the city's homeless population

Transit crimes are down 13 percent this year through October 3, with 1,200 in 2021 and 1,384 in 2020. However, such crimes have soared in the past 28 days and are up about 66 percent with 169 in 2021 as opposed to 102 for the same period in 2020.

Recent anecdotal evidence has shown instances of homeless attackers carrying out muggings, assaults and attacking people on the city's subway system.

One of the main causes of homelessness is a lack of affordable housing. Surveys of families experiencing homelessness found that immediate triggers were eviction, domestic violence, job loss or hazardous housing conditions, cited the Coalition of the Homeless.

In addition, the coalition states, homeless single adults have much higher rates of mental illness, addiction disorders and other health issues.

Among the latest victims of homeless attackers are a 16-year-old girl who was choked from behind by a homeless woman while eating sushi in Queens and a cancer nurse who was killed when a homeless man slammed her headfirst into the pavement while fleeing a robbery.

A woman police identified as Minerva Martinez, 36, is seen in surveillance footage marching up behind the unnamed 16-year-old girl as she ate outside Watawa Sushi in Astoria on October 4. She wraps her arm around her neck for a few seconds before releasing, but does not leave the scene, standing over and appearing to threaten the girl.

Four days later, a mugger police say is Jermaine Foster, 26, was fleeing a robbery when he barreled into Maria Ambrocio in Times Square, knocking her to the ground. Yesterday, Foster's charges were upgraded from felony assault to murder after Ambrocio's family agreed to switch off her life support.

A homeless person appears to have created a makeshift shelter using two umbrellas and garbage cans

A homeless person sleeps in front of ABC studios in Times Square as people watch the taping of the show through the window in Manhattan

Jermaine Foster (pictured) was arraigned on murder charges Sunday in Manhattan for the death of a New Jersey nurse who he allegedly slammed headfirst into the pavement while fleeing a robbery

The 26-year-old was arraigned Sunday for the death of Maria Ambrocio, 58. Foster was fleeing the scene of a crime in October 2021 when he ran into her, knocking her over in Times Square

Maria Ambrocio, 58, was walking through Times Square Friday afternoon when she was bowled over by Foster

A 16-year-old girl was strangled from behind by a homeless woman while eating sushi in Queens on October 4, as seen in a security photo above

The suspect, identified as 36-year-old Minerva Martinez, a homeless woman with a lengthy rap sheet - which includes six felony assaults - was arrested Saturday in connection with the incident and is currently incarcerated and charged with strangulation

Foster had been freed on a groping charge just one month before he caused the death of Ambrocio, a 58-year-old oncology nurse from Bayonne in New Jersey.

'He's never gotten into trouble of this sort. I feel so bad for them I know, it's so heartbreaking,' Orette Montague, Foster's stepdad, told CBS2.

Of the robbery, Mantague said, 'Stealing a phone? That's impossible. He has his phone. He's not that type of guy. Since he was a religious man.'

Foster does not have a history of violence but was on medication for a mental illness, his mother  who declined to be identified  told the New York Post, adding that she doesn't know his diagnosis or what medication he was prescribed.

His mother said he had been living with his father in Brooklyn but was left alone when his dad died from COVID. She added, 'He was on his medication and he drove here to New Jersey. He was here and he didn't want his shot to run out so he went back to New York  He's not a violent person. He's not a thief. If someone said he was begging you for something, then yes. He would be begging.'

Montague said that he must have not been on his medication anymore to behave in such a way, adding, 'Any time he's not on his medication he doesn't think right. When his dad died from COVID-19, he was left alone.'

In another seemingly random act of violence, Anthonia Egegbara, 29, who has seven prior arrests, was charged with attempted murder over shocking footage of her appearing to shove an innocent commuter into the side of an oncoming NYC subway train.

Lenny Javier, 42, of New Jersey, suffered a broken nose and chin after she was pushed towards the tracks, striking the side of the moving train at the Times Square subway station.

Horrifying surveillance video shows the moment when Anthonia Egegbara allegedly pushed a fellow commuter into a train at the Times Square subway station on Monday morning

Police arrested Egegbara on October 5 after footage showed her allegedly shove a bystander into the side of the moving train the day before

New York City police have charged Aaron Garcia, 37, of Yonkers with attempted murder and assault after he slashed a stranger with a hatchet in an unprovoked attack

Miguel Solorzano, 50, was getting money out of the ATM at a Chase Bank in the Financial District on August 15, when Garcia slashed him with a hatchet three times in the head and once in the leg

The Office of Community Mental Health, which was once known as the $1.25 billion ThriveNYC initiative spearheaded by first lady Chirlane McCray (second from right), has yet to reinstate mental health programs due to COVID-19 safety precautions. McCray is above with Mayor Bill de Blasio (center) and the couple's son Dante (right) when the family met the Sussexes Harry and Megan (second-from-left)

The Big Apple has found itself rocked by a wave of violent crime over the past year, fueling fears it is returning to the dark days of the '70s and '80s when murders were rife and the city earned the unsettling nickname Fear City

In 2021, nearly every type of violent crime has seen a stark increase in the city of New York

And in another horrific attack in August, a New Yorker was ambushed by a hatchet-wielding stranger as he used an ATM inside a Manhattan bank, with the gruesome assault leaving the sidewalk sprayed with blood.

According to authorities, Miguel Solorzano, 50, was getting money out of the ATM at a Chase Bank in the Financial District on August 15, when the male suspect slashed him with a hatchet three times in the head and once in the leg, according to the New York Daily News.

New York City police have charged Aaron Garcia, 37, of Yonkers with attempted murder and assault, but his lawyers have since claimed he is not fit to stand trial.

A close relative, who asked not to be named, said Garcia had previously served in the Army, and was not the same after his return from deployment to Iraq, the New York Daily News reported.

'He was a little off-center. He was in combat. All he would say is 'I saw dead bodies,' ' the relative told the outlet.

Following the attack on Ambrocio, New York City mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa called for more mental health resources to prevent future unprovoked crimes.

He said at a press conference Sunday, 'Why do we have emotionally disturbed persons roaming the streets, the subways, the parks? We cannot blame these men and women for their transgressions. We know that they have psychotic disorders. We know that they need mental health care.'

Thousands of homeless people sleep throughout the streets, subways and other public spaces throughout the Big Apple

The New York Coalition for the Homeless says there is 'no accurate measure' of such data, however, and city surveys 'significantly underestimate the number of unsheltered homeless New Yorkers'

A homeless person is seen hiding from the public at 40th and Broadway around Times Square

A homeless man appears to sleep on a bench in Manhattan, as crime continues to spike in NYC

In the past few years, NYC homelessness has reached its highest levels since the Great Depression of the 1930s

A homeless man is seen walking through Times Square

Homeless person is seen supporting himself against a wall on 43rd street around Times Square in Manhattan

A homeless person slept on 42nd street in Times Square Manhattan, one of an estimated 50,000 unhoused people living in NYC

Last month, the MTA said its subway stations, a hot spot for vagrancy, saw a 45 percent spike in homeless people. Eight stations  all but one in Manhattan  were being used as homes by an average of 14.7 people in August, up from 10.2 homeless people in May, MTA chief safety officer Patrick Warren said.

Incident reports from May reveal how out of control the situation has become as there 132 cases of subway cars being destroyed by trash and bodily fluids. This includes 27 reports of trains covered in feces, 26 trains covered in vomit, 21 drenched in urine and six cars stained with blood, according to MTA records.

City Councilman Stephen Levin, a Democrat from Brooklyn and chairman of the city's General Welfare Committee, said at the time that the MTA's findings confirm 'the need for better and more accessible resources for people living on the street.'

He said, 'There are common-sense solutions: We should be investing in more Safe Haven and Stabilization beds, increasing access to mobile mental health, health and addiction services and focusing on rapid rehousing.'

Alternatively, Caitlin LaCroix, a co-founder of the nonprofit RxHOME advocacy group, told the New York Post that the issue should be approached from an affordable housing perspective. She said, 'The lack of effective outreach that connects people directly to permanent homes and a failure to hold our elected leaders accountable for providing housing has exacerbated New York City's homelessness crisis in the wake of the pandemic.'

She added, 'The city needs to fully embrace using a housing-first strategy, which would move people out of subways and shelters and into permanent homes.'
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Boris Johnson was tonight spotted relaxing with his paintbrushes on his Spanish Costa getaway with wife Carrie and son Wilfred.

The Prime Minister is staying in fellow Tory Zac Goldsmith's 25,000-a-week estate in the hills above Marbella, but has come under fire for timing his holiday amid the chaos back home of soaring gas prices and empty shelves.

While Mr Johnson insists he remains working to solve Britain's growing problems, he has been seen lounging around on the terrace of the luxury property with his hands behind his head.

And tonight he was seen sketching an image of the sun setting over the Mediterranean Sea from the Andalusian hillside.

Wearing a crinkled white shirt and with a carefree look on his face, he daubed a canvas in an easel set up on the balcony that faces the sea.

Mr Johnson appears to share the hobby with his political hero, Sir Winston Churchill - a keen amateur artist himself, having created more than 500 paintings.

His appreciation for such artwork may have also stemmed from his late mother, Charlotte Johnson Wahl, who was a painter.

It was revealed ahead of Carrie's move into No10 that Mr and Mrs Johnson relax by spending their evenings painting together, with some of their pieces hanging on the walls of her flat in South London.

The PM had sheltered from the 30 degree sunshine during the day but emerged as the temperature dropped.

The premier has faced criticism over the timing of his trip abroad, amid Britain's continued fuel and energy crisis, along with the publication of a scathing report that laid bare a string of failures ministers made in handling the coronavirus pandemic.

But No10 and Government figures have defended his right to take a holiday this week, with Security Minister Damian Hinds saying it was 'important for the whole country' that its political leader has time to switch off.

He has also been spotted working at his laptop in between periods of relaxation and is being kept regularly updated on the ongoing work to address the current issues around fuel and supply chains, according to his spokesman.

Boris Johnson was last night seen sketching an image of the sun setting over the Mediterranean Sea from the Andalusian hillside

Mr Johnson's trip to the Costa del Sol has been criticised by industry leaders as Britain is gripped by a series of crises

Mr Johnson appears to share the hobby with his political hero, Sir Winston Churchill - a keen amateur artist himself, having created more than 500 paintings

Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson holds up a painting he produced during a visit to The Discovery School in Kent last year

His appreciation for such artwork may have also stemmed from his late mother, Charlotte Johnson Wahl, who was a painter

Boris Johnson and his pregnant wife Carrie are taking a foreign break at a 25,000-a-week Marbella hideaway owned by the Prime Minister's wife's close friend and Tory peer Zac Goldsmith

Spanish media reported that the Prime Minister and his young family are staying at Tory peer Zac Goldsmith's home in the hills above the Costa del Sol

The estate, known as Torre Tramores, is a short drive from the picturesque village of Benahavis, and has its own helipad to make sure VIP holidaymakers can arrive and leave without being seen

Artistry seems to run in the Johnson family blood, with his mother, who died last month following a long battle with Parkinson's, being described as an 'astonishing self-taught artist'.

Ms Johnson Wahl painted stars such as Joanna Lumley and was hailed as the 'supreme authority' in the PM's family.

Art had been a love of hers since her childhood, revealing to Tatler that her parents gifted her a set of oil paints when she was five.

'I could handle them well and I immediately began to paint, without instruction. It was something I could make my own and be clever at. None of the others could paint', she said.

She would go on to hold sell-out art shows in Brussels in the late 1970s, balancing her passion with home-schooling her four children.

The mother was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1982, aged 40, but was still determined to continue her career as an artist.

Speaking to the Telegraph in 2008, she said: 'I try to paint every day if I possibly can, though I have to go to the hospital a lot.

'I still manage to paint, though my arm will suddenly do a movement which is completely unintentional and that almost brings me to tears.'

She is said to have completed more than 2,000 pieces in her career and was the subject of an exhibition at the Mall Galleries in London in 2015.

Meanwhile, Britain's wartime leader had an essay, 'Painting as a Pastime', published in The Strand Magazine in December 1921, highlighting how the hobby impacted on his career and life.

Sir Winston used painting as a helpful tool for battling his bouts of depression triggered by the disastrous Gallipoli campaign in the First World War in 1915.

He started off doing watercolours and then turned his attention to producing oil works, but was initially reluctant to part with them because he doubted their quality.

Mr Johnson has frequently taken advantage of photo opportunities to show off his artistic skills, picking up paintbrushes on visits to at least three primary schools over the last 18 months.

But while the PM took to his easel again this evening, pressure continued to grow on No10, with concerns remaining over the extent of the fuel and energy crisis which crippled the nation in recent weeks.

Industry bosses insisted tonight that petrol shortages are still serious in London and the South East - with 10 per cent of forecourts remaining empty.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson sits and paints Tulips with children from Colham Manor primary school during a constituency visit on March 18, 2021 in Uxbridge

Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson paints with children during a visit to The Discovery School in West Malling, Kent, in 2020

Prime Minister Boris Johnson paints a picture of a face as he joins a reception class during their painting lesson during a visit to St Mary's CE Primary School in Stoke-on-Trent earlier this year

Boris Johnson's signed bus doodle for the Ann Wilkinson Mockingbird Trust raised 1,000 for the child cancer charity

Sir Winston Churchill used painting as a helpful tool for battling his bouts of depression triggered by the disastrous Gallipoli campaign in the First World War in 1915

Experts say a 'large majority' of retailers did not know when they would receive their next fuel delivery as the crisis continues to rumble on.

Drivers who have been fortunate enough to find petrol and diesel in recent weeks have often had to endure long queues and increased prices when filling up.

While bosses acknowledge the situation has improved in the last few days, shortages still remain in many areas.

Meanwhile, producers of steel, glass, ceramics and paper and other sectors have said they may be forced to halt production unless the government does something about energy prices, which have rocketed due to a shortage of natural gas in Europe.

Mr Johnson faces growing unrest from Tory MPs amid fears thousands of manufacturing jobs could go in crucial northern seats, with global demand and supply chain issues after the pandemic sending fuel costs spiralling.

A further headache for the PM then presented itself after the first major probe into the Covid crisis concluded that thousands of care home residents died needlessly in the pandemic, and that ministers were blinded by 'groupthink' among scientific advisers who wrongly wanted to manage the spread of the virus, rather than suppress it.

The dossier also claimed that No10's early decisions on lockdowns and social distancing rank as 'one of the most important public health failures the UK has ever experienced'.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer then called for an inquiry into the crisis to be brought forward.

Speaking on a visit to a lorry driver training centre near Oldham, he said: 'I think the least the PM could do is address the families, apologise, and bring forward the public inquiry just as quickly as possible.'

Sir Keir added: 'The PM should take responsibility because the responsibility is his, and he should apologise.

'But I'd like to just start by acknowledging just how difficult a day this will be for the bereaved families learning what they will learn in this report, which is a damning indictment of the Government and the flaws and errors and failures of the Government running down the NHS before the pandemic, being far too slow to respond, with the price being paid by those bereaved families, chaotic track and trace.'

Meanwhile, one of the Government's own ministers today refused to apologise 11 times for the mistakes that had led to thousands of deaths in Britain.

Stephen Barclay, who replaced Michael Gove as the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster in No10's reshuffle last month, was grilled about the report and repeatedly given the opportunity to say sorry by Sky News presenter Kay Burley, but he instead dodged the chance. He even admitted he had not yet read the 151-page report.

Boris Johnson has promised a formal inquiry into the Government's response to the pandemic will start in Spring 2022 but an exact date has yet to be set.

When he announced the probe, he insisted key players would be put 'under the microscope'.

Labour had originally called for the inquiry to begin in June this year, in line with No10's lifting of virus restrictions.

There are currently virtually no Covid curbs on daily life in England.

Elsewhere, Dominic Cummings today slammed his old boss for his handling of the pandemic, branding the Prime Minister a 'joke'.

Speaking to Sky News outside his home, Mr Johnson's ex chief adviser labelled No10's system for dealing with crises a 'disaster'. He said: 'The system was bad for many years before Covid.

'Me and others put into place work to try and improve the system in 2020 after the first wave, unfortunately the Prime Minister  being the joke that he is  has not pushed that work through.'

Mr Cummings, who has been a vocal critic of Mr and Mrs Johnson since leaving Downing Street, added: 'Now we have a joke Prime Minister and a joke leader of the Labour party, and we obviously need a new political system.'

The report, published today by the health and science committees at the House of Commons, is the first to shine a light on the catalogue of failures made at the top of Government. It castigated the 'chaotic' performance of the 37billion test and trace system.

Families of coronavirus victims today called report 'laughable', with one campaigner pointing out that it 'barely mentions the over 150,000 bereaved families'.
'you'd have failed his test' during a crash course in HGV driving

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer was told 'you'd have failed your test' after he was given a crash course in HGV driving today.

Sir Keir had been visiting a HGV driver training centre in Greengate, Middleton, Greater Manchester, amid his party's repeated calls for the Government to act on haulage driver shortages, when he was offered the chance to get behind the wheel.

However just moments later comical footage showed Sir Keir strike a bollard behind him as his instructor confirmed: 'You'd have failed your test.'

The visit to the HGV training provider comes after Sir Keir urged the Government to tackle haulage driver shortages 'before yet another Christmas is ruined by Tory failure'.

Sir Keir Starmer reverses the lorry during a visit to a HGV driver training centre in Greengate, Middleton, Greater Manchester, today

Just moments later the Labour leader crashes the large vehicle into a bollard behind him

During the clip, the Labour leader is seen carefully reversing the HGV lorry as his instructor sat beside him gives him instructions.

However just seconds later a crash is heard in the background as the lorry collides into a bollard on the course and Sir Keir's instructor says: 'Put it in neutral, handbrake on. Turn your ignition off.

'You'd have failed your test.'

The Labour leader begins to remove his seat belt before replying: 'OK very good. Very good.'

Speaking ahead of his visit today Sir Keir said: 'The haulage sector is trying to save Christmas, get medical supplies to where they're needed and keep our forecourts open, whilst the Government is missing in action with their out of office on.

'This is a crisis made in Downing Street but so far being mopped up by businesses and workers.

'The industry has warned they need 15,000 extra drivers to meet Christmas food deliveries alone, which a sticking plaster boot camp scheme just isn't going to deliver.

'This Government must break the habit of their decade in power by acting with the urgency required before yet another Christmas is ruined by Tory failure.

Sir Keir Starmer looks at his side mirrors and he tries to navigate the lorry at the training centre

Seconds after the crash the Sir Keir instructor says: 'Put it in neutral, handbrake on. Turn your ignition off. You'd have failed your test'

'Ministers need to listen to industry to build a secure HGV workforce, they must set out how exactly they are going to attract people to training, including by listening to Labour's plan to create more apprenticeships, and ultimately address how they are going to improve pay and conditions for this vital sector.'

The latest scenes come just days after Sir Keir Starmer revealed his nickname of 'Special K' as he paid a visit to a Kellogg's factory in Trafford Park, Greater Manchester.

The Labour leader, who met business leaders, apprentices and trade union representatives to discuss problems with distribution and shortages, told reporters he shared a name with one of the manufacturer's well-known brands.

He said: 'I've been dubbed Special K since I was born, K for Keir.'

Prior to his visit, Sir Keir criticised the Prime Minister for 'refusing to take responsibility' for shortages and 'offering only jokes and slogans'.

He said: 'Boris Johnson failed to act when industry warned him of driver shortages months ago, allowing this chaos to develop.

'Without an adequate plan to recruit and train more drivers now, the chaos will continue as demand rises in the run-up to Christmas.

'Britain needs a high-wage high-productivity economy, but this Government has no plan to get there.

'Instead, wages are stagnant, bills are rising, and the Conservatives are raising taxes on working families and small businesses.'
The Navy submarine engineer and his leftist wife who were both charged with spying on the U.S. for an unidentified foreign government were ordered held without bail during a court appearance Tuesday.

Jonathan Toebbe, 42, and his wife, Diana, 45, wore jail-issued orange jumpsuits and were handcuffed as they stood before a judge in Martinsburg, West Virginia.

The couple was scheduled for a detention hearing on Friday at 11am and a preliminary examination into their case was set for October 20, at 1pm.

The Toebbes, who were given a court-appointed counsel after the hearing, could face either life in prison or a fine of $100,000 and five years of supervised release.

Jonathan Toebbe allegedly sent a package of classified Navy documents to a foreign government in April 2020 and wrote that he was interested in selling information on Virginia-class nuclear submarine reactors, the FBI wrote in a criminal complaint.

The unidentified foreign government sat on the documents before turning them over to the US in December 2020, after the election.

During a sting operation, an undercover FBI agent posing as a representative of the foreign government made contact with Toebbe and agreed to pay thousands of dollars in cryptocurrency for the information he was offering.

Emails between the two show that at first Toebbe remained wary but that he came to trust the undercover agent due to the hefty amount he was going to be paid. It was agreed he would receive $100,00 in crypto and was paid $70,000 before he was caught.

Jonathan Toebbe, 42, appears in court in Martinsburg, West Virginia, Tuesday after being accused of selling military secrets and classified information about nuclear submarines to an unidentified foreign country

Diana Toebbe, 45, was denied bail along with her husband on Tuesday. The two are scheduled to return to court for a detention hearing on Friday

Jonathan Toebbe, pictured in his boking photo at West Virginia Regional Jail and Correctional Facility Authority. Federal prosecutors accused him and his wife Diana Toebbe in a plot to sell sensitive U.S. submarine secrets to a foreign government

Diana Toebbe. is pictured in her booking photo at the West Virginia Regional Jail and Correctional Facility Authority. A West Virginia judge granted a detention request from prosecutors Tuesday, meaning she and her husband will remain behind bars for now

The FBI also arranged a 'signal' to Toebbe from the country's embassy in Washington over the Memorial Day weekend. The papers do not describe how the FBI was able to arrange such a signal.

In June 2021, the FBI says, the undercover agent sent $10,000 in cryptocurrency to Toebbe, describing it as a sign of good faith and trust.

Weeks later, federal agents watched as the Toebbes arrived at an agreed-upon location in West Virginia for the exchange, with Diana Toebbe appearing to serve as a lookout for her husband during a dead-drop operation for which the FBI paid $20,000, according to the complaint.

The FBI recovered a blue memory card wrapped in plastic and placed between two slices of bread on a peanut butter sandwich, court documents said.

Jonathan also hid encrypted memory cards in a chewing gum packet and Band-Aide wrapper at different drop-off locations.

The FBI provided the contents of the memory card to a Navy subject matter expert who determined that the records included design elements and performance characteristics of Virginia-class submarine reactors, the Justice Department said.

The FBI conducted similar dead-drop exchanges over the next several months, including one in August in Virginia in which Toebbe was paid roughly $70,000 and concealed in a chewing gum package a memory card that contained schematic designs for the Virginia-class submarine, according to court documents.

The alleged submarine spies: Diane Toebbe (left) and her husband Jonathan (right) were arrested and charged with selling information on Virginia-class nuclear submarine reactors to an unidentified foreign government

One memory card included a typed message that said, in part: 'I hope your experts are very happy with the sample provided and I understand the importance of a small exchange to grow our trust.'

Many of the emails that were exchanged between Toebbe and the representative of the foreign country were transcribed in the court documents. He used two pseudonyms: Alice Hill and Bob Burns.

The messages suggest that Toebbe was offering the classified information to a power that already has nuclear submarines.

Toebbe states in one message that the information 'reflects decades of U.S. Navy 'lessons learned' that will help keep your sailors safe.'

Only six countries currently operate nuclear-powered submarines  China, France, India, Russia, the UK and the US. The US and UK are set to provide Australia with the technology to deploy nuclear-powered submarines, as part of the first initiative under the new trilateral security partnership AUKUS.

Prior to the new deal, which ignited a diplomatic row between Washington and Paris, the US had only shared the technology of its submarines with Britain. Each of these underwater craft costs an estimated $3billion to build.

The country the Toebbes were allegedly trying to sell the nuclear secrets to is not clear and neither are their motivations.

However, court documents suggest that the country was most likely an ally or neutral government because it cooperated with the FBI during the sting operation to expose the Toebbes.

The unidentified foreign government sat on the documents before turning them over to the US in December 2020, after the election. The FBI then conducted a sting operation to catch the Toebbes attempting to spill more government secrets

The leaked secrets contained 'militarily sensitive design elements, operating parameters and performance characteristics of Virginia-class submarine reactors,' according to a federal court affidavit

Some experts suggested that the Toebbes were trying to sell the information to France, but French officials said they were not involved in the incident, according to the New York Times.

Toebbe has worked on naval nuclear propulsion since 2012, including secret technology devised to reduce the noise and vibration of submarines, factors that can give away their location.

He first worked on naval reactors in Arlington, Virginia, from 2012 to 2014. He then was a student at naval reactor school in Pittsburgh before returning to Arlington to work on reactors again.

According to public Navy records, he worked for 15 months in the office of the chief of naval operations, the top officer in the military's branch.

He started working in the military as a civilian in 2017. He was commissioned in the Navy and rose to the rank of lieutenant before moving to the Navy Rescue, which he left in December 2020  the month the FBI established contact with him.

Toebbe stated in one message to the foreign government that he had hoped its officials would be able to extract him and his family if he was ever tracked down, saying 'we have passports and cash set aside for this purpose.'

Authorities say he provided instructions for how to conduct the furtive relationship, with a letter that said: 'I apologize for this poor translation into your language. Please forward this letter to your military intelligence agency. I believe this information will be of great value to your nation. This is not a hoax.'

The criminal complaint alleges violations of the Atomic Energy Act, which restricts the disclosure of information related to atomic weapons or nuclear materials.

It is unclear how many counts the couple, who have two children and live in Annapolis, Maryland, face. However, espionage carries a maximum sentence of ten years under US law.

The FBI also stated that Toebbe would only have had access to the documents that he allegedly shared with the undercover FBI agent while working at the Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory, a government research facility in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania.





The residence of Jonathan and Diana Toebbe is shown on Sunday in Annapolis, Maryland, a day after it was searched by FBI agents

A bird's eye show of Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory lab, where the FBI claims is the only place where Toebbe could have obtained the classified information on US nuclear subs. Toebbe has worked on naval nuclear propulsion since 2012, including a 15-month tenure in the office of the chief of naval operations

Diana Toebbe, meanwhile, was a humanities teacher at the Key School, a private school in Annapolis, for the past ten years. The K-12 school said on Sunday that she had been suspended indefinitely.

Former graduates and current employees described Diana as a strong feminist and very liberal.

However, he said she was shocked by Trump's 2016 election and mentioned several times the possibility of moving to Australia  one of six countries that currently possesses nuclear submarines.

Craig Martien, 20, a 2019 alum who collaborated with Diana on a yearbook and an after-school anthropology club, said she was 'insanely smart'.

'She said she couldn't stand the current state of politics and actually had found some job opportunities over there,' he said.

On her Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, Diana shared pictures of her dogs, her family and selfies - a far cry from her alleged life as a spy. But some posts revealed that she was unhappy with the government and her country.

And one post on her on Facebook page reveals that she organized a babysitter while she and her husband made their last secret drop of stolen intelligence before they were caught by the FBI.

This year, on July 28, she asked for a babysitter on Facebook to watch her children early on Saturday morning for up to five to six hours.

She then posted an update to the original post, only visible to friends, with the word '*FOUND*', implying a babysitter had been organized.

She and her husband then left their home in Annapolis, Maryland, unaware they were being watched by the FBI.

Other posts reveal show that she was a staunch liberal who supported 'The Resistance,' once retweeting that 'America is Temporarily Out of Order' while Trump was president.

The social media posts on Diana Toebbe's Facebook account include one saying 'Women Can Stop Trump'

One retweet from the her account in 2017, just days after Trump's inauguration, shows a photo saying, 'To the rest of the world, due to an insufficient amount of moral courage, America is temporarily out of order. We hope to restore service as quickly as possible. In the meantime, we in the resistance movement join hands with those around the world who realize we are one people. May the forces of good be with us. #TheResistance.'

She supported liberal ideologies, including the Black Lives Matter movement. Her profile picture reads 'Black Lives Matter,' and a post last year celebrating the social media protest against racism called '#blackouttuesday.'

One post she shared in 2019 is a photo from an unidentified Women's March overlaid with the quote, 'Stay angry, little Meg. You will need all your anger now,' from Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time.

The accounts her Twitter profile follows are mostly 'resistance' accounts in protest of Trump, including the 'Rogue NASA' account described as 'the unofficial "Resistance" team of NASA' on its bio description.

In 2016, she retweeted a post from liberal activist group MoveOn about former First Lady Michelle Obama's speech criticism of then-presidential candidate Donald Trump for his treatment of women.

One retweet in 2017, just days after Trump's inauguration, shows a picture caption:, 'To the rest of the world, due to an insufficient amount of moral courage, America is temporarily out of order. We hope to restore service as quickly as possible. In the meantime, we in the resistance movement join hands with those around the world who realize we are one people. May the forces of good be with us. #TheResistance.'

Around the same time, she retweeted a post from self-proclaimed 'activist against Islamophobia' CJ Werleman which included a video of an Iranian-American discussing Trump's travel ban with the caption, 'Watch this video and then try to describe immigrants in dehumanizing terms such as "waves" or "floods." '

She followed up with another tweet from an account called ALT DOJ, which describes itself as the 'Resistance' Department of Justice, that included a photo of people protesting the travel ban outside then-Senator Orrin Hatch's office at the Capitol.

It's caption read: 'Scene in front of Hatch's office right now. capitol police threatening arrests for seated protesters! #RESIST #TheResistance #MuslimBan'

Diana also retweeted an anti-trump tweet from TED Talk follower and cosmologist Katie Mack, saying the Trump administration suppressed LGBT right

One post she shared in 2019 is a photo from an unidentified Women's March with the above quote about 'staying angry'

One Facebook post on Diana's account said 'Women Can Stop Trump;' while other profile pictures feature failed 2016 presidential candidate Hilary Clinton's campaign symbol; a photo of the transgender flag; and various profile photos supporting the LGBTQ+ community.

Meanwhile, her husband appears to be a wannabe medieval swashbuckler who took sword-fighting classes and owned his own swords.

About two months after Jonathan allegedly sent a package of secret Navy information to a foreign contact, he boasted about buying a new sword to members of the Mid-Atlantic Society for Historic Swordsmanship on Facebook.

'[That feeling when] a box from Amazon and Purpleheart Armoury arrive on the same day,' Toebbe wrote on the society's Facebook page, while also posting a photo of a new sleek sword, medieval-style armor and a book titled 'The Medieval Art of Swordsmanship.'

'New sword day is always a good day,' he added in 2020.

The group's founder, Larry Tom, told the New York Post that he knew Toebbe in the 'context' of historic swordplay.

Jonathan also attended classes at the group's nearby center.

He was listed as a student of longswords, bucklers and rapiers on the group's Facebook page, which seems to have been deleted or frozen as of Monday.

Jonathan's Facebook account's most recent public post is from 2013. The posts included stories from satire site, The Onion, including one headline he posted in 2011, reading, 'New GOP Strategy Involves Reelecting Obama, Making His Life Even More Miserable.'

No one answered at the Toebbe residence on Sunday afternoon in a waterside Annapolis community by the South River.

An outside light was on above the door of their home, and a dog barked inside.

John Cooley, who lives across the street from the Toebbes, said he counted more than 30 FBI agents on his block on Saturday from about 2.30 p.m. until after dark. He said agents went inside the home.

Jerry LaFleur, a neighbor of the Toebbes, said he would occasionally waive to the Toebbes, but the only time they spoke was when to ask permission to trim the weeds on the family's side of the backyard fence they share.

'He seemed like a nice, ordinary guy, nothing that would make me think twice,' Mr. LaFleur said.

It wasn't immediately clear whether the Toebbes, who are from Annapolis, Maryland, have lawyers. The Navy declined to comment to the Associated Press on Sunday.

The Toebbe's arrest has already been compared to Jonathan Pollard, a former US intelligence analyst who served 30 years in jail for selling navy secrets to Israel.

He is the only American in US history to receive a life sentence for spying for an ally, and the only one to serve more than 10 years in prison for the crime.

Emails exchanged between Jonathan Toebbe and FBI agent posing as representative of unidentified country

On December 26, 2020, the FBI initiated the first of several emails to 'ALICE' on ProtonMail. The FBI utilized a ProtonMail account utilizing the pseudo name 'BOB.' The email stated, 'We received your letter. We want to work with you. It has been many months, so we need to know if you are still out there. Please respond to this message, then we will provide instructions on how to proceed.'

On February 10, 2021, 'ALICE' responded and stated, 'Thank you for contacting me. I am still here. The covid disease has made it more difficult to find chances to check this email. Let us discuss how to proceed.'

On February 24, 2021, an FBI agent acting in an undercover capacity ('the UC') responded and stated, 'We understand the delay and hope you are well. Our experts reviewed the information you provided. We would like to sample your [US. Navy Information  Specific Sections].' We have a trusted friend in your country who has a gift for you to compensate for your efforts...

On March 5, 2021, 'ALICE' replied with the following. ' I am uncomfortable with this arrangement. Face to face meetings are very risky for me, as I am sure you understand. I propose exchanging gifts electronically, for mutual safety. I can upload documents to a secure cloud storage account, encrypted with the key I have provided you. You can send me a suitable gift in Monero cryptocurrency to an address I will provide. 100,000 usd should be enough to prove to me that you are not an unwelcome third party looking to make trouble for me. When I have confirmed receipt of your gift, I will provide you with the download link. We are both protected. I understand this is a large request. However, please remember I am risking my life for your benefit and I have taken the first step. Please help me trust you fully.'

On March 18, 2021, the UC posing as a representative of COUNTRY1 wrote, 'We understand a face to face meeting would be uncomfortable. We suggest a neutral drop location. When you visit the location alone, you retrieve a g~fi and leave behind the sample we request. We hope to have a very long friendship that benefits mutually.'

On March 22, 2021, 'ALICE' replied. 'I understand your proposal to start a dead drop. I am concerned that using a dead drop location your friend prepares makes me very vulnerable. If other interested parties are observing the location, I will be unable to detect them. I am not a professional, and do not have a team supporting me. I am also concerned that a physical gift would be very difficult to explain if I am questioned. For now, I must consider the possibility that you are not the person I hope you are. It would be very easy for the serial numbers of bills to be recorded. Tracking devices and other nasty surprises must be considered as well. I propose to mod~ your plan in the following ways:

1. I will place the sample you requested on a memory card and place it in a drop location of my choosing... . I am not a professional and I am sure that publicly available information on this subject is incomplete.

2. The samples will be encrypted using GnuPG symmetric encryption with a randomly generated passphrase.

3. I will tell you the location and how to find the card. I will also give you a Monero address. This form of gift protects both of us very well. I am very aware of the risks of blockchain analysis of BitCoin and other cryptocurrencies, and believe Monero gives both of us excellent deniability.

4. Once I confirm receipt of my gift, I will give you the passphrase.

Your friend and I will never go to the same drop location twice. I will give you a new Monero address each time. The decryption key will be different each time. No patterns for third parties to observe. The only electronic footprints will be Proton to Proton, so there is less risk of encrypted traffic being collected for future analysis by third parties. That part is not perfect. Perhaps as our friendship develops we will change addresses periodically?'

On April 1, 2021, the UC posing as a representative of COUNTRY1 responded to 'ALICE' and stated, 'We understand your concern and appreciate the thoughtful plan... as a sign of good faith and trust we wish to pay you the equivalent of 10,000 USD immediately on Monero to address you provided.

Drop locations are safest and allow us to make exchanges without coming in contact and of course leave no electronic footprint... Your proposed method of memory card with encryption/passphrases is acceptable. For the small sample we requested you will receive another 20,000 USD. Once you confirm Monero address we will activate payment. Our next step will be information on the drop location we have selected. This method will build trust between usfor a larger transaction in future. Our experts are interested in the information you have but we insist on maintaining our discretion and security as a priority.'

On April 9, 2021, 'ALICE' wrote, 'I am sorry to be so stubborn and untrusting, but I can not agree to go to a location of your choosing. I must consider the possibility that l am communicating with an adversary who has intercepted my first message and is attempting to expose me. Would not such an adversary wish me to go to a place of his choosing, knowing that an amateur will be unlikely to detect his surveillance? If you insist on physically delivering the package, then it must be a place of my choosing.

I ask you to consider the viability of an electronic dead drop. I can establish an encrypted online storage account without providing any identifying information and without provoking any suspicion...Another possibility occurs to me: is there some physical signal you can make that proves your identity to me? I could plan to visit Washington D.C. over the Memorial Day weekend. I would just be another tourist in the crowd. Perhaps you could fly a signal flag on your roof? Something easily observable from the street, but nothing to arouse an adversary's suspicion?... '.

On April 23, 2021, the UC posing as a representative of COUNTRY1 emailed the following: 'You do not need to apologize. We appreciate you being careful. That is much better than someone reckless. Your thoughtful plans indicate you are not amateur. This relationship requires mutual comfort. There is risk on both sides and we understand your need for safety assurance of who you are communicating with. As you suggest we can accommodate a signal in Washington D.C. over the Memorial Day weekend. We will set a signal from our main building observable from the street. It will bring you comfort with signals on display from the area inside our property that we control and not a [sic] adversary. If you agree please acknowledge. We will then provide more instruction about the signal. We hope this plan will continue to build the necessary trust and comfort of our identity.'

On May 5, 2021 'ALICE' wrote, 'I will make plans to be in the capitol [sic] over the Memorial Day weekend. It would be best to leave the signal visible for the entire holiday weekend so I can plan to pass by in the natural course of my tourist day. I may be on foot or passing by in a bus or car or bicycle, so please plan for something easy to spot.

On May 17, 2021, the UC posing as a representative of COUNTRY1 responded and said, in part, 'We are happy to set a signal to bring you comfort and build necessary trust between us. The signal will be inside our main building from Saturday morning until Sunday evening Memorial Day weekend.'

During the weekend of May 29-30, 2021, the FBI conducted an operation in the Washington, D.C. area that involved placing a signal at a location associated with COUNTRY1 in an attempted effort to gain bona fides with 'ALICE.'

On May 31, 2021, the FBI received confirmation via the ProtonMail from 'ALICE' that the signal was received. 'ALICE' also wrote that, 'Now Jam comfortably telling you your assumption that Pittsburgh would be a convenient location for me is incorrect.. for now I can tell you I am located near Baltimore, Maryland. Please let me know when you are ready to proceed with our first exchange. Once you have dropped location details for me, I will give you the Monero address and prepare the sample you have requested.' 'ALICE' went on to request clarity of the U.S. Navy information requested by the UC posing as a representative of COUNTRY1.

On June 4, 2021, the UC posing as a representative of COUNTRY1 requested the Monero address to provide 'ALICE' a payment of $10,000 USD as a sign of good faith and trust. The UC also informed 'ALICE' that new communication instructions would be provided at the exchange location.

On June 8, 2021, 'ALICE' wrote that, 'For maximum security it is very important that you do not send Monero to the same address twice.' 'ALICE' then provided the FBI with a payment address. 'ALICE' then went on to state, 'I will place information you have requested~ encrypted, on a memory card along with the address for the second payment you offered in a plain text file. After I confirm the second payment I will provide you with the decryption passphrase using the new communication method. I am also excited to continue our relationship...'

On June 10, 2021, the FBI paid 'ALICE' approximately $10,000 USD in Monero cryptocurrency.

On June 17, 2021, 'ALICE' thanked the FBI for the first payment and stated that he/she was 'eagerly waiting for your instructions.'

On June 18, 2021, the UC posing as a representative of COUNTRY1 emailed 'ALICE' to provide detailed instructions on servicing a dead drop location in Jefferson County, West Virginia to occur on June 26, 2021.

The UC discussed instructions regarding the next payment to 'ALICE' as well as additional assurance that 'ALICE' would be paid $20,000 upon the sample verification and authenticity of the information provided at the drop location.

On June 23, 2021, 'ALICE' sent the FBI a confirmation email stating, 'I understand your instructions and am ready to move forward.'

On June 26, 2021, at approximately 10.41 a.m., the FBI observed Jonathan Toebbe physically service a dead drop location in Jefferson County, West Virginia. Records show that Jonathan Toebbe is a government employee working as a nuclear engineer for the United States Navy and holds an active Top Secret Security Clearance through the United States Department of Defense and an active Q clearance from the United States Department of Energy.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki accused Florida's Ron DeSantis and Texas' Greg Abbott of 'putting politics over public health' by banning vaccine mandates.

On Monday the Texas governor banned all Covid-19 vaccine mandates through executive order, after President Biden had issued his own executive order requiring employers with over 100 workers to mandate the jabs.

'Governor Abbott's executive order banning mandates and, I would also note announcement by Governor DeSantis this morning essentially banning implementation of mandates fit a familiar pattern that we've seen of putting politics ahead of public health.'

Asked why Abbott did this, knowing that federal law supersedes state, Psaki had a one word reply: 'Politics.'

'I think it's pretty clear when you make a choice that's against all public health information and data out there it's not based on what is in the interest of the people you are governing it's perhaps in the interest of your own politics,' she added when asked to elaborate.

Over the weekend, Southwest Airlines canceled over 2,000 flights and insisted they had all been nixed because of weather.

Furious passengers said that they were told in airports that the cancellations were due to Southwest employees walking out in protest at the airline's decision to enforce COVID-19 vaccinations.

But the airline said that that was not the case, and said poor weather in Jacksonville, Florida, sparked a knock-on effect.

Psaki, too, claimed the cancelations 'were completely unrelated to vaccine mandates.'

'In another instance of federal overreach, the Biden Administration is now bullying many private entities into imposing COVID-19 vaccine mandates,' Abbot wrote in an executive order.

At least several thousand people have already been fired from their jobs for refusing to comply with vaccination requirements.

The governor's order, according to the document, also supersedes any municipal or county mandate that would allow entities to impose such mandates

He said that the mandates were 'causing workforce disruptions that threaten Texas' continued recovery from the COVID-19 disaster.'

Republican Govs. Ron DeSantis and Greg Abbott have issued orders to defy Biden's vaccine mandate

In the order, he encouraged residents to get the vaccine, but said that it 'must always be voluntary for Texans.'

This is the governor's second executive order banning vaccine mandates, where back in July he issued such a directive that also banned mask mandates.

Abbott's latest order states that 'no entity in Texas' could compel proof of vaccination by any individual, including employees or customers. He called on state lawmakers to take up the issue in an upcoming special session.

DeSantis remarked earlier Wednesday that he could take similar action to block vaccine mandates from taking effect by shielding workers who refuse to comply from being fired.

DeSantis had earlier issued an order banning vaccine passports, and on Tuesday fined the county of Leon more than $3.5 million for violating the ban. DeSantis had threatened to fine local governments $5,000 per fired employee if they tried to purge the unvaccinated.

Biden issued the vaccine directive last month, but it has yet to take effect as the emergency rule is still being developed by the Labor Department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Officials expected it to take several weeks, and still there has been no update.

'There isn't a big historic precedent for this, and we want to get it right,' Psaki told reporters Tuesday, asked why there was a delay.

In the meantime the White House has been urging businesses to implement mandates on their own.
A federal judge has granted a preliminary injunction that will allow New York health care workers to apply for religious exemptions to the state COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

US District Judge David Hurd made the ruling on Tuesday after 17 Catholic and Baptist health care workers sued the state last month, saying they objected to being forced to take a vaccine that used 'fetal cell lines' from 'procured abortions'.

The order prohibits the New York State Department of Health from interfering with religious exemptions or taking disciplinary action against workers who have sought or obtained them.

Gov. Kathy Hochul, responding to the order, said she backs the vaccine mandate, whose original deadline was September 27, with the state's 450,000 medical and care staff expected to have received at least one vaccine dose by that date.

'My responsibility as Governor is to protect the people of this state, and requiring health care workers to get vaccinated accomplishes that. I stand behind this mandate, and I will fight this decision in court to keep New Yorkers safe,' she wrote in a statement.

US District Judge David Hurd (pictured) has granted a preliminary injunction that will allow New York health care workers to apply for religious exemptions to the state's COVID-19 vaccine mandate

According to the injunction, which was obtained by CNN, the state health department is 'barred from interfering in any way with the granting of religious exemptions from COVID-19 vaccination going forward, or with the operation of exemptions already granted.'

The organization is also prohibited from taking any action on licenses, certifications, residency or other professional status for workers who seek or have obtained religious exemptions to the vaccine mandate.

Christopher Ferrara, the lead counsel for plaintiffs in the case applauded the judge's ruling.

'With this decision the court rightly recognized that yesterday's 'front line heroes' in dealing with COVID cannot suddenly be treated as disease-carrying villains and kicked to the curb by the command of a state health bureaucracy,' he said in a statement obtained by the news outlet.

The state health department on Aug. 26 ordered healthcare professionals to be vaccinated against coronavirus by Sept. 27. The order did not allow for the customary religious exemptions.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul issued a statement Tuesday arguing in saying she backs the vaccine mandate

Gov. Kathy Hochul said: 'My responsibility as Governor is to protect the people of this state, and requiring health care workers to get vaccinated accomplishes that. I stand behind this mandate, and I will fight this decision in court to keep New Yorkers safe'

The plan was challenged by a group of 17 healthcare workers  all Christians and many of whom were unnamed doctors, residents and nurses  who said they opposed COVID-19 vaccines because some were developed from cell lines which were originally taken from aborted fetuses.

Figures released earlier this week showed that 92 per cent of NY hospital staff had received at least one COVID vaccine dose.

Dr. Elizabeth Rausch-Phung, medical director of the Bureau of Immunization at the New York State Department of Health, confirmed the claim in an affidavit.

'In sum, while none of the FDA approved Covid-19 vaccines contain any fetal cells, fetal cell lines were only 'used in testing during research and development of the mRNA vaccines [Moderna or Pzifer], and during production of the Johnson and Johnson [Janssen] Vaccine,'' Rausch-Phung stated.

The employees also argued that by not granting medical exemptions, the state and healthcare companies were treating those with religious objections to vaccines less favorably, violating the U.S. Constitution's equal protection clause.

Hurd previously ordered, on Sept. 20, that healthcare companies could not deny requests for religious exemptions until he had ruled on the request for an injunction.

The injunction comes after a group of 17 healthcare workers  all Christians  filed a lawsuit stating they opposed COVID-19 vaccines because some were developed from cell lines of aborted fetuses (Pictured: Health care worker receiving a COVID shot)

Now, he has granted the preliminary inunction, noting that it is a temporary measure allowing the plaintiffs to continue to argue their case.

He claims the question is not whether the workers are entitled to religious exemptions but but whether or not the state vaccination mandated conflicts with their 'federally protected right to seek a religious accommodation' from their employers.

However, the state entities mandating the vaccine argue that health care workers must be vaccinated in order to control the continued spread of COVID-19, especially as the Delta variant is on the rise.

As of Oct. 11, New York has had 2,460,907 positive cases of coronavirus.

In a tweet updating residents on the state's pandemic response, Hochul shared a 2.48 percent positivity rate.

She noted that there were 2,098 hospitalizations and 30 new deaths reported by healthcare facilities.

The governor also shared that 85.1 percent of adult New Yorkers had received at least one dose of the COVID vaccine and that 72.2 percent of New Yorkers were fully vaccinated.

State entities mandating the vaccine argue that health care workers must be vaccinated in order to control the continued spread of COVID-19, especially with Delta variant on the rise

As of Oct. 11, New York has had 2,460,907 positive cases of coronavirus. In an Oct. 11 tweet updating residents on the state's pandemic response, Gov. Hochul shared that there were 2,098 hospitalizations and 30 new deaths reported by healthcare facilities

The governor also shared that 85.1 percent of adult New Yorkers had received at least one dose of the COVID vaccine and that 72.2 percent of New Yorkers were fully vaccinated

Meanwhile, vaccine mandates have become a contentious issue around the world, with some debating whether they can be refused on the grounds of religious exemptions.

Pope Francis was vaccinated in January and has advocated for Roman Catholics to get the jab.

The Vatican has also said that it considers it morally acceptable for Catholics to use vaccines, even those that use stem cell lines from aborted fetuses in their research.

Last month, leaders of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America announced that while some parishioners may have medical reasons for abstaining from the vaccine, 'there is no exemption in the Orthodox Church for Her faithful from any vaccination for religious reasons'.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints urged constituents in August to get vaccinated in a statement saying: 'To provide personal protection from such severe infections, we urge individuals to be vaccinated. Available vaccines have proven to be both safe and effective.'

According to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, there are only a few sects of Christianity that have an objection to vaccination. They include: Dutch Reformed Congregations and faith healing denominations such as Faith Tabernacle, Church of the First Born, Faith Assembly, End Time Ministries, and Church of Christ, Scientist.

Additionally, Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Judaism and Scientology leaders have all issued support of the COVID vaccines.
Lauren Lide, 26, former flight operations manager at Melbourne Flight Training in Florida, has been accused of tampering with airplane data after her father was fired from the school and she quit

A Florida woman has been arrested on multiple felony counts, accused of hacking into a flight training school's computer system and tampering with data as part of a plot to avenge her father's firing.

Lauren Lide, 26, was taken into custody on Saturday and booked into the Brevard County jail on charges of modifying computer data programs without authority, and accessing a computer or an electronic device without authority.

According to an affidavit obtained by WESH, the Brevard County Sheriff's Office launched an investigation into the hacking incident back in January 2020, when Derek Fallon, CEO of Melbourne Flight Training, logged into the school's computer system and noticed several red flags.

Fallon reported that information about 12 aircraft, including their model and tail numbers, had been deleted, and that some airplanes with maintenance issues were listed as cleared for flight.

She was accused of deleting information about 12 planes at the flight school, and clearing aircraft that had been listed as having maintenance issues for flight

As a precaution, Fallon grounded all flights for two days until the data could be restored, including information about aircraft inspections.

'Between the time the data was altered and fixed, it was a situation that could have endangered human life,' Fallon wrote in the affidavit.

The flight school executive then pointed a finger of blame for the hack at a father-and-daughter former employee: Hampton and Lauren Lide, of Palm Bay.

According to the affidavit, Hampton Lide, 60, was fired from his job as Director of Maintenance at MFT in November 2019, and his daughter quit her job as Flight Operations Manager the same day.

Over the course of the 21-month investigation that followed, cops uncovered that login information belonging to MFT's current flight operations manager was used to tamper with the flight software, but the person in that position signed an affidavit confirming that he did not make those changes.

Eventually, investigators learned that the IP address used in the hack belonged to Hampton Lide, but he assured them he 'didn't have a clue' how the flight data were changed.

When questioned about who would want to tamper with the information, Lide was quoted as telling investigators: 'I'm kinda concerned about my daughter at this point.'

All planes at the school had to be grounded for two days until the data were restored

Hampton Lide then said Fallon, MFT's chief executive officer, made his daughter 'miserable' and put her through 'torment' during her tenure at his company, also adding that she was angry at her boss for firing him.

Authorities said Hampton Lide then tried to confess to hacking the system, but authorities said he could not explain what he did or how.

They ultimately concluded that Lauren Lide had the skills and ability to breach the software and alter the plane information.

Lauren was released from jail within hours of her arrest after posting bond totaling $9,000.
Court officials preparing for the trial of three men charged with chasing and killing Ahmaud Arbery mailed jury duty notices to 1,000 people - a huge number that illustrates the challenge the judge and attorneys face in finding impartial jurors for a case that sparked a national outcry.

Jury selection is scheduled to begin on October 18 in coastal Georgia in the murder trial of Greg and Travis McMichael, a white father and son who armed themselves and pursued Arbery in a pickup truck after spotting the 25-year-old black man running in their neighborhood.

Also standing trial is William 'Roddie' Bryan Jr, a neighbor who joined the chase on February 23, 2020, and took cellphone video of Travis McMichael shooting Arbery at close range with a shotgun.

Court officials preparing for the trial of Travis McMichael (left); his father, Gregory McMichael (center); and William 'Roddie' Bryan Jr (right) charged with chasing and killing Ahmaud Arbery mailed jury duty notices to 1,000 people - much more than the usual 100 to 150 notices due to the challenge the judge and attorneys face in finding impartial jurors for such a nationally-recognized case

Attorneys hope to try the case in Glynn County, where Arbery and the three defendants lived within two miles of each other, despite the overwhelming attention the murder has received.

Jury pool members will face a barrage of questions by lawyers to determine if they are capable of fairly deciding the case based on evidence presented in court.

William 'Roddie' Bryan recorded cellphone footage of the moment 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery (pictured) was shot and killed by Travis and Gregory McMichael in the Satilla Shores neighborhood on February 23

'So many people either know the defendants or the victim or know something about it,' Glynn County Superior Court Clerk Ronald Adams said by phone Tuesday. 'You really don't want to come up short on the number of qualified jurors that you have.'

Adams said 1,000 people in Glynn County were mailed a jury summons specifically for the trial in Arbery's killing.

That means notices went to roughly one out of every 85 residents in the county, home to the port city of Brunswick and surrounding island vacation getaways south of Savannah.

Adams said it's the largest number he's issued in more than four years as court clerk. Most cases require just 100 to 150 jury duty notices.

A total of 600 people are being told to report Monday morning to a courthouse annex building. Adams said that an additional 400 will be on standby to show up on October 25 if there are not enough qualified jurors in the first batch.

Ultimately the judge needs to seat a final jury of 12 people, plus four alternate jurors ready to fill in for jury members who get sick or otherwise must be dismissed during the trial.

Adams said whittling down the jury pool could take two weeks or longer.

Greg McMichael, 64, told police they thought Arbery was a burglar after he had been recorded by security cameras inside a neighboring home under construction.

He said his 34-year-old son shot Arbery in self-defense after Arbery attacked him with his fists.

Cellphone video captured the moment the McMichaels confronted Arbery in the street. In the footage Travis is seen engaging in a physical fight with Arbery before shooting him

Prosecutors claim that Arbery was merely out jogging when he was killed.

Investigators in the case have said Arbery was unarmed and they found no evidence that he had stolen anything from the construction site.

How much jury pool members already know about the case - and whether they have already formed opinions about the defendants' guilt or innocence - will largely determine who gets dismissed and who ends up on the final jury.

A three-page questionnaire was sent to 1,000 potential jurors asking whether they have followed the case in the news or on social media, including what they already know about it.

They will be asked more questions by the lawyers at the courthouse, both in groups and individually.

'It's about whether they've already prejudged the case, have they already made up their minds even a little bit,' said Page Pate, an Atlanta trial attorney who's not involved in the case.

'It's not just the saturation of news coverage. When something like this happens in a smaller town, it's what are people saying at work? What are they saying when you go to church?'

Having hundreds of people in the jury pool, Pate said, should be 'more than enough' to seat a final jury for the trial.

The bodycam footage showed Travis McMichael giving his first explanation of the shooting, saying he and his father believed Arbery to be a burglar

Most recently, on Friday, a Georgie judge ruled that Arbery's mental health records can't be used as trial evidence by Travis, his father or Bryan Jr.

The decision, which was made by Superior Court Judge Timothy Walmsley, further limits defense attorneys' efforts to portray Arbery as an aggressive young man with a troubled past when the case goes to trial.

The judge ruled that Arbery's medical privacy, even in death, trumped the rights of the men standing trial to a robust defense.

Walmsley also concluded that a registered nurse's 'highly questionable diagnosis' that Arbery suffered from mental illness during his first and only visit to a mental health services provider in 2018 could unfairly prejudice a jury.

'There is no evidence that the victim was suffering from any mental health issue, or had otherwise decompensated, on February 23, 2020,' the date Arbery was killed, the judge's ruling said.

Prosecutors said Arbery was merely jogging on that date when the father and son armed themselves and chased Arbery in a pickup truck in their neighborhood, which is located just outside the port city of Brunswick, about 70 miles south of Savannah.

The McMichaels and Bryan were arrested and charged with murder after the video was leaked online more than two months later, on May 5.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation took over the case the next day and swiftly arrested all three men.

Jason Sheffield, an attorney for Travis McMichael, said by email that despite the judge's ruling on Friday he's confident 'that the full truth will come out over the course of trial and that the jury will see this case is simply about protecting one's neighbors and oneself'.

One of Bryan's lawyers, Kevin Gough, said he appreciated the care and research that went into the judge's decision but disagreed with the result.

'However, we anticipate that the court will reconsider its ruling in whole or in part in the weeks to come,' Gough said by email.

A month ago, the judge dealt another setback to the defendants when he ruled that evidence of Arbery's past run-ins with law enforcement, including two arrests, was also off-limits.

Defense attorneys hoped to cast doubt on prosecutors' contention that Arbery was an innocent jogger and to bolster their argument that the white men reasonably suspected Arbery had committed a crime when they chased him.

Prosecutors argued that defense lawyers were seeking to put Arbery on trial by making his criminal record and mental health part of the case. None of the three defendants knew Arbery, or anything about his past, prior to the shooting.
China plans to build new coal-fired plants after the country was hit by blackouts last week in a move set to cause alarm ahead of the COP26 summit at the end of the month.

A statement from Beijing's National Energy Commission today said energy security would become a priority following the outages and that China would rethink emissions targets.

Beijing had previously committed to hitting peak emissions in 2030 and being carbon neutral by 2060 - a target which would involve the closure of more than 600 coal plants.

But today's statement hinted Beijing will build more coal-fired plants as China seeks to enhance the 'capacity for energy self-supply' and create a 'modern energy system'.

China plans to build new coal-fired plants after the country was hit by blackouts last week in a move set to cause alarm ahead of the COP26 summit at the end of the month (file photo)

Chinese premier Li Keqiang said: 'Energy security should be the premise on which a modern energy system is built and and the capacity for energy self-supply should be enhanced,' the Guardian reported.

'Given the predominant place of coal in the country's energy and resource endowment, it is important to optimise the layout for the coal production capacity, build advanced coal-fired power plants as appropriate in line with development needs, and continue to phase out outdated coal plants in an orderly fashion.

'Domestic oil and gas exploration will be intensified.'

Chinese premier Li Keqiang said officials want to gather new evidence to rethink a roadmap for reaching peak emissions, with the deadline likely to be extended beyond 2030

Keqiang added officials want to gather new evidence to rethink a roadmap for reaching peak emissions, with the deadline likely to be extended beyond 2030.

The premier said he had ordered 'in-depth studies and calculations in light of the recent handling of electricity and coal supply strains, to put forward a phased timetable and roadmap for peaking carbon emissions.'

It came after blackouts hit cities across China last week amid a spike in demand for energy around the globe.

The country was so short on power that cities were hit by blackouts with factories forced to close or else open for just a couple of hours per week.

The crisis, which began biting a fortnight ago, was caused by the cost of coal spiking as the economy reopened post-Covid, meaning power stations were operating at a loss and began to shut down.

Power outages were reported in southern Guangdong province, but are most severe in the north eastern manufacturing hubs of Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning.

And an additional 16 provinces were forced to ration energy due to a shortage in supply, but avoided full-scale blackouts.

China's coal mines have been ordered to ramp up production to help ease the shortage, with rolling blackouts hitting some cities and factories forced to close down

In response, Shanxi - China's biggest coal-producing region - ordered its 98 coal mines to raise their annual output capacity by 55.3 million tonnes and allowed 51 coal mines that had hit their maximum annual production levels to keep producing.

In China's No. 2 coal region, Inner Mongolia, 72 mines were told that they could operate at higher capacities immediately, provided they ensure safe production.

It comes amid a wider energy crisis that has seen shortages and soaring prices in Europe, India and China.

Even before the current energy crisis erupted, the world was far behind on efforts to avert catastrophic climate change.

The United Nations estimates that global emissions will be 16 per cent higher in 2030 than they were in 2010 based on countries' current pledges.
President Biden's Press Secretary Jen Psaki tried to bat away more questions about Hunter Biden's art sales on Tuesday as she insisted the White House did not know the identity of any buyers of his prints.

She was forced to respond after it emerged that the president's son has sold at least five prints of his artwork for $75,000 each.

The high prices have led to questions about whether buyers might believe they are buying presidential favor.

It was raised again on Tuesday when she was asked if the White House knew the identity of the buyers and whether lawyers were now scrutinizing who would be allowed into gallery showings.

'I know this is your favourite topic,' said Psaki when asked, 'but again it still is the purview of the gallerist.'

'We still do not know, and will not know who purchases any paintings.

'And the president remains proud of his son.'

Jen Psaki said questions about who bought Hunter Biden's artworks fell under the 'purview' of the gallerist responsible for selling them and that the White House did not know their identities

Hunter Biden's 'Bluebird and Coyote' hangs at the Georges Berges Gallery in Los Angeles

Hunter Biden sold five prints for $75,000 each according to the New York Post

The White House has repeatedly said that the administration will be shielded from knowing purchasers' identities in order to prevent any perceptions of a conflict of interest.

And Psaki has frequently punted questions to the gallerist selling the art.

The latest round of questions came after the prints were sold from Georges Berges Gallery in Los Angeles before the Oct. 1 opening of an exhibition.

It is unclear which reproductions were sold or if any other works were sold once the LA show opened.

However, a source familiar with the sale told the New York Post that 'most of those allowed to buy works are long-term, private collectors with the gallery, people that Berges knows personally'.

The sales come as Biden remains under scrutiny over the ethics of his art dealings.

Video and photos exclusively obtained by DailyMail.com show Biden and his gallery manager Georges Berges entertaining around 200 people at the famous Milk studios in Hollywood on Friday, including his wife Melissa and two of his daughters, 27-year-old Naomi Biden and Maisy Biden, 20.

Around 200 invites for the tightly-policed event went to a host of Los Angeles glitterati and potential buyers of Hunter's art, the prices for which range between $75,000 and $500,000.

Potential buyers and celebrity guests who attended the event included World Champion boxer Sugar Ray Leonard, Moby, Garcetti and the artist behind Barack Obama's iconic Hope poster

Former chief White House ethics lawyer Richard Painter claims Biden's attendance at the show 'illustrates how this veil-of-secrecy idea is not happening'.

He claims the White House's attempt at keeping buyers anonymous is not effective.

'It shows the deal's not going to be secret,' Painter said of the show.

'I think the White House needs to go to Plan B.'

Painter continued: '[Buyers] tend to be rich people, and rich people come to their houses and it tends to get around.

'Everyone's going to be talking about it and everyone's going to know.'

Hunter Biden (pictured with ex-Stockton mayor Michael Tubbs) sold at least five prints of his artwork for $75,000 each at his Los Angeles pop-up show

He argues that the best way to prevent people from 'gaining leverage' over the White House by purchasing Biden's artwork is to prevent sales of the work until his father, President Joe Biden, leaves office.

Painter also advocated for 'full transparency' of buyers' identities and thinks the president and his appointees should 'all sign recusal pledges to ensure these people can't get access to the White House'.

'We did that in the Bush White House,' he told the news outlet.

'If people tried to contact the government who were business partners of the Bushes, we made sure they contacted people who weren't political appointees.'

Meanwhile, sources say lawyers are vetting individuals who want to view Biden's paintings at Berges' Manhattan gallery.

'It is a whole process to get in to see the Biden show. You have to call the gallery in Soho, and they are vetting people carefully,' the source told the Post.

'They laid down rules that thorough vetting of any collector has to be done by a team of lawyers.'

Officials have not revealed who hired the lawyers or the purpose behind the legal vetting.

The New York City show - which was originally slated to open this month - has been moved to the spring. The LA show is reportedly continuing until November.

It remains unclear why the gallery opening was delayed.
Federal investigators unable to crack a two-decade cold case involving the murder of Seattle federal prosecutor have upped the reward to $2.5 million.

Thomas Wales, 49, was shot through the basement window of his Queen Anne home on October 11, 2001 by an unidentified shooter.

The reward was upgraded from the previous amount of $1.5 million after 20 years was considered 'too long' without any solid information on the murder or the parties responsible.

The announcement to increase the reward was made at the 20th anniversary ceremony at the Tom Wales park, named in his honor, where a Japanese maple tree was planted.

A $2.5 million reward is being offered for more information on the murder of Seattle federal prosecutor Thomas Wales who was killed by an unidentified gunman on October 11, 2001

Wales was an 18-year veteran prosecutor for the Western District of Washington and the president of the gun-control club Washington CeaseFire

Wales was shot several times through his basement window and had died after sustaining fatal injuries to the neck and torso

The handgun used to kill Wales was said to be a Makarov semi-automatic handgun, according to authorities, and had left Wales with fatal injuries to the neck and torso.

A Japanese maple tree, one of Wales' favorites, was planted in his honor at the Tom Wales memorial park that was opened on the 10th anniversary of his death

Nicholas Brown, the U.S. attorney for the Western District of Washington, announced the new reward at the ceremony with $2 million being offered from the Justice Department and the additional $500,000 from the National Association of Former U.S. Attorneys.

'Twenty years is far too long for this crime  this attack on the American justice system  to go unresolved,' Brown said at the ceremony, according to Fox 13.

Brown is the sixth attorney on the case and believes that 'fresh eyes' on the case might help with the investigation.

The Department of Justice also released a statement on the anniversary of Wales' death.

Nicholas Brown, the U.S. attorney for the Western District of Washington, has stated that the 20-year mystery has taken 'too long' and needed 'fresh eyes' for the case

The reward fund was upgraded to $2.5 million on Monday following an announcement at Wales' 20th anniversary memorial service

'The Department of Justice will never forget Tom's contributions to the department and the cause of justice, nor will we forget the tragedy of his death,' Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said in a press release.

'Although two decades have passed, the Department of Justice remains committed to this investigation.

'Somebody knows something about this murder, and we want to do everything we can to encourage them to come forward now.'

Over the years, there have been multiple theories relating to the murder of Thomas Wales.

Wales was an 18-year-veteran attorney of the Western District of Washington who prosecuted on white-collar crime and the president of gun-control group Washington CeaseFire.

The most prominent theory surrounding Wales' murder was a revenge hit from a pilot who Wales had prosecuted in a case after he and has business partners had allegedly forged documents and violated FAA safety rules to convert a military helicopter for civilian use

A neighbor said he believed the suspect to be male after he witnessed a suspicious man in the neighborhood weeks before the murder. He was believed to be a hired hitman and described as being in his late 30's or early 40's, slim build, black hair, tobacco-stained teeth and a chipped left front tooth

The shooter had snuck into Wales' backyard and shot several bullets through his basement window where he had been writing emails.

They had used a Makarov semi-automatic handgun, according to authorities, and had left Wales with fatal injuries to the neck and torso.

The FBI have long believed the theory that a pilot who Wales had previously prosecuted for fraud had enlisted the help of a Mexican drug cartel to hire a hitman to kill him, according to the Seattle Times.

The pilot and his business partners were indicted by Wales in September 2000 after they allegedly had forged documents and broke FAA safety rules to alter a military helicopter for civilian use.

Wales was unsuccessful in his prosecution and the case was ultimately dismissed.

The pilot, however, was unsuccessful in seeking damages and claims misconduct by Wales.

The theory continues to state that the pilot was also smuggling drugs for the cartel who ran out of western Washington.

It is believed that the cartel then hired a man who owed money to a drug ring they had ties with to murder Wales.

The alleged hired hitman then enlists another man, coined 'Suspect #1' in court documents, to be his lookout.

Shawna Reid, a woman said to be romantically tied to Suspect #1, appeared in court in August of this year and was charged with perjury after lying about information on the murder. She pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor.

The pilot, who now lives in Delaware, has denied his involvement in the murder as he claimed he was on the phone at his house when it occurred.

The former girlfriend of a man identified as 'Suspect #1' named Shawna Reid claimed that she had more information on the murder as her boyfriend was believed to be on lookout while the murder occurred.

A former distributor for the drug ring named Jeffrey Shauers, 54, provided further information to the FBI on the suspected shooter.

Shauers said that he believes the suspected shooter was a former inmate of his at the McNeil Island Prison in the late 1990's.

He had befriended the man and had both became involved in the drug cartel business.

Shauers claimed that the man seemed capable of violence and that a 2006 sketch released of the suspected killer resembled his former fellow inmate.

The sketch was created following a description from Wales' neighbor who believes they saw the suspected killer weeks before the murder carrying a black nylon suitcase.

He was described as being in his late 30's or early 40's, slim build, black hair, tobacco-stained teeth and a chipped left front tooth.

It was also reported that the killer was seen riding a bicycle after leaving the scene of Wales' murder, according to FBI information.

Shauers' ex-wife Teresa has also been continuously questioned by the FBI over the years and even accused them of trying to pin the homicide on her ex-husband.

He has denied further involvement in the case however and has not been considered a suspect.

The murder investigation remains one of the largest as over 50,000 reports have been put into the case file over the years.

'The Seattle Prosecutor Murder Task Force continues to pursue as a top priority the investigation of the murder of federal prosecutor Tom Wales,' a statement from the FBI said.

'This joint effort by the FBI, the Seattle Police Department, the Department of Justice, and the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office covered thousands of investigative leads.'
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has opened a broad inquiry into how Wall Street banks are keeping track of employees' digital communications, according to a new report.

SEC enforcement staff contacted multiple banks in recent weeks to check whether they have been adequately documenting employees' work-related communications, such as text messages and emails, with a focus on their personal devices, three people familiar with the matter told Reuters.

The industry 'sweep' is a further sign that the SEC is ramping up enforcement under its Democratic leadership, and highlights the challenges Wall Street banks face in keeping track of staff communications in the work-from-home pandemic era.

An SEC spokesman declined to comment on the reported sweep when reached by DailyMail.com on Tuesday.

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York on Tuesday. The SEC has opened a broad inquiry into how Wall Street banks are keeping track of employees' digital communications

The SEC periodically conducts sweeps to quickly gather information on issues it suspects may be widespread. Sweeps can sometimes, although not necessarily, lead to formal probes.

The sweep appears to stem from a probe the agency has been conducting for some time into an individual financial institution, two of the sources said, without naming the firm.

In August, JPMorgan Chase & Co disclosed that it had been fielding regulatory inquiries concerning its 'compliance with records preservation requirements in connection with business communications sent over electronic messaging channels' that the bank had not approved.

It said it was discussing a 'resolution' with regulators, without specifying which ones.

Spokespeople for the SEC and JPMorgan declined to comment.

The SEC and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Wall Street's self-regulatory body, require broker-dealers to keep records of all business-related communications.

Regulators are concerned with communications on apps such as WhatsApp that a company may not be able to provide in response to an investigation

Banks have to walk a fine line to comply with those requirements without infringing upon employees' privacy, said one of the sources.

In the United States, there is no clear-cut legal basis on which an employer can demand to inspect employees' personal communications, while in other countries doing so may breach data protection statutes, the source said.

As a result, many financial firms ban the use of personal email, texts and other social media channels for work purposes, but keeping up with a proliferation of communication apps -- especially during the pandemic -- is a challenge for companies.

In a speech last week, the SEC's head of enforcement Gurbir Grewal warned that institutions should stay on top of the many 'issues raised by the increased use of personal devices, new communications channels, and other technological developments.'

The SEC's head of enforcement Gurbir Grewal recently warned that financial institutions should stay on top of the many 'issues raised by the increased use of personal devices'

'Recordkeeping violations may not grab the headlines, but the underlying obligations are essential to market integrity and enforcement,' said Grewal.

'I am certain many in this room have sent or received professional communications on personal devices or unofficial communications channels,' he added, addressing a broker/dealer compliance conference in Washington DC.

'You need to be actively thinking about and addressing the many compliance issues raised by the increased use of personal devices, new communications channels, and other technological developments like ephemeral apps.'

Failure to retain and produce communication records can impede regulatory investigations, Grewal said in the remarks.

Last year, Morgan Stanley fired two top executives due to the unauthorized use of WhatsApp to discuss work matters.
London Fire Brigade say a woman and a child have been taken to hospital

The fire is believed to have consumed 80 per cent of a three-bedroom property

Around 70 firefighters and 10 fire engines were at the residential tower block

Two people have been injured in a fire that broke out on the 20th floor of a tower block in Southwest London.

Emergency crews raced to the scene at Westbridge Road in Battersea this evening following reports of the blaze.

Pictures taken from below show huge flames and clouds of smoke billowing out of the flat's windows.

A woman and a child had to be taken to hospital by ambulance crews, while 50 others fled from the building before the responders arrived.

Around 70 firefighters and 10 fire engines from across London responded to the call which came in at 8pm.

Dozens of firefighters are tackling a blaze that has broken out on the 20th floor of a tower block on Westbridge Road in Battersea, Southwest London

The London Fire Brigade said that a woman escaped from the property before rescuers arrived and is being treated for possible smoke inhalation

Crews said the fire, which has since been brought under control, had affected a three-bedroom flat, with almost 80 per cent of the property on fire.

The London Fire Brigade said that a woman escaped from the property before rescuers arrived and is being treated for possible smoke inhalation.

Station Commander Pete Johnson, who is at the scene, said: 'Crews were faced with a lot of smoke issuing from the top of a block of flats on arrival.

'There was also lots of visible flame which has prompted a high number of calls to our Control Officers.

'Firefighters are working hard to bring the fire under control. There are a number of road closures in place.'

The windows of the flat on the 20th floor were ripped out by the fire, which is believed to have burnt out much of the three-bedroom property

Station Commander Pete Johnson, who is at the scene, said: 'Crews were faced with a lot of smoke issuing from the top of a block of flats on arrival'

The fire was declared to be under control at around 9.05pm. A spokesperson for the Fire Brigade said the cause of the fire is now under investigation

Student Ishika Deb, 20, who lives in a neighbouring block of flats, said: 'I heard a bang and glass smashing. I went out and saw there was glass on the floor. Then I heard a bang and looked up and saw fire.'

She said she heard a couple of bangs then noticed that 'ash was coming out'.

Rangy Raphyugaz, who lives on fourth floor of the building, said that as he went outside glass was falling down from the 20th floor and cut his arm.

'I was sitting in my house listening to music and heard a lot of noise in the hall way,' he told My London.

The London Fire Brigade said that a woman escaped from the property before rescuers arrived and is being treated for possible smoke inhalation

Rangy Raphyugaz, who lives on fourth floor of the building, said that as he went outside glass was falling down from the 20th floor and cut his arm

The London Fire Brigade tweeted: 'Ten fire engines and around 70 firefighters have been called to reports of a fire at a block of flats on Westbridge Road in Battersea'

'I went out and people were saying there was a fire. I quickly went back and banged on all my neighbours doors shouting "fire, fire, fire!"'

The London Fire Brigade tweeted: 'Ten fire engines and around 70 firefighters have been called to reports of a fire at a block of flats on Westbridge Road in Battersea. More information to follow.'

The fire was declared to be under control at around 9.05pm.

A spokesperson for the Fire Brigade said the cause of the fire is now under investigation.
The girlfriend of a high profile Ecuadorian gang leader was briefly arrested after she spent a week sleeping in his jail cell - and was busted as she tried to leave the prison in the middle of a riot while wearing a guard's uniform.

The National Police revealed over the weekend that the Veronica Briones Zambrano arrived at the Guayaquil Regional Jail on September 27 and remained there with her boyfriend, Jose Adolfo 'Fito' Macias Villamar, a high-ranking leader with Los Choneros, a gang linked to Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman's Sinaloa Cartel.

The Briones Zambrano was looking to leave penitentiary on October 2 in the midst of a rebellion as security forces were greeted with gunfire.

She was arrested briefly before being released, and authorities are now on the hunt for her.

Jose Adolfo 'Fito' Macias Villamar, a high-ranking leader with Los Choneros, a gang linked to Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman's Sinaloa Cartel, was able to sneak his girlfriend, Veronica Briones Zambrano, into his prison cell at the Guayaquil Regional Jail in Guayaquil, Ecuador, on September 27

Veronica Briones Zambrano, the girlfriend of Jose Adolfo 'Fito' Macias Villamar, leader of Los Choneros gang, is escorted from the Guayaquil Regional Jail in Guayaquil, Ecuador, on October 2 after security forces were called to the prison and were met by gun fire from the inmates

Briones Zambrano was walking with Karen Guano, who works as a prison guide, before they were both stopped by a police unit and soldiers who were guarding the exit, police record show.

Briones Zambrano identified herself as Macias Villamar's girlfriend and admitted that she had been staying at the jail for several days.

Ecuadorian network Ecuavisa reported that both women were removed from the prison and transferred to the Guayas prosecutor's headquarters, but at one point the police officer who was in custody of the women received a phone call from the National Police's 8 District chief Fausto Buenano, who instructed him to release Briones Zambrano because Macias Villamar had come to an agreement to hand over the gang's arsenal of weapons in exchange for her freedom.

However, the network learned from a police source that Briones Zambrano was released from custody after she appeared before a prosecutor and alleged that she had been actually held against her will at the prison and originally kept quiet because she feared for her life.

Briones Zambrano's current whereabouts are unknown.

Law enforcement agents in Ecuador are investigating a gang leader whose girlfriend spent a week sleeping in his cell before she was busted October 2 as she tried to leave in the middle of a riot as police and inmates exchanged gun fire

The security breach took place a day before Los Choneros gang members went to war with their rival, Los Tiguerones, which happens to be linked to Jalisco New Generation Cartel.

The riot, the worst in Ecuador's history, left 119 inmates dead at the Litoral Penitentiary, located about 1,600 feet away from where Macias Villamar is serving a 25-year prison sentence.

His mother told El Diario last Wednesday that her son was looking to work on a truce with other gangs to avoid similar incidents like the September 28 massacre.

'My son seeks to sign a peace commitment to prevent further massacres. He fears for his life,' Marisol Villamar said.
The White House announced President Biden will meet Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta on Thursday to discuss financial 'accountability' - just days after he and his family were named as owners of 13 offshore companies in the Pandora Papers.

The Kenyattas' holdings include a company with investments worth $30m, according to a massive leak of financial documents from law firms in Panama, the British Virgin Islands (BVI) and other tax havens.

Kenyatta, president since 2013, has promised a full response when he returns from his international trip.

He is one of a number of world leaders caught up in the embarrassing leak.

Although holding assets offshore is not illegal, it could cause political problems for someone like Kenyatta who campaigned against corruption.

'The leaders will discuss the strong U.S.-Kenyan bilateral relationship and the need to bring transparency and accountability to domestic and international financial systems,' said White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki in a statement.

'They will also discuss efforts to defend democracy and human rights, advance peace and security, accelerate economic growth, and tackle climate change.'

President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya will be the first African leader to visit President Joe Biden's White House on Thursday, when they are expected to discuss 'the need to bring transparency and accountability to domestic and international financial systems'

A massive leak of financial documents revealed that members of the Kenyatta family owned 13 offshore companies, including one with $30 million in investments

Kenyans pore over the revelations from the Pandora Papers, which revealed how Kenyatta was one of hundreds of politicians identified as beneficiaries of secret financial holdings

For his part, Kenyatta welcomed the release of the Pandora Papers by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists and other news organizations.

'These reports will go a long way in enhancing the financial transparency and openness that we require in Kenya and around the globe,' he said in a statement.

However, he did not respond to the specific allegations against him

'The movement of illicit funds, proceeds of crime and corruption thrive in an environment of secrecy and darkness,' he added.

A senior administration official told DailyMail.com the leaks offered a chance to make progress.

'On the Pandora papers, this is an opportunity for the United States to build off of our current efforts with the Kenyans to bring additional transparency and accountability to domestic and international financial systems,' said the official.

Kenyatta is the son of the country's first president.

Documents released in the leak show that his mother Ngina, 88, is named as the first benefactor of the Varies foundation set up in 2003. Her son is the second benefactor and would stand to inherit it after her death.

Its value is unknown.

Panama is a sought-after destination for holdings as the owners are known only by their lawyers and they do not have to register their identities with the Panamanian government, according to the ICIJ.

Other world leaders caught up in the leak include former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, King Abdullah II of Jordan, and Gabon's President Ali Bong Ondimba.

Kenyatta is the son of Kenya's first president, Jomo Kenyatta, and took power in 2013

The Pandora Papers also revealed that Tony Blair (left) and his wife, Cherie (right), secretly benefited from a highly-controversial tax loophole in 2017

Kenyatta has defended himself robustly against allegations that his family had hidden its wealth.

'As I have always stated, what we own - what we have - is open to the public. As a public servant I'm supposed to make my wealth known and we declare every year,' he told the BBC in 2018.

The BBC also reported from the leaks that UBP private-wealth advisers helped Kenyatta's brother, Muhoho, set up another Panamanian entity, the Criselle Foundation, in 2003.

Another BVI company which Muhoho owned had a $30m valuation in stocks and bonds as of November 2016.

Financial transparency will not be the only topic when Kenyatta meets Biden - the president's first meeting with an African leader since taking power.

Kenya has long had a strong relationship with the U.S., partnering with Washington in efforts to thwart Islamic terrorism.

It a powerful regional player and it has a border with Ethiopia, where war has triggered a humanitarian crisis.

Kenya also currently holds the rotating presidency of the U.N. Security Council.
The FBI on Tuesday joined a large-scale search on the Michigan property of a mother-of-four who vanished without a trace back in May.

Federal agents, the Michigan State Police, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and other agencies converged on the Franklin Township home of Dee Ann Warner, 52, who has not been seen or heard from in more than five months.

Officers accompanied by K-9 dogs and equipped with a ground-penetrating radar carried out a grid search of nearby farmland in Lenawee County in a search for clues.

The Lenawee County Sheriff's Office later issued a statement on its Facebook page, revealing that Warner has not been found.

Dee Ann Warner, 52, was last seen in Franklin Township, Michigan, on April 24 or 25; her purse and phone were missing as well

The FBI, Michigan State Police and local authorities conducted a grid search on her property on Tuesday using K-9 dogs

'Investigators will be evaluating information that was obtained during this search and the investigation is ongoing,' stated Lenawee Sheriff Troy Bevier.

Crime Stoppers of Lenawee County reported in May that Warner was last seen late April 24 or early April 25 at her home on Munger Road.

Her purse and phone were also missing, but investigators previously said there has been no activity on her phone and bank accounts since May.

The mother-of-four 'had no contact with her family and friends on phone or Facebook since she went missing,' Crime Stoppers stated at the time.

In the lead-up to Tuesday's search Sheriff Bevier that his department has been following up on every lead, reported ClickOnDetroit. He added that the idea to scour Warner's property was not prompted by a new tip.

Officials are seen using a ground-penetrating radar during the search for Warner

Warner's house on Munger Road, where she was last seen five months ago

Warner (right) has not been in contact with her family since she disappeared missing

He said it seemed like the right time to conduct this search now, after the crops had been cleared from the surrounding farmland, and before the weather gets colder.

The initial search for Warner was suspended in June, after Bevier said that his investigators have 'pretty much exhausted' all possibilities.

On the eve of the new search, Warner's daughter Rikkell Bock, who has been posting updates on her Facebook page about the missing person case, wrote in a post: 'Prayers for our family are definitely appreciated as we need some answers. Miss you so much momma!'
NSW has fully vaccinated 75 per cent of its adult population against Covid and is just days away from reaching the crucial 80 per cent milestone - as the state reported 444 new cases and four deaths from the virus on Wednesday.

Health officials confirmed the new local cases from 105,508 tests conducted state-wide in the 24 hours to 8pm on Tuesday.

Two of those who died were not vaccinated against Covid-19 and two had received both doses.

The new cases - an increase on the 360 infections announced on Tuesday - come as the number of Covid-19 patients in hospital in NSW fell to 716.

NSW Health said 75.2 per cent of the state's residents over the age of 16 had now received both vaccine doses - while 90.8 per cent have had at least their first dose.

The state is likely to hit the 80 per cent double-dose target by Sunday - triggering more freedoms for Sydneysiders emerging from lockdown as early as next Monday.

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NSW is likely to hit the 80 per cent full vaccination target just days after the state's 'Freedom Day'. Pictured are a group taking a photo at the Sydney Opera House on October 12

Premier Dominic Perrottet has flagged an easing of restrictions next week, saying dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic is 'one, two and three' on his to-do list.

'That is the sole focus of the government,' Mr Perrottet said.

'We need to get through this as well as we can. We're going to lead the nation out of this pandemic here in NSW, and there's so many things to do in that space.'

If the state reaches the 80 per cent fully vaccinated milestone stage by the end of the week, it would set the stage for the next phase in the state's reopening from Monday, October 18.

'The success of our vaccination rate has been absolutely superb... when we hit 80 per cent, we've always said it will be the Monday following,' Mr Perrottet said.

The government's Covid-19 and economic recovery committee - formerly known as the crisis cabinet - will discuss tweaking the reopening roadmap on Thursday.

Mr Perrottet could announce changes to regional travel restrictions and other restrictions on Friday.

As things currently stand, the next phase of the roadmap paves the way for outdoor gatherings of up to 50 vaccinated people, 20 guests in a home, dancing at hospitality venues and drinking standing up at the pub.

Travel across NSW would be allowed, as would carpooling, weddings of any size if the venue is large enough, and community sport.

Two pedestrians in high heels are pictured in Sydney on after stay-at-home orders were lifted

Late on Tuesday, NSW Health issued an alert for anyone who was on Qantas flight QF509 from Brisbane to Sydney on Saturday to get tested and isolate after a passenger tested positive for coronavirus.

Melbourne's world-longest Covid lockdown meanwhile is on track to end four days earlier than planned as Victoria surges towards the 70 per cent vaccination milestone.

The Victorian government projects the state to hit that mark on October 26 - triggering the reopening of pubs, restaurants, and cafes in Melbourne.

Covid Live analyst Anthony Macali though said Victoria could achieve a 70 per cent double dose rate as soon as October 22.

Melbourne 's world-longest Covid lockdown meanwhile is on track to end four days earlier than planned as Victoria surges towards the 70 per cent vaccination milestone

'There's still room where if the rate continues to increase we might be able to pull in a few more days,' he said.

Mr Macali said Victoria would likely the hit the 80 per cent double dose milestone three days earlier than the official timeline on November 2.

At that point, face masks will no longer be mandatory in Melbourne outdoors and up to 10 people can gather inside the home.
Britain was last night accused of taking French fishermen hostage by the EUs former Brexit negotiator.

Michel Barnier demanded the UK stick to its promises made under the agreement the Frenchman drew up with Lord Frost.

In a thinly-veiled reference to the logistical woes gripping the UK, Mr Barnier said: Taking hostage the fishing rights of a few small boats in the Channel will not solve Britains Brexit problems.

Michel Barnier demanded the UK stick to its promises made under the Brexit agreement

France and ten other EU members have called for a common front against Britain over its handling of a row with Paris over post-Brexit fishing licences in its waters. Pictured: French fishermen empty a fishing net in the North Sea

The 70-year-old  who harbours hopes of challenging Emmanuel Macron in next years presidential elections  added: The Johnson government must respect its signature and international responsibilities, both in spirit and letter.

His comments came after France failed to win support from other EU governments to back its hardline stance on fishing.

Mr Macrons government accused Britain of a clear failure to comply with the pact hammered out by Mr Barnier last year.

But a majority of member states only agreed on a watered-down version of this statement, calling for further work to be done on solving the spat.

British negotiators are currently holding vessel by vessel talks with senior Eurocrats.

But a senior EU diplomat warned: I think given the recent history with Britain, we will probably decide to side with the EU partner, rather than a former member state.

French skippers accuse Britain of deliberately creating an overly complicated application process to prevent them from gaining access to catch-rich waters.

A UK Government spokesman said: The Government has granted 98 per cent of licence applications from EU vessels to fish in our waters.

'Our approach has been reasonable and fully in line with our commitments in the Brexit deal.'
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A female doctor could be paid more than 100,000 by her neighbour after a judge ruled that his Ring smart doorbell cameras breached her privacy in a landmark legal battle which could pave the way for thousands of lawsuits over use of the Amazon-owned device.

A judge found that Jon Woodard's use of his cameras broke data laws and that his behaviour during his dispute with Dr Mary Fairhurst amounted to harassment. She claimed she was forced to move out of her home in Thame, Oxfordshire because the internet-connected gadgets were 'intrusive'.

The doorbells, owned by US giant Amazon, notify the absent homeowner via a smartphone when a visitor arrives at the door. The owner can then use an app to watch and talk to the visitor by using the doorbell's built-in camera and microphone.

Audio-visual technician Mr Woodard insisted that he fitted four devices, including two 'dummies,' around his property to protect his vehicles from masked thieves who tried to steal his car in 2019. But holistic healthcare company director Dr Fairhurst told Oxford County Court that the devices placed her under 'continuous visual surveillance.'

Yesterday's ruling is thought to be the first of its kind in the UK and could set precedent for more than 100,000 owners of the Ring doorbell nationally.

The court heard:

Mr Woodard fitted four devices around his house. He claimed he did this to protect his vehicles from thieves;

But a judge ruled he'd recorded Dr Fairhurst's property including her gate, garden and car parking spaces;

Judge said he breached UK GDPR by not handling her personal data in a 'fair and transparent manner';

Ruled that Mr Woodard then sought to 'actively mislead' Dr Fairhurst about what the cameras recorded;

Judge took particular issue with camera's audio range, saying it is 'not reasonable for crime prevention'.

The internet-connected devices notify the absent home owner via a smartphone when a visitor arrives at the door. The owner can then use an app to watch and talk to the visitor by using the doorbell's built-in camera and microphone

Mr Woodard also raised concerns for other ring doorbell owners after the ruling

Dr Mary Fairhurst (left) who claimed the cameras on a neighbour's smart doorbells breached her privacy won a landmark legal battle yesterday. Jon Woodard, 45, (right, with his partner Nicola Copelin) may have to pay Dr Fairhurst more than 100,000 in damages after a judge found his use of the cameras broke data laws

A female doctor is set to be paid more than 100,000 after a judge ruled that her neighbour's Ring smart doorbell cameras breached her privacy in a landmark legal battle yesterday

What the ruling on Ring doorbells mean for YOU... and how you can take steps to protect yourself from court action If your Ring doorbell camera overlooks a neighbour's property, a lawsuit could be brought against you for alleged breaches of data protection laws. In yesterday's landmark ruling, Judge Melissa Clarke found that Mr Woodard had breached the provisions of the Data Protection Act 2018 and UK GDPR. She said the images and audio files of Dr Fairhurst captured on the Ring devices were classed as her personal data - information that relates to an identified or identifiable individual. She found that Mr Woodard, had failed to process her data in a 'fair or transparent manner' in accordance with his role as a 'data controller' as laid out by the Information Commissioner. Judge Clarke said Mr Woodard had 'sought to actively mislead the Claimant about how and whether the Cameras operated and what they captured.' She concluded that Mr Woodard had collected data outside the boundaries of his property. The ruling means that anybody whose Ring doorbell camera films people outside the boundaries of their property could be accused of breaching data protection laws and the privacy of that person. Speaking to talkRadio's Mike Graham, security expert Will Geddes urged homeowners with Ring doorbell cameras to take steps to ensure the device isn't unintentionally invading someone's privacy. He warned that people have got to make sure the view of the camera doesn't intrude or invade into other people's properties - including 'not looking into other people's windows, not even encroaching into their gardens or their property line'. Mr Geddes also suggested people put up window signs saying where the cameras are hidden, and writing to their neighbours telling them that they are adjusting their cameras accordingly. 'It means you've got to be careful if you've got Ring cameras and she may have a very good case, it seems that she does in this instance,' he told talkRadio. 'However, I don't think necessarily the homeowner - the person who owns the cameras - was intending to invade on her privacy. 'When it comes to CCTV, whether it be your Ring doorbell or whether it be a hard-wired sort of CCTV system, you've got to make sure you don't intrude on other people's privacy. The problem with Ring is you can listen live to it as you can with most CCTV cameras, but especially with Ring there's an audible option. 'If you are putting CCTV around your house, maybe to protect your car as it was with this particular individual, you've got to make sure the view of the camera doesn't intrude or invade into other people's properties, so certainly not looking into other people's windows, not even encroaching into their gardens or their property line. 'One of the things that you have to be considerate to is if they're kind of covert or they're hidden cameras, you need to have some kind of sticker in your window or signage that just alerts people. That in itself is a good deterrent, certainly to any kind of criminal. 'These Ring devices which are now owned by Amazon are incredibly and increasingly popular, they're very easy, very cheap and they do act as a very good security measure. However, it's about misuse and it's also about ensuring that you are not using it beyond the requirements or the agenda of why you've installed them. 'If any of the viewers and the listeners have actually got Ring doorbells, or if they've got those peripheral devices, have a good look at those cameras through your live view on your app, on your device, whether that be your computer or your phone, and have a look and see whether it is intruding into your neighbour's space. If it is, then you need to get a stepladder out this evening and just adjust it. 'Or even mention it to your neighbour and say ''look, I'm really conscious I'm not intruding on your privacy, I will adjust my cameras accordingly''. 'But make sure you write that in an email so you've got an audit trail to show that you are doing the best you possibly can.' Advertisement

The woman, who had lived peacefully next to Mr Woodard for two decades, claimed he had harassed her by becoming 'aggressive' when she complained to him about the cameras, the court heard.

Judge Melissa Clarke yesterday found that Mr Woodard had breached the provisions of the Data Protection Act 2018 and UK GDPR.

Dr Fairhurst is now entitled to compensation and orders preventing the Mr Woodard from continuing to breach her rights with his security devices.

In her ruling, Judge Clarke said the images and audio files of Dr Fairhurst captured on the Ring devices were classed as her personal data. She found that Mr Woodard had failed to process her data in a 'fair or transparent manner' in accordance with his role as a 'data controller' as laid out by the Information Commissioner.

Judge Clarke said Mr Woodard had 'sought to actively mislead the Claimant about how and whether the Cameras operated and what they captured.'

She concluded that Mr Woodard had collected data outside the boundaries of his property and, referring to the shed camera, added: 'I am satisfied that on many occasions it [the shed camera] had a very wide field of view and captured the Claimant's personal data as she drove in and out of the car park.'

Mr Woodard had also installed a driveway camera, which he claimed was a dummy. The judge dismissed his claim and ruled that the device captured images and audio on Dr Fairhurst's property including her gate, garden and car parking spaces.

The judge dismissed Mr Woodard's claim that the driveway camera was used legitimately to deter thieves from stealing his car. She said that 'crime prevention, could surely be achieved by something less' than the device.

Taking particular issue with the camera's audio range, she added: 'I am satisfied that the extent of range to which these devices can capture audio is well beyond the range of video that they capture, and in my view cannot be said to be reasonable for crime prevention.'

Speaking after yesterday's remote hearing, Mr Woodard said he was 'extremely disappointed and shocked' by the judge's decision.

He told the Mail: 'I purchased a ring doorbell and ring motion activated camera in 2019, in good faith to protect my property and vehicles.

'To now be told these are harassment devices feels like a joke and I myself feel like I am being harassed. Many of my neighbours have cameras and smart doorbells.'

Mr Woodard also said the decision went against current guidance from police forces, many of which have appealed for video doorbells footage to help gather criminal evidence.

He said: 'I wonder if the police will now still be able to appeal to the public to check their smart doorbells, cctv, and dashcams in order to assist them solve crime, and use to assist convictions.'

Mr Woodard also raised concerns for other ring doorbell owners after the ruling, adding: 'I feel for the tens of thousands of homeowners with ring home security who could now be targeted in the same manner I have.'

In response to the ruling, Amazon-owned Ring asked customers to ensure guests know they are being captured on video by putting Ring stickers to put on their door or windows.

A spokesperson for the California-based company said: 'We strongly encourage our customers to respect their neighbours' privacy and comply with any applicable laws when using their Ring device.

'We've put features in place across all our devices to ensure privacy, security, and user control remain front and centre - including customisable Privacy Zones to block out 'off-limit' areas, Motion Zones to control the areas customers want their Ring device to detect motion and Audio Toggle to turn audio on and off.'

The damages payable to Dr Fairhurst are expected to be confirmed in a court hearing in November.

The ruling means that anybody whose Ring doorbell camera films people outside the boundaries of their property could be accused of breaching data protection laws and the privacy of that person - potentially paving the way for thousands of lawsuits over alleged breaches of UK laws.

Speaking to talkRadio's Mike Graham this morning, security expert Will Geddes urged homeowners with Ring doorbell cameras to take steps to ensure the device isn't unintentionally invading someone's privacy.

He warned that people have got to make sure the view of the camera doesn't intrude or invade into other people's properties - including 'not looking into other people's windows, not even encroaching into their gardens or their property line'.

Dr Fairhurst is now entitled to compensation and orders preventing the Mr Woodard from continuing to breach her rights with his security devices

In response to the ruling, Amazon-owned Ring advised device owners to ensure people know they are filmed by putting Ring stickers on their door or windows

Audio-visual technician Mr Woodard insisted that he fitted four devices, including two 'dummies,' around his property to protect his vehicles from masked thieves who tried to steal his car in 2019

Ring doorbells: WiFi-enabled smart devices bought by Amazon Ring creates Wi-Fi enabled doorbells which notify absent homeowner via a smartphone when a visitor arrives at the door Ring creates Wi-Fi enabled doorbells which notify an absent homeowner via a smartphone when a visitor arrives at their door. The owner can then use an app to watch and talk to the visitor by using the Amazon-owned doorbell's built-in camera and microphone. Ring first caught the spotlight with a failed quest for funding about five years ago on reality television show Shark Tank. It was later acquired by Amazon for a reported 700million ($1billion). Advertisement

Mr Geddes also suggested people put up window signs saying where the cameras are hidden, and writing to their neighbours telling them that they are adjusting their cameras accordingly.

'It means you've got to be careful if you've got Ring cameras and she may have a very good case, it seems that she does in this instance,' he told talkRadio.

'However, I don't think necessarily the homeowner - the person who owns the cameras - was intending to invade on her privacy.

'When it comes to CCTV, whether it be your Ring doorbell or whether it be a hard-wired sort of CCTV system, you've got to make sure you don't intrude on other people's privacy.

'The problem with Ring is you can listen live to it as you can with most CCTV cameras, but especially with Ring there's an audible option.

'If you are putting CCTV around your house, maybe to protect your car as it was with this particular individual, you've got to make sure the view of the camera doesn't intrude or invade into other people's properties, so certainly not looking into other people's windows, not even encroaching into their gardens or their property line.

'One of the things that you have to be considerate to is if they're kind of covert or they're hidden cameras, you need to have some kind of sticker in your window or signage that just alerts people. That in itself is a good deterrent, certainly to any kind of criminal.

'These Ring devices which are now owned by Amazon are incredibly and increasingly popular, they're very easy, very cheap and they do act as a very good security measure.

'However, it's about misuse and it's also about ensuring that you are not using it beyond the requirements or the agenda of why you've installed them.

'If any of the viewers and the listeners have actually got Ring doorbells, or if they've got those peripheral devices, have a good look at those cameras through your live view on your app, on your device, whether that be your computer or your phone, and have a look and see whether it is intruding into your neighbour's space.

'If it is, then you need to get a stepladder out this evening and just adjust it.

'Or even mention it to your neighbour and say ''look, I'm really conscious I'm not intruding on your privacy, I will adjust my cameras accordingly''. But make sure you write that in an email so you've got an audit trail to show that you are doing the best you possibly can.'
Ted Cruz shot back at Jen Psaki after she mockingly called him a 'world-renowned business, travel and health expert,' and claimed to have been told by a 'senior source in aviation' that a recent onslaught of flight cancelations were the result of vaccine mandates.

Asked in a daily briefing about those who say that vaccine mandates have put a dent in the US workforce, the press secretary replied: 'I know world-renowned business, travel, and health expert Senator Ted Cruz has made that point, but I wouldn't say that is widely acknowledged or echoed by business leaders ... by health experts ...'

'So now Biden WH is launching snarky insults from the WH press room.,' the Texas Republican wrote on Twitter.

'Ok, Jen, I just spoke with a very credible & senior source in aviation who told me the following - a few days ago, there was a sick out of air traffic controllers in Jacksonville over vaccine mandates.'

'As a result, out of 33 air traffic controllers ONLY THREE showed up to work- That resulted in cascading flight cancellations. True or False, Jen? Or do you just do petty insults & ignore actual facts? #ThanksJoe'

Southwest Airlines canceled more than 2,000 flights over the weekend and another 363 on Monday.

Furious passengers said that they were told in airports that the cancellations were due to Southwest employees walking out in protest at the airline's decision to enforce COVID-19 vaccinations.

But the airline said that that was not the case, and said poor weather in Jacksonville, Florida, sparked a knock-on effect.

'Southwest Airlines extends a tremendous apology to our Customers and Employees for the flight cancellations and delays which occurred over the weekend and on Monday,' the airline said.

'On Friday evening, the airline ended the day with numerous cancellations, primarily created by weather and other external constraints, which left aircraft and Crews out of pre-planned positions to operate our schedule on Saturday.

'As a note, the operational challenges were not a result of Southwest Employee demonstrations.'

The Dallas-based airline was the only airline to report such large-scale issues over the weekend, and customers accused Southwest of not being honest with them about the delays.

The head of Southwest's pilots union, Capt. Casey Murray, blamed the company's management for the snafu and denied that pilots were calling out sick en masse to protest the vaccine mandate.

Murray told CBS News that the pilot sick rate was 'right in line with what was occurring this summer.'

When asked where he would put the blame, Murray said: 'Squarely on Southwest, I point to how they manage the network and how their IT also supports that network.

'Once a little hiccup occurs due to the internal processes, our pilots aren't getting to where they need to be.

'We've been sounding this alarm for about four years and have seen very little approach to correcting it,' Murray said.

Passengers queue up at the ticketing counter for Southwest Airlines flights on Sunday in Omaha, Neb.

Travelers wait to check in at the Southwest Airlines ticketing counter at Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport on Monday

Cruz wasn't the only Texas Republican to take heat from Psaki on Tuesday.

The press secretary also went after Gov. Greg Abbott for his executive order banning vaccine mandates.

'In another instance of federal overreach, the Biden Administration is now bullying many private entities into imposing COVID-19 vaccine mandates,' Abbot wrote in an executive order.

At least several thousand people have already been fired from their jobs for refusing to comply with vaccination requirements.

The governor's order, according to the document, also supersedes any municipal or county mandate that would allow entities to impose such mandates

He said that the mandates were 'causing workforce disruptions that threaten Texas' continued recovery from the COVID-19 disaster.'

'Governor Abbott's executive order banning mandates and, I would also note announcement by Governor DeSantis this morning essentially banning implementation of mandates fit a familiar pattern that we've seen of putting politics ahead of public health.'

Asked why Abbott did this, knowing that federal law supersedes state, Psaki had a one word reply: 'Politics.'

'I think it's pretty clear when you make a choice that's against all public health information and data out there it's not based on what is in the interest of the people you are governing it's perhaps in the interest of your own politics,' she added when asked to elaborate.

DeSantis remarked earlier Wednesday that he could take similar action to block vaccine mandates from taking effect by shielding workers who refuse to comply from being fired.
Karl Stefanovic has unleashed an angry missive at the Queensland government moments after learning about the heartbreaking story of how a boy with cerebral palsy was denied the chance to quarantine at home.

Sunshine Coast youngster Lenny Silveira is holed up in hotel quarantine in Sydney with his dad Fabio after the pair returned from the US for life-saving brain surgery, which isn't available in Australia.

The six-year-old was denied an exemption by Queensland Health to be reunited with his mum and siblings by quarantining at home, which goes against doctor's orders for Lenny's recovery.

Lenny and his dad were denied an exemption because they arrived in Sydney.

The Today show co-host expressed his fury about Lenny's ordeal after an live interview with his dad on Wednesday morning, describing the situation as 'awful'.

Queensland Health has denied an exemption to allow youngster Lenny Silveira (pictured) to quarantine at home after major brain surgery

'Just have a look at that child there with cerebral palsy, in a hotel quarantine,' Stefanovic fumed.

'That is disgusting. I mean, if we can't make allowances for that kind of thing in this country, I don't know what has happened to this country.

'The Queensland Government needs to look at that and fix it straightaway.'

Lenny and his dad returned home via Sydney because there are currently no direct flights between the US and Brisbane.

Mr Silveira, who left his wife and other children back home to travel to the US with Lenny said it's been a difficult journey.

'We left half of the family home- his mum and two other kids,' he said.

'Our tickets were cancelled. So for three weeks we were in a drama, not knowing if we will be able to make it back home for Christmas as thousands of Australians are stranded overseas.'

Fabio Silveira has pleaded with authorities to allow him and son Lenny (right) to return home

'We made it back last Friday, but then we hit a wall with Queensland Health exemption denying us entry in Queensland because we arrived in Sydney.

'So we got caught in the middle of the NSW-Queensland Health departments that have extremely difficult to talk to each other, leaving Lenny caught in the middle.'

The pair have had their exemptions knocked back numerous times, despite the Queensland government spruiking its home quarantine trial.

'I understand the seriousness of this situation, the Covid pandemic and the consequences of any exemption given, but we are talking about a 6-year-old boy who needs extremely intensive rehabilitation,' Mr Silveira said.

He added the pair were willing to fulfil any extra requirements to quarantine at home.

'I am fully vaccinated. Lenny and I have been tested three times in the last 10 days, so it is sad that Lenny cannot follow his doctor's prescription to follow the best therapy for achieving the best outcome of this surgery,' Mr Silveira said.

Karl Stefanovic was outraged to hear about Lenny's situation, describing the situation as 'disgusting'

Sunshine Coast youngster Lenny (pictured) had to travel to the other side of the world to have surgery not available in Australia

Queensland Police Deputy Commissioner Steve Gollschewski said it was a matter for health authorities.

'We will look at all individual cases and there are systems in place for that,' he later told the Today show.

'Obviously from a Queensland police point of view we issue the border passes to the exemptions are issued by Queensland Health.'

It's hoped Lenny will eventually walk unassisted following his operation in the US.

'It's not offered to Lenny in Australia unfortunately,' Mr Silveira told Seven News.

'It's so time-sensitive. The longer we wait and the older he gets, the effects of the cerebral palsy get worse.'

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Queensland Health for comment.
Matt Hancock made a surprise comeback last night as he was given a United Nations role just four months after resigning as health secretary.

The former Cabinet minister will advise African nations on how their economies can bounce back from the pandemic.

The Daily Mail understands he won the unpaid job thanks to Nimko Ali, a campaigner against female genital mutilation who is a close friend of Prime Minister Boris Johnsons wife Carrie.

Mr Hancock, who will remain an MP, was forced to resign as health secretary in June after he breached social distancing guidance by kissing a colleague.

CCTV images showed him in an embrace with Gina Coladangelo in his office in the Department of Health and Social Care.

Disgraced former Health Secretary Matt Hancock has been given a United Nations role just four months after resigning from his government post (pictured: Hancock walks with his former aide and lover Gina Coladangelo)

Hancock tweeted his reaction to being given the new role, which comes just months after he resigned as Health Secretary

The father of three ended his 15-year marriage to wife Martha and has pursued a relationship Miss Coladangelo, a former university friend who was also married with three children.

In a resignation letter to Mr Johnson he said ministers owe it to people who have sacrificed so much in this pandemic to be honest when we have let them down.

Last night Mr Hancock said he was honoured to become UN Special Representative on Financial Innovation and Climate Change.

He said: Im thrilled to be joining the UN Economic Commission for Africa in its impressive efforts to support Africa strengthen its economic recovery from the pandemic and the sustainability of its development.

I care deeply about making this happen... we share a view of Africa as a strategic long-term partner.

Mr Hancock was a Bank of England economist before entering Parliament in 2010 and the UNs Economic Commission for Africa said he had been awarded his new role based on his economic policy expertise as well as his in-depth understanding of government.

Hancock also shared a snap of his acceptance letter for the role of UN Special Representative on Financial Innovation and Climate Change

The father of three ended his 15-year marriage to wife Martha and has pursued a relationship Miss Coladangelo, a former university friend who was also married with three children

His duties will include encouraging investment in sustainable economic development working alongside organisations including the IMF and G20.

The UN said he would also be involved at the COP26 climate change conference being hosted in Glasgow in three weeks.

Dr Vera Songwe, the UN Under-Secretary General who made the appointment, said: His expertise and leadership will offer immediate and long-term impact.

In a letter to Mr Hancock that he posted on Twitter, she added: Your success on the UKs response to the Covid-19 pandemic and the acceleration of vaccines that has led the UK [to] move faster toward economic recovery is one testament to the strengths that you will bring to this role, together with your fiscal and monetary experience.

Mr Hancock was introduced to Dr Songwe by Miss Ali, who is a Government adviser on tackling violence against women and girls.
A new Australian airline that promises to offer domestic flights up to 40 per cent cheaper than its competitors has revealed there is one huge catch.

Tim Jordan, the CEO of the low cost airline Bonza has revealed the carrier only has about two or three planes currently at its disposal.

The revelation comes after the airline boss pledged planes would take to Australian skies early next year, with tickets to go on sale in just a few months time.

The chief executive was asked pointblank how many planes he had by host Karl Stefanovic on the Today Show on Wednesday.

Tim Jordan, the CEO of the low cost airline Bonza (pictured) has revealed the carrier only has about two or three planes currently at its disposal despite promising flights early next year

'We start small like any business. It is property, you can't suddenly go here is 20 aircraft let's get on with it,' Mr Jordan replied.

'So we will be starting with two to three aircraft. Those aircraft are currently in North America. Brand new aircraft and they're heading our way in the first quarter of 2022.'

The CEO said subject to regulatory approval his Bonza planes would be taking off in the second quarter of 2022.

'So you're not exactly making Qantas nervous with the three aircraft just yet,' host Karl Stefanovic quipped.

'No and we shouldn't,' the airline boss replied with a laugh.

'This is about growing the market. This is about stimulating new leisure travel. This isn't about the business traveller.

'There is some wonderful airlines already in this country, this is not about stealing any market from anybody.

'This is about opening up travel choice across more of the country to more regional centres with more nonstop routes and more destinations.'

Australia is soon to get a brand new domestic airline called Bonza (pictured, a Bonza plane)

Almost half of the routes Bonza planes will operate are not currently available to travellers without a connection in a capital city (pictured, people in Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast)

Almost half of the routes Bonza planes will operate are not currently available to travellers without an inconvenient connection in a capital city, the CEO said.

Mr Jordan said in instances where the route is already operated by another airline, Bonza will offer a low cost alternative for the first time in history.

'If you're going away for a three day weekend and you have to connect via an intermediate point that really does slow down your plans and eat into your travel budget,' he explained.

'So this is about going point-to-point, more routes, more destinations and it will generally save 30 to 40 per cent versus existing fare levels.'

Bonza, which is backed by a US investment firm and headed by ex-Virgin Blue executive Tim Jordan, is promising 'ultra low prices' to travel the country in 2022.

'Bonza's mission is to encourage more travel by providing more choices and ultra-low fares, particularly into leisure destinations where travel is now often limited to connections via major cities,' CEO and founder Mr Jordan said.

The airline will have a focus on regional communities with new domestic routes in the works (pictured, Bateman's Bay on the NSW South Coast)

Bonza's ambition is broad but it appears there will be a focus on regional communities, with new routes in the wings.

While the airline's network is still under wraps Bonza planes will seek to bypass major cities and take passengers directly to 'leisure destinations'.

Pictured: Bonza CEO Tim Jordan

Mr Jordan has more than 25 years of experience in the aviation industry and recently was managing director of FlyArystan, the first low-cost carrier in Central Asia.

The airline boss began his career with United Airlines before moving on to Virgin, Cebu Pacific in the Phillipines and most recently FlyArystan.

US investment firm 777 Partners is backing Bonza, which subject to regulatory approval expects to launch services in early 2022 with Boeing 737-8 aircraft.

'We see huge potential in the Australian market to deliver the benefits and options that an independent low fare airline brings,' 777 Partners managing partner Josh Wander said in a statement.

The Miami-based private investment firm also invests in the Canadian airline Flair, the only independent low-cost carrier in the country.

Bonza will sport white and purple livery on its aircraft and plans to base its headquarters in regional Australia, with the exact location yet to be revealed.

The affordable new airline will focus on domestic travel throughout Australia in early 2022 (pictured, people in Byron Bay on Australia's east coast)

The announcement of the new domestic airline comes just a day after lockdown restrictions were eased in NSW after 106 days of strict stay-at-home orders.

Sydneysiders can now move anywhere across the Harbour City as far as the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, or Shellharbour but are still unable to travel regionally.

Premier Dominic Perrottet on Monday suggested the international border would open for fully vaccinated NSW residents from as early as November 1.

When the state hits the 80 per cent double-dose mark earmarked for October 25, domestic travel will resume with millions finally allowed to book a trip.

The fully vaccinated will be allowed to travel unrestricted all over the state, meaning road trips, camping breaks and holidays up and down the coast will be back on.

When NSW hits the 80 per cent double-dose mark earmarked for October 25, domestic travel will resume and allow millions to book a trip (pictured, Byron Bay in NSW)

Caravan parks and camping grounds will be allowed to operate, including for those that are not fully-vaccinated.

In Victoria, intrastate travel will also be allowed after the 80 per cent fully-jabbed rate is hit - due to be around November 5.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison echoed the premier's sentiments when he pledged to fast-track international travel for the fully vaccinated in November.

Mr Morrison announced on Monday he had discussed opening the border early for holiday-hungry NSW residents when home quarantine is made available.

'The NSW premier and I have been discussing how we can accelerate our plan to open international travel when home quarantine is made available,' he said.

'I know the NSW Government is looking at ways to fast track home quarantine in November and if that happens we will be able to move to facilitate the opening up of the international border into NSW sooner.

'Now, that would mean home quarantine for vaccinated Australians wishing to return home via Sydney and giving the option for international travel for vaccinated Australians to leave and return.'

Travellers would be required to isolate at home for seven-days after returning from international destinations like London, Fiji, Canada, mainlands Europe and the US.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has pledged to fast-track international travel for NSW residents once home quarantine becomes available (pictured, a woman in Byron Bay)

Australia's flagship airline Qantas has announced it will resume flights on November 14, with flights scheduled to London, Los Angeles, Vancouver and Singapore.

The major airline had planned for international flights to resume on December 18, but said on Friday this would now be moved a month forward.

Qantas will start flying three weekly Sydney to London services and the same number of Sydney to Los Angeles return flights from November 14.

Vaccinated travellers will be able to quarantine at home for seven days upon their return while quarantine-free travel may also be set up for certain countries such as New Zealand.

States and territories will resume international travel at different times given varying vaccination rates.

Australia's flagship airline Qantas has announced it will resume flights for December 18, with flights scheduled to London, Los Angeles and Vancouver (pictured, a woman in Singapore)

On current projections NSW will hit the 80 per cent vaccination rate on October 16. Victoria will reach the mark on November 23, Queensland on December 8 and Western Australia on December 15.

Qantas will require all passengers to be fully vaccinated while they must also provide a negative PCR Covid test 72 hours before departure.

NSW is conducting a four-week trial of seven-day home quarantine for returning Australians with the aim of stamping out hotel quarantine by the time the borders open late this year.
Firms seeking help with soaring gas prices will be means-tested after the Chancellor ruled out a blanket bailout.

Rishi Sunak has bowed to pressure from Boris Johnson to examine the case for helping firms struggling to cope with gas prices which have more than quadrupled in recent weeks.

Businesses in energy-intensive sectors such as steel, chemicals and paper say they need urgent help to stay afloat.

A power struggle has unfolded between Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng

Last night, Mr Sunak insisted taxpayers cash is only handed to firms at genuine risk of going to the wall.

The move raises questions about whether firms with wealthy foreign owners will receive help just because they are in hard-hit sectors.

British Steel, for example, is owned by the Chinese giant Jingye Group  recently named one of the worlds biggest companies after recording global revenues of 24billion last year.

Cabinet Office minister Steve Barclay suggested firms backed by owners with deep pockets would not qualify for state aid.

He said: Have they recently paid dividends? Are they paying big bonuses? Well need to understand the detail rather than just knee-jerk to a taxpayer response.

A final decision on which, if any, firms should be helped is unlikely before at least the end of this week.

Sources said any help would be in the low hundreds of millions rather than the billions sought by some.

Government intervention follows an extraordinary spat between Mr Sunak and Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng at the weekend.

A Treasury source slapped down Mr Kwarteng on Sunday after he claimed bailout talks were underway, saying it was not the first time he had made things up in interviews.

Now milk faces a delivery plight The boss of the UKs biggest dairy company has warned of rising prices and missed deliveries of milk to stores and customers. Ash Amirahmadi, managing director of Arla Foods, said that just getting milk to supermarkets is a real challenge. By contrast, farmers around the country have been complaining about having to pour it away because there are not enough tanker drivers to make collections. Farmer-owned Arla supplies butter, spreads and cheese, as well as milk, to stores  but like other industries has been hampered by a shortage of lorry drivers. Mr Amirahmadi told Sky News: We are very mechanised when it comes to our production of milk and dairy products... but we need drivers to take that to the shops. He added: On average were delivering to about 2,300 shops a day, and were regularly not able to deliver to about 10 per cent of our shops. Advertisement

Whitehall sniping continued yesterday, with one Treasury source telling the Conservative Home website Mr Kwarteng saunters in without having done his paperwork.

But the Prime Minister sided with Mr Kwarteng on Monday, with No 10 saying it was right to look at the case for state assistance.

A Whitehall source said the Government did not want viable firms to be lost to a temporary crisis, adding: There is a real danger of factories closing permanently and thousands of jobs being lost if we dont do something.

Treasury officials yesterday insisted the Chancellor accepts some industries faced unique and acute pressures because of soaring gas prices. Any assistance will be limited to energy-intensive sectors.

Ministers are not planning any help for smaller firms in sectors such as hospitality, which have also been affected by the crisis.

The limited response risks angering industry leaders who warn thousands of jobs could go unless they were helped with energy prices.

Ministers have ruled out a cap on energy prices faced by businesses  the preferred solution for many firms.

Other assistance could be limited to things such as exemptions from green levies.

Gareth Stace, UK Steel director general, said British producers had to be put on a level playing field with competitors in Europe.

He added: This is a hostile environment for industrial investment in the UK and for the Governments levelling up agenda.

'Our message directly to the Prime Minister is please dont just apply a sticking plaster to what is a significant long-term problem.
A bleak autumn day at Methil on the south Fife coast. In front of us, the once-thriving yard where some of the North Seas biggest oil and gas platforms were built is almost empty.

Theres just mud, puddles and piles of rusting steel. If Scotland had tumbleweed, it would be tumbling.

This was supposed to be the seething epicentre of the green industrial revolution, the Saudi Arabia of windpower, retired GMB union convenor Mike Sullivan, 70, tells me.

Were standing on a low hill overlooking the yard, facing the sea. He shrugs and gestures to the scene in front of us: Why is the place not buzzing? Where is all the activity?

In the middle of the last decade, the Methil yard and two sister sites were owned by a firm called BiFab, employing more than 2,000 people directly and on contracts.

The workers had adapted their skills  honed over years of building structures to anchor fuel rigs to the seabed  for the green revolution.

They were constructing steel jackets up to 200 feet high  and weighing as much as 30,000 tonnes  which served as the anchoring legs for offshore wind turbines. Today, BiFab has gone bust.

The yards new owners, Harland and Wolff, have precious little business  just one contract to build eight anchoring jackets for the Neart na Gaoithe windfarm off the Fife coast, that will create between 290 and 400 temporary jobs.

The owners of the yard at Methil in Fife (pictured) have precious little business  just one contract to build eight anchoring jackets for the Neart na Gaoithe windfarm off the coast

Despite the rapid expansion of windfarms off Scotland, the green revolution is passing Methil by.

Only recently, the energy giant SSE, which boasts it has developed more offshore turbines than any other firm on Earth, announced details of Scotlands biggest windfarm.

Called Seagreen  a 3 billion project with a capacity of 1.075 gigawatts, enough to supply 1.6 million homes when the wind is blowing  it is being developed just 30 miles out to sea from Methil.

Yet none of Seagreens steel jackets are being made there. Instead, most are being manufactured by the Fluor Heavy Industries Corporation in Zhuhai, in southern China.

Another Chinese company, Jutal Offshore Oil, is making the foundations for the turbines. When they are ready, everything will be transported by gigantic, diesel-burning barges halfway across the world to the Fife coast.

We thought wed be getting Seagreen, work that would have lasted years, sighs Sullivan.

We enjoyed working there. The shopfloor management was good. This should have been the jewel in Scotlands renewable energy crown. But its always been just promises, promises, promises.

The impact on our community has been devastating. Skilled men, fitters, welders  if theyre not unemployed, theyve gone to lower paid jobs. The younger ones are all heading south. One guy I know is driving for Amazon.

Pictured: Under Boris Johnsons 10 Point Plan For A Green Industrial Revolution, which he launched last November, Britain's windfarm capacity is set to quadruple again by 2030

SSE refuses to say what it is paying for the Chinese jackets, but it is safe to assume they are significantly cheaper than they would be if made in Scotland  in part due to Chinas low-cost, coal-fired energy.

Last time Methil got a big contract, to make 26 jackets for the Beatrice farm in 2016, they cost 4 million each.

Energy prices in Scotland are usually well over double those in China and make up around a quarter of the cost of manufacturing items like turbine jackets.

Wages in China are also lower. In 2019, the average salary in Beijing and the industrial cities of the south was 16,500  just over half the UK rate.

A five-minute walk around Methils centre confirms that its struggling. Businesses are boarded-up. The area looks far from prosperous.

And the great irony is that for years politicians have been promising that green industries will result in huge numbers of jobs in Britain and create prosperity while at the same time saving the planet.

Back in 2009, in the days of New Labour, the then energy secretary Ed Miliband proclaimed that the offshore wind industry would employ tens of thousands of workers by the end of the following decade  in other words, by the end of last year.

These would, he said, be in manufacturing, transporting, installing and operating new turbines.

China has captured 70% of the global solar panel market and wiped out solar manufacturing industries in America and Germany  as well as Wales. Pictured: Chinese President Xi Jinping

In a 1,000-page white paper, he accepted that bills for both households and businesses would rise as the country converted to green energy and implemented eco-friendly policies, but the benefits would more than compensate for this: a total of 400,000 new green jobs by 2020.

Shortly before losing office in 2010, the former prime minister Gordon Brown went further, boasting that Britains offshore industry was already ahead of every other country in the world.

In his glittering green future, offshore wind alone would generate up to 70,000 jobs by 2020.

The pledges continued under David Camerons coalition. In 2011, the Lib Dem energy secretary Chris Huhne, later jailed for lying over a speeding conviction, addressed the annual conference of RenewableUK, the green energy lobby group.

Renewable energy technologies will deliver a third industrial revolution, he said, blazing a trail of start-ups and jobs.

Nowhere was the hyperbole quite so extreme as in Scotland where the former SNP first minister Alex Salmond boasted that the country would become the Saudi Arabia of renewables.

His deputy, John Swinney, claimed building wind farms off the Scottish coast would create 28,000 direct jobs and a further 20,000 indirect jobs in related industries by 2020. In Methil, the promises have turned to dust.

Certainly, since 2010, there have been plenty of new offshore windfarms. Britains capacity has doubled to 10 gigawatts, and under Mr Johnsons 10 Point Plan For A Green Industrial Revolution, which he launched last November, it is set to quadruple again by 2030  so creating (of course!) tens of thousands of new manufacturing jobs.

A coal-fired power plant of China Guodian Corporation in Datong city, north Shanxi province

Furthermore, the PMs announcement at the Tory conference that all electricity in the UK will be powered by clean fuel by 2035 has only added to hopes of employment opportunities.

But, in reality, few of the jobs have materialised in Scotland. In fact, offshore wind manufacturing here is in severe decline.

In 2018, Freedom of Information Act requests filed by the Unite trade union revealed that far from the promised 28,000 Scottish manufacturing jobs in offshore wind, there were just 1,700. And since then, the situation has deteriorated.

Last month, Scotlands only factory making turbine towers, at Campbeltown in Argyll, closed permanently.

So no one is making offshore towers in Britain, although turbine blades are still made at the Danish firm Vestas on the Isle of Wight, and Siemens Gamesa in Hull.

As for solar energy, Britains only large panel factory, in Wrexham in Wales, shut down in 2013, with the loss of 615 jobs.

A report by Strathclyde University last June said that in 2019 there were 1,190 full-time Scottish manufacturing jobs across all types of renewable energy, including hydro power, solar, onshore and offshore wind, and a further 1,000 indirectly employed in the renewables supply chain.

It claimed renewable energy in total accounted for 22,900 jobs, but this figure included those working in areas such as real estate, accommodation and food services, communications and arts and recreation.

In 2018, FOIs revealed that far from the promised 28,000 Scottish manufacturing jobs in offshore wind, there were just 1,700 and since then, the situation has deteriorated (file photo)

Weve been reduced to scrabbling for crumbs from our own table, says Gary Smith, the GMBs General Secretary.

Sure, there are some jobs in assembly, maintenance and sweeping away the dead birds. But the claim that were creating thousands of high-value manufacturing jobs isnt true. We just havent had a green industrial strategy.

Yet while dreams of vast numbers of green jobs have been dashed here in Britain, the very opposite is happening in China.

As the story of the Seagreen wind farm shows, the country is ruthlessly taking advantage of the Wests conversion to eco-friendly energy production.

This week, the Global Warming Policy Foundation will publish a paper by economist Professor Jun Arima of Tokyo University, who represented Japan at 15 UN climate change conferences, of which the latest, Cop26, is taking place in Glasgow from the end of the month.

Chinese companies are the main beneficiaries of the green agenda, the report states boldly.

China is becoming dominant in the wind power market. Seven of the worlds top ten turbine manufacturers are Chinese, it adds, warning that, as Britain heads for Net Zero emissions, cheaper Chinese-made wind turbines are expected to take a large share of the market.

Already, the paper reveals, China has captured 70 per cent of the global solar panel market and wiped out once-booming solar manufacturing industries in America and Germany  as well as Wales.

The cheapest electric car in Britain is the Skoda CITIGOe iV, at 15,000 but in China, a 'locally manufactured EV priced at 3,000 is selling well' according to Tokyo University's Prof Arima

Other elements of Britains green policies will benefit China too, says Professor Arima. For example, China has long found it difficult to compete with established car-makers in Britain, Europe and Japan. But when it comes to electric vehicles (EVs), he says, China is on the same starting line.

The cheapest electric car in Britain is the Skoda CITIGOe iV, at 15,000. By contrast, Prof Arima says, in China a locally manufactured EV priced at just 3,000 is selling well the trend towards electric vehicles is extremely advantageous for China, and sweeps away the decades of technological advantage its competitors have accumulated.

The benefits for China are also set to increase as a result of its grip on the world supply of rare earth elements.

These are vital for making a wide range of products, from huge magnets in wind turbines to the lithium ion batteries used in electric vehicles and mobile phones.

China, says Professor Arimas report, already produces more than 60 per cent of the worlds supply.

But how has the Peoples Republic managed to undercut the global market for green goods so efficiently? The supremely ironic answer is through its shameless use of one of the cheapest  and dirtiest  fuels on the planet: coal.

In the first of a series of exposes of China, I described the staggering degree with which the countrys CO2 emissions are increasing as it continues to build new coal-fired energy plants.

China has 1,080 coal-powered plants, compared to just four in the UK (and Boris Johnson has pledged to end coal-power generation here by 2024).

Coal-burning power plant in Baotou, in China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (file photo)

The coal-fired plants China has in the pipeline alone have a greater capacity than the entire UK electricity network.

It is coal that has enabled China to establish global dominance in vital, energy-intensive industries  steel, aluminium, plastics and cement, to name a few  where UK production has plummeted thanks to high energy costs.

Now another sector needs to be added to that list  renewable technology. Just as it once stole ordinary industrial jobs from other countries, China is now stealing green ones, too, on a formidable scale.

So we are importing more and more green technology made as a result of burning coal from the country with the highest CO2 emissions on the planet. And sacrificing British jobs as we do so.

Renewables advocates love to brag that the cost of building wind farms is falling. One reason, it is clear, is that manufacturing them has gone to places with much lower costs, such as China.

Certainly, China is investing hugely in green energy for its own domestic purposes, but as I revealed last month, renewables still contribute minimally to the countrys national grid at present.

Tokyo Universitys Professor Arima says that Chinas heavy use of coal means, for example, that embedded emissions in Chinese solar panels are far higher than they would be if made elsewhere.

(In May, a report by Sheffield Hallam University also claimed that Chinese solar panels are made with the help of Muslim Uighur-forced labour in detention camps.)

China is manipulating Western climate policy for its own advantage, Professor Arima told me.

As a UN Cop negotiator, I have seen that they do whatever they consider necessary, he added.

One day their emissions will peak out. But when they do, it wont be to prevent global warming but because theyve decided thats in their interest. This is very different to how naive Americans and Europeans see them.

Jeremy Nicholson, a senior strategist at the International Federation of Industrial Energy Consumers, which represents manufacturers in the UK and EU, agrees. Why are people so gullible? he asked. Why are we giving a free pass to the worlds biggest carbon emitter?

If youre trying to compete internationally, you can live with carbon prices and targets  but only if your rivals do, too.

'The starting point for Cop26 should be that China is a prosperous, industrial economy, and so must shoulder its share of environmental responsibilities. Yet theyre getting away with vague statements and weasel words.

Last month, RenewableUK held a conference on global offshore wind at Londons Excel centre.

There were 3,500 delegates, and 150 exhibitors from firms of every size. You only had to look around the vast exhibition hangar to see that this is a booming industry.

But why is it that, despite its growth, and despite politicians repeated promises, so little benefit has filtered through to places such as Methil?

The Government is clear that it wants to see a bigger UK element in offshore development, saying that in future such a requirement will be written into suppliers contracts. But as Gary Smith of the GMB points out, governments have said this sort of thing before.

Meanwhile, as well as making UK renewables, China is increasingly owning and controlling them too.

One of the Excel exhibitors was Red Rock Power, part of the Chinese state-owned company SDIC. It already owns several UK windfarms and is developing the multi-billion pound Inchcape field near Fife, which when finished will be  at least for a while  Scotlands biggest. It is bidding for several more.

Mr Smiths anger is palpable. Weve spent far too long being promised rainbows and unicorns, he says. But they gave us empty rhetoric, never concrete planning.

In oil and gas we grew a world-leading industry in Aberdeen. And now we have this almost imperialist idea that China will soon be less competitive because it will follow Britains emissions lead  as if Chinas Politburo cares what happens in 10 Downing Street.

Back on the little hill in Methil, in a section of the yard which was once a part of BiFab, a disused oil platform is being cut up for scrap. To its left is a single, demonstration wind turbine, resting on its jacket. And that is all.

It doesnt much look like the Saudi Arabia of wind, does it, says Mr Sullivan. For now, its just about clinging to life.
Victoria has recorded its deadliest day during the Delta outbreak with 13 deaths reported on Wednesday.

The state recorded 1571 fresh locally acquired COVD-19 infections and one from overseas, from 79,200 tests on Tuesday.

The figure was slightly up from the 1,466 infections recorded on Tuesday.

The number of Victorians in hospital with COVID-19 continues to rise. Some 675 people are currently in care, with 144 in intensive care units and 100 on ventilators.

Despite the high figure, residents have been given hope they may be released from their dreaded lockdown earlier than expected.

The Victorian government projects the state to hit that mark on October 26 - triggering new freedoms for Melburnians including the reopening of pubs, restaurants, and cafes.

The state recorded 1,571 cases and 13 deaths on Wednesday, making it Victoria's deadliest day during the Delta outbreak

Melbourne's world-longest Covid lockdown is on track to end four days earlier than planned as Victoria surges towards the 70 per cent double vaccination milestone

More than 38,072 Victorians received a COVID vaccine on Tuesday.

As of Tuesday, almost 60 per cent of Victorians aged over 16 were full vaccinated, while 86.7 per cent have received one COVID-19 vaccine dose.

Covid Live analyst Anthony Macali though said Victoria could achieve a 70 per cent double dose rate as soon as October 22.

'There's still room where if the rate continues to increase we might be able to pull in a few more days,' he said.

Mr Macali said Victoria would likely then hit the 80 per cent double dose milestone three days earlier than the official timeline on November 2.

At that point, face masks will no longer be mandatory in Melbourne outdoors and up to 10 people can gather inside the home.

NSW meanwhile is likely to hit the 80 per cent full vaccination target just days after the state's 'Freedom Day' - triggering even more freedoms for Sydneysiders emerging from lockdown.

Premier Dominic Perrottet has flagged more new freedoms for the state next week, saying dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic is 'one, two and three' on his to-do list.

'That is the sole focus of the government,' Mr Perrottet said.

Despite the high figure, residents have been given hope they may be released from their dreaded lockdown earlier than expected

'We need to get through this as well as we can. We're going to lead the nation out of this pandemic here in NSW, and there's so many things to do in that space.'

Some 75.23 per cent of residents over 16 are fully vaccinated and 90.77 per cent have had at least one dose.

NSW could reach the 80 per cent fully vaccinated milestone by Sunday, setting the stage for the next phase in the state's reopening next week.

'The success of our vaccination rate has been absolutely superb... when we hit 80 per cent, we've always said it will be the Monday following,' Mr Perrottet said.

The government's COVID-19 and economic recovery committee - formerly known as crisis cabinet - will discuss tweaking the reopening roadmap on Thursday.

Mr Perrottet could announce changes to regional travel restrictions and other restrictions on Friday.

As things currently stand, the next phase of the roadmap paves the way for outdoor gatherings of up to 50 vaccinated people, 20 guests in a home, dancing at hospitality venues and drinking standing up at the pub.

People walk past sale signs in a retail store in Sydney on October 12 after stay-at-home orders were lifted

Travel across NSW would be allowed, as would carpooling, weddings of any size if the venue is large enough, and community sport.

NSW recorded 360 new infections and five deaths on Tuesday. Some 766 virus patients are in hospital, of whom 155 are in intensive care.

Late on Tuesday, NSW Health issued an alert for anyone who was on Qantas flight QF509 from Brisbane to Sydney on Saturday to get tested and isolate after a passenger tested positive for coronavirus.
Hundreds of thousands of fraud victims suffer profound effects after being targeted  even though just a tiny proportion of police resources are spent on tackling the crime, a damning audit warns today.

The official victims watchdog revealed for the first time that there are 700,000 hardest-hit fraud victims a year in England and Wales  including many elderly people.

Only 2 per cent of all police resources are dedicated to combatting fraud, even though it accounts for 39 per cent of reported criminal offences.

The 700,000 victims  around 22 per cent of the 4.6million people who fall victim to fraud each year  are deeply affected, experiencing emotional damage and very high levels of financial loss.

Many lose 1,000 or more while some are heartlessly conned of their life savings.

Only 2 per cent of all police resources are dedicated to combatting fraud, even though it accounts for 39 per cent of reported criminal offences

The official victims watchdog revealed for the first time that there are 700,000 hardest-hit fraud victims a year in England and Wales  including many elderly people

The terrifying audit on the epidemic of fraud sweeping Britain is to be published today by Dame Vera Baird, the Governments Victims Commissioner.

Last night, she slammed police forces response to the crime as extremely disappointing.

Her report also found just 15 per cent of frauds are being reported to the police or Action Fraud  the national clearing house for financial crime that is set to be scrapped because of a string of failings.

Dame Vera added many victims end up falling through the net even if they report the crime.

It comes as Money Mail today publishes the last of its Outsmart the Scammers series to help readers protect their pocket from fraud.

The report breaks down for the first time the groups of victims who suffer the most from fraud, and described the scale as hard to comprehend.

It concluded the elderly, disabled and ethnic minorities are at greater risk.

The terrifying audit on the epidemic of fraud sweeping Britain is to be published today by Dame Vera Baird, the Governments Victims Commissioner

The Government is set to replace the much-criticised Action Fraud service with a new strategy to tackle the appalling crime which soared by 24 per cent during the pandemic

Dame Vera said: At the moment victims do not know who to turn to when seeking advice, support or even when they are looking for redress through the criminal justice system. Most experience little to no victim care.

This is extremely disappointing, especially given that long-lasting harm can frequently be suffered by victims.

With only 2 per cent of police resources allocated to fraud and less than 8,000 fraud prosecutions in 2019, we need to know how well the overwhelming majority of fraud victims who will not get a criminal justice outcome are being supported.

The report said by categorising victims by how badly they suffered at the hands of scammers, it could help the authorities to prioritise those who most need help.

The Government is set to replace the much-criticised Action Fraud service with a new strategy to tackle the appalling crime which soared by 24 per cent during the pandemic.

Dame Vera said: At the moment victims do not know who to turn to when seeking advice, support or even when they are looking for redress through the criminal justice system. This is extremely disappointing, especially given that long-lasting harm can frequently be suffered by victims.'

The publication of the strategy cant come soon enough  it needs to be bold, ambitious and backed up by significant resourcing. Anything less will be a disservice to victims and a boon to fraudsters, said Dame Vera.

In August, a report by the police watchdog found too many fraud victims were still being denied justice and that police forces treat it as a low priority.

Her Majestys Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services also revealed that a computer system used by police to investigate fraud is not fit for purpose and is not set to be replaced for three years.

A government spokesman said it is deeply concerned about the devastating impact fraud can have on victims.

He added the Government was giving an extra 63million to police so they can crack down on fraud and recruit specialist officers.
Daniel Andrews (pictured last week) has been dragged into a corruption inquiry

Daniel Andrews has been dragged into a corruption scandal which has already claimed the scalp of one Victorian minister.

In an anti-corruption hearing on Monday, federal Labor MP Anthony Byrne admitted paying for people's party membership fees to boost support for his moderate faction in a practice known as branch stacking which is against party rules.

Mr Byrne said he worked alongside state MPs Adem Somyurek Luke Donnellan, who resigned as Child Protection Minister on Monday.

In bombshell evidence, Mr Byrne said he made a deal in 2002 with a member of the opposing socialist left faction to 'minimise' branch stacking - but did not reveal who the MP was.

After Mr Byrne's evidence, Mr Somyurek Tweeted: 'Dan and I went into parliament in 2002, what a coincidence'.

Mr Andrews, who is from the socialist left faction, has denied branch stacking. 'I follow the party rules and behave appropriately,' he said on Tuesday.

Mr Somyurek was sacked from state cabinet in June 2020 after 60 Minutes aired allegations that he was involved in branch stacking.

He strongly denies the claims and has launched defamation proceedings against Nine Network, The Age and investigative reporter Nick McKenzie.

Federal Labor leader Anthony Albanese was quizzed on the scandal on Tuesday.

He said he was not aware that Mr Byrne was involved in branch stacking.

'I'm not a member of the Victorian branch. Nor do I have a detailed knowledge of the whole electorate and you'd be surprised if I did,' he said.

Mr Albanese also said Labor was not the only party guilty of branch stacking.

'There is a bit of branch stacking and Liberal Party,' he said, later adding: 'I will stamp out corruption wherever I see it.'

Frontbencher Jason Clare said branch stacking was widespread in federal politics and called for Scott Morrison to introduce a federal corruption watchdog.

Mr Byrne's claims also have implications for federal Labor whose leader, Anthony Albanese (pictured in the pub in St Peters, Sydney on Monday), is yet to comment on the scandal

'Anybody who tells you this doesn't happen at a federal level, is just frankly naive and it's long past time that we set up a body with real teeth to help to make sure that where corruption occurs at a federal level, just stamp it out, and I call on the Prime Minister again: what are you waiting for?' Mr Clare told Sky News on Tuesday morning.

Former Labor leader Bill Shorten also weighed in, saying the evidence heard by Victoria's corruption watchdog IBAC was 'embarrassing' for the party.

'The evidence which was put forward was startling. It was frankly incredibly disappointing, and I also think for the vast majority of ALP members was just embarrassing,' he told Nine's Today show.

'This isn't the way that our political parties should be operating. And you know, IBAC's still got a fair way to go,' he said.

Commentators say the scandal could cause Sydney-based Mr Albanese a headache in the run-up to the federal election, excepted in March, by leaving Victorian Labor organisationally weak.

Victoria is a Labor stronghold where the party holds 21 out of 37 federal seats.

Labor member for Holt Anthony Byrne (left) admitted paying for people's party membership fees to boost support for his moderate faction in a practice known as branch stacking

First blood: Dan Andrews' minister and political ally falls on sword after just ONE day of public hearings into alleged corruption within his party - and more scalps are set to follow

By Wayne Flower

A public inquiry into alleged corruption within Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews' government produced its first scalp within hours of opening.

Victorian Labor minister Luke Donnellan sensationally resigned from Cabinet on Monday after the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission heard an allegation he had paid for other people's party memberships.

He will move to the backbench in disgrace after he was thrown under the bus by Federal Labor MP Anthony Byrne, who has admitted to rampant and repeated 'branch stacking'.

Victorian Labor minister Luke Donnellan has resigned from his position after day one of an the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission public inquiry

The public hearings will also look into 'allegations that public money intended to fund community associations was misused for partypolitical work or other improper purposes'.

The hearings are expected to go for at least a month and drag before it a series of ALP power brokers - possibly even the premier himself.

On announcing his resignation on Monday afternoon, Mr Donnellan admitted to branch stacking, but denied ever misusing public funds.

'I accept that I have previously breached party rules while a minister. But let me be very clear: I never misused public funds or resources in any way,' he said via a statement.

Former Victorian minister Adem Somyurek has been accused of branch stacking

Mr Andrews released a short statement directly after in which he paid gushing tribute to the ex-Minister for Child Protection and Disability, Ageing and Carers.

However, he refused to be drawn into the scandal, which has already exposed damning allegations of dodgy practices throughout the Labor party.

'Due to inquiries currently on foot, I will not be making further comment,' Mr Andrews stated on Monday.

Mr Donnellan claimed he had only stepped down for breaking party rules over the supposedly shunned practice of branch stacking.

'I don't believe it is possible or appropriate to maintain my Ministerial responsibilities given these rule breaches,' he stated.

Branch stacking is a practice within political parties that sees people recruited into a branch of a political party to influence who is pre-selected as an election candidate.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has refused to comment on the IBAC investigation. He is pictured during the public inquiry into his disastrous hotel quarantine scheme

It comes with the problem of certain factions of political parties boosting membership with a view that pre-selection votes ensure its preferred candidate gets the job.

In a day of drama, the inquiry heard Mr Donnellan was involved in a factional alliance with former state Labor minister Adem Somyurek and contributed to a kitty that was used to pay for ALP memberships to control branches and secure positions in Parliament for allies.

Over the course of the day, Mr Byrne made a series of claims that suggested Mr Somyurek was an ALP powerbroker, who was behind a widespread branch stacking operations.

'The party was completely out of control. I saw things and heard things that I didn't think I'd ever see in a modern Labor party,' he told the inquiry.

'I'm referring to branch stacking, I'm referring to coercion of staff being made to do things they didn't want to do. I was referring to party being taken over by one person whose sole objective was power and power alone.'

Mr Byrne claimed he blew the whistle on Mr Somyurek amid fears he was driving the party 'off a cliff' with the dodgy practice.

Mr Somyurek, who denies the claims, was first elected to Victorian Parliament in 2002 and was sworn in as minister for small business, innovation and trade in the Andrews Government in December 2014.

An investigation into alleged branch stacking by Channel 9's Nick McKenzie saw him leave the party last year.

Victorian Labor minister Luke Donnellan did not survive day one of the IBAC inquiry

He is yet to face the public inquiry, which is being live streamed into homes across the country.

Mr Byrne told the inquiry he and Mr Somyurek had been close allies and would hold ALP fundraisers to pay for the memberships of branch stacked participants.

Both Mr Somyurek and Mr Donnellan once worked in Mr Byrne's electoral office.

Mr Byrne said in 2002 he reached out to the party's socialist left faction to broker a deal to minimise branch stacking in the southeast and at the time, his faction expressed 'intense frustration' at him.

'Branch stacking was corrupt, branch stacking rips the soul out of the Labor party and the community,' he said.

Asked if Labor head office turned a blind eye, Mr Byrne replied: 'I don't know if I would say blind eye ... I would say felt powerless to stop it'.

Mr Byrne claimed to have tried to distance himself from Mr Somyurek after he asked him to employ two mates who had allegedly been instrumental in the then minister's rise to power.

Mr Byrne claimed he had been asked to pay them a wage despite the pair having no intention of ever doing any actual work.

The inquiry heard Mr Byrne claimed at one stage they had stacked a 'huge' number of members of Indian descent in order to get one into the Andrews Government.

He told IBAC Commissioner Robert Redlich, QC that he had hoped Mr Somyurek would stop the practice upon becoming a minister, but he refused.

Mr Byrne claimed Mr Somyurek had 'relentless focus' on branch stacking and would instruct ministerial and electoral officers to recruit ALP members while on the clock for the taxpayer.
A public inquiry into alleged corruption within Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews' government has moved closer to directly involving him amid claims his own faction had participated in branch stacking.

On Tuesday, the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission heard the dodgy practice had been employed by the socialist left faction of Victoria's Australian Labor Party in recent years - against its own strict rules.

Federal Labor MP Anthony Byrne, who has admitted to rampant and repeated 'branch stacking', ended his second day under the spotlight in stunning fashion, implicating Mr Andrews' own faction.

Ellen Schreiber, a former electorate officer and ministerial office executive assistant, gave evidence to corruption inquiry lifting the lid on rampant branch stacking

Labor member for Holt Anthony Byrne (left) spent Monday exposing the dirty inner actions of the Australian Labor Party

Former Victorian minister Adem Somyurek has been accused of branch stacking

Victorian Labor minister Luke Donnellan has resigned from his position after day one of an the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission public inquiry

Asked how he knew of it, Mr Byrne said he had read about it in reports in addition to seeing it with his own eyes.

'I saw some in the south eastern region and some elsewhere,' he told the public hearing via videolink.

'It was not at high level, but I would say the left, the socialist left (was branch stacking.'

Mr Andrews - who is a former head of Labor's socialist left faction - has long maintained he has never had any involvement with branch stacking.

'No. I follow the partys rules,' he said in June last year.

Branch stacking is a practice within political parties that sees people recruited into a branch of a political party to influence who is pre-selected as an election candidate.

It comes with the problem of certain factions of political parties boosting membership with a view that pre-selection votes ensure its preferred candidate gets the job.

It has also been banned by the ALP for decades.

Under the terms of the hearings, no-one that gives it incriminating evidence can later have it used against them in criminal proceedings, unless they are found lying.

In that instance, they will face perjury charges, which can carry sentences of up to 15 years behind bars.

The IBAC hearings have been established to investigate 'premeditated systemic rorting of taxpayer resources', including allegations of branch-stacking, which in itself is not illegal.

It will also look into 'allegations that public money intended to fund community associations was misused for partypolitical work or other improper purposes'.

The hearings are expected to go for at least a month and drag before it a series of ALP power brokers - possibly even the premier himself.

Much of the proceedings have heard allegations former Labor MP - and one time ally of Mr Andrews - had been rampantly branch stacking in a bid to increase his power within the Australian Labor Party.

Mr Somyurek, who denies the claims, was first elected to Victorian Parliament in 2002 and was sworn in as minister for small business, innovation and trade in the Andrews Government in December 2014.

An investigation into alleged branch stacking by Channel 9's Nick McKenzie saw him leave the party last year.

On Monday, Mr Byrne claimed he had negotiated a branch stacking peace deal with rival powerbrokers in the early 2000s, including an unnamed parliamentarian.

After Mr Byrne gave his evidence, Mr Somyurek tweeted: 'Dan and I went into parliament in 2002, what a coincidence'.

Ellen Schreiber, a former electorate officer and ministerial office executive assistant, told IBAC she had been yelled at for not branch stacking correctly. She is pictured here with former PM Kevin Rudd

A jovial Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews on Tuesday. He has refused to comment on the IBAC investigation.

Adem Somyurek (right) and Premier Daniel Andrews (centre) were once close allies

On Tuesday, Mr Somyurek's barrister, Remy van de Wiel, QC, went on the attack, suggesting it was Mr Byrne who had been pulling the strings in their own faction.

'You would have had to be on the dark side of the moon to not know that Adem Somyurek was in charge of just about everything,' Mr Byrne responded.

Ellen Schreiber, a former electorate officer and ministerial office executive assistant, was also grilled on day two of the inquiry by counsel assisting the commission, Chris Carr, SC.

She has already told the inquiry Mr Somyurek had a furious temper and would 'hit the roof' when unhappy.

She described one instance where he flew into a rage upon learning members incorrectly allocated to his faction had been directed away - a process referenced as 'warehousing'.

'Adem got on the phone and would scream at us for doing effectively our job but we didn't know that we weren't supposed to be doing it,' she said.

Ms Schreiber, who would spend up to 80 per cent of her taxpayer-funded working day on factional activities, said she was reluctant to blow the whistle because she needed the job.

'It was a good paying job I was good at ... being a female for the Labor Party has an AA rule ... being a female you're promoted so quickly in the party. It doesn't matter. If you look at some of the MPs that have been promoted, they're there because they're female, not because they can do the job,' she said.

'And that's what was happening. Like I said, I didn't have a uni degree backing me, how could I be put on all these committees? I didn't have experience. It was purely because I was there for a female not because of who I am.'

She claimed her sex had been the only reason she had been offered a job within the construction union alongside CFMEU boss John Setka.

When she refused, Mr Somyurek went into another rage.

''I remember it quite clearly, he was mad like a cut snake. He spat venom at me,' Ms Schreiber told the inquiry.

The 27-year old claimed Mr Somyurek brought her to tears in a barrage of vile abuse.

The future of Mr Byrne, who is a longstanding MP and deputy chair of the powerful Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, remains hanging in the balance.

Commissioner Robert Redlich speaks during the Operation Watts public hearing on Monday

Counsel Assisting Chris Carr grilled Federal Labor MP Anthony Byrne on Tuesday at the IBAC hearing

Before Mr Byrne finished-up, IBAC Commissioner Robert Redlich, QC reminded him about the gravity of his evidence.

'Mr Byrne, you have given a great deal of evidence now that we would, in legal terminology, say is against your interests,' he said.

'You have acknowledged wrongdoing, you have acknowledged breaches of a range of party rules ... and you have none-the-less come forward with a great deal of acknowledgement about wrong doing and to that end it's appropriate that I indicate the Commission's view that you're to be commended for coming forth and speaking as openly as you have about your conduct and that of those around you.'

Mr Byrne's evidence has already seen one of Mr Andrews' ministers fall on his sword.

On Monday, just five hours into the inquiry, Victorian Minister for Child Protection and Disability, Ageing and Carers, Luke Donnellan, sensationally resigned from Cabinet.

Mr Byrne had accused Mr Donnellan of having paid for other people's party memberships.

On announcing his resignation, Mr Donnellan admitted to branch stacking, but denied ever misusing public funds.

'I accept that I have previously breached party rules while a minister. But let me be very clear: I never misused public funds or resources in any way,' he said via a statement.

Mr Andrews released a short statement directly after in which he paid gushing tribute to the ex-Minister .

However, he refused to be drawn into the scandal, which has already exposed damning allegations of dodgy practices throughout the Labor party.

On Tuesday, Labor leader Anthony Albanese refused to speculate on Mr Byrne's political future.

'We will allow the IBAC processes to take their course,' he told reporters.

'Im not a member of the Victorian branch, nor do I have detailed knowledge of the Holt electorate, and youd be surprised if I did.'
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Without urgent and drastic action to lower carbon emissions, some of the world's most iconic landmarks could be under water by 2050, climate scientists warn.

Within the lifetime of Prince George, much of Buckingham Palace could be underwater, according to Climate Central, a Princeton, New Jersey based non-profit that reports on and analyses the latest research in climate science.

For the study, the team looked at the impact of sea level rises if we continue on the current emission path, with temperatures rising by 5.4F (3C) and 2.7F (1.5C).

Even at a rise of 2.7F by 2050, the maximum increase suggested by the UN as part of the Paris Climate Agreement, there would still be flooding in major cities.

Even Jeddah Tower, a skyscrapper project in Saudia Arabia planned to be the first 1km (0.6 miles) tall building won't be unscathed if we don't cut emissions.

 Slide me  Within the lifetime of Prince George, much of Buckingham Palace could be underwater, even under the best case scenario of 2.7F temperature increase (left), but it will be worse under 5.4F increases (left)

 Slide me  Houston Space Center in Texas will suffer severe flooding if global temperatures rise by 5.4F (right) and still experience flooding under the best case scenario of 2.7F, although the Space Shuttle might be safe

Pentagon at a 2.7F (left) and 5.4F (right) increase in global average temperatures between now and 2050

The Plaza de la Catedral in Havana, Cuba, which at 2.7F increase would be relatively unscathed (top), would be almost entirely submerged if temperatures rise by the currently projected 5.4F (bottom)

Global warming 'danger limit' of 2.7F could be breached in just five YEARS Earth's global warming 'danger limit' of 2.7F (1.5) could be breached in just five years, a new report has warned. The pace of climate change has not been slowed by the global COVID-19 pandemic and the world remains behind in its battle to cut carbon emissions, the United Nations warned. The pandemic caused only a temporary downturn in CO2 emissions last year and it was not enough to reverse the rising levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said. Reduction targets are not being met and there is a rising likelihood the world will miss its Paris Agreement target of reducing global warming to 2.7F (1.5C) above pre-industrial levels, the WMO said in its United in Science 2021 Report. 'We have reached a tipping point on the need for climate action,' said UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. 'The disruption to our climate and our planet is already worse than we thought, and it is moving faster than predicted. This report shows just how far off course we are.' Advertisement

One example was the Plaza de la Catedral in Havana, Cuba, which at 2.7F increase would be relatively unscathed, but at 5.4F would be almost entirely submerged.

Researchers say their work 'illustrates the fleeting opportunity to limit coastal cities future losses to rising seas,' showing the need for an urgent reduction in emissions.

The study published in Environmental Research Letters identifies which places may be saved or lost in the long run as a result of present-day climate actions.

It has been released ahead of the COP26 UN climate negotiations, scheduled to take place From November 1-12 in Glasgow, Scotland.

At these negotiations decisions will be taken, and commitments made, into the level of economic change nations are prepared to make to reduce emissions.

If nothing changes, and we continue on the track of a 5.4F increase above pre-industrial levels by 2050 then hundreds of coastal cities and land where up to one billion people live today are at risk of permanent flooding.

This research, paired with data and imagery from Google Earth, enables precise illustration of future water levels in more than 200 coastal locations worldwide.

The collection of images, to go with the new study, is called Picturing Our Future, and includes video simulations and photorealistic renderings of sea levels centuries in the future around landmarks and iconic neighborhoods.

A new interactive map in Climate Centrals Coastal Risk Screening Tool, Warming Choices, compares potential future tidelines, based on different warming levels.

It is shaded to show land that can be saved or lost, depending on how much more the planet is heated by human activity, for nearly every coastal community on Earth.

These images show projected future sea levels at Lalbagh Fort in Dhaka, Bangladesh at a 2.7F increase (left) and a 5.4F increase (right)

Even Jeddah Tower, a skyscrapper project in Saudia Arabia planned to be the first 1km (0.6 miles) tall building won't be unscathed if we don't cut emissions

 Slide me  Large parts of the UK coastal regions will be under water under 5.4 F increase, as seen here with the example of Brighton Palace Pier (right), however, if we take action to cut emissions and keep temperature increases to 2.7F the scenario on the left is possible, with minimal sea level rises

Like the study and the imagery collection, the map is based on multi-century sea level projections from the IPCC, plus the worlds most advanced global model of coastal elevations, CoastalDEM.

Under current climate change scenarios, even the desert-based city of Dubai would become flooded, leaving island towers amongst the flowing ocean.

The Copernicus Marine Service Ocean State Report, published last month, revealed sea levels around the world were rising at an 'alarming rate' of 0.12 inches per year.

 Slide me  Large parts of Cape Town in South Africa will be flooded if temperatures rise by 5.4F (right) and there will be some flooding still at 2.7F increases by 2050, over pre-industrial levels

 Slide me  Dublin Castle in Ireland will largely avoid flooding if we cut emissions dramatically to keep temperatures to no more than 2.7F, but if temperatures rise by 5.4F then it could face severe flooding

Climate change could force 216 million people out of their homes Without immediate action to combat climate change, 216 million people could be forced to migrate to other parts of their country by 2050. A new report from the World Bank modeled the impact of rising sea levels, water scarcity and declining crop productivity on six regions, concluding that climate migration 'hotspots' will emerge as soon as 2030. The poorest parts of the world will be hit hardest, researchers said: Sub-Saharan Africa alone would account for 86 million of the internal migrants, with 19 million more in North Africa, the report showed, South Asia would be home to 40 million internal migrants, and another 49 million in East Asia and the Pacific. Such movements will put significant stress on both sending and receiving areas, straining cities and urban centers and jeopardizing development gains, the report said. Advertisement

Dr Alex Arnall, environmental researcher at the University of Reading, not involved in the report, said level rises are no longer a 'future problem'.

He said they are already causing problems for coastal communities around the world, including the UK.

The new study shows that, if we don't reduce emissions drastically, and quickly, much of the world will be under water.

Dr Matt Palmer, Lead Scientist for Sea Level at the Met Office Hadley Centre, and Associate Professor at the University of Bristol, not involved in the study, said ongoing monitoring is fundamental to understanding climate change.

'Sea levels are rising globally and throughout the European seas, contributing to more frequent coastal flooding, such as the 'Acqua Alta' events in Venice during 2019.

'Ocean observations are critical for improving climate modelling capability and understanding key processes in order to develop robust information for decision makers on future climate change.'

Another study, published in July, revealed that Climate change could put 410 million people along coastal regions worldwide at risk from rising sea levels by 2100, an increase of more than 53 percent from current estimates.

A team led by NUS Environmental Research Institute in the Netherlands found there are 267 million people living on land that is less than six feet above sea level.

The researchers used a projection of three feet sea level rise to see what climate change has in store for the world 79 years from now.

The same regions will still be those most at risk, but the number of people in jeopardy will increase dramatically - 72 percent in the tropics and 59 percent in tropical Asia alone.

The findings of the research have been published in the journal Environmental Research Letters.
Astronomers have discovered unusual radio waves coming from the direction of the Milky Way's centre  but they don't know what's causing them.

The group of signals, collectively called ASKAP J173608.2-321635 after their coordinates, suggest a new class of stellar object, according to the experts.

They were discovered using the ASKAP radio telescope in the Western Australia desert, about 500 miles (800km) north of Perth.

What's weird is the signal flickers on and off at irregular intervals for weeks at a time, before suddenly 'switching off' and going dark  something that does not align with any known space objects, the experts reveal.

THE MILKY WAY Our Solar System is in the Milky Way galaxy. But our Sun is just one of about 200 billion stars in the Milky Way. And astronomers have discovered more than 3,200 other stars with planets orbiting them in the Milky Way. The Milky Way is also just one of billions of galaxies in the universe. Advertisement

ASKAP J173608.2-321635 has now been picked up 17 times in under two years, they say.

'We have been surveying the sky with ASKAP to find unusual new objects with a project known as Variables and Slow Transients (VAST), throughout 2020 and 2021,' said Professor Tara Murphy at the University of Sydney's Institute for Astronomy.

'Looking towards the centre of the Galaxy, we found ASKAP J173608.2-321635, named after its coordinates.

'This object was unique in that it started out invisible, became bright, faded away and then reappeared. This behaviour was extraordinary.'

Previously, astronomers have discovered more than 3,200 other stars with planets orbiting them in our galaxy.

But professor Murphy told MailOnline that the signals couldn't be coming from an alien life form.

'They have a lot of properties that mean we know they must be from something astronomical,' she said.

'For example the radio emission is what we call broadband  it covers a very wide range of frequencies and this could not be generated by an artificial source.

'So while we dont know exactly what is causing them, we are confident it is a natural, astronomical source.'

Astronomers know there are more than 3,200 other stars with planets orbiting them in our galaxy, the Milky Way (pictured)

The lead author of a new paper detailing the findings, also at the University of Sydney, said the team had 'never seen anything like it'.

'The strangest property of this new signal is that it is has a very high polarisation,' said Ziteng Wang at the University of Sydney.

'This means its light oscillates in only one direction, but that direction rotates with time.

'The brightness of the object also varies dramatically, by a factor of 100, and the signal switches on and off apparently at random. We've never seen anything like it.'

One possibility, originally suggested but now ruled out, was that it was a pulsar  a highly magnetised rotating compact star.

Artist's impression of a pulsar - a very dense type of spinning dead star. ASKAP J173608.2-321635 is not a pulsar, according to the study authors

GALACTIC CENTRE RADIO TRANSIENTS Galactic centre radio transients, or GCRTs, are flashing radio signals that originate from near the galactic centre. One GCRT, dubbed the 'cosmic burper' is officially called GCRT J17453009 and was first spotted more than 20 years ago. Another, GCRT J1746-2757, was reported by astronomers in 2002. Scientists still have much to understand about these mysterious signals. Advertisement

Pulsars are neutron stars  the collapsed cores of giant stars  that emit beams of radiation that sweep through Earth's line of sight.

'At first we thought it could be a pulsar  a very dense type of spinning dead star  or else a type of star that emits huge solar flares,' Wang said.

'But the signals from this new source don't match what we expect from these types of celestial objects.'

The newly-found object has some parallels with an emerging class of mysterious objects known as galactic centre radio transients (GCRTs), including one dubbed the 'cosmic burper', officially called GCRT J17453009.

As the name suggests, GCRTs are flashing radio signals that originate from near the galactic centre.

'While our new object, ASKAP J173608.2-321635, does share some properties with GCRTs there are also differences,' said study author Professor David Kaplan from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

'And we don't really understand those sources, anyway, so this adds to the mystery.'

Wang lead an international team that includes scientists from Australia's national science agency, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO).

They made their discovery using the CSIRO's ASKAP radio telescope in the Western Australia desert  a synthesis array consisting of 36 dish antennas, each about 40 feet (12 metres) in diameter.

CSIRO's ASKAP radio telescope at the Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory, about 500 miles (800km) north of Perth

After detecting six radio signals from the source over nine months in 2020, the astronomers tried to find the object in visual light  but found nothing.

They turned to the Parkes radio telescope the town of Parkes, New South Wales, but again failed to detect the source.

So from November last year, follow-up observations were conducted with the more sensitive South African Radio Astronomy Observatory's MeerKAT telescope.

'Because the signal was intermittent, we observed it [with MeerKAT] for 15 minutes every few weeks, hoping that we would see it again,' said Professor Murphy.

'Luckily, the signal returned, but we found that the behaviour of the source was dramatically different  the source disappeared in a single day, even though it had lasted for weeks in our previous ASKAP observations.'

Unfortunately, this further discovery did not reveal much more about the secrets of the radio source, so the team want to keep a close eye on the object to look for more clues.

Follow-up observations were conducted with the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory's MeerKAT telescope (pictured)

Future efforts may be helped by a new radio telescope, the world's largest, in development by Australia and South Africa  the Square Kilometre Array (SKA).

'Within the next decade, the transcontinental Square Kilometre Array (SKA) radio telescope will come online,' Professor Murphy said. 'It will be able to make sensitive maps of the sky every day.

'We expect the power of this telescope will help us solve mysteries such as this latest discovery, but it will also open vast new swathes of the cosmos to exploration in the radio spectrum.'

The discovery of ASKAP J173608.2-321635 has been published today in the Astrophysical Journal.
The first space rocket to blast off from the UK could be launched next year  from the Shetland Islands.

A deal has been struck between Skyrora, an Edinburgh rocket company, and a spaceport belonging to Scotlands biggest landowner on the islands, Britains most northerly spot.

It is hoped the 75ft long, 56-ton, rockets built by Skyrora will deliver satellites into orbit with up to 16 launches a year by 2030 from the SaxaVord Spaceport.

To date, no rocket has ever reached space from the UK.

The launch of the two metre Skylark Nano rocket in June, which reached an altitude of six kilometres, from the mainland of Shetland.

SaxaVord Spaceport received 1.43million of investment from Danish billionaire Anders Holch Povlsen who owns large swathes of rural Scotland.

SaxaVord still needs planning permission for its launch site on the island of Unst.

Skyroras founder and chief executive, Volodymyr Levykin, said: We have made no secret of our ambition to be the first company to launch from UK soil so its really exciting to agree to this multi-launch deal with SaxaVord.

The UK is a world leader in space technology, and this latest move brings us another crucial step closer to offering a significant space service from our own soil.

The rocket company carried out the first, full, ground, static fire trial in the UK for half a century at the Kildermorie Estate near Alness in the Highlands in May.

It was the first UK-based vertical test of this magnitude since the Black Arrow programme 50 years ago.

Trials of the third stage of the Skyrora XL rocket, which includes its orbital transfer vehicle (OTV) that can refire its engines about 15 times once in orbit, were completed late last year.

The OTV can complete tasks such as acting as a space tug, maintenance, or de-orbiting of defunct satellites, and will be used to address the increasing volume of space debris orbiting Earth.

In May last year, Skyrora completed a full ground static fire trial with the Skylark-L at the Kildemorie Estate near Alness

The company plans to fuel the Skyrora XL rocket with ecosene, its own more-sustainable rocket fuel alternative made from waste plastic such as polystyrene.

The use of ecosene on Skyroras planned flights could prevent more than 3,000 tons of unrecyclable plastic going to landfill by 2030.

Mr Levykin added: The space industry has a responsibility to commit to sustainability.

Once operational, SaxaVord spaceport is expected to create 140 jobs locally and 70 jobs across Shetland.

But Saxavord still needs to obtain planning permission for its planned site on the Lamba Ness peninsula in Unst.

Frank Strang, CEO of Saxavord Spaceport, said: As we look forward to launches from Unst next year, this is yet another exciting development and we look forward to working with the Skyrora team to help them meet their goal of delivering their XL rocket into orbit.

The SaxaVord Spaceport location and the can-do attitude of our team mean we are perfectly placed to support Skyroras endeavours.

SaxaVord is also working on an existing UK Space Agency funded deal with aerospace giant Lockheed Martin and ABL Space Systems aimed at launching the first UK pathfinder next year.
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Lucky stargazers have taken to social media to share stunning photos of the Northern Lights seen in the skies above the UK, US and Canada last night.

The typically green and pink light shows occur when electrically charged particles from the Sun excite gases in the Earth's atmosphere, causing them to glow.

The wavy patterns they assume resemble curtains of light, and reflect the lines of force in the Earth's geomagnetic field along which the solar particles travel.

Normally, the aurorae are only visible at higher latitudes, centred around Earth's magnetic poles,

However, yesterday's huge solar storm increased their range, meaning the lights were visible as far south as New York in the US, and in Edinburgh, as well as Northern Ireland and parts of northern England in the UK.

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Lucky stargazers have taken to social media to share stunning photos of the Northern Lights seen in the skies above the UK, US and Canada last night. Pictured: photographer Jeanine Holowatuik posted this shot of the Northern Lights seen last night over Saskatchewan, Canada

The lights last night were visible as far south as New York in the US, and in parts of Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England in the UK. Pictured: the aurora above Maine, US

Humans have observed the northern lights for millennia: in ancient Chinese folklore, a young woman witnessing the lights gave birth to Emperor Xuanyuan, the legendary forefather of all Chinese people. Pictured: the Northern Lights last night in the skies above Edinburgh

The typically green and pink light shows occur when electrically charged particles from the Sun excite gases in the Earth's atmosphere, causing them to glow. Pictured: the northern lights as seen over Corman Park No. 344 in Saskatchewan, Canada, last night

The wavy patterns the aurora assume can resemble curtains of light, and reflect the lines of force in the Earth's geomagnetic field along which the solar particles travel. Pictured: the Northern Lights last night as seen in the skies above Plumas County, Manitoba, Canada

'I got to see the #NorthernLights last night and I will never get over it,' wrote Twitter user @ibsmeetsworld, who posted shots of the aurora above Whitehorse, Canada (as pictured)

Normally, the aurorae are only visible at higher latitudes, centred around Earth's magnetic poles, but yesterday's huge solar storm increased their range. Pictured: the Northern Lights last night seen above the treeline in Whitehorse, Yukon, northwest Canada

WHAT IS A SOLAR STORM? A solar or geomagnetic storm is a major disturbance of Earth's magnetosphere - the area around Earth controlled by our planet's magnetic field. A solar storm occurs when there is a very efficient exchange of energy from the solar wind into the space environment surrounding Earth Earth's magnetosphere is created by our magnetic field and protects us from most particles the sun emits. But when a CME or high-speed stream arrives at Earth it buffets the magnetosphere. If the arriving solar magnetic field is directed southward it interacts strongly with the oppositely oriented magnetic field of the Earth. The Earth's magnetic field is then peeled open like an onion allowing energetic solar wind particles to stream down the field lines to hit the atmosphere over the poles. Source: NASA Advertisement

The breathtaking atmospheric displays last night seem to have left an impression.

'Last night is what dreams are made of #NorthernLights,' tweeted self-proclaimed aurora chaser Jeanine Holowatuik, of Northern Escape Photography.

Twitter user JessiiVann appears to agree, posting: 'Please excuse me whilst I cry for the next 6 years, I saw the Northern Lights in Scotland!'

'I got to see the #NorthernLights last night and I will never get over it,' added Twitter user @ibsmeetsworld, who posted shots of the aurora above Whitehorse, Canada.

Yesterday's solar storm was forecasted by both the UK's Met Office and the US's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, but was slower to arrive at Earth than expected.

The organisations had originally said that a 'coronal mass ejection' (CME)  a large expulsion of plasma from the Sun's outer layer  would reach our planet by 5pm BST (12pm EST) yesterday.

However, the space weather event which launched back on October 9 was driven by a slower-than-predicted solar wind and, in the words of physicist Tamitha Skov, arrived 'fashionably late'.

'Minor storms may continue into 12 October, before a fast wind from a coronal hole may arrive, perhaps continuing the rather active period of geomagnetic activity,' the Met Office said yesterday.

CMEs are caused by stressed, twisted magnetic fields on the Sun releasing their pent-up energy, and therefore tend to originate on the star's more active regions.

The space weather event was rated by NOAA experts as a 'G2' (on a scale of one to five), so it is considered to be a 'moderate' storm.

Possible effects of solar storms like the one that hit yesterday are power grid fluctuations and orientation irregularities for spacecraft in the form of 'increased drag' on low-Earth orbiters.

The storm came as the National Grid warned that the gap between energy supply and demand this year is likely to be at its lowest level for six years.

The organisation said it was confident blackouts can be avoided, but warned it was possible if 'we have a very cold winter'.

The breath-taking displays last night seem to have left an impression. Twitter user JessiiVann said: 'Please excuse me whilst I cry for the next 6 years, I saw the Northern Lights in Scotland'

'Last night is what dreams are made of #NorthernLights,' tweeted self-proclaimed aurora chaser Jeanine Holowatuik, of Northern Escape Photography. Pictured: the north lights as seen from Sumburgh Head, on the Mainland of Shetland, Scotland

Disruption to our magnetic field creates solar storms that can affect satellites in orbit, navigation systems, terrestrial power grids and data and communication networks.

'Harmful space weather has affected Earth before, but as we become increasingly reliant on systems and technologies vulnerable to the Sun's outbursts, future solar impacts could be even more disruptive,' says the European Space Agency (ESA).

When a solar storm heads our way, some of the energy and small particles can travel down the magnetic field lines at the north and south poles into Earth's atmosphere.

There, the particles interact with gases in our atmosphere resulting in beautiful displays of light in the sky  the aurora, or Northern Lights. Oxygen gives off green and red light, while nitrogen glows blue and purple.

The aurora can be seen near the poles of both the northern and southern hemispheres. In the north the display is known as the aurora borealis, and in the south it is called the aurora australis.

Solar storms aren't dangerous to humans on Earth's surface, but they can cause interference with power grids and GPS signals.

In 1859, a massive geomagnetic super-storm known as the Carrington event sent powerful CMEs toward Earth, disrupting communications on the ground.

Yesterday's solar storm  which was forecasted by both the UK's Met Office and the US's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration  was slower to arrive at Earth than expected. Pictured: the Northern Lights last night seen above the treeline in Whitehorse, Yukon, northwest Canada

The organisations had originally said that a 'coronal mass ejection' (CME)  a large expulsion of plasma from the Sun's outer layer  would reach Earth by 5pm BST (12pm EST) yesterday. Pictured: the Northern lights as seen above Scotland last night

If such an event were to happen in today's world, the effects would be catastrophic.

A study published earlier this year by a University of California Irvine scientist found the internet could be crippled for weeks in the wake of a severe solar storm, due to vulnerabilities in world's massive network of submarine communications cables.

The electromagnetic fluctuations caused by intense solar storms cannot directly harm the fibre optic cables that make up the backbone of the internet.

However, they do have the potential to take out the signal boosters dotted along undersea cables that are necessary to maintain connections over large distances.

According to astrophysicists, the likelihood of solar storm capable of causing catastrophic disruption occurring in the next 10 years is between 1.612 per cent.

The space weather event which launched back on October 9 was driven by a slower-than-predicted solar wind and, in the words of physicist Tamitha Skov, arrived 'fashionably late'. Pictured: the Northern Lights as seen last night in the skies above Scotland

'Minor storms may continue into 12 October, before a fast wind from a coronal hole may arrive, perhaps continuing the rather active period of geomagnetic activity,' the Met Office said. Pictured: the aurora above Scotland last night, captured by Twitter user @JessiiVann

Humans have observed the northern lights for millennia: in ancient Chinese folklore, a young woman witnessing the lights gave birth to Emperor Xuanyuan, the legendary forefather of all Chinese people.

A Norwegian account from 1230 AD attributes the northern lights to the ocean being on fire, while Benjamin Franklin theorized in 1778 that an aurora was caused by snow and ice intensifying electrical charges at the poles.

Some Native American peoples believed the lights were the spirits of their deceased dancing in the sky  and Confederate soldiers seeing the effect during the Battle of Gettysburg assumed its presence so far south meant that God was on their side.

A Norwegian account from 1230 AD attributes the northern lights to the ocean being on fire, while Benjamin Franklin theorized in 1778 that an aurora was caused by snow and ice intensifying electrical charges at the poles. Pictured: the north lights as seen from Sumburgh Head, on the Mainland of Shetland, Scotland

Some Native American peoples believed the lights were the spirits of their deceased dancing in the sky  and Confederate soldiers seeing the effect during the Battle of Gettysburg assumed its presence so far south meant that God was on their side. Pictured: the Northern Lights seen above Alaska last night
Blue Origin has shared a new photo of the four 'astronauts' that will launch to the edge of space tomorrow, including Star Trek legend William Shatner, aged 90.

Shatner retweeted the picture, in which the four members of the crew look like they are preparing for an away mission, joking 'aren't we adorbs'.

The crew were originally set to launch today, but high winds around the Blue Origin facility in West Texas led to the launch being pushed back to tomorrow.

The four person crew on the suborbital flight includes Shatner, Chris Boshuizen, Glen de Vries and Audrey Powers, who are all waiting at the astronaut village.

The flight will take off from Launch Site One in West Texas on a Blue Origin New Shepard rocket at 08:30 ET (13:30 BST) Wednesday, flying up to 65 miles where the crew will experience three minutes of weightlessness before descending to Earth.

Of the delay to the launch, Shatner said he was 'deeply disappointed' as he has another day to wait, but added that it is 'really worth it.'

From left to right: Chris Boshuizen, William Shatner, Audrey Powers and Glen de Vries will travel to the edge of space tomorrow with Blue Origin

The four person crew on the suborbital flight includes Shatner, Chris Boshuizen, Glen de Vries and Audrey Powers, who are all waiting at the astronaut village

MEET THE CREW William Shatner The 90-year-old Canadian actor shot to fame in the 1960s when he took on the role of James T Kirk in Star Trek the original series. He will become the oldest person ever to travel to space when he launches. Chris Boshuizen Boshuizen is the co-founder of Planet Labs and partner at venture capital firm DCVC, and is a paying passenger. He has a net worth of $30 million, and was Space Mission Architect at NASA's Ames Research Center until 2012. Glen de Vries de Vries, who co-founded Medidata Solutions in 1999, said the spot on the New Shepard is a 'dream come true.' 'This is how innovation happens,' he said in an interview ahead of launch. Audrey Powers Blue Origin's vice president of mission and flight operations, she spent years watching missions soar into space. She joined Blue Origin in 2013 and oversees New Shepard flight operations, vehicle maintenance, and launch, landing and ground support infrastructure. Advertisement

When Shatner passes the 50 mile altitude mark, he will become the oldest person to go to space, taking the record from Wally Funk, 82, who launched on the first Blue Origin crewed mission earlier this year on a flight with Jeff Bezos.

Shatner shot to fame when he took on the role of James T Kirk in the original Star Trek series in 1966.

This was four years after Alan Shephard - who the rocket he'll travel in is named after - became the first American in space, and three years before Neil Armstrong walked on the surface of the moon.

'I plan to be looking out the window with my nose pressed against the window. The only thing I don't want to see is a little gremlin looking back at me,' Shatner said referring to his role on Twilight Zone's 'Nightmare at 20,000 feet.'

Along for the ride is Powers, Blue Origin's vice president of mission and flight operations, who spent years watching missions soar into space.

'It was a very generous offer for me to represent all of my colleagues at Blue that have been working on this program for a very long time,' Powers said in an interview with Good Morning America on Monday.

'They offered me the opportunity to represent all of those great people and sit in the seat. I could not be more overwhelmed by the opportunity.'

She joined Blue Origin in 2013 and oversees New Shepard flight operations, vehicle maintenance, and launch, landing and ground support infrastructure.

The other two passengers are 'paying customers,' and while the actual cost of their tickets hasn't been revealed, it is thought to be at least $200,000 (147,000).

William Shatner (pictured second from left) shared the crew photo on Twitter, joking in the caption: 'Aren't we all adorbs!'

Shatner and the crew spoke to Good Morning America (GMA) on Monday about the delay and excitement to be a part of history

The New Shephard will travel beyond the 100km (62 mile) Karman line, defined internationally as the 'edge of space', where the crew will experience weightless for a few minutes before parachuting in the capsule back to the Texas desert

The New Shepard is made up of a rocket and nose cone, where there is room for up to six passengers to travel up to 65 miles above the Earth

de Vries (left), Shatner (middle) and Powers (right) are pictured as they conduct training ahead of the mission

The paying passengers are Boshuizen, co-founder of Planet Labs and partner at venture capital firm DCVC and de Vries, co-founder of Medidata.

Boshuizen, who has an estimated net worth approaching $30 million, was also the Space Mission Architect at NASA's Ames Research Center between 2008 and 2012.

During this time he invented the Phonesat, which is a satellite built from a smartphone.

'I've worked in space industry my entire life and I am excited the door is finally opening,' Boshuizen said during the interview with GMA.

The flight will take off from Launch Site One in West Texas on a Blue Origin New Shepard rocket at 08:30 ET (13:30 BST) Wednesday, flying up to 65 miles where the crew will experience three minutes of weightlessness before descending to Earth

This will be the second crewed flight for Blue Origin. The last (pictured) took Jeff Bezos, his brother Mark Bezos, Oliver Daemen and Wally Funk to the edge of space on July 20

The Canadian actor shot to fame when he took on the role of James T Kirk in the original Star Trek series in 1966. Pictured here in the 1988 movie Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

The mission follows Blue Origin's first crewed flight on July 20, which saw the firm's founder Jeff Bezos (2nd from right), his brother Mark (2nd from left), Dutch teenager Oliver Daemen (left) and test pilot, Wally Funk (right), head into space

HOW JEFF BEZOS IS SPENDING BILLIONS OF HIS OWN MONEY TO BUILD BLUE ORIGIN AND WIN THE BILLIONAIRE SPACE RACE Amazon founder and outgoing CEO Jeff Bezos entered the space sector in 2000, two years before SpaceX was formed by Elon Musk. Based in Kent, Washington, it originally focused on sub-orbital spaceflight services, building cheaper, more reliable and reusable launch vehicles. They are gradually moving from suborbital to orbital flight in an incremental way and will launch humans to space on July 20. Bezos will be on that first crewed flight along with his brother Mark, the winner of the auction, and three members of Blue Origin staff. The firm currently has two launch vehicles, the suborbital New Shepherd, named for the first American in space, Alan Shepherd, and New Glenn, named for John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth. Bezos has announced they are also working on New Armstrong, after the first man on the Moon, Neil Armstrong, although no details have been revealed. Advertisement

'I think we will look back at this day 50 years from now and go this was the year the human race started going to space.'

de Vries said the spot on the New Shepard is a 'dream come true.'

'This is how innovation happens,' he told Holmes.

'I lived in it healthcare and life sciences when you think about an industry being created and the opportunity for us to fuel that industry, as Chris was saying this is the beginning of a new time for space.

'We are on the beginning of a curve that is just going to blast off.'

The mission follows Blue Origin's first crewed flight on July 20, which saw the firm's founder Jeff Bezos, his brother Mark, Dutch teenager Oliver Daemen and test pilot, Wally Funk, head into space.

At the time, Funk was the oldest person to ever fly to space at 82 years old, but when Shatner goes up, he will beat that by eight years.

At 18 years old, Daemen became the youngest person, first teenager, and first person born in the 21st century to travel to space.

Oliver's father, Joes Daemen, who founded private equity firm Somerset Capital Partners, bought the seat aboard the flight for over $20 million at auction.

The New Shephard will travel beyond the 100km (62 mile) Karman line, defined internationally as the 'edge of space'.

Once there, the crew will remain weightless for a few minutes before parachuting in the capsule back to the Texas desert.

It is a reusable rocket, with the main engine returning to land at Launch Site One after getting the capsule to space.

Blue Origin may be on top of the world this week, but the company was recently dragged through the mud by more than two dozen employees.

William Shatner (pictured) is one of four individuals set to fly aboard Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket on Wednesday  the mission was originally set for Tuesday, but poor weather caused a delay

Shatner (left) is famed for playing Captain James T Kirk in the original Star Trek series, and is pictured in the 1960s with his co-star Leonard Nimoy

They accused Bezos of creating a 'toxic' work environment where the company sacrificed safety to work at 'breakneck speed' in order to win the space race.

In an essay published last month, Alexandra Abrams, the former head of Blue Origin Employee Communications, along with 20 employees said the priority was to 'make progress for Jeff' as he competed with Elon Musk and Richard Branson.

They claimed the most common question was: 'When will Elon or Branson fly?' and safety concerns were ignored as they would have 'slowed progress'.

Along for the ride is Audrey Powers, Blue Origin's vice president of mission and flight operations, who has spent years watching missions soar into space and now has the opportunity to take the journey herself

According to GMA, there are only two paying customers on this journey: Chris Boshuizen (left) co-founder of Planet Labs and partner at venture capital firm DCVC and Glen de Vries (right), co-founder of Medidata

More accusations surfaced Monday from a 2019 memo written by a mid-level employee, The Washington Post reported.

'Our current culture is toxic to our success and many can see it spreading throughout the company.'

The problems at the spaceflight company were 'systemic,' according to the memo, which was obtained by The Washington Post and verified by two former employees familiar with the matter, and 'the loss of trust in Blue's leadership is common.'
Many dog owners often wonder whether their pet misses them when they're gone.

But one sheepadoodle named Bunny appears to be able to communicate just that  except it's not just humans that she longs for.

Bunny's owner Alexis Devine, from Tacoma, Washington, said her dog even pines for the family's lost cat, appearing to make her feelings known by 'talking' with the help of a sound board.

By pressing buttons on it, Bunny has been trained to relay basic responses such as 'Where mom?' and 'Bunny sad'.

Mournful: Many dog owners often wonder whether their pet misses them when they're gone. But one sheepadoodle named Bunny (pictured) appears to be able communicate just that  except it's not just humans that she longs for, she also misses the family's lost cat Uni

Bunny's owner Alexis Devine, from Tacoma, Washington, said her dog made its feelings known by 'talking' with the help of a sound board (pictured)

CAN DOGS REALLY 'SPEAK' TO HUMANS? Whether dogs can understand the human language, and to what extent, has long been the source of scientific debate. There is still plenty of research being carried out, including the project that Buddy is enrolled in called TheyCanTalk. It is aimed at understanding if animals can communicate with humans through augmentative and alternative communication devices, and involves almost 2,600 dogs and 300 cats. One study by the University of Sussex said our canine companions' comprehension goes far beyond just 'sit', 'walk' and 'fetch'. Dogs are adept at picking up on subtle changes to words, such as 'hid' and 'had', and can even decipher accents from the Queen's English to a thick West Country twang, according to the research. Another study by Hungarian experts found that dogs process speech in the same way as humans do, but that does not mean spoken words are the most effective way for an owner to communicate with a dog. That's because separate research has shown that the neural reward system of dogs is more attuned to visual and to scent cues than to verbal ones. Advertisement

There is still a great deal of scientific debate about how much dogs including Bunny understand human language, but one study by the University of Sussex said their comprehension goes far beyond just 'sit', 'walk' and 'fetch'.

Our canine companions are adept at picking up on subtle changes to words, such as 'hid' and 'had', and can even decipher accents from the Queen's English to a thick West Country twang, according to the research.

Another study by Hungarian experts found that dogs process speech in the same way as humans do, but that does not mean spoken words are the most effective way for an owner to communicate with a dog.

That's because separate research has shown that the neural reward system of dogs is more attuned to visual and to scent cues than to verbal ones.

Nevertheless, Ms Devine is adamant that Bunny can communicate using the sound board, and her videos have led to the sheepadoodle amassing 7.1 million followers on TikTok.

Recently she filmed Bunny asking about Uni, the family's cat who has been missing for nearly four months.

'It was maybe like two months before he went missing that she had finally, finally used the buttons, "Uni family together," which was a huge accomplishment because they had had such a tenuous and challenging relationship,' Devine told Salon.

'And then, last week, it was just heartbreaking, she pressed "cat bye", and I just about burst into tears. My little heart couldn't handle it.'

Ms Devine said that not only does Bunny miss the family's cat, but also her partner Johnny, a high school teacher who spent much of the pandemic working from home.

'The first week that he was back at school in the classroom, Bunny was very much asking about Johnny, pressing "Where dad?", "Where dad bye?" for a lot of the day, for several days in a row,' said Ms Devine.

Ms Devine's videos have led to the sheepadoodle amassing 7.1 million followers on TikTok

One expert said it was 'certainly' possible that Bunny is missing Uni and Johnny.

'Most social animals living in small groups or packs are aware that somebody is missing,' Federico Rossano, director of the Comparative Cognition Lab at UC San Diego, told the Salon.

'This is most obvious in a mother keeping track of their cubs and going to retrieve one that has gone too far.'

Buddy is one of almost 2,600 dogs and 300 cats enrolled in a project called TheyCanTalk, which is aimed at understanding if animals can communicate with humans through augmentative and alternative communication devices.

The devices, similar to Bunny's sound board buttons, were originally designed for humans with communication disorders, but more recently have been adapted to use in language experiments with animals.

Bunny was first introduced to the specially made communication pad as soon as she arrived at the Devine family home in September 2019.

The first word she mastered was 'outside', and later her vocabulary expanded to include 'play', 'beach' and 'park'.

The sheepadoodle also learned to press down on a specific button when she wanted to go outdoors or go for a wee.

Ms Devine was keen to introduce the unusual method of communicating after seeing the technology being used online by other dog owners.

She made her own sound board after being inspired by speech language pathologist Christina Hunger and her dog Stella.

'The sound board has been an overwhelmingly positive experience,' Ms Devine has said previously.

'Bunny and I work on engagement, tricks and obedience to strengthen our bond daily, but this has added so much laughter, joy and wonder to our lives.

'It's always an adventure, and we are thoroughly enjoying the ride regardless of the destination.'
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Astronomers have captured images of the 42 largest objects in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, including some with unusual shapes and structures.

Using the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (ESO's VLT) in Chile, the team captured the sharpest ever images of the large group of space rocks.

They set on 42 asteroids as that is the answer to the ultimate question of 'life, the universe and everything' in the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, which was released 42 years ago today.

The observations reveal a wide range of peculiar shapes, from the almost perfectly symmetrical Ceres, through to the dog bone-shaped Kleopatra and its moons.

The team behind the new study, led by Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille in France, say it is helping astronomers trace the origins of solar system asteroids.

This image depicts 42 of the largest objects in the asteroid belt located between Mars and Jupiter. Most of them are larger than 60 miles in diameter

Ceres (left) and Vesta (right), are the two largest objects in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, approximately 586 and 323 miles (940 and 520 km) in diameter

Two families of objects in the asteroid belt After taking images of dozens of objects in the asteroid belt, between Mars and Jupiter, the team reconstructed their shapes. An analysis of the reconstructed shapes allowed them to identify two families of objects as a function of their diameters. They categorised them as 'spherical' and 'elongated' bodies. A difference in rotation period appears to be the main origin of this difference in body shape between the groups. The density distribution appears to be strongly split into two groups, with volatile-poor, and volatile-rich bodies. An example of a circular body is 'Ceres', the largest in the asteroid belt with a diameter of 940km (586 miles). The most unusual object in the elongated family would be Kleopatra, which is shaped like a 'dog-bone'. Advertisement

The detailed images of these 42 objects are a leap forward in exploring asteroids, made possible thanks to ground-based telescopes, and 'contribute to answering the ultimate question of life, the Universe, and everything,' the authors said.

'Only three large main belt asteroids, Ceres, Vesta and Lutetia, have been imaged with a high level of detail so far,' said study lead author, Pierre Vernazza.

Those objects were photographed after being visited by NASA's Dawn space mission and the European Space Agency's Rosetta mission.

'Our ESO observations have provided sharp images for many more targets, 42 in total,' said Vernazza.

The previously small number of detailed observations of asteroids meant that key characteristics such as their 3D shape or density had remained largely unknown.

Between 2017 and 2019, Vernazza and his team set out to fill this gap by conducting a thorough survey of the major bodies in the asteroid belt.

Most of the 42 objects in their sample are larger than 62 miles (100 km) in diameter, including some, such as Ceres, which is 586 miles (940 km).

They now have detailed images of almost every asteroid belt object larger than 124 miles (200km) in diameter, with just three more 'major asteroids' left to photograph.

The two smallest asteroids they imaged, using visible wavelength detectors on the VLT, were Urania and Ausonia, each only about 56 miles (90 km) in diameter.

By reconstructing the objects' shapes, the team realised that the observed asteroids are mainly divided into two families.

The two smallest asteroids they imaged, using visible wavelength detectors on the VLT, were Urania and Ausonia, each only about 56 miles (90 km) in diameter

Some are almost perfectly spherical, such as Hygiea and Ceres, while others have a more peculiar, 'elongated' shape - their undisputed queen being the 'dog-bone' asteroid Kleopatra.

By combining the asteroids' shapes with information on their masses, the team found that the densities change significantly across the sample.

The four least dense asteroids studied, including Lamberta and Sylvia, have densities of about 1.3 grams per cubic centimetre - approximately the density of coal.

These are the least dense asteroids imaged, Sylvia and Lamberta, which have a density of about 1.3 grammes per cubic centimetre, approximately the density of coal

Kalliope and Psyche, the two densest objects imaged, have a density of 4.4 and 3.9 grammes per cubic centimetre respectively. NASA is sending a mission to explore Psyche, said to be worth trillions of dollars in raw material

Kleopatra: The dog bone-shaped asteroid Kleopatra is a metallic, bone-shaped asteroid with a pair of moons sitting 125 million miles from Earth. It is located in the asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. It was discovered on 10 April 1880, by Austrian astronomer Johann Palisa at the Austrian Naval Pola Observatory, in what is now Pula, Croatia. It is 168 miles across and 58 miles wide, with recent observations showing it is mostly a pile of rubble. It was named after Cleopatra, the famous Egyptian queen. Two small moons were discovered in 2008, and later named Alexhelios and Cleoselene after Cleopatra's children. Advertisement

The highest, Psyche and Kalliope, have densities of 3.9 and 4.4 grammes per cubic centimetre, respectively, which is higher than the density of diamond.

This large difference in density suggests the asteroids' composition varies significantly, giving astronomers important clues about their origin.

'Our observations provide strong support for substantial migration of these bodies since their formation,' said co-author Josef Hanus of the Charles University, Prague.

'In short, such tremendous variety in their composition can only be understood if the bodies originated across distinct regions in the Solar System.'

In particular, the results support the theory that the least dense asteroids formed in the remote regions beyond the orbit of Neptune and migrated inward.

These findings were made possible thanks to the sensitivity of the Spectro-Polarimetric High-contrast Exoplanet REsearch (SPHERE) instrument on the VLT.

'With the improved capabilities of SPHERE, along with the fact that little was known regarding the shape of the largest main belt asteroids, we were able to make substantial progress in this field,' said co-author Laurent Jorda.

Astronomers will be able to image asteroids in fine detail with ESO's Extremely Large Telescope (ELT).

The massive observatory is currently under construction in Chile and set to start operations later this decade.

The images in the outermost circle of this infographic have been captured with the Spectro-Polarimetric High-contrast Exoplanet REsearch (SPHERE) instrument on ESO's Very Large Telescope

'ELT observations of main-belt asteroids will allow us to study objects with diameters down to 35 to 80 kilometres, depending on their location in the belt, and craters down to approximately 10 to 25 kilometres in size,' said Vernazza.

'Having a SPHERE-like instrument at the ELT would even allow us to image a similar sample of objects in the distant Kuiper Belt. This means we'll be able to characterise the geological history of a much larger sample of small bodies from the ground.'

This research was presented in a paper to appear in Astronomy & Astrophysics.
Instagram is testing a new alert feature that will tell users when the app is down.

It follows a huge worldwide outage last week that saw all Facebook-owned apps crash for almost seven hours.

The social media network said the alert will appear as a notification in users' Activity Feed when 'people are confused and looking for answers' because of an outage or technical issues.

Instagram said it would trial the feature in the US for the 'next few months', before potentially rolling it out more widely 'if it makes sense to'.

Trial: Instagram is testing a new alert feature that will now tell users when the app is down

Test: The social media network said the alert will appear as a notification in users' Activity Feed when 'people are confused and looking for answers' because of an outage or technical issues

Recent outages for Instagram and other Facebook-owned apps Last week Instagram went down for almost seven hours after its parent company Facebook made a faulty update that disconnected its servers from the internet and brought all of its services to a halt. Facebook, WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger were also affected. In September, a technical issue with Instagram also caused an outage that plagued users around the world for 16 hours. Problems started just after 8am on Thursday. About 18 hours later, at 2am on Friday, Instagram announced the problem had been fixed. However, the last time Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp went down at the same time was in June. More than a thousand people in countries including the United States, Morocco, Mexico, Bolivia and Brazil reported outages. There were also two Facebook platform outages in March, with Instagram down on March 30, and all three down on March 19. Advertisement

The app went down for almost seven hours on October 4 after its parent company Facebook made a faulty update that disconnected its servers from the internet and brought all of its services to a halt.

Facebook, WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger were also affected by the problem.

In a blog post announcing the new outage alert plan, Instagram said: 'We're testing a new feature that will notify you in your Activity Feed when we experience an outage or technical issue, and when it is resolved.

'We won't send a notification every single time there is an outage, but when we see that people are confused and looking for answers, we'll determine if something like this could help make things clearer.'

It added: 'This test will run in the US and go on for the next few months. Just like any experiment, this may be something we roll out more widely, but we want to start small and learn. And if it makes sense to, we'll expand to more people.'

If the trial proves successful, it would seem likely that Facebook may also introduce a similar outage alert notification for WhatsApp, too.

In the same announcement, Instagram said it was launching a new tool called 'Account Status', which will notify users if their content is reported as inappropriate.

'We'll start by making it easier for people to know whether their account is at risk of being disabled,' the company said.

'In the coming months, we plan to add more information to this tool, giving people a better sense of how their content is being distributed and recommended across different parts of Instagram.'

In the same announcement, Instagram said it was introducing a new tool called 'Account Status' (pictured), which will notify users if their content is reported as inappropriate

'We'll start by making it easier for people to know whether their account is at risk of being disabled,' the company said. Users can still appeal by hitting 'request a review' (pictured)

Users can still appeal if they think the social network has made a mistake by hitting 'request a review' from their Account Status, Instagram added.

Facebook's seven-hour blackout last week is estimated to have cost the company around $100million in lost revenue alone.

The outage meant engineers had to travel to its Santa Clara data centre to fix the glitch in-person, but the repair was delayed because many staff are still working from home as a result of the Covid pandemic, according to one insider.

They said the glitch also brought down messaging services that remote-working staff use to communicate, so those who knew how to fix the servers couldn't get that information to the teams inside the data centre.

The disruption was partly to blame for a nose-dive in Facebook's share price that saw $47billion wiped from its value in its second-worst day ever on the stock market, also driven by a whistleblower testifying in Congress about the harms the site does to teenagers.

Mark Zuckerberg  who lost around $7billion amidst the carnage  has previously vowed to make work from home a permanent part of Facebook, telling staff back in June that 'anyone whose role can be done remotely can request remote work.'
Minnesota's Department of Natural Resources has temporarily stopped the importation and movement of farmed white-tail deer into and within the state as a fatal prion disease spreads across the country.

The decree, issued late Monday, is being done in hopes of slowing down the disease, known as Chronic wasting disease (CWD), which can affect this species of deer (and others), as well as other mammals, such as moose and elk.

The decision was made after it was reported there was a recent CWD outbreak at a Wisconsin deer farm that sold deer to seven states, including Minnesota, during the summer.

It results in the animals being confused, drooling and becoming uncoordinated, as well as losing their fear around humans.

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Minnesota has temporarily stopped the importation and movement of farmed white-tail deer into and within the state as Chronic wasting disease spreads

'This disease poses a clear, immediate and serious threat to Minnesota's wild deer, and these actions reflect what's at stake,' said DNR Commissioner Sarah Strommen in a statement.

'We are committed to doing everything we can to reduce the continued risk of CWD transmission in Minnesota, including from farmed deer to Minnesota's wild whitetails.'

CWD is believed to be spread by contaminated body fluids, but it can also spread from drinking water or food, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

'It is often difficult to diagnose a deer, elk, or moose with CWD based on these symptoms alone because many of CWD symptoms also occur with other diseases and malnutrition,' the CDC added.

'CWD is always fatal.'

'The temporary ban will allow [the agency] to determine the previous movements of known CWD-exposed deer and potential additional exposures,' the agency wrote on Facebook.

'The temporary ban will allow [the agency] to determine the previous movements of known CWD-exposed deer and potential additional exposures,' the agency wrote on Facebook

The prion disease is rare in both wild and farmed deer, but some experts fear it is an urgent threat, according to Gizmodo.

Minnesota's decision to stop the importation and movement of these deer stems from a recent CWD outbreak at a Wisconsin deer farm that sold deer to seven states, including Minnesota, over the summer.

According to the USGS, there have been CWD cases in 23 states, two Canadian provinces and South Korea

The U.S. Geological Survey has created a map showing where CWD has been found in the continental U.S., with it found in captive facilities in Wisconsin and in Minnesota.

According to the USGS, there have been CWD cases in 23 states, two Canadian provinces and South Korea.

The disease is not known to infect livestock or humans, however.

As with other prion diseases, CWD could have an incubation period of more than a year and any neurological impairments could develop slowly.

The CDC notes that deer, elk, reindeer, sika and moose with CWD have been known to not show any signs for 'years after they become infected.'

CWD, which is always fatal, is believed to be spread by contaminated body fluids, drinking water or food. The disease is not known to infect livestock or humans

However, as the disease progresses, they increasingly show signs, including drastic weight loss, drooping ears, excessive thirst or urination.

Other symptoms include the aforementioned lack of coordination, lack of fear of people, drooling and listlessness.

Prion diseases are caused by proteins that somehow turn into a dangerous version of itself.

After the misfolded protein finds another normal protein, both of them become prions that can destroy the body, usually the brain.

According to Johns Hopkins University, all prions - in both humans and animals - are fatal, though they can be treated with certain medicines to slow their progress.
A fossilized dog jawbone with eight jagged teeth protruding from the bone that was found in Costa Rica suggests ancient civilizations in Central America domesticated the animals some 12,000 years ago - 2,000 years earlier than previously believed.

The bone had originally been classified as belonging to an ancient coyote, but the animal did not arrive to the region until the 20th century and the teeth appear to be more like a dog than a coyote.

A team of Latin American scientists re-analyzed the artifact, initially unearthed in the 1990s, which was found alongside a giant horse and mastodon  all of which means humans were living nearby.

Costa Rican researcher Guillermo Vargas told Agence France-Presse (AFP): 'We thought it was very strange to have a coyote in the Pleistocene [Era], that is to say 12,000 years ago.

'When we started looking at the bone fragments, we started to see characteristics that could have been from a dog.'

A fossilized dog jawbone with about eight jagged teeth protruding from the bone suggests ancient civilizations in Central America domesticated the animals some 12,000 years ago.

During the analysis, Vargas and colleagues looked closely at the teeth still attached to the ancient bone and noticed that they are not as pointy as those found in coyotes.

'The dog eats the leftovers from human food. Its teeth are not so determinant in its survival,' said Vargas.

'It hunts large prey with its human companions. This sample reflects that difference.'

Along with the teeth, the team notes that the appearance of dogs in history is always alongside humans.

The bone had originally been classified as belonging to an ancient coyote, but the researchers remembered the animal did not arrive to the region until the 20th century and the teeth are not as pointy as those found in coyotes

The first domesticated dogs came to North America about 15,000 years ago, but did so with human owners who trekked across the Bearing Strait from Asia.

'There have never been dogs without people,' Valadez told AFP by telephone.

'The presence of humans during the Pleistocene has been attested in Mexico, Chile and Patagonia, but never in Central America, until now.'

The discovery is also older than the 10,150-year-old dog in Alaska, which means the jawbone 'could be the oldest dog in the Americas,' according to Vargas.

Oxford University has offered to perform DNA and carbon dating tests on the sample to discover more genetic information about the animal and its age.

The fossil is currently held at Costa Rica's national museum but the sample cannot be re-identified as a dog without validation by a specialist magazine.

'This dog discovery would be the first evidence of humans in Costa Rica during a period much earlier' than currently thought, said Vargas.

The first domesticated dogs came to North America about 15,000 years ago, but did so with human owners who trekked across the Bearing Strait from Asia (stock)

'It would show us that there were societies that could keep dogs, that had food surpluses, that had dogs out of desire and that these weren't war dogs that could cause damage.'

A separate study, released in January, revealed the timeline for when dogs first came to the Americas.

A team of international researchers examined a trove of archaeological and genetic records of ancient people and dogs and found both had traveled together west in Eurasia and then east into the Americas.

These findings also suggest dog domestication first took place in Siberia at least 23,000 years ago and may have been a result of the region's harsh climatic conditions.

Co-author Professor Greger Larson, Oxford University, said in a statement: 'Researchers have previously suggested that dogs were domesticated across Eurasia from Europe to China, and many places in between.'

A separate study, released in January, revealed the timeline for when dogs first came to the Americas. The research showed the first people to come to the Americas did some 15,000 years ago and they brought their pet dogs. The map shows the Bering Strait used by early humans to come to the Americas

'The combined evidence from ancient humans and dogs is helping to refine our understanding of the deep history of dogs, and now points toward Siberia and Northeast Asia as a likely region where dog domestication was initiated.'

The records showed the first people to come to the Americas did some 15,000 years ago and they brought their pet dogs.

The data suggests it was a group called the North Siberians may have been the first people to first domesticate wolves by feeding them leftovers.
An exoskeleton that lets amputees feel like they are 'walking with two normal legs' has been developed by scientists using battery-powered electric motors.

The powerful exoskeleton, which wraps around the wearer's waist and leg, was developed by a team of engineers at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.

It has been designed for above-the-knee amputees and uses battery-powered electric motors and embedded microprocessors to reduce walking effort.

The 5.4lb frame is made of carbon-fibre material, plastic composites and aluminium and can walk for miles between charges, according to its creators.

Those wearing it saw a 15.6 per cent reduction in their metabolic rate, equivalent to taking off a 26-pound backpack while out on a long walk, the team said.

They don't know how much the final device will cost, or when it will be available for general use, but hope to have it on the market soon.

An exoskeleton that lets amputees feel like they are 'walking with two normal legs' has been developed by scientists using battery-powered electric motors. Pictured is volunteer Stan Stan Schaar (right) and engineer, Prof Tommaso Lenzi (left)

The powerful exoskeleton, which wraps around the wearer's waist and leg, was developed by a team of engineers at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City

HOW DOES IT WORK? Above-knee amputation severely reduces the mobility and quality of life of millions of individuals. Walking with available leg prostheses is highly inefficient, and poor walking economy is a major problem. So, the team from the University of Utah created an AI-powered, autonomous hip exoskeleton. Rather than walk for the person, it is designed to help the residual limb. Testing found it significantly improved metabolic walking economy by 15.6%. All participants were able to walk overground with the exoskeleton, including starting and stopping, without notable changes in gait balance or stability. This study shows that assistance of the user's residual limb with a powered hip exoskeleton is a viable solution for improving amputee walking economy. By significantly reducing the metabolic cost of walking, the hip exoskeleton may have a considerable positive impact on mobility, they found. Advertisement

Above-the-knee amputation severely reduces the mobility and quality of life of millions, in large part because much of the leg's muscles are removed in surgery.

Standard prosthetic legs don't fully replicate the biomechanical functions of a human leg, but the new exoskeleton improves strength and range of motion.

'The consequence of of this, even though you have the ability to move your hip, is your abilities in walking are quite impaired,' said assistant professor, Tommaso Lenzi, who led the design team.

'There is a lack of strength and range of motion,' when you lose a leg, he said.

Above-knee amputees work harder while walking by overexerting their residual-limb and intact-limb muscles to compensate for the lack of energy from the prosthesis.

The goal of Prof Lenzi's exoskeleton is to provide that extra energy so walking feels natural again, making it as close to having two natural legs as possible.

The device features a lightweight, efficient electromechanical actuator connected to the user's thigh above the amputation.

A harness around the waist contains custom electronic systems, microcontrollers, and sensors running advanced control algorithms.

'The exoskeleton's AI understands how the person moves and assists how the person moves,' said Dante Archangeli, graduate student and co-author.

'The actuator can be swapped between the right and left side of the main harness to accommodate either leg.'

The device features a lightweight, efficient electromechanical actuator connected to the user's thigh above the amputation

The goal of Prof Lenzi's exoskeleton is to provide that extra energy so walking feels natural again, making it as close to having two natural legs as possible

Unlike the powered suit that gives the Marvel superhero, Iron Man, added strength or other exoskeleton suits that aid workers with lifting heavy loads, Prof Lenzi's exoskeleton gives the user just enough extra power for walking.

The professor likens it to an electric bike with a motor that gives the rider assistance in pedaling the bike uphill.

The team of researchers conducted a study in which six people with above-knee amputations tested the exoskeleton while their metabolic rate was recorded.

The patients walked on a treadmill with and without the device on while their oxygen intake and carbon dioxide levels were measured.

It has been designed for above-the-knee amputees and uses battery-powered electric motors and embedded microprocessors to reduce walking effort

The 5.4lb frame is made of carbon-fibre material, plastic composites and aluminium and can walk for miles between charges, according to its creators

Those wearing it saw a 15.6 per cent reduction in their metabolic rate, equivalent to taking off a 26-pound backpack while out on a long walk, the team said

STAN SCHAAR, 74, TESTED THE NEW EXOSKELETON Stan Schaar, who lost his left leg in an accident while helping a neighbour, never thought he would feel the sensation of effortlessly walking with two healthy legs again. Stan Schaar testing the exoskeleton suit Then he slipped on a new experimental exoskeleton. 'It just felt like a big wind was behind me, pushing me down the road,' the 74-year-old Salt Lake County, Utah, man says about using the new device. For Schaar, the experience of using the exoskeleton was as close to his human leg as anything, he says. 'The first time I used it, it was like my muscles were totally fused with this exoskeleton, and it was helping them move faster,' he said. 'It helped my leg to relax and just move forward and walk. I could probably walk for miles with this thing on because it was helping my muscles.' Seven years ago, Schaar was helping his friend jump-start two pickups when one of the vehicles accidentally lurched forward, crushing his leg. In the amputation surgery, and a follow-up surgery, doctors had to remove much of his leg muscles. 'I'm a person who doesn't have a lot of muscle left in my limb,' he says. 'This device makes up for a lot of what they had to take away. There's nothing that will ever replace a flesh-and-bone leg, but this comes pretty close.' Advertisement

All of those who tested the exoskeleton improved their metabolic rate  in other words, reduced their energy consumption  an average of 15.6% with it on.

'It's equivalent to taking off a 26-pound backpack. That is a really big improvement,' he says, adding 'we're very close to what an average person would expend at the same speed.

'The metabolic consumption is almost indistinguishable from that of an able-bodied person, depending on the fitness level.'

Stan Schaar, who lost his left leg in an accident while helping a neighbour, said he never thought he would feel the sensation of effortlessly walking with two legs.

Then he slipped on a new experimental exoskeleton and said 'It just felt like a big wind was behind me, pushing me down the road.'

Schaar, 74, said the experience of using the exoskeleton was as close to his human leg as anything, he says.

'The first time I used it, it was like my muscles were totally fused with this exoskeleton, and it was helping them move faster,' he said.

'It helped my leg to relax and just move forward and walk. I could probably walk for miles with this thing on because it was helping my muscles move.'

'I'm a person who doesn't have a lot of muscle left in my residual limb,' he says. 'This device makes up for a lot of what they had to take away.

'There's nothing that will ever replace a flesh-and-bone leg, but this comes pretty close. I hope they get this thing on the market soon.'

Prof Lenzi said that moment could happen quickly. He believes the exoskeleton could become available in as early as a couple of years.

A $985,000 (724,000) grant from the US Department of Defense funded the development of this new exoskeleton technology for the benefit of veterans.

Earlier this year, Prof Lenzi and his team received a new $584,000 (429,000) grant from the National Science Foundation to further develop the device.

This could include further clinical studies to optimise the device and improve its efficacy for people with different types of amputation.

The findings have been published in the journal Nature Medicine.
Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket is a go for launch today, following a one-day delay due to windy weather.

The Jeff Bezos-founded company's lead flight director, Nick Patrick, gave several updates about the launch earlier this week, which will take actor William Shatner, 90, Chris Boshuizen, Glen de Vries and Audrey Powers into space, 62 miles above Earth's surface.

Speaking from Launch Site One in Texas, Patrick announced lift off is now at 10am ET instead of the original 9:30am  the rocket rollout was pushed back a a half hour due to wind.

The NS-18 rocket is scheduled to rollout seven and half hours before liftoff, followed by propellant load three hours before and then the astronauts will head inside the capsule 35 minutes prior to take off.

Patrick also said the crew completed their first day of training Sunday, were off yesterday due to the slip in the original schedule and spent Tuesday completing launch training.

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Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket is a go for launch Wednesday, following a one day delay due to windy weather

'The training itself was designed to do three things for our astronauts,' Patrick said during a video interview.

'The first thing is it's designed to train them on the safety systems that we have onboard the crew capsule and the expected responses from the crew if we were to have an emergency.'

The second is to prepare the crew for the unexpected aspects of spaceflight such as strange noises, bumps and accelerations, Patrick explained.

The third part of training teaches the crew how to behave in zero-gravity inside the cabin without colliding with their flight mates, he continued.

The mission will take will take William Shatner (2nd from right), Chris Boshuizen (right), Glen de Vries (left) and Audrey Powers (2nd from left) 62 miles above Earth's surface

The NS-18 rocket is scheduled to rollout seven and half hours before lift-off, followed by propellant load three hours before and then the astronauts will head inside the capsule 35 minutes prior to take off

'I am very confident that we will learn tomorrow that this training has gone well for these four astronauts and we will be ready to launch them,' said Patrick.

The four individuals are scheduled to pile inside a truck to the launch tower 45 minutes before lift-off.

The crew will then climb the tower, ring a bell that hangs at one end of the crossing and strap into the fully autonomous 60-foot-tall New Shepard rocket, ultimately blasting off from a base in the west Texas town of Van Horn on a journey to the edge of space.

The crew completed their first day of training Sunday, were off yesterday due to the slip in the original schedule and spent Tuesday completing launch training

Pictured is William Shatner entering the capsule during training

Here is Chris Boshuizen and William Shatner training inside the Blue Origin capsule

'I'm going to see the vastness of space and the extraordinary miracle of our Earth and how fragile it is compared to the forces at work in the universe,' Shatner, who is poised to become the oldest person in space, told NBC's 'Today' program.

'I'm thrilled and anxious - and a little nervous and a little frightened - about this whole new adventure.'

The launch represents another crucial test of Blue Origin as the company competes against billionaire-backed rivals - Elon Musk's SpaceX and Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic - to attract customers willing to pay large amounts of money to experience the exhilaration of spaceflight.

The New Shepard rocket is scheduled to rollout two and half hours before liftoff, followed by propellant load three hours before and then the astronauts will load inside the capsule just 35 mins prior to take off

Branson beat Bezos to space by just 10 days, as he and an entourage soared 53 miles above Earth's surface in July, however Bezos climbed two miles higher when he took to the skies.

Although Musk has yet to take the journey himself, his firm recently sent four civilians into orbit last moth for a three-day trip around Earth.

Musk has, however, purchased a seat on Branson's space tourism rocket - but has yet to reveal when he will take the epic journey.
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After several delays and cost overruns, the James Webb Space Telescope is almost ready to go into space.

The $10 billion telescope, the successor to the Hubble, arrived in French Guiana on Tuesday, following a 16-day sea voyage onboard the MN Colibri.

The 1,500 mile trip saw the telescope leave Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach in California on September 26, enter the Panama Canal on October 5, before making its way to Port de Pariacabo, French Guiana.

After it's unloaded from the cargo ship, it will be driven to its launch site in Kourou, French Guiana, where it will undergo two months of preparations before it is launched into space on an Ariane 5 rocket on December 18.

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The $10 billion James Webb Space Telescope is almost ready to go into orbit, having arrived in South America

The $10 billion telescope, the successor to the Hubble, arrived in French Guiana on Tuesday, following a 16-day sea voyage onboard the MN Colibri (pictured)

The 1,500 mile trip saw the telescope leave Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach on September 26, enter the Panama Canal on October 5, before making its way to Port de Pariacabo, French Guiana

The JWST is a joint project between NASA, the European Space Agency and the Canadian space agency, CSA.

It will allow astronomers to look further back into the history of the universe than ever.

'The James Webb Space Telescope is a colossal achievement, built to transform our view of the universe and deliver amazing science,' said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson in a statement.

'Webb will look back over 13 billion years to the light created just after the big bang, with the power to show humanity the farthest reaches of space that we have ever seen. We are now very close to unlocking mysteries of the cosmos, thanks to the skills and expertise of our phenomenal team.'

By looking back more than 13 billion years, astronomers hope the JWST will be able detect the light from some of the first stars in the universe

In June, a NASA spokesman told DailyMail.com that a launch would happen 'no earlier than October 31.'

By looking back more than 13 billion years, astronomers hope the JWST will be able detect the light from some of the first stars in the universe, which is widely assumed to be approximately 13.8 billion years old.

Though it's often billed as a successor to the Hubble, Marcia Rieke, a Regents Professor of Astronomy at the University of Arizona's Steward Observatory, believes it is an 'entirely new and different beast.'

'The Hubble and Spitzer Space Telescopes revolutionized our understanding of the cosmos,' she said in a separate statement.

'But with Webb, we'll be able to probe galaxies much closer to the Big Bang than ever before.'

The telescope will observe the Universe in the near-infrared and mid-infrared  at wavelengths longer than visible light.

To do so, it carries a suite of state-of-the-art cameras, spectrographs and coronagraphs.

It has the largest astronomical mirror ever sent into space, a 21ft 4 inch behemoth.

The mirror is protected by a five-layer sunshield, which NASA previously said is 'designed to keep Webb's mirrors and scientific instruments cold by blocking infrared light from the Earth, Moon and Sun.'

It has the largest astronomical mirror ever sent into space, a 21ft 4 inch behemoth

The telescope is currently in a folded state and engineers will want to make sure that it was not damaged in transit.

'We don't have the equipment to do any of the deployments here so we'll be restricted just to switch-on and electrical checks to see that everything is OK,' ESA project manager Peter Rumler told BBC News.

Engineers started their assembly on the telescope in 2013 at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

NASA recently unfolded the giant mirror of the James Webb Space Telescope 'like a piece of origami artwork' one last time ahead of its launch later this year

In 2017, it was shipped to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston for cryogenic testing and a year later, it was shipped to California's Space Park, undergoing three years of testing.

After the telescope is removed from the shipping container and the final checks on its condition are run, it will be configured for flight and then mounted on top of the Ariane 5 rocket, before being enclosed for launch.

'Now that Webb has arrived in Kourou, we're getting it ready for launch in December  and then we will watch in suspense over the next few weeks and months as we launch and ready the largest space telescope ever built,' Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate said.

When the telescope its final location in orbit, 'one million miles from Earth,' according to NASA program director Greg Robinson, it will be the largest and most powerful telescope ever sent to the space

The Ariane 5 rocket will deliver the telescope directly into a precision transfer orbit towards its destination, the second Lagrange point (L2).

A Lagrange point sits between two large orbiting bodies, in this case the Sun and Earth and L2 sits in the centre of the two bodies.

After separation from the launcher, Webb will continue its four-week long journey to L2 alone, before becoming established and beginning observations.

L2 is four times farther away than the moon at about 932,000 miles (1.5 million km) from Earth in the direction away from the sun.

When it reaches its final location in orbit, 'one million miles from Earth,' according to NASA program director Greg Robinson, it will be the largest and most powerful telescope ever sent to the space.

INSTRUMENTS ON THE JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE NIRCam (Near InfraRed Camera) an infrared imager from the edge of the visible through the near infrared NIRSpec (Near InfraRed Spectrograph) will also perform spectroscopy over the same wavelength range. MIRI (Mid-InfraRed Instrument) will measure the mid-to-long-infrared wavelength range from 5 to 27 micrometers. FGS/NIRISS (Fine Guidance Sensor and Near Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph), is used to stabilize the line-of-sight of the observatory during science observations. Advertisement

'We are very excited to finally send the world's next great observatory into deep space,' Robinson said.

Webb will 'capture stunning images of the first galaxies in the early universe that are certain to transform our understanding of our place in the cosmos,' Robinson added.

In July, NASA said the JWST would study a planetary system 63-light years from Earth, known as Beta Pictoris.

The next milestone ahead of the expected December 18 launch is another launch by an Ariane 5 rocket on October 22, Rumler told the BBC.

If that were delayed, it could push back the launch of the JWST, which has been pushed back multiple times, including for reasons related to the Ariane 5 rocket.

Such delays are typical for NASA in a complicated launch where everything must go just right. But it's a disappointment for the agency, nonetheless, which originally sought to send the telescope into space as early as 2007.

Construction on the telescope started 25 years ago, in 1996, with a $500 million budget and proposed 2007 launch.

Since then, constant set backs, production issues and later issues pairing the folding observatory with Ariane 5, led to a spike in the budget and late launch.

In July 2020, the launch of the telescope was pushed back to October 31, 2021 from March 2021, due in part to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It was initially scheduled to launch as early as 2007, however the telescope has faced a number of delays in recent years.

Some of the delays have been technical issues, which have raised the price of the telescope from the initial estimate of $1.6 billion to the $10 billion it currently costs.

It will offer unprecedented insight into the atmospheric composition of gas dwarf planets.

The massive telescope will be used to look back to the first galaxies born in the early universe more than 13.5 billion years ago.

It will observe the sources of stars, exoplanets, as well as the moons and planets in the solar system.

In doing so, it will use the most advanced technologies to make observations including infrared light, learning about atmospheres of target worlds that have entirely different chemistry from Earth.

Earlier this year, researchers at The Ohio State University said the telescope could detect a signature of life on other planets in as little as 60 hours and may do so by 2026.

Researchers believe the James Webb Telescope could prove the existence of life on another planet could be proved as early as 2026
Tyson Fury has outlined sensational plans to host a world title fight at Old Trafford - and upstage Cristiano Ronaldo in the process.

The Gypsy King is perhaps the one Manchester United supporter who isn't happy to let Ronaldo have centre stage all to himself after his fantastic victory over Deontay Wilder in Las Vegas at the weekend.

Fury even cheekily told Ronaldo that Manchester 'ain't big enough for both of us' as he opened up on his hope of a homecoming in the future.

Tyson Fury wants to fight in Manchester after defeating Deontay Wilder once again

The Gypsy King told Cristiano Ronaldo 'Manchester ain't big enough for the both of us'

Speaking to The Sun, Fury said: 'I have two fights left out here (in Vegas) but I'd love to bring a world title fight back to Manchester.

'It has always been a dream of mine to fight at Old Trafford. The last fight there was Eubank versus Benn in 1993 (it finished as a draw) and that was massive.

'I'm really happy Ronaldo's back at Old Trafford - but this town ain't big enough for the both of us!

'If I lived in Manchester it would be a problem. But I'm an hour up the motorway in Morecambe so he's got plenty of distance.'

Fury has been spotted at Old Trafford on numerous occasions and his United fandom is well known.

Fury is a United supporter and has been seen at Old Trafford supporting the Red Devils

The last fight at Old Trafford was back in 1993 when Chris Eubank fought Nigel Benn

Recently he was interviewed by Gary Neville for The Overlap, where the former United defender gifted Fury a painting of Eric Cantona, one of his favourite players.

Fury will be hoping United can follow his lead and return to winning ways when the Premier League resumes this weekend.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men meet Leicester at the King Power stadium but haven't won in their last two league outings, drawing with Everton and losing to Aston Villa.

United are fourth in the Premier League standings but only two points behind leaders Chelsea.
Eden Hazard could be set to make a stunning return to Chelsea after the club opened 'informal' talks with Real Madrid over the Belgian winger.

Hazard left Chelsea to join Real Madrid for 115million (98m) in 2019 but he has struggled to make a major impact in Spain.

The 30-year-old has missed more games (57) than he's played in for the Spanish giants (51) during a disappointing injury-hit spell at the Bernabeu.

Chelsea have reportedly opened 'informal' talks with Real Madrid over re-signing Eden Hazard

Spanish outlet El Nacional reports that Chelsea have already started informal talks regarding a move for the Belgian.

Blues owner Roman Abramovich is increasingly convinced' that the 30-year old can rediscover his best form with a return to Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea have reportedly asked Florentino Perez about bringing Hazard back to London and the player would be open to a move.

The Belgian winger, 30, left Chelsea to join Real Madrid for 98m in 2019

Real Madrid are keen to get rid of the player and recover part of the 115 million that they paid Chelsea to sign Hazard.

The Blues would reportedly not be willing to pay more than 40m (33m).
Newcastle United's new owners are reportedly interested in appointing either Frank Lampard or Lucien Favre as the club's new manager with Steve Bruce's departure imminent.

The Magpies were subject of a highly-publicised 305m takeover from the Saudi-led consortium last week and reports indicate that they are ready to appoint a new manager, with Bruce's days numbered.

And they are considering ex-Chelsea player and manager Frank Lampard and former Borussia Dortmund boss Lucien Favre as their first appointment, according to The Telegraph.

Newcastle United director Amanda Staveley looks set to change the manager straight away

Both Frank Lampard (L) or Lucien Favre (R) are being considered as the club's new manager

The same report details that Bruce is expected to be sacked in the next 48 hours, ahead of Sunday's home game against Tottenham.

The Toon are currently 19th in the Premier League table and are winless from their opening seven games.

A 2-1 loss away at Wolves last Saturday is highly likely to be Bruce's last game in charge.

Despite that, new director Amanda Staveley and her husband Mehrdad Ghodouss did hold a meeting with Bruce on Monday at the training ground which was said to be 'cordial'.

Bruce is expected to be sacked in the next 48 hours, ahead of Sunday's game against Spurs

Lampard, meanwhile, has been out of work since being sacked in January by the Blues following a poor run of form.

His successor, Thomas Tuchel, guided Chelsea to a famous Champions League triumph and a top-four spot.

Favre, 63, was shown the door by Dortmund at the end of last season and turned down the Crystal Palace job in the summer, reportedly reticent of taking charge of a team likely to be in the bottom-half of the Premier League.
Visitors should note the house isn't open to the public, but it is visible from walking trails on the coastline

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It's the amazing house that's stuck between a rock and a hard place.

This abode in the coastal village of Plougrescant in Brittany, France, dates back to 1861 and was sandwiched - in spectacular fashion - between two huge rocks to help protect it from the area's notorious storms.

It's called Castel Meur, but is also known as La Maison du Gouffre, or 'the house in the chasm'.

Castel Meur, pictured, in the coastal village of Plougrescant, Brittany, was sandwiched between two granite boulders to help protect it from the area's notorious storms

Brittany's tourism board describes Plougrescant as the region's 'crazy northernmost point'. Castel Meur has long been one of the area's main attractions

To understand how the property came into being, wind the clock back to the 19th century when no planning permission was required to build a home on this spot on the Cotes-d'Armor coastline.

According to The Connexion, one man was so enamoured by the Plougrescant peninsula he decided he wanted to build a cottage on the site, between two giant slabs of granite. As an extra precaution against the weather, the building was constructed with its back turned against the sea.

The cottage stayed in the family for years to come, but after the turn of the 20th century, it was only inhabited periodically as a holiday home.

In 2004, the original owners granddaughter relocated from the US to France and moved into the picturesque cottage.

In the meantime, the cottage had acquired celebrity status in Plougrescant. Its image was printed on the front of a postcard, which made its way around the world, inviting tourists to explore the region  and have a gawp at the unconventional cottage.

It all came to a head when a group of tourists clambered onto the roof of Castel Meur to capture a photograph, damaging the property in the process.

The unconventional cottage in Plougrescant dates back to 1861 - a time when building permissions were not needed

According to reports, the owner then obtained legal rights to the image of the property, which no longer features on postcards or advertisements of the area. A wall was also built around the property, enhancing its privacy.

Those hoping to catch a glimpse of Castel Meur can see the house from nearby coastal pathways. However, visitors should note that it is not open to the public.

Plougrescant is known for its rugged beauty, though the Brittany tourism board describes it as the region's 'crazy northernmost point'.

Those hoping to witness Castel Meur for themselves can see the house from nearby coastal pathways

As for Castel Meur, it says it is 'one of the most picturesque houses in Brittany'.

The tourism board also recommends visiting the Plougrescant chapel which, it reveals, 'looks like it has stepped out of the pages of a fairytale'.

And 450 metres from La Maison du Gouffre visitors will find 'gouffre de la baie denfer', a ravine that translates to the 'chasm of hell bay'. On stormy days, the wind and waves rushing through this parting in the cliffs create a hellish howling sound.

The nearest train station is in the town of Lannion, which is a 30-minute drive from Plougrescant. Brittany's biggest city, Rennes, is a two-hour drive away.
Sunrise host David 'Kochie' Koch had a rather bizarre outburst on Tuesday when he called an SAS Australia recruit 'a bit of a d**k' live on air.

The 65-year-old directed the insult at actor Dan Ewing, who has a reputation for bratty behaviour on Seven's military-style reality show.

While interviewing the show's latest evictee, Olympian Jana Pittman, Kochie asked her: 'Dan Ewing comes across as a bit of a d**k. Is he really like that?'

Awkward! Sunrise host David 'Kochie' Koch (left, with Natalie Barr) had a rather bizarre outburst on Tuesday when he called an SAS Australia recruit 'a bit of a d**k'

He added: 'He keeps talking about himself in the third person, which is a bit weird.'

'Kochie!' exclaimed his co-host Natalie Barr, scolding him for his bad language.

Jana, who has just announced she's pregnant with twins, handled the situation well and had nothing but praise for the former Home and Away star.

'He comes across as a bit of a d**k. Is he really like that?' Kochie directed the insult at actor Dan Ewing (pictured), who has a reputation for bratty behaviour on the military-style reality show

'I love Dan. He's one of my favourites,' she said.

'He's an actor. A lot of athletes do that as well. It's a way of projecting what you're feeling as well,' she said, in reference to Dan talking to himself in the third person.

She added that she admires Dan, 36, for speaking about his mental health and how he uses meditation and yoga to better himself.

'We need to celebrate that as well. He was one of my biggest supporters on the course. He's a great dad and a true gentleman,' she finished.

Pointed question: While interviewing the show's latest evictee, Olympic runner Jana Pittman (pictured), Kochie asked her if Dan was 'weird' and a 'd**k' in real life

Last month, Dan rubbished claims he talks about himself in the third person, after footage from SAS Australia went viral.

He told the Imperfectly Perfect podcast: 'I worry about any Aussie who hasn't figured out how TV works by now and who actually believes I talk about myself in the third person.

'I mean, I haven't done it before. Why the heck would I magically start now?'

Dan also said he believes viewers aren't getting an honest depiction of what really happened on the show.

Hitting back: Last month, the Home and Away star rubbished claims he talks about himself in the third person, after footage from SAS Australia went viral

'It has more stitch-ups than a patchwork blanket,' he said of the editing.

Fans had mocked the actor after he bizarrely referred to himself in the third person during his introductory video package.

'Stepping into SAS selection is quite interesting undertaking. There's no acting. This is Dan Ewing,' he said.

'So, what does Dan Ewing do when he is sleep deprived? What will Dan do when he hasn't eaten, when he is freezing cold, getting screamed at, called all sorts of things?

'What does Dan Ewing do when his back is against the wall?'

Viewers flocked to Twitter to ridicule his monologue, including one who wrote: 'Why is Dan Ewing referring to himself in the third person?'
The Bachelor's Jimmy Nicholson recently moved into a $1.42million apartment in North Bondi with his girlfriend Holly Kingston.

And on Monday, the 32-year-old pilot put his bulging biceps on display as he was spotted carrying a bag of groceries into his new home.

Jimmy proved to be quite the gentleman as he handled all the heavy lifting while marketing manager Holly, 27, held open the door for him.

Grocery run! The Bachelor's Jimmy Nicholson, 32, flaunted his biceps while bringing in the groceries on Monday, before heading out for date night with his girlfriend Holly Kingston

Jimmy was dressed casually, opting for a grey singlet and grey shorts.

Holly, meanwhile, was dressed in an emerald green activewear set and black cap.

She showed off her natural complexion by going makeup free for the outing.

Thank you kindly! Jimmy proved to be quite the gentleman as he handled all the heavy lifting while marketing manager Holly, 27, held open the door for him

Laid-back: Jimmy was dressed casually, opting for a grey singlet and grey shorts. Holly, meanwhile, was dressed in an emerald green activewear set and black cap

The sighting came hours before the couple celebrated Freedom Day in Sydney by enjoying a night out with Bachelor alum Abbie Chatfield.

Sharing a photo to Instagram while posing alongside Jimmy and Holly, Abbie cheekily showed off her vibrating sex toy.

'Two Bachelor success stories,' she captioned the post.

Date night! The sighting came hours before the couple celebrated Freedom Day in Sydney by enjoying a night out with Bachelor alum Abbie Chatfield (right)

The couple, who fell in love in front of the nation earlier this year, beamed as they enjoyed a sit-down drink at a restaurant in Bondi.

On Sunday, Holly told fans she felt like she and Jimmy were 'dating in reverse' after moving in and meeting each other's families without having gone on a proper date at a restaurant.

'We like to call it dating in reverse. Lapping up our last lockdown picnic before life starts to look a bit more normal for Sydney tomorrow!' she said.
She earned an Emmy nomination for season one of The Flight Attendant.

And Kaley Cuoco was full of attitude in new behind the scenes pictures from work on the second season of the HBO smash.

The Big Bang Theory actress, 35, shared a number of black and white pictures of her and her co-stars smiling in between takes, including one where she flipped her middle finger at the camera.

Flying the bird: Kaley Cuoco oozed attitude in new behind-the-scenes snaps from shooting season two of The Flight Attendant

Kaley kept her caption straight forward, writing: 'Another week in the can alongside my amazing cast and crew @flightattendantonmax season 2.'

Cuoco wore a few different outfits in the photos including a flannel shirt, a knit sweater and a stylish coat.

The star wore her hair long with bangs in the front in the photos, which also featured Zosia Mamet and other co-stars.

The Flight Attendant is a black comedy, thriller show based on the 2018 novel of the same name. It centers around an alcoholic flight attendant who wakes up one morning to find her one-night stand dead.

Hanging with her co-stars: Kaley Cuoco posted a number of pictures of her co-stars including this one with Zosia Mamet

A dark comedy: The Flight Attendant is a black comedy, thriller show that centers around an alcoholic flight attendant who wakes up one morning to find her one-night stand dead

'Show that stuff off': Cuoco said that when she first started on The Big Bang Theory that she didn't mind the low-cut outfits because she wanted to 'show that stuff off'

The show has received much critical acclaim, and it is Cuoco's biggest role since The Big Bang Theory went off the air.

The 8 Simple Rules star recently opened up about the over-sexualization of her character from that The Big Bang Theory, Penny, during the earlier seasons.

The star told W Magazine that she wouldn't dream of wearing outfits like she did back then now, but she wanted to 'show that stuff off.'

'I started Big Bang at 21 years old,' she said. 'I was the cute girl next door to the nerds. It was all about booty shorts, Juicy Couture zip-ups. And as the years went on  Penny grows up, Kaley grows up  all of a sudden it's like, "Can I have a long sleeve shirt? How about a slack? How about a loafer? I never wanna see that high heel again!"'

Back in the spotlight: Cuoco's role in the show is her biggest since The Big Bang Theory went off the air

Staying busy: The actress has several upcoming roles including a movie with Pete Davidson and another with Woody Harrelson

Close friends on set: Cuoco posted a number of photos of Mamet from set

Outside of The Flight Attendant, the star has a few other projects as well.

She is set to star alongside Pete Davidson in the upcoming romantic comedy Meet Cute, and she will also star in an assassin thriller The Man from Toronto.

While her professional life is catching fire, the actress' personal life has faced some turmoil in recent months.

She announced her split with husband Karl Cook early last month and, although he tried to make a claim for spousal support, the couple had an ironclad prenuptial agreement that will protect the Harley Quinn star's fortune.
Tyga is cooperating with authorities after accusations he became physical with ex-girlfriend Camaryn Swanson in the wee hours Monday morning.

The 31-year-old rapper and influencer, 22, allegedly got into a spat after she showed up to his mansion 'screaming in the middle of the night' at 3 a.m.

Swanson then claims during their argument claims that 'Tyga put his hands on her' during an argument, a source told TMZ.

Yikes: Tyga's ex-girlfriend Camaryn Swanson has accused him of getting physical with her, after she came 'to his home around 3 AM after he told her not to' (pictured in 2021)

Family members, who were present during the incident, believed Swanson 'appeared to be under the influence', but Tyga 'still let her inside to talk.'

The fashion designer, who is represented by Genflow Talent, called her mom following the fight to pick her up, before phoning the cops.

The outlet reported that responding officers saw 'visible marks' on her and 'took a report for felony domestic violence.'

Scary incident: After allegedly showing up to the 31-year-old rapper's mansion 'screaming in the middle of the night', the influencer, 22, claims 'Tyga put his hands on her' during an argument, according to TMZ

Exes: Family members, who were present during the incident, believed Swanson 'appeared to be under the influence', but Tyga 'still let her inside to talk' (pictured in April)

Tyga hasn't been arrested and declined to speak with law enforcement that morning, but plans to talk to LAPD to 'tell his side of the story' on Tuesday.

The pair went Instagram official in February, with the influencer sharing a sweet snap of their date at Disneyland Resort in California, captioned with hearts.

It is unclear when they split, but insiders told TMZ they broke up before their latest row.

Messy end: Tyga has not been arrested and declined to immediately speak with law enforcement, but plans to talk to LAPD to 'tell his side of the story' soon

Prior to dating Swanson, Tyga famously had a high-profile relationship with Kylie, 24, but they split in 2017.

The former couple are believed to have begun dating in 2014 but they didn't go public with their romance until late 2015, eventually splitting in March 2017.

Tyga and Kylie have remained on friendly terms ever since they split and even sparked reconciliation rumors when they were seen partying together in 2019.

Better days: The pair went Instagram official in February, with the influencer sharing a sweet snap of their date at Disneyland Resort in California, captioned with hearts

However Kylie then began dating on-off boyfriend Travis Scott and she welcomed their daughter Stormi, now three, in 2018.

The couple recently announced they are expecting their second child, who is due sometime in early 2022.

Meanwhile, Tyga also has a son called King Cairo Stevenson, eight, whom he shares with Blac Chyna.
Blac Chyna was seen yelling about vaccinations in a terminal at Miami International Airport on Sunday.

The 33-year-old, as seen in a clip posted on TMZ, had focused her attention toward another person at the travel hub, with an onlooker telling the outlet that Chyna's screaming was prompted by 'a woman with a baby who asked for a photo'.

'Go get f****** vaccinated, stop being stupid h**,' the star was heard saying in the explosive exchange, which was filmed from afar by another traveler.

Explosive: Blac Chyna, 33, was seen yelling about vaccinations at a woman who asked for a photo in a terminal at Miami International Airport on Sunday

The Washington D.C. native, whose real name is Angela Renee White, was flanked by bodyguards at the airport.

Clearly finding the exchange awkward, other onlookers could be seen glancing back at the media personality, who shares her four-year-old daughter Dream with Rob Kardashian and son King, 8, with rapper Tyga.

Chyna had her hair dyed blue and wore a colorful coat with sunglasses in the airport exchange.

Police told TMZ that no calls were made in connection with the incident.

Blue: Chyna had her hair dyed blue and wore a colorful coat with sunglasses in the heated airport exchange

Focusing her attention: Chyna had focused her attention toward another person at the travel hub

Caught on camera: She was heard saying, 'Go get f****** vaccinated, stop being stupid h**' in the exchange, which was filmed from afar by another traveler

The star was seen in an Instagram livestream earlier this year receiving a vaccination shot from a health professional.

Elsewhere, Blac Chyna last month appeared on the podcast Behind The Velvet Rope with David Yontef, where she spoke on people's misconceptions about her.

She said that the most prevalent ones was that she's motivated by money and doesn't work hard.

'Like everything that I have, like, I work super hard for,' she said. 'Neither one of my children's fathers on child support, you know what I mean?

'Like I get out and I like grind every day and that, um, that's that's really it. Or maybe that I am mean. I am not even mean though. It's people that mess with me.'

Details: Sources told TMZ that a woman with a baby had asked the celeb to take a picture, prior to Blac Chyna's loud remarks on the topic

Security: The Washington D.C. native was flanked by bodyguards at the airport

She also dished her opinions on ex Rob's family, giving her thoughts on Kim Kardashian, 40, and Kanye West's, 44, recent split as well as Khloe, 37, and Tristan Thompson's, 30, ongoing relationship drama.

Kim and Kanye famously tied the knot on May 24, 2014 in Italy. She filed for divorce in February but has remained fiercely supportive of the rapper.

Dishing her opinion on their recent split, Blac Chyna said: 'I feel like, you know, some people grow apart, you know what I mean? Some people stay together.

'As long as they do what's right for the kids, that's all that matters. And just keep the babies first and just be respectful on both ends then they should, they should be fine.

Interview: Blac Chyna last month appeared on the podcast Behind The Velvet Rope with David Yontef, where she spoke about the Kardashians

'I don't feel like anybody should be in a place where... as though they're not happy. I feel like everybody deserves to be happy. And that's just that.

'And in anything in between that they do share, like, you know, like kids are businesses and things like that, let that be the main focus. That's what I feel about that

'And co-parent and just live and just be happy. Be happy. Listen Just be happy and be at peace. That is everything.'

Split: Kim, 40, and Kanye, 44, famously tied the knot on May 24, 2014 in Italy. She filed for divorce in February but has remained fiercely supportive of him (Pictured with their kids)

Blac Chyna also spoke about Khloe, who has been cheated on by on/off boyfriend Tristan Thompson numerous times, and most recently temporarily split from him in June 2021.

The model said of the numerous cheating scandals: 'Stuff like that, it happens so often, it's like just in regular life.

'This stuff is just front street. You know what I mean? And some people mess up, some people don't, it's just whatever, whatever it is.

'If at the end of the day somebody make a mistake, but at the very end of the day, if he makes you happy, then do that, sweetheart. You get what I'm saying? That would be my advice, but that's it. And then it is what it is. You know what I mean?

'I know a lot of girls that's gotten cheated on is still with the dudes. So it's like, I don't know. Yea. Whatever makes her happy. Them happy. I don't know. Have a blast.'

Scandals: The model said of the numerous cheating scandals: 'Stuff like that, it happens so often, it's like just in regular life'
Sylvia Jeffreys and her husband Peter Stefanovic were every inch the doting parents as they enjoyed a family day out with their two sons last week.

The couple visited a beachside park with Oscar Hamilton, one, and Henry George, five months, in Sydney.

Today Extra presenter Sylvia first enjoyed a bike ride, before stopping to have a picnic and some playtime with her young tots.

Peekaboo! Sylvia Jeffreys and Peter Stefanovic doted over their two adorable sons Oscar, one, and Henry, five months, during a picnic at a beachside park last week

The 35-year-old looked sporty in a pair of black leggings and a white T-shirt.

Meanwhile, Peter, 39, who enjoyed collecting shells with Oscar, dressed casually for the outing in a navy T-shirt and multi-coloured shorts.

At one stage, Sylvia was spotted playing peekaboo with Oscar as he playfully removed his mum's white cap.

Doting dad: Peter, 39, who enjoyed collecting shells with Oscar, dressed casually for the outing in a navy T-shirt and multi-coloured shorts

Cute: At one stage, Sylvia was spotted playing peekaboo with Oscar as he playfully removed his mum's white cap

Casual: Sylvia, 35, looked sporty in a pair of black leggings and a white T-shirt

The family's outing comes as Sylvia revealed her struggles during the last four months in lockdown.

Speaking to 9Honey, Sylvia said: 'It's been awful not having our family close by. I just want to share my babies with my family, that's been the hardest thing.'

The mum-of-two and her Sky News presenter husband both live in Sydney, but have family which reside in Queensland, which made the lockdown even harsher.

However, she is thrilled about the lockdown rules being lifted as she hopes to reunite with loved ones soon.

'I know how much harder it is for so many people, especially people on the front line who are working so hard to keep us all safe and that's the most important thing.

Smitten: She was also seen singing to her five-month-old son as the family enjoyed some fresh air

'But that's my little selfish gripe I suppose, that we're not connected with the rest of the family, I know it will come soon enough and I know we're separated for good reason but I guess it's just human to miss that connection,' she added.

However, during an episode of Today Extra in September, she mentioned the silver lining has been being able to have plenty to time to 'bond' with her sons.

Sylvia and Peter began dating in 2013 after meeting at Nine and were engaged in 2016 while on holiday in France.

The couple tied the knot at the Ooralba Estate in Kangaroo Valley on April 1, 2017.
Hollywood star Chris Hemsworth is in the best shape of his life.

And the 38-year-old actor flaunted his bulging biceps as he stepped out with his wife Elsa Pataky in Byron Bay.

The Thor star showed off his muscular physique in a tight white T-shirt as he visited his local shops.

Out and about: Barefoot Chris Hemsworth displayed his bulging biceps in a tight T-shirt as he went shopping with his wife Elsa Pataky in Byron Bay

He teamed his ensemble with grey shorts, a green cap and black sunglasses for the outing.

Chris went barefoot as he held a grey bag and walked alongside his wife Elsa, who dressed casually in pink jeans and a T-shirt.

The Spanish-born beauty also wore grey sneakers and sunglasses.

Elsa tied her long brunette locks in a high bun and appeared to be wearing a neutral palette of makeup.

Mr Muscles! The Thor star showed off his muscular physique in a tight white T-shirt as he visited his local shops

Accessories: He teamed his ensemble with grey shorts, a green cap and black sunglasses for the outing

Barefoot: Chris went barefoot as he held a grey bag and walked alongside his wife Elsa, who dressed casually in pink jeans and a T-shirt

The outing comes as Chris prepares to travel to Europe to film the sequel to Netflix's smash hit Extraction.

According to Variety, production was due to begin in NSW but has moved to Prague, in the Czech Republic.

Producers reportedly made the decision to relocate to Prague over fears a single Covid case could lead to a total shutdown - which is what happened to the Russell Crowe-directed thriller Poker Face in Sydney recently.

'Other sources put the move into a wider context, explaining that Hemsworth's tight schedule and the growing uncertainties associated with shooting in Australia make relocation a safe choice,' the website added.

Low profile: The Spanish-born beauty also wore grey sneakers and sunglasses

Natural beauty: Elsa tied her long brunette locks in a high bun and appeared to be wearing a neutral palette of makeup

New project: The outing comes as Chris prepares to travel to Europe to film the sequel to Netflix's smash hit Extraction

Last July, Extraction was named Netflix's most-watched original film of all time.

Extraction follows Tyler Rake (Hemsworth), a former SASR operator-turned-mercenary who is hired by India's biggest drug lord to rescue his son who was kidnapped by Bangladesh's biggest drug lord.

The film is based on the graphic novel Ciudad by Ande Parks, Fernando Leon Gonzalez, Eric Skillman, and the Russo brothers.

New location: According to Variety, production was due to begin in NSW but has moved to Prague, in the Czech Republic

Pandemic: Producers reportedly made the decision to relocate to Prague over fears a single Covid case could lead to a total shutdown - which is what happened to the Russell Crowe-directed thriller Poker Face in Sydney recently
Helen Mirren looked sensational as she attended a screening of The Renaissance Awards in Florence, Italy on Monday.

The Oscar-winner, 76, wowed in a black sequinned dress with sheer sleeves as she mingled with Colin Firth's ex- wife Livia at the event.

She paired the outfit with simple black pumps and a black hairband, adding a touch of sparkle with silver earrings.

Wow: Helen Mirren looked sensational as she attended a screening of The Renaissance Awards in Florence, Italy on Monday

The star accessorised with a gold handbag and radiant make-up.

The Renaissance Awards are the first global awards dedicated to the work of international young leaders on sustainability.

Earlier this month the star looked sensational as she donned a monochrome trouser suit to walk in the L'Oreal Paris show at the city's Fashion Week.

The Queen actress looked chic in her attire as she teetered on a pair of chunky platform heels on the catwalk.

Yay: The Oscar-winner, 76, wowed in a black sequinned dress with sheer sleeves as she mingled with Colin Firth's ex-wife Livia at the event (above with Lamont Marcell Jacobs)

Pals: Helen stunned as she posed with a glamorous Lina Sastri

Chat: Helen looked stunning with her hair in a sleek ponytail

Good cause: The Renaissance Awards are the first global awards dedicated to the work of international young leaders on sustainability

Her hair was tied back into a bun on top of her head to leave her heavy black eye make-up on show.

The star wore a pair of large hoop earrings and struck a pose as she reached the end of the catwalk, looking every inch the professional model.

Dame Helen was spotted in the French capital a day prior as she headed for a fitting for the fashion event.

She could be seen wearing an elegant black dress with a red rose print as she headed into the building.

Model behaviour: Earlier this month the star looked sensational as she donned a monochrome trouser suit to walk in the L'Oreal Paris show at the city's Fashion Week

Made up: Her hair was tied back into a bun on top of her head to leave her heavy black eye make-up on show

Stepping out: The Queen actress looked chic in her attire as she teetered on a pair of chunky platform heels on the catwalk

The screen star wore a beige raincoat over the top of her dress as she wrapped up warm against the cool autumn air.

Dame Helen visited the Colorado earlier this month to promote her new film The Duke at the Telluride Film Festival in Colorado.

The flick, set for release in February next year, follows the story of a taxi driver, Kempton Bunton who steals Goya's painting of The Duke Of Wellington.

Fashion forward: The star wore a pair of large hoop earrings and struck a pose as she reached the end of the catwalk, looking every inch the professional model

Dame Helen transforms into dowdy cleaner Dorothy Bunton in a recent trailer of the newly-released film, where she stars alongside Jim Broadbent (who plays Kempton).

Speaking about being part of The Duke, she said earlier this year: 'The whole story took me by surprise. You would want to take it with a pinch of salt if it wasn't all true.

'I loved the charm of the script; it was sweet and very endearing. I love the 1960s, it was a more naive, innocent time.

Landmark event: Dame Helen was spotted in the French capital a day prior as she headed for a fitting for the fashion event which took place in front of the Eiffel Tower

Glamour: The star was seen having her smoky eye make-up applied backstage

Primped: The star looked sensational as she prepared for the show

Siren: She posed up with Beatrice Vio ahead of the catwalk

Star power: Dame Helen could be seen applauding as she posed with her fellow models at the end of the show

Pared down: The star slipped into a colourful printed skirt as she stepped out in Paris earlier in the day

'Dorothy is the practical one, which the woman so often is in the family; she is keeping the family going. Kempton is the dreamer, but he is very committed and courageous in many ways.

'We should not only take a leaf out of Kempton's book, but also Dorothy's - dreaming is all very well, but you still need to pay the bills! So, let's hear it for the practical people in life too.

'It's very important when playing an old married couple that the audience believe that relationship. With Jim, I slipped into the role of his wife very easily, there was no effort on my part.'

Screen star: Dame Helen is known for her film and television work, starring as Queen Elizabeth II in 2006 historical drama The Queen
Stanley Johnson was delighted when his son, Boris, and daughter-in-law, Carrie, declared that they were getting him beavers for his 80th birthday last year.

Sadly, the Im A Celebrity star has revealed that the furry rodents never did arrive at his Exmoor estate  and he was instead handed the pelt of a dead beaver by Boris.

The Prime Minister actually promised to give me some beavers for my birthday down on the farm in Somerset, Stanley says.

The Im A Celebrity star has revealed that the furry rodents never did arrive at his Exmoor estate  and he was instead handed the pelt of a dead beaver by Boris

To add insult to injury, the animals skin was in fact a gift to the PM and his wife from their good friend, the environmentalist Derek Gow

Its turned into something slightly more complicated, because the Government havent yet authorised the release of beavers to wild rivers. So he actually arrived with a beaver skin instead.

To add insult to injury, the animals skin was in fact a gift to the PM and his wife from their good friend, the environmentalist Derek Gow, who has a rewilding farm in Devon. Gow breeds beavers and wildcats in the hope of releasing them into the wild, and procured the pelt from a beaver which was run over by a vehicle in Bavaria, Germany.

He owned it for educational purposes; beavers became extinct in this country 400 years ago as they were hunted for their thick, warm coats.

Gow wonders if Carrie rejected the gift because, although she loves animals, she may be disgusted by their fur

Luckily, Gow also has a thick skin. I do not care that Boris has given the gift away, he tells me, adding: Stanley is a lovely man and has done a lot for the environment.

Gow wonders if Carrie rejected the gift because, although she loves animals, she may be disgusted by their fur: Like with every present, some of them are useful and others may be repulsive and better given to your parents.

Stanley hopes to be allowed to release wild beavers on his estate once the Government makes it legal to do so.

Boris hinted at such a plan during his keynote speech at the Conservative Party conference, when he declared: Build back beaver.

While Boris and Carrie enjoy a luxurious stay at his grand Marbella villa, Zac Goldsmith is on an enviable trip of his own. I hear hes been taking tours of beautiful rainforests and attending banquets in Colombia, even though its on the red list of seven Covid-hit countries.

The South American nation is off-limits to most Brits as visitors must spend 11 nights in a quarantine hotel at 2,285 a head on their return.

Luckily for Lord Goldsmith, hes there on Government business so is exempt from the restrictions.

Jamie seeks a Duke of Fork

Prince Charles and Naked Chef Jamie Oliver are searching for a Duke of Fork

Here's a double whammy of an opportunity to work for Prince Charles and Naked Chef Jamie Oliver. The unlikely pair are searching for a Duke of Fork to run their latest project.

The new head of their Food For The Future campaign will be paid up to 35,000 a year to teach schoolchildren in the south of Scotland to think about food and waste in a completely different way.

Whoever gets the plum role will be based at Dumfries House in Ayrshire and will also work with C4 star Jimmy Doherty, who presents Jimmys Farm.

Jamie Oliver says of the work: Ive developed a series of recipes, tips and hacks to show the kids taking part how to make their food go further so they can limit food waste at home.

Parents had better brace themselves to be scolded for throwing away potato peelings.

Beard lays bare her own history

Did Professor Mary Beard indulge in more licentious activities at university than the library- led existence that she has previously disclosed?

Beard interviews Sex Pistols biographer Jon Savage for the Cambridge University Classics magazine, and he tells her: I spent my first two years at Cambridge in a blizzard of drugs . . . as soon as there were other attractions like sex and drugs, academic work took second place.

To which the BBC Arts presenter replies: I was more of a swot, even if I did some of the stuff that you did, too.

Do tell us more about those wild Dionysian nights, Mary.

Drenched in fizz. Ah well, Tigerlily is a rock star's daughter...

Tigerlily Taylor, appears to have developed his sense of fun

Describing it as the best weekend of my life, she later treated her pals to a jam session on the drums

Queen drummer Roger Taylor partied so hard in his heyday that fellow rock star Steven Tyler once claimed he spent a lost week in a hotel room with him.

Now, his exotically named daughter, Tigerlily Taylor, appears to have developed his sense of fun.

The lingerie model, who attended 38,130-a-year Bedales School with Cara Delevingne, celebrated her 27th birthday with friends at the weekend. But far from having a quiet night in, Tigerlily, whose mother is former model Debbie Leng, was sprayed with champagne while wearing a skimpy green satin dress with hot pink lace.

She then waded, fully clothed, into the indoor swimming pool.

Describing it as the best weekend of my life, she later treated her pals to a jam session on the drums.

BBC star Jane Hill broke down barriers when she came out in 2009. But now the newsreader has slammed the Corporation for failing to increase the number of gay women in its newsroom.

There are bits of the BBC that arent bad, but I still joke  joke in inverted commas  about being the only lesbian in the newsroom. You can count us on one hand. Hill, 52, whos married to camera operator Sara Shepherd, adds: Why? Where are they all?

Whats going on? That is still an issue  representation is hugely important.

Bond girl designs DIY dress to thrill

The 45-year-old No Time To Die star turned up at the Ivy Asia restaurant in London at the weekend wearing an orange maxi cut-out dress shed created herself

Naomie Harris transformed the role of Moneypenny in the 007 films, from Ms blushing secretary to an active MI6 field agent alongside Daniel Craig.

And in real life, shes keen to prove that shes just as glamorous as any Bond girl.

The 45-year-old No Time To Die star turned up at the Ivy Asia restaurant in London at the weekend wearing an orange maxi cut-out dress shed created herself.

Dress designed by me, she says. It certainly left fellow diners shaken AND stirred.

The Great British Bake Off star Paul Hollywood is hitting the road on tour, but fans will need an awful load of dough to afford his most expensive seats.

Hes cramming in 18 dates, showing fans how to bake buns and cakes live on stage. And with VIP packages costing up to a whopping 175, thats a recipe to make a decent crust.

He's a daredevil, says Amanda of new love

Amanada Abbington finds love with stunt performer Jonathan Goodwin

As Watson's wife in BBC hit Sherlock, Amanda Abbington was used to finding herself in tricky situations.

None were as dangerous, though, as those faced by her new boyfriend on a daily basis. He is daredevil and TV stuntman Jonathan Goodwin, 41.

Jonathan sets fire to himself and catches bullets for a living, but is also grown up, sensitive, and considerate, gushes Amanda, 47. Im completely besotted.

The couple made their public debut at the weekend by sharing their first picture together while on a trip to Vienna.

Abbington has two children with her ex-boyfriend of 16 years, The Office star Martin Freeman, who played her husband in Sherlock.
He's one of the most divisive participants to appear on SAS Australia this season.

And Dan Ewing, 36, has broken his silence on rumours about how much he was paid for his controversial appearance.

Speaking to Triple M's Moonman In The Morning on Tuesday, the Home And Away star confirmed that his salary was higher than the $50 -70K figure being reported by the media - but refused to divulge the exact amount.

Show me the money! Dan Ewing, 36, (pictured) spoke about his SAS Australia salary during an interview with Triple M's Moonman In The Morning on Tuesday, revealing he earned much more than the rumoured figure of $70K

'I wouldn't have done it for what was reported, put it that way,' he said.

When quizzed on whether his pay cheque was 'higher or lower' than that of co-star Koby Abberton, who pocketed a whopping $100,000 from Channel Seven, Dan cryptically responded: 'It could be right on.'

Elsewhere in his interview, Dan revealed the truth about why he kept referring to himself in third person while speaking to producers on SAS Australia.

'I wouldn't have done it for what was reported': When quizzed on whether his pay cheque was 'higher or lower' than that of co-star Koby Abberton (right) who pocketed a whopping $100,000 from Channel Seven, Dan (left) cryptically responded: 'It could be right on'

Host Lawrence Mooney played a clip from a Dan's introductory video package, which shows the thespian bizarrely referring to himself as 'Dan Ewing'.

'This is Dan Ewing. What does Dan Ewing do when he is sleep-deprived? What does Dan Ewing do when his back's against the wall?' he said in the clip.

Dan laughed, responding: 'I refuse to believe your listeners believe that for a second', before blaming the show's producers for taking his statements out of context.

The truth! Elsewhere in his interview, Dan revealed the truth about why he kept referring to himself in third person while speaking to producers on SAS Australia - explaining that his statements were taken out of context

'[Producers asked me] a lot of questions about Home And Away's fanbase. Obviously, it changed my life, changed my career,' he explained.

'[During filming, producers] were saying 'So, what would your fans think of you on the course?' So I answered, 'I think they know me as Heath Braxton... but it's going to be interesting for them [to see], what will Dan Ewing [do]?'

Dan also insisted his 'villain' edit was a 'missed opportunity' for the producers, who could have instead focused upon his mental health battle.

Dan said he believes a a storyline about mental health could have encouraged 'blokes at the pub' who watch the show to speak openly about their own emotional struggles.

Setting the record straight. Dan explained that producers had asked him how Home And Away fans would react to seeing him on the course - prompting him to reply - 'I think they know me as Heath Braxton... but it's going to be interesting for them [to see], what will Dan Ewing [will do]'. Pictured as Heath Braxton in Home And Away
They have raised eyebrows with their raunchy campaigns in the past.

And Honey Birdette's latest photoshoot for their Euro-inspired 'kinky' Halloween Collection appears to be their steamiest yet.

French models Lula-Allie Villain and Pauline Goli strip down to bondage-inspired bras and G-strings as Lula-Allie tugs on a leash attached to a collar around Pauline's neck.

Is this the raunchiest Honey Birdette campaign ever? French models strip down to bondage-inspired bras and G-strings in a photoshoot for the lingerie labels 'kinky' Halloween collection

Both model very racy pale pink cut-out bras, lingerie, garter belts and sheer stockings from the popular lingerie label.

Elsewhere, the pair wear Playboy bunny-style ears as they pose together in the semi-sheer lingerie.

The two women also go topless while holding whips.

Oh my! Both model very racy pale pink cut-out bras, lingerie, garter belts and sheer stockings from the popular lingerie label

Hot, hot, hot: The models also slip into racy red lingerie as they pose with whips

Honey Birdette founder Eloise Monaghan said the brand wasn't able to shoot the campaign they wanted in Australia because Sydney was in lockdown.

The collection was shot by famous European photographer, Ellen von Unwerth, in Paris instead.

'We love doing those editorial-style photo shoots, so I said to my PA '''see if you can get Ellen'',' she said.

Ooh la la! Honey Birdette founder Eloise Monaghan said the brand wasn't able to shoot the campaign they wanted in Australia because Sydney was in lockdown. The collection was shot by famous European photographer, Ellen von Unwerth, in Paris instead

Monaghan said she spoke to von Unwerth in a cafe on a Thursday, and the campaign was shot four days later.

'We weren't going to do a Halloween shoot at first - we were going for more of a peep-show style,' she said.

'But then over a glass of champagne, we went from a concept involving two girls to a cast of 40 including performers from the Crazy Horse and Lido cabarets.'

Bunny! Elsewhere, the pair wear Playboy bunny-style ears as they pose together in the semi-sheer lingerie

Monaghan said she was determined to make the shoot ultra-cool and glamorous.

'We had Parisian drag queens, people in horse heads, a giant rabbit - and it was all organised in a few days,' she said.

'We were blessed to be surrounded by some very tenacious people, and Ellen was absolutely amazing to work with.'
He is the once all-conquering music executive at the centre of serious allegations from more than 100 former staff members.

Now the question surrounding ex-Sony Australia boss Denis Handlin is who - if any - on the label's star-studded roster will join those speaking out against the former industry titan, who was the subject of a Four Corners expose on Monday night.

Despite fostering the careers of some of Australia's biggest music names, including John Farnham, Amy Shark and Delta Goodrem, the response from artists has been deafening silence since Handlin was stood down in June.

Sony Music artists have so far remained silent after the label's ex-CEO Denis Handlin (pictured in April) was accused of presiding over a 'toxic' workplace in a Four Corners expose on Monday

Monday's ABC report included a slew of claims about Handlin from former employees, including heavy alcohol use, verbal abuse, misogynistic behaviour and - at times - physical abuse during his 37-year tenure at the label.

Staffers claimed Handlin oversaw a 'toxic' workplace that for some was unbearable.

But despite this, Sony's biggest stars have remained steadfastly tight-lipped, despite the fact many of them cut ties with the label years ago.

One of the most high-profile is Tina Arena, who walked away from Sony at the peak of her career in 2004, reportedly after falling out with Handlin.

Monday's ABC report included a slew of claims about Handlin from former employees, including heavy alcohol use, verbal abuse, misogynistic behaviour and - at times - physical abuse during his 37-year tenure at the label. Pictured: Sony Music's Sydney headquarters

Former X factor star Dami Im, who is currently appearing on Celebrity MasterChef, also quit Sony in 2019 and later compared signing with the label to 'an arranged marriage' after winning the talent show in 2013.

'Working with a major label was tricky,' she said last year.

'I'm still really happy with the career I have had but it's difficult when you have a big company you have to work through and I didn't necessarily know how to navigate that.'

Sony's biggest stars have remained steadfastly tight-lipped, despite the fact many of them cut ties with the label years ago. Handlin is pictured with Jessica Mauboy, who left Sony in 2020, in Sydney on March 23, 2016

One of the most high-profile is Tina Arena (pictured on May 2 in Brisbane), who walked away from Sony at the peak of her career in 2004, reportedly after falling out with Handlin

Others to walk away from the label include Jessica Mauboy - who left Sony in 2020 - as well as Stan Walker, who jumped ship to Sony Music New Zealand.

Walker opened up about the move in his autobiography Impossible, released last year, hinting that his time under Handlin was fraught with problems stemming from his 'Maori-ness'.

'The man appointed at that time as my new marketing manager told me I needed to cut my hair,' Walker wrote in the book.

Amy Shark has yet to comment on the circumstances surrounding Handlin's departure

'I read it as him saying he didn't like my look. I felt he was saying, "You're not good enough." I started to feel they all thought I was all wrong - too brown, too Maori. That the more I was myself, the less I appealed to the industry.'

A former Sony executive of almost two decades told Daily Mail Australia they believe there may soon be a handful of artists willing to 'break ranks' in the wake of the latest claims.

But it remains to be seen which ones decide to speak out against the executive once considered the most powerful man in Australian music.

Despite fostering the careers of some of Australia's biggest music names, including John Farnham (left), the response from artists has been deafening silence since Handlin was stood down in June
Sam Armytage has announced her new role at Channel Seven after stepping down as host of breakfast show Sunrise in March.

The TV presenter, 45, will join the upcoming season of dating show Farmer Wants a Wife as a guest star, the network announced on Tuesday.

Sam, who married wealthy farmer Richard Lavender late last year, will assist with the matchmaking process alongside host Natalie Gruzlewski.

Career move: Sam Armytage (right, with husband Richard Lavender) has announced her new role at Channel Seven after stepping down as host of breakfast show Sunrise in March. She will join dating show Farmer Wants a Wife as a guest star, the network announced on Tuesday

'I'm thrilled to be joining Farmer Wants a Wife in 2022,' she said.

'I've always been a huge fan of the show and of country people, and I know first-hand that falling in love with a farmer is just about the most wonderful thing you can do.'

Her guest role will involve hosting a segment called Sam's Choice, in which she introduces the farmers to a 'new lady based on her own expertise and experience'.

Partnership: Sam, who married wealthy farmer Richard Lavender late last year, will assist with the matchmaking process alongside host Natalie Gruzlewski (pictured)

Seven's Director of Programming, Angus Ross, said the network was 'thrilled to welcome Sam back to our screens'.

'Farmer Wants a Wife has been such a hit with audiences because of its heart and Natalie's earnest mission to help farmers find the love of their lives,' Mr Ross said.

'Given Sam's new life on the farm, she's in the perfect position to share a snapshot of what farm life could look like for the ladies.'

Expertise: A cringeworthy trailer for next year's season of FWAW introduces Sam as someone 'who knows a thing or two' about finding love with a farmer

A cringeworthy trailer for next year's season of FWAW introduces Sam as someone 'who knows a thing or two' about finding love with a farmer.

'I really want to help find the right woman for each of our farmers,' she says, while standing in a paddock wearing a cowboy hat.

'I won't hold back because this is love. This is for the rest of their lives. I really want to help a farmer find a wife. Have you all met Rich?'

Richard then walks on screen and says, 'Every farmer needs love,' to which Sam replies giddily: 'That's lovely, darling!'

Fancy seeing you here! 'I really want to help a farmer find a wife. Have you all met Rich?' she says as her husband walks on screen

Cringe: Richard says, 'Every farmer needs love,' to which Sam replies: 'That's lovely, darling!'

Sam married the equestrian businessman, 60, at his country estate in the NSW Southern Highlands on New Year's Eve.

They had announced their engagement in June last year.

Sam went on to quit Sunrise in March and has now moved away from Sydney to live with Richard at his 40-hectare rural property.

The new season of Farmer Wants a Wife premieres next year on Seven

Their story: Sam married equestrian businessman Richard, 60, at his country estate in the NSW Southern Highlands on New Year's Eve
Just months after denying they had any plans to resurrect My Kitchen Rules, Channel Seven has announced the cooking show is coming back.

At the network's 2022 Upfront presentation on Tuesday, the most shocking announcement was that MKR would be revived - but with one big difference.

The cooking contest will have 'all new judges,' according to Seven.

It's back! Just months after denying they had any plans to resurrect the cooking show, Channel Seven has announced My Kitchen Rules is coming back. Pictured: former judges Manu Feildel and Pete Evans

The news means that controversial anti-vaxxer Pete Evans would not be returning to the show that made him famous, nor would co-star Manu Feildel.

Channel Seven's statement read: 'The most successful cooking show ever on Australian TV is set to return in 2022, with all new judges (to be announced soon), a new batch of eager contestants, and all the fun and food that made it a huge hit for so many years.'

'Australia's favourite food show will go back to the original recipe and back into the contestants' kitchens, with state competing against state.'

Goners: At the network's 2022 Upfront presentation on Tuesday, the most shocking announcement was that MKR would be revived - but with one big difference: new judges

The news comes just months after a Channel Seven executive stated that MKR wouldn't be coming back anytime soon.

In May, The Sydney Morning Herald reported Seven was hoping to revive the once-popular format as soon as next year - before the network's Director of Programming Angus Ross claimed that wasn't the case.

'We'd like to revisit the format at some point but at the moment it feels way too soon,' Mr Ross told TV Blackbox.

Change of mind: The news comes after a Seven executive said the cooking show wouldn't be coming back anytime soon. Pictured: Evans, Colin Fassnidge and Feildel

'It's certainly not anywhere in next year's schedule,' Mr Ross added.

Meanwhile, SMH claimed the broadcaster hoped to bring back the cooking show in order to 'boost network ratings and attract lucrative advertising dollars'.

The newspaper cited industry sources as saying the network was in the early stages of talking to production companies about a possible twelfth season.

'It's certainly not anywhere in next year's schedule': Earlier this month, The Sydney Morning Herald reported Seven was hoping to revive the once-popular format as soon as next year - but Seven's Director of Programming Angus Ross at the time claimed that wasn't the case

MKR had once been a ratings juggernaut for Seven, but its popularity nosedived in recent years as viewers flocked to Channel Nine's Married At First Sight instead.

In 2020, its eleventh season drew an average of 500,000 metro viewers per episode.

At its height in 2014, the fifth season had attracted an average audience of 1.891 million across the five major cities.

In May last year, television executive-turned-commentator Rob McKnight said MKR had been the victim of its own success.

Popular: MKR had once been a ratings juggernaut for Seven, but its popularity nosedived in recent years as viewers flocked to Channel Nine's Married At First Sight instead

'Basically the show has performed for such a long time but fatigue set in,' said Mr McKnight, who runs industry website TV Blackbox.

'The show could absolutely come back in a couple of years once viewers have had a break from it.'

The cooking show was hosted by Evans, Feildel and Colin Fassnidge.

Not successful: In 2020, its eleventh season drew an average of 500,000 metro viewers per episode. At its height in 2014, the fifth season had an average audience of 1.891 million

Since My Kitchen Rules ended, Evans has been slapped with fines and banned from social media platforms for promoting wild theories and products.

In April 2020, the controversial chef was fined $25,000 for trying to sell his so-called BioCharger for $15,000 a pop on Facebook.

He insisted the light could cure Covid-19 and protect users from infection - but had no evidence to support the wild claims.

Despite the first fine, the craggy-faced conspiracy theorist continued to try to sell the light to the unwary, along with a string of other fake treatments.

In May 2021, he was hit with another $79,920 in fines for advertising the BioCharger and several other unapproved and totally ineffective treatments.

Tailspin: Since My Kitchen Rules ended, Evans (pictured) has been slapped with fines and banned from social media platforms for promoting wild theories and products

He also advertised two oral medicines, static magnet products and hyperbaric chambers to breathe pure oxygen in a pressurised environment.

Evans falsely implied the products were endorsed by health professionals, but he has now been ordered to remove the posts, and to cease all adverts for them.

The former reality TV star has also been permanently booted off Facebook and Instagram for sharing misinformation and conspiracy theories.

He has repeatedly made posts opposing Covid-19 vaccines and masks, and falsely claimed in a podcast that the coronavirus is a hoax.

Evans was a judge on My Kitchen Rules between 2010 and 2020, and had more than one million Facebook followers until his forced exit.
The Kyle and Jackie O Show has snubbed NSW's new premier Dominic Perrottet in a 'Freedom Day' promo featuring his predecessor Gladys Berejiklian.

Perrottet was banned from ever appearing on the KIIS FM breakfast show last week, after host Kyle Sandilands took umbrage with the politician's religious views.

Since then, The Kyle and Jackie O Show has been running a 'Hits out of Lockdown' promo featuring soundbites of former premier Berejiklian's most memorable quotes.

Gladys is back! The Kyle and Jackie O Show has snubbed NSW 's new premier Dominic Perrottet in a 'Freedom Day' promo featuring his predecessor Gladys Berejiklian. Pictured L-R: Kyle Sandilands, Gladys Berejiklian, and Jackie 'O' Henderson

However, an ARN spokesperson said there was no nefarious reason why Berejiklian's quotes were used instead of quotes from Mr Perrottet.

Rather, the radio station simply thought that Sydney residents would better associate Berejiklian's quotes with the state's lockdowns, 'having heard the line almost daily, and the overall segment was a celebration of moving to the reopening.'

In fact, another promo - called the 'Summer Saved' promo - is currently running that features an audio grab of Mr Perrottet, as well as Sandilands' Get Vaxxed Baby jingle.

Banned: Mr Perrottet (left) was banned from ever appearing on the KIIS FM breakfast show last week, after host Kyle Sandilands (right) took umbrage with the politician's religious views

It comes days after Sandilands banned Perrottet from appearing on his popular breakfast talk show, just a day after being elected to the state's top job.

Sandilands announced the controversial ban last Wednesday morning during a segment with celebrity psychic Georgina Walker after learning of Mr Perrottet's conservative religious views.

'How can someone run a state like New South Wales and be anti-abortion and anti-gay rights?' he asked on air.

The 50-year-old became fired up when asking Walker how the new leader would fare running the state. He then referred to him as 'Slender Man'.

'A celebration of moving to the reopening': However, an ARN spokesperson said there was no nefarious reason why Berejiklian's quotes were used instead of quotes from Mr Perrottet

Ms Walker predicted the Premier would reform NSW 'quite hard' but would ruffle a few feathers due to his rigid conservative faith.

'I think he's going to be a good leader, but I do think he is going to ruffle a lot of feathers due to his strong religious belief centres...he's not into gay marriage, he doesn't believe in abortion...' Ms Walker said.

'Oh well he's out in my books then,' Sandilands replied.

Co-host Jackie 'O' Henderson agreed it was 'gutting' after Berejiklian stepped down, pointing out NSW residents didn't even have a choice in the matter.

'Honestly a person like that to replace Gladys, oh my god,' she said.

But the final straw for Sandilands was when Walker mentioned Mr Perrottet believed priests should keep their confidence when it came to child abuse.

'Oh, this guy's gotta go. He's never allowed on the show, guys, just so you know,' he said.

'He's not allowed. I don't want that rubbish.'

'He's not allowed. I don't want that rubbish': It comes days after Sandilands banned Perrottet from appearing on his breakfast talk show, just a day after being elected to the state's top job

The ban came as footage resurfaced from a religious liberty speech in 2020 showing Mr Perrottet defending the radio host.

Despite outcry from the Christian community, Mr Perrottet said he did not support the sacking of Sandilands over his offensive comments about the Virgin Mary.

'Yes I found those comments tasteless vulgar and offensive,' Mr Perrottet said.

'But he has the right to an opinion, however vulgar and ill-informed it may be.'

'Oh, this guy's gotta go': The final straw for Sandilands was when he learned Mr Perrottet believed priests should keep their confidence when it came to child abuse

A devout catholic, Mr Perrottet has opposed laws to force priests into disclosing child abuse arguing 'the confessional seal is sacrosanct for every priest in every penitent no matter what sins are confessed'.

In 2019 the premier voted against decriminalising abortion warning supporters of the bill that they were on the 'wrong side of history'.

The 39-year-old father of six, outlined his opposition to same-sex marriage in 2017 arguing 'marriage is about every child's fundamental right to grow up with their own mum and dad'.
The animation world has lost a legend, with pioneer Ruthie Tompson passing away at 111 years of age.

Tompson, who started her career at Disney as an ink and paint artist on Disney's first animated feature, 1937's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, passed peacefully at her home at the Motion Picture and Television Fund in Woodland Hills, California on Sunday (via Variety ).

She also worked on Disney classics such as Pinocchio, Dumbo, Bambi and Sleeping Beauty, while also becoming one of the first three women to join the International Photographers Union, Local 659 of the IATSE, in 1952.

R.I.P.: The animation world has lost a legend, with pioneer Ruthie Tompson (right) passing away at 111 years of age

First: Tompson, who started her career at Disney as an ink and paint artist on Disney's first animated feature, 1937's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, passed peacefully at her home at the Motion Picture and Television Fund in Woodland Hills, California on Sunday (via Variety)

Tompson was born July 22, 1910 in Portland, Maine and raised in Boston before moving to Oakland when she was eight, and to Los Angeles in 1924, after her mother divorced and re-married.

Tompson ended up living on the same block as Robert Disney, the uncle of Walt and Roy Disney, whose they lived in when they first moved to Los Angeles.

Her home was also quite close to the Disney Bros. Studio on Kingswell Avenue, with Tompson sharing an early memory in her Disney Legend interview in 2000.

Disney Legend: Her home was also quite close to the Disney Bros. Studio on Kingswell Avenue, with Tompson sharing an early memory in her Disney Legend interview in 2000

'Once Roy asked us neighborhood kids to play tag in the street, while he photographed us with a movie camera,' Tompson said.

'I suppose it was for the Alice Comedies; he paid each of us a quarter, which I was glad for because I could buy licorice,' she added.

Once she turned 18, she started working at Dubrock's Riding Academy, where Walt and Roy Disney often played polo.

Walt: Once she turned 18, she started working at Dubrock's Riding Academy, where Walt and Roy Disney often played polo

Walt remembered Ruthie from when she was a kid, and offered her a job as an inker and then in the Paint Department on the studio's first animated feature, the iconic 1937 film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

She also worked as an ink and paint artist on Bambi in 1942, but during World War II, she was promoted to animation checker, where she worked on training and education films for the U.S. Army featuring Disney characters Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy.

She continued to work as a checker in the 1959 animated short Donald in Mathmagic Land and the TV series Popeye the Sailor.

Snow White: Walt remembered Ruthie from when she was a kid, and offered her a job as an inker and then in the Paint Department on the studio's first animated feature, the iconic 1937 film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

She continued moving up through the ranks, working as a scene planner on movies such as Mary Poppins, The Aristocats, Robin Hood and The Rescuers.

She retired from the studio in 1975, and she would go on to work on Ralph Bakshi's The Lord of the Rings animated film and Metamorphoses, both in 1978.

Tompson also worked for an in-house television channel at the Motion Picture & Television Fund Country House, where she lived for several years.

She was named a Disney Legend for her nearly four decades of work at the studio back in 2000.

Mary Poppins: She continued moving up through the ranks, working as a scene planner on movies such as Mary Poppins, The Aristocats, Robin Hood and The Rescuers
Olivia Wilde was seen taking her daughter Daisy out for ice cream in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles on Monday afternoon.

The 37-year-old actress appeared to be enjoying her time with her youngest child while they made their way out of the shop, and the performer was also spotted holding her kid's arm while they crossed a street.

The director shares Daisy and her son, Otis, with her former partner, Jason Sudeikis, from whom she separated last year.

Doting mom: Olivia Wilde was seen taking her daughter Daisy out for ice cream in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles on Monday afternoon

Wilde kept it casual during her time with her daughter, as she wore a black hoodie on top of pairs of form-fitting blue jeans and white sneakers.

The performer also kept a white tote bag slung over her right shoulder while she made her way across one of the neighborhood's crowded streets.

Her lovely light brunette remained free-flowing and fell onto her shoulders as she spent a bit of quality time with her youngest child.

The actress wore a black facial covering to keep herself protected from COVID-19 amid the ongoing state of the global pandemic.

Comfortable clothing: The performer sported a black hoodie and a pair of slim-fitting blue jeans during her time in public

Wilde was initially connected to the father of her children and former partner after they met at a party in 2011.

Before she became involved with the Ted Lasso star, 46, the actress was married to photographer Tao Ruspoli, with whom she tied the knot in 2003.

The two remained together for nearly a decade before they went their separate ways and ended their marriage in 2011.

The actress and Sudeikis began a relationship not long after their first meeting, and he went on to pop the big question two years afterward.

Former couple: Wilde shares Daisy and her son, Otis, with her former partner Jason Sudeikis; they are seen in 2020

It was later reported that Wilde was pregnant with the pair's first child that same year, and she went on to give birth to Otis in 2014.

The pair waited for two years before they decided to add another child to their family, and the actress' pregnancy was announced on her Instagram account.

She later gave birth to Daisy in October of 2016, and the happy parents were regularly seen in each other's company after that.

However, the two went on to end their engagement last November, when it was revealed that the performer had developed a relationship with Harry Styles, with whom she worked on her forthcoming film Don't Worry Baby.

Making it official: The couple initially met in 2011 and went on to become engaged in 2013, although they split up last November; they are pictured in 2019

Earlier this year, an insider spoke to E!Online and told the media outlet that, although Wilde and Sudeikis were trying to 'figure things out' with their relationship, the idea of keeping him in their children's lives was 'very important to her.'

The source also pointed out that the performer made a point of placing the well-being of her children above her issues with her former partner.

The insider expressed that the actress 'wants to make co-parenting work and will do what it takes. She tries just keep the peace. She knows she is a great mom and will always do what's best for her kids.'

Priorities: An insider previously revealed that the actress 'wants to make co-parenting work' with Sudeikis; they are seen in 2018

They also noted that the former couple was not entirely sure about what the future held for their relationship, although they wanted to ensure the happiness of their children one way or another.

'Their relationship as co-parents is a work in progress. They are figuring it out as they go,' they said.

However, the source pointed out that Wilde and Styles were committed to their relationship, despite the fact that she was in constant communication with Sudeikis.

'Olivia has completely moved on and isn't looking back. She knows Jason will be a part of her life forever and that it's important for the kids that they have a solid relationship. She does whatever she can to make that happen,' they said.
Martha Kalifatidis has received her fair share of packages from skin care and makeup companies as an influencer.

But on Monday, she offered some feedback to PR companies and brands on their packaging, in a bid to stop 'adding to landfill' and to help with sustainability.

In a series of Instagram Story posts, the 33-year-old told her followers that while she is grateful for receiving packages 'every day' from companies, she's less than impressed with the level of plastic in some of the parcels.

Martha goes green! On Monday, Married At First Sight star Martha Kalifatidis offered feedback to skincare and makeup brands about excessive PR box packaging in a bid to help with sustainability

'Realistically, I think that some brands do send out excessive packaging with their PR,' she said.

'Yes it's fun, and I know they (brands) want us to post about it, but they need to make it interesting in other ways because we are literally killing the planet.'

'I know that that it can be recycled, but it's still landfill,' she said, noting that she wanted to use her platform to draw attention to the problem.

It's a lot! She began by saying that she was grateful for receiving packages from brands every day but noted that some of the packaging can be excessive

Conscious: Martha said: 'I know they (brands) want us to post about it, but they need to make it interesting in other ways because we are literally killing the planet.' She added: 'if it's just a little bit more considered... it will also not be so much landfill'

The reality TV star noted that she didn't want her fans to 'think ill' of a particular skincare brand after she pointed out their packaging was excessive in a prior story.

She added: 'They're not alone, they're not the only ones that do it... I know they do it because they want us to share and they want to make it interesting.

'But the truth is, if it's just a little bit more considered, a little bit more thoughtful, that it will be interesting, it will be a beautiful PR experience and it will also not be so much landfill,' she said.

Martha rose to fame on season six of Married At First Sight in 2019 where she fell in love with Michael Brunelli, and are one of the franchise's few success stories.

Modern love story: Martha rose to fame on season six of Married At First Sight in 2019 where she fell in love with Michael Brunelli, and are one of the franchise's few success stories

Influential: Since starring on MAFS, the Greek beauty has grown an impressive social media empire with an Instagram following of more than 617,000. Martha also has partnerships with Olay skincare (right) and Armans Fine Jewellery (left)

Since starring on MAFS, the Greek beauty has grown an impressive social media empire with an Instagram following of more than 617,000.

Martha creates content for a range of companies, with a special focus on fashion, skincare and cosmetics brands.

She also has partnerships with brands such as Magnum ice creams, Dan Murphy's, Olay skincare, Armans Fine Jewellery and Chemist Warehouse.

She's also starred in a television commercial for ShopBack and become one of the new ambassadors for Myer to promote Levi's denim.
Howie Mandel made quite the appearance when he dropped his pants during Tuesday's episode of the Ellen DeGeneres Show.

The 65-year-old comedian, who has been featured on the program dozens of times in the past, showed up for one last televised conversation with the 63-year-old reality television personality, who is ending her series with a final season.

During the sit-down, the America's Got Talent judge, who is known for wearing outlandish outfits on occasion, lowered his trousers and showed off his undergarments, much to the enjoyment of the audience.

Baring it all: Howie Mandel notably dropped his pants and showed off his undergarments during Tuesday's episode of Ellen

At the beginning of the conversation, DeGeneres pointed out that Mandel had appeared on her program numerous times in the past, stating: 'you have been here more than any other guest we've ever had on this show.'

The reality television figure responded in a typically comedic fashion and told her that he would henceforth be a nuisance at her residence.

'That just means I'm free more than anybody else...when you end this season, I'm going to drop by your house more than anybody ever has,' he said.

The Gremlins voice actor then bared his true feelings to DeGeneres, about whom he expressed he would miss watching in the future.

Familiar face: At the beginning of the pair's conversation, DeGeneres pointed out that Mandel had been featured on the program 'more than any other guest we've ever had on this show'

'I want to be serious for a minute...I am so heartbroken, I think there is going to be a big void in America and on television at the end of this season,' he said.

Mandel went on to laud the impact that the show's host had on her viewers, many of whom admired her for her affable personality.

'You've shared so much with people...I turn you on and you make me smile. And I'm sure you do that for millions of people all over,' he said.

The comedian expanded on his original statement and thanked her for prominently featuring him on her program over the years.

Not mincing words: Mandel lauded the host's affable personality and expressed that 'there is going to be a big void in America and on television at the end of this season'

'You share and you're generous and you're kind and...there's just going to be a void. I don't know what to say to you but you know, I love that you invited me here 40 times and this has been, always, a highlight to my week,' he said.

Mandel then brightened the mood of the conversation by speaking about the show's merchandise and asking its host, 'where am I going to get my underpants, Ellen?'

When DeGeneres expressed that 'we'll still sell it,' the comedian noted that he would 'always wear your underpants,' and promptly dropped his trousers, exposing his backside to the audience, who responded with thunderous applause.

Caught with his pants down: At one point, Mandel inquired about where he would be able to buy the show's branded underwear and dropped his pants to show off one of his pairs

The program's host's first name was notably visible on the waistband of the undergarments, and she began to laugh at the comedian's actions.

Mandel went on to address the show's audience and bemoaned the fact that DeGeneres' merchandise would be harder to purchase in the future.

He said: 'this is not a joke, people! She is leaving and I'm going to miss her, and I don't want to go into Target and buy a three-pack!'

The 19th season of The Ellen DeGeneres Show premiered last month, and it will serve as the series' final run of episodes.
Queen drummer Roger Taylor's daughter Tigerlily Taylor celebrated her 27th birthday in style on Monday when by being drenched in champagne.

Showing she has clearly inherited her rock star father's genes, she threw her arms behind her head as her pals covered her in fizz.

The lingerie model was wearing a bright green neon negligee for the occasion which had a contrasting pink trim.

'Best weekend of my life': Tigerlily Taylor, 27, was drenched in champagne while wearing a satin negligee while celebrating her birthday on Instagram on Monday

Tigerlily, who attended 38,130-a-year Bedales School with Cara Delevingne, then waded, fully clothed, into the indoor swimming pool.

Describing it as the best weekend of my life, she later treated her pals to a jam session on the drums.

Tigerlily, whose mother is former model Debbie Leng, showed off a gap in her front tooth which she has previously spoken about.

Drenched: Tigerlily waded into the pool dressed in her lingerie as she enjoyed her raucous birthday celebrations

Weekend of wonder: Tigerlily later treated her pals to a jam session on the drums

Loving life: She seemed pretty pleased with herself as she posed with a glass of wine in hand

Happy birthday to you! The gap-toothed beauty was delighted when her pals presented her with a birthday cake

Tigerlily Taylor told ES in 2018: 'I have a missing front tooth and I post pictures of it missing when I'm hungover. I'm having another one put in but it's quite funny...'

She told ES in 2018: 'I have a missing front tooth and I post pictures of it missing when I'm hungover. I'm having another one put in but it's quite funny...'

The model also confessed that she was 'very self-conscious' growing up due to her traumatic bouts of eczema, but was on a mission to empower young girls by writing about body positivity.

She explained: 'In the way that social media can be so detrimental to young people, at the same time there is a positive aspect.

Loving life: Showing she has clearly inherited her rock star father's genes, she threw her arms behind her head as her pals covered her in fizz

Stunning: The lingerie model was wearing a bright green neon negligee for the occasion which had a contrasting pink trim

Time of her life: The model showed off her phenomenal figure in lingerie as she frolicked by an indoor pool

'People can share their experiences openly. You have to remember that some people spend hours editing themselves and putting it on Instagram.

'Mine is such a mess. Whenever I look at other models Im like "why does mine not look all glossy like that?" But I like it. Its funny.'

Tigerlily is also known for her love of partying, and previously upset neighbours with her raucous antics.

Back in 2019, the Daily Mail's Richard Eden reported that the residents of one fashionable West London enclave weren't impressed by Tigerlily's arrival to the area.

Fun with friends: Tigerlily seemed in great spirits as she partied alongside all her pals, who were swigging from champagne bottles

Lining their stomachs: The girls were sure not to drink on an empty stomach so treated themselves to a carton of ice cream

The fashion darling revealed her neighbours complained about her trying to follow in her father's celebrated footsteps by playing the drums.

She said: 'I started learning to play the drums, but then my neighbours complained about the noise, so I had to stop. I used to have drums in my garage.'

She added of her trendy neighbourhood: 'I live in Ladbroke Grove, but I dont know if its cool any more  Im a bit sick of it.'
Malin Akerman cut a casual figure as she headed out for some exercise in the hillside neighbourhood of Los Feliz in Los Angeles on Monday.

The Swedish-Canadian actress, 43, wore a black vest top which put her toned arms on display.

She also donned a pair of tracksuit bottoms with a blue stripe down the side and floral motif on either side.

Stepping out: Malin Akerman, 43, cut a casual figure in a black vest top and tracksuit bottoms as she stepped out for some exercise in Los Angeles on Monday

The Chick Fight star wore a pair of black boots and had a bumbag strapped around her waist.

She finished off the look by accesorising with a gold pendant hanging from a delicate chain around her neck.

Malin looked in good spirits as she strode along with headphones in her ears while listening to music on her walk.

Good health: The star wore a pair of black boots and had a bumbag strapped around her waist as she held her dog's lead in her hand

The actress got mainstream recognition for films like The Utopian Society (2003) and Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle (2004).

She had her first starring roles in feature films with The Heartbreak Kid (2007) and 27 Dresses (2008).

Her lengthy Hollywood resume also includes: Watchmen (2009), Couples Retreat (2009), Wanderlust (2012) and Rock Of Ages (2012) and Chick Fight (2020).

The 27 Dresses actress is mother to son Sebastian, eight, who she shares with ex-husband, Italian musician Roberto Zincone.

The couple have remained amicable after they split in 2013 following six-years of marriage.

Malin has since moved on and married 35-year-old British actor Jack Donnelly, who is best known for his role in the BBC series Atlantis, in a Mexican ceremony in December 2018.
Jana Pittman was eliminated during Tuesday's highly anticipated SAS Australia finale.

The 38-year-old professional athlete-turned-doctor was sent home after struggling with a simulated military mission.

'Some of you will not be coming forward,' chief instructor Ant Middleton told the show's remaining recruits.

Disappointed: Jana Pittman was eliminated during Tuesday's highly anticipated SAS Australia finale. The 38-year-old was sent home after struggling with a simulated military mission

After progressing Sam Burgess, John Steffensen and Mark Philippoussis to the final stage of the course, Ant, 41, told Jana that her time had come to an end.

'Unfortunately for you, number four, the war is over. Take your bergen off, give me your number, please,' Ant told a disappointed Jana.

Ant praised Jana's 'outstanding effort' throughout the gruelling course, but acknowledged that she had run simply out of steam towards the end.

Out: After progressing Sam Burgess, John Steffensen and Mark Philippoussis to the final stage of the course, chief instructor Ant Middleton told Jana that her time had come to an end

'Unfortunately for you, number four, the war is over. Take your bergen off, give me your number, please,' Ant told a disappointed Jana

'We're all super proud of you, and we would have loved to have brought you forward, but your reserve is empty,' he told her.

'That one per cent that you lacked is over there. But, outstanding effort,' he added, before pulling her in for a hug.

Jana later admitted she was 'disappointed', having hoped to complete the course and ultimately pass selection.

'We're all super proud of you, and we would have loved to have brought you forward, but your reserve is empty,' Ant told her

'Naturally, I'm disappointed. It would've been amazing to have passed the SAS selection. But I gave everything I had and I've learnt so much on the course,' she said.

'It's been an extraordinary journey, and I tried as hard as I could to match it with the boys. I was the last woman standing for a while, so just trying to show other women how confident you can be and overcoming fears if you just let yourself go and give it a real crack.

'So, really proud of all the things I've achieved, it was pretty amazing, and I don't think I left anything on the ground.'
Molly-Mae Hague has revealed she is ready for marriage with her boyfriend of two years Tommy Fury as she gushes about their 'perfect relationship'.

The influencer and the boxer, both 22, have been together since coming out of the Love Island villa in 2019 and their romance has gone from strength to strength.

Speaking on the Behind Closed Doors podcast with PrettyLittleThing on Tuesday, Molly told how she is now ready for the next step with her handsome beau.

Happy: Molly-Mae Hague has revealed she is ready for marriage with her boyfriend of two years Tommy Fury as she gushes about their 'perfect relationship'

Reflecting on how far they have come since being on Love Island, she said: 'I'd like a ring soon, please at some point.

'I am still the perfect girlfriend, me and Tommy that's like a whole other thing, we hardly knew each other back then.

'We were just getting started and now we've been together 2 and a bit years and its been the best 2 and a bit years of my life with everything with my work, with my relationship. I'm just so lucky.'

Looking to the future: Speaking on the Behind Closed Doors podcast with PrettyLittleThing on Tuesday, Molly told how she is now ready for the next step with her handsome beau

Stars: The influencer and the boxer, 22, have been together since coming out of the Love Island villa in 2019 and their romance has gone from strength to strength

She added of having a relationship in the public eye: 'As long as Tommy and I know what's going on in our relationship which we always do, people can say whatever. It takes a lot to upset me.

'Were really strong in our relationship like that's one part in my life that I'm extremely secure in, there's other things I worry about all the time but my relationship just isn't one of them.

'Every night I go to bed just knowing that I always say that I could chuck my boyfriend in a club with loads of girls and he's just not bothered about other girls, he's so for me and I just love that. I'm so so blessed to have him.'

Honest: She added of having a relationship in the public eye: 'As long as Tommy and I know what's going on in our relationship which we always do, people can say whatever'

Exciting: Reflecting on how far they have come since being on Love Island, she said: 'I'd like a ring soon, please at some point'

During the interview with the fashion company - for which she is now creative director for the UK and EU - she also discussed how her career has blossomed.

She said: 'It doesn't even feel real when you say it to me now and it's been apparent to me for a few months now. It just wont sink in for me.

'I just don't believe this is happening, like little old me who used to cry when PLT would gift me for holidays to like Ibiza and now I'm their creative director for the UK and EU, like how does that happen.

Money maker: During the interview with the fashion company - for which she is now creative director for the UK and EU - she also discussed how her career has blossomed

'Dream literally do come true if you want the that badly. It just doesn't feel real.'

She went on to say of her success: 'We all have the same 24 hours in a day and its down to you what you do with them, like I always use mine to the best of my ability and always try and do the most I can do.

'Doing that has got me to where I am now, becoming a Creative Director. You just have to believe you can do it, the world is your oyster and you can achieve whatever in the world you want to achieve.'

It comes after on Sunday Molly-Mae looked delighted as boyfriend Tommy FaceTime called her from Las Vegas after watching his brother demolish Deontay Wilder in a thrilling heavyweight contest.

Tommy was ringside as Tyson Fury convincingly defeated Wilder inside 11 rounds at the T-Mobile Arena during the third fight of their trilogy.

Calling Molly-Mae, who watched the fight from the couple's Manchester home, he could barely articulate his delight as she beamed from the corner of his phone screen.

Sharing a clip of their video chat on Instagram, Molly-Mae said hearing of Tyson's win was 'the best call ever'.

Tommy's trip to the US to watch the fight came as Tyson's wife Paris said she thinks Molly-Mae and Tommy will get married.

She told The Sun: 'I do look at them and think: "Aww, you are like what we were like when we were young." I think they will get married.'
Married At First Sight star Patrick Dwyer set tongues wagging on Tuesday, after sharing a sweet picture of his co-star Jo Todd with a cryptic caption.

The 27-year-old, who split with Belinda Vickers earlier this year, posted a photo of Jo enjoying a glass of wine on a balcony alongside the caption: 'My heart is full'.

Despite the post seemingly hinting at a romance between the pair, he insisted to Daily Mail Australia that the duo are 'just mates'.

Just friends? Married At First Sight star Patrick Dwyer set tongues wagging on Tuesday, after sharing a sweet picture of his co-star Jo Todd with the caption 'my heart is full'. Despite sparking romance rumours, he insisted to Daily Mail Australia that the duo are 'just mates'

It's the second time in two months that the pair have sparked relationship rumours.

Last month, Patrick shared a cute picture cuddled up to Jo, adding a number of love hearts to the photograph.

He later denied they were anything more than friends.

Although he and Belinda split in July, he even sparked rumours they were back together on September 24 after sharing a picture of the couple's MAFS wedding day on Instagram.

'On this day last year we got Married on National TV. Bring on the future with you,' he captioned the shot.

Patrick wouldn't confirm or deny whether the pair were back on or not when contacted by Daily Mail Australia on Tuesday.

Just pals! Last month, Patrick shared a cute picture cuddled up to Jo, adding a number of love hearts to the photograph. He again denied they were anything more than friends

Claims also emerged that Belinda and Jo were 'no longer on speaking terms' on Tuesday, but Jo told Daily Mail Australia that the pair's friendship is stronger than ever.

Belinda and Patrick abruptly called it quits in July after nine months together.

In a statement, Patrick wrote: 'We would like to address the rumours of our split and confirm we have gone our separate ways.'

'We have enjoyed a relationship together for over nine months; however, we do not want the same things in love and life.

'We appreciate all the love and support we have received through our journey.'

Friendship: Claims emerged that Belinda and Jo were 'no longer on speaking terms' on Tuesday, but Jo insisted to Daily Mail Australia that the pair's friendship is still stronger than ever

Belinda shared an identical statement to her own Instagram account and told Who magazine that splitting up 'wasn't an easy decision' to make.

She explained that while the pair had always been a 'team', it became apparent they didn't have the same 'family goals'.

'We tried to work through it and talk about what we could do about our differences, but it gets to a point when you realise you have to cut your losses,' she said.

Belinda recently told Daily Mail Australia she was trying to keep herself distracted following their mutual decision to split.

'I have been keeping busy, seeing my friends and family. I am always focusing on the positives, as I am a naturally positive person,' she said.
She's previously revealed that a cameraman's comments about her 'puffy eyes' on the set of Perfect in 1985 led her to go under the knife.

And now, Jamie Lee Curtis, 62, has detailed her plastic surgery regrets, including Botox and lipo, as she admitted that the cosmetic procedures made her 'feel worse' and lamented: 'It didn't work, I hated it!'

Speaking to Lorraine in an interview aired on Tuesday morning, the Hollywood icon insisted that she's now an advocate for 'not f**king with your face.'

Regrets: Jamie Lee Curtis, 62, has detailed her plastic surgery regrets as she admitted that the cosmetic procedures made her 'feel worse' (Pictured in 1985)

Lorraine explained to Jamie that comedian Dawn French had cited the Hollywood legend as inspiration for her stunning new short grey 'do.

Jamie replied: 'Lovely! I have been an advocate for natural beauty for a long time, mostly because I've had the trial and error of the other part.

'I did plastic surgery - it didn't work, I hated it. It made me feel worse!

'I tried to do everything you can do to your hair. Personally, I felt it was humiliating. I would go into a hair salon, the smell of the chemicals, the feeling of that colour on my hair, sitting under the hairdryer - it was like, for what?

How it is! Speaking to Lorraine in an interview aired on Tuesday morning, the Hollywood icon insisted that she's now an advocate for 'not f**king with your face'

Candid: She previously revealed that a cameraman's comments about her 'puffy eyes' on the set of Perfect in 1985, in which she starred opposite John Travolta, led her to go under the knife

'So very early on in my career, I had a perm and then had to dye my hair for a movie, and it burned my hair off my head!

'And the first time I cut my hair short I went, "Oh! Oh my god. Oh wow! I look like me!" Since then I stopped dyeing it, and then I've been an advocate for not f**king with your face.

'And the term, anti-ageing what? What are you talking about? We're all going to f**king age! We're all going to die? Why do you want to look 17 when you're 70? I want to look 70 when I'm 70.'

Inspired: Lorraine explained to Jamie that comedian Dawn French had cited the Hollywood legend as inspiration for her stunning new short grey 'do (pictured left in 2016)

Big fan! 'Lovely! I have been an advocate for natural beauty for a long time, mostly because I've had the trial and error of the other part' explained Jamie

In 2002 Jamie told More magazine: 'Ten years ago, before anybody did that, I had fat taken from underneath my eyes because I was on a movie and I was puffy. ... And I can remember the cameraman saying, "I can't shoot her". I remember being mortified.' she explained.

She added: 'I've had a little lipo. I've had a little Botox. And you know what? None of it works. None of it. It's such a fraud. And I'm the one perpetuating it.'

Last week, Jamie spoke to Fast Company about her stance on plastic surgery and trendy cosmetic procedures.

She insisted: 'The current trend of fillers and procedures, and this obsession with filtering, and the things that we do to adjust our appearance on Zoom are wiping out generations of beauty.

'Once you mess with your face, you can't get it back,' warned the actress.

Lorraine weekdays at 9am on ITV and ITV Hub

Before and after: Pictured left in 1985 before surgery; Pictured right in 1988 post-surgery
SAS Australia star Sam Burgess has broken his silence online after being the only recruit to pass selection during Tuesday night's finale.

The retired NRL player, 32, revealed on Instagram that he had achieved the 'two goals' he had set himself before agreeing to appear on the series, before thanking Ant Middleton and the directing staff (DS) for being part of his SAS journey.

'When I agreed to do this course I set myself two simple goals,' he wrote. 'One, Be totally honest with myself. Two, Complete the course.

Proud: SAS Australia star Sam Burgess has broken his silence online after being the only recruit to pass selection during Tuesday night's finale

'Throughout the experience, I grew enormously through pain and discomfort, through joy and teamwork, through fatigue and food deprivation but most of all by being vulnerable enough to share this, become better at understanding myself and in turn reveal true character.'

He then thanked chief instructor Ant, Jason 'Foxy' Fox, Ollie Ollerton and Mark 'Billy' Billingham, adding: 'Youre all amazing men with a great outlook on life. We can all learn if we truly listen to words spoken.

'To all fellow recruits - congratulations on having the courage to say yes. I learned something new each and every day, so I thank you for that.

'And to the recruits standing next to me at the end, well done - your spirit and determination was unwavering.'

Goals achieved: The retired NRL star, 32, revealed on Instagram that he had achieved the 'two simple goals' he had set himself before agreeing to appear on the show, before thanking Ant Middleton (left) and the directing staff (DS) for being part of his SAS journey

He concluded: 'Finally - I am doing the work. Day by day, step by step. Hopefully continuing to inspire and show we can all rise. Lots of Love, Sam.'

Sam completed the gruelling course alongside John Steffensen and Mark Philippoussis, neither of who made the cut.

After taking some time to deliberate, the show's DS ultimately decided that only Sam had what it took to make it as an SAS soldier.

Winner takes it all: Sam looked elated as it was revealed he had passed selection

Chief instructor Ant admitted it had been 'a hard decision to make', before the DS stepped before the recruits and delivered their final verdict.

'We're not looking for brawn, we're not looking for brain, we're looking for a combination of both,' Ant, 41, told the recruits.

'You can take in information, divulge it and execute what needs to be done. Teamwork, leadership, everything.'

Celebrity line-up: Sam completed the gruelling course alongside John Steffensen (centre) and Mark Philippoussis (left), neither of who made the cut

Passing the course: After taking some time to deliberate, the show's DS (directing staff) ultimately decided that only Sam had what it took to make it as an SAS soldier. Pictured, chief instructor Ant Middleton

After revealing John, 39, and Mark hadn't passed, Ant turned to Sam and told him: 'You have successfully passed this course. Well done.'

Ant then told John and Mark, 44, that they 'lacked' the additional 'one per cent' needed to pass selection, but praised their 'amazing effort'.

'I'm feeling a lot of things, really. Bit of emotion, joy, bit unbelievable. It was my goal. My goal was to get to the end and be selected, and it was great to achieve that goal,' said a jubilant Sam.

Making the cut: After revealing John and Mark hadn't passed, Ant turned to Sam and told him: 'You have successfully passed this course. Well done'

He went on describe it as 'a once in a lifetime experience', happily embracing his fellow recruits after getting the good news.

'What I'm taking from it is I'm going to pour all my time, my emotion, into the places that deserve it in my life,' added the father of daughter Poppy, four, and son Billy, two.

'It starts with my kids and just making sure I'm the best role model for them. It's just a great lesson in life.'

'What I'm taking from it is I'm going to pour all my time, my emotion, into the places that deserve it in my life,' said Sam

Indeed, Sam has been quite the fan favourite after smashing through most of the challenges set for him and his fellow recruits.

He also made headlines after confessing to cheating on his ex-wife Phoebe Burgess in a tense interrogation session during episode one.

'I don't think I was the greatest husband at times,' he said to the camera. 'I embarrassed my wife. I'd had an affair with a girl, a woman in Melbourne. That's true.

'I was away on tour, and regretfully that happened. Which would have been... it would have been a tough place for Phoebe to be.'

News of the separation came just days after Sam - who shares daughter Poppy, four, and Billy, two, with Phoebe - announced his retirement from all sporting competitions with immediate effect on October 30, 2019, due to a shoulder injury.

Sam said he 'couldn't accept' hearing the decision that he should quit from his surgeon, and so tried to go back and play.

'It was a bit of a knife to the heart,' he explained during the episode. 'I couldn't accept it. I knew two games in I couldn't do my job anymore, so I retired. It was s**t.'
Her ex-husband Sam Burgess was the only recruit to pass selection during the finale of SAS Australia.

But Phoebe Burgess made no mention of the accolade on her Instagram page on Tuesday night, instead focusing all of her energy on the two children the duo share  Poppy, four, and Billy, two.

The 32-year-old Influencer shared a trio of photos as she spent time with the young tots in the spring sunshine, cuddling up to them while enjoying ice cream outside.

Family: Phoebe Burgess posted a trio of adorable photos with her children on Tuesday night, making no mention of her ex-husband Sam's win on SAS Australia

'Cheeky chop,' she captioned one of the images, which showed little Poppy sticking her tongue out at the camera while eating a pink ice cream.

Another showed Phoebe leaning her head against her daughter, while a third saw the doting mum beam as her little ones wrapped their arms around her.

Sam and Phoebe were married for four years before splitting in 2019.

He revealed on the show he had been unfaithful to his wife during their marriage during the first episode.

'I don't think I was the greatest husband at times,' he said to the camera. 'I embarrassed my wife. I'd had an affair with a girl, a woman in Melbourne. That's true.

Cute! 'Cheeky chop,' she captioned one of the images, which showed little Poppy sticking her tongue out at the camera while eating a pink ice cream

Love: Another showed her leaning her head against her daughter, while a third showed Phoebe beaming as her little ones wrapped their arms around her

'I was away on tour, and regretfully that happened. Which would have been... it would have been a tough place for Phoebe to be.'

Sam himself was very vocal about his win on social media.

Taking to Instagram, the retired NRL star revealed on Instagram that he had achieved the 'two goals' he had set himself before agreeing to appear on the show, before thanking Ant Middleton and the directing staff (DS) for being part of his journey.

'When I agreed to do this course I set myself two simple goals,' the 32-year-old wrote. 'One, Be totally honest with myself. Two, Complete the course.

Confession: Sam revealed on the show he had been unfaithful to Phoebe during their four-year marriage during the first episode of SAS Australia

Proud: Sam himself was very vocal about his win on social media, revealing on Instagram that he had achieved the 'two goals' he had set himself before agreeing to appear on the show

'Throughout the experience, I grew enormously through pain and discomfort, through joy and teamwork, through fatigue and food deprivation but most of all by being vulnerable enough to share this, become better at understanding myself and in turn reveal true character.'

He then thanked chief instructor Ant, Jason 'Foxy' Fox, Ollie Ollerton and Mark 'Billy' Billingham, adding: 'Youre all amazing men with a great outlook on life. We can all learn if we truly listen to words spoken.

'To all fellow recruits - congratulations on having the courage to say yes. I learned something new each and every day, so I thank you for that.

'And to the recruits standing next to me at the end, well done - your spirit and determination was unwavering.'

Happy: He then thanked chief instructor Ant Middleton (pictured), Jason 'Foxy' Fox, Ollie Ollerton and Mark 'Billy' Billingham, adding: 'Youre all amazing men with a great outlook on life. We can all learn if we truly listen to words spoken'

He concluded: 'Finally - I am doing the work. Day by day, step by step. Hopefully continuing to inspire and show we can all rise. Lots of Love, Sam.'

Sam completed the gruelling course alongside John Steffensen and Mark Philippoussis, neither of who made the cut.

After taking some time to deliberate, the show's DS ultimately decided that only Sam had what it took to make it as an SAS soldier.

Winner takes it all: Sam looked elated as it was revealed he had passed selection

Chief instructor Ant admitted it had been 'a hard decision to make', before the DS stepped before the recruits and delivered their final verdict.

'We're not looking for brawn, we're not looking for brain, we're looking for a combination of both,' Ant, 41, told the recruits.

'You can take in information, divulge it and execute what needs to be done. Teamwork, leadership, everything.'

Celebrity line-up: Sam completed the gruelling course alongside John Steffensen (centre) and Mark Philippoussis (left), neither of who made the cut

Passing the course: After taking some time to deliberate, the show's DS (directing staff) ultimately decided that only Sam had what it took to make it as an SAS soldier. Pictured, chief instructor Ant Middleton

After revealing John, 39, and Mark hadn't passed, Ant turned to Sam and told him: 'You have successfully passed this course. Well done.'

Ant then told John and Mark, 44, that they 'lacked' the additional 'one per cent' needed to pass selection, but praised their 'amazing effort'.

'I'm feeling a lot of things, really. Bit of emotion, joy, bit unbelievable. It was my goal. My goal was to get to the end and be selected, and it was great to achieve that goal,' said a jubilant Sam.

Making the cut: After revealing John and Mark hadn't passed, Ant turned to Sam and told him: 'You have successfully passed this course. Well done'

He went on describe it as 'a once in a lifetime experience', happily embracing his fellow recruits after getting the good news.

'What I'm taking from it is I'm going to pour all my time, my emotion, into the places that deserve it in my life,' added the father of daughter Poppy, four, and son Billy, two.

'It starts with my kids and just making sure I'm the best role model for them. It's just a great lesson in life.'
EastEnders, Coronation Street and Emmerdale are set to come together for the very first soap crossover.

The shows will join the likes of Hollyoaks and Doctors as well as continuing dramas Casualty and Holby City for a special episode focusing on climate change, which will air on November 1.

Revealing the news on Tuesday's This Morning, soap expert Sharon Marshall hailed the TV collaboration as 'amazing' as she told how the soap will come together to tell the same storyline at the same time.

Big event: EastEnders, Coronation Street and Emmerdale are set to come together for the very first soap crossover

The unique episode will significantly air in the same week as world leaders come together to discuss the climate crisis at the upcoming COP26 conference in Glasgow.

Discussing the episode, Sharon said: 'It's the first time it's ever been done. In November, we're going to be having the world's first soap crossover.

'Now for the first time, all five British soaps - and our continuing dramas - they're all going to come together and tell the same story at the same time. That story is going to be climate change.'

Coming soon: The shows will join the likes of Hollyoaks and Doctors as well as continuing dramas Casualty and Holby City for a special episode focusing on climate change, which will air on November 1st (pictured Emmerdale stars Nicola Wheeler and Nick Miles)

WHAT IS THE COP26 CONFERENCE? The COP26 conference, also known as the United Nations Climate Change Conference, is an annual global summit focusing on climate change and how countries around the world can tackle it. This year's event is taking place at the SEC Centre in Glasgow, Scotland and will run from 31 October and 12 November 2021. The COP26 website adds that the summit will 'bring parties together to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. ' The event is attended by those countries that countries that signed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), as well as politicians, climate activists and journalists. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, US President Joe Biden and Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will attend, while The Queen is also set to make an appearance. Sir David Attenborough and Greta Thunberg will also attend. Advertisement

She went on: 'All of these people have been talking about it in secret for months and months to make this work and what they're each going to do is film a scene, have a reference that is going to cover a different aspect of climate change and - this is the fun bit - a soap first.

'You're going to see all the programmes do a nod to the other and characters will start popping up from one soap in another soap on screen. That has never been done before.'

Amid the scenes, a social media video featuring two residents from Emmerdale will be shown to Coronation Street characters, while one of the stars from Doctors will make an appearance in Weatherfield in a video shown during a Corrie episode.

Elsewhere, Casualty will be talked about in The Woolpack and a social media video from the cobbles will be discussed in The Queen Vic.

The soap crossover was the brainchild of Emmerdale's Executive Producer Jane Hudson, who had got in touch with other soap producers about the idea.

She said of the episode: 'Never before have all five soaps and both continuing dramas come together and united in telling one story. And we certainly haven't seen characters pop up in other shows before.

'This is a real treat for our audience, whilst also allowing us to get across a very important message.'

Kate Oates, Head of Continuing Drama at BBC Studios added: 'Im thrilled that our soaps and serial dramas have all come together to help highlight the issue of climate change amongst our millions of viewers.

A first: The unique episode will significantly air in the same week as world leaders come together to discuss the climate crisis at the upcoming COP26 conference in Glasgow

Amazing: Now for the first time, all five British soaps - and our continuing dramas - they're all going to come together and tell the same story at the same time. That story is going to be climate change

'Were grateful to the teams that made this happen, and hugely look forward to seeing the talent from our own shows popping up in other iconic programmes.'

While Lucy Allan, Executive Producer of Hollyoaks, added: 'We know how important climate change and environmental issues are to our youthful audience, and to all soap viewers.

It has been great to work together on an engaging way to, hopefully, inspire conversations about issues that are so important.'

Different: Amid the scenes, a social media video featuring two residents from Emmerdale will be shown to Coronation Street characters, while one of the stars from Doctors will make an appearance in Weatherfield in a video shown during a Corrie episode
Zendaya has stepped in the spotlight once again as she is being appreciated for her sharp fashion sense.

The Oakland, California born actress posed for the November cover of InStyle magazine which had as its theme the Best Dressed List.

The actress, who is promoting her epic action film Dune, also spoke about how much she admires her boyfriend and Spider-Man costar Tom Holland, saying he is a 'perfectionist' who works very hard for his craft.

The best! Zendaya has stepped in the spotlight once again for her fashion sense. The Oakland born actress posed for the November cover of InStyle magazine which had as its theme the Best Dressed List

The look: The interview will be featured in InStyle's November issue hitting newsstands on October 22

The former teen star said there were many things about the British star that she appreciates.

In an 'actor way,' she appreciates that he 'really loves' being Spider-Man.

'It's a lot of pressure  you take on the role of a superhero wherever you go. To the little kid who walks by, you are Spider-Man. I think he handled that so well,' said the cover girl.

Her man: The actress, who is promoting her epic action film Dune, also spoke about how much she admires her boyfriend and Spider-Man costar Tom Holland, saying he is a 'perfectionist' who works very hard for his craft. Seen in Spider-Man: Far from Home

They click well: Here Holland and Zendaya attend the Spiderman: Homecoming movie photo call at Villamagna Hotel in Madrid in 2017

She also shared what he is really like off screen, calling him a perfectionist.

'Seeing him at work, even though he's not a Virgo [laughs], he is a perfectionist,' said the siren.

'Our director allowed me to come in every day [of the shoot], and it was cool to see how he cares so much about his work and making it right.

A shock: The red carpet fixture also shared that she never thought she would be involved with the franchise. 'I had no idea that was coming. I actually went to see Spider-Man on my first date when I was 16. The version with Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone,' said Zendaya

'I watched him do a fight scene all day, which is exhausting. He'd do a move, come back to the monitors, watch it, and say, "I can do that better." I'd be like, "Dude, you got it." But he wants us to be perfect, and I really appreciate that.'

The red carpet fixture also shared that she never thought she would be involved with the franchise.

'I had no idea that was coming. I actually went to see Spider-Man on my first date when I was 16. The version with Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone,' said Zendaya.

She also said she has insecurities and is afraid of 'messing up and making mistakes.'

She wants to do her best: She also said she has insecurities and is afraid of 'messing up and making mistakes'

She said: 'Not being the best I can possibly be at something' hurts her.

The fashion expert said she hates 'failure.'

The star shared: 'Again, that's a Virgo thing. If something is not perfect or the best, then I feel like I might as well have not even done it. I turn something into being the worst thing, even if it was fine. But it's not fine to me.'

Next up is the movie Dune.

'We'll see what the world thinks. But I had such a fun time,' shared the designer.

She said director Denis Villeneuve is one of the 'most extraordinary filmmakers we have.'

Zen added: 'He's just so consistent and thoughtful. I loved working with him, although it wasn't for very long. We'll see how the first one goes, but I'm ready to do a second. Whenever they call, I'm here. [Co-star] Timothee [Chalamet] is an extraordinary talent and just a lovely personhe's become my family.'

No room to fail: The fashion expert said she hates 'failure.' The star shared: 'Again, that's a Virgo thing. If something is not perfect or the best, then I feel like I might as well have not even done it. I turn something into being the worst thing, even if it was fine. But it's not fine to me'

Yes, she is one of the best dressed: Seen in a sizzling nude dress with matching heels at the Dune premiere in Venice, Italy this year

As far as what she would change in the industry, she said she wants to become a director.

'My dream is to create my own things. I would love to make films that allow space for young up-and-coming artists, writers, and filmmakers  because especially with Black talent, it's not a lack thereof; it's a lack of opportunity.

'I'd like to give those opportunities: Partner upcoming filmmakers with different writers and mentorships, connect them with the actors they want to see in their films, and create those special bonds. And make sure they get paid and taken care of.'

Her new movie is expected to be huge: She stars in the epic sand saga Dune

On diverse talent: 'Even with photo shoots, I'm now at the point where I can request photographers to work with.

'But before that, if I didn't choose them, I never had the opportunity to work with Black photographers  and that is disgraceful, if you ask me. I feel lucky to be able to find new talent or work with people like [InStyle photographers] Ahmad [Barber] and Donte [Maurice], who are so talented. The photos are by AB+DM.

In the shoot, she wore several wigs and heavy makeup that hindered her natural beauty from shining. In some images she was unrecognizable.

The interview will be featured in InStyle's November issue hitting newsstands on October 22.
Jenna Coleman cut a stylish figure as she stepped out wearing a trendy brown trench coat and chunky black boots in London at the weekend.

The actress, 35, wore a white blouse and patterned jumper underneath her coat while she wore a pair of baggy navy blue trousers for her trip out in the UK capital.

The star carried an animal print Christian Dior bag packed full of belongings and hid behind a pair of dark sunglasses.

In style: Jenna Coleman, 35, cut a stylish figure as she stepped out wearing a trendy brown trench coat and chunky black boots in London at the weekend

The screen star arrived back in England after staying Paris for Fashion Week at the start of October.

Her visit to France came after she enjoyed an Italian break, with the Doctor Who star sharing a picture of herself as she relaxed at the COMO Castello Del Nero hotel in Tuscany on Instagram.

Jenna could be seen smiling as she took a picture of herself with the elaborately painted ceilings of her room visible above.

Stepping out: The actress wore a white blouse and patterned jumper underneath her coat while she wore a pair of baggy navy blue trousers for her trip out in the UK capital

She wore lashings of make-up to highlight her pretty features, opting for a bright red shade of lipstick.

Jenna has jetted to a number of different countries recently after returning from a wellness retreat in Spain last month, sharing on Instagram that she spent the week in her dressing gown.

The star posed for a picture as she relaxed at a hotel in the Spanish mountains as she wore her nightwear.

Jet set: Jenna recently enjoyed an Italian break, with the Doctor Who star sharing a picture of herself as she relaxed at the COMO Castello Del Nero hotel in Tuscany on Instagram

She captioned the snaps: 'A week spent in my dressing Gown, not brushing my hair, safe In the nurturing hands of @shawellness hidden away in the Spanish mountains.

'A true rest and reboot for mind, body and soul. A comprehensive approach across all pillars of health and healing focusing on fitness, nutrition, rest and natural therapies.

'Thank you for reminding me what it means to really stop and take care yourself.'
The latest crop of I'm A Celebrity contestants could be in for a rough first week as rain storms and 54mph winds threaten to batter the Welsh castle.

This year's show has once again relocated from sunny Australia to Wales amid Covid restrictions, with the famous faces once again heading to the derelict Gwrych Castle in Conwy County, north Wales.

But long-range weather forecasts suggest that things will get off to a turbulent start, with weather experts predicting that the start of the show (tipped to be November 14th) will see half an inch of rain fall, while high winds will batter the castle.

Uh oh: The latest crop of I'm A Celebrity contestants could be in for a rough first week as rain storms and 54mph winds threaten to batter the Welsh castle

According to The Sun, It's also said that there will be 100% cloud cover, while temperature may struggle to get above zero degrees.

They add that the camp could be affected by heavy rainfall in the first two weeks.

MailOnline have contacted an I'm A Celebrity representative for comment.

Setting: This year's show has once again relocated from sunny Australia to Wales amid Covid restrictions, with the famous faces once again heading to the derelict Gwrych Castle in Conwy County, north Wales

It comes as I'm A Celebrity bosses are set to yet again enforce a two week quarantine for the contestants to make sure they do not suffer similar crisis to Strictly Come Dancing.

Producers are going to create a bubble for the famous faces which will attempt to avoid rows over vaccinations and keep them safe once in the camp at Gwrych Castle in Wales.

A show spokesperson told MailOnline: 'Like last year, our celebrities will do a two week quarantine with regular testing prior to entering the castle, and will then form a bubble for the duration of their time on the show.'

Wow: Long-range weather forecasts suggest that things will get off to a turbulent start, with weather experts predicting that the start of the show (tipped to be November 14th) will see half an inch of rain fall, while high winds will batter the castle

Chaos: It's said that there will be 100% cloud cover, while temperature may struggle to get above zero degrees. They add that the camp could be affected by heavy rainfall in the first two weeks

It comes after another primetime show fell into disarray when Strictly Come Dancing had difficulties at the start of the series.

Three professionals allegedly refused the Covid vaccination, while Tom Fletcher and Amy Dowden tested positive for the disease - forcing them to miss an episode.

The year before, the show's first same-sex couple Katya Jones and Nicola Adams were forced to withdraw from the competition after Katya contracted the virus.

Safe: I'm A Celebrity bosses are set to 'enforce two week quarantine' for the contestants to make sure they do not suffer similar crises to Strictly Come Dancing

Measures: Producers are reportedly going to create a bubble for the famous faces which will attempt to keep them safe once in the camp, which is set to be at at Gwrych Castle in Wales

Unvaccinated: It comes after Strictly Come Dancing was thrown into chaos when three professional dancers refused to have a Covid vaccination (Strictly's pro dancers pictured)

Last year, I'm A Celebrity required the celebrities to wear proximity monitors which flashed and buzzed when they came too close to one another.

Bosses also scaled down the production team, and had cameras set up already on-site so cameramen didn't have to be on the set.

Rumoured to be in the line up for this year's programme is former Eastenders actor Adam Woodyatt.

Famous face: Rumoured to be in the line up for this year's programme is former Eastenders actor Adam Woodyatt (left) and broadcaster Richard Madeley (right)

Also apparently set to join is journalist Richard Madeley who apparently signed a 200,000 contract with the reality show.

A source told The Sun: 'He's a favourite with ITV execs. He's brilliant off and on screen so it seemed as good a time as any to throw caution to the wind and eat animal bits.'

Dame Arlene Phillips has reportedly signed up to take part in this year's series.
Victoria Beckham made a typically glamorous appearance on Good Morning America on Tuesday where she was promoting her new cream cheek colour, Cheeky Posh.

The star, 47, also spoke candidly about her marriage to her husband of 22 years, David Beckham, saying: 'We're very supportive of each other. He's an incredible dad and a wonderful husband.'

However many viewers were taken aback by the former Spice Girl's appearance, with one Twitter user wondering: 'What's happened to her face?' as Victoria was sporting noticeably fuller lips during the interview. Another begged: 'Please no more lip fillers.'

Fuller pout: Victoria Beckham, 47, made a typically glamorous appearance on Good Morning America on Tuesday however viewers were taken aback by the former Spice Girl's fuller lips

'Love Victoria Beckham but whats been done to her lips is a shame,' someone else tweeted.

Another penned: 'Victoria Beckham on GMA is freaking me out. She only moves her eye lids and lips when speaking... it's so unnatural and distracting. The botox/filler game can work for pics, but wow it's not good for life things.'

'My gosh her lip injection looks terrible. Whyyyyy are women doing this to themselves??!!,' another asked, followed by someone else posting: 'Victoria beckham got the extra good lip filler i see!'

Another penned: 'Watching @GMA and asking myself whats wrong with @victoriabeckham lips. She seem that like she doesnt have an upper lip!'

Cheeky posh! Victoria is seen having a laugh with host Michael Strahan after he tried to get her to commit to another Spice Girls reunion

Friendly: She blew kisses to the audience as she headed onto the TV set

Fan reaction: One Twitter user wondered: 'What's happened to her face?' as Victoria was sporting noticeably fuller lips

Twitter debate: Many commented on the look on social media

Someone else penned: 'Victoria Beckham looks freakish. Geez Ladies. What is the goal? What is the ultimate look. Face pulled back to behind the ears. Lips busted and glossed. Stretched out Cat eyes. Sorry, I just turned 47, maybe Im just getting too old for these older ladies.'

Speaking about her and David's relationship, Victoria said: 'We have a lot of fun, we support each other with everything that we do.'

She added: 'It's about having fun and enjoying that person's company. I genuinely love being with him.' She then joked: 'Which is good after all those years.'

Taken aback: Many Good Morning America viewers were taken aback by the former Spice Girl's appearance

Chit chat! The star put on an animated display during the morning interview

Making Robin Roberts and Michael Strahan laugh, Victoria quipped: 'It's a bonus!'

The pair have been married for 22 years, and share four children - the eldest of whom, Brooklyn, made his own appearance on US TV last week - going viral for making a sandwich on the Today show.

VB - who is also scheduled to appear on Live! with Kelly Ripa and the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon in what appears to be a publicity blitz - didn't mention Brooklyn's questionable culinary skills, with co-host George Stephanopoulos asking the fashion designer what kind 'marriage wisdom' she hopes to pass on to her children.

'Oh my goodness, marriage wisdom, you know, I don't know,' she said. 'Um, he's an incredible dad, um, and a wonderful husband, and we have a lot of fun.'

22 years strong: Victoria, 47, has dished on her best marriage advice to husband David, 46

Impressed: Hosts Michael Strahan, Robin Roberts and George Stephanopoulos all appeared to be charmed by the former Spice Girl

Strahan then began to grill Beckham on whether she would ever return to the Spice Girls, but sadly, it was another no from the mom-of-four.

'I think you asked me this the last time!' Victoria said with a smile. 'You know I think the Spice Girls were such a big success... but I think my times of singing on stage are behind me.'

Having a little joke with Strahan, she then talked about her new passion of making beauty products for 'her community' saying she ultimately wants to 'give them what they want, what they really, really want,' referencing their hit Wannabe.

Pearls of wisdom: She was asked what marriage advice she would give her four children

Awkward: Victoria's son Brooklyn's questionable culinary skills were not mentioned

Viral: Brooklyn began trending last week when he made a breakfast sandwich on the Today show

Pointing at Strahan she added: 'There you go!'

Touching upon her cosmetics line Victoria Beckham Beauty, the fashionista said: 'Victoria Beckham Beauty is a passion project for me.'

She continued: '[It's] very successful. My community seems to be loving what I'm doing and last week we launched Cheeky Posh.'

Demand for the newest launch from Victoria Beckham Beauty was through the roof this weekend, with the 'Knickers' shade being the most popular and selling thousands.

The launch also drove a sell out of Victorias favourite Satin Kajal liner in Cocoa  the top shades of her eyeliner, Cocoa and Bronze, sell one every minute and have sold out 3 times in the last month.

The brand was profitable 15 months after launch and is on track for profitability this year, with Victoria Beckham Beauty experiencing triple-digit sales growth this year vs last.

Sweet: Speaking about her and husband David's relationship, Victoria said: 'We have a lot of fun, we support each other with everything that we do'

The timing of Victoria's appearances comes days after her son Brooklyn hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons - as he was mocked for making a breakfast sandwich on the Today show.

At the start of the segment, Brooklyn was seen telling viewers about dad David's love of food, before waxing lyrical about his 'favourite' cast-iron skillet, which was already filled with pre-cooked sausages and bacon rashers.

He added that his love of cooking began to flourish during quarantine, when he began posting videos of himself making different dishes on his Instagram account.

Wow! Victoria Beckham was certainly commanding attention as she headed to the Good Morning America studios in NYC on Tuesday in a Ronald McDonald-inspired outfit

Chic: Victoria completed the look with a neon green clutch bag and wore her trademark dark shades to shield her eyes despite the dreary weather

Couldn't miss her: The fashion designer, 47, wowed in wide-leg bright yellow trousers which she teamed with a red jumper

'I've always loved food and obviously when quarantine hit I just really started to get into it,' he explained.

'My fiancee (Nicola Peltz) started filming me and I started posting it and it's just something I love doing.'

Brooklyn then began preparing the sandwich ingredients - and it was here that viewers' online mockery really took off, with social media users blasting everything from his hatred of 'runny eggs' to the lack of butter on the bread.

'Brooklyn Beckham went on tv to show his culinary skills and cookeda breakfast sandwich! I am done!' one person wrote on Twitter, as another person added: 'Why in the f*** is Brooklyn Beckham on my TV cooking a basic a** breakfast sandwich?????'

Friendly wave: She interacted with her fans at the TV studios

The photographer and model shared several 'tips' during the preparation of the sandwich, revealing that he likes to cut his sausages down the middle so he can cook the insides, and explaining that he uses his fingers to poke the egg yolks so that they cook up and don't stay runny.

'Brooklyn I can't believe you never left the egg runny!!! You just ruined a good sandwich,' one person tweeted in response to his egg-cooking technique.

Meanwhile, on her way into the studios in NYC, Victoria appeared to be taking inspiration from Ronald McDonald in a very colorful ensemble.

Excited: Victoria also took to social media to share a snap of the outfit

Pose: She revealed to fans that she would be on the show

Arrival: She turned heads in her daring ensemble

A flare for fashion: The star is a fan of large flared trousers

Catching up: VB was sure to give a good interview, as always

Back she goes: The multi-talented business mogul headed back to her NYC Hotel after taping for GMA

The former pop singer wowed in wide-leg bright yellow trousers which she teamed with a red jumper.

She showed off her lean figure in the high-waisted chinos as she stepped out in style.

Victoria completed the look with a neon green clutch bag and wore her trademark dark shades to shield her eyes despite the dreary weather.

The beauty wore her dark tresses swept back and opted for a naturally pretty makeup look.

Cosmetics: Touching upon her cosmetics line Victoria Beckham Beauty, the fashionista said: 'Victoria Beckham Beauty is a passion project for me'

It comes after VB proved she's still an entertainer at heart as she performed a dance while daughter Harper, 10, spritzed her with body glitter spray in an Instagram clip on Monday.

Posh could be seen dancing to Kanye West hit Fade in black activewear from her Reebok x Victoria Beckham range as Harper spritzed her with the spray.

The former pop star could be seen waving her arms above her head as she stood in front of a window at their London home.
Kim Kardashian says daughter North West loves to insult her mom's home decor when they're arguing.

The Skims founder, 40, opened up about the ups and downs of parenting in a new episode of Mom Confessionals for Bubble, where she revealed the 'meanest' thing her eight-year-old says.

Kim said that 'every time' they disagree North needles mom about the family home, telling her: 'Your house is ugly. It's all white. Who lives like this?'

Harsh! Kim Kardashian revealed that daughter North West, eight, likes to insult the notoriously stark family home when she's arguing with her mom

'She just thinks it gets to me and it is kind of mean, because I like my house,' she went on with a shrug.

The notoriously minimal home has been mocked for its very sparse look since Kim and ex husband Kanye West moved in to the Hidden Hills mansion around 2019, after a full six years of renovations according to the New York Post.

The mother-of-four also had advice for new parents, admitting 'everyone's winging it' when it comes to raising kids.

'Just wing it, you'll figure it out,' she said.

The star also admitted to some of her shortcomings, confessing her 'biggest parenting fail' is 'giving in too easy' and bribing her kids.

'I'm guilty of a good bribe,' she smiled.

Offering another tidbit of advice, Kardashian - who is also mom to sons Saint, five, and Psalm, two, as well as daughter Chicago, three, - said 'everything, parenting-wise' is 'on the fly.'

Attitude! Kim said that 'every time' they disagree North needles mom about the family home, telling her 'Your house is ugly. It's all white. Who lives like this?'

Mean: 'She just thinks it gets to me and it is kind of mean, because I like my house,' she went on with a shrug

Minimal: The notoriously minimal home has been mocked for its very sparse look since Kim and ex husband Kanye West moved in to the Hidden Hills mansion around 2019, after a full six years of renovations according to the New York Post

'I mean, this week I'm playing Roblox,' the reality star joked.

Asked about a 'lie' she recently told the kids, Kim said: 'I really try not to lie to my kids.'

'I was doing that at the beginning, to try and get them out of the house or to try to go into a playdate or things like that. I just realized quickly it wasn't going to work for me and I'd rather be honest with my kids.'

Talking about what trait she wished she didn't pass down to her kiddos, Kardashian mused: 'Maybe my love for makeup because they're too young. I don't know but then I kind of like it because they're super creative and do fun costume looks.'

'Maybe my love for sweets?' she went on.

Improvising! Offering another tidbit of advice, Kardashian - who is also mom to sons Saint, five, and Psalm, two, as well as daughter Chicago, three, - said 'everything, parenting-wise' is 'on the fly'

Honesty policy: Asked about a 'lie' she recently told the kids, Kim said: 'I really try not to lie to my kids'

Creative! Talking about what trait she wished she didn't pass down to her kiddos, Kardashian mused: 'Maybe my love for makeup because they're too young. I don't know but then I kind of like it because they're super creative and do fun costume looks'

Kim also revealed the creepiest thing her kiddos have ever said to her, she said: 'Every time my kids are playing with bugs or their fascination with spiders and loving spiders, creeps me out on another level.'

Kim shares her four offspring with ex Kanye West.

Though the pair filed for divorce at the start of this year, they're still reportedly close.

A source told People: 'Kim and Kanye are friends, but that's it. She is still moving forward with the divorce.

'She loves having Kanye's support, though. They were not in a good place around the time Kim filed for divorce. She is so happy that things are better now. It's all very beneficial for the kids.'
Jamie Dornan and Dame Judi Dench shared a warm embrace as they attended the premiere of their new film, Belfast on Tuesday.

The pair appeared to be in high spirits as they warmly wrapped their arms around each other on the red carpet at Southbank for the BFI London Film Festival.

Jamie, 39, looked dapper sporting a tailored navy suit and his trademark stubble.

Sweet: Jamie Dornan and Dame Judi Dench shared a warm embrace as they attended the premiere of their new film, Belfast on Tuesday

Judi, 86, looked sophisticated in a black jacket and grey patterned scarf which she accessorised with a silver necklace, rings and layered bangles.

The James Bond actor carried her essentials in a black leather handbag and donned neutral makeup for the event.

She beamed as she embraced the 50 Shades of Gray actor on the red carpet.

Jamie's wife Amelia, 39, also joined him at the festival looking stylish as she opted for an autumnal colour blocking look.

Close friends: The pair appeared to be in high spirits as they warmly wrapped their arms around each other on the red carpet at Southbank for the BFI London Film Festival

Chic: Judi, 86, looked sophisticated in a black jacket and grey patterned scarf which she accessorised with a silver necklace, rings and layered bangles

Cute couple: Jamie's wife Amelia, 39, also joined him at the festival looking stylish as she opted for an autumnal colour blocking look

The mother-of-three donned a cobalt roll neck jumper that complemented her tanned complexion and clung to her tiny waist.

She teamed the garment with an emerald green pleated skirt that skimmed over a pair of gold court heels.

Irish actress Lara McDonnell looked elegant in a floor length layered lace dress.

The beauty pulled her raven locks back into a chic bun and her glam makeup enhanced her pretty features.

Dame: Judi oozed sophistication in an all black ensemble which she paired with kitten heels

Stunning: Irish actress Lara McDonnell looked elegant in a floor length layered lace dress

Beautiful: Caitriona- who plays Ma in the flick- wowed in a gold layered floor length dress which donned dramatic shoulders

Cute: Caitriona tickled child star Jude Hill to make him giggle for the cameras in a sweet moment

Speaking before the film premiere actor Ciaran Hinds, Jamie, Caitriona Balfe and director and writer Kenneth Branagh took to the stage to talk about the film.

Jude Hill who plays Buddy and Lara McDonnell who plays Moira also joined the the cast.

Jamie appeared to be in a jovial mood as he placed his hand over child actor Jude's eyes while they posed for snaps.

Jude looked very dapper in a royal blue velvet suit jacket and navy trousers which he paired with a bow tie.

Cast: (L-R) Speaking before the film premiere actor Ciaran Hinds, Jamie, Caitriona Balfe and director and writer Kenneth Branagh took to the stage to talk about the film

Stars of the film: Jamie and Caitriona spoke to the audience for the premiere

Talent: Jude Hill who plays Buddy and Lara McDonnell who plays Moira also joined the the cast on stage

Funny: Jamie appeared to be in a jovial mood as he placed his hand over child actor Jude's eyes while they posed for snaps

Pose: Sir Kenneth Branagh, Jamie, Jude Hill and Caitriona Balfe are all smiles on the red carpet

Smile! Jamie took selfies with fan as he made his way along the red carpet

The drama - directed by Kenneth Branagh - is a semi-autobiographical film inspired by the BAFTA winner's early childhood growing up in Northern Ireland surrounded by a large extended family.

It is billed as 'chronicling the life of a working class family and their young son's childhood during the troubles in Belfast, Northern Ireland in the late 1960s.'

The film is not a straightforward biography of Kenneth's childhood, and sees Jude Hill take on the lead role under the name of Buddy.

Gorgeous: Olive Tennant- who is the daughter of Scottish actor David Tennant- looked beautiful in a yellow patterned dress

Brother and sister: Olive and her brother Ty Tennant look adorable as they pose for snaps together

Jamie plays Buddy's father in the new film, with Outlander star Caitriona Balfe taking on the role of mother.

Hollywood heavyweight Judi's portray his grandmother, with Ciaran Hinds starring as Kenneth's grandfather.

Belfast will be released in be in the United States on November 21 and in the UK on February 25.

Looking good: Tobias Menzies oozed confidence in a brown check suit which he paired with a navy and cream scarf

Dapper: Irish actor Ciaran Hinds sported a black suit and a lavender shirt for the evening
Newlywed Meghan King is feeling the love after receiving congratulations from the Real Housewives family following her surprise wedding to Joe Biden's nephew Cuff Owens.

Tamra Judge, 54, and Shannon Beador, 57, were among the big names from the Bravo series wishing their former co-star the best after news broke she had tied the knot for a third time.

'Congratulations!' Tamra wrote with a champagne bottle emoji in the comments section of a photo announcing the newlyweds.

Feeling the love! Newlywed Meghan King has been showered with congratulations by her Real Housewives family following her surprise wedding to Joe Biden's nephew Cuff Owens

'So happy for you!!!' Shannon raved.

RHOC vet Lizzie Rovsek expressed similar sentiments, along with the touching message, 'You two are just beautiful.'

Tinsley Mortimer, a former star on The Real Housewives Of New York City, sent her love to the newlyweds with three heart emojis.

Other stars sending their congratulations to the happy newlyweds included celebs from outside the Housewives family such as Genevieve Padalecki, Eva Amurri, and Drew Elliot.

Time to pop the champagne bottle! A slew of stars sent the newlyweds their love in the comments section of a photo announcing the newlyweds

Party time! Bravo alum and Millionaire Matchmaker Patti Stanger gushed, 'Mazel tov!'

'Meet my man': King announced her new relationship with Cuffe just two weeks ago after meeting him on a dating app

Bravo alum and Millionaire Matchmaker Patti Stanger gushed, 'Mazel tov!'

Meghan tied the knot with Cuffe, 42, in Pennsylvania on Monday following a whirlwind romance after the pair met on a dating app just a few weeks earlier. Cuffe is the son of Biden's younger sister and political adviser, Valerie Biden Owens.

King, who has been married twice before, was joined by her three children, twin sons, Hart and Hayes, three, and her daughter, Aspen, four, who she shares with her ex-husband, former MLB star Jim Edmonds.

The former couple finalized their divorce in May following years of back and forth bitterness due to his infidelities, which included when he allegedly sent photos of his penis to a woman the day Meghan gave birth to their twins. King also accused him of cheating one of their nannies, Carly Wilson.

Sending their love: Shannon Beador and Tamra Judge were among the big names from the Bravo series wishing their former co-star the best

Bravo vet: King starred on The Real Housewives Of Orange County from 2014 to 2019

During their wild seven-year marriage, the couple engaged in threesomes with Playboy bunny Kortnie O'Connor - who Edmonds is now dating. King said she felt betrayed by O'Connor and her ex-husband's relationship as she counted the nude model as a friend. She has also spoken about her regret about the threesomes - while Edmonds insists King wanted even more.

Meghan was also previously married to her University of Mississippi classmate Brad McDill at the age of 22.

'I was too young. I didn't even know myself,' King told Page Six of her first failed marriage which lasted from 2007 to 2011. 'I wanted to be like my parents' perfect marriage. I just thought I was going to have the same love story, because why not?'

The President and first lady attended Meghan's surprise wedding at an intimate backyard ceremony in Owens' hometown of Kennett Square, Pennsylvania.

Speaking about her new found flame, Meghan explained to Brides about how their romance quickly took off: 'We spent five straight hours on the phone the first time we spoke. By the time that call ended, Cuffe was booked and packed for a flight to St. Louis that took off in about eight hours. Within a week, we were back on the East Coast, meeting his family, and starting to plan our future together. We didn't leave each other's side for weeks.'

In a photo posted by Brides, Meghan looked every inch the blushing bride as she clung to her new husband.

Meghan and Cuffe reportedly met weeks ago on a dating app and only made their public debut on her Instagram on September 25 with the caption: 'Trying my best to avoid any cheesy introductions like 'my main squeeze' so just meet my man.'
Caprice Bourret looked incredible in a racy plunging jumpsuit as she stepped out in London on Tuesday.

The model. 49, flaunted her ample assets as she went braless in a black sheer jumpsuit paired with a vibrant yellow coat for her evening.

The jumpsuit teased a glimpse of her midriff and cinched in at her trim waist.

Glow: Caprice Bourret looked incredible in a racy plunging jumpsuit as she stepped out in London on Tuesday

Her blonde tresses were styled in soft waves and she sported a rich palette of make-up.

Caprice attended Christie's for the Rays of Sunshine charity's Brightening Lives auction.

The works have been generously donated by artists and will be sold within the online-only auction,

Last month Caprice owned up to an epic photoshop fail and revealed she edited her figure in her latest snap because her jumper wasn't 'very flattering'.

Taking to Instagram to come clean about the gaff, Caprice shared her unedited snap alongside the altered image which featured a blatantly distorted doorframe.

The model admitted: 'I literally suck at retouching. This sweater is not very flattering so I tried to make it flattering and failed !!!'

Cleavage: The model. 49, flaunted her ample assets as she went braless in a black sheer jumpsuit paired with a vibrant yellow coat for her evening

Toned: The jumpsuit teased a glimpse of her midriff and cinched in at her trim waist

Good cause: The star attended the Rays of Sunshine charitys auction Brightening Lives

Fun: The star posed with entrepreneur Richard Burston at the event

Before and after: Last month Caprice owned up to an epic photoshop fail and revealed she edited her figure in her latest snap because her jumper wasn't 'very flattering'

The confession comes after fans were filled with confusion at the snap, which saw her striking a sensational power pose outside her dressing room.

Caprice looked stunning but the doorframe she posed inside had been undeniably doctored in line with her very svelte waist.

The mother-of-two appeared to have slimmed her naturally-enviable figure, which affected the background of the photo.

Caprice laughed off the embarrassing incident, writing: 'I just had to take the mickey out of myself  I cant even get retouching right. Anyways have an awesome weekend.'

Suspicious: Caprice Bourret suffered an epic photoshop fail on Saturday as a nearby doorframe suspiciously distorted in her latest sizzling social media snap

Caprice shared a slew of behind-the-scenes snaps from her day of work at Ideal TV in the doctored Instagram post, which saw her plug her Caprice Home range.

The model looked sensational as she flashed her bronzed legs in a studded black mini skirt, which she paired with an unmissable yellow polo neck sweater.

On the very same day, she vented her anger after the UK fuel shortage caused her to queue for fifteen minutes at a petrol station near Peterborough.

The former Dancing On Ice contestant told her fans that the ordeal nearly caused her to miss her appearance on the shopping channel.

Oops! Caprice laughed off the embarrassing incident, telling her followers: 'I just had to take the mickey out of myself  I cant even get retouching right'

Businesswoman: She spent the day at the Ideal TV studios in order to plug her Caprice Home range

She began, through gritted teeth, 'Ive been sitting here for fifteen minutes now waiting to get petrol. Finally Im at the front.

'But look at this and the queue back there. What is going on? Well, we know exactly whats going on.

'This is crazy, Im doing my show on Ideal with my Caprice Home, so exciting. Its a live show, I hope I make it,' she concluded before letting out two squeals of emotion.

'This is crazy, what is going on?' Caprice shared an Instagram video earlier in the day to vent her anger after the UK fuel shortage caused her to queue for fifteen minutes at a petrol station near Peterborough

It seems the Vogue cover star had more to add as she went on to call out prime minister Boris Johnson and mayor of London Sadiq Khan in her caption.

'Morning gorg friends  so on my way to my show @idealworld.tv @bycapricehome.

'Btw thank u so much for everyone that tuned in sold out if some lines and went through 40% of stock in first half of show #sograteful.

'But on the way up I couldnt believe what happened  actually I do #thanksborisjohnson queuing for petrol yesterday.

Irritated: She began, through gritted teeth, 'Ive been sitting here for fifteen minutes now waiting to get petrol. Finally Im at the front.

Worried: The model told her fans that the ordeal could cause her to miss her TV appearance

'Almost missed my show and had to pay additional 20 to fill my tank,' the star with a reported net worth of 24 million added.

'Prices are so inflated it is ridiculousnow today many petrol stations are completely out of gas get your bikes out folks!!

'Maybe those millions of our hard earned money that @sadiq used on bike lanes will be relevant [laughing and raised-eye emojis] love u everyone.'

Having reached her destination on time, a beaming Caprice flashed up as she gave viewers a glimpse behind the camera.

Happy: Having reached her destination on time, a beaming Caprice flashed a thumbs-up as she shared a slew of behind-the-scenes snaps from her day of work at the shopping channel

Experienced: She appeared to be in her element as she put her presenting skills to use

Panic buying at the pumps has already begun amid fears fuel rationing is on the way due to the UK's crippling HGV driver shortage - as Transport Secretary Grant Shapps tried to calm nerves by urging Britons 'carry on as normal'.

Queues of cars were seen spilling out on to the road from forecourts in Tonbridge, Kent, in Ely, Cambridgeshire, Bright and Leeds this morning - just a day after fuel bosses warned of petrol and diesel rationing and petrol station closures.

One petrol station in Essex, was already said to have run out of diesel by this morning, while outside another forecourt on the A12, also in Essex, queues were said to be 'three rows deep to every pump'.

Phew! Relieved that she hadn't missed her presenting lot, Caprice continued with the thumbs-up pose

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.

This week, BP announced plans to ration fuel and a 'handful' of its petrol stations, along with 'small number' of Tesco refilling stations, while supermarkets warned of food shortages and more energy firms went bust amid rising gas prices - sparking fears of a new 'winter of discontent'.

And in a particularly unhelpful addition to the problem, eco-mob Insulate Britain returned to the roads today to block off a route to Port of Dover - Europe's busiest port and the UK's main gateway for trade from the EU.

Luxury: The former Dancing On Ice star told fans all about her beautiful home collection

It comes as Petrol Retailers Association last night warned drivers to 'keep a quarter of a tank' of fuel in their vehicles in preparation for potential closures of local petrol stations.

Meanwhile Ministers faced fresh pressure to ease immigration rules as an emergency measure to attract HGV drivers from overseas amid warnings that 100,000 more were needed across the industry.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps today hinted at the possibility, saying he would move 'heaven and earth' to tackle the 'systemic issue' of HGV driver shortages.

Wow! The blonde bombshell posed up a storm for the camera in a set of follow-up snaps

He also claimed transport firms were offering huge salaries in a bid to entice drivers who have left the industry to come back - with one 'top milk firm' apparently offering as much as '78,000-a-year'.

Meanwhile, one vegetable firm in Lincolnshire is currently advertising a broccoli picker role for 30-per-hour - equivalent to around 62,000-a-year.

Government source warned last night that Downing Street is growing increasingly 'worried' over a brewing 'winter of discontent' - with Christmas ruined by soaring energy bills, shortages and Universal Credit cuts.

Ministers are said to have drawn up plans to put soldiers on standby in case they are required to drive petrol tankers in case of severe crisis.

When questioned about this on BBC Breakfast, Mr Shapps said: 'If it can actually help, we will bring them in.'

But he urged people not to panic buy, telling Sky News: 'The advice would be to carry on as normal, and that's what BP are saying as well.'
David Tennant's daughter Olive is set to make her big screen debut in Jamie Dornan's latest movie, Belfast.

And the 10-year-old was in attendance at the premiere at the BFI London Film Festival on Tuesday night, accompanied by the actor's adopted son Ty, 19.

Olive smiled for snaps on the red carpet as she posed with Ty, en route into the screening, which was also attended by the likes of Olive's co-stars Dame Judi Dench, Ciaran Hinds, and Lara McDonnell.

The apple doesn't fall far from the acting tree! David Tennant's daughter Olive, 10, posed with big brother Ty, 19, at the premiere of Jamie Dornan's new film Belfast - which sees her make her big screen debut

The pair are the eldest children of Broadchurch star David, 50, and his wife Georgia, 36.

The Doctor Who star adopted Ty back in 2011, the same year he and Georgia married. The couple also share Wilfred, eight, Doris, six, and Birdie, two.

For the premiere, Olive wore a pleated mustard and black dress with knee-high socks and black military style boots.

Debut! Olive smiled for snaps on the red carpet as she posed with Ty, en route into the screening, which was also attended by the likes of Dame Judi Dench, Ciaran Hinds, and Lara McDonnell

Olive wore her impressively long golden locks in waves around her shoulders

She wore her impressively long golden locks in waves around her shoulders as her brother rested a protective hand around her shoulder.

He wore a hoodie under a blue and black jacket, black slacks and matching shoes.

He let Olive enjoy her moment for some solo snaps, as she grinned on the red carpet.

Family man: The pair are the eldest children of Broadchurch star David, 50, and his wife Georgia, 36. They also share Wilfred, eight, Doris, six, and Birdie, two [David is pictured last month at the NTAs]

Enjoying her moment: She wore a pleated mustard and black dress with knee-high socks and black military style boots

Olive stars opposite Jamie Dornan - who looked smitten with his wife Amelia as they attended the premiere of his new film.

The pair made for a picture perfect couple as they graced the red carpet at Southbank.

Jamie, 39, looked as handsome as ever on the outing, sporting a tailored navy suit and his trademark stubble.

Starlet: Ty let Olive enjoy her moment for some solo snaps, as she grinned on the red carpet

Siblings: Her brother rested a protective hand around her shoulder. He wore a hoodie under a blue and black jacket, black slacks and matching shoes

Amelia, 39, also looked stylish as she opted for an autumnal colour blocking look.

The mother-of-three donned a cobalt roll neck jumper that complemented her tanned complexion and clung to her tiny waist.

She teamed the garment with an emerald green pleated skirt that skimmed over a pair of gold court heels.

Cute couple: Jamie Dornan cosied up to glamorous wife Amelia as they attended the premiere of Belfast at BFI London Film Festival at Southbank on Tuesday

Veteran star: Judi Dench looked lovely as she hit the red carpet

The couple looked sweet as they posed hand-in-hand ahead of the screening of Belfast.

The drama - directed by Kenneth Branagh - is a semi-autobiographical film inspired by the BAFTA winner's early childhood growing up in Northern Ireland surrounded by a large extended family.

It is billed as 'chronicling the life of a working class family and their young son's childhood during the troubles in Belfast, Northern Ireland in the late 1960s.'

Stunning: The pair made for a picture perfect couple as they graced the red carpet and posed hand in hand with one another

Bold and beautiful: Amelia, 39, also looked stylish as she opted for an autumnal colour blocking look

The film is not a straightforward biography of Kenneth's childhood, and sees Jude Hill take on the lead role under the name of Buddy.

Jamie plays Buddy's father in the new film, with Outlander star Caitriona Balfe taking on the role of mother.

Hollywood heavyweight Judi Dench portray his grandmother, with Ciaran Hinds starring as Kenneth's grandfather.

Belfast will be released in be in the United States on November 21 and in the UK on February 25.
Garcelle Beauvais is ready to open up about her emotional battle of identity in her upcoming memoir.

Her book, titled Love Me As I Am, will take fans through the star's life as she wrestles with her 'rebellious nature' and her 'desire to be a 'good girl.'

The Jamie Foxx Show star, 54, told People she is excited to share the intimate details of her journey with readers.

Emotional internal struggle: Garcelle Beauvais is ready to open up about her emotional battle of identity in her upcoming memoir; seen Monday

A stunner: As a young actress, she felt she always had to do better and better; seen in the 1990s

'When I started along the journey of penning my memoir I had no idea how much of an eye-opening experience it would be,' the star said.

'I am deeply proud to share my journey as a woman, the struggles, and funny memories with those who have followed me throughout my career in Hollywood.'

The star went on to say, 'I hope they come away knowing me a little bit better through the laughter and tears that life has brought my way. If nothing else, they will see that as with everyone, it takes resilience, fortitude and faith to survive and thrive  and I'm still standing!'

Fighting stereotypes and embracing sexuality: Beauvais will open up about a number of topics including her sexuality and pushing back against racist tropes

The press release for the book describes a person constantly seeking approval. It read, 'Throughout her life, Beauvais has suffered from a painful emotional battle between her wild, rebellious nature and her desire to be a "good girl."

'No matter how many cover stories she earned, Most Beautiful lists, or coveted roles in iconic series such as The Jamie Foxx Show and NYPD Blue, Beauvais could not cure herself of her "disease to please."'

The press release also said that a big part of the star's growth was her transition to learn to 'unapologetically put herself first.'

She also promised to share some 'juicy behind-the-scenes stories' from the set of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.

Beauvais will also focus on weighty topics like embracing her sexuality in her 40s and pushing passed racial stereotypes.

Sharing 'juicy' secrets: The star's memoir will also share 'juicy behind-the-scenes stories' from the set of RHOBH

Love Me As I Am will be the actress' second book. In 2013 she and co-author Sebastian A. Jones wrote a picture book titled I Am Mixed.

She talked about writing in a 2018 interview with the American Gem Trade Association when she said it was always something that scared her.

'Writing books was something I always wanted to do, but was also very scared of doing,' the Spider-Man: Homecoming star said.

She added, 'I was going through a hard time and realized that to get out of the mindset I was in, I had to do something that scared me. That's when the book happened and it's been so great for my kids to see that I had an idea and I made it come to life.'
Erika Jayne is making $600,000 for season 11

Erika Jayne may have recently said she has 'zero dollars' to her name, but her full salary for The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills has now been revealed.

According to a report from The New York Times the 50-year-old reality star is making $600,000 for season 11 of the popular Bravo series.

Jayne joined the show in 2015 and the Housewives are said to get pay rises for each season they are asked back.

Her estranged husband Tom Girardi, 82, has been accused of embezzling millions of dollars meant for the 2018 Boeing plane crash victims, and as a result, both have had to give up their lavish lifestyles.

Jayne once famously employed $40K-a-month glam quad to keep her looking like a pop star, but that has all gone now that she's been asked to pay back an alleged $25million loan from her ex Girardi.

As well as saying she has 'zero dollars' to her name, Jayne, on a recent episode, branded broke life 'f***ing bulls***t' while guzzling champagne on a luxury vacation to a vineyard.

Meanwhile, UsWeekly reported Tuesday that TV network Bravo has been subpoenaed for footage of Jayne amid her legal troubles.

The network is said to have been asked to turn over unaired scenes from the reality show by October 26.

Brutal: Tonight Erika Jayne is going to get grilled by Andy Cohen on RHOBH

Jayne's estranged husband Tom was once worth an estimated $264million, and the pair have since moved out of their luxury Pasadena mansion following the scandal.

She announced in November last year that she and powerhouse attorney Tom had split after 21 years of marriage.

Tonight, fans are set to see Jayne get grilled by Andy Cohen in a four-part explosive reunion show for RHOBH.

In it, fans have already heard Jayne talking about Girardi from the teaser, where she appears to say: 'You know what, I can't control what Tom Girardi did.'

'We're going to put you on a skewer - and I'm going to fire up the barbecue,' Cohen tells Jayne unceremoniously, making it clear that he's going to ask her tough questions about the alleged scam.

On a budget? Jayne was pictured after shopping at Target in LA on Tuesday

Savvy: Erika looked as though she had just been bargain hunting

'Why didn't you leave Tom sooner?' Cohen asks - referencing Girardi's woes, as he is accused of embezzling millions of dollars that were meant for plane crash victims.

To that question, it appears Jayne simply fires back with: 'Where was I going?'

While the clip is heavily edited down into a short teaser - it is clear that Cohen gets into Jayne's financial issues as he tells her 'I know what you make on this show.'

Cohen also appeared to fact-check her financial claims in the snippet.

The subject of money appears to get Jayne riled up as she responds, 'hold on!' when Cohen brings up her RHOBH salary.

Cohen then says: 'He's having multiple affairs, yet as we know, he put $20million and more into your account.'

At that point, Jayne is seen shaking her head as she tries to interject with a denial, saying: 'No.'

It'll end in tears: Erika is seen sobbing towards the end of the reunion show

Claiming innocence: Erika has repeatedly claimed on this season of the hit Bravo show that she was 'kept away from the books' and said that their whole life existed on credit cards

This refers to claims by Jayne that Girardi was being unfaithful to her during their 21-year-marriage, which she has hinted is the reason for their split - rather than the embezzlement drama.

Things really get tense when Cohen asks the group: 'Who believes that Erika did not know anything about what Tom was doing?'

An incensed Jayne then rages: 'Can someone please back me the f*** up on what I am saying?'

However, Cohen goes further: 'You were manipulating the narrative by saying the cognitive decline started three years ago...,' but she cuts him off stating: 'That's not true... Again, here you are looking at me rolling your eyes.'

Cohen then pointedly says: 'It lands differently when there are air crash victims.'

Another day at the office for Andy: Cohen is used to being the ringleader for the explosive reunion episodes and appears to be on his toughest form yet

And another thing: Erika goes to town getting her point across, but gets angry and emotional when she realises not all of the housewives are on her side

Yikes: Meanwhile, UsWeekly reported Tuesday that TV network Bravo has been subpoenaed for footage of Jayne amid her legal troubles

But the clip all boils down to Cohen asking Jayne: 'Have you asked him if he did it?'

This is where Jayne appears to stumble over her words as she says... 'I asked him why, am I, why...' and then pauses as she looks up to the ceiling avoiding any direct eye contact.

The other housewives looked shocked as she struggles to give an immediate answer - and Jayne begins to sob as tears roll down her face.

But at this stage it is not entirely clear when answers she gave in full as the clip has been edited by Bravo to save the full reveal for the upcoming reunion.

However, in another shocking moment to the clip, Jayne also unleashes a foul-mouthed attack on Sutton Stracke as she tells her, 'You were being a bitchy f*****g c***t.'

In August this year, Girardi was federally disbarred as an attorney, according to documents filed under the Central District of California.

Girardi  who has been placed under a conservatorship on account of a Dementia diagnosis  reportedly 'did not contest the decision.'

While Jayne has claimed to have no involvement in the embezzlement scandal and 'kept away from the books' she has been implicated over an alleged $25million she was paid by Giardi's law firm.
Amal Clooney cut a chic figure in a cream dress and lemon-yellow coat during an outing in Washington D.C. on Tuesday.

The human rights lawyer, 43, who is married to actor George Clooney, wore a cream midi dress and nude heels as she strolled.

She layered up in a white and yellow striped coat and accessorized with a cream handbag.

Sighting: Amal Clooney cut a chic figure in a cream dress and lemon-yellow coat during an outing in Washington D.C. on Tuesday

Her brunette tresses were styled in soft waves and she sported a radiant palette of make-up.

The outing comes after she and George attended a photocall for his film The Tender Bar at the London Film Festival on Sunday.

As ever George posed up a storm in a smart black suit, while Amal was a vision in a beautiful strapless white gown adorned with sequins.

The Tender Bar, which George directed, is a coming of age drama which the story of a Long Island boy named J.R. (Ready Player One's Tye Sheridan) who seeks out father figures at his uncle Charlie's (Ben Affleck) bar.

Leggy: The human rights lawyer, 43, who is married to actor George Clooney, wore a cream midi dress and nude heels as she strolled

At work: She layered up in a white and yellow striped coat and accessorized with a cream handbag

His mother (played by Lily Rabe) struggles to provide him with opportunities while they continue to reside with her father (played by Christopher Lloyd), J.R. decides to take hold of his future and pursue romantic and professional dreams.

Development on The Tender Bar began in 2013 with Hidden Figures director Theodore Melfi set to helm the film, before he exited the project.

After several years of difficulties, Amazon Studios acquired the rights to the project in July 2020, with George being confirmed to spearhead the feature in December.

Ben's role was confirmed in February, with much of the rest of the cast being added then in March.

Ben previously collaborated on the 2012 film Argo, on which George served as a producer.

Principal photography on the upcoming project began earlier this year at various locations in and around Boston.

George's eighth directorial feature will stream on January 7 on Amazon Prime Video.

The Long Island-set drama will also hit limited US theaters on December 18.
She recently went completely naked for a seductive photo shoot with her rockstar boyfriend.

And Megan Fox proved to keep Machine Gun Kelly close to her heart as she rocked an Ohio letterman's jacket as part of her new campaign with the fashion brand Boohoo.

The 35-year-old actress simply smoldered wearing a black leather bra as she admitted to paying homage to her beau who grew up in the Cleveland suburb of Shaker Heights.

Supportive girlfriend: Megan Fox proved to keep Machine Gun Kelly close to her heart as she rocked an Ohio letterman's jacket as part of her new campaign with the fashion brand Boohoo

Megan's piercing blue eyes caught the camera as she showed off just a few pieces of the new collection with the popular brand.

'7 days until my collection with Boohoo drops...including this universally relatable letterman jacket,' she captioned the post.

'Because theres tons of other reasons to love Ohio even if your boyfriend is not the Peoples Mayor of Cleveland.'

Sneak peek: Megan's piercing blue eyes caught the camera as she showed off just a few pieces of the new collection with the popular brand

Lady in red! Megan rocked a cut-out dress in one snap shared to her social media platform

Megan and MGK's whirlwind relationship began last year while filming Randall Emmett's crime thriller, Midnight In The Switchgrass, with Bruce Willis, Emile Hirsch and Lukas Haas in Puerto Rico.

During an interview on Lala Kent's podcast, Megan said she 'knew right away that he was what I call a twin flame.'

She added: 'Instead of a soul mate, a twin flame is actually where a soul has ascended into a high enough level that it can be split into two different bodies at the same time. So we're actually two halves of the same soul, I think.'

Megan would have been with her ex Brian Austin Green at the time of this first meeting, with whom she shares sons Noah, nine, Body, seven, and Journey, five, with.

Back in black: Her flawless figure was on display in a revealing minidress

'7 days until my collection with Boohoo drops...including this universally relatable letterman jacket,' she captioned the post

'This weird thing happened,' Megan told British GQ Style. 'We didn't see each other. I don't remember [his] face. I just remember this tall, blond, ghostly creature and I looked up and I was like, "You smell like weed." He looked down at me and he was like, "I am weed." Then, I swear to God, he disappeared like a ninja in a smoke bomb.'

She added: 'Our souls chose this to absolutely have to face our shadow selves; to face things about ourselves we didnt want to have to know, that we tried to push away.'

MGK added, 'It should be light, but also we go to hell with each other. Its ecstasy and agony for sure... I dont want people to think anythings perfect with us.'

'I didnt say it was the darkest fairy tale for no reason. God help you if you wouldve met us last Saturday,' he said, as Fox laughed.

They made their red carpet debut at the American Music Awards where she revealed a new tattoo likely dedicated to her musician beau with the Spanish words 'el pistolero' scrawled across her collarbone, which roughly translates to 'the gunman.'

Kelly  who's real name is Colson Baker  revealed that he wears a vial of her blood on a necklace so that he wouldn't miss her when she went out of the country for a film role.
He made his debut on Channel Seven's Home and Away last year.

But it appears Rob Kipa-Williams isn't happy with the storyline for his character Ari Parata.

The New Zealand actor complained on Instagram last month about the writing for his character, saying Ari had become less 'rugged' since his debut.

Drama: Home and Away actor Rob Kipa-Williams (pictured) complained on Instagram last month about the writing for his character Ari Parata

Rob posted an image of Ari looking solemn at the beach, and wrote: 'Remember when Ari used to live on the grouchy side of life?'

'I miss that Ari. Seriously,' one fan commented, to which Rob replied: 'Me too.'

Another fan commented: 'My husband said this yesterday. He said Ari was so rough, rugged and cool when he first came in.'

'I like him a little more ruggedly written oh well,' Rob responded.

Throwback: The New Zealand actor said Ari had become less 'rugged' since his debut

It comes after Rob's co-star Sam Frost, who plays Jasmine Delaney, sparked outrage over the weekend by describing Covid-19 rules as 'segregation'.

The word 'segregation' is typically used to describe societies that are divided due to race, religion or sexual orientation.

'I was really hesitant about doing a video or even speaking up about this sort of thing, but I feel like it's getting to a point now in the world where there's a lot of segregation,' she said in an emotional video on Instagram on Saturday.

'There's a lot of harsh judgement and opinions being thrown around a lot and it's taking its toll on my mental health for sure, and I know people around me are struggling - particularly if they're on the side of they don't want to get vaccinated, for whatever reason.

'There are lots of different reasons why people are not getting vaccinated and it might be because of their medical history, their concerns, they might have family history, it could be religious reasons.'

Whinge: Rob wrote: 'Remember when Ari used to live on the grouchy side of life?' A fan then commented, 'I miss that Ari. Seriously,' to which Rob replied: 'Me too'

Character changes: Rob went on say he 'liked Ari a little more ruggedly written'

Sam then said she hadn't been vaccinated, but claimed she had spoken to her medical doctor as well as a psychologist about her decision.

However, it's understood she does not have a valid medical exemption.

She added tearfully: 'It's a really hard time to be in society right now and you feel like you are less of a human and you feel like people judge you.

'And you're too scared to talk about your opinion or your feelings and part of you wants to go, 'Well it's none of your damn business why I'm not! And there's good reasons why I'm not and I don't want you to judge me.'

She explained it was important for the unvaccinated to look after their mental health, especially as freedoms return for fully vaccinated Australians.

After facing widespread criticism for her video, the 32-year-old deactivated her main Instagram account and blocked all comments on the account for her mental health charity Believe By Sam Frost.

Channel Seven later issued a statement saying it 'strongly encourages' vaccination and that Sam was still an employee of the network.
Tallulah Willis and her fiance Dillon Buss just escaped Los Angeles to enjoy a much needed vacation in Sayulita, Mexico.

The 27-year-old daughter of Demi Moore and Bruce Willis was seen modeling a range of bikinis during her stay at the Conrad Punta de Mita.

Dubbing the vacation thus far 'a hoot n' a half,' she posted a carousel of images while soaking up the sun in her very stylish swimwear.

Rest and relaxation: Tallulah Willis enjoyed a luxury vacation in Sayulita, Mexico with fiance Dillon Buss where she soaked up the sun in a range of stylish swimwear

The couple looked blissful in a selfie as Tallulah modeled a plunging yellow one piece, which she also donned in a snap as the tide rushed towards her.

Other images included her wearing a patterned bikini bottom that showed off a bit of her backside, while gazing at the expansive sea with her toes in the water.

In another artful shot she floated on her back in the pool while wearing a white bandeau top with a blue bikini bottom.

'What a hoot n' a half!' she remarked of the pair's luxury escape, which began on Sunday.

Living the dream: In one image she modeled a patterned bikini bottom with a stylish blouse on top while gazing at the ocean

Cheeky: She looked stylish while taking in the landscape during her stay at Conrad Punta de Mita

Tallulah and the photographer/director got engaged in early May after dating for about a year. Of her response when he popped the question she affirmed: 'With absolute most certainty.'

They quarantined together at Demi's ranch in Hailey, Idaho along with sisters Rumer, 32, and Scout, 30, and in an October 3 birthday tribute she made their strength as pair known.

'Our story bloomed in a chapter of history we didn't see coming, and in this unfamiliar landscape we choose to hold on, to discover one another and for me, finally found Home,' she wrote in excerpt.

And the close knit family made their support for the pair's relationship known in a myriad of congratulatory posts after Buss proposed.

Vulnerable: The Wyllis designer has been very open about her struggles with mental health and body image, and even recently opened up about getting lip fillers in the hopes of elevating her 'damaged self perception'

Leaning in: In one image she crouched down in a yellow one piece as the tide rushed towards her

The Wyllis designer has been very open about her struggles with mental health and body dysmorphia, and even recently opened up about getting lip fillers in the hopes of elevating her 'damaged self perception.'

'I had been so optimistic a vile of Juvaderm would heal my damaged self perception (it didn't, it never has, and it never will. The real healing is done through compassionate inner dialogue and actions that support your self care,' she wrote on September 27.

In another instance she had spoken about 'punishing' herself for not looking like her mom. 'I resented the resemblance as I believed wholly my "masculine" face was the sole reason for my unlovability.'
Tales of the Walking Dead has been ordered for a season by AMC Studios and is slated to air next summer.

The series, which is set to be the fourth spinoff in the successful TV franchise, will focus on both new and previously seen personalities in The Walking Dead universe, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The first season will be in six installments, and Channing Powell will be the showrunner after having worked on both The Walking Dead and Fear the Walking Dead.

The latest: Tales of the Walking Dead has been ordered by AMC Studios and is slated to air next summer. Lynn Collins and Norman Reedus were seen in the flagship show's 11th season

'I started as a fan of The Walking Dead and have ended up as a showrunner of what will hopefully be one of its most unique spinoffs,' Powell said in a statement.

Powell continued: 'Thats nuts and Im so grateful to AMC and Scott for supporting me and my writers while we pushed, pulled and poked at the boundaries of this universe to bring you something new and unexpected, while hopefully still tending to what core audiences loved so much about the flagship show.'

Scott M. Gimple, who is the content chief for The Walking Dead, will work with Powell on the series.

Gimple said that the show will run 'on new voices, perspectives and ideas' and help bring 'to life stories unlike any weve told before.'

A group of zombies from the show were seen at a photocall in Milan last month

Channing Powell will be the showrunner after having worked on both The Walking Dead and Fear the Walking Dead. Powell was snapped in April of 2019 in Cannes, France

The new show will focus on both new and previously seen personalities in The Walking Dead universe

The show is set to be the fourth spinoff in the show's universe next to the flagship show; Fear the Walking Dead; a limited show titled Walking Dead: World Beyond; and an upcoming drama from TWD showrunner Angela Kang featuring Norman Reedus and Melissa McBride, which is set to debut in 2023.

The flagship show is set to finish airing next year.

AMC exec Dan McDermott said in a statement: 'We see so much potential for a wide range of rich and compelling storytelling in this world, and the episodic anthology format of Tales of the Walking Dead will give us the flexibility to entertain existing fans and also offer an entry point for new viewers, especially on streaming platforms.

'We have seen the appeal of this format in television classics like The Twilight Zone and, more recently, Black Mirror, and are excited to engage with fans in this new way, against the backdrop of this very unique and engrossing world.'
Kim Kardashian will be keeping the $60 million estate that she shared with estranged husband Kanye West as their divorce moves forward.

According to court documents obtained by TMZ on Tuesday, the 40-year-old SKIMS mogul will become the sole owner of the home where she has lived with the former couple's four children since she filed for divorce in February.

Kim reportedly negotiated a buyout price with the 44-year-old rapper in order to purchase the Hidden Hills mansion outright, according to TMZ.

Staying put: Kim Kardashian will be keeping the $60 million estate that she shared with estranged husband Kanye West as their divorce moves forward. Seen in 2019

All hers: According to court documents obtained by TMZ on Tuesday, the 40-year-old SKIMS mogul will become the sole owner of the home where she has lived with the former couple's four children since she filed for divorce in February

The insider went on to say that the negotiations between the two were 'extremely cordial' and the reality star paid the Flashing Lights hitmaker in cash to smooth over the process.

The couple bought the mansion in 2014 for $20 million and Kanye led a complete redesign of home with the assistance of famed Belgian interior decorator Axel Vervoort.

In February 2020, Kardashian and West showcased their minimalist home for the first time in a feature for Architectural Digest, with Kanye praising Vervoordt's work.

Renovation: The couple bought the mansion in 2014 for $20 million and Kanye led a complete redesign of home with the assistance of famed Belgian interior decorator Axel Vervoort

Redesign: In February 2020, Kardashian and West showcased their minimalist 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.

He continued, 'It was a coup to get Axel to come to Calabasas to redo a McMansion, which is essentially what the house was.'

Kardashian and West reportedly spent $20 million in renovations.

On the market: On Monday, Kanye listed his Wyoming ranch for $11 million

Bachelor pad:Last month, the Grammy Award winner bought a $57 million Malibu mega-mansion

In January, a source told Page Six that Kim wanted to persuade Kanye to let her keep the estate.

'Kim is trying to get Kanye to turn over the Calabasas house to her, because that's where the kids are based and growing up,' the insider said.

'That is their home. She owns all the land and adjoining lots around the house but Kanye owns the actual house. They've both put a lot of money into renovating it.'

On Monday, Kanye listed his Wyoming ranch for $11 million. Last month, the Grammy Award winner bought a $57 million Malibu mega-mansion.

Sorry: Meanwhile Kanye reportedly 'regrets' how he behaved in his marriage to Kim. Seen in 2020

Meanwhile Kanye reportedly 'regrets' how he behaved in his marriage to Kim.

The 40-year-old reality star filed for divorce from the 'Hurricane' rapper in February this year, and it has now been claimed Kanye 'knows that he hurt Kim' at times during their marriage and regrets some of his actions.

A source said: 'There were things that happened in their marriage that Kanye regrets. He wasn't always the best husband. He knows that he hurt Kim. He will always love her though.'

And the insider also claimed Kanye still 'occasionally' wears his wedding ring despite his split from Kim.

Hoping for a reconciliation: And the insider also claimed Kanye still 'occasionally' wears his wedding ring despite his split from Kim. Pictured in 2016

The insider added to People magazine: 'Sometimes it seems that he hopes Kim will change her mind about the divorce.'

Meanwhile, other sources recently insisted the star will not be rekindling her romance with Kanye, despite joining him at the listening party for his new album DONDA when she appeared in a white wedding gown and recreated her marriage to the rapper.

An insider said: 'They have come a long way since Kim filed for divorce. It's taken them months to get to this point. Kim is happy that they get along and that things are amicable. The kids will always be her number one priority. She wants to have a friendly relationship with Kanye, because it benefits the kids.'

Friendly exes: Whilst there's no chance of Kim and Kanye  who have North, eight, Saint, five, Chicago, three, and two-year-old Psalm together  being together, they're still great friends

Whilst there's no chance of Kim and Kanye  who have North, eight, Saint, five, Chicago, three, and two-year-old Psalm together  being together, they're still great friends.

A source shared: 'Kim and Kanye have a friendly relationship. It's always been important to Kim to have a good relationship with Kanye.

They are not getting back together though. She accepted his lunch invitation earlier this week because they are at the point now when they can hang out. There are no hard feelings.'

Kim still appreciates Kanye 's business advice and guidance. She is happy that they can hang out. For a long time, Kanye was very upset and disappointed that Kim filed for divorce. She understood why and gave him space.'
When I revealed the celebrated chef Albert Roux had quietly married in 2019 for a third time at the age of 83, to a woman almost three decades his junior, friends hoped she would bring some joy to his twilight years.

Sadly, Roux, who turned Gordon Ramsay and Marco Pierre White into culinary stars, died in January, around two years after he married Maria Rodrigues.

Now I can disclose he ensured Maria was well rewarded  leaving her a large portion of his 652,000 estate.

Surprisingly, perhaps, Albert, who founded Le Gavroche, the first restaurant in Britain to be awarded three Michelin stars, left nothing in his will to his son Michel Roux Jr, the star of many TV programmes.

Celebrated chef Albert Roux, who turned Gordon Ramsay and Marco Pierre White into culinary stars, left his wife Maria Rodrigues a large portion of his 652,000 estate

According to newly published probate documents, Roux's estate was worth 614,727 after his outstanding affairs were finalised.

Of that, 224,727 will be served up to Maria, 57, a high-flyer at City firm KPMG.

She was also bequeathed all his personal items, except for his sapphire cufflinks, which go to his nephew, Alain Roux, and his ruby cufflinks to his stepson, Joshua Rodrigues, who is also left a legacy of 15,000.

He left 55,000 to his sister Martine; 250,000 to his daughter, Danielle; 20,000 to his granddaughter Rosie; and 5,000 to three grandchildren.

A niece also received 5,000. The will, written last year, states that Roux had given his son, Michel, many gifts over the years.

I disclosed that Albert and Maria had wed after their first public outing, at a Restaurant Association dinner at the Savoy in London, where Roux used a walking cane. 'Maria was very attentive to Albert all evening,' a guest said.

'She's clearly given him a whole new lease of life.'

Surprisingly, perhaps, Albert, who founded Le Gavroche, the first restaurant in Britain to be awarded three Michelin stars, left nothing in his will to his son Michel Roux Jr

The wedding came four years after Roux divorced his second wife, Cheryl Smith, a statuesque Zimbabwean 21 years his junior.

She had met Roux a few years after his divorce from his first wife, Monique.

Cheryl, whose business success had earned her a 30 million fortune of her own, later recalled how she had spurned his advances  initially, at least.

'When I met Albert, he had seven girlfriends,' she said. 'I told him I would not be part of his harem.' But Roux would not be rebuffed and they married in 2006.

But in 2013 the French chef became distracted by Nataliya Lutsyshyna, a 40-year-old Ukrainian who worked as a cloakroom attendant at his restaurant in Westminster. Cheryl ordered Roux to leave their house in Belgravia and filed for divorce.

Oscar winner Dame Judi Dench thought her grandson, Sam Williams, would become a pop star as he looks so much like Ed Sheeran.

But the 24-year-old is carving out a career in theatre instead. 'I'm working at Windsor Theatre, which is awesome,' he tells me. 'Not acting  I'm a terrible actor. I work in education and outreach, it's exciting.'

Minister pre-furs ermine

Tory MP Christian Wakeford, who's a patron of the animal welfare charity backed by Boris Johnson's wife, Carrie, is trying to ban the sale of fur, but environment minister Richard Benyon tells me he'll fight to keep wearing his ermine when he sits in the House of Lords.

'My ermine is over 150 years old, and it looks it,' he tells me.

'But there's no way I'd wear a synthetic version like Zac Goldsmith's  his plastic version looks all bouffant, a bit like Barbara Cartland's hair.' Ouch.

Jodie's caught short by costume changes

Jodie Comer plays Damon's wife, Marguerite de Carrouges, a historical figure from 14th-century France, in Sir Ridley Scott's new film, The Last Duel

Starring with Hollywood giants Matt Damon and Ben Affleck might sound like a young actress's dream  but it became a sartorial nightmare for Liverpudlian Jodie Comer.

The Killing Eve star plays Damon's wife, Marguerite de Carrouges, a historical figure from 14th-century France, in Sir Ridley Scott's new film, The Last Duel, but admits that the period costume was tricky.

'When you're filming in a field, and have to go to the bathroom, and you have 17 layers on, it gets a bit tiresome,' the 28-year-old actress says. 'But, all in all, it was amazing.'

Sir Ridley, who made classics such as Gladiator, Blade Runner and Thelma And Louise, was a perfectionist on set.

'I had a hefty pair of wooden clogs on,' Comer says. 'I don't think you ever see them. Ridley liked the sound they made on cobbles.'

Prime spot for Clarkson-fest

Look out! Jeremy Clarkson's long-suffering neighbours could be in for even more disruption.

Fans of the TV petrolhead are urging him to hold a music festival on his Diddly Squat farm and shop in Oxfordshire  which has already caused traffic chaos.

'Have you thought about putting on a family music festival?' one supporter begs him online. 'Maybe called Diddly's Music Festival? Looks like you have the grounds.'

Clarkson doesn't reject the idea totally but says: 'We also have a couple of red-trousered neighbours.'

He's previously said wealthy 'red trouser'-wearing locals want to stop him expanding his business, made famous in his Amazon Prime series.

Pink Floyd star Roger Waters shocked fans by claiming he was bullied while in the rock group, but the band's drummer, Nick Mason, insists his claims are not true.

Waters said last month that 'David (Gilmour) and Rick (Wright) mainly were always trying to drag me down'.

But Nick declares: 'I'm slightly flabbergasted. I think that's a slightly over-emotional way of putting that there was some sort of division within the band.

'I don't think they were mean to him, particularly. It's hard to imagine being mean to Roger.'

Comparing Waters jokingly to the Soviet tyrant, he adds: 'Stalin was bullied.'

Freya's delight to see gorillas in their bliss

Freya Aspinall looks delighted to meet this young gorilla in its native environment of the Congo

Wildlife park heiress Freya Aspinall looks delighted to meet this young gorilla in its native environment of the Congo yesterday.

Earlier this year, 13-year-old, 30st Joshi the gorilla was 'rewilded' from her family's Kent sanctuary to the African jungle and Freya vowed to visit the creatures.

The 18-year-old daughter of casino and wildlife park owner Damian Aspinall and his ex- partner, actress Donna Air, told me before her trip: 'I feel I can communicate with the animals on some level.'
The fatal stabbing of Ex On The Beach personality Chris Pearson at 25 came after a fight over noise at the San Fernando Valley apartment complex he lived in.

Insiders told TMZ on Tuesday that Pearson was at the pool area of the complex making noise at around 2 a.m. Sunday.

Pearson and a person who was on a balcony began yelling at one another, and Pearson went to confront the person inside the apartment building, where he was stabbed, sources told the outlet.

The latest: The fatal stabbing of Ex On The Beach personality Chris Pearson at 25 came after a fight over noise at the San Fernando Valley apartment complex he lived in, source told TMZ Tuesday

Sources told the outlet that the suspect in the stabbing left the premises before police showed up.

Pearson died at a local hospital at around 3:30 a.m. Sunday, about an hour-and-a-half after the stabbing, police told TMZ.

Police told the outlet that they are seeking witnesses and video footage in the incident.

No arrests have been made in the case, police said, but authorities are confident they will find the suspect.

Tragic: Friends started a GoFundMe for the professional DJ's family in Colorado , calling his death the result of a 'tragic encounter' in the campaign's description

Reality OG: He appeared on the very first season of Ex On The Beach in 2018

Charismatic: Though he initially came off like a party animal he also showed his softer side when confronted by two of his exes, even crying on camera over one of them

Friends started a GoFundMe for the professional DJ's family in Colorado, calling his death the result of a 'tragic encounter' in the campaign's description.

'Nobody was ready for this, there was so much more he had set to accomplish,' the page went on. 'We ask that you please donate or share this to help His mother and the family out with funeral expenses. No donation is too small, every cent counts. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts.'

As of the time of publication, the page had achieved more than $6,000 of their $30k goal.

Pearson appeared on 11 episodes of the the very first season of Ex On The Beach in 2018.

He was one of the only people that appeared to have no TV experience, despite the concept of the show being a dating match up for outcasts from other reality shows. Though he initially came off like a party animal he also showed his softer side when confronted by two of his exes, even crying on camera over one of them.

Since he went on to have a successful DJ career under the moniker 'Creatures Ferris.'

The MTV world was devastated to learn of Chris's death.

Teen Mom's Taylor Selfridge commented a sad face emoji and prayer hands under his last Instagram, writing: 'This is heartbreaking.'

Fellow Ex On The Beach-er Cory Wharton took to Twitter to write a simple: 'RIP.'
Two veteran soap stars are reportedly set to compete on this year's series of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!

Coronation Street star Simon Gregson - who plays Steve McDonald - and EastEnders actor Adam Woodyatt - who portrays Ian Beale - have allegedly signed on for the show, set to air next month from Gwrych Castle in Abergel, Wales.

According to The Sun, ITV are hoping that Simon, 47, and Adam, 53, will 'provide some real comedy moments together'.

Steve McDonald Vs Ian Beale! Coronation Street's Simon Gregson [L] is reportedly set to compete against EastEnders soap rival Adam Woodyatt [R] on Im A Celebrity 2021

'To have both Simon and Adam on this series is a real coup. Bosses think theyll provide some real comedy moments together,' a source told the publication.

'Bosses know Corrie fans will get right behind him. Everyone knows Simon as Steve but now theyll get to see a completely different side of him for the first time.

'Simon has previously shunned all reality shows and he has turned down Im A Celeb a number of times before. But now his children are older, Simon started to think the timing was right.'

The show often features Corrie stars, with Simon's on-screen mother Liz, played by Beverley Callard, taking part last year.

Mailonline has approached ITV representatives for comment.

Feisty: EastEnders actor Adam portrays Ian Beale on the BBC soap

Longstanding star: Coronation Street's Simon plays Steve McDonald

The latest crop of contestants could be in for a rough first week as rain storms and 54mph winds threaten to batter the Welsh castle.

This year's show has once again relocated from sunny Australia to Wales amid Covid restrictions, but long-range weather forecasts suggest that things will get off to a turbulent start.

Weather experts are predicting that the start of the show (tipped to be November 14th) will see half an inch of rain fall, while high winds will batter the castle.

According to The Sun, It's also said that there will be 100% cloud cover, while temperature may struggle to get above zero degrees.

They add that the camp could be affected by heavy rainfall in the first two weeks.

Hosts! Ant and Dec are the presenters of the long-running series

Setting: This year's show has once again relocated from sunny Australia to Wales amid Covid restrictions, with the famous faces once again heading to the derelict Gwrych Castle in Conwy County, north Wales

It comes as I'm A Celebrity bosses are set to yet again enforce a two week quarantine for the contestants to make sure they do not suffer similar crisis to Strictly Come Dancing.

Producers are going to create a bubble for the famous faces which will attempt to avoid rows over vaccinations and keep them safe once in the camp at Gwrych Castle in Wales.

A show spokesperson told MailOnline: 'Like last year, our celebrities will do a two week quarantine with regular testing prior to entering the castle, and will then form a bubble for the duration of their time on the show.'

Wow: Long-range weather forecasts suggest that things will get off to a turbulent start, with weather experts predicting that the start of the show (tipped to be November 14th) will see half an inch of rain fall, while high winds will batter the castle

Chaos: It's said that there will be 100% cloud cover, while temperature may struggle to get above zero degrees. They add that the camp could be affected by heavy rainfall in the first two weeks

It comes after another primetime show fell into disarray when Strictly Come Dancing had difficulties at the start of the series.

Three professionals allegedly refused the Covid vaccination, while Tom Fletcher and Amy Dowden tested positive for the disease - forcing them to miss an episode.

The year before, the show's first same-sex couple Katya Jones and Nicola Adams were forced to withdraw from the competition after Katya contracted the virus.

Safe: I'm A Celebrity bosses are set to 'enforce two week quarantine' for the contestants to make sure they do not suffer similar crises to Strictly Come Dancing

Measures: Producers are reportedly going to create a bubble for the famous faces which will attempt to keep them safe once in the camp, which is set to be at at Gwrych Castle in Wales

Famous face: Rumoured to be in the line up for this year's programme is broadcaster Richard Madeley

Last year, I'm A Celebrity required the celebrities to wear proximity monitors which flashed and buzzed when they came too close to one another.

Bosses also scaled down the production team, and had cameras set up already on-site so cameramen didn't have to be on the set.

Also apparently set to join is journalist Richard Madeley who apparently signed a 200,000 contract with the reality show.

A source told The Sun: 'He's a favourite with ITV execs. He's brilliant off and on screen so it seemed as good a time as any to throw caution to the wind and eat animal bits.'

Dame Arlene Phillips has reportedly signed up to take part in this year's series.
Terry Mattingly leads GetReligion.org and lives in Oak Ridge. He is a senior fellow at the Overby Center at the University of Mississippi.
Steven Roberts teaches politics and journalism at George Washington University. He can be contacted by e-mail at stevecokie@gmail.com
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Hyderabad: The school education department on Monday released a government order reducing the number of test papers of Class X to six from the existing 11. It also includes Urdu as one of the second languages. Earlier there was only Telugu and Hindi.

The Secondary School Certificate (SSC) exams, for this academic year 2012-22, will have only one paper for one subject in view of the pandemic situation, when the students lost many classes. Earlier, there used to be one paper for the second language and two each for other subjects.

There is no clarity on the syllabus for this academic year for the students, as they lost several academic days. The government decided to start online classes from July 1 and physical classes from August 1.
Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy inaugurating the Sri Padmavathi Paediatric Cardiac Hospital  the first of its kind exclusive childrens heart hospital in the state. (DC Image)

Tirupati: Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy inaugurated the Sri Padmavathi Paediatric Cardiac Hospital  the first of its kind exclusive childrens heart hospital in the state  housed on the Balaji Institute of Surgery, Research, and Rehabilitation for the Disabled (BIRRD) ortho hospital premises in Tirupati on Monday.

Earlier, the Chief Minister, on his arrival at the Tirupati International Airport, was accorded a warm welcome by a battery of ministers, MPs, MLAs and officials. Reddy commenced his two-day visit to the temple city with the inauguration of the state-of-the-art childrens cardiac hospital.

The 50-bedded hospital was initially housed on the first floor of the old OPD block of the BIRRD hospital on a temporary basis to serve paediatric patients with heart related problems. It has three modern operation theatres and several wings including OP, radiology, pre-ICU, post-ICU, general ward, and administrative blocks. The total expenditure on civil, electrical, medical equipment including Cath lab, heart-lung machine, cardiography system machines etc. is Rs 25 crore.

It may be noted that prior to the division of Andhra Pradesh state, Hyderabad was the centre for critical medical care and almost all the sensitive and critical care like cardiac surgeries and transplantation of hearts used to happen there. After the division of the state, the bifurcated Andhra Pradesh had to establish its own infrastructure in almost all fields including medical.

In this process, the state observed the statistics of serious cardiac problems. Much to its shock, it was revealed that there are more than 10,000 children suffering from serious cardiac problems in the state and every year the number of such cases is found to be increasing, specifically the cardio thoracic problems, which require high end medical intervention by super specialty doctors.

There was no critical care hospital to treat children with cardiac problems in the entire state, either in the private or in the government sector. Against this backdrop, acting on the directions of the Chief Minister, the TTD embarked upon establishing the paediatric cardiac hospital in Tirupati. We hope this cardiac hospital will pioneer in the field of cardio thoracic surgeries and serve the ailing paediatric patients in the entire state, an official observed.

The Chief Minister later inaugurated the Sri Venkateswara Sapta Gau Pradakshina Mandiram at Alipiri Padala Mandapam. Prioritising Gau Samrakshana as a significant seva of rededication to Lord Balaji and to take the importance of Gomata in a widespread manner, the TTD set up the Sapta Go Pradakshina Mandiram at a cost of Rs 15 crore, which was donated by a Chennai-based devotee A.J. Sekhar Reddy to facilitate devotees with Gau puja.

Reddy also inaugurated the renewed Alipiri footpath. Since the shelters of this footpath, which was constructed about 40 years ago, became dilapidated, the TTD renovated the roof slabs to provide hassle-free trekking to pedestrian pilgrims. At this juncture, Reliance Industries Limited came forward to provide new shelters all along the footpath on a donation basis at a cost of Rs 25 crore and completed the work within a year.

Deputy Chief Minister K. Narayana Swamy, ministers Srinivasa Rao, Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy, M. Gautam Reddy, MPs M. Gurumurthy, P.V. Mithun Reddy, V. Prabhakar Reddy, MLA B. Karunakar Reddy, TTD chairman Y.V. Subba Reddy, additional EO A.V. Dharma Reddy and others participated in the inaugural events.
The court also issued interim directions to the police to ensure the victim and her family are adequately protected from any threat to their lives from any source. (PTI Photo)

Kochi: Concerned over the increasing number of POCSO cases and lack of any mechanism to protect the children against such offences or threats from the perpetrators, the Kerala High Court on Tuesday said it was "high time" there was a victim protection scheme in the state.

Justice Devan Ramachandran raised concerns over the lack of a victim protection scheme here while hearing a plea for police protection moved by the victim, in a case lodged under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, and her mother alleging threats by the accused and his family members.

"It is about time we have a victim protection scheme. It is only there on paper here. It has not been implemented. In other countries they (victims) would have been protected and hid away," the court said.

The court also issued interim directions to the police to ensure the victim and her family are adequately protected from any threat to their lives from any source.

With the direction, the court listed the matter for hearing on November 2.

The petitioners have contended, in their plea filed through advocates P M Rafiq and Ajith Thomas, that since they were asking the state to appeal against the acquittal of the accused in the POCSO case, he and his family members were allegedly threatening the victim not to move forward with the matter.

The accused is a relative of the victim's family.

The petition claims that they had made representations to the local police and also the District Police Chief seeking protection for the victim and her family's lives and property, but no response was received and hence, the instant plea was filed in the high court.
Hyderabad: Fresh from his victory, Vishnu Manchu, president-designate of the Movie Artists Association (MAA), on Monday said he had been asked by Chiranjeevi to step aside so that Prakash Raj could be elected unopposed.

In the remarks that could set off a storm in Tollywood, Manchu said in his first press meet, Chiranjeevi uncle suggested that everyone unanimously elect Prakash Raj as president of MAA, and asked me to step aside and withdraw my candidature. However, my father (Mohan Babu) wasn't keen on the proposal, and hence we went ahead with the elections," Vishnu said.

The comment was seen as further acknowledgement of the widening battle between the Kamma and Kapu communities, against the backdrop of Chiranjeevis efforts to establish his supremacy in the industry.

That is believed to have led to Chiranjeevi getting Prakash Raj to contest the election. While Chiranjeevi remained outwardly nonchalant about it, his brother Naga Babu was seen operating on his behalf with provocative comments.

Mohan Babu, veteran actor and Vishnus father, said no matter how many times people had provoked him, he maintained a dignified silence. "But my silence doesn't mean I am inefficient," he said.

His remarks came a day after Chiranjeevi, at a film function, asked who was responsible for the chaos for the MAA election. The remark was seen as being directed at Vishnu-Mohan Babu for not giving up the contest.

Prakash Raj quit the association earlier in the day as did Naga Babu. Both said they were doing it to protest against regionalism.
The next meeting of the Water Management Authority has also been planned to be convened in another 10 days, an official press release said. Representational Image. (ANI)

Chennai: The Cauvery Water Regulation Committee urged Karnataka to release Tamil Nadus due of 25.84 TMC feet of Cauvery water, besides making available the mandatory 14 TMC feet water at Biligundlu before October 30.

Attending a meeting of the Committee, presided over by its Chairman Navin Kumar, at Delhi on Monday, State PWD additional Chief Secretary Sandeep Saxena, complained that Karnataka had not released water in the Cauvery despite the Cauvery Water Management Authority ordering it to do so twice.

Sandeep Saxena, who was a special invitee for the meeting that was attended by many other officials from the State and also from Karnataka, made it clear that 25.84 TMC feet water was pending release as per the orders of the Management Authority.

So the Regulation Committee ordered that the water be released immediately besides making available the 14 TMC water at Biligundlu by October 30.

The next meeting of the Water Management Authority has also been planned to be convened in another 10 days, an official press release said.
Thermal plants in Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka did not utilise their Singareni coal quota allocated for a period from April to June this year. These states are now seeking their unutilised quota now. (AFP file photo)

HYDERABAD: The coal stocks at thermal power stations in Telangana are gradually declining as Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) is under pressure to increase supplies to other states to meet the shortage there.

Telangana thermal power plants had coal stocks for 10 to 15 days last week which have now come down to just 5 days. These plants have agreements with the SCCL, in which the state government is the major stakeholder at 51 per cent while the rest of the 49 per cent stake is held by the Centre.

A few states have been claiming unused coal quotas now from the SCCL that were allocated in previous months. Energy minister G. Jagadish Reddy said on Tuesday that the power situation in the state was not alarming as of now but the Centre was trying to push Telangana into crisis by diverting Singareni stocks to other states.

There is no scope for coal shortage in Telangana as Singareni is ensuring adequate supplies to our thermal plants. If Telangana faces coal and power shortage in the coming days, the Centre should be held responsible.

Telangana has abundant coal reserves which can meet the needs for the next 200 years. The problem will come only if the Centre diverts coal stocks from here to other states," Reddy said.

SCCL directors S. Chandrashekar and N. Balaram told media persons that the company was supplying 1.5 lakh tonnes of coal amounting to 86 per cent of the total 1.90 coal production per day to thermal power plants.

The SCCL has FSAs (fuel supply agreement) for coal supplies with TS Genco thermal plants, APGenco plant in Muddanuru, Maharashtra Genco Parali plant, Raichur KPCL-Karnataka, Mettur plant in Tamil Nadu, NTPC Ramagundam and Singareni thermal plant.

However, the SCCL officials allayed apprehensions of a coal crisis in Telangana as the company is committed to ensuring adequate coal supplies to power plants in the state on a priority basis.

Thermal plants in Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka did not utilise their Singareni coal quota allocated for a period from April to June this year. These states are now seeking their unutilised quota now.

Thermal plants in Maharashtra meet 70 per cent of their coal needs from western coalfields. Due to coal shortage there, the pressure on the SCCL increased to enhance supplies to Maharashtra. The pressure on the company further increased due to supplies to Gujarat, Punjab and Rajasthan.

SCCL chairman and managing director N. Sridhar is on leave from October 11 to 17 at a time when there is severe pressure on the company for coal supplies, further fuelling speculation that he went on leave unable to bear pressure from the higher-ups at Delhi level to arrange adequate coal supplies to other states.
An earthquake measuring 3.5 magnitude on richter scale shook parts of Kalaburagi district on Tuesday morning. (Representative Image)

Bengaluru: An earthquake measuring 3.5 magnitude on richter scale shook parts of Kalaburagi district on Tuesday morning but no loss of life or damage to property has been reported, authorities said.

This is the sixth earthquake to hit north Karnataka region around Bidar and Kalaburagi since October 1. While two had occurred in Basavakalyan on October 1 and 5, four were recorded in Kalaburagi on October 9, 11 and 12.

According to the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre officials, a quake of 3.0 magnitude was reported near Gadikeshwar village of Kalaburagi on Monday morning and a tremor of 4.0 magnitude was felt in the same place at 9.55 pm .

Again this morning an earthquake of 3.5 magnitude hit Kupnoor village in Chincholi.

While the epicentre of Monday night's earthquake was 1.6 km North East of Gadikeshwar Gram Panchayat, today's epicentre was 1.6 km south west of Kupnoor.

According to police, panic-stricken people spent the night outdoors in Gadikeshwar and Kupnoor following the tremors.

The Karnataka State Disaster Management Authority commissioner Manoj Rajan told PTI that he has convened a meeting of the geologists to understand the phenomena.

He added that the disaster management teams in the north Karnataka region has been put on alert. They have also been briefed about the do's and don'ts in the event of any major earthquake.

The KSNDMC said in a statement that the intensity observed on Monday night was "little higher than low intensity".

"The earthquake might be felt up to a radial distance of 50 to 60 km or even more. These types of earthquakes do not create any harm or damage to the local community, although there will be vibrations felt up to a distance of 50 to 60 kms based on the local geology," it said.

The earthquakes assume significance as the epicentres are in close proximity to Latur and Killari in Maharashtra, which had witnessed a massive earthquake in September 1993 killing a large number of people.
Hyderabad: To mark the annual floral festival of Telangana, more than 1,000 women police personnel of different ranks celebrated the Bathukamma festival with various traditional folk songs, dressed up in colourful and traditional attire in Hyderabad's Petla Burj on Monday.

Hyderabad Commissioner of Police Anjani Kumar along with several other officers inaugurated the Bathukamma festival celebration on Monday in Petlaburj.

Speaking to ANI, Anjani Kumar, said, "Hyderabad city police celebrated Bathukamma festival on Monday. Bathukama represents prosperity and happiness in the family. We are celebrating the festival with a lot of joy this year because last year we could not celebrate it due to the COVID-19 pandemic."

While talking about the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Telangana, Kumar said, "It is a great coincidence when we talk of prosperity, the GDP rise of Telangana stands at the first rank in the country. Many states which were earlier leading have dropped at 2 per cent. So, Bathukama has brought the symbol of prosperity of the state."

He further welcomed all the new lady police officers as they celebrated the festival first time in the city and wished a very happy and joyous celebration on this occasion.

Shikha Goel, Additional Commissioner of Police, Crime and Special Investigation Team (SIT) also said that all the women police officials have actively participated in the celebration.

"This is the festival of prosperity, togetherness and we are proud to have a large women force who have joined last year. We have 1,000 new entrants who have joined. We have also been joined by male officers which is the expression of solidarity and all are happy," Goel said.

Bathukamma celebrations are held throughout the ten days of Dussehra. Though primarily Bathukamma is considered as a festival of the Telangana region, Krishna district villages bordering Telangana also celebrate this festival in a grand manner.

Bathukamma means 'Goddess of Life'. Women decorate a special pot with seasonal flowers, fill the pot with offerings to the Goddess, and go on a procession in the village.
The Centre is making last-ditch efforts to convince the Telangana and the AP governments to hand over the projects by holding full-fledged meetings of the Godavari River Management Board (GRMB) and Krishna River Management Board (KRMB). (PTI)

HYDERABAD: The implementation of the Centre's gazette from October 14 taking over all irrigation projects on the Krishna and the Godavari hangs in the balance as no consensus could be reached between the Centre, Telangana and AP governments though the deadline is just two days away. Speculation is rife in official circles that the Centre may postpone the implementation of gazette by a few more weeks.

The Centre is making last-ditch efforts to convince the Telangana and the AP governments to hand over the projects by holding full-fledged meetings of the Godavari River Management Board (GRMB) and Krishna River Management Board (KRMB).

On Monday, the Centre convened a GRMB meeting with senior irrigation officials of Telangana and AP to discuss taking over Godavari projects. The KRMB meeting will be held on Tuesday.

The Centre urged the Telangana and AP governments to deposit seed money of Rs 200 crore each to the KRMB and the GRMB to enable boards to meet operational costs.

However, the TS government is pinning its hopes on the Centre postponing the implementation of the Gazette from October 14 following the request made by Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao during his recent Delhi visit when he met union jal shakti minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat twice and sought postponement.

In Monday's meeting, both Telangana and AP officials raised several objections to handing over the projects on the Godavari to the Centre without addressing their concerns and issues raised by them. There are 71 projects on Godavari.

The TS government urged the Centre to take over only Peddavagu project, the joint project of AP and Telangana constructed at Aswaraopet in Kothagudem district which provides irrigation facility to 13,000 acres in AP and 3,000 acres in Telangana while the AP government wanted Centre to take over all projects on Godavari.

While the AP government agreed to provide Rs 8 crore seed money to GRMB, there was no commitment from the Telangana side. TS irrigation special secretary Rajat Kumar asked the GRMB officials to submit details on seed fund requirements which they would refer to the finance department for approval. He also said unless the state governments hand over projects, the Centre cannot take over projects unilaterally.

Rajat Kumar said that the Centre had to only monitor the projects and the states should be allowed to operate the projects on their own.
The Chinese propaganda nevertheless speaks of creating a beautiful place by preservation of 'ecology and [providing] livability, health, charm, and happiness'. Representational Image. (AFP)

Have you heard of the Hidden Land of Pemako?

It is the area where China is planning to build mega hydropower stations in the Great Bend of the Yarlung Tsangpo (Brahmaputra) during its forthcoming 14th Five Year Plan.

This project, three times the size of the Three Gorges dam, which is extremely hazardous for downstream nations such as India, has another dimension -- the disappearance of one of the worlds most sacred places.

Unfortunately, we cant expect an atheist regime in Beijing to understand the meaning of the word sacred.

In pursuit of Xi Jinpings theory, to govern the nation, govern the borders; to govern the borders, strengthen the development of border regions, China has given a concrete shape to the new Great Helmsmans slogan by building some 600 model villages, many in sacred areas on the Tibetan side of the Indian border.

Whether it is with the hydropower plants or the new villages, the hallowedness and pristine purity of these areas are being lost forever.

Ian Baker, a Buddhist scholar and author of The Heart of the World: A Journey to the Last Secret Place, extensively wrote on Guru Padmasambhava, the king of all hidden lands, visiting Pemako in the eighth century.

Baker explained: The very eastern end of the Himalayan range is [Pemako], where the [Yarlung] Tsangpo Brahmaputra river makes this great bend, a hairpin bend, around the peak of Namcha Barwa, at the very terminus of the Himalayan range  just hearing about the great and blissful land of Pemako that is the path to enlightenment.

Baker visited Pemako several times: I tried to follow what is called the sequence of the outer and inner circles into Pemako, leading into a kind of a paradisiacal round at the very heart of the circumambulation.

That mythical place will soon be destroyed by Chinese engineers.

Baker writes: Shambhala was represented as the mandala, with different ways leading into it from the peripheries. As one enters the mandala, it is a transforming as well as a transformed space and condition. In Pemako, people describe the body of Dorjee Phagmo, a particular tantric Buddhist goddess called Vajravarahi in Sanskrit.

What will happen to this paradise on earth after the tunnel-digging machines arrive? The Chinese propaganda nevertheless speaks of creating a beautiful place by preservation of ecology and [providing] livability, health, charm, and happiness. Is this compatible with a hydel plant three times the size of the Three Gorges Dam? Where will the goddess take refuge? Moreover, will she agree to these human plans?

Another travesty: Drolkar, an unknown Tibetan woman from a remote hamlet in southern Tibet, suddenly came into pre-eminence in China when, this year, she was awarded the July 1 Medal, the most prestigious recognition by President Xi Jinping on the occasion of the Communist Party of Chinas completion of 100 years. Why?

In October 2017, Mr Xi had sent a letter to two young Tibetan herders, Drolkar and her sister, who had introduced their village, Yume, north of the Indian border, to him.

President Xi thanked them for the loyalty and contributions they have made in the border area. Without peace in the territory, there will be no peaceful lives for the millions of families.

The girls village, Yume, located a few kilometers north of the McMahon Line, not far from the remote Indian village of Takshing, suddenly became the model village for the next 600.

Yume was one of the most sacred places in Tibet and the terminus for the holy Tsari pilgrimage. China Tibet Online, a Chinese website, praised the area thus: "Hailed as Tibets Shambhala, Tsari township boasts its lush vegetation, moderate weather, still lake, running brook, vast forest, holy mountains as well as a variety of herbs.

While still one of the most sacred pilgrimages in Tibet along with the Kailash Yatra, Tsari was incidentally the site of the first clash between the Chinese and Indian troops in Longju in August 1959.

One of the unique characteristics of this pilgrimage was that it ran right across the Indo-Tibetan border (McMahon Line), one half being in Tibet, the other in the North East Frontier Agency (India).

Yume played an important spiritual role in the Yatra. Toni Huber, the author of The Cult of Pure Crystal Mountain: Popular Pilgrimage and Visionary Landscape in Southeast Tibet, wrote: During the second week of the third Tibetan month, the initial rituals for mountain opening began in the village of Yume in the western part of Tsari. At that time the protective deities of the mountain were worshiped. This annual, week-long period of ceremony and festival was called Chole Chenmo or The Great Religious Work, and it was primarily a ritual performed by local villagers [of Yume]. Today the villagers worship the red flag of CPC and paint the rocks around the village in red colour.

Huber speaks of a knowledgeable local man who had taken over the role of annually opening the mountain from two hereditary lamas As their names suggest, they used certain magical powers generated by way of ritual formulae to facilitate the clearing of a path through the often deep spring snows encountered on the mountain, and to avert avalanches that might sweep down on the pilgrims. These were Drolkars ancestors.

The inhabitants of Yume and the Tsari valley were the servants or keepers of the Yatras tradition; they had an active role in staging village-based festivals of worship for the gods and goddesses of the mountain. According to Huber: Yume was the original centre of development for tantric retreats at Tsari It is said that the original meaning of Chole Chenmo was to mark the end of the winter meditation retreat by yogins in the Yume area and to worship the tantric sky-goers.

All this ended with the invasion of Tibet in 1951.

While totalitarian China has almost completely erased the sacred tradition, it is certainly something that democratic India could promote; New Delhi should develop all the sacred places near the borders with Tibet (in Ladakh, Uttarakhand, Himachal, Sikkim or Arunachal Pradesh), particularly all the places which have been blessed by Padmasambhava, Guru Nanak, the lamas or local saints.
Millions of Indians are probably hoping that the Lakhimpur Khera carnage in Yogi Adityanath-run Uttar Pradesh will do for Priyanka Gandhi Vadra what the 1977 massacre in Bihars Belchi village of eight Dalits and three Sonar (goldsmith) villagers did for her grandmother, Indira Gandhi. While this is a legitimate expectation, Indias real need is for a responsible government and a sensitive police force that applies the law equally to all citizens, as the Supreme Court told the Uttar Pradesh authorities the other day.

To expect the Congress, the grand old party of the freedom movement, to fulfil this role is like expecting Air India once again to reign as the monarch of the skies. But astute businessman that he is, Ratan Tata would not have agreed to pay Rs 18,000 crores with an attached string of conditions if he had not been completely sanguine about the outcome. A reinvigorated Congress Party free of indecision and what many see as the grey eminence of Rajiv Gandhis Italian-born widow seems to be the best choice for several reasons. The Congress image remains central to Indias polity; it is identified in the popular mind with the idea of a secular modern India; and despite its current leadership problems, it still has at least 19.5 per cent of the vote.

Not that 52 years of Congress rule (including by Morarji Desai and the four technically non-Congress Prime Ministers after him) before Atal Behari Vajpayee became Prime Minister saw the blossoming of an idyllic welfare state. But at least there were checks and balances on the exercise of official authority and the semblance of a democratic dispensation. The Supreme Court did not repeatedly have to intervene to ensure that governance respected constitutional restraints. Political power was subject to the vigorous scrutiny of a functioning Parliament. Indias top leaders were not driven by an almost megalomaniacal thirst for personal publicity. The media was relatively independent.

The social decline has been marked since then. India has slipped down the international corruption perception index. The plethora of senas seeking to impose arbitrary restrictions on multiple forms of human intercourse is matched only by the abundance of jihads, which is the shorthand for any offence that can be pinned on Muslims.

The latest is the marks jihad or the condemnation of Muslim students doing well in their school-leaving examinations. Both are reflected in the latest threat by a Hindu holy man to drown himself if India is not declared a Hindu rashtra, and Muslims and Christians stripped of the citizenship.

This exclusiveness, which goes against the grain of the universalism of the Sanatan Dharma, or eternal faith, is undermining the secular state that the Constitution upholds. It seeks to pinpoint 200 million Muslims and 24 million Christians as the enemies of 970 million Hindus. If it remains unchecked, the bias could well extend to 20 million Sikhs, eight million Buddhists and 84 million Scheduled Tribe members unless they allow themselves to be assimilated in Hindu orthodoxy. It was this intolerance that drove Dr B.R. Ambedkar to Buddhism and Jogendranath Mandal to become one of Pakistans 96 founders.

Intolerance underlies much of the civil strife that holds back Indias economic progress. By influencing policy decisions like the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A, the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir and the demotion of the two residual entities to Union territory status, it also incurs hostility abroad. Not just the predictable Pakistani and Chinese criticism but also the suspicions of distant Muslim countries like Turkey and West Asias emirates and republics.

Hindu India is emerging as more and more a friendless nation at war with itself and obliged to fall back for support internationally on the United States. Indias founding fathers would have found it repellent.

With or without Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the Congress alone cannot correct the distortions arising from this massive mismanagement. But 21 other Opposition parties, including the Trinamul Congress, Telugu Desam Party, Aam Aadmi Party, Nationalist Congress Party and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam can provide additional pressure. There is no dearth of individual talent either. From the veteran Farooq Abdullah to the firebrand Kanhaiya Kumar, and including seasoned administrators like Mamata Banerjee, Arvind Kejriwal and N. Chandrababu Naidu, India has plenty of potential Prime Ministers-in-waiting.

Indian democracy needs a viable Opposition. In the famous words of the British jurist, Lord Acton, Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Although his supremacy was unquestioned, Jawaharlal Nehru understood this only too well: His We Want No Caesars article, published anonymously in the Modern Review in 1937, warned against dictatorship.

Pandit Nehrus mandate was personal. The institutional, ideological and populist power that todays leaders draw on can be easily transformed into mass hysteria by continuing to pander to grassroots loyalties, whipping up basic passions and inventing scapegoats.

First, the Opposition must decide on a strategy for the coming Uttar Pradesh Assembly election. Its all right for the Congress to contest all 403 Assembly seats on its own without allying with any other group, but the party should remember that it boasts of an absolute majority in only Punjab and Chhattisgarh. It may be the senior partner in Rajasthan but has been reduced to the role of junior partner in Maharashtra and Jharkhand. Nor can the Congress forget Rahul Gandhis stunning defeat at the hands of Smriti Irani in 2019 in the Nehru-Gandhi stronghold of Amethi. The disaffection of a young leader of ability and integrity like Sachin Pilot, the defection of a vote mobiliser like Jyotiraditya Scindia, and the bitterness of a traditional loyalist like Patialas former maharaja Amarinder Singh should prompt Mrs Sonia Gandhi to consider the fallout of her stewardship of the Congress as its interim president.

Reports suggest that although Ms Vadra is willing to lead the campaign in Uttar Pradesh, she has not yet decided whether or not she will be the chief ministerial candidate. With the UP election just a few months away and the Lok Sabha polls less than three years away, such dithering is an unaffordable luxury. Presumably, she is waiting for Mamas inner voice. If she wants to heed the countrys call and head a winning Congress, she must first show herself to be her own mistress. Not tied to anyones apron strings.
By Tim Culpan

The opening scene of a brief online documentary by Chinese state-run media channel CGTN shows jaywalkers in Shenzhen getting captured on video, identified, and then shamed publicly in real-time. The report is supposed to highlight the countrys prowess in artificial intelligence, yet it reveals a lesser-known truth: Chinas AI isnt so much a tool of world domination as a narrowly deployed means of domestic control.

On paper, the US and China appear neck and neck in artificial intelligence. China leads in the share of journal citations  helped by the fact that it also publishes more  while the US is far ahead in the more qualitative metric of cited conference papers, according to a recent report compiled by Stanford University. So while the worlds most populous country is an AI superpower, investors and China watchers shouldnt put too much stock in the notion that its position is unassailable or that the US is weaker. By miscalculating the others abilities, both superpowers risk overestimating their adversarys strengths and overcompensating in a way that could lead to a Cold War-style AI arms race.

In fact, Chinas expertise is somewhat limited in scope. Artificial intelligence encompasses many sub-fields, including machine learning, robotics, natural language processing, and computer vision. The US has a broad toolkit thats deployed across each of these disciplines and used around the world. China, by contrast, excels mostly in computer vision, an area that helps Beijing build out its surveillance state.

Read | India AI market to reach $7.8 bn by 2025: IDC

In technical assessments conducted by the USs National Institute of Standards and Technology, Chinese algorithms consistently rate near the top across a series of tests that are akin to surveillance conditions  mugshots, visa photos, and border-control images. Beijing-based SenseTime Group Ltd. is a standout. CloudWalk Technology Co., founded in 2010 by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and a team from Beihang University also ranked high in recent examinations of more than 600 entries from around the world.

More than half the papers last year published by Chinese teams were in the disciplines most used in surveillance  computer vision and pattern recognition, according to data on research papers compiled by Microsoft Academic Graph and analysed by the Chinese media outlet Sixth Tone. Compared with the US, UK, Germany, and India, a smaller proportion of its papers are on machine learning, natural language processing, and robotics.

Revenue for AI computer-vision companies in China, meanwhile, is largely linked to governments and their desire to monitor people. SenseTime, which is planning a Hong Kong public offering, got almost half its revenue in the first six months of the year from its Smart City business. Rival Megvii Technology Ltd., which swapped its earlier listing plans in the city for an upcoming Shanghai debut, relies even more heavily on local government contracts, with 64 per cent of its business coming from a similar product suite it calls City IoT Solutions. These projects are largely based on setting up cameras and sensors around a city to track people and vehicles, then using AI software to keep tabs on their movement.

AI technology in the US has many more applications. The country leads in machine learning, a branch of AI that leverages data and algorithms to learn and improve accuracy. Most of the worlds leading and widely adopted frameworks were developed in America by companies such as Alphabet Inc.s Google, Microsoft Corp., and Facebook Inc., as well as the University of California, Berkeley. The best natural language processing engines, used to understand, process, and analyse written text, also hail from US tech giants  Microsoft, Google, Amazon.com Inc., and International Business Machines Corp.

These tools are used globally for voice recognition in smart speakers, to run chatbots in customer service, improve translation and search results, or detect fraud in the financial industry. US companies are also leaders in enterprise deployments, where the recent surge in work-from-home usage has driven demand for cloud computing and networking technologies. And its a world-beater in process automation, which is used to replace staff in call centers and customer service.

While these technologies can, and are, used in surveillance by Western powers their true power lies in their commercial viability. America asserts its dominance by creating products that help clients around the world become more profitable or efficient. By contrast, SenseTime and Megvii continue to lose money.

The Covid-19 outbreak, which has upended supply chains and business models, might be the push China needs to become the AI superpower it hopes to be. Startups like Aubo Robotics Technology Co., which makes industrial arms, and UBTech Robotics Inc., a developer of humanoid robots, could become as important to Beijings national goals as facial recognition leaders SenseTime and Megvii. A shortage of factory and service workers has spurred a massive change in how the nation views artificial intelligence, notes Lee Kai-Fu, Chairman of VC firm Sinovation Ventures and co-author of AI 2041: Ten Visions for Our Future.

The pandemic has really in China pushed further the adoption of automation and robotics, Lee told Bloombergs Businessweek Talks podcast last month. The robotic revolution is probably the big step forward that will be helpful to push Chinas technologies ahead.

To take its position as the undisputed leader in AI, China will need to spend less effort finding ways to track people and more on technologies to replace them.

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Walt Disney Co's Alan Horn, who turned the company's studio business into a media powerhouse and oversaw blockbusters such as Avengers:Endgame and Black Panther, is retiring at the end of the year after nearly a decade.

A former US Air Force captain, Horn joined Disney in 2012 and led the integration of Marvel Studios, home to some of the biggest box-office successes worldwide. Horn also oversaw Star Wars: The Force Awakens - the highest-grossing domestic release in history.

Horn's departure is the latest in a series of management changes at Disney as the company shifts its strategy from big screen to streaming. In 2020, Bob Chapek took over as CEO, replacing Bob Iger who took on the role of executive chairman.

Also Read | Disney files lawsuits to keep complete rights to Marvel characters

Disney named Horn chairman of Disney Studios in 2012 but he started splitting duties along with longtime executive Alan Bergman in the last two years. Horn led the unit as its chief creative officer most recently.

Before joining Disney, Horn was credited with the success of the Harry Potter and Batman franchises, Seinfeld and The Shawshank Redemption.

Other Disney executives who have announced plans to leave by the end of this year include Alan Braverman, Disney's general counsel, Zenia Mucha, the company's head of communications and Gary Marsh, the president and chief creative officer of Disney Branded Television.

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Google's free email service Gmail went down in some parts of India on Tuesday afternoon as users were unable to send or receive emails.

According to outage tracking portal Down Detector, 73 per cent users reported that they were facing issues in website, 14 per cent reported server connection and 12 per cent mentioned about login issue in the country.

The Gmail outage issue was later fixed.

Some users went to social media platforms like Twitter to complain they were unable to access Gmail.

"I am not able to send or receive mails, is Gmail down?" one user said.

Another user posted on Twitter: "Sending or receiving mails is being difficult for the past hour".

"I guess, again Gmail is not working, or I'm the only user who is facing issue," a user posted.

Earlier in June, several users complained about an outage that affected Google as well as its services including Gmail.

In December last year, Google services, including Gmail, YouTube and Google search, went down for millions of users across the world.

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Veteran Tamil actor Srikanth, who made his debut along with the late J Jayalalithaa in the 1965 classic "Vennira Adai" died here on Tuesday, film industry sources said. The 82 year-old actor died due to old age, they said.

"#RIPSrikanth !!," said the official Twitter handle of 'Nadigar Sangam,' the artists association.

In his 40-year career, Srikanth had acted as hero and villain, besides featuring in many character roles as well. Vennira Adai (The white cloth) was directed by late veteran CV Sridhar. The actor is known for his many supporting roles in films starring top stars of Tamil cinema, including the late Sivaji Ganesan, Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan.

His memorable roles include that of the rebellious son of a strict police officer, played by Ganesan, in the 1974 super hit Thanga Pathakkam, (The Gold Medal). He also played the anti-hero in Bhairavi, Rajinikanth's first flick as a hero.

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With the Taliban in power in Afghanistan, there's a new enemy ascending.

The Islamic State group threatens to usher in another violent phase. Except this time the former insurgents, the Taliban, play the role of the state, now that the US troops and their allied Afghan government are gone.

The Taliban promised the United States to keep the extremist group in check during successive rounds of peace talks. Under the 2020 US-Taliban accord, the Taliban guaranteed that Afghanistan would not become a haven for terrorist groups threatening the US or its allies.

But it is unclear if they can keep their pledge, with a sudden uptick in IS attacks since the Taliban takeover on Aug. 15.

A deadly bombing Friday in the northern province of Kunduz killed 46 worshippers inside a mosque frequented by Shiites. Other deadly IS attacks have struck in the capital, Kabul, and provinces to the east and north, while smaller-scale attacks target Taliban fighters almost daily.

Also Read | Afghanistan foreign minister says Taliban forces can control ISIS threat

Historically, the majority of IS attacks have targeted the state ... Now that the US and the international presence is mostly gone, they need to go after the state  and the state is the Taliban, said Andrew Mines, research fellow at Program on Extremism at George Washington University.

Long rivalry

Both the Taliban and IS advocate rule by their radical interpretations of Islamic law. But there are key ideological differences that fuel their hatred of each other.

The Taliban say they are creating an Islamic state in Afghanistan, within the borders of that country.

IS says it is THE Islamic State, a global caliphate that it insists all Muslims must support. It is contemptuous of the Taliban's nationalist goals and doesn't recognize them as a pure Islamic movement. For similar reasons, IS has long been a staunch enemy of al-Qaida.

Both the Taliban and IS advocate particularly harsh versions of Islamic Shariah law and have used tactics like suicide bombers. But when it ruled territory in Syria and Iraq, IS was even more brutal and carried out more horrific punishments than the Taliban did.

IS emerged in Afghanistan in 2015 with the name Islamic State in Khorasan Province, at a time when the group was at its peak, controlling much of Iraq and Syria. It drew members from Afghan and Pakistani militants, including a wave of Taliban defectors.

Also Read | Humanitarian crisis in focus as Italy hosts G20 Afghan summit

The group initially found support among Afghanistan's small Salafist movement in eastern Kunar and Nangarhar provinces. The Salafis had largely been marginalized by the Taliban, and by connecting with the rising IS, the Salafist movement found a means to establish military strength.

But IS's brutal ways have since led some Salafi clerics to voice opposition. In the years after its emergence, IS was badly hurt by military setbacks at the hands of the Taliban and by US airstrikes, before surging again the past year.

The Taliban downplay IS's capabilities and dismiss them as a fringe group with no mainstream appeal.

They have no roots here, influential Taliban figure Sheikh Abdul-Hameed Hamasi told The Associated Press.

End-game

Still, the potency of the IS threat is undeniable.

Two deadly bombings have hit Kabul, including one outside the airport at the height of evacuations before the US exit that killed 169 Afghans and 13 US service members. Smaller scale attacks are also on the rise.

The intensity and breadth of attacks  show the capacity and level of national reach which has caught the Taliban by surprise, said Ibraheem Bahiss, a consultant with the International Crisis Group. IS is no short-term threat.

It could be a while until IS has the capability to hold territory again. Its immediate aim is to destabilize the Taliban and shatter the group's image as a guardian of security.

For now, its strategy is slow and methodical. It is reaching out to tribes and other groups to recruit from their ranks while stamping out dissent among moderate Salafis and carrying out jailbreaks, assassinations, and attacks on Taliban personnel.

Package all of that together, that is an entire method of insurgency the Taliban is not equipped to handle, said Mines.

Bill Roggio of the Long War Journal, produced by the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies think tank, offered a different view, saying he believes the Taliban can uproot IS on their own, even without the backup of US airstrikes that nearly eliminated IS.

Also Read | UN chief slams 'broken' Taliban promises made to women

Roggio said the Taliban have shown themselves capable of rooting out some IS cells, using their vast local intelligence-gathering networks. He noted that IS  unlike the Taliban during their insurgency  don't have access to safe havens in Pakistan and Iran.

The Taliban have rejected cooperating with the US against IS, ahead of the two sides' direct talks last weekend.

IS's future trajectory in Afghanistan will depend largely on its ability to recruit more members and win over large segments of the population.

Since their inception, they have been poaching Taliban members. In 2015, a former Taliban commander, Abdul Rauf Khadim, was appointed deputy of IS in Afghanistan and reportedly offered financial incentives to other Taliban fighters to join the group.

In 2020, when IS re-emerged in Afghanistan, it was under a new leader drawn from the Haqqani Network, currently a faction of the Taliban.

Hard-line members of the Taliban could join IS as the Taliban leadership, now in power, has to make compromises whether at home or abroad. The Taliban have promised a more inclusive government, though the temporary administration they set up is entirely made up of Taliban members.

The more the Taliban cooperate with international states, the more they run against the image of the mujahedeen resistance fighter. That is a key identity the Taliban will lose, Mines said.

Treatment of minorities

As the Taliban shift from insurgency to governance, one key test will be whether they act to protect minority groups that their fighters once tyrannized, such as the Shiite Hazaras.

The Hazaras have endured multiple campaigns of persecution and displacement throughout Afghanistan's history. When the Taliban were first in power in the 1990s, they carried out massacres against the community, in some cases in retaliation for massacres of ethnic Pashtuns.

IS has targeted Hazaras because most are Shiite Muslims, killing hundreds in brutal attacks targeting their places of worship in what it calls a war on heretics.

Friday's mosque attack in Kunduz was an opportunity for the Taliban to project a new image as a state power. The Taliban acted swiftly: Special forces swept the scene, investigations were launched, the provincial police chief made lofty promises to protect minority brothers.
Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on Tuesday that peace in South Asia was not possible without the resolution of the Kashmir issue.

Qureshi made the remarks while addressing the 6th Ministerial Meeting of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) through a video statement. The meeting was hosted by the current CICA Chair, Kazakhstan, in Nur-Sultan.

He "underscored that sustainable peace in South Asia would remain elusive until and unless the core dispute of Jammu and Kashmir is resolved in accordance with the resolutions of the UN Security Council and the wishes of the Kashmiri people," according to Foreign Office.

India has repeatedly told Pakistan that Jammu and Kashmir "was, is and shall forever" remain an integral part of the country. It also advised Pakistan to accept the reality and stop all anti-India propaganda.

India has told Pakistan that it desires normal neighbourly relations with Islamabad in an environment free of terror, hostility and violence. India has said the onus is on Pakistan to create an environment free of terror and hostility.

Noting the negative impact of four decades of war and conflict in Afghanistan, Foreign Minister Qureshi called upon the international community to support the Afghan people in their quest for peace, stability and development at the critical juncture in their history.

He lauded CICAs role in providing an invaluable platform for promoting peace, security and development on the Asian continent through dialogue and cooperation.

The Foreign Minister also called for a just and lasting settlement of the Palestinian question through the two-state solution in accordance with the relevant United Nations resolutions.

He also reaffirmed Pakistans commitment to the CICA process and the concept of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security in Asia.

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A passenger bus enroute to Gamgadhi in Nepal's Mugu district skidded off the road and fell 300 metres down into a river, killing at least 32 people and injuring many others, a media report has said.

The bus heading towards Gamgadhi from Nepalgunj fell into the Pina Jhyari river in the Chhayanath Rara Municipality, My Republica website reported.

"The latest death toll from the accident stands at 32. The picture on the number of injured is also getting clear as it is increasing," the report said.

Many passengers on the bus were returning home from various parts of the country to celebrate the Vijayadashami festival.

A Nepal Army chopper was dispatched from Surkhet for carrying out rescue work at the accident site.

Santosh Shah, the In-Charge of Nepalgunj Airport Security Guard, said 10 persons who received deep injuries on their head were taken to Kohalpur Medical College and five others were sent to a Nursing Home in Nepalgunj for treatment.

Mugu is famous for the beautiful Rara lake, which lies 650 km North-West of Kathmandu.

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G20 leaders holding a virtual summit on Afghanistan Tuesday are "laser-focused" on keeping the Taliban-ruled country from becoming a militant haven and on providing humanitarian aid, says a US readout on the meeting.

Leaders of the world's major economies including US President Joe Biden, joined by representatives of the United Nations and key intermediary Qatar, "discussed the critical need to maintain a laser-focus on our enduring counterterrorism efforts, including against threats from ISIS-K," a White House statement said.

It was referring to the jihadist Islamic State group's offshoot in the region, a bitter rival of the Taliban that has staged a series of deadly attacks of late as it tries to destabilize the country's new rulers.

Also Read | PM Modi calls for united global response to improve situation in Afghanistan

It claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing that killed 55 people last week in a Shiite mosque.

The G20 leaders also discussed the need to provide safe passage for foreign nationals and "Afghan partners" with documentation who hope to leave Afghanistan, the US readout says.

The leaders also reaffirmed a commitment to provide humanitarian assistance directly to the Afghan people through independent international organizations, and "to promote fundamental human rights for all Afghans, including women, girls, and members of minority groups."

The United States  which completed a chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan in late August  remains committed to "using diplomatic, humanitarian, and economic means to address the situation in Afghanistan and support the Afghan people."

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Kuwaiti women will be allowed to enlist in the military in combat roles for the first time after years of having been restricted to civilian roles, the army said Tuesday.

Defence Minister Hamad Jaber al-Ali al-Sabah said the door had been opened for women to join various combat ranks, including as officers, the Kuwait Armed Forces tweeted.

"The time has come for Kuwaiti women to be given the opportunity to enter the Kuwaiti military side by side with their brothers," the minister said in remarks carried by state news agency KUNA.

He expressed confidence in women's "capabilities... and their ability to endure hardship".

Kuwaiti women earned the right to vote in 2005 and have been active both in cabinet and parliament  though they did not gain any seats in the current parliament.

Unlike other Gulf countries, Kuwait's parliament enjoys legislative power and lawmakers have been known to challenge the government and royals.

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On International Day of the Girl Child Tuesday, 30 girls from all over India took over leadership positions of ambassadors, high commissioners across diplomatic missions, corporate and government bodies for the day, NGO Plan India said.

Through these symbolic takeovers, these highly determined gender champions smashed gender stereotypes, encouraged positive discourses, called out on discriminatory social norms and mobilised supporters for a gender equal society, Plan India said in a statement.

Mohammed Asif, Executive Director, Plan India, said though symbolic in nature, by occupying such positions of power the girl changemakers are able to amplify their voice to a larger audience.

It also serves as an inspiration for them as they go about planning for their career and prominent roles in the society.

Orly Goldschmidt, Head of Public Diplomacy, Embassy of Israel in India, said: It was our great pleasure to collaborate with Plan India on such an important campaign. We were very happy to welcome Samta in our Embassy. She is a bright, young girl, with lots of dreams and ambitions. Interacting with her and getting to know her was inspiring. I wish her all the best for her future endeavours.

One of the 30 girls who have taken over influential positions across diplomatic missions and elsewhere in the country, Samta has been placed at Israel embassy.

Embassies where these girls carried out the symbolic takeovers from envoys included Mexico, Australia, Canada, Ireland, Germany and Finland, Plan India said.

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Chief of Army Staff Gen MM Naravane on Tuesday left for Sri Lanka on a four-day visit to explore ways to further expand bilateral military cooperation and discuss issues relating to regional security challenges.

Gen Naravane's visit comes days after the foreign secretary travelled to the island nation and held extensive talks with the top leaders of the country to boost cooperation in a range of areas.

"General MM Naravane #COAS proceeded on a four day visit to #SriLanka. #COAS will be meeting the apex civilian and military leadership of #SriLanka and discuss avenues for further enhancing India-Sri Lanka defence cooperation," the Army tweeted.

General MM Naravane #COAS arrived in Sri Lanka and was extended a warm welcome by General Shavendra Silva Chief of Defence Staff and Commander of Sri Lankan Army at the airport.#IndiaSriLankaFriendship pic.twitter.com/dQKnScaAe6  ADG PI - INDIAN ARMY (@adgpi) October 12, 2021

Defence and security ties between India and Sri Lanka have been on an upswing.

Currently, the armies of the two countries are carrying out a mega military exercise with a focus on enhancing counter-terror cooperation.

The eighth edition of the 'Mitra Shakti' exercise began on October 4 at Combat Training School in Sri Lanka's Ampara and it will conclude on October 15.

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval paid a two-day visit to Colombo in November last year to attend a trilateral maritime security cooperation dialogue among India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

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With the Covid-19 situation easing, the government on Tuesday announced that airlines will be allowed to carry out all services they used to during pre-Covid-19 times from next Monday.

On September 18, the Ministry of Civil Aviation had allowed airlines to operate a maximum of 85 per cent of their pre-Covid domestic flights instead of the 72.5 per cent till then.

"After review of the current status of scheduled domestic operations viz-a-viz passenger demand for air travel...it has been decided to restore the scheduled domestic air operations with effect from 18 October, 2021 without any capacity restrictions," a Ministry of Civil Aviation order said.

The airlines and airport operators should, however, ensure that the guidelines to contain the spread of Covid-19 are strictly adhered to and Covid-19 appropriate behaviour is strictly enforced by them during the travel, it added.

Also Read | After Air India, Centre to put regional carrier Alliance Air on the block

The carriers have been operating 72.5 per cent of their pre-Covid domestic flights since August 12 while between July 5 and August 12, the cap stood at 65 per cent. Between June 1 and July 5, the cap was at 50 per cent.

The government had earlier allowed carriers to operate not more than 33 per cent when it had resumed the scheduled domestic flights on May 25 last year and the cap was gradually increased to 80 per cent by December last year.

However on May 28 this year, the government decided to bring down the cap from 80 per cent to 50 per cent after a surge in Covid-19 cases.

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The Delhi High Court on Tuesday declared that the Union government had the power, jurisdiction and authority to make inter-cadre deputation of officers in public interest and the top court's judgements in the Prakash Singh case on appointment of police heads would not apply to Union Territories.

It dismissed a plea against the appointment of Gujarat cadre IPS officer Rakesh Asthana as Delhi police commissioner on July 27, just before his superannuation on July 31.

A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Jyoti Singh did not find "any irregularity, illegality or infirmity" in the action of the Ministry of Home Affairs in appointing Asthana, a 1984-batch officer, by adhering to the procedure followed for nearly over a decade.

"The Executive, which is responsible for the law and order situation in the National Capital, must have a reasonable discretion to select an officer it finds more suitable, based upon the career graph of such an officer, unless there is anything adverse in the service career of such an officer," the bench said.

The court said the petitioners  advocate Sadre Alam and NGO CPIL, led by advocate Prashant Bhushan  have not been able to make out a case calling for interference or even remotely demonstrate that there is any blot in the service career of Asthana, making him unsuitable for the post of Delhi police commissioner.

With regard to the contention alleging inter-cadre deputation of Asthana from Gujarat to AGMUT in violation of a 2004 order, the bench said it did not find any illegality as there is a power vested in the central government to grant relaxation to it.

The court also held that the Supreme Court's judgements in Prakash Singh case I and II on appointment of police heads after empanelment of officers by the UPSC do not apply to Union Territories.

"We have carefully perused the guidelines and are clearly of the view that the procedure concerns the appointment of DGP of a State and do not concern themselves with appointment of Police Commissioner/Head of the Police Force in the Union Territories, having a common AGMUT Cadre," the bench said.

The court also lent credence to the Union government's categorical stand that as many as eight erstwhile Police Commissioners in Delhi, have been appointed since 2006, by following the same procedure as done in Asthana's case, without any objection to statutory procedure prescribed under the Delhi Police Act, 1978 read with Transaction of Business of GNCTD Rules, 1993 either by UPSC or any other party.

The court also said that there can hardly be a dispute on the proposition of law argued by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Asthana's counsel that public interest litigation cannot be entertained in a service matter.

The bench agreed to the Centre's argument that it is not open for the court, sitting in a judicial review, to substitute its own decision and wisdom in matters which fell in really the domain and prerogative of the government on the basis of "its subjective satisfaction premised on objective consideration".

On a contention made by Mehta and Bhushan that Alam's plea before the court was "cut, copy and paste" of the CPIL's petition filed earlier in the top court, the bench asked him to refrain from indulging in such an exercise in future, saying this practice is certainly unhealthy and deserves to be deprecated.

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With the state's health infrastructure "stretching its limits" to contain Covid-19 infections, the Mizoram government has asked all residents to wear face masks round-the-clock even inside homes and advised them not to dine together at the table.

"Wear a face mask so that you do not have to wear an Oxygen mask." With slogans like this, the health department launched a 10-day-long "All Mask" campaign to ensure that people wear masks all time as the state's Covid-19 positivity rate hovered between 15 and 30 per cent for more than a month.

Also Read | Expert panel recommends Covaxin for 2- to 18-year-olds

Under the campaign, citizens have been asked to wear masks indoors at all times except while eating meals. "Citizens are requested not to dine together on a table and have buffet meals instead. All citizens are requested and advised to be more mindful in hand washing and use of sanitisers," said a statement.

Launching the campaign at Aizawl, Mizoram Health Minister, R. Lalthangliana said that the campaign was launched as per the advice of the state-level expert committee, which was constituted last month following a surge in Covid-19 cases and deaths.

Also Read | India logs 14,313 new Covid-19 cases, lowest in 224 days

Mizoram has been reporting more than 1,000 new cases daily for more than a month. The state, however, has only one hospital (Zoram Medical College, Aizawl) catering to critically infected persons. The state's total active cases stood at 14, 381 as it reported 1,430 new cases on Tuesday. Death toll touched 368. Of these, 9,556 active cases were in the state capital, Aizawl and 269 deaths.

The cases are rising when the same in the rest of the country was on the decline.

Also Read | Covid-19 curbs, night curfew extended in Bengaluru till October 25

"The government is working hard to augment critical care facilities in the state, but the health infrastructure is currently stretched beyond its limits. So the citizens need to strictly follow Covid appropriate behaviour for their own safety. Prevention needs to start from every home, and that is why we request all citizens to wear masks even at home, so as to minimize the risk of infection and further spread of the virus, he said.

Health experts identified non-adherence of Covid safety protocols and continuous migration of people from the coup-hit Myanmar as the two major reasons behind a surge in Covid-19 cases in the state.

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In a veiled attack on Pakistan, India said on Tuesday that cross-border terrorism is not statecraft but simply another form of the menace as it called upon the international community to unite against this evil, as seriously as it does on issues like climate change and pandemics.

Addressing the 6th meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the Conference of Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) here, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also asserted that connectivity must respect the most basic principle of international relations-respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, an apparent reference to India's objection to China's ambitious infrastructure development plans in Pakistan under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

"If peace and development is our common goal, the biggest enemy we must overcome is terrorism. In this day and age, we cannot countenance its use by one state against another. Cross-border terrorism is not statecraft; it is simply another form of terrorism," he told the gathering without naming any country.

Also Read | Civilian killings sign of frustration by terrorists in Kashmir: BJP

He said that the international community "must unite against this menace, as seriously as it does on issues like climate change and pandemics."

"Any calculation that extremism, radicalisation, violence and bigotry can be used to advance interests is a very short-sighted one. Such forces will come back to haunt those who nurture them. Lack of stability will also undermine our collective efforts to get Covid under control. The situation in Afghanistan is, therefore, of grave concern, he said.

Jaishankar had earlier this week said that India was closely following the developments in Afghanistan and underscored the importance of the Taliban regime meeting the expectations of the international community as elaborated in the UN Security Council Resolution 2593.

The UNSC resolution 2593 unequivocally demands that Afghan territory not be used for sheltering, training, planning or financing terrorist acts; and specifically refers to terrorist individuals proscribed by the UN Security Council, including Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad.

Also Read | India to ensure those supporting terror dont hamper collective path to Covid recovery, says Tirumurti

The Taliban, ousted from power by the US shortly after the 9/11 attacks, seized control of Afghanistan in mid-August, ousting the previous elected government which was backed by the West.

India has called for ensuring that no country tries to take advantage of the delicate situation in Afghanistan and use it for its own selfish interests.

Jaishankar said that the voice of the CICA can play a positive role in shaping the global response towards the developments in Afghanistan.

"Highlighted that Afghanistan developments have generated understandable concern. Voice of CICA can be a positive factor in shaping a global response," he tweeted.

In his speech, Jaishankar also said that the promotion of economic and social activity is intrinsic to progress and prosperity. Asia, in particular, suffers from a deficit of connectivity which is so essential for that purpose, he added.

Also Read | Pak leadership should be confronted with international isolation for supporting terrorists: Ex-US NSA

"As we build these modern arteries of commerce, it is absolutely essential that the most basic principles of international relations are observed. Respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations rank foremost among them," he said, amid Chinas aggressive behaviour in the Indo-Pacific region.

The CPEC, which connects Gwadar Port in Balochistan with China's Xinjiang province, is the flagship project of Chinese President Xi Jinping's ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Originally valued at USD 46 billion, the CPEC projects were worth USD 62 billion as of 2017.

India has protested to China over the CPEC as it is being laid through PoK.

"It is also important that connectivity building is a participative and consensual exercise, based on financial viability and local ownership. They must not serve other agendas," he said.

China is engaged in hotly contested territorial disputes in the South and East China Seas. Beijing has also made substantial progress in militarising its man-made islands in the past few years.

Read | 'India suffered a lot due to cross-border terrorism'

Jaishankar also underlined the forum's relevance in addressing contemporary challenges, including pandemics and protection of global commons.

"Even as the world seeks to overcome the pandemic, there are equally pressing challenges it must address. Climate action ranks high among them. In many ways, the mindset required is similar if we are to decisively forge ahead. Both pandemic and climate change require genuine and sincere international collaboration. They must ensure accessibility and affordability, especially to the most vulnerable. And they are a call for us all to adopt a more sustainable lifestyle, he said.

Noting that the post-pandemic world requires resilient and reliable supply chains, he said, it encourages additional engines of economic growth. It also puts a premium on greater trust and transparency. CICA can make a notable contribution to all these endeavours that will enhance security and sustainable development in Asia."

"We have always seen the world as a family, expressed in the concept of VasudhaivaKutumbakam. Naturally, this applies in even greater measure to Asia. Our belief is expressed in a variety of ways, including in meeting challenges and finding solutions together. This was clearly in evidence during the Covid pandemic when we provided vaccines, medicines and medical supplies, as well as expertise to more than 150 nations, he said.

Read | Unabated civilian killings belie govts normalcy narrative in Kashmir

He said that any collective, including families, are best served by participative and consultative decision-making.

"Eight decades ago, when the current global order was being debated, it was a very different world. The members of the UN have quadrupled since then. Asia especially, but also Africa and Latin America, are inadequately represented in its decision-making. The limitations of the multilateral response to the Covid pandemic were starkly evident. This only makes a case for reformed multilateralism more urgent with each passing day, he said.

In his address to the 75th anniversary of the UN last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had given a clarion call for UN reform and asked for how long will India be kept out of the decision-making structures of the United Nations.

Jaishankar also appreciated Kazakhstan's initiative in consolidating the unique CICA forum and underlined its relevance in addressing contemporary challenges, including terrorism, pandemics and protection of global commons.

Jaishankar arrived in Kazakhstan from Kyrgyzstan on Monday on the second leg of his three-nation tour to Central Asia.

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India, on Tuesday, pitched for waiver of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) for equitable distribution of Covid-19 vaccines. It also sought the dismantling of new trade barriers like vaccine differentiations or Covid passports, which impose restrictions on the movement of personnel needed for delivering critical services.

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, in his address to G20 Trade and Investment Ministerial meeting in Naples (Italy), raised the issue of vaccine equity and other Covid-related health products by ensuring quick resolution of the supply-side constraints.

Our response to the pandemic needs to ensure equitable access to vaccines and other Covid-19 related health products by ensuring quick resolution of the supply-side constraints. One of the ways to demonstrate this is by accepting the TRIPS waiver proposal, Goyal said in his address.

Also Read | Aim for $450-500 billion of outbound shipments next year: Piyush Goyal to exporters

Covid-19 crisis is a powerful reminder of our inter-connectedness, and the need for a coordinated global strategy to overcome such an unprecedented public health situation, he said, underlining the need for an early universal vaccination against the pandemic.

Last year, India and South Africa had put forward a proposal for waiving certain sections of the TRIPS agreement, including copyrights, patents, to help low and middle-income nations access Covid-19 vaccines and other medical products. No decision has been taken on the issue. India expects a positive outcome on the issue in the upcoming WTO ministerial conference next month.

Apart from focusing on facilitating the free flow of goods, Goyal also invited G20 countries to join in efforts to make health services accessible and more affordable by the citizens of the world by enabling the free flow of health services.

Also Read | Proposed ecommerce policy to be robust, balanced, says Goyal

As a quick response to the pandemic, I am happy to inform that our telemedicine initiative e Sanjeevani, has been serving millions of Indians. I am happy to offer it to the entire world.

Last year the government launched its telemedicine service or e-Sanjeevani to facilitate health services to patients confined in their homes.

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The Congress on Tuesday took on the Narendra Modi government over Chinese incursions, saying an "image-conscious Prime Minister" is trying to maintain his image on a lie that the neighbour has not transgressed into Indian territory, but failing to look straight into China's eyes and holding them accountable.

Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi tweeted tagging a media report that said 'China is not going back, "Mr 56-inch, why don't you show red eyes?"

Also Read | Ahead of talks, Army Chief says India will not pull back troops as long as China does not withdraw build-up along LAC

His comments came as the 13th round of talks between India and China failed to make any headway in resolving the 17-month standoff in the remaining friction points in eastern Ladakh and Army chief General MM Naravane saying the build up on the other side of the border showed that China is going to stay.

Addressing a press conference, Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said that Modi has refrained from mentioning China by name as the aggressor and has said that 'not an inch of Indian territory had been ceded. Then the question is what was discussed at 13 rounds of military talks? he asked.

Also Read | Made some progress; but larger problem remains: Jaishankar on eastern Ladakh row

"The Chinese have been brazenly entering Indian territory, while our soldiers at the borders are bravely countering them but this government and especially the Prime Minister is scared of even taking the name of China and holding them accountable...even the Army Chief of India said, China is here to stay. Why are the Prime Minister, Defence Minister and Minister of External Affairs silent?" he further added.

Targeting Modi, Khera said that the Prime Minister gave an "irresponsible clean chit" to China saying nobody has entered the country or stayed here on 19 June 2020 and due to this statement, China is "emboldened today".

Also Read | India facing new war paradigm on borders: Rahul Gandhi on China's infrastructure ramp up

"If our own Prime Minister gives a clean chit, obviously their confidence will grow. This government responded to Chinese aggression by banning some Apps. After the ban, the same government accepted money for PM-CARES. Then the government ensured that the trade was not impacted. You know trade is a weapon...You cannot have traded as usual but fight on the borders," Khera stated.

Recalling the 2013 Depsang episode, he said that the same theatres that saw a face-off between the Indian and Chinese troops during the UPA regime also but the "stark difference" was that then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was able to diffuse the situation within 21 days. "But today, it is almost a year and a half, but no resolution seems to be on the horizon, rather stalemates, build-ups and re-escalation are what one can see," he said.

Also Read |Congress attacks Modi govt over its 'failure' on national security front in J&K

He said that one cannot blame Modi and his Cabinet for being silent on this issue as the reason is simple. "They told the nation there was no transgression into Indian territory, and for an image-conscious Prime Minister, national security does not seem to be as important as maintaining his image, which was created on the premise of a lie," he said.

"Because of this strategy of denying that the People's Liberation Army had taken control of parts of Indian territory, we today face unfavourable settlements across Galwan, Gogra and Hot Spring. We cheaply had to give away our gains at Pangong South but the Government has not even been successful in bringing Beijing to the discussion table about PLA encroachments at Depsang," he added.

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Days after being relived as advisor to Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday carried raid at the house of Baseer Khan in Srinagar.

A local news gathering agency, GNS, quoting unnamed sources said CBI sleuths accompanied by J&K police carried out the raid at the house of Khan, a retired IAS officer, at Bulbul Bagh, Baghat here.

The raids are being carried in connection with fake gun licence scam, they said.

Khan, who remained as advisor to J&K LG from March 2020, was last week removed from his position after the CBI reportedly informed Ministry of Home Affairs about his name figuring in the scam.

Khan, who remained as Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, from 2016 till his retirement, was considered as one of the most powerful bureaucrats in the erstwhile state.

The Jammu and Kashmir government had in 2018 recommended a CBI probe into the gun licence racket after names of public officials, especially some IAS officers, surfaced during investigations carried out by Rajasthan police's Anti-Terror Squad (ATS). The unholy nexus between bureaucrats-middlemen-arms dealers was unravelled by the Rajasthan police's ATS in 2017.

The probe agency is investigating alleged irregularities in the grant of over two lakh arms licences in different districts of Jammu and Kashmir.

Several IAS officers have already been arrested in the scam.

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A 10-year-old Muslim boy was taken to a police station for questioning after he inadvertently entered the Dasna Devi temple here.

In a video clip circulating on social media, temple priest Yati Narsinghanand Saraswati charged that the minor had been sent to snoop on him and in the boy's community, there are "trained killers" of his age.

Narsinghanand can be heard accusing the boy standing next to him of entering the temple premises to carry out a recce but asserted that he was not touched or slapped.

The priest said he wanted to tell Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and all senior police officers that a conspiracy is being hatched to kill him.

Also Read | Dalit family asked to pay Rs 25,000 after 2-year-old enters Koppal temple, 5 held

However, the boy told police that he had come to the area to visit his pregnant sister-in-law admitted to the community health centre (CHC) adjacent to the temple.

He said that he accidentally entered the temple but was caught by the management and handed over to police.

After verifying the veracity of the boy's statements, he was allowed to go, police said.

Superintendent of Police (Rural) Iraj Raja told PTI that the boys family had shifted here last year and he was not familiar with the area and therefore, entered the temple inadvertently.

He also said that the management of Dasna Devi temple was not cooperating with police and denying the personnel to conduct frisking and checking of identity cards of devotees coming to the temple during the ongoing Navratri festival.

The strict checking is being carried out due to the past incidents, Raja said, adding that 50 policemen are deployed to provide security to the priest.

Earlier this year, a Muslim boy was assaulted after he entered the temple premises to drink water. On August 10, a sadhu was attacked with a knife by an unidentified assailant when he was sleeping on the premises of the temple.

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Former JNU student leader Umar Khalid, accused in the Delhi riots conspiracy case, on Tuesday told a court here that investigating officer wrote fanciful stories in the charge sheet and contended whether organising chakka jaam (road blockade) constitute an offence to invite invocation of anti-terror law the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

Khalid, along with several others, has been booked under stringent UAPA and is accused of being the "masterminds" of the February 2020 northeast Delhi riots, which had left 53 people dead and over 700 injured.

Also Read | Delhi riots charge sheet reads like web series, says Umar Khalid; refers to Harry Potter villain

Arguing his bail plea in the riots conspiracy case before Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat, his lawyer referred to the supplementary charge sheet filed in the case and said that the police wished to paint every accused with the same brush while adding 'tadka' (flavour) to it.

The Delhi Police had earlier said that Umar Khalid's bail plea has no merit and that it will demonstrate the prima facie case against him before the court by referring to the charge sheet filed in the case.

However, during the hearing on Tuesday, senior advocate Trideep Pais, appearing for Umar Khali told the court, I'll show your honour how UAPA is not made out or allegations are improbable.

Also Read | Delhi Court summons Kanhaiya Kumar on March 15 for 2016 JNU sedition case hearing

He referred to three allegations made against the accused in the charge sheet, emphasising that they were fertile imagination of the police and had no consistency.

He submitted that the first allegation levelled by the police in the charge sheet was that JNU student Sharjeel Imam created a WhatsApp group of Muslim students on the directions of Umar Khalid on December 4, 2019.

Denying it, he said, Constituting a WhatsApp group of Muslim students, is it a terror? There is no witness to say that it was formed on the instance of Umar (Khalid). It is so easy to rope me in the charge sheet which is just a conjecture.

Also Read | Delhi riots: Court directs police to provide soft copy of charge sheet to all accused in UAPA case

The lawyer further said that there was not even a single shred of communication between Imam and Umar Khalid and no message was shared by the latter in the WhatsApp group.

Just being in a group is not a crime, the counsel emphasised in a one-hour-long hearing.

Your [prosecution] wish to paint every accused with one brush as if it was one conspiracy crumbles when you look at the charges sheet. Where do you get it from? You got it from your mind. Half of it is a fertile imagination. None of this is supported by any statement, Pais said.

Also Read | Delhi riots: Prima facie Umar Khalid, Tahir Hussain, others conspired together, says court

Furthermore, he denied the second allegation levelled by the police regarding a speech given by Umar Khalid at a protest organised by United Against Hate (UAH) at Jantar Mantar on December 7, 2019, where, as per the prosecution, he also introduced Swaraj India President Yogender Yadav to Imam.

Police said that Imam was introduced to Yogender Yadav by Umar Khalid, his senior and mentor. Senior, mentor  this 'tadka' (flavour) has been put by them. It is such a dangerous thing, the counsel said, referring to the charge sheet.

He also said that the speech purportedly given by Umar Khalid was produced by the police and there is no evidence that it incited anybody.

Also Read | BJP refutes Amartya Sen's 'shrinking space for debate' claim

The officer wants to tell the story but he forgets that he is not a storyteller, he is dealing with the law. Every assertion in the charge sheet must have a basis but this does not have any basis. They want to paint me with a single brush but do not have material for that, the lawyer added.

He further said that the third allegation against him was that he was allegedly part of a secret meeting held on December 8, 2019, where organising a chakka jaam (road blockade) was discussed.

Is chakka jam an offence, does it invite UAPA? Is a meeting to say that our protest will involve chakka jam automatically a criminal conspiracy? Where does it say it's a crime? This meeting has found itself on every news item, branded about like some great conspiracy, he said.

The lawyer read out the statement of three prosecution witnesses and claimed that none of them described it as a secret meeting.

The trio did not sign it, and that it was recorded after a delay, pais claimed.

He said, None of the witnesses spoke about a conspiracy, meeting of minds, or an illegal act. It is not my personal opinion or that of the officer who is writing these fanciful stories using words like a mentor, teachers, or whatever.

If I am the mastermind, then why are these witnesses not saying what suits you? Mere presence in a meeting or being a part of a WhatsApp group is not a crime. Attending a meeting is not a crime by any stretch of the imagination, Pais said.

The court will now hear the bail plea on November 2.

In a hearing on September 3, Umar Khalid's lawyer had told the court that the charge sheet made hyperbolic allegations "without any factual basis" and reads like a script from a web series and news channels.

On August 23, Pais had said that Umar Khalid was framed by the media which allegedly played an edited video of his speech initially tweeted by BJP leader Amit Malviya.

Besides him, JNU students Natasha Narwal and Devangana Kalita, Jamia Coordination Committee members Safoora Zargar, former AAP councillor Tahir Hussain and several others have also been booked under the stringent anti-terror law in the case.

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A spate of civilian deaths last week in Kashmir has again led to widespread unease, particularly among the regions minority communities.

While the government has beefed up security of the minority communities in Srinagar and other major towns of the valley, those living in villages are scared following the recent killings by militants of The Resistance Force (TRF) who made them safe targets to show their presence after a lull.

There are over 800 Kashmiri Pandit families comprising around 3,400 people, who had chosen to stay back in Kashmir in 1990. There are also nearly 4,000 Kashmiri Pandits who are employed in different government departments here and were recruited under the Prime Ministers package for ensuring their return to Kashmir. These Pandits are putting up at the transit accommodations like the one at Sheikpura.

Besides, hundreds of Sikh families are putting up in various places in trouble-torn Valley who didnt migrate in 1990.

A simple knock at the door of our house in the evening increases the heartbeats of my family as they fear the worst. We pass sleepless nights under such situations but the government is a mute spectator, a Kashmiri Pandit, living in northern Baramulla district, said on the condition of anonymity.

He said the family was not so scared even in the early 1990s when the militancy was at its peak. It is only because of the support of our Muslim neighbors that we stayed here. Even today, they have assured us of all help, but militants don't even spare Muslims when they have to kill somebody, he lamented.

Also Read | Three LeT/TRF militants killed in Kashmirs Shopian

Sanjay Tickoo, president Kashmiri Pandit Sangarsh Samiti (KPSS), an organisation that represents the Pandits living in the Valley, accuses his community members outside Kashmir of giving irrational statements and creating problems for the minorities living here.

They dont understand how problematic these statements can be for their community members in Kashmir who can become safe and easy targets, he said.

While giving credit to local Muslims and neighbours of Pandits who stood with the community through every thick and thin, Tickoo made an appeal to the imams (priests) to make the announcements from local mosques that the minorities living in Kashmir be given full protection.

However, he said despite assurances, scores of Pandit families have left in recent days and many are planning to migrate.
Three days after the arrest of union minister Ajay Mishra's son Ashish  who was accused of running over four farmers  his friend Ankit Das, who was also allegedly present in the vehicle that sped through a crowd of protesting farmers at Tikonia in Lakhimpur Kheri district  and had been absconding  filed a surrender application in a district court on Tuesday.

According to sources, the surrender application was filed in the court of the chief judicial magistrate in Lakhimpur Kheri town. The court has sought a report from the police on the application.

The cops have been looking for Ankit, who was the nephew of former union minister Akhilesh Das, but could not be apprehended after conducting raids at several places in Lucknow and elsewhere.

The cops had also recovered the SUV, in which he and Ashish were allegedly present, from the former's residence on Friday.

Also Read | Lakhimpur violence: Ashish Mishra taken to Crime Branch office for interrogation

Sources in the police here said that Shekhar Bharti, who was driving the SUV, was already arrested.

Meanwhile, the special investigation team (SIT) that was probing the incident took Ashish into its custody on Tuesday and his grilling began at the police lines in Lakhimpur.

Police officials said that Ashish would also be taken to the spot, where the incident had taken place on October 3.

While both Ashish and his father Ajai Mishra had claimed that the former was not present in any of the vehicles  one of which ran over a crowd of farmers killing four of them  the farmers claimed that the minister's son was in one of the SUVs with a friend of his.

Eight people, including four farmers and a local scribe, were killed in the violence at Tikonia in the district when hundreds of farmers held protests against Ajay Mishra over the latter's remarks threatening them of dire consequences if they continued to oppose the new farm laws.

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Security forces continued a massive search operation on Tuesday in a forest area connecting the twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu and Kashmir, where five soldiers including a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) were killed in a gunfight the previous day, officials said.

There was no fresh contact with terrorists during the ongoing operation in the dense forest areas of Surankote in Poonch and nearby Thanamandi in Rajouri, the officials said.

Five soldiers, including a JCO, lost their lives when a group of heavily-armed terrorists opened fire on an army search party in a village close to Dera Ki Gali (DKG) in Surankote early on Monday.

After the initial encounter, the terrorists fled to nearby Panghai forest which falls in the jurisdiction of Rajouri's Thanamandi and were chased by the troops and engaged in another encounter, the officials said.

Also Read | Fear continues to haunt minority communities in Kashmir

The gunfight between the two sides stopped Monday evening after the terrorists took advantage of the dense forest and fled, the officials said, adding that the whole forest belt was cordoned off and a search operation is underway to neutralise the hiding terrorists.

The officials said senior police and army officers also rushed to the area to supervise the operation.

Earlier, a defence spokesman said on the intervening night of October 10 and 11, a counter-terrorist operation was launched by the Indian Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police in the area of Shahdara, near the boundary of Poonch-Rajouri districts.

During the conduct of the operation, terrorists brought down a heavy volume of fire on Army troops leading to fatal injuries to one JCO and four soldiers, a defence spokesman had said in a statement here.

He identified soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty as Naib Subedar (JCO) Jaswinder Singh, a recipient of Sena Medal; Naik Mandeep Singh, Sepoys Gajjan Singh, Saraj Singh and Vaisakh H.

The twin districts of Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region have witnessed a rise in infiltration attempts since June this year, resulting in the killing of nine terrorists in separate encounters. Three soldiers also laid down their lives in the previous operations.

Meanwhile, a group of youth staged an anti-Pakistan demonstration in Poonch town against the killing of Indian army soldiers.

The youth, mostly belonging to the Sikh community, also set ablaze an effigy marked as Pakistan for its continued support to terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, the officials said.

"We condemn Pakistan for its continued support to terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. The time has come when the Indian government should teach Pakistan a lesson for sending terrorists who are killing innocent civilians and our jawans," Kamaljeet Singh, one of the protesters said.

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Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday attended the 'antim ardas' (final prayers) of the farmers who were killed in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence a few days back even as the farmer leaders continued to press for the dismissal of union minister Ajay Mishra, whose son Ashish Mishra was accused of running over four farmers at Tikonia in the district on October 3.

Accompanied by senior UP Congress leaders, Priyanka, who has been at the forefront of leading protests against the BJP governments at the Centre and Uttar Pradesh over the violence, paid her respect to the departed souls.

The Kisan Morcha, which had organised the 'antim ardas' and 'langar' (feast), however, did not allow the Congress leader to share the stage saying that they wanted to keep the function 'apolitical'. ''We will not allow any politicians to share the stage,'' said a farmer leader.

Also Read | Congress delegation to meet President Kovind, present memorandum on Lakhimpur incident

The farmer leaders, however, thanked Priyanka for attending the final prayers of the slain farmers and extending her support to the ongoing protests by them against the new farm laws.

A large number of farmers from UP, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana and other parts of the country had reached Lakhimpur Kheri to attend the final prayers of the slain farmers. The 'antim ardas' was being held in a field close to the spot where eight people, including four farmers, were killed in the violence during protests by the farmers against the union minister, who had threatened them with dire consequences if they continued their agitation against the farm laws.

The Morcha leaders slammed the BJP government for not sacking the minister. ''It is shocking that the minister continues to be in the cabinet...he should be dismissed forthwith,'' said a Morcha leader. The leader also accused the UP government of trying to 'shield' Ashish Mishra, who was arrested six days after the incident.

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A suspected Pakistani terrorist, who was staying in India illegally for a decade in disguise as a 'peer baba', was arrested in east Delhi ahead of the festival season with police on Tuesday claiming that they have averted a terror strike in the capital.

Mohd Ashraf, a resident of Punjab province in Pakistan, was apprehended from Ramesh Park in Laxmi Nagar on Monday. He was living in the guise of an Indian national Ali Ahmed Noori in Shastri Nagar area, police claimed.

He allegedly obtained Indian identity cards through forged documents. An AK-47 assault rifle, two magazines along with 60 rounds, one hand grenade, two sophisticated pistols with 50 rounds and an Indian passport obtained on forged documents were allegedly seized from him.

He has been charged under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Explosive Act, Arms Act and other provisions of the Indian Penal Code.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Pramod Kushwaha said he was part of a sleeper cell and involved in orchestrating subversive activities in several parts of the country. Kushwaha claimed that Ahsraf, who is ISI trained, revealed his involvement in several terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir and other parts of the country.

Ashraf allegedly got several fake identity cards made and one of them was under the name of Ahmed Noori. He also allegedly managed to acquire an Indian passport and travelled to Thailand and Saudi Arabia. He allegedly entered from Bangladesh through the border in Siliguri. His handler in Pakistan has been identified as one Naseer.

Ashraf, who married a woman in Ghaziabad's Vaishali and pretended to be a 'peer baba' (cleric), had been assigned to carry out terror strikes at the behest of ISI during festival season, Kushwaha claimed.

According to police, Ashraf got training from ISI in 2004 under one Nasir, who allegedly motivated him to work as a sleeper cell.

After entering India, Ashraf went to Ajmer and allegedly befriended a Maulvi at a local Masjid and in 2006, he accompanied the Maulvi to Delhi and visited a factory of the former's relative.

Ashraf started 'tilawat' (daily wages prayer job) at factories in Old Delhi and later met other relatives of the Maulvi. He managed to win over their trust and started allegedly receiving money from Nasir using IDs of Maulvis relatives, Kushwaha added.

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Security agencies on Tuesday identified the terrorists they believed were behind the civilian killings in the city last week, and the attackers included their 25-year-old kingpin Basit Ahmed Dar, a resident of Kulgam in South Kashmir, officials said here.

They said that Dar, who disappeared from his home in Redwani in Kulgam district in April, had been under the scanner earlier also as he worked with Abbas Sheikh, the self-styled chief of The Resistance Front (TRF), an organisation believed to be a shadow outfit of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba.

Also Read | Three LeT/TRF militants killed in Kashmirs Shopian

According to officials, Dar and three others -- including Mehran Shalla, a youth in his early 20s and a resident of Nawa Kadal in downtown city, and another young man Adil -- were part of a four-member terror squad that carried out the attacks on civilians in the city.

The officials said that the group was involved in the killing of Kashmiri Pandit businessman Makhan Lal Bindroo, who owned a chain of medical shops known for genuine medicines, school principal Supinder Kaur and teacher Deepak Chand, both of whom taught in the same school located at Eidgah.

The officials added that security agencies gathered CCTV footage from all the locations and joined the dots to zero in on the squad that was responsible for the killing of civilians, especially the minorities.

Also Read | TRF militant who killed civilian gunned down in Bandipora: J&K police

The officials further mentioned that Basit had been moving around in the city and was accompanied by Mehran and others.

It is stated that Dar took over the TRF operations after the death of Abbas Sheikh, among the oldest face of terrorism in the valley.

A resident of Kulgam's Rampur village, Sheikh had joined the banned Hizbul Mujahideen terror group in the mid-90s and kept returning to the terror fold after being arrested and released twice.

Read | 5 soldiers killed in gunfight with terrorists in J&K

He was arrested for the first time in 2004 and released after a year. In 2007, he was arrested again and spent four years in jail. After his release, he was at home for three years, before going missing again in the spring of 2014.

He was gunned down in a swift operation by the army early this year.

Sheikh was behind the killing of jeweller Satpal Nischal, a non-Kashmiri, earlier this year leading the security forces to conclude that the same group could have been behind the killing of Virender Paswan, who earned her bread by selling 'golgappa' and 'chat papdi' in the valley.

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A local militant who was involved in the killing of a non-local street-vendor, was among five militants gunned down by security forces in two separate overnight encounters in south Kashmirs Shopian district on Tuesday.

Three militants were killed in Tulran village of Shopian, 56 kms from Srinagar, where an anti-militancy operation was launched on Monday evening. The militants were trapped inside a two-storey residential house.

Reports said during the night, security forces had closed all entry and exit points of Tulnar and installed lights to ensure that the militants do not flee taking advantage of darkness.

The gun battle resumed with the first light of the morning and all the three militants were killed, police said.

Out of three killed terrorists, one terrorist has been identified as Mukhtar Shah of Ganderbal, who shifted to Shopian after killing one street hawker Virendra Paswan of Bihar, IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar was quoted as saying by Kashmir Zone Police.

The other two militants have been identified as Danish Ahmad of Rai Kapran and Yawar Ahmad of Pehlipora Shopian.

Police said the slain militants were affiliated with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT)/The Resistance Front (TRF) and were given ample opportunity to surrender. However, police said that they did not relent.

A video purportedly released by police appealing to the militants to surrender has been doing the rounds on social media.

Hours later, two more militants were killed in Feripora area of the same district in an encounter with the security forces. A defence spokesman said the operation was launched in Feripora following inputs from the J&K Police.

Repeated surrender appeals were turned down by terrorists, who fired on forces, forcing the forces to take action. In the gunfight, two terrorists were eliminated, he said and added an AK 47 and war-like stores were recovered from the spot.

Violence has witnessed a spurt in Jammu and Kashmir in recent days. On Monday two militants were killed in separate encounters in Bandipora and Anantnag districts of Kashmir. As many as five army personnel, including a junior commissioned officer (JCO), were killed during a counter-terrorist operation in border Poonch district of Jammu region on Monday.

Last week seven civilians, including four from minority communities, were killed by militants in separate incidents in Kashmir.

Meanwhile, General officer Commanding (GoC) of Srinagar based 15-Corps, Lieutenant General D P Pandey said he would not like to connect latest anti-militancy operations with the events (civilian killings) that took place in Srinagar or elsewhere.

While condemning the civilian killings he said, Security forces and people need to be very careful to keep the communal harmony intact.

On the infiltration attempts, the GoC said that the Army was alert and ready to foil any such attempts along the LoC.

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The Government has asked power producers to import up to 10 per cent of their coal needs amid fuel shortages and has warned states that Centre-controlled companies will curb their power supplies if they are found selling electricity on power exchanges to cash in on surging prices.

India is the world's second-largest coal producer, with the world's fourth-largest reserves, but a steep surge in power demand that has outstripped pre-pandemic levels means state-run Coal India's supplies are no longer enough.

Increased economic activity after the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic has driven up demand for coal leading to a supply shortage, forcing states like Bihar, Rajasthan and Jharkhand to undertake power cuts for up to 14 hours a day.

On Tuesday, the power ministry asked utilities, reliant on local coal, to import up to 10 per cent of coal needs to blend with the domestic grade to meet increased power demand, a power ministry note reviewed by Reuters said.

Also Read | Amid coal shortage, Power Ministry asks states to utilise unallocated power

The move could push up already high global coal prices. These power plants usually only import small amounts of coal.

Over half of India's 135 coal-fired power plants, which supply around 70 per cent of the country's electricity, have fuel stocks that will last three days or less.

Union government-controlled power producers such as NTPC Ltd and Damodar Valley Corp, sign long-term power purchase agreements with distribution companies for the sale of most of their power output.

But 15 per cent of their power is controlled by the Union government, which sells this so-called "unallocated" power to the states.

The ministry said if any state had a surplus of power, it should inform the federal government which would allocate that electricity to states that needed it.

Also Read | Coal crisis will be resolved in two days: Karnataka Energy minister

Some states, instead of supplying electricity to their consumers, are imposing rolling power cuts and selling power at higher prices to energy exchanges, the ministry said in a statement, without giving details.

The chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to complain about the rising prices on power exchanges.

He said prices had trebled to Rs 15 for a unit of power from mid-September to Oct. 8.

Day-ahead power prices at Indian Exchange, for example, have surged to Rs 20 a unit, its website showed on Tuesday.

Reddy asked for an increase in the supply of coal, a copy of his letter, reviewed by Reuters, said.

Also Read | Here's a list of states impacted by the coal crisis

In a series of tweets on Tuesday, the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) announced staggered power cuts across the city, with most of the cuts scheduled for over ninety minutes in the afternoon.

BESCOM managing director Rajendra Cholan said Bengaluru, home to the technology operations of hundreds of global companies, including Amazon and Infosys, has sufficient power and a scheduled outage is for laying underground power cables in the parts of the city.

Other southern states, such as Andhra Pradesh and Kerala, have warned that they may have to have power cuts if the shortages continue.

New Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday warned of a power crisis because of the coal shortage that has already brought electricity cuts in some eastern and northern states.

The power ministry directed NTPC and Damodar Valley to ensure supplies to the capital's distribution companies.

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The Supreme Court said a school management can recover pending fees from parents after considering their "just" pleas -- related to more time or some other difficulties -- "compassionately".

"It is open to the school management to initiate appropriate action for recovery of the outstanding dues/amount, if any, in accordance with law," a bench of Justices A M Khanwilkar and C T Ravikumar said.

"At the same time, if the concerned parent or ward seeks some indulgence for just reasons, it will be open to the school management to consider such request compassionately," the bench said.

The top court said its May 3 judgement delivered in the case of 'Progressive Schools Association Versus State of Rajasthan' did not extricate the parent or ward from the liability to pay the fees in any manner.

The court passed this order on October 1 on an application seeking clarification on the judgement. It said school management can recover the fees "strictly in accordance with law".

The school's management led by senior advocate Vikas Singh contended that the top court must clarify paragraph 117 of the judgement that it does not prohibit the schools from taking coercive action against the students who fail to pay the installments as per the arrangement.

Amongst others, the top court's judgment had then directed the school management not to debar any student from attending either online classes or physical classes on account of non-payment of fees, arrears, including the installments. It had also then directed them not to withhold the results of the examinations of any student for that reason.

The court also also said if any individual request is made by the parent or ward finding it difficult to remit annual fees for the academic year 2020-2021 in terms of the judgment, the school management should consider such representation on case-to-case basis sympathetically.

Passing its order on clarification application, the bench said, "the spirit of the direction was to give time to the concerned parent or ward to pay the fees, including by way of installments."

In their contention, the school management said that the last date for paying the installments has already expired long ago and despite that, there are some parents and wards who were still in arrears and had committed default.

Allowing the recovery of fees in such cases, the court said the parent or ward can obviously approach the appropriate forum if the demand was excessive and beyond the permissible amount.

In the May 3 judgement, the top court had held state authorities do not have any power under the Disaster Management Act, 2005 to order reduction in fees of private unaided schools.

The top court, however, said private school management, engaged in doing charitable activity of imparting education, is expected to be responsive and alive to the pandemic situation and take necessary remedial measures to mitigate the hardship suffered by students and their parents.
The finalisation of Congress committees in Kerala is getting delayed as the new state leadership is finding it difficult to accommodate the interests of all the prominent party leaders at the state and national levels.

The new leadership comprising Kerala PCC president K Sudhakaran and opposition leader V D Satheesan had earlier decided to stop the hitherto practice of forming 'jumbo committees', as it is widely referred to, by accommodating nominees of all prominent leaders.

However, having burnt its fingers for not taking the prominent leaders into confidence while finalising the district Congress committee presidents last month, the Sudhakaran-Satheesan combine seems to be now struggling to implement its foremost decision to do away with the jumbo state committee and not to concede to group interests of the leaders.

Also Read | Congress slams Kerala government for not withdrawing cases related to Sabarimala, CAA protests

Even as Sudhakaran and Satheesan almost finalised the draft list and went to Delhi for AICC's nod the other day, they had to return without accomplishing the mission. Concerns expressed by some top leaders from Kerala over not including their nominees and the difference of the state leadership with an AICC general secretary from Kerala over the compulsion to include the latter's nominees were said to be the reason.

AICC general secretary K C Venugopal said on Tuesday that the reports that he was a reason for delaying the finalisation of Kerala PCC officer bearers were not true.

Sudhakaran said that the list was almost finalised and would be announced soon. He also denied reports of Venugopal's intervention.

Also Read | Kerala BJP's Ali Akbar quits all organisational responsibilities

It was learnt that the state leadership sent the draft list of Kerala PCC office bearers to the AICC general secretary in-charge of Kerala Tariq Anwar by Tuesday evening.

While the Kerala PCC was earlier having a 'jumbo committee' of 12 vice presidents, 42 general secretaries and around 100 secretaries, the new leadership wanted to limit it to 51.

After the district, Congress committee presidents were announced last month the state Congress witnessed severe unrest with top leaders like Oommen Chandy and Ramesh Chennithala openly flaying the state leadership for not consulting them before finalising the list. Five prominent leaders also left the party. Former Kerala PCC presidents Mullappally Ramachandran and V M Sudheeran openly expressed their displeasure against the state leadership.

Hence the Sudhakaran-Satheesan combine was learnt to have consulted all senior leaders before finalising the draft PCC office bearers list. Certain relaxations in norms were learnt to be given to a couple of senior women leaders to ensure adequate women representation in the committee.

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Tamil Nadus ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) was on Tuesday heading for a sweep in the elections to rural local bodies in nine districts, five months after the party-led alliance stormed to power after a gap of 10 years.

Though the majority of the results are yet to be declared, the trends indicated that the DMK and its alliance partners were poised for a big win, while the principal opposition, AIADMK, was staring at a humiliating defeat.

Tamil television channels reported that leads were available for 97 of the 140 district councillor posts of which DMK-led alliance was ahead in 90 seats leaving just 6 for the AIADMK and one for its now estranged alliance partner PMK.

The channels also reported that leads were available for 429 of the 1,381 union councillor posts. Of this, the DMK alliance was leading in 339, leaving the AIADMK way behind with just 50 seats. PMK was leading in 10 seats, AMMK (2), and others (27).

Sources in the Tamil Nadu State Election Commission (TNSEC) told DH that the results are expected to be out only by Wednesday evening. The leads are a major setback for the opposition AIADMK which has been accusing the DMK government of not fulfilling the promises made during the 2021 assembly elections. AIADMKs alliance partner BJP and PMK, which contested alone, did not make any headway in the elections.

DMK was upbeat with the performance of the party and its alliance partners in the nine districts as leaders credited the big win to the achievements of the M K Stalin-led DMK government in the state. While established political parties bit the dust, fans of actor Vijay who contested as independent candidates bagged over 50 posts in the elections.

Elections to rural local bodies were held on October 6 and October 9 in Kanchipuram, Chengalpattu, Ranipet, Vellore, Tiruppattur, Villupuram, Kallakurichi, Tirunelveli, and Tenkasi.

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Opposition Congress-led UDF on Tuesday slammed the LDF government in Kerala alleging lapses and delay in its preparation of the Coastal Zone Management plan and staged a walkout in the state Assembly protesting over the latter's stand not to discuss the matter in the House.

Moving a notice for an adjournment motion, the opposition said an expert panel to prepare the plan and submit it to the Centre was set up only in July and accused the government of viewing the matter lightly. They also said despite Covid-related issues, states like Maharashtra had submitted the plan to the Centre.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, however, said the preparation of the action plan was a time-consuming process and the government was unable to complete all its mandatory procedures due to the Covid situation in the state. The functioning of the government, as well as the life of the people, had not been smooth for the last two years in the wake of the pandemic, he said during the zero hour.

"Public hearing is the most significant factor in the completion of the draft notification. Everyone knows that the situation was not conducive to that and it was difficult to go into such a procedure," Vijayan said.

However, as soon as the situation was favourable, the state government went ahead with necessary proceedings without any delay, he said, adding that the Left government has a development policy that balances nature conservation, coastal management and people's life.

"The state government proposes an eco-friendly development policy. Our stand is to implement environmental protection with the participation of people. Steps to protect the livelihood of people as well as to maintain the ecological balance will be taken," the Chief Minister said.

Extensive awareness programmes would be implemented and mass participation of people would be ensured for that, he said.

Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly V D Satheesan said it was for the government to prepare the action plan as per the 2011 notification and gain the Centre's approval. However, the plan, which was supposed to be given within six months, had not been submitted even after three years, he alleged, adding that it showed the "careless and indifferent" approach of the state government.

Based on the Chief Minister's reply, Speaker M B Rajesh denied leave for the motion, prompting the opposition to stage a walkout.

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The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has put up posters prohibiting the entry of "non-Hindus" in the pandals where garba dance is performed hailing Goddess Durga during the ongoing Navratri festival in Madhya Pradesh's Ratlam district. The VHP said it has placed the posters stating the "entry of non-Hindus is prohibited" across 56 pandals.

The move is to allegedly avoid the repeat of "controversial incidents" of the last year.

Chandan Sharma, VHP's Dharm Prachar Vibhag district secretary for Ratlam, said non-Hindu men indulge in objectionable activities by entering the garba pandals where dance is performed hailing Goddess Durga.

Madhya Pradesh: Posters barring entry of non-Hindus in Durga puja pandals put up in Ratlam allegedly by Vishva Hindu Parishad We came to know about these posters from the media. Till now no one has complained about it: Gaurav Tiwari, Ratlam SP (11.10) pic.twitter.com/aIODK4LZpB  ANI (@ANI) October 12, 2021

The entry of non-Hindu youths had led to controversies at many places last year. By putting up such posters, non-Hindu people are being told not to enter the garba and Durga pandals so that such incidents can be avoided, he said.

Sharma said VHP workers are placing such posters with the consent of the festival organising committees.

Ratlam Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Abhishek Gehlot said the administration has not received any complaint in this regard. "The administration will look into the issue (the posters) in case of any complaint," he said.

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Ahead of the 2022 Assembly polls, Goa's political scenario, especially the pitching of regional parties against national political outfits resembles the cola wars of the 1990s, when colas backed by a multi-national company took on local brands and won, former deputy chief minister Vijai Sardesai claimed on Tuesday.

Sardesai said his Goa Forward party and one of the state's oldest regional political party the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) could find it difficult to take on the economic might of the larger political parties  the BJP, Congress, AAP  and therefore may be rendered inconsequential in the future.

"This prevailing situation is such that even if regional forces come together, you can be subsumed by bigger players. It is like Top Cola versus Coca Cola," Sardesai told reporters while commenting on the political scenario in Goa ahead of the Assembly polls.

Sardesai's comment comes at a time when Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Trinamool Congress have stepped up their game, with an eye on the polls.

Also Read | Entry of TMC, 2 new regional parties to add spice to Goa Assembly polls

The presence of the two national parties is in addition to the two mainstream national parties, namely the ruling BJP and the main Opposition party Congress, who have already been a part of the state's political landscape for decades now.

Sardesai said that the emergence of Coca Cola in the Goan and Indian market wiped out Top Cola, but added that regional political players in the state do not just want to vanish into oblivion.

"It is panning out like that. Everyone wanted (Erasmo de) Sequeira's Top Cola. But Top Cola disappeared after Coca Cola arrived (in Goa). We do not want to disappear," he said.

Manufactured by a company owned by former Member of Parliament late Erasmo de Sequeira, Top Cola was one of the state's most popular cola brands since it hit the market in the early 1980s. Top Cola, however, wound up operations in Goa in face of competition from Coca Cola after its arrival in India in the 1990s.

Sardesai also said that his party was looking to patch together an alliance with any political party to keep the BJP from coming to power after the polls.

Interestingly, Sardesai had contested the 2017 state Assembly polls on an anti-BJP plank but joined the saffron party-led coalition government soon after election results were announced. He was sacked from the treasury benches after the death of former chief minister Manohar Parrikar in 2019.

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Several decades ago, a young, talented, wealthy prince on the cusp of greatness, nurtured with passion, discipline and hard work, was abruptly, and for no apparent reason, seized by the State. After 68 long years, the return of the Maharajah to his original home  but now emaciated, impoverished, and a shadow of his former self  is bittersweet! Little wonder, that Ratan Tata said Welcome back, Air India, but added ruefully, It will take considerable effort to rebuild Air India.

While it is an emotional and historic moment, it must serve as an allegorical tale; one that tells us, from an economic perspective, of a past imperfect and a future tense. It is symptomatic of a problem that stares us in the face, the solution to which has eluded us over the past 75 years.

When Air India was nationalised in 1953, it set the country on a path that has been difficult to return, or even turn, from. It put economic India in a state of mind, and grew a State apparatus doing business, that smothered innovation and excellence; and in its place spawned a culture of inefficiency and corruption.

While the precipitous decline of the Maharajah was sad, the price that India has paid since is the greater tragedy. There can be little doubt that the nationalisation of Air India was a pivotal event in Indias economic history, and formed the basis for what was to follow  the nationalisation of banking, insurance, and several other drivers of growth. It is now a collective state of mind that we are yet to recover from. What we lost as a nation and a people was epitomised by JRD Tata in his letter to the Air India staff on the eve of its nationalisation: The time has come to say goodbye...What we did was worth doing. We set our standards high and would not lower them. That spirit is what we lost, and ever since in our national work culture, with few exceptions, we have embraced mediocrity, unable to foster excellence. Why might this be the case?

Even a passing acquaintance with independent Indias economic history points to the one economic question that successive governments have failed to resolve  to strike the right balance between the State and the market to meet our development needs. Regardless of political ideologies, all governments since Independence have systematically disregarded the prevalence and the cost of government failure. This is more by design than by default, because the public sector serves as the handmaiden of politics. The State has, in the past 75 years, often intervened arbitrarily without evidence of market failure. This is true as much of the states as the Centre. Interventions for redistributive justice, on the other hand, while a desirable end, have often been inept and inefficient, using price controls that distort resource allocation and relative prices, and rendering the administrative delivery mechanisms costly and corrupt  the food procurement and public distribution system is evidence enough.

Also read: Sale of Air India: It had to be done

The command-and-control strategy that we continue to wade through has accorded a dominant role for the public sector, little recognising that reconciling managerial independence and public accountability is an intractable problem. This is primarily because of the agency problem best described as the moral hazard  when a public entity has an incentive to increase its exposure to risk, because it does not bear the full costs of that risk (after all, there is a ready bailout package in case of failure), it is the citizens that pay. While Tata Sons wresting back control of Air India is cause for celebration, we must recognise that for the government, it was more a compulsion than a choice. The response to the central question concerning the choice between the State and the market in organising economic activity remains ad hoc, unclear, and less than strategic. The time is right to settle this ideological dilemma.

The underlying principles to strike the right balance must begin with Adam Smiths abiding first principle of the invisible hand. Competition is the engine of a productive society, and that self-interest will eventually come to enrich the whole community, as if by an invisible hand. It is, therefore, best to leave to the market the business of flying planes, running trains, operating hotels and manufacturing soap, as an illustrative list if you will. On the back of the Air India sale, government/s would do well to sell all other businesses simply because others can run them better and governments have far more important things to do.

Second, neglect of the social sector has been a direct result of the preoccupation of governments with running businesses. In particular, poor progress on health, education and gender equality has been a human development constraint to rapid economic growth, besides putting us on the path of non-inclusiveness. Government/s ought to focus on the provision of public goods, the efficient provision of which by their very nature would benefit all  maintenance of law and order, administration of justice, water and sanitation, primary health care, primary education, and skill development  and do that well.

Finally, in the backdrop of the impending climate change challenge, another important area of market failure and hence a role for the government is to act decisively to prevent the tragedy of the commons; to regulate the unfettered market exploitation resulting in overuse or even exhaustion of scarce common resources.

If there is one lesson from the Air India saga, it is that government/s must make the distinction between the public sector producing goods and services, and the State paying for goods and services. The return of the Maharajah must serve to break the dogma of the public sector. Government/s must eschew, to paraphrase J R R Tolkien, One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them all, One Ring to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them.

This will be a fitting tribute to the excellence that India is capable of.

(The writer is Director, Public Affairs Centre, Bengaluru)

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Heavy rains across Tumakuru taluk has caused a landslide at the famous pilgrimage and tourist destination Devarayana Durga on the outskirts of Tumakuru City.

Due to the continuous flow of water, a small portion has slid onto the road completely blocking the hillock-bound tourist traffic.

Sources in Tumakuru Rural district revealed to DH that the incident happened near the checkpoint atop the hillock.

Also Read | Heavy rains flood roads inside KIA, 11 flight departures delayed

Along with the mud, a huge boulder has also been brought down and fallen on the main road leading to Yoga Narasimha temple, explained a villager from Urdigere at the foothills of Devarayana Durga on Tumakuru outskirts.

The district administration has banned the entry of tourists and devotees to the hillock and has permitted only the temple priests to travel to carry out the Pooja and rituals.

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Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai seems to have ended the dissidence that emerged in the Hangal assembly constituency ahead of the by-poll by convincing Channabasappa R Ballary, BJP's rebel candidate to withdraw the nomination papers.

It may be mentioned that Ballary filed nomination papers as an independent candidate for the by-poll to Hangal assembly constituency slated to be held on October 30 after the party decided to field Shivaraj Sajjanar as its nominee. This turned out to be a setback for the ruling party.

Speaking to media persons, after holding a meeting with the chief minister in GMIT Guest House in the city on Tuesday, BJP's rebel candidate Channabasappa R Ballary said that he was the aspirant of BJP's ticket for the by-poll to Hangal assembly constituency. But he does not know the reason for denying the ticket to him.

Also Read | CM Bommai holds closed-door meeting on Karnataka bypolls

"Following the pressure from people of Panchamasali Lingayat community, I decided to face the by-poll as an independent candidate. The chief minister held talks with me for more than 30 minutes. I would take a call on withdrawing nomination papers on October 13, the last day for withdrawal of nomination papers, after consulting people of the community in Hangal," Ballary said.

He said that he and Bommai were good friends and if the results of the by-polls become negative, it would bring disrespect to the chief minister. He further said, "So, I am thinking on those lines. I will abide by the decision of the community."

He also made it clear that he has not put forth any demand before the leadership. When asked about family politics, he said "Like Jarkiholi brothers family, my younger brother (Virupakshppa Rudrappa Ballary) is BJP MLA from Byadagi. So, can't I become an independent MLA?" he questioned.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said that he held talks on poll strategies to emerge victorious in the by-elections to Hangal and Sindhagi assembly constituencies slated to be held on October 30. He also exuded confidence that BJP would win both the seats.

On Ballary, he said, "We are good old friends and he was a close aide of the former minister the late CM Udasi. I have discussed with him and Ballary will take a call on withdrawing nomination papers after holding talks with people of the community."

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Earthquakes of 3.5 and 2.8 magnitudes were reported from Chincholi taluk in Kalaburagi district of Karnataka within 10 minutes.

This is the seventh tremor people have witnessed in the region in a week. While two had occurred in Basavakalyan on October 1 and 5, four were recorded in Kalaburagi on October 9, 11 and 12.

Panic-stricken people spent the night outdoors in Gadikeshwar and Kupnoor following the tremors. The walls of over 10 houses have collapsed and hundreds of houses developed cracks. In the absence of private vehicles, people are moving out of the village on their motorbikes. Around 100 families have left surrounding villages.

The Karnataka State Disaster Management Authority commissioner Manoj Rajan told PTI that he has convened a meeting of the geologists to understand the phenomena. He added that the disaster management teams in the north Karnataka region has been put on alert. They have also been briefed about the do's and don'ts in the event of any major earthquake.

The KSNDMC said in a statement that the intensity observed on Monday night was "little higher than low intensity". "The earthquake might be felt up to a radial distance of 50 to 60 km or even more. These types of earthquakes do not create any harm or damage to the local community, although there will be vibrations felt up to a distance of 50 to 60 kms based on the local geology," it said. The earthquakes assume significance as the epicentres are in close proximity to Latur and Killari in Maharashtra, which had witnessed a massive earthquake in September 1993 killing a large number of people.

(With inputs from PTI)

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The Basavaraj Bommai administration on Tuesday accorded in-principle approval to set up integrated townships at the Bengaluru-Mumbai and Bengaluru-Chennai industrial corridors.

The Commerce & Industries Department has issued an order giving effect to the project that was announced by former chief minister BS Yediyurappa in the 2021-22 budget.

The Chief Minister Mega Integrated Industrial Townships will come up on 500 acres of land in each of the two corridors on public-private partnership (PPP).

Also Read | Call on reducing fuel prices based on state finances, revenue: Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai

According to the government, these townships will attract investments worth Rs 10,000 crore in the next three years and they are expected to generate employment opportunities for five lakh people.

Deputy commissioners of districts where these corridors will pass have been asked to take up a demand survey and report to the Karnataka State Small Industries Development Corporation (KSSIDC), the nodal agency for the project.

The KSSIDC has been asked to prepare a simple project report and submit it to the government. The Karnataka State Industrial & Infrastructure Development Corporation (KSIIDC) should come up with the PPP plan, whereas the KIADB has been asked to submit details on the availability of a land bank for the project. The MSME directorate has been tasked with analysing the types of industries that can come up in these corridors.

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Released: October 12, 2021

Delaware County Vice Chair Dr. Monica Taylor, Councilman Kevin Madden, Councilwoman Elaine Schaefer, Executive Director Howard Lazarus, and Delaware County Park Police raised the U.S. Navy flag in honor of the founding of the United States Navy, which was established on October 13, 1775. It will fly from the flagpole in the courtyard of the Government Center and Courthouse complex for a week.

Throughout the year, the County raises flags in honor of all branches of the military and invites veterans to join in the flag raising. The County will raise the United States Marine Corps flag on Monday, November 1 at 8:45 a.m. in the Courtyard of the Government Center. Residents can enter from the Orange Street walkway.

The Army flag was raised in June, the Coast Guard flag was raised in August, and the Air Force flag was raised in September to commemorate the anniversaries.

The raising of each flag is a tribute to those serving, those who have served, and those who lost their lives defending our country and our freedom. Council extends their deepest gratitude to those serving or who have served in the military.
The President of the Londonderry Chamber of Commerce has called on political parties and representatives to prioritise the North West and ensure the region gets its fair share of investment ahead of the upcoming Assembly election in 2022.

Dawn McLaughlin was speaking at the Londonderry Chambers Presidents Annual Dinner in the Everglades Hotel in the city. Attended by over 250 business leaders, politicians, and civic leaders, the dinner was the first major Chamber event since March 2020.

Sponsored by Find Insurance NI, the dinner was hosted by former broadcast journalist Sarah Travers and featured a fireside chat with RTE Europe Editor and Brexit expert Tony Connelly, who is originally from the city.

Dawn McLaughlin said now is the time for elected representatives, candidates, and ministers to prioritise Derry and the North West as we move closer to next years election and has called on parties to work constructively to rebuild the local economy after the impact of the pandemic.

Chamber President Dawn McLaughlin said: The pandemic has had a hugely detrimental effect on the North West economy, but I have been heartened and filled with pride by the way in which our local business owners and leaders reacted to the crisis before them.

The dinner is a fantastic occasion and opportunity to celebrate our resilience, recognise the strides we have made collectively over the past 18 months, and commend the efforts made by our local business community in protecting jobs and keeping their companies afloat in the most difficult of circumstances.

As we begin to come out the other side of the pandemic, the time is now for our ministers and our elected representatives at Stormont to prioritise the North West and deliver for our region.

While the signing off of the Derry and Strabane City Deal and the opening of the School of Medicine at Magee earlier this year were welcome first steps, there is much more that needs to be done to address regional inequality in Northern Ireland and level up the North West City Region.

Ahead of the next Assembly election in spring next year, candidates from all political parties must commit to properly invest in our city, create and attract new jobs to our region, and address deficiencies in our economy.

Opportunity

This includes committing to the full expansion of Magee, transforming our physical infrastructure to improve our connectivity to and from other economic hubs, marketing our region to businesses and investors across the globe as a prime location to do business, and properly supporting our businesses as they recover and rebuild post-pandemic.

There is now an opportunity for all key partners in our region  business leaders, elected representatives, educational institutions, civic leaders  to work together and make sure the North West builds back as strongly as it can after Covid, prioritising jobs, investment and prosperity for our businesses and our communities.
Foyle MLA, Mark H Durkan, has called on Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey to address regional disparity existing and persisting in relation to funding allocations from the Art Council NI.

The SDLP Communities Spokesperson was speaking when tabling an amendment to the Arts and Creative Industries private members motion.

Mr Durkan highlighted the stark differences in funding and insisted there can be no more gaslighting on regional inequity.

The motion was originally proposed by Ulster Unionist Party MLAs, Mike Nesbitt and John Stewart. It read:

That this Assembly acknowledges the importance of the arts and creative industries sectors, both to life in Northern Ireland and to our local economy; recognises that an estimated 8,000 people are employed within the arts and creative industries sectors, many of whom are self-employed; further recognises the pressure that has been felt by the sectors as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; and calls on the Minister for Communities to work in collaboration with other Executive Ministers to deliver a ten-year strategy for the arts and creative industries, which sets out cross-cutting priorities, develops excellence and delivers long-term allocation of funding.

Mr Durkan's amendment to the motion was passed. He said: Its clear that the arts and creative industries have been among the hardest hit in terms of the pandemic, its restrictions and the impact on livelihoods.

Eight thousand is the frequently cited figure of people employed within the arts industry.

However this refers to those employed by organisations funded by the Arts Council and fails to paint the bigger picture of just how expansive employment within the sector is.

The number of people working in arts, culture and heritage is closer to 40,000.

I would argue that ancillary services within and integral to the Arts Sector, such as light technicians or stage managers will be dealing with the most adverse impacts of the COVID pandemic.

For them this period not only hit harder but was felt much earlier than March 2020 with gigs, events and opportunities cancelled long before COVID-19 reached our shores.

The likelihood remains that its impact will be felt for much longer, making an efficient and indeed sufficient long term strategy so important.

Yet no conversation about the Arts Sector would be complete without recognition of the regional imbalance, particularly within the North West in relation to funding allocations from Arts Council NI.

It has been widely acknowledged that investment is concentrated in Belfast, generally within organisations deemed too big to fail discriminating against smaller arts groups outside of this geographical sweet-spot'.

ACNI funding for 2020/21 highlighted that clearly with Belfast allocated over 22 million funding whereas the Derry and Strabane area received a fraction of that at just 3million.

The second city and previous City of Culture demands and deserves its fair share. Im cognisant that this imbalance is not exclusive to the North West but the figures are stark nonetheless.

There can be no more gaslighting on regional inequity.

Greater investment must be secured overall for the sector in order to address systemic regional imbalances and I appreciate that the Arts Council are hamstrung given their finite resources.

However, it does not excuse regional disparity to date. Tackling regional inequalities must be at the core of all arts strategies going forward as must the model of co-design, which will provide the best guarantee of fairness.

Minister Hargey gave a commitment to tackle inequality as a key consideration of the renewed Culture and Arts Strategy.

Now is the time for action on that commitment; to move beyond rhetoric and to ensure arts organisations feel the benefit of those promises.
As mid-term approaches, several Derry Year 13 students remain unable to access A' Level Irish in any post-primary school in the city.

The father of one of the young people concerned told Derry News he had been left with no option but to homeschool his son in the subject.

He said: Little did I think when my child was attending Irish-medium nursery and primary school and receiving the majority of his education to GCSE Level through the medium of Irish, he would be unable to continue to study Irish to A' Level.

It is a shocking situation and one which simply would not be countenanced if we lived in any other European country. Imagine a student in France being told they could not study French or through French. It just would not be tolerated.

This situation is compounded by the fact that, outside of the post-primary sector, not one single centre of learning in Derry City is providing A' Level Irish for adult learners or returners.

How has this situation been allowed to develop and where will our future naiscoil, bunscoil and meanscoil teachers, not to mention our university lecturers, come from if urgent remedial action is not taken to reverse this sad decline? I do not understand how anyone, with direct or indirect responsibility for Irish education, has allowed this to happen.

Speaking to the Derry News, Reamonn O Ciarain, the Director of Education with Gael Linn, placed the blame squarely on the legislative authorities, boards of governors and principals.

In September, Mr O Ciarain chaired an online discussion on the critical decline in the uptake of Irish in English-medium post primary schools. The discussion was attended by 57 teachers who felt compelled to seek urgent and decisive action.

They called upon the legislative bodies of the Northern Ireland Assembly, the Department of Education and their arms length bodies, such as CCEA, as well as the Education Authority, to intercede as matter of urgency to reverse the worrying trends in the study of the Irish language and other languages in English-medium post-primary schools.

Gael Linn is a non-profit and non-governmental organisation focused on the promotion of the Irish language and the arts.

Mr O Ciarain said: The legislative authorities, boards of governors and principals will have to realise that the Irish language is more than a school subject. In some schools in the area this is already the case.

For many, Irish is their native language and, therefore, they should have every opportunity to learn it to the highest level in education. It needs to be facilitated, not made difficult. If the system makes it difficult or less desirable to study a given subject, what will happen inside a number of years is that there will be a decreased demand, where there was once was a greater organic demand.

Conversely, if we start with the view, whatever happens, we must offer Irish in our school, things will be better for the Irish and its learning.

The problem of Year 13 students, in other areas, who chose Irish A' Level being unable to study it as a result of time-tabling issues, between schools and their area learning community, has been brought to the attention of Gael Linn. It often starts further down the school when pupils choose Irish and by doing so miss out on another language or subject, or choose another subject and miss out on Irish.

RELATED

There is a perception Irish is marked more severely than other subjects and both teachers and pupils know it may be more difficult to achieve and A*. If students do not study Irish in the first place, for instance, they will not take it later on or at college.

Mr O Ciarain added that the system made it difficult for pupils to opt for Irish and other languages and then claims there is little or no demand for the subject.

I do not think this is equitable, he said. Every effort should be made so that all pupils can study Irish, or other languages, to A' Level and in the case of pupils from Gaelscoileanna, it is obvious that the continuity in language learning should be in place.

If there was legislation in place to promote Irish language rights, as promised in the Good Friday Agreement and the St Andrew's Agreement, these are precisely the issues a Commissioner for the Irish language would address. A Commissioner could ensure equitable access to Irish language as far as University, which is more than just a school subject.

Ulster University, Magee, has an excellent reputation for the study of Irish and one would have thought, therefore, that all the schools in the area, where Irish would have been traditionally offered, would do their best to offer Irish to A' Level as a key into university, the local university in particular.

Mr O Ciarain was confident the situation could be reversed.

He recalled: In 1988, Irish teachers and supporters came together to campaign for the overturning of a proposal, which at the time was being brought forward by the then Minister of Education, Brian Mawhinney. The proposal would have marginalised and downgraded the Irish language. This campaign was successful.

What is happening now across the North is Mawhinney by the backdoor, in my opinion. Irish and other languages are being marginalised and their importance downgraded. This makes me sad but ready to campaign for our special native language to have its rightful place in our education system, along with other languages.

If students don't get to study Irish, few will end up going to spend time on residential courses in the Gaeltacht, such as those organised by Gael Linn. These courses represent an important rite of passage for thousands of students each summer. However, they rely on students studying Irish at GCSE and A' Level to remain viable.

The Foyle Learning Community has, apparently, failed children who wanted to study A' Level Irish because authorities in the area have not been allowing for the rightful significance of the Irish language in the lives of many pupils in that area and in other areas also. They must have overlooked the significant cohort of Gaelscoil pupils who would naturally wish to take Irish at GCSE and A' Level.

Mr O Ciarain reiterated that Irish was more than a school subject. He said it should be made available.

Nothing short of maximum availability will suffice when it comes to the Irish language, our native language, he said. We are all aware of the importance of lifelong learning and there should be pathways to GCSE, A' Level, diploma, degree and postgraduate study for adults and young people who wish to continue learning Irish while working or after leaving post-primary education. There should be incentives for institutions to offer Irish in this way.

Irish, as a taught subject, is in danger of being available to fewer and fewer students as time progresses. This stems from the disapplication of the requirement to take a language at GCSE taken by the Government in Westminster in 2004, coupled with the excessive emphasis on Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) subjects.

It began to impact in 2007, at the same time as the economic crisis, followed by Brexit confusion and, more recently, Covid-19. The crisis in Irish language learning cannot be allowed to deteriorate further. It is too important to us all, even though we don't all realise this as much as we should.

If this situation continues, fewer students will continue to study Irish at university and this despite the increased demand for Irish in the workplace across the island. Between May 2020 and May 2021, almost 500 jobs with Irish being desirable or essential were advertised on Conradh na Gaeilge's www.peig.ie site.
Foyle MLA, Sinead McLaughlin, has said an innovative strategy is needed to address the DUPs legacy of failure on skills.

The SDLP Economy Spokesperson said the DUP had failed to adequately equip young people for the future while a succession of their ministers led the Department for the Economy and its predecessor DETI.

She was speaking ahead of the Assemblys Economy Committee receiving a report from its Skills Strategy Working Group on how to raise skills in the labour market.

The report accepts recommendations from the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), which concluded previously that governance for skills development in the North needed to be more effective.

The Foyle MLA said: The OECD  one of the most respected international bodies focused on the economy  found that people are being failed because of a lack of effective governance regarding skills development in Northern Ireland.

Effective governance comes down to political leadership.

The DUP has led the Department for the Economy and its predecessor DETI for the last 14 years.

For the last five years they have had full responsibility for further and higher education as well as having led the Department of Education as well for the last five years.

So the DUP has no one to shift the blame onto when skills governance is criticised.

The reality is that we need to drastically improve our skills across the North, but also to ensure that employers needs are spread across all regions.

At present, DUP politicians seem to worry only about the East and North East  while still failing much of Derry and Belfast.

We urgently need a stronger and more inclusive skills strategy that meets the needs of workers, the unemployed, investors and employers.

At present, we do not have the range of vocational and higher skills needed to meet demand.

If we want to attract companies to invest here then we need to be offer them the skills that they require.

We also have far too many school leavers without the basic skills they need to gain employment.

All of this is a direct result of dereliction of duty from a succession of DUP ministers who simply werent up to the job.
Motorola has unveiled a new smartphone in India, the Moto E40. As with other Moto E-Series smartphones, the phone is aimed at the affordable segment and comes with features such as a high refresh rate display, triple-rear camera and more. Heres what the new smartphone has to offer.

Motorola Moto E40: Specifications

The Moto E40 packs a reasonably large 6.5-inch IPS LCD HD+ display. However, it packs a 90Hz refresh rate, which is not that common at this price range. It is also powered by a Unisoc Tiger T700 octa-core chipset. This chipset is manufactured using the 12nm node and features six power efficient Cortex A55 cores and two high performance Cortex A75 cores. It also comes with 4GB RAM.

At the back is a 48MP triple-rear camera with Quad Pixel technology that is said to offer 4x better light sensitivity for improved low-light pictures. The trio of cameras is completed with a depth sensor and a macro lens. The depth sensor allows users to take Portrait photos, while the macro lens lives up to its name by allowing users to indulge in macro photography.

The Moto E40 also packs a large 5000mAh battery. The company notes that this should be enough for the phone to last up to 40 hours on a single charge.

Other features of the Moto E40 includes a water-repellant design and a dedicated microSD card slot. Motorola notes that the device supports up to 1TB of expandable storage. The phone comes with Android 11 and as with all other Motorola devices, the Moto E40 packs a near-stock Android 11 experience. There is also a dedicated button on the side to bring up the Google Assistant.

Motorola Moto E40: Price and availability

The Moto E40 is priced at Rs 9,499 and will be available in Caron Gray and Pink Clay colour variants. The phone will go on sale exclusively on Flipkart from October 17 onwards.
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By ADAM BEAM

Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif.  California will soon ban the sale of new gas-powered leaf blowers and lawn mowers, a move aimed at curbing emissions from a category of small engines on pace to produce more pollution each year than passenger vehicles.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a new law on Saturday that orders state regulators to ban the sale of new gas-powered equipment using small off-road engines, a broad category that includes generators, lawn equipment and pressure washers.





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MOLINE, Ill. (AP)  The vast majority of United Auto Workers union members rejected a contract offer from Deere & Co. Sunday that would have delivered at least 5% raises to the workers who make John Deere tractors and other equipment.

The tentative agreement reached by the UAW and John Deere was rejected this evening by a majority of 90% of the membership, UAW Vice President Chuck Browning said in a statement Sunday night.





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By GENE JOHNSON

Associated Press

SEATTLE  Rewards totaling $2.5 million are now being offered for information that helps solve the killing of federal prosecutor Thomas C. Wales in Seattle 20 years ago.

Nicholas Brown, newly sworn in as the U.S. attorney for the Western District of Washington, announced Monday at a ceremony marking the anniversary of Wales' death that the Justice Department had doubled its reward to $2 million, in addition to about $500,000 being offered by the National Association of Former U.S. Attorneys.





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OLYMPIA (AP)  A mandatory payroll tax to fund Washington state's new long-term care program will start coming out of most workers' paychecks across the state in January.

The insurance benefit, dubbed the WA Cares Fund, is a first-in-nation public insurance program aimed at helping older residents age in their own homes, The Seattle Times reported.





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PARIS (AP)  French anti-racism activists who telephoned temporary employment agencies posing as a construction firm that wanted to hire only European workers say that more than one-third of the firms agreed to help with the discriminatory search.

SOS Racisme, a national association of anti-discrimination groups, released audio recordings Friday of some of the calls made in May to 69 Paris-region temp agencies. The government promised to summon the companies in question in response.





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Harrisonburg, VA (22801)

Today

A shower is possible early. Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 31F. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

A shower is possible early. Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 31F. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph.
GUTHRIE [ndash] Darris Dean Flowers passed away on Friday, Oct. 8, 2021. He was born Jan. 26, 1942, to Denman Marion Flowers and Margie Gray Flowers. A Celebration of his life occurred on Oct. 9 with family and friends at his home in Guthrie, OK. Darris was especially proud to donate his bod
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For more than 90 years, The Eagle-Tribune Santa Fund has assisted those in need in the Merrimack Valley through generous contributions from businesses, organizations and individuals. This year the need is as great as ever.

Contribute
Just after his first week of official practice, new transfer Jesse Miritello persuaded sever
EBRD and Hyundai Rotem to provide training to 80 young Egyptians

Certified training in maintenance of transport infrastructure and rolling stock

Programme related to Cairo Metro Line-II financed by EBRD

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is increasing economic opportunities in Egypt by collaborating with Hyundai Rotem to offer certified training to 80 unemployed young people.

The training will focus on topics related to the maintenance of rolling stock for Cairo Metro Line-II, a major infrastructure project which the EBRD supported in 2016 with a loan of up to 100 million. The Banks financing was earmarked for the purchase of rolling stock, including spare parts and maintenance equipment, but it also came with a commitment to support a youth training programme.

The curriculum will consist of a theoretical part and of practical, on-site training. This structure will allow trainees to acquire relevant skills and hands-on experience in rolling-stock management, enabling them to access employment in asset-intensive sectors in Egypt, such as the metro, railways and utilities. On completion of the training and success in a written examination, trainees will receive certification. The training  whose scope was devised by Hyundai Rotem  will be delivered by a combination of international and local trainers.

Hyundai Rotem is a South Korean company manufacturing rolling stock, defence products and plant equipment. It is part of the Hyundai Motor Group.

Egypt is a founding member of the EBRD. Since the start of its operations there in 2012, the Bank has invested more than 8 billion in 136 projects in the country.


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Microsoft's new Cloud PC with Windows 10/11 service potentially offers a way for some Linux users to sidestep what could be the last barrier for businesses to adopt the Linux desktop without leaving behind must-have Windows applications.

But if you lack a company's backing, for the time being you can expect Microsoft's new platform to consider you unsuitable. So personal use of Windows 365 is not a real option for all Linux users.

Windows 365 launched Aug. 2, 2021 as software-as-a-service offering that initially targets business and enterprise users.

Microsoft so far is silent about expanding that target user base to non-business users. Linux and Chromebook users looking to pay the monthly subscription price -- especially if they run a home office-based gig -- might be able to sign up for the Windows 365 streaming service.

Microsoft's announcement said Windows PC "is a new way to experience Windows 10 or Windows 11 (when available) through the power of the cloud across all your devices. We believe this will give organizations of all sizes the power, simplicity, and security you need to address the changing needs of your workforce as you embrace hybrid work."

Microsoft just blew into the smithereens the only reason why we could not use the Linux operating system, offered Alina Clark, co-founder and marketing director at CocoDoc.

"It feels like independence. If anything, a large number of Linux users will now get to enjoy Word and other Microsoft Office tools, which provide the highest amount of consistency in that regard, while still basking in the lightweight, super-efficient glow of the Linux operating system," the tech expert and growth manager told LinuxInsider.

Windows Cloud PC could lead to an increase of Linux users, she reasoned, since all those who were stopped from using it due to the Microsoft Office compatibility issues may just consider shifting.

What's the Difference?

Windows 365 is not the same product as the still-existing free and subscription services of Microsoft Office and Office.com. The new service is a cloud computing product that costs users a monthly fee. With it you get a fully functional Windows operating system accessed by streaming the Windows OS from your Cloud PC setup to your local devices.

The difference is you do not have to install the cloud-delivered Windows software on every Windows computer you use. Instead, you can access a fully functional Windows OS with full access to whatever Windows applications you use over the internet instead of installing it on your local hardware. You can stream the same access to all your desktop and mobile devices, including smartphone, Chromebook, and Linux-based desktop and laptop computers.

Microsoft's other Office suite is a web-based platform that only provides the Office apps. You cannot use it to run other the Microsoft OS and Microsoft Windows applications. That is a critical difference that Linux and Chromebook users (and for that matter, macOS users) need to understand.

This new "Windows as a service" is an option for people and businesses who prefer running Linux on their local computers without configuring a virtual machine to access Microsoft Windows and installed Windows applications within Linux.

That VM option is not even fully available on Chromebooks. But just as Chromebook users can run Linux apps -- just like Android apps -- on a Linux partition within the Chrome OS, that capability is coming to Chromebooks via a similar Windows partition.

Windows 365 is going to give Microsoft the ability to compete for market share on a huge variety of new devices, according to Devon Fata, CEO of web design firm Pixoul. It also positions Windows 365 as a complement to those who primarily run Linux or macOS.

"I see this cutting both ways. On the one hand, it will be easier to run Linux and supplement with Windows 365 when necessary. But on the other hand, Windows can now compete with Linux on more platforms," he told LinuxInsider.

Quick 'n' Easy Sign Up (Maybe)

Signing up to subscribe to the Windows 365 cloud service is similar to the process Microsoft uses for its Office.com and Microsoft.com offerings. If you have a Microsoft business account already, you should be able to use your same email address to get started. I have an Outlook.com address registered for my web-based access to other Microsoft products.

My initial efforts were an exercise in futility. ECT News Network (the parent company of LinuxInsider) has a Microsoft business account, at least that is what the sign-up page confirmed as I cobbled together my user credentials to set up a Windows 365 account.

When I entered my outlook.com address, the Windows 365 sign up page balked and said I needed to create a new Microsoft account. The automated process had me enter my suggested business company account name, and after several tries approved an available user name.

The next step automatically affixed the required domain name of ".onmicrosoft.com." That is required for the Windows 365 license. Then Microsoft approved my suggested password. I needed to provide a secondary email address to prove my identity with a provided one-time passcode.

Following that, I was required to give my credit card information for the monthly billing. An initial free trial period was no longer available. But subscribers can cancel at any time by notifying Microsoft using the administrator account manager page.

Clicking the 'Next' button at this point loaded the Microsoft 365 page. The cloud-based delivery then provided options for adding other Microsoft applications and business tools.

Microsoft Happens!

Subsequent sign in attempts start to display the Windows desktop before jumping to the failed page load display.

Over the course of several days, two other Windows screens of death appeared. Despite sending copies of several screenshots requesting tech support, email replies suggested logging on to file help requests. I would if I could, Microsoft!

Overall, Microsoft's newest Windows 365 offering seems to have an identity crisis. Some sign in attempts brought me to my Office.com page or a Microsoft.com page. Some of the emails I received after contacting Microsoft directed me to respond to https://support.office.com/home/contact.

Another reply suggested that I go to https://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/home to scan the list of problems and solutions. That only added to my frustration. Nearly every entry there referenced other Microsoft products. I did not see any tagged with Windows 365.

Adding insult to injury, I searched other Microsoft databases for troubleshooting and general internet searches as well. That got similar results of no solutions. Again, almost no mention of Windows 365 turned up.

Finally, as I was finishing this article on Windows 365 as a non-option for most Linux users, I received an email response from a Microsoft media representative offering a suggestion but not a real solution.

"Since your initial access to Windows 365 is through a separate paid trial/subscription, we're unable to check the status of your Windows 365 environment. We recommend checking out this Tech Community blog post, which provides detailed guidance on how to set up Windows 365," wrote Nick Heinz for Microsoft.

Well, I did not sign up via a trial subscription. That option was no longer available for Windows 365. Clicking the link to the Tech Community blog post that Heinz provided just added more insult to injury, as shown by yet another Microsoft webpage failure.

"We'd also like to remind you that Windows 365 is built for organizations, so you will need an existing Windows license and Microsoft 365 Business or Microsoft 365 Enterprise account for Windows 365 to work, as you would for a physical Windows 10 device in your organization. Provisioning can be done in the Microsoft 365 admin center," he concluded.

Wrapping Up

Therein lies the rub, perhaps! My initial sign up for Windows 365 brought me beyond the admin center page. I have a licensed Windows 10 purchase. I previously signed up for a Microsoft 365 Business account, which I had no trouble accessing but will now not be renewing.

Microsoft's limitation of Windows 365 to only qualified business accounts is a big disappointment for potential Linux users. Being able to migrate to Linux for personal use without leaving must-have Windows 10/11 applications is still an unfulfilled dream.

Why does Microsoft not want to reap more subscription fees from interested Linux users without business affiliations? Or for that matter, from non-business users of other computing and mobile platforms?

That is just plain bad business, Microsoft.

From a Linux user's perspective, Windows 365 can be a convenient -- but costly -- option to stream the Windows OS to any of your non-Microsoft devices using the web browser of your choice. But Windows 365 is not an option for personal use for Linux or any other platform without any business ties.

Jack M. Germain has been an ECT News Network reporter since 2003. His main areas of focus are enterprise IT, Linux and open-source technologies. He is an esteemed reviewer of Linux distros and other open-source software. In addition, Jack extensively covers business technology and privacy issues, as well as developments in e-commerce and consumer electronics. Email Jack.




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E-commerce and m-commerce are transforming the economic landscape. Both markets were steadily growing before the pandemic. But since then, consumers have been fueling both types of commerce with a frenzy.

For instance, global e-commerce is expected to yield $6.5 trillion by 2023, growing at 17.5 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR). That represents nearly a quarter of all retail transactions.

"Global e-commerce is flourishing. As highlighted in a recent eMarketer report, the market is growing at a 28 percent pace with sales exceeding $4 trillion," according to Tom Furukawa, CEO of Logiq.

Add to that, global m-commerce is on target to produce $4.3 trillion by 2023, growing at 18 percent CAGR. Mobile commerce transactions have overtaken desktop transactions.

CAGR is the rate of return that would be required for an investment to grow from its beginning balance to its ending balance. That definition assumes the profits were reinvested at the end of each year of the investment's life span.

U.S.-based Logiq is at the forefront of the changes. It is a global provider of e-commerce, m-commerce, and fintech business enablement solutions. The company has a portfolio of innovative offerings, such as AppLogiq, to help businesses capture opportunities in e- and m-commerce markets. Its DataLogiq business provides a data-driven e-commerce marketing solution.

The AI-powered LogiqX data engine delivers valuable consumer insights that enhance the ROI of online marketing spend. The company's Fixel technology offers simplified online marketing with critical privacy features.

The E-Commerce Times discussed with Logiq CEO Tom Furukawa, opportunity trends in digital commerce and the role of market intelligence in the global commerce space. The interview covered the use of commerce platforms to stay informed about the e- and m-commerce markets, their trends worldwide, and the growth and trajectory in the sectors.

E-Commerce Times: How are e-commerce and m-commerce transforming the economic landscape?

Tom Furukawa: Certain trends in e-commerce and m-commerce are geographically specific. In Southeast Asia, for example, the strong growth in m-commerce has been driven by massive smartphone adoption. Just about everyone has a smartphone, while much fewer have PCs or laptops.

This makes the main challenge for businesses, mostly micro-sized, to develop and maintain an e-commerce and m-commerce presence. That requires marketing and selling their products and services to consumers through a dedicated app.

Does that mobile-only platform help or hinder payments?

Furukawa: While there is an increasing volume of digital payments, there remains a great amount of daily cash-based transactions. The transformation of cash payments to digital forms will be a pivotal market driver over the coming years. This trend is accelerating with fintech now gaining market share against conventional banking.

How else does the Asian market differ from U.S.-based e-commerce and m-commerce operations?

Furukawa: Another important aspect of Southeast Asia is the need for consumer product deliveries (consumer staples, food, etc.) at the hyper-local level. Indonesia is a great example. The population density and traffic patterns make it extremely difficult to drive, which creates a demand for delivery via pedestrian foot traffic.

Tom Furukawa, CEO of Logiq

In North America, businesses have much easier ways of bringing their brand online and conducting e-commerce transactions, such as via Shopify, Wix, and Squarespace. However, the biggest challenge for marketers is customer acquisition, with audience targeting being the hardest to get right.

The North American market is also interesting, because the top 10 e-commerce companies control 63 percent of all sales, with Amazon as the lead, according to eMarketer. This means there are in excess of 500,000 smaller brands struggling to compete with the large-scale players.

Does that mean that smaller brands have fewer chances for growth in the digital marketplace?

Furukawa: There is space to compete though, considering that forecasters anticipate 95 percent of all retail sales will be conducted in the e- and m-commerce space by 2040. That is economic transformation!

How much of this transitioning was already taking place prior to the pandemic?

Furukawa: The e- and m-commerce wave was growing for years prior to 2020, and Covid merely accelerated the dynamic by four to six years, according to Forbes.

The most glaring point that the pandemic revealed was that a business must have an online presence to be successful and grow. A brick-and-mortar presence alone is no longer a viable option. Even industries, such as medical clinics, which may have never considered a digital architecture, now realize that they need to develop and implement an online strategy.

Digital marketing is a complicated arena and businesses need a trusted partner to navigate the complexity. One other area of note, digital media consumption, and digital advertising have been steadily expanding year-over-year prior to the pandemic. In 2020 and into 2021, the growth skyrocketed and continues to show no signs of dissipating.

Pandemic aside, what trends are firmly entrenched in the economic landscape today?

Furukawa: The best answer is that e- and m-commerce are taking more market share of the overall retail space. Interestingly, in 2020, overall retail sales growth slowed, even as, previously mentioned, e-commerce accelerated by 28 percent. To that point, consumer behavior has permanently changed, and data-based marketing efforts are now embedded in the sales lifecycle.

Another macro advancement concerns data, artificial intelligence, and deep and machine learning. E-commerce is flourishing as data collection and analytics becomes more robust. The economics of data is a core pillar for e-commerce expansion in the coming decades.

What new trends are appearing?

Furukawa: For certain, the digitization of advertising continues to gain traction and momentum, as does the movement towards digital wallets and payment models.

In advanced economies, these trends are established, but in the emerging markets, they are still in the inchoate stage. As businesses and consumers discover the value in digital offerings, the curve on adoption is likely to steepen.

As an example, in the emerging and developing nations, the unbanked can participate in the economy to a far greater degree with access to digital payments and services.

A final point on new trends: E- and m-commerce are differentiated from traditional retail in that there are network effects driving the growth trajectory. User engagement and experience are the foundation of commercial activity. Brands such as Uber become more valuable as more users engage on the platform. Logiq's AtozGo app is another great example of the economics of the network effect.

How does Logiq assist businesses in capturing opportunities in e- and m-commerce?

Furukawa: Logiq's mission statement is to help businesses by simplifying e- and m-commerce. Focusing on Southeast Asia and the app presence for local businesses, our company's AppLogiq solution enables a business to quickly create a digital presence on their own app. That gives consumers access to purchase goods and services.

As for the payment side, AtozPay is the company's fintech solution to bring digital payments to the forefront in the region. Relative to deliveries, AtozGo provides the hyper-local delivery service in densely populated areas such as cities in Indonesia.

In the North American market, Logiq is helping those small and medium-sized businesses with their digital marketing, as a tool to compete for customers against the e-commerce giants. Our artificial intelligence-enabled, enterprise software solution, Logiq Digital Marketing, provides companies with the intelligence they need for targeting customers and increasing sales.

Are there specialized differences in how vendors/marketers need to approach e-commerce versus mobile commerce?

Furukawa: For m-commerce it is about enabling businesses to conduct their business via an online presence. The experience must be holistic to be successful. An app that does not offer a payment function becomes obsolete, just as a restaurant that cannot deliver food misses out on customers. M-commerce is all about the ecosystem and synergies.

In North America, the approach for vendors begins with the question: How can this business compete in the sphere of e-commerce against the titans?

The answer is to adopt technologies in a cost-effective way, which will optimize resource usage and elevate brand awareness.

What is driving the accelerated growth of the online economy today?

Furukawa: Ease of purchasing is an obvious factor for e-commerce expansion compared to a brick-and-mortar transaction. Ordering goods and services from a smartphone, tablet, or laptop is quick and efficient.

Beyond that, companies in every industry are now, at some level, e-commerce businesses. The requirement of an online presence, post-pandemic, is incredibly important for financial success.

Given these trends and their driving factors, what is the likelihood they will remain in the post-pandemic marketplace?

Furukawa: E- and m-commerce are not only here to stay, they are evolving and becoming an integral piece of the global economic framework. This progression is playing out in front of us daily and will accelerate as technologies improve and new participants enter the marketplace. The economics of commerce are morphing rapidly. In a word...disruption.

Are the e-commerce trends universal, or does geography play a role in how viable and thriving consumer adoptions are?

Furukawa: As mentioned, there are locale differences (Southeast Asia, North America, Europe, and South America). However, the most important distinction is between the advanced, developing, and emerging economies.

Because both e- and m-commerce are online-based (website and apps), smartphone proliferation is a key driver for consumer adoption. The largest surge in e- and m-commerce growth will emanate from the emerging and developing world.

How are innovations changing the e-commerce and m-commerce landscape?

Furukawa: The days of website-only e-commerce, marketing, and ads are over. There are so many other platforms and mediums, such as apps, streaming content, social media, audio, and native channels. These advancements have facilitated, to some degree, a leveling of the playing field for businesses across verticals and industries.

In addition, the ubiquity of data and analytical prowess are unlocking value for companies on customer behaviors, purchasing tendencies, future product, and service interest. Firms that can bring technology to market that makes data more actionable will thrive the most.

What innovations do you see as significant?

Furukawa: Without question, artificial intelligence, and deep and machine learning are essential. These technologies are revolutionizing the way companies utilize their customer data and ultimately how they advertise and market to customers and generate sales.

What lies ahead for e-commerce and m-commerce?

Furukawa: The next decades will be a period of robust growth for e- and m-commerce. The crucial intersection for companies will be their digital advertising strategy to customers, and the subsequent probability of this audience purchasing goods and services online.

Another fascinating space for the development of e- and m-commerce is in the augmented and virtual reality mediums. Companies can create unique branding experiences for customers on these platforms. To be sure, utilization of the technology from a commerce perspective is in its infancy.

Jack M. Germain has been an ECT News Network reporter since 2003. His main areas of focus are enterprise IT, Linux and open-source technologies. He is an esteemed reviewer of Linux distros and other open-source software. In addition, Jack extensively covers business technology and privacy issues, as well as developments in e-commerce and consumer electronics. Email Jack.




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Businesses are flocking to software-as-a-service applications as a means to improve the efficiency of their operations and the productivity of their employees, but weak control of access to cloud apps is putting the data of many organizations at risk.

According to a study released Tuesday by DoControl, the average 1,000-person company using SaaS apps is exposing its data to between 1,000 and 15,000 external collaborators.

Between 200 and 3,000 companies also have access to a company's data, it added, while 20 percent of a typical business's SaaS files are shared internally to anyone who can click a link.

The report cautioned that the risk posed by unmanageable SaaS data access is no isolated or trivial problem.

Forty-three percent of data breaches analyzed in 2020 were attributable to web application vulnerabilities, the report noted. While it may come as a surprise that nearly half of all data breaches can be traced back to SaaS applications, given the growing reliance on those programs by businesses, it makes sense that this is such a huge area of threat.

"On average, a 1,000-person company stores between 500,000 to 10,000,000 assets in SaaS applications," said Adam Gavish, co-founder and CEO of the New York city-based DoControl, which provides data access monitoring, orchestration, and remediation for SaaS applications.

"Therefore, companies enabling public sharing may unwittingly allow up to 200,000 of these assets to be shared publicly," he told TechNewsWorld.

The problem is likely to get worse. Gartner predicts that use of SaaS services will continue to grow, with revenues jumping more than 30 percent from US$110.5 billion in 2020 to $143.7 billion in 2022.

Accelerated by Covid

That growth was given a boost by the worldwide pandemic.

"SaaS solutions have really proven their value since the start of the pandemic," said Jake Kouns, CEO and CISO of Risk Based Security, a provider of vulnerability intelligence, breach data and risk ratings in Richmond, Va.

"SaaS offerings are easy to set up and usually don't require IT resources to provision," he told TechNewsWorld.

"This means that the business can identify problems and procure solutions on their own, in their own time frame," he said.

"Furthermore," he continued, "with the shift to remote working, the ability to access a SaaS solution from anywhere with an internet connection is extremely valuable."

Covid-19 certainly had a big impact on the adoption of cloud services, maintained John Morgan, CEO of Confluera, a cyberthreat tracking platform maker in Palo Alto, Calif.

"While many organizations had already planned such adoption, the timetable was greatly accelerated due to Covid-19 and the need to be able to work remotely," he told TechNewsWorld.

"The rush to adoption has also created security coverage gaps which are resulting in data exposures and breaches," he said.

Software Visibility Gap

Liz Herbert, a vice president and principal analyst at Forrester Research, explained that as SaaS took hold in the early 2000s, many individuals and line-of-business executives pursued free and small-scale SaaS offerings that were easy to purchase under the radar because they felt the offerings better met their needs and gave them more speed and agility, compared to corporate-sanctioned options.

"In many cases, they achieved strong business results -- at least in the beginning," she told TechNewsWorld.

"Today, SaaS sprawl has grown to be a significant problem -- and in most cases no one really knows just how big," she said.

Any assets that are unmanaged pose a risk, added Mark Guntrip, senior director of cybersecurity strategy at Menlo Security, a cloud security provider in Mountain View, Calif.

"As you look at the rise in adoption of SaaS applications, including personal use applications, individuals and even departments can easily introduce a new application without the involvement of IT," he told TechNewsWorld.

"This can create a visibility gap for security which can impact an organization," he said.

By design, the cloud obfuscates the inner workings of the applications and the data stored in it, Morgan added.

"While this can offer simplicity to some organizations, the obfuscation can also blur insight into potential threats and attacks," he said.

"Modern threats leverage this characteristic to hide under the radar to navigate through the organization networks to identify target data," he added.

Data Everywhere Problem

With the cloud and SaaS platforms of today, the corporate network is no longer the only way to access data, explained Brendan O'Connor, CEO and co-founder of AppOmni, a cloud security posture management provider in San Francisco.

Data is now frequently accessed through third party apps, IoT devices in the home, and portals created for external users like customers, partners, contractors and MSPs, he continued.

"Often, access through these channels completely bypasses the corporate network, instead relying on OAuth tokens or other types of verification," he told TechNewsWorld.

"While companies are eager to use these access points to increase the functionality of their cloud and SaaS systems," he said, "they often neglect to secure and monitor them in the same way they're secured on their corporate network, leading to major access vulnerabilities that may be completely unknown to the company."

Unmanaged SaaS usage means that sensitive corporate data may proliferate to locations that were never intended to house that type of data, added Sounil Yu, CISO of JupiterOne, a Morrisville, N.C.-based provider of cyber asset management and governance solutions.

"SaaS applications often integrate with other SaaS applications," he told TechNewsWorld. "If those integrations are also not managed, then organizations risk granting overly permissive and continuous access to their corporation data through multiple SaaS channels."

What To Do

Organizations are making an effort to reduce the risk posed to their data by SaaS apps without stifling speed, creativity and business success, Herbert noted.

"The solution is not simple but generally a combination of education, governance and pre-vetting apps," she said.

"Some organizations have tried penalties and punishment, but that has had mixed success versus education and smarter sourcing strategies," she added.

O'Connor maintained that a new approach is needed in order to keep up with quickly changing cloud and SaaS environments.

"Security and IT teams can no longer rely exclusively on in-house expertise and expect to keep up," he asserted.

"Since the complexity of cloud and SaaS environments -- and the associated security configurations -- will only continue to increase, companies will need to use automated tools to ensure that their security settings match their business intent, and to continuously monitor security controls to prevent configuration drift," he said.

"This is simply no longer a task that teams will be able to keep up with using only manual processes," he added.

John P. Mello Jr. has been an ECT News Network reporter since 2003. His areas of focus include cybersecurity, IT issues, privacy, e-commerce, social media, artificial intelligence, big data and consumer electronics. He has written and edited for numerous publications, including the Boston Business Journal, the Boston Phoenix, Megapixel.Net and Government Security News. Email John.


Mabel Emmaline Kibler age 92, passed away Saturday, November 13, 2021 at her home in rural Newton. Mabel was born on April 19, 1929 in Champaign County, Illinois the daughter of Rual and Chlora Mae (Chapman) Warfel. On October 5, 1947, Mabel married Orville R. Kibler. He survives. Mabel spen
Elkhart, IN (46516)

Today

Snow this evening will taper off and give way to cloudy skies late. Low 29F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 90%..

Tonight

Snow this evening will taper off and give way to cloudy skies late. Low 29F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 90%.
Carol Gruber sits for a portrait in her Union home Sept. 27. Gruber was a CASA volunteer for 13 years.
CPR demonstrations in Douglas this Saturday

Demonstrations of how to administer CPR will take place in Douglas town centre this Saturday.

Manx Cares Resuscitation Team will be providing demonstrations of CPR throughout the day at the Strand Shopping Centre on World Restart a Heart Day, offering members of the public the chance to have a go at learning this lifesaving procedure and answering any questions they may have.

Figures from the British Heart Foundation suggest that nearly a third of adults in the UK would be unlikely to attempt CPR if they found someone in cardiac arrest due to a lack of knowledge of how to perform the life-saving technique, despite it being a relatively simple technique to learn. The Resuscitation Team members, who are based at Nobles Hospital, are working to raise awareness of cardiac arrest, and to teach others what can be done to respond quickly in an emergency.

Demonstrations will take place from 10am to 4pm at the Strand Shopping Centre in Douglas.
Google Cloud has added tools to help users gain a better understanding of their environmental impact as part of the company's broader efforts to combat climate change. The Carbon Footprint feature shows the gross carbon emissions linked to the electricity consumption of someone's Cloud Platform use. It displays emissions over time and can break down the data by project, product and region.

Companies will be able to roll this information into their own emissions data for internal audits and making carbon disclosures (they can export the data to Salesforce Sustainability Cloud, for instance). Google stressed that the figures relate to a user's gross carbon emissions, since the company has been carbon neutral for over a decade . It plans to run entirely on carbon-free energy by 2030.

Google Cloud will also flag applications that are not in use, as well as their carbon emissions. Google suggests that deleting apps identified by the Unattended Project Recommender will help companies mitigate security risks, lower costs and reduce their carbon footprint.

Google #EarthEngine is now available in preview to commercial customers via Google Cloud Platform. We're building on our long track record on environmental impact to enable companies and governments that want to make progress on climate action. https://t.co/j2EXcalf4h  Google Earth (@googleearth) October 12, 2021

In addition, Google is bringing Earth Engine to the Cloud Platform for select users . Using satellite imagery, data sets and other tools, companies can harness Earth Engine to "track, monitor and predict changes in the Earths surface" caused by extreme weather events or human activity. That, Google says, will enable businesses to reduce and mitigate risks, "become more resilient to climate change threats" and save money. Companies can apply for access to Earth Engine through Google Cloud.
Google Docs is one of the companys slow-burn hits. When it appeared 15 years ago, most of us (definitely me) were doing our word processing on Microsoft Offices Word. It was the defacto option whether you were dealing in PC documents as a worker or a student.

Then Googles Docs and Sheets, cloud-based applications that let you collaborate with others in real-time, appeared in beta. Deputy Managing Editor Nathan Ingraham has charted the course of Google Docs so far, as well as where it might go next, but I recall being an early adopter of Googles Office rival.

Due to health issues, I had to repeat a year of my degree studies and split my time between my university and my hometown, which were hundreds of miles apart. It was a time of desktop PCs, library computers and generally anything to do with a PC was more work! I used Docs to draft, write and publish my final-year economics dissertation, even using Sheets for my provincial theories and data analysis on financial returns to higher education.

It was a revelation  Docs, I mean, not my project. I didnt have to fear a USB drive not working on public PCs and could open the document wherever there was a PC and an internet connection. Of course, from then on, whether it was studies, work or personal projects, the biggest challenge 15 years ago was convincing others to make the switch from the costs-real-money Microsoft Word. That battle continues to this day.

 Mat Smith

The first ones will hit the road later this year.

With the F-150 Lightning set to debut early next year, Ford plans to employ a group of Charge Angels to ensure its EV owners can find reliable charging when they need it. In an interview with Automotive News, the company introduced the Charge Angels technicians. Theyll travel the US in specially equipped Mustang Mach-Es to test charging stations where connected vehicle data and angry social media posts indicate they may not be working properly.

Continue reading.

Testing the 480 horsepower Mustang EV.

Engadget

Talking of Mustangs, can an EV offer the thrill of a muscle car of the past? As Andrew Tarantola puts it, nostalgia is a hell of a drug and he has fond car memories from tearing up San Franciscos streets in a 65 outfitted with a drag racing suspension. For him, its difficult to reconcile that the Mustang is now an SUV and, despite its overwhelming power, it still drives like one.

Continue reading.

Ill take the Ninja Turtles one.

Microsoft

I never wanted an Xbox Series X. Until now.

Continue reading.

'Facebook has lied to the board repeatedly, Haugen said in a statement.

Members of Facebooks Oversight Board will meet with whistleblower Frances Haugen as they investigate the companys controversial cross check system. In light of the serious claims made about Facebook by Ms. Haugen, we have extended an invitation for her to speak to the board over the coming weeks, which she has accepted, the Oversight Board wrote in a statement.

Cross check was a central issue in the Oversight Boards handling of Donald Trumps Facebook suspension. The board had asked Facebook for more details about cross check, saying the companys rules should apply to all users.

Continue reading.

With a heavy Ford Bronco bias.

Microsoft

Playground Games open-world racing series Forza Horizon is almost ready for the next generation of consoles  and your PC. As Senior Editor Jessica Conditt puts it, Horizon is the chill, microdosing cousin of Forza Motorsport, with festival vibes, ridiculous race tracks set in lush environments.

Forza Horizon 5 is due out on November 9th and will be included in Xbox Game Pass.

Continue reading.

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The humble USB-C port has been in the news because Europe wants to make it a standard for all mobile devices to reduce e-waste  and Apple is the only manufacturer still not using USB-C for its smartphones. Now, a robotics engineering student has proved that its possible to replace the iPhone's Lightning connector with a USB-C port, Apple Insider has reported.

On his YouTube channel, EFPL master's student Ken Pillonel teased an iPhone X with a USB-C port, promising a full video later on how it was done. In an earlier blog post and video, he explained how he reverse-engineered the Lightning connector, then built a prototype PCB connector to prove the concept.

Pillonel discovered that Apple sells a Lightning connector with an integrated circuit (IC), known as C94, to certified partners that build USB-C to Lightning cables. He managed to get one out of a third-party cable, then remove the metallic part and expose the PCB. With that done, he pulled the female Lightning port from an iPhone and soldered wires from the bare C94 board to a PCB with USB-C connectors. "Once that was done I had my first working prototype," he said. "Lightning is gone and only USB-C is left."

The next step was to "fully reverse engineer the C94" board so that everything can be shrunk down to fit into a phone, he said. That part has apparently been done, judging by the video above, and will be fully explained in a second video.

An iPhone with a USB-C port is the dream for many users, as it would allow for faster PD charging and the use of standard, non-proprietary cables. It's also clearly feasible for Apple, given that the iPad Pro has a USB-C port. Europe has proposed a rule that would require USB-C charging for all phones and electronic devices, with the aim of reducing e-waste and consumer inconvenience.

It's not clear if this has been done before, but most folks shouldn't try a project like this at home. Pillonel has an electronics background and is working on a Master's degree in Robotics at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL). That's without mentioning that it would obviously void your iPhone's warranty.
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In simpler times, if you wanted to grow your wealth, you would buy valuable physical assets like real estate or gold. But in the digital age, the best currency is information. Companies know that if they can collect enough details about you  what you like, what you care about, where you spend your time and all the hows and whys of your purchases  they can increase their chances of selling to you.

You and your mobile devices are generating thousands of data points every day. Information is this generations Gold Rush, and the next several decades could very well be defined by who ultimately controls and interprets all that knowledge.

TIKI is wholeheartedly behind the idea that your data should absolutely and unequivocally belong to you. And if the upstart firm and its tech-forward app have any say in the issue, only you will be the one with control over exactly how your information is ultimately used.

TIKI lets you choose how your data is shared

The company's approach to safeguarding user information online is two-pronged, surprisingly easy and devilishly comprehensive. It starts with the TIKI app, which immediately monitors for cookies, pixels, hacking and other devious attempts by retailers, platforms and others to farm data from your devices based on your activity.

Instead of allowing apps like Facebook or Google to harvest any data you didnt explicitly give them, TIKI essentially pushes the power back to you by letting you make quick decisions about your data, presented in an almost Tinder-link swipe feature.

If youre OK with Amazon knowing you just bought groceries from another store, swipe right and approve it. But if you dont want Google tracking your directions as you run daily errands, swipe left and block 'em. TIKI makes it incredibly easy to regulate the flow of your information so you decide what data goes to whom. That leads to the true masterstroke of the TIKI interface, where it allows users to essentially monetize all that valuable marketing data they create for themselves. TIKI assesses your information, analyzes its importance to a retailer or marketer, then serves as a bridge for that approved outlet to purchase the data directly from you. If you choose to sell, TIKI will even anonymize your data so that you remain 100 percent private.

Armed with those details, marketing data that would have otherwise been harvested by Facebook or Target, then sold to other marketers, will instead be sold by you. You get the money yourself, which can then be withdrawn as cash or crypto or even donated to a charity or cause of choice. TIKI makes a pair of absolute promises: that information remains 100 percent controlled by each user and that 100 percent of the proceeds of data sales goes back to the original owner of that data.

You can invest in TIKI now and make money protecting data

TIKI takes no cut from information sales; the company makes its money through a 10 percent transaction fee paid by companies buying user information. So if 100,000 TIKI users make an average of $120 a year selling their information, thats about $1.2 million in annual revenue coming back to TIKI.

Backed by 120,000 users since the app went live earlier this year, TIKI is looking to take its app to the next level. Through their StartEngine page, TIKI is offering equity to bring in a host of new investors to expand the apps reach.

With investments of as little as $250, buyers can get in on the opening stages of TIKIs promising offering. Those early angel investors include former Standard and Poors president Deven Sharma, who praised TIKIs ability to let users protect and control their data, along with ease of use and transparency of the TIKI app.

Right now, investors can head to the TIKI StartEngine page and get in on the ground floor of TIKIs inventive approach to data privacy.

Engadget may receive monetary compensation by the issuer, or its agency, for publicizing the offering of the issuers securities. Engadget and the issuer of this offering make no promises, representations, warranties or guarantees that any of the services will result in a profit or will not result in a loss.
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Brittany Murphy's sudden death has become a trending topic once again, and so are the conspiracy theories connecting her mother to the tragedy.

HBO Max will be releasing a two-part documentary dedicated to the "Clueless" starlet, available on the streaming platform starting October 14. Titled "What Happened to Brittany Murphy?" the mini-series will tackle the life and mysterious death of the late actress.

The film's content will include Brittany's career, her early success, her self-image struggles, and what had happened on that fateful day of her passing.

The Case of Brittany Murphy

Sources revealed how the deputy medical examiner for the case reported that Murphy's cause of death had been because of her "life-threatening" anemia and pneumonia.

Others have been pointing fingers at the celebrity's guardian, who had been the one to report the situation to the authorities. Apparently, Sharon Murphy discovering her daughter's dead body in the bathroom of their shared home had raised suspicion from conspiracy theorists.

The accusations of foul play seemed so far-fetched until they brought up the connection between Sharon and Simon Monjack.

Brittany's husband was found deceased just five months after her death, and eerily enough, Sharon's son-in-law died for the same reason her daughter did. The three were known to share the couple's Hollywood Hills residence, and it was the older Murphy who called 911 for help during both instances.



READ ALSO: Carrie Underwood's Constant Demands Cause Mike Fisher To File A Divorce? [Report]

Did Sharon Murder Brittany?

Brittany's late father, Angelo Bertolotti, had also suspected some kind of foul play had happened regarding his daughter's death.

Angelo had become suspicious of his ex-wife and somehow retrieved some hair and tissue particles from the younger Murphy to present as evidence. According to Hollywood Life, Bertolotti had sent the DNA samples for evaluation and discovered traces of "heavy metals and toxins."

Sharon had responded to the accusation by pointing the finger back towards him, claiming that Bertolotti was an absent father and that everything he did was an "inexcusable effort to smear my daughter's memory."

"We will never know [the reason] for sure. However, we do know the Los Angeles County Coroner did extensive tests and found that she dies of natural causes. And now she is a real living angel in heaven," Brittany's mother had said during her wake.



READ MORE: Oliver Tree Accused of 'Disrespecting' Late SHINee Jonghyun Over a Resurfaced Edited Photo to Promote His Album
Leading global business management solutions vendor enhances its product offering with Ovdimnet's cloud-based Time & Attendance system for workforce management and control

TEL AVIV, Israel, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Priority Software Ltd., a leading global provider of business management solutions, today announced the enhancement of its Human Resources (HR) solutions offering with the acquisition of Ovdimnet, a market-leading Israel-based provider of AttenIX-TS, an advanced cloud-based Time & Attendance software for workforce management. The purchase agreement with Ovdimnet will serve to broaden Priority's offering to global enterprise customers in various sectors, such as retail and professional services, and companies with complex organizational structures, and multi-branch operations.

Ovdimnet specializes in the development of advanced management and control software solutions to effectively plan and streamline processes for employee attendance, employment contracts, project monitoring, and budgeting. The only proactive Time & Attendance system for workforce management and optimization on the market today, AttenIX-TS is an advanced and highly-secure cloud-based system. With dynamic support of complex organizational structures, the system enables large organizations with many thousands of employees, to enjoy maximum system flexibility, while maintaining quality, transparency, and real-time management and control of their HR activities.

AttenIX-TS interfaces with internal data systems for automatic updates, and offers comprehensive planning with intuitive, user-friendly tools, archives digital forms and attachments, and a range of internal information systems to streamline HR activities and tasks. Designed to serve large, multi-branch organizations, AttenIX-TS standardizes operational processes, controls workforce budgets, sets work hour quotas and overtime, manages work schedules, reports time/manpower constraints, maintains employee/client contracts, and more. Today, Ovdimnet boasts an extensive customer base in Israel that includes hundreds of leading brands, such as IKEA, JFrog, McDonalds, Burger King, Taldor, iDigital, Israel's leading fuel stations and supermarket chains, and others.

The acquisition of Ovdimnet follows Priority Software's purchase of Israel-based Edea AMC in March 2021. This acquisition is in keeping with Priority's company strategy, and represents a significant step in enriching and expanding its product portfolio on a global scale.

"The acquisition of Ovdimnet's activities will significantly enhance our solutions offering for Priority customers that need to support complex and geographically dispersed organizational structures, and workforces," said Sagive Greenspan, CEO at Priority Software. "At Priority, we believe that every organization, no matter its size or scope, should be able to effectively manage and control their operations and manpower from any location, at any time. I am confident that Ovdimnet's advanced Time & Attendance management system, together with their skilled and experienced team of professionals, will bring tremendous added value to our enterprise and retail customers." Greenspan added, "This acquisition is another significant step in Priority's product development to further support our company's continuous growth and expansion."

Iris Eliezer, Co-Founder & CEO of Ovdimnet, said, "We are pleased to join Priority Software, and become an integral part of the Priority family. This acquisition is a testament of Priority's confidence in our technology, and Ovdimnet's capabilities to enhance and expand Priority's product offering to its customers around the world. Joining forces will undoubtedly help penetrate a new customer base, new markets, and facilitate growth in both our companies, while maintaining product quality, and continued high-level support and service to our existing customers."

About OvdimnetOvdimnet specializes in the development and provisioning of advanced management and control software solutions for employee attendance, employment contracts, and project monitoring. The company has rich and diverse experience in the areas of finance, information technologies, and management in both the private and public sectors. Ovdimnet's expertise and market know-how is reflected in its customer support and service, from the system specification phase (processes, job definitions, reporting & control procedures, and integration with other HR management systems), through the initial implementation phase, including employee training. This provides AttenIX-TS customers with a unique and highly-reliable and responsive system, allowing them to enjoy the benefits of a secure cloud environment. For more information, visit www.ovdimnet.priority-software.com.

About Priority SoftwarePriority Software provides flexible, end-to-end business management solutions for organizations of all sizes in a wide range of industries, from a fully featured ERP platform serving multinational corporations, to small and growing businesses. Recognized by top industry analysts and professionals for its product innovation, Priority improves business efficiency and the customer experience, providing real-time access to business data and insights in the cloud, on premise, and on-the-go. With offices in the US, UK, Belgium, and Israel, and a global network of business partners, Priority enables 75,000 customers in 40 countries to manage and grow their business. For more information, visit www.priority-software.com.

For more information, contact:Rose WolfePriority Softwaree. rosew@priority-software.com
With the implementation of the global tax deal, India might have to phase out equalisation levy or Google Tax, as it is popularly known

A major reform of the international tax system finalised recently at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) will ensure that Multinational Enterprises (MNEs) like Amazon, Google, Facebook, Netflix, and Microsoft will be subject to a minimum 15% tax rate from 2023.

The landmark deal, agreed by 136 countries and jurisdictions including India, represents more than 90% of global GDP, will also reallocate more than $125 billion of profits from around 100 of the worlds largest and most profitable MNEs to countries worldwide, ensuring that these firms pay a fair share of tax wherever they operate and generate profits.

With the implementation of the global tax deal, India might have to phase out equalisation levy or Google Tax, as it is popularly known. The country will also have to commit that it will not introduce any such tax once the global minimum tax deal comes into effect. India has imposed an equalisation levy of 6% on certain specified services such as online advertisement and any provision for digital advertising space or any other facility or service for the purpose of online advertisement.

Deloitte India Partner Sumit Singhania stated that India is expected to emerge as a beneficiary of the new tax regime. Global consensus reached on the OECD Inclusive Framework's two-pillar solution is a massive step forward in combating tax challenges of digitalisation. Newly coined nexus and profit allocation rule (Pillar 1) and Global Min- Tax rule (Pillar 2) ought to ensure large MNEs pay a fair share of taxes in market jurisdictions like India, Singhania said in a statement.

He also said that the change will similarly require India to share the tax base of large domestic conglomerates with other market jurisdictions. On balance, India being a massive market for global MNEs will likely emerge a net beneficiary of this tax policy reform that will gradually evolve to replace century-old international tax rules based on physical presence as the threshold for taxing rights given to market countries, he added.

Following years of intensive negotiations to bring the international tax system into the 21st century, 136 jurisdictions (out of the 140 members of the OECD/G20 Inclusive Framework on BEPS) joined the Statement on the Two-Pillar Solution to Address the Tax Challenges Arising from the Digitalisation of the Economy. It updates and finalises a July political agreement by members of the Inclusive Framework to fundamentally reform international tax rules.

With Estonia, Hungary, and Ireland having joined the agreement, it is now supported by all OECD and G20 countries. Four countries  Kenya, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka  have not yet joined the agreement.

The two-pillar solution will be delivered to the G20 Finance Ministers meeting in Washington, D.C. on 13 October, then to the G20 Leaders Summit in Rome at the end of the month. The global minimum tax agreement does not seek to eliminate tax competition, but puts multilaterally agreed limitations on it, and will see countries collect around $150 billion in new revenues annually.

Pillar One will ensure a fairer distribution of profits and taxing rights among countries, with respect to the largest and most profitable multinational enterprises. It will re-allocate some taxing rights over MNEs from their home countries to the markets where they have business activities and earn profits, regardless of whether firms have a physical presence there. Specifically, multinational enterprises with global sales above EUR 20 billion and profitability above 10%  that can be considered as the winners of globalisation  will be covered by the new rules, with 25% of profit above the 10% threshold to be reallocated to market jurisdictions.

Under Pillar One, taxing rights on more than $125 billion of profit are expected to be reallocated to market jurisdictions each year. Developing country revenue gains are expected to be greater than those in more advanced economies, as a proportion of existing revenues.

Pillar Two introduces a global minimum corporate tax rate set at 15%. The new minimum tax rate will apply to companies with revenue above EUR 750 million and is estimated to generate around $150 billion in additional global tax revenues annually. Further, benefits will also arise from the stabilisation of the international tax system and the increased tax certainty for taxpayers and tax administrations.

Todays agreement will make our international tax arrangements fairer and work better, said OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann. This is a major victory for effective and balanced multilateralism. It is a far-reaching agreement which ensures our international tax system is fit for purpose in a digitalised and globalised world economy. We must now work swiftly and diligently to ensure the effective implementation of this major reform, Secretary-General Cormann said.

Countries are aiming to sign a multilateral convention during 2022, with effective implementation in 2023. The convention is already under development and will be the vehicle for implementation of the newly agreed taxing right under Pillar One, as well as for the standstill and removal provisions in relation to all existing Digital Service Taxes and other similar relevant unilateral measures. This will bring more certainty and help ease trade tensions. The OECD will develop model rules for bringing Pillar Two into domestic legislation during 2022, to be effective in 2023.

Developing countries, as members of the Inclusive Framework on an equal footing, have played an active role in the negotiations and the Two-Pillar Solution contains a number of features to ensure that the concerns of low-capacity countries are addressed. The OECD will ensure the rules can be effectively and efficiently administered, also offering comprehensive capacity building support to countries which need it.







Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)
The San Antonio River Authority has settled a lawsuit brought by an employee who accused it of racial discrimination and retaliation.

In his June 2020 complaint, Ralph Bolado said he endured violence and various incidents of discrimination on the job, from being hit by a pipe thrown by a supervisor to a colleague hanging a noose on his office door.

Bolado, a Hispanic maintenance technician who has been employed by SARA for almost 20 years, also alleged he was retaliated against for lodging complaints about the alleged discrimination.

SARA and Mr. Bolado resolved the litigation with terms to their mutual agreement, attorneys for both sides said in a joint statement. The parties have no further comment.

The Express-News submitted a public records request Monday to obtain the terms of the settlement after Clarissa Rodriguez, an attorney for SARA, said she was not at liberty to release all of them.

Rodriguez indicated that one of the settlement terms specifies that SARA would seek a ruling from the Texas attorney generals office on what information it is allowed to release if it received a records request.

The parties agreed to that in the settlement, she said. Its a public entity, but theres also a contract. I have to follow what my client agreed to.

Bolado had sought damages ranging from $200,000 to $1 million in the suit, filed in state District Court in San Antonio.

On ExpressNews.com: Employee sues San Antonio River Authority for racial discrimination, retaliation

Bolado filed a motion to dismiss the case on Sept. 23, saying all matters in controversyhave been fully comprised and settled.

SARA denied Bolados allegations and provided various defenses in a July 2020 court filing.

SARA manages and maintains rivers and creeks in Bexar, Wilson, Karnes and Goliad counties.

In his lawsuit, Bolado alleged that in 2017, while attending a meeting in SARAs Converse maintenance shop, he and a female African-American employee were subjected to racist comments by his supervisor  Alfred Rakowitz  and other managers.

Bolado later complained to SARAs human resources department, his suit said. Afterward, tensions developed between Bolado and Rakowitz. Bolado said he was assigned menial tasks, including picking up trash and pulling weeds.

A SARA manager allegedly denied Bolado a raise in 2018, the suit added.

On Nov. 12, 2018, the suit said, Rakowitz used an obscenity at Bolado, who responded by saying, My name is Ralph.

Rakowitz then threw a 4-foot-3-inch PVC pipe at Bolado, breaking his nose, the suit said. The injury required surgery to repair. That followed another incident where Rakowitz allegedly hit Bolado.

Bolado later complained to Bruce Knott, SARAs human resources director, that Rakowitzs act was racially motivated. At a Nov. 12 meeting, the suit said, Knott admonished Bolado and told him he was throwing everybody under the bus.

SARA took no action against Rakowitz, the suit said. But he resigned in lieu of termination the following month after SARA found he had violated its workplace violence policy.

Two other employees subsequently were fired, and an executive resigned for failing to report the incident with the rope.

On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio River Authority executive ousted for not reporting racial incident

In late 2018, SARA began a series of training sessions to address concerns about racism and other inappropriate behavior occurring within the agency.

A Bexar County grand jury indicted Rakowitz on a felony aggravated assault charge in March 2019. The case was dismissed in late 2019 after he completed a pretrial diversion program, KSAT reported.

Conditions only worsened for Bolado after he complained, he alleged in his lawsuit. He got the feeling he was being black-balled by supervisors and directors. He alleged he was bypassed for promotions and raises, while supervises criticized his work performance.

Bolado, meanwhile, has a negligence suit pending against Rakowitz in Bexar County Court. Bolado seeks damages ranging from more than $100,000 to $200,000 in the suit, filed in November. Rakowitz has denied the allegations. Attorney Ben M. Sifuentes Jr., who represents Rakowitz, declined to comment.

Bolado received workers compensation benefits and treatment for the injuries he sustained.

As far as the total (financial) benefits, we do not have that information at this time, said Rodriguez, the lawyer representing SARA.

pdanner@express-news.net
(Bloomberg) -- Southwest Airlines Co.s shortage of workers overlapped with storms and an air traffic control interruption to force cancellation of nearly 3,100 flights over four days, the carriers next chief executive officer said as he extended an apology to customers.

The Dallas-based carrier was particularly hard hit because as much as 50% of its daily lines of flight -- or where a plane travels from the start of the day to the end -- touch Florida, Executive Vice President Bob Jordan said in an interview. Bad weather and the traffic interruption in the area left Southwest with zero arrivals and departures in some cities for a time Friday, he said.

VACCINE MANDATES: Abbott flips, aims to bar private businesses from requiring vaccines

Crews were struggling to move and you end up in short order with aircraft and crews in the wrong spot, Jordan said. Its really difficult to repair and put those things back together.

Nearly 950 flights were canceled Saturday, followed by almost 1,500 on Sunday, according to FlightAware, an online tracking service. Southwest canceled 17.3% of its flights Oct. 8 through earlier Monday, compared with about 2.6% at American Airlines Group Inc. and less than 1% at both United Airlines Holdings Inc. and Delta Air Lines Inc.

People have plans and we caused a lot of disruption and I apologize for that, Jordan said. Its never what we want to do.

As customer outrage grew, speculation over the cause swelled. Southwest pilots refuted claims that they were staging a sickout over Covid-19 shot mandates, and Republican Senator Ron Johnson issued a call via Twitter to stop the madness before more damage is done. No Southwest employees staged a job slowdown or sickout as part of the problem, Jordan said.

The carrier needs to build more of a staffing cushion for unexpected disruptions, Chief Operating Officer Mike Van de Ven told employees in a video Sunday night. If its needed to resolve the problems, Southwest is willing to cut its flight schedule in November and December beyond the reductions it already made in the final four months of the year, he said.

I wish I could tell you that we are out of the woods, but I cannot, Van de Ven said. The environment for our entire industry remains fragile.

Southwest has hired about half of the 5,000 workers it wants to add before year-end, CEO-designate Jordan said.

Southwests weekend issues are a repeat of the delays and cancellations over the summer that led to frustration among travelers and crews. Other airlines also faced scheduling issues this summer, including American Airlines Group Inc. and Spirit Airlines Inc., but Southwests problems have persisted into the fall.

Southwest has a very aggressive hiring plan and is seeing a consistent stream of new hires come on board, Van de Ven said. We are still not where we want to be with staffing, and in particular with our flight crews.

Southwest fell 4.2% in New York trading Monday and has risen about 11% so far this year.

Pilots werent part of the weekend problem, Casey Murray, president of the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association, said in a statement.

I can say with certainty that there are no work slowdowns or sickouts either related to the recent mandatory vaccine mandate or otherwise, Murray said in a statement. Under federal law, our union is forbidden from taking job action to resolve labor disputes under these circumstances. SWAPA has not authorized, and will not condone, any job action.

Dec. 8 Deadline

The union on Oct. 8 asked a court to temporarily block Southwest from carrying out federally mandated coronavirus vaccinations until an existing lawsuit over alleged U.S. labor law violations is resolved. The airline has set a Dec. 8 deadline for the shots, which the pilots claim imposes new conditions of employment and threatens termination. Southwest has denied that any recent changes related to Covid-19 require negotiations with the union.

SWAPA has threatened to protest publicly during the upcoming winter holidays if scheduling issues at the carrier didnt improve. Flight attendants and ground workers also complained about excessive overtime.

What was a minor temporary event for other carriers devastated Southwest Airlines because our operation has become brittle and subject to massive failures under the slightest pressure, Murray said Sunday. Our pilots are tired and frustrated because our operation is running on empty due to a lack of support from the company.

In a statement Sunday on Twitter, the Federal Aviation Administration said that severe weather and limited staffing in its Jacksonville center contributed to delays and cancellations on Friday.

The Jacksonville Center handles high-altitude traffic over northern Florida and other nearby states. Delta Air Lines Inc.s largest hub in Atlanta and American Airlines Group Inc.s hub in Miami fall into the region of heavy traffic through the centers airspace.

However, thunderstorms across parts of the East Coast and Midwest caused greater disruptions, according to a log of FAA air-traffic advisories.

Disruptions to Florida quickly spread throughout our network given our point-to-point flying, Van de Ven said. Add to that, we have significant crew base resources in Florida, and any disruptions in our flight activity there would prevent us from injecting those crews into our system.

Forced Reduction

The airline had ramped-up flights earlier this year to meet surging domestic demand, but was forced to cut its schedule for the last four months of 2021 due to staffing issues. More than 99,000 Southwest flight arrivals were delayed from June through August, in part because of worker shortages.

Southwest has struggled to hire the 5,000 workers it wants to add this year. Its facing competition from other industries, particularly for entry-level workers. It wants to hire 25,000 employees over three years.

2021 Bloomberg L.P.
Jose M. Osorio, MBR / TNS

The long wait for children to be eligible for COVID-19 vaccines appears to be nearly over.

Kids ages 5 to 11 could start receiving vaccines within the next several weeks after the federal government said it's preparing for a rollout as early as November.
A ruling is expected this week on whether the San Antonio Independent School District will be allowed to mandate that their employees get vaccinated against the coronavirus.

Last week, the Fourth Court of Appeals rejected the state of Texas appeal of a ruling by Judge Mary Lou Alvarez, who declined to bar the district from requiring that their 7,000 employees be vaccinated. She set a trial date of Jan. 19.

On Friday, the Texas Attorney Generals Office filed a writ to the Texas Supreme Court, asking it to to strike down the Fourth Courts ruling that allowed the mandate to stand.

The district has set a Friday deadline for its employees to get vaccinated or face disciplinary action, including firing.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued the school district and its former superintendent, Pedro Martinez, on Sept. 9, saying the mandate violated an emergency order by Gov. Greg Abbott, and Paxton sought an order that would stop the mandate.

That suit was filed more than two weeks after Abbott expanded his ban on such mandates to include vaccines that had received final approval by the Food and Drug Administration.

The initial order issued in July applied only to vaccines that did not have final FDA approval. Such vaccines had been administered since the beginning of the year under emergency FDA approval.

Attorneys on both sides have sparred over the governors authority to set local rules, with the state claiming the district has gone rogue and has exceeded its authority. The state also has argued that Abbotts power during disasters is absolute and is the status quo, and it cited Texas laws and court precedents as evidence.

Jay Janner /Austin American-Statesman /TNS

The petition states that since March 13, 2020, when Abbott issued the disaster declaration certifying that COVID-19 posed a statewide threat to Texans, he has overseen the states response to the pandemic through an array of difficult, pressing and complex issues. It states that as commander in chief of the states response, his executive orders have the force and effect of the law.

Lawyers for the school district have argued that the governor overreached in his application of the Texas Disaster Act and that the state has not shown imminent harm nor the likelihood it would prevail in court as reasons that the state did not win an injunction.

In the states petition, it argues that without temporary relief, SAISD will require its employees to be vaccinated by Friday or lose their employment with the district.

The states underlying appeal will almost certainly still be pending on that date, which means that the state is unlikely to obtain temporary or permanent injunctive relief before the vaccination mandate has taken effect, the petition states.

The state argues that temporary relief will protect the courts jurisdiction while maintaining the status quo.

This court confirmed only a month ago that the status quo remains gubernatorial oversight of the states response to the COVID-19 pandemic at both the state and local levels. The status quo should remain in place while litigation over (Abbotts executive order) GA-39 works its way through the courts of appeals.

The suit claims temporary relief is needed to protect the states rights and that the school districts actions exceeded its legal authority. Such conduct, it argues, irreparably harms the state as a matter of law.

And it argues that the Disaster Act gives the governor broad authority to manage the statewide response to the pandemic and that the districts vaccination mandate is unenforceable because it conflicts with the governors executive orders.

In the districts response, filed late Monday, lawyers argue that the status quo would not be preserved by a stay order but would alter it entirely.

The state of Texas has publicly recognized (at least prior to this litigation) the authority of the local school boards to decide how to open their schools and keep them safe, the petition states, adding that the Legislature and the Texas Constitution confirm that the status quo over issues relating to schools resides with local school board authority.

In a Sept. 30 news conference, SAISD Board President Christina Martinez said the district believes, based on anecdotal information, that about 90 percent of its staff is fully vaccinated.

Martinez said officials wont have an actual vaccination count until Oct. 15, the deadline for employees to submit proof. But even then, the process for disciplining employees who decline to be vaccinated without an exception will be made on a case-by-case basis.

As we approach that date, we will be making very conscious decision about how we work with our staff, Martinez said. We dont want to cause any more harm at this time. We know that children are relying on the adults that show up every single day in those buildings. So, we are working with every single person one-on-one to find a way meet all the needs of both the staff and the students.

Staff writer Danya Perez contributed to this report.

ezavala@express-news.net | Twitter: @elizabeth2863
John Davenport /San Antonio Express-News

The University of the Incarnate Word received a $2.9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to start a new mentorship program, the university announced Monday.

The mentorship program will focus on financial literacy, integrated guidance and health career tracts for Hispanic students who may be at risk of not graduating. Fifty-two percent of the universitys students are Hispanic.
Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar has hired a consultant, Belton-based Detain Inc., to propose best practices for the jail, but he has already drawn some blowback.

In an impromptu virtual news conference Tuesday, Salazar announced his hopes to have recommendations in the next couple of months for improving operations at the jail through a contract that will be paid with seized asset forfeiture funds.

Bill Bryan, president of Detain Inc., with assistance from another corrections consultant, Shane Poole, will study the jail and provide a true, honest-to-goodness picture of what more we can be doing in the jail setting, Salazar told reporters.

Hes going to be giving us a good top-to-bottom assessment of our jail operations and how can we be doing things better, the sheriff said.

On ExpressNews.com: Sheriff seeks more bodies in blue or fewer in orange at jail

But Commissioner Trish DeBerry said she opposes the sheriffs plan and has asked that Keith Neely, a correctional consultant from Florida, be retained. DeBerry said she and other commissioners have worked for several weeks with the sheriff to find an outside consultant that everyone agrees would provide the best service.

We have had a very rigorous process, trying to identify a very highly regarded jail consultant to help the sheriff bring about positive change at the jail, DeBerry said. So to hear that he has suddenly hired a jail consultant who we really know nothing about when we have had an exhaustive process, and were about to bring a consultant to court, is somewhat shocking and disappointing.

Marvin Pfeiffer, Staff photographer

Salazars announcement also drew fire from the Deputy Sheriffs Association of Bexar County, which has been negotiating with the county for 16 months on a collective bargaining agreement. Jeremy Payne, president of the union, said the move is like a school kid grading his own paper.

This is a way for the sheriff to avoid full accountability, Payne said in a statement. Although the sheriff hiring his own consultant is not the answer, we did ask (county commissioners) back in January to hire a truly independent consultant to address the retention, overtime and staffing issues, which could have prevented a recent situation in which an inmate was unjustly forced to stay in jail for 5 months longer than sentenced.

The jail was found out of compliance with state standards in 2019 and has struggled with overtime costs and a population near its capacity of over 4,000 inmates. As overtime costs last year were running at a pace to end fiscal 2021 at about $13 million, roughly $5 million over budget, DeBerry and Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff asked Salazar to consider hiring a consultant to lower those costs while improving morale and addressing staff retention issues.

The sheriff told reporters the facility continues to be plagued with a high number of state inmates awaiting transfer to prisons and delays in the parole process and court jury proceedings  factors that are driving that jail population up higher than whats comfortable for everybody.

The consultants will work with the sheriffs three-person jail administration team: Assistant Chief Joel Janssen, Deputy Chief Jaime Rios and Deputy Chief Jennifer Shumake, a former inspector with the Texas Commission on Jail Standards hired earlier this year.

Although Shumake is an expert at what she does, Salazar said he needed a consultant to give his command staff additional guidance on best practices.

Between the three of them, they bring a whole lot of experience with regard to jail administration. However, we wanted to make sure that we were doing everything possible, Salazar said.

Shumake told commissioners in July that the local jail experiences issues within large jails across the state, including crowding and staff overtime.

I have been part of those inspections of every large jail in the state of Texas, to include the small ones as well. This is an issue in every large jail, she said.

It is something that I knew was going to be an issue as soon as I got here  staffing and retention. And it has slapped me in the face. It is a big deal here, Shumake said.

When asked about an inmate claiming to have been kept in the jail inadvertently for five months, the sheriff said he could not say much about the case, which is in litigation. But he believes the jail has made some mistakes using an outdated paper system and may need computer system upgrades.

On ExpressNews.com: Commissioners reluctantly approve jail overtime costs

I dont want to leave it to where one employee has a bad day and misses a piece of paper, and then all of a sudden, someones incarcerated for five months. I dont want us to get to that point, he said. We need redundant systems. And again, if it comes down to having to manually scrub a list every day, then thats whats going to have to happen to prevent issues like this.

The Democratic sheriff and DeBerry, the only Republican member of the Commissioners Court, have clashed in the past on the jail, as well as Salazars request in the spring for a boat to be purchased with private foundation funds. DeBerry questioned the need for a boat when constables, fire departments and other agencies have boats or jet skis. Commissioners asked the sheriff to later return with details about its staffing, maintenance, storage and other details.

The sheriff told reporters he still intends to return to commissioners at some point to present a plan to purchase a patrol boat without using taxpayer funds.

Weve established time and time again that its a necessary piece of equipment, he said. Were one of the few sheriffs offices in this area and definitely one of the few sheriffs offices of this size that does not have that capability for marine patrol.

shuddleston@express-news.net
The San Antonio City Councils Governance Committee has nominated a current Port San Antonio board member to fill the open seat on the San Antonio Water Systems board  nearly four months after the position was vacated.

Marilu Reyna, if confirmed by the City Council, would represent SAWS southeast quadrant, replacing Leticia Ozuna, who left after being elected to the San Antonio Independent School Districts board.

The Governance Committee, consisting of Mayor Ron Nirenberg and other City Council members, interviewed Reyna on Monday after having interviewed five other candidates last month. Following those interviews, the committee extended the application process and received two additional applicants, including Reyna. The council is expected to vote on Reynas nomination at its meeting on Oct. 21.

Im very, very involved in my community, and this is very important to me because I feel like its part of being a good citizen and giving back and representing your community, Reyna said. I know Ill be answering to a lot of stakeholders that feel like the city of San Antonio and their water is important.

On ExpressNews.com: SAWS plans no rate hike for water, but 10 percent increase proposed for chilled water customers

Reyna grew up in District 3 in the southeast quadrant of San Antonio. She attended schools in the San Antonio Independent School District and received a graduate and undergraduate degree from St. Marys University. She is executive vice president for communications and public relations for BCFS  a global health and human services nonprofit  and has been a board member representing District 3 for Port San Antonio since 2020.

The latter was a concern for some on the Governance Committee since simultaneous memberships on the boards of Port San Antonio and SAWS could be a conflict of interest, given that Port San Antonio and its tenants are SAWS customers. During questions, Councilwoman Adriana Rocha Garcia, who represents District 4 covering parts of the South and Southwest sides, mentioned that attorneys at Port SA might consider it an issue, while the citys attorneys didnt.

Reyna said she spoke with Port SA board Chairwoman Chris Alderette and the City Council member who appointed Reyna to that board. She said they hope to keep her on, at least until Port SA launches its innovation center next spring.

I hope I can serve both boards at the best capacity, Reyna said.

Reyna also talked about her interest in the diversification of San Antonios water supply, as well as taking action regarding the frozen pipes experienced during the 2020 winter storm. Regarding a future water rate increase for residents, she said she would consider one if its needed.

She also acknowledged the possible need for a rate advisory committee, saying such a group could bring additional information to the board.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article incorrectly identified which City Council district Councilwoman Adriana Rocha Garcia represents. She represents District 4.

Elena Bruess writes for the Express-News through Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms. ReportforAmerica.org. elena.bruess@express-news.net
A man believed to have led law enforcement on a chase that went from San Antonio almost to Seguin and back again shot and killed himself Monday night after he was knocked off the road, according to the San Antonio Police Department.

The pursuit started about 10 p.m. Monday in San Antonio after officers attempted to stop a vehicle, according to a police news release. The driver did not stop before he left city limits via Interstate 10.

He drove toward the city of Seguin, and the Guadalupe County Sheriffs Office attempted to stop him, San Antonio police said in the release. He turned around near Seguin and was pursued by the Sheriffs Office back toward Bexar County. The Bexar County Sheriffs Office tried unsuccessfully to stop him with spike strips.

Once he returned to San Antonio, he was pursued by two street crime units from the San Antonio Police Department. A police helicopter provided air support.

Police said he exited south onto Interstate 35 from I-10 and took the division exit. An officer attempted a precision immobilization technique, or PIT, maneuver  pulling alongside the rear flank of a fleeing vehicle and colliding with it to force it stop. The chase then ended as the vehicle came to a stop in a yard on the 200 block of Sims Street, police said.

The suspect failed to comply with commands to exit the vehicle, police said. The dark tint on the back windshield and the activated side airbags prevented officers from seeing inside the vehicle, they said.

When officers opened the door to the vehicle, he was found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, police said. Officers did not discharge their weapons, according to police.

Before the vehicle had left the city, a passenger, 27-year-old Benjamin Alvino Perez, exited and was taken into custody, police said. They found a handgun on the passenger.

The driver was pronounced dead at the scene.

Editors Note: An earlier version of this story misidentified the driver and passenger.

Timothy.Fanning@express-news.net
Texas cities along the Gulf Coast join about 50 major cities around the world that are under threat of submerging underwater in the future if temperatures continues to rise, according to new research by scientists at Climate Central, which bills itself as an independent organization of scientists and journalists focused on climate change.

The findings were published last week, but a collection of photos and graphics by Climate Central released Tuesday show how about 180 sites like the Santa Monica Pier in California and the Sydney Opera House in Australia may face flooding in the next century if humans and government organizations dont cut carbon pollution soon.

On ExpressNews.com: Cold front in S.A., storms likely amid Tropical Storm Pamela

Rising sea levels are caused by the world getting hotter, the report says. Temperatures around the world are continuing to increase due to the large and increasing number of pollutants in the atmosphere, which is then causing more ice to melt from glaciers, and hotter oceans that are set to expand, it explains.

In August, the global surface temperature was at 0.90 degrees Celsius, according to the National Centers for Environmental Information. The Climate Central report includes interactive visuals allowing readers to adjust the global warming temperature from 1.1 degrees Celsius to 4 degrees Celsius to see the sea level rise at each site. At about 3 degrees, millions of people would be displaced from their homes with their entire cities underwater, the study shows.

The parking lots surrounding Space Center Houston would be engulfed in water at just 1.5 degrees Celsius, based on existing and past carbon pollution. But if humans continue on the same carbon path, the water level will block entrances to the museum and flood the entire area, according to the visual.

Visualizations of other Texas cities like Beaumont and La Porte are also listed in the study, which shows them under threat in the future. Readers can adjust the arrows and global warming temperature to see just how each area is affected. Today, the San Jacinto Museum of History is located on dry land; but in the future, its projected to have some water on land near the building due to past pollutants at 1.1 degrees Celsius.

Benjamin Strauss, chief scientist at Climate Central and the lead author of the research, said it would be hard to imagine coastal cities surviving the rising sea levels if there is no intervention to address global warming soon. He said they didnt take into account coastal defenses that may be built in the future and could help stop the rising sea levels from affecting some cities.

The best solution to global warming is for individuals, corporations and governments to take quick action to decrease pollution on land and in the atmosphere, Strauss said.

Climate change is our easiest big problem and we know exactly what to do to address it, he said. To solve this, for example, we need a system when you turn on your light switch or the heat. Clean energy powers those things.

Houstons Magnolia Park also was featured in the report to show that hundreds of homes would be submerged at global temperatures of 4 degrees Celsius if humans dont make changes soon.

Strauss said they chose to add visuals of major cities to accompany the research in order to help people understand the consequences of their choices.

People are very visual, and I think big numbers can be really hard to wrap around, Strauss said. We made these visuals  so they can get a visceral sense.

Malak.Silmi@express-news.net
Not all the victims of the Sutherland Springs shooting were in the church that day.

Those who rushed to the scene and had to endure hours of not knowing their loved ones fates suffered invisible wounds that have yet to heal.

It was these survivors who shared their stories Tuesday, the sixth day of a federal trial in San Antonio to determine what damages the Air Force must pay to victims and their loved ones.

The daughter of one of the mass shooting victims learned of the shooting while at a company picnic at Six Flags Fiesta Texas. The daughter of two other victims said she didnt accompany her parents to church; she found out on Facebook.

Both said they hurried to the chaotic scene only to find themselves in limbo, along with other families, waiting to learn whether theyd ever see their kin again.

With many of the plaintiffs seeking damages for emotional suffering, the trials outcome will owe in part to the anguish that victims loved ones  like Regina Reyes and Deanna Staton  suffered Nov. 5, 2017, and every day since.

Lisa Krantz, Staff Photographer / San Antonio Express-News

Lawsuits filed by victims and survivors say that had the Air Force not failed to report to an FBI database the domestic violence conviction of the airman who would go on to kill 26 people and wound 22 others, he might not have been able to legally buy the assault-style rifle he used.

Regina Reyes

Reyes said she learned from a family acquaintance that there had been a shooting at First Baptist Church, where her father, Richard Rodriguez, attended Sunday service.

All I heard is, A shooter went into your dads church, Reyes said. I know what I heard, I just didnt want to believe it.

She and her then-boyfriend raced toward Sutherland Springs. She frantically dialed her fathers number. He didnt pick up.

When they reached the church, it was off-limits, and Reyes could not get immediate answers. She was told to go to another building, with other distraught families.

There she waited. And waited.

After several hours, in the middle of the night, she finally got word.

The Texas Rangers called. Her father was dead.

Shed learn later that her stepmother, Therese Rodriguez, was dead, too, along with 24 others.

Reyes said she had lost her mother several years earlier to heart problems. Losing her father made the void bigger, and she has had to undergo counseling.

He was my last parent, Reyes said through tears. Why him? He was my last parent. I just wanted him for a little bit longer.

Deanna Staton

Staton said she normally went to church with her parents, Dennis Johnson Sr., 77, and Sara Johnson, 68, who had been married 44 years. But Staton said she had a migraine the night before that continued into the morning of the shooting.

After getting up, Staton said she was scrolling through Facebook when she saw a news report of the shooting. She saw her parents van in the report, parked in front of First Baptist.

Staton made a bee line for the church. Outside, she found survivors. One said everyone who was still in the church was dead. Another told Staton her parents were not inside.

Staton said she and her family, like others, were sent to the Sutherland Springs community center. But when they got there, the door was locked.

We were just terrified and I remember this feeling of panic and not knowing anything, Staton said. It was like being in the dark and ... you couldnt go anywhere; you didnt know anything.

When the center opened, they were given armbands and directed to another church. It would be more than 13 hours before their worst fears were confirmed, Staton said.

As they testified Tuesday, Staton and Reyes shared memories of their parents, recalling being walked down the aisle on their wedding days.

They spoke of how hard it has been to move on.

The trial is expected to last through Friday.

guillermo.contreras@express-news.net | Twitter: @gmaninfedland
One month after Texas expanded its medical marijuana program, people living with cancer or PTSD are having to wait longer for their medication due mostly to regulatory restrictions put in place by state lawmakers. And in El Paso, many patients are having difficulty getting their medication at all.

There are 10,968 Texans registered with the state to use medical marijuana, and there are just two licensed companies handling prescriptions.

These companies arent allowed to open retail or dispensing sites. And theyre prohibited from storing inventory outside their facilities in Central Texas, making it difficult to deliver medicine to patients hundreds of miles away. At the same time, these dispensaries are required by law to provide reasonable statewide access.

On ExpressNews.com: How to navigate Texas medical marijuana laws

These and other factors are contributing to wait times nearly quadrupling what they were when the new law went into effect Sept. 1. The expense of these deliveries may soon lead to higher costs for patients who largely pay out of pocket for their doctors visits and medications, industry experts said.

We are at an inflection point, said Morris Denton, CEO of Texas Original Compassionate Cultivation. Patient populations are increasing and we need to take a hard look at the rules.

Production at Compassionate Cultivation has ramped up and the company has purchased equipment that could increase the production of gummies by a factor of 10 to 15. Denton said the companys ability to meet the needs of the increased volume of patients wont be an issue for much longer.

However, the requirement for us to deliver to each of our patients and to keep inventory exclusively in Austin is our biggest issue.

Texas created its Compassionate Use Program in 2015, and it has been a struggle for businesses to be profitable because of high licensing fees and strict rules for transporting and storing inventory, according to the Texas Tribune.

Its been six years, and were finally seeing a program where theyre able to actually start doing business, said Heather Fazio, the director of the advocacy group Texans for Responsible Marijuana Policy. But I know thats a part of the process and is the growing pains of actually getting up and running in Texas.

On ExpressNews.com: Texas cannabis industry poised for growth

Since last summer, Texas has seen an uptick in patients registered through its Compassionate Use Program. Industry leaders say the increase is largely due to an influx of out-of-state physicians who either have more experience with medical cannabis in other markets than their Texas counterparts or are more comfortable prescribing the medication.

In El Paso, residents have complained about access to medical marijuana. Part of the issue is that El Paso had only one licensed prescriber, KFOX 14 reported. Out-of-state physicians are helping to fill the shortage.

Another issue is that goodblend, which is moving its headquarters from Austin to San Marcos, doesnt deliver as far as El Paso.

If my prescription runs out and Im a veteran in El Paso or way up in East Texas, I have to wait a long time, said David Bass, founder of advocacy group Texas Veterans for Medical Marijuana.

Bass is a 64-year-old Desert Storm veteran who has been diagnosed with PTSD. After 25 years in the military, he was prescribed several medications to ease his hypervigilance. It wasnt until he tried marijuana that he saw improvements.

He had used it illegally since 2012 before he picked up his first medical marijuana prescription in Austin in the beginning of September.

On ExpressNews.com: Company launches Texas 1st medical cannabis gummies

Bass said he has heard from countless veterans over the last month who were just like him.

Theyre saying its a big burden off their shoulders to be legal patients and not be worried about getting arrested, Bass said.

The largest issue going forward for patients will be the cost of medical cannabis, Bass said. For one thing, Veterans Affairs wont pay for doctor visits or prescriptions. Most insurance companies wont pay, either, so these costs are all out of pocket.

Bass said his physician charged $220 for the first appointment, then $110 for follow-up appointments. His 10-milligram gummies will run him $100.

Veterans are enrolling in the states program and comparing prices there with the cost of buying it illegally, Bass said.

Some are saying they will stay in the illicit market, he said. They will take that risk because its cheaper for them. Thats not good.

Another issue is Texans are bringing it back illegally from New Mexico and Colorado, where recreational dispensaries offer affordable prices, Bass said.

Texas is now surrounded by states that have better access to medical marijuana, Bass said. So Texans will likely just leave the state like they do to gamble at casinos in Oklahoma.

Timothy.Fanning@express-news.net
TRACKER: San Antonio road closures and flood map

Update: 4 p.m. Friday

The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood warning for San Antonio, Leon Valley and Helotes until 7 p.m.

In a tweet, the NWS said heavy rain is falling in saturated areas, which can lead to flooding. It is urging residents to avoid flood-prone areas.

"This is a dangerous and life-threatening situation," a weather alert said. "Do not attempt to travel unless you are fleeing an area subject to flooding or under an evacuation order."

Update: 3:45 p.m. Friday

Storms are once again pushing into San Antonio and will bring a quick round of heavy rain, according to the National Weather Service.

Gusty winds are also expected as temperatures are expected to drop substantially as a cold front moves through northwestern Bexar County. Expect breezy northwest winds of 10 to 20 mph, the weather service said.

Update: 9:20 a.m. Thursday

A bridge over the Blanco River on U.S. 80 was closed at 8:15 a.m., according to the San Marcos Police Department.

San Marcos and Hays County emergency personnel continue to evacuate some residents along the river following overnight thunderstorms.

No injuries have been reported and officials have not given a timeframe for the bridge to reopen, according to a SMPD Facebook post.

San Marcos Police Department

In New Braunfels, a trailer park home along the Guadalupe River, Texas 46 and Interstate 35 suffered extensive damage and owners had minutes after hearing the flood sirens to evacuate before the water hit. A number of RVs were completely washed away.

Also in New Braunfels, police Thursday morning closed access to the Comal and Guadalupe rivers because heavy rains have caused swift-moving waters with debris and low clarity.

The reopening of the rivers to recreation wont come before Friday, when officials reassess the water flow, according to a news release.

Now Playing: A car is trapped on Old Seguin Road after after a night of heavy rainfall caused flash floods and road closures throughout Bexar County, Comal County and Guadalupe County. Video: Abigail Im

Update 8:50 a.m. Thursday

The National Weather Service has extended the flash flood warning for New Braunfels, San Marcos and Shertz until 10:45 a.m.

Forecasters say 3 to 7 inches of rainfall were reported for those areas around San Antonio at 8:15 a.m.

The San Antonio River is under a flood warning until 11:55 a.m. Oct. 15, according to NWS. This includes Leon Creek near Interstate 35, Elmendorf and Floresville.

By midday, the rain will move bringing clear skies and temps in the 80s.

Update: 6:40 a.m. Thursday

The National Weather Service reports showers and thunderstorms will continue to push east across parts of South Central Texas this morning with a flash flood warning in effect for New Braunfels, San Marcos, and Schertz until 8:45 a.m.

A flash flood watch continues for San Antonio through 7 p.m. with a 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms throughout the day.

Update: 11:39 p.m. Wednesday | Heavy rain has forced the closure of some roads in San Antonio, according to San Antonio police. SAPD warned drivers to avoid low water crossings.

The National Weather Service said between 2 and 5 inches of rain has fallen across western Comal and northern and western Bexar counties. Additional rainfall amounts up to 2 inches are possible in the warned area. Dangerous flash flooding is taking place, the weather service tweeted.

CPS Energy tweeted crews are responding to reported weather-related outages as strong thunderstorms made its way through the service area.

Update: 9:49 p.m. Wednesday | The National Weather Service in Austin/San Antonio has issued a flash flood warning for Bexar County in and Central Comal County until 1 a.m. At 9:49 p.m., Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing heavy rain across the area.

At 9:25, Dopplar radar indicated heavy rain due to thunderstorms. Minor flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly in the advisory area. Up to 2 inches of rain has already been measured in some areas.

Locations that will experience flash flooding include San Antonio, San Antonio Int Airport, Stinson Municipal Airport, Canyon Lake Dam, Canyon Lake, Leon Valley, Helotes, Fair Oaks Ranch, Alamo Heights, Terrell Hills, Bulverde, Shavano Park, Hollywood Park, Cross Mountain, Lytle, Olmos Park, Somerset, The Dominion, Timberwood Park and Leon Springs.

Update: 8:38 p.m. Wednesday | The National Weather Service said Doppler radar was tracking strong thunderstorms capable of producing a landspout along a line extending from near Henly to near Fischer to near Fair Oaks Ranch.

Movement was east at 30 mph. The weather service warned of minor damage to outdoor objects. Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Wind gusts up to 50 mph with very heavy rainfall and frequent lighting can be expected across central Kendall into western Comal County.

Other locations impacted will include New Braunfels, Schertz, Buda, Selma, Dripping Springs, Wimberley, Tanglewood Forest, Canyon Lake Dam, Canyon Lake, Lakeway, Fair Oaks Ranch, Bee Cave, Bulverde, Garden Ridge, West Lake Hills, Woodcreek, Rollingwood, Bear Creek and Guadalupe River State Park.

Update: 8 a.m. Wednesday | San Antonio and other areas of South Central Texas remain under a flash flood watch through Thursday evening, according to the National Weather Service. Other counties include Bandera, Dimmit, Edwards, Frio, Kerr, Kinney, Maverick, Medina, Real, Uvalde, Val Verde and Zavala. Scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected today, with heavy rain forecast late this afternoon and evening across the Rio Grande, spreading eastward overnight.

Update: 8:30 p.m. Tuesday | The National Weather Service says there is a chance of isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms Tuesday night. There is a 50 percent chance of thunderstorms on Wednesday and a 70 percent chance of heavy rain by Wednesday night. The weather service says there is a 60 percent chance that thunderstorms will continue on Thursday. In addition, the NWS says there is there is a very low chance for a tornado or damaging winds late Wednesday afternoon through Wednesday night, mainly over the west half of our region.

Update: 10:30 a.m. Tuesday | The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood watch for San Antonio beginning 7 a.m. Wednesday through 7 p.m. Thursday. Forecasters say 2 to 5 inches of rainfall are possible with isolated storms producing 5 to 7 inches. This could lead to flash flooding. The heaviest rainfall is expected on Wednesday night into Thursday. However, rainfall can't be ruled out Wednesday early morning. Comal, Medina, Gonzales, Atascosa and Guadalupe counties are all under a flash flood watch. Tonight, there is a low chance for a stronger storm to develop with gusty winds, heavy rain and small hail in San Antonio.

Update: 9:00 a.m. Tuesday | A cold front will move into San Antonio late this week, dropping temperatures into the 50s by the weekend, according to The National Weather Service. Tropical Storm Pamela continues to build strength in the Pacific, off the coast of Mexico, and is likely to become a hurricane that will bring showers to the area. Forecast models vary, however, on projected rainfall amounts. Today's high will be 88 with a low of 72. Increased humidity levels on Tuesday will push the heat index to near 100 with rain still likely, according to the NWS.

The impact of Pamela begins Wednesday with heavy showers forecast through Thursday morning. The cold front will hit San Antonio Friday afternoon. Expect weekend temperatures of highs in the mid-70s and lows in the low 50s.

On ExpressNews.com: Parts of Texas could be in for another cold snap similar to last winter, AccuWeather forecast says
In late August, one of Gov. Greg Abbotts primary challengers, Don Huffines, accused Texas child welfare agency of promoting transgender sexual policies to Texas youth under a section of its website titled Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation.

These are not Texas values, these are not Republican Party values, but these are obviously Greg Abbotts values, Huffines said in a widely circulated video on Twitter. The webpage published by the Department of Family and Protective Services linked to a suicide prevention hotline and other resources dedicated to helping empower and celebrate young LGBTQ people.

Within hours, the webpage was gone.

So was the entire website for the Texas Youth Connection, a division of Family and Protective Services that steers young people to various resources, including education, housing and those on its LGBTQ page as they prepare for life after foster care. It was replaced by a message that states, The Texas Youth Connection website has been temporarily disabled for a comprehensive review of its content. This is being done to ensure that its information, resources, and referrals are current.

Abbott, who appoints the departments commissioner and nine-member council who develop the agencys rules and policies, did not respond to a request for comment.

Patrick Crimmins, the department spokesman, said the review is still ongoing but declined to answer questions seeking more detail about why the website was removed or whether it had anything to do with Huffines.

But Family and Protective Services communications obtained through a public records request show that agency employees discussed removing the Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation page in response to Huffines tweet, shortly before taking it offline.

Thirteen minutes after Huffines video went up, media relations director Marissa Gonzales emailed a link to Crimmins, the agencys communications director, under the subject line Don Huffines video accusing Gov/DFPS of pushing liberal transgender agenda.

FYI. This is starting to blow up on Twitter, Gonzales wrote.

Crimmins then queried Darrell Azar, DFPS web and creative services director, about who oversees the page. Darrell  please note we may need to take that page down, or somehow revise content, he wrote.

Azar said the webpage came from the departments Preparation for Adult Living program, which provides services for older teens  typically those 16 and up  who are placed in foster care by the state.

The program has posted content related to LGBTQ for as long as I can remember, Azar said, but the page condemned by Huffines is only a few years old. He said all content on the Texas Youth Connection website was approved by Debra Emerson, a longtime employee who serves as the agencys director of permanency, family and youth services.

In a statement, Huffines claimed credit for the Texas Youth Connection websites removal.

We arent surprised that state employees who are loyal to Greg Abbott had to scramble after we called their perverse actions out, said Huffines, a Dallas businessman and former state senator. I promised Texans I would get rid of that website and I kept that promise.

Ricardo Martinez, chief executive of the LGBTQ advocacy group Equality Texas, said LGBTQ kids are disproportionately represented in foster care and face truly staggering discrimination and abuse.

He also pointed to a survey by the Trevor Project  the nonprofit that operated the suicide prevention line linked to on the now-deleted website  that found LGBTQ youth who reported ever having been in foster care were almost three times more likely to also report they had attempted suicide within the last year, compared those who didnt spend any time in the foster care system.

The state is responsible for these kids lives, yet it intentionally removed a way for them to find help when they need it the most, Martinez said. This action is unconscionable, and it reminds us that political aspirations are part of every attack on LGBTQ+ kids in Texas, including the fabricated debates and dozens of anti-transgender bills targeting them this year. These precious kids deserve so much better than the way this state is treating them.

The deleted webpage also included links to the Texas chapters of PFLAG, a nationwide LGBTQ organization; a national youth talk line to discuss gender and sexual identity and various other issues; and LGBTQ legal services.

Huffines said the page also linked to a website operated by the Human Rights Campaign, a politically active LGBTQ advocacy group that he called the Planned Parenthood of LGBT issues.

Since launching his campaign in May, Huffines has sought to pressure Abbott from the right, criticizing the governors response to the COVID-19 pandemic and, more recently, the surge in migrant encounters at the states southern border. Abbott has ignored Huffines and his other primary foes  who include former Texas Republican Party Chairman Allen West and conservative commentator and humorist Chad Prather  though Huffines has argued that his campaign is prompting the governor to take more conservative stances on certain issues.

GUBERNATORIAL RACE: Who is challenging Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in 2022?

In June, when Abbott was preparing to call the Legislature back to Austin for a special session, Huffines urged the governor to give lawmakers the green light to again consider a bill banning the use of puberty suppression drugs, hormone therapy, or surgeries and medical procedures used for the purpose of gender transitioning or gender reassignment.

The legislation failed during the spring session, and Abbott declined to add it to the list of topics lawmakers could consider over the summer. But in early August, the governor asked DFPS Commissioner Jaime Masters to determine whether gender reassignment surgery for transgender minors is a form of child abuse. He also called on the agency to investigate parents whose children undergo the procedure if it finds such surgeries constitute abuse.

Masters responded by agreeing with Abbott, classifying the surgeries as child abuse. LGBTQ advocates say the surgery is rarely performed on children.

jasper.scherer@chron.com
In 2015, residents near Mission San Jose fought off a developers plan to build 144 apartments south of the mission  and once again, they are ferociously opposing another proposal at the same site.

James Lifshutz, the developer this time, initially looked to build 10 condominiums on empty lots on Huizar Road, said neighborhood association president Theresa Ybanez. Then he said he wanted to rent them, and later changed his proposal to 46 apartments.

The association resisted. The complex would be too close to Mission San Jose and wouldnt be appropriate development next to a World Heritage site, Ybanez said.

Neighbors are also frustrated with what they see as a lack of concern by the city to protect the missions.

We fear that were going to open a Pandoras box, she said. Its going to affect the intangible, living, historical value of the community.

They were OK with Lifshutzs plans to build apartments on another property he owns near Roosevelt Avenue and Southcross, but not on Huizar. The association prepared to oppose Lifshutzs rezoning request to the city, contacted Councilwoman Phyllis Viagran and organized a protest.

Last week, Lifshutz pulled his rezoning application and pitched a warehouse instead, Ybanez said. Thats still problematic to neighbors.

Its a very uncreative development, she said. Give me a break. Its like he said OK, you didnt want apartments, Im going to put some damn ugly warehouse there and rent it out. It does nothing to the authenticity of the space. Theres nothing to honor the mission architecturally or design-wise.

Lifshutzs developments along the southern portion of the San Antonio River include the Blue Star Arts complex, the Flats at Big Tex apartments with NRP Group and an industrial building on Roosevelt Avenue that he converted to housing. He is also working on plans for a spa facility near the Hot Wells park.

Sam Owens /San Antonio Express-News

The Huizar property was a meat-packing plant for decades but has been vacant for the past 20 years, Lifshutz said in an email. It was a haven for drug use, petty crime and vagrants until he purchased it, demolished the buildings there and removed hazardous soils, he said.

I thought the most appealing use would be low-intensity residential, this being consistent with the city of San Antonios stated priorities, and particularly for blighted infill sites like this one, he said.

Lifshutz, who lives near Mission San Jose, said he loves the mission and supported the process of creating the Mission Protection Overlay, a buffer zone the city created in 2014 to regulate development around the missions.

My plan conforms with those requirements in every respect, he said. In short, all I am trying to do is build high-quality residential in my neighborhood. I did not anticipate the degree of opposition and high emotion from my neighbors. Although I believe my project is the best use for this location, I have postponed the case for now.

Lifshutz said he is not considering a warehouse.

I was just trying to understand what they would NOT oppose, he said.

Councilwoman Viagrans office did not respond to a request for an interview.

Old missions, new interest

Land around the missions has drawn more interest from developers with the missions designation as a World Heritage site and the transformation of an eight-mile River Walk stretch into the Mission Reach.

Securing the World Heritage distinction from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization for places on Earth that are of outstanding universal value to humanity in 2015 was a multi-year effort by the Conservation Society of San Antonio, city, county and other sponsoring groups and government agencies.

Other World Heritage sites include the Taj Mahal, Yellowstone National Park and Machu Picchu in Peru.

Sam Owens /San Antonio Express-News

Officials hoped the designation would bring more tourists to San Antonio. With marketing, the economic impact from the missions could be boosted by as much as 26 percent to $502 million annually by 2025, according to a 2013 report prepared for the county.

To spur development in the area, the city created a tax increment reinvestment zone, which reimburses developers for public infrastructure improvements. A portion of the South Side that includes Mission San Jose also was designated a federal opportunity zone to attract investors looking for tax breaks on capital gains.

Dozens of South Side businesses also had their zoning changed a few years ago, which was supposed to foster more development around the missions.

Some residents are eager to see more South Side investment, particularly if it means adding housing and redeveloping neglected sites. But they also are concerned about projects encroaching on the missions.

Thats sparked a series of clashes over various planned developments, some of which have been thwarted. Others have gone forward, including the redevelopment of the St. Johns Seminary near Mission Concepcion into 228 apartments and amenities.

Some neighbors said the project would revitalize the run-down campus, while others opposed it because of the proximity to the mission and building plans that exceeded height restrictions around the site.

After negotiations and redesigns, the project received approvals from several city panels. Mission DG partnered with the San Antonio Housing Trust on the mixed-income complex, which opened last year.

Mission DG managing partner Victor Miramontes said the group wanted to build in a neighborhood they were familiar with and where there wasnt as much development occurring. And the groups partners  including former Mayor Henry Cisneros  wanted to add affordable housing.

We spent a lot of time talking to people and a lot of them didnt like what we were doing. Some loved it, Miramontes said. The foundation for all this is people, people who live there, and respecting their opinion.

The St. John complex helped spur other activity in the area, including a pilgrimage project the Archdiocese of San Antonio is working on and a new church, Miramontes said. And nearby residents are sprucing up their homes, he added.

Im pretty confident that you can do development around historic sites and blend what needs to be done effectively as long as you respect whats already there, Miramontes said.

Near Mission Espada and Mission San Juan, Austin-based Sabot Development wants to buy about 20 acres on the 9400 block of Southeast Loop 410 and build between 300 and 350 apartments.

The Villa Coronado Neighborhood Association is opposing rezoning and plan amendment requests for the site, on which the purchase is contingent. The association is fine with apartments but wants the property to have a lower density than Sabot is seeking, said president Olga Martinez.

This area right here is too close to the missions, she told the citys Zoning Commission at a recent meeting. It needs to be preserved.

The city of San Antonio is the greatest threat to the missions World Heritage status, along with the speculative developers who seem to get their way more often then not, said Brady Alexander of the Hot Wells Mission Reach neighborhood association, which supports Villa Coronado in opposing the complex.

Based on the portion of the site that can be developed and Sabots planned amenities, such as walking paths, parking and common areas, only denser zoning would work, said David Abrahams, an agent representing Jim Young of Sabot.

Neighbors have also raised concerns about traffic, which prompted the developer to offer to limit access to the complex to residents.

His intent is to build this in a way that is complementary to the historical nature of the surroundings, with the acequia and missions, Abrahams said of Young. He doesnt intend to build something thats out of place in the area.

Edward Lozano, who lives near the property, told zoning commissioners that he spoke to a handful of neighbors who support Sabots plans. He said the property has been used as a dump site, which Martinez disputed, and that the local school district could use the extra tax revenue apartments would generate.

Thats been the stigma of the South Side  that everybody says we dont bring it to the South Side, well take it somewhere else, Lozano said during the meeting. The South Side has grown a lot in the last 30 years and development like this will be positive for the South Side.

With Lifshutzs proposal near Mission San Jose, Ybanez said the neighborhood association plans to meet with him and Councilwoman Viagran. But they still held a protest last weekend to voice their concerns.

We are going to continue to listen. We want to have a dialogue, Ybanez said. Were going to work toward a very different type of development.

madison.iszler@express-news.net


Air Serbia has said the United States remains one of the best performing and most important markets in its network as the airline approaches six years of operations between Belgrade and New York. The carriers General Manager for Commercial and Strategy, Jiri Marek, noted, The United States is of great importance to us. The Belgrade to JFK route is the only nonstop year-round scheduled service to New York from this part of the world, connecting people from Serbia and the whole region with their families, friends and relatives, as well as connecting businesses and bringing tourists to Serbia and the USA. It is one of our strongest routes, which continues to produce positive results despite the pandemic. Air Serbia has said the United States remains one of the best performing and most important markets in its network as the airline approaches six years of operations between Belgrade and New York. The carriers General Manager for Commercial and Strategy, Jiri Marek, noted, The United States is of great importance to us. The Belgrade to JFK route is the only nonstop year-round scheduled service to New York from this part of the world, connecting people from Serbia and the whole region with their families, friends and relatives, as well as connecting businesses and bringing tourists to Serbia and the USA. It is one of our strongest routes, which continues to produce positive results despite the pandemic.





The remarks come as Air Serbia is believed to be considering expanding its long haul operations, with the US, Canada and China being of interest to the carrier. The airline handled 41.320 passengers between Belgrade and New York in 2020, and a further 8.048 during the first quarter of this year. It carried over 320.000 travellers between the two cities during its first five years of operations which was marked in June. Based on OAG data from the pre-pandemic 2019, Chicago is the top unserved route from Belgrade to the United States with some 32.115 indirect travellers. This is followed by Los Angeles, which saw over 14.000 passengers flying between the two cities on other airlines. In 2019, Lufthansa was still the main carrier of choice for indirect travel between the US and Serbia, followed by Air Serbia and Swiss International Air Lines.





Busiest unserved routes between Belgrade and the US in 2019









Busiest airlines between Belgrade and US for indirect travel in 2019





Commenting on its New York operations, the airlines Vice President for Americas, George Petkovic, recently said, We are very satisfied with the achieved results, which are a good indicator that, despite the coronavirus pandemic, the flight to New York is operating well and represents one of the strongest routes in Air Serbias network. The US is a very important market which is made available to Serbia and all of Southeast Europe thanks to us as the only airline in the region with a scheduled nonstop flight over the Atlantic. According to data from the New York airport, we are also at the top of the list in terms of on-time performance, i.e. take-offs up to fifteen minutes from the planned departure time. During the upcoming 2021/2022 winter season, which begins on October 31, Air Serbia plans to run two weekly flights between the two cities, increasing to three per week between December 20 and December 30.








MISSOULA, Mont. - As it stands, Columbus Day remains a legal holiday in Montana, however, one Missoula lawmaker is looking to shine some light on Indigenous Peoples Day.

On Monday, Democratic Senator Shane Morigeau hosted a rally at the Missoula County Courthouse to draw support and attention to Senate Bill 146, which would strike "Columbus Day" and replace it with "Indigenous Peoples Day."

Morigeau wasnt alone in the call to action; People of all ages showed up, including high schooler Alishon Kelly who urged the community to recognize Montanas history.

"Why do we celebrate Columbus? What are we celebrating? What are we talking about when we say Columbus? We need to stop white-washing our history for the sake of a more digestible and pretty version of our reality, Kelly said.

The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Tribal Chairwoman Shelly Fyant also spoke at the event and said they will continue to respect the land, animals and all people, even those who disrespected her people.

"Today, we reach out our hands to begin the long-overdue process of mutual understanding, reconciliation and healing. Not just for today, but for all days moving forward, Fyant said.

Moving forward, Morgieau hopes to unite the people of Montana with the celebration of Indigenous Peoples Day because, he said, someone who exterminated people should not be celebrated.

"We want a day that represents all of us. A day that represents native people. It represents people who came from different countries, and just that rich, diverse, cultural heritage that so many of us have in this state, Morigeau said.

This article has been updated.
An award-winning play exploring the repercussions of the foot-and-mouth disease and its impact on farming communities across rural England will return this autumn for a seventeen venue tour.

Following its award winning sell-out run at the 2019 Edinburgh Festival, Bobby & Amy is a coming-of-age story about friendship and heartache against the backdrop of the foot-and-mouth disease.

When 13-year-old Bobby and Amy meet in the late nineties, hundreds of cows dot across the fields and the sun always shines.

But when foot-and-mouth disease hits farmers and the cows begin to burn, their sleepy Cotswold town faces a catastrophe that will change their home forever.

The play, written and directed by double Fringe First winner Emily Jenkins, returns this autumn for a 17-venue tour across South and East England.

This year marks the 20th year anniversary of the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak. In February 20021, it was first discovered at an Essex abattoir and it quickly spread.

The highly infectious disease plunged the agricultural industry into its worst crisis for decades with over six million cows and sheep killed in an eventually successful attempt to halt the disease.

However, the devastation the outbreak left behind was much more long lasting, with many communities and rural businesses feeling the economic and psychological repercussions for decades after.

Having grown up in the countryside, writer Emily Jenkins has strong memories of the horrors of foot-and-mouth disease  the smell of disinfectant, distant burning, and the bright yellow tape strung across every gate and sty.

But, as well as looking at this catastrophe, Bobby & Amy is also a celebration of British agriculture, small rural communities and their contribution to society.

Emily Jenkins said the story was all about "community, nature, agriculture, and the importance of finding your voice and fighting for what you believe in."

"As a Gloucestershire-raised writer and director, it struck me that nothing in the theatre Id seen was talking about an event that deeply affected the childhood of so many of us.

"Thats why I wrote Bobby & Amy. To talk about what has happened to towns in the area I grew up in and others like it.

"The day the cows started burning, many communities were changed forever," she said.

Bobby & Amy will be performed in 17 venues across South and East England, between 2 November to 27 November.
Molecular Study Finds IRL Green Sea Turtles Biologically Stressed

Habitat quality, disease state, and immune function are intertwined, impacting juvenile green sea turtles.

Juvenile green sea turtles (Chelonian mydas) living in nearshore waters often exhibit tumors that grow on their soft tissues and shells, symptoms of a disease called Green Turtle Fibropapillomatosis. While the disease has been linked to a virus called chelonid alpha-herpesvirus 5, the virus has co-existed within turtle populations for more than 300 million years, although the disease itself has become pandemic only in the last century. The virus can be found in clinically healthy turtles that dont have any tumors, suggesting that expression of the disease is multi-factorial. Evidence from other studies shows that there is a link between environmental pollution and immune suppression in a variety of animals.

Researchers from Florida Atlantic Universitys Charles E. Schmidt College of Science examined immune function in two populations of non-captive green sea turtles, comparing resident turtles from an area of poor water quality with those in a more pristine environment.

Researchers obtained blood samples from 87 green turtles captured and released from the Indian River Lagoon, a heavily polluted estuary with high levels of heavy metals, persistent organic pollutants and excessive nutrients, and the moAdre pristine, man-made Trident Basin, located near Cape Canaveral. They examined two branches of the immune system: the very specific adaptive immunity, which involves the recognition of antigens and the development of memory cells and is most often measured by how actively white blood cells respond to an immune challenge (lymphocyte proliferation); and innate immunity, which acts as an initial defense mechanism against pathogens and in part involves phagocytic white blood cells that gobble up foreign particles.

Results of the study, published in the Journal of Wildlife Diseases, showed that both adaptive and innate immune function were compromised in green sea turtles captured in the Indian River Lagoon, where historical rates of Green Turtle Fibropapillomatosis in that population are greater than 50 percent. Within the Indian River Lagoon, turtles that expressed tumors had less immune competence that those in that habitat without tumors. By comparison, turtles from the Trident Basin are free of Green Turtle Fibropapillomatosis, and both their innate and adaptive branches of immune function exhibited greater immune competence.

Sarah L. Milton, Ph.D., with

a green sea turtle with Green

Turtle Fibropapillomatosis at

Gumbo Limbo Nature Center.

(Photo credit: Rachel Bladow)

Findings from our study suggest that habitat quality, disease state, and immune function are intertwined, forming a positive feedback loop wherein polluted environments impact the immune system and make animals more prone to the expression of Green Turtle Fibropapillomatosis, which in turn further compromises the immune system, said Sarah L. Milton, Ph.D., lead author, chair and professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science and a member of the FAU Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute and the FAU Institute for Human Health and Disease Intervention (I-HEALTH). Reduced immune competence may initially permit disease, and disease status in turn may then further hinder immune-competence. Such a vicious cycle could explain why certain locations have such a high incidence of disease, while other areas have turtles that test positive for chelonid alphaherpesvirus 5 but are clinically healthy.

An earlier study by Milton of stress responses at the molecular level also suggested that green sea turtles in the Indian River Lagoon are physiologically stressed. Whether they had visible tumors or not, levels of cellular stress markers were higher in these animals than in the Trident Basin turtles.

Study co-authors are Patricia Sposato, FAU Department of Biological Sciences and Walkabout Ecological Team, Inc.; Patricia Keating, Ph.D., post-doctoral researcher, FAU Department of Biological Sciences; and Peter L. Lutz, Ph.D., (deceased), FAU Department of Biological Sciences.

The green seas turtles were sampled in 1999 and 2001 and from 2011 to 2013 across all seasons. As part of ongoing tag-recapture studies in the Indian River Lagoon and Trident Basin, this study was conducted under permit from Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (permit No. FWC MTP186, permit No. FWC MTP053) and National Marine Fisheries Service (permit No. NMFS 14506).

A juvenile green sea turtle from the Indian River Lagoon in Florida suffering from Green Turtle Fibropapillomatosis (Photo credit: Patricia Sposato)

-FAU-
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Bhagyashree whos known for her girl next door avatar Suman in Maine Pyaar Kiya recently played Kangana Ranauts mother in Thalaivii and even has a meaty role in Radhe Shyam. Today the actress spoke to Bombay Times and expressed her joy at how her diary is packed. When asked if she would team up with her son Abhimanyu Dassani on the big screen, the actress replied positively but only if the script appeals to both of them. Speaking about the same she said, The script should appeal to both of us and it should be something that he and I should like because of the characters offered to both of us.



The actress further added saying a good script and a good director can make this happen. All I can say is that it is going to happen in the future for sure and both of us will wait for it. Abhimanyu and I will definitely work together, said Bhagyashree.

While moms diary is packed, son Abhimanyu Dassani too is happy with the work coming his way. He will next be seen with Sanya Malhotra in Meenakshi Sundareshwar, streaming soon on OTT.
PHILADELPHIA, PA / ACCESSWIRE / October 11, 2021 / The following Aberdeen Standard Investments U.S. Closed-End Funds announced today that the closed end funds in the chart directly below will pay the distributions indicated on a per share basis on October 29, 2021 to all shareholders of record as of October 22, 2021 (ex-dividend date October 21, 2021).

Ticker Exchange Fund Amount ACP NYSE Aberdeen Income Credit Strategies Fund $ 0.10 AGD NYSE Aberdeen Global Dynamic Dividend Fund $ 0.065 AOD NYSE Aberdeen Total Dynamic Dividend Fund $ 0.0575 ASGI NYSE Aberdeen Standard Global Infrastructure Income Fund $ 0.1083 AWP NYSE Aberdeen Global Premier Properties Fund $ 0.04 FAX NYSE American Aberdeen Asia-Pacific Income Fund, Inc. $ 0.0275 FCO NYSE American Aberdeen Global Income Fund, Inc. $ 0.07

At the end of each calendar year, a Form 1099-DIV will be sent to shareholders, which will state the amount and composition of each fund's distributions and provide information with respect to their appropriate tax treatment for the prior calendar year. You should not draw any conclusions about any of these fund's investment performance from the amount of the distributions.



MANAGED DISTRIBUTION POLICY FUNDS

ANNOUNCE DISTRIBUTION PAYMENT DETAILS

Aberdeen Standard Global Infrastructure Income Fund ("ASGI")

Aberdeen Asia-Pacific Income Fund, Inc. ("FAX")

The above-noted Aberdeen Standard Investments U.S. Closed-End Funds (the "Funds" or individually the "Fund"), today announced that the Funds will pay the distributions noted in the chart above on October 29, 2021, on a per share basis to all shareholders of record as of October 22, 2021 (ex-dividend date October 21, 2021).

Each Fund has adopted a distribution policy to provide investors with a stable distribution out of current income, supplemented by realized capital gains and, to the extent necessary, paid-in capital in reliance on an exemptive order granted by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Under applicable U.S. tax rules, the amount and character of distributable income for each Fund's fiscal year can be finally determined only as of the end of the Fund's fiscal year. However, under Section 19 of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act") and related rules, the Funds may be required to indicate to shareholders the estimated source of certain distributions to shareholders.

The following tables set forth the estimated amounts of the sources of the distributions for purposes of Section 19 of the 1940 Act and the rules adopted thereunder. The tables have been computed based on generally accepted accounting principles. The tables include estimated amounts and percentages for the current distributions to be paid as well as for the cumulative distributions paid relating to fiscal year to date, from the following sources: net investment income; net realized short-term capital gains; net realized long-term capital gains; and return of capital. The estimated compositions of the distributions may vary because the estimated composition may be impacted by future income, expenses and realized gains and losses on securities and currencies.

Each Fund's estimated sources of the current distributions to be paid and for its current fiscal year to date are as follows:

Estimated Amounts of Current Distribution per Share Fund Distribution Amount Net Investment Income Net Realized Short-Term Gains** Net Realized Long-Term Gains Return of Capital ASGI $0.1083 $0.0000 0% - - - - $0.1083 100% FAX $0.0275 $0.0146 53% - - - - $0.0129 47%

Estimated Amounts of Fiscal Year to Date Cumulative Distributions per Share Fund Fiscal Year* to Date Distribution Amount Net Investment Income Net Realized Short-Term Gains** Net Realized Long-Term Gains Return of Capital ASGI $0.1083 $0.0000 0% - - - - $0.1083 100% FAX $0.3300 $0.1749 53% - - - - $0.1551 47%

*ASGI has a 9/30 fiscal year end; FAX has a 10/31 fiscal year end

**includes currency gains

Where the estimated amounts above show a portion of the distribution to be a "Return of Capital," it means that Fund estimates that it has distributed more than its income and capital gains; therefore, a portion of your distribution may be a return of capital. A return of capital may occur for example, when some or all of the money that you invested in a Fund is paid back to you. A return of capital distribution does not necessarily reflect the Fund's investment performance and should not be confused with "yield" or "income."

The amounts and sources of distributions reported in this notice are only estimates and are not being provided for tax reporting purposes. The final determination of the source of all distributions for the current year will only be made after year-end. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for tax reporting purposes will depend upon the Fund's investment experience during the remainder of the fiscal year and may be subject to change based on tax regulations. After the end of each calendar year, a Form 1099-DIV will be sent to shareholders for the prior calendar year that will tell you how to report these distributions for federal income tax purposes.

The following table provides the Funds' total return performance based on net asset value (NAV) over various time periods compared to the Funds' annualized and cumulative distribution rates.

Fund Performance and Distribution Rate Information Fund Average Annual Total Return on NAV for the 5 Year Period Ending 09/30/2021 Current Fiscal Period's Annualized Distribution Rate on NAV Cumulative Total Return on NAV Cumulative Distribution Rate on NAV ASGI 15.87%3 5.84% 22.39% 5.84% FAX 3.21% 7.38% 3.09% 6.77%

1 Return data is net of all Fund expenses and fees and assumes the reinvestment of all distributions reinvested at prices obtained under the Fund's dividend reinvestment plan.

2 Based on the Fund's NAV as of September 30, 2021.

3 The Fund launched within the past 5 years; the performance and distribution rate information presented reflects data from inception (July 29, 2020) through September 30, 2021.

Shareholders should not draw any conclusions about a Fund's investment performance from the amount of the Fund's current distributions or from the terms of the distribution policy (the "Distribution Policy").

While NAV performance may be indicative of the Fund's investment performance, it does not measure the value of a shareholder's investment in the Fund. The value of a shareholder's investment in the Fund is determined by the Fund's market price, which is based on the supply and demand for the Fund's shares in the open market.

Pursuant to an exemptive order granted by the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Funds may distribute any long-term capital gains more frequently than the limits provided in Section 19(b) under the 1940 Act and Rule 19b-1 thereunder. Therefore, distributions paid by the Funds during the year may include net income, short-term capital gains, long-term capital gains and/or a return of capital. Net income dividends and short-term capital gain dividends, while generally taxable at ordinary income rates, may be eligible, to the extent of qualified dividend income earned by the Funds, to be taxed at a lower rate not to exceed the maximum rate applicable to your long-term capital gains. Distributions made in any calendar year in excess of investment company taxable income and net capital gain are treated as taxable ordinary dividends to the extent of undistributed earnings and profits, and then as a return of capital that reduces the adjusted basis in the shares held. To the extent return of capital distributions exceed the adjusted basis in the shares held, capital gain is recognized with a holding period based on the period the shares have been held at the date such amount is received.

The payment of distributions in accordance with the Distribution Policy may result in a decrease in the Fund's net assets. A decrease in the Fund's net assets may cause an increase in the Fund's annual operating expense ratio and a decrease in the Fund's market price per share to the extent the market price correlates closely to the Fund's net asset value per share. The Distribution Policy may also negatively affect the Fund's investment activities to the extent that the Fund is required to hold larger cash positions than it typically would hold or to the extent that the Fund must liquidate securities that it would not have sold, for the purpose of paying the distribution. Each Fund's Board has the right to amend, suspend or terminate the Distribution Policy at any time. The amendment, suspension or termination of the Distribution Policy may affect the Fund's market price per share. Investors should consult their tax advisor regarding federal, state and local tax considerations that may be applicable in their particular circumstances.

Circular 230 disclosure : To ensure compliance with requirements imposed by the U.S. Treasury, we inform you that any U.S. tax advice contained in this communication (including any attachments) is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) promoting, marketing or recommending to another party any transaction or matter addressed herein.

In the United States, abrdn is the marketing name for the following affiliated, registered investment advisers: Aberdeen Standard Investments Inc., Aberdeen Asset Managers Ltd., abrdn Australia Limited, Aberdeen Standard Investments (Asia) Ltd., Aberdeen Capital Management, LLC, Aberdeen Standard Investments ETFs Advisors LLC and Aberdeen Standard Alternative Funds Limited.

Closed-end funds are traded on the secondary market through one of the stock exchanges. A Fund's investment return and principal value will fluctuate so that an investor's shares may be worth more or less than the original cost. Shares of closed-end funds may trade above (a premium) or below (a discount) the net asset value (NAV) of the fund's portfolio. There is no assurance that a Fund will achieve its investment objective. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

If you If you wish to receive this information electronically, please contact Investor.Relations@abrdn.com

https://www.abrdn.com/en-us/cefinvestorcenter/fund-centre/closed-end-funds

For More Information, Contact:

Aberdeen Standard Investments Inc.

Investor Relations

1-800-522-5465

Investor.Relations@abrdn.com

SOURCE: Aberdeen Standard Investments Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/667633/Aberdeen-Standard-Investments-US-Closed-End-Funds-Announce-Distribution-Payment-Details
Lima, Peru--(Newsfile Corp. - October 11, 2021) - Kumara Farms, a natural medicine company with operations in Peru and Colombia, will be participating in the Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference, which will take place on October 14 and October 15 at the Marriott Marquis hotel in New York City.

Virtual access to the conference for those unable to attend in person is also available.

Andres Vazquez, President will be speaking at 04:05 PM ET on October 15th. Interested parties can register to attend here.

Members of the Kumara Farms management will also be holding one-on-one investor meetings throughout the day.

"Why head out West when you can attend the biggest cannabis event to hit the East Coast? The Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference in New York City will bring more than 1,000 of the top movers and shakers in the cannabis industry to your backyard," said Chief Zinger Jason Raznick. "We've kept the pedal to the metal during COVID-19 and continue to be very excited to shine the spotlight on the cannabis industry. This conference will be the best place to raise money, create partnerships, and expand media visibility for all involved."

To register and access please follow this link.

About Kumara Farms

Kumara Farms is a highly innovative impact company, bringing differentiated botanical products to the health, wellness and medical markets, based on medicinal plants traditionally used by ancient civilizations.

About The Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference

The premier gathering of cannabis entrepreneurs and investors in North America is returning in a hybrid format (NYC + Virtual).

The next iteration of the famed Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference will gather industry insiders and investors from around the world once again on October 14 and 15 in New York City. Attendees can expect a two full days of keynotes, panel discussions, fireside chats, networking, company presentations, celebrity appearances, and more.

The Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference is guaranteed to offer participants all the benefits of an immersive and robust in-person conference from any remote location. The conference will feature an interactive forum of live and on-demand presentations from top CEOs, investors and leaders in the cannabis space.

For further information:

Andres Vazquez

(51)949410174

avazquez@kumarafarms.com
Havieron PFS Stage 1 estimated IRR of 16% with a 4 year payback period 1 , 2 , 3 , 4

Estimated average gold production of 160kozpa @ AISC of US$743/oz over initial 9 year mine life from a ~2Mtpa operation 1 , 2 , 3

Capital efficient, low intensity development utilising existing Telfer processing infrastructure

PFS based on Ore Reserves of 14Mt and does not consider 37Mt of Inferred Mineral Resource

The Study identified that including additional Mineral Resources could allow for a ~3Mtpa operation

The Feasibility Study underway will also assess production rates of 3Mtpa and beyond

Significant exploration upside, with recent drilling showing the deposit open laterally and at depth

Completion of PFS triggers Newcrest's entitlement to an additional 10% interest in Havieron

Feasibility Study expected to be completed in the December 2022 Quarter5

Melbourne, Australia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 11, 2021) - Newcrest Mining Limited (ASX: NCM) (TSX: NCM) (PNGX: NCM) is pleased to announce that the Havieron Pre-Feasibility Study Stage 1 (the Study) has been completed and the Newcrest Board has approved the progression of the Study to the Feasibility Stage.

The Havieron Project (the Project) is located 45km east of Newcrest's existing Telfer operation and is a high grade, low capital intensity project with significant expansion potential. Newcrest has adopted a staged approach to the evaluation and development of Havieron aiming to deliver early production and cash flows from the project while work continues to define potential resource additions and assess growth targets. The benefit of existing processing capacity at Telfer and ongoing definitional drilling highlights the clear potential for a larger scale operation that will be further assessed during the Feasibility Stage.

Newcrest Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Sandeep Biswas, said "It is an incredible achievement that, within two years of starting the Havieron drilling program, we have been able to deliver this significant project milestone and demonstrate financial returns that comfortably exceed our hurdle rate, even in this first stage. The Pre-Feasibility Study underpins an initial Ore Reserve estimate for the upper section of the South East Crescent Zone which increases our confidence in achieving first production in FY24 and triggers our entitlement to a cumulative 70% Joint Venture interest."

"We believe that this is just the first stage of a bright and profitable future for Havieron. Our extensive drilling program continues to assess the extent of the South East Crescent Zone and further test the Northern and Eastern Breccia for mineralisation which may be suitable for bulk mining methods. We have recently delivered several new and exciting high grade intercepts which extend the high grade mineralisation beneath the initial Mineral Resource estimate and highlights the potential for further resource growth".

"Notably, the Study assumes that Havieron is the sole ore feed for the Telfer plant and does not assume any potential upside from the extension of Telfer's mine life beyond FY24. We continue to assess the potential for further open pit and underground opportunities at Telfer to extend its life and supplement production from Havieron in FY24 and beyond" said Mr Biswas.

Summary of Study Findings (in 100% terms)1,2,3

Initial Ore Reserve estimate: 14Mt @ 3.7 g/t Au and 0.54% Cu for 1.6Moz Au and 73kt Cu 6

Low-cost production in a Tier 1 jurisdiction, with further upside Life of Mine (LOM) average annual gold production of 160koz and copper production of 6.9kt PFS based on Ore Reserves of 14Mt and does not consider 37Mt of Inferred Mineral Resource LOM average All-In Sustaining Cost (AISC) of A$990/oz (US$743/oz)

Attractive investment opportunity Estimated total capital expenditure of A$529 million (US$397 million) 7 , 8 Internal Rate of Return (IRR) of 16% (real, after tax) Payback of 4 years from first commercial production 4 Net Present Value (NPV) of A$304 million (US$228 million) 9

Uses Newcrest's existing milling and support infrastructure at Telfer to process and treat Havieron ore Demonstrates the value that this strategic infrastructure can provide to the Project The Study assumes that Havieron is the sole ore feed for the Telfer plant and does not assume any potential upside from the extension of Telfer's mine life beyond FY24 Newcrest is assessing the potential for further open pit and underground opportunities at Telfer to extend its life and supplement production from Havieron in FY24 and beyond

Growth optionality Potential to expand the Project and increase the mining rate to 3Mtpa or more through the inclusion of areas of the Inferred Mineral Resource that are currently subject to an infill drilling program Potential to lower mining costs by considering alternative, higher production rate, mining methods Ongoing growth drilling continues to show potential for resource additions outside of the existing Inferred Mineral Resource boundaries



The Havieron Project is located on the traditional lands of the Martu people who hold exclusive possession native title rights to 130,000km2 of country in the Western Desert. The Indigenous Land Use Agreement with Western Desert Land Aboriginal Corporation, centred on the Telfer mine, extends to the Havieron project.

The Project is operated by Newcrest under a Joint Venture Agreement with Greatland Gold plc (Greatland Gold). Completion of this Pre-Feasibility Study triggers Newcrest's entitlement to an additional 10% interest in the Joint Venture for a cumulative 70% Joint Venture interest. Newcrest has an option to acquire an additional 5% Joint Venture interest for fair market value, exercisable during the 12 months from 12 December 2021.

The Havieron Feasibility Study is expected to be completed in the December 2022 Quarter5.

Table of Key Study Findings (100% terms)1,2,3,[10]

Area Measure Unit Study Outcomes Production Ore milled / milling rate (max) Mtpa 2.1 LOM Years 9 Ore mined (LOM) Mt 14 Average gold grade (LOM) g/t 3.72 Average copper grade (LOM) % 0.54 Gold produced (LOM) koz 1,432 Copper produced (LOM) kt 62 Average annual gold production (LOM) koz 160 Average annual copper production (LOM) kt 6.9 Capital Project capital7,8 A$m (real) 529 Operating Total operating cost (LOM)[11] A$/t (real) 112 AISC (LOM) A$/oz sold 990 Economic assumptions Gold price US$/oz 1,500 Copper price US$/lb 3.30 AUD:USD exchange rate

0.75 Financials NPV9 A$m (real) 304

IRR % (real) 16

Payback period4 Years 4

Free cash flow generation (LOM) (post tax) A$m (real) 531

Key milestones5

Milestone Activity Estimated Date Gate Feasibility Study to Execution Q2 FY23 First Ore 1H FY24 First Production of Gold/Copper 2H FY24

Potential Exploration Upside

The Study considers only the Indicated Mineral Resource, which is a small portion of the existing resource inventory and excludes Inferred Mineral Resources. The Havieron Project has significant additional growth potential, including:

Mineralisation open at depth and along strike: Extension of the SE Crescent Zone below the current Mineral Resource, where increasing grade and thickness of mineralisation has been observed in recent drilling

Expansion of multiple higher-grade targets within the main Havieron NW corridor, including the Northern Breccia and NW Pod

Potential for additional NW trending corridors including the Eastern Breccia; and

Potential to discover additional mineralisation centres (at Havieron North, Zipa and Meco).

In addition to the active testing of the above higher-grade targets, drilling continues in the northern and eastern breccia corridors to assess the bulk mining potential.

Havieron Feasibility Study5

The Havieron Feasibility Study is expected to be completed in the December 2022 Quarter and the study scope is expected to include:

Completion of a further infill drilling program by end of CY21 to increase the Indicated Mineral Resource base for potential Ore Reserve expansion

Completion of the growth drill program immediately below the Crescent Zone for potential Mineral Resource expansion

Further investigation and optimisation of the Sub-Level Open Stoping (SLOS) design and sequence to include additional Inferred Mineral Resources that are currently being drilled with the aim of increasing resource confidence that Indicated Mineral Resources can support production rates of 3Mtpa or higher

Initial assessment of future development options with further resource growth in the Northern and Eastern Breccia including evaluation of alternative, lower cost, mining methods.

Project Details

The Havieron Project is centred on a deep magnetic anomaly 45km east of Telfer in the Paterson Province on the traditional lands of the Martu people. The target is overlain by approximately 420m of post mineralisation Permian cover. Newcrest commenced drilling during mid-2019 and has progressively increased its drilling activities with up to eight drill rigs now in operation.

The Martu people and the Western Desert Land Aboriginal Corporation (WDLAC) are key project stakeholders. The Martu hold exclusive possession native title rights and interests over more than 130,000 km2 of land, including to all points around the Telfer mine and Havieron Project. The Indigenous Land Use Agreement (ILUA) with WDLAC, centred on the Telfer mine, extends to the Havieron project.

The Project has received the necessary regulatory approvals for the construction of a box cut, exploration decline and associated surface infrastructure, with these works formally commencing in January 2021. The Study has assessed the next stage of the Project which comprises the underground and surface development to establish the initial mining area at Havieron and ore processing modifications at Telfer.





Figure 1. Location of the Havieron Project, approximately 45km east of Telfer, Western Australia.

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Mineralisation of gold and copper in the current Resource Model are within the South East (SE) Crescent and the Breccia zones. High grade gold mineralisation is associated with a massive sulphide zone termed the Crescent Zone which occurs on the margin of the Breccia zones. The Crescent Zone is characterised by a series of massive to

semi-massive sulphide replacement units that have a subvertical dip and are best developed on the SE of the system forming as arcuate, crescent like geometry. The Breccias are still being defined through exploration drilling and

early-stage evaluations will be completed to test the potential to develop additional mining fronts and utilise bulk mining methods.

The SE Crescent Zone is 5-40m wide, extending 550m in length in unfolded section from the basement contact and defined over 900m vertically, tapering to ~300m in length and open at that depth. The SE Crescent Zone has been the focus of drilling and has been infilled to a nominal drill spacing of 50-100m laterally (with at least part being infilled to a 50m x 50m spacing to satisfy the requirements for an Indicated Mineral Resource), and 100m vertically.

The Study assessed mining production methods including SLOS with mining rates of 2Mtpa to 3Mtpa and caving options up to 6Mtpa. Surface infrastructure studies were focused on the transportation of ore back to the Telfer processing plant with a range of options considered in early-stage evaluations including conveyor, rail, pipeline and truck haulage, with the latter adopted for the Ore Reserve case. Processing studies evaluated a modified Telfer process plant to accommodate the Havieron ore.

The initial Ore Reserve case is based on a ~2Mtpa production rate from SLOS mining method limited to the Indicated Mineral Resources within the SE Crescent Zone. The Study demonstrates the potential to expand the Project and increase the mining rate to 3Mtpa or more based on the conversion of the current Inferred Mineral Resources and additional potential Mineral Resource growth from immediately below the Crescent Zone (Figure 2) as seen in recent drill results (refer to Section titled "Potential Exploration Growth" on Page 14 for a summary of drill results).





Figure 2. Section view looking north of Crescent Zone mineralisation and the proposed underground development required to support the Ore Reserve and future growth options.

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Indicative Production Profile (100% terms)1,2

The Ore Reserve Case for the Study is based on the currently defined Indicated Mineral Resource estimate which incorporates a ~2Mtpa underground SLOS operation with an expected mine life of 9 years. Ore will be transported in trucks along a new 55km long haul road to the modified processing plant at the Telfer mine and tailings deposited at Telfer's existing tailings storage facility (TSF).

Multiple stope priority runs were conducted to determine the optimal sequence which maximises the number of years at peak production while reducing and compressing the production tail as much as practical. The production rate of ~2Mtpa for the Havieron SLOS was determined by maximising the steady state production of the sequence.

The indicative gold and copper production profiles are shown in the figures below:





Figure 3. Production Profile for Havieron 2Mtpa SLOS Reserve Case.

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Indicative Havieron Mine Production Profile1,2

Year Total Material

Movement

(mt) Plant Feed

(mt) Average Gold

Grade

(g/t) Average Copper

Grade

(%) FY24 ~0.5 ~0.5 3.5 0.48 FY25 ~1.6 ~1.6 4.1 0.52 FY26 ~2.0 ~2.0 3.9 0.55 FY27 ~2.0 ~2.0 3.8 0.56 FY28 ~2.0 ~2.0 3.9 0.52 FY29 ~2.0 ~2.0 3.7 0.54 FY30 ~2.1 ~2.1 3.3 0.58 FY31 ~1.1 ~1.1 3.7 0.51 FY32 ~0.3 ~0.3 2.8 0.49

Estimated Development Capital Profile (100% terms)1,3,7,8

The capital profile for the Project contemplates a ~2Mtpa SLOS operation. Having now completed the Study, Greatland is obliged to fund 30% of all project expenditure going forward and Newcrest is obliged to fund 70%. This funding split will adjust to 25% Greatland and 75% Newcrest if Newcrest exercises its option to acquire the additional 5% interest.



FY22 FY23 FY24 Total Capital Expenditure (A$m) 124 296 109 529 Capital Expenditure (US$m) 93 222 82 397

Metal Price and Exchange Rate Sensitivity Analysis1,2,3

The actual IRR of the Project will vary according to the gold and copper prices realised. Base case assumptions include a gold price of US$1,500/oz, copper price of US$3.30/lb, and an AUD:USD exchange rate of 0.75.

The table below outlines how the estimated Base Case Project IRR of 16% varies using different price assumptions:

Scenario Assumption IRR Gold price (US$ per ounce) 1,200 5% Gold price (US$ per ounce) 1,800 24% Copper price (US$ per pound) 2.60 14% Copper price (US$ per pound) 4.00 17%

Mine Development and Sequence

SLOS is a large-scale open stoping method that is conducted over multiple levels at once. Once the stope has been mined out it is backfilled with paste to maintain the overall stability of the opening and enable mining of adjacent stopes. This method is typically applied to strong orebodies that require minimal support and are surrounded by strong country rock, such as the Havieron deposit. Stopes are mined in a checkerboard fashion with all primary stopes first, followed by the intermediate secondary stopes. The mining sequence is top down overall, divided into a number of different lifts separated by horizontal sill levels which are recovered after the upper and lower level have been mined and filled.

A sub-level spacing of 50m with sill drill levels located 20m below each mining front was selected. Some sub-level spacings are increased to 60m to accommodate the inclusion of ore and minimising additional level development. The design consists of nine semi-independent mining sequences, based on both horizontal and vertical mining fronts. The horizontal fronts are determined by the orebody orientations as outlined in Figure 4.





Figure 4. Havieron Reserve Case SLOS horizontal and vertical mining fronts

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Infrastructure

The Study contemplates the transport of ore from the mine to Telfer via road trains on an all-weather unsealed road. The road has been designed to withstand a 1-in-a-100-year flood event and maintain access to Havieron.

Power will be supplied to Havieron from Telfer's existing gas power station via a 66 kilovolt (kV) overhead line running parallel to the nominated haul road corridor. Further opportunities to replace this with non-fossil fuel power generation as part of Newcrest's emission reduction program will be evaluated as part of the Feasibility Study.

Telfer currently operates two processing trains with a total capacity of ~22Mtpa. The Havieron ore is expected to be processed through a modified Telfer Processing Plant which will operate a single train at 6Mtpa rate on a campaign basis. The Plant modifications are expected to include magnetic separation within the flotation circuit to reduce the amount of pyrrhotite in the final Cu Concentrate and a Carbon in Pulp (CIP) circuit on the flotation tail and cyanide detoxification circuit. The expected cost of the plant modifications is included in the $529 million project capital estimate1,3,7,8 . A single train operation also provides optionality if higher mining rates are achieved from Havieron or through the extension of Telfer's current mine life (i.e. Telfer ore can be run through the other train with the existing flowsheet). Tailings from ore processed will be deposited at the existing Telfer TSF.

Joint Venture Agreement

The Project is operated by Newcrest under a Joint Venture Agreement with Greatland. Pursuant to the farm-in and joint venture arrangements, the completion of the Study triggers Newcrest's entitlement to an additional interest in the joint venture for a cumulative 70% joint venture interest and the option to acquire an additional 5% joint venture interest at fair market value. The option period commences on 12 December 2021 and will run for 12 months.

The Joint Venture Agreement includes tolling principles reflecting the intention of the parties that, subject to the outcome of the Feasibility Study and a positive decision to mine, the Havieron mineralised material will be processed at Telfer pursuant to a Tolling Agreement. The tolling principles include an agreed processing fee formula, which includes charges for capital costs incurred in upgrading the Telfer facilities, as required, to treat Havieron ore in the tolling process. The Telfer infrastructure is not included in the scope of the Joint Venture assets, so the Tolling Agreement is the route by which Greatland will bear the capital, operating and haulage costs involved with processing Havieron ore.

Mineral Resource Estimate[12]

The updated Mineral Resource is estimated to contain an Indicated Mineral Resource of 1.9 million ounces of gold and 0.10 million tonnes of copper and an Inferred Mineral Resource of 1.7 million ounces of gold and 0.07 million tonnes of copper. This Mineral Resource estimate is based on drilling completed by February 2021.

Since the initial Mineral Resource estimate an additional 45 drill holes were completed between November 2020 and February 2021, primarily as infill drilling to increase the resource confidence of the Crescent Zone, that transferred 1.9 million ounces of gold and 0.10 million tonnes of copper from Inferred Mineral Resources to Indicated Mineral Resources.

Mineral Resource estimate tabulation for the Havieron Deposit:

Indicated Gold Mineral Resource (100%):

Domain Classification Dry Tonnes

(million) Gold Grade

(g/t Au) Insitu Gold

(million ounces) Crescent Zone Indicated 15 3.9 1.9 Breccia Zone Indicated - - - Gold Mineral Resource Indicated 15 3.9 1.9

Inferred Gold Mineral Resource (100%):

Domain Classification Dry Tonnes

(million) Gold Grade

(g/t Au) Insitu Gold

(million ounces) Crescent Zone Inferred 3.6 4.0 0.46 Breccia Zone Inferred 34 1.1 1.2 Gold Mineral Resource Inferred 37 1.4 1.7

Indicated Copper Mineral Resource (100%):

Domain Classification Dry Tonnes

(million) Copper Grade

(% Cu) Insitu Copper

(million tonnes) Crescent Zone Indicated 15 0.64 0.099 Breccia Zone Indicated - - - Copper Mineral Resource Indicated 15 0.64 0.099

Inferred Copper Mineral Resource (100%):

Domain Classification Dry Tonnes (million) Copper Grade (% Cu) Insitu Copper (million tonnes) Crescent Zone Inferred 3.6 0.45 0.016 Breccia Zone Inferred 34 0.15 0.051 Copper Mineral Resource Inferred 37 0.18 0.067

The Havieron Mineral Resource estimate is reported as an Indicated Mineral Resource and Inferred Mineral Resource in accordance with the Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves 2012 (JORC Code). Refer to details in Appendix 1 for information relating to data collection and resource estimation. There are no material differences between the definitions of Indicated or Inferred Mineral Resources under the 2014 CIM Definition Standards for Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves and the equivalent definitions in the JORC Code. Mineral Resources are reported inclusive of Ore Reserves. Mineral Resources that are not Ore Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability.

Drilling has outlined an ovoid shaped zone of variable brecciation, alteration and sulphide mineralisation with dimensions of approximately 650m x 350m x 1000m trending in a north west orientation below 420m of Permian cover.

Gold and copper mineralisation at Havieron consists of breccia, vein and massive sulphide replacement gold and copper mineralisation typical of intrusion-related styles of mineralisation. Mineralisation is hosted by metasedimentary rocks (meta-sandstones, meta-siltstones and meta-carbonate) and intrusive rocks of an undetermined age. The main mineral assemblage contains well developed pyrrhotite-chalcopyrite and pyrite sulphide mineral assemblages as breccia and vein infill, and massive sulphide lenses.

The Indicated Mineral Resource estimate is restricted to the South East Crescent Zone only, with the Inferred Mineral Resource estimate comprised of some part of the South East Crescent Zone, the Breccia Zones, and a portion of the Northern Breccia Zones to an RL of 4060m (~750m below the unconformity) where drill data provides sufficient support to define an appropriate level of geological control and statistical confidence.

Ordinary Kriging of 5m composites of gold and copper was undertaken into 10m x 10m x 10m blocks for Crescent and 20m x 20m x 20m blocks for Breccia and re-blocked into 5m x 5m x 5m blocks. The resource model was domained utilising the geological unit of the Crescent Zone, the Calcite Cemented Breccia, Actinolite Cemented Breccia and Crackle Breccia. Hard boundaries were used between the Crescent Zone and the Breccia zones with semi soft boundaries used between the Breccia zones. Kriging Neighbourhood Analysis was used to define the search neighbourhood for gold and copper. Gold and copper were estimated independently of each other. Composite copper and gold grades were capped prior to estimation. The resource estimation is based entirely on interpolation. The resource model was validated via visual, statistical, and geostatistical methods.

Reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction have been assessed through ongoing mining and processing studies which suggest that selective underground mining would be appropriate for exploitation of the Crescent Zone. The Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resource estimate has been constrained using appropriate drill hole data spacing parameters and geological control. The Indicated Mineral Resource estimate is reported based on the A$100/t Net Smelter Return (NSR) value cut-off and the average weighted distance of 45 metres within the SE Crescent Zone which assumes selective underground mining. The Inferred Mineral Resource estimate is reported within an A$50/t NSR value shell with no internal selectivity, which assumes bulk mining and therefore includes internal waste. The NSR uses metals prices of US$1,400/oz Au and US$3.40/lb Cu, domain-specific metallurgical recoveries of 84-94% for Au and 82-92% for Cu, a AUD:USD exchange rate of 0.75, as well as treatment and refining costs, payables and royalties, similar to those at Telfer.





Figure 5. 3D view looking north of Crescent Zone mineralisation showing resource classification and proposed underground development.

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Ore Reserve Estimate13

The Havieron Ore Reserve estimate is outlined below and reported as a Probable Ore Reserve in accordance with the Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves 2012 (JORC Code). Refer to details in Appendix 1 for information relating to Ore Reserve estimation. There are no material differences between the definitions of Probable Ore Reserves under the JORC Code and the equivalent definitions under the 2014 CIM Definition Standards for Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves.

A summary of the material assumptions is outlined below and included in the Appendix (JORC Table 1 - Section 4).



Ore Gold Copper Mt g/t Moz % Mt Proved Ore Reserve - - - - - Probable Ore Reserve 14 3.7 1.6 0.54 0.073 Total Ore Reserve 14 3.7 1.6 0.54 0.073

A Pre-Feasibility level study has been completed which provides supporting basis for this Ore Reserve estimate. The Havieron Pre-Feasibility Study (on which this Ore Reserve statement is based) defined a SLOS mining method with paste fill and truck ore haulage at a 2Mtpa mining rate. Metallurgical test-work has been executed on the Havieron deposit during the Pre-Feasibility Study and in preceding studies. The test-work undertaken is of an adequate level to ensure an appropriate representation of metallurgical characterisation and the derivation of corresponding metallurgical recovery factors.

Havieron is a greenfield site and currently does not have infrastructure to support mining operations. Major infrastructure requirements are included in the Pre-Feasibility Study capital cost estimates, which are based on multiple market prices across all technical disciplines. Provision has been made for capital expenditure requirements for new equipment, infrastructure and replacement of infrastructure and equipment during the life of the mine is based on the study. A contingency has also been factored into the capital cost estimate consistent with the level of accuracy of the study.

The operating cost estimate has been built up from a combination of existing Telfer site costs scaled for the Havieron material throughput rate, first principles cost modelling and quotations where practicable.

The Probable Ore Reserve is based on Indicated Mineral Resources and diluting material. No Measured Mineral Resources are stated for this deposit. This classification is based on geological confidence as a function of continuity and complexity of geological features; data spacing and distribution and estimation quality parameters including distance to informing samples for block grade estimation.

Underground mining at Havieron is planned to be undertaken using a SLOS mining method at a 2Mtpa mining rate. The Pre-Feasibility Study has been prepared on the basis of:

decline, accesses to the levels, ore passes, ventilation raises and other underground excavations

SLOS stopes with paste fill

paste fill plant and underground distribution system

ventilation shafts, fans, regulators and refrigeration equipment

dewatering, electrical and other service equipment

truck haulage of ore to surface via the access decline

The following Modifying Factors have been applied to all mining shapes to accurately represent the expected mined tonnes and grades:

Dilution factors for overbreak in primary, secondary and tertiary stopes (average 9%) consisting of waste (average 6%) and stope paste (average 3%);

Dilution included at zero grade; and

Mining recovery factor of 97.5%

Of the total Ore Reserve approximately 0.6Mt of ore is Inferred Mineral Resource as dilution. This material contains 2% of the gold metal and 1.6% of the copper metal in the Ore Reserve and does not have a material impact upon the estimate. As this is dilution material associated with the SLOS mining method, it has been incorporated into the Ore Reserve estimate.

Havieron ore will be processed on a campaign basis through the Telfer Train 2 Treatment Plant circuit at a throughput of approximately 2Mtpa. Metal recovery will be through conventional flotation to produce a copper/gold concentrate and dore through a newly installed flotation tails leach circuit. The technology associated with the ore processing is conventional and the flowsheet is similar to that utilised by other operations.

Metallurgical recovery assumptions are based on detailed analysis and laboratory flotation and leach test work completed on 38 variability samples during the Havieron Concept (2020) and Pre-Feasibility (2021) studies with good spatial coverage of the SE Crescent Zone. Of the 38 samples, 8 samples are located in the breccia zones and

30 samples are located in the SE Crescent Zone, of which 21 samples are located within the SE Crescent Zone Indicated Mineral Resources. Based on these samples metallurgical recoveries for gold are anticipated to average approximately 88% and recoveries of copper are expected to average approximately 84% throughout the life of the project.

Bismuth is the key deleterious element for the gold/copper concentrate product with smelter penalties incurred on the basis of bismuth content. The impact of bismuth in concentrate will be managed by mine sequencing and concentrate blending.

The Havieron Ore Reserve employs a value based cut-off determined from the Net Smelter Return (NSR) value equal to the site operating cost included within the Pre-Feasibility Study. The NSR calculation takes into account revenue factors, metallurgical recovery assumptions, transport costs, refining charges, and royalty charges.

The site operating costs include mining cost, processing cost, relevant site general & administration costs and relevant sustaining capital costs. These costs equate to a break even cut off value of approximately A$130/t milled, and a marginal cut off value of approximately A$115/t milled.

Estimation of the Havieron Ore Reserve involved standard steps of mine optimisation, mine design, production scheduling and financial modelling. Factors and assumptions have been based on benchmarked performance from similar SLOS operations. The Ore Reserve has been evaluated through a financial model. All operating and capital costs as well as Ore Reserve revenue factors stated in this document were included in the financial model. A discount factor of 4.5% real was applied. This process demonstrated that the Havieron Ore Reserve has a positive NPV. Sensitivities were conducted on the key input parameters including commodity prices, capital and operating costs, ore grade, mined tonnes and mining rate, exchange rate and metallurgical recoveries confirming the estimate to be robust.

A staged approach for approvals is being undertaken with Phase 1 currently approved which has allowed the development of the boxcut, decline and service corridor. These approvals also allow for a waste rock dump, evaporation ponds and supporting infrastructure such as offices and workshops.

Phase 2 approvals will consist of a SLOS underground mine, permanent infrastructure corridor, associated infrastructure and changes to Telfer approvals to accept Havieron tailings in existing tailings storage facilities. The approval strategy for Phase 2 consists of both Commonwealth and State level approvals with engagement well advanced with all regulatory bodies. The timelines outlined in the Pre-Feasibility Study are considered achievable.

A Mining Lease has been granted over the orebody, and miscellaneous leases granted along the existing service corridor. For Phase 2 approvals an application will be made for an additional miscellaneous lease to secure access for an infrastructure corridor to connect Telfer and Havieron (haul road, powerlines, water pipes). This is not considered a risk to the timelines or project.

Potential Exploration Growth

The Havieron mineral system as outlined by drill testing to date, is an 650m x 350m ovate shaped NW trending alteration zone in which mineralisation is hosted by variable brecciation, and sulphide accumulations centred on a complex of nested diorite intrusions. Higher grade zones are associated with increases in sulphide accumulations including pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite and pyrite with quartz. The SE Crescent Zone is a geological domain characterised by massive sulphide accumulations. Mineralisation has been observed to over 1,000m in vertical extent below the 420m of post mineralisation cover sequence.

The Study only considers the Indicated Mineral Resource which is a relatively small proportion of the existing resource inventory. The Havieron project has significant additional growth potential including:

Conversion of existing Inferred Mineral Resources

Mineralisation open at depth and along strike Extension of the SE Crescent Zone below the current Mineral Resource, where increasing grade and thickness of mineralisation has been observed in recent drilling

Expansion of multiple higher-grade targets within the main Havieron NW corridor, including the Northern Breccia and NW Pod

Potential for additional NW trending corridors including the Eastern Breccia; and

Potential to discover additional mineralisation centres (at Havieron North, Zipa and Meco)

In addition to the active testing of the above higher-grade targets, drilling continues in the northern and eastern breccia corridors to assess the bulk extraction potential.

At the SE Crescent, drilling has extended the high-grade mineralisation ~250m below the base of the current Mineral Resource with two recent drillholes (HAD133 and HAD133W1) returning intervals >900 gram metres (Au ppm x length). These new intercepts show an increase in both grade and thickness with increasing depth. Drilling continues to assess the depth extents of SE Crescent which now has a vertical extent of over 900m.

Results external to the Mineral Resource include14:

HAD133 85m @ 11g/t Au & 0.29% Cu from 1,345m including 13m @ 32g/t Au & 0.46% Cu from 1,363m including 14.5m @ 32g/t Au & 0.33% Cu from 1,396.5m

HAD133W1 133m @ 7.0g/t Au & 0.05% Cu from 1,446m including 55.9m @ 9.7g/t Au & 0.04% Cu from 1,449.5m including 20m @ 11g/t Au & 0.04% Cu from 1,519m

HAD086W1 99.7 m @ 2.5g/t Au & 0.85% Cu from 1,308m 50.4 m @ 4.3g/t Au & 1.6% Cu from 1,313.6m







Figure 6. 3D Plan view schematic showing the spatial association of the South East Crescent, Northern Breccia, NW Pod and Eastern Breccia targets in relation to the Inferred Resource extents. Also highlighted are previously reported intercepts >100 gram metres (Au ppm x length) that have been intersected outside of the Inferred Mineral Resource estimate.

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Figure 7. 3D section view schematic across section line A on Figure 6, highlighting selected South East Crescent growth intercepts below the current Inferred Mineral Resource estimate.

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At the Northern Breccia, drilling has extended the mineralised breccia footprint around the Mineral Resource extents. Drilling has confirmed and increased the continuity of internal higher grade Crescent-like mineralisation in a north-west mineralised corridor which now extends up to 300m in length, and 100m wide, between 4300 - 4100mRL, and remains open at depth. Results of greater than 150 gram metres (Au ppm x length) outside of the current Mineral Resource include14:

HAD047 309m @ 0.99g/t Au & 0.07% Cu from 915m including 44m @ 3.3g/t Au & 0.15% Cu from 1,157m

HAD101 147.2m @ 1.1g/t Au & 0.18% Cu from 1,083.8m including 51.8m @ 1.6g/t Au & 0.25% Cu from 1,129.2m 92.5m @ 1.9g/t Au & 0.06% Cu from 1,296m including 15.6m @ 4.8g/t Au & 0.02% Cu from 1,350m including 14m @ 6.2g/t Au & 0.10% Cu from 1,373m

HAD103 90.6m @ 2.3g/t Au & 0.18% Cu from 776.4m including 2.4m @ 67g/t Au & 0.33% Cu from 822.7m

HAD083W4 156.6m @ 1.1g/t Au & 0.22% Cu from 805.8m

HAD140 29.1m @ 9.7g/t Au & 0.29% Cu from 813.2m

HAD083 183.7m @ 1.8g/t Au & 0.18% Cu from 1,098m including 17.2m @ 8.8g/t Au & 0.47% Cu from 1,165.2m







Figure 8. 3D long section view showing the extents of the 1.0 and 2.0 g/t Au LeapfrogTM grade shells in relation to the Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resource outlines. Also showing previously reported intercepts >100 gram metres (Au ppm x length) that have been intersected outside of the Inferred Mineral Resource.

To view an enhanced version of Figure 8, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/7614/99291_c923759b34d689b5_012full.jpg

Higher grade mineralisation external to the Mineral Resource has also been identified on the NW margin of the breccia, previously referred to as the North West Crescent, with additional intercepts showing a vertically extensive high grade pod (NW Pod Target) which remains open at depth and to the north west. Drilling is ongoing to confirm the extents and continuity of this zone. Results from this zone outside the current Mineral Resource include14:

HAD085 74.2m @ 2g/t Au & 0.09% Cu from 568.8m including 19.1m @ 7g/t Au & 0.23% Cu from 594m

HAD089 116m @ 2.9g/t Au & 0.07% Cu from 1,136m including 13m @ 13g/t Au & 0.17% Cu from 1,136m

HAD138 84.5m @ 2g/t Au & 0.05% Cu from 683m including 12.7m @ 6.0g/t Au & 0.01% Cu from 685.3m

HAD141 87m @ 1.8g/t Au & 0.05% Cu from 1,328m including 17.8m @ 5.7g/t Au & 0.14% Cu from 1,378.5m



At the Eastern Breccia drilling has targeted extensions of previously reported drill holes HAD083 and HAD084, identifying a separate north west trending corridor with an alteration footprint of over 600m. Crescent like higher grade zones are observed internal to this Eastern Breccia. Results outside of the current Mineral Resource include:

HAD083 134m @ 1.4g/t Au & 0.04% Cu from 1,529m 98.2m @ 1.9g/t Au & 0.14% Cu from 1,677m including 41.1m @ 3.7g/t Au & 0.1% Cu from 1,723.9m



HAD084 342.2m @ 2g/t Au & 0.11% Cu from 1,536.8m including 14m @ 19g/t Au & 0.20% Cu from 1,572m including 11.1m @ 6.6g/t Au & 0.11% Cu from 1,629.9m including 19.5m @ 4.2g/t Au & 0.04% Cu from 1,726.3m



Appendix 1

JORC Code, 2012 Edition - Table 1

Section 1: Sampling Techniques and Data

Criteria Commentary Sampling techniques Core samples are obtained from core drilling in Proterozoic basement lithologies. PQ-HQ and NQ diameter core was drilled on a 6m run. Core was cut using an automated core-cutter and half core sampled at 1m intervals with breaks for major geological changes. Sampling intervals range from 0.2 - 1.0m. Cover sequences were not sampled. Drilling techniques Permian Paterson Formation cover sequence was drilled using mud rotary drilling. Depths of cover typically observed to approximately 420m vertically below surface. Steel casing was emplaced to secure the pre-collar.



Core drilling was advanced from the base of the cover sequence with PQ3, HQ3 and NQ2 diameter coring configuration.



Core from inclined drill holes are oriented on 3m and 6m runs using an electronic core orientation tool (Reflex ACTIII). At the end of each run, the bottom of hole position is marked by the driller, which is later transferred to the whole drill core run length with a bottom of hole reference line. Drill sample recovery Core recovery is systematically recorded from the commencement of coring to end of hole, by reconciling against driller's depth blocks in each core tray with data recorded in the database. Drillers depth blocks provided the depth, interval of core recovered, and interval of core drilled.



Core recoveries were typically 100%, with isolated zones of lower recovery.



Cover sequence drilling by the mud-rotary drilling did not yield recoverable samples. Logging Geological logging recorded qualitative descriptions of lithology, alteration, mineralisation, veining, and structure (for all core drilled - 100,799m from 170 drillholes, all intersecting mineralisation), including orientation of key geological features.



Geotechnical measurements were recorded including Rock Quality Designation (RQD) fracture frequency, solid core recovery and qualitative rock strength measurements.



Magnetic susceptibility measurements were recorded every metre. The bulk density of selected drill core intervals was determined at site on whole core samples.



All geological and geotechnical logging was conducted at Havieron site.



Digital data logging was captured on diamond drill core intervals only, and all data validated and stored in an acQuire database.



All drill cores were photographed, prior to cutting and/or sampling the core.



The logging was of sufficient quality to support the Mineral Resource estimate. Sub-sampling techniques and sample preparation Sampling, sample preparation and quality control protocols are considered appropriate for the material being sampled.



Core was cut and sampled at the Telfer and Havieron core processing facility. Half core samples were collected in pre-numbered calico bags and grouped into bulk bags for dispatch to the laboratory. Sample weights typically varied from 0.5 to 4kg. Sample sizes are considered appropriate for the style of mineralisation. Drill core samples were freighted by air and road to the laboratory.



Sample preparation was conducted at the independent ISO17025 accredited Intertek Laboratory, Perth (Intertek). Samples were dried at 105oC, and crushed to 95% passing 4.75mm, and the split to obtain up to 3kg sub-sample, which was pulverised (using LM5) to produce a pulped product with the minimum standard of 95% passing 106m. Routine grind size analysis is conducted.



Duplicate samples were collected from crush and pulp samples at a rate of 1:20. Duplicate results show an acceptable level of variability for the material sampled and style of mineralisation.



Periodic size checks (1:20) for crush and pulp samples and sample weights are provided by the laboratory and recorded in the acQuire database. Quality of assay data and laboratory tests Assaying of drill core samples was conducted at Intertek. All samples were assayed for 48 elements using a 4-acid digestion followed by ICP-AES/ICP-MS determination (method 4A/MS907), which is considered to provide a total assay for copper. Gold analyses were determined by 50g fire assay with AAS finish (method FA50N/AA), which is considered to provide a total assay for gold.



Sampling and assaying quality control procedures consisted of inclusion of certified reference material (CRMs), coarse residue and pulp duplicates with each batch (at least 1:20).



Assays of quality control samples were compared with reference samples in acQuire database and verified as acceptable prior to use of data from analysed batches.



Laboratory quality control data, including laboratory standards, blanks, duplicates, repeats and grind size results are captured in the acQuire database and assessed for accuracy and precision for recent data.



Extended quality control programs including pulp samples submitted to an umpire laboratory and combined with more extensive re-submission programs have been completed.



Analysis of the available quality control sample assay results indicates that an acceptable level of accuracy and precision has been achieved and the database contains no analytical data that has been numerically manipulated.



The assaying techniques and quality control protocols used are considered appropriate for the data to be used for estimation of Mineral Resources. Verification of sampling and assaying Sampling intervals defined by the geologist are electronically assigned sample identification numbers prior to core cutting. Corresponding sample numbers matching pre-labelled calico bags are assigned to each interval.

All sampling and assay information were stored in a secure acQuire database with restricted access.



Electronically generated sample submission forms providing the sample identification number accompany each submission to the laboratory. Assay results from the laboratory with corresponding sample identification are loaded directly into the acQuire database.



Assessment of reported significant assay intervals was verified by re-logging of diamond drill core intervals and assessment of high-resolution core photography. The verification of significant intersections has been completed by company personnel and the Competent Person.



No adjustments are made to assay data, and no twinned holes have been completed.



There are no currently known drilling, sampling, recovery, or other factors that could materially affect the accuracy or reliability of the data. Location of data points Drill collar locations were surveyed using a differential GPS with GNSS with a stated accuracy of +/- 0.5m for all drill holes used.



Drill rig alignment was attained using an electronic azimuth aligner. Downhole survey was collected at 6-12m intervals in the cover sequence, and every 6 to 30m in diamond drill core segments of the drill hole using single shot (Axis Mining Champ Gyro). The single shot surveys have been validated using continuous survey to surface (Axis Mining Champ) along with a selection of drill holes re-surveyed by an external survey contactor using a DeviGyro tool - confirming sufficient accuracy for downhole spatial recording.



A LIDAR survey was completed over the project area in November 2019 which was used to prepare a DEM / topographic model for the project with a spatial accuracy of +/- 0.1m vertical and +/- 0.3m horizontal. The topography is generally low relief to flat, elevation within the dune corridors in ranges between 250-265m Australian Height Datum (AHD) steepening to the southeast. All collar coordinates are provided in the Geocentric Datum of Australian (GDA20 Zone 51). All relative depth information is reported in AHD +5000m. Data spacing and distribution The drill hole spacing ranges from 40-100m within the SE Crescent Zone to 50-200m in lateral extent within the breccia zones over an area of ~2km2. The data spacing is sufficient to establish the degree of geological and grade continuity for an Indicated Mineral Resource and Inferred Mineral Resource within SE Crescent Zone and Inferred Mineral Resource within the Breccia zones.



Significant assay intercepts remain open. Further drilling is required to determine the extent of currently defined mineralisation. No sample compositing is applied to samples.



Drilling intersects mineralisation at various angles. Orientation of data in relation to geological structure Drill holes exploring the extents of the Havieron mineral system intersect moderately dipping carbonate and siliclastic sedimentary facies, mineralised breccia and sub-vertical intrusive lithologies. Geological modelling has been interpreted from historic and Newcrest drill holes.



Variable brecciation, alteration and sulphide mineralisation are observed with a footprint with dimensions of 650m x 350m trending in a north west orientation and 1000m in vertical extent below cover.



The subvertical southeast high grade arcuate crescent sulphide zone has an average thickness of 20m and has been defined over a strike length of up to 550m, and over 700m in vertical extent below cover.



Drilling direction is oriented to intersect the steeply dipping high-grade sulphide mineralisation zones at an intersection angle of greater than 40 degrees. The drilled length of reported intersections is typically greater than true width of mineralisation. Sample security The security of samples is controlled by tracking samples from drill rig to database.



Drill core was delivered from the drill rig to the Havieron core yard every shift. On completion of geological and geotechnical logging, core processing was completed by Newcrest personnel at the Havieron facility.

High resolution core photography and cutting of drill core was undertaken at the Havieron or Telfer core processing facilities.



Samples were freighted in sealed bags by air and road to the Laboratory, and in the custody of Newcrest representatives. Sample numbers are generated directly from the database. All samples are collected in pre-numbered calico bags.



Verification of sample numbers and identification is conducted by the laboratory on receipt of samples, and sample receipt advice issued to Newcrest.



Details of all sample movement are recorded in a database table. Dates, Hole ID sample ranges, and the analytical suite requested are recorded with the dispatch of samples to analytical services. Any discrepancies logged at the receipt of samples into the analytical services are validated. Audits or reviews Internal reviews of core handling, sample preparation and assays laboratories were conducted on a regular basis by both project personnel and owner representatives.



In the Competent Person's opinion, the sample preparation, security and analytical procedures are consistent with current industry standards and are entirely appropriate and acceptable for the styles of mineralisation identified and will be appropriate for use in Mineral Resource estimates. There are no identified drilling, sampling or recovery factors that materially impact the adequacy and reliability of the results of the drilling programme in place at the Havieron Project.

Section 2: Reporting of Exploration Results

Criteria Commentary Mineral tenement and land tenure status The Havieron Project is entirely contained within mining tenement M45/1287, which is jointly owned by Greatland Pty Ltd and Newcrest Operations Limited. Newcrest has entered into a Joint Venture Agreement (effective 30 November 2020) and Farm-In Agreement (effective 12 March 2019) with Greatland Pty Ltd and Greatland Gold plc. Newcrest is the Manager of the Havieron Project. Newcrest has now met the Stage 3 farm-in requirement and has earnt an additional 20% joint venture interest, resulting in a joint venture interest of 60%. Upon delivery of the PFS, Newcrest is entitled to earn an additional 10% joint venture interest, resulting in an overall joint venture interest of 70% (Greatland Gold 30%). Newcrest also has an option to acquire a further 5% at fair market value.



Newcrest and the WDLAC are parties to an ILUA which relates to the use of native title land for Newcrest's current operations at Telfer and its activities within a 60-km radius around Telfer and includes its exploration activities at Havieron. The parties have agreed that the ILUA will apply to any future development activities by the Joint Venture Participants (Newcrest and Greatland Gold) at Havieron.



The mining tenement M45/1287 wholly replaces the 12 sub-blocks of exploration tenement E45/4701 (former exploration tenement on which the Havieron Project is based) and was granted on 10 September 2020. All obligations with respect to legislative requirements including minimum expenditure are maintained in good standing for prior exploration tenement E45/4701. Exploration done by other parties Newcrest completed six core holes in the vicinity of the Havieron Project from 1991 to 2003. Greatland Gold completed drill targeting and drilling of nine Reverse Circulation (RC) drill holes with core tails for a total of approximately 6,800m in 2018. Results of drilling programs conducted by Greatland Gold have previously been reported on the Greatland Gold website.



Drilling has defined an intrusion-related mineral system with evidence of breccia and massive sulphide-hosted higher-grade gold-copper mineralisation. Geology The Havieron Project is located within the north-western exposure of the Palaeo-Proterozoic to Neoproterozoic Paterson Orogen (formerly Paterson Province), 45 km east of Telfer. The Yeneena Supergroup hosts the Havieron prospect and consists of a 9km thick sequence of marine sedimentary rocks and is entirely overlain by approximately 420m of Phanerozoic sediments of the Paterson Formation and Quaternary aeolian sediments.



Gold and copper mineralisation at Havieron consist of breccia, vein and massive sulphide replacement gold and copper mineralisation typical of intrusion-related and skarn styles of mineralisation. Mineralisation is hosted by metasedimentary rocks (meta-sandstones, meta-siltstones and meta-carbonate) and intrusive rocks of an undetermined age. The main mineral assemblage contains well developed pyrrhotite-chalcopyrite and pyrite sulphide mineral assemblages as breccia and vein infill, and massive sulphide lenses. The main mineralisation event is associated with amphibole-carbonate-biotite-sericite-chlorite wall rock alteration. Drilling has partially defined the extents of mineralisation which are observed over 650m by 350m within an arcuate shaped mineralised zone, and to depths of up to 1400m below surface. Drill hole Information Refer to previous exploration releases for drillhole information of the previously reported intercepts highlighted in this report. Data aggregation methods Significant assay intercepts are reported as (A) length-weighted averages exceeding 1.0g/t Au greater than or equal to 10m, with a maximum of 5m consecutive internal dilution; and (B) length-weighted averages exceeding 0.2g/t Au for greater than or equal to 20m, with a maximum of 10m consecutive internal dilution. Relationship between mineralisation widths and intercept lengths Significant assay intervals reported represent apparent widths. Drilling is not always perpendicular to the dip of mineralisation and true widths are less than downhole widths. Estimates of true widths will only be possible when all results are received, and final geological interpretations have been completed. Diagrams As provided above. Balanced reporting This report includes highlights of drilling from previously released drillhole intercepts. There have been eighteen Exploration Results releases for this project made by Newcrest. Previous release dates are 25 July 2019, 10 September 2019, 24 October 2019, 2 December 2019, 30 January 2020, 11 March 2020, 30 April 2020, 11 June 2020, 23 July 2020, 10 September 2020, 29 October 2020, 10 December 2020, 28 January 2021, 11 March 2021, 29 April 2021 , 10 June 2021, 22 July 2021 and 9 September 2021.



Earlier reporting of exploration programs conducted by Newcrest and Greatland Gold have previously been reported. Exploration drilling programs are ongoing and further material results will be reported in subsequent Newcrest releases Other substantive exploration data Nil. Further work Infill drilling is underway on the Inferred Mineral Resource portion of the SE Crescent Zone, looking to upgrade a significant portion of the Inferred Mineral Resource to Indicated Mineral Resource.



Growth drilling is planned to extend the limits of the mineralised system down depth and looking to establish additional resources outside those stated in this announcement.

Section 3: Estimation and Reporting of Mineral Resources

Criteria Commentary Database integrity Data are stored in a SQL acQuire database. Assay and geological data are electronically loaded into acQuire and the database is replicated in Newcrest's centralised database system in Melbourne. In-built validation tools are used in the acQuire database and data loggers are used to minimise keystroke errors, flag potential errors and validate against internal library codes. Regular reviews of data quality are conducted by site and corporate teams prior to resource estimation. Final surveyed collars are checked against the original collar GPS pickup and the Lidar topographic surface. Downhole surveys are checked visually and statistically for outliers. Assay data is checked for negative, extreme, missing and overlapping samples. Below detection assay values are set to half the lower detection limit for estimation. Geological domains are reviewed against core photography, geochemistry and Corescan data and checked for overlaps and missing intervals. Data that is found to be in error is investigated and corrected where possible. If the data cannot be corrected it is removed from the data set used for resource modelling and estimation. Site visits The Competent Person for the Indicated Mineral Resource and Inferred Mineral Resource estimate is an employee of Newcrest and is based in Telfer. The Competent Person has remained closely linked with the project at all stages and has completed numerous site inspections on a regular basis with the last visit completed in 2021. The Competent Person has reviewed the drilling, sampling, sample security, drill logging, and data management and is satisfied with the quality of the measures undertaken. Geological interpretation The geology model is based on grouped primary logging domain codes interpreted from drill cores. 3D solids were modelled in Leapfrog Geo 6.1 using vein, intrusive and erosional implicant models.



The geology model for the Havieron deposit comprises a cover sequence and a basement sequence of variably mineralised and altered metasediments. The cover sequence consists of 7 sub horizontal units ascribed to the Permian whilst the basement sequence consists of the Crescent Zone that typically comprises of the massive sulphides including locally banded pyrrhotite or chalcopyrite., Calcite Cemented Breccia, Actinolite Cemented Breccia, Crackle Breccia and the post mineralisation Dolerite dyke.



Mineralisation in Havieron is hosted in the Crescent and to a lesser extent within the cemented breccia's (Calcite Cemented and Actinolite Cemented Breccia). These units are therefore used as estimation domains. The confidence in the geological volumes that were used to define the estimation domains is reflected in the Mineral Resource classification. Dimension Variable brecciation, alteration and sulphide mineralisation are observed with a footprint with dimensions of 650m x 350m trending in a north west orientation and 1000m in vertical extent below ~420m of cover. The SE Crescent Zone Mineral Resource extents are ~550m in unfolded plan section, between 5-40m true width and ~750m in vertical extent, mineralisation remains open at depth. The Breccia Mineral Resource extents occurs as a 50-100m sleeve around the SE Crescent Mineral Resource and also a ~250x50x300 NW trending zone in the north western half on the breccia complex "Northern Breccia" which remains open at depth and to the northwest. Estimation and modelling techniques Geostatistical testing of the gold and copper grade distributions showed that the Breccia Zones are moderately diffusive in nature, and the Crescent Zone is relatively weakly diffusive in nature. Even though the Crescent Zone is weakly diffusive in nature, the estimation method of OK is considered appropriate due to the consideration of the geological setting, geological observation from the logging data and the geometry of the domain.



All drillhole samples were composited to 5 metre intervals downhole and honouring the domain boundary. OK estimation of gold, copper, sulphur, iron, cobalt, bismuth, arsenic, lead, zinc and nickel, was undertaken into 10 m x 10 m x 10 m blocks for the Crescent Zone and 20 m x 20 m x 20 m blocks for the Breccia with discretisation of 4 x 4 x 4. A single pass run was conducted for gold, copper, sulphur, iron and cobalt estimate and two passes were conducted for bismuth, arsenic, lead, zinc and nickel estimates. The minimum and maximum number of informing composites were 10 and between 20 to 24 respectively, depending on the domain and variable being estimated. Due to the highly skewed nature of the grade distribution, a grade capping strategy has been applied for variables including Au, Cu, Co, Bi, As, Pb, Zn and Ni. Caps are typically around the value at a 99th percentile of distributions. The model grades were estimated in Isatis software. Gold and copper were the only revenue generating elements, no recovery of by-products has been assumed. Variables were estimated independently. The block size was chosen on the basis of estimation quality and likely scale of mining.



The block model used for interpolators was populated with local rotations for the Crescent Zone and the Calcite Breccia Zone based on the orientation of the mineralisation including the high grade (structurally control) zone with a hard boundary applied between domains. The entire resource is based on interpolation of grades.



The model has been validated via visual, statistical and geostatistical method, including statistical comparison, metal at risk analysis, swath plots, Global Change of Support (Discrete Gaussian Modelling) comparison and visual comparison of the drillholes and the blocks by sections and plan views. The model assumes the likelihood of a selective mining method for the Crescent Zone. Moisture All tonnages are calculated and reported on a dry tonnes basis. Cut-off parameters A value algorithm is used to calculate the NSR for each block using revenue and cost assumptions as of July 2020.



The NSR calculation takes account revenue factors, metallurgical recovery assumptions (outlined below), transport costs and refining charges and royalty charges with the gold price of US$1,400 per ounce, copper price of US$3.40 per pound and a 0.75 AUD:USD exchange rate.



The Indicated Mineral Resource was defined based on a threshold of A$100/t within the SE Crescent Zone. A smoothed shell was generated based on a threshold of A$50/t and includes internal below value cut-off blocks and excludes isolated above cut-off blocks applied for the definition of the Inferred Mineral Resources. Both Indicated Mineral Resources and Inferred Mineral Resources are representing the limit of reasonable prospects of eventual economic extraction. The A$100/t cut-off for Indicated Mineral Resources and A$50/t cut-off for Inferred Mineral Resources are based on Newcrest's experience at its nearby Telfer operation, its current understanding of the Havieron deposit and other benchmarked operations. Mining factors or assumptions The Indicated Mineral Resource estimate is reported based on the A$100/t NSR value cut-off and the average weighted distance of 45metres within the SE Crescent Zone, based on mining selective mining.



The Inferred Mineral Resource estimate is reported within a notional constraining shell based on an A$50/t NSR value cut-off, based on bulk mining and therefore all internal materials are reported within the constraining shell.



The current proposal is to potentially commence mining the high-grade Crescent Zone by underground SLOS. Metallurgical factors or assumptions Havieron underground ore will be processed on a campaign basis through the Telfer Train 2 Treatment Plant circuit at a throughput of approximately 2Mtpa. Metal recovery will be through conventional flotation to produce a copper/gold concentrate and dore through a newly installed flotation tails leach circuit. The technology associated with the ore processing is conventional and the flowsheet is similar to that utilised by other operations.



Metallurgical recovery assumptions are based on detailed analysis and laboratory flotation and leach test work completed on 38 variability samples during the Havieron Concept (2020) and Pre-Feasibility (2021) studies with good spatial coverage of the SE Crescent Zone. Of the 38 samples, 8 samples are located in the Breccia zones and 30 samples are located in the SE Crescent Zone, of which 21 samples are located within the SE Crescent Zone Indicated Mineral Resources. Based on these samples metallurgical recoveries for gold are anticipated to average approximately 88% and recoveries of copper are expected to average approximately 84% throughout the life of the project.



Bismuth is the key deleterious element for the gold/copper concentrate product with smelter penalties incurred on the basis of bismuth content. The impact of bismuth in concentrate will be managed by mine sequencing and concentrate blending.



Bulk sample or pilot scale test work has not been undertaken. Environmental factors or assumptions As Havieron is a brownfields project the potential environmental impact assessments are not well advanced; however, the assumption is that there will be no significant impediments to conventional waste management of rock and tailings as utilised at Newcrest's Telfer Operations based on the similarities between the Havieron and Telfer deposits. Bulk Density All bulk density measurements have been carried out in accordance with site standard procedure and used a standard water immersion method.



Intervals for bulk density determination are selected according to lithology/ alteration/mineralisation type to best represent certain intervals as defined by the geologist.



The measurements are performed on site by geologists or geological assistants as part of the logging process. Measurements are based on 10 cm to 20 cm lengths generally taken at 10 metre to 50 metre intervals down hole.

Bulk density from several thousand measurements was estimated into the block model by an inverse distance method on a domain-wise basis. Classification The Mineral Resource estimate has been classified as an Indicated Mineral Resource and an Inferred Mineral Resource.



The resource classification is based on drillhole spacing and geological and grade continuity including the assessment of average weighted distance of informing samples. The Indicated Mineral Resource estimate is classified within the SE Crescent Zone only with a nominal drill spacing less than 45m x 45m, the Inferred Mineral Resource estimate is classified within a nominal drill spacing less than 100m x 100m and the contiguous footprint of the reasonable prospect of eventual economic extraction. The Indicated Mineral Resource and Inferred Mineral Resource classifications appropriately reflects the view of the Competent Person. Audits or reviews Derisk Geomining Consultants conducted an independent review of the previous Havieron Underground Mineral Resource estimate (November 2020) and concluded that the estimate has been prepared using accepted industry practice, has been completed in accordance with the JORC Code guidelines, is suitable for preparing a public report documenting the Mineral Resource estimate. Some responses and actions were noted from this review and have been included in this updated estimate. Discussion of relative accuracy/ confidence The uncertainty of the geological domain at the upper part of SE Crescent is considered between moderate to low. The grade uncertainty of the Indicated classification of the SE Crescent Zone is supported by the 15% variability at 90% confidence interval of the mining rate 2-3Mtpa derived from the conditional simulation. The breccia is considered Inferred Mineral Resources and reflects the wide spaced drilling where the geological evidence is sufficient to imply but not verify geological and grade continuity, thus it is deemed not necessary to assess the relative uncertainty in tonnage, grade and metal over a production volume for Inferred Mineral Resources. There is no production data for Havieron.

Section 4: Estimation and Reporting of Ore Reserves

Criteria Commentary Mineral Resource Estimate for conversion to Ore Reserves Havieron is a gold and copper deposit located within the boundaries of the East Pilbara Shire in the Paterson Province, Western Australia (WA), and is located approximately 45 kilometres (km) east of Newcrest's fly-in fly-out Telfer Mine. The Havieron deposit lies unconformably below approximately (~) 420 metres (m) of post-mineral, flat-lying Permian fluvio-glacial sediments of the basal sequence rocks in the Palaeozoic Canning Basin.



Mineralisation of gold and copper in the current resource estimate are within the South East (SE) Crescent and the Breccia zones. High grade gold mineralisation is associated with a massive sulphide zone termed the Crescent Zone which occurs on the margin of the Breccia. The Crescent Zone is characterised by a series of massive to semi-massive sulphide replacement units that have a subvertical dip and is best developed on the SE of the system forming as arcuate, crescent like geometry.



The SE Crescent Zone is 5-40 m wide, extending 550 m in length in unfolded section from the basement contact and defined up to 900 m vertically, tapering to ~300 m in length and open at that depth. The SE Crescent Zone has been the focus of drilling and has been infilled to a nominal drill spacing of 50 - 100 m laterally, and 100 m vertically.

OK estimation has been used for gold, copper, sulphur, iron, cobalt, bismuth, arsenic, lead, zinc and nickel. A panel size of 10 mE x 10 mN x 10 mRL for the SE Crescent and 20 mE x 20 mN x 20 mRL for the Breccias are used for estimation with a parent block size of 5 mE x 5 mN x 5 mRL designated for the final model.



The Mineral Resource estimate for the SE Crescent has been classified as Indicated Mineral Resource and Inferred Mineral Resource based on data quality and quantity factors as well as geological domaining, estimation confidence and reasonable prospect of the eventual economic extraction (RPEEE).



The reported Havieron Mineral Resources are inclusive of Ore Reserves. Site Visits The Competent Person for the Ore Reserve estimate is an employee of Newcrest Mining Limited and completed a site visit in January 2020. Study Status A Pre-Feasibility Study was completed in 2021 to generate the supporting basis for the Havieron Ore Reserve Estimate. The Pre-Feasibility Study shows that the mine plan is technically achievable and economically viable taking into consideration all material Modifying Factors. Cut-off Parameters The Havieron Ore Reserve employs a value based cut-off determined from the Net Smelter Return (NSR) value equal to the site operating cost included within the Pre-Feasibility Study.



The NSR calculation takes into account revenue factors, metallurgical recovery assumptions, transport costs, refining charges, and royalty charges.



The site operating costs include mining cost, processing cost, relevant site general and administration costs and relevant sustaining capital costs. This cost equates to a break even cut off value of approximately AUD130/t milled, and a marginal cut off value of approximately AUD115/t milled.

Criteria Commentary Mining factors or assumptions Estimation of the Havieron Ore Reserve involved standard steps of mine optimisation, mine design, production scheduling and financial modelling. The basis of the analysis is considered at Pre-Feasibility Study level.



The Pre-Feasibility Study supports the appropriateness of the selected mining method (Sub-Level Open Stoping) at a 2Mtpa mining rate as the basis of the Ore Reserve estimate.







To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/7614/99291_newcrestfigure5.jpg The following Modifying Factors have been applied to all mining shapes to accurately represent the expected mined tonnes and grades:

Dilution factors for overbreak in primary, secondary and tertiary stopes (average 9%) consisting of waste (average 6%) and stope paste (average 3%);

Dilution included at zero grade; and

Mining recovery factor of 97.5% The resource model is comprised of Indicated Mineral Resources and Inferred Mineral Resources. Mine plans are based on the definition of mining shapes solely delineated on the basis of the Indicated Mineral Resources.



Ore Reserves estimates and statements are required to include estimates of dilution. The dilution included in the total Ore Reserve is approximately 2.7Mt which is comprised of Inferred Mineral Resources and unclassified material and paste fill dilution. Only metal from the Inferred Mineral Resource material is considered in the dilution estimate. This is a relatively small proportion (2% of the gold metal and 1.6% of the copper metal) of the tabled Ore Reserve and does not have a material impact upon the estimate. Even without consideration of the metal contained in the dilution incorporated in the Ore Reserve, the economic analysis indicates an economic Probable Ore Reserve.



The Havieron Project is a greenfield mining project and will require the following mining infrastructure to support the mine: decline, accesses to the levels, ore passes, ventilation raises and other underground excavations;

paste fill plant and underground distribution system;

ventilation fans, regulators and refrigeration equipment; and

dewatering, electrical and other service equipment Metallurgical factors or assumptions Havieron underground ore will be processed on a campaign basis through the Telfer Train 2 Treatment Plant circuit at a throughput of approximately 2Mtpa. Metal recovery will be through conventional flotation to produce a copper/gold concentrate and dore through a newly installed flotation tails leach circuit. The technology associated with the ore processing is conventional and the flowsheet is similar to that utilised by other operations.



Metallurgical recovery assumptions are based on detailed analysis and laboratory flotation and leach test work completed on 38 variability samples during the Havieron Concept (2020) and Pre-Feasibility (2021) studies with good spatial coverage of the SE Crescent Zone. Of the 38 samples, 8 samples are located in the breccia zones and 30 samples are located in the SE Crescent Zone, of which 21 samples are located within the SE Crescent Zone Indicated Mineral Resources. Based on these samples, metallurgical recoveries for gold are anticipated to average approximately 88% and recoveries of copper are expected to average approximately 84% throughout the life of the project.



Bismuth is the key deleterious element for the gold/copper concentrate product with smelter penalties incurred on the basis of bismuth content. The impact of bismuth in concentrate will be managed by mine sequencing and concentrate blending.



Bulk sample or pilot scale test work has not been undertaken. Environmental Detailed environmental studies have been undertaken in the project area and include flora and vegetation, fauna, subterranean fauna, waste rock characterisation, soil and landform study, surface hydrology assessment, a basic hydrogeological assessment and a greenhouse gas emissions study.



The Project has been designed to recognise biodiversity values and, through consultation with Martu and their native title corporation (WDLAC), minimise the impacts to sites and landscapes of cultural significance. The footprint for the Project has been minimised through the use of existing tracks and areas of disturbance, as well as utilising the existing Telfer Gold Mine infrastructure to process the ore and dispose of the tailings material.



Waste rock characterisation has been undertaken and shows that it contains material which has potentially acid forming (PAF) and metalliferous drainage, in addition to dispersive or saline material. The portion of PAF material is less than 1% of total waste volumes. Waste dumps have been designed for the life of mine that have incorporated cells to safely encapsulate the PAF material. The waste dump is to be located near the boxcut to minimise haulage distance and considering the local surface terrain and environmental and cultural aspects.



A staged approach for approvals is being undertaken, with Stage 1 currently approved, which has allowed the development of the boxcut, decline and service corridor. These approvals also allow for a waste rock dump, evaporation ponds and supporting infrastructure such as offices and workshops.



Stage 2 approvals will consist of a SLOS underground mine, permanent infrastructure corridor, associated infrastructure and changes to Telfer approvals to accept Havieron tailings in existing tailings storage facilities. Infrastructure The Havieron Sub-Level Open Stoping mine is a greenfield project and will require the following infrastructure to support mining operations: Ventilation fans and refrigeration equipment;

Paste plant;

Surface Mining Infrastructure Area (MIA) including camp, offices, workshops, evaporation ponds, electrical substations, explosive magazines, batch plant, waste dumps, ore stockpile, and other facilities;

Haulage road to transport the ore from Havieron to the Telfer Processing Plant; and

Modifications to the existing Telfer Processing plant to treat the ore coming from Havieron. The capital and operating costs for the above have been estimated in the Pre-Feasibility Study. Costs Capital and operating costs have been determined as part of the Pre-Feasibility Study.



Capital cost estimates are based on multiple market prices across all technical disciplines and include processing upgrade and mine development costs along with associated surface and underground infrastructure, project establishment and sustaining capital costs. These provisions have been allowed for during the life of the mine based on most recent Pre-Feasibility plan estimates. Contingency has also been factored into the project capital cost estimate consistent with the level of accuracy of the study.



The operating cost estimate includes the mining cost, surface transport cost, processing cost and relevant site general and administration costs. Ore Reserve cost estimates have been reviewed as part of the study execution and are considered to be to a Pre-Feasibility Study level.



Long term metal prices and exchange rate assumptions adopted in the Pre-Feasibility Study 2021 are US$1,300/oz for gold, US$3.00/lb for copper, at a USD:AUD exchange rate of 0.75. These assumptions are consistent with Newcrest metal price guidelines for 2021 Ore Reserve reporting.



Transport and refining charges have been developed from first principles consistent with the application of the current Telfer operation. These included charges for deleterious elements, e.g. bismuth where applicable.



Costs include a revenue based payment from mining the Havieron Project area under the ILUA with WDLAC.



State royalties are 2.5% for gold, 5% for copper after allowable deductions. Revenue factors Long term metal prices and exchange rate assumptions adopted in the Pre-Feasibility Study Ore Reserve estimation process are US$1,300/oz for gold, US$3.00/lb for copper, at a USD:AUD exchange rate of 0.75. These assumptions are consistent with Newcrest metal price guidelines for the 2021 Ore Reserve reporting.



The NSR calculation takes into account Ore Reserve revenue factors, metallurgical recovery assumptions, transport costs and refining charges and royalty charges. Market assessment Newcrest is a price taker and gold is sold on the open market and subject to price fluctuations. Supply and demand for gold from Telfer and Havieron is not a constraint in the estimation of the Ore Reserve.



Telfer has sold copper concentrate for its operational life into the world concentrate markets and this is assumed to continue under conditions similar to Newcrest's current market agreements over the life of the operational plan.

Concentrate volume forecasts were derived from the Pre-Feasibility Study production schedule. Economic The Ore Reserve has been evaluated through a financial model. All operating and capital costs as well as revenue factors stated in this document were included in the financial model. A discount factor of 4.5% real was applied. This process demonstrated the Havieron Ore Reserve to have a positive NPV.



Sensitivities were conducted on the key input parameters including commodity prices, capital and operating costs, ore grade, mined tonnes, mining rate, exchange rate and metallurgical recoveries confirming the estimate to be robust. The NPV range has not been provided as it is commercially sensitive. Social The landowners, the Martu people and the WDLAC are key project stakeholders. The Martu hold exclusive possession native title rights and interests over more than 130,000km2 of land, including to all points around the Telfer mine and Havieron Project. The ILUA with WDLAC, centred on the Telfer mine, extends to the Havieron Project. Other The only identified material naturally occurring risk at Havieron is flooding from large rain events typically associated with the cyclone season. The existing boxcut has been located and all other surface connections to the surface have been designed above a modelled 1 in 1,000 year Average Recurrence Interval (ARI) event where possible, or will be elevated such that large volumes of water cannot enter the mine workings.



A number of State and Commonwealth statutory requirements are relevant to the Havieron Project and all aspects of the Project will comply with the relevant Government Acts and Regulations applicable in the jurisdiction of Western Australia.



A staged approach for approvals is being undertaken with Stage 1 currently approved which has allowed the development of the boxcut, decline and service corridor. These approvals also allow for a waste rock dump, evaporation ponds and supporting infrastructure such as offices and workshops. Minor additional approvals are in the process of being obtained and include a Groundwater Licence amendment and Part V approval to allow the operation of the evaporation ponds, waste water treatment plant and to allow construction of a landfill for non-mineralised waste.



The Part V licence and registrations have approved Works Approvals and detailed consultation regarding the Groundwater Licence and associated Water Management Plan has occurred.



Stage 2 approvals will consist of a SLOS underground mine, permanent infrastructure corridor, associated infrastructure and changes to Telfer approvals (processing of Havieron ore, Tailings Storage Facility 8 [TSF8] raise to accept Havieron tailings), groundwater use at Havieron.



The approval strategy for Stage 2 consists of both Commonwealth and State level approvals with engagement well advanced with all regulatory bodies. The timelines outlined in the Pre-Feasibility Study are considered achievable.

A Mining Lease has been granted over the orebody, and miscellaneous leases granted along the existing service corridor. For Stage 2 approvals, an additional miscellaneous lease will be applied for to secure access for an infrastructure corridor to connect Telfer and Havieron (haul road, powerlines, water pipes). This is not considered a risk to the timelines or project. Classification The Ore Reserve classification is based on Indicated Mineral Resources only. No Measured Mineral Resources are stated for this deposit. This classification is based on geological confidence as a function of continuity and complexity of geological features; data spacing and distribution and estimation quality parameters including distance to informing samples for block grade estimation.



Inferred Mineral Resource material has been included within the Probable Ore Reserve as mined dilution due to the nature of stoping mining. This is a relatively small proportion (0.03 Moz gold or 2% & 1.2 kt copper or 1.6%) of the tabled Ore Reserve. Even without consideration of Inferred Mineral Resource material in the mining inventory, the proportion of Indicated Mineral Resource material would still conclusively deliver a Probable Ore Reserve.

It is the Competent Person's view that the classifications used for the Ore Reserves are appropriate. Audits or reviews Golder Associates Pty Ltd (Golder) was commissioned to conduct an independent review of the Ore Reserve estimation processes and results.



Golder concluded that the Ore Reserve had been prepared using accepted industry practice and is considered suitable and reported in accordance with the JORC Code, 2012 Edition. Discussion of relative accuracy/ confidence The accuracy of the estimates within this Ore Reserve is mostly determined by the order of accuracy associated with the Mineral Resource estimate, the geotechnical input and the cost factors used.



The Competent Person views the Havieron Ore Reserve a reasonable assessment of the global estimate. Some risk and opportunity is associated with the Ore Reserve process due to the greenfield nature of the project. Remaining areas of uncertainty at this stage are associated with: Cost base assumptions rely on current technology and macroeconomic factors. Changes to these assumptions will have an impact on the Ore Reserve estimate.

The Modifying Factors (key inputs) for Ore Reserve estimation rely upon the geology and geotechnical data inherent to the orebody. This data, such as geological structures and rock mass properties, is to the appropriate definition and has been applied within the Pre-Feasibility Study, however further orebody data is required to confirm the geological and geotechnical information and is planned as part of the Forward Works Programme.

Forward Looking Statements

This document includes forward looking statements and forward looking information within the meaning of securities laws of applicable jurisdictions. Forward looking statements can generally be identified by the use of words such as "may", "will", "expect", "intend", "plan", "estimate", "anticipate", "believe", "continue", "objectives", "targets", "outlook" and "guidance", or other similar words and may include, without limitation, statements regarding estimated reserves and resources, certain plans, strategies, aspirations and objectives of management, anticipated production, study or construction dates, expected costs, cash flow or production outputs and anticipated productive lives of projects and mines. Newcrest continues to distinguish between outlook and guidance. Guidance statements relate to the current financial year. Outlook statements relate to years subsequent to the current financial year.

These forward looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause Newcrest's actual results, performance and achievements or industry results to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements, or industry results, expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Relevant factors may include, but are not limited to, changes in commodity prices, foreign exchange fluctuations and general economic conditions, increased costs and demand for production inputs, the speculative nature of exploration and project development, including the risks of obtaining necessary licences and permits and diminishing quantities or grades of reserves, political and social risks, changes to the regulatory framework within which Newcrest operates or may in the future operate, environmental conditions including extreme weather conditions, recruitment and retention of personnel, industrial relations issues and litigation. For further information as to the risks which may impact on Newcrest's results and performance, please see the risk factors included in the Operating and Financial Review included in the Appendix 4E and Financial Report for the year ended 30 June 2021 which is available to view at www.asx.com.au under the code "NCM" and on Newcrest's SEDAR profile.

Forward looking statements are based on Newcrest's good faith assumptions as to the financial, market, regulatory and other relevant environments that will exist and affect Newcrest's business and operations in the future. Newcrest does not give any assurance that the assumptions will prove to be correct. There may be other factors that could cause actual results or events not to be as anticipated, and many events are beyond the reasonable control of Newcrest. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward looking statements, particularly in the current economic climate with the significant volatility, uncertainty and disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Forward looking statements in this document speak only at the date of issue. Except as required by applicable laws or regulations, Newcrest does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any of the forward looking statements or to advise of any change in assumptions on which any such statement is based.

Non-IFRS Information

Newcrest's results are reported under International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). This document includes certain

non-IFRS financial information within the meaning of ASIC Regulatory Guide 230: 'Disclosing non-IFRS financial information' published by ASIC and within the meaning of Canadian Securities Administrators Staff Notice 52-306 - Non-GAAP Financial Measures. Such information includes: 'Free Cash Flow' (calculated as cash flow from operating activities less cash flow related to investing activities and 'AISC' (All-In Sustaining Cost) as per the updated World Gold Council Guidance Note on Non-GAAP Metrics released November 2018. AISC will vary from period to period as a result of various factors including production performance, timing of sales and the level of sustaining capital and the relative contribution of each asset. These measures are used internally by Newcrest management to assess the performance of the business and make decisions on the allocation of resources and are included in this document to provide greater understanding of the underlying performance of Newcrest's operations. The non-IFRS information has not been subject to audit or review by Newcrest's external auditor and should be used in addition to IFRS information. Such non-IFRS financial information/non-GAAP financial measures do not have a standardised meaning prescribed by IFRS and may be calculated differently by other companies. Although Newcrest believes these non-IFRS/non-GAAP financial measures provide useful information to investors in measuring the financial performance and condition of its business, investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any non-IFRS financial information/non-GAAP financial measures included in this document. When reviewing business performance, this non-IFRS information should be used in addition to, and not as a replacement of, measures prepared in accordance with IFRS, available on Newcrest's website, the ASX platform and SEDAR.

Ore Reserves and Mineral Resources Reporting Requirements

As an Australian Company with securities listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX), Newcrest is subject to Australian disclosure requirements and standards, including the requirements of the Corporations Act 2001 and the ASX. Investors should note that it is a requirement of the ASX listing rules that the reporting of ore reserves and mineral resources in Australia is in accordance with the 2012 Edition of the Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves (the JORC Code) and that Newcrest's ore reserve and mineral resource estimates comply with the JORC Code.

Newcrest is also subject to certain Canadian disclosure requirements and standards, as a result of its secondary listing on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX), including the requirements of National Instrument 43-101 (NI 43-101). Investors should note that it is a requirement of Canadian securities law that the reporting of Mineral Reserves and Mineral Resources in Canada and the disclosure of scientific and technical information concerning a mineral project on a property material to Newcrest comply with

NI 43-101.

Newcrest's material properties are currently Cadia, Lihir, Red Chris and Wafi-Golpu. Copies of the NI 43-101 Reports for Cadia, Lihir and Wafi-Golpu, which were released on 14 October 2020, are available at www.newcrest.com and on Newcrest's SEDAR profile. The Red Chris NI 43-101 report is expected to be submitted within 45 days of the date of this market release.

Competent Person's Statement

The information in this document that relates to Havieron Ore Reserves is based on and fairly represents information compiled by Pasqualino Manca. Pasqualino Manca is the Group Manager Mining Studies and a full-time employee of Newcrest Mining Limited. He is a shareholder in Newcrest Mining Limited and is entitled to participate in Newcrest's executive equity long term incentive plan, details of which are included in Newcrest's 2021 Remuneration Report. He is a Fellow of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. Pasqualino Manca has sufficient experience which is relevant to the styles of mineralisation and types of deposit under consideration and to the activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the JORC Code and as a Qualified Person under NI 43-101. Pasqualino Manca approves the disclosure of scientific and technical information contained in this document and consents to the inclusion of material of the matters based on his information in the form and context in which it appears.

The information in this document that relates to Havieron Mineral Resources is based on and fairly represents information compiled by Ashok Doorgapershad. Ashok Doorgapershad is the Chief Geologist and a full-time employee of Newcrest Mining Limited. He is a shareholder in Newcrest Mining Limited and is entitled to participate in Newcrest's executive equity long term incentive plan, details of which are included in Newcrest's 2021 Remuneration Report. He is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. Ashok Doorgapershad has sufficient experience which is relevant to the styles of mineralisation and types of deposit under consideration and to the activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the JORC Code and as a Qualified Person under NI 43-101. Ashok Doorgapershad approves the disclosure of scientific and technical information contained in this document and consents to the inclusion of material of the matters based on his information in the form and context in which it appears.

The information in this document that relates to Exploration Results at Havieron has been extracted from Newcrest's releases titled "Exploration Update" dated 9 September 2021 and "Quarterly Exploration Report" dated 22 July 2021, 28 January 2021 and 29 October 2020 (the original releases). The original exploration releases are available to view at www.asx.com.au under the code "NCM" and on Newcrest's SEDAR profile. Newcrest confirms that it is not aware of any new information or data that materially affects the information included in the original releases and that all material assumptions and technical parameters underpinning the estimates in the original releases continue to apply and have not materially changed. Newcrest confirms that the form and context in which the competent person's findings are presented have not been materially modified from the original releases.

Authorised by a Newcrest Board Committee

For further information please contact

Investor Enquiries

Tom Dixon

+61 3 9522 5570

+61 450 541 389

Tom.Dixon@newcrest.com.au

Ben Lovick

+61 3 9522 5334

+61 407 269 478

Ben.Lovick@newcrest.com.au

North American Investor Enquiries

Ryan Skaleskog

+1 866 396 0242

+61 403 435 222

Ryan.Skaleskog@newcrest.com.au

Media Enquiries

Tom Dixon

+61 3 9522 5570

+61 450 541 389

Tom.Dixon@newcrest.com.au

This information is available on our website at www.newcrest.com.

1 The Pre-Feasibility Study is subject to an accuracy range of 25%. The findings in the Study and the implementation of the Havieron Project are subject to all the necessary approvals, permits, internal and regulatory requirements and further works. The estimates are indicative only and are subject to market and operating conditions. They should not be construed as guidance.

2 The production targets underpinning the Study estimates are LOM average annual gold and copper production of 160koz Au and 6.9kt Cu. The production targets are based on the utilisation of 100% of the total Havieron Ore Reserves, being 1.6Moz Au and 73Kt Cu Probable Ore Reserves, as set out on Page 12, which have been prepared by a Competent Person in accordance with Appendix 5A of the ASX Listing Rules.

3 As Havieron's functional currency is AUD, the Study has been assessed in AUD. AUD values have been converted to USD using an exchange rate of 0.75.

4 Payback is the earliest date that net accumulated free cash flow is equal to zero. This is calculated from first commercial production which is defined as the expected commencement date of saleable gold production.

5 Subject to market and operating conditions, all necessary approvals, regulatory requirements and no unforeseen delays (including any delays due to COVID-19).

6 Represents 100% of the Ore Reserve for Havieron. Newcrest's joint venture interest in the Ore Reserve is currently 40%. Newcrest has now met the Stage 3 farm-in requirement and has earnt an additional 20% joint venture interest, resulting in a joint venture interest of 60%. Upon delivery of the PFS, Newcrest is entitled to earn an additional 10% joint venture interest, resulting in an overall joint venture interest of 70% (Greatland Gold 30%).

7 Inclusive of previously approved Early Works funding totalling A$146 million (US$112 million). See Newcrest release titled "Havieron Project receives regulatory and funding approval" dated 13 January 2021 which is available to view at www.asx.com.au under the code of "NCM" and on Newcrest's SEDAR profile.

8 Upon finalisation of the Study, Greatland Gold is obliged to fund 30% of all project expenditure going forward and Newcrest is obliged to fund 70%. This funding split will adjust to 25% Greatland Gold and 75% Newcrest if Newcrest exercises its option to acquire the additional 5% interest in the 12 months from 12 December 2021.

9 Using a discount factor of 4.5% (real).

10 Newcrest has now met the Stage 3 farm-in requirement and has earnt an additional 20% joint venture interest, resulting in a joint venture interest of 60%. Upon delivery of the PFS, Newcrest is entitled to earn an additional 10% joint venture interest resulting in an overall joint venture interest of 70% (Greatland Gold 30%).

11 Total operating costs includes mining costs, processing costs, infrastructure costs and general and administrative costs.

12 Data is reported to two significant figures to reflect appropriate precision in the estimate and this may cause some apparent discrepancies in totals. Data represents 100% of the Mineral Resource for Havieron. Newcrest 's joint venture interest in the Mineral Resource is 40%. Newcrest has now met the Stage 3 farm-in requirement and has earnt an additional 20% joint venture interest, resulting in a joint venture interest of 60%. Upon delivery of the PFS, Newcrest is entitled to earn an additional 10% joint venture interest, resulting in an overall joint venture interest of 70% (Greatland Gold 30%).

13 Data is reported to two significant figures to reflect appropriate precision in the estimate and this may cause some apparent dis
BEIJING, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- An international forum on science and technology and foreign trade and economic cooperation kicked off on Saturday in Changzhou, east China'sJiangsu Province.

About 12 major fund projects worth more than 20 billion yuan and 27 key industrial projects worth 63 billion yuan were signed at the forum themed on "An International Star City of Intelligent Manufacturing and A Pivotal Hub in the Yangtze River Delta Region".

Chen Jinhu, Secretary of the CPC Changzhou Municipal Committee, noted that the city is more eager for talents and projects than ever before, and also in a better position to serve talents to achieve great success.

It is learned that up to now, a total of 68 companies of the Fortune Global 500 list have invested 119 projects in Changzhou, and the total actual use of foreign capital reached 42.2 billion U.S. dollars.

This is a city filled with unlimited business opportunities, said Sheng Lei, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Changzhou Municipal Committee and acting mayor of Changzhou, adding that Changzhou is now comprehensively improving its level of high-quality development and promoting all-round modernization.

It is reported that construction on four key talent enterprise projects, including Ninebot's intelligent short-haul transportation project, and three high-quality education projects began on Friday in Changzhou Science & Education Town with a total investment of about 2.5 billion yuan.

See the original link: https://en.imsilkroad.com/p/324222.html

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DUBAI, UAE, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Apical Group, a leading agri-business processor of palm oil and member of the RGE group of companies, has secured a US$750 million sustainability-linked loan from a syndicate of lenders. First Abu Dhabi Bank is the Mandate Lead Arranger Bank and Facility Agent for the loan. This is a first for Apical, and one of a few within the palm oil industry, where borrowing is tied to sustainability targets and performance.

The loan, issued to Apical's units Apical Middle East and AAA Oils & Fats Pte Ltd, is structured as a two-year revolving credit and four-year term loan facilities. Under the facilities, Apical is committed to meeting improvement targets for a range of environmental, social and governance (ESG) metrics, as assessed by Environmental Resources Management, a London-headquartered global provider of environmental, health, safety, risk and social issues consulting services.

Fawaz Abusneineh, Acting Head of Global Corporate Finance, First Abu Dhabi Bank, commented, "We congratulate Apical on this achievement. ESG is an increasing focus for borrowers and investors globally and it reflects very highly on Apical being amongst the first names in Asia, and companies in its industry sector, to embrace this. I am confident that such forward-thinking commitment to achieving its sustainability goals will position Apical advantageously for the future."

The targets are based on Apical's commitment to ensure a sustainable supply chain. Performance against the pre-determined targets will be assessed on an annual basis for the loan period, and incentives awarded accordingly. The loan will be used to finance working capital and capital expenditure requirements of Apical Group.

Apical's Executive Director, Pratheepan Karunagaran, said, "This is a milestone for Apical and a testament to the commitment and confidence we have in our ESG performance. The spirit of continuous improvement is deeply rooted in our corporate culture and we are motivated to perform even better to deliver against the loan targets set. We are grateful for the enthusiasm of our financiers and hope that our success will serve as a catalyst in further developing sustainability-linked financing in the sector."

The loan facilities received overwhelming demand with participation from 22 banks in nine countries. Among the Mandate Lead Arrangers and Bookrunners are First Abu Dhabi Bank, E.Sun Commercial Bank, Ltd, Mega International Commercial Bank Co., Ltd, MUFG Bank, Ltd, Bank Sinopac, and Taishin International Bank Co., Ltd.

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VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / October 12, 2021 / Cielo WasteSolutions Corp. (TSXV:CMC;OTCQB:CWSFF) ("Cielo" or the "Company") today provides an operational and corporate update, highlighting the following:

Successful commissioning of the desulphurization unit at Aldersyde, Alberta facility (the "Aldersyde Facility") constitutes completion of one of the important components of ongoing research and development ("R&D") activities to progress toward continuous production on a commercial scale;

The desulphurization unit is anticipated to enable Cielo to generate higher revenue from its waste-to-fuel products once continuous production on a commercial scale is attained; and

Mr. Chris Sabat assumes the role of Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary with expanded corporate responsibilities.

Desulphurization

The desulphurization process is one of the important components of ongoing R&D activities to progress toward continuous production on a commercial scale. We are pleased with the performance of the desulphurization unit during its initial run at the Aldersyde Facility. The successful commissioning of the desulphurization unit at the Aldersyde Facility demonstrates that Cielo is capable of producing diesel with a sulphur content that complies with road diesel requirements in North America.

On September 27, 2021, Cielo began the final commissioning procedures for the safe start-up of the desulphurization unit for the initial run. The Company completed mechanical, instrumentation, and electrical verification processes required for the desulphurization unit to start up. The desulphurization unit was then purged and loop checks were completed followed by commencement of the warmup sequence. Diesel feed, with a high sulfur content, averaging 800 parts per million ("ppm"), was initiated into the desulphurization unit, after which the unit was monitored and tuned to verify and record the specific on-site parameters and metrics of operation and performance. The Company is very pleased to report that this initial run, and the operation of the desulphurization unit, have met the operational expectations based on the Company's design parameters:

the desulphurization unit was operated at a constant pressure of 1,000 kilopascal (145 psi) and processed a total of 25,000 liters (6,604 gallons) of diesel;

the diesel processing flow rate ranged from 500 liters (132 gallons) per hour ("lph" and "gph") to 1,500 lph (396 gph), with an average inlet sulfur content of 800 ppm;

the diesel produced after the desulphurization process contained a sulfur content of less than 15 ppm; and

preliminary operational data indicated that the expected operating cost of the desulphurization process which ranged from approximately $0.08/litre ($0.31/gallon) to $0.13/litre ($0.50/gallon), was within the Company's anticipated design parameters.

Further system testing and tuning will be performed as the Company continues to streamline its overall processes at the Aldersyde Facility. In addition, Cielo remains committed to advancing the priorities that were outlined in the September 27, 2021 press release and the subsequent conference call held on September 29, 2021. These priorities are designed to accelerate the drive toward commercialization and revenue.

In order to achieve continuous production on a commercial scale, the next steps include undertaking engineered process modifications to the inlet feed system, the reactor, and biomass waste management system at the Aldersyde Facility. In parallel, Cielo has initiated, and is well into, the design phase of the scaled-down version (60 lph/16 gph) of a full-scale 4,000 lph (1,057 gph) facility in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta (the "R&D Facility"). Cielo anticipates that the fabrication and construction phase of this R&D Facility will commence by the end of Q1 2022.

The utilization of the Company's desulphurization unit is anticipated to enable Cielo to generate higher revenue from its waste-to-fuel products. Diesel with a sulphur content that complies with road diesel requirements in North America, can be sold at a higher price, compared to diesel with higher sulphur content.

All amounts in this news release are in Canadian dollars unless otherwise indicated.

Corporate Update

In addition to the operational advancements, Cielo continues to streamline and enhance the strength of the corporate structure, optimize costs, and establish clear and transparent processes. As a result of these efforts, Cielo's Board of Directors expanded the responsibilities of Mr. Chris Sabat, who is now Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary. Mr. Sabat will oversee and manage all matters related to corporate services, including Health, Safety & Environment, Human Resources, Vendor Management, Information Technologies, and Joint Arrangements. Previously, Mr. Sabat held the title of Corporate Secretary and General Counsel.

Lionel Robins, formerly SVP Global Development and Indigenous Relations, and Raphael Bohlmann, formerly SVP Corporate Development and Investor Relations, have resigned their positions with Cielo in order to focus their efforts on Renewable U Energy Inc. with which Cielo has entered into several Memorandums of Understanding. Cielo thanks Mr. Robins and Mr. Bohlmann for their contributions.

Cielo's Board of Directors are currently in the process of shortlisting candidates for appointment to the Board and the selection of a Lead Director, with such optimal skills and experience needed to facilitate the continued growth and governance oversight of the Company.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

"Gregg Gegunde"

Gregg Gegunde, CEO and COO Company Contact:

Chris Sabat

Email: csabat@cielows.com

Telephone: 1-(403)-348-2972

Website: www.cielows.com For further information please contact:

Cielo Investor Relations

Email: investors@cielows.com

Telephone: 1-(403)-348-2972

Website: www.cielows.com RB Milestone Group LLC (USA):

Trevor Brucato, Managing Director

Email: cielo@rbmilestone.com

New York, NY & Stamford, CT

About Cielo Waste Solutions Corp.

Cielo is a publicly traded company with a proprietary technology that transforms certain types of landfill garbage into high-grade diesel, kerosene (aviation jet and marine fuel) and naphtha. Cielo's proven and patented technology is currently being deployed in the Company's Aldersyde, Alberta facility, where wood waste is currently being converted into renewable fuels. Cielo's experienced management team is well positioned with strategic partners in place to expand aggressively across Canada, into the US and then globally. The waste/feedstock that will be used in the Company's green facilities is the world's widely available and inexpensive feedstock, including household, commercial, construction garbage, used tires, railway ties, telephone poles, as well as all types of plastic, some of which currently cannot be recycled or deposited into landfills. Cielo's goal is to manufacture waste to fuel while ridding the world of unwanted and problematic garbage.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements

This News Release contains certain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively referred to herein as "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. All statements other than statements of present or historical fact are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "anticipate", "achieve", "could", "believe", "plan", "intend", "objective", "continuous", "ongoing", "estimate", "outlook", "expect", "may", "will", "project", "should" or similar words, including negatives thereof, suggesting future outcomes.

Forward-looking statements are subject to both known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company, that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward looking statements. CIELO is making forward looking statements, with respect to, but not limited to: achieving continuous production on a commercial scale; generating higher revenue as a result of the successful commissioning and implementation of the desulphurization unit; the planned performance of further system testing and tuning; the continued streamlining of processes at the Aldersyde Facility; continued advancement of priorities with respect to acceleration towards commercialization and revenue; the undertaking of steps outlined above in order achieve continuous production on a commercial scale; the completion of the fabrication and construction of the R&D Facility and the timing thereof; the streamline and enhancement of organizational changes and the anticipated benefits thereto including the recruitment process of an additional Board member. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended.

Forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future performance and involve a number of risks and uncertainties, some of which are described herein. Such forward-looking statements necessarily involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause the Company's actual performance and results to differ materially from any projections of future performance or results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and, except as required by law, neither the Company assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise such statements to reflect new information, subsequent or otherwise. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange), nor OTCQB nor WKN, have reviewed, and do not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of, the content of this Press Release.

SOURCE: Cielo Waste Solutions Corp.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/667679/Cielo-Announces-Operational-and-Corporate-Update
EQS Group-Ad-hoc: Lonza Group AG / Key word(s): Conference/Forecast

Capital Markets Day 2021: Lonza to Capture Market Demand and Ensure Sustainable Value Creation Through Long-Term Growth



12-Oct-2021 / 07:01 CET/CEST

Release of an ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 LR

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.





Ad Hoc News Release Pursuant to Art. 53 Listing Rules

At its Capital Markets Day, Lonza outlined strategic priorities and innovation highlights with a clear focus on sustainable value creation

Accelerated, de-risked, long-term investment program will drive sustainable business growth

2021 CAPEX anticipated at around 25% of sales, and remain elevated at current levels for the next few years, returning to high-teens by 2025

2024 Group Guidance: low-teens CER sales growth, CORE EBITDA margin of around 33% to 35% and double-digit ROIC

Basel, Switzerland, 12 October 2021 - At its Capital Markets Day hosted today, Lonza provided more details of the company's strategic priorities at a Group and divisional level. The following key priorities support the company's continuing commitment to sustainable value creation:

A de-risked long-term investment program

Operational excellence to deliver customer value

Differentiation through ongoing innovation

Updated commitments to advance sustainability

Ambitious recruitment and talent management

The favorable market dynamics across Lonza's businesses create attractive investment opportunities, reflected in the company's growth plans. Lonza is accelerating its de-risked long-term investment program to ensure it can capture increasing market demand and capitalize on future opportunities. These investments will allow Lonza to drive strong growth in the mid-to-long term. The company anticipates 2021 Full-Year CAPEX to reach around 25% of sales and remain elevated at current levels for the next few years, returning to high-teens by 2025.

During today's event, Lonza also outlined each division's strategic and innovation priorities. All Divisions are growing ahead of their reference markets, building on growth investments and innovation. The Biologics division remains the primary driver for growth with an increased focus on innovations across all businesses. Innovation priorities include next-generation modalities, manufacturing optimization and automation.

Driven by strong momentum across businesses, Lonza has updated its 2024 Group and divisional Mid-Term Guidance. At a Group level, the company anticipates:

Low-teens CER sales growth

CORE EBITDA margin of around 33% to 35%

Double-digit ROIC, reflecting positive sales growth and increased investments

At a divisional level, Lonza updated its Guidance as follows:

About Lonza

Lonza is the preferred global partner to the pharmaceutical, biotech and nutrition markets. We work to enable a healthier world by supporting our customers to deliver new and innovative medicines that help treat a wide range of diseases. We achieve this by combining technological insight with world-class manufacturing, scientific expertise and process excellence. Our unparalleled breadth of offerings enables our customers to commercialize their discoveries and innovations in the healthcare sector.

Founded in 1897 in the Swiss Alps, today, Lonza operates across five continents. With approximately 15,000 employees, we comprise high-performing teams and individual talent that make a meaningful difference to our own business, as well as to the communities in which we operate. The company generated sales of CHF 2.5 billion with a CORE EBITDA of CHF 847 million in H1 2021. Find out more at www.lonza.com

Follow @Lonza on LinkedIn

Follow @LonzaGroup on Twitter

Lonza Contact Details

Victoria Morgan

Head of External Communications

Lonza Group Ltd

Tel +41 61 316 2283

victoria.morgan@lonza.com
HEIDELBERG, Germany, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Novaliq, a biopharmaceutical company focusing on first- and best-in-class ocular therapeutics based on the unique EyeSol water-free technology, today announced that it has implemented and applies a quality management system in accordance with Annex IX, Chapter I of the EU Medical Device Regulation (MDR), for conformity assessment of its medical devices NovaTears, NovaTears+Omega-3 and EvoTears OMEGA.

Medical devices are products or equipment intended generally for a medical use. On 26 May, 2021, the Medical Device Directive (MDD) has been replaced by the new Medical Device Regulation (MDR). MDR is designed to be an improved version of MDD, increasing in particular the standards on quality and safety measures.

Medical devices in the EU have to undergo a conformity assessment to demonstrate that they meet legal requirements to ensure they are safe and perform as intended. Manufacturers can place a CE (Conformite Europeenne) mark on a medical device once it has passed a conformity assessment.

The changes introduced in the MDR affect a variety of aspects in the CE marking process. Some of these processes include device classification, technical file documentation, new responsibilities for the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and post-market activities. The goal of this is to increase the qualitative standards of medical devices within the EU, ensuring improved levels of safety whilst encouraging innovation.

An audit by mdc medical device certification GmbH has proven that Novaliq's quality management system fullfils the respective requirements and a conformity certificate has been issued in September 2021.

"We are very pleased with our decision to implement MDR already in 2021. The safety and quality of our products is a priority to us. Therefore we always seek to implement the highest standards for the benefit of patients, customers and partners ," said Christian Roesky, Ph.D., Managing Director and CEO, Novaliq.



About Novaliq's medical device eye care products

NovaTears is the first water-free and preservation-free eye drop for the treatment of dry eye. The product is CE certified since 2014 and successfully commercialized in Australia/New Zealand by AFT Pharmaceuticals and in Europe as EvoTears by Ursapharm. As the first-of-its kind, NovaTears offers a new mode of action by acting as a lubricating lipid layer stabilizer and evaporative barrier for improving tear film stability and quality. NovaTears is clinically validated by demonstrating improvement in signs and symptoms in evaporative dry eye disease (DED) and dry eye associated with meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) patients.1;2 With millions of NovaTears/EvoTears units sold, the technology is proven to be safe and well accepted.

NovaTears+Omega-3 is the first vegan eye drop formulation combining perfluorohexyloctane, the sole ingredient of NovaTears, with omega-3 fatty acid esters which are a natural component of the tear film and potentially important for evaporation and oxidative stress resistance. The product is free of antimicrobial preservatives and does not contain phosphate. NovaTears+Omega-3 eye drops provide an easy and unique way to supply omega-3 right to the place of application for patients concerned about their eyes. The product received CE-marking in October 2017 and is commercialized in Australia/New Zealand by AFT Pharmaceuticals and in Europe as EvoTears OMEGA by Ursapharm.

About Novaliq

Novaliq is a biopharmaceutical company focusing on the development and commercialization of first- and best-in-class ocular therapeutics based on EyeSol, the worldwide first water-free technology. Novaliq offers an industry-leading portfolio addressing today's unmet medical needs of millions of patients with eye diseases. Novaliq GmbH is headquartered in Heidelberg, Germany and Novaliq Inc. has an office in Cambridge, MA, USA. The long-term shareholder is dievini Hopp BioTech holding GmbH & Co. KG, an active investor in Life and Health Sciences companies. More on www.novaliq.com.

References

Steven P, Scherer D, Krosser S, et al. Semifluorinated Alkane Eye Drops for Treatment of Dry Eye Disease--A Prospective, Multicenter Noninterventional Study. J Ocul Pharmacol Ther. 2015;31(8):498-503. Steven P, Augustin AJ, Geerling G, et al. Semifluorinated Alkane Eye Drops for Treatment of Dry Eye Disease Due to Meibomian Gland Disease. J Ocul Pharmacol Ther. 2017;33(9):678-685.

###

Any product/brand names and/or logos are trademarks of the respective owners.

 2021 Novaliq GmbH, Heidelberg, Germany.

Novaliq Media Contact:

Simone Angstmann-Mehr

info@novaliq.com

+49 6221 50259-271



Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1359866/Novaliq_Logo.jpg
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / October 12, 2021 / Pampa Metals Corp. ("Pampa Metals" or the "Company") (CSE:PM)(FSE:FIRA)(OTCQX:PMMCF) is pleased to report on the results of its recently held Annual General Meeting ("AGM") and is also pleased to announce that Paul Gill has joined the Company's Board of Directors (the "Board").

Pampa Metals has a unique property portfolio of eight (8) projects, covering a series of greenfield copper and gold targets along the highly productive, world-class mineral belts of northern Chile. The company has a highly qualified board and management, with lengthy experience with major and junior companies, participation in significant discoveries, and multiple decades of experience in South America. Current technical updates include:

Ongoing geophysical, geochemical, and geological surveys have identified high-quality drill targets on 4 wholly owned projects;

Recent drilling at 2 projects has given clear vectors towards what are interpreted to be mineralised porphyry centers;

Value-add via third party expenditures with an Option & JV Agreement at 2 additional projects.

Paul Gill, newly appointed Board member at Pampa Metals stated: "Having experienced a copper bull market in the mid-2000s with Norsemont Mining, I was surprised and pleased to learn about the top tier management, extensive 8 property, 59,000 Ha land package, and the sound strategic plan to develop these assets. I am honoured to join the board of Pampa Metals and excited to see the plan unfold."

Pampa Metals - AGM

Pampa Metals is pleased to report that its recent AGM, which took place virtually on September 30, 2021, voted overwhelmingly in favour of the resolutions placed before shareholders. The AGM had been properly called and the Company's financial statements and auditor's report were duly presented for discussion. The resolutions passed were:

To fix the number of Directors of the Company at five (5) for the ensuing period;

To nominate Julian R.F. Bavin, Adrian Manger, Timothy J. Beale, Ioannis (Yannis) Tsitos, and A. Paul Gill for election as Directors of the Company: Paul Gill was duly approved and added to the existing Board of Directors who were all re-elected;

To appoint Dale Matheson Carr-Hilton LaBonte LLP as Auditors of the Company;

To approve the continuation of the Company's Stock Option Plan.

Adrian Manger, Chairman of Pampa Metals, commented: "The Board of Directors values the confidence demonstrated by our shareholders and thanks them for their ongoing support of Pampa Metals. We enthusiastically welcome Paul Gill to the Board. Paul's experience and track record in business and capital markets will further complement the breadth and depth of the Company's Board as we continue to explore our portfolio."

The Board has agreed to award 600,000 Stock Options to Paul Gill at an exercise price of $0.45 per share option, in accordance with the recently ratified Company Stock Option Plan.

About Paul Gill

Mr. Gill is currently a Director and Chairman of Lomiko Metals Inc., a graphite and lithium developer in Quebec. He was previously heavily involved in the dynamic growth stage of Norsemont Mining Inc. ("Norsemont") in Peru. At Norsemont, he served as vice-president of business development, as well as the director, President and CEO, CFO, and Corporate Secretary. In 2011, Norsemont's key asset, the Constancia Project, was purchased by HudBay Minerals for $512 Million. Today, the project is an operating 30,000 tonne per day copper-molybdenum mine with an estimated net value of $20 billion.

Mr. Gill's addition adds further strength to the Board's composition. Existing directors of the Company bring extensive experience in the mineral exploration and development industry. Their backgrounds include working in senior roles for several major, multinational mining corporations, as well as decades of combined experience living and working in South American countries, with a particular focus on Chile. The Company's directors have been involved with teams that acquired or discovered major mineral deposits, some of which have been developed into operating mines, and have been involved with both private and public junior explorers with substantial financings.

ABOUT PAMPA METALS

Pampa Metals is a Canadian company listed on the Canadian Stock Exchange (CSE:PM) as well as the Frankfurt (FSE:FIRA) and OTC (OTCQX:PMMCF) exchanges. Pampa Metals owns a highly prospective 59,000-hectare portfolio of eight projects for copper and gold located along proven mineral belts in Chile, one of the world's top mining jurisdictions. The Company has a vision to create value for shareholders and all other stakeholders by making a major copper discovery along the prime mineral belts of Chile, using the best geological and technological methods. For more information, please visit Pampa Metals' website www.pampametals.com.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Adrian Manger | Chairman

www.pampametals.com

INVESTOR CONTACT

Ioannis (Yannis) Tsitos | Director

investors@pampametals.com

The CSE nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This news release contains certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical fact, that address events or developments that Pampa Metals expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential", "indicate" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Although Pampa Metals believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guaranteeing of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements.

SOURCE: Pampa Metals Corp.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/667673/Pampa-Metals-Provides-Corporate-Update-and-Welcomes-Paul-Gill-to-Its-Board
Collaborative team to progress novel USP30 DUB inhibitors to develop potential therapies for Parkinson's disease

Mission Therapeutics ("Mission"), a drug discovery and development company focused on treating mitochondrial diseases, fibrosis and neurodegenerative disorders by selectively inhibiting deubiquitylating enzymes (DUBs), announced today that it has been awarded a Therapeutic Pipeline Program grant of approximately 0.5M USD from The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (MJFF).

Following a previous grant awarded in 2017, this research grant will support testing of Mission's lead CNS-penetrant USP30 DUB inhibitors in an in vivo model of Familial Parkinson's Disease (PD), as well as ongoing preclinical development towards candidate selection.

Parkinson's disease is a chronic, degenerative neurological disorder that affects one in 100 people over age 60. Estimates of the number of people living with the disease vary due to high rates of misdiagnosis, but research indicates that it is at least one million people in the United States and more than five million worldwide.

USP30 is a mitochondrial-associated DUB that negatively regulates mitophagy a process in which dysfunctional mitochondria are tagged with ubiquitin and selectively degraded and cleared from the cell. In some forms of familial PD, the protein that adds the ubiquitin, Parkin, is impaired, leading to reduced mitochondrial quality control. This can lead to degeneration of highly active substantia nigra neurons in the brain, which results in Early Onset Parkinson's Disease (EOPD). It is believed that inhibition of USP30 will improve mitochondrial quality control, resulting in neuroprotection.

The MJFF grant will fund a set of studies to measure the effect of Mission's lead CNS USP30 inhibitor on dopaminergic neuron protection. They will also assess indicators of mitochondrial quality control loss that are commonly observed in EOPD patients, such as elevated mitochondrial DNA mutations and inflammation.

Shalini Padmanabhan, PhD, Director of Research Programs at MJFF, said: "The number of people living with Parkinson's continues to grow, but there are currently no treatments capable of stopping or reversing progression of this debilitating disease. Mission's CNS-penetrant USP30 DUB inhibitors may offer an opportunity to make a meaningful impact on the lives of PD patients by improving the health of cells in the brain. We are proud to support a project aiming to meet this critical unmet need."

Dr Paul Thompson, Mission's Chief Scientific Officer, added: "Receiving funding from the Michael J. Fox Foundation is a great accolade, recognizing the importance of USP30 as a potential therapeutic target for PD, and the quality of Mission's chemistry. We are also pleased to contribute to further validation of non-clinical in vivo models of PD, an area which requires ongoing collaboration and support. We hope this will be the first of many Mission DUB inhibitor programs that can address specific disease-driving pathologies in both Parkinson's Disease and other neurodegenerative disorders."

It is anticipated that USP30 inhibitor mechanisms will apply to idiopathic PD, neurodegenerative disorders, and other diseases more broadly. Mission's first USP30 inhibitor, a non-CNS penetrant molecule, is scheduled to enter the clinic in early 2022 for kidney and liver disease.

- ENDS -

NOTES TO EDITORS:

About MissionTherapeutics

Mission Therapeutics is an early-stage drug development company targeting the ubiquitin pathway for the treatment of kidney disease, neurodegenerative disease, rare mitochondrial diseases andfibrosis. The Company has built a leading platform for the discovery and development of first-in-class, small molecule drugs that selectively target deubiquitylating enzymes (DUBs) an emerging drug class that is attracting significant commercial interest in the area of protein homeostasis.

Mission has strong links with key academic and research centers, including Prof. Steve Jackson's Cancer Research UK Laboratories at the University of Cambridge Gurdon Institute, and leading UK centres in neurodegenerative diseases. The Company also has secured major industry partnerships, including its collaboration with AbbVie in November 2018, for the research and preclinical development of specified DUB inhibitors for the treatment of Alzheimer's Disease and Parkinson's Disease. The Company is managed by a team with broad international, commercial and clinical-science experience.

To date the Company has received 73 million $101 million in funding and its investors comprise blue chip institutional and corporate investors including: Pfizer Venture Investments, Sofinnova Partners, Roche Venture Fund, SR One, IP Group and Rosetta Capital. Mission Therapeutics was founded in 2011 and is based at the Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge, UK.

For more information, please visit our website, www.missiontherapeutics.com, or follow us on Twitter or LinkedIn.

About The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research

As the world's largest nonprofit funder of Parkinson's research, The Michael J. Fox Foundation is dedicated to accelerating a cure for Parkinson's disease and improved therapies for those living with the condition today. The Foundation pursues its goals through an aggressively funded, highly targeted research program coupled with active global engagement of scientists, Parkinson's patients, business leaders, clinical trial participants, donors and volunteers.

In addition to funding $1 billion in research to date, the Foundation has fundamentally altered the trajectory of progress toward a cure. Operating at the hub of worldwide Parkinson's research, the Foundation forges groundbreaking collaborations with industry leaders, academic scientists and government research funders; increases the flow of participants into Parkinson's disease clinical trials with its online tool, Fox Trial Finder; promotes Parkinson's awareness through high-profile advocacy, events and outreach; and coordinates the grassroots involvement of thousands of Team Fox members around the world.

For more information, visit us at www.michaeljfox.org, on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211012005037/en/

Contacts:

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Mission Therapeutics Ltd

Anker Lundemose MD PhD

Chief Executive Officer

Tel: +44 (0)1223 607 340

Instinctif Partners

Melanie Toyne-Sewell Katie Duffell

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7457 2013

missiontherapeutics@instinctif.com
LEVALLOIS-PERRET (dpa-AFX) - Alstom SA (AOMFF.PK) on Tuesday said it has won contract worth about 230 million euros for the Line 18 of the 'Grand Paris Express' network. The contract is to supply rolling stock for the 100% automatic rapid transit network located in Ile-de-France, France. The deal also includes providing solutions for driverless automated systems, data transmission, centralised supervision controls and the overall integration of the transport system. Line 18 is a 35 kilometer-long automatic metro line with 14 kilometers of overhead lines connecting Orly airport and Versailles Chantiers. The contract is co-financed by Societe du Grand Paris and Ile-de-France Mobilites. 'Alstom teams are especially proud to win the contract for Line 18 of the Ile-de-France network. After the Toulouse metro system, awarded to us last year, this contract award is further recognition of our expertise in integrated turnkey metro systems and digital mobility. This contract also points to the renewed confidence of our customers, Ile-de-France Mobilites and Societe du Grand Paris,' said Jean-Baptiste Eymeoud, President of Alstom France. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
2021 is Netcetera's big anniversary year. What started as a Swiss start-up 25 years ago has developed into an international IT player with over 800 employees and locations all over the globe. One of those locations, Netcetera in the Middle East, has its 15 years anniversary of being close to the customer to optimally serve them with cutting-edge software products and individual digital solutions. At GITEX Global conference in Dubai, 17-21 October, Netcetera is celebrating these anniversaries, and demonstrates their solutions for secure digital payments, healthcare, Augmented Reality, and digital publishing.

25 years ago, Netcetera registered in the commercial register, developed its first customer project, the very first pizza online store in Switzerland, and recruited its first employees. The start-up then grew into a global company, with locations from Europe to the Far East. One of those strategic locations is in the United Arab Emirates: The Netcetera office in Dubai is celebrating 15 years of success. To grow its business beyond the European continent, Netcetera sees their office in Dubai as the door to the Middle Eastern markets.

To celebrate both anniversaries, Netcetera is taking part in this year's GITEX conference in Dubai, with Netcetera CEO Andrej Vckovski attending. GITEX is an annual consumer computer and electronics conference. Ramy Fouda, Director of Sales and Business Development, says: "We are happy to showcase our 25 years of ingenuity at GITEX, the biggest tech show of the year in this region. We have been serving our customers in the Middle East with high quality and high security software products and individual digital solutions for 15 years advancing digital transformation in the region."

Visit Netcetera's booth if you want to:

Run through a digital inspection process facilitated by AR with the latest Hololens,

get an insight into their digital publishing solution that enables publishing companies to have a smooth transformation to an extensive digital content workflow,

learn how their AI-based fraud detection solution can optimize healthcare with electronic patient records,

and the digital payment solutions of a 3-D Secure market leader can secure your payments.

To set up a meeting at GITEX, visit: https://www.netcetera.com/home/products/gitex

Netcetera also took the anniversary year as an opportunity to write down and illustrate its history as well as visions of the future in a creative style on about 140 pages. Many different protagonists such as founders, current and former employees, customers, and partners tell Netcetera's journey. With this exciting story, the company says thank you for the last 25 years and looks to the future with strong growth plans and a sustainable product pipeline. Get your copy of the Netcetera story at their booth at GITEX.

Here you can find interesting stories about Netcetera and its anniversary year: https://www.netcetera.com/home/25-years-netcetera.html

About Netcetera

Netcetera is a global software company with cutting-edge IT products and individual digital solutions in the areas of secure digital payment, financial technologies, media, transport, healthcare and insurance. More than 2,000 banks and issuers, and 150,000 merchants rely on the digital payment solutions and globally certified 3-D Secure products of the market leader for payment security. The owner-managed company covers the entire IT lifecycle, from ideation and strategy to implementation and operation. The balanced combination of the latest technologies and proven standards ensures investment security, from large-scale projects to innovative start-ups. Founded in 1996, Netcetera is a holding company with around 800 employees and is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, with additional locations across Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

Further information: netcetera.com

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211012005487/en/

Contacts:

Angelika Seiler

Head of Content

angelika.seiler@netcetera.com

+41 44 297 58 09
Investors can now trade crypto with 5X leverage in more than 150 countries

LONDON, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Blockchain.com , one of the world's oldest and most trusted cryptocurrency platforms, launched margin trading on its Exchange. Upon launch, users can access margin with up to 5X leverage in the BTC-USD trading pair in more than 150 countries.

Margin trading offers investors the opportunity to increase profit potential through leverage, which means increased buying and selling power on trades. For example, if a trader wants to purchase $1,000 worth of Bitcoin on the BTC-USD pair with 5X leverage, they'll only need $200 in either BTC or USD as collateral in the account to have a full position worth $1,000. Delivering flexibility with fund management, users can use either a base or counter currency to open margin positions.

With .12% daily (.0005% hourly) on open margin positions, Blockchain.com's Exchange margin rates are among the lowest and most competitive in the industry.

"We're always iterating and improving our core product experience and are excited to roll out the most requested features like margin," said Peter Smith, CEO and Co-Founder of Blockchain.com. "We are always looking for ways to expand access to cutting edge financial products to our users."

Margin trading is currently supported for Gold-verified users but is not currently available for users in the US, UK, Canada, Japan, Germany, Austria, Italy, France, The Netherlands and select other countries. To learn more about margin trading, please visit the Support Center .

About Blockchain.com

Blockchain.com is connecting the world to the future of finance. The London and Miami-based company, with an international team spread across the world, is the most trusted and fastest growing crypto company, helping millions across the globe safely access cryptocurrency. Through the use of blockchain technology, Blockchain.com is revolutionizing the $14T financial services industry. It has raised more than $500 million in funding from leading global investors including Eldridge, GV, Kyle Bass, Lakestar, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Moore Strategic Ventures, Rovida Kruptos Assets Limited, and others. Visit Blockchain.com for more info, follow us on Twitter @blockchain, check out The Blockchain.com Podcast, and read our latest Monthly Market Update and blog for the latest company news.

When considering trading on margin, you should determine how the use of margin fits your own investment philosophy. It is important that you fully understand the risks, rules, and requirements involved in trading digital assets on margin. Margin trading increases your level of market risk. You may lose some or all of the collateral you post in connection with a margin trade. Blockchain.com may initiate the sale of digital assets in your account, without contacting you, to meet a margin call. You are not entitled to an extension of time on a margin call. Further details will be set out in the Margin user agreement.

Contact:

Brooks Wallace, Head of Communications

brooks@blockchain.com
Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
HONG KONG, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- LeapXpert, a communications and messaging platform provider, today announced that it has successfully closed its Series A funding round. Altogether, the Company has now raised a total US$14.1 million to date. The investment has been led by LingFeng Capital and Summer Capital, together with four other international investors.

The proceeds from the Series A will be used to expand the LeapXpert team, support the Company's growth, increase product development and accelerate international expansion.

Dima Gutzeit, Founder and CEO of LeapXpert, said, "LeapXpert has changed the way that enterprises communicate. Our platform allows front-office employees to embrace consumer messaging applications safely, securely and in compliance with all regulatory guidelines. The proceeds from our Series A will allow us to accelerate our growth and maintain our leadership of the conversational solutions industry."

Avi Pardo, co-founder and COO of LeapXpert, said, "LeapXpert is growing at a fast pace - we are already serving customers in 45 countries across the globe and have tens of thousands of active users. Our Series A funding enables us to continue driving the transformation of the industry and expand our award-winning solution reach to customers and partners around the world. As part of this growth and to better service our global customer base, LeapXpert will be opening offices in the UK, US, Singapore and Japan."

Rina Charles, co-founder and Head of Investment of LeapXpert, said, "This investment is a clear signal that our industry is changing the way that enterprises do business and that LeapXpert is leading the charge."

LeapXpert was founded in 2017 to enable enterprises to embrace consumer messaging applications and integrate them into their business-critical systems and processes. By bringing them together into one centralized platform, enterprises have real-time visibility of conversations over any messaging channel. This means they can proactively control and monitor messages, improve employee productivity and connect vital communications channels with business-critical tools.

Mr Gutzeit continued, "Our platform offers enterprises a seamless, scalable and secure way to communicate with their customers over the channel that they prefer while adhering to their regulatory and governance mandates. Enterprises can no longer ignore the rise of messaging applications as a method of business communication. Instead, they must embrace them."

To learn more about how LeapXpert is transforming front-office to client communications, please visit www.leap.expert

About LeapXpert

LeapXpert enables enterprises to embrace messaging applications and integrate them into their business-critical applications. LeapXpert's Federated Messaging Orchestration Platform (FMOP) empowers companies to securely communicate from a central source to a customer on the messaging app of their choice. It resolves the business, compliance and regulatory challenges the rise of messaging applications' use in business channels has created. We currently have three of the ten top global banks as customers, with tens of thousands of users.
Certified Investment Management Analyst -CIMA certification recognized as global standard for fund allocators

Denver, Co, Oct. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Two associations for investment practitioners who are committed to competent and ethical practice of investment management analysis and fund allocation have formed a multi-year strategic alliance to raise the bar of professionalism, and promote standards of quality for investment professionals around the world.

The strategic alliance aims to support and advance each organization's respective objectives.

The Association of Professional Fund Investors (APFI) will work collaboratively with the Institute to promote global awareness and adoption of the CIMA certification as the most relevant global standard for manager research and fund investing, thereby enhancing the competency and professionalism of services delivered to investors.

Investments & Wealth Institute has entered into a service agreement with APFI to support their aims to empower professional fund investors to learn, share ideas, network with their peers, and have a collective voice to national and global standards bodies and regulatory authorities.

The APFI has previously released a International Accreditations for Fund Selectorsevaluating international accreditations available to industry professionals. While the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation is by far the most widely-held and most well-known accreditation in the financial services industry, the APFI believes that the Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA) accreditation is a better fit for professional fund selectors and recommended the CIMA certification as the most relevant and practical for fund allocators.

Adam Choppin, Executive Chairman of the Board for the APFI said, "All of the credentials we reviewed have excellent curricula and provide professionals with the necessary educational core to act as professional fund and manager selectors. But what sets them apart when you look at them side by side is how relevant, practical and useful each one is to a real working professional and what you have to do to maintain it. When we looked at those things objectively, the CIMA certification rose to the top."

"We really started from a point that said, what set of tools and skills should a fund allocator have, based on our individual experience from across the globe," said APFI Director, Gandy Gandidzanwa .

The CIMA accreditation is one of only six global accreditations approved by the APFI and of those only two require ongoing education to maintain the designation. "I was actually shocked when we did this review and found how few of these accreditations required ongoing education," Choppin said. "That you would say you never have to do anything ever again to be equally qualified doesn't make sense to me. I would never hire a fund manager who never made an effort to improve themselves." Formed in 1988 as a credential for investment management consultants, CIMA certification is one of only a handful of professional certifications in financial services that meets the rigorous accreditation requirements of ISO 17024, a global standard for personnel certifications. Earlier this year, CIMA certification was accredited by the ANSI National Accreditation Board under this standard. Today, the certification requires three years of professional experience, several background checks detailing a clean disciplinary and legal history, completion of a comprehensive executive education program at one of four registered programs - The Wharton School, Chicago Booth School, Yale School of Management, or the Investment Management Research program in Australia. Following 300 hours of self-study, candidates must then pass a 140 question, five-hour examination, with a first time pass rate of 56%. All certified professionals must recertify every two years by maintaining ongoing ethics and continuing education requirements (40 hours every two years).

Operated and managed entirely by member volunteers, and independent of commercial interests, the APFI is a hub for professional allocators and manager research professionals from across the globe. Originally founded in Switzerland and now headquartered in the UK, with a leadership team spread from Cape Town to Kerala and Seattle to Sweden, the APFI's membership reflects the global diversity of the fund investing profession. The APFI has turned to the Investments & Wealth Institute as a technical partner to enable its global membership access to the modern tools of networking and collaboration for an increasingly digital age. Working with the Institute to globalize the reach of the APFI's most highly recommended accreditation (the CIMA), also furthers the APFI's goals of promoting the industry's highest levels of professional standards and integrity in fund investing.

"This partnership will unlock opportunities for members of the Association of Professional Fund Investors and bring substantial benefits to both organizations," said Sean Walters, Chief Executive Officer of the Investments & Wealth Institute. "Members and practitioners around the world can benefit from rich content sharing, moderated discussions, and a networked community of the world's best and brightest global investment professionals, hosted on our new community platform, and facilitated by APFI members, who work on nearly every continent around the globe."

###

About the Investments & Wealth Institute

Founded in 1985, the Investments & Wealth Institute is the premier professional association, education provider, and standards body for financial advisors. Through its award-winning events, publications, courses, and acclaimed certifications-Certified Investment Management Analyst

About the Association of Professional Fund Investors

Formed in 2011, the Association of Professional Fund Investors advances the interests of investors by promoting professional standards and integrity in fund investing. APFI members are all professional fund investors - professionals whose principal occupation is the identification and evaluation of investment managers, funds, vehicles, etc. that are external to their own organization. APFI promotes best practices in fund investing by setting global standards of professionalism and accreditation, while empowering professional fund investors to learn, share ideas, network with their peers, and have a collective voice to national and global standards bodies and regulatory authorities. www.profundinvestors.org


Mr. Khoo Chee Kong, Managing Director of Ni Hsin Group Berhad; Encik Muhammad Syukri Ibrahim, Principal Private Secretary to the MOSTI Minister; Encik Syed Faisal Algadrie, Managing Director and CEO of MNA Research Sdn Bhd [L-R]

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 12, 2021 - (ACN Newswire) - Ni Hsin EV Tech Sdn Bhd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Main Market-listed Ni Hsin Group Berhad (formerly known as Ni Hsin Resources Berhad) ("Ni Hsin"), today entered into a Heads of Agreement ("HOA") with MNA Energy Sdn Bhd ("MNAE") to develop battery technology for electric motorcycles (EV Two Wheelers) as well as participate in the business and growth of MNAE.MNAE was established in 2016 and has been awarded research grants by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) for the development of next-generation battery technology. MNAE produces battery energy storage systems for electric mobility and stationary applications such as telecommunications towers and solar energy farms. It is pioneering Electric Mobility-as-a-Service (EMaaS) in Malaysia, by developing SmartSwap - a game-changing turnkey solution for a battery swapping infrastructure for Electric Motorcycles.The HOA signing was witnessed by Encik Muhammad Syukri Ibrahim, the Principal Private Secretary to the MOSTI Minister.Khoo Chee Kong, Managing Director of Ni Hsin EV Tech Sdn Bhd, said: "We see EV Two Wheelers leading the adoption of alternative power sources that can reduce carbon footprint and transition towards a greener economy. We are developing, in collaboration with MNAE, an advanced battery system and a standardised battery swapping infrastructure for EV Two Wheelers that will be convenient to riders who can easily swap their depleted batteries with fully-charged ones at stations that we are setting up. We believe this will boost the use of EV Two Wheelers in urban areas"."Our collaboration with MNAE complements our venture into the e-mobility business as battery systems are critical to EV Two Wheelers that we are developing in a collaboration with Dongguan Tailing Electric Vehicle Co., Ltd. We are now working towards getting the Vehicle Type Approval (VTA) permit from the Road Transport Department for these EV Two Wheelers as the VTA is important for MNAE's SmartSwap programme".The battery swapping system developed by MNAE will feature battery tracking and management via cloud-connected network through which the battery's lifespan can be monitored. The system can be compared to the one launched by Gogoro, the Taiwanese battery-swapping refueling platform for urban EV Two Wheelers.Khoo added, "Our collaboration with MNAE is also about supporting local capabilities in the development of green technology while promoting sustainability in line with our environmental, social and governance responsibilities. This is also in line with Malaysia's drive to encourage electric vehicle ownership and development of related infrastructure in the country".The EV ecosystem is supported by Malaysia's National Automotive Policy, in which there are specific initiatives to strengthen the ecosystem. According to Dato' Seri Mohamed Azmin, Minister of International Trade and Industry in his winding-up speech for the 12th Malaysia Plan, these initiatives include critical parts manufacturers, standard setting as well as research and development leading to commercialisation of local EV technologies.Please contact the below for more information:Hakim JuraimiEmail: h.juraimi@swanconsultancy.bizSource: Ni Hsin Group BerhadCopyright 2021 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved.
Estades' expertise in the world of retail and premium consumer packaged goods make him a well-suited leader of the CCA, and an asset to GABY's Board of Directors, shareholders and stakeholders

SAN DIEGO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / October 12, 2021 / GABY Inc. ("GABY" or the "Company") (CSE:GABY) (OTCQB:GABLF), a California consolidator of cannabis dispensaries and the parent company of San Diego's Mankind Dispensary ("Mankind"), is proud to congratulate Board Member Javier Estades on his recent appointment as Chairman of the Cigar Association of America.

Mr. Estades, in addition to his board appointment with GABY, serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of cigar giant Tabacalera USA Inc., whose portfolio includes highly respected brands such as Montecristo, Romeo y Julieta, H. Upmann, Casa de Garcia and others.

"Javier brings a tremendous knowledge of the premium retail and CPG environments to GABY, and we congratulate him on his appointment with the CAA" said GABY Founder and CEO Margot Micallef. "We look forward to benefiting from Javier's expansive expertise as we continue to make steps towards multi-unit retail consolidation."

Founded in 1937, the Cigar Association of America is a national association which represents large swaths of the cigar industry, including importers, distributors, manufacturers, and suppliers.

Mr. Estades thanked GABY for their support, saying "The similarities between the high-end cigar industry and the cannabis industry are many. Success in both the premium cigar world and the cannabis world is founded on providing a high quality customer experience and as such engender substantial brand loyalty. I've greatly enjoyed playing an active role in GABY's success, and see a bright future based on the tremendous brand loyalty enjoyed by their flagship Mankind Dispensary. I look forward to sharing my experience and having an active role in what I believe will be a highly successful California wide retail brand. I would like to thank GABY Inc. and Margot for their warm and public congratulations."

For more on this story go to: cigaraficionado.com.

About GABY Inc.

GABY Inc. is a California-focused retail consolidator and the owner of Mankind Dispensary, one of the oldest licensed dispensaries in California. Mankind is a well-known, and highly respected dispensary with deep roots in the California cannabis community operating in San Diego, California. GABY curates and sells a diverse portfolio of products, including its own proprietary brands, Lulu's and Kind Republic through Mankind, manufactures Kind Republic, and distributes all its proprietary brands through its wholly owned subsidiary, Wild West Industries Inc.. A pioneer in the industry with a strong management team having experience in retail, consolidation, and cannabis, GABY is poised to grow its retail operations both organically and through acquisition.

GABY's shares trade on the Canadian Securities Exchange ("CSE") under the symbol "GABY" and on the OTCQB under the symbol "GABLF". For more information on GABY, visit GABYInc.com.

Media Contact:

Senior Communications Manager

Charlie Rohlfs

(631)579-0858

charlie@gabyinc.com

General:

Margot Micallef, Founder & CEO

or Investor Relations at IR@GABYinc.com or 800-674-2239

Disclaimer and Forward-Looking Information

The CSE does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Certain information set forth in this news release may contain forward-looking statements that involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the control of the Company. Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "continue", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "may", "will", "potential", "proposed" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. These statements are only predictions. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the Company's future business strategy, including its plans to expand organically and through future acquisitions and the Company's anticipated benefits from its engagement with Hybrid Financial. Although GABY believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking statements and information are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements and information because GABY can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. By its nature, such forward-looking information is subject to various risks and uncertainties, which could cause the actual results and expectations to differ materially from the anticipated results or expectations expressed. Without limitation, these risks and uncertainties include: the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic; risks associated with the cannabis industry in general; failure to benefit from partnerships or successfully integrate acquisitions; actions and initiatives of federal, state and provincial governments and changes to government policies and the execution and impact of these actions, initiatives and policies; the size of the medical-use and adult-use cannabis market; competition from other industry participants; adverse U.S., Canadian and global economic conditions; failure to comply with certain regulations; and departure of key management personnel or inability to attract and retain talent. GABY undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Each of Mankind and Wild West Industries, are subsidiaries of GABY and hold a cannabis license in the State of California. Readers are cautioned that unlike in Canada which has Federal 032320-F legislation uniformly governing the cultivation, distribution, sale and possession of medical cannabis under the Cannabis Act (Federal), in the United States ("U.S."), cannabis is largely regulated at the State level. Cannabis is legal in the State of California; however, cannabis remains illegal under U.S. federal laws. Notwithstanding the permissive regulatory environment of cannabis at the State level, cannabis continues to be categorized as a controlled substance under the Controlled Substances Act in the U.S. and as such, cannabis-related practices or activities, including without limitation, the manufacture, importation, possession, use or distribution of cannabis are illegal under U.S. federal law. To the knowledge of the Company, the businesses operated by each of GABY's subsidiaries are conducted in a manner consistent with the State law of California, as applicable, and are in compliance with regulatory and licensing requirements applicable in the State of California, respectively. However, readers should be aware that strict compliance with State laws with respect to cannabis will neither absolve GABY, or its subsidiary of liability under U.S. federal law, nor will it provide a defense to any federal proceeding in the U.S. which could be brought against any of GABY, or its subsidiary. Any such proceedings brought against GABY, or its subsidiary may materially adversely affect the Company's operations and financial performance generally in the U.S. market specifically.

SOURCE: GABY Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/667614/GABY-Inc-Congratulates-Board-Member-Javier-Estades-on-Being-Named-Chairman-of-the-Cigar-Association-of-America
Kunihiko Suzuki, one of the leading pioneers in Japan's emerging regenerative medicine industry, commits to a role as Senior Strategic Advisor to RepliCel's Board of Directors

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / October 12, 2021 / RepliCel Life Sciences Inc. (OTC PINK:REPCF)(TSXV:RP)(FRA:P6P2) ("RepliCel" or the "Company"), a company developing next-generation technologies in aesthetics and orthopedics, is pleased to announce that Kunihiko Suzuki has agreed to accept an appointment as a Senior Strategic Advisor to its Board of Directors with a particular focus on building the Company's enterprise in Japan.

"We are delighted to have someone of Mr. Suzuki's industry stature contributing his strategic advice, expertise, and network to the value we aim to create in our Japanese therapeutic product pipeline and enterprise," stated RepliCel's President and CEO, R. Lee Buckler. "Kunihiko is a long-time industry colleague and I am thrilled he has come available to assist us through what is a critical time in the execution of our programs in Japan. I know his contributions will bring unparalleled value to us hitting our milestones over the next 24 months."

The Company, working with industry leaders, CJ Partners, and clinical research organization, Accerise, is currently preparing to support the next-phase clinical research studies of its skin rejuvenation cell therapy (RCS-01) and tendon regeneration cell therapy (RCT-01) in Japan under the Act for Safety of Regenerative Medicine (ASRM) which, upon successfully meeting its endpoints, could lead to a commercial launch of the products in Japan.

About Kunihiko Suzuki, MBA

Kunihiko Suzuki is one of the business leaders in Regenerative Medicine/Cell & Gene Therapy (RM/CGT) space in Japan. Kunihiko started his business career at US oil company in Tokyo/Kyoto and spent circa 20 years at one of Japan's leading financial institutions doing investment banking in Tokyo, commercial banking in London and trust banking in Luxembourg. He moved into the RM/CGT sector in 2006 as one of management team (Member of the Board, CBO, CEO and other positions) of MEDINET Co., Ltd., one of the earliest companies focused on immune-cell therapies and contract development and manufacturing (CDMO) services.

Additionally, Kunihiko was one of the founding committee members of Japan's industry association, the Forum for Innovative Regenerative Medicine (FIRM) which acts as the nation's industry advocacy group, similar to the US-based Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM). He has been a Member of the Board and Vice Chair of FIRM since 2014 and, in April 2021, was invited be a leader of FIRM's Specific Cell-based Products Working Group.

In April 2020, Kunihiko became a Member of the Bio-Industry Subcommittee of the Commerce, Distribution and Information Committee for the Industrial Structure Council of Japan's METI (Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry) to issue the report, "Fifth Industrial Revolution" cultivated with Biotechnology. Recently Kunihiko was also a Co-Chair of Organising Committee for the ISCT Melbourne 2019 Annual Meeting as well as the ISCT Regional Treasurer, Asia for the 2020-2023 term.

In December 2020, Kunihiko became an Advisor to Cyfuse Biomedical K.K., a company producing regenerative medical products with its own unique 3D bio-printing technology (the KENZAN method), and was appointed to Cyfuse's Board of Directors in March 2021. In May 2021, Kunihiko became an associate member of the advisory firm Cell One Partners, based in New York, charged with advising clients related to their RM/CGT activities in Japan/Asia markets.

Kunihiko holds an M.A. in Economics from Waseda University and an MBA from Keio University.

About RepliCel's First-in-Japan Strategy

RepliCel was one of the first foreign regenerative medicine companies to have a Japanese partnership in 2013. In 2015 RepliCel was one of the first foreign regenerative medicine companies to initiate a consultation process, under the new regulations for regenerative medicine products, with Japan's PMDA (Pharmaceuticals and Medical Device Agency). In 2016, RepliCel's licensee, Shiseido Company, was one of the first companies to fund and manufacture a product for use in a clinical study under the newly legislated Act for the Safety of Regenerative Medicine (ASRM).

RepliCel aims to be one of the first foreign regenerative medicine companies based outside of Asia to directly engage in a clinical study of a cell therapy product under the ASRM regulatory pathway to commercialization. RepliCel will also be one of the first such companies to apply for certification of a manufacturing facility outside of Asia for the production of a cell therapy product to be imported for use in a clinical study governed by the ASRM regulations.

About RepliCel's Programs in Japan

RepliCel is currently preparing for the clinical testing and commercialization of three additional technologies in Japan. These include two cell therapies - one for skin rejuvenation and one for tendon regeneration - and a next-generation dermal injector for aesthetic treatments involving a wide variety of injectable substances including cells, PRP, muscle paralysis toxins, fillers, enzymes, drugs, other biologics, etc.

The RepliCel cell therapy technology which is the subject of active, ongoing partnership discussions in Japan has already been the subject of two successfully completed consultations with Japan's Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA). Planning for clinical research studies under Japan's Act for the Safety of Regenerative Medicines (ASRM) is already underway. Manufacturing of the clinical product will be performed by a Japanese-owned contract manufacturer preparing now for PMDA-certification under Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare (MHLW) applicable guidelines. Conduct of the clinical research studies will be managed by a high-quality Japanese clinical research organization.

About RepliCel Life Sciences

RepliCel is a regenerative medicine company focused on developing cell therapies for aesthetic and orthopedic conditions affecting what the Company believes is approximately one in three people in industrialized nations, including aging/sun-damaged skin, pattern baldness, and chronic tendon degeneration. These conditions, often associated with aging, are caused by a deficit of healthy cells required for normal tissue healing and function.

Headquartered in Canada with a base of operations in Europe, RepliCel has existing partnerships in the United States, Japan and China.

The Company's cell therapy product pipeline is comprised of RCT-01 for tendon repair, RCS-01 for skin rejuvenation, and RCH-01 for hair restoration. All RepliCel's cell therapy product candidates are based on RepliCel's innovative technology, utilizing cell populations isolated from a patient's healthy hair follicles. RepliCel's three cell therapy products have now been tested in over 100 patients in four countries on three continents and successfully reviewed by three different regulatory agencies.

RepliCel has also developed a proprietary injection device, RCI-02, optimized for the administration of its products and licensable for use with other dermatology applications. Certain commercial rights for RCI-02 have been licensed to YOFOTO for Greater China and a limited-term exclusive distributorship to MainPointe for the United States.

The commercial rights for RCH-01 for most of Asia have been exclusively licensed to Shiseido Company. Though the legal status of this license is currently the subject of some disagreement between the parties, Shiseido continues to finance the development of the licensed product based on RepliCel's technology in their territory. The commercial rights for RCT-01 and RCS-01 have been exclusively licensed to YOFOTO (China) Health for Greater China. YOFOTO is also committed to financing the co-development of these products in their territory.

For more information, please visit www.replicel.com or contact:

For more information, please contact:

Lee Buckler, CEO and President

info@replicel.com

SOURCE: RepliCel Life Sciences, Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/667629/RepliCel-Life-Sciences-Appoints-One-of-Japans-Foremost-Regenerative-Medicine-Industry-Business-Leaders-as-Strategic-Advisor
Soledad Project Highlights:

Five additional exploration drill holes completed on Bx 7 with significant intercepts





Marker breccia tested with three shallow drill holes





Resource definition drilling completed on six breccia pipes; assays from 51 drill holes pending





Gradient-array and offset induced-polarization (IP) surveys identify new targets, define prospective corridors, detect mineralized breccia pipes, and refine the ranking of 110 existing targets identified to date; property-wide surveys ongoing

Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 12, 2021) - Chakana Copper Corp. (TSXV: PERU) (OTCQB: CHKKF) (FSE: 1ZX) (the "Company" or "Chakana"), is pleased to provide results from five additional exploration holes drilled in Bx 7 (totaling 792.75m) at the Soledad project, Ancash, Peru (see table below). The exploration drilling is part of a fully funded 26,000m exploration and resource drilling program planned for 2021 (Fig. 1).

"The long-mineralized intercept in hole SDH21-212 at Bx 7 is important in understanding the geometry and potential of this breccia pipe. Bx7 has stronger precious metal grades than copper at the depths drilled so far. Bx 7 is an excellent exploration target that requires additional drilling to constrain its shape and depth extents before initiating resource definition drilling. Beyond this, we have 51 resource definition drill holes from Bx 5 and Huancarama to report leading up to the initial resource estimate which is expected by the end of the year. We have paused our drill program to complete the geophysical surveys that are in progress. Results from these geophysical surveys have been transformational in our understanding of the structural framework that controls the breccia pipe locations, including numerous responses interpreted to be additional concealed breccia pipes that do not crop out at surface. We are fully permitted to test a multitude of targets on the north half of the project, and are well advanced in permitting the southern half, where numerous outcropping mineralized breccia pipes occur," stated President and CEO David Kelley.

Exploration Drill Results

Bx 7 (Exploration)

DDH # From - To (m) Core Length (m) Au

g/t Ag

g/t Cu % Au-eq g/t* SDH21-209 106.90 118.60 11.70 0.66 4.1 0.71 SDH21-210 121.80 166.00 44.20 0.27 89.2 1.44 SDH21-212 0.00 220.00 220.00 0.62 79.0 0.20 1.96 including 93.00 114.00 21.00 0.77 245.2 0.32 4.47 including 124.00 134.00 10.00 1.21 265.9 0.30 5.15 including 191.00 209.00 18.00 1.73 244.5 0.25 5.31 SDH21-214 0.00 20.00 20.00 0.40 15.0 0.18 0.87 SDH21-215 0.00 25.00 25.00 0.33 12.3 0.12 0.67



* Cu_eq and Au_eq values were calculated using copper, gold, and silver. Metal prices utilized for the calculations are Cu - US$2.90/lb, Au - US$1,300/oz, and Ag - US$17/oz. No adjustments were made for recovery as the project is an early-stage exploration project and metallurgical data to allow for estimation of recoveries are not yet available. The formulas utilized to calculate equivalent values are Cu-eq (%) = Cu% + (Au g/t * 0.6556) + (Ag g/t * 0.00857) and Au-eq (g/t) = Au g/t + (Cu% * 1.5296) + (Ag g/t * 0.01307).

Exploration Drilling

The holes reported in this release are a smaller number of exploration holes testing two targets, Bx 7 and the Marker breccia. The purpose of the exploration holes is to test to see if additional resource definition drilling is warranted. Exploration drilling at Bx 7 has encountered a breccia pipe from surface to a depth of 220m that is open at depth (Figs. 2B and 3). Drill hole SDH21-212 intersected mineralization along this entire extent. Three higher grade intervals were encountered at depth with increasing gold grades, high silver grades, and moderate copper grades. The overall geometry of Bx 7 remains to be defined with additional exploration drilling.

Three shallow drill holes were completed in the Marker breccia, located 200m south-southwest of Paloma West (Fig. 2A) where a small breccia is exposed at surface. All three holes intersected tourmaline breccia with apparent thicknesses ranging from 19.90m to 42.40m but no significant grades were encountered. One additional hole was attempted at Paloma West, but the hole was lost in a fault before the target depth was reached (Fig. 2A). This drill rig then returned to Bx 5 to complete additional resource drilling.

Geophysical Surveys

Two different types of geophysical surveys have been tested to identify new breccia pipe targets and help refine the ranking of the existing 110 targets identified to date. Orientation surveys based on gradient-array induced-polarization (IP) and offset IP were completed over several known and well understood mineralized breccia pipes to determine the optimal survey configuration for breccia pipe targets; both techniques are highly effective in delineating mineralized breccia pipes. Surveys are now being completed throughout the 12-km2 footprint of the Soledad mineral system where tourmaline breccias are known. These surveys will help detect zones of mineralization, define the structural controls on fertile corridors that host the breccia pipes, locate new breccia pipes that may not come to surface, and refine the existing targets defined by several other overlapping exploration data sets.

Gradient-array IP is a rapid geophysical mapping technique designed to detect structure, alteration (resistivity) and sulfide mineralization (IP) as well as structural corridors. Previous historical IP surveys at Soledad were limited to smaller areas of the overall mineral system and were done using a variety of contractors, instruments, and line spacings. This new property-wide survey is optimized for vertical breccia pipe targets using a small footprint configuration. Results from orientation surveys at Soledad show distinct corridors that host the known breccia pipes (Fig. 4). Extensions of these corridors and newly identified corridors are considered highly prospective for the discovery of additional breccia pipes throughout the 12-km2 area of the Soledad mineral system.

Offset IP/Resistivity, another form of 3D tomographic IP/Resistivity surveying, is a follow-up technique used to determine the depth and geometry of potentially mineralized breccia pipes and is used for drill targeting. The offset IP surveys are designed to image singular and nested mineralized breccia pipes in the 100-400m depth range depending on dipole spacing and topography. An example from Huancarama shows a very prominent response in the metal factor (conductive chargeable zones) directly over the known breccia pipe as defined by drilling (Fig 5).

Barrick Agreement Extension

An amendment agreement has been completed with Minera Barrick Peru S.A. (Barrick) regarding the three concessions owned by Barrick that make up a large portion of the southern half of the Soledad project. The concessions were part of an original Option and Mining Assignment Agreement dated July 11, 2018 (see news release dated July 16, 2018). Under the amendment, Chakana must obtain the Authorization to Initiate Activities (AIA) for exploration drilling on or before September 27, 2023 (First Option). Chakana then has 4 years from the date of the AIA to complete a minimum of 4,000m of drilling and a 43-101 compliant Preliminary Economic Assessment (Second Option). Barrick will have a one-time right to re-acquire the property with a 70% interest. If Barrick declines, an undivided 100% interest in the concessions will be transferred to Chakana.

"Based on our preliminary review of these concessions, we are excited about the additional opportunities for potential resource expansion on this southern half of the Soledad project," stated David Kelley, President and CEO of Chakana Copper.

About Chakana Copper

Chakana Copper Corp is a Canadian-based minerals exploration company that is currently advancing the Soledad Project located in the Ancash region of Peru, a highly favorable mining jurisdiction with supportive communities. The Soledad Project consists of high-grade copper-gold-silver mineralization hosted in tourmaline breccia pipes. A total of 60,854 metres in 261 diamond core holes for exploration and resource definition drilling have been completed since 2017, testing 16 of 110 total exploration targets, confirming that Soledad is a large, well-endowed mineral system with strong exploration upside. Chakana's investors are uniquely positioned as the Soledad Project provides exposure to base and precious. For more information on the Soledad project, please visit the website at www.chakanacopper.com.

Sampling and Analytical Procedures

Chakana follows rigorous sampling and analytical protocols that meet or exceed industry standards. Core samples are stored in a secured area until transport in batches to the ALS facility in Callao, Lima, Peru. Sample batches include certified reference materials, blank, and duplicate samples that are then processed under the control of ALS. All samples are analyzed using the ME-MS41 (ICP technique that provides a comprehensive multi-element overview of the rock geochemistry), while gold is analyzed by AA24 and GRA22 when values exceed 10 g/t by AA24. Over limit silver, copper, lead and zinc are analyzed using the OG-46 procedure. Soil samples are analyzed by 4-acid (ME-MS61) and for gold by Fire Assay on a 30g sample (Au-ICP21).

Results of previous drilling and additional information concerning the Project, including a technical report prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101, are made available on Chakana's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com.

Qualified Person

David Kelley, an officer and a director of Chakana, and a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101, reviewed and approved the technical information in this news release.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

(signed) "David Kelley"

David Kelley

President and CEO

For further information contact:

Joanne Jobin, Investor Relations Officer

Phone: 647 964 0292

Email: jjobin@chakanacopper.com

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-looking Statement Advisory: This release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of Chakana to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements or information relates to, among other things, the interpretation of the nature of the mineralization at the Soledad copper-gold-silver project (the "Project"), the potential to expand the mineralization, and to develop and grow a resource within the Project, the planning for further exploration work, the ability to de-risk the potential exploration targets, and our belief in the potential for mineralization within unexplored parts of the Project. These forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations and beliefs but given the uncertainties, assumptions and risks, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward- looking statements or information. The Company disclaims any obligation to update, or to publicly announce, any such statements, events or developments except as required by law.





Figure 1 - View looking north showing outcropping breccia pipes and occurrences within the northern Soledad cluster. Pipes that have initial resource drilling completed shown in green. Breccia pipes shown in yellow have had exploration drilling completed. Other pipes and occurrences remain to be tested by drilling. Additional breccia pipes occur on the south half of the property and are not shown here.

To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/2172/99297_12b4802c74454bed_001full.jpg





Figure 2 - Maps showing drill holes reported in this release, and modeled breccia pipes (light red shapes) based on all drill holes. Light gray contours are at 25m intervals. Blue rectangles in the inset map show the area of the two plan maps within the overall Chakana property.

To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/2172/99297_12b4802c74454bed_002full.jpg





Figure 3 - 3D sectional view of Bx 7 looking northwest. Light red 3D shape shows breccia pipe geometry based on all drill holes. Previous holes drilled shown in grey.

To view an enhanced version of Figure 3, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/2172/99297_12b4802c74454bed_003full.jpg





Figure 4 - Gradient-array IP map for the north-central Soledad project area showing metal factor - a scaled ratio of the measured IP and resistivity responses. Warm colors depict areas where the rocks are conductive and chargeable. Long linear trends are interpreted to be structures and are considered highly prospective for hosting mineralized breccia pipes.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/2172/99297_12b4802c74454bed_005full.jpg





Figure 5 - Isometric view of offset IP/Resistivity inversion model results showing metal factor - a scaled ratio of the measured IP and resistivity responses. Warm colors depict areas where the rocks are conductive and chargeable. Note correlation between strong metal factor response (red) and the Huancarama breccia pipe confirmed in drilling.

To view an enhanced version of Figure 5, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/2172/99297_12b4802c74454bed_006full.jpg

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/99297
50%/50% joint venture to evaluate U.S. Gigafactory production of clean, next-generation battery cells for energy storage system, mobility, and electric vehicle applications

Joint venture has secured a direct strategic license from U.S.-based 24M Technologies

$70 million joint investment in 24M Technologies and the JV's licensing agreement provide for equity ownership in 24M and deep strategic, operational, and financial alignment

Joint venture to also evaluate advanced battery technologies for future commercialization

Joint venture further enhances FREYR's strategy to develop battery cell production capacity leveraging renewable energy and the emerging localized supply chains

Evaluating development of an initial 50GWh of annualized capacity in the U.S. by 2030 with a goal of reaching Final Investment Decision on the first Gigafactory in 2022

Joint venture seeks to provide FREYR with a strategic battery production footprint from multiple locations providing added sourcing flexibility for an increasing number of customers

Collaboration and partnership with 24M's SemiSolid technology, which simplifies the production process, enabling capital efficient manufacturing of batteries with larger and thicker electrodes at scale

FREYR Battery (NYSE: FREY) ("FREYR"), a developer of clean, next-generation battery cell production capacity, today announced the formation of a joint venture ("JV") in the United States between Koch Strategic Platforms ("KSP") and FREYR. The JV, which has a 50%/50% ownership structure, has been established to develop an initial 50 GWh of Gigafactory-scale battery cell manufacturing capacity in the U.S. based on 24M Technologies ("24M") SemiSolid platform technology. The scale and scope of the targeted development would position the JV as one of the largest battery cell manufacturers in the U.S., using American-borne technology and the sustainable innovation of a premier U.S.-based, global industrial partner in KSP. This venture further progresses FREYR's strategic focus of developing clean, localized battery cell production and supply chains to catalyze emerging energy technology adoption.

"Today's announcement marks a significant milestone for FREYR as we advance our expansion strategy through the U.S. joint venture with KSP," said Torstein Sjtveit, FREYR's Executive Chairman. "Our entire team is looking forward to collaborating with our U.S.-based strategic partners at Koch and 24M to bring clean, next-generation battery cell production to the U.S. at commercial scale."

"We are pleased to announce the formation of the joint venture with FREYR and our investment in U.S.-based 24M," said David Park, president of Koch Strategic Platforms. "This initiative could create jobs here in the U.S. and foster continued adoption of transformative energy technology."

"KSP conducted diligence on the FREYR investment beginning in January 2021 when we participated as the largest investor in their PIPE offering. We are confident in the prospects of signing significant commercial offtake agreements in both the energy storage and EV sectors that will enable us to select a Gigafactory location in the U.S. next year," said Jeremy Bezdek, managing director of KSP and FREYR board director.

In conjunction with the agreement, KSP and FREYR have invested $70 million in convertible promissory notes with 24M, under which KSP and FREYR will initially invest $50 million and $20 million, respectively. Upon closing of the convertible note financing, the JV entered into a new licensing agreement with 24M that will enable the JV to deploy 24M's SemiSolid platform technology with conditional limited exclusivity in the U.S.

"We are delighted to enhance our deep strategic partnership with FREYR and establish a new collaboration with a globally-respected industrial player in Koch," added Naoki Ota, President and CEO of 24M. "The investment in 24M and expanded licensing agreement validate our battery technology leadership and offer potential deployment at commercial scale in the U.S."

The JV will leverage 24M's SemiSolid technology, which dramatically reduces the number of steps required to manufacture battery cells while still using conventional lithium-ion raw materials. The SemiSolid production platform enables capital and operating cost savings as well as expanded opportunities to recycle materials. Using the 24M technology platform, the JV will have the flexibility to provide next-generation batteries of various sizes and chemistries at commercial scale.

"The establishment of the U.S. JV with KSP and the associated investment in 24M are transformational developments for FREYR," commented Tom Jensen, FREYR's Chief Executive Officer. "These agreements increasingly position FREYR as a leader in modularized production of next-generation battery cells at scale. We are now taking formal steps to offer localized battery supply complementing our initial Norwegian offering to the exponentially growing U.S. market. We are very excited to deepen our key strategic relationships with Koch and 24M as we accelerate our work to establish a substantial commercial production footprint in the U.S."

Today's announcement follows FREYR's press release on June 11, 2021, which outlined the Company's negotiations with a major multinational conglomerate to develop battery production facilities in North America; and KSP's prior investment in the business combination transaction between FREYR AS and Alussa Energy Acquisition Corp. completed on July 9, 2021.

Conference Call

FREYR and KSP will conduct a conference call today, Tuesday, October 12th, 2021, at 10:30 am EDT/4:30 pm CEST to discuss today's announcement. The presentation material will be available to download at http://freyrbattery.com.

To access the conference call, listeners should contact the conference call operator at the appropriate number listed below approximately 10 minutes prior to the start of the call.

Dial in information:

United Kingdom: +44 3333000804

United States: +1 6319131422

Switzerland: +41 225809034

Spain: +34 935472900

Norway: +47 23500243

Luxembourg: +352 27300160

Hong Kong: +852 30600225

Germany: +49 6913803430

France: +33 170750711

Denmark: +45 35445577

Canada: +1 4162164189

Participant pin code: 45399424#

A webcast of the conference call will be broadcast simultaneously. Attendees may access the webcast at https://streams.eventcdn.net/freyer/freyr-project-leif

About FREYR Battery

FREYR is a producer of clean battery solutions for a better planet. Listed on the New York Stock Exchange, FREYR's mission is to accelerate the decarbonization of energy and transportation systems globally as one of Europe's largest clean battery suppliers. To learn more about FREYR, please visit www.freyrbattery.com.

About Koch Strategic Platforms

With offices in Atlanta and Wichita, KSP desires to be the preferred investment partner of growth focused, strategic companies who are innovating in industries with disruptive potential. Created in 2020, the KSP team pursues public and private investments with companies where long-term mutual benefit can be realized. https://www.kochind.com/

About 24M Technologies

24M answers the world's need for affordable energy storage by enabling a new, more cost-effective solution SemiSolid lithium-ion technology. By re-inventing the design of the battery cell as well as the manufacturing method, 24M solves the critical, decades-old challenge associated with the world's preferred energy storage chemistry: reducing its high cost while improving its safety, reliability, and performance. Founded and led by some of the battery industry's foremost inventors, scientists, and entrepreneurs, 24M is headquartered in Cambridge, Mass. For more information, please visit www.24-m.com.

Forward-looking Statements

All statements, other than statements of present or historical fact included in this press release, including, without limitation, statements regarding the development, timeline, capacity and utility of FREYR's and/or the JV's Gigafactories, the development and commercialization of 24M's SemiSolid technology, FREYR's and or the JV's manufacturing capacity relative to other market participants and the development of customer and offtake relationships are forward-looking and involve significant risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from the expected results.

Most of these factors are outside FREYR's control and difficult to predict. Information about factors that could materially affect FREYR is set forth under the "Risk Factors" section in FREYR's Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on August 9, 2021, as amended, and in other SEC filings available on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211012005548/en/

Contacts:

FREYR Battery contact information

For investor inquiries, please contact:

Jeffrey Spittel, Vice President, Investor Relations

jeffrey.spittel@freyrbattery.com

Tel: (+1) 281-222-0161

For media inquiries, please contact:

Katrin Berntsen

katrin.berntsen@freyrbattery.com

Tel: (+47) 920 54 570

Koch Industries contact information

Christin Fernandez, Director of Communications

Christin.Fernandez@kochps.com

202-879-8546

24M Technologies contact information

Pang Tan, VP of Business Development

info@24-m.com

Tel: (+1) 617-553-1012
LONDON, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Following its accreditation by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) as sole provider of the "PISA for Schools" assessment to schools in the United Kingdom, global edtech pioneer Janison announces that the test is now available to all schools in the UK. Details are available at janison.com.

"PISA for Schools" is an online assessment that supports individual school improvement efforts using benchmarking based on the OECD's Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). It tests a sample of 15-year-olds with two components:

A 2-hour cognitive test in reading, mathematics and science using scenario-based real-life questions - testing the application of knowledge.

A 30-minute student questionnaire which asks about a student's situation at home and school, reactions to the learning environment, and confidence and motivation for doing well at school.

Janison is an Australian publicly listed education technology developer and OECD knowledge partner, which has been achieving world-firsts in online learning and assessment since the late 1990s. Its assessment platform, Janison Insights, delivers 6.5 million tests per year across 117 countries and powers the "PISA for Schools" test.

Andreas Schleicher, OECD Director for the Directorate for Education and Skills, said: "Participating schools receive their own tailored school report containing valuable information on students' skills in reading, mathematics and science. "PISA for Schools" also gives students a voice by asking them to share their insights into classroom climate, their own motivation for learning, and their social and emotional skills."

"PISA for Schools" also includes analysis on the impact of COVID-19 based on students' own experience of distance learning, use of technology and how they managed their return to classrooms.

The test does not generate league tables, and the OECD does not publish the results. Participating schools can choose to share their insights locally or through a growing "PISA for Schools" online community that connects participating schools from more than 15 other countries, including the US.

Sara Ratner, Group Executive - OECD PISA for Schools at Janison, said early conversations indicated UK schools are eager to participate. "They're excited by the opportunity to benefit from "PISA for Schools". Around the world schools and systems who take part are unpacking the data in their confidential, individualised reports and using the evidence to set strategic goals."




Acorn Income Fund - Result of AGM

Acorn Income Fund Limited

(The "Company")

(a closed-ended investment company incorporated in Guernsey with registration number 34778)

LEI:213800UAZN7G46AHQM67

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING STATEMENT

12 October 2021

Further to the Annual General Meeting Notice dated 23 September 2021 (the "Notice") and sent to Members of the Company on 24 September 2021, the Annual General Meeting was held today and members voted in favour of Resolutions 1 to 9.

Details of the proxy voting results which should be read along side the Notice are noted below:

Ordinary Resolution For Discretion

(voted in favour) Against Abstain 1 930,728 30,000 12,980 171,822 2 912,008 30,000 28,688 174,834 3 927,528 30,000 17,002 171,000 4 912,710 30,000 29,803 173,017 5 912,710 30,000 29,803 173,017 6 912,710 30,000 29,803 173,017 7 912,710 30,000 29,803 173,017 8 931,550 30,000 12,980 171,000 Special Resolution For Discretion

(voted in favour) Against Abstain 9 1,082,209 30,000 21,561 11,760

Note -A vote withheld is not a vote in law and has not been counted in the votes for and against a resolution.

The Special Resolution was as follows:

Special Resolution 9

THAT the Company shall cease to continue as presently constituted.

Enquiries:

Northern Trust International Fund Administration Services (Guernsey) Limited

The Company Secretary

Trafalgar Court

Les Banques

St Peter Port

Guernsey

GY1 3QL

Tel: 01481 745001

END
See the answer, and control your comfort with Trane Home

Trane Technologies (NYSE: TT) a global climate innovator is making it easier to understand and optimize home comfort, including the quality of air in your home.

"The COVID-19 pandemic has made many of us rethink the air we breathe indoors," said Jason Bingham, president of Trane Technologies' Residential HVAC business. "An important aspect of helping people feel safe indoors is alleviating airborne health risks, especially those related to viruses, bacteria, pet dander and other particles. But the first step is awareness and understanding of a home's air quality. That's why we're pleased to integrate indoor air quality (IAQ) monitoring with Trane Home, beginning with Awair Element."

Evidence suggests that inadequate ventilation and poor indoor air quality management can increase the risk of contaminants circulating in the home, including particulates, carbon dioxide, toxic chemicals, allergens, gases and pathogens conditions that can encourage exposure to airborne viruses. Yet, each indoor environment is unique and may require a different solution, making indoor air quality monitoring key to indoor comfort and wellness.

By integrating Awair Element with the newly-launched Trane Home app, homeowners can monitor their indoor air quality status, while their Trane HVAC system works behind the scenes to automatically take action if levels fall below ideal conditions or a user's personal settings.

With Trane Home, homeowners can remotely adjust their connected thermostats and set heating and cooling schedules, control lighting and manage appliances, door locks, security systems and more. They can also opt in to Diagnostics, a platform that connects Trane dealers with homeowners' HVAC systems for remote monitoring and problem-solving with real-time performance data. The integration of IAQ monitoring devices also allows Trane dealers to access and make recommendations based on IAQ scores for those who opt in.

Awair Element is a device that tracks five air quality factors that can impact health, comfort and productivity temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide, volatile organic compounds (TVOCs) and microscopic particulate matter (PM2.5) from cooking, wildfires or vehicle traffic.

As a global climate innovator, Trane Technologies helps ensure well-being and peace of mind by delivering sustainable solutions for homes, buildings and transportation. Trane Technologies offers a full range of innovative Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) solutions that assess the holistic needs of indoor spaces, mitigate specific issues, and manage ongoing effectiveness and efficiency through digital monitoring and integrated controls. Through its Center for Healthy Efficient Spaces (CHES), the company convenes leading internal and external experts and actively engages partners to advance IEQ policy, strategies and solutions and boldly challenge what's possible for a sustainable world.

For more information about Trane Technologies and improving your home's indoor air quality, visit Indoor Air Quality: Why Does Indoor Air Quality Matter.

About Trane Technologies

Trane Technologies is a global climate innovator. Through our strategic brands Trane and Thermo King, and our portfolio of environmentally responsible products and services, we bring efficient and sustainable climate solutions to buildings, homes and transportation. Learn more at tranetechnologies.com.

About Awair

Awair is a leader in the indoor air quality monitoring space and designs smart and intuitive monitoring solutions for homes, offices, schools, retail spaces and beyond. Their mission is twofold: to draw attention to the health impacts of poor indoor air quality and to empower users with the data, insight and tools they need to take control of the air they breathe. The company is headquartered in San Francisco, CA and has a second office in Seoul, South Korea. To learn more about the impact of indoor air quality and browse Awair's solutions, visit getawair.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211012005107/en/

Contacts:

Media:

Jennifer Regina, Trane Technologies

+1-630-390-8011, Jennifer.Regina@tranetechnologies.com

Investors:

Zachary Nagle, Trane Technologies

+1-704-990-3913, Zachary.Nagle@tranetechnologies.com
ACORN INCOME FUND LIMITED

(a closed-ended investment company incorporated in Guernsey with registration number 34778)

LEI 213800UAZN7G46AHQM67

12 October 2021

Acorn Income Fund Limited

Result of Extraordinary General Meeting

Further to the announcement of 23 September 2021, detailing the Proposals that the Company enter into a scheme of reconstruction (the "Scheme") pursuant to which the Company would be placed into voluntary liquidation, an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Company was held this morning at which approval was sought from shareholders for the implementation of the Scheme and for matters associated therewith. Three Special Resolutions were put forward at the Extraordinary General Meeting.

Details of the proxy voting results which should be read alongside the Notice are noted below:

Special Resolution For Discretion

(voted in favour) Against Abstain 1 4,331,356 30,000 22,503 22,832 2 4,336,674 30,000 22,336 17,681 3 4,338,691 30,000 22,336 15,664

As a result of the passing of the Resolutions, the Company has been placed into liquidation pursuant to Section 391(1)(b) of the Companies Law and Benjamin Alexander Rhodes and Andrea Frances Alice Harris of Grant Thornton Limited have been appointed as Liquidators.

Shareholder entitlements under the Scheme

A further announcement is expected to be made on or around 10 November 2021 detailing shareholder entitlements to cash and/or Unicorn UK Income Shares pursuant to the Scheme (such entitlements to be calculated by reference to the NAV of the Company's Shares and of Unicorn UK Income Fund's Shares as at 9 November 2021.

Suspension and Cancellation of Shares

As previously announced, the Company's Shares were suspended from listing on the Official List of the Financial Conduct Authority and from trading on the London Stock Exchange at 7.30 a.m. on 12 October 2021. It is expected that cancellation of the listing of the Shares on the Official List and of the trading of the Shares on the London Stock Exchange will take place after the implementation of the Scheme.

Repayment of ZDP shares

As previously announced, the ZDP shareholders will be paid the Final Capital Entitlement in cash equal to the aggregate ZDP Final Capital Entitlement as at 28 February 2022. The payment date for this entitlement will be announced in due course.

The full wording of the resolutions can be found below:-

Special Resolutions

THAT: subject to paragraph 1.5 of this resolution, each of the Ordinary Shares in issue shall be reclassified as Ordinary Shares the holders of which have (or are deemed to have) elected to have reclassified as Ordinary Shares with "A" rights or "B" rights in such respective numbers as may be required to give effect to any Election validly made (or deemed to have been made) by the holder of the relevant Ordinary Shares and otherwise in accordance with the terms of the Scheme set out in Part 4 of the circular dated 23 September 2021 to the Shareholders of the Company of which this notice forms part (the "Circular"), a copy of which has been laid before the meeting and signed for the purpose of identification by the Chairman of the meeting (together the "Reclassified Shares"); for the purposes of this special resolution: to the extent that holders of Ordinary Shares shall have validly elected (or shall be deemed to have validly elected) for, and under the terms of the Scheme will become entitled to receive, UKI Shares pursuant to the UKI Shares Option, such Ordinary Shares shall be reclassified as Ordinary Shares with "A" rights ("OrdinaryShares with "A" rights"); to the extent that holders of Ordinary Shares shall have validly elected (or shall be deemed to have validly elected) for, and under the terms of the Scheme will become entitled to receive, cash pursuant to the Cash Option, such Ordinary Shares shall be reclassified as Ordinary Shares with "B" rights ("OrdinaryShares with "B" rights"); holders of Shares with "A" or "B" rights shall have the respective rights set out in the Articles of Incorporation of the Company, as amended by this special resolution; the Articles of Incorporation of the Company be and are hereby amended by: the insertion of the following new Articles 5.3 and 5.4:

"5.3 Every reference in these Articles to the Ordinary Shares shall be construed as a reference to the ordinary shares of 1p each in the capital of the Company which are designated as shares with either "A" rights or "B" rights as set out in Article 5.4 below. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in these Articles, each class of Ordinary Shares will have attached to it the respective rights and privileges and be subject to the respective limitations and restrictions set out in Article 5.4.

5.4

5.4.1 Words and expressions defined in the circular to shareholders of the Company dated 23 September 2021 (the "Circular") shall bear the same meanings in this Article 5.4 and Article 50.6, save where the context otherwise requires.

5.4.2 In addition to any rights under Article 5.4.4 below, on a winding-up of the Company for the purpose of the Scheme as described in the Circular:

the rights of holders of Ordinary Shares with "A" rights (Ordinary Shares with "A" rights) in respect of the assets of the Company, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Articles of Incorporation, shall be satisfied by the issue to such holders of the numbers of UKI Shares to which they shall be respectively entitled in accordance with the Scheme; and the rights of holders of Ordinary Shares with "B" rights (Ordinary Shares with "B" rights) in respect of the assets of the Company, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Articles of Incorporation, shall be satisfied by the payment to such holders of cash in such amount as they shall be respectively entitled in accordance with the Scheme.

5.4.3 Ordinary Shareholders on the Company's register of members on the Effective Date shall be entitled to any relevant surplus remaining in the Retention Fund as provided in the Scheme.

5.4.4 Subject to the special rights set out in Articles 5.4.2 and 5.4.3 above, for all other purposes of these Articles, the Ordinary Shares with "A" rights and "B" rights shall continue to be Ordinary Shares with the rights attaching to Ordinary Shares under these Articles and the Articles of Incorporation shall be construed accordingly.";

the insertion of the following new Article as Article 50.6:

"50.6 Notwithstanding the other provisions of these Articles, upon the winding-up of the Company in connection with the scheme (the "Scheme") set out in Part 4 of the Circular, the liquidators of the Company will give effect to the Scheme and will enter into and give effect to the Transfer Agreement with Unicorn UK income Fund (as duly amended where relevant), a draft of which was produced to the extraordinary general meeting of the Company convened for 12 October 2021 by the notice attached to the Circular, in accordance with the provisions of this Article and Article 5.4, and the holders of Shares with "A" rights shall be entitled to UKI Shares and the holders of Shares with "B" rights shall be entitled to receive cash, in each case in accordance with the Scheme. The definitions in the Circular have the same meanings in this Article 50.6, save where the context otherwise requires." and

by way of such further amendments to the Articles of Incorporation of the Company as may be required to give full effect to this special resolution; and if the Scheme does not become unconditional by the end of this Extraordinary General Meeting, the amendments to the Articles of Incorporation of the Company effected by paragraph 1.4 of this special resolution shall be further amended such that the insertions of Articles 5.3, 5.4 and 50.6 shall cease to have effect as from the close of this Extraordinary General Meeting (or any adjournment thereof), the reclassification of the Ordinary Shares provided for by this special resolution shall be reversed and each Reclassified Share shall revert to being an Ordinary Share ranking pari passu in all respects with the other Ordinary Shares.

THAT, subject to: (i) the passing of resolution 1 above at this meeting (or at any adjournment hereof), and it becoming unconditional; (ii) the Scheme becoming unconditional in accordance with its terms; and (iii) the passing of resolution 3 below at this meeting (or any adjournment thereof): notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Articles of Incorporation of the Company, the scheme (the "Scheme") set out in Part 4 of the circular dated 23 September 2021 to Shareholders of the Company (the "Circular"), a copy of which has been produced to the Meeting and signed for the purpose of identification by the chairman thereof be and is hereby approved and the Joint Liquidators (as defined below) of the Company when appointed (jointly and severally), be and are hereby authorised to implement the Scheme and to execute any document and do anything for the purpose of carrying the Scheme into effect; in particular but without prejudice to the generality of sub-paragraph 2.1 above, the Joint Liquidators, when appointed, be and are hereby authorised and directed, pursuant to section 391(1)(b) of the Companies Law and/or this special resolution and/or the Articles of Incorporation of the Company, as amended by resolution 1 above: to enter into and give effect to the Transfer Agreement referred to in the Circular with Unicorn UK Income Fund, in the form of the draft produced to the Meeting and signed for the purpose of identification by the chairman thereof with such amendments as the parties may from time to time agree; to request that, in accordance with the Scheme, Unicorn UK Income Fund issue and distribute UKI Shares to the holders of Ordinary Shares with "A" rights to which such holders are entitled in accordance with the Scheme by way of satisfaction and discharge of their interests in as much of the property and assets of the Company as will be so transferred to Unicorn UK Income in accordance with the Scheme; to arrange for the distribution among the holders of Ordinary Shares with "B" rights of the amounts of cash to which such holders are entitled in accordance with the Scheme by way of satisfaction and discharge of their interests in as much of the property and assets of the Company comprising the Cash Fund; pending distributions being made by the Joint Liquidators to the persons entitled thereto, to invest the funds of the Company in such manner as they deem expedient; to distribute any surplus in the Retention Fund in accordance with the Scheme; and to apply for cancellation of the Reclassified Shares' listing on the Official List and to trading on the main market of the London Stock Exchange with effect from such date as the Joint Liquidators may determine. THAT: the Company be wound up voluntarily and that Benjamin Alexander Rhodes and Andrea Frances Alice Harris of Grant Thornton Limited, Lefebvre House , Lefebvre Street , St Peter Port, Guernsey GY1 3TF be and are hereby appointed as liquidators (the "Joint Liquidators") of the Company and any one of the Joint Liquidators is hereby empowered to transact on behalf of the Company; the Joint Liquidators be given sanction in accordance with the Company's Articles of Incorporation to divide amongst the members in specie any part of the assets of the Company, and may with the like sanction vest any part of the assets of the Company in trustees upon such trust for the benefit of the members as the Joint Liquidators with the like sanction shall think fit; the remuneration of the Joint Liquidators be determined by reference to the time properly given by them and their staff in attending to matters prior to and during the winding up of the Company and they be and are hereby authorised to draw such remuneration in accordance with the letter of engagement; the Company's books and records be held by its secretary to the order of the Liquidators until the expiry of 2 years after the date of dissolution of the Company when they may be disposed of (save for financial and trading records, which shall be kept for a minimum of 10 years following vacation of the Joint Liquidators from office); and the Joint Liquidators be authorised to destroy any of the Company's records in their possession as they think fit.

Terms used and not defined in this announcement, bear the meaning given to them in the Circular published on 23 September 2021.

For information please contact:

Northern Trust International Fund Administration Services (Guernsey) Limited

The Company Secretary

Trafalgar Court

Les Banques

St Peter Port

Guernsey

GY1 3QL

Tel: 01481 745001

END
RUSHAN, China, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- On October 6, the second China (Rushan) Oyster Industry Summit Forum was held successfully in Rushan, Shandong. Deriving its name from a nearby hill as well as thriving by the sea, Rushan is located on the golden south coast of the Shandong Peninsula. It has 199 km of coastline and 1.7 million mu (1,133 square km) of usable, top-quality seawater, and is blessed with abundant marine resources, hence the unique strengths of its marine economy. It is the renowned home of aquaculture in China.

In recent years, Rushan has seized the opportunity of China's rural revitalization strategy, focusing on the effective use of its marine resources, according to the People's Government of Rushan. Rushan has a long history and a solid foundation in the oyster industry. At the county level, its oyster production and cultivation area ranks first in China, and is one of the main oyster producing areas in the country. Known as the home of oysters in China, Rushan is in the process of establishing a National Demonstration Zone for the Protection of Geographical Indication Products.

Thanks to its high-quality seawater, Rushan produces oysters that are among the best in China. The physical and chemical properties of the water in Rushan's aquaculture areas meet China's first-class water quality standards for agricultural use. This provides a uniquely favorable environment for oyster production, thereby contributing to the superior quality of Rushan oysters. These oysters are known for their considerable size, juicy tender meat and delicious taste, and they are rich in protein, taurine, glycogen and trace elements.

Rushan has engaged the services of oyster industry experts from home and abroad to build R&D platforms for oyster breeding, cultivation, processing and purification, and to promote the high-quality development of its oyster industry. Rushan has a variety of cultured oyster species, including Pacific varieties, such as Haida No. 1, Haida No. 2, Haida No. 3 and Haili (Oyster) No. 1, as well as the Triploid species. It has formed a whole industry chain that integrates breeding, cultivation, processing, marketing, and cultural tourism. The industry's output value is close to 10 billion yuan.

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Enfusion, Inc. ("Enfusion"), a leading provider of cloud-based investment management software and services, today announced that it has launched the roadshow for the initial public offering of its Class A common stock. The offering consists of 15,322,660 shares of Class A common stock offered by Enfusion and 3,427,340 shares of Class A common stock to be sold by certain of Enfusion's existing stockholders. The initial public offering price is expected to be between $15.00 and $17.00 per share. The underwriters will have a 30-day option to purchase from Enfusion and the selling stockholders up to an additional 2,812,500 shares of their Class A common stock. Enfusion intends to list its Class A common stock on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "ENFN."

Enfusion intends to use the net proceeds received from the offering to purchase equity interests in its operating subsidiary Enfusion Ltd. LLC from certain of Enfusion's pre-IPO equity holders and to purchase newly-issued equity interests in Enfusion Ltd. LLC. In turn, Enfusion Ltd. LLC intends to apply the balance of the net proceeds it receives from Enfusion to repay indebtedness, pay expenses incurred in connection with the IPO and the other organizational transactions contemplated thereby and for general corporate purposes.

Morgan Stanley Co. LLC and Goldman Sachs Co. LLC are acting as lead book-running managers for the proposed offering, with BofA Securities, Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, Piper Sandler Co., Stifel, Nicolaus Company, Incorporated and William Blair Company, L.L.C. acting as additional bookrunners, and Loop Capital Markets acting as co-manager.

The offering will be made only by means of a prospectus. Copies of the preliminary prospectus, when available, may be obtained from: Morgan Stanley Co. LLC, 180 Varick Street, 2nd Floor, New York, New York 10014, Attn: Prospectus Department, by email: prospectus@morganstanley.com; Goldman Sachs Co. LLC, Attn: Prospectus Department, 200 West Street, New York, NY 10282, by telephone at (866) 471-2526 or by email at prospectus-ny@ny.email.gs.com.

A registration statement relating to these securities has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission but has not yet become effective. These securities may not be sold, nor may offers to buy be accepted, prior to the time the registration statement becomes effective. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy these securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

About Enfusion

Enfusion's investment management software-as-a-service platform removes traditional information boundaries, uniting front-, middle- and back-office teams on one cloud-native system. Through its software, analytics, and middle/back-office managed services, Enfusion creates enterprise-wide cultures of real-time, data-driven intelligence, boosting agility, and powering growth. Enfusion partners with 600+ investment managers from nine global offices spanning four continents.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211012005588/en/

Contacts:

Media:

Prosek Partners

pro-enfusion@prosek.com

Investor Relations:

ICR

Brian Murphy

brian.murphy@icrinc.com
Technology supports Transdev strategy to improve passenger experience

MARKHAM, ON and HILVERSUM, The Netherlands, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Enghouse Telexis and TransdevNetherlands today announced the launch of contactless EMV (Europay, MasterCard and Visa) payment within Transdev's operations in the Netherlands. Transit passengers are now able to pay using contactless debit cards, credit cards and mobile phones.

By eventually replacing the current Dutch OV-Chipkaart card-based technology, the EMV technology will offer fast and convenient payment for Transdev transit customers. "We are pleased to add the contactless EMV payment capability to Transdev's operations in the Netherlands," said Toofan Otaredian, Managing Director of Enghouse Telexis. "This advancement improves the passenger experience and provides significant benefits to Transdev's operations."

The project supports the 'OV Pay'-project, the Dutch public transport payment service with an open-loop-payment capability across Transdev's operations, including 6,000 customer touchpoints (validators). The launch of EMV was introduced into the Gooi&Vechtstreek region on October 11, 2021. In 2022, contactless EMV payment will be expanded into the remaining Dutch Transdev regions.

Transdev is a major transit organization in the Netherlands, providing 400,000 trips per day. It is part of the global Transdev organization, which operates 42,000 vehicles in 17 countries with 83,000 employees. In the Netherlands, Transdev operates under the brands, Connexxion, Hermes and Witte Kruis using buses, trains and taxis.

"We are pleased to be one of the first operators in the Netherlands to launch the EMV payment capability for customers," said Manu Lageirse, CEO Transdev The Netherlands. "We were gratified with the success of our recent launch with Enghouse Telexis. The system-wide application of EMV payments will support our efforts to make customer payment more convenient for customers of our public transit services in the Netherlands."

Demand for contactless payment is increasing across Europe and is now standard in most retail environments. "Contactless payment is popular because it combines speed and convenience with security," said Charlotte Hogg, CEO of Visa Europe. "In addition, contactless cards have the lowest fraud rates of any payment type."

Implementing the EMV solution for transit operators can be more complex than in retail environments. In addition to strict certification and compliance targets that support secure and accurate transactions, there are many components that need to work seamlessly for a good passenger experience, including validators, software and back-end processing systems.

"It was such a great pleasure to work with the Transdev team on this important project," Mr. Otaredian added. "Transdev is an innovative operator that understands that transit users have high expectations for convenience in payment."

About Enghouse Telexis

Enghouse Telexis is a unit of Enghouse Systems Limited of Markham, Ontario. Formed in 1999, Enghouse Telexis is an innovative technology provider of end-to-end electronic ticketing technologies. Enghouse Telexis is recognized for its cutting-edge technologies that allow transport agencies and operators to improve passenger experiences and reduce costs through hardware independent solutions. Customized for the needs of each client, Enghouse Telexis delivers expert solutions in automated fare collection (AFC), sales & service, and back-office solutions. For more information visit www.telexis.nl.

About Transdev Nederland

Transdev Nederland is one of the biggest mobility companies in the Netherlands. They are part of a large international organisation with over 80,000 colleagues. They transport millions of people on five different continents every day.

Together with clients and partners, Transdev is there for their travellers, clients and patients. In the Netherlands, the Company is known as Transdev, but operates under well-known brand names such as Connexxion, Hermes, Breng, Witte Kruis and Connexxion Taxi Services. From buses, trains and taxis to ambulances and autonomous shuttles, Transdev's vehicles and over 6,000 employees can be found throughout the country. An increasing part of this fleet consists of Zero Emission (ZE) vehicles, which will ultimately become the Company's fully emission-free bus and taxi fleet.

Contact: Katie Liang, Demand Generation Director, Enghouse Systems Limited, 1-866-966-8511, katie.liang@enghouse.com
~ Anticipates 1st Concentrate Sales in October ~

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / October 12, 2021 / Guanajuato Silver Company Ltd. (the "Company" or "GSilver") (TSXV:GSVR)(OTCQX:GSVRF) is pleased to announce that processing of silver and gold bearing material has commenced at its El Cubo mine and mill located 11km east of the city of Guanajuato, Mexico. The Company's first concentrate sales are anticipated to occur before the end of October, 2021.

James Anderson, Chairman and CEO of GSilver commented, "We have achieved yet another significant milestone - on track, on time and on budget - with the recommissioning of our El Cubo mill. I congratulate all of our team members on executing this noteworthy achievement so rapidly."

Mineral Processing Commences:

Guanajuato Silver Company Ltd. has commenced the processing of silver and gold bearing material at its El Cubo mill. The Company is producing a bulk silver and gold concentrate that will be sold to Ocean Partners UK Ltd., as announced in the Company's news release dated Sept. 23rd. (Click Here.)

Crushing and grinding of mill feed from El Cubo commenced on October 8, 2021, after GSilver had accumulated over 20,000 tonnes of stockpiled material in the El Cubo storage yard. The Company expects to deliver its first shipment of concentrate by the end of the month and to receive initial payment shortly thereafter.

The Company has completed most of the US$3.5m in planned upgrades at its El Cubo floatation processing plant, which is capable of handling approximately 1500 tonnes per day, or over 500,000 tonnes per year. With initial mine production from El Cubo planned at ~ 750 tonnes per day, the Company's mill has ample capacity for expansion to handle material from the Company's nearby El Pinguico project and/or other sources of material from the greater Guanajuato Mining District.

Director and COO Hernan Dorado said: "Having completed the acquisition of El Cubo in April 2021, only six months ago, our mining and mineral processing teams have done an exceptional job in swiftly bringing the mill and related facilities back online. The start-up process is proceeding as envisioned, including short stoppages while all of the moving parts of the plant are tested, retested, and in some cases operated for the first time. This has been a relatively smooth process at El Cubo, and we anticipate a short timeline of ramping up to our planned initial monthly throughput of ~ 22,500 tonnes."

Mining:

Prior to commencing mill operations, GSilver mined and stockpiled approximately 20,000 tonnes of material from El Cubo. For the ramp up phase, we initially targeted somewhat lower-grade material than is described in the Company's preliminary economic assessment (the "PEA") dated May 6, 2021 (effective date: January 31, 2021) prepared by engineering firm Behre Dolbear & Company (USA) Inc. earlier in the year, a copy of which is available on the Company's website and SEDAR. The Company expects to move on to higher grade areas within the mine in the months ahead. The PEA discusses inferred resources outlined at El Cubo of 1,453,000 tonnes of 214 gpt Ag and 2.78 gpt Au (435 gpt AgEq) and indicated resources of 508,055 tonnes of 194 gpt Ag and 2.44 gpt Au (389 gpt AgEq).[1] Drilling is ongoing at El Cubo and is intended to provide better grade control data at the 2175, 1850, and Cebolletas stope areas.

Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. There has been insufficient exploration to allow for the classification of the inferred resources at El Cubo as an indicated or measured mineral resource, however, it is reasonably expected that the majority of the inferred mineral resources could be upgraded to indicated or measured mineral resources with continued exploration. There is no guarantee that any part of the mineral resources at El Cubo will be converted into a mineral reserve in the future.

Hernan Dorado Smith, a director of GSilver and a "qualified person" as defined by National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, has approved the scientific and technical information contained in this news release.

About Guanajuato Silver Co. Ltd.:

GSilver is a mining development company engaged in reactivating past producing silver and gold mines near the city of Guanajuato, Mexico. The Company is focused on the refurbishment and swift re-commencement of production from its El Cubo mine and mill and its nearby El Pinguico project, as well as the delineation of additional silver and gold resources through underground and surface drilling. Both projects are located within 11km of the city of Guanajuato, which has an established 480-year mining history.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

"James Anderson"

Chairman and CEO

For further information regarding Guanajuato Silver Co. Ltd, please contact:

James Anderson, Director, +1 (778) 989-5346

Email: james.anderson@GSilver.com

Continue to watch our progress at: www.GSilver.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains certain forward-looking statements and information, which relate to future events or future performance including, but not limited to, the amount and timing of initially processed mineralized material and concentrate sales from El Cubo, the planned initial throughput at El Cubo and the expected total capacity of the El Cubo mill, estimates of mineral resources; the attractiveness of potential vein widths and the existence of higher grade areas within the mine; the opportunities for exploration, development and future production from El Cubo and El Pinguico and the proposed exploration and development programs therefor and the timing and costs thereof; the ability of the Company to successfully complete the refurbishment of the El Cubo mill, procure equipment, hire personnel and supply and process sufficient mineralized material and resources from El Cubo and El Pinguico through the mill to successfully begin commercial production of silver and gold in Q4 2021 at the projected amounts, grades, costs and revenues and the success related to any future exploration and/or development programs.

Such forward-looking statements and information reflect management's current beliefs and are based on information currently available to and assumptions made by the Company; which assumptions, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant operational, business, economic and regulatory uncertainties and contingencies. These assumptions include: our mineral resource estimates at El Cubo and El Pinguico and the assumptions upon which they are based, including geotechnical and metallurgical characteristics of rock conforming to sampled results and metallurgical performance; tonnage of mineralized material to be mined and processed; resource grades and recoveries; assumptions and discount rates being appropriately applied to production estimates; success of the Company's combined El Cubo / El Pinguico operation; prices for silver and gold remaining as estimated; currency exchange rates remaining as estimated; availability of funds for the Company's projects; capital, decommissioning and reclamation estimates; prices for energy inputs, labour, materials, supplies and services (including transportation); no labour-related disruptions; no unplanned delays or interruptions in scheduled construction and production; all necessary permits, licenses and regulatory approvals are received in a timely manner; and the ability to comply with environmental, health and safety laws. The foregoing list of assumptions is not exhaustive.

Readers are cautioned that such forward-looking statements and information are neither promises nor guarantees, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause future results to differ materially from those expected including, but not limited to, market conditions, availability of financing, currency rate fluctuations, actual results of exploration, development and production activities, actual resource grades and recoveries of silver and gold, unanticipated geological or structural formations and characteristics, environmental risks, future prices of gold, silver and other metals, operating risks, accidents, labor issues, equipment or personnel delays, delays in obtaining governmental or regulatory approvals and permits, inadequate insurance, and other risks in the mining industry. There are no assurances that GSilver will be able to successfully re-start the El Cubo mill to process mineralized materials to produce silver and gold in the amounts, grades, recoveries, costs and timetable anticipated. In addition, GSilver's decision to begin processing mineralized material from its estimated resources at El Cubo and its above and underground stockpiles at El Pinguico through the El Cubo mill is not based on a feasibility study of mineral reserves demonstrating economic and technical viability and therefore is subject to increased uncertainty and risk of failure, both economically and technically. Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability, are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them, and may be materially affected by environmental, permitting, legal, title, socio-political, marketing, and other relevant issues. There are no assurances that the results of the Company's recently announced preliminary economic assessment and projected production of silver and gold will be realized. There is also uncertainty about the spread of COVID-19 and variants of concern and the impact they will have on the Company's operations, supply chains, ability to access El Cubo and/or El Pinguico or procure equipment, contractors and other personnel on a timely basis or at all and economic activity in general. All the forward-looking statements made in this news release are qualified by these cautionary statements and those in our continuous disclosure filings available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com . These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances save as required by law.

Cautionary Note for U.S. Investors regarding Reserve and Resource Estimates

Canadian public disclosure standards, including NI 43-101, differ from the requirements of United States securities laws. In particular, the terms "indicated mineral resources" and "inferred mineral resources" in this news release are defined in accordance with NI 43-101 under the guidelines set out in the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy, and Petroleum Definition Standards for Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves 2014 ("CIM Definition Standards"). The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") has recently modernized and amended its mineral property disclosure requirements for issuers whose securities are registered with the SEC under the United States Securities Act of 1934 and now recognizes estimates of "measured mineral resources", "indicated mineral resources" and "inferred mineral resources" which are substantially similar to the corresponding CIM Definition Standards. The SEC has also amended its definition of "proven mineral reserves" and "probable mineral reserves" to be substantially similar to the corresponding CIM Definitions. However, U.S. investors are cautioned that while the foregoing terms adopted by the SEC are "substantially similar" to corresponding definitions under CIM Definition Standards, there are differences. As such, there is no assurance any mineral resources that the Company may report as "measured mineral resources", "indicated mineral resources" and "inferred mineral resources" under NI 43-101 would be the same had the Company prepared the resource estimates under the standards adopted by the SEC. United States investors are also cautioned that while the SEC will now recognize "measured mineral resources", "indicated mineral resources" and "inferred mineral resources", investors should not assume that all or any part of the mineral deposits in these categories would ever be converted into a higher category of mineral resources or into mineral reserves. Mineralization described by these terms has a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence, and great uncertainty as to their economic and legal feasibility. Accordingly, U.S. investors are cautioned not to assume that any "measured mineral resources", "indicated mineral resources", or "inferred mineral resources" that the Company reports are or will be economically or legally mineable. Furthermore, it cannot be assumed that all or any part of "inferred mineral resources" exist, are economically or legally mineable or will ever be upgraded to a higher category. Under Canadian securities laws, estimated "inferred mineral resources" may not form the basis of feasibility or pre-feasibility studies except in rare cases. Disclosure of "contained ounces" in a mineral resource is permitted disclosure under Canadian securities laws. However, historically the SEC only permits issuers to report mineralization that does not constitute "reserves" as in place tonnage and grade, without reference to unit measures. Accordingly, information concerning mineral deposits set forth herein may not be comparable with information made public by companies that report in accordance with U.S. securities laws.

Guanajuato Silver Company Ltd.

PH: +1(778) 989-5346 E: info@GSilver.com W: GSilver.com

CA: Suite 578 - 999 Canada Place, Vancouver B.C. V6C 3E1

MX: Carretera - Guanajuato - Silao km 5.5, Int 4, Col. Marfil CP36250, Guanajuato, Gto., Mexico

[1] Silver equivalent (AgEq) amounts were calculated using 1 ounce of gold is equal to 80 ounces of silver, on the basis of the average 5-year historic silver and gold prices. SOURCE: Guanajuato Silver Company Ltd. Guanajuato Silver Company Ltd.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/667683/GSilver-Begins-Mineral-Processing-at-El-Cubo
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 12, 2021) - Silver Sands Resources Corp. (CSE: SAND) (OTCQB: SSRSF) ("Silver Sands" or the "Company") is pleased to report the commencement of its fully funded $US900k Phase III exploration program at its Virginia Silver Project in Santa Cruz Province, Argentina.

Following up on a highly successful Phase I and Phase II program, Phase III comprises a total of 2685 metres in 16 holes targeting 7 different silver vein structures, plus the Santa Rita silver-gold prospect. Phase III drilling will continue to focus on gaps and extensions of principal veins and also includes testing some deeper vein extensions. Previous drilling has tested mineralization at depths from surface to only 150 meters deep. Phase I and Phase II drilling completed in 2020/2021 demonstrated the existence of significant silver mineralization that has not out cropped on the surface especially in the south and the south-east areas of the property.

Drilling will focus on expanding high grade silver mineralization open along strike, and at depth, within the Ely, Martina and Julia vein structures that currently host conceptual open pits at Ely North, Ely Central, Martina and Julia South. The program will also include testing vein structures or mineralization at four other targets plus the Santa Rita silver-gold prospect 15 km to the north of the Virginia discovery. Santa Rita was previously explored by Mirasol in 2005-2007 including 2,048m of drilling. Surface sampling highlights included 340 g/t silver and 1.23 g/t gold and channel sample highlights included 309 g/t silver and 0.63 g/t gold over 4m. New drill targets have been developed at Santa Rita based on a reinterpretation of the exploration and drilling data and structure.

In addition, the next block to the northeast of the Virginia Vein Field will be the focus of the extremely successful Pole Dipole Induced Polarization (PDP IP) survey. The PDP IP follows up the earlier gradient array IP to define and sharpen the linear chargeability anomalies that are yielding responses similar to the known vein structures within the Virginia Vein Field.

Phase III Virginia Vein Field Drill Plan

Ely Central

Ely Central hosts a 580m gap between the Ely South and Ely North conceptual pits. Drilling along a 200m section of this during Phase I and Phase II delivered silver mineralization in all four holes. Two holes will be directed at testing the mineralization: one to depth and one along strike.

Highlights of previous drilling include:

639 g/t Ag over 9.60m

625 g/t Ag over 10.80m, including 1,110 g/t Ag over 5.70m

560 g/t Ag over 9.98m, including 1,578 g/t Ag over 2.87m

233.54 g/t Ag over 9.25m, including 441.71 g/t Ag over 4.5m

Ely North

Ely North Extension hosts a 400m gap to the north of the Ely North conceptual pit. Widely spaced drilling in Phase I and Phase II hit silver mineralization in two holes 350m apart. The discovery of strong veining and silver mineralization in previously untested lower intensity IP chargeability at Ely North Extension opens numerous possibilities within the current mineral resource area. Two holes will test the mineralization at depth and beneath the Phase I and Phase II holes.

Previous drill intercepts included:

476 g/t Ag over 4.0m, including 929 g/t Ag over 1.85m

91 g/t Ag over 7.5m

Julia South

Phase I and Phase II drilling at Julia South / Julia South Extension has a identified a potential 400m shoot of silver mineralization to the south of the Julia South conceptual pit. One hole will test mineralization to depth.

Previous drill intercepts include:

360 g/t silver over 0.4m

259 g/t silver over 0.7m

192 g/t silver over 5.5m, including 372 g/t silver over 1.6m

140.27 g/t silver over 4.2m, including 483 g/t silver over 0.35m

123.43 g/t silver over 8.5m, including 168.34 g/t silver over 3.9m

Martina

Three vein segments have been identified at Martina: NW, SE and SW. Martina NW is a 200m gap to the north of the existing Martina conceptual pit. Phase II drilling returned 190 g/t silver of 5.9 metres. One hole will test below this drill intersection. The geological evidence, as interpreted by the Mirasol team, indicates the Virginia Vein Field is tilted to the east, meaning the silver mineralized shoots will be deeper on the eastern side of the field.

Martina SE lies in a 450m gap to the south of the Martina conceptual pit. Shallower Phase I drilling returned values of 198 g/t silver over 33.5m and 63.97 g/t silver over 16.05m. One hole will test below these drill intersections. Martina SW is a northeast trending structure, parallel to the Ely Vein. Limited Phase I and Phase II drilling located 30 to 85 g/t silver over narrow widths. One hole will test the vein.

Magi

Magi has been traced intermittently for 770m on the east side of the Virginia Vein Field. Limited drilling has returned highlights of 40.73 g/t silver over 16.7m. One hole will test the vein along strike.

Margarita

Margarita is a 500m long vein in the south of the Virginia Vein Field. Historic channel sampling returned highlights of 1,486 g/t silver over 1.4m with samples ranging from 3,170 g/t silver to 67 g.t silver. A Phase I drill hole appears to have been drilled into the footwall of the vein, so one hole will test the vein from the hanging wall side.

Roxanne

Roxanne remains an enigma as drilling to date has been unable to locate the elusive source of a 590m linear series of surface float samples that averaged 1,039 g/t silver, ranging from 2,880 g/t silver to 103 g/t silver. Corresponding high chargeability suggests a linear structure. One hole will test below a drill intersection of 21.84 g/t silver over 2.6m.

Maos

Maos has been traced intermittently 200m along strike in the northeast of the vein field. Historic sampling returned anomalous silver values in linear subcrop and angular float. With the vein field dipping to the east, the favourable silver mineralization is expected to lie at depth beneath surface. Two drill holes will trace the vein down dip toward the high-grade silver mineralization.

Phase III Santa Rita Silver/Gold Targets

The gold rich Santa Rita zones lie 15km to the north of the Virginia Vein Field. Early exploration located three zones, Santa Rita Main, Santa Rita Central and Santa Rita East. Exploration largely focussed on Santa Rita Main, an open ended 3500m long by 500m wide NW trend containing mapped veins of multi-ounce silver epithermal mineralisation generally less than 10m wide. Surface sampling highlights include 340 g/t silver and 1.23 g/t gold and channel sample highlights include 309 g/t silver and 0.63 g/t gold over 4m. Subsequent limited diamond drilling returned highlights of 86.3 g/t silver over 3.4m, within the upper levels of the epithermal system.

Santa Rita East forms a 2.7 km long zone of intermittently outcropping veins occurring along an 8 km NW orientated major fault within the same EW orientated structural corridor as Santa Rita Main. Santa Rita Central and Santa Rita East show a marked increase in gold results with associated high silver hosted within well-formed epithermal veins. Santa Rita Central highlight values range from 1.77 to 0.12 g/t gold and 158 to 18 g/t silver, while Santa Rita East highlight values range from 5.86 to 2.57 to g/t gold and 91 to 21 g/t silver, indicating gold values are increasing to the east.

Reinterpretation of the geophysics and drilling suggests that 40% of the 2,048m drilled at Santa Rita Main was drilled into the footwall and failed to intersect the main structure. Vein quartz and alteration suggest the drill holes targeted the upper levels of epithermal veining, with the high-grade gold and silver values expected to be deeper within the vein. Three drill holes are planned to cross the vein structure from the hanging wall and test the structure at depth.

"With two highly successful drill programs already completed, Phase III drilling has the potential to significantly expand on our previous discoveries and build on the known silver resource at the Virginia Vein Field, " commented Silver Sands CEO Keith Anderson. "Much of this program is designed to test extensions and gaps in areas where we have already encountered high grade silver mineralization along strike from known conceptual open pits. Other targets have the potential to develop new conceptual open pits by expanding on previous drilling and sampling. As well we're extremely excited to test new high priority silver/gold targets at Santa Rita based on a reinterpretation of previous exploration and drilling data. This will be the first time we've drilled a target where there has been significant gold mineralization."









Figure 1. Key Zones

To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6972/99247_8eb8bc3634efd9ed_001full.jpg

Ely Central Target

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6972/99247_8eb8bc3634efd9ed_002full.jpg

Ely North Target

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6972/99247_8eb8bc3634efd9ed_003full.jpg

Martina NW Target

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6972/99247_8eb8bc3634efd9ed_004full.jpg

Martina SW Target

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6972/99247_8eb8bc3634efd9ed_005full.jpg

Julia South Extension Target

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6972/99247_8eb8bc3634efd9ed_006full.jpg

Legend

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https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6972/99247_8eb8bc3634efd9ed_007full.jpg

Figure 2. Highlighted New Zones from Phase I and Phase II Programs

To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6972/99247_8eb8bc3634efd9ed_008full.jpg

About Virginia

The Virginia Project is an advanced exploration stage project. Located in the mineral-rich Deseado massif, lying within the mining-friendly state of Santa Cruz in the Patagonia region of Argentina. Virginia is a low to intermediate sulphidation epithermal silver deposit. Through initial discovery in 2009 to four drill programs between 2010 and 2012, Mirasol Resources was able to define an initial indicated mineral resource of 11.9 million ounces of silver at 310 g/t Ag and a further inferred 3.1 million ounces of silver at 207 g/t Ag within seven outcropping bodies. The mineral resources are contained within seven conceptual open pits - Naty, Julia North, Julia Central, Julia South, Ely North, Ely South and Martina. Phase I and II drilling identified the potential for four additional conceptual open pits - Ely Central, Ely North Extension, Julia South Extension and Martina NW.

The resource estimate is documented in a Mirasol Resources technical report entitled: "Amended Technical Report, Virginia Project, Santa Cruz Province, Argentina -- Initial Silver Mineral Resource Estimate" with an effective date of Oct. 24, 2014, and a report date of Feb. 29, 2016.

Several additional vein structures within the property package remain highly prospective, as Mirasol concentrated the bulk of its earlier exploration effort on the resource area at the expense of continuing exploration on the underexplored additional veins. Several of these structures have highlight silver values in excess of 1,000 g/t Ag and have a high probability of hosting additional silver resources.

Silver Sands has the option to earn-in 100% of the Virginia Project. Upon completion of the option Mirasol Resources will retain a 3% NSR royalty, of which 1% can be bought back by Silver Sands for US$ 2 million.

About Silver Sands Resources Corp.

Silver Sands is a well-financed, Canada-based company engaged in the business of mineral exploration and the acquisition of mineral property assets in mining-friendly jurisdictions. Its objective is to locate and develop economic precious and base metal properties of merit. Its key asset is the Virginia silver project, located in the mining-friendly Santa Cruz state of Argentina.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

Keith Anderson

Chief Executive Officer, Director

For further information, please contact:

Keith Anderson

Chief Executive Officer, Director (604) 786-7774

Qualified Person Statement: Silver Sand's disclosure of technical and scientific information in this press release has been reviewed and approved by R. Tim Henneberry, P.Eng., a director of the Company, who serves as a Qualified Person under the definition of National Instrument 43-101.

QAQC: Silver Sands applies industry standard exploration sampling methodologies and techniques. All geochemical rock and drill samples are collected under the supervision of the company's geologists in accordance with industry practice. Geochemical assays are obtained and reported under a quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) program. Samples are dispatched to an ISO 9001:2008 accredited laboratory in Argentina for analysis. Assay results from channel, trench, and drill core samples may be higher, lower or similar to results obtained from surface samples due to surficial oxidation and enrichment processes or due to natural geological grade variations in the primary mineralization.

Forward-Looking Statements: The information in this news release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in our forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause such differences include: changes in world commodity markets, equity markets, costs and supply of materials relevant to the mining industry, change in government and changes to regulations affecting the mining industry and to policies linked to pandemics, social and environmental related matters. Forward-looking statements in this release include statements regarding future exploration programs, operation plans, geological interpretations, mineral tenure issues and mineral recovery processes. Although we believe the expectations reflected in our forward-looking statements are reasonable, results may vary, and we cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Silver Sands disclaims any obligations to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable law.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange ("CSE") nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/99247
Infused with renowned Fino lemons and supported by mandarins and Navel oranges known for their bright, bold notes and intensity of flavour delivering an elegant and refined taste. 100% of the botanicals in BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Premier Cru are on track to being certified sustainable in 2021

Launching [4th October] and available from [Bombay Sapphire E Shop], RRP 30.

HAMILTON, Bermuda, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today BOMBAY SAPPHIRE, the world's leading premium gin brand, unveils BOMBAY SAPPHIRE PREMIER CRU MURCIAN LEMON - a new super premium expression created to celebrate the region of Murcia in Spain and the stunning citrus that it produces, while shining a light on the long-standing relationships BOMBAY SAPPHIRE has forged with its dedicated suppliers and farmers. Murcian Fino lemons are at the heart of this exquisite gin with its bright, elegant flavour notes that are complemented by mandarins and sweet Navel oranges for a bittersweet yet balanced taste to be enjoyed by gin fans everywhere. Representing the absolute best quality in terms of ingredients, craftsmanship, sustainable sourcing and flavour, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Premier Cru is perfect for those looking to instantly make any occasion feel more special or anyone wanting to elevate their cocktail making experience at home. Additionally, the elegant bottle design and premium cork closure is sure to catch guests' attention on the bar trolley, making it the ideal gift for gin lovers and budding mixologists this Christmas and beyond.

As part of its ongoing mission to be the world's most sustainable gin, each botanical found in BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Premier Cru is on track to being certified sustainable in 2021. BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Premier Cru, indicating 'best growth,' brings together carefully sourced botanicals including Murcian citrus, for a beautifully balanced taste profile that provides a unique citrus foundation for a variety of creative cocktails, from simple classics like the Gin & Tonic to elevated cocktails such as the French 75. Produced from a single late harvest, these perfectly ripened Murcian Fino lemons are matured in the Mediterranean sun and left to ripen in the winter months. They are hand-picked, and hand peeled when they are ripest to ensure the most intense citrus aromas and flavours are harnessed.

BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Premier Cru is the perfect example of the craftsmanship and care that goes into every single drop of BOMBAY SAPPHIRE and celebrates the signature lemon peel found in the original iconic BOMBAY SAPPHIRE gin. Like all BOMBAY SAPPHIRE gins, the elevated notes of the botanicals are unlocked and then captured by the signature Vapour Infusion process at the home of BOMBAY SAPPHIRE, Laverstoke Mill, in Hampshire. Each small batch is personally and precisely cut by Master Distiller, Dr Anne Brock, to showcase the best of the late harvest and to ensure every bottle is consistent year on year, and a fitting tribute to Murcia, the suppliers and farmers' craftsmanship. This London Dry Gin contains no artificial flavours or essences and draws all its flavour solely from the botanicals and the distillation process alone, capturing the best flavours that nature has to offer.

It is nature's finest ingredients that make BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Premier Cru such a distinctive and exceptional gin. BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Master of Botanicals, Ivano Tonutti, who works closely with suppliers across the globe to source the highest quality ingredients, said: "I am delighted to showcase the work of our suppliers and farmers in Murcia, many of whom I've known personally for over 20 years, in a truly remarkable gin. Each lemon has been hand-picked at its ripest moment in small quantities during the late Fino harvest season, using skilful techniques passed down from generation to generation. Murcian citrus is particularly special due to the exact region where it is grown. Sitting in a basin between mountain and sea, it is the perfect micro-climate for growing citrus that slowly ripens in the winter months for the best tasting fruit and impactful flavour."

Held at a higher ABV of 47%, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Premier Cru is elegant, yet bold and bright while remaining remarkably smooth and refined. With a complex yet balanced flavour profile, it is the perfect gin to transform any occasion into something truly special, whether unwinding at the end of the day, celebrating an important milestone or hosting a dinner party with friends. To enjoy BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Premier Cru in a G&T, fill a glass with ice and top with chilled, crisp tonic water, finishing with a simple twist of lemon zest to elevate the citrus cues within the gin. For a true showstopper to impress friends and family, mix the gin in a French 75 cocktail - combine it with fresh lemon juice, sugar and top with Champagne. However you choose to mix it, the refined taste means BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Premier Cru is set to become every enthusiasts gin of choice whether ordering it at your favourite cocktail bar or experimenting with mixology at home.

BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Master Distiller, Dr Anne Brocksaid, "We are delighted that gin fans will soon be trying this stunning new expression from BOMBAY SAPPHIRE, which is a multifaceted celebration of renowned Murcian citrus. I am incredibly proud of the meticulous processes used to produce BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Premier Cru from the skilled sourcing and preparation of botanicals to my role in carefully adapting every small batch of gin to bring out the nuances of the late harvest during distillation, amplifying the unique characteristics and finest flavours into a consistent flavour profile every year. BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Premier Cru is sure to impress and delight gin lovers everywhere with its distinct, yet subtle citrus flavour profile that shines in a wide array of cocktails, lending itself beautifully to iconic drinks such as the French 75 or a classic martini cocktail with a lemon twist."

To celebrate the launch, Bombay Sapphire has partnered with the Mondrian Hotel, London, to create two exclusive cocktails that highlight the versatility and taste of Premier Cru. The Murcian cobbler offers a sharp, zesty flavour; Premier Cru is served with muddled lemons, manzanilla sherry and orange bitters, and topped with a lemon and rosemary garnish, whilst The Spanish Cru 75 is lighter, spritz serve designed to hero the lemon and juniper flavours of Premier Cru gin.

Hero brand film can be found here.

BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Premier Cru & Tonic Ingredients: 50ml (5cl) BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Premier Cru Murcian Lemon

100 (10cl) Premium tonic water

Lemon twist (garnish) Glass: Copa, white wine or highball Method: Build over cubed ide and then garnish with a twist of lemon BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Premier Cru French 75 Ingredients: 35ml (3.5cl) BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Premier Cru Murcian Lemon

15ml (1.5cl) Freshly squeezed lemon juice

1  Teaspoons of powdered white sugar (or use 5ml rich sugar syrup / to taste)

75ml (7.5cl) Brut Champagne (chilled)

Lemon twist (garnish - with oils expressed over serve) Glass: Champagne flute or white wine glass Method: Add fresh lemon and sugar to a shaker and stir to dissolve. Add Premier Cru and fill with cubed ice. Shake hard and then strain into your glass. Top with chilled Champagne, stir slowly and finish with a zest of lemon. BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Premier Cru Aviation Ingredients: 50ml (5cl) BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Premier Cru Murcian Lemon

15ml (1.5cl) Freshly squeezed lemon juice

10ml (1cl) Maraschino liqueur

Teaspoon (5ml) Creme de Violette

Teaspoon (5ml) rich sugar syrup (2:1 ratio)

Maraschino cherry (garnish)

Lemon twist (expressed and then disregarded) Glass: Frozen martini cocktail glass Method: Add all wet ingredients to a shaker, shake hard and then double strain into a frozen martini cocktail glass. Garnish with maraschino cherry and express the oils of a lemon twist over the drink before discarding.

ABOUT BOMBAY SAPPHIRE

*BOMBAY SAPPHIRE is the world's number one premium gin by value and volume (IWSR). Based on a 1761 recipe, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE gin is created by perfectly balancing a unique combination of 10 hand-selected exotic botanicals from around the world. The design of the BOMBAY SAPPHIRE distillery at Laverstoke Mill has won a BREEAM award for sustainability and is the home of the unique Vapour Infusion process, where the natural flavours of the botanicals are skilfully captured, resulting in the fresh and vibrant taste with which BOMBAY SAPPHIRE is synonymous. BOMBAY SAPPHIRE is on a mission to be the world's most sustainable gin with all its botanical ingredients on track to being certified sustainable with the For Life certification from Ecocert S.A. in 2021.

The BOMBAY SAPPHIRE brand?is part of the portfolio of Bacardi Limited, headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda. Bacardi Limited refers to the Bacardi group of companies, including Bacardi International Limited. ?

ABOUT BOMBAY SAPPHIRE?AND?CREATIVITY

With its 'Stir Creativity' campaign, launched in 2018, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE is leading a global mission - a call to arms for everyone to engage with their creativity?and?unlock their creative potential.??From?advocacy programmes including?the World's Most Imaginative Bartender competition, which has run?in the US for the last 11 years, to hosting The Glasshouse Project, which brings together?the world's top bartenders?in a series of creative workshops designed to push the boundaries of cocktail creativity.?For eight years, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE has run The Artisan Series, an art competition created by the brand to provide emerging artists with an international platform.

www.bombaysapphire.com

https://www.instagram.com/bombaysapphire/

www.facebook.com/BombaySapphire

ENJOY BOMBAY SAPPHIRE RESPONSIBLY

BOMBAY SAPPHIRE AND BOMBAY SAPPHIRE PREMIER CRU ARE TRADEMARKS

Contact: Emily.woodhams@ogilvy.com, bombaysapphireuk@ogilvy.com
New Phase 1 daily production record of 721 tonnes of copper achieved



Kamoa-Kakula's second filter press begins operations, allowing for increased copper concentrate production



Phase 1 concentrator ore throughput exceeding the 3.8 Mtpa design by more than 10%

Kolwezi, Democratic Republic of Congo--(Newsfile Corp. - October 12, 2021) - Ivanhoe Mines (TSX: IVN) (OTCQX: IVPAF) Co-Chairs Robert Friedland and Yufeng "Miles" Sun announced that construction of Kamoa-Kakula's Phase 2 concentrator plant, which is designed to double copper production to approximately 400,000 tonnes a year, is proceeding ahead of schedule. The project team now anticipates beginning operations of the Phase 2 concentrator plant in Q2 2022, as compared to current guidance of Q3 2022.

Mark Farren, Kamoa Copper's CEO, stated: "Construction of the Phase 2 concentrator plant is progressing very well and the project team is working hard to complete the project ahead of schedule, similar to what we did with the Phase 1 plant. Based on the pace of the work completed to date, we now expect to deliver first ore to the Phase 2 ball mills before the end of Q2 2022."

The Phase 2, 3.8 million-tonne-per-annum (Mtpa) concentrator plant is a carbon copy of the Phase 1 concentrator plant, and is being constructed alongside the Phase 1 plant. All long-lead items of equipment, structural steel, platework and mechanical equipment for the Phase 2 plant already are delivered to site or are en-route. As of the end of September 2021, the Phase 2 plant was more than 50% complete.

"The ahead-of-schedule and on-budget achievements at Kamoa-Kakula stand tall and shine brightly in a COVID-19 world  where mining, infrastructure, and other industrial projects are routinely massively delayed, hindered by supply bottlenecks and predictably subject to significant cost over-runs. This outstanding construction progress at our Phase 1 and Phase 2 mines in this challenging environment is a testament to the extraordinary skill and dedication of our 'United Nations' of managers, staff and contractors," said Ivanhoe Founder & Executive Co-Chair Robert Friedland. "Their careful and diligent planning, and their utilization of all of our inherent advantages, delivered this historic achievement, which the industry and the world can now plainly see has risen to new heights in what a recent industry publication called the 'Democratic Republic of Copper.'"

"The Congolese mining industry has a very bright future indeed, and the legacy mining companies had better 'pull up their socks'  We are just starting  Having raised the bar for construction delivery, Ivanhoe Mines is setting its sights on raising the environmental, social and governance bar for the ultra-low-carbon copper production our world desperately needs for the energy transformation. We have all the pieces to do just that  We have the right team  We have the right partners and the right stakeholders. And we have the best copper projects in the world right now."

Also at the end of September, Kamoa-Kakula had surface ore stockpiles totalling approximately 3.66 million tonnes grading 4.73% copper, containing more than 173,000 tonnes of copper (or 381.4 million pounds of copper). These stockpiles are in place to help ensure a smooth and efficient ramp up of the Phase 2 concentrator to steady-state production during 2022.

As forecast in Ivanhoe's Kamoa-Kakula's progress update issued on September 30, the second concentrate filter press began operations on October 3, enabling the Phase 1 plant to produce copper concentrate above design parameters. The second filter allows Kamoa-Kakula's Phase 1 concentrator to take advantage of the exceptionally high-grade copper ore being processed directly from Kakula's underground mining operations and surface stockpiles.

"Kamoa-Kakula's Phase 1 milling and flotation capacity has been demonstrated to be in excess of design parameters," commented Steve Amos, Kamoa Copper's Head of Projects. "As such, the additional filter press enables Kamoa-Kakula to take advantage of the extra mill throughput to produce more copper than the estimated design output of approximately 200,000 tonnes per year. We have a third filter press on order that will be installed as part of the Phase 2 concentrator expansion."

"The additional filtration capacity also will allow Kamoa-Kakula's operations team to find the 'sweet spot' between copper recoveries and concentrate copper grades."





Aerial shot of the side-by-side Phase 1 (left) and Phase 2 (right) concentrator plants.

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All eight rougher flotation cells and three of six cleaner flotation cells now installed in the Phase 2 concentrator plant.

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Installing the inlet trunnion on the Phase 2 secondary ball mill.

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Lifting the reducer gear box assembly for the Phase 2 secondary ball mill.

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Preparing to lift shell sections of the second of two Phase 2 ball mills.

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Since the previous reporting month, the Phase 1 concentrator has consistently achieved a run-rate throughput of 12,600 tonnes of ore per day (a rate of approximately 4.2 Mtpa), which is 10.5% higher than the design throughput of approximately 11,400 tonnes per day, or 3.8 Mtpa.

During initial commissioning of the second filter press, a new daily production record of 721 tonnes of copper in filtered concentrate was achieved on October 4, 2021. The current copper price is approximately US$9,500 a tonne.

Watch a short video showcasing the commissioning of the second concentrate filter press at Kamoa-Kakula: https://vimeo.com/629021616/deccdb4768

The Kamoa-Kakula Copper Project is a joint venture between Ivanhoe Mines (39.6%), Zijin Mining Group (39.6%), Crystal River Global Limited (0.8%) and the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (20%).





(L-R) Operators Madickson Kabeya, Mumba Mpanga Elie, Bizimana Andre Stany and Bedudrick Mutombo, in front of the two concentrate filter presses that were manufactured by Outotec of Espoo, Finland.

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Members of the multinational commissioning team at the new filter press on left.

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Bizimana Andre Stany operating the concentrate filter press.

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Philip Katayi monitoring the loading of high-grade copper concentrate into the transfer bin, which moves a portion of Kamoa-Kakula's concentrate to the bagging plant for shipment to international markets.

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Qualified Persons

Disclosures of a scientific or technical nature regarding development scenarios at the Kamoa-Kakula Project in this news release have been reviewed and approved by Steve Amos, who is considered, by virtue of his education, experience and professional association, a Qualified Person under the terms of NI 43-101. Mr. Amos is not considered independent under NI 43-101 as he is Kamoa Copper's Head of Projects. Mr. Amos has verified the technical data disclosed in this news release.

Ivanhoe has prepared an independent, NI 43-101-compliant technical report for the Kamoa-Kakula Project, which is available on the company's website and under the company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com:

Kamoa-Kakula Integrated Development Plan 2020 dated October 13, 2020, prepared by OreWin Pty Ltd., China Nerin Engineering Co., Ltd., DRA Global, Epoch Resources, Golder Associates Africa, KGHM Cuprum R&D Centre Ltd., Outotec Oyj, Paterson and Cooke, Stantec Consulting International LLC, SRK Consulting Inc., and Wood plc.

The technical report includes relevant information regarding the assumptions, parameters and methods of the mineral resource estimates on the Kamoa-Kakula Project cited in this news release, as well as information regarding data verification, exploration procedures and other matters relevant to the scientific and technical disclosure contained in this news release.

About Ivanhoe Mines

Ivanhoe Mines is a Canadian mining company focused on advancing its three principal joint-venture projects in Southern Africa: the development of major new, mechanized, underground mines at the Kamoa-Kakula copper discoveries in the Democratic Republic of Congo and at the Platreef palladium-rhodium-platinum-nickel-copper-gold discovery in South Africa; and the extensive redevelopment and upgrading of the historic Kipushi zinc-copper-germanium-silver mine, also in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Kamoa-Kakula began producing copper concentrates in May 2021 and, through phased expansions, is positioned to become one of the world's largest copper producers. Kamoa-Kakula and Kipushi are being powered by clean, renewable hydro-generated electricity and are projected to be among the world's lowest greenhouse gas emitters per unit of metal produced. Ivanhoe Mines has pledged to achieve net-zero operational greenhouse gas emissions (Scope 1 and 2) at the Kamoa-Kakula Copper Mine when large-scale electric, hydrogen and hybrid underground mining equipment become commercially available. Ivanhoe also is exploring for new copper discoveries on its Western Foreland exploration licences in the Democratic Republic of Congo, near the Kamoa-Kakula Project.

Information contacts

Investors: Bill Trenaman +1.604.331.9834 / Media: Matthew Keevil +1.604.558.1034

Forward-looking statements

Certain statements in this release constitute "forward-looking statements" or "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Such statements and information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the company, its projects, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information. Such statements can be identified by the use of words such as "may", "would", "could", "will", "intend", "expect", "believe", "plan", "anticipate", "estimate", "scheduled", "forecast", "predict" and other similar terminology, or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. These statements reflect the company's current expectations regarding future events, performance and results and speak only as of the date of this release.

Such statements include without limitation, the timing and results of: (i) statements regarding the second concentrate filter press enables the Phase 1 concentrator plant to produce copper concentrate above design parameters statements; (ii) statements regarding the Kamoa-Kakula's Phase 2 expansion, doubling production to over 400,000 tonnes of copper per year, is ahead of schedule and now on track to begin full operations in Q2 2022; and (iii) statements regarding Kamoa-Kakula and Kipushi are projected to be among the world's lowest greenhouse gas emitters per unit of metal produced.

As well, all of the results of the Kakula definitive feasibility study, the Kakula-Kansoko pre-feasibility study and the Kamoa-Kakula preliminary economic assessment, constitute forward-looking statements or information, and include future estimates of internal rates of return, net present value, future production, estimates of cash cost, proposed mining plans and methods, mine life estimates, cash flow forecasts, metal recoveries, estimates of capital and operating costs and the size and timing of phased development of the projects. Furthermore, with respect to this specific forward-looking information concerning the development of the Kamoa-Kakula Project, the company has based its assumptions and analysis on certain factors that are inherently uncertain. Uncertainties include: (i) the adequacy of infrastructure; (ii) geological characteristics; (iii) metallurgical characteristics of the mineralization; (iv) the ability to develop adequate processing capacity; (v) the price of copper; (vi) the availability of equipment and facilities necessary to complete development; (vii) the cost of consumables and mining and processing equipment; (viii) unforeseen technological and engineering problems; (ix) accidents or acts of sabotage or terrorism; (x) currency fluctuations; (xi) changes in regulations; (xii) the compliance by joint venture partners with terms of agreements; (xiii) the availability and productivity of skilled labour; (xiv) the regulation of the mining industry by various governmental agencies; (xv) the ability to raise sufficient capital to develop such projects; (xvi) changes in project scope or design; (xvii) political factors; and (xviii) unforeseen delays or stoppages in shipping and transportation of goods and equipment.

Forward-looking statements and information involve significant risks and uncertainties, should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results and will not necessarily be accurate indicators of whether or not such results will be achieved. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements or information, including, but not limited to, the factors discussed below and under "Risk Factors", and elsewhere in this release, as well as unexpected changes in laws, rules or regulations, or their enforcement by applicable authorities; the failure of parties to contracts with the company to perform as agreed; social or labour unrest; changes in commodity prices; and the failure of exploration programs or studies to deliver anticipated results or results that would justify and support continued exploration, studies, development or operations.

Although the forward-looking statements contained in this release are based upon what management of the company believes are reasonable assumptions, the company cannot assure investors that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this release and are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Subject to applicable securities laws, the company does not assume any obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this release.

The company's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of the factors set forth below in the "Risk Factors" section in the company's 2021 Q2 MD&A and its current annual information form.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/99290
PlaceSense's location intelligence data will cover more than 5,000 local businesses in the city of Hamburg.

PlaceSense, a leader in location-based information and foot traffic analytics, announces today the launch of its Free and Premium Services in Germany, starting in Hamburg. Utilizing PlaceSense, thousands of local businesses will be able to easily access location-based information, enabling them to gain a new level of understanding of their visitors, customers, and competition in and around the city.

"It has always been our vision to let businesses enjoy the benefits of location-based insights", says Dan Gildoni, CEO and Co-Founder of PlaceSense. "By providing valuable location-based insights for free, we support the success of local businesses. We are grateful for the support of the City of Hamburg and are looking forward to taking what we learn in this launch to do better in our upcoming expansions".

Through PlaceSense's online tool, businesses in Hamburg will be able to see the most popular locations in different categories such as Fashion, Malls, Dining, Accommodation, and others. They will also be able to check specific locations of interest and businesses, and understand foot traffic trends and insights such as changes to traffic over time, catchment, popular week days and times, as well as comparison to other businesses.

PlaceSense, with offices in Israel, Germany and Slovakia is used by enterprise organizations such as Cushman Wakefield, Lidl, Nielsen and others. It adheres to the highest privacy restrictions through a proprietary technology that ensures that all data is anonymized. PlaceSense has lately formed a strategic partnership with Kintyre, a German leading real estate specialist.

About PlaceSense

PlaceSense, a leader in location-based information and foot traffic analytics, uses anonymized, GDPR-compliant information from millions of data points to measure and analyze visits to specific locations. Backed by Nielsen and E.ON, PlaceSense is used by leading organizations, such as Cushman Wakefield, Drees Sommer and Union Investment. For more information, visit placesense.ai.

-ENDS-

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211012005598/en/

Contacts:

For more information contact:

Roni Dagan

+972-50-2176935

roni@placense.com
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - October 12, 2021) - Negev Capital has invested an undisclosed amount into a life sciences company focused on the production and distribution of artisanal functional mushrooms, Psyched Wellness Ltd. (CSE: PSYC) (OTCQB: PSYCF) (FSE: 5U9) (the "Company" or "Psyched").

Negev Capital is a psychedelic medical intervention investment fund with assets of USD$25+ million.

Psyched is a Canadian-based supplements company focused on the distribution and development of mushroom-derived products that have the potential to become leading brands in the functional food market, particularly in North America. Psyched's most exciting product is a line of Amanita muscaria-derived water-based extracts, teas and capsules designed to help with anxiety/stress, and sleep.

"We are very excited to report our initial investment and expected ongoing partnership with Psyched Wellness. They recently announced that they have begun multiple preclinical studies on their Amanita Muscaria Extract (AME-1), focused on the extract's neurobehavioral efficacy (particularly on sleep and anxiety) and safety. Their hope is that they will be able to bring AME-1 to market in 2022 as the first extract from psychedelic mushrooms that is legal for human consumption in the health and wellness markets. Their longer term goal is to achieve FDA-approval for the medical market," said Ken Belotsky, Negev Capital, Partner.

"Our due diligence for Psyched was very extensive. We engaged the company and its scientific team in detailed and comprehensive discussion regarding the approval strategy, preclinical studies, toxicologic results, manufacturing challenges, and development timelines. We were impressed with management's attention to detail and shareholder value, and their ability to proceed with their intended plan. Further, we were impressed with the scientific advisors, especially Prof David Nutt, who will be soon beginning an AME-1 sleep study at Imperial College, with the aim of demonstrating efficacy for insomnia without residual hangover. We have decided to slowly increase our partnership with Psyched, beginning our support with a relatively small investment, with the plan to increase our stake as progress is made towards AME-1 approval," continued Stuart Seidman, Negev Capital, Partner.

"Completing the sleep study and obtaining a structure/function claim for AME-1 on humans is a very significant milestone, not only for the Company but for everyone that suffers from insomnia and sleeping disorders," said David Shisel, COO of Psyched Wellness.

'Negev Capital taking on a position at this stage is an acknowledgement of confidence and supporting the future growth of the company.' - Jeff Stevens, CEO Psyched Wellness

Notes to Editor

About Negev Capital

Negev Capital is a psychedelic medical intervention investment fund with assets of USD$20+ million. We invest in drug discovery, with a focus on preclinical and/or Phase 1 stages of development. We aim to support those early stage companies in need of capital that promote the thoughtful, responsible, medical use of psychedelic medication for psychiatric disorders, and who have excellent management and science teams, and solid IP.

We believe that psychedelic medications will be not only disruptive to the practice of psychiatry, but hold the potential to reduce enormous amounts of human suffering, and we are committed to helping the field mature, and further promote ways for these treatments to reach all of those in need.

For further information, please visit https://negevcap.com/.

For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact: kristina@microdose.buzz.

About Psyched Wellness Ltd.:

Psyched Wellness Ltd. is a Canadian-based health supplements company dedicated to the distribution of mushroom-derived products and associated consumer packaged goods. The Company's objective is to create premium mushroom-derived products that have the potential to become a leading North American brand in the emerging functional food category. The Company is in the process of developing a line of Amanita muscaria-derived water-based extracts, teas and capsules designed to help with three health objectives: promote stress relief, relaxation and assist with restful sleeping.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/98956
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 12, 2021) - E79 Resources Corp. (CSE: ESNR) (OTCQB: ESVNF) ("E79" or the "Company") announces that Martin Pawlitschek will assume the role of interim President and Chief Executive Officer effective immediately. Mr. Pawlitschek is currently a Director and a founder of the Company. He is an international mining professional with over 20 years of experience and has held key management positions with a number of junior explorers, private equity investment funds, majors (BHP) and development stage companies. Mr. Pawlitschek is a member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists (AIG).

E79 Chairman, Vince Sorace, commented: "We have an incredible opportunity with the Company evidenced by our discovery hole announced June 14th, 2021 (11.10 m at 160.45 g/t Au, including: 0.60 m at 2,430 g/t Au; 3m at 126 g/t). We continue to build a robust team on the ground to expedite and advance our exploration efforts at both the Myrtleford and Beaufort projects, both with district scale potential."

The Company would like to thank Mr. Rory Quinn for his contributions to E79 as President & CEO, and wishes him the best in his future endeavours.

Peter de Vries, MAIMM, MAIG a "Qualified Person" as defined by National Instrument 43-101, has read and approved all technical and scientific information contained in this news release. Mr. de Vries is the owner of Geological, Educational and Mining Services (GEMS) Pty Ltd, a geological consulting services company based in Victoria, Australia, and is Exploration Manager for E79 Resources.

About E79 Resources Corp

E79 Resources is focused on exploring for Fosterville-type mineralization at its Beaufort and Myrtleford properties in the Victorian Goldfields, Australia. At Beaufort, an opportunity exists to explore for a hard rock source of a major alluvial goldfield along a structure that is known to host gold in the region. The Myrtleford property represents the consolidation of an entire historic gold camp with over 70 past producing gold mines on the property, where the vast majority of past exploration stopped at the water table.

Vince Sorace

Chairman, E79 Resources Corp.

Email: info@E79resources.co m

Website: www.E79resources.com

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release contains certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements" with respect to the Company within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential", "indicates", "opportunity", "possible" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Although E79 believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance, are subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results or realities may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Such material risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the Company's ability to raise sufficient capital to fund its obligations under its property agreements going forward, to maintain its mineral tenures and concessions in good standing, to explore and develop its projects, to repay its debt and for general working capital purposes; changes in economic conditions or financial markets; the inherent hazards associates with mineral exploration and mining operations, future prices of gold, copper and other metals, changes in general economic conditions, accuracy of mineral resource and reserve estimates, the potential for new discoveries, the ability of the Company to obtain the necessary permits and consents required to explore, drill and develop the projects and if obtained, to obtain such permits and consents in a timely fashion relative to the Company's plans and business objectives for the projects; the general ability of the Company to monetize its mineral resources; and changes in environmental and other laws or regulations that could have an impact on the Company's operations, compliance with environmental laws and regulations, dependence on key management personnel and general competition in the mining industry. Forward-looking statements are based on the reasonable beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/99234
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 12, 2021) - Blackrock Silver Corp. (TSXV: BRC) (the "Company") is pleased to announce additional high-grade silver and gold intercepts from its core and reverse circulation (RC) drilling program on the 100% controlled Tonopah West project, located in the Walker Lane trend of Western Nevada. These new results continue to demonstrate continuity of high-grade mineralization over an 800 metre by 800 metre area that will form the basis of the upcoming maiden resource on the DPB target. In conjunction with drilling done to date, these results validate the Company's understanding of the structural orientation and confirm continuity of mineralization of the vein swarm at DPB. Tonopah West is primely situated directly adjacent to the town of Tonopah, with Interstate 95 traversing the property, and the DPB target area is entirely on patented ground.

HIGHLIGHTS:

4.1 metres grading 2,027 g/t silver equivalent (AgEq) (9.07 grams per tonne (g/t) gold (Au) and 1120 g/t silver (Ag) including a 0.9 metre zone grading 5,080 g/t AgEq (20.85 g/t Au and 2,994 g/t Ag) from the high-grade Bermuda vein were returned in Core hole TXC21-026 (AgEq silver: gold ratio 100:1);





(AgEq) (9.07 grams per tonne (g/t) gold (Au) and 1120 g/t silver (Ag) including a 0.9 metre zone grading (20.85 g/t Au and 2,994 g/t Ag) from the high-grade Bermuda vein were returned in Core hole (AgEq silver: gold ratio 100:1); Core hole TXC21-010 cut multiple high grades zones on the Mule, Paymaster and Merten veins, with the Mule vein returning 1,006 g/t AgEq over 0.7 metres (5.61 g/t Au and 445 g/t Ag);





cut multiple high grades zones on the Mule, Paymaster and Merten veins, with the Mule vein returning over 0.7 metres (5.61 g/t Au and 445 g/t Ag); TXC21-027 intersected multiple zones in the Merten vein including 1.5 metres grading 6.5 g/t Au and 592 g/t Ag or 1,242 g/t AgEq , including 0.7 metres returning 12.1 g/t Au and 1,095 g/t Ag, or 2,305 g/t AgEq ;





intersected multiple zones in the Merten vein including 1.5 metres grading 6.5 g/t Au and 592 g/t Ag or , including 0.7 metres returning 12.1 g/t Au and 1,095 g/t Ag, or ; The Company is working towards delivery of a maiden resource estimate during Q1, 2022;





The resource definition program is winding down and nearing completion with one core rig having already been decommissioned. Two core rigs and one RC drill rig remain in operation at site; and





Fifteen infill core holes have assays pending from the DPB target area and nine RC drillholes are pending from the step-out program. Two core holes are currently in process and eight remain to be completed to finish the resource drill campaign at DPB.

"As our resource definition program winds down, infill assays continue to deliver world-class results, with the Bermuda vein returning our best intercept on a grade by thickness basis at the project this year in drillhole TXC21-026, which also included our highest-grade silver intercept at the project to date," stated Andrew Pollard, Blackrock Silver President & CEO. "Since commencing drilling in June of last year, we have completed nearly 100,000 metres of drilling across the entire project and look forward to delivery of a maiden resource estimate in Q1, 2022, that will cover the DPB vein swarm over an 800 by 800 metre area."

Mr. Pollard continued, "Our understanding of this vein corridor shows that the best mineralization lies between two andesite units with the high-grade gold and silver hosted in veins cutting the West End Rhyolite and a flow-banded rhyolite of the Tonopah Formation. In essence, what we're seeing is that the geology resembles a doubled-stuff Oreo cookie with the vein swarm occupying the rich filling and the two andesites providing the hard crust. We know to drill through upper andesite and terminate the holes in the lower andesite, with the high-grade silver and gold veins located in the centre. All known veins in this area remain open. With our model predictive at this point, drills still turning, and assays for 24 completed drillholes pending at the lab, which include a 500 metre step-out on our Merten vein, we have a lot to look forward to while awaiting our maiden resource estimate."

Table 1: Summary of significant Au and Ag assay results using a 200 g/t AgEq cut-off grade.

(Intercepts greater than 2,000 gram-metre AgEq shown in bold text)

HOLEID Area From (m) To (m) Length (m) Au_g/t Ag_g/t AgEq_g/t TW21-085 Victor 594.4 599.0 4.6 3.113 275.6 586.9 TXC21-009 DPB 442.6 443.2 0.6 1.180 163.0 281.0 TXC21-010 DPB 458.6 459.3 0.7 5.610 445.0 1,006.0 TXC21-010 DPB 472.9 475.3 2.4 4.040 301.2 705.1 TXC21-010 DPB 527.6 528.2 0.6 27.500 1537.0 4287.0 TXC21-011 DPB NSV TXC21-014 DPB NSV TXC21-018 DPB NSV TXC21-019 DPB NSV TXC21-025 DPB 330 330.5 0.5 1.220 152.0 274.0 TXC21-025 DPB 333.8 334.1 0.3 3.220 429.0 751.0 TXC21-026 DPB 301.1 302.7 1.6 2.500 210.0 460.0 TXC21-026 DPB 310 310.3 0.3 1.010 119.0 220.0 TXC21-026 DPB 359.1 363.2 4.1 9.070 1120.0 2027.0 Including 361.2 362.1 0.9 20.850 2994.5 5079.5 TXC21-027 DPB 373.7 375.5 1.8 1.168 173.2 290.0 TXC21-027 DPB 376.8 377.7 0.9 3.457 315.7 661.3 TXC21-027 DPB 378.2 379.7 1.5 6.500 592.1 1242.1 Including 379 379.7 0.7 12.100 1095.0 2305.0 TXC21-028 DPB 524.9 526.1 1.2 4.420 68.4 510.4 TW21-086 Step Out NSV TW21-087 Step Out NSV AgEq_g/t = Ag_g/t + Au_g/t*100;. True thickness unknown. NSV = No significant values (< 200 g/t AgEq)

DPB Target

Core drilling continues to show the DPB target to have thick, high-grade silver and gold intercepts. The area hosts six veins with a cumulative high-grade strike in excess of 4 kilometres over significant widths and mineralized shoots measuring several hundred metres vertically.

The Bermuda vein continues to impress with high grade silver and gold values. TXC21-026 returned 4.1 metres grading 9.07 g/t Au and 1,120 g/t Ag including a 0.9 metre intersection which contained 20.85 g/t Au and 2,994 g/t Ag. The Bermuda vein has returned the most impressive bonanza-grade gold and silver intercept from the in the in-fill drill program to date.

Drillhole TXC21-010 cut the Mule vein with 0.7 metres grading 1,006 g/t AgEq (5.61 g/t Au and 445 g/t Ag), the Paymaster vein, intersecting 2.4 metres grading 705 g/t AgEq (4.04 g/t Au and 301 g/t Ag), and the Merten vein, which yielded 27.5 g/t Au and 1,537 Ag over 0.6 metres or 4,287 g/t AgEq.

Drillholes TXC21-009, -011, -014, -018 and -019 drilled the Denver, Paymaster and Mule veins. The drillholes intersected the structures with gold and silver; however, the values were below the 200 g/t AgEq cut off. Silver Equivalent values from these drillholes on the Denver vein ranged from 75 g/t AgEq (0.389 g/t Au and 36.99 g/t Ag) to 126 g/t AgEq (0.62 g/t Au and 65.1 g/t Ag). On the Paymaster and Mule veins, assays from these drillholes reached a high of 55 g/t AgEq (4.67 g/t Ag and 0.504 g/t Au) and 52 g/t AgEq 0.35 g/t Au and 17.1 g/t Ag) respectively. These lower grade areas are helping to define the rake of the high-grade zones in these veins.

Assays are pending for 15 core holes and 9 RC drillholes at this time. The project has reduced to two core drills and one RC drill operating 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. The majority of the DPB in-fill drill program is now complete. Eight core holes remain to be completed and all resource drilling should be finished during October. Assay results have slowed to a 10 to 12 week turnaround time from the date submitted. The Company ships samples weekly from Tonopah to the assay lab in Sparks, Nevada.

More than 95,000 metres of drilling has been completed since June 15, 2020, and a total of approximately 65,000 metres has been completed year-to-date in pre-collar, core and RC drilling.

The 2021 program is approximately 85% complete and is utilizing two diamond core drills and one reverse circulation drill. The core drills are focused on the DPB resource delineation while the RC drill continues to drill pre-collar holes, pull casing, and drill expansion-focused holes on the margin of the resource evaluation area.

The DPB resource definition program consists of ~40,000 metres of diamond core drilling from 20 drill sites within this large multi-vein target. This broad multi-vein, high-grade system sits within an area measuring 800 by 800 metres. Drilling to date has identified two new veins bringing the total to six veins within the DPB, all of which remain open. The maiden resource estimate is on track for delivery by first quarter of 2022.









Figure 1: DPB N-S Cross Section 478050E, looking West

To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/676/99252_dc1eeaf1f4729b68_002full.jpg

Step Out Drilling

Drillholes TW21-086 and -087 were step-out drillholes completed 250 metres west of the western most fence of core holes in the DPB resource area. The two RC drillholes encountered significant water and were halted before reaching their target depths. A review of the target will be completed and a surface core hole will be considered.

Assays for nine additional step-out drillholes are pending. Of these expansion-focused drillholes pending assay, five are targeting the up-dip extension of the Merten vein, with step-outs targeting up to 500 metres to the south. Three drillholes are targeting the western extension of the Paymaster and Denver veins, with step-outs up to 150 metres beyond the resource envelope, and one drillhole is targeting a 100 metre step-out to the east of the Bermuda vein.

Victor

Results previously reported from Drillhole TW21-085 (see news release September 21, 2021) are being restated, While the gold and silver values were reported correctly, the silver equivalent value was miscalculated to be substantially lower than it was. The drillhole in fact intersected 4.1 metres grading 3.11 g/t Au and 275.6 g/t Ag, or 586.9 g/t AgEq.





Figure 2: Plan map of significant Intercepts

To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/676/99252_dc1eeaf1f4729b68_003full.jpg

Table 2: Drillhole location information for drillholes in this news release

Drillhole ID Target Type NAD27 East NAD27 North Elevation metres Azimuth Dip Total Depth metres TW21-086 Step Out RC 477310.0 4214285.0 1775.0 0 -90 562.4 TW21-087 Step Out RC 477310.0 4214285.0 1775.0 180 -70 422.1 TXC21-009 DPB Core 477819.0 4214219.0 1775.0 0 -90 674.1 TXC21-010 DPB Core 477819.0 4214219.0 1775.0 180 -70 671.2 TXC21-011 DPB Core 477819.0 4214219.0 1775.0 180 -50 689.5 TXC21-014 DPB Core 478144.4 4214304.5 1776.3 180 -70 607.5 TXC21-018 DPB Core 478030.0 4214345.0 1775.0 180 -50 715.4 TXC21-019 DPB Core 477700.0 4214225.0 1775.0 0 -90 694.0 TXC21-025 DPB Core 477960.0 4213735.0 1775.0 0 -90 630.3 TXC21-026 DPB Core 477960.0 4213735.0 1775.0 180 -80 556.7 TXC21-027 DPB Core 477960.0 4213735.0 1775.0 180 -60 645.6 TXC21-028 DPB Core 477700.0 4214050.0 1775.0 0 -90 540.2

Webinar

Blackrock Silver would like to invite interested shareholders to join Andrew Pollard, President and CEO, and Bill Howald, Executive Chairman, for an hour-long webinar hosted by Taylor Combaluzier of Red Cloud Financial.

The webinar will take place Wednesday, October 13th at 11:00 am PDT / 2:00 pm EDT. Management will be available to answer questions following their presentation.

To Register:

https://www.redcloudfs.com/rcwebinar-brc-2/

Quality Assurance/ Quality Control

All sampling is conducted under the supervision of the Company's project geologists, and a strict chain of custody from the project to the sample preparation facility is implemented and monitored. The core and reverse circulation samples are hauled from the project site to a secure and fenced facility in Tonopah, Nevada, where they are loaded on to American Assay Laboratory's (AAL) flat-bed truck and delivered to AAL's facility in Sparks, Nevada. A sample submittal sheet is delivered to AAL personnel who organize and process the sample intervals pursuant to the Company's instructions.

The core, reverse circulation, and QA/QC samples are crushed and pulverized, then the pulverized material is digested and analyzed for Au using fire assay fusion and an Induced Coupled Plasma (ICP) finish on a 30-gram assay split. Silver is determined using five-acid digestion and ICP analysis. Over limits for gold and silver are determined using a gravimetric finish. Data verification of the assay and analytical results are completed to ensure accurate and verifiable results. Blackrock personnel insert a blind prep blank, lab blank or a certified standard approximately every 15th to 20th sample.

Blackrock's exploration activities at the Tonopah West Project are being conducted and supervised by Mr. William Howald, Executive Chairman of Blackrock Silver Corp. Mr. William Howald, AIPG Certified Professional Geologist #11041, is a Qualified Person as defined under National Instrument 43-101. He has reviewed and approved the contents of this news release.

About Blackrock Silver Corp.

Blackrock is a junior precious metals focused exploration company that is on a quest to make an economic discovery. Anchored by a seasoned Board, the Company is focused on its Nevada portfolio of properties consisting of low-sulphidation epithermal gold & silver projects located along the established Northern Nevada Rift in north-central Nevada and the Walker Lane trend in western Nevada.

For further information, please contact:

Andrew Pollard, President & CEO

Blackrock Silver Corp.

Phone: 604 817-6044

Email: andrew@blackrocksilver.com

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. Such forward-looking statements concern the Company's strategic plans, completion and exercise of the Tonopah option agreement, timing and expectations for the Company's exploration and drilling programs, estimates of mineralization from drilling, geological information projected from sampling results and the potential quantities and grades of the target zones. Such forward-looking statements or information are based on a number of assumptions, which may prove to be incorrect. Assumptions have been made regarding, among other things: conditions in general economic and financial markets; accuracy of assay results; geological interpretations from drilling results, timing and amount of capital expenditures; performance of available laboratory and other related services; future operating costs; and the historical basis for current estimates of potential quantities and grades of target zones. The actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of the risk factors including the timing and content of work programs; results of exploration activities and development of mineral properties; the interpretation and uncertainties of drilling results and other geological data; receipt, maintenance and security of permits and mineral property titles; environmental and other regulatory risks; project costs overruns or unanticipated costs and expenses; availability of funds; failure to delineate potential quantities and grades of the target zones based on historical data, and general market and industry conditions. Forward-looking statements are based on the expectations and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. The assumptions used in the preparation of such statements, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date the statements were made. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements included in this news release if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, except as otherwise required by applicable law.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/99252
Based on Android 12, the new ColorOS brings a clean, inclusive UI with smoother performance

DUBAI, UAE, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Global technology brand, OPPO, today officially announced the all-new ColorOS 12 operating system for its global users, becoming one of the first OEMs to run on Android 12. Aiming to provide its users a seamless experience, ColorOS 12 introduces an all-new inclusive UI, smoother performance, and rich features that help boost your everyday productivity as well as help achieve better work-life balance.

With this launch, OPPO officially rolls out ColorOS 12 public beta to its global users, with plans to continue expansion to more models covering more countries and regions in the coming months.

Inclusivity Now a Central Theme

Having its presence across 68 countries, touching the lives of 440 million users around the world, inclusivity has been a central theme in the creation of ColorOS 12. Building on top of OPPO's Infinite Design concept, which is lightweight, clean, and richly and very customizable, the new OS provides a more inclusive experience and comes packed with softer icons, animations and information framework that are friendly to different languages and cultures, and an adaptable framework with different phone formats.

Smoother, Seamless Experience Powering Greater Productivity

Giving users a smooth, seamless experience has been at the core of OPPO R&D and Innovation, and the new ColorOS 12 has a strong emphasizes on both, comfort, and endurance. Thanks to the long-term code decoupling efforts, ColorOS 12 has made some achievements in addressing lags and stutters after prolonged usage, especially in anti-fragmentation and intelligent resource allocation, leading to a low 2.75% system aging rate in 3 years, an average of 30% lower memory occupation and 20% lower battery consumption[1].

Catering to your visual intuitiveness, the Quantum Animation Engine adopts more than 300 improved animations to achieve the animated effects that are lifelike. By imitating physical habits of resistance, inertia and rebound, the feature makes the overall experience smoother and more aligned to the cognition and habits of the human brain so that the experience is more realistic, and intuitive.

Practical features such as PC Connect[2], 3-Finger Translate powered by Google Lens, FlexDrop and Phone Manager allow ColorOS 12 users stay productive through multiple scenarios.

Prioritized Privacy: Cutting the gimmicks and focusing on the basics

OPPO has been listening to its user feedback and prioritizing privacy on ColorOS. The ColorOS 12 not only comes packed with all the improved security and privacy features from Android 12, including Privacy Dashboards, Approximate Location Sharing and Microphone and Camera Indicators, which empowers users to be the masters of their own privacy with clear, visualized menus and buttons; but also keeping the well-received features developed within the OPPO team, such as Private System, Private Safe, App Lock and others.

Being aware that privacy to users is all about transparency, OPPO has been improving the data compliance through storage and process. With servers deployed in multiple locations across the world, OPPO guarantees that user data stay in the nearby servers, which is saved in a non-plain text format and is transmitted using a proprietary protocol.

Holding privacy certifications from authoritative organizations such as ePrivacy and ISO27001, the company deploys third-party supervisor in the data security filed to make sure everyday process compliance.

An OS with Android synergy

Sharing the common value of a healthy mutual exchange with our Android partners and contributing on building a culture of openness and technological exchange to enhance both platforms, while ColorOS has incorporated many stock Android features, similarly, ColorOS has inspired the customizable trend in Android 12, like the Wallpaper-based Theming system in Material You, which you would be able to find a similar self-developed feature in previous ColorOS editions. Another fine example of this exchange is the App Cloner from ColorOS that now features in Android 12.

In addition to the free camera SDKs covering OPPO's most advantageous camera capabilities - including Ultra Steady Video Shooting, HDR, Super Wide-Angle, etc. OPPO has further opened its HyperBoost, Color Vision Enhancement to benefit Android app developers and enhance the Android ecosystem.

OPPO's Exclusive Upgrade Policy

For the very first time, OPPO is also announcing a major update policy. Specifically, for the OPPO devices releasing from 2019 and onwards the company will guarantee three major Android updates for its flagship Find X Series devices[3], and two Android updates for the Reno/F/K and some of the A Series and a single Android update for the low memory A Series models[4]. Together with four years of regular security patch updates for the Find X/ Reno/ F/K Series, and three years for the A Series.

ColorOS 12 Rollout Plan

OPPO will first roll out ColorOS 12 public beta today and rollouts will then continue step-by-step in more countries and on additional devices through the rest of 2021 and 2022. The company aims to bring ColorOS 12 to over 110 models with 150 million users with ColorOS 12.

About OPPO

OPPO is a leading global technology brand since 2004, dedicated to providing products that seamlessly combines art and innovative technology.

OPPO is on a mission to building a multiple-access smart device ecosystem for the era of intelligent connectivity. The smartphone devices have simply been a gateway for OPPO to deliver a diverse portfolio of smart and frontier technologies in hardware, software, and system. In 2019, OPPO launched a $7 BillionUS Dollar three-year investment plan in R&D to develop core technologies furthering design through technology.

OPPO is firmly pursuing the creation of the best technology products and technological artistry for global users. Based on the brand elements of leading, young, and beautiful, OPPO dedicates to the mission of letting the extraordinary users enjoy the beauty of technology.

For the last 10 years, OPPO has focused on manufacturing smartphones with camera capabilities that are second to none. OPPO launched the first mobile phone, the Smile Phone, in 2008, which marked the launch of the brand's epic journey in exploring and pioneering extraordinary technology. Over the years, OPPO has built a tradition of being number one, which became a reality through inventing the world's first rotating camera smartphone way back in 2013, launching the world's then thinnest smartphone in 2014, being the first to introduce 5X Zoom 'Periscope' camera technology and developing the first 5G commercial smartphone in Europe.

Today, OPPO was ranked as the number four smartphone brand globally. OPPO brings the aesthetics of technology of global consumers through the ColorOS system Experience, and Internet service like OPPO Cloud and OPPO+.

OPPO's business covers 40 countries with over six research institutes and five R&D centers across the world, from San Francisco to Shenzhen. OPPO also opened an International Design Centre headquartered in London, driving cutting edge technology that will shape the future not only for smartphones but for intelligent connectivity.

About OPPO MEA

OPPO started its journey in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region in 2015 after setting up its regional office in Egypt. Following the immense success of the brand's sales centre in Cairo in the first year, OPPO accelerated its expansion plan across the MEA region and inaugurated its country operations in the UAE in 2019. Now OPPO is physically present in more than 13 markets across the region, including Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, and the Levant.

To empower its presence in the region in line with its product localisation strategy, OPPO further invested in MENA and set up its very own factory in Algeria in 2017, thus, becoming the first Chinese brand to build a manufacturing premises in North Africa. Based on insights of local consumers in each country, OPPO has evolved the progress of product localisation, taking into consideration several perspectives towards each market, including product localisation, to further meet the core needs of users; marketing localisation, to better communicate with local young customers; and talent localisation, to understand local consumers further and provide an optimum customer service.

Within the last year, OPPO has started to adjust its product line in the Middle East region specifically. This has included the launch of its flagship OPPO Find X Series and the introduction of the OPPO Reno Series. OPPO will continue to evolve its local product line to offer more premium series to consumers in the region.

A forward-thinking international technology company, OPPO strives to be a sustainable company that contributes to a better world and have enacted positive change in every way possible through activating local community initiatives and humanitarian, charity campaigns.

[1]The data were measured in OPPO Labs.

[2]Available on ColorOS 12.1 and onwards. Requires Windows 10 18362 or later; Intel i3 2.4G and above processor; Wi-Fi Direct, with network card driver from October 2018 or later; Bluetooth 4.1 or higher

[3]Excluding the Find X Lite and Neo models, which will be applied to two Android updates

[4]The policy is not applicable to the carrier models

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1658048/All_New_ColorOS_12.jpg

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1451542/OPPO_Logo.jpg
CHICAGO, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a research report "Radome Market by Platform (Ground, Airborne, Naval), Application(Radar, Sonar, Communication Antenna), Frequency(HF/UHF/VHF-Band, L- Band, S-Band, C- Band, X- Band, KU- Band, KA- Band, Multi-Band), Offering, and Region - Global Forecast to 2026", published by MarketsandMarkets, the Radome Market is estimated at USD 1.7 billion in 2021 and is projected to reach USD 3.3 billion by 2026, at a CAGR of 15.0% from 2021 to 2026. The radome market is growing at a significant rate across the world, and a similar trend is expected to be observed during the forecast period. The Advancements in composite materials technology for Radome structure, focus on development of compact radome for UAV platforms, demand for technologically advanced radome systems for next-generation aircraft and significance of radomes in warfare are fueling the growth of the radome market.

Ask for PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=157460281

The radome market is being driven by the increased adoption of advanced military UAV systems to gain an advantage over enemy forces and the increasing defense expenditure of various countries. Industry players are undertaking R&D activities that focus on improving the capability of these radomes to perform in all-weather conditions and provide support in commercial as well as defense operations, such as long-range surveillance, search & rescue, navigation, and communications, among others.

Based on material, glass fiber is projected to lead radome market by material from 2021 to 2026.

Development and procurement of modern aircraft systems, such as targeting and surveillance systems and communication systems, for various applications is driving the demand for radome market globally. The surface of the fiberglass radome is reinforced with additives to enhance the adhesion between them so that the surface paint will not fall off, wrinkle and maintain its color even in severe weather. This also offers excellent electrical insulation and permeability.

Based on application, the radar segment will register the highest growth from 2021 to 2026.

A radome is often used to prevent ice and freezing rain from accumulating on antennas. In the case of a spinning radar parabolic antenna, the radome also protects the antenna from debris and rotational irregularities due to wind. In November 2020, Meggitt PLC secured a pioneering radome contract with BAE Systems to enable advanced radar technology for the Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter jet.

Browse in-depth TOC on "Radome Market"

219 - Tables

51 - Figures

240 - Pages

Inquiry Before Buying: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_BuyingNew.asp?id=157460281

Based on Platform, naval segment is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period.

Upgrades in communication, navigation, and surveillance systems have helped modernize the maritime industry at a significant pace. An increase in automation, modernization of ships, upcoming autonomous technology, and the increase in unmanned marine vehicles are expected to drive the radome market of the naval platform. The naval platform comprises commercial vessels, military vessels, and unmanned marine vehicles. In January 2021, Saab and the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) signed two agreements with the Swedish navy concerning the next generation of surface ships and corvettes.

Based on region, North America is projected to lead the radome market from 2021 to 2026.

Significant investments in R&D activities for the development of advanced radome solutions by key players and increased demand for advanced radome systems are some of the factors expected to fuel the growth of the radome market in this region. The US is expected to drive the growth of the North American radome market during the forecast period, owing to easy access to various innovative technologies and significant investments being made by manufacturers in the country for the development of improved military ISR and communication & monitoring systems. Several developments have taken place in the field of radome systems in the region. For instance, in January 2020, Telephonics Corporation (US) successfully developed and tested its MOSAIC Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) surveillance radar system which requires technologically advanced solid laminate radomes with the US Navy's MH-60S helicopter. The MOSAIC AESA surveillance radar is capable of performing continuous scheduled Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar (ISAR) imaging tasks while simultaneously conducting surveillance, detection, and tracking operations.

This report includes a study on the marketing and development strategies, along with the product portfolios of leading companies. It consists of profiles of leading companies, such as Lockheed Martin Corporation (US), Northrop Grumman Corporation (US), Thales Group (France), General Dynamics (US), Saint-Gobain (France), BAE Systems (UK), L3Harris Technologies (US), Raytheon Technologies (US).

Related Reports:

Military Radars Market by Component (Antenna, Transmitter, Receiver, Duplexer, Display, Digital Signal Processor), Platform (Land, Naval, Airborne, Space), End User, Type, Frequency Band, Dimension, Range, Application, & Region - Global Forecast to 2025

Antenna, Transducer, and Radome Market by Product (Antenna & Transducer, Radome), Platform (Ground, Naval, Airborne), End User, Application, Technology (Radar, Communication, Sonar), Frequency, Region - Global Forecast to 2025

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Collaboration between the two companies brings electrification and automation expertise for development of 100-hectare site in Scarmagno, Northern Italy

TURIN, Italy, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Italvolt Spa, the company founded by Lars Carlstrom aimed at creating in Italy one of the largest gigafactories in Europe for the production and storage of lithium ion batteries for electric vehicles, with a planned capacity of 45 GWh for about 550,000 electric vehicles per year, has selected ABB for Front End Engineering and Design (FEED) at its site in Northern Italy. It also announces its partnership agreement with the global technology company, to jointly explore how automation, electrification and digitalization solutions can fast-track production processes for battery manufacturing.

More specifically, the technology partnership with ABB will bring Italvolt:

Expertise in design and delivery of electrification and automation solutions for power control, distribution and management, optimization of manufacturing processes and long-term energy efficiency

Consultancy on robotics and autonomous operations for transportation and handling of material in the process units of the plant

Exploration of solutions for data gathering, processing, cloud storage and analytics for production planning, quality control, management, operations and reporting

Lars Carlstrom, CEO and founder of Italvolt commented, "Italvolt has the objective of gathering industrial excellences in each area of our business and we are glad to announce this partnership agreement with ABB, one of the foremost names in the global industry. ABB's state of art technology will help us in ensuring the sustainability of our production plant as well as enable efficient, reliable, and cost-effective production. We are happy that ABB is joining us for the journey."

"Italvolt's plans for large-scale manufacturing are crucial for electrical mobility, increased sustainability and reindustrialization of the region," said Mauro Martis, South Europe Cluster Manager, Process Industries, ABB. "Together we will explore our technologies and synergies with Italvolt, providing our know-how for this ambitious project."

The gigafactory will be located at the famous Olivetti site and is being designed by iconic Italian automotive design house division Pininfarina Architecture.

Italvolt is building a Gigafactory with a 45 GWh production capacity for battery cells in Scarmagno, Italy. A key goal is to contribute to the green industrialization by becoming one of the main suppliers of green batteries in Europe and establishing Italy's presence as a preeminent battery manufacturer. This also means playing our part in the circular economy and ultimately the regeneration of natural resources. Italvolt are also concerned with the rejuvenation of a historical power house of industry with ESG aspects at the forefront of its strategy and this includes creating a valley of research and innovation through our 20,000 m2 advanced R&D centre.

ABB (ABBN: SIX Swiss Ex) is a leading global technology company that energizes the transformation of society and industry to achieve a more productive, sustainable future. By connecting software to its electrification, robotics, automation and motion portfolio, ABB pushes the boundaries of technology to drive performance to new levels. With a history of excellence stretching back more than 130 years, ABB's success is driven by about 105,000 talented employees in over 100 countries. www.abb.com

Email: italvolt@flamepr.com

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1658054/Italvolt.jpg
On Tuesday 26 October 2021, at 08:00 CEST, Bilia's report for the third quarter 2021 will be published. On the same day Bilia arranges press and analyst meetings, where CEO Per Avander and CFO Kristina Franzen will present the report and answer questions.

There will be one meeting in Swedish at 09:00 (CEST) and one meeting in English

at 13:30 (CEST). They are telephone meetings and you call telephone number

+46 (0)8 22 90 90 and enter code 674445.

If you need a toll free phone number outside Sweden, please contact us for a country specific telephone number.

Gothenburg October 12, 2021

Bilia AB (publ)

For information please contact:

Per Avander, Managing Director and CEO, +46

Kristina Franzen, CFO, +46

Facts about the Bilia Group

Bilia is one of Europe's largest car dealers with a leading position within service and sales of cars, transport vehicles and trucks. Bilia has about 160 facilities in Sweden, Norway, Germany, Luxembourg and Belgium. Bilia sells cars of the brand Volvo, BMW, Toyota, Mercedes, Renault, Lexus, MINI, Porsche, Nissan, Dacia, Smart and Alpine and transport vehicles of the brand Renault, Toyota, Mercedes, Nissan and Dacia and trucks of the brand Mercedes.

Bilia offers new and used cars, e-commerce, spare parts and store sales, service and repair workshops, tyres and car glass and financing, insurance, car washes, fuel stations and car dismantling under the same roof, which gives a unique customer offer.

Bilia reported a turnover of about SEK 30 bn in 2020 and had about 4,700 employees.

Attachment
TORONTO, Oct. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mandalay Resources Corporation ("Mandalay" or the "Company") (TSX: MND, OTCQB: MNDJF) announced today that Equus Mining Limited ("Equus") (ASX:EQE) has exercised its option to purchase Mandalay's Cerro Bayo mine in Region XI, Southern Chile. Mandalay originally granted Equus the option to purchase Cerro Bayo in October 2019, pursuant to a binding option agreement (see Mandalay press release dated October 8, 2019).



Pursuant to the transaction, which is scheduled to be completed on December 1, 2021, Equus will acquire the Cerro Bayo mine, including its mining properties, resources and mine infrastructure as well as a 1,500 tonnes per day processing plant, in exchange for 19% of Equus' share capital and a 2.25% net smelter royalty on production from the Cerro Bayo mining claims once the mine has produced at least 50,000 ounces of gold equivalent, subject to a re-purchase option in favour of Equus. Equus will also assume 50% of approved site closure costs at Cerro Bayo, with Mandalay responsible for the remaining 50%. Completion of the transaction remains subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions, including the receipt of Equus shareholder approval. In addition, Equus will appoint Ryan Austerberry, Mandalay's Costerfield mine General Manager, to the Board of Equus as a non-executive director representing Mandalay.

For Further Information:

Dominic Duffy

President and Chief Executive Officer

Edison Nguyen

Manager, Analytics and Investor Relations

Contact:

647.260.1566

About Mandalay Resources Corporation:

Mandalay Resources is a Canadian-based natural resource company with producing assets in Australia (Costerfield gold-antimony mine) and Sweden (Bjorkdal gold mine), with projects in Chile and Canada under care and maintenance, closure or development status. The Company is focused on growing its production profile and reducing costs to generate significant positive cashflow.

Mandalay's mission is to create shareholder value through the profitable operation of both its Costerfield and Bjorkdal mines. Currently, the Company's main objective is to continue mining the high-grade Youle vein at Costerfield, which continues to supply high-grade ore, and also focus on extending Youle's Mineral Reserves at depth. At Bjorkdal, the Company will aim to increase production from the Aurora zone in the coming years, in order to maximize profit margins from the mine.

Forward-Looking Statements:

This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Actual results and developments may differ materially from those contemplated by these statements depending on, among other things, changes in commodity prices and general market and economic conditions. The factors identified above are not intended to represent a complete list of the factors that could affect Mandalay. A description of additional risks that could result in actual results and developments differing from those contemplated by forward-looking statements in this news release can be found under the heading "Risk Factors" in Mandalay's annual information form dated March 30, 2021, a copy of which is available under Mandalay's profile at www.sedar.com. In addition, there can be no assurance that any inferred resources that are discovered as a result of additional drilling will ever be upgraded to proven or probable reserves. Although Mandalay has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.
LAS VEGAS, NV / ACCESSWIRE / October 12, 2021 / CLS Holdings USA, Inc. (OTCQB:CLSH)(CSE:CLSH), the 'Company' or 'CLS', a diversified cannabis company operating as Cannabis Life Sciences, today announced its operational and financial results for the first quarter of fiscal 2022, ended August 31, 2021.

Key Q1 Financial & Operational Accomplishments

The Company achieved a positive net profit for the first time in its history, making it the most profitable quarter to date

Net income for the quarter ended August 31, 2021 was $427,599, Net loss for the quarter ended August 31, 2020 was ($1,145,036)

Revenue growth proved to be significant with an increase of 45.5% compared to last year's Q1 numbers

The company saw an 11% reduction in SG&A dropping from 63.6% of revenue in Q1 FY21 to 52.6% in Q1 FY22

CLS was able to maintain the same gross margin of 52.7% for the quarter, year-over-year (YOY), which allowed the Company to achieve its goal of being over 50%

The Company saw a 4.8% increase in its gross margin from three months ended in May 2021 to the quarter ended in August 2021

Oasis Cannabis, CLS' retail division, saw a continual increase in transactions processed YOY for the months making up Q1 FY22

City Trees, the Company's branded product division, saw a number of successes this quarter: Recorded a continued increase in monthly year-over-year net revenue from June to August 2021 Continued to hold its standing as the number one selling tincture brand in the state of Nevada Achieved a ranking of third for the most units sold in Nevada for the entire concentrate category including dabbable concentrates and vapes for the quarter. This was an increase of 291.65% over the previous year's quarter Became the number one selling brand in Nevada in units sold in the dabbable concentrate category for August 2021

Both divisions saw a YOY increase in net income for the quarter, with City Trees achieving a 152.41% increase and Oasis a 21.39% growth.

"We are beyond proud to have achieved profitability for the first time in our Company's history," said Company President & COO Andrew Glashow, "which is a feat we could not have achieved without the hard work and dedication of our team members. With the announcement of our new joint ventures and other innovative launches on the horizon, we foresee continued growth and success in the future."

Strength in Numbers

Both City Trees and Oasis realized a YOY increase in net income for the quarter, with a 152.41% and 21.39% increase, respectively.

The Company's Las Vegas retail storefront, Oasis Cannabis Dispensary, continued to achieve strong results through the first quarter of fiscal 2022. Oasis achieved a 21.39% YOY increase in net income and for all three months, Oasis reported growth in transactions processed year-over-year. These strong numbers are a testament to the Company's ability to listen to the market, meet the community's wants and fulfill its needs. Over the years, the dispensary has earned the reputation of offering quality products at an affordable price, a strategy that has continued to serve the business well with its consistent growth.

City Trees, the Company's branded division, has maintained significant year-over-year sales increases each month for the last year. Overall, the brand saw a 152.41% increase in net income from the prior year's quarter. The brand also attained high ranks in concentrates and tinctures within the Nevada market. Of the 58 brands listed in the cannabis concentrate category by BDS Analytics, City Trees achieved a ranking of 3rd for most units sold for the quarter, with over 90,000 units sold. In August, City Trees' dabbable concentrates were #1 in units sold in the category.

With the recently announced joint ventures, the Company intends to continue innovation in the cannabis categories within which it currently operates, and anticipates the addition of new product categories to its portfolio in coming quarters. This, along with the Company's continued efforts at its retail and wholesale divisions, poises well to continue riding this positive momentum.

About CLS Holdings USA, Inc.

CLS Holdings USA, Inc. (CLSH) is a diversified cannabis company that acts as an integrated cannabis producer and retailer through its Oasis Cannabis subsidiaries in Nevada and plans to expand to other states. CLS stands for "Cannabis Life Sciences," in recognition of the Company's patented proprietary method of extracting various cannabinoids from the marijuana plant and converting them into products with a higher level of quality and consistency. The Company's business model includes licensing operations, processing operations, processing facilities, sale of products, brand creation and consulting services. https://www.clsholdingsinc.com/

Twitter: @CLSHoldingsUSA

Oasis Cannabis has operated a cannabis dispensary in the Las Vegas market since dispensaries first opened in Nevada in 2015 and has been recognized as one of the top marijuana retailers in the state. Its location within walking distance to the Las Vegas Strip and Downtown Las Vegas in combination with its delivery service to residents allows it to efficiently serve both locals and tourists in the Las Vegas area. In February 2019, it was named "Best Dispensary for Pot Pros" by Desert Companion Magazine. In August 2017, the company commenced wholesale offerings of cannabis in Nevada with the launch of its City Trees brand of cannabis concentrates and cannabis-infused products. http://oasiscannabis.com

Founded in 2017, City Trees is a Nevada-based cannabis cultivation, production and distribution company. Offering a wide variety of products with consistent results, City Trees products are available in numerous dispensaries throughout the state of Nevada. https://citytrees.com

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains certain 'forward-looking information' within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation and 'forward-looking statements' as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (collectively, the 'forward-looking statements'). These statements relate to, among other things, our estimates of future revenue, gross margin, number of transactions at our dispensary and average order size, the timing of the commencement of manufacturing operations for our pre-roll joint venture, the number of products expected to be produced each month and how long it will take the pre-roll joint venture to achieve expected monthly sales, the acceptance of our joint venture products by customers, whether other companies will enter into license agreements to have our pre-roll joint venture produce pre-rolls for them, whether our New Mexico venture and other licensing opportunities will lead to expansion In other states, and other factors and issues typically related to and encountered by a growth stage venture. These statements will also be Impacted by the impact of the COVID-19 virus on our business, the results of our initiatives to retain our employees and strengthen our relationships with our customers and community during the pandemic, the effect of our initiatives to expand market share and achieve growth during and following the pandemic, results of operations and financial performance, anticipated future events, and the effectiveness of our business practices during the pandemic. The continued spread of COVID-19 could have, and in some cases already has had, an adverse impact on our business, operations and financial results, including through disruptions in our cultivation and processing activities, supply chains and sales channels, and retail dispensary operations as well as a deterioration of general economic conditions including a possible national or global recession. Due to the uncertainties associated with the continued spread of COVID-19 and the timing of vaccinations, it is not possible to estimate its impact on our business, operations or financial results; however, the impact could be material. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as 'may,' 'might,' 'will,' 'should,' 'intends,' 'expects,' 'plans,' 'goals,' 'projects,' 'anticipates,' 'believes,' 'estimates,' 'predicts,' 'potential,' or 'continue' or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. These forward-looking statements are only predictions, are uncertain and involve substantial known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, levels of activity or performance to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity or performance expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. We cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity or performance. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date that they were made. These cautionary statements should be considered together with any written or oral forward-looking statements that we may issue in the future. Except as required by applicable law, we do not intend to update any of the forward-looking statements to conform these statements to reflect actual results, later events or circumstances or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. See CLS Holdings USA filings with the SEC and on its SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com for additional details.

Contact Information:

Corporate:

Chairman and CEO

Jeff Binder

President and COO

Andrew Glashow

888-438-9132

Investor Relations:

investors@clsholdingsinc.com

SOURCE: CLS Holdings USA, Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/667665/A-Positive-Outlook-CLS-Holdings-USA-Inc-Reports-Its-First-Ever-Profitable-Quarter-with-latest-10Q-Results
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 12, 2021) - District Metals Corp. (TSXV: DMX) (FSE: DFPP); ("District" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that further to its news release of July 28, 2021 the Company has completed its acquisition of a 100% interest in the polymetallic Gruvberget Property from Explora Mineral AB ("Explora"). The acquisition of the Gruvberget Property by the Company is hereinafter referred to as the "Transaction".

Garrett Ainsworth, President & CEO of District, commented: "The Gruvberget Property is an excellent addition to our robust portfolio of prospective polymetallic properties in the prolific Bergslagen District. The North and South zones at the Gruvberget Property comprise a one kilometer long mineralized trend with significant historic polymetallic drill intercepts that is open in most directions and provides compelling walk up drill targets. A detailed heliborne magnetic and electromagnetic survey (SkyTEM 312HP) is planned to commence at the Gruvberget Property before the end of the year, which will provide us will important geophysical data to follow up via mapping, prospecting, and geochemical sampling."

As consideration for the Transaction, the Company: (a) issued to Explora 1,000,000 common shares in the capital of the Company (the "Closing Shares"); (b) paid to Explora cash consideration of CDN$20,000; (c) granted to Explora a 2.5% net smelter royalty on the Gruvberget Property subject to an option to repurchase the entire 2.5% NSR royalty for CAD$8,000,000 at any time; and (d) will incur CDN$500,000 of eligible work expenditures on the Gruvberget Property within two years from closing.

Pursuant to applicable securities laws, the Closing Shares are subject to a four-month hold period from the closing date of the Transaction.

Technical Information

All scientific and technical information in this news release has been prepared by, or approved by Garrett Ainsworth, PGeo, President and CEO of the Company. Mr. Ainsworth is a qualified person for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

Mr. Ainsworth has not verified any of the information regarding any of the properties or projects referred to herein other than the Gruvberget Property. Mineralization on any other properties referred to herein is not necessarily indicative of mineralization on the Gruvberget Property.

About District Metals Corp.

District Metals Corp. is led by industry professionals with a track record of success in the mining industry. The Company's mandate is to seek out, explore, and develop prospective mineral properties through a disciplined science-based approach to create shareholder value and benefit other stakeholders.

The advanced exploration stage Tomtebo Property is located in the Bergslagen Mining District of south-central Sweden is the Company's main focus. Tomtebo comprises 5,144 ha and is situated between the historic Falun Mine and Boliden's Garpenberg Mine that are located 25 km to the northwest and southeast, respectively. Two historic polymetallic mines and numerous polymetallic showings are located on the Tomtebo Property along an approximate 17 km trend that exhibits similar geology, structure, alteration and VMS/SedEx style mineralization as other significant mines within the district. Mineralization that is open at depth and along strike at the historic mines on the Tomtebo Property has not been followed up on, and modern systematic exploration has never been conducted on the Tomtebo Property.

For further information on the Tomtebo Property, please see the technical report entitled "NI 43-101 Update Technical Report on the Tomtebo Project, Bergslagen Region of Sweden" dated effective October 15, 2020 and amended and restated on February 26, 2021, which is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

"Garrett Ainsworth"

President and Chief Executive Officer

(604) 288-4430

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Statement Regarding "Forward-Looking" Information.

This news release contains certain statements that may be considered "forward-looking information" with respect to the Company within the meaning of applicable securities laws. In some cases, but not necessarily in all cases, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "targets", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "an opportunity exists", "is positioned", "estimates", "intends", "assumes", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate" or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might", "will" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" and any similar expressions. In addition, any statements that refer to expectations, predictions, indications, projections or other characterizations of future events or circumstances contain forward-looking information. Statements containing forward-looking information are not historical facts but instead represent management's expectations, estimates and projections regarding future events. Forward-looking statements in this news release relating to the Company include, among other things, statements relating to the Company's plan to conduct a heliborne magnetic and electromagnetic survey (SkyTEM 312HP) at the Gruvberget Property before the end of the year, the Company's expectation that it will meet its obligation to incur $500,000 eligible work expenditures on the Gruvberget Property before April 30, 2023, and the Company's interpretations and expectations about the mineralization of the Tomtebo Mine.

These statements and other forward-looking information are based on opinions, assumptions and estimates made by the Company in light of its experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors that the Company believes are appropriate and reasonable in the circumstances, as of the date of this news release, including, without limitation, assumptions about the reliability of historical data and the accuracy of publicly reported information regarding past and historic mines in the Bergslagen district; the Company's ability to raise sufficient capital to fund planned exploration activities, maintain corporate capacity and satisfy the exploration expenditure requirements required by the definitive purchase agreements between the Company and the vendors of the Company's mineral properties (the "Definitive Purchase Agreements") by the times specified therein; and stability in financial and capital markets.

Forward-looking information is necessarily based on a number of opinions, assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the Company as of the date such statements are made, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to risks associated with the following: the reliability of historic data regarding the Tomtebo Property; the Company's ability to raise sufficient capital to finance planned exploration (including incurring prescribed exploration expenditures required by the Definitive Purchase Agreements, failing which the Tomtebo Property will be forfeited without any repayment of the purchase price); the Company's limited operating history; the Company's negative operating cash flow and dependence on third-party financing; the uncertainty of additional funding; the uncertainties associated with early stage exploration activities including general economic, market and business conditions, the regulatory process, failure to obtain necessary permits and approvals, technical issues, potential delays, unexpected events and management's capacity to execute and implement its future plans; the Company's ability to identify any mineral resources and mineral reserves; the substantial expenditures required to establish mineral reserves through drilling and the estimation of mineral reserves or mineral resources; the Company's dependence on one material project, the Tomtebo Property; the uncertainty of estimates used to calculated mineralization figures; changes in governmental regulations; compliance with applicable laws and regulations; competition for future resource acquisitions and skilled industry personnel; reliance on key personnel; title matters; conflicts of interest; environmental laws and regulations and associated risks, including climate change legislation; land reclamation requirements; changes in government policies; volatility of the Company's share price; the unlikelihood that shareholders will receive dividends from the Company; potential future acquisitions and joint ventures; infrastructure risks; fluctuations in demand for, and prices of gold, silver and copper; fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; legal proceedings and the enforceability of judgments; going concern risk; risks related to the Company's information technology systems and cyber-security risks; and risk related to the outbreak of epidemics or pandemics or other health crises, including the recent outbreak of COVID-19. For additional information regarding these risks, please see the Company's Annual Information Form, under the heading "Risk Factors", which is available at www.sedar.com. These factors and assumptions are not intended to represent a complete list of the factors and assumptions that could affect the Company. These factors and assumptions, however, should be considered carefully. Although the Company has attempted to identify factors that would cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those disclosed in the forward-looking statements or information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Also, many of such factors are beyond the control of the Company. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. The forward-looking information is made as of the date of this news release, and the Company assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise such forward-looking information, except as required by applicable securities laws. All scientific and technical information contained in this news release has been prepared by or reviewed and approved by Garrett Ainsworth, PGeo, President and CEO of the Company. Mr. Ainsworth is a qualified person for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/99233
TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / October 12, 2021 / Toronto based CO2 GRO Inc. ("GROW") (TSXV:GROW)(OTCQB:BLONF)(Frankfurt:4O21) is pleased to announce that GROW has been successful in receiving funding from the Government of Canada, Trade Commissioner Service CanExport-SME program, to expand and diversify their international business scope.

The ongoing CanExport Program is a financial contribution mechanism for early stage Canadian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) for international business development activities. The program focuses on export marketing activities of existing products and services in foreign markets. It is delivered by the Canadian Trade Commissioner Service (TCS) Global Affairs Canada, in partnership with the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP).

Aaron Archibald, VP Sales & Strategic Alliances commented, "We are delighted to have been chosen by the CanExport Program in competition with numerous other Canadian SMEs. This further validates our CO2 Delivery Solutions technology's global market potential, which represents over 600 billion square feet of protected agriculture. We have been working with various Trade Commissioners around the world and will continue to do so as a core strategic initiative of our international expansion plans. We are thankful to the Trade Commissioner Service for not only their award of this financial contribution, but also their support in helping us enter global markets."

Visit www.co2delivery.ca for more information on CO2 Delivery Solutions or watch this video . To see a CO2 Delivery Solutions VCO2 system installation, watch this video .

About CO2 GRO Inc. (CO2 GRO Inc.)

GROW's proprietary CO2 Delivery Solutions technology is revolutionizing the global 600 billion square foot protected agriculture industry (Cuesta Roble 2019). We create a saturated CO2 solution that when misted onto plants provides growers that cannot gas with CO2 the opportunity to increase plant yields by up to 30% and profits by up to 100%. Applying saturated CO2 also suppressed the development of pathogens such as E.coli and powdery mildew, helping to reduce crop losses. GROW's CO2 Delivery Solutions is protected by a suite of patents and patents pending.

The worldwide market for GROW's disruptive CO2 Delivery Solutions technology is the 50 billion square feet of greenhouses and 550 billion square feet of protected agriculture facilities (Cuesta Roble 2019). Growers can maximize revenue and profits with our systems' low fixed and variable costs and ease of systems installation.

GROW's management is rapidly expanding its international marketing partner relationships into Mexico, Spain, the EU, the UK, South Africa, the Middle East, South East Asia and Latin America as well as in its North American base.

GROW is committed to good Environment, Social and Governance (ES&G) policy and practices. We are an equal opportunity employer of choice and opportunity.

Our mission is to accelerate the growth of all value plants safely, economically, naturally and sustainably using our patented advanced CO2 Delivery Solutions while accreting value to our customers, stakeholders and shareholders.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains statements which constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including statements regarding the plans, intentions, beliefs and current expectations of the Company with respect to future business activities. Forward- looking information is often identified by the words "may," "would," "could," "should," "will," "intend," "plan," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect" or similar expressions and include information regarding: statements regarding the future direction of the Company; the ability of the Company to successfully achieve its business and financial objectives; plans for expansion and the ability of the Company to obtain, develop and foster its business relationships; and expectations for other economic, business, and/or competitive factors. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking information is not based on historical facts but instead reflect the Company's management's expectations, estimates or projections concerning the business of the Company's future results or events based on the opinions, assumptions and estimates that management considered reasonable at the date the statements are made. Such assumptions include but are not limited to: general business and economic conditions; the Company's ability to successfully execute its plans and intentions; the availability of financing on reasonable terms; the Company's ability to attract and retain skilled staff; market competition; the products and technology offered by the Company's competitors; and that good relationships with business partners will be maintained. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking information are reasonable, such information involves risks and uncertainties, and undue reliance should not be placed on such information, as unknown or unpredictable factors could have material adverse effects on future results, performance or achievements. Among the key factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information are the following: changes in general economic, business and political conditions, including changes in the financial markets; in particular, in the ability of the Company to raise debt and equity capital in the amounts and at the costs that it expects; adverse changes in applicable laws or adverse changes in the application or enforcement of current laws; the biotechnology industry and the greenhouse growers market are highly competitive, and technical advances in the industry will impact the success of the Company, and other risks described in the Company's filings that are available at www.sedar.com . Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking information prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Although the Company has attempted to identify important risks, uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be others that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update this forward-looking information except as otherwise required by applicable law.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

For more information, please visit www.co2gro.ca or contact Michael O'Connor, Manager, Investor Relations at 604-317-6197 or michael.oconnor@co2gro.ca

SOURCE: CO2 Gro Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/667648/CO2-GRO-Inc-Awarded-a-Financial-Contribution-from-Canadas-CanExport-Program
TALLINN, Estonia, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- CoinsPaid, a leading crypto payments provider with a fully equipped ecosystem for merchants and businesses is now facing a gain in the volume of processed transactions. Crypto processor has also managed to reach a 500% Annual Growth Rate this year, proving the increasing demand in crypto payment operations.

In terms of the transaction volumes processed CoinsPaid has managed to get to these numbers in just three years (since 2018), while it took about a decade to some of the competitor crypto payment services (BitPay has just celebrated its 10 year anniversary and CoinPayments inaugurated in 2013).

CoinsPaid is a trending payment services organization topping 5% of overall on-chain BTC transactions demonstrating exponential growth in the payment gateway sector. They went 2.7 billion worth of crypto (as of September 2021) this year from 1.3 billion the year before. The number of the transactions processed this year has grown from up to 11 million since the beginning of 2020.

CoinsPaid is currently working on the set of B2B artillery for businesses to be launched later this year, announcing some promising features for both newbies and 700+ already existing merchants.

CoinsPaid is a versatile financial ecosystem, a leading solution for merchants and businesses, making crypto payments safe and easy.

CoinsPaid's mission is to blur the line between real-world business and decentralized finance as the next step in the company's objectives of simplifying global cryptocurrency payments. Today, 5% of all on-chain Bitcoin transactions are fully processed by CoinsPaid. The payment gateway company clientele spans more than 700 merchants and over 6 million customers.
TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / October 12, 2021 / Predictmedix Inc. (CSE:PMED) (OTCQB:PMEDF) ("Predictmedix" or the "Company"), an emerging provider of rapid health screening solutions powered by a proprietary artificial intelligence (AI), today announced the official launch of its next-generation, revamped corporate website www.predictmedix.com , reflecting ongoing efforts to provide up-to-date information for both prospective customers and investors.

The new website has been designed to be more dynamic, user friendly and content rich - best showcasing the Company's AI technologies for health and safety in workplaces and healthcare. It offers a clean, modern design integrated with helpful information and custom landing pages for marketing to customers considering the Company's proprietary Safe Entry Station rapid screening solution. The website also features an updated investor relations section including press releases, the current share price, regulatory filings and more.

"Our new website will give Predictmedix an enhanced online marketing presence that highlights our AI-powered products for corporate customers and investors," said Dr. Rahul Kushwah, Chief Operating Officer of Predictmedix. "With a focus on automated rapid screening for COVID-19 in offices, manufacturing, warehouses, seniors' facilities and at large events, the website better demonstrates our wide array of solutions to generate new sales leads.

"The investor relations pages provide our shareholders and prospective investors with current, easily accessible information about our operations, business strategy, stock profile and more, reflecting our ongoing commitment to enhance transparency and shareholder communications. The Company has made substantial operational achievements in recent months, including significant progress in securing tier-1 deployments of our Safe Entry Stations with clients around the world, and a refreshed website will help us to continue to elevate our profile."

About Predictmedix Inc.

Predictmedix (CSE:PMED) (OTCQB: PMEDF) is a leading provider of rapid health screening and remote patient care solutions globally. The Company's Safe Entry Stations - powered by a proprietary artificial intelligence (AI) - use multispectral cameras to analyze physiological data patterns and predict a variety of health issues including infectious diseases such as COVID-19, impairment by drugs or alcohol, or various mental illnesses. Predictmedix's proprietary remote patient care platform empowers medical professionals with a suite of AI-powered tools to improve patient health outcomes. To learn more, please visit our website at www.Predictmedix.com or follow us on Twitter , Instagram or LinkedIn .

Investor Relations Contact

Lucas A. Zimmerman

MZ Group - MZ North America

949-259-4987

PMEDF@mzgroup.us

www.mzgroup.us

Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Information:

THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE HAS NOT REVIEWED NOR DOES IT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

This news release may contain forward-looking statements and information based on current expectations. These statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results of the Company. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those implied by such statements. Although such statements are based on management's reasonable assumptions, there can be no assurance that such assumptions will prove to be correct. We assume no responsibility to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. The Company's securities have not been registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or applicable state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold to, or for the account or benefit of, persons in the United States or "U.S. Persons", as such term is defined in Regulations under the U.S. Securities Act, absent registration or an applicable exemption from such registration requirements. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in the United States or any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. Additionally, there are known and unknown risk factors which could cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information contained herein, such as, but not limited to dependence on obtaining regulatory approvals; the ability to obtain intellectual property rights related to its technology; limited operating history; general business, economic, competitive, political, regulatory and social uncertainties, and in particular, uncertainties related to COVID-19; risks related to factors beyond the control of the company, including risks related to COVID-19; risks related to the Company's shares, including price volatility due to events that may or may not be within such party's control; reliance on management; and the emergency of additional competitors in the industry.

All forward-looking information herein is qualified in its entirety by this cautionary statement, and the Company disclaims any obligation to revise or update any such forward-looking information or to publicly announce the result of any revisions to any of the forward-looking information contained herein to reflect future results, events or developments, except required by law.

Disclaimer: "The Company is not making any express or implied claims that its product has the ability to diagnose, eliminate, cure or contain the COVID-19 (or SARS-2 Coronavirus) at this time."

SOURCE: Predictmedix

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/666715/Predictmedix-Launches-Next-Generation-Corporate-Website
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - October 12, 2021) - Appia Energy Corp. (CSE: API) (OTCQB: APAAF) (FSE: A0I.F) (FSE: A0I.MU) (FSE: A0I.BE) (the "Company" or "Appia") today announced that the Company is changing its name from "Appia Energy Corp." to "Appia Rare Earths & Uranium Corp." to better identify the focus of the Company on its Alces Lake rare earths project as well as its Athabasca Basin uranium prospects. The change of name will become effective at the opening of the market on Friday October 15, 2021. The Company's trading symbol on the Canadian Securities Exchange will remain "API". The CUSIP number assigned to the Company's shares following the name change will be 03783P101. The Company's trading symbols in Germany and on the OTCQB will not change.

The CUSIP number for the warrants issued by the Company pursuant to the Warrant Indenture dated May 19, 2021 (the "Warrants") in respect of the Bought Deal Financing that closed on May 19, 2021 (see press release dated May 19, 2021) will change to 03783P119. The Warrants do not trade on an exchange.

About Appia

Appia is a Canadian publicly-listed company in the uranium and rare earth element sectors and is currently in its largest exploration and diamond drilling program in the Company's history, focusing on delineating high-grade critical rare earth elements, gallium and uranium on the Alces Lake property, as well as exploring for high-grade uranium in the prolific Athabasca Basin on its Loranger, North Wollaston, and Eastside properties. The Company holds the surface rights to exploration for 83,706 hectares (206,842 acres) in Saskatchewan. The Company also has a 100% interest in 12,545 hectares (31,000 acres), with rare earth element and uranium deposits over five mineralized zones in the Elliot Lake Camp, Ontario.

Appia has 108.1 million common shares outstanding, 128.4 million shares fully diluted.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

For more information, visit Appia's website at www.appiaenergy.ca or contact:

Tom Drivas, CEO and Director: (cell) 416-876-3957, (fax) 416-218-9772 or (email) appia@appiaenergy.ca

Frederick Kozak, President: (cell) 403-606-3165 or (email) fkozak@appiaenergy.ca

Frank van de Water, Chief Financial Officer and Director, (tel) 416-546-2707, (fax) 416-218-9772 or (email) fvandewater@rogers.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/99322
SEOUL (dpa-AFX) - General Motors Co. (GM) announced Tuesday it has reached an agreement under which LG Electronics Inc. will reimburse GM for costs and expenses associated with the recall of Chevrolet Bolt EVs and EUVs, due to manufacturing defects in battery modules supplied by LG. As a result of the agreement, GM will recognize an estimated recovery in its third-quarter earnings that will offset $1.9 billion of $2.0 billion in charges associated with the recalls. GM noted that its engineering and manufacturing teams continue to collaborate to accelerate production of new battery modules and expect to begin repairing customer vehicles this month Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
Vancouver, British Columbia and Rehovot, Israel--(Newsfile Corp. - October 12, 2021) - BioHarvest Sciences Inc. (CSE: BHSC) (FSE: 8MV) ("BioHarvest" or the "Company") invites its shareholders and the general public to join a Live Video Conference ("Webinar") on Thursday, October 14, 2021, at 2:00 PM Eastern Standard Time (11:00 AM Pacific Standard Time).

BioHarvest Sciences CEO Ilan Sobel will host the event, which will include a report on all major 2021 priorities, including a detailed performance update on the commercialization of the Company's two primary product verticals, Superfruit Nutraceuticals and Cannabis/Hemp.

"I am excited to share with you the details behind our 3rd quarter strong performance," stated CEO Ilan Sobel. "On the update call, I will discuss the progress we have made this year, the foundational capabilities we have built, and the significant steps we will be taking towards the realization of our biotech vision."

The presentation will be approximately 45 minutes, followed by a live question and answer session. All shareholders, media, and interested investors are welcome to join. All registrants will be emailed a recording of the session.

Register at: https://app.livestorm.co/st-financial/october-2021-bhsc-shareholder-update?type=detailed



Register Now

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6168/99293_61fcf644046a6a09_008full.jpg

About BioHarvest Sciences Inc.

BioHarvest Sciences Inc. (CSE: BHSC) is a fast-growing Biotech firm listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange. BioHarvest has developed a patented bio-cell growth platform technology capable of growing the active and beneficial ingredients in fruit and plants, at industrial scale, without the need to grow the plant itself. This technology is economical, ensures consistency, and avoids the negative environmental impacts associated with traditional agriculture. BioHarvest is currently focused on nutraceuticals and the medicinal cannabis markets. Visit: www.bioharvest.com.

BioHarvest Sciences Inc.

Ilan Sobel, Chief Executive Officer

For further information, please contact:

Dave Ryan, VP Investor Relations & Director

Phone: 1 (604) 622-1186

Email: dave@bioharvest.com

Twitter

Facebook

LinkedIn

YouTube

Forward-Looking Statements

Information set forth in this news release includes forward-looking statements that are based on management's current estimates, beliefs, intentions, and expectations, and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements.

All forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain and actual results may be affected by a number of material factors beyond our control. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. BHSC does not intend to update forward-looking statement disclosures other than through our regular management discussion and analysis disclosures.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/99293
VACAVILLE, CA / ACCESSWIRE / October 12, 2021 / Athena Gold Corporation (OTCQB:AHNR) ("Athena" or the "Company") is pleased to announce it has closed the second tranche of its non-brokered private placement of 3,108,700 units ("Units") at a price of CAD $0.08 per Unit for gross proceeds of CAD $248,696 (the "Financing"). Each Unit consists of one common share in the capital stock of the Company and one common share purchase warrant (each whole warrant a "Warrant"), with each Warrant entitling the holder thereof to purchase one common share of the Company at a price of CAD $0.15 until May 31, 2024.

Following the close of the first tranche on May 31, 2021, this is the second and final tranche of the Financing, which has increased the overall Financing to 9,358,700 Units for gross proceeds of CAD $748,696.

All securities issued in connection with the second tranche of the Financing are subject to a hold period of four months and one day in Canada and are subject to applicable United States hold periods. The Company has paid finder's fees on a portion of the Financing consisting of 7% cash and 7% broker warrants, each broker warrant entitling the holder thereof to purchase one common share in the capital stock of the Company at a price of CDN $0.15 until September 30, 2023.

"With our financing complete, our next milestones are to complete our listing on the Canadian Stock Exchange and finalize our upcoming exploration programs at our flagship Excelsior Springs project," said John Power, President of Athena Gold Corporation.

About Our Flagship Excelsior Springs Project

The Excelsior Springs Project (the "Project") lies within the prolific Walker Lane tectonic trend, a large region of northwest-trending, strike-slip fault zones that host a significant number of precious metal deposits having very strong structural control for mineralization. The Project contains numerous prospect pits, trenches, roads, surface sampling sites and 84 drill holes within a 300m X 3,000m wide (1,000 foot-wide and 10,000 foot lon east-west trending zone of shearing and alteration. Underground workings on the two patented claims within the Project had unverified, historical production of 597,187 grams of gold (19,200 troy ounces) of gold from 18,000 tons averaging 1.2 oz (37.3 grams of gold/ton).

Walker Lane is experiencing a major resurgence of intense and successful exploration and development. The Walker trend has had total production of 20+ million ounces ("Moz") of gold, including the following deposits at Goldfields (5 Moz), Bullfrog (2 Moz), Tonopah (2 Moz), Mineral Ridge (1.5 Moz) and Comstock (8 Moz Au, 200 Moz Ag). Readers are cautioned that the Company has no interest in or right to acquire any interest in any of the above mentioned properties, other than the Project, and that the mineral deposits, and the results of any exploration or mining thereof, on adjacent or similar properties are not indicative of potential mineral deposits on the Project or any potential exploitation thereof.

From the mid-1980s through 2011, a number of exploration companies conducted drilling programs at the Excelsior Springs Project, primarily on the patented claims, that began to define the near-surface Buster Mine gold zone. Gold mineralization on the Project occurs within an east-west trending zone that is 200 to 400 m wide and at least 3 km long (650-1300 feet wide by about 10,000 feet long).

Gold mineralization discovered at the Project to date occurs in quartz vein stock-works and silicified zones in hornfels and calc-silicate altered country rock and is generally close to porphyry dykes. The best mineralization (grade and thickness) is found in altered sediments immediately above porphyry dykes that have intruded along existing east- and east-northeast trending faults. The mineralized stock-work vein zones are shallow and have a relatively flat plunge, making them amenable to open pit mining methods.

Most historical exploration at the Excelsior Springs Project has focused on a 2.5 km (8,200 feet) long section in the central part of the Buster zone where mineralization is at or near the surface. Surface mapping and an Induced Polarization (IP) geophysical survey conducted by Zonge International Inc. identified multiple zones of silicification that correlate well with the known mineralization. Many of the silicified zones defined by the IP (resistivity highs) surveys have not been tested by drilling and remain targets for future exploration.

Based on the results of previous drilling programs, the Project is at an advanced stage of exploration with significant potential to host one or more open-pittable gold deposits along with deeper, higher grade feeder zones that may be found and could be mined by underground methods. In the opinion of management and its consultants, the Project is very promising and further exploration has the potential to expand the known mineralization and establish additional mineralized zones.

Qualified Person

John Hiner, Licensed Geologist and Registered Member of SME (Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration), a qualified person as defined by NI 43-101, has reviewed the scientific and technical information that forms the basis of this press release and has approved the disclosure herein. Mr. Hiner is not independent of the Company as he is a director of the Company and holds stock options in the Company.

About Athena Gold Corporation

Athena is engaged in the business of mineral exploration and the acquisition of mineral property assets. Its objective is to locate and develop economic precious and base metal properties of merit and to conduct its exploration program on the Excelsior Springs Project.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

John Power

Chief Executive Officer and President

Contact:

Phone: John Power, 707-291-6198

Email: info@athenagoldcorp.com

Cautionary Statement to U.S. Investors

This press release references NI 43-101, which differs from the requirements of U.S. securities laws. NI 43-101 is a rule developed by the Canadian Securities Administrators that establishes standards for all public disclosure an issuer makes of scientific and technical information concerning mineral projects.

The United States Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") permits mining companies, in their filings with the SEC, to disclose only those mineral deposits that a company can legally extract or produce. Pursuant to SEC Industry Guide 7 under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, a "final" or "bankable" feasibility study is required to report reserves. Currently Athena has not delineated "reserves" on any of its properties. Athena cannot be certain that any deposits at its properties will ever be confirmed or converted into SEC Industry Guide 7 or any successor rule or regulation compliant "reserves". Investors are cautioned not to assume that any part or all of the historic Buster Mine gold zone will ever be confirmed or converted into reserves or that it can be economically or legally extracted.

The SEC has adopted amendments to its disclosure rules to modernize the mineral property disclosure requirements for issuers whose securities are registered with the SEC under the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These amendments became effective February 25, 2019, with compliance required for the first fiscal year beginning on or after January 1, 2021, and historical property disclosure requirements for mining registrants that were included in SEC Industry Guide 7 will be rescinded from and after such date.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian and U.S. securities laws. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein including, without limitation, statements regarding anticipated business plans and timing of future activities of the Company, are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as: "believes", "will", "expects", "anticipates", "intends", "estimates", "plans", "may", "should", "potential", "scheduled", or variations of such words and phrases and similar expressions, which, by their nature, refer to future events or results that may, could, would, might or will occur or be taken or achieved. In making the forward-looking statements in this press release, the Company has applied several material assumptions, including without limitation, that there will be investor interest in future financings, market fundamentals will result in sustained precious metals demand and prices, the receipt of any necessary permits, licenses and regulatory approvals in connection with the future exploration and development of the Company's projects in a timely manner, the availability of financing on suitable terms for the exploration and development of the Company's projects and the Company's ability to comply with environmental, health and safety laws.

The Company cautions investors that any forward-looking statements by the Company are not guarantees of future results or performance, and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including, operating and technical difficulties in connection with mineral exploration and development activities, actual results of exploration activities, the estimation or realization of mineral reserves and mineral resources, the inability of the Company to obtain the necessary financing required to conduct its business and affairs, as currently contemplated, the timing and amount of estimated future production, the costs of production, capital expenditures, the costs and timing of the development of new deposits, requirements for additional capital, future prices of precious metals, changes in general economic conditions, changes in the financial markets and in the demand and market price for commodities, lack of investor interest in future financings, accidents, labor disputes and other risks of the mining industry, delays in obtaining governmental approvals, permits or financing or in the completion of development or construction activities, risks relating to epidemics or pandemics such as COVID-19, including the impact of COVID-19 on the Company's business, financial condition and results of operations, changes in laws, regulations and policies affecting mining operations, title disputes, the inability of the Company to obtain any necessary permits, consents, approvals or authorizations, including final Canadian Securities Exchange approval in connection with the listing of the Company's shares thereon, the timing and possible outcome of any pending litigation, environmental issues and liabilities, and other factors and risks that are discussed in the Company's periodic filings with the SEC and disclosed in the final long form prospectus of the Company dated August 31, 2021.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any of the forward-looking statements in this press release or incorporated by reference herein, except as otherwise required by law.

SOURCE: Athena Gold Corporation

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/667640/Athena-Gold-Corporation-Closes-CAD-248696-Second-Tranche-of-Private-Placement
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 12, 2021) -Doubleview Gold Corp (TSXV: DBG) (OTC PINK: DBLVF) (FSE: 1D4) ("Doubleview", the "Company") is pleased to announce it has initiated the next phase of diamond drilling at its 100% owned, HAT gold-rich copper porphyry, a polymetallic project located in Northwest British Columbia, situated in the Golden Triangle in the Tahltan First Nation's traditional territory. The Company anticipates to drill at least 2,000 metres in a minimum 4 diamond drill holes during the remainder of 2021.

The drill program aims to extend the Lisle Deposit at the HAT property to the northeast and northwest. Drill holes will be located where IP chargeability targets were recently identified by a deep penetrating 3D induced polarization geophysical survey, that has to this point produced encouraging results in diamond drill holes 34 through 37.

The initial drill site is located 550 metres northwest of the Lisle deposit, at a site where historic high-grade gold rock samples were collected, coupled with a robust 3D IP chargeability target. The second drill site is situated 350 metres to the northeast of the Lisle deposit to test a 3D IP chargeability high.

Doubleview's drill programs have evolved to further investigate chargeability targets surrounding the Lisle deposit. Company president and CEO, Mr. Farshad Shirvani commented "We are excited to be drilling at the Lisle deposit, with a focus on expanding its mineralized footprint. Lisle mineralization is open in all directions, therefore stepping out in drill locations will be a key factor in maximizing the potential size of an anticipated resource estimate."

Drill core will be photographed, logged and sampled under regular QA/QC procedures and sent to an accredited lab for analysis. The results will be published as soon as they are received and verified. The focus continues to be on gold and important critical metals, such as Copper, Cobalt, Palladium and Scandium, as announced in the company's news release dated July 22nd, 2021.

Critical Metals:

On March 11, 2021, Canada unveiled its Critical Minerals List that can be viewed by following the link below. The list includes 31 minerals considered integral to the Canadian economy.

https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/our-natural-resources/minerals-mining/critical-minerals/23414

About the Hat Project:

The Hat Property is considered a probable polymetallic porphyry deposit with characteristics similar to those of many of British Columbia's major deposits. Hat mineralization carries many of the important North American strategic metals, including but not limited to, Copper, Cobalt, and Scandium, with unique metallurgical characteristics that differ from other base metal deposits of British Columbia's Stikine Terrane. Sulphide mineralization, primarily chalcopyrite, occurs in fracture zones in dioritic intrusive rocks and strongly altered andesitic volcanic and volcaniclastic rocks of Upper Triassic age.

Doubleview acquired the Hat Property in 2011 and has conducted several programs of exploration, Doubleview discovered the Hat deposit under the supervision and guidance of Mr. Erik Ostensoe, P.Geo.

About Doubleview Gold Corp:

Doubleview Gold Corp, a mineral resource exploration and development company, is based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and is publicly traded on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSXV: DBG) (OTC PINK: DBLVF) (GER: A1W038) (FSE: 1D4). Doubleview identifies, acquires and finances precious and base metal exploration projects in North America, particularly in British Columbia. Doubleview increases shareholder value through acquisition and exploration of quality gold, copper and silver properties and the application of advanced state-of-the-art exploration methods. Doubleview's portfolio of strategic properties provides diversification and mitigates investment risk.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

Farshad Shirvani, M.Sc. Geology

President and CEO

For further information please contact:

Doubleview Gold Corp

Vancouver, BC, V6C 1V5

corporate@doubleview.ca

Forward-Looking Statements

Information set forth in this news release contains forward-looking statements that are based on assumptions as of the date of this news release. These statements reflect management's current estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations. They are not guarantees of future performance. Doubleview cautions that all forward looking statements are inherently uncertain and that actual performance may be affected by a number of material factors, many of which are beyond Doubleview's control. Such factors include, among other things: risks and uncertainties relating to Doubleview's limited operating history and the need to comply with environmental and governmental regulations. Accordingly, actual and future events, conditions and results may differ materially from the estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations expressed or implied in the forward looking information. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, Doubleview undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking information.

NEITHER TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/99304
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - October 12, 2021) - Canuc Resources Corporation (TSXV: CDA) (OTCQB: CNUCF) ("Canuc" or the "Company") is pleased to provide an update on the exploration program currently in progress at the Company's San Javier Ag-Au Project in Sonora State, Mexico.

Three holes have been completed to date. The fourth drill hole (SJ-21-04) is in progress and is currently at a depth of 922 m and ongoing. Drill hole four (SJ-21-04) is continuing because chalcopyrite has been visibly identified first beginning at 302 m, becoming more persistent beyond a depth of 534 m and is still visible in core at a depth of 922 m. Company geologists believe that this drill hole has the potential to identify a mineralized intrusive body consistent with the discovery model that the Company has been pursuing.

This drill hole (SJ-21-04) was designed to test a kilometer long magnetic anomaly detected near historical workings referred to as the Chiripas Mine. Earlier surface and shallow underground sampling of magnetite veining at the Chiripas Mine encountered strong silver values ranging up to 644 g/t over 0.43 m. The drill hole has intersected a broad zone of variably stockworked and brecciated Barranca sediments with minor andesitic dykes. The Barranca sediments show contact metamorphism from about 461 m and downward, variable amounts of magnetite bearing veinlets, stringers and breccia matrix throughout. Local narrow magnetite veins accompany the important presence of sulfides from 34 m, including pyrite, pyrrhotite and possibly also bornite and cerargyrite at depth. The first 850 m of drill core has been split and sent for assay.

Below is a summary of the geology intersected in the first 3 holes drilled prior to SJ-21-04.

Hole SJ-21-01 was drilled to a total depth of 89.5 m (lost in a fault zone) and encountered brecciated Barranca sediments including siltstone, sandstone, conglomerate and variable amounts of magnetite bearing veinlets, stringers and a breccia matrix throughout. Local narrow magnetite veins included an assay of 126 g/t Ag over 2.35 m. Hole SJ-21-02 (twin of Hole SJ-21-01) was drilled to a total depth of 139.5 m. Brecciated Barranca sediments were encountered. A massive magnetite vein was intersected at 30.1 m grading 243 g/t Ag over 2.0 m.

Hole SJ-21-03 (Millrock Au target) was drilled near to the southern boundary of the Company's claims to a total depth of 500.5 m (stopped because of drilling problems). Drilling encountered brecciated and stockworked Tarahumara volcanics including agglomerates, pyroclastic breccias, lapilli tuffs and flows of trachytic composition with variable amounts of magnetite-specularite bearing veinlets, stringers and a breccia matrix throughout. From 38 m the presence of chalcocite (copper sulphide) was reported, and from 170 m downward the presence of sulfides including the presence of chalcopyrite from 332 m downward. The hole intersected scattered gold values throughout, ranging from trace to 1.19 ppm (equivalent to 1.19 g/t). Intersections included: 0.426 ppm Au over 1.8 m; 0.465 ppm Au over 1.55 m; 0.528 ppm Au over 1.15 m; 0.592 ppm Au over 1.35 m; 1.069 ppm Au over 0.5 m and 1.19 ppm Au over 0.45 m. SJ-21-03 also intersected scattered copper mineralization including 0.41% Cu over 1.95 m and 0.34% Cu over 0.65 m.

More detailed information relating to the above drill holes will be provided in future news releases and on the company website.

New Gold Zone

The gold bearing breccia zone discovered while bulldozing a drill road earlier in the summer (press release August 4th, 2021) has been traced over a strike length of 3.3 km within the Company's claim group. Gold values range from trace to 17.9 g/t over 0.8 m, and detailed mapping along with additional sampling is now in progress. One of the drill holes currently scheduled will be testing a very strong magnetic target centred within this zone.

"The fourth drill hole (SJ-21-04) is ongoing at a depth which is now in excess of 922 m. This drill hole is located towards the center of the company's claim group. The detection of chalcopyrite, and some other copper minerals, in veinlets is encouraging as we move through a contact metamorphic environment towards the intrusive source. Also, we observe that the dimensions of the new gold zone first identified earlier this year continue to extend significantly within company claims," Stated Christopher Berlet, President and CEO of Canuc.

Seymour M. Sears, B.A., B.Sc., P.Geo. is the Qualified Person for the Company, as defined by NI 43-101, and has reviewed and approved the contents of this press release.

Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

About Canuc

Canuc is a junior company focusing on the San Javier Silver-Gold Project in Sonora State, Mexico. The Company generates cash flow from natural gas production at its MidTex Energy Project in Central West Texas, USA where Canuc has an interest in eight producing natural gas wells and has rights for further in field developments. Canuc also has exclusive rights, through a Partnership Agreement with Ioticiti Networks Inc., to sell Industrial IoT applications and infrastructure in the Provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan, Canada and in the State of Texas, USA.

For further information please contact:

Canuc Resources Corporation.

(416) 525 - 6869

cberlet@canucresources.ca

Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains forward-looking information. All information, other than information of historical fact, constitute "forward-looking statements" and includes any information that addresses activities, events or developments that the Corporation believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future including the Corporation's strategy, plans or future financial or operating performance.

When used in this news release, the words "estimate", "project", "anticipate", "expect", "intend", "believe", "hope", "may" and similar expressions, as well as "will", "shall" and other indications of future tense, are intended to identify forward-looking information. The forward-looking information is based on current expectations and applies only as of the date on which they were made. The factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in such forward-looking information include, but are not limited to, the ability of the Corporation to fund the exploration expenditures required under the Agreement. Other factors such as uncertainties regarding government regulations could also affect the results. Other risks may be set out in the Corporation's annual financial statements, MD&A and other publicly filed documents.

The Corporation cautions that there can be no assurance that forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. Accordingly, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Except as required by law, the Corporation does not assume any obligation to release publicly any revisions to forward-looking information contained in this press release to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof.

Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/99248
Dieppe, New Brunswick--(Newsfile Corp. - October 12, 2021) - Colibri Resource Corporation (TSXV: CBI) ("Colibri" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that a permit to drill up to 56 holes at the Evelyn Gold Project, located in northern Sonora, Mexico has been received. The application was submitted to SEMERNAT (the Mexican environmental authority) on September 3rd, 2021, and permission was granted October 5, 2021. The Company continues to complete geological mapping and sampling to refine drill targets and reports an assay of 33 grams per tonne ("g/t") Au and 119 g/t Ag.

Next Steps

The Company will begin remediation of access roads to and within the property this week. These repairs are required to support trucks carrying reverse circulation ("RC") drill equipment after what has been a particularly heavy rainy season in northern Sonora. The road work is expected to be completed within 2 weeks after which the preparation of drill access roads and drill pads will start. Contracts and arrangements for the RC drill are being finalized and the Company anticipates drilling to begin upon the completion of prioritized drill pads. The fully funded drill program of up to 10,000 metres is expected to be conducted in two phases.

"I am very pleased that we have reached the drill stage in the exploration of the Evelyn Property. We have completed a systematic, property-wide exploration program that includes geological and structural mapping, geochemistry and analyses of a large number of surface samples, and geophysical surveys that include Magnetics and Induced Polarization. The drill plan is the culmination of this work and will be testing our exploration model developed over the last 18 months," commented Ian McGavney, COO for Colibri.

Evelyn Geology, Exploration, and Drill Plan

The Evelyn Gold Project is an Orogenic-type gold target located in the Caborca Gold Belt of northwestern Sonora. The property is located approximately 25 kilometres ("km") east of La Herradura, Mexico's largest open pit gold mine, which produced 425,288 ounces of gold in 2020 at an average grade of 0.77 grams per tonnes ("g/t") Au and is also approximately 9 km northeast of the Noche Buena mine which produced 87,988 ounces Au at an average grade of 0.52 g/t Au in 2020. The setting and style of mineralization at Evelyn is similar to that reported from La Herradura and Noche Buena. Higher grade mineralization on the Evelyn property consists of quartz veins and veinlets, ranging from 2 - 3 centimeters up to 1.5 m hosted by fault and fracture zones with minor oxidized pyrite, iron oxide, copper bearing oxide and carbonate minerals, and locally minor to trace amounts of galena, chalcopyrite, and sphalerite. Alteration of the host rocks includes iron bearing carbonate minerals, quartz, sericite, and chlorite. Lower grade mineralization is associated with altered volcanic rocks containing minor amounts of oxidized sulfide. Mineralization is hosted dominantly by Jurassic volcanic rocks consisting of andesite and rhyolite.

The "Main Zone" of mineralization in the Cerro Rojo target area consists of a north-northeast striking and easterly dipping quartz vein up to 1.5 m thick exposed over a strike length of approximately 120 m. The Main Zone has been the object of historical mining with adits developed in 3 locations along its exposed length. Previous grab samples from the Main Zone have returned values up to 44 g/t Au. Historical exploration work on the property has included a soil sampling program and geological mapping. During 2019, the Company initiated exploration to follow-up on the results of the soil sampling and over the last 18 months has completed a systematic, property wide exploration program that includes:

Geological mapping and outcrop sampling

Completion of a structural geology mapping study

Excavation of trenches in two phases, first using a backhoe and then using a larger excavator

Collection and analyses of 760 samples from surface and trench exposures

Completion of a property wide drone topographic survey and generation of a digital elevation model ("DEM") for the property

Completion of a property wide drone magnetic survey consisting of 118 line km covering the complete property

Completion of a 3D - Induced Polarization survey consisting of 82.5-line km covering approximately 90% of the property.

Inversion modelling of magnetic and IP data.

Based largely on the distribution of anomalous and higher-grade assay results from surface and trench exposures coincident with magnetic gradients and lineaments and with structures identified through geological mapping, the Company interprets 4 target areas of mineralization at Evelyn: El Sahuaro, Cerro Rojo, Central, and West Evelyn (Figure 1). El Sahuaro and Cerro Rojo are the priority target areas on the property and, as previously reported (September 9, 2021), both are characterized by anomalous to high grade surface sampling coincident with chargeability and resistivity anomalies.

The exploration model being developed by the Company relates the mineralization at Evelyn, consisting of higher-grade veins and veinlets hosted by altered and sulphide bearing lower grade volcanic rocks, to north-northeast trending stratigraphy and layer-parallel fault zones and southeast striking, moderately southwest dipping fault zones. The first phase of the drill program will be based largely on surface mapping and sampling with down-dip projection being supported by inversion modelling of both the magnetic and IP datasets.





Figure 1 - Evelyn Gold Samples on Topography



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Field Work Update

Geological mapping and sampling is in progress at the Evelyn project. The objectives of this work are to further refine drill targets and plans, to follow-up on IP results and interpretations, and to fill-in gaps in the mapping coverage. Recent results include a sample that returned assay values of 33 g/t Au and 119 g/t Ag from a narrow veinlet in the El Sahuaro target area. Samples of altered and oxidized sulphide bearing andesite from the El Sahuaro target area returning low grade (> 0.1 g/t Au) support the exploration model.





Figure 2 - Newly Taken Gold Samples on Topography - Cerro Rojo, Central North, and El Sahuaro



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Qualified Person

Jamie Lavigne, P. Geo and a Director for Colibri is a Qualified Person as defined in NI 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical information in this press release.

ABOUT COLIBRI RESOURCE CORPORATION:

Colibri is a Canadian-based mineral exploration company listed on the TSX-V (CBI) and is focused on acquiring and exploring prospective gold & silver properties in Mexico. The Company has six exploration projects of which five currently have exploration programs being executed 2021 and 2022. The flagship Evelyn Gold Project is 100% owned and explored by Colibri. The Company has four additional projects, Pilar Gold & Silver Project (optioned to Tocvan Ventures (CSE:TOC), El Mezquite Gold & Silver Project , Jackie Gold & Silver Project, and the Diamante Gold & Silver Project (subject to earn-in agreements by Silver Spruce Resources (TSXV: SSE) are also currently being actively advanced.

For more information about all Company projects please visit: www.colibriresource.com.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements:

This news release contains "forward-looking statements". Statements in this press release which are not purely historical are forward-looking statements and include any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous factors. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release, and the Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that the plans, expectations and intentions contained in this press release are reasonable, there can be no assurance that they will prove to be accurate.

For information contact:: Ronald J. Goguen, President, Chairperson and Director, Tel: (506) 383-4274, rongoguen@colibriresource.com.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/99327
ROSEMONT, IL / ACCESSWIRE / October 12, 2021 / From October 26-28, thousands of assembly industry professionals will gather at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL for the 9th Annual ASSEMBLY Show. Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in several special events and featured areas on the show floor including the FIRST Illinois Robotics demonstration, the Autonomous & Electric Mobility Interactive Display, Guided Tours of the Exhibit Hall and the presentation of the Plant of the Year Award and the New Product Awards. For the most up to date information, visit https://www.assemblymag.com/the-assembly-show.

"The manufacturing industry has faced a variety of challenges this year, and we think there is no better way to move forward than to gather as an industry, in-person, to learn together, network and see the latest technologies leading vendors have to offer," said Bill DeYoe, Publisher of ASSEMBLY Magazine. "The ASSEMBLY staff has been working diligently to provide our audience with hands-on learning opportunities and special events which will provide insight on the important issues facing manufacturers including the Industry 4.0 revolution, incorporating automation, the impact of increased competition, and so much more."

In addition to 210+ exhibitors, three pre-event intensive workshops, a dozen learning theater educational sessions and six "guided tours" of the exhibit hall. The ASSEMBLY Show will feature FIRST Illinois Robotics and Tech Challenge teams during the Tuesday evening reception on the exhibit floor. High school teams will demonstrate the robots they have built, using technology applicable for assembly manufacturing. FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is a 501(c)(3) not for-profit public charity which designs accessible, innovative programs that motivate young people to pursue education and career opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and math, while building self-confidence, knowledge, and life skills.

Global sales of electric cars, trucks and motorcycles are expected to grow from 4.1 million units in 2021 to 34.7 million units by 2030. That sort of demand has both established OEMs and a slew of startups scrambling to ramp up production. With these statistics in mind the ASSEMBLY Show will feature the Autonomous & Electric Mobility (AEM) display, in booth #119, featuring Zimmer Group's gripper used to help build the Ford Mustang Mach-E. The display is presented by Autonomous and Electric Mobility, a supplement of ASSEMBLY which features news and products for mobility industry professionals focused on automated, connected, electrified and share vehicle technologies.

Two awards programs will be held during the event. Prior to the keynote address by Sudhanshu Gaur, Vice President, Hitachi America, and Chief Architect - Smart Manufacturing, Hitachi Astemo the editors of ASSEMBLY Magazine will present the Plant of the Year Award to GKN Automotive, a Tier One supplier headquartered in London. GKN's state-of-the-art ePowertrain assembly plant in Newton, NC, supplies AWD systems to BMW, Ford, General Motors and Stellantis facilities in North America and internationally. The 505,000-square-foot facility operates 14 assembly lines that mass-produce more than 1.5 million units annually. On Thursday morning at 9:30 am during the Mix & Mingle Breakfast, the New Product of the Year Award winners will be announced. To see the companies that have been nominated, click here.

As a bonus, all attendees to The 2021 ASSEMBLY Show, will have access to The Quality Show featuring education and equipment that continuous improvement professionals need to inspect, measure, and quantify manufactured products. The exhibit hall offers hundreds of interactive exhibits from leading suppliers with the expertise to tailor the perfect metrology solution for specific applications

The 9th Annual ASSEMBLY Show will kick off with three half day workshops on Tuesday, October 26 on Electric Vehicle Assembly, Fastening & Joining and Robotics Assembly. The exhibit hall will be open on Tuesday, October 26 from 4:00 - 7:00 pm; Wednesday, October 27 from 10:00 am - 5:00 pm and Thursday, October 28 from 9:00 am - 2:00 pm. For information about exhibiting or sponsorships, click here to contact the ASSEMBLY Show sales staff. Click here for registration information.

The ASSEMBLY Show, sponsored by ASSEMBLY (www.assemblymag.com) has rapidly become the industry's leading trade show focused exclusively on assembly equipment, services and products. ASSEMBLY serves the multi-billion dollar assembly market and has been since 1958! ASSEMBLY is the leading brand covering the processes, technologies, and strategies for assembling discrete parts into finished products. ASSEMBLY offers an integrated portfolio of products including the industry's leading trade show.

# # #

For Further Information, Contact:

Amy Riemer, Media Relations Representative

978-475-4441 (office) or 978-502-4895 (cell)

amy@riemercommunications.com

SOURCE: The ASSEMBLY Show

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/667728/Awards-Demonstrations-Competitions-and-More-to-be-Featured-at-The-Upcoming-ASSEMBLY-Show-9th-Annual-Event-to-be-Held-in-Person-in-Rosemont-IL
Rye Brook, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - October 12, 2021) - Here To Serve Holding Corp. (OTC Pink: HTSC) is pleased to announce its wholly owned subsidiary, ICF Industries Inc., has acquired 1 million common shares of Agtech Global International Inc. ("AgTech") (OTC Pink: AGGL) in exchange for consulting services. AgTech is currently working with FINRA to process a name change to Galexxy Holdings Inc.

In June 2021, Agtech entered the high-growth CBD consumer products market, by acquiring Galexxy Corporation as a 100% owned subsidiary. Through the Galexxy acquisition, AgTech has secured patent pending IP, a highly scalable business strategy and an expanding range of proprietary products coupled with a unique marketing plan. Galexxy's strategy is to be a disruptive, high profile, mass-marketer of high quality, lower priced CBD and wellness products, direct to a market of 210 million adult U.S. consumers. Its marketing plan incorporates a technology based Virtual Retail Marketing System (VRMS), which combines the physical attributes of a brick and mortar customer experience with the ease and convenience of online digital shopping. The initial Galexxy product range is comprised of 15 CBD products formulated for a variety of popular indications with planned expansion to 30 products in 2022. These products include proprietary formulations, novel delivery methods and distinctive packaging.

According to Cesar Herrera, President of ICF Industries Inc., "ICF Industries is well versed in the CBD market and technology space. What Galexxy Holdings Inc. is doing with blockchain and CBD reflects a disruptive technology with a very forward-thinking management. We stand behind them as a partner. We look at this as a value/growth vehicle that meets our undervalued asset criteria. Management fully values Galexxy Holdings at $0.40 per share."

About Here To Serve Holding Corp.

Here to Serve Holding Corp. is a holding company that hunts for undervalued assets in the mining, real estate, and securities industries. In additional to mineral rights, holdings in public company securities and a 15% interest in KRTL Biotech Inc., it has wholly owned subsidiaries. Its ICF Industries Inc. subsidiary offers corporate advisory, consulting, and marketing services to both public and privately-owned companies. It helps entities with corporate strategy, negotiation, corporate structure, marketing, and executive management decisions. Fortune Nickel and Gold Inc. is dedicated to the global acquisition, exploration, and development of mining properties in prolific jurisdictions. Fortune recently acquired mining projects known as the Gowan and Beck-Ottaway properties located in the Timmins mining camp in Ontario, Canada. The Timmins mining camp lies at the heart of the Abitibi greenstone belt, which contains some of the world's largest deposits of gold, silver, copper, zinc, nickel, platinum-group metals, and industrial minerals such as talc. Fortune believes its projects have substantial gold and nickel potential.

For more information:

Please call Investor Relations with any questions at 855-4NICKEL (855-464-2535) extension 1.

The information contained herein includes forward-looking statements. These statements relate to future events or to our future financial performance, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as "may," "should," "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "predicts," "potential" or "continue" or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements since they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which are, in some cases, beyond our control and which could, and likely will, materially affect actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Any forward-'looking statement reflects our current views with respect to future events and is subject to these and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to our operations, results of operations, growth strategy and liquidity. We assume no obligation to publicly update or revise these forward-looking statements for any reason, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/99331
A recent survey by Future Market Insight (FMI) discloses information on drivers, opportunities, and restraints affecting the advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) testing equipment market growth. The report highlights scope for expansion across various segments in terms of product and end user type for the next 10-years.

DUBAI, U.A.E., Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Future Market Insights (FMI), Dubai: As per exhaustive research conducted by FMI, the global advanced driver assistance system testing equipment market is anticipated to reach US$ 222,486 thousand in 2021. The sales of ADAS testing equipment is estimated to register year-on-year growth of 9.1% in 2021.

Growing number of road accidents has substantially increased road safety concerns across the world. This has compelled manufacturers to thoroughly assess ADAS and ADS performance using efficient methods to validate the complacence of autonomous vehicles in accordance with safety standards. This is in turn propelling the sales of ADAS testing equipment.

A significant rise in the number of autonomous vehicles sold in countries such as the U.K., the U.S., and Germany has been helping in expansion of the market. These countries have implemented several stringent regulations, mandating the testing of vehicles and the inclusion of ADAS. Implementation of stringent regulations to ascertain driver and passenger safety will bode well for the market.

Request a report sample to gain comprehensive insights at https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-283

Historically, the market grew at a CAGR of 3.7% over the past half-decade due to the suspension of production across industries amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The ongoing development of sophisticated ADAS equipment and increasing adoption of autonomous vehicles in various countries is facilitating the market growth. Driven by this, the market for ADAS is projected to expand at an impressive CAGR of 12.1% between 2021 and 2031.

"Leading automotive manufacturers are extensively incorporating advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), internet of things (IoT), and machine learning in new vehicles to provide improved autonomous driving experience. This is expected to create immense scope for the ADAS testing equipment in forthcoming years," says the FMI analyst.

Key Takeaways from the ADAS Testing Equipment Market Study

The market in North America is anticipated to grow at an impressive CAGR of 11.3% through 2031 owing to the presence of leading autonomous vehicle manufacturers such as Tesla and GM Motors in the U.S.

is anticipated to grow at an impressive CAGR of 11.3% through 2031 owing to the presence of leading autonomous vehicle manufacturers such as Tesla and GM Motors in the U.S. Favored by the implementation of stringent regulation, mandating the testing of ADAS-based vehicles, the U.K. market is expected to drive sales across Europe .

. China is projected to emerge as one of the fastest growing markets in Asia Pacific , driven by the increasing vehicle production and focus on improved road safety.

is projected to emerge as one of the fastest growing markets in , driven by the increasing vehicle production and focus on improved road safety. Japan and South Korea are forecast to collectively account for around 14% of the global ADAS testing equipment sales by the end of 2031.

and are forecast to collectively account for around 14% of the global ADAS testing equipment sales by the end of 2031. Based on product, hardware is estimated to remain the most remunerative segment, supported by its ability to be customized as per end user demand.

Key Drivers

Growing demand for autonomous vehicles and implementation of road safety norms, mandating ADAS integration in vehicles will drive sales in North America , Europe , and Asia Pacific .

, , and . Technological advancement in ADAS technologies by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) is spurring the sales of ADAS testing equipment.

Key Restraints

Increasing speculations pertaining proper safety of autonomous vehicles and growing demand for two-wheelers across developing economies are hampering the sales of ADAS testing equipment.

Discover more about the ADAS testing equipment analysis with figures and data tables, along with the table of contents. You will also find detailed market segmentation on https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/advanced-driver-assistance-systems-market

Competitive Landscape

As per FMI, top five players in the global ADAS testing equipment market are Konrad GmbH, AB Dynamics plc, National Instruments Corporation, TKH Group NV, Oxford Technical Solutions Ltd., and Racelogic Ltd. These players are projected to capture nearly 50% of the total market share in 2021.

Key players are focusing on adopting inorganic strategies such as strategic collaborations, partnerships, merger, and acquisitions to expand their global footprints. Apart from this, product developments, intensive research and development (R&D), and new product launches are also expected to remain prominent expansion strategies among key companies. For instance,

In July 2021 , National Instruments Corporation, an American multinational company, and Seagate Technology Holdings, a leader in data storage solutions, announced entering into a collaboration to launch first of its kind ADAS record offering, enhancing their transfer and data storage services.

, National Instruments Corporation, an American multinational company, and Seagate Technology Holdings, a leader in data storage solutions, announced entering into a collaboration to launch first of its kind ADAS record offering, enhancing their transfer and data storage services. In November 2019 , Denso, a global automotive components manufacturer, announced partnering with a wireless technology company, Metawave, to assist the company in the development of smart radar systems for autonomous cars.

Some of the key players operating in the market profiled by FMI are:

Konrad GmbH

AB Dynamics plc

National Instruments Corporation

TKH Group NV

Oxford Technical Solutions Ltd.

Racelogic Ltd.

More Valuable Insights on ADAS Testing Equipment Market

FMI, in its new report, offers an unbiased analysis of the global ADAS testing equipment market, analyzing forecast statistics through 2021 and beyond. The survey reveals growth projections on in ADAS testing equipment market with detailed segmentation:

By Product:

Hardware

Software

By End-User Type:

Automotive OEMs

Tier-1 Suppliers

Labs and Other Institutes

By Region:

North America

Latin America

Europe

East Asia

South Asia

Middle East and Africa (MEA)

For any Queries Linked with the Report, Ask an Analyst@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/ask-question/rep-gb-283

Key Questions Covered in the ADAS Testing EquipmentMarket Report

The market survey also highlights projected sales growth of the ADAS testing equipment market between 2021 and 2031

The report offers insight into ADAS testing equipment demand outlook for 2021-2031

ADAS testing equipment market share analysis of the key companies within the industry and coverage of strategies such as mergers & acquisitions, collaborations or partnerships, and others

ADAS testing equipment market analysis identifies key growth drivers, restraints, and other forces impacting prevailing trends and evaluation of current market size and forecast and technological advancements within the industry

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About Future Market Insights (FMI)

Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in Dubai, and has delivery centers in the UK, U.S. and India. FMI's latest market research reports and industry analysis help businesses navigate challenges and make critical decisions with confidence and clarity amidst breakneck competition. Our customized and syndicated market research reports deliver actionable insights that drive sustainable growth. A team of expert-led analysts at FMI continuously tracks emerging trends and events in a broad range of industries to ensure that our clients prepare for the evolving needs of their consumers.

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Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 12, 2021) - PORTOFINO RESOURCES INC. (TSXV: POR) (OTCQB: PFFOF) (FSE: POTA) ("Portofino" or the "Company") is pleased to report that its Argentine field crew is traveling to the Yergo, Argentina lithium project this week to evaluate current conditions and prepare site logistics for an upcoming drilling program.

Portofino's technical team has identified an initial 4 priority drill targets and a drilling contract has been executed. Drill testing of the Project will enable initial evaluation of the volume and the lithium content of the brines and sediments within the sub-basin of previously identified zones.

The Yergo Lithium Project

Portofino has the right to earn a 100% interest in the 2,932 hectares Yergo Project which encompasses the entire Aparejos Salar located in the southern part of Argentina's world-renowned "Lithium Triangle". The Project is situated 15 kilometers southeast of Neo Lithium Corp's advanced 3Q Project.

A 2021 geophysical survey and surface geochemical sampling program identified two large, anomalous sub-basins within the Aparejos Salar (NR-April 6, 2021). The survey and sampling results confirmed the presence of lithium-rich brines and the potential volume of the brines within the Project. The initial drill program will focus on the eastern sub-basin which has an irregular surface expression measuring between 1,800 meters ("m") to 2,500m in length by approximately 700m in width with modeled depths of between 44m and 65m. Surface sample results previously reported values of up to 373 mg/l Lithium and included low impurities.





Yergo Lithium Project, 2021

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David Tafel, Portofino's President and CEO commented; "Given the proximity of Neo Lithium Corp's 3Q Project, it is likely that the Aparejos salar has experienced a similar geological history, including Lithium and Potassium enrichment, due to their common evaporitic climate and local geology. Each of the 3Q Project and the Yergo Project are located within the same volcanic package likely with exposure of the same potential lithium source rocks and mineralizing processes. Note that, on October 08, 2021, Neo Lithium announced it had received an all cash, takeover offer of $960 million for all its outstanding equity."

Qualified Person

The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Mr. Andrew J. Turner, B.Sc., P.Geo. of APEX Geoscience Ltd., who is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

About Portofino Resources Inc.

Portofino is a Vancouver-based Canadian company focused on exploring and developing mineral resource projects in the Americas. Portofino's green energy projects include the Yergo Lithium property which encompasses the entire Aparejos Salar, located within the world-renowned "Lithium Triangle" in Argentina and the Allison Lake North (Red Lake, Ontario) Lithium project.

Its South of Otter and Bruce Lake projects are in the historic gold mining district of Red Lake, Ontario, Canada proximal to the high-grade Dixie gold project owned by Great Bear Resources Ltd. Portofino also holds three other northwestern Ontario gold projects; the Gold Creek property located immediately south of the historic Shebandowan Nickel-Copper mine, as well as the Sapawe West and Melema West properties located in the rapidly developing Atikokan gold mining camp.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

"David G. Tafel"

Chief Executive Officer

For Further Information Contact:

David Tafel CEO, Director

604-683-1991

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release may contain forward-looking statements concerning future operations of Portofino Resources Inc. (the "Company"). All forward-looking statements concerning the Company's future plans and operations, including management's assessment of the Company's project expectations or beliefs may be subject to certain assumptions, risks and uncertainties beyond the Company's control. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and that actual performance and exploration and financial results may differ materially from any estimates or projections.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/99333
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - October 12, 2021) - Western Troy Capital Resources Inc. (TSXV: WRY.H) ("Western Troy" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has completed a non-brokered private placement previously announced on September 13, 2021 (the "Private Placement") for aggregate gross proceeds of $105,000. The Private Placement involves the issuance of 700,000 units ("Units") at a price of $0.15 per Unit. Each Unit consists of one common share in the capital stock the Company (a "Common Share") and one warrant. Each warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one Common Share for $0.20 at any time within one year after closing. All securities issued pursuant to this Private Placement will be subject to a four-month hold period.

The Company intends to use the proceeds of the Private Placement for general working capital purposes.

About Western Troy

Western Troy has been engaged in mineral exploration and mine development, as well is reviewing potential alternatives to enhance shareholder value.

Contact Information:

Western Troy Capital Resources

Stephen Dunn, CEO

Tel: 416-361-2827

Email: dunnsteve@protonmail.com

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT:

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange (including the NEX Board) nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable Canadian and U.S. securities laws and regulations, including statements regarding the future activities of the Company. Forward-looking statements reflect the current beliefs and expectations of management and are identified by the use of words including "intends", "will", "anticipates", "expected to", "plans", "planned" and other similar words. Actual results may differ significantly. The achievement of the results expressed in forward-looking statements is subject to a number of risks, including those described in the Company's management discussion and analysis as filed with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities which are available at www.sedar.com. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon forward-looking statements.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/99336
Regulatory News:

Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE: PM) will host a live audio webcast on www.pmi.com/2021Q3earnings on Tuesday, October 19, 2021, at 9:00 a.m. ET, to discuss its 2021 Third-Quarter results, which will be issued at approximately 7:00 a.m. ET the same day.

During the webcast, Emmanuel Babeau, Chief Financial Officer, will discuss PMI's results and answer questions from the investment community and news media. The webcast will be in a listen-only mode.

The audio webcast may also be accessed on iOS or Android devices by downloading PMI's free Investor Relations Mobile Application on www.pmi.com/irapp.

An archived copy of the webcast will be available until 5:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, November 17, 2021, on www.pmi.com/2021Q3earnings.

Slides and script will also be available on www.pmi.com/2021Q3earnings.

Philip Morris International: Delivering a Smoke-Free Future

Philip Morris International (PMI) is leading a transformation in the tobacco industry to create a smoke-free future and ultimately replace cigarettes with smoke-free products to the benefit of adults who would otherwise continue to smoke, society, the company, its shareholders and its other stakeholders. PMI is a leading international tobacco company engaged in the manufacture and sale of cigarettes, as well as smoke-free products, associated electronic devices and accessories, and other nicotine-containing products in markets outside the U.S. In addition, PMI ships versions of its IQOS Platform 1 device and consumables to Altria Group, Inc. for sale under license in the U.S., where these products have received marketing authorizations from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under the premarket tobacco product application (PMTA) pathway; the FDA has also authorized the marketing of a version of IQOS and its consumables as a Modified Risk Tobacco Product (MRTP), finding that an exposure modification order for these products is appropriate to promote the public health. PMI is building a future on a new category of smoke-free products that, while not risk-free, are a much better choice than continuing to smoke. Through multidisciplinary capabilities in product development, state-of-the-art facilities and scientific substantiation, PMI aims to ensure that its smoke-free products meet adult consumer preferences and rigorous regulatory requirements. PMI's smoke-free product portfolio includes heat-not-burn and nicotine-containing vapor products. As of June 30, 2021, PMI's smoke-free products are available for sale in 67 markets in key cities or nationwide, and PMI estimates that approximately 14.7 million adults around the world have already switched to IQOS and stopped smoking. For more information, please visit www.pmi.com and www.pmiscience.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211012005829/en/

Contacts:

Philip Morris International

Investor Relations:

New York: +1 (917) 663 2233

Lausanne: +41 (0)58 242 4666

Email: InvestorRelations@pmi.com

Media:

Lausanne: +41 (0)58 242 4500

Email: Iro.Antoniadou@pmi.com
- Research shows number of years people are spending in ill health is increasing, due to the rising prevalence of chronic diseases, driven by unhealthy lifestyles

- Experts call for focus on healthspan, the quality of life, alongside lifespan, the quantity of life, citing significant economic and social benefits

- Pioneering algorithm by Vitality, in collaboration with RAND Europe, can for the first time predict an individual's healthspan (the number of years lived in good health) and future health risks

LONDON, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Vitality today reveals research results quantifying the widening gap between lifespan (life expectancy) and healthspan (the number of years lived in good health) globally, reflecting a diminishing quality of life in later years. Alongside this research, Vitality and RAND Europe have developed a pioneering algorithm that allows individuals, for the first time, to understand how their lifestyle choices impact both their length and quality of life, enabling them to take actions to maximise the number of years spent in good health in the future.

The research and algorithm were launched at Vitality's global conference with keynote speakers Professor Yuval Noah Harari and Discovery / Global Vitality CEO, Adrian Gore, to debate solutions for improving the future health of individuals and populations.

The research highlights an average 15% increase since 1990 in the number of years that people will spend in ill health over their lifetimes, from 8.5 years to 9.8 years, which equates to approximately 18% of the average lifespan. This outcome follows health strategies that prioritise treatment over prevention, and technologies that enable people to live longer with disease. Currently, the world spends $8.5 trillion or 10% of GDP on healthcare delivery with only 5% going towards prevention. Reducing the disease burden by just 10% through more preventive policies and behaviour change could prevent up to 93 million healthy years of life being lost globally each year.

The new algorithm, developed by Vitality in collaboration with RAND Europe, will provide individuals with a personalised view of their lifespan and healthspan, as well as bespoke recommendations for improving these measures, delivered in a way that best resonates with them. This world-first public calculator of individual healthspan - the Vitality Healthy Futures calculator - will be available to the public on: https://vitality.international/ from 12 October 2021 for a limited time.

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Ambitious science-based targets set with 3-step approach to immediately reduce carbon footprint, company to leverage carbon offsets, overhaul processes, and align with leading climate experts

Unity (NYSE: U), the world's leading platform for creating and operating real-time 3D (RT3D) content, today announced that it is achieving net zero carbon emissions now, starting with 2020 emissions, and every year thereafter. Employing a three-step approach, the company will immediately leverage carbon offsets to offset its 2020 emissions, redesign internal processes to lower emissions, and align with groups who are demanding better from the world in order to fight climate change, including signing on to the Science Based Targets initiative's (SBTi) Business Ambition for 1.5C.

According to the United Nations General Assembly, humans have fewer than 10 years left to prevent irreversible damage from climate change. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) recently released the first part of the Sixth Assessment Report, Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis, which reported that climate change is here and will continue to worsen until humanity reduces its greenhouse gas pollution to zero.

"The science is clear and the time is now," said Jessica Lindl, Vice President, Social Impact at Unity. "We know that this is just the beginning of a long, continuous effort to acknowledge and act upon the responsibility that we have as global citizens who share this planet. We recognize that Unity plays a critical role in a sustainable future not just through our own commitment, but with the unique ability to support our customers using Unity's technology to help decarbonize their businesses."

In 2021, Unity conducted its 2020 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions baseline inventory, made up of direct emissions, indirect emissions from purchased electricity, and indirect emissions from business travel, purchased goods and services, events, and more. This first annual data collection resulted in a reported 38,400 metric tonnes of carbon, which is the equivalent of 8,400 passenger vehicles being driven for one year.

Unity is approaching net zero emissions in three steps:

Offsetting: First, Unity will immediately begin neutralizing its greenhouse gas emissions through carbon offsets starting with its 2020 emissions calculation. Approximately half of a million dollars will be invested in high-quality offsets that provide co-benefits to the local communities.

First, Unity will immediately begin neutralizing its greenhouse gas emissions through carbon offsets with its 2020 emissions calculation. Approximately half of a million dollars will be invested in high-quality offsets that provide co-benefits to the local communities. Redesigning: Second, Unity plans to reduce its carbon footprint by sourcing renewable energy for its facilities and redesigning its procurement policy, ensuring that everything purchased is as sustainable as possible. Unity will continue to implement energy efficiency projects in our facilities and procure certified IT equipment where feasible.

Second, Unity plans to reduce its carbon footprint by sourcing renewable energy for its facilities and redesigning its procurement policy, ensuring that everything purchased is as sustainable as possible. Unity will continue to implement energy efficiency projects in our facilities and procure certified IT equipment where feasible. Aligning: Lastly, Unity is committed to funding, aligning, and partnering with groups who are demanding better from the world and setting new industry standards.

In addition to the efforts being announced today, Unity sees the transformational potential of real-time 3D to drive real-world carbon reductions at scale. For example, Zutari, a South African engineering consultancy, is using Unity to create innovative engineering solutions that deliver real impact and enable environments, communities, and economies across Africa to thrive; Ahi Ka Rangers is an ecological mobile game, using Unity to transform a generation who have lost their connection to the world around them into stewards of the planet; and Sitowise is using Unity to create virtual twins, ultimately making cities more sustainable, safe, and healthy living environments for people and businesses.

In the past year, Unity has provided support to creators who are building content to make the physical world a healthier, more sustainable place. In collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme and Project Drawdown, Unity created the Unity for Humanity Environment and Sustainability Grant, focused on empowering creators who are using Unity's real-time 3D technology to increase awareness and educate the world on the most critical sustainability issues. The winners of this grant were announced at today's Unity for Humanity Summit and include:

Powers of X: An immersive experience designed to raise awareness around humanity's impact on global climate change.

District 64: A virtual reality experience that shows the grave impacts of urban oil drilling on community health.

Origen: An immersive narrative experience, where users navigate through the sacred territory of the Amazon jungle, in a journey revealing what invisibly inhabits this native land and the crisis it currently faces.

Additionally, Unity is a member of the Playing for the Planet Alliance, a group of the largest companies in video games who are harnessing their collective power to take action on climate change. Unity was also a key partner to the United Nations for the 2021 Green Game Jam, which brought together 27 studios and platforms with a collective player base of more than 1 billion gamers, to create compelling content and actionable goals for game players around the world to have an impact on climate change.

Lastly, Unity has partnered with and funded universities and non-profit organizations whose work and research will drive real world change, including Western University, Project Drawdown, and Conservation International.

To learn more about today's commitment and Unity Social Impact's sustainability initiatives, please visit: https://unity.com/social-impact.

About Unity

Unity (NYSE: U) is the world's leading platform for creating and operating real-time 3D (RT3D) content. Creators, ranging from game developers to artists, architects, automotive designers, filmmakers, and others, use Unity to make their imaginations come to life. Unity's platform provides a comprehensive set of software solutions to create, run and monetize interactive, real-time 2D and 3D content for mobile phones, tablets, PCs, consoles, and augmented and virtual reality devices. The company's 1,800+ person research and development team keeps Unity at the forefront of development by working alongside partners to ensure optimized support for the latest releases and platforms. Apps developed by Unity creators have been downloaded more than five billion times per month in 2020. For more information, please visit www.unity.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211012005368/en/

Contacts:

Alivia Rasmussen

Unity Communications

alivia@unity3d.com

+1 (650) 218-1185
ICEYE becomes the first European New Space company to take part in the largest satellite Earth observation programme in the world

HELSINKI, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- ICEYE, the global leader in persistent monitoring of the Earth with radar satellite imaging, today announced the signature of an agreement to become a Contributing Mission to the Copernicus Programme, the largest satellite Earth observation programme in the world. Copernicus services will now receive access to ICEYE's synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) imagery that can be used to enhance public safety, border control, security and maritime domain awareness.

The Copernicus Contributing Mission Activity, as part of the Copernicus Programme, is managed by the European Space Agency (ESA) on-behalf of the European Commission. The activity aims to provide very high resolution optical and SAR commercial satellite imagery from mission partners for use by the six Copernicus services and mainly by the Land, Emergency, Security and Marine services. These services are the primary users while other users, such as public authorities in Europe, can also benefit from the data. The new partnership with ICEYE will be funded by the European Commission and operated by ESA.

As a Contributing Mission, ICEYE will provide imaging data to all of Copernicus services enhancing their assessment and planning capacities. The data can be used for monitoring land use, marine and international border surveillance as well as improving public security.

"We are particularly proud at ESA to work with ICEYE, which is one the few New Space companies that we have in Europe in the field of Earth Observation," says Toni Tolker-Nielsen, the acting Director of Earth Observation Programmes at the European Space Agency. "This is really exciting as it will help to complement the existing commercial Copernicus Contributing Mission data offer with further innovative SAR data from the ICEYE satellite constellation."

"ICEYE's mission is to help our customers make informed, data-driven decisions to address time-critical challenges," says Rafal Modrzewski, CEO and co-founder of ICEYE. "This programme is a phenomenal tool for data users and shows European collaboration at its best. Copernicus services, research projects funded by the European Commission and public authority organizations in Europe will now be able to access some of our imagery through the Copernicus Contributing Mission programme."

Unlike a traditional Earth imaging satellite, ICEYE's constellation of SAR satellites bounce a powerful radar beam off the surface of the earth from approximately 550 kilometers in space, thereby painting a picture of what is happening on the ground below. The technology can see through clouds, smoke and even image the ground at night. This provides customers with persistent coverage of fast breaking events on the ground in all weather conditions.

About ICEYE

ICEYE empowers commercial and government partners with unmatched persistent monitoring capabilities for any location on Earth. The company helps customers make informed, data-driven decisions to address time-critical challenges in various industries, to ensure infrastructure safety, and to protect the environment. ICEYE's radar satellite imaging service, designed to deliver very frequent coverage, both day and night, helps clients resolve challenges in sectors such as maritime, disaster management, insurance, and finance.

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WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Texas Governor Greg Abbott has issued an executive order banning any COVID-19 vaccine mandates in the state.



The executive order states that no entity in Texas can compel receipt of a COVID-19 vaccination by any individual, including an employee or consumer, who objects to such vaccination for any reason of personal conscience, based on a religious belief, or for medical reasons, including prior recovery from COVID-19.



The Republican Governor also called on both houses of the Texas legislature to pass a legislation expanding the ban on vaccine mandates in the current session.



The third special legislative session is running up to October 19.



Abbott sent a message to the the Chief Clerk of the House and Secretary of the Senate adding this issue as an item to the Third Special Session agenda. The executive order will be rescinded upon the passage of such legislation.



'The COVID-19 vaccine is safe, effective, and our best defense against the virus, but should remain voluntary and never forced,' Abbott said in a statement.



Abbot, who is a known critic of President Joe Biden's vaccine mandate, says no organization in the state, including private companies, can enforce vaccination on their employees or customers.



Abbot's move comes at a time the Biden administration is set to issue an emergency rule to require all employers with more than 100 employees under them, whether they work for the federal government or not, to ensure their workers are fully vaccinated or face testing at least once a week.



Speaking after meeting public and private sector leaders who have implemented vaccination requirements in Elk Grove Village, Illinois, last week, Biden said his latest campaign to fight the pandemic is already proving its worth.



More than 95 percent of students at colleges and universities across the country are vaccinated.



Biden said America's largest aerospace companies - Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, and Northrop Grumman - have all announced plans to implement vaccination requirements.



Increased vaccination coverage results in as many as 5 million American workers going back to work, according to Biden.



Biden said he tried everything in his power to get people vaccinated, but even after all those efforts, the country still had more than a quarter of people who were eligible for vaccinations but didn't get the shot.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

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Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 12, 2021) - Boosh Plant-Based Brands Inc. (CSE: VEGI) (OTCQB: VGGIF) (FSE: 77I) ("Boosh" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has executed a Share Purchase Agreement dated October 1st, 2021 to purchase all the shares of Pulse Kitchen Specialty Foods Ltd. ("Pulse Kitchen").

Pulse Kitchen products 100% plant-based gluten free cheese, made from nuts, seeds, pulses and other fine ingredients. Cheese flavors include Sharp Cashew Cheddar, Almond Chevre, Dill Havarti, Almond Swiss, Vegan Pepper Jack, Cashew Kind of Blue and Smoky Cashew Cheddar. Products are sold in approximately 250 grocery stores in Canada including Whole Foods, Healthy Planet, Nature's Fare, IGA, Fresh St Market, Choices, Urban Fare, and Nesters. The production facility is located in Penticton BC and was established in 2016.





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"I think joining the Boosh family is a perfect fit for us. They strive to differentiate themselves in the plant-based sector, as do we. Our emphasis at Pulse Kitchen is to create deliciously flavoured plant-based cheeses with a focus on high quality and texture allowing us to enhance our consistency relating to balancing the levels of acidity and quality, resulting in a unique set of characteristics in terms of flavour, taste and texture," states Chef Stephanos Liapis, owner and founder of Pulse Kitchen. "Our products certainly take center stage on any charcuterie board and are equally enjoyed while snacking or adding to other dishes."

"We are thrilled to welcome Stephanos, Brigitte and their team to Boosh. Not only are they amazing people, and produce amazing cheese, but their products pair beautifully with our line of Vege pate and dips from our recently acquired business, Salt Spring Harvest. Going forward Boosh will have an entire line of foods that pair naturally with wine, which happens to be a passion of mine. Having an earlier career in the food and beverage industry and owning a wine store and two wine bars, this is of special interest to me," stated founder and president, Connie Marples. She continues, "To top it off, Penticton is my hometown where I spent most of my childhood. Having a production facility where a piece of my heart is and the heart of the wine country adds to the cache of the Pulse Kitchen brand."

CEO Jim Pakulis states, "This is our third acquisition in less than nine months. As we continue to execute on our business plan including our four-prong revenue stream model; organic growth, acquisition, US expansion and E-commerce, we continue to be in discussions with other plant-based acquisition candidates who are looking for access to capital and a corporate infrastructure designed for growth."

The aggregate purchase price for Pulse Kitchen is $300,000 in cash and the issuance of 50,000 common shares, payable as follows. $100,000 payable on the closing date, minus $10,000 deposit, 50,000 common shares of Boosh issued on the Closing Date, $100,000 payable six months from the date of closing and $100,000 twelve months from closing date.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

James Pakulis

Chief Executive Officer

Telephone: (833) 882-6674

www.Booshfood.com

About Boosh Plant-Based Brands Inc.:

Boosh Plant-Based Brands Inc., through its wholly owned subsidiary, Boosh Food (www.booshfood.com), produces high quality, 100% plant-based gluten free, non-GMO nutritious comfort foods for the whole family. We offer six frozen meals, 3 refrigerated meals and a line of veggie pates and dips. All are sold throughout Canada with plans to start sales in the US late 2021. Boosh, good for you and good for planet earth.

The information in this news release includes certain information and statements about management's view of future events, expectations, plans and prospects that constitute forward-looking statements. These statements are based upon assumptions that are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Because of these risks and uncertainties and as a result of a variety of factors, the actual results, expectations, achievements or performance may differ materially from those anticipated and indicated by these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, the Company's proposed use of the proceeds of its initial public offering. Any number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements as well as future results. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurances that the expectations of any forward-looking statements will prove to be correct. Except as required by law, the Company disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions, changes in factors affecting such forward looking statements or otherwise.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/99034
Q3 2021 revenue up 21% (vs. Q3 2020) to 2.1 million

Buoyant growth of 49% to 1.8 million in Spine activity in Q3 2021 (vs. Q3 2020)

and +61% to 4.3 million over the first 9 months of 2021 (vs. the same period in 2020)

A webinar will be held at 6 pm CEST today, October 12, 2021:

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Oe6xOgujQbaeWbhPm-ISgw

Regulatory News:

IMPLANET (Euronext Growth: ALIMP, FR0013470168, eligible for PEA-PME equity savings plans) (Paris:ALIMP) a medical technology company specializing in vertebral and knee-surgery implants, today announces its revenue for the third quarter and first nine months of the year to September 30, 2021.

Ludovic Lastennet, IMPLANET's CEO, said: "These third-quarter results confirm our sales' growth momentum since the start of 2021, despite a health context and a shortage of hospital staff that are still hindering a return to normal levels of activity. While supporting this upturn by meeting surgeons' expectations, we are continuing to refocus our business on Spine, initiated with the acquisition of OSD in May. The project we recently announced to divest our Knee business will allow IMPLANET to establish itself as a benchmark player in spine surgery, both in France and abroad, while consolidating its current financial situation. Thanks to these additional resources, we will intensify and accelerate our commercial development, enhance our range of vertebral implants and continue to expand our certifications and accreditations over the coming months

In thousands IFRS1 2021 2020 Change % Total 1st quarter revenue 1,678 1,567 +7% Total 2nd quarter revenue 2,040 1,028 +98% 3rd quarter Spine 1,775 1,194 +49% Knee 336 555 -39% Total 3rd quarter revenue 2,112 1,749 +21% 9-month revenue Spine 4,352 2,704 +61% Knee 1,477 1,640 -10% Total 9-month revenue 5,830 4,344 +34%

Third quarter of 2021

IMPLANET's refocus on its Spine business and the integration of OSD since May 19, 2021 helped the Company generate Q3 Spine revenue growth of 49% compared with the same quarter of 2020.

In France, Spine activity doubled compared with the third quarter of 2020 (and the same quarter of 2019), with sales totaling 0.75 million. In the United States, the postponement of the quarterly order from the Company's partner, SeaSpine, and of numerous surgeries addressed directly negatively impacted activity over the period, with revenue falling 36% compared with the third quarter of 2020, to 0.41 million. In the rest of the world, revenue was multiplied by almost 3.5 compared with the same period of 2020 (+235%) and by over 2.5 compared with 2019 (+160%), to 0.62 million.

MADISONTM activity was down compared with the third quarter of 2020, at 0.34 million. This was primarily due to the public health situation and the postponement of this type of surgery because of human resources issues in healthcare facilities.

First nine months of 2021

In total, over the nine months to the end of September 2021, IMPLANET recorded revenue of 5.83 million2, up 34% compared with the first 9 months of 2020 and +5% compared with the same period of 2019.

Thanks to the acquisition of OSD in the first half of 2021, Spine activity generated a buoyant 61% increase in revenue compared with 2020, to 4.35 million. This activity was also up 22% compared with 2019.

2021 highlights to date

Agreement for the acquisition of OSD, which specializes in developing, manufacturing and marketing implants for spine surgery;

Clearance for the MADISON TM total knee prosthesis obtained from the TGA (Therapeutic Goods Administration) enabling the product to be marketed in Australia;

total knee prosthesis obtained from the TGA (Therapeutic Goods Administration) enabling the product to be marketed in Australia; Signing of a strategic partnership with ulrich medical for the distribution of JAZZ implants and the OSD cervical plate;

Exclusive distribution contract with GLOBUS MEDICAL to market the latter's Scoliosis Correction System to 15 French university centers specialized in pediatric spine surgery in order to increase our market share;

Planned divestment of the MADISONTM knee prosthesis business to refocus on becoming a benchmark player in Spine surgery.

A webinar will be held at 6 pm CEST today, October 12, 2021

The Company would like to inform its shareholders that a webinar will be held at 6 pm (Paris time) today.

During this web conference, Ludovic Lastennet, Chief Executive Officer, and David Dieumegard, Chief Financial Officer, will be at your disposal to discuss:

the improvement in 2021 half-year results;

- the revenue for the third quarter of 2021;

- the planned divestment of the MADISONTM knee prosthesis business;

- and the strategic axes of the development plan.

The webinar will be in French and will be followed by a Q&A session.

To follow this webinar, just log in via the following link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Oe6xOgujQbaeWbhPm-ISgw

Upcoming financial event:

2021 annual revenue, January 18, 2022 after market close*

* Date subject to modification

About IMPLANET

Founded in 2007, IMPLANET is a medical technology company that manufactures high-quality implants for orthopedic surgery. Its activity revolves around two product ranges, a comprehensive innovative solution for improving the treatment of spinal pathologies (JAZZ and OSD), as well as the MADISON implant for first-line prosthetic knee surgery. Implanet's tried-and-tested orthopedic platform is based on the traceability of its products. Protected by four families of international patents, JAZZ has obtained 510(k) regulatory clearance from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States, the CE mark in Europe and ANVISA approval in Brazil. IMPLANET employs 29 staff and recorded sales of 6.0 million in 2020. For further information, please visit www.implanet.com. Based near Bordeaux in France, IMPLANET opened a US subsidiary in Boston in 2013. In May 2021, IMPLANET acquired Orthopaedic Spine Development (OSD), which specializes in developing, manufacturing and marketing implants for spine surgery and offers a product range that complements the latest generation JAZZ implant (thoraco-lumbar screws, cages and cervical plates). IMPLANET is listed on the Euronext Growth market in Paris.

The Company would like to remind readers that the table for monitoring the equity line (OCA, BSA) and the number of shares outstanding is available on its website: http://www.implanet-invest.com/suivi-des-actions-80

1 Unaudited data

2 Since May 19, 2021, Spine activity includes revenue recorded by OSD, i.e. 1.17 million.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211012005793/en/

Contacts:

IMPLANET

Ludovic Lastennet, CEO

David Dieumegard, CFO

Tel.: +33 (0)5 57 99 55 55

investors@Implanet.com

NewCap

Investor Relations

Mathilde Bohin

Nicolas Fossiez

Tel.: +33 (0)1 44 71 94 94

implanet@newcap.eu

NewCap

Media Relations

Nicolas Merigeau

Tel.: +33 (0)1 44 71 94 94

implanet@newcap.eu
LONDON, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Award-winning UK technology start-up Aidrivers has received a visit from Uxbridge and South Ruislip MP and Prime Minister Boris Johnson at its headquarters in Uxbridge, London.

Aidrivers provides artificial intelligence-enabled solutions for retrofitting into new and existing vehicles including trucks and cranes so they can be operated autonomously in mixed traffic environments without any infrastructure upgrade. The company has offices in London, Singapore, India, China and Turkey, as well as joint ventures with vehicle and logistics organisations in Europe and Asia Pacific.

During the visit, Boris Johnson met Aidrivers' founder Dr Rafiq Swash and was shown how the technology works. The Prime Minister also tried the technology, operating simulated autonomous port vehicles using Aidrivers' digital twin.

Aidrivers helps fleet operators in industrial settings such as ports, airports, smart cities and warehouses to maximise their efficiency. It reduces waste by minimising idle-engine time, for example, and allows fleet operators to work 24/7 at optimum energy efficiency, enhancing the resilience of global supply chains. Aidrivers software is used in Singapore, China and Turkey, and the company is committed to providing autonomous mobility solutions that meet industry needs when it comes to sustainability, resilience and safety.

Founded in 2018, Aidrivers today employs 60 people, with the majority working from London. It expects to continue to grow rapidly in response to market need. Many brownfield port terminals, for example, are affected by a shortage of skilled labour and are looking to implement effective autonomous automation to continuously meet the requirements of global supply chains.

Dr Swash said: "We were honoured to receive a visit today from our Prime Minister Boris Johnson and it was a pleasure to show him our cutting-edge technology, which is being used in demanding industrial applications around the world to help make supply chains more resilient and sustainable. His visit recognises the positive impact Aidrivers is having in terms of creating jobs for the new economy, meeting the need of fleet operators to reduce harmful emissions, and helping society and industry become sustainable."

About Aidrivers

Aidrivers is a UK-based award-winning technology company focused on the autonomous vehicle sector. It supplies software for retrofitting into existing vehicles operating in a variety of demanding environments including ports, airports, smart cities and warehouses without the need for infrastructure change. It is involved in a number of joint ventures and collaborations, including with Turkey's Largo Robotics, a manufacturer of tow-trucks and indoor robots, Singapore's B-Robotics, which makes lightweight and micro robots, and with German sensor producer SICK. In 2018, it signed a proof-of-concept project with PSA Singapore, the world's largest trans-shipment container hub, to retrofit two diesel trucks to convert them to fully autonomous vehicles. Aidrivers employs 60 people worldwide, with offices in London, Singapore, India, China and Turkey.

For more information please contact:

Sadaf Ghani

sadaf@aidrivers.ai

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Paris, October 12, 2021



LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton, the world's leading luxury products group, recorded revenue of 44.2 billion euros in the first nine months of 2021, up 46% compared to 2020. Organic revenue growth over the period was 40% compared to 2020. Compared to 2019, organic growth over the first nine months of 2021 was 11%, with trends in the third quarter (+ 11%) comparable to those of the first half, both by activity and by region. The Fashion & Leather Goods business group, which reached record levels over the period, recorded organic growth of 38% compared to the third quarter of 2019, identical to that recorded over the first six months of the year. The United States and Asia continued to see double-digit growth.

Revenue by business group:

Euro millions 9 months 2020 9 months 2021 Change

2021/2020

First 9 months

Published Organic* Change 2021/2019

First 9 months

Organic Wines & Spirits 3 349 4 251 + 27 % + 30 % + 10 % Fashion & Leather Goods 13 934 21 315 + 53 % + 57 % + 38 % Perfumes & Cosmetics 3 674 4 668 + 27 % + 30 % - 2 % Watches & Jewelry 2 266 6 160 x 2.7 + 49 % + 4 % Selective Retailing 7 176 7 795 + 9 % + 13 % - 23 % Other activities and eliminations (51) (12) - - - Total LVMH 30 348 44 177 + 46% + 40% + 11%

* with comparable structure and exchange rates. The structural impact for the Group compared to the first nine months of 2020 was +10%, largely linked to the consolidation for the first time of Tiffany & Co. The currency effect was -4%.

The Wines&Spirits business group recorded organic revenue growth of 30% in the first nine months of 2021 compared to the same period of 2020 and 10% compared to 2019. Champagne volumes were up 7% compared to the first nine months of 2019. Growth was particularly strong in the United States and Europe, which notably benefited over the summer from the reopening of restaurants and the gradual recovery of tourism. Hennessy cognac performed well with a 4% increase in volumes compared to 2019 while being limited by supply constraints. China and the United States experienced a strong rebound. The third quarter marked the integration for the first time of the prestigious Champagne Maison Armand de Brignac, in which LVMH has taken a 50% stake.

The Fashion & Leather Goods business group recorded organic revenue growth of 57% in the first nine months of 2021 compared to the same period of 2020 and 38% compared to 2019. Growth in the third quarter of 2021 remained exceptional compared to the third quarter of 2020, which marked a return to growth after a declining first half of 2020. Louis Vuitton, which is celebrating the 200th anniversary of the birth of its founder, performed remarkably well, driven by constant innovation and by the quality of its products. Christian Dior showed exceptional momentum. The latest fashion shows in Athens and Paris, highlighting the inspiring collections of Maria Grazia Chiuri, received an outstanding reception. Following its enormous success in Paris, London and Shanghai, the Christian Dior, Designer of Dreams exhibition opened in New York. At Fendi, Kim Jones' first collection was successfully rolled out in stores. Celine enjoyed strong growth in its ready-to-wear and leather goods lines created by Hedi Slimane. Loewe and Marc Jacobs also performed very well.

The Perfumes & Cosmetics business group recorded organic revenue growth of 30% over the first nine months of 2021 compared to the same period of 2020. On an organic basis, revenue was down 2% compared to the first nine months of 2019. In an environment marked by a limited recovery in international travel and the closure of many points of sale, the major brands continued to be selective in their distribution, limit promotions and grow online sales via their own websites. Christian Dior benefitted from the huge success of the new Miss Dior Eau de Parfum and Sauvage Elixir. The continued growth of the Collection Privee, as well as the Prestige and Capture Totale skincare lines also contributed to the rapid progress of the Maison. Guerlain enjoyed an excellent performance, driven by its Abeille Royale and OrchideeImperiale skincare lines. Maison Francis Kurkdjian benefitted from the successful launch of the Aqua Cologne Forte trio and the continued success of Rouge 540.

The Watches & Jewelry business group recorded organic revenue growth of 49% in the first nine months of 2021 compared to the same period of 2020 and 4% compared to 2019 (excluding Tiffany, which was consolidated for the first time in 2021). Driven by the growing success of its iconic products, Tiffany enjoyed a remarkable performance, particularly in its major market, the United States. Bvlgari rolled out its new line of High Jewelry, Magnifica, and celebrated its Serpenti creations at the Metamorphosis exhibition in Milan. Chaumet, the first jeweler to have invested in 1812 on the legendary Place Vendome in Paris, launched a new High Jewelry collection, Torsade, inspired by the movement of the frieze adorning the column of the Place. In watchmaking, TAG Heuer successfully launched a limited Super Mario edition of its smart watch for gaming enthusiasts.

In SelectiveRetailing, organic revenue was up 13% compared to the first nine months of 2020 and down 23% compared to the same period of 2019. Sephora returned to its 2019 level of activity despite the tough commercial environment, marked by the closure of several stores during part of the year. Online revenue showed strong growth throughout the world. In addition to its own stores, Sephora expanded its distribution in the United States with its first Beauty spaces within Kohl's department stores. After signing a partnership with the European online platform Zalando, Sephora acquired the British online distributor Feelunique, which specializes in prestige beauty. The expansion of its network continued in Asia, particularly in China. DFS remained heavily constrained by the very limited recovery in international travel to most destinations. La Samaritaine, which reopened in June following an ambitious renovation, is enjoying a promising start.

OUTLOOK

Within the context of a gradual exit from the health crisis, the Group is confident in the continuation of the current growth; it will maintain a strategy focused on continuously strengthening the desirability of its brands, by relying on the authenticity and quality of its products, the excellence of their distribution and the reactivity of its organization.

LVMH is counting on the dynamic nature of its brands and the talent of its teams to further strengthen its global leadership position in luxury goods once again in 2021.

Apart from the items mentioned in thispressrelease, there were no events or changes during the quarter and as of today's date that couldsignificantly affect the Group's financial structure.

Regulated information related to this press release and presentation are available on www.lvmh.com.



ANNEX

LVMH - Revenue by business group and by quarter

2021Revenue (Euro millions) 2021



Wines & Spirits Fashion & Leather Goods Perfumes & Cosmetics Watches & Jewelry Selective Retailing Other activities and eliminations Total



First quarter 1 510 6 738 1 550 1 883 2 337 (59) 13 959 Second quarter 1 195 7 125 1 475 2 140 2 748 23 14 706 First half 2 705 13 863 3 025 4 023 5 085 (36) 28 665 Third quarter 1 546 7 452 1 642 2 137 2 710 25 15 512 First nine months 4 251 21 315 4 668 6 160 7 795 (12) 44 177 2021Revenue (organic growth compared to the same period of 2020) 2021



Wines & Spirits Fashion & Leather Goods Perfumes & Cosmetics Watches & Jewelry Selective Retailing Other activities and eliminations Total



First quarter + 36 % + 52 % + 18 % + 35 % - 5 % - + 30 % Second quarter + 55 % x 2.2 + 67 % x 2.2 + 31 % - + 84 % First half + 44 % + 81 % + 37 % + 71 % + 12 % - + 53 % Third quarter + 10 % + 24 % + 19 % + 18 % + 15 % - + 20 % First nine months + 30 % + 57 % + 30 % + 49 % + 13 % - +40 % 2021Revenue (organic growth compared to the same period of 2019) 2021



Wines & Spirits Fashion & Leather Goods Perfumes & Cosmetics Watches & Jewelry Selective Retailing Other activities and eliminations Total



First quarter + 17 % + 37 % - 4 % + 1 % - 30 % - + 8 % Second quarter + 7 % + 40 % - 1 % + 9 % - 19 % - + 14 % First half + 12 % + 38 % - 3 % + 5 % - 25 % - + 11 % Third quarter + 7 % + 38 % 0 % + 1 % - 19 % - + 11 % First nine months + 10% + 38% - 2 % + 4 % - 23% - + 11 % 2020 Revenue (Euro millions) 2020



Wines & Spirits Fashion & Leather Goods Perfumes & Cosmetics Watches & Jewelry Selective Retailing Other activities and eliminations Total



First quarter 1 175 4 643 1 382 792 2 626 (22) 10 596 Second quarter 810 3 346 922 527 2 218 (26) 7 797 First half 1 985 7 989 2 304 1 319 4 844 (48) 18 393 Third quarter 1 364 5 945 1 370 947 2 332 (3) 11 955 First nine months 3 349 13 934 3 674 2 266 7 176 (51) 30 348

2019 Revenue (Euro millions) 2019



Wines & Spirits Fashion & Leather Goods Perfumes & Cosmetics Watches & Jewelry Selective Retailing Other activities and eliminations Total



First quarter 1 349 5 111 1 687 1 046 3 510 (165) 12 538 Second quarter 1 137 5 314 1 549 1 089 3 588 (133) 12 544 First half 2 486 10 425 3 236 2 135 7 098 (298) 25 082 Third quarter 1 433 5 448 1 676 1 126 3 457 176* 13 316 First nine months 3 919 15 873 4 912 3 261 10 555 (122) 38 398

* Includes all Belmond revenue for the period from April to September 2019.

LVMH

LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton is represented in Wines and Spirits by a portfolio of brands that includes Moet & Chandon, Dom Perignon, Veuve ClicquotPonsardin, Krug, Ruinart, Mercier, Chateau d'Yquem, Domaine du Clos des Lambrays, Chateau Cheval Blanc, Colgin Cellars, Hennessy, Glenmorangie, Ardbeg, Belvedere, Woodinville, Volcan de Mi Tierra, Chandon, Cloudy Bay, Terrazas de los Andes, Cheval des Andes, Cape Mentelle, Newton, Bodega Numanthia, Ao Yun, Chateau d'Esclans and Chateau du Galoupet. Its Fashion and Leather Goods division includes Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior Couture, Celine, Loewe, Kenzo, Givenchy, Fendi, Emilio Pucci, Marc Jacobs, Berluti, Loro Piana, RIMOWA, Patou. LVMH is present in the Perfumes and Cosmetics sector with Parfums Christian Dior, Guerlain, Parfums Givenchy, Kenzo Parfums, Perfumes Loewe, Benefit Cosmetics, Make Up For Ever, Acqua di Parma, Fresh, Fenty Beauty by Rihanna and Maison Francis Kurkdjian. LVMH's Watches and Jewelry division comprises Bvlgari,Tiffany & Co, TAG Heuer, Chaumet, Dior Watches, Zenith, Fred and Hublot. LVMH is also active in selective retailing as well as in other activities through DFS, Sephora, Le Bon Marche, La Samaritaine, Groupe Les Echos, Cova, Le Jardin d'Acclimatation, Royal Van Lent, Belmond and Cheval Blanc hotels.

"This document may contain certain forward looking statements which are based on estimations and forecasts. By their nature, these forward looking statements are subject to important risks and uncertainties and factors beyond our control or ability to predict, in particular those described in LVMH's Universal Registration Document which is available on the website). These forward looking statements should not be considered as a guarantee of future performance, the actual results could differ materially from those expressed or implied by them. The forward looking statements only reflect LVMH's views as of the date of this document, and LVMH does not undertake to revise or update these forward looking statements. The forward looking statements should be used with caution and circumspection and in no event can LVMH and its Management be held responsible for any investment or other decision based upon such statements. The information in this document does not constitute an offer to sell or an invitation to buy shares in LVMH or an invitation or inducement to engage in any other investment activities."

LVMH CONTACTS

Analysts and investors

Chris Hollis

LVMH

+ 33 1 44 13 21 22 Media

Jean-Charles Trehan

LVMH

+ 33 1 44 13 26 20



MEDIA CONTACTS France

Aymeric Granet

Brune Diricq / Charlotte Marine

Publicis Consultants

+ 33 1 44 82 47 20 France

Michel Calzaroni / Olivier Labesse /

Hugues Schmitt / Thomas Roborel de Climens

DGM Conseil

+ 33 1 40 70 11 89 Italy

Michele Calcaterra, Matteo Steinbach

SEC and Partners

+ 39 02 6249991 UK

Hugh Morrison, Charlotte McMullen

Montfort Communications

+ 44 7921 881 800 US

Nik Deogun / Blake Sonnenshein

Brunswick Group

+ 1 212 333 3810



China

Daniel Jeffreys

Deluxewords

+ 44 772 212 6562

+ 86 21 80 36 04 48

Attachment
CHICAGO, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In-depth analysis and data-driven insights on the impact of COVID-19 included in this China crane market report.

The China crane market is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 3.21% during the period 2021-2027.

Key Highlights Offered in the Report:

The China crane market size by revenue is expected to reach USD 245 billion by 2027.

by 2027. With a population of over 1.4 billion people, and direct access to more than 5 billion consumers in the APAC Market, China is the 2nd largest economy in the world.

As China's economy has matured, its real GDP growth has slowed significantly, from 13.0% in 2018 to 2.8% in 2020. To aid economic recovery, the central government plans to invest in the transportation sector and other infrastructure projects such as 300 urban projects in Beijing , with a total investment of USD 35.9 billion .

, with a total investment of . Inflows of foreign direct investment into China grew by 6% in 2020, to USD 149 billion , up USD 141 billion in 2019 as foreign multinationals are doubling down on their investments in China .

, up in 2019 as foreign multinationals are doubling down on their investments in . In 2019, China was the top crane exporter, accounting for 22.3% ( USD 3.18 billion ) of total crane exports.

) of total crane exports. Government's stronger emission control policy and shift to prefabricated construction are likely to drive the crane market in the forecast period.

By switching to intelligent systems driven by IoT and data analysis for service, networking and sustainability, the crane market is transitioning to a more innovative industry providing significant growth opportunities for OEMs in the market.

The China crane market is highly competitive characterized by the presence of several OEMs including Tadano, Manitex International, Manitowoc, SANY Group, Kobelco Construction Machinery, Konecranes, Liebherr Group, Terex Corporation, Zoomlion Heavy Industry Science & Technology and XCMG Group and others.

Key Offerings:

Market Size & Forecast by Volume | 2021-2027

Market Size & Forecast by Revenue | 2021-2027

Market Dynamics - Leading trends, growth drivers, restraints, and investment opportunities

Market Segmentation - A detailed analysis by crane type, application, and gross power output

Competitive Landscape - 10 key vendors and 5 other vendors

Get your sample today! https://www.arizton.com/market-reports/china-crane-market-opportunities-assessment-forecast

China Crane Market - Segmentation

The China mobile crane market segment accounted for 40% of the overall crane market in 2020. The demand for mobile cranes is largely driven to address high end works for urban and infrastructure development. Their ability to navigate around job sites and carry large amounts of weight makes mobile cranes a very popular addition to many projects.

The crane market in China by cargo transport/port is expected to reach 8,250 units by 2027. The segment accounted for 4.3% of the overall crane market in 2020. Floating cranes are mainly used in bridge buildings and port construction, but they are also used for occasional loading and unloading of heavy loads on and off ships.

by cargo transport/port is expected to reach 8,250 units by 2027. The segment accounted for 4.3% of the overall crane market in 2020. Floating cranes are mainly used in bridge buildings and port construction, but they are also used for occasional loading and unloading of heavy loads on and off ships. The less than 20 tons crane lifting capacity market in China is expected to reach 91,987 units by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 3.21% during the forecast period. These cranes are largely used for landscaping, excavating, demolishing, disaster management, and material handling in cities and farms.

China Crane Market by Crane Type

Mobile Crane

Crawler Cranes



Rough Terrain Cranes



All Terrain Cranes



Truck Mounted Cranes



Others

Fixed Cranes

Overhead Cranes



Tower Cranes

China Crane Market by Application

Construction

Mining

Transport/Port

Manufacturing

Others

China Crane Market by Gross Power

Less than 20 Tons

20-100 Tons

101-200 Tons

Greater than 200 Tons

China Crane Market - Dynamics

The strict environmental policies of local governments will continue to push the demand for truck crane replacements. Some projects have prohibited the use of NES II and III in construction activities. Most old fleets, which were acquired in 2009-10 when the market was at its previous peak, are coming toward the end of their service lives. The current market growth is fueled by rising demand and tougher environmental restrictions. Emission restrictions are expected to push replacement demand to 60% of overall sales. The National Emission Standard (NES) IV for construction machinery was adopted in July 2020, and this prompted a surge in demand for new equipment. In the case of Heat Distortion Temperature (HDT), NES VI (a) was introduced in July 2021. However, we believe that local governments can prepare ahead of time. Furthermore, some municipal governments have set a deadline for outdated models to be phased out. During the forecast period, our industry model predicts that replacement will account for more than 60% of demand. The changes in vehicle diesel fuel regulations are more severe than those for regular diesel, which is used by non-road construction machines, thus truck cranes might benefit the most from diesel emission enhancements.

Key Drivers and Trends fueling Market Growth:

The shift to prefabricated construction is driving demand for high-performance cranes

Increasing infrastructure development and favorable government policies

The restructuring of the power industry has resulted in the growing number of applications for heavy cranes.

Continuous innovation and new technology are fueling the crane market.

Get your sample today! https://www.arizton.com/market-reports/china-crane-market-opportunities-assessment-forecast

Why Should You Buy This Report?

This report is among the few in the market that offers outlook and opportunity analysis forecast in terms of:

Volume (Unit sales)

Crane Type



Application



Gross Power

Value (USD)

Crane Type



Application



Gross Power

Gain competitive intelligence about the economic scenario, advantages in China major projects and investments, market dynamics, market share

major projects and investments, market dynamics, market share Examples of latest technologies

Get presentation-ready format and easy-to-interpret data

Enable decision-makers to make informed and profitable choices

Gain expert quantitative and qualitative analysis on value/volume growth projections of the China crane market share

Complete supply chain analysis

Get COVID-19 impact analysis of the market

Major Vendors

XCMG Group

SANY Group

Zoomlion

Manitex

Tadano

Manitowoc

Kobelco Construction Machinery

Konecranes

Liebherr

Terex Corporation

Other Prominent Vendors

Link-Belt Cranes

Kato Works Co. Ltd.

American Crane & Equipment Corp. (ACE)

China Communications Construction

FUWA Heavy Industry Machinery

Explore our industrial machinery profile to know more about the industry.

Read some of the top-selling reports:

France Crane Market - Strategic Assessment & Forecast 2021-2027

- Strategic Assessment & Forecast 2021-2027 Japan Crane Market - Strategic Assessment & Forecast 2021-2027

India Crawler Excavator Market - Strategic Assessment & Forecast 2021-2027

Japan Crawler Excavator Market - Strategic Assessment & Forecast 2021-2027

About Arizton:

Arizton Advisory and Intelligence is an innovation and quality-driven firm, which offers cutting-edge research solutions to clients across the world. We excel in providing comprehensive market intelligence reports and advisory and consulting services.

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.

Arizton comprises a team of exuberant and well-experienced analysts who have mastered in generating incisive reports. Our specialist analysts possess exemplary skills in market research. We train our team in advanced research practices, techniques, and ethics to outperform in fabricating impregnable research reports.

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HELSINKI, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The sustainable textile material company Spinnova and VF brand Icebreaker proudly announce they are developing circular midlayer products with next-generation blends of merino wool and the highly sustainable SPINNOVA fibre that can be recycled again and again.

The Icebreaker and Spinnova journey originates from a shared vision of believing that nature has the solutions: Icebreaker was founded to provide nature-based alternatives for synthetics, while Spinnova's technology is inspired by nature; how spiders weave their web.

Spinnova and Icebreaker have begun their joint sustainability journey by entering a product development agreement on SPINNOVA-merino wool midlayer materials that will have a minimal environmental footprint and high performance. The blend Spinnova and Icebreaker are now piloting for midlayer products is sustainable and comfortable, and also fully circular. After consumer use, the developed yarn is intended to be separated and reused, with the ambition to get one step closer to circularity and lowering the products' impact on the environment.

Icebreaker is an industry sustainability pioneer with ambitious sustainability goals including abandoning the use of plastic fibres by 2023. In 2020, already 91% of Icebreaker's materials were merino or plant-based. This partnership is a great match between Icebreaker's high sustainability standards and Spinnova's innovation that aims to transform the way textiles are made globally.

"Nature is our hero, and our source of inspiration - we were excited to learn about Spinnova's approach to fibre spinning that mimics nature's own processes. In addition to thisshared source of inspiration, the potential to recycle SPINNOVA into a new fibre again and again makes this disruptively circular. This partnership enables our strategy in developing circular business models and drive forward sustainable design," says Alistair Smith, Director of Global Product Design at icebreaker.

The sustainable and fully circular SPINNOVA fibre is made without harmful chemicals. SPINNOVA fibre uses 99.5% less water and produces nearly 64.5% less CO2 emissions than cotton production cradle to gate. Thanks to the mechanical process Spinnova uses to harness its raw material, wood pulp, the fibres can simply be remade mechanically, again without harmful chemicals or quality loss. SPINNOVA fibre also has strong insulation properties, and will be a great companion for merino wool.

As Spinnova's wood-based fibre is produced in a simple and clean process without chemical dissolving unlike man-made cellulosic fibres, SPINNOVA fibre is defined as one of the few representatives of a new "Other plant-based fibres" class according to the Textile Exchange's Preferred Fibres and Materials Report 2020.

"We're very proud of this collaboration, and excited to keep experimenting how SPINNOVA can fight climate change as both a sustainable new material and a disruptively circular new material that can be remade over and over again," comments Spinnova's CEO and co-founder

Janne Poranen

.

The partners in this collaboration are developing a completely novel material that has not been seen before. This bold and adventurous collaboration demonstrates how Icebreaker is in the frontline of sustainable development and part of a wider movement of textile industry players developing new circular and sustainable alternatives. For instance, Spinnova recently announced partnering with The North Face, which is also a VF Corporation company like Icebreaker.

Spinnova is building its first commercial factory in Finland to meet the growing demand for sustainable materials from global textile brands. The factory producing SPINNOVA fibre is expected to be completed at the end of 2022, for the joint venture that Spinnova has with its strategic partner Suzano, the world's largest cellulose producer. Spinnova's long term business targets include reaching one million tonnes of annual SPINNOVA fibre production capacity in the next 10-12 years.

Janne Poranen

CEO & Co-founder

Spinnova

janne.poranen@spinnova.com

+358 400 138 711

For Spinnova brand and media inquiries, please contact comms@spinnova.com.

For icebreaker brand and media inquiries, please contact icebreaker@imre.com or briar@imre.com.

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/spinnova/r/icebreaker--and-spinnova-develop-circular-spinnova-merino-wool-products,c3430899

The following files are available for download:
Finsbury Growth & Income Trust Plc - Transaction in Own Shares

For immediate release

12 October 2021

FINSBURY GROWTH & INCOME TRUST PLC

(the "Company")

MARKET PURCHASE OF COMPANY'S OWN SHARES

The Company announces that it has today purchased 50,000 of its own shares ("Ordinary Shares") at a price of 866.33p per Ordinary Share. Such shares will be held in treasury by the Company.

The transaction was made pursuant to the authority granted at the Annual General Meeting of the Company held on 17 February 2021.

Following this transaction, the total number of Ordinary Shares held by the Company in treasury is 100,000; the total number of Ordinary Shares that the Company has in issue, less the total number of Ordinary Shares held by the Company in treasury following such purchase, and therefore, the total number of voting rights in the Company is 224,891,303.

The figure of 224,891,303 may be used by shareholders as the denominator for calculations of interests in the Company's voting rights in accordance with the FCA's Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules.

For and on behalf of

Frostrow Capital LLP

Company Secretary

For further information, please contact:

Victoria Hale

Frostrow Capital LLP

Tel: 020 3 170 8732
Article L. 238-8-II of the French commercial Code and article 223-16 of the AMF (French Financial Markets Authority) general regulation

Regulatory News:

Corporate name of the issuer:

Veolia Environnement (Paris:VIE)

21 rue La Boetie

75008 PARIS

FRANCE

(ISIN code: FR0000124141-VIE)

Information closing

date Total number of

shares forming the

share capital Total number of voting rights October 8, 2021 (1) 689,979,985 Total number of theoretical voting rights (2): 728,809,751 Total number of voting rights that may be exercised (3): 716,436,879

Inclusion in the Veolia Environnement Articles of Association of a clause requiring a reporting obligation of the declaration of crossing a shareholding threshold, complementary to the one relating to the thresholds provided by the French law and the regulations in force (article 8).

(1) On October 8, 2021, completion of a share capital increase with shareholders' preferential subscription rights allowed

Veolia Environnement to bring its share capital from 2,897,915,945 to 3,449,899,925.

(2) Number of theoretical voting rights after taking into account the number of shares with double voting rights as of October 8, 2021 (38,829,766 shares) and the number of treasury shares held as of October 8, 2021 (12,372,872 shares).

(3) Number of voting rights that may be exercised number of theoretical voting rights (or total number of voting rights attached to shares) shares without voting rights (number of treasury shares held as of October 8, 2021).

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211012005978/en/

Contacts:

Veolia Environnement
HAMBURG, Germany, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Volocopter's electric heavy-lift drone VoloDrone conducted its first public flight today at ITS World Congress 2021. Together with the international logistics leader DB Schenker, Volocopter, the pioneer of urban air mobility (UAM), demonstrated VoloDrone's seamless integration into the logistics supply chain with an end-to-end cargo transport demonstration. The partners showed their significant progress together since DB Schenker became a strategic investor of Volocopter in early 2020.

The 3-minute test flight took off at 3:02 p.m at homePORT Hamburg and reached a maximum altitude of 22 meters. For this delivery simulation, the electric heavy-lift utility drone was equipped with a load-box in between its landing gear. First, the demonstration teams secured a Euro-pallet sized load to the box under the VoloDrone, followed by a smooth take-off. After this, the aircraft brought the payload to a DB Schenker Cargo Bike and landed safely. Once the payload was transferred successfully, the Cargo Bike delivered its cargo to the final destination under the area's park deck, marking the completion of the entirely electric, multimodal last-mile delivery.

"This first public VoloDrone flight is a strong sign for Volocopter's leading position in the UAM industry. We are the only UAM company offering solutions for passengers and goods that are flying fully scaled and publicly around the world," says Florian Reuter, Volocopter CEO. "Our VoloDrone will make existing logistics processes more robust, efficient, and sustainable. DB Schenker is an invaluable partner in our endeavor to untap the massive potential of our VoloDrone's logistics use cases."

Erik Wirsing, Vice President Global Innovation at DB Schenker, comments, "With the VoloDrone flight today, we were able to publicly demonstrate our successful collaboration and the impressive progress on DB Schenker's innovation and sustainability roadmap for cleaner logistics. Volocopter has proven again that they are the ideal partner for DB Schenker's ambition to rethink global supply chains and bring transport logistics to the next dimension for our customers while saving emissions."

The demonstration in Hamburg builds upon the foundations of the static proof of concept (PoC) the partners conducted in July this year in Stuttgart. It laid out a blueprint of how to implement VoloDrone operations in logistics facilities globally.

The VoloDrone is an uncrewed, fully electric utility drone designed to carry any of the six International Organization for Standardization (ISO) pallet sizes, weighing up to 200 kilograms, over a 40-kilometer range. As one member of Volocopter's robust UAM aircraft portfolio for transporting passengers (VoloCity and VoloConnect) and goods in cities, the VoloDrone is positioned to be deployed where conventional transport options reach their limits. In addition to developing the aircraft, Volocopter is organizing the physical (VoloPorts) and digital (VoloIQ) infrastructure to support these services, which are set to launch in the next 2-3 years. VoloIQ serves as the digital backbone for operations.

The VoloDrone's first flight took place in 2019. Since then, regular flight tests have been conducted at various airfields in Germany. The drone itself is 9.15 meters in diameter, 2.15 meters tall, and has a 600-kilogram maximum take-off weight (MTOW). Future VoloDrone operations will be fully electric with autonomous beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) capabilities.

About Volocopter

Volocopter is building the world's first sustainable and scalable urban air mobility business to bring affordable air taxi services for goods and people to megacities worldwide. Volocopter leads and cooperates with partners in infrastructure, operations, and air traffic management to build the ecosystem necessary to "Bring Urban Air Mobility to Life." Volocopter has 400 employees in offices in Bruchsal, Munich, and Singapore. The company has raised a total of 322 million in equity form investors including Daimler, Geely, DB Schenker, BlackRock, and Intel Capital amongst others. www.volocopter.com

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Former SVP of engineering for Medallia joins Matillion's executive leadership team

DENVER and MANCHESTER, England, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Matillion , the leading enterprise cloud data integration platform, today announced Naggi Asmar as its first Chief Engineering Officer. In this role, Naggi will lead and scale Matillion's engineering team as the company enters its next phase of growth.

Asmar is a Silicon Valley engineering leader with more than 25 years of experience leading development organizations across companies of all sizes. He has spent the majority of his career building and scaling global engineering teams and delivering for enterprise customers, most recently as senior vice president of engineering at Medallia where he scaled the engineering team by 10 times its size and helped lead that global team as the company went public.

"The software we build has always been at the heart of Matillion's business. The energy and intellect of the engineering team has built this software, and Naggi is going to play a vital role in leading the team as they further innovate," said Matillion CEO Matthew Scullion. "Naggi brings with him the experience and playbook most appropriate for the next stage of our journey, and we're thrilled to have him on board."

Prior to Medallia, Asmar spent a decade at Oracle as vice president of engineering for Oracle Fusion Middleware. There, he oversaw a team of more than 1,000 engineers that were responsible for all central development and engineering across Oracle's middleware stack. Asmar has also held senior roles at Plumtree, Narus and PowerTV.

"Engineering for the enterprise market requires dedication and customer obsession. I see those values front and center with the team at Matillion," said Asmar. "Joining at a time of such rapid growth and success is especially exciting, and I'm looking forward to leading the engineering team as we continue our mission to help make the world's data useful with a leading enterprise platform."

Asmar is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley with a bachelor's degree in Physics and Mathematics, and went on to receive a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of California, Santa Barbara. To learn more about Matillion and its executive team, visit https://www.matillion.com/about/leadership/ .

About Matillion

Matillion makes the world's data useful with an easy-to-use, cloud-native data integration and transformation platform. Optimized for modern enterprise data teams, only Matillion is built on native integrations to cloud data platforms such as Snowflake, Delta Lake on Databricks, Amazon Redshift, Google BigQuery, and Microsoft Azure Synapse to enable new levels of efficiency and productivity across any organization. Learn how Matillion delivers rapid returns on cloud investments for global enterprise customers at www.matillion.com.

Media Contact:

Inkhouse Team

matillion@inkhouse.com

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Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - October 12, 2021) - County Capital 2 Ltd. (TSXV: CTWO.P) ("CC2" or the "Corporation"), further to its press release dated October 5, 2021, is pleased to provide further details of its proposed qualifying transaction (the "Proposed Transaction") with Givex Corporation ("Givex"). The Transaction, once complete, is expected to result in the reverse takeover of CC2 (the "Resulting Issuer") and will constitute CC2's Qualifying Transaction, as such term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange.

SUBSCRIPTION RECEIPT FINANCING

In connection with the Proposed Transaction, Givex is pleased to announce that it has entered into an engagement agreement with Research Capital Corporation to act as lead agent and sole book runner (the "Lead Agent"), on behalf of a syndicate of agents, including Canaccord Genuity Corp. and Paradigm Capital Inc. (together with the Lead Agent, the "Agents"), in connection with a private placement offering (the "Offering"), on a commercially reasonable "best efforts" basis, for minimum gross proceeds of $10,000,000 in subscription receipts of Givex (each, a "Subscription Receipt" and collectively, the "Subscription Receipts") at a price per Subscription Receipt to be determined in the context of the market (the "Offering Price").

Immediately prior to the closing of the Proposed Transaction (the "RTO Closing"), and provided the Escrow Release Conditions (defined below) are satisfied or waived (to the extent waiver is permitted), each one Subscription Receipt shall be exchanged automatically, for no additional consideration and with no further action on the part of the holder thereof, into one unit of Givex (a "Unit").

Each Unit will consist of one common share of Givex (each an "Underlying Share") and one-half of one common share purchase warrant (each whole warrant, an "Underlying Warrant"). Each Underlying Warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one common share of Givex (a "Warrant Share", and together with the Underlying Shares and the Underlying Warrants, the "Underlying Securities") at an exercise price per Warrant Share to be determined in the context of the market until the date that is 24 months following the date of the RTO Closing (the "RTO Closing Date").

In connection with the Proposed Transaction, it is intended that, among other things: (i) the Subscription Receipts will be converted into Underlying Shares and Underlying Warrants; (ii) all of the outstanding common shares of Givex (including the Underlying Shares) (each an "Givex Share") will be exchanged for common shares of the Resulting Issuer (the "Resulting Issuer Shares") on a basis of one Resulting Issuer Share for each one Givex Share (the "Exchange Ratio"); (iii) the Underlying Warrants and the Compensation Options (defined below) will be exchanged for warrants and options, respectively, of the Resulting Issuer with the number and the exercise price adjusted based on the Exchange Ratio; and (iv) CC2 will change its name to "Givex Corporation."

The Agents will be granted an option (the "Over-Allotment Option") to offer for sale up to an additional 15% of the number of Subscription Receipts sold in the Offering at the Offering Price, which Over-Allotment Option shall be exercisable, in whole or in part, at any time up to 48 hours prior to the closing of the Offering.

The net proceeds from the Offering will be used to complete the Proposed Transaction and for working capital and general corporate purposes.

Upon closing of the Offering, the gross proceeds (less 50% of the Agents' Fees (defined below) and expenses of the Agents payable on the closing date of the Offering) (the "Escrowed Funds") will be delivered to and held by a licensed Canadian trust company or other escrow agent (the "Escrow Agent") pursuant to the terms of a subscription receipt agreement to be entered into on the closing date of the Offering among the Company, the Lead Agent and the Escrow Agent. The Escrowed Funds (less the remaining 50% of the Agents' Fees and any remaining costs and expenses of the Agents) will be released (together with the interest thereon) to Givex upon satisfaction of the following escrow release conditions and the Agents receiving a certificate from Givex prior to the Termination Time (defined below) to the effect that:

(A) the completion, satisfaction or waiver of all conditions precedent to the Proposed Transaction in accordance with the definitive agreement to be entered into between Givex and CC2 in respect of the Proposed Transaction, to the satisfaction of the Agents;

(B) the receipt of all required shareholder and regulatory approvals, including, without limitation, the conditional approval of the TSXV for the listing of the Resulting Issuer Shares on the TSXV and the Proposed Transaction;

(C) the Resulting Issuer securities issued in exchange for the Underlying Securities not being subject to any statutory or other hold period in Canada;

(D) the representations and warranties of the Company contained in the agency agreement to be entered into in connection with the Offering (the "Agency Agreement") being true and accurate in all material respects, as if made on and as of the escrow release date; and

(E) the Company and the Agents having delivered a joint notice and direction to the Escrow Agent, confirming that the conditions set forth in (A) to (D) above have been met or waived (together from (A) to (E), the "Escrow Release Conditions").

If (i) the satisfaction of the Escrow Release Conditions does not occur on or prior to the date that is 120 days following the closing date of the Offering, or such other date as may be mutually agreed to in writing among Givex, CC2, and the Lead Agent, or (ii) Givex has advised the Agents or the public that it does not intend to proceed with the Proposed Transaction (in each case, the earliest of such times being the "Termination Time"), then all of the issued and outstanding Subscription Receipts shall be cancelled and the Escrowed Funds shall be used to pay holders of Subscription Receipts an amount equal to the Offering Price of the Subscription Receipts held by them (plus an amount equal to a pro rata share of any interest or other income earned thereon). If the Escrowed Funds are not sufficient to satisfy the aggregate Offering Price paid for the then issued and outstanding Subscription Receipts (plus an amount equal to a pro rata share of the interest earned thereon), it shall be Givex's sole responsibility and liability to contribute such amounts as are necessary to satisfy any such shortfall.

The securities to be issued under the Offering will be offered by way of private placement in each of the provinces of Canada and such other jurisdictions as may be determined by Givex and the Lead Agent, in each case, pursuant to applicable exemptions from the prospectus requirements under applicable securities laws.

The Offering is expected to close on or about the week of November 8, 2021, or such other date as agreed upon between Givex and the Lead Agent and is subject to certain conditions set out in the Agency Agreement. In connection with, and as a condition to, the completion of the Proposed Transaction, the Resulting Issuer Shares (including those issued in exchange for the Underlying Shares and issuable pursuant to the warrants and options of the Resulting Issuer) will be listed on the TSXV.

In connection with the Offering, the Agents will receive an aggregate cash fee equal to 7.0% of the gross proceeds from the Offering, including in respect of any exercise of the Over-Allotment Option (the "Agents' Fee"). The Agents will also be issued compensation options equal in number to 7.0% of the number of Subscription Receipts sold under the Offering, including in respect of any exercise of the Over-Allotment Option (the "Compensation Options"). Each Compensation Option shall be exercisable to acquire one Unit for a period of 24 months following the RTO Closing Date at the Offering Price. Upon the completion of the Proposed Transaction, the Compensation Options will be exchanged for compensation options of the Resulting Issuer on equivalent terms.

The securities described herein have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or any state securities laws, and accordingly, may not be offered or sold within the United States except in compliance with the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities requirements or pursuant to exemptions therefrom. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy any securities in any jurisdiction.

ABOUT COUNTY CAPITAL

County Capital brings together an elite group of industry leaders with a mandate to create and complete a series of professionally managed Capital Pool Companies. For more information about County Capital and the CPC Program, please visit www.countycapital.ca.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements, including statements about the Corporation's future plans and intentions and completion of the Proposed Transaction. Wherever possible, words such as "may", "will", "should", "could", "expect", "plan", "intend", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "predict" or "potential" or the negative or other variations of these words, or similar words or phrases, have been used to identify these forward-looking statements. These statements reflect management's current beliefs and are based on information currently available to management as at the date hereof.

Forward-looking statements involve significant risk, uncertainties and assumptions. Many factors could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from the results discussed or implied in the forward-looking statements. These factors should be considered carefully and readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based upon what management believes to be reasonable assumptions, the Corporation cannot assure readers that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release, and the Corporation assumes no obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances, except as required by law.

For further information please contact:

County Capital 2 Ltd.

Robert Munro, CEO & CFO

Telephone: 416.272.1140

Email: rob@countycapital.ca

Website: www.countycapital.ca

Givex Corporation

Don Gray, CEO

Telephone: 416.350.9660 ext. 2227

Email: don@givex.com

Website: www.givex.com

Neither the Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Completion of the Proposed Transaction is subject to receipt of all requisite regulatory, stock exchange, court or governmental approvals, authorizations and consents, approval of the shareholders of CC2 and Givex (as applicable), and completion of the Offering by Givex. Where applicable, the Proposed Transaction cannot close until the required shareholder approval is obtained. There can be no assurance that the Proposed Transaction will be completed as proposed or at all.

Investors are cautioned that, except as disclosed in the management information circular or filing statement to be prepared in connection with the Proposed Transaction, any information released or received with respect to the Proposed Transaction may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon. Trading in the securities of a capital pool company should be considered highly speculative.

The TSX Venture Exchange Inc. has in no way passed upon the merits of the proposed transaction and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/99363
C$ unless otherwise stated

TSX/NYSE/PSE: MFC SEHK: 945

TORONTO, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Manulife has been recognized by Forbes on its World's Best Employer list for the second year in a row as it continues to build a leading culture that supports its mission to make decisions easier and lives better.

"Our focus on driving an inclusive and high-performing culture is accelerating our Company's progress toward our bold ambition to become the most digital, customer-centric company in our industry," says Pam Kimmet, Chief Human Resources Officer, Manulife. "We're proud to have received this recognition for a second time as it demonstrates the positive impact of our efforts. We've been focused on building a culture of recognition, learning, and inclusion, enabling our team to feel supported, energized, and motivated about the future."

Throughout 2021, Manulife has been focused on continuing to enhance experiences for its global colleagues, with programs guided by the philosophy of promoting a greater sense of connectivity, engagement and inclusion among its more than 37,000 global colleagues. Programs and experiences that were celebrated in 2021 include:

Fuel Up Fridays: One day per month from September to December 2021 , dedicated to learning and rest, plus five additional personal days to use in 2022.

One day per month from September to , dedicated to learning and rest, plus five additional personal days to use in 2022. Thank You Day: A global day off for the team to rest and relax in mid-June.

A global day off for the team to rest and relax in mid-June. Global Afternoon of Reflection and Learning: The entire global team took an afternoon to dedicate to learning about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

The entire global team took an afternoon to dedicate to learning about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Elevate: This Spring, the global team was introduced to Elevate, a series of activities and celebrations around healthy living, consisting of four themed events and celebrations around healthy living throughout 2021.

This Spring, the global team was introduced to Elevate, a series of activities and celebrations around healthy living, consisting of four themed events and celebrations around healthy living throughout 2021. Mental Health Awareness Month: In May, Manulife celebrated Mental Health Awareness month with a full schedule of health-filled events.

In May, Manulife celebrated Mental Health Awareness month with a full schedule of health-filled events. Manulife Has Talent: A second annual virtual global talent show with participation from team members across every region.

A second annual virtual global talent show with participation from team members across every region. Podium: Celebration of the one-year anniversary of our global recognition platform, enabling team members across all levels to give and receive authentic recognition.

Celebration of the one-year anniversary of our global recognition platform, enabling team members across all levels to give and receive authentic recognition. Investments in Learning: Invested in a new learning platform to enable everyone to pursue independent learning and growth through curated online courses available through an internal learning Platform, Pursuit and through other channels.

Invested in a new learning platform to enable everyone to pursue independent learning and growth through curated online courses available through an internal learning Platform, Pursuit and through other channels. Guest Speaker Series: A program featuring high-profile external individuals who impart their unique tips and tools around how to stay balanced, happy and mentally well during challenging times.

Manulife is ranked at the top spot among Canadian insurers on the list of World's Best Employers. Forbes developed the list based on a survey of 150,000 workers in 58 countries. In partnership with Statista, Forbes collected direct recommendations from our colleagues and employees at other companies as well as indirect recommendations from workers across industries. The survey considered every aspect of an employees' experience such as working conditions, salary, potential for growth, and diversity. Respondents were asked to rate their own employer and the likelihood they would recommend them to a friend or family member. All the surveys were anonymous, allowing participants to openly share their opinions.

About Manulife

Manulife Financial Corporation is a leading international financial services provider that helps people make their decisions easier and lives better. With our global headquarters in Toronto, Canada, we operate as Manulife across our offices in Canada, Asia, and Europe, and primarily as John Hancock in the United States. We provide financial advice, insurance, and our global wealth and asset management segment, Manulife Investment Management, serves individuals, institutions and retirement plan members worldwide. At the end of 2020, we had more than 37,000 employees, over 118,000 agents, and thousands of distribution partners, serving over 30 million customers. As of June 30, 2021, we had CAD$1.3 trillion (US$1.1 trillion) in assets under management and administration, and in the previous 12 months we made $31.3 billion in payments to our customers. Our principal operations are in Asia, Canada and the United States where we have served customers for more than 155 years. We trade as 'MFC' on the Toronto, New York, and the Philippine stock exchanges and under '945' in Hong Kong.

Media Contact, Cheryl Holmes, Manulife, 416-557-0945, cheryl_holmes@manulife.com
Phase 1 Program Approximately 2,000 metres

Thunder Bay, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - October 12, 2021) - Benton Resources Inc. (TSXV: BEX) ("Benton") and Sokoman Minerals Corp. ("Sokoman") (TSXV: SIC) (OTCQB: SICNF) (jointly "the Alliance") are pleased to announce that Phase 1 diamond drilling has commenced at the Grey River JV gold project (the "Project") on the south coast of Newfoundland. The Project is targeting high-grade gold mineralization similar in style to the Pogo gold deposit in the Tintina Belt of Alaska.



Grey River Project: Proposed Oct 2021 Drilling on 1VD Airborne Mag & VLF

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

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The Project is centered on the community of Grey River, a deep-water, ice-free harbour on the south coast of the Island of Newfoundland, 32 km to the east of the town of Burgeo, and 38 km southeast of the Golden Hope JV gold project. The Alliance's claims straddle a deep-seated, east-west trending, ductile shear zone that separates a large enclave of Late Precambrian amphibolite, gabbro, metasediments, felsic metavolcanics and mafic orthogneisses from a batholith-scale, syn-kinematic suite of Siluro-Devonian granitoid rocks. The east-west shear zone at Grey River, and parallel structures immediately offshore, are fundamental crustal breaks along which metal-rich, mid- to late-Devonian granites were emplaced, along the southern coast of the Island.

Rocks in this area of southwestern Newfoundland are unusually enriched in Au, Mo, Cu, W, F and Bi. A 5 km- by 10 km-long area within, and adjoining the property, is particularly metal-rich, hosting:

multiple mesothermal/intrusion-related Au-rich (+/- Bi-Ag-Sb-Pb-Zn) quartz veins a porphyry Mo-Cu deposit (Moly Brook) a vein-type wolframite-rich W deposit (Grey River #10) a diffusely bounded, high-purity, locally auriferous, silica deposit (Gulch Cove)

Each appears to be associated with features in the regional aero magnetics and are also reflected in regional Government lake-sediment geochemistry coverage. The primary focus of the Alliance's exploration is quartz-vein-hosted, structurally controlled / intrusion-related, high-grade Au (+/- Ag, Bi, Sb) in both the granitic and adjacent metamorphic terrains.

Previous exploration at Grey River has identified gold mineralization in several settings:

in base-metal-rich and sulphide-poor, quartz veins and veinlets in the gneisses and related metamorphic rocks, including regional-scale silica bodies in quartz veins with coarse-grained sulphides in granite in sulphide-poor, quartz stock-works in sericitized granite in stockwork-style quartz and quartz-sulphide veinlets with or without pervasive silica replacement in granite

Gold grades reported from historic grab and channel samples range from less than 1 g/t to more than 225 g/t Au, locally with 200-300 g/t Ag, with or without anomalous Bi, Sb and W. The 225 g/t Au chip sample is from a 20-30 cm-wide zone of pyritic alteration immediately adjacent to an 8 km-long, diffusely-bounded, quartz-rich zone. The highly anomalous value coincides with the large, elongated, high-purity silica body (12M tonnes >95% SiO) which was drilled by the Newfoundland Government in 1967, as part of an Island-wide, silica-assessment program. The silica body lies in mica schists, along the boundary with amphibolite gneisses and mica-schists, and along the flank of a prominent aeromagnetic high. Its origin is unclear with past workers proposing different origins including meta-quartzite, quartz vein, silica replacement. The style, grades, setting and Au-Ag-Bi-W-Sb geochemical signature of the gold mineralization, have drawn comparisons with the high-grade Pogo gold mine in the Tintina Gold Belt of Alaska and Yukon which is gold in diffusely bounded quartz bodies in amphibolite grade gneisses. The Pogo mine has produced 3.9 million oz gold at 13.6 g/t gold (to end of 2019), with Mineral Reserves of more than 7 million oz gold.

Tim Froude, President and CEO of Sokoman, says: "We are very pleased to begin this program at Grey River, which will be the first drilling program directed at the gold potential of the large quartz zones or bodies in the eastern portion of the property. Historical sampling results include chip/channel samples of 225 g/t Au, and widespread grab-sample values from less than detection to 3.8 g/t Au. None of the gold enriched areas, which occur over an 8 km strike length of the silica body, have been drill tested. We are focusing on areas of anomalous gold with 8 to 10 reconnaissance holes using data from the recently-completed, high-resolution, magnetic/electromagnetic airborne survey that identified potential structures correlating with the gold enriched areas."

Steve Stares, President and CEO of Benton, says: "With the rapid pace in which the Alliance has advanced the Grey River project to its inaugural drill program, I'm very excited to see what this large silica system might hold as we carry out this first phase of drilling."

QP

This news release has been reviewed and approved by Timothy Froude, P. Geo., a "Qualified Person" under National Instrument 43-101 and President and CEO of Sokoman Minerals Corp.

COVID-19 Protocols

To ensure a working environment that protects the health and safety of the staff and contractors, Sokoman is operating under federally and provincially mandated and recommended guidelines during the current COVID-19 alert level.

About Benton Resources Inc.



Benton Resources Inc. is a well-funded mineral exploration company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol BEX. Following a project generation business model, Benton has a diversified, highly-prospective property portfolio in Gold, Silver, Nickel, Copper, and Platinum Group Elements and currently holds large equity positions in other mining companies that are advancing high-quality assets. Whenever possible, BEX retains Net Smelter Return (NSR) royalties for potential long-term cash flow. Benton has also recently entered into a 50/50 strategic alliance with Sokoman Minerals Corp. (TSXV: SIC) through three large-scale joint venture properties including Grey River, Golden Hope and Kepenkeck in Newfoundland that are now being explored.

About Sokoman Minerals Corp.

Sokoman Minerals Corp. is a discovery-oriented company with projects in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Sokoman's primary focus is its portfolio of gold projects; flagship, advanced-stage Moosehead, Crippleback Lake (optioned to Trans Canada Gold Corp.) and East Alder (optioned to Canterra Minerals Corporation) along the Central Newfoundland Gold Belt, and the district-scale Fleur de Lys project in northwestern Newfoundland, that is targeting Dalradian-type orogenic gold mineralization similar to the Curraghinalt and Cavanacaw deposits in Northern Ireland. Sokoman also recently entered into a strategic alliance with Benton Resources Inc. through three, large-scale joint-venture properties including Grey River, Golden Hope and Kepenkeck in Newfoundland.

Sokoman now controls, independently and through the Benton alliance, over 150,000 hectares (>6,000 claims - 1500 sq. km), making it one of the largest landholders in Newfoundland, in Canada's newest and rapidly-emerging gold districts. The Company also retains an interest in an early-stage antimony/gold project (Startrek) in Newfoundland, optioned to White Metal Resources Inc., and in Labrador, the Company has a 100% interest in the Iron Horse (Fe) project which has Direct Shipping Ore (DSO) potential.

Mineralization hosted on adjacent and/or nearby properties is not necessarily indicative of mineralization hosted on Sokoman's property.

Sokoman would like to thank the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador for financial support of the Fleur de Lys Project through the Junior Exploration Assistance Program.

To learn more, please contact:

Sokoman Minerals Corp.

Timothy Froude, P.Geo., President & CEO

Phone: 709-765-1726

Email: tim@sokomanmineralscorp.com

CHF Capital Markets

Cathy Hume, Director, Investor Relations

Phone: 416-868-1079 x 251

Email: cathy@chfir.com

Benton Resources Inc.

Stephen Stares, President & CEO

Phone: 807-475-7474

Email: sstares@bentonresources.ca

Website: www.bentonresources.ca, www.sokomanmineralscorp.com

Twitter: @BentonResources, @SokomanMinerals

Facebook: @BentonResourcesBEX, @SokomanMinerals

LinkedIn: @BentonResources, @SokomanMinerals

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Investors are cautioned that trading in the securities of the Corporation should be considered highly speculative. Except for historical information contained herein, this news release contains forward- looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially. Sokoman Minerals Corp. will not update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof. More detailed information about potential factors that could affect financial results is included in the documents filed from time to time with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities by Sokoman Minerals Corp.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/99368
Management Nominees elected as directors for the ensuing year; other management motions passed, as expected

Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - October 12, 2021) - Ready Set Gold Corp. (CSE: RDY) (FSE: 0MZ) (OTC Pink: RDYFF) ("Ready Set Gold" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the results of its annual general and special meeting of shareholders held earlier today (the "Meeting").

The Meeting was called to attend to normal-course annual meeting matters, as well as matters set forth in a requisition (the "Requisition") received from a dissident shareholder of the Company, CBLT Inc. (the "Dissident"). Further details about the Meeting are set forth in the Company's management information circular and related documentation (the "Circular"), which is filed on the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. At the Meeting, shareholders voting in person or by proxy approved all resolutions proposed by management, including the election of the director nominees of management proposed in the Circular. A total of 10,478,861 common shares of the Company were represented at the Meeting in person or by proxy, which is approximately equal to 34.7% of the number of common shares that were eligible to vote at the Meeting.

Chief Executive Officer and director Christian Scovenna, commented: "I want to thank our shareholders for their vote of confidence in the current management of Ready Set Gold. As outlined in my letter to shareholders contained in the Circular, our Company is valuable. We are excited for the future at Ready Set Gold, and with this unnecessary and distracting proxy contest finally behind us, your excited and energized management team looks forward to the work ahead."

At the Meeting, on a vote by ballot, the number of directors to be elected was set at five. On a vote on an individual basis by ballot, the five nominees of management of the Company (namely, Christian Scovenna, Darren Collins, Peter Simeon, Mark Smethurst and Gerhard Merkel), were elected to the Company's board to hold office for the ensuing year or until their successors are elected or appointed. At the Meeting, the Dissident elected not to nominate the dissident nominees identified in the Requisition. The detailed voting results from the election of directors are set out below:

Name Votes FOR (%) Votes WITHHELD (%) Christian Scovenna 7,118,472 (67.93%) 3,360,383 (32.07%) Darren Collins 7,152,652 (68.26%) 3,326,203 (31.74%) Peter Simeon 7,127,652 (68.02%) 3,351,203 (31.98%) Mark Smethurst 7,127,652 (68.02%) 3,351,203 (31.98%) Gerhard Merkel 7,395,772 (70.58%) 3,083,083 (29.42%)

In addition to the approval of the matters described above, on a vote by ballot, Smythe LLP, Chartered Professional Accountants, were re-appointed as the Company's auditors and the directors of the Company were authorized to fix the remuneration of the auditors.

About Ready Set Gold Corporation

Ready Set Gold Corp. is a precious metals exploration company listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange under symbol RDY and the Boerse Frankfurt Exchange as 0MZ. The Company has consolidated and now owns a 100% interest in the Northshore Gold Project, located in the Schreiber-Hemlo Greenstone Belt near Thunder Bay, Ontario which is prospective for gold and silver mineralization. The Company also owns a 100% interest in two separate claim blocks totaling 4,453 hectares known as the Hemlo Eastern Flanks Project. The Company also holds an option to acquire a 100% undivided interest in a continuous claim block totaling 1,634 hectares comprising the Emmons Peak Project located 50 km south of Dryden, Ontario that is near the Treasury Metals Goliath and Goldlund advanced gold development projects.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors,

READY SET GOLD Corp.

"Christian Scovenna"

Chief Executive Officer & Director

Email: info@readysetgoldcorp.com

CEO Direct Line: +1 (416) 453-4708

For further information please contact:

Investor Relations

Sean Kingsley - Vice President, Corporate Communications

Email: skingsley@readysetgoldcorp.com

Tel: +1 (604) 440-8474

www.readysetgoldcorp.com

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This news release may contain certain "forward-looking information". Forward-looking information included in this news release include statements regarding the Company and its business. Forward-looking information is based upon the assumptions and estimates considered reasonable by management of the Company, in light of its experience and knowledge of current trends and opportunities. Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions, and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. As a result, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information. Any statement containing forward-looking information speaks only as of the date of this news release and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/99396


WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Denmark-based commercial shipping giant Maersk suspended five crew members who were allegedly associated with the rape of a then 19-year-old back in 2019. The girl announced the incident through an explosive blog post last month.



The current senior in the US Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) in Kings Point, said in her post that she was the only female cadet onboard during the Sea Year program. The program helps these cadets to gain experience about life in the sea as they will be appointed to the armed forces of different merchant vessels around the world.



In her grueling account of the event, the woman said that the engineers of the Maersk ship forced her and one of her male batchmates to drink hard liquor to get intoxicated and in the next morning, she found herself in the bed, completely naked.



'There was blood on my sheets, and I knew immediately that I had been raped. I was a virgin and had been saving myself, and as soon as I woke up I could feel that I was very sore and knew exactly what had happened,' said the woman behind the penname Midshipman X.



But she also added that it was not a separate incident as she was the victim of the predatory nature of her supervisor and the second in command. She also added that she vaguely remembers the same men undress and force themselves on her but due to the influence of liquor, she fails to remember the flow of the event. Later that day, when the supervisor called her into his room and she accused her of the event, he denied the entire accusation and threatened her to not bring it up with the captain.



She added, 'Back in my room I decided that the only thing I could do was to tough it out. No one was going to believe me, and toughing it out was the only option I felt like I had. I was trapped.'



But to her surprise, she was just one of the many, nine on her campus at that time only, to experience rape at sea. This knowledge helped her muster the courage and with the help of a non-profit organization, she posted her blog anonymously.



The blog spread like wildfire and soon caught international attention, prompting immediate action from the company. Bill Woodhour, CEO of the company's US subsidiary, Maersk Line, Limited, said, 'We are shocked and deeply saddened about what we have read. We take this situation seriously and are disturbed by the allegations made in this anonymous posting which has only recently been brought to our attention. We do everything we can to ensure that all of our workplace environments, including vessels, are a safe and welcoming workplace and we've launched a top to the bottom investigation.'



The company tweeted, 'We are deeply disturbed by the allegation of assault on our vessel and want to express our heartfelt support for the anonymous individual who has recently shared her story.'



A Maersk Line, Limited (MLL) investigation is taking place. 5 officers and crew have been suspended pending the outcome of the investigation. MLL is working closely with the U.S. labor unions, the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA), the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD), the U.S. Department of Transportation and the U.S. Coast Guard's Trade Unions across the board have also expressed their concerns over the number of sexual harassment incidents that have been recorded and have agreed to comply with the government investigation.



Interestingly, Sea Year was previously suspended under similar dark allegations back in 2016 but was reintroduced after implementing new rules and laws. Midshipman X also added that she has not spoken to a single one of her 50 seniors who are women 'who has told me that she has not been sexually harassed, sexually assaulted, or degraded at some point during the last 3 years at the Academy or during Sea Year. Most people, and even the leaders of our school, do not seem to understand how serious this problem is, especially at sea.'



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

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Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - October 12, 2021) - Mr. Antanas Guoga issues this press release pursuant to Part 3.1 of National Instrument 62-103 The Early Earning System and Related Take-Over Bid and Insider Reporting Issues ("NI 62-103") with respect to Tony G Co-Investment Holdings Ltd. (the "Company"). Mr. Guoga is a director and significant shareholder of the Company.

On October 5, 2021, the Company received the final approval of the Canadian Securities Exchange for the previously announced change of business transaction which involved, among other transactions: (i)a share exchange transaction involving the shares of News 3.0 Limited as detailed in a news release of the Company dated October 6, 2021 (the "Cryptonews Share Exchange"), whereby the Company issued to Mr. Guoga 1,299,600 common shares of the Company at a deemed price of CAD$1.00 per common share in exchange for 18,411 common shares of News 3.0 Limited; and (ii) a share exchange agreement involving the shares of Sportclothes UAB as detailed in a news release of the Company dated October 6, 2021 (the "Sportclothes Share Exchange" and together with the Cryptonews Share Exchange, the "Transactions"), the Company issued UAB "NTSG", a corporation which Mr Guoga controls, 2,060,520 common shares of the Company at a deemed price of CAD$1.00 per common share in exchange for 2,000 shares of Sportclothes UAB.

Following the completion of the Transactions, Mr. Guogo directly and indirectly owns and controls 3,360,120 common shares of the Company, which represents 47.67% of the 7,048,937 issued and outstanding common shares of the Company on a non-diluted basis.

In connection with completion of the Transactions, Mr. Guoga entered into a Value Security Escrow Agreement among the Company, TSX Trust Company and certain other securityholders, pursuant to which the 1,299,600 common shares of the Company owned by Mr. Guoga are subject and the 2,060,520 common shares of the Company over which Mr. Guoga exercises control or direction are subject.

Mr. Guoga acquired the common shares of the Company referred to herein for investment purposes. Mr. Guoga may, in the future, increase or decrease its ownership of securities of the Company, depending upon, among other things, the business prospects of the Company and market conditions.

Mr. Guoga has filed an Early Warning Report as required by NI 62-103. A copy of the Early Earning Report will appear with the Company's documents on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

The address of the Company is Suite 210 - 5800 Ambler Drive, Mississauga, Ontario L4W 4J4. The address of Mr. Guoga is Le Reve Towers, MARSA 1001, Dubai, UAE.

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/99419
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 12, 2021) - Tudor Gold Corp. (TSXV: TUD) (the "Company") is pleased to announce that, due to strong investor demand, it has agreed with Research Capital Corporation, as lead agent and sole bookrunner (the "Agent"), on behalf of a syndicate (collectively, the "Agents"), in connection with the previously announced best efforts, private placement offering (the "Offering") to increase the size of the Offering to up to $11,500,000. The Offering will consist of a combination of: (i) common shares of the Company (each, a "Common Share") at a price of $2.10 per Common Share, and (ii) and Common Shares that will qualify as "flow-through shares" within the meaning of subsection 66(15) of the Income Tax Act (Canada) (the "Tax Act") (each, a "FT Common Share") at a price of $2.50 per FT Common Share. Eric Sprott has indicated his intention to subscribe in the Offering.

The net proceeds from the sale of Common Shares will be used for the Company's ongoing exploration drilling program, working capital requirements and other general corporate purposes. The gross proceeds from the sale of FT Common Shares will be used to incur eligible "Canadian exploration expenses" ("CEE") that are "flow-through mining expenditures" (as such term is defined in the Tax Act) related to exploration expenses on the Company's Treaty Creek flagship property, located in Golden Triangle of northwestern British Columbia, as permitted under the Tax Act. The Company will incur the CEE on or before December 31, 2022 and renounce such CEE to the purchasers of the FT Common Shares with an effective date of no later than December 31, 2021.

The Agents will have an option (the "Over-Allotment Option") to increase the size of the Offering by up to an additional 15% of the number of Common Shares and FT Common Shares sold in the Offering, which is exercisable, in whole or in part, at any time up to 48 hours prior to the closing of the Offering.

The Common Shares and FT Common Shares to be issued under the Offering will be offered by way of private placement in each of the provinces of Canada, and such other jurisdictions as may be determined by the Company, in each case, pursuant to applicable exemptions from the prospectus requirements under applicable securities laws.

The Offering is scheduled to close on or about the week of November 1, 2021, or such other date as agreed upon between the Company and the Agents (the "Closing") and is subject to certain conditions including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary approvals (including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange). The Common Shares and FT Common Shares to be issued under the Offering will have a hold period of four months and one day from the Closing.

In connection with the Offering, the Agents will receive an aggregate cash fee equal to 6.0% of the gross proceeds from the Offering, including in respect of any exercise of the Over-Allotment Option. In addition, the Company will grant the Agents non-transferable compensation warrants (the "Compensation Warrants") entitling the Agents to purchase a number of Common Shares equal to 6.0% of the total number of Common Shares and FT Common Shares sold under the Offering (including in respect of any exercise of the Over-Allotment Option). Each Compensation Warrant will entitle the holder thereof to purchase one Common Share at an exercise price of $2.50 per Common Share for a period of 24 months following the Closing.

The securities described herein have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or any state securities laws, and accordingly, may not be offered or sold within the United States except in compliance with the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities requirements or pursuant to exemptions therefrom. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy any securities in any jurisdiction.

About Tudor Gold Corp.

Tudor Gold Corp. is a precious and base metals exploration and development company with properties in British Columbia's Golden Triangle (Canada), an area that hosts producing and past-producing mines and several large deposits that are approaching potential development. The 17,913 hectare Treaty Creek project (in which TUDOR GOLD has a 60% interest) borders Seabridge Gold Inc.'s KSM property to the southwest and borders Pretium Resources Inc.'s Brucejack property to the southeast. In April 2021 Tudor published their 43-101 technical report, "Technical Report and Initial Mineral Resource Estimate of the Treaty Creek Gold Property, Skeena Mining Division, British Columbia Canada" dated March 1, 2021 on the Company's Sedar profile. The Company also has a 100% interest in the Crown project and a 100% interest in the Eskay North project, all located in the Golden Triangle area.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF TUDOR GOLD CORP.

"Walter Storm"

Walter Storm

President and Chief Executive Officer

For further information, please visit the Company's website at www.tudor-gold.com or contact:

Chris Curran

Head of Corporate Development and Communications

Phone: (604) 559 8092

E-Mail: chris.curran@tudor-gold.com

or

Carsten Ringler

Head of Investor Relations and Communications

Phone: +49 151 55362000

E-Mail: carsten.ringler@tudor-gold.com

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Information

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. "Forward-looking information" includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the activities, events or developments that the Company expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future, including the expectation that the Offering will close in the timeframe and on the terms as anticipated by management and the expectation that Eric Sprott will participate in the Offering. Generally, but not always, forward-looking information and statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes" or the negative connotation thereof or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" or the negative connation thereof.

Such forward-looking information and statements are based on numerous assumptions, including among others, that the Company will complete Offering in the timeframe and on the terms as anticipated by management and that Eric Sprott will participate in the Offering. Although the assumptions made by the Company in providing forward-looking information or making forward-looking statements are considered reasonable by management at the time, there can be no assurance that such assumptions will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements.

Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's plans or expectations include risks relating to the failure to complete the Offering in the timeframe and on the terms as anticipated by management, that Eric Sprott will not participate in the Offering, market conditions and timeliness regulatory approvals. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking information or implied by forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information.

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/99423
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - October 12, 2021) - European High Growth Opportunities Securitization Fund (the "Fund") announced today that the Fund has closed the second tranche of its financing arrangement (the "Financing") with Tony G Co-Investment Holdings Ltd. (CSE: TONY) (the "Issuer" or "Tony").

On October 5, 2021, the Issuer received the final approval of the Canadian Securities Exchange for the previously announced change of business transaction which involved, among other transactions, the Financing. Pursuant to the Financing, the Fund acquired $1,288,000 principal amount of Debentures (as defined below) and 460,000 accompanying Warrants (as defined below) pursuant to the terms of a subscription agreement dated June 11, 2019 between Tony (formerly Braingrid Limited) and the Fund (the "Subscription Agreement").

Pursuant to the terms of the Subscription Agreement, as part of closing the second tranche of the Financing, the Issuer issued to the Fund convertible debentures (the "Debentures") in the aggregate principal amount of $1,288,000 and 460,000 common share purchase warrants (the "Warrants"). The Warrants have an expiry date of August 10, 2026. Each Warrant is exercisable into one common share ("Common Share") of the Issuer (subject to typical adjustments). Further terms of the Financing are set out in the Subscription Agreement as filed on SEDAR and available under the Issuer's profile at www.sedar.com.

The Debentures bear no interest and the maturity date of the Debentures is August 11, 2026. The Debentures shall be convertible into Common Shares at a conversion price equal to the lower of: (i) one hundred percent (100%) of the lowest daily volume-weighted average price of the Common Shares on the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "VWAP") over the period of fifteen (15) trading days immediately preceding the date of the relevant conversion notice (or, where no Conversion Notice is given, the Maturity Date, as may be accelerated), or (ii) one hundred twenty percent (120%) of the lowest daily VWAP observed over the five (5) trading days immediately preceding the date of issuance of the Debentures, having regard for any adjustments made in accordance with the terms of the Debentures provided that under no circumstances shall the conversion price be less than the minimum price permitted under applicable law or the rules of any exchange on which the Common Shares of the Issuer are listed for trading.

Immediately following the closing of the Financing, the Fund owns, controls or directs (directly or indirectly): (i) 889,250 Common Shares; (ii) an aggregate principal amount of $1,288,000 of Debentures; and (iii) 608,750 Warrants. Based on the foregoing, the Fund, directly or indirectly, beneficially owns or exercises control or direction over 3,420,288 Common Shares representing approximately 35.65% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares on a fully diluted basis (assuming conversion of the aggregate principal amount of $1,288,000 Debentures into approximately 1,922,388 common shares and the exercise of the 608,750 Warrants).

Debentures and Warrants were acquired by the Fund for investment purposes. Depending on market and other conditions, the Fund may, directly or indirectly, acquire ownership or control over additional securities of the Issuer, through open market or through private acquisitions or sell securities of the Issuer either on the open market or through private dispositions in the future depending on market conditions and/or other relevant factors.

This press release is issued pursuant to National Instrument 62-103 - The Early Warning System and Related Take-Over Bid and Insider Reporting Issues, which also requires a report to be filed with regulatory authorities in which the Issuer is a reporting issuer containing information with respect to the foregoing matters (the "Early Warning Report"). A copy of the Early Warning Report will appear at www.sedar.com under the Issuer's profile.

The address of the Fund is:

European High Growth Opportunities Securitization Fund

18 rue Robert Stumper

L-2557

Luxembourg

About European High Growth Opportunities Securitization Fund

European High Growth Opportunities Securitization Fund is a fund based in Luxembourg which is in the business of investing in high growth companies.

Neither the CSE nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Statements included in this announcement, including statements concerning plans, intentions and expectations, which are not historical in nature are intended to be, and are hereby identified as "forward-looking statements". Forward-looking statements may be identified by words including "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "expects" and similar expressions. The Fund cautions readers that forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements.

Contact:

Pierre Vannineuse

+44 (0) 203 855 0088

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/99422
BEIJING (dpa-AFX) - China will on Wednesday release September figures for imports, exports and trade balance, highlighting a modest day for Asia-Pacific economic activity. Imports are expected to climb 20.0 percent on year, slowing from 33.1 percent in August. Exports are called higher by an annual 21.01 percent, down from 25.6 percent in the previous month. The trade surplus is pegged at $46.8 billion, down from $58.34 billion a month earlier. New Zealand will see preliminary October results for the business confidence index from ANZ; in September, the index had a score of -7.2. Japan will provide August figures for core machine orders, with forecasts suggesting an increase of 1.7 percent on month and 14.7 percent on year. That follows the 0.9 percent monthly increase and the 11.1 percent yearly gain in July. South Korea will release September numbers for unemployment; in August, the jobless rate was 2.8 percent. Finally, the markets in Thailand are closed on Wednesday for King Bhumibol Memorial Day; they will re-open on Thursday. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
LIMASSOL, Cyprus, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- easyMarkets is very happy to announce its integration with the TradingView platform. Now our clients can access TradingView's social network for traders, one-click trading directly from charts and advanced analysis features by connecting their easyMarkets account to the TradingView interface. This offering extends our client's choices of platforms to trade on - easyMarkets Web and App, MT4 and now TradingView.

easyMarkets CMO, Ohad Golan:



We are very excited about offering our clients yet another trading platform, especially one as robust as TradingView. This integration also makes us one of the few brokers in the industry to provide our customers with a choice of four environments to trade on. easyMarkets has always been on the cusp of innovation and an eager early adopter, I am sure this latest offering will make us even more competitive while also giving our clients another great new platform to trade on.

When using your easyMarkets Account on TradingView you combine easyMarkets industry leading conditions, regulated trading and tight fixed spreads with a social network for traders, advanced charting and analytics.

easyMarkets on TradingView Benefits and Features

easyMarkets Benefits TradingView Features  No Slippage on limit orders  Tight Fixed Spreads  Negative Balance Protection  Highly Rated Customer Support  Licensed and Regulated  No Hidden Fees or Commission  Seamless Integration - Close trades opened on TradingView with easyMarkets app or on easyMarkets web platform  Social Network for Traders. Share your trades, strategies and ideas with other traders  Advanced Charting. Customize your charts with an extensive choice of overlays and indicators  Deep Market Insights. Access analysis and real-time web-based charts.

easyMarkets conditions not only offer traders the security of trading with a regulated, well-established broker but also price transparency. No slippage on limit orders means that you can rest assured the execution of your stop-loss or take-profit will happen at the price you intended. This protects you from additional costs or loss due to your order executing at a higher or lower rate. Tight fixed spreads never change during trading orders, first helping you avoid inflated spreads during volatility and secondly allowing you to calculate your costs upfront. Completing its price transparency guarantee easyMarkets never charges commission, funding or hidden fees.

About easyMarkets

Since its founding in 2001 (as Easy Forex) easyMarkets has focused on offering its clients security, competitive conditions and convenient access to global markets. That is why our product and service offerings are continually expanding. In the past year we have added multiple instruments including new shares and cryptocurrencies.

Video - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1658740/English_TradingView_Video.mp4

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1658743/0x00000000002D8C2B.jpg
AmplifAI, a Plano, Texas-based People Enablement Platform for employee-focused enterprises, closed a $18.5m Series A funding.

The Series A funding round was allocated into $12.5m of equity funding and $6m in venture debt from Comerica Bank. The equity part was led by Greycroft with continued participation from LiveOak Venture Partners, Dallas Venture Partners and Capital Factory.

The company intends to use the funds to further secure its market position and drive product improvements and innovation.

Led by founder and CEO Sean Minter, AmplifAI provides a comprehensive and innovative employee enablement platform for hybrid enterprises. The self-learning platform monitors data and learns high-performing employees skills and behaviors, creating personalized development actions to elevate every employee into a high performer.

The company now operates in 16 different countries, serving people-centric brands such as The Home Depot.

FinSMEs

12/10/2021
DeepSight Technology, a San Francisco Bay Area-based augmented diagnostic medical imaging company, raised $25m in Series A funding.

The round was led by Deerfield Management Company, a healthcare investment firm, with additional funding from Wing, Alter Venture Partners, and Time BioVentures.

Led by founder and CEO Nader Sadrzadeh, DeepSight is augmenting diagnostic medical imaging with the introduction of novel ultrasound technology, using patented hardware, software, and AI algorithms to deliver high sensitivity and to more than double the effective range.

The company is headquartered in the with offices in St. Louis, Missouri.

FinSMEs

12/10/2021
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White smoke is oil or fuel not burned. It can be a lazy injector that overfills but also can be low compression. Low compression occurs if the overfill wears the cylinder. Another check you can do to confirm the injector is to disconnect it electrically. While smoke stops, it's overfilled. It would be a shaky ride, but you could drive it to the dealer with the injector disconnected, but explain that to the service writer, so he tells the tech before doing the tests. Running with a non-functioning injector is way better than one that is over-fueling. Too many people try to get home with the engine having an over-fueling cylinder, then burning up a cylinder. It's either don't drive or disconnect, so fuel isn't injected.
Ever since Leonard Scarcella  the longest-serving mayor in America before his death in June 2020  eliminated the tax in 1995, the city has generated revenue primarily through sales tax, permits and other fees, contrary to the vast majority of Texas cities.

That fact has become a point of pride for many Staffordians, with the citys own tagline declaring itself the city with no city property taxes, and has helped draw many businesses to town over the years.

But in recent months, a growing number of current and former elected leaders have sounded alarm bells over the state of Staffords financial well-being, arguing that if major changes dont come soon, the council may have no choice but to ask for a property tax to pay for more than $36 million in outstanding capital projects.
Were calling this the Labor Shortage issue of the Franchise Marketing Leadership Report. Its the first, but it may not be the last.

There are no simple answers, and potential solutions vary from industry to industry, brand to brand, and city to city, but there are suggestions galore available as more and more businesses grapple with staffing problems in the final quarter of 2021. And with the holiday season approaching fast, the seriousness of the problem is magnified for the many, many businesses that rely on this time of year to survive.

Here are 6 articles from around the Internet looking into The Great Labor Shortage of 2021 as if you havent searched already on your own! We hope you find something of value here, and in the other articles in this issue that look into the problem.

1) Leveraging Marketing Tech To Recruit the Best Restaurant Employees, from QSR magazine, suggests using technology in innovative ways to get ahead of the pack in the competition for the best employees.

2) Restaurant Workers of the Future Need Heightened Digital & People Skills, from Nations Restaurant News, takes a look at training the employees you do manage to find and hire.

3) What Can Companies Do To Retain Staff?, from the Los Angeles Times, focuses on what you can do to keep your current employees.

4) How To Bring In Staff During the Worst Labor Shortage in 30 Years, from Modern Restaurant Management, offers 4 tips for finding and hiring at restaurants and hotels.

5) Fast Food Customers Return, But Workers Dont, Triggering Major Changes, from the Washington Post, looks at what QSR brands are doing to attract workers, with a focus on wages.

6) Finally, another article from QSR magazine with a novel solution to the staffing shortage at one franchise brand: Raising Canes Corporate Staff To Work Inside Stores, Recruit Talent Amid Labor Shortage.
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Fort Wayne, IN (46808)

Today

Snow showers this evening. Breaks in the overcast later. Low 27F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 70%..

Tonight

Snow showers this evening. Breaks in the overcast later. Low 27F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 70%.
Makers of Fortnite and the band Radiohead come together to produce multiple bits of media, like a song and a blog post.
There are chocolate lovers. And then there's Maureen Nikaido.

With hard work, research and endless trial and error, the Philomath chocolate maker built her own bean-to-bar, single-origin chocolate company from scratch. Moku Chocolate now has eight bars sold in local co-ops, farms, wineries and every Market of Choice.

While each bar consists of the same three ingredients  cocoa beans, organic cocoa butter and organic sugar  the vegan, non GMO and gluten free chocolate bars have their own unique flavors based on where the beans are sourced.

Just like with grapes and coffee, there's going to be different notes, depending on where it's grown and the soil and the climate, Nikaido said. Other things that really affect the flavor are how they're fermented at origin and how you roast them.

The beans from Madagascar and Peru have a bright fruitiness to them, so Nikaido roasts them lightly to bring out the sweet cherry and citrus flavors. But take a bite of the bar sourced from Ecuador and ruminate in the deep notes of coffee, wine and plum.

The beans from the Dominican Republic are grown in a bird sanctuary and make for a smooth, dark chocolatey experience.

The goat milk bar, which is sourced from the Sierra Nevada mountain range in northern Colombia, elicits a velvety, creamy texture with hints of tangy caramel. Its the bar that won Nikaido both gold and silver medals in the International Chocolate Awards competition for the Americas.

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The name Moku comes from Maureens childhood nickname, Mo. She wanted to stick with something short and easy to pronounce, and moku is derived from the Hawaiian word for island, mokupuni.

How the seed was planted

Nikaido and her husband, Michio, took a trip to Nicaragua in 2013 where they learned about cocoa trees and met the hardworking farmers who grow the precious crop. Nikaido was disheartened to learn how little the farmers make in exchange for their cocoa, and the thought stewed in her brain for years as she and her husband moved and changed jobs.

I learned that they get such a little sliver of the pie, and these people are living in poverty, she said. And just the incongruence of chocolate, which is so treasured. When I left, I wondered if there was some way I could bring awareness of this to the states.

One day Nikaido found herself researching chocolate online and discovered that there was a craft chocolate movement of people who cared about honoring the land where cocoa beans are grown and promoting fair labor practices.

She decided to try making her own single-origin chocolate for farmers markets and holiday fairs. She read books and took a food entrepreneurship class at Portland Community College right as the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States, and her hobby grew from there.

In class, Nikaido gave a final presentation to New Season Market, where she received feedback on her brand and how to improve it. The class also connected her with a business adviser, who encouraged Nikaido to reach out to Market of Choice, although admittedly that wasnt the direction Nikaido planned to go. She reached out anyway, and now Moku Chocolate bars are in all 11 stores around Oregon.

Once I started doing it, it did feel like it happened fast, she said. But the idea of wanting to do something with chocolate to actually doing it was years.

Nikaidos beans are sourced directly from the countries that grow them, and this direct trade ensures fair compensation to hardworking farmers. Nikaido shares stories about these farming communities on the chocolate bars themselves to highlight the chocolates origin and the work that goes into creating it.

The chocolate making process

Every batch starts with a bag of raw cocoa beans. Nikaido roasts a kilo at a time, then pours the beans into a champion juicer to crack them open. She puts the cracked beans into a winnowing machine to separate them from the husk, leaving only the raw nibs.

Nikaido next puts the nibs in a stone grinder that crushes and releases the fat for two to three days, churning the mixture to liquid, otherwise known as chocolate liquor. She adds sugar along the way until the unique Moku Chocolate flavor is achieved.

The final step is pouring the liquid into molds. The whole process makes the room smell like freshly baked brownies.

In the beginning, I wanted an instruction manual, like baking a cake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, she said. But there is some freedom in that you can kind of put your own little stamp on it.

Nikaidos husband helped build some of the machinery which aids in the chocolate making process. While Nikaido primarily runs Moku Chocolate herself, a few others are involved in consulting, branding and finding the cocoa beans from environmentally-sound sources.

The chocolate maker says she does not have an end goal with the company; shes just enjoying what it is right now and seeing where things go. Eventually she wants to make a bar from Nicaragua, where her chocolate journey started all those years ago.

I am just staying open and seeing where the path leads, Nikaido said. Maybe I have some helpers, but I just want to keep it artisan and I really want it to be local.

Details on where to find Moku Chocolate bars are available on mokuchocolate.com. You can order the bars from the website as well.

Joanna Mann covers education for Mid-Valley Media. She can be contacted at 541-812-6076 or Joanna.Mann@lee.net. Follow her on Twitter via @joanna_mann_.

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The Greater Albany Public Schools board members voted Monday night to postpone deciding whether to use COVID-19 relief funds to combine sister schools Central and Takena until more information is gathered.

Interim Superintendent Rob Saxton made this recommendation to the board during the public meeting. Before spending $4.1 million of the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief III funds, Saxton said three things ought to be considered: community input, a demographics study and a review of the Central building.

This seemed like a decision that needed community involvement and input, and one that was not going to be appropriate without some, Saxton said. If were going to do this, lets do it right.

While board members agree that it is better to take action sooner than later, the funds are available until September 2024. The current idea is to add six to eight classrooms to Takena to house current Central students, which would cost $4.1 million.

Saxton and a couple of board members will devise statistically valid survey questions to include on a community input form, meaning the questions will not be loaded but rather elicit the specific answers needed to make a decision. This is expected to take about two months.

The demographic report will provide information on current and future enrollment data, which affects the schools long term budget. The report is expected to take three to four months.

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Lastly, a building review of Central will be conducted to find out what exactly that school needs to remain a district building. Teachers and parents have voiced concerns about children burning themselves on radiators or falling out of screenless windows. Many see Central as an unfit building for children, especially compared to Takenas updated facilities.

If were going to continue to use this in its current model, there are costs here, Saxton said. We need to know what they are so we can make a good decision.

Joanna Mann covers education for Mid-Valley Media. She can be contacted at 541-812-6076 or Joanna.Mann@lee.net. Follow her on Twitter via @joanna_mann_.

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A few showers this evening with mostly clear conditions overnight. Low 34F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 30%..

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Gillette, WY (82718)

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Sydney, Oct. 07, 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/Mongolia-Telecoms-Mobile-and-Broadband-Statistics-and-Analyses/?utm_source=GNW







Fixed-line penetration increased steadily in the years to 2018 as more people took on fixed-line access for voice calls and to access copper-based broadband services. However, the number of lines fell in 2019, and again and more sharply in 2020, partly through the economic consequences of the pandemic (GDP fell 5.3% in 2020, year-on-year) and partly due to the migration to the mobile platform and to VoIP.





Fixed broadband penetration remains low, mainly due to a limited number of fixed lines and the dominance of the mobile platform. The attraction of fixed broadband as a preferred access where it is available is waning as the mobile networks are upgraded with greater capacity and capabilities.





The growing popularity of mobile broadband continues to underpin overall broadband and telecom sector growth, with Mongolias market very much being dominated by mobile services, supported by widely available LTE. This will largely determine and shape the future direction of Mongolias developing digital economy.





BuddeComm notes that the outbreak of the pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally. During the coming year the telecoms sector to various degrees is likely to experience a downturn in mobile device production, while it may also be difficult for network operators to manage workflows when maintaining and upgrading existing infrastructure.





Overall progress towards 5G may be postponed or slowed down in some countries.





On the consumer side, spending on telecoms services and devices is under pressure from the financial effect of large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes. However, the crucial nature of telecom services, both for general communication as well as a tool for home-working, will offset such pressures. In many markets the net effect should be a steady though reduced increased in subscriber growth.





Although it is challenging to predict and interpret the long-term impacts of the crisis as it develops, these have been acknowledged in the industry forecasts contained in this report.





The report also covers the responses of the telecom operators as well as government agencies and regulators as they react to the crisis to ensure that citizens can continue to make optimum use of telecom services. This can be reflected in subsidy schemes and the promotion of tele-health and tele-education, among other solutions.







Key Developments:





Regulator enables online licensing application process as part of an e-nation transition;

KT Corp completes sale of its 40% stake in Telecom Mongolia to the state;

MobiCom expands reach of LTE-A services, trials 5G;

Report update includes an assessment of the global impact of Covid-19 on the telecoms sector, the regulators market reports for 2019, telcos operating and financial data to July 2021, Telecom Maturity Index charts and analyses, recent market developments.



Read the full report: https://www.budde.com.au/Research/Mongolia-Telecoms-Mobile-and-Broadband-Statistics-and-Analyses/?utm_source=GNW
LAS VEGAS, Oct. 11, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) - Jaunt Air Mobility has entered into an agreement to merge with the AIRO Group (US). Jaunt joins a group of six aerospace businesses all engaged in the next generation of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) technologies and services. The group offers commercial, military, robotics, manned/unmanned aerial systems and multi-modal aircraft and avionics systems.

Jaunt Air Mobility is the global eVTOL (electric Vertical Takeoff and Land) leader in slowed rotor compound (SRC) technology. Jaunt's patented technology slows the rotor once aloft (the rotor tip speed equaling the aircraft's speed) thereby reducing drag and associated vibration. In combination with a small wing sized for cruise, this produces a lift-to-drag ratio equivalent to a fixed-wing airplane, providing an exceptionally efficient flight with very low noise. Noise that is practically imperceptible in flight. The Jaunt Journey will certify to transport commercial certification requirements, ensuring the highest level of safety.

"AIRO has existing revenue in its current civilian and military operations and has historically reinvested earnings into Independent Research and Development (IRAD). Therefore, additional capital required to produce fully operational eVTOL aircraft is substantially reduced to our advantage compared with our competitors. The current market capitalization of companies in the eVTOL space and urban air mobility platforms are very significant. AIRO additionally delivers diversified services across the UAM/Avionics/eVTOL/Defense marketplace. AIRO is poised to be the leading publicly traded mid-tier aerospace and defense company after the void created by acquisitions in the public marketplace," said Dr. Chirinjeev Kathuria, Executive Chairman of AIRO.

"Jaunt is pleased to become part of the AIRO Group. The combined companies address many segments of the advanced aviation market and will pursue a public offering. It is undoubtedly one of the most exciting times in aerospace. The convergence of many new technologies will change the way we move people and packages while reducing the industry's carbon footprint," says Martin Peryea, CEO/CTO, Jaunt Air Mobility.

The AIRO Group aims to be a mid-market leader in a $364B growth sector and is well-positioned for accelerated growth as a public company. The AIRO Group consists of AIRO Drone, Agile Defense, Aspen Avionics, Coastal Defense, Sky-Watch, VRCO, and now Jaunt Air Mobility. The combined strength of these companies offers significant global opportunities as well as operational and financial synergies.

"Together, Jaunt and the other AIRO Group companies offer a transformational, next-generation capability for the aerospace industry that addresses high-growth markets in advanced air mobility as well as leveraging technologies across markets that benefit the general, business, commercial, and the military aviation community. Additionally, we have the resources, experience, and inherent knowledge to help streamline regulatory compliance and certification among all segments," said Joe Burns, CEO, The AIRO Group.

"Jaunt's business commitment remains unchanged along with our relationship to the Canadian government and to our Tier 1 suppliers and customers," says Eric Cote, president of Jaunt Air Mobility Canada.

About The AIRO Group

The AIRO Group brings together decades of industry-leading technology with its group companies to provide best-in-class products and services uniquely capable of addressing a wide spectrum of aerospace markets. The AIRO Group leverages technologies that span data systems, resupply package delivery, military aerospace training, military, and commercial manned/unmanned aircraft systems and avionics technologies. Together, these companies represent a transformation of the aerospace industry by providing a diversified offering of capabilities positioned to be the first mid-tier, full-spectrum aerospace company offering end-to-end solutions for the industry. The company can be found at www.theairogroup.com.

About Jaunt Air Mobility

Jaunt Air Mobility is a transformative aerospace company headquartered in Dallas, Texas. Jaunt is building the best in the next generation of eVTOL (electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing) and hybrid-electric aircraft for faster travel over urban areas, moving people and packages. Jaunt is the global leader in patented slow-rotor compound (SRC) technology. The Jaunt Journey is the world's first true aircraft combining a helicopter and fixed-wing airplane. Jaunt offers the safest, quietest, most comfortable, and operationally efficient aircraft with a zero-carbon footprint. The company can be found at www.jauntairmobility.com.

Contacts:

Dan Johnson, The AIRO Group, 612-743-9734, dan.johnson@airo.aero

Nancy Richardson, Jaunt Air Mobility 610-952-2595, nmrichardson@jauntairmobility.com

Related Images











Image 1: Jaunt Air Mobility eVTOL









This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com.

Attachment
SAN FRANCISCO , Oct. 11, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hagens Berman urges ATI Physical Therapy, Inc. (NYSE: ATIP) investors and Fortress Value Acquisition Corp. II (NYSE: FAII) investors with losses in excess of $100,000 to submit your losses now.



Class Period: Feb. 22, 2021  July 23, 2021

Lead Plaintiff Deadline: Oct. 15, 2021

Visit: www.hbsslaw.com/investor-fraud/ATIP

Contact An Attorney Now: ATIP@hbsslaw.com

844-916-0895

ATI Physical Therapy, Inc. (ATIP/ FAII) Securities Class Action:

The lawsuit focuses on statements by ATI Physical Therapy, its senior management, Fortress, and others concerning ATI Physical Therapys financial performance, operations and business prospects leading up to and after its merger with special purpose acquisition company Fortress Value Acquisition Corp. II that closed on or about June 16, 2021.

Beginning on Feb. 22, 2021 and throughout the Class Period, Defendants touted the companys growth opportunities, its plan for 90 new clinic openings, and its very high retention and low turnover of its physical therapists.

But on July 26, 2021, slightly a month after the merger closed, ATI Physical Therapy reported disappointing Q2 2021 financial results and slashed its full year revenue expectations by as much as 12%, blaming the dismal outlook on accelerated attrition of physical therapists and a corresponding reduction in estimated new clinic openings. The company also revealed it could open just 55  65 new clinics in 2021.

The company also disclosed it has determined that the revision to its 2021 forecast constitutes an interim triggering event that requires further analysis with respect to potential impairment to goodwill and trade name intangible assets.

Then, on Aug. 9, 2021, ATI announced its CEO (Labeed Diab) abruptly left the company.

These events sent the price of ATI Physical Therapy shares crashing lower.

Were focused on investors losses and proving Defendants overstated ATI Physical Therapys growth potential and expected 2021 revenues, said Reed Kathrein, the Hagens Berman partner leading the investigation.

If you invested in ATI Physical Therapy or Fortress and have significant losses, or have knowledge that may assist the firms investigation, click here to discuss your legal rights with Hagens Berman.

Whistleblowers: Persons with non-public information regarding ATI Physical Therapy or Fortress should consider their options to help in the investigation or take advantage of the SEC Whistleblower program. Under the new program, whistleblowers who provide original information may receive rewards totaling up to 30 percent of any successful recovery made by the SEC. For more information, call Reed Kathrein at 844-916-0895 or email ATIP@hbsslaw.com.

About Hagens Berman

Hagens Berman is a national law firm with eight offices in eight cities around the country and over eighty attorneys. The firm represents investors, whistleblowers, workers and consumers in complex litigation. More about the firm and its successes is located at hbsslaw.com. For the latest news visit our newsroom or follow us on Twitter at @classactionlaw .
Brisbane, Australia, Oct. 11, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Payrix, an acknowledged leader in embedded FinTech, has launched in the Australasian SaaS market. The company brings an exclusive local product, designed and backed by a team of 35+ payments and software experts that joined Payrix following the acquisition of IntegraPay last year.

This advancement into the local market comes at a time of significant innovation and growth in both the software-as-a-service (SaaS) and online payments industries that have resulted in a move away from the disparate models and multiple providers that have traditionally dominated the local market.

The launch of Payrix Integrated fulfills the evolving demands of todays local SaaS vertical markets and opens the door to greater scalability and control throughout the payment lifecycle. Payrix provides deep payment integration capabilities, data unification, and more customisability and control  with a proven track record of enabling customer success.

The fully integrated payments product enables omnichannel payments from end-to-end, including payment processing (card present and card not present transactions), recurring and real-time transactions, and automated settlement, billing and reporting. It includes support for local payment types like BPay, as well as integrations with leading enterprise providers such as Salesforce and Xero.

Weve closely watched the local market and have seen a gap clearing for more innovative solutions that provide greater potential for flexibility, control and revenue opportunities for our clients, said John De Stefani, Managing Director for Payrix in Australia. We are committed to staying ahead of technology and customer needs and look forward to introducing the next generation of payment solutions to vertical SaaS providers in the months ahead.

Additional US products, including Payrix Pro and Payrix Premium, will soon join Payrix Integrated in the local market. These introductions mean that SaaS providers  who are faced with managing multiple, limited systems or taking the long road to becoming a payment facilitator  can leverage a single integration for increasing levels of customisability and control, with a scalable model that maximises profitability and enables a seamless client experience.

Combining global backing, deep expertise and local support, Payrix will roll out a cutting-edge product roadmap with offerings like payment facilitation-as-a-service and payment infrastructure-as-a-service. Payrix believes that these new solutions  which are entering the local market for the first time  will empower vertical SaaS clients in Australasia to unleash their platforms full potential at any stage of their payments journey.

About Payrix

Payrix is a passionate, global team of payments and software experts that provides vertical software companies with an all-in-one platform  and a white-glove approach  to capitalize on the opportunities within embedded payments for growth, innovation and transformation.

Led by forward-thinkers from PayPal, Worldpay, Elavon, Chase Paymentech, Global Payments and more, Payrix is committed to delivering to its clients more freedom and peace of mind with a proven solution that helps eliminate friction, unleash their possibilities with new revenue, and make their customers lives easier.

Payrix is a privately held company headquartered in Atlanta, GA with an office in Brisbane, Australia, and is backed by PSG and Blue Star Innovation Partners.

For more information visit payrix.com/au or follow Payrix on LinkedIn.
PERTH, Western Australia, Oct. 11, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Perseus Mining Limited (ASX/TSX: PRU) is hosting an investor webinar and conference call to discuss the September 2021 Quarterly Report, which is anticipated for release around 8:30am AEST on Thursday October 21, 2021, as well as the Edikan and Yaoure exploration updates.

CALL DETAILS

Australia: Thursday October 21, 2021



Perth  6:00am



Sydney/Melbourne  9:00am Canada: Wednesday October 20, 2021



Toronto  6:00pm



Vancouver  3:00pm UK: Wednesday October 20, 2021



London  11:00pm





Register for the investor webinar at the link below:

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_hY9yZCH2R5mAhElI6Y9Swg

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

To join the webinar via telephone, please use one of the following numbers and enter the Webinar ID: 898 2050 6084

For higher quality, dial a number based on your current location:

Location Australia Singapore Canada USA New Zealand United Kingdom Dial in Number +61 8 7150 1149



+61 3 7018 2005 +65 3165 1065 +1 778 907 2071 +1 669 900 9128 +64 9 884 6780 +44 203 901 7895

International numbers available: https://zoom.us/zoomconference.

A recording of the conference call will be made available via Perseuss website at perseusmining.com.

This announcement was approved for release by Jeff Quartermaine, Managing Director and CEO.
The Committee instructs the youth to each file claims in 5 countries, squander years in procedural delays, and then return to the UN after theyve lost in national courts.



The message to children is Youre on your own.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 11, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In a stunning decision, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child , the global human rights body tasked with protecting childrens rights, refused to hear the case of 16 youth from around the world who are threatened by the climate crisis.

Represented by a team of human rights and environmental lawyers from Hausfeld and Earthjustice, the youth argued that five G20 countriesArgentina, Brazil, France, Germany, and Turkeyare violating their rights to life, health, and culture under the Convention on the Rights of the Child by failing to curb greenhouse gas emissions to levels that would limit global warming to 1.5C, a target set by climate science and the Paris Agreement.

Today, the Committee delivered a rebuke to young people around the world who are demanding immediate action on the climate crisis. In dismissing the case, the Committee told children that climate change is a dire global emergency, but the UNs doors are closed to them.

The petitioners won on several of the most challenging legal issues in climate litigation. The Committee accepted their arguments that states are legally responsible for the harmful effects of emissions originating in their territory on children outside their borders. The fact that all states are causing climate change, the Committee held, does not absolve states of individual responsibility to reduce their own share of emissions. The Committee also found that the youth are victims of foreseeable threats to their rights to life, health, and culture.

Yet this was a hollow victory. The Committee also held that the petitioners must first bring lawsuits in each of the five states national courtsdespite tomes of case law and expert evidence showing that none of those cases would succeed. In the cases of Germany and Turkey, for example, the Committee disregarded national court decisions that would deny foreign nationals the right to bring environmental claims.

In effect, the Committee instructed the youth to squander years waiting for inevitable dismissal. For petitioner Litokne Kabua and other children from the Marshall Islands in the south Pacific, there is simply no time to file a climate change case in every state in the world that is fueling global warming: if emissions are not immediately reduced, the Marshall Islands will likely be submerged in the ocean within the childrens lifetime.

I have no doubt this judgment will haunt the Committee in the future, said petitioner Alexandria Villasenor. When the climate disasters are even more severe than they are now, the Committee will severely regret not doing the right thing when they had the chance. Children are increasingly on the frontlines of the climate crisis, accounting for over 80% of climate related deaths. Yet again, the adults have failed to protect us.

We are going to continue to fight for pathways to justice for children staring down climate extinction, said Scott Gilmore, lead counsel from global law firm Hausfeld. The Committee acknowledged that states are legally obligated to act, that our clients lives are at risk, and that time is running out. But they still closed the UNs doors. So be it. The legal battle for the climate now returns to national courts.

Once again, polluting states are given a free pass to perpetuate the climate crisis, said co-lead counsel Ramin Pejan, Senior Attorney at environmental NGO Earthjustice. Despite acknowledging that the 16 youths are already experiencing devastating impacts from climate change that will continue throughout their lifetime if immediate action is not taken, the Committee leaves them with no effective way to protect their rights.

More responses from the youth:

Ayakha Melithafa (19, South Africa): I am disappointed with the Committees decision today, but also more determined than ever to use every platform available to me to keep fighting for my future. We are on the verge of an abyss and our political leaders must change course immediately - young people should not need to bring legal claims seeking to hold them to account for promises made. COP26 will take place in 20 days time, and governments must deliver action there that is of the scale and speed we need.

Catarina Lorenzo (14, Brazil): I am disappointed and worried. We have scientific proof that those countries are impacting our climate, and yet, this case was not accepted. We have our own stories to show how we are being impacted by the current climate change, and yet, the case was still not accepted. I am disappointed in the committee for not seeing this case as admissible in a moment in which we are desperate for real and effective action, as we are facing a crisis, the climate crisis.

Iris Duquesne (18, France): We are all very disappointed but unfortunately not surprised. We have seen governments and officials ignore the climate crisis over and over again and today was no exception. The fight for climate justice is not over, and we will keep pushing with or without the Committees help.

Read the September 2019 petition Read the Petitioners' stories Read the FAQ about the petition

NOTE TO EDITORS

For further information or to arrange interviews, please contact:

Deborah Schwartz

Media Relations

240 355 8838

deborah@mediarelationsinc.com

Bridget Uebel

Global Chief Marketing Officer

+44 20 7936 0947

buebel@hausfeld.com

About Hausfeld

Hausfeld is a global litigation law firm. Working alongside our clients, we have shaped law around the world, transformed legal practice with new ideas, and brought claims that others arent bold enough to bring. We pioneered the development of flexible fee structures and case funding, enabling our clients across the globe to pursue dispute resolution with no or limited legal cost risk or up-front financial burden. Our firm combines highly experienced litigators and arbitrators with a proven track record in claimant litigation across the following practice areas and sectors: antitrust and competition, commercial and financial disputes, environmental law, human rights, product liability, and technology and data breach issues. With 12 global offices in the US, UK and Europe, we continue to achieve landmark settlements and precedent-setting legal decisions in complex cases for our clients worldwide, often after hard-fought litigation against the biggest names in the legal market.

Socially minded and champions for the best corporate governance, we are proud to be at the forefront of the legal profession in improving access to justice for both individuals and businesses. That makes us a profoundly different law firm.

For more information about Hausfeld, including recent trial victories and landmark settlements, please visit www.hausfeld.com .

About Earthjustice

Earthjustice is the premier nonprofit environmental law organization. We wield the power of law and the strength of partnership to protect peoples health, to preserve magnificent places and wildlife, to advance clean energy, and to combat climate change. We are here because the earth needs a good lawyer. Visit www.earthjustice.org to learn more.

This material is distributed by Hausfeld LLP and Earthjustice on behalf of Environmental Youth Activists. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington, D.C.

Editors Notes: The CRC was uniquely positioned to hear this case, as it monitors implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child , which protects childrens rights around the globe.
English French





Gosselies, Belgium, 12 October 2021, 7:00 am CEST  BONE THERAPEUTICS (Euronext Brussels and Paris: BOTHE), the cell therapy company addressing unmet medical needs in orthopedics and other diseases, today announces it has appointed key experts to a Scientific Advisory Board (SAB).

Bone Therapeutics has appointed the members of this SAB specifically to provide additional expert guidance on the development of Bone Therapeutics novel, next generation induced pluripotent stem cell-derived mesenchymal stromal cell (iMSC) platform. This iMSC platform will be used to develop cell and gene therapy products that have strong anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties, for the treatment of acute life-threatening unmet medical diseases.

Bone Therapeutics has appointed its SAB with world-recognized scientists and clinicians in the cell and gene therapy field. Each SAB member has been selected having demonstrated leadership roles in the clinical development of engineered cell and gene therapy for specific acute unmet medical conditions. These specific conditions include graft vs host disease, acute respiratory distress syndrome, sepsis, and trauma, as well as orthopedic conditions including osteoarthritis.

Bone Therapeutics is developing a next generation iMSC platform that has the potential to develop transformative cell and gene therapies for patients suffering from a range of life-threatening unmet medical diseases. Given the therapeutic potential of this platform and to deliver this platform to an operational state as quickly as possible, Bone Therapeutics has brought together a group of world-leading experts to support its development, said Tony Ting, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer, Bone Therapeutics. These thought leaders have been selected to bring a wealth of specific experience in the clinical development of cell and gene therapies. The input from this SAB will be critical as Bone Therapeutics develops its next-generation iMSC products for acute inflammatory diseases.

Given the therapeutic potential of the iMSC platform that Bone Therapeutics is developing, the invitation to chair and help form this scientific advisory board was too tempting to decline, said Massimo Dominici, MD, chair, Bone Therapeutics Scientific Advisory Board. The blend in expertise of this scientific advisory board will be able to provide key advice and consultancy to Bone Therapeutics and will make key contributions to ensure the development of the iMSC platform to reach patients of acute life-threatening unmet medical diseases as quickly as possible.





The Bone Therapeutics Scientific Advisory Board are as follows:

Massimo Dominici, MD, (Chair) - Full Professor of Medical Oncology and Director of the Division of Medical Oncology and of the Program of Cellular Therapy and Immuno-oncology at the University Hospital of Modena and Reggio Emilia (Italy). Also a member of the World Health Organization (WHO) Expert Advisory Panel on The International Pharmacopoeia and Pharmaceutical Preparations serving the INN Expert Group. Since 2016, the Director of the Residency School in Medical Oncology, since 2005, head of the Laboratory of Cellular Therapies at the University Hospital of Modena and Reggio Emilia (Italy). Scientific founder of the university start-up Rigenerand since 2009. Co-founder and coordinator of the Mirandola Science & Technology Park. Co-founder of the Forum of Italian Researcher on MSC (FIRST), board member of JACIE, WBMT and scientific advisor for the Italian Minister of Health. President of ISCT 2014-2016, Emeritus Member of ISCT and now Member of the ISCT Strategic Advisory Council. From June 2014 until May 2020 Chair of the ISCT Presidential taskforce on unproven cell and gene therapies.

Frank Barry, PhD, Professor of Cellular Therapy at the Regenerative Medicine Institute (REMEDI), National University of Ireland Galway and Visiting Scientist at the Schroeder Arthritis Institute in Toronto. He has made key contributions to the fields of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine by developing innovative and successful cellular therapies for tissue repair, joint injury and arthritic disease. By undertaking a large body of basic and translational research, he has contributed to the industrys current understanding of the phenotypic attributes of mesenchymal stromal cells that make them attractive candidates for advanced therapeutics. He has also contributed to the development of methods for automated, efficient and scalable cell expansion for GMP application and has been a leader in the development of clinical protocols for patient testing. He is the Coordinator of the ADIPOA2 clinical trial to test the efficacy of stromal cell delivery as a treatment for osteoarthritis. Frank Barry has received the Marshall Urist Award for excellence in tissue regeneration research from the Orthopaedic Research Society. Recently elected as a Member of the Royal Irish Academy.

Robert Deans, PhD, CSO at Synthego, a genome engineering company automating a new era of cell and gene therapeutics. Previously CTO at BlueRock Therapeutics, creating iPSC based allogeneic cell therapeutics by harnessing pluripotent stem cell biology and gene editing tools and founding CSO at Rubius Therapeutics, developing a platform of novel enucleated cell therapeutics based on genetic engineering and expansion of hematopoietic progenitors to mature red cells. Dr. Deans has more than 30 years of experience in adult stem cell therapeutics which includes HSC gene therapy and commercialization of progenitor cell therapeutics from bone marrow.



Richard Maziarz, MD, has been involved in clinical investigation and translational research, for over 30 years, beginning with research and clinical training at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Brigham & Womens Hospital and continuing in 1991 when he moved to Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) to develop a transplantation immunology program and served as the medical director of the adult OHSU stem cell transplant program since 1994. His research involved the immunology of transplantation or its complications, particularly in studying the immunopathophysiology of GVHD. He has served as principal investigator or co-investigator on over 100 clinical trials including multiple initiatives sponsored by numerous national transplant organizations including SWOG, CIBMTR, ISCT, NMDP and BMT CTN. Within the BMT CTN, he serves on the Steering committee, chaired the Regimen Related Toxicity Committee, was a member of the GVHD Committee and served as the principal investigator for the BMT CTN on the first multicenter, stem cell transplant trial for patients with advanced chronic lymphocytic leukemia (BMT CTN 0804).

Patricia Rocco, MD, PhD, Full Professor at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, and heads the Laboratory of Pulmonary Investigation. Elected Member of the National Academy of Medicine in Brazil and Brazilian Academy of Science. Past Vice-President of ISCT for the South and Central America regions. Authored and co-authored more than 380 peer-reviewed publications and 120 book chapters. She is the President of the Brazilian Society of Physiology (2021-2022). Her research activities focus mainly on the development of new therapies for lung diseases.





About Bone Therapeutics

Bone Therapeutics is a leading biotech company focused on the development of innovative products to address high unmet needs in orthopedics and other diseases. The Company has a diversified portfolio of cell therapies at different stages ranging from pre-clinical programs in immunomodulation to mid stage clinical development for orthopedic conditions, targeting markets with large unmet medical needs and limited innovation.

Bone Therapeutics core technology is based on its cutting-edge allogeneic cell and gene therapy platform with differentiated bone marrow sourced Mesenchymal Stromal Cells (MSCs) which can be stored at the point of use in the hospital. Currently in pre-clinical development, BT-20, the most recent product candidate from this technology, targets inflammatory conditions, while the leading investigational medicinal product, ALLOB, represents a unique, proprietary approach to bone regeneration, which turns undifferentiated stromal cells from healthy donors into bone-forming cells. These cells are produced via the Bone Therapeutics scalable manufacturing process. Following the CTA approval by regulatory authorities in Europe, the Company has initiated patient recruitment for the Phase IIb clinical trial with ALLOB in patients with difficult tibial fractures, using its optimized production process. ALLOB continues to be evaluated for other orthopedic indications including spinal fusion, osteotomy, maxillofacial and dental.

Bone Therapeutics cell therapy products are manufactured to the highest GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) standards and are protected by a broad IP (Intellectual Property) portfolio covering ten patent families as well as knowhow. The Company is based in the BioPark in Gosselies, Belgium. Further information is available at www.bonetherapeutics.com.





For further information, please contact:

Bone Therapeutics SA

Miguel Forte, MD, PhD, Chief Executive Officer

Lieve Creten, Chief Financial Officer ad interim

Tel: +32 (0)71 12 10 00

investorrelations@bonetherapeutics.com

For Belgian Media and Investor Enquiries:

Bepublic

Catherine Haquenne

Tel: +32 (0)497 75 63 56

catherine@bepublic.be

International Media Enquiries:

Image Box Communications

Neil Hunter / Michelle Boxall

Tel: +44 (0)20 8943 4685

neil.hunter@ibcomms.agency / michelle@ibcomms.agency

For French Media and Investor Enquiries:

NewCap Investor Relations & Financial Communications

Pierre Laurent, Louis-Victor Delouvrier and Arthur Rouille

Tel: +33 (0)1 44 71 94 94

bone@newcap.eu





Certain statements, beliefs and opinions in this press release are forward-looking, which reflect the Company or, as appropriate, the Company directors current expectations and projections about future events. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties and assumptions could adversely affect the outcome and financial effects of the plans and events described herein. A multitude of factors including, but not limited to, changes in demand, competition and technology, can cause actual events, performance or results to differ significantly from any anticipated development. Forward looking statements contained in this press release regarding past trends or activities should not be taken as a representation that such trends or activities will continue in the future. As a result, the Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release any update or revisions to any forward-looking statements in this press release as a result of any change in expectations or any change in events, conditions, assumptions or circumstances on which these forward-looking statements are based. Neither the Company nor its advisers or representatives nor any of its subsidiary undertakings or any such persons officers or employees guarantees that the assumptions underlying such forward-looking statements are free from errors nor does either accept any responsibility for the future accuracy of the forward-looking statements contained in this press release or the actual occurrence of the forecasted developments. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release.
French English

La Motte-Fanjas, October 12, 2021 - 7:30 a.m. CEST - McPhy (Euronext Paris Compartment C: MCPHY, FR0011742329), a specialist in hydrogen production and distribution equipment, announces that the Board of Directors, which met on October 11, 2021, has appointed Jean-Baptiste Lucas as Chief Executive Officer, replacing Luc Poyer. Jean-Baptiste Lucas' mandate will take effect on October 18, 2021. Consequently, the Board of Directors has decided to redissociate the functions of Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer, from the date on which Jean-Baptiste Lucas' term of office takes effect, with Luc Poyer continuing to perform the functions of Chairman of the Board of Directors.

Luc Poyer, Chairman of the Board of Directors of McPhy said: "As announced in July, the Group has conducted a rigorous and open selection process for the recruitment of a new Chief Executive Officer. Jean-Baptiste Lucas has a solid and successful international experience, focused on the customer, in the process industry, both in operational management of industrial units, development and transformation, as well as in general management positions in fast growing companies within global groups. It is with confidence that I am handing over the General Management to Jean-Baptiste Lucas whom, with this track record of excellence in innovation, major projects and scale-up of industrial processes, has the necessary qualities to lead, with McPhys teams, the large-scale industrialization and place the company among the world leaders."

Prior to joining McPhy, Mr. Lucas, 50, was since January 2019 the Managing Director of IPS B.V, a Dutch packaging technology group owned by Apollo Management, where he led the successful resizing and turnaround of the company. Between 2011 and July 2017, Mr. Lucas spent 6.5 years in Bahrain, working for industrial companies owned by the kingdom's sovereign wealth fund as Managing Director of GARMCO, where he led the construction of an aluminum casthouse, and previously as Executive Vice President of ALBA, where he was responsible for casthouses operations, operational excellence, metallurgy and global sales and marketing. Prior to that, Mr. Lucas spent 13 years with the Pechiney Group, now Alcan, where he was General Manager in Switzerland, heading the Aerospace, Transportation and Industry division after having headed sales and marketing in Germany. Mr. Lucas began his career in 1996 with the French management consulting firm Bossard Consultants. He is a former French Foreign Trade Advisor and a graduate of ESCP.

Upcoming financial communication events

Publication of annual sales on January 25, 2022, after market close

About McPhy

As a specialist in hydrogen production and distribution equipment, McPhy contributes to the global deployment of zero-carbon hydrogen as a solution for the energy transition. With a comprehensive range of products for the industrial, mobility and energy sectors, McPhy offers its customers turnkey solutions adapted to their industrial feedstock supply, fuel cell vehicle recharging and the storage and recovery of surplus renewable electricity. Designer, manufacturer and integrator of hydrogen equipment since 2008, McPhy has three development, engineering and production centers in Europe (France, Italy, Germany). Its international subsidiaries ensure a wide commercial coverage for its innovative hydrogen solutions. McPhy is listed on Euronext Paris (compartment C, ISIN code: FR0011742329, mnemonic code: MCPHY).

CONTACTS

NewCap



Investor Relations



Emmanuel Huynh

T. +33 (0)1 44 71 20 42

mcphy@newcap.eu







Press Relations



Nicolas Merigeau

T. +33 (0)1 44 71 94 98

mcphy@newcap.eu





Attachment
TORONTO, Oct. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- African Gold Group, Inc. (TSX-V: AGG, OTC: AGGFF, FRA: 3A61) (AGG or the Company) is pleased to announce that the Kobada-Est exploration permit has been renewed and extended for a period of three years (expiration on 06 October 2024) by the Ministry of Mines of the Republic of Mali.



Kobada-Est exploration permit covers an area of 7,700 hectares and forms part of the Kobada Gold Project`s (the Project or Kobada) highly prospective contiguous exploration and mining permits, totalling 25,770 hectares in the southern Mali. Past historical drilling programs, geophysics and soil geochemistry have identified mineralized shear zones that represent an opportunity to expand the resource base for the Kobada project.

Highlights:

AGG will host live investor webinar on Tuesday, October 12th at 12:00 pm (EDT) / 9:00 am (PDT).

The government of Mali has renewed Kobada-Est exploration permit until October 2024

Further potential to convert portions of the 55 km of identified shear zones based upon initial results into additional resources

Historical artisanal workings indicate strong SW-NE trend along known shear zones into the Kobada-Est exploration permit

Initial trenching results (July 30 th 2021, have returned a 22 m wide mineralised zone @ 1.1 g/t or 16 m @ 1.4 g/t)

2021, have returned a 22 m wide mineralised zone @ 1.1 g/t or 16 m @ 1.4 g/t) Further trenching work ongoing along the Kobada-Est shear zone

Danny Callow, CEO of African Gold Group, commented:

The renewal of the Kobada-Est permit opens up highly prospective exploration rights which have already shown very positive gold mineralisation anomalies through regional exploration techniques. The recent renewal of our Faraba permit in September 2021, consolidates our ownership of the full 25,000 hectares of highly prospective ground, which includes our 3.1 million ounce total resource, and 1.25 million ounce reserve on our Kobada mining permit, in only 4 km of strike. We have consistently outlined the significant upside potential at our contiguous permits and the renewal of these permit opens up the opportunity to increase the size of the overall resource. There is no doubt that there remains substantial upside to these numbers, as we continue to explore and develop these permitted exploration areas.

The Kobada-Est exploration permit is a part of a group of permits located on the western flank of the Bougouni basin covering an area of 7,700 hectares. The shear zones discovered in the Kobada-Est concession form a part of the combined 55 km shear strikes, identified across the three concessions from previous geophysics and soil geochemistry.

The company recently announced the renewal of its Faraba exploration permit (see press release as of September 22nd, 2021) for a further three years.

Recent trenching undertaken at Kobada-Est (see press release as of September 14th, 2021) highlighted positive results for gold mineralisation. The three trenches, which total 260 m, were excavated in or just east of the delineated Kobada-Est shear zone as defined by the recent reinterpretation of the previous geophysics. Two of the three trenches intersected mineralisation in varying degrees. Trench three, the trench interpreted to be located in the Kobada-Est Shear zone had the best mineralisation. The trench was 30 m in length of which 22 m was mineralised. The grade over the mineralised width was 1.4 g/t over 16 m or 1.1 g/t over 22 m. Trench two, which is believed to be located just east of the shear, was also mineralised but the mineralisation zone was narrow and associated with single veins. The trenches were sighted based on artisanal mining pits, geophysics and soil geochemical anomalies.

The extension of the exploration permit will allow the Company to proceed with the development of new and extended open pit opportunities at Kobada-Est. Successful exploration of these potential shear zones may lead to the extension of Kobada Gold Project`s mine life.

The Company continues to seek out additional opportunities through organic growth and exploration. Development of the Kobada-Est exploration permit and expansion of the existing resource at Kobada permit are among several organic growth projects in Company`s pipeline. The Company believes that progressing organic growth is key to delivering shareholder value over the long-term, and the receipt of consents at Kobada-Est is another step along a critical path to achieving this goal.

The upside potential for the Kobada, over and above the current mineral resource of the Project set out in the NI 43-101 technical report of the Company titled NI 43-101 Technical Report on Kobada Gold Project in Mali with an effective date of June 17, 2020 (the 2020 DFS), lies within the various target shear zones, an estimated 55 km strike, that have been identified by the previous exploration activities. The current mineral resource for the Project area is limited to a portion of the main Kobada shear which has been interpreted to extend into the Faraba permit north of Kobada, as the Foroko North shear, as shown in the figure below.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/bfae4825-3118-45ef-9c84-dbf74fe3f8b2

To date however, limited exploration has been completed on the Kobada-Est permit area as the focus has been on upgrading and increasing the Kobada mineral resource and exploratory drilling at the Gosso target. As part of its ongoing, and dynamic exploration programme, additional work will be carried out in 2022 to improve the understanding of the shear zone extensions into the Kobada-Est deposit.

Investor Live Webinar

The Company would like to invite shareholders to join CEO, Danny Callow for a live webinar discussing recently updated definitive feasibility study for its Kobada Gold Project.

The investor webinar will take place on Tuesday, October 12th at 12:00 pm (EDT) / 9:00 am (PDT). Management will be available to answer written questions following the presentation. Online registration and participation details may be found at the following link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Z5hz4Js1TKuptRNWNqQISw

About African Gold Group

African Gold Group is a TSX Venture Exchange (TSX-V: AGG) listed exploration and development company with a focus on building Africas next mid-tier gold producer. The Company has a highly experienced board and management team with a proven track record in the African mining sector operating mines from development through to production. AGGs principal asset is the Kobada Project in southern Mali, which is in an advanced stage of development having completed the 2020 definitive feasibility study and is targeting gold production of 100,000 oz per annum. As well as the initial Kobada Gold Project, other exploration locations have been identified on the Kobada, Farada and Kobada Est concessions, offering potential for an increase in resource. For more information regarding African Gold Group visit our website at www.africangoldgroup.com.

For more information:

Danny Callow

President and Chief Executive Officer

+ (27) 76 411 3803

Danny.Callow@africangoldgroup.com Daniyal Baizak

Vice President, Corporate Development

+1 (647) 835 9617

Daniyal.Baizak@africangoldgroup.com Scott Eldridge

Non-Executive Chairman of the Board

+1 (604) 722 5381

Scott.Eldridge@africangoldgroup.com Camarco (Financial PR)

Gordon Poole / Nick Hennis

+44 (0) 20 3757 4997

AfricanGoldGroup@camarco.co.uk

Cautionary statements

This press release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements regarding, the renewal of the Faraba permit and the exploration plans of the Company. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as plans, expects or does not expect, is expected, budget, scheduled, estimates, forecasts, intends, anticipates or does not anticipate, or believes, or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of AGG to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to: receipt of necessary approvals; impact of the COVID-19 pandemic; general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; future prices of mineral prices; accidents, labour disputes and shortages and other risks of the mining industry. Although AGG has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. AGG does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

NEITHER TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Oct. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MUSK METALS CORP. (MUSK METALS OR THE COMPANY) (CSE: MUSK) (OTC: EMSKF) (FSE: 1I30) is pleased to announce the completion of a detailed structural and geological data compilation and reinterpretation study completed by Orix Geoscience Ltd. (Orix) on its 100% owned McDonough East Property (the Property) located 16km northwest of Red Lake, Ontario. This report outlines structural and geological enhancements to the property and provides recommendations as to targets of merit for Musks Phase 2 exploration program.



This reinterpretation by Orix is based on data from a recently completed high resolution heli-borne magnetic survey conducted by Prospectair Geosurveys Inc. The high-resolution MAG survey was flown over the totality of the property covering 1,535 ha. (3,793 acres) at 50m line spacings. (See news release dated September 2nd, 2020).

This detailed structural and geological report integrated all historical lithology, mineralization, drilling and structural data with new data from Musks recently completed MAG survey. The result of the Orix study is a far better understanding of the geological and structural framework of the property (Figure 1).

A Media Snippet accompanying this announcement is available by clicking on the image or link below:

Figure 1. Map A GSC Map Red Lake, 2004. Map B re-interpretation by Orix integrating magnetic features and re-interpretation of geology and structure.

Results of Orix data compilation and reinterpretation study are as follows:



New interpretation reveals that the eastern portion of the property is dominated by a suite of deformed volcanic rocks that are prospective to host gold mineralization; Similarly, deformed horizons of magnetic-rich sediments at the central-east corner of the property area may contain iron formation, an important host for orogenic gold mineralization in Archean terranes; The conglomerate horizon on the property also provides a target of merit. This horizon is proximal to the Red Lake and Campbell gold mines in the southern portion of the Red Lake greenstone belt; Interpreted releasing stepover or bend geometry along the stratigraphy-parallel structure at the northern portion of property may control the alteration and/or intrusive rocks, providing an area of rheology where gold mineralization has the potential to be deposited; A prospecting program with a focus on structural geology is recommended to further trace prospective units, contacts and structures associated with mineralization and collect structural observations to help verify the interpretation; and Soil sampling should be conducted to outline possible anomalies where outcrop is minimal.

Orix is recommending a prospecting program with a focus on structural geology is recommended to further trace prospective units, contacts and structures possibly associated with anomalous gold samples as well as collect structural observations to help verify the reinterpretation. A review of the MAG survey products produced by Prospectair for the interpretation is figured below.

A Media Snippet accompanying this announcement is available by clicking on the image or link below:

Figure 2. McDonough East property  high-resolution heliborne magnetic Survey 2021.

About McDonough East - Property Highlights

Situated in the prolific Red Lake Greenstone Belt with historic production and current resources of approx. 41 million ounces Au

Nearby mineral occurrences with very little methodical exploration and drilling including: 0.435 g/t Au and 92.56 g/t Ag over 2.13m

The McDonough East property is contiguous with GoldON Resources Ltd. (GLD - TSX.V) and near Battle North Gold Corporation Slate Bay gold property and straddles a regional unconformity that is a key structural signature of many mines within the Red Lake Greenstone Belt.

Hosts regional magnetic signatures conducive to Archean-style gold mineralization

Four season exploration, all weather road access in an under-explored region of the Red Lake camp

Musk Metals is planning a Phase 2 exploration program based on a recent structural and geological data compilation and reinterpretation study completed by Orix Geoscience Ltd.

Musk Metals CEO and Director, Nader Vatanchi states, The setting at McDonough East is ideal for gold mineralization and we are encouraged by new data and exploration targets generated by Orixs in depth report. Phase 2 exploration will focus on further defining high priority targets and sampling with the potential for new discoveries on the property.

A Media Snippet accompanying this announcement is available by clicking on the image or link below:

Figure 3. McDonough East property location in the Red Lake Gold Camp.

Mike Kilbourne, P. Geo, an independent qualified person as defined in National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical contents of this news release on behalf of the Company.

Make sure to follow the Company on Twitter , Instagram and Facebook as well as subscribe for Company updates at http://www.muskmetals.ca/

About Musk Metals Corp.

Musk Metals is a publicly traded exploration company focused on the development of highly prospective, discovery-stage mineral properties located in some of Canadas top mining jurisdictions. The growing portfolio of mineral properties exhibit favorable geological characteristics in underexplored areas within the prolific Electric Avenue pegmatite field of northwestern Ontario, the Abitibi Lithium Camp of southwestern Quebec, the Golden Triangle district of British Columbia, the Mineral Rich Red Lake mining camp of Northwestern Ontario and the Chapais-Chibougamau mining camp, the second largest mining camp in Quebec, Canada.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

___ Nader Vatanchi ___

CEO & Director

For more information on Musk Metals, please contact:

Phone: 604-717-6605

Corporate e-mail: info@muskmetals.ca

Website: www.muskmetals.ca

Corporate Address: 2905  700 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC, V7Y 1C6

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This news release contains forward-looking statements. All statements, other than statements of historical fact that address activities, events or developments that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the intended use of proceeds of the Offering and other matters regarding the business plans of the Company. The forward-looking statements reflect managements current expectations based on information currently available and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements including that the Company may use the proceeds of the Offering for purposes other than those disclosed in this news release; adverse market conditions; and other factors beyond the control of the Company. Although the Company believes that the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and, accordingly, undue reliance should not be put on such statements due to their inherent uncertainty. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include general market conditions and other factors beyond the control of the Company. The Company expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.

The Canadian Securities Exchange (operated by CNSX Markets Inc.) has neither approved nor disapproved of the contents of this press release.
Sydney, Oct. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Proactive, provider of real-time news and video interviews on growth companies listed in Australia, has covered the following companies:

Carnavale Resources Ltd (ASX:CAV) has identified five target nickel-copper anomalies from an ultra-fine faction (UFF) soil sampling program at Grey Dam Nickel Sulphide Project, 70 kilometres northeast of Kalgoorlie in the Eastern Goldfields of WA. Click here

Anteris Technologies Ltd (ASX:AVR, OTC:AMEUF) has partnered with IQVIA Inc and the Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF) to help it conduct an FDA early feasibility study (EFS). Click here

Fenix Resources Ltd (ASX:FEX) produced a strong September quarter result despite turbulence in iron ore pricing, generating A$25 million in net operating cashflow or 19.7 cents a share net cash backing and paying a maiden fully-franked dividend. Click here

Azure Minerals Ltd (ASX:AZS) has intersected more nickel-copper mineralisation in a resource drill-out program at VC-07 East sulphide deposit on the Andover Project joint venture with Creasy Group in Western Australia. Click here

Chase Mining Corporation Ltd (ASX:CML) is encouraged by the positive progress being made by its investee Red Fox Resources (ASX:FXR) at the Butchers Bore Gold Project in northwest Queensland. Click here

Okapi Resources Ltd (ASX:OKR) has acquired additional high-grade uranium pounds covering a highly strategic landholding that is immediately next to, and contiguous with its existing land position over the High Park Deposit. Click here

Calima Energy Ltd (ASX:CE1) has begun fracture stimulation for three wells at its Throsby asset in Alberta, Canada, as part of its Leo development program and coinciding with a period of strong Brent prices. Click here

Marmota Ltd (ASX:MEU) has completed a diamond drilling program at its highly prospective gold project  Aurora Tank in South Australia. Click here

White Rock Minerals Ltd (ASX:WRM, OTCQX:WRMCF) is trading higher on encountering bonanza-grade gold during exploration drilling at its newly acquired Woods Point Gold Project in Victoria. Click here

Tietto Minerals Ltd (ASX:TIE) managing director Dr Caigen Wang has provided a strong vote of confidence in the company and its gold strategy with a $1 million investment by way of the early exercise of options. Click here

Red River Resources Ltd (ASX:RVR) has entered a new offtake agreement with leading global commodity producer and marketer Glencore International AG for copper concentrate produced at the company's Thalanga Operations in Queensland. Click here

Musgrave Minerals Ltd (ASX:MGV, OTC:MGVMF) and Evolution Mining Ltd (ASX:EVN) have identified more thick zones of regolith gold mineralisation in follow-up aircore drilling at West Island Prospect on Lake Austin within the Cue Joint Venture Project in Western Australias Murchison district. Click here

Strickland Metals Ltd (ASX:STK) has executed a Native Title Land Access and Exploration Agreement (LAEA) with the Tarlka Matuwa Parku Aboriginal Corporation (TMPAC) for the land covering the companys Yandal Project in Western Australia. Click here

XTEK Ltd (ASX:XTE)s 100%-owned US subsidiary, HighCom Armor Solutions, Inc, has received a Purchase Order (PO) to the value of US$1.1 million (A$1.5 million) for specialist ballistic armour products. Click here

FYI Resources Ltd (ASX:FYI) and Alcoa (NYSE:AA) Australia Ltd are preparing to undertake an extended high purity alumina (HPA) trial production run at FYIs pilot plant facility in Welshpool, WA. Click here

Buru Energy Ltd (ASX:BRU)s next lifting of oil from the Ungani Oilfield joint venture is underway and the timing could not be much better with very strong Brent oil prices. Click here

American Rare Earths wholly-owned US subsidiary Western Rare Earths (WRE) is supplying feedstock to researchers seeking funding from the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agencys (DARPA) new Rare Earth Elements (REE) bioengineering research program. Click here

Red 5 Ltd (ASX:RED) has started open-pit grade control drilling at its King of the Hills (KOTH) gold asset near Leonora in Western Australia. Click here

Westar Resources Ltd (ASX:WSR)s farm-in partner Ramelius Resources Ltd has started a reverse circulation (RC) drilling campaign of up to 3,400 metres at the Mt Finnerty Project, north of Southern Cross in the Archaean Marda-Diemals greenstone belt. Click here

Twenty Seven Co Ltd (ASX:TSC), an exploration-based mining company, is about to begin targeting prospective gold anomalies with a reverse circulation (RC) drilling campaign at its wholly owned Rover Gold Project in WA. Click here

Matador Mining Ltd (ASX:MZZ, OTCQX:MZZMF) has confirmed multiple stacked gold lodes near surface at the Window Glass Hill deposit of its Cape Ray Gold Project in Newfoundland, Canada. Click here

About Proactive

Proactive is a unique tech-enabled platform providing companies globally with a comprehensive investor engagement solution across their business lifecycle

With six offices on three continents, Proactive works with innovative growth companies quoted on the worlds major stock exchanges, helping executives to engage intelligently with investors.

In 2020, Proactive featured in 809 million search results, our content was viewed over 165 million times and our readers spent over 10 million hours on our websites. Proactive has produced over 300,000 articles and 20,000 executive interviews since it was established in 2006

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New York, Oct. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "3D Printing Materials Global Market Report 2021: COVID-19 Growth and Change" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06173898/?utm_source=GNW

, GE Additive, Advanced Powders and Coatings, Formlabs, Toner Plastic, Taulman 3D, and Dutch Filaments.



The global 3D printing materials market is expected to grow from $1.09 billion in 2020 to $1.27 billion in 2021 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.4%. The growth is mainly due to the companies resuming their operations and adapting to the new normal while recovering from the COVID-19 impact, which had earlier led to restrictive containment measures involving social distancing, remote working, and the closure of commercial activities that resulted in operational challenges. The market is expected to reach $3.24 billion in 2025 at a CAGR of 26.4%.



The 3D printing materials market consists of sales of 3D printing materials by entities (organizations, sole traders, and partnerships) that are used in the 3D printing process to create prototypes and parts of plastics and glasses. 3D printing is a form of additive manufacturing that involves building three-dimensional solid items by layering materials on top of each other.



The main types of 3D printing materials are polymers, metals, ceramic, and others.Metal additive manufacturing, often known as metal 3D printing, is built on sintering or melting amorphous powder metal in a 3D space to create any structure.



The different technologies include fused deposition modeling (FDM), selective laser sintering (SLS), stereolithography (SLA), direct metal laser sintering (DMLS), others and are available in various forms such as powder, filament, liquid. It is implemented in several verticals such as automotive, healthcare, aerospace and defense, consumer goods, construction, and others.



North America was the largest region in the 3D printing materials market in 2020.Asia Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period.



The regions covered in this report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, and Africa.



The growing technological advancements are gaining significant popularity in the 3D printing materials market.Major companies operating in the 3D printing materials sector are focused on developing new technologies to enhance design capabilities and improve the user experience.



For instance, in October 2020, Formlabs, a US-based 3D printing technology developer and manufacturer launched two new proprietary materials such as Rigid 10K Resin and a reformulation of Draft Resin based on 3D printing technology.Users can print up to four times faster with the reformulated Draft Resin compared with currently existing resins while retaining the greatest level of accuracy and enhancing part quality.



Rigid 10K Resin is the stiffest material in Formlabs whole offering, satisfying the demand for a stiffer, more heat, and chemically resistant substance among engineering and manufacturing clients.



In June 2020, Royal DSM, a Netherlands-based life sciences and materials sciences company acquired Clariants 3D printing materials business for an undisclosed amount.The acquisition allows DSM to offer customers rapid product development iterations for filaments and pellets based on application needs.



Clariant AG is a Switzerland-based company that offers 3D printing materials.



The rising demand for 3D printing materials in the automotive industry is expected to propel the growth of the 3D printing materials market in the forecast period. 3D printing technology has enabled amazing breakthroughs in the automotive sector, starting from the ability to produce rapid prototypes to the widespread fabrication of final car parts and, finally, the 3D manufacturing of practically entire automobiles. The automotive industry has accepted 3D printing and is increasingly utilizing its capabilities regularly. For instance, According to Machine Design, a US-based trade journal the automotive sector is expected to spend roughly $530 million on 3D printing materials by 2021. Therefore, the increasing demand for 3D printing materials in the automotive industry drives the growth of the 3D printing materials market.



The countries covered in the 3D printing materials market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA.



Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06173898/?utm_source=GNW



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Los Angeles, CA, Oct. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The recent announcement for the global licensing agreement between Toon Studio of Beverly Hills, California, and Launch Cart of San Diego, California, gives way to another offering for Launch Cart's eCommerce sellers. "Day of the Dead" renditions of Cinderella, Snow White, and Sleeping Beauty are available and are just in time for the popular Mexican holiday for print-on-demand for eCommerce sellers. Launch Cart offers entrepreneurs the opportunity to build turn-key print-on-demand online stores featuring over 300 customized products through its state-of-the-art eCommerce platform.

"Day of the Dead," also known as Dia de Muertos or Dia de Los Muertos, is associated with All Soul's Day as well as All Saint's Day with well-known Catholic celebrations often held on the 1st and 2nd of November. Every year, people gather in local cemeteries to remember and honor their departed loved ones. "Day of the Dead" is a multi-day event involving friends and family who take time to remember and pray for their dearly departed ones.

Sellers can make this Mexican holiday even more festive with the many unique collections that the newly launched "Day of the Dead" store offers. The "Day of the Dead" will surely be a favorite among those who want to celebrate the holiday with an assortment of gifts, accessories, and other unique products and collections highly inspired by the Mexican celebration of "Day of the Dead."

Launch Cart is a tech company creating a better, faster, higher-converting eCommerce SaaS platform, using a FREEmium go to market strategy, with an integrated Ready-to-Sell B2B Marketplace that will lower the barrier of entry worldwide for tens of millions of entrepreneurs to build an online eCommerce business. Entrepreneurs can create their product line with custom products, monetize their audience, and cater to a specific niche.

Those interested in starting their online store can visit https://launchcart.com to know more about what Launch Cart can offer. Follow Launch Chart on social media on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram @Launchcart.

For media inquiries or interest in license opportunities, contact Kelly Bennett at Bennett Unlimited PR at (949) 463-6383 or Kelly@BennettUnlimitedPr.com.

Attachments
Dallas, Texas, Oct. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Dickey Foundation, the nonprofit arm of Dickeys Barbecue Pit, awards grants to provide first responders with critical protective equipment and safety gear they need to help make their job easier and, more importantly, safer.

On Tuesday, October 12th at 6:30 p.m. the Dickey Foundation Board Chair Maurine Dickey and the Dallas County Commissioner Elba Garcia will award a grant at the Cockrell Hill City Council Meeting (City Hall, 4125 W. Clarendon, Cockrell Hill, Texas 75211)

The grant which is a joint effort between The Dickey Foundation and Dallas County Commissioner Elba Garcia will provide necessary communications equipment for the Cockrell Hill Fire Department.

The Dickey Foundation is all about giving back to law enforcement and firefighters who put their lives on the line every day while serving our communities, said Laura Rea Dickey, CEO of Dickeys Barbecue Restaurants, Inc. We are pleased that we are helping to provide necessary communications equipment to help the fire department serve the community quickly.

To learn more, follow Dickeys Barbecue Pit on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Download the Dickeys Barbecue Pit app from the Apple App Store or Google Play.

About Dickeys Barbecue Restaurants, Inc.

Dickey's Barbecue Restaurants, Inc., the worlds largest barbecue concept, was founded in 1941 by Travis Dickey. For the past 80 years, Dickeys Barbecue Pit has served millions of guests Legit. Texas. Barbecue. At Dickeys, all our barbecued meats are smoked onsite in a hickory wood burning pit. Dickeys proudly believes theres no shortcut to true barbecue and its why they never say bbq. The Dallas-based, family-run barbecue franchise offers several slow-smoked meats and wholesome sides with 'No B.S. (Bad Stuff)' included. The fast-casual concept has expanded worldwide with international locations in the UAE and Japan. Dickeys Restaurant brands have over 550 locations nationwide. In 2016, Dickeys won first place on Fast Casuals Top 100 Movers and Shakers list, was named a Top 500 Franchise by Entrepreneur in 2018 and was named to Hospitality Technology Industry Heroes in 2021. Led by CEO Laura Rea Dickey, who was named among the countrys 50 most influential women in foodservice in 2020 by Nations Restaurant News and was recognized as one of the top 25 industry leaders on Fast Casuals 2020 Top 100 Movers and Shakers list, Dickey's Barbecue Pit has also been recognized by Fox News, Forbes Magazine, Franchise Times, The Wall Street Journal and QSR Magazine. For more information, visit www.dickeys.com.

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Dublin, Oct. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Extruded Polystyrene Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2021 - 2026)" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The Global Extruded Polystyrene Market is projected to register a CAGR of over 4% during the forecast period (2021-2026).



The market was negatively affected due to COVID-19 in 2020. Owing to the outbreak of COVID-19, many projects were halted in 2020 because of lack of funds, labor shortage, and lockdown regulations. In many developed and developing countries such as the United States, China, and India, migrant workers wreaked havoc and stopped working in construction sites due to a ban on interstate travel. This causes disruption in the supply chain leading to less consumption of construction materials and decreased demand and supply of extruded polystyrene.

For instance, in India, more than 30% of construction workers were away from construction sites due to the pandemic thus delaying the construction activities. Over 65% of companies in the construction ecosystem have been severely affected by the prolonged construction inactivity thus having a negative impact on the extruded polystyrene market. However, the construction industry is likely to witness growth in the coming years, owing to the activities in the economies such as China and India thus increasing the market for extruded polystyrene in the construction industry.

Over the medium term, the major factors driving the market studied are growth in construction and building activities around the world and an increase in demand for insulation materials. On the flip side, the high cost of extruded polystyrene on comparing to its close substitutes and the negative impact of COVID-19 pandemic are expected to hinder the growth of the market.

The growing concern regarding global warming and increasing demand for sustainable solutions like the introduction of green buildings is expected to offer various opportunities for the growth of market over the forecast period.By application, the residential segment is expected to dominate the market owing to the increasing expenditure on construction of new buildings due to the growing population and increased renovation of buildings along with the adoption of the concept of green buildings.

Asia-Pacific region dominated the market across the globe with the largest consumption from countries such as China, India, and Japan.

Key Market Trends



Increasing Demand from Residential Segment

Extruded polystyrene (XPS) is a thermoplastic polymer that has a closed-cell structure and is considerably stronger with higher mechanical performance but is more expensive than its close substitute expanded polystyrene (EPS).

Extruded polystyrene is widely used in residential buildings in the form of rigid foam for the insulation of floors, roofs, walls, ceilings, and balconies owing to its properties namely high compressive strength and moisture resistance.

Furthermore, extruded polystyrene is most widely used in the insulation of green buildings owing to its ability to reduce energy consumption by 6-8% and also ability to reduce greenhouse gas emissions namely carbon dioxide and methane.

The global residential building construction industry is projected to register a CAGR of over 10% during the forecast period owing to which the demand for extruded polystyrene is expected to increase which will propel the extruded polystyrene market.

According to World Bank and the publisher's analysis, the construction industry spending worldwide in the year 2019 was USD 12 trillion and is forecasted to reach an estimated value of USD 15.3 trillion in the year 2026 which will create the demand for building walls.

The US Census Bureau has been providing more permits for the construction of new residential buildings due to the current trend of a multi-family building, along with a rise in the migration to cities.

According to US Census Bureau, construction spending in the United States in both private, as well as public construction in 2020, is around USD 1400 billion. Furthermore, according to StatCan, gross domestic product at basic prices for the construction industry in Canada in the year 2019 was around 141.22 billion Canadian dollars and is expected to increase during the forecast period.

India is likely to witness an investment of around USD 1.3 trillion in housing, over the next four years, during which, the country is likely to witness the construction of 60 million new homes. The availability of affordable housing is expected to rise around 70% by 2024 in India.

Owing to all the above-mentioned factors for extruded polystyrene, its demand from the residential segment is expected to grow rapidly over the forecast period.

Asia-Pacific Region to Dominate the Market

Asia-Pacific region is expected to dominate the market for extruded polystyrene during the forecast period. In countries like China, and India owing to the growing population, increasing industrialization, urbanization, and living standards, the demand for extruded polystyrene has been increasing in the region.

The Asia-Pacific region accounted for more than 40% of the global extruded polystyrene consumption share owing to growth in various sectors namely banking, telecommunication, information technology, financial services, and insurance.

Governments of countries like India, China, and Japan have emphasized reducing the emission of greenhouse gases owing to which adoption of green buildings is increasing in the region and the demand for extruded polystyrene is increasing as it reduces the emission of harmful gases like carbon dioxide and methane.

The Indian government has allocated USD 63 billion for the infrastructure sector in 2019-20 and is planning to spend USD 1.4 trillion over the next five years.

In India, the construction industry in value terms is expected to record a CAGR of 15.7% to reach USD 738.5 billion by 2022.

The construction sector of India has been growing at a higher rate owing to the increasing investments and increasing purchasing power of people. The government of India supports the higher growth of construction sector through their schemes as: "Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY)" programme aims to build 20 million urban homes and 30 million rural houses by 2022.

The rising expenditure in infrastructure development is expected to propel the extruded polystyrene market. For instance, China is investing USD 1.43 trillion in the next five year till 2025, in major construction projects. According to National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), Shanghai plan includes the investment of USD 38.7 billion in next three years, whereas Guangzhou has signed 16 new infrastructure projects with and investment of USD 8.09 billion.

Also, China has the largest building market in the world, making up 20% of all construction investment globally. The country alone is expected to spend nearly USD 13 trillion on buildings by 2030.

The aforementioned factors, coupled with government support, are contributing to the increasing demand for extruded polystyrene during the forecast period.

Competitive Landscape



The extruded polystyrene market is fragmented with players accounting for a marginal share of the market. Some key companies in the market include BASF SE, Synthos, Saint-Gobain ISOVER, Knauf Insulation, and DuPont.



Reasons to Purchase this report:

The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format

3 months of analyst support

Key Topics Covered:



1 INTRODUCTION



2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY



3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY



4 MARKET DYNAMICS

4.1 Drivers

4.1.1 Growth in Construction and Building Activities

4.1.2 Increase in Demand of Insulation Materials

4.2 Restraints

4.2.1 High Cost of Extruded Polystyrene

4.2.2 Negative Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic

4.2.3 Other Restraints

4.3 Industry Value Chain Analysis

4.4 Porters Five Forces Analysis



5 MARKET SEGMENTATION

5.1 Application

5.1.1 Residential

5.1.2 Commercial

5.1.3 Infrastructure

5.2 Geography

5.2.1 Asia-Pacific

5.2.1.1 China

5.2.1.2 India

5.2.1.3 Japan

5.2.1.4 South Korea

5.2.1.5 Rest of Asia-Pacific

5.2.2 North America

5.2.2.1 United States

5.2.2.2 Canada

5.2.2.3 Mexico

5.2.3 Europe

5.2.3.1 Germany

5.2.3.2 United Kingdom

5.2.3.3 Italy

5.2.3.4 France

5.2.3.5 Rest of Europe

5.2.4 South America

5.2.4.1 Brazil

5.2.4.2 Argentina

5.2.4.3 Rest of South America

5.2.5 Middle-East and Africa

5.2.5.1 Saudi Arabia

5.2.5.2 South Africa

5.2.5.3 Rest of Middle-East and Africa



6 COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

6.1 Mergers & Acquisitions, Joint Ventures, Collaborations, and Agreements

6.2 Market Share (%) /Ranking Analysis

6.3 Strategies Adopted by Leading Players

6.4 Company Profiles

6.4.1 Austrotherm

6.4.2 BASF SE

6.4.3 DiversiFoam Products

6.4.4 DuPont

6.4.5 EMIRATES EXTRUDED POLYSTYRENE L.L.C.

6.4.6 Saint-Gobain ISOVER

6.4.7 JACKON Insulation GmbH

6.4.8 Kingspan Group

6.4.9 Knauf Insulation

6.4.10 Owens Corning

6.4.11 Ravago Greece Group

6.4.12 Soprema Group

6.4.13 Synthos

6.4.14 TECHNONICOL

6.4.15 URSA

6.4.16 Versalis S.p.A.



7 MARKET OPPORTUNITIES AND FUTURE TRENDS

7.1 Increasing Demand for Sustainable Solutions

7.2 Other Opportunities

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/mloky7
HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, Oct. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Erdene Resource Development Corporation (TSX: ERD | MSE: ERDN) (Erdene or the Company) is pleased to announce the closure of an over-subscribed private placement offering of Common Shares on the Mongolia Stock Exchange (MSE) for gross proceeds of approximately US$5 million from 1,867 institutional and private Mongolian investors.



Quotes from the Company and the MSE

We are very pleased to add to our substantial Mongolian investor base with the closure of this MSE financing, said Peter Akerley, Erdenes President and CEO. During my recent visit to Mongolia I met with many of our stakeholders. I would like to thank our long-time shareholders for their continued support and welcome our new shareholders to an exciting period in Erdenes growth. Funds from the offering will be used for construction of our high-grade, open-pit Bayan Khundii Gold Project and to continue exploration in our Khundii Gold District.

We would like to congratulate Erdene on its successful Mongolian Stock Exchange offering, said Altai Khangai, CEO of the MSE. As the first Company to have cross-listed on the Mongolian and Toronto Stock Exchanges, Erdene has demonstrated the important role that local capital markets play in financing mineral developments in Mongolia.

Offering Terms

Pursuant to the offering, the Company issued 17,484,662 common shares at a price of MNT815 (C$0.36) per share for gross proceeds of approximately US$5 million. The offering was led by BDSec SC JSC, with Mandal Capital Markets SC and Tavan Bogd Capital SC acting as co-underwriters. The Common Shares were issued under a prospectus prepared pursuant to Mongolian laws. The Company paid a cash commission of 7% of the gross proceeds to the underwriters of the offering. The offering was oversubscribed by 46%, however, the Company limited the issuance to 17,484,662 shares, which were distributed to subscribers pro-rata.

Erdene intends to use the net proceeds of the offering for the continued development of its 100%-owned Bayan Khundii Gold Project, the delineation of the recent Ulaan and Dark Horse gold discoveries, additional exploration activities within the Khundii Gold District, and for working capital and general corporate purposes.

About Erdene

Erdene Resource Development Corp. is a Canada-based resource company focused on the acquisition, exploration, and development of precious and base metals in underexplored and highly prospective Mongolia. The Company has interests in three mining licenses and two exploration licenses in Southwest Mongolia, where exploration success has led to the discovery and definition of the Khundii Gold District. Erdene Resource Development Corp. is listed on the Toronto and the Mongolian stock exchanges. Further information is available at www.erdene.com . Important information may be disseminated exclusively via the website; investors should consult the site to access this information.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain information regarding Erdene contained herein may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements may include estimates, plans, expectations, opinions, forecasts, projections, guidance, or other statements that are not statements of fact. Although Erdene believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to have been correct. Erdene cautions that actual performance will be affected by a number of factors, most of which are beyond its control, and that future events and results may vary substantially from what Erdene currently foresees. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include the ability to obtain required third party approvals, market prices, exploitation, and exploration results, continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions. The forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. The information contained herein is stated as of the current date and is subject to change after that date. The Company does not assume the obligation to revise or update these forward-looking statements, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.

NO REGULATORY AUTHORITY HAS APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED THE CONTENTS OF THIS RELEASE

Erdene Contact Information

Peter C. Akerley, President and CEO, or

Robert Jenkins, CFO




MINNEAPOLIS, Oct. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pace Analytical Services, LLC, preferred provider of in-lab, mobile, and emergency onsite specialty-contaminant and regulatory testing and analysis services, today announced that it has acquired ProScience Analytical Services, Inc, a provider of environmental analytical services in the northeastern United States.

"The TEM capabilities ProScience brings to the Pace network align with our commitment to deliver quality data when and where our customers need it," notes Pace Analytical CEO, Eric Roman. "For example, TEM allows us to analyze asbestos samples at a much higher resolution for Pace customers." TEM or Transmission Electron Microscopy is an automated imaging process that uses electronic beams to capture a high-resolution image of a sample, providing higher data quality to customers, faster.

ProScience serves consultants, businesses, and government agencies in the New England area with analytical testing of air, water, soil, sediment, sludge, paint, and more. These services are performed in the support of remediation, investigation, underground storage tank removal, and lead and asbestos abatement and monitoring projects. "ProScience brings new capabilities to the Pace laboratory network, allowing us to grow our lead and asbestos testing business in a region with high demand for these services", adds Greg Whitman, President of Pace Analytical Services. "The acquisition also adds to the dozen or so Pace locations in the northeast; giving our New England customers another convenient option for their analytical testing needs." ProScience Analytical Services, Inc. is located in Woburn, MA.

Pace Analytical Services, LLC is a portfolio company of Los Angeles-based Aurora Capital Partners.

About ProScience Analytical Services

ProScience Analytical Services was founded in 1996 and is located at 22 Cummings Park, Woburn, Massachusetts. The facility consists of approximately 5,000 square feet of laboratory and office space. Included are separate areas for sample preparation, metals analysis, optical asbestos analysis, and electron microscopy asbestos analysis. The laboratory is designed for smooth and efficient sample flow ensuring expedient turnaround of any type of sample. The laboratory's strict adherence to EPA and NVLAP protocols result in superior contamination control and sample tracking. ProScience.net

About Pace Analytical

Pace Analytical Services, LLC makes the world a safer, healthier place. For decades, we have been the trusted source for quality environmental and life sciences lab testing and analysis and the resource for scientific lab staffing, regulatory, and equipment services. Our work is done in partnership with our clients by providing the science and the data they need to make critical decisions that benefit us all. Pace advances science for businesses, industries, consulting firms, government agencies, and more through the largest, American-owned, and nationally certified laboratory network. Science matters at PACELABS.com.

###

Media Contact: Pam Bednar | pam.bednar@pacelabs.com

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Attachment
Class 1 Surface Samples confirm high-grade mineralization



Assays validate historic Nickel-Copper-Cobalt-Platinum-Palladium

TORONTO, Oct. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Class 1 Nickel and Technologies Ltd. (CSE: NICO/OTCQB: NICLF) ("Class 1 Nickel" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the Company has confirmed the existence of high-grade mineralization from surface samples at the Somanike Project in La Motte Quebec.

David Fitch, President of Class 1 Nickel indicated that: We engaged ABG Exploration to take samples of previously blasted rocks from around the Somanike and Bilson-Cubric high-grade historical resource and the PGE occurrences to the east. The results confirm the rock types and the high-grade nature of the magmatic sulphide mineralization.

Alexandr Beloborodov, P.Geo. an independent consultant, recently completed a due diligence site visit at the Somanike Project with the purpose of confirming the Ni-Cu-PGE mineralization around the historic Marbridge mine area, the Ataman nickel zone and the Bilson-Cubric showing. A total of 10 samples were collected over a two-day period on the Project. These samples were submitted to ALS Canada Ltd. laboratories in Val-dOr. Grab samples were sourced from surface showings at Ataman, Marbridge and Bilson-Cubric outcrops.

Initial Site Visit Highlights:

Grab samples taken from old mineralized Somanike (Bilson-Cubric, Ataman and Marbridge projects) confirm the high-grade nickel and platinum group elements (PGEs) abundances and tenor of these deposits

Re-sampled surface samples confirm the high nickel and high PGE contents of the multiple Somanike showings

Re-sampling of old Bilson-Cubric showing also confirmed the reproducibility of nickel (Ni), copper (Cu) and PGE mineralization from historical work



Table 1: Somanike Grab Samples Results

SAMPLE

DESCRIPTION

PROJECT

AREA

LITHOLOGY

MINERALIZATION

PGM-ICP24



ME-ICP61



Pt Pd Cu Ni g/t g/t % % E6704911 Cubric Iron formation in Gabbro 8% pyrrhotite, 8% chalcopyrite 0.037 0.188 0.17 0.656 E6704912 Cubric Iron formation in Gabbro semi massive 10% pyrrhotite, 10%chalcopyrite 0.153 0.384 0.39 3.78 E6704917 Mine 2 fence Gossan 15% pyrite, green and purple alteration in basalt 2.02 2.15 0.012 2.98 E6704918 Mine 2 fence Gossan 5% pyrite, green and purple alteration in basalt 1.045 1.245 0.012 0.577 E6704919 Mine 1 closest to shaft Ultramafic, magnetic None 0.006 0.011 0.01 0.226 E6704920 Mine 1 fence Gossan 12% pyrrhotite, 3% chalcopyrite 0.2 0.379 0.08 1.845 E6704921 Mine 1 fence Gossan 6% pyrrhotite, 2% chalcopyrite 0.258 0.445 0.20 2.05 E6704923 Ataman west, Alex showing Gossan 1% pyrite <0.005 0.001 0.006 0.011 E6704924 Ataman central blast Gossan, silicified basalt 2% pyrite <0.005 0.011 0.006 0.008 E6704925 Ataman central Gossan, silicified basalt 2% pyrite <0.005 0.004 0.019 0.033

Figure 1: Somanike Project

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d3e3882c-4a6e-485f-9216-8163a2dfc25f

About Somanike

The Somanike Project consists of 148 mining titles (mining rights area) covering 6882 hectares within a large NW-trending ultramafic complex that hosts several nickel sulphide occurrences in the prolific Abitibi Greenstone Belt region of northwestern Quebec. The Somanike Project is located approximately 25 km north of the mining centre at Malartic, 40 km northwest of Val-dOr, and 60 km east of Rouyn-Noranda. The property also contains many recognized target nickel trends and geophysical anomalies. One of these trends is the Ataman conductor trend, located 1 km south of the Marbridge Mine.

The Somanike Project includes Quebecs first nickel mine, the historical Marbridge Mine, which is a high-grade nickel mine operated by Falconbridge Nickel. The Marbridge Mine occurs within a large NW-trending deformed and altered ultramafic complex. The Mine produced 702,366 tonnes grading 2.28% Ni and 0.10% Cu from 1962 to 1968, prior to being placed on care and maintenance in 1968. The Mine consisted of two shafts accessing four separate mineralized zones over a combined strike length of 1000 m. The mineralized material was trucked 25 km south and processed at the Canadian Malartic plant. Since 1968, leading groups have reviewed Marbridge data and reports and unanimously concluded that mining ceased in mineralization and the four nickel sulphide zones remain open to expansion by drilling along strike and down-dip/plunge.

Following closure of the Marbridge Mine in 1968, exploration in the Somanike area has been largely dormant. Historical exploration programs focused on magmatic nickel sulphide deposits, such that the majority of assays were for Ni and very limited Cu. Somanike was not investigated by modern geophysical surveys until 2014, when a VTEM survey was flown over the entire property with the objective of identifying nickel-copper sulphide targets for drill testing. Compilation of all historical drill data in conjunction with the 2014 VTEM survey identified numerous targets and exploration programs were designed to test for the presence of significant nickel and copper sulphides. In 2019, a high Resolution Helicopter-Borne Magnetic Survey by GDS was carried over the Somanike Property.

Qualified Person

All the technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Alexandr Beloborodov, P.Geo., independent geological consultant to the Company, who is a Qualified Person under the definitions established by National Instrument 43101.

About Class 1 Nickel

Class 1 Nickel and Technologies Limited (CSE: NICO/OTCQB: NICLF) is a Mineral Resource Company focused on the development of its 100% owned Alexo-Dundonald Property, a portfolio of komatiite hosted magmatic nickel-copper-cobalt sulphide Mineral Resources located near the City of Timmins, Ontario. The Company also owns the Somanike komatiite-hosted nickel-copper sulphide property in Quebec, which includes the famous Marbridge Nickel Mine.

For more information, please contact:

David Fitch, President

T: +61 400.631.608

E: dfitch@class1nickel.com

For additional information please visit our website at www.class1nickel.com and our Twitter feed: @Class1Nickel.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its regulation services provider has reviewed or accepted responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.

This news release contains forward-looking information which is not comprised of historical facts. Forward-looking information is characterized by words such as plan, expect, project, intend, believe, anticipate, estimate and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions may or will occur. Forward-looking information involves risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events, results, and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking information include, but are not limited to, changes in the state of equity and debt markets, fluctuations in commodity prices, delays in obtaining required regulatory or governmental approvals, and other risks involved in the mineral exploration and development industry, including those risks set out in the Companys managements discussion and analysis as filed under the Companys profile at www.sedar.com. Forward-looking information in this news release is based on the opinions and assumptions of management considered reasonable as of the date hereof, including that all necessary governmental and regulatory approvals will be received as and when expected. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information in this news release are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, other than as required by applicable securities laws.
TORONTO, Oct. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bimose Tribal Council in northwestern Ontario and Canadian charity Water First are pleased to announce that on Friday, 11 interns of their drinking water internship program for young Indigenous adults have graduated. Of the cohort, 91% are now water operators in training (OIT), having earned their OIT certification. Graduates of the internship program are from ten participating First Nations communities across the Bimose Tribal Council region, and are supporting their communities to ensure clean drinking water.



The grit that the interns demonstrated throughout the pandemic has been truly impressive, said Jag Saini, project manager and instructor with Water First. Their ability to adapt is what stood out, especially learning new content virtually, which was originally designed as an in-person, hands-on program, he added.

The first six months of the project, beginning in 2020, were to consist of in-person workshops, hands-on projects, and a solid exam date at a predetermined location. Instead, while waiting for pandemic restrictions to lift, the interns situated themselves in front of computers in hotel rooms separate from one another, yet just close enough to be able to gain tech support should they need it during in-person, virtual training workshops. Water First was also able to secure the final OIT exam location close to where the interns were located, instead of the interns having to travel extensively to take their exams.

These and other unconventional support structures have made all the difference in generating a-ha moments for the interns, which have been instrumental in such a high achievement rate. Strategies for learning the material in a variety of different ways have also been key to success. This new, blended model of virtual and onsite learning will influence the program for future cohorts.

Adam Peacock, technical services officer at Bimose Tribal Council, has been working with Water First for two years. He noted about the program, The time, effort, and persistence has been remarkable. Our communities needs have been fulfilled at Bimose and I hope that other communities take advantage.

In the late summer, as pandemic restrictions lifted, the interns provided meaningful support to water treatment plants in their communities, performing readings and samplings to offload some of the work throughout the term of their placements. In one instance, when the only operator had to take a sick day, the intern was able to keep the plant running, providing clean water to the community. In another, the plants sole operator has been thinking of retirement yet had no replacement until the internship. In both cases, these new operators in training are now mentoring other interns.

They are heroes without capes, said Jon Kocis, hub manager at Bimose Tribal Council. The importance of the water treatment role is critical, and its often overlooked. It isnt as glamorous as the role of paramedics or police officers, but without it, communities would be in crisis just the same, Kocis explained.



Graduate Nathan Copenace, from Washagamis Bay First Nation, is committed to protecting his communitys water from contamination and learning more about how his community can develop their own source water protection plans.

I found out why it was so important to understand what a water treatment plant operator is. They dont just make clean water  but water for emergencies like fires, he said.

I am in the program to learn how to treat and provide safe drinking water to my community, said graduate Kim Greene of Iskatewizaagegan 39 (Shoal Lake 39). Water is sacred in my culture, and very important to the giving of life to all things. I especially want to provide safe drinking water to my daughter and mother, as well as my fellow community members, she added.

The OIT certification, issued by the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, is the first step in becoming a fully certified water treatment plant operator. Graduates have spent the last 12 months gaining 1,800 hours of water plant experience and completing the entry-level course, in partnership with Walkerton Clean Water Centre, in preparation for their level-one certification exam.

Funded in part by both Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) and Water First donors, Bimose Tribal Council and Water First began the full 18-month project in February 2020, on the heels of a successful pilot project between Water First and seven First Nations on Manitoulin Island, Ontario. Together with the United Chiefs and Councils of Mnidoo Mnising, Wiikwemkoong First Nation, and Anishinabek Nation, the partners trained ten young Indigenous adults in drinking water and environmental water management. Within weeks of graduating, seven out of ten interns secured work in their local water treatment plants or in the environmental water field, and one graduate pursued further water studies at college.

Many First Nations with drinking water challenges have identified the need for more young, qualified and local personnel to support solving water issues independently and for the longer term. Indigenous communities do not receive adequate education, training or employment supports when it comes to attracting and retaining young people in the water science fields. These supports are critical to ensuring the long-term sustainability of Indigenous drinking water systems.

About Water First Education & Training Inc.

Water First is a registered Canadian charity that addresses water challenges in Indigenous communities through education, training and meaningful collaboration. Water First has partnered with 56 Indigenous communities in Canada.

www.waterfirst.ngo

About the Bimose Tribal Council

The Bimose Tribal Council has eight member First Nations communities in northwestern Ontario and is based out of Kenora, Ontario. The name Bimose comes from the Anishinaabe word to walk and was given by an elder as a reminder to always walk with all our Member First Nations.

www.bimose.ca

For more information, please contact:

Ami Gopal

Director of Development and Communications

Water First

1-905-805-0854

ami.gopal@waterfirst.ngo

Adam Peacock

Technical Services Officer

Bimose Tribal Council

1-807-464-2783

apeacock@bimose.ca

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7b0d79c7-d8b3-4ef0-b4ff-1d4d6bf5b7f7

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a873e800-dd99-4eee-8067-87bf8d462a20
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C., Oct. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Logistics Company, LLC (TLC) has revamped their brand to commemorate their 25 years in business. With their marketing partner Martin Communications , TLC created a new brand look and brand message focusing on their industry involvement and many achievements.

A service-disabled, veteran-owned business, TLC operates principally in the Department of Defense market by providing superior logistics services at an economical value without ever compromising its core values of quality, ethics, and social responsibility. After 25 years of meeting client challenges and establishing a stellar reputation for strategy, development, implementation, and training, TLC decided to enhance their brand with a new logo, new message, and new website.

"As we continue to grow and expand, we felt it was important for our team, our clients, and our partners that we highlight our story and remember the principles we founded this company on 25 years ago," said TLC CEO Teresa Fletcher. "We are extremely proud of what we have accomplished and are confident that our new logo and coming soon website reflect our achievements as well as a bright and successful future."

TLC and Martin Communications completed several strategical exercises resulting in their new brand logo. The well-placed arrows show movement and forward progression while the color palette of greens is a nod to their military contracts. Their new website is currently under construction and is expected to launch this fall.

###

About The Logistics Company

The Logistics Company exists to provide high quality Base Operations and logistics support certified to ISO 9001:2015 standards. Our team of professionals brings technical expertise from both the military and industry, and is globally responsive to our customer requirements. We are a disabled veteran-owned government contractor focused on the health, welfare and safety of our employees, stakeholders, clients and the U.S. military. For over 25 years, we have provided smart, economical solutions for even the toughest projects with quality and integrity that produces mission success.

http://www.tlc-inc.net/

About Martin Communications

Martin Communications, located in Raleigh, NC, is an award-winning integrated marketing communications firm providing expert strategy, branding and advertising, social media, public relations and website design and development. Our full-service capabilities also include graphic design, copywriting, idea generation, and more. For over a decade, our unique culture and diverse, deep pool of talent has driven us to successfully deliver measurable results for businesses of all sizes in a broad array of industries. With roots in radio, television and newspaper, we know a thing or two about the importance of powerful messaging. For more information, visit us at thinkmartinfirst.com .

Media Contact

Jenny Burke

President, Martin Communications

919-621-1619

jenny@thinkmartinfirst.com

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TORONTO, Oct. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fredonia Mining Inc. (Fredonia or the Company) (TSXV:FRED) is pleased to announce that it has obtained an Environmental Permit to complete its planned initial 6,000 metre drilling program at its El Dorado Monserrat gold project (EDM) in Santa Cruz, Argentina.



Estanislao Auriemma, CEO and Director of Fredonia Mining commented, We are very pleased to be able to rehab the roads and the camp, while we obtained the environmental permit on time to begin our 6,000 m drilling program last week.

Fredonia rehabilitated the camp and roads while working with the authorities towards permitting. Drilling commenced at Monserrat Oeste on October 6, 2021, and the Company will continue to work towards having initial results during Q4 2021.

An initial 13 drill holes are planned to depths of up to 320 metres as detailed below in Table 1 and Figures 1 and 2.

PROPOSED

HOLE ID TARGET EASTING NORTHING ELEVATION AZIMUTH DIP EOH P9 Monserrat Oeste 2528490 4638590 220 270 -55 320 P10 Monserrat Oeste 2528500 4638800 235 270 -55 320 P11 Monserrat Oeste 2528460 4638950 246 270 -60 300 P4 Monserrat Oeste 2528484 4638163 218 270 -55 315 P3 Monserrat Oeste 2528458 4638065 214 270 -50 295 P1 Monserrat Oeste 2528360 4637890 210 270 -50 245 PP1 La Herradura 2532503 4632914 193 188 -60 280 PP2 La Herradura 2532451 4633064 178 188 -60 330 PP3 La Herradura 2532232 4632991 189 188 -60 250 PP4 La Herradura 2532054 4633071 188 188 -70 320 PP5 La Herradura 2531733 4633000 179 188 -60 250 PP6 La Herradura 2531478 4632909 168 188 -60 250 PP7 La Herradura 2531347 4632939 186 188 -60 250 3725

Table 1 initial proposed holes at Monserrat Oeste and La Herradura.

Figure 1. Monserrat Oeste, historic (black) and proposed holes:

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9dba2295-42c5-4255-a7e2-0566e0aa0afc

Figure 2. La Herradura, historic (black) and proposed holes:

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a01944ec-cc5d-486f-a636-e5c73c2d61b1

The drilling at both project areas is designed to increase potential by demonstrating depth and along strike continuity. A second tranche of drilling once results are received will focus on further expanding the extent of the known mineralisation as well as scout drilling on other adjacent prospects and increasing confidence in the in-house-resource defined at Main Veins.

El Dorado-Monserrat (EDM) Project

The EDM property is located in an area of low rolling hills in the Deseado Massif of Santa Cruz Province, close to a number of known mines and prospects. Santa Cruz Province is part of the region of Patagonia which has the Andes Mountains to the west and the Atlantic coast to the east. In general, the area is very sparsely populated, and a large proportion of employment is in sheep farming which is managed from widely scattered estancias. However, in 2011 sheep farming was the second ranking economic activity in this area, as oil, gas and mining (coal and gold) overtook agriculture, giving Santa Cruz the highest GDP per capita in Argentina.

The nearest major centres to the Fredonia licences are Puerto Deseado (population 10,000), Puerto San Julian (population 6,000) and Comodoro Rivadavia (population 140,000). Rio Gallegos (population 79,000), the capital of Santa Cruz Province, lies to the south of the project areas. The major centres can provide basic goods and services, and the national power grid serves these centres. Comodoro Rivadavia and Rio Gallegos are serviced with national airports. A well-maintained concrete airstrip is located at Puerto Deseado, serviced via small to mid-size charter aircraft. Workers are readily available from the surrounding area.

The Deseado Massif is a large tectonic block in Santa Cruz Province. During the Jurassic and Cretaceous Periods, widespread volcanic activity included the outpouring of rhyolitic ignimbrites and deposition of sediments which together form the Bahia Laura Group. This Group includes the Chon Aike, La Matilde Formations, overlying the Bajo Pobre Formation. Hydrothermal systems associated with the Chon Aike (and Bajo Pobre) volcanism produced important epithermal AuAg vein deposits in the Deseado Massif. Since 1976, the San Jose, Cerro Negro, Mina Martha, Manantial Espejo, Cerro Moro, Cerro Vanguardia and other deposits have been discovered. Epithermal veins are the most common ore deposits. Vein systems can be followed for kilometres, often with a north-westerly trend as at Cerro Vanguardia and Cerro Moro. The quartz veins may be brecciated and contain limonitic and manganiferous veining and breccia fill. Barite, adularia, and haematite may occur in the quartz veins. The quartz veining may be associated with rhyolitic domes that are the source of the mineralising fluids and provide structural loci for their deposition.

Extensive low sulphidation epithermal vein style mineralisation, including a significant north-south trending system termed the Main Vein zone, was initially discovered in the early 1980s on the EDM Property during a survey conducted by Government geologists for barite. The Main Vein and Abanico areas extend in a north-south direction and carry significant gold and silver values, their total strike length, from trench intercepts in the south-southwest to drill hole intercepts in the north-northeast, is approximately 2.8 km and mineralised zones vary in thickness from less than 1 m to over 10 m. The veins occupy a north striking, sinistral shear zone. In the south, the system swells to around 1 km in width, hosted by andesitic Bajo Pobre Formation rocks. The Main Veins area was the focus of a NI-43101 Exploration Target report in 2018 and updated in 2021.

The Monserrat Oeste area is located 2 km west of the Main Vein zone in a northwest oriented dilational corridor. At surface, a silica cap, secondary oxidation, leaching, breccia and residual quartz textures are reported by Fredonia. Surface mapping by previous owners Samco Gold and drilling data from Aur Resources indicates that Monserrat Oeste is located within the Chon Aike Formation, while drilling data suggests that mineralised zones are related to veining and brecciation and have a north to north-northeast trend, dipping 55 to 75 to the east. Mineralised zones are characterised by argilisation and intense silicification with dense veins of quartz, barite, pyrite, limonite, haematite and clays.

Reinterpretation of the available data suggests that the Monserrat Oeste prospect is analogous to the Cerro Negro model of a buried epithermal system.

La Herradura and Beethoven, in the south of the Project area, are considered to be part of the same system, located close to a volcanic centre.

Mineralisation at the La Herradura prospect is hosted by veins and veinlets of massive quartz with iron oxide staining. Hydrothermal breccias composed of sub-angluar clasts up to 1 cm are also present. Fredonia reports that the veins have an azimuth of around 300 and a dip of 65 to 75 to the northeast. It is reported that average vein lengths are 120 to 250 m, with thicknesses from 0.15 to 0.5 m. Depths of mineralised zones at La Herradura vary from surface to around 220 m below surface. The footprint of the main mineralised area is approximately 480 m in length and 70 to 130 m wide, though mapping indicates the structure continues to 1400m and remains open.

Other prospect areas in the Property include Beethoven, Bajo Pedernal, Monserrat East, Pamela and Vanina.

Exploration Programme

Fredonia has initiated a comprehensive exploration programme to enable the further assessment of the potential of the El Dorado-Monserrat Property. Initially improvement to access and re-establishing the camp at the Monserrat homestead enabled completion of the Environmental Impact Assessment required before commencement of exploration drilling.

The EDM Project area is considered to contain significant potential and the drilling, trenching and surface exploration conducted on the prospects by prior operators are adequate to demonstrate the overall potential of the property.

The exploration programme planned includes mapping, surface sampling, trenching and geophysics. However, the near term emphasise of future exploration will be drill focussed at both Monserrat Oeste and La Herradura. Additional drilling as well as resampling of historic drill core will be required to fully assess the potential and to enable the reporting of a Mineral Resource for the Main Vein area. Outside the three primary prospect areas: Main Vein Monserrat Oeste and La Herradura, there is also considerable potential for additional mineralised zones to be identified. Follow-up drilling at Abanico and Bajo Pedernal, initial drilling at Monserrat Este will enable an improved understanding of the geometry and extent of the mineralised zones in these areas. Further to this, additional exploration of the Anita, Vanina, Pamela and Juan Luis to the north of the Main Veins will determine the potential for additional significant mineralised zones.

Technical Information

The technical contents of this press release have been reviewed and approved by Marc J. Sale FAustIMM MAIG, a qualified person pursuant to National Instrument 43-101 (NI 43-101). Mr. Sale is qualified as a geologist with a technical background in mineral exploration, including specifically gold and silver deposits.

ACA Howes Senior Associate Geologist, Marc J. Sale (QP), was onsite for several days during Fredonias drilling in March 2018.

This press release is intended for distribution in Canada only and is not intended for distribution to United States newswire services or dissemination in the United States. The securities being issued have not been, nor will they be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons absent U.S. registration or an applicable exemption from the U.S. registration requirements. This release does not constitute an offer for sale of securities in the United States.

About Fredonia

Fredonia, incorporated under the laws of the British Virgin Islands, directly or indirectly, owns 100% interest in certain license areas (totaling approximately 18,300 ha.) (collectively, the Project), all within the Deseado Massif geological region in the Province of Santa Cruz, Argentina, including the following principal areas: El Aguila, approx. 9,100ha, Petrificados, approx. 3,000ha, and the flagship, advanced El Dorado-Monserrat (EDM) covering approx. 6,200ha located close to Anglo Gold Ashantis Cerro Vanguardia mine, subject to a 1.5% net smelter return royalty on the EDM project, 0.5% net profits interest on Winki II, El Aguila I, El Aguila II and Petrificados.

For further information: Please visit the Company website www.fredoniamanagement.com or contact: Carlos Espinosa, Chief Financial Officer, Direct: +1-647-401-9292, Email: cespinosa@slgmexico.com
ST. JOHNS, Newfoundland and Labrador, Oct. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vulcan Minerals Inc. (the Company - Vulcan TSX-V: VUL) is pleased to announce commencement of drilling at its 100% owned Colchester copper/gold property in Newfoundland. A minimum program of 1500 meters will test the Andrews Pit geophysical target which offsets the historic main Colchester copper/gold deposit. As well, the western flank of the Colchester deposit and the McNeily showing will be drill tested. The Colchester area is part of the larger Springdale property which hosts numerous historic copper and gold deposits and showings, none of which have been adequately explored with the benefit of modern digital geophysical and geological modelling. A review of the data with relevant maps is available in the corporate presentation at the companys website www.vulcanminerals.ca. Maritime Resources Corp. is currently redeveloping the Hammerdown gold mine approximately 5 kilometers southwest of the Springdale property.



Patrick Laracy, President, remarked, Our ongoing work at the Springdale/Colchester property is part of a larger objective to fully evaluate the copper and gold endowment of this extensively mineralized area within a volcanic, intrusion and vein hosted environment. The current drill program will focus on high resolution induced polarization anomalies to test for new mineralization as well as calibrate the new data to historic occurrences. The Springdale property contains a diversity of gold and copper prospects, is road accessible and near significant mining services including drilling companies, field services and an analytical laboratory. As such it makes for an exciting project in an advantaged area and is a key exploration asset for the Company.

South Voiseys Bay

The Company further notes, in follow up to its option agreement with Fjordland Exploration Inc. (September 23rd news release), that Fjordland announced on October 6th that it has initiated a new electromagnetic ground survey on its regional South Voiseys Bay nickel copper cobalt project in Labrador, of which the Vulcan option forms a part. The survey is being funded by Ivanhoe Electric Inc., a privately owned US corporation led by CEO and Co-Chair Robert Friedland. Fjordland added that positive survey results are expected to lead to a drill program in 2022.

About Vulcan

Vulcan Minerals is a precious and base metals exploration company based in St. Johns Newfoundland. The company has strategic land positions in multiple active Newfoundland gold exploration and development belts. It also holds approximately 38% of the shares in Atlas Salt Inc. (TSXV: SALT) (formerly Red Moon Resources Inc.). Atlas Salt Inc. is the new name for Red Moon Resources Inc. which commenced trading under the new stock symbol SALT on September 1st. Atlas Salt is an industrial minerals company that is carrying out a feasibility analysis on its Great Atlantic Salt deposit. It also produces gypsum from its Ace Mine and owns the mineral rights to the Fischells Brook salt dome and other strategic salt claims. These Atlass projects are in western Newfoundland.

Patrick J. Laracy, P.Geo, President is the qualified person responsible for the contents of this news release as defined in National Instrument 43-101.

We seek safe harbour.

The TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This release may contain certain forward-looking statements. Actual events or results may differ from the Companys expectations. Certain risk factors beyond the Companys control may affect the actual results achieved. Accordingly, readers are advised not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Except by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking information.

For information please contact:

Patrick J. Laracy, P.Geo.

President

(709) 754-3186

laracy@vulcanminerals.ca

www.vulcanminerals.ca
PALM BEACH, FL, Oct. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Washing your body with a cocktail of harsh chemicals is ruining your skin.

Instead of over-exfoliating or using chemicals and disinfectants that harm your skin, a European health and wellness company has developed the next generation of skincare that will restore balance in your microbiome with skin-friendly bacteria.

People dont realize that your skins microbiome or microbiota is an ecosystem of bacteria on your skins surface. These billions of bacteria cells actually protect you from pathogens that could harm your skin, said Dr. Karel Bezouska, CEO and one of the four founders of BiomCare in the Czech Republic. To keep your skin looking and feeling healthy, you need to keep your microbiome in balance.

Bezouska said BiomCare plans to soon introduce the following four products to American consumers:

Derma.Ferm COMPLETE, which provides your skin with three microemulsions for a healthy skin microbiome, contains natural skin hydrating compounds, a cleaning enzyme complex, and calming prebiotics. It is suitable for individuals who have developed chronic damage to their skin barrier from yeast and fungal infections, and long-term dermatitis, including atopic eczema, acne, or psoriasis.

Derma.Ferm ACUTE, which provides a single microemulsion for a healthy skin microbiome, contains natural skin hydrating compounds that are supported by a cleaning enzyme complex. It is suitable for minor acute skin disorders due to burns, abrasions, scalds, or acute skin infections.

VIR_A_REST, which also provides a single microemulsion, will invigorate the skins microbiome and protect it from the adverse effects of pathogenic microbes, including respiratory viruses. VIR_A_REST supports the natural protective barrier of the skin with suitable postbiotics and natural antimicrobials.

VIR_A_REST ORAL, which supports the development of normal oral microflora through extracts from two friendly bacteria, restores your oral microbiome that is critical for the development of normal skin microflora as well as a healthy microbiome of the respiratory tract.

Our approach fine-tunes and manages healthy skin microbiome, said Dr. Bezouska, adding that BiomCare also uses a three-step patented application sequence of cleaning, calming, and nourishing the skin. BiomCares products can deal with many resilient chronic long term skin problems.

Dr. Jan Engl, one of the co-founders of BiomCare, emphasized that BiomCare does not use harmful chemicals.

We only use naturally occurring compounds. We show our consumers a smarter way to healthy skin that does not include potentially dangerous ingredients, Dr. Engl said.

Both Dr. Bezouska and Dr. Engl said people are more concerned today about their health because of the pandemic.

COVID-19 forced everyone to think about their health, which is why we believe consumers want safe and healthy skincare protection, Drs. Bezouska and Engl added. That is why we embarked on the development of an efficient skin protection that enhances the effect of the natural ingredients rather than resulting in a sterile skin vulnerable to the attack by the pathogens.

For more information, contact pr@nutrapr.com.

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MONTGOMERY COUNTY, KS, Oct. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bartlett, a Savage Company, has obtained approval from the Board of County Commissioners of Montgomery County, Kansas to receive county-issued industrial revenue bonds to support Bartletts development of a soybean crushing facility in Montgomery County. The Bartlett plant will be capable of handling approximately 38.5 million bushels of soybeans annually to crush into soybean meal and refined soybean oil, feedstock used in producing renewable fuels, food products and animal feeds.

This is an important milestone for our project, enabling infrastructure investment in Kansas that accelerates the nations transition to a cleaner, greener and more sustainable transportation system, said Bartlett President Bob Knief. We appreciate the County Commissioners recognition of the long-term benefits this plant will provide by expanding markets for area producers and agribusinesses and driving economic growth in Montgomery County and Southeast Kansas. With strong demand for soybean products, we look forward to our crushing facility supporting farming families in the Midwest and playing a vital role in multiple supply chains including renewable diesel production.

Agriculture-based and renewable energy businesses are major economic drivers in Kansas, and I am extremely pleased to see Bartlett recognize just how ideal this location is for the future of their operations, Governor Laura Kelly said. Powered by Kansas outstanding infrastructure and talented workforce, Im confident Bartletts new project will be a tremendous success and have a significant economic impact on the region and our state as a whole.

With our strategic location in the middle of the country and our strong agricultural roots, Im absolutely thrilled that Bartlett chose Kansas as the place to locate this impressive new facility, Lieutenant Governor and Commerce Secretary David Toland said. We know they had other states in the region to choose from, so I am proud but not surprised that they selected Kansas as the winning location for this project. Its proof of their visionary approach, and of the strong assets in Kansas we have to offer ag-based and renewable energy companies.

Construction is scheduled to start in early 2022, with plant operations anticipated to begin in 2024. The Bartlett facility will create about 50 permanent jobs and process about 110,000 bushels of soybeans per day. The project also will support additional jobs and economic activity during construction.

The approved bond incentives from Montgomery County and tax credits available through the states High Performance Incentive Program (HPIP) make Bartletts estimated $325 million investment in soybean processing infrastructure possible. With easy access to highways 160, 166, 169 and 400, the plant will create strong local demand for soybeans and provide a consistent and competitive source of soybean meal, hulls and oil for the feed, food and renewable fuel industries. This project also will encourage rail improvements benefitting Southeast Kansas. The South Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad, owned and operated by WATCO, will provide rail services for the facility, connecting the plant to a network of Class 1 carriers.

Bartlett is part of the Savage family of companies, a global provider of industry infrastructure and supply chain services, based in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Company is actively working with partners in the agriculture and energy industries to lead the buildout of renewable energy assets and services across North America. In addition to Bartletts planned soybean crushing facility in Kansas, Savage recently announced its newly completed multi-commodity railport near Stockton, CA that provides a gateway for the distribution of renewable fuels into California. Other projects, spanning all areas of renewable energy supply chains, are in various stages of development. For business opportunities, contact Jason Ray at jasonray@savageservices.com or 801-944-6516.

About Bartlett, a Savage Company

Established in 1907, Bartlett joined the Savage family of companies in 2018. Its diverse agribusiness is focused on the acquisition, storage, transportation, processing, and merchandising of grain, and the company is a leading U.S. exporter of grain to Mexico. Bartlett supplies all classes of wheat, feed grains, food-grade corn, and soybeans to millers and processors and produces a full line of commercial patent flours and animal feeds. For more information, visit www.bartlettandco.com.

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Washington, DC, Oct. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --



Who: UNCF Executive Leadership Institute (ELI)

What: Women in Leadership at HBCUs: The Power of Presence Roundtable

When: Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2021, 3:30-5 p.m. EDT/ 2:30-4 p.m. CDT

Where: Zoom: Public Attendee Link

Background: As of 2019, 62% of the HBCU student body identified as women, yet only 25% of HBCUs had women in leadership roles. How do we advocate for more women to hold leadership roles in our traditionally patriarchal HBCUs? And what can we learn from the private sector to create a supportive, consistent succession pipeline for women?

In this conversation, panelists will discuss how they created the conditions to thrive as leaders of their respective HBCUs; the unique assets they lead with while showing up as their full selves; how to bridge the generational divide; and how to seed, build and sustain networks of African American women in higher educational leadership.

UNCFs Executive Leadership Institute (ELI) will feature as panelists: Dr. Mary Schmidt Campbell, president, Spelman College; Dr. Roslyn Cark Artis, president, Benedict College; Bobbie Knight, president, Miles College; and Dr. Tashni-Ann Dubroy, executive vice president and COO, Howard University as they discuss the importance of having more women leading HBCUs in the 21st century. The session will be moderated by Dr. Beverly Hogan, president emerita, Tougaloo College, and LaJuan H. Lyles, executive vice president, people and culture, UNCF, will provide opening remarks.
Redding, California, Oct. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to a new market research report titled  Laser Technology Market by Type (Solis Laser, Gas Laser, Liquid Laser, Semiconductor Laser), By Application (Laser Processing, Optical Communication, Others), End User (Industrial, Semiconductor & Electronics, Automotive, Telecommunications, Aerospace & Defense, Healthcare, Commercial and Other End Users.), and By Geography (Asia-Pacific, North America, Europe, Latin America, Middle East & Africa), published by Meticulous Research, the laser technology market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 11.4% from 2021 to 2028 to reach $30.3 billion by 2028.

Download Free Sample Report Now @ https://www.meticulousresearch.com/download-sample-report/cp_id=5189

According to this latest publication, the laser technology market is driven by factors such as the rise in adoption of laser technology in the electronics sector and medical applications, shift towards micro and nanodevices, and most importantly, increase in demand for laser-based material processing over traditional processing. Laser processing offers high-quality products, high efficiency, high flexibility, high speed, low cost, and many advantages, which increase the adoption of laser technology by the industries.

There has been a high demand for lasers from industries such as electronics, healthcare, manufacturing, automotive, among others. Also, increasing government initiatives is contributing to the growth of the laser technology market. The growing adoption of different laser technologies in optical communication and robotics is offering significant growth opportunities for various companies operating in this market. However, the high initial cost of laser processing is hampering the growth of this market.

The Impact of COVID-19 on the Laser Technology Market

The telecommunications segment experienced high demand for lasers during the time of COVID-19 as there was a large number of office employees who have transitioned to work from home employees. Internet and voice communications service providers scrambled to install upgrades to their networks to adjust to their changing demands. In addition, more people working from home meant more people using their smartphones from home during the day; this also required updates to wireless networks. The transition from being in the office to working from home was a permanent change for many office employees. This has caused many service providers to rethink their deployment strategies and focus on upgrading underserved residential areas, which will increase communications laser revenue. Optical storage laser revenue in this segment experienced a decline. While COVID-19 led many people to transition to at-home work, which caused a temporary increase in computer sales, however, the overall impact on optical storage laser revenues was quite small.

Speak to our Analysts to Understand the Impact of COVID-19 on Your Business: https://www.meticulousresearch.com/speak-to-analyst/cp_id=5189

The laser revenue for the medical segment was highly impacted by the pandemic as people opted out of nonessential medical procedures such as dental, eye, and cosmetic appointments. Dental and cosmetic lasers witnessed a huge decline in revenue in comparison to 2019. End-user sectors, including medical & aesthetic, semiconductor & electronics, commercial, and instrumentation and sensing, witnessed a decline in the demand for laser technology. However, optical communications and scientific research & military supported the growth of the market during this period. The transition towards work from home model created need for high-speed data transmission, thus creating a huge demand for laser diodes.

Key Findings in the Laser Technology Market Study:

To provide efficient analysis, Meticulous Research has segmented this market based on Type (Solis Laser, Gas Laser, Liquid Laser, Semiconductor Laser), Application (Laser Processing, Optical Communication, Others), End User (Industrial, Semiconductor & Electronics, Automotive, Telecommunications, Aerospace & Defense, Healthcare, Commercial and Other End Users.), and Geography (Asia-Pacific, North America, Europe, Latin America, Middle East & Africa)

Based on type, solid-state laser segment is expected to command the largest share of the laser technology market in 2020. rapid growth of solid-state lasers is due to the wide adoption of lasers in several industries such as electronics, manufacturing, medical, among others. However, the semiconductor laser segment is expected to grow with the highest CAGR during the forecast period. The increasing demand for semiconductor lasers in 3D printing and the healthcare sector has boosted the growth of the laser technology market in the future.

Based on application, laser processing segment is expected to command the largest share of the laser technology market in 2020. Laser processing provides precise and accurate output, which is increasing the adoption of the process in various industries. Therefore, contributing to the growth of the laser technology market during the forecast period. The optical communication segment is expected to grow with the highest CAGR during the forecast period. In optical communication, the laser is used for data centers, data transmission, underwater communication, space communication, the military system, radar, satellites, among others which are increasing the growth of the laser technology market during the forecast period.

Quick Buy  Laser Technology Market Research Report: https://www.meticulousresearch.com/Checkout/48718608

Based on region, the laser technology market is segmented into Asia-Pacific, North America, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa. Asia-Pacific is expected to command the largest market share of this market followed by North America. Asia-Pacifics largest share is mainly attributed to the increasing manufacturing activities in countries such as China, Japan, South Korea, and India, the presence of the largest consumer electronics and automobile market in China, the proliferation of data centers, and huge demand for hyper lasers in China. However, the laser technology market in North America is expected to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period.

The key players operating in the global laser technology market are Coherent, Inc. (U.S.), IPG Photonics Corporation (U.S.), TRUMPF GmbH + Co. KG (Germany), Lumentum Holdings Inc. (U.S.), Jenoptik AG (Germany), Novanta Inc. (U.S.), LUMIBIRD Group (France), LaserStar Technologies Corporation (U.S.), Epilog Laser (U.S.), Han's Laser Technology Industry Group Co., Ltd. (China), MKS Instruments, Inc. (U.S.), Gravotech Marking (France), Corning Incorporated (U.S.), Eurolaser GmbH (Germany), and BYSTRONIC Laser AG (Switzerland).

To gain more insights into the market with a detailed table of content and figures, click here: https://www.meticulousresearch.com/product/laser-technology-market-5189

Scope of the Report

Laser Technology Market, by Type

Solid-state Lasers Fiber Lasers Ruby Lasers YAG Lasers Thin-Disk Lasers

Gas Lasers CO2 Lasers Excimer Lasers He-Ne Lasers Argon Lasers Chemical Lasers

Liquid Lasers

Semiconductor Lasers

Laser Technology Market, by Application

Laser Processing Macroprocessing Cutting Drilling Welding Microprocessing Marking & Engraving

Optical Communications

Other Applications

Laser Technology Market, by End User

Telecommunications

Industrial

Semiconductor & Electronics

Commercial

Aerospace & Defense

Automotive

Healthcare

Other End Users

Laser Technology Market, by Geography

North America U.S. Canada

Europe Germany France Spain U.K. Italy Rest of Europe (RoE)

Asia-Pacific (APAC) China Japan India South Korea Rest of Asia-Pacific (RoAPAC)

Latin America

Middle East & Africa

Download Free Sample Report Now @ https://www.meticulousresearch.com/download-sample-report/cp_id=5189

Amidst this crisis, Meticulous Research is continuously assessing the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on various sub-markets and enables global organizations to strategize for the post-COVID-19 world and sustain their growth. Let us know if you would like to assess the impact of COVID-19 on any industry here- https://www.meticulousresearch.com/custom-research

About Meticulous Research

Meticulous Research was founded in 2010 and incorporated as Meticulous Market Research Pvt. Ltd. in 2013 as a private limited company under the Companies Act, 1956. Since its incorporation, the company has become the leading provider of premium market intelligence in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa.

The name of our company defines our services, strengths, and values. Since the inception, we have only thrived to research, analyze, and present the critical market data with great attention to details. With the meticulous primary and secondary research techniques, we have built strong capabilities in data collection, interpretation, and analysis of data including qualitative and quantitative research with the finest team of analysts. We design our meticulously analyzed intelligent and value-driven syndicate market research reports, custom studies, quick turnaround research, and consulting solutions to address business challenges of sustainable growth.
AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CMG Financial, a well-capitalized privately held mortgage banking firm headquartered in San Ramon, Calif., was ranked the second highest producing residential mortgage lender in Austin, Texas, by the Austin Business Journal. Its three Austin locations produced a collective $895.62 million in volume, serving 3,497 families in 2020. CMG Financial is honored to be recognized as a top-producing mortgage lender in one of the nation's busiest housing markets.

The Austin Business Journal compiled its rankings by reviewing closed loan data from 2020. All loans must be originated and closed by the Austin offices. Wholesale, repurchase, home equity, cash-outs, second liens, and construction loans are not included.

Nationwide, all regions are experiencing one of the hottest housing markets in decades. In January 2021, Zillow researchers projected Austin to outperform the national market by the largest margin followed by other sunbelt cities, Phoenix, Nashville, and Tampa. Home buyers are flocking to Austin and other sunnier cities because of affordable homes, expected value growth, and availability of inventory compared to underperforming coastal metros. CMG Financial recognizes the potential of this critical region and continues to invest in staffing up sales and operations in Austin and throughout the state of Texas.

"CMG's Central Texas group continues to grow and hold more market share within the community. When people in our industry ask how we do it, the answer is simple. We can just close more loans that others can't and do it a lot faster," Chris Minjarez, Area Sales Manager, said in a statement. "I am dedicated to making sure we never end up like a huge corporate ship. Even with the amount of volume we produce, it still feels like a company where decisions can be made in a split second rather than in a few days."

To learn more about career opportunities in Central Texas, contact Central Division Manager, Chris Blevins, at 512-632-6124 or cblevins@cmgfi.com or visit www.cmgfi.com/careers/recruiting.

About CMG Financial

CMG Financial is a well-capitalized, privately held mortgage banking firm founded in 1993. The company makes its products and services available to the market through three distinct origination channels: retail lending, wholesale lending, and correspondent lending.

CMG Financial currently operates in all states, including the District of Columbia, and holds federal agency lending approvals with HUD, VA, RHS, GNMA, FNMA, and FHLMC. CMG Financial is widely known throughout the mortgage banking and housing markets for responsible lending practices, industry and consumer advocacy, product innovation, and operational efficiency.

Media Contact:

Madelynn Graham

Phone: 443.455.1137

Email: madelynng@cmgfi.com

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Image 1: CMG Financial: Austin Business Journal





CMG Financial: Austin Business Journal









This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com.

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English French

Growth continues at the same pace

Paris, October 12, 2021

The Christian Dior group recorded revenue of 44.2 billion euros in the first nine months of 2021, up 46% compared to 2020. Organic revenue growth over the period was 40% compared to 2020. Compared to 2019, organic growth over the first nine months of 2021 was 11%, with trends in the third quarter (+ 11%) comparable to those of the first half, both by activity and by region. The Fashion & Leather Goods business group, which reached record levels over the period, recorded organic growth of 38% compared to the third quarter of 2019, identical to that recorded over the first six months of the year. The United States and Asia continued to see double-digit growth.

Revenue by business group:

Euro millions 9 months 2020 9 months 2021 Change

2021/2020

First 9 months

Published Organic* Change 2021/2019

First 9 months

Organic Wines & Spirits 3 349 4 251 + 27 % + 30 % + 10 % Fashion & Leather Goods 13 934 21 315 + 53 % + 57 % + 38 % Perfumes & Cosmetics 3 674 4 668 + 27 % + 30 % - 2 % Watches & Jewelry 2 266 6 160 x 2.7 + 49 % + 4 % Selective Retailing 7 176 7 795 + 9 % + 13 % - 23 % Other activities and eliminations (51) (12) - - - Total 30 348 44 177 + 46 % + 40 % + 11 %

* with comparable structure and exchange rates. The structural impact for the Group compared to the first nine months of 2020 was +10%, largely linked to the consolidation for the first time of Tiffany & Co. The currency effect was -4%.

The Wines & Spirits business group recorded organic revenue growth of 30% in the first nine months of 2021 compared to the same period of 2020 and 10% compared to 2019. Champagne volumes were up 7% compared to the first nine months of 2019. Growth was particularly strong in the United States and Europe, which notably benefited over the summer from the reopening of restaurants and the gradual recovery of tourism. Hennessy cognac performed well with a 4% increase in volumes compared to 2019 while being limited by supply constraints. China and the United States experienced a strong rebound. The third quarter marked the integration for the first time of the prestigious Champagne Maison Armand de Brignac, in which LVMH has taken a 50% stake.

The Fashion & Leather Goods business group recorded organic revenue growth of 57% in the first nine months of 2021 compared to the same period of 2020 and 38% compared to 2019. Growth in the third quarter of 2021 remained exceptional compared to the third quarter of 2020, which marked a return to growth after a declining first half of 2020. Louis Vuitton, which is celebrating the 200th anniversary of the birth of its founder, performed remarkably well, driven by constant innovation and by the quality of its products. Christian Dior showed exceptional momentum. The latest fashion shows in Athens and Paris, highlighting the inspiring collections of Maria Grazia Chiuri, received an outstanding reception. Following its enormous success in Paris, London and Shanghai, the Christian Dior, Designer of Dreams exhibition opened in New York. At Fendi, Kim Jones' first collection was successfully rolled out in stores. Celine enjoyed strong growth in its ready-to-wear and leather goods lines created by Hedi Slimane. Loewe and Marc Jacobs also performed very well.

The Perfumes & Cosmetics business group recorded organic revenue growth of 30% over the first nine months of 2021 compared to the same period of 2020. On an organic basis, revenue was down 2% compared to the first nine months of 2019. In an environment marked by a limited recovery in international travel and the closure of many points of sale, the major brands continued to be selective in their distribution, limit promotions and grow online sales via their own websites. Parfums Christian Dior benefitted from the huge success of the new Miss Dior Eau de Parfum and Sauvage Elixir. The continued growth of the Collection Privee, as well as the Prestige and Capture Totale skincare lines also contributed to the rapid progress of the Maison. Guerlain enjoyed an excellent performance, driven by its Abeille Royale and Orchidee Imperiale skincare lines. Maison Francis Kurkdjian benefitted from the successful launch of the Aqua Cologne Forte trio and the continued success of Rouge 540.

The Watches & Jewelry business group recorded organic revenue growth of 49% in the first nine months of 2021 compared to the same period of 2020 and 4% compared to 2019 (excluding Tiffany, which was consolidated for the first time in 2021). Driven by the growing success of its iconic products, Tiffany enjoyed a remarkable performance, particularly in its major market, the United States. Bvlgari rolled out its new line of High Jewelry, Magnifica, and celebrated its Serpenti creations at the Metamorphosis exhibition in Milan. Chaumet, the first jeweler to have invested in 1812 on the legendary Place Vendome in Paris, launched a new High Jewelry collection, Torsade, inspired by the movement of the frieze adorning the column of the Place. In watchmaking, TAG Heuer successfully launched a limited Super Mario edition of its smart watch for gaming enthusiasts.

In Selective Retailing, organic revenue was up 13% compared to the first nine months of 2020 and down 23% compared to the same period of 2019. Sephora returned to its 2019 level of activity despite the tough commercial environment, marked by the closure of several stores during part of the year. Online revenue showed strong growth throughout the world. In addition to its own stores, Sephora expanded its distribution in the United States with its first Beauty spaces within Kohl's department stores. After signing a partnership with the European online platform Zalando, Sephora acquired the British online distributor Feelunique, which specializes in prestige beauty. The expansion of its network continued in Asia, particularly in China. DFS remained heavily constrained by the very limited recovery in international travel to most destinations. La Samaritaine, which reopened in June following an ambitious renovation, is enjoying a promising start.

OUTLOOK

Within the context of a gradual exit from the health crisis, the Christian Dior group is confident in the continuation of the current growth; it will maintain a strategy focused on continuously strengthening the desirability of its brands, by relying on the authenticity and quality of its products, the excellence of their distribution and the reactivity of its organization.

The Group is counting on the dynamic nature of its brands and the talent of its teams to further strengthen its global leadership position in luxury goods once again in 2021.

Apart from the items mentioned in this press release, there were no events or changes during the quarter and as of today's date that could significantly affect the Group's financial structure.

This financial release is available on our website www.dior-finance.com.



ANNEX

Christian Dior group  Revenue by business group and by quarter

2021 Revenue (Euro millions) 2021



Wines & Spirits Fashion & Leather Goods Perfumes & Cosmetics Watches & Jewelry Selective Retailing Other activities and eliminations Total



First quarter 1 510 6 738 1 550 1 883 2 337 (59) 13 959 Second quarter 1 195 7 125 1 475 2 140 2 748 23 14 706 First half 2 705 13 863 3 025 4 023 5 085 (36) 28 665 Third quarter 1 546 7 452 1 642 2 137 2 710 25 15 512 First nine months 4 251 21 315 4 668 6 160 7 795 (12) 44 177 2021 Revenue (organic growth compared to the same period of 2020) 2021



Wines & Spirits Fashion & Leather Goods Perfumes & Cosmetics Watches & Jewelry Selective Retailing Other activities and eliminations Total



First quarter + 36 % + 52 % + 18 % + 35 % - 5 % - + 30 % Second quarter + 55 % x 2.2 + 67 % x 2.2 + 31 % - + 84 % First half + 44 % + 81 % + 37 % + 71 % + 12 % - + 53 % Third quarter + 10 % + 24 % + 19 % + 18 % + 15 % - + 20 % First nine months + 30 % + 57 % + 30 % + 49 % + 13 % - + 40 % 2021 Revenue (organic growth compared to the same period of 2019) 2021



Wines & Spirits Fashion & Leather Goods Perfumes & Cosmetics Watches & Jewelry Selective Retailing Other activities and eliminations Total



First quarter + 17 % + 37 % - 4 % + 1 % - 30 % - + 8 % Second quarter + 7 % + 40 % - 1 % + 9 % - 19 % - + 14 % First half + 12 % + 38 % - 3 % + 5 % - 25 % - + 11 % Third quarter + 7 % + 38 % 0 % + 1 % - 19 % - + 11 % First nine months + 10 % + 38 % - 2 % + 4 % - 23 % - + 11 % 2020 Revenue (Euro millions) 2020



Wines & Spirits Fashion & Leather Goods Perfumes & Cosmetics Watches & Jewelry Selective Retailing Other activities and eliminations Total



First quarter 1 175 4 643 1 382 792 2 626 (22) 10 596 Second quarter 810 3 346 922 527 2 218 (26) 7 797 First half 1 985 7 989 2 304 1 319 4 844 (48) 18 393 Third quarter 1 364 5 945 1 370 947 2 332 (3) 11 955 First nine months 3 349 13 934 3 674 2 266 7 176 (51) 30 348









2019 Revenue (Euro millions) 2019



Wines & Spirits Fashion & Leather Goods Perfumes & Cosmetics Watches & Jewelry Selective Retailing Other activities and eliminations Total



First quarter 1 349 5 111 1 687 1 046 3 510 (165) 12 538 Second quarter 1 137 5 314 1 549 1 089 3 588 (133) 12 544 First half 2 486 10 425 3 236 2 135 7 098 (298) 25 082 Third quarter 1 433 5 448 1 676 1 126 3 457 176* 13 316 First nine months 3 919 15 873 4 912 3 261 10 555 (122) 38 398

* Includes all Belmond revenue for the period from April to September 2019.

This document may contain certain forward looking statements which are based on estimations and forecasts. By their nature, these forward looking statements are subject to important risks and uncertainties and factors beyond our control or ability to predict, in particular those described in Christian Diors Annual Report which is available on the website (www.dior-finance.com). These forward looking statements should not be considered as a guarantee of future performance, the actual results could differ materially from those expressed or implied by them. The forward looking statements only reflect Christian Diors views as of the date of this document, and Christian Dior does not undertake to revise or update these forward looking statements. The forward looking statements should be used with caution and circumspection and in no event can Christian Dior and its Management be held responsible for any investment or other decision based upon such statements. The information in this document does not constitute an offer to sell or an invitation to buy shares in Christian Dior or an invitation or inducement to engage in any other investment activities.

This document is a free translation into English of the original French financial release dated October 12, 2021.

It is not a binding document.

In the event of a conflict in interpretation, reference should be made to the French version, which is the authentic text.

Attachment
Dallas, TX, Oct. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Alternet Systems, Inc. (OTC Pink: ALYI) (ALYI) today released a snapshot taken in the design shop of its Retro Revolt Electric Motorcycle prototype number two in final assembly. The first prototype was released earlier this year. The purpose of the second prototype initiative was to move the motor to the rear hub making more frame space available for increased battery capacity.

ALYI has undertaken the design and development of an electric motorcycle intended to build, advance, and expand the companys overall proprietary electric vehicle intellectual property.

The ALYI Retro Revolt Electric Motorcycle is a byproduct of the companys research initiative. To support the companys ongoing electric vehicle research and to also support the companys branding as an electric vehicle market contender, ALYI will produce a limited series of Retro Revolt Electric Motorcycles for sale in North America.

ALYI is a comprehensive electric vehicle ecosystem company.

ALYI management repeatedly emphasizes that the electric vehicles are just the tip of an overall electric vehicle ecosystem . ALYI has recently published an overview of its electric vehicle ecosystem strategy covering both the design and production of electric vehicles and the array of impacts and considerations necessary for electric vehicles to replace combustion engine powered transportation to include the increased production of electricity:

ALYI  Understanding The Cryptocurrency Backed EV Ecosystem Behind The EV Company

ALYI is launching its electric vehicle ecosystem in Africa where the transportation market is far from saturated and the opportunity exists to introduce consumers to a transportation solution for the first time, rather than convincing them to exchange one mode of transportation for another.

Africa and the rest of the worlds developing economic regions where ALYI will go next, provide a technology leapfrog opportunity. The United States and other economically developed regions are resistant to innovation when the innovation requires replacing an existing solution. Purveyors in developed economic regions are resistant to spending money on an innovation that may produce a superior solution, when a passable and profitable solution is already in place, and consumers are resistant to adopting any change in their daily routine.

ALYI believes the best opportunity for electric transportation innovation resides in the developing economic regions of the world.

ALYI is kicking off its electric vehicle ecosystem strategy in Africa with the introduction of electric motorcycles into the motorcycle taxi market. ALYI has recently announced that it expects to generate its first revenue this year from the sale of electric motorcycles in Africa designed for the motorcycle taxi market. Specifically, ALYI intends to generate $2 million by year end from the sale of electric motorcycles.

ALYI has partnered with Revolt Token to finance ALYIs growth by offering democratized participation in the electric vehicle ecosystem through the sale of Revolt Tokens.

To learn more about Revolt Token and how to participate in ALYIs electric vehicle ecosystem through the purchase of Revolt Tokens, visit https://rvlttoken.com/ .

For more information and to stay up to date on ALYI's overall latest developments, please visit www.alternetsystemsinc.com .



Disclaimer/Safe Harbor: This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Securities Litigation Reform Act. The statements reflect the Company's current views with respect to future events that involve risks and uncertainties. Among others, these risks include the expectation that any of the companies mentioned herein will achieve significant sales, the failure to meet schedule or performance requirements of the companies' contracts, the companies' liquidity position, the companies' ability to obtain new contracts, the emergence of competitors with greater financial resources and the impact of competitive pricing. In the light of these uncertainties, the forward-looking events referred to in this release might not occur.



For more information, please visit: http://www.alternetsystemsinc.com

Alternet Systems, Inc. Contact:

Randell Torno

info@lithiumip.com

+1-800-713-0297

Attachment
Minneapolis, Oct. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- DLR Group added specific sector expertise and expanded its local presence in four key markets through strategic acquisitions during the summer of 2021. Adhering to a defined model for growth in existing markets, DLR Group added Salus Architecture (Seattle) and BakerNowicki Design Studio (San Diego) on the West Coast, and Bowie Gridley Architects (Washington, D.C.) and Wright McGraw Beyers Architects (Charlotte) on the East Coast.

DLR Groups aim is to be a great design firm, not a big firm. A fundamental part of our growth strategy is adding firms with a focused design expertise in markets where we have an established DLR Group office, said DLR Group CEO Griff Davenport, FAIA. The design professionals joining our firm each enhance a core DLR Group sector and add diversity and fresh perspectives to our leadership teams in Seattle, Washington, D.C., and Charlotte. And in San Diego, a new location to extend our services to K-12 clients throughout Southern California.

In May, Healthcare design firm Salus Architecture joined DLR Group in Seattle. Salus is exclusively dedicated to healthcare design, specializing in the delivery of complex acute and ambulatory care facilities.

Salus was founded in 2014 by R. David Frum, FAIA, FACHA; together with Dale Anderson, AIA, EDAC; and Douglas McNutt, AIA. Salus will continue to serve the needs of healthcare clients in the Pacific Northwest as DLR Group|Salus while actively collaborating with DLR Groups Healthcare studio to enhance healthcare design for clients nationwide.

DLR Group established a presence in San Diego with the acquisition of BakerNowicki in August. Formed in 2011 by architects Jon Baker, FAIA, and Richard Nowicki, AIA, the firms sole practice is educational architecture for K-12 and higher education clients. It also brings specific expertise in education funding to benefit all DLR Group K-12 school district clients in California.

The firm will operate as DLR Group|BakerNowicki in the San Diego market and joins with DLR Group K-12 studios in Los Angeles, Riverside, Sacramento, and San Francisco to serve the interests of education clients throughout California. A San Diego office also enhances the ability of DLR Groups Hospitality, Mixed-Use, Transportation, and Federal Markets teams to meet the needs of local and national clients in the market.

On the East Coast, Washington, D.C.based design firm Bowie Gridley joined DLR Group in August. Founded in 1981 by Calvert S. Bowie, AIA, and William C. Gridley, FAIA, Bowie Gridley specializes in master planning and design for K-12 independent school clients along the Atlantic Coast and throughout the Northeast.

Bowie Gridleys focused expertise in master planning and design of K-12 independent school campuses are a natural complement to DLR Groups globally leading K-12 Education practice. It will operate as DLR Group|Bowie Gridley in its core independent school market and will join with DLR Groups existing Washington, D.C. office in a new location to establish a firm of 65 design professionals.

Also in August, DLR Group further enhanced its healthcare design capabilities with the addition of Charlotte-based healthcare design firm Wright McGraw Beyer Architects (WMBA). Established in 1996, founders Todd McGraw, NCARB, and John Beyer, AIA, built a firm that practices exclusively in healthcare. WMBA specializes in planning, design, and interiors for acute care facilities, ambulatory surgery centers, behavioral health, bio-medical centers, and medical office buildings for health systems across the Southeast.

DLR Group established a Charlotte office in 2016 that provides K-12 Education, Higher Education, Performing Arts, Sports, and Workplace design for public and private clients in the region. WMBA and DLR Group will merge operations to create a 45-person Charlotte office.

With the addition of these firms, DLR Group is a demonstrably better design firm. And as is always the case, culture is the most import consideration when you bring firms together, said Davenport. I firmly believe our design cultures align in so many ways. Joining DLR Group with Salus Architecture, BakerNowicki, Bowie Gridley, and WMBA is great news for the current and future employee-owners of DLR Group.

As the design industry evolves, DLR Groups multi-discipline, integrated design approach is appealing to firm leaders seeking scale to improve their competitive position in both local markets and core sectors. DLR Group offers those firms access to in-house structural and MEP engineering, interiors, high performance design, acoustics, lighting, advanced design technology, and the full suite of design resources available within a 1,200-person design firm.

DLR Group is a 100% employee-owned firm. The employee-ownership opportunity for staff also provides firm leaders with a proven method of ownership transition to ensure a firms design legacy as part of DLR Group. All the design professionals joining the firm will have the opportunity to purchase stock in DLR Group in December during the firms annual stock exchange.

About DLR Group

DLR Group is an integrated design firm delivering architecture, engineering, interiors, planning, and building optimization for new construction, renovation, and adaptive reuse. Our promise is to elevate the human experience through design. This promise inspires sustainable design for a diverse group of public and private sector clients; local communities; and our planet. DLR Group is 100 percent employee-owned and fully supports the initiatives and goals of the 2030 Challenge and is an initial signatory to the China Accord and the AIA 2030 Commitment.

# # #

Attachments
English French

Multi-faceted Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) leverages mutual world-class service expertise between Bombardier and the worlds largest network of private aviation terminals

Bombardier and Signature to actively promote and enhance distribution of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) in the U.S. and Europe through various channels

Future initiatives centered around activities creating value for customers, including AOG support, hangar access and co-developed business programs



MONTREAL, Oct. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bombardier and Signature Flight Support today announced they have signed a milestone Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) towards a multi-faceted relationship to create a suite of new services that will transform the service experience for their customers.

The first area of collaboration, announced earlier this year, designates Signature Flight Support as the preferred concierge service provider at Bombardier service centres in the U.S. and Europe. Currently launched in Tucson, AZ, Hartford CT, Fort Lauderdale, FL, Dallas, TX and Wichita, KS, in the United States, and with London-Biggin Hill in the United Kingdom to follow, this commitment will provide customers with maintenance services and amenities consistent with Signatures impeccable reputation as a leading FBO in business aviation. Bombardier customers will now receive turnkey access to an elite selection of concierge services emblematic of the Signature brand.

Secondly, and reinforcing Bombardiers collaboration with Signature, the agreement enhances the service experience for customers as Bombardiers Mobile Response Team (MRT) and associated capabilities, including the OEMs personnel, vehicles, and parts, will be available at various Signature sites across the U.S. and Europe. This will ensure customers have quick access to OEM service capabilities for maintenance events and other critical aircraft needs, saving precious time and maximizing their assets value. Both organizations envision to further evolve this initiative through jointly collaborated response to AOG events and faster access for Bombardier MRT personnel airside for maintenance events.

Bombardier business jet customers demand and expect the highest level of sophistication and service reliability, and this milestone agreement with Signature Flight Support delivers the turn-key, white-glove service experience our customers deserve, said Jean-Christophe Gallagher, Executive Vice President, Services and Support, and Corporate Strategy, Bombardier. Signature Flight Support is one of the most respected companies in business aviation and we are proud to be working in tandem to create new products and services for our customers, further solidifying Bombardier as the aftermarket leader in business aviation.

We are thrilled to partner with an industry leader like Bombardier to redefine what an FBO experience means for our customers, said Tony Lefebvre, Interim Chief Executive Officer for Signature Aviation. As a forward-facing company where the customer is at the center of everything we do, Signature is embracing a spirit of innovation to challenge the traditional approach to flight support services. This agreement further underscores our commitment to elevate, evolve and enrich the customer experience.

Bombardier and Signature Flight Support will also work to increase environmental awareness and responsibility throughout the business aviation industry by concentrating on the development and accessibility of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) through the Signature Renew program. Bombardier is committed to helping promote the increased availability and use of SAF throughout the industry and this agreement provides a foundation to collaborate on expanding access and reducing cost for traditional Jet A alternatives.

A critical piece of creating long-term sustainability in our industry is commitment to permanent SAF supplies like our partner Signature has done by converting 100% of their Jet fuel at San Francisco/SFO to Sustainable Aviation Fuel earlier this year, added Gallagher.

The comprehensive MoU agreement with Signature Flight Support builds on Bombardiers comprehensive global customer service commitment to provide the best customer service experience in business aviation today  and sets the stage for even more enhancements in the future.

About Signature Flight Support

Since the merger of Page AvJet and Butler Aviation in 1992, Signature Flight Support has grown to become the worlds largest network of Fixed Base Operators. With more than 200 locations providing consistent, exceptional service, Signatures worldwide network of FBOs delivers essential support service for business and private aviation, including refueling, hangarage, maintenance, repair and overhaul, and a variety of other world-class amenities with exceptional customer service.

About Bombardier

Bombardier is a global leader in aviation, creating innovative and game-changing planes. Our products and services provide world-class experiences that set new standards in passenger comfort, energy efficiency, reliability and safety.

Headquartered in Montreal, Canada, Bombardier is present in more than 12 countries including its production/engineering sites and its customer support network. The Corporation supports a worldwide fleet of over 4,900 aircraft in service with a wide variety of multinational corporations, charter and fractional ownership providers, governments and private individuals.

News and information is available at bombardier.com or follow us on Twitter @Bombardier.

Visit the Bombardier Business Aircraft website for more information on our industry-leading products and services.

Bombardier is a registered or unregistered trademark of Bombardier Inc. or its subsidiaries.

For information

Matthew Nicholls

Bombardier

+1 514-243-8214

Matthew.Nicholls@aero.bombardier.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/faccfcee-1429-4ee3-83f5-551baace487c
Roermond, Netherlands, Oct. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Papi Chulo is a Dutch event organization company specializing in Latin and Caribbean music events. It was just a couple of years ago Daniel Kingma, the founder stumbled upon a documentary about the Buena Vista Social Club and was instantly intoxicated by Latin Music. It was this instant passion that led him to start this company. Papi Chulo has been conducting music events across Europe thereby gaining immense popularity and success. They are now coming to the USA and South America to enthrall the audiences and Latin music lovers. These event organizers have major events lined up for the coming months in Columbia, Miami, and six other North American Cities. In 2022, they plan to organize events across Spain, Germany, Italy, and Belgium with popular locations being Ibiza, Valencia, Berlin, and Munich. They currently run a weekly club night in Ibiza along with indoor and outdoor festivals all over Europe.



Papi Chulo

Kingma hails from the Netherlands but his passion to learn more about Latin Music and South American culture was so profound that he decided to live in Spain. He spent three years studying event organization before organizing the events himself. With this knowledge and expertise, Daniel wanted to give something new, inspiring and joyful to his people back in the Netherlands. And so, the company although started with humble beginnings in 2018, it hardly took any time for it to soar. This goes to show that music is something that brings people together and Latin music truly has the power and the charisma to attract folks irrespective of geographical boundaries, culture, language, and age. The Papi Chulo parties have gained a reputation for being the most grooving events of all. No guest would sit or standstill as the vibes are too tempting and irresistible. That is the best thing there is for me and my team. That you feel like the party will never end with those wonderful Latin vibes. We will go on, says Daniel.

Just as Papi Chulo was basking in the glory and was busy planning their future events for the much anticipated 2020, Covid-19 appeared out of nowhere. It not only put all plans on hold but the current events also had to be stopped due to the lockdown restrictions. Daniel and his team decided to take advantage of the situation and make the best use of the internet and social media. They have spent the year building and expanding their international network, optimized the team as well as the overall event experience. They set up a record label, a music publishing company, and a YouTube channel with live sets from Tribal Kush, Afro Bros, and many others. They have also collaborated with emerging artists from around the world, released their music, and gave them a platform to popularize their work. A series of shows have been added which will be showcased in the US and Latin America this fall. Papi Chulo has also added new locations to the current countries to reach a wider audience.

To learn more visit https://papichulo.nl/

About Papi Chulo

Papi Chulo is an event organizer from the Netherlands specializing in Latin and Caribbean music events in Europe. In just two years, the company has organized over 150 events across 30 cities in 4 countries with over 80,000 visitors attending these events from all around the world. Founded by Daniel Kingma, a Latin music lover, Papi Chulo consists of a multicultural team with a worldwide network connecting artists, DJs, producers, even and project managers.

###

Contact

Papi Chulo

Phone: +31 (0)6 31 57 21 80

Email: info@papichulo.nl

Website: https://papichulo.nl/










TOKYO, Oct. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Notion, the collaboration software company, today announced availability of its product in Japanese, enabling millions more users in Japan to use the product for notes, documents, wikis, and project management. This launch comes on the heels of a new fundraise of $275 million from Sequoia Capital and Coatue Management, a $10 billion valuation, and record global growth for the company.

As Notion continues its global expansion, the company has seen its daily active user base in Japan increase by 500% in the last year, and has brought on key customers including Sompo Light Vortex, RAKSUL, and SmartNews. The expansion in Japan, which includes the Japanese product in beta as well as dedicated customer support in Japanese, has been bolstered by a passionate and vibrant community. Users have held their own meetups, created popular online forums, and even written and independently published books about Notion, all while the product was still in English. In order to support a growing number of customers, Notion is also building out an office in Tokyo, led by Regional General Manager Katsukiyo Nishi.

Notion's worldwide community is at the heart of its in-region adoption. Since launching a localized version of its product in Korea in 2020, Notion has seen key trends exemplifying its international reach:

80% of Notion's users are international, spread across 28 countries

4x growth in daily active users worldwide

Over 1,000 startups in Japan use Notion

"Japan has always held a special place in Notion's history," says Katsukiyo Nishi, Notion's Regional General Manager in Japan. "It is one of our most active audiences, and people have taken the tool into their teams and companies, fundamentally shifting how people work. In a world that's constantly changing, it's empowering to see Notion leveraged for new ways to work and collaborate. With this localized version of Notion, we're excited to see more people embrace the power of our platform."

Many of the features that Notion provides  helping teams customize their workflows to their specific needs  have allowed companies to create more collaborative, transparent organizations. In a landscape where hybrid work can be a challenge, Notion pulls all relevant information and knowledge into one place, allowing for more effective team alignment.

"Notion's excellent performance and design, as well as the ability to flexibly customize to our needs, has lowered the hurdles to documentation and increased knowledge sharing," says Kyohei Watanabe, Executive Officer and CIO at RAKSUL, Inc. "As a result, we've been able to share information within the company much faster, and I feel that it's increased the speed of development."

Digital transformation is a challenge not limited to Japan, however. Companies around the world are learning how to work in new ways. Built with the idea that software should adapt to the user, and not the other way around, Notion has reset expectations for what knowledge workers want from their tools.

"By consolidating our knowledge in Notion, it's become much easier and smoother for us to find the information we need," said Takashi Uehara, Executive VP at Sompo Light Vortex, Inc. "We've linked Notion to tools such as chat, which has cut down on the amount of time we spend providing updates and enables our team to asynchronously add updates at each person's pace, resulting in better efficiency. I have peace of mind that our team members are always sharing and working off of the same information. Meetings can now be held in a shorter period of time and focus on discussions, since we no longer need to spend time sharing information."

"With so many of our users outside of the U.S., we want to be present in more languages and markets," said Ivan Zhao, CEO at Notion. "In this era of digital transformation and hybrid work, companies have turned to us to help them connect their teams and collaborate faster. Localizing Notion is our first step to help people and companies succeed with Notion."

Notion also opened an EMEA headquarters in Dublin earlier this year that is serving rapid growth in France, Germany, and throughout the continent. The company will continue building on its enterprise adoption in Korea by adding more employees in-region over the next year.

Notion's Japanese version can be accessed on the web here, and more information can be found on Notion's blog. Localized mobile and desktop applications will become available in the coming weeks.

About Notion

Notion is the all-in-one workspace that combines notes, docs, project management, and wikis  and makes them all customizable. Tens of thousands of teams and companies around the world use it to collaborate, stay informed, and get more done together. If every person and business can tailor software to their problems, the world will be better at solving its problems. Our mission as a company is to make that a ubiquitous reality.

Press Contact:

Elaine Greenberg

press@makenotion.com

415-259-9924

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Image 1: Notion logo









This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com.

Attachment
PERTH, Western Australia, Oct. 13, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Perseus Mining Limited (ASX/TSX: PRU) is pleased to provide details of recent successful exploration activities at its Edikan Gold Mine in Ghana.



HIGHLIGHTS

Impressive drilling results have been recorded by Perseus at the Nkosuo prospect (previously referred to as Breman) on the Agyakusu Prospecting Licence, just seven kilometres from the mill at Edikan.

prospect (previously referred to as Breman) on the Agyakusu Prospecting Licence, just seven kilometres from the mill at Edikan. Drill results that demonstrate strong potential for shallow, granite-hosted open-pitable gold resources, include:



NKS0001RC: 32m @ 2.61 g/t from 23m NKS0002RD: 37m @ 1.10 g/t from 12m NKS0002RD: 5m @ 21.22 g/t from 229m NKS0004RD: 100m @ 1.82 g/t from 50m NKS0005RD: 11m @ 1.59 g/t from 82m NKS0005RD: 31m @ 1.12 g/t from 117m NKS0005RD: 15m @ 1.48 g/t from 152m NKS0006RD: 13m @ 1.54 g/t from 66m NKS0007DD: 31m @ 1.26 g/t from surface NKS0007DD: 21.50m @ 1.32 g/t from 75m NKS0007DD: 19m @ 1.29 g/t from 111m NKS0008RD: 75.20m @ 2.71 g/t from 42m NKS0013RC: 45m @ 1.97 g/t from 41m NKS0014RC: 13m @ 1.28 g/t from 54m NKS0014RC: 17m @ 2.18 g/t from 85m NKS0015RD: 15m @ 1.17 g/t from 22m NKS0015RD: 70m @ 1.30g/t from 87m NKS0018RD: 4m @ 10.22 g/t from 212.4m NKS0019RD: 22m @ 2.30 g/t from 5m NKS0019RD: 18m @ 1.91 g/t from 69m NKS0019RD: 37.5m @ 1.12 g/t from 107.5m NKS0020RD: 7m @ 2.78 g/t from 56m NKS0021RD: 30m @ 1.21 g/t from 1m NKS0021RD: 40m @ 0.91 g/t from 120m NKS0026RC: 25m @ 0.96 g/t from 23m

Early indications suggest Nkosuo hosts near-surface, granite-hosted gold mineralisation similar in style to that mined in Edikans Fobinso and Abnabna (AG) pits.

Resource definition drilling is in progress. Perseus expects to complete a maiden Mineral Resource estimate in the March 2022 quarter. Edikans mine life is currently forecast to end in FY2025 however, this discovery at Nkosuo has the potential to extend the mine life well beyond that date.



Perseuss Managing Director and CEO Jeff Quartermaine said:

With our three gold mines now in operation and Perseus moving closer by the day to achieving our goal of producing 500,000 ounces of gold per year, we have turned our sights to finding ways of sustaining this level of gold production from our operations out to the end of the decade and beyond.

Our exploration programme at Nkosuo has so far, returned impressive results that demonstrate the potential of this prospect to add to Edikans mine life with further drilling. We are particularly encouraged by similarities between the Nkosuo deposit and the Fobinso and Abnabna deposits which weve already successfully mined and processed at Edikan.

While we are working towards completing a maiden Mineral Resource estimate for Nkosuo in early CY2022, we intend to continue exploring on the Agyakusu, Agyakusu-DML and Domenase exploration licence areas, all of which are under option to Perseus and all of which are located within trucking distance of our Edikan mill.

BACKGROUND



Following the successful commissioning of its third operating mine, Yaoure, in December 2020, Perseus Mining Limited (ASX/TSX: PRU) has committed to a comprehensive organic growth programme, aimed at discovering sufficient incremental Ore Reserves at each of its three operating mines to maintain its total annual production level at 500,000 ounces of gold per year through to the end of the decade and beyond.

Results from its recent exploration activities adjacent to Edikan demonstrate outstanding potential to grow its gold inventory at the mine through further drilling success.

The 23.85km2 Agyakusu prospecting licence, 2-8km NNW of Edikan, is currently held by Ghanaian company Adio-Mabas Ghana Ltd, however Perseus secured an option to acquire the Exploration Licence in November 2019 (see ASX announcement 4 November 2019). Since acquiring the option on the licence area, Perseus has conducted soil sampling and airborne geophysical surveys whilst negotiating access from farmers to drill the granite hosted Nkosuo gold prospect (formerly known as the Breman prospect). Access to the area for drilling was achieved in June this year, with drilling commencing immediately afterwards.

NKOSUO EXPLORATION DRILLING



Exploration drilling commenced at the Nkosuo prospect on the Agyakusu permit on 1st July 2021 (Figures 1 and 2). Up to 30 September 2021, a total of 7,801 metres had been drilled in 13 Reverse Circulation (RC), eight diamond (DD) holes (including five metallurgical holes) and 26 RC pre-collared diamond holes (RD). Drilling was conducted on a nominal 80 x 80 metre grid to scope out the extent and overall geometry of the host granite and contained mineralisation, locally infilled to 40 x 40 metres. Results received to date have been highly encouraging, indicating strong potential for shallow open-pitable gold resources just seven kilometres from the Edikan mill.

The mineralisation at Nkosuo is hosted by a NNE-trending granitic plug extending at least 600m in strike, with widths ranging up to 200m. Results to date indicate the strongest mineralisation is focused in the northern 300m section of the intrusive. The granite body dips at around 700 to the west in the northern part of the intrusion, steepening to near vertical towards the south. Drilling has defined the northern limits of the ore body but it remains open to the south, though narrowing to around 100m. Mineralisation within the granite consists of variably intense quartz stockwork veining with associated quartz-carbonate-sericite alteration. The veining and alteration are accompanied by 1-2% disseminated and selvage pyrite and arsenopyrite, with better gold grades generally associated with higher concentrations of arsenopyrite. The enclosing Birimian metasediments are devoid of mineralisation. Overall, the Nkosuo mineralisation bears strong similarities to the western granite-hosted deposits at Edikan such as Fobinso and Abnabna.

Better intercepts from the Nkosuo drilling are shown below in Table 1 with a complete summary included in Appendix 2 - Table 1.

Table 1: Intercepts from Agyakusu Prospecting Licence - Nkosuo Prospect

(Based on lower cut-off of 0.5 g/t Au with maximum 2m internal waste <0.5 g/t)

Hole ID From (m) To (m) Gold Intercept NKS0001RC 23 55 32m @ 2.61 g/t NKS0002RD 12 49 37m @ 1.10 g/t NKS0002RD 229 234 5m @ 21.22 g/t NKS0004RD 50 150 100m @ 1.82 g/t NKS0005RD 82 93 11m @ 1.59 g/t NKS0005RD 117 148 31m @ 1.12 g/t NKS0005RD 152 167 15m @ 1.48 g/t NKS0005RC 14 26 12m @ 1.02 g/t NKS0006RD 27 31 4m @ 6.60 g/t NKS0006RD 66 79 13m @ 1.54 g/t NKS0007DD 0 31 31m @ 1.26 g/t NKS0007DD 43.2 63.2 20m @ 0.83 g/t NKS0007DD 75 96.5 21.50m @ 1.32 g/t NKS0007DD 111 130 19m @ 1.29 g/t NKS0008RD 23 36 13m @ 1.10 g/t NKS0008RD 42 117.2 75.20m @ 2.71 g/t NKS0011RC 19 26 7m @ 1.04 g/t NKS0013RC 41 86 45m @ 1.97 g/t NKS0014RC 54 67 13m @ 1.28 g/t NKS0014RC 85 102 17m @ 2.18 g/t NKS0015RD 22 37 15m @ 1.17 g/t NKS0015RD 85 144 59m @ 1.33g/t NKS0018RD 212.4 216.4 4m @ 10.22 g/t NKS0019RD 5 27 22m @ 2.30 g/t Au NKS0019RD 69 87 18m @ 1.91 g/t NKS0019RD 107.5 145 37.5m @ 1.12 g/t NKS0020RD 56 63 7m @ 2.78 g/t NKS0021RD 1 31 30m @ 1.21 g/t NKS0021RD 120 160 40m @ 0.91 g/t NKS0026RC 3 10 7m @ 1.17 g/t NKS0026RC 23 48 25m @ 0.96 g/t

Drill results available to date from the Nkosuo drilling indicate an Exploration Target of 10 to 15 Mt grading 0.9 to 1.1 g/t gold for 275 to 500 koz contained gold.

The Exploration Target is based on the drill hole assay data available on 28 September 2021 (Table 2) and the current understanding of mineralisation geometry and style. Being conceptual in nature, it takes no account of geological complexity, possible mining method or metallurgical recovery factors. The Exploration Target was estimated to enable an early assessment of the discoverys potential to add to Edikans mine life.

The potential quantity and grade of the Exploration Target is conceptual in nature and therefore is an approximation. There has been insufficient exploration to estimate a Mineral Resource and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in estimation of a Mineral Resource. The Exploration Target has been prepared and reported in accordance with the 2012 edition of the JORC Code.

Table 2: Nkosuo assays available on 28 September 2021

Hole Type



No. of Holes



Sample Type



Total In Granite No. Assays Metres Assayed No. Assays Metres Assayed RC 11 RC 559 995 314 314 Cored from Surface 2 DD 254 287 252 284 Pre-collared DD 17 RC 1305 1595 1185 1281 11 DD 1287 1408 1190 1323 Totals 3405 4285 2941 3202

The Exploration Target is defined by:



A wireframe of the host granite body used to limit the extent of interpreted mineralisation volume

Drill sample intervals composited to uniform 2m down-hole lengths with composite gold grades capped at 10g/t

Gold grades estimated by inverse distance squared weightings (IDW) into parent blocks with dimensions 20m east x 20m north x 10m elevation using a 50m east x 100m north x 100m elevation search ellipsoid with a minimum of four samples required to make an estimate

Estimates informed only by samples within the granite

Parent blocks sub-blocked against the granite wireframe and interpreted weathering surfaces using a minimum 5m east x 5m north x 2.5m elevation sub-block to reliably estimate the mineralisation volume

Densities for weathered, transition and fresh rock assumed to be 1.8, 2.1 and 2.7 tonnes per cubic metre

Sub-blocks grading greater than 0.4g/t gold and to a maximum vertical depth of approximately 170 metres.

FORWARD PROGRAMME

Drilling now underway at Nkosuo will focus on closing up the current hole spacing to 40 x 40 metres and ultimately to 20 x 20 metres to support a Mineral Resource estimate to be undertaken in the March 2022 quarter.

Metallurgical testwork and geotechnical drilling is about to commence so the Ore Reserve potential can be evaluated early in the September Quarter of 2022. In anticipation that this work will lead to a positive outcome the Company is in the process of exercising its option over the Agyakusu permit. Early work to meet the requirements of the ESIA process is also being planned.

Exploration more broadly at Edikan will focus on prospective opportunities identified on adjacent tenements, including the Agyakusu DML permit, where soil geochemical sampling has identified strong gold-in-soil anomalies along strike from the Nkosuo prospect, and the Domenase permit to the north of Nkosuo.



This announcement has been approved for release by Perseuss Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Jeff Quartermaine.

COMPETENT PERSON STATEMENT:

The information in this report and the attachments that relate to exploration drilling results and the Nkosuo Exploration Target on the Agyakusu permit is based on, and fairly represents, information and supporting documentation prepared by Dr Douglas Jones, a Competent Person who is a Chartered Professional Geologist. Dr Jones is the Group General Manager Exploration of the Company. Dr Jones has sufficient experience, which is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity being undertaken, to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 Edition of the Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves and to qualify as a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101  Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (NI 43-101). Dr Jones consents to the inclusion in this report of the matters based on his information in the form and context in which it appears.

CAUTION REGARDING FORWARD LOOKING INFORMATION:

This report contains forward-looking information which is based on the assumptions, estimates, analysis and opinions of management made in light of its experience and its perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, as well as other factors that management of the Company believes to be relevant and reasonable in the circumstances at the date that such statements are made, but which may prove to be incorrect. Assumptions have been made by the Company regarding, among other things: the price of gold, continuing commercial production at the Yaoure Gold Mine, Edikan Gold Mine and Sissingue Gold Mine without any major disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic or otherwise, the receipt of required governmental approvals, the accuracy of capital and operating cost estimates, the ability of the Company to operate in a safe, efficient and effective manner and the ability of the Company to obtain financing as and when required and on reasonable terms. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list is not exhaustive of all factors and assumptions which may have been used by the Company. Although management believes that the assumptions made by the Company and the expectations represented by such information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking information will prove to be accurate. Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any anticipated future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such factors include, among others, the actual market price of gold, the actual results of current exploration, the actual results of future exploration, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be evaluated, as well as those factors disclosed in the Company's publicly filed documents. The Company believes that the assumptions and expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable. Assumptions have been made regarding, among other things, the Companys ability to carry on its exploration and development activities, the timely receipt of required approvals, the price of gold, the ability of the Company to operate in a safe, efficient and effective manner and the ability of the Company to obtain financing as and when required and on reasonable terms. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Perseus does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.





ASX/TSX CODE: PRU



REGISTERED OFFICE:



Level 2

437 Roberts Road

Subiaco WA 6008



Telephone: +61 8 6144 1700

Email: IR@perseusmining.com



WWW.PERSEUSMINING.COM CONTACTS:



Jeff Quartermaine



Managing Director & CEO

jeff.quartermaine@perseusmining.com



Nathan Ryan



Media Relations

+61 4 20 582 887

nathan.ryan@nwrcommunications.com.au

APPENDIX 1  FIGURES

Figure 1.1: Edikan Gold Project  Regional Geology, Tenements and Prospects

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f55bf378-435a-4726-8484-f1c5282d7c4d

Figure 1.2: Nkosuo Prospect  Drilling and Results. Locations of Sections 1-3 shown.

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/77393025-223e-4f97-8c4b-e2bf45380e5b

Figure 1.3: Nkosuo Prospect  Drill Section 1

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1db067b1-cc66-4cb3-b3d1-a2b73601a732

Figure 1.4: Nkosuo Prospect  Drill Section 2

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/eb7f1cda-a4f7-45cd-9851-ae41227c8f25

Figure 1.5: Nkosuo Prospect  Drill Section 3

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/631f6e22-88b3-4f6d-a7a7-bf76171b8506

APPENDIX 2  SIGNIFICANT INTERCEPTS



Table 1: Nkosuo drill holes and significant assays

Hole ID East

(mE) North

(mN) Drill Type Azimuth

() Dip

() Depth

(m) No of samples From

(m) To

(m) Width

(m) Grade

(g/t) NKS0001RC 10989.31 20081.22 RC 119 -55 160 4 3 7 4 0.63 NKS0001RC 10989.31 20081.22 RC 119 -55 160 1 15 16 1 0.92 NKS0001RC 10989.31 20081.22 RC 119 -55 160 32 23 55 32 2.61 NKS0002RD 11000.00 20000.00 RCDD 119 -55 318.2 8 0 8 8 1.68 NKS0002RD 11000.00 20000.00 RCDD 119 -55 318.2 37 12 49 37 1.1 NKS0002RD 11000.00 20000.00 RCDD 119 -55 318.2 1 69 70 1 0.52 NKS0002RD 11000.00 20000.00 RCDD 119 -55 318.2 1 71 72 1 0.68 NKS0002RD 11000.00 20000.00 RCDD 119 -55 318.2 1 76 77 1 0.52 NKS0002RD 11000.00 20000.00 RCDD 119 -55 318.2 3 79 82 3 0.9 NKS0002RD 11000.00 20000.00 RCDD 119 -55 318.2 7 83.5 90 6.5 0.58 NKS0002RD 11000.00 20000.00 RCDD 119 -55 318.2 1 122 123 1 0.71 NKS0002RD 11000.00 20000.00 RCDD 119 -55 318.2 10 126 136 10 1.17 NKS0002RD 11000.00 20000.00 RCDD 119 -55 318.2 1 142 143 1 0.64 NKS0002RD 11000.00 20000.00 RCDD 119 -55 318.2 5 146 151 5 3.3 NKS0002RD 11000.00 20000.00 RCDD 119 -55 318.2 4 158.1 162 3.9 1.56 NKS0002RD 11000.00 20000.00 RCDD 119 -55 318.2 1 170 171 1 2.79 NKS0002RD 11000.00 20000.00 RCDD 119 -55 318.2 1 198 199 1 1.06 NKS0002RD 11000.00 20000.00 RCDD 119 -55 318.2 1 204 205 1 1.69 NKS0002RD 11000.00 20000.00 RCDD 119 -55 318.2 5 229 234 5 21.22 NKS0002RD 11000.00 20000.00 RCDD 119 -55 318.2 1 240 241 1 0.57 NKS0002RD 11000.00 20000.00 RCDD 119 -55 318.2 1 260 261 1 0.62 NKS0003RC 11082.07 20079.91 RC 119 -55 180 NSI NKS0004RD 10928.19 20082.94 RCDD 119 -55 165.3 2 7 9 2 4.54 NKS0004RD 10928.19 20082.94 RCDD 119 -55 165.3 1 13 14 1 0.53 NKS0004RD 10928.19 20082.94 RCDD 119 -55 165.3 1 25 26 1 0.61 NKS0004RD 10928.19 20082.94 RCDD 119 -55 165.3 1 28 29 1 0.98 NKS0004RD 10928.19 20082.94 RCDD 119 -55 165.3 5 32 37 5 0.76 NKS0004RD 10928.19 20082.94 RCDD 119 -55 165.3 100 50 150 100 1.82 NKS0005RD 10842.74 20159.46 RCDD 119 -55 245.20 9 42.00 51.00 9.00 0.50 NKS0005RD 10842.74 20159.46 RCDD 119 -55 245.20 11 82.00 93.00 11.00 1.59 NKS0005RD 10842.74 20159.46 RCDD 119 -55 245.20 4 98.00 102.00 4.00 1.03 NKS0005RD 10842.74 20159.46 RCDD 119 -55 245.20 31 117.00 148.00 31.00 1.15 NKS0005RD 10842.74 20159.46 RCDD 119 -55 245.20 15 152.00 167.00 15.00 1.48 NKS0005RD 10842.74 20159.46 RCDD 119 -55 245.20 1 197.90 198.90 1.00 0.60 NKS0005RD 10842.74 20159.46 RCDD 119 -55 245.20 2 220.50 222.00 1.50 0.97 NKS0006RD 10840.81 20081.21 RCDD 119 -55 264.2 1 8 9 1 0.94 NKS0006RD 10840.81 20081.21 RCDD 119 -55 264.2 1 14 15 1 0.57 NKS0006RD 10840.81 20081.21 RCDD 119 -55 264.2 4 27 31 4 6.6 NKS0006RD 10840.81 20081.21 RCDD 119 -55 264.2 4 53 57 4 0.87 NKS0006RD 10840.81 20081.21 RCDD 119 -55 264.2 13 66 79 13 1.54 NKS0006RD 10840.81 20081.21 RCDD 119 -55 264.20 4 107.00 111.00 4.00 3.27 NKS0006RD 10840.81 20081.21 RCDD 119 -55 264.20 1 146.50 147.00 0.50 6.32 NKS0006RD 10840.81 20081.21 RCDD 119 -55 264.20 1 149.90 150.90 1.00 0.64 NKS0006RD 10840.81 20081.21 RCDD 119 -55 264.20 1 152.00 153.00 1.00 0.97 NKS0006RD 10840.81 20081.21 RCDD 119 -55 264.20 1 174.00 175.00 1.00 1.77 NKS0006RD 10840.81 20081.21 RCDD 119 -55 264.20 1 177.00 178.00 1.00 0.58 NKS0006RD 10840.81 20081.21 RCDD 119 -55 264.20 1 208.80 209.50 0.70 2.58 NKS0006RD 10840.81 20081.21 RCDD 119 -55 264.20 1 229.80 230.90 1.10 0.56 NKS0006RD 10840.81 20081.21 RCDD 119 -55 264.20 17 236.90 253.00 16.10 1.09 NKS0006RD 10840.81 20081.21 RCDD 119 -55 264.20 1 256.15 257.65 1.50 1.87 NKS0006RD 10840.81 20081.21 RCDD 119 -55 264.20 1 260.45 261.15 0.70 0.56 NKS0007DD 11082.26 20001.36 DD 119 -55 183.70 4 0.00 5.00 5.00 2.13 NKS0007DD 11082.26 20001.36 DD 119 -55 183.70 15 10.20 31.70 21.50 1.32 NKS0007DD 11082.26 20001.36 DD 119 -55 183.70 1 39.20 40.20 1.00 0.78 NKS0007DD 11082.26 20001.36 DD 119 -55 183.70 20 43.20 63.20 20.00 0.83 NKS0007DD 11082.26 20001.36 DD 119 -55 183.70 17 75.10 91.80 16.70 1.17 NKS0007DD 11082.26 20001.36 DD 119 -55 183.70 1 95.00 96.00 1.00 0.63 NKS0007DD 11082.26 20001.36 DD 119 -55 183.70 1 102.50 103.40 0.90 3.19 NKS0007DD 11082.26 20001.36 DD 119 -55 183.70 1 106.40 107.00 0.60 0.77 NKS0007DD 11082.26 20001.36 DD 119 -55 183.70 17 111.00 130.00 19.00 1.29 NKS0007DD 11082.26 20001.36 DD 119 -55 183.70 3 165.00 168.36 3.36 0.87 NKS0008RD 10918.85 20158.70 RCDD 119 -55 126.20 3 9.00 16.00 7.00 1.40 NKS0008RD 10918.85 20158.70 RCDD 119 -55 126.20 1 19.00 20.00 1.00 0.59 NKS0008RD 10918.85 20158.70 RCDD 119 -55 126.20 13 23.00 36.00 13.00 1.10 NKS0008RD 10918.85 20158.70 RCDD 119 -55 126.20 75 42.00 117.25 75.25 2.71 NKS0009RC 11081.90 20159.99 RC 119 -55 85 NSI NKS0010RC 11082.04 20239.40 RC 119 -55 72 NSI NKS0011RC 11000.88 20160.55 RC 119 -55 45.00 12 14.00 26.00 12.00 1.02 NKS0011RC 11000.88 20160.55 RC 119 -55 45.00 1 35.00 36.00 1.00 1.07 NKS0012RC 11016.95 20239.78 RC 119 -55 50.00 NSI NKS0013RC 10958.20 20077.86 RC 119 -55 122.00 1 2.00 3.00 1.00 0.68 NKS0013RC 10958.20 20077.86 RC 119 -55 122.00 1 12.00 13.00 1.00 1.30 NKS0013RC 10958.20 20077.86 RC 119 -55 122.00 3 18.00 21.00 3.00 1.79 NKS0013RC 10958.20 20077.86 RC 119 -55 122.00 1 29.00 30.00 1.00 1.36 NKS0013RC 10958.20 20077.86 RC 119 -55 122.00 43 41.00 84.00 43.00 1.97 NKS0014RC 10956.73 20119.15 RC 119 -55 120.00 5 6.00 11.00 5.00 1.59 NKS0014RC 10956.73 20119.15 RC 119 -55 120.00 1 14.00 15.00 1.00 1.97 NKS0014RC 10956.73 20119.15 RC 119 -55 120.00 1 29.00 30.00 1.00 1.41 NKS0014RC 10956.73 20119.15 RC 119 -55 120.00 1 40.00 41.00 1.00 1.93 NKS0014RC 10956.73 20119.15 RC 119 -55 120.00 1 46.00 47.00 1.00 1.21 NKS0014RC 10956.73 20119.15 RC 119 -55 120.00 13 54.00 67.00 13.00 1.16 NKS0014RC 10956.73 20119.15 RC 119 -55 120.00 1 71.00 72.00 1.00 0.74 NKS0014RC 10956.73 20119.15 RC 119 -55 120.00 1 76.00 77.00 1.00 1.50 NKS0014RC 10956.73 20119.15 RC 119 -55 120.00 17 85.00 102.00 17.00 2.18 NKS0014RC 10956.73 20119.15 RC 119 -55 120.00 1 105.00 106.00 1.00 1.09 NKS0015RD 10916.53 20118.68 RCDD 119 -55 189.20 2 15.00 17.00 2.00 0.73 NKS0015RD 10916.53 20118.68 RCDD 119 -55 189.20 17 22.00 39.00 17.00 1.05 NKS0015RD 10916.53 20118.68 RCDD 119 -55 189.20 1 44.00 45.00 1.00 1.29 NKS0015RD 10916.53 20118.68 RCDD 119 -55 189.20 1 48.00 49.00 1.00 0.87 NKS0015RD 10916.53 20118.68 RCDD 119 -55 189.20 3 54.00 57.00 3.00 1.41 NKS0015RD 10916.53 20118.68 RCDD 119 -55 189.20 1 62.00 63.00 1.00 1.58 NKS0015RD 10916.53 20118.68 RCDD 119 -55 189.20 4 75.00 79.00 4.00 1.37 NKS0015RD 10916.53 20118.68 RCDD 119 -55 189.20 59 85.00 144.00 59.00 1.33 NKS0016RD 10846.07 20242.25 RC 119 -55 50.00 NSI NKS0017RD 10925.14 20242.92 RC 119 -55 50.00 NSI NKS0018RD 10753.97 20158.42 RCDD 119 -55 324.20 1 156 156.50 0.50 0.92 NKS0018RD 10753.97 20158.42 RCDD 119 -55 324.20 1 208.40 209.40 1.00 0.90 NKS0018RD 10753.97 20158.42 RCDD 119 -55 324.20 4 212.40 216.40 4.00 10.22 NKS0018RD 10753.97 20158.42 RCDD 119 -55 324.20 1 218.40 219.25 0.85 0.70 NKS0018RD 10753.97 20158.42 RCDD 119 -55 324.20 2 230.80 233.10 2.30 2.39 NKS0018RD 10753.97 20158.42 RCDD 119 -55 324.20 3 247.40 250 2.60 3.68 NKS0019RD 10882.05 20157.94 RCDD 119 -55 207.10 15 5.00 27.00 22.00 2.30 NKS0019RD 10882.05 20157.94 RCDD 119 -55 207.10 3 37.00 40.00 3.00 0.80 NKS0019RD 10882.05 20157.94 RCDD 119 -55 207.10 2 46.00 48.00 2.00 0.91 NKS0019RD 10882.05 20157.94 RCDD 119 -55 207.10 18 69.00 87.00 18.00 1.91 NKS0019RD 10882.05 20157.94 RCDD 119 -55 207.10 1 92.00 93.00 1.00 0.93 NKS0019RD 10882.05 20157.94 RCDD 119 -55 207.10 1 95.00 96.00 1.00 0.91 NKS0019RD 10882.05 20157.94 RCDD 119 -55 207.10 4 99.00 146.00 48.00 1.03 NKS0019RD 10882.05 20157.94 RCDD 119 -55 207.10 2 154.40 156.40 2.00 1.23 NKS0020RD 10834.45 20120.42 RCDD 119 -55 279.30 1 48.00 50.00 1.00 0.72 NKS0020RD 10834.45 20120.42 RCDD 119 -55 279.30 7 56.00 63.00 7.00 2.78 NKS0020RD 10834.45 20120.42 RCDD 119 -55 279.30 1 78.00 79.00 1.00 1.01 NKS0020RD 10834.45 20120.42 RCDD 119 -55 279.30 1 89.00 90.00 1.00 0.71 NKS0020RD 10834.45 20120.42 RCDD 119 -55 279.30 1 94.00 95.00 1.00 2.1 NKS0020RD 10834.45 20120.42 RCDD 119 -55 279.30 10 98.00 108.00 10.00 1.68 NKS0020RD 10834.45 20120.42 RCDD 119 -55 279.30 2 115.00 116.60 1.60 3.53 NKS0020RD 10834.45 20120.42 RCDD 119 -55 279.30 7 129.00 136.00 7.00 3.52 NKS0020RD 10834.45 20120.42 RCDD 119 -55 279.30 1 163.00 164.50 1.50 0.68 NKS0020RD 10834.45 20120.42 RCDD 119 -55 279.30 4 194.70 198.10 3.40 1.99 NKS0020RD 10834.45 20120.42 RCDD 119 -55 279.30 1 200.40 201.00 0.60 0.76 NKS0020RD 10834.45 20120.42 RCDD 119 -55 279.30 1 204.50 266.00 1.50 0.60 NKS0020RD 10834.45 20120.42 RCDD 119 -55 279.30 4 240.00 244.00 4.00 0.71 NKS0020RD 10834.45 20120.42 RCDD 119 -55 279.30 1 274.08 274.65 0.57 1.15 NKS0021RD 10997.72 19839.25 RCDD 119 -55 255.20 8 1.00 9.00 8.00 0.94 NKS0021RD 10997.72 19839.25 RCDD 119 -55 255.20 12 13.00 25.00 12.00 1.74 NKS0021RD 10997.72 19839.25 RCDD 119 -55 255.20 4 29.00 33.00 4.00 1.59 NKS0021RD 10997.72 19839.25 RCDD 119 -55 255.20 3 46.00 49.00 3.00 1.18 NKS0021RD 10997.72 19839.25 RCDD 119 -55 255.20 1 55.00 56.00 1.00 1.47 NKS0021RD 10997.72 19839.25 RCDD 119 -55 255.20 14 71.00 84.00 14.00 0.58 NKS0021RD 10997.72 19839.25 RCDD 119 -55 255.20 4 91.00 95.00 4.00 1.09 NKS0021RD 10997.72 19839.25 RCDD 119 -55 255.20 3 98.00 101.00 3.00 0.52 NKS0021RD 10997.72 19839.25 RCDD 119 -55 255.20 1 103.00 104.00 1.00 1.40 NKS0021RD 10997.72 19839.25 RCDD 119 -55 255.20 13 114.00 127.00 13.00 0.73 NKS0021RD 10997.72 19839.25 RCDD 119 -55 255.20 3 130.00 133.00 3.00 1.25 NKS0021RD 10997.72 19839.25 RCDD 119 -55 255.20 24 136.00 161.00 25.00 1.03 NKS0021RD 10997.72 19839.25 RCDD 119 -55 255.20 1 166.50 168.00 1.50 0.69 NKS0021RD 10997.72 19839.25 RCDD 119 -55 255.20 1 178.00 179.00 1.00 0.80 NKS0021RD 10997.72 19839.25 RCDD 119 -55 255.20 2 180.68 182.00 1.38 0.55 NKS0021RD 10997.72 19839.25 RCDD 119 -55 255.20 1 193.00 194.00 1.00 0.77 NKS0021RD 10997.72 19839.25 RCDD 119 -55 255.20 1 201.00 202.20 1.20 0.68 NKS0021RD 10997.72 19839.25 RCDD 119 -55 255.20 1 204.00 205.10 1.10 0.53 NKS0021RD 10997.72 19839.25 RCDD 119 -55 255.20 4 211.80 215.90 4.10 0.95 NKS0021RD 10997.72 19839.25 RCDD 119 -55 255.20 3 238.00 241.05 3.05 0.54 NKS0021RD 10997.72 19839.25 RCDD 119 -55 255.20 1 254.10 255.20 1.10 0.62 NKS0022RD 10923.47 19839.23 RCDD 119 -55 381.20 1 83.00 84.00 1.00 0.99 NKS0022RD 10923.47 19839.23 RCDD 119 -55 381.20 1 89.00 90.00 1.00 0.98 NKS0022RD 10923.47 19839.23 RCDD 119 -55 381.20 1 96.00 97.00 1.00 0.69 NKS0022RD 10923.47 19839.23 RCDD 119 -55 381.20 1 125.00 126.00 1.00 2.78 NKS0022RD 10923.47 19839.23 RCDD 119 -55 381.20 5 147.00 152.00 5.00 1.00 NKS0022RD 10923.47 19839.23 RCDD 119 -55 381.20 3 152.95 156.50 3.55 0.62 NKS0022RD 10923.47 19839.23 RCDD 119 -55 381.20 1 163.00 164.00 1.00 0.53 NKS0022RD 10923.47 19839.23 RCDD 119 -55 381.20 2 177.83 179.89 2.06 0.96 NKS0022RD 10923.47 19839.23 RCDD 119 -55 381.20 1 183.00 184.00 1.00 0.94 NKS0022RD 10923.47 19839.23 RCDD 119 -55 381.20 1 211.50 213.00 1.50 0.61 NKS0022RD 10923.47 19839.23 RCDD 119 -55 381.20 5 273.00 278.00 5.00 0.53 NKS0022RD 10923.47 19839.23 RCDD 119 -55 381.20 1 296.00 297.00 1.00 1.82 NKS0022RD 10923.47 19839.23 RCDD 119 -55 381.20 1 313.00 314.20 1.20 3.04 NKS0022RD 10923.47 19839.23 RCDD 119 -55 381.20 1 296.00 297.00 1.00 1.82 NKS0022RD 10923.47 19839.23 RCDD 119 -55 381.20 1 313.00 314.20 1.20 3.04 NKS0023DD 11075.62 19838.42 RCDD 119 -55 125.80 14 0.00 20.10 20.10 0.67 NKS0023DD 11075.62 19838.42 RCDD 119 -55 125.80 1 23.10 24.10 1.00 0.64 NKS0023DD 11075.62 19838.42 RCDD 119 -55 125.80 1 27.10 29.10 2.00 0.51 NKS0023DD 11075.62 19838.42 RCDD 119 -55 125.80 2 36.10 39.10 3.00 0.54 NKS0023DD 11075.62 19838.42 RCDD 119 -55 125.80 16 44.60 66.50 21.90 0.67 NKS0023DD 11075.62 19838.42 RCDD 119 -55 125.80 6 71.00 78.00 7.00 0.92 NKS0023DD 11075.62 19838.42 RCDD 119 -55 125.80 1 81.00 82.00 1.00 0.54 NKS0023DD 11075.62 19838.42 RCDD 119 -55 125.80 8 88.00 96.00 8.00 1.04 NKS0023DD 11075.62 19838.42 RCDD 119 -55 125.80 7 100.00 107.00 7.00 0.62 NKS0023DD 11075.62 19838.42 RCDD 119 -55 125.80 5 114.00 120.00 6.00 1.17 NKS0024RD 10878.43 20118.21 RCDD 119 -55 270.60 1 3.00 4.00 1.00 1.57 NKS0024RD 10878.43 20118.21 RCDD 119 -55 270.60 1 19.00 20.00 1.00 1.93 NKS0024RD 10878.43 20118.21 RCDD 119 -55 270.60 2 55.00 57.00 2.00 1.82 NKS0025RD 10921.06 19920.41 RCDD 119 -55 414.30 4 109.00 113.00 4.00 0.72 NKS0025RD 10921.06 19920.41 RCDD 119 -55 414.30 8 116.00 124.00 8.00 1.15 NKS0025RD 10921.06 19920.41 RCDD 119 -55 414.30 6 131.00 137.00 6.00 0.74 NKS0026RC 11111.23 19759.19 RCDD 119 -55 85.00 7 3.00 10.00 7.00 1.17 NKS0026RC 11111.23 19759.19 RCDD 119 -55 85.00 4 16.00 20.00 4.00 0.88 NKS0026RC 11111.23 19759.19 RCDD 119 -55 85.00 32 23.00 55.00 32.00 0.87 NKS0027RD 11033.98 19677.63 RCDD 119 -55 210.30 1 3.00 4.00 1.00 0.63 NKS0027RD 11033.98 19677.63 RCDD 119 -55 210.30 1 34.00 35.00 1.00 8.30 NKS0028RD 10915.46 19758.01 RCDD 119 -55 390.30 NSI NKS0029RD 10999.04 19635.76 RCDD 119 -55 246.30 1 17.00 18.00 1.00 1.17 NKS0029RD 10999.04 19635.76 RCDD 119 -55 246.30 1 30.00 31.00 1.00 1.31 NKS0029RD 10999.04 19635.76 RCDD 119 -55 246.30 1 34.00 35.00 1.00 1.67 NKS0029RD 10999.04 19635.76 RCDD 119 -55 246.30 1 48.00 49.00 1.00 0.86 NKS0029RD 10999.04 19635.76 RCDD 119 -55 246.30 1 74.00 75.00 1.00 1.43 NKS0030RD 11035.32 19599.79 RCDD 119 -55 192.20 1 45.00 46.00 1.00 0.61 NKS0030RD 11035.32 19599.79 RCDD 119 -55 192.20 1 49.00 50.00 1.00 1.33 NKS0030RD 11035.32 19599.79 RCDD 119 -55 192.20 1 54.00 55.00 1.00 0.52 NKS0031RD 10997.39 19761.58 RCDD 119 -55 252.20 3 1.00 4.00 3.00 1.10 NKS0031RD 10997.39 19761.58 RCDD 119 -55 252.20 6 13.00 19.00 6.00 0.63 NKS0031RD 10997.39 19761.58 RCDD 119 -55 252.20 1 22.00 23.00 1.00 0.52 NKS0031RD 10997.39 19761.58 RCDD 119 -55 252.20 1 27.00 28.00 1.00 0.73 NKS0031RD 10997.39 19761.58 RCDD 119 -55 252.20 1 40.00 41.00 1.00 0.89 NKS0031RD 10997.39 19761.58 RCDD 119 -55 252.20 3 46.00 49.00 3.00 0.55 NKS0031RD 10997.39 19761.58 RCDD 119 -55 252.20 1 51.00 52.00 1.00 1.00 NKS0031RD 10997.39 19761.58 RCDD 119 -55 252.20 1 59.00 60.00 1.00 0.52 NKS0031RD 10997.39 19761.58 RCDD 119 -55 252.20 1 66.00 67.00 1.00 4.19 NKS0035RD 11075.02 19758.51 RCDD 119 -55 141.70 1 3.00 4.00 1.00 2.59 NKS0035RD 11075.02 19758.51 RCDD 119 -55 141.70 1 10.00 11.00 1.00 0.58 NKS0035RD 11075.02 19758.51 RCDD 119 -55 141.70 1 26.00 27.00 1.00 0.90 NKS0035RD 11075.02 19758.51 RCDD 119 -55 141.70 1 29.00 30.00 1.00 0.89

APPENDIX 3  JORC TABLES NKOSUO PROPERTY



JORC 2012 Table 1  Section 1 sampling techniques and data

(Criteria in this section apply to all succeeding sections)

Criteria JORC Code Explanation Commentary Sampling techniques Nature and quality of sampling (e.g. cut channels, random chips, or specific specialised industry standard measurement tools appropriate to the minerals under investigation, such as down hole gamma sondes, or handheld XRF instruments, etc.). These examples should not be taken as limiting the broad meaning of sampling. Other than for soil sampling and an airborne EM-magnetics-radiometrics survey conducted in 2020 there has been no previous mineral exploration at Nkosuo. The presence of gold mineralisation was first revealed by artisanal miners in 2019. Perseus commenced drilling in July 2021. Drilling completed to the end of September 2021 is tabulated below.



Include reference to measures taken to ensure sample representivity and the appropriate calibration of any measurement tools or systems used.



Drilling Type No. Holes RC metres DD metres Aspects of the determination of mineralisation that are Material to the Public Report. In cases where industry standard work has been done this would be relatively simple (e.g. reverse circulation drilling was used to obtain 1 m samples from which 3 kg was pulverised to produce a 30 g charge for fire assay). In other cases more explanation may be required, such as where there is coarse gold that has inherent sampling problems. Unusual commodities or mineralisation types (e.g. submarine nodules) may warrant disclosure of detailed information. RC 13 1,133.00 0.00 Pre-collared DD



26



2,665.30



3,451.80



DD from surface



8



0.00



551.00



Totals 47 3,798.30 4,002.80 RC drilling used face-sampling hammers with 136mm hole diameter. Samples were collected at one metre intervals and logged visually for recovery, sample condition (dry, damp, wet) and contamination. Sample recoveries were measured by weighing bulk recovered samples.



Diamond drilling utilised HQ triple-tube (61.1mm ) drilling in weathered materials and NQ2 (50.6mm ) diameter core in fresh rock. Diamond core recoveries were measured linearly per drill run. Core recoveries average 70% in weathered materials and 100% in fresh rock.

Drilling techniques Drill type (e.g. core, reverse circulation, open-hole hammer, rotary air blast, auger, Bangka, sonic, etc.) and details (e.g. core diameter, triple or standard tube, depth of diamond tails, face-sampling bit or other type, whether core is oriented and if so, by what method, etc.). RC drilling used face-sampling hammers with 136mm hole diameter. Samples were collected at one metre intervals.



Diamond drilling utilised HQ triple-tube (61.1mm ) drilling in weathered materials and NQ2 (50.6mm ) diameter core in fresh rock. Core in fresh rock was oriented using a Reflex ACT II device. Drill sample recovery Method of recording and assessing core and chip sample recoveries and results assessed. RC drill samples were logged visually for recovery, sample condition (dry, damp, wet) and contamination. Sample recoveries were measured by weighing bulk recovered samples. Preliminary evaluation indicates that RC sample recoveries have averaged 19.3kg in weathered material and 29.3kg in fresh rock. 64 samples (3%) have been logged as being wet.



Measures taken to maximise sample recovery and ensure representative nature of the samples. Diamond core recoveries were measured linearly per drill run. Core recoveries average 70% in weathered materials and 100% in fresh rock.



Whether a relationship exists between sample recovery and grade and whether sample bias may have occurred due to preferential loss/gain of fine/coarse material. The Competent Person considers that there are presently insufficient data available to permit a meaningful examination of potential relationships between sample recovery and gold grade. Logging Whether core and chip samples have been geologically and geotechnically logged to a level of detail to support appropriate Mineral Resource estimation, mining studies and metallurgical studies.



Geological logs are available for the entire lengths of all drill holes. The logging is qualitative in nature. Whether logging is qualitative or quantitative in nature. Core (or costean, channel, etc.) photography. Sieved samples of RC chips from each metre of drilling were logged for colour, rock type, alteration type and intensity, vein quartz content, sulphide mineralisation, weathering and oxidation. The chips are stored in plastic chip trays and the trays are photographed.



The total length and percentage of the relevant intersections logged. Diamond drill core was logged for geology, structure and geotechnical characteristics. Geological logging included colour, lithology, weathering, oxidation, vein type and vein volume percentage, sulphide species and their estimated percentage, alteration and alteration intensity. Structural logging included fault, fold, cleavage and joint orientation, lithological contacts and vein orientations. Drill core was photographed prior to cutting.

Sub-sampling techniques and sample preparation If core, whether cut or sawn and whether quarter, half or all core taken. RC drill samples were collected at drill sites over one metre intervals and manually split using multi-stage riffle splitters to produce assay sub-samples averaging around 3kg. All RC holes have been assayed in entirety.



If non-core, whether riffled, tube sampled, rotary split, etc. and whether sampled wet or dry. In weathered materials, diamond core was halved using spatulas or knives. In fresh rock, core was sawn in half using a diamond blade saw, with one half sent for assaying and the other half stored in core trays for reference. Samples were normally taken at 1 metre intervals. All diamond drill core has been assayed.



For all sample types, the nature, quality and appropriateness of the sample preparation technique. Preparation of core and RC samples followed a standard path of drying at 105 degrees C for at least 12 hours, crushing the entire sample to 85% passing -2mm and grinding a 1.5kg split to 85% passing 75 microns. 300g pulp subsamples are selected by multiple scoop passes.



Quality control procedures adopted for all sub-sampling stages to maximise representivity of samples. Quality control measures adopted to confirm the representivity of samples from RC and diamond drilling include:



Measures taken to ensure that the sampling is representative of the in-situ material collected, including for instance results for field duplicate/second-half sampling. Field re-splits of RC samples at an average frequency of around one duplicate per 20 primary samples respectively. Whether sample sizes are appropriate to the grain size of the material being sampled. Submission of coarse blanks at an average of around 1 blank per 20 primary samples





Use of pressurised air between every sample in crushing and pulverising equipment and quartz wash/prep blank every 25th sample





Screening of approximately 1:20 crushed and pulp samples to check grind size Sample preparation techniques are considered appropriate to the style of mineralisation. Available information indicates that sample sizes are appropriate to the grain size of the material being sampled.

Quality of assay data and laboratory tests The nature, quality and appropriateness of the assaying and laboratory procedures used and whether the technique is considered partial or total. All RC and diamond core samples have been assayed by 50g fire assay with AAS determination by Intertek Testing Services Ghana at their Tarkwa assay laboratory. The technique is considered a total extraction technique.



For geophysical tools, spectrometers, handheld XRF instruments, etc., the parameters used in determining the analysis including instrument make and model, reading times, calibrations factors applied and their derivation, etc.



Quality control procedures include submission of coarse blanks (1:20) and certified reference standards (1:20). Nature of quality control procedures adopted (e.g. standards, blanks, duplicates, external laboratory checks) and whether acceptable levels of accuracy (i.e. lack of bias) and precision have been established.

The available information indicates that the assaying of RC and core samples is free from any significant biases and is of acceptable accuracy. Verification of sampling and assaying The verification of significant intersections by either independent or alternative company personnel. Numerous significant mineralised intersections have been checked against visual alteration and sulphide mineralisation in drill chips and core.



The use of twinned holes. No holes have been deliberately twinned.



Documentation of primary data, data entry procedures, data verification, data storage (physical and electronic) protocols. Geology, structure and geotechnical logs are paper based. Sample intervals are recorded in pre-numbered sample ticket books. All logging, sample interval and survey data are manually entered to digital form on site and stored in an acQuire relational database. Data exports are normally in the form of MS Access files.



Discuss any adjustment to assay data. Data verification procedures include automated checks to:

prevent repetition of sample numbers





prevent overlap of from-to intervals in logging and sample interval data





ensure that total hole depths in collar, assay and geology tables match





ensure that drill collar coordinates are within the projects geographic limits Down-hole survey data are examined for large deviations in dip or azimuth that may represent erroneous data or data entry errors and corrected on a case-by-case basis including estimates of dips and azimuths where the original data appear to be in error.



Additional data checks include viewing drill hole traces, geological logging and assays in plan and section views.



The Competent Persons independent checks of database validity included: Comparison of assay values between nearby holes, checking for internal consistency between, and within database tables, comparisons between assay results from different sampling phases. Additional checking included comparing database assay entries with laboratory source files. These checks showed no significant discrepancies in the database used for resource estimation Location of data points Accuracy and quality of surveys used to locate drill holes (collar and down-hole surveys), trenches, mine workings and other locations used in Mineral Resource estimation.



Drill hole collars have been surveyed by qualified mine surveyors using differential GPS equipment with coordinates recorded in UTM grid, WGS84 Zone 30N datum. Specification of the grid system used. All RC and diamond core holes have been surveyed at 12m depth and at approximately 30m down-hole increments using digital compass instruments.



Quality and adequacy of topographic control. A topographic surface has been established by a drone photogrammetric survey conducted in 2020. The topographic surface is expected to be reliable to +/- 0.2m.



Topographic control is adequate for the current work being undertaken at Nkosuo.

Data spacing and distribution Data spacing for reporting of Exploration Results. The Nkosuo prospect is delineated by regular drilling at 80m x 80m X-Y spacing in holes dipping at -55 degrees toward 160 degrees (UTM grid) azimuth. The drill pattern has been partially infilled to 40m x 80m in places. Drill coverage generally extends to about 150m vertical depth and to a maximum of about 280m depth.



Whether the data spacing and distribution is sufficient to establish the degree of geological and grade continuity appropriate for the Mineral Resource and Ore Reserve estimation procedure(s) and classifications applied.



The data spacing has established geological continuity of the host granite but has not defined the continuity of mineralisation sufficiently to permit reliable estimation of Mineral Resources. Whether sample compositing has been applied. Orientation of data in relation to geological structure Whether the orientation of sampling achieves unbiased sampling of possible structures and the extent to which this is known, considering the deposit type.



Drill holes are oriented approximately orthogonal to the trend of the granite body that hosts mineralisation. The orientation of mineralised structures within the granite is presently unconfirmed but there is no indication that exploration results to date are affected by a significant bias due to orientation. If the relationship between the drilling orientation and the orientation of key mineralised structures is considered to have introduced a sampling bias, this should be assessed and reported if material. Sample security The measures taken to ensure sample security. RC and core samples were delivered to the secure core yard compound at Edikan mine by Perseus personnel. RC field sample splits and samples of half diamond core were placed in numbered bags and those bags, in turn, placed into polywoven sacks that were closed with plastic cable ties prior to transport to the assay laboratory by laboratory personnel. Security guards were employed at drilling sites and at the core yard compound on a 24 hour per day basis.



Results of field duplicates along with the general consistency of assay results between adjacent drill holes and drilling methods provide confidence in the general reliability of the assay data.

Audits or reviews The results of any audits or reviews of sampling techniques and data. Nkosuo drill hole data have not been subject to any formal audit.



The Competent Person has reviewed the available sampling and assaying quality control data and found no errors or bias likely to significantly affect the reliability of the exploration data. These reviews included review of database consistency, comparisons between database records and laboratory source files, and review of QAQC information.



The Competent Person considers that the sample preparation, security and analytical procedures adopted for the Nkosuo drilling provide an adequate basis for the reporting of Exploration Results.

JORC 2012 Table 1  Section 2 Reporting of Exploration Results

(Criteria listed in the preceding section also apply to this section)
WASHINGTON, Oct. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WASHINGTON  Howard University is pleased to announce a $5 million gift from Eddie C. Brown (B.S.E.E. 61) and C. Sylvia Brown (B.S. 62) to support the Graduation Retention Access to Continued Excellence (GRACE) Grant for students facing financial barriers. Eddie Brown is the founder, chairman and CEO of Brown Capital Management, a Baltimore-based asset management firm that is the second oldest African-American-owned investment management firm in the world. This gift marks the largest alumni gift to Howard University in the schools history.

We are extremely grateful to Eddie and Sylvia for making this historic gift to Howard University, said Howard University President Dr. Wayne A. I. Frederick. The GRACE Grant has helped to eliminate financial barriers to education for Howard students, and I am thrilled that the Browns were inspired to commit such a generous gift to this important fund. My hope is that students will be inspired by their story and generosity and that others in our alumni community will consider the many ways they, too, can impact current and future generations of Howard students.

The Browns met on Howard Universitys campus in 1957. Eddie came to Howard from Allentown, Pennsylvania at just 16 years old as a student in the College of Engineering, and Sylvia came to Howard from King William, Virginia as a student in what was then the College of Liberal Arts. While equally committed to education, the couple recall two very different stories as it pertains to their opportunities to pursue a college education. Whereas Sylvia came from a family of educators and always knew she had the support to pursue higher education, Eddies journey to Howard was made possible because of a caring teacher and anonymous angel donor.

I moved to Allentown, Pennsylvania when I was 15, said Eddie. We had a community organizer that would look out for the young Black children in the community. He came to me and my mother one day and said, I was contacted by a woman who wants to help a young African-American student go to college. And it was my 10th grade English teacher, actually, who was a graduate of Howard [who] said, You should go to Howard University.

At the time, Eddie was one of only seven Black students in his class at Allentown High School. Just three of the seven students were in college preparatory classes, and the other two students had the financial means to go to college. Because he came from a low-income family, Eddie was chosen to receive a scholarship that covered his tuition, room and board, and textbooks during his time at Howard.

This story and their mutual love for Howard is what inspired the couple to contribute the historic gift in support of the GRACE Grant. This gift represents what Sylvia says is not giving back, but paying it forward.

We were very fortunate to be able to go to Howard, she said. I had student loans, and I know how hard that is. Being from a family of four, my parents did the best they could, but that was never enough to pay for all the fees. And thats been our mantra, to give to others and help them at least be able to get an undergraduate degree so they have a good foundation.

The GRACE Grant was established by President Frederick to help remove any financial barriers for students and encourage on-time graduation for students who successfully completed their freshman year. This need-based program, created in 2014, provides a 100 percent match for students who receive the maximum Federal Pell Grant and provides additional funding for those with an expected family contribution (EFC) of $0.

The impact of the GRACE Grant is clear. Since its inception, GRACE recipients saw an average 17 percent increase in retention and an average four-year graduation rate of 78 percent, a 32 percent increase compared to students in the same financial category who did not receive GRACE funds.

I remember a minister of ours said something that we never forgot, said Eddie. That those who are blessed should be a blessing to someone, especially those less fortunate. We always remember that. I was blessed to receive my college education debt free, and I think its important to offer those less fortunate the opportunity to do so as well.

Our only hope is that students who benefit from our contribution do their best, said Sylvia.

###

About Howard University

Founded in 1867, Howard University is a private, research university that is comprised of 14 schools and colleges. Students pursue more than 140 programs of study leading to undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University operates with a commitment to Excellence in Truth and Service and has produced one Schwarzman Scholar, three Marshall Scholars, four Rhodes Scholars, 12 Truman Scholars, 25 Pickering Fellows and more than 165 Fulbright recipients. Howard also produces more on-campus African American Ph.D. recipients than any other university in the United States. For more information on Howard University, visit www.howard.edu.

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Palm City - Margaret Jan Crandall passed away at home on November 14. Her daughter Martha and her husband Robert were at her side. Jan Crandall, nee Schmults, was born on June 2, 1935, in Barrington, Rhode Island. During WWII, the family lived in Newport where her father, Ernest, worked at t
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Deutsche Bahn (DB) and Siemens Mobility have developed what they say is the worlds first train that operates by itself in rail traffic. Dr. Richard Lutz, CEO of DB, and Dr. Roland Busch, CEO of Siemens AG, together with Dr. Peter Tschentscher, Mayor of Hamburg, presented the train as it made its premiere run as part of the Digital S-Bahn Hamburg project.





The train is controlled by digital technology and is fully automated. The driver remains on the train to supervise the journey with passengers on board. Shunting, such as turning the train around, is done without on-board personnel. The project partners DB, Siemens Mobility, and the City of Hamburg have invested a total of 60 million in the digital S-Bahn Hamburg, which is part of DBs Digital Rail Germany project.

Today were experiencing the true turn of an era: The railroad has arrived in the digital future and Digital Rail Germany has become a reality. With automated rail operations, we can offer our passengers a significantly expanded, more reliable and therefore improved service  without having to lay a single kilometer of new track. It is our goal to make rail transport attractive to ever-larger numbers of people, which is the only way we can achieve the mobility transition. Dr. Richard Lutz, CEO of DB

We are making rail transport more intelligent. Trains drive the perfect timetable automatically, accurate to the second and energy-optimized. This way, we are supporting our partner Deutsche Bahn in its goal of making train travel more attractive and protecting the climate. With our technology, our customers can transport up to 30 percent more passengers, significantly improve punctuality and save more than 30 percent energy. The digital S-Bahn Hamburg marks a world premiere. The new technology has already been officially approved and, since it features open interfaces, can immediately be used by operators worldwide for all types of trains. Dr. Roland Busch, CEO of Siemens AG

The digital S-Bahn had its premiere run at the opening of the Intelligent Transport Systems World Congress (ITS) in Hamburg. During the congress, four digital S-Bahn trains will operate automatically along the 23-kilometer section of S-Bahn Line 21 between the Berliner Tor and Bergedorf/Aumuhle stations.

The technological foundation for highly automated operation is the future European standard ATO over ETCS. ATO (Automatic Train Operation) works closely with the radio-based ETCS (European Train Control System) Level 2. ETCS ensures safe adherence to headways and monitors speed. ATO controls the trains traction system and brakes. Control is transmitted via radio signals, and data is sent between the trains and the block control center.

One of the main advantages of ATO over ETCS is the increase in rail network efficiency due to shorter headways. Information on the current traffic situation is continuously transmitted to the trains via radio. By adapting to this information, a train can run more efficiently, with an optimal speed profile and fewer braking operations.





The four digital S-Bahn trains in Hamburg will provide regular scheduled passenger service beginning in December. Plans to digitalize Hamburgs S-Bahn entire system by the end of the decade are already under way, and investments in trains and infrastructure are being made. The technology is projected to be used nationwide for regional and mainline rail systems.
IDTechExs analysis in their new report, Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles 2022-2042, forecasts the market value of on-road fuel cell vehicles will grow to $160 billion in 2042 at a CAGR of 23.9% over the 20-year forecast period.

The effort to decarbonize on-road vehicles is undoubtedly being led by BEVs; however serious concern remains around whether BEV solutions can deliver the necessary duty cycle for those use cases that require significant range, brief downtime, and high operational flexibilitylong-haul trucking and high-milage city bus operations, for example.

In such applications, a huge 500+ kWh battery will be required to reliably deliver 350+ km of range on a single charge, and full recharging, even with 350kW ultra-fast chargers, will take hours. This becomes an even greater challenge in a depot situation, where megawatts of power are required. Hyundais XCIENT fuel cell heavy-duty truck delivers ~400km of range, with a 73kWh Li-ion battery and hydrogen fuel cell system, requiring less than 20 minutes to refuel.

The growing momentum pushing a rapid transition to zero-emission vehicles, combined with a genuine need for range comparable to diesel powertrains and quick refueling, means massive automotive players like Toyota, Hyundai, GM, and Daimler are continuing to pump millions into improving fuel cell system technology and bringing down costs.

Major automotive markets including Japan, Korea, China, Germany, and California are planning for the significant deployment of fuel cell vehicles (FCEV).

Germany has already built around 100 hydrogen refueling stations (HRS), offering a capacity to support 40,000 passenger cars, though their current fleet is less than 1,000. Germany is providing a testbed for FCEV in Europe and will challenge the assertion that the lack of hydrogen infrastructure is to blame for the lack of FCEV uptake. Relatively small fleets of heavy-duty FCEV could provide sufficient hydrogen demand to viably operate an HRS.

Versus cars, the value proposition for fuel cell trucks and buses is stronger, and IDTechEx does not expect fuel cell cars to be a commercial success comparative to battery-electric ones. However, the scale of the car market and substantial support for the development of a wider hydrogen economy by governments and companies in key regions mean IDTechEx forecast that, in 2042, 60.3% of on-road FCEV market revenue will be from the passenger car market.

Fuel cell makers will benefit from the volume of the car market to drive down costs for other sectors where the technology is more critical.

Indeed, FCEV deployment faces considerable challenges, including decreasing the cost of fuel cell system components to reduce the upfront vehicle cost, while rolling out sufficient hydrogen refueling infrastructure to make driving a FCEV viable. Also essential to the legitimacy of FCEV as a low-carbon emission solution will be the availability of cheap green hydrogen, produced by the electrolysis of water using renewable electricity, which analysis in the IDTechEx report highlights, will be vital to FCEVs delivering the environmental credentials on which they are being sold.

Cheap grey hydrogen generated from fossil fuels makes little sense as a low emission transport fuel because the well-to-wheel emission footprint of a FCEV using grey H 2 offers only a marginal CO 2 saving versus modern diesel vehicles.





IDTechEx estimate of gCO 2 /km emission for different truck powertrains. Source: IDTechEx

The new IDTechEx report, Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles 2022-2042, explores the current state of fuel cell vehicle development for passenger cars, light commercial vehicles, trucks, and city buses. The report discusses the technical and economic aspects of fuel cell deployment in these different transport applications and presents IDTechExs independent 20-year outlook for the future of fuel cell vehicles.

This report is part of IDTechExs broader mobility research portfolio, tracking the adoption of electric vehicles, battery trends, autonomy, and demand across land, sea, and air.
A new study by a team from The University of Manchester in the UK has found that the main culprit for aviation emissions across the connected continent of Europe is the large number of short-haul flights.

The research, recently published in journal Transportation Research, identified that a large number of flights over distances of less than 300 miles between city pairs with existing public transport connections are a key contributor of harmful emissions.

Aviation authorities and airlines have an opportunity to review the frequency of these routes, to reduce emissions, optimize networks, reduce congestion and contribute positively to environmental sustainability. Antonino Filippone, lead author

To create the data models the Manchester researchers used a rapidly expanding data broadcasting system to track worldwide air traffic. Air traffic data was then integrated with aircraft emission models to produce quantitative estimates of engine exhaust emissions of most aircraft types (fuel burn, CO 2 , NO x , CO, UHC, SO x , non-volatile particulate matter).

These emissions can be aggregated by aircraft type, city pairs and routes, flight frequency, flight altitude. The team focussed on the estimation of environmental emissions across the European Continent by considering short-haul flights, or flights less than 300 miles (or 500 km).

Short flights between several city pairs were identified within the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Poland, that operated flights over flat terrain and distances of less than 200 miles. The most common routes in the data analyzed included Copenhagen-Bromma (Stockholm), Gothenburg-Bromma (Sweden); Fiumicino (Rome)-Linate (Milan), Madrid-Oporto (Portugal) and a considerable number of domestic routes in Poland, for example Warsaw-Krakow. There are also flights such as Brussels-Amsterdam (Schipol) where good non-air travel transport links exists as well as many short flights in central Europe.

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The New York State Thruway spent $135 million on a massive reconstruction project on Interstate 95 just south of the Greenwich border, but it evidently cut costs on proofreading a major sign leading into Connecticut.

The misspelled sign in Port Chester, N.Y., just before the state line alerts motorists that they are approaching Exit 2 for the Thruway, for the Bryam section of Greenwich at Delavan Avenue. Its just before the bridge over the Byram River, which forms the dividing line between the two states.

The misspelling on the sign drew some laughter this week in the Byram neighborhood.

A friend called me and said, Im living in a new town. I didnt even have to move,  said state Rep. Stephen Meskers, who represents the Byram neighborhood. They shouldnt be renaming our rivers and towns. And youd think after spending hundreds of millions of dollars, they could at least spell the river right.

Meskers said he was informed it was an error made by the contractor. The good news is that the taxpayers of Connecticut, and the taxpayers of New York, wont be responsible for fixing it. It will come out of the contractors pocket, he said.

The sign was provided and installed by a private contractor as part of the Last Mile project. They are aware of the error and will correct it, said Jessica Mazurowski, a spokesperson from the Thruway Authority.

Joe Kantorski, head of the Byram Neighborhood Association, reacted with a laugh when someone sent him a photo of the sign.

We appreciate having our name spelled correctly. But were sympathetic, that were all human beings, and were all capable of mistakes, he said. As a graphic designer, he said he knows all about typos and how they can end up in print even after multiple sets of eyes have checked the words.

Construction on the stretch of I-95 in Rye and Port Chester, N.Y., began two years ago, the so-called Last Mile project. It followed earlier reconstruction work on the other 14 miles of the New England Thruway that runs through Westchester County, N.Y.

The misspelled road sign in Port Chester is hardly the first time a sign with an improper name has been put up by road crews around the region.

Earlier this year, a sign appeared in Staten Island directing motorists to the Geothals Bridge instead of the Goethals Bridge. A sign for the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge had been missing a second z for years. Beachgoers were once directed to Jonse Beach, which is named for for Maj. Thomas Jones, who first came to Long Island in 1692.

rmarchant@greenwichtime.com
GREENWICH  Three more cases of COVID-19 were reported Tuesday in the Greenwich Public Schools as the number of new cases among students and staff remains in the single digits, according to the latest update on the school districts online tracker.

In the six weeks since classes began Sept. 1, a total of 72 cases of COVID-19 have been reported, according to the tracker.

The weekly totals saw an initial peak in mid-September but have settled into the single digits since then, with two cases reported in the first week of school, 16 in the second week, 25 in third week, 15 in the fourth week, five in the fifth week and nine in the past week, according to the district.

There are currently eight active cases of COVID-19 in the district, two of which are due to family or outside activity and six are of an undetermined origin. The cases impact five students, one teacher and two service providers, according to the tracker.

Of the eight currently activecases, six schools are affected, with two cases each at Greenwich High and Hamilton Avenue and one case each at Eastern Middle, Glenville, North Mianus and Old Greenwich, according to data on the tracker.

So far this school year, no cases have been reported at these schools: Cos Cob, Parkway and Windrose, according to the tracker.

The latest update continues the low trend of new COVID-19 cases reported in the district. Last Friday, six new cases were reported, and only two cases were reported on Oct 5. Three new cases were reported on Oct. 1 on the tracker, after five new cases were reported on Sept. 28.

A new policy went into effect last month at Greenwich Public Schools that requires all district employees to either be vaccinated or undergo weekly testing for COVID-19.

Our staff is now 100 percent in compliance, Jonathan Supranowitz, district spokesperson, said last week. For staff members who have chosen to provide a negative test, they must keep up that practice weekly, he said.

An executive order from Gov. Ned Lamont required all school staff across the state to be vaccinated by Sept. 27 or undergo weekly testing.

The school district updates its online tracker every Tuesday and Friday morning to alert the GPS community about updates on COVID-19.

As of Oct. 7, Connecticuts school submission summary of COVID-19 reported 601 cases of COVID-19 in public and private schools statewide during the week of Sept. 30 through Oct. 6. That is down slightly from 686 from Sept. 23 through Sept. 29, which was a big drop from the 855 cases the week before that. The state updates its schools COVID-19 data every Thursday.

A year ago, the first confirmed COVID-19 case in Greenwich Public Schools came in mid-September and, until late October, cases remained in the single digits districtwide. For the 2020-21 school year, a total of 697 cases of COVID-19 were reported districtwide.

Under an executive order from Gov. Ned Lamont, masks are required for everyone, regardless of immunization status, in schools statewide until at least Feb. 15. The legislature last month granted an extension of the governors emergency powers covering COVID-19  and the mandates now in place.
Photo: Jeenah Moon/The New York Times/Redux

For those of us easily seduced by words like washed rind, cheese in the United States conjures up very different ideas than it may have 20 or 30 years ago. You can now dream about the eccentric creations of Lazy Lady, or Jasper Hill Farms Bayley Hazen Blue, or delicate little rounds of Nettle Meadow Farms Kunik, which the cheese authority Anne Saxelby once called the sexiest cheese in America.

And it is Saxelby who, as much as anyone, is responsible for the explosion of interest in Americas artisanal cheesemakers. At her shop Saxelby Cheese, she pushed domestic cheeses and helped create greater interest among people who may have previously turned their noses up at the idea of domestic bleus  and not because of its pungent aroma.

It was with tremendous sadness that many in the food world learned yesterday that Saxelby had passed away over the weekend, and reportedly had an existing heart condition. She was 40, and is survived by, among others, her husband Patrick Martins (who is the founder of Heritage Foods and Heritage Radio), and their three young children.

In 2006, Saxelby opened her shop in the original Essex Street Market, after working at Murrays Cheese and as an apprentice on farms including Connecticuts Cato Corner Farm, and in France with Herve Mons. (The following year, Benoit Breal came on as her business partner.) Saxelby Cheese was not only New Yorks first shop that sold cheese exclusively from the United States, it was focused, even more specifically, on cheese from the Northeast. And Saxelby celebrated cheeses that were often made on the same farms from which the dairy came. She managed to break down stigma around small-batch cheese, taking it out of the luxury space and making it easier to appreciate the work that went into making it.

It was easy to get excited because, at the stall, Saxelby was a consistently warm presence. Her genial and welcoming attitude made the confusing and vast world of cheese approachable for someone like me, who didnt know my Roquefort from my robiola.

Five years in, she was already supplying cheese to 173 restaurants, including many of the citys best, the New York Times reported in 2011, and Saxelby Cheesemongers was named Manhattans Small Business of the Year.

While the Essex Street Market stall was only 100 square feet, her outsize impact cannot be overstated. As Edible Manhattan wrote in a 2012 profile, Saxelby herself operated as a talent agent for the best local cheesemakers, and the magazine declared that she had helped redefine American cheese. Speaking to the magazine, the chef Daniel Boulud called her the most sophisticated boutique fromagere  or cheesemonger  in the U.S.

From time to time, she even dabbled in cheesemaking herself. She made four beer-washed cheeses with Brooklyns Sixpoint Brewery in 2012, and in 2017 she collaborated with chef Dan Barber and Brooklyns Crown Finish Caves on a cheese called Bone Char Pearl, which was coated with charcoal ash. She also authored a book, The New Rules of Cheese, which was published in 2020 and which the New York Times called one of the years best food books.

Saxelby was a generous advocate not only for cheesemakers but for other vendors in the Essex Street Market, sharing her shine with longtime tenants in a drab building that was designed, during the LaGuardia administration, as a pen for street vendors. She also wasnt afraid to criticize the management of the Economic Development Corporation. When the city first proposed replacing the market with a new space across the street, which eventually happened, Saxelby pushed back against it. In late 2018, she and Breal closed the original shop, electing not to relocate to the new, modern space in the Essex Crossing development. They continued to operate another location in the Chelsea Market, which had opened in 2017.

Last year during COVID, Saxelby Cheese was a founding supporter of Victory Cheese Box. Saxelbys involvement was not particularly noteworthy at the time, but thats only because she had already spent her entire professional life spreading the word about all of the wonderful, intoxicating cheeses that were all around us. She had, in other words, spent years changing peoples fortunes for the better. Anyone who cares about good food, and the people who make it, benefited from Saxelbys work.
Originally announced back in July, Huaweis nova 8i has now arrived in Europe and is available through Huawei Germanys official web store or from Amazon Germany for 349 in its lone 6GB RAM and 128GB storage version.



Huawei nova 8i in Moonlight Silver and Starry Black (images: Huawei)

Both stores offer a free pair of FreeBuds 4i earphones with orders. Shipments are expected to start from October 19 onwards. You get to choose between Moonlight Silver and Starry Black colors.

Huawei nova 8i brings a 6.67-inch IPS LCD with FHD+ resolution and pill-shaped cutout for its 16MP selfie cam. Its powered by the Snapdragon 662 alongside 6GB RAM and 128GB storage. The phone boots EMUI 11.0 based on Android 10 and not Huaweis own HarmonyOS 2. Like all recent Huawei devices, nova8i comes without Google services.

Other specs include a 64MP primary camera, 4,300 mAh battery with speedy 66W fast wired charging and a side-mounted fingerprint scanner. Were also expecting to see the European debut of the nova 9 on October 21 as confirmed by Huawei Germanys website.

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Nokia is announcing a new affordable smartphone headed to the US market. The Nokia G300 is a $200 smartphone that brings you 5G support, but what else do you get at this price point?

At the front there's a 6.5-inch display with HD+ (720p) resolution with a v-notch housing an 8MP selfie camera. The bezels are chunky but acceptable in this price point. There's also a side-mounted fingerprint scanner and support for face-unlock.





The Nokia G300 is powered by the Snapdragon 480 5G paired with 4GB of RAM. The former is an eight-core chipset with 2 A76-cores clocked at 2GHz plus a six-core cluster of A55 cores clocked at 1.8GHz. The G300 will come with 64GB of expandable storage, preloaded with Android 11 out of the box.

Around back, the G300's triple camera system is made up of a main 16MP camera, a 5MP ultrawide shooter, and a 2MP depth sensor for taking portrait photos. The camera also supports Night mode, EIS, OZO audio surround, and wind noise cancellation.

Finally, the G300 claims up to two-day battery life with its 4,470 mAh battery with 18W charging.

The Nokia G300 will be available starting October 19 for $200 and will be available from two pre-paid carriers: Straight Talk and TracFone Wireless.

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Nokia G300



Released 2021, October 19

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64GB storage, microSDXC

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6.52" 720x1600 pixels

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4 GB RAM Snapdragon 480 5G

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Samsung Electronics is announcing its new partnership with film directors aimed at showcasing the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra's capable cameras. The company is partnering with British film director Joe Wright, known for his work on Pride and Prejudice and Atonement.



Source: Samsung Newsroom

The campaign will start with Princess & Peppernose, directed by Joe Wright. This musical film uses both live-action choreography and puppetry, all captured by the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra. Check out the official trailer below.

We chose to embrace the wider lens, something we'd never done before[] Moving in for close-ups with the same lens we used for wider shots gave the film a very specific look and feel, a kind of ghostly, hallucinatory quality and took us back to the times shooting with a Super8." - Cinematographer for Princess & Peppernose

Another film to be shot #withGalaxy features Chinese up-and-coming director Sha Mo, known for Love Will Tear Us Apart and My Huckleberry Friends. "Sha Mo used the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G to capture footage for his new film Kids of Paradise, a poetic look at conflicts between children in a small school by the countryside. To capture the story, Sha Mo relied on Directors Mode of the Galaxy S21 Ultra to record three different shots at once for an intuitive, almost professional-like filming experience."

Samsung intends to continue partnering with more film directors around the world to continue to showcase Samsung's flagship smartphone cameras.

Both films will be unveiled at the Busan International Film Festival in South Korea, set to take place this month.

Source
Members of the Guam Legislature on Tuesday held a closed-door meeting with officials from Joint Region Marianas on the status of human remains and historic properties uncovered during military construction projects.

It was held at the request of Speaker Therese Terlaje, following an August workshop on the programmatic agreement between the military and the government of Guam. The agreement concerns how historic discoveries made during the buildup are preserved.

No public announcement was made before the Tuesday meeting, though the speaker did request in a Sept. 14 email that the event be televised, so that the community can hear first hand as to the findings and status of unearthed remains and properties.

A Sept. 17 response from Randel L. Sablan, political-military adviser for Joint Region Marianas, denied the request due to the provisions of the Archeological Resource Protection Act. The act requires that information about where archeological resources are held be kept confidential.

Terlaje has been outspoken about the need for increased transparency and public input on how historic sites are handled.

The Pacific Daily News asked to sit in on the meeting but was informed by Joint Region Marianas and legislative staffers that it was closed. State Historic Preservation Officer Patrick Lujan, and Sens. Telo Taitague and Sabina Perez, also were in attendance.

According to Lt. Cmdr. Katherine Koenig, public information officer for Joint Region Marianas, the brief was intended to provide the Legislature and the Department of CHamoru Affairs with an informational review of the sites discovered at various Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz buildup sites.

Concerns

Koenig did provide an update on some of the concerns raised during the August meeting for the programmatic agreement. A set of partially buried human remains found at Andersen South were set to be preserved in place, she said.

As for a concern raised by Perez over the fate of nearly 2,000 endangered fadang trees, at least 1,596 fadang trees will be propagated and outplanted, rather than translocated, throughout the Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz forest enhancement site, Koenig stated.

She also rebuffed a statement made by the speaker after the August workshop, which also was closed to the public. Terlaje said Joint Region Marianas acknowledged that individual discoveries were part of larger historic sites.

Joint Region Marianas has not acknowledged that, Koenig said.

Investigations were ongoing and a determination would be made in consultation with the Guam State Historic Preservation Office.
The Department of Public Works is preparing to move forward with removing abandoned vehicles and taking legal action against noncompliant derelict building owners.

At the Islandwide Beautification Task Force meeting Tuesday, Public Works said its preparing to enforce a law that gives the agency or entities contracted with it the ability to remove a vehicle abandoned for 24 hours on a public easement, such as a road or street, said Public Works Director Vince Arriola.

They are a nuisance; they are a plight to the neighborhoods. Some of them perhaps could even be considered a health hazard. We certainly wouldnt want children playing or get locked in them and a tragedy happens, Arriola said.

He said its been a consistent issue and some vehicles used for parts, under repair or simply been unused have been on public roadways for months or even years.

Arriola said Public Works has been in contact with the Department of Revenue and Taxation to prepare to give Rev and Tax the vehicle license and registration numbers within five days.

Rev and Tax will then send a letter to the last legal owner and give the owner 10 days to claim the vehicle. Fines can be imposed.

Building citations

Arriola announced that, last week, citations and notices of violation were issued for eight abandoned buildings in preparation for phase two of the derelict buildings project, which is legal action against land owners or homeowners who fail to keep buildings safe.

Most property owners have been compliant, Arriola said, but a few property owners have not contacted us, responded to us or made any improvements or made any remediation to their derelict buildings, and those are the areas that are of concern.

The agency is waiting for its legal counsel to finalize the language to inform owners of the next step of the process, which is Public Works fencing in the property and boarding up the building.

Arbor Day

Another topic discussed during the meeting was Guams 48-year Arbor Day anniversary Tuesday, with the Guam Department of Agriculture planting 18 native trees in Paseo de Susana Park.

Arbor Day has been observed on the island since 1973, when Gov. Carlos G. Camacho signed Public Law 12-53. Its celebrated in October, as opposed to spring in the rest of the country, to ensure the will grow healthy according to a Facebook post by the governor.

The local agriculture agency is celebrating October as Arbor month with two more upcoming events said Chelsa Muna-Brecht, the departments director.

The public is invited to an Earth Day part two event Oct. 23 to learn about the importance of, and conservation work being done in, the Sasa Bay Marine Preserve in Piti.

A Trunks or treats event is being planned for the community to plant trees in Halloween costumes Oct. 30.

Cleanup

Also at the meeting, the cleanup schedule for the Guam Green Growth Conservation Corps was announced by University of Guam Center for Island Sustainability Director Austin Shelton.

The next event will be Oct. 15 in Talofofo. The location has yet to be announced.
Former Gov. Carl TC Gutierrez is the president and CEO of Guam Visitors Bureau, permit czar, and chairman of the Governors Economic Strategy Council. Send comments or questions to GVB at communityrelations@visitguam.org.
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Guam Cancer Care employees and their families hold a breast cancer awareness wave in front of their Tamuning business on Oct. 8.




Haiti - FLASH : 1,069 Haitians including 169 children repatriated from Cuba and the USA in 24 hours





Saturday, October 9, 2021, 1,069 Haitians were repatriated in total from Cuba https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-34963-icihaiti-migration-cuba-repatriates-421-haitians.html and from the United States (source International Organization for Migration - IOM).



According to Bruno Maes, Representative of UNICEF in Haiti 169 children (73 girls and 96 boys) were among the returnees "Most Haitian children and their parents who were expelled yesterday are from the southern peninsula of Haiti which has was struck by a violent earthquake on August 14th https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34681-haiti-earthquake-latest-assessment-of-civil-protection.html . They left the country at the beginning of September because they had lost everything. These children are likely to return to the United States unless the conditions are created so that they can live a decent life in their communities."



"Haitian men, women and children who lost almost everything in the earthquake made a perilous journey in makeshift boats called 'kannte' with little or no security in search of a better life [...] Children among these migrants are often undocumented and at high risk of child trafficking, sexual exploitation and abuse," added Maes.



According to UNICEF estimates, 80% of these children were under five. Many had left Haiti on makeshift boats and at least two people are believed to have lost their lives when their boat capsized off the coast of Cuba.



In addition to these flights, a Cuban boat also previously disembarked 348 migrants including 12 girls and 26 boys near La Saline. UNICEF has identified at least 4 unaccompanied children among the children deported from Cuba.



According to the IOM, 7,621 men, women and children were deported from the United States by air between September 19 and October 9, 2021, more than half of whom were women and children. Children represented 18.7% of returnee Haitians



See also :

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-34963-icihaiti-migration-cuba-repatriates-421-haitians.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34939-haiti-migration-mexico-repatriates-129-haitians.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34863-haiti-migration-crisis-the-usa-repatriated-more-than-3-700-haitians-in-8-days.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34824-haiti-politic-1-239-haitians-expelled-from-the-usa-in-4-days.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34804-haiti-flash-haitians-attack-american-pilots-and-injure-three-ice-agents.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34794-haiti-flash-45-to-60-flights-of-expulsion-of-haitians-expected-in-port-au-prince.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34681-haiti-earthquake-latest-assessment-of-civil-protection.html



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Security : The diversion of fuel, a new source of income for the Martissant gangs





For more than a week around the Varreux terminal, in Cite Soleil, several fuel tankers have been intercepted and hijacked by heavily armed men, deplores Marc Antoine Nesi, spokesperson for the National Association of Service Station Owners (ANAPROSS). In the week of October 4-9, 2021 alone, at least 5 tankers of petroleum products were hijacked by gangs who found a very lucrative new market there.



This situation of insecurity tends to further complicate the scarcity of fuel at the pumps for the consumer, the private sector facing increasing risks is increasingly reluctant to want to distribute fuel to service stations.



Marc Antoine Nesi, warns that the owners of gas stations could soon suspend their activities if nothing is done to put the armed bandits out of harm's way, in order to guarantee a minimum of security.



In some cases the fuel is sold on the black market at gang-controlled sites, in other cases the gangs negotiate a ransom to return the fuel, the truck and its driver.



"[...] Its a challenge to get to the terminal to supply the distribution network. [...] Everyone in the area, transporter or gas station owner who has their own truck is at a standstill," said Marc Andre Deriphonse responsible for ANAPROSS and transporter of petroleum products "This is the situation as we speak."



For his part David Turnier, the President of the National Association of Petroleum Product Distributors (ANADIPP) affirms that its members are experiencing the same situation vis-a-vis bandits who hijack trucks. "The situation is catastrophic. We lose almost 50% of our volume at the pump [...]"



Between the gangs, the insufficient efforts of the National Police of Haiti (PNH) https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34051-haiti-news-zapping.html to end gang activities and supply the fuel purchased by the State in insufficient quantities, the ordeal of motorists does not seem to be over anytime soon and consumers will have to continue paying more and more for their transport and that of consumer products if the Government does nothing very quickly...



TB/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - News : Zapping...





Justice : Arnel Belizaire still not released

Scheduled for Monday, October 11, 2021, the hearing at the Port-au-Prince Court of Appeal of "political" prisoners, including former deputy Arnel Belizaire, has been suspended and postoned to Monday, October 18. One of the defendantss lawyers, Me Arnel Remy, said he had filed a request for provisional release on behalf of the detainees. The prisoners Pierre killick Cemelus, Fleuret Jean Pierre (Job), Paul Joanel (Babas), Garry Philemon and Makenton Esteril, assisted by a battery of lawyers, including Me Andre Michel, were present during this hearing.



4 racketeers arrested

On Monday, October 11, individuals who extorted money from a commercial company in Pernier (Port-au-Prince) were caught in the act by the National Police of Haiti (PNH). To cover their escape, the bandits opened fire on the police who responded immediately. Following the shooting, 4 bandits were arrested, an M4 assault rifle and a 9mm pistol were seized.



NOTICE : Vaccination campaign in Delmas

Vaccination campaign against covid-19 at the Municipal Palace of Delmas

from 11 to 18 October 2021. All interested are invited to be vaccinated during this week.



The PM is working on the new CEP

After having dismissed the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34852-haiti-flash-the-government-revokes-the-cep.html as provided for in the "Political Agreement for a Calm and Efficient Governance of the Interim Period" (Article 14) https://www.haitilibre.com/docs/Accord-Politique-pour-une-Gouvernance-Apaisee-et-Efficace-de-la-Periode-Interimaire.pdf Prime Minister ai Ariel Henry sent correspondence to different sectors of national life so that they could propose a choice of 3 names for their representative to be part of the new CEP.



The Haitian film "Freda" twice awarded in Belgium

The film "Freda", the first feature film by Gessica Geneus, after having received the Special Discovery Mention of the Francois Chalais Prize at the 2021 Cane Festival. https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-34255-icihaiti-cinemathe-haitian-film-fredahonored-at-the-2021-canne-festival.html won on October 9, 2021 at the Festival International du Film Francophone de Namur (Belgium) the "Discovery Award for Best Work" and the "Fiction Feature Film Audience Award."



21 political parties quit Montana accord

21 Political parties and organizations officially withdraw from the Montana accord and adhere to the proposal of the Steering Committee of Citizens Committed to End the Crisis (CESOC).



HL/ HaitiLibre


















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Korean Movie | 2018

 Documentary

Directed by Jee Hye-won ()

89min | Release date in South Korea: 2020/05/27

Also known as "Coming to You, Minu"

Synopsis

Minu, a Nepalese man who loves the song 'Mokpo's Tears' may not even know the Himalayas behind his hometown.

He came to Korea at the age of 20, and for 18 years, has been working from restaurants, garment cutter at a sewing factory, to being a band vocalist.

While dedicating his youth to loving Korea more than anyone else, he was forcefully deported 11 years ago.

Even after being a successful businessman upon his return to Nepal, he still loves Korea ever so deeply.

For this reason, the members of his old band flies to Nepal for them to perform together again.

Minu, tears in his eyes, hands in gloves, trembles when he holds the microphone.

After a performance which seemed to be a dream, he said, "I can finally die now" as he smiles brightly...
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Written By

Reporter

Sophia Voight is a reporter for the Hastings Star Gazette. She is from Oshkosh, WI and graduated from the UW Oshkosh with a bachelor's degree in Multimedia Journalism in 2021. She can be reached with any news tips at svoight@orourkemediagroup.com

|
Hastings, NE (68901)

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Mostly clear early followed by mostly cloudy skies overnight. Low 31F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph..

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Editor: We all need to pray that nothing happens to President Joe Biden. Are you a
42-year-old man sentenced on sexual exploitation charges

A Superior Court judge on Monday sentenced a 42-year-old Hendersonville man to up to 19 years in prison on 24 counts of third-degree felonious sexual exploitation of a minor, District Attorney R. Andrew Murray announced.

Emergency Superior Court Judge Mark Powell handed down the sentence of eight to 19 years after Patrick Ryan McFarland pleaded guilty to the charges.

According to court records and Mondays sentencing hearing, on Sept. 24, 2020, the Henderson County Sheriffs Office received a Cybertip form the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children via the NC State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) that photos and videos on a specific Tumblr account appeared to be child pornography.

The SBI filed an administrative subpoena to AT&T Internet Services to determine the subscriber of the specific IP Address. Based on the information received, the Henderson County Sheriffs Office was able to determine that the defendant, McFarland, was associated with the suspect IP Address. The Tumblr account was then preserved via court order and warrants for the defendants phone were obtained. A forensic investigation of the defendants phone and SD card revealed numerous pornographic depictions and videos of young female girls between the ages of 3 and 13. The defendant was indicted on 24 counts of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor. McFarland pleaded guilty to all 24 counts. Judge Powell consolidated the defendants 24 counts into 12 counts for sentencing purposes.

During the latest September Administrative Session of Superior Court in Hendersonville, which is a court session dedicated to the disposal of cases where felony level defendants choose to plead guilty, with or without a plea agreement, more than 20 defendants were sentenced by the Honorable Peter Knight. The felony cases ranged in severity from low level possession of illegal substances, motor vehicle break-ins, to the more serious felonies of involuntary manslaughter, habitual felon status, and attempted statutory rape. All these cases were handled by a team of Henderson County assistant district attorneys assigned to handle all felony matters.

In the most serious offenses:

Mario H. Sanchez, 46, of Hendersonville, pleaded guilty to Attempted Statutory Rape and was sentenced to 94-173 months in prison. It is anticipated that upon completion of his sentence, Sanchez will be immediately deported to his country of origin.

Daniel W. Owen, 45, of Hendersonville, pleaded guilty to Common Law Robbery, Possession of a Firearm by a Felon, and meeting the statutory requirements of being a Habitual Felon. Owen received a sentence of 88-118 months in prison.

Henry L. Mixon Jr., 53, of Asheville, pleaded guilty to Breaking and/or Entering, Felony Larceny, and Possession of Methamphetamine, and was sentenced to 60-90 months in prison.

William B. Lorenzana, 29, of Brevard, pleaded guilty to Involuntary Manslaughter and a Hit and Run that caused a death. Lorenzana was sentenced to 32-58 months in prison.

Murray thanked all our law enforcement partners in Henderson County for their professional investigations, hard work, selfless sacrifices, and unwavering commitment to protecting the lives of Henderson County residents.
Uniontown, PA (15401)

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Now Open

12 October 2021

Paolino Properties has today announced the grand opening of The Beatrice, a new 47-room boutique hotel located in the bustling historic district of downtown Providence, Rhode Island. Situated in the iconic 1887 Exchange Building, The Beatrice is the first boutique hotel to open in Providence in nearly a decade, introducing a destination for today's sophisticated traveler and an upscale gathering place for locals with the debut of the world-class Bellini restaurant by Ignazio Cipriani and an exclusive private rooftop club for members and hotel guests.

"As a former mayor of this great city, I've been a champion of Providence for my entire career. It's been my passion to create projects that enhance the city and welcome community members and travelers. The opening of The Beatrice marks a new chapter for our hospitality scene," said Joseph R. Paolino, Jr., Managing Partner of Paolino Properties. "This hotel is a celebration of our city's best attributes: our vibrant arts community, our renowned restaurants, our rich history and our bright future."

Beatrice Temkin, Paolino's mother and the namesake of the property, was a life-long Rhode Island resident, community leader and philanthropist. The design of the hotel is inspired by her modern, elegant style.

"Providence is our newly adopted city and a place where we immediately felt at home. Its rich heritage and creative flair make it the perfect location to expand our brand," said Ignazio Cipriani, Founder and President of Bellini Providence (Bellini also has locations in Miami and New York City). "Opening Bellini Providence is an opportunity for us to share our family's thoughtfully reinvented recipes, time-honored traditions and an inviting atmosphere to this incredible city. We hope it will be a place where friends gather, reconnect and enjoy."

Just Be

History meets modernity at The Beatrice. Designed by ZDS Architecture & Interiors, the hotel boasts a contemporary design that tastefully pays tribute to the 19th-century building's storied past.

The hotel's spacious 47 guestrooms provide a bespoke home-away-from-home for travelers visiting the hotel. High ceilings and expansive windows flood each room with natural light and showcase breathtaking views of the city's historic district. Each room is outfitted with deluxe amenities to provide an unmatched level of comfort to guests during their stay with features including Dyson Supersonic hair dryers, fine Mascioni linens crafted in Milan, Nespresso coffee makers, BeeKind personal care amenities, a fitness center, in-room Fit Kits and a rotating selection of books and board games for guests to enjoy during their stay.

Sip, Savor and Be Seen

Indulge on a flavor-rich culinary journey at the new Bellini Restaurant and private rooftop club. Conceptualized by Ignazio Cipriani, the high-end Italian restaurant is the first Bellini location in the New England region, introducing a new dining destination to the city's thriving culinary scene.

The restaurant's ever-changing menu takes a modern spin on Italy's many specialties and classic dishes with menu items including Pappardelle "alla Bellini," Beef Milanesine "alla Parmigiana" and Sauteed Clams "alla Veneziana." Guests can pair their meal with a refreshing selection of imported wines, beers and handcrafted cocktails, such as the famous Venetian "Bellini"a cocktail that was invented in 1948 by Giuseppe Cipriani at Harry's Bar in Venice, Italy.

High atop the hotel, the rooftop Bellini Club offers a private, members-only experience that is exclusive to members and guests staying at The Beatrice. The only luxury rooftop club in the city, the private club overlooks the city of Providence and provides striking views of the historic district and surrounding canals. A custom menu will be available to guests featuring craft cocktails, fine wine, beer and shareable plates. Applications for memberships are now open on Bellini's website and the rooftop is expected to open Fall 2021.

Bea About Town

Providence is home to one of the top culinary scenes in the country. The fourth generation of one of the leading family-run hospitality groups in the world, Bellini by Ignazio Cipriani introduces an authentic and upscale Italian dining experience to guests. Additionally, the timing of The Beatrice's opening couldn't be better, as many renowned local Providence events have returned and are just within walking distance of the hotel. From the performances at the Trinity Repertory Company and Providence Performing Arts Center, to the popular WaterFire Providencea powerful, world-class art experience that lights up the three rivers that flow through Downtown Providenceguests can easily access and indulge in the best of the city from the prime location of the property.
Appointment

12 October 2021

With a broad spectrum of experience across media and communication, Monika brings in over 18 years' of experience to the role. Based at the island, she will be responsible for planning, developing and implementing the resort's marketing, communications and PR strategy. She will be reporting to Roshan Radhay, Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Maldives and GCC.Monika holds a bachelors degree in Journalism (H) from the Delhi University, India, and has been associated with leading media publications including Mid Day, Hindustan Times and Peaklife Magazine.

In her corporate avatar, specialising in sustainability, she has conceptualised various campaigns with organisations, including Cox and Kings and Vodafone India.

In 2015, she pursued her Masters in Photography from the Light and Life Academy in Ooty, India, and has done independent projects with many hotels and restaurants in India, Turkey, U.A.E. and Indonesia, including Shangri-La, Hilton and J.W.Marriott.

Before joining the LUX* family, she was working with Reethi Faru Resort, Maldives, in the same capacity.
Appointment

12 October 2021

Noelle Nashville today announced the appointment of Executive Chef Diego Fernandez to its culinary leadership team. Bringing nearly two decades of culinary experience to his role, Fernandez is responsible for the concepting and execution for dining menus at the storied property's various food and beverage outlets as well as catering for meetings, groups and events and in-room dining.

A native of Mexico City, Fernandez discovered his love for cooking at an early age and grew up in the kitchen with his father, Chef Rene Fernandez, who worked at various resorts throughout his career. When Fernandez was 12 years old, he and his family moved to San Antonio, TX where his father opened Azuca Nuevo Latino, a Latin-American dining concept known for showcasing traditional ingredients, flavors and techniques from South and Central America, Spain, the Caribbean and Mexico. In 2014, the talented father-son duo joined forces to open San Antonio, TX restaurant Starfish, which earned accolades from Texas Monthly within its first year of operations.

Throughout his career, Fernandez has spent time in notable kitchens including that of famed San Francisco outpost Quince and Chicago's three Michelin-star Alinea, led by celebrated Executive Chef Grant Achatz. In October 2019, Fernandez became part of the Makeready team by becoming the executive chef at dining icon The French Room, located inside The Adolphus, a historic Dallas hotel operated by the group. Following a stint as the executive chef at Big Sky, Montana's Lone Mountain Ranch, Fernandez returned to the Makeready family through his role as Noelle's executive chef. At the historic property, Fernandez is responsible for menu development and dining experiences at signature food and beverage concepts including Makeready Libations & Liberation, offering a seasonal take on American tavern classics; Trade Room, Noelle's lobby bar experience offering a collection of share plates and hearty entrees; Rare Bird, the highly sought after rooftop lounge oasis boasting a menu of snacks, burgers and sandwiches in addition to an expertly crafted cocktail menu and Drug Store Coffee, the ground-level coffee shop that serves as an homage to the original Noel Place drug store, boasting a menu of breakfast and brunch classics. Fernandez also oversees menu development and execution for the hotel's meetings, groups and weddings as well as in-room dining. He is reimagining the Noelle culinary experience through a fresh perspective, unique approach to menu development and undeniable creativity that is demonstrated through unforgettable cuisine.

Outside of his role at Noelle Nashville, Fernandez enjoys rock climbing, hiking and any possible outdoor adventure. To learn more about Noelle Nashville, please visit www.noelle-nashville,com and follow along via Instagram and Facebook.
Press Release

12 October 2021

Accor, the largest hotel operator in the Pacific, is celebrating its 30th anniversary in the region with 30 new hotel openings expected over the next few years.

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Accors story in the region began in 1991, when it opened Novotel Sydney on Darling Harbour. Accor has since grown to be the largest hotel operator in the Pacific region with almost 400 hotels, resorts and apartments and more than 30 new openings in the pipeline.

Accor has expanded its portfolio of hotels, resorts and apartments to include Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and French Polynesia, growing from one Novotel in 1991 to 18 global brands.

Looking to the future, by 2023, Accor will have launched a variety of new premium and luxury brands with the debut of the Mondrian, 25hours, SO/ and Fairmont brands in Australia.

Accor Pacific CEO, Simon McGrath, said: As we celebrate 30 years in the Pacific, I would like to thank our incredible teams for their heartfelt service, our loyal guests for their custom and the support of our partners. Now, as we look forward to the tremendous opportunities ahead of us, we have a very strong and exciting future. We will continue to support our talents, our local communities, our guests and our partners to forge many more successful and meaningful decades.

From the launch of the Movenpick brand in Australia in January, to opening two brand new The Sebel properties in Melbourne and Wellington, and three new BreakFree resorts in key regional markets, 2021 has already been a strong year of growth and investment for Accor in the Pacific region.

Looking forward, Accor will open the following incredible new hotel additions before the close of 2021 and in the first quarter of 2022, including:

SA | Sofitel Adelaide (opening November 2021): World renowned for luxury French-style hospitality, Accors newest Sofitel hotel, Sofitel Adelaide, will deliver an intoxicating mix of old world charm and modern design, all with a decidedly whimsical twist. The much-anticipated opening of Sofitel Adelaide will mark the luxury brands debut in South Australia. It is also the first internationally recognised five-star hotel built in Adelaide in 30 years. The hotel features 251 luxurious guestrooms and suites, a Sofitel Club Lounge, a French-inspired restaurant, two bars, a swimming pool, Sofitel Fitness Gym, plus meeting and private dining spaces.

World renowned for luxury French-style hospitality, Accors newest Sofitel hotel, Sofitel Adelaide, will deliver an intoxicating mix of old world charm and modern design, all with a decidedly whimsical twist. The much-anticipated opening of Sofitel Adelaide will mark the luxury brands debut in South Australia. It is also the first internationally recognised five-star hotel built in Adelaide in 30 years. The hotel features 251 luxurious guestrooms and suites, a Sofitel Club Lounge, a French-inspired restaurant, two bars, a swimming pool, Sofitel Fitness Gym, plus meeting and private dining spaces. VIC | Movenpick Hotel Melbourne on Spencer (officially opening November 2021) : Melbourne is now home to Australias second Movenpick Hotel and its daily Chocolate Hour. Situated at the meeting point of Melbournes iconic Spencer and Bourke Streets in the CBD, the 172-room hotel promises to indulge and delight guests with its contemporary design and boutique interiors, two unique culinary offerings - a Movenpick Cafe and Miss Mi restaurant and bar, a daily Chocolate Hour and an assortment of other Movenpick brand signature offerings, 25m swimming pool, hot tub, sauna, gymnasium, and an executive boardroom. Movenpick Hotel Melbourne on Spencer forms the six-level podium of the striking 78-storey Premier Tower development.

: Melbourne is now home to Australias second Movenpick Hotel and its daily Chocolate Hour. Situated at the meeting point of Melbournes iconic Spencer and Bourke Streets in the CBD, the 172-room hotel promises to indulge and delight guests with its contemporary design and boutique interiors, two unique culinary offerings - a Movenpick Cafe and Miss Mi restaurant and bar, a daily Chocolate Hour and an assortment of other Movenpick brand signature offerings, 25m swimming pool, hot tub, sauna, gymnasium, and an executive boardroom. Movenpick Hotel Melbourne on Spencer forms the six-level podium of the striking 78-storey Premier Tower development. VIC | Mercure Melbourne Doncaster (opening Q1 2022 ): The opening of Mercure Melbourne Doncaster introduces a new generation of upper midscale hotel to the region. Situated less than 20 minutes from Melbournes CBD and adjacent to one of Australias premium shopping and lifestyle centres, the hotel will feature 183 contemporary guest rooms along with an elite fitness centre, expansive outdoor terraces, indoor/outdoor swimming pool, and authentic flavours of Mexico at Chido Chido Bar & Cantina. The property will also launch One2One Events located on level three of the hotel with signature views over the city skyline and Yarra Ranges. Mercure Melbourne Doncaster will lead the market with digital initiatives, such as contactless options for room keys, parking, minibar and room service, along with environmental initiatives such as the elimination of single use plastic bottles and guest amenities.

The opening of Mercure Melbourne Doncaster introduces a new generation of upper midscale hotel to the region. Situated less than 20 minutes from Melbournes CBD and adjacent to one of Australias premium shopping and lifestyle centres, the hotel will feature 183 contemporary guest rooms along with an elite fitness centre, expansive outdoor terraces, indoor/outdoor swimming pool, and authentic flavours of Mexico at Chido Chido Bar & Cantina. The property will also launch One2One Events located on level three of the hotel with signature views over the city skyline and Yarra Ranges. Mercure Melbourne Doncaster will lead the market with digital initiatives, such as contactless options for room keys, parking, minibar and room service, along with environmental initiatives such as the elimination of single use plastic bottles and guest amenities. NSW | The Porter House Hotel Sydney  MGallery (opening Q1 2022) : Located on Castlereagh Street, this mixed-use development will have a 36-storey tower with a 121-room hotel housed over levels 1-9 with 131 residential apartments above on levels 10-34. The hotel and residential apartments will thoughtfully weave in the existing 1870s heritage-listed Porter House, which is adjacent to the tower. Onsite facilities include, lobby, pool and fitness centre, two restaurants, a fourth floor bar with roving art gallery, meeting and private dining facilities and a business centre.

: Located on Castlereagh Street, this mixed-use development will have a 36-storey tower with a 121-room hotel housed over levels 1-9 with 131 residential apartments above on levels 10-34. The hotel and residential apartments will thoughtfully weave in the existing 1870s heritage-listed Porter House, which is adjacent to the tower. Onsite facilities include, lobby, pool and fitness centre, two restaurants, a fourth floor bar with roving art gallery, meeting and private dining facilities and a business centre. NSW | A new hotel at 412 Pitt Street, Haymarket  name TBC (opening Q1 2022) : Sydney CBDs historic 1929-built West End Hotel at 412 Pitt Street, for more than 30 years Australias tallest hotel, will reopen as a new hotel following an extensive refurbishment program. The 82-room hotel will feature a ground floor restaurant & bar on Pitt Street, and a spectacular rooftop bar.

: Sydney CBDs historic 1929-built West End Hotel at 412 Pitt Street, for more than 30 years Australias tallest hotel, will reopen as a new hotel following an extensive refurbishment program. The 82-room hotel will feature a ground floor restaurant & bar on Pitt Street, and a spectacular rooftop bar. NZ | The Sebel Wellington Lower Hutt ( opening Q1 2022 ): The new-build The Sebel Wellington Lower Hutt overlooks the Hutt River and is only a short drive from Wellington International Airport. Built in partnership with Hutt City Councils project for the New Civic Centre, which includes a new 800-seater Events Centre adjoining the Citys historic Town Hall, this apartment-style hotel boasts 60 fully serviced studios and one bedroom apartments and will provide a modern and convenient place for business and leisure visitors to stay while attending conferences, exhibitions or events. Complete with a restaurant and bar, Biscotti, this new hotel embraces The Sebel brand standards, with warm, stylish and homely furnishings to make guests feel welcome as soon as they arrive.

Accor have joined forces with Qantas to bring even greater rewards for loyalty customers of both programs. Launching in the coming months, eligible customers who are members of Qantas Frequent Flyer and ALL  Accor Live Limitless (ALL) will have the opportunity to earn Qantas Points as well as Accor Live Limitless Reward points on eligible Accor hotel bookings and Qantas operated flights. Its the first venture of its kind between a hospitality group and an airline in the Asia Pacific region.

Accor have supported the wellbeing of its team across the past 18 months by providing vital aid through its ALL Heartist Fund. The fund launched in April 2020 and has supported Accor team members and partners through the health and economic impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic by providing more than AUD$4.7 million (to date) in grants across the Pacific region.

For two decades, the Accor Indigenous Programs have been a talent initiative playing a key role in empowering Indigenous success within Australias hospitality industry. Accor has made it a purpose to bring Indigenous Australians into customer facing roles to connect with people, history and culture as part of the Accor employment and guest experience. The Accor Indigenous Programs initiative strives to play an active role in Australias shared, ongoing commitment to Closing the Gap. This is a shared journey to enable and empower Indigenous Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to live healthy and prosperous lives. Throughout the past 12 months, Accor has maintained its commitment to empowering Indigenous success by sharpening its focus on recruitment, retention and cultural education to maintain strength in its program and Indigenous workforce and Accor will continue this commitment in the coming years ahead.

Accor brands across the Pacific region include SO/, Sofitel, MGallery, Art Series, Pullman, Swissotel, Movenpick, Grand Mercure, Peppers, The Sebel, Mantra, Novotel, Mercure, Tribe, BreakFree, ibis, ibis Styles and ibis budget.
Press Release

12 October 2021

Deutsche Hospitality and the Porsche Design Group are joining forces to present the Steigenberger Porsche Design Hotels brand, an innovative hotel concept in the Luxury Lifestyle Segment. Steigenberger Porsche Design Hotels will bring together design, technology and lifestyle at the very highest level. The result will be a unique brand experience created from the design philosophy and values of the exclusive Porsche Design lifestyle brand. This will be combined with the excellence and experience of Steigenberger, which boasts a representative tradition stretching back for more than 90 years.

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Investor interest in Steigenberger Porsche Design Hotels is considerable. The first planning stage involves the establishment of up to 15 hotels in global metropolises such as London, Singapore, Dubai and Shanghai.

Design and quality are the top priority

Steigenberger Porsche Design Hotels creates a brand which marries the design philosophy and values of the exclusive Porsche Design brand with the hospitality and service quality of a Steigenberger hotel, said Marcus Bernhardt, CEO of Steigenberger Hotels AG/Deutsche Hospitality. Our joint goal is to establish a new hotel product for a global target group which seeks uniqueness and which has the highest aspirations regarding quality.

Steigenberger Porsche Design Hotels will boast an unusual and exceptional spatial and lighting concept, stated Dr. Jan Becker, CEO of Porsche Design Group. Innovative rooms and suites will feature a singular design and interior which captures the spirit of the environment. Travellers in search of extraordinary experiences will be able to find Steigenberger Porsche Design Hotels at some of the worlds most breath-taking locations.

The hotels will offer at least 150 rooms, suites, and penthouses. They will also have a remarkable restaurant and bar concept, exclusive Meet&Greet Cubes, and a health and beauty facility and gym extending over a minimum area of 1,000 square metres.

Deutsche Hospitality already maintains a presence in the Luxury, Upscale, Midscale and Economy Segments via the existing brands. We have set ourselves the objective of achieving significant worldwide growth by 2027, Mr. Bernhardt continued. For us, Steigenberger Porsche Design Hotels constitutes an important step towards appealing to an attractive target group in the long term and towards meeting growing requirements for individuality, exclusivity, design and an inimitable hotel experience.

The development of Steigenberger Porsche Design Hotels is enabling Porsche Design to transfer its brand philosophy to exterior and interior architecture. This will allow design expertise to be made accessible to a broad section of the public via the vehicle of outstanding hotel projects. Jan Becker: The brand perception factor is becoming increasingly important for customers. In hotels we convey the brand experience in a unique way, and this makes it possible to introduce additional differentiation to the market.

Justin Wells, Designer and CEO Wells International, Marcus Bernhardt, CEO Steigenberger Hotels AG/Deutsche Hospitality, Dr. Jan Becker, CEO Porsche Design Group, Roland Heiler, Chief Design Officer Porsche Design Group (from left to right)  Image source: Steigenberger Hotels AG/Porsche Design Group

Marcus Bernhardt, CEO Steigenberger Hotels AG/Deutsche Hospitality, Dr. Jan Becker, CEO Porsche Design Group (from left to right)  Image source: Steigenberger Hotels AG/Porsche Design Group

In 1963, Professor Ferdinand Alexander Porsche came up with the 911, one of the most significant design objects in contemporary history. He went on to found the exclusive lifestyle brand Porsche Design in 1972 in pursuit of a vision to transport the companys principles and the Porsche myth beyond the confines of the car. His philosophy and design language live on in all Porsche Design products right down to the present day. Albert Steigenberger opened the Europaischer Hof in Baden-Baden in 1930, a hotel which was to go on to become the founding myth of Steigenberger Hotels AG. 160 hotels now operate under the Steigenberger name across three continents. Deutsche Hospitality has formed part of the Huazhu Group since 2020. Huazhu is one of the largest hotel groups in the world. The companys portfolio encompasses more than 7,000 hotels, and its H Rewards Bonus Programme currently boasts more than 174 million members.
Press Release

12 October 2021

Today, Marriott International, Inc. and Howard University announced the inaugural Howard Hospitality Week, an event beginning October 25 that will bring together the Howard community and hospitality leaders to discuss the need for more diverse and equitable opportunities within the hospitality industry. Over the course of five days, students, members of the faculty and industry leaders will gather on Howards historic campus in Washington, D.C. to tackle key hospitality business, leadership and social impact issues. Howard Hospitality Week is an outgrowth of the work the University and The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation have begun to create the Marriott-Sorenson Center for Hospitality Leadership housed within the Universitys School of Business. The effort also aligns with Howards five-pillar Howard Forward strategic plan, which emphasizes initiatives that serve the community by working with corporate partners to maximize job creation and train a diverse workforce.

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Marriott International is proud to collaborate with Howard University to convene this week-long dialogue and series of educational seminars to drive necessary conversations around diversity, equity and inclusion, said Anthony Capuano, Marriott Internationals chief executive officer. Howard Hospitality Week is one of the many ways we are challenging ourselves to remove barriers and improve access to career and entrepreneur opportunities at the highest levels. The development of the Marriott-Sorenson Center along with innovative events, like Howard Hospitality Week, are intended to build a pipeline of diverse leadership talent, which is a priority for Marriott and our industry.

We are very excited to welcome Marriott International to Howard Universitys campus for this inaugural convening that will deepen Howard students knowledge of opportunities in the hospitality industry, said Howard University President Dr. Wayne A. I. Frederick. From the beginning, our partnership with The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation and Marriott International has been about engaging Howard students in ways that will drive opportunity and impact in the hospitality sector. This event will serve to inspire and educate Howard students while giving them space to offer ideas and insights that will make a tremendous difference in the industry.

Howard Hospitality Week

Howard Hospitality Week will include virtual and in-person access to a variety of on-campus events planned for students, including:

Case competition: Marriott will host a case competition for current undergraduate and graduate students campus-wide. Working in teams of four to address a unique business situation, the teams will develop their business cases and present to a panel of industry leaders. One team at the undergraduate and graduate level (for a total of eight students), will be awarded a full scholarship for the 2022-2023 academic year.

Educational sessions: Students will join key industry leaders, Marriott executives and Howard faculty for in-depth discussions around topics including shaking up what service means in the hospitality industry, learning how leaders navigate the industry and create ownership, and how hospitality can make a social impact. During one session, students will hear from members of the project design team leading efforts to prioritize advancing leaders of color within the hospitality industry through the development of the Marriott-Sorenson Center for Hospitality Leadership.

LoveTravels summit: As a culmination of the weeks events, Marriott will host a LoveTravels summit on the Yard with a focus on how the hospitality industry can build leadership talent opportunities for Black students across the country. The centerpiece of the summit will be a fireside chat with key industry leaders, including Capuano, Marriotts CEO, and Dr. Frederick, Howards president; the case competition winners will also be announced. The LoveTravels summit is named for Marriotts advocacy of inclusion, equality, peace and human rights, key components of the companys longstanding commitment to environmental, social and governance issues.

To participate virtually in the daily livestream of Howard Hospitality Week events, discussions and sessions, and to show your support for the student case competition, please visit MarriottHHW.com.

The inaugural Howard Hospitality Week will give students an opportunity to really understand what a career in hospitality leadership could mean for them and how they can achieve their goal of making a difference in the world through careers in this comprehensive industry, said Howard University School of Business Dean Anthony Wilbon, Ph.D. The Howard University School of Business is incredibly grateful for the opportunity to host this convening on our campus, and we know this will kickstart many of our students engagement with the Marriott-Sorenson Center for Hospitality Leadership.

Marriott-Sorenson Center for Hospitality Leadership

Earlier this year, The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation, together with Howard University, announced the establishment of the Marriott-Sorenson Center for Hospitality Leadership in honor of Arne Sorenson, president and CEO of Marriott International from 2012 until his passing at age 62 in February 2021. The center will build on Howard Universitys powerful research history and create thought leadership that not only prepares students to be the workforce of the future, but also empowers them to be co-creators in what the future of hospitality leadership looks like. Featuring a best-in-class program that expands educational and professional opportunities for Howard students, the center is designed to create a pipeline of diverse leadership talent for the hospitality industry.

Arne spent much of his tenure at Marriott focused on creating opportunities that brought real change to the composition of Marriotts executive ranks, said J. W. Bill Marriott, Jr., executive chairman and chairman of the board. At Marriott and across our industry, we need to do more when it comes to diversity, equity and inclusion. The Marriott-Sorenson Center for Hospitality Leadership is focused on fostering leadership excellence and driving greater inclusion at the most senior levels in the hospitality industry  what an appropriate way to remember Arnes legacy.

Marriott Bonvoy Gets Involved

Members of Marriott Bonvoy, Marriott Internationals award-winning travel program, also have the opportunity to donate their points in support of the Arne M. Sorenson Hospitality Fund, established earlier this year at Howard University to support the critical programmatic and career development elements of the Marriott-Sorenson Center for Hospitality Leadership. All Marriott Bonvoy point donations will be converted to cash and contributed to the fund. From October 1, 2021 to December 31, 2021, Marriott Bonvoy will be matching all member donations. Members can visit here to learn more.

About Howard University

Founded in 1867, Howard University is a private, research university that is comprised of 14 schools and colleges. Students pursue more than 140 programs of study leading to undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University operates with a commitment to Excellence in Truth and Service and has produced one Schwarzman Scholar, three Marshall Scholars, four Rhodes Scholars, 12 Truman Scholars, 25 Pickering Fellows and more than 165 Fulbright recipients. Howard also produces more on-campus African American Ph.D. recipients than any other university in the United States. For more information on Howard University, visit www.howard.edu.
Opinion Article

12 October 2021

The Q2 Travel Recovery Trend Report offers valuable insights into the interests of travelers during this still uncertain time. Previously, we shared our findings about the North American and EMEA markets in the second quarter of the year, but now lets see what the data tells us about travelers in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region, and try to understand how these trends compare to whats happening on a global scale and in other markets.

Steady Progress for Asia Pacific

In breaking news, the final months of 2021 look promising for APAC as Australia prepares to open its borders to international travel and the country resumes flights to Fiji, a destination that was popular with Australians pre-pandemic. Indonesia too plans to open Bali this month to arrivals from feeder markets including Japan, South Korea and New Zealand, while Singapore cautiously opens through such initiatives as a Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) with Germany. Although we dont yet see the level of demand weve observed globally, specifically across North America or Europe, this momentum for the region builds on steady progress made throughout Q2 during which overall search volume increased just over 5% compared to Q1. Well see how these initiatives have impacted travel trends in the next edition of our Travel Recovery Trend Report.

Asia Pacific Ideal for Bucket List Travel

Australia, Fiji, and Bali represent the opportunity for travelers looking to make up for lost travel time to turn a dream trip into reality. All three destinations featured as responses in last years Where Next? campaign, which at the height of the pandemic asked our customers where they will go when travel returns. The APAC region was well represented among our global customer base with other bucket list destinations cited, including the Maldives, Japan, Thailand, and Tahiti.

This aspiration to travel far and wide could be seen in the growth of searches for destinations across Asia Pacific from customers based in feeder markets outside of the region. For example, searches from North America for APAC destinations during Q2 increased compared to the same period in 2020 and leapt an impressive 56% from Q1 2021. This points to the increasing confidence of recently vaccinated travelers, loosening border restrictions and destinationssuch as Phuketbuilding strategies to re-open, ignite, and manage demand through the COVID-19 recovery.

Getting Back to the Beach

If not booking big citiesnotably Seoul and Jeju City in APACglobal customers opted for coastal beach destinations during Q2. For Asia Pacific, this translated to bookings for Seogwipo, Busan, Naha and, in Australia, Sydney, Melbourne, and Surfers Paradise! Although not a top-ten booked destination for the APAC region, Thailand saw searches for Phuket double quarter-on-quarter due to their strategic Sandbox re-opening initiative, which allowed fully vaccinated travelers back to their beaches without quarantine requirements.

Domestic and Local Destinations Preferred

Similar to what we saw in North America, there was an uptick in domestic searches made by APAC shoppers 31-180 days in advance, and a slight decrease in searches made 0-21 days out. Looking at international searches, too, we see a shift in search behavior quarter over quarter. For APAC travelers looking to venture outside their home country, the largest growth was for dates 31-60 days out, which saw a jump from just over 10% to 15%. This shift in searching a bit further out from the date of travel signals a boost in confidence in the stability of travel. However, while New York made the list of top 10 booked destinations globally in other regions, it did not make the top 10 for APAC, indicating that APAC consumers are growing in confidence, but may not have felt comfortable in venturing too far just yet.

This is supported by research conducted by Expedia Group and Wakefield Research. According to the data, 53% of Japanese respondents and 75% of Australian respondents indicated that they will travel in the next year. But of those, only 7% of respondents in Japan and 26% of respondents in Australia indicated that theyre likely to travel internationally.

A Cautious Return to Travel

Comparing which destinations shoppers searched for to where they actually booked, we can see that travelers opted for smaller, more coastal cities. Specifically, while large cities such as Melbourne, Sydney, Seoul, and Tokyo topped the list when it comes to search data, many travelers ended up booking Seogwipo, a mid-sized seaside city in South Korea, instead. Its not surprising that, given the unpredictable nature of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, traveler behavior has also been unpredictable.

Also, its to be expected that the pandemic still weighs on travelers minds as they consider their options. According to the research, when it comes to booking either a hotel or vacation rental, shoppers in Japan and Australia cared the most about enhanced cleaning protocols and the ability to get a full refund if plans change.

Similarly for air travel, respondents31% in Australia and 24% in Japancared the most about the ability to get a full refund if they canceled their trip. An interesting comparison is that the second-most important consideration for travelers in Australia was low pricing, while for travelers in Japan it was enhanced cleaning and disinfection protocols.

Regardless, its clear that our advertising partners have a lot to think about when considering ways to engage travelers during this uncertain time. To learn more about the trends covered here, download the Q2 2021 Travel Recovery Trend Report. This in-depth report is based on over 300 petabytes of first-party Expedia Group data plus the latest custom research.

Download the Report
Gender equality in today's day and age should be a given and absolutely no grounds for discussion. Unfortunately, it is not in the (hospitality) World and the reasons are many, with different interpretations and explanations.

Let's examine where this might come from and more importantly how to fix this;

Why is gender diversity at the top still a challenge?

Hospitality executives predominantly have an "experiential" background and academic education is scarce in our industry. Building on experience often is a repeat from the past towards the future. Evolution is therefore slow and adaptation of important issues like gender equality and others stays behind.

Also, we have to be realistic. We have a huge backlog and stigma to overcome, which has an impact on how we do or better should be doing things.

Take job search as an important example; We first assess needs and create the perfect job profile/description. We then commence our search the same way we have done so for years. The automatic outcome will generate more male candidates than female candidates. We should start our searches with the objective to generate an equal number of qualified women as men. Without that specific switch, the percentages of men will always dominate.

Diversification is an important topic, gender equality is not part of this discussion!!!

Standing tall and representing change is a must in the case of gender equality, nothing to feel proud of but basics.

How are you driving change in your organizations from the very top?

Overall the numbers at citizenM show extremely well in the gender equality mix. Both in our support offices and leading hotels the mix is fine.

Slow and embarrassing when looking at the result at c-level. It is indeed therefore that searches now need to generate equal women as men candidates.

What are the biggest challenges you face as a CEO or C-Suite executive and what would you like to see more of - quotas, universal standards for measuring and monitoring, legal enforcements?

We know and experience the great broadening of thinking when both female and male thinking is present. The gender equality numbers not stacking up over the years have also had its impact in less of that balance being present at the c-level. Now awakened leadership is definitely keen on shifting the equality gap to balance

Internal; promotions and growth should also help this equation.

Personally, I don't believe in quotas or legal enforcement for gender equality. It needs to come from the heart, with focus, effort, and intent. Would I like continuous standard measuring, monitoring, and especially publishing of results of the various companies, a resounding yes please.

Some additional thoughts;

Often mentorship to women is hailed as a positive influence. I would say mentorship for everyone is important. Sponsorship of women is possibly a stronger support measure and one that carries action and personal involvement for results.

"Respect" is indisputable, you either know and understand what respect means and live by it...or you don't!

"Conscience" is another indisputable and either tells you right from wrong..or it doesn't.

"Gender equality" also is indisputable and no there is no difference between women and men.

Michael.............
Houston liquefied natural gas company Cheniere Energy has agreed to sell LNG to ENN Natural Gas of China beginning July 2022 and for the next 13 years, the companies said Monday.

ENN LNG Pte Ltd., a subsidiary of ENN, will buy about 900,000 metric tons per year of LNG under the sales and purchase agreement. The deal comes as U.S. natural-gas futures on Oct. 5 hit $6.31 a million British thermal units, an increase of nearly 150 percent this year.

For Cheniere, the SPA underscores the strength of the global LNG market, particularly in China, and highlights the companys role as a global LNG supplier to help meet the long-term energy needs and environmental goals of its customers, according to Jack Fusco, Cheniere President and CEO.

TELLURIAN LNG: Tellurian extends contracts for top executives

The SPA also further advances Chenieres commercial momentum and marks another milestone in our efforts to contract our LNG capacity on a long-term basis in anticipation of an FID of Corpus Christi Stage 3, which we expect will occur next year, Fusco said in the release.

Meanwhile, a sixth train is under construction at Cheniere's Sabine Pass LNG terminal in Louisiana, which would boost production capacity at that facility to 30 million metric tons per year.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission last month approved Chenieres Sept. 15 request to introduce feed gas to commission parts of Train 6 at Sabine Pass. Feed gas is processed natural gas from pipelines that will be turned into LNG.

Cheniere expects the sixth natural gas liquefaction unit at Sabine Pass to come online earlier than expected, in the first quarter of next year instead of the first half.

For ENN, Wang Yusuo, chairman of the board, said the SPA shows Chinas efforts toward achieving its goal of being net-zero by 2060.

ENN is accelerating the usage of digital technology to build a modern energy system, and to promote intelligent upgrading of the natural gas industry, Yusuo said. It is expected that the two parties will seize the opportunity of this cooperation to establish a strategic relationship, to provide clients with high quality resources and services, and to make positive efforts to the realization of peak carbon emissions and carbon neutrality in China.
One year later, a historic Museum District gem is back on the market for $12.5 million.

Located at 3 Remington Lane, the two-story home was designed in 1939 by renowned Houston architect John Staub and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The home was originally built for Nina Cullinan, the daughter of Joseph Cullinan, a famous businessman who helped shape Texas' oil industry, founded Texaco, and was the original developer of the Shadyside neighborhood. The Cullinan family contributed to and helped create many institutions and foundations throughout Houston.

The home was also once owned by the former Texas Gov. Mark White, who held the office from 1983 to 1987 and died in August 2017.

The 7,823 square foot property sits on 1.36 acres and has four bedrooms, four full and three half bathrooms, a gym/media room, wine room, game room, private pool, utility room and home office.

OnHoustonChronicle.com: California investor buys 6-building industrial park from Griffin Partners

The home was previously listed in 2020 for $7 million, but now the price tag is up more than $5 million after owners "completely gutted" the property with a new slate roof, a new floor plan with a reconfigured upstairs and expanded bedrooms, fresh paint, white oak wood floors, all new hardware and more, according to listing agent Hedley Karpas.

"Ive been in this business for 35 years now and Ive never seen a house remodeled to this extent with such high caliber finishes," Karpas said.

"Every single inconvenience of buying an older home has been addressed and corrected with this home, and now the house works and functions as a typical everyday modern home or new construction."

Karpas said the owners, identified by the Houston Business Journal as Robert Clay, owner of Houston-based Clay Development & Construction Inc., and his wife, Emily, have always wanted to own a John Staub house.

He's sold five homes for the couple before, he said, and they live in them for roughly three to five years and completely update them. This time, however, they didn't occupy the home half as long but still remodeled it.

MORE REMODELS: Renovated '60s ranch house in West Houston gets out-of-the-box style

"They bought this house with every intent of moving into it,"Karpas said. "They ripped everything out and redid everything. At the end of the project they just decided to stay in the high rise theyre living in."

Although everything was "ripped" out on the interior, a few historic staples remain such as the brick, wood exterior, which cannot be altered due its nationally registered status, and the homes original sash windows.

"Its the original glass," Karpas said, (it's) just been cleaned up and polished."

The home has been listed on HAR.com for three days, but Karpas doesn't expect it to stay the market for long.
Homicide detectives are responding near the Spring Branch area of Houston Tuesday morning for a person shot, according to Houston Police.

The person was found around 6:30 a.m., a tweet from police read. Officials are responding to the 9600 block of Long Point.
Authorities released bodycamera footage Tuesday of a shooting last month in which a man used an illegally modified, fully-automatic handgun to open fire on Houston officers serving an arrest warrant  killing one and wounding another  before he died in a shootout with police.

The footage from Sept. 20 shows officers approach Deon Ledets home in the 5300 block of Aeropark Drive and repeatedly ask him to step outside, after a woman answers the door. One officer announces Deon, its the Houston Police Department. Lets do this the  before he is cut off by a hail of gunfire from inside.

Footage from the shooting can be seen below. Viewer discretion is advised.

Now Playing: New bodycam footage in fatal HPD officer shooting shows suspect used illegally modified handgun Video: Laura Duclos, Houston Police Department

Officer William Jeffrey, who was standing to the officers right in the doorway, can be seen collapsing to the ground immediately after the gunfire starts. Sgt. Michael Vance, who was standing behind Jeffrey, falls to the ground also and crawls away, telling another officer hes been hit.

MORE ON LEDET: Guns found in wanted man's apartment after death of Houston police officer

Officers can be heard shouting We need to get Bill out! as they return fire at Ledet, who continues to shoot at them from both inside and outside the house. At one point, Ledet can be heard swearing at officers before he is killed by officers gunfire.

Ledet was using a handgun modified with an illegal switch that gives it fully-automatic capabilities, authorities said. The switch allows the shooter to empty a 30-round magazine in just 2.6 seconds, said Fred Milanowski, special agent in charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Houston division.

The switches have become increasingly popular in southeast Texas, but especially in Houston, which Milanowksi called ground zero for the area in terms of the devices availability. Over the last year, the ATF has investigated seven such cases in Houston and seized about 104 of the devices, along with many more handguns that already had a switch attached, Milanowski said.

Its a problem, its a danger for our community. You all can imagine an active shooter that had one of these fully-automatic guns and how much worse some of the bad actor shootings weve had in the area could have been, Milanowski said.

Having a switch is considered possession of a machine gun under federal law, and is punishable by up to 10 years in prison, said U.S. Attorney Jennifer Lowery of the Southern District of Texas.

Police Chief Troy Finner said he spoke to Jeffreys wife Tuesday morning and spoke to Vances family, calling it a difficult day.

A lot of times, everybody wants to point fingers, and we shouldnt be about that in criminal justice. Its time for police, prosecutors, district attorneys, judges and lawmakers, both state and federal, to stand up and make sure that were doing whatever we can do to make our streetsas safe as possible, Finner said.

FAMILY TIES: Pearland police post bodycam footage after arresting sister of man killed in HPD shootout

There is absolutely no reason or no room for suspects to be armed like this, and we need to do everything that we can do, Finner said.

Jeffrey, a 31-year veteran of the police department, worked with the Major Offenders Division, which routinely handles arrests of some of the city's most dangerous criminals.

His wife had also worked at the department but recently retired, Finner said. They have one child, and were building their dream home, he said.

Ledet's family said he worked as a security guard at a scrapyard and was the father of six children.

Court records show authorities issued an arrest warrant for Ledet in January, months after he had been charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver. The warrant was issued after he made $20,000 bail in November and failed to obtain an ankle monitor.
Former Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo left the Bayou City in March intent on shaking up the Miami Police Department.

Barely seven months later, it appears his time is up. Miami City Manager Art Noriega said Monday evening that he has suspended Acevedo and intends to fire him.

Acevedos relationship with his department  and the community  has deteriorated beyond repair, Noriega said in a news release. Relationships between employers and employees come down to fit and leadership style, and, unfortunately, Chief Acevedo is not the right fit for this organization.

The move comes after a weeks-long drama in Miami between Acevedo and several of the citys commissioners, who became incensed after Acevedo reportedly compared Miami Police Department leadership to the Cuban Mafia. The term is offensive to many Miami residents because it is a slur Fidel Castro used to insult exiled Cubans who defied him.

Noriegas decision means Acevedo must face the city commissioners, three of whom have expressed serious displeasure with his performance leading the citys police.

The abrupt turn of events come less than six months after Acevedo arrived in Miami to lead the department and quickly took steps  many controversial  to reshape the force in his image.

Among them: decisions to fire a high-ranking husband and wife within the department over failing to report a minor traffic accident involving a city vehicle and abruptly demoting several supervisors  including a high-ranking Black female officer. He ordered new police uniforms and batons. And he pushed for his department to investigate its own officer-involved shootings.

Fireworks in Florida: Miami official accuses Art Acevedo of a 'cover-up,' blackmail and a 'major crime' in lengthy tirade

He caught further flak after posing for a picture with a local member of the Proud Boys, a white nationalist group, and irritated the rank and file when he told a radio station that officers should get vaccinated or risk being fired.

But Acevedos predicament became far more perilous after his Cuban Mafia comment, which prompted two meetings where city leaders lambasted him for hours and one sought assurances he wouldnt be arrested in the middle of the night and shot while police used a throwdown gun to justify the killing.

The situation then escalated after Acevedo sent a blistering memo to Mayor Francis Suarez accusing his critics of interfering with police business and engaging in other misconduct, comparing their actions to communist Cuba and warning hed alerted federal investigators of the situation. Then he reportedly told officers that he had enough probable cause to arrest the commissioners.

He also accused one commissioner of urging him to arrest communist agitators at a recent protest and accused two of them of providing his department with a target list of businesses in each others districts, forcing the departments vice squad to waste untold hours on pointless investigations.

As the situation worsened, Noriega, the city manager, ordered Acevedo to produce a plan to improve public safety in Miami, improve relations with city leaders and improve the reputation of the department. Ultimately, however, that came to naught.

Top cop pushes back: Ex-Houston police chief Art Acevedo now under investigation amid wild feud with Miami commissioners

About the same time Noriega announced he planned to fire Acevedo, the chief sent an email to his troops thanking them for their service and saying it had been a privilege to work with them.

I promise to continue to fight the good fight to rid (the Miami Police Department) of the political interference from city hall that unfortunately continues to negatively impact this organization, he wrote.

While drama convulsed Miami, Houston appeared loathe to go near it.

Through a spokeswoman, Mayor Sylvester Turner declined comment.

Mayor Turner has no desire to comment on another city's local politics, said mayoral spokeswoman Mary Benton. However, I am certain that he wishes Chief Acevedo and his family the very best during a tumultuous time.

Asked to comment on his former bosss predicament, Houston Police Officers Union President Doug Griffith declined.

Nope, he said. Not my problem. It ain't my business.

Former Charles A. McClelland, who preceded Acevedo, said he wasnt surprised at the most recent turn of events.

I'm not surprised that his term ended very quickly, he said. He pointed to the abrupt changes Acevedo instituted in Houston and in Miami, and said Acevedo had failed to learn about his new home before carrying them out.

Instead of going through an evaluation period where he determines the strengths and weaknesses of a department, it seems like he went his own idea how he was going to do things, McClelland said.

st.john.smith@chron.com
For the first time in more than a decade, City Council members are taking aim at squalor and substandard conditions in Houston apartment complexes, pitching plans to hire more inspectors and boost enforcement of existing ordinances.

At-Large Councilmember Letitia Plummers office presented a plan to the City Councils Neighborhood Affairs Committee Tuesday that would charge a $250 annual fee for complexes with more than four complaints a year, adding revenue that would help hire more inspectors and resolve complaints more efficiently. Plummer said she was inspired to pursue the plan, which has not been drafted into an ordinance yet and is not fully developed, after knocking on doors to get tenants enrolled in rent relief.

Some of the conditions I saw were deplorable, Plummer said. She recalled one resident who kept her babys playpen on top of a dresser to protect the child from rats, and another who had sewage on the floor of their apartment.

Other council members suggested Tuesday that the city needs to make routine inspections of complexes more frequent and improve communication between inspectors in different city departments.

The city currently inspects newly-opened apartment complexes when they apply for a certificate of occupancy. It inspects complexes with more than three units every four years and respond to complaints to the citys 311 service. It has a web of 49 inspectors and other enforcement staff spread across four departments: public works, fire, health and police.

If Im a tenant, I dont know who does the inspections, said Martha Castex-Tatum, who represents District K in southwest Houston. So, how can we narrow this down and who would I call if I have problems with the interior of my apartment?

The permitting center, staffed with 14 inspectors, conducts the rolling inspections at the roughly 4,500 qualifying developments in the city. Those inspections involve the perimeter of complexes and do not include going inside apartment units. Plummers proposed fee would apply to about 2,000 of the developments, she said, and she would like to see those developments inspected annually instead of every four years.

The Fire Department has another 14 inspectors making sure apartments follow fire safety laws. The Health Department has two inspectors to respond to complaints about mold, bed bugs, sewage overflows and other health hazards. The department gets about 200 requests per month and seeks to resolve those complaints within 35 days.

Plummer zeroed in on the Health Department staffing Tuesday, arguing it is not sufficient to respond to the number of complaints the city receives. Her first priority with the revenue from the new fee would be to add eight more health inspectors, she said.

Nguyen Ly, an environmental investigator with the health department, acknowledged more staff would help resolve issues quicker.

We would like to resolve them sooner, Ly told Plummer. Thirty-five days is not ideal.

The city first adopted an ordinance enforcing minimum habitability standards in 2009 under then-Mayor Bill White, after the state Legislature required it. The ordinance established recurring inspections of apartment complexes for the first time.

Those efforts came after a string of deaths attributed to poor living conditions, and a Chronicle investigation into substandard dwellings, according to newspaper archives. The deaths included a stairwell collapse that killed two boys in southwest Houston in 2008, and the drowning of a child at an apartment pool that did not have proper fencing.

A 2018 report from the University of Texas School of Law, called Out of Order, found many of those conditions continue to plague Houston tenants after decades of weak building standards and feeble code enforcement. The report concluded the city faces a dangerous apartment epidemic.

The report found the 2009 changes have not remedied the situation. It said the distribution of inspections across different departments is inefficient and uncoordinated, the proactive inspections are are too infrequent and rarely include an analysis of code violations inside units themselves, even when residents report the issues repeatedly to 311.

The City of Houston has laws on the books to eliminate unsafe living conditions, but these laws are widely unenforced, wrote Heather Way, the author of the report, which was commissioned by Sunnyside community leaders.

The report offered a slew of recommendations, including the creation of a tenant advocacy center and relocation program, providing inspection information online, consolidating inspections and making them more frequent for high-risk properties, and sharing findings across all city departments.

Way on Tuesday said she was excited to see council members citing the report, which she worried would collect dust on a shelf. She said tiered systems of inspections, which make more frequent checks on high-risk or oft-cited properties, have proved fruitful elsewhere. Dallas, Boston and Kansas City are among the cities to adopt that strategy. Austin has a Repeat Offender Program that subjects complexes with multiple violations to frequent inspection.

Its a way of prioritizing resources, Way said.

Cesar Espinosa, the executive director of FIEL Houston, a civil rights organization for immigrants, held up pictures of decrepit apartments FIEL members live in. He said landlords often live in mansions while their tenants fight for basic needs.

$250 is nothing, said Espinosa. Yet if I miss one day of rent, or am one day late, there go the fees and there goes the eviction letters.

Espinosa compared having two health inspectors to having two police officers try to catch everyone speeding in the city.

Its almost laughable to ask them to do more than what theyre doing, he said.

Andy Teas, vice president of the Houston Apartment Association, said his organization supports efforts to punish slumlords, but he took issue with some of the central tenets of Plummers plan, namely the $250 fee.

We prefer things like this to be based on fines rather than fees, which would better target bad guys, Teas said.

Plummers plan would impose the fee only on apartment complexes with repeat complaints, but Teas warned 311 reports are not an adequate measurement of mismanagement.

The council member said she hopes to finalize the ordinance over the next 90 days.

Mayor Sylvester Turners office did not respond to a request for comment about whether he supports Plummers ideas.

dylan.mcguinness@chron.com
During his four years in Houston, former Police Chief Art Acevedo was a familiar sight across the city: posing for photos with residents, hugging colleagues, and waxing about his fondness for his boss, Mayor Sylvester Turner.

But if Acevedo worked the political scene here to his benefit, he has found a far different reception in Miami, where his brief tenure appears to be over.

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez said Tuesday that Acevedos personality and leadership style are incompatible with the structure of Miamis city government.

The status quo where a top city administrator is at war with city elected leadership is simply untenable and unsustainable, Suarez said.

The mayors comments echo a statement issued Monday by City Manager Art Noriega in which he said Acevedos relationship with the city and with his own officers had deteriorated beyond repair and in which he said Acevedo was not the right fit for the police department.

Deteriorating relations: Former HPD Chief Art Acevedo to be fired from new job as Miami police chief after controversy

Rumblings of discontent in Miami erupted almost as soon as Noriega and Suarez announced theyd hired Acevedo.

City commissioners were upset by decisions by the two top city officials to circumvent traditional hiring rules to snag Acevedo. And while Acevedo had the full support of the political class in Houston, in Miami, he never won over city commissioners.

By failing to go through the normal hiring process, Acevedo starts in an 0-1 count, said Alex Piquero, a Cuban-American criminologist at the University of Miami. And for Acevedos part, he apparently failed to understand the dynamics of a much different city than Houston or Austin, Piquero said.

Did he have a good feeling for the dynamics of this place? Was he properly vetted? All this sets the stage for strange relationships, he said. And I think that's a hard thing to overcome.

Rice University political scientist Mark P. Jones put it another way: Almost from the start, Acevedo rubbed the majority of the commissioners the wrong way.  And then when he had trouble, instead of backtracking, he doubled down,  which put a target on his head. And those local politicians showed him the door.

Local documentary filmmaker Billy Corben said Acevedos fall came because he couldnt play ball with commissioners.

Art Acevedo had no ideas about the about decades-long multi-generational tribalism of this place, some of which dates back to the island, he said. He was doing what he thought he was supposed to be doing and he had no idea how things work down here The Miami Mafia is undefeated. This is no place for law and order.

Acevedo clashed with members of the rank and file after he suggested they should be fired if they werent vaccinated for COVID-19.

But on Tuesday, a leader of the President Miami Community Police Benevolent Association, a labor group representing Black officers, said he didnt believe Acevedo was given a 100 percent fair shot.

It seemed like he wasnt given parameters in which to work,  said MCPBA VP Ramon Carr. He was just allowed to be himself. And it just didnt go over well. His way of doing things was just a lot different.

Gang takedown: Former Texas prison gang leader 'Aryan Prodigy' sentenced after brutal 2016 beating

Acevedos tenure in both Austin and Houston were not without their hiccups: in 2016, Acevedo got into trouble with leaders in Austin after disobeying a direct order to stop talking publicly about a police shooting that was under investigation. And in Houston, his proclivity for the camera and his high-profile spats with local elected officials prompted the Houston Police Officers Union to ask Mayor Turner  at least once  to fire him, according to three sources familiar with the meeting but who did not want to speak on the record.

For now, Acevedo remains suspended. He will still have to appear before a hearing of the five city commissioners  three of whom already have expressed serious disapproval of their top cop repeatedly in recent months.

On Tuesday, Suarez said Acevedo said he plans to appear before the hearing, which is expected to take place in the coming days.

Soon after Acevedo arrived in Miami in April, he started taking steps to shape up and reform the department: he took over the departments internal affairs division, criticized local judges for releasing prison inmates early, and fired a high-ranking police couple after one of them, Commander Nerly Papier, blew out two tires in her city-owned vehicle and failed to report the accident to her superiors. Commissioners accused him of hypocrisy when his own car sustained light damage but he did not report the incident.

Acevedo also demoted several majors including a high-ranking Black female officer.

Racial profiling?: Virtually everyone a Fort Bend police officer stopped was Hispanic. His bosses shrugged.

City commissioners took umbrage at his failure to fall into line.

"[Acevedo] feels he can do whatever he pleases," Commissioner Joe Carollo vented, during a special meeting late last month. "He is not accountable to anyone.

Former Miami Police Chief Jorge Colina said many people had been curious to see how Acevedo would handle the job, given Miamis reputation for being a place with a challenging political landscape.

I think everyone is shocked it went this bad this quickly, he said.

In Miami, there were plenty of outsized personalities  such as Carollos or that of the other commissioners  to clash with Acevedo's swagger, he said.

"When you want all the eyes on you and someone like Art Acevedo comes along, there's going to be competition," he said. Unfortunately there wasn't much of a period of feeling each other out.

Acevedo attracted additional controversy when he suggested officers should be fired if they didnt get vaccinated against COVID-19, and when he posed for a photo with a member of a local chapter of the Proud Boys, a violent white nationalist group that frequently clashes with anti-racist protesters during Black Lives Matter demonstrations.

Acevedo might have weathered those incidents, before commissioners discovered hed compared the leadership of the police department to the Cuban Mafia. The term is extremely offensive to many Miami residents because its what Fidel Castro used to slur Cubans in exile living in Florida.

Florida trouble: Former Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo in hot water in Miami over 'Cuban Mafia' comment

Commissioners began firing back. They held two special meetings at the end of September in which they lambasted Acevedo for a series of controversies and perceived missteps. (He did not attend the meetings.) And they overruled decisions hed made to hire an assistant Houston Police chief as one of his top deputies by defunding her position and allocating the money to hiring 10 new police officers.

Acevedo issued a public apology for the Cuban Mafia comment, but then sent an 8-page letter to Noriega and Suarez accusing the commissioners of a wide range of misconduct. Things only worsened after word leaked hed told officers he had enough probable cause to arrest certain people for interfering in police investigations. The Miami Herald reported Acevedo called Miami a corrupt city that he could cure if he were permitted to bring in the right people.

Noriega ultimately ordered Acevedo to provide a memo describing how he would improve department morale and repair relations with commissioners. Acevedo responded with a 90-day plan a few days later, a plan Noriega called materially deficient.

For now, Noriega has named Assistant Chief Manny Morales as interim chief.

City commissioners will meet again in the coming days to discuss Acevedos future, Suarez said. This time, he said, Acevedo plans to attend.

st.john.smith@chron.com
Bridgette Smith-Lawson watched as engineers used cranes to hoist the stone obelisk off the top of the Jaybird monument, dismantling a symbol of white supremacy that stood for 125 years beside Richmond City Hall.

It was an emotional moment for the first Black woman elected as Fort Bend county attorney  and one that she felt marked an ideological shift and changing of the guard.

Fort Bend is the most diverse county in this country, Smith-Lawson said in a phone interview Tuesday. This artifact did not in my opinion have any place in the current climate and environment.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Fort Bend, Richmond agree to move Jaybird statue honoring white supremacists from spot near City Hall

The Jaybird monument, which honors white supremacists who died in a violent clash that brought an end to a period of biracial governance in Fort Bend after the Civil War, was quietly removed late one night last week from its prominent position on Morton Street in Richmond and transported to Hodges Bend Cemetery, officials said.

"Both Fort Bend County and the City of Richmond recognized the public concern regarding the controversy surrounding the monument and jointly participated in the decision to relocate," said a joint statement from the jurisdictions.

Officials decided to remove the statue overnight to "provide optimum conditions in which to safely transport the monument," they said.

Richmond Mayor Becky Haas did not reply to requests for comment.

Former Mayor Evalyn Moore said she believes it was time for the monument to be moved.

I liked the monument very much and it told part of a story of Richmond, but it didnt tell the whole story of that episode, said Moore, who stepped down last year as mayor, when reached by phone. And so for that reason, I was glad it was removed. It offended a lot of people in Richmond, so its a good thing that it was moved.

A crew of workers began dismantling the monument around 9 p.m. on Oct. 6 and finished work about five hours later, said Smith-Lawson, who observed the work. Flowers had been left at the base of the monument, the county attorney said.

"There are people who defend this monument and who are very upset that it was moved," she said. "The decision was to do it at night so it could get done without interference."

JAYBIRD HISTORY: Monument sits in shadows of Richmond's historical divide

Four years ago, New Orleans similarly removed three Confederate statues overnight to ensure the safety of crews before taking down a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee during the day. Last month, a statue of Lee was taken down during the day in Richmond, Va., to the cheers of onlookers.

The Jaybird monument was erected following a political feud in the late 18th Century between a group called the Woodpeckers, which had helped elect former slaves to office during Reconstruction, and the Jaybirds, a group representing the wealth and about 90 percent of the White population, according to the Texas Almanac.

Acrimony arising from the 1888 election and the killings of leaders on both sides culminated in the so-called Battle of Richmond in front of the courthouse on Aug. 16, 1889, the almanac states. Among those killed was Sheriff Tom Garvey, a Woodpecker who had opposed the Jaybirds' efforts to seize power by force. Martial law was imposed by a national guard company formed by Confederate veterans, and white residents retook control of the county government.

The statue honors three Jaybird members who were killed in the shootout. An inscription on the monument refers to the Jaybirds as "OUR HEROES and says it stands as a promise that their principles shall be maintained for all time to come.

The clash ushered in an era of white political control in Fort Bend, with the Jaybird Democratic Association using a system of whites-only pre-primary elections to maintain its grip on power until the U.S. Supreme Court found the system unconstitutional in 1953.

The monument now stands across from a subdivision and gas station on the north corner of Cullinan Park in Sugar Land, visible to passing traffic. It is next to the grave of James Madison Shamblin, one of the Jaybirds identified by name on the statue, in a small cemetery with mossy trees, crosses bearing American flags and construction equipment.

NEWSLETTERS Join the conversation with HouWeAre We want to foster conversation and highlight the intersection of race, identity and culture in one of America's most diverse cities. Sign up for the HouWeAre newsletter here.

Conversations about removing the monument began years ago but gained momentum last year following widespread racial justice protests sparked by the murder of former Houston resident George Floyd by Minneapolis police.

Residents circulated a petition that garnered thousands of signatures and the city formed a committee to consider the issue. Last October, Fort Bend County commissioners and Richmond city officials agreed to relocate it. An interlocal agreement allowed the county to help fund the move.

Tres Davis, a teacher and Richmond resident, was among those who pushed for the monuments relocation after learning about its history.

To me, its a slap in the face, he said of the statue. Were taxpayers and we pay to maintain a monument for people that didnt want us to have any political power in the county or be treated fairly.

While some residents advocated for change, city officials threw up roadblocks and prolonged the process to stop it from happening, Davis said. Last week, the city did not publicly note the monuments removal on its website or social media platforms.

While Fort Bend has become one of the most diverse counties in the state, with political representation that reflects those demographic changes, Davis noted that the Richmond City Commission lacks such diversity.

City voters have never elected a Black mayor or city commissioner, he said. The legacy of the Jaybirds, he said, is still true.

"It's time to get that legacy off the city grounds," Davis said.

Rep. Ron Reynolds said he was excited that the community had been able to rid itself of what he views as a racist symbol and relic of white supremacy.

Richmond resident and business owner Andre Lamon Robinson Sr. agreed.

I thought it needed to be moved a long time ago, he said. Im not a fan of destroying history. I am a fan of telling it the right way.

On Tuesday, an orange cone marked the empty patch of concrete where the Jaybird memorial once stood. Texas and American flags flapped in the wind above the squat brick building.

Not everyone was happy to see the monument come down. As she walked into a downtown restaurant for dinner, Bettye Newberry, a Richmond resident of five decades, lamented the change.

I think that one group should not be allowed to tear down a monument anywhere, said Newberry, 73. They should leave it alone. You cannot erase history.

anna.bauman@chron.com
Harris County Commissioners Court on Tuesday unanimously approved spending $50 million to fight crime through planting trees, improving sidewalks and adding streetlights in distressed neighborhoods.

County Judge Lina Hidalgo said during a news conference Tuesday morning that research, including a study from the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention, shows reducing blight in communities results in decreases in gun violence, youth homicide and other crimes.

All of my colleagues on Commissioners Court at one time or another have made the same point: too often blighted buildings, dark streets, unsafe and abandoned structures serve as incubators of crime, Hidalgo said. Places where families dont have the benefit of a sidewalk to get to school, or even simple things as air conditioning or trees to find comfort in the oppressive heat.

The proposal, from Hidalgo and fellow Democrat Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia, comes as Republicans accuse Commissioners Court of failing to address an increase in violent crime. The Democratic district attorney also recently criticized misdemeanor bail reform and constables of both parties have complained the court has failed to adequately fund law enforcement agencies.

The court on Tuesday also approved a resolution by Garcia calling on the Legislature to create new criminal courts in Harris County to help clear a massive case backlog.

Hidalgo said decay and abandonment were drivers of violent crime. A report her office prepared said the one-time investment could be used to clean vacant lots, plant trees, add streetlights as well as provide funding for home repairs and air conditioning systems, citing a link between violent crime and increased temperatures.

Garcia, a former Houston Police Department officer, said as a patrolman he saw all the ways in which local government had failed communities.

Ive always said if you want people to respect government, government has got to do things for the community when they do not expect it, Garcia said. This initiative will focus on those fundamental things in our community that will bring safety and security to the forefront.

Precinct 4 Commissioner Jack Cagle said he supported the initiative, noting that commissioners in the past have turned unused spaces in their precincts into parks.

This is another one of those episodes where somebody, somewhere else came up with an idea and packaged it with a new bow and a ribbons, but its something that has been going on in Harris County for quite a while, Cagle said.

Harris County Sheriffs Office Assistant Chief Mike Lee said police alone cannot fight crime, and acknowledged the role of other government agencies in tackling the problem. He said officers know certain blocks or housing complexes are havens of loud parties, prostitution, drug trafficking and other illegal behavior.

We know that we can work together to reduce crime and calls for service by improving neighborhood conditions, Lee said. We know that hot spot areas tend to attract bad actors who are motivated to commit crimes.

Ellen Marrus, a professor at the University of Houston Law Center Criminal Justice institute, said too often, anti-crime initiatives focus on punishing bad behavior rather than addressing the root causes of crime. She praised the county for looking at alternative solutions rather than increasing arrests, which in turns leads to more residents in jail.

Investing in infrastructure, Marrus said, delivers tangible results.

If you have a park in the neighborhood where kids can go and play a game of basketball without getting into trouble, or even just hang out peacefully with lighting, Marrus said. And then other people come out to the park; if you make this more of a community, you will reduce crime.

The public officials did not specify which neighborhoods would benefit from the program. Hidalgo said neighborhoods in each of the four precincts would be included.

zach.despart@chron.com
One year after winning a lengthy battle to get Indigenous Peoples Day formally recognized by the City of Houston, the Houston Aztec Dance company on Monday enjoyed the fruits of their labor by performing onstage at Buffalo Bayou Park on the citys second celebration of the holiday.

All we can do is remember, hold it in our hearts, teach it and go to the forefront with accountability for ourselves to have respect for our old ways, to have respect or the Earth, to have respect for all the people that live here with us now, said founder Bianca Rivera, who goes by Abuela M'api Rainflowa.

There is no way to really give back [what we lost], with the atrocities that happened to the Native American people on our land. All we can do is present ourselves in a good way, present our dances and teach anyone who wants to learn about Native cultural heritage, she said.

Wearing feathered headresses, rattling ankle braces and other regalia, the group held a ceremony at the Water Works at Buffalo Bayou Park. They paid tribute to the four cardinal directions, sacred in many Native cultures, and then performed dances that honored different elements or animals such as the horse, white eagle, medicines of the earth and fire, accompanied the whole time by two booming drums.

When Rainflowa noticed two people in the audience beaming during the performance, she invited them onstage. The pair, who trace their descendency back to the Mexica tribe in Guerrero, Mexico, slipped into the performance without a hitch, to the delight of the company.

Its something thats passed down by generation, and so even if we dont do the dances exactly the same, the basic points stay the same, said Kaudensio Ramirez, 33, of Conroe.

When youre up there, you lose yourself, and for me, its my offering to the universe and the Earth, said Itztli Hernandez, 34, of Conroe.

City Councilmember Robert Gallegos, who led the push within City Hall to recognize Indigenous Peoples Day, also read a land acknowledgment to the audience prior to the performance.

Hundreds of nomadic tribes have lived, hunted, farmed and resided in the Houston area and along the Gulf of Mexicos southern plain regions, Gallegos said.

Indigenous people have lived upon this land prior to European settlement, and we value the progress society has accomplished through indigenous peoples knowledge, labor, technology, science, philosphy, arts and deep culture, Gallegos said.

Several tribes including the Alabama, Bidai, Caddo, Comanche, Coushatta, Karankawa, and Lipan lived and travelled along Buffalo Bayou, according to the Buffalo Bayou Partnership, before they were pushed out, killed and forced to assimilate into European colonies.

We werent a real warrior type of people down here, we were really just one with the Earth, so you cant expect people who are living off the land and functioning with the land and the animals and their original habitat to understand what it means when you put a fence up, or give them a piece of paper that says we own that and you are now illegal here, Rainflowa said, referring to the Coahuiltecan tribes that populated south Texas.

Houston Aztec Dance  which also goes by Calmecac Tonantzin Yolilitzyotl, or Calmecac Indigenous Organization  was founded in 2008 as a way for Rainflowa to uphold Native traditions in Houston.

They hold dances and ceremonies both public and private, and present at schools throughout the city as a way of educating young people about the history of the land they live on.

The group pushed for years to have the City of Houston formally recognize Indigenous Peoples Day. After a heated debate, the City Council voted last October to make the holiday an alternative to Columbus Day, which is a federal holiday and not recognized by the city.

Weeks later, Harris County followed suit and recognized Indigenous Peoples Day for the first time as well.

I really just wanted to keep Houston hip, man, because weve been having this struggle with people that act like this is a black and white world and its not. You cant talk about diversity without talking about the original inhabitants of the land, Rainflowa said.

sam.kelly@chron.com
With the country shut down from COVID 19, one bright spot during summer 2020 was the Supreme Court decision in Bostock v. Clayton County that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people from workplace discrimination. This past spring, a Texas appellate court followed suit in interpreting Texas state law. But neither these decisions nor workplaces rallying together to face the pandemic slowed the pace of discrimination against LGBT workers.

For this, all Americans, and especially Texans, need the Equality Act to pass the U.S. Senate. The Equality Act would amend existing federal civil rights legislation, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964, to prohibit discrimination against LGBT people in all areas of public life including employment, housing, education, government services, public accommodations and credit .

A national survey by the Williams Institute conducted in May 2021 found that nearly one in ten LGBT employees of the 935 participants in the study report experiencing discrimination because of their LGBT status during the past year. Things appear worse for LGBT employees in Texas: respondents were nearly twice as likely (18.5 percent) to report discrimination in the past year.

Discrimination at work is nothing new. Nationally, nearly half of all LGBT people in the study reported experiencing employment discrimination or harassment at some point in their lives. And both LGBT people of color and transgender employees were significantly more likely to report not being hired for a job because of their status and being verbally harassed in the workplace.

When compared with LGBT people in the rest of the country, more LGBT workers in Texas reported not being hired due to their sexual orientation or gender identity (36.5 percent as compared to 21.5 percent). More than half (54.1 percent) of LGBT employees in Texas reported workplace harassment, including verbal, physical, and sexual harassment, compared to a third (36.6 percent) of LGBT employees in the rest of the country.

When asked to report their worst experience in the workplace, a number of low-income workers, some employed at national fast-food chains and big-box stores, described managers who cut their hours and stacked their work schedules against them, customers who verbally harassed them and co-workers who sexually harassed them.

One Texas woman said she was told she was going to hell during a job interview for liking women, while a Texas man reported his co-worker would constantly use every hateful word he could think of against him and would out him to customers.

One in four LGBT employees in Texas (25.7 percent) in the survey reported being physically harassed because of their LGBT status at some point in their careers and one in three (33.8 percent) reported being sexually harassed.

Why does discrimination persist in 2021 when a vast majority of Americans support workplace protections for LGBT people?

While some studies suggest that discrimination in general increases during times of economic scarcity, such as during the early months of the pandemic, our study revealed that religious beliefs of a minority of Americans also may explain much of the persistence of LGBT discrimination through the past year.

Most of the respondents to our survey felt that the discrimination they experienced was motivated by religion: 64 percent of LGBT employees of color said that religion was a motivating factor compared to 49 percent of white LGBT employees. For example, a man from Texas shared that his coworkers would quote the Bible and tell him how much God would despise him.

If coming together around a national crisis such as the COVID pandemic and a landmark Supreme Court opinion cant stem discrimination against LGBT people, what can?

Although it wont solve all the challenges facing LGBT people, the Equality Act is a critical next step. The Equality Act will provide national protections for LGBT people in the workplace that are clear, consistent and cover all the forms of discrimination reported in our study.

Passage of a federal law will send a clear message that will help prevent discrimination before it happens. Almost all workers prefer a paycheck to a lawsuit. That message will carry even further in Texas, where state law currently lacks explicit protections for LGBT people.

The House has passed the Equality Act and the president will sign it. According to the American Values Atlas, approximately three-quarters of Texans, including a majority of Republicans and people of faith, support non-discrimination protections for LGBT people. It is time for the Senate, and Texas senators, to finally act. Equality should not be partisan. The Equality Act will fill in the blanks left by last years Supreme Court decision and send a clear message to all employers: LGBT Texans deserve a fair shake in this recovery.

Brad Sears is the Founding Executive Director at the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law.
Under increasing pressure from his GOP primary opponents, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is changing his position on vaccine mandates and now trying to bar private businesses from requiring their workers to get them.

It was just in August, Abbott declared in an executive order that he would bar governments from requiring them. But his office made clear he would not meddle in private business decisions.

"Private businesses don't need government running their business, Abbotts spokeswoman Renae Eze said at the time.

But that changed Monday as the uproar from conservative politicians over Southwest Airlines canceling hundreds of flights, which many Republicans have insisted is due to a worker shortage because of employees refusing to get vaccinated. Southwest Airlines and the pilots union have denied that is the reason for the cancellations.

Still, after U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and other politicians slammed Southwest Airlines repeatedly for their vaccine mandates, Abbott issued a new government decree barring any private company from requiring COVID vaccines for employees who object to them for any reason of personal conscience.

"The COVID-19 vaccine is safe, effective, and our best defense against the virus, but should remain voluntary and never forced," Abbott said in a press release to the media just before 6 p.m. in announcing his effort. .

In addition, Abbott said he is adding an item to the Legislatures special session to make his executive order the law. That order comes with just a week left in the Texas Legislatures third special session this year, making it highly unlikely a bill could pass both the Senate and House fast enough to become law.

Still, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who oversees the Senate, was quick to say he supports Abbotts new legislative initiative.

Now that it's on the call, the Senate will move swiftly to take up this matter, Patrick said in a statement on Twitter.

Within minutes of Abbott issuing his no decree, his primary foes were quick to take credit for pushing him into it.

Hours earlier former State Sen. Don Huffines, one of Abbotts opponents, declared on social media that if he were governor hed ban all vaccine mandates. And just over the weekend, another primary opponent Allen West declared he too is even more committed to opposing vaccine mandates even as he was recovering from being hospitalized from COVID-19.

I am very pleased to see that our campaign has forced Greg Abbott to reverse his position on this important issue, Huffines said in a statement released to the media after Abbott issued his statement.

Since last week, Huffines has been very critical of Southwest Airlines, headquartered in Dallas, for requiring employees to get vaccinations.

Vaccine mandates are an attack on that liberty whether they are imposed by business or government, Huffines said in a statement on Oct. 5. No Texan should lose their job because they don't want to get a COVID vaccine.

Since April, Abbott has been calling for the end of all government mandates, even though he had issued many during the pandemic regulating mask usage and limiting occupancy for businesses. This summer, Abbott declared mandates were no longer the answer and that Texans should only be asked to do things, like wear masks and get vaccinated.

Abbott, who is up for re-election next year, is facing his first serious primary challengers in his political career in Huffines and West who have made Abbotts response to COVID-19 one of their biggest issues.

Public and Abbotts own internal polls have shown him way ahead of both primary opponents, but his campaign has continually said they are not taking anything for granted. Abbott was first elected governor in 2014.

Abbotts new position on vaccines comes as Texas is now reporting 63 percent of people 12 and up are now fully vaccinated. That is up 8 percentage points from August. Nationally, the New York Times is reporting 66 percent of all of Americans 12 and up are now fully vaccinated.

jeremy.wallace@chron.com
Texas Gov. Greg Abbotts order barring businesses from requiring employees get vaccinated appears to provide cover to at least half of the Texas workforce who work for smaller companies but do not want to get vaccinated.

Experts agree Abbotts order  which says even private companies in Texas cannot compel receipt of a COVID-19 vaccine by any individual  would likely be trumped by President Joe Bidens requirements that federal contractors and businesses with 100 or more employees require vaccines. Major corporations based in Texas, including Southwest Airlines and American Airlines, said Tuesday they would abide by Bidens rules over Abbotts.

The federal rules are still in the works, but even after theyre enacted they wont affect the majority of the states workforce. The big businesses affected by Bidens rule employ 44 percent of Texas workers.

How much protection the governors order  which is effective immediately  provides to those 56 percent of workers employed by the smaller companies, however, is another question. Legal experts were split on whether those fired for refusing to get a shot could start collecting unemployment, for instance. Some attorneys believe Abbott has clearly opened the door for those workers to get benefits, while others argued the order stops well short of making such a guarantee.

BACKGROUND: Abbott flips, aims to bar private businesses in Texas from requiring vaccines

And the order is likely to prompt conflicting rulings from judges at various levels of the court system, as has Abbotts effort to stop schools and local governments from enacting mask mandates. Repeatedly, the state has admitted in court that it has no plans to enforce the ban on mask requirements, saying that is up to local district attorneys.

You have these orders coming down at various levels. I think if youre a consumer or even an employee, youre kind of in a tough spot if youre choosing to not be vaccinated, said Alfonso Kennard, Jr., a Texas-based employment attorney. The path of least resistance would be to be vaccinated.

At a minimum, all it does is give some entity the ability to point to something and say, The governor said this, so I should be OK, Kennard said. But a week from now, a judge could say it isnt lawful.

The Texas Workforce Commission would not say whether the order impacts unemployment claims, saying only that each is handled on a case-by-case basis with the totality of the job separation taken into consideration.

Kalandra Wheeler, an employment attorney based in Houston, said Abbotts order would appear to make it easier for unvaccinated workers to argue they deserve unemployment.

What they have to establish for you not to get benefits is that you either resigned and there was no good cause connected to the work, or that you were terminated for misconduct, Wheeler said. I think theres less of an argument youve done those things when the governor issues a ban that says youre not required to get the vaccine.

TEXAS TAKE: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox

Randall Erben, a law professor at the University of Texas who previously worked as Abbotts legislative director, said he believes the order was very carefully drafted, very thoughtfully drafted, and drafted in a way that makes it harder to challenge and more easily enforceable. Importantly, it doesnt mention anything about unemployment eligibility.

The executive order doesnt really get into that, he said. What it says is a private employer cant compel an employee to get a vaccine. What an employer does after that is not addressed in the order. Its not even really contemplated.

The White House on Tuesday blasted Abbotts move, with White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki saying he was putting politics ahead of public health as she noted more than 66,000 Texans have died from COVID.

Why would you be taking steps that prevent the saving of lives, that make it more difficult to save lives? Psaki said. Bottom line is were going to continue to implement the law, which the President of the United States has the ability, the authority  the legal authority  to do, and we are going to continue to work to get more people vaccinated, to get out of this pandemic. The president will use every lever at his disposal to do that.

Businesses, meanwhile, were weighing which order to abide by. At least one large Texas employer said it would put its mandate on hold until Bidens rules take effect  weeks from now  even as business groups including the Greater Houston Partnership urged companies to stand strong.

The governors executive order does not support Texas businesses ability and duty to create a safe workplace, said Bob Harvey, president and CEO of the Greater Houston Partnership. While the courts will likely decide the validity of this order, we encourage all employers to continue to promote the importance of vaccinations with their employees.

Many large companies said they were doing just that.

Delta, which employs thousands in Texas, didnt say whether the governors order would affect its Texas operations, but it said its deadline for employees to provide proof of vaccination was two weeks ago  Sept. 27.

So far, 99.5 percent of Uniteds employees in the U.S. have now chosen to get vaccinated, excluding those who sought an exemption.

American and Southwest Airlines said they would leave their vaccine requirements in place, pointing to Bidens order.

Were urging all of our employees to get vaccinated, Southwest CEO Gary Kelly said on CNBC. If they cant, were urging them to seek an accommodation either for medical or religious reasons and my goal obviously is that no one loses their job. The objective here obviously is to improve health and safety, not for people to lose their jobs.

But some said they would abide by Abbotts rules, at least for now. Camden Property Trust, a national real estate company headquartered in Houston, planned to walk back an Oct. 25 deadline for its employees to be vaccinated, said Ric Campo, Camdens CEO.

He acknowledges the rules are a little unclear with the discrepancies at the federal and state level, but until the Biden administration puts out more guidance on the requirement, he said he will follow the state law.

Camden operates in nine states and the District of Columbia and has about 650 employees in Texas. Just 14 of those 650 are not vaccinated, Campo said.

Were going to operate in accordance with the laws, and if the state is going to create that requirement we will follow it, Campo said. We dont have to like it, but we will follow it.

Other employers arent as concerned. Taseer Badar, chief executive of ZT Corporate, a Houston-based private equity firm, put a vaccine mandate in place in August, and said he plans to keep the policy unless his legal team advises him otherwise.

About 99 percent of employees across ZT Corporate, which has offices in Houston, Pearland, New York and Los Angeles, have been vaccinated.

I think it's a non issue because a lot of people in our company are already vaccinated, Badar said. And a lot of new employees that are coming to the table for interviews are voluntarily, without being asked, getting their vaccines.

Overall, the conflicting federal and state rules only complicates matters for employers, said Kevin Troutman, partner at Fisher & Phillips, a law firm that specializes in employment and labor law.

It creates uncertainty, which makes it more difficult for companies to plan, Troutman said. You can take the low-risk approach, and do more testing than you would have had to do before this executive order, but it costs more money.

Benjamin Wermund reported from Washignton. Rebecca Carballo reported from Houston.

ben.wermund@chron.com
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The Hudson School Board met on the evening of Oct. 11 and discussed COVID cases, the bus shortage, student social and emotional health, start times and more.

Superintendents report

Superintendent Nick Ouellette reported 29 COVID-19 cases in the district last week, up from 20 the week before. Prior weeks were yielding upwards of 40 cases.

Things are going in a good direction, he said.

Only one building, River Crest Elementary, was in masks this week in accordance with the districts mask matrix.

Bus shortage update

Bus routes may be changing and the district is asking parents to be flexible. Staff is looking to implement a three category system to accommodate the bus driver shortage.

A green day would indicate normal bus routes. Yellow would indicate that a small number of routes may be combined. On red days, many different bus routes would be combined as a result of a shortage of drivers. The goal would be that no student is on the bus for more than an hour before arriving at school or home.

Safeway, the districts bus provider, will be adding $2 an hour to its starting salaries for drivers to increase incentives. The board voted to add an additional $1 an hour to those salaires, landing the salary at $21 an hour. The Hudson School District has lost drivers to neighboring districts and its hoping to mitigate those losses.

Quick hits ... Hudson School Board Oct. 11 Open enrollment into the district is currently higher than open enrollment out. The board will vote for Alan Tuchtenhagen for the Region 4 Representative to the Wisconsin Association of School Boards. Each member school board has one vote for its regional representative to the board of directors who serve for a three-year term. Region 4 includes the Hudson, River Falls, New Richmond, Ellsworth, Somerset, Saint Croix Central and Prescott districts. Tuchtenhagen is currently serving on the River Falls school board. The Hudson High Schools rendition of Annie will opens Nov. 5 and runs through Nov. 14. Tickets can be purchased online The board adopted an updated set of district goals for 2021-2022 with a focus on creating a supportive and inclusive learning environment that provides equitable access, so all students fully participate in their academic and personal success, recruiting, retaining, and supporting quality employees, and ensuring that parents and community members are engaged and well informed.

Social and emotional health

All schools in the district have access to social and emotional health resources.

This year, screenings for social, academic and emotional behavior will be conducted for grades 6-12 in the fall and spring. Parents will be alerted and offered the opportunity to opt out.

Through a partnership with Family Therapy Associates, the district will be able to increase services and accessibility for students and families to use therapy services.

Mental health care professionals are also serving the district in the schools at full day per week at each school with additional support to be implemented at larger schools.

Start time review

In cooperation with community partners, the Hudson School District has created a School Start Time Advisory Committee to investigate the impact of school start times on student health, academic performance, home life and socio-emotional well being.

The committee reviewed research, discussed the impact of various options and has identified four potential schedule options and is now looking to gather feedback. The board approved the committee's survey to be sent out to parents.
Hudson Common Council Rep. Jim Webber of District 4 announced he will resign from his position effective Nov. 30.

Mask requirement in City Hall approved at Council meeting Returning to the recently renovated City Hall Chambers, the Hudson City Council tackled mask

Webber is moving to Arizona and will no longer be a Hudson resident. Webbers move comes as the district will likely be altered in the redistricting process. The Hudson Common Council approved a tentative map on Oct. 4 that displaces Webber from his ward into the ward of current council member Joyce Hall of District 6.

Im not thrilled with the change, Webber said. I can see that it makes sense.

He said that neighborhoods will be split, such as Carmichael Ridge and Red Cedar, but no other council members would be displaced from their wards if the tentative map is approved by the St. Croix County Board of Supervisors.

There have been really, really positive changes, Webber said about the city of Hudson. We have a fabulous staff. They work together so well as a team.

Applicants must be a resident of the current Aldermanic District 4. Those interested in being considered for this position should submit a letter of interest and a resume to City Clerk Becky Eggen at cityclerk@hudsonwi.gov or at City Hall. Application materials will be accepted until 4 p.m. on Oct. 25

The Common Council will interview the applicants and select a new alderperson at its regularly

scheduled meeting on Monday, Nov. 1. Applicants must be available to attend this meeting at 7 p.m.
Seven Berkshire County Organizations Receive SHARP Grants

NORTHAMPTON, Mass.  Mass Humanities has announced grants to 90 organizations across Massachusetts to support the response and recovery of the cultural sector from the ongoing impacts of the coronavirus.

"The SHARP grants are another significant step in the journey to sustain the humanities at the local level," said Brian Boyles, Executive Director of Mass Humanities. "As we continue to combat COVID-19, these funds will save jobs, build capacity, and allow organizations to develop new programs to serve their communities."

Berkshire County recipients include:

Norman Rockwell Museum: $15,000

Clinton Church Restoration: $15,000

Hancock Shaker Village: $15,000

Chesterwood, a site of the National Trust for Historic Preservation: $13,000

Sterling & Francine Clark Art Institute: $10,043

Ventfort Hall Association, Inc. $9,902

The Friends of the Adams Free Library, Inc: $3,425

Totaling almost $1 million, the "Sustaining the Humanities through the American Rescue Plan (SHARP)" grants were made possible through funding provided to the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) by the American Rescue Plan.

As the state affiliate of NEH, Mass Humanities sought to provide emergency funding to the smallest organizations, including local museums, historical societies, and historic sites. More than half of the SHARP recipients have budgets of $300,000 or less.

Mass Humanities received requests for funding from more than 140 organizations. Grants of up to $15,000 were awarded to retain or recruit staff, replace lost revenue, and rebuild audiences. The SHARP grants conclude a year in which Mass Humanities awarded more than $1.7 million to 240 organizations around the state.
Clark: Lecture On The History Of The Stockbridge-Munsee Community

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass.  On Saturday, Oct. 16, Heather Bruegl, Director of Education at Forge Project, will discuss the history of the Stockbridge-Munsee Community.

Bruegl will provide an overview of the community's past and its present activities in a free lecture, "Not the Last of the Mohicans: A History of the Stockbridge-Munsee Community," that will be presented via Zoom and Facebook Live at 2 pm.

Prior to joining Forge Project earlier this year, Bruegl served as director of cultural affairs for the Stockbridge Munsee Community. Bruegl, a member of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin and a first line descendent Stockbridge-Munsee, is a graduate of Madonna University in Michigan and holds a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in U.S. History.
The long-closed foundry was on fire on Sunday night. Fire officials are seeking information on the blaze.

Reward Offered for Information on North Adams Foundry Fire

NORTH ADAMS, Mass.  The State Fire Marshal's office is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information about the fire that damaged for the old Hunter foundry on Sunday night.

"We're asking anyone in the area of Hunter Foundry Road in the late afternoon or early evening on Sunday to share their observations with investigators," said North Adams Fire Chief Brent Lefebvre.

He and State Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey are asking that anyone with information on the blaze share it with investigators. Ostroskey said anonymous tips will be accepted.

Officials did not state if there was a suspected cause.

The North Adams Fire Department was notified of the fire shortly after 5:15 Sunday evening and responded to find the doors locked on the century-old building and an interior storage room fully engulfed in flames.

The fire caused significant damage to the first and second floors. Firefighters had to make a forced entry through a window to attack the fire from inside, bringing it under control in less than an hour. Mutual aid companies responded from Clarksburg and Williamstown.

Fire crews were on the scene for more than four hours pulling out debris and putting out hotspots. The foundry closed in 1962 and had been used primarily for storage in the following decades. Lefebvre said on Sunday that the building was not occupied and that it had no electric service.

The property is at the end of a narrow road, Hunter Foundry Road, off State Street. It is not easily visible and abuts the Apkins scrapyard.

The fire could be seen from a distance because of the thick black smoke coming from the building. Firefighters had to run several hundred feet of hose from a hydrant on State Street.

The Arson Watch Reward Program posts rewards of up to $5,000 to anyone who provides information that helps prevent, detect, or solve an arson crime. Persons with information can call the Arson Hotline confidentially at 1-800-682-9229 24 hours a day. The Arson Watch Reward Program is sponsored by the property and casualty insurance underwriting companies in Massachusetts.

The fire is being jointly investigated by the North Adams Fire Department and the State Police Fire & Explosion Investigation Unit assigned to the State Fire Marshal's Office.
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Texas Governor Greg Abbott has banned "any entity" from requiring vaccines--a move that could cause a legal headache for business owners.

In an executive order issued on Monday, Abbott, who is vaccinated, wrote that "No entity in Texas can compel receipt of a Covid-19 vaccine by any individual, including an employee or a consumer." The order encouraged Texans to get vaccines but says they must be optional.

Abbott's fiat introduces issues of executive authority and conflicts between state and federal guidelines, says Jennifer Spiegel Berman, CEO of Baltimore-based MZQ consulting and an employee benefits lawyer. The fallout, she adds, will be a hassle for business owners. Federal contractors operating in Texas could be violating state regulations by following federal ones, for example.

Recently President Biden has issued several vaccine and testing mandates, one of which is to be implemented through the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for companies with more than 100 employees. Both that and Abbott's executive order are likely to be challenged, and Berman says she wouldn't be surprised if either goes to the Supreme Court.

The end result: whiplash. "There will be a million lawsuits," she says. "We're all kind of scratching our heads." Her advice for smaller Texas business owners is to "think very carefully" about implementing a vaccine mandate.

Dallas-based Southwest Airlines, which has issued a vaccine mandate for employees, tells Inc. in a statement that it plans to follow the federal guidance: "Federal action supersedes any state mandate or law, and we would be expected to comply with the president's order to remain compliant as a federal contractor."

Jerome D. Love anticipates the ban on vaccine mandates is not going to be great for business in Texas. Love is the founder and president of Texas Black Expo, a Houston-based nonprofit that promotes entrepreneurship, especially in Black and other minority communities. He also owns several real estate firms. "I think it is a little shortsighted, and I think it really is just a political move," he says.

Love says that in a time when supply chain issues and shortages related to Covid-19 are crippling businesses, the only way for the economy to recover is for more people to get the vaccine. Failing that, it will be harder for him to raise money for his organization. The ban on vaccine mandates could dampen tourism, he adds.

At the same time, Love understands vaccine hesitancy. When the vaccine became available, he sought expert medical advice before deciding to get the shot himself. Most of his part- and full-time employees also are vaccinated, so he hasn't felt the need to issue a mandate.

Lauren Berk, chief operating officer at Dallas-based Wello, a company that provides technology for workplace health and OSHA compliance, says that the ban is going to make safety more challenging for companies. Still, Wello does not have a vaccine mandate. Instead, management has tried to encourage employees to get vaccinated through measures like requiring the shot for business travel, which many view as a perk of their jobs.

Wello also provides tools for companies to track vaccination status of employees and other people in company buildings. Of late, interest in it has been "overwhelming," Berk says. It reflects what she sees as confusion over compliance issues surrounding vaccine and testing mandates.
This Halloween, businesses can expect more treats than tricks.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told CNN over the weekend that trick-or-treaters and other revelers can safely celebrate the October 31 holiday, thanks to a decline in Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations. Outdoor activities are particularly low-risk, especially for children under the age of 12 who are not yet eligible to be vaccinated against the disease.

With a green light from the nation's top infectious disease expert, which should lead to increased foot traffic from revelers, small businesses are poised for a holiday boost.

According to the National Retail Federation, consumer spending on Halloween-related items is supposed to hit an all-time high of $10.1 billion--up over $2 billion from 2020. On average, consumers will spend close to $103 on costumes, candy, decorations, and greeting cards, and those with kids are likely to spend twice the amount of households without children.

While it may be too late for businesses to stock shelves with seasonal decorations and costumes--especially with current supply chain delays--they can still target customers by highlighting Halloween-related merchandise, passing out candy, and organizing community-wide events that can help bolster local commerce.
As temperatures start dropping, and the pandemic persists, businesses are girding for yet another Covid winter. But unlike last year, they're better prepared to meet many of the unique set of demands that operating amid a pandemic brings. They've learned some valuable lessons from last year. Here are just a few.

1. Embrace vaccine cards.

Depending on where a business is located, owners have to enforce vaccine-only mandates for indoor activities. That's the case for New York City and many counties within California. Some businesses in other parts of the country are also embracing that stance. While the policy may cause some customers to stay away, those who are fully vaccinated tend to be more inclined to go indoors if they know everyone around them is vaccinated. These kinds of safety measures also play a role in business preservation. "The Covid crisis isn't over by a long shot," says Mark Cohen, director of retail studies at Columbia Business School, who adds that mandatory closures due to Covid case numbers can't yet be written off. Mitigating the spread of the disease is still in businesses' best interest.

That strategy is increasingly getting extended to employees too. While President Joe Biden's vaccine mandate applies to businesses with over 100 employees, small businesses are also overwhelmingly likely to require employees be vaccinated, says Tom Sullivan, vice president of small business policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

2. Keep patrons warm, efficiently.

In 2020, as many Americans shied away from many establishments for fear of contracting Covid-19, business owners largely brought their wares and dining options outdoors. That will happen again this season, in spite of the widespread access to vaccines. With breakthrough infections and the fact that young children are exposed, some people will continue to stay outside. So business owners will once again have to contend with the challenge of keeping people warm. This year however, many are adopting more energy-efficient heating options.

Ellen Yin, founder and co-owner of High Street Hospitality Group, which operates several restaurants in Philadelphia, has begun installing electrical infrared heating for this winter. "Last year we relied on propane heating, which became unsustainable both in terms of price and operations--we had to find space to store extra tanks and have employees switch the heavy canisters out constantly," she says. New, infrared lights have a considerable upfront investment, but are "warmer and more energy efficient," so they'll reduce costs in the long-term and make it easier to sustain all-season outdoor dining for years to come.

3. Rethink your staffing needs.

The hiring picture in America has gone from bad to worse. After months of not knowing whether they could afford to hire (or rehire) workers, now they can't find people fast enough. In September, a record 51 percent of small business owners reported having vacant positions, according to a recent report from the National Federation of Independent Businesses. That shortage is making businesses rethink staffing needs. Some are scaling back on their expectations for bringing on new people altogether.

Business owners have to be strategic about how they're assigning existing employees. They should figure out what's profitable and expand on that the best way possible, says Mike Whatley, vice president for state affairs and grassroots advocacy at the National Restaurant Association. For restaurants specifically, that might mean reducing the number of staffers dedicated to indoor dining if the majority of customers are eating outdoors.

Businesses that typically hire temp employees for the holiday season should also be wary about worker availability, explains Cohen. "I would recommend surveying veteran employees about their willingness to go from part-time to full-time, or their willingness to take on overtime as needed," he says. Temporary workers also require additional training and are, more often than not, less productive than veteran staff--so businesses that are already stretched thin should take heed.

4. Train and up-skill employees.

Businesses have to be prepared to be understaffed while contending with a labor shortage. With the potential for breakthrough infections and the double-whammy of flu season, the so-called twindemic is making even remote workers susceptible. Fully remote SEO agency DoFollow.io--which has staff located across nine countries, including the U.S.--has begun cross-training workers to account for the eventuality. "The idea is to make sure we don't suffer significant productivity drops when a team member has to take a day or two to get well," says co-founder Sebastian Schaffer. "It's not only a good insurance policy against lost productivity, but it also never hurts to equip people with new skills and familiarize themselves with different parts of their workflow."

To combat a worker shortage in the long run, businesses should also consider an untapped resource: Prospective employees without direct job experience. "We're developing a training program for people who haven't worked in restaurants before, which would enable new hires," says Yin. "We want to make sure they feel welcome and give them more transparency of what it's like to work in the industry."

5. Stock up on supply.

The supply chain disruptions that resulted from Covid-19 aren't likely to improve until 2023, according to retail logistics insiders. This means businesses should plan further into the future than they normally would, Cohen says: "The bane of a retailer's existence is empty shelves, and the bane of a restaurant's existence is the inability to service its menu. That means paying an enormous amount of attention to the actual availability of things."

For businesses that haven't already planned ahead to avoid supply-chain delays, it may be too late to course-correct for holiday season 2021. Right now, businesses should make sure that their inventory is set to be well-stocked for spring 2022 and beyond.

6. Get cozy with change.


remaining of

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It's time to move beyond Superman AKA Clark Kent and Lois Lane.

Jonathan Kent, son of Clark and Lois, is the new iteration of Superman. He is bisexual, according to DC Comics.

The traditionally heterosexual superhero is set to embark on a same-sex relationship with a friend in a new comic.

The idea of replacing Clark Kent with another straight white savior felt like a missed opportunity, Tom Taylor, the series writer, said in an interview with the New York Times.

DC Comics

His new love interest is Jay Nakamura, a reporter who cares for him after he mentally and physically burns out from trying to save everyone that he can in an issue of Superman: Son of Kal-El #5, to be released in November.

Nakamura is said to have some superpowers.

Taylor and artist John Timms both applauded the decision to explore Superman's identity.



"Superman's symbol has always stood for hope, for truth, and for justice," Taylor said. "Today, that symbol represents something more. Today, more people can see themselves in the most powerful superhero in comics."

The Superman series occurs within the "main continuity of the DC Multiverse," according to DC Comics.

There have been attempts lately to add queerness to the world of comics. In August, it was announced that the latest version of Robin would have a boyfriend while in March, Marvel also made the decision to pass the mantle of Captain America to a gay character. Marvel Comics' first superhero to come out as gay was Northstar.

While there are several queer superheroes in comic books, the silver-screen worlds of Marvel and DC remain pretty heterosexual and less progressive.

Valkyrie made her debut with Thor: Ragnarok, and was supposed to have a scene confirming her bisexuality. It never made it to the movie.

Mystique in X-Men needs no introduction. But despite her strong character, who has had several romantic entanglements in the movies, nothing has ever been mentioned about her bisexuality, or one of her most meaningful relationships with Destiny, the psychic woman with whom she raised fellow mutant Rogue.

Mystique, the blue, shape-changing mutant

In the comics, Deadpool is a pansexual anti-hero - he makes no distinction between genders or gender identity in his choice of partners.

The sole instance of interspecies intimacy in the film is confined to its animated closing credits. Deadpool is shown rubbing a unicorns horn until it ejaculates rainbows.

Despite progressive comics, superhero movies have had a history of failing in showing queerness to their audience.

DC gets a lot of praise for Batwoman, and theres no denying that shes a monumentally important character.

However, her representation has been limited over the years, as Batwoman hasnt had a series and characters like Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy have had their romantic relationship consistently walked back or outright erased.

It is also interesting to see is that almost all of these storylines are told by straight writers, so despite moving forward, it does seem like its at a snails pace at times.




There's good news for Indians wanting to travel abroad. As the COVID-19 situation in India continues to improve and the vaccination drive is in full swing, many countries around the world are opening their doors for Indians to travel and the good news is now you will not need to go into quarantine on travelling to these countries.

According to a WHO report, over 6 billion people have been vaccinated globally so far.

If you are travelling to these countries then you have to follow some instructions and Covid protocols like you should be fully vaccinated, carrying negative Covid-19 test reports, etc. Here are the countries that allowed fully vaccinated Indians to travel:

1. Switzerland

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In June the country lifted the ban on travel and opened its door for Indian travellers and was the first country to do that. Indians who are fully vaccinated with WHO recognized vaccines are allowed to travel and no longer have to be quarantined after arriving in Switzerland. Children below the age of 18 years do not need to be vaccinated. Here are the details.



2. United States

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After 18 months long foreign travellers ban in the United States imposed by Donald Trump, it's now going to be eased from November. Passengers from India can now travel to the US albeit with a few precautionary measures with no quarantine restrictions if you are fully vaccinated but you still have to go through testing and contact tracing regimens.



"Today we're announcing a new international air travel system. This new system includes strict protocols to prevent the spread of COVID-19 from passengers flying into the United States, protecting Americans and making international air travel safer," White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Jeff Zients told reporters during a virtual news conference.

"Most importantly, beginning in early November, foreign nationals flying to the United States will be required to be fully vaccinated and they must show proof of vaccination prior to boarding a US-bound airplane," he said.

"It will require for nationals to be vaccinated, to prove they're vaccinated, and then to go to the testing and contract tracing regimens," he said.

3. Canada

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On 26 September 2021, Canada lifted a ban on Indian travellers and allowed fully vaccinated individuals with negative Covid-19 test reports from an approved laboratory to enter the country. Passengers need to show a negative testing report at Delhi airport and upload the information into the ArriveCAN mobile app or website. If you travel to Canada via indirect flight then the Indian negative reports would not be valid you must have a negative Covid-19 molecular test in any other third country and the test must be conducted within 72 hours of departure.



4. United Kingdom

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If you are fully vaccinated with Covishield or any other UK-approved vaccine you will not be quarantined on arrival in Britain from today, the High Commissioner to India said on Thursday.



"No quarantine for India travellers to the United Kingdom fully vaccinated with Covishield or another UK-approved vaccine from 11 October. Thanks to the Indian government for close cooperation over last month," British High Commissioner to India Alex Ellis tweeted on Thursday.

5. Thailand

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If you have been planning to visit Thailand for a holiday for a very long time but couldn't go there due to covid-19 then the wait is over from October 1. Thailand allowed fully vaccinated Indians to travel and also started Visa On Arrival for Indians. Not just India, Thai Embassy announced 18 countries can apply for Visa on Arrival at any international airport in Thailand from October 1, 2021. However, you need to apply for the Certificate of Entry (COE) to enter Thailand which is issued by the Thai Embassy or Consulate, reported.



6. Turkey

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Last month Turkey announced fully vaccinated passengers of 12 years of age and older or who stayed in India in the last 14 days no longer be subjected to mandatory 14-day quarantine rule, with effect from the first 4, September. "The vaccines that have been approved by WHO or Turkish Government are covered under this exemption," said the Culture and Tourism Office of the Embassy of the Republic of Turkey in India. "In addition to WHO-approved vaccines, the vaccines approved by the Turkish government are Pfizer-BioNTech, Sputnik V and Sinovac." "For Indian travellers who are vaccinated with Covishield will also be allowed to travel to Turkey. Once, Covaxin gets a nod from WHO, travellers vaccinated with the same will also be able to visit Turkey.", reported IANS.



7. Germany

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Travel restrictions have been lifted by the German government for all Indian travellers. Indians aged 12 years and above now would be allowed for all purposes.

However you need to follow some rules like you have to provide proof of vaccination, or a negative test result, or proof of recovery from COVID-19. Reportedly, vaccination certificates for travellers who have been vaccinated with Covishied in India must contain the date of birth or the passport number. Reference to the Aadhar number will not be sufficient.



8. Italy

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Indians who get fully vaccinated with Covishield now get a Green Pass and can travel to Italy. On 24, September the Indian Embassy in Rome confirmed after a meeting between the Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, and his Italian counterpart, Roberto Speranza. Earlier Italy recognised Comirnaty Pfizer, Moderna, Vaxzervria AstraZeneca, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines now Covishield added too.



Alexis Ellis, the British High Commissioner to India, said in a statement, "We're clear Covishield is not a problem. The UK is open to travel and we're already seeing a lot of people going from India to the UK, be it tourists, business people or students.". reported TOI.

9. Kenya

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Like other countries, Kenya is allowing Indian travellers to visit the country without being a quarantined policy. However, you need to show COVID negative certificate, the test for which should be done 96 hours before travel. You can apply for a visa online. Kenya also mentioned that yellow fever vaccination is mandatory for every Indian visitor for all age groups, reported TOI.



10. Nepal

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Neighbour country Nepal also lifted the travel restriction for Indians. If you are fully vaccinated with Covishield and Covaxin can enter the country. You need to show the last dose of the vaccine certificate which must be taken at least 14 days before entering the country. If you are planning to visit the country via roadways, you will get the visa on arrival and fill an online departure form before commencing the journey. If you are not vaccinated or partially vaccinated you will have to show an RT-PCR test report not less than 72 hours to be submitted and quarantine after reaching the country.



11. Spain

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According to Schengen Visa Info, Indian nationals who are fully vaccinated and hold a valid long-stay visa, health professionals, students, highly qualified workers, persons travelling for essential family-related reasons, diplomatic and consular personnel, transport personnel, and persons who prove that they are travelling for absolutely necessary reasons are allowed to enter Spain. Indians who are vaccinated with Covishield are allowed while Covaxin is not. At present, only the Delhi centre is processing visa applications. People who travel from India must have a Schengen visa or apply for a Spanish visa through the online visa application centre, BLS, international.



12. UAE

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The United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced that it is lifting restrictions for 14 countries including India for travelling the country from 12 September for those who have been fully vaccinated with vaccines approved by World Health Organization (WHO).



The organisers said they expected that the remaining flight restrictions imposed by the government will be lifted in time for Expo 2020. The UAEs National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority on Twitter however said that approval needs to be sought from the government and various PCR tests will be conducted before entering the country. reported Reuters.

13. The Maldives

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The country is a favourite tourist destination among Indians which was restricted due to Covid-19 but now if you are fully vaccinated and have a negative report no older than 96 hours before arriving in the country you can travel without getting quarantined and enjoy life at clear crystal beaches in the Maldives.



14. France

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Last on the list is France who also lifted restrictions on the travel ban and allowed Indians who were fully vaccinated to visit the country without getting quarantined. Indians who are not vaccinated or partially vaccinated have to show a negative RT-PCR test taken 72 for RT-PCR hours before departing to France and will need to be quarantined for 10 days upon entering France.



So which country are you planning to visit first? tell us in the comments section below and share this info with your friends and family, and keep reading Indiatimes.com for the latest trending news.


A woman in British Columbia, Canada had a narrow escape after a 'meteorite' crashed through her roof and landed on the pillow next to her as she slept.

Ruth Hamilton was asleep when she heard a bang and crashing sound last week. She allegedly also felt debris strike her face, Victoria News reported.



Facebook/Giselle Roeder

She told the news outlet that she just jumped up and turned on the light, unable to figure out what had occurred.



She further said that she immediately dialled 911 and a police officer was sent to the scene. A police officer who responded to her 911 call wondered if the object that landed on her pillow might have come from a nearby construction project. However, that possibility was quickly ruled out.

Facebook/Giselle Roeder

We called the Canyon project to see if they were doing any blasting and they werent, but they did say they had seen a bright light in the sky that had exploded and caused some booms, Hamilton told the outlet.



I was shaking and scared when it happened, I thought someone had jumped in or it was a gun or something. Its almost a relief when we realized it could only have fallen out of the sky, she added.



Representational Image/iStock

Fortunately, she is unharmed and intends to retain the rock for the foreseeable future, claiming that her grandchildren will find it fascinating.



Hamilton said that her insurance company will conduct a walk-through of her property to determine whether roof holes caused by space debris are covered. Apparently, this is the first time the company has received a claim of this magnitude.
Knowing your grammar is considered a mark of intelligence. But can not knowing it get you into trouble? Well, it did for a guy in Australia.

A real estate agent forgot to use an apostrophe in a Facebook post and that can cost him tens and thousands of dollars as a court ruled a defamation case against him.

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Anthony Zadravic, an agent based in the Central Coast of New South Wales, accused his former workplace and a man named Stuart Gunn of not paying retirement funds to all workers. He wrote it in a post on October 22.



At issue is the word employees in the post, which read: Oh Stuart Gan!! Selling multi-million $ homes in Pearl Beach but cant pay his employees superannuation, referring to Australias retirement system, in which money is paid by employers into super accounts for employees. Shame on you Stuart!!! 2 yrs and still waiting!!!



Less than 12 hours after the post was published Zadravic, who is based on the Central Coast in New South Wales, deleted it. But it was too late. Gan became aware of the message and filed a defamation claim against Zadravic.



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On Thursday, a judge in New South Wales ruled that the lack of an apostrophe on the word employees could be read to suggest a systematic pattern of conduct by Gans agency rather than an accusation involving one employee. So she allowed the case to proceed.



Neither Zadravics lawyers nor Gan immediately responded to requests for comment.

In matters of punctuation, social media is the Wild West. In some corners of the internet, careless grammar is highly tolerated  even a badge of honour. In legal matters, however, disputed punctuation can cost millions.

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Good time to be a grammar nazi, right?

For more such stories, click here.


The global automotive market is not nearly as strong this year as had been expected, largely due to the effects of such supply chain issues as the semiconductor chip shortage, although that has partly been moderated by increased demand for electric vehicles, which is being further bolstered by the diverse assortment of models being offered, including light truck options.

"It is a very unusual, unseasonal and unprecedented situation across the automotive sector," Philip Nothard, insight and strategy director for Cox Automotive International, said. Mike Wall, automotive analyst for IHS Markit, agreed, noting that while normally it is vehicle demand that drives automobile output, given the automakers need to produce vehicles at the rate required to meet that demand, currently it is a very different situation, with production  and vehicle supply in general  driving sales, given the constraints on supply.

While global auto production in the year to date into July had been about 15% higher than a year ago, Christopher Plummer, managing director of Metal Strategies Inc, noted that is not necessarily a fair comparison because, from April through June, there were large global production cuts, with many auto lines on lockdown. Nothard pointed out that, in August, global new vehicle sales had fallen by 17-23% from a year earlier, depending on the region.

Automakers have faced disrupted international supply chains and factories while rolling out electrification programs for new models of vehicles

Forecasting where the market will go from here continues to be very difficult, especially since, according to Jeff Schuster, president of Americas operation and global vehicle forecasts for LMC Automotive, global automotive output has moved in several different directions. He noted that auto production had actually rebounded quite nicely during the second half of last year with automakers starting to rebuild inventories and make up for lost volumes.

Nothard said that even that recovery was not as strong as it could have been, explaining, "It is clear from a manufacturing perspective that there were still constraints in place, including social distancing and the fact that not all auto plants had yet returned to full capacity." He said that because of that there were still significant reductions in production levels and efficiencies, which, even then, started to cause a delay in vehicle production.

Nevertheless, things were moving in the right direction and continued to do so early in 2021 before rampant supply chain issues began to affect the market. Wall pointed out that while the biggest challenge that the auto industry is facing right now is clearly the shortage of semiconductor microchips, it is also being hard hit by the tightness of several other components and such materials as steel, aluminium, rubber and foam.

Bertrand Rakoto, Duckers senior engagement manager, said that global auto production is about 12% lower than had been projected earlier this year and that it is not expected to match demand until 2023.

John Catterall, vice president of the American Iron and Steel Institutes automotive program, said that it was initially believed that 2021 would be one of the best years that the auto industry had seen in a long time, but that changed with automakers shutting down many of their plants, he said, estimating that about 4 million units have already been lost globally, largely due to the chip shortage.

Nothard pointed out that one of the latest moves was by Toyota, which cut its global auto production by about 40% in September and is planning to slash it by 40% in October too. Also, General Motors announced in mid-September that it would further extend the length of time that seven of its North American plants will be idled.

Although many of the production cutbacks have been at plants making sedans, Mike Keown, chief executive officer of Commonwealth Rolled Products and chairman of the Aluminum Associations Aluminum Transportation Group, said that pick-ups and sport utility vehicles (SUVs) are not immune.

Dealing with chip shortages

Rakoto said that while there have been shortages of materials and components in the past, none of those shortages hit the auto market this hard, and while the semiconductor industry expected a shortage by 2022, it was not expected to hit the auto industry, which only accounts for a small share of chip demand  about 12% according to Nothard, compared with the 33% share taken by the communications sector.

The Covid-19 pandemic accelerated the chip shortage timeline to 2020, with chip production lockdowns in Asia coming at the same time as information technology demand increased with so many people working from home, Rakoto said, noting that originally chip producers had planned to start adding production capacity starting in 2020 to be prepared for the expected pick-up in demand in 2022. But the construction of the planned new plants, which take about two years to ramp up their production, was delayed at the same time as the auto industry recovered more quickly than expected from the pandemic.

Also, as more chips become available, the majority will not necessarily go to automakers, Nothard said, but rather even more dominant sectors for chip demand, such as the communications industry.

While initially the most popular way to deal with the chip shortage was for automakers to produce incomplete vehicles and park them to await chips, JD Rutt, vice president of business development for Hydro North America, said that at present that strategy has been somewhat exhausted given that there is limitted space available to store vehicles and the logistics of doing retrofits when chips do become available is complicated.

While they are doing this, automakers are still consuming a lot of steel, aluminium and other raw materials and continuing to order more, Wall observed, explaining: "They are reluctant to turn the spigot off because they dont want to have shortages in other areas as they get the ship righted for semiconductors."

Some of the automakers other strategies, Rakoto pointed out, have included using the chips that become available in the most profitable vehicles, such as large SUVs and pick-up trucks, or reducing the types of features offered to reduce the number of chips needed per vehicle.

The chip shortage and other supply chain issues are having the effect of pushing out the recovery of auto demand by about 18-24 months, Wall estimated, noting that while he expects to see some alleviation of supply chain pressures starting in mid- to late-2022, even then the industry will still be digging itself out of its difficulties. "However, once we get to the point where the supply chain challenges are sorted out, there will be a need to rebuild vehicle inventories." He said that while the biggest need for that will be in the United States, both Europe and China are seeing those pressures as well.

Changing the vehicle mix

At the same time as the auto industry is going through supply-chain challenges, the vehicle mix continues to be transformed, with the most profound change being the transition from the predominance of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles toward greater electrification  whether full battery electric vehicles (BEVs) or hybrids. But at the same time, especially in the US but also elsewhere, the light-truck share continues to grow.

"No other region is anywhere near North America  particularly the US  in its use of light trucks," Plummer said, noting that in July its share of auto output had been a dominant 78.6%, while in Europe, Japan, China and elsewhere in Asia the share is 15-35% of the total market.

Rakoto pointed out that it is hard to say just how much the vehicle mix has changed over the past year or so, given the supply-chain-related production distortions. For example, General Motors is not currently producing certain sedan models, and other automakers are also concentrating on light truck models, which tend to be higher margin products.

Also, the line between some light trucks  particularly crossover vehicles (CUVs) and minivans  and sedans tends to be somewhat blurry, Catterall pointed out, and much of the growth in light trucks has been in CUVs, which currently account for about 46% of US vehicle sales.

From the global perspective, however, the more dramatic change in the vehicle mix over the next several years will be the transformation toward more electric vehicles. While its share of the total auto market is still quite small, it is clearly growing rapidly.

Plummer said that, even in this very challenging market, global sales of electric vehicles (EVs), including BEVs, and plug-in and non-plug-in hybrids, are expected to nearly double this year to 5.7 million units from 3.1 million vehicles in 2020.

Schuster pointed out that even though the rate of growth this year could have been damped somewhat by the chip shortage, in line with the growing desire for a more sustainable auto market over the medium- to longer-term there will be a substantial global push for BEVs.

Rakoto agreed, stating that while BEVs currently only account for 2-3% of all autos produced globally, that share is expected to grow to the point that the market will be able to start to feel that change within the next four to five years, with further growth coming in stages.

Penalties on emissions

Already, Wall said, a lot more BEV models are being launched, particularly in Europe and China, as part of a 'carrot and stick approach, which includes some heavy penalties on emissions. He predicted that by 2025 the BEV share will move up to 21% in Europe, 20% in China and about 15% in North America, which has been lagging behind, but is likely to gain some momentum given the incentives that the administration of US President Joe Biden has recently been talking about.

He estimates that by the second wave, which is expected to occur by 2030, the North American share could rise to about 34%  which is a sizable increase, although below Bidens goal of 40-50% and also less than China, at about 38%, and Europe, at closer to 50%.

It is governmental policies that, at least initially, have been pushing this vehicle electrification megatrend. For example, Jeffrey Osborne, managing director of sustainability and mobility technology at Cowen & Co, said that the fines associated with Europes 2020 CO2 rules accelerated the rate of BEV adoption there, with Chinas new energy vehicle (NEV) policy having a similar effect.

Governmental targets to limit or ban new ICE vehicles have been pushing the automakers in their vehicle development efforts. Nothard said that many manufacturers are moving even quicker than the stated deadlines for electrification, which, on average, are from 2030-35 to closer to 2025, especially for higher end vehicles.

Keown said that consumer preference will be key. "Ultimately the consumer will rule the day," and it will be meeting their needs as far as form and functionality, including electric light truck options, that will allow EVs to continue to take market share from ICE vehicles.

Rutt agreed, saying that means giving consumers what they want in terms of product type, product attractiveness, price points, range, etc. That, Catterall said, includes the need to get BEV cost down to within striking distance of ICE vehicles and to upgrade the charging infrastructure  including the installation of fast public charging stations  to address range anxiety.

With these dynamics, there will continue to be a mixed material strategy in the auto market, Rutt said, with the automakers using the right materials in the right parts of the vehicles for the desired performance characteristics, with a lot of attention continuing to be on lightweight vehicles.

There are differing views on how this should be accomplished, with many seeing aluminium as a good choice of a lighter material, particularly to compensate for the heavy batteries in EVs. Keown said that aluminium is already the fastest growing automotive material and that volumes for that use are expected to grow by 10% or more by 2026.

Plummer said that even though steel content will be seeing a mild erosion in auto applications over the next 10-20 years in order to keep kerb weights down, there will be increased use of advanced high strength steels (AHSS) in structural components. Catterall said that while there has been a lot of growth in the use of aluminium closures, many vehicle architectures, including EV designs, are largely steel-sheet based. He said that while some start-up EV companies started off with aluminium, some have since switched to AHSS for the main structure of the vehicle.

Overall, 2021 has been a difficult year for auto companies and their suppliers to manage, forecast and regulate because of the chip shortage and other supply chain issues, but while many unknowns will continue to affect the auto market through early 2022, Rakoto believes that by the end of next year, or early in 2023, auto production levels should get closer in line with demand.

Despite all the challenges and disruptions, the automakers have remained largely resilient, proving that they were able to adapt, Schuster said, concluding: "All in all, the industry should be in a better position coming out of this because there are always lessons to be learned from chaos and difficult, challenging times."
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The aftermath of Hurricane Irma has left deep scars in the tiny island nations that were in the path of the Category Five storm just before it slammed into Florida.

The toll in Antigua and Barbuda added up to more than $220 million, according to one assessment backed by the United Nationsmore than a quarter of the annual tax revenue collected for 2017. The island of Barbuda lost nearly half of its houses. And the island has nothing like the economic might of the U.S. to alleviate the damage.

Scientists have sharpened their analytical tools in the four years since Irma and now are able to quickly establish direct links between extreme weather and warming temperatures. If they did a study that attributed the supercharged storms power to climate change, who should pay the bill? Antigua and Barbuda, with fewer than 100,000 citizens, has contributed a minuscule portion of the greenhouse gases that are heating the planet. Yet developing nations often bear the brunt of climate impact.

Thats why activists are pushing the world leaders gathering for COP26 talks in Glasgow, Scotland, to prioritize what climate diplomats call loss and damage. Its a polite way to describe the difficult process of getting rich nations, with responsibility for the vast majority of historic carbon emissions, to compensate poorer countries wrecked by storms, floods, droughts and fires.

The landmark 2015 Paris Agreement left unanswered questions around liability and redress, says Simon Addison, principal researcher at the International Institute for Environment and Development. Theres a massive financial hole that needs to be filled but no one whos stepping up to do that.

Annual climate negotiations tend to focus on what countries can do to slow global warming by cutting emissions, a task that benefits rich and poor countries alike. Less attention is paid to working out a system for dealing with impacts already baked into a world thats warmed by more than 1.1C since the 1800s.

Its hard to say exactly how much money will be needed to deal with the problem of climate devastation. One study estimates a toll as high as $580 billion in economic losses each year by the end of the decade, and that figure could surpass $1 trillion by 2040. A basic concept of fairness, which is supported by many mainstream environmental groups, is that these global costs should be borne in proportion to how much each nation has polluted in the past.

Financial Services Groups Urge G20 Leaders to Set Clear, Credible, Ambitious Climate Goals Climate Swat Team Aims to Identify When Global Warming Causes Extreme Weather

One idea that will be discussed at COP26 is that rich countries should contribute to two funds managed by the UN. The first would be used to provide aid during emergencies, such as the direct aftermath from Irma or flooding in Uganda this year. The second would be to help nations manage slow-burning climate disasters like drought.

We need to establish loss and damage as a top pillar of climate action, says Sandeep Chamling Rai, a senior adviser at WWF based in Singapore. Born in Nepal, hes witnessed the slow expansion of lakes as Himalayan glaciers melt, causing regular floods that have ruined towns and villages. Rai says the really tough part is getting rich countries to accept a moral responsibility. The funding needs to be based on a historical responsibility principle and also on a solidarity principle, he says. Its more a political debate than a technical debate.

That doesnt mean the technical details would be easy. Past efforts to establish a mechanism for damage claims have failed to gain momentum. Nearly a decade ago, at COP19 in Warsaw, saw the introduction of the International Mechanism for Loss and Damage. It took almost seven years to launch the Santiago Network, a group to provide technical assistance for countries making damage claims. Today theres little to show for this other than a website.

When countries suffer economic losses from climate change, their ability to invest more in adaptation is reduced, says Carolina Schmidt, Chiles environment minister who served as president of COP25 and runs the Santiago Network. She says the organization has been able to provide some assistance to the few nations that communicated their needs, which is a sign that developing countries also need help to identify what they need for averting, minimizing and addressing loss and damage.

Establishing the precise climate risks a country faces and then estimating the potential costs is a complicated task. A requirement to prove that the events were caused directly by climate change would require scientists to conduct attribution studies. That takes time and money. In situations where the impacts are drawn out over a long period of time, impoverished governments would need to collect large amount of dataanother drag on manpower and resources.

Demands for wealthy countries to do more are set to dominate discussions in Glasgow. Rich nations are under pressure to deliver on a decade-old promise to raise $100 billion a year in climate finance, and negotiations will continue on a framework to facilitate the trading of carbon credits that will channel funds to emerging economies. But advocates for loss and damage funds see it as a separate category of resources owed for harm already done through historical emissions.

Poor nations emphasize that theyre not looking for a handout. What we call for is full payment of the debt owed to us by developed countries for threatening the integrity of the Earths climate system, the Bolivian delegation wrote in a submission at COP13 in 2007.

Top photograph: Aerial view of the Codrington lagoon on Sept. 22, 2017 in Codrington, Antigua and Barbuda. Hurricane Irma inflicted catastrophic damages to the island nation. The storm surge changed its landscape by creating a new ocean gap along the edge of the lagoon. Photo credit: Jose Jimenez Tirado/Getty Images.

Copyright 2021 Bloomberg.
Howden, the London-based international insurance broker, announced the acquisition of Oslo-based retail broker Aneco Forsikringsmegling AS.

Howden said the acquisition affirms its position as one of the leading non-marine insurance brokers in Norway, providing clients with greater choice and a real alternative in the country.

Financial details of the transaction were not released.

Aneco, which manages 30 million ($34.7 million) in premiums, is an independent insurance broker operating in the property/casualty and employee benefits segments.

The acquisition is a further step in Howdens ongoing strategy to invest in expertise in Europe and expand its operations for the benefit of local and international clients.

This acquisition underlines Howdens strategy to bring an enhanced offering to large corporate clients in Norway. Since we started 15 years ago, our sole focus on delivering competent advice and expert service to our clients has proven to be the right strategy, commented Anders Kvan, CEO, Howden Norway.

Aneco will further strengthen our core capabilities in Hydro Power and Agriculture, whilst their clients will benefit from access to Howdens international platform and specialty offerings. Anecos strong reputation for client service, local expertise and delivery matches our own, making this a highly complementary match, Kvan added.

The acquisition comes at a time of significant growth for Howden in Europe. The broker purchased CHB Insurance Brokers in Estonia, BCZ in Switzerland and Sarton & Associes in Belgium this month, reiterating its commitment to invest in expertise and to build out its platform for the benefit of international clients.

(Howden last week announced the purchase of BrokerCenterZurichsee AG, or BCZ, in Switzerland, for an undisclosed sum. This was its first acquisition in the Swiss brokerage market. BCZ will operate under the new name Howden BCZ Versicherungsbroker AG).

Joining Howden represents a logical next step for our company and our clients. As markets develop, our clients seek and will now benefit from the talent, product knowledge and data and analytics capability of Howdens international speciality offering, said Ragnar Nordal, managing director, Aneco.

For us, the choice was simple. Only in Howden do we feel our clients and employees can enjoy the same values as they do now, and where we can continue to develop. As part of an independent organization with a people first, employee-owned culture, our employees will be empowered to deliver exceptional service to our clients, Nordal continued.

Luigi Sturani, CEO of Howden Europe said: This acquisition reflects our strategy to build a dominant position in our chosen markets and to invest in expertise to enhance our client offering. Howden has become a natural home for top talent in the insurance sector, and the acquisition of Aneco brings us another highly experienced team that will benefit both local and international clients.

Established in 1994, Howden Broking comprises owned businesses across Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East. The company employs more than 6,500 people worldwide and operates in more than 90 territories, together with aligned partners.

Source: Howden Broking

Topics Mergers Agencies
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP)  More than 130 countries have forged a deal on sweeping changes in how big global companies are taxed.

The goal: deterring multinational companies from stashing profits in countries where they pay little or no taxes  better known as tax havens.

The sweeping agreement was struck Friday among 136 countries after talks overseen by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. It would update a centurys worth of international taxation rules to cope with changes brought by digitalization and globalization.

The most important feature: a global minimum tax of at least 15%, a key initiative pushed by U.S. President Joe Biden and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. Yellen said the minimum tax will end a decades long race to the bottom that has seen corporate tax rates fall as tax havens sought to attract corporations that take advantage of low rates  but do little actual business in those locations.

Heres a look at key aspects of the deal:

WHAT PROBLEM DOES IT ADDRESS?

In todays economy, multinationals are increasingly likely to earn profits from intangibles such as trademarks and intellectual property. Those can be easy to move, and global companies can assign the earnings they generate to a subsidiary in a country where tax rates are very low.

Some countries compete for revenue by using rock-bottom rates to lure companies, attracting huge tax bases that generate large revenue even when tax rates only marginally above zero are applied. Between 1985 and 2018, the global average corporate headline rate fell from 49% to 24%. By 2016, over half of all U.S. corporate profits were booked in seven tax havens: Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Singapore, and Switzerland. That costs the U.S. Treasury $100 billion a year according to one estimate.

HOW WOULD A GLOBAL MINIMUM TAX WORK?

The basic idea is simple: Countries would legislate a global minimum corporate tax rate of at least 15% for very big companies, those with annual revenues over 750 billion euros ($864 billion.)

Then, if companies have earnings that go untaxed or lightly taxed in one of the worlds tax havens, their home country would impose a top-up tax that would bring the rate to 15%.

That would make it pointless for a company to use tax havens, since taxes avoided in the haven would be collected at home. For the same reason, it means the minimum rate would still take effect even if individual tax havens dont participate.

HOW WOULD THE TAX PLAN ADDRESS THE DIGITALIZED ECONOMY?

The plan would also let countries tax part of the earnings of the 100 or so biggest multinationals when they do business in places where they have no physical presence. That could be through internet retailing or advertising. The tax would only apply to a portion of profits above a profit margin of 10%.

In return, other countries would abolish their unilateral digital services taxes on U.S. tech giants such as Google, Facebook and Amazon. That would head off trade conflicts with Washington, which argues such taxes unfairly target U.S. companies and has threatened to retaliate with new tariffs.

DOES EVERYONE LIKE THE DEAL?

Some developing countries and advocacy groups such as Oxfam and the UK-based Tax Justice Network say the 15% rate is too low and leaves far too much potential tax revenue on the table. And although the global minimum would capture some $150 billion in new revenue for governments, most of it would go to rich countries because they are where many of the biggest multinationals are headquartered.

A 20% to 30% minimum was recommended by the UNs high-level panel on International Financial Accountability, Transparency and Integrity. In a report earlier this year, the panel said that a rate that is too low can incentivize countries to lower their rate to remain competitive.

Countries that participated in the talks but did not sign the agreement were Kenya, Nigeria, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

WHAT IS THE U.S. ROLE IN THE AGREEMENT?

Bidens tax agenda is stuck in negotiations among Democratic lawmakers, as the scope of his spending and proposed rate hikes are still under debate. But the administration has staked a claim in saying that it must expand the U.S. global minimum tax in order to convince other nations to do so.

Biden has retreated somewhat from his initial proposals as Congress has provided its input. The latest plan from the House Ways and Means Committee would increase the global minimum tax to roughly 16.5% from 10.5%. The president initially wanted 21% as the U.S. global minimum rate. Domestic corporate income would be taxed at 26.5%, up from 21% currently.

U.S. participation in the minimum tax deal is crucial, simply because so many multinationals are headquartered there. Complete rejection of Bidens global minimum proposal would seriously undermine the international deal.

Manal Corwin, a tax principal at professional services firm KPMG and a former Treasury Department official in the Obama administration, said that the removal of the unilateral digital taxes, or DSTs, would provide a very strong motivation for the U.S. to participate. That is because the agreement would head off destructive trade dispute that could spread to unrelated companies in other sectors of the economy.

When you get into back-and-forth threats of tariffs, the tariffs are not necessarily imposed on the companies that are in the crosshairs of the issue being debated, she said. It may be DSTs today and then tomorrow its some other unilateral measure. She said international taxation needs stability and consensus to encourage investment and growth . (T)he unravelling of global consensus, if it starts with DSTs, can expand to other things.

HOW WOULD THE AGREEMENT TAKE EFFECT?

The accord will go to the Group of 20 leaders. Agreement there is likely since all 20 members signed Fridays deal. Implementation then moves to the individual countries.

The tax on earnings where companies have no physical presence would require countries to sign up to an intergovernmental agreement during the course of 2022, with implementation in 2023. The global minimum could be applied by individual countries using model rules developed by the OECD. If the U.S. and European countries where most multinationals are headquartered legislate such minimums, that would have much of the intended effect.

Associated Press writer Joshua Boak in Washington contributed to this report.

Photograph: This May 4, 2021 file photo shows the Treasury Building in Washington, D.C. The U.S. Treasury Department said on Thursday, May 20, 2021 that it supports a global minimum corporate tax rate of at least 15%. Photo credit: AP Photo/Patrick Semansky.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
This edition of International People Moves details appointments at re/insurer SiriusPoint, insurer HDI Global, and Lloyds broker Besso.

A summary of these new hires follows here.

SiriusPoint Appoints Top Reinsurance Executive Heerasing

SiriusPoint Ltd., a Bermuda-based specialty insurer and reinsurer, announced that Bobby Heerasing will be joining the companys senior leadership team.

Heerasing takes on the newly created role of head of International Strategic Business Development. He will be responsible for the strategy and development of SiriusPoint Internationals growth objectives, managing strategic partnerships with key industry partners and clients, and helping to advance the companys market-leading position.

Heerasing will report to Monica Cramer Manhem, president, International Reinsurance at SiriusPoint, and will be based in Singapore, subject to regulatory approval. He will work with the executive and global business leaders to drive SiriusPoint Internationals growth and expansion plans, further strengthening SiriusPoints capabilities in general corporate strategy, market intelligence and go-to-market planning and execution in the international space, focusing first on the Asia Pacific region.

Heerasing has over 25 years experience and joins from Asia Capital Re (ACR) Holdings, where he served as group CEO and was a member of the board. In his three years leading ACR, Heerasing was instrumental in significantly improving the financial performance of the company while also successfully turning the carrier into a credible and respected global property/casualty reinsurer. Before ACR, he spent 19 years working in the property treaty and casualty treaty reinsurance market at XL Catlin Ltd., serving as underwriting and distribution director, Insurance, and prior to that as chief underwriting officer, Asia Pacific. He began his insurance career in 1995 at Royal Sun & Alliance as a senior underwriting assistant, Marine.

Bobby is a catalyst for growing SiriusPoints footprint and reputation in the international reinsurance market, and is an excellent addition to the senior team, said Sid Sankaran, chief executive officer and chairman of SiriusPoint. SiriusPoints international platform is a key strength and differentiator for us. With our existing talent, relationships and commitment to delivering for our clients, combined with Bobbys commercial perspective and impressive track record of success, I am enormously excited about what we can achieve.

Cramer Manhem said that Heerasing has a first-class reputation in building successful and profitable underwriting platforms.

This appointment further strengthens our focus on value creation and continued commitment to cultivating relationships with our partners, she added.

SiriusPoint Ltd. is a global insurer and reinsurer providing solutions to clients and brokers in almost 150 countries. It writes a global portfolio of accident and health, specialty, property and runoff, combining data and creative thinking to underwrite risks with skill and discipline. With over $3 billion total capital, SiriusPoints operating companies have a financial strength rating of A- (Excellent) from AM Best, S&P and Fitch.

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HDI Global Promotes Ogden as Director of Underwriting/Distribution, UK & Ireland

HDI Global SE (HDI) announced that Stephanie Ogden has been promoted to the role of director of Underwriting and Distribution, UK and Ireland, effective immediately.

In this new role, Ogden will lead HDIs underwriting strategy across all lines of business and maintain overall responsibility for the distribution function. She will continue to report directly to Managing Director Claire McDonald.

Ogden has spent two years building the distribution function at HDI, responsible for the distribution strategy, broker and client relationships, amplifying HDIs presence in these key markets as a result.

As a result of Ogdens promotion, Oliver Davies will assume the new role of head of Distribution with responsibility for HDIs key broker partner relationships and marketing activity. In his previous role as Distribution and Strategic Initiatives manager, Davies was instrumental in building deeper relationships with HDIs broker partners and supporting global initiatives and projects.

HDI Global SE is a company in the Industrial Lines Division of the Talanx Group. Approximately 3.700 employees in this division generated gross written premiums of approximately 6.7 billion ($7.8 billion) in the year 2020. In addition to HDIs prominent position in the German and broader European market, the company also has operations in more than 150 countries through foreign branch offices, subsidiary and peer companies, and network partners.

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Lloyds Broker Besso Builds Property/Specialty Team With Hires From Tysers

Besso Insurance Services, the independent Lloyds broking group, announced the formation of a new property and speciality team, with the appointments of Matthew Sinclair and David Pratt-Sinclair, who join as director and executive producer, respectively, based in London. Gemma Barnes and Joe Marston also join the team as senior broker and broker, respectively.

The team will specialize in property and liability risks. Within property, the focus will be on open market facultative property risks in the U.S., Caribbean and international markets, while liability will focus on open market and facility based smaller risks globally, excluding mainland U.S.

Sinclair brings extensive experience to Besso, having amassed more than 25 years of industry experience. He joins from Tysers, where since 2012 he held the role of director of the North American and international speciality division. Throughout his career, Sinclair has built valuable global connections with clients and markets particularly throughout the Caribbean and North America.

Pratt-Sinclair previously held the role of director and ambassador of Tysers North American and international speciality division and brings more than four decades of international market experience to Besso.

London-based Besso Group Ltd. is currently part of the insurance operations of BGC Partners and is set to join The Ardonagh Group as part of its acquisition announced in May 2021 (which is subject to regulatory approval). The Ardonagh Group is the UKs largest independent broking group and a top 20 broker globally.

Topics Excess Surplus Underwriting Reinsurance Property
McNally Named President of Amynta Dealer Solutions

Amynta Group, a provider of property/casualty and warranty protection products and services, hired Edward McNally as president of Amynta Dealer Solutions. He is based in Overland Park, Kansas.

McNally brings more than 15 years of underwriting and leadership experience to Amynta. He joins from Lockton Affinity where he served as chief underwriting officer, responsible for providing leadership to large, delegated underwriting portfolios across multiple specialty, commercial and personal line verticals. Previously, McNally held various underwriting leadership roles at CNA Insurance.

Amynta Dealer Solutions provides property/casualty coverages for franchised auto dealers and independent dealers nationwide. McNally will be responsible for leading the program, managing a team of experienced underwriters, agency managers and claim leaders to execute specialized underwriting strategies focused on property and casualty solutions across the auto dealer market.

Michigan PIA Installs New Officers

The Michigan Professional Insurance Agents Association (MIPIA) elected new officers for the 2021-2022 fiscal year.

Scott Shappee, of The Insurance Center of Monroe in Monroe, is the newly elected president.

Gregory Schafer of Schafer Agency assumes the vice president position, Nicole Rant of Lake Michigan Insurance Agency takes on the treasurer/secretary position and Erin Dey of Agency Insurance & Financial Services in Portage is national director.

Jeremy MacDonald of Mid-Michigan Agency in Alma, Mark Swieczkowski of Swiss Insurance Group in Oxford, Dominic Giancola of Custom Insurance Agency in Shelby Township, and Todd Iannarelli of CG Insurance Agency in Williamston round out the board of directors.

The board recently added Terri Bettinger to the staff as executive director. Lynn Szefi continues as executive vice president.

The MIPIA is the state affiliate of the National Association of Professional Insurance Agents, which represents independent agencies across the country.

PIAW Names Award Winners

At its recent annual convention, the Professional Insurance Agents of Wisconsin honored Brian MacGillis with MacGillis Agency Inc. in Fredonia with its Ron Von Haden Agent of the Year Award.

Recently renamed the Ron Von Haden Agent of the Year Award, the award is given to an agent who exhibits extraordinary dedication to the insurance industry, independent agents and the PIAW, like the awards namesake.

MacGillis is a past president of PIAW and remains involved with the board and committees. He is the agency president and owner specializing in commercial and personal lines insurance at MacGillis Insurance Agency.

The Stony Steinbach Achievement Award was awarded to Sean Paterson of Robertson Ryan & Associates in Waukesha. It is given to a PIAW member who puts forth the energy, efficiency, and enthusiasm of the awards namesake, who led PIA for 40 years.

Paterson has served on many PIAW committees, sat on the board of directors for the past six years, and served as president during the difficult transitions following March 2020.

Casey Flood of Society Insurance in Fond du Lac was named Company Representative of the Year. The award honors a company representative that shows outstanding dedication to the insurance industry and support for PIAW.

Flood is regional sales manager for Southeast Wisconsin for Society Insurance and has gained a reputation as dependable, knowledgeable, and genuine among PIA leaders.

Topics Michigan
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., a global insurance brokerage, risk management and consulting services firm, headquartered in Rolling Meadows, Illinois, acquired Cincinnati, OH-based W.P. Dolle, LLC.

Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Founded in 1872, W.P. Dolle is a retail property/casualty agency and employee benefit consultant serving a diverse client base across the greater Cincinnati tristate region, with a focus on risk management.

Mark Rummler, Rich Veleta and their team will relocate to Gallaghers nearby Cincinnati office under the direction of Sean Gallagher, head of Gallaghers Great Lakes region retail property/casualty brokerage operations, and Tom Lannen, head of Gallaghers Great Lakes region employee benefits consulting operations.

Source: Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.

Topics Mergers Ohio A.J. Gallagher
Its no secret that cyber insurance rates keep rising into the stratosphere. But the U.S. government can take specific actions to help reduce risk and stabilize the market, a former federal official and industry CEO argued separately at ITC Vegas 2021.

Government, as a collective entity, is very likely the single largest purchaser of everything in the world, said Chris Krebs, former director of the U.S. Department of Homeland Securitys Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, or CISA.

Chubb CEO Greenberg Says Some Insurtechs Are More About Hype Than Transformation

Speaking from the ITC stage on Oct 5, Krebs said that purchasing power can make a profound difference.

My consulting company of 15 people, we cant extract requirements and set objectives for big technology companies. The [federal] government can, Krebs said.

Chubb Chairman and CEO Evan Greenberg, during an Oct. 6 ITC session, reiterated calls for the parts of the federal government to do more through both policy and partnership initiatives.

The [cyber] tools today are crude. Theyre not that effective, Greenberg said. In working with the government, [there is] the notion of how we can improve those tools, the standards individual companies embrace [and] the ability to discern the effectiveness of how they are using these tools.

Krebs said the federal government already took a step toward spurring better cyber security behavior earlier this year, when it issued an executive order requiring better security outcomes for software and other digital products.

Its that power of the purse that is really going to transform security expectations in software, Krebs said. The same product Microsoft sells to [consumers] they sell to the commercial side. There is a cascading effect. When the government decides to intervene in a market like this it is good for security outcomes.

Government as Helper, Defender, Regulator and Enforcer.

Both Krebs and Greenberg had specific ideas of where the government should spend its time and attention on improving cyber-security outcomes that can benefit consumers and insurers trying to better manage those risks.

Krebs proposed the federal government tackled security four ways.

Officials can attack the regulatory piece, for example, to make cryptocurrency more transparent and ransomware criminals less likely to use it as they increasingly have this year to force victims to give them money.

There is an entire economy around ransomware. They are taking the payouts, spreading it across the [ransomware] community. They invest in developers, they invest in customer service. They have 24/7 online customer support agents. Its a business, Krebs said. What we need is more transparency, more oversight [and] we need to understand how this economy works.

The government can also act as a defender, Krebs said, going to adversary networks to understand their operations and make sure their systems crash rather than ours.

As well, the government can act more as an enforcer, using indictments, prosecution and incarceration to force ransomware networks to shut down. Krebs this approach had some success recently in a joint U.S./Ukraine operation.

Additionally, Krebs said, the government can be a helper, sharing good tips with industry and the public about what the threats are, what technology is good to use and what organizations can do to manage their risks.

More Sharing and Creative Hiring

Greenberg reiterated that Chubb advocates data sharing between the public and private sector to reduce cyber risks.

We have nothing to tell you if something in the supply chain is really up to the standards [to resist a cyber attack], Greenberg said. No standard exists and it really needs to be created.

But public/private partnerships on their own arent enough. Greenberg said that insurers can better fight cyber risk by redefining the talent they use to help underwrite it.

The [insurance] industry, except in certain companies and pockets, hasnt developed well in terms of the skillsets [for people] today who are now writing cyber, Greenberg said. It is those with a cyber-security background, with a hacker background  maybe out in the security establishment, those that have knowledge in that way [who are] inciteful both in the craft of underwriting and underwriting processes around information technology who can shape stronger coverage now.

Hiring more diverse talent for underwriting can help improve tools that would better benefit public/private partnerships, Greenberg said.

Never Going Away

As Krebs noted, however, cyber crime is never going to go away. At best, the risks around it can be better managed than they are at present.

No organization, no person, is a security island. We have to do this together. Everyone has to be part of the security organization, Krebs said. There will always be an intelligent adversary that is shooting holes in our product and looking for access.

Topics Cyber
China has won the artificial intelligence battle with the United States and is heading towards global dominance because of its technological advances, the Pentagons former software chief told the Financial Times.

China, the worlds second largest economy, is likely to dominate many of the key emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, synthetic biology and genetics within a decade or so, according to Western intelligence assessments.

Nicolas Chaillan, the Pentagons first chief software officer who resigned in protest against the slow pace of technological transformation in the U.S. military, said the failure to respond was putting the United States at risk.

We have no competing fighting chance against China in 15 to 20 years. Right now, its already a done deal; it is already over in my opinion, he told the newspaper. Whether it takes a war or not is kind of anecdotal.

China was set to dominate the future of the world, controlling everything from media narratives to geopolitics, he said.

Chaillan blamed sluggish innovation, the reluctance of U.S. companies such as Google to work with the state on AI and extensive ethical debates over the technology.

Google was not immediately available for comment outside business hours.

Chinese companies, Chaillan said, were obliged to work with their government and were making massive investment in AI without regard to ethics.

He said U.S. cyber defenses in some government departments were at kindergarten level.

Chaillan announced his resignation at the beginning of September, saying military officials were repeatedly put in charge of cyber initiatives for which they lacked experience.

A spokesperson for the Department of the Air Force said Frank Kendall, secretary of the U.S. Air Force, had discussed with Chaillan his recommendations for the departments future software development following his resignation and thanked him for his contributions, the FT said.

(Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman, Robert Birsel)

Topics Claims InsurTech China Data Driven
Karen Baldridge rolled up her sleeve to get her covid-19 booster vaccine.

Im trying to baby myself and (am) doing everything that I can to keep healthy, she said this past week while at Excela Square at Norwin. I feel theres about a 90% chance I wouldnt get (covid), but if I get it, I dont feel that Ill get it as bad and I dont feel that it will last as long.

Baldridge, a North Huntingdon resident in her 70s, is among the 56% of people in the U.S. who are fully vaccinated against covid. In Pennsylvania, she is among nearly 58% of the total population and nearly 69% of those 18 or older who are fully vaccinated, as tracked by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Vaccines have been hailed by the medical community as societys quickest, safest path to emerging from the covid-19 pandemic. Their availability is arguably the biggest difference between todays pandemic and the 1918 influenza pandemic.

That historical event, some medical experts say, can help frame the current one _ and offer clues about where covid-19 might lead.

`Self-inflicted

The United States recently surpassed the death toll from what became known as the Spanish flu pandemic _ a mark unthinkable 18 months ago. On Friday, the U.S. eclipsed 700,000 deaths, and there have been about 4.8 million covid deaths worldwide, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.

The 1918 pandemic killed at least 675,000 lives nationwide and 50 million worldwide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The United States, however, has tripled its population in the last century.

Were 100 years more advanced than we were then, said Dr. Nate Shively, an infectious disease expert with Allegheny Health Network. I think many would find that somewhat dispiriting, just that the pandemic continues to burn despite having really all the tools at our hands now to bring it close to an end. And were just not using all those tools effectively.

Medical experts cite the vaccine as the most effective tool. The Pfizer booster shot recently was approved by the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to extend protection for Americans who are older or have underlying medical conditions.

Yet many remain skeptical.

Dr. Amesh Adalja, a Pittsburgh-based infectious disease expert and senior scholar at the John Hopkins Center for Health Security, called it inexcusable that the covid-19 death total in the U.S. eclipsed that of the 1918 pandemic.

When people died of the flu in 1918, they didnt have access to vaccines and todays modern science. With the significant medical advancements made over the past 100 years, Adalja said, America should be handling this pandemic much better.

What were doing in the United States is self-inflicted, he said. We can account for it by people not being receptive to science and openly defying it.

`Rates matter more

Dr. Donald Burke, a distinguished professor  and former dean at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, is an expert at using computer modeling and simulation to guide public health decision-making.

He said its important to consider the death rate and not simply the death total.

In Pennsylvania, covid-19 has killed more than 29,000 people, according to the state Department of Health. The Keystone State was among the hardest hit in the 1918 pandemic, which claimed more than 60,000 lives here, according to the University of Pennsylvania.

The 1918 flu is believed to have caused about 4,500 deaths in Pittsburgh and another 2,000 in Westmoreland County. Covid-19 deaths so far have reached 2,100 in Allegheny County and 840 in Westmoreland.

Even though the death totals are similar, the death rates  that is the rate per 100,000 people, or per-unit population  are lower now from covid than it was for influenza by about three-fold, Burke said. Total numbers are important, but the rates matter more in understanding the impact.

The 1918 flu pandemic largely impacted younger populations, with a large proportion of the deaths in individuals between the ages of 18 and 30. That was unusual for influenza and particularly straining for society, Burke said, as the day-to-day functions of society are more dependent on that age group.

Never went away

There is no straightforward definition for when a pandemic ends, said Seema Lakdawala, an associate professor who researches flu viruses in Pitt School of Medicines Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics.

The first U.S. cases of the 1918 pandemic were reported in March of that year, when more than 100 soldiers in Fort Riley, Kansas, became ill, according to the CDC. That was nearly a year after the United States entered World War I, with troop movements cited as a factor in spreading the disease.

Influenza remained rampant in Paris in early 1919, when the treaty to end the war was negotiated.

Lakdawala noted the H1N1 virus that was responsible for the 1918 pandemic never went away and continued to kill many people each year.

It wasnt until the 1930s that the virus was recognized as the cause. A vaccine to combat it was first recommended in 1960.

Even with vaccines, tens of thousands of Americans die each year from the flu, Lakdawala pointed out. In 2017-18, 80,000 people died from seasonal influenza, she said.

Still, Lakdawala, who also is a member of Pitts Center for Vaccine Research, said vaccines are the safest way to bring the spread of viruses under control  rather than trying to reach herd immunity through natural infection.

Beyond the risk of death, she said, There are obviously long-term consequences of getting the virus. Weve had it now for over a year, and we have long-term covid symptoms, including adverse effects on breathing and pulmonary function.

As viruses replicate and spread through the population, they will evolve, she said. If we had a higher level of vaccination, wed have less transmission and less diversity in the covid virus. Its not that it would go away, but it would definitely get slower.

`Pandemic is going to ease

Burke said he anticipates that the covid-19 pandemic will end much like the 1918 flu epidemic did _ by morphing into a seasonal virus that never really leaves.

The 1918 flu blew through the worlds population, he said, infecting huge swaths, which gained natural immunity  the only answer at the time because vaccines were not yet a reality.

But covid-19 vaccines are available and highly effective, Burke said. Once enough people have immunity  either from contracting the disease or from being inoculated  the pandemic will lessen, he said.

Even if vaccine uptake doesnt improve, Adalja said, the pandemic will still taper down. But it will do so because people contract the virus and gain natural immunity rather than from being vaccinated. With infection, however, comes the risk of death, Adalja said.

No matter what, the pandemic is going to ease because people get infected. Vaccines dampen the impact of the pandemic, but the final common pathway is going to be the same, Adalja said.

Thats what happened with the 1918 flu, Burke said.

It didnt cause a major new pandemic again, but it caused seasonal flu, and it continues to mutate and evolve and cause significant disease  but never pandemic proportions, Burke said. I wouldnt be surprised if covid does pretty much the same thing. Its unlikely to go away after a year or two because there are huge parts of the world that are not immune and are not vaccinated.

As long as there are any populations on the planet that are susceptible, the virus will transmit.

One positive outcome of the 1918 pandemic, though it was long in coming, was creation of the World Health Organization. Excela Latrobe pediatrics physician Dr. David Wyszomierski, who has studied the earlier pandemic, noted WHO in 1952 developed a global surveillance system to track different strains of influenza.

He said the covid virus, like the flu, can switch some of its genetic material to become more contagious or more pathologic. That is what has occurred with the emergence of the delta variant, which has been cited in the recent increase in hospitalizations and deaths.

With another flu season approaching, Wyszomierski stressed the importance of getting a covid-19 vaccine and an influenza vaccine for those who are eligible.

`Absolutely not spared

It may take over 90% of the population gaining some form of immunity before the pandemic tapers off, Shively said. Once it becomes controlled, it will likely become another of the endemic coronaviruses.

Four other coronaviruses circulate in the human population as common colds, Burke said. Covid-19 will likely join their ranks.

If you look at the molecular evolutionary pattern, it looks like (coronaviruses) entered humans at least hundreds of years ago, he said. Maybe this happens every century or so, that a virus jumps and makes it into humans and then settles into this equilibrium.

Still, theres always a risk of another serious pandemic, experts warn.

We are absolutely not spared from a new pandemic happening _ be it 100 years in the future or later this year before this one is gone, Shively said.

The risk of pandemics spreading is higher now than ever, Burke said. As the world becomes more interconnected, viruses have an easier time traveling globally _ whereas many epidemics in the past died off on one continent or a lone corner of the world.

Several viruses in recent years, like Ebola and H1N1, had the potential to cause a devastating worldwide pandemic, Shively said. They just didnt.

Preparation for the next pandemic and learning lessons from this one is something that we as a country and an international community can gain, he said. When another pandemic will happen is hard to say, but another pandemic will happen. We need to take steps to make sure that were prepared for when it does.

Photo: Diana Serlo, a retired registered nurse from Excela, prepares a syringe with a Pfizer COVID-19 booster shot on Thursday, Sept. 30, 2021, at Excela Norwin Square in North Huntingdon, Pa. (Shane Dunlap/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review via AP)

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics COVID-19 Trends
Royal Philips NV will face more than 100 U.S. lawsuits gathered in a Pennsylvania court over its recall of more than 3 million devices used to treat sleep apnea that are linked to cancer concerns.

Amsterdam-based Philips, maker of respiratory gear and body scanners, will defend claims its CPAP-breathing machines pose a cancer risk before U.S. District Judge Joy Conti in Pittsburgh, a federal panel said Oct 8. Philips main U.S. manufacturing plant is located in the Pittsburgh suburb of Murrysville, Pennsylvania.

Philips announced in June it was recalling CPAP machines because polyester-based foam used inside the devices to cut noise can break down and be ingested by users. Researchers have linked the material to some cancers and other illnesses. Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder in which breathing stops and starts, causing fatigue and longer-term health woes. Many Philips ventilator products  designed to improve sleep patterns  are sold under the DreamStation brand.

Michael London, a New York-based plaintiffs lawyer representing device users, said he expects thousands of consumers to sue over the companys decision to use a potential carcinogen in the devices design and manufacture. There are layers and layers of potential claims, including class-action suits and those seeking medical monitoring for CPAP users, he told the panel. Such cases seek funds to monitor patients health.

Silvie Casanova, a U.S.-based spokeswoman for Philips, didnt immediately respond to an email seeking comment after regular business hours Monday.

This is going to be a massive, litigation, Kyle Wallace, an Atlanta-based plaintiffs lawyer told the panel of federal judges that decides where mass-tort cases will be consolidated earlier this month. Were dealing with a product people desperately need to deal with sleep apnea, he added.

Beena McDonald, a plaintiffs lawyer representing CPAP users, urged the panel to send the cases to Conti because the strongest nexis to the evidence, design and manufacture of the devices is the Murrysville plant. The panel agreed, noting many of witnesses and much of the documentary evidence relevant to this litigation likely will be located near Pittsburgh, according to the ruling.

The case is IN RE Philips Recalled CPAP, Bi-Level PAP and Mechanical Ventilator Products Liability Litigation, 21-MD-3014, U.S District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania (Pittsburgh).

Photo: The Royal Philips NV logo sits on the companys headquarters in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Photographer: Jasper Juinen/Bloomberg

Copyright 2021 Bloomberg.

Topics Lawsuits
The U.S. property insurance market is accumulating cyber exposures that could result in $12.5 billion in non-physical damage losses and cause capital adequacy ratios for some carriers to deteriorate.

A study conducted by CyberCube, AM Best and Aon found that the accumulation of cyber risk could trigger a one-in-100-year loss of $12.5 billion, which would be enough to cause a downward transition of the Bests Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR) for 18 U.S. property insurance carriers.

For the study, Spotlight on Cyber: A study of aggregation risk in the US property insurance market, cyber risk analysts at specialist CyberCube created a sample portfolio based on the U.S. small business property industry. They then subjected this portfolio to modeled cyber loss scenarios, quantifying non-physical damage losses. The results were then used by financial ratings agency AM Best to assess the impact on the balance sheets of 579 U.S. property insurers. Aon assisted with quantifying the risks and exposures written back into property policies and highlighting best practices for managing these risks.

The analysis revealed that of the 579 property insurers analyzed, 12 carriers fell one level in the BCAR, four dropped two levels, and two insurers each fell three levels and four levels respectively.

The authors of the report stress that BCAR assessments are not the sole determinant of a companys financial strength rating. Other factors such as reinsurance, diversification, and liquidity are considered to evaluate balance sheet strength. However, a significant deterioration in the BCAR assessment may lead to a downgrade of an insurers financial strength rating, they noted.

Ransomware Has Been a Game Changer for Cyber Insurance

The report concludes that, while current levels of cyber exposure within U.S. commercial property are manageable by the property industry as a whole, the exposure could have ratings impacts for a section of the property market.

While losses of $12.5 billion are relatively low when placed in the context of natural catastrophes, considering these exposures are often unpriced or unaccounted for in enterprise risk management, the impact on carriers can be significant and more importantly, unexpected. Sridhar Manyem, AM Bests director, Industry Research, commented.

Insurers Must Totally Reassess Approach to Grim Cyber Insurance Market: AM Best

The report also cautions that the large growth in cyber exposures anticipated over the next few years will challenge the industrys ability to cope with rapidly increasing risks.

Cyber scenarios used by CyberCube to analyze the impact were large-scale data losses, large-scale ransomware attacks and a targeted ransomware attack on a medical devices manufacturer.

The research notes that insurers have been explicitly excluding cyber coverage from non-standalone policies where silent cyber exposure may exist. However, the report warns that insurance carriers offering explicit cyber coverage in U.S. commercial property policies may not typically be underwriting or pricing the risk accordingly.

CyberCubes modeled loss figure of $12.5 billion suggests that the U.S. property market is exposed to $9.5 billion of attritional losses and $3 billion of catastrophic losses. It is apparent that the property market is already paying attritional losses for non-affirmative cyber coverage, said Rebecca Bole, CyberCubes head of Industry Engagement.

Jon Laux, Aons head of Cyber Analytics, said the research shows that quantification of the aggregation potential from cyber-related losses in property policies is very real. With property insurers affirming elements of cyber cover in their policies, insurers are exposed to significant losses, which are not necessarily priced accordingly. Through better information, industry participants will be able to make better decisions about placing cyber risk, Laux said.

Source: Spotlight on Cyber: A study of aggregation risk in the US property insurance market.

Topics Carriers Cyber USA Profit Loss Property
London-based DUAL, the underwriting arm of Howden Group Holdings, reports it has completed the acquisition of Align Financial Holdings that was announced in August.

San Diego-based Align is a specialist general agency and underwriting management group, underwriting more than $680 million of gross written premium on an annualized basis through its commercial casualty, commercial property catastrophe, personal property, and surety businesses. Align operates four agency businesses: Align General Insurance Agency, Catalytic Risk Managers & Insurance Agency, Deposit Choice, and NALICO General Agency.

The combined U.S. operations have more than 400 people underwriting more than $1 billion GWP from eight locations and more than 7,000 broker partners. Internationally, DUAL Group underwrites more than $2 billion gross written premium across 18 countries on behalf of more than 80 capacity providers.

Kieran Sweeney, CEO of Align, will become executive chairman of DUAL Group and join the group executive committee of Howden Group. John Johnson, currently president of Align, will become CEO, DUAL North America.

Jim OConnor, CEO of DUALs U.S. operations, will leave the company to pursue other opportunities after steering the business through the pandemic. David Ibeson, non-executive chairman of DUAL Group, will become a non-executive director.

We are now one of the largest general agencies in the U.S. and we have an unparalleled opportunity to grow and thrive, commented Sweeney,

Howden has been on an acquisition spree, adding Oslo-based retail broker Aneco Forsikringsmegling AS and Belgian insurance broker, Sarton & Associes this week, as well as CHB Insurance Brokers of Estonia earlier this month.

Topics Mergers
U.S. senators on Oct. 6 promoted a federal hurricane systems performance in New Orleans during Hurricane Ida, but noted that other regions experienced devastation that is likely to worsen as climate change produces more intense and frequent storms.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers installed the Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System in response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and Ida was the $14.5 billion systems first big test, Senate Environment and Public Works Chairman Thomas E. Carper, (D-Del.), said.

Carper and ranking Republican Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia said the system of levees and flood walls passed the test with flying colors  at least in the New Orleans area.

Col. Stephen Murphy, the commander of the Corps New Orleans District, agreed with the senators assessment.

Before Katrina, the patchwork of hurricane prevention infrastructure was a system in name only, Murphy said. The federally funded system upgrades kept the damage from Ida from being much worse, he said.

While we couldnt be more proud of the performance of the greater New Orleans areas Hurricane Storm Damage Risk Reduction System and how it validated the massive national investment of $14.5 billion, other parts of the state were not as fortunate, Murphy said.

Where there was federal investment in levees and flood walls, though, the system performed as designed.

Congress has recently appropriated increased funding to the Corps for disaster response, Capito said, highlighting the $5.7 billion Congress provided to the Corps in a funding stopgap measure recently signed into law.

Carper called for greater Corps funding to reimburse states and local governments that undertake resilience projects. States and localities depend on the Corps reimbursements for such projects, but the Corps can be constrained by politics and budget shortfalls, leaving states and cities on their own.

More areas may require disaster systems as climate change makes disasters worse, Carper said.

North Atlantic hurricanes have increased in intensity and frequency since 1980, a trend that is expected to continue, he said.

Corps leaders agreed.

We continue to see record-setting severe weather events across the nation, Major General William H. Butch Graham, the deputy commanding general for civil and emergency operations, said. The Corps responded to 28 disasters last year, including 10 hurricanes, he said.

In response, the Corps has started incorporating climate resiliency into its construction plans, Graham said.

The worsening storm trend is likely to hit south Louisiana particularly hard, Murphy said.

Coastal Louisiana sits at the epicenter of climate change, he said.

Climate change is also presenting new challenges elsewhere in the country, including in Maryland, Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin, a Democrat from the state, said.

Ellicott City, about 13 miles west of Baltimore, recently experienced two 100-year floods in less than two years, he said. Though the citys flood system maintained its integrity, it wasnt designed to handle the amount of rain that fell in a short time, he said.

Cardin asked for an upcoming report from President Joe Bidens administration to help create a plan for such events.

Its hard to plan for every part of our community getting an extreme weather event, Cardin said. But we have to have a game plan for our communities because it is occurring.

Federal hurricane prevention for New Orleans that cost billions worked during Ida, senators agree was first published in The Louisiana Illuminator. The Louisiana Illuminator is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Louisiana Illuminator maintains editorial independence.

Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Hurricane
Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, responding to what he called bullying by the Biden Administration, on Oct. 11 barred all COVID-19 vaccine mandates in the state by any entity, including private employers.

Abbotts move sets him up for a clash with President Joe Biden, a Democrat who last month called on businesses nationwide to order their workers to be vaccinated or lose their jobs. At least several thousand people have since been fired for refusing to comply.

In another instance of federal overreach, the Biden Administration is now bullying many private entities into imposing COVID-19 vaccine mandates, causing workforce disruptions that threaten Texas continued recovery from the COVID-19 disaster, Abbott said in an executive order.

The White House had no immediate comment.

Abbotts order states that no entity in Texas could compel proof of vaccination by any individual, including employees or customers. He called on state lawmakers to take up the issue in an upcoming special session.

Tech giants Facebook Inc. and Alphabet Inc.s Google have both told employees that they would need proof of vaccination to return to their offices. Both companies employ large numbers in Texas.

Fort Worth-based American Airlines, the largest U.S. carrier, last week told its 100,000 U.S.-based employees they must submit proof of full vaccination no later than Nov. 24  or be fired.

United Airlines imposed a vaccine mandate on its 60,000 employees, around 9,000 of whom are based in Texas.

The company is defending a lawsuit filed in Fort Worth, and a federal judge on Oct. 13 will hear a request by United employees for an injunction to prevent the carrier from firing those who requested exemptions.

Biden issued his mandate in September as his administration struggled to control the pandemic, which has killed more than 700,000 Americans.

Political leaders across the United States have ratcheted up pressure on the unvaccinated in recent weeks.

Laws requiring proof of vaccinations are deeply controversial in the United States, with many Americans criticizing them as unconstitutional and authoritarian.

Proponents of vaccine mandates see them as necessary to pull the nation out of the nearly two-year pandemic and return to normalcy.

(Reporting by Dan Whitcomb; Additional reporting by Tom Hals and Mohammad Zargham; Editing by Sandra Maler and Peter Cooney)

Topics COVID-19 Texas Restaurant
SIU Names David Green Practice Leader for Professional Lines

Georgia-based Southern Insurance Underwriters has named David Green its new practice leader for professional lines.

Green, who previously was the new-business manager for real estate errors and ommissions at Norman-Spencer Agency, will focus on E&O, directors and officers, and miscellaneous professional coverages, SIU said in a news release.

Green also worked in underwriting at Berkley Select in Chicago for their lawyers and accountants programs.

Established in 1964 by W.C. Duesenberg, SIU is a 56-year-old managing general agency headquartered in Alpharetta, Georgia. SIU offers a range of products to independent insurance agents, including personal property, workers compensation, inland marine, professional lines, forest products, commercial transportation and commercial property and casualty.

McGriff Makes Norgan VP

McGriff, a commercial insurance broker and subsidiary of Truist Insurance Holdings, announced it had named Lanette Morgan vice president of its energy practice, based in Birmingham, Alabama.

Norgan, who has experience in employee benefits and property and casualty insurance in the energy sector, will also serve as account executive, McGriff said in a news release. Norgan will assist clients in streamlining their risk management and insurance programs.

McGriff describes itself as a full-service insurance broker that provides risk management and insurance solutions to clients across the United States. The firms coverages include commercial property and casualty, corporate bonding and surety services, cyber, management liability, captives and alternative risk transfer programs, small business, employee benefits, title insurance, personal lines, and life and health.

Truist Insurance Holdings is the sixth largest insurance broker in the U.S. and seventh largest in the world, and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Truist Bank.
The Alabama Department of Insurance will hold a hearing Nov. 16 on a proposed, significant decrease in workers compensation loss costs and rating values.

A filing by the National Council on Compensation Insurance proposes a 10.5% overall average decrease in voluntary loss costs and 10.5% decrease for the assigned risk market, to take effect March 1, 2022, the department said in a bulletin.

The decrease, if approved by regulators, would follow a 4.4% increase in average voluntary loss costs in 2020, a 3.4% reduction in 2019 and a 6.4% cut in 2018.

The hearing will be held virtually, via internet connection, starting at 10 a.m. Central time. A link will be posted on the insurance departments website closer to the hearing date. Anyone wishing to submit written comments should send them by Nov. 2 to the departments chief counsels email address, John.McDonald@insurance.alabama.gov.

Topics Trends Pricing Trends Alabama
A federal judge on Tuesday sentenced former Georgia Insurance Commissioner Jim Beck to seven years in prison and ordered him to pay $2.6 million in restitution for diverting funds from a homeowners insurer of last resort.

The 87 months behind bars is less than what the government wanted, but more than what we had asked for, said Atlanta defense attorney William Thomas, who represented Beck during his trial and sentencing.

Beck, 60, is out on bond until he reports to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons after Dec. 1, Thomas said.

The U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia had asked that Beck be sentenced to 10 years in prison for the elaborate fraud, which involved a number of sham companies, a fictitious individual, and money laundering.

The defense had asked for five years after Beck was convicted in July of embezzling almost $3 million from Georgia Underwriters Association, a corporation he managed that provided property insurance to residents who struggled to find it in the marketplace. U.S. District Judge Mark Cohen agreed with the defense attorneys arguments on some points, but not on others.

Beck, a former deputy commissioner at the Georgia Department of Insurance, also must forfeit four properties in the Atlanta area along with hundreds of thousands of dollars in bank accounts. Most of the restitution will go to Cincinnati Insurance Co., which repaid the underwriting association for the losses it incurred in Becks fraud. About $358,000 will go to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service for taxes Beck avoided.

Beck had siphoned the funds from the underwriting association by claiming that hired consultants were providing data research and other services, from 2013 to 2018. Prosecutors said many of those invoices were a front for payments that went to Becks personal accounts, including one used in his successful campaign for insurance commissioner in 2018. Just weeks after Beck took office, he was indicted and was removed from office.

On Tuesday, Beck was allowed to exercise his right to speak at the sentencing.

Im completely and totally responsible, and again, I accept the jurys verdict, Beck said, according to a local news report. I hope that I have made life better more than Ive hurt people. I do know that I have actively damaged precious relationships and I pray for restoration.

Becks wife and two friends testified as character witnesses Tuesday. Their statements were not available, but in letters to the judge, other friends and associates spoke of Becks good deeds in the community. One claims adjuster called him a faithful Christian with a kind heart.

Another friend called Beck, a former president of the Georgia Christian Coalition, the hardest working man I have ever met. A minister and licensed counselor noted that Beck had received mental health counseling and treatment over the past 25 years, for issues related to addictive personality, post-traumatic stress disorder and depression. The minister said that Beck was born to teenage parents who lived with his grandparents. Beck witnessed repeated instances of violence in the family while growing up.

Thomas said Beck is in reasonably good health. For a 60-year-old man, hes doing alright.

Topics Georgia
A Southern California beach that was closed more than a week ago because of a leak of crude oil from an undersea pipeline reopened on Monday, far sooner than many expected,

City and state beaches in Huntington Beach reopened after water quality tests revealed no detectable levels of oil associated toxins in the ocean water. Early Monday morning, surfers bobbed in the waves and people walked along the shoreline, some with dogs jumping and playing in the water.

The reopening came after weekend visitor Richard Beach returned to the waves in Huntington Beach with his bodyboard _ until lifeguards on jet skis chased him out on Sunday. He trekked back across the beach, passing workers in hazmat suits tasked with clearing the sand of sticky, black blobs that washed ashore after the spill.

The waters perfect, said Beach, 69. Clear all the way to the bottom.

Huntington Beach and nearby coastal communities have been reeling from last weeks spill that officials said sent at least about 25,000 gallons and no more than 132,000 gallons of oil into the ocean. It was caused by a leak about 5 miles off the coast in a pipeline owned by Houston-based Amplify Energy that shuttles crude from offshore oil platforms to the coast.

The spill was confirmed on Oct. 2, a day after residents reported a petroleum smell in the area. The cause is under investigation and officials said they believe the pipeline was likely damaged by a ships anchor several months to a year before it ruptured. It remains unknown when the slender, 13-inch crack in the pipeline began leaking oil.

On Sunday, there was no smell of oil and the sand looked largely clear by the Huntington Beach pier, where workers combed the sand for tar.

But local officials worry about the environmental impact of the spill on wetlands, wildlife and the economy. With the ocean off limits in the community dubbed Surf City USA, relatively few people were at the beach and shops that cater to them have been hurting.

Officials in the city of 200,000 people have been testing the water to ensure its safe for people to go back in the water and said theyll continue the testing for at least two more weeks.

Before Monday, residents were allowed to walk on the sand in Huntington Beach but were prohibited from the shoreline and the water. Popular surfing and swimming spots in Newport Beach and Laguna Beach were also closed.

In Huntington Beach, shops selling everything from bikinis and stars-and-stripes boogie boards to sand toys and fishing gear took an economic hit during the closure. Marian Johnson, who owns Lets Go Fishing on the pier, said sales have been halved since the spill.

Mike Ali, who owns the nearby shop Zacks, said he had to close three of his four locations and reduce workers hours. People were still renting bikes and buying food at his one store that remained open, but he said business dropped 90% without surf lessons, event catering and beach bonfires.

It could be a year to two years to get the tourism to come back, Ali said, adding that a 1990 oil spill wound up diverting would-be visitors to beaches south and north of the city.

Rich Toro, 70, still took his regular 25-mile bike ride down to Huntington Beach on Sunday.

But he said he wouldnt race to get back into the water because of the spill and worries about the impact on wildlife. Since the spill, officials have reported 38 dead birds and nine dead fish, while 27 oiled birds have been recovered and are being treated.

On Sunday morning, only a handful of people played beach volleyball on Huntington Beach while a few others exercised or laid on the sand.

But the water closures didnt deter everyone. While fishing was prohibited along the shore of almost all of Orange County, Michael Archouletta, 29, said he came down from East Los Angeles and saw no signs on the pier preventing him from dropping a line. A school of fish swam beneath the pier nearby.

If this was so dangerous, the fish would be dead, Archouletta said.

Related:

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Topics California Energy Oil Gas
IRVING, Texas, October 12, 2021  Breckenridge Insurance expands its brokerage and binding team with the addition of two experienced underwriters Laura Phillips, CIC and Cindy Veselka. Both underwriters will focus on solving risk management problems for agents and help drive growth for the organization.

Phillips has more than 22 years of insurance experience and specializes in animal mortality and agriculture risks. Prior to joining Breckenridge, Phillips was an underwriter associate for a large wholesale brokerage where she maintained a growing book of specialty binding and brokerage accounts nationally. She also held underwriting and account manager positions at two additional property and casualty insurance agencies after spending time early in her career in customer service, marketing and claims. In addition to her Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) credentials, Phillips has an Associate in Insurance Account Management (AIAM) and in General Insurance (INS) designations. Phillips is located in Irving, Texas and can be reached at lphillips@breckis.com or 469.893.9982

Veselka has more than 16 years of insurance experience and is a proven property, habitational, hospitality and LRO underwriter. She has been on both the retail and wholesale side of the business, most recently having worked at another managing general agency. Veselka has earned her Associate in General insurance (INS) and holds an associate degree cum laude from the Georgia Military College and a bachelors in business administration from the George College & State University. Veselka will be working with a growing San Antonio, Texas-based brokerage team and can be reached at cveselka@breckis.com or 972.587.9219.

The addition of Laura and Cindy, both talented underwriters in their respective specialties, demonstrates our continued investment in supporting independent agents with expert underwriting capabilities and coverage solutions, stated Trevor Pierce, president of the brokerage and binding team at Breckenridge Insurance. Well be continuing to hire team members nationally who are enthusiastic about collaborative growth and problem solving into the foreseeable future.

About Breckenridge Insurance:

BRECKENRIDGE INSURANCE is a wholesale brokerage, binding and programs insurance provider delivering competitive commercial coverage solutions to independent agents and brokers nationally. With problem-solving specialists spanning a variety of industries and insurance lines, the team provides expertise and access to top-rated markets to help clients win business with underwriting integrity. As part of Breckenridge Group, access to additional specialty programs and a commitment to significant compliance and technology investments support the companys growth. For more information, please visit WWW.BRECKIS.COM or call 855.728.8822. CA Insurance License #0G13592

About Breckenridge Group:

Headquartered in Atlanta, Breckenridge Group is the parent company of several best-in-class brands that provide insurance and risk management solutions and services to diverse audiences across three practice areas: insurance, financial and member services. For more than a decade, the company has built a reputation for strategic growth by empowering expert talent who achieve inspiring results. More than 350 employees work across its six divisions including Breckenridge Insurance, Breckenridge General Agency, OSC Insurance Services, Southeastern Underwriters, Target Markets Program Administrators Association and Insurance Networks Alliance. For more information, please visit WWW.BRECKGRP.COM

###

NEWS RELEASE

Contact: Caren Henry

chenry@breckgrp.com

267.961.8252

Topics Underwriting
In a few short years, LF Edge, which is an umbrella organization within the constantly expanding Linux Foundation, has made significant strides in addressing challenges associated with edge computing in the real world.

Established in January 2019, LF Edge comprises existing Linux Foundation projects Akraino Edge Stack, EdgeX Foundry, and the Open Glossary of Edge Computing, as well as Project EVE led by ZEDEDA and Home Edge Project led by Samsung Electronics.

As all experts and innovators working in edge computing, connectivity and security understand, succeeding at the edge is a team sport, and with open frameworks, an exciting playground for disrupters who liberate end customers from traditional closed software and hardware business models given the fundamental philosophy around the definition of open.

LF Edge is continually enriching an open, interoperable framework for edge computing independent of hardware, silicon, cloud, or operating system, and today announced the projects maturity as a deployable framework with expanded open source solutions to meet real-world demands.

Industry leaders F5 and VMware have joined the community as Premier members as LF Edge maturation includes new projects, general members, project releases and blueprints that enable deployable solutions.

Additionally, mimik, Platform 9, Teal Communications, and Veea joined the open source edge project umbrella to collaborate on furthering edge computing, even as the LF Edge portfolio expanded with the addition of eKuiper and Project Alvarium to address IoT data analytics and trust fabrics.

Additionally, Linux Foundation welcomed Edge Gallery for open MEC edge computing and announced Akraino and EdgeX Foundry project releases which enhance commercially adopted, deployable solutions for IoT and edge use cases including 25+ blueprints.

Growth within the LF Edge community continues to accelerate, and we are thrilled to welcome even more industry-leading organizations to the community, said Arpit Joshipura, General Manager, Networking, Edge, and IoT, the Linux Foundation. This is in line with industry trends as more and more organizations across verticals realize the power of open source at the edge. Our diverse set of new projects and new members works in tandem with the broader LF Edge community to enable real-world edge, IoT, IIoT, and telco solutions.

F5 is a multi-cloud application security and delivery company that enables its customerswhich include the worlds largest enterprises, financial institutions, service providers, and governmentsto bring extraordinary digital experiences to life.

F5 is excited to join the Linux Foundation Edge Board and we look forward to collaborating on an open, interoperable framework that enables industries and individuals to innovate at the edge, said Geng Lin, executive vice president and CTO at F5. Our participation will help accelerate the delivery of an Edge 2.0 platform, a security-first, app-driven approach with unlimited scale that will empower every business to unlock the full potential of the emerging edge.

VMware is a leading provider of multi-cloud services for all apps, enabling digital innovation with enterprise control. As a trusted foundation to accelerate innovation, VMware software gives businesses the flexibility and choice they need to build the future.

Kaniz Mahdi, vice president of distributed edge, VMware, said, VMware is helping leading service providers around the world modernize their networks to deliver and monetize next- generation applications. We are working side-by-side with customers and partners to unravel the complexities that come with delivering these apps across a distributed edge. As such, we are excited to join the LF Edge, an organization focused on building an open framework to support edge-native workloads. With virtualization in our DNA and a deep-rooted footprint in the cloud, VMware is uniquely positioned to contribute to this important ambition.

Bringing an even more diverse perspective to the LF Edge community, new general and associate members include:

Mimic, which provides a hybrid edge cloud computing application development platform and business enablers for digital transformation

Platform 9, which enables operations teams to run Kubernetes as a Managed Service on multi-cloud, on-premise or edge at scale

Teal Communications, the first cloud-native, Credentialing-as-a-Service platform that provides intelligent connectivity and networking solutions to IoT device and network operators

Veea, an edge communications, compute and security company redefining and simplifying secure edge computing at the Device Edge that improves application responsiveness, reduces the overall solution delivery and bandwidth costs and eliminates central cloud dependency

Eclipse Foundation, which provides its global community of individuals and organizations with a mature, scalable, and business-friendly environment for open source software collaboration and innovation

mimik looks forward to collaborating with the innovative ecosystem that comprises the LF Edge. The LF Edges community-driven philosophy underpins mimiks own core values in todays increasingly hyperconnected world, which presents opportunities to a group of like-minded individuals and partners to collectively contribute to innovation at the edge. The result is a much larger proposition for the entire community to thrive together than one company winning it all.

The opportunities afforded by LF Edge will naturally complement mimiks eagerness to expand our varied groups of partners and customers that range from large brands to startups. Already, we have started to contribute our learnings and technology while learning from other community members in the ecosystem. mimik strives to edgeifi the world with the LF Edge community of

partners, said Fay Arjomandi, founder and CEO of mimik and 2020 winner of Edge Woman of the Year.

"Our mission to democratize IoT network access through a dynamic provisioning layer synergizes very well with the LF Edge mission to create an ecosystem built around open standards for edge applications. We couldn't be more excited to join in and contribute to these projects!" - Robert Hamblet, CEO of Teal Communications

We are thrilled to join the LF Edge community and are eager to be a part of the future of open source at the edge, said Allen Salmasi, CEO, Veea, Inc. The combined capabilities of a properly designed hybrid edge-cloud solution integrated with disaggregated elements of 5G network can provide for a distributed Hyper-Converged Infrastructure (HCI) that will drive the next revolution in computing and connectivity. We look forward to collaborating with the broader LF Edge community to help make edge computing more secure, simpler to adopt, deploy, use and maintain.

New Projects

eKuiper and Project Alvarium have joined the growing LF Edge project portfolio while Edge Gallery joins the Linux Foundation. Covering IoT analytics and trust fabrics respectively, eKuiper and Project Alvarium join the nine existing LF Edge projects: (Stage 3) Akraino and EdgeX Foundry; (Stage 2) Project EVE, Fledge, Home Edge, Open Horizon, and State of the Edge; and (Stage 1) Beatyl and Secure Device Onboard (SDO).

Edge Gallery joins the Linux Foundation and will work closely with LF Edge projects. More information about the new projects:

Project Alvarium, with initial code seeded by Dell Technologies, is aimed at building a framework and SDK for trust fabrics that deliver data from devices to applications with measurable confidence. Trust fabrics take a system-level approach by layering trust insertion technologies spanning silicon to cloud and will usher in an entire new era of business models and customer experiences driven by interconnected ecosystems. Initial contributing companies include Dell, the IOTA Foundation, Intel, Arm, VMware and ZEDEDA.

eKuiper, is an edge lightweight IoT data analytics / streaming software implemented by Golang,that can be run on all kinds of resource-constrained edge. It migrates cloud

real-time cloud streaming analytics frameworks such as Apache Spark, Apache Storm and Apache Flink to the edge.

Edge Gallery is an open-source MEC edge computing project initiated by Huawei, carriers, and vertical industry partners. Its purpose is to build a common edge computing platform that meets the connection + computing characteristics of the telecom industry, standardize the openness of network capabilities (especially 5G network capabilities), and simplify lifecycle processes such as MEC application development, test, migration, and running.

Were excited to welcome Project Alvarium, eKuiper and Edge Gallery to the Linux Foundation project family, said Jason Shepherd, Board Chair, LF Edge and VP Ecosystem, ZEDEDA. We look forward to continuing to collaborate across our project portfolio to make edge solutions more accessible, scalable and secure, in addition to enabling entirely new business models.

Commercial-Ready Project Solutions

Bringing deployable edge blueprints that are globally adopted into commercial solutions and use cases, Akraino delivers fully functional edge solutions across industry sectors and disciplines.

Akraino issued its fifth release (Akraino R5) with three new additional blueprints to address use cases such as smart cities, cloud native multi-tenant, and topology prediction for vehicular networks at the edge. R5 also includes updates to many of its existing 30+ blueprints.

EdgeX Foundry, which focuses on edge and IoT solutions, recently issued the most modern, secure, and production-ready open source IoT framework. Its second major release, EdgeX Ireland or EdgeX 2.0, it overhauls API sets, removes technical debt, provides more message-based communications, and simplifies and secures interface for adopters and

developers, making the platform significantly easier to use and more reliable. The community is currently working on its next release, EdgeX Jakarta or EdgeX 2.1, expected to be the first EdgeX release to include LTS (long-term support).

Home Edge will soon issue its next release, Dewberries. Dewberries continues to build a solid foundation for Home Edge to grow, with updates to code stabilization, scripting, APIs, data synchronization, and security, among others. Stay tuned for more details on Home Edge Dewberries.

Project EVE has recently launched a developer program that enables developers to explore EVE-OS as a highly flexible and secure foundation for their edge solutions. This enables them to build deep security and orchestration functionality into their solutions from the start. Learn more about the program through the project Wiki.

Community Support for LF Edge Dell Technologies

Data generated at the edge has the power to help businesses make game changing decisions

that deliver immediate and essential value, but organizations have to be able to trust their data is accurate, said Steve Todd, Dell Technologies Fellow. As the edge expands everywhere  from retail stores and manufacturing floors to smart cities and homes  we believe edge solutions must include the ability to measure data confidence. Thats why were donating our Data Confidence Fabric code to Project Alvarium, so any business can trust and have confidence in their edge data.

IBM

"mimik provides a platform-neutral solution for serverless execution at the edge. Open Horizon provides a solution for application and machine learning deployment and lifecycle management. Together, Open Horizon and Mimik provide automated management of serverless applications at scale, said Joe Pearson, Technical Steering Committee chair, LF Edge and title, IBM. What makes mimik's solution so special is that their micro-services are based on WASM+WASI, which creates language-agnostic, portable, secure, small, and fast serverless functions. Not only are they containerizable and Docker-compatible, they can run up to 10,000 times faster than

micro-services based on interpreted languages like Python and NodeJS, at speeds approaching compiled C++."

IOTA Foundation

We welcome Project Alvariums extension and integration into the LF Edge portfolio, said Dominik Schiener, Co-Founder and Chairman of the IOTA Foundation. The great leaps forward in edge computing constantly push the boundaries of scalability, transaction speed, and security. We are excited to continue leveraging IOTAs technology for the machine economy applications of tomorrow, together with the LF Edge family.

About the Linux Foundation

Founded in 2000, the Linux Foundation is supported by more than 2,000 members and is the worlds leading home for collaboration on open source software, open standards, open data, and open hardware. Linux Foundations projects are critical to the worlds infrastructure including Linux, Kubernetes, Node.js, and more. The Linux Foundations methodology focuses on leveraging best practices and addressing the needs of contributors, users and solution providers to create sustainable models for open collaboration.

For more information, please visit linuxfoundation.org.

Edited by Luke Bellos
For the past two years, C.Y. Stephens Auditorium in Ames has been showcasing local singing and songwriting talent in conjunction wit
THE hurling rivalry between Waterford and Kilkenny has always been intense, but it is a different story in the food industry when the chips are down as two food companies have recently shown.

Meadowfresh Foods in Tallow, Co. Waterford and O'Shea Farms/Iverk Produce, based in Piltown, Co. Kilkenny, have joined forces to become Irelands first dedicated fresh chipping potato packer and distributor.

Over the past two years, they have engaged with Bord Bia, Teagasc, the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine and the Irish Farmers Association to support the chipping potato project.

They have now proceeded to grow specific crops for the Irish chip shop channel with a view to increasing the volume of home-grown potatoes sold in Irish chip shops. Meadowfresh is a family business established in 1993 by farming brothers John and Mark Geary at Tallow in the Blackwater Valley, close to the River Bride, where the climate is mild, and the soil is rich in nutrients and ideal for horticulture.

John Geary, director, said they developed the idea of preparing quality local produce at a time when the market for potatoes was unreliable.

They saw that certain industries needed time reduction in their food preparation. Operations began at a small premises in West Street in Tallow. This was extended to meet expanding production in 1994 and again in 1996.

"We settled into a modern 32,000 sq ft production facility at Youghal Road, Tallow in 2002. We also grow our own potato crop varieties which are particularly suited to the fast-food fresh chip market. Today over 150 products are processed, packed, and distributed daily, he said.

OShea Farms, a fourth-generation business, supplies potatoes to Iverk Produce all year round. Modern facilities in Piltown include temperature-controlled storage and logistical tracking systems.

Since the 1830s the OShea family have farmed on the banks of the River Suir in Piltown. The family came from Kerry and settled in Ardclone, where they purchased 42 acres of land.

Today the family farm over 1,500 acres, assisted by loyal staff in a rural community and working locally with 50 growing partners in the south-east.

A wide variety of early and main crop potatoes is grown. Early varieties include Premier, Home Guard and Queens. These are harvested from mid-May to July.

Main crops include Rooster, Kerrs Pink, Golden Wonders, and several white varieties. These are harvested from July to October.

They are kept in specialist potato stores which ensures top quality Irish potatoes are available 365 days a year.

Meanwhile, the consumption of salad and baby potatoes is on the increase in Ireland. These were traditionally imported from the UK and France.

But in recent times OShea Farms have developed the technology to grow them in the south-east corner of Ireland where climatic conditions are suitable. They now grow over 80% of the crop needed to supply its market and aim to increase this to 100%.

They work closely with over thirty growing partners in the south-east, supplying them with technical support from their agronomists and providing them with a steady market for their crops.

As members of the Irish Potato Federation, they support its campaign to improve potato consumption as a healthy food option.

Bord Bias Thinking House has also been working with the companies to develop new brands, which will be used to help market quality-assured branded Irish chipping potatoes.

Ireland, a nation famous for potatoes, grows some 300,000 tonnes per annum for domestic consumption but imports 80,000 tonnes.

Most of these fresh potato imports are used by chip shop owners in the country which currently number over 530 independent outlets.

The new initiative aimed at helping Irish potato growers get their produce into Irish chip shops has been welcomed by Minister of State Pippa Hackett.

She said it was a real opportunity for growers to supply home-grown potatoes for the Irish chip shop market.

Minister Hackett said growing chipping potatoes is a specialist operation, and the market for them is valued at some 20 million per year. Irish consumers, given the choice, will really appreciate businesses that support local growers.

This is a welcome development which will shorten the supply chain and bring plant bio security benefits, making it a significant step forward for the sector, she said.

Bord Bia consumer and trade research in 2019 revealed that over 66% of Irish consumers (2 in 3) incorrectly assumed that the potatoes used to make most chipper chips comes from Ireland.

About 3 in 4 of the respondents indicated they were likely to support a chipper that sources locally grown potatoes.

Some l70% considered it useful to know the country of origin of the potatoes used in their usual chipper through signage or recognised marks.

Texture, reputation, and the appearance were cited as the most important factors in making great chipper chips.

The online survey, carried out by Coyne Research amongst 1,000 adults aged 18 and over, also revealed that 1 in 4 Irish adults go to traditional chippers to buy chips at least on a weekly basis, with males and millennials (23-37) doing so most often.

Lorcan Bourke, Fresh Produce and Potato Manager, Bord Bia, described the research findings as encouraging. Some chip shop owners have already successfully put a local supply chain relationship in place, demonstrating that Irish growers can grow chipping potatoes of excellent quality.

Many of the chip shop owners working with locally grown potatoes saw local supply as a great advantage in their communications with customers.

I firmly believe it is a win-win situation and would encourage any grower or chip shop owner willing to support the initiative to get in touch or visit our webpage (bordbia.ie/sourcechips) with a view to establishing new trading relationships, he said.
One business that saw a boom during the pandemic was Cameo - back in the headlines today as a video shout-out from British nationalist rabble-rouser Nigel Farage took a turn for the surreal, as he clearly read the words 'Up the Ra' into the camera, apparently for an Irish customer.

The platform, where you pay a celebrity for a shout-out has seen huge growth since the start of 2020. You can pay anything from 2 to 2,000 to have a favourite celebrity send you a birthday message or a get well soon video. Really, the world is your oyster.

Lots of actors and sports stars make a great living from appearing at fan events during the year and so with everything shuttered during successive lockdowns, they found themselves with time on their hands. Less busy celebrities will answer your request within 24 hours while some need to be booked well in advance.

Jedward: Cameo shout-outs on the double from noughties pop stars

Its not just all profiteering though, some well-known faces are using the platform for good and open their Cameo requests for a set period of time and donate all fees to charity. Last March, singer-songwriter Mandy Moore and actress Busy Philipps both joined Cameo to help rally donations for US-based childrens charities that were suffering a fall in funds due to the pandemic.

But its not only US stars on the site, there are plenty of Irish ones you can book too. You could have Jedward wish your sister good luck in her exams or have Mary Byrne belt out happy birthday to your mum.

Here are some of our favourites ranked by price  if youre in need of a quick pick-me-up or a birthday gift for a friend you this might be just the thing you were after.

John Aldridge, posing with an Irish Examiner sports section in 1999: the highest-placed sports star on our list

1. Ronan Keating from 410

2. Ian McElhinney, star of Derry Girls and Game of Thrones, from 122.18

3. Jedward from 102.50

4. John Aldridge from 82

5. Alan Quinlan from 61.50

Samantha Mumba: she's Gotta Tell You... a special message given by a loved one on Cameo

6. Samantha Mumba from 53.30

7. Danny OCarroll star of Mrs Browns Boys from 49.20

8. John Coach Kavanagh from 41

9. Eurovision winner Paul Harrington from 34.44

10. X-Factor star Mary Byrne from 20.50
The passing has been announced this morning of traditional musician Paddy Moloney  multi-instrumentalist, composer, and founder of legendary Irish group The Chieftains.

In a statement this morning, the Irish Traditional Music Archive confirmed his passing, stating he "made an enormous contribution to Irish traditional music, song and dance" and that "few people can lay claim to having the level of impact Paddy Moloney had on the vibrancy of traditional music throughout the world".

Moloney was married to artist Rita OReilly, with whom he had three children.

Originally from Donneycarney in Dublin, Moloney began learning the tin whistle at six years old, and the uilleann pipes at the age of eight.

Moloney's body of work began in earnest when he met late composer and musician Sean O Riada, performing in his Ceoltoiri Chualann group throughout the 1960s, alongside a who's who of traditional players of the age.

Paddy Moloney and The Chieftains on stage with Ry Cooder at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall in 2010. Picture: Ross Gilmore/Redferns

Arts Minister Catherine Martin was among those who paid tribute to the late musician. With the passing of Paddy Moloney, we have lost a giant of the national cultural landscape. Through the Chieftains, he brought the joy of Irish music to a global audience. His music was a source of celebration and pride for all of us. Suaimhneas siorai da anam, Martin posted on Twitter.

Author Paul Howard also took to Twitter to pay tribute: Spent many happy hours in Paddy Moloney's company while I was working on the Tara Browne book, especially at Luggala. What a wonderful gent. Very sad news. Paddy Moloney RIP.

Moloney founded The Chieftains in Dublin in 1963, alongside the original lineup of Sean Potts (tin whistle), Martin Fay (fiddle), David Fallon (bodhran), and Mick Tubridy (flute).

Under Moloney's leadership, The Chieftains were a force to be reckoned with on the world stage following an American breakthrough prompted by releases from Island Records, providing an access point to traditional and folk music for a wide audience.

Paddy Moloney and the other members of The Chieftains.

Their advocacy for the artform and relentless work ethic won them a reputation as cultural ambassadors  being formally acknowledged as such in 1989 by the Irish government, as well as winning a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2002 BBC Folk Awards, and six Grammy awards.

That reputation led them to collaborate with a wide variety of musicians, including Sting, Willie Nelson, Marianne Faithfull, Tom Jones, Mark Knopfler, Ry Cooder and The Rolling Stones.

They often breathed rarefied air as a touring group, too  among their audiences were Pope John Paul II on his 1977 Irish visit, Queen Elizabeth II on her Irish visit, and dignitaries of the Chinese government, as they were the first Western band invited to perform on the Great Wall of China in 1983.

Meanwhile, Moloney's scoring and composition work appeared in a wide variety of television and film, including Treasure Island, Braveheart, Gangs of New York, and Stanley Kubrick's period drama Barry Lyndon.

Paying tribute to Paddy Moloney, President Michael D Higgins expressed his deepest sympathies to his family and friends.

The Irish music community, and indeed the much larger community throughout the world who found such inspiration in his work, will have learnt with great sadness today of the passing of Paddy Moloney, founder and leader of the Chieftains, he said.

President Higgins added that Paddys legacy will remain with us in the music which he created and brought to the world.

On behalf of Sabina and myself, and on behalf of the people of Ireland, I would like to express my deepest condolences to Paddys family and friends, and in particular his wife Rita and his children Aonghus, Padraig and Aedin.
New Irish research has shone a light on the extent of data sharing on some of the country's most popular mobile phones.

Apps, search information and even keyboard swipes are among the items recorded on the handsets, with some of this information sent out of the EU.

Researchers from Trinity College Dublin and University of Edinburgh examined six brands of Android phones and the Operating Systems (OS) used by each.

The authors looked at observed data transmission between the mobile phone and the OS developers and said the extent of information being exchanged raises a number of privacy concerns.

While a certain amount of communication with the OS developer is to be expected, the researchers have said the extent of data transmission taking place goes well beyond this.

The six Android companies and OS designs studied included:

Samsung;

Xiaomi;

Huawei;

Realme;

LineageOS;

e/OS.

Even an idle mobile phone with limited user input transmitted substantial amounts of information to the OS developer and to third parties such as Google, Microsoft, LinkedIn, and Facebook that have pre-installed system apps. One notable exception to this process was the /e/OS operating system.

With the exception of e/OS, all of the handset manufacturers examined collect a list of all the apps installed on a handset.

Facebook was one of the apps singled out for scrutiny in the study. Picture: AP

This potentially sensitive information can reveal user interests, for example, the use of mental health apps, interest in religious faith apps such as a Muslim prayer app as well as gay dating apps or conservative news sources like a Republican news app.

Professor Doug Leith, Chair of Computer Systems at the School of Computer Science and Statistics in Trinity College Dublin, said the study reveals the extent previous data regulation has missed the mark.

I think we have completely missed the massive and ongoing data collection by our phones, for which there is no opt out," he said "Weve been too focussed on web cookies and on badly-behaved apps."

Prof Leith said "meaningful action" is needed to give people control over the data that leaves their phones and hopes the study sounds the alarm for the public and regulators.

I hope our work will act as a wake-up call to the public, politicians and regulators. Meaningful action is urgently needed to give people real control over the data that leaves their phones, he said.

Researchers said there is no opt-out for this silent data collection process for many pre-installed apps and OS including Google, Microsoft, LinkedIn and Facebook, all pre-installed on most handsets and silently collecting data.

Dr Paul Patras, Associate Professor in the School of Informatics at the University of Edinburgh, said this was one of the most worrying aspects of the study.

Although we've seen protection laws for personal information adopted in several countries in recent years, including by EU member states, Canada and South Korea, user-data collection practices remain widespread. More worryingly, such practices take place under the hood on smartphones without users' knowledge and without an accessible means to disable such functionality," he said.

Dr Patras thinks more privacy-conscious OS for Androids are growing more popular with consumers and that their study shows manufacturers should respond to this.

"Privacy-conscious Android variants are gaining traction though and our findings should incentivise market-leading vendors to follow suit," he said.
Elizabeth Weir, 29, is a single mother who works in the financial services industry and lives in Ennis, Co Clare; accessing the property ladder is the biggest issue facing her family.

"It's a looming worry of 'how am I going to do this?'," says Elizabeth.

"I put money every month towards my daughter's (Alice, 12) university fund and into emergency savings.

When those savings are where they need to be, I will have some wiggle room for a deposit, but that's seven years' time, and what will property prices be then?

"What are single parents going to have to do to get off the hamster wheel of always renting? You feel almost excluded from ever purchasing a house."

According to a report published by the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission and the Economic and Social Research Institute last month, lone parents and their children account for 53% of all homeless families in Ireland.

The report found that they are also much more likely to experience poor housing than other household types.

A foot on the property ladder

Owning a home is a very important step for Elizabeth, especially as a single parent.

"Getting yourself on the property ladder gives you some feeling of stability under your feet, especially as a single parent," she says.

"It makes everything feel firmer."

Elizabeth is extremely diligent with her earnings as well as her savings, as she has no one else to rely on should a crisis arise:

On a month-to-month basis, I write down everything I spend, I don't have anyone I can fall back on.

"I have to make sure every day I am not going into financial crisis. And I am someone who works really hard," says the mother-of-one.

While some lone parents face the struggle of juggling the cost of childcare against their income, Elizabeth's situation is such that she can work from home three days a week and commute to Limerick on the other two.

However, where lone parents of younger children may be struggling with the childcare and the salary trade-off, Elizabeth is now focused on buying a home for her family, as her daughter is now 12.

"Looking at properties to purchase in Ennis right now  there are 26 available, and 11 of those would be suitable for us," she says.

First-time buyer

"The lowest price is 175,000, and if we take that as the price that it will sell for, and we both know that is unlikely to happen with so many people in the market.

"For me as a first-time buyer, I'll need 18,000 for a 10% deposit.

"It feels impossible to reach that goal, yet there is a projection of a 12% increase on this year's property prices and 9% the year after, and 9% the year after that," says Elizabeth.

"Can you point me to someone whose salary is going to go up by 30% in that same period?"

As someone in the financial services industry and as a single mother, she suggests several key things that the Government can do to improve the situation for other parents in her situation.

She thinks that the tax band needs to be widened, so a lone parent is not being taxed at the higher rate of 40% once they reach 39,300, especially as they cannot avail of the tax credit available to married people or civil partners.

When it comes to housing and the help-to-buy scheme, she says it also needs to be widened to include second-hand homes, not just new builds.

Owning a home is integral to her family's future security and something that will improve her quality of life as a single parent.

It feels unsteady as a single parent.

"You never stop worrying because if you are in a hole, you're the only one who can dig yourself out," she says.

"And that can feel quite lonely and quite worrying, especially because the Government doesn't seem to relate to it.

"I am a single parent working and doing my best, and I still feel unsteady."
One of the Leinster House canteen staff chipperly announced that Budget Day felt like Christmas this year as TDs and staff filed through.

Turkey and ham, the standard meal for Christmas and funerals felt appropriate as the whole family prepared for the big event.

The Dail chamber, like chapel, filled up as the prayer started and we all got together  Government, opposition and press, like in-laws forced to spend the big day together.

The kids were appropriately penned in, James O'Connor surrounded by Sean Haughey on one side, Patrick O'Donovan on the other and Willie O'Dea behind him, lest he make a run for the opposition benches if the Finance Minister failed to mention Castlemartyr in his speech.

Due to Covid, seating was sparse, with some banished to the seats in the lobby of the chamber, like latecomers to Mass who panicked and threw themselves down in the first seat they saw.

One such Johnny Come Lately was Green junior Minister Joe O'Brien, who, feeling the heat of eyes upon him, took up a random seat and found himself next to Sinn Fein's Martin Browne and Pat Buckley.

Even further back, some TDs were kept in the visitors' gallery. One would only hope these representatives didn't get a complex about their future in politics as they were banished to the cheap seats with Neasa Hourigan and Patricia Ryan.

The leader and wannabe leader of Fine Gael, Leo Varadkar and Simon Harris, entered the room together and greeted the man who couldn't be led, Marc MacSharry, with a fistbump.

With that particular sign of peace over and after we said our prayers, literally it all kicked off.

The Ceann Comhairle, with a straight face that must've burst a vein in his temple, told the room the budget was not to be leaked before the ministers' speeches were concluded, to almost theatrical laughter.

Budget 2022 was so well-flagged it was like East Belfast in July, but we carried on the charade that we hadn't all already seen everything the parents had picked out of the Argos catalogue for us.

During the service, Paschal Donohoe and Michael McGrath, Leinster House's own Fathers Ted and Dougal, told us how good we'd all been all year.

We'd played by the Covid rules and we'd spent our savings when we were allowed out again, and now we'd be getting some treats for our best behaviour.

By the time Pearse Doherty stood up, we'd clearly reached the afterparty section of the evening and like your uncle who loves his party piece, he had all the old classics.

In his 13th year criticising the budget, he rattled off "workers and families", "Irish unity" and "voted for change". Like a medley of The Dubliners at an afters, you're singing along but you've heard it all before.

A mere two and a half hours in, lest we forgot they existed at all, a woman spoke.

Mairead Farrell took to her feet to wake most of us up and give the Government what for on vulture funds, data centres, no breaks for renters... on and on she went.

Sinn Fein's great white hope reminded us that a single person making 30,000 in hospitality will be 115 better off in this budget, while a single person earning 60,000 a year will be 415 richer and all the while, life continues to get more expensive.

The day continued in the same vein. Dougal and Ted fronted the media, told us all that small incremental changes are a good thing, actually, while the opposition raged that those in charge of the savings just didn't buy the right presents.

The thing about getting to see the Santa at the shopping centre is that when everyone gets a present, the presents are never that good.

Like all good family Christmases, we'll have forgotten the row by the morning, the hangover will rattle on for a day or two and we'll be back next year again for the pantomime.
Burma Low-Profile Arms Dealer Continues to Supply Myanmar Militarys Weapons

U Tun Hlaing is the sole supplier of materials needed to produce weapons for Myanmars military.

Since 2010, a low-profile businessman has been involved in buying military equipment and technologies for the Directorate of Defense Industries (DDI), a unit of Myanmars military that produces ammunition and weapons, including armored vehicles and tanks.

The owner of the Singapore-based STE Global Trading Co, U Tun Hlaing, is a close confidant of former Lieutenant General Thein Htay, who served as the head of DDI, sources told The Irrawaddy.

Despite retiring from the military, Thein Htay still advises DDI. He was blacklisted by the US Treasury Department in 2013 for buying military equipment from North Korea in defiance of a United Nations resolution. The sanctions prohibited US citizens from engaging in transactions with Thein Htyay and froze any assets he had in the US.

Thein Htay also joined a delegation led by General Thura Shwe Mann in North Korea in November 2008.

Unlike other arms dealers, U Tun Hlaing does not import weapons for Myanmars military but is the sole supplier of materials and equipment needed to manufacture weapons.

There were reports in mid-February that the Singaporean police detained U Tun Hlaing in response to complaints that his two Singapore-based companies  Excellence Metal Casting and freight firm STE Global Trading  were buying North Korean arms, in violation of international sanctions.

However, according to sources, U Tun Hlaing was not detained in Singapore and is living in Myanmar.

U Tun Hlaing and well-known Myanmar tycoon U Tay Za are also relatives by marriage. In February last year, U Tun Hlaings daughter Ma Thet Hnin Hlaing, managing director of Hong Bao Asia Co, married U Tay Zas son Ko Pyae Phyo Tay Za, managing director of Htoo Group of Companies.

U Tun Hlaing, according to sources, is nearly as rich as U Tay Za, the chairman of Htoo, who has close ties to Myanmars military.

Under the previous military regime in the 2000s, the Htoo Trading Company was involved in timber, transport, tourism, construction, property development, palm oil production and arms deals.

Through his other company, Myanmar Avia Export, U Tay Za procured MI-17 helicopters, MiG-29 fighter jets and aircraft parts for Myanmars military from Russia. The company is Myanmars sole representative for Russias Export Military Industrial Group (Mapo) and Russian helicopter company Rostvertol.

Despite his wealth, U Tun Hlaing has kept a low profile and mostly lives in Singapore, sources told The Irrawaddy. His family previously ran the Water Library, a French restaurant, and the Chinese Hong Bao restaurant on Pyay Road in Yangon.



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Burma Myanmar Military Evacuates Officers Families From Conflict-Hit Northern Township

A military airplane picks up the family members of army officers in Kale Township, Sagaing Region on Monday. / Zalen

Family members of high-ranking military officers have been evacuated from Sagaing Regions Kale Township on military aircraft, according to local residents.

The evacuation came after 3,000 reinforcements and weapons were deployed to the countrys most restive areasSagaing and Magwe regions and Chin Stateto conduct clearance operations against civilian resistance forces.

Considered a strategic township, Kale is surrounded by several military bases and sits on the border of Sagaing and Magwe regions, two resistance hotspots in which the junta has suffered heavy troop losses.

A Kale resident who is close to the military told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday that around 30 family members of high-ranking army officers were flown out on military aircraft on Sunday night.

Another 30 military officers who are believed to be high ranking were also dropped off by a military flight at Kale Airport on Monday, the source said.

On that morning, the military flight reportedly departed from Kale after picking up passengers.

Local people are now concerned about heavy urban firefights, as we are seeing military flights continually landing and taking off, as well as the deployment of artillery at the military bases, the local resident told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday.

In addition to being posted at military bases, many military troops have been deployed across the town, including at junctions, banks, a university, the township hall, colleges, hospitals and checkpoints.

On Monday, a military convoy of more than 40 vehicles including two tanks departed for Chin State from Kale, according to locals.

After being hit by frequent ambushes by civilian resistance fighters from local Peoples Defense Force units, regime troops raided and burned down a number of villages along the Kale-Gangaw Highway in Kale and in Magwe Regions Gangaw Township.

In the last four months alone, the equivalent of two infantry battalions of junta soldiersaround 1,500 troopshave been killed in ambushes by civilian resistance fighters in Sagaing and Magwe regions and Chin State.

One of the juntas most notorious commandersLieutenant General Than Hlaing, the chief of the Myanmar police and the regimes deputy home affairs ministerand another officer, Lieutenant General Tayza Kyaw, have been assigned to the militarys North West Command based in Monywa, Sagaing Region, to lead the militarys operations against the PDFs.

Also, convoys of military reinforcements are now facing fierce ambushes by PDF units in several areas in Sagaing and Magwe.

On Monday, around 30 junta troops including a tactical commander were reportedly killed in Sagaing Regions Pale Township when three military convoys were ambushed by the civilian fighters of the Pale-Peoples Defense Force at three locations in the township, according to the armed group.

Additionally, early on Tuesday morning, two military convoys were ambushed with landmines by PDF groups in two Sagaing townships: Ayadaw and Depayin.

With the exception of Rakhine State, Peoples Defense Force units across the country have stepped up their operations targeting military regime troops since Sept. 7, when the parallel National Unity Government declared a peoples defensive war against the junta.

Meanwhile, the junta has escalated its raids and acts of violence including arbitrary killings, burning down villages and shelling residential areas, especially in Sagaing and Magwe regions and Chin and Kayah states.

Regime forces have also used heavy explosives, jet fighters and helicopters in recent clashes with civilian resistance fighters, who are mostly armed with old-fashioned homemade hunting guns and homemade mines, in Sagaing and Magwe regions and Chin State.



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October 11, 2021



The Idaho State University College of Pharmacy and the Idaho Immunization Coalition will host a drive-through flu shot and COVID vaccine clinic on Saturday, Oct. 16, from 10 a.m.to 2 p.m. at Holt Arena in Pocatello.

Flu shots will be available at no cost to anyone over 6 months of age (the insurer will be billed when applicable).

COVID-19 vaccine will be available at no cost to anyone over 18 years of age (the insurer will be billed when applicable).

For those wishing to be vaccinated, please plan to wear a short sleeved shirt.

We are in the middle of a pandemic and staying as healthy as possible is more important than ever. The flu is the deadliest vaccine preventable illness in the U.S., and everyone is at risk, said Karen Sharpnack, Executive Director of the Idaho Immunization Coalition. This clinic is an easy and free way for people to protect themselves, their families, and their communities from the flu and COVID-19. We hope to see a lot of people there.

We are excited to again partner with the Idaho Immunization Coalition in order to provide flu shots and COVID vaccines for so many people in the Pocatello Chubbuck Community. The College of Pharmacy at Idaho State University has a long-standing tradition of supporting the communities where our campuses are located by offering flu shots, COVID vaccines, diabetes and heart disease screening, cholesterol checks and more to over 12,000 people per year, says Walter L. Fitzgerald, Jr., BPharm, MS, JD, dean for the College of Pharmacy. "Student pharmacists value opportunities to practice these skills, not just to bolster their educational outcomes, but to promote the health and well-being of their fellow community members as well. Operations such as this drive-up clinic that include both the experiential learning component and opportunity to improve public health allow for students and citizens to mutually benefit."
October 11, 2021



A Centennial milestone is a time to celebrate history and contemplate the future. The Idaho State University College of Pharmacy celebrated its rich history with a Centennial Celebration, themed 100 + 1 in 2021, on September 10 and 11.

The event included a Roaring 20s themed gala dinner, lectureships designed for student and faculty development, and the dedication of a Centennial Patio at Leonard Hall. A time capsule with memorabilia from the Colleges first 101 years will be buried there for discovery in 2070, when the College celebrates 150 years.

Since the first discussions of the Centennial Celebration began in 2016, plans included a Centennial Campaign, with a lofty goal of raising $15 million for student scholarships, facility improvement and faculty development.

Walter Fitzgerald, dean for the College of Pharmacy announced for the first time publicly at the celebration that the campaign goal of $15 million was not only achieved, but exceeded. A total of $15.3 million was raised as part of the Centennial Campaign, with nearly $6 million going directly to student scholarships.

Fitzgerald said, We thank Paul Cady, former dean for the College of Pharmacy and Phil Yankovich, development director, for their vision in establishing the capital campaign because such funding provides much needed support for our student pharmacists, alumni, faculty and staff. Our many campaign donors are the true superstars behind our 100 +1 year tradition of excellence in pharmacy education. Said another way, without the support of our donors in the Centennial Campaign and over the years, the College would not be the success story we know today. The support of our donors provides an essential foundation upon which our academic, research, and service programs are built.

The College of Pharmacy at ISU began with three students in 1920 in the basement of Swanson Hall, ISUs first building. After several moves that involved students and faculty hefting equipment, books and supplies manually across campus, Leonard Hall was constructed in 1942, where the College still calls home today. The College expanded classrooms and labs to the Treasure Valley in 2000 and moved to the Sam and Aline Skaggs Health Science Center at ISU-Meridian in 2009. In 2011, faculty members at the University of Alaska, Anchorage identified a need for additional learning environments to prepare pharmacists in their state, and they asked for assistance from ISU. After years of planning and preparation, the two schools built a partnership, and students at the UAA-ISU College of Pharmacy began their coursework in 2016.

In addition to preparing pharmacists for the rigors of the profession, The Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences (BPSCI) is a multidisciplinary unit in the College. The College also added the Department of Clinical Psychopharmacology in 2019, to further the program offerings and provide opportunities for practicing psychologists to enhance their careers.

What will the next 100 years bring? The answer to this question, of course, cannot be fully known. But with current dynamics in healthcare and pharmacy, the coming century will be greatly influenced by what we do over the next few years. The exciting news is that Idaho and the College of Pharmacy are positioned to be very influential.

Paving the roads to be traveled in the next 101 years requires the work of many. One road already being paved is expanded services by pharmacists; initiated by legislative and regulatory advances. The College is paving this road by delivering a PharmD curriculum that enables graduates to practice at the top of their education and training. Aligned with our academic mission is our commitment to work with all stakeholders to develop postgraduate programs and tools for practicing pharmacists seeking to expand their services in Idaho and Alaska.

Identifying more ways to pave this road, and other roads to build, is an opportunity the College enthusiastically accepts. It is hoped that in 2121 our profession will observe that what we collectively set in motion in 2021 has been a major force in shaping pharmacy in the 22nd Century.

Thank you to the alumni and friends of the College who attended the Centennial Celebration and who provided donations or other items to support the Centennial Celebration activities and the Capital Campaign. Here's to another 100 years!






Ithaca, NY (14850)

Today

Variably cloudy with snow showers. Low 31F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 40%..

Tonight

Variably cloudy with snow showers. Low 31F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 40%.
Google Workspace security & Business Value: Dialog's Cloud and Emerging Technologies practice is hosting a webinar on November 18 where leading Google Australia executives will discuss and explain the value, cost savings, and security that Google Workspace can bring to local Australian businesses of all sizes.

WEBINAR INVITE: Google Workspace is Google's productivity and collaboration suite of cloud products. The webinar will be hosted by Glenn Irvine from Dialog Technology and will feature Kate Healy, ANZ head of security for Google Cloud, and Nishkar Maharaj, ANZ enterprise workspace lead, Google. You can register here.

Kate Healy (pictured) will present the unique and highly secure architecture and characteristics of Google Workspace, along with the Google Cloud Platform (GCP) in general, and why it is one of the most secure platforms for business applications on the planet. Googles platform has been assessed by the Australian Government as supporting the protected level of security.

Healy has almost two decades of cybersecurity experience and previously worked for the Commonwealth Bank and Telstra.

Nishkar Maharaj will provide greater detail around the significant business value Google Workspace offers businesses and the cost savings that can be achieved. Maharaj has previously worked for Microsoft.

Host, Glenn Irvine, has led the Dialog Cloud and Emerging Technology practice since 2011 and sits on Googles APAC Workspace advisory board.

Dialog states the presentation is not to be missed by anyone seeking a transformative, secure solution for a hybrid workforce.

You can find more information online and can register here.
GUEST RESEARCH: Workers confidence in the economy has plummeted to its lowest level this year while support for employer-mandated COVID-19 vaccinations and tracking has soared, according to the Elmo Employee Sentiment Index for the September quarter.

The index reveals that workers who rate economic security as not secure has spiked to 30%, an 11-percentage point rise from the June (19%) and March (20%), the highest on record this year.

Workers in Victoria were the highest to report the economy as not secure (34%) and New South Wales on 31%.

Workers are also cautious about the security of their industries. Secure ratings dropped by 5%. There was a four-point rise in workers considering their view as neutral.

Less than half of workers believe that their job is secure with 46% rating their job as secure. This is down on both the March quarter high of 55% and the June quarter rating (47%).

Lockdowns and declining perceptions of economic security may be behind soaring support for tougher COVID-19 measures in the workplace. There has been an eight-point rise (70%) in support among workers who want companies to require their employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 (up from 62% in June).

Workers also reported they are uncomfortable working alongside unvaccinated colleagues, climbing to 58%, a 14-percentage point rise from June.

On the other hand, workers are comfortable with their employer knowing their COVID-19 vaccination and test status. Employers knowing an employees vaccination status is supported by 88% of workers while knowledge of test status is supported by 89% of workers.

Four in five (79%) also support the usage of vaccination passport.

The largest rise has been seen in perceptions of Australias vaccination roll-out with two thirds (66%) of workers believing Australia is on track with its vaccination roll-out. This is up significantly from the June quarter (41%).

Two thirds (66%) believe Australia is on track with its vaccination rollout. This is up significantly from 41% last June.

Lockdowns and feelings of greater insecurity may also be behind a quarter-on-quarter rise in the proportion of workers taking a mental health day. The September quarter saw 16% of workers report taking a mental health day in the past three months. This is up from 14% June and 12% in March.

Elmo Software CEO Danny Lessem says employers need to take heed of the message being sent by workers.

Workers are feeling more insecure than they have at any point so far this year. They are worried about the state of the economy, their industry and their jobs. Its up to employers to try and allay their fears, Lessem stresses.

Lessem attributes the drastic shift in perceived economic security to the lockdowns in New South Wales and Victoria.

When it comes to working with the virus, workers are supportive of their employer introducing tough measures to keep the workplace safe. Whether its mandating vaccinations or tracking vaccination and test status, the great majority of workers are on board, Lessem says.

A tough challenge is emerging for employers. The proportion of workers uncomfortable working alongside unvaccinated colleagues has climbed to 58% of the workforce. This is going to take consultation and a deep dive into the data behind the workforce to understand how to move forward, he says.

The Employee Sentiment Index has also found a double-edged sword for employee well-being and mental health. The proportion of workers taking mental health leave has climbed quarter on quarter this year. While it's positive that people are prioritising their mental health, it is alarming that more and more people are struggling with their mental health, he concludes.

The Elmo Employee Sentiment Index is commissioned by Elmo Software and conducted by independent research firm Lonergan Research each quarter among more than 1,000 geographically dispersed working Australians. The poll data is weighted to the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics data.
The Vital Monitoring System or VMS, co-developed by Deakin University, the National Trauma Research Institute (NTRI), and SaniteX Global, is working with Samsungs Galaxy Watch4 and its ability to monitor vital symptoms so that frontline workers and the wider workforce can safely return to work with a convenient COVID health screening solution.

Samsung Electronics has today announced the trial of the re-open.com solution, Vital Monitoring System (VMS), on the Samsung Galaxy Watch4.

VMS, which recently launched globally in the US, is part of re-open.com, which is a cloud-based platform developed in Australia by Deakin University, NTRI, and SaniteX Global to support the world as it recovers from COVID-19 and into the future. VMS uses both physical health indicators and self-reporting tools to deliver an easy and holistic medical screening tool that is ideal for front-line workers.



Were told the trial will take advantage of the sensors in the Samsung Galaxy Watch4 to enhance the efficiency and convenience of VMS, including the SpO2 sensor and heart rate monitor. The smartwatchs SpO2 sensor enables users to monitor their blood oxygen level, offering clear visuals to assist in tracking.

As part of this trial, Deakin University and NTRI in partnership with Samsung is investigating the use of the Galaxy Watch4 as a standalone device as it currently requires a compatible Android smartphone.

As Australia and the world recovers from the pandemic, with front-line workers the priority and wider workforces to follow, the VMS solution has been designed to give employers and their employees peace-of-mind when it comes to safely returning to the workplace.

So, how does the VMS solution work?

The VMS solution works by the user receiving an SMS message every morning before work, which links to an observation survey, where theyre asked screening questions and questions about their vital symptoms.

This includes temperature, SpO2, heart rate, COVID-19 symptoms including body aches, headaches, or a sore throat, and whether they have been in close contact with anyone who has had, or shown symptoms of having, COVID-19.



Integrating the solution into Samsungs Galaxy Watch4 allows users to carry out the questionnaire using their watch, designed to automatically measure SpO2 and Heart Rate - and apply that to the screening questions. If the user passes the screening, they will receive a QR code which will grant them access to the workplace.



Dr Carl Luckhoff, Acting Director of Emergency at Alfred Health, who has been heavily involved in developing and trialing the VMS solution, said, Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we have been faced with considerable unknowns.

That will continue as we move into the next stages of COVID-19 recovery, however, screening measures will play an imperative role in the recovery process. VMS has been built with that exact purpose in mind and were delighted to partner with Samsung to tap into the capabilities of its Galaxy Watch4, which truly complements the VMS solution.



Danny Mandrides, Head of Enterprise & Government Mobile Business at Samsung Electronics, said, Partnering with Deakin University and SaniteX Global on the VMS solution provides us with an opportunity to help in the quest to return the world to some sort of normality, and thats incredibly exciting.

The Galaxy Watch4s health monitoring capabilities are a perfect match for the VMS solution and will help to improve user experience by automating the collation of key vital measurements needed for its observation survey.

Professor Kon Mouzakis at Deakin University said, In order for the VMS solution to have the scale and usability that we want it to, we need to meet people where they are, on their favourite platforms, and with a seamless ease-of-use. Samsungs Galaxy Watch4 is a perfect device for us to partner with, given its health tracking capabilities  and were delighted that both current and prospective Galaxy Watch users will be able to utlise their device for VMS screening.

David A. Collard, SaniteX Globals Founder & CEO, said, The VMS solution has been built through a strong partnership with Deakin University and Alfred Health from the very first conversation we had with Professor Rajesh Vasa.

Helping facilitate U.S. market access on the re-open.com platform drove the collaborative discussion to broaden VMSs application to health screening. Partnering with Samsung and its global capabilities will see VMS scaled significantly, helping the individuals who wear the Galaxy Watch4 monitor their wellbeing with ease and make the world a safer place.

The solutions strict security measures mean that personal health data is kept secure and confidential. Data is encrypted to employers. The only people who can ever access the data are clinicians to help in the case of people needing treatment and requiring accessing health records. The new screening tool is compliant with the highest standard of health privacy regulations.

About the Galaxy Watch4

For those who need a refresher, the Galaxy Watch4 and Galaxy Watch4 Classic were recently launched, and are the first smartwatches to feature the new Wear OS Powered by Samsung, built jointly with Google, and are equipped with One UI Watch, Samsungs most intuitive user interface yet.

The Galaxy Watch4 is equipped with Samsungs BioActive Sensor, a new 3-in-1 sensor that uses a single chip to precisely run three powerful health sensors  Optical Heart Rate, Electrical Heart and Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis.

This allows users to monitor their heart rate, blood oxygen level, and calculate their body composition for general health and wellness purposes only.

The device is also equipped with blood pressure tracking and TGA-approved electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring, which allows users to take an electrocardiogram reading to display their heart rhythm.

The Galaxy Watch4 series is bolstered with incredible hardware performance and delivers a more seamless and connected user experience than ever before. The new devices have been completely redesigned to provide consumers with the best tools to manage their wellness.

The Galaxy Watch4 series were launched in Australia on September 10, 2021 and are available in both LTE and Bluetooth variants. These smartwatches retail from $399.

About VMS

The Vital Monitoring System (VMS) is a clinically proven risk management technology originally created by world-leading doctors and technology research professionals at Alfred Health and Deakin Universitys Applied Artificial Intelligence Institute (A2I2), and the National Trauma Research Institute (NTRI).

VMS uses algorithms to identify and predict respiratory risk indicators  for all respiratory illness, including COVID-19  based on a users vital signs and responses to health-related questions. VMS collects this information voluntarily and is HIPPA compliant.

VMS is exclusively available through and solely commercialised by re-open.com, a platform hosting a suite of accessible, evidence-based apps helping workplaces and physical environments re-open and stay open, safely and compliantly.
Security provider Certis Security Australia has appointed Kang Song Lim to the role of chief executive.

Kang Song Lim will take over from Tom Roche, who has led Certis Security Australia since it acquired SNP Security in 2018.

Roche is retiring, but will be acting as a senior advisor to the Certis Group.

"My team and I have successfully integrated the SNP and BRI businesses under the Certis Group brand, forging a new and strong Certis for the Australian market," said Roche.

"As a strong advocate of the Certis value proposition and the way we are positively changing the way security is delivered, I have worked with my team to introduce operational, technology-led solutions to the Australian market. Our commitment to the growth and development of our people and this business, rich in culture and history, is something I'm immensely proud of."

Lim brings to Certis more than 30 years of experience in the Asia-Pacific technology industry.

He previously worked for Oracle as managing director of the Singapore operation following a stint as vice president of APAC strategic alliances, for Hyperion as senior director of APAC partner sales and sales operations, and for IBM as financial services sector executive.

Lim serves on the board of trustees for the Singapore University of Technology and Design, and has been a member of government taskforce The Committee on the Future Economy, and ICT sector co-chair of Singapore's TechSkills Accelerator.

He holds a degree in electrical engineering from the National University of Singapore (NUS), and an MBA from the Nanyang Business School at the NUS.

"I am absolutely delighted to join Certis at this opportune moment," said Lim.

"Our technological operations expertise, supported by Certis' global experts and best practices, are uniquely placed to help our Australian customers transform and optimise their operations through industry-leading technology.

In related news, Certis recently appointed Joanna Simpson to the role of general manager of Australian technology.

Simpson and her team's focus is on Certis services such as Security + and Business Process Re-Engineering and Operations to Australian customers, and on developing new technologies to meet the particular needs of the Australian market.
Companies that offer insurance in Australia to cover network attacks, including ransomware incidents, should be prohibited from making any ransom or extortion payments, the Cyber Security Co-operative Research Centre says.

A paper written by Rachael Falk, chief executive of the organisation, and Anne-Louise Brown, its director of Corporate Affairs and Policy, listed this as one of its conclusions after a brief examination of how cyber insurance was working out in other parts of the world.

Falk and Brown said assistance from an insurer should be limited to functions that covered response and recovery.

They found it troubling that some cyber insurance policies in Australia explicitly offer coverage for extortion and ransom payments.

"Most importantly, cyber insurance should not be seen as an organisational cyber security strategy  a panacea to any incidents that may occur," they said.

"Nor should insurers be permitted to pay extortion payments, a trend which has not only fuelled the ransomware trade, but also placed extraordinary pressure on the viability of the cyber insurance industry itself."

That said people will do this when they eventually discover some of the ransomware aligned folks are outside Russia. pic.twitter.com/HKosYQvOhq  Kevin Beaumont (@GossiTheDog) October 11, 2021

The report made no mention of the fact that practically all ransomware attacks are made on systems running Microsoft's Windows operating system. While ransomware for other operating systems like macOS, iOS, Linux and the BSDs, is known to exist, they have so far never figured in any major ransomware attack.

Falk and Brown said there was little known about ransom brokers, companies that offered to negotiate on behalf of ransomware victims and the ransomware gangs that stage the attacks.

"These brokers are hired  sometimes by insurance companies  to negotiate ransom payments and pay ransoms in bitcoin," they wrote. "There is no regulation of such brokers and, concerningly, the legality of their role in the ransomware economy, and their very business model, is questionable."

"In the US, where ransomware brokers operate more visibly, some have spoken about their trade. However, opaqueness reigns. For example, in an interview with Forbes, a negotiator and broker from Coveware would not 'give much away about his negotiating tactics', while insisting the firm had ways to glean information about attackers to determine whether payment was in breach of US sanctioned entity laws.

"In a separate interview, a broker from MonsterCloud said 'we work in the shadows' and use dark web contacts to facilitate negotiation and payment."

Other conclusions from the report:
Macquarie Health Corporation says it is still experiencing "significant impacts" from the ransomware attack that it made public on Thursday last week, though the organisation characterised it as a "cyber incident".

In response to a query from iTWire, a spokesman said on Tuesday: "Fortunately, our recovery process is progressing and our ability to deliver care to our patients and support our clinicians has not been compromised."

The breach was staged by a ransomware gang known as Hive that only attacks systems running Microsoft's Windows operating system.

In a fresh advisory, MHC added: "Thank you to our staff for their hard work continuing to deliver patient-centred care with many of our systems remaining off-line.

"We apologise for any inconvenience this disruption may cause and thank our staff, patients, and clinicians for their patience during this situation."

The Hive gang, which claims to have encrypted the MHC files on 25 September, has not said anything on its website to indicate whether it has approached MHC to negotiate a ransom.

Hive has been described as a double-extortion ransomware group  "making their money off of a two-pronged attack: exfiltrating sensitive data before locking up the victims systems"  that first made its presence known in June this year.

Jim Walter and Juan Andres Guerrero-Saade of security shop SentinelLabs said in a blog post about Hive in August: "The group is notable in its undiscerning choice of targets, having no limits when it comes to healthcare providers and hospitals, as evidenced in a recent attack on Memorial Health System hospitals in Ohio.

"Hive ransomware is written in Go to take advantage of the languages concurrency features to encrypt files faster. Hive remains active with as many as 30 victim companies listed on its Hive Leaks onion site at the time of writing."

Macquarie Health has 12 hospitals which provide surgical procedures, rehabilitation and mental health clinics, skin imaging and dermascopy, medical systems; cosmetic procedures, e-health informatics and data solutions.

The units under its banner are Macquarie Hospital Services, MacRehab, Macquarie Medical Systems, Derma Medical and Machealth eSolutions.

Commenting on the incident, Aparna Sundararajan, [above, right] senior research strategist at specialist research and advisory firm ADAPT, said: "This breach is a reminder that regardless of sector, all organisations are vulnerable to serious security breaches, and will find themselves under attack at some point.

"Ransomware has been the number one cyber security concern for Australian digital leaders over the past few years, and we expect to see threats grow in number and sophistication as criminals target healthcare organisations, often seen as a treasure trove of high-value personal information.

"With healthcare deemed 'Critical Infrastructure' by the Federal Government, we can expect to see tighter cyber security regulation in the future. This will give organisations an even greater imperative to minimise the risk of these attacks.

"To reduce the threat posed by ransomware, security leaders should focus on identifying the most strategic data assets, define an isolation strategy, and adopt measures that offer quick recovery without interrupting normal operations. We have the technology to do so, but it's the security culture at the top that needs prioritising right now.

"We need an open dialogue between organisational leaders and their security teams to build an adequately-funded cyber resilience strategy. Security is everybody's business, and that mindset will help a lot more than holding a small group of people responsible for it all."

Ransomware researcher Brett Callow, who works for the New Zealand-headquartered security shop Emsisoft, told iTWire that ransomware attacks on healthcare providers were insidious.

"They have the potential to impact patient care, possibly resulting in the loss of life. And that's especially true during a pandemic," he added, referring to an article about this on the US site, The Verge.
This Week in Review

A weekly review of the best and most popular stories published in the Imperial Valley Press. Also, featured upcoming events, new movies at local theaters, the week in photos and much more.
Today

Partly cloudy this evening with more clouds for overnight. Low 51F. Winds light and variable.

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening with more clouds for overnight. Low 51F. Winds light and variable.

Tomorrow

Mostly cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy in the afternoon. High 83F. Winds light and variable.
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I am working on Thanksgiving Day.

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The Georgia Historical Society announced recently that Dan Cathy, chairman and CEO of Chick-fil-A, and Shirley Franklin, former mayor of Atlanta and a civic leader, will be inducted by the Georgia Historical Society and Gov. Brian Kemp as the newest Georgia Trustees.
Missouri Independent is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a public charity. It can be found at missouriindependent.com.
Joe Hadsall is the digital editor for The Joplin Globe. He has been the editor of the former Nixa News-Enterprise and has worked for the Christian County Headliner News and 417 Magazine.

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A 100-year-old man is on trial in Germany this month. The man, who has not been named due to German privacy laws, is charged with knowingly and willingly assisting in the of murder of 3,518 people as a former SS guard at Sachsenhausen concentration camp.

He is far from the only elderly defendant to face trial now for crimes committed during the Nazi period. The trial of Irmgard Furchner, 96, a former secretary at Stutthof concentration camp, was to begin last month, but was briefly delayed after Furchner fled from her care home.

Among other recent cases are John Demjanjuk, 89, in 2009; Oscar Groning, 93, the so-called accountant of Auschwitz, in 2015; Johann Rehbogen, 93, in 2018 (his case was later dropped because he was deemed permanently unfit for trial); and Bruno Dey, 93, in 2019. Some, like Furchner, are tried in juvenile courts given their young age at the time of the alleged crimes.

The history of prosecution of Nazi crimes is long and complex. Despite the crimes having occurred decades ago, it is still important to bring these cases to trial today.

1940s: Allied planning and control

In their Declaration of St. Jamess Palace of January 13 1942, allied governments declared it as one of their principal war aims to punish all those guilty of or responsible for war crimes through the channel of organised justice.

The founding of the United Nations War Crimes Commission and the Moscow Declaration on German Atrocities, both in 1943, confirmed these intentions. However, they only covered crimes committed against their own nationals, and none referred to the systematic murder of the Jews.

After the defeat of the Nazi regime, in addition to setting up the International Military Tribunal in Nuremberg, the allies conducted a number of trials for crimes committed against prisoners incarcerated at specific concentration camps on German soil, including Bergen-Belsen, Dachau, Ravensbruck, Sachsenhausen and others. These trials involved SS camp commandants, medical doctors, guards and other staff. Again, the emphasis was on atrocities committed against allied nationals.

1946, at the Nuremberg trial. From left to right, front row, in the dock: Hermann Goering, Rudolf Hess, Joachim Von Ribbentrop, Wilhelm Keitel, Ernst Kaltenbrunner.  Stringer / AFP

In December 1945, the Allied Control Council gave German courts the legal authority to prosecute Nazi crimes committed against German citizens, but they had to follow allied provisions. It was only after the establishment of the two German states in 1949 that German courts were freed of allied supervision.

Eschewing the legal category of crimes against humanity, set by the Nuremberg Trials, they could now apply ordinary German criminal law, which was ill-equipped to deal with state-organised mass murder.

1950s: halfhearted efforts

In West Germany especially, the 1950s were characterised by a sharp decline in Nazi war crimes investigations and trials. Instead, there were campaigns for amnesties and reductions of earlier sentences, many led by former high-level Nazis and supported tacitly by conservative politicians.

Prosecutions lacked any serious or systematic effort, and in both German states the emphasis was more on integration and rehabilitation, with the aim of stabilising their war-torn societies, rather than rigorous investigation of Nazi crimes and atrocities. There was widespread silence about the involvement of ordinary Germans.

This began to change in West Germany following scandals about former Nazis in prominent positions. As the 50s wore on, several new trials spotlighted the horrors and scale of Nazi atrocities. In October 1958, the Central Office for the Investigation of National Socialist Crimes of Violence was set up by state justice ministers, leading to a rapid increase in investigations.

1960s and beyond: more vigorous investigation

The 1961 trial of Adolf Eichmann in Jerusalem, which was televised and broadcast around the world, and the Auschwitz Trials in Frankfurt (1963-1965) brought the Holocaust back into broad public consciousness. The rebellious young generation in West Germany began to question how Germany had dealt with its past.

However, under German law, even murder had a 20-year statute of limitations, meaning prosecutions could not be brought against culprits if 20 or more years had passed since their crime. This was extended to 30 years in 1969, and abolished altogether in 1979 but even then, the exemption only applied to murder, rather than any other crimes. Courts required prosecutors to present evidence that suspects were directly involved in a specific killing.

This meant that many ordinary SS guards, male and female, whose names and whereabouts were known, could not be charged because there was not sufficient evidence for their direct involvement.

Then, during the 2011 trial of John Demjanjuk, a former guard at Sobibor, prosecutors argued that working as a guard at a camp whose only purpose was the extermination of its prisoners, was sufficient for a conviction for accessory to murder.

Defendant John Demjanjuk arrives in a wheelchair at court for his trial on May 12, 2011 in Munich, southern Germany. At the age of 91, he was charged with helping to murder nearly 30,000 Jews in the Sobibor extermination camp.  Christof Stache / AFP

To the surprise of many, the court agreed, setting an important legal precedent  now, anyone who played a part in running the machinery of murder could be put on trial. The principle, later extended to cover concentration camps as well, is much more appropriate for the way crimes were committed at Nazi death camps, where it is often all but impossible to pinpoint direct involvement in the killings to a specific person. If it had been applied earlier, many more concentration camp guards could have been prosecuted.

Prosecutors rushed to try and bring people to justice. However, despite the headlines that each case created, few have actually stood trial since Demjanjuk. This is not surprising, given the fact that the crimes were committed almost 80 years ago, and only very few of those involved in any way are still alive.

Go over that again

Lawyers for the victims and their descendants argue that justice must be served, no matter how late. But it is questionable how much justice is done when nonagenarians get prison sentences which they do not have to serve because of ill health.

However, these trials provide a different kind of justice, beyond attributing responsibility. As the allies hoped with Nuremburg, these trials can educate the public about the nature and reach of the Nazi regime. This is particularly important at a time when antisemitism is rising and the number of Holocaust survivors is getting ever smaller.

For many, the atrocities the Nazis committed seem long ago and unrelated to their daily reality. The trials remind everyone that these atrocities did happen, that they happened within living memory, and not just at Auschwitz but at a multitude of locations across Europe.

Former concentration camp guard Bruno Dey said at his 2020 trial:

I want to forget and not go over that again.

This feeling is no doubt shared by many Germans. Recent surveys indicate that about one in five Germans believe that the Holocaust gets too much attention, and around 75% of supporters of the right-wing populist party Alternative for Germany think Germans should stop obsessing over Nazi crimes.

These late trials force everyone, not just the actual perpetrators but also bystanders and younger generations, to go over that again  to listen to what victims and their descendants experienced, no matter how patchy their memories might have become. While uncomfortable, this is vital for Germanys democratic political culture. The greatest justice to all victims of Nazi persecution that these trials can provide is to trouble and disturb all of us and prevent these crimes from being denied, trivialised or fading into insignificance.

RAINER SCHULZE Rainer Schulze is Professor of Modern European History at the University of Essex (United Kingdom) and Member (2011-2013 Director) of the Human Rights Centre. He has specialised in twentieth-century German history, the history of Bergen-Belsen and the history of genocides and forced migrations in twentieth-century Europe. His current projects are on Holocaust and Memory and on Unheard Voices: the Roma in twentieth-century Europe.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons licence. It has been slightly modified by Justice Info with the authors permission. Read the original article.
A Malian jihadist apologised on Tuesday for his role in destroying the fabled shrines of Timbuktu as he asked judges at the International Criminal Court to release him from prison.

Ahmad al-Faqi al-Mahdi, who was sentenced to nine years imprisonment in 2016, was a changed man who had learned to play guitar and to sew while in jail, his lawyer told the ICC.

I stand before you today to express to the whole world my remorse, my sadness and my regret for all the crimes I have committed in the past and the damage resulting from these crimes, al-Mahdi told the court.

I assure you that I have completely separated myself from the world of crime and I will never return, added al-Mahdi, who had cut his long curly hair short and shaved his beard for the hearing.

Al-Mahdi was the first person to be convicted by the ICC for the war crime of attacking a nations cultural heritage, over the destruction of the UNESCO world heritage site at Timbuktu.

The town was occupied by the jihadist group Ansar Dine, one of the Al-Qaeda-linked groups which controlled Mali for around 10 months in 2012 before being driven out by a French-led international intervention.

They took pickaxes to 14 of the towns famous mausoleums of Muslim saints.

Mr al-Mahdi has spent six years in detention and during those six years, he has become a much better person he is not the same person he was when he arrived in The Hague, his lawyer Mohamed Aouini told the court.

He has learned French, English, computers and maths in the detention centre; he has learned to cook, to sew, and to play piano and guitar, he said.

Prosecutors said they would be inclined to look favourably on a reduction in his sentence.

The ICC has estimated the value of the damage caused by al-Mahdi at 2.7 million euros ($3.1 million).
LAFAYETTE  The 14th annual Boudin Cook-off and Acadiana Bacon Fest celebrates the solid culinary heritage of the region with a family-friendly event open to all. The boudin and bacon teams hail from every part of Louisiana and some from as far away as Texas. You can expect to sample delicious food from Acadian Slice Pies, the Acadian Superette, Bayou Boys Poboys, Best Burgers Lafayette, Boscos Specialty Meats, Boudin by Jamison, Broddus Burgers, Cravin Boudin, Chops Specialty Meats, DezMeauxs Country Boudin, Insane Sausages, Kartchners Specialty Meats, Kernis Louviere, Lazy Dayz Boudin, Prison City Boudain, T-Jims Grocery, T. Moise Farms, Vautrots Mini Mart,and Youngest Boudin. Its an unbelievable line-up of culinary masters, declares Robert Carriker, the event coordinator since 2007. Its been a tough year and a half. Lots of businesses still face employment and supply issues, but we are thrilled to have such a remarkable group of cooks, says Carriker.

In addition to tons of boudin, festival-goers can expect to eat Cajun roast pig street tacos, fried shrimp with bacon Alfredo sauce, Steens sausage stuffed jalapenos wrapped in bacon, boudin balls wrapped inbacon, bacon-infused baked beans, chocolate and bacon dipped pretzels, bacon mac-and-cheese, and more. Carriker proudly explains that there will even be a healthy option with an amazing broccoli and bacon salad. This one-of-a-kind food experience that Gourmet Magazine featured as one of the top tenfood festivals in the country is a must for the area's foodies. "We have been doing the boudin cookoff since 2007, and we just keep finding new ways to make it better and more welcoming, says Carriker.

Every team will sample their special boudin and bacon creations while putting their skills in front of a panel of judges and before the public via the coveted Peoples Choice awards. One champion will be crowned Best Boudin in Louisiana. The days full schedule includes the worlds only boudin ball eating contest and the worlds only boudin and bacon eating contest. Live music from The Babineaux Sisters, Major Handy, and the Blue Monday All-Stars plays throughout the day. Free ice cream sandwiches are handed out in the afternoon, and free games and fun jumps provide the young and the young-at-heart with amusement.

The full schedule and full lineup of culinary teams are available on www.boudinicookoff.com and the events Facebook page at Boudin Cook-off. Proceeds go to the Blue Monday Missions initiative to raise funds for local musicians in times of need.
The Overland Park Police Department offense report just came to light, but was filed by Principal David Ewers on Nov. 8 at 1 p.m., a couple of hours after hundreds of students walked out while holding signs saying things like, "Protect the victims, not the assailants," "It's not a joke," and
"Lovers of the Red Sky" episode 11 featured an unfortunate event in the lives of Kim Yoo Jung and Ahn Hyo Seop's character.

'Lovers of the Red Sky' Episode 11 Highlights: Ha Ram Arrested for Suspicious Killings

The latest episode began with a dramatic situation for Ha Ram (Ahn Hyo Seop) as he was arrested in front of Hong Cheon Gi by Prince Yang Myeong (Gong Myung) with his royal guards.

It came after the grand prince received a report citing that a body was found lifeless and suspects Ha Ram for the murder.

Meanwhile, Hong Cheong Gi tries to stop the guards from getting the blind astrologer and tells the prince that there might be a mistake.

Initially, Ha Ram defended himself and insisted that he had nothing to do with the crime; however, seeing that the royal guards surrounded them, he peacefully came with them leaving Hong Cheon Gi devastated.

"Thank you for that," he tells the royal painter.

Hong Cheong Gi Met the Demon King

After falling ill due to tense circumstances, Hong Cheong Gi had a dream about the royal painting.

She sees the late King Young Jong (Jeon Gook Hwan) looking at him while transforming as the demon king.

Upon waking up from the bad dream, Cheon Gi went to her father and told him that she'd be the one restoring the royal painting that he once drew.

Moreover, she also asked the guidance from her father, saying, "help me just this once so I can finish it."

In this way, she can help Ha Ram and seal the demon king that lingers in the astrologer's body.

Prince Yang Myeong Asks Ha Ram to Attend the Sealing Ceremony

In "Lovers of the Red Sky" episode 11, everyone knew about Ha Ram's alter ego and his possible connection with a slew of mysterious deaths.

The grand prince had a serious talk with the blind astrologer and mentioned the sealing ceremony.

Ha Ram will agree to be at the sealing ceremony on one condition--to ensure the palace, especially the grand prince, that nothing terrible will happen to Hong Cheon Gi.

The astrologer tells the grand prince that every artist who finishes the royal painting ends in a deep curse, just like Cheon Gi's father.

Ha Ram's revelation surprised Prince Yang Myeong and thought that he was putting the royal painter in danger and was caught up in a big decision--to stop the restoration, or Hong Cheon Gi will suffer.

Ha Ram Gets Warned

At the cell, an old man next to Ha Ram spoke about his father, and it seems that he also knew the astrologer.

He then mysteriously warned him about the divine painting, referring to Hong Cheon Gi saying that people will swarm the prison, including the person who will hold his hand.

"Someone who can save or destroy you," he tells the astrologer, adding, "You must hold her hand."

Ha Ram eagerly asked for more information, but the old man refused to answer.

Hong Cheong Gi Gets Arrested

In hopes to see Ha Ram, the divine painter, snuck into the police bureau with the help of his friends, Cha Young Wook and Choi Jung.

Unfortunately, the royal guards busted their disguise and plans, prompting them to arrest the painters.

At the cell, Ha Ram was surprised to see Cheon Gi next to him.

She tells him about the demon king, saying that she is also responsible for Ma Wang manifesting in Ha Ram's body.

"When you and I come in contact, the demon manifests itself," Cheon Gi said.

Surprised with her revelation, Ha Ram is still concerned with Cheon Gi restoring the painting.

KDramastars owns this article

Written by Geca Wills
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday issued an executive order banning all state entities, including private employers, from enforcing vaccine mandates, the latest escalation in the Republican's resistance to public health measures during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The order states that "no entity in Texas" can enforce vaccination against anyone in the state who objects "for any reason of personal conscience, based on a religious belief, or for medical reasons, including prior recovery from COVID-19," according to a news release from the governor's office.

"The COVID-19 vaccine is safe, effective, and our best defense against the virus, but should remain voluntary and never forced," Abbott said in a statement.

Abbott also called on the Texas state Legislature to pass a law with the same effect. The executive order would be rescinded upon the passage of such legislation, the governor's office said.

The executive order is just the latest action from Abbott meant to hamper the adoption of public health measures that experts say are necessary to curb the pandemic. The Texas governor, who contracted Covid-19 in August, has previously banned government vaccine mandates, vaccine passport requirements and school districts from requiring masks.

"Too many Texans have been sidelined from employment opportunities. Too many small business owners have struggled to pay their bills. This must end. It is now time to open Texas 100%," Abbott said in March when he lifted the state's mask mandate.

His policies have drawn the ire of President Joe Biden, who has elevated vaccine mandates as an important tool to contain the pandemic and prevent future outbreaks.

"We're facing a lot of pushback, especially from some of the Republican governors. The governors of Florida and Texas are doing everything they can to undermine the life-saving requirements that I've proposed," Biden said in a speech last month specifically calling out Abbott and Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida.

"This is the worst kind of politics because it's putting the lives of citizens of their states, especially children, at risk. And I refuse to give in to it," the President said at the time.

The-CNN-Wire

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MEDFORD, Ore.  With sustained lower temperatures and rising moisture across southern Oregon, US Forest Service officials at the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest announced Tuesday that fire restrictions will be lowered effective Wednesday morning.

Within the RRSNF, fire danger ratings drop from "Moderate" to "Low" on all ranger districts. The Industrial Fire Precaution Level (IFPL) is also being changed to "Open Season," which means no restrictions.

With the consistently cooler weather and precipitation received, we are now comfortable lifting all public use restrictions and IFPLs that have been in place, said RRSNF assistant fire staff officer Mike McCann.

All campfire restrictions will also be lifted, including those within the boundaries of the Wild section of the Rogue National Wild and Scenic River from Grave Creek to the mouth of Watson Creek.

The federal Bureau of Land Management administers the stretch of the Rogue River from Grave Creek to Marial, with fire protection from the Oregon Department of Forestry. The Forest Service manages areas from Marial downriver to the mouth of Watson Creek.

Fire danger levels on ODF-protected lands in Jackson and Josephine counties dropped to "Low" last Wednesday.
GRANTS PASS, Ore.  With an election looming early next month, Josephine County officials are hoping to hold onto the modest law enforcement gains they've made since 2017 by renewing a levy to fund the adult jail and juvenile detention center for another five years.

Sheriff Dave Daniel met with the Board of County Commissioners on Tuesday to discuss the levy and underline what he sees as the vital importance of keeping it in place.

"We're happy with what the citizens have provided us, we're satisfied with what they've provided us. We're able to pull a little bit out of the General Fund to support that effort and keep this system whole," Daniel said.

The Josephine County Sheriff's Office all but collapsed in 2012, when funding for the agency bottomed out  forcing the agency to cut more than two-thirds of its staff, reduce available beds at the jail, shut down its detective division, and essentially halt deputy patrols in the county. Responses, when they happened, were almost exclusively for violent crimes.

When the jail levy passed in 2017, it was the first real bright spot for the Sheriff's Office in five years. With the jail and juvenile detention facility financially supported, the agency began a gradual recovery and re-expansion of services: the hiring of more patrol deputies, the relaunch of the resident deputy program, the addition of new equipment like dashcams, and expanded patrol hours. Just this week, the agency announced that it has revived its detective and K-9 divisions.

Since the levy, Sheriff Daniel said Tuesday, the agency has abandoned the most egregious "catch and release" tactics that were common during the worst of the crisis.

"It absolutely does not happen anymore, and I can tell you personally I've done that  that's the reason I ran for Sheriff, you're either part of the solution or part of the problem, and I was not going to sit back complacent and allow that to take place in Josephine County anymore," Daniel said. "We classify the individuals when they come in. We have more homicide suspects than we've ever had in our Josephine County Jail. They're staying. We have the pre-trials for the sex offenses  they're staying."

Sheriff Daniel acknowledged that those accused of more minor offenses are often released quickly from the jail, but he says the rate at which alleged offenders are admitted to the jail or released is not uncommon throughout the state, if not the nation. He went on to say that, to his knowledge, the Josephine County Jail is the only facility in the state currently intaking everyone arrested for a chargeable offense, even if they are released in a matter of hours.

"You're not seeing that anywhere else, nor the capacity we're at or the percentage of capacity that we're at, anywhere else in the state of Oregon," Daniel said.

For Josephine County property owners, renewing the levy would mean no change on their taxes  it would simply maintain the rate of $0.93 per $1,000 of assessed value that the original levy added when it passed in 2017. Still, in a county notorious for wanting to keep taxes low, it may not be such an easy sell to maintain the status quo.

"When we have that low tax rate  and we work very hard to keep that low $0.58," said Commissioner Dan DeYoung, referring to the County's base tax rate, "because that's what the voter wanted on the property tax side  guess what? We're going to strive to do that."

"We're really doing a lot with a little," agreed Commissioner Darin Fowler. "And I think the taxpayer appreciates that. But we've got to articulate it as well and say it out loud  we're not a fully-funded County, we are tied for last as far as tax rate and base rate. But we've almost gotten comfortable with that, living on this shoestring budget and doing the best we can, and stretching our folks ... stretching and stressing those folks, paying overtime sometimes, just to make things happen in our county."

All three commissioners expressed their support for renewing the levy.

The levy renewal measure will appear on ballots for the upcoming November 2 election. It pledges to maintain the current inmate capacity at the adult jail and at the juvenile detention center, as well as cover related administrative expenses.
MEDFORD, Ore. -- Oregon Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden Introduced legislation meant to protect 4,700 miles of Oregon rivers, calling it the River Democracy Act.

The bill was brought forward in February 2021 and has yet to be passed.

This came following the nomination of more than 15,000 rivers and streams by nearly 2,500 Oregonians.

A growing number of businesses from across Oregon are supporting Sens. Wyden and Merkleys initiative, and are urging Congress to pass the bill.

A letter released in late September was signed by businesses from every corner of the state ranging from outdoor recreation outfitters to mom and pop shops."

The letter reads in part, "The Oregon economy relies heavily on outdoor recreation, for which clean water and a healthy environment are necessary. Restaurants, hotels, guides, and outdoor adventure stores all rely on protected waters and lands to draw tourism to our state.

Priscilla Macy, Executive Director of Oregon Outfitters & Guides Association, brought the letter to Newswatch 12's attention. She says outdoor recreation is the backbone of Oregons economy.

"According to a recent study by travel Oregon, 95% of Oregonians participate in outdoor recreation each year so we know that the number is growing."

In 2019 alone, Oregonians and out-of-state travelers spent $15.6 billion on outdoor recreation and related expenses, supporting 224,000 jobs.

Having healthy rivers is key to our fifty-five year old Oregon business, said Zac Kauffman of Sawyer Paddles & Oars in Gold Hill. Now more than ever, people seek to visit the rivers, lakes, and streams of our region, and by protecting Southern Oregons rivers, Senators Wyden and Merkley are investing in the economic engine that makes our state run.

Currently, only 2% or 2,173 miles of the states 110,000 miles of rivers are protected as Wild and Scenic, and the River Democracy Act would increase that to 6%.

The roughly 200 businesses who signed the letter today come in addition to the over 50 breweries who sent a letter earlier this summer in support of the legislation.
SALEM, Ore.  Many state taxpayers will receive a surplus tax credit from Oregon's idiosyncratic "kicker" program, the Oregon Department of Revenue confirmed on Tuesday, thanks to a tax surplus of nearly $1.9 billion.

Instead of getting separate kicker checks, the surplus will materialize as a credit on taxpayers' 2021 state personal income tax returns when they file in 2022.

To calculate the amount of your credit, you can multiply your 2020 tax liability before any credits, which appears on line 22 of form OR-40, by 17.341%. Taxpayers who claimed a credit for tax paid to another state would need to subtract the credit amount from their liability before calculating the credit.

A "What's My Kicker?" calculator is also available on Revenue's website. To calculate your kicker, you enter your name, Social Security Number, and filing status for 2020 and 2021.

"You're eligible to claim the kicker if you filed a 2020 tax return and had tax due before credits," Revenue said in a statement. "Even if you don't have a filing obligation for 2021, you still must file a 2021 tax return to claim your credit."

There will be detailed information on how to claim your credit in the 2021 Oregon personal income tax return instructions: Form OR-40 for full-year Oregon residents, Form OR-40-P for part-year residents, and Form OR-40-N for nonresidents. Composite and fiduciary-income tax return filers are also eligible.

"Keep in mind that the state may use all or part of your kicker to pay any state debt you owe, such as tax due for other years, child support, court fines, or school loans," Revenue continued.

Free tax preparation services are available for low- to moderate-income taxpayers through AARP and CASH Oregon. United Way also offers free tax help through their MyFreeTaxes program. There are free or low-cost preparation options available for both federal and Oregon tax returns. Some software companies offer free software use and e-filing for eligible taxpayers.
GRANTS PASS, Ore.  After deploying a SWAT team to a residential area on the south side of Grants Pass on Monday, police arrested a man suspected of murdering someone over the weekend.

According to the Grants Pass Police Department, law enforcement received a report of a disturbance in the 800-block of NE D Street shortly after 10 p.m. on Sunday, indicating that a man had been "severely injured." When officers arrived at the scene, they found 49-year-old Cole Osborne suffering from a life-threatening wound.

AMR crews brought Osborne to Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center, where he later died from his injury.

Detectives began looking for leads on the person who had injured Osborne. Grants Pass Police said that 43-year-old Jeremy Garcia was identified as the suspect, and he had fled from the scene to a home near the intersection of Cloverlawn Drive and Swarthout Drive.

On Monday, officers and the Grants Pass Police SWAT team deployed to the area, reportedly taking Garcia into custody without an issue. Roads in the area were shut down temporarily between Ben Aire and Haviland. Garcia was taken to the Josephine County jail on second-degree murder and unlawful use of a weapon charges.

"The Grants Pass Police Department would like to thank Oregon State Police Detectives and Oregon State Police Forensics, as well as numerous citizens in the community, for their assistance in this investigation," the agency said in a statement.

According to court documents, Garcia is also a fugitive from Idaho, and the other state intends to seek extradition. He has been charged in Idaho with probation violation elude, driving without privileges, resisting, and obstructing.

Anyone with more information on the case is asked to call the Grants Pass Police non-emergency number at 541-450-6260.
Interior Health has the highest percentage of employees who failed to comply with a Monday deadline to get vaccinated against COVID-19, Health Minister Adrian Dix announced Tuesday. Seven percent of IH staff are now on unpaid leave.
Two people associated with the county jail system  a corporal who worked in detentions for the Kenosha County Sheriffs Department and a Kenosha man who had been in custody for months for a child support issue  died of COVID-19 on the same day last week.

According to the Sheriffs Department, Cpl. Christopher Basina, a 23-year veteran of the department, died of COVID on Oct. 8. Sgt. David Wright said it was the departments first COVID death.

The department put out a statement about Basinas death on social media.

The KSD considers it an honor to have served alongside Corporal Basina for the past 23 years, and he will be missed by many, the statement read.

Wright said Basina worked as a supervisor at the Kenosha County Detention Center on 88th Avenue throughout his career with the department.

On the same day Basina died, a man who had been serving a court-ordered commitment for failing to pay child support died at a local hospital after contracting COVID at KCDC.

Michael Osborn, 40, had been jailed for contempt of court on April 25, ordered to serve 180 days in jail after failing to take part in a court-ordered program for parents and for failing to stay current on his child support payments.

Wright said Osborn was transferred to the hospital from KCDC on Sept. 26 after contracting COVID while in custody. The court ordered him released from his contempt commitment on Oct. 1. According to Osborns girlfriend, Raven Hermanson, Osborn was already on a ventilator at the hospital by that time.

Hermanson, who lived with Osborn, said she wasnt sure how much child support money her boyfriend had owed for his two children from a previous relationship. According to court records, he would have been released from jail if he had been able to post $2,500.

I know it wasnt enough for him to die over, Hermanson said.

High-risk environment

People housed in jails and prisons  and the staff who work with them have been at high risk of COVID exposure during the pandemic because of the confined conditions. According to the COVID Prison Project, which has been tracking cases nationwide throughout the pandemic, as of Oct. 11 there had been about 430,000 cases among incarcerated people nationwide, with 2,615 deaths, and 115,500 cases, with 224 deaths, among facility staff.

In Kenosha County, the Sheriffs Department, which operates the jail system, implemented a series of changes to try to limit the spread of the virus at the beginning of the pandemic. Those included limiting transfers between facilities, switching to video court appearances, cutting back on taking people into custody for non-violent offenses and mask mandates. The department also ended its long-term contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in March 2020, because it no longer wanted to accept ICE detainees as part of efforts to limit the spread of the virus into the jails.

Despite those precautions, at one point in May 2020 about 20 percent of people housed at KCDC and the pretrial facility tested positive in facility-wide testing. After months of quarantines and other precautions, the virus was brought under control at the jails, and some of the restrictions put in place were eased.

Then last month, after as many 15 inmates and staff tested positive at KCDC, the department issued a series of new precautions to try to stop the spread.

When we get a positive case, were going to take the necessary precautions to make sure we dont spread it, Wright said.

He said that the department ended transfers between the pretrial facility and KCDC, stopped moving staff between the two facilities, ended professional visitation for quarantine dorms and shifted court appearances for people housed at KCDC to video appearances whenever possible.

All non-essential activity suspended until further notice, stated a Sept. 19 email from detention leadership.

Follows trends in community

The increase in cases at the jails this fall mirrored the increase in cases in the community in general.

According to county data from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, the spread of the virus had dropped sharply early in the year as vaccines became widely available. New positive tests had fallen to a seven-day average of as low as two cases during the summer. But in late August, cases began to spike once again, with the seven-day average rising to 87 in mid-September before again beginning to fall in October.

Although cases have started to decline in the county, a fall in death rates tends to lag the fall in cases. According to state data, the number of COVID deaths in the county continued to rise in September and October after having been flat since May. Between May 1 and Sept. 1, just 15 people died in the county of COVID. Between Sept. 1 and Oct. 10, there were 25 deaths.

According to Centers for Disease Control data, people who are not vaccinated are more than 10 times more likely to die of COVID than vaccinated people who contract the virus.

Voluntary vaccination

While the Sheriffs Department has a series of measures in place to try to stop the spread of COVID, vaccination for both staff and inmates is voluntary. Wright said there was no data available on the percentage of staff and of people housed at the facilities who have been vaccinated.

According to county data, 48 percent of county residents are fully vaccinated, well below the national rate of 57 percent.

I think the jail is trying to keep people safe, said a defense attorney working in Kenosha County.

At the same time, she said, clients she works with that are housed at the jails feel vulnerable, are subject to segregation which comes with its own issues because of COVID precautions, and often say they feel like they are not getting information about the presence of the virus at the facilities.

The precautions also make it tougher for clients to work with attorneys on their cases.

Access to them has been very limited because of this. We can only do phone calls and through the glass, the defense attorney said.

A quick decline

According to the court records, Osborn, the KCDC inmate who died from COVID, did not have an attorney when he was jailed on the contempt order, which was associated with a 2013 divorce case. He had been ordered as part of that divorce to pay $175 a month in child support for his children.

Only sporadically employed, Osborn was in arrears by more than $18,000 by June 2019. The court record shows the contempt order sending him to jail came after he failed to show up for a series of hearings about his late payments and after he failed to take part in a court-ordered state program for parents with a history of failing to pay child support. Although he had made 11 payments toward his child support bill after December 2020, he was ordered to jail in March after he again failed to show up for a court hearing.

Osborns longtime friend, Mike Johnson, who owns Fade City Barbershop in Uptown, just a few doors away from Osborn and Hermansons apartment, said Osborn loved his kids but had little money.

Mikes lived in this neighborhood since he was a kid. Mike was a true-blue Uptowner, Johnson said, adding that he and Osborn had been friends since they attended elementary school together.

Johnson said Osborn had a rough childhood and sometimes struggled, supporting himself through a series of temporary jobs.

Mike was no troublemaker, Mike was a cool guy, Johnson said.

When he found he had been ordered to spend 180 days in jail, Osborn turned himself in to the Sheriffs Department. While in jail, he took part in the county work crew to try to pay off his debt.

He just sat the time, because he said he had more time than money, Johnson said.

Hermanson said she got a message from Osborn from jail saying he had been diagnosed with COVID.

The next day I got a call from his sister that he was in the hospital, Hermanson said. I was able to talk to him the next day. It was the last day I was able to hear his voice.

She said she was told that another person housed at KCDC had alerted staff to how sick Osborn was before he was transferred to the hospital.

Another person went and told them hes not doing good, he needs to go to the hospital, Hermanson said, adding that person told staff that Osborn had been lying on the floor at KCDC and unable to get up.

Soon after he was hospitalized, Hermanson said, Osborn was placed on a ventilator. Because of COVID restrictions, she said, she was not allowed to see him at the hospital.

His sister gave me a call and said he wasnt doing good, that it wasnt looking good. About an hour later I got a call that they were bringing a chaplain, Hermanson said. And an hour later I got a call that he died.

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MOUNT PLEASANT  Roland Bud Pater is celebrating his 106th birthday as perhaps the oldest living World War II veteran in Wisconsin.

Two visitors from the Veterans Affairs in Milwaukee marked the occasion Monday by attending Paters birthday party in Mount Pleasant and delivering personal regards.

Ann Knabe and Darcie Greuel brought Pater a birthday cake and two challenge coins, which are medallions shared with military members to commemorate good conduct or individual achievement.

What an honor, Greuel said after meeting Pater. Its like walking back in time.

Pater, who was born in 1915, spent his 106th birthday Monday, Oct. 11, surrounded by friends and well-wishers at home, sharing memories of his childhood and his military service.

Right now, Im happy, he said to those gathered around him. So many nice people.

Few remain

Paters historic birthday comes as American World War II veterans are dwindling in numbers every day, from an original 16 million who served to just 240,000 remaining.

According to the National World War II Museum in New Orleans, an average of 234 are dying every day from among those who served in the war fought between the years 1939 and 1945.

Wisconsin has fewer than 4,400 WWII vets remaining. And although nobody is quite sure, officials at the museum and the Department of Veterans Affairs believe Pater is among the oldest left in Wisconsin  if not the oldest.

Pioneer

He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1939 and served in the Army Air Corps, the predecessor to the U.S. Air Force.

Knabe, a colonel in the Air Force Reserves, said she feels especially drawn to Pater knowing that he represents the early days of the Air Force while she represents the modern Air Force.

Its fascinating to make this connection, she said. I see this as part of my heritage.

Greuel, a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserves, said she traveled to Mount Pleasant with Knabe for Mondays party because she wanted to meet the man who could be Wisconsins oldest remaining WWII vet.

The visiting dignitaries, in their 50s, work in the VA complex in Milwaukee. Both wore military uniforms as a show of respect for Pater, who served in Europe and participated in both the landing at Omaha Beach and the Battle of the Bulge.

Its incredible, Greuel said. It just makes my heart sing to know that he just hugged me.

Born in Racine, Pater graduated from Park High School in 1933.

He told the crowd at his birthday party that he enjoyed model airplanes as a child, and he later joined the Boy Scouts, and sold magazines and delivered newspapers to raise money during the Great Depression.

I wanted to do everything, he said of his youth.

Once in the military, he initially wanted to become a pilot. When he realized he was not cut out for flying, he became a mechanic who worked to keep Army pilots airborne, leading the United States and its allies to victory over Adolph Hitler and Germany.

A lifelong fan of motorcycles, Pater operated a Harley-Davidson dealership in Racine in the 1960s and 70s.

His wife, Evelyn, died in the 1990s, and he now lives in Mount Pleasant with Keith Kaydo, a former son-in-law who has remained close friends with Pater for more than 40 years.

Kaydo described his longtime friend as polite and honest with a lively sense of humor.

Hes like a father to me  sort of like a grandfather, Kaydo said.

Other friends who joined the 106th birthday party recalled getting to know Pater through his motorcycle dealership.

Gerry Gallo, 87, of Kenosha, said he started out buying parts from Pater for a motorcycle, but he later ended up working for Pater.

Hes a great guy, a great person, Gallo said.

Richard Bohaczek, 81, of Somers, said he, too, was a Harley-Davidson customer who become friends with Pater. Bohaczek said he can hardly believe that Pater has lived to 106.

Unbelievable, Bohaczek said. He must be doing something right.

Pater entertained the crowd with stories of his days in the military, including when he was stationed briefly in Puerto Rico. He enjoyed the hot, sunny weather so much that he wanted to ride his motorcycle.

So, he persuaded a friend back in Wisconsin to somehow ship Paters motorcycle to Puerto Rico.

If you want to do something, you could do it, Pater said. Asked by others in the crowd about his secret to longevity, Pater said, That I dont know.

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RANDALL  More than 100 veterans, community members and military dignitaries took park Tuesday in the first of what will be generations of ceremonies in the dedication of the Honor Plaza at Kenosha County Veterans Memorial Park in Randall.

This memorial is meant to be a living memorial, one that people from Kenosha and all around our country will come to reflect, to learn, to express their gratitude and to remember our veterans, keynote speaker Vice-Admiral Dirk Debbink (ret.) said.

Debbink painted a picture of retired veterans strolling, hand-in-hand with their children, at the new Honor Plaza and flag walk at the park, 36290 Bassett Road. The walk features flags from each of the branches of military.

I hope for many years to come, you will bring friends here, guest speaker Army Master Sgt. Robert Livingston (ret.) of Twin Lakes said. Our post, post 544, has participated in doing final gravesite ceremonies for 68 veterans. I wish they could have seen this park and seen the dedication.

Following the ceremony, several attendees reminisced about late loved ones who they wish could have lived to see the opening of this new ceremonial space, dedicated to honoring those whove served.

Dan Fluck of Salem, a Navy veteran, said he will be excited to watch as the memorial park continues to develop.

This is going to be a beautiful park where people can come and reflect, Fluck said.

Veterans in attendance at the ceremony were honored as the Great Lakes Navy Band performed a medley of military marches. Wilmot Union High School Band members opened and closed the ceremony with patriotic hymns.

This is the first memorial Ive been to with the Space (Force) flag and the first time I have also heard the Space Force anthem, Debbink noted.

Former County Board Supervisor Dennis Elverman, who was instrumental in helping secure the parkland from a reclaimed gravel pit, said the park is more awe-inspiring than he could have imagined.

It took my breath away the first time I saw this set the way it is, Elverman said of the Honor Plaza.

Large park

Kenosha County Parks Director Matt Collins, who spoke on behalf of County Executive Jim Kreuser, unable to attend, said the Honor Plaza is the first memorial installment in the western acquisition area of the park. The entire 300-plus-acre park also includes 45-acre Freedom Lake, reclaimed prairies, wetlands and remnant oak savannas.

As you look out at these vistas, it becomes clear that this is a place that inspires calm and contemplation, Collins said. That is why it was clear to us that this should be a place to honor our veterans.

In addition to the flag walk and ceremonial lawn, work completed this year includes the parkway leading to it and the addition of three more miles of multi-use trail. Development was partially funded through a Wisconsin Department of Resources Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program grant.

Future phases include plans for educational installments on various conflicts and a series of pavilions located throughout the park to pay tribute to each branch of the military.

Director of Veterans Services Ali Nelson, who served as the master of ceremonies, and others who spoke thanked everyone involved in the development of the park and the County Board of Supervisors, many of whom were in attendance, for their support.

Nelson said the ribbon ceremony served to officially dedicate the Honor Plaza and Veterans Memorial Park to all military personnel  active, reserves and veterans past and present.

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Ketchikan, AK (99901)

Today

Cloudy with rain and snow. Low around 35F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precip 50%..

Tonight

Cloudy with rain and snow. Low around 35F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precip 50%.
LEBANON, Ore. -- Many of those with loved ones buried at Odd Fellows Cemetery in Lebanon are devastated after hundreds of flowers, figurines, and other sentimental mementos that once decorated grave sites were removed as part of a cleanup.

"It's heartbreaking, it's disgusting, and it's shameful," said Monica Macedo, who has relatives buried at the cemetery.

Odd Fellow's Deputy Grand Master Dan Lykins, who was working with the cemetery board in Lebanon, said the community was not notified before the cleanup occurred.

"Why did they do this? Underneath everybody, they just went and did it without saying a word," said Eva Morley, whose brother is buried at the cemetery.

She said there were flowers and an American flag at his resting place because he was a marine.

"I found the flowers and put them back on the grave, but I couldn't find the American flag," Morley said.

Morley and many others were shocked earlier this month when they found their tiny treasures had been removed.

"It was something I've never seen before, just desecration wise. I was just frightened for my children seeing all this," Macedo said.

People have been searching through the pile to find their items for several days, but many have yet to find them.

"We put my great-grandmother's ashes in a necklace on the headstone. and they threw away the necklace," Jolene Flanigan said. "It's like losing her all over again."

The cemetery has a policy in place preventing items from impeding mowing. There are also posted rules stating no glass or breakables are allowed and no articifical flowers are allowed during certain times of the year.

"They've never upheld these rules," said Robbin Davis, who met with the Odd Fellows' Board Monday morning. "And then all of a sudden, bam, one day, they're upholding these certain rules, but then they go overboard and take things that are allowed in the rules."

Davis was one of three representatives from the community who attended the Odd Fellow's Board meeting to voice concerns about the way the cleanup was conducted. She and the two other representatives worked with the board members to come up with a solution.

"We're going to know what's going on and the community is going to know what's going on instead of getting blindsided again," Davis said.

Part of the solution involves the board providing advanced notification to the community before any cleanups. Lykins said these notifications will be posted on three Facebook pages. Those pages are the buzz in Lebanon Oregon, Lebanon OR Uncensored, and Residents of Lebanon. Davis also said she's planning to work with the other two community representatives to set up an additional Facebook page for the community.

The Board is also expected to provide advanced notice to the community before future cleanups occur so people can remove their items in advance.

The Odd Fellows admitted this should have never happened and apologized Monday for the impact this has had on the community.

"It was not handled properly and we will do the best in our power to get it right the next time through," Lykins said. "The Odd Fellows Cemetery Board really want to extend their sincere apologies to everybody affected by this."

Cleanups are expected to happen twice a year moving forward, according to Lykins. However, he said they will not be to the extent this one was.

According to Davis, the items will remain in the pile for at least the next week. After that, they will be moved to the Odd Fellows Lodge in Lebanon where they are expected to be held for at least another month.
EUGENE, Ore. -- As people get back to traveling, the Eugene airport is seeing passenger numbers take off.

Cathryn Stephens, the acting airport director, said they've recently added a lot of new air services and nonstop routes. In March, Avelo started flying out of Eugene. Southwest joined their team in August, which welcomed a lot of travelers. They also gained services to major hubs like Santa Ana and Dallas.

For June and July, passenger numbers were at an all-time high, according to Stephens. They have not released exact numbers at this time, but she said adding on these new carriers has made it more convenient for locals to fly out of Eugene instead of driving up to Portland.

"We're not necessarily seeing brand new passengers; what we're seeing is passengers that would have in the past taken a drive all the way up to the other very nice airport up the road," Stephens said. "Instead, they are now staying and using their local airport, which is great because that helps our local economy."

But Stephens said their latest figures show that 41% of local passengers still choose to fly out of Portland. She is hopeful that more people will start booking flights out of Eugene as they continue to add additional airlines. Another will soon take off: Aha! ExpressJet will fly in and out of Eugene beginning Nov. 1.

With these additions, Stephens told KEZI it's time to expand. Over the weekend, airport officials said their parking lots almost overflowed. They had to make adjustments to accommodate this passenger increase.

"We are going to need to expand our facility pretty soon," Stephens said. "So, we are currently working on an advanced terminal study that will show us exactly what we need. You know, do we need additional gates, do we need additional holding rooms, space, all of those different things. So that's an exciting time for us."

Flight attendant Mia Delbando said she's noticed an increase in passengers flying out of Eugene.

"It's been fun to see why people are coming over, maybe for school or for work," Delbando said. "But it's definitely been a major increase."

She said the best part of her job is watching people reunite with their families, especially since the pandemic.
LEABURG, Ore. - A fatal crash on Highway 126 closed the highway for about three hours on Monday evening.

The crash happened near Holden Creek Road about a mile west of Leaburg, shortly before 9 p.m.

A preliminary investigation by Oregon State Police revealed that a Toyota 4-Runner driven by Nathan Lee Langan, 29, of Harrisburg, was traveling westbound and crossed into the oncoming lane, striking an eastbound Ford F350 pickup truck.

Langan sustained fatal injuries and died at the scene. The driver of the pickup truck had minor injuries.

Oregon State Police said the highway was closed for about three hours.

OSP was assisted by Lane County Sheriff's Office, Oregon Department of Transportation and McKenzie Fire.
LANE COUNTY, Ore. -- For a limited time, if you want to be a substitute teacher in Oregon, you won't need a bachelor's degree.

The state of Oregon issued a temporary rule that will allow school districts to implement Emergency Substitute Teaching Licenses.

A statement from the Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commission said: "This license is similar in most respects to our current substitute licenses, with one significant difference. If the sponsoring district provides the substitute with enhanced support and administrative supervision, the license can be granted without a bachelor's degree."

This temporary license is reportedly valid within the sponsoring school district for the remainder of this school year, or for six months, whichever one is later.

Normally, in the state of Oregon, you must have at least a bachelor's degree and hold a first aid card in order to be a licensed substitute teacher.

RELATED: School districts preparing for staff vaccination deadline

KEZI 9 News spoke to Dr. Anthony Rosilez, the executive director for the Oregon teacher commission. He said the commission will continue checking in with schools to see how things are going toward the end of the year.

"When our principals and superintendents have come to us asking for this type of flexibility, I can tell you that they've already made some very delicate calculations in terms of where do they see the potential challenges as well as the potential benefits of having this type of a substitute license," said Rosilez.

The commission said they believe the new license will allow districts to recruit community members to fill the important need for substitute teachers in school districts across the state.

KEZI 9 News spoke to Sabrina Gordon, the president of the Eugene Education Association. She said she isn't convinced this will help the Eugene school districts.

"Students deserve to have professional educators in the classroom every day, and while we are appreciative of anybody that's willing to step in and help, we can't rely on that long term," said Gordon. "We need to have professional -- like the best educators possible in front of our students every single day."

She said this is a short-term solution to a long-term shortage that has been happening for years.

MORE: Corvallis school district considering vaccine mandate for students

We also checked in with already licensed substitute teachers in Springfield. Nick Wing told KEZI 9 News substitutes who are brought into districts through this new, temporary license might not be as committed to students as substitutes like him.

"You know, the other day when I heard the F-word several times because I told a student to put on their mask, I just knew how to deal with that. Other subs would just not come back to that building again. But I'm committed to this city and I'm committed to the schools I sub at that I know what I'm getting into, and I want to serve that staff and I want to serve those kids too," said Wing.

Rosilez said the commission will evaluate the success of the temporary license more toward the end of 2021 and the start of 2022.
SALEM, Ore.  Oregons new congressional map will now have its day in court.

Republicans have filed a lawsuit, calling the new district boundaries a case of partisan gerrymandering.

Former Oregon Secretary of State Bev Clarno and three others filed the suit in Marion County. They said the new map is unconstitutional and contrary to state law.

Democrats pushed the map through during a contentious special legislative session last month, and it could lead to democratic control of five of the states six seats in the US House of Representatives. The sixth seat is a new addition following population growth documented in the 2020 US Census.

To view the old and new maps, CLICK HERE.
EUGENE, Ore.  Oregonians wont be waiting around for a kicker check this year, as the state has a different plan for distributing the $1.9 billion tax surplus.

The Oregon Department of Revenue said taxpayers will be able to claim their share of the surplus through a credit on their 2021 state personal income tax returns, which will be filed in 2022.

Do you want to find out how much you can expect to get back? State officials say all you need to do is put some information into the Whats My Kicker? calculator to find out.

Oregonians are eligible for the kicker if they filed a 2020 tax return and had tax due before credits. Even if you dont need to file taxes in 2021, you still need to file a return for the year to claim the credit, state officials said.

Free tax preparation services are available to low to moderate-income taxpayers through AARP and CASH Oregon. United Way also offers free tax assistance through the MyFreeTaxes program.

For more information, CLICK HERE.
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The sister of missing Jo Jo Dullard, says that she has 'a little bit of hope' as gardai continue to search a woodland area close to where the Kilkenny woman vanished in 1995.

Searches are ongoing in a remote woodlands area on the Wicklow/Kildare border as officers comb the site for any evidence belonging to of a number of Leinster women, including Deirdre Jacob and Jo Jo Dullard, who went missing from the area.

Kathleen Bergin said that while her thoughts are with the family of missing Deirdre Jacob, who disappeared from close to the search site, she was also holding out hope that gardai will find evidence belonging to her sister.

"We are just praying for Deirdre's family and are thinking of them."

"We have to be open-minded, it is only human nature to have a bit of hope. It is so close to where Jo Jo was last seen,

It would be such a relief to have answers and to be able to lay Jo Jo to rest. We would finally know where she is and be able to bring her home. It would mean the world to us," she said.

The search which began on Monday is expected to last for three weeks and is just a 10-minute drive from where Jo Jo went missing.

The case of Jo Jo Dullard, who was last seen in Moone in November 1995, while she was hitchhiking home to Kilkenny, was upgraded to a murder inquiry earlier this year.

The 21-year-old had been socialising in Bruxelles Bar in Dublin on November 9, 1995, before starting her journey home to Callan, in Kilkenny.

She missed the last bus to Callan so got a bus to Naas before hitching two lifts to Moone. At 11.37pm, she called a friend from a phone box in Moone to tell her she would be home soon and that a car had just stopped for her. This was the last known movement of the Kilkenny woman.

The search will involve divisional search teams, a forensic anthropologist, and the Garda technical bureau. The Defence Forces are expected to lend assistance if required.
Funding of 17.2 million in the Student Hardship Fund and an additional 5 million for wellbeing measures will ensure that third-level students across Kilkenny have access to vital financial and mental health supports, Fine Gael TD John Paul Phelan has said.

Deputy Phelan said, I know that for many third-level students in Kilkenny, the pandemic and remote learning in particular took a toll on their mental health. As students have now returned to university and college campuses, we need to make sure that additional measures are in place so that students can access the support they need.

The Government invested 5 million in mental health services and hiring extra staff last year, and Minister Simon Harris has redoubled his commitment to this issue with todays announcement of an additional 5 million to continue the provision of student counselling services.

Specific funding allocated to IT Carlow includes 751,916 for the Student Assistance Fund and an additional 208,000 for the Institutes Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund.

The mental health funding will be used to:

- recruit additional student counsellors

- recruit additional assistant psychologists

- train HEI staff to enable them to support and refer students to appropriate services

- raise awareness among students of mental health and wellbeing services available, including through student outreach activities

- support implementation of the National Student Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Framework

- support implementation of the Framework for Consent in HEIs; Safe, Respectful, Supportive and Positive: Ending Sexual Harassment in Irish Higher Education Institutions

Along with mental health services, I know that the Student Hardship Fund is a vital support for many students across the region. It provides financial help to third-level students who experience monetary difficulties while attending college. This fund will go towards helping students with costs such as books, rent and utility bills, food, travel and more.

Speaking on the announcement of the funding, Minister Harris said, Students have endured an incredibly difficult 18 months due to Covid-19. They are now back on campus, but they still need significant support - financial and other. Todays funding of 22 million is a direct investment in students to ensure the support they need is in place as they transition from remote to on-campus learning.
CLEAR LAKE, Iowa - A Clear Lake woman is being held in the Cerro Gordo Co. Jail on $50,000 after a search warrant was executed on her apartment.

Denise Back, 59, was taken into custody after she was found with meth and marijuana along with a handgun inside the apartment. Court documents state Back had the intent to sell meth.

The warrant was executed in the 1000 block of N. 7th St. W. and she was taken into custody on Monday.

Back has multiple previous drug-related convictions. She is facing felony drug charges along with being a person ineligible to carry weapons.
ROCHESTER, Minn. - RCTC will be holding a free event later this month to encourage women to explore careers in construction.

The event will be held at the RCTC Heintz Center on Oct. 27 from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.

It will host representatives from the National Association of Women in Construction, local unions, and community women working in construction who will present on the variety of jobs in the construction field and how women can get into the industry.

President of the Southeast Minnesota Chapter of the National Association of Women in Construction Jodi Wiemerslage commends Mayor Kim Norton for her support of women in the field.

"Mayor Norton has been so good about promoting non-traditional roles and getting women involved in the ownership of their businesses and just trying to provide training," said Wiemerslage. "Coming off of COVID, I think she realized there's a need for tradeswomen and people in the construction industry as we continue to grow - especially in Rochester."

The Minnesota Workforce Goals 2017 Report data indicates that 10 percent of women living in the Metropolitan Statistical Area work in the construction industry.

In May 2021, MNDOT awarded Workforce Development, Inc. with a $100,000 grant for training and apprenticeship programs.

The Explore Careers in Construction event hopes to create awareness of the free training that will be offered starting spring of 2022 and encourage women to apply.

Masks will be required at the event and seating is limited so if you are interested, you can register here.
MASON CITY, Iowa  An accused second-story man is taking a plea deal.

Derek Allan Trca, 41 of Mason City, was charged with second-degree attempted burglary, possession of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana, and stalking.

Mason City police say Trca used a ladder to climb onto the second-story balcony of an apartment in the 500 block of N. Kentucky Avenue on July 26. Investigators say Trca apparently tried to get in through the sliding door but failed and was found lying on the balcony porch with meth and pot in his possession.

Trca has now pleaded guilty to possession of methamphetamine and stalking. His sentencing is scheduled for November 29.
MASON CITY, Iowa  A Worth County man is sentenced for an attempted break-in in Mason City.

Cody Dean Dakin, 26 of Manly, pleaded guilty to attempted third-degree burglary, eluding, and unlawful possession of a prescription drug.

Mason City police say Dakin tried to break into an apartment on July 19, then led officers on a car chase before Dakin abandoned his vehicle and tried to run away. Police say Dakins vehicle wasnt put into park and rolled away, crashing into another vehicle.

Dakin has been sentenced to 90 days in jail for the burglary attempt, 60 days in jail for the chase, and 30 days in jail for drug possession. The 60 day sentence is concurrent but court documents state the 90 and 30 day sentences are consecutive, for a total of 120 days. Dakin must also pay $1,715 in fines.
The Rochester Police Policy Oversight Commission met virtually for the first time since August on Monday at 4 p.m.

Commissioners discussed policy language with the Rochester Police Department, which included wording surrounding child abuse procedures and communications with persons with disabilities.

The Commission voted to request a change in policy wording surrounding child abuse procedures, asking for a trusted guardian to be present with a child during an interview with law enforcement.

RPD Captain John Sherwin said the change would not change the current procedure.

"I mean, as far as change anything about the procedure, no, it will certainly change the policy and just make it clear. So, if that does not occur, it will be a policy violation but it really is not going to change anything. It solidifies that to anyone who reads the policy and has a question," Sherwin said.

RPD also gave an update on current staffing numbers.

Captain Jeff Stilwell said the Department hired six new police officers last week, all of which are males.

Stilwell said five of the new officers are white, while one is a person of color.

Stillwell also said the Department plans on hiring four new community service officers, which consists of two females, one that is white and one that is a person of color, as well as two males, with one that is white and one that is a person of color.

RPD said they hope that new community service officers will expand police diversity.

RPD is currently understaffed by about six to eight officers, according to Stilwell.
KIMT News 3.- A six-year labor contract between John Deere and the United Auto Workers that had been tentatively agreed upon was resoundingly defeated by union members this weekend.

The offer would have given at least five percent raises to the workers. According to United Auto Workers Vice President Chuck Browning, the tentative agreement was rejected last night by 90 percent of union members.

Negotiators will return to the bargaining table today, to try and work out a new deal. The union is setting a strike deadline of 11:59 pm on Wednesday.
The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) along with the state health department, have issued a new guideline for school districts on when to quarantine students, that could keep more kids in school.
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Kokomo, IN (46901)

Today

Snow showers this evening. Becoming clear later. Low 24F. Winds WNW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of snow 70%..

Tonight

Snow showers this evening. Becoming clear later. Low 24F. Winds WNW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of snow 70%.
The World Health Organization, in a new special report, is calling for governments and policymakers to "act with urgency" on the climate and health crises. Smoke from wildfires burning in the Western US stretched across the country to New York City in July.
Following a year-long operation by undercover FBI agents, a Maryland couple has been arrested and charged with attempting to sell US nuclear secrets to another country in exchange for cryptocurrency.
People wait at a checkpoint to leave Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Sept. 30. Reuters-Yonhap



South Korea will donate AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine to Vietnam and Thailand, as it has enough doses to inoculate its own people and help other countries, the foreign ministry said Tuesday.



South Korea is set to ship 1.1 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to Vietnam and 470,000 doses to Thailand later in the day, which will arrive in the nations on Wednesday, the ministry said.



It is the first time that South Korea is directly donating COVID-19 vaccines to foreign nations, except for financial support through the COVAX program.



Last month, President Moon Jae-in said during his meeting with his Vietnamese counterpart in New York that Seoul would donate to the Southeast Asian nation at least 1 million doses of vaccines.





In this file photo taken on Feb. 15, a tuk tuk drives down Khao San Road in Bangkok. AFP-Yonhap
By John J. Metzler





Angela Merkel is leaving the political stage. After 16 years as Germany's chancellor presiding over amazing growth and stability, her Christian Democratic coalition CDU/CSU hardly gained from her political coattails in the recent national elections. Rather her Christian Democrats suffered their biggest electoral drubbing since 1949. Part of the outcome rests with an uninspiring national campaign and a lackluster candidate.



Germany's parliamentary elections ended with an impasse; the center left Social Democrats (SPD) gaining a 25.7 percent slice of the vote followed narrowly by the ruling Christian Democrats with 24.1 percent. And these are historically the two largest parties!



Neither side could seriously claim a mandate.



Stated another way, the socialists gained 206 seats and the Christian Democrats 196. Yet 367 seats are necessary to gain a majority in the Parliament (Bundestag) in Berlin. Fully 76 percent of the electorate voted. So let the coalition games begin!



Political coalitions are hardly unusual in parliamentary systems; it's all about deal making and political horse-trading to reach the magic majority number. In Germany the coalition process is based on the party colors. The Social Democrats are Red, the Christian Democrats are Black, the Greens are Green and the business friendly Free Democrats are Yellow.



Then come a variety of combinations. Shuffle the cards and deal.



The Traffic Light coalition sees the SPD, the Greens and the FDP, a Red, Green, Yellow government. Between 1998 and 2005 Berlin had an SPD/Green coalition; this is likely again.



The Jamaica Flag coalition would see the Christian Democrats, do a deal with the pro-business FDP, and the Greens. Black, Green, Yellow. This brings 196 CDU/CSU seats, 92 FDP and 118 Green seats to form a government.



The grand coalition between the SPD and the CDU/CSU is actually the current government combination and is not likely to return.



In the midst of this post-election quandary, the good news is Germany remains a stable and healthy democracy in the center of Europe.



The bad news remains that most pundits see coalition talks dragging on until a government is formed by Christmas though I feel the deal may happen sooner given the unpopularity of the CDU candidate even within his own party!



The SPD's Olaf Scholz appears ready to form a left wing government in Berlin. Nonetheless, Scholz campaigned by walking a narrow tightrope of praising Angela Merkel's leadership but not her political party.



Now that the election's over, Scholz told the left-leaning Der Spiegel magazine that the people "want a new beginning and a progressive government." While he has tried to tread a middle line, his SPD party faces significant pushback from the strident young socialists (Jusos) within.



Germany's political parties across the spectrum largely appeal to the political center; neither to ideological outliers nor strong political isms. The Left party, scion of the old East Germany communist party fared poorly with 39 seats and the Alternative for Germany (AfD) a largely anti-Immigrant party did better with 83 seats. Both are too politically toxic to join any coalition.



Gone are the 1980's debates over NATO defense policies which energized the leftwing Social Democrats, and environmental policies which nurtured the Greens. Instead the elections centered on the size of the social welfare state, climate policy, the overdue digitization of Germany and the country's role in the European Union.



What does this mean for transatlantic relations, especially with the United States? Germany's role in NATO has been significant as recently as its notable contribution along with Britain, France and Italy to military forces in Afghanistan. Now after America's chaotic pullout of Afghanistan, there's an uneasy reappraisal in Europe concerning the role and reliability of the U.S. as a defense partner.



Moreover, how will an SPD government, historically inclined to doing Russian business deals, proceed in relations with Moscow? Germany and Russia are commercially tied together by an interlocking series of gas pipelines on which the energy supply of Central Europe flows. Interestingly, the Greens are opposed to closer ties with the People's Republic of China given its human rights record. That could pose a wild card for any government in Berlin which has been exceedingly business friendly with Beijing.



Angela Merkel's tenure presided over half of Germany's post-unification era since 1990. Now that she is going into the sunset, she has earned her place as one of the great and consequential German post-war chancellors along with Konrad Adenauer, Helmut Schmidt and Helmut Kohl, her political mentor. Merkel's shadow and legacy will be difficult to fill.





John J. Metzler (jjmcolumn@earthlink.net) is a United Nations correspondent covering diplomatic and defense issues. He is the author of "Divided Dynamism  The Diplomacy of Separated Nations: Germany, Korea, China."


Kendallville, IN (46755)

Today

Cloudy with snow showers mainly during the evening. Low 28F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 70%..

Tonight

Cloudy with snow showers mainly during the evening. Low 28F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 70%.
Angola, IN (46703)

Today

Snow this evening will diminish to a few snow showers late. Low 29F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 90%. Snow accumulations less than one inch..

Tonight

Snow this evening will diminish to a few snow showers late. Low 29F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 90%. Snow accumulations less than one inch.
UPDATE: OCT. 14 AT 8:34 P.M.

The Missoula County Sheriff's Office says Andrea has been found and is safe.

UPDATE: Oct. 12 AT 12:29 P.M.

The Missing Endangered Person Alert for Andrea Anderson has expired; however, the Montana Department of Justice said she is still missing.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE:

MISSOULA, Mont. - Law enforcement in Missoula are searching for a missing 13-year-old girl who was last seen Monday morning.

According to the Missing Endangered Person Advisory from the Montana Department of Justice, Andrea Anderson was last seen at 4 a.m., and may be in a green 1994 Chevy 3500 pickup truck with a long bed, silver wheels and an unknown license plate.

Andrea is described as white, standing 5-feet tall, weighing 100-pounds, has brown eyes and brown hair. She was wearing a pink hooded sweatshirt and black sweatpants.

The DOJ said she is emotionally unstable and was cutting herself when she ran away.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Missoula County Sheriff's Office at 406-258-4000 or call 9-1-1.
UPDATE: OCT. 11 AT 9:24 P.M.

Kingston has been found safe in Idaho and the AMBER Alert has been canceled.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE:

WYOMING - A Wyoming AMBER Alert was sent out on behalf of the Idaho State Police for a 6-year-old boy believed to have been taken by a woman.

Kingston James Solis is described as being white, 4 feet tall, weighing 80 lbs, with black hair and brown eyes and he is missing his two front teeth. He was last seen wearing a gray hoodie, blue jeans, gray shoes with a black and red Avengers backpack.

The suspect, 40-year-old Lucy Elena Mendoza, is described as being white, 5 feet tall, weighing 130 lbs, with black hair and brown eyes. She was last seen driving a 2018 white Kia Stinger Hatchback/fastback with personalized Idaho plates reading ROXIEE.

Authorities say the vehicle may be parked near locations with free WIFI. Mendoza is reportedly living out of her car and using apps on her phone to make phone calls.

If you have any information on Kingston's whereabouts or see the suspect you should call the Jerome Police Department at 208-324-4328 or dial 911.
MISSOULA, Mont. - The dean and associate dean of the University of Montana law school announced they will resign from their roles after UM announced plans to launch an independent review of the law school's handling of sexual harassment and assault victims, and students held a walkout calling for change.

In a letter to the law school Thursday, Dean Paul Kirgis said he believes the school would be best served by a change in leadership. "My priority is to make that transition in a way that minimizes disruptions for students, faculty, and staff. I will work with those groups and the Provost to plan the process and timing for this transition."

Kirgis also announced Associate Dean Sally Weaver will step aside from her position.

The resignation announcements follow a walkout and rally at the law school on Tuesday, where students demanded a change in leadership at the school. Several speakers at the event called on Kirgis and Weaver to resign.

Students allege the both Kirgis and Weaver contributed to a toxic environment at the school by discouraging women from reporting sexual assault and sexual harassment allegations to the school's Title IX office.

Earlier in the week law school faculty and staff sent letters voicing their support for students. "We refuse to let our school be defined by these events or this moment. To every member of our Law School community, particularly those angered, hurt, dispirited, confused, or otherwise distressed by these events: We hear you. You are not alone. We are firmly committed to working together to heal and to build the transparent, safe, inclusive environment we all value and deserve," reads the October 3 letter from law faculty.

An October 5 letter from law school staff echoed the sentiment of the faculty. It reads in part, "This is a challenging time. Each of us is here for each of you in support of and solidarity with the community we love."

University of Montana director of strategic communications, Dave Kuntz said UM's independent review of the law school is not underway yet, but the university expects the review start as soon as possible.

Kuntz said UM President Seth Bodnar will help choose a "acting leader" for the law school, with input from other university leaders. Bodnar will also appoint a search committee "that will launch the formal, national search for a new dean," according to Kuntz. The search will begin as soon as possible.

Thursday's letter from Dean Kirgis is included below:

To the Blewett School of Law Community-

I have come to the conclusion that the School of Law and its students would be best served by a change in leadership. Consequently, I have decided to step down as Dean. My priority is to make that transition in a way that minimizes disruptions for students, faculty, and staff. I will work with those groups and the Provost to plan the process and timing for this transition.

Associate Dean Sally Weaver has informed me that she will also step aside from her position. We will provide further information on that transition in the coming days and weeks.

I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to serve the University of Montana and the Blewett School of Law for the past six and a half years. Leading this law school has been the greatest privilege of my professional life. I look forward to assisting in every way possible to ensure the School of Law continues to serve its vital function as the academic center for law and public administration for the State of Montana.

-Paul
Have you seen the proposed redistricting maps for New Hampshire? What do you think of the plans?
MORGAN COUNTY, Mo.  A Versailles teen was seriously injured on Saturday in a crash on Little Buffalo Road, north of Franklin Road, at 2:20 p.m.

According to the Missouri Highway Patrol, Dakota Edge, 18, of Gravois Mills was driving a 1999 Ford Explorer when the vehicle travelled off the left side of the roadway and struck an embankment. The truck then allegedly overcorrected and returned to the roadway before traveling off the right side of the roadway, striking another embankment and ejecting the passenger.

The passenger, 17, sustained serious injuries and was transported to St. Marys via private conveyance. According to the report, she was not wearing a seatbelt.
CAMDEN COUNTY, Mo.  A Sunrise Beach resident facing a 2nd degree statutory rape charge in Morgan County now faces an even more serious charge in Camden County.

Authorities say 22 year old, Trevan Mathew Isaacs, has been charged with the unclassified felony of Statutory Rape in the 1st Degree.

According to court records filed today, on or about March 2, 2021, Isaacs solicited images from a juvenile female via the social media application SnapChat. The juvenile was under the age of 14 at the time. Authorities say Isaacs met the juvenile and had sexual intercourse with the minor child.

An investigator with the Camden County Prosecuting Attorneys Office and a detective with the Camden County Sheriffs Office interviewed Isaacs on October 11, 2021. The interview was conducted after law enforcement confirmed several details of the juvenile childs report. According to the sheriff's office, Isaacs confessed that he did meet the juvenile child, that he did have sexual intercourse with her, and that he knew the child was underage.

Camden County Prosecuting Attorney J. Caleb Cunningham requested a no-bond warrant for Isaacs. Isaacs is being held in the Camden County Adult Detention Facility on a no bond warrant. Isaacs is currently on a $100,000 bond from Morgan County for separate charges of statutory rape in the 2nd degree.

The range of punishment as charged in this matter is life imprisonment or a term of years not less than five years in the Missouri Department of Corrections. A conviction under this charge also carries mandatory lifetime supervision as a sex offender.

Under Missouri law and the Constitution of the United States, Isaacs is presumed innocent until convicted in a court of law.
MADISON  Wisconsins Democratic attorney general, who represents the state elections commission, on Monday called for a Republican-ordered investigation into the 2020 presidential election to be shut down, saying it is a partisan political effort that lacks credibility, wastes taxpayer money and is not serious.

This investigation suffers from glaring flaws that destroy any credibility its results could have had, Attorney General Josh Kaul said at a news conference. Shut this fake investigation down.

Kauls comments came after the Republican leader of the Assembly election committee, Rep. Janel Brandtjen of Menomonee Falls, said shes been kept out of the loop and doesnt agree with moves being made by the leader of the probe.

The latest twists come after Michael Gableman, the retired Wisconsin Supreme Court justice leading the investigation, issued a video over the weekend taking aim at Gov. Tony Evers. Evers, a Democrat, told local election officials they should be lawyered up and called the taxpayer-funded investigation a $700,000 boondoggle.

Gableman called that an incomplete and misguided view of the probe.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, ordered the investigation under pressure from former President Donald Trump, who has claimed without evidence that he won Wisconsin last year. President Joe Biden won the state by just under 21,000 votes, an outcome that has withstood recounts and a variety of court rulings.

Gablemans investigation has been criticized by Evers and other Democrats as a sham, by moderate Republicans who say it undermines faith in elections that have been proven to be fair, and by conservatives who say hes not being aggressive enough in pursuing a review like the widely discredited audit recently completed in Arizona.

That was the complaint raised Monday by Brandtjen, who said anything short of a recount of all ballots that looks at voting machines would not restore faith in Wisconsins election.

Brandtjen disapproved of Gableman saying mayors in Wisconsins five largest cities  including Racine  who cooperate with his investigation would be granted immunity. As special counsel, Gableman has no power to prosecute.

Brandtjen said she has only learned of Gablemans actions, including issuing subpoenas to election officials and the mayors of Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay, Racine and Kenosha, from media reports and the two videos Gableman has posted. She said Gableman does not speak for her or the committee.

Despite multiple requests from The Journal Times, leaders in the City of Racine have not publicly commented on whether they will comply with the four subpoenas the city and three of its staff members, including Mayor Cory Mason and Clerk Tara Coolidge, have received.

The past week has been eventful for the investigation.

Take advantage of this limited-time offer Stay connected with local news, sports and politics. Unlock six months of unlimited access for only $1.

After Gableman issued the subpoenas, someone working with him told the mayors they could submit more limited information and avoid in-person interviews later this month. But Gableman on Friday said the interviews must happen if the officials dont cooperate.

Gableman also subpoenaed the bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission. Kaul said the subpoena as issued is overly broad and any testimony delivered by the elections commission administrator Meagan Wolfe should be in public before the Assembly elections committee, not behind closed doors as Gableman proposed.

Claims without evidence

Gableman also said he had compelling evidence that Wisconsins elections laws were not properly followed by election officials at both the state and local levels. He said violations of law, or protocol, or both may have occurred and that ballot security measures might have been undermined.

He did not describe that evidence.

Gableman in November told a rally of Trump supporters, without evidence, that the election was stolen. In an interview with the Journal Sentinel last week, Gableman said he didnt understand how elections work.

Gableman targets governor

On Saturday, Gableman shifted his criticism to Evers and comments he made nearly two weeks ago when he called the probe a boondoggle.

I would like to ask Tony Evers how is it a boondoggle for the people of Wisconsin to find out if their elections were run fairly? Gableman asked in the video. Whats the alternative? The alternative is looking the other way.

Evers spokeswoman Britt Cudaback compared the investigation to a circus and said Gableman was a ringleader who by his own admission doesnt understand the elections process and has predetermined the results of this sham review.

The probe initially focused on grants that the heavily Democratic cities of Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay, Kenosha and Racine received from the nonprofit Center for Tech and Civic Life to help run the election.

The grants were funded by donations from Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. They angered some Republicans because $6.3 million went to the five Democratic cities that ultimately voted for Biden. That was part of $10 million in grants that went to more than 200 communities across Wisconsin.

Gableman suggested in the video that the grants were illegal, even though courts, including the state Supreme Court he previously was elected to, have ruled they were not.

Following Kauls press conference Monday, Vos issued a statement in which he said: Election integrity should be a bipartisan effort. Sadly Attorney General Kaul has sided with the out-of-state billionaires meddling in our elections and ignored Wisconsin citizens who bring up irregularities. In order to restore confidence in our election system, Justice Gableman will continue his investigation. The subpoenas have been issued correctly  a fact backed up by the nonpartisan Legislative Council in a memo requested by Assembly Democrats.

Adam Rogan of The Journal Times contributed to this report.
KENOSHA  A leaked list of Dangerous Individuals and Organizations banned by Facebook includes five groups linked to Kenosha riots.

Chief among them is the Kenosha Guard, the group led by former Kenosha Alderman Kevin Mathewson, who issued a call to arms amid rioting following the Aug. 23, 2020, shooting of Jacob Blake by a Kenosha police officer.

Dozens, if not hundreds, of armed individuals poured into the city, vowing they were there to defend private property. Among them was Kyle Rittenhouse, the Antioch, Illinois teenager who shot three men on Aug. 25, 2020, killing two of them.

The list was published Tuesday by The Intercept, an online publication that specializes in publishing leaked information from private companies and government agencies.

Rittenhouses trial in the shootings is scheduled for next month. He and his supporters assert he only acted in self-defense. His attorneys have tried and failed to get dropped a charge of Rittenhouse carrying a firearm; as he was 17 the night of the incident, he could not legally possess a firearm.

In the hours before the shootings, Rittenhouse described himself to media outlets as being part of a militia.

Facebook deemed the Kenosha Guard, along with Kenosha Citizens Militia  which also was reportedly present at the August 2020 riots  and Kenosha Militia KTP, to be an Armed Militia Group and categorized all three as being part of a Militarized Social Movement.

The Kenosha Guards Facebook event listing, called armed individuals to Kenosha before the deadly night of Aug. 25 was, according to reporting based on documents leaked to Buzzfeed News, reported to Facebook more than 450 times after it was created but was repeatedly cleared by Facebook moderators for being non-violating of the websites terms of use.

Facebook gave five other groups with Wisconsin in their name the same designations and bans:

Anti-antifa Militia Organization of Wisconsin

Wisconsin Defense Militia

Wisconsin Liberty Militia

Wisconsin Militia

Wisconsin Patriot Network Militia

The Proud Boys, a far-right male-only organization, has come to Rittenhouses cause and serenaded him at a Mount Pleasant bar in January, although Rittenhouses attorneys have said hes never been a member of the group. People wearing Proud Boys apparel were present during the Kenosha riots.

Also listed was the 417 Second Amendment Militia. Two men affiliated with that group  Michael M. Karmo, 40, and Cody E. Smith, 33, both of Hartville, Missouri  were charged last year with illegal possession of firearms after being arrested Sept. 1, 2020, at a Pleasant Prairie hotel. According to the criminal complaint, the Kenosha Police Department informed the FBI that the department had received a tip that Karmo was traveling from Missouri to Kenosha to loot and possibly pick people off.

According to reporting from WISN-TV, Wisconsin Liberty Militia also was present during the Kenosha riots. Reporting from Snopes.com found that members of the Wisconsin Liberty Militia private Facebook group discussed shooting any one that starts rioting before the page was taken down.

The Facebook-ban list also includes international terrorist groups such as al-Qaida and the Islamic State, and street gangs such as the Gangster Disciples and Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13).

No other groups on the banned list mention any of Wisconsins four other biggest cities (Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay or Racine) by name.

The 100-page list includes many of the thousands banned by Facebook.

As The Intercept reported: The restrictions appear to trace back to 2012, when in the face of growing alarm in Congress and the United Nations about online terrorist recruiting, Facebook added to its Community Standards a ban on organizations with a record of terrorist or violent criminal activity. This modest rule has since ballooned into whats known as the Dangerous Individuals and Organizations policy, a sweeping set of restrictions on what Facebooks nearly 3 billion users can say about an enormous and ever-growing roster of entities deemed beyond the pale.

According to The Intercept, it is publishing the list because of public concerns about the bias in Facebooks moderation, so that readers may draw their own conclusions about the quality of that moderation.

The Intercept further reported that as with other attempts to limit personal freedoms in the name of counterterrorism, Facebooks DIO (Dangerous Individuals and Organizations) policy has become an unaccountable system that disproportionately punishes certain communities, critics say. It is built atop a blacklist of over 4,000 people and groups, including politicians, writers, charities, hospitals, hundreds of music acts, and long-dead historical figures. A range of legal scholars and civil libertarians have called on the company to publish the list so that users know when they are in danger of having a post deleted or their account suspended for praising someone on it. The company has repeatedly refused to do so, claiming it would endanger employees and permit banned entities to circumvent the policy.

As of 2021, there are more than 2.89 billion active Facebook users, amounting to more than one-third of the world population. That number of users is greater than the populations of the worlds two most populous nations, China and India, combined.

In 2020, Facebooks yearly revenue was reported to be $85.965 billion. From July 1, 2020-June 30, 2021, its revenue was more than $104 billion.
A handful of GOP-authored bills aimed at increasing affordable housing options across the state has received pushback from Wisconsin city, town and county organizations for seeking to impose mandates on local entities, including one bill that would give state authority over where homeless people can set up campsites.

The legislation is part of an eight-bill package unveiled last week by legislative Republicans that proponents say are geared toward cutting bureaucratic regulations, reforming outdated practices and increasing affordable housing spending in the state.

As I talk with citizens, contractors, and business owners from around my district, I have been made aware of the extreme shortage of workforce housing, Rep. Alex Dallman, R-Green Lake, said in a statement. Housing availability plays a major role in having residents move into our local communities. The bills in this package will help to alleviate this shortage and will create a better environment for our local businesses, schools, and local economies to succeed.

One of the bills, which pertains to how municipalities use a portion of the American Rescue Plan Act funds allocated during the COVID-19 pandemic, may set the bill up for a veto by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, who has rejected previous attempts by Republicans to dictate how federal funds are spent.

The bill would require cities, villages, towns and counties to spend at least $1 million or 10% of their American Rescue Plan Act funds, whichever is less, on affordable housing infrastructure, low- or no-interest loans to build or renovate workforce housing units or to redevelop idle sites used as shopping centers, malls or commercial property into workforce housing.

The city of Madison, League of Wisconsin Municipalities, Wisconsin Counties Association and Wisconsin Towns Association have registered in opposition to the bill, while the Wisconsin Realtors Association supports the measure.

Another bill would attach pay for performance requirements to grant programs administered by the state Department of Administration to reduce homelessness. Under the bill, the DOA would have to withhold between 10% and 50% of eligible grants for at least six months after awarded, with the withheld amount paid only after the recipient shows the funds helped increase permanent housing or employment for people experiencing homelessness or reduced the number of people returning to homelessness after participating in the grant-funded program.

The bill would also allow the DOA to circumvent local rules and designate a public property to be used as a structured camping facility that the department can assign a homeless individual or family to. Setting up a temporary residence on public property not designated for such use would be prohibited under the bill, with a violation of the law punishable by a fine of up to $500 and/or as much as 30 days in jail.

That in and of itself will not help homeless individuals gain housing, James Bohl, a lobbyist for the city of Milwaukee, said during an Assembly Committee on Housing and Real Estate meeting Tuesday. That type of measure will only exacerbate existing problems.

The bill also would require Evers to allocate $300,000 in ARPA funds annually over a two-year period for grants to continuum of care organizations to hire housing navigators to help connect individuals with housing and mediate issues between landlords and tenants.

The lack of available and affordable housing in Wisconsin is a real problem, Rep. Rob Summerfield, R-Bloomer, who chairs the Assembly housing committee, said in a statement. It affects all regions of our state, especially rural Wisconsinites.

A 2019 study by UW-Madison urban and regional planning professor Kurt Paulsen found the number of single-family home permits in the state dropped from more than 30,000 in 2004 to fewer than 12,500 permits authorized in 2017. The report found the lack of enough workforce housing was attributed to a failure to build enough homes to keep up with population growth, increased construction costs and outdated land use regulations driving up the cost of housing.

Other bills in the package would create new limits for how assessors can calculate a propertys value, allow cities to use increased tax revenue from some properties to fund new affordable housing projects, and create a sales and use tax exemption for building materials used for workforce housing projects.

Under one bill, assessors would be prohibited from using mortgages or bank appraisals, projected rents, asking prices or price trends to determine a propertys fair market value.

We think these are radical changes to the assessment process in the state of Wisconsin, Curt Witynski, deputy director of the League of Wisconsin Municipalities said Tuesday.

Madison City Assessor Michelle Drea added that barring assessors from using the income approach to value when creating financing appraisals will cause turbulence in the equalization process, which can impact Moody ratings for municipalities and the state.

In short, this will wreak havoc statewide, Drea said.
On June 17, 1794, in a room above a bar on West King Street, the first issue of what was then known as the Lancaster Journal was printed and circulated. Today, we celebrate LNP/LancasterOnlines 225th anniversary.
London [UK], October 12 (ANI/Xinhua): Another 40,224 people in Britain have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 8,193,769, according to official figures released Monday.

The country also recorded another 28 coronavirus-related deaths. The total number of coronavirus-related deaths in Britain now stands at 137,763. These figures only include the deaths of people who died within 28 days of their first positive test.

Also Read | Thailand To Reopen to Fully-Vaccinated Visitors From November 2021, Says Thai PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha.

There are currently 6,728 patients in hospital with COVID-19 in Britain.

The data came as British Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi and Health Secretary Sajid Javid have jointly written to parents of secondary school and college students, urging them to ensure their children are testing regularly and encouraging them to get vaccinated against coronavirus.

Also Read | US Health Experts Warn of Twindemic of COVID-19 and Flu During Winter 2021.

Official estimates showed that around 270,000 secondary pupils had COVID-19 in the week to Oct. 2.

Meanwhile, new data showed that England's rate of new COVID cases has climbed to its highest level since the summer this year.

A total of 201,660 cases were recorded in the seven days to Oct. 7, the equivalent of 356.6 cases per 100,000 people.

This is the highest figure since July 24, when the seven-day rate stood at 375.1, according to analysis by the PA news agency.

More than 85 percent of people aged 12 and over in Britain have had their first dose of vaccine and more than 78 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)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Top South Korean star Lee Jung-jae, who is currently enjoying the global success of Squid Game, Netflix's survival game TV series, says that Hollywood has not called him yet for work. "No proposals or requests have come my way," Jung-jae told Variety, adding: "But, if the right one came along, I'd be happy to be in an overseas production. It could be fun." Jung-jae plays Gi-hun, a penniless wastrel who gambles too much, steals from his family, gets beaten up by loan sharks and accepts a mysterious invitation to become contender #456 in the deadly competition. Seo-Kang Joon Birthday: 5 Amazing Kdramas Of The Actor And Where To Watch Them.

His affability and carefully crafted backstory make him an easy-to-like protagonist who faces an evil organisation that's literally playing with people's lives. It was a role that Jung-jae accepted with relish after a more than two-decade career, in which he played romantic leads early on but lately has been cast as austere princes, killers and crooks. His credits include 'Il Mare', 'The Housemaid', 'New World' and 2020's 'Deliver Us From Evil'.

Independent producer Jonathan Kim, who has known Jung-jae since he was 19, said: "He thoroughly deserves the success heas enjoying with 'Squid Game.' It couldn't happen to a nicer person." "I didn't expect this kind of success at all when I first boarded 'Squid Game' as a project. But when I read the script, I understood that it contained elements that could resonate with everyone and work outside of Korea," said Jung-jae. Itaewon Class Actor Park Seo Joon To Join Brie Larsons Captain Marvel 2; Herere Five Kdramas Of The Actor You Can Binge-Watch On Netflix.

Jung-jae added that he was also attracted to 'Squid Game' by the stellar track record of writer-director Hwang Dong-hyuk, whose feature films include historical action drama 'The Fortress' and the musical comedy 'Miss Granny'. "(Hwang's) success comes from being very detailed about explaining the characters, their roles and their feelings. Sadness wears many different faces and (in 'Squid Game') the characters' different sadnesses can easily be felt by viewers," says Jung-jae.

"(Hwang) is very capable of building characters from the ground upwards, which is why when the characters have to take big decisions, they are believable. And it is why the audience is willing to believe in the show's climactic ending. It is actually touching." Industry gossip says that Lee is now the most bankable actor in South Korea, but he shakes off the idea that he has been fundamentally changed by 'Squid Game'.

"Nothing much has changed for me as an actor. But Gi-hun's character changes a lot over the course of the show. It has a large spectrum, which any actor would want to try out at least once in his career. This was possibly the first time I've played a character with such a range," says Lee. South Korean films have grabbed the global spotlight thanks to titles like 'Old Boy', 'Snowpiercer' and Oscar winner 'Parasite'.

Jung-jae added: "There are always questions about whether something is better as a film or as a series. I'm not sure how much that matters. What is important is whether the script fits the form, whether the story is entertaining and captivating. "We are living at a time when an actor can choose freely between the two. These days in Korea, many series of ten episodes or less are being made by writers and directors from the film scene. That makes me feel very at home.

"But series are naturally longer, which gives you more time to develop a character. Maybe as an actor I should do more series, explore some more." Jung-jae used the fruits of his past success to become entrepreneurial and venture into restaurants, property and interior design. He says he increasingly wants to focus on acting. He is currently producing and making his feature directing debut on 'Namsun', a Korean-language spy thriller that he got caught up in after buying the rights and rewriting the screenplay.

"Just because I'm doing the director's job on this film doesn't mean I'm going to be giving up acting. I still like acting the best and intend to focus on that," he says. "When I was younger, I was curious about other trades. I wanted to see other parts of the world, try things out. But it has been quite a while since I was involved in those things." The star shared that after he turned 40, he felt his "stamina dropping" and rationalised that he should just focus on one thing.

"And I decided to focus on acting alone," he says with a grin. "Now that I'm nearly 50, I feel it more. And I've decided that I'll only do one job at a time. For now, I don't have any plans to do an overseas project. But if a good opportunity presented itself, of course I'd be open to it."

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 12, 2021 09:52 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
Prime Minister of Denmark Mette Frederiksen paid a State Visit to India from 9-11 October 2021. This was the first visit by a Head of Government to India following the COVID-19 pandemic: Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)



(File photo) pic.twitter.com/IcUBdUyOoQ ANI (@ANI) October 12, 2021

(SocialLY brings you all the latest breaking news, viral trends and information from social media world, including Twitter, Instagram and Youtube. The above post is embeded directly from the user's social media account and LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body. The views and facts appearing in the social media post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY, also LatestLY does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.)
October marks National Bullying Prevention Month. Since 2015, Act To Change has been dedicated to leading educational programming for K-12 youth, providing resource support for educators and caregivers, and coalition building with advocacy organizations to impact policy improving the protection and treatment of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community.

Over the past year, Act To Change found that 80 percent of Asian Americans have experienced bullying, in-person or online. While the AAPI community has long faced violence, hate, and bullying, the COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated anti-Asian hate crimes and xenophobic behavior due to rampant misinformation and baseless conspiracy theories.

Act To Change's efforts such as its Homeroom x Tan France series - its upcoming Changemakers Summit this month - and new Youth Ambassador Program are all designed to empower AAPI youth to feel proud of their identities, stand up for themselves and others in the face of bullying, and make a difference in their communities.

READ NEXT: Girl Idols, The Bully and the Bullied

In a statement, Act To Change chair and co-founder Maulik Pancholy said: "National Bullying Prevention Month is a great reminder that the work we are doing is important and makes a difference in the lives of not only Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) youth, but also all young people."

"It reminds us that we have much more work to do in ending bullying in schools, communities, and online. Being able to recognize the signs of bullying and equipping caregivers, teachers, and students with resources to address bullying is vital to make lasting change. AAPI youth, and all young people, deserve to grow up feeling safe and to celebrate their identities," Pancholy added.

As part of National Bullying Prevention Month, the group said its upcoming Changemakers 2021 Summit would empower young members of the community to be proud of their identities, educate them about the contributions of AAPIs before them, and inspire them to create change in the world.

Act To Change, a national nonprofit organization working to end bullying among AAPI youth, encourages everyone to join them to learn more about reducing and preventing bullying in the communities.

RELATED MORE: Selena Gomez's Anti-Bullying Message On Instagram: Singer Admits She Was Not Popular Growing Up As She Urges Others To Make Friends With Everyone!
A residential neighborhood had seen a plane crash on Monday afternoon in San Diego County, California.

The plane crash damaged some homes, with a Santee fire official confirming that at least two people had died in the crash, according to a Fox News report. The official also noted that two more had been taken to the hospital for burn injuries. Some of the injuries of the people on the plane were noted as likely "non-survivable," according to the department.

The United Parcel Service confirmed that one of its drivers died in the crash, counting for one of the fatalities.

UPS spokesman, Steve Nagata, said in a statement that they are extending their condolences to the employees' family and friends, as well as to individuals involved in the incident.

READ NEXT: Disturbing TikTok Challenge 'Slap a Teacher' Prompts Warning From California Teachers Association

Plane Crash in a Small Neighborhood in California

The Federal Aviation Administration said that the twin-engine Cessna C340 plummeted at 12:14 p.m. local time.

It is not yet clear how many passengers were on board at the time, according to an ABC News Go report. However, it was noted that that the Cessna C340 is a six-seater plane, according to multiple sources.

Santee Fire Chief John Garlow said that there were at least two burn victims who were believed to be from a home. Garlow noted that three homes had "major damage," and two were completely burned, according to a USA Today report.

The fire chief also said that it was also unclear whether anyone was inside the damaged homes, and they are continually checking the premises of nearby homes.

One resident said she was sitting at home watching a movie when she felt her house shake.

Jennifer Ward said that she thought a tree had fallen on her house. She ran outside when she saw all the black smoke. The plane had crashed one street over from her. She said that she drives down that road multiple times a day.

The plane crash happened between Ward's house and Santana High School, where students temporarily went into secure locations and were later released. The high school is just north of the airport at Gillespie Field.

Fire Battalion Chief Justin Matsushita said that it is a pretty brutal scene for their guys. He added that he was unsure if there were additional fatalities.

Matsushita noted that the debris field from the crash had extended nearly a block to the southeast, according to an NBC San Diego News report.

Donnell Evans, an FAA spokesman, said that the National Transportation Safety Board will be conducting a probe and will provide updates.

Another witness to the scene said that neighbors pulled his mother out of a window of her burning home.

Jim Slaff said that they had also rescued his stepfather from the backyard. However, their dog had died from the incident.

NBC reported that it was not the first plane crash near Gillespie. Three years ago, two people and a dog were killed in an aircraft down in Santee in February.

READ MORE: TikTok Under Fire for Its 'Blackout Challenge' Linked to 12-Year-Old Boy's Death

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Southern California plane crash: At least two dead when plane crashes into homes - from KHOU 11






Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Monday issued an executive order overruling President Biden's vaccine mandate on the lone star state.

Abbott signed Executive Order GA 40, contending that the COVID vaccine must not be forced on anyone. He acknowledged, though, that the jab is the best defense against the notorious disease.

"The COVID-19 is safe, effective, and our best defense against the virus, but should remain voluntary and never forced," the Texas governor said in a statement.

READ NEXT: Soldiers File Lawsuit Over Vaccine Mandate; Seeking Exemption for Military Members Who Contracted COVID

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Reproves President Biden's Vaccine Mandate

In the signed executive order, Abbott confirmed that his order was prompted by the vaccine mandate President Biden enforced, a move called by the governor as "federal overreach," NBC News reported.

Abbott also pointed out that the move announced by the current administration is "bullying" the private entities and "caused workforce disruptions." The governor then explained that the aftermath of the vaccine mandate in the lone star state threatened the continued recovery of Texas from the disaster caused by COVID-19.

Under the executive order, Abbott underscored that no entity in their state can force anyone such as employees and consumers to show vaccine proof on anyone who opposed the vaccination on the grounds of personal conscience, religious belief, medical reasons, or recovery from the notorious disease.

The executive order noted that the mandate shall remain in effect and full force unless Abbott modifies, amends, rescinds, or suspend the said order.

Aside from issuing the executive order, the Texas governor also sent a message to the state House of Representatives' chief clerk and the secretary of the state Senate. The said memo was a request to codify the recent mandate the Texas governor issued into a bill.

In the previous month, President Biden announced the vaccine mandate requiring companies with 100 or more employees to ensure that that their workforces would be vaccinated or subject to regular testing.

The said vaccine mandate that covers an estimated 80 million workers faced challenges as lawsuits from two dozen GOP attorney generals prompted some individuals to vow to quit their jobs.

President Biden on GOP Governors Pandemic Response

As the vaccine mandate was announced by the president, Biden threatened to use his authority against officials, such as Ron DeSantis and Greg Abbott, who will not help him beat the pandemic.

"If they'll not help, if these governors won't help us beat pandemic, I'll use my power as president to get them out of the way," Biden said in early September.

It can be recalled that aside from the recent executive order Abbott issued, the Texas governor signed another executive order over the summer that bans local governments and school districts from requiring face masks and vaccines. A $1,000 fine will be given to those who will not comply.

In June, the state legislature was also known to pass a bill that bans private businesses from requiring proof of vaccinations.

Texas was not the only state to challenge Biden's vaccine mandates. Other Republican-led states such as Montana were known to pass a bill that banned the vaccine requirements of the employers. Meanwhile, Florida also banned businesses from requiring proof of vaccinations earlier this year.

READ NEXT: Former FDA Chief Says COVID Vaccines for Children Age 5-11 Could Be Approved by Late October

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written By: Joshua Summers

WATCH: Texas Governor Abbott Bans Vaccine Mandates by any Entity - From FOX 7 Austin
Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro has said that he did not want to be "bored" with questions regarding the COVID death toll in the country after Brazil became the second country in the world to surpass the 600,000-death count.

Bolsonaro was at the beach in Guaruja with his supporters on Monday when a journalist asked him about the country's current COVID death toll, according to an Aljazeera report.

Brazil's far-right president has responded by asking in which country did people not die due to the pandemic. He then added that he did not come to the place "to be bored."

The country's health ministry had announced that Brazil had passed the 600,000 death threshold for COVID, which had caused more public anger against Bolsonaro's COVID response.

READ NEXT: Brazil Hospital Chain Allegedly Tested Unproven Drugs on Elderly COVID Patients: Whistleblowers

Testing Unproven Drugs

Whistleblowing doctors had testified in front of the country's Senate stating that Prevent Senior had enlisted participants to test unproven drugs without proper consent. The hospital was also accused of forcing doctors to cross the line on prescribing unproven drugs touted by Bolsonaro as part of a COVID kit, according to an NBC News report.

Some senators have also claimed that Prevent Senior had falsified death certificates to alter the cause of death of the patients.

Authorities had also launched an investigation to look at the complaints that the company had done research without proper permission.

Meanwhile, Prevent Senior had denied all wrongdoing, irregularities at its facilities, or having done any unapproved trials. The hospital chain added that all of its patients or family members had consented before receiving the treatment.

Pedro Batista Junior, Prevent Senior's executive director, had also testified to senators two weeks ago. He noted that doctors were free to make their own prescriptions for the treatment of COVID.

Junior said that patients had freely agreed to take their COVID kits. He added that patients and family members had consented before receiving treatment. However, he did not say how many patients had received the COVID kits.

Bolsonaro's COVID response

Protests have erupted across Brazil, with people clamoring over the management of the COVID pandemic by Bolsonaro's government. Demonstrations had happened in major cities, such as Rio de Janeiro.

Bolsonaro's popularity had also crashed over his response to the pandemic, according to another BBC News report in May.

Opposition parties, trade unions, and social movements had accused Bolsonaro of stalling the COVID vaccine program and disregarding the consequences of his decision.

The head of Brazil's Butantan Institute earlier told the Senate committee that the Brazilian president delayed the start of the COVID vaccine program. Butantan had offered to supply the government with 100 million doses of the CoronaVac vaccine in August last year, according to Dr. Dimas Covas.

Covas said that Bolsonaro vowed that his government would "never" buy a Chinese vaccine. Covas told the committee that Brazil could have been the first country in the world to vaccinate its citizens had Bolsonaro accepted the offer.

The head of the institute said Butantan would have been able to deliver 100 million doses by the end of March this year.

READ MORE: Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro Says Only God Can Remove Him From Power Amid Rallies, Supreme Court Fight

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Brazil surpasses 600,000 COVID-19 deaths: Is Bolsonaro to blame? - from DW News






A Brazilian blogger known online for flaunting her lavish vacations and designer bags on social media, along with her fiance's friend, was charged after trying to board a Dubai-bound flight with cocaine-filled capsules in food supplement bottles inside her bag.

Instagram Influencer Lais Crisostomo Aguiar Arrested

With more than 400,000 followers on the photo and video sharing platform Instagram, Crisostomo Aguiar frequently shares images of her glamorous trips. The Brazilian influencer had posted places like the Maldives Islands and Monaco before she deleted all of her photos from her account.

Aside from trips abroad, Crisostomo Aguiar also flaunted her massive collection of Dior, Saint Laurent, and Chanel handbags on her Instagram account.

According to LAD Bible, social media influencer Lais Crisostomo Aguiar and her 44-year-old friend, car washer Peterson de Souza Fontes, were charged with one count of international drug trafficking after the discovery of cocaine in her bag. The two were arrested at Sao Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport in the municipality of Guarulhos on August 5.

The two tried to board a flight from Sao Paulo to Dubai. They were both set to face trial, following a decision by the 1st Federal Court of Guarulhos in the Brazilian state of Sao Paulo, G1 reported.

READ MORE: Viral Photo Shows Grandma's Cocaine-Snorting Kit From 1970s Discovered by Family While Cleaning

Brazilian Influencer Denies Cocaine Trafficking

Based on the report, police stopped them from boarding the flight after an x-ray scan in the airport revealed cocaine in capsules inside food supplement containers in the suspects' suitcases. Authorities revealed later on that a total of 461 grams of cocaine were about to be trafficked by the Brazilian influencer and her friend, Daily Mail reported.

Screeners detected an abnormality in de Souza Fontes' luggage, prompting the federal police to stop the two individuals suspected of carrying illegal drugs and subjected them to a secondary inspection. They were arrested and have been in prison after the discovery of the illegal drugs.

Meanwhile, Judge Valdeci dos Santos denied the petition filed by Crisostomo Aguiar. The social media influencer initially stated that she should be released because she was unaware of the contents of the suitcase.

However, Judge Valdeci dos Santos stated that Crisostomo Aguiar's statement was not credible, given that the seized cocaine was hidden in a suitcase with the suspect's personal items.

Also, Peterson Fontes admitted in court that the confiscated cocaine was his. He also revealed that Crisostomo Aguiar and her fiance, Henrique Catoriello, were drug users. The social media influencer denied his claims.

Moreover, the court maintained that the amount of cocaine found in Crisostomo Aguiar's possession could not be classified as being a user. The total recovered made it clear to the authorities that the drug would be the object of circulation in society, and the flight was their way of drug trafficking.

During her appearance on the court, Crisostomo Aguiar said that she had been living in Dubai since 2020. She stated that along with her fiance, Catoriello, they owned a currency exchange business there.

READ NEXT: CBP Officers Seize Cocaine, Fentanyl With an Estimated Value of More Than $1.2 Million at Texas Cargo Facility

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Jess Smith

WATCH: Influenciadora digital e presa com Cocaina ao tentar embarcar para Dubai (Digital influencer arrested with Cocaine while trying to board to Dubai) - Jornal da Record


Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Monday signed the declaration of Columbus Day as some left-wing politicians continue to redefine the holiday as "Indigenous Peoples' Day."

Ron DeSantis' declaration said that Columbus Day commemorates the life and legacy of the Italian explorer, Christopher Columbus.

The proclamation noted that Columbus made Europeans conscious of the existence of the New World and opened the door for the development of European settlements in the Western Hemisphere, which would eventually lead to the establishment of America, The Daily Wire reported.

Former President Benjamin Harrison has first proclaimed Columbus Day as a national holiday in 1892. However, the holiday has recently turned political.

The proclamation of the Republican governor said that Columbus stands a sole figure in Western Civilization who showed courage, "risk-taking, and heroism in the face of enormous odds."

The proclamation also said that the Italian explorer was a visionary who saw the possibilities of exploration beyond Europe and "a founding father who laid the foundation for what would one day become the U.S."

In a tweet, Ron DeSantis said that Columbus had shown "determination and perseverance" when he crossed the ocean more than 500 years ago.

Christopher Columbus displayed courage, determination, and perseverance when he sailed the ocean blue more than 500 years ago.



Happy Columbus Day! pic.twitter.com/6N0MlOkrvZ  Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) October 11, 2021

Columbus Day is a federal holiday, but states and local governments can opt not to observe a federal holiday.

READ NEXT: Florida School Board OKs Funding Cuts, Sanctions for Schools Defying Mask Mandate Ban

Opposition on Columbus Day Proclamation in Florida

Democratic candidate for governor, Rep. Charlie Crist, said that Florida would not be what it is today without the Tribal Nations that lived before.

Crist added that Indigenous Peoples' Day recognizes and honors the invaluable contributions they had given to the state and nation.

In a tweet, State Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fred celebrated the "many indigenous communities" and recognized the many wrongs still happening today, Sun-Sentinel reported.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also commemorated the Indigenous Peoples' Day, tweeting that it was a day to reflect on Taino and Arawak ancestors, who were the indigenous people of the Caribbean and Florida, Breitbart News reported.

On Friday, President Joe Biden has also issued a proclamation commemorating Indigenous Peoples' Day. Biden was the first president to do so.

Joe Biden also released a separate Columbus Day proclamation, praising the role of Italian Americans in U.S. society. However, the president also cited the violence and harm that Columbus and other explorers at the time they brought on the Americas.

Joe Biden said federal policies had systemically sought to assimilate and displace Native people and eradicate Native cultures for generations, Fox News reported.

The president added that with the Indigenous Peoples' Day proclamation, they recognize the Indigenous peoples' resilience and strength, as well as the positive impact they contributed.

Indigenous Peoples' Day

Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers on Monday issued a formal apology "for the tragedies inflicted upon Native American families and communities at boarding schools in Wisconsin" and across the country.

According to The Hill, Evers signed the executive order on Monday. In a series of tweets, he noted that they share responsibility and have a moral obligation "to pursue the truth and to bring these injustices to light."

He noted that understanding and acknowledgment are essential for accountability and healing. Wisconsin is home to at least 10 Native American boarding schools, where hundreds or possibly thousands of Native youths died from disease or neglect.

READ MORE: Last Living Man of Juma Tribe in Brazil Dies From COVID-19 Spread by Invading Loggers

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: U.S. Observes Indigenous Peoples' Day and Columbus Day - From CBS News






Royal sources said Prince Harry and wife Meghan Markle would not christen their daughter Lilibet in the U.K. and are likely to choose a ceremony in California.

According to Daily Mail, it was earlier reported that the couple would like to christen their child at Windsor Castle in front of Queen Elizabeth II, who has yet to meet her great-granddaughter.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle named their second child Lilibet Diana in honor of Queen Elizabeth and Princess Diana. "Lilibet" has been Queen Elizabeth's nickname among her family.

Royal sources revealed that a christening in the U.K. was "highly unlikely" and that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will christen their daughter at the Episcopal Church of the U.S.

The recent decision of the couple has raised questions about whether the Queen will ever get to meet her great-granddaughter face to face.

Having Lilibet's christening in the U.S. will mean that she will not automatically be a member of the Church of England. However, Lilibet could later join a Church of England congregation at a later date or when she comes to the U.K.

READ NEXT: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Had Considered Naming' Royal Racist' Who Asked About Archie's Skin Color

Daughter of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Not to be Christened in the U.K.

NBC royals correspondent Neil Sean reported that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's request for Lilibet's christening to be held at St. George's Chapel at Windsor was denied by Harry's older brother, Prince William.

William reportedly told the couple that Lilibet's christening at Windsor was not "going to work," Style Caster reported. Citing a source, Sean said William was the one who said "no" and that they don't think "this is going to work."

The date for Lilibet's christening has not yet been confirmed. Her older brother, Archie, was christened when he was two months old.

William's children with Kate Middleton, namely Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, were also christened when they were between two and three months old.

A source cited that Harry wanted Lilibet to be christened at the same place where Archie was christened. The source added that they are happy to wait until circumstances allow. The Queen missed Archie's christening in 2019 due to a prior engagement, the Independent reported.

Prince Harry was reportedly keen for Queen Elizabeth to attend his daughter's christening. However, it is not yet sure if the Queen could attend.

Princess Beatrice and her husband Edoardo Mapeli Mozzi had welcomed their first child, Sienna, last month. The Express reported that it is very likely that Sienna's christening will have the Queen's presence at Windsor.

Royal Family's Rift

Royal expert Katie Nicholl claimed that the Duke of Sussex's decision to publish a memoir isn't helping with the ongoing alleged feud with his brother, Prince William, and father, Prince Charles, ET Online reported.

Nicholl claimed that there's a sense of "real disbelief" over the book both on Charles and William's side. She added that Harry has broken one royal rule by writing the memoir, which was "don't tell, never complain, never explain."

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were also in a tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey, which caused a commotion after Meghan said that the royal family had "concerns" over Archie's skin color.

READ MORE: Prince Charles Won't Allow Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Kids to Receive Royal Titles When He Becomes King

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Prince William Denied Prince Harry Daughter Christening At Windsor? - From U.S. Weekly






A Wyoming coroner is set to reveal the details of the full autopsy results on Gabby Petito's remains on Tuesday. Wyoming officials confirmed the said development on the case of Brian Laundrie's fiancee on Monday.

Fox News reported that Teton County, Wyoming coroner Brent Blue would hold a virtual press conference regarding the said autopsy report on Tuesday.

It was scheduled to take place at 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time that will likely discuss the cause of death of the YouTuber, New York Post reported.

A Teton County spokesperson noted that the press conference is limited to members of the press. Other details on Gabby Petito's final autopsy report may also include details such as when she died, which may help authorities determine who killed her.

Petito's body was found at the Spread Creek Dispersed Campground near Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming on September 19.

An autopsy was performed on the body, and the Teton County coroner's "initial determination for the manner of death" was a homicide. Her body has still not been released to the family.

Private investigator Jason Jenson of Salt Lake City told Fox News that the results of a post-mortum toxicology test, which determines drugs in an individual's system, would also likely be discussed in the press conference.

However, Jenson said that he believes that authorities will not find any drugs on Petito's body.

READ NEXT: Brian Laundrie Search: Florida Fugitive's Dad Will Join the Search in Carlton Reserve

Gabby Petito Autopsy Report

A forensic expert earlier offered her opinion on why the full autopsy results on Gabby Petito's remains are yet to be released.

Jennifer Shen, a retired San Diego Police Department Crime Laboratory director, told The Sun that quickly ruling the YouTuber's death a homicide usually indicates that the "cause of death was pretty apparent to those that found her."

Shen believed that there could have been "visible trauma consistent with some kind of attack" like gunshot or knife wounds or signs of strangulation.

Shen noted that the official cause of death and the full autopsy report normally take weeks to be released since many in-depth toxicological tests must be completed to provide "all information her body has to offer."

Brian Laundrie Named a Person of Interest in Gabby Petito's Disappearance

Gabby Petito's fiance, Brian Laundrie, was named a person of interest by police after returning home in North Port, Florida on September 1 or 10 days before the YouTuber was reported missing by her family.

Gabby Petito disappeared on a cross-country road trip with Brian Laundrie. The couple was traveling to Oregon when the YouTuber stopped communicating with her family in Wyoming in late August.

Ajay Pallegar, a criminal defense attorney in Tampa, Florida told Fox News that a person of interest is somebody who may have information pertinent to a crime.

Pallegar said Laundrie had not been charged and was not even a suspect in Petito's homicide as authorities have yet to disclose any information on evidence linking him to the crime.

Pallegar noted that a person of interest may not rise to the level of being suspect yet. He described a suspect as a person who authorities believe committed a crime.

"It's really hard to tell, in this case, why they labeled Laundrie as a person of interest rather than a suspect," Pallegar noted.

Pallegar said there could be internal evidence that could establish Petito's fiance to be a suspect. However, he noted that authorities probably "don't want to make that public" for public relations reasons.

The FBI has already issued a federal arrest warrant for Brian Laundrie but over debit card fraud. As of Monday, Gabby Petito's fiance remained on the loose.

READ MORE: Dog the Bounty Hunter Forced to Return to Colorado After Getting Injured in Brian Laundrie Search, but Daughter Says He's Not Giving Up

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Joshua Summers

WATCH: Coroner to Hold Press Conference on Gabby Petito Autopsy on Tuesday - From WFLA News Channel 8
Five children in Mexico were rescued Saturday after a Mexican drug cartel recruited them through the survival shooter game "Free Fire."

According to Mexico News Daily, the kids, aged 12 to 15, were contacted via a WhatsApp group related to the Free Fire, and cartel members offered them lucrative work because of their evident interest in guns.

The recruiters told the children, playing the Free Fire, that they would work for the Northeast Cartel in Tamaulipas. During the meetups at Tlacolula de Matamoros in Oaxaca state, the kids were forced into a vehicle as the Mexican drug cartel members kidnapped them.

Tlacolula de Matamoros is about 30 kilometers from Oaxaca city, also in Oaxaca state. After the youths disappeared, their parents filed complaints with the state Attorney General's Office and shared the kids' photos on social media as they appealed for help.

One of the boys left a letter to his parents telling them not to worry as he had gone to work at Monterrey city in Nuevo Leon state. The boy also said that he would send lots of money to them.

Security officials tracked the kids' locations through their cellphones, which led them to a house on the east side of the city.

Security personnel had been told that a children's party was going on inside the house when they arrived at the property. But when they entered the house, they discovered that the youths were being held hostage and that their abductors planned to take them to Oaxaca.

Five youths have already been reunited with their families, while one woman was arrested.

READ NEXT: Juarez Cartel Boss Vicente Carrillo Fuentes Sentenced to 28 Years in Prison by Mexico Judge

Mexican Drug Cartels Use TikTok to Recruit Young People

Mexican drug cartels have used social media ever since to shock and intimidate their enemies. Howard Campbell, anthropologist and drug expert at the University of Texas at El Paso, said it has been proven to be an effective strategy, Courier-Journal reported.

Campbell added that the use of TikTok is the latest addition to this strategy. But recently, it has shifted its purpose.

David Saucedo, a Mexico City-based security analyst, said TikTok is now being used to promote a lifestyle and generate a picture of "luxury and glamour" to show the benefits of joining the cartels.

Saucedo noted that these TikTok videos, with images of parties, endless cash, military-grade weapons, and exotic pets like tiger cubs, are being promoted to entice young men who might be interested in joining the cartel.

A search on hashtag #CartelTikTok in social media brings up thousands of videos, most of them promoting a "cartel culture."

According to a UNICEF survey, Mexican drug cartels do practice forced recruitment. The survey noted that cartel recruitment drives families to flee their homes.

The Child Rights Network in Mexico reported that criminal organizations have already recruited about 35,000 children and adolescents.

Derek Maltz, a former agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Agency's Special Operations Division, said since social media like TikTok is "very attractive" and utilized by younger people, it became 100 percent "a recruitment tool."

Northeast Cartel

According to El Universal, former members of the Los Zetas Cartel created the Northeast Cartel. The organization was reportedly known to be behind the attack at Villa Union in the northern state of Coahuila in May 2019.

It was considered to be one of the bloodiest shootings of the year in Villa Union. It has claimed the lives of 17 criminals, two civilians, and four police officers.

The Northeast Cartel, also known as the Cartel del Noreste, was founded in 2014 by Juan Gerardo Chavez Trevino, the nephew of Los Zetas leader Miguel Trevino Morales.

READ MORE: El Chapo's Sinaloa Cartel Continues to Thrive Despite the Drug Lord's Absence: Report

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: A Warning Every Parent Needs to Know About: Mexican Drug Cartels Are Targeting Teenagers - From 25 News KXXV






Duane Chapman, also known as Dog the Bounty Hunter, believed that Brian Laundrie called his parents immediately after he killed his fiancee, Gabby Petito.

In an interview with The Sun, Dog the Bounty Hunter claimed that Laundrie's parents had encouraged their son to rush home to North Port, Florida following Petito's death.

"I think he [Laundrie] called the mom and dad right from the scene... He said, 'mom, she was screaming... so I put my hand over her mouth... and when I took it away she wasn't breathing and I tried CPR'," Chapman said.

Chapman added that Laundrie's parents would have told him: "Ok, son, get home right now."

READ NEXT: Dog the Bounty Hunter Is Served With $1.3M Lawsuit During Brian Laundrie Search at Florida Park Over 'Racist Behavior'

Dog The Bounty Hunter Believes Brian Laundrie Killed Gabby Petito

Duane Chapman believed that it was Laundrie who killed his fiancee.

"Of course, he [Laundrie] murdered her," he noted.

Dog the Bounty Hunter claimed that if the parents of Brian Laundrie knew about Gabby Petito's death in Wyoming, they had probably pointed out to their son that Wyoming is the only state that still has the death penalty.

"The only sentence is the death penalty... That jury in Wyoming is going to hang him," Duane Chapman noted.

"I don't think a jury would put a man to death if he went to keep his woman quiet and he suffocated her but woe unto him if he did anything else," he added.

Dog the Bounty Hunter got injured while searching for Gabby Petito's fiance in remote areas of southern Florida. Reports said he injured his ankle, prompting him to return to Colorado to meet with his doctor.

Dog the Bounty Hunter told WFLA on Monday that he will continue to process leads in Colorado while he's there. Aside from meeting his doctor, the 68-year-old reality star said he would also raise funds to continue what he called an "expensive search."

Dog the Bounty Hunter has been searching for Gabby Petito's fiance since late last month. Authorities are still trying to locate Brian Laundrie after he was reported missing on September 17. His parents said they last saw him on September 13.

Police Not Convinced About Stories of Brian Laundrie's Parents

The North Port police also sounded their suspicion on the stories provided by Brian Laundrie's parents. Josh Taylor, a spokesman for the North Port Police Department, told NewsNation that there were a lot of inconsistencies and oddness in Laundrie's parents' story.

"I mean, your son walks out there... Now they're saying on a Monday, you know, to report that on a Friday, and then be confused on what day that was... There are a lot of things that are odd there," Taylor noted.

According to his parents, Brian Laundrie went missing on September 17, days after he told them that he was going for a hike in Carlton Reserve.

The Laundries had changed the date of their son's disappearance from September 14 to September 13. They also said they went looking for their son on September 15 and found the car with a police note ordering it to be moved.

Taylor said he doesn't know what to believe anymore. However, he noted that Laundrie's parents may be "expressing what they know, but we'll see."

"This is an ongoing investigation that will continue to evolve," he added.

Gabby Petito disappeared on a cross-country road trip with Brian Laundrie. The couple was traveling to Oregon when the YouTuber stopped communicating with her family in Wyoming in late August.

Laundrie was named a person of interest by North Port police after returning home on September 1 or 10 days before Gabby Petito was reported missing by her family.

Petito's body was found at the Spread Creek Dispersed Campground near Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming on September 19.

The FBI has already issued a federal arrest warrant for Brian Laundrie but over debit card fraud.

READ MORE: Brian Laundrie Manhunt: Parents of Gabby Petito's Fiance Change the Date of Florida Fugitive's Disappearance

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Joshua Summers

WATCH: Here's Where Dog the Bounty Hunter Thinks Brian Laundrie is - From FOX 13 Tampa Bay
Macra na Feirme has said that the Government has not shown any commitment to young farmers, and has instead shown greater support for the digital gaming industry through tax credits worth up to 25m.

Macra claim there is nothing in Budget 2022 to address generational renewal or the reality that young farmers must meet dual challenges of food production and climate change.

Speaking after the Budget announcement, Macra na Feirme National President John Keane from Laois said the budget does not support young farmers.

"We do not see progress on the major challenges facing young people in rural Ireland. What we see is words, not deeds.

"The Minister has announced tax credits for the digital gaming industry worth up to 25m, but cannot make commitments to young farmers. Minister Donohue has effectively told the next generation considering farming careers to take up computer gaming instead of farming, he said.

Minister Donohue said that 'we owe it to our children to be careful in how we manage public finances' but Macra na Feirme would also argue that we owe it to the farming community to provide for the sector so that there is a sector for our children to work in, enjoy and experience.

This years Budget 2022 speech leaves young farmers with the desire to go indoors and take up gaming said Keane.

Farming families have a "central role to play" in protecting the environment according to Minister Donohue but expect to have only more of the same. The government has said they are committed to generational renewal but have shown no desire to move beyond the status quo.

The Digital Gaming sector is to get a bump from tax relief of 32% up to 25m spend. As Minister Donohue says this sector has so much potential, the Minister needs to remember that everyone needs a farmer, the backbone of a wider agri-food industry, at least three times a day for food production concluded Keane.
Met Eireann has issued a fog warning for Laois and 17 other counties in Leinster and munster

In the Status Yellow alert, issued October 12, Met Eireann warns of dense fog in places, resulting in poor visibility.

The warning is valid from 1am on Wednesday morning until 11am on the same day.

Carlow, Dublin, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Longford, Louth, Meath, Offaly, Westmeath, Wexford and Wicklow in Leinster, and Clare, Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary and Waterford in Munster.

The forecaster says the settled spell will begin to waver as the week progresses with some more prolonged periods of rain at times. By the weekend it looks to become more unsettled with longer spells of rain becoming heavy at times while temperatures will generally remain slightly above average for the time of year.

Status: yellow

Type: fog

Valid: 01:00 Wednesday 13/10/2021 to 11:00 Wednesday 13/10/2021  Met Eireann (@MetEireann) October 12, 2021

NATIONAL FORECAST issued at 4.39pm on October 12.

TUESDAY: Staying dry for most this evening, though scattered patches of drizzle will continue over Ulster. Generally cloudy with just a few bright spells, brightest over southern counties. Light northwesterly breezes.

Dry night will stay dry apart from isolated drizzle patches along northern and northwestern coasts. Cloudy over the northern half of the country with clear spells further south. A calm night with some mist and fog developing, turning dense in parts of Munster and Leinster later. Lowest temperatures of 5 to 10 degrees, coolest in the south.

WEDNESDAY: Mist and fog will slowly clear tomorrow morning to leave a largely dry day with a mix of cloud and sunny spells, with the best of the sunshine over the southern half of the country. Feeling rather mild with highest temperatures of 14 to 17 degrees in a light southwest breeze.

Cloud will spread from the west with some patchy drizzle on northwest coasts at night. While there will be clear spells early in the east, this will give way to cloudy conditions by morning. Coolest in the southeast with lowest temperatures of 6 to 11 degrees in mostly light south to southwest breezes.

Thursday: Mostly cloudy across the country, with patchy light rain and drizzle at times mostly over the northern half of the country. A heavier band of rain will extend from the north over Ulster and north Connacht by evening. Highest temperatures of 14 to 16 degrees in light to moderate westerly breezes.

The band of rain over Ulster will track southwards overnight, but will break up over the south of the country becoming light and patchy as it does so. Clear spells will follow into northern parts and it will become cooler behind the rain with lowest temperatures of 4 to 7 degrees, holding milder in the south though with lows of 8 to 11 degrees as winds veer northerly and ease light.

Friday: Patchy cloud in the south with some light rain or drizzle at times in the morning with good sunny spells elsewhere. Conditions will switch somewhat in the afternoon as it becomes cloudier further north with a few spots of light rain or drizzle as brighter spells develop in the south. Highest temperatures of 12 to 17 degrees, mildest in the southwest, in light east to southeast breezes.

Cloud will increase overnight with some further patches of light rain or drizzle about but a good deal of dry weather too. Lowest temperatures of 7 to 10 degrees, coolest in north Ulster in light southerly or variable breezes.

Saturday: Mostly cloudy with patchy light rain or drizzle at times in the morning. Prolonged spells of moderate to heavy rainfall will however develop in the west during the afternoon. Highest temperatures of 14 to 16 degrees as light southerly winds increase moderate by afternoon, and freshening along Atlantic coasts.

Further outlook: Becoming quite dull and wet on Sunday with some heavy burst of rain at times. Currently it looks to remain unsettled with wet and blustery conditions at times for the early days of next week. Highest temperatures will remain in the mid-teens generally.
A Minister from Kildare has followed up on their Bord Bia Seminar from last month with trip to a well-known biennial German Food and Beverage Fair.

Minister for State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, with responsibility for Research & Development, Farm Safety and New Market Development, Martin Heydon TD, recently posted on his official Facebook page about his trip to the Anuga Food Fair in the city of Cologne.

Minister Heydon said in his post: "In the first 16 months of my role as Minister of State for new market development Ive mainly been restricted to virtual trade events to promote the world class food and drink produced by our farmers and food businesses."

"As we continue our post-pandemic recovery it was great to further strengthen our ties to an important EU market for our agri-food exports as we continue to diversify our markets following Brexit."

He concluded: "It was great to meet the many businesses flying the green flag abroad including Kildares Brady Family Ham, the Bord Bia team in Europe as well as our Agricultural attache and consulate/Embassy team in Germany."

Previously, Minister Heydon led the "Driving Growth in West Africa" Client Seminar.

The virtual event featured insights from senior commercial stakeholders on trading with West Africa, with particular emphasis on the dairy, alcohol and seafood sectors.

The Anuga Food Fair takes place over four days and is sub-divided into ten separate fairs, each covering a different category of food and beverages.
The town of Naas has been specially selected as one of eight locations for the launch of brand new car service.

Enterprise Holdings today announced that its Enterprise Car Club motoring service now includes over 30 cars and vans located around eight towns and cities.

These include 16 on-street sites in Dublin, from Merrion Square North to the Docklands, and Enterprise Rent-A-Car branches in Cork, Galway, Limerick, Waterford, Tralee, Drogheda, and Naas.

Participants register online to join the Car Club and once approved, they can reserve vehicles through the online booking system, using their phone or a contactless card to access the vehicle.

The vehicles are available to rent on an hourly basis.

Speaking at the launch, Enterprise Rent-A-Car Managing Director for Ireland, Brendan Grieve, said: "We are delighted to launch Enterprise Car Club in Ireland."

"This service will enable people across the country to quickly and easily access low emission and value for money vehicles."

He also claimed that the service will also play an important part in helping reduce congestion and improve air quality by enabling people to make more sustainable travel choices.

Mr Grieve explained: "At Enterprise we are committed to meeting customers changing mobility needs, building on our long and proud history of providing rental vehicles in communities across Ireland, helping people travel in an affordable, convenient and efficient manner."

To celebrate its launch in Ireland, Enterprise has said that it will provide half-priced annual membership of 20 to anyone who joins in the next six months.

In addition, these customers will also receive 20 of free driving credits to their account.

The Enterprise Car Club fleet comprises a combination of hybrid and fuel-efficient petrol vehicles including the Ford Puma, Opel Corsa, Renault Clio, Toyota Corolla and Ford Transit models.

The company has also expressed its intention to include fully electric vehicles in the near-future.

Motorists must be aged 21 or over and holds a full driving licence to apply for the service.

Further information on locations and to register for Enterprise Car Club can be found by clicking here.
A Senator from Kildare has said that the Irish Government has delivered on its commitment to fund additional regional menopause clinics.

Senator Fiona O' Loughlin, who is also Chair of the Oireachtas Womens Caucus, has said that she welcomes the prioritisation of womens health in Budget 2022

The Fianna Fail politician said: "As Chair of the Oireachtas Women's Caucus, I could not be happier to see the investment and prioritisation of womens healthcare in this budget."

"For too long womens healthcare was side lined, and many women suffered in silence."

Senator O' Loughlin continued: "I am delighted to see Minister Stephen Donnelly tackling this issue head on, and allowing for these vital supports to be delivered by his department.

"Huge strides have been made in this budget, with free contraception being made available to all women between the ages of 17 and 25, something my Female Fianna Fail Senate colleagues have been working incredibly hard on in recent times.

Period poverty is not something that any Irish woman should have to endure, and it is great to see the Government providing funding to tackle the issue."

She added that the National Maternity Strategy will also receive increased resources for consultants in obstetrics and neonatology to further support in the implementation of the strategy, which she referred to as "a pillar of womens healthcare in this country."

Senator O' Loughlin elaborated: "I was particularly pleased to see Minister Donnelly deliver on his commitment to fund additional regional menopause clinics.

"He announced in September a Specialist Menopause clinic at the National Maternity Hospital Dublin, the first of its kind in Ireland which will provide specialist guidance and advice for women experiencing menopause."

"Minister Donnelly gave commitments at that time that additional regional clinics would be catered for, and I am glad that as a result of my advocacy, and the advocacy of others that clinics will be established in Dublin, Limerick, Galway and Cork."

Senator O' Loughlin pointed to the statistic that women generally live one third of their lives post menopause, adding that the quality of that third of their lives very much depends on the support and treatments they receive during the menopause- with 80 per cent of women have a difficult menopause.

"In the past women have been denied treatment and given incorrect treatment.

We need to change that for women who will go through the menopause in future, and these clinic are a huge step in the right direction for women.

"This will be a vital service, and one that we have needed for some time," she said.

Senator O' Loughlin concluded: "I want to commend Minister Donnelly for his commitment to womens health issues, and for tackling them head on."

"I look forward to continuing to work him to further improve womens access to vital female specific healthcare into the future"

Senator Fiona O' Loughlin was among the nation's politicians who recently criticised recent controversial comments made by Dublin City Council's Chief Executive, Owen Keegan, against the Student's Union of University College Dublin.

She referred to his comments as "flippant, sarcastic and completely inappropriate."
A 38-year-old man will go on trial on Thursday, accused of murdering a man in a Kildare woods over five years ago.

Stephen Penrose of Newtown Court, Malahide Road, Coolock, Dublin 17, is charged with murdering Philip Finnegan (24) at Rahin Woods, Rahin, Co Kildare on August 10, 2016.

Wearing a white shirt, grey jumper and dark trousers, Mr Penrose stood up when arraigned before the Central Criminal Court today.

When the registrar read the indictment to the accused and asked him how he was pleading, he replied: Not guilty.

Addressing the jury panel, Mr Justice Paul McDermott said the accused Mr Penrose is from west Kildare and the deceased Mr Finnegan was from the south inner city of Dublin. Most of the gardai concerned in the case, the judge said, are from the Leixlip area of Co Kildare. "There is a good deal of CCTV footage, telecommunication experts and technical people giving evidence," he added.

A jury of eight men and four women was sworn in to hear the trial, which is due to begin on Thursday before Mr Justice Alexander Owens and is expected to take between five and six weeks.

Earlier, Mr Justice McDermott told the jury panel that the only thing relevant to them is the evidence they hear during the course of the trial and said it was not appropriate to search for information on the internet. "People become aware of things through the media or social media and all of that is of no relevance," he said, adding that they should limit themselves to "what goes on" in the courtroom.
The Chief Executive of Dublin City Council (DCC) Owen Keegan has been heavily criticised following comments he made to the Student's Union of University College Dublin (UCD SU).

Mr Keegan responded to a letter from UCD, in which the President of its SU, Ruairi Power, hit out at council officials for not conducting "a rudimentary level of stakeholder engagement with Higher Education Institutes prior to granting permission for conversion to tourist lets."

In his reply, Mr Keegan said: "If you genuinely believe that excess profits are being made in the PBSA market I am surprised the students union has not entered the market itself and provided lower-cost student accommodation for its members."

Minister for Further & Higher Education, Research, Innovation & Science (and former Minister for Health) Simon Harris TD is among the litany of critics of Mr Keegan's comments, where he took to Twitter to quote-tweet a post by Mr Power responding to the DCC chief's comments.

He said: "Fully agree with UCD SU; student accommodation must be for students."

"Students raised this with Darragh O' Brien TD (Minister for Housing), and myself & Darragh issued a circular to ensure this."

"Lots of work underway & needed to make improvements; dismissive & sarcastic comments dont help," he added.

Fully agree with @UCDSU. Student accommodation must be for students. Students raised this with @DarraghOBrienTD & myself & Darragh issued a circular to ensure this. Lots of work underway & needed to make improvements. Dismissive & sarcastic comments dont help https://t.co/Vn1JxYqyVt  Simon Harris TD (@SimonHarrisTD) October 11, 2021

Minister Harris also said in a follow-up tweet: "I have meet UCD SU on student accommodation."

"The points they make are valid, and my Department met with all college management bodies last week to identify solutions & new approaches to student accommodation."

In Mr Power's original tweet, he said: "DCC CEO Owen Keegans innovative solution to the housing crisis is. Students Unions becoming property developers."

"This is in response to UCD SU's opposition to purpose-built student accommodation being converted into short-term tourist accommodation," he said, adding three upside-down smiley emojis.

DCC CEO Owen Keegans innovative solution to the housing crisis is. Students Unions becoming property developers.



This is in response to @ucdsu opposition to purpose-built student accommodation being converted into short-term tourist accommodation. pic.twitter.com/gDRJa2eVPv  Ruairi Power (@RuairiPower_) October 11, 2021

Minister O' Brien also voiced his thoughts on the issue in his own quote tweet, where he said: "Very surprised & disappointed at content of this letter & dont agree with it."

"I issued guidance to all Local Authorities 2+ weeks ago on this very issue & I expect it to be adhered to."

"Ill continue to work with Simon Harris to help address v (very) real challenges students face," he concluded.

Labour Senator Rebecca Moynihan has also commented on the matter, telling RTE's Drivetime programme that she believes that Mr Keegan should apologise for his comments, which she referred to as "snide and dismissive".

Various members of the public have also expressed their displeasure over Mr Keegan's comments:

Still not really over Owen Keegan just coming out and saying Let Them Build Houses https://t.co/bDsCptx0oj  spochadoir (@spochadoir) October 12, 2021

He doesn't serve the people of this city : Remove Owen Keegan as Dublin City Council CEO - Sign the Petition! https://t.co/87vul5eTfd via @Change  Tara Doherty (@ta_rarr) October 12, 2021

Dublin City Council Chief Owen Keegan suggests that UCD Students Union should build houses for students.#WrongPhotoHeadline pic.twitter.com/cm55HZQys6  NoPlanetB (@IcebergsMelting) October 12, 2021

Owen Keegan is not out of touch he just doesn't care.  paul gurney (@paulgur) October 12, 2021

Virgin Media's Richard Chambers also commented on the matter by quote-tweeting Mr Power's tweet displaying Mr Keegan's reply with an anxious-looking emoji:

A Change.org petition has since been launched calling for Mr Keegan's resolution.

It outlines: "Owen P. Keegan was appointed Dublin City Chief Executive in September 2013."

"In his time at DCC he has made countless decisions based on his own logic to disapprove Dublin; these actions include his crusade to remove any height and sustainable living in Dublin City, closing off public spaces without public consultation, prioritising cars and car park owners over pedestrians, the lack of pedestrianisation in the city, public pressure was needed for any streets to be pedestrianised, filthy streets which are covered with litter and graffiti, and a lack of public services such as bins and toilets."

It continued: "Even though the majority of councillors are in favour of all these items Owen Keegan continues to act in an undemocratic manner."

The author of the petition also claimed that Mr Keegan wrote to Lord Mayor Hazel Chu to inform her that he will be extending his contract by 3 years without any public consultation or vote.

It's criticism of Mr Keegan concluded: "Dublin City Council is there to serve the people: enough is enough, the public deserve better."

Last month, the Dept of Housing sent a letter instructing local councils that purpose-built student accommodation should be reserved for students, with exemptions for "compelling non-Covid" reasons.

When quizzed about this, a spokesperson for DCC said that its chief executive (Mr Keegan) "does not wish to make a statement on this."

Mr Power has also since called for the resignation of Mr Keegan, according to RTE News.
A number of Kildare representatives from across different parties, have condemned Dublin City Council's Chief Executive Owen Keegan's controversial response to the Student's Union of University College Dublin (UCD SU).

Mr Keegan responded to a letter from UCD, in which the President of its SU, Ruairi Power, hit out at council officials for not conducting "a rudimentary level of stakeholder engagement with Higher Education Institutes prior to granting permission for conversion to tourist lets."



In his reply, Mr Keegan said: "If you genuinely believe that excess profits are being made in the PBSA market I am surprised the students union has not entered the market itself and provided lower-cost student accommodation for its members."

His written response has seen gone viral on Twitter.

Politicians around Ireland have hit back at Mr Keegan's comments: Government Ministers Simon Harris and Darragh O' Brien, as well as Labour Senator Rebecca Moynihan, have criticised the comments made in Mr Keegan's response.

Here's what Kildare representatives are saying:

Fianna Fail Senator Fiona O' Loughlin told the Leinster Leader that she was "disappointed" by his response.

She explained: "I thought it was flippant, sarcastic and a completely inappropriate response to a genuine concern that was raised by the SU in UCD."

"Student accommodation should be developed to house and cater for students alone, and the attitude of Mr Keegan leaves a lot to be desired," she added.

Her sentiments were echoed by a fellow Newbridge politician, Independent Councillor Fiona McLoughlin-Healy, who said in a Twitter post: "Condescending and arrogant; Dublin City Council CEOs response to students valid concerns has a tone of the untouchable about it."

"I hope councillors will exercise their oversight function of the CEO and hold him to account for his response to UCD SU."

Condescending and arrogant-@DubCityCouncil CEOs response to students valid concerns has a tone of the #untouchable about it .I hope councillors will exercise their oversight function of the CEO and hold him to account for his response to @UCDSU. #CountyAndCityManagers https://t.co/adKptFd41K  Fiona McLoughlin Healy (@fionamacky) October 11, 2021

One other Newbridge politician, Social Democrats (SD) Cllr Chris Pender, retweeted a post on the site by fellow SD member Gary Gannon, who said: "A person with more power than any other in the city of Dublin, who will never have to face an electorate or be accountable for the shambles he is presiding over."

A person with more power than any other in the city of Dublin, who will never have to face an electorate or be accountable for the shambles he is presiding over. https://t.co/CLEndmAhei  Gary Gannon TD (@GaryGannonTD) October 11, 2021

Mr Gannon had quote-tweeted Mr Power's original tweet, which included a photograph of Mr Keegan's response to UCD SU.

The caption of Mr Power's tweet read: "DCC CEO Owen Keegans innovative solution to the housing crisis is. Students Unions becoming property developers."

"This is in response to UCD SU's opposition to purpose-built student accommodation being converted into short-term tourist accommodation," he said, adding three upside-down smiley emojis.

DCC CEO Owen Keegans innovative solution to the housing crisis is. Students Unions becoming property developers.



This is in response to @ucdsu opposition to purpose-built student accommodation being converted into short-term tourist accommodation. pic.twitter.com/gDRJa2eVPv  Ruairi Power (@RuairiPower_) October 11, 2021

People Before Profit party representative Paul Mahon joined those condemning Mr Keegan's comments, including two of his fellow party members based in Dublin, Cllrs Tina McVeigh and Hazel Norton.

He told the Leader: "This is not the first time Mr Keegan has abused his position to have a go at people who are struggling or marginalised; Dublin City is filled with derelict buildings and sites being held onto by greedy investors and developers, while citizens are reduced to living in tents along the canals and students have to defer college places because of the lack of accommodation."

"Rather than tackle the issues, Mr Keegan would rather get some attention by blaming the victims of his failed management of the council."

"The dereliction of our towns and cities is legalised vandalism on a massive scale, and peoples interests would be better served if Mr Keegan did his job to tackle that instead of expecting others to do it for him."

"If hes not capable he should resign," he concluded.

Fine Gael Cllr for Maynooth and Deputy Mayor of Kildare County Council Tim Durkan also said to the Leader that he felt that Mr Keegan's comments were "less than helpful."

He explained: "They have only served to antagonised the situation given the current shortage of student accommodation."

"His remarks should be withdrawn and an apology issued as taking a combative and sarcastic stance does nothing to resolve the problem in hand."

Mr Power of UCD SU has since called for the resignation of Mr Keegan, according to a recent report from RTE News.
The Creating Our Future Roadshow is a government-led national brainstorm that will involve the people of Ireland in a conversation on the role research can and should play in addressing opportunities, challenges and hopes for the future. Creating Our Future will ensure that the direction of research in Ireland is informed by the people it serves.

The roadshow will bring the people of Carrick-on-Shannon at Flynns' Car Park, from 10am- 12pm together with members of the research community and our campaign team to grab a cuppa and discuss what researchers can do to create a better future.

Creating Our Future is asking people to submit their ideas about what researchers in Ireland should explore to create a better future through the dedicated online portal www.creatingourfuture.ie, which is open until the 30th November 2021.

Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris said, said: Over the course of the pandemic, we were reminded starkly of how much of our daily lives depend on the efforts of researchers to secure our economy, wellbeing, and health. As a forward-thinking country, we must ask how research can help meet the opportunities and challenges facing our society over the coming years. Creating our Future opens up this question to all.

This roadshow will engage people right across our country in this vital campaign. Everyone, everywhere, can have an idea for a better future. I look forward to hearing them.

For more information on how to get involved or to submit an idea, go to: www.creatingourfuture.ie.
Fine Gael is working to reduce the cost of living and Budget 2022 contains the measures to do it, Fine Gael Minister of State Frank Feighan TD has said.

Budget 2022 will help to recover our economy from the pandemic, repair our public finances and restore our public services. Fine Gael in Government has prioritised reducing the cost of living in order to provide support for people at a time of rising prices. Budget 2022 contains measures to do just that.

Every person paying income tax will receive a tax benefit thanks to a total budget package of 520 million. The standard rate band is increasing by 1,500 and we are increasing each of the personal tax, employee tax and earned income credits by 50.

For several Budgets now, Fine Gael has prioritised supports for small businesses and entrepreneurs; we recognise they are crucial to job creation and the development of our local economy in County Leitrim. Supporting entrepreneurs and the wider business community will be central to our broader national recovery from the pandemic, and so there is a significant package for them in Budget 2022.

Minister of State, Frank Feighan TD

The Employment Investment Incentive (EII) scheme is being extended for a further three years and will also be opened up to a wider range of investment funds. There is a further 30m of investment in the Innovation Equity Fund. There will be an extension of corporation tax relief to certain start-up companies and a new tax credit for the digital gaming sector.

Welfare payments are increasing and there will be a 100% Christmas bonus in 2021. The Old Age Pension will increase by 5 per week and the Living Alone Allowance will increase by 3 per week. The duration of Parents Benefit will increase by 2 weeks to 7 weeks from July next year, and from June next year, the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance will increase by 10, equalising the income thresholds for the allowance for one and two parent households and increasing the income threshold for the Working Family Payment by 10 for all families. We are increasing the income disregard for Carer's Allowance from 332.50 to 350 for a single person and from 665 to 750 for a couple.

The minimum wage will increase by 30c to 10.50 in January, the eighth consecutive increase to the minimum wage under Fine Gael in Government. In tandem with this, we will increase the ceiling of the second USC band to ensure the increase in the minimum wage wont push people into higher rates of USC.

Fine Gael is prioritising reducing childcare costs and we recently produced a report proposing a major re-prioritisation of early childhood in our national ambitions, with a need for increased focus on well-being in early childhood. Budget 2022 reflects this with a new funding stream for up to 4,700 early years and childcare providers which will be in place from September 2022 onwards, at an estimated cost of 69 million next year. This will support improvements in the quality of childcare provision, and will be linked to a commitment of no increases in fees to parents.

Next year, we will spend in excess of 2 billion, or over 25% of the Education budget on providing additional teaching and care supports for children with special educational needs. This represents an increase of over 50% since 2011 and it will include an unprecedented 1165 new SNAs, bringing the total number of SNAs in Ireland to a record of 19,169. We are also adding 980 new teachers in special education in mainstream schools, special classes and special schools, and we will open over 1,700 new special class places next year.

Addressing medical waiting lists is a huge priority for Government and 250 million has been allocated to address this challenge, further to the Acute Waiting List Action Plan. We are extending free GP care to children aged 6 and 7 next year, with the intention of reaching all children under 12 with this Fine Gael led policy.

The government is acutely aware of the impact on households of increasing energy costs. To directly address this, we are increasing the weekly rate of the Fuel Allowance by 5 and increasing to 120 the amount of means allowed above the maximum State Pension (Contributory) rate for the Fuel Allowance means test. The qualifying period on jobseekers allowance and supplementary welfare allowance will be reduced from 15 to 12 months.

There is a comprehensive 1.85 billion agriculture package, an increase of 32 million on last year. This will maintain critical supports across the sector while also providing for a number of new measures, including: providing for a second phase of the soil sampling programme in 2022; fully establishing the Food Ombudsman; and delivering on the Programme for Government commitment to double ex-gratia funding for Animal Welfare Organisations by 2022. Key farm schemes will be rolled over for a further year to a value of 630m ahead of the start of the new CAP in 2023.

One positive legacy of the pandemic is that remote and flexible working has becoming commonplace, something Fine Gael has been campaigning for quite some time. Budget 2022 provides an income tax deduction amounting to 30 per cent of the cost of vouched expenses for heat, electricity, and broadband in respect of those incurred while working from home.

As part of a range of housing measures announced in Budget 2022, we are extending the Help to Buy Scheme, which has already helped over 28,300 people to buy their first home.

Budget 2022 will fund the recruitment of 800 new gardai, 400 garda civilian staff to free up gardai for front line policing, and a 20% increase in the Garda Mountain Bike Unit. This will help to protect communities in Leitrim and keep them safe.

As part of a comprehensive Climate Action package in Budget 2022, we are extending the 5,000 relief for Battery Electric Vehicles to the end of 2023, to continue to incentivise the uptake of electric vehicles. Every single euro raised by the increase in Carbon Tax will be returned to the people of Ireland in a progressive manner. There is an additional 174 million for energy efficiency and to protect the most vulnerable in society.

Government gave unparalleled support to people and businesses during the pandemic, through the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP), the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS) and the Covid Restrictions Support Scheme (CRSS), approximately 17  billion has been directed to individuals, families and businesses. The continuation of these supports while people need them is important, but Budget 2022 also helps bring us to a new phase where we will recover our economy from the pandemic, repair our public finances and restore our public services. Fine Gael is committed to reducing the cost of living for all as part of that, Minister Feighan concluded.
THE Shannon Group has welcomed the announcement by Atlantic Aviation Group (AAG) that it has acquired Lufthansa Technik Shannon from its German parent company Lufthansa Technik.

The acquisition positions AAG to continue its ongoing growth trajectory and to avail of the opportunities provided by the post-pandemic rebound in international aviation. Under the terms of the deal, approximately 300 Lufthansa Technik Shannon employees will join the AAG group.

This will bring AAGs total workforce to approximately 740 people across sites in Shannon and Brize Norton in the UK.

For the remainder of 2021, both companies will focus on transition planning with the aim to have a smooth integration in early 2022. The deal is subject to approval from the LHT Supervisory Board, and the terms of the sale will remain confidential.

The purchase of Lufthansa Technik Shannon will make AAG the largest maintenance, repair, and operations company in Ireland and put the business firmly on track to become one of the largest independent MROs in Europe.

Like AAG, Lufthansa Technik Shannon has a strong reputation in the global market for its maintenance standards and a highly skilled workforce.

In February, AAG announced the acquisition of Flybes former aviation maintenance services operations at Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, England. It was rebranded as AAG Defence Services in June 2020.

Commenting on todays announcement, AAG Chief Executive Shane ONeill, said: Today is a good day for Irish aviation. In bringing Lufthansa Technik Shannon into the AAG family, we will be creating a platform for future success. We are proud to be able to secure approximately 300 jobs for the region  a majority of roles from the outgoing Lufthansa Technik Shannon business. We look forward to welcoming this highly skilled team to our operations and adding to our incredibly talented and experienced team at AAG."

Mr O'Neill says the company fosters close customer relationships and that its customers have been incredibly supportive of its growth plans.

"Through the acquisition of Lufthansa Technik Shannon, we will be able to service more customer fleets and offer A320 and B787 aircraft maintenance solutions. We see the expertise and experience of the LTSL team as being a hugely positive addition to our own expertise," he said.

AAG was acquired, in April 2015, by Patrick Jordan who has welcomed the acquisition of Lufthansa Technik Shannon.

Our goal at AAG has always been to become one of the worlds very best aviation solutions companies. A company with the best quality people and skills and with a growth strategy and ambition to match. I am looking to the future with confidence and excitement, he said.

Todays announcement by @AtlanticAvGrp (AAG) that they are acquiring Lufthansa Technik Shannon, and that this business will remain in Shannon is welcome news says our CEO, Mary Considine.  Shannon Group plc (@SNNGroup) October 12, 2021

Shannon Group CEO, Mary Considine, has welcomed the announcement by Atlantic Aviation Group of its acquisition of Lufthansa Technik Shannon.

Todays announcement by Atlantic Aviation Group that they are acquiring Lufthansa Technik Shannon, and that this business will remain in Shannon is welcome news. As customers of Shannon Group, both AAG and Lufthansa are an important part of the Shannon Free Zones ecosystem and the cluster of aviation businesses here, and I would like to congratulate AAG and wish them every success into the future, she said.

AAG's portfolio of customers includes DHL, Ryanair, ASL Airlines, Star Air, TUI Group, Jet 2, and major aircraft lessors such as GECAS, Aer Cap, Bank of America, SMBC, BBAM, Seraph, Aergo and Avolon.
HEALTHCARE workers in Limerick and across the Mid West are being urged to get the flu vaccine this winter.

The UL Hospitals Group and HSE Mid-West Community Healthcare have launched their Staff Flu Vaccination Campaign, emphasising the continued importance of immunisation against flu in the COVID-19 era, as well as helping UNICEF to fight polio in the developing world.

As part of this year's campaign, for every healthcare worker who gets the Flu Vaccine, UL Hospitals and HSE Mid-West Community Healthcare will ensure three children each receive the required four doses of vaccines to ensure they are fully immunised against polio.

Suzanne Dunne, Head of Strategy at UL Hospitals is urging all staff to embrace the vaccination campaign as enthusiastically as they did last year.

This Winter it is so important to get vaccinated in order to build a robust immune defence in our hospitals and communities against the threat of dual Covid/influenza infection. If all our staff get their flu vaccine, collectively we will ensure that up to 19,000 vulnerable children are fully vaccinated against polio in the developing world. So get vaccinated, not just for you, your patients and your family, but also to make an impact for some of the most vulnerable groups in the international community, she said.

Every year the flu vaccine is offered to our healthcare colleagues to protect them & to prevent the spread of flu to vulnerable patients



The #FluVaccine helps #protectourpatients #protectourstaff #YourBestShot



Jennifer Daly & Laura Ryan, who work at the vaccination centre pic.twitter.com/dJ9NZXATr4  UL Hospitals (@ULHospitals) October 8, 2021

Anne Ryan, Head of Service, Health & Wellbeing, HSE Mid-West Community Healthcare added: Were encouraging all HSE Mid-West Community Healthcare staff to get the flu vaccine to protect themselves and the people they care for in their jobs and their families. This is particularly important as we continue to work in a community where Covid-19 prevalence is relatively high."

Dr Rose Fitzgerald, Specialist in Public Health Medicine at Public Health Mid-West, is supporting the call for healthcare workers to get vaccinated against flu.

Flu is a highly infectious illness that affects all age groups and may result in serious disease with poor outcomes for our most vulnerable, particularly the elderly and those with weak immune systems. Although flu did not circulate widely in the Mid-West last year, it is possible we could have a severe flu season in the coming months, as witnessed in recent years before the Covid-19 pandemic," she said.

"As Covid-19 restrictions ease at the end of this month, we expect a considerable increase in social activity with reduced mask-wearing and less social distancing in many indoor settings. Additionally, because we did not experience the flu last year, it is possible that the population may have less immunity against flu this coming season. This is something we may have to be more conscious of. The flu vaccine is safe, and effective in reducing the risk of serious infection," added Dr Fitzgerald.

Healthcare workers and members of the public are also being urged to be extra vigilant of misinformation and disinformation on social media, and to follow trusted sources, such as the mainstream media and hse.ie if they wish to learn more about the flu and the available vaccines this season.

This years Flu Vaccination Clinics are running in the Mid-West COVID-19 Vaccination Centres in Limerick, Ennis and Nenagh, along with a number of pop-up clinics that will be organised in our hospital sites.
NEW research led by the University of Limerick has revealed a direct link between fatty tissue and Crohns disease.

The study, carried out by researchers at UL along with a team from University Hospital Limerick, is suggesting for the first time that Crohns disease  an inflammatory bowel condition  may in fact be a fatty intestine condition.

Around 40,000 people in Ireland suffer from Crohn's disease and symptoms range from regular diarrhoea or constipation to cramping pains in the abdomen, loss of appetite, anaemia and ulcers in the mouth and digestive tract.

The research, published in leading journal Scientific Reports, has been described as an exciting starting point for the further exploration of Crohns disease, which affects thousands of people every year in Ireland and internationally.

People with Crohns disease incorporate fat into their body in a way that is different to people who do not have Crohns, and appear to preferentially lay down fat on the lower parts of their body rather than the abdomen, explained Professor Colum Dunne, Foundation Chair and Director of Research at the UL School of Medicine.

In our study it was evident that, in the abdominal areas where the intestines are located, Crohns related ulcers or lesions and inflammation are associated with higher depositions of fat. More simply, in that part of their body that has relatively less overall fat, disease shows up as linked with fatty tissue surrounding the gut, explained Professor Dunne, who led the study.

Prof Dunne added that the latest research is a practical example of impact in real world clinical care adding the research team adopted a novel approach.

"Our approach in exploring inflammatory bowel disease has resulted in development of a new diagnostic test that differentiates Crohns disease from ulcerative colitis based on blood-borne biomarkers, and may enable monitoring of treatment without need for endoscopy," he said.

This type of innovation relies on team members who contribute diverse expertise, ranging from lab-based analysis to front-line clinical specialists. The close relationship between the University and hospitals in Limerick encourages that way of working, Professor Dunne added.

In UL, our studies have focused on intestinal disease using novel approaches that result from the insight and diverse perspectives of UL and UHL researchers, he explained.
A MULTI-MILLIONAIRE German investor is seeking planning permission for a major new development in the city.

Pharmaceutical businessman Ludwig Kasper, who has business interests in Dublin, the USA and further afield, is seeking to transform the landscape of a prominent part of the Ennis Road.

He has purchased the former Clifton House guest house for around 700,000, and is now planning a major building project around it.

According to a planning application to council, he is seeking to demolish part of the guest house, restore the remainder to use as a private home, as well as demolish the mews at the rear.

In place of this, Mr Kasper wants to construct a new, 25-bedroom guesthouse, with eight associated rooms serving as an apart-hotel.

Its not known if the businessman has specific ties to Limerick, with sources suggesting he keeps a low profile. However, he is understood to be worth several million euro, with one of his business interests being a restaurant merging German and Irish cuisine in the American State of Texas.

The Clifton House has been closed for approximately five years. However, the multi-million euro project has attracted nine objections, including from residents, and local TD Willie ODea and metropolitan leader Cllr Catherine Slattery.

Council has sought further information on the project. In a letter to the developer, it says it has very serious concerns with the nature of the development.
A CRUCIAL service which supports children with autism has been saved from closure after a local TD intervened.

Autism Supporting Diversity (ASD) Ireland, formerly known as the Limerick Autism Group, was facing closure in August after they thought theyd missed out on a Covid-19 stability grant from government.

However, Fine Gael TD Kieran ODonnell, an accountant by profession, took a closer look at their books, and discovered an error in the way funding was sought.

Taking up the story, the groups founder Keith Enright said: No-one without an accountancy background would have found this. When youre dealing with funding, they talk a different language. At the end of the day, we are parents and people trying to provide a service. We are not accountants. It was one error in the way it was addressed and completed, which was the difference between us getting it and not getting it.

In the end, the support group secured 22,730 from Pobal, which makes a huge difference, as it costs ASD Ireland 3,000 a month to remain open.

Its going to be absolutely amazing. We have five autism-friendly events coming up in November. We have six weekly movement groups, and we have our Halloween autism camp. None of these would have gone ahead without this, explained Keith.

ASD Ireland provides 432 hours of inclusive support a month for children with autism and their families.

Based at the Eastlink Business Park in the Ballysimon Road, the group was founded by Keith and another parent Caroline Hogan.

Mr ODonnell said: These are unsung heroes, doing work for people that makes a dramatic positive impact in their daily lives. I believe in what Keith and his colleagues are doing, and was delighted to do anything I could."
A TOTAL of 1,466 new, confirmed cases of Covid-19 have been reported overnight across Ireland.

As of eight o'clock this morning, some 402 patients with the disease are in hospital, with 73 of these in intensive care.

Dr Ronan Glynn, the deputy chief medical officer at the Department of Health said: "Over recent days we have seen an increasing number of people with Covid-19 admitted to hospital and to intensive care. Recently, approximately 70% of people being treated in intensive care for Covid-19 have not been fully vaccinated. This is a significant cause for concern."

"Vaccination, along with our continuing adherence to the public health advice, will break the chains of transmission and drive down incidence of Covid-19 in our communities. If you display any symptoms of Covid-19 including a high temperature, dry cough, or flu-like symptoms - please stay at home. Do not go to work, school, college or socialise," Dr Glynn added.

The @hpscireland has today been notified of 1,466* confirmed cases of #COVID19.



As of 8am today, 402 #COVID19 patients are hospitalised, of which 73 are in ICU. October 12, 2021

The deputy chief medical officer strongly encouraged anyone not yet vaccinated to do so as soon as possible.

"I also urge anyone who is eligible for a flu vaccine to come forward and receive it as soon as it is offered to you. You can arrange an appointment to receive your flu vaccine via your GP or local pharmacy. Continue to regularly wash hands, wear a mask when appropriate  particularly in retail settings, on public transport and in healthcare settings; keep your distance, open windows and ventilate indoor spaces, and choose outdoors where possible for meeting others," he added.
NEW DELHI : French hospitality major Accor Hotels plans to add 17 hotels in India across its luxury, premium, midscale and economy segments over the next few years.

After the launch of its luxury property Raffles in Udaipur, in August, the French hotel operator is set to launch another Raffles property in Jaipur by the end of 2022. It will also open a 600-room Fairmont hotel in Mumbai and five more Novotel hotels across the country. Novotel is the companys midscale brand.

Accor is also developing the Ibis properties in partnership with InterGlobe Hotels. It opened an Ibis Hotel in Vikhroli in suburban Mumbai on 15 October. The property cost the hotel operators partner 225 crore to build, including the price of the land, said J.B. Singh, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of InterGlobe. This is the 20th Ibis hotel in India.

InterGlobe, which has committed 3,200 crore towards a venture with Accor to develop Ibis and Novotel hotels in India, will invest an additional 1,100 crore, including the spending towards the Vikhroli property, to develop five more hotels. These properties are expected to open in Bengaluru, Maharashtra and Goa. Bengaluru will have one Novotel and Ibis property each, and the remaining three Ibis hotels will be in Maharashtra (Kalina and Thane) and Goa.

India is a massive market. And it is severely under-penetrated in terms of hotel rooms. There are only about 150,000 branded hotel rooms in the countryas many as there are in Bangkok or Dubai each," said Singh.

The firm, he adds, will continue to build hotels despite the covid setback in key cities and not just the big metros.

Puneet Dhawan, senior vice president, operations at Accor India and South Asia, said leisure destinations or luxury hotels did relatively better during the pandemic as corporate travel declined. But the company had to market itself to segments of travellers whom it had never targeted earlier. For instance, it launched the Work@ibis co-working space and became pet-friendly at some of its otherwise business-traveller-dominated hotels.

We have had to evolve our brands to suit the needs of the young Indian customer. We even added features like the ability to watch OTT platforms on our TVs," said Dhawan.

But average daily ratesindicators of hotels overall performance and profitare still lagging in most cities. A similar situation occurred after the last major financial crisis of 2008 when the rates took 7-8 years to stabilize, also delayed by increased hotel room inventory in major metros.

But this time, we are going to be seeing a faster recovery. The volume of business is already back in some cities, and some destinations like Goa and Chandigarh are seeing even higher average daily rates," added Dhawan.

According to a report by Gurugram-based hospitality consultancy firm Hotelivate, supply of branded rooms in India grew by 3.3% in 2020-21, increasing the total tally to 144,000. This includes the 4,093 new rooms opened during the year.

The Trends and Opportunities report by Hotelivate said Accor is the fourth-largest branded hotel room company in India behind Marriott, The Indian Hotels Co. Ltd and Radisson.

By 2025-26, we anticipate an addition of about 36,599 branded rooms (under active development), taking the total supply to 180,000 rooms," said Achin Khanna, managing partner, strategic advisory at Hotelivate.

Among the proposed hotel inventory, the upscale segment continues to remain the most popular. This is closely followed by the upper mid-market and the mid-market segments. Together, these three segments contribute almost 75% of the new supply expected to enter the market over the next five years.

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Singapore will be reopening its border to vaccinated visitors from 11 countries from October 19, however, India has not been included in the list of countries allowed quarantine free entry under the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) for now, the country said. Travellers have to be vaccinated with a World Health Organization (WHO) approved jab, its guidelines said. According to a report in ANI,1.42 million Indians visited Singapore in 2019.

Starting October 19, vaccinated travellers from another six European countries - Denmark, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and the United Kingdom, and those from the United States of America and Canada will join visitors from Germany and Brunei on the Singapore VTL scheme. People travelling from South Korea will be able to enter Singapore quarantine-free from November 15.

Those travelling on the VTL scheme must fly on a VTL designated flight which are mainly operated by Singapore Airlines and Lufthansa (from Germany) at the moment. Other carriers will be added in due course.

Requirements for travelling to Singapore

Travellers will be required to show proof of having been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 with vaccines that are on the WHO (World Health Organisation) Emergency Use List.

Passengers arriving in Singapore must undergo a pre-departure PCR (polymerase chain reaction) COVID-19 test within 48 hours of flight departure and take another test on arrival at Changi Airport.

Non-residents of Singapore must also apply for a Vaccinated Travel Pass (VRP) online between seven and 30 days prior to the intended entry into Singapore.

"Singapore cannot stay locked down and closed off indefinitely. It would not work, and it would be very costly. We would be unable to resume our lives, participate in social activities, open our borders, and revive our economy. Companies and investors need to carry out regional and global business from Singapore. People working for them need to travel to earn a living. Students need to go on overseas attachments and internships,"Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong addressed the nation to explain why Singapore is reopening aggressively.

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Greeces Argonauts Productions has boarded Forough: A Lonely Woman, a biopic about iconoclastic Persian poet Forough Farrokhzad by BAFTA-nominated director Tina Gharavi (I Am Nasrine), ahead of its presentation in the co-production forum of Romes MIA market.

The film follows the short and controversial life of Farrokhzad, a feminist icon who in the 1950s and 60s found a way to tell her story in an Iranian society not yet ready for the uncomfortable truths of female desire and ambition.

Gharavi described the modernist poet as our Sylvia Plath and drew a comparison to another feminist artist and icon, calling Farrokhzad as important [to Iranian culture] as Frida Kahlo is to Mexico.

Like her, she was a revolutionary, she said. Culturally, Forough was this luminary, an independent woman, very advanced for her times, an exquisite poet. Farrokhzad challenged the traditional norms and structures of Persian poetry while also living an openly promiscuous life, writing about her affair with a married man and scandalizing Iranian society. It was just radical, Gharavi said. She set Iran on fire.

Forough: A Lonely Woman is produced by London-based Poisson Rouge Pictures, whose recent credits include Scarborough, which earned a BIFA nomination for actress Jessica Barden, and the French dramedy Demain Tout Commence (Two Is a Family), featuring Lupin star Omar Sy. The film is co-written by Gharavi and Micsha Sadeghi.

At MIA this week, Gharavi and producer Christopher Granier-Deferre will be looking for a sales agent and co-producers to close roughly 40% of the films budget. Were really looking for [partners] to come onboard for this last push of putting the finance plan together, and we hope to meet those partners in Rome and make a beautiful biopic, Gharavi said.

Elena Priovolou of Argonauts Productions, which recently co-produced David Cronenbergs sci-fi thriller Crimes of the Future with Serendipity Point Films, said she was instantly drawn to the timely feature. We learned about Foroughs story from Tina Gharavi and immediately felt that this is an important story to be told, she said. Our world needs to understand the power that lies within a female soul and now is a perfect time for it.

The partnership with Argonauts offers the production access to Greeces attractive 40% cash rebate, as well as a shooting location that has served as a convincing stand-in for the Iranian capital in the Apple Plus TV series Tehran.

Its a necessary move that allows the creators to tell Farrokhzads story the way it deserves to be told, said Gharavi. We would honor the fact that she talks about sexuality. She writes about sex. Thats not a part that you can take out of Foroughs work. That would be counter to what she was all about, said the director. She was talking about the stuff that was unspoken or difficult to speak about, and I dont think you can do that in Iranian society at the moment.

Though Farrokhzad led a short, troubled life, dying in a car accident when she was only 32, Gharavi said her impact has been long-lasting; young women visit the late poets grave to this day. She also made her mark as a filmmaker with the documentary short The House Is Black, an empathetic portrait of life in a leper colony that is widely considered to be a precursor to the Iranian New Wave.

It was the uncompromising nature of Farrokhzads naked ambition, said Gharavi, that compelled her to make A Lonely Woman, offering as it did a reminder that women are from day one taught to not really think that they can be equal to or, dare I say, ahead of men.

The woman that I see in Forough is someone who doesnt want to make compromises, doesnt want to be second best, doesnt really hold any truck with the fact that shes a woman, so why she shouldnt be up there in the canon of Persian literature, said the director.

Gharavi credited her own father, who did not use gender as an excuse, with instilling the same lesson in her from an early age. Theres always been this sort of sense that for me, as an Iranian woman, I could be equal to or better than men, and gender should not be something that cripples you at all, she said. And I think that thats the story that Im reminded of with Forough that really appealed to me and needed to be told.

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As the NFT  or nonfungible tokens  marketplace has found its footing among the crypto rich, spurring the digital collectibles to reach sales highs of over $2 billion in the first quarter of 2021, per CNBC, Hollywood has increasingly looked to the emerging sector as a space ripe for representation. Jumping in with both feet is Guy Oseary, founder of the management firm Maverick, whose clients include Madonna, U2, and  newly signed  the Bored Ape Yacht Club.

Yuga Labs are the creators of the NFT collection, known colloquially as BAYC, which was first released as a set of 10,000 computer-generated cartoon ape avatars in April. A second set of Mutant Apes followed, selling out in less than an hour and generating more than $90 million in gross receipts. In September, a bundle of 101 Bored Apes went for $24 million at auction. Individual apes are sold on the Ethereum blockchain  the current minimum price for a single ape: 39.69 ETH, or nearly $140,000  and have drawn such notable collectors as Steph Curry and Marshmello.

Joining the likes of Larva Labs four-year-old CryptoPunks, which crossed the billion-dollar all-time sales threshold in August with its own series of 10,000 unique 2424 pixel collectible characters (rare punks with unique features and accessories can fetch over $1 million), Yuga Labs collections saw trading value of $1.5 billion in just five months.

Oseary, whose own ape appears above, credits the dedicated BAYC community for establishing its place in the NFT marketplace. Many people still have not heard of Yuga, yet they are one of the highest-grossing talents of the year from any artform, including music and film, says Oseary in announcing the deal, which will see opportunities across media platforms, including film, TV, music, gaming and more. They are originals, empowering their community of NFT holders by giving them IP rights to their purchased ape, and continually creating ways to add benefits and utility to the purchased artwork. The Apes at Yuga Labs and I have a lot of exciting initiatives for the community and we look forward to sharing them soon.

Were excited to work with Guy Oseary to bring the Bored Ape Yacht Club to a broader sphere, added Yuga Labs, whose creator-partners identity is unknown publicly. We have many ambitious projects in the works and were thankful to have Guys expertise as we move the club into this new chapter, for the benefit of the entire BAYC community.

Oseary is no stranger to all sides of the investing spectrum having been partnered with Ashton Kutcher for nearly two decades in their own VC firm, Sound Ventures. From seed funding to longterm bets, the two are stakeholders in several technology companies including Airbnb, Uber, Spotify, Robinhood and Calm. Via a blockchain fund, Oseary and Kutcher have also invested in Dapper Labs, OpenSea, SupeRare and a number of other NFT-adjacent platforms. Adding to his NFT bonafides, Oseary is also partnered with Beeple (seller of a record-making $64 million NFT to Sothebys in March) in NFT platform WENEW.

In April, Oseary announced an investment of $1 million in NFTs: The Pitch, a Shark Tank-like competition featuring a judging panel that includes such crypto and NFT heavyweights as Whale Shark, collector and founder of $WHALE, Metakovan, founder of Metapurse, musician 3LAU, and Linda Xie, co-founder of Scalar Capital.

In music, Osearys professional affiliation with Madonna began nearly 30 years ago; he started representing U2 in 2013, succeeding the bands longtime manager Paul McGuinness. In 2014, Oseary founded Maverick, a collective of managers spanning genres that was home to Wassim Sal Slaiby (The Weeknd, Doja Cat), Larry Rudolph (Aerosmith, Kim Petras), Scott Rodger (Paul McCartney, Andrea Bocelli) and Lee Anne Callahan-Longo (Ricky Martin), among others. In May 2020, Oseary announced he was stepping down from the day-to-day running of Maverick and segueing to a consulting role with Live Nation through 2023 while still concentrating on his entrepreneurial and investment interests.

Hollywoods entry into the world of NFTs has been cautious, with talent agencies CAA, UTA and WME helping launch the NFT sales venture Notables, DC Comics offering NFT enticements for its FanDome program and an NFT track set to make its CES debut in January. Personalities whove attached their names to NFT offerings in the last year include Paris Hilton, Jack Dorsey and Lil Nas X.

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Lava for Good, the multimedia platform founded by Lava Records Jason Flom and Jeff Kempler, has announced a new slate of advocacy-oriented podcasts with the goal of revealing underlying truths and amplifying the voices of contemporary social justice champions to inspire action towards a more informed, empathic and just society.

Founded and led by Flom and Kempler in association with Signal Co. No1, Lava for Good launched with a lineup of true crime and social justice podcasts that explore issues such as systemic racism, cash bail, the death penalty and more. Downloaded over 25 million times, Lava for Goods podcasts have raised awareness about the cases of Rodney Reed, Ronnie Long, Julius Jones and many others.

Season 2 of Righteous Convictions w/ Jason Flom launches Tues Oct 26th. Please listen in as music executive, philanthropist & activist Jason Flom converses w/ a diverse who's-who of advocates at the forefront of critical issues that will impact our future.https://t.co/WkNHNH3fDN pic.twitter.com/d11KsAtYHU  Wrongful Conviction (@WrongConviction) October 12, 2021

Lava for Goods new series launches October 26 with Virgin Group founder and anti-death penalty activist Sir Richard Branson on season two of Righteous Convictions with Jason Flom. The series features activists in conversation with Flom discussing some of the most critical issues of the day.

Other new series planned for late 2021 and 2022 include Then Who Did it?, which looks into the broader impact of every wrongful conviction, investigating cases left unsolved when an innocent person is convicted. War on Drugs will examine the true cost of Americas five decades of policy, policing, and persecution of drug use.

Also on the way is an 8-episode docuseries on the notorious case of Toforest Johnson, a man who has been on Alabamas death row for 24 years for the shooting death of an Alabama police officer, a crime he and others insist he did not commit. Beth Shelburne, an investigative reporter for the American Civil Liberties Union of Alabamas Campaign for Smart Justice, narrates the story of her two-year-long investigation into this deeply troubling case.

Lava For Good will soon be announcing new shows from Webby Award honorees and winners Josh Dubin of Wrongful Conviction: Junk Science and Laura Nirider of Wrongful Conviction: False Confessions, and a new production from Pulitzer Prize-winning author Gilbert King that focuses on his contact with a convicted serial killer who has confessed to brutal crimes for which another man has been convicted.

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MONTGOMERY, Ala. -Michelle Browder is a Black artist and activist who runs a civil rights tour company called More Than Tours - so named, she says, because "it's an experience."

A sobering experience: stops include historical lynching sites, the city's former slave market and the old Greyhound Bus Station where 21 young Freedom Riders were viciously beaten by an angry mob in 1961.

Still, no historic site on the tour riles Browder as much as a statue on the lawn of the Alabama State House. Not the one honoring Jefferson Davis, the president of the Confederacy and defender of slavery. It's the one across the lawn, commemorating a 19th-century physician most people have never heard of: J. Marion Sims, the so-called "father of modern gynecology."

"Having to recount the history is bad enough," explained Browder, who said her heart races every time she swings her tour bus past it. "But having to see the iconography is triggering for someone like me who knows the truth about what happened."

In the mid-1840s, Sims performed torturous experimental surgeries on approximately 10 enslaved young Black women, without anesthesia or their consent. (He sought consent from their owners.) An enslaver himself, Sims was credited with curing a distressing and humiliating complication of childbirth known as "vesicovaginal fistula" - a hole between the bladder and vagina - and developing other gynecological procedures and tools, including a type of speculum.

In recent years his legacy has been scrutinized by scholars and debunked. They've noted that the type of speculum he claimed to invent had long been in use by others and that some of procedures he utilized were not really his, or were dangerous. Many have also decried the racism and sexism inherent in Black women being used as test subjects.

Others have linked the story to the national debate over monuments to Confederate history: Protesters successfully lobbied for another statue of Sims to be removed from New York's Central Park in 2018.

But the statue in Montgomery probably isn't going anywhere. In 2017, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, a Republican, signed legislation barring monuments from being removed if they've been on public property more than 40 years. (This one's been there since 1939.)

"What am I going to do to change the narrative?" wondered Browder, 50, who's been troubled by the Sims experiments since she first learned about them 25 years ago as a student at the Art Institute of Atlanta. On Sept. 24, she unveiled her answer.

Browder's response to the Sims statue is a commanding counter-monument called "The Mothers of Gynecology" that immortalizes three of the women - known as Anarcha, Lucy and Betsey - who went under Sims's knife in a ramshackle structure he grandiosely called the "Negro Hospital." It was there, behind the brick building where he took care of White women, that he performed 30 surgeries on Anarcha alone.

In Browder's rendering, the women are proud and defiant. Anarcha is a towering presence, rising 15 feet high - nearly double the size of the bronze monument to Sims, which has been estimated to stand eight feet tall. "Never again will anyone look down on these women," Browder said. "This monument is meant to recognize and amplify the voices of the women used in experiments that have led to breakthroughs in gynecology today."

Sculpted of steel, each of the figures wears a collage of discarded metal objects "because these women were discarded," said Browder, who worked with a team of artists in Montgomery and San Francisco to create the armature, learning from them how to weld.

Many of the materials were contributed by friends and tour clients after she put out a call for metal items. They donated chains, hinges, chandelier pieces, candlesticks, serving platters ... even a shovel, the blade of which now adheres to Anarcha's thigh, as a way "to honor sharecroppers," Browder said. She fabricated other metal pieces herself that link the mothers' stories to their ancestors, including silhouetted images of kidnapped Africans crammed into stowage on slave ships.

Anarcha has a gaping hole through her midsection; her womb stands alone nearby, made of gold mesh and containing objects that would make any woman shudder in this context - needles, medical instruments, scissors, cut glass. "Anything sharp, any object that looks like it could harm you," said Deborah Shedrick, a Montgomery artist recruited by Browder to be the womb-maker. "I wanted you to experience the physical pain, the emotional pain, the spiritual pain."

Lucy, who stands nine feet tall, wears her hair in Bantu knots to convey that "Black women are stigmatized for wearing their hair in natural coils," Browder said. Betsey, at 12 feet, is pregnant, signifying that Black women are more likely to die of complications from childbirth than White women, and referencing other health disparities. And she wears a crown of speculums.

"I made all of their jewelry to help bring humanity to them," Browder said. "The condition they suffered from alone is demeaning." As was the way they were treated by Sims, who welcomed other doctors to watch the experiments and seemed blind to their misery. Lucy, he wrote in his autobiography, "bore the operation with great heroism and bravery."

"The style of the monument seems so utterly appropriate," said J.C. Hallman, a New York author and journalist who advised Browder on the project; he's working on a dual biography of Anarcha and Sims that was recently acquired by Henry Holt. "It's the perfect combination of getting the history right and getting the art right."

The statues of the women have been installed on a large pedestal on the edge of downtown Montgomery, just over a mile from the Sims statue. Browder, who also runs a youth empowerment initiative, sees the monument as the first stage of a campus she's creating that will house a park, art gallery, resource center and student travel center. The land - about two blocks long - is privately owned by the Faith Crusade Montgomery Rescue Mission, the organization founded by her parents in 1992 to help formerly incarcerated people with housing and other needs, and to alleviate hunger and homelessness in the broader community. She is raising money through her tours, donations and grants.

Browder is a strong and spirited presence whose signature look is huge red cat-eye glasses "to see history through a different lens." Her artwork, much of it mixed media, can be found around Montgomery in museums, galleries, even on the street. Last year she mobilized a squad of volunteers to paint a bold Black Lives Matter mural she'd designed around the downtown Court Square Fountain, where enslaved people were bought, sold and traded.

Even her tour bus is a kind of gallery on wheels, with a curated assemblage of civil rights-related items on the dashboard. Red eyeglass frames. African masks. A print of artist Hiawatha D.'s painting of Rosa Parks's mug shot after her arrest during the Montgomery bus boycott.

Her tours are another artistic medium for Browder, and Montgomery offers lots of raw material. The city of 200,000 is still trying to come to terms with its identity as both the "cradle of the Confederacy" and "birthplace of the civil rights movement." It's a city that commemorates Confederate Memorial Day yet proudly welcomes thousands of international visitors to the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, the country's first memorial dedicated to enslaved Black people and lynching victims.

"Michelle has brought a lot of thought to how we as a community and those who visit Montgomery reconcile this place in history," said Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed, the city's first Black mayor. "Her monument is important, and it recognizes the pain of these women who were experimented on. It's part of being honest about truth-telling in this country, where we have memorials built to people when maybe we shouldn't."

History is not just academic for Browder and her family; it's in their DNA. Her father, Curtis Browder, 79, was the first Black chaplain for the Alabama prison system; he ministered to Robert Chambliss, the white supremacist convicted of murder in the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham that killed four young girls in 1963. Her aunt, Aurelia Browder Coleman, was an activist arrested multiple times for refusing to give up her bus seat to a White person. The first time was in 1949, Browder said, well before Rosa Parks was arrested in 1955.

"My dad is so important to this story," said Browder who was born in Denver and moved as a child to Verbena, Ala. She was bullied in school - "too tall, too articulate, too smart," she said - and was not one to take it quietly. "When attacked, I would respond." With her fists. After she was suspended several times, her father got tough when she was 12.

"He said, 'You're not going to stay home and watch Oprah Winfrey all day,' " she recalled. And then he did something unexpected: He gave her tubes of paint and some T-shirts and told her to be constructive with them. She started a hand-painted T-shirt business. "He discovered my talent," she said.

She went on to study visual communications at the Art Institute of Atlanta and eventually moved back to Montgomery, becoming a serial entrepreneur. She opened a gallery, started a restaurant, organized an empowerment initiative for marginalized youths. She started the tour business in 2016, although it's been on hold while she worked on the monument.

For now, Browder is focused on the steady stream of people coming to view her monument. "Visitors have just been weeping," she said. "One woman said she's lived here all her life and didn't know about this. It's touching a lot of lives."

Including Shedrick, the womb artist. "I'm a little Black girl born in Opelika, Alabama, now connected to this story," she said. "This story is actually out there - out there - where the whole world is going to know about the suffering of these lives."
Casey Camp-Horinek, a tribal elder from White Eagle, Okla., and environmental ambassador for Ponca Nation, marched in the front of a crowd of hundreds headed toward the White House on Monday and held up her fist.

The 73-year-old - wearing a hat that said "Pipeline Fighter" - was part of the leaders and members of Native American tribes from across the country who came to Washington for five days of protests that began Monday.

The demonstrations are part of People vs. Fossil Fuels demonstrations by a coalition of groups known as Build Back Fossil Free, which are demanding that the Biden administration take more extreme actions to curb carbon-producing fossil fuel projects at a time when scientists say the world needs to sharply cut greenhouse gas emissions.

"We are going to put our bodies on the line there. If we have to be arrested in order to call attention to what the crisis is and that we need a climate emergency declared, we'll do that," Camp-Horinek said. "There's been 500 years of people coming into a territory where all things were interdependent and functioning to a time of crisis, where even Biden's great-grandchildren won't survive if something doesn't change."

At times, tensions rose between protesters and police outside the White House, but the demonstration was largely peaceful. People sang, danced and prayed, holding signs that said "Water is alive" alongside cardboard cutouts of fish and birds on Pennsylvania Avenue.

U.S. Park Police warned the group they would be arrested if they did not disperse, but about 100 demonstrators remained. Most of the protesters moved into Lafayette Square, and police escorted remaining protesters to a nearby tent. U.S. Park Police did not immediately provide additional information.

About 40 minutes after protesters were told to move away from Pennsylvania Avenue, Secret Service officers converged on Erica Jones, 41, an enrolled member of the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe who lives in Ramsey, Minn., as she cried out for help.

They handcuffed her, and she fell to the ground, crying that she was a mother and didn't want to die. Shortly after, police released her on the sidewalk, and she cried on the shoulder of another protester. Jones said in an interview that she had thrown an orange toward police and believes that incited the arrest. Secret Service did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Protesters also pushed against metal fences and yelled at the Park Police and Secret Service officers across from them. "Didn't y'all just have an insurrection?" one protester yelled over a megaphone, referencing the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol and criticizing the police presence on Monday.

However, most of the demonstration centered on Indigenous leaders, who say they've been ignored for too long.

They argue that they have been effective stewards and protectors of the land - preserving biodiversity and leading the front-line fights against pipelines and drilling around their reservations - but they are still forced to experience the devastating effects of the Earth's warming up close.

This week, they're demanding that Biden stop approving fossil fuel projects and declare a national climate emergency.

As a child, Camp-Horinek remembers how Ponca Nation members were able to grow their own food, hunt and fish to provide for their families. But they can't do that anymore, she said. Seeds are genetically modified, the soil is too polluted to grow anything organic, fish are dying, and animals have cancers and growths that make them unsafe to eat, she said. They have to buy purified water from the nearest city.

"Everything has changed," Camp-Horinek said. "I hope to accomplish a way forward for my children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren to be able to breathe, to eat and to drink and to leave a legacy that says at this crucial moment in time, the Indigenous people, including their grandma, great-grandma and mama, was there to raise a voice of reason."

- - -

Organizers of the People vs. Fossil Fuels demonstrations planned their week of climate protests to start on Indigenous Peoples' Day, as many activists and localities have rebranded Columbus Day, to recognize the work of Indigenous people fighting fossil fuel extraction across the country.

They said Indigenous activists bring generational knowledge of the battles against pipelines and drilling around reservations and a deep understanding of the land that can pave a path forward in tackling climate change.

Organizers said they expect thousands of people to show up in Washington throughout the week. On a permit application submitted to the National Park Service, organizers estimated about 300 attendees a day.

Environmental justice activists are frustrated by what they say is a lack of action from the Biden administration to deliver on climate-related campaign promises. They bring up the recent landmark report from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change as proof of the urgency needed to implement sweeping measures to slow the pace of emissions. The planet is on track to warm more than 2 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels, which could trigger irreversible damage and more deadly climate crises such as fires, heat waves and floods.

President Biden has taken steps to reduce the country's reliance on fossil fuels by rejoining the Paris climate accord, setting ambitious greenhouse gas reduction targets, canceling a federal permit for the Keystone XL oil pipeline, and proposing new federal goals and mandates to begin shifting the country toward electric cars, among other measures. The White House did not respond to a request for comment.

Proponents of pipeline projects say the nation's 2.6-million-mile pipeline network is a relatively safe way to transport needed oil and gas with a lower carbon footprint than the alternatives of trucking or railroads.

"We share the urgency of confronting climate change together without delay; yet doing so by eliminating America's energy options is the wrong approach and would leave American families and businesses beholden to unstable nations for higher cost and far less reliable energy," Megan Bloomgren, a spokeswoman for the American Petroleum Institute, said in a statement.

Some labor unions have also thrown their support behind pipeline projects, arguing that jobs in the fossil fuel industry provide their members with higher pay than those in renewable energy.

However, pipelines do sometimes cause accidents, with an average of 301 significant incidents in each of the past five years, including oil spills and injuries, federal data shows.

A large oil spill began spreading across the coastal waters of Southern California earlier this month, in what officials warned was an "environmental catastrophe" that would threaten wildlife. Dead fish and birds have already started washing ashore.

Climate activists pointed to this recent spill as a pressing example of why Biden must declare a climate emergency and block all new fossil fuel projects.

"Biden has turned a fork tongue, and he needs to be held accountable to the promises he made to Indigenous nations when we helped elect him," said Joye Braun, 52, of Eagle Butte, S.D., a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux and a national pipeline campaign organizer with the Indigenous Environmental Network who rallied outside the White House on Monday. "It is important to put us first. This is our land before there was a so-called America . . . It's important to make sure that all of our voices get heard."

- - -

Climate protesters this week are following the lead of Indigenous activists "entirely," said Keya Chatterjee, the executive director of the U.S. Climate Action Network of more than 190 climate groups.

Indigenous groups helped block or delay fossil fuel projects in the United States and Canada. Most recently, protesters unsuccessfully tried to stop the completion of Line 3, a tar-sands oil pipeline expansion project that will be able to carry 760,000 barrels a day from Canada across northern Minnesota and into Wisconsin. Opponents, who claimed this pipeline violated treaty-protected tribal land, lost court challenges, and Biden did not act to cancel the federal permit that allowed the pipeline. Oil began flowing through it on Oct. 1.

Demonstrators in front of the White House view Biden's inaction on Line 3 as failing to fulfill campaign promises on climate. On Monday, they chanted: "Stop Line 3!"

Michael Barnes, a spokesman for Enbridge, the Canadian company behind the pipeline, said in a statement that Line 3 has undergone significant scientific reviews and found "tremendous support" throughout Minnesota. Native Americans made up 7 percent of the workforce on the project, Barnes wrote.

The company also considers renewable energy "a core business," setting a target of net-zero emissions by 2050 and investing more than $8 billion in the sector, Barnes wrote.

Siqiniq Maupin, the executive director of Sovereign Inupiat for a Living Arctic, told protesters outside the White House on Monday that thousands of Alaska residents are among the country's first climate refugees, with 12 rural villages in need of relocating to drier ground.

Maupin, 28, also told the crowd how people around her village have begun to develop rare cancers and asthma.

"People are dying right now from the pollutants, the toxins, the climate catastrophes that are happening, and we have to stop the harm," Maupin said. "[Biden's election was] riding on climate change, his entire election on people of color, Indigenous people. But when it really comes to when it matters, our lives are still being sacrificed for oil and gas."
Several committee meetings will take place starting on Tuesday revolving around several departments of the city.

These include meetings by members of Parks & Rec and the Veterans Affairs committee.

Starting Tuesday, in tandem with a COVID-19 vaccine clinic at the Municipal court between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., the Veterans Affairs Committee will meet to discuss a resolution honoring Lance Cpl. David Lee Espinoza.

Espinoza was killed on Aug. 26 alongside 12 other U.S. service members in Kabul, Afghanistan. Memorial services in Laredo honored his sacrifice, and members of the community mourned the loss and gave condolences to his family.

The committee will discuss and possibly move forward with a resolution to further honor Espinoza.

Additionally, another resolution will be discussed and possibly be approved supporting of U.S. Citizenship for all service members, serving as non-U.S. citizens. According to an article by the American Civil Liberties Union, between 2011-15, an average of 10,000 non-citizens served in the Army per year.

Lastly, the committee will talk about starting a campaign to recruit more veterans into the VA system and further discuss locating a property for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Walking Trail.

As for the Parks & Recreation Department, they will meet on Wednesday. An item of note is the discussion on the status of the recreation centers opening. The Parks & Rec committee members will also talk about holiday events relating to the department.

As Halloween is around the corner, Thanksgiving and Christmas close in quickly. It is possible that discussions will include on how to enact safe measures during any event set up by the department that involves the parks.

Lastly, the department staff will give a report on vandalism over the current situations and how it compares over the past two years.

On Thursday, the city water master plan report will be discussed during the City Utilities Advisory Committee at noon. The meeting will be held at 5816 Daugherty Ave. and public comments are welcomed. Additionally, members will hear a water quality assessment and optimization report as well as discuss a secondary water source.

cocampo@lmtonline.com
A man admitted in a Laredo federal court that he used an RV to try to smuggle 15 migrants, according to court documents.

Jerry Brian Yates pleaded guilty on Oct. 6 to conspiracy to transport migrants within the United States. His sentencing date is pending.
A convicted sex offender has been sentenced to prison for being in the country illegally.

On Sept. 29, U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo sentenced Gerardo Torres-Salas, a 60-year-old Mexican citizen, to 21 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
Lockport, NY (14094)

Today

Partly cloudy this evening with more clouds for overnight. A few flurries or snow showers possible. Low 33F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening with more clouds for overnight. A few flurries or snow showers possible. Low 33F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph.
Lockport, NY (14094)

Today

Mostly cloudy with snow showers during the evening. Low 33F. Winds W at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of snow 80%..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy with snow showers during the evening. Low 33F. Winds W at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of snow 80%.
The Regional Hospital Mullingar has suspended visiting to wards with effect from today Tuesday, October 12 until further notice.

A spokesperson for the hospital said this is a precautionary measure in order to protect the safety of patients and staff. It will also help reduce the spread of infection.



Hospital Management at Regional Hospital Mullingar regret any distress or inconvenience these measures will cause to patients and their relatives.

The following are groups exempt from the new measures:

 No changes to the current Maternity Services and Maternity Ward visiting arrangements;

 Parents visiting children in hospital;

 People visiting patients at end-of-life;

 Specific nominated carer/family member assisting with care of confused patients (e.g. dementia);

 Immediate family members visiting patients in ICU/CCU.

Where visiting is allowed, exemptions are limited to one person per patient only (except where wheelchair and other support for a relative visiting may be needed).

We are appealing to members of the public to co-operate with these necessary visiting restrictions.

Hospital Management would like to thank members of the public for their co-operation with these arrangements.
The Restaurants Association of Ireland described todays Budget as "disastrous" and one that shows "no ambition to stimulate and revitalise the tourism industry" wth the 9% VAT rate to end in August 2022.

Whilst wage supports remain in place for the still restricted restaurant, hospitality, and tourism sector, they will taper off in the new year. CEO Adrian Cummins has warned that the hospitality industry faces a challenging five years to restore levels of business to that of pre-Covid.

Adrian Cummins, Chief Executive of the Restaurants Association of Ireland said, This budget is a disaster for our members, restaurants, cafes and gastropubs, a vital element of our Tourism offering. The VAT rate ending, and wage supports tapering off will be the death nail in the coffin of many hospitality businesses this winter.

Although the supports offered in todays budget are welcomed, there are still some long hard months ahead. Since lockdown measures and restrictions have been put in place, our industry has complied with the rules. Public safety and the safety of workers have always been at the top of our agenda. But this has meant serious financial difficulties for many.

"We needed the Government to help us fight for survival, todays announcements fall short of that, and we will need ongoing support to trade out of this," he concluded.
Suffolk DA: Construction Company Owner Sentenced for Failing to Pay Over $280k in Benefits to Laborers on Public Works Projects

Crime

By Chris Boyle Published: October 12 2021

As a result of their felony convictions, Frederick Hutzler and Triple H Concrete Corp. are prohibited from bidding on public works projects for five years.

Suffolk County District Attorney Timothy D. Sini has announced the sentencing of a construction business owner for failing to pay more than $280,000 in benefits to laborers on public works projects.

Workers deserve to be paid what theyre owed for the work they do; its that simple, District Attorney Sini said. It is illegal  and frankly immoral  for a company to steal those funds and turn a profit off the backs of workers. The dispositions reached in this case ensure that the hundreds of thousands of dollars these defendants stole are returned to Laborers 66. My Offices Labor Crime Unit will continue to fight to protect workers and hold businesses accountable when they fail to comply with their legal obligations.

Frederick Hutzler, 85, of Holbrook, and his company, Triple H Concrete Corp., located in Ronkonkoma, each pleaded guilty on Aug. 4 to Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree, a class E felony. Hutzler was sentenced today by Suffolk County Acting Supreme Court Justice Karen Kerr to five years of probation and is required to pay $35,000 in restitution to the General Building Laborers Local 66 Trust Fund. In addition, Hutzler and Triple H received a judgment order for $210,908.74 in restitution. Triple H was also sentenced on Aug. 4 to a $10,000 fine.

Hutzlers son, Edwin Hutzler, 57, of Bellport, who is a co-owner of Triple H Concrete Corp., pleaded guilty on Aug. 4 to Perjury in the Second Degree, a class A misdemeanor, in connection with the scheme and is required to pay $35,000 in restitution to the General Building Laborers Local 66 Trust Fund.

In addition, Frederick Hutzler and Edwin Hutzler each paid $35,000 in up-front restitution to the General Building Laborers Local 66 Trust Fund at the time prior to their guilty pleas.

From Jan. 1, 2013, through Dec. 31, 2015, Triple H Concrete Corp. employed 23 members of General Building Laborers Local 66 on several public works construction projects in Suffolk County and was required by law to provide hourly supplemental benefits to those workers. During that time period, the defendants failed to remit $280,908.74 in supplemental benefits to the General Building Laborers Local 66 Trust Fund on behalf of the employees.

Additionally, on Aug. 16, 2016, Edwin Hutzler signed a certified payroll submitted on a public works project at the Pulaski Street Elementary School in Riverhead which he knew contained false information.

As a result of their felony convictions, Frederick Hutzler and Triple H Concrete Corp. are prohibited from bidding on public works projects for five years.

Frederick Hutzler and Triple H Concrete Corp. were represented by Kenneth C. Murphy. Edwin Hutzler is being represented by Scott Druker and will be sentenced at a later date.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Shaun McCready, of the Financial Investigations & Money Laundering Bureaus Labor Crime Unit.
Community, Charity & Cause

By Chris Boyle Published: October 12 2021

Event held on the 20th Anniversary of the Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

On the 20th anniversary of troops being deployed to Afghanistan, Nassau County Executive Laura Curran was joined by the Nassau County Veterans Service Agency (VSA), and local Veterans to break ground on a new war memorial to commemorate the military members that bravely served our Country in Afghanistan and Iraq. The new monument will be located at the Veterans Memorial Park in Eisenhower Park and will be the first on Long Island and one of the first in New York State dedicated to this war and honoring the seven thousand servicemen and servicewomen who perished during the recent conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Over the past twenty years millions of men and woman have volunteered to serve our great Nation and protect our freedoms  many of whom did not make it home. All those Americans deserve our deepest gratitude and recognition for their service to our Country and with this memorial, we finally get to honor the next generation of Americans who have chosen to serve. Thank you to the Nassau County Council Veterans of Foreign Wars, Heroes Among Us and the other organizations partnering with us to make this monument a reality said County Executive Curran.

In the past 20 years, over 7,000 US servicemembers have lost their lives and over 2.5 million Americans have served in both the Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, many of whom call Nassau County their home. The monument will honor those who served and those who perished in battle, but it will also serve as a tribute to the 30,000 post-9/11 veterans who have died by suicide. The memorial is being created in partnership with the Nassau County Council Veterans of Foreign Wars who will be fundraising for the project, designing and installing the monument. A rendering of the design of the monument was created by Maia Fernandez, 23-year old from Franklin Square.

We are excited to have the assistance from our community to properly respect and honor our veterans in building this monument, which we feel was overdue, said Virginia Cervasio, Founder of Heroes Among Us.

As the County Commander for the Nassau County Council VFW I am pleased to be able assist with this important memorial. This monument is a tribute to our Afghanistan and Iraq Veterans, and this will be another way for us to engage with our fellow Vets and get them involved, said Christian Peterkin, Commander for the Nassau County Council Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Tanvi Buch studied with her mentor, Charles Reid, at one of the late artists workshops on the East Coast.
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(Alliance News) - Ladbrokes owner Entain PLC on Tuesday reported strong performance and double digit online sales growth in its third quarter.

In the three months ended September 30, online net gaming revenue grew 10% year-on-year or 18% excluding German markets.

In August, the company highlighted that a new regulatory regime in Germany had a negative impact on its online market in the country.

Overall, net gaming revenue increased by 4% in the third quarter, when compared to the same period last year.

The company also reported that its joint venture with MGM Resorts International, BetMGM, held a 23% market share across the US in the sports-betting and iGaming industries in the three months to August. Entain said BetMGM was the market leader in iGaming in the US, with a 32% market share in the same period.

With continued growth since the end of the first half, Entain said it expects earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation in line with previous guidance of GBP850 million to GBP900 million during 2021.

The company was not able to raise its guidance as the licencing process in the Netherlands offset strong trading in the third quarter.

"These results demonstrate Entain's continuing ability to deliver sustainable, consistent and diversified growth. Our powerful Entain platform provides customers with great products and experiences, which enables us to grow ahead of our markets as demonstrated by 23 consecutive quarters of double-digit online growth," said Chief Executive Jette Nygaard-Andersen.

Shares in Entain were trading down 0.3% at 2,101.88 pence each in London on Tuesday morning.

By Scarlett Butler; scarlettbutler@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
Star Phoenix Group Ltd - oilfield services in Trinidad and oil and gas interest in Indonesia - Receives notice under section 249D of the Australian Corporations Act 2001 from shareholder Beijing Sibo Investment Management LP requesting the directors to convene a meeting. Beijing Sibo calls for three new directors to be elected. Company will provide a further update and timing of the general meeting in due course.

"The company will consider the validity of the Section 249D notice and if valid undertake the necessary steps to convene a general meeting in compliance with these requirements," it says.

Current stock price: 1.210 pence

Year-to-date change: down 10%

By Arvind Bhunjun; arvindbhunjun@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
(Alliance News) - The International Trade Secretary will call for support for the UK's call for greater transparency at the World Trade Organisation and reform of its rules around state subsidies at a meeting of G20 trade ministers in Italy.

At her first international summit in the post, Anne-Marie Trevelyan will address her G20 counterparts in Sorrento on Tuesday and make the case that British businesses that "play by the rules" should not be "damaged and undercut by market-distorting practices from other countries".

The Department for International Trade said she will use the summit to urge G20 partners to stand up to unfair trade practices, call for reform of industrial subsidy rules to better monitor and respond to subsidies considered harmful and distorting, and call for greater transparency at the WTO.

Trevelyan said: "We cannot and will not allow British businesses who play by the rules to be damaged and undercut by market-distorting practices from other countries. That's why we are fighting for changes to make sure trade is free and fair for all.

"Today's meeting is a great opportunity to rally our G20 partners and build alliances that can defend the global trading system and help bring it into the 21st century.

"By making the global system work for the UK we can provide certainty to our vital industries and support jobs up the down the country."

In her brief written statement, the International Trade Secretary did not specify any countries with "market-distorting practices".

At the summit, trade ministers are expected to agree a joint statement and discuss key issues affecting international trade and the global economic recovery from the pandemic, ahead of the G20 leaders' summit at the end of the month.

The Department for International Trade said Trevelyan will use her meeting with the upcoming chair of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), Singapore, to help secure the UK's accession to the trading bloc by the end of 2022.

It is not the first time the government has called for a crackdown on unfair trade practices. Former international trade secretary Liz Truss called for reform and hit out at "industrial subsidies, state-owned enterprises and forced technology transfer" when she made the first speech by a British minister at the WTO since the UK became a member in its own right after Brexit in 2020.

By Ben Hatton

source: PA

Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
(Alliance News) - Brexit minister David Frost is to set out Britain's demands for changes to the Northern Ireland protocol amid a stand-off with the EU over the role of the European Court of Justice.

In a speech to the diplomatic community in Lisbon on Tuesday, Frost will warn the protocol cannot survive without fundamental reform to governance arrangements.

But even before he delivered his address, he was accused by the Irish government of creating a "red line" barrier to progress in resolving the dispute over post-Brexit trading arrangements.

Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said the peer was setting demands he knew the EU could not move on and questioned whether the UK really wanted to agree a way forward.

The Daily Telegraph reported that Frost is expected to say: "For the EU now to say that the protocol a drawn up in extreme haste in a time of great uncertainty a can never be improved upon, when it is so self-evidently causing such significant problems, would be a historic misjudgment."

Frost's speech comes a day before the EU is due to produce its plans to resolve issues with the protocol, which has led to the creation of economic barriers between Northern Ireland and Britain.

He is expected to argue that Brussels has been too quick to dismiss the row over the ECJ as a "side issue".

The minister will say the court prevented the UK from implementing "very sensitive" arrangements in the protocol in a "reasonable way", creating a "deep imbalance" in the way it operates.

The protocol is intended to ensure the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic stays open while protecting the single market, which Northern Ireland remains a part of.

However the need for checks on goods crossing to Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK has led to growing tensions both within Northern Ireland and between London and Brussels.

The EU plan is likely to include a proposal that chilled meats can continue crossing the Irish Sea after the end of current grace periods, in a move to alleviate the so-called sausage wars.

However Frost is expected to argue the changes need to go much further if there is to be a sustainable solution.

Ahead of his speech, Downing Street said the UK had signed up to the protocol "good faith" but the way it was being operated by the EU could not continue.

"It was formed in the spirit of compromise in challenging circumstances," the prime minister's official spokesman said.

"Since then we have seen how the EU is inclined to operate the governance arrangements, issuing infraction proceedings against the UK at the first sign of disagreement.

"These arrangements aren't sustainable. We need to find a new way of resolving issues that arise between us using mechanisms normal in other international treaties.

"It is unheard of for bilateral agreements being policed by the courts of one of the parties."

Coveney questioned why the UK had signed up to an agreement which made the the ECJ the final arbiter of the protocol when it was now such an "absolute red line" for them.

"This is being seen across the EU as the same pattern over and over again a the EU tries to solve problems, the UK dismisses the solutions before they're even published and asks for more," he said.

By Gavin Cordon, PA Whitehall Editor

source: PA

Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
(Alliance News) - Britain is ready if necessary to suspend the Northern Ireland Protocol in order to safeguard the peace process, Brexit Minister David Frost has warned.

In a keynote speech in Lisbon, Frost said the protocol, agreed with the EU as part of the UK's divorce settlement, was not working and that fundamental change was necessary if it was to survive.

He said the UK was prepared to trigger Article 16 of the protocol a which allows either side to override large parts of the agreement a if that could not be achieved.

"It is this government, the UK government, that governs Northern Ireland as it does the rest of the UK," he said.

"Northern Ireland is not EU territory. It is our responsibility to safeguard peace and prosperity and that may include using Article 16 if necessary.

"We would not go down this route gratuitously or with any particular pleasure but it is our fundamental responsibility to safeguard peace and prosperity in Northern Ireland and that is why we cannot rest until this situation is addressed."

Among the changes the UK is seeking is replacing the role of the European Court of Justice in policing the protocol with a system of international arbitration.

Frost said reform was essential, because the way the protocol was operating had "shredded" the balance between the two communities a unionist and nationalist a in Northern Ireland.

He said there was now a "short but real opportunity" to defuse the looming political crisis that threatened the peace process in Northern Ireland, which the protocol was supposed to protect.

"We now face a very serious situation. The protocol is not working. It has completely lost consent in one community in Northern Ireland," he said.

"It is not doing the thing it was set up to do a protect the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement. In fact it is doing the opposite. It has to change.

"The fundamental difficulty is that we are being asked to run a full-scale external boundary of the EU through the centre of our country, to apply EU law without consent in part of it, and to have any dispute on these arrangements settled in the court of one of the parties.

"The way this is happening is disrupting ordinary lives, damaging large and small businesses, and causing serious turbulence to the institutions of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement within Northern Ireland."

He said it would be a "historic misjudgment" by the EU to argue that the arrangements in the protocol a which were drawn up in "great haste" a could never be improved upon.

"It would be to prioritise EU internal processes over relieving turbulence in Northern Ireland; to say that societal disruption and trade distortion can be disregarded as mere background noise; perhaps even that they are an acceptable price for Northern Ireland to pay to demonstrate that 'Brexit has not worked'."

source: PA

Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
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Lycoming College received a contribution of $20,000 from AT&T to support the Lycoming Summer Academy (LSA), a scholarship-earning bridge program dedicated to helping first-year college students achieve success in higher education.

This marks AT&Ts ninth year of giving to the College, and its second in support of LSA, bringing AT&Ts and the AT&T Foundations total support to $220,000.

LSA brings approximately twenty incoming freshmen to campus for a two-week experience prior to the start of the fall semester. Intended to help students establish meaningful connections and transition into college life, students are mentored by Len Cagle, Ph.D., assistant professor of German; Amy Rogers, Ph.D., chair and professor of education; Mallory Weymer, assistant dean for student success; and three successful upper-class students. Additionally, participants take two, one-credit courses  Why Williamsport and The Brothers Grimm: Then and Now  as well as a half-credit personal development course.

I got to experience what college was like before my real classes actually started, said former LSA student Vijai Budhun 23. I am really appreciative of the program. LSA will help you meet people sooner, and you will be able to connect with your professors sooner.

Building upon AT&Ts and the AT&T Foundations commitment to student success, David Kerr, president, AT&T Pennsylvania, visited campus on Wednesday, Sept. 29, to lead a career workshop for the LSA students.

The first year of college can be very challenging. LSA helps first-year students build a strong foundation for success in college, on the job and in life, Kerr said.

Program components also include off-campus experiential learning opportunities that emphasize critical analysis, self-reflection, and journaling, as well as community building activities. In the Why Williamsport course taught by Rogers, students explore the history of the region, and in addition to a walking tour of downtown Williamsport, they participate in a guided trolley tour and cruise on the Hiawatha Paddlewheel Riverboat.

I was nervous to go into college and was not sure what to expect, said Micaiah Mo Terry 23. LSA and its experiences, though, got me ready right away. I would recommend LSA to incoming college students because it helps you prepare, teaches time management, and gives a level of comfortability.

The transition to college is a huge step for students, and aided by the support of AT&T and the AT&T Foundation, Lycoming is able to offer this scholarship- and credit-earning program that enables students to gain their academic, social, and emotional footing so that they can begin their first semester at Lycoming well-positioned for success, said Susan M. Ross, Ph.D., vice provost and director of the LSA program.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez urged unity today as the country marked its national day with a military parade in Madrid attended by more than 2,000 troops in a sigh Spain's COVID-19 situation has improved.

His remarks in a tweet come as his government entered talks with the pro-independence Catalan regional authorities to solve Spain's territorial crisis.

Sanchez, who was booed by a section of the crowd at the parade who appeared to be against his left-wing government, is opposed to a referendum on independence for Catalonia. Pere Aragones, the Catalan president who stayed away from the parade in Madrid, has demanded a vote on secession from Spain.

"This October 12 let's reaffirm what unites us, what makes us great as a society, what makes Spain a welcoming, open, diverse country. Let's celebrate our commitment, solidarity, cooperation, multilateralism. Let's celebrate who we are," Sanchez said in the tweet.

King Felipe and Queen Letizia attended the traditional parade to cheers accompanied by members of the government, opposition politicians and members of Spain's Olympic team.

Spain's coronavirus incidence dropped below 50 cases per 100,000 people on Oct. 7, reaching the threshold considered "low risk" by the health ministry for the first time in over a year.

Some 2,656 soldiers took part in a march past along with 115 military vehicles while air force planes took part in a fly past as well as a parachutist with a giant Spanish flag.

Last year, the parade was cancelled because of COVID-19 restrictions but in 2019 some 4,000 soldiers took part in the traditional military march.
MANISTEE  Greg Kinnan, owner of Victorian City Car Port, said he has never seen anything impact the car dealer industry like the current semiconductor chip global shortage.

And that is a hefty statement since Kinnan has been in the car business for 35 years.

Its just a tough time, and I think its a tough time for a lot of places, Kinnan said. ...It sure has impacted our staffing.

Kinnan said while the used car dealer usually has between 30 and 40 vehicles, as of Thursday, Kinnan had six vehicles available.

It (started) about a year ago, but things have gotten at its worst point right now where dealers are starving for inventory  new and used, he said. You call a new car dealer and theyre going to tell you they dont have anything new to sell.

Kinnan also said used car pricing is 38% higher than what it used to be.

Used dealers look for used vehicles to sell in a variety of places but there are not enough available, Kinnan said

You look at Craigslist, you look at Facebook Market Place, Ive been advertising in the paper  that well buy cars from people, he said. But there's just not enough of them.

He said the shortage has also meant that his business has had to adapt.

Weve started doing customer auto detailing, he said. We get their car, we clean it inside and out  even under the hood and in the trunk. Weve been doing some of that, but not enough of that either to make things really good (for business).

Another piece is the connection between new vehicle dealerships and how the used dealerships like Victorian City Car Port are connected.

In years past, dealers would get a lot of lease returns and because theyd get so many of them, a lot of those cars would end up going to auction, Kinnan explained. But right now, theres very few lease returns and very few cars making it to the auction because they (new dealers) are short on new cars and need to keep everything they get.

Cody Watson, general manager of Watson Manistee Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, said its definitely impacted everybody.

He said it isnt only dealerships that are feeling the effects.

RELATED: Chip shortage transmitting Midland area headaches

But for vehicles, the chips are used for a variety of functions with most vehicles requiring multiple chips each, Watson said.

A lot of them are for safety features: blind spot monitoring, cross-path protection keyless entry. So a ton of different stuff, he said.

Watson noted that the larger issue is that we dont domestically manufacture them.

I dont know if theres an immediate end to it, Watson said adding that the shortages impacts have been ongoing in the area since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. It just kind of fluctuated and every manufacturer I think is a little bit different.

Watsons deals in new and pre-owned vehicles in Manistee.

But he said the dealership also has ties to Mason and Benzie counties that helps as well.

Were a little bit unique because we have three Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram stores within an hour basically within each other, he said. Weve been able to pull inventory from one store to the other store.

He said there hasnt been much clarification on possible resolutions to the shortage.

From what I understand, theres only one manufacturer of a lot of these chips and its made out of Taiwan. I think it's a bottleneck with that as well as Im sure the whole supply chain, Watson said.

He said much of the shortages impacts are out of peoples hands on the manufacturing side.

One way the dealer has adapted is to take custom orders for vehicles.

Weve done a ton of custom-sold orders for customers. So, they come in order it, were still getting it in a timely manner typically 60 to 90 days, he said. With a little bit of pre-planning, I think weve hopefully continued that wave (where we) kind of dodged a bullet from that standpoint.

One concern has been for customers who are nearing the end of their leases.

But again, if we can get 90 days or so ahead of it, were able to order them a car and then when their lease is up maybe we get them out of it in something new, he explained.

Another aspect that Watson pointed out was with the manufacturers ability to switch production between the brands.

For us, I will say for Chrysler, Dodge and Ram products, weve been  knock on wood  a little bit fortunate because theyve been able to shift production because we have essentially four different brands, Watson explained. So, theyll shut down one plant for a certain amount of time to produce, like say, our Ram trucks which is our best seller. So theyll shift chips to those vehicles to get them produced in a timely manner.

Watson said the dealership has not been selling as many vehicles as it normally would, but that it is not that far off.

He said the shortage has driven up the demand from people who are serious about buying a vehicle.

People realize that theres not a ton of supply, so when they find something I would say theyre moving forward a little quicker than the past years, he said.

Watsons advice for anyone seeking a vehicle is to be cognizant of the decreased supply, do their research and once they find what they are looking for to not hesitate on purchasing.

A little bit of forethought or preplanning goes a long ways because as I said thats how weve been able to dodge the bullet as far as ordering ahead of time, he said. Or somebody looking for a pre-owned vehicle, that market is up as well  but with a little pre-planning, a little research, we can find what people are looking for if we dont have it.

Kinnan also advised that when used vehicles do arrive, they do not sit long on the Victorian City Car Port lot.

If people are out shopping and they think theyre going to look at a car one day and they go back two days later to get the same car, it probably wont be here, he said. Theres just not the selection of automobiles to choose from  new or used.

RELATED: LOCAL ENTREPRENEUR: Greg and Wonda Kinnan

Chip shortage transmitting Midland area headaches
Mankato, MN (56001)

Today

Mostly clear skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low 22F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Mostly clear skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low 22F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph.
Former UFC champion Chuck Liddell has been arrested and charged with domestic violence after being involved in a dispute with his wife at their home. Liddell was then released on a 20,000 dollar bail.

Not much of the incident is known, but the police report indicates that it started with a verbal argument but then escalated and became physical. Liddell's wide, professional poker player Heidi Northcott, then called the police.

Liddell issued his own statement, describing himself as a victim of the incident.

"I was the victim of the incident last night at our family home, as details of the case will reveal" Liddell's statement read.

"The deputies informed me that my wife would be arrested as I did not respond to her assault while I sustained bruising and lacerations. I volunteered to go in her place.

"This was one of the many times I have tried to shield a family mental health issue from the public purview. It has become painfully apparent that this cannot continue, as our private life has now reached a public breaking point."

Liddell is due to appear in Van Nuys Court in Los Angeles on Wednesday.
Julia A. Johnston, 68, of Wilburton, OK passed away at her home in Wilburton on Sunday, November 14, 2021. Services will be on Wednesday, November 17, 2021 at 2 p.m. at the Waldrop Funeral Home Chapel in Wilburton, OK with the burial to follow in the Peachland Cemetery in Bengal, Oklahoma. O
Meadville, PA (16335)

Today

Snow likely. Low near 30F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 100%. 1 to 3 inches of snow expected. Heavier amounts in persistent snowbands..

Tonight

Snow likely. Low near 30F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 100%. 1 to 3 inches of snow expected. Heavier amounts in persistent snowbands.
Shah Rukh Khan has been going through the toughest phase of his life as his son Aryan Khan has been detained by the NCB in connection with the possession of drugs in a cruise raid. However, nothing has been proved against the star kid with the news of his arrest becoming the most trending topic on social media.

SRK has been a protective father for his kids and has always maintained that he can do anything for them. He doesnt mind being trolled or attacked but doesn't want his kids to be a part of all these controversies. Aryan has been going through this ordeal but this is not the first time that the star kid had to deal with controversies and rumours that affected Khan and the family. Back in the day, rumour mills were abuzz, claiming that AbRam Khan was Aryan Khans son instead of Shah Rukh Khan.

In a TED talk in 2017, SRK quashed all these rumours and reacted to the rumours of Aryan Khan being AbRam Khans father. He said, Four years ago, my wife Gauri and I decided to have a third child. It was claimed online that he was the love child of our first child who was 15-years-old at the time. Shah Rukh further added that whoever let that rumour out, attempted to aid their claim with a fake video of Aryan Khan driving around Europe.

Framing @iamsrk and his son isn't a new happening.

They have repeatedly been targetted.

*Watch*#ReleaseAryanKhan pic.twitter.com/espZJnza1o  BRIJWA SRK FAN (@BrijwaSRKman) October 7, 2021

He also revealed that Aryan was shaken by all these rumours because he didnt even have the licence to drive on the streets of Europe and it took almost 4 years for Aryan to move on from all the backlash he received. Shah Rukh said, Apparently, he had sown his wild oats with a girl while driving her car in Romania. And yeah, there was a fake video to go with it. And we were so disturbed as a family. My son, who is 19 now, even now when you say hello to him, he just turns around and says, But bro, I didnt even have a European driving license.'"

It was later on revealed that AbRam, who was born via surrogacy, was born prematurely at 34 weeks and spent a substantial amount of time in hospital. Speaking to PTI, SRK had said, It is one of the only things that has made me uncomfortable in my career is you take on a child who is sick when he was born and make it an issue I find it very disgraceful. I am a movie star, disgrace me but not my kids."

SRK has proved time and again that he is a doting father to his kids. Needless to say, it is a tough time for the Khan family and especially SRK with Aryan's bail plea getting denied.
A special court on Monday deferred the bail application of Aryan Khan to October 13 after NCB took time to file its reply in the matter.



Special NDPS Courts special judge VV Patil has kept the bail pleas of other accused Arbaaz Merchant, Munmun Dhamecha, Nupur Satija, and Mohak Jaswal, also for hearing on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Senior advocate Amit Desai was seen representing Aryan Khan for his bail hearing.



Amit Desai also previously represented actor Salman Khan in the controversial 2002 hit-and-run case. He will represent Aryan Khan in the ongoing drugs case on Wednesday.

Amit Desai had represented Salman Khan for his bail hearing in 2015.

The Bollywood actor was granted bail on a sum of Rs 30,000 in May 2015.



Speaking about Aryan Khan, advocate Amit Desai said, We are in the hands of the court. To see justice is to be done. Admitted fact that nothing was found on Aryan Khan. NCB argued bail last week. So plea (sic) may be heard tomorrow. Question of my liberty at stake.

Meanwhile, Aryan Khan and the other accused will continue to be in custody and spend the next two days at the Arthur Road Central Jail and the Byculla Womens Jail till they get bail.
Apple is often criticised for not using a USB-C port on the iPhone even though the Cupertino giant uses it for its laptops and tablets. Even the EU Commission is thinking of forcing Apple to make the switch as it leads to electronic waste and does not support the idea of a universal charger. However, a robotics engineering student has managed to do something Apple refuses to do.

Ken Pillonel has managed to install a USB-C port on an iPhone X where it is able to charge the iPhone and even transfer data over the cable. This shows that someone with limited resources such as Pillonel can make it work, and it begs the question why cant Apple?

 Youtube_Kenny Pi

According to Apple Insider, Pillonel spent months on the project in his spare time and opened many USB-C and Lightning cables to make this project work. His first iteration was able to charge the phone over USB-C but was rather large and did not fit inside the iPhone. He then removed all the wires and managed to squeeze it inside the body of the iPhone X.



Pillonel reverse-engineered Apples custom C94 connector and created his own custom PCB design that could fit inside the shell of iPhone Xs body. Thanks to the custom PCB, the USB-C port can be used for charging as well as transferring data which was teased by the student in a video this week. Pillonel is expected to release a full video later this week that will explain exactly how the student managed to reverse-engineer the C94 connector and fit his custom PCB inside the phone.

The video comes at a perfect time as the European Commission is deliberating whether Apple should be forced to switch to the USB-C port. Apple might be forced to launch an iPhone using a USB-C port in the next couple of years or even a port-less iPhone that only supports wireless charging.

We will know more about Pillonels process once he releases the full video, however as of now, it is not certain when it will be released. This is not the first time Pillonel has managed to modify a piece of consumer technology. He modified a Xiaomi Mi Wireless Car Charger that works with the Galaxy Fold. He 3D-printed the mod for the Galaxy Fold that works as if it was made for the Galaxy Fold by Samsung.

Source: YouTube/Kenny Pi
Arrangements are currently incomplete at Berry and Gardner Funeral Home for Mr. William "Sonny" McGruder, 71, of Enterprise, who passed away on Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2021, at his residence.
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In summer 2020, The New York Times coordinated a nationwide project to document the lives of Americans out of work because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study involved collaborating with 11 other local newsrooms around the U.S. The Messenger-Inquirer was the only newspaper from Kentucky in the collaboration. The resulting collection of stories was published Oct. 23, 2020, in the New York Times print edition and at nytimes.com/outofwork. The following list is the Messenger-Inquirer's local unemployment coverage from that time period; read more by clicking the "New York Times Project" header. Click on "Out Of Work In America" to go to the full
Japan's Kanto Tetsugen auction closes $61 per tonne higher month on month

Taiwan returns from holiday

Prices for imported material to China increase amid tight domestic supply

Japan

Japan's October Kanto Tetsugen auction concluded at an average of 53,213 ($470.93) per tonne on Tuesday on a free alongside ship (fas) basis for a total of 11,000 tonnes of bulk H2 scrap shipping before the end of November.

The first winning bid was at 53,291 per tonne for 6,000 tonnes, while the second winning bid was at 53,120 per tonne fas for 5,000 tonnes.

The average price is an increase of 6,953 per tonne from the average September auction price of 46,260 per tonne fas....
Deputy Foreign Minister S.Aleinik takes part in the High-Level Meeting to mark the 60th Anniversary of the Non-Aligned Movement

On October 11-12, 2021 the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus, Sergei Aleinik, takes part in the High-Level Meeting to mark the 60th Anniversary of the Non-Aligned Movement, which takes place in Belgrade (Serbia).

In his statement, S.Aleinik noted that the Non-Aligned Movement, which unites the majority of the UN member states, plays an important role on the international arena in building a more fair, secure and sustainable world order.

The Deputy Foreign Minister stressed that the Non-Aligned Movement has all the potential required to develop joint measures in response to the global challenges of the modern era, which include unilateral coercive measures by individual states against other sovereign countries.

S.Aleinik welcomed the efforts of the Movement's parties aimed at rejecting illegal unilateral political and economic sanctions against sovereign states and advocated the need to intensify joint counteraction to such destructive actions that violate international law and hinder the sustainable development of states.

The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs held brief conversation with the Chair of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, Ivica Dacic, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia, Nikola Selakovic. The parties discussed the current bilateral agenda, emphasized the traditionally friendly character of the interstate dialogue.

At the meeting with the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia, Sergey Vershinin, the sides discussed cooperation in international organizations. The parties noted the complete coincidence of Belarus and Russia stances on a number of topical international issues, including human rights and the strengthening of international security, arms control and disarmament.

The expansion of trade and economic cooperation and mutual support in multilateral organizations were discussed at the meetings of S.Aleinik with the Minister of State of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of India, Meenakashi Lekhi, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Eritrea, Osman Saleh, the Minister of State for Regional Cooperation of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, Tharaka Balasuriya, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Venezuela, Felix Plasencia, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the Republic of Yemen, Ahmed Awad Bin Mubarak, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nicaragua, Denis Moncada Colindres, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah bin Faisal Farhan Al Saud, and the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Namibia, Jenelly Matundu.



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Reginald Hudlin is a writer, producer, director, and executive who promotes diversity in his work. He will receive Miami's Freedom Summer of '64 Award during Miami's inaugural Film Festival Series on Nov. 7.

Miami University will host its inaugural Freedom Film Festival Nov. 8-12, following the presentation of the Freedom Summer of 64 Award to Hollywood film producer Reginald Hudlin at 7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 7, in Hall Auditorium.



During the film festival, Miami University alumnus and Boadway Distinguished Scholar-in-Residence Wil Haygood will be featured, along with the release of his new book, Colorization: One Hundred Years of Black Films in a White World, (Random House, October 2021).



Representation in film  or lack thereof  has long interested me, said Haygood. I spent the past several years working on Colorization: One Hundred Years of Black Films in a White World. The book highlights the long struggle of Blacks to rise in the film industry. These are stories of hard struggle, many dreams, and sometimes triumph.





Join us for a week of film and a special question-and-answer session with Wil Haygood and film producer Reginald Hudlin.

Haygood is the author of The Butler: A Witness to History, which was turned into a 2013 film starring, among others, Oprah Winfrey, Forest Whitaker, Mariah Carey, and Jane Fonda.



Hudlin will be presented with the Freedom Summer of 64 Award on Sunday, Nov. 7, for his contributions in bringing Black images to screen. Haygood and Hudlin will conduct a question and answer session during the Nov. 7 event.



The award is bestowed by Miami each year upon a distinguished leader who has inspired the nation to advance civil rights and social justice. Miami strives to honor the legacy of those who worked for civil rights and social justice who trained in Oxford in 1964. We specifically want to note the cases of Michael Schwerner, 24, James Chaney, 21, and Andrew Goodman, 20, Freedom Summer activists who gave their lives in service to humanity.



These are superheroes who risked their lives, Hudlin said of those who trained in Oxford in 1964. I feel very humbled that what I do can be compared to what those heroes did. I am inspired and feel a sense of mission.



Haygood said of Hudlins work, Hollywood is a better place because of his monumental contributions when it comes to equality and representation.



The film festival will be held in Leonard Theatre, Peabody Hall, Nov. 8-12. There will be a brief introduction to each film, the screening, and then a facilitated discussion about it. The films to be shown are:



Monday, Nov. 8, 7  9:30 p.m. A Patch of Blue

A falling-in-love story about a blind white woman and a Black man. Full of 1960s racial realism.

Moderator: Andy Rice, assistant professor, Miami University department of media, journalism, and film



Tuesday, Nov. 9, 7  9:30 p.m. Carmen Jones

Notable for Dorothy Dandridge, the first Black to receive a Best Actress Oscar nomination.

Moderator: Kerry Hegarty, associate professor, Miami University department of media, journalism, and film



Wednesday, Nov. 10, 7 9:45 p.m. Imitation of Life

A Black daughter denies her racial heritage, with heartbreaking consequences.

Moderator: Kim Tavares, Miami University associate vice president of alumni relations



Thursday, Nov. 11, 7  9:30 p.m. Shaft

America was introduced to an unusual figure: A bold Black detective.

Moderator: Ron Scott, Miami University Professor Emeritus of media and communication, former associate vice president of institutional diversity

A White House butler served eight presidents. Inspired by an article written by Miami faculty member Wil Haygood. Moderator: Wil Haygood, Miami University alumnus, Boadway Scholar-in-Residence, and authorYears ago when I was a student at Miami University (Ohio), one of my weekly pleasures was going into town to see a movie, Haygood said. Among the stars of those movies were Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, Walter Matthau, Al Pacino, John Houseman, Ellen Burstyn, and Lee Grant. The dearth of movies with Black leading characters - or even supporting characters - was painfully obvious.
Recognizing abilities: customers, businesses and partners received Michigan Rehabilitation Services Champion Awards

Recognizing abilities: customers, businesses and partners received Michigan Rehabilitation Services Champion Awards

Friday, Oct. 8, 2021

Media Contact: Elyse Walter, 517- 449-9731

LANSING, Mich. - Eleven individuals and organizations were recognized during yesterday's 13th annual Michigan Rehabilitation Services (MRS) Champion Awards ceremony. Champion Awards recipients show the resilience and employable skills and talents of Michiganders with disabilities. They each personify the best of what is possible when championing a diverse and inclusive workforce.

The virtual event on Thursday was part of Investing in Abilities Month in October, as proclaimed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to encourage employers to hire qualified people with disabilities while focusing on their abilities.

MRS, within the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity's Office of Employment and Training, collaborated with the Michigan Council for Rehabilitation Services to recognize employers, partners and customers.

MRS staff from around the state nominated champion candidates within several categories. The awards went to:

Customers (including youth) who are motivated and committed to finding and keeping jobs:

Dr. Oluwaferanmi Okanlami of Ann Arbor who has worked with MRS to solve accessible transportation issues for not only himself, but others.

Hunter Flower of Escanaba who received Pre-Employment Transition Services and is the first Deaf student in Midwest Truck Driving School history and only the second in Michigan to be licensed as a Class A CDL Professional Driver.

Matthew Krol of Howell who completed the Industrial Electronics program at the Michigan Career and Technical Institute and now works at White's Zero Electric.

Zachary Markcum of Kalkaska who completed the Pharmacy Technical program at the Michigan Career and Technical Institute and now works at Walgreens.

Business partners from large businesses that are working in innovative ways with MRS and its customers:

Portillo's of Sterling Heights

Wesco of Muskegon

Business partners from small businesses that are working in innovative ways with MRS and its customers:

JAC Custom Pouches of Dowagiac

Precision Service Group, LLC of Ferndale

Community partners who have demonstrated a strong commitment to empowering individuals with disabilities to take charge of their futures:

Barry Eaton District Health Department of Charlotte

WorkSolved of Grand Rapids

Statewide Community Partner who has demonstrated a strong commitment to empower individuals with disabilities to take charge of their futures:

Dr. Sri Narayanan of East Lansing


Thousands of Michiganders serve on 9/11 Day

Thousands of Michiganders serve on 9/11 Day

The Michigan Community Service Commission supported 22 volunteer projects throughout the state for the 9/11 National Day of Service. The theme, "Honor, Serve, Unite," focused on bringing Americans together to honor and remember those who were lost in the terrorist attack 20 years ago.

Nearly 3,500 volunteers around the state took part in service projects to thank first responders, veterans, active military, and healthcare workers. The Michigan Community Service Commission, along with partner AmeriCorps, awarded organizations $18,142.89 to complete these projects.

"We were excited to see so many volunteers making a difference across the state," said Michigan Community Service Commission Executive Director, Ginna Holmes. "We partnered with some great organizations and were proud of the impact they made."

United Way of Genesee County created a mural at the fire station and with the help of the fire department, put together Halloween baskets with safety information for local schools. United Way of Barry County and United Way of Bay County put on events to create thank you cards for healthcare workers, firefighters, and police officers and Loyola High School created a mobile thank you wall for veterans. Provide Inc. hosted a virtual event where volunteers decorated stars of hope to thank healthcare workers at McLaren Hospitals as well.

United Ways of West Michigan, Montcalm County, Ionia County, and Marquette also hosted events to assemble care kits for vets and isolated seniors, food insecurity kits for youth, and emergency preparedness kits for households. The Boys and Girls Club of Alpena created care kits for people experiencing homelessness. The Kindness Rally also held kindness challenges throughout the state.

The Black Autonomy Network distributed bottled water to prevent residents from consuming unhealthy, lead-tainted water in the municipal water pipes. The Commerce Township Community Library hosted a food drive, and South Michigan Food Bank held an event to pick fresh vegetables for local pantries.

Additionally, multiple organizations supported outdoor cleanup efforts following the floods and tornadoes that occurred this summer. United Way of St. Joseph County hopes to use a grant they were awarded to help families who lost their food supplies after extended power outages this summer. Habitat for Humanity of Lenawee County hosted an annual Vet Build and Senior Neighbors helped senior homeowners prepare their yards for winter.
The Michigan Council on Future Mobility and Electrification (CFME) released its second report to recap the progress the State has made in its inaugural report in February 2021, and the next steps needed to ensure Michigan continues to be the epicenter of future transportation solutions around mobility and electrification.

The CFME divided into four workgroups to develop policy recommendations that will address challenges and further Michigan's mobility and electrification leadership. The Council's collaboration led to proposals for new, robust economic development tools to improve Michigan's competitiveness for mobility and electrification sector jobs, as well as increasing access to advanced mobility solutions, such as streamlining shared transportation systems and adapting antiquated policies that will become better suited for the future of automated vehicles.

"Gov. Whitmer and I want to develop and attract the skills and talent necessary to meet the changing demands of the mobility sector," Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II said. "This is a challenge that Michiganders are ready to meet. After all, Detroit put the world on wheels and now it's time for us to be the leader in clean transportation, and we are ready. The Council on Future Mobility and Electrification is another example of how we're fighting to build a stronger, more sustainable future for our kids and for future generations of Michiganders to come."

Since the first Model T rolled off the assembly line, Michigan has been the global leader in the mobility sector. Maintaining this leadership is imperative to the continued prosperity of the state and its residents. Recognizing the importance of the future of mobility, Gov. Whitmer signed Executive Order 2020-02 creating the CFME to develop public policy recommendations that will maintain Michigan's leadership in advanced mobility and electrification.

The report's primary findings include:

Michigan must continue its leadership in automated vehicle policies and smart infrastructure deployment, while investing in the mobility sector and economic and talent development. It is also imperative for Michigan to become more EV-friendly and better prepared for electric vehicles, while implementing policies to ensure the future of transportation is safe and enhances mobility solutions for Michiganders.

Government encouragement of the adoption of electric vehicles and the deployment of EV charging infrastructure is also a must in the Council's view. While more research is required to develop efficient, targeted consumer incentive for electric vehicles themselves, the merits of incentives for charging infrastructure are well documented and easily replicated, and ready to be implemented with funding.

The need to establish clear guardrails around the cybersecurity of intelligent transportation systems. Doing so will protect the safety Michigan residents and visitors.

The CFME's industry experts and public leaders stated Michigan will take a bold step forward and continue embracing the mobility and electrification sector, if the findings in the report are acted upon. Ignoring these recommendations, however, will leave Michigan behind the competition and unlikely to catch up given the one-time nature of so many of the resources available to states today.

The council also noted that if Michigan is to remain the mobility and electrification leader amongst its peers, it should be an advocate on federal policies. In particular, state perspectives are needed for federal lawmakers to make informed decisions on issues related to connected vehicle communications, transportation standards and mobility incentives.

"We fully support the Council's findings and are prepared to do what it takes to ensure Michigan stays ahead of the curve in the mobility sector," said Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity Director and CFME Chairwoman Susan Corbin. "The CFME has already made great strides since its inception, and I'm confident it will continue to excel with the appropriate support."

Some of the significant progress and notable highlights surrounding Michigan's mobility industry include:

The CFME reported in February that Michigan was home to 24 automotive original equipment manufacturers but has now seen that number grow to 26, with 96 of the top 100 automotive suppliers having a presence in Michigan and 60 being headquartered here.

In July 2021, Ford announced it will locate its global battery center in Romulus, investing $100 million in developing, testing and building vehicle battery cells.

GM recently launched the redesigned Chevrolet Bolt EV and Bolt EUV this summer, investing $402 million in Orion Township and subsequently bringing 400 new jobs to Michigan.

The Office of Future Mobility and Electrification (OFME) and CFME will use the report's findings and recommendations to help determine the actions required to enable Michigan to retain its global leadership position in mobility. OFME will coordinate the initiatives in cooperation with the Departments of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE), Transportation (MDOT), the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) and all of state government.

"The mobility industry is constantly evolving, and Michigan fully intends to evolve with it to retain its position as a leader in the field," Michigan Chief Mobility Officer Trevor Pawl said. "I'm excited to see what's in store for our great state during these everchanging times. Seismic shifts are happening in the mobility industry, but they're changes that will impact Michiganders' lives for the better."

In addition to the state's progress in the mobility industry noted in the report , General Motors last week announced an all-new Wallace Battery Cell Innovation Center. Governor Whitmer also recently announced several innovative mobility initiatives and programs. This includes the Michigan Revolution for Electrification of Vehicles Academy to proactively prepare the talent needed for automotive mobility and electrification current, emerging, and future jobs and career pathways. The Governor also announced the:

Lake Michigan EV Circuit to create a tourism focused electric vehicle route with reliable charging options along Lake Michigan,

REV-Midwest compact with four bipartisan governors to futureproof interstate commerce in the region, and

Initiative to develop the nation's first wireless charging infrastructure on a public road in the U.S. right here in Michigan.

To learn more about the Office of Future Mobility and Electrification and the Council on Future Mobility and Electrification, visit Michiganbusiness.org/ofme.
Election Day three weeks away in many jurisdictions, voters have options

Election Day three weeks away in many jurisdictions, voters have options

October 12, 2021

With three weeks remaining until elections in many jurisdictions across the state, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson reminds voters that they have options to safely and securely cast their ballot.

"Michigan elections are among the most secure in the nation, and voters can safely and confidently cast their ballot from home by mail, at a secure ballot drop box or in person at their local polling place," Benson said. "Michigan.gov/Vote is a one-stop shop for eligible citizens to find their local clerk's information, register to vote, request an absentee ballot be mailed to them, and track their ballot."

To find out if your community is holding an election on Tuesday, Nov. 2, visit Michigan.gov/Vote. Eligible citizens can register to vote online for one more week. Within two weeks of the election, they will have to register in person at their local clerk's office, where they can also request, fill out and return an absentee ballot all in the same trip.

Already registered voters can vote from home by requesting to have an absentee ballot mailed to them. They can make the request in person at their local clerk's office or online at Michigan.gov/Vote. If voters choose to go to their local clerk's office, they can fill out their ballot and return it in the same visit.

Voters can also cast their ballots in person at their polling place on Election Day. Polls will be open on Election Day from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The Michigan Voter Information Center at Michigan.gov/Vote provides important information for voters ahead of Election Day, including a sample ballot, information about how to use voting equipment and how to contact your local clerk.

# # #

For media questions, contact

Tracy Wimmer at 517-281-1876.

We welcome questions and comments at the Contact the Secretary of State page.

Customers may call the Department of State Information Center to

speak to a customer-service representative at 888-SOS-MICH (767-6424).
Gov. Whitmer Awards MI Clean Water Grants to 28 Cities, Villages and Townships

Gov. Whitmer Awards MI Clean Water Grants to 28 Cities, Villages and Townships

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 12, 2021

Contact: EGLE Media Office, EGLE-Assist@Michigan.gov, 517-284-9278

Gov. Whitmer Awards MI Clean Water Grants to 28 Cities, Villages and Townships

LANSING, Mich. -- Governor Gretchen Whitmer today awarded more than $14 million in grants under the umbrella of the MI Clean Water plan to help 28 Michigan cities, villages and townships better ensure safe, clean tap water for residents.

"By making critical investments in our water infrastructure, we can create thousands of good-paying jobs and protect access to safe drinking water and drive down costs for families and communities," said Governor Whitmer. "The MI Clean Water plan is a game-changer for Michigan and we should continue building on it to replace all lead service lines statewide, tackle toxic contaminants, and lower utility bills for families."

The grants, issued through the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) support work including replacing lead service lines, enhancing water affordability plans, and connecting homes with contaminated drinking water wells to safe community water supplies.

"The old saying 'an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure' is no more evident than in the aging water systems in communities across Michigan," said EGLE Director Liesl Clark. "Today's investment will help ensure that these towns and cities maintain safe, reliable water for Michigan residents into the future."

The MI Clean Water plan is an $500 million investment announced by Governor Gretchen Whitmer last year to rebuild the state's water infrastructure to help provide clean, affordable water to Michiganders through investments in communities.

It addresses water infrastructure issues that Michigan faces such as lead-laden water service lines, toxic contamination like per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), undersized sewers, failing septic systems, unaffordable water rates and constrained local budgets.

This historic investment includes a proposal combining federal dollars for lead service line replacement in low-income communities ($102.1 million) with bonding authority for water quality protection ($290 million), a one-time General Fund appropriation for drinking water infrastructure and innovation ($105 million), and asset management grants ($2.9 million) to help communities develop, update and improve their plans for wastewater and stormwater.

More than half of EGLE's budget is funneled to Michigan communities in the form of financial assistance to help address water infrastructure and other environmental- and health-protection efforts.

The Drinking Water Asset Management (DWAM) grant is available to assist water supplies in asset management plan development or updates, and/or distribution system materials inventory as defined in Michigan's Lead and Copper Rule.

The Affordability and Planning Grant (AP) grant is available to any community water supply and local unit of government, including counties, townships, cities, villages and others to assist in planning and/or rate studies.

The Consolidation and Contamination Risk Reduction (C2R2) grant funds projects that remove or reduce PFAS or other contaminants, as defined under state or federal drinking water regulations, or efforts to consolidate systems or connect private residential wells to a local municipal system.

Grants awarded through the DWAM, AP, and C2R2 programs in August and September:

AP Grants

Grosse Pointe Woods - $15,800

C2R2 Grants

City of Rockford - $4,493,820

Hamburg Hills-Coventry Woods LLC- $779,175

DWAM Grants

Beecher Metropolitan District- $409,372

Carrollton Township - $611,398

City of Bessemer - $458,994

City of Croswell - $323,756

City of Harper Woods - $322,970

City of Hart - $406,950

City of Hazel Park- $299,292

City of Highland Park - $459,040

City of Hudsonville - $349,500

City of Muskegon - $898,840

City of Negaunee - $466,171

City of Newaygo - $86,423

City of Ovid - $240,339

City of Plymouth - $347,115

City of Roseville - $569,543

City of Sandusky - $414,213

City of St. Louis - $374,722

City of Watervliet - $113,540

Detroit Water and Sewerage- $154,000

Marquette County (KI Sawyer)- $369,800

St. Clair River Water Authority- $372,555

Village of Cass City - $146,712

Village of Chesaning - $225,600

Village of Quincy - $240,100

Village of Saranac - $158,240

For more information on EGLE grants and loans, including an interactive dashboard, visit the Grants and Loans webpage.

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Gov. Whitmer Awards Housing and Economic Development Investments to Cheboygan, Coldwater, and Sault Ste. Marie

Gov. Whitmer Awards Housing and Economic Development Investments to Cheboygan, Coldwater, and Sault Ste. Marie

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 12, 2021

Contact: Kathleen Achtenberg, achtenbergk@michigan.org

Gov. Whitmer Awards Housing and Economic Development Investments to Cheboygan, Coldwater, and Sault Ste. Marie

LANSING, Mich. - Governor Gretchen Whitmer joined the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) today to announce four projects that will bring growth and much-needed housing to three communities around Michigan that received support from the Michigan Strategic Fund. The projects are expected to generate a total capital investment of $2.3 million, bringing new vitality and economic activity to the communities of Cheboygan, Coldwater and Sault Ste. Marie.

"These projects demonstrate our continued focus on supporting community projects that fill critical housing needs for our residents and build a foundation for long-term economic resiliency statewide," Governor Whitmer said. "By contributing to traditional downtown districts and revitalizing underutilized properties, today's projects are helping to reinforce these communities as attractive places to live, work and play."

"These projects reflect our continued focus on supporting innovative placemaking efforts in communities throughout the state, laying the foundation for long-term economic resiliency for Michiganders," said Quentin L. Messer, Jr., CEO of MEDC and President and Chair of the MSF Board. "By focusing on traditional downtown districts, revitalizing public spaces, and preserving historic resources, we are helping to establish vibrant, unique places where people want to live, work, visit, and play."

Community revitalization projects bringing new vitality to Cheboygan, Coldwater, Sault Ste. Marie

Bright Sky Consulting plans to rehabilitate a vacant building in downtown Cheboygan into a mixed-use development. When completed, the project will include retail space and one residential unit. The project is expected to generate a total capital investment of $593,990 and will revitalize a long-vacant building in the heart of Cheboygan, bringing new vibrancy and increased economic activity to the downtown.

The Michigan Strategic Fund has approved a $216,300 Michigan Community Revitalization Program performance-based grant in support of the project. The city of Cheboygan has provided a $1,000 facade grant in support of the project and has approved a 10-year Commercial Rehabilitation Act tax abatement valued at $30,940. The city of Cheboygan is engaged with MEDC's Redevelopment Ready Communities program.

"We understand that each and every improvement to downtown Cheboygan means increased growth and interest, bringing more visitors to the area," said Jane Marlow Cutter, Bright Sky Consulting member. "By investing in the downtown, we bolster each other and benefit from each other's success. We appreciate the financial assistance that the MEDC provides for these revitalization efforts."

The city of Cheboygan is also receiving $335,980 in Community Development Block Grant funds for the Purple Tree Rental Rehab project in downtown Cheboygan. The two-story building currently houses a bookstore and Made in Michigan gift shop on the first floor, while the second floor has been vacant for more than 20 years. When completed, a total of five residential units will be added to the building, with four units on the second floor and an accessible unit on the first floor at the rear of the commercial space.

The project is expected to generate a total capital investment of $445,297, and will transform a vacant, underutilized space into an attractive property and bring needed housing to the heart of downtown Cheboygan. The city of Cheboygan has approved an Obsolete Property Tax Abatement valued at $85,893 in support of the project.

"This project is a big win, bringing positive updates to a historic building and much needed housing to our downtown," said Main Street Downtown Development Authority Interim Director Katie Duczkowski. "We are very excited about continued investment in our community."

Caywood Propane Gas, a family-owned business based in Hudson, Mich., plans to renovate a vacant, three-story building in the historic district of downtown Coldwater into a mixed-use development. When completed, the project will include commercial space and five apartment units. The project is expected to generate a total capital investment of $804,960 and will create a revitalized space on a key block in Coldwater's historic district, while also bringing critical housing units to downtown.

The Michigan Strategic Fund has approved a $250,000 MCRP performance-based grant in support of the project. The city of Coldwater has approved a $10,000 facade grant in support of the project and has approved a 10-year Commercial Rehabilitation Act tax abatement valued at $111,000. The city of Coldwater is engaged with MEDC's RRC program.

"We look forward to welcoming Caywood Propane to downtown and are glad that City Council and staff have been pursuing RRC certification," said Coldwater City Manager Keith Baker. "The ability of downtown projects like this one to apply for MCRP and other funding sources is proving to be a key component in developing our historic buildings and adding much-needed housing."

J&C Development, LLC plans to renovate a historic, vacant building located at 824 Ashmun Street in downtown Sault Ste. Marie. When completed, the mixed-use development project will include three market-rate residential units on the second floor and commercial space on the first floor. The project is expected to generate a total capital investment of $476,219 and will revitalize a vacant, highly visible property into a vibrant new space, bringing new density and economic activity to a critical business and tourism corridor.

The Michigan Strategic Fund has approved a $194,625 MCRP performance-based grant in support of the project. The city of Sault Ste. Marie is supporting the project with a 12-year Obsolete Property Rehabilitation Act tax abatement valued at $4,584. The city of Sault Ste. Marie is engaged with MEDC's RRC program.

"We are excited to work with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation on this project and for the opportunity to do our part in revitalizing Downtown Sault Ste. Marie," said J & C Development Developer Justin Knepper. "The MEDC has been a terrific partner for Sault Ste. Marie over the years, and we couldn't make this project happen without their support."

About Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC)

The Michigan Economic Development Corporation is the state's marketing arm and lead advocate for business development, job awareness and community development with the focus on growing Michigan's economy. For more information on the MEDC and our initiatives, visit www.MichiganBusiness.org. For Pure Michigan tourism information, your trip begins at www.michigan.org. Join the conversation on: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

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Gov. Whitmer Announces Two Business Expansions Creating 424 Jobs and Generating $23 Million of Investment in Genesee County

Gov. Whitmer Announces Two Business Expansions Creating 424 Jobs and Generating $23 Million of Investment in Genesee County

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 12, 2021

Contact: Kathleen Achtenberg, achtenbergk@michigan.org

Gov. Whitmer Announces Two Business Expansions Creating 424 Jobs and Generating $23 Million of Investment in Genesee County

Supply chain management provider NorthGate bringing up to 374 jobs to Burton, investing $13 million

Auto supplier DAG Technology establishing new manufacturing facility in Grand Blanc Township, investing $10 million

LANSING, Mich. - Governor Gretchen Whitmer joined the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) today to announce two business expansion projects expected to create 424 new jobs and generate a total private investment of $23 million in the Flint region have received support from the Michigan Strategic Fund.

"These investments will create hundreds of promising jobs for Genesee County residents as we continue to grow Michigan's economy and build strategic industries across the state," said Governor Whitmer. "Today's business expansions are helping us stay laser-focused on creating good jobs, growing our economy, and continuing to lead in key industries like manufacturing and supply chain logistics."

"The decisions by NorthGate and DAG to expand in Michigan highlight the strength of our state's talented workforce and demonstrate our commitment to long-term economic growth in our state," said Quentin L. Messer, Jr., CEO of MEDC and President and Chair of the MSF Board. "These projects reflect our commitment to taking a holistic, people-first approach to economic development while securing Michigan's leadership in the industries that will drive our economy into the future."

Security Packaging, Inc., dba NorthGate, was founded in 1984 in Flint and provides supply chain management and packaging solutions including inventory, logistics, order fulfillment, scheduling, and transportation management services. The company has been recently awarded a multi-year contract with a major OEM to provide packaging services and fulfillment of auto service parts.

To accommodate the additional business, NorthGate plans to expand into an existing facility in the City of Burton. The project is expected to generate a total capital investment of more than $13 million and create up to 374 jobs, supported by a $1 million Michigan Business Development Program performance-based grant. Michigan was chosen for the project over several competing sites in Ohio.

The project will foster job growth in a regional impact industry of logistics and will bring a large number of pathway jobs to a geographically disadvantaged area of the state. NorthGate offers numerous training opportunities to its employees and believes strongly on promotion from within.

In addition, NorthGate partners with several Flint-area service agencies that work with disadvantaged and underrepresented populations and offers wraparound services to its employees to ensure their success in their careers. Adding the new jobs and investment in Michigan solidifies the company's presence and potential future investment here.

The Flint & Genesee Economic Alliance has offered to assist the company in finding candidates for the new positions. Individuals interested in careers with NorthGate should visit https://go2northgate.com/careers/.

DAG Technology, Inc. is a subsidiary of DAG LTD. LLC, a global leader in decorative wheel trim supplying to automotive OEMs. The company currently has 25 employees at its headquarters facility in Sterling Heights, where it houses sales, engineering, quality, accounting, warehousing and logistics support.

DAG plans to begin onshoring its component manufacturing from its existing facilities in southern China at the request of its OEM customers. The company plans to establish this new manufacturing facility at a former Tier-1 supplier facility in Grand Blanc Township, where it will focus on assembly, paint and assemble, and injection molding. The project is expected to generate a total capital investment of $10.06 million and create up to 50 jobs with the support of a $300,000 Michigan Business Development Program performance-based grant. Michigan was chosen for the project over competing sites in Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Texas and Mexico.

"The DAG team is proud to bring manufacturing to Grand Blanc, Michigan! We are excited to announce the opening of our new facility which will create local opportunities in the area and bolster long term relationships with our OEM Automotive customers," said DAG Vice President James Hadel.

The project will help continue to grow the advanced manufacturing industry in the state and builds on the state's work to capture a larger share of growth in the advanced materials industry. It also highlights Michigan's strengths as a location for global companies looking to move manufacturing to the U.S.

DAG supports personal growth in its employees by offering specific on-the-job training as well as automotive OEM training with certifications. The company will utilize Michigan Works! and the Flint & Genesee Economic Alliance to reach local talent in disadvantaged areas, and is open to helping employees by providing wraparound services such as transportation to work. The Flint & Genesee Economic Alliance plans to assist the company in finding candidates for the newly created positions. Individuals interested in careers with DAG Technology should contact Lindsay Rivenburgh at lindsay@sales-mail.com.

"DAG is a great company and a great addition to the roster of automotive OEM suppliers doing business in Genesee County," said Tyler Rossmaessler, executive director of the Flint & Genesee Economic Alliance. "It's a solid win for our region, and we're honored to be part of the team on this attraction effort."

About Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC)

The Michigan Economic Development Corporation is the state's marketing arm and lead advocate for business development, job awareness and community development with the focus on growing Michigan's economy. For more information on the MEDC and our initiatives, visit www.MichiganBusiness.org. For Pure Michigan tourism information, your trip begins at www.michigan.org. Join the conversation on: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

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It is one thing to celebrate a major milestone, but it can be heartbreaking not to do so with the ones you love.

Lifelong Upper Thumb resident, and United States Navy veteran, Robert Tschirhart will be celebrating his 100th birthday on Oct. 20. Unfortunately, his family will not be with him to celebrate the occasion.

Jennifer Booms, one of Tschirharts grandchildren, said that a 100th birthday was planned for him, but the family decided it would not be a good idea with COVID-19 getting worse. Instead, they hope that anyone who can will send a birthday card wishing him a happy birthday.

We thought this would be a good idea, Booms said.

Tschirhart was born and raised three-fourths a mile from Ruth and spent most of his life on a farm outside of Port Hope, which grew cash crops like corn and wheat. He continued to farm the land well into his old age, though Booms father had taken over farming in recent years.

Tschirhart fathered nine children, eight girls and one boy, though only five of those girls are still alive. Booms said there are around 40 grandkids, all of whom remained in Michigan.

Tschirharts experiences in the Navy have been documented by local historian Janis Stein, who included his story as part of her 2016 book, Hometown Heroes: World War II Veterans Share Their Stories. He enlisted in the Navy in June 1942 because numerous people advised him to do so instead of the Army. Prior to that, Tschirthart had worked for Booms Silo Company in Harbor Beach and the Kelseu-Haynes Wheel defense plant in Detroit.

His Navy service was mostly spent in the Pacific Theatre, traveling to American Samoa, New Zealand, Australia, and New Guinea and participating in battles and skirmishes against the Japanese. The ship he spent the majority of his service on, LCT-374, had 10 men and one officer. It was responsible for shuttling supplies from Navy supply ships to the U.S. Army.

His experiences fighting the Japanese forces in the Pacific include having his ship miss getting hit by torpedoes, hunting a boar on an island and finding a group of Japanese soldiers instead, dealing with several air raids taking part in the New Britain campaign, and being involved with the Battle of Peleliu.

Tschirthart returned from the Pacific in February 1945 when he and his crewmates landed in Portland, Oregon. While on a 30-day furlough, he made his way back to Huron County where he married Magdalen Braun on Feb. 13, 1945, having written letters to each other for two years.

His last assignment for WW2 was on the famous Queen Mary ocean liner, which was transporting supplies to England and bringing back destroyer escorts. He was discharged when he returned from the assignment on Oct. 8, 1945 in Philadelphia.

Tschirhart, spent 32 of the 40 months he spent out at sea. He was awarded medals for his service in the Australian Theatre, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign, the American Campaign, and the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign.

Now, Tschirhart resides at the Lakeshore Woods retirement community in Fort Gratiot, where he has lived for the past few years. Booms said he has had more memory issues than he used to, though he was able to drive until he was 97.

Cards can be addressed to c/o Robert Leo Tschirhart, Lakeshore Woods, 4851 Lakeshore Rd, Fort Gratiot, MI 48059.
FILER TWP.  A report by Filer Township DDA director, Tamara Buswinka could shed light on a number of changes coming to the district. At a Oct. 5 meeting of the DDA board, Buswinka spoke about a number of upcoming and ongoing projects in the township.

Filer Township Sign

Drivers coming to Filer Township could be greeted by a new welcome sign along U.S. 31.

The sign was commissioned by the DDA and township, and current plans are for it to be installed before the end of winter, according to Buswinka.

Tom Amor, of Amor Sign Studio completed the sign based on community input, and it is awaiting installation.

RELATED: Filer Township road work begins

"We did a planning project where we looked at the corridor, and we asked people, what they would like to see. And something that came from the residents who live there, was they wanted to see a welcome sign," Buswinka told the News Advocate. "So it was really a response to what residents said they wanted in the community. And they actually even approved the design of the sign."

Current plans call for the sign to be located near the downtown district boundary, opposite Crystal Lake Health Center. All materials have been submitted to the health center's board for their review and approval.

Filer officials are working with Realtor John Hanson who represents the property owner. Currently, the owner is still considering the proposal.

The next steps according to the meeting minutes are to finalize the exact location for the sign, get an agreement signed, get a boundary survey completed and work with consumers on providing electricity to the site.

Filer First

Preliminary plans are being drawn up for Filer First, a new project similar to Spark Manistee that sees entrepreneurs make a pitch for prizes and business start-up assistance.

The brainchild of board member Al Frye, this business development competition is aimed at helping would-be business owners.

"We're really looking to provide support to entrepreneurs," Buswinka said. "So whether they even win the competition or not, we want to provide entrepreneurs with access to resources to develop their business and to get into a storefront."

The DDA is currently building partnerships with multiple organizations in the region to help entrepreneurs find success in Filer. Among these are Venture North, a community development financial institution, Filer Credit Union and the Small Business Development Center.

Hamlet of Filer

Officials are also looking into acquiring a 4.4 acre parcel near Merkey and Red Apple Roads to create U.S. 31 frontage for their proposed Hamlet of Filer project.

Officials hope to use this site as the epicenter of a mixed-use development with different options for housing, recreation and commercial activities.

The DDA continues to provide project management services to the township board to complete the conceptual planning for the project, with this stage expected to be complete some time next month.

RELATED: Filer Township considers next steps in housing development

After conceptual planning is complete, Buswinka says the plans will be shopped out to interested developers.

"We've had developers coming to some of our meetings, and this has piqued their interest. So we're gonna hit the pavement hard to try to attract developers," Buswinka said. "We've got a couple of different products that we want developed on the property, so we're going to be attracting a couple different ones. A housing developer isn't necessarily a commercial retail developer."

The project will be attractive to potential developers because the plan will have already been vetted by the community and approved by township government, Buswinka said.

"That means there's a lot of assurances for the developer, there isn't a lot of barriers to the approval process and so we're hoping that will attract developers attention," she said.
The Village of Sanfords rebuilding process quickly transformed on presentation screens displayed in a conference room on Saginaw Valley State Universitys campus.

The Great Lakes Bay region had an opportunity to take a closer look at local business efforts over the last 17 months made in response to the May 2020 dam failures.

Midland area business representatives were in attendance to share how companies and organizations contributed to the overall effort to restore mid Michigan communities after the dam failures.

The Four Lakes Disaster: Celebrating the Heroic Response of Business event was held on Tuesday at Saginaw Valley State University and broadcasted online through Zoom.

Emcee Mark Sauter said half of the attendees were in Curtiss (sic) Hall on SVSUs campus and the other half of attendees were on Zoom. The event encouraged attendees to pause, reflect and celebrate the recent efforts made by businesses to restore communities in Midland and Gladwin counties.

One of the speakers, Village of Sanfords President Dolores Porte spoke at the event and in a video presentation displayed on screens in the conference room.

I was amazed at all of the local companies that came with all of their equipment and the retirees that came to run the equipment, said Porte in the video presentation. Everyone came to the rescue. People from out-of-state (and) people from downstate  they spent weeks here in hotels ... their personal time with their personal equipment. It was pretty amazing, showing the love to our community when we were facing devastation.

Saginaw Valley State Universitys College of Business welcomed its regional neighbors to discuss how conscious capitalism played a role in the crisis response.

According to its Great Lakes Bay Region Chapter, conscious capitalism focuses on elevating society through business-related efforts.

Other speakers shared local stories of conscious capitalism. The other speakers included the President of Three Rivers Corp. Jon Lynch, Business Development Manager Chris Moultrup with Three Rivers Corp. and Vice President John Waskevich at Fisher Contracting Co.

Porte said Michigan businesses from "every sector" came out to support communities in Midland and Gladwin counties, including a Detroit food company and Deja Vu coalitions. She also included local groups, such as Dows Pulling Your Weight initiative and Delta Colleges role in painting the Sanford Mural, in her remarks.

There's still a lot of rebuilding going on  not just physical but emotional rebuilding, said Porte. A lot of camaraderie has come from this event, its been almost a year and people are still going strong.

One example of camaraderie has been the different Sanford-based groups to come from the dam failure crisis. For example, the Sanford Strong Facebook group, which is now a non-profit organization as well, was created by Sanford residents.

And one of the businesses that was early to Sanfords response was Three Rivers Corp., said Porte. Lynch said Three Rivers Corp. used its relationships to contribute to the local response.

The credo of conscious capitalism is that we believe in business, he said. (Business is) good because it creates value, it's ethical because it's based on a voluntary exchange, it's noble because it can elevate our existence and it's heroic because it lifts people out of poverty and creates prosperity.

When Moultrup initially went to Sanford to help with the rebuilding process, he recalled a honeymoon effect. He said most of the rebuilding efforts taking place appeared complete, just one month after the dam failures.

During the event, Moultrup said Porte brought Three Rivers Corp. representatives to portions of Downtown Sanford which needed help in June 2020. From there, he said they were brought to the South Cedar neighborhood in Sanford.

On the screen during the event, images of a five-acre plot were shown to illustrate the need in this neighborhood. Moultrup said this area was a catch all for debris and water that came from the Sanford dam failure. He said at the time, he called multiple organizations and people to help fit the equipment needs.

People are still working nonstop to try and recover this community, said Moultrup toward the end of his remarks.

The event spotlighted other Michigan businesses and their efforts toward rebuilding Midland and Gladwin communities after the dam failures. Some of the businesses included Tri-Star Trust, Frankenmuth Credit Union, Covenant Healthcare and more.

Porte also highlighted the following Sanford initiatives, including: Sanford Shines, Sanford Grows, Sanford Builds and Sanford Rising.

J.W. Fisher was a planned speaker on behalf of Fisher Contracting Co., event organizers said he could not attend. Waskevich replaced Fisher for the Tuesday presentation.

Lynch is also the former city of Midland manager. Moultrup is also a member of the city of Midlands Downtown Development Authority board.

The event honored other businesses and organizations, which were not mentioned in the program, by asking representatives from each to stand after the presentations. By the end, all in-person attendees were standing.

This was not a celebration of just these stories, it was a celebration of this room and everybody virtually in this and beyond, said Sauter, who is also the president of GTP Associates, Inc. based in Midland.

If youre interested in learning more about conscious capitalism, visit consciouscapitalism.org/chapter/glbr.

The GLBR chapter will hold a virtual team workshop from 8 a.m. to noon Tuesday, Oct. 26.
The American Red Cross is making an emergency appeal to Mid-Michigan residents for blood donations due to a sharp drop in the blood supply and a decline in the number of donors over the past month.

The Red Cross continues to experience an emergency blood and platelet shortage that has caused the blood supply to fall to the lowest post-summer level in at least six years, according to a press release.

In addition, blood donor turnout decreased by about 10% as summer came to an end. While donations have dropped, hospital demand for blood remains strong. Donors of all blood types  especially type O  and platelet donors are urged to make an appointment to give now to help meet the needs of patients this fall.

Appointments can be made by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

Two blood donation events are scheduled for the coming week in Huron County. One will take place Wednesday, Oct. 13, from 1 to 6:45 p.m. at AmVets Post No. 115 in Port Hope, 8011 Rubicon (M-25), and the other is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 19, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. at Laker High School, 6136 Pigeon Road, in Pigeon.

With less than a days supply of certain blood types in recent weeks, the Red Cross asks donors of all blood types  especially type O  to make an appointment to give blood or platelets as soon as possible to ensure patients can receive the lifesaving transfusions they rely on.

Donors can also save up to 15 minutes at the blood drive by completing a RapidPass, an online pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire, on the day of donation. To complete a RapidPass, follow the instructions at RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass or use the Red Cross Blood Donor App.

To donate blood, individuals need to bring a blood donor card or drivers license or two other forms of identification that are required at check-in. Michigan residents who are 17 years of age, or 16 with parental consent, weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also must meet certain height and weight requirements.
MIDDLETOWN  The Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce has selected William F. Skip Petras III for its 2021 William J. Pomfret Veteran Community Service Award.

This honor is presented annually to a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces in recognition of his or her distinguished service to the citizens of Connecticut and selfless commitment to public service, according to a press release.

Skip Petras is a proud veteran who served our country with distinction, Chamber President Larry McHugh said in a prepared statement. He also has a remarkable record of community service, and is a deserving recipient of this prestigious award.

Petras is a resident of Portland who grew up in Middletown, according to the chamber. He graduated from Vinal Technical High School in 1978. Before graduation, in May 1978, Skip enlisted in the U.S. Navy under the Delayed Entry Program and began his formal training in October of that year.

He is a proud veteran of the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Navy Reservces, and the Connecticut Army National Guard, having served from 1978 through 1988, the chamber added. His active-duty ship was the USS Mullinnix DD 944 whose home port was in Charleston, S.C. Petras role onboard the Mullinnix was as a sonar technician assigned to the Anti-Submarine Warfare Division, where he attained the rank of Petty Officer 2nd Class, the news release said.

He was a member of the South Fire District volunteers and, after moving to Portland, he joined the Portland Fire Department where, for 25 years, he has served the residents and guests of Portland and surrounding communities as both a volunteer firefighter and, until recently, as an EMT, the statement said.

He has donated his time to other volunteer services, utilizing his skills as an EMT, including his more than 20 years as a volunteer on the medical staff of Special Olympics Connecticut at Polar Plunges and other Special Olympics Connecticut related events, the news release said.

A strong advocate for veterans affairs, Skip maintains membership and is active in the VFW and American Legion in Portland. He plays a key role in planning and executing Portlands American Legion Veterans Day breakfast, the release said.

As the Patriot Guard Riders of CT Assistant State Captain, he regularly attends meetings for the State Veterans Commissioners and Veterans Leadership committee for Veterans Service Organizations at the office of the Commissioner of Veterans Affairs in Rocky Hill.

Skip has dedicated his life to serving our country and the community, both in the military and as a civilian. He continues to selflessly give his all to both veterans and the community at large, McHugh said in the release.

The award will be presented on Nov. 1 at the 20th annual Support the Troops and Honor the Veterans member breakfast meeting at 8 a.m. on Zoom. All veterans are invited to the event as guests of the chamber, the news release said.

Registration is required at middlesexchamber.com.
In January, Gov. Ned Lamont announced that Connecticut was the first state in the nation to vaccinate all nursing home residents. By the end of that month, the state had even administered more doses than there were residents, in part because some facilities cater to residents discharged from hospitals who enter nursing homes for short periods to recover.

But while the overall rate of vaccination among residents remains extremely high, its that kind of turnover that has some facilities now reporting rates as low as 66 percent. Just under a third of nursing homes reported rates under 90 percent. Some facilities might have more recently admitted residents who were not vaccinated upon admission, wrote Department of Public Health spokesperson Chris Boyle.

We cant turn down patients because they arent vaccinated, said Tim Brown, spokesperson for Athena Health Care Systems, which runs 26 nursing homes in the state. As long as we have it documented that we offered them the vaccine, there is nothing else we can do.

Nursing home residents have been disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus, from the early days of the pandemic through the delta wave these past few months. As Connecticut heads into the winter, COVID-19 is expected to make a resurgence, as do most respiratory viruses in the colder months. But low resident vaccination coverage in some of the states nursing homes is not a problem that has immediate solutions.

In early September, Josh Geballe, the states chief operating officer, wrote that the governors office was not planning to institute a vaccine mandate for residents in long-term care facilities. The state has mandated that nursing home staff be vaccinated, citing a desire to ensure resident safety.

DPH has also retired Operation Matchmaker, a vaccination initiative that specifically targeted short-term residents in nursing homes earlier this year, though nursing homes still have access to vaccines via pharmacies.

Poor data collection on short-stay residents poses another problem in understanding and mitigating the risks posed by those entering nursing homes for short-term rehabilitation. DPH does not have an up-to-date facility-level count of the short-stay residents trekking in and out of the states approximately 209 nursing homes.

The agency is reliant on a federal COVID case reporting system called the National Healthcare Safety Network, instituted by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. CMS does not break out resident coronavirus cases by whether individuals are short-stay or long-term residents, and therefore DPH cannot differentiate between them, Boyle wrote.

Sunil Parikh, an epidemiologist at the Yale School of Public Health, has been studying COVID spread in Connecticut nursing homes in conjunction with DPH.

We are working with them to understand the factors that are leading to COVID spread in the time of the delta variant and good vaccination coverage, he said.

Parikh is definitely interested in this question of how short-stay residents impact disease spread  but at the moment, I dont think we really have this data yet, he said.

Understanding resident vaccination rates

Data on resident vaccination rates are published by the CMS weekly with a delay of about two weeks. The most recent data available go through Sept. 26. The federal data may contain some reporting errors; DPH conducts a quality check where outliers and potentially inaccurate data are flagged.

In addition to being old and error-prone, the public data show stochasticity, Boyle wrote in a statement to CT Mirror. That means a nursing homes vaccination rate today will not necessarily have any bearing on its vaccination rate two weeks in the future, since rates would depend on the vaccination status of discharges and admissions, which may vary widely week to week.

For instance, as of Sept. 12, Arden House in Hamden posted a resident vaccination rate of 76 percent. Last week, the number rose to 85 percent, according to a statement provided by spokesperson Lori Mayer. The nursing home has also scheduled a COVID-19 vaccine clinic this week for any additional residents who want to be vaccinated, she wrote.

But patterns have still emerged from the data. Brown said that Athena has seen lower resident vaccination rates recently in facilities where short-term rehabilitation is a large focus.

Its not uncommon for a short-term rehab facility like Middlesex Health  which reported the lowest DPH-verified resident vaccination rate  to have four or five discharges or new patients in a day, he said. Northbridge Health Care Center in Bridgeport is in a similar situation and under 80 percent of residents there are vaccinated, according to the most recent data.

Despite the random variation that any individual nursing home might see over time, the range of resident vaccination rates posted by all nursing homes has remained relatively constant over the past few months. In other words: Though individual nursing homes may move up or down in a ranking based on resident vaccination rates, the range of rates reported has remained fairly broad, between 60-100 percent. The median rate has hovered between 91-94 percent; half of nursing homes report rates under the median, and half over.

By contrast, the range has narrowed for staff vaccination rates since the state announced that it would mandate vaccinations for staff in the first week of August. The median rate of vaccination has also increased significantly, though latest figures still had it lower than residents at 90 percent. The most recent data available show rates just before Sept. 27, the states staff vaccination mandate deadline.

The state is not currently imposing a similar mandate for resident vaccinations.

No other states in the country have announced such a mandate. Arthur Caplan, professor of bioethics at NYU Langone School of Medicine, did not believe that there was precedent for a resident vaccination mandate for other illnesses such as the flu either. Residents who are elderly tended to be more highly vaccinated so mandates focused on staff bringing in flu and also being sick and absent from work.

Nevertheless, Michelle Mello, professor of law at Stanford University, said the state had the ability to impose a COVID mandate if it chose, provided that it allowed for religious, disability-related and medical exemptions.

But such a mandate could do more harm than good.

Resident vaccination rates are already extremely high, we ensure there is regular testing to identify and mitigate outbreaks, and many residents have no alternatives about where to live, Geballe said.

Current disease mitigation strategies

CT DPH follows CMS policies and CDC guidance, which is based on the latest evidence for effective disease prevention and control measure, Boyle wrote.

Several long-term care providers said DPH has suggested testing new residents when they arrive, quarantining them and testing them again after five days to ensure the virus hasnt surfaced, and again after 12 days when it is likely a resident is close to getting ready to go home.

The state has retired a program where pharmacies and other providers were responsible for immunizing new residents and staff, especially the revolving door of short-term residents, who typically stay for a month or less for rehabilitation services, The Mirror previously reported.

Operation Matchmaker was an initiative that took place during the spring to ensure that each nursing home had a pharmacy that could offer COVID vaccines to residents who were admitted after the initial round of clinics that were done by CVS and Walgreens, Boyle wrote. Since that time, DPH has worked to ensure that all facilities are partnered with a long-term vaccine provider to conduct continued resident vaccination as needed - including for booster doses or other needs that arise.

Facilities report to the federal government and the state weekly through the CDCs National Healthcare Safety Network if they are having trouble accessing vaccine. The Connecticut Department of Public Health monitors this reporting closely and reaches out to facilities that may have issues, Boyle wrote.

There are four pharmacies in Connecticut that do most of the business with nursing homes and that are now providing them vaccines when they need it. The four pharmacies are Omnicare, Pharmerica, Partners Health and Procare. In some cases, the pharmacies are sending staff to the facilities to administer shots, but most facilities are having their own staff administer the vaccine at this point.

Several providers said that if someone isnt vaccinated by now its likely they wont get the shot, no matter what.

Vaccinations have been very successful at reducing illness and death in nursing home settings in Connecticut.

Nevertheless, nursing home residents continue to be at high risk of contracting and dying from COVID-19. A national study by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that nursing homes witnessed a steeper increase in COVID-19 cases and deaths in August 2021 than the rest of the country.

Without vaccinating people and as many people in our state as we can, we run the risk of COVID-19 surging its ugly head, said DPH Commissioner Manisha Juthani during a COVID briefing last month. It is the winter months when respiratory viruses circulate in general, so we have to be prepared for that. We have to be prepared for the worst. But I am cautiously optimistic.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to correct the number of active-duty Army suicides.

Army leaders are pleading with the rank and file to be more attuned to signs, or so-called "red flags," of impending mental health breakdowns among fellow soldiers that could lead to suicide attempts.

It's the latest thinking by the service as it faces a crisis of soldiers taking their own lives, with little evidence years of previous efforts are having an effect. Suicides rose by 15% in 2020 within the U.S. military, according to a report released by the Pentagon in October that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin described as "troubling."

The bulk of suicides are tied to poor finances or failed relationships, so checking for warning signs could mean staying connected to a soldier's family life, or making sure they're paying their bills on time, Sergeant Major of the Army Michael Grinston said Tuesday during the annual Association of the United States Army conference.

"We have to go as far upstream as we can," Grinston said. "We have to recognize someone's struggling with something and get them the help they need."

The active-duty Army saw 175 suicides in 2020, a rate of 36.4 per 100,000, up from 30.7 per 100,000 in 2019. The Army Reserve saw 42, and the Army National Guard had 103.

Read Next: Navy Recovers Remains of 5 Sailors Killed in Helicopter Crash Off San Diego

Grinston, the top enlisted leader for the service, told reporters that suicide prevention has mostly been reactionary and often comes too late.

Instead of the force introducing yet another prevention program or mandatory training, he said, the focus should be on frequently checking in with soldiers and identifying life struggles early.

The idea is to catch life issues early, so they don't have a chance to snowball, according to Grinston.

The effort also needs to go beyond behavioral health, he said. The Army approach should involve general quality-of-life upgrades, and setting soldiers up to make better financial decisions and be better partners in relationships.

Money problems often are a factor in suicide attempts, so financial literacy courses are being added to noncommissioned officer academies for all ranks. Grinston noted that the 2nd Infantry Division in South Korea launched life skills courses, such as how to handle a break up, for newly arriving soldiers.

The National Guard and Reserve face their own unique challenges with suicide.

"Last week, we had two suicides, and possibly more," Command Sergeant Major John Sampa, the top enlisted leader for the Army National Guard, told Military.com in an interview. "Some other deaths are still being investigated."

Sampa said it's important for Guard leaders to be aware of soldiers' personal lives and be able to intervene at the first sign of trouble -- most notably a slipping financial status. But Guard leaders may struggle to stay connected to soldiers who aren't on active duty, he said.

"As Guard leaders, we don't see our soldiers all the time, and for us to identify those soldiers who really need help is hard," Sampa said. "They can clearly mask what's going on sometimes."

Access to resources such as mental health providers can be confusing for those troops, who serve two to four days a month on average and don't live on a base that might have those resources.

Guardsmen also are not entitled to free health care, which Gen. Daniel Hokanson, the chief of the National Guard Bureau, has been lobbying Congress to change.

Command Sergeant Major Andrew Lombardo, the top enlisted leader for the Army Reserve, told reporters Tuesday that commanders have started bringing soldiers on duty to help a fellow service member in crisis get behavioral health care and other support. Putting a soldier on payroll can make it easier to take off civilian work to respond.

"That's the immediate action we're taking now," Lombardo said. "Commands can make that decision to save a life."

A Brown University study published in June found the number of troops and veterans who have died from suicide over the past 20 years -- 30,177 in total -- is more than four times the number killed in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

The Army knows who is commiting suicide, James Helis, director of the Army Resilience Directorate, told reporters at the Army conference Monday.

"These are typically soldiers that are between E-3 and E-6, in their 20s, combat arms, male and have access to privately owned firearms," Helis said.

The Defense Department's recent annual report found that troops who commit suicide often are in struggling relationships or have troubled finances and disciplinary issues.

But Helis said there are a lot of unanswered questions the Army is still studying, such as why troops in combat arms are especially vulnerable.

While post-traumatic stress disorder from overseas deployments is a serious concern in the force, mental trauma from time in combat factors in a minority of suicides. Helis said the bulk of suicides were among soldiers who never deployed to a combat zone.

"Is there something we're not seeing that can help us focus our prevention efforts?" he asked. "We expect to have some answers to that next calendar year."

-- Steve Beynon can be reached at Steve.Beynon@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @StevenBeynon.

Related: Since 9/11, Suicide Has Claimed Four Times More Military Lives Than Combat
Navy engineer Jonathan Toebbe and his wife Diana will remain in custody until at least Friday for a detention hearing -- and could spend the rest of their lives behind bars -- after being arrested for allegedly trying to sell nuclear submarine secrets to a foreign country.

Prosecutors argued one of the reasons that the pair should be held in detention is because they faced charges "for which the maximum sentence is life imprisonment or death," according to court records. Federal officials also are concerned about the duo obstructing justice or fleeing the country.

A federal court judge granted the request Tuesday to keep the couple in custody ahead of the upcoming hearing. They were arrested over the weekend following an FBI sting that included an agent posing as a foreign government willing to pay the Toebbes for Navy submarine secrets.

The details of the Navy's nuclear submarine propulsion system are a closely guarded secret that has been shared with only one other country, the United Kingdom. Plans are underway to help Australia build its first nuclear-powered subs.

However, details of what specific information the couple allegedly tried to sell, and to whom they believed they were selling it, have not been made clear.

Read Next: Navy Recovers Remains of 5 Sailors Killed in Helicopter Crash Off San Diego

The Maryland couple aren't likely to face the death penalty, despite the possibility put forth by prosecutors, but a lifelong prison stay is not far-fetched, said Greg Rinckey, a former U.S. Army prosecutor and Judge Advocate General's Corps defense attorney who has handled hundreds of cases as a civilian lawyer.

"Is there an actual likelihood they'll get the death penalty? I don't believe so," Rinckey said in an interview with Military.com. "Is there a chance [Jonathan Toebbe] could get life? Absolutely."

The husband and wife duo face two charges: conspiracy to communicate restricted data, and communication of restricted data.

"If the information was, in fact, highly sensitive information that could be critical to national security, that's going to up the penalty and the government's going to want a lot more jail time," Rinckey said.

Rinckey was part of the team that helped defend another person against espionage charges related to submarines -- former Navy sailor Kristian Saucier, who served a year in federal prison for taking photos of classified sections of the submarine on which he worked. He was later pardoned by President Donald Trump.

One of the key details of the Saucier case was that the sailor had taken photos that showed parts of the reactor configuration. The lawyer explained that both adversaries and government officials get interested when leaked information has "anything related to propulsion systems because this is how nuclear submarines really earn their keep."

The Justice Department, in its criminal complaint, alleged that the Toebbes sent along several documents that "contained militarily sensitive design elements, operating parameters, and performance characteristics of Virginia-class submarine reactors."

According to an apparent LinkedIn page for Jonathan Toebbe, he claimed to have worked as a nuclear engineer for the Navy's Nuclear Reactor department and was the technical lead for Columbia-class submarine nuclear design. Court records describe him as "a current employee of the United States Navy."

-- Konstantin Toropin can be reached at konstantin.toropin@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @ktoropin.

Related: Navy Nuclear Engineer Charged with Trying to Pass Secrets
MOSCOW  Russia on Tuesday reaffirmed its strong opposition to any U.S. military presence in Central Asia to a visiting senior U.S. diplomat.

Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland arrived in Moscow on Monday on a three-day visit for talks that the U.S. State Department said would touch on a range of bilateral, regional, and global issues.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said after Tuesday's meeting with Nuland that they touched on arms control negotiations and the situation in Afghanistan among other subjects.

Ryabkov told the Interfax news agency that he stressed that the U.S. and its allies bear the main responsibility among foreign actors for normalizing life in Afghanistan, since their presence actually led to the current situation.

The Russian diplomat described the conversation as direct and businesslike, adding that he again emphasized Moscow's strong opposition to any U.S. presence in the former Soviet Central Asian nations following the American exit from Afghanistan.

"We strongly reaffirmed the unacceptability to Russia of any form of U.S. military presence in Central Asian countries, he said, according to Interfax.

There was no immediate comment from the U.S. Embassy.

The U.S. and its allies hoped to negotiate basing agreements, overflight rights and increased intelligence-sharing with Uzbekistan and Tajikistan that border Afghanistan or other ex-Soviet nations in Central Asia. But Russia, which has maintained close political, economic, security and military ties with the Central Asian countries, has bristled at any such U.S. presence.

The U.S. leased a base in Uzbekistan in the early stages of the war in Afghanistan until the country terminated it in 2005 amid tensions with Washington. It also used a base in Kyrgyzstan but it asked the U.S. to leave in 2014 under pressure from Russia.

During her visit to Moscow, Nuland is also set to hold talks with Kremlin deputy chief of staff Dmitry Kozak, who acts as President Vladimir Putin's point person on Ukraine.

The U.S. has strongly backed Ukraine in its standoff with Russia that followed its 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula and support for a separatist rebellion in the country's eastern industrial heartland.
Military families are a cross-section of the American population, facing the same problems and overcoming the same obstacles. Hispanic military families make up 16% of the active-duty military population, according to 2019 Defense Department data, and they are the fastest-growing population in the military. Many of these families face a language barrier, which becomes a bigger problem when their service member deploys.

But the military community is known for supporting each other, and these five military spouses are working hard to make a difference in the spouse community.

Janet Sanchez

A military spouse and mother, Janet Sanchez created a Facebook group in 2007 to provide a place for Hispanic military families to get resources and support. The group, Esposas Militares Hispanas USA Armed Forces, helps military families that face language barriers, and they also support victims of domestic violence through relocation.

Sanchez, whose husband retired from the Army three years ago, said the initial goal for the group was to eliminate language barriers and isolation in the military community.

"As soon as we started the group, the goal was achieved," she said. "The military spouses started to feel confident in their own language and felt listened to and supported."

The group, which has almost 70,000 members, supports spouses by offering educational programs, language classes, financial planning, employment readiness and community connections.

Sanchez, who also served in the Army, said she loves it when members share success stories, especially when a spouse uses the citizenship class offered in the group and becomes a citizen. Or when a spouse gets a remote job, uses a scholarship from the group to finish school or takes the steps they need to feel safe from domestic violence -- all because of the opportunities and resources available from the group.

"Our next project to tackle is advocacy about domestic violence in the military community, GED classes for military spouses that have not finished high school and, of course, continue to empower military spouses to grow professionally and personally," Sanchez said.

Verenice Castillo

When she came to the United States from Mexico at age 16, Verenice Castillo had to learn a new language and a new culture. Neither of those things stood in her way, and now she is one of the biggest advocates for new military spouses in the community.

"When I was a brand-new spouse, I felt alone," Castillo said. "I never thought the military would become my new family. It's hard to know how great it is going to be at the beginning."

Castillo, an Air Force spouse, jumped in with both feet. She started volunteering, became a key spouse and helped develop training programs that later were adopted by the Air Force. She felt she could do more to help, so she kept mentoring new spouses. Eventually, the mentorship program grew so large that she was almost forced to start a nonprofit so she could provide the services to all branches -- and the Military Spouse Advocacy Network (MSAN) was born.

MSAN now has three ways of helping military spouses: the Military Spouse Leadership Development program, a peer-to-peer mentorship program that is available to all spouses and a virtual mentorship hub.

"Our lifestyle is challenging, but people need to hear the good stories," Castillo said. "Those stories will help bridge the divide. The things we're doing in the community -- not just focusing on what we don't have, but what we have -- help the stigma when people view us as entitled military spouses. It's important that they see Hispanics are doing something good in the military community."

Becky Hoy

An Army spouse, Becky Hoy really struggled during her spouse's first deployment. But during that separation, the first of many over her 10 years of military marriage, Hoy shifted her mindset.

"I realized this was just going to be my reality. [I'm] going to have to learn how to live with deployments, rather than wishing away all those days," she said.

Hoy took her experiences with deployments and created a care package for her best friend, when she was facing her spouse's first deployment. It was full of self-care treats, journals, self-development books and care-package kits. Hoy's friend loved it. And, from that gift, Hoy launched Brave Crate in May 2018.

Beyond making deployments a little easier on military spouses, Hoy partnered with popular military spouse blogger Jo, My Gosh to build the Pillar Retreat -- a virtual retreat that brings deployment resources to military spouses. Hoy said their goal is not just to have resources available, but to make sure that everyone knows they are welcome to attend.

"Pillar is inclusive and welcoming, and we want spouses to know that we've intentionally created a space for their participation," Hoy said.

One of the ways they've done that, in their second year of the Pillar Retreat, is to offer a Spanish-language translation of the digital guide. Hoy, who is half-Cuban, is proud of being able to offer this as she sees more military families whose first and primary language is Spanish.

"Hispanic families have a sense of importance of communication; we're very communicative," she said. "As milspouses, we lose a bit of that as we travel and move. It's very important to me to create a communal space for milspouses online, that they can take with them wherever."

Jasmin Cruz

"They don't expect people like me, a second-generation immigrant, to accomplish things like this," Navy spouse Jasmin Cruz said. "I'm a Latina tech founder, and I am really proud of it."

Cruz created MilsoMuster, a smartphone app for military families, after being thrust headfirst into military life and a deployment at the same time. In 2016, Cruz's husband enlisted as an undesignated airman in the Navy and originally had follow-on orders for Japan. But the week he was graduating, his orders changed, and he was assigned to a carrier that was deploying that same week.

A week and a half later, he was gone for eight months, and Cruz was left to figure it all out on her own. A new duty station, a new lifestyle and no idea what questions she should even be asking.

"That experience taught me that there was not real support at a personal level or family members, I wanted to create something that gave them a safe space to ask, and the content to help them figure it out," she said.

Cruz didn't want to start a blog, so she decided an app that shared content already created, like blogs, podcasts and books from other spouses, was the route she wanted to take.

Evie King

As one of the prominent faces behind InDependent, an online wellness platform for military spouses and first responders, Evie King has been helping military and first-responder spouses figure out what they want to explore and find the time to do it for years. She said she got the push to do that from her mother, who is Puerto Rican and spoke Spanish as her first language.

"She's always trying different things," King said. "She has just instilled in me this idea of always learning. Always learning, always exploring, embracing where we're at. It's something that I try to live, no matter where we're at."

King feels connected with her ancestors when she cooks Puerto Rican food and has been working to learn the recipes.

"I'm trying to live my heritage now," she said.

King does this by listening to Puerto Rican artists, looking for cookbooks and reading new stories about Puerto Rico.

King and her active-duty Army husband are living in Germany. They attended a Latin festival just a few weeks after their arrival, and she said it felt very natural to be there.

When speaking of her work with InDependent, King shared that one of the interviewers is a Mexican, naturalized citizen who shares how to make our military spouse community more inclusive for people who are non-English-speaking natives or people of different demographics. King said many spouses may not know how to welcome them or understand the challenges they are going through, and she thinks this discussion will help.

InDependent has worked hard to include military spouses -- and first-responder spouses -- of all backgrounds and make it as inclusive and welcoming as possible. King is looking forward to doing more in the future.

--Rebecca Alwine can be reached at rebecca.alwine@monster.com. Follow her on Twitter @rebecca_alwine.

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Cameron Cruse and Lisa Bradley are two very qualified, hard-working individuals who still had trouble finding work. Bradley has two degrees in business administration while Cruse has a masters degree in architecture. Despite their qualifications and experience, they still could not find work.

The reason? Theyre married to military members and likely will move to a new area in two to three years. Even with so many ways to work and communicate long distances and a lack of skilled talent in certain areas of the country, military spouses still face that age-old obstacle to meaningful employment: occasionally moving with their uniformed loved one.

So Bradley and Cruse started their own business and began to hire military spouses who were in the same tough spot they were.

We set out not only to educate our peers as business owners and entrepreneurs [about military spouses], Cruse told Military.com, But really to provide a new space where women and military spouses can design their own careers.

R.Riveter Co-Founders Cameron Cruse (left) and Lisa Bradley. (Courtesy of R.Riveter)

The two met when their husbands were sent to Georgia for duty. They first encountered one another at an official function and became fast friends. As time went on, they learned they shared the same career aspirations, along with the obstacle to go with those aspirations.

Only a handful of months passed before they were in business, despite not knowing much about the manufacturing and retail sectors. R.Riveter, a manufacturer and purveyor of American-sourced, handmade handbags made by military spouses and named for the famous Rosie the Riveter icon of World War II, was born.

When we started this, we really had no idea what we were doing, Cruse said. But you know, I think there are a lot of parallels to the handbag and accessory design world to the architecture world. It has to be beautiful, but it has to be functional. You have to know how to put it together, and you have to know what materials to use.

The company wasnt just going to be their career; it could be a career for many spouses at the same point in their lives. They sewed their first handbag in Cruses garage in 2011 and were hiring milspouses six months later.

When we met each other, I want to say it was summer and we started the business by November, Cruse recalled. When we jumped in, we jumped in all the way. We had that light-bulb moment where we knew the whole point of our company was going to be to provide mobile, flexible income for military spouses.

The first R.Riveter handbag was actually a dopp kit, a kind of toiletry bag, and it was sewn entirely by hand. With demand increasing, they purchased an old industrial sewing machine with a credit card. The popularity of the products only grew, and R.Riveter grew along with it.

A successful Kickstarter campaign in 2014 allowed them to raise the capital to hire more spouses. An appearance on ABCs Shark Tank in 2016 earned them an investment from billionaire Mark Cuban. Today, the company has 45 Riveters, military spouses who work to make R.Riveter products, across the United States.

R.Riveter is not only selling online anymore. The company just opened its first permanent storefront in Southern Pines, North Carolina -- about two hours east of Charlotte -- and is thinking about growing beyond handbags. But its most important development is the Riveter Fund, a grant where the company awards a military-connected entrepreneur $2,100 to build or continue building their business or their brand.

We believe a rising tide floats all boats, Cruse said. When you start a business, you're really taking a huge risk. So when you see that start to pay off, the orders roll in and then the companies grow, it's, it's really pretty cool.

Through R.Riveter, Cruse and Bradley also hoped to build and grow a community of military spouses and families who can lift some of the burdens of that life off one another.

When you're a military family, you're packing up and moving every three years on average, Cruse said. You have so much to think about, things to redo and reestablish. Having the ability to say to yourself, OK, my income and a community to plug into is one less thing I've got to worry about. is something were incredibly grateful for.

We rarely take a pause to appreciate it, you know, because it always feels like there's so much to do and to keep working on, Cruse said. But when we take a step back to think about it, it's really pretty amazing. It's been a lot of hard work, but there's something about working for yourself, and also working for a larger cause. Theres really nothing like it.

To check out R.Riveters lines of handbags, totes, accessories and more, visit the R.Riveter website. For those in North Carolina, stop by the R.Riveter flagship store in Southern Pines.

-- Blake Stilwell can be reached at blake.stilwell@military.com. He can also be found on Twitter @blakestilwell or on Facebook.

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[October 12, 2021] Mark Ripplinger Elected to Fintainium's Board of Directors JACKSONVILLE, Fla. and TORONTO, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Fintainium today announced that Mark Ripplinger, President & CEO of Everlink Payment Services for the past 14 years, has been elected to Fintainium's board of directors. Ripplinger brings a broad range of leadership experience in the financial services and technology sector, as well as a long and storied track record as a champion for innovation and operational excellence in the payments space. Mark Ripplinger , seasoned fintech executive, joins the board of Fintainium--a fast-growing fintech. Prior to joining Everlink, Ripplinger spent time in senior roles at some of the most well-respected financial institutions throughout Canada, including as CIO of the Canadian Payments Association, CIO of ATB Financial and CIO of Crown Life. Under Mark's leadership, Everlink has transformed into a leading, broadly diversified, and highly respected end-to-end Payments Solutions provider. In addition to his role on the Board of Directors at Fintainium, Mark will continue to serve as a board member of two other organizations: PayTechs of Canada and Cooperative Development Foundation of Canada. "Mark has been a true leader and trailblazer in business, Fintech, and an ever-changing landscape of payments technology services," said Richard Jackman, Fintainium's CEO. "His values and breadth of experience will help Fintainium continue to grow, innovate, and provide valuable solutions to community banks, credit unions, and their business members." "Mark has been a pioneer in every organization fortunate enough to benefit from his vision and expertise," said Kerwyn Valley, Fintainium's chairan. "After a thorough and fruitful search, I couldn't be more confident in the positive impact Mark will have on our board and Fintainium as a whole." "I've always admired Fintainium's commitment to the notion that enterprise treasury technology should not be limited to the largest financial institutions. Community banks and credit unions provide significant capital to, and have the closest relationships with, SME businesses. These financial institutions deserve solutions that empower them to compete and provide top-notch service to their customers. Fintainium does just that! I look forward to working with Rich, Kerwyn, and the other board members to help Fintainium carry those values forward and build on an already feature-rich solution set." Throughout his accomplished career as a business leader, public servant, and philanthropist, Ripplinger has made an indelible impact on companies and communities in Canada and around the world, earning awards from organizations like United Way, Markham Board of Trade, ACT Canada and ACI Worldwide. In his role as CEO of Everlink, Ripplinger has grown the footprint of this organization to directly serve and connect Canadian financial institutions, retailers, and service providers, including over 98% of credit unions, 55% of banks, 100% of Interac mobile debit, numerous ISOs and large-scale, international POS Acquirers, tens of thousands of retailers and over 5 million cardholders worldwide. Ripplinger completed a Bachelor of Administration with Distinction at the University of Regina as well as a graduate certificate program in Finance from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. To learn more about Fintainium and the services it provides, visit: https://fintainium.tiny.us/intro-to-fintainium About Fintainium With headquarters in Florida and Toronto, Fintainium facilitates the relationship between financial institutions, businesses, and other technology companies. Fintainium combines world class domestic and international money movement products with workflow, accounting, and reconciliation automation. Fintainium enhances back-office operations for institutions and streamlines accounting processes for end-users. Fintainium is an API-driven and modular platform that was designed to work seamlessly with other platforms. Fintainium's technology enables features such as three minute on-platform loan adjudication, integrated CFO toolkit with business intelligence, real-time payments, credit risk analysis, cash flow optimization, and back-office automation. Fintainium is the only platform that combines all these features into a simple, easy-to-navigate user interface and can also integrate into the background of a partner's larger solution. For further information:

FINTAINIUM INC.

Richard Jackman

Chief Executive Officer

Richard.Jackman@gofintainium.com Brandon Rosenblatt

Chief Strategy Officer

Brandon.Rosenblatt@gofintainium.com View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mark-ripplinger-elected-to-fintainiums-board-of-directors-301396246.html SOURCE Fintainium, Inc.

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We had mentioned in Mondays closing report that Nifty, Sensex may move sideways. On Tuesday, the indices opened lower and ended with minor gains. On the NSE, there were 1,025 advances, 947 declines and 77 remained unchanged.

The trend of the major indices on Tuesdays trading are given in the table below:

Bharat Biotech's Covaxin has received emergency use approval for children in the 2-18 years age group. Hester Biosciences surged 4.85 percent after the reports.

Goldman Sachs has reduced its 2022 growth estimate for the USA to 4 percent from 4.4 percent and took its 2021 estimate down a tick to 5.6 percent from 5.7 percent. This is due to the expiration of government's fiscal support and a slower recovery in consumer spending than expected earlier.

Tata Power, wholly-owned subsidiary Tata Power Solar Systems bagged EPC orders worth Rs 538 crore from Energy Efficiency Services (EESL). The contract is regarding setting up of multiple distributed ground mounted solar projects totalling 100 MW.

Schaeffler India to consider stock split on 28 October in its board meeting, it reached a new 52-week high today.

Delta Corp. announced its Q2FY22 results, it has seen net loss down to Rs 22.57 crore as compared to net loss of Rs 54.91 crore YoY. Its net sales have risen by 94.74 percent to Rs 74.72 crore. The stock rallied 4.5 percent after the result; it has been included in F&O recently.

Tata Metaliks was down 6.2 percent after it announced disappointing numbers for Q2FY22. The net profit declined by 33.4 percent to Rs 54.62 crore from Rs 82 crore a year ago. This was due to increase in expenses which increased by 31.4 percent to Rs 566.95 crore due to sharp rise in raw material costs. Its revenue was up 24.1 percent YoY to Rs 644.84 crore.

HFCL reported a net profit rise of 61.18 percent from Rs 85.9 crore as compared to Rs 53.32 crore YoY.

The top gainers and top losers of the major indices are given in the table below:

The closing values of the major Asian indices are given in the table below:
TPG Rise Climate and Abu Dhabis ADQ will invest Rs 7,500 crore (around US$1 billion) in Tata Motors' new subsidiary which will make electric vehicles (EV). The investment values 'TML EV Co' close to US$9.1 billion. The investment will be done through a compulsory convertible instrument to secure a 11%-15% stake. The subsidiary will work in synergy with Tata Motors benefiting from its existing infrastructure. The subsidiary will create a portfolio of 10 EVs over the course of next five years as per Tata Motors' statement.

The capital infusion will be done in phases; the first round will be completed by March 2022 and the entire fund will be infused by the end of next year.

Jim Coulter, the managing partner of TPG Rise Climate, said that The investment aligns with TPG Rise Climates focus on decarbonized transport and builds on TPGs long history in India.

N Chandrasekaran, chairman, Tata Motors Ltd, said: I am delighted to have TPG rise climate join us in our journey to create a market-shaping electric passenger mobility business in India."

"We will continue to proactively invest in exciting products that delight customers while meticulously creating a synergistic ecosystem. We are excited and committed to play a leading role in the government's vision to have 30% electric vehicles penetration by 2030.

TPG Rise Climate was launched in early 2021 and raised close to US$5.4 billion in July 2021 from some of the largest institutional investors and more than 20 global companies. TPG Rise Climate is the dedicated investing strategy of TPGs global impact investing platform TPG Rise. It pursues climate-related investments that benefit from the diverse skill of TPGs investing professionals and global network of advisers and executives.

This investment will give a boost to the Indian EV industry and help to achieve the target of having EV penetration at 30%.
Updated to include clarification from Mr Shailesh Haribhakti

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has barred Haribhakti & Co LLP from auditing companies regulated by RBI for two years starting from April next year. This is for the first time that RBI has taken action against an auditor since it put in place a framework to act for lapses during audits in 2018. However, in August this year, market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) empanelled 16 auditing firms, including Haribhakti & Co, to conduct forensic audits of listed companies' financial statements as part of its efforts to curb frauds. So, on the one hand, SEBI is empanelling Haribhakti & Co; on the other, RBI has barred the auditing firm from auditing regulated entities. This also highlights the lack of communication between the two regulators.

In a brief statement, RBI says, "...debarred Haribhakti & Co (chartered accountants-CAs), from undertaking any type of audit assignments in any of the entities regulated by RBI for a period of two years with effect from 1 April 2022. This action has been taken on account of the failure on the part of the audit firm to comply with a specific direction issued by RBI with respect to its statutory audit of a systemically important non-banking financial company (NBFCs)."

Haribhakti & Co was the auditor for Srei Infrastructure Finance Ltd and Srei Equipment Leasing Ltd between FY15-16 and FY19-20. Recently, the central bank had superseded these two companies' boards due to governance concerns and defaults in meeting payment obligations.

Further, RBI clarified that its order would not impact audit assignments of Haribhakti & Co, the flagship auditing firm of DH Consultants Pvt Ltd, in RBI regulated entities for the financial year 2021-22. Shailesh Haribhakti, who is on the board of several listed entities, was the group chairman of DH Consultants, an entity created by merging Haribhakti & Co and DB Desai & Co.

He, however, says he is no longer associated either with Haribhakti & Co LLP or DH Consultants. I cease to be a partner of Haribhakti & Co LLP from 31 March 2018. I am not responsible for any activities or actions, whatsoever, by the same company. Any references to me in connection with Haribhakti & Co or Haribhakti & Co LLP, as these names are used interchangeably, may be inappropriate, he says.

RBI says it invoked powers under Section 45MAA of the RBI Act to take action against Haribhakti & Co. Section 45MAA states, "Where any auditor fails to comply with any direction given or order made by the (Reserve) Bank under section 45MA, the (Reserve) Bank, may, if satisfied, remove or debar the auditor from exercising the duties as auditor of any of the bank regulated entities for a maximum period of three years, at a time."

The auditing firm is also the auditor for Axis Bank, RBL Bank and IndusInd Bank. In 2006, RBI had barred it for two years for the sub-standard special audit report of Bank of Punjab Ltd, which was assigned to the firm by the central bank.

In August this year, SEBI empanelled 16 firms, including BDO India, E&Y, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India, Chaturvedi & Co, Chokshi & Chokshi LLP, Grant Thornton Bharat LLP, Haribhakti & Co. LLP, KPMG Assurance And Consulting Services LLP, Mukund M Chitale & Co and Protiviti India Member Pvt Ltd, among others.

In May 2021, the market regulator had invited applications from eligible CA (chartered accountancy) firms to get empanelled for conducting a forensic audit of financial statements of listed companies.
Mr JRD Tata would have been overjoyed if he was in our midst today, Ratan Tata, chairman emeritus, Tata group was quoted in the media, announcing the Tata groups Rs18,000 crore winning bid to regain Air India after a hiatus of 68 years.

JRD Tata would have been a ripe old soul of 117 years had he, impossibly, lived to see this day!

Quite understandably, Mr Jeh Tata would have felt a deep sense of disappointment when the airline he founded in 1932 as a division of Tata Sons was nationalised 21 years later, and most likely, deeply hurt when he was removed suddenly as the chairman of the airline in 1978. Quite understandably, Mr Jeh Tata would have felt a deep sense of disappointment when the airline he founded in 1932 as a division of Tata Sons was nationalised 21 years later, and most likely, deeply hurt when he was removed suddenly as the chairman of the airline in 1978.

It is unclear whether he had expressed a wish on his death bed to reacquire the airline whenever it would be privatised. While his emotional attachment to an airline he founded, given his passion for flying, was irreproachable, it would be an underestimation of his acumen to believe that in the current economic environment he would have wished to part with, not an inconsiderable sum for anyone, much less the debt-laden Tata group, to acquire a business, which historically has made millionaires out of billionaires!

Thanks to the cash machine called Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), the group is holding its head high, which at the last count in the year ended March 2021 spewed out hard currency of almost Rs39,000 crore. This can only get better in the current wave of digitisation and embarrass the finance head, who may not know where to safe keep so much money. He should be thanking his chairman emeritus, who is finding innovative ways to relieve him of his burden!

Tata group has existing investments in two airlines, Air Asia and Vistara. While there is no published financial data on these, it can be said with no fear of being proved wrong that they are guzzling cash by the minute!

Singapore Airlines, which passes off as perhaps the most revered brand in the airline business globally, had a wafer-thin profit of about $0.7 billion in 2019 on revenues of $16 billion, a flattering ratio under 5%! This was pre-COVID-19!

The only profitable airline in India presently is apparently making its money out of cancellation charges as little is refunded to passengers when they cancel the tickets! A very unique business model. Why entrepreneurs enter the airline business is for psychologists to figure out! One does hear of commissions on the purchase of aircraft that is safely parked in offshore havens.

Tata Sons is predominantly helped by public charitable trusts. The highest court called upon to decide on the promoter dispute held that the unique ownership pattern of the company makes it accountable to powers beyond the immediate statutory board and effectively to the trustees of the Tata trusts that own the shares.

The trustees of the trusts are supposed to be performing a solemn public trust function of making sure the wealth is preserved and enhanced for the benefit of the public at large and subserve the objectives of the two trusts. The chairman emeritus of the group is a trustee. He is over the moon on this buy of Air India. It will be necessary for him to explain what business plan exists for Air Indias revival and how the group will recover its investment.

Tata will have the opportunity of regaining the image and reputation it enjoyed in the earlier years, is another quote of the chairman emeritus. Perhaps the best way to achieve this is to avoid the fallacy of grandeur and go back to the drawing board to make the existing businesses far more profitable!
Marziah Hashimi

Speaker: Marziah Hashimi, doctoral student, Department of Microbiology & Cell Biology, Montana State University

Date: Thursday, September 30, 2021

Time: 3:10 PM

Place: Procrastinator Theater, Strand Union Building and via Webex

Title: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) Infection in a Bat Gastrointestinal Organoid Model

A reception will follow the lecture.

Summary

Marziah Hashimi willdiscuss research into how bats can harbor coronaviruses without developing disease symptoms.

SARS-CoV-2 infection causes the disease COVID-19 and is the basis of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, which has resulted in more than 4.3 million deaths worldwide over the past 20 months. In addition to respiratory symptoms, COVID-19 can induce nausea, vomiting and diarrhea in more than half of infected patients, indicating that the coronavirus infects both the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts.

Bats are thought to be the original reservoir for SARS-CoV-2, which is 96% identical to the bat coronavirus RatG13, identified in the gastrointestinal tract of horseshoe bats. However, coronaviruses do not usually cause overt disease in the bats, whereas structural changes were observed in cells lining the human respiratory and gastrointestinal systems upon SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Hashimis research compares how cells in the intestines of bats and humans respond to SARS-CoV-2 infection to better understand the cellular mechanisms that allow bats to carry the virus without symptoms.

Hashimi is the receipient of a 2020 Kopriva Graduate Fellowship.

About the Kopriva Science Seminar Series

Hashimi's lecture is presented by the Kopriva Science Seminar Series, which is funded through an endowment created by Phil Kopriva, a 1957 microbiology graduate from MSU. Kopriva, who died in 2002, also created an endowment to fund the Kopriva Graduate Fellowship Program, which provides support and opportunities for graduate students in the College of Letters and Science, particularly in the biomedical sciences. The series features seminars by MSU graduate students, faculty members and guest speakers.
Students in the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine Class of 2025 received their white coats in a ceremony on Friday, Oct. 8. The ceremony is a tradition that symbolizes the transition from student to physician.
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Jeff Bezos spaceflight company Blue Origin announced it was delaying an upcoming flight that was meant to carry Star Trek actor William Shatner aboard. The delay was made due to anticipated winds. The flight was originally scheduled for Oct. 12.

Due to forecasted winds on Tuesday, Oct. 12, Blue Origins mission operations team has made the decision to delay the launch of NS-18 and is now targeting Wednesday, Oct. 13, a Blue Origin spokeswoman said in a statement. The new flight is target to lift off from Blue Origins Launch Site One in Texas on Wednesday at 8:30 a.m CST.

Shatner, famously known for playing Captain James T. Kirk in the 1960s TV series Star Trek, is set to become the first member of the shows cast to make the journey to space. Perhaps more notably, Shatner, at the age of 90 years old, will also be the oldest person to ever go to space.

The trip is scheduled to take Shatner and the NS-18 crew just beyond the Karman line, 62 miles high, where they will experience four minutes of weightlessness. The crew will also be able to observe the curvature of the planet. This flight will be Blue Origins second crewed expedition. The addition of one of the most recognized actors from space exploration television to this launch aims to stir excitement around the space tourism sector. The first crewed flight of Blue Origin occurred back in July and included Bezos, his brother Mark, aviator Wally Funk and Oliver Daeman as its crew.

Shatner will be joined by Chris Boshuizen, a former NASA engineer and co-founder of Planet Labs; Glen de Vries, the co-founder of Medidata and Audrey Power, Blue Origins vice president of mission and flight operations.

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Midlander Eliel Rosa was sentenced on Tuesday morning after pleading guilty in July for participating in the Jan. 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol building.

Washington, D.C. Judge Trevor McFadden sentenced Rosa to one year of probation, a $500 fine and 100 hours of community service. Rosa pleaded guilty to demonstrating inside a Capitol building in exchange for the government dropping the other charges against him, including a felony obstruction charge.
Midland Mayor Patrick Payton believes in Kevin Sparks conservatism.

In fact, the former pastor at Stonegate Fellowship stated Monday, during a campaign kickoff, that when it comes to living a conservative life, Sparks walks the walk.

During an event at Tall City Brewery, Payton told those in attendance that the Kevin Sparks he knows:

unswervingly loves his wife and his family and that undoubtedly, they have been the center of his life, second only to his relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

is known for his constant consistency in his beliefs and actions. As a church leader  Kevin is an elder at Stonegate -- Kevin will be consistent, not just in what he says but what he does regardless of the circumstance hes in.

Kevin has always held to the fundamentals of conservative life before hes held to the fundamentals of conservative values. And that's a difference, Payton said. You can have someone that says they have conservative principles, but if they don't live those out in a conservative life, they dont actually believe in those principles. And I've watched those things in Kevin's life.

This event, for all intents and purposes, starts the public campaign for Sparks as he tries to capture a seat in the Texas Senate. It is expected that the seat  based on the latest redistricting maps  will be similar to current District 31 with Amarillo as part of the northern territory and Midland and Odessa as part of the south.

Sparks said he plans to travel to the north part of the district this week to introduce himself to voters in communities like Muleshoe, Pampa, Hereford and Amarillo. At this point, Sparks is one of two announced candidates for a proposed District 31 seat (Stormy Bradley of Big Spring is the other). But the event Monday was more evidence that Sparks will have plenty of support from Midlanders. His campaign kickoff invitation included six current or former mayors, including Payton, Ernie Angelo and Jerry Morales, who were all at Mondays event.

One person not mentioned during the festivities was Sen. Kel Seliger, a Republican from Amarillo and the occupant of the District 31 seat since 2004.

No, Monday was about Sparks and laying the foundation for why Sparks is needed to walk the halls of the Texas Capitol in Austin.

Payton told supporters Austin needs Sparks brand of conservatism because Sparks is held by views from the Scriptures, his family and his legacy  and the views that he's passing on of a conservative legacy and a conservatism that needs to be reintroduced to the halls of the legislature in Austin, Texas.
Sun Valley, ID (83353)

Today

Variable clouds with snow showers. Low 28F. Winds light and variable. Chance of snow 80%. Snow accumulations less than one inch..

Tonight

Variable clouds with snow showers. Low 28F. Winds light and variable. Chance of snow 80%. Snow accumulations less than one inch.
The Italians consider that Columbus was born in Genoa. Because of this New York is decorated with Italian flags to celebrate the discovery. The fact that the crown of Castile, Spain, undertook the feat and the expense of the discovery is unknown to most North Americans. Today in many American cities Columbus Day has been renamed and is now called "the Indigenous People Day"

Curiously enough, Christopher Columbus did not set foot in North American soil on any of his 4 trips to America. The one who did so was the Spaniard Ponce de Leon in 1513. He was the first European to set foot in Florida. Later from the north came the French, Dutch and English colonizers.

Last Friday President Joe Biden acknowledged " the painful history of grievances and atrocities committed by many European explorers against North American tribal nations".

A curious way to put it by the President. While the French and the Dutch engaged in trade in the north, Spain integrated the Indians into the missions (except for one episode with the Pueblo Indians) down south and all the way over to California.

Meanwhile, William Bradford, an Englishman of the so-called Pilgrim Fathers, described the enthusiasm of the extermination of the Indians who had helped them survive upon their arrival in North America: - It was a terrible sight to see how the Indians roasted 0n the stake, the rivers of blood, the smell of burning, frying, but the victory seemed a sweet sacrifice and God was thanked for having acted in their favor, giving them a victory over an insolent people -.

England carried out a violent policy of Christianization and education by eliminating indigenous names, prohibiting speaking the native languages and practicing other tribal customs. The Indians were expelled from their lands. 15 million inhabitants in their day are today reduced to 574 known tribes after the massacre and theft of land by the English and later by their descendants. They overlooked all the treaties between the Indian tribes and the government in Washington. - "Beware of the English" - still say the Amish descendants of the Dutch and Germans today.

We must remember the massacres, the wars, and the displacements to other territories of the Indian tribes by the North American army during the 19th and 20th centuries, paying no attention at all to the treaties between the tribes and the government with expropriations and relocations or separating 150,000 children from their parents in schools where 40,000 children died.

However, the tribes, called the First Nation in the US, represent the current 5 million Native Americans who continue to claim their lands and historic rights. @mundiario
age 95, a long time resident of Beggs, OK, transitioned in her grandsons home in Tulsa, OK with family at bedside. Arrangements are pending with House of Winn Funeral Home-Okmulgee.




According to Bloomberg, Cuba's administration said on Thursday that it would "recognize and regulate" Bitcoin as a payment method on the island. Earlier this month, a resolution was issued in the national Cuban Official Gazette, which said that the central bank would establish regulations governing Bitcoin and other digital assets to define licensing requirements for providers of crypto services on the island. According to the article, the central bank was given the authority to approve Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies for "reasons of socio-economic interest" under the terms of the resolution. According to the resolution, the state will also serve as a check on the bank's operations, prohibiting the use of Bitcoin for "illegal acts".





Crypto Cuba





Because of strict embargo regulations in Cuba, it has become more difficult to transact with dollars, and as a consequence, Bitcoin (BTC) has gained in favor among the country's technologically adept. According to Bloomberg, some Cubans are already making online transactions using cryptocurrency in conjunction with gift cards, according to a local coder. The BTC news comes only 10 days before El Salvador will become the first nation to legalize Bitcoin as a means of removing the costs and risks associated with sending cash remittances, which are a cornerstone of both countries' financial systems.





People who use Bitcoin to circumvent U.S. prohibitions on transferring money to Cuba may be subjected to government regulation due to the government's awareness that this currency is being used to do so. When the United States imposes economic sanctions, the consequences may be devastating for the nations targeted. Cuba is one of the countries that has come under assault from the United States, whose economy has been devastated largely due to the economic war that has escalated under former President Donald Trump. Additionally, bitcoin is allegedly being studied as an alternative to Cuba's depreciated fiat currency as a means of circumventing sanctions while also stimulating the country's ailing economy, according to SBS News (Southern Broadcasting System).





As a result of the U.S. sanctions and a decrease in the assistance that Cuba used to get from Venezuela, which is struggling with its own shaky economy and declining exports, Cuba's economy has been severely harmed. Cuban President Miguel Daz-Canel, on the other hand, seems to be taking proactive measures to guarantee his nation's economic sustainability rather than allowing his country to descend into economic chaos. When he made his statement, Canel is said to have stated that the government's crypto strategy would increase national output, which will accelerate economic development for as long as the sanctions remain in place.





Cuba's History Of Economic Disappointment





By the end of the 1950s, Cuba had risen to become one of the wealthiest nations in Latin America. Cuba has more in common with southern states like Louisiana and Florida than with Hispanic nations like Mexico and the Dominican Republic, according to currency expert Boaz Sobrado. Compared to Mexico, Cuban per capita income was 70 percent higher, and it was 300 percent more than that of the Dominican Republic. Its per capita GDP was even higher than that of the former colonial powers Spain and Portugal."





Cuba's Havana Hilton, according to Sobrado, is a "symbol of the country's mid-century luxury." It was Latin America's tallest and biggest hotel, with 630 guest rooms and 42 suites, as well as a casino, six restaurants and bars, an arcade, an outdoor pool, and a massive underground parking system. At first sight, Cuba seemed to be an odd location for a socialist revolution to take place. However, behind the glitz and glitter of old Havana, a profoundly fractured society could be found.





Cuba was governed by dictator Fulgencio Batista, who wielded an iron hand and had significant backing from the United States government and the business sector. Cuba's yearly income per capita was an outstanding $353 in 1958, but the vast majority of rural laborers earned less than $100 and had access to few public amenities and a deteriorating infrastructure.





During the 1950s, Fidel Castro was the leader of a socialist movement that stood up to the Batista dictatorship. To be sure, his guerilla tactics, which were directed from hilly and rural regions, had drained an enormous amount of money and energy from the capital by the end of that decade. The United States government imposed a weapons embargo on Cuba in 1958, as Batista's international backing started to dwindle. On January 1, 1959, Castro's troops seized the capital of Cuba, Havana. After promising a popular revolution, "El Comandante Leadership" soon degenerated into tyranny, replete with concentration camps, thousands of arbitrary executions, a shadow government on the scale of Eastern Germany or North Korea, and political detention centers. The Cuban gulags were particularly terrible places. Once concealed, their atrocities were ultimately brought to light by survivors' testimony, which was published in publications like Armando Valladares' "Against All Hope".





Cuban Crypto Conclusion




The Horry County Board of Education plans to interview three candidates for the District 3 seat that became vacant when Ray Winters died in August.

Ann MacDonald, Mike Ryhal and Ray Winters' widow, Tracy Winters, will compete for the open seat.

District 3 includes parts of Carolina Forest and Myrtle Beach. Ray Winters had held the seat since 2014.

On Nov. 1, a special meeting will take place to interview applicants for the vacancy, after which the board will convene in executive session to discuss the interviews and narrow down their candidates.

The board will vote on the appointment in open session.

The person chosen by the board to fill the seat will hold the post for the rest of the unexpired term, which runs through next year. The deadline to fill the seat is Nov. 14.

Ann MacDonald

Ann MacDonald grew up in Tabor City, North Carolina, and has resided in Horry County since 2018. She is employed as a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA), and her husband is in the military, having served in Operation Iraqi Freedom, according to her application.

She has four children in Horry County Schools and said in her application that she has a vested interest in being a part of the board as a parent.

I also understand the uniqueness of Horry County Schools in the diversity of the communities it is called to serve, MacDonald said in her application. It is my desire to serve Horry County Schools as it continues its trajectory of growth and commitment to the education of its children and to the success of its employees.

In her experience thus far with HCS, she thinks it is vitally important to keep the dialogue open between parents and the schools to achieve a greater impact on the success of the children.

She credits support from her neighbors, friends and her ties to the military community for her desire to be involved, and she said in her application that it has been a challenge to find a "sweet spot" in South Carolina civilian life.
Horry County Schools will pay $260,000 to settle a lawsuit with a school board member who sued the board after she fell walking into a 2017 meeting.

The school board on Monday unanimously voted to settle the case with District 2 board member Sherrie Todd, who represents parts of Myrtle Beach and Carolina Forest. Todd recused herself from the vote.

In her complaint, which was filed in 2019, Todd said she was trying to enter the school districts headquarters on Four Mile Road for a Dec. 13, 2017, board meeting when she fell on the stairs leading up to the buildings entryway.

There was no railing on the stairway and thats a violation of state building codes, according to the lawsuit. Prior to Todds fall, two other people had been seriously injured on the same staircase, which the lawsuit called an unreasonably dangerous and hazardous condition.

The Board knew or should have known that the building, and specifically the lack of handrails on the stairs, did not comply with applicable South Carolina Building Codes and industry safety standards, the lawsuit stated. The Board knew or should have known that the lack of handrails on the steps was a safety hazard to employees, guests, and invitees on its property.

Todd fractured her left humerus during the fall, and the severity of her injuries required three surgeries. The humerus is a bone in the arm that runs from the shoulder to the elbow.

[The board] owed Ms. Todd a duty to warn, remedy and take reasonable safety measures to prevent latent hazardous or unsafe conditions from occurring on its property and to otherwise maintain its property in a reasonably safe condition for persons or guests that may visit the property, the lawsuit stated.

In its initial response to the lawsuit, the board argued that Todd should have been more careful.

Any injuries or damages sustained by Plaintiff, if any, as set forth in the Complaint, were due to and caused by her own negligence, carelessness, gross negligence, recklessness, willfulness and wantonness in one or more of the following particulars: a) In failing to look where she was walking; b) In wearing inappropriate shoes; c) In failing to take those measures which a reasonably prudent person would have taken under the circumstances then and there existing; and d) In such other particulars as may be established at trial.
The regions largest pork producer is being accused of violating state law on biometric privacy by requiring workers to clock in and out each day using their fingerprints.

A federal lawsuit filed in late September in U.S. District Court in Springfield by Rene Reyes against The Maschhoffs LLC asks for class-action status, which potentially would allow dozens of former and current workers to join it.

The civil action, which represents only one side of a case, challenges the producers practice of requiring biometric identifiers to clock in and clock out by scanning their fingerprints into a fingerprint-scanning machine.

The Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act allows use of such equipment, but requires employees to be notified and provide written consent to collect and store biometric information such as fingerprints. The law also stipulates biometric data must be securely stored and details about how data is handled and destroyed must be disclosed.

Unfortunately  none of these directives were followed, according to the lawsuit. Defendant is storing its data in a manner less secure than it stores other similarly sensitive data.  [It] stores its employees Social Security numbers (along with similar personal data) and confidential business records on personal computer systems with demonstrably more security than their fingerprint scanning machines possess. In addition to higher cyber security, [the companys] personal computer systems are in secure physical locations not as easily accessible to third-parties and  employees.

The complaint contends every instance of collecting, storing or sharing biometric identifiers or information constitutes a violation. The lawsuit seeks damages of $5,000 for each violation that is determined willful or reckless and $1,000 for each violation considered negligent, in addition to punitive damages. It also wants the court to require The Maschhoffs LLC to disclose how any data was stored and disposed of and to detail whether any data was transferred, sold or shared.

The Maschhoffs LLC is headquartered in Pittsfield and has locations in Pike and Cass counties, as well as Carlyle in Illinois and St. Louis in Missouri. Its operations raise about 4 million pigs a year, according to the companys website.

The company has not yet responded to the allegations made in the complaint.

The state was among the first to put biometric privacy laws into place in 2008. Since then, class-action litigation involving the act have increased significantly in recent years and settlement figures can be quite high, according to the National Law Review.

For example, Facebook reached a $650 million settlement over its use of biometrics, and retail powerhouse Walmart settled a lawsuit for $10 million because of its use of palm scanners for employees to check in and check out cash drawers.

According to Littler Mendelson, an employment and labor law legal firm, more than 800 biometrics-related class-action claims have been filed against Illinois employers in the past two years.
Overnight reports from Jacksonville police:

 Randall E. Ford, 39, homeless, was arrested at 3 p.m. Monday on a theft charge after being accused of selling items reported stolen earlier in the day during a burglary in the 300 block of East Wolcott Street. He later was charged with possession of methamphetamine, police said.

 An employee of Dominos Pizza, 302 W. Morton Ave., reported two customers caused a disturbance at 7:36 p.m. Monday over an incorrect order. The customers were told not to return, police said.

 A man was taken to Jacksonville Memorial Hospital for evaluation about 5 p.m. Monday after police said he was found walking around a wooded area in the 500 block of South Mauvaisterre Street while carrying a hammer and butcher knife.

 Police were called at 7:13 p.m. Sunday to a report of several people fighting in the street in the 1000 block of North Fayette Street. Police determined there was no fight, but people were screaming and yelling because of paranormal activity in their house.
Watertown, SD (57201)

Today

Partly cloudy early followed by cloudy skies overnight. Low around 20F. Winds SSE at 15 to 25 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy early followed by cloudy skies overnight. Low around 20F. Winds SSE at 15 to 25 mph.
A sign with James Evans photo was placed at the end of the trail.
Covid-19 Regional Report Monday View Photo

Tuolumne County Public Health reports a death due to COVID-19 of a man in his 70s. There are 51 new COVID-19 cases since Fridays report, there are 144 residents with active Covid cases including 9 who are hospitalized. The total current case rate, a 14-day average for Tuolumne County is down to 35.8 from 37.5 per 100,000 population. There were 196 released from isolation since Friday, there have been a total of 4,924 released. There have been 5,174 community cases, 106 deaths, and 1,620 inmate cases with no currently active inmate cases.

Todays newly reported cases include 10 cases age 17 or younger and 16 cases age 60 or older. The gender and age breakdown is; 1 girl and 2 boys age 0-11, 3 girls and 4 boys age 12-17, 3 women and 1 man age 18 to 29, 3 women and 2 men 30-39, 4 women and 4 men age 40 to 49, 3 women and 5 men age 50-59, 3 men age 60 to 69, 4 women and 1 man age 70 to 79, 1 woman and 2 men age 80 to 89, and 4 women and 1 man age 90 or older.

Of the 51 new community cases, 37 were unvaccinated, 14 were vaccinated and the man who died of COVID-19 was also vaccinated. Of Tuolumnes population eligible to be vaccinated 59% have been vaccinated. Tuolumne Countys active community cases went below 200 for 8 days and then were above 200 for 7 days from October 4 until October 11. Cases were above 200 for 49 days between August 2nd and September 19th with a high of 407 active cases. During the previous surge, active cases were above 200 for 36 days between November 15th and December 20th with a high of 350. Active cases were below 30 between March 5th and July 14th.

Calaveras County Public Health Most Calaveras County Offices are closed, there has been no COVID-19 update posted.

Mariposa County Public Health says they acknowledge those who have come before, who lived, sacrificed, educated and survived in the Americas for many generations before 1492 and who continue to do so today. All their offices are closed October 11, 2021 in observance of Columbus Day. Mariposa will also be acknowledging Indigenous Peoples Day as proclaimed by our County Board of Supervisors and the President of The United States.

Last Weeks Overview (Oct 1  Oct 8) Tuolumne reported a total of 184 new cases down from 197 last week and Calaveras reported 77 new cases down from 151 last week. Last week there were two Covid deaths in Tuolumne and two in Calaveras.

COVID-19 Testing Public health recommends if you believe you have been exposed to Covid, schedule an appointment to get tested 5 days after exposure and if you are having any symptoms, please get tested right away. The Tuolumne County State testing site is open 7 days a week beginning from 7 AM to 7 PM at the Mother Lode Fairgrounds. Appointments can be scheduled at www.lhi.care/covidtesting or by calling 888-634-1123 the same website and phone number can be used to schedule tests in other counties. Testing is also available through some pharmacies, at Rapid Care, the hospital emergency department if you are experiencing any symptoms, or contact your healthcare provider.

COVID-19 Vaccines Tuolumne Public Health says, Thank you for continuing to take the positive actions to protect ourselves and those around us from illness, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19. Vaccination is the most important step we can take to reduce the spread of disease, and reduce the impact to our healthcare system. In addition, the continued practice of other preventive actions like wearing a mask in public, keeping your distance, avoiding crowds, washing hands, cleaning surfaces, and staying home when sick will help slow the spread of the virus.

Students as detailed here in the school term immediately after full FDA authorization and approval Governor Gavin Newsom plans to require COVID-19 vaccination for students in grades 7-12, and after that for students in K-6.

Vaccine appointments This Thursday, October 14th, a Pfizer vaccination clinic will be held at the Black Oak Casino Resort in Tuolumne, 10 AM to 12 PM and 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM appointments can be made through myturn.ca.gov or by calling 833-422-4255. COVID-19 vaccine appointments are also available local pharmacies. Anyone 12 and older is eligible for a COVID vaccine, Pfizer is approved for anyone age 12 or over. In Calaveras, mobile vaccination clinics now do COVID-19 testing. For COVID-19 testing times and locations go to: https://covid19.calaverasgov.us/. Walk-ins only for COVID-19 testing. No appointment is needed. Register online to reduce waiting time: https://bit.ly/3wpNEUU. The Pfizer vaccine requires 3 weeks between doses and the Moderna requires 4 weeks. The J&J vaccine requires only one dose. Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine booster shot information is here. Call or email with any questions you may have Tuolumne is available at (209) 533-7440 Health@tuolumnecounty.ca.gov, Mariposa at (209) 259-1332 or mariposacovid19@gmail.com more numbers are available on our COVID-19 vaccine page here.

County/Date

Tier Color Active

Cases New Cases

Total Cases COVID

Deaths Amador 10/11 104 44 3,317 53 Calaveras 10/8 39 7 3,602 76 Mariposa 10/08 78 11 1,193 13 Mono 10/11 81 21 1,392 5 Stanislaus 10/11 1,528 378 75,597 1,302 Tuolumne 10/11 144 51 6,794 106 For other county-level statistics view our page here.
Congressman Tom McClintock View Photo

Sonora, CA  Mother Lode Republican Congressman Tom McClintock is drafting new federal legislation that would impact social media companies.

Platforms like Facebook and Twitter are protected under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act from lawsuits related to things like libel and copyright infringement. McClintock says the protection is based on their assurance that they are not publications and do not exercise editorial control over the content. The argument is that they are merely platforms and a public square for users.

McClintock argues, But what we have found out now is that this is a complete lie. They are exercising censorship over viewpoints they dont like. They suppress those viewpoints, they censor those viewpoints, and they prohibit those viewpoints from being aired on their platforms.

He says, There ought to be a very simple standard. If you can say it on a street corner, then you should be able to say it on a social media platform. And if you cant, it is no longer a public platform, it is a publication.

McClintock says traditional news agencies are rightfully protected by freedom of speech laws, but they are also subject to much more legal responsibility regarding what they choose to print or air.

Providing a preview of the federal bill he is drafting, he says, If you want to sue a media platform that is protected by section 230 (like social media is), you have to show that they have practiced censorship against what would otherwise be Constitutionally protected free speech in the last year. And if you can demonstrate to a court that they have done that, they do not have 230 immunity, and you can sue them for defamation, copyright infringement, or any of the things you could sue a newspaper for.

Social media companies have come under fire from leaders in both political parties. Republicans have argued that many of the platforms are unfairly targeting conservative voices, and Democrats have complained that they are too easily allowing the flow of misinformation.

McClintocks Congressional District Four covers the Mother Lode region.
There is nothing more liberating than freeing the breasts  and one San Antonio group proved that while on a hike last weekend.

Local Hiking Heroes group bared it all during an all-women hike at Government State Canyon State Natural Area this weekend. Organizer Larissa Martinez, 45, tells MySA the action is to support breast cancer awareness month, which runs from October 1-31.

"It was liberating," Martinez says of the hike. "There was no judgment, and everybody was really comfortable with each other. It was just beautiful and empowering. It represents body positivity, breast cancer awareness, and what it means to take control of your own body."

The group of 25 ladies hiked along the Bluff Spurs Trail at the natural state area on 12861 Galm Road. The 3.5-mile hike offers stunning views of the Hill Country treetops (trust me, I've hiked it, and it's amazing). While at the overlook, Martinez says that's when they "freed the tatas."

Hiking Heroes

While it might not be totally allowed at the state park, Martinez says she figured it wouldn't be too much of a problem since men hike shirtless often. She adds how the women went topless only during that brief moment of the hike while someone kept a lookout for anyone who may stumble upon them.

In 2020, Martinez created the Hiking Heroes program under her nonprofit Circle of Arms, an organization launched in 2019 with the mission to promote mental health awareness through education and training.

Martinez says she mainly started the nonprofit to help fill the gaps and break the stigma among veterans, women, and minority communities. However, the hiking group is for anyone who is looking to escape in nature, Martinez explains.

Hiking Heroes

"I've dealt with PTSD [post traumatic stress disorder], and hiking has always been something that has helped me through my mental health journey," the Air Force veteran says. "I felt being in nature takes a lot of other things off my mind and doesn't cause anxiety or triggers, so I knew I had to offer that same feeling to others in the area."

The photos from the recent topless moment will be a part of a 2022 calendar the group is working on that features ladies in nature. Martinez says the shots won't show any bare-all breasts but will have more subtle shots of topless women. Proceeds for the upcoming project will go to Circle of Arms and a local breast cancer nonprofit.

Hiking Heroes

Overall, Martinez says the hike was "inspiring" and "emotional" as her own mother is a breast cancer survivor. She mentions how two other women shared how they lost their mothers to breast cancer within the same timeframe. The two friends told Martinez they appreciated the outing, especially since the pair haven't been in a group setting since the pandemic.

"Everybody was just there to support one another," Martinez says. "We all felt comfortable and welcomed. It was just such a good freeing feeling."

Jolen Houghtaling tells MySA she loved being a part of the hike as well, saying she "felt powerful to stand beside all of these women knowing we were stronger together."

Hiking Heroes host several hikes throughout the month in the San Antonio area. For more information on the group, visit its Facebook group at Hiking Heroes San Antonio & Surrounding Areas.
Trinity University's leader will step down after seven years.

University President Danny Anderson will retire at the end of this school year in May 2022, Trinity announced in a news release Monday.

Anderson, who students jokingly refer to as "Danderson" because of his school email address, was Trinity's 19th president and help put the institution on track to become a nationally recognized school.

Anderson also helped lead the school through the pandemic, a difficult time that he also used for "self-reflection," according to the news release.

"It has been an honor to serve as the president of Trinity University since June 2015. In that time, we have worked together to chart a new trajectory for Trinity University, one that will increase our national standing through a focus on student success and belonging," Anderson says in the news release.

After taking the top role, Anderson also led the charge on the campus master plan. Trinity University has since broken ground on the new Dicke Hall, reopened the Halsell Center, and announced the creation of Neidorff School of Business after receiving the Universitys largest donation ever of $25 million from Trinity alumnus and Trustee Michael Neidroff.

To help fill Anderson's seat, the board of trustees is building a search committee comprised of board members, faculty, staff, student and alumni representatives.
Months after a controversial partnership was canceled, plans to revitalize a historic Westside public housing apartments are in new hands.

On October 7, the San Antonio Housing Authority selected Able City LLC as the new master planner behind the revitalization of the Alazan Courts, according to a news release. Able City is based in San Antonio where it was formed in 2016 through a merger of two Laredo-based firms, Turner Hickey Architects and Frank Architects.

SAHA selected the urban planning and architecture firm over three other companies over four months of discussions and community input that began on June 8.

"Our approach to transform the Alazan Courts is one that takes into account robust resident and community engagement and we are confident Able City will handle this project with the delicacy it needs to honor the past and plan for the future," says SAHA President and CEO Ed Hinojosa Jr. in a news release.

Renovations will be done in multiple phases to allow residents to continue living in the neighborhood with little disruption. SAHA estimates the project will cost more than $100 million, but the organization requested $35 million from San Antonio's planned 2022 bond package for infrastructure improvements.

Billy Calzada /Staff photographer

Mario Pena, co-founder and partner with Able City, says the company will lead the community engagement efforts with Alazan Courts residents. Residents will decide what's best for the project based on their needs. No meeting dates have been set since it's still early in the process.

"The proper way to do this is to not have the architect and planner dictate anything at this point," Pena says. "The point is we're led by the community."

Able City has led community engagement efforts for the city of San Antonio and its updates to the unified development code.

The Alazan Courts' revitalization has been in the works since the project was first announced in 2017 with the NRP Group, but those plans originally called for the demolition of the 501-unit apartments built in 1939.

SAHA backed out of that original partnership with NRP Group in January after years of protest, contentious conversations with the Westside community, and criticism of SAHA and former District 5 Councilwoman Shirley Gonzales.

Whether these community-driven plans involve demolition on any level of Alazan Courts, Pena says that answer won't come from the firm at this time and reiterates that direction of the project is influenced by residents' needs.

"We felt that there was a way for the residents to really take the lead in telling us what the solution is going to be," Pena says.

The redevelopment project will now keep the Alazan Courts and includes community input led by new District 5 Councilwoman Teri Castillo who lauded the plan to keep the Alazan Courts during her campaign. Castillo is a staunch advocate for public housing.

MySA reached out to Castillo's office for comment.
National Hurricane Center

Get ready for a wild 24 hours in San Antonio.



A Flash Flood Watch goes into effect Tuesday nights for parts of the Edwards Plateau and Rio Grande Plains. On Wednesday morning, the watch expands to include the Hill Country and San Antonio.

Forecasters predict areas could see two to fives inches of rain, with higher totals possible.
The glass shortage impacting Topo Chico is leading to purchasing limits at H-E-B.

Albeit pretty generous (we feel) for the casual sparkling mineral water drinker, customers are seeing limits in H-E-B aisles and in the online store. The rationing isn't as the stringent water and toilet paper limits as customers experienced in the early days of the pandemic.

A representative for the San Antonio-based grocery company says purchases of single bottles are limited to 24 and multipacks are limited to four per customer  so, we think you'll survive.

"Topo Chico supply issues are due to a glass shortage, which is impacting the entire industry," the spokeswoman says.

The Topo Chico shortages were first reported in late July. It's unclear how long the H-E-B restrictions have been in place. However social media users, including the Facebook-powered StreetNews SA, which launched as sort of grocery phone tree at the start of the pandemic, is currently keeping the community abreast of restocks where they see them.

The sparkling mineral water brand has been a Texas favorite long before fizzing into the mainstream. Production of the Coca-Cola-owned brand remains in Monterrey, Mexico.

In September, a Coca-Cola spokeswoman told the New York Times the company is working on plans to keep seltzer savants satiated.

Due to a deficiency in raw materials and the continued high consumer demand for Topo Chico, product availability has been impacted, the spokeswoman told NYT in an email. Were working hard and implementing contingency plans to keep the products on shelves.

The kind of "raw materials" were not specified, but the glass issue is also hitting the liquor industry, Reuters reports.

If the limits are too tight for you, H-E-B also sells its branded 1877 mineral water product.
Jerri-Lynn here. A message from Yves:

While Yves knows that readers very much appreciate the links and posts that Lambert, Jerri, and Nick provide, she still feels bad about not minding the store this week after sneaking out for a sort of vacation in Maine in Sept. The reason for sort of vacation and this trip is that her hip replacements, which looked to be going spectacularly well at the six week mark, have gone into reverse progress-wise. So she didnt get to do much (particularly what she enjoys most, walking and enjoying the scenery in Maine) and has gone to NYC to see her surgeon. The supposedly brilliant diagnostician she saw in AL was useless, leaving Yves to wonder if there is a code of omerta among hip and knee replacement guys (seemingly all men because orthopedic surgery used to require strength; even in the era of robot-assisted surgeries, women must get a memo that they are not to do carpentry, which BTW is the most male-skewed profession).

***

Paul McCartney Doesnt Really Want to Stop the Show New Yorker

50 YEARS LATER, LOOKING BACK AT THE REAL-LIFE CRIME NETWORK THAT INSPIRED THE FRENCH CONNECTION Crime Reads

A.Q. Khan: The death of a nuclear salesman Responsible Statecraft

Life Is Simple Review: A Blade to Shave Away Error WSJ

The Invention of Xenophobia Los Angles Review of Books

The genius of Jokowi Project Syndicate

3 US-based economists win Nobel for research on wages, jobs AP

The Impact of Abdulrazak Gurnahs Nobel Prize New Yorker. I dont know his work. Readers?

Why Did It Take Scientists So Long to Fully Understand Genetics and Mendels Laws? Literary Hub

Smart Parrots Need More to Keep Their Minds Busy TreeHugger

The Stench of Corruption Leads to Kurzs Sudden Resignation Der Spiegel

#COVID-19

Biden Administration

The reason Biden is sinking has a name. Jeff Zients. Thats his Covid czar.  Matt Stoller (@matthewstoller) October 10, 2021

Health Care

Gasoline-powered lawn mowers, leaf blowers to be banned under new California law Ars Technica

As drought worsens, California farmers are being paid not to grow crops Yahoo News

Class Warfare

The Groves of Academe

The Supremes<

Our Famously Free Press

To restore trust in media, its vital news anchors be permitted to repeatedly interview their own brother, then exploit their brothers position to skip to the head of the COVID line, then lie about being in COVID isolation, then have your network be silent about his harassment. https://t.co/oCJEgtOjKu  Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) October 11, 2021



Germany

In Poland, Protesters Fear Court Ruling Points to EU Exit WSJ. Pexit?

Brexit

Ministers plan to overhaul capital raising rules to boost London market FT

Syraqistan

Waste Watch

]]A French company is using enzymes to recycle one of the most common single-use plastics MIT Technology Review

India

China

Antidote du Jour. Tracie H How I look when I sing in the shower. (Female Pin-tailed whydah finch):

See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here.
By Jessica Corbett. Originally published at Common Dreams

With Moderna already under fire globally for prioritizing the vaccination demands of rich countries in the ongoing fight against Covid-19, the chairman and co-founder reiterated Monday that the American company will not share its vaccine recipe.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Modernas Noubar Afeyan claimed that appeals from the World Health Organization (WHO) and others to share the recipe assumed that we couldnt get enough capacity, but in fact we know we can.

Within the next six to nine months, the most reliable way to make high-quality vaccines and in an efficient way is going to be if we make them, Afeyan said, noting that Moderna went from having zero production to having one billion doses in less than a year and we think we will be able to go from one to three billion next year.

We think we are doing everything we can to help this pandemic, added Afeyan, who is among the Moderna founders who were named to Forbes list of the 400 richest people in the United States for the first time last week.

This is so depraved. pic.twitter.com/I5Lz2DzZIF  Public Citizen (@Public_Citizen) October 7, 2021

feyan also said Modernawhich has received billions of dollars from the U.S. government for development and doses of its messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccinewill continue to not enforce patent infringement during the pandemic, adding that we didnt have to do that.

We think that was the right, responsible thing to do, he said of the decision to not legally go after others making Covid-19 vaccines during the crisis. We want that to be helping the world.

Critics of Moderna and other vaccine makers have argued that Big Pharma can help battle the pandemic by supporting patent waivers and widely sharing necessary information about vaccines and treatments to rapidly scale up production.

After review, @moderna_tx has concluded that its a true humanitarian. But its commitment to humanity can only be fulfilled if it alone produces the vaccines and  by coincidence only  gets maximum profit. The company determined this was convenient. https://t.co/4jGiHwwrqV  Jonah Kanter (@jonahkanter) October 11, 2021

Last week, Moderna announced it will build a state-of-the-art mRNA facility in Africa with the goal of producing up to 500 million doses of vaccines each year.

As Common Dreams reported, critics warned the move could be nothing more than a PR gimmick designed to stall or totally derail discussions about a patent waiver for Covid-19 vaccines and divert focus from the WHOs mRNA technology transfer initiative in South Africa.

Moderna also faced criticism after The New York Times reported Saturday that the company has been supplying its shots almost exclusively to wealthy nations, keeping poorer countries waiting and earning billions in profit.

Waive the patents. One million doses of Modernas vaccine have gone to countries that the World Bank classifies as low income. By contrast, 8.4 million Pfizer doses and about 25 million single-shot Johnson & Johnson doses have gone to those countries. https://t.co/9RTbOUd9sA  Emma Vigeland (@EmmaVigeland) October 11, 2021

After noting that Moderna has shipped a greater share of its doses to wealthy countries than any other vaccine manufacturer, according to Airfinity, a data firm that tracks vaccine shipments, the newspaper provided context about various companies:

About one million doses of Modernas vaccine have gone to countries that the World Bank classifies as low income. By contrast, 8.4 million Pfizer doses and about 25 million single-shot Johnson & Johnson doses have gone to those countries. Of the handful of middle-income countries that have reached deals to buy Modernas shots, most have not yet received any doses, and at least three have had to pay more than the United States or European Union did, according to government officials in those countries Unlike Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, and AstraZeneca, which have diverse rosters of drugs and other products, Moderna sells only the Covid vaccine. The Massachusetts companys future hinges on the commercial success of its vaccine.

Afeyan, in his interview with the AP, pushed back, saying that Moderna supplied a quite significant output to poorer nations and is currently working with multiple governments to help them secure supplies for the express purpose of supplying to low-income countries.

Incidentally, were now about 19 months from Modernas vaccine discovery based on the genetic sequence. Last summer, when some of us urged maximizing production to prevent dangerous variants ( ), we were told itd take years. Poor countries still have no vaccine. https://t.co/VgUt2B4Vie  David Dayen (@ddayen) October 11, 2021

Dr. Tom Frieden, a former head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told the Times Moderna is behaving as if they have absolutely no responsibility beyond maximizing the return on investment.
Jerri-Lynn here. Although its way above my pay grade to comment on the scientific significance of this breakthrough, I note that malaria remains a huge global problem and not just in Africa, nor only for the rural poor. I know of people whove contracted the disease in the heart of urban India: Bombay, Calcutta.

By Miriam K. Laufer, Professor of Pediatrics, Medicine, Epidemiology and Public Health at the Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine Originally published at The Conversation.

The World Health Organization recommended its first malaria vaccine for children on Oct. 6, 2021  a breakthrough hailed by the U.N. agency as a historic moment.

Approval of the RTS,S/AS01 vaccine, which goes by the name Mosquirix, provides a glimmer of hope for Africa, according to Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO regional director for Africa. It will now be rolled out to protect children against one of the worlds oldest and most deadly diseases.

Malaria and global child health expert Dr. Miriam K. Laufer answered The Conversations questions about the vaccine and the WHO announcement.

What Has the WHO Announced?

The WHO has recommended the use of the RTS,S malaria vaccine, which is produced by GlaxoSmithKline. It is the first malaria vaccine to be recommended by the global health body.

It follows a review of two years of piloting studies of the vaccine in three sub-Saharan African countries with a high burden of malaria: Malawi, Kenya and Ghana.

After careful evaluation and extensive discussion, the WHO came to the consensus that the vaccine should be recommended for use in children living in areas of moderate to high malaria burden.

Why Is This Seen as a Major Development?

Malaria kills hundred of thousands of children, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa, every year. This is the first time that researchers, vaccine manufacturers, policymakers and advocates have successfully delivered a vaccine that has made it through clinical trials and received not only regulatory approval but also a recommendation from the WHO.

This vaccine prevents about 30% of severe malaria cases that are more likely to lead to death.

Although researchers knew that RTS,S was effective in well-controlled clinical trials, a few questions remained about whether it was feasible for sub-Saharan African countries to safely roll out the four-dose vaccine in a real-world setting. But since 2019, the malaria vaccine implementation program in Malawi, Kenya and Ghana has shown excellent vaccine uptake and a good safety profile. To date, the vaccine has been administered to around 800,000 children in those three countries.

How big a killer is malaria?

Malaria, a parasitic disease transmitted by bites from infected mosquitoes, causes nearly half a million deaths per year, mostly in children in sub-Saharan Africa.

It is a disease that preys on the poorest of the poor. It causes the most disease and death in places where people lack access to basic health care, where housing conditions allow mosquitoes to enter and where inadequate water management provides breeding ground for mosquitoes. Despite international efforts to control it, the burden of malaria has continued and even increased over the past several years.

How Effective Will the Vaccine Be Compared to Other Treatments?

We learned through the report of the trials to the WHO that the vaccine will be able to reach all children in areas of moderate to high risk of malaria. This will save lives from the deadly infection, especially among children with limited access to health services.

Prevention is almost always more cost-effective than treating disease, especially with an infection as common as malaria. Drugs are sometimes used to prevent malaria, but they have to be given frequently, which is both expensive and inconvenient.

In addition, the more often a drug is used, the more likely the malaria parasites will develop resistance to the drug.

Why Did It Take So Long to Develop a Vaccine?

Lack of political will to develop a malaria vaccine certainly played a role in why it took so long. With no real market for a malaria vaccine in resource-rich countries like the U.S., pharmaceutical companies did not have a strong financial incentive to accelerate vaccine development.

But the malaria parasite is also very complex, and the targets of the immune system are diverse, so developing an effective vaccine wasnt easy.

A vaccine developed against one malaria strain grown in the laboratory generally does not work against many of the malaria parasites that children encounter when bitten by infected mosquitoes, which is why even though RTS,S is a good vaccine, it protects against only 30% of infections.

If you think about this in terms of the COVID-19 vaccine, researchers developed a vaccine against the strain of the disease that was circulating in early 2020. But now we see that the vaccine does not protect people quite as well against the new delta variant. Someday a variant may emerge that completely escapes the vaccine immune response.

For malaria, there are many variants of many different proteins, so finding a vaccine that covers all of these was a huge challenge.
(Natural News) The journal Eurosurveillance published a paper recently that debunks the myth of vaccine-generated herd immunity for the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19).

As it turns out, the fully vaccinated are producing vaccine-generated herd anti-immunity as they contract and spread new variants of the disease to other people, both vaccinated and unvaccinated.

A Chinese Virus outbreak recently occurred at an Israeli hospital, the paper explains. And almost everyone who got sick received their shots. Everyone who died was fully injected.

Nearly everyone involved in the outbreak was not only vaccinated but was also wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) at all times. This includes face masks, gowns, goggles, the whole bit.

Patient zero was fully vaccinated, and 96 percent of all hospital staff were fully vaccinated. Only a couple unvaccinated people got sick, and their illnesses were very mild compared to what became of those who took the shots.

The paper noted several transmissions likely occurred between two individuals both wearing surgical masks, and in one instance using full PPE, including N-95 mask, face shield, gown and gloves, reported The Defender about the incident.

Of the 42 cases diagnosed in the outbreak, 38 were fully vaccinated with two doses of Pfizer and BioNTechs Comirnaty vaccine, one had received only one vaccination and three were unvaccinated.

Of those who became infected, 23 were patients and 19 were staff members. Eight vaccinated patients became severely ill, six became critically ill, and five of these critically ill ended up dying. Only two unvaccinated patients got sick and their symptoms were mild.

This communication  challenges the assumption that high universal vaccination rates will lead to herd immunity and prevent COVID-19 outbreaks, the authors wrote in conclusion.

In the outbreak described here, 96.2% of the exposed population was vaccinated. Infection advanced rapidly (many cases became symptomatic within 2 days of exposure), and viral load was high.

Anyone still pushing covid vaccines is advocating for murder

This is a major revelation that completely decimates the prevailing claims about the safety and effectiveness of Fauci Flu shots. To the contrary, there probably would not have been an outbreak at all had nobody at the hospital gotten vaccinated.

The reason for this, of course, is that the shots are spreading disease. The plandemic would already be over had Donald Trump not rushed the vaccines into existence through Operation Warp Speed, only to continue bragging about this accomplishment long after leaving office.

Resident Joe Biden, Tony Fauci and many others are also complicit. Nearly every politician and figurehead, regardless of political affiliation, is still pushing these things, though most of those on the right claim they support the right to choose.

This is moot, though, as in practical reality, increasingly fewer people are able to maintain that right. State and local governments, private employers, and even some businesses have decided that they are going to try to force people to take the shots against their will.

This is a very interesting paper and it is scientifically very sound, commented Dr. Brian Hooker, PhD, PE, of Childrens Health Defense (CHD). Hooker is CHDs chief scientific officer and teaches biology at Simpson University in California.

The breakthrough rate of 96.2% of the vaccinated population shows that in this instance, the vaccine was virtually useless in preventing transmission. It should also be noted the two reported cases among unvaccinated patients were mild, whereas six of the vaccinated patients died.

Fauci, meanwhile, continues to push people to get a third booster shot for covid, calling this an optimal regimen for dealing with the virus.

The latest news about Fauci Flu shots can be found at ChemicalViolence.com.

Sources for this article include:

ChildrensHealthDefense.org

NaturalNews.com

Yahoo.com
(Natural News) We are watching an incredible moment in human history as professionals all across the spectrum of societal job roles are saying, NO! to vaccine coercion and threats.

Southwest Airlines has now cancelled nearly 2,000 flights over the last three days because of a coordinated pilots sickout protest over the issue of vaccine mandates.

Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly is committing massive fraud against his own pilots, falsely claiming there is a, federal government COVID-19 vaccination directive that forces him to demand vaccines for all his pilots. This is utterly false. No such mandate exists for private sector employees. OSHA hasnt published any such rule. Kelly is simply bluffing along with Joe Biden, pretending there is a federal mandate that he knows isnt law.

Not surprisingly, many of his companys pilots are far smarter than Kelly seems to realize. Pilots tend to be sharp people, and they arent stupid enough to get injected with blood clotting spike protein injections when they already face heightened blood clot risks due to the time spent on the flight deck, in long-duration seated positions. Thats why theyre saying no to Kelly and walking away from their jobs, at least temporarily.

SICKOUTS now spreading to other sectors of the economy as informed Americans say NO to the spike protein death shots

It isnt just pilots that are resorting to this important form of civil protest, either: Firefighters, police officers, railway workers and many others are saying, essentially, Lets go Brandon and telling the vaccine zealots to shove it.

Amtrack trains are now starting to be cancelled as their train crews are calling in sick as part of a coordinated sickout protest. The treasonous mainstream media is blacking out all such stories in the hope that the practice wont spread. They want the American public to be ignorant, isolated and terrified of covid so that they can be easily controlled and euthanized (via vaccine).

Rumors are also circulating that American Airlines pilots and workers may be joining the sickout activities, and theres little question this practice will spread from sector to sector as informed Americans declare my body my choice  get that deadly jab out of my sight!

We are now entering the era of mass non-compliance. This is the only option remaining when a tyrannical, pharma-infested medical police state has taken away legitimate science, human rights and the rule of law: DO NOT COMPLY with their extermination agenda. Walk away from your job and find work somewhere else, since there are a huge number of small business employers who desperately need informed people and who wont require mass vaccinations.

Supply chain disruptions accelerate as globalists seek the total destruction of humanity

Meanwhile, store shelves are going bare in NYC, where pharmacies like Walgreens and CVS are being pictured with barren shelves, all due to the supply chain disruptions caused by covid lockdowns that target transportation logistics personnel.

Its very clear that the powers that be are engineering a total collapse of human civilization. Those who are stupid enough to take the spike protein injections will be destroyed physiologically. Those who refuse the jabs will be censored and fired from their jobs (economic warfare). The collapsing supply lines will impact everyone, resulting in extreme food scarcity and energy scarcity over the coming winter.

This is the plandemic, after all, and every stage of the collapse has been meticulously planned from the very start.

Get full details in todays Situation Update podcast at Brighteon.com:

Brighteon.com/7d33a2e5-bbe1-462f-9e82-f943761ebca0

Find a new podcast each day at:

https://www.brighteon.com/channels/hrreport
(Natural News) Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced this week that starting Oct. 30th any citizen wishing to board a plane, train, or cruise in or out of Canada will be required to show a vaccination passport proving they received the COIVID-19 shot in order to move freely, USSA News reported.

(Article by Darian Alexander republished from BigLeaguePolitics.com)

While the draconian mandate has a temporary clause allowing the alternative of showing proof of a negative COVID-19 test, it is set to expire a month later.

Trudeau announced the measure, suggesting that those who took the shot have deserve their freedom back.

This is about keeping people safe on the job and in our communities, Trudeau declared. If youve done the right thing and gotten vaccinated, you deserve the freedom to be safe from COVID-19, to have your kids safe from COVID, to get back to the things you love.

The Canadian Prime Ministers recent announcement is one of his strictest rules implemented thus far, essentially forcing any citizen who does not comply to become an absolute societal outcast. Many have pushed back on the stated mandates and suggest that they are an attack on human dignity.

The government is seeking to have 100% of Canadians injected with the experimental mRNA vaccine, which has not been subjected to any long-term testing on humans, stated lawyer John Carpay. Carpay is the President of Canadas Justice Centre, a legal advocacy firm that defends citizens fundamental freedoms under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Capay continued, arguing that the Canadian governments current policies are a violation of human rights cloaked under the guise of science.

Governments throughout history have used the notion of science to support their policies, along with various appeals to public health, safety, security, morality, and so on. No government will violate human rights without putting forward a good-sounding justification, such as the war on terrorism, communism, online hate, drugs, or a nasty virus.

The lawyer also pointed out the Canadian governments continued lying on when they would stop violating the rights of their citizens through various draconian COVID-19 mandates and reminded the public that the experimental shot has thus far proven to be far less effective than promised.

We were recently promised, this past summer, that life would go back to normal once 70% of Canadians were injected with mRNA. This high vaccination rate has been achieved but has not stopped the spread of the virus. The new mRNA vaccine also provides no guarantee against the Delta variant.

Canadas promise to return back to normal after over 70 percent of the population receives the experimental COVID-19 shot appears to have fallen flat, with 71%+ of citizens having met that goal as of October 2nd, 2021.

Read more at: BigLeaguePolitics.com
(Natural News) A year ago, then-President Donald Trump was in the middle of his reelection campaign, keeping up a schedule and pace that many younger men would not be able to keep  and certainly one that far and away exceeded that of his Democratic opponent, Sleepy Joe Biden.

But at the same time, Trump had a superpower to run, and he knew from years of experience that our major competitor in Asia, China, was still plotting to take over Taiwan by force while at the same time building a military capable of doing so.

If anyone was good to Taiwan, it was Trump; at one point during his busy campaign schedule, he authorized the dispatch of U.S. Special Forces and a contingent of Marines to the island democracy to help train small units of the Taiwanese army in defensive warfare, according to a report published this week.

A U.S. special-operations unit and a contingent of Marines have been secretly operating in Taiwan to train military forces there, U.S. officials said, part of efforts to shore up the islands defenses as concern regarding potential Chinese aggression mounts, The Wall Street Journal reported in a bombshell.

About two dozen members of U.S. special-operations and support troops are conducting training for small units of Taiwans ground forces, the officials said. The U.S. Marines are working with local maritime forces on small-boat training. The American forces have been operating in Taiwan for at least a year, the officials said, the paper added.

The report comes as China has ramped up air sorties aimed at intimidating Taiwan, with more than 150 planes directed towards the island  an unprecedented number  last week alone. The Chinese aircraft have included J-16 jet fighters, H-6 strategic bombers and Y-8 submarine-spotting aircraft and have set a record for such sorties, according to the Taiwan government, the paper said, describing the planes dispatched.

BizPacReview adds more details and background:

News that U.S. forces have been training Taiwans military comes as China has been increasingly belligerent towards the island democracy, which Beijing considers a renegade province of the mainland some 70 years after a civil war forced the then-ruling Kuomintang, or the Chinese Nationalist Party, to flee to what was at one time called the Republic of Formosa. Today, the Kuomintang is the leading opposition party in Taiwan.

The increase in military activity by China led President Joe Biden to discuss the situation with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, last month, in which he said both men consented to abide by the Taiwan agreement.

Ive spoken with Xi about Taiwan. We agree we will abide by the Taiwan agreement, Biden told reporters. Thats where we are and I made it clear that I dont think he should be doing anything other than abiding by the agreement.

Two things: Most people werent sure what Biden meant about a Taiwan agreement unless its the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act which pledges U.S. military support to the country and urges a peaceful resolution to the situation. Also, that phone call took place Sept. 9; Chinese aggression has only increased since then, giving the distinct impression that President Xi Jinping isnt worried about Joe Biden or what he might do if Beijing attacks at some point in the near future.

So it is becoming clear that a) Trump saw the danger China is increasingly posing to Taiwan; and b) China does not respect his successor, Joe Biden.

Trump also appears to have recognized that Taiwan was in great need of specialized U.S. assistance, as noted by military readiness experts.

Taiwan badly neglected its national defense for the first 15 years or so of this century, buying too much expensive equipment that will get destroyed in the first hours of a conflict, and too little in the way of cheaper but lethal systemsantiship missiles, smart sea mines and well-trained reserve and auxiliary forcesthat could seriously complicate Beijings war plans, Matt Pottinger, a distinguished visiting fellow at Stanford Universitys Hoover Institution and a deputy national security adviser during the Trump administration, told the WSJ.

Sources include:

WSJ.com

BizPacReview.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) Mother Miriam expresses her disappointment over how President Joe Biden is handling the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis. In an episode of Mother Miriam Live, she tells her viewers that Bidens recent actions paint him as a dictator.

But Mother Miriam notes that citizens dont have to obey him.

Mother Miriam has also updated her viewers about her health. She was recently released from a hospital after undergoing surgery and recovering for several weeks.

Mother Miriam fears for the souls of lost shepherds

Mother Miriam says that it saddens her to see many bishops and cardinals giving in to the evil agenda of the pandemic. One such issue she has brought up is people being forbidden from gathering in church to hear mass if they are unvaccinated.

She says that she fears for the souls of lost shepherds who havent come to their senses and repent. To sum up the chaos going on in America, Mother Miriam brings up a framed image of a bleeding Jesus being embraced by Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows. She warns that Americas sorrows arent over yet.

According to Mother Miriam, the vaccines are a pathological weapon being used to destroy the human body. Even if you feel fine after getting vaccinated, theres no doubt that the chemicals in it are already spreading throughout your body to destroy it.

Based on the reports she has reviewed, Mother Miriam says that the group of globalists and everyone involved in this new reset, are spearheading mankinds destruction.

These groups and individuals are plotting to control the whole world. But since the population of the planet is too big, the COVID-19 vaccine has to be invented to extinguish a great percentage of the population. Once their plan succeeds, whoevers left behind can be easier to control.

Mother Miriam says that the forces of evil were evident when Biden announced his vaccine mandates. She encourages citizens to resist and exercise health freedom to stop this evil plan.

But Mother Miriam still believes that there is hope if people turn away from the blindness of many bishops and cardinals who are complicit in this nefarious plan. She has also condemned those condoning the union of members of the LGBTQ community, which can destroy the family  Gods key to building the kingdom.

Fetal cell lines from aborted baby used in Pfizer vaccine

Mother Miriam also spends time giving advice to listeners who have sent in emails asking for her help. In one email, a mother named Gracie talks about her priest who refused to give her daughter a letter saying that the vaccine is against her Catholic faith because aborted fetal cells were used for testing.

The priest, as well as their bishop, even received the vaccine, writes Gracie. (Related: SATANS PUPPET: Pope Francis calls getting the abortion-tainted COVID-19 vaccine an act of love.)

Mother Miriam advises Gracie to refuse because the issue is not just a matter of principle, its also about a death vaccine that will destroy her daughters body. And Gracie is right to worry about her daughter.

A whistleblower working at vaccine maker Pfizer has recently leaked emails by company executives discussing how to hide information from the public on the use of fetal cell lines derived from an aborted baby.

The cell lines have been used to develop Pfizers coronavirus vaccine.

Pfizer whistleblower Melissa Strickler provided a chain of emails between top Pfizer executives including Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer of Viral Vaccines Philip Dormitzer and Senior Director of Worldwide Research Vanessa Gelman. The two have discussed the appropriate script and approved answer to use in order to avoid revealing damning information to the public on the use of fetal cell lines for the vaccine.

Strickler has been working at Pfizer for about 10 years and is currently part of the quality department at one of the companys biggest plants. She says the the executives were being really deceptive and theyre being careful with their words, which made her suspicious of the emails.

The first leaked email came from Advait Badkar, a senior director at Pfizer, asking Gelman how to answer a question about whether Pfizer is using a cell line from an aborted fetus when conducting confirmation tests for the vaccine.

In his email, Badkar admits that Pfizer had already confirmed that no cell lines from an aborted fetus were used in the manufacturing process. Dormitzer tells Badkar that there is an approved answer to the question about the use of fetal cell lines, but also admits that HEK293T cells are ultimately derived from an aborted fetus.

HEK is an acronym for Human Embryonic Kidney while 293 is the number of experiments done to obtain the cell line from the kidney of the aborted baby.

Gelman adds that Pfizer is beating around the bush to avoid discussing the use of the fetal cell lines. In the last sentence of her email, she says: The piece in yellow we have tried really hard not to share unless its strictly necessary and mission critical.

The Pfizer executive is referring to a highlighted sentence that reads: One or more cell lines with an origin that can be traced back to human fetal tissue has been used in laboratory tests associated with the vaccine program.

Visit Vaccines.news to read more articles about the lies Big Pharma tells citizens to fool them into getting vaccinated.

Sources include:

LifeSitenews.com 1

LifeSiteNews.com 2
(Natural News) Stringent COVID-19 policies have seen some Washington, D.C. school students going without clean drinking water. As part of a pandemic-related health and safety measure, the city has turned off the drinking fountains at its public schools. Unfortunately, they have not made sufficient backup plans to ensure that students and staff will not go thirsty.

A teacher at Stuart-Hobson Middle School, Bethany Rosera, told the Washington Free Beacon that although the school district had provided the school with water jugs, they ran out quickly and left students and teachers without any clean drinking water.

She said: We ran out of water [on Tuesday] and our admin drove twice to Costco to fill up their own car with water in the middle of the day so we could get through the end of the day and have some for [Wednesday] if a delivery didnt occur.

After communications to the school district about the situation failed to yield water replenishments, she posted about the situation on Twitter. It wasnt until her thread went viral that a delivery truck showed up at the school to replace the water the next morning. She believes that the attention that her post drew prompted the quicker response.

According to Rosera, even when the school did have alternative water in stock, using it was a logistical nightmare. She said that D.C. public schools poor responsiveness to students needs is part of an ongoing pattern of ignoring issues until the community learns about them and parents become outraged.

She added: And then, only the loudest problems get solved immediately. There are schools with problems that arent tweeted about that arent acknowledged at all.

Meanwhile, other schools in the same district have reported similar problems. One teacher at Brightwood Education Campus said that her school went without clean drinking water for three days due to the extreme measure.

Washington, D.C. public schools are seeing some of the strictest COVID-19 protocols in the nation. Under Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser, they have instituted measures such as universal masking, weekly testing of 10 percent of their students, and physical distancing.

Two weeks ago, Bowser announced that the teachers and all other adults who work at public, charter, private and parochial schools there, as well as childcare facilities, must be vaccinated by November 1, while students older than 12 will also need to be vaccinated if they wish to take part in school-based extracurricular activities.

The mandate does not give people the option to test out of it and does not take into account the fact that some people have acquired natural immunity to the virus.

How risky are water fountains in the COVID-19 era?

Experts claim that the risk of contracting COVID-19 from a water fountain is fairly low, but it is not impossible. The dispensing buttons and the faucets are the main areas of concern, particularly given the fact that younger children sometimes place their mouth on the faucet itself. Other infectious diseases, such as the common cold and flu, can be easily transmitted through surfaces like water fountains, and having a cold or flu could make children more susceptible to COVID-19 infection.

Taking measures to protect children from illness is wise, but it is important to use a sensible approach. Letting kids go thirsty is a completely unreasonable reaction to the potential risk of sharing a water fountain. Perhaps Washington, D.C. schools could have taken the lead from districts like Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools in North Carolina, who had bottle-filling stations fitted to their water fountains. At the very least, they should ensure their students have enough drinking water and respond quickly when staff report outages rather than waiting until social media outrage reaches a level they cant ignore.

Sources for this article include:

FreeBeacon.com

GeorgetownVoice.com

Mayor.DC.gov

SeattleTimes.com
(Natural News) The corporate medias feted Facebook whistleblower tweeted a number of racially charged comments, as well as claiming to have bought books by Karl Marx for young children, The National Pulse can exclusively reveal.

(Article by Natalie Winters and Raheem Kassam republished from TheNationalPulse.com)

Frances Haugen  who went from nobody to testifying on Capitol Hill within a matter of days  has been demanding mass censorship on social media, particularly aimed at those who dont share her worldview.

But her own behavior on social media may serve to undermine her moral authority on the matter.

A private profile linked to Haugen which appeared in her biography for speaking events such as the 2015 Girl Geek Dinner reveals an even more bizarre side to the former Facebook staffer. It also contains posts detailing work for her previous employers such as Google and her time attending Harvard Business School.

While the account  @Frizy  is currently obscured, an archive of the profile from 2008 and 2009 reveal strange public posts made by Haugen.

Among them, Haugen tells jokes stereotyping brown men and mathematics while recounting her airborne attempts at flirting:

In another post, Haugen tweets about an awesome table of diversity featuring an indian, red head, blonde, african american, and asian.

[N]ever seen it in Boston, she adds.

In reality, Boston is ranked amongst the top 25 diverse places in America.

In a revealing post date February 2009, Haugen tweeted about purchasing comic books for her small cousin.

The books include the works of Karl Marx as well as communist philosopher and pedophilia apologist Michel Foucault. In a 1978 interview, Foucault said that assuming that a child is incapable of explaining what happened and was incapable of giving his consent are two abuses that are intolerable, quite unacceptable.

In 1977 he signed a petition calling for the effective legalization of pedophilia in France.

Additional posts unearthed by The National Pulse reveal Haugen instructing followers to contemplate [sic] how world would be different if women were $$ly independent and admitting she is the worst seatmate ever for having a cough/runny nose, an oozing wound, and failing to bathe for two days:

The National Pulse reached out to Haugen for comment but did not receive a response.

The National Pulse has previously exposed Haugen for repeatedly donating to far-left, Marxist-inspired groups and political candidates such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Read more at: TheNationalPulse.com
(Natural News) For a year, Americans hailed their first responders  firefighters, police and EMS personnel  as well as frontline doctors, nurses and healthcare staff as they fought to keep us safe and healthy amid a fast-spreading COVID-19 pandemic.

These people did their work like they always have: Selflessly, bravely and, in the case of street personnel, for substandard payand all without a COVID vaccine.

Now that vaccines are available, however, not all of these first responders are keen to get the jab. They have varied reasons for not wanting to do so; some have religious objections, while others are not heavy into injecting a substance into their bodies that until about 15 minutes ago was still experimental. Others say they dont need a COVID-19 vaccine because they have had the virus and they now have natural immunity.

But none of those reasons are valid according to the vaccine Nazis running corporate health conglomerates and city governments, most all of whom are Democrats. Now that vaccines are available, even though theyre not always safe or effective, they are mandating their employees get a jab or else they will be out of a job.

Mind you, again, these are the same individuals we all held up as heroes not long ago, just a few months it seems; and now we have authoritarians wanting to fire them if they dont comply with a vaccine mandate.

That has led to a growing resistance movement within public service and health as well as within other sectors of frontline responders, and if they dont get their way, were liable to find that communities will suddenly become short thousands of police, fire and paramedic staff, leaving 911 dispatchers with fewer people to send to emergencies.

Case in point: More than 500 Los Angeles Fire Department personnel are planning to file suit against the city over its mandate, hundreds more threaten to quit, leaving the LAFD without a quarter of its force overnight.

According to ABC7:

Court papers have been filed on behalf of hundreds of Los Angeles Fire Department firefighters who want a judge to set aside the citys COVID-19 vaccine requirement.

The still-unofficial Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit was brought on behalf of 529 firefighters who are members of the nonprofit Firefighters4Freedom Foundation. They seek a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction prohibiting the city from demanding that firefighters receive a COVID-19 shot as a condition of continued employment.

As will be shown at the time of trial and during preliminary hearings, the city does not have the constitutional authority to force anyone to take an experimental vaccine against his or her will without considering, and granting where possible, reasonable accommodations for those who (choose) not to take the vaccine, say plaintiffs court papers.

There is no basis for the citys rushed and ill-conceived mandate, the firefighters court papers state.

The firefighters are seeking a temporary restraining order to block the citys vaccine mandate from going into effect until a preliminary injunction hearing in this matter and further order of this Court, the foundations attorneys wrote in a copy of the filing provided by Kevin McBride, one of the attorneys representing the firefighters, KTLA reported last month.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., son of the late senator and presidential candidate and a prominent anti-vaccine activist, is also listed as an attorney for the firefighters, pending approval to represent clients in California on this case alone, the outlet added, noting that the well-known vaccine freedom advocate has a history of pushing back against mandates.

To top this off, police departments around the county were already short-handed and having trouble recruiting new officers because of the defund police movement and the fact that too many cities feature left-wing Marxist prosecutors elected with George Soros money who wont prosecute criminals.

Also, there is a crippling labor shortage in EMS at the moment that had been worsening for years but is now at critical mass.

All of which spells collapse big time in emergency services.

Sources include:

NBCNews.com

KTLA.com

ABC7.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) Last month, Joe Biden took to the podium at the White House and did something no president has ever done: He ordered private businesses over a certain size to require their employees to make a health decision they may disagree with  get a COVID-19 vaccine.

As your President, Im announcing tonight a new plan to require more Americans to be vaccinated, to combat those blocking public health, he said during a Sept. 9 speech.

Im announcing that the Department of Labor is developing an emergency rule to require all employers with 100 or more employees, that together employ over 80 million workers, to ensure their workforces are fully vaccinated or show a negative test at least once a week, he continued, adding:

The bottom line: Were going to protect vaccinated workers from unvaccinated co-workers. Were going to reduce the spread of COVID-19 by increasing the share of the workforce that is vaccinated in businesses all across America.

My plan will extend the vaccination requirements that I previously issued in the healthcare field. Already, Ive announced, well be requiring vaccinations that all nursing home workers who treat patients on Medicare and Medicaid, because I have that federal authority.

Because I have that federal authority.

Several constitutional experts doubted that, and said so at the time.

Two dozen Republican state attorneys general have signed onto a letter challenging Bidens mandate, which amounts to forced medical rape. Those states include Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming, Vaccines.news reported.

Your plan is disastrous and counterproductive, the letter said. From a policy perspective, this edict is unlikely to win hearts and minds  it will simply drive further skepticism.

And at least some Americans will simply leave the job market instead of complying, the letter goes on. This will further strain an already-too-tight labor market, burdening companies and (therefore) threatening the jobs of even those who have received a vaccine.

But wait a minute.

Here we are more than a month removed from Bidens speech and the reaction to it, and there doesnt appear to actually be a vaccine mandate rule in the works, according to The Federalist  which means Bidens handlers duped the country into believing one was coming so companies fearful of litigation and fines would adopt the mandate on their own.

Its all a mirage. Bidens so-called vaccine mandate doesnt exist  at least, not yet. So far, all we have is his press conference and other such made-for-media huff-puffing. No such rule even claiming to be legally binding has been issued yet, The Federalists Joy Pullman wrote last week, nearly a month to the day after Bidens proclamation.

She went on to say that she has confirmed no court cases have been filed yet opposing the mandate, which may have been part of the plan all along.

There is nothing there yet that gives employers any mandate, Stephanie McFarland, a spokeswoman for the Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration, told Pullman last week. The president made an announcement on this asking OSHA to do it, but weve not yet seen anything come from it yet.

Turns out that stating an order was coming without having actually issued an order has had the same effect: Companies are complying, as they wanted to do anyway, and they are using the fake order as cover.

Everybody loves this cover, Minneapolis employment lawyer Kate Bischoff told Bloomberg Law last month. Many were already looking down the road at doing this, but the fact that they get to blame Biden is like manna from heaven.

In all, Pullman summarizes this constitutional coup:

What Democrats are doing as Republicans stand down yet again is a moral and constitutional abomination. Not even the fig-leaf pose of a pen signing balderdash-filled documents is needed for todays Democrats. Whatever they say, you do.

We dont really have anything close to a functional government anymore.

Sources include:

WhiteHouse.gov

Vaccines.news

TheFederalist.com
(Natural News) Albert Bourla, the creepy CEO of drug giant Pfizer, told George Stephanopoulos the other day that Americans will never be able to return to normal life unless they agree to get continually injected at regular intervals with Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccines.

Things could return to something like normal within a year, Bourla says, but only if people are willing to roll up their sleeves and take injection after injection until the end of time  and even beyond, if Big Pharma could actually get away with it.

I dont think that this means that variants will not be continuing coming [sic], Bourla told the ABC This Week host. And I dont think that this means that we should be able to live our lives without having vaccinations, basically.

Since Bourlas multi-billion-dollar enterprise was built upon forcing people to get injected with all kinds of poison for profit, it is only natural for him to expect that the global population be subjected to endless jabs from Donald father of the vaccine Trumps Operation Warp Speed arsenal.

If Bourla gets his way, the most likely scenario moving forward is that people will need to be continually re-vaccinated due to the emergence of new variants  and because that is how Pfizer will continue to rake in the cash.

Bourla is a bit upset that only elderly people and high risk individuals are being subjected to the Biden Booster shots that have been unveiled. If it were up to him, people of all ages would be getting injected with Pfizer needles over and over again until his personal bank account reached more zeros than he can count.

If you refuse to get injected with Big Pharma chemicals, pharmaceutical CEOs want you banished from society

Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel feels similarly, of course, because his large bank account depends upon people being forced to take his companys genetic modification (GMO) cocktails.

Bancel says that even younger people need to get Biden Booster shots at least once every three years in order to keep the profits flowing into Modernas coffers, and to boost its stock price.

In his personal fantasy, Bancel envisions a world in which only people who take all of the required Moderna injections should be allowed to live a first-tier life. Everyone else would then become a second-class citizen for failing to funnel cash to Big Pharma.

Bancel would like to see a world in which the unvaccinated are barred from traveling, maintaining employment and even engaging in ordinary leisure activities like everybody else.

Think permanent lockdown for those who refuse to be marked with a Big Pharma injection from Operation Warp Speed. This is what Bancel and Bourla hope to achieve while making themselves even more filthy rich than they already are.

He needs some real mental health help, wrote one Infowars commenter, referring to either Bancel or Bourla  or both.

He needs a relaxing vacation, maybe to Cuba. A perfect place to relax. Its a resort town called Gitmo. The resort manager will definitely make your vacation worthwhile.

Another questioned how either of these two pharmaceutical cartel kingpins could possibly know what public policy will be a year from now unless they were directly involved in creating it.

Does anyone wonder why a CEO is so knowledgeable about what our government policy will be a year from now? this commenter wrote. They cant have it all planned out beforehand, can they?

Weekly COVID boosters arent enough, we need daily pills, too! joked another about something that really is no laughing matter.

The latest news about Big Pharmas endless-injections-for-profit scheme can be found at ChemicalViolence.com.

Sources for this article include:

Infowars.com

Yahoo.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) A Canadian medical doctor and professor at the University of Waterloo has written a letter to his academic superiors outlining his opposition to the schools COVID vaccine mandate, which he believes is illegal.

The letter was penned by Dr. Michael Palmer, who is a board-certified medical microbiologist who teaches pharmacology at the university. He addressed the president and chancellor of the university, along with the dean of the faculty of science and the chair of the department of chemistry, to explain why he categorically refuses to comply with any of the mandates related to COVID-19 vaccines that the school is imposing on its employees.

He began by saying that he will not declare his vaccination status, although he acknowledged that it will be easy for them to guess his view on the matter as he goes on to state: I will not let myself be injected with any of the ineffective and poisonous concoctions that are misrepresented to the public as COVID vaccines.

He also explained why they should not expect his presence at what he termed reeducation camps: I will not attend any of the virtual COVID re-education camps organized by UWs or the provinces quack doctors and public health shamans in-chief. As an MD with board certification in medical microbiology, I consider myself sufficiently informed on the subject.

It is not the first time that he has shared his view with the university. In August, he joined 50 other individuals affiliated with the school in writing an open letter rejecting its announcement that all faculty, staff and students would be required to get the vaccine or be denied access to school grounds.

In an interview with Lifesite, Palmer said the university has not engaged with him from the start of the ordeal. He said that all of their communications with him via email have been robotic and focused on following protocol. He said he believes that his university and many other schools are taking such a hard line with vaccines because their leadership is stacked with globalist stooges, just like all other important institutions of society, and are subservient to the [so-called COVID-19] agenda.

Doctor questions safety and efficacy of vaccines

He also said that it is precisely because of his medical education that he feels the way he does about the situation: There is just no way that any competent medical scientist who makes an honest effort to himself could not see that these vaccines  in particular the mRNA vaccines, which are touted as the safe choice  will cause grave harm, and with a sufficient number of cumulative doses certain death, he told the outlet.

He drew attention to the recent sudden deaths of four young students from Canadian universities that he feels appear to be adverse vaccine effects, based on the limited information that has been provided by authorities.

Palmer isnt the only medical expert and academic to take this view of the vaccines and related mandates. He also identified three prominent immunologists from the University of Guelph who have been brave enough to oppose the vaccines; he lamented the fact that the schools leadership has been persecuting them instead of asking for their guidance.

He acknowledged that his stance could cause him to lose his job and even offered to help the school find a replacement for him to help keep disruptions for his students to a minimum. He said that if the university sticks to their policy and terminates him, he hopes to start a new university that upholds old-fashioned values such as honesty, academic rigour, and free speech, something he says that many academics would be interested in taking part in.

Sources for this article include:

LifeSiteNews.com

LifeSiteNews.com
(Natural News) Local government employees of Gainesville, Florida are fighting back against the city governments Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine mandate.

On Sept. 22, Judge Monica J. Brasington of the 8th Florida Circuit Court granted a temporary emergency injunction requested by the employees of the city government. This prevented the city from enforcing its Oct. 1 deadline for employees to get the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

The city did not put on any evidence, at all, at the injunction hearing, Brasington writes in her ruling. Without any evidence, the court is unable to consider whether the vaccine mandate serves a compelling interest through the least restrictive means, whether the vaccine mandate meets a strict scrutiny test, a rational basis test or whether it meets any other standard.

Brasington rules in favor of the Gainesville city employees under the Florida Constitutions guarantee of the right to privacy.

According to the judge, the state constitution guarantees the right to privacy. Meaning, every person has the right to be let alone and free from governmental intrusion into the persons private life except as otherwise provided herein.

The citys vaccine mandate facially interferes with its employees right to refuse unwanted medical treatments and/or procedures, implicates plaintiffs fundamental right to privacy and is presumptively unconstitutional,' writes Brasington.

City government continuing fight for vaccine mandate despite state intervention

On Oct. 4, the lawyers representing the city filed a motion asking Brasington to reconsider her decision. They argue that the judge applied the wrong legal standard when she passed her ruling.

Doug Woolief of the Florida Department of Health sends the city government a letter warning that it is now in violation of a recently passed state law that prohibits local government from requiring proof of vaccination or recovery from a former COVID-19 infection.

Violating this new state law would force the offender to pay a fine of $5,000 for each employee who was required to provide proof of vaccination. The city government has more than 2,200 employees.

This means that if the city insists on mandating vaccinations for city employees, it could be forced to pay over $11 million.

City workers are initially hopeful due to an email from the city saying that the vaccination requirement would be dropped. But this hope was quickly quashed after the city government said it still plans to fight this case in the courts.

Jeff Childers, a Gainesville attorney representing around 250 city employees in the legal battle, is not worried about the case because none of the facts have changed. He has filed a response to the citys latest motion, writing that the request for the judge to change her decision should be denied.

He writes: It is just a rehash of the arguments it raised at the hearing, but this time combined with a variety of logical fallacies, strawmen, red herrings, false dichotomies, references to evidence not in the record, citations to inapplicable authority and wild speculation about the potential future direction of Supreme Court law  even though the Supreme Court has already spoken to the core issue.

Childers has also been working to help attorneys across the country to fight similar legal battles challenging COVID-19 mandates. He is currently leading or helping with more than a dozen cases in four different states that are challenging school mask mandates and vaccine mandates. (Related: Lawyers are preparing to defend natural immunity as potential exemption to COVID-19 vaccine mandates.)

According to Childers, challenges to vaccine and mask mandates can win. Attorneys and legal groups should look to state laws regarding privacy and bodily autonomy.

Theres tons of stuff for lawyers to mine in state laws, said Childers. Almost every state has something useful to fight these mandates.

Learn more about the fight against coronavirus-related mandates by reading the latest articles at Freedom.news.

Sources include:

TheEpochTimes.com

Gainesville.com
(Natural News) Larry Hamlin explains in a Watts Up With That article how and why climate emergency is nothing but a product of propaganda and politics.

Many climate experts have insisted that humanity is facing a climate emergency, promoting climate alarmism and a sudden shift to renewable energy sources. But climate emergency lacks any scientific backing.

In his article, Hamlin cites an April 2021 opinion piece written by Mark Fischetti and published by science magazine Scientific American titled We Are Living in a Climate Emergency, and Were Going to Say So. It says: Journalism should reflect what science says: The climate emergency is here.

Consider the following scenarios: A hurricane blasts Florida. A California dam bursts because floods have piled water high up behind it. A sudden, record-setting cold snap cuts power to the entire state of Texas. These are also emergencies that require immediate action. Multiply these situations worldwide, and you have the biggest environmental emergency to beset the earth in millennia: climate change, Fischetti writes.

The planet is heating up way too fast. Its time for journalism to recognize that the climate emergency is here.

Hamlin says the claim of rapid temperature increases in the planet is backed up by references from the climate hearing sponsored by Democratic Party senators in June 1988. That hearing featured the testimony of climate scientist Dr. James Hansen. Hamlin argues that Hansens climate model from his testimony had an extraordinary number of flaws and errors.

The claims about global average temperature anomalies increasing dramatically in the future because of increasing greenhouse gas emissions highlighted at this hearing  1.5 to 4.5 C temperature anomaly increase by 2030  have been proven wrong, Hamlin writes.

The climate model Hansen presented to Democratic senators in the 1988 hearing projected a 1.4 degree Celsius increase between 1986 and 2021. However, actual measurements show an increase of only 0.49 C during that period. Meaning, Hansens climate model has overestimated the actual temperature increase by two-thirds.

Hamlin says: The planet is heating up much more slowly than climate alarmists claimed in the hearings in 1988, even with significantly global increasing emissions driven solely by the worlds developing nations led]by China and India. The actually measured global temperature establishes that there is no scientific basis for the Scientific Americans flawed propaganda claim that the climate emergency is here.' (Related: Geothermal heat, internal climate responsible for Antarctica ice melting  not man-made climate change.)

UN report disproves theory of yearly increases in Earths temperature

A report from a United Nations (UN) agency disproves the theory of yearly rising temperatures. The UNs Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) notes in its Climate Change 2021 report that the claims saying the Earths temperature increases by a minimum of 1 C yearly are not true.

The report says that surface temperatures from 1850 to 1900 and from 2010 to 2019 fall between 0.8 C to 1.3 C. The highest estimated temperature increase arising from human activity since 1850 was only 1.07 C, it adds.

Furthermore, the report notes that temperatures over land are higher than those over large bodies of water  contributing to even lower temperature estimates. Terrestrial temperatures range from 1.34 C to 1.83 C and a 1.59 C average. Meanwhile, ocean temperatures range from 0.68 C to 1.01 C and have a 0.88 C. average

In a Sept. 3 op-ed for the Wall Street Journal, Holman W. Jenkins Jr. pointed out that earlier UN reports predicted a worst-case rise of 4.5 C. The IPCC report clarifies that based on real-world data, a 4 C rise would already be the worst-case scenario and any temperature increases beyond 5 C would be very unlikely.

The UN panel now says the dire emissions scenario it promoted for two decades should be regarded as highly unlikely, with more plausible projections at least a third lower, he writes.

After 41 years of promoting a fuzzy and unsatisfying estimate of how much warming might result from a doubling of atmospheric [carbon dioxide], the worlds climate science arbiter has finally offered the first real improvement in the history of modern climate science.

Jenkins also slams media outlets for their climate change fear-mongering based on inconsistent computer simulations. (Related: Theory of annual rise in Earths temperature due to climate change is now exhaustively DISPROVED.)

ClimateAlarmism.news has more news about climate emergency propaganda.

Sources include:

WattsUpWithThat.com

ScientificAmerican.com

GlobalResearch.ca

WallStreetJournal.com
(Natural News) Once again, two major technology giants are choosing left-wing politics over rationality and truth because their CEOs must figure when the Marxist revolution in America is complete theyre going to have a seat at the governing table.

This week Google and Google-owned YouTube announced they will no longer allow content questioning the lefts climate change dogma to be monetized.

The American Wire reports further:

The two companies made their announcements on Thursday, adopting the strictest censorship policies regarding the issue of climate change among the major tech platforms, Axios reported.

Under the policies, Google advertisers and publishers, in addition to YouTube content creators, will not be allowed to earn ad revenue from content that refutes well-established scientific consensus around the existence and causes of climate change, according to a statement from the companys ad division.

This includes content referring to climate change as a hoax or a scam, claims denying that long-term trends show the global climate is warming, and claims denying that greenhouse gas emissions or human activity contribute to climate change, the policy continued.

The companies said that advertising and monetization will still be permitted to run on content featuring climate-related topics including policy discussions and debate, the impacts of climate change, and new research into the issue. However, its not yet clear if new research that disproves or refutes scientific consensus will be monetized, American Wire added.

And of course, scientific consensus is that human activity is causing global warming and climate change, which is a theory and has never been absolutely proven or demonstrated. In fact, based on real science, there is no evidence proving humans are causing the climate to change at all.

In recent years, weve heard directly from a growing number of our advertising and publisher partners who have expressed concerns about ads that run alongside or promote inaccurate claims about climate change, the Google said. Advertisers simply dont want their ads to appear next to this content. And publishers and creators dont want ads promoting these claims to appear on their pages or videos.

But again, there is no consensus that climate change  and yes, the worlds climate is ever-changing  is caused by human activities.

One liberal academic, Dr. Steve Koonin, who served as the undersecretary of energy for science during the Obama regime, told Tucker Carlson earlier this year that the narrative is a fiction made up by politicians and echoed by left-wing media for their personal benefit and empowerment  and he based his opinion on actual science, not speculation or political viewpoints.

According to data from the U.S. government, Koonin said in June that there are no detectable human influences on natural disasters like hurricanes and it has been that way for more than a century. He also said that todays heatwaves in the U.S. are just as common as they were back in 1900.

The warmest temperatures have not gone up in the last 60 years, he noted, with Fox News adding:

The physicist pointed out that politicians love to throw around the term existential threat when it comes to the topic of climate, but he argued that government officials like Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg are unqualified to raise the issue to such an extreme.

I dont think the science says what Secretary Pete thinks it says, he said. In fact, I can guarantee you hes never read the science. Fact, I can guarantee you that Sen. Sanders, President Biden, [climate czar] Ambassador [John] Kerry, [Energy] Secretary [Jennifer] Granholm have never read the science  because you need to be a scientist in order to do that. And in fact, when you read it, theres very little in terms of extreme weather thats changed over the last many decades.

He also chided scientists for not standing up and saying what they know to be true: That the human-caused climate change narrative is a massive hoax.

It is a failure of the scientific community not to stand up and say, Guys, you know, you have over-egged the custard. You really need to be much more circumspect in how you talk about this, he said. And, of course, that gets then picked up by the politicians, and the media love to talk about catastrophes.

Sources include:

FoxNews.com

AmericanWireNews.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) While speaking during a recent House hearing, Australian Member of Parliament (MP) Craig Kelly blasted a fellow politician for trying to silence him for uttering the prohibited word ivermectin.

After the other politician requested that Kelly be silenced, only to be denied his request, Kelly got up and put him in his place, explaining that the amendment on the table is directly related to ivermectin and other currently prohibited remedies for the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19).

The second reading amendment is narrow in its focus on the industry aspects of the pandemic, the objecting politician stated against Kelly.

It doesnt allow the member to speak about ivermectin, a drug which the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has asked Australians not to use and suggested that it not be imported for the purposes of dealing with covid.

Questions such as these are clearly outside of the issues that are before the House. The member has many other opportunities to raise questions such as this. He might make a 90-second statement. He might speak in the , this person continued on to state, only to be cut off by the man in charge of keeping order, who responded concerning Kelly:

Lets let the member be relevant.

At this point, Kelly thanked the House and proceeded to explain that based on the relevance rule, his amendment absolutely pertains to ivermectin and other matters related to the plandemic.

Just on the relevance rule, lets be very clear about what this amendment says: It condemns the coalition government for its continued failure to back Australian industry and innovation, and to deal with the challenges arising from the pandemic, Kelly stated.

That is exactly what I am speaking about! You come into this chamber and want to silence debate on one of the most important issues ever facing our country? Shame on you! he went on to shout  be sure to watch a clip of Kellys speech below:

Let the people have ivermectin!

Clearly upset at this attempt at censorship against him, Kelly proceeded to make it absolutely crystal clear that the crusade against ivermectin and other remedies outside of vaccines and masks is impeding the health of Australians and the Australian economy.

It is absolutely crystal clear that what I am debating is directly relevant to this bill, and how dare you stand up and try and silence debate in the House because of some ideological view that you may have, Kelly stated to the man who tried to silence him.

I am directly talking about the governments continued failure to back Australian industry and innovation, and I am talking about Australian innovation that we have let slip through our fingers that is 100 percent directly relevant to this bill.

If only more politicians were like Kelly and willing to speak out as he has, perhaps the world would not be in the mess it is currently in. Many more lives could have been saved, and anyone wanting to use ivermectin or any other remedy to stay healthy would be free to do so without government interference.

Now there are some names and faces for indictments for crimes against humanity, noted one Citizen Free Press commenter about the man who tried to silence Kelly.

Ivermectin prophylaxis is virtually 100% effective, wrote another.

For those whove already been jabbed, how do you avoid an ADE death? COVID prophylaxis. What about the nGO? Ivermectin, NAC, Zn, C, D3  basically the same regimen that you would follow to defeat COVID. Ivermectin on its own stops nGO crystal growth in hydrogels.

You can learn more about the benefits of ivermectin over vaccines and masks by visiting Pandemic.com.

Sources for this article include:

CitizenFreePress.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) In an act of defiance against the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine mandates, the sheriff of Los Angeles County has announced that his departments employees will not be forced to get the experimental and deadly vaccines.

Sheriff Alex Villanueva of the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department (LASD) has made the announcement on the eve of an order from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors that all of the countys employees  including members of the LASD  must get vaccinated against COVID-19 going into effect. This mandate was issued through an executive order back in August.

Villanuevas statement also comes just one day after the Los Angeles City Council approved one of the nations most tyrannical vaccine mandates. This measure requires anyone entering bars, restaurants, nail salons, gyms and sporting events to be vaccinated. This order does not apply to pharmacies and grocery stores and it goes into effect on Nov. 4.

Im not forcing anyone, said Villanueva on Oct. 7 during his weekly public online Q&A. The issue has become so politicized. There are entire groups of employees that are willing to be fired and laid off for having to get vaccinated. So, I dont want to be in a position to lose five percent, 10 percent of my workforce overnight on a vaccine mandate. (Related: Potentially millions of first responders, police, teachers, healthcare workers will soon be out of a job over COVID vaccine mandates.)

This is not the first time that Villanueva has refused to enforce unconstitutional orders passed by the Board of Supervisors. In July, the board passed an indoor mask mandate. Villanueva said his department would not be responsible for enforcing that rule.

Villanueva has also used his platform as one of Los Angeles Countys leading law enforcement officials to point out falsehoods in the statements put forward by public health officials and agencies.

He once said in a statement that the efficacy of wearing face masks is not backed by science and contradicts other guidelines from federal public health agencies.

Vaccine mandate can worsen LASDs staffing shortage

During his Q&A on Thursday, Villanueva pointed out that the efforts to defund police departments that began last year  because of anti-police domestic terrorist organizations Antifa and Black Lives Matter  have also strained his resources.

Last year, the Board of Supervisors cut the LASDs budget for the 2020 to 2021 fiscal year by $145.5 million. For this upcoming fiscal year, Villanueva says the county is planning to cut his departments budget by another $144 million.

In a statement released on Friday, Villanueva pointed out that the LASD already has a staffing shortage. Forcing between five to 10 percent of the department to resign due to a mask mandate would make the security situation in the county even worse.

When a decision must be made between responding to a violent felony in progress or serving as the vaccine mandate police, the choice is simple, writes Villanueva. The Department will continue requiring all of our employees to register with the Fulgent system but will only seek voluntary compliance and testing for the unvaccinated.

It should be noted that of the around 18,000 employees of the sheriffs department, more than 55 percent  or around 10,000 people  have already gotten COVID-19 or have been quarantined as a result of close contact with an infected individual.

In other words, those employees already have a natural immunity to the coronavirus due to prior infection. This means that forcing that half of the department to get the COVID-19 vaccine is unnecessary, and will most likely result in a lot of people experiencing detrimental side effects.

Learn more about the people like Sheriff Alex Villanueva who are standing up to unconstitutional COVID-19 vaccine mandates by reading the latest articles at Vaccines.news.

Sources include:

TheHill.com

Deadline.com

ABC7.com

CBSNews.com

WitnessLA.com
(Natural News) Several Oregon politicians are seeking a grand jury investigation into the double-standard exclusively for COVID-19 data collection that was established in their state for the plandemic.

Oregons statistical compilation methods violated multiple federal laws and distorted mitigation policies, said Senators Kim Thatcher and Dennis Linthicum in a letter to U.S. Attorney Scott Asphaug.

Public health policy must be based upon accurate and independently verifiable data to optimize outcomes and strengthen the publics trust in the people leading them through this crisis, the Republican lawmakers added about Oregons harsh and extensive Chinese Virus restrictions, which are still ongoing.

One of the exhibits attached to their letter depicted a synopsis of allegations, findings and relevant law that implicates Oregon state agencies and assist[s] grand jury members in orienting themselves to the scope of alleged crimes committed.

Dated August 16, the letter and materials were not released for a full month in order to protect those involved, announced Stand for Health Freedom (SHF), a holistic medicine and legal non-profit group that is behind the petition effort.

SHF relationship manager Bailey Kuykendoll told Just the News that her group wanted to assess the accuracy and safety of the revelations before officially releasing them to the public.

Im not sure there has ever been an allegation of government wrongdoing on this scale, Kuykendoll said.

Thatcher and Linthicum are also going after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), both of which also continue to lie about Chinese Germs in order to keep the ruse going for as long as possible.

Government inflated covid case count to push agenda

Asphaugs office announced on Thursday that it has referred the petition to the Justice Departments Office of Legislative Affairs, though that office did not respond about whether or how it had answered the lawmakers request.

Thatcher is especially concerned about the fact that even after it was determined that the Fauci Flu is highly survivable, Oregon went ahead and imposed arbitrary restrictions that resulted in an increase of child abuse, mental health problems and suicide.

I began to really question whether the cure was worse than the disease, said Thatcher, who is well known in Oregon for working at the legislative level to compensate people who have been wrongfully convicted.

For Linthicum, one of the first things that jumped out at him were the incessant case counts being reported, which stood in stark contrast to the very few people who were actually getting sick.

Linthicum immediately recognized confusion, or inaccuracies, or kind of manipulation with regards to how the numbers were being reported not just for the Wuhan Flu but also for normal seasonal influenza, which all but completely disappeared last year.

It didnt take long to actually see that the data was being scrubbed or sculpted to fit a narrative, he says.

Prior to the Chinese Flu, the CDCs National Vital Statistics System always recorded infectious disease as a contributing factor to death in the presence of pre-existing conditions. This protocol was established back in 2003 in a federal manual.

Now, however, all cases of covid, anyway, are automatically recorded as the cause of death, which greatly inflated the numbers in order to push an agenda.

PCR tests are inherently fraudulent, designed to create illusion of a pandemic

Both the CDC and the FDA also rigged the fraudulent PCR testing protocol to produce many false positives. By tuning the cycle threshold to around 40, which is way too high, almost everyone was testing positive for Chinese Germs even if they were perfectly healthy and disease-free.

Even the far-left New York Times published a story last year raising concerns about the PCR cycle threshold standard. The paper recommended 35 or lower as opposed to 40 because upwards of 90 percent of positives in at least three states were found to be fraudulent.

Keep in mind that a high cycle threshold of 40 is only used on the unvaccinated. The fully vaccinated are being tested with a cycle threshold of 28, creating the illusion that people who got jabbed are protected against infection.

Sin Hang Lee, director of Connecticuts Milford Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory, came out in condemnation of the PCR tests, warning that there are significant problems with its design and calibration.

Calling PCR tests phony, Lee further explained that they resulted in unnecessary lockdowns that crippled the United States economy. He further compared them to HPV tests, which are likewise fraudulent and result in thousands of women a year getting needless colposcopic (cervical) biopsies.

 these questionable test results to move the goalposts arbitrarily in defining COVID-19 infections for statistics to cover up various business agendas at the expense of public interest, Lee wrote about the unspecific biotech companies that are using fraudulent PCR tests.

The latest news coverage about the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) can be found at Pandemic.news.

Sources for this article include:

JustTheNews.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) Until very recently, it would have been unimaginable that the U.S. government would ever consider as domestic terrorists parents who dare to protest against the numerous destructive policies of local school boards. Yet what was until recently unimaginable has now become reality with the Biden administration, and it is not surprising that the administrations outlandish stance is drawing enormous public outrage.

(Article by Veronika Kyrylenko republished from TheNewAmerican.com)

According to a memorandum released on Monday, Attorney General Merrick Garland has instructed the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to mobilize against parents who oppose Critical Race Theory (CRT) in public schools, citing threats against the school board members and teachers who participate in the vital work of running our nations public schools.

Writes Garland,

The Department takes these incidents seriously and is committed to using its authority and resources to discourage these threats, identify them when they occur, and prosecute them when appropriate.

The attorney general added that the Department of Justice (DOJ) is set to announce a series of measures aimed at addressing the rise in criminal conduct directed toward school personnel in the coming days.

In the meantime, Merrick ordered the FBI, working with each U.S. Attorney, to conduct meetings and consultations with the local law enforcement to develop strategies to address the threats.

The DOJ also encouraged the public to report the threats to the FBIs National Threat Operations Center (NTOC). Reporting threats of violence through NTOC will help the federal government identify increased threats in specific jurisdictions as well as coordinated widespread efforts to intimidate educators and education workers, the department explains.

In addition, the DOJ is drafting training materials for potential victims to properly identify potential threats and offenders, and how to capture and collect evidence of the crimes perpetrated against them.

The memo came after the National School Boards Association (NSBA) sent a letter to President Joe Biden last Wednesday claiming that Americas public schools and its education leaders are under an immediate threat. The organization urged the president to act against the angry mobs of parents expressing their frustration at school board meetings over the mask mandates and CRT by designating them as domestic terrorists and applying a PARTIOT Act to them.

The letter cited about a dozen of minor incidents that have occurred recently at school board meetings in several states. Then, there was a threatening letter sent to one of the school board officials in Ohio that called him a filthy traitor. The letter implied loss of pension funds and labeled the school board Marxist. Another illustration of intimidation was a parent who expressed his view of mask mandates by giving a Nazi salute during a debate on the subject.

While it goes as an axiom that no one should be physically threatened, in the rare cases when that actually happens, it is the responsibility of local law enforcement to handle them without the feds intervention. After all, the cases of intimidation quoted by the NSBA look like a mere execution of the parents rights to free speech and assembly protected by the First Amendment. Yet the Biden administration has dubbed such cases of intimidation as terrorism.

The DOJs announced crackdown on concerned parents infuriated them even more.

Asra Nomani, vice president of investigations and strategy at Parents Defending Education, posted on Twitter: Dear @TheJusticeDept Merrick Garland and @FBI Director Christopher Wray, This is what a domestic terrorist looks like? You are criminalizing parenting, and you owe the people of America a swift apology. In her video address to the top officials, Nomani explained the desperate situation shared by her and other parents. Concerned about the local school board policies, the parents in Nomanis group attended school-board meetings and wrote letters to school-board members, asking questions and voicing their disagreement. Yet, Nomani says, they remained constantly ignored. Still, Nomani, a single mom and a Muslim, kept on coming to the meetings.

For you to dare to try to smear parents as domestic terrorists just reflects just how tone-deaf school boards and officials became to pleas of parents on behalf of their children, Nomani said. She asked the policymakers to think deeply about whether they really want to declare war on parents, which is, in the end, a war on children, because one do not go without the others. She added that the parents will not back down, because they are strong and committed.

Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) joined with parents on Tuesday in their criticism, accusing Garland of focusing on the democratic pushback against critical race theory, and not the actual violence, evidence of which was never provided.

Republican Leader of the Education and Labor Committee Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) called Merricks memo disgusting. She stated:

I am shocked and appalled to see a President cave to terrorists overseas then threaten innocent American families seeking to better their childrens education under the guise of fighting domestic terrorism. Democrats have been saying, for years, that they do not trust parents to raise their own children. This dystopian move by the Attorney General is an escalation of that noxious belief.

Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has also spoken out and vowed the Sunshine State will defend the free speech rights of its citizens and will not allow federal agents to squelch dissent.

British journalist Piers Morgan has summed up the DOJs move by calling Bidens declaration of war against parents a shameful abuse of his power worthy of totalitarian China and North Korea. He wrote,

There are many countries whose governments shut down such dissent. Im thinking of brutal totalitarian regimes like China and North Korea. But America is supposed to be the land of the free, the very epicenter of free speech protected by a First Amendment that is the envy of the world.

If the Biden administration cared about resolving the situation, it would not criminalize parents, but would instead try to understand and address their legitimate concerns, such as COVID restrictions and forced vaccinations, CRT, LGBTQ issues, and books promoting sexual perversions and pedophilia being available in student libraries. But why would Biden do that, if degrading, dividing, and dumbing down a growing generation is his actual goal?

Read more at: TheNewAmerican.com
(Natural News) Two different studies have shown that antibody levels wane within months after receiving Pfizers Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine and that infection rates are much higher among vaccinated individuals.

Despite those studies, Pfizer announced on Oct. 7 that it had asked the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to authorize their coronavirus vaccine for use on children five to 11 years old.

Israel study shows immunity wanes two months after vaccination

The researchers have examined data from 4,800 healthcare workers in a prospective longitudinal study in Israel. Their findings show that antibody levels waned rapidly after two doses of the Pfizer vaccine, particularly among men, adults aged 65 and older and in those with immunosuppression.

They have tested the antibodies of participants during the baseline period, defined as four to 17 days after receipt of a second vaccine dose, and every four weeks thereafter over a six-month period. The highest titers after getting their second vaccine dose were observed during days four to 30, defined as the peak period.

A titer refers to the measurement of the amount or concentration of a substance in a solution, like the amount of antibodies in your blood.

But since the scientists are unable to perform neutralizing antibody assays in all the volunteers, they select a subgroup of higher proportions of individuals with risk factors of interest, such as being 65 or older and having coexisting conditions.

They have found that levels of neutralizing antibodies, the immune systems first line of defense against infection, are linked to protection against infection. But for this study, the scientists have only analyzed antibody levels.

Additionally, the research team has observed a significant reduction in the immunoglobulin (IgG) level each month, along with a notable decrease in neutralizing antibody titers.

In many studies about various vaccines, like those against measles, mumps and rubella, theres a small decrease each year of five to 10 percent in the neutralizing antibody levels. The researchers conclude that there is a significant and rapid decrease in humoral response to the Pfizer vaccine months after inoculation.

Qatar study shows Pfizer vaccine effectiveness declines gradually

A second study from Qatar has analyzed actual infections among the nations population, which had a high rate of inoculation with Pfizers coronavirus vaccine.

Data has shown that estimated effectiveness against coronavirus infection was insignificant for the first two weeks after the first Pfizer dose. Effectiveness was up to 36.8 percent in the third week after receiving the first dose, reaching its peak at 77.5 percent in the first month after getting the second dose.

Pfizer has often claimed that its own efficacy data demonstrated 95 percent efficacy against coronavirus during clinical trials, which wasnt the case in the Qatar study. Scientists say that its effectiveness declined gradually, starting from the first month after receiving the second dose.

Effectiveness then accelerated following the fourth month and reached a low level of an estimated 20 percent in months five through seven after getting the second dose.

BNT162b2-induced protection against infection builds rapidly after the first dose, peaks in the first month after the second dose, and then gradually wanes in subsequent months. The waning appears to accelerate after the fourth month, to reach a low level of approximately 20 [percent] in subsequent months, write Laith Abu-Raddad of Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar and colleagues, authors of the Qatar study.

In the study, which concluded on Sept. 5, researchers recorded a total of 8,203 coronavirus Pfizer breakthrough infections among the 947,035 volunteers who received one vaccine dose. Theres also 10,543 breakthrough infections recorded in the 907,763 participants who received two doses of the vaccine.

The percentage of all daily breakthrough infections from both Pfizer and Moderna reached 36.4 percent on Sept. 5, with 77.2 percent of breakthrough infections linked to Pfizers vaccine.

Pfizer-funded study reveals vaccine efficacy declines at six months

In a separate Pfizer-funded study published in the journal The Lancet, scientists have discovered that the efficacy of the Pfizer vaccine dropped below 50 percent six months after getting the second dose.

For the study, scientists have analyzed 3.4 million electronic records from the Kaiser Permanente Southern California (KPSC) healthcare system for patients aged 12 and older. The patients were monitored from December 2020 to August 2021.

Findings have shown that Pfizers vaccine was 88 percent effective in the first month after full vaccination. However, effectiveness dropped to 47 percent effectiveness after six months or so.

The scientists have concluded that people who were fully vaccinated with two doses of the Pfizer vaccine had an overall 73 percent effective protection against coronavirus and 90 percent effective protection against coronavirus-related hospitalization.

Pfizer seeks emergency use authorization of coronavirus vaccine for children aged 5 to 11

On Oct. 7, Pfizer asked the FDA to authorize its COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use for young children aged five to 11 years old.

An FDA advisory committee is slated to meet on Oct. 26 to discuss the vaccine for children. Officials say its authorization could take place between Halloween and Thanksgiving later this year.

FDA officials explain that the agency could authorize a vaccine for younger children within weeks once following the submission of vaccine data. Pfizer has submitted initial data to the FDA last September for a regimen of two 10-microgram doses in children, which is one-third the amount given to older patients. (Related: Critics blasts FDA for full approval of Pfizer vaccine.)

Alex Berenson, former New York Times reporter and author, warns that Pfizers clinical data of the vaccine showed no evidence of actual health benefit to the children who received it. He adds that in Pfizers 2,300-patient child trial, data only showed that its mRNA doses can make kids produce spike proteins. The has vaccine also had adverse side effects.

Berenson says that based on Pfizers Sept. 20 press release announcing the trials results, the trial didnt show if the vaccine could reduce hospitalizations, which isnt that significant as cases are almost non-existent in healthy children.

Pfizers press release doesnt indicate that the vaccine makes kids stay healthy. It also admits that the vaccine has side effects similar to those observed in participants aged 16 to 25, such as severe headaches, fatigue and fever.

Visit Vaccine.news for the truth on the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine and its many side effects.

Sources include:

ChildrensHealthDefense.org

MedlinePlus.gov

6ABC.com
(Natural News) Sweden and Denmark have suspended the rollout of Modernas Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine in younger individuals due to negative side effects.

The Swedish health authority has quoted new data about the increased risk of heart inflammation as the primary reason for stopping inoculations in people born 1991 or later. On the other hand, Denmark has announced that it will stop giving the vaccine to people younger than 18.

Sweden and Denmark are considering Pfizers COVID-19 vaccine as a replacement. Like the Modernas, Pfizer vaccine uses messenger RNA technology to trigger an immune reaction.

Myocarditis and pericarditis, both types of inflammation of the heart, are known as side effects of the coronavirus vaccines. Heart inflammation is also a symptom of many viral infections like coronavirus. The likelihood of developing the condition after infection is greater after inoculation.

Back in June, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a warning that young males in America were at an increased risk of myocarditis after receiving Moderna and Pfizer vaccines.

Coronavirus vaccines and myocarditis risk

According to a recent study from Kaiser Permanente Southern California, seven out of every one million people who received a two-dose coronavirus vaccine could develop myocarditis.

Myocarditis can resolve itself but the condition can be dangerous because heart inflammation can often cause symptoms like chest pain, fatigue and shortness of breath. If you have an inflamed heart, you have a higher risk for heart failure, heart attacks and strokes.

Attempting strenuous physical activity with myocarditis can also result in sudden cardiac arrest or death.

Anders Tegnell, Swedens chief public health researcher, said that the country is closely monitoring the situation to make sure that coronavirus vaccinations are constantly as safe as possible, while also providing protection.

According to Swedens public health watchdog, a new preliminary analysis from the Nordic region revealed that that the connection between vaccination and heart inflammation is clearest with the Moderna shot, particularly after receiving the second dose. According to the data, the higher risk comes within four weeks of vaccination, and especially in the first two weeks.

Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel explains that larger data sets, along with real-world data from the U.S., suggests that the risk of myocarditis is similar between the two vaccines.

In a misguided attempt to reassure the public, Bancel says that the risk of contracting myocarditis from coronavirus is greater than the chances of coming down with the heart condition after getting vaccinated. (Related: Sweden, Denmark halt use of Modernas COVID-19 vaccine for younger age groups.)

Tegnell notes that if you have recently been vaccinated with a first or second dose of the Moderna vaccine, you dont need to worry because the risk is very small.

Despite reassurances that the COVID-19 vaccines are safe for public use, other countries are starting to see the truth. Earlier this month, Slovenia halted the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine following the tragic death of a young woman who had received it.

Earlier this year, several countries placed age restrictions on AstraZenecas COVID-19 vaccine because it was linked to severe cases of blood clots.

Visit Immunization.news to read more articles about these allegedly safe coronavirus vaccines.

Sources include:

TheOlympian.com

MSN.com

Business-Standard.com
(Natural News) Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen has warned of catastrophic consequences in the Asian region should it lose in a war with China. She calls on other nations to work together with Taiwan to ensure this dire scenario never comes to pass.

Tsai also reiterates that the island is committed to defending its democracy against Beijings increased aggression. In a piece for Foreign Affairs magazine, Tsai writes: Through hard work and courage, the 23.5 million people of Taiwan have succeeded in making a place for themselves in the international community.

However, she notes that the islands refusal to give up, persistent embrace of democracy and commitment to act as a responsible stakeholder now [spur] the rest of the world to reassess its value as a liberal democracy on the frontlines of a new clash of ideologies.

As countries increasingly recognize the threat that China poses, they should understand the value of working with Taiwan. If Taiwan were to fall, the consequences would be catastrophic for regional peace and the democratic alliance system. It would signal that in todays global contest of values, authoritarianism has the upper hand over democracy, the Taiwanese leader writes.

Tsai mentions Taiwans position on the frontlines between the liberal democratic order and the authoritarian alternative as the reason why it plays a key role in strengthening global democracy. The people of Taiwan have made clear to the entire world that democracy is non-negotiable, she adds.

Tsais remarks follow Beijings aerial incursions

The Taiwanese presidents piece in Foreign Affairs magazine comes amid Beijings warplanes entering the islands territory.

The Chinese Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force has sent almost 150 aircraft into the countrys air defense identification zone in the first four days of October alone. Personalities and media outlets in the mainland have lauded the incursions as a demonstration of strength.

State-run newspaper Global Times confirms the maneuvers in a report. The Oct. 4 article by Liu Xuanzun said that Beijing deployed 56 warplanes consisting mostly of fighters and bombers.

Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Hua Chunying says Taiwan is and will always remain a part of China. China will take all measures necessary to crush any Taiwan independence attempts. [They are] doomed to fail, she adds. (Related: China issues dire warning, says World War III can jump off anytime over conflict involving Taiwan.)

Governments around the world have condemned Beijings deployment of planes as an act of intimidation and aggression. Taiwanese Premier Su Tseng-Chang says the over the top activity violated regional peace and called for the country to be on alert.

Tsai reiterates in her piece: Amid almost daily intrusions by the PLA, our position on cross-strait relations remains constant. Taiwan will not bend to pressure, but nor will it turn adventurist  even when it accumulates support from the international community. In other words, the maintenance of regional security will remain a significant part of Taiwans overall government policy.

Window for peaceful resolution remains open

Beijing has long considered Taiwan a province of China, pledging to take back the island by force if necessary. Tsai notes that the mainland has never abandoned its ambitions toward Taiwan. However, she points out that Beijing is replacing its commitment to a peaceful resolution with an increasingly aggressive posture.

Despite this, other Asian neighbors have expressed hope that the Taiwan-China situation will be solved without the need for conflict. Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said on Oct. 4 that he hopes the two countries could resolve their issues peacefully. The official adds that Japan will continue to monitor the situation and weigh up possible scenarios for its own preparations.

Tsai also leaves open the possibility of peaceful dialogue between Beijing and Taipei. We will also continue to express our openness to dialogue as long as [it] proceeds in a spirit of equality and without political preconditions. [We] are [also] investing significant resources to deepen our understanding of the administration in Beijing  which will reduce the risks of misinterpretation and misjudgment and facilitate more precise decision-making on our cross-strait policies, she writes.

The Taiwanese president ultimately notes: Taiwan does not seek military confrontation. It hopes for peaceful, stable, predictable and mutually beneficial coexistence with its neighbors. But if its democracy and way of life are threatened, Taiwan will do whatever it takes to defend itself. (Related: Taiwan says it is preparing for war as China continues to provoke conflict with massive incursions of fighters, bombers.)

CommunistChina.news has more articles about Beijings aggression aimed at Taipei.

Sources include:

TheGuardian.com

ForeignAffairs.com

GlobalTimes.cn

Reuters.com
(Natural News) We were certain that, at some point, the failure of left-wing mayors and prosecutors to go after rampant criminal activity such as shoplifting was going to turn into a major problem for the urban centers these lunatics govern.

That day has finally arrived.

For years, but especially over the past 12 months, George Soros-funded prosecutors and Marxist mayors like Bill de Blasio in New York City and London Breed in San Francisco have refused to crack down on petty crimes that escalate into major ones. In the name of respecting the Black Lives Matter movement, these leftists have excused all manner of bad, and illegal, behavior, but especially shoplifting. Video clips of shoplifting gangs posted online show numerous individuals emptying store shelves of cosmetics, drugs and other supplies into garbage bags before sprinting out of the stores unmolested. And they continue to rob retailers blind because again, the leftists who run these cities arent concerned about prosecuting those crimes because quite often they appear to involve persons of color, so naturally, prosecuting them would be racist (even in California, apparently, where whites are no longer the majority).

But now the problem of outright theft is being compounded by an actual supply chain issue, as a shortage of workers on docks, driving trucks and on seafaring cargo vessels is preventing ships from being unloaded and goods being delivered to market, including, of course, over-the-counter drugs and other supplies, according to The Daily Mail:

Shelves in pharmacies across New York City have been left nearly barren because supplies are not getting through amid an ongoing global squeeze.

Stores such as CVS, Walgreens and Duane Reade are all running very low on goods.

Supplies are being held up on cargo ships that are taking up to four weeks to dock at US ports.

A lack of manpower to unload them and to drive goods around the US is causing a giant backlog.

Experts have warned the government to intervene or face spiraling inflation and unemployment, as rocketing demand for goods in short supply pushes their prices up, the outlet continued. US consumers have already seen prices of everyday items rise in recent months, with economists warning of an extended period of inflation that will push up the cost of living.

One Manhattan resident told the New York Post: It looks like the Third World.

Adds a CVS employee, Theyve all been stolen.

So-called bail reform laws, which is to say left-wing prosecutors and city officials getting together to get rid of bail, have made shoplifting an excellent career choice. The Post reported on one 22-year-old who had been arrested in New York City on shoplifting charges 46 times and of course, was left on the street to continue stealing.

The blame goes straight to the halls of power in Albany, said New York City top cop Dermot Shea, The Post reported, adding that Shea tweeted a response to the lunacy in recent days: Insanity.

Because when there are no limits to human behavior, when there are no consequences for actions, then human nature is such that we are apt to continue such behaviors, which will only lead to a complete breakdown in society  like the Marxists are striving for. You cant rebuild a free society in your authoritarian image unless you destroy the free society first, and thats exactly what these maniacs who run blue cities and states are attempting to do.

And its working.

Serial shoplifters, even if arrested, typically walk free the same day. Cases against them are often not prosecuted. Drug stores, filled with aisles of small necessities, offer an easy-to-harvest goldmine for thieves, The Post noted.

This is only going to get worse. And without a functional supply chain, the cities will collapse.

Sources include:

NYPost.com

DailyMail.co.uk

NewsTarget.com
(Natural News) For all the unvaccinated Americans watching the scamdemic dismantle, its just reassurance that natural immunity is the key to optimum functionality, in the short and long term. We are all witnessing, thanks to truth media, the vaccinated sheeple suffer new chronic ailments or hyper versions of what theyre already suffering from. Inflammation for the vaccinated has increased so badly that many of them are suffering from myocarditis on top of already battling diabetes, obesity, heart disease and cancer.

Now all those symptoms are rearing their ugly heads, and the medical quacks are pointing the finger at the unvaccinated, or anything and everything EXCEPT the vaccines and masks. What a big surprise.

Every Covid-vaccinated American has been programmed by the media to believe they are better protected from Covid, while its just the opposite

For anything that goes wrong with the CDCs advice for Covid, the Big Media solution is always the same  blame the unvaccinated. Is Covid still spreading among the vaccinated? Yes. Blame the unvaccinated. Are people dying from the China Flu vaccines? Yes. Just blame the anti-vaxxers. Are the Fauci Flu jabs causing blood clots around the world? Yes. Blame it on the natural health advocates.

Its all one big deflection from the fact that the Bill Gates gene therapy pokes are deadly programs that are setting people up for auto-immune disease and the next round of whatever Wuhan-crafted, genetically mutated virus the CCP/CDC releases next. Its planned out very well, but almost every single vaccinated guinea pig has fallen for the big ploy. That brings us to the top 10 US Government and CDC COVID-19 epic fails since the whole scamdemic began.

Top 10 COVID-19 Epic Fails

#1. Mandatory masks with holes way too big to stop the virus from spreading, plus they cause bacterial infections of the mouth, throat and lungs that can turn into pneumonia

#2. Social distancing  turns out virus particles travel much more than 6 feet

#3. Spike protein injections  come to find out they dont stop contraction, transmission or a bad case of Covid

#4. Vaccine passports  so far, the 40 percent of unvaccinated Americans have halted that scam by protesting and going on strike (just look at the pilots unions right now)

#5. Theres no science-based evidence or research to prove the vaccines work at all, while the most vaccinated nations have the worst outbreaks of Covid  among the vaccinated

#6. Lockdowns have proven deadly to the masses, as suicide rates have skyrocketed, small businesses have been crushed and people have been isolated from social interaction

#7. Herd immunity has blown up in the face of vaccine theory, as the Covid-vaccinated sheeple shed and spread the virus to each other while under the false-pretense of protecting each other

#8. Flattening the curve never happened  not with lockdowns, masks, social distancing or vaccines; in fact, those only made for more spreading and breeding of the virus, compounded by other bacterial and pathogenic infections

#9. Antibacterial everything  including soaps, sprays, hand sanitizers, baby wipes, etc., have wiped out peoples good bacteria too, thus lowering immune system function

#10. Remdesivir and ventilators as go-to-forms of toxic treatment for the Covid-sickened in ICU  and almost assures that patients die within three weeks, by decimating kidney function and further inflaming breathing passages

It doesnt even take a scientist or doctor to see that Covid vaccines, Remdesivir and ventilators are compounding the problems of the pandemic, creating a pandemic of their own, thanks to Western Medicine and the scam artists who are perpetrating the entire nightmare of bad medical care. Tune your truth news dial to Pandemic.news to stay informed of the engineered pitfalls of the Covid scamdemic.

Sources for this article include:

Pandemic.news

TruthWiki.org

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) Mariana Francesca Mazzucato, a professor at the University College London, has been advocating lockdowns for climate change. It may be unusual, but she is not alone in her views.

In an essay endorsed by establishment media, Mazzucato is pushing for draconian measures to curb what she says is the tipping point of climate change. She says if we dont take such dramatic interventions immediately, human civilization will come to an end, and so will the planet.

Under a climate lockdown, as she calls it, governments would limit the use of private vehicles, ban the consumption of red meat and impose extreme energy-saving measures. Fossil-fuel companies will have to stop drilling, as well. To avoid a climate catastrophe, Mazzucato says, it is important to overhaul economic structures and do capitalism differently.

However, given what the government and scientists already know about the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdowns, the effects of such a system could have devastating consequences for every country and could send shockwaves through every socioeconomic area.

So why would politicians and media want to get on board?

Governments, mainstream media associate health emergency with climate emergency

Various articles have already been published regarding the environmental impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. A report released in 2020 noted that future pandemics could emerge more often, spread more rapidly and do more damage to the economy than COVID-19, unless transformative change can be seen in the global approach in dealing with infectious diseases.

President Joe Biden uses recent hurricanes as proof that the world is entering a climate crisis. He has issued a code red, and House Climate Adviser Gina McCarthy backs him up. McCarthy says the climate crisis is now considered a health emergency.

There are also claims that the COVID-19 lockdowns have already prepared people for personal carbon allowances, as restrictions on individual freedoms were unthinkable only a year before. However, it has made people more prepared to accept the tracking and limitations to help achieve a safer climate.

World Meteorological Organization Secretary-General Petteri Taalas says that COVID lockdowns provided a blueprint for how people can proceed with climate lockdowns.

Taalas says that while the pandemic is not a solution for climate change, it does provide people with a platform for a more sustained and ambitious climate action to reduce emissions to net-zero by completely transforming industrial, energy and transport systems. (Related: Climate lockdowns? Prince Charles calls for military response to address climate change and reorganize the world economy.)

He adds that the changes are economically affordable and could possibly affect everyday life only marginally.

Southeast Asia has seen a 40 percent reduction in the level of harmful airborne particles caused by traffic and energy production in 2020. The same goes for China, Europe and North America, which have seen emission reductions and improved air quality during the first year of the pandemic.

Lockdowns affect mental health, global economy

However, studies have shown how harmful lockdowns are for the mental health of people, and how it negatively affects the economy.

A study found that limiting aspects of a lockdown can impact the mental health of individuals as well as their social support. This is especially important for those who already have a history of mental health treatment.

From school closures to devastating industries that lost millions of jobs, the social and economic costs of the pandemic threatens to widen inequalities, undermine progress on global poverty and clean energy, and more.

One year into the pandemic and almost half of the students around the world are still affected by school closures. Many businesses have shut down, leading to the loss of 255 million full-time jobs and triggering the biggest recession since World War II.

By limiting our options instead of looking for tangible solutions, the pandemic and other future problems will only continue to steal lives and livelihoods around the globe. Lockdowns are not the answer.

Get more climate updates at Climate.news.

Sources include:

WakingTimes.com

GenevaEnvironmentNetwork.org

Nature.com

News.UN.org

BMCPublicHealth.BioMedCentral.com

Wellcome.org
An entire family lost their lives as each member attempt to rescue the other from the toxic fumes which finally won the battle.

Toxic Fumes from Fermenting Wine

Officials said, four men from one family lost their lives in an unusual accident when the toxic fumes overpowered them while they were making wine on their family vineyard during a yearly winemaking event.

The four men - Giacomo, 70 and Valerio Scofano, 50, and also Santino, 70, and Massimo Carnevale, 45 - gave up the ghost one after another as each of them tried rescuing each other during the unfortunate incident.

The Telegraph reported that the men died as a result of lack of adequate air ventilation, as per Prosecutor Pierpaolo Bruni, who revealed an investigation is in progress.

When paramedics got to the scene they were not able to save any of the victims, the news outlet reported.

The unfortunate incident took place on Saturday in the hamlet of Paola situated in the southern area of Calabria when the men came together to move the fermented grape juice into oak barrels so it will be enjoyed in the future. One of the eldest men went down into the wine cellar so he could stir the wine.

Another man had cried for help but he was found dead close to the way out of the cellar after some time, as per a statement from Italy's military force, Carabinieri, as per a report.

Also Read: Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Poses a New Threat During Hurricane Season

Carbon dioxide Poisoning

As per the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences at the University of Washington, the fermentation process generates carbon dioxide gas. However, it is usually difficult to detect carbon dioxide gas since it is both colorless and odorless.

The department said on its website: "Excessive carbon dioxide in the air can cause headache, sweating, rapid breathing, increased heartbeat, shortness of breath, and dizziness. Higher levels of carbon dioxide can result in more serious and immediate effects including coma, asphyxia, convulsions, unconsciousness, and death."

For carbon dioxide poisoning to be avoided during the fermentation process, the ventilation in the workspace should be sufficient. Individuals should make use of natural ventilation, which is opening windows and doors, as well as mechanical exhaust ventilation, the department recommended.

Also, individuals are urged to be mindful of the levels of carbon dioxide in workplaces and make comparisons with occupational exposure limits.

The Survivor

The daughter-in-law (36-year-old) of one of the victims was also discovered at the scene. The 36-year-old was found unconscious, but neighbors resuscitated and rushed her to a hospital close by to recover, the telegraph reported. People believed that she was also making attempt to help rescue her family members.

By all accounts, officials can't tell which family member lost consciousness first, but there is no suspicion of foul play.

The mayor of Paola, Roberto Perrotta, reportedly told local media that the unfortunate incident caused pain and enormous sorrow to the entire community.

Related Article: 12 People Including Kids Hospitalized Due to Carbon Monoxide Poisoning in New Orleans

For more news, updates about carbon poisoning and similar topics don't forget to follow Nature World News!
No one knows why an enormous white whale is swimming off the coast of Seattle. The white whale has been observed swimming in Puget Sound in the greater Seattle region for the previous week. A beluga, a stray cetacean, is typically found in the Arctic and subarctic seas.

According to Howard Garrett, co-founder of Orca Network, an organization promoting awareness to whales in Puget Sound, "the nearest beluga population in Cook Inlet, Alaska," roughly 1,500 miles (2,400 kilometers) distant from Seattle. "I haven't tested the water temps up there, but I'm sure they're cooler than here."

White Whale Footage

On Sunday (Oct. 3), Jason Rogers of Bonney Lake, Washington, captured footage of a white whale swimming in Commencement Bay in Tacoma, roughly 30 miles (50 kilometers) south of Seattle.

"To be sure, it was a strange experience," Rogers said in an email to Live Science. "We didn't expect to encounter a whale, let alone a beluga while sailing in Commencement Bay. Nevertheless, it was there, swimming along happily, although it seemed out of place."

Other individuals saw the beluga (Delphinapterus leucas) swimming at three different shipyards in Puget Sound. "I'm not sure what a shipyard has to offer a beluga," Garrett remarked. "I'm not sure whether it's a hint if it implies it was held prisoner in a shipyard someplace near a big port, but we don't have any documentation, and we have no idea where that would be, certainly not in North America."

Related Article: Norwegian Whaling Season 2021 Claimed the Life of 570 Minke Whales Despite Protests



Discovering a Beluga

According to Live Science, a beluga whale discovered in Norwegian seas in 2019 wearing a harness that said "Equipment of St. Petersburg" was suspected of being a Russian spy. According to the BBC, the beluga, called Hvaldimir, is still swimming in Scandinavian seas, and animal welfare campaigners are concerned that it may not be able to hunt alone and avoid humans.

There are no hints as to where the discovered beluga came from. Garrett explained, "We've seen no marks, no indication of where it originates from."

According to the Georgia Aquarium, beluga adults are white, like many other Arctic and subarctic species, which helps them blend in with a world of snow and sea ice. Beluga whales are also renowned for their distinctive "melons," spherical lumps on their heads used by the whales for communication and echolocation. In reality, beluga whales are gregarious animals that live in pods of up to 100 people, making this lone whale's voyage all the more intriguing, according to Garrett.

Going Solo

So, what made this whale go off on its own?

"Until we get more information, my default opinion is that this whale just chose to go for a walk and see what it could find," Garrett said. "It had a strong desire to travel. It's scarce, although it does happen with various [beluga] populations now and again. So it's not completely unusual, but it is quite rare."

According to Garrett, the last confirmed sighting of a beluga whale in Puget Sound was in 1940. In 2010, a beluga was also reported in Puget Sound, but only one person saw it, and they were unable to obtain photographic confirmation of it.

Washed Up Beluga Whale

According to The Mercury News, a beluga whale washed up dead in Baja California Sur, Mexico, in 2020. Why that whale went to such warm waters is still a mystery. "I'm not sure why a beluga would do anything like that," Garrett remarked.

Nonetheless, based on observations thus far, the Puget Sound beluga looks to be in good condition. "There's enough of it in Puget Sound," he added, adding that belugas consume squid, tiny fish, and crabs. According to Garret, other whales that live in Puget Sound include transient and resident orcas, as well as migrating gray whales, humpback whales, and minke whales.

Local whale and other animal groups, including the local branch of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), are aware of the stranded beluga and plan to approach it carefully to photograph it. According to Garrett, such photographs may be compared to photos of other known beluga whales, which could help scientists determine where the Puget Sound visitor originated.

Also Read: Dead Dolphins, Turtles Are Washing Ashore in Sri Lanka: Could the Cargo Ship Fire be Blamed?

For more animal, don't forget to follow Nature World News!
A massive solar storm is expected to hit Earth today, potentially wreaking havoc on electrical infrastructures and satellites throughout the globe.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has issued the geomagnetic storm notice, with a solar flare expected to impact Earth today.

A massive solar flare is due to hit Earth today, authorities are warning - potentially disrupting power grids and bringing the Northern Lights as far south as New York as well as the north of England and Northern Ireland.



Pic: @MetOffice

Read more: https://t.co/c0uas1xd3T pic.twitter.com/d5ACwZ0svh  Sky News Tech (@SkyNewsTech) October 11, 2021

Satellites may also be affected, with "orientation anomalies" requiring ground control to correct them, as well as anything in low-Earth orbit incurring higher drag, according to NOAA. According to the organization, the geomagnetic storm might reach category G2, which is moderately strong.

G2 Geomagnetic Storm

According to the organization, the geomagnetic storm might reach category G2, which is moderately strong.

"Event analysis and model output predict CME arrival about midday on October 11th, with lingering impacts lasting into October 12th," it said, with midday in the US corresponding to late afternoon and early evening in the UK.

"Aurora is possible through the 11th throughout parts of Scotland," the Met Office said, "but cloud levels are rising, making observations doubtful."

"There is a minor possibility of aurora reaching the far north of England and Northern Ireland tonight," it continued, "although cloud breaches are more likely in Northern Ireland, so sightings are more likely there."

Related Article: Expert Warns 'Situation Worse than Covid' if Government Ignores Solar Flare Defense



The Carrington Event

However, unlike the Carrington Event, which slammed Earth in 1859 and is thought to be the biggest solar storm ever recorded, scientists do not anticipate the flare to cause a considerable disturbance.

The Carrington Event produced an aurora that could be seen across the sky, even at latitudes considerably closer to the equator, and was reported as brighter than the brightness of a full moon in contemporaneous records.

It knocked out telegraph networks throughout Europe and North America, and a similar storm today might cost the world trillions of dollars.

Solar Activity

Solar activity has been recorded naturally rising and dropping every 11 years, albeit not exactly like clockwork, and astronomers believe we are now in the early years of a new active era.

Last year, a new family of sunspots identified on our star's surface released the largest solar flare witnessed by astronomers since 2017.

Solar flares are classified into several classes, with the X-class being the most powerful. The CME on Saturday was an M-class event, the second most powerful after X.

It's called a "Halo CME" because flares coming directly for Earth appear like a halo around the Sun.

CMEs

CMEs (coronal mass ejections) are massive plasma and magnetic field expulsions from the Sun's corona. They can expel billions of tons of coronal material and carry an embedded magnetic field (frozen in flux) greater than the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) intensity in the solar wind. CMEs travel at rates ranging from less than 250 kilometers per second (km/s) to almost 3000 km/s when they leave the Sun.

CMEs aimed at Earth can reach our planet in as little as 15-18 hours. The arrival of slower CMEs might take many days. As they travel away from the Sun, they grow in size, and bigger CMEs can cover roughly a fifth of the distance between Earth and the Sun when they reach our planet.

Also Read: Powerful Solar 'Superflare' That Only Occurs Once Every 10,000 Years: Can it Happen Today?

For more cosmic news, don't forget to follow Nature World News!
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We dont want metal detectors, but unfortunately we need them. And, if our goal is for them to be temporary fixtures in our schools, it is going to take all of us to get to work on addressing the heartbreaking violence that continues to devastate our community.
Could David Bakhtiaris season be over before it begins? I sure as heck hope hes able to go at some point, Matt LaFleur says
 Frank Thomas Pool is a writer and a retired English teacher in Austin. He grew up on Maple Street in Longview and graduated from Longview High School. His column appears Tuesday. Contact him at frankt.pool@gmail.com.
Combination therapies, particularly varenicline and nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) combined, are the most effective tobacco cessation pharmacotherapies, the largest review to examine the effectiveness and safety of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) and medicines that people use to quit tobacco has found.

The study, led by the University of Bristol, and published today [12 October] in Addiction, was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), the research partner of the NHS, public health and social care.

Varenicline, bupropion, and NRT are recommended as first line treatments to stop smoking by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). E-cigarettes can be used as aids to quit smoking, but currently there are no medically licensed e-cigarettes in the UK. As cigarette smoking is globally a leading cause of premature death and illness and is costly, the aim of the research was to find out the clinical effectiveness and safety of varenicline, bupropion, NRT and e-cigarettes when compared with each other.

Previous reviews of smoking cessation medicines have rarely investigated combinations of tobacco cessation pharmacotherapies, examining monotherapies or combination NRT. Concerns have also been raised around the safety of e-cigarettes following a US outbreak of severe lung injury in users of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)-containing e-cigarettes, particularly those obtained from informal sources, such as friends and online dealers.

The researchers identified 363 trials for effectiveness and 355 for safety. Most single and combination therapies were more effective than placebo at helping people to stop smoking with varenicline monotherapy and varenicline plus NRT combined being the most effective. Bupropion was also shown to be effective, but was associated with increased risks of having a serious adverse event. E-cigarettes showed promise but more research is needed to establish their safety.

Although e-cigarettes showed promise as a means to stop smoking, more research is needed on their long-term effectiveness and safety, preferably in studies with active interventions as comparators. We also recommend further research to explore the effectiveness of combination pharmacological treatment together with counseling or psychological interventions." Dr Kyla Thomas, Consultant Senior Lecturer in Public Health Medicine, Bristol Medical School: Population Health Sciences (PHS), University of Bristol and Lead Author

Dr Michael Dalili, Senior Research Associate in Public Health in the Bristol Medical School: PHS and co-author, added: "Our study strengthens the evidence base for the use of varenicline and NRT monotherapies as first line choices for tobacco cessation in line with current NICE recommendations. Our findings should provide reassurance to patients, clinicians, and policy makers about the safety of these treatments."

The findings could have implications on the licensing of smoking cessation treatments, as e-cigarettes and combination therapies are currently unlicensed, and could influence recommended treatments.

NICE will shortly be releasing their new guidance for "Tobacco: preventing uptake, promoting quitting and treating dependence", which will include this study's data.
The phone rang into the pediatric unit that Louise Markert, M.D., Ph.D., was staffing as a junior faculty member in 1991. Had she not answered, there would have been little hope for the more than one hundred patients who were subsequently treated.

The call was from a doctor in Tennessee, seeking insights from Duke's renown pediatric immunology team to help him treat a child who was born without a functioning thymus gland. That question launched Markert on a 30-year exploration for a viable treatment.

"I had heard of DiGeorge syndrome," Markert said, referring to the condition that afflicted the child in Tennessee. "Children with DiGeorge syndrome often have 3 problems: no thymus, a heart defect and low calcium levels that can lead to seizures. I hadn't ever treated a patient with DiGeorge syndrome - I was working on mice and thinking about research in gene therapy."

Prompted by that call for help, Markert recalled hearing about earlier experiments using cultured thymus tissue to build the immune systems of some children born without the gland. Most of those children died, but she thought there might be a way for thymus tissue to work and generate an immune system if she could bring together the right expertise at Duke.

Throughout much of the next three decades, she honed the approach, benefitting from research collaborations with renowned colleagues at Duke, including Barton Haynes, M.D., who had done early lab studies in animal models. On October 8, the FDA approved a regenerative medicine based on Markert's pioneering work as the only therapy for congenital athymia, a grouping of rare diseases such as complete DiGeorge Syndrome that are characterized by the lack of a functioning thymus. Without the gland, which trains the body's T-cells to fight pathogens, seemingly harmless infections can be fatal. Without treatment, infants with congenital athymia conditions typically die by the age of three.

The newly approved therapy, which Duke licensed to Enzyvant Therapeutics, GmbH for development in 2016, uses thymus tissue that undergoes a series of intricate processes and then is implanted in babies with athymia, where it selects T-cells to recognize and attack pathogens.

It really has been an incredible journey." Louise Markert, M.D., Ph.D.

Before Markert answered that phone call in 1991, the medical literature chronicled a few cases in which doctors retrieved thymus tissue from pediatric heart patients and implanted it in babies who lacked the gland, but it was not successful.

In 1997, Markert, Haynes and colleagues at Duke published a case study chronicling a first success in an infant with DiGeorge syndrome. That person is still alive.

Word spread, adding to Duke's reputation as a leading center for treating children born with certain types of severe immunodeficiency. Markert began receiving patient referrals from doctors throughout the U.S. and beyond and soon thereafter initiated a first clinical study.

In all, there have now been 10 clinical studies to investigate this treatment, including 105 patients. In an analysis of those patients enrolled since the 1990s, the estimated survival rate is 77% at one year and 76% at two years. For patients who were alive at one year following treatment, the long-term survival rate was 94% at a median follow-up of 10.7 years.

Three of Markert's early patients are now in their 20s.

For Zelene Turner, whose daughter, Jayla, was born with DiGeorge syndrome 14 years ago, Markert's therapy was lifesaving. Doctors near the family's home at the North Carolina coast were initially stumped about what was causing baby Jayla's rash, but one physician suspected the immune disease and referred the family to Duke.

"We were so scared," Turner said. "She was nine months old when she got the treatment, and she was so sick. I was afraid to hold her. And then after we left the hospital, we had to be isolated at home -- we did not want her exposed to anything that people just normally pick up."

Turner said she worried for three years, keeping visitors at bay and her house spotless, but eventually began to ease up. Now Jayla is in the 9th grade, an honor roll student in public school and, while still more fragile than most children, enjoys a mostly normal life.

"To look at her you'd never know," Turner said. "She's doing great. And those years I spent with her, I saw so many of the milestones that children normally reach. She is winning academic awards, and is interested in gymnastics, cheering and volleyball, she loves arts and cooking. She is awesome!"

With her long quest now fulfilled, Markert is focusing on other conditions that might be helped by cultured thymus tissue technology. A treatment team led by Paul Martin, M.D., Ph.D., and his colleagues in the Division of Pediatric Transplant and Cellular Therapy have now been caring for these patients when they come to Duke for treatment. John Sleasman, M.D., the chief of the Pediatric Division of Allergy Immunology and Pulmonary and his team, provide assistance with the immunologic evaluation of the patients.

Markert's team includes Jie Li, Stephanie Gupton and Betty McCarthy. "It has been a real team effort, and an amazing experience," Markert said. "I've had great help from across the Department of Pediatrics from so many wonderful people who really wanted to help these babies."
Demobilized Boko Haram militants facing reintegration might be helped by supportive messaging from religious leaders, according to a study released today. The study, conducted in northeastern Nigeria, where Boko Haram is estimated to have killed tens of thousands and displaced millions, found that radio-style messages from a respected local Muslim religious leader focusing on forgiveness significantly increased community members' willingness to accept demobilized fighters back home.

The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, comes as thousands of Boko Haram fighters and abductees who have defected from Boko Haram are awaiting reintegration. Researchers sought to understand how to improve community acceptance in an area deeply affected by the conflict; 67 percent of study participants had had a relative abducted or killed by Boko Haram and many had witnessed killing or been tortured themselves.

We need to stop armed conflict in so many places, but the question becomes what happens to a fighter when they lay down their weapons and want to go home? Would you welcome someone like that back into your neighborhood? We simply don't have a lot of evidence on what to do." Rebecca Littman, Study Co-Author, University of Illinois-Chicago

With support from the research non-profit Innovations for Poverty Action, researchers Graeme Blair, Rebecca Littman, Elizabeth R. Nugent, Rebecca Wolfe, Mohammed Bukar, Benjamin Crisman, Anthony Etim, Chad Hazlett, and Jiyoung Kim worked with the international humanitarian and development agency Mercy Corps to implement the study. In neighborhoods and camps for internally displaced persons in the city of Maiduguri, the birthplace of Boko Haram, researchers randomly offered community members the chance to listen to one of two simulated radio broadcasts. Participants either heard a respected Muslim sheikh talking about the importance of forgiveness in the Islamic tradition, announcing that he would forgive, and calling on listeners to do the same, or an informational broadcast on health and hygiene. Later when they were asked about a hypothetical former fighter who wanted to return to their community, 70 percent of those who heard the forgiveness messaging said they were willing to have him return to their community compared to 60 percent of those who had heard the other message, a significant difference of 10 percentage points.

"It's difficult to change attitudes, particularly in such charged areas," said co-author Mohammed Bukar of Mobukar Consultancy Services in Maiduguri, "but we asked a number of different questions, and found even though the forgiveness messaging didn't make feelings like anger and fear go away, it still changed people's willingness to accept them back and interact with them which is crucial." The researchers found that the forgiveness messaging changed people's willingness to allow former members to stay in the community, trade with them, marry into their families, and participate in politics.

"This seems like a promising start tackling a very difficult problem," according to Radha Rajkotia, Chief Research and Policy Officer of Innovations for Poverty Action. "And it comes at a critical time. If we want to successfully wind down protracted conflicts, we need programs like these." Sheikh Goni Muhammad Sa'ad Ngamdu, who made the recording used in the study, suggested the findings also point to a role for religious leaders like himself in promoting peace: "I urge religious leaders to look at these findings [and] think about how they'd benefit the region. How they could help bring about an end to the conflict. It is their duty to use their platforms and spread the word that reintegration, done the right way, could finally bring lasting peace back to the region."
A newly detected molecule that helps reduce damage from sustained loss of blood flow to cells and tissues could eventually be used to prevent collateral harm to vital organs during surgery, according to University of Utah Health scientists. The researchers say a drug based on this molecule could drastically reduce post-surgical complications, particularly following heart bypass procedures.

A particular problem facing all of us when we undergo surgery, particularly vascular surgery, is that blood flow is often compromised. Any time we limit blood flow, even if it is for a good reason, this can cause damage to the organ that were trying to rescue as well as damage to other organs In our animal studies, we found that the molecule, GJA1-20k, can help mitigate ischemia, which is the loss of blood flow, potentially preventing unintended harm to cells, tissues, and organs. Robin Shaw, M.D., Ph.D., corresponding author of the study and director of the Nora Eccles Harrison Cardiovascular Research & Training Institute (CVRTI) at U of U Health

The study appears in eLife, an online, peer-reviewed journal.

Induced ischemia is commonly used in surgical procedures such as heart bypass surgery, Shaw says. Nearly all of 500,000 open heart surgeries performed in the United States each year rely on heart-lung machines to keep patients alive while surgeons graft healthy arteries and veins onto an ailing heart. However, these machines arent perfect. Often oxygen doesnt flow or reach organs as well as it would naturally. As a result, a patient can experience low blood pressure, and tiny blots clots can form. All these possibilities can unintentionally cause mild ischemia in organs throughout the body.

There are multiple possible causes for ischemia to the brain during cardiac surgery, but the bottom line is that after surgery almost half of the patients experience cognitive impairment that can last for months to even years, Shaw says. For other organs such as kidneys, limbs, and heart, surgeons cut off the circulation in order to perform vascular surgery. We should be able to limit damage to these organs that occurs as a result of vascular procedures.

Based on animal studies, scientists have long known that inducing short bursts of low vascular blood flowthree to five minutes eachcan prevent longer lasting and more serious ischemic incidents such as heart attack or stroke, according to Daisuke Shimura, Ph.D., lead author of the study and an associate instructor at CVRTI. But replicating these protective effects, called ischemia preconditioning (IPC), in humans has proven difficult.

Researchers have studied the potential of a protein called Connexin43, a possible mediator of this process, as a drug target, Shaw says. However, Connexin43 and similar proteins have failed to reproduce IPC in clinical trials.

In their study of human cells and mice, Shaw and his colleagues discovered GJA1-20k, a peptide that is produced by the same gene responsible for Connexin43. The researchers found that the peptide, which increases in response to reduced blood flow, appears to mimic IPC protection in the heart.

Specifically, GJA1-20k causes organelles within cells called mitochondria to divide. Normally, this is considered bad because smaller mitochondria usually dont work as well as larger ones. However, in this case, the peptide induces mitochondria division in a healthy way, Shaw says. It is protective because GJA1-20k-induced smaller mitochondria produce fewer substances called free radicals, which play a key role in ischemia and reduce oxygen consumption by cells.

In experiments with mice that had reduced the ability to produce GJA1-20k, the researchers found that inducing ischemia in hearts caused mitochondrial dysfunction, free radical release, and heart muscle death. Hearts that genetically overexpress GJA1-20k were protected against ischemia. Shaw says these findings confirm that when ischemia occurs in hearts and other organs, they produce GJA1-20k in order to protect themselves. The results also suggest that providing GJA1-20k, such as through an infusion (IV drip), safeguards organs from damage caused by diminished blood flow.

GJA1-20k is a magic molecule that has been hiding in plain sight all along. It completely reproduces the protective effects of ischemic preconditioning. In time, this is a molecule that could be turned into a life-changing drug. Robin Shaw

Moving forward, Shaw and his colleagues are testing the effects of GJA1-20k in other animals with relevant physiological features that more closely resemble those found in humans.

In addition to Drs. Shaw and Shimura, U of U Health scientists Rachel Baum, Steven Valdez, Junco Warren, Joseph Palatinus, and TingTing Hong contributed to this study. Researchers at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Noorda College of Osteopathic Medicine, and the University of California at Los Angeles also participated in this research.
By now, it's clear the COVID-19 pandemic has been particularly unkind to communities of color and low-income populations. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ties these disparities to disproportionate representation of nonwhite populations in essential worker roles, discrimination, lack of healthcare access, wage gaps, housing factors, and more. But new research from the San Francisco Estuary Institute, the Nature Conservancy, and the University of Illinois suggests less access to nature may contribute as well.

"Our research shows a stark example of how the COVID-19 pandemic can exacerbate existing inequity. The inequality in access to nature in U.S. cities has been shown to have many health effects, and now it looks like it also has had significant health implications during the COVID-19 pandemic," says Erica Spotswood, lead scientist for the Urban Nature Lab at the San Francisco Estuary Institute and principal author on the Nature Sustainability paper.

Further, and more surprisingly, the analysis links nature access with COVID-19 rates regardless of racial and socioeconomic identity. In other words, being around trees and other natural elements may offer a protective effect against becoming sick, full stop.

We were surprised to find greenness is associated with lower rates of COVID-19, even after controlling for race, income, and a host of other factors. An increase of 0.1 in Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), a common measure of greenness, was associated with a 4.1% decrease in COVID-19 incidence rates." Erica Spotswood, Lead Scientist

The research team emphasizes that although their analyses are statistically sound, they only demonstrated a correlation between nature and COVID-19 incidence  not cause and effect. However, as experts in environmental psychology, they have some ideas.

"There's actually a very clear possible explanation for nature having a protective effect against COVID," says Ming Kuo, associate professor in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences at U of I and co-author on the paper. "We know spending time in parks or woods boosts our 'Natural Killer cells'  our body's troops for fighting viral infections  and that the greener a person's residential area, the less likely they are to come down with viral infections of various kinds. Basically, when we're exposed to a virus  any virus -- our Natural Killer troops try to squash it immediately, before it turns into a full-blown case or causes symptoms.

"This is true for all viruses we've studied, so it would be no surprise for this to be true of the virus underlying COVID, as well. Plus, scientists have discovered a whole host of other ways in which nature helps fight disease  by reducing stress, etc. So, it would actually be more puzzling if we found nature didn't have a protective effect against COVID."

The study, funded by Google's Ecology Program, is the first of its kind to quantify the relationship between nature exposure and COVID-19 case rates using detailed spatial data for 17 U.S. states.

To understand how COVID-19 interacts with sociodemographic data and nature access, the research team zoomed down to the ZIP-code scale in urbanized areas. They found ZIP codes primarily populated by nonwhites had nearly twice as many COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people compared to white-majority ZIP codes. And significantly less green space, including parks.

"These results underscore that communities of color face a double burden during the COVID-19 pandemic: greater COVID-19 case rates, which has made social distancing more essential, and less nature nearby to ease the mental strain of social distancing," says Rob McDonald, lead scientist for the Nature Conservancy and co-author on the paper.

Exposure to green space doesn't just lower stress and activate our immune responses. Trees and other natural elements also decrease air pollution and temperature, both of which have been linked to COVID-19 rates in other studies. Finally, it may be that people living in proximity to parks and other green spaces are more likely to socialize outdoors where COVID-19 transmission is drastically reduced.

Regardless of the underlying reasons, the research team recommends short-term actions to overcome barriers to nature access during the pandemic. For example, municipalities should commit to keeping urban parks open, safe, and accessible.

"In the long term, we need to redress inequity through tree planting and other greening interventions in the lowest income neighborhoods," Kuo says. "All indications are that greening would have substantial public health value well beyond the pandemic. And since these interventions cost significantly less than healthcare, they're good value."
I hadn't expected the tears.

My primary care doctor and I were saying goodbye after nearly 30 years together.

"You are a kind and a good person," he told me after the physical exam, as we wished each other good luck and good health.

"I trust you completely  and always have," I told him, my eyes overflowing.

"That means so much to me," he responded, bowing his head.

Will I ever have another relationship like the one with this physician, who took time to ask me how I was doing each time he saw me? Who knew me from my first months as a young mother, when my thyroid went haywire, and who since oversaw all my medical concerns, both large and small?

It feels like an essential lifeline is being severed. I'll miss him dearly.

This isn't my story alone; many people in their 50s, 60s and 70s are similarly undergoing this kind of wrenching transition. A decade from now, at least 40% of the physician workforce will be 65 or older, according to data from the Association of American Medical Colleges. If significant numbers of doctors retire, as expected, physician shortages will swell. Earlier this year, the AAMC projected an unmet need for up to 55,200 primary care physicians and 86,700 specialists by 2033, amid the rapid growth of the elderly population.

Stress from the covid pandemic has made the outlook even worse, at least in the near term. When the Physicians Foundation, a nonprofit research organization, surveyed 2,504 doctors in May and June, 61% reported "often experiencing" burnout associated with financial and emotional strain. Two percent said they had retired because of the pandemic; another 2% had closed their practices.

Twenty-three percent of the doctors surveyed said they'd like to retire during the next year.

Baby boomers, like me, whose medical needs are intensifying even as their longtime doctors bow out of practice, are most likely to be affected.

"There's a lot of benefit to having someone who's known your medical history for a long time," especially for older adults, said Dr. Janis Orlowski, AAMC's chief health care officer. When relationships with physicians are disrupted, medical issues that need attention can be overlooked and people can become less engaged in their care, said Dr. Gary Price, president of the Physicians Foundation.

My doctor, who's survived two bouts of cancer, didn't mention the pandemic during our recent visit. Instead, he told me he's turning 75 a week before he closes the practice at the end of October. Having practiced medicine for 52 years, 40 as a solo practitioner, "it's time for me to spend more time with family," he explained.

An intensely private man who's averse to publicity, he didn't want his name used for this article. I know I'm lucky to have had a doctor I could rely on with complete confidence for so long. Many people don't have this privilege because of where they live, their insurance coverage, differences in professional competence, and other factors.

With a skeletal staff  his wife is the office manager  my doctor has been responsible for 3,000 patients, many of them for decades. One woman sobbed miserably during a recent visit, saying she couldn't imagine starting over with another physician, he told me.

At one point, when my thyroid levels were out of control, I saw my physician monthly. After my second pregnancy, when this problem recurred, I brought the baby and her toddler brother in a double stroller into the exam room. One or the other would often cry sympathetically when he drew my blood.

I remember once asking when a medical issue I was having  the flu? a sore throat?  would resolve. He pointed upward and said, "Only Hashem knows." A deeply religious man, he wasn't afraid to acknowledge the body's mysteries or the limits of medical knowledge.

"Give it a few days and see if you get better," he frequently advised me. "Call if you get worse."

At each visit, my doctor would open a large folder and scribble notes by hand. My file is more than 4 inches thick. He never signed up for electronic medical records. He's not monetizing his practice by selling it. For him, medicine was never about money.

"Do you know the profit margins this hospital makes?" he asked at our last visit, knowing my interest in health care policy and finance. "And how do you think they do it? They cut costs wherever they can and keep the nursing staff as small as possible."

Before a physical exam, he'd tell a joke  a way to defuse tension and connect with a smile. "Do you know the one about " he'd begin before placing his fingers on my throat (where the thyroid gland is located) and squeezing hard.

Which isn't to say that my doctor was easygoing. He wasn't. Once, he insisted I go to the emergency room after I returned from a long trip to South Asia with a very sore leg and strange pulsing sensations in my chest. An ultrasound was done and a blood clot discovered.

The young doctors in the ER wanted to give me intravenous blood thinner and send me home with a prescription. My doctor would have nothing of it. I was to stay in the hospital overnight and be monitored every few hours, efficiency and financial considerations be damned. He was formidable and intransigent, and the younger physicians backed down.

At that last meeting, my doctor scribbled the names of two physicians on a small sheet of paper before we said our goodbyes. Both would take good care of me, he said. When I called, neither was accepting new patients. Often, I hear this from older friends: They can't find physician practices that are taking new patients.

Price, who's 68, went through this when his family physician announced she was retiring and met with him in January to work out who might take over his care. Price was admitted into the practice of a younger physician with a good reputation only because he asked a medical colleague to intervene on his behalf. Even then, the first available appointment was in June.

Orlowski had a similar experience two years ago when searching for a new primary care doctor for her elderly parents. "Most of the practices I contacted weren't accepting new patients," she told me. It took six months to find a physician willing to see her parents  again, with the help of medical colleagues.

I'm lucky. A friend of mine has a physician daughter, part of an all-women medical practice at a nearby university hospital. One of her colleagues had openings and I got on her schedule in December. My friend's daughter recommends her highly.

Still, it will mean starting over, with all the dislocation that entails. And these transitions are hard, for patients and doctors alike.

Several weeks ago, I received a letter from my doctor, likely his last communication, which I read with a lump in my throat.

"To my beloved patients," he wrote. "I feel so grateful for the opportunity to treat you and develop relationships with you and your families that I will always treasure.  I bid you all adieu. I hope and pray for your good health. I will miss each and every one of you and express to you my appreciation for so many wonderful years of doing what I love, caring for and helping people."

We're eager to hear from readers about questions you'd like answered, problems you've been having with your care and advice you need in dealing with the health care system. Visit khn.org/columnists to submit your requests or tips.
Thought Leaders Dr. Rebecca Huntley

Dr. Lai Heng Foong

As climate change becomes a more pressing global concern, more needs to be done to address its health effects. We spoke to researchers Dr. Rebecca Huntley and Dr. Lai Heng Foong about how healthcare professionals can help.

What provoked your latest research into climate change?

The science of climate change is irrefutable and clear. As an emergency physician and a social scientist, Lai Heng has been flabbergasted that people have been slow and resistant to embracing the truth that climate change is happening and that it is harming their health. She started researching more effective ways to communicate the urgency of climate change so that we can change and start living in a way that will decrease global warming.

Rebecca and Lai Heng met at a business breakfast for the Nature Conservation Council and started discussing ways to collaborate. The article is the beginning of our ongoing work together to improve and extend the ways in which health professionals might speak out about the climate and its impacts.

What is the importance of effectively communicating climate change and its implications?

Appreciating the urgency of climate change and its adverse effects on health. Climate change is urgent. We need to communicate this urgency to act effectively so that we can change behavior and prevent irreversible and catastrophic change.

Image Credit: Piyaset/Shutterstock.com

How does climate change pose a threat to health and wellbeing? Are there some people that will be disproportionately affected?

Climate change poses a threat to health and wellbeing by;

Air pollution

Heat

Increased frequency and severity of extreme weather events such as floods and bushfires

Loss of homes/livelihood/food security

Loss of income

Loss of lifestyle

Increased mental health issues

It will disproportionately affect people from lower SEC communities, indigenous communities, children, and the elderly as well as people with underline health issues.

The combination of the impacts of COVID and climate is yet to be seen but can be anticipated to be particularly difficult as Australia prepares for the end of lockdown and the summer bushfire season.

Why are communities becoming more and more concerned regarding climate change?

There is increasing community awareness that climate change is going to affect their health, lifestyle, their income, food, and home security.

The concern is also building as more national and global advocacy around the issue of climate is occurring, making the Australian community appreciate we have a decade of action and opportunity, a critical and narrow window for transition to a low carbon economy. They are already seeing more extreme weather events, including heatwaves in areas not used to them, bushfires destroying wildlife, forests, and properties, as well tropical storms and floods.

Why are healthcare professionals in a unique position to speak to patients and the wider community about climate change?

They are trusted by communities and respected by politicians and their status due to the pandemic has been enhanced from an already high bar. They work closely with communities of all kinds and can articulate the current day impacts of climate on physical and mental health.

Image Credit: Lordn/Shutterstock.com

Can you describe your latest research into communicating climate change?

It outlines how to communicate in a more effective and impactful way so that we can convince people to change their behavior and demonstrates the special role health care professionals can play.

What did you discover?

We found some golden rules for climate change communication for health care professionals. It is about empowering health professionals to speak up about known health impacts and to galvanize the community to act to lower CO2 emissions and lobby their members of parliament to enact policies to lower emissions, decrease reliance on fossil fuels as an energy source, and build a more resilient community.

Can you describe your golden rules for communicating climate change?

Simple messages, repeated often, by trusted voices, are most effective. Put people first. Frame the issue as a health problem rather than as an environmental problem. Many people see the problem of climate change as global and abstract, while health is local and concrete. Introduce the health benefits of climate solutions and speak to the values your patients and clients care about most (personal health, family, community, protecting who and what is at risk  vulnerable people, nature, and clean air). Events such as extreme heat or flooding or poor air quality create an opportunity to educate people on the health impacts of climate change. This can encourage people to consider how they could prevent such harm to health in the future. Use visual language so that your audience can see themselves in the solution. For example, Australias climate is already harsh and climate change is supercharging that. But human beings  and Australians  are known for their resilience and resourcefulness. We can take charge of our health and protect our beautiful country if we act now. Be careful of polarising language like climate crisis or climate emergency in a clinical setting. The scale and nature of the threat is huge but repeating messages that invoke fear can desensitize and turn some audiences away from your message. Do not get caught up in conversations that question climate science. Its not up for debate. If the conversation veers into debate or politics, redirect it back to your professional expertise and evidence around climate change health impacts. Avoid repeating a negative statement to attack it. For example, if a dismissive person argues that climate action is too expensive, do not get caught up in arguing about money. Instead, reframe according to your values, for example, Taking climate action to protect public health is the best investment a government can make.

Image Credit: elenabsl/Shutterstock.com

What else can be done to help raise awareness of climate change and its global impacts?

Better training for health care professionals on climate change including both educational and professional settings. More advisory panels are made up of health practitioners with expertise on climate change and health assisting with professional and industry policy and practice. More workplace-based education and advocacy.

Community advocacy, with health care professionals involved as leaders and spokespeople in climate campaigns more broadly.

What are the next steps in your research into climate change?

Lai Heng has been part of a Multi-College Advisory Committee convened by the Royal College for Physicians, in collaboration with Monash University and the Climate and Health Alliance to prepare a Climate Change Risks to Australias Healthcare Systems Report which will be published soon.

She will continue her work with improving the communication of climate change and health impacts to the community, advocate for more sustainable practices in health care organizations and contribute to climate advocacy within her college and with other medical colleges and governmental and non-governmental agencies.

Rebecca plans to do more specific research and strategy around the role health care professionals can play around communicating climate impacts and the benefits of action.

Where can readers find more information?

Please see the below links for more information.

About Dr. Rebecca Huntley

Dr. Rebecca Huntley is one of Australia's foremost researchers on social trends. She holds degrees in law and film studies and a Ph.D. in Gender Studies. For nearly 9 years Rebecca was the Director of The Mind & Mood Report, Australia's longest-running social trends report. She has lead research at Essential Media and Vox Populi, part of the CIRCA research group, before starting her own research and consultancy business. She works closely with The Sunrise Movement on the Climate Compass Project as well as with many other climate and environment NGOs.

She is the author of numerous books including How to Talk About Climate Change in a Way that Makes a Difference (Murdoch books, 2020), Still Lucky: why you should feel optimistic about Australia and its people (Penguin 2017), and Australia Fair: Listen to the Nation, the first Quarterly Essay for 2019. She has delivered The John Button Oration (2012) at the Melbourne Writers Festival and the MSSI Oration at the University of Melbourne (2019).

She is on the board of The Bell Shakespeare Company and the Executive Board of the NSW branch of the ALP. She is the Chair of the Advisory Board of Australian Parents for Climate Action. She has held board positions on The Whitlam Institute and The Dusseldorp Forum. She was an adjunct senior lecturer at the School of Social Sciences at The University of New South Wales.

About Dr. Lai Heng Foong

Dr. Foong is an Emergency Physician based in Sydney who has a passion for Public Health and Disaster preparedness, Indigenous Health, and the social determinants of health. Before she studied medicine, she completed a Bachelors degree with Honours majoring in Philosophy. She has a special interest in medical ethics, especially in medical decision-making and health equity. She is currently the Chair of the Public Health and Disaster Committee of the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (ACEM), and a member of the Indigenous Health Committee.

She helped develop ACEMs Environmental Strategy and Environmental Action Plan and successfully lobbied for ACEMs divestment for fossil fuels and banking with a more environmentally sustainable bank. She also spearheaded the colleges declaration of a Climate Emergency in 2019, becoming the first professional medical college to do so.

She has been a passionate advocate for effective action on Climate change as it is deeply connected to health and wellbeing. This has been done through speaking to medical students, health practitioners on Climate change and health impacts, holding media interviews during the catastrophic bushfires of 2019/2020, speaking to politicians, and working with governmental and non-governmental organizations on issues relating to climate change and health impacts. She is a member of the Multi College Climate Change and Health Project of the Royal Australasian College for Physicians (RACP). She is an Ambassador for Better Futures Australia and a member of the Doctors for the Environment Australia.

She is the current Chair of the NSW ED Community of Practice (CoP) for Covid-19 Pandemic Response. She has also been an active advocate for Closing the Gap in Indigenous Health and addressing health inequity and Pandemic preparedness. She is a Conjoint Lecturer at the University of New South Wales and the University of Western Sydney.
A new review reports that alterations in taste affected about a third of individuals with a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) diagnosis, with females being affected more than males.

Study: Taste loss as a distinct symptom of COVID-19: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Image Credit: Nicole Rerk/ Shutterstock

Background

A few months into the pandemic, specialists in otorhinolaryngology reported high rates of sensory loss in the form of an altered sense of smell and taste. Some patients lose these sensations completely (anosmia or ageusia, respectively), while a partial loss is termed hyposmia or hypogeusia. Others have distortions in their sensations, called parosmia and dysgeusia.

While not dangerous, the affected individuals may find it distressing. The symptoms typically resolve within weeks to months. By six months, the majority of patients report that they have regained normal sensation.

Earlier studies have examined one or a few aspects of this symptom set, or only as part of general neurological symptoms in COVID-19. Many have covered only a limited period, thus excluding many relevant articles. Some researchers claim that self-reported sensory loss is not reliable.

The current study, available as a preprint on medRxiv*, provides a fuller survey of literature in this area to help resolve the question of whether taste loss is as real as the loss of smell, rather than being falsely reported because of confusion with the latter.

In particular, the study focused on direct estimates based on individual taste tests vs. self-reported alterations in taste alone. Due to restrictions imposed by pandemic conditions, the latter is the preferred methodology in many settings.

The researchers tested the postulate that direct tests would confirm the presence of taste loss in this condition but could even produce higher estimates than self-reported symptoms even though in the latter, the loss of smell is often conflated with that of taste.

What did the study show?

The researchers studied 241 papers with a pooled patient set of almost 139,000 patients with a positive COVID-19 diagnosis. Of these, approximately 33,000 patients had taste loss in some form, with a pooled percentage of 37%. The prevalence estimates were similar by either direct assessment or by self-report.

The age-group-based analysis showed that the prevalence estimate among those below 18 years was 11%, vs. the highest prevalence of 44% in those between 36-50 years. Both the youngest and oldest groups had the lowest prevalence, while between 18 and 65 years, the prevalence ranged from 32% to 44%.

Thus, age may have affected the different estimates for the prevalence of taste loss in different studies. With sex, again, males were found to contribute towards a lower prevalence of taste loss.

However, there was no significant difference in the estimates obtained by testing with taste strips, taste solutions, and other methods. The highest mean prevalence was obtained using solutions.

Conclusion

Though taste loss occurs in many medical conditions, it can be confused with smell loss. In COVID-19, however, taste loss is a unique feature of the illness, affecting millions of people and reducing their quality of life. In this study, well over a third of individuals had taste loss, as expected from other studies.

The self-report-based prevalence estimates correspond to those obtained by direct testing, indicating the validity of these reports in this condition. In the face of pandemic-related restrictions, innovative testing methods were used, including home testing. However, the sheer variety of testing meant that it was non-standardized and thus led to difficulty in comparing results.

Nonetheless, there is a trend towards increasing sensitivity with the use of taste solutions compared to taste strips, which side-to-side comparisons must verify.

The higher prevalence in females may be due to their increased sensory capacity, while the reason for the highest prevalence in middle age is currently unclear.

The biological mechanism underlying these chemosensory symptoms remains an open research question, though some studies suggest that increased viral shedding in the saliva is linked to more taste loss. This may indicate direct viral damage to the taste cells.

This is supported by the presence of the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), which is the viral receptor on the host cell, and of TMPRSS2, the protein required to produce the processed form of the viral spike, on the taste receptors as well as the supporting cells of the taste buds on the tongue.

Another putative mechanism is direct viral effects on the brain that lead to taste alterations.

Future work may focus on the standardization of methods used to examine this sense. Loss of taste, which occurs due to disease, advancing age, or loss of chemosensory receptors, can significantly reduce the quality of life.

Secondly, there are no available preventive or screening measures for these chemosensory disorders. The lack of standardized screening and testing guidelines has made it difficult to track these symptoms during the current pandemic.

Clinicians often neglect to assess taste in patients suspected to have or confirmed to have COVID-19. These tests are important because they would provide a picture of how these symptoms evolve over the course of the pandemic and allow researchers to differentiate between smell and taste loss by using objective measures.

*Important notice

medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.
As Congress debates cutting prescription drug costs, a poll released Tuesday found the vast majority of adults  regardless of their political party or age  support letting the federal government negotiate drug prices for Medicare beneficiaries and those in private health insurance plans.

The argument that pharmaceutical companies need to charge high prices to invest in research and develop new drugs does little to change that sentiment, according to the new KFF poll. Most respondents agreed the negotiation strategy is needed because Americans pay more than people in other countries and because companies' profits are too high.

Various polls, in addition to KFF's, have found the plan to allow Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices to be very popular. (KHN is an editorially independent program of KFF.) The policy has polled favorably for at least the past six years, according to Ashley Kirzinger, associate director of public opinion and survey research at KFF.

Still, congressional lawmakers have yet to reach a consensus on whether to include such a provision in the major reconciliation bill aimed at funding President Joe Biden's domestic policy agenda and enhancing social programs. Republican lawmakers generally oppose efforts to impose price restraints on prescription drugs. Democrats in the House are pushing a bill that would allow changes in Medicare drug policies, including negotiations of prices for some medications. The bill passed the House last year but has run into opposition this fall. A few moderate Democrats have introduced a narrower approach.

The KFF poll found 83% of the public  including 91% of Democrats, 85% of Independents, 76% of Republicans and 84% of seniors  initially favored the federal government negotiating lower drug prices for both Medicare and private insurance. These opinions were relatively unchanged by the arguments in favor or against the policy, the poll found. Even Republican support remained relatively steady, at 71%, after hearing concerns about how negotiations could upend the pharmaceutical industry. However, the share of Republicans who "strongly" favored the plan dipped from 44% to 28%.

https://flo.uri.sh/visualisation/7500309/embed

For example, large majorities regardless of party identification and age found the following argument convincing: "Those in favor say negotiation is needed because Americans pay higher prices than people in other countries, many can't afford their prescriptions, and drug company profits are too high."

A third, including a slight majority of Republicans 65 or older, found the following argument convincing: "Those opposed say it would have the government too involved and will lead to fewer new drugs being available in the future."

In addition, 93%  including 90% of Republicans  said that even if prescription prices were lower "drug companies would still make enough money to invest in the research needed to develop new drugs," while just 6% said "drug companies need to charge high prices in order to fund the innovative research necessary for developing new drugs."

These findings represent a change from a June KFF poll, which found attitudes changed after hearing assertions that allowing the federal government to negotiate Medicare prescription drug prices could lead to less research and development or limited access to newer prescriptions.

This [latest] poll did a better job of representing whats happening in the debate," said Kirzinger. The public is hearing both sides of the argument."

Pharmaceutical companies have spent a lot of money on messaging. PhRMA, the industry's trade group, launched a seven-figure ad campaign against legislation to lower drug prices through negotiation. Pharmaceutical companies have spent the most of any single industry on federal lobbying this year and donated sizable sums to House Democrats opposed to the plan, according to Open Secrets.

But the Medicare drug-pricing negotiation plan outlined in H.R. 3 (or the "Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act") is estimated to save roughly $500 billion in federal spending for Medicare drugs over 10 years, according to a Congressional Budget Office estimate. Many Democrats hope to use the savings to expand coverage in Medicare and Medicaid as they piece together their larger spending plan.

The KFF poll also found most people have little or no confidence that Biden or Congress will "recommend the right thing" for the country on prescription drug prices. The vast majority expressed the same about drug companies. A slight majority reported confidence in what AARP recommends  and the advocacy group backs the negotiated Medicare prices.

The KFF Health Tracking Poll was conducted from Sept. 23 to Oct. 4 among a nationally representative sample of 1,146 adults, including an oversample of adults 65 and older. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 4 percentage points for the full sample.
A vaccine has proved safe and effective in protecting children against typhoid, raising hopes of fighting the disease in Sub-Saharan Africa, a study says.

More than 1.2 million cases of typhoid and 18,703 deaths from typhoid occur every year in the region, according to the researchers. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommended the typhoid conjugate vaccine in 2018 for use in countries where the disease is endemic.

A clinical trial conducted in Malawi shows that a single dose of typhoid conjugate vaccine -the only typhoid vaccine licensed for children as young as six months old - prevented typhoid in a about 84 per cent of 14,069 children aged nine months to 12 years.

"It is a great result for Malawi and for Africa," says Melita Gordon, a co-author of the study and a professor of clinical infection, microbiology and immunology at the University of Liverpool and the Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme.

"We were the only site chosen for the trial on the continent. The other sites were in Nepal and Bangladesh and the results were completely consistent across the three sites."

Malawi is a typhoid-endemic country, recording between 400 and 500 cases per 100,000 every year, according to Queen Dube, chief of health services at Malawi's Ministry of Health.

While typhoid is treatable, its effects can go beyond illness and death, researchers say. It can impair physical and cognitive development in children, affect school attendance and performance, limit productivity and reduce earning potential.

Gordon tells SciDev.Net that the findings published in the New England Journal of Medicine last month are a big boost for Malawi and Sub-Saharan Africa's campaign against typhoid.

The existing vaccine could not be used in very young children. In addition, the first line antibiotics have been found to be ineffective against multi-drug resistant strains. With this vaccine, we can now expect a reduced typhoid burden." Melita Gordon, co-author of the study

The three-year study that started in 2017 included 28,000 children, aged between nine months and 12 years, and recruited from primary schools and communities in two locations in Blantyre, Malawi's commercial city.

"We were able to complete our study on budget and ahead of schedule because of the great enthusiasm from communities. We planned to be seeing 200 children in a day but as much as 600 could turn up on some days," Gordon explains.

After 18 to 24 months of surveillance, the vaccine was found to be safe, with no serious adverse effects on children. It also worked equally well on pre-school aged children.

Gordon explains that the study encountered challenges such as a few children moving out of the research sites within the study period, and COVID-19 forced them to suspend the study for two months.

"However, we eventually managed a good retention rate due to regular text messaging to parents and the hard work of health surveillance assistants in mobilisation activities," she adds.

The efficacy data of the typhoid conjugate vaccine is the first in Africa, according to Gordon, who hopes that other African countries will follow Malawi's example in planning to roll out the vaccine.

Dube says that Malawi's Ministry of Health is setting up systems within its extended programme of immunisation to guide health workers ahead of the roll out in September 2022. "Vaccines are the best tool in as far as prevention is concerned, so we are getting set," Dube tells SciDev.Net.

Maziko Matemba, a Blantyre-based community health expert and director of Health and Rights Education Programme Malawi, describes the result as "a big breakthrough", adding that what remains now is dissemination of information to promote acceptance of the vaccine.

"Typhoid is a big problem in Africa. Vaccination is a cost-effective way of fighting disease, and this is a great opportunity for us," Matemba says.
Shirley Temple Smith, 82, passed away on Thursday, November 18, 2021 at her home surrounded by her family. She was born in Columbia, Kentucky, and was a loving wife and mother. She was preceded in death by her husband Vernon Russel Smith. Survivors include her sons, David Smith (Jennifer) of
(Newser)  Update: A South Dakota woman has been convicted in the death of her newborn son, found alone in a cornfield 40 years ago. Theresa Bentaas, 60, of Sioux Falls, entered what's known as an Alford plea to manslaughter charges, a move in which she technically admits no guilt, reports the New York Times. Mrs. Bentaas, you stand convicted of manslaughter in the first degree, the judge told her after the plea. An autopsy determined "Baby Andrew," found in the field near Sioux Falls on Feb. 28, 1981, had died of exposure. But a doctor consulted by the defense determined the death was likely the result of birth complications and a lack of medical care, per the Argus Leader. Bentaas faces up to life in prison at her Dec. 2 sentencing. Our original story from March 2019 follows:

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A community's 38-year quest for "justice for Andrew," a newborn who was left in a South Dakota cornfield to die, has led to an arrest. Police say DNA tests show Theresa Rose Bentaas, 57, was the infant's mother, the Argus Leader reports. She now faces murder and manslaughter charges. Sioux Falls police exhumed the child's body a decade ago to obtain DNA samples. No matches were found in a state database, but a private genealogy company had more luck, which helped detectives to build a family tree that led them to Bentaas. The affadavit says she told police she was "young and stupid" at the time. She hid the pregnancy, she said, gave birth alone at home, then drove to the cornfield. Police said the infant "slowly succumbed to exposure." Bentaas and the child's father, who is not charged in the case, have two adult children.

Sioux Falls residents came together to give Andrew, as newspapers at the time called him, a funeral in March 1981. About 50 people attended the funeral, and children left stuffed animals at the casket. A church, lawyer, funeral home, and cemetery donated their services, per KELO. Among the mourners was Lee Litz, who found the child's body. He was driving by with friends when he spotted a blanket in the field. "It's just like fresh in my mind yet," he told KSFY, "like it happened yesterday." Litz still visits the cemetery. He's glad an arrest has been made, but he's still troubled that he didn't find the child sooner. "He needed somebody," Litz said. (Read more cold cases stories.)
(Newser)  In Burkina Faso, more than a dozen people went on trial Monday accused of involvement in the assassination of the leftist leader who gave the West African country its name. Thomas Sankara, often called "Africa's Che Guevara," changed the country's name from Upper Volta as part of an effort to move on from the French colonial area. Sankaraa military officer who came to power at age 33 in a 1983 coupalso redistributed land, nationalized industries, improved women's rights, and brought the country's literacy rate from 13% to 73% before he was killed along with 12 others in an October 1987 coup, four years and two months after he came to power, the BBC reports.

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The coup was led by Blaise Compaore, a close friend who helped Sankara seize power in 1983. Compaoreruled for 27 years before he was forced out by mass protests in 2014 is among the accused, but he lives in exile in the Ivory Coast and is boycotting the trial. The other 13 defendants include Gen. Gilbert Diendere, who is already serving a 20-year sentence for plotting yet another coup in 2015, reports Al Jazeera. The defendants, who are being tried in a military court, face charges including complicity in murder and damaging state security. A doctor who signed a death certificate saying the bullet-riddled president had died of natural causes is charged with falsifying an official document.

Human rights groups criticized Sankara's rule, saying his political opponents were jailed and tortured, but his calls for African unity to counter "neo-colonial" institutions like the World Bank have made him an iconic figure across the continent. The subject of his assassination was taboo under Compaore's rule, and Burkinians say they are glad the trial is finally underway. "We've waited a long time, all along the 27 years of Blaise Compaore's regime," says brother Paul Sankara, per the BBC. "Under his rule we couldn't even dream of the possibility of a trial." (Read more Burkina Faso stories.)
(Newser)  After what may have been its second on-campus suicide in a month, UNC Chapel Hill canceled classes Tuesday. A student was found dead in a residence hall Saturday morning in an incident police are investigating as a suicide, NBC News reports. Last month, a student found dead at Forest Theatre was found to have committed suicide, the Daily Beast reports. Also this weekend, police received a call about an attempted suicide Sunday. "We are in the middle of a mental health crisis, both on our campus and across the nation, and we are aware that college-aged students carry an increased risk of suicide," Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz said in a letter to students announcing Tuesday's classes would be canceled.

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Students were encouraged to use Tuesday as a "wellness day," resting and checking in with each other, and the university also launched the Heels Care Network, a support network and campaign for mental health awareness. But some students criticized the timing: One points out that Tuesday was already set to be University Day, the annual celebration of the school's history, so half of classes had been canceled already: "They chose the easiest solution. What message are you sending to students by refusing to cancel class on Monday?" Students say the school's stressful culture encourages students pushing themselves too hard, that mental health help can be hard to find on campus, and that isolation due to COVID is compounding existing issues. (Read more UNC Chapel Hill stories.)
(Newser)  Surfers and swimmers returned to the waves Monday at a popular Southern California beach that was shut for more than a week after an undersea pipeline leaked crude oil into the ocean. The reopening of Huntington Beachdubbed "Surf City USA"came far sooner than many expected after a putrid smell blanketed the coast and blobs of crude began washing ashore, the AP reports. City and state park officials decided to reopen the shoreline in Huntington Beach after water quality tests revealed no detectable levels of oil-associated toxins in the ocean. Workers in hazmat suits tasked with removing oily blobs continued to comb the sand on Monday.

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That was good enough for Andrew Boyack, a 54-year-old commercial photographer, who usually surfs the waves in his hometown three or four times a week but has stayed out since the spill. "There's lots of guys out, so I figure it's probably all right, and I guess they tested it," Boyack said, while rinsing off at an outdoor beach shower. The surf-loving city of 200,000 people and nearby coastal communities have been reeling from the spill. The ocean has been closed, a popular air show canceled, fisheries shuttered, and local shops have been walloped. The environmental impact on wetland habitats has been less severe than initially feared, but advocates are concerned about the long-term effects of the spill.

The shoreline in nearby Newport Beach also was reopened Monday after water quality testing revealed no unhealthful levels of oil-related toxins, said a city spokesman. Coast Guard officials said a pipeline owned by Houston-based Amplify Energy that shuttles crude from offshore platforms to the coast leaked at least about 25,000 gallons and no more than 132,000 gallons of crude oil into the ocean. The spill was confirmed on Oct. 2. Officials have said the cause remains under investigation, and they believe the pipeline was likely damaged by a ship's anchor several months to a year before it ruptured.

On an overcast Monday, a handful of people played volleyball while others walked, jogged, or biked on a path along the beach. Surfers in wetsuits jogged to the shore carrying their boards, eager to return to the waves, some after being shooed away over the weekend by lifeguards on jet skis, per the AP. Still, there were far fewer people in the water than usual, said Sean Rinehart, a surf instructor. Rinehart decided not to go in after the smell of dead fish gave him pause. He last surfed Oct. 2, when he wound up in an oil slick. His skin, even now, is itching, he said. Matt Harty, a 61-year-old retiree and surfer, said this spill didn't seem as bad as others. "This is the cleanest I've seen the beach in years, right, because there's been nobody here for a week," Harty said. "I think they cleaned it up really well."

(Read more oil spill stories.)
(Newser)  Netflix is standing by Dave Chappelle after his new comedy special debuted on the streaming service and was hit with massive backlash. Despite many critics calling out the comedian's transphobic jokes and comments, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos says The Closer will be remaining on the platform. In a memo to employees obtained by Variety, Sarandos writes, "We dont allow titles on Netflix that are designed to incite hate or violence, and we dont believe The Closer crosses that line. I recognize, however, that distinguishing between commentary and harm is hard, especially with stand-up comedy which exists to push boundaries."

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Sarandos notes that Netflix supports creative freedom for its talent, and hosts other controversial content including 13 Reasons Why, Cuties, and My Unorthodox Life. And, he writes, "In terms of our commitment to inclusion, were working hard to ensure more people see their lives reflected on screen and that under-represented communities are not defined by the single story. So were proud of titles like Sex Education, Young Royals, Control Z, and Disclosure." GLAAD was quick to reply with a statement of its own: "Netflix has a policy that content designed to incite hate or violence is not allowed on the platform, but we all know that anti-LGBTQ content does exactly that."

Meanwhile, Netflix is not standing behind a trans employee who wrote a viral Twitter thread denouncing Chappelle's special, though the company tells the Verge that thread was not the reason for her suspension. Rather, Terra Field and two other employees who were also suspended tried to attend a director-level meeting to which they hadn't been invited, the AV Club reports. Field's thread, which memorializes trans people who've been murdered, can be read in full here. Another trans employee reportedly quit after Netflix decided not to pull the special. (Read more Netflix stories.)
(Newser)  Sally Rooney, an author who's been referred to as "the first great millennial novelist," is making her stance on the Israel-Palestine conflict crystal clear: The 30-year-old won't allow a Hebrew translation of her latest novel. Rooney rejected an offer from Israeli publisher Modan, which published her first two novels in Hebrew, to release an edition of Beautiful World, Where Are You, the Times reports. According to the Jerusalem Post, Rooney has made no secret of her opposition to Israel, joining thousands of other artists who in July signed a letter accusing the country of apartheid and calling for "an end to the support provided by global powers to Israel and its military; especially the United States," as well as for an end to "trade, economic and cultural relations."

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Characters in Rooney's novels are even known to criticize Israel in the dialogue; in the plot of one, characters attend a protest against Israel set during the Gaza War in 2014. Rooney is Irish, and the Post notes that due to what many in Ireland see as similar struggles to what they went through with Britain, the country has quite a few residents who support Palestine. In an opinion piece at Forward, Gitit Levy-Paz writes that a cultural boycott, which Rooney supports, "is among the most slippery of slopes. The deployment of boycotts has in the past led to human atrocities that any loving soul would distance itself from. It is not always remembered, but among the first steps taken by the Nazi regime in Germany was the initiation of a boycott of Jewish businesses." (Read more Israel stories.)
(Newser)  Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order Monday to prohibit any entity, including private business, from enforcing a COVID-19 vaccine mandate on workers and called on state lawmakers to pass a similar ban into law, the AP reports. The move comes as the Biden administration is set to issue rules requiring employers with more than 100 workers to be vaccinated or test weekly for the coronavirus. Several major companies, including Texas-based American Airlines and Southwest Airlines, have said they would abide by the federal mandate. No entity in Texas can compel receipt of a COVID-19 vaccine by any individual, including an employee or a consumer, who objects to such vaccination for any reason of personal conscience, based on a religious belief, or for medical reasons, including prior recovery from COVID-19, Abbott wrote in his order.

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Abbott, who was previously vaccinated and also later tested positive for COVID-19, noted in his order that vaccines are strongly encouraged for those eligible to receive one, but must always be voluntary for Texans. Texas has seen a recent decrease in newly reported COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. But a rising death toll from the recent surge caused by the delta variant has the state rapidly approaching 67,000 total fatalities since the pandemic began in 2020. The governor added the issue to the agenda for lawmakers to address during the ongoing special session Abbott called for redrawing voting maps and new restrictions on transgender student athletes. Montana has passed a law preventing employers from mandating that workers get vaccines, and a number of states have explicitly said schools cannot require vaccinations.

Abbott previously barred vaccine mandates by state and local government agencies, but until now had let private companies make their own rules for their workers. It was not immediately clear if Abbott's latest executive order would face a quick court challenge. Abbott's new order also carries political implications. The two-term Republican is facing pressure from two candidates in next year's GOP primary, former state Sen. Don Huffines and former Florida Congressman and Texas state party chairman Allen West, have attacked Abbotts COVID-19 policies and have strongly opposed vaccine mandates. He knows which ... way the wind is blowing. He knows conservative Republican voters are tired of the vaccine mandates and tired of him being a failed leader, Huffines tweeted. (Read more COVID-19 stories.)
(Newser)  For students at Idaho's Timberline High School, a wolf pack roaming nearby in Boise National Forest offered the opportunity to study the animals, and so they've tracked the group since 2003. This spring, though, a shocking find was made: eight pups in the pack were killed by none other than the Wildlife Services branch of the US Department of Agriculture, which defended its move by explaining the wolves were killing livestock. Now, conservation groups in the state are joining in the outcry, blasting the Biden administration for the "inhumane" killings, per the Idaho Statesman.

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In early August, representatives from various organizations, including the Center for Biological Diversity and the Western Watersheds Project, penned a letter to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack noting how "dismayed" they were at the pups' killing on public lands, and slamming legislation signed in May by Idaho Gov. Brad Little that gave private contractors the go-ahead to kill up to 90% of the state's wolf population, which hovers at around 1,500, per the Washington Post. "There is nothing biologically sound or socially acceptable about killing wolf pups on federal lands," the letter noted. "Wolf pups pose no threat to domestic livestockin Idaho, or anywhere in the Western United States."

On Oct. 1, Jenny Lester Moffitt, the USDA's under secretary for marketing and regulatory programs, responded in her own letter, conceding that the department had taken out eight wolf pups in Boise and Idaho counties only after "nonlethal methods proved ineffective." She added that while the Wildlife Service's biologists "work diligently to find practical, humane, effective, and environmentally safe solutions to wildlife problems or conflicts ... in some situationssuch as that in Idahoit is necessary to use lethal control methods." She noted wolves are only removed "to protect livestock, other agricultural resources, natural resources, human health and safety, or property."

For members of the Boise community, the culling of the pups proved more personal. Timberline student and environmental advocate Michel Liao tells the Post the killings were "shocking," while Dick Jordan, who used to teach science at the school, calls them "inhumane"and "unethical," per the Statesman. Meanwhile, Suzanne Asha Stone of the International Wildlife Coexistence Network says other methods could've been used to keep the wolves under control, including using safety lighting and guard dogs to keep livestock safe. "It was incomprehensible that these pups had to die," she says. (Read more wolves stories.)
(Newser)  The second-longest winning streak in Jeopardy! history has come to an end. Jonathan Fisher was crowned champion on Monday, ending Matt Amodio's impressive 38-game winning streak. Only Jeopardy! legend and current co-host Ken Jennings has won more consecutive games with 74. "Everybody's so smart and so competent that this could happen any game. And this time it did," Amodio, a computer science PhD student at Yale, said following his loss, per USA Today. Still, he said he accomplished his goal of becoming a champion. He also cemented a place for himself in Jeopardy! history. The 30-year-old Ohio native nabbed $1,518,601 in winnings for the third-highest total in regular season play and fourth-highest total in all-time winnings.

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Amodio was leading Fisher, an actor from Florida, and Jessica Stephens, a statistical research specialist living in Tennessee, after the first round. But his lead evaporated in the second round and he was in last place going into Final Jeopardy! To the clue, "Nazi Germany annexed this nation & divided it into regions of the Alps & the Danube; the Allies later divided it into 4 sectors," he incorrectly answered "Poland," and dropped from $10,600 to $5,600. Fisher, who wagered all of his money on "Austria," moved to $29,200besting the $28,799 total for Stephens, who also answered correctly. "Matt is so good that it was just kind of an honor to be there with him," Fisher said. Per Variety, Amodio later said he would at least have "a little intimidation factor" at "every bar trivia game that I play." (Read more Jeopardy stories.)
(Newser)  A Florida teacher arrested last week on accusations that she had a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old student is eight months pregnant, per CBS Miami. It's not known who the father is of Heiry Calvi's unborn child, according to the outlet. However, the 41-year-old teacher came under scrutiny in March after one of her students allegedly showed classmates a cellphone video of the pair having sex. Calvi taught the student at John I. Smith K-8 Center in Doral before agreeing to tutor him at his home late last year, according to a police report viewed by People.

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It notes students reported the alleged sexual relationship to officials at JC Bermudez Doral Senior High School, which shares a campus with the elementary school, in March. During a search of the teen's cellphone, officers found photos "that indicate that there was in fact an inappropriate relationship," police rep Rey Valdes tells WSVN. There were nude photos of the pair, photos of them together outside of school, messages in which they expressed love for one another, an audio recording of the student telling another person to deny knowledge of the relationship, and evidence that the student had been using Calvi's credit card, according to police.

Calvi was arrested Thursday on charges of lewd and lascivious battery, electronic transmission harmful to minors, unlawful use of a communications device, child neglect, and other offenses. She revealed her pregnancy during processing at the local jail before her release on Saturday, per People. Noting she was "immediately reassigned to a non-school site location" in March, Miami-Dade County Public Schools said it "will begin employment termination proceedings and will ensure the individual is prevented from seeking future employment with this school system."

Calvi is actually the third South Florida teacher to face charges for inappropriate actions with students over the past week or so, per CBS Miami. Hialeah Middle School teacher Brittiny Lopez-Murray, 31, was arrested Oct. 4 on charges that she repeatedly had sex with a 14-year-old former student in her car, per the Miami Herald. Meanwhile, police say Daniel Fernandez, 36, has admitted to kissing and performing a sex act on a 14-year-old student at Renaissance Middle Charter School in Doral. (Read more teacher-student sex stories.)
(Newser)  A family of four from Indiana, including two young kids, says they went to their local Walgreens to get the flu shot but instead received the COVID-19 vaccine. The Evansville familytwo adults and two children ages 4 and 5say they left the Walgreens thinking they'd received the annual flu shot as requested, according to a Monday statement released through their lawyer. About 90 minutes later, however, they received a phone call from a pharmacy employee, who explained they'd all received the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, which hasn't yet been approved by the FDA for children under 12, per McClatchy.

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While Pfizer has applied for emergency use authorization of a COVID-19 vaccine for children as young as 5, that vaccine is a third of the potency of the doses meant for adults, which this family would've received. The statement from attorney Daniel Tuley notes both children are experiencing side effects, including fever, body aches, cough, headache, and nausea. It adds the 4-year-old, who's had a fever for more than a week, is being treated by a pediatric cardiologist for high blood pressure and a rapid heart rate. The family has contacted the CDC while medical professionals continue to monitor the children's conditions, per WFLA.

Walgreens spokesperson Kris Lathan tells McClatchy that "such instances are rare and Walgreens takes these matters very seriously." Lathan adds that pharmacy staff are reviewing "our multistep vaccination procedure," which "includes several safety checks to minimize the chance of human error," to prevent repeat occurrences. A rep said much the same last month when a Walgreens pharmacist in Maryland mistakenly gave the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to a 4-year-old girl who was also to receive the flu shot. She didn't experience any major side effects but "all of us were just stunned," mother Victoria Olivier told the Baltimore Sun. (Read more coronavirus vaccine stories.)
(Newser)  California police are looking for the public's help in wrapping up the 35-year-old disappearance of a teenage girl. Susan Robin Bender was 15 when a friend saw her get into a green van at a Greyhound bus station in Modesto on the afternoon of April 25, 1986. Susan claimed to be on her way to visit friends in Carmel, and Sandie Silveria asked that her friend let her know when she arrived safely. But "I never heard from her again," Silveria tells CBS News. Months later, Susan's mother would be the last known person to see Susan alive. The teen stopped at home for a five-hour period in August 1986 before vanishing again, per the Modesto Bee. More than three decades on, police have reopened the case and hope new technologies will reveal what happened.

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Detective Josh Grant says a review of old case files showed some "avenues of opportunity" to explore. While some believe Wesley Shermantine Jr. and Loren Herzog, serial killers dubbed "the speed freak killers," may be linked to the disappearance, Susan's mother, Patricia Chupco, has long suspected a family acquaintance. Silveria claims Susan's belongings, including her diary, were found in that person's home. Grant notes police "believe there may be individuals (previously unidentified) who may have pertinent information surrounding Susan's disappearance." Police have released an age-progression photo showing what Susan might look like today. However, the Bee previously reported that police had information indicating she was murdered. (Read more cold cases stories.)
(Newser)  Not unusual: The New York Times is running an opinion piece urging people to vote Democratic in the upcoming midterms. The weird part: The piece is authored by two Republicans. Specifically, it's Christine Todd Whitman, the former governor of New Jersey who ran the EPA under George W. Bush, and Miles Taylor, a former Homeland Security official most famous for writing an anonymous-at-the-time diatribe against the Trump administration while he was still serving under it. They describe themselves as anti-Trump moderates who argue that fellow Republicans should vote in moderate Democrats over "political extremists" in the GOP who back Trump. Even if the idea of electing Democrats is unpalatable to Republicans, it's for the greater good, they argue.

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The "best hope for the rational remnants of the Republican Party is for us to form an alliance with Democrats to defend American institutions, defeat far-right candidates, and elect honorable representatives next yearincluding a strong contingent of moderate Democrats," they write. Longer term, the pair say that moderate Republicans might have to splinter off into their own third party, but keeping pro-Trump Republicans out of power in the interim is a necessary first step, they write. They cite Democratic names such as Reps. Abigail Spanberger of Virginia and Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, as well as Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona. A larger slate of 2022 candidates they support will be released next week as part of the Renew America Movement. Read the full essay. (Read more Christine Todd Whitman stories.)
(Newser)  Spies? Them? That seems to be the general reaction from those who know Jonathan and Diana Toebbe of Annapolis, Maryland, the very model of a suburban couple with two kids. Jonathan is, or was, a nuclear engineer for the Navy, Diana is a teacher, and both are currently incarcerated and accused of trying to pass secrets to a foreign government. Prosecutors say Jonathan obtained the info about the US nuclear sub program at his job, and Diana not only knew but sometimes served as his lookout at what they thought were "dead drop" locations. Both face life in prison if convicted. Details:

Mundane: A New York Times story has some amazing alleged details. In July, Diana Toebbe posted a request on Facebook for a babysitter. But this was no ordinary date for the couple: The FBI says they traveled to Pennsylvania that very day to drop off a memory card concealed in a Band-Aid. Their "foreign" contact was actually an FBI informant. At other drops, the data was stashed in a peanut butter sandwich and a gum wrapper, says the FBI.

A New York Times story has some amazing alleged details. In July, Diana Toebbe posted a request on Facebook for a babysitter. But this was no ordinary date for the couple: The FBI says they traveled to Pennsylvania that very day to drop off a memory card concealed in a Band-Aid. Their "foreign" contact was actually an FBI informant. At other drops, the data was stashed in a peanut butter sandwich and a gum wrapper, says the FBI. In court: The couple appeared in court Tuesday in West Virginia (site of one of the dead drops and their arrest) for separate hearings that lasted just a few minutes. Neither had to enter a plea. More light on the case might be shed at detention hearings scheduled for Friday, per the AP.

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Questions: Still unclear is why the couple allegedly turned to espionage; authorities have found no money trouble, for instance, though the couple did allegedly ask to be paid in a cryptocurrency called Monero. Another mystery: Which country did they think they were communicating with? The best guess is that it's an ally because the nation appears to have helped the US in the investigation. A clue? Diana had reportedly talked seriously about moving to Australia when Donald Trump was in office.

Still unclear is why the couple allegedly turned to espionage; authorities have found no money trouble, for instance, though the couple did allegedly ask to be paid in a cryptocurrency called Monero. Another mystery: Which country did they think they were communicating with? The best guess is that it's an ally because the nation appears to have helped the US in the investigation. A clue? Diana had reportedly talked seriously about moving to Australia when Donald Trump was in office. A pattern: "Although most spy cases dont involve peanut butter and Band-Aids, the facts alleged follow a familiar pattern: Insider within the US government approaches a foreign power to sell US secrets for money, is compromised despite their best efforts at tradecraft, andto their surpriseis subsequently arrested," David Laufman, a former senior Justice Department official, tells the Washington Post. It appears that Jonathan Toebbe did indeed reach out to the unnamed foreign government initially, but his message was passed along to the FBI, who then took over the communications.

"Although most spy cases dont involve peanut butter and Band-Aids, the facts alleged follow a familiar pattern: Insider within the US government approaches a foreign power to sell US secrets for money, is compromised despite their best efforts at tradecraft, andto their surpriseis subsequently arrested," David Laufman, a former senior Justice Department official, tells the Washington Post. It appears that Jonathan Toebbe did indeed reach out to the unnamed foreign government initially, but his message was passed along to the FBI, who then took over the communications. Rookie mistake: Though they protested the plan at first, the Toebbes ultimately let their contact pick the spots for the drop offs, per the FBI affidavit. Experts say that's a big mistake in the spy world. "It was somewhat surprising that someone who has studied submarine warfare follows the FBI's direction to surface for these supposedly clandestine drop offs," Michael Atkinson, a former inspector general for the intelligence community, tells the Times.

Though they protested the plan at first, the Toebbes ultimately let their contact pick the spots for the drop offs, per the FBI affidavit. Experts say that's a big mistake in the spy world. "It was somewhat surprising that someone who has studied submarine warfare follows the FBI's direction to surface for these supposedly clandestine drop offs," Michael Atkinson, a former inspector general for the intelligence community, tells the Times. Stunned: Diana Toebbe, who has a doctorate in anthropology and is known for her love of knitting, taught English at the Key School in Annapolis. Her arrest has bamboozled colleagues and former students. "I spent so many hours with her in the computer lab and in class with her," 2019 graduate Craig Martien tells the Baltimore Sun. "I cant imagine she was a different person. That doesnt seem possible." Diana Toebbe is 45 and her husband 42. The ages of their children have not been specified.

(Read more spying stories.)
(Newser)  A man in Singapore is going to be hanged for bringing three bundles of cannabis into the country. Omar Yacob Bamadhaj, 41, lost an appeal Tuesday of a sentence handed down in February. In July 2018, Bamadhaj had hopped across the border from the tiny city-state into Malaysia to run errands and go to a mosque with his father. While there, he ran into some acquaintances at a car wash who gave him three bundles wrapped in newspaper, plastic wrap, and foil. How that went down is where the trouble lies. In his appeal, Bamadhaj said he in fact did not know the bundles contained about a kilogram of cannabis, which is very illegal in Singapore, but he initially confessed when the police first questioned him, Channel News Asia reports. Later, he said his acquaintances put the bundles into his car without his knowledge.

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Police pulled the car over shortly after midnight. His dad, who was driving, was off the hook; police believed him when he said he had no idea there was cannabis in the car. Bamadhaj told police that he had been offered 500 Singapore dollars per bundle to carry the drugs into the city-state, that he thought about it for 20 minutes before agreeing, and said he was desperate for money. But he retracted the confession five days later. In his appeal, he said the Central Narcotics Bureau officers coerced him. He said they threatened to hang both him and his father. He said he had been high when he said those things.

Amnesty International condemned the decision to dismiss Bamadhajs appeal. Singapore authorities have violated international safeguards and sentenced yet another person convicted of drug trafficking to death by hanging, Chiara Sangiorgio, a death penalty advisor for the NGO said per Vice. Just last year, another Singaporean was sentenced to die by hanging in a drug casevia a Zoom call. Singapores residents apparently feel the draconian laws make it one of the safest places in the world. (Read more death penalty stories.)
(Newser)  If you thought the controversy over Columbus Day was restricted to US shores, you'd be wrong. What became a US federal holiday in 1937 is celebrated in grand fashion in Spain a day later, on Oct. 12. There, it's more like a Fourth of July or Bastille Day, with PRI reporting that people flank the avenue to the Royal Palace, the king addresses the crowd, and a military parade takes place. And so the BBC reports some right-wing politicians in Spain were none too pleased with how President Biden handled the day: by noting the "wave of devastation" Christopher Columbus helped unleash on Native Americans and issuing a proclamation that makes Oct. 11 Indigenous Peoples' Day as well.

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A professor of colonialism in the Americas tells PRI there's little hand-wringing in Spain over the holiday. "Its rarely discussed in local media or among Spaniards. For centuries, Spain considered 1492 as the year their territory grew and they became a unified empire." Indeed, the head of the conservative Popular Party called Spain's growth in the Americas "the most important event in history after the Roman empire." Pablo Casado continued, "Does the kingdom of Spain have to apologize because five centuries ago it discovered the New World, respected those who were there, created universities, created prosperity, built entire cities? I don't think so."

The head of the far-right Vox party, the third-biggest in parliament, called Biden a "lamentable president" who "has just attacked the great masterpiece of the Spanish conquest: the evangelization. How proud we can feel about what our ancestors did." The New York Times reports there was a similar reaction from the Spanish right to a September statement from Pope Francis to Mexico that referenced "the very painful errors committed in the past." Madrid's conservative leader, a member of the Popular Party, said in response that Spain brought "civilization and freedom" to the Americas. (Read more Columbus Day stories.)
(Newser)  Gabby Petito died by strangulation, a Wyoming coroner disclosed Tuesday. After the 22-year-old's body was found last month, Teton County Coroner Brent Blue ruled that the death was a homicide. Petito's remains were found in Grand Teton National Park on Sept. 19 and Blue said Tuesday that the body was outside for three to four weeks before it was found, CBS reports. Brian Laundrie, her fiance, returned alone from their cross-country trip alone on Sept. 1. Petito was reported missing by her parents on Sept. 11.

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A nationwide manhunt for Laundrie, considered a person of interest in the disappearance, is underway. Federal officials in Wyoming charged him last month with unauthorized use of a debit card in the weeks after Petito went missing. It's not clear whether the coroner's findings will lead to additional charges against the 23-year-old, the AP reports. Blue did not comment Tuesday on who might be responsible for Petito's death. He declined to release details from the autopsy, including how his team determined the cause of death, saying Wyoming law limits the information that coroners can release. He didn't comment on whether investigators believe she died in the location where the body was found. (Read more Gabby Petito stories.)
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

The Kingdom of Bahrain is continuing to strengthen its partnership with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the field of energy, thanks to their interconnected and historical relations.

His Highness Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, representative of His Majesty the King for Humanitarian Works and Youth Affairs, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Oil and Gas Holding Company, made the remark as he arrived yesterday in Riyadh, where he was received by His Royal Highness Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al Saud, Minister of Energy of Saudi Arabia.

HH Shaikh Nasser said that this sector has witnessed a qualitative leap thanks to the vision of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and the constant support of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister.

During the meeting, HH Shaikh Nasser discussed with HH Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, in the presence of Aramco Chief Executive Officer Amin Al Nasser, ways to enhance cooperation and partnership in the energy field between the two countries.

Issues of mutual interest in the energy fields were also discussed in the presence of Dr Mohammed bin Mubarak bin Dina, Managing Director of the Oil and Gas Holding Company, and Abdullah Jihad Al Zein, member of its Board of Directors.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Today, Bab Al Bahrain will witness the launch of activities to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of diplomatic relations between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Republic of India, at 6pm.

The Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities (BACA) is organising a cultural programme that extends for a whole week in cooperation with the Indian Embassy in the Kingdom and includes activities ranging from the market, live musical performances, workshops and lectures.

The Little India Market returns to Manama near Bab Al Bahrain, where it is held daily until October 19, between 6pm and 9pm.

It contributes to the Indian community market and offers a variety of activities, where various Indian and Bahraini products, traditional foods, handicrafts are sold.

Bahraini and Indian artists will also provide cultural performances that reflect the strength of cultural ties between the various segments of society in the Kingdom, and form an attractive site for visitors and local residents alike.

The Little India Market also includes a Made in Bahrain store.

Jaywant concert

Indian artist Jaywant Naidu will hold a concert at 8pm today at Bab Al Bahrain and Cultural Hall.

The concert comes as part of the 30th Bahrain International Music Festival.

Jaywant, accompanied by a group of musicians, will present the classical Indian music of North India on the Hawaiian guitar, a musical instrument that he started learning when he was eight years old.

The ceremony will be held today and tomorrow.

In addition, the Bahrain National Museum will host two lectures on the relations between Bahrain and India.

The first is to be held tomorrow at 7:00 pm and will be presented by speaker Bob Thacker, in which he will discuss the trade relations between Bahrain and India over the past two centuries.

The second will be held on October 17, at 7pm, and will be presented by Youssef Salah ElDin on the Bahrain-India bilateral relations, especially during the past five years.

The interactive activities will start on October 15 with a photography tour in the Little India Market, which is organised by BACA in cooperation with Photo Bahrain and Fujifilm.

On October 16, the Arts Centre will host two workshops on the art of hand block printing, a traditional Indian craft with roots dating back more than 800 years.

The participants will learn about the techniques of this craft and how to create their own designs and print them on different materials.

This workshop is supervised by the Kala Foundation for Artistic Design.

Publics safety

In the interest of the publics safety and to follow the precautionary and preventive measures to limit the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), BACA notes that attendance at internal events is limited to those who have received the green shield, while volunteers and non-vaccinators can attend external activities within the allowed numbers that it determines.

The programme to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of diplomatic relations between Bahrain and India is held in cooperation with the Indian Embassy, in addition to the following cultural associations: Maharashtra Cultural, Bahrain Odia Samaja, Telugu Kala Samethi, Bahrain Kannada Sangha and Bahrain Keralia Samagam.

It is golden sponsored by Lulu Group International, RP Group of Companies, BKGH Holdings, Thatay Hindu Traders Association, VKL Group Holdings and Al Namal Group.

The Silver Sponsors are Bahrain India Society, State Bank of India, New India Insurance Company and Paint Asia.
NEWS | Across the nation and around the world
Amid reports of a possible power disruption in the national capital due to coal shortage, the Ministry of Power has directed the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) and DVC to supply as much power as available to Delhi DISCOMs keeping in view their declared capacity. This will ensure that distribution companies of Delhi will get as much power as requisitioned by them as per their demand, a press release by the Central Government said. To maintain the continuous flow of power in every state, the centre has also requested states to use unallocated power for supplying electricity to consumers of the State. In case of surplus power, States are requested to intimate so that this power can be reallocated to other needy States. The press release added, Further if any State is found selling power in power exchange or not scheduling this unallocated power, their unallocated power may be temporarily reduced or withdrawn and reallocated to other States which are in need of such power. Sharing a detailed account mentioning specifics regarding the requirement of power in Delhi, the Central government said, as per the information received from Delhi DISCOMs, there was no outage on account of power shortage, as the required amount of power was supplied to them. The maximum demand of Delhi was 4,536 MW (peak) and 96.2 MU (Energy) on 10 Oct 21, said the press release.



Earlier, Delhi Power Minister Satyendar Jain on Saturday cautioned that there could be complete backout in the national capital after two days if power plants supplying electricity to the national capital do not receive an immediate supply of coal. Speaking to ANI, Jain said, After two days, there will be a complete blackout in the whole of Delhi, if we do not receive more power supply from the Centre. This warning came after the Delhi Power Minister held a meeting with the representatives of power distribution companies (discoms) to discuss the power crisis.



Some Chief Ministers from across the country have flagged the power crisis that might arise in their respective states due to coal shortage in power generation plants. These states include Delhi, Punjab and Chhattisgarh. On Monday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired a high-level meeting regarding the growing concerns of depleting coal stock in the country with the Power and Coal Ministers along with top officials of both ministries.
Amid Chinas bid to tighten the control over free speech in the country, the Xi Jinping-led government added investment in media organisations to a list of banned investments. As per the measure posted on the Chinese Communist Party (CCPs) website, the State Development and Reform Commission (SDRC) said it is soliciting public opinion on adding private sector investment in media organisations to a list of banned investments, Radio Free Asia reported. The government is making sure that it controls its message, it wont hand over the pen to anyone else, a retired lecturer at Shanxi University adding that It wants a dominating voice to rule over everything.

The order stated that organisations with no public sector investment shall not engage in business involving newsgathering, editing or broadcasting. This order intends to curb private investments in news agencies, newspaper publishing groups, radio or television broadcasters, and providers of online news, editing services or publishers, the order stated. Besides the media, Beijing has also banned private investments in areas including political, economic, military, or diplomatic organisations, Radio Free Asia reported.



Meanwhile, China has also significantly increased its efforts to influence media coverage to improve the global narrative about itself.

Beijing has been using media as an important tool for asserting power and enhancing its narrative in international discourse, China is bankrolling scholars, journalists, and experts abroad, censoring domestic media while keeping a tab on Chinese Diaspora abroad, The HK Post reported.
Jaishankar on Monday arrived at Nur-Sultan to participate in Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures (CICA) Ministerial 2021, which will be held on Tuesday.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday met his Turkmenistan counterpart Rashid Meredov and discussed bilateral and regional cooperation. Taking to Twitter, Jaishankar said, Good to meet FM Rashid Meredov of Turkmenistan. Discussed our bilateral and regional cooperation. Exchanged views on neighbourhood developments. Agreed to remain in close touch. Jaishankar on Monday arrived at Nur-Sultan to participate in Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures (CICA) Ministerial 2021, which will be held on Tuesday.



Jaishankar began his Kazakhstan visit with a bilateral meeting with Uzbek Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov. The meeting will be held in Kazakhstans capital Nur Sultan on October 11 and 12. Jaishankar will attend the 6th Ministerial meeting. Established in 1999, CICA is a forum aimed at enhancing cooperation through elaborating multilateral approaches towards promoting peace, security and stability in Asia.



CICA currently has 27 member states and 9 observer states and 5 observer organisations India is a member of CICA since its inception in 1999 and has been actively participating in various activities conducted under the aegis of CICA.
The report comes as the 13th round of talks between Indian and Chinese military commanders collapsed on Sunday, with both sides blaming the other for the flashpoints along their disputed mountainous border.

As commander-level talks between the two sides broke down over the weekend, the Chinese army put tank regiments through their paces near the Indian border, according to Chinese state media. The Peoples Liberation Army military district, which faces Indian troops at an elevation of 5,000 metres in the Karakoram Mountains, has been actively improving its high-altitude tank battle capabilities, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

The report comes as the 13th round of talks between Indian and Chinese military commanders collapsed on Sunday, with both sides blaming the other for the flashpoints along their disputed mountainous border.

In their latest round of talks, China accused India of making unreasonable demands, as the two neighbours continued to blame each other for the latest flashpoints along their disputed border. India denied the accusation, claiming that China had rejected its suggestions to improve the situation. The claim was made by Long Shaohua, a spokesman for Chinas Western Theatre Command, following the 13th round of commander-level talks between the two militaries on Sunday in Moldo, on the Chinese side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.
3 1 of 3 Contributed photo Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Contributed photo Show More Show Less 3 of 3





The Milford Arts Council and Pantochino Productions, Inc., are welcoming The Moipei Triplets to The MACs Nite Spot Nights event on Nov. 6 at 8 p.m.

These three women have such beautiful voices, Meg Carriero, MAC marketing specialist, said. Not only can they sing, they can put their own unique arrangements on familiar pieces and broaden your horizons with music you may not be as familiar with but will certainly love just as much. They bring sass and humor to their shows and find a way to connect with their audience.
NEW HAVEN  Richard DenUyl Jr. found Jesus at the bar.

The bar was part of his fathers restaurant/nightclub that DenUyl was running in Muskegon, Mich.

I saw people sitting at the bar, which is not unlike pews at a church, lined up looking at you. I saw this unquenchable thirst. It was just universal, DenUyl said.

That led to the big questions of lifes meaning, followed by divinity school at McCormick Theological Seminary, in Chicago. He was there for four years while his wife went to medical school studying to be a pediatrician.

Fast-forward some 40 years and DenUyl now is the new senior minister at Center Church on the Green, but New Haven was not an unknown entity.

Brian A. Pounds / Hearst Connecticut Media

He lived here while his wife did her residency at Yale New Haven Hospital and he continued working with the mentally ill in what today would be called a street outreach worker role.

While in divinity school, DenUyl worked the night shift at a psychiatric hospital in Chicago and after moving to New Haven got a job at a mental health crisis center in Meriden that had just opened.

He drove a van around Greater New Haven picking up people who were experiencing suicidal ideations or in the middle of a psychotic break. He said the police would follow him, but mainly he would deal with the patients himself.

It was probably one of the most rewarding things I have done. I learned a lot about mental health, he said.

His pastoral career started after that at the seaside community of Little Compton in Rhode Island, population 3,448.

He served there for two decades, catering to the summer and winter crowds that brought tugboat operators, millionaires and MIT professors to his services.

What I really realized is that people dont buy traditional theology anymore. They want something that is meaningful, that speaks to what is happening in the world. So that is kind of what I do now, DenUyl said.

The great reformer, Karl Barth, said you should have a newspaper in one hand and a Bible in the other. That is kind of me, he said.

DenUyl next spent four years at the First Congregational Church of Greenwich.

DenUyl said Greenwich gets a bad rap, but that was probably one of the most energetic congregations I have ever been in.

The new minister, similar to the experience of Integrated Refugee & and Immigrant Services in New Haven, said the Greenwich church took in a refugee family literally the day then-President Trump attempted to shut the borders to people from multiple majority-Muslim countries.

After taking a year off, DenUyl took an interim position on Marthas Vineyard before he got a call from Center Church on the Green, which he said wants to revitalize the parish.

I liked it because I felt an energy. It is like a big old sleeping giant, DemUyl said of the facilities and the churchs place in New Havens and Connecticuts history.

The immediate focus is to finish the rehab of the 1812 church  the fourth one on that site, the first having been founded by the Rev. John Davenport in 1639, one year after the Puritans established New Haven Colony.

The steeple has been renovated and stabilized to prevent any more water damage and its signature clock soon will be telling residents and visitors to the Green the correct time.

DenUyl said the full renovation, which goes to the roof level next and then to the sanctuary, front steps and crypt, probably will take until the end of 2022 to complete,

Arnold Gold / Hearst Connecticut Media

Donna Hall, the churchs treasurer and a member of its building committee, is happy DenUyl has taken up residence.

We feel really excited about the energy he is bringing to the church because we have had interim ministers for a very long time now, Hall said.

Halls day job is city project planner for New Haven, where she has taken the lead on the Downtown Crossing, one of the biggest infrastructure improvements that is reclaiming developable land on Route 34 and reconnecting city streets.

DenUly said what makes Center Church unique is that it is the founding church of New Haven  truly the town church.

For me, that means I am here for anyone in New Haven who is not a member of another church, looking for support or a place to celebrate the life of a loved one, he said.

DenUyl said most people dont wake up and go to church, particularly if you are unchurched.

He is launching a podcast that he started while on Marthas Vineyard, which several hundred people listened to within a few weeks, DenUyl said.

Brian A. Pounds / Hearst Connecticut Media

The minister said there will be a 20-minute homily, followed by some music that is pertinent to what is going on in the world. There are a couple of sample ones on the website.

DenUyl, 63, said they will use this to get people interested in the church. He said he found all ages responding positively to the initial effort on the Vineyard.

The minister said over his career I didnt convert anybody. It is the people in the pews who converted me.

In religion we try to separate the holy and the mundane, but I have found out through these wonderful people that I have met along the way, that the mundane and the holy are tightly woven and a religion that tries to separate them is useless, said DenUyl, whose Dutch surname translates as the owl, .

DenUyl said he always wanted to do an urban church. This is a kind of dream come true for me, he said.

The minister said his wife is continuing her pediatric practice in Providence, R.I., three days a week and comes to New Haven on the weekends to the apartment they rent at The Union, a block from the church.

As to his mission to increase membership at Center Church, DenUyl said you have to create back doors for people to come to hear the churchs message, which is why he feels the podcast will be an important tool.

Coming soon will be a sermon on the lack of reverence across society for anyone. Stay tuned.
NEW HAVEN  There was no daredevil steeplejack, balanced on one foot and holding on with one hand, but it has been an adventure for the craftsmen who have lived it for the past two years.

The steeple on Center Church on the Green, which tops out at 205 feet from the ground, has been strengthened and repaired for the next century through a partnership of modern engineering and artistic understanding of the original builders.

Center Church, established in 1639, is synonymous with the New Haven Colony itself, having been founded a year earlier by the same Puritans and led by the Rev. John Davenport.

For more than a century the church has had an association with F.J. Dahill Co. of New Haven, which opened its doors in 1883, providing roofers and steeplejacks around the Northeast as part of its structural restoration firm.

Among them, daredevil Frank Jack Dahill famously was pictured untethered atop the steeple in 1936  a height of 18 stories  a performance he repeated on tall structures multiple times throughout his long career.

F. W. Dahill Co. / Contributed photo

More about him later.

Now a fourth-generation local firm, Dahill provided construction manager Richard Barabas and carpenters Ted Keating and Phil Marsh, among other craftsmen, for the United Church of Christ project.

Brian A. Pounds / Hearst Connecticut Media

Jaret Lynch of Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates Inc. was the structural engineer who worked with architects from the Shelton company.

Dahill is wonderful in that they have true craftsmen that we can have conversations with. It is a dialogue. It is not an engineer in the office drawing details. It is more of a back and forth, Lynch said.

Donna Hall, the churchs treasurer and member of the building committee, said since the scaffolding has been up for more than two years, there was a lot of interest from the community to explain what was going on.

The project, which started in September 2019, was extended in time because of the pandemic and in scope when they discovered the need to repair and find the source of water damage to the steeple.

Hearst Connecticut Media file photo

Beyond the actual work, however, there has been this fantastic convergence of events, Hall said.

On Sept. 1, the church hired the Rev. Richard S. DenUyl Jr. as senior minister, reopened the physical space on Sunday for the first time since spring 2020 and brought Karen Clute onboard as music director.

We are pretty excited about the whole thing, Hall said.

Brian A. Pounds / Hearst Connecticut Media

DenUyl, who was in the mental health field while his wife was a resident at Yale Medical School in the 1980s, is happy to be back in Connecticut and impressed with the energy he has found in New Haven.

This is a welcome home for me, DenUyl said, as he takes up a new ministry as the physical upgrading of the church unfolds.

Jamie McAdams, son of Frank Jack Dahill and the companys president, reiterated Lynchs comments that all their clients are important, but the significance of this structure made the work special.

Everything has to be done to historic standards. It makes everything fairly challenging. There were a ton of wood pieces that had to be recarved. ... None of it was easy, but everyone loved doing it because the church is such a cool church, McAdams said.

The contractors started at the top with the weather vane, which, because of a possible lightning strike, was crooked for a long time.

Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates Inc. / Contributed photo

We had so many complaints about that crooked weather vane, Hall said. It is now standing up straight and it works.

Measuring 8 feet from tip to tail, the weather vane was repaired with a new interior stainless steel rod; the exterior has new gold leaf.

Inside the steeple, its timber frame was built within the brick tower that sits on top of the two-story meeting house itself.

Lynch said it was a very clever way to do it, allowing the builders to hoist it straight up by windlass and tackle from this vantage in two hours.

This is the fourth church on the site since the Pilgrims constructed the original meeting house in the 17th century.

Brian A. Pounds / Hearst Connecticut Media

The engineer said the huge steeple frame was strengthened substantially in 1912 when the last major work was done here.

Barabas and Lynch pointed out that the timbers were hand hewed as you can actually see the ax marks on three sides. The last side is smooth after the pieces were cut in half at a sawmill in New Haven.

A shortage of truck drivers, a more modern issue, was never a problem as the roof timbers were floated to the city down a river from forests in northern New England.

Brian A. Pounds / Hearst Connecticut Media

The trees must have been in excess of 100 feet to get the 72 feet of usable structural timber, Lynch said.

While the repairs are still are difficult today, the workers building this latest iteration of the church in 1812-14 had geopolitical issues with which to deal.

The British had blockaded the waterways, but religion had some sway. After some negotiations, the soldiers made an exception for the lumber coming for the three churches that stand on the Green, including Center Church.

The timber also served as bulletin boards for many of the workers who have come through over the centuries, with names and dates painted on them.

Barabas found his grandfather, Hank Wheeler, dated 1979.

Dates for other workers were 1907, 1933, 1979, 1939, some in the 1880s  with the largest amount around 1912. Very old timbers likely were recycled from the earlier churches.

Brian A. Pounds / Hearst Connecticut Media

Barabas described Wheeler as a big guy physically, not someone you would associate with the steeplejacks who would throw ropes out the small doors high up on the steeple and lower themselves in bosun chairs to paint and repair the structure.

McAdams said when the workers were on the top of a steeple or smokestack you were the painter, the mason, the carpenter, the roofer. They did everything because no one else was going up there. Our company evolved because of what they did.

Lynch said there are five ledges throughout the steeple and when they transition from one to the other, the architecture gets fancier. It ends with Corinthian the closer you get to heaven.

Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates Inc. / Contributed photo

As for the overall architecture of the church, Lynch said it reflects the three primary orders of Greek architecture that were being revived in the early 1800s.

The main part of the church shows the Doric order, which has the least ornamentation, followed by moderately ornate Ionic, which covers the tiers of the steeple transition before ending in the highly decorative Corinthian.

A lot of the wood decay was out at the cladding, or facade, and was not structural. The main timbers were in good condition, with the exception of one brace.

Where there were problems with decorative columns, to replace a piece of the wood they needed to source a tree to make it and find a lathe big enough.

Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates Inc. / Contributed photo

The biggest section that needed replacing was 7.5 feet long and 20 inches in diameter. They matched the wood species to the original lumber in each case, finding sources for red oak, white oak, Eastern white pine and a little bit of black locust.

The upside is that they were not competing for lumber at stores hit by supply chain problems.

They found the lathe they needed at Mystic Seaport, which has one to make sailing masts.

Each ledge has new copper roofing to replace the deteriorated sheathing and stop them from sagging. Barabas said you cant see it because they are painted white, but it is one of the upgrades that make this a 100-year repair.

The clock, which dates to 1923, will tell the right time before the project is finished, something that hasnt happened in a decade. The hands on the clock face have been changed to rebalance it and the mechanicals upgraded.

Brian A. Pounds / Hearst Connecticut Media

The workers took the frames of the windows out and refurbished them before reinstalling. At the bell level, they found the mechanism used to hoist it up and a discussion broke out on the use of oxen.

What rules?

Back to Frank Jack Dahill: granddaughter Beth Lovestead summed up his life.

He was a colorful character to say the least, Lovestead said. She said he followed in the footsteps of her great-grandfather, but (Frank Dahill) sort of took it to another level of crazy and fear of nothing.

He didnt think the rules applied to him, she said.

According to a feature story on him in the New Haven Register in 1957, in an accident when he was 21, he fell 102 feet from a chimney in Waterbury, then bounced off a corrugated roof of a shed before hitting the ground.

Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates Inc. / Contributed photo

He sustained multiple fractures, broken vertebrae, torn ligaments, a concussion and split his tongue. He spent three weeks in the hospital but soon was back at work.

She said he would rig a new job under cover of darkness to hide his method, but Lovestead said it was really a way to get free publicity.

McAdam agreed he was very good at getting press. He very much understood marketing in order to land a job.

People were very impressed. He got a kick out of it, said McAdams, who has run the company for 45 years and oversees its 100 employees.

Mary Ann McAdams, Jamies mother and Frank Dahills daughter, is the keeper of the newspaper clippings and photos her father collected during his career.

He was a scrapbook keeper of his antics all over the state and New York, she said.

Mary Ann McAdam, at 93, still comes to the office where she works in accounts receivable.

I call it my happy place  I get to come in to work every day and it is lovely. I like to think Im the money bounty hunter, she said.

Brian A. Pounds / Hearst Connecticut Media

Mary Ann McAdam called her father a maverick and liked the idea that he set his own path.

His daring has kept the company moving, including during the Depression when he didnt have to lay off any of his field workers.

As Katherine Hepburn once said, if you obey all the rules, you will never have any fun. He was a lot of fun and we had a lot of good times, she said. He died at age 81.

Hall said the next project will be the roof, as they continue to work their way down through the building to repairs of the front steps and the shoring up of pillars in the crypt.

The Green was a graveyard with most of the headstones moved to the nearby Grove Street Cemetery. Center Church was built over the graveyard.

Brian A. Pounds / Hearst Connecticut Media

Hall gave a shout out to the state Department of Economic and Community Development for the $200,000 grant it gave Center Church to go toward the extensive work, the main purpose of which is to keep out the water and preserve everything inside.

Preserving the cultural history of Connecticut is one of the things that they are committed to. I think it is important because you see a lot of religious buildings being turned into housing, Hall said.

It is forward looking in its own way. It is honoring the past, but moving forward, Clute said.
NORTH HAVEN  Having successfully opened a half-dozen Mexican restaurants in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, Ramon Michel now is taking aim at the Connecticut dining market.

The 56-year-old Michel, who got his start in the restaurant business as a dishwasher at the age of 16, is opening his first Connecticut restaurant Tuesday, when Torito debuts at 150 Universal Drive North in the North Haven Pavilion shopping center.

North Haven is the first Torito location in Connecticut, and Michel expects to open locations in Shelton and Waterford in the next six to nine months.

People are really welcoming here and they appreciate good service, Michel said of Connecticuts dining public. I operated restaurants in the Indianapolis area and out there, its all about price, how much of a discount they can get on their meal.

Luther Turmelle / Hearst Connecticut Media

Torito is one of three brand names under which Michel operates the restaurants he co-owns.

His two Rhode Island restaurants are named Cantina Del Rio, and he operates two Torito locations in Worcester and Danvers, Mass. Four other Massachusetts restaurants operate under the name Casa Vallarta, he said.

Michel spent the last several month renovating the space formerly occupied by a Ruby Tuesday restaurant, one of 150 that the casual dining chain closed in summer 2020.

Michel said he prefers renovating former restaurant locations rather than building new ones.

I tried doing it from scratch and it was more expensive than the renovations Ive done, he said.

The North Haven location will employ about 30 people, Michel said.

Luther Turmelle / Hearst Connecticut Media

Toritos menu has an extensive selection, including:

Luther Turmelle / Hearst Connecticut Media

Five different types of guacamole, including one infused with bacon and another with mango or strawberry.

Cocotel, which Michel said is shrimp or octopus cooked in a clam juice.

Cochinita Pibill, a marinated pork dish slow roasted in banana leaves with sweet plantains, queso fresco and pickled red onion.

Parrillada de Mariscos, a seafood dish made with fish, crab meat, mussels and clams, octopus and shrimp cooked in special sauce, served over a bed of white rice and avocado.

North Haven long has had a demand for a Mexican restaurant, said First Selectman Michael Freda.

Ive had request for that for years and when that space opened up I worked with Jack Baker, the chief executive officer of National Realty (which owns North Haven Pavilion), Freda said. We formulate a plan on what Id like to see and what kind of tenant he can deliver.

Freda said he and Baker are looking to find a restaurant to move into the the space formerly occupied by Panera in the shopping center. Panera will open a new location farther north on Universal Drive on one of the vacant pieces of property in front of the Cinemark movie theater.

luther.turmelle@hearstmediact.com
Media corruption is rampant today. If your opinion doesnt meet their narrative, you get censored, treated unfairly and blocked. It happens to me with this newspaper, removing truthful facts that dont look good to their narrative. Chris Murphy of Bethany says I have no facts, and should get them from CNN, MSNBC, ABC, NBC or CBS. I have some facts for Murphy: CNNs Lester Holt says fairness is overrated, its not necessary to give equal merit. A New York Times reporter says, journalism is activism. Don Lemon and Chris Cuomo say crime is Republican propaganda. April Ryan reported she rejects covering Trump. Jake Tapper says no voice to Republicans on his programs. The Washington Posts refusal to cover shootings at DC ballpark, restaurants and downtown crowded areas. Twitter banning Trump, but the Taliban, Antifa and BLM allowed to preach their hate. Why doesnt media report on the border where 1.5 million have come over from 100 countries? Child trafficking, gang members and fentanyl which kills thousands, ignoring laws for border security. Not one minute did any stations report on Biden telling the Afghan president to lie which cost the lives of 13 soldiers. When journalism only presents one side and ignores fairness, theres no point in having them. They admit their bias and are given a free pass. What is more damaging to freedom, is their blatant refusal to cover a news worthy story, acting like its irrelevant. CNN is so bad, airports removed them. Some facts that should be news worthy, begging oil from Russia when we were energy efficient, Hunter Bidens laptop, which the FBI had for two years, investigation of COVID. Taliban has over 200,000 armored vehicles, 33 Black Hawk helicopters, 600,000 assault rifles and wearing our uniforms. Bidens unconstitutional vaccine mandate, but not for members of Congress, 640,000 USPS and illegal immigrants. These facts are not in Chris Murphys world, Im not one your sheep.

Vincent Cirillo
Niagara Falls, NY (14301)

Today

Partly cloudy this evening with more clouds for overnight. A few flurries or snow showers possible. Low 33F. Winds W at 15 to 25 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening with more clouds for overnight. A few flurries or snow showers possible. Low 33F. Winds W at 15 to 25 mph.
President of the African Development Bank Group (AfDB), Dr. Akinwumi Adesina said Nigeria has a debt challenge, with debt service gulping ...

President of the African Development Bank Group (AfDB), Dr. Akinwumi Adesina said Nigeria has a debt challenge, with debt service gulping 73 percent of government revenue.

His position is diametrically different from that of President Buhari and Nigerias finance minister Zainab Ahmed who interpret the challenge before the nation as revenue generation, amid ballooning national debt.Adesina spoke today at a midterm retreat for ministers. President Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo were among the audience.

Adesina said Nigerias debt service to revenue ratio is high at 73% and urged the government to decisively tackle the challenge.

Nigeria must decisively tackle its debt challenges. The issue is not about debt-to-GDP ratio, as Nigerias debt-to-GDP ratio at 35% is still moderate. The big issue is how to service the debt and what that means for resources for domestic investments needed to spur faster economic growth.

The debt service to revenue ratio of Nigeria is high at 73%. Things will improve as oil prices recover, but the situation has revealed the vulnerability of Nigerias economy. To have economic resurgence, we need to fix the structure of the economy and address some fundamentals.

Nigerias challenge is revenue concentration, as the oil sector accounts for 75.4 % of export revenue and 50 % of all government revenue.

As of June 30, 2021, the countrys external obligations stood at $33.468 billion, according to the Debt Management Office (DMO).Domestic debt was $53.2 billion.

In Naira terms total national debt was N35.5 trillion.

Nigerias Total Public Debt as at June 30, 2021

Akinwumi further stated that what was needed for sustained growth and economic resurgence is to remove the structural bottlenecks that limit the productivity and the revenue earning potential of the huge non-oil sectors.

Nigeria should significantly boost productivity and revenues from its non-oil sector, with appropriate fiscal and macroeconomic policies, especially flexible exchange rates that will enhance international competitiveness, he said, according to a report by Leadership newspaper.

The AfDB President further said Africa should be producing and not begging for vaccines.

According to him, the African Development Bank will invest $3 billion in support of local pharmaceutical industries in Africa, including in Nigeria.

Nigeria must build quality health care systems that will protect its population, today and well into the future.

Nigeria must also build world-class local pharmaceutical industries, able to effectively tackle the production of therapeutic drugs and vaccines.

Nigeria must revamp its local pharmaceutical industry and launch strategic investments for local vaccine manufacturing.

Africa should not be begging for vaccines; Africa should be producing vaccines.

Adesina also further stated the government should not be decongesting the ports in Nigeria, rather we should be transforming the ports.

This must start with cleaning up administrative bottlenecks, most of which are unnecessary with multiple government agencies at the ports, high transaction costs or even plain extortions from illegal taxes, which do not go into the coffers of the government.

Nigeria should rapidly modernise and transform its ports. Ports are not there for revenue generation.

They are for facilitating business and exports, and stimulating industrial manufacturing, and competitiveness of local businesses and exports, Adesina said.

He also said it is not the lack of rain that is leading to low food production.

A little, maybe. That it is insecurity. Yes, maybe, to some extent. That it is middlemen. A little, maybe.

But, Mr. President, the main reason is that farmers no longer have access to quality improved seeds, fertilizers, and farm inputs at scale.

Farmers across the country are asking for the Federal Government to restore in their words the popular Growth Enhancement Support Scheme and the e-Wallet system.

I would like to urge, Your Excellency Mr. President, please relaunch the Growth Enhancement Scheme and the e-wallet system and put millions of farmers at the heart of agriculture  at scale. If this is done, and run well, I can assure you that you will see a dramatic turnaround in national food production, he added.
Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno on Monday received six women and nine children who escaped from the bondage of Boko Haram terrorists.

Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno on Monday received six women and nine children who escaped from the bondage of Boko Haram terrorists.

Presenting the women and children to the governor in Maiduguri, the Commissioner of Women Affairs, Hajiya Zuwaira Gambo, said they were abducted in Borno and Adamawa.

They, however escaped from the terrorists in Buni-Yadi axis from where they trekked for six days to reach Damboa town in Borno.

According to Gambo, three women comprising Maryam Ishaya with one child, Rachel Simon with two children and Esther Ayuba with two children were abducted in Takulasha Village of Chibok LGA of Borno on Oct. 3, 2020.

Gambo said that the remaining three women comprising Alheri Ezekiel with two children, Victoria Andrew, and Victoria James with two children of Cofure Village of Hong LGA of Adamawa were abducted on May 5, 2021.

Zulum said government was doing everything possible to speedily rehabilitate and reintegrate all Boko Haram victims into the society.

I am very happy to receive you, my daughters, after you fell prey to Boko Haram terrorists. We thank God Almighty for rescuing and protecting you from the hands of the terrorists.

Receiving the victims, Zulum said government would support and reintegrate them.

He expressed gratitude to God for the development and urged for sustain effort and prayers for a lasting solution to the insurgency and other security challenges facing the nation.
Instagram dancer and influencer, Jane Orezimena, popularly known as Janemena, has written a letter to Nollywood actress, Tonto Dikeh, demand...

Instagram dancer and influencer, Jane Orezimena, popularly known as Janemena, has written a letter to Nollywood actress, Tonto Dikeh, demanding the sum of N500m for alleged libel and claiming on social media thatJanemena has a s.3..x tape.

Dikeh had claimed last month that her ex-lover, Joseph Egbri, aka Prince Kpokpogri, had a s.3..x tape of Janemena who is married.

But Janemena claims that due to Dikehs allegation and the trauma it caused, she suffered a miscarriage, losing her one-month pregnancy.

The claims are included in a letter signed by Janemenas lawyers, Felix, Igelige & Associates titled, Re: Libellous statements published by you on your Instagram and Facebook pages  A demand for immediate retraction of the libellous publications, tendering of unreserved apology and payment of N500,000,000.00 as exemplary damages to Mrs. Usiwo Orezimena Jane, popularly known as Janemena.

It reads in part, We write you this letter to demand your immediate retraction of your publication referred to above, render unreserved apology to her and pay her N500m as compensation for the callous publications.

The lawyers said Dikehs post suggested that Janemena, who is married, is having a sexual relationship with Kpokpogri and is cheating on her husband.

They stated that Janemena is a graduate of Mass Communication, Delta State University, Abraka, and is also a freelance photojournalist who has worked for various media houses, one of which is The Pointer Newspapers.

Janemena is a popularly known professional dancer and an online E-vixen who promotes artistes and brands through her social media accounts.

She is widely regarded by many as one of Nigerias top dance queens as she emerged a winner in Kcees dance competition in January 2018 due to her dazzling skills on Instagram and other social media platforms which keep her fans yearning for more, the letter reads in part.

It further states that she is a brand ambassador to several reputable brands and does lots of advertorial work for many businesses on her Internet pages, music promotions for upcoming and known musicians at a decent fee through her Instagram handle @Janemena.

Janemena is happily married to Mr. Andre Oyeze. She is a native of Isoko in Delta State whose native law and custom forbid a married woman from having sexual relationship with another man. Indeed, it is a taboo in Isoko Land, Delta State for a married woman to have sexual relationship with any man who is not her husband, it reads further.

The lawyers maintained that no such s3..x tape exists, nor has she ever had a s3..xual relationship with Kpokpogri.

They said that due to Dikehs recklessness, Janemena had been brought to public ridicule, odium and opprobrium in the comity of Isoko women, her business associates, friends, members of her family, etc.

The traumatic condition which your publications under reference threw Janemena into caused her miscarriage of her one month old pregnancy, the letter further stated.

Janemena subsequently demanded an immediate retraction of Dikehs statement which must be published in four national dailies along with an apology and payment of N500m.

Meanwhile, the dancer has also written a petition to the Office of the Inspector-General of Police demanding an investigation of criminal libel against her person.
The Senate on Tuesday commenced debate on the general principles of the 2022 budget. President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, who presi...

The Senate on Tuesday commenced debate on the general principles of the 2022 budget.

President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, who presided over the session, said that the debate will be concluded on Wednesday

The President, Muhammadu Buhari, had, last Thursday, submitted the 2022 Appropriation Bill to a joint sitting of the National Assembly.

It is titled, A bill for an Act to authorise the issuance from the Consolidated Revenue Fund, the total sum of N16,391,023, 917,692, etc.
Chidinma Ojukwu, a 300-level Mass Communication student of the University of Lagos, who is alleged to be the murderer of the Super TV Chief ...









Chidinma Ojukwu, a 300-level Mass Communication student of the University of Lagos, who is alleged to be the murderer of the Super TV Chief Executive Officer, Usifo Ataga, has pleaded not guilty to the crime.

The 22-year-old pleaded not guilty to the crime on Tuesday alongside one Adedapo Quadri as they are the key suspects in the murder case.

They were arraigned before Justice Yetunde Adesanya of the Lagos State High Court sitting at the Tafawa Balewa Square.

They both pleaded not guilty to the eight counts bordering on the offences of murder, forgery and stealing.

The pair were also arraigned alongside Chidinmas sister, Egbuchu Chioma from whom the late Atagas iPhone 7, was said to have been recovered.

Chioma, however, pleaded not guilty to the 9th count of being in possession of the stolen property.

They are being prosecuted by the Lagos State Department of Public Prosecution, Mrs Olayinka Adeyemi.
The House of Representatives Tuesday rushed through the legislative business of the day, decrying the unbearable heat in the chamber. ...

The House of Representatives Tuesday rushed through the legislative business of the day, decrying the unbearable heat in the chamber.

A member of the House, Rep. Haruna Dederi (APC-Kano), through Point of Order, had pleaded for the plenary to be adjourned.

While raising the order, he said Sir, Order 7 of the rules of this House has given you powers to absolutely control whatever goes on here to preserve decorum.

To preserve the atmosphere within which we should operate. We are suffocating because the place is extremely hot.

In my opinion Sir, we could have a way of either adjourning the business of the day or give time so that the air conditioners can be out in proper shape.

Whatever thing that you can do to save us from this physical situation in which we live.

In his response, the Speaker said, It is a good point and it is something I just confirmed with the deputy speaker.

I think what we would do is, read your titles and go to your prayers, we put the question to debates and we try and run through this as quickly as we can because we have a couple of matters under consideration for committee of the whole, which I think we should quickly address.

We take this one and go straight to consideration of reports, so we can leave here.

Tuesday, makes it the second time the House, would be cutting short business, due to inconvenience in the Chamber.
Nollywood actress, Tonto Dikeh, has replied Instagram dancer and influencer, Jane Orezimena, popularly known as Janemena, who demanded the s...

Nollywood actress, Tonto Dikeh, has replied Instagram dancer and influencer, Jane Orezimena, popularly known as Janemena, who demanded the sum of N500m for alleged libel from the actress.

According to Dikeh, Janemena came to beg her for an appointment so that she can explain herself and save her marriage, only for her to come up with a petition.

Taking to her verified Instagram page on Tuesday, Tonto Dikeh said, If I say your s3.x tape exist, I say it again and again, child. You cant be begging me behind the scenes to save your marriage and begging to see me for an appointment to explain yourself and then come with a petition.

Im not as dumb as your boyfriend so I wouldnt be releasing your tape nor your call a week ago. See you in COURT.

This comes shortly after Janemena, sent a letter to Dikeh, demanding the sum of N500m for alleged libel and claiming on social media that Janemena has a s3.x tape.

The dancer also wrote a petition to the Office of the Inspector-General of Police demanding an investigation of criminal libel against Dikeh.

Dikeh had claimed last month that her ex-lover, Joseph Egbriaka Prince Kpokpogri, had a s..3..x tape of Janemena who is married.

But Janemena now claims that due to Dikehs allegation and the trauma it caused, she suffered a miscarriage, losing her one-month pregnancy.

The claims are included in a letter signed by Janemenas lawyers, Felix, Igelige& Associates titled, Re: Libellous statements published by you on your Instagram and Facebook pages  a demand for immediate retraction of the libellous publications, tendering of unreserved apology and payment of N500,000,000.00 as exemplary damages to Mrs. Usiwo Orezimena Jane popularly known as Janemena

It read in part, We write you this letter to demand your immediate retraction of your publication referred to above, render unreserved apology to her and pay her N500m as compensation for the callous publications.

The lawyers said Dikehs post suggested that Janemena, who is married, is having a s3xual relationship with Kpokpogri and is cheating on her husband.

The letter partly read, Janemena is happily married to Mr. Andre Oyeze. She is a native of Isoko in Delta State whose native law and custom forbids a married woman from having s3.xual relationship with another man. Indeed, it is a taboo in Isoko Land, Delta State for a married woman to have s..3..xual relationship with any man who is not her husband.

The lawyers maintained that no such s..3..x tape exists neither has she ever had a s.3..xual relationship with Kpokpogri.

They said due to Dikehs recklessness, Janemena had been brought to public ridicule, odium and opprobrium in the comity of Isoko women, her business associates, friends, members of her family, etc. The traumatic condition which your publications under reference threw Janemena into caused her miscarriage of her one month old pregnancy.
Watertown, NY (13601)

Today

Showers early, then cloudy overnight. A few flurries or snow showers possible. Low near 35F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Showers early, then cloudy overnight. A few flurries or snow showers possible. Low near 35F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
Most homes have at least one of these, by default  not by choice. A boring, frameless, builder-grade bathroom mirror sadly comes standard in almost every apartment and house.

Your choices are live with it, or pull it off the wall and replace it with a decorative hanging mirror.

To be fair, these sheets of mirrored glass stuck to your wall do the job. They help you shave, apply make-up and fix your fly. That is the best you can say about them. As for their aesthetic value, they have none.

Folks, you dont have to live with this.

If more people knew about MirrorMate, a company based in North Carolina that makes custom-cut, do-it-yourself, mirror-framing kits, we could end this widespread bathroom plight.

When I discovered MirrorMate 13 years ago, it was too late. I had recently finished building a house and had told the builder not to install the basic bathroom mirrors because I planned to buy and hang my own nice ones, thank you. Which I did. It was expensive and time-consuming. The mirrors were heavy, a hassle to hang and never fit flush the way attached mirrors do.

Soon after that painful process, I learned that homeowner Lisa Hunting had faced the same problem, only she came up with a better solution, which became a patented product and a company. It was genius. I vowed that next time, I would use her product.

That day finally came four years after my husband, DC, and I bought the Happier Yellow House. Though I had planned all along to frame the boring mirrors in three bathrooms, I first needed to replace the dated bathroom light fixtures. Those would influence my frame choice.

Last spring, we finally traded the early dungeon light fixtures for millennial silver ones, and last month, the mirrors got their frames.

Hustling me along was the impending visit of seven sorority sisters flying in from five states for a long-weekend reunion at my house. (DC has submitted a prayer request to the church.) Their approach detonated a dozen deferred home improvement projects, including fluffing up the bathrooms they would be using.

On the companys website, I surfed through 67 frame styles and made my choices. Then, so I could have the full customer experience, I used the companys free design consulting service. Kate Hart, an interior designer and professional home stager, looked at my photos, considered my selections and pointed me toward three better options.

She suggested I order frame samples to make sure. That would have been the smart and prudent thing to do, but I skipped that step and went straight to order now.

Special guests have columnist rolling out the (freshly cleaned) red carpet Sometimes it takes a village to get your home in order. Sometimes it takes a pack of sorority sisters. In my case, it took both.

When the frame kits arrived, I busted open the boxes and set to work. I built and mounted three frames in under three hours. I only bugged my husband twice to help me attach the two larger frames. The cost was around $200 each.

Why isnt everyone doing this? I asked Kevin Button, who bought the company from Hunting in May.

Good question, he said, adding that what attracted him to the company was that its product offered a creative, affordable, elegant solution to a common problem. Everyone can do it, and its green, he said. You dont throw old mirrors in the landfill. Its simply a brilliant upgrade.

Agreed.

Here's what you need to know:

And then she's gone: How to downsize when you lose a mate How do I make this home mine without losing her? The heart-rending question came in an email from Bob Glockler, 83, of Leesburg, Florida. He

HOW MUCH?: Prices range from $102 for a single (24 inch by 36 inch) vanity mirror in the least expensive frame style, to over $200, depending on the style and size. The average price runs $178, Button said.

WHAT TO MATCH: Customers often ask if they should match their cabinets or their fixtures, Hart said. While its always safe to coordinate frames with hardware, you can also think of framing your mirror as a piece of artwork, and match a wood frame to the cabinets. While Hart likes to mix metals, she doesnt advise mixing wood tones. I wouldnt put a cherry frame with an oak cabinet.

POPULAR LOOKS: The trend is toward slimmer profiles and sleeker silver finishes, and away from ornate, thick and heavy. Seven years ago, consumers wanted frames that were 3 inches thick or wider. Today, they want 3 inches thick or thinner, she said. Rustic is also hot.

PROBLEM AREAS: Part of the products beauty is that Hunting invented a workaround for almost every anomaly, including mirrors attached with clips, and ones that have no space between the wall or backsplash, beveled edges, and intruding outlets. The only mirrors they cant frame are oval or round ones.

Losing a mate: 8 expert tips to help bereaved partners move on at home Everywhere I look, I see a life we built together. I am on the phone with Bob Glockler, a recent widower. Like many who have lost a mate, he

MIRROR SILVERING: Desilvering is common and happens when the silver backing on mirrors, which makes them reflective, comes off and creates dark patches. This typically happens around the edges. Because steam and moisture accelerate the process, the problem is especially common in bathrooms, Button said. Harsh cleaning products can also contribute. The mirrors I framed all had desilvered edges, and the frames completely masked the problem.

REMODELING: Whenever you want to change the frame, just pull it off and stick up a new one.

Marni Jameson can be reached at www.marnijameson.com.
Losing a pet is one of the hardest things Ive had to endure, and Ive gone through it three times during the last three years.

What made it a little easier each time with our pups was having Heavens Pets take care of them after they passed. It provides a wonderful service during such an incredibly sad time. The team at Heavens Pets is compassionate and caring, and this makes all the difference.

This year marks the 15-year anniversary of Heavens Pets, and to celebrate, it's holding a fun day of festivities for pets and their families on Oct. 24, beginning at 10 a.m. We all know its important to not only honor, but also celebrate, our loved ones when they pass away. That goes for pets as well.

In New Orleans, we do it with a second line, of course! And who says the pups cant join in on the fun.

We dont need to wait until our beloved furry family members are gone to celebrate them, however. I cherish every single day I have with my two senior pups, as I know all too well that their time with us is much too short.

Heavens Pets is inviting the public to bring the whole family, including the four-legged furry members, to partake in this event honoring and celebrating all pets  both past and present.

We wish to celebrate all pets and honor those that have left paw prints on our hearts, said Patrick McCausland, president of Heavens Pets at Lake Lawn Metairie.

Festivities will include Heavens Pets 10th annual Blessing of the Pets with the Rev. Jeff Millican of St. Martin's Episcopal Church, followed by the Red Wolf Brass Band leading a second line for pets and their humans through Metairie Cemetery.

Even if you dont have a pet, you can enjoy the festivities and you just may find a new best friend as rescue groups and shelters such as Animal Rescue New Orleans (ARNO), JPAWS, Jefferson SPCA and the Inner Pup will be on-site with information and adoptable pets. Nola Snow sno-balls and other treats will be available for humans and furry friends alike.

Heavens Pets is a family-owned pet-dedicated facility located on the grounds of Lake Lawn Metairie Cemetery. It provides cremation and memorialization, along with monthly grief counseling sessions for those who have lost a pet. These are free support groups led by one of their certified grief counselors.

The free event begins at 10 a.m. at Heavens Pets at Lake Lawn Metairie Cemetery, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd., Avenue W in New Orleans. Festivities will take place on the lawn outside of Heavens Pets.

Events

Oct. 24: Meet your new best friend at the ARNO Adoptable Doggy Event at Kendra Scott, 5757 Magazine St. Adoptable dogs will be on-site and the jewelry shop is donating 20% from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Mention ARNO at checkout. For more information, email adopt@animalrescueneworleans.org

Traci D. Howerton is the volunteer coordinator for Animal Rescue New Orleans (ARNO), a nonprofit, volunteer-based, no-kill shelter. For topic suggestions, email animalrescuecolumn@gmail.com or for more info on ARNO, visit www.animalrescueneworleans.org.
Electra Pelias was driving out of Louisiana to escape the path of Hurricane Ida when she realized shed forgotten her anti-anxiety medicine in the frenzy of evacuating.

The Loyola University student expected to be able to take a quick trip to the pharmacy in Florida to get more medication. But once she arrived, the pharmacy wouldnt allow her to fill her prescription because shed recently filled it back home  even though those pills were back in her New Orleans dorm.

More than a month after the storm, shes still having issues transferring her prescription back from Florida to New Orleans now that shes returned to the city.

When I came back, I had extra pills luckily, but they're not transferring my medication back to New Orleans until that month passes since my prescription auto-refills in Florida, Pelias said.

Trash and trees on city streets have been a physical reminder of Ida in the weeks following the storm, but the hurricanes impact on access to mental health medication has been less visible.

Access to medication dwindled as pharmacies shut down to prepare for Ida. Then, extended power outages, structural damage and staffing shortages prolonged some store closures. Going an extended period of time without access to prescribed mental health medicine can be harmful for the people who need it.

Steve Charbonnet, owner of Charbonnet Family Pharmacy, said his New Orleans store received medication from its Opelousas location, but he had trouble getting refrigerated items for the store because the receiving center that provides the medication for them was damaged. Charbonnet said the store is now fully restored and restocked.

Terry Langlois, the owner of Castellon Pharmacy on Oak Street, said he had no problem obtaining supplies and prescriptions immediately following the storm since its wholesalers are located in Shreveport. But getting all of his staff back took some time. The pharmacy reopened Sept. 2, but its full staff couldn't return until around Sept. 10, Langlois said.

Most of them had evacuated and some didn't come back because they didn't have power or had home damage, he said. We were scrambling to find pharmacists.

Langlois said Castellon Pharmacy saw a large demand for prescriptions following the storm because his was one of the few pharmacies that were open. He said that large prescription demand continued for about a month, and the pharmacy was allowed to do emergency refills for patients that brought in their empty prescription bottles.

When we opened up, for at least two weeks, there were many Walgreens or CVS pharmacies that were not open  either because they couldn't find staff or they had been broken into, he said.

Langlois said the pharmacys biggest challenge was transferring medication from other pharmacies in the city, mainly the areas two largest pharmacy chains: Walgreens and CVS.

If [customers] didn't have their bottles with them, there wasn't much we could do without a prescription or someone from Walgreens picking up the phone, which was impossible at that time, Langlois said.

Walgreens corporate spokesperson Erin Loverher said the weekend the storm hit, Walgreens had roughly 100 stores in the Gulf Region temporarily closed. She said approximately 70 locations were opened by Sept. 10  12 days after Hurricane Ida made landfall.

Loverher said Monday that no stores in the area are currently closed, but 11 storefronts are open with modified services and 30 need repairs.

Amy Thibault, CVS senior manager of corporate communications, said all but three of their New Orleans area stores are now open after Ida. Thibault said most stores reopened within a few days of the storm and that if a pharmacy is temporarily closed, the phone system is rerouted to a nearby open store, if possible.

Our teams on the ground worked diligently to get the stores that were damaged or without power back open quickly, and most reopened within a few days of the storm, she said.

Loverher said that ahead of Ida, Walgreens activated its emergency protocols  complete with backup generators and mobile pharmacies  so patients would have access to needed care. The plan also included access to vaccines, diagnostic testing, and prescriptions from alternative stores.

Walgreens stores were also equipped with backup power generators, Loverher said. In Louisiana, we deployed temporary mobile pharmacies to three communities  Houma, Larose and Thibodaux  to best serve those in need as quickly as possible.
WASHINGTON  With many Americans who got Pfizer vaccinations already rolling up their sleeves for a booster shot, millions of others who received the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccine wait anxiously to learn when it's their turn.

Federal regulators begin tackling that question this week.

On Thursday and Friday, the Food and Drug Administration convenes its independent advisers for the first stage in the process of deciding whether extra doses of the two vaccines should be dispensed and, if so, who should get them and when. The final go-ahead is not expected for at least another week.

After the FDA advisers give their recommendation, the agency itself will make a decision on whether to authorize boosters. Then next week, a panel convened by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will offer more specifics on who should get them. Its decision is subject to approval by the CDC director.

Pfizer asks FDA to allow COVID vaccine shots for children ages 5 to 11 Pfizer says the younger kids should get a third of the dose now given to everyone else.

The process is meant to bolster public confidence in the vaccines. But it has already led to conflicts and disagreements among experts and agencies.

For example, last month the CDC advisory panel backed Pfizer boosters at the six-month point for older Americans, nursing home residents and people with underlying health problems. But CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky overruled her advisers and decided boosters should also be offered to those with high-risk jobs such as teachers and health care workers, adding tens of millions more Americans to the list.

Some health experts fear the back-and-forth deliberations are muddling the public effort to persuade the unvaccinated to get their first shots. They worry that the talk of boosters will lead people to wrongly doubt the effectiveness of the vaccines in the first place.

As the FDA's panel meets to review the Moderna and J&J vaccines, its decisions this time are likely to be even more complicated, with experts discussing whether a third Moderna shot should contain just half the original dose and whats the best timing for a second shot of the single-dose J&J vaccine.

The panel will also look into the safety and effectiveness of mixing-and-matching different brands of vaccine, something regulators have not endorsed so far.

An estimated 103 million Americans are fully vaccinated with Pfizers formula, 69 million with Modernas and 15 million with J&Js, according to the CDC. Regulators took up the question of Pfizer boosters first because the company submitted its data ahead of the other vaccine makers.

Doses will be different for booster

The two initial Moderna shots contain 100 micrograms of vaccine each. But the drugmaker says 50 micrograms ought to be enough for a booster for healthy people.

A company study of 344 people gave them a 50-microgram shot six months after their second dose, and levels of virus-fighting antibodies jumped. Moderna said the booster even triggered a 42-fold rise in antibodies able to target the extra-contagious delta variant.

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Side effects were similar to the fevers and aches that Moderna recipients commonly experience after their second regular shot, the company said.

As for people who got the J&J vaccine, the company submitted data to the FDA for different options: a booster shot at two months or at six months. The company did not signal its preference.

J&J released data in September showing that a booster given at two months provided 94% protection against moderate-to-severe COVID-19 infection. The company has not yet disclosed patient data on a six-month booster, but early measures of virus-fighting antibodies suggest it provides even higher protection.

Even without a booster, J&J says, its vaccine remains about 80% effective at preventing COVID-19 hospitalizations in the U.S.

Scientists emphasize that all three vaccines used in the U.S. still offer strong protection against severe disease and death from COVID-19. The issue is how quickly, and how much, protection against milder infection may wane.

In one recent study, researchers compared about 14,000 people who had gotten their first Moderna dose a year ago with 11,000 vaccinated eight months ago. As the delta variant surged in July and August, the more recently vaccinated group had a 36% lower rate of breakthrough infections compared with those vaccinated longer ago.

Still, medical experts continue to debate the science and rationale for giving extra shots to those who already have significant protection.

The White House and its top medical advisers announced sweeping plans in August to offer boosters to nearly all adults, citing signs of waning protection and the then-surging delta variant. But they were rebuffed by many experts who said there is little data showing whether such broad use would stop breakthrough infections or curb the overall trajectory of cases.

While the FDA and CDC ultimately scaled back use of Pfizer boosters, Biden administration officials, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, have suggested that extra shots will eventually be recommended for most Americans.

They point to data from Israel showing lower rates of infections and severe disease among people who received a third Pfizer shot.

The FDA meetings come as U.S. vaccinations have climbed back above 1 million per day on average, an increase of more than 50% over the past two weeks. The rise has been driven mainly by Pfizer boosters and employer vaccine mandates.

___

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.
A divided New Orleans City Planning Commission on Tuesday punted on the question of whether the city should build a controversial jail expansion for inmates with mental and medical health needs.

Commissioners were split on whether to wade into the passionate politics around the $51 million, 89-bed facility, or if they should treat it solely as a land-use question. Instead, they referred the matter to the City Council without a recommendation.

While mostly symbolic, the hearing represented another opportunity for opponents of the facility to come out in droves. In dozens of public comments, residents said the building was a waste of money in an era of a declining jail population.

Orleans Parish Sheriff Marlin Gusman says the facility is needed to care for inmates with difficult health problems. Federal monitors overseeing the jails court-ordered reform agreement backed his position last week in a report, which said the city must build the facility before the Sheriffs Office can exit court oversight.

New Orleans teens in juvenile lockup were taken to adult prison in Hurricane Ida evacuation Thirty-six teenagers housed in the New Orleans juvenile detention center were evacuated to a state adult prison in Iberville Parish ahead of H

Commission staffers recommended approval of the building, stating that its wisdom as a policy matter is separate from the question of whether it would adversely impact the area around Perdido Street in Mid-City where its slated to rise.

But some commissioners proposed passing a non-binding vote rejecting the facility. They said the commission should take a broader view of its responsibility.

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The charge of this commission is to promote the public health, safety and welfare of the New Orleans community, not solely to look at what is allowable, said commission member Sue Mobley.

The motion failed on a 3-5 vote. A motion from commission member Kelly Brown, in favor of a variance, secured 4 of 8 votes, but that wasnt enough to forward a positive recommendation to the City Council.

Brown warned that the City Planning Commission shouldnt stand in the way of the federal judge overseeing the jails reform agreement.

Separately, the City Planning Commission will consider in the future a proposal favored by Mayor LaToya Cantrells administration to renovate part of the existing main jail building, the Orleans Justice Center, in lieu of new construction.

Editor's Note: This article was updated on 10/14/2021 to correct the vote on Brown's motion.
After a chase across state lines that ended in a crash in Slidell, four people were arrested Tuesday in connection to a string of burglaries in Mississippi, the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office said.

Deputies from Hancock County called the St. Tammany Parish sheriff's office at around 3 a.m. after car they had been following led them on a chase into Louisiana.

Deputies found the car wrecked at the edge of the woods behind the Fremaux Town Center with no one inside. St. Tammany Sheriff's Office deputies and K-9s, Hancock County deputies and Louisiana State Police troopers found four men on-foot and took them into custody.

Justin Wilder, 21, Keyon Randolph, 22, Derrick Holmes, 19, and a 17-year-old juvenile, whom police did not name, each face charges related to stealing a vehicle, resisting an officer, being a fugitive, simple possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Holmes and the 17-year-old had stolen firearms in their possession, the Sheriff's Office said, one of which was identified by a Pass Christian police officer as being stolen on Monday night. They face additional charges connected to the stolen handgun and illegal carrying of a firearm. Warrants had been issued for all four in connection to the burglaries.

The car that crashed had reportedly been stolen from Tangipahoa Parish, the Sheriff's Office said. Inside, police found a plastic bag with what appeared to be 10 grams of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

Wilder, Rudolph and Holmes were booked into the St. Tammany Parish Correctional Center. The juvenile was arrested and booked into the Florida Parishes Juvenile Detention Center.
The Orleans Parish Coroner's Office has released names of four victims killed by gunshot last week in New Orleans--a bloody week that included two mass shootings, 20 victims and seven fatalities.

The coroner identified Albert Hayward, 56, as the victim in a Treme homicide. New Orleans police received a report of a shooting in 1100 block of North Claiborne Avenue about 11:12 a.m. Friday and found Hayward shot to death inside a vehicle there.

Malik McDonald, 20, was identified as the victim in a Thursday night shooting in Gentilly. Police were dispatched to the intersection of Franklin Avenue and Verbena Street in Gentilly at about 9:48 p.m. Thursday, authorities said. Officers found McDonald, who had been shot multiple times. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The coroner identified Manuel Alvarado, 40, as a victim in one of Thursday's two mass shootings. This one happened near Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and South Robertson Street in Central City around 8 p.m. Thursday, killing Alvarado and wounding three others.

Michael Williams, 23, was identified as the victim in a French Quarter shooting that was reported to authorities around 4 a.m. Monday, Oct. 4. Williams was found on the sidewalk near the intersection of Burgundy and Conti streets, police said, and taken via ambulance to a hospital, where he later died.

Staff writers Michelle Hunter, Ramon Vargas and Carlie Kollath Wells contributed to this report.
New Orleans Fire Department pulled a body from a canal by the Franklin Avenue overpass at Florida Avenue on Sunday afternoon, according to a preliminary NOPD report.

A Sewerage and Water Board employee who found the man called police. NOPD responded to the call at 3:01 Sunday afternoon and notified NOFD, who headed the recovery.

EMS pronounced the man, whose identity is unknown, dead at the scene, police say. The Orleans Parish Coroners Office will determine the official cause of death upon completion of an autopsy.

No other information was immediately available.
St. Charles Parish Public School officials have released a calendar for the 2021-2022 academic year that features 11 additional days, shortened breaks and no more early-dismissals to make up for the instructional time missed due to Hurricane Ida.

While seven of the 19 schools have reopened since Ida damaged every school building in the district, and officials have also set the new reopening dates for the ones that remain closed.

+10 First students head back to school in St. Charles Parish; seven campuses reopen after Hurricane Ida Sixth grader Damynei Smith usually boards a school bus near her Des Allemands home for the short trip to J.B. Martin Middle School in Boutte.

State law requires at least 360 minutes of instruction per day in public schools. The St. Charles Parish school day had 390, giving them some  but not a lot  of wiggle room, according to Superintendent Dr. Ken Oertling.

In previous years, the final day of school was staggered based on grade level. The new school year will end for everyone, including teachers, on May 27, three days later than some grades had traditionally finished.

Some of the other days added to the school calendar were carved out of the district's Fall, Mardi Gras and Spring breaks.

Officials also added four asynchronous days  days during which schools are closed but students have take-home lessons that must be completed  during the Thanksgiving and winter holidays.

The changes mean the district could make up for time lost after the hurricane without altering the daily schedule's take-in and dismissal times.

While creating the new calendar, administrators tried to keep in mind that many families  those of teachers and staff included  have already made travel and vacation plans around the original school schedule.

"We're hopeful that it will be balanced enough to be considerate of families," Oertling said.

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The district was able to hammer out the new calendar after they got a better idea of when all of the hurricane-damaged schools would reopen.

Ida's 125 mph winds caused catastrophic roof and water damage and many of the district facilities.

"We've been working seven days a week to get it done with many crews on the ground in all of our schools," Oertling said.

Students returned to seven of the least-damaged schools last week as part of Phase 1 in the district's reopening plan. Six more are scheduled to reopen Friday, including Norco and New Sarpy Elementary Schools, buildings that weren't slated to open until Oct. 25 because of the severity of the damage.

The other schools opening are Allemands Elementary School, Lakewood Elementary School, Harry Hurst Middle School and R.K. Smith Middle School.

"We've been working seven days a week to get it done with many crews on the ground in all of our schools," Oertling said.

The district tapped SRP Environmental LLC. to perform moisture and microbial testing before and after repairs to make sure the schools are safe for students and staff.

Oertling described it as a thorough but arduous process that sometimes leads to delays. After breaking open wall, for instance, crews might find hidden water damage that lengthened the renovation timeline.

Though the district gave no specific details, additional repairs mean the students from Hahnville High School, Destrehan High School and the Landry Educational Programs Center will have to wait until they can return to class, according to school officials.

All three facilities were supposed to open during the week of Oct. 11 as part of Phase 2. Now, Landry and Hahnville High School Students will report Monday, Oct. 18.

Because of excessive damage at Destrehan High School, students are platooning, attending classes at Hahnville High on alternating days. They will start on Tuesday, Oct. 19, school officials said.

The East Bank Head Start Center and the Carver Early Learning Center were scheduled to reopen during the week of Oct. 25 as part of Phase 3. Officials could not give an exact date because of federal guidelines that govern site reviews before the facilities can reopen, according to the district.
New Orleans City Council members Jared Brossett and Kristin Gisleson Palmer, opponents in the race for an at-large council seat, have a new pitch to voters: we don't care which one of us wins, but don't vote for former state Sen. JP Morrell.

Brossett and Palmer said Tuesday they are taking the unprecedented step of endorsing each other in the Division 2 at-large council race. They said that Morrell, who is widely viewed as a strong contender for the seat, is wholly unsuitable, arguing that he lobbied the council on land-use issues while working as a state senator and lawyer, which they see as a conflict of interest.

The cross endorsement adds intrigue to one of the most closely watched races on the fall ballot. And it may suggest that Brossett and Palmer felt the need to team up to try and force Morrell into a runoff.

In a joint interview, the two council members also attacked Morrell's stance on public community schools and criminal justice reform. They said it was out of step with his voting record in the Louisiana Legislature, and said that he has given conflicting responses to questions when speaking to different groups of people on the campaign trail.

"When you talk about the City Council, which deals with land-use and budget, and to have somebody who basically made money off of that process... it's troublesome," Palmer said. Morrell "is not representing himself today as how he has voted," Brossett added.

Morrell's campaign called the claims from Palmer and Brossett, "bizarre and desperate attacks and collusion from corrupt incumbent opponents." Morrell is a lawyer, not a lobbyist, and other claims about his voting record are false or have been taken out of context, the campaign said.

"After eight years on the City Council and nothing to show for it between them but scandals and a city that doesn't work for the average New Orleanian, Kristin Palmer and Jared Brossett are begging for a promotion and desperately attempting to maintain their posh positions," according to the statement from the Morrell campaign.

The pair, the campaign said, "are running from their years of failures and mismanagement as councilmembers by resorting to lies and innuendo."

The at-large Division 2 race has shaped up as one of the most interesting on the Nov. 13 ballot, as Palmer and Brossett are each vying to convince voters that their track record as district councilmembers has well prepared them to represent the entire city.

Meanwhile, Morrell, who spent 14 years in the state Legislature, has accused the council of being too hands-off when it comes to crime, blight and other intractable problems the city faces, and has vowed to immediately get to work on those issues if elected.

+5 4 New Orleans City Council at-large candidates vow to fix crime, blight The four candidates for the New Orleans City Council's at-large Division 2 race have presented bold plans to fix violent crime, blight and oth

A fourth candidate, Xavier University administrator Bart Everson, is running on a climate change platform. The feud between Brossett and Morrell is also intriguing because of Brossett's political ties to the Morrell family: he worked as an aide and later chief of staff to Morrell's mother, former City Councilmember Cynthia Hedge-Morrell.

While it's common for a candidate to endorse an opponent, those endorsements usually only happen if an opponent clears the initial hurdle of the primary election but the endorsing candidate does not. It's unprecedented for two opponents to endorse each other before a primary ever occurs, said Silas Lee, a longtime political consultant and Xavier University professor.

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The attack appears preemptive, given Morrell's endorsements and strong showing in some polls, Lee added.

"They are trying to prevent a home run in the primary," he said. "We'll have to see whether or not that works."

Morrell has netted endorsements from the Orleans Parish Democratic Executive Committee, the Independent Women's Organization, the United Teachers of New Orleans and other groups and individuals. As of July 1, he had raised nearly $300,000 in campaign donations, slightly more than Palmer and far beyond Brossett.

Council candidate JP Morrell describes revolting conditions as temporary trash hopper: Vermin are everywhere Council at large candidate and former state senator JP Morrell on Friday spent the day as a temporary trash hopper while the current City Coun

Palmer raised roughly $256,000 from January to July and has the endorsements of Step Up For Action, former councilmember Jacqueline Brechtel Clarkson, and others. Brossett has the endorsements of the AFL-CIO, UTNO, Step Up for Action and others, and has raised at least $7,250.

Palmer scoffed at the idea that the move by her and Brossett was a ploy to hurt a higher-profile opponent.

"I've polled it, and I can beat (Morrell) in a head-to-head," she said. "But I want people to be educated about this. New Orleans looks the way it does for a reason, and we need people who are going to put the people first and not special interests."

But Morrell's campaign said the pair's claims about him don't stand up to scrutiny. He doesn't support using public education dollars to finance private schools, and voted against the 2008 bill to do so, the campaign said, despite Brossett's claims. He did vote in favor of a separate 2012 bill that amends the voucher program, Brossett pointed out.

Palmer said Morrell siphoned money from public recreation to give to New Orleans police. Morrell said that's simply not true, and that he worked with former U.S. Rep. Cedric Richmond to use causeway toll proceeds to benefit both the New Orleans Recreation Development Commission and the New Orleans Police Department, because the NOPD didn't have enough money to replace bulletproof vests for its officers.

Morrell, Palmer tout competing criminal justice endorsements for at-large seat City Council member Kristin Gisleson Palmer and J.P. Morrell are wasting no time in lining up early endorsements for their respective bids for

Morrell's criminal justice bona fides have been established through his work to repeal non-unanimous jury verdicts in Louisiana, restoring the right to vote to ex-offenders, and other moves, the campaign said.

Palmer also claimed Morrell lobbied her office about the approval process for a proposed Cuban eatery in the French Quarter, and that he has lobbied other members about a Perez Architects redevelopment project in the Lower 9th Ward. Brossett provided a 2019 email late Tuesday from Morrell chastising Brossett for not immediately agreeing to a meeting on short-term rental policy with a colleague of Morrell's, Ira Middleberg.

Morrell responded that as a lawyer, he has "been extremely limited in his interaction with governmental agencies and elected officials," but has represented clients in court and set up meetings on their behalf. His email to Brossett merely "expressed disappointment at how badly (Brossett) treated a mutual friend," he said.

"With this flurry of absurd attacks, Brossett and Palmer insult the intelligence of New Orleans voters who can see past their lies and political theater," the Morrell campaign said. "Voters are going to cast their ballots based on deeds, not words promises kept, not brokenfacts, not fiction... the future, not the past."

Editor's note: This story has been updated to include information from Brossett and Morrell about Morrell's communications with his office. An earlier version of this article misstated Bart Everson's occupation. He is a Xavier University administrator.
Politics Reporter

Reese Gorman covers politics and the COVID-19 pandemic for The Norman Transcript. He started as an intern in May of 2020 and transitioned into his current position as a staff writer in August of 2020.
Bradford County, Pa. -- An entire school bus filled with food donations honored the memory of an Athens teenager, Jaymz Altieri. Donations came in from all over Bradford County to fill the bus for Child Hunger Outreach Partners (CHOP).

Feed the Bus for CHOP, a food drive held in memory of Altieri, was held throughout the month of September. Volunteer and event organizer Bill Snyder staffed the bus every day. Liz Terwilliger, local Congressional candidate, coordinated the delivery and collection of donation boxes with businesses, churches and schools across the county.

Bill approached me back in August with the idea to fill a school bus with non-perishable food as a way to thank CHOP for everything theyve done for the community throughout the pandemic, explained Liz. I thought it was a great idea but was skeptical about the goal of filling a whole school bus. We did it! Its amazing! The community really came together, and we did it! We filled an entire bus!

On Saturday, Oct. 9, the bus rolled into Towanda escorted by 17 motorcycles and 2 cars. Volunteers were on hand to unload, and an hour later the bus was empty and food donations filled nearly nine pallets. In addition to the food, Bethany Altieri (Jaymzs Mom) handed more that $2,000 in monetary donations to Dani Ruhf, Executive Director/Founder of CHOP.

It brought tears to our eyes, Bethany said, that Jaymz was not present to see all of the food and monetary donations, and our hearts rejoiced with what our eyes witnessed. We were heartbroken on Jaymzs birthday (9/23) and we celebrated his life. We were overwhelmed by so much anxiety and excited by the outpouring of good will. The best word to describe the month of September is bittersweet.

Event organizers plan to make this an annual drive. Weve set up an account in Jaymz name, here at CHOP, said Dani, any donations that come to us in memory of Jaymz will be counted in that account.

If youd like to get involved in next years drive or other voluntary activities around Bradford County contact Liz at Liz@lizterwilligerforcongress.org or through her Facebook page.
Lewisburg, Pa. -- DAISY Awards are given to deserving nurses who exemplify clinical expertise and compassionate care and are recognized as role models in the nursing community. Candidates are nominated by patients, patients' families, and colleagues.

Christie Hoover, RN, a nurse for Evangelical Community Hospitals Critical Care and Intermediate Care units, was recently presented the DAISY Award. She was accompanied by her fellow coworkers, mentors, and hospital and nursing leaders as she received the award. She was nominated by her coworker Lynne Yannes, RN.

In the nomination, Yannes shared the reality of being a critical/intermediate care nurse during a pandemic. Christie, and others, watched as the CCU COVID-19 patients grew sicker and sicker, a continual decline with little hope of any significant improvements. Christie would sit quietly and hold their hands, her face being the last thing they would ever see.

Yannes continued, I would be negligent to imply Christie was the only staff nurse who extended such compassion to patients. What makes Christie stand out in my eyes? I can explain in a single wordgenuine. The consistent and exceptional care she provides, the kindness and empathy she extends to her patients/families, and her gentle and comforting voice is the definition of a nurse.

Between May 2011 through February 2012, Christie served Evangelical as a nursing student intern, and at the end of the program chose to stay on as a Nursing Assistant in the Nursing Resource pool. In June of 2019, Christie returned as an RN in the Intermediate Care Unit (then known as Step Down) and the Critical Care Unit where she presently works.

The DAISY Foundation was established in 1999 in California by the family of J. Patrick Barnes, who died at the age of 33 from complications of an auto-immune disease. During his eight-week hospital stay, his family was impressed by the care and compassion his nurses provided, not only to him but to everyone in the family. They created the DAISY Award in his memory to recognize those nurses who make a big difference in the lives of so many people.

Evangelical is proud to be a DAISY Award partner, beginning to participate in the program in early 2020. Each DAISY Award Honoree is given a DAISY Award pin, a certificate of honor, a gift card from Service First Federal Credit Union, and a stone sculpture entitled "A Healers Touch," handcrafted by a tribe in Zimbabwe.

If an Evangelical Community Hospital nurse has displayed extraordinary clinical expertise and compassion, visit www.DAISYnomination.org/ECH and fill out a nomination form.
Williamsport, Pa. -- College-prep summer programs are designed to support student's transition into college life, including academics, social life, and mental health. Lycoming College developed their Lycoming Summer Academy (LSA) in 2017, thanks to grant funding from the Booth Ferris Foundation.

The LSA program received a $20,000 contribution from AT&T to support the program's development. This marks AT&Ts ninth year of giving to the College, and its second in support of LSA, bringing AT&Ts and the AT&T Foundations total support to $220,000.

LSA brings approximately twenty incoming freshmen to campus for a two-week experience prior to the start of the fall semester. Intended to help students establish meaningful connections and transition into college life, students are mentored by Len Cagle, Ph.D., assistant professor of German; Amy Rogers, Ph.D., chair and professor of education; Mallory Weymer, assistant dean for student success; and three successful upper-class students.

Additionally, participants take two, one-credit courses  Why Williamsport and The Brothers Grimm: Then and Now  as well as a half-credit personal development course.

I got to experience what college was like before my real classes actually started, said former LSA student Vijai Budhun 23. I am really appreciative of the program. LSA will help you meet people sooner, and you will be able to connect with your professors sooner.

Building upon AT&Ts and the AT&T Foundations commitment to student success, David Kerr, president, AT&T Pennsylvania, visited campus on Wednesday, Sept. 29, to lead a career workshop for the LSA students.

The first year of college can be very challenging. LSA helps first-year students build a strong foundation for success in college, on the job and in life, Kerr said.

Program components also include off-campus experiential learning opportunities that emphasize critical analysis, self-reflection, and journaling, as well as community building activities. In the Why Williamsport course taught by Rogers, students explore the history of the region, and in addition to a walking tour of downtown Williamsport, they participate in a guided trolley tour and cruise on the Hiawatha Paddlewheel Riverboat.

I was nervous to go into college and was not sure what to expect, said Micaiah Mo Terry 23. LSA and its experiences, though, got me ready right away. I would recommend LSA to incoming college students because it helps you prepare, teaches time management, and gives a level of comfortability.

The transition to college is a huge step for students, and aided by the support of AT&T and the AT&T Foundation, Lycoming is able to offer this scholarship- and credit-earning program that enables students to gain their academic, social, and emotional footing so that they can begin their first semester at Lycoming well-positioned for success, said Susan M. Ross, Ph.D., vice provost and director of the LSA program.




Harrisburg, Pa. -- It's time to get serious about drinking in Pennsylvania as Governor Tom puts down nearly $2 million tab to help improve agriculture production and marketing for the industry.

The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) approved grants for 15 projects that will total $1,923,319. The aim of the grants is to support products of Pennsylvania-made malt and brewed beverages.

According to a press release, this project will enhance the State's industry through promotion, marketing, and research-based programs and projects that will benefit the Pennsylvania beer and wine industries.

Pennsylvania industries have to adopt new ways of doing business in the COVID-19 world, and these grants will provide substantial funding to help two vital parts of our agricultural community not only explore ways of improving production methods, but also boost marketing efforts that reach beyond our borders, said Gov. Wolf. Act 39 of 2016 created the Pennsylvania Malt and Brewed Beverages Industry Promotion Board within the department of Agriculture and authorized the PLCB to approve up to $1 million annually for development and marketing of the Pennsylvania beer industry. The Pennsylvania Fiscal Code also allows for unallocated beer grant funds to be made available in subsequent years. Since the first beer grants were approved in 2017, the PLCB has awarded $3.9 million in grants to support the Pennsylvania beer industry (not including this round). Act 39 of 2016 also expanded the Pennsylvania Wine Marketing and Research Board and authorized the PLCB to approve up to $1 million annually for wine research and promotion. Since the first wine grants were approved in 2017, the PLCB has awarded nearly $5 million in grants to support the Pennsylvania wine industry. 12 beer projects totaling $1,122,520.35 were recommended for approval to the PLCB by the Pennsylvania Malt and Brewed Beverages Industry Promotion Board. A list of the 12 grants can be found online.

Eight wine projects totaling $1 million were recommended for approval by the Pennsylvania Wine Marketing and Research Board. Find both charts online.

The PLCB regulates the distribution of beverage alcohol in Pennsylvania, operates 600 wine and spirits stores statewide, and licenses 20,000 alcohol producers, retailers, and handlers.




Loganton, Pa.  The Clinton County District Attorneys Office has released the name of a robbery suspect who was shot and killed by police last week at the Interstate 80 eastbound rest area in Greene Township.

The truck driver, Nurgazy Mamyrov, 27, of Langhorne, Pa., died at the scene of multiple gunshot wounds, according to the office of Clinton County District Attorney David Strouse. State police shot Mamyrov after he attempted to ram three of their vehicles with his tractor trailer.

Related Reading: One dead in shooting at Interstate 80 rest area in Clinton County

Police were called to the rest stop at 4:33 a.m. on Oct. 5 for a report of a robbery with multiple shots fired. The alleged robbery occurred at the rest area near mile marker 194 as Mamyrov had reportedly shot out the vehicle windows of other motorists at the rest area, according to a press release issued by Strouse.

Witnesses at the scene identified Mamyrov as the operator of a tractor trailer that was still located at the rest area. Mamyrov also was reported to be armed and chasing other motorists in the rest area, according to Strouse.

State police were able to locate Mamyrov, who had barricaded himself inside a tractor trailer. State police attempted to block Mamyrovs vehicle from exiting the rest area and gave verbal commands for him to exit the tractor trailer.

Mamyrov then drove forward and crashed into multiple patrol vehicles in the apparent attempt to strike state troopers and gain entry onto Interstate 80 eastbound. State police then discharged their firearms, striking the suspect multiple times inside the cabin of the tractor trailer, according to Strouse.

State police entered the tractor trailer and rendered aid, but Mamyrov ultimately died as the result of multiple gunshot wounds, which was later confirmed by an autopsy on Oct. 6, according to the district attorney's office.

Several troopers suffered minor injuries as a result of the incident and were treated by emergency personnel at the scene.

The matter remains under investigation and a final review will be conducted by the district attorney's office as part of the standard operating procedure for all officer involved shootings. As per Pennsylvania State Police policy, the involved officers were placed on administrative leave.
Napoleon, OH (43545)

Today

Snow showers this evening. Breaks in the overcast later. Low 29F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 50%. Snow accumulations less than one inch..

Tonight

Snow showers this evening. Breaks in the overcast later. Low 29F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 50%. Snow accumulations less than one inch.
New Dean and Barbara White Family Foundation Executive Director William "Bill" Hanna said he was excited about "what's to come in Gary and the rest of Northwest Indiana."

Hanna touted the Region's potential and the possibility of future projects in the Steel City while addressing the Gary Chamber of Commerce at Hard Rock Casinos Council Oak Steak House on Monday.

"We're working on a few ideas right now," he said. "We're reaching out to a few people right now... Gary's one of the next places I want to see some things happening in and our trustees are on board with that as well."

The Merrillville-based nonprofit would look at teaming up with the Legacy Foundation, the city government and other community partners. Hanna called for unity and a shared vision for regional progress instead of territorial infighting.

"When you get outside Northwest Indiana people see us in the same boat and paint us with the same brush oftentimes," he said. "We've been one of the biggest producers of revenue in the state of Indiana in the history of the state. I think we could be bigger than Indianapolis at some point if we continue in the right direction. Our future is bright and our future is up to us. We have to capitalize off where we're sitting right now."
Journeyman is celebrating its 10th year in business. Founder Bill Welter, a Valparaiso native who is expanding to a second location in Valpo, started the business at a time when there were fewer than 250 distilleries in business across the country. That number has since grown to 2,500 as craft distilling boomed, along with craft brewing, artisanship and other back-to-local trends spurning generic and mass-produced products.

The distillery operates out of a historic buggy whip and corset factory in Southwest Michigan that's a popular draw to Harbor Country.

"Not everyone is experimenting and creating certified organic, kosher and gluten-free spirits made from local grains with a purposeful approach, as we have been. We live up to our name as trailblazing pioneers, taking the road less traveled, to see where it leads," the business said in a news release. "Throngs of visitors pilgrimage to experience: the repurposed, authentic factory spaces, the distilling process, Staymaker restaurant, Welter's Folly putting green, event venues and the heralded spirits. Honoring those that came before us, by adding to their history with new stories, gives us a sense of place, of where we come from, where we have been and who we are. We celebrate history in the making."

General admission tickets to Journeyman's Barrel Aged Brew Fest include six tasting tickets and a commemorative glass to take home. VIP tickets include admission an hour earlier than the regular opening time, the commemorative glass, eight tasting tickets and a gift.

Attendees can buy extra tasting tickets, hot food and designated driver tickets at the festival.

For more information, visit journeymandistillery.com.
Neyhart was arrested Thursday in connection with the alleged abuse in August.

A magistrate entered not guilty pleas on his behalf to felony charges of neglect of a dependent resulting in serious bodily injury and two counts of domestic battery to a person under 14.

He was to be held without bail until Oct. 23, at which time his bail will be $75,000 surety or $7,500 cash.

According to court records, Mitchell brought the boy to Franciscan Health hospital in Crown Point, where she allegedly told medical staff she bumped into her son, causing him to fall head-first into the corner of a coffee table. She claimed the handprint on the boy's face occurred after he fell asleep on his own hand during the ride to the hospital.

The boy needed multiple stitches to his forehead because of his injuries, records state.

The boy told a Hobart police officer who visited the hospital he fell onto a coffee table, but he also mentioned during their conversation that Neyhart was at his mother's home and was mad that day.

Neither Neyhart nor Mitchell showed up for a scheduled interview at the Hobart Police Department, records state.
VALPARAISO  A 53-year-old man facing charges of attempted murder is being sent back to a state mental hospital after a judge determined he is not yet able to understand the case against him and assist in his own defense.

Porter Superior Court Judge Mike Fish said he came to the conclusion after reviewing psychological evaluations done on the accused, Eric Martin, of Jackson Township.

Martin had a difficult time this past summer getting through an initial hearing in his 14-count, 8-year-old attempted murder case.

Defense attorney Bob Harper told the judge at the time that he intended to file a motion seeking another competency review of Martin.

Harper said staff at the Porter County jail felt Martin was imagining things, and Harper said his client appeared unable to understand the legal proceedings or clearly disclose the facts in his case.

Martin was already found incompetent to stand trial once in October 2013 and was placed into the care of what is now the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration's Division of Mental Health and Addiction to receive treatment, records show.

The state filed a competency report in June and Martin was returned to the Porter County Jail.
The question reached the Supreme Court after a Seymour, Indiana, woman died in 2016 and her trust included a provision awarding her adult son his share of her estate outright if he was unmarried at the time of her death, or requiring his share of her assets be maintained in a subtrust controlled by her adult daughter if her son still was married to his third wife.

The Indiana Court of Appeals last year interpreted those conditions as a restraint on marriage and therefore void.

However, the Supreme Court ruling vacated the 2-1 appellate decision, leaving intact the provisions of the mother's trust and setting a statewide standard for conditions or limitations that may be contained in wills and trusts, including permissible restraints on marriage.

"Under Indiana law, we disregard the settlor's intent only when the trust code clearly prohibits or restricts it," Slaughter said. "Here, (the son) points to nothing in the trust code that clearly prohibits or restricts the challenged provision, and we know of none."

"Given this section's mandate to honor (the mother's) intent, we decline to invalidate the challenged provision or to restrict what the Legislature does not forbid."
So Dr. Stapleton did what any new mother with access to a state of the art chemistry lab and a $120,000 sample analyzer would do. She cut a snippet of the tent and brought it back to her lab for analysis. She was shocked by what she found on the fabric: a flame retardant, called chlorinated tris, that manufacturers had voluntarily removed from baby pajamas decades earlier after researchers showed it could alter DNA, and likely cause cancer, in test tubes.

That really horrified me, she said, recalling how her son, Joshua, loved to play peekaboo through the tunnels mesh windows. He put his mouth all over that mesh.

Flame retardants are chemicals that manufacturers started adding to commercial and consumer products in the 1970s to meet flammability standards. While not all of the hundreds of flame retardants on the market present health risks, scientists have raised concerns about formulations that contain chlorine, bromine or phosphorous. Flame retardants are typically added to goods with the potential to ignite, like upholstered furniture, baby products, electronics, building and construction materials, clothing, car seats and vehicle interiors. The chemicals can escape from treated products and penetrate the skin or accumulate in dust, which kids can get on their hands and put in their mouths.

Extensive research in lab animals has linked different flame retardants to various health problems. Brominated flame retardants, which have received the most scrutiny, can build up in tissue, cause cancer, disrupt hormones, harm the reproductive system and cause neurodevelopmental problems, at least in animals and perhaps humans too. Studies in people are limited, largely because they require far more time and resources, but have found similar effects, including increased risk of cancer, lower I.Q. and possibly behavioral problems in young children, including hyperactivity, aggression and bullying. Earlier this year, researchers reported that brominated flame retardants surpassed lead as the biggest contributor to I.Q. loss and intellectual disability in children.

So how did they end up in Joshuas toy? Flame retardants, like many toxic chemicals, are loosely regulated. Manufacturers arent required to prove that theyre safe or even that they keep products from going up in flames. Although researchers have linked numerous flame retardants to serious health effects, federal regulators never banned their use in all products. So when manufacturers agree to stop using flame retardants in one product, like baby pajamas, they just find other uses for them  or switch to similar chemicals that scientists havent evaluated yet.
Then in February, the Russians led government troops in an attack on the Takwa mosque in Bambari, where rebels had taken shelter among worshipers. At least six civilians were killed as Russians stormed the mosque, firing their weapons, the report said.

The report also documents the killing of five other civilians by Russian forces, including two disabled men, and accuses them of looting money, motorbikes and other valuables during house searches.

Russian officials deny that their forces fired on civilians or committed abuses. The coordinator of the Russian military mission in Bangui told investigators that the rebels had used the Takwa mosque as a firing position. But he denied that Russians had entered the building or fired on civilians.

In recent years Russian security contractors have appeared in other conflict-hit African countries, including Libya, Mozambique and South Sudan. Three Russians were killed in a military clash on the border between Chad and the Central African Republic in May.

This month 10 Russians were detained in northern Chad in an area where the government was battling rebels. One of the Russians told the Reuters news agency they were visiting the area, in the Sahara, to go sightseeing.

Mr. Prigozhin has previously been linked to mercenary operations in Africa through his ties with the Wagner Group, a private military company that has played a role in the war in Libya and Syria. The word Wagner has also become shorthand for Russian involvement in the Central African Republic, where companies with links to Mr. Prigozhin have deployed mercenaries and scored lucrative mining and logistics contracts.

In 2019, three Russian journalists were killed in the country while investigating Mr. Prigozhins links to the gold and diamond trade. The local authorities promised an investigation, but nobody has been arrested or prosecuted.
WASHINGTON  The International Monetary Funds executive board on Monday expressed confidence in the leadership of Kristalina Georgieva, its managing director, after allegations that she manipulated data to placate China when she was a senior World Bank official.

Last month, an independent inquiry commissioned by the World Bank concluded that Ms. Georgieva had played a central role in meddling with its 2018 Doing Business survey. The findings raised questions about her judgment and ability to continue leading the I.M.F. But ultimately its executive board decided that the investigation did not conclusively demonstrate that she had acted improperly.

Having looked at all the evidence presented, the executive board reaffirms its full confidence in the managing directors leadership and ability to continue to effectively carry out her duties, the board said in a statement. The board trusts in the managing directors commitment to maintaining the highest standards of governance and integrity in the I.M.F.

Ms. Georgieva, a Bulgarian economist, maintained strong support from many of the I.M.F.s shareholders, including France, which had lobbied hard for her to get the job in 2019. The United States, which is the funds largest shareholder, declined to express public support for her after the allegations but ultimately did not call for her removal.
TUESDAY PUZZLE  Congratulations to todays constructor, Conor Sefkow, for making his New York Times Crossword debut! This puzzle is built around a term that Mr. Sefkow coined himself and just knew he had to build a puzzle around. I love hearing the origin stories of creative themes like this one (described in more detail below), and I am particularly fond of clever portmanteaus, which, as far as Im concerned, are the height of wit.

My solving experience today is potentially instructive for new solvers, so I will briefly recount the saga of my hunt for a Cause for correction (7D):

At first, everything was going swimmingly  I knew 1A right off the bat, and that whole corner came together shortly thereafter. I moved through the next section with scarcely a second thought, and the rest of the puzzle flowed in a regular, sometimes sticky but never impossible, voyage through the grid. I filled in my last letter, all ready to hear the victory jingle, when BAM! Not quite! appeared on my screen.

What, I thought, how can that be? I didnt have to guess any of the letters at all! And so I began my hunt for a typo. I went through every Across entry. These all look right, I thought, beginning to get frustrated. I went through every Down entry. Im certain of all of these too, I grumbled (internally). Once more through the Acrosses, and I realized the truth: I had a wrong letter in one of the long theme entries, which I had mentally skipped over on the first pass because I was so certain the theme entries were right. A facepalm ensued.

So new solvers, please learn from my mistakes: Check every letter when hunting for a Cause for correction, not just the ones youre unsure about.
Anne Saxelby, a pioneer in championing fine American cheeses at a time when cheese lovers largely looked to Europe for such artisanal products, died on Saturday at her home in Brooklyn. She was 40.

The cause was a heart condition, said her husband, Patrick Martins, an owner of Heritage Foods USA, a purveyor of meat and poultry from independent American farmers.

In 2006, when Ms. Saxelby opened Saxelby Cheesemongers, the American cheese industry was largely just that: industrial and mass market. Her shop was a daring enterprise that carried only American-made cheeses from small producers.

The space was hardly more than a nook with a refrigerator in the original Essex Market on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Almost immediately, Ms. Saxelby attracted attention among cheese lovers, and especially among chefs in the growing farm-to-table movement.
A Louisiana man was arrested over the weekend in a series of shootings that left two people dead, including a state trooper whose death was not discovered for more than 12 hours after he was shot, the authorities said.

Master Trooper Adam Gaubert of the Louisiana State Police was found dead in his police car around 5 p.m. Saturday in Ascension Parish, the State Police said at a news briefing on Monday. They said that Matthew Reese Mire, 31, had ambushed Trooper Gaubert, 47, sometime around 2:30 a.m., after the trooper had parked his car to fill out some paperwork.

Losing a co-worker like Adam puts a hole in your heart, Col. Lamar A. Davis, the superintendent of the State Police, said at the briefing. He said that it was absolutely unacceptable that it took so long for the police to discover that Trooper Gaubert, a 19-year agency veteran, had been fatally shot.

Colonel Davis said that the delay in discovering the killing had prompted the State Police to consider procedural changes, including expanded GPS coverage, dormant activity alerts and redundant personnel tracking by supervisors.
MIAMI  Back in March, when Mayor Francis Suarez of Miami revealed that the city would bring on Art Acevedo, the Houston police chief, to head its Police Department, Mr. Suarez told the local newspaper that the hire was like getting the Tom Brady or the Michael Jordan of police chiefs.

His star pick lasted barely six months.

On Monday, Miami officials said they had decided to suspend Chief Acevedo with the intent to terminate him, showing the chief the door after a contentious tenure in which he clashed with powerful elected commissioners who laid out their grievances against him in a series of City Hall meetings that frequently devolved into spectacle.

The relationship between the chief and the organization has become untenable and needed to be resolved promptly, Art Noriega, the city manager, said in a statement. Relationships between employers and employees come down to fit and leadership style and unfortunately, Chief Acevedo is not the right fit for this organization.

Chief Acevedo made a series of decisions and comments that enraged commissioners, including dismissing or demoting several of the departments top officers, investigating a City Hall sergeant-at-arms and posing for a selfie at a pro-Cuban democracy protest with a prominent member of the Proud Boys, whom the chief said he did not know.
She was taken aback by President Donald J. Trumps 2016 election, he said, and mentioned several times that she was considering moving to Australia.

She said she couldnt stand the current state of politics and actually had found some job opportunities over there, he said.

On social media platforms, Ms. Toebbe shared photographs of her dogs, her children, meals cooking on the stove, a family vacation and selfies  ordinary scenes of an ordinary life, one far different than the amateur cloak-and-dagger act portrayed in the F.B.I. affidavit.

Having made contact with the as-yet undisclosed other country about providing submarine secrets, the Toebbes were reluctant to expose themselves in an in-person meeting, according to the narrative laid out in court documents by the F.B.I. But their apparent desire for cryptocurrency payments led them to agree to the undercover operatives demand they deposit information in a dead drop location  a decision that ultimately exposed their identity to the F.B.I.

Evidence in the court documents suggests the foreign country the Toebbes allegedly tried to sell the information to was an ally, or at least something of a partner, since it cooperated with the F.B.I. as the sting operation unfolded. While some experts speculated France could have been the target, French officials said they were not involved in the incident.

The hearing on Tuesday will be short. So far as the government knows, neither Jonathan nor Diana Toebbe has a lawyer. Prosecutors asked the court on Monday to hold Mr. Toebbe rather than granting him bail, saying he could face life in prison and was a flight threat. The magistrate judge could also set a hearing date for the couples continued detention.

Public records searches turned up no signs of financial distress that could provide a motivation for them to try to sell American secrets.
Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas issued a broad executive order on Monday that bars virtually any coronavirus vaccine mandate in the state.

Mr. Abbott, a Republican, has been among the most vocal political leaders in the United States opposing vaccine mandates. His latest executive order includes private employers, which had been exempt from previous edicts against the mandates.

No entity in Texas can compel receipt of a Covid-19 vaccine by any individual, including an employee or a consumer, who objects to such vaccination for any reason of personal conscience, based on a religious belief, or for medical reasons, including prior recovery from Covid-19, the order states. I hereby suspend all relevant statutes to the extent necessary to enforce this prohibition.

The order acknowledges that vaccines are strongly encouraged for those eligible to receive one, but must always be voluntary for Texans.
PARIS  As global finance leaders gather this week in Washington for the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund, Bruno Le Maire, the finance minister of France, made clear that effective French-American cooperation on an overhaul of the international tax system could not mask stark differences on China and other issues.

The United States wants to confront China. The European Union wants to engage China, Mr. Le Maire, a close ally of President Emmanuel Macron of France, said in a wide-ranging interview ahead of the meetings. This was natural, he added, because the United States is the worlds leading power and does not want China to become in a few years or in a few decades the first superpower in the world.

Europes strategic priority, by contrast, is independence, which means to be able to build more capacities on defense, to defend its own view on the fight against climate change, to defend its own economic interest, to have access to key technologies and not be too dependent on American technologies, he said.

His remarks reflected unresolved tensions that came to the surface last month in a furious disagreement between France and the United States over President Bidens decision to provide nuclear-powered submarines to Australia. The deal replaced an earlier French contract to sell Australia conventional submarines. Mr. Macron was not informed of Australias plans until the last minute.
When she was born, in 1968, Portugal was fighting wars against liberation movements in Angola, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde, only withdrawing after a 1974 coup in Lisbon ushered in the Carnation Revolution, and, a year later, independence for the former colonies. But for African families already living in Portugal, like hers, laws still enforced the use of standard Portuguese, rather than African, names.

Kilomba is a reclaimed family name that she learned from her grandmother; it is not the name in her passport. On her first trip to Africa in 1999, to the islands of Sao Tome e Principe, she visited plantation sites, seeking documentary traces of her ancestors.

Raised in the immigrant outskirts of Lisbon, Kilomba found in psychology and psychoanalysis both her career start and methods for self-understanding. But she found Portugal limiting: I wanted to do a lot of things and all of them were forbidden, she said. I was the only Black student in my university department. Youre in constant isolation.

She earned a grant to complete her doctorate in Berlin, and stayed; the city has been her home since 2008. It drew her, she said, for its role as a site of Black thinking in Europe, from W.E.B. Du Boiss time there in 1892-94 to Audre Lordes a near-century later.
The artist Julie Mehretu has been appointed to the board of the Whitney Museum of American Art, the museum announced Tuesday, making her the third artist trustee in the Whitneys history and one of seven new members to join the board over the last year.

Mehretu joins the artist Fred Wilson on the board; Chuck Close, who died in August, was the first artist ever to serve as a trustee.

The museum recently presented the most comprehensive survey to date of Mehretus career, which took over the entire fifth floor (now occupied by the work of Jasper Johns). Mehretu, who is Black, joins the board at a time when cultural institutions all over the country are making a concerted effort to diversify their leadership, staffs and programming.

In addition, the Whitney has been healing from a rift with artists over the business interests of the museums former vice chairman, Warren B. Kanders. Kanders was forced to resign in 2019 after months of protests over his companys sale of tear gas, culminating in the withdrawal of eight artists from the prestigious Whitney Biennial exhibition. (Kanders has since left the tear gas business.)
MUNICH  It was an unusual sight last Friday: the denizens of this wealthy city lifting the hems of their gowns and adjusting their bow ties as they stepped into a rough-around-the-edges industrial space for one of the premier cultural events of the fall.

They were entering the lobby of the Isarphilharmonie, a new concert hall far from the old-fashioned grandeur of the Bavarian State Opera or the Herkulessaal, inside the former royal palace. And far from the city center, where most of Munichs high-profile classical music performances take place.

The new hall is a rarity: an ephemeral, prefabricated venue designed with top-level acoustics and built for 40 million euros (about $46 million) in only a year and a half, all as a renovation stopgap. A temporary replacement for the ungainly and unremarkable concert hall at the Gasteig, which is closing for a multiyear makeover, the Isarphilharmonie is just one entity of that complex  including the Munich City Library and education facilities  to make an interim move nearly three miles down the Isar River to Halle E, once a transformer hall for a power utility, in a quieter, less polished part of town, next to a tire shop.
Had the disappearance of manufacturing jobs happened in isolation the scandal would have been greater than in 2008, the bailouts bigger than in 2020. But another trend  the 20 million new service-providing jobs created since 2000  offset those losses. The result is that, before Covid-19 struck, total employment had never been higher in the United States. The numbers mean that economists can forget places like Link-Belt. The stress and strain people experience as they are forced from the factory floor and into the service sector becomes a secondary matter. Labeled adjustment costs, such problems are seen as bumps along the road in a growing economy.

Johns arrival at Link-Belt is a sign of the relentless cost-cutting that will ultimately kill the plant. A prior employer, another Indianapolis factory, had paid him $28 an hour. But then it moved its business to Alabama, where unions are weaker and workers accepted $18 an hour. Another warning bell pings when Link-Belt workers begin to assemble bearings from Chinese-made parts. The workers are reduced to finishing and checking, as the supply chain lengthens and the factory is quietly gutted. Made in America had become a slogan, no longer an economic truth. Taking repeated trips to Indianapolis over the course of three years, Stockman captures the sense of impending doom.

At times, her book delves too deeply into the extended families of its central characters  lore relating to grandmothers and cousins slows the pace. This comes at the expense of developments at the factory, of which we get just a few glimpses. Mexican workers arrive from Monterrey to learn how to do the jobs they will be taking over from the Americans once the factory relocates, and at first they are seen as enemies. But these workers are young, have equally tough stories and view the company as a beacon of hope. The locals attitudes begin to change, and new relationships emerge. American Made would have benefited from a more extended account of this development.

The climax of the book is its penultimate section, Shutting Down, about the factorys final days. As closure looms, Rexnord announces that the Mexican workers will need mentors to teach them how to operate the furnaces, mills and lathes. Their American counterparts refuse, drawing a line in the unions battle to save the plant. But a grimly predictable economic reality plays out: Wages are far lower at the new Monterrey plant (in Mexico, manufacturing pay starts at less than $5 an hour), so it makes sense for the bosses to offer American employees cash bonuses until they buckle. The Link-Belt workers see these gestures as the final insult of free trade, as they are coerced into passing on their skills to the people who will make them redundant.

Stories like this show that journalists have a vital role to play in helping us understand the complex economic forces that shape our societies. Rooting out the hidden networks and social capital that support our global economy is painstaking work. Stockmans reporting reveals a fatal flaw in economics: Adjustment costs are not bumps in the road; they define lives. The task of 21st-century capitalism is to find a model that combines growth and innovation with ways to protect people from the painful shifts these forces so often bring. American Made is a reminder that this search continues.
The freedom to write: PEN Americas always resonant motto has a special resonance for Black authors, because for so many of them, that freedom was one they fought hard for. Liberation and literacy were inextricable. For the horrors of the American Negros life there has been almost no language, as James Baldwin once noted. Recall, first, that in many states it was illegal for an enslaved person even to learn how to read and how to write. Then the barbarities of the slave trade, the Middle Passage and cradle-to-grave bondage, were followed by another century of lynching, Jim Crow segregation, disenfranchisement and officially sanctioned forms of violence. Does the English language fail us, Baldwin wonders, in the face of racist terror? No, he decides; we must embrace it, occupy it, refashion it in our images, speak it in our own voices. We must deploy it to redress this terror. To accept ones past  ones history, as Baldwin insisted, is not the same as drowning with it; it is learning how to use it. This, surely, is integral to the freedom to write  the freedom to bear witness to the full range of our common humanity, and all that that entails, no matter how uncomfortable the process can be.



And what of the freedom to learn? Who has the right to study, the right to teach, to broach fraught subjects at a time when the temptation to police culture has never been higher? Today, partisans in various states are passing laws and resolutions in order to regulate what teachers can say, aiming to exclude critical race theory, The New York Timess 1619 Project and even ban words such as multiculturalism, equity and whiteness. But we must not exempt ourselves from scrutiny; whenever we treat an identity as something to be fenced off from those of another identity, we sell short the human imagination.

Explore the New York Times Book Review Want to keep up with the latest and greatest in books? This is a good place to start. Learn what you should be reading this fall: Our collection of reviews on books coming out this season includes biographies, novels, memoirs and more. See whats new in October: Among this months new titles are novels by Jonathan Franzen, a history of Black cinema and a biography by Katie Couric. Nominate a book: The New York Times Book Review has just turned 125. That got us wondering: What is the best book that was published during that time? Listen to our podcast: Featuring conversations with leading figures in the literary world, from Colson Whitehead to Leila Slimani, the Book Review Podcast helps you delve deeper into your favorite books.



Im moved that this award is being presented by two people quite dear to me, one a former professor, Wole Soyinka, who introduced me to the highest reaches of the mythopoetic imagination, the other a former student, Jodie Foster, whose own early work on Toni Morrison was so brilliantly insightful. Together, they represent ideals of education I hold sacred. The idea that you have to look like the subject to master the subject was a prejudice that our forebears  women seeking to write about men, Black people seeking to write about white people  were forced to challenge. In the same year that Rosa Parks refused to move from the white section of that public bus, Toni Morrison completed a masters thesis at Cornell on Virginia Woolf and William Faulkner, taking a seat in the white section of the modernist canon. Any teacher, any student, any reader, any writer, sufficiently attentive and motivated, must be able to engage freely with subjects of their choice. That is not only the essence of learning; its the essence of being human.

The great Soyinka helped me grasp this when I came to study with him at the University of Cambridge, almost five decades ago. Despite the fact that I wasnt African, let alone Yoruba, Wole welcomed me into his mythical, metaphysical world, dense with the metaphor, potency and portent of an alien set of divinities. And what exhilaration I felt, exploring these new realms. From my churchgoing youth in West Virginia, I was put in mind of a passage from the Book of Jeremiah: Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not!
The most captivating glimpse of Jeans oppressive self-denial comes during a weeklong trip with her mother to a coastal town, where they are stranded indoors along with other hotel guests during a heavy rain. The holiday is depicted with such sharp hilarity, including scenes of the endlessly complaining elderly Mrs. Swinney, it could be unfolding in a Jane Austen drawing room.

After sensitively elucidating her characters private hopes, Chambers proceeds to crush them in a series of cruel little twists. The virgin birth at the heart of the novel becomes the ultimate symbol of the lengths to which we delude ourselves in the name of hope, that treacherous friend. Religious belief serves as a beacon that characters cling to for self-preservation. The dressmaker reassuringly explains away the worrying voices her daughter occasionally hears as belonging to angels; the same faith is what gives the woman in the iron lung the strength to bear her condition, and the means by which she rationalizes the male visitor who appears uninvited at her bedside: Angels are always male, arent they?

With discreet wit and dry humor, Chambers captures the hypocrisy of an era that was so punitive for women. (Jean recounts how a doctor savored telling her shed probably never be able to bear a child after shed suffered through a clandestine abortion.) Peppering old household tips between chapters as sly commentary on the action  Good uses for sour milk, for example, appears when things begin to sour toward the end  Chambers reproduces the everyday minutiae of postwar British suburbia, from a dust-colored wool skirt to a pudding made of tinned pears and evaporated milk. Her language is beautiful, achieving what only the most skilled writers can: big pleasure wrought from small details.
THE BOOK OF MAGIC

By Alice Hoffman

Some stories begin at the beginning and others begin at the end. So opens The Book of Magic, the final installment of Alice Hoffmans popular Practical Magic series, a page-turning fairy tale of a saga that spans three books, one star-studded movie adaptation and multiple centuries of adventure and misadventure, love lost and found and bottomless cauldrons of sorcery in the lives of the bewitchingly witchy Owens family.

The Book of Magic begins at an ending: the imminent demise of Jet, the beautiful witch who, with her sister Franny, are the aging matriarchs of the Owens clan. When Jet learns from her own reflection in a library mirror that she has only seven days left to live, she leaves for Manhattan for a last, secret tryst with her longtime lover, Rafael. Jet and Rafael have kept their connection under wraps for decades because they are cursed. This is the legacy of Maria Owens, the first woman in the family to leave England for Massachusetts in the 17th century. As she stood in the gallows, having been sentenced to death for witchcraft, Maria called a curse upon anyone in her family, then or ever, who fell in love.

Explore the New York Times Book Review Want to keep up with the latest and greatest in books? This is a good place to start. Learn what you should be reading this fall: Our collection of reviews on books coming out this season includes biographies, novels, memoirs and more. See whats new in October: Among this months new titles are novels by Jonathan Franzen, a history of Black cinema and a biography by Katie Couric. Nominate a book: The New York Times Book Review has just turned 125. That got us wondering: What is the best book that was published during that time? Listen to our podcast: Featuring conversations with leading figures in the literary world, from Colson Whitehead to Leila Slimani, the Book Review Podcast helps you delve deeper into your favorite books.



Like Maria, Jet and Franny have magic running through their veins. They know how to mix star tulip and rosemary, anise and cloves to decipher dreams or coax back love. But their powers are no match for the family curse, which has claimed the lives of their husbands as well as two husbands of their niece, Sally. The relationships that survived, like Jet and Rafaels, and that of Sallys sister Gillian, have only made it by virtue of remaining hidden. While these women have strategically avoided marriage, children and open displays of affection, Jet and Frannys younger brother, Vincent, took a different tack: He fled to France with his lover and disappeared.

Sallys daughters, Kylie and Antonia, have been blissfully ignorant about the curse  until Jets funeral. Not long afterward, Kylies boyfriend, Gideon, is hit by a car and falls into a coma. Kylie learns that right before her grandaunt Jet died, she discovered an ancient book of dark magic that contained, among other powerful hexes, one that could break curses. The spell was so dangerous that Jet sealed shut the relevant pages of the book with magic.
The Irish novelist Sally Rooney said on Tuesday that she would not allow the Israeli publishing house that handled her previous novels to publish her most recent book, Beautiful World, Where Are You, because of her support for Palestinian people and the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement.

In an email, Ms. Rooney said that she was proud to have her first two books, Normal People and Conversations With Friends, published in Hebrew. Likewise, it would be an honor for me to have my latest novel translated into Hebrew and available to Hebrew-language readers, she said. But for the moment, I have chosen not to sell these translation rights to an Israeli-based publishing house.

She added that she knew some would disagree with her decision, but I simply do not feel it would be right for me under the present circumstances to accept a new contract with an Israeli company that does not publicly distance itself from apartheid and support the U.N.-stipulated rights of the Palestinian people.

Her Israeli publisher, Modan Publishing House, said in an email that when it inquired about Beautiful World, Where Are You, which was published in English in September, it was told that she wasnt interested in publishing it in Israel. It said it was not given an explanation.
The threat to the elderly

There is obviously some distressing news in these comparisons. For older people  especially the very old, as well as those with serious health conditions  vaccination does not reduce the risk of Covid hospitalization or death to near zero. Thats different from what the initial vaccine data suggested.

To be clear, getting vaccinated is still the best thing that an elderly person can do. In terms of risk reduction, a vaccine is more valuable for an older adult than a younger adult. Just compare the size of the bars in the above charts. Still, the Covid risks remain real for vaccinated elderly people.

David Wallace-Wells has argued in New York Magazine that despite the widespread discussion of Covids outsize impact on the old, most people are hugely underestimating how large the age skew truly is.

Different elderly people will respond to the risks in different ways, and thats OK. Some may decide to be extremely cautious until caseloads fall to low levels. Others  especially those without major health problems  may reasonably choose to travel, see friends and live their lives. The risks are not zero, but they are quite low. And few parts of life pose zero risk.

As a point of comparison, the annual risk of death for all vaccinated people over 65 in Seattle this year appears to be around 1 in 2,700. The annual average risk that an American dies in a vehicle crash is lower  about 1 in 8,500  but not a different order of magnitude.

From a policy perspective, Covids threat to older people argues for encouraging them to get Covid booster shots, even if it remains unclear how much vaccine immunity is waning. The threat also argues for more workplace vaccine mandates, to reduce the overall spread of the virus.

Vaccinate the kids?

The more encouraging half of the story is on the other end of the age spectrum.

For children without a serious medical condition, the danger of severe Covid is so low as to be difficult to quantify. For children with such a condition, the danger is higher but still lower than many people believe. The risk of long Covid among children  a source of fear among many parents  also appears to be very low.
The abundance of opportunities may be helping to fuel the wave of quitting: The governments tally includes people who left jobs to take other, perhaps better-paying, positions  or who didnt have another job lined up but were confident they could find one  as well as those choosing to leave the work force. (The figure does not include retirements, which are counted separately.)

The number of open jobs actually fell somewhat in August, to 10.4 million from a record 11.1 million in July, as the latest wave of the pandemic took a bite out of consumer demand, especially in the service sector. But the slowdown did little to ease the hiring logjam: There were more open jobs than unemployed workers in August. Openings were particularly elevated in the leisure and hospitality sector, where the number of people quitting was also highest. Economists said the spread of the more-contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus could be contributing to workers reluctance to return to work.

At the same time, hiring fell in August. That is consistent with data released earlier showing that job growth slowed in late summer. That data, also from the Labor Department but based on different surveys, showed that the Delta-driven slowdown continued in September. So did the hiring difficulties: The labor force shrank in September, as higher wages failed to draw people back to work.

We know that the Delta variant has likely made it more difficult to unlock labor supply because there are some workers who are concerned about health risks  and then on top of that, many school reopenings were disrupted, said Daniel Zhao, an economist at the career site Glassdoor. Its possible that as the Delta wave recedes, then we will realize some of those benefits of reopened schools and a revitalized economy, but that is going to take some time.
The leader of Samsung, Lee Jae-yong, pleaded guilty in Seoul on Tuesday to the illegal use of an anesthetic, the latest chapter in the legal saga of the heir to South Koreas largest conglomerate.

Samsung is South Koreas most important company, with its electronics unit making up almost 20 percent of the countrys exports, and the nearly five-year soap opera of scandal surrounding Mr. Lee has riveted the nation, giving it a peek into both the seedy intersections of industry and politics and the inner life of one of the countrys ultrarich.

For industry watchers, it has raised concerns about Mr. Lees ability to manage the enormous conglomerate  with business interests as varied as smartphones and life insurance  while under a seemingly unrelenting legal cloud.

Addressing the Seoul Central District Court, Mr. Lee said he had used the surgical anesthetic propofol as part of a skin treatment over five years starting in 2015. A hospital in Gangnam, one of the citys wealthiest neighborhoods, had issued him dozens of prescriptions for the drug, he said.
There is also a desire to improve diversity, he said, by establishing a presence in cities, like Atlanta, Miami and Washington, that have large populations of Black and Hispanic people, who are underrepresented in technology. For example, Chicago had few tech jobs, and college students who wanted to work in the industry had to move to other cities after graduation, Mr. Yasukochi said. But that is changing; Google, Facebook and Amazon now have offices there.

Tech companies are going to where the talent is, rather than making people move to a handful of cities, said Dianne Crocker, the principal analyst of LightBox, which provides data and software for the real estate industry.

Still, the Seattle area, home to Amazon, Expedia, Microsoft and Zillow, has been the biggest beneficiary. Most of the areas new leases are in the nearby cities of Redmond, Kirkland and Bellevue, just east of Seattle across Lake Washington.

Downtown Seattle is closer to capacity build-out, said Mr. Yasukochi, but the so-called Eastside has room for companies to expand. Some businesses are creating mini-campuses, and others are flocking to new developments like Bellevues Spring District.

Microsoft is adding 17 buildings and 8,000 employees to its headquarters in Redmond, about 15 miles northeast of Seattle. Amazon is planning to add 25,000 workers in Bellevue.

The growth also stems from emerging technology sectors like the commercial space industry, which has boomed thanks to an increase in the production and launch of satellites for communication and observation by companies like Elon Musks SpaceX and successful spaceflights by Jeff Bezos Blue Origin. About 40 space-related businesses such as satellite manufacturers employ more than 6,000 people in the Seattle area; in August, they listed more than 1,000 open jobs, said Stan Shull, managing director of Alliance Velocity, an aerospace advisory firm.

Theres a real space cluster of big companies, start-ups and venture capitalists growing here, he said.
American Airlines and Southwest Airlines, citing federal requirements, said on Tuesday that they would not comply with an order from the governor of Texas barring private employers from mandating coronavirus vaccines in the state.

Gov. Greg Abbott, a strong opponent of vaccine mandates, issued the order on Monday, saying inoculation against the coronavirus should always be voluntary for Texans.

We believe the federal vaccine mandate supersedes any conflicting state laws, and this does not change anything for American, said a spokeswoman for the airline, which is based in Fort Worth. Southwest, which is based in Dallas, said it would remain compliant with the federal mandate.
The position is unpaid. The worlds scientists and internet sleuths will scrutinize every move. Completing the first assignment with the available tools, and to everyones satisfaction, will be nearly impossible.

Despite those considerable obstacles, more than 700 people have applied for spots on a new committee charged with breathing life into the World Health Organizations stalled inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic.

The committee, expected to be announced this week, represents an attempt by the embattled global health body to reset its approach to determining how the pandemic began. Nine months after sending a team of international experts to China, only for its findings to become entangled in geopolitics and trailed by concerns over Beijings influence, the W.H.O. is trying to inoculate its latest efforts from the slightest hints of undue deference toward China.

Its new advisory team will include specialists in fields like laboratory safety and biosecurity, a step that analysts say may help placate Western governments pressing for consideration of whether the virus emerged from a lab. And, crucially, the committee will have a mandate to weigh in on the emergence of any new pathogens beyond this novel coronavirus, giving it a permanence that could help insulate it from political squabbling and strengthen the W.H.O.s hand for future outbreaks.
If Snow White looked suitably snowy in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, if Pinocchios nose grew at just the right rate, if Dumbo was the correct shade of elephantine gray, all that was due in part to the largely unheralded work of Ruthie Tompson.

One of a cadre of women who in the 1930s and 40s worked at Disney in indispensable anonymity  and one of its longest-lived members  Ms. Tompson, who died on Sunday at 111, spent four decades at the studio. Over time, she worked on nearly every one of Disneys animated features, from Snow White  Disneys first, released in 1937  to The Rescuers, released in 1977.

A Disney spokesman, Howard Green, said she died at the Motion Picture and Television Funds retirement community in Woodland Hills, Calif., where she had been a longtime resident.

Ms. Tompson joined Disney as an inker and painter. She later trained her eye on the thousands of drawings that make up an animated feature, checking them for continuity of color and line. Still later, as a member of the studios scene planning department, she devised exacting ways for its film cameras to bring those flat, static drawings to vivid animated life.
We are talking manhole explosions.

Those terrifying eruptions can blast a 300-pound manhole cover high above the street, trailed by a hideous cloud of almost-blinding flame and rust-colored gunk. Rudin, now a professor of computer science and engineering at Duke University, led a project that used machine learning to predict which Con Edison manholes were most at risk of blowing up.

For that research and other work that applied artificial intelligence to the everyday world  including the basis of a program used by the Police Department to identify crimes in different precincts that might be related  Rudin has just won a $1 million prize. The award, the Squirrel AI Award for Artificial Intelligence for the Benefit of Humanity, was announced by the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence.

Rudin, who has also collaborated on a formula that predicts the likelihood of seizures in critically ill hospital patients who have brain injuries, became involved with the manholes when Con Edison hired researchers from Columbia University. The assignment was massive: There are more than 50,000 manholes in Manhattan alone. They serve as entrances to underground conduits housing enough electrical cable to stretch almost all the way around the world at the Equator.

The cables are a particular worry in winter, when melting snow, along with salt and chemicals from road de-icing, can seep into manholes and cause short-circuiting if the insulation on the cables deteriorates. Rudin said that even a few sparks in the tight confines of a manhole can cause combustion.

Rudins team assembled information about every manhole on every block  a huge trove of data. The algorithm that Rudin and her team developed searched for patterns behind manhole explosions. In a test by Con Edison, the top 2 percent of trouble holes in Manhattan  manholes with problems  that the algorithm ranked as vulnerable included 11 percent that had recently had fires or explosions. Con Edison said it continues to use similar system analysis to predict what it calls manhole events.

Rudin did not need an algorithm to predict what she would do with the $1 million.

The first thing Im going to do is allocate 40 percent to pay taxes, she said. I feel thats a really important thing to do, to support our society.

You hear about these multimillionaires and the interesting things they do with their money, she continued. Ive never heard anyone brag about taxes, but Im so proud of the public schools my children go to and our police officers and our firefighters and people who tend our parks and all of those whose job it is to keep society going.
For Lev Parnas, a Ukrainian American businessman living in Florida, 2018 was a busy year.

Sometime around March, he began showing up at Republican fund-raisers. Then, in late April, he dined on cheeseburgers and wedge salads with President Donald J. Trump.

By May, a fledgling energy company that Mr. Parnas started with a partner, Igor Fruman, was listed as giving $325,000 to a pro-Trump super PAC. Soon, Mr. Parnas was assisting President Trumps personal lawyer, Rudolph W. Giuliani, as he oversaw a shadow diplomacy campaign to investigate Joseph R. Biden Jr., then a leading Democratic presidential candidate.

Within a year, Mr. Parnas was under investigation, and in late 2019 he was arrested with Mr. Fruman at Dulles International Airport, where both held one-way tickets on a Lufthansa Airlines flight to Frankfurt.

Now, Mr. Parnas is facing a trial on campaign finance charges that include contributions to the super PAC and a state candidate in Nevada, where he wanted to operate a cannabis business. And though the case has little to do with his dealings with the former president  who was not accused of wrongdoing in the matter  Mr. Trumps shadow hangs over Mr. Parnass trial, which begins Tuesday in federal court in Manhattan.
Since taking office, she has made responding to the fallout of the pandemic her top priority, implementing vaccine mandates and expediting coronavirus relief funds for struggling renters and undocumented immigrants. She has also kept a packed schedule of public appearances and moved vigorously to fund-raise in hopes of raising $25 million for her campaign next year.

Indeed, the Marist Institute for Public Opinion poll found that Ms. Hochul is already enjoying the benefits of incumbency: Fifty-five percent of New Yorkers said they had a favorable view of her, while 32 percent said they had an unfavorable impression. Her favorability rating was 70 percent among Democrats and 26 percent among Republicans.

Mr. Williams, a left-wing Democrat from Brooklyn who unsuccessfully ran for lieutenant governor against Ms. Hochul in 2018, announced an exploratory committee for governor last month and is expected to make a decision soon.

Ms. James, another Brooklyn Democrat, is also seriously considering a run for governor. She recently embarked on a campaign-like tour of the state and has been discussing her ambitions with donors and elected officials.

Its an honor and a privilege to be urged to run for the office of governor, Ms. James said at the annual New Yorker Festival on Sunday evening. But at this point in time, one, as a woman of faith, Im still praying on it. Two, Im still considering the options, and three, Im considering where best I can make transformational change in the State of New York.

When Mr. Cuomo resigned, his top aide said Mr. Cuomo had no intention of running again for governor, but he still has a daunting $18 million campaign war chest, leading to speculation that he may decide to jump in or otherwise meddle in the race. His campaign website, which does not mention his resignation, is still active and appears to be accepting donations.

In recent weeks, Mr. Cuomos campaign has sent emails to supporters, including one last week in which he described the report from the attorney generals office as politically and personally motivated.
A federal judge ruled on Tuesday that New York State health officials must allow employers to grant religious exemptions to a Covid-19 vaccine mandate for health care workers while a lawsuit challenging the mandate makes its way through the courts.

The judges order at least temporarily thwarts part of Gov. Kathy M. Hochuls effort to require vaccination for all health care workers. It offers a reprieve for thousands of unvaccinated doctors, nurses and support workers who had applied for religious exemptions, and who would have been prevented from working beginning Tuesday if the judge had ruled for the state. The mandate remains in effect for all other health care workers.

A lawyer for a group of workers who are suing the state over the mandate hailed the ruling.

With this decision, the court rightly recognized that yesterdays front line heroes in dealing with Covid cannot suddenly be treated as disease-carrying villains and kicked to the curb by the command of a state health bureaucracy, said Christopher Ferrara of the Thomas More Society.

Ms. Hochul, in a statement, indicated the state would appeal.

My responsibility as governor is to protect the people of this state, and requiring health care workers to get vaccinated accomplishes that, Ms. Hochul said. I stand behind this mandate, and I will fight this decision in court to keep New Yorkers safe.
The takeaway will be: Are we competitive or not? said Leonard Lance, a New Jersey Republican and former congressman who lost his seat in the 2018 midterms as Democrats angered by President Donald J. Trump and his policies flipped control of the House.

Mr. Murphy has tried to lash Mr. Ciattarelli to Mr. Trump, who lost to President Biden in New Jersey by 16 points  offering a likely preview of the kinds of attacks to come during the midterms next year.

But New Jerseys election on Nov. 2 also provides one of the first statewide tests of how voters feel about strict coronavirus-related mandates as the health crisis stretches into its 20th month and pandemic fatigue mounts.

Voters surveyed in polls continued to give Mr. Murphy some of his highest marks for the way he has responded to the pandemic, and he has said he believed it was one of the most defining issues separating him and Mr. Ciattarelli. Last week, Mr. Murphy refused to rule out a Covid-19 vaccine mandate for students, a step taken by California, where, as early as next fall, inoculation against the virus will be required to attend school.

Saily Avelenda, executive director of New Jerseys Democratic State Committee, said she believed that mask wearing and vaccine mandates would be the most important factors driving voters to the polls.
We need more out-of-the-box thinking so that banks can reopen and social services can restart.

The World Bank suspended $600 million in funds that form the backbone of the countrys health system. If doctors and nurses are not paid, hospitals will be forced to shut their doors. An alliance recently formed by key aid groups to address the health crisis is a step in the right direction. A special agreement was signed by four agencies to set up mechanisms that would allow direct funding to hospitals and clinics in Afghanistan  but that wont be enough. Aid groups have nowhere near the capacity to plug the enormous gaps that remain in the health system.

We also need financial instruments that enable donors to pool large sums of relief money, to help us navigate the complexity of international sanctions and restrictions that make it hard for our aid to reach those who need it most.

Even before the latest seismic political shift in Afghanistan, the country faced a dire humanitarian crisis. More than 18 million people urgently needed humanitarian aid. Some 3.5 million Afghans were internally displaced. Failed rains drove hunger levels up; one-third of residents did not know where their next meal would come from.

Some countries and individual actors have suggested that the Taliban must meet certain conditions in exchange for funds. As a humanitarian organization, we do not advocate the conditionality of aid. We are not here to weigh in on political issues or political solutions to the current crisis. We need the international community to realize the urgency here: The economic crisis will only exacerbate humanitarian needs.

I told Taliban leaders I met with in Kabul that for humanitarian action to be most effective, we need our female and male colleagues to have equal rights, just as its important for both girls and boys to be able to go to school. We have been given verbal assurances on these issues in most parts of the country  and will continue to press the Taliban to adhere to humanitarian principles and ensure we can reach those in greatest need.

Whether we will succeed in our race against time to scale up before winter will depend not only on the Talibans willingness to turn their words into action but also on the international community.

Trillions of dollars were spent over the past two decades on the war in Afghanistan that ended so monumentally when the United States evacuated, leaving some 40 million people to fend for themselves. While many were caught off guard by the rapid change of power, the international community cannot continue to stand idly by and watch the countrys free fall.
This article is part of the Debatable newsletter. You can sign up here to receive it on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Last week my colleague Ezra Klein wrote an extended column on the work and political thought of David Shor, a pollster and progressive consultant who, according to Politico, has an audience in the White House and is one of the most in-demand data analysts in the country.

A prophet of the Beltway, Shor has news to share, and the news, for Democrats, is bad: The party is on the cusp of falling into a decade of powerlessness, he warns, and its best hope of avoiding such a fate is to tailor its messaging and policies to win over non-college-educated voters, especially white ones, who have defected to Donald Trumps Republican Party.

Kleins piece brought to a boil a debate that had been simmering for months on Twitter, a debate that poses uncomfortable questions about what the Democratic Party should stand for and how, in the face of an increasingly authoritarian opposition party, it can best prevent the erosion of U.S. democracy. Heres what people are saying.
You will note that this banal-seeming wisdom is not an ideological litmus test: Where left-wing ideas are popular, Shor Thought would have Democrats talk about them more. But where they are unpopular, especially with the kind of voters who hold the key to contested Senate races, Democrats need a way to defuse them or hold them at a distance.

Thus a popularist candidate might be a thoroughgoing centrist in some cases, and in others a candidate running the way Bernie Sanders did in 2016, stressing the most popular ideas in the social-democratic tool kit. But in both cases such candidates would do everything in their power not to be associated with ideas like, say, police abolition or the suspension of immigration enforcement. Instead they would imitate the way Obama himself, in his first term, tried to finesse issues like immigration and same-sex marriage, sometimes using objectively conservative rhetoric and never getting way out ahead of public opinion.

Which is easier said than done. For one thing, the Democratic Partys activists have a different scale of power in the world of 2021 than the world of 2011, and the hypothetical popularist politician cant make their influence and expectations just go away. For another, as my colleague Nate Cohn points out, Obama in 2011 was trying to keep white working-class voters in the Democratic fold, while the popularist politician in 2022 or 2024 would be trying to win them back from the G.O.P.  a much harder thing to achieve just by soft-pedaling vexatious issues.

At the very least a Democratic strategy along these lines would probably need to go further along two dimensions. First, it would need to overtly attack the new progressivism  not on every front but on certain points where the language and ideas of the progressive clerisy are particularly alienated from ordinary life.

For instance, popularist Democrats would not merely avoid a term like Latinx, which is ubiquitous in official progressive discourse and alien to most U.S. Hispanics; they would need to attack and even mock its use. (Obviously this is somewhat easier for the ideal popularist candidate: an unwoke minority politician in the style of Eric Adams.)

Likewise, a popularist candidate  ideally a female candidate  on the stump in a swing state might say something like: I want this to be a party for normal people, and normal people say mother, not birthing person.

Instead of reducing the salience of progressive jargon, the goal would be to raise its salience in order to be seen to reject it  much as Donald Trump in 2016 brazenly rejected unpopular G.O.P. positions on entitlements that other Republican rivals were trying to merely soft-pedal.
There is a broad spectrum of ability that can be accommodated in a general education classroom, especially with two teachers in the classrooms that have children with individualized education plans to meet their special needs. Heterogeneous classes need to be the norm, with only the fewest, most extreme exceptions.

Mixed ability classes improve educational outcomes across the board; slower learners have the examples of what it is possible to strive toward and how to get there, and faster learners synthesize skills by explaining how they did the work. More important, the children learn that everyone has something to bring to the table  not just the right answer, but imagination, ideas, social skills and various talents.

Heterogeneous classes enable children to collaborate with and develop respect for people with varying intelligence and ability.

Lynn Bernstein

Brooklyn

The writer is a recently retired New York City public-school teacher.

To the Editor:

Mayor Bill de Blasios plan to tackle inequality in the New York City public schools by overhauling gifted education is seriously misguided. Providing accelerated learning in a general education class often means giving gifted students busywork because classes are too large to meet the needs of all students of varying abilities.

That was the rationale for instituting programs for gifted students initially. We need to provide opportunities for gifted students to grow and to challenge them by offering special programs geared toward their abilities. Eliminating these programs will result in a failure to meet the needs of a large number of students. The best way to improve education is by offering programs to meet the needs of all children.
INTERNATIONAL

The Saturday Profile about Lamont Marcell Jacobs, the Italian sprinter who won two gold medals in the Tokyo Olympics, misstated Italys medal count in athletics events, which include track and field, at the games. The country won five gold medals in athletics events, not 10.

An article on Saturday about security agreement negotiations between the United States and Mexico misstated to whom 16 senators addressed a letter urging that Haitian migrants be protected. It was addressed to the Homeland Security secretary, Alejandro N. Mayorkas, and Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, not to Mr. Mayorkas and President Biden.

An article on Sunday about the parliamentary election in the Czech Republic misstated the day that the election concluded. It was Saturday, not Sunday.

NATIONAL

A picture caption with an article on Saturday about Seattle voters support for President Bidens domestic agenda referred incorrectly to Green Lake Park in Seattle. It is a city park, not a state park.
The Kanye West era in Cody, Wyo., may be coming to an end.

The Wyoming ranch that the rap superstar bought in 2019 was put up for sale this week, signaling that Mr. Wests plans to turn the sleepy tourist city of about 10,000 into a factory town for his company, Yeezy, are about as likely to materialize as his election to the presidency.

A listing for the ranch he owns was posted this week on the website of a local realtor, DBW Realty, with a price of $11 million. The listing, which referred to the property as Monster Lake Ranch  its name before the rapper purchased it  made no mention of Mr. West, though it did advertise the ranchs go-kart track and freshwater trophy trout fishing on site. The property is 3,888 acres, according to the listing.

Though the listing was posted Monday, it had been clear to many of the towns residents for some time that Mr. West, who bought the property almost exactly two years ago, might not be planning on extending his stay.

Earlier this year, he began to sell the four-wheelers that he and his now estranged wife, Kim Kardashian West, rode in an early video clip filmed in the area, said Kellen Whitehead, a sales manager at Whitlock Motors in Cody.
Expecting the Unexpected

My mother left to find herself when I was 6, and again when I was 12. The second time, she didnt come back. My father raised me in Queens while she was in an ashram in Oregon. Only in recent years have my mother and I grown close. People ask me how I could ever forgive her, how my family can gather over the Shabbat dinner she cooks us every Friday. Maybe its because I never gave up wishing. Maybe its because I believe all of us can change. My life has taught me to expect and embrace the unexpected.  Ronit Plank
The fast-moving Alisal fire in Southern California has consumed 13,400 acres since it began on Monday, driven by gusting winds and threatening to destroy more than 100 structures, according to the Santa Barbara County Fire Department.

More than 750 firefighters have been assigned to the blaze, which was 5 percent contained early Wednesday, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

The main constraint has been heavy winds that have limited safe access to suppress the fire and limited the use of aircraft to engage and support fire suppression, fire officials said.

The cause of the fire, which began on Monday at 2:30 p.m., remains under investigation, according to Cal Fire, the states firefighting agency.
The theories lit up the internet: An earthquake must have caused a prolonged boom that shook homes on Sunday morning in New Hampshire and at least one neighboring state.

Some hypothesized that the puzzling disturbance might have been the sound of an aircraft breaking the sound barrier. Both scenarios were quickly discounted.

Now some meteorologists think they can explain the mystery.

Satellite imagery suggests that a meteor might have exploded in the atmosphere over New Hampshire, according to those meteorologists, who say that explanation is not at all far out.

This time of year, they pointed out, is known for intense meteor showers: the Draconids that peaked two days earlier and the Orionids that continue until November. The fireballs that explode in a bright terminal flash, often with visible fragmentation, are known as bolides, according to the American Meteor Society.
Gabrielle Petito, the Florida woman whose disappearance led to a wide-ranging investigation into her fiance, who returned home without her from a cross-country trip before disappearing himself, died from strangulation, the authorities said on Tuesday.

Dr. Brent Blue, the Teton County, Wyo., coroner, did not disclose at a news briefing how Ms. Petito was strangled. He said her body had been outside for three to four weeks before it was found on Sept. 19 in the Bridger-Teton National Forest, in Wyoming.

The Teton County Coroners Office had determined on Sept. 21 that her death was a homicide, but Dr. Blue said on Tuesday that he did not know the exact day Ms. Petito died.

There will not be an exact date of death on the death certificate, he said.

Dr. Blue revealed little else about the condition of Ms. Petitos body, though he said she was not pregnant at the time of her death. (Rumors had circulated that she was pregnant.) The authorities conducted a toxicology test on her body, which is being held at a local mortuary, but did not disclose the results. Dr. Blue directed further questions about the homicide to the F.B.I.
WASHINGTON  The State Department is investigating new complaints of brain injuries linked to the so-called Havana Syndrome at the U.S. Embassy in Colombia, a senior administration official said on Tuesday, a week before Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken is scheduled to visit the country.

It was not clear how many people at the embassy in Bogota, the Colombian capital, might have been afflicted by the mysterious illness and its symptoms of headaches, nausea, dizziness and memory loss. The State Departments spokesman, Ned Price, said officials would ensure that employees get the prompt care they need, in whatever form that takes, but he did not describe the complaints in Colombia during a briefing in Washington.

The senior administration official confirmed the complaints, which were reported earlier by The Wall Street Journal, and said that it appeared that at least two embassy employees had reported the symptoms.

President Ivan Duque of Colombia said his country was aware of the reports. In an interview with The New York Times on Tuesday, Mr. Duque said while the United States was taking the lead, Colombias intelligence service was also investigating.
MARTINSBURG, W.Va.  The Maryland couple accused of trying to sell some of Americas most closely guarded nuclear submarine secrets made their first appearance in court since they were arrested over the weekend.

The couple, Jonathan and Diana Toebbe, were accused of selling nuclear propulsion secrets to an undercover F.B.I. officer through a series of dead drops featuring memory cards hidden in peanut butter sandwiches, gum packages and Band-Aid wrappers.

Though they appeared separately on Tuesday, each was charged individually with communication of restricted data and conspiracy to communicate restricted data, charges that could lead to life in prison. Neither of them was asked to enter a plea during their short initial appearances.

The hearing in federal court in Martinsburg, W.Va., for Jonathan Toebbe was over in five minutes. After reviewing an affidavit from Mr. Toebbe listing his finances, the magistrate judge, Robert W. Trumble, said Mr. Toebbe qualified for a court-appointed lawyer and set two hearings: one on Friday for a hearing on his continued detention and a preliminary hearing in the case for next Wednesday.
The Food and Drug Administration set the stage Tuesday for a new round of decisions on which Americans should get coronavirus booster shots, releasing a review of data suggesting that an additional half-dose of Modernas vaccine at least six months after the second dose increased antibody levels. But the agency did not take a position on whether an additional shot was necessary.

An independent advisory panel of experts will examine the available data on both Moderna and Johnson & Johnson boosters in a two-day meeting later this week. Votes are scheduled on whether to recommend emergency authorization of boosters for both vaccines. While the panels votes are not binding, the F.D.A. typically follows them.

In documents released Tuesday, Moderna argued that a third injection is needed because the potency of its vaccine wanes over time, with levels of neutralizing antibodies falling six to eight months after a second dose. The company also cited real world evidence of reduced effectiveness against the Delta variant, although the F.D.A. noted that the studies diverge on whether Modernas protection weakened over time against symptomatic infection or against the Delta variant.

The company did not argue that a booster was necessary to prevent severe disease or hospitalization, but concentrated its arguments on preventing infection and mild to moderate disease.
WASHINGTON  The Supreme Court heard arguments in an abortion case on Tuesday, but the issue for the justices was a procedural one: Could Kentuckys attorney general, a Republican, defend a state abortion law when the governor, a Democrat, refused to pursue further appeals after a federal appeals court struck down the law?

As the argument progressed through a thicket of technical issues, a majority of the justices seemed inclined to say yes.

Kentucky maybe ought to be there in some form, and the attorney general is the one that wants to intervene, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. said.

More important abortion cases are on the horizon. In December, the court will hear arguments on whether to overrule Roe v. Wade in a case concerning a Mississippi law banning most abortions after 15 weeks. And the justices have been asked to take another look at a Texas law that prohibits most abortions after six weeks, which the court allowed to go into effect last month by a 5-to-4 vote.
WINCHESTER, Va.  As a lifelong Republican in her home state of Virginia, Tammy Yoder faithfully casts her ballot for those who want to lower taxes, oppose abortion and back other conservative causes.

But the issue that transformed Ms. Yoder, a stay-at-home mother, from a reliable voter to the kind of person who brings three young children to an evening campaign rally wasnt her Christian values or her pocketbook.

It was something even more personal, she said: What her children learn in school.

The past year has revealed a ton to me, said Ms. Yoder, 41, as she waited in this Northern Virginia exurb for a speech by Glenn Youngkin, the Republican candidate for governor. The more Ive listened and paid attention, the more that I see whats happening in schools and on college campuses. And the stuff I see, I dont want corrupting my children.

From fights over evolution to desegregation to prayer, education battles have been a staple of the countrys divisive cultural issues for decades. But not quite like this.
NAIROBI, Kenya  The conflict in northern Ethiopia has escalated sharply in recent days, as Ethiopian forces began a sweeping offensive in a bid to reverse recent gains by Tigrayan rebels, Western officials and Tigrayan leaders said.

U.N. officials said the attack will deepen the humanitarian crisis in a region that is plunging into the worlds worst famine in a decade. With the Ethiopian government blocking aid shipments, some starving Tigrayans are eating leaves to survive.

Senior Western officials broadly confirmed Tigrayan accounts that the assault, which had been anticipated for weeks, started in the Amhara region, which borders Tigray to the south. But beyond that, it is hard to get a clear picture of the situation.

A strict communications blackout imposed by the government means few details about the fighting can be independently confirmed. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who was sworn in for a second term last week, has declined to comment in recent days.
NAIROBI, Kenya  The United Nations top court largely sided with Somalia over Kenya on Tuesday in a dispute over how to demarcate a disputed area in the Indian Ocean thought to be rich in oil and gas, a major decision that could escalate tensions in the region and ultimately reshape the two countries maritime borders.

The judgment by the International Court of Justice in The Hague on Tuesday capped a yearslong, oft-delayed case that has strained relations between the neighboring countries in the strategically vital Horn of Africa. While the court handed most of the disputed territory to Somalia, it also shifted part of the border north by a bit, in line with Kenyas demand.

Even before the court issued a ruling, Kenya withdrew from the case, saying it would not recognize any judgment. The courts rulings are binding but unenforceable, and many other countries have chosen to ignore them.

But this dispute, experts say, threatens to inject another note of uncertainty in a region already hobbled by terrorism, internal conflict and widespread instability.
For the second time in three months, China is grappling with the aftermath of violent floods caused by days of unusually intense rains that have left at least 29 people dead and displaced more than 120,000 across northern parts of the country.

The death toll included 14 people who died after a commuter bus fell into a river on Monday from a flooded bridge near the northern city of Shijiazhuang, according to Chinese media reports. Video circulating online showed stranded passengers waiting to be rescued on the roof of the nearly submerged bus as it floated in the river. As of Monday night, 37 people had been rescued from the bus, according to CCTV, Chinas state broadcaster.
Mr. Zemmours rise has been most unsettling for Ms. Le Pen, who is plummeting in the polls  so much so that her own father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, the party founder, said that he would support Mr. Zemmour if the writer were in a stronger position.

Ms. Le Pen has for years tried to broaden her base with a so-called un-demonizing strategy of moving her nationalist, anti-immigrant party from the most extreme xenophobic positions that it was known for under her father. Now she finds herself in the unusual position of being outflanked on the right.

Mr. Zemmour became one of Frances best-selling authors in the past decade by writing books on the nations decline  fueled, he said, by the loss of traditional French and Christian values, the immigration of Muslim Africans bent on a reverse colonization of France, the rise of feminism and the loss of virility, and a great replacement of white people, a conspiracy theory that has been cited by gunmen in multiple mass shootings.

As the child of Algerians who settled in metropolitan France, he has presented himself as the embodiment of Frances successful system of assimilation.

He has said that the failure to integrate recent generations of Muslim immigrants lies with the new arrivals, who hate France, and not with a system that others say has not kept up with the times.

Mr. Zemmours influence rose to an entirely new level in the past two years after he became the star of CNews, a new Fox-style news network that gave him a platform to expound on his views every evening.
Britain has experienced one of the worst Covid-19 outbreaks among wealthy nations, with 162,000 deaths officially attributed to the disease. Like many Western democracies, at the outset of the pandemic it struggled to balance individual liberties with strict measures such as lockdowns, and suffered from mismanagement at the top levels of government.

The country has tried to put those missteps behind it, racing ahead last winter and spring as one of the world leaders in vaccinations, with more than three-quarters of people 12 and older having now received two doses of a Covid vaccine. As deaths declined from prior peaks, Britain cast off nearly all restrictions, and even though infections remain high, Mr. Johnson has tried to portray the country as having put the worst of the pandemic behind it.

But as he struggles against a raft of new economic problems, the report renewed criticisms of his governments handling of the virus. It does not require the government to act, but its findings are likely to influence the public debate for months to come. A full public inquiry promised by Mr. Johnson is not scheduled to begin until next year.

This report lays bare the failings of the U.K. government to contain Covid, including delayed border measures, nonexistent testing for weeks, lack of P.P.E. for frontline workers and a late lockdown, said Devi Sridhar, the head of the global public health program at the University of Edinburgh. Hopefully, lessons will be learned from this.
Frost  who is a convinced Brexiteer  sees this attempt to renegotiate or adjust the protocol as the final means to weaken the ties that remain between the U.K. and the E.U., said Katy Hayward, a professor of political sociology at Queens University, Belfast.

Britain, she added, seemed to be trying to wrangle the last bits of sovereignty from the E.U.

Tuesdays speech follows months of tension over impediments to trade between Britain and Northern Ireland, including the flow of some goods like chilled meats, a rift that became known as the sausage wars. In recent days that gave way to open sniping during which the Irish foreign minister, Simon Coveney, questioned whether Britain actually wanted an agreement, and Mr. Frost accused his European counterparts of refusing to listen.

Britain argues that the protocol is being implemented in an unnecessarily heavy handed way, while European officials accuse Mr. Johnson of breaking an agreement he made himself.

Answering questions after his address on Tuesday, Mr. Frost said that when Britain agreed to the protocol, it knew it was taking a risk. We hoped that we were wrong and that the protocol would work, he said. It turned out we were right.

For its part the European Union has repeatedly rejected Britains calls for a renegotiation of the agreement. It particularly opposes the removal of the Court of Justice of the European Union, based in Luxembourg and the blocs highest court, as the final arbiter of disputes.

Responding on Monday to excerpts from the speech that were released on Saturday for the British media, the spokesman for the E.U. Commission, Eric Mamer, described Londons demand to remove the court as unacceptable and ground that we have covered a million times.
BAGHDAD  Iraq says it has captured the Islamic States finance chief, a rare arrest of a major ISIS figure that could produce significant intelligence gains against the group as it struggles to re-emerge.

Iraqi security forces said in a statement on Monday that they had arrested Sami Jassem al-Ajuz by a major action by our forces in the National Intelligence Service and a special operation outside our borders.

They did not say when the arrest took place, or where. But a senior Iraqi intelligence official, who asked not to be identified because he was not authorized to speak with the media, said Mr. al-Ajuz had been captured across the border in Syria.

The Iraqi statement described Mr. al-Ajuz as the chief financial and economic official for the Islamic State. It said he was a top aide to the current head of the group and a former deputy to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the ISIS leader who was killed in a U.S. raid in 2019 in northwestern Syria.
After a year in which only one out of 13 Nobel laureates was a woman, a top official at the institution that awards some of the prizes dismissed the idea of gender quotas, saying the current system was in line with the spirit of Alfred Nobels last will.

Goran K. Hansson, the secretary-general of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, said on Monday in an interview with the Agence France-Presse news agency that it was sad that so few Nobel laureates have been women.

It reflects on the unfair conditions in society, particularly in years past, but still existing and theres so much more to do, Mr. Hansson said. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awards the Nobel Prizes in Physics and Chemistry, as well as the Nobel in economics, known officially as the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel.

Since 1901, 943 individuals and 25 organizations have won Nobel Prizes and the Nobel in economics. Only 58 have been women.
Stillwater, OK (74078)

Today

Mainly clear skies. Low 31F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Mainly clear skies. Low 31F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph.
Carrie Ratner

Hasbro hires Carrie Ratner as senior vice president, global corporate communications. Ratner joins Hasbro from PepsiCo, where she led global external communications and reputation management. Before that, she was vice president for global corporate, internal and crisis communications at Starwood Hotels and Resorts and served as a principal at Sard Verbinnen & Co. At Hasbro, Ratner will be responsible for leading the companys external and internal corporate communications and storytelling strategy, as well as directing its corporate communications team. Based at Hasbros corporate headquarters, she will report to Hasbro executive vice president and chief purpose officer Kathrin Belliveau. With Carries leadership and broad experience, we will further elevate Hasbros vast portfolio of beloved brands and rich content across consumer products, gaming, tv and film, said Belliveau.

Penny Wilson

Digital consultancy Appnovation names Penny Wilson chief marketing officer. Wilson joins Appnovation from Hootsuite where she was CMO, leading the brands corporate, product marketing, sales development, online growth and customer support. She has also served as CMO at Juniper Networks and Macromedia, as well as holding senior executive positions at Alias|Wavefront and Merrill Lynch. At Appnovation, Wilson will lead the brands global marketing strategy as the consultancy continues to grow its geographical footprint and service offerings. Penny has a proven track record of building business strategies that deliver outstanding business growth and market dominance, said Appnovation CEO and founder Arnold Leung.

Emily McDermott

Abel Communications brings on Emily McDermott as senior account director. McDermott previously served as a director at FOVNDRY (formerly Van Eperen) and was commnications manager for the Atlanta Opera. She currently serves as vice president of the PRSA Maryland Chapter. The agency has also brought on Michelle Subbiondo, who was previously director of communications at Living Classrooms Foundation, as senior account executive. Were thrilled to welcome such innovative and passionate individuals to the team, said Abel Communications founder and CEO Greg Abel.

Jessica Adkins

Neptune Wellness Solutions, a health and wellness company focused on plant-based, sustainable and purpose-driven lifestyle brands, names Jessica Adkins senior vice president, corporate communications. Adkins joins the company from Amys Kitchen, where she served as senior director, company affairs and director of corporate communications. She previously held several executive marketing positions as Anheuser-Busch InBev and was a managing director at Grayling. She has successfully developed and executed on numerous impactful communications campaigns to drive engagement and improve corporate reputation for industry-leading companies," said Neptune Wellness president and CEO Michael Cammarata.
The Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations at the University of Alabama will honor five PR leaders at its annual Milestones in Mentoring Gala, taking place at the Union League Club of Chicago on Thursday, Nov. 11 at 6 p.m.

Established in 2010, the Milestones in Mentoring Awards recognize leaders in the profession for their dedication to thoughtful mentorship, ethical leadership and the advancement of DEI. The recipients are selected by a committee of their peers, and this year five awards are being presented.

The Jack Koten Corporate Award is named after a co-founder of the Arthur W. Page Society and honors an individual who has demonstrated a commitment to mentoring others. Nineteen88 Strategies founder & CEO David Albritton will receive this years award.

Dr. Jinx Coleman Broussard, a professor and scholar at the LSU Manship School of Mass Communication, is the recipient of the Bruce K. Berger Educator Award.

The Emerging Leader Award will go to Ketchum senior manager, business development Myreete Stanforth, and Tom Martin, executive-in-residence at The College of Charleston, will receive the Legacy Award.

The Agency Award, which recognizes outstanding mentors in an agency setting or consulting role, is being given to Zeno Group CEO Barby K. Siegel.

From 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Nov. 11, the center will present its 2021 DEI Summit at the Union League Club. The summit provides a forum for practitioners, educators and students to come together to forge a deeper immersion into DEI and enhance their knowledge of developing strategic DEI programs.

There will also be a reception following the awards ceremony to give attendees an opportunity for networking.
Mississippi wants a PR firm to partner with its health department to promote its efforts to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic in The Magnolia State.

The firm will spotlight the Put Your Foot Down Mississippi campaign designed to destigmatize HIV/AIDS, stop its spread and increase awareness.

It will inspire all Mississippians to create a stronger and healthier future by increasing public understanding of rapid HIV testing and how to access needed services, according to the RFP.

The State wants to complement traditional media outreach with an aggressive social media thrust, as well as podcasts, videos, apps and e-cards to empower people to make smarter health decisions in their lives.

The communications partner will reinforce and personalize messages targeted to LGBTQ people, college/middle school students, parents, seniors, minority/ethnic populations and faith-based groups.

Responses are due Oct. 26. They may be sent to: Toni Johnson, Mississippi Dept. of Mental Health, 239 North Lamar St., Jackson, MS 39201, or emailed to toni.johnson@dmh.ms.gov.

Read the RFP (PDF).
Two closed peat-fired power stations in the midlands could be repurposed to tackle potential electricity shortages, according to the Minister for Climate and the Environment Eamon Ryan.

Speaking to the Farming Independent this week, he did not rule out the two closed power stations in the midlands playing a role over the coming years, as Ireland faces a potential energy shortage over the next five years.

The peat-fired Lough Ree power plant at Lanesborough in Co Longford and West Offaly Power Station in Shannonbridge were closed permanently in December after ESB failed to receive planning permission to switch them to biomass stations.

Under the company's original decarbonisation plan, the two stations had been due to continue operating for at least another decade.

Concerns have been expressed recently on increasing electricity demand and possible insecure supplies, which has prompted Minister Ryan to say that midlands plants may yet be repurposed.

The Minister told the Farming Independent that Bord na Mona are expanding and looking to take on workers.

Only last week, they announced a major announcement creating a new energy centre, which has huge potential for developing industry in the midlands as well as power generation," he said.

In terms of the two existing peat power plants, I wouldnt rule out them having a central role in some of the emergency measures we are now going to need in terms of restoring power in the next four to five years, where we have to make sure that we have sufficient back-up power.

Id be hopeful the likes of ESB and Bord na Mona and other companies will see such locations as potential for what we need. It has good grid potential and it has good infrastructure if we can restore that, Minister Ryan said.

With a move to decarbonisation and the Just Transition process, Bord na Mona ceased its peat harvesting earlier than originally expected.

The companys last full peat harvest took place in 2018, followed by a partial harvest in 2019 and a full suspension of harvesting operations last year.
An Offaly music producer has picked up an IMRO Number 1 award for his work on a chart topping album.

Dara Quilty and Ronan Nolan of Apella picked up an IMRO Number 1 Award in recognition of the album 1963 , which reached No.1 on the Independent Irish Album Chart following its release in April.

Speaking after picking up the award, Dara credited the work of Offaly producer Joe Egan in the making of the album.

He said, "a special thank you to Joe Egan of The Nutshed Studio in Clara, Co. Offaly for everything. An extraordinarily talented producer, musician and true friend. Thank you.

Joe Egan with the IMRO Aaward.

The album was mixed by Joe at The Nut Shed Studio which he owns and operates in Clashawaun in Clara. Artists from all over the country avail of the facilities at the studio.

100% of the proceeds from the sale of this album are going directly to The Marie Keating Foundation specifically to help fund the outstanding support services they provide to women affected by Breast Cancer.

100% of the proceeds from sales of the physical album went directly to The Marie Keating Foundations Positive Living support group, Survive and Thrive programme, BRCA awareness and support programme and Schools Cancer Awareness Programme raising 10,410 of much needed funds.

You can download a copy of the album by clicking here
The Restaurants Association of Ireland described todays Budget as "disastrous" and one that shows "no ambition to stimulate and revitalise the tourism industry" wth the 9% VAT rate to end in August 2022.

Whilst wage supports remain in place for the still restricted restaurant, hospitality, and tourism sector, they will taper off in the new year. CEO Adrian Cummins has warned that the hospitality industry faces a challenging five years to restore levels of business to that of pre-Covid.

Adrian Cummins, Chief Executive of the Restaurants Association of Ireland said, This budget is a disaster for our members, restaurants, cafes and gastropubs, a vital element of our Tourism offering. The VAT rate ending, and wage supports tapering off will be the death nail in the coffin of many hospitality businesses this winter.

Although the supports offered in todays budget are welcomed, there are still some long hard months ahead. Since lockdown measures and restrictions have been put in place, our industry has complied with the rules. Public safety and the safety of workers have always been at the top of our agenda. But this has meant serious financial difficulties for many.

"We needed the Government to help us fight for survival, todays announcements fall short of that, and we will need ongoing support to trade out of this," he concluded.

Our Budget coverage is brought to you in association with Duggan & Power Chartered Accountants & Registered Auditors

Duggan & Power

Chartered Accountants

2nd Floor, Odeon House, Eyre Square, Galway

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Phone + 353 (0) 91 533530

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Email: Liam.Power@ dugganandpower.ie
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RSS Sarsanghchalak Dr Mohan Bhagwat emphasised the need to attend Shakhas regularly as it is important to remain physically, intellectually, and organisationally strong, Vishwa Guru

RSS Sarsanghchalak Dr Mohan Bhagwat has pointed out that in 2025 the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh will complete 100 years of its formation and there is a need to accelerate activities of the RSS to mark its centenary celebrations. He said that the target of the Swayamsevaks should be to reach every household when it will celebrate its centenary four years later.

On the concluding day of his four-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir, RSS Sarsanghchalak, Dr Mohan Bhagwatji addressed Swayamsevaks through the online mode from Keshav Bhawan, Ambphalla in Jammu and Kashmir.

The Sarsanghchalak exhorted the need to work hard in order to ensure that when the organisation will turn 100 in 2025, the Swayamsevaks should reach every household with extension of shakhas in all villages.

He advised the Swayamsevaks how their conduct should be and how their lives should be devoted to the cause of nation-building. Swayamsevaks from 989 places joined the virtual meetings from across the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir to listen to the address of the Sarsanghchalak.

In his address, Dr Mohan Bhagwat guided the Swayamsevaks on different topics ranging from the formation of the RSS to the expansion of its network across the globe. Sarsanghchalak emphasised personality building, organisation set up, nation-building, and challenges before the nation.

We are doing the same work for the last 96 years. We have to do it with more zeal and enthusiasm without diverting out attention.

Emphasising the need of strengthening the organisation, he said that real unity is the real strength. Our strength will be realised only through our unity. We have to remain united, he said. He narrated examples of the founder of RSS Dr Hedgewar during the early days of Sangh in Nagpur.

The Sarsanghchalak said that we have to keep in mind that we have to organise the whole Hindu society that can make India a Vishwa Guru. India should be at the forefront in every field of the world and we should also be in a position to lead the whole world, we have to create such a country and it should be our ultimate target. The work has just started, not finished. So, the need to work with patience is more important, he said.

The Sarsanghchalak emphasised the need to attend Shakhas regularly as it is important to remain physically, intellectually, and organisationally strong.

Every Swayamsevek has to perform his duty with dedication and commitment, he said and stressed the need for character building and personality building.

He narrated examples from Ramayana to stress the point that it was important for character building. A Swayamsevak should be an example for the whole society, he said.

On this occasion, Sanghchalak of Uttar Kshetra, Prof. Sita Ram Vyasji and Sah-sanghchalak of Jammu and Kashmir Province, Dr Gautam Maingiji were also present.
Highlighting the efforts of the government towards the welfare of the underprivileged people, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said that in the last seven years of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led government at the Centre 10 crore women have been provided toilets and four crore houses now have access to electricity.



Addressing the 28th National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Foundation Day programme, Shah said, "In the last seven years, about 60 crore underprivileged people have been taken care of through government schemes, they felt assured that there's somebody for them. 10 crore women have been provided with toilets, about four crore houses provided access to electricity."

The Union Minister further said that two crore people have been provided with houses.



Shah said that the government led by the Prime Minister has ensured the protection of human rights of the 60 crore underprivileged population.



Prime Minister Narendra Modi also presided over the event. Justice Arun Kumar Mishra (Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission of India) also attended the programme.



As per a release from the Prime Minister's office, NHRC was set up under the Protection of Human Rights Act 1993 on October 12, 1993, for the promotion and protection of human rights.



The Commission takes cognizance of any form of human rights violations, conducts enquiries and in cases of violation of human rights, recommends to the public authorities for payment of compensation to the victims, other remedial and legal measures against the erring public servants. (ANI)






Islamists removed and desecrated the Saffron flags that are traditionally installed during the auspicious occasion of Navaratri

In Chhattisgarh, a State known for calm nature, nothing is calm these days. Amid widespread conversions being carried out in the State, communal violence has gripped Kawardha city. Located about 110 km north of Raipur, Kawardha witnessed incidents of stone-pelting and arson. There is stillness on the streets, and people are forced to live in panic in their homes. The city is badly in the grip of communal tension; people affiliated with some organisations are being picked up from their homes at night. There is an atmosphere of fear and panic everywhere. Stone pelting is taking place in Adarsh Nagar, Thakur Para, Kotwali, Darri Para areas. All this is happening when the Chief Minister of the State is busy scoring political brownie points in Lucknow.

It all started when on October 3, the process of replacing the flags with new ones at Maa Karma Chowk, Lohra Road was being completed by some members of the Hindu community. Meanwhile, some Muslim youths of the area opposed it and pulled down the flag from the street pole. At the same time, frenzied religious slogans were also raised by the mob comprising Muslim youths. When some people from the Hindu community tried to oppose the incident, a fight broke out between the two sides. After this, gradually, the tension took over the whole city. The tension between the two sides has escalated to such an extent that even a peace meeting held by the police has failed. So far, 200 people have been reported injured in the clashes within the city. Many people are reported to be seriously injured. Seeing the deteriorating condition of the city, Section 144 has been imposed by the administration and internet services have also been stopped within Kawardha and the two neighbouring districts.

According to the information received, the Hindu community traditionally changes the flags of religious symbols installed in the city with new flags every year on the occasion of Navratri. But this time, the Muslim community opposed the installation of the flag and misbehaved by taking off the flag.

Partisan Policing

On condition of anonymity, some officials informed that the Muslim community has started the dispute to prove its supremacy in this peaceful region. The irony is that the police responsible for stopping the violence and restoring law and order are adopting a partisan attitude. Not only are small groups of youths from the Muslim community waving swords and weapons in front of the police, but there have also been incidents of uniformed policemen pelting stones at Hindu community at many places.

In a video viral on social media, it can be clearly seen that people of the Hindu community are being pelted with stones by uniformed policemen in the Adarsh Nagar area. Lathi charge and tear gas shells have been lobbied several times by the policemen towards the Hindu crowd in the last few days. Along with this, about 25 people belonging to Hindu organisations from different areas of Kawardha have been beaten up black and blue by the police after taking them to the Mungeli police station area.

According to Hindu organisations, people of the Rohingya community have been settling here for the last few years with the administration's involvement, due to which the communal harmony in the city has been disturbed

According to eyewitnesses, after communal tensions escalated on the night of October 3, Hindus were picked up by the police in a one-sided affair; some of these youths were released the next day on the condition that they would not open their mouths to anyone. There is such a state of panic among those youths that they are not ready to come on camera and accept anything. There is no news of the whereabouts of the rest of them yet.

The police is playing a partisan role under political pressure. The extent of its brutality can be seen from the fact that Himanshu, a 12-year-old orphan child who had gone out for some personal work, was brutally beaten up by the police in which his eyes got damaged.

Rohingyas Being Settled

People of Hindu organisations of the city informed that more than 60 of their workers have been taken away by the police on Wednesday night. No information has been provided by the police so far. Along with arresting the workers of BJP and allied organisations, the administration has also ensured that no outside office-bearer of the opposition party can enter the city. The BJP delegation, which came to meet the victims of violence, has been stopped outside the city itself. The delegation included Leader of Opposition Dharamlal Kaushik, State General Secretary and MLA Narayan Chandel, former minister and MLA Brijmohan Agarwal, Dr Krishnamurthy Bandhi. The members of the BJP delegation said that the people of the Rohingya community are being settled in the State for the last few years under a conspiracy; legal documents are also being provided to them by the administration. This is the main reason behind the growing communal animosity in the peaceful State.

It should be noted that the area of Kawardha where this incident has happened falls in the assembly constituency seat of Mohammad Akbar, the only Muslim community minister in the Congress Government of the State. According to Hindu organisations, people of the Rohingya community have been settling here for the last few years with the administration's involvement, due to which the communal harmony in the city has been disturbed.

As far as this incident is concerned, the role of the administration in this entire matter has been one-sided. Not only were the police caught red-handed pelting stones at the Hindu community, but on Wednesday afternoon, they also forcibly removed the flag put up by the Hindu community under their supervision. In view of the growing protests against the incident, the Hindu community flag has been re-imposed by the police at the same place in the dark of night.

Throughout this incident, the police of the Baghel Government under political pressure, has been shamelessly pursing Muslim appeasement policies of their political masters.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday conducted raids at 20 locations across Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu in the Edakkara case pertaining to a conspiracy by CPI (Maoist) members.



The case mentions that Naxals in September 2016 had conducted a training camp, which included arms training, flag hoisting, and study classes in connection with the formation day of CPI (Maoist) in a forest three km away from the Nilambur forest area.

The NIA took over the case on August 20 this year from Kerala STF and re-registered an FIR under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Arms Act, and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 following the Ministry of Home Affairs order dated August 19, 2021.



The case was initially registered at the Edakkara police station in Kerala's Malappuram district on September 30, 2017, against 19 Naxal cadres.



The case was later transferred to Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) Kerala on April 21 last year. (ANI)










Energy minister V Sunil Kumar on Tuesday said that there is no coal shortage in the state and asserted that the Centre is allocating sufficient coal quantity to the state.



Denying reports of coal shortage, "There is no coal shortage in the Karnataka. The Centre is allocating the coal as much as the state has demanded. It's completely false that the coal shortage is affecting electricity production."

He added, "We got a coal rake from the Mahanadi Coalfields (MCL) that has been reached by Tuesday morning. Raichur and Bellari thermal units will not be affected due to this."



The minister added, "The Central government usually sends us 8 rakes of coal and we had demanded two more rakes. We have asked the Centre to increase two more rakes by November end, the Center has agreed to that as well."



Earlier on Monday, Central Coalfields Limited (CCL) had said that in the coming one or two weeks the problem will be stabilised.



Meanwhile, amid growing concerns of depleting coal stock in the country, Union Home Minister Amit Shah held a high-level meeting with Power Minister RK Singh, Coal Minister Prahlad Joshi along with top officials of both the ministries in the North Block on Monday.



The meeting also saw the presence of top officials of National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC).



Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday said many Chief Ministers have written to the Central government about the critical situation at power plants due to a coal shortage.



The Chief Ministers of Punjab, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, and Andhra Pradesh has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking to increase the supply of coal and gas to power plants in their respective states. (ANI)






The Pakistani terrorist arrested by Delhi Police Special Cell was part of ISI terror module and assigned to carry out terror strikes in India.



Adressing the mediapersons, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Special Cell Pramod Kushwaha said, "A Pakistani national naming Mohd Asraf (40) was arrested by the special team on Monday. He has been residing in India for more than one decade. He aquired an Indian ID from Bihar. He aquired an Indian identity and has been working as a sleeper cell for subversive activities. He had made several fake IDs. He also made an ID on the name of Ahmed Noori and aquired passport. He even had visited Saudi Arabia and Thailand in between using Indian passport."

"We recovered an AK-47, magazines, two pistols, catriges and grenades from him. In the intial interrogation, he has revealed that he was involved in terror activities in Jammu and Kashmir and other parts of the country. We are now verifying his involvments. He lived in the disguise of Peer Maulana. He had married an Indian woman from Ghaziabad area with the purpose to aquire documents. He left the woman after sometime," said Kushwaha.



According to Delhi Police Special cell, Asraf is from the Narowal district in Punjab province of Pakistan. His parents had died. He has two brothers and three sisters. However, he was picked by ISI and provided training.



"ISI handlers are behind him. He was recruited and trained by ISI. He was picked when he was in class 10. He was sent to India via Bangladesh through the Siliguri border. We are trying to indentify his other associates. He was also involved in some espionage activity. He was assigned to carry out a terror activity and the arms are provided for that only. However, the place to carry out attacks was not instructed to him," explained DCP Kushwaha.



"He was tasked by a Pakistani ISI handler whose code name is Naseer. He was sent money through Hawala. This is the ISI terror module," he added.



Mohd Asraf has been booked under relevant provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Explosive Act, Arms Act, and other provision. A search has been conducted at his present address at Ramesh Park in Delhi's Laxmi Nagar. He was apprehended by the police around 9.20 pm on Monday. (ANI)






The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has come under attack after the organisation made no effort to check the conversion activities of the Christian missionaries.

The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has launched a special drive in the villages in Punjab to check the conversion activities of the Christian missionaries.

The SGPC has come under attack after multiple videos of Sikhs converting to Christianity started doing the rounds on social media platforms.

The drive has been named Ghar Ghar Andar Dharamsaal (sacred shrine within every home). The campaign aims to distribute Sikh literature to the people in the villages of Punjab.

The campaign will not only bring firmness among Sikhs toward their faith but also make the young generation take pride in their history and culture, Hindustan Times quoted SGPC chief Bibi Jagir Kaur.

Multiple Christian missionaries, funded by the foreign NGOs, are running conversion programmes in the villages of Punjab and luring the vulnerable through cash and other incentives.

Converting Sikhs to another religion is worrisome. When we dont force anyone to join our religion by greed, then no one has the right to ask the followers of our religion to convert by greed or pressure Hindustan Times quoted Akal Takht acting Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh.

Under the campaign, 150 teams, comprising seven preachers each, have been dispatched to the villages in Punjab. The teams will stay in the villages for a week and go from door to door to distribute Sikh literature.

Multiple cultural events have been planned to spread awareness about the Sikh religion and its history.

The drive is aimed at countering the impact of the mission being run by Christian preachers. We also approach families that have converted to have a dialogue with them and make them take pride in Sikh beliefs, Hindustan Times quoted Sarabjit Singh Dhotian, SGPCs head preacher.
State-sponsored Bandh by MVA Government led by Thackrey was a large failure as private shops and markets were open in many towns and cities of the state though APMCs controlled by NCP were shut, but retail shops were open.

On October 11, 2021, Maharashtra witnessed unprecedented political vandalism - a state sponsor Bandh that the state's citizens never before witnessed. The Bandh was declared by the three ruling parties of the state - Shivsena, NCP and Congress. Although the given reason was to protest against the Lakhimpur Khiri incidence in Uttar Pradesh, the main objective, according to the political observers, was to make a show of strength as there are ED, IT and CBI raids going on against the political stalwarts of NCP and Congress and Shivsena. The NCB has also nabbed a few high-profile people related to Bollywood, and a son-in-law of a powerful NCP minister has been under NCB custody without getting bail for several months now.

Politics of Goondaism

For a long, the ruling political parties in Maharashtra, particularly Shiv Sena and NCP, have been known for their notorious high handedness and politics of goondaism. Shiv Sena always took pride in shutting the city calling "Bandhs" for any small reason using stone-pelting and muscle power to shut markets and traffic. NCP is no better.

But today's Bandh was different as these parties are in power today and used the police force at many places to shut the markets. Government ministers gave unprecedented statements calling for Bandh while duty-bound to protecto the people against forceful Bandh. This scenario created situations never witnessed before in the state. People wanted to open the shops and offices, but police supporting Shiv Sena and NCP goons forced shopkeepers to shut shop at many places.

Use of State Machinery To Impose Bandh

At various places, police are seen "requesting" forcefully to the shopkeepers to shut shop. At Eastern and western express highways, the ruling party workers in as small a group as eight to ten were seen blocking the entire six (at some places eight lanes) lane highway under the protection of the police.

At many places, Shiv Sena workers using their patent show of Goondaism, forcefully downed the shutters of the shops. Some even slapped the shopkeepers in the face at some places who opposed the Bandh.

The stone pelter Shiv Sena workers damaged eight BEST buses in the morning. The irony is Shiv Sena itself controls the BEST corporation. Mumbai Municipal Corporation, which owns the BEST corporation, is ruled by Shiv Sena. "Thats called hypocrisy", quipped Ram Jadhav, a small vegetable vendor at Bhuleshwar who travels daily by BEST bus. At many places, state GST officers were used to pressure the shopkeepers to shut their shops, alleged Ex-CM Devendra Fadnavis.

The readers must be reminded that this is a leftist style of imposing Hartal using state machinery and police force which has crippled the Pashchim Bang economy over decades and made the entrepreneurs run away from the state of Pashchim Bang. The culture of state-sponsored Bandh / Hartal resulted in unemployment on a large scale, led to starvation and outbound migration of skilled labour from Pashchim Bang.

In Maharashtra, Mumbai was once the largest manufacturing hub for textiles, having N number of textile mills. The city prospered over the decades due to textile manufacturing mills. But Datta Samant, the legendary strike king, imposed a strike that lasted for years, which forced the closure of all the textile mills in the city. The workers who prospered along with the mills went bankrupt, losing jobs. The entire city economy was permanently harmed. The mills never restarted, forcing many workers to suicide and many to flee the city. The crippled lower middle class that was dependent on textile mills never recovered from the financial crisis.

Many political analysts allege that Datta Samant had the support of the ruling party Congress. Congress just milked the agitation to petty political gains but never helped the drowning workers. The workers then rallied behind the Shiv Sena.

The irony is that the Shiv Sena, which thrived due to the support of the workers stricken hard by the Datta Samant strike, kept nourishing the same culture of Bandh and Hartal using muscle power for the short term political gains. Shiv Sena never realised that the citizens never approved the culture of Bandh as many people depend upon the daily wages. Even the larger shops that run businesses on competitive margins never support Bandh. BJP realised it very early and stopped calling Bandh / Hartal for local issues way back ago.

But today's state-sponsored Bandh created a serious concern among the political observers that the state of Maharashtra, which once was "the" leading industrial state, might be forced to slip on the path of economic and industrial self-destruction, as the state machinery which is meant to protect citizens against goondaism, itself indulged in goondaism to impose unwanted Bandh upon the citizens. The traders' bodies, entrepreneurs' organisations and farmers would hardly trust the government machinery again for protection.

Today's Bandh A Large Failure Outside Mumbai

In general, today's state-sponsored Bandh by MVA Government led by Thackrey was a large failure as private shops and markets were open in many towns and cities of the state. APMCs controlled by NCP were shut, but retail shops were open.

In Jalgaon district, in some places, which are local Shiv Sena MLAs' strongholds, the Shiv Sena and NCP workers stone pelted the shops and attacked shopkeepers and rickshaw drivers with rods and lathis. Still, the Bandh was an overall failure.

State Road Transport buses (MSRTC) were off roads at many places due to stone pelting and tyre burning by Shiv Sena and NCP workers at some places.

In Pune and many parts of Mumbai residential area like Dadar west and rest of the eastern suburbs of the city, downtown Pune's main retail market area like Laxmi road, some markets of cities like Kolhapur, Satara and Latur, and many other towns, Monday is a traditional weekly holiday for retail shops. The city of Solapur was largely open, with all the social and market activities open. Many towns of Konkan witnessed thriving markets despite Konkan being called the stronghold of Shiv Sena.

That said, today's state-sponsored Bandh can be marked as a large failure.

Ex-CM and current Leader of Opposition Shri Devendra Fadnavis has strongly criticised the use of state machinery and police by Udhav Thackrey Govt to forcibly impose Bandh upon people. He said that this Thakrey Government has never given any help to the farmers of Maharashtra who are facing severe natural calamities one after another. The MVA Government led by Thackrey is a hypocrite, as it is shelling crocodile tears for the people in Lakhimpur Khiri in UP and completely ignoring the farmers of its own state.

Shri Madhav Bhandari, BJP vice president and ideologue, told The Organiser that "todays Bandh is not linked to any ideology and its hypocrite. The Bandh was called to support the farmers of Lakhimpur Khiri, but the farmers at Latur are agitating for more than 72 hour now for the rates of soyabean and no one from state government has even glanced over to them. The farmers of the state have faced so many natural calamities like two major cyclones, cloudbursts, floods and wet drought from last two years, and even Panchnamas have not been done to asses the loss, let alone the help. The state government has not given a single rupee yet to the Maharashtra farmers."

"There are reports that state machinery was used to bully the traders' associations to convey a message that said, "remember Mansukh Hirani !" Madhav Bhandari claimed. This is a very serious issue, and BJP will expose the persons involved, he said. (Mansukh Hirani was a trader murdered last year by Sachin Vaze, an extortionist police officer, who was reinstated by Thackrey Govt and who is currently in CBI custody.)

State BJP leader Shri Ashish Shelar also criticised the Thakrey Government heavily, saying this is a forceful Bandh imposed on the unwilling citizens under the aegis of the Government, and the MVA will get a perfect fitting response from the citizens in the future. Shelar said that the 'regressive' Maha Vikas Aghadi government are in favour of only two words  bandh and impede. The people of Maharashtra have been experiencing this for the past two years. Now that farmers, traders, students are trying to bounce back with their normal activities, the government is once again trying to bring them to a screeching halt.
Properties of Temple in Tamil Nadu have been neglected for decades ever since the Dravidian parties came to rule, which professes atheism,

Land grabbers have encroached over 25,000 acres of Temple land, worth nearly Rs. 10,000 crores in Tamil Nadu as per state government records. However, Temple activists say that the figures could be more than 50,000 acres belonging to Hindu temples across the state. In a shocking revelation with long-lasting ramifications on the interests of the Hindu Temples in Tamil Nadu, it has come to notice that nearly 25,868 acres of temple lands have been encroached by land grabbers. These lands that have been illegally transferred to various other owners are worth a whopping Rs. 10,000 crores!

Encroachment of temple lands is not new, and in 2018 it was reported that 9000 acres of Temple lands had been encroached illegally by various people. But now, after the state government started the scheme to digitise all land records of temples under the control of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department across Tamil Nadu, it has been found that at least 25,868 acres of land worth around Rs 10,000 crore belonging to various temples are under encroachment, reports TOI.

The TOI in its report also states that digitisation of land records of more than 38,000 temples and mutts, which began a few years ago, has been completed, and officials  including two district revenue officers have been appointed to reconcile the land details with revenue records under the updating registry scheme (URS).

Properties of Temple in Tamil Nadu have been neglected for decades ever since the Dravidian parties came to rule to roost. For these parties, which profess atheism, ironically raking in the moolah for the government schemes and projects from Hindu temples is not an anathema. While these ruling parties abuse and mock Hindu deities, their governments are not averse to collect funds from the temples of these very same deities. Likewise, the properties of Temple Lands have been encroached by politicians or real estate mafia close to the ruling parties. In July this year, A. Radhakrishnan, founder and president of Thiruthondargal Sabai, had claimed that as much as 70% of lands belonging to temples across the State has encroached.

In March 2019, Organiser had reported that 76 acres of land belonging to the ancient Murugan Temple of Thiruporur in Kanchipuram was encroached and turned into a housing complex. The land was worth over Rs 750 crore. The investigation had revealed that construction of buildings and other structures had taken place at more than 10 locations, which have the properties belonging to the Temple. Most of these lands were donated by the kinds, zamindars and devotees to the temples over the centuries. Now, they are under attack by the land mafia as the government has neglected to safeguard them.

Modus Operandi of encroachment

During the verification process, officials found out that in several places, temple properties have been illegally registered in the names of individuals who, surprisingly, bore the names of the temples or their presiding deities. For instance, a piece of land belonging to the Kapaleeswarar temple in Mylapore in Chennai was grabbed by Kapali. A person called himself Parthasarathy encroached on a plot of land owned by the Parthasarathy temple. There are also a few Mariammals who have grabbed land of Mariamman temples elsewhere in the state.

Statistics reveal that temple properties have reduced from 5.25 lakh acres to 4.78 acres in the last five years in Tamil Nadu. Out of these, nearly 50,000 acres are lying with encroachers and land grabbers. For example, as per the Patta documents, the Sanga Rameswaram temple in Tuticorin Sthala Purana had 2,500 acres of land, which has now been reduced to nearly 71 acres.

In July this year, a 70-year-old temple priest and his son were hacked to death by a gang for opposing encroachment of the lake bed in their village. The lake fed water to the temple, and the land mafia had encroached a large part of the lake bed for their activities. Other than land grabbers, the other major threat is from the Christian Evangelists. A 1500-year-old Pasupatheeswarar Siva temple atop the hill, Vajaragiri on Chennai-Trichy National Highway, is now inaccessible to Hindu devotees. The Christians had encroached the hill by putting it across and had taken control of the entire area. Even the steps to the temple have been now blocked. They constructed an arch saying the way to a Mazhai Malai Madha Arul sthalam besides installing cement statues depicting bible stories.

In Tiruparangundram Lord Murugan Temple in Madurai, one of the six abodes of Lord Muruga is situated. In Sannadhi Street, in the land belonging to the temple, a Christian convent is being run. One of the temple trustees was forced to convert to Christianity, and through him, they grabbed the land belonging to the temple. In February 2018, Justice R Mahadevan of Madras HC had ordered that public notices be issued forthwith informing land grabbers across the State to surrender the encroached temple properties voluntarily to avoid penal action. Governments have failed to follow up diligently.

Recovery goes on at a snails pace

Governments have not shown the will to recover the land despite the proof available and several judgments by the High Court. Officials have informed media that a total of 674.40 acres of land belonging to 156 temples have been recovered. This is a small fraction of the land that has been encroached. A total of 6,847.26 acres belonging to 1,466 temples will be reclaimed, claim the revenue officials.

In February 2018, Justice R Mahadevan ordered public notices be issued forthwith informing land grabbers across the State to surrender the properties voluntarily to avoid penal action under Section 79B of the HR&CE Act of 1959. Failure to do so should be followed up with prosecution against them. The HR&CE Commissioner was directed to prepare and file a report to the Revenue Secretary specifying the details of temple lands for which patta had been issued favouring encroachers/third parties. This came in the wake of the Madras High Court seeking answers from the government about the way the assets of temples were being managed. Though the officials submitted to the court that temple lands are being retrieved, the intent and speed are not to be seen.

In Tirupur, Tahsildar (Tirupur North) S. Murugadoss and HR and CE Assistant Commissioner S. V. Harshini had informed that they had retrieved 6.72 acres belonging to Bhagawati Amman Temple at Mannarai in Tirupur. However, records suggest that more than 100 acres belonging to the temple have encroached. Unless the officials work diligently, it will become difficult to recover the temple lands as days go by.

In the case of Roman Catholic Mission vs the State of Madras and another, a five-member Constitution bench of SC observed that over 50 acres of land belonging to Sri Meenakshi Sundareswarar Amman Temple was declared to be the land of Temple on January 14, 1966.

Even after the order, the land is yet to be recovered from the Catholic mission. In Tirunelveli, Christian fundamentalists and evangelical organisations are building a cemetery right in front of the Manimoortheeswaram Uchishta Ganapathy temple, on the land that belonged to the temple. It is over 1000 years old. In 1985 the temple lands were given illegally by VAO (Village Administrative Officer) & Revenue Inspector to Christian Missionaries. Though the land records are available, the land is yet to be recovered.

The threats to Hindu temple lands all across the country are manifold, with land grabbers, Christian missionaries and Islamic zealots eyeing for a piece of the temple property. Many temples have reported a loss of traditional jewellery and ornaments from their custody. So-called secular government willful blindness to temple woes are only emboldening the culprits. Unless the governments wake up soon and arrest the tide, Hindu temples might lose all their properties and lands within the next few decades.
BJP has decided to organise 100 programmes in 100 days and has decided to direct state-level leaders and elected MPs and MLAs, especially to reach out to the beneficiaries of various central and state-sponsored schemes.

New Delhi: The BJP is gearing up for polls in Uttar Pradesh. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to visit Kushinagar and other key political hubs in the state.

At a crucial meeting of the party's 'election war room' at the Ashoka Road office, BJP president J P Nadda, Home Minister Amit Shah and party general secretary B. L. Santhosh and others held a crucial meeting on Monday (October 11) and decided to organise '100 programmes in 100 days'.

In the earlier Lok Sabha elections (2014 and 2019), the saffron party's good performance in the country's most populous state had helped to capture power in Delhi (central government).

"Next time in 2024 too, it cannot be an exception. The UP assembly elections are thus politically significant in more ways than one," a source said.

The BJP would also be holding 200 OBC sammelans or meetings, rallies and strategy meetings in the state.

As of now, a tentative plan has been drawn for the possible visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Kushinagar and other places.

Similarly, Home Minister Amit Shah is likely to visit Kanpur, and the party chief Nadda could attend a poll-related event at Gorakhpur.

Kushinagar has political importance of its own. The BJP won the Lok Sabha seat in 2014 and 2019. But in 2009, it went to Congress nominee RPN Singh. At present, the Kushinagar Lok Sabha constituency comprises five assembly segments. They are Khadda, Padrauna, Kushinagar, Hata and Ramkola SC reserved constituencies.

Sources point out that Kushinagar is an important Buddhist Circuit hub in eastern Uttar Pradesh, not far from Bihar borders. Kushinagar has an old airstrip over 97 acres to handle small aircraft, but an international airport was planned to facilitate more global tourists.

Prime Minister Modi is also likely to inaugurate the Kushinagar International Airport on October 20 in the presence of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Sources said that Mr Modi would also lay the foundation stone of a medical college at Kushinagar and address a public rally.

Various pros and cons related to farmers' agitation were also discussed at the meeting, which was also attended by BJP's poll in-charge for UP, Dharmendra Pradhan, Former Union Minister Radhamohan Singh, State unit president Swatantar Dev Singh party general secretary Sunil Bansal.

The 'Brahmin caste' equation also holds significance in UP politics, and accordingly, the party has roped in former Congress leader Jitin Prasada. The 47-year-old former Union minister comes from a renowned Brahmin family of Uttar Pradesh. Prasada has been made Minister for Technical Education.

In 2017, giving a shocker to its rivals, the BJP had stormed into power in UP after a long gap, winning 324 seats out of 403. As part of the strategy, the party is likely to focus on 100 assembly segments where the party has organisational weaknesses.

The party has decided to direct state-level leaders and elected MPs and MLAs, especially to reach out to the beneficiaries of various central and state-sponsored schemes. The social network campaign will also be streamlined, sources said.
BJP SC Morcha president Lal Singh Arya slammed Congress leadership for not visiting victims' families in Rajasthan.



New Delhi: Slamming Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) SC Morcha president Lal Singh Arya on Monday (October 11) questioned why the party's 'Dalit poster boy' and Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi did not visit Rajasthan to protest against Dalit's murder in Rajasthan's Hanumangarh district.

Speaking to ANI, Arya said, "Women from SC community are subjected to rape, and children are not safe in Rajasthan. Their chief ministers like Channi do not go there despite being the Dalit poster boy for Congress. Congress leadership has not gone to meet the victim's families. Neither they asked for crores of money they had asked for Uttar Pradesh.

"It is also true for Akhilesh Yadav and the 'award wapasi' gang as well. Our chief minister (Yogi Adityanath) has maintained that whoever is responsible for the violence will not be spared. Congress is a trader of votes and has nothing to do with the Constitution," he added.

Asked about Navjot Singh Sidhu's not attending Channi's son's wedding, Arya said, "It is Congress' internal fight. They are fond of power and not for people. Prime Minister says nation first and for Congress family first."

Meanwhile, four people have been arrested, and a minor detained in connection with the case in which a Dalit youth was allegedly beaten to death by a group of persons and his body dumped outside his house in Prempura village in Rajasthan's Hanumangarh district police said on Sunday.

Courtesy: ANI
The Hindu Heritage Month celebration this October will give Hindu American community an opportunity to share their stories that are fundamental to Hindu civilisation and give a befitting reply to the DGHC that was aimed at insulting Hinduism

The Hinduphobic 'Dismantling Global Hindutva Conference' (DGHC) was organised last month in the US by some of the most rabid anti-Hindu South Asia academics. As the conference concluded, a tsunami hit the Hindu-American community. The tsunami was in the form of city and state-wide proclamations across the US, recognising the month of October as the Hindu Heritage Month.

The DGHC was a severe jolt to the often somnolent Hindu psyche in the US. Basking in the glory of being called the 'ideal minority,' 'highly educated,' one of the 'highest family income,' etc. Hindu Americans are non known to indulge in political activism like other religious groups in the US. A notable exception, perhaps, can be cited in the California textbook case. But the prospect of the virtual assembly of known Hinduphobes from around the globe in the guise of an academic conference going unchallenged woke up the sleeping giant.

DGHC claimed to examine, among other things, "the historical development of Hindutva violence against minorities and other marginalised communities." However, in reality, the conference was an insult and an onslaught on Hinduism, Hindu Knowledge Tradition, and contemporary followers of Hindu Dharma.

Several Hindu advocacy groups, such as the Hindu American Foundation (HAF), the Coalition of Hindus in North America (CoHNA), Hindu Students Council, Hindu On Campus, Hindu Council of America (VHPA), Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS), etc., launched a massive grassroots campaign. Eventually, DGHC organisers took down logos of all universities from their website and PR materials. In the end, the conference was nothing more than a brazen display of Hindu hatred and misinformation about Hindu Dharma.

Several Hindu organisations announced a plan to commemorate October as the Hindu Heritage Month, taking this grassroots mobilisation and groundswell of support a step further.

"Dharma-based organisations including those of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist and Jain traditions from around the world," said the VHPA in its press release, "are pleased to announce the addition of another major festival, indeed an entire month of festivals, in October as the Hindu Heritage Month." In addition to the VHPA, the program also has the backing of CoHna, the Hindu University of America, etc.

The Hindu organisations lobbied with their elected representatives to recognise October as Hindu Heritage month and declare in their communities for formal proclamations. So far, the US states of Texas, Florida, New Jersey, Ohio, Georgia; cities of Dallas and Stafford have issued proclamations. Hindu groups are also trying to get the month recognised by the Federal Government. The organisers said they want President Joe Biden to formally declare the month of October as the Hindu Heritage Month by an Executive Order.

Hindu groups are also trying to get the month recognised by the federal Government. The organisers said they want President Joe Biden to formally declare the month of October as the Hindu Heritage Month by an Executive Order

"Keeping in with aspirations of the three million-strong Hindu-American community and 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 the month of October as the Hindu Heritage Month," they said.

VHPA president Ajay Shah said it is surprising to know how little people know about the Sanatan Vedic Dharma. "It's high time to educate the world on our philosophy and ethos."

He said by mid-July, the VHPA, along with other Hindu groups, had sent over 20 letters to State Government heads requesting for the proclamation of October as Hindu Heritage Month.

The Hindu Heritage Month celebration will showcase the diversity that is so fundamental to Hindu civilisation. The organisers' festivities will include cultural programs, fashion shows, webinars, multi-day conferences, walkathons, and more.

Welcoming the decision of the organisers to hold the month-long event, Hindu Student Council president Arnav Kejriwal said, "The American experience is all about sharing and learning each of our unique cultures, traditions, and histories.

Shedding light on the event, Kejriwal said, We will get to see so many communities graciously tell their unique stories in the course of a dedicated history and awareness month, and I am ecstatic about the prospect of seeing the Hindu American community offering our own stories in return.

According to the president of Hindu University of America, Kalyan Viswanathan, "The Hindu Heritage Month is a great opportunity for the Hindu community to remember our collective the journey so far - from the ancient Vedic times, our own golden eras, through the trials and tribulations of conquests and colonisation - and look optimistically forward at the opportunity we have for recovering and rearticulating the Hindu worldview for future generations."

General Secretary of the CoHNA Shobha Swami made a point about the diversity of the culture that will be celebrated during the entire month of October. "Participation of the multi-generational Hindus from different parts of the world who call the US their home adds to the colour of the ethnic tapestry here. They would like to showcase their vibrancy in arts, dance, music, yoga, meditation, mindfulness, Ayurveda, and food in all its richness for this month-long celebration in October," she said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his British counterpart, Boris Johnson, expressed satisfaction at the steps already initiated under the Roadmap 2030 adopted during the virtual summit.

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Monday, October 11, spoke on the telephone to his British counterpart Boris Johnson and the two leaders reviewed the progress in bilateral relations since their virtual summit earlier this year.

Both the leaders "expressed satisfaction" at the steps already initiated under the Roadmap 2030 adopted during the virtual summit, an MEA release said.

"They also reviewed the progress of the Enhanced Trade Partnership and agreed on the potential of rapidly expanding trade and investment linkages between both countries. The leaders had extensive discussion on issues related to Climate Change, in the context of the forthcoming UNFCCC COP-26 meeting in Glasgow in early November 2021."

Prime Minister Modi conveyed India's commitment to Climate Action, as seen in its ambitious target for expansion of renewable energy and the recently announced National Hydrogen Mission.

Both Mr Modi and Mr Johnson also exchanged views on regional developments, especially the situation in Afghanistan. "In this context, they agreed on the need to develop a common international perspective on issues regarding extremism and terrorism, as well as Human Rights and rights of women and minorities," the release said.

Significantly, the tele talks between two Prime Ministers came after the stalemate in ties on vaccination and travel rows have been ended.

Britain has relaxed norms on Covid vaccines and quarantine issues, giving ease to Indians travelling to that country.

On Friday, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar spoke to his counterpart, Liz Truss, and tweeted rather in a soft tune - "Good to talk to UK Foreign Secretary @trussliz'. Dr Jaishankar further wrote - "Agreed to facilitate travel between our two countries. This will help to implement the Roadmap 2030."

"No quarantine for Indian travellers to the UK fully vaccinated with Covishield or another UK-approved vaccine from October 11. Thanks to the Indian government for close cooperation over last month," tweeted British High Commissioner to India, Alex Ellis, bringing an end to the stalemate on October 7.

India had also threatened to use the 'reciprocity' card against British travellers to India, but all the bitterness seems to be over.

The 2030 vision between the two countries is for "revitalized and dynamic connections between our people; re-energized trade, investment and technological collaboration that improves the lives and livelihoods of our citizens," enhanced defence and security cooperation that brings a more secure Indian Ocean Region and Indo-Pacific.
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Andrews Hooper Pavlik PLC (AHP) has announced the promotion of Ryan P. Conley, CPA, to senior manager in its Midland office.

Conley joined the Midland office in January 2011 as a staff accountant. He is a graduate of Saginaw Valley State University where he earned a bachelor of professional accountancy degree. Conley was promoted to senior accountant in January 2013 and to manager in March 2016.
Midland County had 142 new COVID-19 cases and one death reported from Oct. 9-11.

COVID-19 numbers reported from Oct. 9-11:

Midland County: 142 cases and one death were added; pandemic total is 8,837 cases, 787 probable cases, 120 deaths and five probable deaths.

Bay County: 164 cases and three deaths were added; pandemic total stands at 12,908 cases, 929 probable cases, 361 deaths and 15 probable deaths.

Gladwin County: 34 cases were added; pandemic total stands at 2,533 cases, 510 probable cases, 63 deaths and four probable deaths.

Isabella County: 106 cases were added; pandemic total stands at 7,042 cases, 1,277 probable cases, 103 deaths and six probable deaths.

Saginaw County: 203 cases were added; pandemic total stands at 23,968 cases, 1,821 probable cases, 636 deaths and 21 probable deaths.

The state added 9,137 cases and 36 deaths between Saturday and Monday. Overall, Michigan is at 1,064,557 cases and 21,349 deaths.

Recovered

According to the Midland County Health Department website, which was updated Oct. 11, 8,402 Midland County individuals have recovered from COVID. The state reported that as of Oct. 8, a total of 945,175 persons have recovered.

Testing

Midland Countys seven-day rolling positivity rate on Oct. 4 was listed at 14%, and Gladwin County's was listed at 19%. Our 12-county region was listed at 17% and Michigan was at 10%.

MidMichigan Health statistics

As of Oct. 7, MidMichigan Medical Center in Midland was listed as having a 95% bed occupancy, with 30 COVID patients and eight in the ICU. MidMichigan Medical Center in Gladwin was listed as having a 47% bed occupancy, with four COVID patients and none in the ICU.

Both medical centers reported having at least 15-30 days worth of personal protection equipment (N95, surgical masks, gowns, gloves and eye protection) on hand.

Schools

As of Monday, Midland Public Schools reported 153 staff/students were in close contact to an individual who was confirmed COVID-19 positive, and 38 staff/students currently tested positive for the virus. Schools with one or more staff/students confirmed positive for COVID-19 as of Friday include Dow High (6), Midland High (27), Jefferson Middle (13), Northeast Middle (26), Adams Elementary (8), Central Park Elementary (9), Chestnut Hill Elementary (10), Plymouth Elementary (23), Siebert Elementary (19) and Woodcrest Elementary (9).

Bullock Creek reported on Wednesday that there are five staff members and 43 students who are active confirmed cases. There are also 193 students (but no staff members) currently in quarantine. Schools with one or more confirmed COVID-19 cases as of Friday include Bullock Creek Elementary (1), Floyd Elementary (6), Pine River Elementary (4), Bullock Creek Middle School (7) and Bullock Creek High School (30).

Midland County vaccinations

The Michigan COVID-19 Vaccine Dashboard lists Midland's completed vaccine rate is 66.4%. Currently, the vaccines are not authorized to be given to those under age 12.

Midland County Health Department is hosting a weekly walk-in COVID vaccination clinic from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. every Tuesday and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Friday on the second floor of the Midland County Services Building, 220 W. Ellsworth St., Midland.

Future COVID-19 vaccine clinics in Midland County are listed at www.co.midland.mi.us/HealthDepartment/COVIDVaccineInformation.aspx. Those with questions may call 989-832-6380 or email MCDPH@co.midland.mi.us.
The following list includes recent reports from the Midland County Sheriffs Office and the Midland Police Department. Compiled by reporter Andrew Mullin.

Wednesday, Oct. 6:

11:38 p.m.  A 58-year-old Sanford woman and her 17-year-old son reported a suspicious person on their property looking in a window on their front door. The area was checked but no one was located.

8:45 p.m.  A deputy responded to a Larkin Township location for an illegal burn complaint. The deputy located the fire, which contained tires and building material. The deputy was unable to locate the person responsible for the fire.

7:50 p.m.  A deputy was dispatched to a medical call at an Edenville Township residence with EMS regarding a drug overdose. A 32-year-old female was unresponsive initially but was talking upon the deputy's arrival. The female admitted to using drugs, but none were located at the scene.

6:46 p.m.  Officers responded to a criminal sexual conduct report on Bay City Road.

4:30 p.m.  A 38-year-old Edenville Township female reported that a 30-year-old Lee Township female was trespassing on her property. Deputy spoke with the suspect and issued her a verbal no trespassing warning for the complainant.

3:51 p.m.  A 63-year-old male called and said his neighbor had a tree service company remove three of his trees that the neighbor claimed were on her property. The male thought he needed a police report to sue her in court. The male was told of the proper procedure.

2:47 p.m.  An animal control deputy was dispatched to a home in Lee Township regarding two stray dogs sitting on the callers porch. The deputy was able to determine the owner of the dogs, notified the owner, and the dogs were picked up.

12:53 p.m.  A 72-year-old Lincoln Township female reported her trash can valued at $75 was stolen from the edge of the roadway.

10:25 a.m.  Deputies were dispatched to a Geneva Township roadway for a report of a male walking down the road, who appeared to be unwell. Contact was made with an 18-year-old Mount Pleasant male. The male was checked and cleared by EMS; subsequently, he was transported to his residence in Mount Pleasant without incident.

8:51 a.m.  Deputies were dispatched to a Lee Township business, where a female failed to pay for $36.01 of gasoline. A 42-year-old Jerome Township woman was contacted and she advised she would pay for the balance after work.

4:18 a.m.  Officers responded to a domestic verbal situation.

12:13 a.m.  A 46-year-old female was stopped for a traffic offense in Jerome Township. The female was cited for no insurance and other traffic offenses. The vehicle was impounded.

Tuesday, Oct. 5:

8:00 p.m.  A deputy responded to a Mount Haley Township residence to speak with a 27-year-old woman regarding a violation of bond that occurred in Midland Township. A report has been forwarded to the Midland County Courts for review.

6:45 p.m.  Officers responded to a hit-and-run crash in the area of East Lyon Road and Jefferson.

5:54 p.m.  A deputy was dispatched to a Lee Township residence for a domestic violence report. A 45-year-old male assaulted his ex-girlfriend during an argument. The 50-year-old female wasn't injured, and the male had left prior to the deputy arriving.

5:15 p.m.  A deputy was dispatched to an abandoned bike complaint in Larkin Township. The deputy was able to locate an owner because an address and last name were written on the frame. The bike was delivered to the address and a business card was left with the bike.

3:06 p.m.  Deputies were dispatched to the Village of Sanford regarding a domestic dispute between a 31-year-old Sanford male and his live-in 22-year-old girlfriend. Neither party had any apparent injuries, and each party accused the other of being the aggressor. The male decided to leave the residence for the night and a report is being sent to the prosecutors office for review.

10:23 a.m.  A deputy responded to a Porter Township residence to speak with a 37-year-old homeowner. A Dish Network contractor turned around in the man's driveway and got stuck, causing damage to the yard. The homeowner decided to contact the contractor directly to handle the incident civilly.

9:59 a.m.  A deputy was dispatched to a possible two-vehicle crash. Upon investigation, there was no contact between vehicles. The driver and passenger of one vehicle were very upset they were almost struck by the other vehicle. The deputy spoke to the other driver upon their request.

9:44 a.m.  Deputies were on routine patrol in Mount Haley Township when a male driver was observed driving while not wearing his seat belt. Deputies performed a traffic stop and found the driver to have a suspended operator's license. The driver was cited for driving while license suspended and failure to wear a seat belt, the vehicle was towed from the scene, and a report is being sent to the prosecutors office.

8:23 a.m.  A 54-year-old Midland female was cited for driving on a revoked license following a traffic stop in the City of Midland. A report is being sent to the prosecutors office requesting charges for driving with a revoked license and probation violation.

Monday, Oct. 4:

11:37 p.m.  A deputy removed a tree from a Porter Township roadway that was causing a traffic hazard.

7:53 p.m.  A deputy was dispatched to a Greendale Township neighborhood regarding a loose and vicious dog. The dog was not located.

7:35 p.m.  Officers responded to a case of trespassing on East Wheeler Street.

7:24 p.m.  Officers responded to a case of fraud on Jefferson Avenue.

6:26 p.m.  A Coleman gas station reported someone failed to pay for gas. There are no suspects.

3:24 p.m.  Officers responded to a two-vehicle crash in the area of West Wackerly Street and Northgate Drive.

3:10 p.m.  A deputy took a report from a 23-year-old Mills Township male over the phone while he was working up north. Someone was attempting to withdraw $76.57 from the male's account. The male was able to contact the store and cancel the order.

1:46 p.m.  A deputy was dispatched to an Ingersoll Township cemetery regarding a suspicious vehicle. The deputy contacted a 65-year-old St. Charles male, who felt he was too tired to drive, so he stopped to rest.

12:56 p.m.  An animal control deputy was dispatched to Urgent Care to investigate a cat bite that occurred at a home in Edenville Township. An isolation notice was issued.

12:33 p.m.  A deputy spoke with a 17-year-old Hope Township male and his 41-year-old mother regarding an issue the boy was having with someone on social media.

9:44 a.m.  Officers responded to a twovehicle crash in the area of East Buttles Street and McDonald Street.

9:28 a.m.  The Midland County Sheriffs Office Detective Bureau received a referral from the Department of Health & Human Services indicating the possible sexual assault of a 17-year-old female in 2017. The female has been contacted and, as of the report being written, is not ready for a criminal investigation to be initiated.

8:27 a.m.  Officers responded to a two-vehicle crash on Swede Avenue.

1:58 a.m.  Deputies were dispatched to a Jerome Township location regarding a domestic assault. A 39-year-old female assaulted her 40-year-old boyfriend during an argument. The female was subsequently arrested for domestic assault and was transported and lodged at the Midland County Jail without incident. A report will be sent to the prosecutors office.

12:12 a.m.  Officers responded to a case of domestic violence on Bay City Road.
The Legacy Center and Midland Kids First is conducting the area's fourth Developmental Asset study, and we are here today to answer some common questions about this important initiative.

Q: What is the Developmental Asset Study?

Developmental Assets are building blocks young people need to grow into strong, resilient, caring adults. The study is based on the Profiles of Student Life: Attitudes and Behaviors Study from Search Institute.

Since the 1980s, Search Institute has surveyed more than 5 million adolescents and found that youth with more assets are more likely to reach their full potential. Armed with this knowledge, the Midland community has been on a mission to build assets in youth since 2004, when the framework was first introduced by The Legacy Center.

By educating schools and youth serving agencies, our community successfully increased the number of assets held by youth between 2005 and 2016.

Q: Who is conducting this study?

The Legacy Center and Midland Kids First will be conducting the Midland County Youth Study in October, measuring Developmental Assets for the fourth time since 2005.

The 2021 study is being conducted in partnership with the administrations of Midland County ESA, Midland Public Schools, Bullock Creek Schools, Meridian Public Schools, Coleman Community Schools, Academic and Career Education Academy (ACEA), and Windover. The survey is being funded by Midland Area Youth Action Council, St. Johns Episcopal Church, Midland County ESA, Community Mental Health for Central Michigan, Noon Rotary Community Needs Committee, and Midland Kiwanis Club.

Q: Why is participation in this study important?

Findings from the previous studies have helped drive change in Midland County. For example, using the Profiles of Student Life: Attitudes and Behaviors study, the agency surveyed nearly 6,000 students in each of the past three studies. The results demonstrated that young people had increased the number of developmental assets they held by 10%.

The average number of assets held in 2016 was 21.9. Of significance, each of four original priority assets increased over this 10-year period. These original four priority assets include: Positive Peer Influence, Restraint, Resistance Skills, and Adult Role Models. Through the 2016 study, The Legacy Center identified an additional priority asset of Achievement Motivation. While assets increased throughout the three studies, the average number of risk-taking behaviors among teens had declined during that same period of time by nearly 16%.

These changes resulted from the intentional efforts of the Midland area community. Our community has rallied behind the concept of developmental assets since we introduced them locally in 2005. Local school districts, youth-serving agencies, the faith-based community, and others have adopted asset-building strategies that are making a difference.

The Midland County Probate Court has applied the Developmental Assets framework in evidence-based programs and in collaboration with multiple youth-serving agencies, resulting in a dramatic reduction in delinquency and recidivism. This has also resulted in a remarkable reduction in the percentage of offenders siblings coming into the court system. The implementation of the Developmental Asset framework throughout our community has had a significant impact on the wellbeing of our youth, and the Midland County Youth Study continues to show that progress over time.

Q: How can local parents help?

The survey had been slated for the fall of 2020, but was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. One year later, there is a significant need to understand the impact of the past 18 months on the youth in our community.

Schools are beginning to send information about the survey home to parents. Parents are encouraged to allow their children to participate in this anonymous survey. This is a unique opportunity for youth to tell us what is going well in their lives and what they are concerned about, as well as share their values, perspectives, and experiences.

Kathryn Tate is the president and CEO of The Legacy Center for Community Success. TLC envisions strong communities where individuals, youth, and families thrive and work toward that vision using proven strategies in literacy, youth development, and substance use prevention. Pam Singer is the president and CEO of Midland Kids First. MKF provides evidence-based interventions for at-risk youth to assure they become well-adjusted, responsible, and contributing members of the community.
Bissau, Guinea Bissau (PANA)  Guineas progress on its nine-month economic reform programme, which is monitored by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) staff, has been satisfactory despite difficult socioeconomic conditions compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic
Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - Libyan coast guards on Monday rescued 78 illegal migrants of different African nationalities, who were heading towards the European coast in a dinghy, the Libyan Coastguard and Port Security Agency announced on Tuesday
Photo: (Photo : Stefano Guidi/Getty Images)

A mother filed a lawsuit against the Waukesha School District and its school board after her eldest son contracted COVID-19 from a classmate, and infected his younger siblings. Shannon Jensen filed the injunction asking the school district to comply with the safety protocols issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to prevent virus transmission.

Jensen filed the lawsuit on October 5, which claimed that COVID-19 mitigation measures, such as wearing face masks, weren't being observed among the school children since the school board did away with these protocols in May.

Her children attended the Rose Glen Elementary School and kept wearing a face mask, as instructed by their mother. Jensen alleged her oldest boy sat next to a classmate without a mask and was sick with COVID-19 around September 16 to 17.

Jensen insisted that her son still got infected by the said classmate even as he had a face mask on. Her two other younger boys, who also wore a face mask in school, also tested positive for the virus and caught it from their brother.

Read Also: Cases Increasing for Divorced Parents Suing Each Other Over Children's COVID-19 Vaccine

Quarantine at Home

Two days after the incident, Jensen's oldest son exhibited symptoms of COVID-19 and then tested positive for the virus. All of her boys were then quarantined at home, thus missing school and their other activities.

In her statement to the courts, the mother said that the school sent out a delayed notification about the virus spread in her oldest son's class. She learned that four other kids in that class developed COVID-19 symptoms around the same time as her kids. Furthermore, the mother claimed that the school district did not establish quarantine measures and contact tracing despite many cases.

In an email to the press, Superintendent James Sebert said they could not discuss the lawsuit upon their counsel's advice. Eight school board members also would not want to comment in interviews, per the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Jensen is filing the case with the help of a famous state brewery, Minocqua Brewing Company Super PAC, owned by Kirk Bangstad. Frustrated by the COVID-19 management in the country, Bangstad created the Super PAC, or an "independent expenditure-only political committee," in January 2021 to stand up to the leaders whom he believes are not doing their jobs in government and are downplaying the impact of COVID-19.

Class-Action to Follow?

Meanwhile, Minocqua Brewing Company Super PAC could soon fund a class-action lawsuit against Wisconsin following the death of a student from COVID-19. Fort Atkinson School Board decided to reinstate the face mask policy in mid-September after a 13-year-old student lost his life to the virus.

Mom Danielle Ralston said the face mask rule is a big sigh of relief as her 10-year-old son, who has a rare stomach condition, could be protected while attending in-person classes. However, Ralston said she is also angry and frustrated as the school only acted and established its protocols after a child died.

Jeff Spitzer-Resnick, a civil rights attorney, said he has been in talks with a dozen parents who are thinking about filing a class-action lawsuit. Many of these parents have children with health or disability issues.

Related Article: Girl Dies of COVID-19 Complications After Teacher Tasked Her to Nurse Sick Classmates
Photo: (Photo : Somodevilla/Getty Images)

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning against ArtNaturals Hand Sanitizers after a test confirmed that the popular product contains "unacceptable levels" of chemicals, such as benzene, that may cause cancer.

In a public alert, the FDA urged consumers not to buy or use the product and to throw their hand sanitizer bottles away in a hazardous waste container as soon as possible. The agency also said that their attempts to contact ArtNaturals were left unacknowledged; thus, prompting the warning issue.

Possible recalls could be underway once the company has responded to the FDA. For now, however, the FDA advised against its use but also warned people that they should not dump or flush its content down the toilet or sink.

Read Also: Johnson & Johnson Facing New Lawsuit for Deceiving Black Women Amid Baby Powder Ovarian Cancer Links

What is Benzene?

Benzene, a colorless chemical with a sweet scent, is widely used in the U.S. and is naturally formed in the environment. It is commonly found in products like cigarettes and can be emitted by gasoline vapors.

Over the years, studies have shown that high levels of exposure to this chemical have been linked to leukemia and other forms of blood cell cancers, thus the need to regulate its use, per Cancer.Org. Products with more than five percent benzene content are considered hazardous and must have special labels, per the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

It's unclear, however, how much benzene content was in the ArtNaturals hand sanitizers, but the FDA also issued a warning in 2020 against 44 batches of other brands with high benzene content. ArtNaturals was recently added to this list. While there are tests to detect current levels of exposure, there is no way to determine the health effects of benzene in an individual's health because of continued product use.

The FDA also found traces of acetaldehyde and acetal contaminants in ArtNaturals hand sanitizers, which are known to irritate the skin, eyes, and the upper respiratory tract.

ArtNaturals Responds to FDA Claims

A representative of ArtNaturals emailed Gizmodo to deny the allegations, adding that they have not been dodging the FDA's attempt to communicate. The spokesperson said they had reached out to the agency "multiple times" to correct the allegations.

They have also sent samples of their hand sanitizers to third-party independent and industry-renowned laboratories for testing. The test results indicated that there are no benzene and other carcinogens in their products.

According to CBS News, ArtNaturals manufacture their hand sanitizers in China while the products are distributed from a California-based warehouse. The company claimed on its official site that its products are free of toxic chemicals and "all-around bad vibes."

Demand for hand sanitizers increased due to the coronavirus pandemic, prompting many beauty and personal care brands to market their own. However, a lot of these products were found to have carcinogens. The FDA and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that only 60 percent ethanol or 70 percent isopropanol is the most acceptable chemicals in sanitizers but washing hands with soap and water for 20 seconds is best.

Related Article: Johnson & Johnson Sunscreen Recall: Products Voluntarily Taken Off Shelves After Traces of Carcinogen found on Neutrogena, Aveeno
Photo: (Photo : TOBY MELVILLE/AFP via Getty Images)

Utah mom Gina Crotts, 40, had given up a daughter for adoption when she was a 19-year-old single mother. She had Kalyn, her "little butterfly," for just four days before the baby's new parents took and raised her as their own.

Crotts believed that putting Kalyn up for adoption was the best life she could give her. A few months later, she met and married the man who would become her husband and the father of her three other children.

Yet Crotts never erased Kalyn in her life as she would get a yearly photo of her from her adoptive parents. Her other kids know Kalyn's story, and her family celebrates her birthday every year with songs, cakes, and a candle to boot.

Despite this, however, the mother and her biological daughter had never met in person. Though it was one of her biggest dreams, Crotts said she wanted Kalyn "to have a desire to meet her" and know her birth mom.

Read Also: Woman Exposes on Tiktok Parents Using Facebook to Return or Re-Home Their Adopted Children

Fate Brings Them Together

One day, while her other daughter, Evie, now 15, was at a dance rehearsal at the mall, she saw someone who looked like Kalyn from the crowd. She pointed the young woman to her mother, who was accompanying her.

Crotts did not see Kalyn at first, but she followed the girl Evie was sure was her older sister. She then saw her coming up to a man she recognized as her adoptive dad, who saw Crotts first before she locked eyes with Kalyn.

The mother said that she was shocked by this chance encounter and then hesitated to approach her biological daughter and the dad. Her first thought was if Kalyn wanted to meet her in person. Crotts did not want to watch her daughter walk away if she was not ready.

However, Kalyn was already standing right in front of her. Before she knew it, Crotts was saying her first words to her daughter. The mother asked if she was happy and when she said yes, they hugged for a while.

"We couldn't help but stare at each other, as we talked for longer, we would just look at each other and laugh," Crotts said.

This moment happened a few years ago, and the mother and daughter have been exchanging messages since. Kalyn had also visited Crotts and the rest of the family in their home. Evie always had a picture of Kalyn in her bedroom, so it was no surprise that she was able to spot her at the mall.

Abortion Wasn't Her Option

In a piece on Love What Matters, Crotts wrote that she never considered abortion an option and decided to go for adoption. She chose a semi-open placement, so she got photos and letters from the adoptive family for Kalyn's first five years.

After losing Kalyn, Crotts also set up a non-profit to help birth mothers by providing essentials that could perk them up after delivering the baby at the hospital. Crotts also wrote letters for the birth moms to let them know that they were not alone.

Meanwhile, the mother said that she felt fortunate to have her three kids and her biological daughter in her life. Crotts considers her children's laughter when they are together as the "gift I never thought I would be given," making her feel utterly whole as a mom.

As a writer, Crotts has published a book about the adoption, titled "A Seemingly Unfillable Heart."

Related Article: Friends Who Bonded Over Their Adoption Discover They Are Biological Sisters
Photo: (Photo : Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)

Children's school supplies in this COVID-19 pandemic do not just include face masks and hand sanitizers, as parents are reportedly sneaking in air quality monitors inside the student's backpacks to check for air quality inside their classrooms.

Reports cited that a manufacturer of air quality monitors has had a surge in sales since the start of the school year as parents have been willing to shell out $100 to $250 for the sensors. Some schools, however, are discouraging the devices and pushing back on the parents who claim that their classroom's air quality has high CO2 levels.

Studies have shown that, aside from developing respiratory and cardiopulmonary diseases, the chances of infection and death from COVID-19 are higher in indoor places with poor ventilation. Hence, experts had advised schools, before in-person classes resumed, to improve their air vent systems.

Some schools, especially in New York, used part of the government funding to buy the needed tools and materials to fix their vents or invest in a monitoring system. However, other schools have not been quick to act on this guidance, prompting parents to take action themselves.

Read Also: CDC Appeals to Pregnant Women: Get Your COVID-19 Vaccination

Growing Number of Parents Trading Tips

Mom Lizzie Rothwell learned that the CO2 levels in her son's school cafeteria were double the unacceptable levels indicated by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). She told the principal about her discovery, who was surprised that she had data from an air quality monitor. She also asked the school to let the kids have their lunch outdoors, which the principal rejected, but he promised to fix the ventilation system.

Rothwell is part of a growing number of parents on social media who let their kids bring the monitors to school with instructions of putting these devices out in their unzipped bags or unzipped pockets. They also exchange tips on Twitter using the hashtag #CovidCO2, according to The New York Times.

While other school districts might frown upon this activity, some have been receptive to parents letting them know that the ventilation should be fixed. Dad Jeremy Chrysler informed his daughter's school of the CO2 readings gathered by her air quality monitor, and the officials quickly learned that its HVAC system was broken. After the school had this fixed, the CO2 readings in the classroom dropped to the ideal levels.

According to one school board member, most schools don't have the capacity nor the intention to do ongoing monitoring of carbon dioxide levels since this is usually done on an "as-needed" basis before COVID-19 times. However, schools have acknowledged they have the responsibility to make classrooms a safe space for the students.

Air Quality Monitors Have Limitations

Not all air quality monitors are the same, and some are more reliable than other brands or designs. The devices are also not a guarantee that the children will not catch the virus.

In the U.K., schools provided with the devices learned that most of the monitors do not work; thus, they had to stop the distribution. Of the 300 intended for various locations in Jersey, 46 were installed in schools, but only two worked.

Environment Minister John Young said that technicians were prevented from checking and properly installing the devices, which had sensitive sensors that required regular maintenance. The air quality monitors also require data transmission, but some schools had a poor broadband connection.

Related Article: STUDY: Air Pollution Linked to Premature Birth, Low Birth Weight in Millions of Babies
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Late yesterday Patently Apple posted a report about the EU Parliament being unable to pass legislation that would clamp down on the top U.S. Tech companies, mainly Apple, Google, Amazon and Facebook. Today, we're learning that the four antitrust bills in question in the U.S. were advanced by the House Judiciary Committee in June but have yet to get a floor vote. Senators have said they plan to introduce similar bills as soon as this month.

Reuters is reporting today that a coalition of anti-monopoly groups attacked claims by U.S. technology giants like Apple and Google that bills aiming to crimp their power pose national security risks, arguing that over-reliance on a handful of companies is more dangerous.

The most powerful U.S. tech companies put shareholder profit over public interest, according to a letter from public advocacy groups obtained by Bloomberg News that rejects warnings about a series of antitrust bills before Congress.

The letter addressed to House leaders seeks to rebut the argument -- voiced recently by several former national security officials -- that moving forward with legislation targeting Apple Inc. Facebook Inc., Amazon.com Inc. and Alphabet Inc.s Google would disadvantage U.S. companies and compromise their partnerships with the Pentagon.

In the letter, the groups highlight examples including Apples supply-chain reliance on China and reports that U.S. tech companies aid in Chinese surveillance and censorship. The groups argue that business decisions in the interest of creating value for shareholders will always win out over national security and human rights concerns.

"Big Tech is not here to help national security or the public interest, but to maintain monopoly rents and market power," the groups write. "It is codified in their corporate structure and law. It is the governments job to protect our national security, not Mark Zuckerbergs."

On the flip side, a paper published last month by a tech industry group said legislation that targets a handful of U.S. tech firms gives an undue advantage to global competitors and would undo the main objective of another Senate bill to invest in U.S. innovation and counter technological advances in China.

Former Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats, who advised on the paper, said lawmakers should consult with national security experts and intelligence committees before pushing the antitrust bills forward. For more, read the full Bloomberg report.
Since December 2020 until now, Patently Apple has posted at least five reports on the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA) that is out to damage the top Silicon Valley giants like Apple, Amazon, Google and Facebook (01, 02, 03, 04 and 05). France's President Macron made it clear that Europe wants to replace the top 10 U.S. tech companies with European equivalents. It would appear that the EU would like to stop US company influence in Europe and fine the companies exorbitant amounts so as to finance this European transformation.

Last month Google told a European Court that the staggering US$5 billion antitrust fine was flawed. They urging Europe's second-highest court to scrap or reduce what it said was not an appropriate penalty.

European anger against Google, for instance, was highlighted in a new Netflix series titled "The Billion Dollar Code." Quick overview: "In 1990s Berlin, an artist and a hacker invented a new way to see the world. Years later, they reunite to sue Google for patent infringement on it. The European start-up claimed that a key Google executive that came from Silicon Graphics ripped off their work and patent to create Google Earth.

The series is geared to one conclusion, that Google's one time motto of "Don't be Evil" was the exact opposite of how they ripped off this European start-up. You couldn't watch the German series (dubbed in English) without concluding that Google crushed this start-up without blinking. How many Apple fans felt way with Eric Schmidt sitting on Apple's board and using his insider knowledge to bring Android to market in a surprise to Steve Jobs?

Yet with that said, many companies like Europe's Spotify and America's Epic Games feel like Apple works against them to repress their innovations and more. Europe believes, and to a certain extent, Congress believes, that gatekeepers like Google and Apple are harming innovation.

Today, the Financial Times wrote a report titled "Fighting in Brussels bogs down plans to regulate Big Tech." The report describes how the European Parliament is attempting to fast track both the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and the Digital Services Act (DSA), though in reality, the two bills are being both bogged down and watered down by a determined opposition. They now fear that the legislation has a chance of failing before the EUs competition and digital policy chief, Margrethe Vestager, leaves her post in three years.

Evelyne Gebhardt, a German MEP, said in exasperation during last months debate that "It sounded like we had agreed but that is not the case . . . at all. We are a long way from having a common position on this."

Another person directly involved in the parliamentary debate stated that the slow progress also gives Big Tech more time to fully capture key sectors of the economy. "If we wait too long some markets will not be able to be repaired any more. This is about protecting small companies in Europe. We need to get this done as soon as possible."

The European Parliament lawmaker Andreas Schwab, which is leading the file for the EU body, stated in his report that "The DMA should be clearly targeted to those platforms that play an unquestionable role as gatekeepers due to their size and their impact on the internal market."

The Reuter's report back in June further noted that "Schwab also proposed beefing up a list of donts set out by the Commission, among them a halt to tech giants to favoring their own services on their platforms or harvesting data from their platforms to compete with their business users."

The Reuters' report made it very clear that Schwab and the EU were targeting draft rules aimed at reining in the power of Apple, Facebook, Google and Amazon that should be the only targets.

Today's Financial Times report added that "the Socialists & Democrats (S&D), the second-largest political group in the European parliament, want to include other types of digital services, such as video streaming, music streaming, mobile payments and cloud services.

The Dutch MEP Paul Tang stated that "If we only go after five companies this wont fix the problem. companies worth more than 50bn should be regulated, a threshold that would also capture the Netherlands-based Booking.com, Germanys SAP and Airbnb."

Tang added: "I fear new gatekeepers will rise instantly once you have dealt with Google and the rest. We need the legislation to be future proof, We have waited more than 20 years to reform the rules of the internet and so we will need to make it strong enough for the upcoming 20 years."

Yet another person involved in the debate stated that the impasse will not be easily solved. "Everyone has a hard position and nobody is willing to move and compromise." For more details, read the full Financial Times report, here.
A new report by the global research and consultancy firm Oxford Business Group (OBG) will look in detail at the landmark legislation introduced in Ghana over the past year, which has set the scene for the country to boost inflows and drive economic growth.



Marking OBGs tenth anniversary of documenting the countrys development, The Report: Ghana 2021 will shine a spotlight on the new laws enacted and others overhauled during the Covid-19 pandemic that will spearhead efforts to enhance the countrys investment environment and improve the ease of doing business.



Key legislation set for analysis includes the long-awaited Public Private Partnership Act, 2020, which aims to encourage firms to team up with the government for its large-scale infrastructure projects. The report will also analyse the implications of the New Corporate Insolvency and Restructuring Act, 2020, and the Borrowers and Lenders Act, 2020, among others.



OBG has signed a second memorandum of understanding (MoU) with B&P Associates for its forthcoming publication. As part of the MoU, the law firm will team up with the group to research and produce the Law Chapter of The Report: Ghana 2021 and other content that will be made available across OBGs platforms.



Adelaide Benneh Prempeh, Managing Partner, B&P Associates, said she looked forward to collaborating with OBG on its milestone report, adding that information on Ghanas far-reaching legal reforms would undoubtedly make essential reading for decision-makers eyeing the countrys investment opportunities.



The raft of new legislation introduced against the backdrop of the pandemic has paved the way for the private sector to play a much bigger role in the next phase of Ghanas growth story, she said. Businesses have shown a keen interest to familiarise themselves with the countrys revised legal framework. Im delighted that through this partnership, well be able to provide investors with the facts and figures they require to make their decisions.



Welcoming B&P Associates on board once again, Wen Qian Chang OBGs Country Director in Ghana, said that while the impact of the pandemic had inevitably dampened short-term growth forecasts, the country was well placed to make a steady recovery, with construction and manufacturing among the sectors expected to drive new growth.



Like several other African nations, Ghana is working to diversify its economy and highlight its potential as an attractive investment destination ahead of the global economic recovery, Chang said. B&P Associates has long helped local and international clients navigate Ghanas complex legal framework and has an in-depth understanding of what the new laws mean for businesses operating across the sectors. Im thrilled that our team and, ultimately, our readers will benefit from their expertise.



The Report: Ghana 2021 will mark the culmination of more than a year of field research by a team of analysts from Oxford Business Group. It will be a vital guide to the many facets of the country, including its macroeconomics, infrastructure, banking and other sectoral developments. OBGs publication will also contain contributions from leading representatives across the public and private sectors.



The Report will be produced with the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre, the Association of Ghana Industries, Stanbic Investment Management Services, PwC and B&P Associates. It will be available online and in print. It will form part of OBGs yearly reports on the economy of emerging countries. Besides, OBG is currently producing with its partners a series of tailored studies, alongside other highly relevant, go-to research tools, including a range of country-specific Growth and Recovery Outlook articles and interviews.



Click here to subscribe to Oxford Business Groups latest content: http://www.oxfordbusinessgroup.com/country-reports

Source: Peacefmonline.com/ghana









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Papua New Guinea's government bought a fleet of 40 Maserati Quattroporte sedans in 2018, to try and impress politicians at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. Ultimately, the plan backfired spectacularly. Considering that Papua New Guinea is one of the poorest countries in APEC, the government spending millions of dollars on lavish Italian limos to chauffeur world leaders did not go down too well.



In fact, New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern and other world leaders refused to be driven in them. Each Maserati reportedly cost over K500,000 ($142,000) to import. In total, the government spent K20m ($5.7 million) importing the 40 luxury sedans.



According to The Guardian, the Maseratis were purchased from a dealer in Sri Lanka and were flown over by a jumbo jet. Three Bentley Flying Spur cars were also purchased for the fleet.



After the summit, APEC minister Justin Tkatchenko was confident the luxury cars would "sell like hot-cakes" to recoup the costs, despite the country's poverty, poorly maintained roads, and high crime rate. However, three years later a grand total of two out of the 43 cars that were bought for the summit have been sold, including one Maserati and one Bentley. A third vehicle was reportedly gifted to the governor-general.



With the government desperate to get rid of the unsold Maseratis that have been sat in storage for several years, Pundari announced the luxury cars will be sold to the public for K400,000 ($114,000), a hefty discount, which still seems pricey. That's more expensive than the US version of the Maserati Quattroporte, which retails for $102,190. Spy shots have shown the next-generation model arrives in 2022 or 2023.



As if the situation wasn't already embarrassing for the government, hundreds of cars imported for the summit are also still missing including Fords, Mazdas, Toyota Land Cruisers, and Mitsubishi Pajeros. Hey Papua New Guinea government! Give us a call if you find those and are still looking for a quick buck!







Source: carbuzz.com









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The UK's failure to do more to stop Covid spreading early in the pandemic was one of the worst ever public health failures, a report by MPs says.



The government approach - backed by its scientists - was to try to manage the situation and in effect achieve herd immunity by infection, it said.



This led to a delay in introducing the first lockdown, costing lives.



But the report by the cross-party group said there had been successes too - in particular the vaccination programme.



It described the whole approach - from the research and development through to the rollout of the jabs - as "one of the most effective initiatives in UK history".



The report predominantly focuses on the response to the pandemic in England. The committee did not look at steps taken individually by Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland.



The findings are detailed in the report - Coronavirus: Lessons learned to date - from the Health and Social Care Committee and the Science and Technology Committee, which contain MPs from all parties.



Across 150 pages, the report covers a variety of successes and failings.



MPs call the pandemic, which has claimed more than 150,000 lives in the UK and nearly five million worldwide so far, the "biggest peacetime challenge" for a century.



Tory MPs Jeremy Hunt and Greg Clark, who chair the committees, said the nature of the pandemic meant it was "impossible to get everything right".



"The UK has combined some big achievements with some big mistakes. It is vital to learn from both," they added in a statement to accompany the report.



Cabinet Office minister Stephen Barclay said scientific advice had been followed and the government had made "difficult judgments" to protect the NHS.



He said the government took responsibility for everything that had happened and repeated the apology made by the prime minister in May for the country's suffering.



Mr Barclay told the BBC the government would not shy away from any lessons to be learned at the full public inquiry, expected next year.



But Labour's shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said the findings were "damning" and showed what "monumental errors" had been made.



And the group representing families who have lost loved-ones during the pandemic - Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice - criticised the committees for not speaking to any relatives of people who died.



Lockdown delay mistake - but scientists to blame too



When Covid hit, the government's approach was to manage its spread through the population rather than try to stop it - or herd immunity by infection as the report called it.



The report said this was based on dealing with a flu pandemic, and was done on the advice of its scientific advisers on the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage).



But the idea was not challenged enough by ministers in any part of the UK, indicating a "degree of group-think".



Although to some degree other parts of Europe were guilty of this too, the MPs said.



It meant the country was not as open to approaches being taken elsewhere, such as Asia where countries imposed tight border controls as soon as Covid started circulating.

Source: BBC









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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Legal luminary, Godwin Edudzi Tamakloe, has heaped praises on the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, for discontinuing the case against Mahama Ayariga.



Mahama Ayariga was accused of fraudulently evading customs duties and taxes by paying GH6,062.86 instead of the approved duties and taxes of GH36,597.15 to clear three Toyota V8 Land Cruisers.



He was also accused of abusing his office as a public officer for his private benefit by selling three Toyota V8 Land Cruisers which were to be used for official duties as a Member of Parliament to Kendrick Akwasi Marfo of ATLAS-Rent-A-Car at a price of GH40,000 each.



The Special Prosecutor, appearing before the Financial court 2 on Monday, October 11, 2021 said there was not enough evidence to prosecute the Bawku Central MP.



Mr Kissi Agyebeng said, We wish to inform the court of the Republics intention to enter Nolle Prosequi in respect of all cases against the accused persons.



Lawyer of the accused, Edudzi Tamakloe, speaking to journalists after the court proceedings, thanked the special prosecutor for allowing fairness in the case.



He said, We need to thank the new Special Prosecutor for allowing reason and fairness to prevail...We are grateful to him and we are grateful to the court for what has happened today.













Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo Monday urged countries of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) to continue to work towards the global objectives of peace, collective security, development and inter-dependence.



He said the forum must take far-reaching decisions for a more equitable and balanced world, based on the principle of the equality of sovereign States.



Speaking at the High-level Commemorative meeting to mark the 60th anniversary of the first conference of Non-Aligned countries, in Belgrade, Serbia, President Akufo-Addo noted that the COVID-19 pandemic and the unsavoury politics of vaccine nationalism had highlighted the need for self-reliance in the global south.



He said it was unfortunate that member states of NAM had become global power play, and are subject to the benevolence of powerful countries, who give out their hoarded supplies at their own pace, not necessarily in tandem with realities.



The need for self-reliance today in the global south is as important as positive neutralism was in the era of the Cold War. The impact of the pandemic on our populations has been severe. We must stand shoulder-to-shoulder, and be resolved to ensure that we are better prepared for future pandemics.



We must not miss the opportunity of this occasion to take far-reaching decisions for a more equitable and balanced world, based on the principle of the equality of sovereign States. We should continue to work towards the global objectives of peace, development and inter-dependence, the President said.



President Akufo-Addo restated Ghanas belief that the Non-Aligned Movement was as relevant in the 21st century as it was in the 20th century, in protecting the interests of the developing world.



There will be challenges but, working hand-in-hand, we can move ahead together, and, indeed, much further, more so, when, through our co-operation and solidarity, we achieve the restructuring of the global financial system to facilitate the rapid development of our economies.



The next 60 years of our Movement must mark its empowerment to meet the wishes and aspirations of our peoples for development, dignity and diversity, he added.



The Non-Aligned Movement is a forum of 120 developing world states that are not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc. After the United Nations, it is the largest grouping of states worldwide.



The Governments of Serbia and Azerbaijan are co-hosting the 60th anniversary meeting.

Source: GNA









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The Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP) has been described as a trailblazer in Africa as far as the implementation and development of the home-grown programme is concerned.

According to a senior nutrition officer and project manager at the AUDA-NEPAD, Ms. Kefilwe Moalosi, Ghana has shown leadership and seriousness in the school feeding implementation in Africa, and still continues to show clear signs and commitment to reaching more school children.



She noted that Ghanas success stories, commitment, innovations and exemplary leadership in the school feeding implementation has compelled her outfit to make a strong case for Ghana to sturdily contribute to the forthcoming Africa School Feeding Day on the 1st of March, 2022.



Speaking at a technical workshop on Home-Grown School Feeding Implementation Guidelines held in Accra, Ms. Moalosi disclosed that most African countries implementing school feeding programmes do not have a fully-fledged established secretariat with skilled, competent and effective management staff like what Ghana currently has. The validation workshop was supported by the World Food Programme (WFP).



In line with their mandate to generate and preserve knowledge in Africa, the AUDA-NEPAD official noted that discussions were ongoing to develop a school feeding repository at AUDA-NEPAD to promote knowledge and experience sharing among AU member states.



L-R: Dr. Mrs. Gertrude Quashigah, National Coordinator of the Ghana School Feeding Programme, Ms. Kefilwe Moalosi, Senior Nutrition Officer and Project Manager at the AUDA-NEPAD, and Ms. Emma Anaman, Programme Policy Officer for WFP.



L-R: Dr. Mrs. Gertrude Quashigah, National Coordinator of the Ghana School Feeding Programme, Ms. Kefilwe Moalosi, Senior Nutrition Officer and Project Manager at the AUDA-NEPAD, and Ms. Emma Anaman, Programme Policy Officer for WFP.



In addition, she emphasized the need to create a platform for peer review mechanisms and country exchange visits among African member states where Ghana will play a critical role.



Meanwhile, the review and validation workshop on the Home-Grown School Feeding Implementation Guidelines, Ms. Kefilwe Moalosi noted, will help determine if the format of the guideline is user friendly, practical and easy to follow; assess the operational challenges of using the guideline; determine if the draft guidelines cover all the necessary components of the Home-Grown School Feeding implementation; and address the common challenges experienced at country level.



The National Coordinator of the Ghana School Feeding Programme, Dr. Mrs. Gertrude Quashigah expressed her profound gratitude to the AUDA-NEPAD, World Food Programme, Partnership for Child Development, Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection and other agencies that have supported the Ghana School Feeding Programme over the years to become what it is presently.



She said that the development of the Home-Grown School Feeding Guideline being spearheaded by the AUDA-NEPAD with support from WFP, was timely.



The GSFP National Coordinator said the document will serve as a tool to augment the local efforts in strengthening the implementation of school feeding programmes, particularly in terms of food systems and nutritional quality.



Dr. Mrs. Quashigah implored AUDA-NEPAD to really consider Ghana as host for the celebration of the upcoming Africa Day of School Feeding, since Ghana is a pioneer implementer of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Pillar III, which is the anchor of the Home-Grown School Feeding programmes.



According to her, when she took over as the National Coordinator of the School Feeding Programme, she has been able to introduce measures to address the main challenges of the programme especially in improving food quality, safety and hygiene.



Her administration, she noted, has also been able to increase the number of beneficiary children from 1,671,077 in 2016 to 3,448,065 in 2021; and also improved on the nutritional component of food served to pupils.



We in Ghana have developed a programme policy for the Home-Grown School Feeding; a draft Bill is awaiting parliamentary approval and currently reviewing our operational manuals. The GSFP has also subjected itself to assessment by independent external evaluators, and the recommendations of such assessments have been factored into restructuring the programme as a way of continuous improvement.



Ms. Emma Anaman, Programme Policy Officer for WFP assured the commitment of her organization to continue to partner with the Ghana School Feeding Programme to make it bigger and better for more children.



She said children were the human capital of every country and that any investment in their future was not a waste.



Ms. Anaman underscored the importance of Ghana School Feeding Programme which she said had ripple effects on every sector of Ghanas economy.



Over 10,000 caterers, 38,000 cooks and several local farmers are working because of school feeding; and it is against this backdrop that we at WFP will want to see the GSFP bill quickly passed into law by the government to create more opportunities.



The Director of Policy Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (PPME) at the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Mr. Mawutor Abloh described school feeding as a very important programme which needs to be sustained and expanded. He was optimistic that the Guidelines would help consolidate the gains made so far, and build upon it.



The Participants were taken through powerpoint presentations by the Nutrition and Food Security Independent Consultant for AUDA-NEPAD, Prof. Josephine Kiamba on the Purpose and Overview of the Draft Guidelines; and meeting the objectives and explanation of the validation process, among others.





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Speaking in a recent interview, one of Ghanas rising techpreneurs has raised some alarming concerns as far as Ghanas tech industry is concerned.



Ghana, amongst many other countries in Africa is likened to a tiny muscle of strength in a failing heart; a life saver whose youth are passionate, tech driven and innovative. The kind of atmosphere Africa provides for these innovative youth is one force to reckon with.



On so many occasions in the past, students from Ghana won tournaments in robotics and tech worldwide in a country where there is less or no form of thorough practical tech education or environment to explore. The big question is that, If the tiny muscle of hope in a failing heart is going through this, whats the fate of the other parts?



Born in Adabraka, Accra but originally from the Oti Region of Ghana, Mr. Isaac Quarcoo aka Travelz has seen it all when it comes to the struggles to the top especially in tech in our part of the world. He raised concerns over how Ghanas leadership have neglected an essential area in the growth of every country.



Mr. Isaac Quarcoo aka Travelz who owns one of the most visited ecommerce sites in Ghana, Dadadeal.com, added that, Ghanaian youth have over the years proved their capabilities in various aspects of entrepreneurship and tech making them one of the most hardworking group of young adults in the whole of Africa.



I will root for any tech themed venture in Ghana because thats the future. Our youth these days spend more time using tech than creating them because there is no encouraging environment to thrive with new innovations and ideas. Most of the great things we see Ghanaians do are all done outside our borders and is always as a result of the kind of reception the Americans, Asians and the Europeans have created for that space; He said.



As part of his submission, Mr. Isaac Quarcoo Asked the big question that has been lingering for some time now. He also called other tech industry players, and established entrepreneurs to rise to the occasion.



Can we have a mobile giant like Apple, Samsung, Or Huawei in Ghana? The likes of Apostle Kwadwo Sarfo Kantanka have not been well encouraged to push their innovations through to make Ghana that beam of hope for the African continent.



As a contribution on my part, I have placed abled and talented young people together to create platforms that will support society like dadadeal.com ecommerce website. We are also creating an app for this project which will be unveiled soon. We will not end there, we want also support a group of young people we have already selected to further study and do even better things for Ghana. there is a future for Ghanaian youth, and its time we all rise to the occasion.

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Hon. Elizabeth Kaakie Mann has promised to emulate the work ethic of His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to propel the Ga East Municipal Assembly to its desired state after she was confirmed by a 100 percent vote of the General Assembly of the Ga East Muncipal Assembly on Friday at the Presbyterian Women's Centre, Abokobi.



It was a beautiful scene around 5pm at the Presbyterian Women's Centre, on Friday where Elizabeth Kaakie Mann was confirmed as Municipal Chief Executive for the Ga East Municipal Assembly by a unanimous vote by all 15 Assembly Members.



All 15 Assembly Members of the Municipality took their turn to endorse Kaakie Mann whose confirmation was one of the smoothest held till date.



In her acceptance speech, the newly confirmed MCE for Ga East expressed her gratitude to the President for her nomination and vowed to follow his guiding principles during her tenure as MCE



"My deepest appreciation goes to His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo for the honour to serve the good people of the Ga East Municipal Assembly. I promise to discharge my duties and responsibilities with utmost diligence and integrity" she mentioned



"Mr President, I note with pride how throughout the first four years in office, you toiled day and night to rebuild our nation and have set us back on to the path of development. I promise to abide by this same ethos and instill a sense of commitment and service to the people throughout my tenure in office to advance your development agenda in the Municipality" she added.



She also expressed her gratitude to the MP for Dome Kwabenya for the support she has given to women in the contintuency.



"I am deeply indebted to our Hon Member of Parliament, Hon. Sarah Adwoa Safo who has throughout this process, offered her immense support to me to steer the affairs of the Assembly.

Throughout her tenure as Member of Parliament, she has championed efforts towards empowering the women of our constituency which culminated in Hon. Janet Tulasi Mensah being named as the first female Chief Executive of Ga East and now myself as Municipal Chief Executive in the second term of the New Patriotic Party Government"



"I deeply appreciate the vote of confidence our Assembly Members have reposed in me today to lead the Ga East Municipal Assembly. I promise to work hand in hand with the Assembly Members, technocrats and all stakeholders to come up with a common sense approach to ensure that these challenges are alleviated and that the Municipality moves on from strength to strength just as we are seeing with the impressive work our Regional Minister is doing in the Region under the 'Make Greater Accra Work' maxim.



Hon. Elizabeth Kaakie Mann becomes the 4th Chief Executive for the Ga East Municipal Assembly and the 2nd woman to hold the position following on from Hon. Kofi Allotey, Hon. John Kwao Sackey and Hon. Janet Tulasi Mensah

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The Director General for National Lottery Authority (NLA), Sammi Awuku has expressed regret at the assault on the Democrats Republic of Tanzania.



According to him, the happenings at Tanzania are an affront to freedom and free expression.



Sammi Awuku, on his facebook page, reiterated the need to uphold center right values as a key to deepening political participation, particularly for young people.



Read the full statement below;



Yesterday, I had the honour of addressing the Young Democrats Union of Africa Conference in Malawi.



In my submission, I expressed my regret at the assault on democracy in Tanzania, which is essentially an affront to freedom and free expression.



I reiterated the need to uphold center right values as a key to deepening political participation, particularly for young people.



In this regard, I supported the call of Vice President H.E Dr. Bawumia, President Chakwera from Malawi, Prof. Mario Voight of the CDU in Germany and Hon. Peter Mac Manu who were all speakers at the Conference for the youth to not only participate in Politics and the discourse but also lead the discussion for the transformation of our Governance, Political and economic development.





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The Special Prosecutor, Mr Kissi Agyebeng, has dropped all charges against Bawku Central MP, Mr Mahama Ayariga, in connection with an alleged tax evasion over some purchase of vehicles.



Mr Agyebeng filed a nolle prosequi at the Accra High Court Monday [October 11] morning to discontinue the case.



He told the court, presided over by Justice Afia Serwaah Asare -Botwe, that after scrutinising the case and evidence on record, he realised that the case would not succeed.



According to him, the case was likely to suffer a similar case against Mr Ayariga by the Special Prosecutor, which was thrown out by the Accra High Court after it upheld a submission of no case.



In that particular case, Mr Ayariga was charged by the former Special Prosecutor, Mr Martin Amidu together with six others, including a former Municipal Chief Executive for Bawku, Hajia Hawa Ninchema, for allegedly engaging in procurement breaches over the purchase of an ambulance.



Case against Ayariga



Mr Ayariga was dragged to court by Mr Amidu, and accused of using public office for private benefit.



According to the then Special Prosecutor, Mr Ayariga allegedly used his position as MP to evade taxes by paying GH6,062.86, instead of GH36,591.15, to clear some vehicles at the port.



He was charged with four counts of fraudulent evasion of customs duties and taxes, using public office for private benefit, dealing in foreign exchange without licence and transfer of foreign exchange from Ghana through an unauthorised dealer.



A second accused person, Kendrick Akwasi Marfo, a car dealer, was also charged with one count of fraudulent evasion of customs duties and taxes.

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The governments decentralised departments in the country are to be evenly distributed in the major towns in the newly created districts as it is currently occurring in the newly created regions.



President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo announced this when he inaugurated a modern three-storey office complex for the Asene-Manso-Akroso District in the Eastern Region.



He said all the new districts in the country were being provided with state-of-the art office accommodation to enhance the work of the staff.



Akyem Kotoku chieftaincy dispute



In response to an appeal by the Akyem Mansohene, Obrempong Sintim Poku III, to help resolve the 22-year-old protracted chieftaincy dispute in Akyem Kotoku which had created factions among the people and hindered the development of the area, the President said he had already initiated pragmatic measures to deal with it.



According to the President, with the help the Senior Presidential Advisor, Mr Yaw Osafo-Maafo, who is a citizen of Akyem Kotoku, as well as the Chieftaincy and Eastern Regional ministers, the matter would be resolved to bring lasting peace to the traditional area.



The President stressed that as the Yendi and Ga Chieftaincy disputes had been amicably settled, his main concern was how to bring lasting peace to Akyem Kotoku and Akropong Akuapem which were facing protracted chieftaincy disputes.



TVET for Asene



In another response to Mansohenes appeal for Technical and Vocational Training School (TVET) for Akyem Asene, President Akuffo-Addo promised to discuss it with the Education Minister, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, for consideration.



Obrempong Sintim Poku, who is also the Benkumhene of Akyem Kotoku Traditional Area, was full of praise for President Akufo-Addo for providing many development projects in the Eastern Region in particular and Ghana in general.



Support from chiefs



He gave the assurance that the chiefs in the Asene-Manso-Akroso District would offer him practical support to ensure the success of his reign.



Obrempong Sintim Poku III, however, appealed to the President to provide the local Atweaman Senior High School with a boys dormitory and a school bus.



Another office complex for Birim South



The President and his entourage later inaugurated a modern two storey office accommodation for the Birim South District Assembly at Akyem Swedru.



In a welcome address, the Akwamuhene of Akyem Bosome Traditional Area, Obrempong Ofosu Asante, appealed to the President to help improve communication network and the poor roads in the area and also provide a modern market for Akyem Swedru, the district capital.



Entourage



The Presidents entourage included the Minister of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, Mr Dan Botwe, the Minister of Communications and Digitalisation, Mrs Ursula-Owusu Ekuful, the Minister of Information, Mr Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, Deputy Minister of Finance, Ms Abena Osei Asare, the Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Seth Kwame Acheampong, and the Senior Presidential Advisor, Mr Yaw Osafo Maafo,







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Member of Parliament for Effutu, Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin, has said the criticisms levelled against the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), were to be expected.



The member of the ECOWAS Parliament stated that the people in the ECOWAS sub region are tired of military takeovers and at the same they want proactive steps to be taken by leaders to deal with situations that give rise to coups in the subregion.



He assured that ECOWAS Parliament takes these matters seriously.



He was speaking in an interview with Berla Mundi on the New Day Show on TV3 Monday October 11, ahead of the ECOWAS Parliament in Winneba.



It is recalled that ECOWAS received flak after members of Guineas armed forces seized power and detained President Alpha Conde.



For instance, the Dean of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Professor Vladimir Antwi-Danso said the imposition of protocols on countries after coups are not helping but rather a punishment to the citizens living in the country.



According to Prof. Antwi Danso ECOWAS and the African Union have become reactive anytime there is an overthrow of the government.



Speaking on the Sunrise morning show with host Alfred Ocansey on 3FM 92.7, Prof Vladimir AntwiDanso said We sit down for this to happen. Can we have something else to make sure these things do not happen at all. Burundi we threatened and threatened them and we said we would instigate force but were unable to even assemble that force; Cote DIvoire we said we were going to have 6,500 -man contingent we never intervened. So on and on and on these things will continue to happen when there are crisis situations and we are incapable



The imposition of these protocols have never helped anywhere in the world. We dismiss the country; we say we dont recognize you, infact we rather punish the people within. For example Mali they didnt have access to their own money. We should revise it in such a way that when the senior members are doing things that would bring problems, let us advise them. Yes the protocols are clear we wont recognize you when there is a forceful takeover but when you punish them too much you are exacerbating the situation. We should ensure there is civilian rule.



Commenting on this, Mr Afenyo Markin who is also Deputy Majority Leader in Parliament said The issue of backlash, you should expect it. We are tired of military dictatorship and at the same time we expect some proactive steps being taken by leadership and for that matter the sub regional body, ECOWAS.



Remember when the Gambia situation happened, the sub region was very proactive.



Same was not the case when there were constitutional amendments giving rise to third term and all that. As a parliament, we take these matters serious that we have not enjoyed that stability, therefore it is important to review two decades of democratic governance and look at the challenges .



We as a parliament we debate issues , we discuss with delegates and then pass a resolution to the heads of authorities so we just want to make a case that the military intervention in the sub region are matters of concern , we need democracy , we need to strengthen the pillars of democracy . That is the only way for development.





Source: 3 news









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Member of Parliament(MP) for Nsawam Adoagyiri constituency and Majority Chief whip of Parliament, Hon. Annoh- Dompreh, has asked members of the public to credit MPs with some wisdom when it comes to discussing the anti-LGBTQI+ bill.



He says though they are silent on the matter it does mean they are against the bill or are not making any input.



Speaking on Okay FM's 'Ade Akye Abia' programme, he said, "Its unfortunate the LGBTQ+ bill is being politicized. As the majority caucus in Parliament, we agree in principle that legislation that protects Ghanaian values in all areas of life must be supported. However, the bill, as it is now, is defective.



We need to fine-tune it to ensure that it maximizes the protection of rights and freedoms in consonance with democratic principles as we have practiced uninterrupted for over 3 decades, he said.



Hon. Annoh-Dompreh also expressed worry that the bill, which has generated huge controversy and dominated news headlines for several weeks has assumed a political twist.



He said while he agrees that there is a need for a bill that protects Ghanaian values, the current bill falls short in doing so.



About 20 members of Parliament have initiated processes to have a law passed to criminalize LGBTQ+ activities and advocacy.



Watch video below





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Four political parties have expressed their support for the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, 2021 which seeks to criminalise Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Intersex (LGBTQI+) activities in the country.



A fifth party, however, has said it is against the bill in its entirety, and that it should be thrown out of Parliament.



The parties in support of the bill are the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the Convention Peoples Party (CPP), the National Democratic Party (NDP) and the All Peoples Congress (APC), while the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG) is opposed to the bill.



In separate interviews with the Daily Graphic, the parties based their arguments on the form and sanctions regime of the bill, vis-a-bis LGBTQI+ activities in the country, and what the passage or otherwise of the bill held for the country.



According to the NDC, its position on the matter was not different from what the late President John Evans Atta Mills and former President John Mahama had said, and declared its abhorrence for the practice.



For the CPP, while it was against the practice, it was of the conviction that the sanctions in the bill were too harsh and needed a review.



The APC said it supported the bill to the core and would not tolerate the practice of LGBTQI+ in the country.



On the other hand, the LPG said it was against the law in its entirety, for which reason it should be thrown out of Parliament.



It wondered what the sponsors of the bill sought to gain by jailing culprits, as that would not solve the problem.



NDC position unchanged



The National Chairman of the NDC, Mr. Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, explained that although the party had not discussed the current bill, its position had not changed from what former Presidents Mills and Mahama stated while in government.



In November 2011, the late former President Mills had declared that the NDC government would never legalise homosexuality, adding that Ghana was committed to upholding human rights, as provided for by the Constitution.



I, as President of this nation, will never initiate or support any attempts to legalise homosexuality in Ghana, he had said.



Speaking through the then Minister of Information, Mr. Mahama Ayariga, former President Mahama had described the act as a crime punishable under the laws of Ghana.



 The laws of Ghana appall and criminalise homosexuality; there is no dispute about that. Homosexuality conduct, which is unnatural carnal knowledge of one person or another, is criminal and punishable by the laws of Ghana, he said.



Mr. Ampofo said those two positions were consistent with the partys.



He said Ghanaians respected their culture and traditions, adding: We cannot import foreign culture hook, line and sinker.



NDP says its abominable



The General Secretary of the NDP, Alhaji Mohammed Frimpong, described homosexuality as abominable, adding: The NDP frowns and looks down on it. We should not waste time giving oxygen to the debate.



He said the argument that the international community would look down on the country if the bill was passed was neither here nor there.



On the issue of human rights, he said every right had its limitation and wondered why those basing their arguments on human rights were not talking about incest.



The NDP is totally against it, he declared.



CPP seeks total rejection



For her part, the Chairperson of the CPP, Nana Akosua Frimpomaa Sarpong-Kumankumah, called on Ghanaians to reject the practice entirely, saying it was against Ghanas culture.



She, however, said sentencing culprits was too harsh and so that aspect of the bill needed a review.



She suggested that counselling and therapy for victims were the best solutions, especially in schools.



According to her, jailing persons caught in such acts would worsen the situation because they would mingle with other inmates and end up wooing them into it.



Nana Sarpong-Kumankumah said she did not foresee any political party in the country entertaining LGBTQI+ activities.



APC preaches procreation



The Leader of the APC, Mr. Hassan Ayariga, said it was not for nothing that God created males and females for procreation; therefore, any practice that would halt procreation should not be tolerated.



He wondered why the countries pushing for the adoption of LGBTQI+ were not promoting polygamy in those jurisdictions but found it as a crime.



LGBTQI+ is barbaric and against our traditional and moral values. Everybody has a right but not a right to abuse it or impose your rights on others, he said.



Mr. Ayariga said the practice of LGBTQI+ was a sign of the end times.



LPG opposes bill



On the LPGs position, Mr. Akpaloo said jailing culprits caught in such acts would compound the problem.



According to him, conditions in the countrys prisons would contribute to the problem, as it would serve as nurturing grounds for enticing young ones into LGBTQI+ practice.



He wondered if separate prisons would be built for LGBTQI+ persons who would be jailed or they would be put in existing prisons.

If we need to solve the problem, we have to tackle the root cause, which is poverty, he said.



Mr. Akpaloo suggested that instead of seeking to punish culprits, emphasis should be placed on educating the populace on the hazards of practising LGBTQI+.



President Akufo-Addo



Although the New Patriotic Party (NPP) is yet to issue an official statement on the debate, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has, on a number occasions, said that legalising same-sex marriage will not happen under his watch.



At the induction of a new Anglican Archbishop at the St Micheal and All Angels Cathedral in Asante Mampong on February 27, this year, the President said: I have said this before; let me in conclusion stress again that it will not be under the Presidency of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo that same-sex marriage will be legal, that same-sex marriage will be legalised in Ghana. It will never happen in my time as President.



Let me repeat it: it will never happen in my time as President.



Earlier, in April 2018, the Director of Communications at the Presidency, Mr. Eugene Arhin, had recalled what President Akufo-Addo said that it would not be under his Presidency that same-sex marriage would be legalised in the country.



For the avoidance of doubt, President Akufo-Addo has never stated anywhere that under his Presidency men will marry men and women will marry women, a statement signed by Mr. Arhin said.



Again, in an interview with Al Jazeera in 2017, during which President Akufo-Addo addressed a series of national, continental and global issues, he said the issue of same-sex relationships was not on the agenda of the country.



Speakers position clear



The Speaker of Parliament, Mr. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has also made his position on homosexuality clear.



On June 28, 2021, he gave an indication that a new law to criminalise LGBTQI+ activities in the country would be passed by the end of 2021.



He said the practice, which was strongly abhorred by Ghanaians, would not be allowed to take root in the country.



He said that when a group of MPs presented the private members bill that seeks to establish a regime for the prohibition of all LGBTQ+ activities.



I am very clear in my mind that the Parliament of Ghana will pass this bill [to criminalise LGBTQI+]. I have gone through it and I will confirm that the bill will be a reference point for many countries. It has gone through all the provisions of the Constitution, laws and international obligations, the Speaker stated.



Describing LGBTQI+ activities as a pandemic, Mr. Bagbin said it must be fought by all of us.



I can tell you that it is more than COVID-19, and I am happy that our beloved country, Ghana, is together in this. The President has spoken, our traditional leaders have spoken, our religious leaders have spoken together and Ghanaians have spoken with one voice. We dont want to do anything that has to do with LGBTQ+ activities. I will always do what is right because good will always triumph over evil, he added.



Background



The sponsors of the bill in Parliament are the NDC MP for Ningo-Prampram, Mr. Sam Nartey George; Mr. Emmanuel Bedzrah (NDC, Ho West); Ms. Della Adjoa Sowah (NDC, Kpando); Alhaji Alhassan Sayibu Suhuyini (NDC, Tamale North); Ms. Helen Adjoa Ntoso (NDC, Krachi West); Ms. Rita Naa Odoley Sowah (NDC, La Dadekotopon); Mr. Rockson Nelson Dafeamekpor (NDC, South Dayi) and the NPP MP for Assin South, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour.



The proponents of the bill presented it to the Speaker of Parliament on June 29, 2021, who subsequently referred it to the Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs.



As of October 7, this year, the committee had received more than 124 memoranda on the bill from members of the public.

Source: graphiconline.com









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The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture has signed an agreement with Spain to facilitate training for the stakeholders in the tourism sector.



The partnership, estimated at $120 million, will from November 2021 see the training of about 150 Ghanaians in the Tourism Value Chain on ways and means of wooing tourists into Ghana.



The overall objective of the agreement is to enable Ghana to tap into the tourism expertise of Spain, which is the second most popular tourist destination in the world, with more than 80 million visitors to that country annually.



The Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Dr. Ibrahim Mohammed Awal signed on behalf of the government, while Ms. Mar Casanova Llorens of INCYDE Foundation signed for her country.



According to Dr. Ibrahim Mohammed Awal, this investment will go to support the tourism ecosystem and enable the country achieve its target of $5 billion annually from the sector.



One in every four jobs in Ghana is created from the tourism sector. We want to ensure that two out of four jobs will come from the sector. We want to create one million jobs and to have $5 billion next year. To do that, we need to build the capacity of value chain players, that is why our friends from Spain and INCYDE Foundation are here to support us. This agreement will help us build the capacity of 120,000 people, he said.



He said the tourism sector employed about 25 per cent of the countrys workforce and provided more than $3.5 billion in revenue for the country annually.



We want to promote the tourism sector, create one million jobs by 2024 and also grow revenue in the sector to $5 billion next year, he added.



He described the agreement as significant, saying: We are teaming up with Spain because it is the leader in tourism. Spain has a population of 40 million, but attracts 80 million tourists every year.



The Spanish Ambassador to Ghana, Javier Gutierrez, stated that signing the MOU represents a step to reinforcing Spains partnership with Ghana.



Spanish government gives priority to Ghana as a strategic partner. We have collaborated with Ghana in the areas of security, economics and governance. We share common values on democracy and human rights. We are determined to deepen the collaboration and extend it to other areas, he said.



We have been creating an entrepreneurial ecosystem all over Spain and abroad, so once we met the Minister we realised we were both working towards the same direction trying to support entrepreneurs. We have already developed a trainer of trainers courses with the Minister which has proven successful. This agreement is multi-faceted with different working area, the Spanish Ambassador added.

Source: Daily Guide









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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Shell targets Nanushuk, asks for more time

In Shell's Oct. 6 proposed second plan of exploration for the West Harrison Bay unit (posted this morning) the company asked Alaska's Division of Oil and Gas for both relief from having to drill down to the deeper Torok and for an extra year before it has to name a new unit operator.

That new unit operator, Shell told the division, will drill two exploration wells at West Harrison Bay: the first in the winter drilling season of 2023-24 and the second in the winter of 2024-25.

In both cases, the operator will complete the wells to penetrate and log the Nanushuk formation and, assuming the success of that exploration well, a sidetrack or additional well to evaluate the Nanushuk formation.

Shell told the division that during the past year it has "worked diligently" to identify another company(ies) to acquire an interest in the West Harrison Bay unit leases, take on the role of unit operator and share the exploration risk and cost associated with advancing the understanding of the resource potential of the shallow water Beaufort leases.

Shell said it had "made solid progress" toward that objective prior to the Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting collapse in oil "prices.

"While oil projects on the North Slope remain attractive from the standpoint of geologic potential, price and the fiscal assumptions that are expected to prevail in the coming decades, the challenges posed by the continuing economic uncertainty resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic have impacted Shell's ability to bring another company(ies) to this project in a number of ways," the company said.

"Covid-19 makes marketing the project more challenging as all meetings and negotiations have to be held virtually, and because the timing of execution of the project is uncertain due to logistical restrictions to operations, including surveying; and, until very recently, the low oil price suppresses the cashflow available to prospective investors for new projects and management appetite for new, higher risk exploration projects," Shell told the division.

Which is why the company requested on Oct. 6 an additional year "to identify another company(ies) to acquire an interest in the leases, take-on the role of unit operator, develop additional information regarding the hydrocarbon potential of the leases, evaluate the economic issues around any future development, and prepare a comprehensive plan of development based on the additional required geologic information" that will be gathered from the proposed well drilling and testing.

- KAY CASHMAN

See full story in Oct. 17 issue of Petroleum News, available Oct. 14 at www.PetroleumNews.com

For information on PN's news bulletin service, call 907-522-9469.

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President Joe Biden signed his $1 trillion infrastructure deal into law Monday on the White House lawn, hailing it as an example of what bipartisanship can achieve.
Bounty Builder Series Creating Huge Prizes as "kirill1845" Wins Sunday Million SE

October 12, 2021 Matthew Pitt

The 2021 Bounty Builder Series has reached the halfway stage and PokerStars players are reaping the rewards from the huge prize pools created across all buy-in levels. The festival features 182 numbered events with guaranteed prize pools up to $2.5 million. Here are some of the highlights so far.

"kirill1845" Wins Latest Sunday Million SE

The PokerStars Sunday Million is one of online poker's most popular weekly tournaments, but its popularity increases during festivals and series. This was the case on October 10 when 11,675 players bought in for $109 and created a $1,167,500 prize pool. Half that princely sum went into the main prize pool, which the top 1,903 finishers shared. The remaining 50% went on the heads of each entrant.

With bounty payments included, none of the nine finalists could walk away with less than a five-figure score. Brazilian "herbalerv" was the first of the nine finalists to bust, they banked a combined score worth $11,155.

"gbettes" of the Czech Republic and "florby152" of Malta were the next pair of PokerStars players to run out of steam and luck. They turned their $109 initial investment into $13,173 and $12,750 respectively.

Then came the eliminations of "SiSiFamile" (15,246), "PresenceMonday" ($23,063), and "TeddyKGB027" ($35,354. The latter's exit prompted the final three players to strike a deal to lessen the severity of the pay jumps.

When the dust finally settled on the 84th Bounty Builder Series event, "kirill1845" of Belarus was sat there with a cool $89,151 extra in their PokerStars account. "salaliitto" of Finald finished second for $64,888 with Russia's "Maestro Shao" collected $55,650 for their third place finish.

Bounty Builder Series 84-M: $109 NLHE 8-Max PKO Sunday Million SE Final Table Results

Place Player Country Bounties Prize Total Prize 1 kirill1845 Belarus $29,264 $59,887 $89,151* 2 salaliitto Finland $6,494 $58,394 $64,888* 3 Maestro Shao Russia $4,935 $50,715 $55,650* 4 TeddyKGB027 Argentina $7,794 $27,560 $35,354 5 PresenceMonday Austria $3,418 $19,645 $23,063 6 SiSiFamile Slovenia $1,242 $14,004 $15,246 7 florby152 Malta $2,768 $9,982 $12,750 8 gbettes Czech Republic $6,057 $7,116 $13,173 9 herbalerv Brazil $6,083 $5,072 $11,155

*reflects a three-handed deal

Romania's "bunicutzu77" Walks Away With Almost $91,000

Romania has itself a Bounty Builder Series champion after "bunicutzu77" outlasted 1,320 opponents in the $530 Bounty Builder High Roller SE. Those 1,321 entrants created a $660,500 prize pool, and the Romanian champion scooped a $90,975.

The victory was made sweeter by the fact bunicutzu77 had to contend with some of the world's most talented online poker tournament players. One of them, David "davaman" Lopez, could not progress deeper than eighth place, which came with a prize tipping the scales at $7,470.

Pablo "pabritz" Brito Silva of Brazil went deeper than lopez, but came unstuck in third-place, a finish worth $28,58. Silva's exit left bunciutzu77 and the United Kingdom's "Riverbanged" heads-up for the title. Both guaranteed themselves more than $43,800 from the main prize pool, but the bounties were massive by this stage.

The British grinder fell in second and added $13,189 from the bounty prize pool to their runner-up award, resulting in a $57,025 score. The champion's bounty payment was a cool $47,138, meaning a total prize worth $90,975.

Bounty Builder Series 84-H: $530 NLHE 8-Max PKO Bounty Builder HR SE Final Table Results

Place Player Country Bounties Prize Total Prize 1 bunicutzu77 Romania $47,138 $43,837 $90,975 2 Riverbanged United Kingdom $13,189 $43,836 $57,025 3 Pablo "pabritz" Brito Silva Brazil $2,578 $26,009 $28,587 4 PANIC.PLAYER Greece $5,787 $18,540 $24,327 5 marjan1231 Slovenia $250 $13,216 $13,466 6 Joker280789 Switzerland $4,175 $9,420 $13,595 7 Ansel21 Ukraine $2,156 $6,715 $8,871 8 David "davaman" Lopez United Kingdom $2,683 $4,787 $7,470 9 Dudu332 Brazil $7,804 $3,412 $11,216

Selection of Big Bounty Builder Series Scores

The table below shows some of the highlights of the Bounty Builder Series so far, including the impressive $90,133 won by "BetHas" in the opening weekend's Sunday Million.

Event Entrants Prize pool Champion Total Prize (inc. bounties) #02: $215 NLHE PKO, Series Kickoff 1,477 $295,400 HenriquinAK $33,665 #04: $109 NLHE 8-Max PKO Sunday Million SE 11,991 $1,199,100 BetHas $90,133 #04: $530 NLHE 8-Max PKO Bounty Builder HR SE SE 1,340 $670,000 davideriksso $77,155 #09: $530 NLHE 8-Max PKO Turbo Sunday Cooldown SE 474 $237,000 Rui "RuiNF" Ferreira $41,131 #15: $530 NLHE 8-Max PKO Bounty Builder HR SE 466 $233,000 titos_03 $40,228 #61: $530 NLHE 7-Max PKO Friday Night Fight HR 418 $250,000 Matias "Maty25" Ruzzi $35,395 #83: $215 NLHE 8-Max NLHE PKO 1,935 $387,000 Eduardo "Any2vsYou" Rodrigues $45,110 #86: $1,050 NLHE 8-Max PKO Sunday HR SE 517 $517,000 johnnyknock $85,957

Trio Of Bounty Builder Series Main Events Run October 17

This coming Sunday, October 17, sees a trio of Bounty Builder Series Main Events shuffle up and deal: two No-Limit Hold'em and one Pot-Limit Omaha.

Bounty Builder Series 164 is the $55 buy-in NLHE 8-Max PKO Main Event Low, which comes with a $1 million guaranteed prize pool. It shuffles up and deals at 7:05 p.m. CET. That is the same time the first cards are pitched in the $530 NLHE 8-Max PKO Main Event High. The High Main Event boasts of a cool $2.5 million prize pool, although everything points to the final pot being larger.

PLO fans can get in on their own main event action from 8:15 p.m. CET. Their main event costs $109 to enter and has at least $100,000 to play for.

Of course, cut-price satellites for all three Bounty Builder Series Main Events run around the clock.
Vladimir Peck Wins 2021 WSOP Event #18: $2,500 Mixed Triple Draw Lowball ($134,390)

October 11, 2021 Christian Zetzsche

The 2021 World Series of Poker (WSOP) crowned another mixed game champion on Monday and Vladimir Peck prevailed in an intense heads-up duel with Venkata "Sandy" Tayi to claim his maiden gold bracelet in Event #18: $2,500 Mixed Triple Draw Lowball. It was the first tournament of the ongoing festival that required an extra day in order to divide up the lion's share of the $562,925 prize pool in a field of 253 entries.

Peck and Tayi entered the additional day with fewer than 15 big bets in play and the 44-year-old, who grew up in Chicago, won a key hand in 2-7 Triple Draw to get back in contention and turn things around. Peck spent the last ten years on the East Coast and frequently visited the Borgata and Parx. Poker has always been a recreational activity for Peck, who usually works in software engineering and took some time off from work to compete in the entire WSOP festival.

Tayi dominated large portions of the final table and held a commanding lead several times without being able to close it out on Day 3, getting involved in a lot of pots and getting there often. However, he had to settle for the runner-up spot and a consolation prize of $83,056. The victory for $134,390 also represents the biggest live cash for Peck, toppling the previous best score of $109,040 at the Borgata Summer Poker Open back in 2008.

Event #18: $2,500 Mixed Triple Draw Lowball Final Table Results

Place Winner Country Prize (in USD) 1 Vladimir Peck United States $134,390 2 Venkata Tayi United States $83,056 3 Joao Vieira Portugal $57,558 4 Aaron Rogers United States $40,443 5 Brian Yoon United States $28,818 6 Hal Rotholz United States $20,828 7 Carlos Rodriguez United States $15,272

It wasn't smooth sailing for Peck by any means en route to claiming his first gold bracelet as he was on the brink of elimination with fewer than one big bet behind several times. On Day 3 close to the seven-handed final table, Peck was seemingly always near the bottom of the leaderboard.

"I know I made a few folds that I would usually never make but there were these big stacks and suddenly the bets were so big," he said. "You pick a hand to get involved in and that's your tournament right there."

An early turning point on the unscheduled extra day came in A-5 Triple Drawn when Peck opted to break a ten and made a better seven-low.

"It was tough to do because sometimes he got those hands and I hate to break and pair up. It was a spot where I didn't think he was bluffing, he wasn't bluffing a lot. I made a lot of mistakes calling some of his bets with bluff catchers and he always had it."

It wasn't just about the money and the gold bracelet, however, but also an important lesson in mixed games as well, during which he considered Ace-To-Five as his best poker variant throughout the event.

"Honestly, I learned so much in just those three days because there were a lot of very good players in this tournament. I don't know if it's my best game but I think it's most likely that other people are not as good," he added.

Runner-Up Venkata Tayi.

Peck will be competing in tournaments throughout the entire series with a preference for further mixed game adventures.

"This is fun and reminds me more of playing poker as a kid where it was essentially Dealer's Choice. All these different random games, we just played a bunch of different games. The no-limit hold'em games are fun and big, and I will play some of those as well. The Dealer's Choice was a lot of fun and there were many very good players in it."

The tournament certainly showcased that it is never over until the final bet has vanished. Peck staged a similar comeback story as the defending champion Dan Zack, who achieved the same feat back in 2019 as well and came back from very few chips.

Also featured on the seven-handed final table were two WSOP bracelet winners in Brian Yoon and Joao Vieira. It was Yoon who dominated the early stages on Day 3 with two tables remaining but he eventually came up short of a fourth victory and bowed out in fifth place. Vieira was involved in a tense three-handed battle with Tayi and Peck, during which the topsy-turvy affair sent the Portuguese prodigy to the rail in third place.

Peck joins Vieira in the winner's circle and will certainly be involved in more tournaments of the 2021 World Series of Poker at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino.

Check out our 2021 WSOP Hub here!
On October 5, Oregons Department of Consumer and Business Services (DCBS) held a public meeting to discuss the proposed rules for the licensing of pharmaceutical representatives. This was in response to Senate Bill 763 that was enacted during the 2021 Legislative Session (see our previous coverage here). The proposed rules include sections on licensure requirements and renewal, education and continuing education requirements, quarterly reporting requirements, prohibited conduct, and civil penalties and license revocation. While rule adoption or any other action must occur prior to the laws operative date of January 1, 2022, Numi Lee Griffith, Senior Policy Adviser for DCBS, stated that a permanent rule will probably not be issued by January 1, 2022, but instead DCBS will likely issue a temporary rule that will be effective on that date andhopefully the content will be more or less finalized at that point.

License Requirements and Renewal (see 836-200-XXX1-XXX3, XX12(1))

A pharmaceutical representative who does business with health care professionals (HCPs) while both are within the State of Oregon must acquire a license from DCBS prior to doing business in the state on fifteen or more days in a calendar year.

The cost of obtaining a license is $750 and licenses are valid from January 1 through December 31. The initial licensure also requires the applicant to show they have completed at least ten hours of professional education. Licensees will be expected to pay a $750 renewal fee along with submitting documentation that shows they have completed five hours of continuing professional education.

Licensees will also be expected to report any changes to the information submitted in an initial license application, a renewal application, or any material changes made in the licensees business operations (e.g., termination for cause and any complaints made to the licensee, their employer, or a company the licensee represents regarding the business activities conducted under the license).

Education and Continuing Education Requirements (see 836-200-XXX4-XX11)

Prior to obtaining an initial license, applicants must complete a DCBS-approved course of at least ten hours. The coursework must contain at least the following components: (A) An introduction to the pharmaceutical representative license; (B) An overview of the ethical standards and disclosure requirements required of licensees under Oregon law; (C) The comparative clinical effectiveness of pharmaceutical products; (D) The comparative cost effectiveness of pharmaceutical products; and (E) Professional ethics.

Prior to renewal, licensees must complete at least five hours of continuing education that has been approved by DCBS. Examples of the subject areas include general medical and pharmaceutical terminology and abbreviations, the comparative cost effectiveness of pharmaceutical products, and how to read and analyze peer-reviewed literature on pharmaceutical products.

Education providers will be expected to register with DCBS and register each course (60 days in advance). DCBS will review each course registration for the purpose of evaluating, assigning credit hours, determining compliance with the content requirements, and certifying the course.

Given that the rulemaking is in the beginning stages, it is highly unlikely DCBS will be able to approve courses prior to January 1, 2022, which would make it impossible for a pharmaceutical representative to apply for an initial license. Numi Griffith acknowledged that given it was already October that it may be unrealistic to have the initial education requirements in place for this year and would address the issue at the next public meeting.

Quarterly Reporting Requirements (see 836-200-XX12(2)-(3))

Under the proposed rules, licensees will be expected to report the following:

A list of HCPs within the state that the licensee contacted;

The number of times the licensee contacted each HCP;

The location and duration of the licensees contact with each HCP;

Which pharmaceutical products the licensee promoted;

Whether the licensee provided the HCP with any product samples, materials or gifts and, if so, the monetary value of the samples, materials or gifts; and

Whether and how the licensee otherwise compensated the HCP for contact with the licensee.

The proposed rules establishes that reporting will be done in quarterly intervals (April 15, for the quarter beginning January 1, and ending on March 31; July 15, for the quarter beginning April 1, and ending on June 30; October 15, for the quarter beginning July 1, and ending on September 30; and January 15, for the quarter beginning October 1, and ending on December 31).

Numi Griffith stated the quarterly intervals are modeled on the states quarterly reporting requirements for lobbyists. She explained that the quarterly schedule might seem [] aggressive but [her] thought is that it is better to be keeping track of all of your meetings with doctors for three months at a time rather than for an entire year.

Committee member Asher Lisec, representing the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, did not object to the quarterly intervals and instead asked that the rule be amended to permit the licensees employer (i.e., the compliance department) to report on their behalf. Committee member Brian Van Hoy, representing G&M Health, LLC, believed it would be better for the intervals to occur annually. Numi acknowledged she was agnostic on the frequencyand maybe it [made] more sense to have that be an annual requirement.

Prohibited Conduct, Civil Penalties and License Revocation (see 836-200-XX13-XX14)

The proposed rules prohibit licensees from certain conduct, such as engaging in any deceptive or misleading marketing of a pharmaceutical product, using a title that could reasonably lead a HCP or an HCPs employee to believe the licensee is a HCP if they are not licensed as a HCP, attending a patient examination without the patients consent, or making or filing any false statement, report, or document to or with DCBS.

DCBS has the authority to impose civil penalties and revoke licenses for violating any provision of the law or regulation, including failure to file timely quarterly reports. Under the law, civil penalties range between $1,000 to $3,000 for each violation.

Scheduled Public Meetings

DCBS will be hosting two additional public meetings on Tuesday, October 26 and Tuesday, November 16 (additional information can be found here). Due to time limitations and to ensure that public comments are correctly recorded, individuals are strongly encouraged to submit public comments in writing via email to DFR.rules@oregon.gov. This is an opportunity for the industry to voice their concerns, especially with the quarterly reporting requirements.
On October 4, Bassam Sabbagh, the Permanent Representative of Syria to the United Nations, claimed during a U.N. Security Council briefing on Syrias chemical weapons that his country had met all its obligations under the chemical weapons ban.

Sabbagh commented after U.N. Undersecretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, Izumi Nakamitsu, complained of unaddressed discrepancies and insufficient cooperation by the Syrian government. She said Syrias declaration of compliance was inaccurate.

An Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) fact-finding mission has been investigating allegations that Syrian government forces used chemical weapons during the countrys civil war. Sabbagh claimed the mission used flawed investigative methods.

Syria is cooperating with OPCW and is keen to close the file as soon as possible, he said.

But that is false. Since the investigations began eight years ago, Syrian President Bashar Assad has blocked investigators and provided inaccurate information.

Damascus allegedly began using chemical weapons in 2012, targeting opposition-held neighborhoods in the cities of Homs and Aleppo. In August 2013, a large-scale attack targeting the Ghouta region outside Damascus reportedly took place, killing more than 1,000 civilians.

In September 2013, under pressure from its main ally Russia, the Syrian government signed the international Chemical Weapons Convention, which bans the development, production, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons.

In August 2014, the Assad government declared it had completely destroyed its chemical weapons arsenal. The OPCW continues to dispute the accuracy of that assertion, however.

Following the reported attack on Ghouta, a U.N. investigation team headed to inspect the targeted areas, but snipers prevented the team from entering.

Responding to that incident, then-U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry accused the Assad regime of delaying the team for five days to cover up the evidence.

At every turn, the Syrian regime has failed to cooperate with the U.N. investigation, using it only to stall and to stymie the important effort to bring to light what happened in Damascus in the dead of night, Kerry said.

Following alleged chemical attacks in 2018 that killed 40 people and injured 100 in Douma, the Syrian government prevented OPCW investigators from entering the town. The OPCW said that when its team arrived at the first site in Douma, a large crowd gathered, and the team withdrew. At a second site, the OPCW said, the team was targeted by small arms fire and an explosion, forcing the investigators to return to Damascus.

Earlier this month, the OPCW said Damascus had refused to issue a visa to a member of its inspection team. It wasnt the first time.

On July 2019, Kenneth Ward, the U.S. permanent representative to the OPCW, informed the chemical weapons watchdog that Syria refused a visa to the fact-finding mission's coordinator.

Syrias rejection of the Conference of the States Parties decision is baseless, and its obstructionist behavior undermines our work as States Parties to uphold the Chemical Weapons Convention (the Convention) itself, the OPCW said.

Damascus has declined to provide accurate data on its chemical weapons activities, the OPCW has said, or to answer questions about chemical traces found at several alleged attack locations.

For example, the OPCW asked Damascus not to move or relocate two cylinders connected to the 2018 attack in Douma. But Syria moved the cylinders and declared that it would continue to hold them, claiming they showed that terrorists had used chemical weapons.

The Syrian National Authority did not notify the Secretariat that the cylinders had been moved to a new location until it reported their destruction, the OPCW later said.

In May 2021, the OPCW said it didnt receive a convincing explanation for a chemical warfare agent that had been collected in September 2020, adding that it may imply undeclared production activities. Damascus did not provide sufficient information regarding chemicals at the Barzeh facilities in Damascus, part of the Syrian Scientific Studies and Research Center.

In April 2021, the OPCW blamed the Assad government for three chemical weapons attacks and asked the regime to provide details.

In June 2021, the chemical weapons watchdog told the U.N. Security Council that it had investigated 77 allegations of chemical weapons use by Syria and concluded that chemical weapons were likely or definitely used in 17 cases.

In April 2018, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said its examination showed that the Syrian government was responsible for a majority of the 85 confirmed chemical weapons attacks since 2013.

The data also show that the Syrian government has been largely undeterred by the efforts of the United Nations Security Council, the international Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), and unilateral action by individual countries to enforce the prohibition on Syrias use of chemical weapons, HRW said.

Earlier this year, the OPCW suspended Syrias rights and privileges under the chemical weapons convention until Syria fulfills all its requirements.
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St. Bartholomews Episcopal Church of North Augusta is hosting its 25th annual pumpkin patch, complete with 4,000 pumpkins from the Southeast.

The pumpkin patch was closed during the fall of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Joey Zeller, who organizes the event at St. Bartholomews, said that he is happy to host the event again this year.

(Im) happy to tell [people] that we decided we would have it, we would have it in a safe manner, and help contribute to the community, Zeller said.

Zeller said the pumpkin patch has become a tradition to many North Augusta families, from proposals to numerous fall and Halloween-themed pictures. He said that many people come back each year to recreate family portraits, reminiscing the fall season of years past.

The pumpkin patch partners with local and international organizations to help those in need.

Locally, St. Bartholomews has built a great working relationship with Community Ministries of North Augusta, as well as the Brown Bag ministries, according to Zeller.

St. Bartholomews proceeds also help individuals in Haiti and Ecuador.

When you come to the pumpkin patch, youre not just supporting North Augusta and being part of our community, but youre being part of the world community as well, said Zeller.

Volunteers from North Augusta High School spent their afternoon transporting pumpkins from the semi-truck to the grass.

Its been really fun because my whole family comes here, and we all pick out one big pumpkin, North Augusta high school senior Sean Fowley said. Its fun to set it all up and see all of the hard work that goes into that.

The pumpkin patch will close on Oct. 29. The pumpkin patch is open from 2 to 6 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends. Preschools will attend story time field trips during the day where children can receive small pumpkins.

St. Bartholomew's church is looking for pumpkin patch photos from years past. Zeller encourages people to come out and buy pumpkins whenever they can.

St. Bartholomews Episcopal Church is located at 471 W. Martintown Road.

People are really excited, Zeller said. [Theyre] already buying pumpkins, and we havent even put them all down yet.
Another month went by with no Boeing Co. customers picking up 787 Dreamliners as the South Carolina-based jet program's delivery hiatus drags on amid quality issues.

Boeing also logged no new orders in September for the 787, which is built exclusively in North Charleston, and the company confirmed it's still producing the widebody at a decelerated rate of less than five aircraft per month as it continues to focus on inspections and other tasks.

But commitments for other aircraft still resulted in the company's eighth straight month with net positive orders.

Boeing logged 27 gross orders last month, 16 of which were for the 737 Max. The planemaker also won orders for six 777 freighters and five P-8A Poseidon aircraft for the German navy.

Five orders were canceled, including one for a 787-9 for Air Lease Corp.

Boeing is continuing to ramp up deliveries for the Max, handing over 26 of the jets to customers in September. The company has delivered 179 Maxes this year and 194 since the jet's return to service.

In the first nine months of the year, Boeing delivered 241 aircraft overall. Just 14 were 787s. Zero Dreamliners were delivered in the third quarter.

Boeing Orders & Deliveries The number of Boeing jets ordered from January through September: Total gross orders: 710

710 787 orders: 21 The number of Boeing jets delivered from January through September: Total planes: 241

241 787 deliveries: 14 Source: Boeing Co.

Deliveries of the 787 have been stopped since late May, when the Federal Aviation Administration said it needed more information about Boeing's plans for inspecting assembled 787s  a process that became necessary after Boeing uncovered production issues with the jets involving small gaps where parts of the aircraft are joined.

Deliveries have been on hold for more than four months, but this is the second time 787 deliveries have been paused in the last year. A roughly five-month stoppage ended in late March, and deliveries resumed briefly before being stopped again two months later.

Boeing said that it's continuing to hold "detailed, transparent discussions with the FAA" and its suppliers and customers.

"While these efforts continue to impact deliveries, we're confident this is the right approach to drive stability and first-time quality across our operations and to position the program for the long term as market demand recovers," Boeing said in its summary of third-quarter deliveries.

About 100 Dreamliners are awaiting delivery.

A recent Wall Street Journal report, citing unidentified sources familiar with the companys thinking, had reported that 787 deliveries likely won't restart before late October.

During this hiatus, production of the Dreamliner has slowed.

Boeing dialed back assembly work at the North Charleston plant so that fewer than five jets would be built per month. The company said it was "reprioritizing production resources" to support inspections after another 787 production issue was uncovered this summer.

At the time the production slowdown was announced in July, Boeing said the shuffling of resources would last "a few weeks."

But according to Boeing's statement Oct. 12, the 787 production rate is still lower than five per month, three months later.

Boeing's production resources "remain focused on inspections and rework," the company said Tuesday.

An update to Boeing's Dreamliner production plan could be coming soon, according to a Reuters report citing statements made by the CEO of a major 787 supplier earlier this month. Alessandro Profumo, head of the Italian aerospace firm Leonardo, which makes parts of the 787 airframe, told Reuters that Boeing would be coming out with a plan in the coming days.

Profumo also said Leonardo expects Boeing to return to a rate of 10 jets per month by the end of 2025.

The five-per-month rate Boeing recently dipped below was already greatly reduced from the double-digit rates the program sustained before the pandemic. At its peak in 2019, the 787 program supported a 14-per-month rate, at that time split between North Charleston and Washington state.

Boeing consolidated the program in South Carolina earlier this year after it shut down the original assembly line near Seattle.

So far in 2021, Boeing has logged 21 new orders for Dreamliners. August was the program's strongest month with seven orders.

The return of the 737 Max has boosted Boeing's overall orders. Of its 710 gross orders this year, 575 have been for Max jets.

Boeing's competitor Airbus secured just one new commitment last month, but it narrowly bested Boeing on deliveries, handing over 40 compared to Boeing's 35.
A developer is set to seek initial approval from Charleston's architectural board for a new 231-unit apartment development on the site of a former peninsula milk plant.

Columbus, Ga.-based Flournoy Development will ask the Board of Architectural Review on Oct. 13 for conceptual approval to build the multistory structure on the former Regis Milk Co. site at 578 Meeting St., south of Huger Street.

The proposed building will rise six stories along the street and step back to four stories on the back with a four-story parking deck with rooftop parking next to Nassau Street.

Regis Milk operated on the site for more than 50 years before shutting down in 2011.

In March, the BAR voted to allow demolition of most of the existing structures on the site except for a small portion near the street that was deemed historic.

Plans presented to the city show Flournoy incorporating the historic remnants into the apartment's design.

Renderings of the property were presented to the city in July for review but were withdrawn by staff, according to the BAR's website.

Building renderings often change from the initial presentation to the final product, but they provide a glimpse into what the developer is considering for the site.

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The 2-acre property sits between Stuart and Johnson streets and is in an area undergoing rapid redevelopment, with several new apartment buildings and restaurants nearby.

The cluster of buildings, referred to by Robert Stockton in a 2017 history of the site as the Ellsworth/Cream Crest Dairy Building, has one small structure facing Meeting Street that dates back to the early 1920s with an adjacent piece added two decades later.

They made up the oldest buildings on the property, but theyre not in their original state because of later additions.

Flournoy wants to keep the facade of the original structure and unbrick the windows. The rest of the property will meet the wrecking ball.

Flournoy hopes to complete construction by 2024, with units averaging 840 square feet.

If the project gains design approvals from the city, it will be the third in the Charleston area for Flournoy.

The company also developed the 300-unit, 35 Folly Apartments at 35 Folly Road in West Ashley, which it still manages, and the 290-unit Windsor Club at Wescott Plantation in North Charleston, which has been sold.

The companys website shows it has built 230 multifamily properties over the past 53 years. All but 16 have been sold.
South Carolina's legal watchdog group says a decision over whether Hawk Law can continue using a screeching bird mascot and arm-flapping actors in advertisements for the personal injury law firm should rest with its office and not a federal court.

The Office of Disciplinary Counsel has asked a judge to dismiss a lawsuit filed by Hawk Law founder John Hawkins over whether the agency's investigations into his marketing practices violates free speech and equal treatment rights.

The disciplinary counsel, in an Oct. 11 court filing, said it should hear the case first. If Hawkins doesn't like the outcome of that hearing, he can appeal the decision to the S.C. Supreme Court, the agency said.

To have a federal judge rule on the matter "would undermine and disrupt the states interest in regulating the professional conduct of the attorneys licensed by the state," the disciplinary counsel said in the filing.

Robert Dodson, a lawyer representing Hawkins and Hawk Law, declined to comment. No hearing has been scheduled on the disciplinary counsel's request.

The disciplinary counsel has threatened to sanction Hawkins for his TV ads featuring a squealing hawk mascot and actors flapping their arms in bird-like fashion to celebrate their seven-figure personal-injury case settlements. The regulatory agency says Hawkins' use of a hawk in the commercials "implies an ability to obtain results" because the bird of prey is feared by other animals.

In court documents last month, Hawkins said he's being treated unfairly because the disciplinary counsel is letting a competing law firm use a tiger in its advertisements. He also said the disciplinary counsel's attempts to regulate his advertising is a violation of his First Amendment rights.

Hawkins  a former state legislator who represented Spartanburg County for a dozen years in the House and Senate  had been practicing law for 23 years when, in 2017, a rival lawyer filed a complaint with the disciplinary counsel over his firm's ads. Two more complaints  one by a former Hawk Law associate attorney, the other by another competitor  followed.

The disciplinary counsel filed formal charges this year against Hawkins, threatening sanctions up to disbarment. That's when Hawkins filed his lawsuit alleging constitutional violations.

Hawkins, in court documents, has vowed to continue fighting the disciplinary counsel over the advertisements even though the agency dropped one of three complaints filed against him.

Hawk Law has four South Carolina offices, in Columbia, Greenville, Moore and North Charleston.
COLUMBIA  A roughly 90-acre sand mine is being considered in rural western Lexington County near Batesburg-Leesville.

Lexington County received an initial zoning application for the property along Interstate 20, located near exit 39 and owned by Southeast Forest Products. The county Board of Zoning Appeals will review the project on Oct. 19.

The company could not be immediately reached for comment.

Sand mining has become a big business in South Carolina, with more than 500 active sand mines statewide, according to the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control. And every year, the global construction industry uses $130 billion of this sand, The Post and Courier reported earlier this month. Most is transported locally and put to use in concrete at construction sites.

Lexington County, the fastest growing county in the Midlands with more than 2,200 housing starts last year, currently has 22 sand mines, two granite mines and one clay mine.

But the industry is not without its issues.

Residents living near mines often complain of road damage from the frequent truck traffic they bring. And the states mining regulations have frequently gone unheeded, with fines typically set at $1,000 or less. During the past decade, DHEC issued 62 mining violations, past reporting shows.

Councilman Larry Brigham, whose district covers the proposed site, said there would be no blasting, mining activities would not go deep and the property would be replanted with a pine forest upon completion of operations.

"So I have no problem with it," he said.

The lack of opposition to this project stands in contrast to the dozens of Batesburg-Leesville area residents who, in 2016, came out against a 500-acre quarry operated by Vulcan Materials in the county.

DHEC said Southeast Forest Products has a general mine permit for this sand-mining location, which limits active operations to 5 acres of area and a depth of 20 feet, with no mineral processing allowed. The company has not had any compliance or complaint issues in the state.

The proposal before Lexington County governing boards calls for mining to be conducted in four phases not to exceed 25 acres. The company stated it planned to have between 50 and 60 trucks entering and leaving the site daily, operating between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.

If the company were to mine more than 5 acres at a time, it would have to apply to DHEC and public hearings would need to be held. DHEC said it hasn't received an application for a larger sand mine at this time.

The company must also follow county regulations, which call for a tree barrier surrounding the mine site and various setback requirements. Watering trucks will be used for dust control.
COLUMBIA  A Columbia firefighter who abruptly walked off the job in April has filed a lawsuit against the city, alleging he was sexually harassed and physically assaulted by co-workers at his station for months before he quit.

The lawsuit's allegations echo the findings of a weekslong internal investigation that led the Columbia Fire Department to dismiss five firefighters in May.

Records from that investigation, first reported by The Post and Courier earlier this month, showed that hazing, sexual harassment and assault were rampant at the Lower Richland station for six to eight months before department leaders intervened in April.

According to that investigation, firefighters at the station chased each other naked through the hallways, spanked co-workers in the shower and pinned down fellow employees to perform a variety of unwanted sexual acts. Supervisors condoned, participated in, and even tried to cover up the misconduct, investigators found.

That inquiry began in April after one of the firefighters quit mid-shift and texted his battalion chief that he "couldn't take the sexual crap anymore." That same firefighter filed the Oct. 8 lawsuit, The State newspaper first reported.

The Post and Courier is not naming the firefighter, who began working at the Atlas Road station in January 2018, because he says he is a victim of the sexual harassment and assault.

The lawsuit mirrors many of the internal investigation's findings. But for the first time, it accuses City Council and Fire Chief Aubrey Jenkins of knowing about the Atlas Road station's toxic culture "for months  if not years" before doing anything to fix it.

Further, the lawsuit claims Columbia Fire leaders didn't do enough. The department fired five employees, including the station's battalion chief, but allowed at least one of the wrongdoers to keep his job, the lawsuit alleges.

Department spokesman Mike DeSumma declined to comment on Oct. 12. Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin, who is not running for reelection this year, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Jason Reynolds, the plaintiff's attorney, also declined to comment.

The complaint alleges the unnamed firefighter's co-workers physically assaulted him, tried to pin him down and remove his clothes as he slept in his bunk, attempted to corner him in the shower, and berated him to show them his genitalia.

"These attacks on (the firefighter) occurred repeatedly nearly every shift and would take place throughout Station 8, often in view of surveillance cameras," according to the lawsuit, filed by Columbia attorneys Reynolds and Ryan Hicks.

Those surveillance cameras show supervisors "not only witnessing the acts but smiling and laughing," and otherwise participating, the lawsuit alleges.

The firefighter is requesting a judge to award him unspecified damages to cover his lost wages and benefits, the costs of bringing the lawsuit and the "emotional distress and anguish" he suffered.
IRMO  Irmo's mayor and two Town Council members who sit on a nonprofit that got $250,000 from the town to help small businesses during the pandemic are feuding over the refusal to disclose how much each business received.

Mayor Barry Walker said he is willing to call for a State Law Enforcement Division investigation to get a full accounting of the money.

We don't know what happened to a quarter of a million dollars of our town money, Walker told The Post and Courier. I need to know where it went."

Councilmen Bill Danielson and Erik Sickinger, who sit on the board overseeing the payments, said they have shared a list of recipients, but the businesses have a right to privacy on the amounts they received. They said Walker is playing politics just ahead of local council elections in November.

Irmo grant recipients Here is a list of the businesses that have received grants from the Irmo Future Growth Corporation as of Oct. 7. 3 P Studio, a photography studio After School Zone Academy Anchor Lanes, a bowling alley Anna Cline Catering Bistro on the Boulevard Classic Barber Shop Elite Personal Training Golden Wings by Friarsgate Kitchen, a restaurant The Hair Co. of Irmo Hemingway's, a pub Jackies Hair Design Leigh Essig Photography Linc Inc., owner of The New Irmo News Mathias Sandwich Shop Micean, owner of Irmo's Anytime Fitness club Treasures of the Heart Boutique & Gifts The Velvet Edge Salon

He wants his minions to be elected to the Town Council, and hell do anything to damage my credibility, said Danielson, who is in the midst of a reelection fight.

Town Council voted in May 2020 to create a nonprofit, the Irmo Future Growth Corp., that would provide loans to small businesses hurt during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Two council members sit on the corporation board so policymakers have a say in where public funds are directed. The rest of the board includes representatives from the business community, including Kerry Powers, president and CEO of the Greater Irmo Chamber of Commerce.

As some recipients have been publicized in the last three months, Walker said he's grown concerned about the lack of information on the nonprofit's spending and the shift to offering grants instead of loans without a vote of the council.

The nonprofit made the switch over the summer after hearing from businesses owners who weren't interested in taking on more loans after several rounds of federal loan assistance programs during the pandemic. A vote was not required because grants were always possible, Danielson said.

Walker voted to create the nonprofit and approved a $250,000 payout without any disclosure requirements.

Still, Walker, who was elected in 2019, said he should be able to explain to Irmo residents exactly where their tax dollars went.

Danielson, who serves as chairman of the nonprofit, provided The Post and Courier with a list of 17 grant recipients and the most recent transaction history for the Irmo Future Growth Corp.s bank account.

The checking statement shows $192,000 in disbursements. Danielson declined to detail which business received each grant amount. The nonprofit is accepting grant applications for the remaining $58,000 until funds are depleted. Danielson plans to ask the town for more funding in the future.

Businesses received between $1,000 and $25,000. Among the recipients are three hair salons, a bowling alley and the publisher of The New Irmo News, a local paper.

The spat between Walker and Danielson spilled into public view after the mayor confronted Danielson during a Sept. 21 council meeting.

Walker requested the town administrator compile a report on how the funds were spent. Danielson replied, Respectfully, Mr. Mayor, that's not going to happen, before the two went back and forth on the issue.

One of Danielsons opponents in the upcoming election, Jenne Bennett, has capitalized on Danielsons refusal to provide more details on grant recipients by turning a recording of the council meeting into a campaign video. The video displays a caption that reads, "Councilman Danielson doesn't want you to know how the money is spent," before calling for more transparency.

Walker said he supports Danielson for reelection. But the mayor said he plans to bring up his concerns again at the next council meeting on Oct. 19.

Danielson said he is willing to share more information with the rest of the council but not with Walker because the mayor could use it for political purposes.

Scott Slatton, director of advocacy and communications at the Municipal Association of South Carolina, said towns should require specific disclosures on how any entity spends public funds. A nonprofit that receives public funds should provide the information even if the town didn't make such a requirement, Slatton said.

I don't know why they wouldn't be willing to provide that to (a mayor) or anybody else who asked for it for that matter, because the town's responsible for accounting for those funds under the law, he said.

One reason why the town decided to disperse the $250,000 through the nonprofit is because municipalities are barred from combining private investment with public funds to offer loans, Walker and Danielson said.

But so far, no private investment is involved in the grant program, Danielson said.

Sickinger, the other council member on the nonprofits board, said that he didnt see what purpose announcing the exact amount each business received would serve.

"It feels like a trumped-up controversy," Sickinger said. "But, at the end of the day, is that money being spent for grants for Irmo businesses? 100 percent."
Jane Ries, whose bright personality and trusted voice as the food critic of The Post and Courier earned her acclaim and admiration in Charleston, died Oct. 10. She was 77.

Friends of the family confirmed her death was due to breast cancer, a disease Ries had been battling on and off throughout her adult life. She is survived by her sister Betsy and brother Chip.

"She had an incredible, positive spirit and attitude," said Sheila Wertimer, Ries' close friend. "She had a wonderful laugh. A lot of joie de vivre. Even when she was very, very sick she was always just a wonderful time."

Ries served as critic during the merger that brought The Evening Post and The News and Courier together to form The Post and Courier. Throughout the 1990s, she reviewed restaurants (using the surname Kronsberg) at a time when Charleston restaurants embraced the concept of Lowcountry cuisine.

More seafood hit restaurant menus and chefs started bringing a seasonal approach to traditional and technically sound Southern cuisine. Wertimer frequently dined with Ries while she worked at the newspaper.

"There was a group of us, and it wouldnt be her real review, and shed go there to kind of check out the place," Wertimer said. "A lot of them were restaurants that are not around anymore."

Many of Ries reviews were about restaurants that are still open today, such as Gaulart and Maliclets Fast & French. In the 1995 review, she declared the Broad Street restaurant was the French version of our old fashioned lunch counters, but with a lot more panache.

Before her work as a critic, Ries started one of Charlestons first formal cooking classes in her Queen Street kitchen. This caught the attention of Gian Carlo Menotti, the Pulitzer Prize-winning composer who founded Spoleto Festival USA in 1977.

Around this time, Menotti hired Ries to be his private chef, and for the next eight years she cooked dinners on a shoestring for the visiting divas, ballet companies, musicians, performers and local dignitaries whom Menotti entertained," according to the book The Lee Bros. Charleston Kitchen by Matt and Ted Lee.

Callie White, co-founder of Callie's Charleston Biscuits (now Callie's Hot Little Biscuit), met Ries during this time, a period of the citys history she fondly describes as a crazy, wild, free era.

She was my person to appreciate food with, and I think theres no other woman in town thats as respected and admired, White said. Im going to feel this loss greatly.

When the Spoleto Festival first landed in Charleston, Ries spearheaded the opening of its own temporary tearoom in the first floor of the Fort Sumter House, owned by Countess Alicia Spaulding Paolozzi. Ries and volunteers would host dinners in Menottis house at night and lunch for ticketholders during the day at the Fort Sumter House.

In 1997, Ries published Charleston: People, Places and Food, in which she called the South not only a geographic area in America, but also a state of mind. She went on to work as a real estate agent at Disher, Hamrick & Myers.

Ries was diagnosed with cancer decades ago; White estimates that she was in her 30s. She went into remission and remained in good health until the cancer came back in 2016. According to Wertimer, Ries was still throwing dinner parties this year. White also commented on her friends bravery during her most recent fight with breast cancer.

She rocked a scarf like no one Ive ever known, White said. She handled that beautifully and never was complaining or anything else.

Arrangements for Ries are being handled by James A. McAlister Funerals and Cremations.
SPARTANBURG  A state judge sentenced former SCANA CEO Kevin Marsh to two years in prison for defrauding thousands of South Carolina ratepayers, a term that will be served concurrently with a federal prison sentence he received last week.

The sentence handed down Oct. 11 will not result in additional jail time for the 65-year-old who lied to cover up the mounting flaws of the doomed $9 billion V.C. Summer nuclear project.

S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson said cooperation between state and federal prosecutors provided more leverage against the ex-CEO to negotiate his cooperation as an informant.

Marsh, who also forfeited $5 million as part of a plea agreement, has agreed to provide information on other conspirators in the V.C. Summer debacle which electric customers will continue to pay for in their power bills for decades.

Marsh is the first person to be sentenced in the failed nuclear project but three others have been charged with covering up the failures that ultimately led to its downfall.

Wilson declined to comment on whether more charges are forthcoming but said his office and the U.S. Attorney's Office will continue to work with Marsh.

"We're not going to stop looking," Wilson said. "There's a reason Mr. Marsh is continuing to cooperate."

In February, Marsh pleaded guilty to obtaining goods and services under false pretenses in state court, as well as to federal fraud charges. Circuit Judge Mark Hayes, who accepted Marsh's plea on the state charge in February, stressed at the Oct. 11 hearing the importance of his continued cooperation with state and federal prosecutors.

Hayes also noted the gravity of Marsh's failings went beyond the charge at the center of this week's hearing.

"The eyes that are upon this courtroom today looks at this as something so much larger than a state prosecution of obtaining signature under false pretenses," he said. "And Mr. Marsh, I mention that to you because I need you to honor the commitments you have made under this plea agreement."

Prosecutors said last week that Marsh, who has been a working as a criminal informant for more than a year, helped bring indictments against a former executive with Westinghouse, the V.C. Summer project's lead contractor.

Prior to the collapse, Marsh helmed South Carolina's largest Fortune 500 company as it worked with partner utility Santee Cooper in an effort to add two nuclear reactors to the one-reactor V.C. Summer plant in Fairfield County, a plan intended to create thousands of new jobs and significantly expand the state's capacity to create clean, renewable power.

But as the businessmen heading the project provided regulators, legislators, investors and the public with a rosy picture of the plant's progress and inflated power bills to pay for it, years of supply chain problems, budget issues, design flaws and slow construction threatened to derail the plan. Almost none of those issues came to light until 2017, when the project was abandoned.

During the Oct. 11 hearing at the Spartanburg County Courthouse, state brand jury Chief Attorney Creighton Waters noted that others involved with the project repeatedly lied to Marsh as the project's outlook grew bleak. But at some point before its collapse, Marsh gathered a "critical mass" of information and knew the severity of the situation, Waters said. Though he was aware that the project's failure was inevitable, he continued to provide false information to stakeholders while drawing a lucrative salary from SCANA.

"He knew the true status of this particular project and failed to come clean about that at the appropriate time, which could have started mitigation efforts," Waters said. "It almost certainly would have affected his compensation."

During the hearing, Marsh said he accepted responsibility for his role in the costly failure and regretted the two reactors were never completed.

"Not a day goes by that I don't regret that we didn't finish this plant for the benefit of the customers of South Carolina," he said. "I accept full responsibility for my actions and I am truly sorry for everything that occurred."

While Marsh expressed remorse for his actions, his attorneys characterized the disgraced CEO as "a captain whose ship runs aground," saying he acted unwisely but was deceived by others.

Marsh will report to a low-security federal prison in Butner, N.C., the first week of December. His attorneys said in federal court last week he wants to begin his sentence as soon as possible so he can return home to his wife, who is suffering from terminal cancer.

SCANA's former Chief Operating Officer Steve Byrne pleaded guilty in July 2020 of lying to federal investigators and is awaiting sentencing. Former Westinghouse Vice President Carl Churchman is also awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to charges related to the investigation.

Jeff Benjamin, another former Westinghouse vice president, said he plans to fight 16 felony fraud and conspiracy charges brought against him.

Staff writer Avery Wilks contributed to this report.
CLEMSON  Clemson University announced former Gov. Nikki Haley has been named to its Board of Trustees, effectively immediately.

A South Carolina native and daughter of Indian immigrants, Haley began her time in public service in 2004 when she was named to the states House of Representatives. She then served as the states first woman and first minority governor of South Carolina from 2011 to 2017. Then-President Donald Trump nominated Haley to serve as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations during his administration, a position she resigned in December 2018.

By joining Clemsons 13-member Board of Trustees, Haley is returning to her alma mater. She graduated from Clemson in 1994 with a bachelor's degree in accounting. She is often on the sidelines at football games, even swapping texts with coach Dabo Swinney before and after games when she was governor.

She met her husband, Michael, while attending the university and their daughter graduated from the school in the spring with a degree in nursing.

Clemson's lifetime board seats are the most sought after in the state because they do not require reelection every four years in the Legislature like other public college board seats. The lifetime seats are required under the will of school founder Thomas Clemson, a rule carried over when the university was added to the state system.

Haley, 49, will fill the seat vacated by Trustee David Wilkins, 75, a former state Speaker of the House and U.S. ambassador to Canada. Wilkins led Haley's transition team when she was elected governor in 2010.

The announcement raises questions about what some speculate as a potential 2024 bid for the presidential nomination. In an April news conference, Haley said she would not run against Trump if he chose to run again. While she was a member of Trumps Cabinet and supportive of his policies at the United Nations, she was critical of his reactions to the Charlottesville, Va., protests in 2017 and the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

Haley was nominated to Boeing Co.'s board in February 2019 and voted in a few months later. She served on the board for about a year before stepping down in March 2020 after she disagreed with the company's push for a federal bailout to offset pandemic impacts. Boeing, which build its 787 Dreamliner in North Charleston, ultimately did not tap into federal funding.

Wilkins graduated from Clemson in 1968. He earned his law degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1971. He was elected as a member of the S.C. House of Representatives in 1981 and served for 25 years, with 11 years as speaker.

In 2009, Wilkins chaired the Public Policy and International Law practice group at Nelson Mullins and Riley & Scarborough, LLP.

The Board of Trustees held its fall quarterly meeting on Oct. 1, during which the board approved a contract extension and raise for university President Jim Clements.
Summerville, SC (29483)

Today

Cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 53F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 53F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph.
Kingstree, SC (29556)

Today

Cloudy early with some clearing expected late. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 47F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy early with some clearing expected late. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 47F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph.
WASHINGTON  In 2019, Conor McDowell, a Citadel graduate and first lieutenant in the Marine Corps, died instantly when his light-armored vehicle flipped over during a training exercise at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in San Diego.

In the months since, the 24-year-old Marine's family has lobbied Congress to investigate their son's death, asking them to hold the military accountable for hundreds of vehicle rollovers that have killed dozens of service members in the last decade.

Now, a new bill in Congress titled the "1st Lt. Hugh Conor McDowell Safety in Armed Forces Equipment Act of 2021" aims to improve the safety and effectiveness of military tactical vehicles in his honor.

Michael McDowell, Conor's father, said the proposal is one of five bills in the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act related to rollover deaths, but the only one named for the former Citadel cadet.

"We don't want this just to be about Conor," McDowell told The Post and Courier. "We want a deep- dive investigation."

The legislation was introduced by U.S. Sens. Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen, both Maryland Democrats. If passed it "would help supervisors mitigate and prevent fatal training accidents and develop performance criteria and measurable standards for driver training programs," the senators said in a news release.

The main part of the program involves installing equipment on vehicles that would record potential hazards, near-accidents and rollovers so the military can have updated data to use during training. The legislation would:

Create a pilot program which would record data on Army and Marine Corps tactical vehicles.

Identify near-miss accidents and potential hazards that would otherwise go undetected without the data recorder.

Assess individual driver proficiency to allow for tailored training.

Establish a database for more consistent implementation of safety programs across installations and units.

Require commanders to incorporate the latest data sets and statistics into safety programs.

Companion legislation has been introduced in the House by U.S. Rep. Anthony Brown, D-Md., and Rob Wittman, R-Va.

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The safety of our young men and women in uniform, particularly during training, must be our top priority," Brown said. "Tactical vehicle accidents are preventable if we improve our training and ensure a culture of safety within the ranks.

The legislation follows a 103-page report from the Government Accountability Office, the independent investigative arm of Congress, on such rollovers. Sweeping data was released July 14 revealing that training inconsistency and overconfidence led to the service deaths, as well as a lack of safety personnel who can identify hazards during exercises.

From 2010 to 2019, the services reported 3,753 noncombat accidents resulting in 123 service member deaths, the report stated. Rollovers were the most deadly accidents, accounting for 63 percent of the fatalities.

One of those occurred on May 9, 2019, when Conor found himself leading a light-armored vehicle training patrol at Pendleton. The rocky terrain was difficult to navigate during the 10-day training exercise. Despite using all the intelligence at their disposal, the eight-wheeled vehicle began tipping into an 18-foot hole covered by tall grass. As the 12-ton machine slowly turned belly up, Conor pushed a lance corporal who was positioned in the machine gun turret back inside at the last minute, according to his family.

He saved his comrades life but the newly commissioned first lieutenant was crushed instantly.

Nearly three years after his son's death, Conor's father said he's glad to finally see serious attention being paid to training reform and rollover investigations. He said there is bipartisan support for many of the rollover bills in the NDAA, and said he's eager to see them pass this year.

"There are several powerful new measures to accompany this one," Michael McDowell wrote on Facebook. "Conor has truly been honored."
SULLIVAN'S ISLAND  After conferring in a private session for just 12 minutes, the Town Council of this beach community voted four to two to hire a new attorney to review a controversial legal settlement that requires cutting in its maritime forest.

The settlement has plagued town politics on Sullivan's Island since last fall, when a prior council voted to end a decadelong lawsuit from people who live next to this forest. The thicket has grown up from land that is accreting along the ocean-facing side of the island, and some next to it have complained of pests, wildfire risks and blocked beach views.

The legal agreement laid out far more thinning in the forest than the town had ever allowed before. But a vocal group of forest defenders fought tooth and nail against it, saying the land is a special natural resource that should be protected.

The issue swung the balance on Town Council this spring, with a spate of newcomers who said they were opposed to the cutting gaining seats on the panel.

On Tuesday, that election and subsequent lobbying to challenge the settlement came to a head, as the council voted to hire William Wilkins, a Greenville-based attorney with the firm Nexsen Pruett, to review the document. Wilkins is a former chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.

Mayor Patrick O'Neil and councilmen Scott Millimet, Justin Novak and Bachman Smith voted in favor of the hiring. Councilman Greg Hammond and Councilwoman Kaye Smith voted against; the pair are the only two remaining members on the panel who approved the original lawsuit settlement.

"I think it's incumbent on the council to understand what its rights and responsibilities are under the terms of that agreement," Novak said.

But Kaye Smith and Hammond both argued the move was a waste of the town's money and said the meeting was called without alerting the whole council first or allowing the public to speak. Hammond then later made a motion for the town to hire the same attorneys that helped craft the original agreement.

"I would like for those guys to go back, dust off their notes and tell us what they think," Hammond said. His motion ultimately failed.

Several legal questions have been raised about the settlement. The most pressing may be whether it unlawfully binds the new council from making policy decisions.

Meanwhile, the cutting plan that was laid out in the document is still under review by state regulators with the Department of Health and Environmental Control.
High tide in Charleston Harbor was again expected to be above 7 feet, prompting a flood advisory for coastal Charleston and Colleton counties.

The National Weather Services Charleston office issued the advisory early Oct. 12. It will be in effect from noon to 4 p.m.

Up to a half-foot of inundation above ground level is expected along shorelines and tidal waterways in coastal parts of the two counties, according to the Weather Service.

Saltwater inundation can occur up to two hours before and after high tide, which will be around 1:52 p.m. The tide is predicted to reach 7.2 feet, meaning minor flooding is possible. The risk of moderate flooding begins at 7.5 feet.

The event could result in flooded roads. Allow for extra time while traveling as some roads may be closed, the weather service warned.

Do not drive around barricades or through water of unknown depth, according to the advisory. Take the necessary actions to protect flood-prone property.

No roads were closed due to weather in the city of Charleston as of 7:30 a.m.

Oct. 12 marked the seventh consecutive day the weather service issued a flood warning.

A new moon rose the night of Oct. 6, creating a king tide, Courtney Maskell, a weather service meteorologist, told The Post and Courier.

King tides form when there is either a full or new moon, and they are the highest seasonal tides to occur each year. They are known to cause coastal flooding, according to the National Ocean Service.

On Oct. 13, high tide was expected to again reach 7 feet, the threshold for minor flooding.
Charleston, SC (29403)

Today

Partly to mostly cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 54F. SW winds shifting to NNW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Partly to mostly cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 54F. SW winds shifting to NNW at 10 to 15 mph.
COLUMBIA  The American Civil Liberties Union is suing the S.C. Legislature in an effort to speed up the redistricting process ahead of the 2022 election season, arguing the slow process could unfairly advantage incumbents.

The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court on Oct. 11 on behalf of voters as well as groups like the South Carolina Conference of the NAACP, citing the delay in crafting new redistricting plans for the state House, Senate and congressional seats.

The release of redistricting data from U.S. census counts was delayed until August due to the COVID-19 pandemic, shortening the amount of time lawmakers had to work with ahead of the 2022 election season. And since the summer, lawmakers have held a number of public hearings to review what new legislative districts could look like while seeking public input. Lawmakers have also pointed to reconvening in December or January to finalize what state and federal maps will look like after the Senate canceled a special session for redistricting last month, citing the need for more time.

That session was set to begin on Oct. 12.

The new timeline, the ACLU argued, is too tight for the public to work with.

The group also argued in their lawsuit that lawmakers have not been forthcoming with their timeline for an emergency session, making it nearly impossible for the public to evaluate the legality of the maps before the March filing deadline to become a candidate for state offices. They also argued the public has had few opportunities to weigh in on the plans, saying many of the Legislature's scheduled meetings to gather public comment were inaccessible to many of their constituents.

The organization is asking the court to delay that process to give the courts  and the public  enough to time to evaluate those plans.

Itd be great to not have to push things back, and if the Legislature would act with more urgency, this would not be necessary, Chris Bryant, a Charleston attorney and local counsel for the ACLU, said in an interview.

Also named as defendants in the suit are Gov. Henry McMaster and ranking members of the House and Senate, along with all the members of the state Election Commission.

The office of House Speaker Jay Lucas, R-Darlington, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The impacts of the map redraw would likely be felt most acutely in the states most urbanized communities, which saw the largest growth rates between the 2010 and 2020 census.

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Though Bryant said it was unclear any undercount would have an obvious partisan advantage for Republicans, the sharpest population increases in South Carolina were seen along the coasts and concentrated primarily in more suburbanized counties, including Charleston and Horry, home to Myrtle Beach, and in the counties bordering the outskirts of Charlotte.

Richland County and the greater Columbia metropolitan area saw high levels of growth as well, while Charleston grew by more than 14 percent over the past decade.

And because of that significant growth, many districts as they are currently drawn are well out of line with their populations.

At the congressional level, applying 2020 census data to 2010 maps, one district  U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn's 6th District anchored around Columbia  is roughly 12 percent underpopulated compared with the average House district, while on the coast Republican U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace's 1st District is almost 12 percent overpopulated.

Some legislative districts are even more out of proportion, the lawsuit claims. Applying 2020 census data to 2010 district lines, there are more than twice as many people in the Rock Hill area's state House District 45 seat as there are in a handful of other districts around the state.

Advocates for a faster process say potential candidates need additional time and greater transparency in redistricting conversations to plan their campaigns and challenge maps they believe to be unconstitutional.

Because there aren't fixed timelines for South Carolina's redistricting process, there's a real risk that important election deadlines will come and go before maps are drawn and tested against the equitable demands of our Constitution," Allen Chaney, legal director of the ACLU of South Carolina, said in a statement.

"This lawsuit will help ensure that South Carolinians have an opportunity to run, organize, and vote in state House and U.S. congressional elections with maps that meet constitutional requirements, he added.

The S.C. Democratic Party issued a statement welcoming the suit and blaming the Statehouse's Republican majority for how they are handling the process.

Republicans are afraid to run in competitive elections and will do everything in their power to prevent it, including limiting public input at redistricting hearings," said party Chairman Trav Robertson. "I am happy to see the ACLU get involved by filing a lawsuit and hope it will bring increased transparency and fairness to South Carolinas redistricting process.
SPARTANBURG  Country Club Road safety improvements and the extension of the Mary Black Rail trail along the road in Spartanburg County are scheduled to begin in spring 2022.

South Carolina Department of Transportation held public meetings in 2018 and 2019 to help guide the design process. A 3.3-mile stretch of the road will be realigned with improvements done to correct narrow shoulders from Hilton Street toward Clifton Glendale Road. SCDOT spokesman Pete Moore told The Post and Courier the $20 million project should take between more than two years to complete once a contract has been awarded. The cost includes project design, right of way acquisitions, utility relocation and construction.

Spartanburg Area Transportation Study has worked with SCDOT on the project and anticipates contractor bids to be reviewed in late 2021.

"This project has been ongoing," said SPATS Senior Transportation Planner Sherry Dull. "SCDOT is wrapping up utility coordination and railroad coordination and with its environmental permitting. We are on schedule to receive contractor bids and probably be in a position to award the project in early 2022."

Dull said road improvements will include eliminating stormwater drainage issues that have caused flooding along some stretches. As part of the project, the Mary Black Rail Trail will be extended toward the Glendale Shoals Bridge, which completed renovations in 2018.

"The overall goal is to make the road safer and extend our walkability and healthy atmosphere in and around Spartanburg and Spartanburg County" Dull said.

Spartanburg County Council Chairman Manning Lynch said he ride his bicycle on Country Club Road at least twice a week. He said discussions on improving the road's safety have been a concern for the past 15 years and is hopeful work to improve road conditions for bicyclists, pedestrians and motorists will begin soon.

"It's going to be a great project for Spartanburg County and tremendous enhancement to the Mary Black Rail Trail," Lynch said.

The extension of the Mary Black Rail Trail will be a 10-foot-wide paved path.

"I think it's going to be transformative for the east side urban area and help connect Glendale and the residents along Country Club Road," said 'Play. Advocate. Live Well' Executive Director Laura Ringo. "I think having safe pedestrian and bike access will be significant for residents in that area. The project has been under development and discussion for a number of years so it will be exciting that dirt is about to start moving."
I take it that Paul Mirengoff has been given to understand that this mornings Claremont Institute statement errs insofar as it bears on the Federalist Societys treatment of John Eastman. Paul comments at the bottom of my post incorporating Claremonts statement that earlier this year, Eastman did speak at a [Federalist Society] chapter event at Arizona State University  this despite pressure from the administration there not to allow him to do so. There are forces that hope to muzzle John Eastman. The Federalist Society is not one of them.

This is John Eastmans account of the facts bearing on the Federalist Society reflected in the Claremont Institute statement quoted in my post:

1. I was disinvited from the scholars retreat, on the ground that I was no longer a professor. (I had by then been retired from Chapman, and had my classes cancelled at CU Boulder, but was still a professor at Boulder.) 2. I was not invited to the Student Leadership Conference in July, where I have been a speaker on the most popular panel for the past 15 years. I had heard through the grapevine that one of the other usual speakers on the panel refused to participate if I was there, but [Federalist Society] leadership assured me that that was not true; rather, they didnt want me at the conference because my mere presence would have people debating the election issues, which they did not want, as it would detract from the main purpose of the conference, which is to teach incoming student presidents about how to run a chapter. 3. There was a divisive internal discussion whether to bar me from attending the Napa regional leadership meeting in June, and although I was allowed to attend, I sat through several diatribes against me by others in the meeting. 4. I suggested to [Federalist Society President] Eugene Meyer at that meeting that he could not simply leave the dispute unaddressed, as it would fester. I even proposed that the topic of the election be the focus of the annual Rosenkranz debate at the National Lawyers Convention in November. He ultimately declined, but that was not the extent of efforts to provide me a customary speaking role at the convention. The Federalism/Separation of Powers practice group, which I had been heading for 16 years, wanted to have their panel on issues surrounding the non-delegation doctrine, something for which I have been at the forefront for 20 years. More pointedly, the civil rights practice group specifically asked that I be a speaker for the cancel culture topic they wanted for their panel, but that request was refused. Ive been told that they just want the dust to settle on the controversy, but some of the more vicious attacks on me have come from Federalist Society leaders like Jeremy Rosen, with no rebuttal opportunity afforded to me. Letting me engage sometime well down the road when the dust settles on this (if it ever settles) is hardly acceptable. I think we are dealing with one of the most corrupt and dangerous times in our nations history. By chance, I have been thrust into a major role on the ramparts; it remains to be seen whether the rupturing dispute can be addressed civilly by organizations that are supposed to be devoted to such discussiona precondition for the people being able to steer the course of their government through reflection and choice rather than accident and force, to borrow from Federalist No. 1. The American Political Science Association is irretrievably lost as a forum for serious discussion, but hopefully [the Federalist Society] is not. As we said at the conclusion of the statement, we are open to, and indeed welcome, the debate.

Im sure the Federalist Society will have more to say, perhaps on the record in the name of one of its senior officers. In the meantime, I thought readers would want to have John Eastmans account of the facts.

UPDATE: I am responsible for the original and current headline of this post. I have altered the original headline and slightly revised my introductory comments to let John Eastmans account speak for itself without imposing my interpretation of the events recounted. Please note that John has further advised me that the Federalist Society declined demands that his membership in the organization be revoked, or that he be removed from his leadership position on one of the Societys practice groups.

PAUL ADDS: I hope to bow out of this controversy with the following observations, which are mine alone and not those of anyone associated with the Federalist Society.

1. I think its reasonable for a Federalist Society event, which is intended to train incoming student presidents about how to run a chapter, to keep the focus on that training without the risk of the event becoming absorbed in a debate over the 2020 presidential election.

2. I think its reasonable for the Federalist Society not to make the topic of the 2020 election the subject of its Rosenkranz debate or any of its other programs. Eastman may be obsessed with that election, but that doesnt mean the Federalist Society should be.

3. In any case, its up to the Federalist Society to decide what topics it will hold programs about. Eastman is not de-platformed because this organization chooses not to focus on the 2020 election.

4. The Federalist Society is not Eastmans platform. I know people who would like to speak at Fed Soc events. Some of them have been loyal members for years, have contributed generously to the group, and have plenty to say about important issues. They dont get to speak at events whenever it pleases them or as often as they would like.

5. The fact that Eastman spoke at the event at Arizona State shows that the Federalist Society isnt trying to muzzle him. The group resisted pressure from the university to cancel him, as well as pressure to revoke his membership and remove him from leadership positions, as he acknowledges in the update to this post.

6. In his concluding paragraph, Eastman seems to suggest that the future of the Federalist Society as a forum for serious discussion, and even the ability of the American people to steer a course through reflection and choice, depend on him being able to speak about the 2020 election at Federalist Society events. I dont believe theres any merit to these suggestions.
The Man of Steel has disappeared into space, and I take it that DC Comics is desperate for some kind of relevance. Thus, the Telegraph headlines: New Superman revealed as bisexual in latest DC Comics series. But the article actually sounds a little worse than that:

In the new Superman: Son of Kal-El series of comics, Jonathan Kent, the son of Lois Lane and Clark Kent who has disappeared off into deep space, assumes the protagonist role and begins a romantic relationship with a male friend. Supermans coming-out, announced on Monday by DC Comics, will appear in the new issue of the sequel released on November 9, as Jon Kent progresses from Superboy to Superman and assumes his fathers powers. Tom Taylor, the writer of the sequel, told the New York Times: Everyone needs heroes and everyone deserves to see themselves in their heroes.

I am not sure I understand that argument. What about the 97% or 98% of comic book readers who are not gay? But Supermans romantic proclivities are not the only issue:

A new Superman had to have new fights  real world problems  that he could stand up to as one of the most powerful people in the world. Since the Superman: Son of Kal-El series made its debut in July, Jon Kent has been deployed to battle several contemporary issues including wildfires sparked by climate change.

The new comics will also feature Superman foiling school shootings and refugee deportations. Im so old, I can remember when Superman was on the side of law enforcement.

I was never much of a comic book reader and now am completely out of touch with the reading tastes of 11-year-old boys, but it is hard to believe that a gay Superman is poised for commercial success. It feels more like the last gasp of a dying brand, or, perhaps, a dying industry.
Over the weekend through mid-day yesterday Southwest Airlines had canceled more than 2,000 flights. I take that number from the New York Times story, which seems to reflect something like current numbers. This industry report tabulates a variety of relevant numbers and characterizes the situation as an operational meltdown.

Southwest attributes the disruptions to weather and other external constraints. Both Southwest and its pilots union deny that the companys vaccine mandate is the proximate cause. However, even the Times leaves the question open:

While the union, which says it does not oppose vaccination, denied that its members were calling in sick to protest the mandate, it did ask a judge on Friday to stop the airline from enacting the vaccine mandate and other policies.

The industry report linked above raises the obvious question. Why Southwest?

Brian Sumers is editor-at-large for travel site Skift and said, Something doesnt add up about Southwests explanation for its problems. The airline blames weather and air traffic control issues. That may be part of the problem. But usually, other airlines report similar issues. We arent seeing that. So it makes me wonder, is something else happening? Southwest should tell its customers more about whatever issue is causing this meltdown. Those customers certainly have a right to be confused  and upset.

I trust we will get more clarity in due course.
Dorian Abbot is an associate professor of Geophysical Sciences at the University of Chicago. He was scheduled to deliver remotely the prestigious Carlson Lecture at MIT. This lecture is devoted to new results in climate science.

However, bowing to the woke mob, MIT cancelled the lecture. Why? Because professor Abbot has argued for academic evaluations based on academic merit.

This view shouldnt be controversial. However, as Abbot says, wokeism holds that equity  equality of outcomes  is more important than equality  giving everyone the same opportunity.

Abbots defense of academic merit isnt his only sin. He reports that hes been a target of woke students since last year when he posted several videos on YouTube denouncing the rioting that erupted in Chicago after the death of George Floyd.

A professor who denounces riots and supports academic merit? We cant have that.

Fortunately, MIT and the mob didnt get the last word. Princeton stepped into the breach. It agreed to host Abbots lecture via Zoom on October 21 at 4:30, the same time it had been scheduled by MIT. Im pretty sure this was due, at least in part, to the intervention of professor Robert George, a stalwart defender of free speech.

The response to Princetons move has been overwhelmingly positive. Thousands have registered for the lecture. Professor George reports that the Zoom quota for the event has been expanded.

As the Daily Mail puts it, the cancel culture backfired  at least in this case.

Professor Abbot remains under fire from woke students at the University of Chicago. The Daily Mail reports on the efforts to cancel him there. However, the Universitys president, Robert Zimmer, has stood up for Abbots right to speak freely.

Its shameful, though, that MIT knuckled under to the woke mob by cancelling Abbots speech. In the end, this was a victory for free expression and a defeat for the cancel culture. But the affair demonstrates once again the threat that wokeness poses to freedom in America.

STEVE adds: You can find my writeup of the original controversy over Abbot at the University of Chicago here.
Access Bank completed a buyout of 78.15 per cent interest in African Banking Corporation of Botswana Limited (BancABC Botswana), at the moment the fifth largest lender in the Southern African country.

The acquisition is part of the plan to widen the take of Access Bank for trade and payments in the region and the broader COMESA regional economic community, Nigerias biggest bank by asset said in a note posted by the Nigerian Exchange on Tuesday.

The bank wants operations outside its base Nigeria to contribute at least 30 per cent of the groups profit for this year, the purchase of controlling interest in BancABC Botswana taking its acquisitions within Africa so far this year to four.

Nearly six months in the making, the deal was first announced in April with a definite buyout expected at mid-year.

No disclosure was made of the transaction value in the document seen by PREMIUM TIMES but the stake purchase could push Access Banks asset valuation reasonably beyond the N10.1 trillion at half-year 2020 come this quarters end.

We are pleased with the successful conclusion of this transaction which will provide significant synergies by combining BancABC Botswanas strong retail banking operation with Access Banks wholesale banking capabilities, said Group Managing Director Herbert Wigwe.

It will also strengthen the quality of earnings through revenue diversification and growth in the corporate and SME banking segments for BankABC Botswana.

Shares in Access Bank opened trade in Lagos on Tuesday at N9.40 per unit.
At least 3,400 babies born in Nigeria in the past four years tested positive to the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), a new report has shown.

The report by the National AIDS and STIs Control Programme (NASCP) shows that out of 73,422 samples tested between 2017 and 2020, 3,409 returned positive.

The assistant director of the National Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) lead, Gbenga Ijaodola, presented the findings of the report at a media dialogue in Calabar, Cross River State, on Monday.

Giving a breakdown of the report, he said: In 2020, 27,909 infant DNA samples were tested, 19,715 were tested and 409 babies results came out positive and in 2019; 26,247 infant DNA samples were collected, 19,947 were tested and 833 were positive.

In 2018, 22,977 infant DNA samples were collected, 17,488 were tested and 808 positive results were recorded while in 2017, a total of 19,927 infant DNA samples were collected, 16,272 samples were tested and 1,359 samples came out positive.

About the dialogue

The media dialogue, which was organised by the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) and the Child Rights Information Bureau (CRIB) of the ministry of information, was aimed at reinvigorating and producing a work plan for Journalists Alliance for PMTCT in Nigeria (JAPiN).

Geoffrey Njoku, UNICEFs communication specialist, said the importance of the workshop is to bring the issue of MTCT of HIV to the front burner.

Mr Njoku said that while other aspects of HIV cases and transmission are widely reported across various media, the elimination of MTCT is highly important.

He called on journalists to continue to press on these issues to ensure that babies are delivered with a reduced risk of contracting the virus.

Mother-to-Child Transmission

Mr Ijaodola said a large number of these babies contracted the virus because their mothers failed to access health facilities for ante-natal care.

He explained that some of them also ended up delivering at home or other birthing locations instead of approved health centres.

He said the ministry of health is collaborating with partners to identify key stakeholders who focus on encouraging women.

He noted that these stakeholders work together with the ministry to ensure women present their babies at facilities to undergo HIV testing at birth, and after six weeks for a retest of both positive and negative newborns.

He said the government is highly interested in the global drive for the elimination of Mother-to-Child Transmission.

He said: What determines the health of every nation is how they take care of their women and children. And the joy of every mother is that her baby comes out clean devoid of any infection, HIV inclusive.

That is the vision and that is what we are trying to do. Some countries have been able to do it. In fact, from what I heard, Uganda is on the second level of validation.

By the time they finish the second and the third level, Uganda is going to be the first African country that can say they have been able to eliminate mother-to-child transmission.

HIV symptoms

Mr Ijaodola said while some babies might not exhibit symptoms of HIV infection until after four years of their life, there is need to activate a scale-up of the plans on ground to capture a longer period of childrens lives.

He noted that some of these activities where the children could be captured and retested for the virus include during immunisation, nutrition visits and when they are taken to facilities for different service delivery.

Challenges

The official said to meet up with the global target, the National Strategic Plan mandates 95 per cent of all HIV positive pregnant and breastfeeding mothers receive antiretroviral therapy; 95 per cent of all HIV-exposed infants receive antiretroviral prophylaxis and 95 per cent of all HIV-exposed infants have early infant diagnosis within 6-8 weeks of birth.

He said there are some challenges hindering the drive to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV in Nigeria including poor access to formal public health facilities.

He said only about a third of pregnant women in Nigeria are able to access PMTCT services.

He listed other challenges to include failure of states to respond to the provision of adequate funding for PMTCT programme activities, ineligible improvement of ante-natal care and facility delivery uptake, low paediatric HIV case identification, and poor linkage to care and treatment for children living with HIV.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday explained that its directive to bankers to declare their assets was not a witch hunt but aimed sanitising the banking sector.

EFCC Chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa, made the clarification in Abeokuta at the opening of a two-day capacity building workshop for security agencies organised by the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC).

The theme of the workshop is Effective Investigation and Prosecution of Banking Malpractices in Nigeria.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the EFCC had in March directed all bank executives to declare their assets latest by June 1.

EFCC had said that the directive was in line with the Bank Employees (Declaration of Assets) Act 1986, enacted to ensure adequate measures in sanitising the nations financial system.

Represented by Mohammed Ghali, EFCC Lagos Zonal Commander, Mr Bawa said the clarification became necessary because many people had misconstrued the measure for a witchhunt.

Knowing the rots that permeate the nations banking sector, the directive was born out of efforts to sanitise the banking sector, but it was received with mixed feeling.

It is obvious that those who kicked or are still kicking against the directive, are ignorant of the unmistakable details of the Bank Employees Declaration of Assets Act.

Unlike the claims in some quarters, it is not a witchhunt; rather, it is part of measures to sanitise the countrys financial institutions, he said.

Mr Bawa declared that in carrying out the responsibility of ridding Nigeria of corruption, as mandated by the EFCC Establishment Act, he had realised that there is a slew of corrupt practices going on in the banking sector.

He, however, reiterated the agencys commitment to ridding the banking sector of the malpractices.

He explained that the situation had prompted the EFCC, under his watch, to intensify engagement with bank executives, more than ever before.

We are aware of the different shades of fraudulent activities going on in our financial institutions, particularly in the banking industry sector.

The nation cannot afford to go through another serious crisis in the banking sector; and this explains the constant intervention by the EFCC, he said.

He assured that the anti-graft agency, through its Bank Fraud Section, would continue to prevent fraudulent practices in the banking sector and prosecute perpetrators of such fraud.

Meanwhile, Mr Bawa described the EFCC and the NDIC as co-runners on the anti-corruption tracks, racing to improve the image of Nigeria in the international community.

He assured that the activities of the two agencies would create an economically enabling environment that would boost foreign investors confidence in the country.

Earlier in his opening address,the Managing Director of NDIC, Bello Hassan, noted that human element is the greatest culprit in bank failure.

It has been said over and over, that banks do not on their own fail, rather, they are destroyed and brought to their knees by acts of officers entrusted to look after the institutions.

Hassan, therefore, stressed the need to bring such culprits to book to serve as deterrent of to others.

It is against this background that the regulators/supervisors and the law enforcement agencies must collaborate and ensure that those who contributed to the demise of banks are thoroughly investigated and if found guilty, are prosecuted accordingly.

This annual workshop affords the corporation the opportunity to share ideas with the law enforcement agencies on developments within the banking landscape that will enhance their skills in the discharge of their responsibilities, he said.

(NAN)
Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo, on Monday in Benin said that it doesnt make sense to pass the anti-open grazing bill into law without arresting and prosecuting offenders of the same law.

Mr Obaseki stated this at a stakeholders Town-Hall meeting on the proposed Anti-open Grazing Law.

Controversy

The law which has been passed in some southern states of Nigeria bans the movement of cattle by herders in public places as a measure of curbing the persistent clashes between herders and farmers. But the decision has been criticised by most northern governors including the federal government.

Premium Times reported in September how governors of the states in Southern Nigeria met in Enugu.

At the meeting, they said they believed states should be responsible for the collection of Value Added Tax.

The governors also said they were satisfied with the efforts of each of the 17 states to pass the anti-open grazing laws to prevent open grazing of cattle.

At least 10 of the 17 southern states have passed anti-open grazing laws including Ekiti, Lagos, Enugu, Osun and Ondo states.

The two decisions were part of the resolutions the governors reached in their meeting held in the South-east state.

the meeting resolved to support the position that the collection of VAT falls within the powers of the States, one of the seven items in the communique signed by the governors, states.

The meeting expressed satisfaction with the rate at which the States in Southern Nigeria are enacting or amending the Anti-Open Grazing Laws which align with the uniform template and aspiration of Southern Governors and encouraged the States that are yet to enact this law to do so expeditiously.

Obaseki soft-pedals?

But Mr Obaseki on Monday said that the delay in signing the anti-open grazing bill in the state follows the need to craft an implementable law that will put an end to the growing security and economic challenges in the state.

According to him, We are one of the few states that have not signed the the bill into law, and the reason is simple to sign a law is very simple, it doesnt make sense to put out a law you cannot enforce.

The best way of enforcing a law is to bring everybody together to be part of for that law. We have a crisis in our country, it is deeply rooted, there are different causes why these are happening, let us go to the root of the causes and resolve it from there.

People have said that we have lived a hundred years together in harmony before now, why are we now having this problem today.

If we dont go to the reason why, then we will be scratching the surface, let us start by understanding why we are having this challenge. To sign a law is very easy, it doesnt make sense to put out a law that you cannot enforce.

The anti-grazing law in my view is to deal with some perception, I just want to tell you that this is not an issue between Christians and Muslims, it is not an issue between North and South, it is not an issue between Edo people and Fulani people.

As long as we have decided that we will eat meats and drink milk, we will now have sit down and rearrange the business on how we will get the people who are producing the meat on how the must organise themselves.

Let us not play politics with this issue, let us deal with this issue honestly and openly, there are security implications, because some people have now joined and using these herders to perpetrate insecurity.

My worry is that if we dont celebrate them, to understand that the business in cattle herding is separate, so that we can know those people who are using cattle rearing to perpetrate crime and insecurity in our state we will be missing the point.

There are people who are doing their legitimate businesses of cattle herding and producing meat and their criminals who wants to destablized our country and our state, he said.

In his contribution, the representative of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Edo, Oriakhi Davies, said that cattle rearing is a private business and anybody interested in the business should go and acquire land for such businesses.

Mr Davies suggested ranching as an alternative for open grazing, adding that governments should create cattle feed or import cattle feed for cattle herders to purchase such feed from government.

Also speaking, the State Chairman of cattle dealers, Saad Ahmed, said that about 45 per cent of cows consumed in Benin comes directly from the North.

Mr Ahmed appealed to the governor to take everybody equal irrespective of their religion and beliefs, adding that God has blessed Edo where they have been living without any trouble.

He stressed that most of the challenges caused by herders are from those who are coming from far part of the North to Edo.
The Nigeria Customs Service in Katsina State has said smugglers are sabotaging the fight against insecurity.

Wada Chedi, the Acting Comptroller of the agency in the state, made the statement at a press briefing at his office in Katsina Monday evening.

He said smugglers are aiding bandits to overcome measures the state government had put in place to check their activities.

In Katsina, like in other North-west states, incessant bandits attacks have led to deaths, abductions, and displacements of residents.

The state government recently took some security measures, with the view to stopping the bandits from roaming freely and connecting with their colleagues.

These include shutting down weekly markets and mobile telecommunications networks, banning the sale of fuel in jerry cans, blocking two major Inter-state roads, and banning the movement of domestic animals in trucks.

Sabotage

While briefing journalists, Mr Chedi said smugglers have now devised a new method of taking goods to the bandits, especially fuel.

He said the smugglers fabricate bigger tanks for motorcycles and vehicles to get enough space for fuel, which they sell to the bandits.

Recently, we intercepted and seized two Peugeot 504 vehicles which the smugglers have fabricated their tanks to carry a larger quantity of fuel. The smugglers would go to the fuel stations with these vehicles and motorcycles and buy fuel which they will resell to bandits.

We were able to get information on their activities through intelligence. We monitored them up to the point where they had bought the fuel and taking them to the bandits but as soon as they sensed our presence, because they are very sensitive, they abandoned the vehicles and the motorcycles which we immediately seized, Mr. Chedi said.

Border-communities relationship

On the relationship between the Service and border communities, the acting commander said they have been reaching out to residents of the communities for a cordial relationship.

He added that they had a consultative meeting with representatives of the communities as part of their efforts to forge a positive relationship and enlighten the residents on the importance of helping the Service to fight smuggling.

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Mr Chedi also debunked the allegation that the Service has abandoned families of those killed by a driver of the Service in Jibia town, and of hiding the identity of those who shot a man in Fadi Gurje in Mani recently.

He said, We have not abandoned the victims and their families. Indeed, all those injured have been discharged from the hospital and we are always with them in prayers.

On the Fadi Gurje incident, Mr Chedi said an investigation was still ongoing, to reveal the identity of the officer who fired the shot.
The Senate has rescinded its decision on some clauses in the Electoral Amendment Bill that was passed in July.

One of the clauses is 52 which deals with the methods of voting and collation of results in an election.

The Senate on Tuesday amended the clause to let the electoral umpire, INEC, determine the use of electronic voting and transfer of results.

The Senate also amended clause 87 of the bill to mandate political parties to hold only direct primaries for candidates seeking elective positions.

In July, the Senate empowered the Nigerian Communications Commission and the National Assembly to determine the use of electronic transmission of results in an election.

The Senate changed the clause from: The Commission may transmit results of elections by electronic means where and when practicable to:

The commission may consider electronic transmission provided the national network coverage is adjudged to be adequate and secure by the Nigerian Communications Commission and approved by the National Assembly.

The House of Representatives had retained the former. And a conference committee was set up to harmonise the differences.

The motion

In a motion to recomit some clauses in the bill, to the Committee of the Whole, the Senate Leader, Abdullahi Yahaya, who sponsored the bill, asked that the Senate rescind its decision on the affected clause of the bill as passed and recommit same to the committee of the whole for consideration and passage.

He said after a critical examination of the bill by the Senate Committee on INEC, some fundamental issues which required fresh legislative action on Clauses 43, 52, 63 and 87 were observed.

He said there was the need to address the observations by the committee and make necessary amendments relying on Order 53(6) of the Senate Standing Order.

This Order allows the Senate to reconsider substantive motion for rescission.

Amendments

The amended clauses now read:

Clause 43(1)  The commission shall provide suitable boxes, electronic voting machine or any other voting device for the conduct of elections.

43(2) The forms to be used for the conduct of elections to the offices mentioned in this bill shall be determined by the commission.

43(3) The polling agents shall be entitled to be present at the distribution of the election materials, electronic voting machine and voting devices from the office to the polling booth.

Clause 52(2) Subject to section 63 of this Bill, voting at an election and transmission of results under this Bill shall be in accordance with the procedure determined by the commission, which may include electronic voting.

Clause 63(5) The presiding officer shall transfer the results including total number of accredited voters and the results of the ballot in a manner as prescribed by the commission.

87(1) A political party seeking to nominate candidates for elections under this Bill shall hold direct primaries for aspirants to all elective positions, which shall be monitored by the Commission.

Lawmakers react

In his contribution, Adamu Aliero (APC, Kebbi) supported the amendments and said it will deepen democracy and make electoral process transparent.

Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti) said the amendment of clause 87 for direct primaries will allow for inclusivity and strengthen democracy. The time for Nigeria to adopt direct primaries is long overdue, he said.

The minority leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe (PDP Abia), hailed the amendment that allows INEC to determine the use of electronic transmission of result.

He,however, said political parties should be allowed to practise the kind of primary election they are capable of.

Smart Adeyemi (APC, Kogi) and Shuaibu Lau (PDP, Taraba) opposed the amendment for direct primaries.

The amended clauses will be sent back to the conference committee for harmonisation.
Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has asked 10 Muslim scholars, community leaders and government officials to investigate the circumstances around the recent brutal flogging of five students of Musbaudeen Islamiya Arabic school in Ganmo in the Ifelodun local government area of the state.

The spokesperson of the governor, Rafiu Ajakaye, disclosed this in a statement he issued on Tuesday, in Ilorin.

He said the committee will be chaired by a retired judge, Idris Haroon, and has, as members, the Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, Saadatu Modibbo Kawu; and the Special Assistant to the Governor on Religion (Islam), Ibrahim Dan Maigoro.

The other members are Hamzat Abdulraheem, Badmus Yusuf, Abubakar Imam-Aliagan, Mohammed Ghali Alaya, and Saudat AbdulBaqi, who are all Islamic scholars; and Balikis Oladimeji of the Federation of Muslim Women Associations of Nigeria (FOMWAN); Lawal Olohungbebe; and AbdulHameed Sanni (Secretary).

The terms of reference of the committee include meeting with the affected students, their parents, and the school authorities on the circumstances around the corporal punishments meted to the three students.

It will also review the reward and disciplinary methods in such schools; and make recommendations to the government on how to prevent a recurrence of such in the state.

The governor gave the committee one week to submit its report, beginning from its first sitting, Mr Ajakaye said.

Outrage

The principal of the school had ordered the flogging of the students for allegedly holding a birthday party, consuming liquor and publishing the video footage of same on the social media.

A video of the students, including a girl, being viciously flogged before a gathering of fellow students ignited an outrage across Nigeria.

Following the widespread indignation, the state government announced a probe into the incident.

The government also announced the suspension of the school head and ordered the affected students taken to a public hospital.

The commissioner for education and human capital development, Modibbo Kawu, announced the governments reaction to the incident through a statement.

The governments team carefully listened to the authorities of the Arabic school, the father of the sole girl in the video, and four other students involved in the unsavoury development.

Regardless of the explanations of the authorities on the development, the self-confessed consent of the parents and regret of the affected students, the government seriously frowns at the harsh beating seen in the footage.

Consequently, the government has directed the setting up of an investigative committee, comprising Muslim scholars, leaders and government officials, to look into the issue while the head of the Arabic school, who admitted to directing the punishment, has been asked to step aside pending the conclusion of the investigation.

The government has also taken the affected students to a public hospital for proper medical examination and treatment. This is to ensure that none of them suffers any physical or psychological damage.

The government appeals for calm while the committee does its work and submits a report for further action.

The government commends the Ganmo Muslim community for the support given to the team.
Shafiu Mamman and his younger brother, Muhammad, had left their home at Unguwar Majema in the ancient city of Sokoto on Friday to attend the Unguwar Lalleh market for their animal skin trade.

Alas, the brothers had embarked on a journey of no return. Hundreds of other traders and customers going about their businesses in the market also had no premonition that their lives were about to be turned upside down by Nigerian north-wests implacable bandits.

Unguwar Lalle, a business community in Sabon Birni local government area, was attacked early Friday evening.

Sabon Birni and other local government areas in the eastern part of Sokoto have been plagued by bandits activities. To check the activities, the state government shut down weekly markets, cut mobile telecommunications networks and restricted the sale of fuel. Nobody knows, however, why the government did not shut down the market in Unguwar Lalle.

The bandits defied both formal and informal security agents and attacked the market.

How it happened

Umar Majema, a trader, was at the market when the bandits arrived around 3:30 p.m.

We had just returned from the Jumuat mosque in the town and activities had picked up again. When they came, they blocked all the entrances to the market while others drove in and started shooting sporadically. I was deep inside the market, he said.

Mr Majema said he escaped miraculously through an obscure exit alongside a few others.

Shafiu and Muhammad had finished their trading and it was while they were leaving the market that the bandits came. They shot them. I saw the bullets, the blood and the dead bodies. Only God knows how many people were killed, Mr. Majema, who spoke to PREMIUM TIMES on phone, said.

Over 200 motorcycles

The coordinator of Rundunar Adalci, a human rights group in Sokoto State, Basharu Altine, said the bandits rode on more than 200 motorcycles to launch the attack.

They came out of the Gundumi forest on 200 motorcycles. What we gathered from our sources in the area is that, the bandits started shooting sporadically, killed an unknown number of people and carted away goods and foodstuff like rice, spaghetti, groundnut and palm oil and cash, Mr Altine said.

He also alleged that throughout the attack, no security personnel came to the rescue of the traders.

I have given up  Lawmaker

Speaking to PREMIUM TIMES on the attack, the member representing Sabon Birni at the Sokoto House of Assembly, Aminu Boza, said he has given up on finding solution to the insecurity ordeal of his people.

He said the state government has abandoned the people despite the series of attacks on them by bandits.

What can be more calamitous? I was elected to represent these people but I cannot even go to bury them. I cannot visit my own town, I cannot visit people of my constituency to sympathise with them, Mr Boza said.

I cannot say how many people have been killed. Lets just say over 30. Because immediately after the attack, we coordinated the evacuation and we learnt that 13 bodies were identified. In the night, several bodies were also brought back to Sokoto city. Nobody can say he has the number of those killed, but we have 35 severely wounded people in the hospital. I am the one footing the bills in Wamakko (Sokoto State Orthopedic Hospital).

The lawmaker accused both the state and federal governments of neglecting his people in their time of trial.

The police spokesperson in the state, Sanusi Abubakar, did not respond to calls and SMS sent to him on the attack.
Gunmen on Monday attacked a Catholic seminary and kidnapped three people.

An official said the gunmen attacked the Christ the King Major Seminary in Kaduna State at about 7:26 p.m.

In a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES, on Tuesday, the Chancellor of the Catholic Diocese of Kafanchan, Emmanuel Okolo, said the affected seminarians were in Theology four and they belong to the apostles of Divine Charity and the Little sons of the Eucharist Congregation groups.

He said the gunmen invaded the chapel of the seminary located in a district called Fadan Kagoma in Jemaa Local Government Area and initially went away with five seminarians. But they later released two of them, Mr Okolo said in the statement.

The Rector of the seminary, Stephen Jonah, a Catholic priest, also confirmed the incident to PREMIUM TIMES on the phone. He said the freed seminarians said their abductors spoke the Hausa language with Fulani accents.

The statement did not include the names of the abducted seminarians but added that six others sustained major injuries from the attack.

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Mr Okolo said soldiers from Operation Safe Haven (OPSH) later arrived and accompanied the injured seminarians to the Salem Hospital in Kafanchan for treatment.

During the attack, 10 officials including the rectors of the seminary and the institute, 132 seminarians, six non-seminarians, one female non-academic staff and one steward were inside the seminary, the statement said.

The diocese called for prayers for the release of the abducted seminarians and urged well-wishers to desist from taking the laws into their hands.

Kidnap for ransom is common in Kaduna and many other states in North-west and North-central Nigeria.

Such attacks are believed to be perpetrated by bandits who mostly reside in forests that transverse the states in the area.
The Zamfara State House of Assembly has suspended two members for three months for allegedly celebrating the kidnapping of the father of the Speaker of the Assembly by bandits.

The two suspended lawmakers are Ibrahim Tudu-Tukur (Bakura) and Yusuf Anka (Anka).

The spokesperson of the House, Mustapha Jaafar, confirmed the suspension to Premium Times.

He said the members were suspended for celebrating when the speakers father and other relatives were kidnapped.

The Speakers family members were kidnapped in September at his country home in Magarya.

While others were recently released, his father is believed to have died in the hands of the bandits, aides of the Speaker had told Premium Times.

They are to appear before the house committee on ethics and privileges in conjuction with security agencies that are assigned by law to investigate them, Mr Jaafar said.

Mr Jaafar said a member of the House, Yusuf Kanoma, raised the issue at the plenary on Tuesday, alleging that the two lawmakers were suspected by members of the public of aiding bandits.

Kanoma further alleged that during the kidnap saga of the father of the Speaker, late Alhaji Muazu Abubakar Magarya, in particular Yusuf Muhammad Anka and Ibrahim T Tukur Bakura were said to have been jubilating over the issue.

Premium Times could not reach the two suspended lawmakers or Mr Kanoma for their comments on the report as telecommunications services have been cut in Zamfara due to ongoing military operations to flush out bandits.

The two local government areas the lawmakers represent are among the hardest hits by bandits attacks and kidnappings.

Meanwhile, a member of the House who asked not to be named because he was not authorised to speak to journalists told Premium Times Tuesday evening that the House would not shield any of its members found culpable in criminal activities.

Todays sitting began with the Speaker swearing with the Holy Quran to distance himself from bandits activities in the state. He was still visibly disturbed by his fathers death, he said.

He added that the two lawmakers were suspended because of their alleged closeness to bandits in their areas.
The Caretaker Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has inaugurated a National Reconcilation Committee for the party, ahead of its National Convention.

Gov. Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State and Chairman, APC Caretaker and Extra-ordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) performed the ceremony on Monday in Abuja.

Mr Buni explained that the committee was set up to reconcile members who were aggrieved by the outcome of the partys congresses.

He said members of the committee were carefully selected based on their individual track records of excellence, adding that they had served the party with a high sense of commitment and dedication.

He charged them to critically examine areas of conflict in the partys just concluded ward and local government congress and advance solutions to problems noticed.

I want to sincerely commend and appreciate you for the great sacrifices you made to the process of rebuilding the party.

The much anticipated congresses have commenced and progressed with significant successes.

We have also constituted mechanisms such as the appeal committees to address complaints arising from the conduct of the congresses.

Your report on resolution of these discrepancies will indicate our readiness as a united and strong family for the national convention. Your assignment therefore, has great impact and influence on the convention, he said.

He enjoined members of the committee to remain resolute and dedicated to their assignment with spirit of teamwork.

He urged them to take the interest of the party above personal and selfish interests for APC to remain strong, united as Nigerias leading political party.

The task before this committee is very important and crucial. It is to reconcile, harmonise, integrate and unite members of the party.

The committee is also expected to resolve real or seeming differences and to cement all cracks for us to approach the National Convention with a united front,he said.

He added that the committee was expected to conduct appropriate engagement between identified groups in each state where there were disputes.

This, Mr Buni said, should be done to bring about genuine reconciliation and establishing lasting peace and unity in the party.

He said the committee was also to consult with party leaders and concerned members as it deemed necessary with a view to achieving peace within the party.

He, however, noted that the APC had progressed significantly with purposeful and productive leadership that promoted justice, equity, fair play and genuine reconciliation to give party members true sense of belonging.

I am happy to say that this has restored confidence and trust in the party.

I am also glad to state that since we came on board, the partys membership has enthusiastically supported the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration and of course, the party leadership, he said.

Mr Buni said it was gratifying that loyal party members had complied with the directive to withdraw multiple court cases instituted against APC.

He added that this had no doubt contributed to the speedy reconciliation and rebirth of the party, saying that the APC was more united, stronger and bigger.

He noted that the South-East zone, hitherto referred to as the stronghold of opposition parties, was gradually melting into the APC as the party increased its fortunes to remain Nigerias leading political party.

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It was a crucial tool in the recovery of the party. Over 40 million members were registered while the process is still on-going.

It provided existing and new members with a sense of belonging and ownership of the party.

I congratulate all stakeholders, women and youth for the active roles they played towards the success of the exercise, Mr Buni said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the committee has former Gov. Abdullahi Adamu of Nassarawa State as chairman, while Moses Adeyemo as its secretary.

Some members of the committee included former Governor George Akume of Benue, former Governor Sullivan Chime of Enugu, former Governor Ali Saad of Jigawa and former Speaker of House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara.

(NAN)
The African Union (AU) and Africa Leadership Foundation (ALF) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) towards the execution of joint programmes to enhance credibility in the management of elections and the advancement of good governance, peace and security in Africa.

At the MoU signing event, which took place October 8 at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia was by Bankole Adeoye, the African Union Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security (PAPS), on behalf of the Commission, and Olumide Ajayi, executive director of the ALF.

Speaking at the ceremony, Commissioner Adeoye emphasized the need for robust partnerships to entrench democratic governance, especially at a time when the abuse of constitutions and unconstitutional changes of government are rife.

Mr Ajayi on his part said, We are very determined to work with the AU through PAPS to ensure that we create a better environment through appropriate deployment of sound election observation management, analytics, research, capacity building framework and engagement with stakeholders.

The MoU, which aims to strengthen cooperation between AU and ALF, is a mutual commitment to build on comparative advantages and complement efforts for more transparent and credible democratic societies in Africa.

ALF, is one of Africas foremost NGO that has been at the forefront of advocating and entrenching democratic and governance ideals that promotes peace and security in Africa.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has directed the management of the National Assembly to fix the faulty Air Conditioning system in the House Chamber before the commencement of debate on the 2022 budget proposal.

During the plenary session on Tuesday, lawmakers complained of intense heat in the chamber as a result of the faulty AC.

Following the complaints by the lawmakers, the Speaker directed the Clerk of the House, Chinedu Akabueze, to ensure that the AC is fixed before Wednesday, noting that members cannot debate the budget under this condition.

Clerk, please can you make sure that the AC here is working tomorrow. We have to begin the debate of the budget and we cannot do it under this condition. It is very important and very imperative that it is working tomorrow, Mr Gbajabiamila.

This latest development and the leaking of the roof of the White House section have brought to fore the plan to renovate the National Assembly complex.

In 2020, the appropriation of N37 billion for the renovation of the complex had generated uproar. However, the cost was reviewed downward to N9 billion in the subsequent supplementary budget following the outbreak of COVID19.

The Spokesperson of the House, Ben Kalu, had in an interview with PREMIUM TIMES justified the planned expenditure, noting that the recent leakage of the roof vindicated the lawmakers.

At the session on Tuesday, the Deputy Minority Leader, Toby Okechukwu (PDP, Enugu), called on the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), owners of the property, to fix the complex.

The other time we were fairly embarrassed by the roofs that were leaking and would expect that the landlord and the owners of the structure which is the FCDA would take appropriate action to make sure that we stay in a very clement environment to do our business. Because essentially most of the time Nigerians misread the occupants to be the person responsible for the structure.

So if you look around you find out that this structure is heavily challenged apart from the cooling system. So I think in addition to that, appropriate action should be taken by the FCT administration to make adequate repairs and maintain the structure.

The Speaker consequently directed Mr Akabueze to write a formal letter to the Permanent Secretary enumerating these issues. This building belongs not to the National Assembly but the FCT and they should make it conducive for us.

Earlier, the Speaker had announced that the debate on the 2022 appropriation would commence on Wednesday.
The Federal High Court in Calabar, Cross River State, has convicted nine Internet fraudsters.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in a statement said the convicts, who pleaded guilty, were sentenced to six months imprisonment with only two of them given an option of N200,000 fine each on Monday.

According to the EFCCs statement issued by the commissions spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, on Tuesday, the judge, Rosemary Dugbo Oghoghorie, ordered the defendants to make restitution to their victims and forfeit various items to the federal government.

The convicts, according to the agency, were part of the 21 yahoo-boys arrested on Wednesday September 29, by operatives of the Uyo Zonal Command of the EFCC in a special operation at the World Bank Estate in Umuahia, Abia State.

The judge also convicted two other suspects- Folashade Adeyemi and Asuquo Edet- for currency counterfeiting and illegal dealing in petroleum products, the commission also said.

Read EFCCs full statement

EFCC Press Release

Court Convicts Nine Yahoo Boys, Two Others in Calabar

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC, Uyo Zonal Command on Monday October 11, 2021 secured the conviction of nine internet fraudsters before Justice Rosemary Dugbo Oghoghorie of the Federal High Court Calabar, Cross River State. They pleaded guilty to a one count charge bordering on cybercrime.

In view of their guilty pleas, the prosecuting counsel, Soares Adebayo prayed the court to convict and sentence the defendants.

But the defence counsel Innocent Eze S. N. Nweke Jr pleaded for leniency on the grounds that they were first time offenders.

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After listening to both counsel, Justice Oghoghorie convicted and sentenced all the defendants to six months imprisonment each. While Obioma ThankGod (alias Oliver Kudson) and Azubuine Chikwado were given the option of Two Hundred Thousand Naira (N200, 000) fine each, the others had no option of fine.

The defendants were equally ordered to make restitution to their victims and forfeit various items to the Federal Government.

Okechukwu Caleb (aka Richard Kudson, Oliver Smith Madison) who defrauded one Maria Zamora of the sum of One Thousand United State Dollars ($1000) was ordered to restitute the sum of One Million Naira(N1,000,000) to his victim through the EFCC, while Christopher Clinton, Chinaka McDonald, Okoye Chukwubunna, Ogugua Chukwuebuka and Egbulefu Promise were ordered to forfeit a Lexus car with Reg. No.UNG 956 KU, iPhone 7, Nokia phone and HP2, Toyota car, iPhone 11 and a Toyota Camry , and mobile gadgets recovered from them respectively, to the Federal Government if confirmed to belong to them. Otherwise, they should be returned to their owners.

The convicts were part of the 21 yahoo-boys arrested on Wednesday September 29, 2021 by operatives of the Uyo Zonal Command of the EFCC in a special operation at the World Bank Estate in Umuahia, Abia State.

In a related development, Justice Oghoghorie also convicted two other suspects: Folashade Adeyemi and Asuquo Edet for currency counterfeiting and illegal dealing in petroleum products.

While Folashade was convicted and sentenced to six months imprisonment with the option of a Five Hundred Thousand Naira (N500, 000) fine to be paid within one week for being in possession of counterfeit currency (N100 bills) worth Two Hundred and Twenty One Thousand Naira; Asuquo Edet was convicted and sentenced to six months imprisonment without the option of a fine. He was also ordered to forfeit the wooden boat in which he was arrested, as well as the 20 drums containing 300 litres each of illegally refined Premium Motor Spirit PMS.

The Judge ruled that the products shall be sold by the court and the proceeds paid into the Federal Government account.

Wilson Uwujaren

Head, Media & Publicity

12 October, 2021
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned a lawyer on charges of misappropriation of N107million meant for about 100 clients, a statement by the commission said Tuesday.

Gideon Ngwen, charged with three counts including criminal breach of trust and misappropriation, allegedly converted to personal use the judgment debt paid into his account on behalf of the clients.

The clients, numbering about 100, were said to be employees of the Plateau State Radio Television Corporation (PRTVC) whose employment was unlawfully terminated by the Plateau State Government.

EFCCs spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, who signed the commissions statement, said Mr Ngwen denied the charges when he was arraigned before C. L. Dabup of Plateau State High Court, Jos, on Monday.

Background

Mr Ngwen was said to have served as a lawyer to the about 100 workers pro bono (free of charge) in prosecuting two suits they filed at the National Industrial Court, Jos Division, against the Plateau State Government to challenge the unlawful termination of their employment.

The workers stated that during the course of the trial in the suits: in Suit No. NICN/JOS/25/2014 and NICN/JOS/28/2016 filed in 2014 and 2016, respectively, parties entered into a consent judgement and it was agreed that N181, 890, 402. 66 be paid to all 100 workers through the account of the defendant domiciled in United Bank for Africa.

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According to EFCC, the workers alleged that to their dismay, they discovered that the sum of N107million, which had been paid into the defendants United Bank for Africa Bank account, had been converted by him for personal use.

Not guilty

Count one of the charges against the lawyer reads: That you, Gideon Ngwen (trading under the name and style of Gideon Ngwen & Co.) between 21st September, 2017 and 8th July, 2018 at Jos, Plateau State within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, converted to your own use the sum of N67, 540, 129. 57 (Sixty Seven Million, Five Hundred and Forty Thousand, One Hundred and Twenty Nine Naira, Fifty Seven Kobo) which was entrusted to you by the Plateau State Government as payment of arrears of salaries to David Musa Ayiki and 99 other staff of Plateau State Radio Television Corporation (PRTVC).

He pleaded not guilty to the charges.

In view of his plea, the prosecuting counsel, M. O. Tijani, asked for a date for trial to commence.

The defendant, who opted to stand for himself, did not object.

I have no objection to the prosecution counsel applying for a trial date, I have application for bail before the court and I have also served the complainant, he said.

The judge, C.L Dabup, granted the defendant bail with the condition that a member of the executive committee of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) must write a letter of undertaking to produce him in court anytime for trial.

The matter was adjourned till 3 November for hearing.
The Public Complaints Commission (PCC) has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to evolve more drastic strategies in tackling the menace of Ponzi scheme operators across the country.

EFCCs spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, said in a statement that the Rivers State commissioner of PCC, Alphaeus Paul- Worika, made the call on Tuesday in Port Harcourt , Rivers State.

The PCC commissioner, according to the statement, spoke during his visit to the Port Harcourt Zonal Commander of the EFCC, Aliyu Naibi in his office.

According to him, Nigerians are groaning under the yoke of fraudulent practices of Ponzi scheme operators and only the EFCC could save the situation for them.

The issue of Ponzi scheme is a perennial problem in Nigeria and Rivers State in particular. The EFCC should be more drastic in handling it. We know EFCC has the capacity to do this. You can blame people for getting involved in the scheme, but the truth is that many of them are deceived by the operators.

EFCC should help those getting involved by cracking down on the operators, he said.

He commended the EFCC for its increasing success in tackling economic and financial crimes, stressing that his commission has a natural relationship with the EFCC.

He sued for stronger synergy between the two agencies and explained that his commission is always referring fraud-related cases to the EFCC.

In his response, Mr Naibi appreciated the commissioner for his visit and restated the commitment of the EFCC to finding practical solutions to the trouble of ponzi scheme operators.

Ponzi scheme is a very serious issue. I can assure you that the EFCC is working frantically on it. Investigations are ongoing and the Commission is always ahead in its operations, he said.

Ponzi scheme

Promoters of the Ponzi scheme usually defraud unsuspecting investors by luring them with prospect of huge returns as much as 100 per cent within a short period.

In reality, they pay old investors with part of the contributions of new ones. The promoters usually disappear with contributors money at some month when the chain of investors is no longer sustainable.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) had announced in May this year that about three million Nigerians had lost an estimated N18 billion to Ponzi scheme operators.
The NECCI PR Roundtable will be holding its annual conference on Thursday, October 28, 2021 at the Eko Hotel & Suites, Lagos.

Speakers at the event include President of African Development Bank, Akinwunmi Adesina; Premium Times Editor-in-Chief, Musikilu Mojeed; Dike Chukwumerije, Tony Chiejine, Amaechi Ikechukwu, Mary Ikoku, Comfort Coleman, Obi Asika, Lampe Omoyele and others

This years marks the 21st edition and due to the ongoing social distancing, the event will be held both physically and live-streamed across various digital platforms. The time is 10 a.m.- 1 p.m.

Principal Consultant/CEO and the Convener, Nkechi Ali-Balogun, in a press release, said the 2021 edition is themed: Social Media, National Security And Social Change: Bridging The Gaps For Development In Africa.

This theme, she explained would map the tremendous potentials within the Nigerian Social Media Space and explore the potentials of converting these potentials into real positive social gain.

According to United Nations, Digital technologies have advanced more rapidly than any innovation in our history  reaching around 50 per cent of the developing worlds population in only two decades and transforming societies.

Technologies can help make our world fairer, more peaceful, and more just. Digital advances can support and accelerate achievement of each of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals  from ending extreme poverty to reducing maternal and infant mortality, promoting sustainable farming and decent work, and achieving universal literacy.

Specifically, the theme seeks to explore: Government Roles in Managing Social Media; best ways of Nation Building via Social Media; various applications of Social Media in Employment creation and Commerce; social Media and National Security; Positioning The Nigerian Social Media Environment for Maximum Future Gains; Social Media and National Development.

Social media in Africa a blessing or a curse for security and development; bridging the Development Gap in Nigeria: Reaching the Unreached through Open and Distance Learning and Social Media: To Be or Not to Be.

Attendees for the 2021 edition will cut across government media policy makers, educators, digital media entrepreneurs, experts, coding gurus, social media opinion leaders, prospective social media leaders, content creators, app-makers, journalists, students and general public, within and outside Nigeria, public relations executives, publicists and general strategists, corporate communications executives and business development executives and general stakeholders within economic and social sectors targeted by the current theme, the release said.

Established in 2009 specifically to provide a platform whereby public relations executives converge to discuss burning developmental issues as well as latest trends in the Public Relations practice, with a view to examining how we can proffer solutions using strategic communication, the NECCI PR ROUNDTABLE is a gathering of top echelon intellectuals from the public relations and communications sector of the Nigerian professional demography.

The Roundtable is a self-appointed independent think-tank on a crusader MISSION of fostering global competence in the modern Nigerian Public Relations turf.

Its main OBJECTIVE is to confront the issues of the modern Nigerian public communications and messaging system, providing practical analysis and creating industrially functional and usable inferences and solutions.

The roundtable has helped broker the assimilation of global trends within the Nigerian Public Relations sector by opening the eyes of the nations top media executives to situational case studies from around the world, thereby helping the Nigerian PR sector to maintain one of the best industrial standards around the world, despite the adverse economic and social background.

Recently, the roundtable was nominated for an award in the NIPR Golden Eagle Awards in the Best Contributions to the PR Education in Nigeria category.
The Nollywood actor, Chiwetalu Agu, who has been in detention for nearly one week, for allegedly wearing Biafran outfit and inciting members of the public, has been released by the State Security Service (SSS).

Mr Agu was first arrested at Upper- Iweka, Onitsha, Anambra State, on Thursday, for adorning an outfit which the army said reflected the colours of the Biafran flag.

The actor had argued then that he had committed no offence.

He said he was merely wearing an attire with the rising sun and distributing N10,000 worth of bread he had bought, to feed the poor and hungry.

Agu was later handed over to the SSS by the army, who immediately whisked him to Abuja.

Freedom

He was released Tuesday evening after an intervention by Mike Ozekhomes chambers which had been briefed by the Nigerian Guild of Actors to take up Agu s defence pro bono.

A statement by the chambers revealed that Mr Ozekhome had been briefed by the AGN and its officials to step into the matter and effect Agus release.

Agu was released Tuesday evening to actors Steve Eboh and Monolisa Chinda (Director of Media, AGN), by the SSS at their headquarters in Abuja, after a reported search on his phones showed nothing incriminating.

An ecstatic Agu in company of Eboh, later paid a courtesy call on Mr Ozekhome and his team of lawyers at his Abuja chambers, to thank them.

Agus usage of specific language slang, phrases, or cliches in films made him a household name in Nigeria and among Nollywood admirers abroad. The 65-year-old actor has enjoyed a flourishing acting career spanning three decades.
A former media aide to Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi, Godfery Chikwere, arrested and detained by the police following a petition by an Ebonyi State government official, slumped on Monday at the facility where he is being detained.

He was rushed to the states police headquarters clinic for treatment but his condition reportedly worsened as the clinic is said to be inadequately equipped to cater to his health challenge.

He was subsequently taken to the Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital Abakaliki(AE-FUTHA) for further treatment.

Mr Chikwere, popularly known as Baby Mouth, a former Presenter at the states radio station, Ebonyi Broadcasting Corporation(EBBC), was arrested few days ago by the police following a petition against him by the state government for making a publication on his Facebook handle which the government considered as offensive.

According to a source, he was to be arraigned on Monday by the police before the court to face charges against him but was said to be in crisis following the sickness.

Another source told this reporter that at AE-FUTHA where he is being treated, police officers were said to have been deployed to prevent visitors from seeing him.

His wife, Onyinyechi, confirmed his ill-health to reporters in Abakaliki.

She said my husband started falling sick yesterday night when he was in the police station. So, he became worst and the police clinic couldnt handle it. He is here in AE-FUTHA since this morning.

They couldnt diagnose anything at the police clinic but he was in serious crisis. So, no we are in AE-FUTHA, from the explanations on what is wrong with him, I think it is acute appendicitis but I dont know yet.

Police spokesperson in the state, Loveth Oda, when contacted, said she was not aware that he was in AE-FUTHA and promised to go to the hospital to see him.

The Petition

Mr Chikweres arrest followed a petition said to have been written by the states Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Uchenna Orji, to the police..

In the petition, dated 8 October, 2021, and seen by PREMIUM TIMES, Mr Orji, a lawyer, titled it, Report of publication of fake news, hate speech and incisive (sic) publication and cyber bullying by Godfrey Chikwere.

The commissioner in the petition accused Mr Chikwere, a former Technical Assistant to Governor Umahi, of spreading fake news against the military and politicians which he said were inciting.

The petition reads: I write to inform your esteemed office as follows: that on 8th of October 2021 at about 14:44 hours, one Godfrey Chikwere with phone number 0806157**** did publish a fake news and incisive (sic) in facebook profile called Godfrey Chikwere and other media platforms and stated as follows Nigerian Army is seriously and willingly losing respect.

Mr Orji further said: that on the same 8th of October 2021, Godfrey Chikwere in the Facebook profile made a dangerous and disturbing publication and stated as follows: they(politicians) can pay a youth to murder a perceived political enemy but they can(sic) give such youth money to start a business.

That that this false, fake and incisive(sic) publication is intended to cause fear, cyber bullying, riot crisis and breach of the peace in the state.

The Commissioner further alleged that Chikwere by the said publications has acted in violation of the Ebonyi State Cybercrimes (Prohibition)Laws No 012 of 2021.

He urged the Commissioner of Police to arrest and prosecute Mr Chikwere.

I urge your good offices to arrest and prosecute Godfrey Chikwere for publishing rumours and statements capable of causing fear and false alarm under section 4 of Ebonyi State Cybercrimes law of 2021, he said.

Condemnations trail arrest

Meanwhile, condemnations have continued to trail the arrest of Mr Chikwere.

Reacting to the alleged arrest, a social commentator, Pauline Ucha, admonished the state government to focus on tackling the security challenges facing the state.

She said: This prattle cum hogwash peddled here by Uchenna Orji doesnt worth the arrest of Mr Godfrey Chikwere. What he said on his facebook page is nothing but the truth!

Ebonyi State government derives much joy in intimidating / humiliating people, please free Godfrey Chikwere he is not the problem facing southeast right now!

Your concentrations should be focused on the incessant killings in the land especially the most recent one that happened at Onicha Igbeze, all these menace needs government action instead of diverting their attention to irrelevant issues

From all indications, this present day administration in Ebonyi State detest criticism and I ask, what is the need of democratic governance since one is no longer entitle to freedom of speech, this is very pathetic government want everyone to clap for them even in the face of evil.

Free Godfrey Chikwere, he committed no offence to warrant his arrest because a lot of people have written something more inciting than his, she said.

Sacked in December by Umahi

Mr Chikwere was one of the retinue of aides sacked in December 2020 by Governor Umahi following his defection to the All Progressives Congress from the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP).

He was a Technical Assistant on Media to the governor before his removal.

The Secretary to the State Government had in a statement announcing his sack said Mr Chikwere was sacked in order to enhance service delivery.

However, Mr Chikwere said he was sacked because he refused to insult elders and equally discourage others from doing so on Facebook on behalf of the state government.

He also said that he was sacked for being close to National Assembly members elected on the platform of Mr Umahis former party, PDP, especially a senator, Obinna Ogba, who represents Ebonyi Central District as the Senate.

He, however, noted that he knew that he will soon be sacked from office.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday arraigned a former vice-chancellor of the Federal University Gusau on five counts of fraud including obtaining money by false pretence and forgery.

Magaji Garba, a professor, was arraigned before a judge of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Jabi, Abuja, Maryam Hassan-Aliyu, a statement by the anti-corruption agency said.

EFCCs spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, who signed the statement, said Mr Garba is being accused of extorting about N260 million from a contractor on the pretext of awarding him a N3billion contract for the perimeter wall fencing of the university

One of the offences, according to Mr Uwujaren, is contrary to section 1 (1) (a) and punishable under section 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.

Count two is quoted as reading, That you, Professor Magaji Garba, whilst being the Vice Chancellor, Federal University, Gusau on or about the 15th of May, 2019 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory Abuja with intent to defraud obtained the sum of N100,000,000 (One Hundred Million Naira) from Alhaji Shehu Umar Sambo, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Ministaco Nigeria Limited, a contractor executing the construction of the Grand Convocation Square of the Federal University, Gusau under the false pretence of awarding a project for the perimeter wall fencing of the University valued at the total sum of N3,000,000,000.00 (Three Billion Naira) which representation/pretense you knew to be false.

The count reads, That you, Professor Magji Garba, whilst being the Vice Chancellor, Federal University, Gusau on or about the 1st August, 2019 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja with intent to defraud obtained the sum of N150,000,000.00 (One Hundred and fifty Million Naira from Alhaji Shehu Umar Sambo, Managing Director/Chief Executive officer of Ministaco Nigeria Limited, a contract executing the construction of the Grand Convocation Square at the Federal University, Gusau under the false presence of awarding a project for the perimeter wall fencing of the University valued at the total sum of N3,000,000,000.00 (Three Billion Naira), which representation/pretense you knew to be false

The defendant pleaded not guilty to all five charges when the charges were read to him.

EFCCs lawyer, Sylvanus Tahir, then asked for a trial date, and requested that the defendant be remanded in prison custody.

But the defence counsel, R. Usman, applied for the bail of his client. The application was, however, opposed by the prosecuting counsel on the ground that he was only served at about 10:33 a.m. on Tuesday.

The judge then adjourned the matter till Thursday for hearing of the bail application and remanded the defendant in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service.

Formerly a lecturer in the Pharmacy Department of the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, Mr Garba was appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari as the vice-chancellor of the Federal University, Gusau, in February 2016.

Mr Gusau handed over after concluding his five-year tenure in February this year.

As a lecturer at ABU, Mr Garba, a researcher in phytomedicine, taught pharmaceutical analysis to both graduates and undergraduates.
President Muhammadu Buhari has directed cabinet ministers and permanent secretaries to redouble their efforts and work in synergy toward total delivery of his administrations set target to improve livelihood of all Nigerians.

The president, who gave the directive at the end of the two-day Mid-term Ministerial Performance Review Retreat, also instructed the ministers to ramp up implementation of their mandates along the Nine Priority Areas of the administration.

He also stressed the need for synergy between the fiscal and monetary authorities in the country to keep the economy on the trajectory of growth.

He noted that intensive discussions at the retreat provided an opportunity to reflect on what his administration had done and areas needed to improve on and refocus attention.

The retreat provided an opportunity for us to undertake an objective assessment of our stewardship in line with the contract we signed with the Nigerian people to deliver on our electoral promises.

From the assessment report and discussions at this retreat, I am glad to note that progress has been made towards the achievement of our objectives.

The independent performance assessment report presented on Day One of the retreat, indicates that significant progress has been achieved in the delivery of the ministerial mandates.

Distinguished participants, the discussions at the retreat have prompted the need for us to ramp up implementation on the deliverables.

We must close the gaps in our implementation efforts to ensure that we attain set targets by 2023, he said.

Mr Buhari, therefore, directed the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) to immediately begin the process of convening quarterly coordination meetings for each priority area based on the collaborative results framework.

According to him, the aim of these meetings is to ascertain status of implementation across the nine priority areas, identify bottlenecks, and proffer immediate solutions.

All ministers and permanent secretaries must be in attendance. These are not meetings to delegate, he said.

The president further instructed the Office of the SGF to immediately commence engagement with stakeholders to agree and push forward a framework for the institutionalisation of the Central Delivery Coordinating Unit.

All ministers and permanent secretaries are to promote a robust performance culture across the Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs) by setting up intra-ministerial delivery task teams, he said.

Similarly, the president directed the Head of Service to, as a matter of urgency, invest in capacity strengthening of the Planning, Research and Statistics Departments in all MDAs.

This should be done in collaboration with the Central Delivery Coordinating Unit, he said.

While underscoring the need for synergy between the fiscal and monetary authorities, the president assured Nigerians that his administration would continue to implement fiscal measures to improve domestic revenues.

He added that the federal government would continue to mobilise external funding support to build a more resilient economy.

The president pledged that issues around expanding access to quality education, affordable healthcare and productivity of Nigerians would be given priority attention within the period of this administration.

We will sustain all ongoing efforts in rebuilding our health system through targeted investment in the health sector, especially our vaccination drive to halt the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

This administration remains committed to providing the education and training required for employment and entrepreneurship, particularly using technology to impact the relevant skills on our youths.

Our Social Investment Programmes will be sustained in the coming years.

We will continue to reach out to the poorest and most vulnerable households through the National Cash Transfer Programme and other initiatives of the government, he said.

According to Mr Buhari, the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development has been directed to come up with a legislative framework for social protection that also guarantees its funding stream.

He added that in view of the critical role of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in economic growth and development, efforts would be geared towards removing all bottlenecks that militate against access to government support schemes by SMEs.

Government will adopt a holistic approach to industrialisation that is aligned with Nigerias aspirations and requirements, working closely with key stakeholders in the private sector.

We will continue to support SMEs in view of their multiplier effect on the economy, he said.

Mr Buhari also directed the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning to ensure all relevant MDAs to complete all processes needed for effective take-off of the National Single Window platform by the first quarter of 2022.

The president, who also spoke on the administrations determination to build systems to fight corruption and improve governance, said: We will continue to address the issues that foster corruption and impair transparency in the management of public resources.

Efforts will be geared towards improving coordination and synergy between anti-corruption agencies, he said

On infrastructure, the president promised that the federal government would prioritise funding and ensure that all high priority ongoing infrastructure projects are completed before the end of this administration.

He announced that the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund would continue to support the delivery of legacy infrastructure projects across the country.

On his assessment of the retreat, the president said: I am confident that the lessons we have learned in the last two years of implementing our policies, programmes and projects will serve as the needed tool to propel every Ministry to remain committed, towards the achievement of our developmental objectives.

Mr Buhari commended the SGF, Boss Mustapha, and his team for successfully organising the retreat, as well as the resource persons that added immense value to the process.

The Nine Priority areas set out by the administration include building a thriving and sustainable economy, enhancing social inclusion and poverty reduction; enlarging agricultural output for food security and export as well as attaining energy sufficiency in power and petroleum products.

Others are expanding transport and other infrastructural development, business growth, entrepreneurship and industrialisation; access to quality education, affordable healthcare and productivity of Nigerians.

The administration has also prioritised building a system to fight corruption, improve governance and create social cohesion as well as security for all.

(NAN)
Former Senate President Ken Nnamani has said the upper chamber during his leadership scuttled the third term agenda of Olusegun Obasanjo but failed to amend the 1999 Constitution.

Mr Nnamani, who was Senate President between April 2005 and May 2007, spoke at a media parley in Lagos ahead of the release of his new book.

The book, Standing Strong: Legislative Reforms, Third Term and Other Issues of the 5th Senate, has 14 chapters and 492 pages.

Mr Nnamani said although he was happy that the planned tenure elongation of the then president, Mr Obasanjo, was truncated, the Senate missed an opportunity to amend the constitution.

In respecting our constitution, we hold it sacred until amended, he said.

There is need for us to follow our constitution and our own rules.

The book also disclosed part of his background that contributed to actions he took and how he piloted the red chamber.

Checks and balance

Mr Nnamani said he documented his experience and how his leadership served as the bridge between autocracy and democracy.

If there are no checks on a president, there is tendency for him to become a dictator and later an aggressive one, he said.

In the excerpt of the book, Mr Nnamani said attaining executive-legislative balance was one of the challenges Nigeria faced after a move from military rule to democracy.

Olusegun Obasanjo, a former Army General and military head of state, who was elected civilian president did not waste time showing his disdain for the legislature and his impatience with the principle of separation of powers.

He wanted absolute control of all the reins of government, and from the outset, elected to choose and install the leadership of the legislature, probably thinking it was his God-given right as president, the excerpt reads.

Mr Nnamani said the quest for power led to the push for a third term by the former president which the Senate, under his leadership rejected, regardless of manipulations and blackmails.

Mr Obasanjo had denied any involvement in the plan to amend the constitution to give him a third term.

Mr Nnamami said following the crash of the third term bill, it was difficult to work with the then president, but he had to find means to carry on his duties.

Mr Nnamani said he used no attacking phrase or words of abuse in his book, as he has no intention of attacking anyone.

I tried to tell a story of what happened while I was in office, I talked about accountability. It wil help us, researchers and students of political history will find some piece of information there that will help the future.

It is not about challenging anybody or putting anybody down. I tried to show is that both the current and previous regime, if we must advance the country, we must follow due process. If we can follow it, we will cause ourselves less havoc, he said.
On October 1, Nigeria marked its 61st independent anniversary as a notoriously corrupt country that is the most terrorized poverty capital of the world. This does not come as a surprise to many because Nigerias journey to nationhood has been stuttered, halted and eventually put on a reverse mode by its political leadership over the years. The lack of national unity, which is a fundamental condition preceding any form of socio-economic development has been a major factor militating against the realization of the Nigerian dream of a cohesive, strong, peaceful and prosperous nation 61 years after independence.

Convinced that the constituent peoples of Nigeria were irreconcilably different to such an extent that a united, cohesive and strong Nigerian nation could not evolve from the 1914 British created country of Nigeria, Nigerias founding fathers will go on to negotiate an independent country with a federation that is structured along ethno-geographic fault lines. Whilst, the first republic Nigerian federation of three and later four regions substantially satisfied the requirements of fiscal federalism, its structural rigidity along ethno-geographic fault lines, which was without a mechanism for the assimilation and integration of Nigerians wherever they chose to reside outside their region of origin with full political and economic rights extended to them effectively made Nigeria a country of indigenous tribesmen of the over 500 constituent ethnic nationalities and not a nation of citizens.

As a representative constitutional democracy, the first republic federation, which was structured along ethno-geographic fault lines inevitably, gave rise to a political culture of ethnic, regional and religious identity. And with identity politics becoming entrenched in the polity meant that the democratic leadership recruitment process of Nigerias political leaders will be primarily determined by primordial sentiments of ethnicity, region of origin and religion. Consequently, the post independent political leadership class of Nigeria in their bid to retain their privileged positions devised sundry means to deepen the dividing ethno-geographic fault lines by influencing their respective peoples to always align their democratic choices with their ethnicity, region or religion. This was how a solid foundation for a Nigerian state that will be increasingly weakened by the ravages of identity politics up until 2021 was laid and concretised 61 years earlier at its independence in 1960.

Unfortunately, Nigeria will once again embrace identity politics following the transition from military to civil democratic rule in 1999. Retrogressive in nature, identity politics is divisive, parochial and bigoted and negates every norm of modern nation building. And if identity politics is allowed to take root in the political system of any country, as has been the case of Nigeria in the 21 years of democracy, it will spread like a cancerous cell and sap life out of that country. Sadly, after 21 years of civil democratic rule in Nigeria the promise of dividends of democracy in the form of improved welfare and security of lives and properties remain largely elusive no thanks to the collective wrong choices of Nigerians aligning their democratic choices with their ethnicity, region and religion.

The purveyance of identity politics has made Nigerians both accomplices and victims of corruption induced economic dislocation and heightened insecurity. In identity politics the seeds of corruption were sown. This is so because the only reward system for identity politics is patronage at the expense of the public treasury. Therefore, such corrupt practices as nepotism, cronyism, tribalism, favouritism and all other forms of sectionalism are legitimate cultural tools by the elected and appointed representatives of the over 500 ethno-geographic groupings in government to extract from the common wealth [national cake] to their respective sections of the country. In Nigeria, corruption is normalized by culture, sanctified by religion, rationalized by intellectuals and affirmed by politicians hence intractable. If the principle of zoning and rotation of elected and appointive offices among the competing ethno-geographic groupings in Nigeria that was adopted by the fourth republic political leaders was intended to ensure the equitable distribution of resources, then it not only failed to achieve the objective but actually resulted into the equitable distribution of loot by conniving political leaders from all divides. Consequently, Nigerias identity driven political process has degenerated into a criminal franchise of power grab by the political elite for self service at the expense of the public treasury to the detriment of public service.

While Nigeria may not be a failed state yet, the country is undoubtedly exhibiting mild symptoms of state failure, which includes but not limited to [a] the loss of control of its territories and the monopoly of the use of legitimacy of force within those territories, [b] increasing erosion of legitimate authority to make collective decisions and [c] inability to adequately provide public services. It is important to note that the causative pathogen for the afore mentioned symptoms of state failure, is always and almost the inability of failed states to resolve their question of national identity as a means of achieving a united, just, fair, egalitarian and strong nation state. From British India, Somalia, Sudan to Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen, the absence of a political leadership that is able to rise above primordial sentiments of ethnicity, region and religion to build a nation where fairness, equity, justice and peace reigns is primarily responsible for state failure. Nigeria and troubled countries such as Yemen, Syria, Sudan, Lebanon and Iraq have something strikingly in common; their leadership recruitment processes are firmly hinged on the politics of ethno-geographic and religious identity, which has given rise to sectional, parochial, clannish, bigoted and divisive leadership.

Many Historians and political commentators have attributed Nigerias problem of identity dissonance to the British colonial misadventure of lumping together different peoples without much in common into a single geographic entity by the amalgamation act of 1914. Variously described as a mere geographic expression that was a mistake Nigeria it would seem was programed to fail even before its beginning. However, contrary to the entrenched narrative that says Nigeria is a country of people with too much irreconcilable difference to be a united nation, historical, cultural, linguistic, anthropological and sociological evidences suggests otherwise.

The peoples of Nigeria long before the British amalgamation of 1914 shared deep and close cultural, linguistic and traditional ties within a common geographic area extending beyond the borders of modern Nigeria into Benin, Niger, Cameroun and Chad republics. A mostly mono racial [Black] people, the various ethnic groups, tribes and kingdoms of pre-colonial Nigeria have interacted through diplomacy, trade and war fare; interactions that served as a means of assimilation and integration of the peoples of Nigeria long before British colonial incursion into continental Africa. There was a pre-existing traditional citizenship system in pre-colonial Nigeria, which allowed for the seamless assimilation and integration of individuals, families and communities wherever they chose to reside within Nigeria of old. If diversity is to be measured in term of the racial composition of a geographic entity, then a mono racial Nigeria hardly qualifies to described as a diverse country. Nigeria is best described as plural country because the various ethnic groupings such as Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, Ijaw, Nupe, Igala, Tiv, Kanuri etc., are simply a plurality of the same one big Black African linguist and cultural family.

Great Britain, Nigerias colonial master was once a Roman colony between 43 and 410 AD. And like the Black mono racial peoples of Nigeria, mono racial White Britain was a plurality of ethnicities. Sir George Goldie who played the biggest role in the formation of modern Nigeria was Scottish just as Flora Shaw, the British essayist whose suggestion was the name Nigeria was of Irish ancestry. At the time of amalgamation of the protectorates of the North and South of Nigeria into one entity in 1914, the British crown was seating on the head of King George V an ethnic German who was the grandson of Queen Victoria by her consort, Prince Albert of Germany through their son King Edward VII. Just as Nigerias founding fathers variously identified as Igbo, Yoruba and Hausa so were their colonial masters individually identifiable by their ethno-geographic ancestry. The difference was in the ability of their colonial masters to rise above primitively rigid territorial identification by adopting the common national identity of their shared geographical entity of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland [British]. As no nation is truly blessed by abundance of human and natural resources, the British were united in their concerted effort to shore up the wealth of their nation through the acquisition of overseas territories to expand trade and investment for the economic benefit of their homeland. The simple economics of colonialism remains the most important lesson unlearnt by the Nigerian people 61 years after independence.

Majeed Dahiru, a public affairs analyst, writes from Abuja and can be reached through dahirumajeed@gmail.com.
The Central Bank of Nigeria announced that it would launch its digital currency, eNaira on October 1, 2021. It did not happen.

In a statement, explaining the change in the October 1 launch date, the apex bank said it did not want the launch in conflict with independence activities and an October 4th date was indicated. October 4 has come and gone and the best the CBN did was release guidelines for the elusive eNaira.

On Sunday October 10, 2021, the CBN announced that the launch is now days away with no definite date given.

The apex bank, under incumbent Governor, Godwin Emefiele, began researching into digital currencies in 2017 but it took the growth of crypto currency transactions, the explosion of the digital economy and Nigerias emergence as one of the biggest digital currency markets in the world for the CBN to pay closer attention.

It did not help that the organisers of the #Endsars protest facilitated their fund-raising via digital currency.

In July, the CBN Governor announced that the initiative tagged Project Giant was in advanced stages and that the apex bank would launch eNaira in October.

A month later the apex bank announced via an August 30, 2021 statement signed by CBNs Director of Corporate Communications, Osita Nwanisobi, that it had selected a technical partner.

The company was identified as Bitt Inc. with headquarters in Barbados.

Bitt Inc., which lists Gabriel Abed as Co-Founder and CEO, hails itself as the Caribbeans leading authority on digital currencies and was, according to the CBN, key to the development and successful launch of the central bank digital currency (CBDC) pilot of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) in April 2021.

The statement noted further that the CBNs selection of Bitt Inc, from among highly competitive bidders, was hinged on the companys technological competence, efficiency, platform security, interoperability, and implementation experience.

The CBN, in the same statement, listed the benefits of a digital currency to include increased cross-border trade, accelerated financial inclusion, cheaper and faster remittance inflows, easier targeted social interventions, as well as improvements in monetary policy effectiveness, payment systems efficiency, and tax collection.

With the eNaira website now live and launch date unknown, many are asking questions especially in the light of what appears to be the opaque nature of the transaction and rush in picking a partner; when was the expression of interest made?

Why was a Nigerian FinTech company not considered especially given the widespread feeling by Nigerian youth about the CBNs war on tech and also since working with a local company could have been an opportunity to prove this wrong.

But lets assume that no Nigerian company was good enough, what do we really know about Bitt Inc? What are the terms and size of the contract? What will be the CBNs stake in the planned Bitt Inc. Nigeria? How experienced can a company that launched its first digital currency as a pilot in April 2021 really be?

One of the reasons the CBN gave for choosing Bitt Inc. was that it successfully launched the central bank digital currency (CBDC) pilot of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) in April 2021.

What the CBN failed to say is that the member countries that make up the ECCB have a total population of about 700,000 (seven hundred thousand) which is less than the aggregated population of Ikeja and Agege.

How can such a company implement a digital currency for a country of 200 million people with active bank accounts put at 79.3 million, according to 2019 estimates?

The questions have become strident following delay in the launch and a September 17, 2020 news reports that the CBN Governor has denied speculations that he is the owner of Bitt Inc.

The CBN governor is quoted as saying Bitt Inc. would establish that company in Nigeria and that the CBN would own a majority stake in the company.
The Lagos State government on Tuesday arraigned Chidinma Ojukwu, the prime suspect, and one other over the murder of Michael Usifo, Super TV CEO.

Ms Ojukwu, and the co-defendant, Adedapo Quadri, were arraigned before Yetunde Adesanya, a judge at the Lagos State High Court.

Ms Ojukwu, a 21-year-old student of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), was arrested by the police on 23 June for killing Mr Usifo at a short-let apartment in Lekki.

Ms Ojukwu, who was dating the deceased, narrated how she stabbed him several times, stole from him and left him in the AirBnB apartment where they were lodged.

She was earlier presented before the magistrate court in Yaba, alongside Mr Quadri for murder offence.

At the court on Tuesday, Ms Ojukwu and Mr Quadri were arraigned on an eight-count charge.

Ms Ojukwus sister, Chioma Egbuchi, was also arraigned for being in possession of a stolen item.

Olayinka Adeyemi, the director of Public Prosecution, led the prosecution team for the Lagos State government.

The three defendants were arraigned on a nine-count charge, the first eight charges for the first two defendants and the ninth charge for Ms Egbuchi.

They all pleaded not guilty to the charges.

While Ms Ojukwu was represented by Onwuka Egwu, the second defendant, Mr Quadri, was represented by Babatope Busari, and Babajide Martins, the director of the Office of Public Defender (OPD), represented Ms Egbuchi.

The first and second defendants were arraigned for the following charges:

 Conspiring to murder contrary to Section 233 Criminal Law, Cap. C17 Vol. 3 Laws of Lagos State, 2015

 Murder contrary to Section 222 Criminal Law, Cap. C17 Vol. 3 Laws of

State, 2015

 Conspiracy to commit Felony to wit: Forgery contrary to Section 411 of the

Criminal Law, Cap. C17 Vol. 3 Laws of Lagos State, 2015

 Making documents without Authority contrary to Section 370 of the Criminal Law, Cap. C17 Vol. 3 Laws of Lagos State, 2015.

 Making documents without authority contrary to Section 370 of

Criminal Law, Cap. C17 Vol. 3 Laws of Lagos State, 2015

 Forgery contrary to Section 365(2)(b) of the Criminal Law, Cap. C17 Vol. 3 Laws of Lagos State, 2015

 Stealing contrary to Section 280 of the Criminal Law, Cap. C17 Vol. 3 Laws of Lagos State, 2015.

Ms Egbuchi, however, was charged with having possession of a thing reasonably suspected to have been stolen contrary to Section 329 of Criminal Law, Cap. C17 Vol. 3 Laws of Lagos State, 2015.

Following the reading of the charges, to which the defendants pleaded not guilty, Mrs Adeyemi urged the court to further remand the defendants.

We shall be applying that all the three defendants further be remanded in prison prior the trial date, she said.

The lawyer to the third defendant, Mr Martins told the court that Ms Egbuchi is not in custody. He prayed the judge to uphold the earlier bail granted to Ms Egbuchi by the magistrate court.

The application, which was unopposed, was granted by the judge.

Mrs Adesanya said in view of the application, the third defendant shall continue to enjoy the bail granted her by the magistrate court.

Mrs Adesanya adjourned the case to November 9, 11, 15, 16, 17, 25, 29 and 30 for trial.
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PRESS-REPUBLICAN ARCHIVESPSUC students gather at the college pond to listen to a jam session, part of the homecoming activities. The instrumentalists, from left, are Charles Bascombe, vocals and guitars; Don Segal, piano; and Peter DiAmica, bass guitar. Not in the picture are Joe Finn, guitar; and Lowell Webber, drums. (1971)
JACKSON [mdash] LTC (R) USAF Robert L. Brand, age 99, died at Jackson Madison County General Hospital after a brief illness. A native of New York City, N.Y., Lt. Colonel Brand was born on July 7, 1922, the son of Edmund and Julia Bigh Brand. He was married to Vivian Brand who preceded him in
Relatives and residents pray during a funeral ceremony for victims of a suicide attack at the Gozar-e-Sayed Abad Mosque in Kunduz, northern Afghanistan, Saturday. The mosque was packed with Shiite Muslim worshippers when an Islamic State suicide bomber attacked during Friday prayers, killing dozens in the latest security challenge to the Taliban as they transition from insurgency to governance. (AP Photo/Abdullah Sahil)
- Rise in prevalence of dental diseases along with increase in geriatric population drives the growth of the global cosmetic dentistry market.

PORTLAND, Ore., Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Cosmetic Dentistry Market by Product Type (Dental Systems & Equipment, Dental Implants, Dental Bridges, Dental Veneers, Dental Crowns, Orthodontic Braces, and Inlays & Onlays), End User (Dental Hospitals & Clinics, Dental Laboratories, and Others), and Age Group (Children and Adults): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20212030." According to the report published by Allied Market Research, the global cosmetic dentistry market was estimated at $14.86 billion in 2020 and is expected to hit $24.38 billion by 2030, registering a CAGR of 5.20% from 2021 to 2030.

For Right Perspective and Competitive Insights, Get Sample Report at: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/14053

Drivers, restraints, and opportunities-

Rise in prevalence of dental diseases along with increase in geriatric population, technological advancements in the cosmetic dentistry, and surge in demand for the same drive the growth of the global cosmetic dentistry market. On the other hand, high cost of dental products & procedures, poor reimbursement policies, and dearth of skilled professionals impede the growth to some extent. However, growth of dental tourism in emerging countries is expected to create lucrative opportunities in the industry.

COVID-19 scenario-

Routine dental care and cosmetic implants were hugely suspended during the pandemic, since dentists as well as patients are always at high risk of cross infection. This, in turn, impacted the global cosmetic dentistry market negatively, especially in the initial phase.

However, the global situation is getting ameliorated and the market is expected to get back to normalcy soon.

The dental systems and equipment segment to retain the lion's share-

On the basis of product type, the dental systems and equipment segment held the major share in 2020, garnering around one-fifth of the global cosmetic dentistry market. Increase in application of novel technologies such as dental CAD/CAM system and other technologies fuel the segment growth.The inlays and outlays segment, on the other hand, is projected to cite the fastest CAGR of 20.8% throughout the forecast period. Rise in dental disorders increases the demand for inlays and outlays to restore the tooth structure. This factor boosts the segment growth.

Do You Have Any Query Or Specific Requirement? Ask to Our Industry Expert: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/14053

The dental hospitals and clinics segment to dominate by 2030-

On the basis of end user, the dental hospitals and clinics segment contributed to the lion's share in 2020, holding around three-fifths of the global cosmetic dentistry market, due to rise in number of dental clinics and increase in number of people opting for cosmetic dentistry procedures in dental clinics and hospitals. However, the dental laboratories segment is projected to manifest the fastest CAGR of 5.50% from 2021 to 2030. This is owing to surge in demand for cosmetic dentistry products and rise in manufacturing of these products in dental laboratories.

North America held the major share in 2020-

By region, the market across North America dominated in 2020, garnering more than two-fifths of the global cosmetic dentistry market, owing to presence of major key players in the countries like the United States. Simultaneously, the Asia-Pacific region is expected to cite the fastest CAGR of 6.50% throughout the forecast period. This is due to growing healthcare infrastructure, increasing prevalence of dental diseases, rising disposable incomes, well-established presence of domestic companies, and aging population in the region.

Key players in the industry-

Align Technology, Inc.

DENTSPLY Sirona

Henry Schein

Kuraray Co. Ltd.

Envista Holdings

Planmeca Group

Roland DG

3M Company

Company Straumann Holdings AG

Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.

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SOURCE Allied Market Research
Industry group supports Commission proposal for fuel excise taxation on energy basis

BRUSSELS, Oct. 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A position paper published by the Methanol Institute (MI) today expresses the association's full support for the European Commission's proposed revision of the Energy Taxation Directive under the Fit for 55 packages. The central feature of the revision introduced in July is the restructuring of EU taxation of fuels to reflect actual energy content and environmental performance, rather than volumetric weight.

"By moving from volumetric excise taxation to an energy content basis, the Commission's proposal effectively provides pricing signals to encourage investment in energy-efficiency and reduced carbon intensity," notes Matthias Olafsson, Methanol Institute's Manager of Government and Public Affairs in Europe and author of the paper. "Moreover, it attains these results in a technology neutral manner, allowing the market to decide which form of alternative energy carriers to use."

The paper includes recommendations to ensure that the reform effectively aligns taxation policy with the climate ambition of the European Green Deal. The trade association encourages policymakers to extend the same minimum tax rate for alternative fuels in maritime transport to fuels in the road vehicle segment. Member States are also discouraged from applying higher rates than the minimums proposed in the directive. Furthermore, the Methanol Institute appeals to policymakers to employ mechanisms to determine fuel taxation on basis of its full environmental profile. "The fuel taxation categories should be based on carbon intensity as determined by lifecycle assessment produced by verified bodies instead of loosely assigning values based on feedstock and combustion process," according to Olafsson.

Under EU legislative procedure, taxation is a national competence, and any amending system will require unanimity among the 27 Member States. One of the key hurdles is the foreseen cost increase of traditional fossil fuels, which may negatively impact consumers. In the position paper, the Methanol Institute encourages policymakers to employ tax revenues towards carrying the cost of the energy transition. "Member States should be empowered to employ energy taxation revenue towards reducing the cost of using renewable and low-carbon fuels to consumers while spurring development and investment in innovative technologies aimed at further reducing emissions from transport."

The full position paper can be accessed here.

About MI

The Methanol Institute (MI) serves as the global trade association for the methanol industry.

SOURCE Methanol Institute (MI)
LONDON, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Federation of St Kitts and Nevis is continuing to strengthen its ties with the African continent, attributed to the commitment made by Foreign Minister Mark Brantley. The minister recently met with his Burkina Faso counterpart, Alpha Barry, to formalise diplomatic relations, agreeing on a mutual visa waiver to facilitate easier travel.

Similarly, Brantley also further developed St Kitts and Nevis' relations with Gabon by establishing a travel agreement with Foreign Minister Pacome Moubelet-Boubeya. The developments occurred within the context of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit, which took place this week in Serbia.

In recent years, Minister Brantley has been key to St Kitts and Nevis expanding its bilateral relations across the globe, propelling the islands' on a global sphere and enabling the nation to have one of the strongest travel prospects in the region. The last few years have particularly seen a deepening of ties with the African continent with relations established with countries like Mozambique, Djibouti and Rwanda.

"We have talked about a closer connection with Africa. We are of Africa, and many, I believe, have agreed that there ought to be a closer nexus between the Caribbean and Africa and that we ought in every sense to be a part of the so-called sixth region of Africa," Brantley previously noted on the matter.

Aside from a shared identity and history, St Kitts and Nevis has also welcomed a growing number of African investors and businesspeople to settle on the islands through its popular Citizenship by Investment (CBI) Programme. An increasing number of African entrepreneurs are beginning to acknowledge the value of having a second citizenship especially when looking to keep business competitive, access greater travel freedom and higher quality education and healthcare services or simply keeping loved ones safe.

As pioneers of the CBI industry, St Kitts and Nevis remains a top destination for those seeking second citizenship from a trusted and reputable country. The islands launched its Programme in 1984 and have since been recognised as the market's 'Platinum Standard' brand and ranked the world's best programme by the 2021 CBI Index.

Those who choose St Kitts and Nevis gain a wide range of benefits including:

- Increased global mobility

- The right to live, work and study in St Kitts and Nevis

- Alternative business prospects

- The ability to pass down citizenship

A limited time offer is currently operating under St Kitts and Nevis' Sustainable Growth Fund enabling families of up to four to acquire citizenship for the same price as a single applicant. Accounting for a $45,000 price cut, the temporary discount will be available until the end of 2021.

Contact:

[email protected]

+447867942505

www.csglobalpartners.com

SOURCE CS Global Partners
WILMINGTON, Del., Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Economist Impact released the 10th annual Global Food Security Index (GFSI), which revealed a decline in global food security for the second consecutive year. Sponsored by Corteva Agriscience, the GFSI aims to serve as a resource to enable a more resilient and secure food system. Now with a decade of data, the global report highlights critical lessons learned about food security and what it means for the future of the worldwide fight to end hunger.

The GFSI measures the underlying drivers of food security in 113 countries, based on the factors of affordability, availability, quality and safety, and natural resources and resilience. It considers 58 unique food security indicators including income and economic inequality, gender inequality, and environmental and natural resources inequality  calling attention to systemic gaps and actions needed to accelerate progress toward United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) #2 - Zero Hunger by 2030.

"The GFSI looks beyond hunger to identify the underlying factors affecting food insecurity around the world," said Tim Glenn, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, Corteva Agriscience. "Corteva is addressing many of the challenges raised in the report head on by delivering innovative solutions farmers need to sustainably meet their productivity goals and by working together with collaborators across the globe to strengthen the integrity of food systems."

"Over the past decade, the GFSI has provided global leaders and stakeholders across the food system with data-driven insights and evidence necessary for formulating the policies and programs that drive progress on food security worldwide," said Pratima Singh, Head of the Global Food Security Index at Economist Impact. "The index shows that, while countries have made significant strides toward addressing food insecurity in the past ten years, food systems remain vulnerable to economic, climatic, and geopolitical shocks. Action is imperative at all levels--local, national, and global--to end hunger and malnourishment and ensure food security for all."

Key Findings from the 2021 Economist Impact Global Food Security Index:

Global Food Security Declines for Second Consecutive Year. According to Economist Impact, the 2021 GFSI shows that the depth and breadth of global food has increased globally. The 2021 findings show that after seven years of progress towards SDG #2, global food security has decreased for the second year in a row.

The Economist Impact global report stated the compounding effect of the following factors are consecutively driving scores in the Index and the correlation to the accelerated decrease in food security:

The COVID-19 pandemic;

Intensifying climate-related factors;

Nutrition;

Price volatility of food; and

Lack of government agricultural investment.

According to Economist Impact, the Index shows that the drivers of food security are broad and now represent a systemic, multinational challenge with impacts spanning both low- and high-income and resourced nations.

Corteva continues to leverage its global innovation and expertise, together with tools focused on helping farmers improve local productivity, with the ultimate goal of helping secure global food systems and enabling long-term sustainability of agriculture worldwide.

Climate Resilience and the Protection of Natural Resources Critical to Global Food Security. According to Economist Impact, in 2021 and for the 10 years prior, threats from climate volatility and deteriorating natural resources pose a significant challenge to future security. Corteva Agriscience's long-term commitment to sustainability helps equip farmers with the solutions needed to meet global population demands.

In its global report, Economist Impact stated that the Index shows that to meet these present and emerging future challenges requires that investments in food security are sustained  from innovation in climate-resilient crop yields to investing in programs to assist the most vulnerable.

Register here to join the global virtual launch event on Tuesday, October 12 at 9:00 a.m. ET.

About Corteva Agriscience

Corteva, Inc. (NYSE: CTVA) is a publicly traded, global pure-play agriculture company that provides farmers around the world with the most complete portfolio in the industry  including a balanced and diverse mix of seed, crop protection and digital solutions focused on maximizing productivity to enhance yield and profitability. With some of the most recognized brands in agriculture and an industry-leading product and technology pipeline well positioned to drive growth, the company is committed to working with stakeholders throughout the food system as it fulfills its promise to enrich the lives of those who produce and those who consume, ensuring progress for generations to come. Corteva became an independent public company on June 1, 2019 and was previously the Agriculture Division of DowDuPont. More information can be found at www.corteva.com.

Follow Corteva on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.

About Economist Impact

Economist Impact combines the rigour of a think-tank with the creativity of a media brand to engage a globally influential audience. We believe that evidence-based insights can open debate, broaden perspectives and catalyze progress. The services offered by Economist Impact previously existed within The Economist Group as separate entities, including EIU Thought Leadership, EIU Public Policy, EIU Health Policy, Economist Events, EBrandConnect and SignalNoise.

   Trademarks and service marks of Corteva Agriscience and its affiliated companies.

SOURCE Corteva, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.corteva.com


IRVING, Texas, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- 7Eleven, Inc., the world's largest convenience retailer with more than 77,000 stores worldwide, has signed a master franchise agreement with Electra Consumer Products Ltd. to develop and operate 7Eleven stores in Israel. Electra is a subsidiary of ELCO LTD. (TASE: ELCO), a leading Israeli company with a multi-faceted portfolio of business interests. The expansion marks the 7-Eleven brand's first entry into Israel and will be the 19th country in which 7-Eleven stores will operate.

The first 7Eleven convenience stores in Israel are expected to open in 2022. The 7Eleven brand's entry into the country will bring greater convenience to shoppers with its signature small-retail environment and internationally popular products, beverages, snacks and immediately consumable fresh foods.

"When looking to enter a new retail segment, we knew we wanted a company that had the experience and international reputation to deliver a first-class experience for Israeli customers. 7-Eleven introduced the world to convenience retailing and, today, is the undisputed international leader in the industry. As we begin to introduce 7-Eleven stores to neighborhoods across Israel, we are dedicated to offering the best shopping experience and products available," said Electra Consumer Products CEO Zvika Schwimmer.

7Eleven will support Electra Consumer Products to implement and localize the brand's unique retail business model.

"With its vibrant growing population and continued economic expansion, Israel presents an ideal location for 7-Eleven stores to grow," said 7-Eleven, Inc. President and CEO Joe DePinto. "Our strategic relationship with Electra Consumer Products will bring 7-Eleven's brand of convenient products and services to millions of Israeli consumers."

In addition to Israel, 7-Eleven recently entered the country of India with its first store there opening in Mumbai. Other countries and regions with a 7-Eleven presence include the United States, Canada, Mexico, Japan, Thailand, South Korea, Taiwan, China, the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Viet Nam, Cambodia, Australia, Norway, Sweden and Denmark.

Around the globe, 7-Eleven stores' mission is the same: to give customers what they want, when, where and how they want it. Soon, Israeli consumers will be able to experience first-hand 7-Eleven's trademark "Everyday Quality and Convenience."

About 7-Eleven, Inc.

7-Eleven, Inc. is the premier name in the convenience-retailing industry. Based in Irving, Texas, 7-Eleven operates, franchises and/or licenses more than 77,000 stores in 18 countries and regions, including 16,000 in North America. In addition to 7-Eleven stores, 7-Eleven, Inc. operates and franchises Speedway, Stripes, Laredo Taco Company and Raise the Roost Chicken and Biscuits locations. Known for its iconic brands such as Slurpee, Big Bite and Big Gulp, 7-Eleven has expanded into high-quality sandwiches, salads, side dishes, cut fruit and protein boxes, as well as pizza, chicken wings and mini beef tacos. 7-Eleven offers customers industry-leading private brand products under the 7-Select brand including healthy options, decadent treats and everyday favorites at an outstanding value. Customers can earn and redeem points on various items in stores nationwide through its 7Rewards loyalty program with more than 50 million members, place an order in the 7NOW delivery app in over 2,000 cities, or rely on 7-Eleven for bill payment service, self-service lockers and other convenient services. Find out more online at www.7-Eleven.com , via the 7Rewards customer loyalty platform on the 7-Eleven mobile app, or on social media at Facebook , Twitter and Instagram .

SOURCE 7-Eleven, Inc.
CHICAGO, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) has selected six outstanding individuals to participate in its 2021-2022 Visiting Scholars Program. Launched in 2014, the one-year, part-time Visiting Scholars Program supports early-career physicians and researchers in scholarship and leadership development in the fields of physician assessment, continuing professional development and practice improvement, initial and continuing board certification, and related health policy issues.

ABMS Visiting Scholars are selected based on the quality of their proposed research project, the relevance of their research to the ABMS mission and the certification community, and the likelihood of making substantial progress on the project during the scholar year. Focused areas of interest for the certification community include diagnostic accuracy, competency-based medical education and assessment, racial equity and diversity in health care and quality improvement.

"From health care disparity to competency and professionalism, the selected research projects will explore and advance some of the most pressing issues in healthcare and certification," stated Greg Ogrinc, MD, MS, Senior Vice President, Certification Standards and Programs. "The results of these projects will deepen our understanding of how to best help physicians develop their skills and gain experience, which will positively impact the quality, safety, and value of patient care."

To date, 44 Visiting Scholars have participated in the program. During the yearlong program, ABMS Visiting Scholars remain at their home institutions, work with self-selected mentors, and participate in monthly interactive webinars with national leaders in such areas as medical education, assessment, professionalism, research methodologies, and big data. They traditionally attend three in-person leadership meetings and present their research findings before a national audience at the annual ABMS Conference. During the COVID-19 pandemic, these in-person meetings and presentations are being hosted virtually.

The 2021-2022 Visiting Scholars and their projects are:

Asma Ali , PhD, MA, ERM , Advanced Health Professions Education Evaluation and Research Fellow, Michael E. Debakey Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center ( Houston, TX )



Project : Toward an Updated Definition of Professionalism and Competencies for Post-Training Physicians (Co-sponsored by the American Board of OtolaryngologyHead and Neck Surgery)





, Advanced Health Professions Education Evaluation and Research Fellow, Michael E. Debakey Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center ( ) (Co-sponsored by the American Board of OtolaryngologyHead and Neck Surgery) Holly Caretta-Weyer, MD, MHPE, Associate Residency Director, Department of Emergency Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine ( Stanford, CA )



Project : Mapping Assessment Gaps and Defining Processes for Summative Entrustment Decision-Making by Clinical Competency Committees in Emergency Medicine





Associate Residency Director, Department of Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine ( ) Benjamin Cloyd , MD, MIPH, Clinical Lecturer, Department of Anesthesiology, University of Michigan (Ann Arbor , MI)



Project : The Association of Participation in the MOCA-ASPIRE Part IV Collaborative Program and Change in Quality of Care Metrics (Co-sponsored by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation)





Clinical Lecturer, Department of Anesthesiology, , MI) (Co-sponsored by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation) Stacy Cooper , MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University ( Baltimore, MD )



Project : A Pilot Analysis of an Exclusively Narrative Format to Assign ACGME Milestone Sub competency Scores





Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics, ( ) Saanie Sulley, MD, PhD, Lead Researcher/Data Manager, National Healthy Start Association ( Washington, DC )



Project : Understanding physicians' perspectives on the effectiveness of multidisciplinary quality improvement (QI) strategies to address disparities in maternal health. (Co-sponsored by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation)





Lead Researcher/Data Manager, National Healthy Start Association ( ) (Co-sponsored by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation) Thomas Utset-Ward , MD, MBA, Resident, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, The University of Chicago ( Chicago, IL )



Project : Pilot Study on the Use of the ABOS Surgical Skills Assessment Tool to Inform Resident Milestones in the First Year of Milestones 2.0 (Co-sponsored by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery)

"Four of these research projects are supported by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, and the American Board of OtolaryngologyHead and Neck Surgery," said Dr. Ogrinc. "Their generous sponsorship helps us to sustain this program and offer more early-career physicians access to this valuable opportunity."

Applications for the 2022-2023 Visiting Scholars Program will be available January 2022 on the ABMS website.

About ABMS

Established in 1933, the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) is the leading not-for profit organization overseeing physician certification in the United States. ABMS supports 24 Member Boards that develop educational and professional standards and programs of assessment to certify physician specialists, all dedicated to improving the quality of care to the patients, families, and communities they serve. More than 920,000 physicians are certified in one or more of 40 specialties and 87 subspecialties offered by the ABMS Member Boards. For more information about ABMS, visit abms.org or call (312) 436-2600.

SOURCE American Board of Medical Specialties

Related Links

http://www.abms.org


The first SAB are composed of well-known top experts and scholars with profound academic attainments in the fields of medicine and research & development at home and abroad, and its members include Dr. Tomas Salmonson, an internationally well-known expert in drug development and regulatory science, and the former chairman of the CHMP, EMA, Professor Zhang Shuyang, Dean of Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chairman of the National Expert Committee on Rare Diseases Diagnosis, Treatment and Guarantee of the National Health Commission of the PRC, Deputy Director and Secretary General of China Alliance for Rare Diseases, and Director of National Quality Control Center for Rare Diseases, and Dr. Lee S. Simon, a senior rheumatologist and senior consultant in drug development in the United States, and former Division Director of the Analgesia, Anti-inflammatory, and Ophthalmic Treatments of CDER, FDA.

The first SAB aims to bring together outstanding experts, scholars and other scientific research forces around the world to provide comprehensive, authoritative, objective and professional strategic guidance and suggestions for Winhealth Pharma, and jointly solve key issues encountered in the medical innovation process by Winhealth Pharma during its relentless pursuit of meeting patients' needs. In addition, it will further explore the development of innovative drugs in China by leveraging the group's own strengths.

"We are very happy and honored to invite these three outstanding experts from around the world to join our SAB. As the highest academic consulting and review institution of Winhealth Pharma, the SAB undoubtedly plays a pivotal role in our company, from research & development in key innovation fields to the continuous advancement of the ever-enriching product pipeline. It is a significant milestone for us. I believe that with the establishment and further development of the SAB, we will deliver more breakthrough achievements in the research & development of innovative drugs focusing on rare diseases and other special drugs, and bring effective and innovative products with good quality to patients at home and abroad. We look forward to creating more new treatments to cure patients, addressing more health-related needs, and generating more social value in the future!" said Wang Wei, the Founder, Chairman and CEO of Winhealth Pharma.

By always staying true to the original aspiration of "patient come first", Winhealth Pharma Group will leverage its cutting-edge global innovative medical resources and make its own contributions to the improvement of global health and quality of human life.

Brief introduction on expert members of SAB, Winhealth Pharma

Dr. Tomas Salmonson (Sweden, the Chairman of SAB, Winhealth Pharma)

Dr. Salmonson served as the chairman of the CHMP, EMA for two consecutive terms from 2012 to 2018. With a high reputation, he has worked in drug regulatory agencies in Sweden and the EMA for more than 30 years. Currently, he is a partner of the Consilium Salmonson & Hemmings, Sweden. He was a member of CHMP representing Sweden from 1999 to 2012. During the last 10 years at the CHMP, he represented the EU at the ICH Steering/Management Committee and the ICH Assembly. Dr. Salmonson obtained his PhD degree (PhD) from Department of Medicine, Uppsala University, Sweden in 1990, and his master's degree (Pharmacy) from Uppsala University, Sweden in 1986. He did research at the University of California, San Francisco in the mid-1980s.

Dr. Salmonson is productive in different fields such as pharmacokinetics and regulatory science, and has published more than 60 articles and monographs. He won the DIA Outstanding Health Contribution Award in 2016, the Swedish Pharmacist of the Year Award in 2017, and the TOPRA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018 commending his outstanding contributions to regulatory science and regulatory process.

Professor Zhang Shuyang (China)

Professor Zhang Shuyang serves as the Dean of Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Deputy Dean of the Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, tenured professor of Peking Union Medical College, Chairman of the National Expert Committee on Rare Diseases Diagnosis, Treatment and Guarantee of the National Health Commission, Deputy Director and Secretary General of China Alliance for Rare Diseases, and Director of National Quality Control Center for Rare Diseases. Relying on the national key research & development plan, and focusing on difficult issues such as the diagnosis, evaluation, and prevention of rare diseases, she takes the lead in building the first national rare diseases information management platform, establishing a national three-level collaborative network for diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases, promoting the development of first rare disease catalog, releasing the "Guidelines for Diagnosis & Treatment of Rare Diseases 2019" and "Survey Report on Patients with Rare Diseases", and exploring the comprehensive diagnosis and treatment model of "multi-omics atlas + multi-disciplinary diagnosis and treatment" for rare diseases in China. With those great efforts, the world's largest rare diseases diagnosis and treatment collaboration system has been initially established in China.

Lee S. Simon MD, FACP, MACR (United States)

Dr. Simon is a senior rheumatologist in the United States. He used to serve as the Division Director of the analgesia, anti-inflammatory and ophthalmic treatment fields, CDER, FDA (2001-2003). Appointed as the director of the American Academy of Rheumatology for two consecutive terms, and taking roles in multiple FDA advisory committees, he has extensive experience in drug development. Dr. Simon is a member of the executive committee involved in the development of celecoxib, a senior consultant for the development of COX-2 inhibitors in Pharmacia/Searle (acquired by Pfizer Inc.), and used to serve as the chairman of the international COX-2 inhibitor research group. He is the chairman of the data and safety monitoring board (DSMB) for numerous clinical trials, including nine randomized controlled trials for rheumatoid arthritis, two trials for IgA nephropathy, and two trials for idiopathic thrombocytopenia. He is a member of DSMB for several systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) trials and innovative pain therapy trials. Dr. Simon graduated from the Baltimore Medicine School, University of Maryland in 1976, and used to work in the Department of Rheumatology at Harvard Medical School. He is a member of the editorial board of several professional journals, authored more than 110 original publications, reviews and book chapters, and edited several textbooks.

About Winhealth Pharma

Hong Kong Winhealth Pharma Group is a China-based, global innovative biomedical company founded in 2006, providing novel breakthrough therapies to patients with rare diseases and other unmet medical needs. The Group has established long-term strategic partnership with dozens of world-leading biotechnology companies, including Immedica, Roche, Pfizer, Kyowa Kirin, Shionogi, Cumberland Pharmaceutical, and Daiichi-Sankyo. It has built a unique, balanced and diversified portfolio with numerous orphan drugs and specialty products at commercial and late clinical stages, and will continuously look to bring in more innovative therapies from the globe. For more information, please visit http://www.winhealth.hk, or follow "Winhealth Pharma" on WeChat.

Join Us

We are always looking for like-minded partners. If you are also focused on medical innovation, drug research and development and believe that innovation can provide more positive and effective options for patients, we invite you to join us and work together to create more curative approaches and bring more hope for patients!

For more job information, please visit: http://en.winhealth.hk/. Resume submission email: [email protected]

SOURCE Winhealth Pharma
Jesus Susunaga Acosta, a longtime master distiller and passionate advocate for the category, has been selected to lead at the Casa San Nicolas tequila distillery, where he will uphold the incredible legacy of Espolon's legendary, founder, Cirilo Oropeza. The new post comes at a time when premium-plus tequila is experiencing a growing demand globally for authentic Mexican agave products.

In addition to contributing to the brands' high standards of quality, Jesus will be responsible for shaping the future of tequila innovation for the group at the Arandas plant. He'll also work as a global tequila advocate as he continues to travel and teach about Casa San Nicolas tequilas.

"Shared values with Espolon's founder are among the many reasons Jesus is a natural fit for the ensemble of brands," remarks Julka Villa, Managing Director, Global Strategic Marketing of Spirits at Campari Group. "Jesus has a keen understanding of the tequila industry overall and has shown himself to be a thought-leader in innovation and premiumization, two major trends that only have the potential to grow."

Brand advocacy work comes naturally to Jesus, who has a proven knack for connecting with people inside and out of the industry. A native of Veracruz, with a deep passion for tequila, he acquired a wide knowledge on distillation throughout his extensive travels around the world. Over the years, he's spent time at distilleries in Scotland, France, Brazil, Italy, England, the Caribbean and elsewhere, learning from masters of local tradition.

His education, coupled with his respect for tequila's heritage and the regulations designed to maintain it, inform his creative approach to making agave spirits. "I want to use all my experience in tequila and all the other spiritsrum and vermouth and vodkaand see how we can apply those traditions on the tequila side. There's so much room for innovationwithin the tequila regulations, of course," says Jesus, who, in addition to a past roles as Maestro Tequilero, master blender and production manager at a tequila distillery has also managed a rum plant and a facility specializing in vermouth and liqueurs. "Maybe it means doing something with finishing or exploring different casks. There's really just no end to the perspectives. To create something new, it has to be within the framework of tequila regulations, but it also, has to be new, it needs to be creative."

As the new Maestro Tequilero, Jesus invokes a fresh and innovative perspective along with formidable experience in understanding tradition and tequila creation. His vast experience has afforded him intimate knowledge and know-how across several spirits categories. In his previous roles, he traveled the globe continuously, studying different terroirs, blends and trends that earned him the expertise and mastery needed to drive innovation forward and write the next chapter in Tequila.

He is also a professor at Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara, the university where he obtained his Masters in Tequila Processing, a job that allows him to fulfill another one of his passions: educating a new generation of agave enthusiasts and tequila producers.

ABOUT THE CAMPARI GROUP

Campari Group is a major player in the global spirits industry, with a portfolio of over 50 premium and super premium brands, spreading across Global, Regional and Local priorities. Global Priorities, the Group's key focus, include Aperol, Appleton Estate, Campari, SKYY, Wild Turkey and Grand Marnier. The Group was founded in 1860 and today is the sixth-largest player worldwide in the premium spirits industry. It has a global distribution reach, trading in over 190 nations around the world with leading positions in Europe and the Americas. The Group's growth strategy aims to combine organic growth through strong brand building and external growth via selective acquisitions of brands and businesses.

Headquartered in Milan, Italy, Campari Group owns 22 plants worldwide and has its own distribution network in 21 countries. The Group employs approximately 4,000 people. The shares of the parent company Davide Campari-Milano N.V. (Reuters CPRI.MI - Bloomberg CPR IM) have been listed on the Italian Stock Exchange since 2001. For more information: www.camparigroup.com/en

Please enjoy our brands responsibly.

SOURCE Campari Group
IRVINE, Calif. and NEW YORK, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Acorns Grow Incorporated ("Acorns"), the investing app that has helped its customers invest more than $9.6 billion, has appointed seasoned investment manager, Seth Wunder, CFA, as its first Chief Investment Officer (CIO) ahead of its expected public listing.

Wunder joins Acorns with a proven track record as an entrepreneur and established portfolio manager. Most recently, Wunder founded and served as the sole portfolio manager for black-and-white Capital. Before building black-and-white Capital in Los Angeles, Wunder was a founding partner and portfolio manager at Contour Asset Management in New York. He led both firms to grow from modest beginnings to more than $1.2 billion AUM each. Wunder started his investing career more than two decades ago at Morgan Stanley Investment Management focused on the technology sector.

"We see a huge and novel opportunity to give our customers the ability to get more active while staying diversified," said Noah Kerner, CEO of Acorns. "Seth will fuel our ability to offer new and more customized investment offerings that will let everyday Americans be more engaged in their financial futures."

As Chief Investment Officer, Wunder will help lead the team to develop and introduce new and more sophisticated investment opportunities, including the ability to customize portfolios by adding individual stocks and cryptocurrencies into diversified portfolios. He'll work closely with Acorns' newly appointed Chief Education and Content Officer, Kennedy Reynolds, to integrate personalized guidance and related educational resources, such as in-app Q&As and interactive learning.

Wunder noted, "Acorns stands apart in the fintech eco-system as the company with a long term vision, driven by the financial best interests of its customers. It's more important than ever to educate investors on the significance of taking a long term view and utilizing techniques like dollar-cost averaging in a diversified portfolio."

Acorns is already a full-stack investment platform, owning the technology from top-to-bottom. In this new role, Wunder will seek to leverage these capabilities by developing proprietary Acorns portfolios. He also plans to assume leadership of the management and operational responsibilities of Acorns' registered investment advisor and broker-dealer subsidiaries. Wunder will also partner with Acorns Investment Committee, chaired by Christopher Jones, former Co-Head of Global Active Equities at BlackRock.

About Acorns

Acorns is how everyday consumers can save & invest for the long term. By putting tools of wealth-making in everyone's hands, Acorns has become the largest subscription service in U.S. consumer finance, serving more than 4 million everyday Americans. Customers get automated investing in diversified portfolios built with help from experts. Acorns easy retirement account allows customers to invest in their future in minutes, no expertise required. To help everyone spend smarter, Acorns introduced banking that invests with every swipe, and cash-forward rewards. And, everyday Americans may invest in their kids and get money news they can use, all from the same app. To date, customers have invested more than $9.6 billion with Acorns, much of it in spare change. From acorns, mighty oaks do grow!

Press Contact

[email protected]

SOURCE Acorns

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SEATTLE, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- ACT Capital Advisors is pleased to announce that its client, Armstrong Relocation & Companies ("Armstrong"), has acquired Amazing Moves, Moving & Storage ("Amazing Moves").

Armstrong is an industry-leading provider of relocation services. Family-owned for multiple generations, Armstrong combines its deep-rooted values with a global footprint to deliver exceptional quality and customer service. Amazing Moves is a white glove Moving & Storage company based in Denver, Colorado. Amazing Moves will continue to operate under its own brand in partnership with Armstrong's Denver operation.

Todd Watson, CEO of Armstrong, said of the merger: "We are thrilled to partner with Marshall, Padraic, and the entire Amazing Moves family. We look forward to building on the great things that Amazing Moves has been doing in the marketplace and are excited to elevate our customers' experience beyond the Denver market."

Marshall Aikman, Co-Owner of Amazing Moves, added, "Padraic and I couldn't be happier about joining a great organization like Armstrong Relocation. Adding our strong Colorado brand to their national footprint will be a success for both of us. We look to the future with forthcoming opportunities."

ACT Capital Advisors' deal team included Managing Directors Todd Harman and Richard Waryn, and Vice President Michael Seeley.

About Armstrong Relocation & Companies

Armstrong Relocation provides moving, relocation, and logistics services to assist in goods and commercial moving, international relocation, and freight forwarding. The Company, founded in 1957, is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee. For more information, please visit https://www.armstrongrelocation.com/.

About Amazing Moves Moving & Storage

Amazing Moves, Moving & Storage is based in Denver, Colorado, and was founded in 2003. The Company offers full-service moving, packing, and storage solutions to residential and commercial clients throughout Colorado. Amazing Moves has trucks to support their full range of services, giving customers the experience of a national company and the flexible, accommodating advantages only a local company could offer. For more information, please visit https://www.amazingmoves.com/.

About ACT Capital Advisors

ACT Capital Advisors is a leading Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) advisory firm representing middle-market companies across all industries. ACT has a 30-year history of deal-making, closing 200+ transactions, and unlocking over $2.5 billion in wealth for its clients. For more information, please visit https://actcapitaladvisors.com/.

SOURCE ACT Capital Advisors

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AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Acumera, a leading provider of software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions for network operation, visualization, and security services has received a strategic growth investment from an affiliate of Peak Rock Capital ("Peak Rock"), a leading middle-market private investment firm.

Acumera's robust, scalable platform provides a full suite of containerized edge computing workloads for security, monitoring, management, analytics, loyalty programs, and more. Its technological offerings secure entire networks, point-of-sale (POS) systems and internet of things (IoT) devices, and safeguard data, maximize uptime, provide device visibility, and simplify compliance for a variety of business enterprises. The company has over 70,000 Edge Computing workloads deployed across its client base with locations in every state in the US and now Canada and Mexico, and is expanding into Europe by the end of the year.

The Acumera management team, which is headquartered in Austin, Texas, will leverage the strategic relationship with Peak Rock to expand its technology and service leadership position in the US and abroad.

Bill Morrow, Acumera's Chairman and CEO said, "At Acumera, we have dramatically grown our service offerings and market position, which is a testament to the proven value of our technology and the tangible benefits it offers our multi-site and corporate clients."

Nick Basso, Managing Director of Peak Rock, said, "Acumera represents a compelling opportunity to invest in a growing technology services platform with a solid leadership position in IoT and edge computing. We are impressed with the strong performance the Acumera team has demonstrated and look forward to partnering with the company to further accelerate their organic and strategic growth."

Bill Morrow added, "We are excited to partner with Peak Rock as we continue to build on our successes and begin our next phase of growth. Peak Rock deeply understands our business and has a strong history of supporting companies and management teams to drive growth, fuel innovation and build leading platforms."

GCA served as financial advisor and Dubois Bryant & Campbell served as legal counsel to Acumera.

ABOUT PEAK ROCK CAPITAL

Peak Rock Capital is a leading middle-market private investment firm that makes equity and debt investments in companies in North America and Europe. Peak Rock's equity investment platform focuses on opportunities where it can support senior management to drive rapid growth and performance improvement, with expertise in corporate carve-outs and partnering with families and founders seeking first-time institutional capital. Peak Rock's credit platform invests across capital structures, with a broad mandate to provide flexible, tailored capital solutions to middle-market and growth-oriented businesses. Peak Rock's real estate platform makes equity and debt investments in small to mid-sized real estate assets in attractive, growing geographies. For further information about Peak Rock Capital, please visit www.peakrockcapital.com .

ABOUT ACUMERA

Acumera is the leading supplier of network operation, visualization, and security services via orchestration of business, networking, and security workloads. Acumera secures entire networks, point-of-sale (POS) systems, and IoT devices and safeguards data, maximizes uptime, provides device visibility, and simplifies compliance for convenience store, healthcare, restaurant, retail, unmanned parking and other businesses. Acumera's robust, scalable platform provides a full suite of containerized edge computing workloads for security, monitoring, management, analytics, loyalty programs, and more. Acumera is listed on the Visa and Mastercard Global Registries of PCI compliant service providers. Learn more at acumera.net .

Acumera, AcuVigil, AcuLink and the Acumera logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Acumera Inc. in the United States and other countries.

Media Contact:

Daniel Yunger / Hallie Wolff

Kekst CNC

[email protected] / [email protected]

SOURCE Acumera
DURHAM, N.C., Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Alcami, a leading United States-based contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), announced today the appointment of Chad Bovero, James Fife, and Tobin Cowart to their senior leadership team. Chad Bovero has been appointed to the role of Vice President, Charleston Sterile Operations. James Fife has been appointed to the role of Vice President, Validations and Metrology. Tobin Cowart has been appointed to the role of Senior Director, Technical Services. "Chad, James, and Tobin bring technical expertise, proven leadership experience, and operational excellence," commented Patrick Walsh, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at Alcami.

Chad Bovero, Vice President of Charleston Parenteral Operations, began his career in the United States Air Force as a Calibration Technician and brings a depth of technical expertise and a track record of leading sterile manufacturing operations. Before joining Alcami in July, Mr. Bovero was the Director of Operations at LSNE Contract Manufacturing. Previously, he held roles as the Filling and Lyophilization Manager at Xellia Pharmaceuticals and Biologic Operations Manager at Pfizer.

James Fife, Vice President of Validations and Metrology, returns to Alcami after spending three years at Exela Pharma Services LLC as Executive Director of Manufacturing Operations and, most recently, as Vice President of New Initiatives and Opportunities. Mr. Fife brings over twenty-five years of sterile manufacturing experience and a successful track record in various leadership roles at Cardinal Health, Akorn Inc., Amylin Pharmaceuticals, and Grand River Aseptic Manufacturing. Mr. Fife is responsible for validations and metrology across Alcami's expanding laboratory and manufacturing operations.

Tobin Cowart, Senior Director of Technical Services, returns to Alcami after spending four years at Exela Pharma Services LLC as Director of Technical Services. Before this, he spent twenty years at AAI Pharma Services (Alcami) in various validation, engineering, process development, manufacturing, and technical service roles. Mr. Cowart, who has over twenty-eight years of pharmaceutical development and manufacturing experience, will oversee the technical transfer of sterile products for Alcami's parenteral manufacturing operations in Charleston, SC, and Morrisville, NC.

"As we continue to expand our capabilities and service offerings, it's imperative that we continue to hire exceptional leaders with technical depth and operational expertise. Chad, James, and Tobin embody these attributes and will be a tremendous resource to our clients," added Ken Domagalski, Chief Operating Officer of Alcami.

About Alcami:

Alcami is a contract development and manufacturing organization headquartered in North Carolina with over 40 years of experience advancing products through every stage of the development lifecycle. Leveraging four US-based scientific campuses, Alcami serves biologics and pharmaceutical companies of all sizes providing customizable and innovative solutions for development, clinical to commercial sterile and oral solid manufacturing, packaging, microbiology and analytical services. Alcami's private equity owners include Madison Dearborn Partners and Ampersand Capital Partners. For more information, please visit alcaminow.com, mdcp.com, or ampersandcapital.com.

SOURCE Alcami Corporation

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http://www.alcaminow.com


FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. and BOCA RATON, Fla., Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The prestigious American Heritage Schools, Broward Campus, is the No. 1 school in Florida and No. 2 private school in the nation for the highest number of National Merit Scholars Semifinalists. The schools' Palm Beach County campus is the No. 1 in Palm Beach County , No. 2 in Florida and No. 5 private school in the nation for the highest number of National Merit Scholars Semifinalists. Their combined students from both campuses comprise 9% of all National Merit Scholars Semifinalists throughout the 2,227 public and private schools in Florida.

American Heritage Schools Palm Beach Campus American Heritage Schools Broward Campus

A combined total of 77 seniors were named National Merit Semifinalists out of the 16,000 Semifinalists in the 67th annual National Merit Scholarship Program. This marks the 12th consecutive year American Heritage Schools has had the highest number of National Merit Semifinalists in Florida. One in four students in the Class of 2022 scored in the top one percent of students in the nation.

"Achieving National Merit Scholar status is one of the most prestigious and honored academic distinctions a high school student can achieve," said Dr. Doug Laurie, president of American Heritage Schools. "Many of the top universities in the nation covet applicants who are National Merit Scholars."

According to the National Merit Scholarship organization, colleges such as Harvard, Stanford, University of Chicago, and Vanderbilt enroll the greatest number of National Merit Scholars. In addition to the millions of dollars in possible scholarships, these bright students now have new opportunities for college and confidence about their futures.

"Becoming a National Merit Finalist was a stepping stone on my way to attending Dartmouth and ultimately Harvard Medical School," said American Heritage Schools Class of 2014 alum Dylan Cahill. "It gave me the tools to excel on future exams and the confidence as a student to propel me forward in my journey to medical school."

American Heritage Schools is the No. 1 private school in Florida for nationally-recognized scholars in math competition, science fair, mock trial, moot court, and speech and debate. Alumni are notable leaders in their chosen fields who are generating positive differences in the world. American Heritage Schools is an independent, non-sectarian, co-educational, college preparatory school in South Florida serving grades Pre-K3 to 12.

For more information about the National Merit Scholarship Program and American Heritage Schools, click here to register for its fall virtual open houses. Dates and times for the online events are as follows:

Broward Campus : October 23, 2021  12:00 p.m. for grades Pre-K36; 2:00 p.m. for grades 712.

:  12:00 p.m. for grades Pre-K36; for grades 712. Palm Beach Campus: October 19, 2021  9:00 a.m. for grades Pre-K35; October 23 , 10:00 a.m. for grades 612.

About American Heritage Schools: American Heritage Schools, founded in 1965, is a nationally-ranked private, nonsectarian, and co-educational college preparatory day school with two 40-acre campuses: one in Plantation, Florida; and one in Delray Beach, Florida. Its campuses serve approximately 4,650 students in Pre-K3 through 12th grades; the student body represents over 60 different countries throughout the world. Approximately 70 percent of the faculty hold postgraduate degrees. American Heritage Schools is nationally and internationally accredited by the following associations: Association of Independent Schools of Florida (AISF), Middle States Association (MSA-CESS), and National Council for Private Schools. The Lower School includes advanced classes and 15 electives, and the Upper School offers over 300 courses with 138 honors classes, 28 Advanced Placement classes, and 75 fine arts classes. Pre-professional programs are offered in pre-med , pre-law , pre-engineering , biomedical engineering , and computer science that are taught daily by doctors, surgeons, lawyers, judges, engineers, and computer scientists currently practicing in their fields. For 12 years, American Heritage Schools has been ranked the No. 1 high school in Florida for the highest number of National Merit Scholars, and the school is home to the No. 1 math competition team out of all private schools in the U.S. The Model UN team is top 5 in the nation, and the Speech and Debate team is in the top 1% in the nation. It is ranked among the top private schools in Florida in STEM, according to Niche. Its Science Research Institute enables students to conduct research on real-world problems, and its students have earned international recognition for their findings.

For more information about American Heritage Schools, visit its website or email [email protected] .

Broward Campus: (954) 472-0022 ext. 3021 or email [email protected]

Palm Beach Campus: (561) 495-7272 ext. 219 or email [email protected]

Media Contact:

Duree & Company, Inc.

954.723.9350 / [email protected]

SOURCE American Heritage Schools
ATLANTA, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- With the Delta variant delaying many companies' plans to re-open their workplaces, nearly three-fourths (73%) of American workers remain concerned about the level of workplace safety standards and cleanliness as protection against COVID-19, according to a new Randstad USA survey. The findings strongly suggest that workers are most concerned about factors outside of their control  and that employers and business leaders will be responsible for mitigating those concerns.

More than one-in-three workers (38%) would like to see their employer require proof of vaccination before re-opening their workplace, while a similar percentage (34%) consider the behavior of their coworkers their first or second concern about on-site work. Nearly one-in-four workers (23%) cite uncertainty regarding the vaccination status of their colleagues as their top concern.

The findings are part of Randstad USA's Next Normal omnibus survey, which is designed to take a snapshot of worker perspectives on an unprecedented American labor market. The survey captures their thoughts on their work lives, expectations, and concerns about the pandemic.

"After the uncertainty they've experienced over the last 18 months, American workers are signifying that they are still counting on their employers for stability and workplace safety," said Karen Fichuk, CEO of Randstad North America and Randstad N.V. executive board member. "Workers are looking to their employers for clear leadership in communicating the company's COVID-19 protocols and ensuring that all workers follow those standards - not always a simple task. This comes at a time when employers are juggling other priorities like implementing new benefits and enabling more flexible schedules, alongside recruitment and retention challenges amid the continued tight labor market."

The majority of people also do not miss working in an office. Most workers (62%) who were able to work off-site during the pandemic do not miss the office  though they do miss in-person interaction with colleagues  and the vast majority (81%) believe they are more productive or as productive as they were prior to COVID-19. At the same time - in what is a bright spot for employers - nearly three-in-four (73%) will not look for a new job if their boss mandates a return to the office full time.

The new survey data is consistent with previous Randstad USA studies, which have found that US workers are expecting new benefits and perks from their employer. Nearly one-in-four American workers (23.8%) consider flexible hours as the most important benefit, and one-in-five rank childcare or stipend benefits as their most important benefit.

For additional survey findings, please see here .

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Research findings are based on a project programmed and fielded by Dynata. The project was fielded in the US labor market from August 23-August 25, 2021 and targeted gen pop respondents over the age of 18. For this survey, 1,227 respondents were asked about their type of employment, working environment expectations and experiences in their workplaces in the past year. Dynata aimed for a Census balanced sample across gender, age, region, race, education and income.

ABOUT RANDSTAD

Randstad North America, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Randstad N.V., a 20.7 billion global provider of flexible work and human resources services. As a trusted human partner in the technology-driven world of talent, we combine the expertise and passion of our employees with some of the most innovative HR technologies on the market today to advance the careers and business success of our candidates and clients.

Randstad's North American operations comprise nearly 5,700 associates and a deployed workforce of more than 86,000 in the U.S. and Canada. In addition to staffing and recruitment, Randstad offers outsourcing, consulting and workforce management solutions for generalist and specialist disciplines, including technology, engineering, accounting and finance, clinical and non-clinical healthcare, human resources, legal, life sciences, manufacturing and logistics, office and administration and sales and marketing. Global concepts available to North American client companies include RPO, MSP, integrated talent solutions, payrolling and independent contractor management and career transition services. Learn more at www.randstadusa.com or www.randstad.ca .

SOURCE Randstad US
NORTH BRUNSWICK, N.J., Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Inc. magazine revealed that Ascendia Pharmaceuticals rose 3,239 positions on its annual Inc. 5000 list, the most prestigious ranking of the nation's fastest-growing private companies. The list represents a unique look at the most successful companies within the American economy's most dynamic segmentits independent small businesses.

Ascendia Pharma has made the Inc 5000 ranking for the second consecutive year. Tweet this Ascendia Pharma ranks in the 2021 Inc 5000 for the second consecutive year.

Ascendia is a leading pharmaceutical contract formulation development and manufacturing organization (CDMO). It has achieved 333% growth over the past three years, ranking it 1,422 overall in the Inc 5000 rankings. Ascendia was also the 32nd-ranked company in New Jersey and was 130th in the healthcare segment.

"Our ascension up the Inc. 5000 rankings shows the commitment Ascendia has to helping its customers overcome the challenges associated with developing parenteral, oral, and topical dosage forms. Our specialized formulation development and early-stage cGMP manufacturing services for these projects helps make the Insoluble Soluble," said Ascendia founder and CEO Jim Huang, Ph.D.

"We continue to expand our services, such as biologics and the ability to offer fast, flexible, and small-batch size services for first-in-man clinical studies. For example, Ascendia will offer late-stage and commercial cGMP manufacturing in 2022. For these reasons, we are confident that we will continue to meet our growth expectations," concluded Dr. Huang.

Not only have the companies on the 2021 Inc. 5000 been very competitive within their markets, but this year's list also proved especially resilient and flexible given 2020's unprecedented challenges. Among the 5,000, the average median three-year growth rate soared to 543%, and median revenue reached $11.1 million. Together, those companies added more than 610,000 jobs over the past three years.

Complete results of the Inc. 5000, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, region, and other criteria, can be found at https://www.inc.com/inc5000.

"The 2021 Inc. 5000 list feels like one of the most important rosters of companies ever compiled," says Scott Omelianuk, editor-in-chief of Inc. "Building one of the fastest-growing companies in America in any year is a remarkable achievement. Building one in the crisis we've lived through is just plain amazing. This kind of accomplishment comes with hard work, smart pivots, great leadership, and the help of a whole lot of people."

About Inc. Media

The world's most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community to build great companies. Its award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels including web sites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers, and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Vision Conference is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit www.inc.com.

About Ascendia Pharmaceuticals

Ascendia Pharmaceuticals is a specialty pharmaceutical CDMO that provides tailored sterile and non-sterile enabling formulations development along with analytical methods development & validation and cGMP manufacturing for new chemical entities, complex dosage forms, and 505(B)(2) product development, as well as OTCs and nutraceuticals. Ascendia makes the insoluble soluble through a comprehensive suite of pre-formulation, formulation development, cGMP manufacturing, and ICH stability services for parental, oral, and topical dosage forms, using our nano technologies in nanoemulsion, nanoparticles, and amorphous technology platforms. The company built its foundation of success on its customer-centric culture that exudes its BEST philosophy (Brilliant technology, Excellent service, Superior quality, and Trust).

SOURCE Ascendia
MELVILLE, N.Y., Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- AIP Publishing (AIPP) is pleased to announce a new policy to support authors who change their names. Anyone who has published an article on Scitation can now request a name change, privately and for any reason, so that they will continue to receive proper credit for their work.

"People change their names to reflect their gender identities, marital statuses, and religious conversions. Given the pivotal role of publications in academic and research careers, authors need to be able modify their scholarly records. AIP Publishing is proud to join the ranks of leading publishers in offering a simple, discrete solution as a definitive step to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the physical sciences," said Alix Vance, AIP Publishing CEO.

Upon receipt of an email from an author, AIPP will update names, repost articles, and redeliver updated metadata to third-party indexing services. Authors are not required to provide proof of a name change. Customer service, editorial, and production teams will exercise discretion in processing the requests and will not notify anyone else (including co-authors) about the change.

Jessica Hoy, Senior Journal Manager, explained that AIP Publishing is learning from a wide spectrum of publishing organizations to determine the most effective path towards more comprehensively updating name changes, notably in citations. AIP Publishing has joined the Framework for Action, a coalition formed by Royal Society for Chemistry, to collaboratively advance DEI in the research pipeline.

These important steps are part of the recent formalization of AIPP's organizational accountability on DEI to combat structural inequalities and hasten transformation in its publishing and workplace cultures. The effort complements that of its parent organization, the American Institute of Publishing, and partner societies; their shared objective is make the academic pipeline more welcoming, diverse, and inclusive of underrepresented voices and serve broader, more diverse global communities of working physical scientists. Another high priority is to collect race/ethnicity and gender data and assess the current demographic composition of AIPP's author and editorial base and editorial boards, as well as those of our partner societies.

For more information:

AIP Publishing's DEI effort

AIP's diversity initiative

Instructions and FAQs on how to submit an author name change request

About AIP Publishing

AIP Publishing is a wholly owned not-for-profit subsidiary of the American Institute of Physics (AIP). AIP Publishing's mission is to support the charitable, scientific, and educational purposes of AIP through scholarly publishing activities in the fields of the physical and related sciences on its behalf and on behalf of our publishing partners to help them proactively advance their missions.

SOURCE AIP Publishing

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Barrette Outdoor Living Announces Acquisition of National Vinyl Products (NVP) based in Nephi, Utah Tweet this

Barrette Outdoor Living and NVP share a similar culture and work ethic that will ensure a seamless transition. Both companies are committed to sustainability, using recycled materials and providing

eco-friendly, quality products. NVP is a family-run company with strong community roots. At the same time, Barrette Outdoor Living employees have a "get-your-hands-dirty" approach to hard work and are passionate about what they do and who they do it with.

On behalf of the Hadfield family, John David Hadfield said, "We are incredibly proud of our team who has worked with us to build this great business and excited to watch it flourish as part of the Barrette Outdoor Living family over the years to come."

The facilities and teams at both NVP and Barrette Outdoor Living will continue to function independently while combining the manufacturing strengths and strategic plant locations of both partners. NVP will continue to service its existing customer base while also increasing its product offering.

"Joining the Barrette Outdoor Living family gives us the ability to elevate our product offerings to our customers and continue to support their growth," said Zack Clark, General Manager of NVP.

About Barrette Outdoor Living:

As the leading North American supplier of exterior home products to the residential market, Barrette Outdoor Living empowers homeowners to bring their personal outdoor space to life, however they envision it. Barrette Outdoor Living is proud to be an American manufacturer of vinyl, aluminum, steel and composite fencing and railing; composite decking; and other outdoor products that are sold through specialty retailers, home centers and lumberyards. With more than 100 patents, proprietary state-of-the-art machinery and industry-leading testing and control standards, Barrette Outdoor Living products are meticulously engineered  designed to be flexible, stylish and durable. For more information, visit barretteoutdoorliving.com

SOURCE Barrette Outdoor Living

Related Links

www.barretteoutdoorliving.com


Bell & Evans Breaded Chicken Breast Nuggets are still unique today because they are whole-muscle breast meat chunks of chicken, literally nuggets of chicken breast. The chunks of breast meat are brined, battered, and lightly breaded in simple, clean ingredients you know. Then the breading is set in hot expeller-pressed organic soybean oil from 100% U.S.-sourced organic soybeans, and the nuggets are nitrogen frozen to lock in the freshness and flavor. Bell & Evans Nuggets are sold as raw, frozen product that consumers cook at home for the first time for the best-quality eating experience. They are #ANuggetAbove , a convenience chicken nugget product that does not sacrifice quality. See exactly how Bell & Evans Nuggets are made here.

The new 30 oz. resealable bags fulfill countless consumer requests for a family-size portion. The adhesive reseal technology is unique to the freezer aisle and allows you to open and reseal the bag many times and collapse the bag as product is used, reducing its freezer space. The new bags are reaching stores now and available nationwide in Whole Foods in November. Bell & Evans Nuggets are also sold in 12 oz. retail boxes including gluten free and organic gluten free varieties. The retail boxes have a fresh, new packaging design.

The whole-muscle breast meat "bite" and abundant chicken flavor of Bell & Evans Breaded Chicken Breast Nuggets clearly distinguish them from other brands. Conventional chicken nuggets are made from chopped and formed chicken parts, often with chicken skin and other add-ins, pumped into "nugget" patties or shapes. Consumers should know that if a nugget's packaging includes descriptions like "shaped" or "patties," they are not breaded chunks of whole-muscle breast meat chicken. In this unsolicited 2020 nugget review from Insider Food Reporter Rachel Askinasi, Bell & Evans' nuggets were described as the least processed-looking with the taste and texture of real chicken. Bell & Evans' nuggets also top the list of "The Healthiest Frozen Chicken Nuggets, According To Nutritionists" in this 2019 review from Huffington Post's Cherie Gough.

"Chicken nuggets have a bad reputation for being overly processed, especially many of the new "healthier"-marketed versions, but that's not the case with Bell & Evans Nuggets," says Bell & Evans Owner Scott Sechler. "We're very proud of our simple, real Breaded Chicken Breast Nuggets." Read Scott's blog about the history of the Bell & Evans Chicken Nugget.

Other significant differences of Bell & Evans Breaded Chicken Breast Nuggets include:

100% Air Chilled during processing for meat tenderization and to preserve the natural juices and flavor.

X-rayed twice for bone detection, once as a whole breast and again as whole breast chunks, for superior quality assurance.

The extruded and expeller-pressed organic soybean oil used to set the breading is produced for Bell & Evans from 100% U.S.-sourced organic soybeans used in Bell & Evans' organic-certified chicken feed.

Bell & Evans holds itself to superior standards of chicken production from hatch to harvest. This November, Bell & Evans will begin production at its new state-of-the-art, organic-certified harvesting facility that will double production capacity to support existing customer growth.

About Bell & Evans  Bell & Evans is a 5th generation family-owned business dating back to 1894 as the oldest branded chicken company in America. We produce only premium Raised Without Antibiotics, 100% Air Chilled chicken with nearly 50% organic production. Our comprehensive animal welfare standards set the industry standard. We own the world's first organic certified, animal-welfare-focused Hatchery and will open the most state-of-the-art chicken harvesting facility in the world in November 2021.



SOURCE Bell & Evans

Related Links

http://www.bellandevans.com/


NEW YORK, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Burford Capital Limited, the leading global finance and asset management firm focused on law, has announced it will hold an Investor Event on Tuesday, November 2, 2021 at 10.00am-12.30pm EDT / 2.00-4.30pm GMT / 3.00-5.30pm CET. The Investor Event will be hosted by Christopher Bogart, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, and Jonathan Molot, Chief Investment Officer and Co-Founder, as well as other members of Burford's senior management team.

For institutional investors and analysts, the event will take place in person at the New York Stock Exchange, followed by a reception. Those wishing to attend the event in person are required to register at https://www.burfordcapital.com/events/2021-investor-event/.

There will be a simultaneous online real-time video webcast, from which registered participants will be able to ask questions of the management team. To participate via the webcast, please register at https://burford-capital-2021-investor-day.open-exchange.net/registration.

About Burford Capital

Burford Capital is the leading global finance and asset management firm focused on law. Its businesses include litigation finance and risk management, asset recovery and a wide range of legal finance and advisory activities. Burford is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BUR) and the London Stock Exchange (LSE: BUR), and it works with companies and law firms around the world from its principal offices in New York, London, Chicago, Washington, Singapore and Sydney.

For more information, please visit www.burfordcapital.com.

This communication shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any ordinary shares or other securities of Burford.

This release does not constitute an offer of any Burford fund. Burford Capital Investment Management LLC ("BCIM"), which acts as the fund manager of all Burford funds, is registered as an investment adviser with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The information provided herein is for informational purposes only. Past performance is not indicative of future results. The information contained herein is not, and should not be construed as, an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities (including, without limitation, interests or shares in the funds). Any such offer or solicitation may be made only by means of a final confidential Private Placement Memorandum and other offering documents.

Forward-looking statements

This announcement contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 21E of the US Securities Exchange Act of 1934 regarding assumptions, expectations, projections, intentions and beliefs about future events. These statements are intended as "forward-looking statements". In some cases, predictive, future-tense or forward-looking words such as "aim", "anticipate", "believe", "continue", "could", "estimate", "expect", "forecast", "guidance", "intend", "may", "plan", "potential", "predict", "projected", "should" or "will" or the negative of such terms or other comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements, but are not the exclusive means of identifying such statements. In addition, we and our representatives may from time to time make other oral or written statements which are forward-looking statements, including in our periodic reports that we file with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, other information sent to our security holders, and other written materials. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that may or may not occur in the future. We caution you that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are based on numerous assumptions and that our actual results of operations, including our financial condition and liquidity and the development of the industry in which we operate, may differ materially from (and be more negative than) those made in, or suggested by, the forward-looking statements contained in this announcement. Significant factors that may cause actual results to differ from those we expect include those discussed under "Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission on March 24, 2021. In addition, even if our results of operations, including our financial condition and liquidity and the development of the industry in which we operate, are consistent with the forward-looking statements contained in this announcement, those results or developments may not be indicative of results or developments in subsequent periods.

Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements contained in this announcement, whether as a result of new information, future events, a change in our views or expectations or otherwise.

SOURCE Burford Capital

Related Links

https://www.burfordcapital.com


Katsaounis previously served as Chief Marketing Officer and Vice President, Marketing & Communications at The American College of Financial Services. The College hosts one of the longest-running and most successful CFP Board Registered Programs that provides students with the foundational education required to become a CFP professional. Under his leadership, the College developed and executed innovative marketing, public relations, communications, social media, branding, content and digital media programs tailored to the professionals entrusted with the public's financial well-being.

"Jim's vast experience and his noteworthy knowledge of the CFP certification will be a great asset to CFP Board as we embark on our new strategic plan for the next five years," said CFP Board CEO Kevin R. Keller, CAE. "We look forward to him leading programs that increase awareness of CFP certification as the must-have financial planner credential among financial services firms, advisors and the public."

"CFP certification is the standard of excellence for competent and ethical financial planning, and I am proud to join CFP Board to lead a talented team in its marketing, communications and public awareness efforts," said Katsaounis. "I also look forward to leading programs that expand the public's access to financial planners by increasing the number and diversity of CFP professionals over the next several years."

Prior to joining The American College of Financial Services in 2018, Katsaounis served as Associate Vice President, University Communications for Drexel University, a top-ranked comprehensive research university in Philadelphia. From 2011 to 2018, he was responsible for raising the University's profile nationally and internationally through marketing and advertising, media coverage, executive communications, publications, digital and social media.

Katsaounis holds a Master of Science degree in communication from Drexel University and a Bachelor of Science degree from Ohio University.

ABOUT CFP BOARD

Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. is a professional body for personal financial planners in the U.S. CFP Board sets standards for financial planning and administers the prestigious CFP certification  one of the most respected certifications in financial services  so that the public has access to and benefits from competent and ethical financial planning. CFP Board, along with its Center for Financial Planning, is committed to increasing the public's awareness of CFP certification and access to a diverse, ethical and competent financial planning workforce. Widely recognized by firms as the standard for financial planning, CFP certification is held by more than 90,000 people in the United States.

SOURCE Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.cfp.net


Wellness seekers can now find Charlotte's Web  certified organic tincture products online or at retail stores in Mint Chocolate, Orange Blossom , and Lemon Twist flavors, or in unflavored Olive Oil in 10, 30, or 100 mL sizes. These 12 Charlotte's Web products, in 17 mg or 60 mg options carry the USDA Organic Seal on the label. The tinctures support everyday health as they are packed with nutrients such as antioxidants, phytocannabinoids including cannabidiol (CBD), terpenes and other plant compounds.

"Farming is governed by a natural law based on give and take, and we have learned the more we give to our soil through organic and regenerative practices, the more we get back," said Ray Sitorius, Director of Farming Operations. "Earning organic certification validates our land stewardship and Charlotte's Web's ongoing commitment to farm in balance with nature and our living soil."

In compliance with federal regulations for certified organic practices and with the Company's own strict quality and safety standards, these products are produced without genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and made from hemp grown on U.S. hemp farms with no synthetic pesticides or herbicides. Charlotte's Web farmers use cover crops and crop rotation to build healthy soils. The Company maintained USDA certified organic practices on its farm over a three-year transition period with on-farm inspections by a USDA accredited organic certification agency before being formally approved as 'USDA Certified Organic.'

"As a Certified B Corporation, we hold ourselves accountable to continual improvement from our organic hemp farms to our manufacturing facilities to the retail shelf," said Charlotte's Web Chief Executive Officer, Deanie Elsner. "Organic certification is one more reason Charlotte's Web is the world's most trusted hemp extract."

About Charlotte's Web Holdings, Inc.

Charlotte's Web Holdings, Inc., a Certified B Corporation headquartered in Denver, Colorado, is the market leader in innovative hemp extract wellness products under a family of brands which includes Charlotte's Web, CBD Medic, CBD Clinic, and Harmony Hemp. Charlotte's Web branded premium quality products start with proprietary hemp genetics that are 100-percent American farm grown and manufactured into hemp extracts containing naturally occurring phytocannabinoids including cannabidiol ("CBD"), CBC, CBG, terpenes, flavonoids and other beneficial hemp compounds. The Company's CW Labs R&D science division is located at the University at Buffalo in New York which is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system of 64 universities. Charlotte's Web product categories include full spectrum hemp extract oil tinctures (liquid products), gummies (sleep, stress, immunity, exercise recovery) , capsules, CBD topical creams and lotions , as well as products for dogs . Charlotte's Web products are distributed to more than 14,000 retail doors and 8,000 health care practitioners, and online through the Company's website at www.CharlottesWeb.com.

SOURCE Charlotte''s Web Holdings, Inc.
CHICAGO, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In-depth analysis and data-driven insights on the impact of COVID-19 included in this China crane market report.

The China crane market is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 3.21% during the period 20212027.

Key Highlights Offered in the Report:

The China crane market size by revenue is expected to reach USD 245 billion by 2027.

by 2027. With a population of over 1.4 billion people, and direct access to more than 5 billion consumers in the APAC Market, China is the 2nd largest economy in the world.

As China's economy has matured, its real GDP growth has slowed significantly, from 13.0% in 2018 to 2.8% in 2020. To aid economic recovery, the central government plans to invest in the transportation sector and other infrastructure projects such as 300 urban projects in Beijing , with a total investment of USD 35.9 billion .

, with a total investment of . Inflows of foreign direct investment into China grew by 6% in 2020, to USD 149 billion , up USD 141 billion in 2019 as foreign multinationals are doubling down on their investments in China .

, up in 2019 as foreign multinationals are doubling down on their investments in . In 2019, China was the top crane exporter, accounting for 22.3% ( USD 3.18 billion ) of total crane exports.

) of total crane exports. Government's stronger emission control policy and shift to prefabricated construction are likely to drive the crane market in the forecast period.

By switching to intelligent systems driven by IoT and data analysis for service, networking and sustainability, the crane market is transitioning to a more innovative industry providing significant growth opportunities for OEMs in the market.

The China crane market is highly competitive characterized by the presence of several OEMs including Tadano, Manitex International, Manitowoc, SANY Group, Kobelco Construction Machinery, Konecranes, Liebherr Group, Terex Corporation, Zoomlion Heavy Industry Science & Technology and XCMG Group and others.

Key Offerings:

Market Size & Forecast by Volume | 20212027

Market Size & Forecast by Revenue | 20212027

Market Dynamics  Leading trends, growth drivers, restraints, and investment opportunities

Market Segmentation  A detailed analysis by crane type, application, and gross power output

Competitive Landscape  10 key vendors and 5 other vendors

Get your sample today! https://www.arizton.com/market-reports/china-crane-market-opportunities-assessment-forecast

China Crane Market  Segmentation

The China mobile crane market segment accounted for 40% of the overall crane market in 2020. The demand for mobile cranes is largely driven to address high end works for urban and infrastructure development. Their ability to navigate around job sites and carry large amounts of weight makes mobile cranes a very popular addition to many projects.

The crane market in China by cargo transport/port is expected to reach 8,250 units by 2027. The segment accounted for 4.3% of the overall crane market in 2020. Floating cranes are mainly used in bridge buildings and port construction, but they are also used for occasional loading and unloading of heavy loads on and off ships.

by cargo transport/port is expected to reach 8,250 units by 2027. The segment accounted for 4.3% of the overall crane market in 2020. Floating cranes are mainly used in bridge buildings and port construction, but they are also used for occasional loading and unloading of heavy loads on and off ships. The less than 20 tons crane lifting capacity market in China is expected to reach 91,987 units by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 3.21% during the forecast period. These cranes are largely used for landscaping, excavating, demolishing, disaster management, and material handling in cities and farms.

China Crane Market by Crane Type

Mobile Crane

Crawler Cranes



Rough Terrain Cranes



All Terrain Cranes



Truck Mounted Cranes



Others

Fixed Cranes

Overhead Cranes



Tower Cranes

China Crane Market by Application

Construction

Mining

Transport/Port

Manufacturing

Others

China Crane Market by Gross Power

Less than 20 Tons

20-100 Tons

101-200 Tons

Greater than 200 Tons

China Crane Market  Dynamics

The strict environmental policies of local governments will continue to push the demand for truck crane replacements. Some projects have prohibited the use of NES II and III in construction activities. Most old fleets, which were acquired in 2009-10 when the market was at its previous peak, are coming toward the end of their service lives. The current market growth is fueled by rising demand and tougher environmental restrictions. Emission restrictions are expected to push replacement demand to 60% of overall sales. The National Emission Standard (NES) IV for construction machinery was adopted in July 2020, and this prompted a surge in demand for new equipment. In the case of Heat Distortion Temperature (HDT), NES VI (a) was introduced in July 2021. However, we believe that local governments can prepare ahead of time. Furthermore, some municipal governments have set a deadline for outdated models to be phased out. During the forecast period, our industry model predicts that replacement will account for more than 60% of demand. The changes in vehicle diesel fuel regulations are more severe than those for regular diesel, which is used by non-road construction machines, thus truck cranes might benefit the most from diesel emission enhancements.

Key Drivers and Trends fueling Market Growth:

The shift to prefabricated construction is driving demand for high-performance cranes

Increasing infrastructure development and favorable government policies

The restructuring of the power industry has resulted in the growing number of applications for heavy cranes.

Continuous innovation and new technology are fueling the crane market.

Get your sample today! https://www.arizton.com/market-reports/china-crane-market-opportunities-assessment-forecast

Why Should You Buy This Report?

This report is among the few in the market that offers outlook and opportunity analysis forecast in terms of:

Volume (Unit sales)

Crane Type



Application



Gross Power

Value (USD)

Crane Type



Application



Gross Power

Gain competitive intelligence about the economic scenario, advantages in China major projects and investments, market dynamics, market share

major projects and investments, market dynamics, market share Examples of latest technologies

Get presentation-ready format and easy-to-interpret data

Enable decision-makers to make informed and profitable choices

Gain expert quantitative and qualitative analysis on value/volume growth projections of the China crane market share

Complete supply chain analysis

Get COVID-19 impact analysis of the market

Major Vendors

XCMG Group

SANY Group

Zoomlion

Manitex

Tadano

Manitowoc

Kobelco Construction Machinery

Konecranes

Liebherr

Terex Corporation

Other Prominent Vendors

Link-Belt Cranes

Kato Works Co. Ltd.

American Crane & Equipment Corp. (ACE)

China Communications Construction

FUWA Heavy Industry Machinery

Explore our industrial machinery profile to know more about the industry.

Read some of the top-selling reports:

About Arizton:

Arizton Advisory and Intelligence is an innovation and quality-driven firm, which offers cutting-edge research solutions to clients across the world. We excel in providing comprehensive market intelligence reports and advisory and consulting services.

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.

Arizton comprises a team of exuberant and well-experienced analysts who have mastered in generating incisive reports. Our specialist analysts possess exemplary skills in market research. We train our team in advanced research practices, techniques, and ethics to outperform in fabricating impregnable research reports.

Mail: [email protected]

Call: +1-312-235-2040

+1 302 469 0707

SOURCE Arizton Advisory & Intelligence
China Merchants Shekou Industrial Zone Holdings Co., Ltd is the flagship company for the development and operation of integrated urban projects under China Merchants Group. With a history going back some 100 years, China Merchants Group is by far the oldest among China's large-scale firms and is affiliated with the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of China. The total assets of the Group rank first among enterprises directly under the central government. Poly Developments and Holdings Group Co., Ltd. is a large listed company controlled by China Poly Group. China Poly Group Corporation Ltd. is a large-scale central state-owned enterprise under the supervision and management of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council (SASAC). Following the approval of the State Council and the Central Military Commission of the P.R.C., the Group was founded in 1992. With this tie-up, the two firms are pooling their unique talents to build an architectural masterpiece that is sure to put Wenzhou on the map in terms of unique real estate developments while showcasing their combined expertise in matters of construction, aesthetics and design.
NEWPORT NEWS, Va., Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Coastal Virginia Surgery Center (CVSC) is celebrating its first year in operation. Pandemic-related delays initially stalled the opening, but the Center has since pushed forward to provide exceptional patient care. Surgeons, staff, and vendors celebrated their hard work earlier this month in a small gathering at its 580 City Center site.

"Celebrating with the team who made this happen is very special," says CVSC President and orthopaedic surgeon Boyd W. Haynes, III, M.D. "Everyone here, from the check-in desk to sterilization, scheduling to billing, they're all passionate about providing top-tier care to every patient who enters our surgical suites."

The Center has also celebrated the first outpatient three-level lumbar interbody fusion surgery in the United States; the first outpatient total knee arthroplasty using the Confirmis iTotal G2 Patient-Specific Knee Replacement Prosthesis and Cutting Jigs in Hampton Roads; and implanting the first MRI-compatible spinal cord stimulator to include the proprietary FAST Therapy Algorithm on the Peninsula.

The outpatient surgical center focuses on orthopaedics and pain management procedures, covering patients throughout the Greater Hampton Roads Region. CVSC features four surgical suites and hosts nine innovators in outpatient surgical procedures, presently focusing on the elbow, foot and ankle, hand and wrist, hip, joint replacements, knee, shoulder, and spine. Visit our website for a complete list of outpatient procedures and to.

About Coastal Virginia Surgery Center

CVSC is staffed by outstanding medical professionals who strive to provide the very best care available. The Center includes four surgical suites with state-of-the-art technology. The pleasant personnel are trained in advanced orthopaedic treatments, interventional pain management procedures, regenerative medicine, and old-fashioned patient care.

Physicians operating at Coastal Virginia Surgery Center:

Boyd W. Haynes III , M.D.  Orthopaedic Surgeon

, M.D.  Orthopaedic Surgeon Robert J. Snyder , M.D.  General Orthopaedic Surgeon

, M.D.  General Orthopaedic Surgeon Jeffrey R. Carlson , M.D.  Orthopaedic Spine Surgeon

, M.D.  Orthopaedic Spine Surgeon Martin R. Coleman , M.D.  Orthopaedic Surgeon

, M.D.  Orthopaedic Surgeon Mark W. McFarland , D.O.  Orthopaedic Spine Surgeon

, D.O.  Orthopaedic Spine Surgeon Raj N. Sureja, M.D.  Interventional Pain Management Physician

Jenny L.F. Andrus , M.D.  Interventional Pain Management Physician

, M.D.  Interventional Pain Management Physician John D. Burrow , D.O.  Joint Reconstruction Specialist and Orthopaedic Surgeon

, D.O.  Joint Reconstruction Specialist and Orthopaedic Surgeon Joel D. Stewart , M.D.  Foot and Ankle Specialist and Orthopaedic Surgeon

SOURCE Coastal Virginia Surgery Center
The new venue and ability to connect in person had both buyers & brands raving. "Beautiful venue, great to see beautiful lingerie! Love the connection & being back in NY!" said retailer Karen Fritts of Lorettas Intimates. Margo Hall of The Bra Spa expressed similar sentiments "Loved the passion of the vendors and the buyers. The excitement was palpable and contagious. Loved that we all learned from each other". Vincent Nasserbakht of international distributor Easton (Aubade, Gossard, Dita von Teese, Falke) remarked "Thank you for organizing such a fantastic, expertly executed event. The in-person element of Market was an immeasurable value-add after seasons of remote business. Curve NY was a celebration of the resiliency of the industry in the face of unprecedented challenges. Thank you for hosting the much-needed reunion!"

Raphael Camp, CEO of Eurovet Americas, the Fashion division of Comexposium USA, said: "Our Curve New York show was an incredible success. We have learned the importance, especially in the intimates business how much our industry is about relationships and nurturing connections. Being able to network & exchange information, along with the ability to see product on models is invaluable."

The highlight of the Curve New York event was an invitation only Welcome Back Party hosted by Journelle on Aug 1st. A portion of the evening was dedicated to the NPD x Curve Excellence Awards, which recognized the outstanding work of the industry's retailers, brand representatives and innovative labels.

Comexposium has 3 Lingerie and Fabrics trade shows planned for early 2022:

Jan 22-24th SIL PARIS & IFL at the Paris Expo in Porte de Versailles

Feb 27th-March 1st CURVE NY at the Javits Center in NYC

March 6-7th CURVE LOS ANGELES at the Westdrift Hotel in Manhattan Beach.

Media Contact:

Raphael Camp

(917) 833-4903

[email protected]

SOURCE Comexposium US

Related Links

www.comexposium.com


SANTIAGO, Chile, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- CORPORACION NACIONAL DEL COBRE DE CHILE (the " Company " or " CODELCO ") announced today that it has commenced an offer to purchase for cash (the " Tender Offer ") any and all of its outstanding 4.500% Notes due 2023, 2.250% Notes due 2024, and its 4.500% Notes due 2025 (collectively, the " Securities "), upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Offer to Purchase dated October 12, 2021 (as it may be amended or supplemented from time to time, the " Offer to Purchase ") and the accompanying Notice of Guaranteed Delivery dated October 12, 2021 (as it may be amended or supplemented from time to time, the " Notice of Guaranteed Delivery " and, together with the Offer to Purchase, the " Offer Documents ").

The Tender Offer

The following table summarizes the material pricing terms for the Tender Offer:

Securities CUSIP / ISIN Principal Amount

Outstanding Fixed Spread

(bps) Reference

Benchmark

Security Bloomberg

Reference

Page(a) Hypothetical

Tender

Consideration(b), (c) 4.500% Notes

Due 2023

(the " 2023

Notes ") CUSIP: 21987BAS7 P3143NAR5 ISIN: USP3143NAR54 US21987BAS79 US$386,183,000 19 0.250% U.S.

Treasury Notes

due September

30, 2023 PX1 US$ 1,071.73













2.250% Notes

Due 2024

(the " 2024

Notes ") ISIN: XS1084942470 XS1084943106 600,000,000 -11 July 2024

Interpolated

Mid-Swap Rate ICAE1  1,073.25













4.500% Notes

Due 2025

(the " 2025

Notes ") CUSIP: 21987BAV0 P3143NAW4 ISIN: US21987BAV09 USP3143NAW40 US$671,102,000 47 0.875% U.S.

Treasury Notes

due September

30, 2026 PX1 US$ 1,112.55

______________________

(a) The applicable page on Bloomberg from which the Dealer Managers (as defined below) will quote the bid side of the Reference Benchmark Security. (b) Hypothetical Tender Consideration is based on the fixed spread for the applicable series of Securities to the yield of the Reference Benchmark Security for that series as of 11:00 a.m. (New York City time) on October 8, 2021 with respect to the US$-denominated securities and 5:00 p.m. (CET) on October 8, 2021 for the Euro-denominated securities. The information provided in the above tables is for illustrative purposes only. CODELCO makes no representation with respect to the actual consideration that may be paid, and such amounts may be greater or less than those shown in the above tables depending on the yield of the applicable Reference Benchmark Security as of the applicable price determination time. The actual Tender Consideration will be based on the fixed spread for the applicable series of Securities to the yield of the Reference Benchmark Security for that series as of the applicable price determination time. The hypothetical Tender Consideration excludes accrued and unpaid interest on the Securities accepted for purchase. (c) Per US$1,000 or 1,000 principal amount, as applicable.

The Tender Offers (as defined below) will expire at 8:00 a.m. (New York City time) on October 19, 2021, unless extended (such date and time, as the same may be extended, the " Expiration Date "). To be eligible to receive the Tender Consideration (as defined below), Holders (as defined below) must validly tender and not validly withdraw their Securities on or prior to the Expiration Date, or deliver a properly completed and duly executed notice of guaranteed delivery and other required documents pursuant to the guaranteed delivery procedures described herein, on or prior to the Expiration Date and tender their Securities on or prior to 5:00 p.m. (New York City time), on the second Business Day following the Expiration Date (the " Guaranteed Delivery Date "). Securities validly tendered may be withdrawn at any time at or prior to 8:00 a.m. (New York City time) on October 19, 2021, unless extended (such date and time, as the same may be extended, the " Withdrawal Date "), but not thereafter.

The " Tender Consideration " offered per U.S.$1,000 principal amount of each series of Securities validly tendered and accepted for purchase pursuant to the Tender Offer will be determined by the Dealer Managers (as defined herein) based on a spread over the reference Benchmark Security, as set forth in the table above, in accordance with standard market practice as of 11:00 a.m. (New York City time) on October 18, 2021 (unless such time is extended).

Payment for the Securities that are validly tendered and accepted for purchase will be made on the date referred to as the " Settlement Date ". The Settlement Date for the Securities will be promptly following the Expiration Date. It is anticipated that the Settlement Date for the Securities will be on or around October 22, 2021, the third business day after the Expiration Date.

Additional Information

The Company's obligation to accept for purchase and to pay for Securities validly tendered and not withdrawn pursuant to any of the Tender Offers is subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the Financing Condition. The Tender Offers are not contingent upon the valid tender of any minimum principal amount of Securities. Each Tender Offer for an outstanding series of Securities is independent of the Tender Offers, and the Company may withdraw or modify any Tender Offer without withdrawing or modifying other Tender Offers.

In addition to the applicable consideration described above, all holders of Securities accepted for purchase will also receive accrued and unpaid interest on Securities validly tendered and accepted for purchase from the applicable last interest payment date up to, but not including, the settlement date. In addition, to the extent that payment of the applicable consideration described above is subject to a Chilean withholding tax for certain holders of Securities, the Company will increase the amount of the payment by such additional amounts as are necessary in order for the payment such holders receive, net of the Chilean tax, to equal the amount that would have been received by such holders in the absence of such withholding. The obligation of the Company to so increase the amount of such payment with respect to the Securities of any series is subject to the specific exceptions and limitations on the obligation to pay "Additional Amounts" set forth in the Offer to Purchase and in the applicable indenture related to such series of Securities.

The Hypothetical Tender Consideration in the tables above is based on the fixed spread for the applicable series of Securities to the yield of the Reference Benchmark Security for that series as of 2:00 p.m. (New York City time) on October 11, 2021 with respect to the US$-denominated securities and 8:00 p.m. (CET) on October 11, 2021 for the Euro-denominated securities. The information provided in the above tables is for illustrative purposes only. CODELCO makes no representation with respect to the actual consideration that may be paid, and such amounts may be greater or less than those shown in the above tables depending on the yield of the applicable Reference Benchmark Security as of the applicable price determination time. The actual Tender Consideration will be based on the fixed spread for the applicable series of Securities to the yield of the Reference Benchmark Security for that series as of the applicable price determination time. The Hypothetical Tender Consideration excludes accrued and unpaid interest on the Securities accepted for purchase.

BNP Paribas Securities Corp., BofA Securities, Inc., J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Santander Investment Securities Inc., are acting as Dealer Managers (the " Dealer Managers ") for the Tender Offers. D.F. King & Co., Inc. has been appointed as the tender agent and information agent for the Tender Offers.

Persons with questions regarding the Tender Offer should contact BNP Paribas Securities Corp. at (212) 841-3059 (collect) or (888) 210-4358 (toll-free), BofA Securities, Inc. at (646) 855-8998 (collect) or (888) 292-0070 (toll-free), J.P. Morgan Securities LLC at (212) 8347279 (collect) or (866) 8462874 (toll-free) and Santander Investment Securities Inc at (212) 940-1442 (collect) or (855) 404-3636 (toll-free).

The Offer Documents will be distributed to holders of Securities promptly. Holders who would like additional copies of the Offer Documents may contact the information agent, D.F. King & Co., Inc., by calling toll-free at (800) 549-6746 (banks and brokers may call collect at (212) 269-5550, email at [email protected] or visit www.dfking.com/Codelco.

This press release is not an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security. The Tender Offers are being made solely pursuant to the Offer Documents, copies of which will be delivered to the holders of the Securities, and which set forth the complete terms and conditions of the Tender Offers. Holders are urged to read the Offer Documents carefully before making any decision with respect to their Securities.

The Tender Offers do not constitute, and the Offer Documents may not be used in connection with, an offer or solicitation by anyone in any jurisdiction in which such offer or solicitation is not permitted by law or in which the person making such offer or solicitation is not qualified to do so or to any person to whom it is unlawful to make such offer or solicitation.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements related to the Company's expectations regarding the performance of its business, financial results, liquidity and capital resources, contingencies and other non-historical statements. You can identify these forward-looking statements by the use of words such as "believes," "expects," "potential," "continues," "may," "will," "should," "seeks," "approximately," "predicts," "intends," "plans," "estimates," "anticipates" or the negative version of these words or other comparable words. Such forward-looking statements are subject to various risks, uncertainties and assumptions. The Company is under no obligation (and expressly disclaims any such obligation) to update or alter its forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. More detailed information about these and other factors is set forth in the Offer to Purchase.

Media Contact:

Pablo Lubbert

+56 2 2690-3938

[email protected]

SOURCE Corporacion Nacional del Cobre de Chile
CHICAGO, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the new market research report "Epilepsy Monitoring Devices Market by Product (Conventional & Wearable Devices, Standard EEG, Video EEG, Ambulatory EEG, EMG, MEG, Deep Brain Stimulation Devices) End User (Hospitals, Neurology Centres, ASC, Home Care Settings) - Global Forecast to 2026", published by MarketsandMarkets, the Epilepsy Monitoring Devices Market is projected to reach USD 615 million by 2026 from USD 489 million in 2021, at a CAGR of 4.7% during the forecast period.

Browse in-depth TOC on "Epilepsy Monitoring Devices Market"

130  Tables

43  Figures

187  Pages

Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=62758189

The growth of this Epilepsy monitoring devices is majorly attributed to the increasing incidence and prevalence of epilepsy, growing preference for ambulatory healthcare and increasing use of wearables, growing demand for continuous monitoring, and the rising awareness of neurodegenerative diseases, including epilepsy. On the other hand, the high cost of complex epilepsy monitoring procedures and devices and the unfavorable reimbursement policies are restraining the growth of this market.

By product type segment, the conventional devices segment accounted for the largest market share during the forecast period.

Based on products, the epilepsy monitoring devices market has been segmented into wearable devices and conventional devices. The factors attributing to the large revenue of the conventional devices segment include the increasing incidence of epilepsy, especially in developing countries, and rising awareness about neurodegenerative diseases like epilepsy among the population.

Monitoring devices accounted for the largest market share in the conventional devices segment during the forecast period.

In the conventional devices segment, monitoring devices accounted for the largest market share during the forecast period. This can be attributed to the increasing demand for continuous, non-invasive monitoring of epilepsy and the application of these devices in other areas of neurology.

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North America dominates the epilepsy monitoring devices market during the forecast period.

North America accounted for the largest share of the market in 2020. The high incidence of neurological disorders, a growing number of clinical trials for epilepsy monitoring devices, and a large number of end users in the US are the major factor contributing to this.

The major players in the global epilepsy monitoring devices market include Natus Medical, Inc. (US), Compumedics Limited (Australia), Empatica, Inc. (US), The Magstim Co. Ltd. (UK), Nihon Kohden Corporation (Japan), Medtronic Plc (Ireland), Masimo Corporation (US), Boston Scientific Corporation (US), Dragerwerk AG & Co. KGaA (Germany), mjn Neuroserveis S.L. (Spain), Abbott Laboratories, Inc. (US), LivAssured B.V. (Netherlands), BioSerenity (France), Aleva Neurotherapeutics (Switzerland), Medpage, Ltd. (UK), Neurosoft (Russia), Advanced Brain Monitoring (US), Lifelines Neuro Company, LLC (US), Mitsar Co., Ltd. (Russia), Rimed (US), Emotiv (US), CGX (A Cognionics Company) (US), Mindray Medical International Ltd. (China), Cadwell Industries, Inc. (US), NeuroWave Systems, Inc. (US), and MC10, Inc. (US).

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BOCA RATON, Fla., Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- UBS Wealth Management USA announced today that Financial Advisor Kelly Baker Ferrarese, CFP, has joined the firm in Boca Raton, FL.

Kelly joins UBS after a 24-year career as a Wealth Advisor with Wells Fargo Private Bank. As a Certified Financial Planner (CFP), Kelly works with high-net-worth clients, providing a broad range of wealth management services including investment, retirement, and financial planning.

"With decades of financial services and leadership experience, Kelly brings deep knowledge and expertise to UBS and serves some of Florida's most affluent individuals, business owners and families," said Michael Ludwig, Boca Raton Branch Office Manager at UBS Wealth Management USA. "We are excited to see how she leverages the firm's global resources to help clients protect and preserve their wealth."

A native of Missouri and Texas, Kelly earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Texas A&M University. She is a long-time community leader in South Florida, donating her time and resources to charitable organizations supporting child welfare, education, health care, and the environment including Impact 100 Palm Beach County, Florence Fuller Child Development Centers Inc. and the Florence Fuller Child Development Foundation. Kelly resides in Boca Raton and enjoys traveling with her daughter, who is a junior at Florida State University.

"On behalf of the firm, we are excited to welcome Kelly to UBS and watch as she delivers a truly comprehensive wealth management experience that we hope will meet and exceed our clients' expectations," said Robert Covino, South Florida Market Head at UBS Wealth Management USA.

About UBS Global Wealth Management

As the world's largest wealth manager, UBS Global Wealth Management provides comprehensive advice, solutions and services to wealthy families and individuals around the world. Clients who work with UBS benefit from a fully integrated set of wealth management capabilities and expertise, including wealth planning, investment management, capital markets, banking, lending and institutional and corporate financial advice.



About UBS

UBS provides financial advice and solutions to wealthy, institutional and corporate clients worldwide, as well as private clients in Switzerland. UBS's strategy is centered on our leading global wealth management business and our premier universal bank in Switzerland, enhanced by Asset Management and the Investment Bank. The bank focuses on businesses that have a strong competitive position in their targeted markets, are capital efficient, and have an attractive long-term structural growth or profitability outlook.

UBS is present in all major financial centers worldwide. It has offices in more than 50 regions and locations, with about 30% of its employees working in the Americas, 30% in Switzerland, 19% in the rest of Europe, the Middle East and Africa and 21% in Asia Pacific. UBS Group AG employs more than 72,000 people around the world. Its shares are listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).



Media Contact:

Peter Pupello

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813-841-0631

https://www.ubs.com

 UBS 2021. All rights reserved. The key symbol and UBS are among the registered and unregistered trademarks of UBS.

SOURCE UBS Financial Services Inc.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the FDR Memorial Legacy Committee (FDR Committee) hosted a celebration to commemorate the 137th birthday of former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt with a wreath-laying ceremony at the FDR Memorial in Washington, DC. The wreath-laying coincides with the 75th anniversary of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt becoming chair of the UN Commission on Human Rights and drafting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Featured guests included Dr. Kirk Adams, President and CEO of the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB), U.S. Senator (Ret) Tom Harkin, Girl Scouts from the Nation's Capital, and Alyssa Baltrus, Chief of Interpretation and Education at the National Mall and Memorial Parks for the National Park Service.

Pictured from left to right: Dr. Kirk Adams, President and CEO of the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB), Ari Paz Pasa, Girl Scout Troop 4720, Eva Lake, Girl Scout Troop 4720, U.S. Senator (Ret) Tom Harkin and Mary Dolan, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the FDR Memorial Legacy Committee commemorate Eleanor Roosevelt's human rights legacy and birthday at the first-ever wreath-laying in her honor at the FDR Memorial in Washington, D.C. Mary Dolan, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the FDR Memorial Legacy Committee presents Girl Scout Troop 4720 with the Eleanor Roosevelt Barbie, donated by Mattel, from Mattel's Inspiring Women series that pays tribute to incredible heroines of their time.

Members from the disability community, fans of Eleanor Roosevelt, volunteers and supporters gathered by the bronze statue of the First Lady standing before the United Nations emblem, the only depiction of a First Lady at a presidential memorial, to celebrate one of the most beloved, respected, and accomplished diplomats and activists in history.

"It's a true honor to be part of today's ceremony," said Dr. Kirk Adams, President and CEO, AFB. "We're so very proud to be included in this sacred trust of honoring Eleanor Roosevelt and her legacy of tireless, tireless advocacy for justice and inclusion of people with disabilities."

AFB recently released its archives of Helen Keller which includes correspondence with Eleanor Roosevelt. Eleanor Roosevelt was a friend of Helen Keller's and an ally of disability rights.

In 1939, Roosevelt was named Honorary President of the Girl Scouts, and served in that role throughout her tenure as First Lady of the United States. Today, Girl Scout Troop 4720 was presented with the Eleanor Roosevelt Barbie, donated by Mattel, from Mattel's Inspiring Women series that pays tribute to incredible heroines of their time. Barbie honors longest-serving First Lady of the United States and human rights activist Anna Eleanor Roosevelt as a champion of civil and economic rights policies.

Anna Eleanor Roosevelt was born in New York City on October 11, 1884, and died at her New York City townhome on November 7, 1962, at the age of 78.

For more information, please visit: FDRMemorialLegacy.com.

Media Contact:

Kelly Douglas, 910-824-4624

[email protected]

SOURCE FDR Memorial Legacy Committee
SUNNYVALE, Calif., Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Google announced the Google Cybersecurity Action Team . Made up of experts from across the company, the Google Cybersecurity Action Team will be the world's premier security advisory team with the singular mission of supporting the security and digital transformation of governments, critical infrastructure, enterprises and small businesses.

To deliver on this mission, the Google Cybersecurity Action Team will provide:

Strategic advisory services for customers' security strategies, including transformation workshops and educational content. This function will advise customers on the structure of their digital security transformation and provide program management and professional services support.

for customers' security strategies, including transformation workshops and educational content. This function will advise customers on the structure of their digital security transformation and provide program management and professional services support. Trust and compliance services that map our global compliance certifications to industry control frameworks, enabling customers to simplify their compliance journey.

that map our global compliance certifications to industry control frameworks, enabling customers to simplify their compliance journey. Security customer and solutions engineering that deliver proven blueprints and architectures for deploying Google Cloud products and services securely and in accordance with regulatory requirements, as well as comprehensive solutions for autonomic security operations, cyber resilience and more.

that deliver proven blueprints and architectures for deploying Google Cloud products and services securely and in accordance with regulatory requirements, as well as comprehensive solutions for autonomic security operations, cyber resilience and more. Threat intelligence and incident response services, which include threat briefings, preparedness drills, incident support and rapid response engagements to stay on top of the evolving security landscape.

The vision of this team is to guide customers through the cycle of security transformation - from their first transformation roadmap and implementation, through increasing their cyber-resilience preparedness for potential events and incidents, and engineering new solutions as requirements change. This effort will begin within Google Cloud, building on our close partnerships with organizations of all sizes, and will evolve to bring Google security to more organizations as it progresses.

"Cybersecurity is at the top of every C-level and board agenda, given the increasing prominence of software supply chain exploits, ransomware, and other attacks. To address these unprecedented security challenges facing organizations in every industry today, we are announcing the creation of the Google Cybersecurity Action Team," said Thomas Kurian, CEO of Google Cloud. "The Google Cybersecurity Action Team is part of our ongoing commitment to be the best partner for our enterprise and government customers along their security transformation journey."

Recent attacks like USAID, Colonial Pipeline, and Solarwinds all speak to a major shift in the needs of threat protection. In August, Google dedicated $10 billion over the next five years to strengthen cybersecurity, including expanding zero trust programs, securing software supply chain frameworks, enhancing open-source security and strengthening the digital security skills of the American workforce. The Google Cybersecurity Action team is one of our efforts under these commitments.

"The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) recently established the Joint Cyber Defense Collaborative (JCDC). This initiative will unite government and private sector entities to enhance efforts to prevent and respond to malicious cyber activity against the nation's critical infrastructure," said CISA Director Jen Easterly. "It's great to see a large company like Google Cloud orient itself to support the cybersecurity of all organizations large and small through its Cybersecurity Action Team, and as part of the JCDC and other initiatives, we look forward to partnering with them and other tech companies in this vital effort."

"Google Cloud has been a critical partner in the BBVA security journey, helping us protect our customers' sensitive and proprietary data with modern frameworks like zero trust and secure-by-default products like Google Workspace," said Alvaro Garrido, Chief Security Officer at BBVA. "We look forward to the strategic services and guidance the Google Cybersecurity Action Team will deliver as we continue on our security transformation."

Under the Google Cybersecurity Action Team, Google Cloud will deliver full spectrum security and customer engineering solutions that will help organizations address business and security challenges. These will build on existing offerings like Autonomic Security Operations , which helps businesses transform their organization's Security Operations Center (SOC) and Web App and API Protection , which provides customers a comprehensive solution for protecting against modern internet threats.

Today, Google Cloud announced a new security and resiliency framework that delivers customers a comprehensive security management program with cloud technologies that are aligned to the National Institute of Standards and Technology's Cybersecurity Framework. Additionally, Google also announced its new Work Safer offering, designed to help organizations, their employees, and partners collaborate and communicate securely and privately in today's hybrid work environment. It uniquely brings together the cloud-native, zero-trust solutions of Google Workspace with industry-leading solutions from across Google and its cybersecurity partners, CrowdStrike and Palo Alto Networks.

"Customers need a consistent approach to preparing for and defending against cybersecurity threats," said Phil Venables, Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer at Google Cloud and founder of the Google Cybersecurity Action Team. "Our comprehensive suite of security solutions delivered through our platform and amplified by the Google Cybersecurity Action Team will help protect organizations against adverse cyber events with capabilities that address industry frameworks and standards."

To learn more about the Google Cybersecurity Action Team, please visit the website .

Additional Resources

About Google Cloud

Google Cloud accelerates organizations' ability to digitally transform their business with the best infrastructure, platform, industry solutions and expertise. We deliver enterprise-grade solutions that leverage Google's cutting-edge technology  all on the cleanest cloud in the industry. Customers in more than 200 countries and territories turn to Google Cloud as their trusted partner to enable growth and solve their most critical business problems.

SOURCE Google Inc.

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SUNNYVALE, Calif., Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today at Next '21 , Google Cloud announced a series of new customer wins, partnerships, products, and services to enable organizations to transform their businesses. Google Cloud's announcements highlight three unique capabilities that help customers and partners succeed in the era of cloud transformation: first, Google Cloud Platform, which is designed and built to help organizations digitize in an open and secure way; second, Google's deep and broad ecosystem of consumer services and devices, which gives organizations the ability to uniquely connect their enterprise ecosystem with the consumer ecosystem; and third, the company's comprehensive security offerings that help organizations protect their digital assets and users.

"Each year at Next we celebrate the achievements of our customers and partners, and the many ways they have transformed their businesses digitally," said Thomas Kurian, Google Cloud CEO. "We also look forward to sharing our latest cloud innovations and providing a view into the futurewhat we think will drive business transformation for the decades to come."

Customer Momentum Across Every Geography and Industry

Businesses of all sizes, spanning every industryfrom digital natives to established multinationalsare leveraging Google Cloud's products and services to help them digitally transform. Building upon recent momentum with leading organizations like Casino Group , Energizer , Ford , HSBC , Reliance Jio , Scotiabank , Univision , U.S. Air Force , and Wells Fargo , as well as fast-growing technology startups AppLovin , BlueZoo , Cue Health , Dapper Labs , and Outdoorsy , Google Cloud today announced several net-new relationships with DPDHL , General Mills , Siemens Energy , Walmart, and Wendy's .

Extending Customer Success Through New Innovations and Partnerships

Continuous innovation is a hallmark of the cloud. Today, Google Cloud announced a number of new partnerships, products, and services that extend its ability to help organizations in every industry accelerate their cloud journeys:

A unified data, analytics, and AI portfolio

Customers turn to Google Cloud products for unmatched speed, scale, security, and reliability to build their data clouds. These products enable organizations of all sizes to unify their data across multiple clouds and silos, combine unstructured and structured data, and make insights accessible to every employee. New innovations announced today include:

Vertex AI Workbench , which provides a unified user experience to build and deploy ML models faster; the general availability of BigQuery Omni , which enables customers to run cross-cloud analytics with data in Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure; Sparkon Google Cloud , the industry's first autoscaling and serverless Spark service; and a new PostgreSQL interface for Cloud Spanner .

, which provides a unified user experience to build and deploy ML models faster; the general availability of , which enables customers to run cross-cloud analytics with data in Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure; , the industry's first autoscaling and serverless Spark service; and a new PostgreSQL interface for . Additionally, to help organizations make better decisions with real-time data, Google Cloud announced partnerships with Collibra, Databricks, Fivetran, Informatica, Tableau, and Trifacta.

An open cloud that runs anywhere

Organizations are turning to Google Cloud because of its cutting-edge performance, migration tools, and serverless and container capabilities that make modernization easy. Google Cloud offers a multi-cloud strategy and consistent developer experience, built on open source, that allows customers to write once and deploy anywhere. To accelerate cloud deployments regardless of location, Google Cloud today announced:

Google Distributed Cloud, which extends Google Cloud's infrastructure and services to edge locations and customer data centers with an Anthos-managed control plane.

which extends Google Cloud's infrastructure and services to edge locations and customer data centers with an Anthos-managed control plane. An expanded partnership with NetApp, who is our primary partner supporting Google Distributed Cloud's storage infrastructure.

Elastic and MongoDB are also making their support for Google Private Service Connect generally available, allowing customers to privately, securely, and quickly connect their cloud networks to services like Elastic Cloud and MongoDB Atlas.

Collaboration across every facet of the hybrid workplace

Google Cloud is committed to providing services, products, and partnerships that will help enable secure and productive hybrid work for organizations of all types. Google Workspace enables more than 3 billion users to communicate and collaborate, regardless of where they are, by creating a digital location for work. It helps increase productivity through assistive tools like Smart Canvas, and delivers a seamless user experience across products like Docs, Gmail, Meet, and Chat to address the unique requirements of front-line workers. Today, Google Cloud is announcing :

A new Atlassian Jira integration that helps people easily create new tickets and monitor issues within the platform.

A new Gmail AppSheet integration that allows anyoneeven non-codersto build email apps for tasks like budget approvals, vacation requests and more.

An expanded partnership with Citrix to ensure that distributed and hybrid workers have easy, secure, and low-latency access to virtualized applications and desktops from anywhere, with management controls from Citrix and Google Cloud's global infrastructure.

with Citrix to ensure that distributed and hybrid workers have easy, secure, and low-latency access to virtualized applications and desktops from anywhere, with management controls from Citrix and Google Cloud's global infrastructure. New security innovations in Google Workspace, including client-side encryption for Meet that gives customers control over encryption keys, and Data Loss Prevention (DLP) for Chat to prevent sensitive information from leaking outside an organization.

Keeping users, applications, and data safe online

Whether it's securely operating global services like Google Workspace, Gmail, and YouTube, eliminating vulnerabilities with our Zero Trust approach, or leveraging data analytics and machine learning for threat detection, Google has decades of experience in pioneering differentiated approaches to security. To address the unprecedented security challenges that organizations face today, Google Cloud is making two announcements:

The new Google Cybersecurity Action Team comprised of experts from across Google who will leverage Google's own security best practices to guide, educate, and inform organizations. From developing a roadmap and implementation, to responding to a major incident, to engineering new solutions as the threat landscape changes, this team will help shape customers' security transformations.

comprised of experts from across Google who will leverage Google's own security best practices to guide, educate, and inform organizations. From developing a roadmap and implementation, to responding to a major incident, to engineering new solutions as the threat landscape changes, this team will help shape customers' security transformations. The new Work Safer program will help organizations, especially those without in-house security expertise, quickly achieve a stronger security posture in today's hybrid work environment. Work Safer provides best-in-class security for email, meetings, messaging and more by bringing Google Workspace together with other industry-leading Google products and solutions from CrowdStrike and Palo Alto Networks.

Scaling the Cleanest Cloud in the Industry

Last year, Google made its biggest sustainability commitment yet : to operate on 24/7 carbon-free energy across its offices and data centers by 2030. And earlier this year, Google Cloud introduced a way for customers to choose the cleanest regions to run their workloads. Today, the company is announcing an expansion of its carbon-free solutions portfolio and partnerships that will help customers reduce their carbon footprints:

Carbon Footprint is a new tool that reports on the carbon emissions associated with each customer's Google Cloud Platform usage, enabling them to measure, track, and report on the progress against their climate goals. It is available to every user in the Google Cloud Console, at no charge.

is a new tool that reports on the carbon emissions associated with each customer's Google Cloud Platform usage, enabling them to measure, track, and report on the progress against their climate goals. It is available to every user in the Google Cloud Console, at no charge. Unattended Project Recommender uses machine learning to identify and flag projects that are likely abandoned, so that organizations can choose to easily delete them, in turn saving money and mitigating security risks. Customers will soon be able to estimate the carbon emissions saved by removing these idle resources.

uses machine learning to identify and flag projects that are likely abandoned, so that organizations can choose to easily delete them, in turn saving money and mitigating security risks. Customers will soon be able to estimate the carbon emissions saved by removing these idle resources. Google Earth Engine is now available in preview as part of Google Cloud Platform. Combined with other geospatial-enabled products like BigQuery, Cloud AI, and Google Maps Platform, Earth Engine enables companies to track, monitor, and predict changes in the Earth's surface due to extreme weather events or human-caused activities, helping them save on operational costs, mitigate, and better manage risksall to help them become more resilient to climate change threats.

is now available in preview as part of Google Cloud Platform. Combined with other geospatial-enabled products like BigQuery, Cloud AI, and Google Maps Platform, Earth Engine enables companies to track, monitor, and predict changes in the Earth's surface due to extreme weather events or human-caused activities, helping them save on operational costs, mitigate, and better manage risksall to help them become more resilient to climate change threats. A new partnership initiative with leading data and application providers to help global businesses and governments accelerate their sustainability programs and better understand the impacts of climate change. Carto, Climate Engine, Geotab, NGIS, and Planet will bring their core applications and more than 50 petabytes of satellite imagery, demographics, mobility, and telematics data to Google Cloud, helping customers deploy and access applications and data at global scale and make more data-driven decisions with BigQuery and Earth Engine.

All of this innovation is taking place on Google Cloud's leading infrastructure, which delivers the capacity and performance customers need. This year, Google Cloud opened four new regions in Warsaw , Delhi , Melbourne , and Toronto . Now, with its global footprint of 28 regions with multiple availability zones, Google Cloud has the largest and lowest latency network among hyperscale cloud providers. The company has also announced 10 future regions in Berlin-Brandenburg; Columbus, Ohio; Israel; Madrid; Milan; Paris; Santiago; Saudi Arabia; and Turin.

For more on Google Cloud announcements during Next, please visit the Google Cloud blog or our press corner .

Additional Resources

Google Cloud Next Event Site

About Google Cloud: Google Cloud accelerates organizations' ability to digitally transform their business with the best infrastructure, platform, industry solutions and expertise. We deliver enterprise-grade solutions that leverage Google's cutting-edge technology  all on the cleanest cloud in the industry. Customers in more than 200 countries and territories turn to Google Cloud as their trusted partner to enable growth and solve their most critical business problems.

SOURCE Google Cloud
SUNNYVALE, Calif., Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Google today announced it has expanded its partnership with General Mills, as the food leader has selected Google Cloud as its preferred cloud partner to further the power of data and analytics across the company.

Under the new agreement, Google Cloud will create more personal and predictive experiences for consumers across the company's portfolio of more than 100 iconic brands, such as Blue Buffalo, Cheerios, and Yoplait.

General Mills will use advanced cloud computing, data analytics, and artificial intelligence (AI) to unlock new value and redefine the future of consumer brand relationships in the industry.

"Partnering with Google Cloud on this transformation journey is an important step in helping us boldly lead the CPG industry in this data and relationship-driven era," said Jaime Montemayor, Chief Digital and Technology Officer, General Mills. "This will help modernize our infrastructure and deepen our connection with our consumers to better anticipate their needs."

General Mills and Google Cloud will work together to:

Enhance operational insights : Connecting data from internal and external sources will allow General Mills to build more personalized products, make faster supply and demand planning decisions, and provide better service reliability to customers and partners.

: Connecting data from internal and external sources will allow General Mills to build more personalized products, make faster supply and demand planning decisions, and provide better service reliability to customers and partners. Drive efficiencies : Google Cloud will enable General Mills to create scalable IT platform capabilities at a competitive cost.

: Google Cloud will enable General Mills to create scalable IT platform capabilities at a competitive cost. Unlock new services and offerings: By migrating its workloads to Google Cloud, General Mills will deliver cloud-native capabilities that will allow the company to build new digital services and offerings in an agile manner.

"From improving supply chain management to enhancing customer experiences, data has the power to transform the CPG industry," said Thomas Kurian, CEO, Google Cloud. "As their preferred cloud provider, we believe this partnership will provide General Mills with data-driven insights that enable them to develop deeper and more personalized consumer relationships."

About General Mills

General Mills makes food the world loves. The company is guided by its Accelerate strategy to drive shareholder value by boldly building its brands, relentlessly innovating, unleashing its scale and being a force for good. Its portfolio of beloved brands includes household names such as Cheerios, Nature Valley, Blue Buffalo, Haagen-Dazs, Old El Paso, Pillsbury, Betty Crocker, Yoplait, Annie's, Wanchai Ferry, Yoki and more. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, General Mills generated fiscal 2021 net sales of U.S. $18.1 billion. In addition, the company's share of non-consolidated joint venture net sales totaled U.S. $1.1 billion.

About Google Cloud

Google Cloud accelerates organizations' ability to digitally transform their business with the best infrastructure, platform, industry solutions and expertise. We deliver enterprise-grade solutions that leverage Google's cutting-edge technology  all on the cleanest cloud in the industry. Customers in more than 200 countries and territories turn to Google Cloud as their trusted partner to enable growth and solve their most critical business problems.

SOURCE Google Cloud

Related Links

https://cloud.google.com/


During presentations by president, Digital Infrastructure, Mark Ablett and chief product officer, Radhika Krishnan the company outlined steps it is taking to extend its industry leading storage virtualization capabilities to deliver a distributed hybrid cloud data fabric. The executives discussed a roadmap to combining hybrid cloud infrastructure solutions, unveiled today, with the software defined Hitachi Virtual Storage Software for block, virtualized across distributed environments, from edge to core to cloud.

The new hybrid cloud infrastructure solutions will help clients of all sizes cost-effectively meet the demands of enterprise, cloud native and AI applications, and lay the foundation for extending data fabrics to hybrid cloud environments.

"Today we are excited to announce enhancements to our portfolio that will play a key role in the future of hybrid cloud data strategies," said Mark Ablett, president of Digital Infrastructure at Hitachi Vantara. "Our new VSP 5000 series and E-Series hybrid cloud products deliver performance, consolidation, and enterprise class data services seamlessly on-prem, off-prem, and for cloud-based storage. Clients want agility and performance to meet the demands of digital business, and we're delivering both."

New Virtual Storage Platform (VSP) 5000 Series models, VSP E-Series, and Hitachi Content Platform (HCP) offerings are available now with non-disruptive upgrade paths and cloud-like management tools.

Explore Today's New Hybrid Cloud Infrastructure Offerings

New VSP E-Series Delivers Performance and Capacity without Compromise

Hitachi Vantara today introduced new versions of its VSP E590 and E790 storage solutions for small and midsized enterprise clients. New hybrid storage options give clients the flexibility to consolidate diverse workloads in a single midrange platform. Integrations with leading cloud services platforms also help clients lay the foundation for extending data fabrics to the cloud. Aligned with our hybrid cloud data virtualization strategy, moving forward these arrays will have common data services and virtualization from our software defined and cloud hosted solutions.

In addition to economical all-NVMe storage, clients can now choose all-NVMe, all-SAS or a combination of the two. The addition of SAS expansion to VSP E590 and E790 addresses low latency requirements for applications and affordability for small and midsized enterprise clients, ensuring clients never compromise performance while making use of high capacity, low-cost media for data retention.

Featuring a simple, self-install setup with embedded management, VSP E Series systems can be up and running in 30 minutes.

The new E-Series is integrated into the major hybrid cloud stacks to simplify the deployment and management of the data fabric from edge to core to cloud. Hitachi Vantara announced integrations with Anthos, the Google Cloud solution for unified data management across on-premise, edge, and in multiple public clouds, and with Red Hat OpenShift, the leading enterprise Kubernetes platform. Hitachi also announced Hitachi Replication Plug-In for Containers, which enables enterprise data services in container environments for stateful storage with the Hitachi VSP and E-Series family.

VSP 5000 Series: The Best Gets Better

The VSP 5000 Series is a data platform with the power to deliver business insights for digital transformation. Today, the VSP 5000 Series expanded its enterprise-class features for clients who have large data requirements. New enterprise storage models, the VSP 5200 and 5600, accelerate application responsiveness and performance with a 42% improvement in data reduction efficiency, increasing more usable capacity. With end-to-end NVMe, the new VSP 5600 model once again smash records with 33 million IOPS and as low as 39 microseconds of latency. These capabilities accelerate application response and increase datacenter consolidation opportunities. These arrays are also intelligent, with integrated real-time observability across the infrastructure stack with automated anomaly detection and root cause analysis.

The new VSP 5000 series storage models feature the same modern application development integrations as the new E-Series models to extend the data fabric from the edge to the core and to the cloud.

Hitachi Modern Storage Assurance and Data-in-Place Migration

Organizations increasingly expect on-premises IT resources to offer cloud-like agility and scalability. Hitachi Vantara is delivering both attributes in the new VSP 5000 Series with a 'data in place', non-disruptive upgrade path to the next generation of technology.

New to the VSP 5200 and VSP 5600, Hitachi Modern Storage Assurance additionally provides seamless upgrades to the next generation VSP technology  simplifying the procurement process for several years. Hitachi Modern Storage Assurance can be included in the original purchase of a new VSP 5200 or VSP 5600 or as part EverFlex. EverFlex is Hitachi Vantara's as-a-service offering that allows clients to consume hardware, software and Services through a pay-per-use consumption model.

EverFlex enables clients to start small with only the capacity and performance they need today, and to scale to the largest configurations for data center consolidation, while only paying for what they use.

Hitachi Content Platform Enhances Unstructured Data Operations

Hitachi Content Platform (HCP) is Hitachi Vantara's object storage software solution. Effective today, HCP delivers a greater than 2x improvement in performance for cloud gen apps through new optimization settings that distribute the objects across the architecture more efficiently. A new scale-out policy engine optimizes performance through data services that can be customized per use case or workload.

Hitachi Content Software for File, the most recent expansion of our object storage portfolio, also gained new capabilities today. The solution now supports ingest from Amazon S3 object storage for high performance applications such as IoT sensors and video surveillance machines, which need to rapidly feed massive amounts of data into a central repository.

Hitachi Ops Center Delivers Enhanced AIOps

The new Hitachi Ops Center streamlines operations for distributed teams by applying AI and ML methodologies to reporting, performance optimization and intelligent data management for easy to use, cloud-based health monitoring system.

An integrated real-time analytics and automation capability provide up to a 70% reduction of manual storage management tasks and helps you get to root cause analysis up to 4X faster. Through the Hitachi Ops Center, clients can not only safeguard data availability and simplify operations but also fine tune system performance to help reduce the organization's overall carbon footprint by consuming less energy and cooling across the system.

Availability

Hitachi Vantara's VSP 5000, E-Series and Hitachi Content Platform are available for purchase worldwide now from Hitachi Vantara and its global partner network. All solutions are available through EverFlex, Hitachi Vantara's XaaS consumption model offering the ability to flexibly scale in line with ambitions, while boosting agility and maximizing protection against risk.

Endorsements for Hitachi VSP Series Infrastructure

"From large, enterprise organizations to growing midsize businesses, modernizing the digital core of your business and simultaneously driving digital innovation is crucial to keep pace with the new demands of digital business," said Ahsan Khan, CTO at ThinkOn, Canada's only wholesale provider of storage, compute and networking resources. "The new E-Series from Hitachi Vantara is an excellent platform for those budding businesses looking to reinvent the role of infrastructure in their operations for more cloud-based and purpose-built solutions that optimize existing IT investments while promoting agility and flexibility to seamlessly grow with your business and data requirements."

"One of our favorite aspects of the VSP 5000 Series is its seamless data migration capabilities due to the business-critical agendas hosted on the platform. Our last migration of more than a hundred physical servers was done without any outage or performance issues and without any complicated internal agreements about migration window or downtime," said Jaroslav Javor, IT Architecture manager at Avast Software, a leader in digital security and privacy products. "The new VSP 5600 is the clear choice for our next generation architecture thanks to the seamless data in place upgrade, performance improvements, and remote tuning and performance management capabilities, allowing us to maintain 100% data availability for our critical solutions."

"The flexibility of the new, hybrid E Series offering are what attracted us to this solution," said Holger Bohn, manager IT infrastructure at akquinet, an end-to-end service provider based in Hamburg, Germany. "The combination of performance and cost-effective composability allows us to deliver the very best service to our customers while maximizing our data center investments."

"Collaborating for more than 20 years, Broadcom and Hitachi Vantara are developing modern enterprise infrastructure solutions that combine industry-leading performance with autonomous SAN and storage technologies," said Martin Skagen, vice president of architecture and technology, Brocade Storage Networking division, Broadcom. "Brocade Fibre Channel networking combined with Hitachi Vantara's Virtual Storage Platform solutions leverage NVMe, analytics, and automation technologies to accelerate application performance, maximize infrastructure availability, and simplify management operations."

"To keep pace in a highly competitive and evolving marketplace, today's IT organizations need to not only efficiently meet today's technical requirements, but continue to meet rapidly evolving business needs," said Eric Burgener, research vice president, Infrastructure Systems, Platforms and Technologies Group, IDC. "To accomplish this; Hitachi Vantara's performance, cloud-like agility and as a service consumption models come together to create a modernized digital infrastructure that empowers both traditional and next generation applications, drives new levels of efficiency and streamlines operations."

Resources:

About Hitachi Vantara

Hitachi Vantara, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd., guides our clients from what's now to what's next by solving their digital challenges. Working alongside each client, we apply our unmatched industrial and digital capabilities to their data and applications to benefit both business and society. More than 80% of the Fortune 100 trust Hitachi Vantara to help them develop new revenue streams, unlock competitive advantages, lower costs, enhance client experiences, and deliver social and environmental value. Visit us at www.hitachivantara.com.

About Hitachi, Ltd.

Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is focused on its Social Innovation Business that combines information technology (IT), operational technology (OT) and products. The company's consolidated revenues for fiscal year 2020 (ended March 31, 2021) totaled 8,729.1 billion yen ($78.6 billion), with 871 consolidated subsidiaries and approximately 350,000 employees worldwide. Hitachi is working to increase social, environmental and economic value for its customers across six domains; IT, Energy, Industry, Mobility, Smart Life and Automotive Systems through Lumada, Hitachi's advanced digital solutions, services, and technologies for turning data into insights to drive digital innovation. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's website at https://www.hitachi.com.

HITACHI is a trademark or registered trademark of Hitachi, Ltd. All other trademarks, service marks, and company names are properties of their respective owners.

SOURCE Hitachi Vantara Corporation

Related Links

www.hitachivantara.com


Drivers and Challenges

Technavio has identified the major drivers and challenges that impact the humidity sensor market. According to our research, government regulations and vehicle emission control in the automotive segment are propelling market growth. However, factors such as design complexity leading to an increase in manufacturing time may hamper the market during the forecast period.

Market Segmentation

The humidity sensor market has been segmented by geography into APAC, North America, Europe, MEA, and South America. During the forecast period, 44% of the market's growth will originate from APAC, with China and Taiwan being the key countries.

Based on application, the humidity sensor market has been segmented into industrial, consumer electronics, HVAC system, climate and test chambers, and others. The industrial segment will have a significant market growth share during the forecast period.

To unlock more insights on the contribution of each segment, Avail PDF Sample Now

Key Vendors and Offerings:

Technavio has identified key vendors operating in the market. These include Analog Devices Inc., General Electric Co., Hitachi Ltd., Honeywell International Inc., Infineon Technologies AG, Laird Connectivity, NXP Semiconductors NV, OMRON Corp., Robert Bosch GmbH, and Schneider Electric SE. The key offerings of some of these vendors are mentioned below:

Analog Devices Inc.: The company offers humidity sensor which is in Temp sensor digital serial.

General Electric Co.: The company offers reliable humidity measurement for industrial applications, which provides reliable moisture analyzers to support process decisions.

Hitachi Ltd.: The company offers Mass air flow sensor, which has cost reduction and warranty cost reduction.

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The color detection sensor market size will grow by at a CAGR of over 7% from 2021 to 2025. Acoustic Sensors Market by Application, End-user, and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2021-2025: The acoustic sensors market has the potential to grow by USD 377.41 million from 2021 to 2025. View Free Sample Report

Humidity Sensor Market Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2020 Forecast period 2021-2025 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 6.71% Market growth 2021-2025 USD 716.57 million Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 5.12 Regional analysis APAC, North America, Europe, MEA, and South America Performing market contribution APAC at 44% Key consumer countries China, US, Taiwan, Germany, and The Netherlands Competitive landscape Leading companies, competitive strategies, consumer engagement scope Companies profiled Analog Devices Inc., General Electric Co., Hitachi Ltd., Honeywell International Inc., Infineon Technologies AG, Laird Connectivity, NXP Semiconductors NV, OMRON Corp., Robert Bosch GmbH, and Schneider Electric SE Market Dynamics Parent market analysis, market growth inducers and obstacles, fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, future consumer dynamics, market condition analysis for the forecast period Customization purview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized.

About Us

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

Contact

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media & Marketing Executive

US: +1 844 364 1100

UK: +44 203 893 3200

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.technavio.com/

SOURCE Technavio

Related Links

https://www.technavio.com/


"We thank the editors at Motor1.com for this award. Based on research, we know that fuel economy remains a top purchase consideration," said Ricky Lao, director of Product Planning, Hyundai Motor North America. "The Elantra Hybrid delivers up to 54 mpg combined to meet their demands while delivering a striking design and advanced technologies."

"It was difficult to select just one winner from this group of competitors, but the 2021 Hyundai Elantra Hybrid ended up offering the best blend of creature comforts, driving competence, economical motoring, and aggressive pricing to get the nod," said Motor1.com Senior Editor Brett Evans. "For the owner who wants something comfortable, distinctive, and well-priced, it's hard to improve on the Elantra Hybrid."

Test Criteria for the 2021 Motor1.com Star Awards

Motor1.com's first annual Star Awards considers all new vehicles that have been rated by its team of expert editors. Using a Star Rating system, Motor1.com chose finalists for eight awards (Best Adventure Vehicle, Best Electric Vehicle, Best Family Vehicle, Best Luxury Vehicle, Best Performance Vehicle, Best Truck, Best Value, and Editors' Choice). The final roster of finalists included 17 different vehicles from 12 different automakers.

Motor1.com gathered the contestants for a week of in-person testing in Santa Clarita, California, spending time on the country roads, at Willow Springs International Motorsports Park, and on dusty mountain trails gathering impressions of each product. The team's expert editors discussed the pros and cons of each product before voting for winners in each category.

Hyundai Motor America

Hyundai Motor America focuses on 'Progress for Humanity' and smart mobility solutions. Hyundai offers U.S. consumers a technology-rich lineup of cars, SUVs, and electrified vehicles. Our 820 dealers sold more than 620,000 vehicles in the U.S. in 2020, and nearly half were built at Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama. For more information, visit www.HyundaiNews.com.

Hyundai Motor America on Twitter | YouTube | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn

SOURCE Hyundai Motor America

Related Links

www.hyundainews.com


VIST delivers the industry's first complete mobile, pharma-grade science and technology solution for cleaner cannabis. Tweet this

"Every consumer deserves clean cannabis. Our products are never irradiated. The VIST technologies and mobile platform are designed to help cultivators, processors, and dispensaries enhance their quality control and deliver systems using many of the safe and best practices adopted by the food industry," states Jim Sanfilippo, founding partner and Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

Oversights in cannabis processing and insufficient internal quality control can lead to problems with mold and bacterial contaminants on cannabis flower. Due, in part, to increasing product recalls, concerns about cannabis safety and potency are growing at the same time the industry is expanding.

Knowing in advance and addressing any hidden microbiological issues that may be present before distribution provides cannabis business owners with profit protection and improved quality control.

For a decade, the cannabis industry has gathered annually at MJBizCon, making it the largest, cannabis business conference in the world. The 2021 event returns to Las Vegas Oct. 20-22, 2021 and will showcase over 1,100 exhibitors.

The exclusive VIST system includes:

CryoPasteurization

The CryoPasteurization technology is designed to kill mold, yeast, and other bacteria while retaining terpene and cannabinoid levels as well as positive organoleptic qualities of cannabis. The patent-pending technology rapidly pasteurizes cannabis to remove harmful contaminants without irradiation.

AMAPS Packaging

The VIST Aseptic Modified Atmosphere Packaging System (AMAPS) extends product shelf life and protects terpenes and cannabinoids.

AMAPS equipment automatically weighs and loads 1 to 7 pounds of flower into barrier bags. To create the optimum environment to slow mold and bacterial growth, the packaging equipment uses proprietary, multi-laminar flow modified atmosphere technology. This reduces oxygen to parts per million while helping to retain moisture levels. All of this is done in a Class 100 clean room environment inside the packaging machine. Various bulk packaging formats are available.

The VIST AMAPS technology is the cumulation of many years of developments within the pharmaceutical and food industries. VIST founders are pioneers in extended shelf-life packaging of perishable goods including injectable drugs and infant formulas. They hold over 220 patents in the field.

Mobile Services

Equipment is rolled off customized Sprinter vans and brought into licensed grow and processing facilities. All work is performed in customer's facilities. Vans are temperature controlled and include areas for WIFI data collection, packaging materials, screening kits, and other supplies.

Quality Control Indicative Screening

VIST developed a fast and reliable screening system to identify the level of mold, yeast and aerobic bacteria that may exist in flower or shake. The system comes in pre-packaged kits. All the necessary screening components are included.

In addition, VIST technicians are trained to gather samples in a manner that does not remove any physical flower from licensed facilities. Samples are collected and incubated, then data is tabulated to understand plate count levels (Colony Forming Units) pre and post VIST technology.

About VIST:

Founded early in 2021, VIST Labs LLC is the parent company for VIST Franchise Systems LLC and is based in Schaumburg, Ill. VIST Labs develops and supplies advanced health care and pharmaceutical grade decontamination, aseptic modified atmosphere packaging, and quality control screening for cannabis and cannabis infused products to address issues related to safety and quality while enhancing the consumer experience.

VIST Franchise Systems LLC is currently operating in Colorado and selling in Oregon. Future states will be added soon. For more information: www.vistlabs.com.

CONTACT:

Mary Brophy

[email protected]

414-429-6180

SOURCE VIST Labs LLC
ATLANTA, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Building on its national partnership with Habitat for Humanity International, LEVOLOR Inc. is donating to the global housing nonprofit $10 for every custom blind and shade sales order (up to $100,000) placed in October 2021.

The sales donations reinforce LEVOLOR's long-term commitment to supporting Habitat through its ongoing partnership since 2019. Each year the more than 100-year-old maker of custom window coverings has donated $1 million worth of cordless cellular shades and metal blinds to Habitat so homeowners and their families can feel safe and secure in their Habitat-built homes.

"We're proud of our continued partnership with Habitat by supporting their homebuilding and community development work that adds comfort to people's daily lives."  Christian Leard, President of LEVOLOR.

LEVOLOR Cellular Shades help provide the privacy every family deserves while the insulating honeycomb design helps keep homes cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. Metal blinds offer Habitat homeowners versatile light control in a lightweight-yet-durable design. LEVOLOR window coverings feature cordless design, which eliminates dangling cords to improve safety for young children and pets, making each a certified Best for Kids product.

About LEVOLOR

Backed by a legacy of quality and performance, LEVOLOR blinds, shades and shutters come in an assortment of fabrics, finishes and sizes, both stock and custom. Trusted for every room in the home, LEVOLOR works beautifully, today, tomorrow and every day. To learn more, visit levolor.com .

SOURCE LEVOLOR
Lightstone's launched its Moxy development platform in 2017 with the opening of the 612-key Moxy Times Square, winner of American Lodging Investment Summit's (ALIS) Development of the Year. Lightstone subsequently developed the 350-key Moxy Chelsea which opened in 2019 and 286-key Moxy East Village which opened in 2019. Most recently, Lightstone opened the 202-key Moxy South Beach in February 2021, its first Moxy outside of New York and the first resort-style property for the brand.

Lightstone continues to expand its portfolio of Moxy hotels with two hotels that recently topped out in New York, Moxy Lower East Side and Moxy Williamsburg, as well as a dual-branded Moxy and AC Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles. Earlier this year, Lightstone was the only owner with three hotels, Moxy Times Square, Moxy East Village, and Moxy Chelsea, featured on Conde Nast Traveler's list of "Top 25 Hotels in New York City."

Lightstone has collaborated with leading interior design firms including Yabu Pushelberg and Rockwell Group to develop properties that offer affordability without any sacrifice of style or comfort. Efficient but stylish guestrooms are coupled with public spaces that are engaging, well-designed, and contextual, appealing equally to locals and travelers. Lightstone's Moxy hotels also feature world-class restaurants and bars through partnerships with some of the top food and beverage operators in the world.

"We are proud of the strong partnership we have cultivated with Marriott over many years," said Lightstone President Mitchell Hochberg. "It's apparent why Marriott is the industry's global hospitality leader with their innovative and transformative hotel concepts. We couldn't be more thrilled to continue growing the Moxy brand together."

ABOUT LIGHTSTONE

Lightstone, founded by David Lichtenstein, is one of the most diversified privately held real estate companies in the United States. Lightstone is active in 24 states across the country, developing, managing and investing in all sectors of the real estate market, including residential, hospitality, commercial, and retail. With 132 existing properties, Lightstone's over $6.5 billion portfolio currently includes over 4 million square feet of industrial, retail and commercial properties, over 15,000 residential units, and over 4,300 hotel keys. Headquartered in New York City, Lightstone continues to grow its development portfolio with over $3.5 billion currently under development in the residential and hospitality sectors.

ABOUT MOXY HOTELS

Moxy offers a playful hotel experience for the young at heart. With more than 90 properties open across North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific, Moxy boldly breaks the rules of a conventional hotel stay across the globe. The nontraditional experience starts with check-in at Bar Moxy and comes to life throughout its social public spaces, like the Lounge and Library, and the small but smart bedrooms. Moxy provides stylish, industrial design and sociable service at an attractive price point, so that guests can splurge on the experiences that matter most to them during their travels. Moxy celebrates nonconformity, open-mindedness, and originality above all  forever giving its guests permission to Play On #atthemoxy. For more information, visit www.moxyhotels.com and join the fun #atthemoxy on Instagram . Moxy is proud to participate in Marriott Bonvoy, the global travel program from Marriott International. The program offers members an extraordinary portfolio of global brands, exclusive experiences on Marriott Bonvoy Moments, and unparalleled benefits including free nights and Elite status recognition. To enroll for free or for more information about the program, visit MarriottBonvoy.com.

SOURCE Lightstone

Related Links

https://www.lightstonegroup.com/


FARIBAULT, Minn., Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Living Greens Farm, the world's largest indoor vertical aeroponic farm, announced today that Company CEO, George Pastrana, has been invited to present at the Global AgTech Virtual Conference, presented by Maxim Group LLC and hosted by M-Vest, on Oct. 14, 2021 at 10 a.m. EDT.

George Pastrana will be presenting during the panel titled "Innovative Food Technologies," where he will discuss the company's disruptive and innovative aeroponic growing platform for leafy greens

George Pastrana, CEO, Living Greens Farm

The event will consist of four virtual panels with executive management from multiple companies in the AgTech sector and our keynote speaker Ambassador Kip E. Tom, the Chief Executive Officer of Leesburg-based Tom Farms, which grows corn, soybeans, and seed corn in seven northern Indiana counties and is among Indiana's largest farming operations.

The panel discussions will be moderated by Anthony Vendetti, Maxim's Executive Director of Research & Senior Analyst.

This conference will be live on M-Vest. To attend, just sign up to become an M-Vest member.

Click Here to Reserve your seat

ABOUT LIVING GREENS FARM

Headquartered in Minnesota, Living Greens Farm is the world's largest vertical plane aeroponic farm. Living Greens Farm produce requires 95 water and 99 percent less land to grow year-round and all products are grown without pesticides or GMOs. Living Greens Farm has a full product line that includes salads, microgreens and herbs available throughout the Midwest. For more information, please visit http://www.livinggreensfarm.com .

Contact: Jarrod Holland

910.431.3322

[email protected]

SOURCE Living Greens Farm
LMC President & CEO, Dr. Kyle Van Houtan welcomed the guests and Go Blue Finalists and commended them for their dedication to save our oceans and planet. "The Go Blue Awards shine a bright light on pioneering ocean leaders. It's such a joy to be a part of this event, and share the hope and solutions these Go Blue finalists have provided." said Van Houtan.

Hosted by LMC, and organized by the Blue Friend Society, the Annual Go Blue Awards recognizes and awards four individuals, one business and one nonprofit that promotes, implements, or contributes to a "blue" lifestyle surrounding marine conservation. The Center's Go Blue Awards ceremony is recognized as Florida's premier ocean conservation awards event and is judged by an independent panel of globally renowned conservation experts.

The finalists for the six category awards include:

The Eleanor Fletcher Award, named for the founder of Loggerhead Marinelife Center, recognizes an individual who has exemplified a lifelong, extraordinary commitment to marine conservation through their work or volunteer activities.

Nancy Knowlton ( Washington, DC )  Award Recipient

( )  Award Recipient Richard Walesky ( Wellington , FL) - Honoree

( , FL) - Honoree Gayle Zavala ( Belle Glade, FL ) - Honoree

The Blue Ambassador of the Year Award recognizes a person who has made significant contributions in marine conservation through volunteer-related activities.

Marilu Cristina Flores ( Lake Park, FL )

( ) Steve Kamlet ( Merrick, NY )

( ) Ana Vergne ( Riviera Beach, FL )

The Blue Friend of the Year Award recognizes a person who has made significant contributions in marine conservation through work-related activities.

Linda Emerson ( Jupiter, FL )

( ) Dr. Mariana Fuentes ( Tallahassee, FL )

( ) Dr. Claire Petros ( Bristol, United Kingdom )

The Blue Hatchling Youth Award recognizes students up to and including 12th grade who have made significant contributions in marine conservation through volunteer-related activities.

Ella Grace Galaski-Rossen ( Toronto, Canada ) & Cash Daniels ( Chattanooga, TN )

( ) & Cash Daniels ( ) Ryan Moralevitz ( Palm Harbor, FL )

( ) Cade Stuermer ( Clarence Center, NY )

The Blue Business of the Year Award recognizes a business that has made outstanding contributions toward promoting and encouraging conservation, restoration, or preservation of marine life and/or marine ecosystems through their business practices, products or technology.

Hive Brands ( Chatham, NJ )

) MANG ( West Palm Beach, FL )

) Sand Cloud ( San Clemente, CA )

The Blue Nonprofit of the Year Award will recognize a nonprofit that has made outstanding contributions toward promoting conservation or restoration of marine life or ecosystems through their practices, products or technology.

Aquarium Conservation Partnership ( Monterey, CA )

) Azul ( San Francisco, CA )

) Piper's Angels Foundation ( Jupiter, FL )

"Year after year Pete and I are inspired by our worldwide nominees who are working so hard to help protect and preserve our planet and marine life" commented LMC Board Member and Go Blue founder and Co-chair, Lynne Wells.

A special thank you to LMC community partners and event sponsors, including AMG, Carrier, FPL, KAST, and Lynne & Pete Wells.

The award recipients will be announced at the 13th Annual Go Blue Awards being held on Friday, October 22 at 6 p.m. on LMC's oceanside campus and featuring keynote speaker, Dr. Sylvia Earle. The event is sold out, learn more about the event: marinelife.org/goblue .

Loggerhead Marinelife Center

Loggerhead Marinelife Center is a nonprofit sea turtle research, rehabilitation and educational institution that promotes conservation of ocean ecosystems with a focus on threatened and endangered sea turtles. The Center features an on-site hospital, research laboratory, educational exhibits and aquariums, and also operates the Juno Beach Pier, which hosts world-class angling and sightseeing. Situated on one of the world's most important sea turtle nesting beaches, Loggerhead Marinelife Center is open daily and hosts over 350,000 guests free-of-charge each year.

The Center's conservation team works with nearly 200 local and international organizations across six continents to form partnerships and share conservation initiatives and best practices that are core to its mission of ocean conservation. The Center is expanding and has launched its Waves of Progress capital expansion campaign, designed to accelerate and amplify LMC's conservation and education impact. When complete, the facility will offer one of the world's most advanced and unique experiences for guests and scientific partners. For more information, visit www.marinelife.org or call (561) 627-8280.

Media Contact:

Tom Longo, Associate Director,

Marketing & Communications

561-627-8280, x106

[email protected]

Photos available upon request.

SOURCE Loggerhead Marinelife Center

Related Links

marinelife.org


"I love helping people," Award recipient, Lucinda Jenks stated. "I am so thankful for the recognition, and I hope others will be inspired to give back to their communities as well."

Jenks has been an active member in her community since childhood, participating in clubs and volunteering, looking to both her parents as symbols of hard work and sacrifice. As an adult, Jenks founded her own chapter of Future Farmers for America teaching children appreciation and understanding of agriculture, in addition to her service on the board of Main Street Siloam Springs and volunteering her time at various other non-profits.

Jenks currently works for Geneva Financial, a direct mortgage lender headquartered in Chandler, Arizona focused on delivering white glove service across the nation. As a loan officer, she seeks to go above and beyond to help her clients reach their dreams of homeownership. Growing up in Siloam Springs, Jenks now lives in Watts, and proudly serves homebuyers in both Arkansas and Oklahoma.

"We are so honored to have Lucinda as part of our team" Chief Marketing Officer," James Polinori stated. "She exemplifies our Be A Good Human culture in every aspect of her life, personal and professional."

If you are looking to join a top ranked company with a deeply authentic, human-focused culture, Geneva Financial Home Loans is currently expanding in all markets and seeking team members across the United States. Geneva Financial currently has mortgage job opportunities in 45 states.

About Geneva Financial

Founded in 2007 by Aaron VanTrojen, Geneva Financial (NMLS 42056) is a direct mortgage lender headquartered in Chandler, Arizona with more than 130 branch locations in 45 states. Our mission at Geneva Financial is to approach every aspect of our business from the "inside-out". With a culture-forward mindset, we focus on our loan originators and support staff first to ensure an unbeatable experience for our customers.

Our Core Values were created as a daily reminder to operate with the inside-out approach in mind. Core Value #1 is the backbone of all our Core Values, our mission, and our brand vision: Home Loans Powered by Humans. Learn more about Geneva Financial Mortgage Home Loans at www.GenevaFi.com

SOURCE Geneva Financial

Related Links

http://www.genevafi.com/


AUSTIN, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Enverus, the leading energy data analytics and SaaS technology company, is releasing its summary of 3Q21 U.S. upstream M&A activity. While M&A slid 44% from last quarter's record-setting deal value, the $18.5 billion transacted still topped the five-year quarterly average for M&A value of about $16 billion (excluding Occidental/Anadarko).

"We have seen a red-hot market for upstream M&A since the industry recovered its footing from the initial shock of COVID-19," said Andrew Dittmar, director at Enverus. "It was inevitable that the hungriest buyers and sellers would find their deals and activity would revert back toward the average. We seem to be hitting that inflection point."

Capping the quarter was ConocoPhillips' late September move to solidify its position as a leading Permian producer by acquiring Shell's position in the Delaware Basin for $9.5 billion, a deal that moved Conoco into second place for total Permian production. While Shell's sale was the most prominent example, there was a broader uptick in asset deals collectively.

Corporate consolidation didn't entirely leave the market though. Vine Energy ended its short-lived run as a standalone public company when it agreed to be acquired by Chesapeake Energy for $2.2 billion in the largest corporate deal of Q3.

"There are still opportunities for public company consolidation as well as potential private sellers looking to capitalize on price levels for both gas and oil not seen in years," concluded Dittmar. "But the sense of urgency seems to have left the deal market. Through the end of the year, we are likely to see mostly smaller sized asset deals as companies trim their portfolios with the chance of an occasional larger public company merger or private E&P sale."

About Enverus

Enverus is the leading energy SaaS company delivering highly-technical insights and predictive/prescriptive analytics that empower customers to make decisions that increase profit. Enverus' innovative technologies drive production and investment strategies, enable best practices for energy and commodity trading and risk management, and reduce costs through automated processes across critical business functions. Enverus is a strategic partner to more than 6,000 customers in 50 countries. Learn more at Enverus.com.

SOURCE Enverus
C$ unless otherwise stated

TSX/NYSE/PSE: MFC SEHK: 945

TORONTO, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Manulife has been recognized by Forbes on its World's Best Employer list for the second year in a row as it continues to build a leading culture that supports its mission to make decisions easier and lives better.

"Our focus on driving an inclusive and high-performing culture is accelerating our Company's progress toward our bold ambition to become the most digital, customer-centric company in our industry," says Pam Kimmet, Chief Human Resources Officer, Manulife. "We're proud to have received this recognition for a second time as it demonstrates the positive impact of our efforts. We've been focused on building a culture of recognition, learning, and inclusion, enabling our team to feel supported, energized, and motivated about the future."

Throughout 2021, Manulife has been focused on continuing to enhance experiences for its global colleagues, with programs guided by the philosophy of promoting a greater sense of connectivity, engagement and inclusion among its more than 37,000 global colleagues. Programs and experiences that were celebrated in 2021 include:

Fuel Up Fridays: One day per month from September to December 2021 , dedicated to learning and rest, plus five additional personal days to use in 2022.

One day per month from September to , dedicated to learning and rest, plus five additional personal days to use in 2022. Thank You Day: A global day off for the team to rest and relax in mid-June.

A global day off for the team to rest and relax in mid-June. Global Afternoon of Reflection and Learning: The entire global team took an afternoon to dedicate to learning about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

The entire global team took an afternoon to dedicate to learning about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Elevate: This Spring, the global team was introduced to Elevate, a series of activities and celebrations around healthy living, consisting of four themed events and celebrations around healthy living throughout 2021.

This Spring, the global team was introduced to Elevate, a series of activities and celebrations around healthy living, consisting of four themed events and celebrations around healthy living throughout 2021. Mental Health Awareness Month: In May, Manulife celebrated Mental Health Awareness month with a full schedule of health-filled events.

In May, Manulife celebrated Mental Health Awareness month with a full schedule of health-filled events. Manulife Has Talent: A second annual virtual global talent show with participation from team members across every region.

A second annual virtual global talent show with participation from team members across every region. Podium: Celebration of the one-year anniversary of our global recognition platform, enabling team members across all levels to give and receive authentic recognition.

Celebration of the one-year anniversary of our global recognition platform, enabling team members across all levels to give and receive authentic recognition. Investments in Learning: Invested in a new learning platform to enable everyone to pursue independent learning and growth through curated online courses available through an internal learning Platform, Pursuit and through other channels.

Invested in a new learning platform to enable everyone to pursue independent learning and growth through curated online courses available through an internal learning Platform, Pursuit and through other channels. Guest Speaker Series: A program featuring high-profile external individuals who impart their unique tips and tools around how to stay balanced, happy and mentally well during challenging times.

Manulife is ranked at the top spot among Canadian insurers on the list of World's Best Employers. Forbes developed the list based on a survey of 150,000 workers in 58 countries. In partnership with Statista, Forbes collected direct recommendations from our colleagues and employees at other companies as well as indirect recommendations from workers across industries. The survey considered every aspect of an employees' experience such as working conditions, salary, potential for growth, and diversity. Respondents were asked to rate their own employer and the likelihood they would recommend them to a friend or family member. All the surveys were anonymous, allowing participants to openly share their opinions.

About Manulife

Manulife Financial Corporation is a leading international financial services provider that helps people make their decisions easier and lives better. With our global headquarters in Toronto, Canada, we operate as Manulife across our offices in Canada, Asia, and Europe, and primarily as John Hancock in the United States. We provide financial advice, insurance, and our global wealth and asset management segment, Manulife Investment Management, serves individuals, institutions and retirement plan members worldwide. At the end of 2020, we had more than 37,000 employees, over 118,000 agents, and thousands of distribution partners, serving over 30 million customers. As of June 30, 2021, we had CAD$1.3 trillion (US$1.1 trillion) in assets under management and administration, and in the previous 12 months we made $31.3 billion in payments to our customers. Our principal operations are in Asia, Canada and the United States where we have served customers for more than 155 years. We trade as 'MFC' on the Toronto, New York, and the Philippine stock exchanges and under '945' in Hong Kong.

SOURCE Manulife Financial Corporation

Related Links

http://www.manulife.com


REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- BlueVine , the leading provider of innovative financial services for small businesses, today announced the appointment of Mira Srinivasan as its Chief Risk Officer. In this position, Mira will build on the strong foundation of BlueVine's current Risk team and further improve underlying policies, customer experience, and risk models and underwriting. She will report to Steve Allocca, COO at BlueVine.

BlueVine logo Mira Srinivasan

"The CRO will continue to play an integral role in BlueVine's next phase of growth as they uncover new opportunities to innovate as well as automate and standardize processes using new approaches in data, analytics and technology," said Eyal Lifshitz, CEO and co-founder of BlueVine. "We are thrilled to welcome Mira to our leadership team and are grateful for the strong foundation that our former CRO, Ido Lustig, built for us over the last seven years."

Mira brings over 15 years of experience in the financial services industry. In her previous role at Brex, she led the risk team responsible for credit, fraud, and operational risk. Mira drove best-in-class credit performance during the pandemic, led credit conversations for inaugural securitization (A-rated) and multiple warehouse lines, and enabled launch and scaling of new products including Brex Cash. Mira also spent 12 years at American Express in Risk Management leadership roles spanning consumer and commercial underwriting, data science, credit rating, and liquidation risk functions.

"Small businesses are the growth engine of our economy, and I look forward to serving them as BlueVine's CRO," said Mira Srinivasan, CRO at BlueVine. "My goal is to continuously improve our risk capabilities while delivering outstanding customer experiences, by leveraging data and analytics, and driving innovation across all products."

Former CRO, Ido Lustig, will transition into a new role as BlueVine's General Manager, International. In both of their new roles, Mira and Ido will continue to help BlueVine grow as it strives to be the best partner possible to small business owners. Srinivasan is the third leader joining BlueVine's growing C-suite team in 2021. Her appointment comes on the heels of the appointment of David Quinn , former Silicon Valley Bank and Bank of the West executive as BlueVine's Chief Financial Officer. Mira holds an MBA from the Symbiosis Centre For Management and Human Resource Development. She will work from BlueVine's headquarters in Redwood City, CA.

About BlueVine

BlueVine provides small and medium-sized businesses with fast and simple access to financial services built with them in mind. BlueVine's advanced online platform offers an intuitive, convenient solution designed to meet the banking and working capital needs of today's business owners with a suite of products including BlueVine Business Checking, Payments, and Line of Credit. Based in Redwood City, California, BlueVine has provided small and medium-sized businesses with access to more than $9 billion in financing and is backed by leading private and institutional investors, including Lightspeed Venture Partners, Menlo Ventures, 83North, Citi Ventures, ION Crossover Partners, SVB Capital, Nationwide Insurance, and M12 (Microsoft's Venture Arm). All lines of credit and term loan products are issued by Celtic Bank, a Utah-chartered Industrial Bank, Member FDIC. Banking Services provided by Coastal Community Bank, Member FDIC.

For more information, please visit https://www.bluevine.com/ or follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter .

Media Contacts:

Christina Cole

Head of Communications, BlueVine

650-252-1980

[email protected]

SOURCE BlueVine

Related Links

https://www.bluevine.com/


FACTS AT A GLANCE Edition: 6; Released: April 2021 Executive Pool: 407 Companies: 15 - Players covered include Continental Structural Plastics, Inc.; Gurit Holding AG; Koninklijke Ten Cate BV; Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation; Plasan Carbon Composites, Inc.; SGL Group - The Carbon Company; Solvay SA; Toho Tenax Co., Ltd.; Toray Industries, Inc.; UFP Technologies, Inc. and Others. Coverage: All major geographies and key segments Segments: Application (Exterior, Interior, Powertrain, Other Applications); Fiber Type (Glass, Carbon, Other Fiber Types); Resin Type (Thermoset, Thermoplastics) Geographies: World; United States; Canada; Japan; China; Europe (France; Germany; Italy; United Kingdom; Spain; Russia; and Rest of Europe); Asia-Pacific (Australia; India; South Korea; and Rest of Asia-Pacific); Latin America (Argentina; Brazil; Mexico; and Rest of Latin America); Middle East (Iran; Israel; Saudi Arabia; United Arab Emirates; and Rest of Middle East); and Africa.

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ABSTRACT-

Global Automotive Composites Market to Reach $17.7 Billion by 2026

Amid the COVID-19 crisis, the global market for Automotive Composites estimated at US$9.4 Billion in the year 2020, is projected to reach a revised size of US$17.7 Billion by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 10.9% over the analysis period. Glass, one of the segments analyzed in the report, is projected to record a 10.7% CAGR and reach US$11.2 Billion by the end of the analysis period. After a thorough analysis of the business implications of the pandemic and its induced economic crisis, growth in the Carbon segment is readjusted to a revised 12.1% CAGR for the next 7-year period.

The U.S. Market is Estimated at $2.8 Billion in 2021, While China is Forecast to Reach $3.7 Billion by 2026

The Automotive Composites market in the U.S. is estimated at US$2.8 Billion in the year 2021. China, the world`s second largest economy, is forecast to reach a projected market size of US$3.7 Billion by the year 2026 trailing a CAGR of 14.3% over the analysis period. Among the other noteworthy geographic markets are Japan and Canada, each forecast to grow at 7.5% and 9.4% respectively over the analysis period. Within Europe, Germany is forecast to grow at approximately 8.5% CAGR. More

MarketGlass Platform

Our MarketGlass Platform is a free full-stack knowledge center that is custom configurable to today`s busy business executive`s intelligence needs! This influencer driven interactive research platform is at the core of our primary research engagements and draws from unique perspectives of participating executives worldwide. Features include - enterprise-wide peer-to-peer collaborations; research program previews relevant to your company; 3.4 million domain expert profiles; competitive company profiles; interactive research modules; bespoke report generation; monitor market trends; competitive brands; create & publish blogs & podcasts using our primary and secondary content; track domain events worldwide; and much more. Client companies will have complete insider access to the project data stacks. Currently in use by 67,000+ domain experts worldwide.

Our platform is free for qualified executives and is accessible from our website www.StrategyR.com or via our just released mobile application on iOS or Android

About Global Industry Analysts, Inc. & StrategyR

Global Industry Analysts, Inc., (www.strategyr.com) is a renowned market research publisher the world`s only influencer driven market research company. Proudly serving more than 42,000 clients from 36 countries, GIA is recognized for accurate forecasting of markets and industries for over 33 years.

CONTACTS:

Zak Ali

Director, Corporate Communications

Global Industry Analysts, Inc.

Phone: 1-408-528-9966

www.StrategyR.com

Email: [email protected]

LINKS

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SOURCE Global Industry Analysts, Inc.

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SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomelo announced $5 million in seed funding and will be the first company to combine credit and international money transfer in one unified product. Its launch will aim to help users build credit while sending money to family overseas without any fees. Pomelo is backed by a number of high-profile investors, including solo capitalist Josh Buckley, Xfund, Afore Capital and Abel Tesfaye, known professionally as The Weeknd.

"Pomelo is on a mission to make the American Dream more attainable for U.S. immigrants," said Frenkiel, founder and CEO. Tweet this Learn more and reserve your card at www.pomelo.com. Learn more and reserve your card at www.pomelo.com. Learn more and reserve your card at www.pomelo.com. Eric Velasquez Frenkiel is the founder and CEO of Pomelo, the first fintech startup to combine international money transfer and credit.

"Pomelo is on a mission to make the American Dream more attainable for U.S. immigrants, while providing financial stability for their families back at home," said Eric Velasquez Frenkiel, Pomelo founder and CEO. "The annual outflow of remittance from the U.S. to countries like the Philippines and India is staggering, yet there remain few safe and cost-effective options to send funds to loved ones. Pomelo plans to change that."

Frenkiel brings entrepreneurship and engineering experience from his previous work at other startups. Prior to founding Pomelo, he co-founded Singlestore, formerly MemSQL, now valued at over $1 billion, which he led as CEO from 2011 to 2017. A graduate of Stanford University's School of Engineering and former engineer at Facebook, Frenkiel was previously named on the Forbes 30 under 30 list of technology innovators. He now seeks a solution to the financial challenges facing immigrants and descendants of immigrants in the U.S.

Recognizing a deficiency in the system, Pomelo is reinventing the money transfer experience so customers can build credit in the U.S. while sending money anywhere in the world without fees  a first for the market. While combining money transfer with credit, Pomelo makes sending money around the world easy, cashless and free.

"When it comes down to it, banking is about trust," said Eric Sprink, Coastal Community Bank president and CEO. "Pomelo is weaving together expertise in financial technology with a true focus on the people at the heart of its business. Pomelo gives U.S. immigrants and their families an opportunity to build a financial future, which is why we were eager to be involved."

"As the son of Ethiopian immigrants, I am encouraged by the impact Pomelo is making," said Tesfaye. "They're empowering members of the immigrant community and their families back home to gain true financial security."

Product

The Pomelo Card is powered by the Mastercard network, issued by Coastal Community Bank, and will feature a mobile application available on an Android or iOS smartphone. U.S. citizens and permanent residents 18 years and older will be able to apply for a Pomelo Card. Then, their families anywhere around the world can join a family plan as authorized users. Pomelo sends these users personalized Pomelo Cards as part of the family plan, enabling the convenience of online shopping and swipe at checkout instead of handling cash.

Pomelo will ensure customers get the best real-time exchange rate for each purchase made with the Pomelo Card, eliminating the need for tedious price hunting. Unlike traditional money transfer services that can charge up to 7% in transfer fees, Pomelo will be paid by the merchant via interchange and daily foreign exchange rates, eliminating fees for its customers.

For those with low or no credit, the company will offer a Pomelo Secured Card, allowing users to deposit funds they would normally remit and be issued a secured credit line that will help them begin to build credit.

"Establishing credit is critical to financial wellness in the U.S., but it is often challenging for newly established citizens," says Frenkiel. "Even when financial activity is conducted responsibly, individuals remain credit invisible unless the activity is reported to a U.S. credit bureau. This can severely limit opportunity to build wealth and economic security for a group of people already effectively supporting themselves and their families abroad. We plan to recognize and reward them."

Customers can sign up and reserve their card ahead of Pomelo's official product launch and account openings later this year. Pomelo's card holders will be able to send money from the U.S. to the Philippines, with India and Mexico to follow.

To reserve a Pomelo Card, visit www.pomelo.com.

Media Contact

[email protected]

SOURCE Pomelo

Related Links

https://www.pomelocard.com/


CHICAGO, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) Foundation today released the results of a new survey uncovering widespread confusion among Americans when it comes to their health information. The survey found that 3 in 4 Americans do not leave their doctor's office on a positive note for reasons that include disappointment in the level of Q&A they have with their doctor, confusion about their health, and a need to do more research. This lack of understanding is shared by most Americans, with nearly 2 in 3 respondents admitting they are not extremely confident in their understanding of the health information they discuss with their doctor.

AHIMA Foundation - Who We Are

Access to and understanding of health records and information is critical to consumer health management. Unfortunately, more than half of respondents (52%) report that they rarely access their medical records to review their health information. In fact, 1 in 4 Americans don't know where to go to access their medical and health information.

Research shows that low health literacy is correlated with increased emergency room visits, hospital stays, and higher mortality rates. AHIMA Foundation's mission is to empower people to take control of their health through improving health literacy. These findings further illuminate the American health literacy crisis.

During Health Literacy month this October, AHIMA Foundation has released a toolkit of easy-to-use English and Spanish language online health literacy resources at healthinfoexplained.org. The site provides practical resources and tools aimed at improving overall health literacy, including explaining individuals' rights surrounding their own online health information and solutions for improving communication with doctors about accessing online health information and patient portals.

The survey results further illustrate that barriers to health literacy most adversely affect traditionally medically underserved communities.

"While access to online health information and medical records plays an important role in bringing clarity to one's understanding of their health, members of medically underserved communities face additional barriers to accessing and utilizing their online health information," says Lisa K. Fitzpatrick, MD, MPH, MPA, Founder & CEO, Grapevine Health. "It's critical that Americans are able to retrieve their medical information to get a whole picture of their health for more positive outcomes."

According to the study, if Americans were able to have a whole picture of their health, they'd see noticeable changes. Four in five Americans agree that if they had access to all their health information, including medical records, recommendations, conditions, and test results, they'd see at least one improvement in their health management, including improvement in their confidence in understanding their health, improvement in the management of their health, and improvement in their trust in their doctor's recommendations.

"We know based on these results that a majority of Americans aren't fully grasping information discussed with their health care provider, leading many patients and caregivers to turn to the internet to take their health management into their own hands" says Anisa Tootla, Executive Director, AHIMA Foundation. "But many - especially members of medically underserved communities - are lacking a key piece of the health management equation: access to and an understanding of their personal medical information and online records. AHIMA Foundation is working to help change that."

Key Study Findings:

An overall lack of understanding:

Many don't understand all the medical information their doctor provides (24%) -or even remember it immediately following a visit (31%). 15% -or nearly 37 million- Americans admit they sometimes feel more confused about their health than they did before their appointment. 3 in 4 (76%) -or 187 million- Americans report that they do not leave their doctor's office on a positive note. 1 in 4 (24%) -or 59 million- Americans don't know where to go to access their health and medical information.

Medically underserved communities are disproportionately affected:

Lower income individuals are less likely than those earning more to at least somewhat agree that they understand the medical information their doctor shares (LT 50k 71% vs. 50- 100k 79%, MT 100k 84%). Lower income individuals are less likely to have ever accessed their medical records or know where to go to access their medical information and health data (LT 50k 71% vs. 50-LT 100k 81%, MT 100k 84%). Lower income individuals are less likely to use an online platform or portal to access their medical records (LT 50k 76% vs. 50-LT 100K 86%, MT 100K 88%). Hispanics are more likely than their peers to leave their doctor's appointment not feeling positively (White 75%, Black 75%, Hispanic 83%). White Americans are more likely than other groups to use the Internet to seek out health information or answers about specific medical questions or conditions (White 59%, Black 40%, Hispanic 48%).

The potential of health information:

If Americans were able to have a whole picture of their health, they'd see noticeable changes. Four in five (81%) Americans agree that if they had access to all their health information, including medical records, recommendations, conditions, and test results, they'd see at least one improvement in their health management.

To learn more about the Health Literacy for Health Equity initiative, visit AHIMAFoundation.org/about-us/health-literacy-for-health-equity-initiative/.

About the Survey

The nationwide survey, by Kelton Global, was conducted from July 26 to August 2, 2021, on behalf of AHIMA Foundation. The survey was among a nationally representative sample of 1,059 U.S. residents ages 18 and over. View the full results here.

About AHIMA Foundation

Established as a nonprofit in 1997, the AHIMA Foundation is the 501(c)3 charitable affiliate of the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA). The AHIMA Foundation champions inclusive health data access and understanding through consumer education, training for health information professionals, and collaboration with strategic partners across the healthcare ecosystem. Visit AHIMAFoundation.org and watch the AHIMA Foundation - Who We Are video to learn more.

Media Contact: Jenifer Slaw, [email protected]

SOURCE AHIMA Foundation
CENTENNIAL, Colo., Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 150 investors toured the Elk Creek Superalloy Materials Project (the "Project") site in southeast Nebraska last week, hosted by project owner NioCorp Developments ("NioCorp" or the "Company") (TSX: NB;OTCQX: NIOBF).

Shareholders were provided with tours of land recently purchased by NioCorp, near Elk Creek, Nebraska, where much of the Company's proposed Project will be located. The Project incorporates a proposed underground mine and surface processing facilities for the production of niobium, scandium, and titanium, once project financing is obtained. The Company also is evaluating the potential to produce several rare earth elements as byproducts.

Senior NioCorp executives, including CEO and Chairman Mark A. Smith, COO Scott Honan, CFO Neal Shah, VP of External Affairs Jim Sims, and Corporate Controller Jeff Mason were on hand to conduct the tours and briefings for shareholders.

"On behalf of the entire NioCorp team, I want to thank all of our shareholders who came out to tour the Elk Creek Project site last week and I want to thank everyone for their continuing interest in this Project," said Mr. Smith. It is not an easy process to bring projects of this size and scope into commercial operation, but we are continuing to make progress every single week to move this project to reality."

An audio recording of Mr. Smith's presentation to shareholders, and a follow-on question-and-answer session, can be heard here: https://www.niocorp.com/wp-content/uploads/Audio_of_Mark_Smith_Presentation_to_2021_Investor_Day.mp3

NioCorp $NB.TO $NIOBF #Niobium #Scandium #rareearth #ElkCreek

For More Information

Contact Jim Sims, VP of External Affairs, NioCorp Developments Ltd., 303-503-6203, [email protected], https://www.niocorp.com

About NioCorp

NioCorp is developing a superalloy materials project in Southeast Nebraska that will produce Niobium, Scandium, and Titanium. The Company also is evaluating the potential to produce several rare earth byproducts from the Project. Niobium is used to produce superalloys as well as High Strength, Low Alloy ("HSLA") steel, which is a lighter, stronger steel used in automotive, structural, and pipeline applications. Scandium is a superalloy material that can be combined with Aluminum to make alloys with increased strength and improved corrosion resistance. Scandium is also a critical component of advanced solid oxide fuel cells. Titanium is used in various superalloys and is a key component of pigments used in paper, paint and plastics and is also used for aerospace applications, armor, and medical implants. Magnetic rare earths, such as Neodymium, Praseodymium, Terbium, and Dysprosium are critical to the making of Neodymium-Iron-Boron ("NdFeB") magnets, which are used across a wide variety of defense and civilian applications.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this news release may constitute forward-looking statements, including statements regarding its ability to produce commercial rare earth products, the Company's expectations that the Project will reach production stage if it is able to secure project financing, its ability to produce its planned products commercially, the location of the Project's future mine shaft and Project generally. Forward-looking statements are based on estimates and assumptions made by the Company in light of its experience and its perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors that the Company believes are appropriate in the circumstances. Readers are cautioned that such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause a change in such forward-looking statements and the actual outcomes and estimates to be materially different from those estimated or anticipated future results, achievements or position expressed or implied by those forward-looking statements. Risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause NioCorp's plans or prospects to change include risks related to the Company's ability to operate as a going concern; risks related to the Company's requirement of significant additional capital; changes in demand for and price of commodities (such as fuel and electricity) and currencies; changes in economic valuations of the Project, such as Net Present Value calculations, changes or disruptions in the securities markets; legislative, political or economic developments; the need to obtain permits and comply with laws and regulations and other regulatory requirements; the possibility that actual results of work may differ from projections/expectations or may not realize the perceived potential of NioCorp's projects; risks of accidents, equipment breakdowns and labor disputes or other unanticipated difficulties or interruptions; the possibility of cost overruns or unanticipated expenses in development programs; operating or technical difficulties in connection with exploration, mining or development activities; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development, including the risks of diminishing quantities of grades of reserves and resources; and the risks involved in the exploration, development and mining business and the risks set forth in the Company's filings with Canadian securities regulators at www.sedar.com and the SEC at www.sec.gov. NioCorp disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

SOURCE NioCorp Developments Ltd.

Related Links

http://www.niocorp.com


SAN DIEGO, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Nomad Temporary Housing is pleased to announce we have now formed two Chinese corporate entities to serve our clients throughout China. Nomad has operated serviced apartments in all core markets, and many secondary markets in China, since 2011 from our long-established office in Hong Kong. Our new entity, Nomad Temporary Housing (Shanghai) Limited, now provides full serviced apartment fapiao invoicing capabilities via our rental subsidiary.

The fapiao invoice is a legal receipt for goods and services in China, and is required for a Chinese company to deduct expenses for tax purposes. Only registered Chinese entities can issue fapiao. Only firms that have a real estate subsidiary to their China corporation can produce fapiao for serviced apartments.

Nomad's leader for our China companies is Bushra Siddiqui, an eleven-year veteran of the APAC relocation industry. "Opening the Nomad Shanghai corporations have been a rewarding, and quite extended, process. This has been especially so during the COVID pandemic. We could not have achieved this without the flexibility of the Chinese government and our local accounting partners. We are excited to provide this new level of service", states Bushra.

Speaking of service, Nomad is recognized as the top serviced apartment provider in the world by both our valued clients, as well as the industry. Nomad has earned forty-five client awards, or top industry rankings, in the last five years. For 2020, Nomad was ranked #1 in the Employee Relocation Survey conducted by Trippel Survey & Research. Nomad has achieved a #1 ranking from Trippel Survey eight times since 2013.

About Nomad: Employing an impressive combination of technology and personalized customer care that utilizes an award-winning sourcing technology, Nomad offers a single point of contact for clients booking within their network of over 1800 partners. With regional global offices serving our clients from San Diego, Phoenix, London, Hong Kong, and Shanghai, Nomad offers thousands of apartments and suite hotel rooms to guests in the locations they need, with the selection of choice they demand. Our top clients report Nomad's service delivery is a step above any other global serviced accommodation brand. For more information, please visit www.nomadtemphousing.com.

Contact:

Gavan James

Nomad Temporary Housing

619.313.4300

[email protected]

www.nomadtemphousing.com

SOURCE Nomad Temporary Housing

Related Links

http://www.nomadtemphousing.com


SANDUSKY, Ohio, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- PAO Group, Inc. (USOTC: PAOG) today announced the company expects to realize its first CBD nutraceutical product sales beginning imminently in Q4, 2021.

The company confirms shipping its first CBD nutraceutical product to its distribution partner, North American Cannabis Holdings, Inc. (USOTC: USMJ).

PAOG plans to announce specifics about its first CBD nutraceutical product in an upcoming formal product launch announcement once the distributor is set up to begin sales and distribution.

PAOG expects revenue to grow rapidly following its first CBD nutraceutical product launch as the company has follow on products lined up to follow the first product adding to overall sales potential.

PAOG is developing CBD pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals from its intellectual property associated with a patented cannabis extraction method - U.S. Patent No. 9,199,960 entitled "METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING HERBACEOUS PLANT MATERIALS INCLUDING THE CANNABIS PLANT."

The 2020 CBD Nutraceuticals Market had an estimated value of $5.2 Billion, and it is expected to reach $16.4 Billion by 2027.

Learn more about USMJ's ecommerce site at www.usmj.com.

Learn more about PAOG at www.paogroupinc.com.

Forward-Looking Statements: Certain statements in this news release may contain forward-looking information within the meaning of Rule 175 under the Securities Act of 1933 and Rule 3b-6 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and are subject to the safe harbor created by those rules. All statements, other than statements of fact, included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding potential future plans and objectives of the company are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Technical complications, which may arise, could prevent the prompt implementation of any strategically significant plan(s) outlined above. The Company undertakes no duty to revise or update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this release.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Contact Us:

Jim DiPrima

+1(888)979-2675

[email protected]

SOURCE PAO Group, Inc.
LOS ANGELES, Oct. 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A Los Angeles jury in Van Nuys handed down a $10.6 million verdict to the parents of two brothers who were killed by a wrong-way driver.

In the early morning hours of January 21, 2017, Rodney Deshone Wright drove his Ford F-150 the wrong way on the 405 North and collided head-on with Aidan and Ainsley Hubbard in their Dodge Caravan, fatally injuring Aidan and Ainsley.

Aidan, 31, and Ainsley, 27, were Palmdale natives beloved by many for their warm hearts and excellent senses of humor. Both musicians and bandmates, the brothers were on their way home from a gig in Los Angeles when the crash occurred.

"This preventable crash took the lives of two amazing young men," said attorney Jason P. Fowler. "Our world will forever miss their presence," Fowler added.

"Nothing can bring back these two young men who were best friends and bright lights in their family," said attorney Alexander R. Wheeler. "They will forever be remembered for their jovial spirits, love of music, and warm attitudes," Wheeler added.

The case is Kent and Sherrill Hubbard v. Rodney Deshone Wright, Los Angeles Superior Court, Case No. BC703219.

A copy of the complaint can be found here.

About PARRIS Law Firm

The PARRIS Law Firm is recognized as one of America's top personal injury, employment, and environmental law firms. With a proven track record of fighting for justice on behalf of families and individuals, the firm boasts numerous seven and eight-figure verdicts and settlements. To learn more about the firm, please go to: www.parris.com.

Contact

Dante Hickles 661.949.2595

[email protected]

SOURCE PARRIS Law Firm
CHICAGO, Oct. 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --Vitality today reveals the results of research quantifying the widening gap between lifespan (life expectancy) and healthspan (the number of years lived in good health) globally, reflecting a diminishing quality of life in later years. Alongside this research, Vitality and RAND Europe have developed a pioneering algorithm that will allow individuals, for the first time, to understand how their lifestyle choices impact both their length and quality of life, enabling them to take actions that will maximize the number of years they spend in good health in the future.

The research and algorithm will be launched on October 12 at Vitality's global conference with keynote speakers Professor Yuval Noah Harari and Discovery / Global Vitality CEO, Adrian Gore, to debate solutions for improving the future health of individuals and populations.

"Incentivizing positive lifestyle changes in a world forever changed by the global pandemic can have a profound impact on the health of individuals and reduce the burden on health services," said Adrian Gore, Discovery/Global Vitality Chief Executive. "Our global network of leading insurers has a unique opportunity to monetize and incentivize better future health and given global trends, and I believe we have a responsibility to act. Over the last 30 years, scientific change has driven increases in lifespan. Improving healthspan globally will require a greater focus on behavior change  with benefits for individuals, the economy and society."

The research highlights an average 15% increase since 1990 in the number of years that people will spend in ill health over their lifetimes, from 8.5 years to 9.8 years, which equates to approximately 18% of the average lifespan1. This outcome follows health strategies that prioritize treatment over prevention and technologies that enable people to live longer with disease. Currently, the world spends $8.5 trillion or 10% of GDP on healthcare delivery with only 5% going towards prevention. Reducing the disease burden by just 10% through more preventive policies and behavior change could prevent up to 93 million healthy years of life being lost globally each year.

"The disconnect we experience between our current and future selves leads to suboptimal decision-making in areas of finance and health," said Professor Hal Hershfield, UCLA Anderson School of Management Professor of Marketing and Behavioral Decision Making. "This emotional divide between selves led us to explore a new question: What are people most interested in knowing about their futures?  since these insights can serve as a useful stepping-stone towards making healthier lifestyle choices. Knowing what information people value on this journey to wellbeing is an important factor in bridging the gulf between a person's current and future self, and potentially towards maximizing health over time."

The new algorithm, developed by Vitality in collaboration with RAND Europe, will provide individuals with a personalized view of their lifespan and healthspan, as well as bespoke recommendations for improving these measures, delivered in a way that best resonates with them. This world-first public calculator of individual healthspan  the Vitality Healthy Futures calculator  will be available on the Vitality International website from today (October 11, 2021) for a limited time.

"At John Hancock, we believe life insurers can and should help drive better health outcomes for our customers. Today's research findings underscore that important mission and the impact that small, everyday steps toward wellness can have on our quality of life," said Brooks Tingle, President and CEO, John Hancock Insurance. "The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of baseline wellbeing, and it made so many of us more aware of our physical and financial health. In collaboration with Vitality, we have sought to help our customers live longer, healthier lives at every turn. It is my hope that with increased understanding of insights like those shared today, others will join us in answering this urgent call."

About Vitality

Vitality is the world's largest behavior-change platform founded by leading insurer, Discovery Group Limited. Discovery was founded in 1992 as a disruptive health insurer and has developed a disciplined shared-value business model in the form of Vitality, which rewards clients for improving their health, driving and financial behavior. Vitality uses the power of incentives, data, and behavioral economics to make people healthier and enhance and protect their lives. It has expanded this model into life insurance, short-term insurance, investments and most recently, banking. Today Discovery services more than 20 million clients across the world with partnerships with leading global insurers in Europe, the United States, Canada, Asia-Pacific, China, and Japan.

About the Vitality Healthy Futures Calculator

Vitality has collaborated with Professor Hal Hershfield, an expert in the fields of marketing, behavioral decision-making, and psychology, as well as his team of academics at UCLA, to inform the world-leading risk assessment tool, Healthy Futures. For the first time, users will receive personalized results and recommendations that will be of most interest to them, providing a platform for a new era of positive behavior change. Accompanying the tool's novel recommender system, Healthy Futures benefits from a comprehensive technical update to the previous Vitality Age tool, now leveraging the largest source of risk-disease outcomes data in the world. This database, the Global Burden of Disease, used under license from IHME, comprises of 264 causes of death, 328 diseases and injuries and 84 behavioral, environmental, and occupational, and metabolic risks or clusters of risks. In addition, the data has been further augmented with Discovery data comprising millions of life-years to allow for a new and clinically accurate set of questions. Users will now be required to input new health measures relating to their cardiorespiratory fitness, medication adherence, salt intake, sleep, and pre-diagnosed conditions. With a key focus on physical activity, Healthy Futures uses new actuarial modeling to project future changes in metabolic risks over the user's lifetime. The result is a risk assessment tool which provides individuals with an array of tailored, scientifically formulated future life and health metrics:

The number of years a user has left to live ("lifespan")

The number of years a user has left to life in good health ("healthspan")

The three most likely diseases that are likely to affect the user in future

The next best actions the user can adopt today to improve their healthspan and lifespan

About RAND Europe

RAND Europe is an independent not-for-profit research institute whose mission is to help improve policy and decision-making through research and analysis. It realizes its mission by undertaking objective, balanced, and relevant research, and analysis; communicating findings to a wide audience, often through publications, many of which are available on its website; working in partnership with clients; and working collaboratively with others. RAND Europe's work lies on the continuum between that of universities and consultancies, combining the academic rigor of universities and the professional, task-oriented approach of consultancies. It has uniquely broad experience in the fields of health and employment, having worked for a wide range of government and charitable funders globally. RAND Europe is part of the global RAND Corporation. RAND Europe has formal links with the University of Cambridge, for instance through the Cambridge Centre for Health Services Research.

Note to editors: Appendices offering examples of age-appropriate lifestyle interventions that people can adopt over the course of their lives and the global healthspan gap of 27 countries are available upon request.

1 Calculated for remaining lifespan of an average person aged 40 globally.

SOURCE Vitality
NEW YORK, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Saudi Arabian lighting market value is expected to rise from $1,350.0 million in 2020 to $3,577.0 million by 2030, exhibiting a CAGR of 10.2% from 2020 to 2030. The major factors fueling the expansion of the market are the surging use of LEDs, soaring popularity of smart homes, and launch of smart city projects.

Electricity consumption is expected to rise by over 50% in Saudi Arabia in the next two decades, thus massively pushing up the demand for energy-efficient lights. As per the International Energy Agency (IEA), smart lighting systems can reduce energy consumption by 35%. Moreover, as conventional lights account for around 5% of the greenhouse gas emissions, the growing adoption of LEDs is propelling the Saudi Arabian lighting market.

Get the sample pages of this report at: https://www.psmarketresearch.com/market-analysis/saudi-arabia-lighting-market/report-sample





Key Findings of Saudi Arabia Lighting Market Report

Fixtures contributed the higher revenue to the Saudi Arabian lighting market in the past, under the component segment, due to their low maintenance costs and improved performance.

Wireless lights are predicted to demonstrate the faster growth in the Saudi Arabian lighting market in the coming years, within the technology segment. These lights eliminate the requirement for wires, thereby facilitating the easy installation and removal of the lights from the system.

Voice controls and other smart features in lighting products are trending in the kingdom, in part due to the government's efforts to make the homes here smarter.

Rampant construction under the Saudi Vision 2030 is one of the key factors driving the demand for lights. The government aims to reduce its dependence on oil and gas, which is why it is undertaking rampant infrastructure development in the industrial, corporate, tourism, education, and other sectors.

Alfanar Group launched the latest collection of cables and wires, switch and junction boxes, distribution boards, switches and sockets, lighting products, and service boxes at the IEE Conference in April 2019 .

Browse Detailed Report on Saudi Arabian Lighting Market Trend Analysis, Opportunities and Growth Forecast to 2030





The COVID-19 pandemic caused a sharp fall in the growth rate of the Saudi Arabian lighting market, with many manufacturing facilities and logistics organizations complaining of operational disruptions owing to the imposition of lockdowns and restrictions on the movement of people and goods. In addition, many industrial and commercial projects were postponed, thereby driving down the lighting demand.

Al Nasser Group, NVC International Holdings Limited, Huda Lighting, LEDVANCE GmbH, Al AbdulKarim Holding, Signify N.V., National Lighting Company, Alfanar Group, Zumtobel Group AG, OPPLE Lighting Co. Ltd., TRILUX GmbH & Co. KG, and CINMAR Lighting Systems are some of the major players in the Saudi Arabian lighting market.

Saudi Arabian Lighting Market Report Coverage

Component

Fixture

Compact fluorescent lamp (CFL)



Light-emitting diode (LED)



Organic-light emitting diode (OLED)



High-intensity discharge (HID)



Plasma

Control

Sensors



Microprocessors & controllers



Dimmers & switches



Wireless transmitters & receivers



Ballasts & LED drivers

Technology

Wired

Building automation control network (BACnet)



Digital addressable lighting interface (DALI)



Power line control (PLC)



Proprietary Control

Wireless

EnoCean



ZigBee



Bluetooth



Wi-Fi



Radio Frequency (RF)

Application

Residential

Commercial

Industrial

Outdoor

Automotive

Browse Related Reports

LED Lighting Market Outlook - Asia-Pacific (APAC) region deployed the largest number of LED lights in the recent past, owing to the deep penetration of LED lighting systems in the residential sectors of India, South Korea, and China.



Outdoor Lighting Market Outlook - Outdoor lighting market revenue to increase from $10.7 billion in 2019 to $23.8 billion by 2030, at a 7.3% CAGR between 2020 and 2030. Lights are not only used for illuminating dark areas, but also for aesthetic and security purposes.



Horticulture Lighting Market Outlook - Europe led the horticulture lighting market in the past and it is expected to retain its dominance in the coming years as well. This is because the region is the highest producer and exporter of vegetables, fruits, and flowers.

About P&S Intelligence

P&S Intelligence is a provider of market research and consulting services catering to the market information needs of burgeoning industries across the world. Providing the plinth of market intelligence, P&S as an enterprising research and consulting company, believes in providing thorough landscape analyses on the ever-changing market scenario, to empower companies to make informed decisions and base their business strategies with astuteness.

Contact:

Prajneesh Kumar

P&S Intelligence

Phone: +1-347-960-6455

Email: [email protected]

Web: https://www.psmarketresearch.com

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SOURCE P&S Intelligence
DUBAI, UAE, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Infor, the industry cloud company, today announced at Gitex that Al-Jazira Equipment Co. Ltd. (commercially known as AutoWorld), part of SEDCO Holding and a pioneer in auto leasing in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, has completed its deployment of Infor CloudSuite Equipment and Infor People Solutions to help spearhead its digital transformation supported by Infor Consulting Services and running on Amazon Web Services (AWS).

To learn more about Infor CloudSuite Equipment, visit Infor at Gitex on stand E50 in Hall 7: https://www.infor.com/products/cloudsuite-equipment

Infor CloudSuite Equipment will help support AutoWorld's new digital transformation project, SWITCH, which is designed to accelerate the digitization of its business processes, particularly those related to operational leasing and maintenance of its fleet of vehicles, to achieve best practices across the board. AutoWorld will now use Infor's solution to get an intuitive and streamlined approach to leasing management, such as a single entry point to manage the complete leasing flow: from quotations through to contract, vehicle dispatch, return, and invoicing  with built-in support for complex pricing, discount scenarios, bulk leasing, and more.

Moreover, AutoWorld will use Infor's solution to standardize key business functions across its operations in Saudi Arabia with the aim of building a more effective workforce and delivering enhanced customer acquisition and retention.

This multi-tenant cloud deployment, running on AWS, is important in Saudi Arabia's fast-growing auto sector, where the value of the vehicle rental market is expected to reach $641 million in 2023 from $560 million in 2020, according to research from Statista. The auto market is also experiencing significant expansion following the country's decision in 2018 to allow women to drive.

AutoWorld is headquartered in Al-Khobar and has offices throughout Saudi Arabia, covering all major commercial and industrial cities.

"We're focused on digitizing our business in line with Saudi Vision 2030 and the National Digital Transformation Program, with the aim of simplifying, standardizing, and transforming our business practices to deliver best-in-class services to our clients as highlighted in our recently developed business strategy, Shift 2025," said Tariq Khoshhal, CEO of AutoWorld. "The depth and breadth of Infor's CloudSuite Equipment solution will help us become even more competitive through the increased visibility of critical business information, the smooth flow of data between departments, and streamlined business processes across all of our offices. This September, we launched operational leasing to individuals, and now Infor CloudSuite Equipment will support us in this B2C business as well."

"AutoWorld is looking to transform several client service areas including improved after-sales service and customer care to provide an edge in an increasingly competitive market, but which also holds immense growth potential," said Amel Gardner, VP and general manager of Infor Middle East & Africa. "Infor's CloudSuite Equipment solution helps provide flexibility to manage mix-mode and complex environments, while also giving the agility and scalability required to prosper in Saudi Arabia's thriving private sector."

About Infor



Infor is a global leader in business cloud software specialized by industry. Providing mission-critical enterprise applications to 65,000 customers in more than 175 countries, Infor software is designed to deliver more value and less risk, with more sustainable operational advantages. We empower our 17,000 employees to leverage their deep industry expertise and use data-driven insights to create, learn and adapt quickly to solve emerging business and industry challenges. Infor is committed to providing our customers with modern tools to transform their business and accelerate their own path to innovation. To learn more, please visit www.infor.com.

For more information:

Roger Field

Wallis PR

+971 50 273 9936

[email protected]

Copyright 2021 Infor. All rights reserved. The word and design marks set forth herein are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Infor and/or related affiliates and subsidiaries. All other trademarks listed herein are the property of their respective owners. www.infor.com

SOURCE Infor

Related Links

www.infor.com


SUNNYVALE, Calif and MUNICH, Germany, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Google Cloud and Siemens Energy, one of the world's leading energy technology companies, today announced a new, multi-year collaboration to digitally transform Siemens Energy's business infrastructure, systems, and data with Google Cloud.

Under this partnership, Google Cloud will work with Siemens Energy to shift its global network of data centers into the cloud, bringing its company-wide SAP systems into a future-proof cloud environment, and power sustainable digital transformation with the industry's cleanest cloud.

"We searched for a partner that could not only deliver availability and scalability, but also challenge us to grow beyond our comfort zone," said Kian Mossanen, CIO at Siemens Energy. "We knew that choosing Google Cloud would ensure more reliability and less downtime for our systems, which is critical in the energy industry. But it was also Google Cloud's collaborative and innovative culture that made them the perfect partner, as we embark on this massive digital transformation."

"The energy market is rapidly evolving as sustainability becomes a primary focus, and consumer habits and global demands on the industry change," said Adaire Fox-Martin, President, EMEA at Google Cloud. "We're proud to support Siemens Energy's digital transformation with clean cloud infrastructure, partnering to build a technology platform that will support future growth and change."

Modernizing data centers with Google Cloud

Beginning in the second half of 2021, Siemens Energy will migrate more than 2.6 petabytes of manufacturing, supply chain, and sensor data, stored across its multiple data centers, to Google Cloud. Siemens Energy has laid out an ambitious timeline for the project, aiming to complete the majority of the data center migrations within fifteen months. Siemens Energy has committed to becoming climate neutral by 2030, Google Cloud will support them with a carbon neutral cloud, matched 100% with renewable energy, helping them meet the ambitious goals. Google Cloud will partner with Siemens Energy and bring industry specific innovation and expertise to help the company become a cloud-first and even more agile organization.

Building a future-proof foundation with SAP and Google Cloud

Siemens Energy will also bring its SAP Enterprise Resource Planning Central Component (ERP ECC) and Supply Chain Management applications and data onto Google Cloud, enabling greater scale, uptime, and flexibility for these business-critical systems, as well as low-latency access to SAP applications for more than 750,000 users across 84 countries.

In addition, Siemens Energy will leverage "RISE with SAP" on Google Cloud, accelerating its transition to SAP S/4HANA and creating a future-proof foundation for the company's vast SAP environments and data.

Additional Resources

About Google Cloud

Google Cloud accelerates organizations' ability to digitally transform their business with the best infrastructure, platform, industry solutions and expertise. We deliver enterprise-grade solutions that leverage Google's cutting-edge technology  all on the cleanest cloud in the industry. Customers in more than 200 countries and territories turn to Google Cloud as their trusted partner to enable growth and solve their most critical business problems.

About Siemens Energy

Siemens Energy is one of the world's leading energy technology companies. The company works with its customers and partners on energy systems for the future, thus supporting the transition to a more sustainable world. With its portfolio of products, solutions and services, Siemens Energy covers almost the entire energy value chain  from power generation and transmission to storage. The portfolio includes conventional and renewable energy technology, such as gas and steam turbines, hybrid power plants operated with hydrogen, and power generators and transformers. More than 50 percent of the portfolio has already been decarbonized. A majority stake in the listed company Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE) makes Siemens Energy a global market leader for renewable energies. An estimated one-sixth of the electricity generated worldwide is based on technologies from Siemens Energy. Siemens Energy employs more than 91,000 people worldwide in more than 90 countries and generated revenue of around 27.5 billion in fiscal year 2020. www.siemens-energy.com.

SOURCE Google Cloud
SlumberPod co-founders and mother-daughter team, Lou Childs and Katy Mallory, invented the product after a few nights of lost sleep during a family visit, where Mallory and her husband were sharing a room with their young daughter. Their daughter slept well at home in a dark room, but struggled when she could see her parents just a few feet away in the same room. Childs and Mallory worked together to come up with a solution, brought the product to market, and eventually appeared on Shark Tank.

"What an exciting moment in our company's history!" said Mallory. "The SlumberPod has been an absolute game changer for so many families. We worked to solve a problem of our own, and ended up creating a solution to help people room share with young children when traveling or at home."

Childs added, "I am incredibly proud of our entire team at SlumberPod. What started as a side hustle after I was laid off from my job turned into the fulfillment of a dream. The SlumberPod community has been so supportive, and we look forward to bringing more solutions to market in the future."

Founded in 2016, SlumberPod has helped more than 125,000 families travel and/or room-share with less stress and more rest. They appeared on Shark Tank Season 11 and received a deal from Barbara Corcoran. Their new patent status helps protect the integrity of their design and the premium safety features of their product. The brand has built a cult-following with thousands of 5-star reviews, and they have been chosen for several design and innovation awards, including a Mom's Choice Award.

About SlumberPod

SlumberPod is a patented, quick-assembly privacy pod that is nearly blackout dark inside and helps babies/toddlers get a good night's sleep  especially important when traveling and sharing a room with others (e.g., hotel room), and allows families to continue enjoying their vacations after the little one goes to sleep. Compatible with standard playards, mini-cribs and select toddler cots/inflatable mattresses, SlumberPod gives families years of use.

SlumberPod is a Georgia-based juvenile products brand created by a mother-daughter team. They believe traveling with young children can be less stressful and more restful with the right gear and attitude. SlumberPod is sold from their website and select retailers in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and several Asian countries. For more about SlumberPod and their inventors' story, visit www.slumberpod.com.

Engage with SlumberPod on Instagram and follow the juvenile brand on Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube for videos, giveaways, parenting tips, and product announcements.

SOURCE SlumberPod

Related Links

http://www.slumberpod.com


MIAMI, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Fertility and specialty pharmacy, SMP Pharmacy Solutions, has unveiled a rebrand including an updated website and logo refresh. As they near their 20 year anniversary, the company has debuted a new look as they solidify their commitment to modern, tech-forward care and solutions.

"It's important to us to adapt to the needs of the patients and partners we serve," says Pam Schumann, CEO of SMP Pharmacy. "That starts from the moment that people come to our website and continues through their experience with us. The SMP Pharmacy brand represents who we are and what we offer to our patients, and so it was important to us that it emoted accessible, compassionate care. We're excited to share the next iteration of SMP Pharmacy."

The fertility and specialty pharmacy is known for its best-in-class customer service and empathetic approach to fertility care. The new website takes that same methodology to the patient experience, providing patients resources and support through each step of their fertility journey.

Additionally, SMP Pharmacy prides itself on its forward-thinking approach and the new brand was designed to reflect those values. The pharmacy's tech-forward investment has been cultivated with the first fertility pharmacy app and the recent launch of MedReady, the first on-demand, digital injection training personalized to each patient's individual protocol, and will continue to evolve with the rebrand.

"Our team is committed to creating the best experience for our patients, practices and partners and it was important that the brand illustrate our company values." says Casey Tarnas, Director of Marketing at SMP Pharmacy. "Our new brand is a visual display of what we want people to feel when they come to SMP Pharmacy  educated, included and cared for."

SMP Pharmacy continues to redefine the pharmacy experience through best-in-class patient care and strategic partner initiatives.

The new website is now live and SMP Pharmacy will continue the new brand rollout through the remainder of 2021 and into 2022.

About SMP Pharmacy Solutions

Rooted in experience and customer care, SMP Pharmacy Solutions is a fertility and specialty pharmacy that takes a modern approach to servicing patients and partners. Established in 2003, SMP Pharmacy Solutions has grown from a regional specialty pharmacy to a national fertility and specialty pharmacy with licenses in 50 states and strategic partnerships with leading manufacturers. In partnership with healthcare-focused investment firm, Galen Partners, SMP Pharmacy Solutions continues to revolutionize the specialty pharmacy space holding themselves to the highest industry standards in technology, service level and strategic partnerships. SMP has developed specific therapeutic expertise in fertility pharmacy and specialty services, holding major accreditations including ACHC and PCAB.

For more information, visit www.smppharmacy.com.

Contact: Casey Tarnas, [email protected]



SOURCE SMP Pharmacy Solutions

Related Links

smppharmacy.com


RUTHERFORD, Calif., Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Join St. Supery CEO Emma Swain and hear from extraordinary philanthropic entrepreneurs each Tuesday in November at 4pm PST. Join on zoom or the winery's social platforms to find out how these leaders address critical issues of homelessness, health, social equity, environment and education. All sessions will be nationally broadcasted as a podcast series.

Voices of Our City Choir Every Mother Counts

St. Supery, a philanthropic leader and estate winery in the Napa Valley, hopes to inspire others with the innovative approach and creative solutions these organizations are deploying across the United States and world. "One day of Giving in November just isn't enough," states winery CEO Emma Swain. "There are people who watch change happen in the world and there are those who lead that change. Meet these Philanthropic Entrepreneurs who are improving the world for generations to come. We hope they inspire you and bring joy to your day"

Hear from Primo Center (Nov. 2), Chicago's largest provider of services and shelter for homeless families, Humanity Showers (Nov. 2), a rapidly expanding San Diego not for profit organization that provides 100 to 150 showers a week to its local homeless population, and America's Got Talent Golden Buzzer Winner, Voices of the City Choir (Nov. 2.). All three of these special organizations place focus on the individual behind the social epidemic.

"We believe that recovery is a collaboration. That collaboration is best built by having quality interactions and friendships with those experiencing homelessness. These conversations are a vital way to learn about their needs and how to serve them better," says Jordan Verdin, founder Humanity Showers.

This session will also feature a not to miss performance by the Voices of the City Choir, San Diego based not for profit leveraging the healing power of music to help those suffering from homelessness. By providing a better quality of life, these groups are also strengthening the community at large.

Christy Turlington Burns, birthed Every Mother Counts (Nov. 9) with the goal of providing a more equitable landscape by ensuring all women have access to quality, respectful and equitable maternity care. Too few women have the access they need. This organization if making huge headway with over $21M invested in public education, community engagement and grant making. Spanning 29 programs in 9 countries and serving 1M women, babies, healthcare providers and children; this group is saving lives and leveling the global healthcare inequities.

One Mind (Nov. 23). When Shari and Garen Staglin's son, Brandon, was diagnosed with schizophrenia in 1990, they realized that advancements in scientific research were vital to understanding mental illness - and so they took action. On their Napa Valley vineyard in 1995, they started the Music Festival for Brain Health, an event that to this day brings together wineries, chefs, top-bill musicians and scientists to raise awareness and funding for brain health research.

Staglin Family Vineyard's SALUS wines donate 100% percent of the sales profits to their non-profit One Mind. Through the Staglins' vision, efforts and outreach; more than $515 million has been raised over the past three decades to support an impressive portfolio of brain health initiatives. One Mind has seeded and accelerated important work in brain science with a steadfast focus on and awareness of the urgency to deliver hope to patients and families touched by brain injury and illness.

Aim High (Nov. 30) believes every student has the right to a quality education. Join in to learn how its summer enrichment program, designed for middle schoolers from low-income neighborhoods is igniting a love of learning and yielding real results. 97% of Aim High alumni graduate high school and go on to college.

The St. Supery #GivingTuesday sessions are free to join and at the perfect hour to grab a glass and toast to the innovative programs and creative fundraising efforts. Sip St. Supery wines knowing that each six-bottle assortment provides $75 to your choice of featured organization.

Wine and travel aficionados are encouraged to plan their next trip to the Napa Valley around giving back. Select the cause and date of your preference and join Swain and up to 20 other giving-minded individuals for an intimate summer 2022 winery lunch paired with its estate wines for $500 per person note St. Supery in your direct donation to the featured charity.

Acquire the zoom links to join the #GivingTuesday Chats and find out more about the wine giveback sets at https://stsupery.com/givingtuesday.

About St. Supery Estate Vineyards & Winery

St. Supery, a CHANEL owned winery, is 100% estate grown and sustainably farmed. It is located in the renowned Rutherford growing region in the heart of Napa Valley. The winery specializes in sauvignon blanc and red Bordeaux varietals.

St. Supery Press Kit and posted press release: https://stsupery.com/trade-media/press/

Media Contact:

Annie Watterson

707-302-3442

[email protected]

SOURCE St. Supery Estate Vineyards & Winery
BEIJING, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Sunlands Technology Group (NYSE: STG) ("Sunlands" or the "Company"), a leader in China's online post-secondary and professional education, today announced that it will hold its annual general meeting of shareholders (the "AGM") at 7th Floor Building 6, Chaolai Science Park, No. 36 Chuangyuan Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, the People's Republic of China on December 10, 2021 at 3:00 pm (Beijing time). No proposal will be submitted to shareholders for approval and no resolutions will be considered, voted upon, passed or adopted at the AGM. Instead, the AGM will serve as an open forum for shareholders and holders of the Company's American depositary shares ("ADSs") to discuss Company affairs with management.

The Board of Directors of the Company has fixed the close of business on November 2, 2021 (Eastern Standard Time) as the record date (the "Record Date") for determining the shareholders entitled to receive notice of, and to attend, the AGM or any adjournment or postponement thereof.

Holders of record of the Company's Class A, Class B or Class C ordinary shares, par value US$0.000625 per share, at the close of business on the Record Date are entitled to attend the AGM and any adjournment or postponement thereof in person. Holders of the Company's ADSs are welcome to attend the AGM in person.

Shareholders and ADS holders may obtain a copy of the Company's 2020 annual report on Form 20-F, free of charge, from the Company's website at http://www.sunlands.com/investorroom or by sending an email to [email protected].

About Sunlands

Sunlands Technology Group (NYSE: STG) ("Sunlands" or the "Company"), formerly known as Sunlands Online Education Group, is the leader in China's online post-secondary and professional education. With a one to many, live streaming platform, Sunlands offers various degree and diploma-oriented post-secondary courses as well as online professional courses and educational content, to help students prepare for professional certification exams and attain professional skills. Students can access its services either through PC or mobile applications. The Company's online platform cultivates a personalized, interactive learning environment by featuring a virtual learning community and a vast library of educational content offerings that adapt to the learning habits of its students. Sunlands offers a unique approach to education research and development that organizes subject content into Learning Outcome Trees, the Company's proprietary knowledge management system. Sunlands has a deep understanding of the educational needs of its prospective students and offers solutions that help them achieve their goals.

For more information, please visit http://www.sunlands.com/investorroom.

For investor and media enquiries, please contact:

Sunlands Technology Group

Investor Relations

Email: [email protected]

The Piacente Group, Inc.

Brandi Piacente

Tel: +1-212-481-2050

Email: [email protected]

Ross Warner

Tel: +86-10-6508-0677

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Sunlands Technology Group

Related Links

www.sunlands.com


"I am delighted to welcome Julie to Terex as a key member of our leadership team," said John L. Garrison, Jr., Chairman and CEO. "Julie has successfully led global finance organizations for three decades. She comes from a manufacturing background and is highly familiar with the complexities of a global, multi-national public company. Her deep and extensive experience in leading the financial operations of industrial and manufacturing businesses  as well as driving operational changes  will make an impact as we continue to position Terex for the future. I am confident Julie will provide strong leadership and is an excellent addition to the Terex team."

Beck comes to Terex from NOVA Chemicals, a $5 billion producer of plastics and chemicals, where she served as SVP and CFO since February 2016. While there, she drove growth through a $2 billion acquisition, initiated the start of NOVA's digital transformation, and drove a mindset of continuous improvement and value creation that contributed to strong earnings. Before joining NOVA, she spent eight years with Joy Global, at the time a $5 billion publicly traded mining equipment manufacturer. Her roles with Joy Global included CFO of Joy Mining Machinery and Global VP of Supply Chain, Operational Excellence and Quality. In earlier roles, she was EVP and CFO of Journal Register Company, SVP and CFO and Treasurer for Norwood Promotional Products, VP Finance for Temple-Inland, and Director, Finance for Rockwell Automation. She began her career with Deloitte in public accounting. Julie currently serves on the Board of Directors of Invacare Corporation and has served on several other corporate and non-profit boards in the past, including the Leukemia Society of America where she was an Executive Board member. A Certified Public Accountant, she holds a BBA in Accounting from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

"I am thrilled to join Terex, with its unique strengths, a strong business model and a proud history, and I look forward to working with the team to execute on the Company's priorities, accelerate growth and enhance value for shareholders and all stakeholders," Beck said.

Garrison added, "On behalf of our Board of Directors and all Terex team members, I thank Duffy for his exceptional contributions during his five years at Terex," said Garrison. "He has been a great leader, mentor and colleague, and he has created tremendous value for our Company and our shareholders. In his five years as CFO, Duffy's guidance has been especially important as he helped lead our transformation journey and our work to optimize our portfolio and position Terex for the future. I wish Duffy all the best in the next chapter of his life."

About Terex:

Terex Corporation is a global manufacturer of aerial work platforms and materials processing machinery. The Company designs, builds, and supports products used in construction, maintenance, manufacturing, energy, minerals and materials management applications. The Company's products are manufactured in North and South America, Europe, Australia, and Asia and sold worldwide. The Company engages with customers through all stages of the product life cycle, from initial specification and financing to parts and service support.

Contact Information:

Terex Corporation

Randy Wilson

Director, Corporate Treasury & Investor Relations

(203) 221-5415

[email protected]

SOURCE Terex Corporation

Related Links

https://www.terex.com


SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Censia, a leading provider of enterprise Talent Intelligence Technology, announced today that Head of Customer Support and Business Operations Terry Gotowka was recently named to the National Small Business Association (NSBA) Leadership Council.

NSBA is the nation's oldest small-business advocacy organization, and operates on a staunchly nonpartisan basis. Gotowka, a recognized leader in the small-business community, joins the NSBA Leadership Council alongside other small-business advocates from across the country as they work to promote the interests of small business to policymakers in Washington, D.C.

"Working with many business owners, I see daily the importance of being involved and active when it comes to laws and regulation," stated Gotowka. "Joining NSBA's Leadership Council will enable me to take our collective small-business message to the people that need to hear it most: Congress."

Terry Gotowka is a seasoned business executive specializing in bringing transformative technology to both small businesses and international organizations. Before joining Censia, he led a team that implemented automated loan and lease approvals for U.S. car dealerships.

Gotowka joined his NSBA Leadership Council as part of his efforts to tackle the many critical issues facing small business, including tax reform, regulatory restraint, health care costs and how the Affordable Care Act will impact small business. The NSBA Leadership Council is focused on providing valuable networking between small-business advocates from across the country while ensuring small business a seat at the table as Congress and regulators take up key small-business proposals.

"I am proud to have Terry Gotowka as part of our Leadership Council," stated NSBA President and CEO Todd McCracken. "He came to us highly recommended and I look forward to our coordinated efforts for years to come."

For more information on Censia Talent Intelligence, please visit www.censia.com.

About Censia

Censia helps enterprises recruit, develop and retain a high-quality, diverse workforce and forecast future talent needs to scale quickly, enable innovation and improve operational excellence for a fraction of the time and cost it takes today. For more information, visit www.censia.com

Related Links

https://www.censia.com/?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=PR

SOURCE Censia

Related Links

http://www.censia.com


VANCOUVER, BC, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The global textile chemicals market size reached USD 21.23 Billion in 2020 and is expected to register a steady revenue CAGR during the forecast period, according to latest analysis by Emergen Research.

Drivers:

From fiber pre-treatment to textile finishing, textile chemicals play an essential role in the production process. Textile chemicals serve a variety of purposes in determining the effectiveness of textile production and quality of finished products. Continuous research and development in the field of technical textiles has broadened applications in agricultural, industrial, automotive, and healthcare industries. Growing significance of textile chemistry is driving up demand for these products in the manufacturing industry. Textile chemistry is a specialized field that utilizes chemical concepts at various stages of garment production. Dyeing & finishing, fiber & polymer, and the more significant combination of materials engineering with textile materials are all part of textile chemistry. Textile chemistry is becoming a vital part of the textile industry as customer demand for higher quality and functionality increases.

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Restraints:

Product demand is being limited by rising incidence of health hazards, including pulmonary edema and other respiratory problems, caused by prolonged employee exposure to toxic chemicals. This is a key factor expected to hamper growth of the textile chemicals market to some extent.

Growth Projections:

In 2020, the global textile chemicals market size was USD 21.23 Billion, which is expected to reach USD 29.40 Billion in 2028. Market revenue is expected to register a CAGR of 4.3% over the forecast period, driven to a significant extent by rising demand for textile chemicals from rapidly expanding apparel industry, increasing disposable income among consumers, rising sales of clothing and apparel, and increasing penetration of organized retailing in various developed and developing economies.

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COVID-19 Impact Analysis:

Since the manufacturing sector has been significantly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the global textile chemicals market has been projected to register a decline in revenue growth between 2020 and 2021. The pandemic has impacted constructions projects and demand for materials, labor, and major cost components. Many companies that produce textile chemicals have paused manufacturing as a result of the pandemic. These factors also caused disruption in the supply chain, with several factories slowing down.

Current Trends and Innovations:

Increasing demand for sterilized textiles from the healthcare industry is expected to generate lucrative opportunities for players in the market. Textile chemicals are important in the sterilization process because they provide antimicrobial resistance to viruses and microorganisms. Sponge, burns sheets, sheets, and sterilizing wraps are among the medical textiles used, and rising demand for such products is expected to boost revenue growth of the market in the near future.

Geographical Outlook:

North America is expected to account for largest revenue share in the global market over the forecast period. Large industrial base in countries in North America, along with rising demand for technical textiles in healthcare, automotive, and construction industries is further expected to drive growth of the market in this region. Additionally, increased investment in the textiles industry is fueling North America market growth.

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Strategic Initiatives:

Some major companies operating in the market include BASF SE, Wacker Chemie AG, Solvay S.A., Huntsman Corporation, The Dow Chemical Company, Sumitomo Chemicals Co. Ltd., The Lubrizol Corporation, Tata Chemicals Limited, Kemira Oyj, and Evonik Industries AG.

In January 2021 , Gabriel Performance Products, LLC, which is a specialty chemical manufacturer, was acquired by Huntsman Corporation. With this acquisition, Huntsman is aiming to expand specialty chemicals offerings.

Emergen Research has segmented the global textile chemicals on the basis of product type, fiber type, application, and region:

Product Type Outlook (Volume Tons, Revenue, USD Billion; 20182028)

Colorants & Auxiliaries



a. Fixative





b. Dispersants & Levelant





c. UV Absorber





d. Other



Coating & Sizing Agents



Finishing Agents



a. Flame Retardants





b. Repellent and Release





c. Antimicrobial & Anti-inflammatory





d. Other



Bleaching Agents



Desizing Agents



Yarn Lubricants



Scouring Agents



Surfactants



a. Detergents & Dispersing Agents





b. Wetting Agents





c. Lubricating Agents





d. Emulsifying Agents



Others

Fiber Type Outlook (Volume Tons, Revenue, USD Billion; 20182028)

Natural Fiber



Synthetic Fiber

Application Outlook (Volume Tons, Revenue, USD Billion; 20182028)

Home Textile



a. Drapery





b. Furniture





c. Carpet





d. Others



Apparel



a. Innerwear





b. Outerwear





c. Sportswear





d. Others



Technical Textile



Others

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Regional Outlook (Volume Tons, Revenue, USD Billion; 20182028)

North America



a. U.S.





b. Canada





c. Mexico



Europe



a. Germany





b. France





c. U.K.





d. Italy





e. Spain





f. BENELUX





g. Rest of Europe



Asia Pacific



a. China





b. India





c. Japan





d. South Korea





e. Rest of APAC



Latin America



a. Brazil





b. Rest of LATAM



Middle East & Africa

&

a. Saudi Arabia





b. UAE





c. South Africa





d. Turkey





e. Rest of MEA

About Emergen Research

Emergen Research is a market research and consulting company that provides syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. Our solutions purely focus on your purpose to locate, target, and analyze consumer behavior shifts across demographics, across industries, and help clients make smarter business decisions. We offer market intelligence studies ensuring relevant and fact-based research across multiple industries, including Healthcare, Touch Points, Chemicals, Types, and Energy. We consistently update our research offerings to ensure our clients are aware of the latest trends existent in the market. Emergen Research has a strong base of experienced analysts from varied areas of expertise. Our industry experience and ability to develop a concrete solution to any research problems provides our clients with the ability to secure an edge over their respective competitors.

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SOURCE Emergen Research
Seven major areas are displayed at the Expo: Agricultural Products Processing, Intelligent Agriculture, Beautiful Rural Construction, Rural Recreation and Cultural Tourism, Rural Industrial Development Services, Rural Intelligent Life and Characteristic High-quality Agricultural Products. More than 800 exhibitors and 300 buyers participated in the Expo. Panjin Rural Revitalization Industry Expo has become a well-known platform for the inspection results of rural revitalization industry, a big platform for foreign exchange and a broad stage for cooperative development since 2019.

Panjin crab is a national geographical indication product of China. Panjin rice was selected as the first batch of China-EU Geographical Indications Agreement Protection List in 2020. The unique geographical environment created a vast Reed wetland and the famous "Red Beach", Panjin also known as China's "Wetland Capital", "Crane Township" and "Land of Fish and Rice".

Image Attachments Links:

Link: http://asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=403663

Caption: The 3rd Rural Revitalization Industry Expo was held in Panjin, a city of northeast China's Liaoning province, from Sept. 23 to 25.

SOURCE The Publicity Department of Panjin Municipal Government
NASSAU, Bahamas, April 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- As travel continues a steady return growth (with safety regulations in place), The Bahamas is excited to welcome back visitors with more flight options and deals this summer.

Given anticipated demand by its consumers, American Airlines has announced direct flights from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (ABIA) to Lynden Pindling International Airport (NAS) beginning June 5, 2021. Frontier Airlines has also announced that direct flights from Miami International Airport (MIA) to Nassau (NAS) will be available four times a week starting July 2021.

To ensure travelers' safety, each airline has implemented travel requirements and safety measures, with more details available by visiting www.aa.com and www.flyfrontier.com. "We're excited to welcome these new flights to The Bahamas, allowing more options for travelers to book a stay in paradise, now that warmer weather is here," said the Hon. Dionisio D'Aguilar, Bahamas Minister of Tourism & Aviation.

While on island, wanderlusters will find ultimate relaxation and exhilarating adventure through the destination's rich culture, decadent sea-to-table dining and beautiful natural wonders. From secret sandbars and secluded pink-sand beaches, to deep blue hole diving and swimming with the pigs, there is truly something for everyone to enjoy. Not to mention, Downtown Nassau offers 20 square blocks of monuments, murals, and museums for those looking to immerse themselves in The Bahamas centuries-old history.

Those looking to book their next vacation, whether in Nassau or island hopping throughout the Out Islands, can head to www.bahamas.com/deals-packages or check with their hotel representatives to learn more about the deals and packages available in the coming months.

ABOUT THE BAHAMAS

For an overview of The Bahamas' travel and entry protocols, please 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

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DUBLIN, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Cell Therapy Consumables Market by Type of Consumable, Type of Cell Therapy, Scale of Operation, Type of End-User and Key Geographical Regions: Industry Trends and Global Forecasts, 2021 - 2031" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

This report features an extensive study on the consumable providers within the cell therapy industry. The study also includes an elaborate discussion on the future potential of this evolving market.

According to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), there has been an evident increase in the number of cell and gene therapy products being evaluated in early phases of development. This can further be validated by the observed upsurge in the number of investigational new drug (IND) applications. In fact, more than 800 IND applications have been filed for ongoing clinical studies, indicating remarkable scientific progress and therapeutic promise of these breakthrough drug candidates. However, manufacturing of cell therapies is a complex and capital-intensive process fraught with a wide range of challenges. Some of the key concerns of contemporary innovators include raw material supply constraints, current facility limitations, high cost of ancillary materials (buffers, growth factors and media) used in upstream processes, regulatory and compliance-related issues, and inconsistencies related to quality attributes of the final product. Further, the onset of recent COVID-19 pandemic has created additional challenges for therapy developers, in terms of procuring the required raw materials, by disrupting well-established supply chains.

Recent reports indicate that the global demand for human serum albumin (a key component of cell culture media for use in a multitude of therapeutic and emerging biotech areas) has increased at an annual rate of 10%-15%. On the contrary, the use of animal components is highly disregarded by the US FDA, European Medicines Agency (EMA), and other regulatory bodies on the grounds that they pose an undesirable risk of transmitting infectious agents, such as prions (mad cow disease) and virus (HIV), as well as enable high batch-to-batch variation. Consequently, serum-free and xeno-free media have proven to be a promising alternative to serum derived components. In order to produce quality cellular therapies, several drug developers prefer to rely on third-party service providers for the supply of raw materials, such as cell culture medium, cell isolation kits and cell separation reagents.

Presently, over 60 service providers are actively engaged in providing consumable/raw material products for the production of cell therapies. The current consolidated market landscape is primarily dominated by the presence of large players, capturing a substantial proportion of the market share. In the recent past, many of the aforementioned service providers have also forged strategic alliances and/or acquired other players, in order to further enhance their respective service offerings. Given that the demand for cell therapies is indubitably rising, the corresponding opportunity for cell therapy consumable service providers is expected to witness steady growth, over the next decade.

Amongst other elements, the report features:

A detailed overview of the overall market landscape of players engaged in offering cell therapy consumables, along with information on several relevant parameters, such as year of establishment, company size, location of headquarters, number and location of consumable facilities, type of consumable (kits, media and reagents), type of cell therapy (dendritic cell therapy, NK cell therapy, stem cell therapy and T-cell therapy), application area (research use and therapeutic use), scale of operation (preclinical, clinical and commercial) and type of end-user (industry and non-industry).

An in-depth company competitiveness analysis of cell therapy consumable service providers based on their product portfolio strength (number of type of consumable, number of unique type of cell therapy, number of consumable facilities and application area), service strength (based on its experience and company size) and number of products offered.

A detailed brand positioning analysis of prominent industry players (shortlisted on the basis of strength of service portfolio), highlighting the current perceptions regarding their proprietary brands across different consumable classes.

Elaborate profiles of the key players offering cell therapy consumable products. Each profile features a brief overview of the company, details related to cell therapy consumable focused product portfolio, consumable facilities, recent developments and an informed future outlook.

An analysis of recent developments within the cell therapy consumable industry, highlighting information on several partnerships and collaborations, mergers and acquisitions, and expansion initiatives that have taken place in this domain, during the period 2016-2021.

A list of over 310 cell therapy developers that are anticipated to partner with cell therapy consumable providers. These players have been shortlisted based on several relevant parameters, such as developer strength (which takes into account a company's size and its experience in this field), pipeline strength and maturity (based on the number of pipeline drugs and affiliated stage of development), manufacturing facilities and availability of other cell therapy capabilities.

An informed estimate of the annual demand for cell therapy consumables (in terms of volume of media required for total number of cells), based on type of cell therapy and key geographical regions.

An elaborate discussion on the future opportunities/trends within the cell therapy consumables market that are likely to influence the growth of this domain over the coming years.

An insightful discussion on how the recent COVID-19 pandemic is likely to impact the consumables market for cell therapies, along with information on the key initiatives undertaken by various service providers in order to overcome the challenges faced due to the pandemic.

Key Questions Answered

Who are the key players, across the world, engaged in offering consumables for cell therapies?

Which regions have emerged as key hubs in terms of cell therapy consumable related capabilities?

Which are the most popular media components used for cell therapy consumables?

What kind of partnership models are most commonly adopted by stakeholders engaged in this industry?

How is the recent COVID-19 pandemic likely to impact the consumables market for cell therapies?

What are the key challenges associated with cell therapy consumables?

What is the current, global demand (kits, media and reagents) for cell therapy consumables in the manufacturing process?

How is the current and future market opportunity likely to be distributed across key market segments?

What are the anticipated future trends related to consumables market for cell therapies?

Key Topics Covered:

1. PREFACE

2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

3. INTRODUCTION

4. MARKET LANDSCAPE

4.1. Chapter Overview

4.2. Cell Therapy Kit Providers: List of Players

4.3. Cell Therapy Media Providers: List of Players

4.4. Cell Therapy Reagent Providers: List of Players

4.5. Analysis by Type of Consumable, Type of Cell Therapy and Application Area (Grid Representation)

5. COMPANY COMPETITIVENESS ANALYSIS

5.1. Chapter Overview

5.2. Key Assumptions and Parameters

5.3. Methodology

5.4. Company Competitiveness: Kit Providers

5.5. Company Competitiveness: Media Providers

5.6. Company Competitiveness: Reagent Providers

6. BRAND POSITIONING OF KEY INDUSTRY PLAYERS

6.1. Chapter Overview

6.2. Scope and Methodology

6.3. Bio-Techne

6.4. Miltenyi Biotec

6.5. Sartorius

6.6. STEMCELL Technologies

6.7. Thermo Fisher Scientific

7. COMPANY PROFILES

7.1. Chapter Overview

7.2. Miltenyi Biotec

7.2.1. Company Overview

7.2.2. Product Portfolio

7.2.3. Recent Developments and Future Outlook

7.3. STEMCELL Technologies

7.3.1. Company Overview

7.3.2. Product Portfolio

7.3.3. Recent Developments and Future Outlook

7.4. Bio-Techne

7.4.1. Company Overview

7.4.2. Product Portfolio

7.4.3. Recent Developments and Future Outlook

7.5. Irvine Scientific

7.5.1. Company Overview

7.5.2. Product Portfolio

7.5.3. Recent Developments and Future Outlook

7.6. Thermo Fisher Scientific

7.6.1. Company Overview

7.6.2. Product Portfolio

7.6.3. Recent Developments and Future Outlook

7.7. Sartorius

7.7.1. Company Overview

7.7.2. Product Portfolio

7.7.3. Recent Developments and Future Outlook

7.8. BD Biosciences

7.8.1. Company Overview

7.8.2. Product Portfolio

7.8.3. Recent Developments and Future Outlook

7.9. Lonza

7.9.1. Company Overview

7.9.2. Product Portfolio

7.9.3. Recent Developments and Future Outlook

7.10. CellGenix

7.10.1. Company Overview

7.10.2. Product Portfolio

7.10.3. Recent Developments and Future Outlook

7.11. Corning

7.11.1. Company Overview

7.11.2. Product Portfolio

7.11.3. Recent Developments and Future Outlook

8. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS AND INITIATIVES

8.1. Chapter Overview

8.2. Partnership Models

8.3. Cell Therapy Consumables: Recent Partnerships and Collaborations

8.4. Cell Therapy Consumables: Recent Expansions

9. LIKELY PARTNER ANALYSIS FOR CELL THERAPY CONSUMABLE PROVIDERS

9.1. Chapter Overview

9.2. Scoring Criteria and Key Assumptions

9.3. Scope and Methodology

9.4. Key Potential Strategic Partners for Cell Therapy Consumable Providers

9.3.1. Likely Partner Opportunities for Dendritic Cell Therapy Consumable Providers

9.3.2. Likely Partner Opportunities for NK Cell Therapy Consumable Providers

9.3.3. Likely Partner Opportunities for Stem Cell Therapy Consumable Providers

9.3.4. Likely Partner Opportunities for T-Cell Therapy Consumable Providers

10. DEMAND ANALYSIS

10.1. Chapter Overview

10.2. Scope and Methodology

10.3. Global Demand for Cell Therapy Consumables

10.4. Global Demand for Cell Therapy Consumables for Planar Processes

10.5. Global Demand for Cell Therapy Consumables for Suspension Processes

10.6. Analysis by Scale of Operation

10.7. Analysis by Region

11. MARKET FORECAST AND OPPORTUNITY ANALYSIS

11.1. Chapter Overview

11.2. Forecast Methodology

11.3. Global Outsourced Cell Therapy Consumables Market, 2021-2031

11.4. Outsourced Cell Therapy Consumables Market, 2021-2031: Distribution by Type of Consumable

11.5. Outsourced Cell Therapy Consumables Market, 2021-2031: Distribution by Type of Cell Therapy

11.6. Outsourced Cell Therapy Consumables Market, 2021-2031: Distribution by Scale of Operation

11.7. Outsourced Cell Therapy Consumables Market, 2021-2031: Distribution by Type of End-User

11.8. Outsourced Cell Therapy Consumables Market, 2021-2031: Distribution by Geography

12. UPCOMING TRENDS AND FUTURE GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES

12.1. Chapter Overview

12.2. Emerging Trends Related to Cell Culture Media

12.3. Automation of Cell Therapy Manufacturing Processes

12.4. Single Use Systems and Technologies in Cell Therapy Manufacturing

13. IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON CELL THERAPY CONSUMABLES MARKET

13.1. Chapter Overview

13.2. Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Cell Therapy Consumables Market

13.3. Impact on Future Market Opportunities for Cell Therapy Consumable Providers

13.4. Current Opinions and Key Initiatives of Key Players

13.5. Recuperative Strategies for Developer Businesses

13.5.1. Strategies for Implementation in the Short / Mid Term

13.5.2. Strategies for Implementation in the Long Term

14. CONCLUDING REMARKS

14.1. Chapter Overview

15. INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTS

15.1. Chapter Overview

15.2. Anant Kamath, Chief Operating Officer, Cellular Engineering Technologies

15.2.1. Cellular Engineering Technologies: Key Highlights

15.2.2. Interview Transcript

15.3. Vishal G. Warke, Director R&D, Cell Culture and Immunology, HiMedia Laboratories and Gauri W. Page, Assistant R&D Manager, Animal Cell Culture, Himedia Laboratories

15.3.1. HiMedia Laboratories: Key Highlights

15.3.2. Interview Transcript

16. APPENDIX I: TABULATED DATA

17. APPENDIX II: LIST OF COMPANIES AND ORGANIZATIONS

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/2t5jj1

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BOISE, Idaho, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- From time to time it might be necessary for you to do a license plate search to find information on an individual. Now, this can be for a variety of reasons including litigation or pre-litigation, debt recovery or fraud investigations, insurance claims investigations, and many more.

When looking for the right service provider to give you the information you need, you might be tempted to use one of the many services that offer unlimited license plate lookups that give you instant results. To lure you in even further, they typically also offer their services at a low access price or subscription fee.

However, this could be a mistake as these services have some serious limitations. The reason for this is that they simply don't have access to accurate and current information because having this information would be illegal. Yet, despite this, they're effective at marketing their services to the unsuspecting public.

The thing is, the information associated with a specific license plate number is protected by law and there are only a few instances in which this information can be obtained. And these online services simply don't fall under these exceptions.

So, what should you consider when doing a license plate lookup? In this post, we'll look at this question in more detail and show you the benefits of using a Docusearch license plate lookup.

Why Would You Need To Look Up a License Plate?

However, before looking at these aspects in more detail, we'll first consider the circumstances in which you would typically need to do a license plate search. Generally, you'll perform a license plate lookup to find a vehicle owner's information including their name, address, or other details.

The most common reasons where you'll need this information are:

Accidents and litigation . It often happens that parties to litigation need the information of a driver that was involved in an accident like, for instance, a hit-and-run. Quite simply, this information would then be necessary to track down the owner of the vehicle in order to take legal action or establish what assets they have.

. It often happens that parties to litigation need the information of a driver that was involved in an accident like, for instance, a hit-and-run. Quite simply, this information would then be necessary to track down the owner of the vehicle in order to take legal action or establish what assets they have. Used car details . The owner's details can also be helpful when buying a used car. By knowing the owner's details, you can get some insights into a vehicle's history. So, before buying the car, you could learn who owned it, for how long they owned it, whether it was in any accidents, or other relevant information.

. The owner's details can also be helpful when buying a used car. By knowing the owner's details, you can get some insights into a vehicle's history. So, before buying the car, you could learn who owned it, for how long they owned it, whether it was in any accidents, or other relevant information. Personal reasons. In some cases, you could want to look up a license plate to find the owner's information for personal reasons. Here, there are a plethora of reasons why you would want this information.

To continue reading the entire article, go to https://www.docusearch.com/benefits-of-a-docusearch-license-plate-lookup.html

Media Contact

Dan Cohn

208-985-2552

[email protected]

SOURCE Docusearch.com
STATE COLLEGE, Pa., Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ -- AccuWeather, the world's most accurate weather source, today announced the expansion of its popular AccuWeather MinuteCast precipitation forecasting tool and its advanced radar capabilities to all of Central and South America, Mexico and the Caribbean for the first time, making it the only weather source to provide the most complete up-to-the-minute weather tracking tools in this hemisphere to complement its highly accurate forecasts.

As part of these new AccuWeather's MinuteCast precipitation offerings will be enhanced and more accurate radar coverage locally, regionally and throughout the world. This revolutionary new radar product is a unique hybrid of ground-based and satellite-based radar, eliminating gaps where radar was previously unavailable and making AccuWeather forecasts even more accurate in places where radar was previously available.

MinuteCast offers superior minute-by-minute precipitation forecasts of precipitation four hours ahead of the weather occurrence. This expansion comes at a critical time for Central and South America, as October closes out the rainiest season of the year. According to AccuWeather meteorologists, mudslides and flooding can be catastrophic to several areas, such as northern Chile, where it takes very little rain to cause dangerous flooding problems.

"We are so pleased to be extending the safety, convenience and comfort afforded by AccuWeather's MinuteCast to these new regions," said AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist, Jonathan Porter. "This tool has proven to be one of our most popular features on our apps and on our website precisely because people find it most useful to plan before stepping out and at multiple points along their journey. Our users rely on MinuteCast to determine the best time to venture out to walk the dog, go for a run, stroll to dinner or how to dress for a sporting event, like 'futbol.' Because it's central to the interface on our free app, this tool literally puts convenience right in the palm of people's hands."

MinuteCast will also be invaluable to help farmers prepare for upcoming precipitous weather, as South America alone accounts for approximately 10 percent of the global agricultural product export. Central and South America supplies a significant portion of the world's corn, soybeans, wheat, coffee, bananas, cocoa and more, where irregular weather patterns in the region have already driven up global prices of some of these commodities. The ability of farmers to adjust activities based on accurate precipitation forecasts can help maximize their seasonal crop outputs.

"Innovation is in our DNA at AccuWeather and the expansion of MinuteCast is another example of our effort to provide people, communities and businesses with easy to use, life-saving technology wherever they are," said AccuWeather Vice President of Science, Innovation and Development, Scott Mackaro. "Increasingly as volatile weather occurs, we are finding new ways to enhance peoples' safety and well-being by helping them stay prepared ahead of any weather situation, with pinpoint precision."

AccuWeather MinuteCast, coupled with AccuWeather's Hurricane Tracker also available in Central and South America, Mexico and the Caribbean, can be lifesaving tools that provide people the lead time necessary to secure their assets and get to shelter as the Atlantic hurricane season continues through November. This season, we have already seen category 3 Hurricane Grace cause several casualties in Mexico as well as storms damage the Caribbean islands as they headed north.

The AccuWeather app for Android phone and tablet users is free at the Google Play store. The AccuWeather iOS app is free at the Apple store. Visit accuweather.com for additional information.

Rhonda Seaton

310.508.0799

Bill Bagley

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State College, PA 16803-2215

accuweather.com

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SOURCE AccuWeather

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Funding accelerates development of a state-of-the-art indoor research and organic production facility dedicated to serving rising European demand

LISBON, PORTUGAL, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - European medical cannabis company AceCann announced the closing of a $15M (USD) round of Seed financing. The funding round was led by venture firm Casa Verde with participation from Portuguese venture capital firm, Lince Capital , along with public funding and debt capital. The Company will use the proceeds to develop a state-of-the-art production facility located in Vendas Novas, Portugal dedicated to the organic cultivation, processing and extraction of premium medical cannabis products. Construction started in September.

"We aim to create the gold standard in medical cannabis - from cultivation to commercialization, with IP ownership at every step in the value chain," says AceCann CEO Pedro Gomes. "With the support of our investors, we are able to accelerate our mission to develop consistent, high-quality products that give patients access to life-changing innovation."

With the European cannabis market expected to reach $3.4B (USD) by 2024, AceCann is distinguished by its unique cultivation process and pharmaceutical manufacturing expertise. This enables the Company to create products with unparalleled quality. Through its focus on smaller, scalable, indoor farming methods, AceCann will be able to precisely manage temperature, humidity and other variables to ensure each plant receives daily care while meeting the quality standards associated with premium medical cannabis products.

"As legalization sweeps across Europe, we foresee a rapid and exponential rise in demand for high-quality cannabis flower and extracts. With an experienced team, unique cultivation and extraction techniques and vast network, AceCann can become a premium provider to Europe's booming medical cannabis industry," says Yonatan Meyer, Partner at Casa Verde.

Additional investors participating in the round include Chris Mayle and Marc Gare, co-founders of Advanced Grow Labs (acquired by GTI); Frank Cid, CEO of Royal Life Centers; and angel investor Sebastian de la Rosa of Whistler Medical Marijuana Corporation (acquired by Aurora).

About AceCann

AceCann is a Portuguese medical cannabis company focused on the cultivation, processing, extraction and R&D of organic medical cannabis. With a unique organic indoor cultivation approach, AceCann wants to disrupt the European market with its high-quality medicinal products. It is the first company in Portugal to be awarded an R&D certificate of suitability by the National Innovation Agency.

About Casa Verde

Casa Verde is the leading venture capital firm focusing exclusively on the cannabis industry. As both the domestic and international cannabis markets continue to evolve and mature, Casa Verde maintains a view that the cannabis industry will be among the most compelling investment themes of our generation.

SOURCE AceCann
HONG KONG, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- To celebrate the launch of its new logo and corporate rebranding, Agroforestry Group decided to give away one free Musang King durian tree worth USD 3,500. The event which ran over August and September 2021 asked participants to name one of multiple changes that the company made to its new logo.

The event saw more than 300 participants enter from across the world from South America and the Middle East to Australia. The winner was Mr. James Foster who was selected through a draw and was announced the winner by Agroforestry Group via video.

Mr. James Foster who is based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia is the co-founder of FC Productions a social media management company. FC Productions helps businesses build quality and long-lasting relationships with their customers through effective social media management.

Mr. Paul Martin, Agroforestry Group's MD, said "We would like to thank everyone who participated and particularly, Mr. James Foster our winner. The events participation far exceeded our expectations. We hope it's been educational to those who are new to Musang King durian and our company."

Mr. Paul Martin added that the event helped bring global attention to what is known as the King of Fruits across Asia. Malaysia's Musang King durian, also known as Mao Shan Wang or D197, is the world's most demanded durian fruit variety. It can only be grown within certain regions of Malaysia and is sought after for its delicious, creamy, bitter-sweet flavour. Almost unknown to in China a decade ago, this prized delicacy has today become China's most imported fruit. It has almost single-handedly driven Asian export demand which has grown at an incredible 26% per year between 2010-2019.

About Agroforestry Group

Established in 2015, Agroforestry Group have applied their thirty years of private forestry management into the establishment and commercial development of durian and agarwood plantations and product distribution and sales. As an asset class, agriculture and forestry has expanded rapidly over the last decade. Due to interest from risk-averse private investors and companies attracted by their green credentials and their long-term high returns which are largely immune to economic cycles.

Related Website

https://www.agroforestrygroup.com/

SOURCE Agroforestry Group

Related Links

http://www.agroforestrygroup.com


ANN ARBOR, Mich., Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Akadeum Life Sciences, Inc., today announced the closing of an oversubscribed $17.5 million Series B financing led by Arboretum Ventures. Investors in the round also included Beringea, Agilent Technologies, Lifespan Ventures, BlueStone Venture Partners, Berkeley Catalyst Fund, Michigan Capital Network, Michigan Rise, The University of Michigan, and others. The Company also announced that Dan Kidle, Managing Partner at Arboretum Ventures, has joined the Akadeum board of directors.

Akadeum's Founder & CEO, Brandon McNaughton, holding the company's revolutionary microbubble technology How Akadeum's Technology Works

Proceeds from the financing will be used to advance global commercialization for Akadeum's proprietary microbubble-based separation platform with applications spanning life science research, including cell therapy and diagnostics. The company will also advance efforts to develop new business-to-business partnerships and expand R&D and new product development.

By using its proprietary microbubble-based technology to easily float target cells, nucleic acids and other biological targets to the top of a sample, Akadeum's next- generation platform solves long-standing problems in separation processes, including volume and throughput restrictions, allowing for virtually any biological entity to be captured. Akadeum's solutions exceed the performance,

system cost, and scalability of current technologies.

"This funding brings new momentum to our effort to deploy our technology platform to empower new scientific discoveries, improve diagnostic sensitivity, and increase access to novel cell therapies," said Brandon H. McNaughton, PhD, Akadeum's President and CEO. "The success of this financing is another indication of the growing interest in the applications of the Akadeum platform technology," added McNaughton.

"We are very pleased to join as investors in Akadeum and see strong potential for their proprietary microbubble-based technology to deliver significant advances in science and strong commercial growth in the years ahead," said Dan Kidle, Managing Partner at Arboretum Ventures.

About Akadeum Life Sciences, Inc.:

Akadeum Life Sciences was formed to solve-longstanding sample preparation problems in research, diagnostics, and cell therapy markets with a novel floatation-based target isolation platform technology. Without the critical step of separation (isolating biological targets like DNA, proteins, or cells from biological samples), many diagnostics and therapies would not be possible. More than a solution to a single problem, this elegantly simple platform technology is disrupting the

separation marketfrom nucleic acid extraction to cell isolation.

The company was the first to commercialize Buoyancy Activated Cell Sorting (BACS) microbubble kits for cell isolation applications. In parallel, the company is also establishing industry partnerships. The company is located in Ann Arbor, MI.

To learn more about Akadeum and its products, visit https://www.akadeum.com.

Inquiries into Akadeum's products or technology can be made at [email protected]

Contact:

Brandon McNaughton

734.707.1233

[email protected]



SOURCE Akadeum Life Sciences

Related Links

https://www.akadeum.com


ATLANTA, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Former Atlanta City Councilmember Alex Wan, a long-time Morningside homeowner and civic leader, has been endorsed by the Atlanta Realtors Political Action Committee (RPAC) and by Georgia Equality in his bid to again represent Atlanta City Council District 6.

Atlanta City Council (District 6) Candidate Alex Wan George Equality endorsement badge

RPAC collectively represents the Atlanta Board of Realtors and the Atlanta Commercial Board of Realtors, which together represent over 10,000 members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries. Georgia Equality 's mission is to advance fairness, safety and opportunity for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities and their allies.

"Through his eight years on City Council and through his continuing community leadership, Alex has demonstrated that he has the experience and inclusive perspective to represent the diverse neighborhoods of District 6 -- and beyond," says Jeff Graham, Executive Director of Georgia Equality. "We are proud to again endorse him, especially at a time when the City faces so many issues and major changes coming to City Hall. Atlanta and our community has made great strides under his leadership, and we look forward to his continuing, collaborative leadership and fiscal stewardship."

In addition to RPAC and Georgia Equality, Wan was recently endorsed by The Victory Fund . He also has received the highest possible rating of "Excellent" from the Committee for a Better Atlanta (CBA) . Wan's CBA score of 91 out of 100 was the highest in the field and the only "Excellent" in the District 6 race.

"I am proud to be endorsed by the residential and commercial Realtors and by Georgia Equality," Wan says. "The Realtor organizations share an interest  with each other and with me  in balancing business and quality-of-life issues. They appreciate Atlanta's character as a world-class place to live, work, and play.

"Likewise, I am grateful Georgia Equality recognizes the ways in which I have continued to deliver on matters important to the LGBTQ community, as well as on behalf of all diverse stakeholders in our City," he says. "I will continue to bring people together, working through a lens of transparency, sustainability and accountability, as a strong, accessible, responsive advocate."

The Georgia Equality endorsement was announced late last week; RPAC's endorsement came the week prior.

"The number and, especially, the breadth of these endorsements speaks to Alex's extensive experience and proven leadership skills," says Kay Stephenson, longtime neighborhood and community activist and former Virginia-Highland Civic Association Vice-President. "In particular, they demonstrate his ability to build coalitions and bring together diverse groups for the betterment of District 6 and all of Atlanta."

Wan was first elected to the City Council District 6 post in 2009 and easily earned a second term in 2013. He is the first Asian American and first openly gay man to serve on Atlanta City Council. Raised in Atlanta and a District 6 and Morningside homeowner for 27 years, the former small business owner graduated from DeKalb County Public Schools and holds a Bachelor's in Industrial Engineering from Georgia Tech, a Finance MBA from Wharton Business School, and has completed educational programs at Dartmouth and Harvard.

He is Executive Director of Horizons Atlanta, a nonprofit that provides tuition-free summer enrichment programs for children from traditionally underserved communities. His professional experience includes the private, public, non-profit and higher-education sectors.

Atlanta City Council District 6 includes much of intown northeast Atlanta. For more information about Wan and his campaign: www.AlexWanForAtlanta.com .

Media contact:

B. Andrew (Drew) Plant

[email protected]

678-637-5532

SOURCE Friends of Alex Wan

Related Links

http://www.AlexWanForAtlanta.com


The pipeline broke about five miles off Huntington Beach. Oil has reached land and continues to spread throughout the water. The chemicals that will likely be used to clean the oil pollution will compound the threat to the environment. Miles of beaches and coastal areas have been closed during the aftermath. Officials indicate that some of these closures might last for months, leaving business owners and residents to confront an ongoing ecological and economic disaster. California Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency in Orange County to assist with cleanup efforts.

In the suit, Ketcham Tackle LLC v. Amplify Energy Corp., filed in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, the plaintiff, Ketcham Tackle (Ketcham), represents a proposed class of individuals and businesses whose livelihoods, source of income, and business quality are being and will be impacted by the spill. Ketcham operates a bait and tackle business in Costa Mesa, California, which derives over 90% of its revenue from tackle and fishing gear used for saltwater fishing in the Pacific Ocean. It outfits many of the sport fishing boats that operate out of Orange County, a significant sport fishing industry. These boats and other customers of Ketcham depend upon access to clean ocean water and now can no longer fish in this polluted, closed area.

Ketcham's economic setback is a direct, legal, and foreseeable consequence of the alleged wrongful acts and/or omissions of defendants. Amplify owns Beta Offshore, which operates the 17-mile pipeline, owned by SPB Pipeline, that ruptured on October 2, causing as much as 144,000 gallons of oil to spew into the Pacific Ocean and the Orange County shoreline. Oversight led to the rupture, and defendants' delay in reporting it to the National Response Centerin violation of spill-response guidelines increased the spill's broader environmental impact and the reduced quality of life of those relying on the coast for their livelihood.

Defendants have a continuing record of violations and non-compliance regarding oil extraction and distribution activities. Since 1980, Beta Offshore has been cited at least 125 times for safety and environmental violations that were severe enough to stall drilling operations. The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, a federal agency that regulates the offshore oil and gas industry, reports Beta Offshore has been fined for three separate accidents, two since 2014. The present breach is a stark reminder of defendants' alleged callousness in ensuring equipment upgrades and compliance with the highest standards of environmentally sustainable business operations.

According to reports, well over 50 vessels were waiting to berth in San Pedro Bay following the spill. This backlog resulted in larger ships anchoring closer to pipelines, internet cables, and other hazards due to a lack of space. Preliminary reports indicate the rupture may have been caused by a passing ship's anchor that hooked the pipeline, causing a partial tear.

Despite knowledge of this situation and the reasonable chance of such an occurrence during port congestion, defendants failed to reasonably inspect the affected pipeline, which carries ultra-hazardous materials, and was severely damaged at the time of the contaminating breach. Defendants were aware that the ports were beset by long backups. Yet, they failed to implement proper procedures to protect against the increased risk of damage to the pipeline nor to remedy the unstable pipeline adequately and reasonably through effective regular inspections.

"The Orange County oil spill is an environmental and economic tragedy that is devastating to many individuals and business who rely on the area's beautiful coastline for their livelihood and recreational activities. Defendants have a long history of violations and non-compliance with industry standards, and their inexcusable delay in reporting and handling the October 2nd spill has made a dire situation much worse. They must be held accountable. We are grateful for the opportunity to help Ketcham and a proposed class obtain economic and injunctive relief during this disastrous time for Orange County coastal residents," said Steven Williams of the Joseph Saveri Law Firm.

Plaintiffs seek class certification and a favorable judgment against defendants jointly and severally for economic damages, punitive and/or exemplary damages, creation of a fund to environmentally and economically monitor the marine habitat in the affected area, and other relief the court or a jury may find necessary.

https://www.saverilawfirm.com/our-cases/orange-county-oil-spill-investigation?hsLang=en

ABOUT THE FIRM

The Joseph Saveri Law Firm is one of the country's most acclaimed, successful boutique firms, specializing in antitrust, class actions, and complex litigation on behalf of national and international consumers, purchasers, and employees across diverse industries. For further information on our practice and accomplishments on behalf of our clients, please visit www.saverilawfirm.com.

SOURCE Joseph Saveri Law Firm LLP

Related Links

http://www.saverilawfirm.com


IRVING, Texas, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Caris Life Sciences, a molecular science company developing and delivering technologies to revolutionize healthcare, announced today that Andreas S. Tsukada has joined the Company as Senior Vice President, President of Japanese Operations and Head of International.

In this role, Tsukada will lead the expansion of Caris' growing international presence, reflecting the rapid clinical adoption and demand for comprehensive molecular profiling. In Japan, Tsukada will oversee operations, market development and regulatory, biopharma partnerships and strategic initiatives, as well as support Caris' molecular profiling collaboration with the National Cancer Center Japan (NCC) for the MONSTAR-SCREEN-2 of SCRUM-Japan, the largest cancer genomic screening consortium in Japan.

"Caris is at an important inflection point as we continue to extend the Company's global reach and expand into liquid biopsy testing," said Brian Brille, Vice Chairman of Caris Life Sciences. "We are very excited to welcome Andreas to Caris. His expertise in the international marketplace developing clinical and biopharma relationships will further advance our mission to provide physicians with the most comprehensive and innovative treatment options for cancer patients worldwide."

"Caris has the most advanced clinically relevant portfolio of precision medicine tools that have ever been developed. Leveraging the power of Caris' tissue technology to blood will create a revolution in the liquid biopsy market, and I am delighted to join Caris at such an exciting time for the Company," said Tsukada. "I look forward to supporting the organization in its pursuit to further expand its industry-leading offerings to enhance personalized cancer treatments for patients across the globe."

Before joining Caris, Tsukada was at Guardant, where he was General Manager, Representative Director, Japan and supported Asia-Pacific operations, prior to the creation of Guardant Health AMEA. As General Manager, Tsukada led a team that was responsible for all functions across commercial, BBD, regulatory and lab operations, including leading the build of the company's Shonan iPark lab.

With over 20 years in oncology and diagnostics across the U.S., Europe and Asia-Pacific, Tsukada also has experience with Thermo Fisher Scientific, where he directed Clinical NGS partnerships for CDx, commercialization and IVD. He had P&L responsibility across more than a dozen high profile programs. Before that, Tsukada worked for Merck Biopharma in Japan leading the Oncology Business Unit.

About Caris Life Sciences

Caris Life Sciences (Caris) is a molecular science company developing and delivering technologies to revolutionize healthcare. The Company's suite of market-leading molecular profiling offerings assesses DNA, RNA and proteins to reveal a molecular blueprint that helps patients, physicians and researchers improve outcomes and save lives.

As the pioneer in precision medicine, Caris is ushering in a new era of cancer care with blood-based monitoring for patients before treatment, during treatment and after treatment. Currently available within Caris' Precision Oncology Alliance, Caris' pan-cancer, circulating nucleic acids sequencing (cNAS) assay combines comprehensive molecular analysis (Whole Exome and Whole Transcriptome Sequencing from blood) and serial monitoring - making it the most powerful liquid biopsy assay ever developed.

Caris is also advancing precision medicine through advanced artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning algorithms. Leveraging the Company's proprietary AI analytics engine, DEAN, across its extensive catalog of molecular intelligence and clinical outcomes data, Caris is actively developing a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms of cancer in ways never before possible. This information provides an unmatched resource to help physicians better identify and predict patient response to therapy, as well as support researchers and biopharmaceutical companies derive unique insights for research development, clinical trials and target identification.

Headquartered in Irving, Texas, Caris has offices in Phoenix, Denver, New York, and Basel, Switzerland. Caris provides services throughout the U.S., Europe, Asia and other international markets. To learn more, please visit CarisLifeSciences.com or follow us on Twitter (@CarisLS).

Caris Life Sciences Media Contact:

Allison Kreutzjans

Edelman

[email protected]

314-550-1327

SOURCE Caris Life Sciences

Related Links

https://www.carislifesciences.com/


Moore has spent 17 years honing his skills as an independent registered advisor specializing in estate and retirement planning. He spent the first part of his career in research and development with Dow Chemical, where he has strong relationships. As an Evangelical, he is a spiritual leader in his community.

He and his team spent two years looking for a broker/dealer, choosing Arkadios Capital because it offered the best support for business owners.

"The Oak Financial Group did not want to move to another large broker-dealer or network broker-dealer and end up dealing with the same frustrations," Moore said. "After talking with Arkadios Capital for about a year, it became evident they were something different. They listened to our needs and worked to help us solve the administrative issues we were facing."

Investment advisors founded Arkadios Capital for investment advisors. The privately-held independent broker-dealer (IBD) provides tailored solutions to its affiliated independent wealth advisors. It has been named the fastest-growing IBD in the country by Investment News, and Financial Planning ranks Arkadios among the top IBDs.

"We are honored to have The Oak Financial Group join Arkadios Capital, a platform we specifically created for entrepreneurial-minded, successful independent advisors," said Arkadios Founder and CEO David Millican. "Rick Moore and his team have a formula that works incredibly well for their clients, and Arkadios Capital is excited to help them grow their business over the next decade."

About Arkadios Capital

Successful independent advisors founded Arkadios Capital with independent advisors in mind. It has tripled its revenue, grown to more than 80 advisors and added an institutional bond desk and real estate investment team. The hybrid IBD has more than $4.25 billion in associated assets. With the highest ethical standards, the broker-dealer specializes in customized investment options focused on individual investors. For more information, visit www.arkadios.com.

SOURCE Arkadios Capital

Related Links

http://www.arkadioscapital.com


Infographic - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1657379/Artmarket_turnover_Infographic.jpg

Calmed Tensions (1937) by Wassily Kandinsky, $29.4 million at Sotheby's London, the best UK auction result so far this year:

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1657380/Artmarket_Kandinsky.jpg

thierry Ehrmann , CEO and Founder of Artmarket.com and its Artprice department: "The UK (generating 17% of global auction turnover in H1 2021) has little to fear from France (7%), but is seeing Hong Kong (14%) attract a growing share of the high-end market, particularly works of Contemporary and Post-War Art which have greater soft power significance. I expect to see London make a concerted effort to retain its hold on this segment of the market".

Market tipping to the East

The most important painting by Gerhard Richter to be auctioned over the past three years, Abstraktes Bild (649-2) (1987), was sold by Sotheby's in Hong Kong for $28 million. Initially marketed in the late 1980s by Galerie Lohrl in Dusseldorf, the painting was resold in New York by Galerie Barbara Mathes. However, on 6 October 2020, Patrick Drahi's auction firm (Sotheby's) chose to include it in a prestigious evening sale in Hong Kong where it fetched $10 million more than its high estimate of $18 million.

The itinerary of this painting clearly reflects Richter's success on the international art market, but it also reflects a fundamental reality of the global art mMarket: Hong Kong is fast becoming what New York was for European artists ten years ago: a formidable accelerator. The major auction houses are seeing Hong Kong as a new market for iconic pieces but also as a marketplace capable of rapidly boosting young emerging stars.

This year  for the first time ever  Christie's and Sotheby's offered a total of three major works by Jean-Michel Basquiat in Hong Kong where they either reached or substantially exceeded their estimates. Together, the three paintings generated over $100 million, a third of the artist's total auction turnover so far this year. Hong Kong is therefore becoming the world's second marketplace for this 'devilish' signature, after New York.

Two completely different structures

Politically, London and Hong Kong are both experiencing pivotal moments in their histories but while the former has seen its art sales declining over the last five years, the latter has been experiencing exceptional growth in this domain.



True, the two marketplaces still have very different structures. The UK may be seeing its former colony catching up in terms of fine art auction turnover, but it retains a much more dynamic and diversified offer thanks to its long art market history. The British capital has been at the center of international art auctions since the 19th century, whereas Hong Kong has only been an important market hub since the beginning of this millennium ...i.e. not more than 20 years.

This is more or less the global art market context as London's Frieze Art Fair resumes this week, and there can be no doubt that many of its organizers and participants will be hoping to bring London back into the International art market limelight, offering a savvy mix of Old Master and Ultra-Contemporary artworks.

Images: [https://imgpublic.artprice.com/img/wp/sites/11/2021/10/image1-Londres-Hong-Kong.png]

[https://imgpublic.artprice.com/img/wp/sites/11/2021/10/image2-Wassily-Kandinsky.jpeg]

Copyright 1987-2021 thierry Ehrmann www.artprice.com - www.artmarket.com

Don't hesitate to contact our Econometrics Department for your requirements regarding statistics and personalized studies: [email protected]

for your requirements regarding statistics and personalized studies: Try our services (free demo): https://www.artprice.com/demo

Subscribe to our services: https://www.artprice.com/subscription

About Artmarket:

Artmarket.com is listed on Eurolist by Euronext Paris, SRD long only and Euroclear: 7478 - Bloomberg: PRC - Reuters: ARTF.

Discover Artmarket and its Artprice department on video: www.artprice.com/video

Artmarket and its Artprice department was founded in 1997 by its CEO, thierry Ehrmann. Artmarket and its Artprice department is controlled by Groupe Serveur, created in 1987.

See certified biography in Who's who :

https://imgpublic.artprice.com/img/wp/sites/11/2021/06/Biographie_nov2020_WhosWho_thierryEhrmann.pdf

Artmarket is a global player in the Art Market with, among other structures, its Artprice department, world leader in the accumulation, management and exploitation of historical and current art market information in databanks containing over 30 million indices and auction results, covering more than 770,000 artists.

Artprice Images allows unlimited access to the largest Art Market image bank in the world: no less than 180 million digital images of photographs or engraved reproductions of artworks from 1700 to the present day, commented by our art historians.

Artmarket with its Artprice department accumulates data on a permanent basis from 6300 Auction Houses and produces key Art Market information for the main press and media agencies (7,200 publications). Its 4.5 million 'members log in' users have access to ads posted by other members, a network that today represents the leading Global Standardized Marketplace to buy and sell artworks at a fixed or bid price (auctions regulated by paragraphs 2 and 3 of Article L 321.3 of France's Commercial Code).

Artmarket with its Artprice department, has been awarded the State label "Innovative Company" by the Public Investment Bank (BPI) (for the second time in November 2018 for a new period of 3 years) which is supporting the company in its project to consolidate its position as a global player in the market art.

Artprice's 2020/21 Contemporary Art Market Report by Artmarket.com:

https://www.artprice.com/artprice-reports/the-contemporary-art-market-report-2021

Artprice by Artmarket's 2020 Global Art Market Report published in March 2021:

https://www.artprice.com/artprice-reports/the-art-market-in-2020

Index of press releases posted by Artmarket with its Artprice department:

serveur.serveur.com/press_release/pressreleaseen.htm

Follow all the Art Market news in real time with Artmarket and its Artprice department on Facebook and Twitter:

www.facebook.com/artpricedotcom/ (over 5 million followers)

twitter.com/artmarketdotcom

twitter.com/artpricedotcom

Discover the alchemy and universe of Artmarket and its artprice department https://www.artprice.com/video headquartered at the famous Organe Contemporary Art Museum "The Abode of Chaos" (dixit The New York Times): https://issuu.com/demeureduchaos/docs/demeureduchaos-abodeofchaos-opus-ix-1999-2013

L'Obs - The Museum of the Future: https://youtu.be/29LXBPJrs-o

www.facebook.com/la.demeure.du.chaos.theabodeofchaos999

(4.4 million followers)

https://vimeo.com/124643720

Contact Artmarket.com and its Artprice department: Thierry Ehrmann, [email protected]

SOURCE Artmarket.com
NEW YORK, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Atento S.A. (NYSE: ATTO), the largest provider of customer relationship management and business process outsourcing solutions (CRM/BPO) in Latin America and among the top five providers worldwide, announced today that it will release its fiscal Third Quarter 2021 financial results after the market close of the New York Stock Exchange on Monday, November 15, 2021. Atento's senior management team will host a conference call and webcast to discuss the financial and operating results on Tuesday, November 16, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time.

In addition, Atento's management has decided to have an Investor Day in April 2022 and will disclose further details in the following months.

You are invited to visit Atento's Investor Relations website at http://investors.atento.com. A replay will also be available after the event in the Presentations and Webcast section of the website.

Dial In Info:

USA: +1 866 807 9684

Brazil: +55 11 4933-0682

Spain: +34 91 414 9260

UK: +44 20 3514 3188

International: +1 412 317 5415

Webcast: click here

About Atento

Atento is the largest provider of customer relationship management and business process outsourcing ("CRM BPO") services in Latin America, and among the top five providers globally. Atento is also a leading provider of nearshoring CRM BPO services to companies that carry out their activities in the United States. Since 1999, the company has developed its business model in 13 countries where it employs approximately 140,000 people. Atento has over 400 clients to whom it offers a wide range of CRM BPO services through multiple channels. Atento's clients are mostly leading multinational corporations in sectors such as telecommunications, banking and financial services, health, retail and public administrations, among others. Atento's shares trade under the symbol ATTO on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). In 2019, Atento was named one of the World's 25 Best Multinational Workplaces and one of the Best Multinationals to Work for in Latin America by Great Place to Work. Also, in 2021 Everest named Atento as a star performer Gartner named the company as a leader in the 2021 Gartner Magic Quadrant. For more information visit www.atento.com

CFO & IRO Jose Azevedo Investor Relations Fernando Schneider [email protected] Media Relations Pablo Sanchez Perez [email protected] +34 670031347

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "may," "should," "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "predicts," "intends," "continue" or similar terminology. These statements reflect only Atento's current expectations and are not guarantees of future performance or results. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. In particular, the COVID-19 pandemic, and governments' extraordinary measures to limit the spread of the virus, are disrupting the global economy and Atento's industry, and consequently adversely affecting the Company's business, results of operation and cash flows and, as conditions are recent, uncertain and changing rapidly, it is difficult to predict the full extent of the impact that the pandemic will have. Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, competition in Atento's highly competitive industries; increases in the cost of voice and data services or significant interruptions in these services; Atento's ability to keep pace with its clients' needs for rapid technological change and systems availability; the continued deployment and adoption of emerging technologies; the loss, financial difficulties or bankruptcy of any key clients; the effects of global economic trends on the businesses of Atento's clients; the non-exclusive nature of Atento's client contracts and the absence of revenue commitments; security and privacy breaches of the systems Atento uses to protect personal data; the cost of pending and future litigation; the cost of defending Atento against intellectual property infringement claims; extensive regulation affecting many of Atento's businesses; Atento's ability to protect its proprietary information or technology; service interruptions to Atento's data and operation centers; Atento's ability to retain key personnel and attract a sufficient number of qualified employees; increases in labor costs and turnover rates; the political, economic and other conditions in the countries where Atento operates; changes in foreign exchange rates; Atento's ability to complete future acquisitions and integrate or achieve the objectives of its recent and future acquisitions; future impairments of our substantial goodwill, intangible assets, or other long-lived assets; and Atento's ability to recover consumer receivables on behalf of its clients. In addition, Atento is subject to risks related to its level of indebtedness. Such risks include Atento's ability to generate sufficient cash to service its indebtedness and fund its other liquidity needs; Atento's ability to comply with covenants contained in its debt instruments; the ability to obtain additional financing; the incurrence of significant additional indebtedness by Atento and its subsidiaries; and the ability of Atento's lenders to fulfill their lending commitments. Atento is also subject to other risk factors described in documents filed by the comp any with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.

These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which the statements were made. Atento undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

SOURCE Atento S.A.

Related Links

http://www.atento.com


ATLANTA, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Batteries Plus , the nation's largest and fastest-growing battery, light bulb, key fob and repair franchise, has announced the signing of an eight-unit deal in the Atlanta area. The deal consists of four brand new and four resale locations, in and around Atlanta and Athens.

Behind the purchase is Equicorp Partners, LLC, an Atlanta-based, multi-unit franchise developer and private investment and advisement office. The Partnership boasts thirty years of experience in the management space for both start-ups and legacy brands, including Arby's, City Barbeque and Cafe Rio. Equicorp Partners, LLC was impressed with Batteries Plus' track record for proven success as well as its amount of franchisor support and vision for their retailers.

"With our new Batteries Plus locations, we look forward to sharing our growth and success with the Atlanta-area communities we will serve," says Greg Belatti, Partner at Equicorp Partners, LLC. "We're locally based and are truly invested in providing the best products to our neighbors. Batteries Plus will be a welcome addition to many of the small towns in Georgia that we know and love."

Of the eight locations, three resale locations are currently open to the public in Buckhead, Cobb Parkway and Marietta. Two new locations will open in early 2022 in Dunwoody and Suwanee and two more will be located in Covington and Cartersville in the fall of next year.

"Batteries Plus continues to expand its footprint in not only metropolitan areas, but smaller towns in the U.S.," says Joe Malmuth, Vice President of Franchise Development and Relations for Batteries Plus. "Our locations provide essential products and services to areas that need it most. Staying connected to your work and your loved ones can be difficult these days. With our new locations in smaller towns, we're answering the call to be available to all who need it."

This announcement comes after another eight-unit signing in Raleigh, NC in June and a ten-unit agreement for locations in Nevada and Utah  the largest agreement in the history of the franchise. After Batteries Plus was deemed an essential business in 2020, the urgency and necessity of the brand has continued to grow in order to provide customers the tools they need to stay safe and connected. To date, there have been 67 new agreements signed this year and 14 new store openings; on track for 26 new store openings by the end of 2021.

To learn more about Batteries Plus, including information on the franchise opportunity or tour a store virtually, visit batteriesplusfranchise.com .

ABOUT BATTERIES PLUS:

Batteries Plus, founded in 1988 and headquartered in Hartland, Wisconsin, is a leading omnichannel retailer of batteries, specialty light bulbs and phone repair services for the direct-to-consumer and commercial channels. The retailer also offers key programming, replacement and cutting services. Through a nationwide network of stores, the company offers a differentiated value proposition of unrivaled product selection, in-stock availability and customer service. Batteries Plus is owned by Freeman Spogli, a private equity firm based in Los Angeles and New York City. To learn more about one of Forbes' Best Franchises to Buy in America, visit https://www.batteriesplusfranchise.com .

Media Contact: Julianne Stevenson, Fishman PR, [email protected] or 224-558-2510

SOURCE Batteries Plus

Related Links

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MARIETTA, Ga., Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Atlanta Hard Cider Co. & Distillery, a local family-owned cidery and taproom, is excited to announce its grand opening celebration. This weekend-long community event will include tastings of the cidery's all-natural and gluten-free craft cider, alongside live music, food vendors, games, and more. The grand opening is scheduled for Saturday, October 23 12-8 pm, and Sunday, October 24 from 12:30-6 pm at 1010 Roswell Street NE, Marietta, Georgia 30060; cider tasting tickets can be purchased in advance via a link on our social media accounts.

Atlanta Hard Cider Co. & Distillery Atlanta Hard Cider Co. & Distillery

Atlanta Hard Cider will have 12+ ciders on tap, with a rotation of seasonal and experimental ciders; there will be something for everyone. With plenty of outdoor space, a pet-friendly patio, live music, and food trucks on the weekend, this new cidery is the perfect place to gather and unwind.

"We are excited to finally start producing our ciders here locally. It's been a long time in the making. We feel that our cidery will be a perfect place for our local community and cider lovers to come together," said founder, Mark Deno.

Atlanta Hard Cider Co. is a local family-owned business that began when founders Mark and Liz Deno started making cider in their garage. This passion was fueled by the challenge of creating a great tasting cider that was both gluten-free and made with all-natural ingredients. Before they knew it, Atlanta Hard Cider was circulating through local retailers, bars, and restaurants. After years-in-the-making, Atlanta Hard Cider is thrilled to finally open its doors and celebrate the grand opening with the community. You can find their ciders at Publix, Kroger, Target, and Sprouts stores as well as your local package store.

Media Contact:

Liz Deno

VP Sales & Marketing

[email protected]

770-317-6089

Atlantahardcider.com

SOURCE Atlanta Hard Cider Co. & Distillery
DUBAI, UAE, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Driven by rise in the ownership of luxury cars and demand for more sustainable and eco-friendly products, the global automotive appearance chemicals market is expected to grow at 4.9% CAGR between 2021 and 2031.

Future Market Insights (FMI) in its latest report reveals that windshield washer fluids will remain the most preferred product type in the market. Half of global automotive appearance chemicals sales are expected to be contributed by the sales of windshield washer fluids.

Over the assessment period, from 2016 to 2020, the market demonstrated sluggish growth at 0.8% CAGR. Unprecedented outbreak of COVID-19 also had a negative impact on automotive industry, causing a negative ripple effect on automotive appearance chemicals sales.

However, with the recovery of manufacturing activities and owing to the growing sales of electric cars, the market picked up the pace in the second quarter of 2021.

Request a report sample to gain comprehensive insights at https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1847

As per FMI, sales of automotive appearance chemicals registered year-over-year growth of 4.2% between 2020 and 2021. Increment in government activities to recover the economy and promote the sales of electric vehicles also aided the growth.

The market is expected to gain from stringent regulations implemented on the use of hazardous and toxic chemicals. These policies have compelled manufacturers to develop eco-friendly products. With growing sales of luxury cars and need to maintain aesthetic look have surged considerably, in turn fuelling demand in the market.

Due to the high visibility of windshield area and top of the car, demand for windshield washer fluids, car wax, and coatings is expected to rise. As luxury cars require high maintenance to retain their polished and elegant looks, demand for car wax and coatings also will surge.

"Sustainability concerns and implementation of stringent regulatory policies on the use of toxic chemicals have encouraged leading players to invest in research activities. Hence, development of eco-friendly products, adoption of digital marketing strategies, and reliance on e-commerce platforms are at all-time high," says a FMI analyst.

Key Takeaways from FMI's Automotive Appearance Chemicals Market Survey

Demand outlook for windshield washer fluids is expected to appear positive, exhibiting steady CAGR of 4.2% during the forecast period

Sales of automotive appearance chemicals in passenger vehicles are set to surge at 5.1% CAGR through 2031

Over 95% of automotive appearance chemicals sales will be concentrated in aftermarket segment

The U.S. automotive appearance chemicals market is anticipated to register 4.5% year-on-year growth in 2021

Demand for automotive appearance chemicals across Germany is slated to rise at 4.2% CAGR in the forthcoming decade

is slated to rise at 4.2% CAGR in the forthcoming decade China is expected to lead the East Asia market, contributing over 60% of total revenue through 2031

Visit for More Report Preview: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/automotive-appearance-chemicals-market

Key Drivers

Increasing production and sales of electric vehicles will spur the demand for automotive appearance chemicals

Rising adoption of used cars and cost-effective products available in the aftermarket will improve the sales over the forecast period

Surging ownership of luxury cars and need for maintaining aesthetic appeal will accelerate the sales of automotive appearance chemicals

Key Restraints:

Availability of cheap, alternative, and first-copy products in the market is expected to hamper the sales of automotive appearance chemicals

Stringent regulations pertaining to harmful appearance chemicals and car care products are likely to impede the market growth

Competitive Landscape

As per the Future Market Insights study, the global automotive appearance chemicals market is highly competitive in nature.

Around 40-45% of global revenue is expected to come from top 5 players, including 3M Company, PPG Industries, Sasol Ltd., BASF SE, and DuPont de Nemours Inc.

Leading players are investing actively in research and development activities for the development of eco-friendly products. In order to expand their global reach, players are relying on expansion strategies such as mergers, collaborations, and acquisitions.

For instance,

In June 2020 , National Automotive Experts and NWAN announced their partnership with Xzilon to offer interior and exterior surface protection products for the vehicles. Also, they are offering interior fabric and leather/vinyl surfaces as XMicrobe, to eliminate 99% of germs and microbes.

, National Automotive Experts and NWAN announced their partnership with Xzilon to offer interior and exterior surface protection products for the vehicles. Also, they are offering interior fabric and leather/vinyl surfaces as XMicrobe, to eliminate 99% of germs and microbes. In August 2020 , NWAN formed a partnership with another automotive company, Ultimar, leading company in chemical industry for high-performance protection products to provide direct manufacturer access for their exterior and interior surfaces of vehicles.

, NWAN formed a partnership with another automotive company, Ultimar, leading company in chemical industry for high-performance protection products to provide direct manufacturer access for their exterior and interior surfaces of vehicles. Turtle Wax Inc., global automotive appearance product manufacturing company, announced the launch of Namaste India car care kit, in September 2020 , with the establishment of its new manufacturing plant across South Asia .

We Offer tailor-made Solutions to fit Your Requirements, Request [email protected] https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/customization-available/rep-gb-1847

Some of the key players operating in the automotive appearance chemicals industry market profiled by FMI are:

PPG Industries

3M Company

Company BASF SE

Energizer Holdings Inc.

Kao Corporation

Jax Wax Inc

SONAX GmbH

Malco Products Inc

Koch-Chemie GmbH

Mothers Polishes Wax Cleaners Inc

Koster Keunen Inc

The Darent Wax Company Ltd.

Future Developments (Manufacturing) Ltd.

Northern Labs Inc.

CRC Industries

Sasol Ltd

Altro Limited

Turtle Wax Inc

DuPont de Nemours, Inc.

More Valuable Insights on Automotive Appearance Chemicals Market

In its latest report, FMI provides a detailed analysis of the global automotive appearance chemicals market, providing historical data of 2016-2020 and forecast statistics for the period of 2021-2031. In order to gain a better perspective on the market potential, its growth, and scope, the market is segmented on the basis of:

By Product Type:

Polishes

Windshield Washer Fluids

Soaps

Coatings

Car Wax

By Vehicle Type:

Passenger Cars

Light Commercial Vehicles (LCV)

Heavy Commercial Vehicles

By Sales Channel:

Aftermarket

Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs)

By Region:

North America

Latin America

Europe

East Asia

South Asia Pacific

Middle East and Africa

For any Queries Linked with the Report, Ask an [email protected] https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/ask-question/rep-gb-1847

Key Questions Covered in the Report

The report offers insight into automotive appearance chemicals market demand outlook for the forecast period 2021-2031

The market study also highlights projected sales growth for automotive appearance chemicals market between 2021 and 2031

Automotive appearance chemicals market survey identifies key growth drivers, restraints, and other forces impacting prevailing trends and evaluation of current market size and forecast and technological advancements within the industry

Automotive appearance chemicals market share analysis, covering key companies within the industry and coverage of strategies such as mergers & acquisitions, joint ventures, collaborations or partnerships, and others

FMI is hosting a talk show in collaboration with SPRING to uncover the paths of latest innovations in packaging. Join our Talk show "The Rise of Intelligent Packaging' by registering here: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/event/the-rise-of-intelligent-packaging

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About Future Market Insights (FMI)

Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in Dubai, and has delivery centers in the UK, U.S. and India. FMI's latest market research reports and industry analysis help businesses navigate challenges and make critical decisions with confidence and clarity amidst breakneck competition. Our customized and syndicated market research reports deliver actionable insights that drive sustainable growth. A team of expert-led analysts at FMI continuously tracks emerging trends and events in a broad range of industries to ensure that our clients prepare for the evolving needs of their consumers.

Contact:

Future Market Insights,

1602-6 Jumeirah Bay X2 Tower,

Plot No: JLT-PH2-X2A,

Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai,

United Arab Emirates

For Sales Enquiries: [email protected]

For Media Enquiries: [email protected]

Website: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/

Report: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/automotive-appearance-chemicals-market

Press Release Source: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/press-release/automotive-appearance-chemicals-market

SOURCE Future Market Insights
DALLAS, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Don Addis, Chief Financial Officer of the leading immigration firm Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP (BAL), has been named CFO of the Year by the Dallas Business Journal. During a turbulent time for many law firms, Addis has supported BAL's bullish growth, as the firm added and expanded U.S. offices to provide coast-to-coast on-the-ground support and onboarded many new clients seeking the best legal counsel in the industry to mobilize stranded employees during travel bans.

"It's been a wild ride working in corporate immigration these past eighteen months," said Addis. "But we made strategic decisions that enabled us to continue thriving and offering stellar legal representation to our clientsmany of them providing essential services to pandemic responseeven in these unprecedented conditions. I am honored to receive this award, and our entire team deserves a round of applause for their impact on people's lives."

Addis has led BAL through tremendous growth during his tenure at the firm. His arrival in 2012 set off a period of rapid expansionthe firm grew from 400 employees to 1,200 in just eight years, making it one of the world's largest immigration law firms. Addis oversaw the firm's international expansion and was instrumental to the successful formation of a service alliance with Deloitte UK to assist clients worldwide.

Clients aren't the only ones who benefit from Addis' financial stewardship. Addis's keen financial management enables BAL to offer its employees some of the best benefits in the industry, including unlimited vacation days. His leadership in establishing compensation and benefits, along with BAL's unique people-centered culture, attracts diverse talent, including attorneys and professionals from all ethnic backgrounds and walks of life. The firm has emerged as a diversity leader in the legal industry and in 2021 was named the most diverse law firm in America for the second year in a row by The American Lawyer.

"Our people make us great, and Don is one of those key behind-the-scenes players who makes it possible for BAL to pursue our many ambitious projects," said BAL Managing Partner Jeremy Fudge. "We've grown by 50% since 2018, enabling us to serve thousands more people in pursuit of their American dream. Our growth could not be possible without robust, savvy financial management and we have Don to thank for that."

Addis will be honored by DBJ at an awards ceremony on Wednesday, November 10, 5:30-8:30 p.m. at the Belo Mansion in Dallas.

About Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP (BAL)

BAL, the world's leading corporate immigration law firm, is the Best Lawyers "Law Firm of the Year" in U.S. Immigration Law for 2019, ranks #1 on the Diversity Scorecard by The American Lawyer (2020 and 2021), #1 on Law360's Diversity Snapshot (2020 and 2021), and the #1 Law Firm for Women according to the National Law Journal (2019, 2020 and 2021). BAL's Cobalt digital immigration services platform won the 2020 CODiE Award for Best Legal Tech Product, the prestigious CIO100 award for Innovative Use of Intelligent Automation in Immigration Services, and Legalweek's Most Innovative Law Firm Operations Team of 2021. BAL is singularly focused on meeting the immigration challenges of corporate clients around the world in ways that make immigration more strategic and enable clients to be more successful. Established in 1980, BAL has consistently provided immigration expertise, top-notch information security and leading technology innovation. The firm entered into a strategic alliance with Deloitte UK to create the world's first global immigration service delivery model. BAL and its leaders are highly ranked in every major legal publication, including Best Lawyers, Chambers and Partners, The Legal 500, and Who's Who Legal. See website for details: https://www.bal.com

SOURCE Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP

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TORONTO, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Even though telemedicine is not a brand-new technology, it does continue to evolve at a rapid pace. As such, patients are becoming more aware of it and showing an interest in seeing their doctor virtually, as opposed to at a crowded, brick-and-mortar medical clinic.

For said patients, the COVID-19 global pandemic has shown them how convenient, safe, and easy online doctor's appointments can be. Moving forward, many of these individuals will expect this type of treatment option from their doctor.

Dr. Richard Tytus, Co-Founder and Medical Director of Banty Inc.

In fact, according to Forbes, 20% of patients say they would switch doctors if virtual appointments were not offered.

Dr. Richard Tytus, Co-Founder and Medical Director of telemedicine solution Banty Inc., offers virtual consultations regularly, and believes doctors who don't could wind up losing patients, because:

Needs are not being met: Even if a patient has been visiting a particular doctor for years, over time the expectations for how they're cared for changes. When a doctor opts to only conduct in-person appointments, patients who feel strongly about having a virtual option will be frustrated by this. Inherently, they will feel as if their medical needs are not being met. This could lead to them switching to a doctor who offers online treatment options





Even if a patient has been visiting a particular doctor for years, over time the expectations for how they're cared for changes. When a doctor opts to conduct in-person appointments, patients who feel strongly about having a virtual option will be frustrated by this. Inherently, they will feel as if their medical needs are not being met. This could lead to them switching to a doctor who offers online treatment options Sitting in a waiting room is more uncomfortable than ever: There is a segment of patients who have always felt uncomfortable sitting for long periods of time in a medical clinic's waiting room. The COVID-19 global pandemic brought with it a need to stay physically distant from others, as well as patients gaining even more insight on how germs are spread. As a result of this all, some patients will aim to avoid in-person waiting rooms at all costs





There is a segment of patients who have always felt uncomfortable sitting for long periods of time in a medical clinic's waiting room. The COVID-19 global pandemic brought with it a need to stay physically distant from others, as well as patients gaining even more insight on how germs are spread. As a result of this all, some patients will aim to avoid in-person waiting rooms at all costs People move away: When a person moves, one of the first decisions they need to make is whether to keep their current doctor, or find someone in their new locale. If a doctor is still in relative driving distance but also offers virtual appointments, a patient could forgo making a switch. However, if virtual medicine services are not being used, a doctor swap could be made





When a person moves, one of the first decisions they need to make is whether to keep their current doctor, or find someone in their new locale. If a doctor is still in relative driving distance but also offers virtual appointments, a patient could forgo making a switch. However, if virtual medicine services are not being used, a doctor swap could be made Patients could get the wrong impression of their doctor: If a doctor is not willing to evolve as it relates to treatment options, the patient could be taken aback by their physician's unwillingness to progress. It's very reasonable, then, for a patient to wonder: "Is my doctor doing everything in their power to provide the best treatment possible?"

"Not offering virtual medicine services at your medical clinic in 2021 is a very questionable decision," adds Dr. Tytus. "By making this choice, doctors are not just missing an opportunity to improve upon how they care for patients, they're also giving these very same patients an excuse to find a new physician."

Banty.com's video call service offers all subscribers a custom, permanent URL (i.e., Banty.com/MyMeeting); a secure, end-to-end encrypted meeting space; excellent video quality; and unlimited meetings each month.

Banty has a number of solutions that are meant to make it easy to meet with those who matter most to you. (Watch the 'Banty Is Easy' video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhmVdwrR_w8&t=10s)

Today, everyone has a mobile number and an email address. In the near future, everyone will have a Banty room address: Banty.com/YourName

About Banty

Founded in 2020, Banty offers exceptional video conferencing solutions for Businesses, Medical Practices, Virtual Events, and Personal use. Banty video conferencing is easy to use and ultra-secure. The platform provides users with a dedicated Banty.com URL, accessible via any desktop browser or through iOS and Android mobile apps.

In order to receive government approval to become a verified medical platform, Banty was upgraded to meet new cyber security standards, making it one of the most secure platforms available. Each day, the Banty team goes above and beyond to ensure the platform remains one of the most secure and innovative virtual meeting solutions in the world.

For more information, please visit Banty.org/solutions, or follow Banty on social media to learn more about the latest platform innovations: LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram.

Media contact:

Scott Wilson

[email protected]

289-259-8059

SOURCE Banty Inc.

Related Links

http://Banty.com


CORNELIUS, N.C., Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Barvecue, producers of wood-smoked, plant-based proteins, makes history this week by opening the world's largest plant-based smokehouse. The 10,000 square foot production facility, called Carolina Smokehouse, opens for production today with an initial capacity of making 800,000 pounds of Barvecue a year and expects to employ 15 team members as production ramps up.

Barvecue Carolina Smokehouse Employee Lounge Barvecue Carolina Smokehouse

According to the Plant Based Foods Association, based on research from Cypress Research Group, 77 percent of shoppers in the U.S. had purchased a plant-based product in the last six months. U.S. retail sales of plant-based foods continued to increase by double digits in 2020, growing 27 percent and bringing the total plant-based market value to $7 billion. This growth in dollar sales was consistent across the nation, with more than 25 percent growth in every U.S. census region.

"We're thrilled to increase production capacity of our wood-smoked, plant-based proteins to meet this demand as we expand into over 700 grocery stores by year-end," said Zack Werner, co-founder and COO, of Barvecue.

Believe the World Can Change

Barvecue aims to do good for people, the planet, and animals. This is evident in its Carolina Smokehouse. In addition to producing plant-based meats that are kinder to our planet and animals, the Smokehouse prioritizes a healthy, bright, safer environment for staff.

A focal point in the employee lounge is a cheery, inspirational mural by artist Twyla Francois. It reads "Be the Change" and features a pig named Wilbur on a car ride to freedom, with his window rolled down and face in the wind. The lounge has lots of natural light via large windows, a kitchen, and a family-room-style hangout area for team members to relax in.

Barvecue's current facility, located at 10308 Bailey Rd, Cornelius, NC 28031 and within walking distance of the new facility, is now the brand's Innovation Center.

Barvecue, For Everyone!

Following its recent national launch in 360 Sprouts Farmers Markets and additional retail locations coming soon, Barvecue will be available in over 700 stores by year-end. The brand cemented its commitment to foodservice when it launched at 10 colleges and universities this fall, spanning coast-to-coast, including North Carolina staple UNC-Chapel Hill, University of Iowa, and Washington State University.

"Our goal is to make great tasting food that just happens to be plant-based. Opening our new production facility gives Barvecue the ability to share our food with more and more people," affirms Zack.

About Barvecue

Barvecue, the producer of wood-smoked, plant-based proteins which emulate the taste and mouthfeel of traditional animal-protein counterparts, is a mission-driven company based in Cornelius, NC. Established in 2017, Barvecue seeks to create the best-tasting, plant-based barbecue on the market, while building a company that cares about people, animals, and the planet. www.barvecue.com @barvecue

For further information please contact:

Kelsey Joseph

Director, Business Development

T: (614) 832-8665

E: [email protected]

Barvecue media assets can be found here.

SOURCE Barvecue
CHICAGO, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Brown Gibbons Lang & Company (BGL) is pleased to announce the sale of Grossman Iron and Steel Company (Grossman) to The David J. Joseph Company (DJJ), an operating subsidiary of Nucor Corporation (Nucor). BGL's Metals & Metals Processing team served as the exclusive financial advisor to Grossman in the process. The specific terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The transaction highlights the deep experience of the BGL team with businesses operating in ferrous and non-ferrous scrap metal processing.

BGL's Metals & Metals Processing team served as the exclusive financial advisor to Grossman in the process. Tweet this Brown Gibbons Lang & Company is pleased to announce the sale of Grossman Iron and Steel Company (Grossman) to The David J. Joseph Company (DJJ), an operating subsidiary of Nucor Corporation (Nucor). BGLs Metals & Metals Processing team served as the exclusive financial advisor to Grossman in the process. The specific terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The transaction highlights the experience of the BGL team with businesses operating in ferrous and non-ferrous scrap metal processing.

Headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, Grossman is the largest full-service scrap metal processor serving the greater St. Louis metropolitan area and one of the leading scrap metal processors in the Midwestern United States. Grossman operates strategically located processing facilities adjacent to the Mississippi River, offering both river and direct rail access to its blue-chip consumer base. The company is well-positioned to continue benefiting from its tenured consumer and supplier relationships, access to premium, cost-effective materials, and premier reputation, built from 101 years of providing high-quality service.

DJJ is an operating subsidiary of Nucor (NYSE: NUE), a publicly listed company and one of North America's most diversified steel and steel products companies. Together with its subsidiaries, DJJ operates six regional companies across the U.S. with the capacity to sort and recycle over five million tons of ferrous and nonferrous scrap annually.

About Brown Gibbons Lang & Company

Brown Gibbons Lang & Company (BGL) is a leading independent investment bank and financial advisory firm focused on the global middle market. The firm advises private and public corporations and private equity groups on mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, financial restructurings, valuations and opinions, and other strategic matters. BGL has investment banking offices in Chicago, Cleveland, and Philadelphia, and real estate offices in Chicago, Cleveland, and San Antonio. The firm is also a founding member of Global M&A Partners, enabling BGL to service clients in more than 30 countries around the world. Securities transactions are conducted through Brown, Gibbons, Lang & Company Securities, Inc., an affiliate of Brown Gibbons Lang & Company LLC and a registered broker-dealer and member of FINRA and SIPC. For more information, please visit www.bglco.com.

SOURCE Brown Gibbons Lang & Company

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HOUSTON, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Blo Blow Dry Bar, North America's original blow dry bar and the world's largest blow dry bar franchise, announced today the signing of a seven-unit franchise agreement in the Houston-area. Blo Blow Dry Bar continues to see impressive growth, especially in Texas, with the newest agreement bringing the total to 32 locations across the state, adding to the robust total of more than 130 locations open and in development across North America.

Stephanie and Mike Winsor are the husband-and-wife duo behind the seven-unit agreement. Mike earned his degree in petroleum engineering and spent the last five years as a COO at a privately held oil and gas company, which recently sold to a large publicly traded company. Stephanie graduated from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette with a degree in business, where her initial interest in franchising was developed. With Stephanie's knowledge and passion for opening a franchise and Mike's business-savvy background and leadership skills, the couple has decided to embark on this journey together as co-owners of seven Blo Blow Dry Bars across Houston-Proper. Prior to their newest venture, Stephanie and Mike have owned and operated approximately 20 investment properties over the years.

Stephanie and Mike are currently in the process of securing the first location in their hometown of Kingwood, which is slated to open early 2022. Once further into the development phase for Kingwood, they plan to concurrently find locations for the remaining six locations, focusing on the greater Houston market throughout Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris and Montgomery counties. The Winsor family has resided in Houston since 2007 and moved to Kingwood in 2009, where they raise their three daughters and are very active in the community.

"Our family is very grounded here in Kingwood, so we are very excited to be bringing this service to our community," said Stephanie. "We originally planned to open three units, but after talking with and getting to know the Blo Blow Dry Bar team, we decided to sign on for seven. I think that is a testament to their leadership, successful business model and support provided to franchisees. This opportunity also allows us to play a role in the rebuilding of our community, which is still making strides toward recovery from the impacts of hurricane Harvey."

With a favorable real estate landscape and vast opportunity for market growth, company executives are actively seeking franchisees to continue to expand in key markets across the country.

"Texas continues to be a strong area for our growth and development due to its demographics and demand for our services," said Patrick Pantano, Vice President, Franchise Development, Blo Blow Dry Bar. "The Winsors are well equipped to bring this project to life based on their previous business knowledge and community-focused mindset. Franchisees like Stephanie and Mike who work alongside our brand, play a crucial role in bringing exceptional service to more communities across the U.S."

Blo Blow Dry Bar creates a space where people of all ages, ethnicities and orientations are welcomed, represented and made to feel gorgeous while emphasizing the need for self-care and wellness. Combining a sophisticated design with a fun and energetic environment, the blow dry bar cultivates a seamless and enjoyable experience for guests upon their arrival, during and after their services. Expertly trained bloers are available for consultation seven days a week to meet the needs of all guests. The brand's hair menu includes their signature styles, ranging from sleek and straight to lively and bouncy curls, with customizable options such as braids, ponytails and updos for any occasion. Blo also offers makeup services from expert artists on-hand to help guests look and feel amazing for any occasion.

The growing franchise is just at the start of the runway, staking its claim as a leader in the $47 billion a year industry and continues to expand at a rapid rate. Every year, more cities across the globe are painted pink. Every day, a new guest discovers how wonderful the Blo Blow Dry Bar experience is. Superior service and consistent results are a top priority for all guests as well as franchisees. The brand goes beyond beauty  it is strategically positioned to meet growing customer demands within the wellness and self-care industries with an established foundation for business success.

"Blo Blow Dry Bar has proven itself to be a strong business investment for individuals looking to kickstart a career in franchising," said Vanessa Yakobson, CEO of Blo Blow Dry Bar. "Stephanie and Mike's historic seven-unit deal is proof that once people learn about us, they will want to jump right in and go all the way. This growth is immensely important to the brand, our franchisees and each community we're located in. Every new deal allows us to broaden our reach, making more guests feel beautiful inside and out."

Blo Blow Dry Bar is currently seeking single- and multi- unit operators to join the brand's rapid expansion. For more information about franchise opportunities visit https://franchise.blomedry.com/.

About Blo Blow Dry Bar

Blo Blow Dry Bar is North America's original blow dry bar and the world's largest blow dry bar franchise. The company transformed beauty norms and reinvented the salon industry when it launched the "no cuts, no color" concept: only blow outs. Since opening its first location in Canada in 2007, Blo has grown to over 130 locations across the U.S. and Canada and continues to expand rapidly. With a mission to enhance the lives of those in the community through the power of flawless blow outs and beauty services, Blo Blow Dry Bar offers perfectly styled hair and exceptional customer experiences seven days a week. For more information visit www.blomedry.com.

Media Contact: Marisa Beaumont, Fishman Public Relations, (414) 366-3317, [email protected]

SOURCE Blo Blow Dry Bar
Women-owned business will be selected to receive a complete brand makeover

CHICAGO, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - BMO Harris Bank announced today that in honor of National Women's Small Business Month in October, it is introducing BMO Boost Her Sweepstakes, an event-based draw in which a woman-owned business will be randomly selected to receive a complete brand makeover valued at $20,000. The sweepstakes recognizes the power of women who drive our economy and improve communities across North America.

"There is a lot of excitement around the BMO Boost Her Sweepstakes because we're offering a woman entrepreneur a chance to invest in her businesses' growth by developing her brand with expert guidance," said Niamh Kristufek, Head, U.S. Business Banking. "At BMO, we continuously look for innovative opportunities to support underrepresented entrepreneurs in the U.S. small business community through our BMO EMpower initiative."

As pandemic restrictions continue to lift and businesses fully reopen, owners are responding to shifts in buyer preferences in their industry or market so they can make the necessary changes to expand and ultimately grow their business.

"Demand has shifted because of the pandemic, and many business owners had to change their product or service," Kristufek said. "Entrepreneurs are seizing the moment to accelerate digital efforts  whether by adding an online storefront or increasing their social media engagement. BMO Boost Her Sweepstakes gives the lucky winner a wonderful opportunity to revitalize their brand."

Sweepstakes Rules

The sweepstakes is open to U.S. residents at least 18 years of age with the authority to participate on behalf of the business. It begins Oct. 12, 2021, at 9 a.m. CDT and ends on Oct. 29, 2021, at 5 p.m. CDT. To qualify, small businesses must be at least 51 percent owned or controlled by women or by individuals who self-identify as women with a physical location (or a headquarters mailing address) in Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri or Wisconsin. The business must also be for-profit with annual revenue of $5 million or less, currently in operation in the United States selling a product or service for at least two years as of Jan.1, 2021, and must also be in good standing with the entrant's corresponding Secretary of State. To enter the sweepstakes, please visit BMOHarris.com/BoostHer.

BMO's Support for Women Business Owners

Last month, BMO launched the BMO Women in Business Credit Program  a loan product offered under the Women in Business initiative that began last year as part of their five-year, $5 billion BMO EMpower commitment. The BMO Women in Business program now includes expanded access to capital, education and partnerships to remove historical barriers for women-owned businesses.

BMO also debuted a new Sustainability Innovation Hub to inspire young women. Launched last week in honor of International Day of the Girl, this new hub will provide youth with the opportunity to connect with BMO leaders and discuss their vision for a sustainable future. More information can be found here.

About BMO Harris Bank

BMO Harris Bank provides a broad range of personal banking products and solutions through more than 500 branches and fee-free access to over 40,000 ATMs across the United States. BMO Harris Bank's commercial banking team provides a combination of sector expertise, local knowledge and mid-market focus throughout the United States. For more information about BMO Harris Bank, visit the company fact sheet. Accounts are subject to approval. BMO Harris Bank N.A. Member FDIC. BMO Harris Bank is part of BMO Financial Group, a highly diversified financial services provider with total assets of CDN$971 billion as of July 31, 2021.

SOURCE BMO Harris Bank
NEW YORK, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Bank of America has launched a new solution, which enables companies with frequent payments to consumers to provide their beneficiaries with the ability to choose how they want to be paid. Called Recipient Select, the solution addresses complexities that companies grapple with related to the growth of business-to-consumer payments, including the proliferation of consumer payment options and increasing expectations for faster and streamlined user experiences.

"Technology has brought tremendous diversity in payments, particularly in our personal lives where our expectations for speed and convenience grow every day," said Derrick Walton, head of Emerging Payments in Global Transaction Services (GTS) at Bank of America. "Our corporate clients are facing pressure to address their beneficiaries' payment preferences and with Recipient Select, we're arming them with a tool that can perform that function and give them a competitive edge."

Launched this month, Recipient Select is a digital portal experience for both domestic U.S. and global payouts to more than 140 countries. The solution is optimal for companies which make a high volume of payments to consumers and want to:

Offer their customers a more seamless experience,

Avoid collecting and storing customer payment information, and

Reduce errors and returns through upfront validation of customer data.

"Bank of America processes trillions of dollars in payments every day. We're keenly aware of the vital role that the payment experience has on building trust and goodwill between counterparties," said Fernando Iraola, co-head of Global Corporate Sales GTS and head of GTS Latin America in GTS at Bank of America. "Recipient Select is a powerful tool for companies looking to deepen their relationships with customers."

Recipient Select currently supports six payment methods for payments to U.S. consumers, including options such as Zelle, PayPal, ACH, and Check. For payments to consumers outside the U.S., recipients can choose to receive their funds via PayPal, cross-currency ACH or cross-border wire. Future enhancements will include the addition of new payout methods.

Bank of America

Bank of America is one of the world's leading financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle-market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving approximately 66 million consumer and small business clients with approximately 4,300 retail financial centers, approximately 17,000 ATMs, and award-winning digital banking with approximately 41 million active users, including approximately 32 million mobile users. Bank of America is a global leader in wealth management, corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. Bank of America offers industry-leading support to approximately 3 million small business households through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients through operations across the United States, its territories and approximately 35 countries. Bank of America Corporation stock (NYSE: BAC) is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

"Bank of America" is the marketing name used by certain Global Banking and Global Markets businesses of Bank of America Corporation. Lending, other commercial banking activities, and trading in certain financial instruments are performed globally by banking affiliates of Bank of America Corporation, including Bank of America, N.A., Member FDIC.  2021 Bank of America Corporation. All rights reserved.

For more Bank of America news, including dividend announcements and other important information, visit the Bank of America newsroom and register for news email alerts.

www.bankofamerica.com

Reporters May Contact:

Louise Hennessy, Bank of America

Phone: 1.646.858.6471

[email protected]

SOURCE Bank of America Corporation

Related Links

www.bankofamerica.com


NEW YORK, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- To better serve clients and the financial services industry, Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (NYSE: BR), a global Fintech leader, today announced the launch of the Broadridge Anti-Money Laundering Solution (AMLS), bringing new, leading edge capabilities to Broadridge's existing Intelligent Automation suite. The new solution delivers an end-to-end machine learning (ML) powered Anti-Money Laundering platform covering transaction monitoring, name screening, alert prioritization, and customer risk scoring.

"The application of machine learning to improve the results of primary transaction, KYC, or sanction screening services makes sense for firms across the financial services spectrum that have entrenched investments in legacy applications," said Alastair McGill, General Manager of Data Control Solutions at Broadridge. "By leveraging new ML techniques to identify suspicious activity, we are enabling firms to make faster and more informed decisions, enhancing operational efficiencies, realizing savings, and bringing together entire Data Control functions within one intelligent automation platform."

The current financial crime prevention ecosystem is fragmented and vulnerable to emerging threats. The amount of money laundered annually stands at $1.6 to $2 trillion and less than 1% of this laundered money is traced. Many existing rules-based AML solutions in financial institutions are not sufficient as money laundering techniques become more sophisticated and the resulting reputational and financial risks firms face accelerate.

The Broadridge AMLS is for firms and institutions looking to enhance their anti-money laundering surveillance to detect illicit money flows and bad actors. Broadridge's product, powered by Tookitaki, is an ML-based AML platform that global financial institutions can use to substantially decrease false alerts and realize productivity gains while improving risk mitigation. It leverages innovative machine-learning techniques like AutoML, federated learning and network science to accurately detect complex money laundering activities and triage legacy system alerts through a Smart Alert Management system to accurately prioritize alerts for either rapid disposition or increased due diligence.

Broadridge's AMLS platform complements existing rules-based systems by utilizing supervised machine-learning to identify thousands of risk factors that legacy solutions cannot replicate, to detect threats, and to self-learn via a proven Champion-Challenger framework that keeps pace with increasingly complex laundering techniques.

About Broadridge

Broadridge Financial Solutions (NYSE: BR), a global Fintech leader with over $5 billion in revenues, provides the critical infrastructure that powers investing, corporate governance, and communications to enable better financial lives. We deliver technology-driven solutions to banks, broker-dealers, asset and wealth managers and public companies. Broadridge's infrastructure serves as a global communications hub enabling corporate governance by linking thousands of public companies and mutual funds to tens of millions of individual and institutional investors around the world. In addition, Broadridge's technology and operations platforms underpin the daily trading of on average more than U.S. $9 trillion of equities, fixed income and other securities globally. A certified Great Place to Work, Broadridge is a part of the S&P 500 Index, employing over 13,000 associates in 21 countries.

For more information about us and what we can do for you, please visit www.broadridge.com.

Investors:

W. Edings Thibault

Investor Relations

+ 1 516-472-5129

[email protected]

Media:

Tina Wadhwa

Broadridge Financial Solutions

+1 212-973-6164

[email protected]

SOURCE Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.broadridge.com


SANTA CLARA, Calif., Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The IEEE Circuits and Systems Society (CASS) recently approved establishing the Standards Activities Sub Division (SASD) under its Technical Activities (TA) Division. IEEE CASS SASD will be starting efforts to provide core standards for the benefit of industry including integrated circuit design and test systems, arithmetic, microprocessors, domain specific accelerators such as error correction coding, video and AI. These standards help enable industry to move technology forward at a rapid pace to deliver amazing products to consumers. By working with the IEEE Standards Association (IEEE SA), IEEE CASS would be able to provide a globally open, inclusive, and transparent environment for market relevant, voluntary consensus standardization and other industry consensus activities in Circuits and Systems area.

The mission of this new initiative by IEEE Circuits and Systems Society (CASS) Standards Activities Sub Division (SASD) is to encourage all the relevant stakeholders to participate in standardization activities, to promote the use of IEEE standards, and to develop useful products that leverage IEEE standards within the scope of the CASS. This new initiative also promotes and fosters academic and industry participation by engaging a broader community by drawing members from various IEEE CASS Technical Committees (TC). Also, professionals or ad-hoc industry groups who are actively working on standardization activities related to CASS are invited to bring their activities under the umbrella of IEEE CASS SASD to utilize the broader impact of IEEE Standards.

Dr. Yen-Kuang Chen, VP, IEEE CASS Technical Activities and Dr. Kiran Gunnam, Industry Member of IEEE CASS Board of Governors indicated that IEEE CASS SASD will also be involved in establishing joint Standards Committees on the existing on-going Working Group (WG) as well as new WGs that are currently sponsored by other IEEE societies such as IEEE Computer Society.

The first outreach hybrid event will be held with an in-person event in Shanghai, China along with an option for remote attendees worldwide to join virtually. Event details will soon be posted at https://ieee-cas.org/

Professionals interested in participating in IEEE CASS SASD activities can join this mailing list .

SOURCE IEEE CASS SASD
AMA President Gerald E. Harmon, M.D. said: "With COVID-19 community transmission levels high across much of the US, getting the flu vaccine will help protect people from illness, hospitalization, and death. The flu vaccine is safe, effective, and can be taken in tandem with the COVID-19 vaccine. The AMA is committed to achieving optimal health for all, and we are pleased that this campaign is focused on the Black and LatinX communities."

CDC Director of the Office of Minority Health and Health Equity Leandris Liburd, PhD, MPH, MA said:

"There are many unknowns going into this fall and winter with the possibility that flu and COVID-19 will spread at the same time. What we do know is that flu and COVID-19 vaccines can prevent many illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths. CDC is focusing extra efforts on encouraging vaccination among people in racial and ethnic minority groups, who have historically had lower flu vaccination rates. Communities of color are unequally impacted by severe flu illness and have also been hit the hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic."

The No Time for Flu campaign will run nationwide throughout the 2021-2022 flu season, with a particular emphasis on reaching Black and Hispanic communities. The campaign will be paired with #FluFOMO to urge Americans to get a flu shot to avoid missing out on fun moments like spending time with family and friends. An August 2021 survey by the Ad Council revealed that 30% of Black respondents and 33% of Hispanic respondents were undecided about getting a flu vaccine this season. Black and Hispanic people remain a key focus of the campaign due to longstanding healthcare inequities that have created undue burden and barriers in their communities. These groups remain at a higher risk of getting very sick from the flu, and less likely to get flu vaccinations.

Ad Council President and CEO Lisa Sherman said:

"We're honored to continue our partnership with AMA and CDC to build off the impact of last year's flu vaccination campaign. The difficult, but necessary work continues of engaging with Black and Hispanic Americans about the flu and challenging the mindsets of individuals who are undecided about getting the vaccine. Our campaign raises awareness that the flu shot is the most effective way to protect ourselves and our families and can significantly reduce the burden on our hospitals and healthcare workers."

The No Time for Flu and #FluFOMO ads were created pro bono by advertising agency fluent360 and will appear in print, TV, radio, social media, out-of-home, and digital formats nationwide in time and space donated by the media. Inspired by the insight that people are motivated by caring for their loved ones, and that many are juggling more responsibilities than ever this year, the campaign illustrates how getting sick with flu doesn't just mean feeling illit could significantly disrupt the lives of individuals and their families.

fluent360 Creative Director, Tracey Coleman said:

"I'm proud that our agency can continue supporting multicultural communities through this impactful campaign and important work. Our hope is that this inspires us all to take full advantage of the unique opportunity we now have to be present for each other this flu season."

CDC recommends that everyone six months and older (with rare exceptions) get a flu vaccine each yearby the end of October, ideally. Flu vaccines and COVID-19 vaccines can be given at the same time. Each year, CDC and AMA undertake a range of efforts to increase the number of people who receive a flu vaccine. This season those efforts include working with doctor's offices and pharmacies to provide guidance on giving flu and COVID-19 vaccines at the same time and supporting community-based efforts to increase vaccination among racial and ethnic minority groups in the United States.

The campaign ads direct audiences to GetMyFluShot.org for more information, including where to get a flu vaccine in their area.

About the AMA

The American Medical Association is the physicians' powerful ally in patient care. As the only medical association that convenes 190+ state and specialty medical societies and other critical stakeholders, the AMA represents physicians with a unified voice to all key players in health care. The AMA leverages its strength by removing the obstacles that interfere with patient care, leading the charge to prevent chronic disease and confront public health crises and, driving the future of medicine to tackle the biggest challenges in health care.

About CDC

CDC works 24/7 protecting America's health, safety and security. Whether disease start at home or abroad, are curable or preventable, chronic or acute, or from human activity or deliberate attack, CDC responds to America's most pressing health threats. CDC is headquartered in Atlanta and has experts located throughout the United States and the world.

About the Ad Council

The Ad Council has a long history of creating life-saving public service communications in times of national crisis, starting in the organization's earliest days during World War II to September 11th and natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Sandy. Its deep relationships with media outlets, the creative community, issue experts and government leaders make the organization uniquely poised to quickly distribute life-saving information to millions of Americans.

The Ad Council is where creativity and causes converge. The non-profit organization brings together the most creative minds in advertising, media, technology and marketing to address many of the nation's most important causes. The Ad Council has created many of the most iconic campaigns in advertising history. Friends Don't Let Friends Drive Drunk. Smokey Bear. Love Has No Labels.

The Ad Council's innovative social good campaigns raise awareness, inspire action and save lives. To learn more, visit AdCouncil.org, follow the Ad Council's communities on Facebook and Twitter and view the creative on YouTube.

About fluent360

fluent360 unfolds the power of cultural influence for leading brands. We deliver outstanding creative solutions with a truly diverse team of specialists, wide cultural competency, and a work portfolio representing the major segments in the multicultural marketplace. Equal parts integrated marketing and cultural hub, we are the foremost experts in culture, and connecting brands to it. A multi-talented, multicultural agency, we offer a full spectrum of communication services from our Chicago, Nashville and NYC offices. Learn more at fluent360.com.

SOURCE The Ad Council

Related Links

http://www.adcouncil.org


To improve the health system in Timor-Leste, finding the right lab management software was key.

Backed by a grant under The Fleming Funda UK aid program supporting countries across Africa and Asia in the fight against antimicrobial resistancethe Menzies School of Health Research implemented the CGM SCHUYLAB Laboratory Information System to assist the Timorese Ministry of Health in the development of an advanced reference laboratory for diagnostics of COVID-19 and antibiotic-resistant infections.

"Antimicrobial resistance is the next pandemic after COVID," said Dr. Ian Marr, an infectious disease physician and microbiologist with Menzies School of Health Research, from his office in Canberra, Australia. "It's expected to take millions and millions of lives."

To improve the health system in Timor-Leste, finding the right lab management software was key.

After nearly four months of searching, "I was pretty depressed thinking this might not be possible, but then I came across CGM SCHUYLAB," Dr. Marr said.

Building on decades of development and laboratory experience, the team behind the CGM SCHUYLAB Laboratory Information System had already established interfaces to the instruments being used in Timor-Leste. Affordable and light on server requirements, CGM SCHUYLAB proved to be the best option to modernize the clinical laboratories there.

In addition, the CGM SCHUYNET web portal greatly improved patient and provider access to results. With its mobile-friendly accessibility, CGM SCHUYNET transformed the way results were delivered in Timor-Leste. More immediate access to results meant quicker diagnoses and faster treatments.

"Doctors are getting results on their phones," Dr. Marr said. "It just saves lives."

In the fight against COVID-19 and antimicrobial resistance, CGM SCHUYLAB and CGM SCHUYNET have delivered meaningful results. After just four months of use, providers had already accessed more than 44,000 lab reports.

"As a global leader in Health IT, we at CompuGroup Medical are pleased to see the impact that our systems have in different communities around the world," said Chief Executive Officer Derek Pickell, CompuGroup Medical US. "We know affordable technology can make a real difference and are delighted to be partnered on such a vital project with the stakeholders in Timor-Leste."

According to Carl Smith, general manager of the lab division at CompuGroup Medical, "CGM SCHUYLAB has really opened the door for us to support the international lab community. We recognize the critical role our laboratories play in healthcare worldwide, and that impact is magnified when we focus on the needs of low- and middle-income countries such as Timor-Leste."

For the full story and case study, continue reading online: Using lab software to modernize healthcare in Timor-Leste.

About CompuGroup Medical SE & Co. KGaA

CompuGroup Medical is one of the leading e-health companies in the world. With a revenue base of EUR 837 million in 2020, its software products are designed to support all medical and organizational activities in doctors' offices, pharmacies, laboratories and hospitals. Its information services for all parties involved in the healthcare system and its web-based personal health records contribute towards safer and more efficient healthcare. CompuGroup Medical's services are based on a unique customer base of more than 1.6 million users, including doctors, dentists, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals in inpatient and outpatient facilities. With locations in 18 countries and products in 56 countries worldwide, CompuGroup Medical is the e-health company with one of the highest coverages among healthcare professionals. Approximately 8,500 highly qualified employees support customers with innovative solutions for the steadily growing demands of the healthcare system.

CompuGroup Medical

Media Contact: Dan Doll

(800) 359-0911 x 1024

[email protected]

SOURCE CompuGroup Medical

Related Links

http://www.CGMus.com


CHATHAM, N.J., Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Chatham Asset Management, LLC ("Chatham"), a private investment firm which manages funds that beneficially own approximately 14.9% of the outstanding common stock and which is the largest bondholder of R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company ("RRD" or the "Company") (NYSE: RRD), today in a letter sent to RRD's Board of Directors (the "Board") submitted an offer to acquire all the common stock of RRD not already owned by Chatham (the "Transaction") for $7.50 per share in cash.

The Transaction represents a 52.1% premium over yesterday's closing price of $4.93 per share, a 6.2% premium over the 52-week high of $7.06 per share, and a 92% premium over the 365-day volume-weighted average price of $3.91 per share. Chatham would finance the Transaction using cash on hand and external financing, and has secured a highly confident letter from Jefferies Group LLC supporting its ability to raise all necessary funds.

To facilitate the Transaction, Chatham is willing to equitize and/or subordinate its entire debt position, reducing RRD's total debt by 23%. As a result, Chatham calculates that annual interest expense on a pro forma basis would decline by approximately $36 million or 33%.

"Despite our efforts to engage with the Board on ways to position the business for long-term success, we no longer have confidence in RRD's ability to achieve full and fair value as a public company under the current Board and management team. As longstanding investors in RRD, we believe our offer presents the best path forward for the Company to unlock its intrinsic value, while also providing shareholders immediate and substantial cash," said Chatham.

The full text of the letter follows:

October 12, 2021

The Board of Directors

R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company

35 West Wacker Drive

Chicago, Illinois 60601

To the Board of Directors:

Chatham Asset Management, LLC (together with its affiliates, "we" or "Chatham"), is a New Jersey-based credit investment firm focused on rigorous, fundamentally-based research, with longstanding investments in the print media and marketing communications industries. Our investments in these industries are driven by our conviction that they continue to provide essential services in the 21st century. As evidence of this conviction, we are the largest stockholder and debtholder of R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company ("RRD" or the "Company"), beneficially owning approximately 14.9% of RRD's outstanding common stock and 41.4% of the aggregate principal amount of RRD's outstanding bonds. As further evidence of our commitment to the print and related industries, we hold significant investments in McClatchy, Postmedia, Accelerate360, and Vericast.

We have written, both publicly and privately, to RRD's Board of Directors (the "Board") many times since February 2020, seeking to foster dialogue around ways to unlock significant value at the Company for the benefit of all RRD's stakeholders, including stockholders, customers and employees. In particular, we have repeatedly called upon the Board to explore a strategic review of the Company's assets, in addition to recommending other operational and governance enhancements. Despite our efforts, RRD does not appear capable of achieving full and fair value as a public company under the current Board and management. Therefore, after significant consideration, we believe the Company should be sold in order to maximize stockholder value.

Accordingly, we are pleased to make an offer to acquire all the common stock of RRD not already owned by Chatham (the "Transaction") at a price equal to $7.50 per share, representing a 52.1% premium over yesterday's closing price of $4.93 per share, a 6.2% premium over the 52-week high of $7.06 per share, and a 92% premium over the 365-day volume-weighted average price of $3.91 per share.

We are submitting this offer to the Board in good faith and with the goal of entering into a mutually agreeable transaction that is in the best interests of all stockholders. We have retained an experienced team of advisors, including Jefferies Group LLC as our financial advisor, and Olshan Frome Wolosky LLP and Lowenstein Sandler LLP as our legal advisors. Given our familiarity with RRD after over 9 years as investors in the Company, we would require limited additional due diligence in connection with the Transaction. We would be able to fully fund the Transaction using cash on hand and external financing, such that the Transaction would not be contingent on obtaining financing. To this end, we have obtained a highly confident letter provided by Jefferies supporting our ability to finance the purchase price of $7.50 per share and any applicable change of control premiums on RRD's debt, if exercised, as well as to refinance near-term maturities and to pay requisite fees and expenses.

To facilitate the Transaction, we would equitize and/or subordinate $575 million in face amount of debt that we own and provide up to $250 million in new money equity and/or subordinated capital into a new holding company, which in itself would constitute a significant deleveraging event for the Company. Pro forma for the Transaction, as outlined above, we currently estimate that the total leverage of the Company would decrease by approximately 0.9x, from 3.9x to 3.0x, for the four quarters ended June 30, 2021, and that total debt would decrease by approximately $360 million, or 23%, as of June 30, 2021. As a result, we estimate that annual interest expense would decline by approximately $36 million, or 33%, for the four quarters ended June 30, 2021.

The Transaction would be subject to the following conditions: (i) receipt of Board approval pursuant to Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law and the Company's Rights Agreement, as amended to date; (ii) receipt of any required governmental and third party approvals (including the expiration or termination of all applicable waiting periods under Hart-Scott-Rodino, to the extent required, and any required consents under material contracts and leases); (iii) confirmatory due diligence; and (iv) the negotiation and execution of definitive agreements providing for the Transaction, which agreement would provide for customary breakup fees and a "fiduciary out" provision, as well as other customary representations, warranties, covenants and conditions.

Assuming the terms of the Transaction are acceptable to you, we, together with our advisors, are ready to conduct the due diligence required, negotiate and prepare definitive documentation, and finalize and enter into binding agreements, including, without limitation, financing commitments, within the next 60 days. We are prepared to devote considerable resources to completing this Transaction, and we are confident that with your cooperation we will be able to execute a definitive transaction agreement without delay.

As always, we stand ready to engage meaningfully and constructively with the Board and any special committee formed to evaluate our proposal to achieve a successful transaction in a quick and efficient manner, creating value for all the Company's stakeholders. Of course, this letter constitutes an expression of interest only and does not create and shall not be deemed to constitute or create any legally binding or enforceable obligations on the part of either of us until a definitive transaction agreement is executed. We reserve the right to withdraw or modify any proposal in any manner.

We believe that our proposal is the best opportunity for stockholders to achieve full and certain value for their shares on an expeditious basis. We look forward to a prompt response to this non-binding proposal.

Sincerely,

/s/ Anthony Melchiorre

Anthony Melchiorre

Managing Member

SOURCE Chatham Asset Management, LLC
While Indigenous Peoples' Day honors the history and cultures of the native people of the Americas, Manuel Velasco, president of the Administrative Court of Justice of the State of Oaxaca and his colleague justice Raul Palomares, began the program with a passionate appeal for the end of crimes against vulnerable indigenous women and children.

The program began with a passionate appeal for the end of crimes against vulnerable indigenous women and children.

Walter Batres, president of the Guatemala Migrants Network, briefed the convention on the plight of thousands of migrants living in squalor at the U.S. border, hoping to escape the human rights abuses they suffer in their native countries. "We point fingers at the Taliban in Afghanistan, yet we encounter similar abuses in America," said Batres, highlighting the urgency of addressing the rights of the indigenous people of Mexico and Central America.

Indigenous writer Gabriel Martinez addressed the convention in Zapotec, the dialect of the Zapotec people of Oaxaca and neighboring states. He emphasized the importance of free expression and exercise of the traditions, religious beliefs, mores and ethnic customs of his people and all native communities.

The Church of Scientology of the Valley accepted an award from the convention presented in recognition of Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard. The plaque honored Mr. Hubbard for founding an international movement "with the purpose of building a civilization with freedom and justice for all." It describes Mr. Hubbard as "a leading light in the quest for building a better world."

Serving an expanding community of Scientologists in North Hollywood and the San Fernando Valley, since its dedication in March 2017 by Scientology ecclesiastical leader Mr. David Miscavige, the Church of Scientology of the Valley has become a meeting ground of cooperative effort to uplift citizens of all walks of life, backgrounds and denominations.

The Church of Scientology of the Valley is featured in an episode of Destination Scientology on the Scientology Network, available on DIRECTV Channel 320 and streaming at Scientology.tv , on mobile apps , and via the Roku, Amazon Fire and Apple TV platforms.

SOURCE Church of Scientology International

Related Links

http://www.scientologynews.org


Company exploring fully autonomous checkout solutions in existing Arizona Circle K stores that deliver speedy, seamless store experience, exemplifying company's commitment to innovation.

TEMPE, Ariz., Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Circle K is introducing fully frictionless technology at existing stores in Arizona as part of its innovation journey and mission to make its customers' lives a little easier every day. By adding this seamless checkout technology, the company is looking to enhance the shopping experience for both customers and team members.

Bringing a fully frictionless experience to several existing Arizona stores in Tempe and Tucson is the next step by Circle K parent company Alimentation Couche-Tard (Couche-Tard) to incorporate technologies that make the customer journey easier and more convenient. Earlier this year, Couche-Tard created its first frictionless location in its store on the campus of McGill University in Montreal. Here the company is also collaborating in a live retail lab to explore how frictionless technology impacts shopper behavior and improves the customer experience.

Beginning this week, a retrofitted Circle K store in Tempe will offer customers a fully autonomous checkout experience using technology developed by Standard AI. Inside the store, a network of cameras is mounted at strategic locations to accurately associate customers with the products they pick up, working with the store's existing layout, fixtures, lighting, inventory management systems and visual merchandising plans. Customers' purchases are recorded on the Circle K mobile app, eliminating time spent at traditional checkout areas. In the coming weeks, more retrofitted Circle K locations will roll out in Arizona as the company explores different fully autonomous checkout solutions.

"We are continually exploring ways to introduce technology that empowers our teams and shows our commitment to be a leader in retail innovation," said Deborah Hall Lefevre, Couche-Tard's Chief Technology Officer. "In Montreal, we built and opened our first frictionless location. In Arizona, we are going the next step by retrofitting existing stores with autonomous self-checkout systems to gain further insights into how frictionless technology can both make it easy and save time for our customers and allow our team members to focus on delivering a great experience. At all times, the privacy of our customers' data is our highest priority."

Ms. Hall Lefevre adds that, in addition to improving and speeding up the customer experience, the autonomous checkout systems enhance the work experience for store team members as the technology gives them more time to help customers with their shopping journey. Ms. Hall Lefevre also emphasizes that being a company investing in innovation and growth is important to attracting and retaining employees interested in companies on the forefront of advancements in convenience and mobility.

Moving forward, the company will monitor and evaluate lessons learned from these frictionless technologies and experiences, both from customer and team member feedback, as it progresses in its innovation work and network deployment.

About Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc.

Couche-Tard is a global leader in convenience and fuel retail, operating in 26 countries and territories, with close to 14,200 stores, of which approximately 10,800 offer road transportation fuel. With its well-known Couche-Tard and Circle K banners, it is one of the largest independent convenience store operator in the United States and it is a leader in the convenience store industry and road transportation fuel retail in Canada, Scandinavia, the Baltics, as well as in Ireland. It also has an important presence in Poland and Hong Kong SAR. Approximately 124,000 people are employed throughout its network.

For more information on Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. or to consult its quarterly Consolidated Financial Statements and Management Discussion and Analysis, please visit: https://corpo.couche-tard.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release may constitute forward looking statements within the meaning of securities legislation, including those with respect to the potential transaction. Positive or negative verbs such as "believe", "can", "shall", "intend", "expect", "estimate", "assume" and other related expressions are used to identify such statements. Such statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of Couche-Tard and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties outside of Couche-Tard's control. Couche-Tard would like to point out that, by their very nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties such that its results, or the measures it adopts, could differ materially from those indicated in or underlying these statements, or could have an impact on the degree of realization of a particular projection. Unless otherwise required by applicable securities laws, Couche-Tard disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The forward-looking information in this release is based on information available as of the date of the release.

SOURCE Circle K Stores Inc.
VANCOUVER, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- City Office REIT, Inc. (NYSE: CIO) ("City Office" or the "Company") announced today it will release its financial results for the quarter ended September 30, 2021, before the market opens on Wednesday, November 3, 2021.

City Office's management will hold a conference call at 11:00 am Eastern Time on November 3, 2021 to discuss the Company's financial results. Additionally, a supplemental financial package to accompany the discussion of the results will be posted on www.cioreit.com.

Webcast

Click on the webcast link under the "Investor Relations" section of the Company's website at www.cioreit.com.

Telephone Conference Call

Domestic: 1-866-262-0919

International: 1-412-902-4106

To listen to the call, participants can reference the City Office REIT Second Quarter 2021 Earnings Call. Please dial in at least 10 minutes before the scheduled start time.

Conference Call Replay

Domestic: 1-877-344-7529

International: 1-412-317-0088

Passcode: 10160562

A replay of the call will be available later in the day on November 3, 2021, continuing through 11:59 pm Eastern Time on February 3, 2022. A replay will also be available at "Webcasts & Events" in the "Investor Relations" section of the Company's website.

About City Office REIT, Inc.

City Office is an internally-managed real estate company focused on acquiring, owning and operating high-quality office properties located in leading 18-hour cities in the Southern and Western United States. City Office currently owns or has a controlling interest in 5.6 million square feet of office properties. The Company has elected to be taxed as a real estate investment trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

Contact

City Office REIT, Inc.

Anthony Maretic, CFO

+1-604-806-3366

[email protected]

SOURCE City Office REIT, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.cityofficereit.com


Now, for the first time, the Node-S 2 supports new add-on modules incorporated into a Clarity network, which expands the range of measurements processed by a Clarity solution. The new Node-S 2 also performs at greater efficiency than ever before, with longer battery life. The Node-S 2 advances the ability of Clarity solutions , already adopted in more than 60 countries around the world, to enable continuous monitoring at scale for accurate data in a fully supported, worry-free environment.

In addition, today Clarity announced the first three (3) add-on modules available for use with the Node-S 2:

Wind Module, an Anemometer which adds data collection for wind speed, wind direction, ambient temperature, humidity and barometric pressure to a Clarity network.

Ozone Module, which uses Federal Equivalent Method (FEM) capable technology for customers in areas with particulate matter and ozone attainment issues in the US (see related release, dated today).

Black Carbon Module, to indicate this extremely harmful component of particulate matter, with impacts ranging from human health to reduced agricultural productivity, and even global warming (see related release, dated today).

Add-on modules are based on industry-leading technology, and undergo a rigorous selection process to ensure reliance only on best-of-breed technology. Once selected, the two companies collaborate on customization to integrate seamlessly with the Node-S 2 platform, and Clarity pursues rigorous testing before making a module available.

"Today, Clarity Node-S leaps forward from a self-powered, self-communicating air quality monitor to also become an expandable monitoring platform," explained David Lu, CEO of Clarity Movement Co. "The Node-S 2 builds on our strong foundation to give our customers immense flexibility for their sensor networks. For example, a ten node network can add one Wind module, but that one module dramatically boosts the wealth of data. At Clarity, we're devoted to providing clear and actionable insights to inform decisions, and those insights expand with the Node-S 2!"

The Node-S 2, Wind Module and Ozone Module are available to order today, and the Black Carbon Module will be available to order in the coming months. The new Node-S 2 works seamlessly with networks currently using the original Node-S and current customers can incorporate the new Node-S 2 to manage any add-on modules as needed.

Clarity's Complete Solution

Clarity is transforming air quality measurement. Each Clarity solution provides everything needed -- hardware, software and expert services -- in a complete and scalable package. Customers get continuous monitoring for accurate, calibrated data in a fully supported, worry-free environment.

At the heart of the solution is the Clarity Node-S. Using solar power and built-in cellular connectivity, Clarity Nodes take only minutes to install. Once activated, they transmit PM2.5 and NO2 raw data instantly. Clarity Nodes also support add-on modules for wind, ozone and black carbon measurement to bring even more flexibility at greater scale. The raw data is calibrated, using proprietary models developed by our air quality experts to ensure high accuracy.

Clarity solutions include the software tools used for remote calibration, sensor network management, data analysis, data visualization and data sharing. The calibrated data are available in real-time through the comprehensive, intuitive Clarity Dashboard as well as programmatically via RESTful APIs, and can be publicly shared with the Clarity OpenMap.

Dedicated Clarity experts provide all the know-how, training and support a customer needs to use the tools and understand the resulting data. Governments, businesses, schools and community groups in more than 60 countries worldwide use Clarity's highly accurate air quality data to make informed, critical decisions.

About Clarity Movement Co.

Clarity Movement Co. is a privately held company, headquartered in Berkeley, California transforming the way governments, campuses, businesses and communities understand and respond to air pollution. Clarity provides the most complete, scalable air monitoring solution, with unmatched hardware, software and expert services. Used in more than 60 countries around the world, Clarity solutions empower our customers with continuous monitoring, for accurate data in a fully supported, worry-free environment. For more information, visit: https://www.clarity.io/.

Node-S, Clarity Cloud, Clarity Dashboard, Clarity OpenMap and the Clarity logo are trademarks of, and Clarity is a registered trademark of Clarity Movement Co. Copyright (c) 2021, all rights reserved. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Media Contact: Naomi Pearce, +1.510.528.0824, [email protected]

SOURCE Clarity Movement Co.

Related Links

http://www.clarity.io/


THUNDER BAY, ON, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Clean Air Metals Inc. ("Clean Air Metals" or the "Company") (TSXV: AIR) (FRA: CKU) (OTCQB: CLRMF) is pleased to announce that it has paid, for and on behalf of Benton Resources Inc. ("Benton") (TSX:V BEX), the sum of CAD $1 Million directly to Rio Tinto Exploration Canada Inc. ("RTEC") as Vendor, pursuant to the terms of the definitive option agreement (the "Option Agreement") entered into between the Company and Benton in order to satisfy a payment requirement of Benton under its pre-existing option with RTEC (see previous press release dated January 6, 2020 and May 14, 2020). The Company acquired an option to acquire a 100% right, title and interest in and to the Escape Lake Property (the "Escape Lake Property"), subject to a 1.0% net smelter return royalty to be retained by RTEC, from Benton under the Option Agreement, with such option conditional on Benton exercising its pre-existing option to acquire the Escape Lake Property from RTEC and under the Option Agreement, the Company has agreed to make all of the payments of Benton to RTEC that are required in order for Benton to exercise the pre-existing option. Clean Air Metals agreed to pay to RTEC an aggregate of C$6 million in order for Benton to exercise the pre-existing option, C$3 million of which was originally paid by Benton to RTEC on October 9, 2019, and C$1 million of which was paid by the Company to RTEC on October 9, 2020. The remaining financial obligation to RTEC on behalf of Benton is $1 million due October 9, 2022.

In addition, pursuant to the Option Agreement outlining the terms of a definitive share purchase agreement dated January 6, 2020 entered into between the Company and Magma Metals Pty Ltd. ("Magma"), the Company completed the acquisition of 100% of Panoramic Resources Limited's indirect subsidiary, Panoramic PGMs (Canada) Ltd. ("Pan PGMs"), which owns the Thunder Bay North Property (the "TBN Property"), hosting the Current Lake Deposit. Pan PGM's is now a 100% wholly-owned subsidiary of Clean Air Metals. In consideration of the acquisition of Pan PGMs, Clean Air Metals has also agreed to pay to Magma in equal installments over a three-year period, an aggregate of C$9 million, C$4.5 million of which was paid on closing of the transaction on May 14, 2020, and C$1.5 million of which was paid on May 14, 2021. Two payments of $1.5 million remain by May 13, 2022 and May 13, 2023 respectively.

The Escape Lake Property and the TBN Property are collectively referred to as the "TBN Project". The Company has the right to prepay all remaining property payments at any time. There are no additional exploration or other spending commitments required to fully vest the Option Agreement.

Social Engagement

Clean Air Metals Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiary Panoramic PGMs (Canada) Ltd. acknowledge that the Thunder Bay North Project is on the traditional territories of the Fort William First Nation, Red Rock First Nation and Biinjitiwabik Zaaging Anishinabek. The parties together are the Cooperating Participants in a Memorandum of Agreement dated January 9, 2021.

The Company is also in discussions with Red Sky Metis Independent Nation and the Metis Nation of Ontario and other non-proximate First Nation communities. Woodland Heritage Northwest, a Metis-owned consultancy has been retained to conduct archaeological studies on the Thunder Bay North Project and surrounding areas.

About Clean Air Metals Inc.

Clean Air Metals' flagship asset is the 100% owned, high grade Thunder Bay North Project, a platinum, palladium, copper, nickel project located near the City of Thunder Bay, Ontario and the Lac des Iles Mine owned by Impala Platinum. The Clean Air Metals project hosts the Current Lake Deposit and magma conduit and the Company is actively exploring the Escape Lake Deposit, a twin structure to the Current Lake Deposit. Executive Chairman Jim Gallagher and CEO Abraham Drost lead an experienced team of geologists and engineers who are using the Norilsk magma conduit stratigraphic and mineral deposit model to guide ongoing exploration and development studies. As the former CEO of North American Palladium Ltd. which owned the Lac des Iles Mine prior to the sale to Impala Platinum in December 2019, Jim Gallagher and team are credited with the mine turnaround and creation of significant value for shareholders.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

"Abraham Drost"

Abraham Drost, Chief Executive Officer of Clean Air Metals Inc.

Website: www.cleanairmetals.ca

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Note

The information contained herein contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking statements relate to information that is based on assumptions of management, forecasts of future results, and estimates of amounts not yet determinable. Any statements that express predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance are not statements of historical fact and may be "forward-looking statements." Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation: political and regulatory risks associated with mining and exploration; risks related to the maintenance of stock exchange listings; risks related to environmental regulation and liability; the potential for delays in exploration or development activities or the completion of feasibility studies; the uncertainty of profitability; risks and uncertainties relating to the interpretation of drill results, the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits; risks related to the inherent uncertainty of cost estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses; results of technical studies, benchmark reports, and the possibility that future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations; risks related to commodity price fluctuations; and other risks and uncertainties related to the Company's prospects, properties and business detailed elsewhere in the Company's disclosure record. Should one or more of these risks and uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. Actual events or results could differ materially from the Company's expectations or projections.

SOURCE Clean Air Metals Inc.

Related Links

https://www.cleanairmetals.ca/


PARIS, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Coave Therapeutics ('Coave'), a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing life-changing gene therapies in rare Ocular and CNS (Central Nervous System) diseases, announces the appointment of Dr. Olivier Danos PhD and Frederic Chereau MBA to the Company's Board of Directors, as independent non-executive directors. Olivier Danos is also appointed Scientific Advisor to the company.

"We are thrilled to have two highly experienced biotech executives with gene therapy knowledge and corporate leadership join the Board of Coave. Olivier and Frederic have tremendous international experience in the gene therapy field and their willingness to join our Board is recognition of the Company's potential," said Benedikt Timmerman, Chair of Coave Therapeutics' Board. "Coave is well positioned to make significant progress in gene therapy for rare Ocular and CNS diseases. I look forward to working with both of them to support the Company's growth."

Dr. Olivier Danos PhD

Dr. Danos has over 30 years' experience in gene therapy, as a scientist pioneering gene transfer technologies and as a leader in the biotech and pharmaceutical industry. He currently serves as the Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) of RegenxBio, a clinical stage biotechnology company developing a proprietary adeno-associated virus (AAV) gene delivery platform for the treatment of retinal, neurodegenerative and metabolic diseases.

Prior to RegenxBio, Olivier has undertaken a number of clinical research and executive leadership roles including Senior Vice President at Biogen and Kadmon Pharmaceuticals, Director of the Gene Therapy Consortium at UCL, CSO at Genethon, as well as Director of Research at the CNRS (Centre national de la recherche scientifique - The French National Centre for Scientific Research) and Principal Investigator at Institut Pasteur. Olivier completed his PhD at the University Paris Diderot.

Frederic Chereau MBA

Frederic currently serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer of LogicBio, a clinical stage genetic medicines company pioneering gene editing and delivery platforms to address rare and serious disease. He has more than 25 years of executive leadership and industry experience in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices.

Prior to LogicBio, Frederic has worked at Genzyme, Pervasis Therapeutics, Shire and aTyr Pharma as General Manager, President & CEO, Senior Vice President and COO respectively. Frederic holds a BSc in Physics, an MSc in Management and completed his MBA at INSEAD, Fontainebleau, France.

"I am delighted to welcome both Olivier and Frederic to Coave's Board," added Rodolphe Clerval, CEO of Coave. "Their combined expertise, in business and R&D as well as a deep life science industry experience, will bring valuable insights and perspective to our board as we continue to develop our enhanced and selective AAV Ligand Conjugates platform and generate a pipeline of transformative gene therapy products for the treatment of rare ocular and CNS indications."

About Coave Therapeutics

Coave Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing life-changing gene therapies in rare ocular and CNS (Central Nervous System) diseases.

Coave Therapeutics' next-generation AAV-Ligand Conjugate ('ALIGATER') platform enables targeted delivery and enhanced gene transduction to improve the effectiveness of advanced gene therapies for rare diseases.

The Company is advancing a pipeline of novel therapies targeting rare ocular and brain diseases where targeted gene therapy using AAV-Ligand has the potential to be most effective.

Coave Therapeutics, which is headquartered in Paris (France), is backed by leading international life science and strategic investors Seroba Life Sciences, Thea Open Innovation, eureKARE, Fund+, Omnes Capital, V-Bio Ventures, Kurma Partners, Idinvest, GO Capital, Sham Innovation Sante/Turenne.

For more information, please visit www.coavetx.com or follow us on LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/company/coavetx/

CONTACTS

Coave Therapeutics

Rodolphe Clerval, CEO

[email protected]

MEDiSTRAVA Consulting

Sylvie Berrebi, Eleanor Perkin, Mark Swallow PhD

[email protected]

Tel: +44 (0)7714 306525

SOURCE Coave Therapeutics
AURORA, Colo., Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Concorde Career College-Aurora campus has earned the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC) Excellence in Community Service Award based on its work as an equity vaccine site during Colorado's drive to distribute the COVID-19 vaccine.

Concorde, which is a national leader in health care education with 17 campuses across eight states, received the ACCSC award for making outstanding contributions to the local community through service initiatives.

In early 2021, Concorde-Aurora partnered with Colorado Gov. Jared Polis' administration, the Colorado Department of Public Health and the State Vaccine Equity Outreach Team to set up vaccine clinics to serve minority and hard-to-reach populations in the Denver metropolitan area.

Concorde-Aurora provided more than 1,000 vaccinations during its on-campus clinics between February and June. Concorde students and instructors also worked at community clinics to help address medical provider shortages and distribute more vaccines to residents, assisting with approximately 25,000 vaccinations in the Denver area.

"Community service has always been central to the culture at Concorde, and we were honored to conduct vaccine clinics and help healthcare organizations administer the vaccine," said Dr. Thomas Wicke, Campus President of Concorde Career College-Aurora. "These events gave our students valuable training opportunities on their way to serving as the next generation of healthcare professionals in the Denver metropolitan area."

Gov. Polis said Concorde's efforts helped the state of Colorado reach a milestone, as more than 70% of Coloradans 18 and older have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

"My administration is grateful for Concorde Career College's partnership in providing high-quality training and skills that prepare our healthcare workforce for careers that improve health outcomes, especially among underserved populations," Gov. Polis said. "Thank you to Concorde Career College for making a difference  helping our communities stay safe and healthy and encouraging Coloradans to get vaccinated."

Concorde-Aurora has participated in many community service activities over the years, including its own community clinics as well as annual health fairs to support non-profits, food banks, veteran health efforts and other community-related healthcare initiatives.

The Concorde-Aurora campus, which offers a variety of healthcare programs, is at 111 N. Havana Street, on the corner of Havana and First. For more information, visit the campus website or call 720-808-0455.

About Concorde Career Colleges, Inc.

Concorde Career Colleges, Inc., which operates 17 campuses in eight states under the brands Concorde Career College and Concorde Career Institute, prepares America's next generation of health care and dental professionals for rewarding careers. The Concorde hybrid/blended education model combines online coursework with in-person lab classes and clinical experiences. Concorde's 25 student-focused academic programs and personalized support prepares graduates for in-demand careers in nursing, dental, respiratory, diagnostic and other health care roles. Concorde is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC) and the Council on Occupational Education (COE). For more information, visit www.concorde.edu.

Contact:

Devyn Raver

CBD Marketing

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 312.661.1050

SOURCE Concorde Career Colleges

Related Links

http://www.concorde.edu


NEW YORK, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Macy's has been rated the large multi-brand retailer that younger segments of American consumers aged 18-49, with household incomes above $75k, trust most to share their personal data. The innovative, new Data Trust Index (DTI), by Luxury Institute and DataLucent, measures the level of trust that digital consumers have in licensing their digital platform data (Google, Facebook, Instagram, etc.) and other personal data, to mass, premium and luxury brands in exchange for rewards and benefits. Kohl's was rated very close to Macy's while Nordstrom came in a distant third in a field of 12 multi-brand retailers. Men are more willing than women to trust Macy's and Kohl's with their data, while Nordstrom is nearly equally trusted by men and women who agree to license their data to the brand. Macy's and Kohl's, both mass brands, are evenly trusted across age and income categories while Nordstrom is trusted by more affluent consumers. Other well-known multi-brand luxury retailers have a major opportunity to earn greater trust, overall, across younger age and income segments.

The DTI U.S. survey, the first of its kind, is based on a nationally representative sample of 1,008 consumers ages 18-49, with a minimum income of $75k (total sample average income of $200k), with 54% male and 48% female participation. Responders reported that YouTube (82%), Google (79%), Facebook (78%), Amazon (76%) and Instagram (75%) were the digital platforms used on a regular basis. On the most critical core question of the survey: 83% of all responders, including 89% male and 78% female, are willing to license their digital platform data, under their control, to brands they trust to use to serve their needs, and the needs of other consumers, in a personalized way.

The survey asked consumers to rate 12 multi-brand retailers across mass, premium and luxury segments. Consumers indicated which of the brands presented on a randomized list they would trust most to license their data for rewards and benefits of value to them. For convenience, here is the brand list in alphabetical order: Belk, Bergdorf Goodman, Bloomingdale's, Dillard's, Kohl's, Macy's, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Sephora, TJX Companies (HomeGoods, Marshalls, TJMaxx), and Ulta.

Luxury Institute and DataLucent will publish the top three brands in each category, as rated by consumers, yet does not make public their exact DTI scores, or the scores of the other brands rated. The DTI's purpose is to inspire brands to earn more customer trust such that they can access the most descriptive and predictive data legally and ethically, directly from their valued customers and prospects, for fair value. The survey's objective is to help brands to develop deeper, richer, mutually loyal first-party data relationships with customers and prospects. Rated brands can purchase their DTI data, and a benchmark vs. category competitors, as well as their data trust opportunity gap (DTOG). The data trust opportunity gap is a measure of their DTI score vs the 83% of consumers in the current survey who are willing to license their data. Upon request, can run a proprietary custom survey with their own customer base, across all customer segments, to determine customer data trust opportunity gaps. In the custom survey, consumers will be asked to share the key reasons why they rated the brand as they did. Please contact [email protected] for more information.

"We were surprised that the luxury multi-brand retailers scored lowest vs. more mainstream retailers," said Milton Pedraza, Luxury Institute CEO and DataLucent Chairman. "It is clear the luxury multi-brand retailers need to do far more to gain the trust of younger, affluent consumers. Brands that can license their customers' social and digital platform data can make far better predictions and recommendations across multiple categories that increase sales and reduce wastage and returns."

About Luxury Institute

Luxury Institute is the world's most trusted research, training, and elite business solutions partner for luxury and premium goods and services brands. With the largest global network of luxury executives and experts, Luxury Institute has the ability to provide its clients with high-performance, leading-edge solutions developed by the best, most successful minds in the industry. Over the last 18 years, Luxury Institute has served over 1,100 luxury and premium goods and services brands. Luxury Institute has conducted more quantitative and qualitative research with affluent, wealthy and uber-wealthy consumers than any other entity. This knowledge has led to the development of its scientifically proven high-performance, emotional intelligence-based education system, Luxcelerate, that dramatically improves brand culture and financial performance. Luxury Institute has also innovated the Advanced Personalization Xchange (APX), powered by DataLucent, to empower affluent consumers to license their digital platform data to premium and luxury brands they trust legally, securely and privately in exchange for fair value rewards and benefits.

To learn more about Luxury Institute, please contact us at LuxuryInstitute.com

About DataLucent

DataLucent empowers consumers to access and share comprehensive, historical social media data with brands in return for rewards, benefits and personalization via a legal, ethical, secure, transparent and privacy-compliant process. DataLucent's patent-pending platform navigates consumers through the process of requesting, downloading and transferring personal data from Facebook, Twitter, Google and other consumer platforms, then provides real incentives for individuals to share data with companies they love and trust. DataLucent transforms and integrates data on behalf of consumers across networks to provide unparalleled customer and consumer insights to brands.

To learn more about DataLucent, please visit DataLucent.com

SOURCE Luxury Institute

Related Links

http://LuxuryInstitute.com


Please see Appendices 2 to 11 for drill hole locations and plans. Appendices 12 and 13 have a complete drill hole table and associated data. Highlights from the drill program:

C6 Target

Hole QMR018 returned 39 metres of 0.50% Cu and 0.13 g/t Au.

Hole QMR021 returned 28 metres of 0.58% Cu and 0.03 g/t Au .

. Hole QMR022 returned 80 metres of 0.44% Cu and 0.02 g/t Au .

. Hole QMR023 returned 91 metres of 0.25% Cu and 0.02 g/t Au .

. Hole QMR025 returned 135 metres of 0.37% Cu and 0.03 g/t Au .

. Hole QMR026 returned 40 metres of 0.36% Cu and 0.02 g/t Au.

Hole QMR027 returned 29 metres of 0.45% Cu and 0.04 g/t Au.

C1 Target

Hole CPR660 returned 11 metres of 1.35% Cu and 0.74 g/t Au .

. Hole CPR661 returned 30 metres of 0.64% Cu and 0.25 g/t Au .

. Hole CPR667 returned 25 metres of 0.73% Cu and 0.13 g/t Au .

. Hole CPR670 returned 84 metres of 0.56% Cu and 0.97g/t Au .

. Hole CPR671 returned 36 metres of 0.57% Cu and 0.28g/t Au .

. Hole CPR673 returned 20 metres of 0.32% Cu and 1.13g/t Au.

C2 Target

Hole RED010 returned 95 metres 0.30% Cu and 0.04 g/t Au .

. Includes: 8 metres of 0.78% Cu and 0.12 g/t Au.



Includes: 11 metres of 0.45% Cu and 0.05 g/t Au.

Hole RED011 returned 123 metres of 0.24% Cu and 0.01 g/t Au .

. Hole RED013 returned:

79 metres of 0.25% Cu and 0.01 g/t Au .

.

51 metres of 0.41% Cu and 0.01 g/t Au .

. Hole RED020 returned 139 metres of 0.22% Cu and 0.01 g/t Au.

"These results are very promising and validate these priority targets," commented Gil Clausen, Copper Mountain's President and CEO. "They indicate that there is a potential for a larger mineralized system. This was an initial exploratory drill program to test the geophysical and geochemistry work done to date. These mineralized zones show more continuity with increased drilling. The drilled zones remain open to expansion, and there are numerous targets yet to be drill tested. More drilling is required, and we plan on putting a systematic program in place to develop these targets with additional drilling this year and into 2022. The current results confirm our belief that there is potential for discovery of copper resources."

Overview

Systematic definition of large mineralized systems at Cameron is the goal of the current exploration program. The ongoing drill program will test mineralization laterally and to depth to establish economic potential. The C6, C1 and C2 targets were the focus of the initial phase of this work plan. The drill program included 7 diamond core and 41 reverse circulation (RC) hammer holes. At C6, C1 and C2 targets, the drilling intersected both oxide and sulphide mineralization at varying depths. Mineralized zones are open, and the extent of mineralization as indicated by surface geochemistry or geophysical data have not been fully tested. The host rocks, intersected mineralization, and the element association is typical of IOCG (Iron Oxide Copper Gold) deposits. The Company is undertaking further exploration drilling at Cameron in 2021, with a more extensive resource drill program proposed for 2022.

Cameron mineralization combines disseminated, fracture-controlled and strata-bound styles similar to the Eva IOCG deposits. The drilled C6, C1 and C2 targets are part of a cluster of copper-in-soil anomalies along a broad North-South structural corridor. Eva's Mineral Resource sits within the northern half of this same corridor. Eva has a Measured and Indicated Mineral Resource (inclusive of Mineral Reserves) of 261 million tonnes grading 0.42% copper and 0.04 g/t gold, containing an estimated 2.4 billion pounds of copper and 330,000 oz of gold (for further information please see the technical report titled "NI 43-101 Technical Report for the Eva Copper Project Feasibility Study Update, North West Queensland, Australia", dated May 7, 2020 with an effective date of January 31, 2020). See Appendix 14.

C6 Target (Quamby)

At C6 (Appendix 3), copper mineralization has been drill tested by 3 diamond and 19 RC holes with broad spacing over a 1 kilometre strike length. The target area includes the historic Quamby gold mine, from which 75,600 ounces of gold were recovered from leaching operations in the 1980's and 1990's. The reported drilling herein tested mineralization southwest of the mine workings beneath a large copper and gold-in-soil anomaly.

The RC drilling was relatively shallow and consisted of 15 holes on sections spaced at 60 to 100 metre intervals with the objective of testing the copper-gold soil anomaly. The drilling indicates a continuous zone of copper mineralization, which is up to 145 metres wide and consists of lower-grade copper, with higher-grade zones localized in a major fold hinge. Mineralization occurs as disseminated chalcopyrite and pyrite hosted in strongly altered metasediments below the weathered zone, which is approximately 25 to 75 metres deep. Oxide mineralization in the weathered zone consists of malachite, native copper and chalcocite, similar to Eva's 'copper-only' type deposits. All mineralization is open along strike and at depth.

C1 Target (Companion)

At C1 (Appendix 6), the mineralized system appears extensive, with soil anomalies defined over an area of 0.6 kilometres by 3 kilometres. The southern part of the anomaly remains undrilled. Drilling to date has only tested 1.2 kilometres of the surface strike length. Appendix 6 provides a drilling plan related to soil anomalies and illustrates the broad zone of multiple intercepts and the relationship to the much larger copper-in-soils anomaly.

The new drill results combined with those from previous campaigns, together with geology and soil geochemistry, confirm the discovery of a large, structurally controlled copper-gold system. Mineralization consisting of chalcopyrite and pyrite, is hosted in variably altered metasediments. In the weathered zone, mineralization occurs as malachite and goethite, commonly to depths of 20 metres but locally up to 75 metres. The higher grade mineralization formed within the primary structures as discrete lodes and shoots. The mineralization is open along strike and at depth.

C2 Target (Reaper)

At C2 (Appendix 9), copper mineralization has been drilled systematically within zones having lateral extents of 1.2 kilometers by 0.55 kilometers, within a more extensive 3-kilometre-long area of coincident geochemical and geophysics anomalies.

Drilling consisted of 4 diamond and 7 RC holes. Holes were drilled on 200 metre spaced sections on the larger northern zone, and 100 metre sections on the southern zone. The drilling identified multiple higher-grade tenor zones within broader lower grade mineralization envelopes, which were drilled to vertical depths of 160 metres in the southern zone and 200 metres in the northern zone. Copper mineralization varies from disseminated to fracture-fill veinlets of chalcopyrite, chalcocite, and native copper hosted in strongly altered metasediments. However, malachite and goethite form the mineralization in the near surface oxide zone. Mineralization is open along strike and at depth.

QA/QC and Core Sampling Protocols

Drillholes were logged by geologists at the rig (RC) or at the Company's central exploration office (DD) using company standard logging procedures. DD core and RC samples are transported to the Company's exploration office area by geological staff. RC samples were rotary split at the drill rig with a typical sub-sample sizes of 2kg. RC duplicate sub-samples were rifle split. Sample intervals are marked on DD core which is halved by diamond saw; quarter core used for duplicates. Sample length is usually 1m for RC and for diamond core. Blanks, field duplicates and certified standards are inserted into the sample stream at a 1:10 ratio. The RC chip and half core samples are sent in sealed shipping crates to an accredited commercial laboratory (ALS) where samples are dried, crushed, split, pulverized and assayed. Such laboratory is independent from Copper Mountain. The pulverized sample is analyzed by 50 g fire assay and multielement ME-ICP that includes copper, with a detection limit of 10,000 ppm. On return of gold values > 100 ppm Au and copper values >1% Cu; a second series of analyses are completed using appropriate 'ore grade' methods. The drill samples were collected in accordance with accepted industry standards. The results from QA/QC samples are routinely analyzed by the database manager and geologist on a batch and campaign basis. There are no known issues that would materially affect the accuracy or reliability of the analytical data from the drill program presented herein.

Competent Persons Statement

The information in this report that relates to exploration targets, exploration results, Mineral Resources or ore reserves is based on information compiled by Peter Holbek, B.Sc (Hons), M.Sc. P. Geo. Mr. Holbek is a full time employee of the Company and has sufficient experience which is relevant to the style of mineralization and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity being undertaken to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 Edition of the 'Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves. Mr. Holbek consents to the inclusion in this news release of the matters based on the information in the form and context in which it appears.

Peter Holbek is a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 ("43-101") and has reviewed and approved the technical content of this release.

About Copper Mountain Mining Corporation

Copper Mountain's flagship asset is the 75% owned Copper Mountain Mine located in southern British Columbia near the town of Princeton. The Copper Mountain Mine currently produces approximately 100 million pounds of copper equivalent per year, with average annual production expected to increase to approximately 140 million pounds of copper equivalent. Copper Mountain also has the development-stage Eva Copper Project in Queensland, Australia and an extensive 2,100 km2 highly prospective land package in the Mount Isa area. Copper Mountain trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "CMMC" and Australian Stock Exchange under the symbol "C6C".

Additional information is available on the Company's web page at www.CuMtn.com.

On behalf of the Board of

COPPER MOUNTAIN MINING CORPORATION

"Gil Clausen"

Gil Clausen, P.Eng.

President and Chief Executive Officer

Website: www.CuMtn.com

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release may contain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (together, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, are forward-looking statements. Generally, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of terminology such as "plans", "expects", "estimates", "intends", "anticipates", "believes" or variations of such words, or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might", "occur" or "be achieved". Forward-looking statements in this news release include statements concerning, among other things: the timing of the Company's drilling program; the results of the Company's exploration and development programs; the potential for discovery of significant resources at Cameron similar to Eva, the timing of studies, announcements, and analysis; the potential to add the expected increase in the Company's average annual production; the Company's intentions regarding its objectives, goals or future plans; and all other timing, exploration, development, operational, financial, budgetary, economic, legal, social, environmental, regulatory, and political matters that may influence or be influenced by future events or conditions. Forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results, performance and opportunities to differ materially from those implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements include the successful exploration of the Company's properties in Canada and Australia, the reliability of the historical data referenced in this press release and risks set out in Copper Mountain's public documents, including in each management discussion and analysis, filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Although Copper Mountain believes that the information and assumptions used in preparing the forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on these statements, which only apply as of the date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frames or at all. Except where required by applicable law, Copper Mountain disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

This press release includes Mineral Reserves and Mineral Resources classification terms that comply with reporting standards in Canada and the Mineral Reserves and the Mineral Resources estimates are made in accordance with NI 43-101. NI 43-101 is a rule developed by the Canadian Securities Administrators that establishes standards for all public disclosure an issuer makes of scientific and technical information concerning mineral projects. These standards differ significantly from the requirements of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") set out in the SEC rules that are applicable to domestic United States reporting companies. Consequently, Mineral Reserves and Mineral Resources information included in this press release may not be comparable to similar information that would generally be disclosed by domestic U.S. reporting companies subject to the reporting and disclosure requirements of the SEC. Accordingly, information concerning mineral deposits set forth herein may not be comparable with information made public by companies that report in accordance with U.S. standards.

Appendix 12: Significant Drill Intercept Summary

Hole ID From To Interval Grade Grade (m) (m) (m) Cu% Au (ppm) C6 Target (Quamby) QMR018 12 51 39 0.50 0.13 inc. 16 48 32 0.56 0.16

66 73 7 0.11 0 QMR019 49 64 15 0.11 0.02 QMR020 No significant intercepts to report. QMR021 1 33 32 0.18 0.01

38 66 28 0.58 0.03 inc. 56 66 10 1.28 0.01 QMR022 1 81 80 0.44 0.02 inc. 1 7 6 0.51 0.05 and 22 57 35 0.43 0.02 and 65 81 16 0.80 0.02 QMR023 2 93 91 0.25 0.02 inc. 50 83 33 0.36 0.04 QMR024 15 69 54 0.24 0.01 inc. 21 26 5 0.43 0 and 48 56 8 0.34 0 and 63 67 4 0.60 0 QMR025 33 168 135 0.37 0.03 inc. 34 66 32 0.42 0.04 and 71 83 12 0.38 0.05 and 88 95 7 0.59 0.02 QMR026 7 47 40 0.36 0.02 inc. 14 23 9 0.48 0.07 and 33 41 8 0.78 0 QMR027 48 77 29 0.45 0.04 inc. 51 69 18 0.65 0.06 QMR028 105 132 27 0.14 0.06 QMR029 7 13 6 0.17 0.01

38 60 22 0.30 0.04 inc. 50 59 9 0.48 0.03

66 75 9 0.19 0 QMR030 38 65 27 0.23 0.06 inc. 55 65 10 0.37 0.06 QMR031 72 88 16 0.19 0.04 QMR032 0 55 55 0.22 0.02 C1 Target (Companion) CPD656 67 72 5 0.07 0.04 CPD657 181 189 8 0.58 0.01 CPR658 46 65 19 0.21 0.09

74 99 25 0.45 0.17 inc. 85 98 13 0.63 0.25 CPR659 No significant intercepts to report. CPR660 3 8 5 0.12 0.03

52 63 11 1.35 0.74 CPR661 12 42 30 0.64 0.25 inc. 23 41 18 0.98 0.38

103 121 18 0.70 0.16 inc. 103 112 9 0.78 0.17 CPR662 No significant intercepts to report. CPR663 24 33 9 0.41 0.01 CPR664 0 26 26 0.19 0.07 inc. 18 23 5 0.47 0.17 CPR665 7 13 6 0.39 0.40

32 46 14 0.71 0.57 CPR666 18 25 7 0.71 0.72 CPR667 1 26 25 0.73 0.13 inc. 1 16 15 1.15 0.18

40 47 7 0.20 0.12 CPR668 55 73 18 0.34 0.36 CPR669 84 100 16 0.22 0.06 CPR670 0 84 84 0.56 0.97

90 95 5 0.50 0.97 CPR671 19 55 36 0.57 0.28 inc. 22 53 31 0.64 0.31 CPR672 23 29 6 0.09 0.06

34 38 4 0.50 1.85

58 70 12 0.30 0.11 inc. 58 67 9 0.35 0.09 CPR673 15 35 20 0.32 1.13 inc. 28 32 4 1.13 5.39 CPR674 35 40 5 0.19 0.05

82 91 9 0.58 0.3 CPR675 4 15 11 0.39 0.26 inc. 6 13 7 0.51 0.35 CPR676 85 94 9 0.84 0.31 C2 Target (Reaper) RED010 4.1 17 12.9 0.12 0.01

29 124 95 0.30 0.04 inc. 37 45 8 0.78 0.12 inc. 71 82 11 0.45 0.05 inc. 89 94 5 0.43 0.04 RED011 72 195 123 0.24 0.01 inc. 155 161 6 0.43 0 and 178 182 4 0.50 0 and 188 194.4 6.4 0.77 0 RED012 59 96.8 37.8 0.32 0 inc. 72 83 11 0.58 0.01

103.9 123 19.1 0.21 0.01

129 172.6 43.6 0.23 0 RED013 4.5 46 41.5 0.28 0.01 inc. 4.5 14 9.5 0.58 0.01

68 82.7 14.7 0.13 0

89.9 168.7 78.8 0.25 0.01 inc. 155 163 8 0.72 0.01

170 221.4 51.4 0.41 0.01 inc. 172 180 8 0.48 0.01 and 185 205 20 0.56 0.01 RER014 0 65 65 0.15 0.01

101 171 70 0.19 0.01 RER015 10 68 58 0.25 0.02 inc. 14 22 8 0.53 0.04

85 123 38 0.42 0.01 inc. 86 94 8 1.30 0.03 RER016 0 89 89 0.16 0.03 inc. 40 44 4 0.65 0.11

102 119 17 0.41 0.04 inc. 104 110 6 0.75 0.06 RER017 10 67 67 0.23 0.03 inc. 14 25 11 0.54 0.07 RER018 120 128 8 0.51 0.02

156 170 14 0.12 0.01 RER019 15 33 18 0.13 0.02

52 75 23 0.15 0.01 RER020 0 97 97 0.16 0.01

132 271 139 0.22 0.01 inc. 148 154 6 0.53 0.01 inc. 230 239 9 0.55 0.01

*Intercepts calculated at 4 m minimum interval, and maximum 4 m internal dilution with a cut-off grade of 0.10% Cu (0.3% Cu inclusive).

Appendix 13: Drill Hole Location Details

Hole ID Easting Northing Elevation Azimuth Dip Maximum

Depth (m) (m) (m) (o) (o) (m) C6 Prospect (Quamby) RC QMR018 413931 7745721 215 358 -61 90 QMR019 414017 7745724 215 359 -61 120 QMR020 414079 7745741 216 358 -61 120 QMR021 414146 7745805 217 309 -60 120 QMR022 414168 7745841 217 270 -60 168 QMR023 414165 7745900 219 269 -60 114 QMR024 414152 7745979 220 252 -60 102 QMR025 414268 7745901 219 269 -59 186 QMR026 414101 7746075 222 251 -59 96 QMR027 414084 7746181 224 252 -59 108 QMR028 414052 7746266 224 220 -61 132 QMR029 413949 7746305 224 222 -60 96 QMR030 413897 7746361 221 221 -61 96 QMR031 413856 7746449 222 220 -59 96 QMR032 414084 7745833 216 170 -61 96 C1 Prospect (Companion) Diamond CPD655 413604 7740706 208 93 -65 101.5 CPD656 413550 7740600 212 90 -42 197 CPD657 413774 7740591 207 91 -43 211.9 RC CPR658 413371 7740596 212 89 -61 108 CPR659 413607 7740808 208 90 -60 78 CPR660 413588 7740848 208 89 -61 78 CPR661 413878 7740953 210 90 -57 132 CPR662 413950 7741025 208 270 -60 102 CPR663 413831 7741104 213 90 -60 102 CPR664 413854 7741105 212 89 -60 54 CPR665 413878 7741170 211 93 -61 84 CPR666 413853 7741171 212 90 -60 102 CPR667 413949 7741241 208 272 -60 78 CPR668 413999 7741184 207 273 -60 102 CPR669 414019 7741200 208 272 -61 138 CPR670 413992 7741241 208 276 -60 114 CPR671 413649 7741164 214 93 -60 78 CPR672 413648 7741248 215 96 -60 96 CPR673 413822 7741416 211 273 -60 78 CPR674 413564 7740849 209 90 -61 102 CPR675 413578 7740803 207 89 -59 78 CPR676 413554 7740800 209 90 -61 102 C2 Prospect (Reaper) Diamond RED010 413939 7732161 273 127 -60 155.5 RED011 413784 7733375 245 90 -60 242.3 RED012 413784 7733376 245 87 -45 211.8 RED013 413722 7733771 268 88 -61 221.8 RC RER014 413885 7732108 269 136 -71 174 RER015 413887 7732107 269 137 -55 150 RER016 413809 7731997 247 139 -70 150 RER017 413811 7731995 247 136 -55 150 RER018 413847 7733174 245 111 -60 204 RER019 413754 7733968 263 95 -60 180 RER020 413708 7733609 252 88 -60 300

SOURCE Copper Mountain Mining Corporation

Related Links

http://cumtn.com/


CHINO HILLS, Calif., Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In response to demand from its community of real estate professional users, today California Regional MLS launches an improved version of its "Submit Offer" feature in the CRMLS Matrix, Paragon, and Flexmls systems. Users will now see a button or link labeled "Submit Offer" (or "Submit offer using Glide," in Paragon) on MLS listing detail pages.

The first version of the "Submit Offer" feature debuted earlier this year. Users submitted enthusiastic feedback on the original implementation, which appeared in MLS systems as a "Submit offer using Glide" button or link.

Soon after the launch, national brokerage Compass acquired Glide, the technology provider that developed the initial product. CRMLS surveyed its users for their feedback on the acquisition. After over 4,000 responses, CRMLS learned that while users responded positively to the "Submit Offer" feature itself, some brokers objected to its implementation in MLS systems.

CRMLS staff and Board of Directors considered the results and decided to disable the button and link. Though the Glide Offers product remained a CRMLS user benefit, it no longer integrated with MLS listing detail pages.

In the months since, users have sent in a steady stream of requests to re-enable this MLS system integration. CRMLS, recognizing the demand, directed its internal Engineering department to develop a way for brokers to choose to opt in or out of the feature.

On October 5th, 2021, a full week before reintroducing the MLS system and offer platform integration, CRMLS launched a simple Glide toggle control for its participating brokers. This control gives brokers a choice on whether to opt their offices out of using Glide. (Though the system opts all brokers in by default, opting out only takes a few seconds.) CRMLS launched this control early to ensure that brokers had time to make their decisions and inform their agents on what to expect.

If a broker opts in (or takes no action), that broker and their agents can seamlessly transfer into Glide Offers by clicking on the "Submit Offer" button or link (or "Submit offer using Glide," in Paragon) on MLS listing detail pages. Although clicking on the button or link currently directs users to Glide Offers, CRMLS may someday expand the options users have through this link.

Agents whose brokers opt out will still see the "Submit Offer" or "Submit offer using Glide" button or link on listings. However, clicking on it will display a message explaining that their brokerage has opted out of using this feature.

Many features of Glide are still available to CRMLS users at no additional cost. In addition to Glide's industry-leading disclosure forms product, CRMLS users have ready access to Glide Offers  a seamless, end-to-end offer management platform that gives real estate professionals true offer form simplicity. Glide can preload forms with MLS information, highlight important signature lines and key dates, organize incoming offers from any source, and display a dashboard that gives listing agents a way to easily compare and present offers to clients.

About California Regional Multiple Listing Service (CRMLS)

California Regional MLS is the nation's largest and most recognized subscriber-based MLS, dedicated to servicing more than 110,000 real estate professionals from 39 Associations, Boards, and MLS organizations. CRMLS is the industry powerhouse and thrives on providing the most relevant products and services to its subscribers. For more information on CRMLS, visit www.crmls.org.

CONTACT:

[email protected]

SOURCE California Regional MLS

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http://www.crmls.org


LOS ANGELES, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Daniel Yomtobian, a seasoned entrepreneur and digital media expert, is immensely proud and honored to announce his appointment to the board of directors of Young Presidents' Organization (YPO) Beverly Hills. He has assumed the position of membership vice officer at this chapter of the esteemed organization, taking his involvement with the prestigious community to the next level.

"I have been a member of YPO Beverly Hills since March 2012, and as a part of this extraordinary global community, I have reaped benefits that have surpassed even my wildest expectations," Daniel Yomtobian comments. "As a business leader, I have expanded my horizons and honed my skills by seizing on every opportunity to share in the leadership wisdom, entrepreneurial acumen, and personal insights of many incredible CEOs. It is my sincerest hope that I can give back to the community at least as much as I have received, and this new position is both an acknowledgment of my commitment to the YPO cause and a chance to make an even greater contribution to this remarkable network."

Founded in 1950, YPO is a global leadership community that brings together chief executives who share the belief that the world needs better leaders who are also better human beings. The members of the organization are exceptional people who have proven their leadership qualities at a young age. Diverse, inclusive, and dedicated to promoting business as a force for good, YPO encourages its associates to share, learn, mentor, and improve both on a professional and a personal level so that they can help transform the world into a better place. With chapters across 142 countries, the organization boasts more than 30,000 members whose companies employ a combined 22 million people and generate an aggregate $9 trillion in revenue.

Daniel Yomtobian started his professional journey as a web designer, quickly coming to realize that online advertising is the field best suited to his talents and business aspirations. Passionate about innovation and committed to quality, he grew to be recognized as a pioneer in the digital media space, collecting multiple awards for his work in online advertising. Daniel Yomtobian, whose accolades include the SFV Business Journal Top 40 Under 40 Award, has founded and led several successful businesses, his most recent venture being private investment firm and incubator Bian Capital. The Los Angeles, California-based company, which was launched in August 2020, focuses on investing in technology startups, combining financial support with strategic guidance to help them grow and thrive. Outside of work, Daniel Yomtobian enjoys traveling and pursuing new passions, and he also makes time for various philanthropic endeavors, including regular donations to charities.

Daniel Yomtobian - CEO of Bian Capital - Los Angeles: https://dyomtobian.com

Advertise.com CEO, Daniel Yomtobian, Explains the Use of Big Data in Advertising: https://www.yahoo.com/now/advertise-com-ceo-daniel-yomtobian-091500936.html

Advertise.com CEO, Daniel Yomtobian, Highlights Which Metrics Must Be Tracked in Social Media Campaigns:https://finance.yahoo.com/news/advertise-com-ceo-daniel-yomtobian-102000251.html

Contact Information:

Daniel Yomtobian

Founder and CEO, Bian Capital

+1-800-710-7009

[email protected]

https://dyomtobian.com

SOURCE Daniel Yomtobian
Asmar is a Silicon Valley engineering leader with more than 25 years of experience leading development organizations across companies of all sizes. He has spent the majority of his career building and scaling global engineering teams and delivering for enterprise customers, most recently as senior vice president of engineering at Medallia where he scaled the engineering team by 10 times its size and helped lead that global team as the company went public.

"The software we build has always been at the heart of Matillion's business. The energy and intellect of the engineering team has built this software, and Naggi is going to play a vital role in leading the team as they further innovate," said Matillion CEO Matthew Scullion. "Naggi brings with him the experience and playbook most appropriate for the next stage of our journey, and we're thrilled to have him on board."

Prior to Medallia, Asmar spent a decade at Oracle as vice president of engineering for Oracle Fusion Middleware. There, he oversaw a team of more than 1,000 engineers that were responsible for all central development and engineering across Oracle's middleware stack. Asmar has also held senior roles at Plumtree, Narus and PowerTV.

"Engineering for the enterprise market requires dedication and customer obsession. I see those values front and center with the team at Matillion," said Asmar. "Joining at a time of such rapid growth and success is especially exciting, and I'm looking forward to leading the engineering team as we continue our mission to help make the world's data useful with a leading enterprise platform."

Asmar is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley with a bachelor's degree in Physics and Mathematics, and went on to receive a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of California, Santa Barbara. To learn more about Matillion and its executive team, visit https://www.matillion.com/about/leadership/ .

About Matillion

Matillion makes the world's data useful with an easy-to-use, cloud-native data integration and transformation platform. Optimized for modern enterprise data teams, only Matillion is built on native integrations to cloud data platforms such as Snowflake, Delta Lake on Databricks, Amazon Redshift, Google BigQuery, and Microsoft Azure Synapse to enable new levels of efficiency and productivity across any organization. Learn how Matillion delivers rapid returns on cloud investments for global enterprise customers at www.matillion.com.

Media Contact:

Inkhouse Team

[email protected]

SOURCE Matillion

Related Links

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DENVER and CINCINNATI, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- DispatchHealth, the nation's first comprehensive in-home medical care provider, today announced its association with Mercy Health - Cincinnati, part of Bon Secours Mercy Health, to provide patients another way to receive care in the comfort of their homes. The collaboration between DispatchHealth and Mercy Health will bring acute care to those patients in the Cincinnati region who often struggle with access to care when they need it.

DispatchHealth's complete platform delivers, provides, and coordinates medical care to patients in their homes. Patients can request DispatchHealth's acute medical care for a wide range of common to complex injuries and illnesses, including viral infections, COPD exacerbations, congestive heart failure, and more. To request care, patients can call, visit DispatchHealth.com or access a free mobile app, no referral is needed. Once requested, an emergency care-trained DispatchHealth medical team arrives at the patient's home equipped with the necessary tools and treatments to treat the patient in the home, including on-site diagnostics and a CLIA (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Act)-certified lab. DispatchHealth is open seven days a week, 365 days a year, including holidays.

"At Mercy Health, we pride ourselves on meeting the needs of our patients and meeting our patients where they are," said Stephen Feagins, MD, chief clinical officer for Mercy Health  Cincinnati. "Our association with DispatchHealth is an example of our focus on innovative relationships that are changing the health care landscape. With DispatchHealth, we are bringing the house call back to the residents of Cincinnati and adding to our ability to care for patients in person at physical locations, virtually and now at home."

"DispatchHealth is redefining what is possible for a patient's health care journey. Our proven approach to high acuity, in-home care not only improves patient outcomes it also reduces medical costs," said Mark Prather, co-founder, and chief executive officer of DispatchHealth. "We are thrilled to partner with Mercy Health to expand our unique care model in Ohio and within the Bon Secours Mercy Health organization."

DispatchHealth began its association with Bon Secours, part of Bon Secours Mercy Health, in Richmond, VA, more than four years ago. During that time, it has prevented more than 4,000 patient 911 transports, emergency department visits, and observation and inpatient stays. Additionally, DispatchHealth began operations in Ohio in December 2020 and over the last year has rapidly increased the number of markets it serves throughout the state. The collaboration with Mercy Health will expand the company's reach to more patients in Ohio.

About DispatchHealth

DispatchHealth is building the world's largest in-home care system to deliver trusted and compassionate care to all. DispatchHealth offers on-demand acute care and an advanced level of medical care for people of all ages in the comfort of their own homes. DispatchHealth's emergency medicine and internal medicine trained medical teams are equipped with all the tools necessary to treat common to complex injuries and illnesses. DispatchHealth works closely with payers, providers, health systems, EMS, employer groups, and others to deliver care in the home to reduce unnecessary emergency room visits, hospital stays, and readmissions. Acute care medical teams are available seven days a week, evenings and holidays, and can be requested via the app, online, or a quick phone call. DispatchHealth is partnered with most major insurance companies. For more information, visit DispatchHealth.com.

About Mercy Health

Mercy Health - Cincinnati is part of Bon Secours Mercy Health, one of the 20 largest health systems in the United States and the fifth-largest Catholic health system in the country. The ministry's quality, compassionate care is provided by more than 60,000 associates serving communities in Florida, Kentucky, Maryland, New York, Ohio, South Carolina, and Virginia, as well as throughout Ireland. Mercy Health  Cincinnati has been serving Greater Cincinnati for more than 160 years and provides an integrated network of leading physicians, compassionate caregivers, comprehensive services, and exceptional care at more than 180 locations across the region. The Mercy Health  Cincinnati network of care includes five award-winning hospitals, senior living communities, primary care and specialty physician practices, outpatient centers, fitness centers and a variety of outreach programs. Mercy Health - Cincinnati hospitals have earned national Truven Health Analytics' 100 Top Hospitals honors more than all other Cincinnati hospitals combined, placing them among the best hospitals in the nation. Truven has also named Mercy Health - Cincinnati as one of the nation's Top 15 health systems six times, which is more than any other health system in Cincinnati. Consistent with its commitment to serve each patient with dignity, Bon Secours Mercy Health provides nearly $2 million per day in community benefit. The mission of Bon Secours Mercy Health is to extend the compassionate ministry of Jesus by improving the health and well-being of its communities and bring good help to those in need, especially people who are poor, dying and underserved. To learn more visit, mercy.com.

SOURCE DispatchHealth

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www.dispatchhealth.com


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NEW YORK, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- TruFund Financial Services ("TruFund"), a Community Development Financial Institution located in New York City, today announced that it has made an equity investment in Exact Capital Group, LLC, a majority Black-owned real estate development firm headquartered in New York, NY that specializes in the development and management of affordable and mixed-use, residential, and commercial real estate. The preferred equity investment will support critical aspects of Exact Capital's strategic growth plan, specifically allowing the firm to continue with the development of affordable housing for low and moderate income residents, leverage increased liquidity, and enable it to grow internal capacity.

"Access to affordable forms of capital has limited opportunities for BIPOC developers and has greatly impeded their growth potential," said James H. Bason, President and CEO of TruFund, the fund manager. "Ensuring racial equity by providing access to capital is essential and a key mission objective of the fund. Our preferred equity investment will enhance Exact Capital's organizational growth trajectory and allow it to readily and actively pursue affordable housing and other economic development opportunities in underserved communities."

The Exact Capital investment is the fourth investment by the Impact Developer Fund ("IDF"), launched in July 2020 by Morgan Stanley, TruFund Financial Services, and the Ford Foundation. IDF was established to provide equity capital and technical support to emerging real estate developers, especially businesses led by women and people of color. Lack of access to equity and equity-like capital hinders emerging developers from successfully and actively pursuing affordable housing development opportunities. Exact Capital, which has a 15-year track record of developing workforce, affordable and market-rate housing, was identified early by IDF as an attractive potential investment.

"Morgan Stanley, TruFund, and Ford Foundation are truly leading the marketplace in providing this very important capital to BIPOC firms. There have been plenty of headlines and announcements made in response to the racial equity mandate, but no other organizations have made as meaningful of an impact as you three have. Making capital investments directly in BIPOC firms is crucial to funding their growth, especially in the affordable housing world." said Craig Livingston, Managing Partner at Exact Capital.

"We're pleased to support Exact Capital's efforts to expand access to affordable housing," said Roy Swan, Director of Mission Investments for the Ford Foundation. "TruFund has excelled at finding high potential firms in which to invest, and we look forward to seeing what Exact Capital's team achieves in the future."

"Morgan Stanley is proud to support Exact Capital Group through this investment and to help advance their growth and impact in building diverse, sustainable communities through affordable and mixed-income housing," said Joan Tally, Managing Director in Community Development Finance at Morgan Stanley.

The Impact Developers Fund has identified its first cohort and plans to make subsequent announcements shortly. It is anticipated that future rounds will expand to service more BIPOC developers across the country. TruFund Financial Services is actively raising additional capital to support this initiative. For more information about IDF please contact James H. Bason [email protected] or Andre A. Simon [email protected].

About TruFund Financial Services, Inc.

TruFund Financial Services, Inc. is a wholly independent national nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI). TruFund seeks to stimulate economic development in communities that are underserved by traditional banking institutions by providing fair and accessible capital, hands-on technical assistance, and innovative solutions to small businesses and nonprofit organization.

Follow TruFund on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter to find out more about the company's programs and initiatives or visit www.trufund.org.

About Exact Capital

Established in 2006, Exact Capital is a New York City headquartered real estate development company with projects primarily in New York City as well as New Jersey, and other parts of the East Coast, that primarily focuses on the acquisition, financing, development, and management of real estate. The team has over three decades of experience and is committed to developing real estate assets to their highest and best use, while honoring the distinctive characteristics of the communities it serves. It works with community members and both private and public sector institutions to add value to neighborhoods by transforming blighted structures, vacant lots, and other non-performing or underperforming real estate into value added assets.

About Morgan Stanley

Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) is a leading global financial services firm providing investment banking, securities, wealth management and investment management services. With offices in more than 41 countries, the Firm's employees serve clients worldwide including corporations, governments, institutions and individuals. For more information about Morgan Stanley, please visit www.morganstanley.com

About the Ford Foundation

The Ford Foundation is an independent, nonprofit grant-making organization. For more than 80 years it has worked with courageous people on the frontlines of social change worldwide, guided by its mission to strengthen democratic values, reduce poverty and injustice, promote international cooperation, and advance human achievement. With headquarters in New York, the foundation has offices in Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.

SOURCE TruFund Financial Services, Inc.

Related Links

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ROCKVILLE CENTRE, N.Y., Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Concierge Choice Physicians (CCP), the nation's leading full- service concierge medical service provider, today announced that David G. Patterson, DO, PC, a family physician at Flat Rock Physicians Family Medicine Specialists, has enrolled in the company's Hybrid Choice program - an enhanced service that gives patients peace of mind with greater connectivity between doctor and patient.

With CCP's Hybrid Choice, Dr. Patterson is able to provide patients the option to receive the highest level of support and service, including medical advocacy and round-the-clock availability, or to continue as a patient in his traditional practice. Unlike traditional concierge programs, no patients are dismissed from the practice. The program is simply an option for those who want to be assured that the physician who knows them and their health history will be managing their healthcare needs.

"This has been a difficult time in healthcare," says Dr. Patterson. "Many of my patients have been dealing with the stress of the pandemic in addition to general health concerns, and it's very important to their peace of mind to know the doctor they trust, the one they have a relationship with, will be available to them, offering sound advice and managing their health needs. This program gives them that peace of mind."

Family physicians have been under increasing pressure for years, and the COVID-19 crisis has added even more stress. For physicians like Dr. Patterson, CCP's Hybrid Choice is a good solution. Patients get the kind of personalized care that has become challenging for doctors in high-need areas to deliver. At the same time, doctors are able to maintain their traditional practiceseeing all the families in their practice and continuing to accept insurance planswhile also adding a much needed new, private revenue source. As an annual fee, this revenue source exists outside of patient visits, relieving financial pressure on physicians and stabilizing medical practices.

Benefits of the Hybrid Choice include: longer, more relaxed appointments that are easier to secure, greater support and medical advocacy with other health professionals, easier ways to connect to a staff member during office hours and directly to Dr. Patterson after hours for medical concerns, and the ability to participate in an old-school style of medicine, where physicians and patients spend time on preventive wellness, with a strong relationship based on trust. Dr. Patterson is also offering members exclusive discounts on aesthetic services and nutraceuticals sold in office.

"I'm truly overwhelmed by the positive feedback I've received from my patients, and I'm looking forward to practicing this highly personalized style of medicine and guiding my patients toward better long-term health and wellness."

For more information on Dr. Patterson's Hybrid Choice program, patients can call (877) 888-5590 or email [email protected].

About Dr. David G. Patterson, DO, PC

Dr. David Patterson is a 1994 graduate of the Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine. He has served as the Chair of Family Medicine at Beaumont, Trenton Hospital and as a Clinical Instructor at MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine. He is a member of the Flat Rock Rotary. Dr. Patterson is Board Certified in Family Medicine by the ABOFP.

About Concierge Choice Physicians (CCP)Dedicated to providing real options for patients and physicians, Concierge Choice Physicians is the largest private provider of the full range of concierge programs available todayHybrid and FullFlex. The company provides innovative, flexible and affordable models proven to work in medical practices of any sizefrom solo physicians to large medical practice corporationsboth independent and affiliated with hospitals or health systems. Headquartered in Rockville Centre, NY, the company has worked with more than 500 physicians in 26 states. For more information, please visit www.choice.md.

SOURCE Concierge Choice Physicians
NEW YORK, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Freshly Inc., the leading fresh-prepared meal delivery service in the U.S., today announced that Anna Fabrega, Freshly's Chief Commercialization Officer, has been named CEO effective today. The appointment comes as Mike Wystrach, Freshly Founder and CEO, has decided to step down from his position and transition to an advisory role to the Freshly Board.

"From small beginnings hand-delivering meals to consumers, to building standard-setting technology and a nationwide network that delivers more than one million meals per week and helps make eating healthy easier and more convenient for people across the country, it's been an incredible journey to lead this team," said Wystrach. "It's never an easy decision to move on from something you've built from the ground up, but I'm excited to take my passion for creating new innovations for consumers on to my next chapter, and I look forward to seeing Anna lead the Freshly business to new heights."

Fabrega joined Freshly in January as Chief Commercialization Officer to lead Marketing, Brand, Menu Development, Customer Experience and Sales. Originally from Panama, Fabrega brings deep experience across the food, retail and e-commerce industries. She previously held leadership positions at the convenience store chain Stripes (acquired by 7-Eleven), Microsoft, and Amazon. At Amazon, Fabrega led the Amazon Go Just Walk Out brick-and-mortar stores and Amazon Kitchen private label fresh foods businesses.

"I am honored and excited to lead Freshly into the future as I believe deeply in our mission to break down the barriers to healthy eating. Mike has built a tremendous organization here and I'm grateful to him for all we've accomplished so far," said Fabrega.

Fabrega will report to Steve Presley, Chairman & CEO of Nestle USA, which acquired Freshly in 2020.

Media Contact:

Dana Stambaugh Tel: +1 571 457 3803 [email protected]

SOURCE Freshly Inc.
BULVERDE, Texas, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Futurex , a leader in hardened, enterprise-class data security solutions, today announced support for Google Cloud External Key Manager (EKM), giving customers more control over encryption keys. Google Cloud EKM gives users full separation between their data and encryption keys, enabling users to create, store, and manage their encryption keys in a third-party key management service (KMS)  such as Futurex's key management servers (KMES) . Users can turn to Futurex KMES Series 3 , a FIPS 140-2 Level 3-validated key management enterprise server, or Futurex's VirtuCrypt cloud service to handle all cryptographic key lifecycle management to maximize data security, privacy, and compliance.

"We continue to add security and flexibility for Google Cloud users, giving them full control of the location, distribution, and access of their externally-managed keys," said Bahul Harikumar, Head of Infrastructure Security Partnerships at Google Cloud. "Google Cloud EKM and Futurex give users more security options and more control."

Futurex's robust key management platform is globally available and highly scalable, providing a versatile, external key service using fully-validated HSM and cloud technology. In addition to solutions for Google Cloud External Key Manager, Futurex's KMES Series 3 offers:

Cloud key management

Data protection

Public key infrastructure (PKI)

Certificate Authority (CA)

Code signing

Vaultless tokenization

Integration with numerous 3rd-party applications and services

"Google Cloud's commitment to encryption is evidenced by its support for external key management partners and we are thrilled to support Google Cloud EKM with our FIPS 140-2 Level 3-validated systems," said Ryan Smith, vice president, global business development, at Futurex. "Futurex's centralized encryption makes everything easier by fulfilling multiple key management use cases in a single platform."

Futurex's Google Cloud EKM can be deployed via Futurex on-premises key management servers, Futurex's VirtuCrypt Cloud, or an on-premises/cloud hybrid. For more information on Futurex's support for Google Cloud EKM, visit futurex.com . Google Cloud will be showcasing its Cloud EKM at its Google Cloud Next '21 conference , taking place October 12-14, 2021.

About Futurex

For more than 40 years, Futurex has been a trusted provider of hardened, enterprise-class data security solutions. More than 15,000 organizations worldwide, including financial services providers and corporate enterprises, have used Futurex's innovative hardware security modules, key management servers, and enterprise-class cloud solutions to address their mission-critical systems, data security, and cryptographic needs. This includes the secure encryption, storage, transmission, and certification of sensitive data. For more information, please visit futurex.com .

SOURCE Futurex
MACON, Ga., Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation presented 20 awards recognizing the best of preservation in Georgia during its 44th annual Preservation Awards ceremony in Macon.

The David T. Howard Middle School in Atlanta received the Marguerite Williams Award for Excellence in Rehabilitation, presented annually to the project that has had the greatest impact on preservation in the state.

The David T. Howard Middle School in Atlanta was recognized for the rehabilitation of its 1923 school building, bringing it back into use for the education of students in the Old Fourth Ward neighborhood more than 40 years after its closure in 1976. For years, the possibility of demolition loomed over the structure. Howard Middle School serves as proof that preservation of significant historic resources can always be achieved, allowing tangible connections to the past to inspire new generations.

Zion Episcopal Church in Talbotton, Ga., a former Georgia Trust Place in Peril, received the Chairman's Award for Excellence in Restoration, presented by the chairman of the Georgia Trust to a person or project of great preservation significance.

The East Annex and Hancock Branch Library in Milledgeville, Ga. received the Michael L. Starr Award, presented to a project that best exemplifies the highest standards of historic rehabilitation and has a significant impact on the downtown of the city in which it is located.



The Trust presented the Mary Gregory Jewett Award for Lifetime Preservation Service to Erick D. Montgomery, executive director of Historic Augusta, Inc. The Camille W. Yow Volunteer of the Year Award was given to James Newberry and Jesse Grainger of Atlanta. Former Mayor Phil Best of Dublin received the Senator George Hooks Award, which recognizes excellence in public leadership.

The Trust also presented two awards for Excellence in Restoration, eight awards for Excellence in Rehabilitation, three awards for Excellence in Sustainable Rehabilitation, and one award for Excellence in Stewardship.

Excellence in Restoration winners were the Rock Eagle 4-H Center Chapel in Eatonton, Ga. and Barnwell Chapel at Berry College in Mount Berry, Ga.

Excellence in Rehabilitation winners were: Neighborhood Church, Atlanta; R.C. Henry Building, Dublin; Mercer Music at Capricorn, Macon; Terrell Hall at Georgia College and State University, Milledgeville; Elizabeth Mirault House, Savannah; Plant Riverside Power Plant, Savannah; West Broad, Savannah; and Waynesboro Elementary School, Waynesboro.

Excellence in Sustainable Rehabilitation winners were Brumby Hall at the University of Georgia, Athens; Price Gilbert Memorial Library at Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta; and Wayfarer Music Hall, Monroe.

The Lapham-Patterson House in Thomasville, owned by the State of Georgia and operated by the Thomasville History Center, received an Excellence in Stewardship Award.

"This year's winners represent a tremendous dedication to restoring and revitalizing Georgia's historic buildings and communities," said Mark C. McDonald, president of The Georgia Trust. "We are proud to honor such deserving projects and individuals."

For more than 40 years, the Trust has recognized preservation projects and individuals throughout Georgia who have made significant contributions to the field of historic preservation. Awards are presented on the basis of the contributions of the person or project to the community and/or state and on compliance with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.



Founded in 1973, the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation is one of the country's leading statewide, nonprofit preservation organizations. The Trust works for the preservation and revitalization of Georgia's diverse historic resources and advocates their appreciation, protection and use.

The Georgia Trust generates community revitalization by finding buyers for endangered properties acquired by its Revolving Fund and raises awareness of other endangered historic resources through an annual listing of Georgia's "Places in Peril." The Trust recognizes preservation projects and individuals with its annual Preservation Awards and honors students and young professionals with the Neel Reid Prize and Liz Lyon Fellowship. The Trust offers a variety of educational programs for adults and children, provides technical assistance to property owners and historic communities, advocates for funding, tax incentives and other laws aiding preservation efforts, and manages two house museums in Atlanta (Rhodes Hall) and Macon (Hay House).

To learn more about the Georgia Trust and the Preservation Awards, visit www.georgiatrust.org.

EDITOR'S NOTE: More details about each award winner, including hi-res images, can be found at https://www.georgiatrust.org/our-programs/preservation-awards/#awards. Hi-res images of the recipients at the awards ceremony are also available. Contact Traci Clark at [email protected] or 404-885-7802.

Contact:

Traci Clark

Sr. Director of Communications

404-885-7802

[email protected]

SOURCE The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation

Related Links

http://www.georgiatrust.org


NEW YORK, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Global Net Lease, Inc. (NYSE: GNL) ("GNL" or the "Company") announced today that on October 5, 2021, the Company closed on the acquisition of a 90,000 square foot training and development center (the "Walmart Learning Center") in Bentonville, Arkansas that is leased to Walmart, Inc. ("Walmart"). The Walmart Learning Center serves as the primary digital and onsite training and development facility for Walmart associates located in the United States and around the world. The property was acquired for a contract purchase price of $40.6 million, excluding closing costs, and has seven years of remaining lease term. Additionally, on October 8, 2021, the Company closed on the acquisition of two industrial properties leased to Pilot Point Steel for a contract purchase price of $14.2 million. Including both acquisitions closed in October, year to date, GNL has closed on nine properties for a contract purchase price of $381 million1 at a going-in capitalization rate2 of 8.73%, a weighted-average capitalization rate of 9.74%, and a weighted average remaining lease term of 16.9 years at closing.

"We are very pleased to add Walmart, the number one company on the 2021 Fortune 500 list and rated AA by Standard & Poor's, to our tenant roster. The brand-new, open-concept training center we acquired is part of the company's new headquarters campus and includes annual rent escalations during the long-term lease," said James Nelson, CEO of GNL. "Walmart has invested heavily in their ongoing digital transformation and the Walmart Learning Center has been built out with cutting edge audio and visual capabilities to facilitate simultaneous training for Walmart's associates across the globe. GNL's portfolio and reputation as a premier real estate partner for global brands is further enhanced by this acquisition."

About Global Net Lease, Inc.

Global Net Lease, Inc. (NYSE: GNL) is a publicly traded real estate investment trust listed on the NYSE focused on acquiring a diversified global portfolio of commercial properties, with an emphasis on sale-leaseback transactions involving single tenant, mission critical income producing net-leased assets across the United States, Western and Northern Europe. Additional information about GNL can be found on its website at www.globalnetlease.com.

Important Notice

The statements in this press release that are not historical facts may be forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or events to be materially different. The words "anticipates," "believes," "expects," "estimates," "projects," "plans," "intends," "may," "will," "would" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside of the Company's control, which could cause actual results to differ materially from the results contemplated by the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include the potential adverse effects of the ongoing global coronavirus pandemic, including actions taken to contain or treat the coronavirus, on the Company, the Company's tenants and the global economy and financial markets as well as those risks and uncertainties set forth in the Risk Factors section of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020 filed on February 26, 2021, and all other filings with the SEC after that date, as such risks, uncertainties and other important factors may be updated from time to time in the Company's subsequent reports. Further, forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement to reflect changed assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events or changes to future operating results, unless required to do so by law.

Based on prevailing exchange rates on date of closing Going-in capitalization rate is a rate of return on a real estate investment property based on the expected, cash rental income that the property will generate under its existing lease during the first year of the lease. Going-in capitalization rate is calculated by dividing the cash rental income the property will generate during the first year of the lease (before debt service and depreciation and after fixed costs and variable costs) and the purchase price of the property. The weighted average going-in capitalization rate is based upon square feet of the date of acquisition.

Contacts:

Investors and Media:

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (212) 415-6510



SOURCE Global Net Lease, Inc.
VANCOUVER, BC, Oct. 12, 2021 TSX Venture Exchange (TSX-V): GRG

Frankfurt Stock Exchange (FSE): G6A

OTCQB Venture Market (OTCQB): GARWF

/PRNewswire/ - Golden Arrow Resources Corporation (TSXV: GRG) (FSE: G6A) (OTCQB: GARWF), ("Golden Arrow" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has executed a definitive option agreement (the "Option") to acquire a 75% undivided interest the Libanesa project ("Libanesa") in Santa Cruz province, Argentina.

Libanesa is a 14,500-hectare silver-gold (lead) project located at the north eastern margin of the Deseado Massif Gold-Silver metallogenic province, approximately 70 km west from the port of Puerto Deseado, 40 km northwest of the Cerro Moro Mine operated by Yamana Gold and 100 km northeast of the Don Nicolas mine operated by Cerrado Gold. Figure 1: Libanesa location in Santa Cruz Province. Libanesa hosts several diversified geological, geochemical and geophysical supported targets and is permitted for drilling.

"Our team is eager to move forward on this highly prospective project and we are finalizing the field programs to quickly and efficiently advance the targets towards discovery," commented Joseph Grosso, Golden Arrow's Executive Chairman, President and CEO.

Golden Arrow is planning to mobilize an exploration team to Santa Cruz this month. The initial plan is to complete additional surface work which may include geophysical surveying, with the intent of refining the targets for a drill program to start in the first quarter of 2022.

Project Highlights

Cerro Plomo is the principal prospect and is characterized by a well mineralized Au/Ag hydrothermal breccia that is exposed at surface and supported by both chargeability and resistivity geophysical anomalies at depth. Peripheral polymetallic veins at the Libanesa Main prospect represent secondary targets and are supported by strong base metal +/- Au mineralization. The Lagunita prospect is a third prospective zone, which has reported some encouraging rock chip Au values from more typical low sulfidation type epithermal veins and breccias. This prospect will require additional surface exploration to vector into the potentially better mineralized parts of this extensive vein system, where intermittent vein occurrences, outcropping/subcropping through post mineral cover, have been mapped over a strike length of at least 2.3 km. (see News Release June 1st, 2021 for a summary on previous work completed at Libanesa).

Summary of Terms

Mirasol Resources Ltd. ("Mirasol") has granted Golden Arrow an option to earn a 75% interest in Libanesa over six years (the "Option Period") by:

incurring exploration expenditures totaling US$4,000 ,000

,000 US$500,000 per year during the first 2 years; and

per year during the first 2 years; and

US$750,000 per year thereafter

per year thereafter making cash payments to Mirasol totaling US$1,000,000

US$100,000 to be paid on the 2 nd , 3 rd and 4 th anniversaries.

to be paid on the 2 , 3 and 4 anniversaries.

US$250,000 on the 5 th anniversary; and

on the 5 anniversary; and

US$450,000 on the 6th anniversary.

The initial US$500,000 in exploration expenditures is a firm commitment, but it may be incurred over 24 months instead of 12 months, if all permits required for exploration are not in place by the end of March 2022. In addition, Golden Arrow is required to complete a minimum of 2,000m of drilling by the end of the second year. Golden Arrow will be the operator during the Option Period.

Upon completion of the Option, Mirasol and Golden Arrow will hold 25% and 75%, respectively, in a participating JV company holding Libanesa. If either party's equity interest is diluted below 10%, it will convert to a 2% net smelter return royalty.

Qualified Persons

The technical portions of this news release have been reviewed and approved by Brian McEwen, P.Geol., VP Exploration and Development to the Company and a Qualified Person as defined in National Instrument 43-101.

About Golden Arrow:

Golden Arrow Resources Corporation is a mining exploration company with a successful track record of creating value by making precious and base metal discoveries and advancing them into exceptional deposits. The Company is well leveraged to the price of gold, having monetized its Chinchillas silver discovery into a significant holding in precious metals producer SSR Mining Inc.

Golden Arrow is actively exploring a portfolio that includes an epithermal gold project in Argentina, a districtscale frontier gold opportunity in Paraguay, a base-metal project in the heart of a leading mining district in Chile and more than 180,000 hectares of properties in Argentina.

The Company is a member of the Grosso Group, a resource management group that has pioneered exploration in Argentina since 1993.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

"Joseph Grosso"

_________________________________

Mr. Joseph Grosso,

Executive Chairman, President and CEO

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and therefore involve inherent risks and uncertainties. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, that address activities, events or developments the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future, including, without limitation, statements about the Company's plans for its mineral properties; the Company's business strategy, plans and outlooks; the future financial or operating performance of the Company; and future exploration and operating plans are forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause the actual results of the Company to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements and, even if such actual results are realized or substantially realized, there can be no assurance that they will have the expected consequences to, or effects on, the Company. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things: the impact of COVID-19; risks and uncertainties related to the ability to obtain, amend, or maintain licenses, permits, or surface rights; risks associated with technical difficulties in connection with mining activities; and the possibility that future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements. Readers are encouraged to refer to the Company's public disclosure documents for a more detailed discussion of factors that may impact expected future results. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, unless required pursuant to applicable laws.

SOURCE Golden Arrow Resources Corporation
SUNNYVALE, Calif., Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Google Cloud today announced a new partnership initiative with leading data and application providers that will help global businesses and governments accelerate sustainability programs, inform decisions on future growth, and better understand the impacts of climate change.

Through this new program, leading sustainability-focused companies CARTO, Climate Engine, Geotab, NGIS, and Planet are bringing their core applicationsand more than 50 petabytes of satellite imagery, demographics, mobility, and telematics datato Google Cloud. This will enable customers to not only deploy these new solutions at global scale on the industry's cleanest cloud, but also help them accelerate their sustainability initiatives with partner data using Google's BigQuery, machine learning (ML), and Earth Engine products:

CARTO's Spatial Extension for BigQuery enhances BigQuery with spatial data, analysis, and visualization. With CARTO, customers can leverage data from Google Earth Engine, perform Spatial ML with Vertex AI, and overlay all that in rich 2D or 3D using the open-source data visualization library, deck.gl, and Google Maps Platform's Maps JavaScript API. CARTO's extensive location data catalog is natively available in BigQuery, so customers can access pre-processed spatial data without needing to extract, transform, or load it, or to perform complex spatial transformations for analysis.





Spatial Extension for BigQuery enhances BigQuery with spatial data, analysis, and visualization. With CARTO, customers can leverage data from Google Earth Engine, perform Spatial ML with Vertex AI, and overlay all that in rich 2D or 3D using the open-source data visualization library, deck.gl, and Google Maps Platform's Maps JavaScript API. CARTO's is natively available in BigQuery, so customers can access pre-processed spatial data without needing to extract, transform, or load it, or to perform complex spatial transformations for analysis. Climate Engine delivers actionable earth insights to customers to help them solve some of their biggest climate risks. Climate Engine will bring its datasets on water use, agriculture, storm risk, and wildfire spread to Google Cloud, helping organizations such as financial services institutions, consumer packaged goods companies, manufacturers, and governments better plan for the risks brought on by climate change.





delivers actionable earth insights to customers to help them solve some of their biggest climate risks. Climate Engine will bring its datasets on water use, agriculture, storm risk, and wildfire spread to Google Cloud, helping organizations such as financial services institutions, consumer packaged goods companies, manufacturers, and governments better plan for the risks brought on by climate change. Geotab's fleet telematics application, MyGeotab , helps companies and organizations manage vehicle fleets more efficiently and accelerates their shift to electric vehicles through the use of data. Processing more than 40 billion data points every day from millions of connected vehicles around the world, Geotab's transportation analytics platform, Altitude, provides access to comprehensive traffic insights to enable governments and businesses alike to make data-driven decisions to help support sustainable community development.





fleet telematics application, , helps companies and organizations manage vehicle fleets more efficiently and accelerates their shift to electric vehicles through the use of data. Processing more than 40 billion data points every day from millions of connected vehicles around the world, Geotab's transportation analytics platform, Altitude, provides access to comprehensive traffic insights to enable governments and businesses alike to make data-driven decisions to help support sustainable community development. NGIS' platform, TraceMark, maps and monitors sustainability in global supply chains. Through satellite imagery and mapping, TraceMark enables organisations to take a data-driven approach to global supply chain sustainability, delivering transparency and traceability to enable organizations to address their climate commitments.





platform, TraceMark, maps and monitors sustainability in global supply chains. Through satellite imagery and mapping, TraceMark enables organisations to take a data-driven approach to global supply chain sustainability, delivering transparency and traceability to enable organizations to address their climate commitments. Planet's daily imaging of planet earth (PlanetScope) as well as its high-resolution, tasked satellite imagery (SkySat) enables fast, global access of this data to businesses and governments. This ever-growing set of satellite images can also be directly integrated into existing and future Google Cloud solutions, crossing multiple industries where the impacts of climate change may be felt, such as supply-chain-reliant organizations, agricultural businesses, and more.

In addition, Planet, Climate Engine, and NGIS will integrate growing datasets on topics like water availability, agriculture, weather risks, daily satellite imagery, and more into Google Earth Engine and Google BigQuery, providing customers with a more comprehensive view of our changing planet and enabling them to ensure their businesses are operating in sustainable ways.

"We are committed to helping customers meet and exceed their sustainability goals with the industry's cleanest cloud and through solutions that will help customers across industries make more data- and sustainability-driven decisions," said Kevin Ichhpurani, Corporate Vice President, Global Ecosystem at Google Cloud. "These partnerships will help businesses and governments take action and accelerate their sustainability initiatives. We're proud to work with these leaders and to support customers on their sustainability journeys."

This initiative expands upon other environmentally focused products and services launching at Google Cloud Next, including Carbon Footprint Reporting , a new partnership with Salesforce's Sustainability Cloud, updates to the Active Assist Recommender service, and an enterprise-grade preview of Earth Engine for Google Cloud customers. Learn more about these announcements here .

Customers can access partner solutions today via the Google Cloud Marketplace or through a Google Cloud or partner representative. Learn more about Google Earth Engine here .

Supporting quotes:

"Geography is fundamental to the study of sustainability, but the industry's current knowledge of it is very limited. Organizations, both public and private, will need better data and analysis to help them adapt their processes quickly," said Luis Sanz, CEO at CARTO. "CARTO's spatial analytics platform brings together the best of Google's geo partner ecosystem and the power of BigQuery, to provide the data, computing scalability and interoperability required to tackle some of the world's most challenging sustainability problems."

"The planet is changing at unprecedented rates. Building a more sustainable future depends on our ability to understand, predict, and react to these changes," said Jamie Herring, Ph.D., CEO at Climate Engine. "Google Cloud's unparalleled computing capacity for geospatial data available through Earth Engine allows us to leverage the wealth of data we have about the planet and convert it into actionable insights for companies and governments."

"At Geotab, we believe it is our collective responsibility to leave the world a better place than how we found it," said Neil Cawse, CEO at Geotab. "Whether it is providing cutting-edge technology that better enables an electric vehicle future or ensuring companies around the world are able to benefit from technology that helps them run their businesses better, Geotab is passionate about working together to make a difference."

"NGIS is thrilled to work with Google Cloud and its partners to enable business accountability for sustainable practices at all levels of their supply chain. Google Earth Engine provides unique geospatial capability that enables our global approach to accelerate these initiatives, giving leaders visibility and control over their environmental footprint and that of their suppliers in a way that was not previously possible," said Nathan Eaton, Executive Director, NGIS.

"The challenge of our age is the environment and achieving sustainability," said Will Marshall, CEO at Planet. "Planet's universal dataset and Google Cloud's scalable computing power will enable businesses and governments globally to achieve their sustainability goals."

About Google Cloud

Google Cloud accelerates organizations' ability to digitally transform their business with the best infrastructure, platform, industry solutions and expertise. We deliver enterprise-grade solutions that leverage Google's cutting-edge technology  all on the cleanest cloud in the industry. Customers in more than 200 countries and territories turn to Google Cloud as their trusted partner to enable growth and solve their most critical business problems.

SOURCE Google Cloud
SUNNYVALE, Calif., Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today at Next '21 , Google announced its new Work Safer offering designed to help organizations, their employees, and partners collaborate and communicate securely and privately in today's hybrid work environment. The program is built to meet the needs of all organizations, including small businesses, enterprises and public sector institutions, many of which rely on legacy technology and often lack the expertise to fully address the rising security challenges associated with hybrid work.

The number and types of cybersecurity threats continues to increase. In fact, in the first half of 2021, Accenture Security found that there's been a triple digit increase in cyberattacks. With the rise of hybrid work, the risk is only accelerating with more users accessing more systems, from more devices, in more locations beyond the bounds of corporate offices.

Google's Work Safer provides companies with access to best-in-class security for email, meetings, messages, documents, and more. It uniquely brings together the cloud-native, zero-trust solutions of Google Workspace with BeyondCorp Enterprise for secure access with integrated threat and data protection. For customers who want secure devices, Work Safer includes Pixel phones managed with Android Enterprise, Chrome Enterprise Upgrade, and HP Chromebooks. Customers can also leverage Google's Titan Security Keys for account protection, reCAPTCHA Enterprise for website fraud prevention, Chronicle for security analytics, and a variety of migration services for a seamless transition.

In addition, Google is extending Work Safer by bringing powerful services from an ecosystem of cybersecurity partners into the offering. Launch partners CrowdStrike and Palo Alto Networks will provide endpoint protection and network protection, respectively. By combining these services into an offering, Google takes the guesswork out of purchasing a comprehensive and secure solution and makes it easier for any organization to achieve a stronger security posture quickly, especially those without in-house expertise.

"As daily headlines attest, threats are increasing and vulnerabilities in older communication and collaboration systems continue to be exploited," said Sunil Potti, Vice President and General Manager of Google Cloud Security. "Legacy productivity tools designed in the PC era were not architected for the new reality of real-time collaboration across a hybrid, highly-distributed and mobile-first workforce. With Work Safer, every small business, enterprise and public sector institution can have access to the cutting edge security protections to make hybrid work safer."

"Businesses are in a cybersecurity arms race against adversaries. Organizations must employ cloud-first, scalable, effective security solutions that protect workloads from pervasive sophisticated threats regardless if they are on-premises or in the cloud," said George Kurtz, CEO of CrowdStrike. "Our strategic partnership with Google is about delivering defense-in-depth, cloud-first security that identifies and remediates threats before they become breaches. Pairing the CrowdStrike Falcon platform that leverages cloud-scale AI for real-time protection and visibility across organizations with Google Workspace's architecture provides a natural fit for any organization implementing Zero Trust. Work Safer brings it all together, making modern security accessible to every business."



"As organizations' reliance on technology grows to meet the needs of the hybrid workforce, so does their attack surface. Adversaries are brazenly taking advantage at scale, making the security of the collaboration tools they depend on critical," said Nikesh Arora, chairman and CEO, Palo Alto Networks. "Our longstanding strategic partnership with Google centers on delivering integrated best-in-class security solutions that proactively protect customers in this evolving threat landscape. By providing Workspace users with secure access, enhanced visibility, automated detection and response, and data loss prevention, we help enterprises and governments simply and securely move their workforces into the cloud-enabled future."

Google is committed to doing more to help our collective cybersecurity. As part of this work, today, Google also announced the Google Cybersecurity Action Team with the mission of supporting the security and digital transformation of governments, critical infrastructure, enterprises, and small businesses. The team, comprised of experts from across the company, will deliver proven blueprints, customer and engineering solutions, and programs for deploying Google technologies like those offered with Work Safer to help solve organizations' most pressing security challenges. Today's news builds on Google's August announcement where it committed $10 billion over the next five years to strengthen cybersecurity. That investment included expanding the zero-trust programs Google pioneered, helping secure the software supply chain, and enhancing open source security.

Learn more about Google's Work Safer program .

Additional Resources

Keep up with the latest Google Cloud news on our newsroom and blog .

and . https://workspace.google.com/lp/work-safer/

About Google Cloud

Google Cloud accelerates organizations' ability to digitally transform their business with the best infrastructure, platform, industry solutions and expertise. We deliver enterprise-grade cloud solutions that leverage Google's cutting-edge technology to help companies operate more efficiently and adapt to changing needs, giving customers a foundation for the future. Customers in more than 200 countries and territories turn to Google Cloud as their trusted partner to solve their most critical business problems.

SOURCE Google Inc.
CHICAGO, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Halo Investing ("Halo"), an award-winning platform for protective investments, announced today that it has raised over US$ 100 million in Series C funding. The latest fundraising round was led by Owl Capital and included the Mubadala-backed US$ 1 billion fund managed by Abu Dhabi Catalyst Partners, in addition to existing investors Allianz Life Ventures and William Blair. Halo, which has raised US$ 120 million to date, will use the proceeds to continue to expand, disrupt, and democratize access to innovative protective investment options that can increase savings and investment returns for individuals.

For the first time, Halo enables financial advisors to add structured notes, annuities, and buffered ETFs to client portfolios, giving investors simplified access and transparency to investments that bridge the risk gap between stocks and bonds. In the past, these investments were only available to high-net-worth individuals. By providing investors with low-cost and effective protective investment options through advanced technology, Halo grew by 550% in 2020, making it one of the world's top FinTechs according to Fast Company.

"We are building a one-of-a-kind technology platform to level the playing field for investors," said Biju Kulathakal, Co-Founder & CEO of Halo. "Individuals are living longer and continue to struggle with saving enough for retirement. Our platform provides easy and transparent access to investment solutions that can help solve this savings crisis. The future of investing is outcome-based. We are proud of the impact we are making in helping individuals secure their financial futures."

Halo plans to invest in new markets, enter into more distribution channels, expand into new asset classes, and further disrupt protective investing. Through its award-winning technology, Halo is lowering investment minimums, increasing access, and making protective investing more efficient, scalable, and transparent for all.

"We are committed to closing the wealth gap by giving individuals access to innovative investments to help them achieve their financial goals." said Jason Barsema, Co-Founder & President of Halo. "Halo enables investors to target and achieve a level of certainty in their portfolios with the added benefit of downside investment protection. With the support of our latest funders, we are expanding our global footprint and broadening access to all defined-outcome products. We have a radical new vision to change the way the world invests and have very ambitious goals to support everyday investors and their financial advisors."

Halo has achieved a significant number of milestones over the past 24 months, including onboarding more than 40 global banks and carriers.

"Halo is at the forefront of protective investing, enabling individuals to benefit from investments that haven't been accessible to the masses  until now," said Abhinav Tiwari, General Partner, Owl Capital. "We are excited to partner with Biju and Jason to support their explosive growth and vision in making investing more inclusive by democratizing structured notes, one of the last areas of investing that hasn't been disrupted."

Abu Dhabi Catalyst Partners, one of the investors in Halo's Series C round, was established in 2019 as a joint venture between Mubadala Investment Company and Falcon Edge Capital to partner with businesses that would benefit from establishing a strategic presence at Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM). As a result of Abu Dhabi Catalyst Partners' investment, Halo will open an office at ADGM to drive the growth of its international footprint in the protective investing landscape.

James Munce, Chief Executive Officer of Abu Dhabi Catalyst Partners said, "We are proud to partner with Halo and support its international growth from ADGM, which has attracted a strong and growing base of global capital markets companies. Our investment in Halo is another example of our commitment to partnering with businesses that will fundamentally disrupt their respective industries and strive to create more efficient markets."

"Halo's independent platform enables advisors to help individuals effectively manage risk and generate guaranteed income in retirement," said Jasmine Jirele, President and CEO of Allianz Life. "We are pleased to partner with Halo and play a key role in their expansion."

About Halo Investing

Halo Investing is an award-winning technology platform for protective investment solutions. Headquartered in Chicago, with offices in Abu Dhabi, Zurich, Dubai, and Singapore, Halo was co-founded by Biju Kulathakal and Jason Barsema in 2015 with a mission that focuses on putting "impact before profits," providing access to impactful investment opportunities previously unavailable to most investors. Through the Halo platform, financial advisors and investors can easily access structured notes, market-linked CDs, buffered ETFs, and annuities, as well as a suite of tools to educate, analyze, customize, execute, and manage the most suitable protective investment product for their portfolios. Halo has received a growing number of honors and was recently named one of Fast Company's Ten Most Innovative Companies of 2021. For more information, please visit: http://www.haloinvesting.com

About Abu Dhabi Catalyst Partners

Abu Dhabi Catalyst Partners was established in April 2019 as a US$1 billion joint venture between Mubadala Investment Company and Falcon Edge Capital, a New York-based investment company. Abu Dhabi Catalyst Partners' investment mandate is to partner with top-tier investment firms and industry leading businesses that would benefit from developing a meaningful and sustainable presence in the ADGM. With a sector-agnostic investment strategy, the company seeks to contribute to the economic diversification of the Abu Dhabi economy and has entered into a range of strategic partnerships since inception. www.adcatalystpartners.com

Halo Investing is not a broker/dealer. Securities offered through Halo Securities LLC, a SEC Registered Broker/Dealer and member of FINRA/SIPC. Halo Securities LLC is affiliated with Halo Investing. Halo Securities LLC acts solely as distributor/selling agent and is not the guarantor of any structured note products.

Media Contacts:

For Halo Investing:

Joe LoBello

LoBello Communications

[email protected]

SOURCE Halo Investing
ANN ARBOR, Mich., Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Washtenaw Community College (WCC), Jackson State University (JSU), Mississippi Valley State University (MVSU) and Southern University at New Orleans (SUNO) today announced a partnership creating a pathway to success for students transferring associate degrees.

Announced ahead of National Transfer Student Week (Oct. 18-22), today's news marks the first comprehensive agreement  with benefits such as guaranteed admission and access to in-state tuition  between a Michigan two-year school and a Historically Black College & University (HBCU).

WCC's HBCU Pathway program guarantees admission, opens access to in-state tuition and scholarships, waives fees. Tweet this Washtenaw Community College is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Photo credit: JD Scott Photography

The Washtenaw Community College HBCU Pathway program creates opportunities for student success and transfer equity by providing a clear, direct, affordable and supportive pathway for community college students to attend HBCUs.

In addition to guaranteeing admission to JSU, MVSU and SUNO for WCC students who successfully complete requirements, the partnership opens access to in-state tuition and scholarships and waives application fees. The new initiative also provides student support and mentoring from staff, faculty and HBCU alumni, arranges college tours at HBCUs, and hosts community-building activities, monthly career workshops and a student leadership summit.

Transfer agreements with other HBCUs will soon be announced.

Representatives from JSU, MVSU and SUNO will discuss the partnership and transfer information during a panel session hosted by WCC next week during National Transfer Student Week. Current and prospective WCC students and families, as well as members of the community, are invited to register to attend the virtual session from 6-7:30 p.m. (EST) Wednesday, Oct. 20.

"Creating a pipeline for student success is essential to our mission, and it starts with access, nurturing students with big dreams and helping them realize the opportunities to further their education. Our new HBCU pathway is designed to support students from high school through community college and then through completion of their bachelor's degree," said WCC President Dr. Rose B. Bellanca. "We are excited to announce our first HBCU partnerships with Jackson State, Mississippi Valley State and Southern University in New Orleans."

The three HBCUs are rich in history with an extensive offering of undergraduate and graduate programs, including those in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

"Our new partnership with Washtenaw Community College will ensure that deserving students have a solid pathway to continue their education in a caring, encouraging environment that will enhance their skills in their chosen fields of interest," said JSU President Thomas K. Hudson, J.D. "I look forward to watching these students matriculate to obtain their bachelor's degrees and beyond."

Located in Jackson, Miss., JSU was originally founded in 1877 as a seminary and today has grown into a comprehensive urban research university offering a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs, including at the doctorate level.

"We here at MVSU are so excited to join in partnership with Washtenaw Community College. Having a pathway for students to transfer seamlessly between our institutions shows our mutual commitment to student success and further supports the importance of higher education achievement. We look forward to starting and building on this tremendous opportunity," said MVSU President Dr. Jerryl Briggs.

Located in Itta Bena, Miss., MVSU held its first classes in 1950, originally to train rural and elementary teachers and to provide vocational education, and now offers comprehensive undergraduate and graduate programs in education, the arts and sciences, and professional studies.

"We are excited to partner with Washtenaw Community College and also pleased to be one of the three HBCUs to create opportunities for student success," said Dr. James H. Ammons, Jr., SUNO Executive Vice President-Chancellor. "This is also a great way for Southern University at New Orleans to expand its footprint in the Michigan region. Students will have an impeccable transfer experience from WCC to SUNO to enroll in our undergraduate degree programs and also matriculate to our graduate programs."

Located in New Orleans, SUNO was founded as a branch unit of Southern University and Agricultural & Mechanical College in Baton Rouge in 1956 and offers undergraduate and graduate programs in the arts and sciences, business and public administration, education and human development, and social work.

One of the benefits of the new HBCU transfer pipeline is that it offers an attractive return on investment for college students and families. With a $2,280 average annual full-time in-district tuition, WCC already provides an affordable start to a college education.

"This is the perfect opportunity for me. Having the close-knit community and support services that both WCC and HBCUs offer for biology majors like myself is very important. I'm excited because I know HBCUs provide such a phenomenal impact on STEM students," said WCC's Alexia Easley, of Ypsilanti, Mich., who graduated from Ann Arbor's Pioneer High School in 2020.

DeVaughn Swanson knows the value of great opportunities an HBCU education provides. The former WCC student transferred to Morehouse College in Atlanta in 2008. He graduated from Morehouse in 2012 and is now a Detroit attorney and Ypsilanti pastor.

"WCC prepared me for Morehouse College by offering rigorous courses and practical student leadership opportunities. I think this partnership is a dynamic idea and further proves that WCC is committed to ensuring the future success of all WCC students. This partnership gives students interested in HBCUs something to look forward to and work toward. A person who has been educated at WCC and an HBCU is destined to make a positive impact on the world," Swanson said.

WCC's Office of Diversity and Inclusion led development of the alliance to provide additional pathways to success for the college's diverse student population and is planning high school outreach events to highlight the new HBCU agreements as well as programming and support for WCC students planning to transfer to an HBCU Partner.

For more information, please visit www.wccnet.edu/engage/diversity/hbcu-pathway.php or email [email protected].

About Washtenaw Community College

Washtenaw Community College (WCC), Ann Arbor, Mich., educates students through a wide range of associate and certificate programs in areas such as health care, business, STEM and advanced transportation and mobility. WCC offers accelerated and online programs and is ranked the number one community college in Michigan, according to schools.com. WCC is committed to student success, with nearly 70% of students intending to transfer to complete a bachelor degree. The college also works through community, business and union partnerships to develop highly specialized training programs to meet the region's workforce talent needs.

For more information about Washtenaw Community College, visit

www.wccnet.edu .

Headshots, campus photos available

SOURCE Washtenaw Community College

Related Links

http://www.wccnet.edu


CHICAGO, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In-depth analysis and data-driven insights on the impact of COVID-19 included in this global healthcare logistics market report.

The healthcare logistics market is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 7.8% during the period 20202026.

Key Highlights Offered in the Report:

The growing demand for pharmaceuticals and medical devices, increasing implementation of blockchain, AI, IoT, and other technological advancements in the healthcare industry, boosting demand in the global healthcare logistics market. North America region held the highest revenue share of 38.28% in 2020. The growing number of healthcare manufacturers and increasing 3PL collaborations in the region is driving the growth of the market. The global healthcare logistics market is fragmented and competitive with key players such as Deutsch Post DHL, AmerisourceBergen, CEVA Logistics, FedEx Corporation, Kuehne + Nagel, DB Schenker, and UPS have the maximum share. Due to the emerging demand for COVID-19 vaccines, PPE kits, ventilators, masks, gloves etc., COVID-19 acted as a catalyst for the global healthcare logistics market. Pharmacies are widely using logistics services for the procurement of medicinal products from the healthcare manufacturers. Thus, the pharmacy segment accounted for the highest share of 40.53% in 2020. Improvement in the healthcare logistics service portfolio such as emergence of home healthcare logistics and adoption of cold chain technology is also providing growth opportunities in the market.

Key Offerings:

Market Size & Forecast by Revenue | 20202026

Market Dynamics  Leading trends, growth drivers, restraints, and investment opportunities

Market Segmentation  A detailed analysis by product, functionality, end-user, and geography

Competitive Landscape  7 key vendors and 19 other vendors

Get your sample today! https://www.arizton.com/market-reports/healthcare-logistics-market-size-analysis

Healthcare Logistics Market  Segmentation

In 2020, the pharmaceuticals segment accounted for a revenue share of 59.71% in the global healthcare logistics market. Vaccines and medicines contribute to the sustainability of healthcare systems by generating higher savings by largely reducing costs in other areas of healthcare, such as hospital stays and long-term care costs.

In 2020, the transportation segment accounted for a share of 72.89% in the global healthcare logistics market. Several transportation modes are designed to carry freight or passengers from one place to another. Also, the transportation industry is among the largest employers in the world and vitally important to the global economies.

In 2020, the pharmacy segment accounted for a revenue share of 40.53% in the global healthcare logistics market. A pharmacy or a drugstore is a place where the medicines are dispensed or compounded. Pharmacists are responsible for the composition of the dosage forms of drugs, such as sterile solutions for injections, capsules, and tablets.

Healthcare Logistics Market by Product

Pharmaceuticals



Medical Devices

Healthcare Logistics Market by Functionality

Transportation



Warehousing



Others

Healthcare Logistics Market by End User

Pharmacy



Healthcare Facilities



Research & Diagnostic Laboratories



Others

Healthcare Logistics Market  Dynamics

With numerous waves of COVID-19 affecting several countries worldwide, the impact of the pandemic on economies and communities has been profound. The effects of the ongoing pandemic are predicted to continue for the next four to five years. The healthcare sector is at the center of the battle against COVID-19, and with the deployment of several COVID-19 vaccines, cold-chain logistics have emerged as a differentiation strategy for vendors in this fight. Currently, several COVID-19 vaccines have undergone phase 3 clinical trials, while many others have already been deployed. Also, the healthcare supply chain industry is transforming itself to meet the global critical demands for the COVID-19 vaccine. The huge demand and the ultra-cold temperatures required to store vaccines developed by Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE will provide an exceptional logistical challenge. However, many healthcare logistics players, such as Deutsche Post DHL, UPS, TNT, and FedEx Corporation, are prepared to overcome these challenges. For instance, some potential vaccines will require to be stored at very low temperatures, which plays to the strengths of big logistics providers.

Key Drivers and Trends fueling Market Growth:

Implementation of UDI

Emergence of Blockchain Technology in Healthcare

Advances in Supply Chain Technologies

Collaborations Between 3PL & Healthcare Providers

Healthcare Logistics Market  Geography

In 2020, North America accounted for the largest share in the global healthcare logistics market, mainly due to the presence of most healthcare suppliers in the region. High acceptance of healthcare logistics services, the prevalence of chronic disease, and the expanding geriatric population are some of the growth drivers for the North American market. In 2020, 8.1% of worldwide drug and medicine shipments originated from North America. The rising demand for vaccines and COVID-19-related products is accelerating the demand for cold supply chain in North America, which is a significant growth driver for the regional healthcare logistics market.

Get your sample today! https://www.arizton.com/market-reports/healthcare-logistics-market-size-analysis

Healthcare Logistics Market by Geography

North America



US





Canada



Europe



Germany





France





UK





Italy





Spain



APAC



China





Japan





India





Australia





South Korea



Latin America



Brazil





Mexico





Argentina



Middle East & Africa

&

Turkey





Saudi Arabia





South Africa

Major Vendors

AmeriSourceBergen Corporation

CEVA Logistics AG

FedEx Corporation

Kuehne + Nagel

DB Schenker

Deutsche Post DHL

United Parcel Service

Other Prominent Vendors

AWL India

Alloga

Bollore Logistics

Cardinal Health

C.H. Robinson

Cold Chain Technologies (CCT)

DSV Global Transport and Logistics

Farmasoft

Lufthansa Cargo

Maersk

Medline

Nippon Express Co. Ltd.

Owens & Minor

Oximio

PHOENIX group

group SEKO Logistics

Sinotrans Limited

XPO Logistics

ZirconMed

Explore our healthcare & lifesciences profile to know more about the industry.

Read some of the top-selling reports:

About Arizton:

Arizton Advisory and Intelligence is an innovation and quality-driven firm, which offers cutting-edge research solutions to clients across the world. We excel in providing comprehensive market intelligence reports and advisory and consulting services.

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.

Arizton comprises a team of exuberant and well-experienced analysts who have mastered in generating incisive reports. Our specialist analysts possess exemplary skills in market research. We train our team in advanced research practices, techniques, and ethics to outperform in fabricating impregnable research reports.

Mail: [email protected]

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SOURCE Arizton Advisory & Intelligence
In this new role, Eli will lead the creation and implementation of digital strategies that improve HGC's ability to respond rapidly and with innovation to market changes. He will also focus on leveraging digital technologies to enhance the HGC customer journey. In addition, Eli will continue to oversee the Software & Systems team to help HGC attract customers and support them with customized solutions.

An ICT industry veteran with more than three decades of experience, Eli has expertise in software development, enterprise networking, information security and data center virtualization and orchestration. He joined HGC in 2019 when the Group acquired Macroview Telecom, a leading Hong Kong-based provider of digital technology solutions. Eli had served at Macroview for 27 years, most recently as Chief Information Officer, where he focused on driving digital transformation for the company and for corporate clients across the financial services, retail, telecommunications and government sectors.

Andrew Kwok, Chief Executive Officer of HGC, said, "As the world enters a new era of digitalization, HGC will continue to expand our digital capabilities, riding on our full-fledged digital infrastructure, to help our business thrive and to ensure that our customers can benefit from the best that modern ICT can offer. Combining expertise in new technologies with extensive experience in software and systems and a customer-centric approach, Eli is the ideal leader to spearhead our efforts and foster our agility."

Eli Ngai, Chief Information Officer of HGC, said, "A key challenge in any digital transformation journey is how to realize the value stream in collaboration with all the various stakeholders. This is more about business strategy than information technology, and it is why HGC always puts the customer at the center and keeps the focus on delivering value to them faster and more efficiently. I am delighted to be part of strengthening HGC's digital capabilities and helping HGC and our customers capture the opportunities ahead."

About HGC Global Communications Limited

HGC Global Communications Limited (HGC) is a leading Hong Kong and international telecom operator and ICT solution provider. The company owns an extensive network and infrastructure in Hong Kong and overseas and provides various kinds of services. HGC has 23 overseas offices, with business over 5 continents. It provides telecom infrastructure service to other operators and serves as a service provider to corporate and households. The company provides full-fledged telecom, data centre services, ICT solutions and broadband services for local, overseas, corporate and mass markets. HGC owns and operates an extensive fibre-optic network, five cross-border telecom routes integrated into tier-one telecom operators in mainland China and connects with hundreds of world-class international telecom operators. HGC is one of Hong Kong's largest Wi-Fi service providers, running over 29,000 Wi-Fi hotspots in Hong Kong. The company is committed to further investing and enriching its current infrastructure and, in parallel, adding on top the latest technologies and developing its infrastructure services and solutions. HGC is a portfolio company of I Squared Capital, an independent global infrastructure investment manager focusing on energy, utilities and transport in North America, Europe and selected fast-growing economies.

To learn more, please visit HGC's website at: www.hgc.com.hk

SOURCE HGC Global Communications Limited (HGC)

Related Links

http://www.hgc.com.hk


"We are excited at the rate we are growing at High 5 Plumbing, and we believe it is a reflection of the excellent service we provide our customers," said Levi Torres, owner of High 5 Plumbing. "In 2016, we were operating with only one truck. Now, we're opening a second location and just ordered our 20 th truck. The sky is the limit when it comes to just how much we can grow. We want to open a third location over the next 18 months, and we believe that is a very achievable goal."

At the second location, High 5 Plumbing will be offering a variety of services to the residents in and near Littleton, including repair and installation, drain cleaning, pump plumbing, piping, garbage disposal services, sewer line repair, gas plumbing, water heater installation and much more. In addition, the company offers 24/7 emergency services.

"With our team of expert technicians, the areas near Littleton are getting world-class plumbing services that they will be proud of," Torres said. "At High 5 Plumbing, we are more than just another company looking to make a dollar. We truly care about the communities we serve. They are a part of our family, and we want to provide services that reflect how much we value them as a customer."

For more information about High 5 Plumbing, please visit https://www.high5plumbing.com/ or call (720) 388-8247.

About High 5 Plumbing

Founded in 2012, High 5 Plumbing is a local, family-owned company serving residents in the greater Denver metropolitan area. With a professional team that has extensive experience and a commitment to service, High 5 Plumbing offers comprehensive plumbing, sewer and drain services. The company was built on the values of solving plumbing problems and serving every customer with professionalism and respect. For more information about High 5 Plumbing, visit https://www.high5plumbing.com/.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Heather Ripley

Ripley PR

(865) 977-1973

[email protected]

SOURCE High 5 Plumbing

Related Links

https://www.high5plumbing.com


The HondaJet 2600 Concept inherits Honda Aircraft's aeronautical breakthroughs, including the Over-The-Wing Engine Mount (OTWEM) configuration, Natural Laminar Flow (NLF) technology on wings and fuselage nose, and carbon composite fuselage. Through the further refinement of these foundational HondaJet technologies, the HondaJet 2600 Concept will be the world's first light jet capable of nonstop transcontinental flight across the United States. The aircraft has a quiet and spacious cabin suited for long range travel, can seat for up to 11 occupants, and aims to deliver unparalleled fuel efficiency.

A range of 2,625 nautical miles, being the world's first light jet capable of nonstop transcontinental flight across the United States , and also features a high speed cruise of 450 knots and a class-leading ceiling of 47,000 feet.

, and also features a high speed cruise of 450 knots and a class-leading ceiling of 47,000 feet. Significantly more passenger space as well as a class-leading cabin tranquility with greatly reduced vibration compared to conventional light jets, due to the OTWEM configuration. The aircraft also has the tallest cabin height, and offers class-leading pressurization with a cabin altitude of 6,363 feet at its max operating altitude of 47,000 feet. Finally, the aircraft will also offer 3 types of modular and highly customizable cabin configurations.

The first transcontinental jet designed for single-pilot operation, with an advanced cockpit incorporating innovative technologies such as electrification and automated systems, including autothrottle and autobrake, among others. It will offer the utmost operational safety by reducing pilot workload through an intuitive, high-tech interface.

Dramatically reduces carbon emissions with up to 20% better fuel efficiency than typical light jets, and is over 40% more fuel efficient than a mid-size jet during a typical mission.

When introducing the HondaJet 2600 Concept mock-up at the 2021 NBAA, Honda Aircraft Company President and CEO Michimasa Fujino stated, "Over the past five years, we introduced the HondaJet Elite, then the Elite S, to further enhance the original HondaJet design. Now, we are validating market demand as we unveil a new aircraft concept in a different segment from the original HondaJet. With the HondaJet 2600 Concept, which enables efficient transcontinental flight, offers new level of cabin comfort and capacity, and dramatically reduces CO2 emssions, we are introducing a new generation of business jets."

For more information, visit hondajet.com.

SOURCE Honda Aircraft Company

Related Links

http://www.hondajet.com


CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- HubSpot , the leading customer relationship management (CRM) platform for scaling companies, announced today at INBOUND 2021 new enterprise-grade features and updates to help businesses better align their data, channels, and teams and easily adapt to every phase of growth.

HubSpot's latest improvements introduce more advanced customization and controls for customers, including enhanced reporting capabilities and a new enterprise tier of its Operations Hub product. The company also introduced all-new customer experience-enhancing features like HubSpot Payments, custom surveys, and customer portals.

"A CRM is no longer just a sales tool, it's the heart of scaling companies. As such, a CRM platform must be easy to adopt, align, and adapt  flexible enough to unite teams and unbridle customer insights, empowering businesses to grow bigger, faster, and stronger, no matter what challenges may arise," said Yamini Rangan, CEO of HubSpot. "That can't be achieved with a CRM platform that is cobbled together through acquisition. At HubSpot, we're invested in crafting our CRM platform in-house to enable customization without complexity. These updates ensure that each customer can customize their usage of the HubSpot platform in a way that allows their team to thrive."

A More Connected CRM Platform

Earlier this year, HubSpot made strides in offering a more deeply connected CRM platform with the launch of Operations Hub Free, Starter, and Professional , a new offering for revenue operations teams that connects and cleans a company's data so the business can stay aligned and efficient as it scales.

Reporting continues to be a pain point for many operations teams looking to get a complete view of the customer, which is why HubSpot is expanding its offerings with Operations Hub Enterprise, available for purchase on November 1, 2021. Operations Hub Enterprise will bring the unified system of record to the next level with a new business intelligence feature called datasets. Datasets will allow analysts and operations teams to curate collections of data  including calculations, and pre-selected fields  for downstream users to build reports on, enabling more connected and consistent reporting.

Operations Hub Enterprise will also provide a more connected experience for teams who are looking to keep their existing business intelligence solution with Snowflake Data Share, a new feature that provides a fast, automated, turnkey way to connect HubSpot data to the industry's leading data warehouse.

In addition to Operations Hub, HubSpot also announced the release of the custom behavioral events API, which allows Marketing Hub Enterprise customers to track and report on key behavioral data  regardless of whether that data comes from HubSpot or another third party app.

A More Customizable CRM Platform

For most software offerings, adding customization can often inject complexity. HubSpot's new customization features take a different approach by building on the company's existing features, keeping the user interface and experience consistent while adding powerful new capabilities.

The HubSpot platform has been expanded to allow account administrators more granular control over their instance of HubSpot to make sure their CRM better reflects the way their business runs. With association improvements (now in public beta), HubSpot gives customers the flexibility to associate multiple companies to a single contact, associate multiple companies to a single deal, and more so account admins can effectively keep up with more complex business models that change and evolve over time.

With business units, Marketing Hub Enterprise customers can manage multiple brands to ensure a more consistent and targeted experience for their audiences. The new add-on allows customers to run cross-sell and upsell campaigns to reach every segment of their audience, track contact interactions and communication preferences with each brand, and report on performance both across the business and on specific brands.

Plus, managing users has never been easier with new enterprise-level governance features like permission sets, user impersonation, audit logging, signature management, and more.

HubSpot has also announced an all-new sandbox environment, available to all Enterprise customers, that allows account admins and developers to test, experiment, and iterate before deploying changes to the broader organization or customer base. These new features save precious time by alleviating the need for customers to spin up separate testing accounts and copy over their settings and definitions.

"Sandboxes have been transformational for our day-to-day usage of HubSpot," said Joao Dobbin, manager of business enablement of RockContent. "We've been able to test more integrations like Stripe, some different lead routing rules, Clearbit enrichment, and other deployments that were key for us in the sandbox environment, without impacting our production account."

A More Customer-Centric CRM Platform

Over the past year, buyers' expectations have shifted dramatically as companies around the world have had to adapt to doing business online. Being able to create a remarkable digital experience is essential for any company looking to differentiate themselves from the competition and retain their customers.

To help companies adapt to this shift, HubSpot has invested in new capabilities to help companies improve the customer experience. The first of these improvements are to its Service Hub products, including custom surveys and a new customer portal, now in public beta. Connected to a shared inbox, the new customer portal keeps ticket conversations going between customers and reps, offers access to a company's knowledge base, and can be customized to create an optimal customer experience. New custom survey functionality also allows customers to get the exact feedback they want, using a diverse array of question types and unlimited responses.

HubSpot Payments, the company's new native payment option, is also built to enhance the customer experience. HubSpot Payments enables companies to remove friction from the buying process, allowing their customers to pay seamlessly and securely. With Payments, companies can easily begin selling online with payment links, and accept payment through HubSpot's quoting tools, allowing for touchless collection of one-time and recurring payments through a variety of channels. HubSpot Payments delivers a modern payment process from inside the CRM, enabling companies to accelerate revenue growth and create a remarkable buying experience.

To help customers get up and running, HubSpot is also waiving fees on the first $50,000 of ACH transactions processed through HubSpot Payments each month. HubSpot Payments is currently in beta release and is available for U.S. customers only. Learn more about HubSpot Payments here .

"Each of these features has been crafted with a specific goal in mind," said Lou Orfanos, GM and VP of Sales Hub. "HubSpot has watched CRMs become more complex and rigid, which only slows teams and detracts from performance. By building products with the clear goals of customization, connection, and a customer-centric approach, we've been able to deliver powerful features that can be formed to fit any business."

More information about these features, as well as even more tools HubSpot is planning, can be found on https://www.hubspot.com/new.

About HubSpot

HubSpot (NYSE: HUBS) is a leading customer relationship management (CRM) platform that provides software and support to help companies grow better. The platform includes marketing, sales, service, operations, and website management products that start free and scale to meet our customers' needs at any stage of growth. Today, more than 121,000 customers across more than 120 countries use HubSpot's powerful and easy-to-use tools and integrations to attract, engage, and delight customers.

Named Glassdoor's #4 Best Place to Work in 2021, HubSpot has been recognized for its award-winning culture by Great Place to Work, Comparably, Fortune, Entrepreneur, Inc., and more. HubSpot was founded in 2006 and is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The company's thousands of employees work across the globe in HubSpot offices and remotely.

Learn more at www.hubspot.com .

SOURCE HubSpot

Related Links

http://hubspot.com


CHICAGO, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Hunterdon Healthcare , a leading community health system based in Northwest New Jersey, has selected SwipeSense's Hand Hygiene Monitoring application to help prevent hospital-acquired infections (HAIs). With the introduction of the SwipeSense application, Hunterdon, which was already honored with an "A" Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade in 2021, will now have additional technology to support its ongoing efforts to be among the safest hospitals in the nation.

The early results for one unit of the health system already show substantial improvement in hand hygiene behaviors with the unit increasing its compliance rate by 20 percent in just 2 months of implementation. These metrics are critically important because hand hygiene compliance is largely recognized as one of the most critical patient safety measures. Poor hand hygiene contributes to 1.7 million HAIs annually  and 100,000 of those HAIs result in deaths. A recent SwipeSense survey also found that 81% of patients said that they would feel safer in a hospital with electronic hand hygiene monitoring in place.

"At Hunterdon, we pride ourselves on prioritizing patient safety because we firmly believe that our community members deserve the best and safest care when they place their trust in our health system," said Martin Klein, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Hunterdon Healthcare. "Now, we're furthering that commitment by building a tech-driven safety infrastructure to help fuel the results that we've set out to achieve. Partnering with SwipeSense empowers us to take a data-driven approach to tracking every opportunity to keep our patients safe and to increase compliance with hand hygiene standards."

SwipeSense's cloud-based sensor network provides transparency into hand hygiene activity for each department, unit and individual to drive accountability and positive behavior changes  all without changing workflows. As a result, hospitals that use SwipeSense have reduced HAIs by as much as 75% in one year. The electronic hand hygiene monitoring technology also positions Hunterdon to meet The Leapfrog Group's recently updated hand hygiene standards, supporting continuous safety improvement efforts to maintain its prestigious "A" Safety Grade.

"We're thrilled to partner with Hunterdon, an organization which is committed to operational excellence, and has illustrated that keeping patients safe is of the utmost importance," said David Epstein, Vice President of Operations at SwipeSense. "As the early results indicate, our Hand Hygiene application helps the Hunterdon team not only to increase hand hygiene compliance but also to reduce the number of costly and dangerous HAIs and continue its reign as one of the nation's safest hospitals."

About Hunterdon

Hunterdon Healthcare System (HHS) is recognized as a national model for offering community-focused health improvement that is consumer-centered and driven by a passion for excellence. HHS offers community programs and services which span the full continuum of care, generates revenue of approximately $330 million annually, and employs over 2,600 employees. Care delivery includes a 178-bed community teaching hospital, supporting foundation, over 30 ambulatory sites, urgent care centers, health and wellness centers, ambulatory surgery centers, post-acute care services and an integrated delivery system which is a partnership with over 400 physicians and Hunterdon Medical Center.

About SwipeSense

SwipeSense is a Chicago-based healthcare technology company on a mission to eliminate harm and waste in healthcare delivery networks through an advanced safety platform. The platform's sensor network collects millions of data points and delivers robust insights to hospital leadership, clinicians, and staff, which not only support a culture of safety, but also reduce the cost of care and improve operational efficiency. Hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) leverage the company's safety platform to prevent infections, optimize the use of their equipment, reduce falls, protect their staff, and drive positive, lasting behavior change. To learn more, please visit www.swipesense.com .

Media Contact:

Todd Stein

510-417-0612

[email protected]

SOURCE SwipeSense, Inc.

Related Links

https://www.swipesense.com/


African American women are 3 times more likely to develop sarcoidosis when compared to Caucasians. They are also more likely to experience chronic and severe symptoms leading to hospitalization rates 18 times higher than Caucasian men, 10 times higher than Caucasian women and more than double that of African American men. Additionally, their sarcoidosis-related mortality rate is 13 times higher than that of Caucasians and 1.5 times higher than that of African American men. Thanks to the generous support of our sponsors, Global Genes and Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals, FSR will raise awareness of how these significant disparities are relevant to the diagnosis and management of sarcoidosis as it impacts African American women.

African American women experience the highest incidence of sarcoidosis in the US as compared to any other group.

"Raising awareness of sarcoidosis' prevalence and identifying barriers to care experienced by African American women are critical steps toward improved diagnosis, treatment, and support for all African American women living with this complex condition," says Mary McGowan, CEO of The Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research. "A one-size-fits-all approach to treating and managing is insufficient. We must explore new and innovative approaches that address these disparities head-on. Our hope is through this campaign, we provide patients, their communities, and their providers with the necessary tools to engage in open dialogues about sarcoidosis symptoms, progression, and disease management that lead to better outcomes."

As part of the AAWS campaign, FSR developed a Women of Color Patient Advisory Committee (WOC PAC), comprised of 15 African American women from across the US. WOC PAC members are both sarcoidosis patients and care partners, whose diverse lived experiences capture differences in age (33-72 years), regional representation (10 states), and sarcoidosis manifestations (11 manifestations). These women will be at the forefront of this critical initiative, engaging in media interviews and sharing their own stories on the public stage to empower others. 2021 Women of Color Patient Committee Members are: Cheryl Bradford, Erica Courtenay Mann, Garrie Farrow, Jonette Harper, Brenda Harris, Marsha Henderson, Gloria McDaniel, Mary Oldham, Chasta Posey, Jessica Propps, Jessica Reid, Ora Riley, C. Ann Scott, Rhonda Underhill, and Kathryn Washington. Using their lived experiences and armed with the tools and education provided by FSR, this committee will be essential in creating and disseminating educational materials and messaging that resonate with African Americans.

The creation of a Women of Color Clinical Advisory Committee (WOC CAC) ensures a clinical perspective is included in the planning and execution of this campaign. The WOC CAC is comprised of four practicing clinicians and an epidemiologist to bring a wealth of clinical experience and rich data specific to African American Women and sarcoidosis. Esteemed committee members are: Divya Patel, DO of University of Florida Department of Medicine; Ogugua Obi, MD, MPH, MSc of East Carolina University; Yvette Cozier, DSc of Boston University; and W. Ennis James, MD of Medical University of South Carolina.

FSR will partner with numerous health and community-based organizations and clinical centers to produce various awareness activities beginning this Fall with a Twitter Chat sponsored by Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals and Global Genes Monday, October 25th from 11am-12pm CST. Dr Cozier and Dr. Obi will join FSR on Twitter to answer questions about sarcoidosis in African American women including symptoms, contributing factors, and what is being done to help improve care. To join the chat, users should follow @stopsarcoidosis on Twitter and post using the hashtags #Sarcoidosis, #IgnoreNoMore, and #AAWS.

In February 2022, Black History Month, FSR will launch a month-long social media campaign, providing an easy-to-use social media toolkit and educational resources to help raise awareness. An educational webinar will also be held in February 2022. An infographic providing detailed information on the prevalence of sarcoidosis in African American women is available to view on FSR's web page dedicated to the AAWS campaign.

To learn more about FSR's African American Women & Sarcoidosis Campaign, please visit https://www.stopsarcoidosis.org/aaws-campaign/ .

About Sarcoidosis

Sarcoidosis is a rare inflammatory disease characterized by the formation of granulomastiny clumps of inflammatory cellsin one or more organs of the body. When too many of these clumps form, they can interfere with the organ's function, leading to serious and sometimes fatal complications. Despite increasing advances in research, sarcoidosis remains difficult to diagnose with limited treatment options and no known cure.

About the Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research (FSR)

Established in 2000, The Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research (FSR) is the leading international nonprofit organization dedicated to finding a cure for sarcoidosis and improving care for sarcoidosis patients. Since inception, FSR has fostered over $5 million in sarcoidosis-specific research efforts and has worked diligently to provide resources to thousands. For more information and to join our community, visit www.stopsarcoidosis.org.

For more information or to schedule an interview, please reach out to:

Cathi Davis , Communication's Manager

, Communication's Manager 312-341-0500 ext 106 [email protected]

SOURCE Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research

Related Links

https://www.stopsarcoidosis.org/


The team concludes, in the scientific journal eLife , that both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines lead to the generation of long-term populations of T cells that can recognize multiple variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. But they also identified key differences in the T cell responses of individuals who had been infected with COVID-19 prior to vaccination compared to those who had never been infected.

"Overall, our data support the idea that vaccines are eliciting a very robust T cell response in healthy individuals," says Gladstone Associate Investigator Nadia Roan, PhD, senior author of the study. "But they also suggest there may be some ways to improve them further, by getting more of the vaccine-elicited T cells to park themselves in the respiratory tract."

T Cell Quality, Not Quantity

The human immune system has two main arms that help fight returning infections. Antibodies produced by the immune system's B cells can quickly recognize a virus, target it for destruction, and prevent infection. T cells, on the other hand, identify and destroy already infected cells. While antibodies are more effective at stopping initial infection completely, T cells generally last longer after an initial infection or vaccine and can help quell disease in its early stages, preventing severe symptoms.

T cells, however, are notoriously diverse and difficult to study. Distinct subsets of T cells respond differently to infected cells and have different functions within the overall T cell response. The limited studies that gauged how T cells respond to COVID-19 infections or vaccines have for the most part lumped all T cells together, quantifying the number of total T cells that recognize SARS-CoV-2. But Roan's group wanted more detail.

"It's not just the number of T cells that matter; It's the qualitywhether the T cells are the type that can actively destroy virus-infected cells," says Roan, who is also an associate professor of urology at UC San Francisco.

Roan turned to a technology called CyTOF that can measure the levels of nearly 40 different proteins on the surface and inside of T cells. This let her and her colleagues identify exactly which subsets of T cells were able to recognize SARS-CoV-2 before and after vaccination.

The researchers used the approach to study blood samples from 11 people who had received an mRNA vaccine (either Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna) against SARS-CoV-2. Blood samples were collected from each individual before vaccination, approximately 2 weeks after their first vaccine dose, and approximately 2 weeks after their second dose. Six of the individuals had also previously recovered from mild COVID-19.

Vaccine Protection Verified

Roan's group found that all fully vaccinated individuals in the study had T cells that responded to three different variants of SARS-CoV-2the ancestral virus first detected in Wuhan, China; the B.1.17 variant first detected in the United Kingdom; and the B.1.351 variant first detected in South Africa. The Delta variant of the virus was not included in the new paper but Roan is currently analyzing data on it.

In people who had never been infected with SARS-CoV-2, Roan and her colleagues found that the T cell response became strongerin both quantity and quality of T cellsafter the second vaccine dose. However, in those who had previously had a COVID-19 infection, there was little change between the first and second dose of the vaccine.

"This doesn't necessarily mean there is no benefit to a second dose in convalescent individuals," points out Roan. "It means there is no additional effect on T cells in ways that we could capture, but there may still be other effects on the immune system, such as within B cells, after the second dose."

The researchers also found that, while all individuals had a robust T cell response, T cells from those who had previously contracted COVID-19 had molecular markers suggesting the immune cells could last longer and migrate more effectively to the respiratory tract.

"We wouldn't have detected this difference if we had just quantified all the T cells," says Roan. "But CyTOF allowed us to pick up on these key functional differences in T cells in people who had been previously infected."

The potentially more effective T cell defense in the respiratory tract may explain why breakthrough infections are less frequent in people with a prior COVID-19 infection compared to other vaccinated individuals. The new data, Roan says, also suggest that improving the ability of T cells to migrate to the respiratory tract after vaccination may improve the effectiveness of vaccines at preventing breakthrough infections.

Roan and her colleagues are also planning additional studies to investigate T cell responses after COVID-19 vaccination in immunocompromised people, T cell responses after booster vaccines, and how T cells behave in cases of long COVID-19, when symptoms of the virus continue for more than 12 weeks.

"Other researchers are looking at antibodies in all these instances, and it's certainly not the case that antibodies aren't important, but we can't forget about T cells," she says.

About the Study

The paper "mRNA vaccine-induced T cells respond identically to SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern but differ in longevity and homing properties depending on prior infection status" was published in the journal eLife on October 12, 2021. Other authors are Jason Neidleman, Xiaoyu Lu, Matthew McGregor, Guorui Xie, and Warner Greene of Gladstone; and Victoria Murray and Sulggi Lee of University of California, San Francisco.

The work was supported the Van Auken Private Foundation; David Henke; Pamela and Edward Taft; the Roddenberry Foundation; the Program for Breakthrough Biomedical Research, which is partly funded by the Sandler Foundation; and Fast Grants, a part of Emergent Ventures at the Mercatus Center, George Mason University (Awards #2164, #2208 and #2160).

About Gladstone Institutes

To ensure our work does the greatest good, Gladstone Institutes focuses on conditions with profound medical, economic, and social impactunsolved diseases. Gladstone is an independent, nonprofit life science research organization that uses visionary science and technology to overcome disease. It has an academic affiliation with the University of California, San Francisco.

Media Contact: Julie Langelier | Associate Director, Communications | [email protected] | 415.734.5000

1650 Owens Street, San Francisco, CA 94158 | gladstone.org |Twitter: @GladstoneInst

SOURCE Gladstone Institutes

Related Links

https://gladstone.org


LOS ANGELES, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, in a significant victory for working people, 784 current and former first-seat port drivers working for XPO Logistics are set to receive nearly $30 million in settlement of their class-action lawsuits alleging that they were willfully misclassified, left unreimbursed for truck costs and received less than minimum wage, after a California federal judge granted preliminary approval of two settlements, one between XPO Cartage and its drivers, and the other between XPO Port Services and its drivers. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters in the U.S. and members of the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) led XPO Global Union Network have long exposed XPO's mistreatment of its employees and fought to increase protections for these workers. The XPO Global Family of unions applauds these courageous workers and the preliminary approval of these two settlements brought about through the cutting-edge legal work of the Bush Gottlieb law firm and their co-counsel.

These port drivers haul all types of goods that are imported, including electronics, clothing, furniture, food, and they haul it for major retailers such as Amazon, Walmart, Target, Apple, IKEA, Toyota and thousands of other companies.

"Today, we commend these brave XPO drivers, who decided not to back down and instead fought hard to demand that XPO pay them the money they were rightfully owed," said James P. Hoffa, General President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. "This is more than a monumental victory for these XPO drivers in California; it's a huge win for workers around the world to see that by standing together, working people can take on enormous companies and win.

"XPO Logistics and its CEO Bradley Jacobs are globally recognized for their commitment to corporate greed. These settlements are yet another example of how far XPO Logistics will go to line the pockets of Bradley Jacobs and his cronies while refusing to provide even basic protections for its employees.

As headlined in the New York Times and in an available global unions' report on XPO, "Warehouse workers at XPO have miscarried on the job, been subject to pregnancy discrimination and sexual harassment with little to no repercussions for their offenders, and in Europe, some drivers were forced to live out of their trucks for months on end. In California, XPO misclassified its drayage drivers, denying them even the most basic federally mandated safety net protections provided to essential workers during the pandemic. The number of despicable violations this company has committed or allowed its workers to face is astronomical.

"I commend the 784 brave drivers in California who chose not to let a multi-billion dollar company stand in their way. As a union, the Teamsters remain committed to supporting XPO workers in the United States and internationally in their fight to demand better from a company with an appalling reputation for worker mistreatment and global greed. In recent weeks, there have been numerous stories about a port trucker shortage. If XPO and other companies didn't misclassify and steal these workers' wages, there wouldn't be a shortage of drivers."

While this settlement does not eliminate XPO's ability to misclassify its workers, it does illustrate the enormity of the company's continued liability for misclassification. Due to recently passed legislation in California, XPO's customers are also potentially liable for future violations by XPO. That liability could total hundreds of millions of dollars, leaving workers at risk of losing their jobs and decreasing shareholders' return on their investments.

International Brotherhood of Teamsters Vice President of the Western Region and Director of the Teamsters Port Division, Ron Herrera, has worked closely with port truck drivers in the Los Angeles area to secure numerous worker protections. He acknowledges that this should be a wake-up call for companies willfully opting to misclassify their workers: this abusive practice is running out of time.

"Misclassification of workers is all too common in the ports of Los Angeles and its surrounding areas, and while XPO is notorious for doing this, there are far too many employers still cheating workers out of the pay and the rights they deserve," Herrera said. "Today's victory makes clear to other misclassified drivers that the days of misclassification are coming to an end. To employers, these settlements should serve as a clear reminder that depriving workers of their wages or failing to provide them with essential job protections is unacceptable, and they will be held accountable.

"I'm extremely proud to know some of the drivers who finally will receive the pay they deserve. What's frustrating is all these workers had to go through just to try to provide for themselves and their families, all while XPO did whatever it could to avoid paying them a livable wage and providing them with basic protections. However, their day has come, and I couldn't be happier for them and their families. The Teamsters will continue to fight in support of these XPO drivers and their efforts to be reclassified as employees, and our union will do what it takes to eliminate misclassification so that it's no longer a reality in California's ports."

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.4 million hardworking men and women throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Visit www.teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and "like" us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/teamsters.

Contact:

Galen Munroe, (202) 439-7427

[email protected]

SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters

Related Links

http://www.teamster.org


NEW YORK, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- BizVibe has added key challenges and trends for taxi and limousine service industry profiles on their platform. All 6,000+ company profiles will now contain 50+ company data points, including a list of potential challenges which are expected to impact market participants over the next few years.

Snapshot of key challenge impacting BizVibe's taxi and limousine service industry group.

One challenge which is being highlighted is an increase in vehicle costs. The rising costs of buying and maintaining vehicles can negatively impact the costs that taxi operators will incur across the life of a vehicle. These cost increases have a direct bearing on the profitability and pricing models of taxi companies. By identifying such challenges, BizVibe is helping users analyze which suppliers are right for their business, while allowing them to efficiently monitor the risk of doing business.

Get Free Access to all Industry Challenges

Key Insights Provided for Taxi and Limousine Service Companies

In addition to analysis on how key challenges are expected to impact businesses, BizVibe company profiles contain numerous high-quality insights to help users discover, track, compare, and evaluate suppliers or sales prospects. These insights include:

Relevance and influence of industry trends and challenges, segmented by region

Press releases and news coverage referencing key trends and challenges

Risk of doing business score, segmented by operational, financial, compliance, and country risk

Top company competitors at the global, regional, and national levels

Names of top company decision makers, including job titles and social profiles

Company financials such as annual revenue, profitability ratios, and management effectiveness

View 50+ Company Data Points for Free

Taxi and Limousine Service Categories

BizVibe's platform provides access to over 10 million buyer and supplier company profiles. Businesses from more than 200 countries are categorized into 40,000+ product and service categories, each providing detailed insights tailored to the needs of procurement and sales teams globally. The taxi and limousine service industry group features 6,000+ company profiles categorized into multiple product and service categories, enabling clients to identify and connect with potential new business partners across diverse market segments.

Get Free Company Profile Access for all Categories

BizVibe for Buyers and Sellers

BizVibe is a modern B2B platform dedicated to connecting buyers and sellers from around the world. Powered by the latest best-in-class solutions, BizVibe is designed to help companies generate leads, shortlist suppliers, request proposals, and identify global companies. Evaluate companies side-by-side to compare key metrics and initiate productive partnerships.

Buyers use BizVibe to discover suppliers from among more than 5 million companies using advanced search filters and comparison tools. Features for buyers include:

Shortlist potential suppliers

Track and compare companies

Set up custom news alerts

Quickly create and customize RFIs

Explore BizVibe's buyer services: https://www.bizvibe.com/buyers

Sellers can take advantage of BizVibe's smart sales intelligence tools to discover, evaluate, and communicate with prospects across 300+ categories. Features for sellers include:

Identify and qualify sales prospects

Receive customized prospect recommendations

Analyze and evaluate potential buyers

Integrate CRMs for efficient data transfer

Discover BizVibe's seller tools: https://www.bizvibe.com/sellers

About BizVibe

BizVibe has been conceptualized and built by a team based out of Toronto, Bangalore, and London. We are a branch of Infiniti Research and have dedicated units in all three locations. BizVibe helps buyers find the most relevant suppliers from around the world and helps sellers target prospects who need their products and/or services. For more information, please visit www.bizvibe.com and start for free today.

Contact

BizVibe

Jesse Maida

Email: [email protected]

+1 855-897-5880

Website: https://www.bizvibe.com/

SOURCE BizVibe
OLDWICK, N.J., Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- "People began to see their lives differently at time they were spending commuting and wanting to continue working remotely, digital overload, lack human connections, and family care burnout." In a February 2021 global Harvard Business Review study, 89% of workers said their work life was getting worse. 85% said their well-being declined.

The Employment Caregiving Crisis and Caregiving Crisis are NOT the same. What problem are you solving? Tweet this The Employee Caregiving Crisis in America

At the same time, our nation is facing the collision of employment with the exploding family care needs of 70 million aging Baby Boomers. Over 60% of all family caregivers are employed. "Employers hunt for 'employee's family caregiving' solutions, but caregiving is not an employee fix it problem," says Jeannette Galvanek, CEO, CareWise Solutions.

Over 40% of every workforce are caregivers. Each employee works with 5 to 7 others. Disruptions and workload redistribution spill over to the team. Employee Caregivers are in every business, large and small, they are every age, ethnicity, gender, geography and pay grade. Employers pay an annual average in care related productivity losses of almost $11,000 per employee, and employee caregivers' out-of-pocket costs an average of $6,800 per year, personally.

The collision of aging Baby Boomers' care needs grows every year, continuously clashing with the most productive period of employees' working lives. This is not a winning scenario for employees, employers or those who need care. Yet, according to AARP, "unpaid caregivers are serving as a core piece of the health and long-term services  the main source for long-term care for adults living at home."

"It is just not possible for employees to be caregivers for an extended period. We have a national labor utilization decision to make. Will we disregard a national employment model redeploying too many paid employees to an unpaid workforce of family caregivers? Can the nation agree to modern labor policy minimally aligning AARP reported - 58% of medical and healthcare tasks performed by family caregivers to the right industry? It's clear that employees and employers need institutional alignment so that employee-caregivers can care about, not for their family." Jeannette Galvanek, CEO, CareWise Solutions

CareWise Solutions announces employer solutions to the changes in the caregiving landscape with an innovative platform to protect employment and raise the bar for institutional care provided at home.

Visit carewisesolutions.org to select employee, employee caregiver and family packages.

Contact Jeannette Galvanek to explore how your corporation can work and care- more naturally.

About CareWise Solutions

CareWise Solutions is a female owned, entrepreneurial business offering a robust employer-sponsored membership opportunity for their team. CareWise Solutions Org is a 501 (c) (3) organization.

SOURCE CareWise Solutions

Related Links

https://carewisesolutions.org


INDIANAPOLIS and MOWEAQUA, Ill., Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Intelinair and DIGS Associates announced today that they have entered into an agreement to co-promote Intelinair's data management and data analytics services, including AGMRI, and DIGS Associates' drainage water management services.

Technology is playing a bigger role in businesses today. Intelinair and DIGS Associates join forces on their proprietary tools and capabilities to achieve breakthrough results. The goal of the collaboration is to provide services to farmers and landowners unlocking ways of increasing productivity. Intelinair's aerial imaging and data analytics can predict water management issues for farmers and landowners, a sector that DIGS Associates specializes in. DIGS Associates can provide better value to their customers by providing additional crop insights and solutions using Intelinair's proprietary imaging. The aim is to accelerate current and future clients' path for success in the new digital business landscape.

"Combining Intelinair's aerial imagery, data analytics and other proprietary technologies with DIGS water and land management services will help farmers and landowners improve their profitability through enhanced productivity," said Al Eisaian, CEO and Co-founder of Intelinair. "These tools working together will provide additional crop insights and potential solutions to manage their farm operations."

"DIGS and Intelinair can be a powerful combination to help the agriculture industry unlock value with the combined skillset, knowledge, experience and proprietary services. We are very excited to join forces with the team at Intelinair to co-promote our services with the goal to revolutionize productivity for farmers and landowners. We are attempting to create a new standard in drainage water management with farmers and landowners and making sure that they are aware of the technologies they can use to improve their business and help them make informed decisions. We are very grateful to partner with innovative minds at Intelinair and are thankful that they chose to collaborate with us," stated Corey Getz and Quint Shambaugh, Founders of DIGS Associates.

About IntelinAir, Inc.

IntelinAir, Inc. is an automated crop intelligence company that leverages Al and machine learning to model crop performance and identify problems enabling farmers to make improved decisions. The company's flagship product, AGMRI aggregates and analyzes data including high resolution aerial, satellite, and drone imagery, equipment, weather, scouting, and more to deliver actionable Smart Alerts on specific problems in areas of fields as push notifications to farmers' smartphones. The proactive alerts on operational issues allow farmers to intervene, rescue yield, capture learnings for the next session, and identify conservation opportunities for sustainable farming.

About DIGS Associates

DIGS Associates is a highly specialized consultancy providing actionable information and drainage water management plans for institutional and individual agricultural clients seeking capital improvements to their properties. DIGS Associates' mission is to maximize drainage water management investments by offering objective advice, innovative solutions, and continuing service. DIGS partners with industry experts, oversees sophisticated land improvement projects, and serves as a long-term partner for the client's land and water management. The company is based in Moweaqua, Illinois.

 Trademark of IntelinAir, Inc.

SOURCE IntelinAir, Inc.; DIGS Associates
TORRANCE, Calif., Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Intellisense Systems, Inc., a leading provider of contract research services, environmental monitoring solutions, and avionics systems and displays, is expanding into a new facility at 21061 South Western Ave. in Torrance, California. The company now occupies the first floor of a building next to its headquarters, providing an additional 20,000 square feet of production, testing, and office space. All Intellisense products, including the Micro Weather Station (MWS), the AWARE Flood System, and advanced avionics systems, will be produced at this new facility.

Intellisense Systems, Inc. is expanding into a new facility at 21061 South Western Ave. in Torrance, California. The company now occupies the first floor of a building next to its headquarters, providing an additional 20,000 square feet of production, testing, and office space.

"This new space is truly versatile and enables us to grow with our customers' needs," said Jeffrey Pink, Vice President of Operations at Intellisense Systems. "This new facility doubles our production capacity and adds additional test capabilities such as multiple dark rooms for display testing, vibration testing, thermal testing, and humidity testing. With this space, we can fulfill some safety-critical orders in a more efficient and timely manner."

Intellisense renovated the floor in a lean fashion with a layout that worked logically with the production process. Employee safety was at the forefront of this expansion as well. Intellisense installed additional ventilation, as well as oxygen monitors and a relief system in the space that employs liquid nitrogen in its temperature testing. The construction also made sustainable reuse of some aspects of the previous space. This new facility supports a manufacturing process that are compliant with ISO9001:2015, AS9100D, and AS9110C requirements, which is the standardized QMS for the aerospace industry.

"We recently celebrated a return to the office for our employees at an outdoor common space at our offices' plaza," added Frank Willis, President and CEO of Intellisense Systems. "With this new building, we look forward to welcoming even more employees and visitors onto our campus. This new building will greatly improve our manufacturing capacity and productivity. As we grow, a greater portion of our revenue will be from volume production of defense and commercial products, and this expansion sets us up for continued success."

About Intellisense Systems, Inc.

Intellisense Systems, Inc. is a leading provider of advanced sensing and display solutions supporting a data continuum from acquisition to visualization. We enhance our hardware with software that adds intelligence to our systems and can turn raw data into useful information for improved decision making and process automation. Intellisense Systems offers both off-the-shelf products and custom development services. These services include research and development, requirements analysis, design, systems integration, prototyping, production, testing, field support, and training. Headquartered in the South Bay area of Los Angeles, the company occupies 70,000 square feet within our Torrance campus. Our manufacturing capabilities include electronics fabrication, unit qualification testing, systems integration, and volume production with full quality assurance. Intellisense Systems is qualified across engineering, accounting, and manufacturing to serve government and commercial customers.

Media Contact

Morgan Andersen

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (310) 320-1827

SOURCE Intellisense Inc.
Expertise in design and delivery of electrification and automation solutions for power control, distribution and management, optimization of manufacturing processes and long-term energy efficiency

Consultancy on robotics and autonomous operations for transportation and handling of material in the process units of the plant

Exploration of solutions for data gathering, processing, cloud storage and analytics for production planning, quality control, management, operations and reporting

Lars Carlstrom, CEO and founder of Italvolt commented, "Italvolt has the objective of gathering industrial excellences in each area of our business and we are glad to announce this partnership agreement with ABB, one of the foremost names in the global industry. ABB's state of art technology will help us in ensuring the sustainability of our production plant as well as enable efficient, reliable, and cost-effective production. We are happy that ABB is joining us for the journey."

"Italvolt's plans for large-scale manufacturing are crucial for electrical mobility, increased sustainability and reindustrialization of the region," said Mauro Martis, South Europe Cluster Manager, Process Industries, ABB. "Together we will explore our technologies and synergies with Italvolt, providing our know-how for this ambitious project."

The gigafactory will be located at the famous Olivetti site and is being designed by iconic Italian automotive design house division Pininfarina Architecture.

Italvolt is building a Gigafactory with a 45 GWh production capacity for battery cells in Scarmagno, Italy. A key goal is to contribute to the green industrialization by becoming one of the main suppliers of green batteries in Europe and establishing Italy's presence as a preeminent battery manufacturer. This also means playing our part in the circular economy and ultimately the regeneration of natural resources. Italvolt are also concerned with the rejuvenation of a historical power house of industry with ESG aspects at the forefront of its strategy and this includes creating a valley of research and innovation through our 20,000 m2 advanced R&D centre.

ABB (ABBN: SIX Swiss Ex) is a leading global technology company that energizes the transformation of society and industry to achieve a more productive, sustainable future. By connecting software to its electrification, robotics, automation and motion portfolio, ABB pushes the boundaries of technology to drive performance to new levels. With a history of excellence stretching back more than 130 years, ABB's success is driven by about 105,000 talented employees in over 100 countries. www.abb.com

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Italvolt
Azarian would become world-renowned for his coveted collection of recognizable props and outfits from beloved TV series and motion pictures. He has assembled a museum's worth from the original Star Trek, George Reeves' Superman series, Lost in Space, I Dream of Jeannie, Gilligan's Island, Battlestar Galactica, Laverne & Shirley, All in the Family, the first X-Men film, the second and third Terminators.

And on Nov. 7, many of those memories will become someone else's, as Heritage Auctions proudly presents nearly 110 cherished and revered Hollywood treasures from The Azarian Collection.

The Superman costumes include one worn by George Reeves on TV in Adventure s of Superman , and the costume worn by the first actor to play Superman on the big screen, Kirk Alyn, as well as one worn by Christopher Reeve in Superman IV: The Quest for Peace.

Azarian collected uniforms from Star Trek and also his beloved Lost in Space; this auction is filled with a closet's worth of memories from both.

Azarian has changed course on collecting, and so he parts with some of his legendary collection to make room for new things. Hence his desire to share his extraordinary collection with others who share that unbridled passion.

"I've had many of these pieces for 10, 20, 30 years, and I have thoroughly enjoyed them," he said. "People have asked me: 'Aren't you sad to be parting with these things?' And I say no, I'm just moving on. If I had owned them for a short time, then, perhaps, yes. But I can honestly say I have enjoyed them fully. And now it's someone else's turn to love them as much as I have."

Heritage Auctions is the largest fine art and collectibles auction house founded in the United States, and the world's largest collectibles auctioneer. Heritage maintains offices in New York, Dallas, Beverly Hills, San Francisco, Chicago, Palm Beach, London, Paris, Geneva, Amsterdam and Hong Kong.

DOWNLOAD DIGITAL PRESS KIT

Hi-Res images available:

Tony Fay

Tony Fay PR

[email protected]

972.273.0794



Angela Lang

Tony Fay PR

[email protected]

214.548.0827

SOURCE Heritage Auctions

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"We value all of our employees and recognize their efforts, especially during this global pandemic," said Kris Bahner, Kellogg Company spokesperson. "Being away from work puts our people and their families in a difficult position and can create financial hardships. We are deeply concerned that the Union at our four U.S. cereal plants has decided to strike and what that means for our employees, and especially concerned that the Union struck without allowing members to vote on our Oct. 1 offer."

Highlights of Kellogg's Comprehensive Offer

Kellogg's number one priority is to get back to the negotiations table and reach a contract, so employees can get back to their jobs and their lives. "Our proposals have been grossly misrepresented by the Union in statements to their membership and to media, and we want our employees to have all the information they need to make informed decisions for themselves and their families," Bahner said.

Myths vs. Facts

Myth: Kellogg is asking employees to give up health care, retirement benefits, and holiday and vacation pay.

Fact: Most employees working under this contract have industry-leading pay and benefits, and all have above-market wages and retirement. The average 2020 earnings for the majority of our hourly RTEC employees was $120,000 and more than one-third earned between $120,000 and $200,000. Most also have unparalleled, no-cost comprehensive health insurance.

Less senior employees have the same health insurance plan that salaried Kellogg employees have, except they pay much lower employee contributions than salaried employees, a construct that was agreed upon with the union in 2015. The current proposal not only maintains industry-leading pay and benefits, but offers significant increases in wages, benefits and retirement.

Myth: The Union claims they are forced to work seven days a week with significant amounts of overtime.

Fact: In 2020, Kellogg cereal manufacturing employees worked an average of 52 - 56 hours/week, however 90% of the time, employees volunteered for the extra hours. Regardless, unplanned overtime is disruptive and is a problem Kellogg is eager to solve. The Company proposed adding a fourth crew to enable more time off. Unfortunately, the union has rejected any proposals that might change current work schedules.

Myth: The Union alleges that Kellogg has threatened to move jobs to Mexico if they don't agree to our proposals.

Fact: This is completely false. Kellogg has not proposed moving any cereal volume or jobs outside of the U.S. as part of these negotiations.

"Kellogg is ready, willing and able to continue negotiations at any time," Bahner said. "In the meantime, we have a responsibility to our business, customers and consumers to run our plants, despite the strike. We are continuing operations with other resources and hope that we can reach an agreement soon."

For more information and regular updates, please visit Kellogg's negotiations website at kelloggsnegotiations.com. For video message statements, please visit the links below.

Full video statement

Benefits, Wages, Retirement video statement

Overtime video statement

Moving jobs to Mexico statement

About Kellogg Company

At Kellogg Company (NYSE: K), our vision is a good and just world where people are not just fed but fulfilled. We are creating better days and a place at the table for everyone through our trusted food brands. Our beloved brands include Pringles, Cheez-It, Special K, Kellogg's Frosted Flakes, Pop-Tarts, Kellogg's Corn Flakes, Rice Krispies, Eggo, Mini-Wheats, Kashi, RXBAR, MorningStar Farms and more. Net sales in 2020 were approximately $13.8 billion, comprised principally of snacks and convenience foods like cereal, frozen foods, and noodles. As part of our Kellogg's Better Days purpose platform, we're helping to end hunger and are committed to creating Better Days for 3 billion people by the end of 2030. Visit www.KelloggCompany.com or www.OpenforBreakfast.com.

SOURCE Kellogg Company

Related Links

http://www.kelloggcompany.com


TORONTO and LONDON, ON, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - On July 20, 2020, an action was commenced in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice against Kew Media Group Inc., and certain of its officers and directors (the "Defendants"). The action alleges that the public filings of Kew Media Group Inc. contained false statements. The action seeks damages arising from a decline in the value of Kew Media Group Inc.'s securities.

The Court has not made a determination on the merits of the Plaintiffs' claims or the defences that the Defendants will be delivering. The lawyers for the Plaintiffs will have to prove their claims in Court.

On September 27, 2021, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice certified this action as a class action as against the individual defendants, Geoffrey Webb and Steven Silver. This means that the lawsuit meets the requirements for a class action and may proceed to trial.

The Plaintiffs have not yet received leave to pursue their claims against Kew Media Group Inc. under the Ontario Securities Act. These claims will not be certified until after leave is obtained.

If you are included in the definition of the class, you may have legal rights and options before the Court decides whether the claims being made against Kew Media Group Inc. and the individual defendants on your behalf are correct.

WHO IS BOUND BY THE CLASS ACTION?

The Ontario Superior Court of Justice certified the class action on behalf of the following group (the "Class"):

All persons or entities who acquired securities issued by Kew Media Group Inc. in the secondary market between March 28, 2017 to January 16, 2020 inclusive, other than Kew Media Group Inc., and its directors and officers.

REQUESTING EXCLUSION FROM THE CLASS

You are automatically part of the Class unless you "opt out" of (exclude yourself from) the action.

If you want to stay in the Class, you do not have to do anything, but you will not be able to make or maintain any other claims or legal proceeding in relation to the matters alleged in this action. There will not be any financial consequences to you if the action is not successful.

If you do not want to be bound by the class action, you must opt out. If you wish to opt out, you may do so by completing an "Opt Out Form". If you opt out, you will exclude yourself from the class action. If the class action obtains money or other benefits you will not be able to share in them. In order to successfully opt out, you must include all of the information requested by the Opt-Out Form.

This is your only chance to exclude yourself or opt out of the action. If you wish to opt out, you must submit your fully completed Opt-Out Form to Class Counsel at the applicable address noted below, no later than January 10, 2022.

Opt-Out Forms are available by contacting Class Counsel.

THE LAWYERS THAT REPRESENT THE CLASS MEMBERS

The law firms of Kalloghlian Myers LLP and Foreman & Company Professional Corporation ("Foreman & Company") (collectively, "Class Counsel") jointly represent the Class in the proceedings. Class Counsel will only be paid if they win a trial or if there is a settlement. The Plaintiffs have agreed with Class Counsel that Class Counsel may seek legal fees totalling up to 33% of any judgment or settlement, plus repayment of disbursements and applicable taxes. The Court must approve their request to be paid. The fees and expenses could be deducted from any money obtained for the Class, or paid separately by the defendants. Class Counsel can be reached by mail, email, or by telephone, as provided below:

SOURCE Kalloghlian Myers LLP
CHICAGO and NEW YORK, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- King & Spalding has added a six-partner team to its Global Human Capital and Compliance (GHCC) practice, with Tom Ahlering, Anne Dana, Gina Merrill, Jenny Neilsson, Jesse Pauker and Pete Wozniak joining across the firm's Chicago and New York offices.

"This six-partner team brings deep Human Capital experience across all of the critical issues that U.S. and global multinational companies are facing," said Todd Holleman, who heads the firm's Corporate, Finance and Investments Practice, which includes the GHCC group. "They are the latest additions to our very successful GHCC team and will play an invaluable role in providing clients with their most important strategic and compliance-related Human Capital advice in the U.S. and around the world."

Tom Ahlering (Chicago)

Ahlering most recently served as Co-Chair of the Biometric Compliance Group at Seyfarth Shaw. He represents clients on issues relating to employment-related privacy laws, including biometric privacy and data protection. Ahlering received his undergraduate degree from Marquette University and his J.D. from The John Marshall Law School.

Anne Dana (New York)

Dana counsels clients generally on a wide range of human capital issues, including disciplinary actions and terminations, employment and separation agreements, and employment policies and practices. She also extensively advises clients on compliance with harassment and discrimination laws across the U.S. Dana received her undergraduate degree from New York University, magna cum laude, and her J.D. from Duke University School of Law.

Gina Merrill (New York)

Merrill advises corporate management on compliance with wage and hour and anti-discrimination statutes, specializing in complex employment litigation and class and collective action proceedings. Merrill, who received her undergraduate degree from Brown University, magna cum laude, and her J.D. from New York University, magna cum laude, is also recognized in Benchmark Litigation and Legal 500.

Jenny Neilsson (Chicago)

Neilsson focuses her practice on employee benefits and ERISA Title I and has significant experience advising clients regarding investment-related issues that arise under ERISA. She advises clients on issues that arise in connection with the structuring and operation of private funds, investor negotiations in connection with fund raising activities, and ongoing compliance. Neilsson received her LL.M. in Taxation from New York University and her J.D. from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law.

Jesse Pauker (New York)

Pauker assists multi-national companies with their strategic and compliance-related workforce issues around the world. In particular, he has deep experience with the global workforce aspects of cross-border transactions, including major post-acquisition global workforce integrations. He received his undergraduate degree from Penn State University and his J.D. from Rutgers University School of Law (Camden).

Pete Wozniak (Chicago)

Wozniak handles complex labor and employment matters, including discrimination class actions, wage and hour class and collective actions, and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission litigation. He received his undergraduate degree from Binghamton University and the Indiana University Maurer School of Law, (J.D.), magna cum laude.

Ahlering, Dana, Merrill and Pauker all join King & Spalding from Seyfarth Shaw. Wozniak joins from Barnes & Thornburg and Neilsson from Simpson Thacher & Bartlett. Neilsson will start later this month.

"As the only law firm with a Global Human Capital and Compliance practice, King & Spalding is taking a very deliberate centralized, global approach to help multi-national company clients manage their most important workforce issues," added Darren Gardner, head of the GHCC team. "These are six very highly-regarded human capital partners who will help us continue to scale our team, deliver strategic business value and help our clients manage their material workforce risks in the U.S. and around the world."

Also joining the firm recently were new partners Lazar Raynal (Chicago) and Erica Franzetti (Washington, D.C.)

About King & Spalding

Celebrating more than 130 years of service, King & Spalding is an international law firm that represents a broad array of clients, including half of the Fortune Global 100, with over 1,200 lawyers in 22 offices in the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. The firm has handled matters in over 160 countries on six continents and is consistently recognized for the results it obtains, uncompromising commitment to quality, and dedication to understanding the business and culture of its clients. More information is available at www.kslaw.com.

SOURCE K&S

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BELLEVUE, Wash., Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Nintex, the global standard for process management and automation, today announced the latest enhancements to its next gen cloud automation platform, Nintex Workflow Cloud, including new security and authorization milestones, enhanced governance features, workflow tracking for business owners, intelligent forms integration, and more.

Visit https://www.nintex.com/using-nintex/nintex-workflow-cloud/whats-new-oct-2021/ to experience the latest features of Nintex Workflow Cloud

"Public and private sector organizations are looking to drive further efficiencies across their operations with automation software," said Nintex Chief Product Officer Neal Gottsacker. "With the ease and power of Nintex Workflow Cloud, information technology and ops professionals as well as business analysts, across departments like HR, Sales, Marketing, Finance and Legal, are empowered to improve simple to sophisticated business processes with the platform's visual drag-and-drop workflow and forms designer  making the process of automating work fast and secure."

Today, leading enterprises in every major industry and the public sector have standardized on Nintex for their process management and automation needs. Organizations like the City and County of Denver, Zoom, Coca-Cola Beverages Florida and Wizz Air are going digital faster thanks to Nintex software solutions. With the visual process mapping capabilities of Nintex Promapp, featuring one-click automation integration with Nintex Workflow Cloud, and the end-to-end automation orchestration capabilities Nintex offers in its platform  from workflow to digital forms and mobile apps, to document generation and eSignatures, to process analytics and more  companies are accelerating results while saving valuable time and money.

Zoom Video Communications, Inc. worked with Nintex Premier Partner Pacific BPA at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic to improve its channel order tracking and management of business processes. Pacific BPA Solution Architect Alex Viera said, "We built the entire solution on Nintex Workflow Cloud, integrating with Zendesk and Salesforce, without writing a single line of code. There was a lot of pressure to get this solution right, and Nintex was the perfect fit."

Nintex Workflow Cloud security and authorization milestones

Expanded cloud options for Canadian customers - The newest data center located in central Canada joins Nintex's other strategic facilities around the world to give Canadian-based Nintex customers added confidence regarding their data privacy, sovereignty, and regional requirements.

The newest data center located in central joins Nintex's other strategic facilities around the world to give Canadian-based Nintex customers added confidence regarding their data privacy, sovereignty, and regional requirements. SOC 2 security milestone  Security controls for Nintex Workflow Cloud have achieved an independent, exception-free SOC 2 Type 2 report as announced on October 7, 2021 . The System and Organization Controls (SOC) 2 report covers Nintex Workflow Cloud and its key functional components: Nintex Workflow and Forms, Nintex DocGen, Nintex Xtensions, and Nintex Analytics.

 Security controls for Nintex Workflow Cloud have achieved an independent, exception-free SOC 2 Type 2 report as announced on . The System and Organization Controls (SOC) 2 report covers Nintex Workflow Cloud and its key functional components: Nintex Workflow and Forms, Nintex DocGen, Nintex Xtensions, and Nintex Analytics. Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program's (FedRAMP) In Process designation  Officially announced on September 29, 2021 , this FedRAMP in Process designation for Nintex Workflow Cloud for Government allows U.S. government agencies at the state, local and federal level and their affiliates to safely and securely accelerate digital transformation and eliminate paper and manual processes.

Notable new features in Nintex Workflow Cloud

My Nintex workflow tracking  My Nintex provides process owners and workflow participants control and visibility over digital forms, tasks, and workflows in a single dashboard. With the new workflow tracking feature, business owners gain enhanced insights and visibility into in-process workflows enabling them to track the progress of outstanding approvals and decisions.

 My Nintex provides process owners and workflow participants control and visibility over digital forms, tasks, and workflows in a single dashboard. With the new workflow tracking feature, business owners gain enhanced insights and visibility into in-process workflows enabling them to track the progress of outstanding approvals and decisions. Data source variables - Dynamically surface data from external systems of record in Nintex Workflow Cloud forms to improve how and what information is available and displayed to end-users. Reduce form complexity and data errors further by easily connecting to external data sources.

Dynamically surface data from external systems of record in Nintex Workflow Cloud forms to improve how and what information is available and displayed to end-users. Reduce form complexity and data errors further by easily connecting to external data sources. Nintex Gateway SQL Connector  Nintex Gateway is an on-premises application enables Nintex Workflow Cloud to access on-premises resources such as RPA Central and Microsoft SharePoint on-premises. The October 2021 release of Nintex Workflow Cloud features additional support for Microsoft SQL Server via the new SQL Connector. The SQL Connector provides support for adding, viewing or updating data, querying a table or view, and executing a stored procedure from any on-premises SQL database.

 Nintex Gateway is an on-premises application enables Nintex Workflow Cloud to access on-premises resources such as RPA Central and Microsoft SharePoint on-premises. The release of Nintex Workflow Cloud features additional support for Microsoft SQL Server via the new SQL Connector. The SQL Connector provides support for adding, viewing or updating data, querying a table or view, and executing a stored procedure from any on-premises SQL database. Intelligent PDF Form Converter  Released in July 2021 , this AI-based tool instantly converts static PDFs into interactive digital forms. With just a few clicks, paper-based PDF forms can be quickly digitized with Nintex Workflow Cloud. Support for fillable and non-fillable PDFs, as well as full customization options via the Nintex Form Designer, are also included.

"Nintex Workflow Cloud is one of the tools we leverage to quickly and easily deliver holistic solutions within departments and across the company," said New Belgium Brewing Company's Business Systems Analyst Tye Eyden. "The more our people experience Nintex, the more they come to us with new ways to use it."

To put The Power of Process to work today, request a free demo of Nintex Workflow Cloud at https://www.nintex.com/request-demo/ .

Media Contact

Kristin Treat

Nintex

[email protected]

cell: +1 (215) 317-9091

About Nintex

Nintex is the global standard for process management and automation. Today more than 10,000 public and private sector organizations across 90 countries turn to the Nintex Platform to accelerate progress on their digital transformation journeys by quickly and easily managing, automating and optimizing business processes. Learn more by visiting www.nintex.com and experience how Nintex and its global partner network are shaping the future of Intelligent Process Automation (IPA).

SOURCE Nintex

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http://www.nintex.com


The UK site offers customers a curated list of fan favorite products, kits, accessories, and branded merchandise. Tweet this

"Chemical Guys growth and success was kickstarted by the fact that it was one of the first digitally native brands in the automotive detailing industry," says John Mansfield, Chemical Guys Chief Revenue Officer. "Today we are a true omnichannel brand and launching direct eCommerce in the UK, along with other key international markets where we have strong distribution and an existing fan base, is an exciting next step as part of our commitment to interconnected retail."

"Chemicalguys.com has had tremendous success focusing on our customers' web experience while also providing them a personalized product assortment," says Andrew Perez, Chemical Guys eCommerce Manager. "Working with Scalefast has allowed us to replicate that experience while also going to market at an accelerated rate. With Scalefast's help, we look forward to expanding our UK site's features and providing the personalized experience our UK customers expect from a premium auto detailing brand."

Chemical Guys has seen a growing interest over the years in premium detailing products from UK auto enthusiasts, made evident by the successful 2019 opening of its first international Detail Garage, Chemical Guys' brick and mortar retail concept, in Preston, England. Detail Garage currently has 70+ locations throughout the US and Canada, amassing a large customer base and is best known for its hands-on customer experience through education and community events such as monthly Rides & Coffee gatherings.

With plans to expand e-commerce platforms in Australia and Canada on the radar for next year, Chemical Guys will work with Scalefast to spearhead the launch of additional international sites in these countries.

"The Scalefast team is thrilled to assist Chemical Guys' international expansion of their direct-to-consumer capabilities," says Scalefast Chief Revenue Officer Nicolas Chaumartin. "We are looking forward to fueling their growth wherever they need to reach their passionate fan base."

To learn more and order Chemical Guys products in the UK, visit https://www.chemicalguys.co.uk/ and the UK Detail Garage page, https://www.facebook.com/DetailGaragePreston/ .

ABOUT CHEMICAL GUYS

Driven by adventure, a passion for shine, and a love for the road ahead, Chemical Guys is a worldwide leader in automotive detailing products for car care enthusiasts and professionals. From exclusive small-batch waxes to cutting edge ceramic coatings, and specialty cleaners for exteriors and interiors, Chemical Guys sets the industry standard when it comes to product innovation, technological advancement, and education. Based in Southern California, Chemical Guys has evolved from a handful of passionate car fanatics to a global lifestyle brand with the largest digital library of automotive detailing "how to" content available. Learn more and join the Chemical Guys family at ChemicalGuys.com.

ABOUT DETAIL GARAGE

Detail Garage is the country's fastest-growing car care superstore. The nationwide retail franchise is the ultimate destination for auto detailing supplies, equipment, car care accessories and training. By combining the highest-quality products with educational detailing classes, Detail Garage has become the country's go-to retail store for car care enthusiasts, passionate car owners, and detailing professionals. After launching its initial location in Southern California, the brand has quickly expanded to over 70 locations over the last 5 years throughout the US and Canada. To find a Detail Garage near you or for more information on products, training or franchising opportunities visit www.detailgarage.com.

ABOUT SCALEFAST

Scalefast is the modern way for brands to sell online, empowering them to regain the control and simplicity they need to create an exceptional shopping experience directly from their own digital storefront. Its full-stack enterprise solution brings together a cloud-based eCommerce platform and global business services in an ecosystem where brands can join forces to leverage volume and data.

SOURCE Chemical Guys

Related Links

http://www.chemicalguys.com


CHARLESTON, S.C. and VANCOUVER, Wash., Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Liberty Hall Capital Partners ("Liberty Hall"), a private equity firm focused exclusively on investments in businesses serving the global aerospace and defense industry, announced today that it has sold Onboard Systems International ("Onboard Systems"), the leading global provider of external cargo handling equipment for civil and military helicopters, to Arcline Investment Management. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

"Liberty Hall's investment in Onboard Systems is another example of our long history of successful partnership with founders and other private sellers, and it represents a further case study of Liberty Hall executing our highly disciplined investment strategy of transforming middle market aerospace businesses into larger, more capable and diverse strategic assets," said Rowan Taylor, Liberty Hall's founding and Managing Partner. "We are extremely proud of the accomplishments of Onboard's management team, who led the successful transformation of the company and further expanded its leadership in the market."

"During our ownership, we worked with the company's founding family to transition the business to professional management and executed strategic investments in research and development and its operational footprint to accelerate growth and transform its operations," said Taylor Catarozoli, Partner at Liberty Hall. "Since our acquisition, Onboard Systems has introduced several new products and launched multiple new programs to further penetrate its markets and is well positioned for future growth."

Founded in 1975, Vancouver, Wash.-based Onboard Systems is the leading provider of external cargo equipment for civil and military helicopters with over 5,000 proprietary products designed into over 30 helicopter programs serving over 1,000 original equipment and aftermarket customers. Globally recognized as a technology and performance leader, Onboard Systems is the "go to" provider of suspension systems, cargo hooks, human external cargo systems and load weigh systems serving every significant helicopter original equipment manufacturer and most every significant helicopter platform. Liberty Hall acquired Onboard Systems in February 2019 directly from the company's founding family to execute its strategy to acquire niche suppliers of proprietary products into both the original equipment and aftermarket segments of the aerospace and defense industry.

"Through our partnership with Liberty Hall, we have expanded our global market share, redefined our go-to-market strategy and made significant operational investments to prepare for accelerating growth," said Cory VanBuskirk, President of Onboard Systems. "We appreciate the support of Liberty Hall to position us for the next stage of growth, and we are excited to partner with Arcline and its portfolio of aerospace and defense-focused businesses to execute on our growth opportunities ahead."

Houlihan Lokey served as sell-side financial advisor to Liberty Hall. Legal advice to Liberty Hall was provided by Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP.

About Liberty Hall Capital Partners

Liberty Hall Capital Partners is a private equity firm focused exclusively on investments in businesses serving the global aerospace and defense industry. Liberty Hall's principals have a 25-plus year history of working together and have led the investment of $2.5 billion in equity capital in over 25 businesses serving multiple segments of the aerospace and defense industry. Liberty Hall was founded in July 2011 as the first, and remains the only, private equity firm focused solely on investments in middle market businesses serving the aerospace and defense industry. Liberty Hall executes a proven and repeatable investment strategy designed to transform middle market businesses into larger, more capable and diverse strategic assets. For more information, please visit http://www.libertyhallcapital.com/.

About Onboard Systems International

Onboard Systems is a leading global provider of external cargo handling equipment for civil and military helicopters. Onboard Systems' innovative portfolio of cargo hook suspension systems, cargo hooks, human external cargo (HEC) systems, Onboard Weighing Systems and remote equipment is factory installed on over 30 helicopter models serving both original equipment and aftermarket customers. Its low-weight, high quality products provide operators with increased safety and cost efficiencies through customer-driven designs, responsive service and support, and low on-going maintenance costs. Founded in 1975, Onboard Systems is based in Vancouver, Washington. For more information, please visit http://www.onboardsystems.com/.

For Liberty Hall: For Media: Rowan Taylor Nneka Etoniru Liberty Hall Capital Partners FTI Consulting P: +1 (646) 291-2602 P: +1 (212) 850-5709 [email protected] [email protected]



For Onboard Systems:

Cory VanBuskirk

Onboard Systems International

P: +1 (360) 546-3072 x110

[email protected]



SOURCE Liberty Hall Capital Partners
Maplewood Senior Living Unveils New Branding Initiative Tweet this

"Our refreshed branding is an example of our commitment to evolution and ultimate goal of helping older adults live their best life regardless of age or needs," said Gregory D. Smith, president and CEO of Maplewood Senior Living and Inspir. "Our high standard of excellence and attention to detail, has allowed Maplewood Senior Living to recognize the importance of continuous growth and this has led us to be an industry leader."

Maplewood Senior Living has been a leading innovator in the senior housing industry, known for its upscale senior living residences offering a broad range of premier services and amenities, including independent living, assisted living, memory care and skilled nursing and rehabilitation. With communities in multiple states, Maplewood Senior Living is committed to providing its signature standard of excellence to residents.

Each of the Maplewood Senior Living properties is thoughtfully designed to have a distinct look, feel, and personality. With Maplewood's pronounced focus on engagement for its residents, it is setting the standard for senior living communities across the northeast and beyond. Each of its unique communities is designed to not only care for residents but to inspire them to stay active, engaged, and healthy.

Based in Westport, Connecticut, Maplewood Senior Living owns and operates 16 senior living communities in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Ohio. Maplewood's new, luxury senior living brand, Inspir, recently debuted its flagship residence, Inspir Carnegie Hill on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Under the same brand the senior care provider just announced Inspir Embassy Row, its new Washington D.C. location, is under development. The new brand was launched to offer a luxurious option for seniors looking to join a residential community in major metropolitan areas and will offer a variety of care options including assisted living, memory care and enhanced care.

For more information on the refreshed brand introduction please visit https://youtu.be/ys8rzI3AdkY .

About Maplewood Senior Living

Maplewood Senior Living is known for its upscale senior living residences, offering a broad range of premier services, amenities and care to its residents. Based in Westport, CT, Maplewood Senior Living owns and operates 16 senior living communities in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Ohio. There are New York City and Washington D.C locations within the company's newest brand, Inspir. This new senior living offering was launched to provide a luxurious option for seniors looking to join a residential community in major metropolitan areas. For more information, please call 203-557-4777 or visit http://www.maplewoodseniorliving.com .

SOURCE Maplewood Senior Living

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WASHINGTON, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A new policy memo issued by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas gives U.S. employers permission to hire illegal aliens over American workers, clearly defying federal law. In yet another step by the Biden-Harris administration to eviscerate immigration enforcement, Secretary Mayorkas states that employers will not be punished for hiring illegal aliens unless they are engaged in "abusive and exploitative labor practices."

"Once again, the Biden-Harris administration is ignoring the law and replacing it with their own politically driven policies under the guise of 'setting priorities,'" charged Dan Stein, president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR). "Since taking office, the administration has essentially gutted immigration enforcement  not only at the border, but in communities around the country. Just last month, DHS announced that it would halt enforcement against all illegal aliens in the country who are not violent criminals, or deemed national security threats.

"Now they are giving employers a green light to hire and employ illegal aliens, ordering a halt to nearly all worksite enforcement," Stein continued. "The 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA), which then-Senator Joe Biden voted for, explicitly prohibits the employment of illegal aliens. The stated intent of the law was to cut off the magnet of jobs that draws illegal aliens to the U.S., and protect the jobs and wages of American workers. As president, Joe Biden's policy is precisely the opposite: to draw as many illegal aliens as possible to the United States, no matter the cost to national security, public health, burdens to taxpayers, or the jobs and wages of American workers."

Perversely, Mayorkas' memo will likely make American jobs even more enticing to illegal aliens. Rather than sending a clear message to illegal aliens that they won't be hired, the Mayorkas memo sends the message that not only will they be allowed to work, but DHS will ensure that they are paid higher wages and provided better working conditions.

"The administration's immigration policies  open borders, and no enforcement against lawbreakers  are supported by a scant 25 percent of the American public, according to a recent Quinnipiac poll. Now 'Lunch Bucket Joe' is declaring open-season on American workers with policies that will flood the labor market with illegal workers, leading to even greater wage stagnation. The latest blatantly illegal policy directive leaves no doubt that the administration's highest 'priority' is ensuring unchecked illegal immigration," Stein concluded.

Contact: Matthew Tragesser, 202-328-7004 or [email protected]

ABOUT FAIR

Founded in 1979, FAIR is the country's largest immigration reform group. With over 3 million members and supporters nationwide, FAIR fights for immigration policies that serve national interests, not special interests. FAIR believes that immigration reform must enhance national security, improve the economy, protect jobs, preserve our environment, and establish a rule of law that is recognized and enforced.

SOURCE Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR)

Related Links

http://www.fairus.org


President Eisenhower quipped, "you must have a body of steel," as he hung the Medal of Honor around his neck. Tweet this

Corporal Dewey spent 50 days recovering in military hospitals. On March 12, 1953, President Dwight Eisenhower quipped, "you must have a body of steel," as he hung the Medal of Honor around his neck at the White House.

A total of 147 Medals of Honor were awarded for actions during the Korean War, and 108 were awarded posthumously. There are now three living Medal of Honor Recipients from the Korean War.

Dewey was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Nov. 16, 1931. He left school in 1947 and worked on a farm and as a foundry worker at National Motors in South Haven, Michigan, before joining the Marine Corps in 1951. He was discharged in 1952 following his recuperation. In 2011, he told an interviewer, "I got pretty banged up in Korea."

He returned to South Haven, Michigan, where the community gifted him a newly furnished house in honor of his heroism. He operated his own repair shop for typewriters and office machines until 1973. His later years were split between Florida and his home state of Michigan.

He is survived by his children and numerous other family members. Burial arrangements are pending currently.

About the Congressional Medal of Honor Society

The Congressional Medal of Honor Society, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is dedicated to preserving the legacy of the Medal of Honor and its Recipients, inspiring Americans, and supporting the Recipients as they connect with communities across the country. Chartered by Congress in 1958, its membership consists exclusively of those individuals who have received the Medal of Honor. There are 66 living Recipients.

The Society carries out its mission through outreach, education and preservation programs, including the Medal of Honor Museum, Congressional Medal of Honor Outreach Programs, the Congressional Medal of Honor Character Development Program, and the Congressional Medal of Honor Citizen Honors Awards for Valor and Service. The Society's programs and operations are funded by donations.

As part of Public Law 106-83, the Medal of the Honor Memorial Act, the Medal of Honor Museum, which is co-located with the Congressional Medal of Honor Society's headquarters on board the U.S.S. Yorktown at Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, was designated as one of three national Medal of Honor sites.

Learn more about the Medal of Honor and the Congressional Medal of Honor Society's initiatives at https://www.cmohs.org.

Contact: Kathleen Blomquist

[email protected]

843-884-8862

SOURCE Congressional Medal of Honor Society
Also in November is the debut of Changing Rooms (Vestiaires) , an offbeat short-form comedy series from France set entirely in the locker room of a differently-abled swim team. The characters' appearances and abilities are not spared from comedic dialogue. Each of the 23 episodes are no longer than three delightful minutes.

Returning to MHz Choice in November are new seasons of fan favorites Murder In... from France and The New Nurses from Denmark. Each episode of Murder In... takes viewers to different scenic French villages and regions - with fresh murder mysteries to solve. Season 3 of The New Nurses begins in the spring of 1953 as the school faces intense competition from a rival school that, unlike Fredenslund, does not accept male students. The school's uncertain fate is the backdrop to drama amidst the nursing students who face choices in love, addiction and tragedies from their own past.

The highly-acclaimed Movie of the Week series also continues into November, featuring the best of French drama and mystery, along with the second season of the classic French Arsene Lupin series from 1973.

The full November 2021 schedule available here: https://mhzchoiceblog.com/premiere-schedule/

NOVEMBER 2

ARSENE LUPIN: SEASON 2, FRANCE, INA, NEW SEASON

Gentleman burglar Arsene Lupin moonlights as a detective in this classic French TV series from 1973, based on the stories by Maurice Leblanc.

MOVIE OF THE WEEK  LIKE THUNDER IN A CLOUDLESS SKY, FRANCE, FILM & PICTURE, NEW FEATURE

Family drama about a small-town doctor whose family must pull together when he suffers a mental health crisis.

NOVEMBER 9

MARNOW MURDERS, GERMANY, STUDIO HAMBURG, NEW SERIES

Detectives Lona Mendt and Frank Elling are on the trail of a serial killer - but powerful enemies stand in their way as a dark chapter in German history is uncovered.

MOVIE OF THE WEEK  THE WOMAN WITH RED HAIR, FRANCE, FILM & PICTURE, NEW FEATURE

In Southern Burgundy, an out-of-town reporter teams up with a local woman to discover the truth behind her parents' death.

NOVEMBER 16

THE PROMISED LIFE: SEASON 1, ITALY, RAI, NEW SERIES

Epic Italian period drama about a mother (Luisa Ranieri, The Homicide Squad, Luisa Spagnoli) who moves her family from Sicily to New York in search of a better life. Season 2 premieres in North America in December.

MOVIE OF THE WEEK  DUPLICITY, FRANCE, FILM & PICTURE, NEW FEATURE

A tense psychological thriller about a woman who, following the death of her mother, uncovers her own hidden past and darkest family secrets.

NOVEMBER 23

MURDER IN: SEASON 8, FRANCE, FILM & PICTURE/MEDIAWAN, NEW SEASON

A gorgeous collection of mysteries, each one set in a different, picturesque region of France. Enjoy French towns and areas you may never have seen before!

A GOOD YEAR, BELGIUM, GLOBAL SCREEN, NEW LIMITED SERIES

A twisty crime drama about a disgraced engineer and a down-on-his-luck small-time crook who hatch a plan to strike it rich by claiming to have found Hitler's wine cellar...

CHANGING ROOMS (VESTIAIRES): SEASON 1, FRANCE, APC, NEW SERIES

When laughter and disability go hand-in-hand, nothing is off the table: comedy shorts from the locker room of a differently-abled French swim team!

MOVIE OF THE WEEK  HER WORD AGAINST HIS, FRANCE, FILM & PICTURE, NEW FEATURE

A rape victim faces a dilemma: tell the truth about her assault or stay silent and allow her attacker to be falsely convicted for murder.

NOVEMBER 30

THE NEW NURSES: SEASON 3, DENMARK, REINVENT, NEW SEASON

In the 1950s, a Danish hospital embarks on a radical experiment: training men as nurses!

HAPPILY NEVER AFTER, ICELAND, REINVENT, NEW SERIES

A happily married couples' therapist and mother of three finds herself suddenly single in this biting Icelandic comedy-drama.

MOVIE OF THE WEEK  DEATH IN THE SOUL, FRANCE, FILM & PICTURE, NEW FEATURE

An ambitious attorney, assigned to represent a man who admits to killing his own son, uncovers dark family secrets.

About MHz Networks

MHz Networks offers viewers access to a library of the best television mysteries, dramas, comedies and documentaries subtitled in English through its subscription streaming service, MHz Choice. Select MHz Networks content is also available on DVD and on its free ad-supported service MHz Now, available on Samsung TV Plus and PLEX.

New MHz Choice customers receive a free 7-Day Trial. For more information, go to mhzchoice.com.

SOURCE MHz Networks

Related Links

http://www.mhznetworks.org/


SALT LAKE CITY, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- MountainWest Capital Network (MWCN) today announced Dynamic Blending as the top ranked company in the 2021 Utah 100. Now in its 27th year, the Utah 100 is MWCN's annual list of the fastest-growing companies in the state.

"Dynamic Blending is an exciting company with an incredible growth story, going from one of our Emerging Elite last year to the fastest growing company in the state this year," said Dave Chase, chairman of the MWCN Utah 100 committee. "As with all of the businesses we are honoring this year, Dynamic Blending is a great example of adapting and thriving in unforeseen circumstances and we look forward to great things to come."

MWCN ranks the Utah 100 by revenue growth from both a percentage increase and a dollar increase over a five year period through 2020. At the awards ceremony, MWCN also recognized 15 companies with the highest total dollar revenue growth over the same five year period and named 15 startups to its Emerging Elite, which identifies younger organizations with less than five years that show the most promise of future growth.

"Utah has led the nation in economic growth for several years, and Salt Lake City has historically been the epicenter with occasional standout companies located elsewhere," said Chase. "But we are now finding growth from many areas across the state, including Dynamic Blending and nine of our top 10 companies, which are from Utah County or south Salt Lake County. This trend is promising for sustaining our state's economic powerhouse."

The full list of the Utah 100 (by rank):

1. Dynamic Blending

2. Thread Wallets

3. Awardco

4. Clean Simple Eats, LLC

5. JOJO's Chocolate

6. Gathre

7. Motivosity

8. Lion Energy LLC

9. PCF Insurance Services

10. Artemis Health

11. Podium

12. Aptive Environmental

13. XPS Ship

14. Pluralsight Inc.

15. Ezarc Welding, Inc

16. Made-By-Mary LLC

17. The Page Company, LLC

18. SimpleNexus

19. Ivanti

20. Weave

21. Enso Rings

22. Coreform LLC

23. Inside Real Estate

24. Vanderhall Motor Works

25. Beauty Industry Group

26. Blue Raven Solar

27. CB SkyShare

28. Dental Intelligence

29. Telarus

30. Security National Financial

31. Lucid

32. Intermountain Nutrition

33. Beddy's

34. Strong Connexions

35. Peak Capital Partners

36. Tech9

37. Conservice

38. Packsize

39. FirstMile

40. Xyngular

41. USANA

42. Varex Imaging

43. Collective Medical, a PointClickCare Company

44. 1 Source Business Solutions

45. Alpha Warranty Services

46. Lendio

47. Freeus, LLC

48. Avetta

49. Buy Box Experts

50. Executech

51. AutoSavvy

52. Foresight Wealth Management

53. eLuma

54. Clarus Corporation

55. Coalatree

56. Rocco & Roxie Supply Co.

57. Entrata

58. eAssist Dental Solutions

59. Legacy RV

60. PMD Beauty

61. Foursight Capital

62. Lender Toolkit

63. Signs.com

64. ProdataKey

65. Big Deal Outlet

66. Western Peaks Logistics

67. Chamber.Media

68. Campman

69. Conductive Group

70. Zamp HR

71. Flex Fleet Rental

72. Streiff Marketing LLC

73. Cingo Solutions

74. LGCY Power, LLC

75. Disruptive Advertising

76. Olympus Wealth Management

77. J. Lyne Roberts and Sons

78. Searchbloom

79. Lulu and Roo

80. Altabancorp

81. Nature's Sunshine Products, Inc.

82. Design Imaging

83. Image Studios

84. International Products Group

85. ObservePoint

86. Max Connect Marketing

87. Zonos

88. Abode Luxury Rentals

89. BrainStorm, Inc.

90. Evolved Commerce

91. Huge Brands

92. OptConnect

93. Ogden's Own Distillery, Inc.

94. KURU Footwear

95. Legacy Tree Genealogists

96. Grant Victor LLC

97. Squeeze Media

98. Complete Recovery Corporation

99. Lifevantage Corporation

100. VPI Technology Group

Total Revenue companies (by rank):

1. Layton Construction

2. Overstock.com

3. Sportsman's Warehouse

4. Purple Innovation, Inc.

5. HealthEquity

6. Malouf Companies

7. Vivint Smart Home

8. Zions Bancorporation

9. Pattern

10. Nu Skin

11. Extra Space Storage, Inc.

12. Merit Medical

13. G&A Partners

14. Walker Edison

15. Young Automotive Group

Emerging Elite (unranked; listed alphabetically):

Baltic Born

Bold

Divvy

Eddy

Gigi Pip

HydroJug

Inpivota, Corp.

Kenect

Lumio, Inc.

NoBid, Inc.

Pillow Cube, Inc.

Thirst Drinks

Turner Imaging Systems, Inc.

Whistic

Zyia Active

About MountainWest Capital Network

MountainWest Capital Network is Utah's first and largest business networking organization devoted to supporting entrepreneurial success and dedicated to the flow of financial, entrepreneurial and intellectual capital. Learn more at www.mwcn.org.

SOURCE MountainWest Capital Network
BUFFALO, N.Y., Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- M&T Bank again ranked in the top 10 in the nation for U.S. Small Business Administration lending, providing 1,115 7(a) loans for a total of $201 million to help local small businesses grow during the SBA's 2021 fiscal year  a 28 percent jump in dollars from 2020 levels. For 13 consecutive years, M&T has remained one of the top 10 SBA lenders in the country.

"Small businesses do more than create jobs and brighten Main Streets; they become part of the identity of our communities  and the entrepreneurs who lead them become sources of inspiration to neighbors who are thinking about starting their own businesses," said Eric Feldstein, head of business banking at M&T Bank. "We believe it is our responsibility to provide small businesses with the financial solutions, guidance and support they need to grow stronger and make a difference in people's lives  from the workers they hire to the up-and-coming entrepreneurs they inspire."

WC McBride Electrical Contractors, based in Bridgeport, Connecticut, secured an SBA loan through M&T to finance the construction of the company's new 11,000-square-foot building in Bridgeport, CT. The company, which participates in a training program for local youth, was also connected to M&T's supplier diversity team to pursue contracting opportunities with the bank.

"The SBA funding we received through M&T has helped us take important next steps as a business, expanding our capabilities and helping us strengthen our community," said Willie McBride, president of WC McBride Electrical Contractors. "M&T took time to get to know us and our vision, and they identified SBA financing as the right solution to help us grow. We're excited about where our business is headed thanks to M&T's help  we have plans to build a new headquarters and keep hiring in the years to come."

M&T was the leading small business lender in the SBA Districts of several communities it serves, including:

Baltimore : #1 lender with 227 loans for $45.3 million .

: #1 lender with 227 loans for . Buffalo / Rochester : #1 lender with 130 loans for $28.5 million .

/ : #1 lender with 130 loans for . Delaware : #1 lender with 47 loans for $5.8 million .

: #1 lender with 47 loans for . New Jersey : #2 lender with 102 loans for $15.5 million .

: #2 lender with 102 loans for . New York City : #2 lender with 221 loans for $31.2 million .

: #2 lender with 221 loans for . Philadelphia : #1 lender with 129 loans for $25.4 million .

: #1 lender with 129 loans for . Syracuse : #1 lender with 69 loans for $13.9 million .

: #1 lender with 69 loans for . Washington, D.C. : #1 lender with 121 loans for $17.6 million .

SBA loans are typically provided to businesses that may not qualify for traditional financing because they're just starting up, operate in higher-risk industries or lack sufficient collateral. By offering lower monthly payments and longer loan terms to eligible businesses, SBA loans help fuel local economies through small business development.

To help businesses secure the funds they needed during the pandemic, M&T provided a total of $9.9 billion in funding to more than 58,000 businesses through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). In addition to the PPP, M&T took a multi-faceted approach to help its customers and communities through the pandemic. The company empowered its staff with the tools and authority to help customers with specific needs, including fee relief on deposit or lending solutions, payment deferrals and low-interest personal loans.

In its latest Greenwich Crisis Response Index (CRI), Greenwich Associates identified M&T as a "Standout" among commercial banks in its support of small business customers during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. M&T was one of just seven banks across the country to achieve this standout status for small business banking.

M&T provides customized banking solutions tailored to their business customers' needs, combining its tech capabilities with its relationship-based approach to serving businesses. Beyond its financing and credit offerings like SBA loans and conventional loans, M&T helps small businesses with cash management products, merchant and payment services, mobile and digital banking tools, business checking and credits cards, and more. For more information about M&T's small business services, visit mtb.com/business.

About M&T Bank

M&T Bank Corporation is a financial holding company headquartered in Buffalo, New York. M&T's principal banking subsidiary, M&T Bank, operates banking offices in New York, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Connecticut, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia. Trust-related services are provided by M&T's Wilmington Trust-affiliated companies and by M&T Bank.

Media Contacts:

Upstate New York, National Media and Trade Publications:

Julia Berchou

(716) 842-5385

[email protected]

Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington, DC:

Scott Graham

(410) 244-4097

[email protected]

New Jersey, Connecticut and New York City:

David Samberg

(201) 368-4515

[email protected]

 2021 M&T Bank. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender.

SOURCE M&T Bank

Related Links

http://www.mtb.com


ITASCA, Ill., Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Safety Council (NSC) , America's leading nonprofit safety advocate, honored three organizations that have led the way in preventing injuries and saving lives with its renowned Green Cross for Safety awards. Presented during the 22nd annual Green Cross Celebration, this accolade recognizes the best and brightest in three categories: safety advocacy, safety excellence and safety innovation.

Nine finalists for the three award categories were selected, reviewed and evaluated by an external panel. Finalists for the Safety Advocate Award were: James McGovern, the City of Houston  Houston Health Department, and Nutrien AG Solutions. Finalists for the Safety Excellence Award were: Berry Corporation, United States Steel Corporation and Murphy-Hoffman Company. Finalists for the Safety Innovation Award were: Central Plateau Cleanup Company, UPS and Amazon.

The 2021 winners are:

Nutrien AG Solutions ( Safety Advocate Award, sponsored by FirstGroup): Each year, Nutrien Ag Solutions employees handle nearly one million tons of fertilizing chemicals. Recognizing a need to improve their safety training, the company worked in tandem with front-line employees, subject matter experts and stakeholders to successfully redesign processes and employee trainings for transporting and handling hazardous chemicals. Since implementing the new program, Nutrien Ag Solutions has not had any incidents involving anhydrous ammonia exposure with workers who have completed the new training.

( sponsored by FirstGroup): Each year, Nutrien Ag Solutions employees handle nearly one million tons of fertilizing chemicals. Recognizing a need to improve their safety training, the company worked in tandem with front-line employees, subject matter experts and stakeholders to successfully redesign processes and employee trainings for transporting and handling hazardous chemicals. Since implementing the new program, Nutrien Ag Solutions has not had any incidents involving anhydrous ammonia exposure with workers who have completed the new training. Murphy-Hoffman Company ( Safety Excellence Award , sponsored by UPS): Murphy-Hoffman Company (MHC) is the largest privately-owned heavy and medium duty truck network in North America . In 2014, MHC developed a comprehensive vehicle safety program to equip employees with the skills to keep themselves and others safe while driving, resulting in a 36% decrease in preventable collisions.

( , sponsored by UPS): Murphy-Hoffman Company (MHC) is the largest privately-owned heavy and medium duty truck network in . In 2014, MHC developed a comprehensive vehicle safety program to equip employees with the skills to keep themselves and others safe while driving, resulting in a 36% decrease in preventable collisions. Amazon (Safety Innovation Award): In 2019, Amazon challenged itself to leverage the company's technology-driven culture to eliminate Powered Industrial Trucks (PIT) injuries. As a result, the company launched the industry's first PIT solution with integrated semi-automatic controls, which eliminates many of the human factors that lead to PIT related incidents. This has not only significantly lowered injury rates at Amazon, but the company's goal is to eliminate PIT-related severe injuries across the broader industry through this next-generation technology.

In addition to recognizing this year's award recipients, the Green Cross Celebration helped raise more than $600,000 for mission critical initiatives, including safety research, education and advocacy. The benefit, co-emceed by Louis Bolden of Orlando News 6 and Courtney Hall of NBC Chicago Today, also featured a silent auction with incredible packages, inspiring stories from a survivor advocate, and informed audiences of the latest NSC efforts to save lives.

"I want to sincerely thank and congratulate the Green Cross for Safety award winners for the incredible work they do to keep millions of people around the world safe  especially during a time when that's more important than ever," said Lorraine Martin, president and CEO of the National Safety Council. "It's through their commitment and selflessness that people can live their fullest lives, on and off the clock."

Visit greencross.nsc.org for additional information about each winner and finalist.

About the National Safety Council

The National Safety Council is America's leading nonprofit safety advocate  and has been for over 100 years. As a mission-based organization, we work to eliminate the leading causes of preventable death and injury, focusing our efforts on the workplace, roadway and impairment. We create a culture of safety to not only keep people safer at work, but also beyond the workplace so they can live their fullest lives.

Connect with NSC:

Facebook

Twitter

LinkedIn

YouTube

Instagram

SOURCE National Safety Council

Related Links

www.nsc.org


ROUND ROCK, Texas, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A new Army-focused hymn has been released for free nonprofit use in time for upcoming Veterans Day observances: "Ever Faithful to the Call," composed by Tom Lough. Veterans Day ceremonies and services for veterans typically feature songs from other military branches, but this free hymn honors the soldiers of the Army.

"I have longed for a Veterans Day hymn about our soldiers for many years," said Lough, 79, an Army veteran and church music composer living in Round Rock, Texas, "because there was nothing for them. Now, through the new hymn, Ever Faithful to the Call,' an overdue musical recognition for the Army soldiers can be included for this coming Veterans Day."

Free sheet music for the easy-to-sing hymn can be downloaded at www.everfaithfultothecall.com , along with a license for nonprofit use. Program planners and church music leaders are invited to download this free hymn for the Army soldiers and include it in their Veterans Day events and worship services.

For inspiration in developing the hymn honoring Army soldiers, Lough turned to chaplains, veterans, family members, and church music professionals for their ideas and reflections. He also connected the hymn to the Army core values of loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity, and personal courage.

Could it become the Army Hymn? "Ever Faithful to the Call' is like no other Army-related song," Lough said, "so who knows what can happen?"

Media contact: Tom Lough [email protected] cell: 270-227-1418 www.everfaithfultothecall.com

SOURCE Tom Lough
SCHAUMBURG, Ill., Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Zurich North America, the Z Zurich Foundation and Resilient Cities Network have teamed up to create a multi-year program designed to strengthen climate resilience and help address social inequities in vulnerable communities in Houston and Boston.

The Z Zurich Foundation has committed $3 million to the program. Resilient Cities Network, which brings more than 10 years of urban resilience experience and a strong connection to cities through its network of Chief Resilience Officers, will identify neighborhoods, convene community and government partners, and deploy its Resilience Community Impact Fund to catalyze direct investment into projects. A cornerstone of the program will be the adaptation of the Zurich Flood Resilience Measurement for Communities diagnostic tool.

The program will initially work in highlighted neighborhoods of Houston and Boston, seeking to develop actions and implement projects that address climate risks, social inequities and resilience. The effort will begin by providing city practitioners and stakeholders diagnostic support on analysis of the challenges, community engagement tools and project implementation resources, before identifying appropriate solutions. Through this program, cities will engage with peer cities facing similar climate-related challenges, strengthen ties to private sector stakeholders, and receive technical assistance on analytical tools.

The investment is designed to deliver direct impact to the most vulnerable urban communities. The program is expected to attract additional funding and generate policy support, which together will amplify successful, resilience-building projects. While the initial focus is on Houston and Boston, the program will expand to scale best practices in other cities, thereby building urban resilience throughout the United States.

"This initiative will enable us not only to address climate change adaptation challenges, but also to engage with and impact underserved communities," said Kristof Terryn, CEO of Zurich North America. "Prioritizing resilience building actions for the most vulnerable populations will contribute to a more equitable future within and across communities."

"The City of Houston can benefit tremendously from this program to strengthen our resilience to climate change through an equity lens," said Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, Chairman of Resilient Cities Network. "I have seen too many times in our city, having managed six federally declared disasters in five years, communities of color are disproportionately harmed by emergencies. Issues of racial equity compound the impacts of other crises, greatly reducing a city's ability to become resilient. Cities that are repeatedly having to respond to the needs of vulnerable populations remain unable to truly recover before another shock hits."

"This program is a unique opportunity to tackle the complex and interrelated challenges brought on by multiple, cascading climate-related concerns," said Lauren Sorkin, Executive Director, Resilient Cities Network. "Singular organizations and siloed approaches to confront crises don't stand a chance. But, if we can unleash the predicative, hazard and impact models from Zurich together with the connective, inclusive capacities of the Resilient Cities Network, we'll be able to more effectively target solutions."

Gregory Renand, Head of the Z Zurich Foundation, said, "The combination of the Z Zurich Foundation's climate resilience analysis methodology and experiences and Resilient Cities Network connections to Houston, Boston and other cities gives us a great opportunity to help deliver actions on the ground that enable people to cope with the challenges of climate change. We hope that developing these innovative plans will also serve as a catalyst for others to join and help scale the solutions."

"Magic happens when the insurance industry combines forces with resilience practitioners," said Daniel Stander, Deputy Chair of the Resilient Cities Network Board. "Cities need to leverage private sector know-how and balance sheetsboth to finance the projects that will reduce climate impacts and to smooth the volatility of residual losses. Deep partnership is essential to ensure a resilient, equitable future. This is a ground-breaking partnership."

Additional details about the North America Climate Resilience Program are available online at: https://resilientcitiesnetwork.org/programs/north-america-climate-resilience-program/.

About Zurich

About Z Zurich Foundation

The Z Zurich Foundation works alongside Zurich Insurance Group employees and other stakeholders as well as with governments and NGOs in pursuit of a future where people can thrive in the face of increasing climate hazards, where those of us feeling the stresses of life are empowered to speak up, and where the marginalized in our society can reach their full potential.

The Z Zurich Foundation is a Swiss-based charitable foundation established by members of the Zurich Insurance Group. It is the main vehicle by which Zurich Insurance Group delivers on its global community investment strategy.

Visit the Z Zurich Foundation's website to learn more about its work: https://zurich.foundation. Follow Z Zurich Foundation on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

About Resilient Cities Network

Resilient Cities Network is a global city-led non-profit organization that brings together knowledge, practice, partnerships, and funding to empower cities to help them build a safe, equitable, and sustainable future for all. The Network integrates the combined effort of urban practitioners, city governments, and communities in a collective, comprehensive, and well-coordinated call-to-action to deliver urban, impact-driven resilience solutions.

SOURCE Zurich North America

Related Links

www.zurichna.com


Cheers to Adulting was developed in partnership with newly appointed creative agency of record lg2, and positions Partake as the 'official beer of adulting.' Through this brand platform, Partake aims to prove that adulting isn't about being a straight-edged, naysaying, party pooper. It's about connecting with others and being a part of the fun while still taking pride in evolving interests and priorities that come in this stage of life.

"Part of my mission with Partake has been to make non-alcoholic consumption not only commonplace in social settings, but always inclusive and fun without question," said Ted Fleming, Founder & CEO of Partake Brewing. "Through Cheers to Adulting, we're showing people that they don't have to apologize for who they are or where they are in life. We're empowering them to reach for a great-tasting, low calorie, non-alcoholic beer and to feel proud about their drinking choice whether they choose to cut back or to not drink alcohol at all."

The brand campaign will be driven by digital and social media content including a series of humorous and relatable videos that will run in a robust media buy across multiple platforms throughout the United States and Canada. The brand platform takes a playful look at adults who do not have to worry about making compromises with alcohol in order to successfully "adult" and shows how Partake opens up new possibilities in the way they can enjoy beer.

The videos follow a variety of individuals as they juggle the many demands that adulting can bring and look to ultimately find balance. This includes a man who doesn't have to choose between Friday night beers with friends before an early morning tee time, a mother and father who can crush a beer while still crushing parenthood and a woman who is able to have a refreshing brew while tackling some home renovations.

"Traditionally, if you reach for a non-alcoholic beer, you'd be questioned by friends or feel awkward in a social setting. But the Cheers to Adulting platform challenges that stigma," said Chris Hirsch, Partner & Executive Creative Director at lg2. "We want to turn the idea of being responsible into a badge of honor. It's ok to be just as excited about that 7am tee time as you are about the Friday night before it. We're excited to partner with Partake, one of the fastest growing companies in the North American non-alcoholic beer category and support their growth ambitions."

Health-consciousness is on the rise, and the "sober-curious" trend has helped the NA beer market grow. According to a 2021 report by Goldman Sachs analyst, Bonnie Herzog, no- and low-alcohol offerings are estimated to grow by 25% CAGR (compound annual growth rate) and reach $3 billion in total retail sales by 2025. Partake Brewing has already seen rapid expansion since it launched, with a three-year growth of 2,112%.

Partake was founded in 2017 by Fleming, a former engineer on a mission to take the stigma out of drinking non-alcoholic beer. After a Crohn's diagnosis led him to give up alcohol, he experienced a category traditionally low on selection and taste, and choosing an NA brew only invited judgement in most social settings. This ultimately inspired him to brew his own, giving consumers a variety of great-tasting, low calorie, non-alcoholic beers suitable for any occasion or location. Fleming's belief is that giving up alcohol shouldn't mean giving up the social connection that comes with it. And so, the brand's quest for premium taste and selection became rooted in a purpose of inclusivity: to allow everyone to partake in the moment.

Partake currently offers PALE, IPA, BLONDE, RED, DARK, PEACH GOSE and limited seasonal editions including LIME and RADLER. Consumers consistently seek out Partake for its exceptional taste, unmatched calorie count (10-35 calories per can), vegan all-natural ingredients and brewing process.

To check out the Cheers to Adulting videos, visit: https://try.drinkpartake.com/cheers-to-adulting-media-us/

About Partake Brewing

At Partake, we are beer lovers first. We're on a mission to transform the non-alcoholic beer experience so fellow beer lovers can enjoy great tasting beer that pairs perfectly with every occasion, no matter the reason for cutting back on alcohol. Partake Brewing has become a leader in non-alcoholic beer in North America with distribution in major retailers across Canada and the United States. Brewed using a proprietary process, Partake Brewing is praised by customers for its unique combination of exceptional flavor, classic styles, and game-changing nutritionals.

For more information about Partake Brewing and its non-alcoholic beers, please visit https://drinkpartake.com or follow along on Instagram at @ PartakeBrewing or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/DrinkPartake .

PR Contact: KLG Public Relations | [email protected]

SOURCE Partake Brewing

Related Links

https://drinkpartake.com


HEIDELBERG, Germany, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Novaliq, a biopharmaceutical company focusing on first- and best-in-class ocular therapeutics based on the unique EyeSol water-free technology, today announced that it has implemented and applies a quality management system in accordance with Annex IX, Chapter I of the EU Medical Device Regulation (MDR), for conformity assessment of its medical devices NovaTears, NovaTears+Omega-3 and EvoTears OMEGA.

Medical devices are products or equipment intended generally for a medical use. On 26 May, 2021, the Medical Device Directive (MDD) has been replaced by the new Medical Device Regulation (MDR). MDR is designed to be an improved version of MDD, increasing in particular the standards on quality and safety measures.

Medical devices in the EU have to undergo a conformity assessment to demonstrate that they meet legal requirements to ensure they are safe and perform as intended. Manufacturers can place a CE (Conformite Europeenne) mark on a medical device once it has passed a conformity assessment.

The changes introduced in the MDR affect a variety of aspects in the CE marking process. Some of these processes include device classification, technical file documentation, new responsibilities for the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and post-market activities. The goal of this is to increase the qualitative standards of medical devices within the EU, ensuring improved levels of safety whilst encouraging innovation.

An audit by mdc medical device certification GmbH has proven that Novaliq's quality management system fullfils the respective requirements and a conformity certificate has been issued in September 2021.

"We are very pleased with our decision to implement MDR already in 2021. The safety and quality of our products is a priority to us. Therefore we always seek to implement the highest standards for the benefit of patients, customers and partners ," said Christian Roesky, Ph.D., Managing Director and CEO, Novaliq.



About Novaliq's medical device eye care products

NovaTears is the first water-free and preservation-free eye drop for the treatment of dry eye. The product is CE certified since 2014 and successfully commercialized in Australia/New Zealand by AFT Pharmaceuticals and in Europe as EvoTears by Ursapharm. As the first-of-its kind, NovaTears offers a new mode of action by acting as a lubricating lipid layer stabilizer and evaporative barrier for improving tear film stability and quality. NovaTears is clinically validated by demonstrating improvement in signs and symptoms in evaporative dry eye disease (DED) and dry eye associated with meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) patients.1;2 With millions of NovaTears/EvoTears units sold, the technology is proven to be safe and well accepted.

NovaTears+Omega-3 is the first vegan eye drop formulation combining perfluorohexyloctane, the sole ingredient of NovaTears, with omega-3 fatty acid esters which are a natural component of the tear film and potentially important for evaporation and oxidative stress resistance. The product is free of antimicrobial preservatives and does not contain phosphate. NovaTears+Omega-3 eye drops provide an easy and unique way to supply omega-3 right to the place of application for patients concerned about their eyes. The product received CE-marking in October 2017 and is commercialized in Australia/New Zealand by AFT Pharmaceuticals and in Europe as EvoTears OMEGA by Ursapharm.

About Novaliq

Novaliq is a biopharmaceutical company focusing on the development and commercialization of first- and best-in-class ocular therapeutics based on EyeSol, the worldwide first water-free technology. Novaliq offers an industry-leading portfolio addressing today's unmet medical needs of millions of patients with eye diseases. Novaliq GmbH is headquartered in Heidelberg, Germany and Novaliq Inc. has an office in Cambridge, MA, USA. The long-term shareholder is dievini Hopp BioTech holding GmbH & Co. KG, an active investor in Life and Health Sciences companies. More on www.novaliq.com.

References

Steven P, Scherer D, Krosser S, et al. Semifluorinated Alkane Eye Drops for Treatment of Dry Eye Disease--A Prospective, Multicenter Noninterventional Study. J Ocul Pharmacol Ther. 2015;31(8):498-503. Steven P, Augustin AJ, Geerling G, et al. Semifluorinated Alkane Eye Drops for Treatment of Dry Eye Disease Due to Meibomian Gland Disease. J Ocul Pharmacol Ther. 2017;33(9):678-685.

###

Any product/brand names and/or logos are trademarks of the respective owners.

 2021 Novaliq GmbH, Heidelberg, Germany.

Novaliq Media Contact:

Simone Angstmann-Mehr

[email protected]

+49 6221 50259-271



SOURCE Novaliq GmbH

Related Links

http://www.novaliq.com


MENLO PARK, Calif. & BERLIN, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Open Networking Foundation (ONF) and Deutsche Telekom (DT) announced the launch of the SD-RAN Berlin Trial, the first field trial implementing fully disaggregated open RAN solutions using ONF's RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) software platform as defined by the O-RAN architecture. This 4G and 5G Standalone (SA) outdoor trial is live at Deutsche Telekom in Berlin, Germany.

Carriers are investing in open RAN to enable a new breed of modular and customizable 5G solutions to accelerate innovation and enable the mix-and-match of best-of-breed components from multiple vendors. Open RAN gives operators choice and flexibility to customize and optimize their networks.

This SD-RAN trial hosted by DT highlights the promise and flexibility of open RAN by integrating components from eight companies: AirHop, Edgecore, Facebook, Foxconn, Intel, Radisys, Supermicro and Wiwynn. Additionally, the Telecom Infra Project (TIP) is participating by providing hardware and facilities out of the TIP Community Lab in Berlin hosted by DT. The on-site field trial integration and testing is being coordinated and supported by Highstreet Technologies.

The live trial features horizontally disaggregated hardware (separate RU, DU, and CU units), as well as vertically disaggregated software components including an open source near real-time RIC (nRT-RIC) and xApps coming from the ONF's SD-RAN project . By integrating proprietary and open source components, including a near real-time RIC and xApps, this ground-breaking trial exemplifies a model for how future open RAN deployments are envisioned to take shape.

The entirety of the trial is operationalized leveraging ONF's Aether platform, a centrally-managed, multi-cloud, cloud-native platform providing Connectivity-as-a-Service, and highlights network slicing with multiple UPFs running at the edge. The SD-Core component of Aether provides 5G connectivity and the control plane running from the public cloud while SD-Fabric is a fully programmable network fabric optimized for the edge cloud used to instantiate a P4-based 4G/5G UPF in hardware.

Aether hosts the Radisys containerized CU while Intel's OpenNESS edge platform hosts the Radisys DU to enable cloud-native deployment of the RAN workload with optimization on Intel's latest Xeon platform (Ice Lake with Mount Bryce acceleration). The CU and DU are integrated with ONF's nRT-RIC, xApps, SD-Core 5G core and Foxconn O-RU.

"The Berlin SD-RAN Open RAN Trial, is a momentous step towards realizing the vision of fully disaggregated and intelligent RAN, leveraging ONF's leading open source RAN Intelligent Controller software platform. In addition to open fronthaul, this trial includes disaggregated RU/DU/CU units, and also vertically disaggregates the RIC and xApps according to SDN principles. Together, we are demonstrating the power of truly open RAN and ecosystem collaboration to accelerate innovation."

- Alex Choi, Senior Vice President Strategy & Technology Innovation, Deutsche Telekom and Founding Board Member, O-RAN Alliance

"The SD-RAN Berlin Trial with DT is a significant industry milestone for open RAN. At ONF we are seeing tremendous interest from the mobile community for our open source implementation of the O-RAN architecture, and this trial demonstrates the maturity of the SD-RAN open source RIC and xApp development platform."

- Guru Parulkar, Executive Director, ONF

"AirHop is thrilled to be participating in this DT SD-RAN trial. We are contributing commercially hardened 5G xApps that work with the complete Open RAN end-to-end solution. The trial demonstrates that commercial xApps can be quickly integrated and deployed using O-RAN defined standard interfaces to deliver automated performance optimization."

- Yan Hui, CEO, AirHop

"Open systems are the future, and Edgecore is pleased to be leading the charge and to be providing open network hardware that is running software from ONF as part of this DT SD-RAN trial. It has been amazing working with this dynamic community, and a real pleasure to be collaborating with DT on this effort."

- Jeff Catlin, VP of Technology, Edgecore Networks

"We are excited to see multiple ecosystem partners collaborating to test and trial this disaggregated Open RAN solution. We have made great progress with the RIC-xApp portability paradigm and we look forward to continuing to make contributions to the SD-RAN project."

- Manish Singh, Head of Wireless Ecosystem Programs, Facebook

"Foxconn has contributed the Radio Units (RUs) that are deployed in the SD-RAN trial. Given that this represents the first deployment of a truly disaggregated RAN solution, we've been very pleased with the collaboration and commitment shown by the whole SD-RAN community."

- Dr. Benjamin Wang, Sr. 5G RD Director, Infrastructure Product Division, Foxconn

"Our long-standing collaboration with ONF and its partners reflects our priority to collaborate with the Open Source community and aligns very well to initiatives such as Intel Smart Edge Open targeted for open innovation and developer acceleration. It is great to see an entire portfolio of Intel technologies enabling ONF SD-RAN and SD-Core ranging from Intel Xeon Scalable processors, vRAN accelerators to software offerings such as Intel FlexRAN and Smart Edge Open get featured in this trial, paving the way to the next wave of disaggregated and intelligent networks."

- Renu Navale, VP & GM in the Network Platforms Group, Intel

"The OCP and ONF have a synergistic relationship, with OCP focused on open hardware and ONF focused on open software that can run on OCP hardware. The SD-RAN trial with DT exemplifies this relationship, demonstrating OCP Inspired openEdge servers from Wiwynn, an OCP Certified Solution Provider, running critical components of the SD-RAN solution."

- Steve Helvie, VP of Channel, Open Compute Project (OCP)

"As a founding member of the SD-RAN initiative with ONF, Radisys is excited to participate in this important SD-RAN trial at DT, demonstrating use cases of RAN optimization and multi-vendor interoperability. We worked closely with the ONF community to develop service models, use cases and in the end-to-end integration of this field trial. This is a significant step towards commercial adoption of O-RAN based solutions by operators."

- Arun Bhikshesvaran, CEO, Radisys

"Supermicro is excited to have our servers included in the SD-RAN Berlin trial. This trial is a significant step in realizing the potential of open RAN, and it has provided a great opportunity for multi-vendor collaboration and learning. We are a strong supporter of open source and disaggregation, and believe that it is essential for enabling 5G edge, core and cloud networks."

- Jeff Sharpe, Director, 5G / IoT Edge Solutions, Supermicro

"TIP is pleased to be collaborating to support the SD-RAN Berlin Trial. The RIA sub-group of the TIP OpenRAN project is prioritizing use cases for open RAN that are being highlighted by this effort, so we see terrific synergies working with ONF and the broader SD-RAN community to support this first-of- its-kind trial featuring a multi-vendor mix of RU/DU/CU controlled by an open RIC and xApps."

- Attilio Zani, Executive Director, Telecom Infra Project

"Wiwynn is pleased to be providing our edge cloud optimized servers as part of the DT SD-RAN trial. These systems are designed for edge and telco applications, and are certified by ONF for the Aether platform used for this DT trial. We are committed to building solutions optimized for open RAN deployments, and we're very excited to see this DT trial advancing the state-of-the-art for open RAN."

-Steven Lu, Senior Vice President, Wiwynn

Deutsche Telekom SD-RAN Trial Event

ONF and DT will be co-hosting a virtual event October 19th offering an in-depth view into the trial and key learnings from the community. Featuring live keynotes and on-demand talks from operator and vendor leaders from across the open RAN movement. Register to hear about lessons learned directly from the experts who have deployed the first trial of its kind! The event is open to anyone.:

Deutsche Telekom SD-RAN Trial - Webinar

October 19th, 2021

5pm CEST, 11am EDT, 8am PDT

REGISTER HERE

About the Open Networking Foundation:

The Open Networking Foundation (ONF) is an operator-led consortium spearheading disruptive network transformation. Now the recognized leader for open source solutions for operators, the ONF first launched in 2011 as the standard bearer for Software Defined Networking (SDN). Led by its operator partners AT&T, China Unicom, Deutsche Telekom, Google, NTT Group and Turk Telekom, the ONF is driving vast transformation across the operator space. For further information visit http://www.opennetworking.org

SOURCE Open Networking Foundation

Related Links

www.opennetworking.org


NEW YORK, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX: OTCM), operator of financial markets for 11,000 U.S. and global securities, today announced Q.E.P. Co., Inc. (OTCQX: QEPC), a leading global provider of hiqh quality flooring installation solutions, has qualified to trade on the OTCQX Best Market. Q.E.P. Co., Inc. upgraded to OTCQX from the Pink market.

Q.E.P. Co., Inc. begins trading today on OTCQX under the symbol "QEPC." U.S. investors can find current financial disclosure and Real-Time Level 2 quotes for the company on www.otcmarkets.com.

The OTCQX Market provides investors with a premium U.S. public market to research and trade the shares of investor-focused companies. Graduating to the OTCQX Market marks an important milestone for companies, enabling them to demonstrate their qualifications and build visibility among U.S. investors. To qualify for OTCQX, companies must meet high financial standards, follow best practice corporate governance, and demonstrate compliance with applicable securities laws.

Lewis Gould, Executive Chairman, stated, "Upgrading to the OTCQX is an important step for QEP. This move will increase our exposure within the investment community and provide greater access to stockholders seeking to take part in QEP's growth. This move also demonstrates our commitment to delivering a high standard of compliance, disclosure and corporate governance."

Anthony L.G., PLLC acted as the company's OTCQX sponsor.

About Q.E.P. Co., Inc.

Founded in 1979, Q.E.P. Co., Inc. is a leading designer, manufacturer and distributor of a broad range of best-in-class flooring and installation solutions for commercial and home improvement projects worldwide. QEP offers a comprehensive line of specialty installation tools, adhesives, and underlayment as well as a complete line of hardwood, luxury vinyl, and modular carpet tile. QEP sells its products throughout the world to home improvement retail centers, professional specialty distribution outlets, and flooring dealers under brand names including QEP, LASH, ROBERTS, Vitrex, Brutus, PRCI, Plasplugs, Tomecanic, Premix-Marbletite (PMM), Apple Creek, Homelux, Capitol and XPS Foam. Brand names featured under QEP's Harris Flooring Group include Harris, Kraus and Naturally Aged Flooring.

QEP is headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida with offices in Canada, Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. Please visit our website at www.qepcorporate.com.

About OTC Markets Group Inc.

OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX: OTCM) operates the OTCQX Best Market, the OTCQB Venture Market and the Pink Open Market for 11,000 U.S. and global securities. Through OTC Link ATS and OTC Link ECN, we connect a diverse network of broker-dealers that provide liquidity and execution services. We enable investors to easily trade through the broker of their choice and empower companies to improve the quality of information available for investors.

To learn more about how we create better informed and more efficient markets, visit www.otcmarkets.com.

OTC Link ATS and OTC Link ECN are SEC regulated ATSs, operated by OTC Link LLC, member FINRA/SIPC.

Subscribe to the OTC Markets RSS Feed

Media Contact:

OTC Markets Group Inc., +1 (212) 896-4428, [email protected]

SOURCE OTC Markets Group Inc.

Related Links

https://www.otcmarkets.com/


NEW YORK, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- OUTFRONT Media Inc. (NYSE: OUT) announced today that it will report results for the fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2021 after the market closes on Thursday, November 4, 2021. The earnings announcement will be available in the Investor Relations section of the Company's website, www.OUTFRONTmedia.com.

The Company will host a conference call to discuss the results on Thursday, November 4, 2021 at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time. The conference call number is 800-353-6461 (U.S. callers) and 334-323-0501 (International callers) and the passcode for both is 7946502.

Live and replay versions of the conference call will be webcast in the Investor Relations section of the Company's website, www.OUTFRONTmedia.com.

About OUTFRONT Media Inc.

OUTFRONT leverages the power of technology, location and creativity to connect brands with consumers outside of their homes through one of the largest and most diverse sets of billboard, transit, and mobile assets in North America. Through its technology platform, OUTFRONT will fundamentally change the ways advertisers engage audiences on-the-go.

Contacts:

Investors

Media Matthew Siegel

Courtney Richards Chief Financial Officer

PR & Events Specialist (212) 297-6535

(646) 876-9404 [email protected]

[email protected]

SOURCE OUTFRONT Media Inc.
Pals Socks are designed for children and adults to inspire inclusivity and adventure through the message, 'we don't have to match to be friends.' The Paul Frank+Pals collection features four different pairings: signature monkey Julius and wingman Bob ; Julius and BFF Clancy the Giraffe, Julius and pal Sam the Grub, and Julius and advisor Skurvy. The friendly, cult-like characters can now be introduced to the newest generation by their Millennial parents who grew up wearing apparel from Paul Frank.

"What allows our brands to pair so well is that Paul Frank's characters are made up of different quirks and colors," said Pals Socks Founder Hannah Lavon. "And despite these differences, they are friends anyway. We hope parents will share in the nostalgia of Julius, Clancy and friends with their kids, while teaching important lessons along the way."

The Paul Frank+Pals Collection will be available on PalsSocks.com beginning October 12 for a limited time. Youth sizes start at $10 and adult sizes are $15.

Contact: Alissa Neil

[email protected]

(917) 328-4889

About Pals Socks

Pals Socks are purposely mismatched socks for children and adults designed to inspire inclusivity, adventure and empathy. Founded by Hannah Lavon, Pals is a woman-, LGBT-owned business. Perfect mismatches come paired as two unique, colorful characters that are friends despite their differences. Pals can be used to easily teach important lessons, collect and share favorite pairs, fundraise for good causes, and most of all to enjoy. To learn more, visit www.palssocks.com.

About Paul Frank

Paul Frank is a globally recognized, iconic fashion and lifestyle brand, which features artistic, entertaining designs for the young and young at heart. Born in 1995, Paul Frank is known for its nostalgic bright colours, quirky humour and the iconic Julius the Monkey, creating smiles and bringing whole-hearted sincerity to its global fan base for over 25 years across North and South America, Asia, Europe and Australia. To see what's new at Paul Frank, visit www.paulfrank.com.

SOURCE Pals Socks

Related Links

http://www.palssocks.com


CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Particles for Humanity, a life sciences company transforming early-stage technologies into products for people in low-resource settings, has appointed Mark Kessel as Chairman of its Board of Directors.

Mark Kessel is also Chairman of the Board of FIND, a global non-profit accelerating the development and delivery of diagnostic tests for poverty-related diseases. He also serves on the Board of Advisors of the Medicines for All Institute of the Virginia Commonwealth University focused on improving access to high-quality medications across the globe by driving down production costs. In addition, he has served as a director of the Global Alliance for TB Drug Development. He was formerly the managing partner of Shearman & Sterling, with day-to-day operating responsibility. He co-founded Symphony Capital LLC, a private equity firm investing in the clinical development programs of biopharmaceutical companies, and is widely recognized as a leader in structuring product development investments for the biopharmaceutical industry. He has also served as a director of Dynavax Technologies Corporation, OXiGENE, Inc., Antigenics, Inc., Organovo Holdings, Inc., Heller Financial Inc., Harrods (UK) Limited and the Biotechnology Industry Organization.

"We are thrilled to have Mark Kessel as Board Chair. During his tenure, FIND grew from a $30 million organization with most of its funding coming from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to a $120 million organization with a diversified funding base," says Particles for Humanity's CEO and co-founder, Sherri C. Oberg. "We look forward to his advice and counsel as we tackle many of the same strategic objectives."

"I have known Mark for almost 10 years and have been impressed with his leadership and strategic thinking. He worked closely with the CEO of FIND to produce a remarkable transformation of that organization. I can see a similar partnership developing between Mark and Sherri, which could lead to similar growth and potential for impact," says Dan Hartman, Director of Integrated Development at the Gates Foundation and a board observer at Particles for Humanity. Hartman is also Chair of the Quarterly Steering Committee that oversees the foundation's grant to Langer Lab at MIT, which invented the two technologies that Particles for Humanity is developing under a humanitarian license.

Particles for Humanity is developing a portfolio of products for improving vaccines and reducing malnutrition, with funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Its rigorous product development process is based on end-user input and is focused on financially sustainable product opportunities. For more information, visit the company's website www.particlesfh.com.

SOURCE Particles for Humanity

Related Links

https://www.particlesfh.com/


FANNIN COUNTY, Texas, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Pattern Energy Group LP ("Pattern Energy"), a global leader in renewable energy, announced today it has successfully completed construction and begun operations at its 83 MWac Phoenix Solar Project located in Fannin County, Texas.

"Phoenix Solar is the latest example of Pattern Energy's expanding activities in solar power and continued investment in Texas. This new solar facility is creating strong benefits with more than $15 million in revenue for Fannin County and the local schools, while producing clean power for 20,000 homes," said Mike Garland, CEO of Pattern Energy. "New renewable energy sources like Phoenix Solar make sense for communities because they are the cheapest form of new power and their investments return jobs, growth and positive economic impact in the rural areas where they are developed."

Phoenix Solar utilizes the highest quality components including First Solar Series 6 modules and NEXTracker NX Horizon trackers. Mortenson Construction provided engineering and construction services for the project. Phoenix Solar has a 65 MWac, 12-year power purchase agreement with Digital Realty.

"We are pleased to further expand our renewable energy portfolio in Texas," said Digital Realty Senior Director of Sustainability Aaron Binkley. "We place a high priority on sourcing net-new renewables local to our data centers. Phoenix Solar, located less than an hour's drive from our Richardson, Texas data center campus, does just that."

Digital Realty's renewable procurement to date includes 100% renewable energy for its European data center portfolio, 100% wind power for its U.S. colocation business unit and 100% carbon-free and renewable power supplied to several Northern California and Illinois properties. In addition, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has recognized Digital Realty as one of the top 100 buyers of renewable energy in the country.

More than 200 jobs were created during construction of the new solar power facility. Phoenix Solar is providing strong benefits for Fannin County, which will recognize both immediate and long-term economic infusions from the project. The new facility is projected to provide more than $12 million in new tax revenue to the Bonham Independent School District and more than $3 million to Fannin County over the life of the project. Additionally, it will contribute revenue in the form of long-term lease payments to project landowners.

The Phoenix Solar facility expands Pattern Energy's existing operating platform in Texas to a total of 1,037 MW of clean power in operation at six facilities across the state. Pattern Energy recently repowered its Gulf Wind Facility in Kenedy County with new turbines featuring state-of-the-art technology.

About Pattern Energy

Pattern Energy is one of the world's largest privately-owned developers and operators of wind, solar, transmission, and energy storage projects. Its operational portfolio includes 30 renewable energy facilities that use proven, best-in-class technology with an operating capacity of 4.8 GW in the United States, Canada, and Japan. Pattern Energy is guided by a long-term commitment to serve customers, protect the environment, and strengthen communities. For more information, visit patternenergy.com.

Contact

Matt Dallas

Pattern Energy

917-363-1333

[email protected]

SOURCE Pattern Energy Group LP

Related Links

http://patternenergy.com


PHOENIX, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Phoenix Children's has partnered with the Phoenix Fire Department to host the fourth EMS | MVP Pediatric Symposium, a training to ensure first responders in Arizona have the up-to-date education they need to respond to pediatric emergencies, which often require a very different response than adult emergency calls.

The Oct. 26 event, made possible in part thanks to a $250,000 grant from the Phoenix Suns, provides a continuing education opportunity for pre-hospital responders statewide. Attendees will learn to provide emergency care for seizures, submersion injuries, trauma events such as car accidents and numerous other serious and life-threatening emergencies. EMTs, paramedics, and nurses who attend can earn five accredited pediatric continuing education hours.

"We know every second counts in an emergency," noted Julie Augenstein, MD, Emergency Department physician and EMS Base Hospital Medical Director at Phoenix Children's. "We're working to ensure our first responders have the right knowledge and tools to provide life-saving care  especially for medical issues like seizures that present differently and require a different approach in children."

Phoenix Children's serves as communication hub for pediatric emergencies, providing guidance to EMTs, paramedics and firefighters in the field regardless of the patient's final destination, whether it's Phoenix Children's or another hospital.

"First responders are called to assist with every imaginable challenge," said Rob McDade, Phoenix Fire Captain. "We want to ensure that the youngest in our communities get the critical care they need when we arrive on scene."

Phoenix Children's Hospital's Emergency Department has been verified as an Advanced Life Support (ALS) Base Hospital by the Arizona Department of Health Services specifically for pediatrics. The organization is the only children's hospital in Arizona to earn this accreditation.

Once again, the Phoenix Suns will host the event at the Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix; for the first time, attendees will have the option of attending virtually to minimize COVID-19 risk. Registrants can get more detail on topics covered, as well as featured speakers, at the website: ems.phoenixchildrens.org.

"We're so proud to have been involved with this event from the beginning," said Phoenix Suns Charities Executive Director Sarah Krahenbuhl. "We know how vital our first responders are to the community and how their continued learning benefits children statewide."

The event will also feature an exhibitor hall with vendors who provide services to first responders. This year's exhibitors will include Carl's Jr, Maricopa Ambulance, American Medical Response, Philips, Stryker and Zoll.

Other event sponsors include Air Methods, Arizona Trauma Association, Balanced Body Massage, BannerAir, FirstNet, Guardian Air Transport, Neurelis, Philips, Project Smile AZ, Rare Disease Therapeutics, School Nurses Organization of Arizona, United Phoenix Firefighters Charities and The Stretchlab. Registration is recommended.

About Phoenix Children's

Phoenix Children's is one of the nation's largest pediatric health systems. It comprises Phoenix Children's HospitalMain Campus, Phoenix Children's HospitalEast Valley at Dignity Health Mercy Gilbert Medical Center, four pediatric specialty and urgent care centers, 11 community pediatric practices, 20 outpatient clinics, two ambulatory surgery centers and six community-service-related outpatient clinics throughout the state of Arizona. The system has provided world-class inpatient, outpatient, trauma, emergency and urgent care to children and families for more than 35 years. Phoenix Children's Care Network includes more than 850 pediatric primary care providers and specialists who deliver care across more than 75 subspecialties. For more information, visit us at phoenixchildrens.org .

SOURCE Phoenix Children's
PALO ALTO, Calif., Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Twenty small businesses that work with the Department of the Navy Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program are learning how to commercialize their innovations thanks to a program launched by innovation company BMNT Inc's enterprise accelerator, H4XLabs in partnership with the Office of Naval Research (ONR). This H4XLabs Commercialization Program will help grow government-supported innovation into commercial markets.

H4XLabs Office of Naval Research

During the 10-week program, companies are receiving 1:1 mentorship from a dedicated advisor team, which is guiding each company through a customized experience based on H4XLabs' methodology and Lean Startup principles. The program works with companies across technology sectors and business stages.

Ellen Chang, Director of H4XLabs, said, "The challenge for SBIR companies is diversifying their customer base. We created the program to help these talented companies scale. Rather than a traditional one-size-fits-all program, we realized that these companies are at different stages in their life cycles, and need a real-world concierge-style program."

The goal is to support the companies' expansion to commercial markets. Participants (find them here ) are SBIR Phase II award recipients chosen based on their team and technology's readiness to pursue commercial customers.

"We are excited to kick off this program to add to our portfolio of programs dedicated to supporting small businesses," Robert Smith, Director Department of Navy SBIR/STTR Programs, said. "Supporting the growth of commercial technologies that are of interest to the Navy are wins for industry, the US government, and the American taxpayer."

About BMNT, Inc.: BMNT is an internationally recognized innovation consultancy and early-stage enterprise accelerator that is changing the future of public service innovation. www.bmnt.com .

ABOUT H4XLABS: H4XLabs is BMNT's enterprise accelerator, providing specialized support for Deep Tech company founders tackling hard problems from concept through product deployment and scaling. www.h4xlabs.com

ABOUT THE OFFICE OF NAVAL RESEARCH: The Department of the Navy's Office of Naval Research provides the science and technology necessary to maintain the Navy and Marine Corps' technological advantage. Through its affiliates, ONR is a leader in science and technology with engagement in 50 states, 55 countries, 634 institutions of higher learning and nonprofit institutions, and more than 960 industry partners. ONR, through its commands, including headquarters, ONR Global and the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C., employs more than 3,800 people, comprising uniformed, civilian and contract personnel.

CONTACT:

Terri Vanech

203-918-1270

[email protected]

SOURCE BMNT Inc.
SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The global polyamide market size is expected to reach USD 53.32 billion by 2028, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 6.2% from 2021 to 2028. Increasing adoption of polyamide in numerous industries, including automotive, electrical and electronics, consumer goods and appliances, packaging, and textiles is projected to fuel the market growth during the forecast period. Polyamides are widely used in the exterior parts of vehicles such as front-end grilles, fuel caps, wheel covers, doors, exterior mirrors, and tailgate handles.

Key Insights & Findings:

In terms of product, the polyamide 6 segment accounted for the largest revenue share in 2020 and is expected to witness prominent growth over the forecast period

Based on application, in the engineering plastics segment, the automotive segment captured the largest share in terms of revenue in 2020

In 2020, Asia Pacific accounted for the largest revenue share of more than 40.0%. Ascending demand for electric vehicles is expected to have a positive impact on the global automotive industry. The introduction of electric vehicles by automotive manufacturing players such as Tesla, Volkswagen AG, BYD Co Ltd., Hyundai Motor Company, and Nissan is anticipated to provide further impetus to the regional market growth

Various strategic initiatives were recorded over the past few years to boost the growth of the market. For instance, in December 2020 , Star Plastics announced a global partnership with LATI, a European manufacturer of engineering thermoplastics, with the aim of expanding material offerings in North America , Europe , and Asia

Read 115 page market research report, "Polyamide Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Product (Polyamide 6, Polyamide 66, Bio-based Polyamide, Specialty Polyamides), By Application (Engineering Plastics, Fibers), By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2021 - 2028", by Grand View Research

Polyamide composites are expected to witness high demand from the automotive industry due to factors such as excellent mechanical properties, wear resistance, and the growing need for lightweight vehicles in order to improve fuel efficiency. Polyamide has been extensively used in the engine compartment to replace steel parts owing to the benefits derived from them such as lower weight and greater design flexibility as against traditional metals.

Key players in the market are continuously carrying out innovations and developing new versions of polyamide compatible with new polymer processing technologies. For instance, in May 2021, Evonik Industries AG successfully tested its INFINAM PA 6005 P (polyamide 613 material) on the ST252P and HT403P laser sintering 3D printing systems developed by Farsoon Technologies. The INFINAM PA 6005 P with a high melting point of 215Cexhibited compatible properties to be processed by 3D printing systems.

In addition, the establishment of global partnerships to increase dominance in advanced materials is expected to drive the market over the forecast period. In May 2020, LANXESS announced the formation of a new supplier partnership with Chase Plastics. This partnership is expected to create a distribution channel for Durethan PA6 and Pocan PBT developed by LANXESS.

Environmental awareness has propelled many electronics companies to utilize bio-based polyamides as a part of their sustainability goals and they have deployed the production of the same to support the strong growth in demand for advanced bio-circular materials. This can prove to be one of the major driving factors for the production of polyamides over the forecast period. In April 2021, Arkema announced to begin the production of Amino 11, a bio-based polyamide, at its new plant on Jurong Island, Singapore. This plant is expected to utilize castor beans to produce bio-based polyamide and it represents a 50% increase in Arkema's global polyamide 11 capacity.

Grand View Research has segmented the global polyamide market based on product, application, and region:

Polyamide Product Outlook (Volume, Kilotons; Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2028)

Polyamide 6



Polyamide 66



Bio-based Polyamide



Specialty Polyamides

Polyamide Application Outlook (Volume, Kilotons; Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2028)

Engineering Plastics



Automotive





Electrical & Electronics





Consumer Goods & Appliances





Packaging





Others



Fibers



Textile





Carpet





Others

Polyamide Regional Outlook (Volume, Kilotons; Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2028)

North America



U.S.





Canada





Mexico



Europe



Germany





France





U.K.





Italy



Asia Pacific



China





India





Japan



Central & South America



Middle East & Africa

List of Key Players of Polyamide Market

BASF SE

AdvanSix Inc.

Ube Industries Ltd.

Domo Chemicals

Toray Industries, Inc.

Ashley Polymers Inc.

Ascend Performance Materials LLC

Toyobo Co. Ltd.

Lanxess AG

Huntsman Corporation

Goodfellow Group

Check out more studies related to polyamides, conducted by Grand View Research:

Bio-Polyamide Market  The global bio-polyamide market size was valued at USD 110.5 million in 2016. The market is influenced heavily by increasing preference for eco-friendly and sustainable solutions. The rapidly evolving automobile, electrical & electronics, and textile sectors are projected to boost the demand for the product in the next few years.

 The global bio-polyamide market size was valued at in 2016. The market is influenced heavily by increasing preference for eco-friendly and sustainable solutions. The rapidly evolving automobile, electrical & electronics, and textile sectors are projected to boost the demand for the product in the next few years. Polyamide In Electronic Protection Device Market  The global polyamide in electronic protection device market size was valued at USD 378.7 million in 2016 and is expected to ascend at a CAGR of 3.2% from 2017 to 2025. The market is anticipated to be driven by growing product demand from construction and electrical and electronic industries, specifically in emerging economies of Asia Pacific .

 The global polyamide in electronic protection device market size was valued at in 2016 and is expected to ascend at a CAGR of 3.2% from 2017 to 2025. The market is anticipated to be driven by growing product demand from construction and electrical and electronic industries, specifically in emerging economies of . High Performance Polyamides Market  The global high performance polyamides market size was valued at USD 1.68 billion in 2019 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.1% from 2020 to 2027. Increasing polyamides consumption in the production of pipes, insulation materials, industrial brushes, and others, which are used in various end-use industries is projected to support the market growth.

Browse through Grand View Research's coverage of the Global Plastics, Polymers & Resins Industry

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About Grand View Research

Grand View Research, U.S.-based market research and consulting company, provides syndicated as well as customized research reports and consulting services. Registered in California and headquartered in San Francisco, the company comprises over 425 analysts and consultants, adding more than 1200 market research reports to its vast database each year. These reports offer in-depth analysis on 46 industries across 25 major countries worldwide. With the help of an interactive market intelligence platform, Grand View Research helps Fortune 500 companies and renowned academic institutes understand the global and regional business environment and gauge the opportunities that lie ahead.

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SOURCE Grand View Research, Inc.
The NCDS Insurance Education Program, among other things, provides participating dentists in-depth training in best-practice treatment and commercial dental insurance reimbursement procedures. The one-hour program delivers helpful insights into dental insurance companies' claim review guidelines, policies and procedures and also provides the opportunity to earn one hour of Continuing Education (CE) credit.

NC dentists who participate in the NCDS Insurance Education Program will be able to access their P&R Utilization and DentaQual scorecards securely through P&R's DentSource web portal, view their individual scores in each DentaQual measurement category and see detailed explanations of DentaQual's quality measures, metrics, and scoring methodologies. Participating dentists will also be able to track any changes in their DentaQual scores beginning 12 months after completion of the NCDS Insurance Education Program.



Paul T. Sheils, CEO of P&R Dental Strategies says, "Our focus has always been the promotion of high-quality dental care and encouraging quality improvement through objective, data-based measurements. We're thrilled that the North Carolina Dental Society will be using P&R's Utilization and DentaQual scorecards as foundational elements in its ongoing efforts to educate its members in best-practice dentistry and to improve the quality of oral care in North Carolina. We believe NCDS should be commended for its highly innovative dental insurance education program which could become a model for other dental societies and organizations."



Dr. M. Alec Parker, Executive Director, North Carolina Dental Society says, "P&R's claims-based scorecards are valuable tools for truly objective quality measurement. We believe our Insurance Education Program, powered by P&R, will help further our mission to sustain and improve the spectrum of oral health for the people of North Carolina. Objective, data-driven, quality ratings are a powerful tool to encourage positive practice behaviors and help improve healthcare outcomes."



For more information on the North Carolina Dental Society visit https://www.ncdental.org/. For more information on DentaQual visit https://www.pandrdental.com/dentalquality/.



For business inquiries, please contact P&R Dental Strategies Business Development at +1.856.986.6216 or email [email protected]



About P&R Dental Strategies, LLC

P&R Dental Strategies is the premier dental insights company delivering customized, actionable business intelligence powered by DentaBase, our national multi-payer claims database. P&R Dental Strategies' flexible, cutting-edge technology platform provides an enterprise-level suite of quality measurement, business forecasting, claim review and utilization management, provider profiling, fraud and abuse prevention and network development solutions to customers seeking to contain costs and maximize efficiency across their businesses. P&R Dental Strategies customers can depend on the support of an industry-leading team of dentists, consultants and statisticians to focus on their unique challenges.

Website: https://www.pandrdental.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pandrdentalstrategies

Twitter: https://twitter.com/PandRDental

Joe Mann

Vice President of Marketing

P&R Dental Strategies, LLC

(609)783-9011

[email protected]

This release was issued through WebWire. For more information, visit http://www.webwire.com.

SOURCE P&R Dental Strategies, LLC
RAIPUR, India, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Stratview Research announces the launch of a new research report on Restoration Anchors Market by Product Type (Mechanical Restraining Anchors, Mechanical Repair Anchors, and Helical Tie Anchors), by Application Type (Masonry, Natural Stone, Precast Concrete, and Others), and by Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World), Trend, Forecast, Competitive Analysis, and Growth Opportunity: 2021-2026.

This strategic assessment report, from Stratview Research, provides a comprehensive analysis that reflects today's restoration anchors market realities and future market possibilities for the forecast period of 2021 to 2026. The report segments and analyzes the market in the most detailed manner to provide a panoramic view of the market. The vital data/information provided in the report can play a crucial role for the market participants as well as investors in the identification of low-hanging fruits available in the market as well as formulate growth strategies.

Restoration Anchors Market: Highlights from the Report

Restoration anchors are used for repairing and stabilizing weak masonries and to restore and provide strength to the existing buildings. Restoration is the process of preserving and returning the building to its former position or improve its condition.

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic hit the construction industry hard with a grave impact on the entire ecosystem. The restoration anchors market logged a massive decline of -8% in 2020, quite aligned with the decline in the overall construction industry. Based on the primary interviews coupled with the study of recovery trajectories of previous downturns, it is estimated that the market will start rebounding from 2021 onwards followed by maintaining sequential growth. Overall, the restoration anchors market is likely to rebound at a promising CAGR of 5.4% in the long run to reach US$ 227 Million in 2026.

Click Here and Run Through the TOC of the Report: https://www.stratviewresearch.com/toc/1973/restoration-anchors-market.html

Based on the product type, mechanical restraining anchor is expected to remain the most dominant product type in the market during the forecast period, owing to the increasing demand for mechanical restraining anchors from masonry and precast concrete applications. In addition to that, mechanical restraining anchors are gaining traction as they eliminate the need for the removal and resetting of stone, brick, or precast panels.

Based on the application type, masonry is expected to remain the dominant application type in the market during the forecast period. Increasing investments in the maintenance and repair of existing building structures are the major growth driver for the use of restoration anchors for masonry applications.

Register Here for a Free Sample of the Detailed Report: https://www.stratviewresearch.com/Request-Sample/1973/restoration-anchors-market.html#form

In terms of regions, Europe is expected to remain the largest market for restoration anchors during the forecast period. The demand for restoration anchors is growing in the region due to the presence of several historical buildings, stringent government regulations, and growing disposable income of consumers leading to an increased demand for restoration of buildings. North America and Asia-Pacific are also likely to create sizeable opportunities in the coming five years, driven by an expected rebound in the construction industry and increasing investment in the maintenance of old and historical buildings.

Following are the key players in the restoration anchors market:

Fisher Group

Helifix, Inc.

PAM Ties Ltd.

PROSOCO, Inc.

Simpson Strong-Tie Company Inc.

Sormat Oy

SureCPS Group

Target Fixings Ltd.

Thor Helical Ltd.

Wykamol Group Ltd

Report Features

This report provides market intelligence in the most comprehensive way. The report structure has been kept such that it offers maximum business value. It provides critical insights on the market dynamics and will enable strategic decision making for the existing market players as well as those willing to enter the market. The following are the key features of the report:

Market structure: Overview, industry life cycle analysis, supply chain analysis.

Market environment analysis: Growth drivers and constraints, Porter's five forces analysis, SWOT analysis.

Market trend and forecast analysis.

Market segment trend and forecast.

Competitive landscape and dynamics: Market share, product portfolio, product launches, etc.

Attractive market segments and associated growth opportunities.

Emerging trends.

Strategic growth opportunities for the existing and new players.

Key success factors.

This report studies the restoration anchors market and has segmented the market in three ways, keeping in mind the interest of all the stakeholders across the value chain. Following are the three ways in which the market is segmented:

Restoration Anchors Market, by Product Type

Mechanical Restraining Anchors (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW)

Mechanical Repair Anchors (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW)

Helical Tie Anchors (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW)

Restoration Anchors Market, by Application Type

Masonry (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW)

Natural Stone (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW)

Precast Concrete (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW)

Others (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW)

Restoration Anchors Market, by Region

North America (Country Analysis: The USA and Canada )

Europe (Country Analysis: Germany , France , the UK, Spain , Russia , and Rest of Europe )

Asia-Pacific (Country Analysis: Japan , China , India , and Rest of Asia-Pacific )

Rest of the World (Country Analysis: Brazil , Saudi Arabia , and Others)

Stratview Research has several high value market reports in the construction materials industry. Please refer to the following link to browse through our reports:

https://www.stratviewresearch.com/market-reports/Construction-Equipment.html

About Stratview Research

Stratview Research is a global market intelligence firm providing wide range of services including syndicated market reports, custom research and sourcing intelligence across industries, such as Advanced Materials, Aerospace & Defense, Automotive & Mass Transportation, Consumer Goods, Construction & Equipment, Electronics and Semiconductors, Energy & Utility, Healthcare & Life Sciences, and Oil & Gas.

We have a strong team of industry veterans and analysts with an extensive experience in executing custom research projects for mid-sized to Fortune 500 companies, in the areas of Market Assessment, Opportunity Screening, Competitive Intelligence, Due Diligence, Target Screening, Market Entry Strategy, Go to Market Strategy, and Voice of Customer studies.

Stratview Research is a trusted brand globally, providing high quality research and strategic insights that help companies worldwide in effective decision making.

For enquiries, please contact:

Stratview Research

E-mail: [email protected]

Direct: +1-313-307-4176

SOURCE Stratview Research
Oct. 6-7 online auction attracted 11,200+ bidders from 62 countries competing for 2,900+ items

DENVER, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Ritchie Bros. regional online auctions keep rolling, with its latest Rocky Mountain event attracting 11,200+ online bidders from 62 countries to compete for 2,900+ items, generating US$41+ million in gross transaction value.

Equipment in the Oct. 6  7 auction was stored at Ritchie Bros.' locations in Denver, CO; Salt Lake City, UT; and its new local yard in Williston, ND. Approximately 93% of the assets in the auction were sold to U.S. buyers, while the remaining 7% was sold to international buyers from as far away as Honduras, India, and the Netherlands. Leading up to the auction, Ritchie Bros. saw a 96% increase in the number of online equipment views and a 48% increase in watchlist adds in comparison to the previous Rocky Mountain event held in August.

"Our regional auctions continue to attract unprecedented demand, driving great returns for consignors," said Chad Apland, Regional Sales Manager, Ritchie Bros. "These regional events create a lot of hype in the marketsellers want to be a part of something big and buyers love the increased selection. As a result, we once again saw strong pricing across every asset category in our Rocky Mountain auction, with transportation equipment pricing hitting record levels. If you have surplus equipment or trucks, contact us to sell today!"

Five Big Sellers:

2006 Caterpillar 623G elevating motor scraper  US$415,000

2014 Grove TMS800E 80-ton 8x4x4 hydraulic truck crane  US$370,000

2015 Caterpillar CT660L tri-drive hydro vac truck  US$210,000

2018 Peterbilt 367 tri-drive day cab heavy haul truck  US$145,000

2019 Freightliner 122SD Coronado day cab truck tractor  US$115,000

AUCTION QUICK FACTS: ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGIONAL (OCTOBER 2021)

Gross Transaction Value (GTV): US$41+ million

Total Registered Bidders: 11,200+

Total Number of Lots: 2,900+

Total Number of Consignors: 650+

Ritchie Bros. will sell more than 35,000 equipment items and trucks in its upcoming events, including an October 26  28 auction in Edmonton, AB and a giant crane auction for Sparks Industrial Inc. in Decatur, AL on November 3. The company also has weekly featured online auctions at IronPlanet.com and a daily reserved option with Marketplace-E.

About Ritchie Bros.:

Established in 1958, Ritchie Bros. (NYSE and TSX: RBA) is a global asset management and disposition company, offering customers end-to-end solutions for buying and selling used heavy equipment, trucks and other assets. Operating in a number of sectors, including construction, transportation, agriculture, energy, oil and gas, mining, and forestry, the company's selling channels include: Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers, the world's largest industrial auctioneer offers live auction events with online bidding; IronPlanet, an online marketplace with featured weekly auctions and providing the exclusive IronClad Assurance equipment condition certification; Marketplace-E, a controlled marketplace offering multiple price and timing options; Mascus, a leading European online equipment listing service; and Ritchie Bros. Private Treaty, offering privately negotiated sales. The Company's suite of solutions also includes Ritchie Bros. Asset Solutions and Rouse Services LLC, which together provides a complete end-to-end asset management, data-driven intelligence and performance benchmarking system. Ritchie Bros. also offers sector-specific solutions including GovPlanet, TruckPlanet, and Kruse Energy, plus equipment financing and leasing through Ritchie Bros. Financial Services. For more information about Ritchie Bros., visit RitchieBros.com.

Photos and video for embedding in media stories are available at rbauction.com/media.

SOURCE Ritchie Bros.
ROCKFORD, Illinois, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Rockford Mutual Insurance Company (RMIC) is pleased to announce today that it has been named in the annual Best Places to Work in Insurance program, which recognizes employers nationwide for their outstanding performance in establishing workplaces where associates can thrive, enjoy their work and help their company grow.

Rockford Mutual Insurance is helping families, individuals and businesses today and during their time of need by providing exceptional service, innovation, security, ease of doing business and paying claims promptly and fairly. This is accomplished by hiring the best associates, cultivating their talents, living our core values while leveraging technology.

"Our associates are the face of Rockford Mutual," says Kent Shantz, President & CEO of RMIC, "They're genuine, hard-working people who care about making a difference. We work hard to ensure our associates feel supported and develop to their full potential."

RMIC is proud to provide a friendly atmosphere, benefits package, education and training programs for professional development, and more. Most recently, Rockford Mutual introduced "Give Back Days". This is a benefit that allows associates to volunteer at a non-profit close to their heart twice a year, paid by the company.

Best Places to Work in Insurance is an annual sponsored content feature presented by the Custom Publishing unit of Business Insurance and Best Companies Group that lists the agents, brokers, insurance companies and other providers with the highest levels of employee engagement and satisfaction. Harrisburg, Pa.-based Best Companies Group identifies the leading employers in the insurance industry by conducting a free two-part assessment of each company. The first part is a questionnaire completed by the employer about company policies, practices and demographics. The second part is a confidential employee survey on engagement and satisfaction.

The program divides employers into the categories of small, 25-249 employees; medium, 250-999 employees; and large, 1,000 or more employees. This year's report features 100 companies of various sizes, from 25 employees to more than 4,000.

About Rockford Mutual Insurance Company:

Rockford Mutual Insurance Company was founded in 1896, writing primarily automobile, homeowners, farmowners, and commercial multi-peril in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana. Policies are written through independent agents appointed within various areas of operation.

Business Insurance is the authoritative news and information source for executives concerned about risk and the impact on their business. With information for risk managers, insurers, brokers and other providers of insurance products and services, Business Insurance delivers in-depth analysis on new and emerging risks, case studies of successful programs, market intelligence on trends, and guidance on how to capitalize on opportunities and overcome challenges.

Best Companies Group works with partners to establish "Best Places to Work," "Best Companies," and "Best Employers" programs on a national, state-wide and regional basis. Through its thorough workplace assessment using employer questionnaires and employee satisfaction surveys, Best Companies Group identifies and recognizes companies that have been successful in creating and

Contact: Amy Casey

[email protected]

815.489.3169

SOURCE Rockford Mutual Insurance Company

Related Links

https://www.rockfordmutual.com/


"We are building a museum like no other, on a fossil site of global importance..." Tweet this

Research at the site, which Rowan purchased from the Inversand Company in 2015, is led by Dr. Kenneth Lacovara, founding dean of the School of Earth & Environment and director of the Jean & Ric Edelman Fossil Park. Already, that research is shedding light on ancient events that led to the world's fifth mass extinction, a calamitous die-off in which most dinosaurs (except birds) and 75% of other species went extinct.

World class museum

Within the museum's exhibit halls, visitors will be transported back to a time when dinosaurs roamed the coast, and fearsome mosasaurs, giant sea turtles and crocodiles patrolled the sea. Lacovara said the museum will also provide opportunities for the exploration of contemporary times, in particular the rapidly worsening climate and biodiversity crises.

"We are building a museum like no other, on a fossil site of global importance that will connect visitors to the ancient past, to the thrill of discovery and to Rowan University," Lacovara said before the groundbreaking.

Guests will be astounded, he said, from the moment they enter the lobby, where they'll see "skeletal reconstructions of creatures that existed right here, 66 million years ago."

Visitors will enter land and sea galleries of the Late Cretaceous worlds and wonder at the hyper-local focus, like a recreated Brontosaurus, the first discovered tyrannosaur, which was found just a mile from the Fossil Park site in 1866, and a 53-foot mosasaur, like one discovered at the site, "that swam through the seas, right where you are sitting."

The Hall of Cretaceous Seas will feature a vast collection of marine recreations, including dozens by world-renowned paleo sculptor Gary Staab, while the Hall of Extinction & Hope will enable visitors to experience the demise of the dinosaurs, to immerse themselves in knowledge about the ongoing climate and biodiversity crises, and to explore a network of resources to take action about them.

Elsewhere, "Discovery Forest" will feature hands-on learning stations and "Critter Cove" will contain sea and land animals with genetic connections to the site during the Late Cretaceous era. There will also be a Fossil Research Workshop, a virtual reality chamber, Cafe, museum store, paleo-themed playground and nature trails.

Major gift boosts "citizen science" and local economy

Shortly after Rowan's purchase of the Fossil Park site, alumni Ric & Jean Edelman gave $25 million to develop it as a unique research ecosystem that supports scientific, undergraduate and "citizen science" opportunities. Pre-pandemic, the park hosted thousands of visitors per year, from school kids on bus trips to business people and community leaders, all of whom are drawn to the prospect of finding genuine, Late Cretaceous-era, fossils.

Referring to herself, her husband and Lacovara, all three of whom are Rowan alumni, Jean Edelman said, "for three humble kids from (the former) Glassboro State College, it's very hard to believe that, here we are, in this amazing spot with all of you creating this amazing museum that's going to be here for generations."

While the couple's extraordinary gift will finance more than a third of the museum's construction, Ric Edelman said the most important aspect of the project is the educational impact it will have.

"The look back into the distant past is not merely for intellectual curiosity, it's to remind us of who we are, where we have the potential to go and who we have the potential to become," he said.

To date, just a few hundred square yards of the 65-acre site have been fully processed but they have yielded more than 50,000 cataloged marine and terrestrial fossils, from reptilian mosasaurs to sea turtles, sharks, boney fish, coral and clams.

An economic impact study conducted ahead of the museum's construction predicted that an estimated 200,000 or more fossil hunters will visit the park and museum each year, producing more than $300 million in economic activity over a 10-year period.

"The impact this project will have on our region cannot be overstated," said Rowan University President Ali A. Houshmand. "From educational and research opportunities to jobs and tourism, every dollar spent developing the fossil park and museum will return to the community many times over."

Eco-friendly, zero emissions

Featuring geothermal, water-source heating and cooling systems and a photovoltaic solar field, the museum will be New Jersey's largest public net-zero building. This means that 100% of the energy used by the museum will come from renewable on-site sources and/or green energy through New Jersey's power grid. In addition, the surrounding grounds will restore plant and animal habitat and other landscape features.

Special thanks to partners

Early and enthusiastic support from Mantua Township and Gloucester County officials, residents and volunteers has been crucial to the Fossil Park's success and, ultimately, the forthcoming museum. Community Dig Days each fall typically draw upwards of 2,000 fossil hunters and the park hosts a variety of programs, from private fossil digs to summer camps, throughout the year. In fact, the Jean & Ric Edelman Fossil Park is the only facility east of the Mississippi River that has an actively open quarry for public dig days.

Rowan also thanks its development partners, especially our award-winning and world-renowned design teams at Ennead Architects (Design Architect), KSS Architects (Architect of Record), SEED Design/Yaki Miodovnik (Landscape Architect) and Gallagher & Associates (Experience Design).

FOSSIL PARK MEDIA ASSETS:

Please copy/paste link into browser

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/c37u2qmlaxikjsr/AADzYxsc1f2aCdncHFyUE_Hfa?dl=0

https://view.rowan.edu/digging-into-deep-time?source=share-rowanuniversity

SOURCE Rowan University

Related Links

http://www.rowan.edu


GAINESVILLE, Fla., Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Ghanaian women present with late stage III/IV breast cancer due to delayed detection and diagnosis, resulting in a 39% five-year survival rate. 1 As a first step in reducing fatal delays in detection and treatment, Sanford World Clinic adopted MammaCare's clinical breast exam simulator to train frontline clinical examiners to perform evidence-based clinical breast exams.

Images depict MammaCare standard clinical training procedure and surrogate patient exam in the U.S. Images depict MammaCare standard clinical training procedure and surrogate patient exam in the U.S.

The MammaCare Clinical Breast Exam Simulator employs an advanced, web-based clinical training platform that teaches, measures, and verifies the user's breast exam skills. Within 2 to 3 hours of instruction and palpation practice, the system quantifies the user's performance, corrects examination deficiencies, and reports the resulting skill level and competencies to supervisors.

To complete the training protocol, users are required to detect all suspicious masses (0.3cm - 1.0cm) without increasing false positives. While most breast lumps are not cancer, well trained fingers can detect suspicious lesions that require further evaluation. 2

The MammaCare training technology was developed and validated with the support of the National Science Foundation, and was adopted to train Veterans Administration clinical staff serving in the Woman Veterans Health Program. The technology is now training clinicians in CDC-sponsored National Breast and Cervical Early Detection and Prevention Programs (NBCCEDP), as well as numerous U.S. colleges of nursing and medicine. Among the published studies of the MammaCare's method of clinical breast exam, a landmark report in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) observed that it contributed the first, effective standards for performing skilled breast exams. 3



Brian DeHaai, Senior Director of Operations at Sanford World Health Clinic, said, "The early results of the MammaCare breast exam program are exciting and feedback from our clinical team is highly positive. We believe this technology can be deployed widely to remote regions where few early detection options exist."

Katie Brunner, MPH, MammaCare's Director of Training worked with Sanford to initialize the Ghanaian program. Katie reported that: "The performance results from the Sanford World Clinic practitioners in Ghana match those from advanced practice nurses and physicians within the U.S.- trained cohorts. We look forward to continued collaboration with Sanford World Clinic to provide breast exam skills to detect the earliest signs of breast cancer."

Links:

For inquiries, please contact:

Katie Brunner, MPH, 1.352.375.0607, [email protected]

Mark Kane Goldstein, Ph.D., [email protected]

The MammaCare Foundation (U.S.)

1.352.375.0607

SOURCE The MammaCare Foundation
BOSTON, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Sappi North America, Inc., a leading producer and supplier of diversified paper, packaging products and pulp, today opened its call for entries for the 2021 Ideas that Matter grant program. Established over 20 years ago, Ideas that Matter invites designers from around the world to show how print design can improve the lives of others.

This year, designers will be able to submit ideas that include paper packaging projects in addition to print and digital communications projects. Entrants are asked to align their submissions with at least one of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and focus on addressing social, environmental, healthcare, and community issues. Sappi has made these goals an integral part of its business and sustainable practices.

"For over two decades through the Ideas that Matter program we've seen firsthand the power that design has to make our communities stronger and our lives better. These grants have always funded critical projects that address timely societal issues," said Patti Groh, Director of Communications. "By restructuring the program this year to align with the UN's SDGs we can ensure the projects we fund are going toward the greatest areas of global impact."

Ideas that Matter is the only grant program of its kind in the paper industry and is a key part of Sappi's corporate social responsibility efforts. Since 1999, the program has provided nearly $14 million to support over 500 projects that change lives, communities, and ultimately, the planet.

"We know that marketers consider all vehicles and mediums to communicate ideas for their clients and design changemakers are no different," said Groh. "By adding additional opportunities to address social issues through design, we're confident that even more innovative and creative ideas will surely come from this year's call for entries."

Selection Criteria and How to Enter

Ideas that Matter proposals are evaluated on creativity, potential effectiveness and practicality by an annually selected, independent panel of judges who are influential in the design industry.

This year's panel of judges include:

Andrew Gibbs , CEO and Editor-in-Chief, The Dieline

, CEO and Editor-in-Chief, The Dieline Libby Cole , Principal, The Work Department

, Principal, The Work Department Gage Mitchell , Founder & Creative Director, Modern Species

, Founder & Creative Director, Modern Species Bryony Gomez-Palacio, Co-Founder, UnderConsideration

Dian Holton , Senior Deputy Art Director, AARP

The call for Ideas that Matter submissions is open to individual designers, design firms, agencies, in-house corporate design departments, design instructors, individual design students and design student groups. Grant awards range from $5,000 to $50,000 USD per project. Each application must include an IRS 501 (c) 3 letter or Canadian equivalent of the applicant's nonprofit organization.

Entrants have until January 7, 2022 at 11:59p.m. PST to submit their application via the online portal.

To learn more about Ideas that Matter, visit: https://www.sappi.com/sappi-ideas-that-matter

About Sappi North America, Inc.

Sappi North America, Inc., headquartered in Boston, is a market leader in converting wood fiber into superior products that customers demand worldwide. The success of our three diversified businesses  high-quality graphic papers, pulp, and packaging and specialty papers  is driven by strong customer relationships, best-in-class people and advantaged assets, products and services. Our high-quality graphic papers, including McCoy, Opus, Somerset, and Flo, are the key platform for premium magazines, catalogs, books, direct mail and high-end print advertising. We are a leading manufacturer of dissolving pulp with our Verve brand, a sustainable fiber, which is used in a wide range of products, including textile fibers and household goods. We deliver sustainable packaging and specialty papers for luxury packaging and folding carton applications with our single-ply packaging brands, Spectro and Proto, and for the food and label industries with our specialty papers, LusterPrint and LusterCote. We are also one of the world's leading suppliers of casting and release papers with our Ultracast, PolyEx and Classics lines for the automotive, fashion and engineered films industries. Customers rely on Sappi for high technical, operational and market expertise; products and services delivered with consistently high quality and reliability; and, state-of-the-art and cost-competitive assets and innovative spirit.

Sappi North America, Inc. is an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Sappi Limited (JSE), a global company headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, with more than 12,000 employees and manufacturing operations on three continents in seven countries and customers in over 150 countries.

SOURCE Sappi North America, Inc.
SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Scleroderma Research Foundation (SRF)the country's first and leading nonprofit investor in medical research into sclerodermaannounced the lineup for Cool Comedy  Hot Cuisine, live on Sunday, October 17, 2021 at 5 p.m. PDT / 8 p.m. EDT. Bob Saget, an SRF Board Member who lost his sister to scleroderma, hosts the evening alongside fellow board member and Top Chef Master, Susan Feniger. After a successful premiere on YouTube in 2020, the SRF's signature annual event returns to the streaming format. Cool Comedy  Hot Cuisine will feature appearances by Bill Burr, Ben Folds, Nikki Glaser, Whoopi Goldberg, Josh Groban, Regina Hall (an SRF Board member), Ken Jeong, Jimmy Kimmel, Heidi Klum, Loni Love, Joel McHale, Howie Mandel, Ms. Pat, Jeff Ross, John Rzeznik of the Goo Goo Dolls, Jake Tapper, and more to be announced! To register, visit https://srfcure.org/events/cool-comedy-hot-cuisine/.

Viewers from around the world can participate in a virtual gathering of comedy greats and music legends, all of whom are generously donating their time and talents to support SRF's innovative research and help raise funds and awareness for this rare and often deadly autoimmune disease. To further enhance the at-home viewing experience, a preview of the online auction is available now, and select restaurants throughout the U.S. are offering special "Hot Cuisine" take-home meals. The SRF has also launched a Watch Party Toolkit with CCHC-themed Bingo, recipes, and playlist.

"For more than 30 years, the SRF has been uniquely focused on funding research while also raising awareness, so that no one suffering needs to explain what this disease is or does," says Joanne Gold, Executive Director of the Scleroderma Research Foundation. "By raising awareness and increasing the educational resources available, those living with scleroderma will better understand early warning signs and can receive quicker diagnosis and treatment, until one day, research ultimately leads to eradicating this disease."

In 2020, Cool Comedy  Hot Cuisine went virtual for the first time since its inception in 1987. Hosted by Saget, who lost his sister to scleroderma, and Susan Feniger, fellow board member and Top Chef Master, Cool Comedy  Hot Cuisine's live stream aided in reaching new audiences, including people living with scleroderma and medical researchers, while raising more than $1.1M for the SRF.

About Scleroderma Research Foundation (SRF)

The Scleroderma Research Foundation is focused on bringing the best minds in science together to find a cure for scleroderma. The SRF was established in 1987 by patient-turned-activist Sharon Monsky, when research on this potentially life-threatening illness was nearly nonexistent. Sharon lost her battle to the disease in 2002, but her vision lives on today, as the SRF remains committed to funding the most promising research aimed at improved therapies and finding a cure. Through the generosity of donors and support from events like Cool Comedy  Hot Cuisine, the SRF has raised more than $37 million dollars to fund and facilitate research at top universities such as Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Stanford University, and University of California of San Francisco, so thatone dayno one will suffer from scleroderma.

Media Contact: Julie Richter | [email protected] | 480.818.8022

SOURCE Scleroderma Research Foundation

Related Links

https://srfcure.org/


NEW YORK, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Greenhill & Co., Inc. (NYSE: GHL), a leading independent investment bank, announced today that Scott Hoy will join the Firm as a Managing Director and Head of Financial Services for Asia-Pacific.

Mr. Hoy has 30 years of M&A and finance experience focused on global financial institutions. He is currently Head of Group M&A at ANZ Banking Group Limited, a role he has held for the past 11 years. During his time at ANZ, Mr. Hoy led numerous complex transactions across Australia, New Zealand and Asia. Prior to this, Mr. Hoy spent the majority of his career at Citigroup in New York. Following graduation from Harvard University, Mr. Hoy began his career with James D. Wolfensohn Inc. in New York.

Scott L. Bok, Chairman and CEO of Greenhill, said: "Our business in Australia has strong momentum in advising on both domestic and cross-border transactions. In seeking to further expand our team and build on that momentum we are pleased to bring onboard one of Australia's most experienced bankers in the important financial services sector. Scott brings us a wealth of transaction advisory expertise as well as all the benefits that flow from having worked in house at one of Australia's leading financial institutions."

Roger Feletto, Managing Director and Co-Head of Greenhill Australia, said "We are extremely pleased to have someone of Scott's calibre join our firm. Scott's deep financial services sector knowledge and experience will be very complementary to our firm's existing offering."

Richard Phillips, Co-Head of Greenhill Australia and Vice Chairman of Greenhill said "Greenhill's focus on providing high quality independent advice continues to resonate with our clients. Scott will be a great addition to our already strong senior team across both Sydney and Melbourne."

Greenhill & Co., Inc. is a leading independent investment bank entirely focused on providing financial advice on significant mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, restructurings, financings and capital raising to corporations, partnerships, family offices, institutions and governments globally. Greenhill acts for clients located throughout the world from its offices in New York, Chicago, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Houston, London, Madrid, Melbourne, Paris, San Francisco, Singapore, Stockholm, Sydney, Tokyo and Toronto.

Contact: Patrick J. Suehnholz

Director of Investor Relations

Greenhill & Co., Inc.

(212) 389-1800

SOURCE Greenhill & Co., Inc.

Related Links

https://www.greenhill.com/


FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Tickets are on sale now for South Florida's most anticipated rose event! The Seaglass Group, together with AutoNation & Mercedes-Benz, The Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort and Visit Lauderdale, presents the second annual Seaglass | The Fort Lauderdale Rose Experience , taking place January 21-23, 2022, on the sands of Fort Lauderdale Beach.

Guests at Seaglass Experience 2020. Photo by Joel Eriksson Tia Weckstrom, Tracy Wenzel, Scott Gerhardt and Yamit Tal enjoying the VIP Cabanas at Seaglass Experience 2020. Photo by: Joel Eriksson

The Seaglass Experience is a one-of-its-kind, immersive, three-day event featuring over 30 rose varietals from around the world while showcasing the best in wine, spirits, craft beer and food. Proceeds from the event will benefit AutoNation's DRV PNK cancer research & treatment initiative, which, to date, has raised more than $28 million for cancer research and treatment in South Florida.

"We are thrilled to be title sponsors of this incredibly luxurious event. It's the perfect opportunity to showcase the renaissance underway in Fort Lauderdale while raising funds and awareness for critical cancer research," says Marc Cannon, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of AutoNation. "Through this fantastic partnership, we'll be directing all funds raised for DRV PNK, supporting cancer research and treatment right here in South Florida."

"Seaglass captures the essence of Greater Fort Lauderdale with its irresistible feet-in-the-sand, rose-in-hand vibe," says Stacy Ritter, President and CEO of Visit Lauderdale. "It provides a wonderful opportunity for visitors to meet and mingle with members of our very diverse and eclectic local community."

"Rose is more than another wine; it's a lifestyle," adds Carlos Suarez, Owner/Founder of Seaglass. "Fort Lauderdale's coastal environment, dynamic cultural scene, and year-round ocean breeze create the perfect canvas for this immersive rose experience."

In addition to the charitable aspect of the Seaglass Experience, organizers and sponsors are using only sustainable products to mitigate the impact on the beach environment, which is an important aspect to new Seaglass Experience partner, developer Steve Hudson, Chairman and CEO of Hudson Capital Group.

"Fort Lauderdale Beach has always been a special place for me, and the Seaglass team recognizes the importance of preserving its beauty for years to come," says Hudson. "As a conservationist, I'm proud to be part of an eco-conscious event."

Attorney Stephanie Toothaker also joined the Seaglass Experience team adding: "It has been incredible to see the excitement around the spectacular activation of our beautiful beach with all things pink and to see the vision of an elevated food and wine experience become a reality."

Tickets for Seaglass | The Fort Lauderdale Rose Experience are on sale at seaglassexperience.com. Starting at $99 for the main event with pricing up to $5,000 for guests seeking further exclusivity in one of 20 VIP Cabanas, which come complete with dedicated butler service.

For more information, please visit seaglassexperience.com and follow @SeaglassExperience on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. For sponsorship opportunities contact: [email protected]

About Seaglass, AutoNation, Inc.and Hilton

For more information contact:

Julie Fogle

786-888-4556

[email protected]

SOURCE The Seaglass Group
SHANGHAI, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- SPH Health Commerce, the Direct-to-Patient ("DTP") retail pharmacy subsidiary of Shanghai Pharmaceuticals and Luca Healthcare, China's category leader in clinically validated, software-based screening, treatment and management tools, today announced a strategic partnership to provide Luca's patient management platform of products with online medication refills and delivery capabilities through SPH's internet hospital, 24x7 pharmacist call center and a network of approximately 100 DTP retail pharmacies covering all major first- and second-tier cities.

"We are delighted to enter into this strategic alliance with Luca Healthcare to provide online physician support and direct access to medication for patients with chronic and rare diseases. Luca's home-based monitoring tools allow physicians to make assessments based on more objective insights and measures," said Mr. Gong Xiao Dong, Vice President of SPH Health Commerce. "The Luca team has developed and aggregated a broad portfolio of software and hardware tools that help patient groups manage their medication adherence, adverse effects, and key vital signs. The integration of our internet hospital to drug home delivery ecosystem will bring great convenience and significant value to patients."

"China's 20 million rare disease patients have limited options to manage their diseases. Our patient-centric mini-programs and apps supported by disease-specific patient groups consistently reach over 80% patient stickiness and significantly improved the patients' quality of life," said Echo Chen, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Luca Healthcare. "Luca Healthcare's clinically validated software can meaningfully improve care across a wide range of diseases and conditions in the non-clinical setting. We are constantly evaluating new functionality and products to add to the patient experience on our products. Adding Shanghai Pharma's internet hospital platform and a national home drug delivery network will greatly enhance this experience."

About Shanghai Pharma

Shanghai Pharmaceuticals is one of two Chinese drug manufacturer and distributor in 2020's Fortune Global 500. Shanghai Pharmaceuticals Holding Co. Ltd. is a vertically integrated and diversified pharmaceutical group. The company has dual listings on the stock exchanges in Shanghai (601607) and Hong Kong (02067) respectively. The company provides leading healthcare services in research & development, manufacturing, distribution, and retail pharmacies. In 2019, SPH reported revenues of US$26.5bn, making the company one of two Chinese healthcare companies in the Fortune Global 500.

About Luca Healthcare

Luca Healthcare's mission is to provide affordable, accessible, and clinically validated software-based screening, tracking and treatment to a wider patient population in China through first-in-class innovation and global partnerships. The company develops and in-licenses clinically validated digital assessment tools, digital biomarkers and digital therapeutics to measure and to intervene diseases and conditions in neurodegenerative, cardiovascular, respiratory and ophthalmology therapeutic areas. Luca collaborates with world-class partners across a diverse array of therapeutic and geographic areas to build out a pipeline based on disease relevance and the ability to impact patients.

For additional inquiries, please contact:

Mary Mao

Director, Partnerships

Luca Healthcare

Email: [email protected]

Mobile: +86 18516195148

SOURCE Luca Healthcare
"Since becoming President, Shawn has driven increased adoption of the Kognitiv platform and enhanced our sales pipeline by leveraging his comprehensive understanding of the challenges C-level executives face in acquiring and retaining consumers in today's online world," said Peter Schwartz, Founder and Executive Chairman of Kognitiv. "He has built world-class teams and driven profitable growth both organically and through strategic acquisitions at large, public, multi-national companies. In addition, his experience in executing at every stage of a company's growth cycle makes him the perfect fit to lead Kognitiv through its next phase of its growth strategy."

"I've seen first hand the impact Kognitiv's platform can have for corporate clients, as the technology solution helps redefine loyalty while leveraging key strategic partnerships, peer-to-peer. That experience informed my decision to join Kognitiv," said Shawn Pearson, CEO & President. "Kognitiv's collaborative commerce model, together with an incredible team full of innovators with a pedigree in loyalty management and enterprise level technology development, is a powerful combination. I look forward to serving as CEO & President to help our clients and their partners deliver value to their consumers."

Prior to joining Kognitiv in February 2021, Shawn was the President, Chief Executive Officer, and Corporate Director of Bluegreen Vacations Corporation, the sole investment of Bluegreen Vacations Holding Corp (NYSE:BVH), a leading vacation ownership company that connects over 250,000 owners with over 60 Bluegreen resorts in more than 40 popular destinations across the continental U.S. and the Caribbean. Shawn successfully led Bluegreen through the IPO process, taking it public on the New York Stock Exchange in 2017 (NYSE: BGX). While at Bluegreen, Shawn achieved record company EBITDA, managed multiple successful acquisitions, delivered high-valued partnerships and established a consistently high-performing organization.

About Kognitiv

Kognitiv Corporation is a B2B technology growth company with a singular focus on enabling collaborative commerce for its global clients. Focused on the future of loyalty and the trend toward de-centralization in Web3.0, Kognitiv provides an end-to-end Collaborative Commerce solution. Clients can increase collaboration with their most valued partners and reduce their dependency on intermediaries, creating significant value for their consumers, and increasing control of their data and experiences. Following "the death of the cookie", businesses are seeking new data strategies to personalize their experiences and drive innovation. Kognitiv offers this through powerful data collaboration and generation of zero-party data, which paves the way for unique and powerful content strategies to unfold. With the advent of the subscription economy, and the focus on direct-to-consumer models and hyper-personalization, clients can benefit from becoming more efficient with how they plan and execute their partnerships, create value for their consumers and drive growth. Headquartered in Canada, and employing over 450 people across 50 countries, Kognitiv is unlocking the next era of commerce for Financial Services, Media, Telecom, Hospitality and Retail businesses. Find out more at www.kognitiv.com.

SOURCE Kognitiv Corporation
IRVING, Texas, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Signature Biologics, LLC., today announced they have joined the ranks of the Rare Disease Company Coalition. As a contributing member to the Coalition, the company will support continued education and engagement with stakeholders across the United States to strengthen the development of treatments for people with rare diseases. Signature Biologics is proud to join and support this coalition in their inaugural year.

Signature Biologics joins Rare Disease Company Coalition. Tweet this (PRNewsfoto/Signature Biologics)

"Our focus on bringing solutions to unmet clinical needs targets an array of rare diseases" said Chloe Bailey, President and COO at Signature Biologics. "We're extremely happy to share our voice with the Rare Disease Company Coalition to ensure navigation of the unique challenges in this space to bring innovations to these patients."

Boasting a roster of 18 member companies since their founding in May of 2021, the Rare Disease Company Coalition provides a unified voice of life science companies committed to discovering, developing, and delivering rare disease treatments. Signature Biologics is currently pursuing several pre-clinical products aimed to provide new solutions to patients with rare diseases. Expansions at Signature Biologics such as: continued growth in the talented staff, the new facility unveiled in Irving, TX, and important partnerships with industry leading peer organizations are key steps forward in the pursuit of these goals.

About Signature Biologics, LLC.

Signature Biologics is a leading perinatal biologics company providing a portfolio of human perinatal-derived products to support and improve natural processes within the body to enhance patients' lives. Signature Biologics' vision is born from decades of biologics leadership, adherence to scientific inquiry, and the highest quality standards. For more information, visit www.signaturebiologics.com

SOURCE Signature Biologics, LLC.

Related Links

http://www.signaturebiologics.com

http://www.signaturebiologics.com


DURHAM, N.C., Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Spreedly, the provider of the leading Payment Orchestration platform, today announced that as part of its partnership with Stripe, Spreedly customers are now able to seamlessly onboard to Stripe. Stripe Connect, will enable the adoption of advanced fraud fighting features and other value-added services. This opportunity for joint customers is available as part of the previously announced Partnership Program for Payment Service Providers .

"Spreedly customers work with multiple payment providers and many have Stripe as a foundational component of their payment stack strategy," explained Justin Benson, CEO of Spreedly. "By offering our mutual customers Stripe through Stripe Connect, we are enabling them to build better, more holistic payments solutions and accelerate the onboarding of new merchants."



Stripe Connect provides marketplaces and platforms with the ability to facilitate payments between a business, their customers, and recipients who need to get paid. Spreedly now offers customers access to a specific, Spreedly-owned Stripe Connect account, streamlining the sign-up process. This enables mutual customers to onboard more quickly, enhances reporting, and in the near future will provide access to Stripe Radar as well as new alternative payment methods (APMs).

"More than half of our fastest-growing users take advantage of one or more Stripe extensions," said Claire Hughes Johnson, Stripe COO. "But as Stripe is increasingly getting pulled up-market, our users have asked for an easier way to discover new partners and new applications. That's why we're excited Spreedly is joining forces with us today to provide a better overall experience for the millions of businesses scaling in partnership with Stripe."

For more information about Spreedly's Payments Orchestration platform, visit https://www.spreedly.com/payments-orchestration-resources .

About Spreedly

Spreedly's Payments Orchestration platform enables and optimizes digital transactions with the world's most complete payment services marketplace. Global enterprises and hyper-growth companies grow their digital business faster by relying on our payments platform. Hundreds of customers worldwide secure card data in our PCI-compliant vault and use tokenized card data to enable and optimize over $30 billion of annual transaction volumes with any payment service. Spreedly is headquartered in downtown Durham, NC.



Media Contact:

[email protected]

888.727.7750

SOURCE Spreedly

Related Links

https://www.spreedly.com


ARLINGTON, Va., Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Summit Ridge Energy (SRE) has begun construction in Maine on the first of 13 projects acquired from Revision Energy. The community solar portfolio will total 44MW and operate under the Maine NEB program. The projects are expected to reach commercial operation between 2022 and 2023. SRE is the largest community solar owner-operator in the country with over $700mm in capital funded, holding the market share of projects in Maine and Illinois.

Through its dedicated funding platform with Osaka Gas USA, SRE will finance the projects while Revision handles development, subscription, and construction of the portfolio. To date, Revision has subscribed a multitude of school districts, municipalities, hospitals, and local businesses to benefit from the utility savings these projects will generate over a 20-year period.

"We're proud to partner with Maine's largest solar contractor and look forward to delivering thousands of local residents and businesses with monthly utility savings generated entirely from clean, renewable power," said Garren Bisschoff, SRE's Vice President of Business Development.

"We are grateful for this opportunity to partner with one of the nation's leading owner operators of solar assets," said Sam Lavallee, Chief Financial Officer of ReVision Energy and one of the key architects of the partnership. "This 44 MW portfolio of solar farms will drive local economic growth, create good-paying jobs, significantly reduce Maine's carbon footprint and strengthen our energy independence,"

About Summit Ridge Energy

Summit Ridge Energy is the country's leading owner-operator of community solar assets. Through dedicated funding platforms, the team acquires pre-operational projects within the rapidly growing solar energy and battery storage sectors. Follow Summit Ridge Energy on LinkedIn and Twitter for updates, or learn more at srenergy.com.

About Revision Energy

South Portland-based ReVision Energy, a 100% employee-owned company and certified B Corp, has become the leading solar energy company in northern New England through the design and installation of more than 10,000 solar energy systems in Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts since the company launched in 2003. The company's mission is to lead the region in solving environmental problems caused by fossil fuels while alleviating economic and social injustice.

SOURCE Summit Ridge Energy

Related Links

srenergy.com


James M. Peck retires from Board, following two years of service

TORONTO, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Sun Life Financial Inc. (TSX: SLF) (NYSE: SLF) is pleased to announce the appointments of Helen Mallovy Hicks and Marie-Lucie Morin to the Board of Directors.

Ms. Mallovy Hicks is a business executive with over 30 years of global business management and advisory experience. As a former partner with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, she most recently served as PwC's Global Valuations Leader and advised boards and executives on complex transactions, value creation, capital allocation, business transformation and restructuring matters. Ms. Mallovy Hicks also has experience in audit and risk, human resources and executive compensation and serves on corporate and not-for-profit boards.

A graduate of the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Commerce, Ms. Mallovy Hicks is also a Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Business Valuators (FCBV) and a Fellow of the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario (FCA/FCPA). She joins Sun Life's Board of Directors effective October 31, 2021.

Ms. Morin has a wealth of experience representing Canada's interests in international trade and global affairs, with over 30 years of experience in Canada's Federal Public Service. She was Executive Director for Canada, Ireland and the Caribbean at the World Bank from 2010-2013. Previous public service appointments include National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister and Associate Secretary to the Cabinet, Deputy Minister for International Trade and Associate Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. In 1997, Ms. Morin served as Canada's Ambassador to Norway with accreditation to Iceland. She is currently a member of the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency and serves on corporate and not-for-profit boards.

Ms. Morin was named Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur by the Government of France in 2012, was sworn into the Queen's Privy Council for Canada in 2015 and became a member of the Order of Canada in 2016. She studied law at the Universite de Sherbrooke and was admitted to the Quebec Bar in 1980. Ms. Morin's Sun Life Board appointment will be effective on December 31, 2021.

Sun Life Board Member James M. Peck has retired from the Board, following more than two years of service where he brought deep expertise in building data and analytics businesses.

Sun Life is a Catalyst Accord 2022 Signatory, a pledge made by Canadian boards and CEOs to accelerate the advancement of women in business with a focus on senior management and board of director roles. Sun Life is also a member of the 30% Club Canada, a campaign led by Chairs and CEOs taking action to increase gender diversity at board and senior management levels. The appointments of Ms. Mallovy Hicks and Ms. Morin align with Sun Life's diversity commitment and will bring the percentage of women on the Board to 42%.

Diversity, equity and inclusion are key priorities for Sun Life's Chair and Board of Directors. In 2020, the company intensified its goal to have 25% of senior leaders in North America from under-represented communities by 2025 with specific representation for Black, Indigenous and People of Colour. Sun Life also has a goal to have more than 50% representation by women in senior management positions globally by 2025.

About Sun Life

Sun Life is a leading international financial services organization providing insurance, wealth and asset management solutions to individual and corporate Clients. Sun Life has operations in a number of markets worldwide, including Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, India, China, Australia, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia and Bermuda. As of June 30, 2021, Sun Life had total assets under management of $1.36 trillion. For more information please visit www.sunlife.com.

Sun Life Financial Inc. trades on the Toronto (TSX), New York (NYSE) and Philippine (PSE) stock exchanges under the ticker symbol SLF.

Note to editors: All figures in Canadian dollars

Media Relations Contact: Investor Relations Contact: Rajani Kamath Yaniv Bitton Associate Vice-President, Vice-President, Head of Investor Corporate Communications Relations & Capital Markets T. 416-979-6070 T. 416-979-6496 [email protected] [email protected]

SOURCE Sun Life Financial Inc.
Recorded zero incidences of COVID-19 infection for a seventh consecutive quarter

Production of 19,379 ounces, a marginal increase over the prior quarter and 23% increase over the prior year period

Stope grade of 2.95 g/t gold in the third quarter and 3.23 g/t year to date as the Company continues to target an average stope grade of 3.0 g/t gold

Commenced open pit mining at Perch on schedule

Mill throughput for the quarter increased by 13% to 405,315 tonnes relative to the second quarter

Continued exploration success including 42.2 g/t over 5.6 metres and 17.7 g/t over 6.4 metres as the 1.6km long Western Mining Front is opened at Plutonic 1

Improved financial position with cash and cash equivalents increasing by $3.1 million to $20.5 million at the end of the third quarter

Chris Jordaan, President and CEO of Superior Gold stated: "We are pleased that the actions we have taken on the operational front have led to a fifth consecutive quarter of improving production at our Plutonic Gold Operations. Our third quarter production of 19,379 ounces, represents a slight increase quarter-over-quarter and 23% year-over-year increase (Figure 1). Year to date production is 56,338 ounces and we are tracking towards the upper end of our 2021 production guidance. The strategic projects and operational initiatives that we put in place last year have resulted in a steady improvement in our performance as we continue to target and sustain an average underground stope grade of 3.0 g/t gold as well as increase our surface grades by optimizing and mining our open pits. In addition, the Company is also reaping benefits from the block model improvements in progress to better predict the spatial positioning of the ore. As a result, larger more productive stopes are now being identified and mined. This is evidenced by the increased tonnage production from underground stopes, up 12.3% on the previous quarter augmenting feed to the mill and combined with additional open pit feed being available, mill throughput increased 12.8% quarter over quarter.

An operational review of a number of growth projects is ongoing in order to enhance Plutonic's sustainable, long-term success. These projects include, in part, a continued focus on our open pit operations with the mining at Plutonic East and the commencement of mining at Perch. The higher-grade open pit feed replacing low grade legacy stockpiles in conjunction with opening new high-grade and more productive underground mining fronts are expected to result in a continued improvement in our ounce profile moving forward. Over the course of the year, we have provided a number of important exploration updates that continue to point towards the identification of higher-grade stopes on the operational front in the near future. Ongoing geological initiatives have improved our understanding of the mineralization at Plutonic and specifically the northwest trending faults that control the concentration of higher-grade gold mineralization.

The operational improvements implemented plus our improved understanding of the mineralization at Plutonic, combined with the full repayment of our gold loan in the second quarter, has resulted in a significant improvement in our ability to generate free cash flow in the third quarter. It is expected that increased production from higher-grade underground mining areas, continued feed from the Perch open pit as well as increased milling rates will enable an increase in cash flow over the course of 2021 and beyond."

The Company expects to release its complete financial and operating results for the third quarter in November 2021.

Third Quarter Production Details

Preliminary production details are summarized in the table below.

Operating Parameters1 Three Months Ended September 30, 2021 Nine Months Ended September 30, 2021 Stope material mined (Tonnes) 175,143 468,339 Stope grade mined (g/t Au) 2.95 3.23 Development material mined (Tonnes) 35,668 141,601 Development grade mined (g/t Au) 1.15 1.39 Surface material milled (Tonnes)2 198,268 509,877 Surface material grade (g/t Au)2 0.75 0.58 Total material milled (Tonnes) 405,315 1,120,396 Grade milled (g/t Au) 1.72 1.80 Gold recovery (%) 86 87 Gold Produced (ounces) 19,379 56,338 Gold Sold (ounces) 19,282 55,918 Cash and Cash Equivalents ($ million) 20.5 20.5

1 Numbers may not add due to rounding 2 Surface material milled in Q3 2021 is feed from Plutonic East.

Commencement of Open Pit Production on Schedule

As part of the Company's strategy to expand production and fully utilize the existing infrastructure at the Plutonic Gold Operations, work continued during the third quarter of 2021 on optimizing several potential future open pit sources and finalizing resources and scheduling for Perch and Hermes South. The Company commenced mining of the Plutonic East open pit in the second quarter as scheduled and continued mining activities through the third quarter. The Company aims to utilize the production from these open pits plus the potential Main Pit push-back, along with operational improvements from the underground, to maximize the Plutonic Gold Operations' ability to generate significant free cash flow.

Expanding into New Mining Fronts

During the third quarter of 2021, the Company continued with its underground exploration drilling program. It provided an exploration update for the Western Mining Front containing important high-grade drill results from its underground drill program which is a key component of the Company's strategy to expand into new underground mining fronts, improve mining grades and productivity, and reduce reliance on remnant mining.

The drill results released on August 17, 2021, showed continued extensions of the Western Mining Front from the Caspian zone, down through the Indian and Baltic zones to the Baltic extension - covering up to a 1.6 kilometre long northwest extension of the Western Mining Front. The results support the hypothesis that the highest grades at Plutonic are controlled by the northwest trending faults. In addition, the results are adjacent to existing underground infrastructure, thus requiring minimal capital expenditures to infill drill and develop the area. Key results such as drill hole UDD23656, which intersected 13.7 g/t gold over 8.8 metres, drill hole UDD24342, which intersected 14.8 g/t gold over 13.4 metres, and drill hole UDD24141, which intersected 42.2 g/t gold over 5.6 metres, give the Company further confidence in mining higher grades at Plutonic in the future.2 These results announced in each of the past 3 quarters support our view that the Western Mining Front is potentially an important new area for future production at Plutonic. The Company expects to provide additional exploration updates over the coming months.

Upcoming Corporate Presentation

Chris Jordaan, President and CEO of Superior Gold will provide a corporate update during a live seminar hosted by 6ix on Monday, October 25 at 12:00pm ET.

Registration link https://my.6ix.com/vCZiENzZ

Qualified Person

Scientific and technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Ettienne Du Plessis, who is a "qualified person" as defined by NI 43-101. Mr. Du Plessis is not independent of the Company within the meaning of NI 43-101.

About Superior Gold

Superior Gold is a Canadian based gold producer that owns 100% of the Plutonic Gold Operations located in Western Australia. The Plutonic Gold Operations include the Plutonic underground gold mine and central mill, numerous open pit projects including the Plutonic Main Pit push-back project, the Hermes open pit projects and an interest in the Bryah Basin joint venture. Superior Gold is focused on expanding production at the Plutonic Gold Operations and building an intermediate gold producer with superior returns for shareholders.

Forward Looking Information

This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws that is intended to be covered by the safe harbours created by those laws. "Forward-looking information" includes statements that use forward-looking terminology such as "may", "will", "expect", "anticipate", "believe", "continue", "potential" or the negative thereof or other variations thereof or comparable terminology. Forward-looking information includes information with respect to guidance as to projections, outlook, guidance, forecasts, estimates, and other statements regarding future or estimated financial and operational performance, gold production and sales, revenues and cash flows, and capital costs (sustaining and non-sustaining), including projected cash operating costs and all-in sustaining costs) as well as statements with respect to the mine-plan, exploration, drilling, operating and organizational matters and activities relating to the Plutonic Gold Operations and the Company generally, including its liquidity and capital requirements and financial results. Such Forward-looking information also includes information related to the Company's previously announced strategic review process, the potential outcome of such process and the intended maximization of shareholder value that the Company believes may result from such process. By identifying such information in this manner, the Company is alerting the reader that such information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information.

Forward-looking information is not a guarantee of future performance and is based upon a number of estimates and assumptions of management at the date the statements are made. Furthermore, such forward-looking information involves a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual plans, intentions, activities, results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future plans, intentions, activities, results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Readers are encouraged to refer to the Annual Information Form of the Company for a discussion of other risks including outbreaks or threats of outbreaks of viruses, other infectious diseases or other similar health threats, such as the novel coronavirus outbreak, which could have a material adverse effect on the Company by causing operational and supply chain delays and disruptions, labour shortages, shutdowns, the inability to sell gold, capital markets volatility or other unknown but potentially significant impacts. The Company cannot accurately predict what effects these conditions will have on the Plutonic Gold Operations or the financial results of the Company, including uncertainties relating to travel restrictions to the Plutonic Gold Operations or otherwise and business closures that have been or may be imposed by governments. If an outbreak or threat of an outbreak of a virus or other infectious disease or other public health emergency occurs, it could have a material adverse effect on the Company's business, financial condition and results of operations.

The Company cautions that there can be no assurance that forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. Accordingly, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information as no assurance can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking information will transpire or occur, and if any of them do so, what benefits the Company will derive therefrom. Except as required by law, the Company does not assume any obligation to release publicly any revisions to forward-looking information contained in this news release to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange not its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

_______________________________

1 Refer to the Press Release dated August 17, 2021 for additional information. 2 Refer to the Press Releases dated March 1, 2021, June 23, 2021 and August 17, 2021, for additional information.

SOURCE Superior Gold

Related Links

https://www.superior-gold.com/


RA'ANANA Israel, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- DriveNets, a leader in cloud-native networking software and network disaggregation solutions, shared the results of a survey of telecom network executives conducted by STL Partners indicating that operators recognize the economic value of a hyperscale architecture and the inevitability of disaggregated cloud-native networks, but their perspectives and plans to pursue these goals vary greatly. Against that backdrop, the report contends that hyperscale economics should be viewed as "an ongoing strategic goal and pursuit" for telcos to remain competitive vis-a-vis cloud service alternatives, and that they should focus first on the most feasible areas of disaggregation and automation, particularly core networking.

The survey, Pursuing Hyperscale Economics: What, Why and How Telcos Can Do It, was conducted by STL Partners and sponsored by DriveNets. According to the report, telecom operators view the hyperscale cloud providers in three ways:

As business partners who can drive new areas of demand and provide infrastructure-as-a- service for operators' IT and operational payloads

As threats who reduce operators' value through over-the-top (OTT) and under-the-network services, commoditizing the operators' core business

As models that operators can learn from and adopt business and operational models, and technology innovations

According to Yesmean Luk, Telco Cloud Practice Lead at STL Partners and author of the report, the greatest opportunity for operators is to focus on that last point and the impact that hyperscale economics can have on operator's costs and capabilities.

"The value of networks has shifted from the networks themselves to the services that run over them," she said. "We are seeing that through the incredible business growth of cloud providers and the huge breadth of cloud-based services and applications that are being rolled out. As operators evolve to more advanced data-intensive connectivity services such as 5G and fiber to the home, they will benefit from the growing demand for capacity and throughput but as their capabilities grow, they will need to manage costs in a more sustainable and optimal way. A cloud-like architecture has been proven to support that and enable new revenue streams from expanded service offerings and the agility to address these. Hyperscale providers serve as the model."

Disaggregation: Not if, but how

The report found a consensus among operators that disaggregation and the move toward cloud-native architectures for networking is inevitable.

In a recent webinar and panel discussion conducted by STL Partners, Bryce Mitchell, vice president of Core Network Engineering at Rogers Communications, agreed hyperscale economics can positively impact network operators' bottom lines.

"There's a lot of value in these concepts," he said. "Subscriber counts are growing relatively flatly, ARPU is rather stagnant, but usage is going up. We have to look at our cost structures and get them down."

But not all operators believe hyperscale economics is applicable or achievable for them. There is even a risk of complacency among some incumbent operators who may sit back while others embrace the opportunity to innovate early.

The report identified three key drivers for pursuing hyperscale economics: optimal scalability, faster innovation and time-to-market, and flexibility and resilience to changes.

"When we meet with customers, their number one concern is lowering costs," said Inbar Lasser-Raab, chief marketing officer for DriveNets. "Hyperscale economics and disaggregation give service providers the ability to run multiple networks and services and do a better job using their network capacity and resources, ultimately reducing their costs."

Target the core of the network

The report suggests that the networking core is a breakthrough opportunity area for hyperscale economics due to continued growth in network traffic volumes, the maturity of the ecosystem, learnings from earlier network function virtualization (NFV) deployments, and the deployment of 5G standalone (SA) technologies. This holds true for both small and large operators.

"Success in achieving hyperscale economics is not just about size," said Luk. "The right architecture and operating models are key ingredients for what will drive success, regardless of the size of the organization. Network operators need to take lessons from what the hyperscalers have done, apply them to their business and network, and focus on the key stages in sight to drive that momentum. Many of them have already started."

Download the full report here .

About DriveNets

DriveNets is a leader in cloud-native networking software and network disaggregation solutions. Founded in 2015 and based in Israel, DriveNets offers communications service providers (CSPs) and cloud providers a radical new way to build networks, substantially growing their profitability by changing their technological and economic models. DriveNets' solution  Network Cloud  adapts the architectural model of cloud to telco-grade networking. Network Cloud is a cloud-native software that runs over a shared physical infrastructure of standard white-boxes, radically simplifying the network's operations, offering telco-scale performance and elasticity at a much lower cost. Learn more at www.drivenets.com

Media contact:

Crystal Monahan

+1-617-290-2882

[email protected]

Sandra Welfeld

+972-9-774-4726

[email protected]

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1657406/DriveNets_Logo.jpg

SOURCE DriveNets
Team DriveAway specializes in new and used Class 5-8 driveaway with resources to handle specialty to oversize vehicle moves including large-scale fleet moves. The company has expertise in numerous transportation methods including Singles, Deck, Boom, Specialty, Utility Class 5-7, Sprinter Vans/Package Trucks and Electric Vehicles. Customers receive significant savings as single drivers deliver multiple trucks (deck and boom).

"We asked our customers what they need to make their daily duties faster and easier," said Michele Calbi, Chief Executive Officer, Team DriveAway. "Team's response is a time-saving one-stop portal that gives customers real-time information about their assets, their truck and fleet moves right down to the last mile whether they are in Alaska, Canada, Florida, or anywhere in between."

Erich Timkar, Director of IT Solutions stated, "We are putting technology and hustle to work for our customers. Using the solutions portal, Team customers can easily 'see' the status of their vehicle moves, the time of pick-up, and on-time delivery. Plus, customers can see our full suite of services for vehicle moves from singles to deck, heavy freight to the final mile, and specialty Class 8. Our value promise? You need it, we haul it."

The new website and customer solution portal, as well as a newly designed logo, are part of the company's overall branding strategy, "Same Team-New Look."

"We are a fast-forward team with an "on the move" culture with our drivers and customers from start to finish, because it takes a Team to move a truck," said Calbi. "Our focus is on safety, reliability, and on-time pick-up and delivery."

About Team DriveAway

Team DriveAway has over 40 years of truck driveaway experience. Located in Olathe, Kansas, Team DriveAway is the nation's most reliable truck transporter service provider with expertise in Singles, Deck, Boom, Specialized, Utility Class 5-7, Sprinter Vans/Package Trucks, and Electric Vehicles. Part of the United Road family of companies, Team DriveAway contracts with one of the largest independent professional CDL driver bases in the industry so customers' vehicles are delivered safely and on-time. Learn more at www.TeamDriveaway.com .

SOURCE Team DriveAway, A United Road Company

Related Links

http://www.teamdriveaway.com


4D Healthware CEO, Star Cunningham, one of the few Black women in telehealth, moves to close healthcare gaps. Tweet this

"We decided to give our support to 4D Healthware because they have a clear vision and purpose . . . to educate and support disenfranchised groups by leveraging technology to address social determinants of health and health disparities in a more innovative approach to service delivery," said Paul Burton, General Partner at 2Flo Ventures, LLC. "Their company is working to eliminate healthcare inequities that plague underserved communities across this country. We believe they can do it."

According to 4D Healthware CEO, Star Cunnigham, she garnered support for 4D Healthware's telehealth initiatives as she examined her own healthcare experiences.

"I was once affected by the lack of continuity of care within our healthcare system. Lack of access to community resources and educational tools quickly surfaced as points of concern for me," she added. "I was fortunate enough to have a network of people that I could call on to help me navigate the healthcare system. Telehealth and the technology that comes with it provides a bridge for many who don't have the kinds of resources I did at the time."

With strong financial backing from investors and partnerships with Medicare, 4D Healthware plans to ensure that their technology and hardware will be distributed to the targeted areas of underserved communities to supplement trips to the doctor's office.

In conjunction with these efforts, 4D Healthware formed an alliance with T-Mobile. The union has resulted in T-Mobile contributing 4/5G cellular network technology to support internet connection in medically underserved areas of approximately 500,000 patients where remote health is the only option. Functionalities of the devices include biometric data collection, cellular enablement and real-time correspondence with a qualified healthcare professional.

"We're going to see a vibrant telehealth sector for the foreseeable future and we believe our investment will allow 4D Healthware to continue leading the industry with innovative strategies that ultimately save lives," said Portfolia Managing Partner, Daphne Dufresne.

As a result of the overwhelming support from healthcare providers and patients, Cunningham has prioritized distributing educational materials and proper PPE supplies to families in the company's network. She says 4D Healthware's aim is to provide inclusive support and resources to all communities nationwide regardless of neighborhood or social status.

"Our company embraces a collective conscious across communities, a mantra that is especially relevant now as our healthcare experiences shape our global conscious during a pandemic," said Cunningham.

Usage of telehealth increased significantly in 2020 since the pandemic began impacting the U.S. last March. Usage peaked during April of 2020 when it comprised 13% of commercial insurance claims according to FAIR Health, an independent nonprofit that collects data for and manages the nation's largest database of privately billed health insurance claims.

ABOUT 4D HEALTHWARE:

Founded in 2012, Chicago-based Healthware Global Services F.C. Inc. DBA 4D Healthware is a fast-growing healthcare technology company that develops preventative technology that can remotely monitor and predict shifts in an individual's health. The company has been recognized as a rising star in the healthcare tech space by globally respected publications including Inc. Magazine and Vanity Fair. 4D Healthware has also been listed in Crain's Chicago Tech 50. For more information visit https://www.4dhealthware.com/

ABOUT 2 FLO VENTURES, LLC:

2Flo Ventures is an early-stage healthcare investor and start-up studio that combines an expansive ecosystem with a special investment thesis and a critical social mission. We are focused on advancing innovations that impact the disenfranchised while also addressing the lack of African American participation within healthcare innovation. We believe that our nation's glaring health disparities are a by-product of inadequate representation of AAs within the C-Suite level of VC backed healthcare startups. 2Flo Ventures holds the promise to be part of the solution to our health disparities and provide an attractive return to investors.

ABOUT PORTFOLIA:

Portfolia designs investment funds for women to back innovative companies for returns and impact. Combining the professional management and diversification of a venture fund with the engaging experience of angel investing, Portfolia focuses on opportunities in high-growth segments that are routinely undervalued or poorly understood by traditional venture capital. Each fund enrolls 249 investors who commit a minimum of $10,000, which is diversified across up to 10 entrepreneurial companies. Portfolia's eight venture funds have made 36 investments in 29 companies and have had two significant exits since its initial fund founding in December 2015. Portfolia is now ranked in the top quartile of all venture funds in the U.S.

MEDIA CONTACT

Michon Ellis

Clout LLC

[email protected]

SOURCE 4D Healthware

Related Links

https://www.4dhealthware.com/


DALLAS, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- American Jewish Committee (AJC) welcomed a Texas court's decision to recommend a new trial for Randy Halprin, a Jewish prisoner on death row who has long claimed that the judge presiding over his trial was inherently biased against Jews and other minorities.

"The court reached the only possible result, that the original judge's long uncontested and undisguised bigotry made it essential that Randy Halprin be granted a new trial," said AJC Chief Legal Officer Marc Stern. "The district court's recommendation that the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals order a new trial is a vindication of core American principles of impartiality in American jurisprudence."

The court's ruling was based on an exhaustive review of Halprin's trial records, Cunningham's statements about Jews during that trial and over many years in Dallas County, and testimony from the judge's family and associates.

"Judge Vickers Cunningham possessed antisemitic prejudice against Halprin which violate Halprin's constitutional right to a trial in a fair tribunal," wrote Dallas Criminal District Court Judge Lela Mays in the decision. "Halprin's right to a fair proceeding has been violated. A new fair trial is the only remedy."

Cunningham sentenced Halprin to death in 2003 for his role as a member of the Texas 7 gang of prison escapees in the murder of a police officer in December 2000.

AJC filed an amicus brief in September 2019 in support of Halprin's petition to stay his execution and order a new trial on allegations that Cunningham was hopelessly biased against Jews. The brief disclaimed any view on Halprin's guilt or innocence. What mattered was that his "trial" was fundamentally an irreparably flawed. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals stayed the execution in October 2019 and remanded the case to the district court in Dallas County.

"In light of all the evidence," the District Court found that "Judge Cunningham harbored actual, subjective bias against Halprin because Halprin is a Jew, and that Judge Cunningham's antisemitic prejudices created an objectively intolerable risk of bias," states Judge Mays' decision.

"The uncontested and credible evidence presented through Halprin's witnesses detailing (and quoting) Cunningham reflect lifelong prejudices," wrote Judge May. "Given his longstanding prejudices, Judge Cunningham must have been aware that he was required to recuse or disqualify himself on the basis of bias, or at least reveal his views so that the parties could decide whether to seek his removal."

AJC Dallas President Elect Stuart Blaugrund of Blaugrund PLLC, who prepared the 2019 AJC amicus brief in collaboration with Marc R. Stanley and Martin Woodward of Stanley Law Group, stated that "the Court's findings regarding Judge Cunningham's racist and antisemitic comments are not just shocking, they are morally outrageous. What is particularly horrifying about the Halprin case is that this could have happened to anybody in any courtroom across America."

SOURCE American Jewish Committee

Related Links

http://www.ajc.org


Deputy Prime Minister, the Honourable I. Chester Cooper gave remarks along with other key leaders from top hotel brands in the Caribbean region. The Deputy Prime Minister expressed why investing in The Bahamas right now is optimal.

"In recent years, The Bahamas has benefitted from close to 3 billion dollars in foreign direct investment. Development projects have ranged from mega resorts, marinas and attractions to boutique hotels. This ongoing development activity is a strong indicator of one thing  investor confidence," said Cooper. He added, "We project continued growth in visitor arrivals in the months ahead, based on positive hotel bookings. There has been a significant increase in airlift fueled by pent-up demand for travel. Currently, there are direct or one stop flights to The Bahamas from every major region of the United States."

The Deputy Prime Minister in his closing remarks encouraged all attendees to invest in The Bahamas. "The Bahamas has in place all the prime conditions conducive to propelling economic growth, in the short to medium and long term. I invite you to come to The Bahamas, invest and grow with us."

Explore all the islands have to offer at www.bahamas.com or on Facebook , YouTube or Instagram to see why It's Better in The Bahamas.

Media Contact:

Anita Johnson-Patty

Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation

[email protected]

SOURCE The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation

Related Links

http://www.bahamas.com


SEOUL, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/  Following announcement covered by koreaherald.com, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) announced that it will host the "Carbon Neutral EXPO," Korea's largest energy exhibition, from October 13 to 15 at KINTEX in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea.

The EXPO will be co-hosted with Korea Energy Show 2021, which marks its 40th anniversary this year. 297 organizations and businesses will participate in the Expo and promote their carbon-neutral products and technologies.

At the Special Exhibition Hall, visitors can learn government policies related to carbon-neutral technologies and RE 100, a global initiative of influential businesses committed to 100% renewable electricity.

At the Renewable Energy Hall, Hanwha Q Cells, Hyundai Energy Solutions, Shinsung E&G, Doosan Fuel Cell, and Unison will display their renewable energy technologies and products, such as solar energy, wind power, hydrogen and fuel cells, and energy storage system (ESS).

At the Energy Hall, visitors can see various products and technologies of ICT-applied electronics and high-efficiency energy solutions. The Green New Deal Special Hall will introduce the Building Energy Efficiency Rating Certification System. The Smart Lights Special Hall will offer energy efficiency systems, products, and technologies in various areas.

Twelve metropolitan governments will promote their energy policy achievements and exhibit their excellent SMEs' products at the Local Government Hall.

Five energy corporations, such as Korea Western Power, and public organizations, including Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power and KEPCO KDN, will present energy policies and achievements and show government policies that allow to improve energy efficiency and expand renewable energies at the Public Energy Hall.

Besides, visitors can obtain information on financial tax support, technology transfer, and commercialization at the Carbon Neutral Technology Business Support Hall and enjoy the exhibition related to new industries, circular economy, and future mobility at the Carbon Neutral Technology Best Practice Hall.

Participating companies are allowed to promote their businesses and products through the online business platform connected to the EXPO. They also join networking programs offered by foreign embassies to Korea and local governments to find domestic and international markets.

Meanwhile, MOTIE will invite around 60 overseas buyers from 55 countries and allow them to have business meetings with participating companies. It will also sign agreements to export Korean SMEs' products and hold unveiling events for new products of Hanwha Q Cells, First Silicon, and BKM.

For more information, please visit https://koreaenergyshow.energy.or.kr/eng_new/main/main.do

SOURCE The Korea Herald
Smithers Quality Assessments division has remained committed to working with our partners at Boeing... Tweet this

Smithers Quality Assessments Division Boeing scatter diagram results supports, that amongst any industry peers, it is positively maintaining individual CB performance levels as much as 5x times greater than its competitors while sustaining no less than 2.5 times the number of Boeing clients with any similar overall CB performance levels.

"Smithers Quality Assessments division has remained committed to working with our partners at Boeing to continually drive their important supplier performance inputs into our regular assessment activities. We have seen problem suppliers, under these assessments, gain the appropriate attention with their performance issues and appropriately raise their performance levels to ensuring regular achievement of On Time, On Quality Delivery (OTOQD) requirements. We are proud of the commitment of our back office team, Auditors and Clients in helping us achieve these marketing leading results," says Aaron Troschinetz, General Manager, North America, Smithers Quality Assessments Division.

Smithers Quality Assessments Division also maintains regular participation in various AS standard development committees (including AS9101, AS9104) as well as the supporting ISO 9001 US TAG 176 committee. Jeanette Preston, President of Smithers Quality Assessments Division, also serves as the sole CB focal for the Americas Aerospace scheme. This active involvement in the ICOP scheme ensures that Smithers Quality Assessments Division maintains a key leadership role in promoting the importance of the AS-series requirements.

For more information about Smithers or AS9100 certification, please contact Aaron Troschinetz.

About Smithers:

Founded in 1925 and headquartered in Akron, Ohio, Smithers is a multinational provider of testing, consulting, information, and compliance services. With laboratories and operations in North America, Europe, and Asia, Smithers supports customers in the transportation, life science, packaging, materials, components, consumer, dry commodities, and energy industries. Smithers delivers accurate data, on time, with high touch, by integrating science, technology, and business expertise, so customers can innovate with confidence.

Media Contact:

Glenn G. Goldney,

Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing

[email protected]

+1 (330) 203-2188

SOURCE Smithers
SAN ANTONIO, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Students at TMI Episcopal have completed and delivered their first project for the Department of Occupational Therapy at UT Health San Antonio to modify a toy car for a 4-year-old girl with multiple sclerosis. TMI junior Anthony Jaramillo and Class of 2021 graduate Ignacio Martinez worked on the project last school year and finished it at the Summer At TMI Innovation & Design Camp. Using the steps of design thinking, the students were able to make the following modifications on the toy car:

TMI Episcopal TMI Episcopal

Adjusted the speed of the car so that it didn't go too fast for the child.

Installed an on/off switch to cut the power to the car in case of emergency.

Installed a bigger button to engage the motors so that it's easier for the child to use with limited mobility.

Installed a custom headrest to support the child's head and neck.

Installed a safety harness to keep the child safe inside of the car while it's moving.

These modifications will assist the young girl with her balance while sitting upright, help in the development of her hand-eye coordination, and allow her to use the car at home. As she uses the toy car, the students will be available to make any needed adjustments that may arise to ensure the comfort and safety of the child.

The TMI community is extremely proud of the students' commitment to this project and looks forward to the continued relationship with the Department of Occupational Therapy at UT Health San Antonio.

Founded in 1893, TMI Episcopal is a private, co-educational, college-preparatory school for grades 6-12, with optional Junior ROTC and boarding programs. For information, visit www.tmi-sa.org or call 210-698-7171.

Contact:

Stephanie Gish

[email protected]

210-698-7171

SOURCE TMI Episcopal

Related Links

https://www.tmi-sa.org/


Comprised of two condominium buildings, each residence will be outfitted with striking interiors and designer details. Owners will have a complete portfolio of on-site amenities to enhance their lifestyle, including a building concierge.

Additional amenities include a clubroom and conference space, available for social and professional purposes. Owners can also take advantage of the fitness studio with a yoga room, dog spa and bike storage areas. The shared rooftop terrace will feature picturesque views of Alexandria and Washington D.C.

This coveted address puts an abundance of local and regional destinations within easy reach. Owners will have immediate outdoor recreation, with the Mount Vernon Trail and Potomac Waterfront just steps away.

Also nearby is King Street, a hallmark of Old Town Alexandria showcasing countless storefronts and eateries. The Braddock Road Metro and the new Potomac Yard Metro Station set to arrive next Spring are nearby as well, and the community offers instant access to the George Washington Memorial Parkway to reach Washington, D.C.

"We're thrilled to join the Old Town North community," remarked Gregg Hughes, Senior Vice President at Brookfield Residential. "It's an incredible place, and these new homes will fit perfectly."

The community is set to begin pre-sales in early 2022, with Building 1 opening in October 2022 and Building 2 in early 2023. Interested parties should join the interest list now for priority updates as the community develops. Visit TowngateNorth.com.

About the Towngate North Team

McWilliams|Ballard is a leading project development, sales, marketing and consulting firm in the Washington, D.C. area, drawing on its vast experience and unique understanding of the market to help projects succeed. Brookfield Residential Properties Inc. is a leading land developer and homebuilder in North America. It entitles and develops land to create master-planned communities, builds and sells lots to third-party builders and operates its own homebuilding division. Brookfield Residential also participates in select, strategic real estate opportunities, including infill projects, mixed-use developments and joint ventures. Further information is available at BrookfieldResidential.com.

Contact: Chris Masters, Executive VP of Sales

Phone: 703-535-5550

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Brookfield Residential

Related Links

http://www.TowngateNorth.com


Acquisition Strengthens Company's European Presence and Continues its Global Expansion

ST. LOUIS, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Global packaging leader TricorBraun announced today that it has entered into an agreement to acquire premium glass packaging supplier Vetroelite from LBO France. The acquisition strengthens TricorBraun's European presence and continues the company's global expansion.

Founded in 1994, Vetroelite provides premium glass packaging solutions for the fast-growing spirits, gourmet food, home fragrances, wine, and cosmetics industries. Vetroelite has a worldwide presence, operating from multiple locations across Europe and North America and serving customers in 90 countries.

"We are very pleased to expand our European presence with the acquisition of Vetroelite," said Court Carruthers, president and CEO, TricorBraun. "The Vetroelite team has established a strong reputation for high-quality, innovative packaging solutions, fueled by deep expertise and dedicated customer service. We are proud to welcome Vetroelite to the TricorBraun family, and look forward to supporting Vetroelite's continued growth."

All Vetroelite team members, including CEO Daniele Feletto and the company's leadership team, will remain with TricorBraun and continue to work out of the company's existing locations. Effective with the closing of the transaction, Vetroelite will operate as Vetroelite, a TricorBraun company.

"At Vetroelite, our commitment to providing customers with innovative, distinctive, and high-quality glass packaging drives everything we do," said Daniele Feletto, CEO, Vetroelite. "We know TricorBraun shares that same passion and purpose, and we are delighted to join such a respected packaging leader."

LBO France acquired Vetroelite in 2017 and since then, has provided significant investment and management support, resulting in Vetroelite's consistent and substantial growth.

Since its founding, TricorBraun has partnered with management teams to successfully acquire and further accelerate growth for nearly 30 packaging companies. Vetroelite will mark TricorBraun's fourth acquisition this year.

The transaction is expected to close later this month.

About Vetroelite

Vetroelite is one of Europe's leading designers and distributors of high-end glass packaging. The company offers an exclusive range of glass containers (bottles, carafes, flasks and jars) for liquid products, food products, room fragrances and other perfumery, cosmetic and body care products.

About TricorBraun

Founded in 1902, TricorBraun is a global packaging leader and North America's largest distributor of primary packaging. We provide innovative solutions across a wide array of customer end markets in plastic and glass containers, closures, dispensers, tubes and flexibles. Our award-winning Design & Engineering Center provides forward-thinking design, driven by consumer insight and creative solutions. As a leading purchaser of packaging in the world, we leverage our global supply chain expertise, expansive and sustainable footprint, and significant purchasing power and scale to identify the very best sourcing partners and provide cost-effective solutions for our customers. TricorBraun operates from more than 60 locations across the Americas, Europe, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand.

SOURCE TricorBraun

Related Links

https://www.tricorbraun.com/


NEW YORK, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Unqork , the leading enterprise no-code platform, today announced the release of Unqork 2021.10 , its second major platform update of 2021. Unqork 2021.10 deepens and expands the benefits that enterprise customers value in Unqork, through new features that empower creators to build complex mission-critical applications even faster, new testing capabilities, an enhanced enterprise-grade security infrastructure and more. Unqork 2021.10 was unveiled today at Unqork Create , the first enterprise no-code conference.

Included in Unqork 2021.10 is the launch of Unqork Private Cloud, with support of Amazon Web Services (AWS) PrivateLink and Microsoft Azure PrivateLink, which provides a direct, secure connection between Unqork and a customer's cloud, such that that traffic never leaves their private networks. Connecting private networks enables Unqork Private Cloud use cases that span multiple cloud regions and even an enterprise data center when customers combine PrivateLinks with on-prem connections like AWS Direct Connect and Azure Express Route. The release also introduces industry-first features like a new Testing Tool to streamline testing across cross-functional stakeholders, a new Grid System for aggregating, organizing, presenting, and easy editing of data, a Parallel Execution feature to support simultaneous business processes and a new Discovery Hub for developers and business users to track, prioritize, and measure ROI of all projects.

"At Unqork, we understand the technology and business challenges that today's enterprises are facing. I lived them myself as a Fortune 50 CIO and we've built the platform I needed in that role," said Gary Hoberman, founder and CEO, Unqork. "We are constantly improving Unqork to provide businesses with a better way to build enterprise software, and Unqork 2021.10 is a perfect example of what makes our platform so unique and powerful. The core value-prop, an enterprise no-code platform that enables you to bring higher-quality software to market faster, is enhanced by a focus on enterprise-grade security and features like testing and ROI measurement that ensure your technology is driving the business forward. We are on a journey to eliminate legacy code for our customers and this release is another big step forward."

Best in Class Cloud Security

Unqork Private Cloud is an enhanced security infrastructure that allows customers to pass data securely between Unqork and their private resources, without ever leaving their private network and traversing the public internet. Unqork Private Cloud works through PrivateLink with AWS and Azure clouds, providing the world's top businesses with enhanced cloud security while maintaining the cloud-agnostic flexibility of Unqork. Unqork Private Cloud effectively provides integration with private resources and avoids the need for new endpoints on the public internet, enhancing overall cloud security and unlocking more application use cases. Customers using Unqork Private Cloud also benefit from improved application performance, by keeping communication within the same region and through the same cloud provider's private network.

The security benefits of Unqork Private Cloud are built upon the already-enhanced security profile of applications built in Unqork's no-code platform, which benefit from significantly higher-quality than applications that rely on writing code.

Unified Testing from a Single Dashboard

Unqork's new Testing Tool provides a central, streamlined dashboard for users across an enterprise to initiate, track and automate testing. Within many enterprises, testing is a segmented process, spread across different teams (e.g AppDev, QA, DevOps), leading to inconsistencies or redundancies, with vulnerabilities sometimes going undetected. Unqork's new Testing Tool brings all testing information into one central dashboard, allowing for enhanced visibility and coordination, resulting in higher-quality applications. The Testing Tool tracks all tests and outcomes, and allows for tests to be run automatically and simultaneously. Impacted teams are automatically notified of any status changes or test failures, so they can quickly address issues and be aware of any interdependencies with their colleagues.

Do More With Enterprise Data

Unqork's new Grid System provides customers with new tools to build rich interfaces, manage and present data, and enable new workloads. Unqork's Grid System quickly aggregates high-volumes of data from multiple sources, storing everything in a central repository, enabling end-users to analyze data and surface insights faster than ever before. Previously, businesses were limited to manually entering data into static spreadsheets. The grid system is dynamic, meaning users can embed any Unqork component such as buttons or logic to run critical business processes. Deeply integrated with Unqork's component ecosystem, developers can even build new workflows on top of the Grid System, allowing developers to not only build new UX and UI patterns but also service bespoke business requirements faster than ever before.

Additional 2021.10 Updates

2021.10 also includes Unqork's new Discovery Hub, a central location where developers and business users can collaborate alongside one another to track, prioritize, and measure ROI for ongoing projects, and a new Parallel Execution feature, which gives developers the ability to create workflows that support simultaneous automated processes.

Further Resources

About Unqork

Unqork is the industry pioneer no-code enterprise application platform that helps large companies build, deploy, and manage complex applications without writing a single line of code. Organizations like Goldman Sachs, Liberty Mutual, the Cities of New York, Chicago and Washington, DC and Maimonides Medical Center are using Unqork's drag-and-drop interface to build enterprise applications faster, with higher quality, and lower costs than conventional approaches. To learn more, please visit: https://www.unqork.com .

SOURCE Unqork

Related Links

https://www.unqork.com


Warrior Centric Health is adapting its population health management solution to serve the Air Force's 59th Medical Wing Tweet this

The project will adapt WCH's existing platform to achieve measurable results in the military healthcare setting. Through their combined efforts, other MTFs will soon be able to adopt the new Military Model of WCH's population health management solution to fulfill their own Quad Aim objectives.

Says Ron Steptoe, CEO and Founder of Warrior Centric Health:

"Everyone at Warrior Centric Health is looking forward to working with the 59th Medical Wing. This is a huge opportunity to prove out our platform in a military setting. And there is no organization more prepared to make it happen than the 59th MDW."

SBIR  "America's Seed Fund" Makes it Possible

The contract between the 59th MDW and WCH is a "SBIR Phase II" contract made possible by the Small Business Innovation Research program.

SBIR is intended to enable federal buyers, such as the Air Force, to purchase ready-made technologies quickly, efficiently, and cost-effectively, and adapt them to their own uses, while the small businesses that develop the technologies get the advantages of both a ready buyer and development partner.

WCH's SBIR efforts are sponsored by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), which has partnered with U.S. Air Force (AFWERX) to streamline the SBIR process.

Because of SBIR, WCH and the 59th MDW will deliver the population-based health solution the military needs, while WCH continuously improves its solution for both the military and commercial healthcare markets.

The 59th is the Air Force's Flagship Medical Wing

The 59th Medical Wing is the largest medical wing in the Air Force, composed of six groups across the $1.2 billion San Antonio Military Health System, Joint Base San Antonio. the 59th MDW supports more than 240,000 beneficiaries with more than 6,000 military and civilian personnel, residents, and students

About Warrior Centric Health, LLC

Warrior Centric Health (WCH) provides hospitals and health systems with a groundbreaking digital platform that enables them to deliver comprehensive, best-practice population health management to the vast Warrior Community. It is the only fully realized population health solution of its kind. WCH is a Supplier Diversity - Certified Veteran's Business Enterprise, a Vizient Awarded Supplier, and a Microsoft for Startups company. Please visit https://warriorcentrichealth.com or follow the company on Twitter , LinkedIn , and Facebook .

Contact:

For Information

Ron Steptoe, CEO

[email protected]

For Media Inquiries

David Collier, COO

[email protected]

SOURCE Warrior Centric Health, LLC
VANCOUVER, BC, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd. ("West Fraser" or the "Company") (TSX andNYSE: WFG) announced today that it has entered into an agreement to acquire the Angelina Forest Products lumber mill located in Lufkin, Texas for approximately $300 million, subject to certain post-closing adjustments. The transaction is anticipated to close following successful completion of U.S. regulatory reviews and satisfaction of customary conditions. Management will provide an update and further details about the transaction on West Fraser's third quarter earnings call on October 28, 2021. All dollar amounts in this news release are expressed in U.S. dollars unless noted otherwise.

The new turn-key facility, which produces southern yellow pine ("SYP") lumber products, began construction in 2018, commenced operations in late 2019 and is expected to progress toward full production capacity of approximately 305 million board feet over the next three to four years. The transaction includes approximately $4 million of target working capital and approximately $24 million of supplemental tax attributes that are expected to result in a direct cash flow benefit to West Fraser.

Strategic Rationale and Synergies

The acquisition is another important step in West Fraser's continued expansion of its U.S. lumber operations. The new, highly efficient facility is expected to be a top quartile mill that will integrate with and support our existing East Texas lumber and OSB business. Anticipated to be among the lowest cost operations in the Company's lumber mill portfolio, the Lufkin mill is strategically located near low-cost and abundant fibre as well as large and growing end-markets and its additional lumber production will allow West Fraser to better serve the Company's growing customer base in Texas and the southern U.S. Upon completion of this transaction, West Fraser will have combined Canadian and U.S. lumber production capacity of approximately 7.0 billion board feet, with U.S. capacity of SYP lumber representing approximately 50% of the Company's capacity.

"We look forward to welcoming the Lufkin mill employees to West Fraser. The management team at Angelina Forest Products has done a commendable job developing the Lufkin team and operations, and we believe this modern, high-margin facility will enhance our existing U.S. platform of lumber mills and help us to better meet the growing demand for our lumber products in Texas and the U.S. South," said West Fraser's President and CEO, Ray Ferris. "With this acquisition, we will be able to quickly capitalize on a fully-invested and high-quality manufacturing facility. This includes a trained labour force and the local community and logistics infrastructure to support the mill's supply chain, distribution and outlet for residuals. Further, we are able to immediately reap the cash flow benefits of our investment while significantly reducing the associated risks of greenfield construction, execution and start-up."

West Fraser intends to finance the acquisition with cash on hand. Annual synergies of approximately $13 million are anticipated to be achieved within two years with minimal capital requirements. These synergies are expected to be realized through continued capacity utilization improvement, implementation of best practices and the coordinated transportation, logistics and procurement benefits derived from West Fraser's distribution scale and existing production facilities in the region.

It is anticipated that after the cash tax benefits described above, the post-synergy mid-cycle Adjusted EBITDA multiple at full production will be approximately 6.4x and the transaction is expected to generate an internal rate of return ("IRR") of approximately 13%. Based on recent industry announcements and West Fraser's latest internal analysis, the cost to construct a greenfield lumber mill of the scale and quality of the Lufkin mill plus working capital investment and the foregone cash flows anticipated during the construction and ramp up phases are expected to exceed the purchase price for this top quartile facility.

The Company

West Fraser is a diversified wood products company with more than 60 facilities in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe. From responsibly sourced and sustainably managed forest resources, the Company produces lumber, engineered wood products (OSB, LVL, MDF, plywood, and particleboard), pulp, newsprint, wood chips, other residuals and renewable energy. West Fraser's products are used in home construction, repair and remodelling, industrial applications, papers, tissue, and box materials.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking information or forward-looking statements (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including the expected closing date of the transaction, the projected ramp rate of the mill, its cost position, estimated annual synergies, estimated tax benefits, the internal rates of return generated and anticipated cash flows. Any such forward-looking statements are based on information currently available to us and are based on assumptions and analyses made by us in light of our experience and our perception of historical trends and current conditions. Readers should also refer to the risk factors set forth in the Company's annual information form and management's discussion and analysis for the year ended December 31, 2020, each dated February 11, 2021, available at SEDAR (www.sedar.com) and EDGAR (www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml). There can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which forward-looking statements are based will be realized. Actual results may differ, and the difference may be material and adverse to the Company and its shareholders.

Non-IFRS Measures

In this news release, reference is made to Adjusted EBITDA, (collectively "these Non-IFRS measures"). We believe that, in addition to earnings, these NonIFRS measures are useful performance indicators for investors with regard to operating and financial performance. Adjusted EBITDA is also used to evaluate the operating and financial performance of our operating segments, generate future operating plans, and make strategic decisions. These Non-IFRS measures are not generally accepted financial measures under IFRS and do not have standardized meanings prescribed by IFRS. Investors are cautioned that none of these Non-IFRS measures should be considered as an alternative to earnings, EPS, or cash flow, as determined in accordance with IFRS. As there is no standardized method of calculating any of these Non-IFRS measures, our method of calculating each of them may differ from the methods used by other entities and, accordingly, our use of any of these Non-IFRS measures may not be directly comparable to similarly titled measures used by other entities. Accordingly, these Non-IFRS measures are intended to provide additional information and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with IFRS. The reconciliation of the Non-IFRS measures used and presented by the Company to the most directly comparable IFRS measures is set out in our Q2 2021 MD&A.

SOURCE West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd.

Related Links

www.westfraser.com


"Wisconsinites are truly obsessed with cheese, and while we tout some of the most awarded cheeses in the world, we know there is a unique fascination with our cheese curds," says Suzanne Fanning, Chief Marketing Officer for Wisconsin Cheese and Senior Vice President at Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin. "In Wisconsin, cheese curds are just part of our culturewe look forward to getting curds fresh at local farmers markets and cheese shops around the statestill warm from being made that morning. Many restaurants across the state sell more cheese curds than French fries and nearly every Wisconsinite can tell you which restaurant makes their favorite fried cheese curd. This is our day to celebrate, and we are excited to share our love for all things curds with the rest of the country."

How can you celebrate National Cheese Curd Day like a Wisconsinite? Cheese the day and take these five actions to become a true curd nerd:

Learn all about curds. A cheese curd is young cheddar that has been separated from the whey early in the cheesemaking process. On a microscopic level, cheese curds are made up of proteins that are bound together with calcium. When you bite into a cheese curd, this protein and calcium structure rubs against the enamel on your teeth, making the signature squeaking sound. These randomly shaped little cuties are traditionally eaten at room temperature within the first 24 hours after they're made, making them popular in cheesemaking regions like Wisconsin . Get your hands on the curds. White or orange, fresh or fried, perfectly plain or flavored, there is so much to love about Wisconsin cheese curds. Look for cheese with the Proudly Wisconsin Cheese badge at your local store to ensure you're getting the freshest, most authentic curds from the State of Cheese. Don't see fresh cheese curds sold at your local store? Order online at https://wisconsincheese.com/our-cheese/order-online/cheese-curds. Prepare your feast. Eat them fresh straight out of the bag, toss them on a salad, use them on a cheese board, or put them on a burger. Experiment in your own kitchen by whipping up a batch of deep fried or air-fryer cheese curds by visiting https://wisconsincheese.com/recipes. Visit your local Culver's. Looking for some fried cheese curd action? Get your taste buds ready and find a Culver's location near you! While Culver's serves their Wisconsin Cheese Curds every day, on October 15 there will be a very limited supply of their special CurderBurger available at locations nationwide! Join Cheeselandia. The team at Wisconsin Cheese is shipping out fresh curds to their biggest fans nationwide for a virtual event this week. This VIP group, called Cheeselandia, gets exclusive opportunities to meet Wisconsin makers and connect with fellow cheese fans from all 50 states. Consider joining the community at Cheeselandia.com.

Can't get enough of this cheesy goodness? Wisconsin is the only state that requires a license to make cheese, the only place outside Switzerland with a Master Cheesemaker Program, and home to the nation's only Cheese Curd Master Cheesemaker. Discover everything there is to know about The State of Cheese at WisconsinCheese.com.

About Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin: Funded by Wisconsin dairy farmers, Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin is a non-profit organization that focuses on marketing and promoting Wisconsin's world-class dairy products. For more information, visit our website at WisconsinDairy.org.

About Wisconsin Cheese: The tradition of cheesemaking excellence began 180 years ago, before Wisconsin was recognized as a state. Wisconsin's 1,200 cheesemakers, many of whom are third- and fourth-generation, continue to pass on old-world traditions while adopting modern innovations in cheesemaking craftsmanship. For more information, visit WisconsinCheese.com or connect on Facebook. For serious cheese fanatics who want to celebrate Wisconsin Cheese all year long, consider joining Cheeselandia, Wisconsin's online cheese community.

SOURCE Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin
ANN ARBOR, Mich., Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- On November 5, 2021, the William Davidson Institute (WDI) and the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, in collaboration with the US-Mexico Foundation (USMF), will host a virtual roundtable to discuss further integration within the auto industry in the U.S. and Mexico. The event will bring together accomplished diplomats, industry leaders and academia to share their perspectives on trends and opportunities for players in both countries.

For decades, the U.S.-Mexico automotive supply chain has been deeply unified, collectively manufacturing around 20 percent of the world's passenger cars and commercial vehicles. At the same time, the automotive sector is undergoing a profound transformation, fueled by technological innovations, sustainability efforts and supply chain concerns.

During the virtual roundtable, two interrelated, consecutive panel discussions will focus on these shifts and how both sides of the border can leverage them in the context of an enhanced U.S.Mexico partnership.

Panel 1, "U.S.-Mexico Automotive Supply Chain Resilience: Trends and Opportunities," will put a spotlight on emerging opportunities for co-production and manufacturing of products, services and technologies, which has the potential to catalyze further economic growth in the U.S. and Mexico .

. Panel 2, "Powering Mobility: Implications of the Energy Transition," will discuss how renewable energy sources are key to achieving climate and sustainability goals and how energy transition toward electrification could redefine cross-border business models and opportunities.

"At this time of great change in the automotive sector, further integration between businesses in the U.S. and Mexico can increase competitiveness for both economies," said Paul Clyde, president, William Davidson Institute, and professor of business administration, University of Michigan's Ross School of Business. "As part of WDI's mission to help formulate the tools for commercial success in low- and middle-income countries, we're delighted to work with the Ross School of Business and USMF to facilitate this important dialogue."

The panelists taking part in the event include:

Geronimo Gutierrez, former Mexican Ambassador to the U.S.

Anthony Earl Wayne , former U.S. Ambassador to Mexico

, former U.S. Ambassador to Sarah Cartmell , manager of global government relations, Ford Motor Company

, manager of global government relations, Ford Motor Company Scott Adams , president eMobility, Eaton

, president eMobility, Mike Ramsey , vice president, analyst at Gartner

, vice president, analyst at Gartner Oscar Dominguez , president of Lear Mexico Operations

Francine Lafontaine, interim dean, Michigan Ross School of Business, and Diana E. Paez, senior director, grants & partnerships, grants management, WDI, will serve as moderators.

The "A Vision for a Stronger U.S.-Mexico Partnership: Emerging Opportunities in the Automotive Industry" virtual roundtable is free and open to the public. Register for the November 5th event here or by visiting the WDI homepage at wdi.umich.edu .

About The William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

SOLVING FOR BUSINESS: Because business drives economic growth and social freedom

Established at the University of Michigan in 1992, the William Davidson Institute (WDI) is an independent, non-profit research and educational organization. WDI is guided by our founding principle that thriving businesses drive economic development and improve social welfare in low- and middle-income countries. Our work focuses on developing, adapting and applying sound business principles in four interrelated sectors necessary for a thriving economy: professional education and training, energy, finance and healthcare, in addition to offering performance measurement and improvement services that span these sectors. With a unique blend of field-based experience and academic rigor, WDI works to build stronger economies and healthier societies.

SOURCE The William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan
HOUSTON, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Wright Close & Barger LLP is pleased to announce the addition of three experienced attorneys and one recent law school graduate as new associates to the firm's already deep bench of highly skilled trial and appellate lawyers.

Eric Boettcher joins from Robins Kaplan LLP, Brad Williams joins from the Executive Office for Immigration Reform, Jared Douthit joins from Thompson Coe, LLP, and Emily Freeman joins the firm following her graduation from law school.

An appellate specialist and civil litigator, Mr. Boettcher has an extensive background handling commercial disputes, securities litigation, and intellectual property matters. Earlier this year, he was counsel of record for several former U.S. attorneys who filed an amicus brief in support of the United States in United States v. Cooley. The brief was cited twice in the Supreme Court's ruling in favor of the United States.

Mr. Williams is an experienced litigator who focuses his practice on civil litigation and appeals. In his previous role at the Department of Justice's Executive Office for Immigration Review, he advised judges on statutory and regulatory issues and assisted in drafting orders and decisions. He graduated from the University of Illinois College of Law.

Mr. Douthit specializes in insurance coverage litigation in state and federal court. He advises insurers on coverage issues arising under property, commercial, environmental, and automobile policies. He is a graduate of South Texas College of Law Houston.

Ms. Freeman, a graduate of South Texas College of Law Houston, rejoins Wright Close & Barger where she worked as a summer associate. She was recently admitted to the State Bar of Texas, and her practice will focus on commercial litigation and appeals.

"We are so pleased to add these very talented attorneys to our team," said Tom Wright, founding partner of Wright Close & Barger. "Each brings a unique set of skills we know will be incredible assets to our clients and our firm."

Wright Close & Barger LLP is a Houston-based civil trial and appellate firm handling complex trial and appeals work for clients across Texas. Our lawyers have a record of achieving favorable resolutions in cases involving catastrophic personal injury, insurance coverage, intellectual property, oil and gas, product defects, commercial disputes, trade secrets, and trust and estate litigation, among others.

Learn more: http://www.wrightclosebarger.com/.

Contact:

April Arias

800-559-4534

[email protected]

SOURCE Wright Close & Barger LLP

Related Links

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District selects Xello's award-winning approach for college & career readiness

TORONTO, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Xello, the award winning K-12 college, career and future readiness program, and San Diego Unified School District today announced a new partnership designed to advance the district's future planning resources. As the district's preferred college and career readiness software vendor, Xello will help the district adopt a K-12 approach to future planning, with the goal of helping all students on the path to success.

"In order to meet the needs of our students, we look forward to this partnership to engage students of all ages in future planning discussions," said Sarah Vielma, Director College Career and Technical Education at San Diego Unified School District. "What stood out to us about Xello was that they offer age-appropriate content and resources for students throughout K-12 to help even our youngest learners set their sights on a successful future path."

Through the Xello platform, students in grades K-12 can build self-knowledge and explore options beyond high school. Using interest-based assessments, they are matched with careers that best reflect their interests, while educators have visibility into monitoring student progress and college application workflows. Built-in curriculum and reflective activities help students build social-emotional skills and knowledge that future employers value.

"San Diego Unified School District has made a strong commitment to preparing its students for college, career and future success," said Matt McQuillen, Xello Co-Founder and CEO. "They've chosen Xello to help them meet the goals for their district, and we look forward to helping them realize those goals."

Xello is used in over 9,000 schools across North America, and has earned a reputation as a high-quality college and career planning solution for K-12 school districts. Xello has won numerous awards, including an EdTech Award for best career planning solution. To learn more about Xello's strategies and implementation options, districts can contact Xello's team of Education Consultants.

About Xello

Xello's mission is to help anyone, anywhere in the world create a successful future through self-knowledge, exploration and planning. With more than 20 years in the education software industry, the team at Xello has helped millions of educators and millions of students become future ready with its suite of online platforms. Based in Toronto, Canada, Xello's award-winning future readiness programs are used globally by nearly eight million students and educators. Learn more about Xello at www.xello.world.

SOURCE Xello Inc.

Related Links

https://xello.world/en/


United Nations, Oct 12 : UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has welcomed the successful conducting of parliamentary elections in Iraq and called on parties to resolve disputes that may arise through established legal channels, said his spokesman.

"The secretary-general commends the women and men of Iraq for their determination to make their voices heard through the ballot box on October 10. He notes the extensive efforts made by the relevant electoral and security bodies to ensure the largely peaceful conduct of the early parliamentary elections, called for by the people of Iraq in their quest for reform, accountability and a better future," Xinhua news agency quoted Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman, as stating.

"The secretary-general urges all stakeholders to show patience and respect for the electoral timeline while the Independent High Electoral Commission tabulates the results, to resolve any electoral disputes that may arise through established legal channels, and to complete the electoral process by forming a government as soon as possible," said the statement.

Guterres reaffirmed that the UN remains fully committed to supporting the government and people of Iraq, it said.
Srinagar, Oct 12 : Terrorist responsible for the killing of a street hawker was among the three LeT terrorists gunned down in South Kashmir's Shopian district, officials said on Tuesday.

"Out of three killed terrorists, one terrorist has been identified as Mukhtar Shah of Ganderbal, who shifted to Shopian after killing one street hawker Virendra Paswan of Bihar," a tweet by Kashmir police quoting IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar said.

Three LeT terrorists were killed in an encounter that started between terrorists and security forces at Tulran Imamsahab area in South Kashmir's Shopian district on Monday evening.

The firefight between terrorists and security forces took place after a joint team of the police and the army cordoned off the area and launched a search operation on the basis of specific information about presence of terrorists.

In the past few days violence has seen many civilians being targeted. Virinder Paswan, a golgappa seller from Bihar was killed by terrorists on October 5 besides noted Kashmiri Chemist M.L. Bindroo and Mohamamd Shafi, a civilian from Bandipore.

On October 7, terrorists killed Supinder Kaur, Principal and Deepak Chand, teacher, at a government school in Srinagar.

-- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed
Lucknow, Oct 12 : IIT-Kanpur has lauded Yogi Aditynath's model of Covid management.

A detailed study, released by the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister on Monday, stated that sustained, organised and coordinated efforts controlled Covid spread in the most populous state.

Conducted by Prof. Manindra Agarwal and his team, the study throws light on the steps taken by the state government to mitigate the impact of the economic crisis during the reverse migration of over 40 lakh migrant workers.

It also praises the Yogi government for providing employment to these migrant workers.

The report highlighted that the state government "arranged free bus services for returning migrant workers and ambulance services for the sick." It also stresses that MNREGA was used for job creation and local self-governing bodies utilised worker database for employment cards.

Upholding the findings, Yogi Adityanath said, "Despite facing numerous challenges such as a huge population, lack of resources and reverse migration of workers, Uttar Pradesh's pandemic response is serving as a 'model' for various states and even countries." Expressing gratitude towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his 'guidance and support' throughout the pandemic, he said, "Had the health and medical infrastructure not been expanded under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, the country would not have been able to fight the pandemic in the way it has." Underlining the state's progress in terms of availability of medical resources, the chief minister said that Uttar Pradesh continued to work in the direction amid the pandemic.

"From getting the first batch of Covid tests conducted at NIV Pune in 2020 to crossing the milestone of conducting 8 crore tests today in Uttar Pradesh, the state is moving towards becoming self-reliant in every way," he said.

He added that Uttar Pradesh is the only state to have administered over 38 lakh vaccine doses in a single day.

"Overall, 11.5 crore people have the protective shield of the vaccine. The drive is on to vaccinate the entire eligible adult population," the Chief Minister said.
New Delhi, Oct 12 : A poor street vendor, Virendra Paswan, from Bihar father of five daughters and two sons, who had come to Kashmir to eke out his living by selling water bucks (gol-guppas) fell to the bullets of The Resistance Front (TRF) militants at Lal Bazar in Srinagar outskirts last week.

After killing the poor soul, the TRF claimed responsibility for the attack and bragged about it on social media. By killing the unarmed vendor, the militants sponsored by Pakistan, tried to send a message that they can kill anyone only for the reason that he or she belongs to a minority community. One cannot understand how a poor vendor, who used to earn a few hundred rupees in a day could have posed a threat to Pakistan and the ultras backed by it. By killing the poor daily wager the militants wanted to terrorize the non-locals in Kashmir so that they would leave the Valley.

After Paswan was killed, Srinagar Mayor Junaid Azim Mattu, said that he would personally travel to Bhagalpur, Bihar, to meet the family of the deceased. "His family deserves every last bit of our empathy, moral support and affection. We mourn his tragic demise," Mattu said in a tweet. Other mainstream politicians in Kashmir also condemned his killing and termed it as an act of senseless violence.

On October 5 this year, Kashmir witnessed three targeted civilian killings in 90 minutes. Besides Paswan, owner of the city's most famous pharmacy, Makhan Lal Bindroo, and President of the local taxi stand Mohammad Shafi Lone were shot dead on that fateful evening. The very next day, three ultras entered a Government School in Srinagar's old city and killed a female principal, Supinder Kour, of AlochiBagh in Srinagar and her colleague, Deepak Chand of Jammu. They were segregated from the members of the majority community and then killed in cold blood. Out of the five people killed, only Paswan was from Bihar, all others were locals.

The ground to target minorities started building up soon after August 5, 2019, when the Centre announced its decision to revoke Jammu and Kashmir's special status and divided it into two union territories, a propaganda was launched from the other side of the Line of Control (LoC) that India wants to change the demography of Jammu and Kashmir by settling outsiders in the Union Territory.

After the domicile law was announced in J&K and people started applying for the domicile certificates, militants struck in the sleepy market of Sarai Bala in Srinagar on December 31, 2020. They killed Satpal Nischal, a jeweller from Punjab, who had stayed in Kashmir for the past 50 years. A few weeks before he was killed, Nischal had obtained a domicile certificate that allowed people who have lived in J&K for more than 15 years the right to acquire immovable property.

Nischal became the first victim of TRF. It claimed responsibility for the killing, saying he was part of a "settler project" and that anyone who obtains domicile "will be treated as occupiers". But the poor street vendor, Paswan had neither acquired a domicile certificate, nor was he rich enough to buy an immovable property in J&K.

Like Paswan, many Kashmiris go to different parts of the country in winter to eke out a living, but they are never considered as a part of the settlers' plan. They visit other states to feed their families and Paswan was doing the same. He would have returned to Bihar within a month as the winter is about to begin in Kashmir. However, destiny had something else in store for him. He was cremated at Karan Nagar cremation grounds in Srinagar on October 7 where his brother performed his last rites. His brother said that he couldn't take his body to Bihar as he didn't have that much money. J&K Government provided Rs 1.25 lakhs ex-gratia relief to Paswan's family members.

After Nischal's killing, militants struck again in February 2021, when envoys from 23 countries were visiting Kashmir. They attacked the son of the owner of a famous eatery, Krishna Dhaba, at Sonawar in uptown Srinagar. Aakash Mehra (22), son of Ramesh Kumar Mehra, was fired upon by the gunmen when he was busy with his work. He succumbed to his injuries nearly a fortnight after being shot by the ultras. Mehra was a resident of Janipur, Jammu, and had spent his entire life in Kashmir. He was no outsider. Despite that he was killed at the instructions of the militant handlers sitting across the LoC.

People of Kashmir have understood the nefarious designs of Pakistan but are unable to muster courage to call spade a spade as they fear reprisal. The minorities are being targeted in Kashmir to recreate a situation like 1990, when no tourists used to visit the Valley and the development had taken backstage. People of Kashmir will have to rise and condemn the killings of the members of minority communities. If they fail to do so, they will be doing a big disservice to Kashmir and their generation next.

After the revocation of J&K's special status a narrative is being built intelligently to seek public validation of the acts of violence against anyone who seeks to endorse the status-quo. This who includes the poor gol-guppa seller, a pharmacist like Makhan lal Bindroo, who didn't leave Kashmir in 1990 and served the people, Supinder Kaur, a principal of government school who had adopted a Muslim orphan girl, and others who don't subscribe to the views of extremists and hardliners and want to be a part of progressive Jammu and Kashmir.
New Delhi, Oct 12 : A new report, published ahead of the 2021 UN Climate Change Conference (COP26), on Tuesday called for a radical change in how governments plan, deliver and manage infrastructure -- emphasising the often overlooked role infrastructure plays in combating climate change, mitigation, and adaptation efforts.

The report, titled Infrastructure for climate action, is co-published by the Un Office for Project Services (UNOPS), the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the University of Oxford.

The research looks in detail at the influence of infrastructure on climate action across energy, transport, water, solid waste, digital communications and buildings sectors. The findings highlight that infrastructure is responsible for 79 per cent of all greenhouse gas emissions, as well as 88 per cent of all adaptation costs and therefore the sector is centrally important to achieving the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

The report calls on governments to treat infrastructure as a priority sector for climate action. It also calls for unified planning to tackle emissions from infrastructure.

The authors argue that in order to tackle climate change, governments need to radically rethink how infrastructure is planned, delivered and managed in order to make it suitable for a low-emission and resilient future.

The report also presents some of the key steps that practitioners can take to ensure infrastructure projects incorporate climate adaptation and mitigation measures, while still aiming for long-term sustainability.

Focusing on national examples, it highlights infrastructure projects that have contributed to the achievement of national climate and development targets.

Speaking on the publication of the new report, UN Under Secretary-General and UNOPS Executive Director Grete Faremo said: "Our world is facing a climate emergency, with changes that are unprecedented, intensifying and, in some cases, irreversible. There is still time to act, but we need to do this urgently.

"This report highlights that radical changes to how we approach infrastructure are needed to stop the worst effects of climate change. It is ultimately crucial that we get this right as the infrastructure decisions made today will determine the quality of our common future." UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen said: "As we seek to bridge the infrastructure gap and improve the quality of life of people everywhere, it is critical that we invest in sustainable infrastructure that adapts to future uncertain climate conditions; contributes to the decarbonisation of the economy; protects biodiversity and minimises pollution.

"Sustainable infrastructure is the only way we can ensure that people, nature and the environment thrive together." Jim Hall, Professor of Climate and Environmental Risk at the University of Oxford, said: "The central question is not whether we need infrastructure, but how it can be provided in ways that are sustainable, resilient and compatible with a net zero future.

"There is no simple answer to the question of how to provide climate-compatible infrastructure. It requires a myriad of choices, from the moment an infrastructure project is first conceived, to the end of its life when it is decommissioned or repurposed."
Kanpur : , Oct 12 (IANS) More than a year after the Uttar Pradesh government's recommendation, the Lucknow unit of the CBI has registered an FIR in connection with the kidnapping and murder of 28-year-old lab technician Sanjeet Yadav in Kanpur.

The government had recommended a CBI probe in August last year.

The CBI, on Monday, registered a case under charges of kidnapping or abducting to murder against Rahul Yadav, who was an associate of Sanjeet.

Sanjeet's family had alleged that Rahul was behind the murder.

Sanjeet was kidnapped and murdered in Kanpur on June 22, 2020 and his body was dumped in the Pandu river.

According to the family, the kidnappers had demanded ransom for the release of Sanjeet and on the advice of the local police, the family gave the money, but neither did they get Sanjeet nor the money-as promised by the police.

Seven accused -- Kuldeep, Ramji Shukla, Gyanendra Yadav, Preeti Sharma, Neelu Singh, Simi Singh and Cheetah were arrested on July 24 last year. Kuldeep and Ramji were Sanjeet's friends.

They confessed to killing Sanjeet and said they had dumped his body in the Pandu River.

However, despite a week-long search, the body could not be found.

Later, an IPS officer and 11 policemen were suspended for laxity in the case.
Jaipur, Oct 12 : The Rajasthan government, feeling the crunch of the coal crisis, has been fighting hard to maintain demand-supply balance and has written to the Union Coal Secretary Anil Jain to increase the supply of coal from Coal India.

About eleven and a half rakes have to be provided daily from Coal India to Rajasthan whereas at present only five rakes are being dispatched from the subsidiary unit of Coal India, Additional Chief Secretary Energy Dr Subodh Agrawal said while chairing a meeting here on Monday.

Agrawal informed that a total 9317 MW power has been available in the state, while average demand of 10683 MW and maximum average demand of 12200 MW was made. He said that on the basis of roster, power cuts are being done from the feeders.

In the last two days, electricity generation has started in Kalisindh and Kota thermal power plants of 795 MW power capacity in the state.

Agrawal had a review meeting on Monday with the high officials of Vidyut Utpadan Nigam, Prasaran Nigam and Urja Vikas Nigam at Vidyut Bhawan.

He informed that Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot was continuously reviewing the situation of power crisis in the state and as a result of that the situation has started improving. But the supply from the subsidiaries of Coal India is yet to increase.

"Due to high level efforts, 15 to 16 rakes are being dispatched in the state, whereas earlier, less quantity of rakes were being dispatched, he said adding, "A total of 16 rakes have been dispatched on 10th October, whereas on the previous day 15 and earlier even less rakes were arriving. About 21 rakes of coal are required per day for all the thermal units in the state."
Meerut : , Oct 12 (IANS) The Meerut police have arrested a 24-year-old man for allegedly poisoning a 17-year-old girl because she was 'forcing' him to marry her.

The accused man who was arrested on Monday, has confessed to the crime.

According to reports, the victim, a student of Class 12, died on Friday last, three days after battling for life in a hospital. She had lost her vision after being given poison.

The father of the girl, a fruit vendor, had filed a police complaint against unknown persons on Wednesday.

The girl was dropped off near her home in an e-rickshaw.

Superintendent of Police Vineet Bhatnagar said, "The girl's father had told us that he had dropped her to college on Wednesday morning. "We questioned the e-rickshaw driver, tracked the girl's phone calls, scanned CCTV footage available in various intersections from where the rickshaw passed and even from around her college." In CCTV footage, the police found the accused Suraj, talking to the girl at the gate of her college.

The police official said, "When he was arrested, the accused told police that he was having an affair with the girl who was insisting on marriage. To get rid of her, he tricked her and took her to the hotel room. He then pretended to drink poison. To save him, the girl snatched the bottle of poison and drank it herself. He then took an e-rickshaw and left her outside her own house before fleeing from the spot." As the girl's condition worsened, she was admitted to the hospital.
Colombo, Oct 12 : In a display of major diplomatic ties between Sri Lanka and India, BJP MP Subramanian Swamy and Indian Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane will arrive in the island nation on Tuesday.

Swamy, during his two-day visit, will participate in the Navratri festival hosted by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa at Temple Trees, the latter's official residence in Colombo.

He is also slated to meet Fisheries Minister Douglas Devananda and will address a forum at the Institute of National Security Studies of the Defence Ministry.

Meanwhile, General Naravane, who will be accompanied by a five-member delegation, is visiting the island nation on an invitation by the Sri Lankan Army Commander, General Shavendra Silva.

During his stay, General Naravane will meet President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the Prime Minister, Defence Secretary General Kamal Gunaratne (Retd), High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka Gopal Baglay and the heads of the tri-forces among others.

Having served in the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) in Sri Lanka during 1987 to 1990, the army chief will pay floral tributes at the IPKF War Heroes in Colombo.

General Naravane will witness the final demonstration of the ongoing bilateral Exercise 'Mitra Shakti' at Maduru Oya Special Forces Training School in Ampara.

Held from October 4 to 15, the 8th Edition of the India-Sri Lanka bilateral joint exercise 'Mitra Shakti' is underway at the Combat Training School, Ampara, in the Eastern province.

An all arms contingent of 120 personnel of the Indian Army is participating in the exercise along with a battalion of the Sri Lankan Army.

The aim of 'Mitra Shakti' is to promote close relations between armies of two South Asian nations and enhance inter-operability and sharing best practices in counter insurgency and counter terrorism operations.

The exercise will involve tactical level operations at sub unit level in an international counter insurgency and counter terrorism environment and is to act as a catalyst in bringing synergy and cooperation at grass root level between both Armies.
United Nations, Oct 12 : The Executive Board has cleared International Monetary Fund's (IMF) chief Kristalina Georgieva of allegations that she manipulated a World Bank report to favour China while she was its CEO.

The exoneration of Georgieva, who is the IMF Managing Director, was announced on Monday night as the annual meetings of the two organisations got underway in Washington.

The IMF said: "Having looked at all the evidence presented, the executive board reaffirms its full confidence in the Managing Director's leadership and ability to continue to effectively carry out her duties." The board trusts in her "commitment to maintaining the highest standards of governance and integrity in the IMF", it added.

Surjit Singh Bhalla of India is a member of the 24-member executive board.

The US went along with the decision of the board but displayed a measure of scepticism.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the law firm's inquiry raises "legitimate issues and concerns" but "absent further direct evidence with regard to the role of the Managing Director there is not a basis for a change in IMF leadership".

Georgieva, a Bulgarian economist who joined the IMF in 2019, had been hounded by allegations that while she was the World Bank's Chief Executive she had, along with other officials, pressured the staff to improve China's standing in its "Doing Business 2018".

An independent inquiry conducted by a law firm, WilmerHale, for the Bank's ethics committee asserted that Georgieva and another official asked staff to modify "China's data points" in order to raise its standing in ease of doing business tally while the Bank wanted Beijing to support its quest for a capital increase.

In her rebuttal, she said the report made "false and spurious insinuations", and blamed the office of Jim Kong Kim, the American doctor who was the Bank's president at that time, of the manipulation.

She said that she had in fact made efforts to prevent Hong Kong's data from being added to China's.

After the executive board's decision taken after eight sessions during which it held discussions with her and the law firm, Georgieva said: "I want to express my unyielding support for the independence and integrity of institutions such as the World Bank and IMF; and my respect for all those committed to protecting the values on which these organiSations are founded." (Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in and followed @arulouis)
Chennai, Oct 12 : The counting of votes for the rural local body elections held on October 6 and 9 began at 74 centres spread across nine districts of the state on Tuesday.

The elections were held for the rural local bodies of Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu, Tirunelveli, Tenkasi, Ranipet, Villupuram, Vellore, Tiruppatur, and Kallakurichi districts of the state.

Voting was held for 27,003 posts in these districts. The first phase of polling on October 6 recorded 77.4 per cent polling while the second phase on October 9 registered 78.5 per cent polling.

Around 80,000 candidates have contested for the polls and 2,981 got elected unopposed. Of this 119 are village panchayat union presidents, five panchayat union ward members, and two district panchayat union ward members were elected unopposed.

Ballot papers have to be sorted out as each voter had cast vote for the four different posts -- district panchayat union ward members, panchayat union ward members, village panchayat presidents and village panchayat ward members.

The sorting of ballot papers has already commenced and will be bundled into 50. The counting will be done in the presence of candidates, their agents, and the state election commission authorised personnel.

31,245 officials are involved in the counting process and 6,228 police personnel are deployed for duty in the counting centres spread in the nine districts.

CCTV cameras are deployed at all counting centres and State Election Commissioner, V. Palanikumar told the media persons that a full proof counting will be done and the results would be made available on the Commission website.

Police are on an alert in the Southern districts of Tirunelveli and Tenkasi following the recent killings and to prevent any untoward incidents when results are declared.

R. Padmanabhan, Director, Socio-Economic Development Foundation, a think tank based out of Madurai while speaking to IANS said, "The State Election commission has done well to conduct free and fair elections. Let us hope that no untoward incidents are reported after results are out and with a heavy police force being deployed at all sensitive areas, there are remote possibilities of any untoward incident. Southern Tamil Nadu is a very sensitive area and caste-based issues leading to vendetta and killings are happening here and awareness has to be created right from first standard classes in schools to do away with these practices."
Lakhimpur Kheri : , Oct 12 (IANS) The Lakhimpur Kheri police have arrested Shekhar Bharti, the driver of Ankit Das, whose vehicle was in the convoy that mowed down nine persons, including four farmers on October 3.

Police sources said that Shekhar Bharti, who was arrested on Tuesday morning, is presently being interrogated.

Bharti was reportedly driving the black Fortuner that was being driven behind the Mahindra Thar that trampled the farmers.

The police have been carrying out raids in Lucknow and some other locations to arrest Ankit Das, who is the nephew of former MP, late Akhilesh Das.

This is the fourth arrest in the Lakhimpur case. Two persons were arrested earlier and the third arrest was that of the main accused Ashish Mishra, son of Union Minister Ajay Mishra Teni.
Patna, Oct 12 : Patna has recorded a surge in cases of vector-borne diseases like dengue, while registering a decline in the city's coronavirus graph.

On Sunday, the health department of Patna registered seven positive cases of dengue. Two patients were in Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) campus, and one each in Rajendra Nagar, Mahendru, Gulzarbagh, Khasmahal and Punpun.

Earlier, dengue cases were detected in rural areas like Mokama, Bakhtiyarpur, Fatuha, Bihta, Punpun, Vikram, Pandarak and Phulwarisharif.

Vinod Kumar Chaudhary, the malaria officer of Patna, said that the total number of dengue cases reached 68 in Bihar's capital city. Besides, three cases of Chikungunya, and two cases of Japanese Encephalitis were also recorded.

Sources said that the health department is concerned as the cases are coming from rural and urban areas. It may also rise in the next few days due to the Dussehra festival.

According to an official, the civic bodies and health department jointly carried out fogging in 55 places mostly in urban areas.

"As the cases are surging in Patna, we have initiated testing through rapid kits of patients who complain about joint pain, high fever, pain in eyes etc," Chaudhary said.

"As a large number of patients are also approaching private labs, we have directed them to submit the report to the civil surgeon office as well. We have appealed to residents of Patna to keep their respective areas clean so that water would not accumulate there," he said.
New Delhi, Oct 12 : The Delhi High Court on Tuesday junked a petition challenging the appointment of Gujarat-cadre IPS Officer Rakesh Asthana as the Commissioner of Delhi Police.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice D.N. Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh dismissed the petition filed by one Sadre Alam. The bench had reserved the judgment on September 27.

On August 25, the Supreme Court had asked the Delhi High Court to decide the petition challenging the appointment within two weeks. Detailed judgment in the matter will be uploaded later in the day.

Asthana had told the Delhi High Court that the PIL challenging his appointment is either personal vendetta or a proxy war under the cloak of public interest litigation. He contended that there is a sustained social media campaign against him and the plea before the high court was an abuse of process of law. An intervention application filed by NGO 'Centre for Public Interest Litigation' through advocate Prashant Bhushan also challenged Asthana's appointment as the Delhi Police chief.

The Centre had told Delhi High Court that national capital has a specific and special requirement, which witnessed certain untoward and extremely challenging public order problems/riots/crimes having an international implication, therefore the appointment of Gujarat-cadre IPS officer Rakesh Asthana as Commissioner of Police, Delhi, was made in "public interest".

Justifying Asthana's appointment, the Centre, in an affidavit, said: "Considering the complexities and the sensitivities involved and also considering that no officer of appropriate seniority with balanced experience, was available in the AGMUT Cadre, it was felt that an officer belonging to a large state cadre, who had the exposure of complexities of governance and who had the knowledge of nuances of broad canvas policing is given the charge of Commissioner of Police Delhi".

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Seoul, Oct 12 : A Seoul court on Tuesday sentenced a man to life imprisonment for brutally killing an online game mate he stalked and her family members, in a case that raised awareness about stalking crimes.

The Seoul Northern District Court delivered the sentence to Kim Tae-hyun, 25, indicted on five criminal charges, including murder, housebreaking and theft, reports Yonhap News Agency.

Kim was arrested at the victims' home on March 25, with self-inflicted injuries, two days after killing the three women there.

He had been stalking the eldest daughter, whom he met while playing online games last year.

As she cut communications with him, Kim disguised himself as a deliveryman to enter her home and killed the youngest daughter who was at home alone.

He waited for the other two to come home and stabbed them to death when they arrived, according to a previous police probe.

Prosecutors had sought the death penalty for Kim.
New Delhi, Oct 12 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tributes to Rajmata Vijaya Raje Scindia -- popularly known as the Rajmata of Gwalior -- on her birth anniversary on Tuesday.

"Tributes to Rajmata Vijaya Raje Scindia Ji on her Jayanti. Hers was a life totally dedicated to Jan Seva. She was bold and kind. If the BJP has emerged as a Party the people trust, it is because we had stalwarts like Rajmata Ji who worked among people and strengthened the Party", Modi said in a tweet.

Born in 1919, she was an active member of the Jana Sangh for many decades, and also the co-founder of Bharatiya Janata Party. As consort of the last ruling Maharaja of Gwalior, Jivajirao Scindia, she ranked among the highest royal figures of the region.

She believed and worked incessantly towards women empowerment and education of girls in the post-Independence era.

Vijaya Raje was initiated into electoral politics in 1957 when she contested and won the Guna Lok Sabha seat in Madhya Pradesh on a Congress ticket.

Later, she joined the Bharatiya Jan Sangh and resigned from the Lok Sabha to take part in state politics.

She entered into state politics after capturing the Karera Assembly seat in Madhya Pradesh as the Jan Sangh candidate in 1967.

She died on January 25, 2001.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Sharjah, Oct 12 : Kolkata Knight Riders' hero in the match-winning performance against Royal Challengers Bangalore, West Indian all-rounder Sunil Narine, has said that getting Virat Kohli's wicket and tying his side down had given him immense satisfaction.

Narine ran through the RCB batting line-up, snaring the wickets of the well-set Kohli, Glenn Maxwell, South African stalwart AB de Villiers and Srikar Bharat, as he returned figures of 4-0-21-4 to guide the two-time IPL champions to a four-wicket win on Monday.

"I enjoy all wickets, but getting Kohli and tying them (RCB) was my goal. It was a total team effort," said Narine during the post-match press conference, adding that, "Definitely (one of the greatest T20 performances). When you perform, and the team comes out winning." Narine played a stellar role with the bat as well when the chips were down, slamming a 15-ball 26, which included three consecutive sixes off Dan Christian in the 12th over, before he was clean bowled by Mohammed Siraj.

"I am prepared to be out first ball. Some days it comes off, some days it doesn't," the West Indian said of his quick-fire 26.

KKR skipper Eoin Morgan too praised Narine's batting effort, saying, "When it comes off (with our batting order), it looks quite deep. Narine is a cool customer and is very level-headed." On whether it will be an advantage to play in Sharjah against Delhi Capitals in Qualifier 2 on Wednesday, Morgan said, "For us, it is a matter of coming back and adjusting. We are looking forward to it."
New Delhi, Oct 12 : In the run up to the Glasgow climate talks (COP26) and the ongoing UN biodiversity summit, a new report on Tuesday blamed China, the world's biggest maker and user of coal, cement and steel, for climate change across the Tibetan Plateau, the world's 'third pole'.

It says climate change greatly impacts livelihoods, even though customary modes of production generate very little of the emissions that cause climate change.

However, China makes great use of Tibet to mitigate its climate impact by declaring huge watersheds to be national parks, thus offsetting ongoing and still rising emissions, and repairing reputational damage.

The report, by Tibetan Centre of Human Rights and Democracy, provides evidence that using the Tibetan Plateau to offset China's carbon footprints has not translated into eco-compensation for rural Tibetan landholders for their provisioning of ecosystem services.

China distorts the concept of payment for ecosystem services by dislocating Tibetan nomadic communities, and forcibly removing them off their lands, says the report by the NGO committed to advancing human rights and democracy.

China's eco-compensation policy raises questions of human rights and sustainable development, and of nature's contribution to humanity, with global impacts and consequences.

The Tibetan Plateau is close to two per cent of the planet's land surface, the size of Western Europe, and with as much global importance as other comparable geographies, perhaps more since the elevation of the Plateau has a global impact on jetstream, monsoon dynamics, and the water cycle of the entire northern hemisphere.

Tibetan nature's contribution to humanity is exceptionally big.

What China means by eco-compensation is at best vague, making little mention of local beneficiaries recompensed to stay on their lands and continue with practices conducive to biodiversity protection and delivery of ecosystem services, claims the report.

At worst, and commonly practiced, most transfer payments badged as eco-compensation never reach local communities, or are paid for nomads to relocate away from their lands, for their subsistence.

Biodiversity globally is highly endangered. The world expects effective action from the Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) before it is too late. Yet China's new system of national parks, mostly in Tibet, is not in the Tibetan areas of greatest biodiversity. The first part of the Conference of the Parties (COP) of the UN Convention on Biodiversity that convened online on Monday in Kunming in China should prioritise defining its Target 9 for 2020 through 2030, on the benefits for people through sustainable management.

Indigenous and traditional local communities with long records as sustainable land managers must be the primary beneficiaries, and legally defined recipients of eco-compensation, as CBD Article 8(j) has long insisted, says the report.

This is especially applicable to states which until very recently had little presence in remote landscapes such as the pasturelands of the Tibetan Plateau, and little interest in traditional knowledge, traditional management practices, and sacred land protection rituals.

In September this year, at a preliminary CBD session, delegates expressed strong support for all local communities living inside the protected areas to have guaranteed free, prior, and informed consent to any programs for large-scale protection of landscapes under Target 3. This should now be adopted as a binding CBD decision.

At the 26th UN climate change conference (COP26) in Glasgow to be held from October 31 to November 12, the world's core concern will be the great gap between China's rhetoric and its actual plans to build many more coal-fired power stations.

China's ongoing, unrelenting reliance on coal-fired electricity is the main driver of China's carbon trading scheme, which attempts to offset criticism by proclaiming emissions are offset by payments for ecosystem services that capture carbon in Tibet.

The displacement of Tibetans is thus of concern to the world, which needs to know that what is labelled eco-compensation actually reduces emissions and rewards those who provide ecosystem services, says the report.
Baghdad, Oct 12 : Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi has announced the arrest of Sami Jasim, a high-ranking member of the Islamic State (IS) who was also the Deputy of the terror group's late leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, in an operation outside the country.

The Iraqi Intelligence Service carried out a complex operation outside the country to arrest Jasim, who was in charge of IS financial affairs, the Prime Minister said in a social media post on Monday.

Al-Kadhimi did not provide further details about when and where exactly the operation took place.

A statement by the Iraqi Joint Operations Command said that Jasim was captured in an operation outside Iraq's borders without giving further details.

Jasim is close to a committee in charge of running the extremist group and to the group's current leader Abdullah Qaradash, according to a command statement.

The US had offered a $5 million reward for information leading to Jasim's capture.

The IS once controlled 88,000 sq km of territory stretching from eastern Iraq to western Syria and imposed its brutal rule on almost eight million people.

Despite the group's defeat on the battlefield in Iraq in 2017 and in Syria the following year, it is estimated that thousands of militants remain active in both countries.
Tehran, Oct 12 : Talks between Iran and Saudi Arabia will continue focusing on the issues of the Gulf and Yemen, the spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry said.

Contact between the two countries continues "without interruption" following four rounds of talks in Iraq's capital Baghdad and a meeting held in New York during the UN General Assembly in September, spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said at his weekly press conference in Tehran.

On the Yemeni situation, he said "the fate of Yemen will be determined by the Yemeni people and their will, and what we are doing is to facilitate dialogues".

Iran is convinced that relations between Tehran and Riyadh can be "one of the pillars of peace and stability" in southwestern Asia, Khatibzadeh added.

Iran and Saudi Arabia have not had formal diplomatic ties since 2016.

The two countries support opposing sides in several regional conflicts and have accused each other of involvement in a number of armed attacks inside each one's own territory during the past few years.

Iran's Foreign Ministry confirmed on May 10 that it had been holding talks with Saudi Arabia.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Mumbai, Oct 12 : Actor Aparshakti Khurana is back on radio for a storytelling series titled 'Ishq Mein Kabhi Kabhi'. He says it's a "ghar waapsi" for him as he back on radio after almost six years.

Aparshakti, the younger brother of actor Ayushmann Khurrana, is hosting a new storytelling series on 104.8 Ishq FM titled 'Ishq Mein Kabhi Kabhi', which is a two-month-long series and will feature 24 stories on radio and six digital episodes over the next two months.

Aparshakti said: "It's a 'ghar waapsi' for me as I am back on radio after almost 6 years, but jokes apart it's such a special feeling to enter the same studio again. I'm really looking forward to voice these stories for the radio listeners." The series will see the actor take listeners through a rollercoaster of emotions exploring heartbreaks, puppy love, eternal love and second chances, among others.

On the acting front, Aparshakti is gearing up for his next titled 'Hum Do Humare Do', which also stars Rajkummar Rao, Paresh Rawal, Kriti Sanon and Ratna Pathak Shah.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
New Delhi, Oct 12 : Targeting the student community navigating between home and school learning, PC and printer major HP on Tuesday launched its first AMD-powered HP Chromebook for Rs 32,999 in the India market.

Called 'HP Chromebook x360 14a', the touch-enabled convertible PC features a 14-inch screen size with narrow bezel. It also includes voice enabled Google Assistant, free Google One subscription for one year.

The machine houses 4GB RAM, equipped with 64 eMMC SSD storage along with 100GB free cloud storage (for one year) and 256 GB expandable micro-SD.

"With the HP Chromebook x360 14a, we are underscoring our efforts towards the student community. We will continue to stay committed to foster a vibrant, engaging, and inclusive learning ecosystem to ensure access to quality education for all," Ketan Patel, MD, HP India Market said in a statement.

Weighing just 1,495 kg, this device is available in Mineral Silver, Ceramic White, and Forrest Teal colours.

The device comes with a battery life of up to 12.5 hours (HD) and HP Fast Charge technology ensures a quicker turnaround by charging 50 per cent in just 45 minutes, according to the company.

It is powered by AMD Radeon Graphics which aims to deliver immersive multimedia, stutter-free video conferencing and enhanced gaming experiences.

"It is designed to meet the demands of multi-tasking students with powerful performance in a flexible form factor," said Vickram Bedi, Senior Director, Personal Systems, HP India Market.

For video calls, the laptop supports a wide-vision HD Camera and Wi-Fi5 as connectivity options.

The use of a versatile hinge design in the HP Chromebook x360 14a and its 14-inch HD touch display with 81 per cent screen-to-body ratio makes it the ideal choice for students in their learning and creative pursuits.

With this new addition, HP's Chromebook portfolio now includes 11-inch touchscreen HP Chromebook 11a at a starting price of Rs 24,999 and 14-inch touchscreen HP Chromebook 14a at a starting price of Rs 28,999.
New Delhi, Oct 12 : After spate of killings in Kashmir, the Congress has upped its ante and has cornered the government over the security issue in Kashmir and violence in Lakhimpur Kheri. Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal on Tuesday launched an attack on the government over Kashmir siuation.

"Prime Minister Modi: 'India has never seen such a decisive government...' Also India has never seen such a divisive government. Which statement is true, which one is far from the truth? You judge," said Sibal in a tweet.

Attacking the government on Kashmir issue, Sibal said, "Militancy continues in J&K, no end in sight. Our brave soldiers, officers martyred, innocent gutsy citizens (a chemist, a teacher) being targeted and killed." Sibal further said, "Modi ji, have you forgotten the promises you made or were those too 'jumlas' as the Home Minister might say!"

Five soldiers, including a junior commissioned officer (JCO) were killed on Monday in a gunfight with the terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district.

Earlier Sibal had questioned the silence of the Prime Minister on Lakhimpur Kheri horror. He had earlier tweeted, "Modi ji, why are you silent? We need just one word of sympathy from you. That should not be difficult! Had you been in opposition how would you have reacted? Please tell us." Four farmers were mowed down by an SUV in Lakhimpur Kheri when a group of farmers was protesting against three farm laws on October 3.
New Delhi : Guard of Honor Admiral Michael Gilday Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), US Navy at South Block New Delhi on Tuesday October 12, 2021 .( Photo: Anupam Gautam/IANS) Image Source: IANS News

New Delhi : Guard of Honor Admiral Michael Gilday Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), US Navy at South Block New Delhi on Tuesday October 12, 2021 .( Photo: Anupam Gautam/IANS) Image Source: IANS News

New Delhi, Oct 12 : The US Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Michael Gilday is on a five-day visit to India to strengthen military cooperation between the two countries.

Admiral Gilday, who landed in Delhi on Monday, will interact with Indian Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh and other senior government officials.

He is scheduled to visit Indian Navy's Western Naval Command at Mumbai) and Eastern Naval Command at Visakhapatnam wherein he would interact with the respective Commander-in-Chiefs. He is also scheduled to embark the US Navy Carrier Strike Group off the East Coast of India along with an Indian delegation.

India and the US have traditionally maintained close and friendly relations. The Defence relationship between the two countries has been one of mutual trust and confidence, which has transformed after the accord of major 'Defence Partner Status' to India in June 2016.

In addition, both countries have concluded certain foundational agreements, which includes the Defence Framework Agreement, signed in 2015, which lays a blueprint for collaboration between the defence establishments of both countries.

Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) was signed in 2016 and it is a foundational agreement facilitating reciprocal logistics support between the Armed Forces of both countries.

The Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA) was signed on September 6, 2018, that facilitates information-sharing between the Armed Forces of both nations and more recently, the Basic Exchange Cooperation Agreement (BECA), which enables sharing of geo-spatial information between the Ministry of Defence and National Geospatial Agency (NGA), US.

The Indian Navy closely cooperates with the US Navy on numerous issues, which include operational interactions such as the MALABAR and RIMPAC series of exercises, training exchanges, exchange of White Shipping Information and Subject Matter Experts in various fields, all of which are coordinated through the medium of Executive Steering Group (ESG) meetings conducted annually.

In addition, warships from both Navies regularly make port calls at each other's ports. Both Navies have also been cooperating towards exploring new avenues for collaboration with the shared aim of a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific.
Chennai, Oct 12 : Special teams of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) are conducting raids in several parts of Tamil Nadu. Sources in the premier investigating agency revealed that the raids in the state are part of the All India raids. Sleuths of the NIA are also conducting raids in the Southern states of Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

The NIA in a press statement said its team was conducting raids at 20 locations across Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu in the Edakkara Maoist case (RC-2/2021/NIA/KOC). This was pertaining to the conspiracy by the members of the CPI (Maoist), a proscribed terror organisation conducting training camps, arms training, flag hoisting, and celebrations on the formation day of the CPI(Maoist) during September 2016 in the Edakkara area of Nilambur forests in Kerala.

In Tamil Nadu, raids are being held at Krishnagiri, Coimbatore, Theni, Sivaganga, and Salem districts, sources said. The raids are simultaneously being conducted in Kerala and Karnataka also. A Maoist leader, who was recently picked up by the police in Kerala has received inputs that a well-entrenched network of Maoists is in place in the tri-junction of Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu forest areas.

The combing conducted in Nilgiris, Coimbatore, Erode, Dindigul, and Theni districts by the Tamil Nadu Q branch police have, according to sources, thwarted the design of the Maoists trying to establish a Western Zone command to spread its ideology, but the training modules of the dreaded organization is in place.

On Monday, the NIA prosecutor in the Vizhinjam Sri Lankan boat case informed the Kerala High Court that its investigating officer was in Tamil Nadu. It may be noted that in March 2021 a Sri Lankan boat was seized in the Arabian Sea with 300 kg of heroin and 5 AK 47 assault vehicles. An LTTE operative Satkunam alias Sabesan was arrested from his residence at Valsaravakkam in Chennai on October 5.

Sources said that the NIA would also be conducting some searches regarding the arrest of the LTTE former operative.
London, Oct 12 : At least 750 sexual misconduct accusations were made against serving police officers across the UK between the year 2016 and 2020, new data has revealed.

According to figures obtained by PA Media's Radar service from 31 police forces, most complaints, where gender was recorded, were against male police officers, reports Xinhua news agency.

A spokesperson said: "Each case reported represents a serious betrayal of the trust and confidence that individuals should have in the police. It is behaviour which can never be justified or condoned." Of the total number logged by forces over the last five years, at least 34 resulted in dismissals.

The allegations could be historical, and the responses did not indicate whether any of the officers were on duty at the time, according to the BBC.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct, which oversees the police complaints system, said it was down to forces to "stamp out" any abuse of police powers.

The latest figures came after Home Secretary Priti Patel announced that an inquiry will be launched into "systemic failures" that allowed Wayne Couzens, a Metropolitan Police officer, to remain on his post after kidnapping, raping and murdering a 33-year-old woman.

Couzens, 48, was given a whole-life sentence last month for the killing of Sarah Everard under the guise of an arrest.
New Delhi, Oct 12 : The Special Cell of Delhi Police has arrested a suspected Pakistani terrorist, who was planning to carry out a terror attack during the festival season in the national capital, an official said here on Tuesday.

The suspected terrorist was arrested from the Laxmi Nagar area of the national capital.

According to the official, the suspected Pakistani national, who had obtained fake Indian identity cards through forged documents, has been identified as Mohd Ashraf alias Ali, a resident of Punjab province in Pakistan.

The arrested accused was living as an Indian national by the name of Ali Ahmed Noori, a resident of Shastri Nagar in the national capital.

"At the time of his arrest, the police recovered an AK 47 rifle along with several other arms and ammunition," Deputy Commissioner of Police, Special Cell, Pramod Kushwaha said.

Apart from AK 47 rifle, two magazines with 60 rounds, one hand grenade, and two pistols with 50 rounds of cartridges were also recovered from his possession.

The suspect has been arrested under relevant sections of the UAPA Act, Explosives Act, and Arms Act, the official said.

Notably, the cops in the national capital were already on high alert due to the festival season. "During the festive season, there is a high footfall of people in the markets, temples, and commercial places. This rush of people can be used by anti-national elements having nefarious designs to carry out terror attacks in such places," a top official had told IANS, recently.

Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana had also taken a crime review meeting on Saturday with senior officials and issued directions to enhance their vigil during these days.

In the crime review meeting of the Delhi police chief, it was also discussed how to prevent terrorists or anti-national elements from taking the help of local gangsters.

A senior police official told IANS they had already made strict security arrangements keeping in view the ongoing countrywide celebrations.

Pertinently, this major arrest comes nearly a month after the Special Cell, on September 14, busted a Pakistan-based terror module and arrested seven suspected terrorists, including two people who were trained by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

The ISI had trained the two terrorists to blow bridges and railway tracks in order to cause mass casualties in India.

The arrested terrorists were planning to carry out terror attacks in the country during this festival season. All the suspects are currently in police custody.
Srinagar, Oct 12 : One terrorist was killed in an ongoing encounter between the terrorists and security forces in the Feeripora area of South Kashmir's Shopian district on Tuesday, officials said.

"One unidentified terrorist killed. Operation going on," police said.

Earlier, the gunfight broke out after a joint team of the police and the Army cordoned off the area and launched a search operation on the basis of specific information about the presence of terrorists. As the security forces zeroed in on the spot where the terrorists were hiding they came under a heavy volume of fire that triggered the encounter.

This is the second gunfight in Shopian in less than 24 hours.

Earlier, on Tuesday three Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists were killed in an encounter between the terrorists and security forces at Tulran Imamsahab area in Shopian. Terrorist responsible for the killing of a street hawker Virendra Paswan of Bihar was among the three LeT men gunned down.
Mumbai, Oct 12 : The survival skills-based reality show 'Into The Wild with Bear Grylls' is back this year with another celebrity - Bollywood actor Ajay Devgn.

The show last year featured personalities like superstar Rajnikanth and Akshay Kumar. Now Ajay Devgn can be seen experiencing an adventurous journey in the Indian Ocean, dominated by sharks and facing unfavourable weather conditions, eventually moving towards uninhabited islands around the Indian Ocean.

Ajay Devgn opens up on his shooting experience of this real-life adventure to survive in the most desolate islands of the Indian Ocean.

"This is my first ever expedition 'into the wild' and I can tell you it wasn't child's play! My father was an action director and in my career span of 30 years in the Indian industry, I have had the fortune to play several roles including some dangerous action ones too. And, this was one of those times when I had to put those learnings to the test again. I'm so glad this opportunity came my way, it helped me explore and go beyond my comfort zone.

"A special salute to Bear who has been inspiring millions to explore and develop a much-needed relationship with nature, and of course for keeping me safe in the wild. From hungry jungles to the depths of the ocean, Bear knows it all!" shares Ajay Devgn on his shooting experience.

The first look of this show was revealed in Tuesday in which the adventure specialist Bear Grylls who has hosted multiple distinguished personalities is seen engaging in a candid conversation with Ajay on his family, career, and life in the new season.

Bear Grylls has become known as one of the most recognised faces of survival and outdoor adventure. His journey to this acclaim started on a small island off the UK coast where his late father taught him to climb and sail. Trained from a young age in martial arts, Grylls spent three years as a soldier in the British Special Forces as part of the 21st SAS Regiment.

He says on his association with Ajay Devgn for this show and his journey with him: "To get to take the legendary Ajay into the wild and have an adventure with him was a privilege. Desert islands are always tough to survive on and Ajay showed total commitment to do what we needed to get out in one piece. He was also incredibly honest, sharing so many insights into his life and career and I value that honesty so much. One thing that I've learnt about Ajay is he is a quietly spoken man, but he is a man with great love and strength in his heart." 'Into The Wild' will be available in 7 languages including English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Bangla, Malayalam and Kannada. The episode will premiere on discovery+ India and Philippines on October 22. The broadcast premiere of the show is scheduled at 8 p.m. on October 25 on Discovery Channel and others.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Gaza, Oct 12 : Hazem Qassem, the spokesman of the Islamic Hamas Movement, said that the families of the Israeli captives "will not see their children unless the Israeli government responds to the terms of Palestinian resistance", in a bid for a prisoner swap deal.

"The dodging of the Israeli government in the prisoners' exchange issue will not work," Xinhua news agency quoted Qassem as saying in a statement.

Qassem also demanded Israel stop its punitive measures against the Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails and release the corpses of Palestinian militants buried in military graveyards for talks on a new exchange deal.

In 2017, Hamas announced that it held four Israelis, without revealing whether they are dead or alive.

Qassem's remarks coincided with the talks launched last week in Egypt's capital Cairo between a senior Hamas delegation, headed by Hamas' chief Ismail Haniyeh, and senior Egyptian security intelligence officials, on a possible prisoner swap deal between Hamas and Israel.

In 2011, Egypt brokered a prisoners' exchange deal between Israel and Hamas, where the latter freed the Israeli corporal Gilad Shalit, while the Jewish state released more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners.
New Delhi, Oct 12 : Since the news of the Lakhimpur Kheri violence broke out, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma has been maintaining silence on questions related to the incident.

Speaking to the media on Monday, when Sharma was asked by IANS to comment on the impact of the violence in Lakhimpur Kheri, he left without answering.

Ever since Union MoS Ajay Mishra's son, Ashish Mishra, has been arrested in connection with the violence that erupted in Lakhimpur Kheri on October 3, most BJP leaders have been dodging questions related to the incident.

However, Sharma, while speaking to IANS, answered questions on other issues, such as the Vidhan Sabha elections, Priyanka Gandhi's frequent campaigns and Akhilesh Yadav's Parivartan Yatra.

Talking about Priyanka Gandhi's frequent visits to UP, he said, "Everyone has the right to campaign but some people leave their houses only after every 4-5 years." While talking about the Vijay Rath Yatra of Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Dinesh Sharma said, "It will have no effect on the BJP. The opposition parties can keep fighting forever." Talking about the achievements of the UP government, he told IANS, The Yogi Adityanath government has made incredible progress and brought real development in the state unlike the previous government. And this has happened only because unlike other parties, our party actually believes in development.

At the press conference, Dinesh Sharma also promised to break the 2017 record and win more seats in the 2022 UP elections.
Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 12 : Many expected that the final list of the 51-member Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee would be out on Sunday, but nothing happened and the wait is going to continue and as usual the delay is because, things are not falling in place with the respective factions holding on to their point of view.

New state party president K. Sudhakaran and Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan who have the blessings of the party high command, thought they could put out the list on Sunday and it was after that both returned from Delhi, but it did not happen.

According to a source, when a few disgruntled leaders left to join the CPI-M, after the party high command last month announced 14 new district party presidents, it appears they are cautious after several of the top brass which include Oommen Chandy, Ramesh Chennithala, V.M. Sudheeran and M.M. Hassan expressing their displeasure that they are not taken into confidence, the list of the new KPCC office bearers continues to hang fire.

Meanwhile reports have surfaced, while Sudhakaran and Satheesan are determined not to have a jumbo committee like in the past by limiting the list to 51, the Chandy-Chennithala combine however want it to be expanded so as to accommodate their close aides.

For the past many years the committee consists of around 100 members.

Even though the villain to this, according to those in the camp of Chandy and Chennithala, is none other than AICC general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal, who was a cabinet minister in the Chandy government in 2004-06, said, that it's only natural anyone would put the blame on him.

"I have done nothing in this list and it's only natural my name keeps coming up time and again because of the post I hold," said Venugopal.

Meanwhile Sudhakaran told the media that things are going on in the right direction and the list will be ready shortly.

Incidentally the problem today is while a section of the leadership even though batting for some basic norms of leaving out people who have been holding posts for a long time, they want to tweak it to accommodate a few women leaders and it's here there is a difference of opinion.

"Some corners have to be cut and it's here that the top leaders are not able to come on the same page. Sudhakaran is adamant that he will not be able to accept a jumbo committee because, ever since he has taken over, he has been saying there will be a small committee. The high command even though is with the new leadership, they however do not wish to see any party leaders leaving the party at this juncture. So more discussions are needed to come to a consensus and it's going to be doubtful, if a 51 member committee can assume office, if it's likely to go up," said a media critic on condition of anonymity.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Tel Aviv, Oct 12 : Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid has urged the Palestinians and other Arab nations to forge peace agreements with the Jewish state.

Lapid called more Arab countries to join the US-brokered deals signed in September 2020, in which the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain agreed to normalise ties with Israel, reports Xinhua news agency.

Morocco, Sudan and Oman later signed similar deals.

"I'm calling the Palestinians and the citizens of any Arab nation -- we come in peace," Lapid said, adding that more normalisation deals would "bring prosperity, jobs, a culture of progress and success" to the peoples of the Middle East.

The remarks were made during an inaugural meeting of a Knesset (Parliament) panel dedicated to the promotion of the deals.

The panel is aimed at strengthening economic and tourism ties with Israel's newly allied Arab states, according to a statement issued by the panel.

Defence Minister Benny Gantz said that Israel has been working to sign normalisation deals with additional Arab countries.

Speaker of the Knesset Mickey Levy said during the ceremony that "historic" new inter-parliamentary friendship groups have been recently established between Israel, the UAE, Bahrain and Morocco.

"Our goal as lawmakers is to ensure that peace will endure not only among our governments but also among peoples," Levy said.
New Delhi, Oct 12 : India is all set to touch the target of 100-crore vaccine doses on October 14 and the government has started preparing for a 'mega event', a top Health Ministry source said.

The source told IANS that the target of 100 crore vaccine doses will be achieved on October 14 and the feat will be celebrated as India's triumph over Covid 'evil spirit' much like the 'Vijayadashami' festival, which signifies the victory of good over evil.

"The day will be celebrated as the victory of India over the evil spirit of Covid," the source said. The government is pushing its boundaries to achieve the target of 100 crore doses by that day, he added.

The Health Ministry has planned to celebrate this in a grand manner on 'Vijayadashami' to symbolically register the victory over Covid. All the concerned departments have been instructed to be prepared in advance to disseminate the achievement via media to make people aware about it. The mega celebration will involve frontline workers, healthcare staff and Covid warriors, who died of the infection playing a pivotal role in achieving the target of 100 crore doses.

The world's largest vaccination drive against Covid-19 is being conducted in India, "and it will be a special occasion to celebrate when we complete administering 100 crore doses of vaccines", said the source.

"It is most likely that Prime Minister Narendra Modi may address the nation after the country achieves the remarkable feat of 100 crore doses," the source further said, adding that the Prime Minister may also make an announcement for the Covid warriors, who died while fighting the pandemic and saving lives.

So far, India has administered 1,03,75,424 first dose of vaccines and 90,36,583 second doses of vaccines to the Healthcare workers. The frontline workers have received 1,83,59,259 first dose and 1,53,98,857 second dose vaccines till Tuesday morning.

In the age group of 18-44 years, the first doses have been given to 38,68,20,261 people and 10,40,73,546 have got both doses.

In the age group 45-59 years, the first doses have been administered to 16,61,56,424 and 8,38,76,362 have got their second dose as well.

For the elderly people over 60 years, 10,48,69,202 vaccines have been administered as the first dose and 6,00,12,131 vaccines as the second dose, as per the data shared by the Health Ministry till Tuesday morning.

Till Tuesday morning, India has administered over 95.89 crore doses of the Covid-19 vaccine with 68.86 lakh being inoculated during the past 24 hours.

Till now, six states and union territories have completed administering at least the first dose to all 18 plus population that includes -- Lakshadweep, Chandigarh, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, and Sikkim. Total 12 states and union territories have administered the first dose to at least over 80 per cent of the adult population as per the latest data shared by the health ministry.

Meanwhile, India continues to show the declining trends in the daily trajectory of Covid caseloads.

India on Tuesday reported 14,313 fresh Covid cases in the last 24 hours, lowest recorded cases in the 224 days. Total 181 deaths have also been reported in the same time span, pushing the death toll to 4,50,963, the Union Health Ministry said.

The active caseload is presently 2,14,900, which is the lowest in 212 days. The active Covid cases presently constitute 0.63 per cent of the country's total positive cases.

The weekly positivity rate at 1.48 per cent remains less than 3 per cent for the last 109 days now. The daily positivity rate has remained below 3 per cent for the last 43 days and below 5 per cent for 126 consecutive days now, as per the data from the health ministry.

With only three days left and to achieve the momentous feat, India will now speed up the action to administer the remaining doses of the vaccine (Avinash Prabhakar can be reached at avinash.p@ians.in)

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed
Doha/Kabul, Oct 12 : The Taliban-led government in Afghanistan has "opened a new chapter" in relations with the international community by sending a message of good ties to the world, said Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi.

He made the remarks while addressing an event on Monday organised by the Centre for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, TOLO News reported.

"Afghanistan has sent the message of positive relationship with the whole world. We do not want to interfere in any country's internal affairs, and we expect the same from other countries to not interfere in our internal affairs," he said.

The Acting Foreign Minister is part of an Afghan Taliban delegation which carried out a two-day meeting with US officials over the weekend in the Qatari capital.

In his address, Muttaqi further said that the full implementation of the US-Taliban 2020 Doha agreement can address any problem between the two countries, adding that the Taliban wants a political system in Afghanistan that can respond to domestic needs.

"What we want in Afghanistan is a political structure as such that responds to our country's needs and at the same time is able to fulfil its responsibility at the international level," TOLO News quoted the Minister as saying.

When asked about reforms, women's education and their right to work, Muttaqi said the world should not put pressure the Taliban and instead, it should cooperate in bringing reforms.

"You should not seek your demands through putting pressure on us. Ask us through cooperation... The previous government had strong international support. Now you are asking for all the reforms in two months.

"Schools for boys and girls were closed before us because of Covivd. When Kabul fell to our hands, all schools were closed already. Schools in provinces were closed already. We have started reopening the schools," Muttaqi said.

The Minister also claimed that under the new Taliban government, the Covid-19 situation in the country has been controlled "very well", surprising doctors, TOLO News reported.

In his concluding remarks, Muttaqi said that the Taliban wanted to enter Kabul through negotiations, "but the fact the formerpresident and the security organs fled, Kabul faced the gap of power, there was a vacuum, so we were asked to enter Kabul and ensure the security of the city".
New Delhi, Oct 12 : Without referring to any incident, Prime Minister Narendra warned that a selective view of human rights violation through a political lens is dangerous for democracy and will affect the country as a few have modified the definition of human rights as per their own convenience.

Prime Minister Modi was addressing the 28th National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) foundation day programme on Tuesday through video conferencing.

He said India always upheld human rights, saying his government has provided new rights to Muslim women who were demanding laws against Triple Talaq and freed them from the compulsion of 'Mahram' and as a chaperone, a male family member accompanying them during haj.

Stressing on empowerment of women, he said India is providing paid maternity leave of 26 weeks to career women, aiming to protect the basic rights of newborn children.

Highlighting the strict law and order, Modi said his government has established 650 fast track courts and introduced death penalty for the heinous offence of rape.

The fare gender can get all in one facility for temporary accommodation, counselling and medical help etc. "By amending the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, our government has paved way for safer and legal abortion option," he added.

Modi said that his government has always thought of the last person in the queue and strived hard to ensure that no one, not even those who are unaware of their basic human rights are left out.

"This is why we came up with schemes like Jan-Dhan Yojna, Ujjwala Yojna and Swacch Bharat Abhiyan. These schemes and campaigns have dignified the lives of those who had never dreamt of having their own bank accounts and owning a debit card or thought of getting a gas cylinder at their doorsteps. Similarly, people are no longer forced to defecate in open and under 'Saubhagya' scheme we have ensured that every household gets electricity," the prime minister said.

Modi also emphasised the steps taken by his government for the upliftment of specially-abled, saying, "Nationwide, thousands of institutes, public spaces, including buses and railways, 700 websites and even currencies have been made differently-abled friendly." "For the transgender community, Transgender Persons' Protection of Rights Act has been introduced," he pointed out, adding that all these steps will help eradicate injustice from the country.

PM Modi further added that the NDA government has been seriously working towards the development of Jammu and Kashmir and northeastern states as well, reiterating the point that his government is considerate of human rights and is working in the best interest of every section of the Indian society.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Mumbai, Oct 12 : Actress Mithila Palkar has talked about her pure bond of friendship with her 'Little Things' co-actor Dhruv Sehgal. She says she has an amazing friendship off-screen with him that translates onto the screen.

Mithila said: "I always laugh when I get this question, people always assume we're together or have been together in the past, and that's not true. The reason we're able to portray that so well on-screen is because Dhruv and I have an amazing friendship off-screen." Directed by Ruchir Arun and Pranjal Dua, the series' fourth and final season is set to drop. 'Little Things' is a celebration of all the subtle things, the adulthood, the maturity and above all the little moments that truly make a relationship beautiful.

Talking more about her co-actor, she added: "We love to goof around and irritate each other and laugh a lot, and that's a lot of what Dhruv and Kavya do as well. We've built a really strong bond over the years and have found our own explosive chemistry through playing Dhruv and Kavya and I'm so glad people love this relationship just as much as we do!" Season 4 celebrates Dhruv and Kavya's individuality and relationship as they grow together amidst their highs and lows. While they make the tricky transition from young love to a mature relationship, audiences will witness Dhruv and Kavya navigate questions around commitment, health, their ambitions and family.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Chennai, Oct 12 : The Tamil Nadu police are conducting searches at several migrant camps in Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu areas, and in some parts of Chennai after a migrant worker from Jharkhand, who snatched a chain from a woman and fired at the police during a chase, was shot dead.

Murthuzha's accomplice, Naim Akhtar (29) also from Jharkhand, was arrested. Both were working in a factory in Sriperumbudur in the Kancheepuram district for the past one year.

The duo had snatched a gold chain from a woman, Indrani on Sunday and had opened fire at those who chased them. Police located the duo at Padur near Sriperumbudur. During the ensuing chase on Monday, Murtaza attacked the police with a machete in which a head constable was injured.

Inspector of Sriperumbudur station, Krishnakumar opened fired at Murtaza and shot him dead. Naim was caught and remanded in judicial custody.

The duo is suspected to be involved in the murder of a Tasmac liquor shop employee, Thulasidas who was found dead at the shop at Oragundum, Chennai on October 4.

Another employee, Ramu was injured and a bullet was removed from his body.

DIG of Police Sathyapriya told the media that the Inspector did not have any other option but to shoot him. She said that on inspection, the gun in possession of Murtaza was found to be without a license and was made in Jharkhand.

The police intelligence wing is conducting searches at several places in Chennai, Kancheepuram, and Chengalpattu to unearth whether there are more weapons including firearms in the possession of these migrant labourers.

Intelligence sleuths have given inputs about the presence of Bangladesh nationals amongst the migrant labourers in the guise of labourers from West Bengal.
Chennai, Oct 12 : A five-day week, handsome salary with provident fund, gratuity, medical benefits, qualification allowances - even for the basic educational qualification for which a person is hired -- capping it all is leave travel concession (LTC) post retirement! In addition, provision of treadmills and inverters at home for a select few, said a senior IRDAI official to IANS.

Certainly, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) is one of the best places to work where the employees' fancy needs are underwritten at the cost of policyholders/taxpayers.

The IRDAI has come out with a circular allowing employees to avail LTC facility within one year of their retirement if they had not availed the same during the last block period.

This at a time when the Covid-19 was at its peak when many taxpayers had lost their jobs, suffered pay cuts and people were also asking the insurers and IRDAI a small leeway in payment of premium.

"Our employee benefit schemes are largely patterned like that of SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India). To the best of my knowledge, SEBI does not have the post retirement LTC benefit," a senior IRDAI official told IANS.

"In the banking sector such a facility is not there for the employees. The LTC facility ceases once an employee retires. Perhaps we can raise a similar demand during our next wage negotiations," C.H. Venkatachalam, General Secretary, All India Bank Employees' Association (AIBEA) told IANS.

Another interesting perks in IRDAI is the qualification allowance which is offered to those who were hired specifically to have those professional qualifications.

Earlier, Member (Actuary) was offered a qualification allowance of whopping Rs 65,000/month, said an official.

"Curiously a Member (Actuary) is hired for possessing such professional qualifications. Later this allowance for the Member (Actuary) was scrapped. However, there are several actuaries in IRDAI who are posted in non-actuarial positions but drawing handsome allowances. This shows poor staff planning," another senior IRDAI official told IANS.

But most curious is the allegation against some senior IRDAI officials about their acquiring full time law degree from Osmania University while attending office and without taking official permission.

A series of questions have been sent to several authorities like IRDAI, Osmania University and others under the Right to Information (RTI) Act by interested parties.

Replying to the RTI queries on the law degree issue, the IRDAI has said that it has no record of some of its officials having a law degree.

According to IRDAI there is no specific penalty prescribed for staff pursuing full time courses without prior permission.

Officials of IRDAI said there can be no smoke without fire.
Wellington, Oct 12 : The number of people crossing New Zealand's border dropped in August due to the pause of quarantine-free travel with Australia and the Cook Islands, the statistics department Stats NZ said on Tuesday.

There were 41,300 border crossings in August, made up of 18,800 arrivals and 22,500 departures. The total number of border crossings was well down compared with the previous three months when they averaged 171,000 each month, Xinhua news agency quoted Stats NZ as saying.

The drop in border crossings reflects the suspension of two-way quarantine-free travel with Australia, and one-way quarantine-free travel from New Zealand to the Cook Islands during August, population indicators manager Tehseen Islam said in a statement.

Provisional data for September shows a further decrease in the number of border crossings, Islam said, adding border crossings include all arrivals and departures, either for short-term trips or longer-term migration by people living overseas or in New Zealand.

The Cook Islands was the main destination for New Zealand-resident travellers, with 8,500 arriving back in August. Of these, 92 percent returned from a holiday, statistics show.

In total, 13,400 New Zealand-resident travellers arrived rom an overseas trip in August. This was down 23,100 from July, but up 10,100 from August 2020, Islam said.

Of all New Zealand-resident travelers who stated a main destination on their return, 68 per cent returned from the Cook Islands, followed by Australia (8 per cent) and Japan (4 per cent), he said.

"Arrivals included athletes and officials of the New Zealand team returning from the Tokyo Olympic Games," Islam said.

There were just 2,700 overseas visitor arrivals in August 2021, down 27,500 from July, he said, adding of overseas visitor arrivals who specified their country of residence, 13 per cent arrived from the Cook Islands, followed by Britain (11 per cent) and Australia (11 per cent).

"This is the first time the Cook Islands has been the main source of visitor arrivals," Islam said, adding overseas visitors can include New Zealand citizens, seasonal workers, and essential workers, among others.

Net migration was provisionally estimated at 2,400 in the year ended August 2021 compared with 72,500 in the year ended August 2020, a drop of 70,100, statistics show.

There was a net migration gain of 12,200 New Zealand citizens and a net migration loss of 9,800 non-New Zealand citizens in the year ended August 2021, Islam said.
Patna, Oct 12 : Four teenaged girls drowned in a river while bathing in Bihar's Nalanda district on Tuesday.

The quartet hailed from Kajichak under Sarmera police station.

The deceased were identified as Sonam Kumari, Rakhi Kumari, Sharda Kumari and Sita Kumari.

Vivek Raj, the SHO of Sarmera police station, said that the girls went to Panchane river for bathing, but met a watery grave.

"As soon as we got information about the mishap, we reached the place. The bodies were fished out with the help of villagers," he said.

On Monday, four boys aged 15 to 18 years went to the Ganga river for bathing, where three of them drowned.

Officials believe that rampant sand mining is the reason for the uneven surface especially on the bank of a river which may lead to a person slipping and drowning.
Houston, Oct 12 : Texas Greg Abbott has issued an executive order banning Covid-19 vaccination mandates for employees or customers, including private businesses, across the second largest US state.

"The Covid-19 vaccine is safe, effective, and our best defense against the virus, but should remain voluntary and never forced," Xinhua news agency reported on Tuesday citing the Republican Governor as saying.

According to the order, no entity in Texas can enforce vaccination against anyone who objects "for any reason of personal conscience, based on a religious belief, or for medical reasons, including prior recovery from Covid-19", said the statement.

Abbott also called on the Texas legislature to pass a law with the same effect.

The move came after President Joe Biden last month announced a federal vaccine mandate requiring companies with 100 or more employees to ensure that their workforces are vaccinated or regularly tested.

"In yet another instance of federal government overreach, the Biden administration is now bullying many private entities into imposing Covid-19 vaccine mandates, causing workforce disruptions that threaten Texas' continued recovery from the Covid-19 disaster," Abbott said in his order.

The Governor issued executive orders over the summer banning local governments and school districts from requiring either masks or vaccines, and stipulated a $1,000 fine for those who fail to comply.

School districts in San Antonio and Dallas, however, have challenged the order in court, local media reported.

About 52 per cent of Texans, including the Governor, are fully vaccinated, according to a report from The Texas Tribune.
Seoul, Oct 12 : North Korea on Tuesday stressed its "invariable" friendship with Russia as they celebrated the 73rd anniversary of establishing ties, vowing to further enhance their cooperation against an "adverse environment".

Referring to the first meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin in April 2019, the North's Foreign Ministry said "an unwavering advance" in bilateral relations was "reaffirmed" and the "long-standing" relations will "invariably be strengthened and developed", reports Yonhap News Agency.

North Korea established diplomatic ties with Russia, then the Soviet Union, on October 12, 1948 -- the first diplomatic relations for Pyongyang.

Kim "is always paying deep attention to the development of the North Korea-Russia relations and is opening up a new development in the bilateral relations as required by the new era," the Ministry said in a statement released on its website.

"Even in the face of adverse environment caused by the global pandemic and the vicissitudes of international situation, the DPRK and the Russian Federation are ... continuously strengthening strategic cooperation with regard to the issue of bilateral relations and other international issues." DPRK stands for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Jammu, Oct 12 : Jammu and Kashmir Police said on Tuesday that it has arrested a youth in connection with the recovery of one AK-47 rifle, a night vision device and three magazines allegedly dropped by a drone in Phallian Mandal of Jammu district on October 2.

He has been identified as Irfan Ahmad Bhat, a resident of Verinag Anantnag in Kashmir.

The police said, "He has confessed that he is in touch with handlers across and is associated with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

"He had come here to receive consignment (which already stands seized by Police, i.e one AK series rifle, 3 magazines, 30 rounds, and one Optical sight)," police said.

"An FIR in the drone dropped weapons case is already registered with Satwari police station in Jammu district," police added.

In the past, there have been several instances of weapon dropping by drones from Pakistan near the International Border in Jammu for terrorists operating in the union territory.

Several weapon caches have been recovered over the last few months foiling the designs of terrorists and their handlers across the border.
Kolkata, Oct 12 : A fire broke out on the panel of the mobile towers on the roof of the 14th floor of the West Bengal secretariat in Nabanna in Kolkata on Tuesday noon. Firefighters and police rushed to the spot and the brought the fire under control within half-an-hour.

Though Nabanna sources said that the fire was not a major one, chief secretary H.K. Dwivedi ordered a fire audit of the whole building.

Around 1 p.m. in the afternoon some police personnel on duty in Nabanna noticed smoke from the roof of the building. Fire brigade was immediately summoned and three fire engines were rushed to the spot. According to the fire officers present on the spot, the fire was on the electrical panel of the mobile towers placed on the top of the building.

"It is yet to be ascertained the exact reason behind the fire but apparently it seems to be a result of short-circuit".

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who has her office on the fourteenth floor of the building was not present on Tuesday, "The Nabanna is closed because of Durga Puja and the chief minister and other senior officials were not present today," an official said.

However, chief secretary H.K. Dwivedi ordered for a fire audit immediately and the fire department has been asked to complete the audit before the opening of Nabanna on 21st of this month. PWD secretary Naveen Prakash and DG Fire Jag Mohan have been given the responsibility of conducting the audit immediately. A high level enquiry has also been ordered.

Latest updates on Navratri Festival 2021
New Delhi, Oct 12 : Google's free email service Gmail went down in some parts of India on Tuesday afternoon as users were unable to send or receive emails.

According to outage tracking portal Down Detector, 73 per cent users reported that they were facing issues in website, 14 per cent reported server connection and 12 per cent mentioned about login issue in the country.

The Gmail outage issue was later fixed.

Some users went to social media platforms like Twitter to complain they were unable to access Gmail.

"I am not able to send or receive mails, is Gmail down?" one user said.

Another user posted on Twitter: "Sending or receiving mails is being difficult for the past hour".

"I guess, again Gmail is not working, or I'm the only user who is facing issue," a user posted.

Earlier in June, several users complained about an outage that affected Google as well as its services including Gmail.

In December last year, Google services, including Gmail, YouTube and Google search, went down for millions of users across the world.
Chennai, Oct 12 : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Tuesday requested the Central government to set up multi-modal logistics parks in the state's Tuticorin and Coimbatore.

He also requested the extension of the Bengaluru-Chennai Expressway till Chennai International Airport from Irrungattukottai near here.

In his remarks at the MoU signing function for the setting up of multi-modal logistics park in Tiruvallur district near here, Stalin said that the state government will render all necessary support for setting up of multi-modal logistics park in Tuticorin and Coimbatore.

He also said the state government will develop a plan to reduce the logistics cost of goods transport.

"TIDCO (Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation Ltd) has appointed a consultant for this purpose. The state will come out with its plan soon," Stalin said.

The Rs 1,200 crore multi-modal park will be set up jointly by TIDCO, the Chennai Port Trust, and the National Highways Logistics Management Ltd (NHLM) in public-private-partnership mode.

The MoU was signed in the virtual presence of Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, Ports, Shipping and Waterways Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, and Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways, Gen V.K. Singh (retd).
Hyderabad, Oct 12 : Telugu's biggest OTT platform Aha will have Nandamuri Balakrishna hosting a talk show. Everything is set for the 'Akhanda' hero to host a celebrity talk show titled 'Unstoppable'.

Also, the makers of the show seem to have shot for an exciting promo with Balakrishna, which would be unveiled for Dussehra. The first episode of the much-awaited talk show would feature Balakrishna's co-star Manchu Mohan Babu and his children - Manchu Vishnu, Manchu Lakshmi, and Manchu Manoj.

The producer Allu Aravind has made plans for an exclusive episode, in which Balakrishna would have a chit-chat with Telugu megastar Chiranjeevi. Also, if everything goes well, Chiranjeevi's son Ram Charan is to appear on the show as well. This would be the biggest collaboration, as both Chiranjeevi and Balakrishna have a huge following and their fan bases would love to watch the stars chit-chat on television.

It is the first time that Balakrishna has turned a host on any show of this kind. So, the expectations are rife. Apart from this talk show, Balakrishna is playing the lead role in the action-filled romantic drama 'Akhanda', which is directed by Boyapati Srinu. Balakrishna's upcoming projects also include a movie with 'Krack' fame Gopi Chand Mallineni.

Chiranjeevi, on the other hand, is prepping up for his upcoming movie 'Acharya' to hit the screens during Sankranthi 2022. His son Ram Charan shares the screen with Chiranjeevi in the Koratala Siva directorial 'Acharya'.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Hyderabad, Oct 12 : Vaccine maker Bharat Biotech on Tuesday said that it is awaiting further regulatory approval from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) for its Covid-19 vaccine Covaxin for the 2-18 years age group.

The Hyderabad-based company submitted data from clinical trials of the vaccine in the 2-18 years age group to CDSCO.

The data has been thoroughly reviewed by the CDSCO and Subject Experts Committee (SEC) and have given their positive recommendations, the company said.

According to the form, this represents one of the first approvals worldwide for Covid-19 vaccines for the 2-18 age group.

"Bharat Biotech sincerely thank the DCGI, Subject Experts Committee, and CDSCO for their expedited review process. We now await further regulatory approvals from the CDSCO prior to product launch and market availability of Covaxin for children," it said.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
New Delhi, Oct 12 : The Centre on Tuesday allowed airlines to deploy full pre-Covid flight capacity on the domestic sector from October 18.

The capacity will be raised to 100 per cent from 85 per cent, which was set by the Civil Aviation Ministry on September 18, 2021, up from 72.5 per cent allowed in August and 65 per cent in July.

"After review of the current status of scheduled domestic operations vis-a-vis passenger demand for air travel in terms of the purpose specified in the initial order it has been decided to restore the scheduled domestic operations with effect from 18.10.2021 (October 18, 2021) without any capacity restriction," the Ministry said in the order issued on Tuesday.

The domestic aviation sector was reopened on May 25, 2020 with a limited capacity of 33 per cent.

Since then, the operational capacity has only been increased in consonance with rising passenger traffic.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
New Delhi, Oct 12 : The Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Bharati Pravin Pawar, said on Tuesday that engaging youth as community volunteers will go a long way in generating awareness about HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, blood donation, as well as the stigma and discrimination attached with them.

The minister was virtually interacting with students across the country on the occasion of International Youth Day.

Encouraging them to contribute to nation building as India commemorates its 75th year of Independence, she said, "I strongly feel that 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayaas' are important for making our country a great nation. Your contribution is most important for 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' (self-reliant India), as envisioned by our dynamic Prime Minister Narendra Modi." On the occasion, Pawar launched Phase II of awareness campaigns on HIV/AIDS and TB under the 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav'.

She congratulated the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) for the successful launch of the Phase 1 of awareness campaigns on HIV/TB and the promotion of blood donation.

Appreciating NACO's work in reaching out to a large number of youth during the Covid-19 pandemic, she released an e-booklet developed by NACO to showcase the variety of awareness activities conducted under Phase 1. This booklet will work as a guide to connect with more students from across the country for participation in the activities ahead.

Highlighting the improvements made by India in all the health indicators such as life expectancy, infant mortality rate (IMR), maternal mortality rate (MMR) etc., she said that national programmes such as the National AIDS Control Programme and National TB Elimination Programme have played a very crucial role in improving India's health indicators.

"The New India@75 has provided a platform for the states for bringing students, adolescents, youth and other stakeholders to act together in national interest," Pawar said.
New Delhi, Oct 12 : Former Human Resource Development Secretary Amit Khare was on Tuesday appointed as advisor to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved Khare's appointment on contract basis on terms and conditions as applicable to re-employed officers of Secretary level.

An IAS officer of the 1985 batch from Bihar/Jharkhand cadre, Khare was instrumental in bringing to light the infamous fodder scam in Bihar in the 1990s. He was also Information & Broadcasting Secretary.

Khare's last achievement before retirement was to put un shape the National Education Policy 2020, an ambitious programme of the current regime.
Panaji, Oct 12 : The Tourism Minister of Goa, Manohar Ajgaonkar, threatened on Tuesday that if water supply continues to go awry, he would lock himself up with the government engineer responsible for the same in the latter's office until the issue is resolved in his Assembly constituency of Pernem in North Goa.

"If the problem persists, I have the capacity to get the work done from the officers. I will not lag behind. I have worked at the grassroots. I have risen from the streets," Ajgaonkar told reporters here.

"I will go and sleep in his (engineer's) office from tomorrow and tell him not to come back to work until he completes the work. I will lock him up in a room with me and warn him that I will not let him out until the work is completed," Ajgaonkar said.

The Tourism Minister, who is an MLA from the Pernem Assembly constituency in North Goa, said that government officials and engineers are playing truant over the supply of water from the Chandel water treatment plant in his own constituency to the villages in the area.

"The project is in Chandel, there is water there. It is their (engineers') responsibility to ensure that the water is supplied. Why does it not reach (the homes)? Are there pressure-related issues? It is their responsibility to resolve them," Ajgaonkar said.

"There is water but it is not reaching (the people). That means who is lazy? the officers," the Tourism Minister added.

This is not the first time that Ajgaonkar has commented on lack of adequate water supply in his assembly constituency.

On October 1, Ajgaonkar tore into Chief Minister Pramod Sawant in the latter's presence at a government function in Pernem over the water supply issue, accusing Sawant of being silent despite harassment by PWD engineers and officials.
Chandigarh, Oct 12 : A special CBI court in Haryana's Panchkula on Tuesday deferred pronouncement of the quantum of sentence on self-styled godman and Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh and four others convicted in a 19-year-old murder case.

Earlier this week, the Dera Sacha Sauda chief was convicted in a third case relating to conspiring to murder his former manager, Ranjit Singh, in 2002.

He has been undergoing a 20-year sentence at the high-security Sunaria jail in Rohtak, 250 kms from state capital Chandigarh, for raping his two disciples, and was sentenced to life for the murder of a journalist in 2002.

Ram Rahim, 52, attended the day-long hearing relating to the pronouncement of sentence virtually. He pleaded for mercy on the plea of the charitable works that the sect carried out when he was heading.

Ranjit Singh, a former follower of Ram Rahim, was shot dead by four assailants on July 10, 2002, at his native Khanpur Kolian village in Kurukshetra district.

CBI counsel H.P.S. Verma told the media that the prosecution and defense counsel concluded their arguments.

"The case was adjourned for the next hearing on the plea of the convicts that they need time to file replies," he said, adding the court listed the matter for next hearing on October 18.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) sought death sentence for Ram Rahim.

The special CBI court had convicted Ram Rahim and four others on October 8 in the murder case.

The CBI plea was that Ranjit Singh was murdered as Ram Rahim suspected that he was behind the circulation of an anonymous letter that revealed the sexual exploitation of woman followers at the dera.

His conviction on August 25, 2017, in raping his two disciples had led to violence in Panchkula and Sirsa, leaving 41 people dead and over 260 injured.

Ram Rahim was patronised by political leaders and parties in Punjab and Haryana for nearly two decades due to his ability to influence the votes of his followers.
Chennai, Oct 12 : Consul General of the United States in Chennai, Judith Ravin paid a visit to Madurai on Tuesday to interact with the women micro-entrepreneurs supported by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) Producer Owned Women Enterprises Project (POWER).

The project of the USAID is aimed at creating employment opportunities and empowering women from marginalized sections of society.

The USAID 'POWER' project started operations in 2019 and is aimed at empowering women from rural communities to become micro-entrepreneurs and help them shift work closer to their homes. This would also provide them with a regular source of income. The USAID has teamed up with Industree Crafts Foundation (ICF) and the program works in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Odisha.

In a statement on Tuesday, the US Consulate in Chennai said that this project has led women to get more income and said that women entrepreneurs from Tamil Nadu have sold products worth more than $90,0000 to retailers such as IKEA.

US Consul General Judith Ravin during her visit to Madurai said, "It is wonderful to visit and meet with local women today and to hear how this project is transforming their lives. The POWER project is a great example of the strong commitment the US Government has made to advance women's economic empowerment in India and I hope to see many more women owned and operated businesses in Tamil Nadu and throughout India." Neelam Chabber, Co-founder Industree Craft Foundation said, "We are very proud of the work undertaken here. The POWER project helps establish 12 women owned enterprises, directly impacting the lives of 2,400 women and their families, and is aiming to reach a goal of 3,600 by 2022. The women producers, mostly from marginalized communities were either labourers or doing small, odd jobs that did not contribute much to their household income before becoming micro-entrepreneurs. The support received from US aid has helped bring about remarkable transformation." The US Consul General had on Monday visited a USAID-supported WASH institute at the sanitation park in Reddiyarchathram, which is aimed at increasing the number of skilled professionals in Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) sector. The sanitation park established in 2018 serves as a training site to expose students, sanitation and health workers, and sanitation technicians to new technologies and practical approaches for safe sanitation services.

US Consul general Judith Ravin was accompanied by Tamil Nadu state Finance minister, PTR Palanivel Thiagarajan who is also the legislator from Madurai.
Chennai, Oct 12 : Tamil Nadu Forest Department staff, assisted by their counterparts from Kerala and Karnataka, have been combing the Gudalure and Masinagudi sector forest areas for over two weeks now for a tiger that has reportedly killed four humans and 12 heads of cattle in bordering villages.

Tamil Nadu's Chief Wildlife Warden, Shekar Kumar Neeraj is directly leading the operation with 2 kumki elephants, Udayan and Srinivas, and three sniffer dogs from Karnataka. However, the search, which entered its 18th day on Tuesday, has still been in vain so far.

With heavy rains on, the tiger seems to have taken shelter in deep forests.

After the combing operation led to no results, the Chief Wildlife Warden ordered hunting down of the tiger which was construed as killing it. Animal rights group, People for Cattle in India subsequently moved the Madras High Court, contending that killing the tigers was not in consonance with the guidelines issued by the National Tiger Conservation Authority and the court directed the Forest Department not to kill the tiger and instead to capture it.

Balamurugan 34, a farmer who lives near the forest area in Gudalure, told IANS that he "can vouch that the tiger has killed four human beings and is a very dangerous one. It should have been killed but the honourable Madras High Court has ordered not to kill it and we expect the Forest Department will immediately capture it." Villagers are worried that if the search continues without success for a few more days, the Forest Department may call off and put vigil in the area.

Balamurugan said: "If the search is aborted, in three-four days time, the tiger will attack either cattle or human as being injured it cannot hunt in the forest and will rely on easy prey in villages." Mudumalai Tiger Reserve Director, D. Venkatesh, talking to IANS, said: "The tiger is assumed to be between 12 and 14 years of age and has injury marks possibly inflicted in a territorial fight with another tiger or during the hunt. It has indeed killed cattle and our search is on and is expected to trap it in the coming days." Wildlife conservationists are of the opinion that the increased tiger population in the Sigur plateau is one reason for the tiger's transgression into human areas. As tigers become aged, young males supplants older ones who are pushed into habitats with a diminished prey base.

Forest officials said that the tiger seems to be highly intelligent as it has not been spotted in a camera after the intense search has begun while other tigers were seen in the camera recordings.

Officials are tight-lipped over the progress in the search.
New Delhi, Oct 12 : The terrorist who was arrested by the Special Cell of Delhi Police from the national capital on Monday night was trained by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), officials privy to the probe told IANS on Tuesday.

"The suspected terrorist had been assigned to carry out terror strikes during the festive season at the behest of Pakistan's ISI," a senior official said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police, Pramod Singh Kushwah, informed that the accused Pakistani national was trained by the ISI for at least six months in Sialkot, Pakistan.

An ISI handler bearing the code name Nasir motivated him to work as a sleeper cell for subversive activities in India.

"In 2004, after completion of his training, the accused terrorist, Mohd Ashraf alias Ali, managed to enter India from Bangladesh through the Siliguri border in West Bengal," the senior official said.

Ali was arrested from the Laxmi Nagar area at around 9.30 p.m. on Monday.

According to the official, Ali, who had obtained fake Indian identity cards using forged documents, was living as an Indian national by the name of Ali Ahmed Noori in Shastri Nagar.

"At the time of his arrest, the police recovered an AK 47 along with several other arms and ammunition," Kushwaha said.

Apart from the AK 47, two magazines with 60 live rounds, one hand grenade and two pistols with 50 rounds of cartridges were recovered from his possession.

Ali has been arrested under the relevant sections of UAPA Act, Explosives Act and Arms Act, the official said.

Notably, the cops in the national capital were already on high alert due to the festival season.

"During the festive season, there is high footfall of people in the markets, temples and commercial complexes. This rush of people can be used by anti-national elements having nefarious designs to carry out terror attacks in such places," a top official had recently told IANS.

Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana had also taken a crime review meeting on Saturday with senior officials and issued directions to enhance their vigil during the festival days.

In the review meeting, how to prevent terrorists or anti-national elements from taking the help of local gangsters was also discussed.

The arrest came nearly a month after the Special Cell had on September 14 busted a Pakistan-based terror module and arrested seven suspected terrorists, including two who were trained by the ISI.

The arrested terrorists were planning to carry out terror attacks in the country during this festival season. All the suspects are currently in police custody.
Chennai, Oct 12 : A BJP candidate in the rural local body polls in Tamil Nadu got only one vote even though his own household had five voters.

D. Karthik, who contested for the post of ward member in Periyanaickenpalayam union in Coimbatore district, has become a butt of jokes on social media platforms with the hashtag #Single_Vote_BJP trending on Twitter.

Writer Meena Kandaswamy who is a known critic of BJP and its policies, tweeted: "BJP candidate gets only one vote in local body elections. Proud of the four other voters in his household who decided to vote for others".

Another Twitter user, Suresh Raj said: "He has five members in the family but got one vote.. great going BJP".

Karthik had campaigned extensively even using the photographs of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and party President J.P. Nadda.

BJP state President K. Annamalai was not available for comment even after repeated calls.
New Delhi, Oct 12 : The suspected Pakistani terrorist who was arrested by the special cell of Delhi Police in the national capital was sent to 14 days police custody on Tuesday.

The suspected terrorist was arrested from the Laxmi Nagar area of the city at around 9 p.m. on Monday, an official told IANS.

Delhi Police in the court demanded custody of the accused so that they can unearth the whole conspiracy of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to carry out terror strikes in the national capital during this festive season.

Notably, the ISI had trained this terrorist, identified as Mohd Ashraf alias Ali, for at least six months back in 2004.

Since then he was living in India as a sleeper cell. "After entering India, he went to Ajmer and befriended a Maulvi at a local Masjid. In the year 2006, he accompanied the said Maulvi to Delhi," an official said.

Earlier also on September 14, the Special Cell of Delhi Police which prevents, detects, and investigates cases of terrorism, organized crime, and other serious crimes in the national capital, had busted a Pakistan-based terror module and arrested seven suspected terrorists, including two people who were trained by the ISI.

The arrested terrorists were also planning to carry out terror attacks in the country during this festival season. All the suspects are currently in police custody.
New Delhi/Srinagar, Oct 12 : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday carried out raids at around 41 locations in Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Delhi and Madhya Pradesh in a case related to an arms licence racket.

The raids were carried out at the official and residential premises of around 14 then public servants, including then IAS, J&K Administrative Service, and lower rank government officials, around five private persons (middlemen/agents) and 10 gun houses and dealers in the case related to the arms licence racket.

The agency raided the premises of four IAS officers -- Sajjad Ahmad Khan (retired), Baseer Ahmad Khan, M. Raju and Prasanna Ramaswany G.

The CBI also raised the premises of J&K Administrative Service officers Nisar Ahmad Wani, M.S. Mallik, Farooq Ahmad Khan and Bashir Ahamad Khan.

The agency carried out raids at the premises of then District Information Officer, Sanjay Puri.

The raids were carried out in Srinagar, Anantnag, Banihal, Baramulla, Jammu, Doda, Rajouri, Kishtwar (Jammu and Kashmir), Leh, Delhi and Bhind in Madhya Pradesh.

During the searches, incriminating documents including issuance of arms licence, list of beneficiaries, documents related to investment in FDRs and other sale proceeds, property documents, bank account details, locker keys, diary comprising incriminating details, arms licence registers, electronic gadgets, mobile phones and some cash, including old currency, were recovered.

The agency had registered two cases on the request of then Jammu and Kashmir government and following further notification from the government of India.

The agency took over over the investigation of two FIRs, registered on May 17, 2018 in J&K on the allegations of bulk issuance of arms licences in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir during the period 2012 to 2016.

It was alleged that more than 2.78 lakh arms licences were issued to the non-entitled persons. The CBI also collected documents pertaining to the issuance of the said armed licences, allegedly spread over 22 districts of Jammu and Kashmir.

During investigation and scrutiny of documents, the role of certain gun dealers came to light, who in connivance with the public servants, i.e., the then District Magistrate and Additional District Magistrate of the concerned districts, had allegedly issued such illegal arms licences to ineligible persons.

"It was also alleged that the persons who got these licences were not residents of the places from where the said arms licences were issued," the CBI said in a statement.
New Delhi, Oct 12 : In a move to counterbalance the level of pollution arising from Delhi's neighbouring states, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday asked the people of the national capital for help by following three simple steps.

"I have been tweeting about Delhi's pollution level since a month now to show that emission that arises in the city is within the safe limits despite the presence of vehicular, industrial and all other sources of pollution throughout the year. The pollution levels start to increase gradually at this time of the year as the farmers in the neighbouring states start burning their crop residues," Kejriwal said in a virtual address.

"I want to appeal to all the people of Delhi to help by contributing in three major campaigns. Firstly, last year we had launched a campaign called 'Red Light On, Gaadi Off', because keeping the engine on while stopping at red lights immensely increases the pollution level. This campaign which will again be launched on October 18 will help Delhiites in reducing pollution and saving fuel," the Chief Minister said.

"Second, we can all try to use public transports like bus, metro or carpool with others, and avoid using our vehicles at least once a week. Third, we had developed the Green Delhi app last year, which has resolved around 23,000 complaints so far. We all have to take the responsibility and report any kind of pollution that we see, be it industrial, vehicular or garbage burning. Our team will immediately act on the complaints," he added.

Quoting a research conducted by the Petroleum Conservation Research Association, Kejriwal said that the data has shown that switching off engines on red lights saves around Rs 250 crore annually and reduces pollution by 13-20 per cent.

With the onset of winter, Delhi's pollution level starts rising, mainly because of the decrease in wind speed over Delhi-NCR and stubble burning in the neighbouring states of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

Recently, the Chief Minister had announced a 10-point Winter Action Plan. While presenting the new staregy, Kejriwal had said that separate teams have been formed to keep a check on pollution arising due to waste burning and construction in the national capital.
Kolkata, Oct 12 : Strongly criticising the role of bureaucracy in the state, West Bengal governor Jagdeep Dhankhar said that the members of IAS and IPS are no more public servants in the state, rather they have reduced themselves to 'political servants'.

Dhankhar who is in North Bengal for two weeks told the media, "I am disturbed by the dilution of democratic norms and values. I painfully indicate to the media that the state in which we are in is very severe and painful, known to other parts of the country. I am surprised how members of IAS and IPS including the chief secretary can be so unmindful of the constitution and the rule of law and their obligations to the governor".

"How ironic it is that the document which should be available to all the citizens under the right to information is not made available to the head of the state. I questioned the chief secretary and the principal secretary, finance. On 7th June they came to see me ideally without any paper, without any preparation, without any document. How can they be so casual? How can they deal with the matter in this way with the constitutional head?" Dhankhar said.

The governor was referring to the documents related to Andal airport and the alleged financial favours in 'Pandemic patronage scam'. "I wrote to him on 7th June to respond within seven days. He is not worried. I called them again on October 1. They came without any documents. Then I had to put them on a tight schedule. They are on a complete disobedience mode. By concealing those documents from the governor, by not putting them on public domain they are shielding the criminals," Dhankhar added.

"I have sent another strong note to the chief secretary today. The complicity of the administration in such criminal acts must end. It is their duty to ensure that criminals are brought to book. The criminals must face the wrath of law. No one can be above law," he added.

Alleging that every citizen in the state is stressed, the governor said, "They have already reduced to a state to a police state where every citizen is stressed. They are in fear. Democracy is in peril, so disturbed, human rights are in danger. Everyone is in fear".

"It is a very sorry state of affairs to find that the bureaucrats are no more public servants but they have reduced themselves to the level of political servants. This is an open secret and everyone knows it," he concluded.
New Delhi, Oct 12 : Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan chaired a meeting of the federal cabinet on Tuesday, during which the matter of appointing the Director General of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) also came up, Geo News reported.

In recent days, Islamabad has been gripped with feverish speculation about the delay by the PMO in issuing a notification for the appointment of the incoming ISI DG, Lt Gen Nadeem Ahmad Anjum.

According to sources, the Pakistan PM took the cabinet members into confidence over the issue.

They said the premier told them that there have been attempts to give the matter a wrong spin by the media.

Imran Khan assured the cabinet that all the people concerned "are on the same page" and that the appointment will be finalised "amicably".

Later in the day while addressing a post-cabinet press briefing in Islamabad, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Fawad Chaudhry, said that during the meeting, the issue of the appointment of the new Director-General of the Inter-Services Intelligence was also discussed.

Imran Khan and Pakistan Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa have "ideal" civil-military relations and they both never take any steps that could "disrespect" each other, Chaudhry said, the Dawn reported.

The minister said the authority to appoint the ISI DG "lies with the Prime Minister", and that the set procedure would be followed for the purpose.

"The legal procedure will be followed in the appointment of the new ISI DG, for which both (Gen Bajwa and Prime Minister Khan) are in agreement," he said.

Chaudhry said that Imran Khan and the Army chief had met last night to discuss the matter.

It is important to recall that an alleged deadlock between civil and military leaderships is being reported on social media on the issue of the posting of ISI DG, Friday Times reported.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) had issued a statement on October 6 announcing the new postings and transfers.

The posting of ISI DG is yet to be confirmed by the PM's office. Insiders close to the developments say the delay in the confirmation of the new posting is a procedural matter, which could be resolved soon.
New Delhi, Oct 12 : Google on Tuesday announced the formation of a premier 'Cybersecurity Action Team' to support the security and digital transformation of governments, critical infrastructure, enterprises and small businesses, as nation-state hacking incidents grow.

The Google Cybersecurity Action Team has already formulated a security and resilience framework that delivers a roadmap for a comprehensive security management programme.

"While access to the latest, most advanced security technology is important, the expertise of what it will take to become resilient in the face of today's risk and threat environment is foundational," said Sunil Potti, VP/GM, Google Cloud Security, at the annual 'Google Cloud Next '21' conference.

Google recently announced a $10 billion investment to advance the security of governments around the world, and by extension, help enterprises and organisations to do the same.

The company also launched 'Work Safer', a feature designed to help organisations, their employees and partners collaborate and communicate securely and privately in today's hybrid work environment.

'Work Safer' provides companies with access to best-in-class security for email, meetings, messages, documents, and more. It uniquely brings together the cloud-native, zero-trust solutions of Google Workspace with BeyondCorp Enterprise for secure access with integrated threat and data protection.

"For customers who want secure devices, Work Safer includes Pixel phones managed with Android Enterprise, Chrome Enterprise Upgrade, and HP Chromebooks," said Phil Venables, VP/CISO, Google Cloud.

Google Workspace also introduced new security features during the Cloud event.

"Client-side encryption for Google Meet, in beta, gives customers direct control of encryption keys and the identity service used to access keys. Data Loss Prevention (DLP) for Google Chat, in beta, helps prevent sensitive information from leaking outside of your organization," the company said.
Chandigarh, Oct 12 : Amid 'bickering' between Punjab Congress chief Navjot Sidhu and Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, the former will meet senior party functionaries in Delhi on Thursday to discuss organisational matters related to state.

"Navjot Singh Sidhu, President, Punjab Congress, will be meeting me and (K.C.) Venugopal ji for discussion on certain organisational matters pertaining to Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee at Venugopal ji's office on October 14 at 6 p.m.," AICC General Secretary and the party's Punjab in-charge, Harish Rawat, said in a tweet.

Sidhu had resigned as the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee chief in protest against the appointments of the Advocate General and the DGP earlier this month. He has neither withdrawn his resignation, nor has the party high command clarified on his status so far.
Much newsprint was devoted to a naval exercise undertaken between the USA and India. The exercise was designated a two day "passage exercise", and, inarguably, contributed to strengthening bilateral cooperation and military coordination.

Apart from the myriad advantages accrued, the exercise also threw up a somewhat worrying aspect, viz the stark disparity in the two naval forces participating.

While the US Navy fielded a full 'Aircraft Carrier Strike Group' with USS Ronald Reagan, India was represented by two ships and shore based aircraft, and aircraft of the Indian Air Force.

Earlier, in March this year, the two navies had undertaken a similar exercise. Then too, while the US Navy had a full carrier strike group participating, India sent a single ship and shore-based aircraft.

Apart from these bilateral exercises, the Indian Navy also took part in a French Navy led multilateral exercise named La Perouse in April, where two ships and shore-based aircraft were deployed, though in this instance other participating nations did not field an aircraft carrier.

Evidently, with its sole aircraft carrier being under maintenance, the Indian Navy is constrained in operating across all dimensions at sea, including during such exercises that bear the potential for valuable lessons and experience to be gleaned. Exacerbating the situation further is the fact that, given the size and complexities of a large ship like an Aircraft Carrier, its maintenance durations are likely to be of an extended nature.

Consequently, the naval fleet remains hamstrung in undertaking operations related to maritime air power in such periods. Orchestrated deployment of shore-based aircraft over the seas is unlikely to fructify or indeed be available during a live conflict, where there will be concurrent requirement of air operations on land as well.

Clearly, here and now air capability at sea will have to manifest from the sea itself. This operational reality has motivated all significant navies of the world to include aircraft carriers in their forces levels.

Military experts across the world are unanimous in the view that aircraft carrier operations are a skill learnt and perfected through sustained practice and long experience. This is borne out by the fact that China, despite having inducted its first aircraft carrier nearly a decade back, is still figuring out carrier operations.

The UK, with its return to being an aircraft carrier navy, has also been dependent on USA to assist in re-learning the ropes of such operations. Does a long lay-off period for the Indian carrier then not have an effect on India's ability to protect its interests at sea? Defence Minister Rajnath Singh recently during his visit to Kochi in end June to review the progress of construction of the Indigenous Aircraft Carrier or IAC, had highlighted the historical fact that all major powers in the world have boasted powerful navies. In the present day, as evident from China's focus on building aircraft carriers and UK's U-turn on doing away with its carriers, it is clear that any navy will need to have such capability if it hopes to be a serious contender on the global or even regional stage.

While the minster's pronouncement indicates a clear understanding about this aspect within the government, ancillary agencies and organisations appear to be stuck in a state of flux. The abysmally slow progress on the IAC project is a case in point. In case the ship had been built and delivered in a timely manner, the Navy would have been able to keep one of the two ships operationally available.

Whatever be the past, unless the relevant agencies wake up and smell the coffee at least at this point, India and its Navy are staring at a bleak operational capability for the near future.

A reality check is long overdue and the problem is fast approaching critical mass. An attitude of business-as-usual is unlikely to get the second ship inducted any time soon. Every possible effort needs to be channelized into the project, including working round the clock, imposition of stringent penalties on every source of delay, daily monitoring at the PMO itself, etc. India needs to act now lest we are left behind - because China would act and is acting with a clear aim.

We also need to think about what lies in the future - 15 to 20 years down the road. When the existing carrier gets de-inducted. What then? Given the long lead time to build carriers, how will India retain her edge as a major naval power? Well, the answer is obvious.

(Sumit Kumar Singh can be reached at sumit.k@ians.in)
New Delhi, Oct 12 : After resigning from the state President of Punjab, Navjot Singh Sidhu will have his first official meeting with the Congress central leadership on Thursday.

"Navjot Singh Sidhu, President, Punjab Congress, will be meeting me and (K.C.) Venugopal ji for discussion on certain organisational matters pertaining to Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee at Venugopal ji's office on October 14 at 6 p.m.," AICC General Secretary and the party's Punjab in-charge, Harish Rawat, said in a tweet.

After Sidhu had quit over differences with Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, the central leadership has called him to listen to his grievances.

It's likely that Sidhu will put forth the list of demands in the Punjab government as he is upset with the appointments in the government. He has resigned from the post of state president, but it has not been accepted yet by Sonia Gandhi. The meeting gains significance as it comes ahead of the CWC meeting.

The Congress is likely to convey Sidhu to withdraw his resignation and work in tandem with the Chief Minister.

The Congress wants to put its house in order ahead of polls and despite removal of Amarinder Singh there has been no resolution of the issues.

Sidhu is Unhappy over the first Cabinet expansion, allocation of portfolios and appointments on crucial posts, including the Advocate General and the DGP, by the Chief Minister. The Congress leadership has given a go ahead to a coordination committee after the Chief Minister tried to placate Sidhu and said that the decision will be taken collectively.

Navjot Singh Sidhu after his resignation has said he will always stand by party leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

In a tweet Sidhu said, "Will uphold principles of Gandhi Ji & Shastri Ji...

"Post or No Post, will stand by Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi! Let all negative forces try to defeat me, but with every ounce of positive energy will make Punjab win, Punjabiyat (Universal Brotherhood) win & every Punjabi win!!" Navjot Singh Sidhu was on forefront in Lakhimpur Kheri where he proceeded on indefinite fast in support of his demand for action against Union Minister of state for Home Affairs Ajay Mishra Teni's son Ashish Mishra. He also led a large convoy to support Priyanka Gandhi in her agitation.
New Delhi, Oct 12 : After enrolling Devender Singh Rana and Surjit Singh Salathia in the party, the BJP is now planning to convince all the top leadership of National Conference (NC) in Jammu region to switch sides.

The BJP leaders hinted that more leaders will join the party from Jammu.

A senior party functionary said that in future more and more leaders of NC especially from Jammu region will join the saffron fold.

"If everything goes well, the NC will be leaderless in the Jammu region in future. Many top NC leaders are in touch with us and more will follow them," he said.

Rana, brother of union minister Dr Jitendra Singh, and Salathia joined BJP on Monday after ending their long association with the National Conference. On Sunday, both the leaders resigned Afrom NC.

Following Rana and Salathia, 17 NC leaders from Jammu region resigned from the party which included provincial secretary, district presidents and others. A party leader said that mass exodus has started in the NC and in future they will be leaderless in the Jammu region.

"Yesterday, 17 NC leaders resigned and more will follow as they are unhappy with the way the NC government had mistreated the Jammu region," he said.

A saffron party insider claimed that at local level, joining of NC leaders is going on and now big names will also join the BJP like Rana and Salathia.

When asked whether more NC leaders will be joining the party, BJP Jammu and Kashmir co-incharge Ashish Sood told IANS that everyone who believes in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's policies are welcomed in the party.

"Everyone who believes in Prime Minister Modi's policy and is ready to follow them are welcomed in the BJP," Sood said.

Sood further stated: "Those who have witnessed piped water supply at each household of their polling booth, houses delivered to common man under PM Awas Yojna and influenced with the work under the Modi government are welcomed. Those willing to work to make Jammu and Kashmir a developed state are welcomed," Sood added.
Mumbai, Oct 12 : Bharatiya Janata Party's Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday declared that he still feels he is the "Chief Minister" of Maharashtra owing to the immense love and affection showered on him by the people of the state.

Speaking at a public event in adjoining Navi Mumbai, Fadnavis -- who faced ridicule for his throaty 'Mee Punha Yaeen!' (I will return!) rant before the October 2019 assembly polls -- again went into a self-patting mode, which had the Opposition in splits and taking potshots.

"The people of the state have never made me feel that I am not the CM, I still feel that I am the CM, I have not been sitting at home I am working very hard and touring all over the state for the past two years. But the people's love and respect has not waned," Fadnavis proclaimed.

He added that a person's work counts more than his position and claimed that he was serving the people and doing his duty as the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly well without a single day off in the past two years.

After this, the ruling MVA allies got up to react and suggested 'urgent medical treatment'. Even BJP's senior leader Pankaja Munde took a swipe at Fadnavis' dreamy-eyed utterances.

Shiv Sena leader Kishore Tiwari, accorded MoS rank, said that "Fadnavis is still under severe depression, that's why he's roaming around the state aimlessly after he got the BJP defeated." "His ramblings also confirm that since people have already forgotten his lacklustre tenure as CM, he has to somehow keep reminding them in this manner now. We hope the BJP will arrange for his appropriate mental and physical treatment immediately," Tiwari said.

NCP's National Spokesperson and Minister Nawab Malik said the shock of his 2019 defeat has affected Fadnavis badly, so "he's unable to grasp the current reality that the MVA is in power since two years now".

"Moreover, he must realise that even the post of Leader of Opposition is as important as that of the CM and he should sincerely work hard to live up to it," Malik advised.

Congress state Spokesperson Sachin Sawant commented that it is well known that Fadnavis was not prepared for the "unimaginable bolt" by the MVA government two years ago.

"In such cases, there can be such reactions arising out of the deep mental shock, the person starts hallucinating, and must be given medical attention on priority. Already two years have lapsed, take care in future," Sawant said.

On the other hand, BJP leader and former ministerial colleague Pankaja Munde said dismissively that "if someone feels he is still the CM, it was fine" by her.

To a more specific query, Munde -- who had once said that she was reigning as the CM in people's hearts -- said that people's emotions need not change by someone's utterances.

During 2014-2019, Fadnavis became and served a full term as the first BJP CM of the state, heading a coalition with the Shiv Sena.

After the 2019 elections, the Sena unceremoniously dumped the BJP and Fadnavis was aghast to see Sena President Uddhav Thackeray hug the NCP-Congress for the tri-party MVA alliance.

Moving swiftly and dramatically to pull the rug from under the MVA, Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar were sworn-in as the CM and Deputy CM respectively in an early morning ceremony, shocking the nation, but the two-man government crashed in barely 80 hours.

Thereafter, a full-fledged MVA government with Thackeray as the 19th Chief Minister took office on November 28, 2019, and despite hiccups has managed to remain stable for the past 24 months.

(Quaid Najmi can be contacted at q.najmi@ians.in)
Imphal, Oct 12 : Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh on Tuesday warned to take stern action against the perpetrators of political violence ahead of the Assembly elections sheduled early next year.

The Chief Minister's warning came a day after six persons were injured, most of them with pellet wounds, when workers of two rival political groups clashed during an election rally in the Yairipok Yambem area of Imphal East district on Monday.

Singh, who also holds the home portfolio, told the media that if anyone instigates any kind of violence or attacks any individual or organisation, the law enforcing agencies would take stern action against that person.

"Before the Assembly elections, every political party/group/individuals have their democratic right to undertake campaign maintaining the procedure and law. But none should vitiate the peaceful and democratic environment of the state," the Chief Minister said, condemning Monday's violent incident.

The six injured persons, including a woman, have been admitted to government hospitals, while the police have registered a case and launched a probe.

On Monday, one group of workers was led by former minister Shyamkumar, while the other was headed by a prospective candidate in the Andro Assembly constituency, Lourembam Sanjoy.

The elections to the 60-seat Manipur Assembly are expected to be held in February-March next year as the term of the state Assembly would end on March 19, 2022.

The ruling BJP has been running the government since 2017 with the support of the National People's Party (NPP) led by Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma and the Naga People's Front (NPF), which has organisational base both in Manipur and Nagaland.
Patna, Oct 12 : A 13-year-old boy was killed in celebratory firing during the victory march of a rural body polls candidate in Bihar's Gaya district on Tuesday, police said.

Class 7 student Ritik Pandey was watching the victory parade of newly-elected mukhiya Naresh Pandit in Dariyapur village under Modha block from his terrace. Pandit's supporters began indiscriminate firing in the air and one of the bullets hit Pandey in the chest, killing him on the spot.

Following the incident, chaos occurred in the victory parade.

The result of the panchayat election was announced on Tuesday and Pandit was declared the winner. Soon after the result, Pandit, along with over 200 supporters, walked from Modha block office to Dariyapur village and as they reached, his supporters started firing in the air.

"We have received information about celebratory firing in Dariyapur village. An FIR of murder registered in the police station and investigation is underway to identify the accused," Senior Superintendent of Police, Gaya, Aditya Kumar said.
Kolkata: Passengers queue up at the the course departure lounge of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata on Sep 1, 2020. The West Bengal government has permitted airlines to operate flights on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays fo Image Source: IANS News

New Delhi, Oct 12 : The Centre on Tuesday allowed the airlines to deploy full pre-Covid flight capacity in the domestic sector from October 18.

Passenger air services were suspended on March 25, 2020 due to the nationwide lockdown to check the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. The sector was reopened on May 25, 2020 with a limited capacity of 33 per cent. Since then, the operational capacity has been decided in consonance with the prevailing Covid sitiuation.

As per Tuesday's order, the capacity will be raised to 100 per cent from 85 per cent, which was set by the Civil Aviation Ministry on September 18, 2021, up from 72.5 per cent allowed in August and 65 per cent in July.

"After a review of the current status of scheduled domestic operations vis-a-vis passenger demand for air travel in terms of the purpose specified in the initial order, it has been decided to restore scheduled domestic operations with effect from October 18, 2021 without any capacity restriction," the Ministry of Civil Aviation said in an order issued on Tuesday.

On its part, IndiGo said: "We are pleased with the government's decision to allow airlines to operate at full capacity without any restrictions from October 18. It is a welcome move, as we believe that with the recent pent-up demand, combined with the upcoming festive season, it will be great to operate flights on pre-pandemic levels. We are quite bullish about the overall growth and demand for domestic travel." According to ixigo's Co-founder and Group CEO Aloke Bajpai: "Restoring normal flight operations to full capacity is a very good sign, which is in line with the growing passenger confidence and demand we have seen for the upcoming quarter. The festive season has ushered in encouraging demand for travel.

"With the Covid-19 situation stabilising in India, domestic air passenger traffic crossed the 3,00,000-mark on October 9. We have seen 30-35 per cent MoM growth for flight bookings for leisure travel for the month of October." Nishant Pitti, CEO and Co-Founder, EaseMyTrip, said: "The Indian travel sector has witnessed one of the highest contractions since the pandemic, and we believe that the lifting of capacity restrictions will have a positive impact on airline partners to rise from the challenges that they have been facing over the past year-and-a-half.

"Additionally, with the festive season right around the corner, we believe that the measure is well-timed and a strong step that will boost the country's travel and tourism sentiments. The strong vaccination drive and a decline in active cases have led to a positive travel sentiment, and this newly announced measure is set to further enable the safe and seamless recovery of the sector."
New Delhi, Oct 12 : Praising the work of the Narendra Modi government, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Tuesday said that it was only after 2014 that India's security policy started getting priority in the agenda of the government.

Bhagwat said that earlier the security policy was given less preference before the national policy but after 2014 the whole attitude changed and now the security policy gets top priority in the government.

Bhagwat's statement came amid continued criticism by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi who has been targeting the Modi government for a failed defence policy, especially in view of the India-China standoff in eastern Ladakh. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was also present there.

Speaking at a book release function on Veer Savarkar, Bhagwat alleged that a big gameplan to defame the Sangh Pariwar and Veer Savarkar was carried out after Independence, but it failed. Describing Veer Savarkar as a true nationalist, Mohan Bhagwat said that all his predictions are coming true today.

The RSS chief once again reiterated that the ancestors of all those living in India are the same irrespective of their caste and creed. All the people living in India are Hindus, he said, adding the meaning of Hinduism here is very broad.

He also advised people of all faiths to live together. Bhagwat said, "what happens in our Parliament. Except physical fight, everything happens, but later everyone comes out and laughs together, jokes, hugs." The Sangh chief said all the religions that came to India were welcomed. "So don't talk of separation, don't talk of special rights." Objecting to the use of the word minority, Mohan Bhagwat said that there is no such thing as minority. "We are one, we are the inheritors of the same culture, in spite of differing rituals and languages. No appeasement, and welfare of all. Everyone has rights, so also duties," he added.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, while describing Veer Savarkar as a true nationalist and realist, alleged that people of a particular ideology spread lies and misconceptions about him. He was, is and will be a great hero of the Indian freedom struggle, he said.

Rajnath Singh said that a lie was spread about Savarkar that he apologized to the British, whereas the truth is that this petition was filed as legal rights at the behest of Mahatma Gandhi so that he could come out of jail and join the freedom movement.
Mumbai, Oct 12 : The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) will resume operations at domestic terminal T1 with 70 flights from October 13, an official said here on Tuesday.

Flights of various private airlines will now be operated from T1, starting with Go First's maiden flight departing for Chennai at 5.50 a.m. on Wednesday and the first incoming flight from Chennai to Mumbai at 7.20 a.m.

Air Asia will resume its flights from T1 from Saturday (October 16) and other carriers will follow suit, with services to 20 destinations, gradually increasing to 36 by the month-end.

Barring a brief period, the T1 has virtually remained shut for operations during the pandemic months and the series of lockdown with all services shifted to T2.

The CSMIA had planned to reopen T1 from October 20. However, considering the huge rush in recent weeks with a sharp increase in passenger traffic and flights, it advanced the resumption of operations to October 13.

At the T1, it has made all arrangements to follow Covid-19 protocols and set up express 30-minutes RT-PCR test centres for the benefit of passengers, besides other safety and security measures.
Chennai, Oct 12 : A team of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) raided the residence of U. Murugesan at Kallur in Pudukkottai district on Tuesday morning. Murugesan is the brother of U. Karthik who was killed in a shootout by the Kerala police in 2018.

The NIA team accompanied by revenue officials found some Maoist leaflets at the residence of Murugesan as also the death certificate of U. Karthik.

The NIA is conducting raids across 20 places in Coimbatore, Salem, Erode, Dindigul and Nilgiris districts of Tamil Nadu since Tuesday morning. This is following the case registered by the NIA in September 2016.

The NIA in a press statement said that its team was conducting raids at twenty locations across Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu in the Edakkara Maoist case (RC-2/2021/NIA/KOC). This was pertaining to the conspiracy by the members of the CPI (Maoist), a proscribed terror organization which conducted training camps, arms training, flag hoisting, and celebrations of the formation day of the CPI (Maoist) during September 2016 in the Edakkara area in the Nilambur forests in Kerala.

The raids are continuing in the state but NIA officials refused to comment on their progress.
New Delhi, Oct 12 : Pharma major Biological E has sought approval from drug regulator Drugs Controller General of India to conduct the phase-3 clinical trial of Covid vaccine Corbevax. The company has sought approval as a single booster dose for those fully vaccinated with Covishield or Covaxin vaccines.

The Subject Expert Committee (SEC) on COVID-19 of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) may discuss the matter in its next meeting.

The phase 2/3 clinical trials of Corbevax are underway and the results are likely to be declared this month.

Corbevax is based on a protein antigen technology that binds to the Angiotensin Converting Enzyme-2 (ACE2) receptor on the host cell membrane and facilitates virus entry. The body's own cells stimulate the immune system of the body to produce antibodies to protect against the infection.

Biological E. received DCGI approval for conducting Phase III Comparator Safety & Immunogenicity trial in adults after the Subject Expert Committee's review of Phase I and II clinical trials data last month. Additionally, Biological E.A also received approval to initiate the Phase II/III Study to evaluate Safety, Reactogenicity, Tolerability and Immunogenicity of CORBEVAX in children and adolescents last month.

The pharma company has submitted the application seeking the nod from DCGA to conduct the phase-3 clinical study of Corbevax.
New Delhi, Oct 12 : The Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, Manish Sisodia, on Tuesday wrote to the Centre, urging it to issue guidelines for Chhath Puja celebrations in the national capital.

"Chhath Puja is celebrated sincerely by the Purvanchali community in Delhi. This year too, people are waiting eagerly to celebrate this festival with their families. However, as you know that Delhi, like all the other states, has been following all the Covid-19 guidelines," Sisodia wrote in his letter.

He has requested the Centre to consult health experts and other stakeholders so that all the devotees can celebrate the festival safely on November 10.

Both Delhi and the Centre are engaged in a tug-of-war over the festival.

The Delhi BJP on Tuesday demonstrated in front of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's official residence, where the BJP MP from North-East Delhi, Manoj Tiwari, reportedly got hurt after the police resorted to using water canons.

"Manoj Tiwari sustained injuries in his neck and is currently undergoing treatment at the Safdarjung Hospital," a source close to the BJP MP told IANS.

As per the fresh Covid-19 guidelines issued by the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) earlier this month, Chhath Puja celebrations in the city have been prohibited in public places and people have been advised to celebrate the same at their homes.

Earlier, Tiwari had said that he would defy the DDMA order on the festival, which is most popular in Bihar, Jharkhand and some parts of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party has condemned the recent press meet by Delhi BJP on Chhath Puja, saying, "The health and lives of people are most important for us. We feel sad that the BJP is playing dirty politics over this issue. The BJP has no concern for the lives of the people," AAP said in a statement.
Hyderabad, Oct 12 : The Telangana government on Tuesday begun the exercise to address the issue of "Podu" lands, or lands in forests tilled by tribals, with a meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar discussing the modalities.

Following the recent decision of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao to launch an action plan to settle the disputes over Podu land, the meeting decided to receive the applications from the third week of October.

The meeting of Somesh Kumar with the heads of the departments concerned to decide on the modalities of action plan discussed the details like model of application process to be followed, committees at various levels and issues to be included in the application such as forest boundary coordinates, and participation of the citizens for the conservation of forest.

It is proposed to conduct meetings with district Collectors, Division Forest Officers, Conservators of Forests and others.

There has been a row over these between the tribals and the Forest Department, and disputes in some places have led to clashes between tribals and forest personnel in recent months.

Following appeals from elected public representatives, the Chief Minister on October 9 directed the officials to launch an action plan to settle the issue.

He made it clear that once the podu land issue comes to a logical end, the officials should take all measures to ensure that even an inch of forest land is not encroached and there should be an end to the land grabbing in the forest areas.

The Chief Minister said the state government would not hesitate to take any stringent measure to protect the forests in the state. He said if need be, an all-party meeting would be convened as part of finding a solution to the podu lands issue and he would demonstrate and practically show with evidence to the leaders on how forest land is being encroached upon.

He instructed the officials to prepare guidelines to appoint the Forest Protection Committees in the state. The CM said the Podu cultivation which is taking place in the middle of the forest would be shifted to the edge of the forest areas and land would be allotted.
Bengaluru, Oct 12 : The Karnataka Cyber Crime Division has arrested four persons involved in extortion after recording nude videos of the victims by becoming friends on social media platforms, an official statement said on Tuesday.

The arrested persons were identified as Sakir, Pahari, Kasam Khan, Jamil Khan.

They were arrested based on the leads which emerged during the investigation. Nayaz Ahmed, Police Inspector, C.C.D and his team went to Bharatpur, Alwar and other places in Rajasthan and were successful in arresting an accused person from the limits of Pahari police station in Bharatpur district, and two more culprits from the limits of Baithkul police station, Alwar district.

The arrests were made in connection with two 'sextortion' incidents reported at the Cyber Crime Police Station, CID in February and March 2021. Several people from Rajasthan and Haryana have been arrested for their involvement in this case.

During the course of the investigation, it was learnt that the culprits targeted the people who are on social media such as Facebook, Instagram etc., and gathered their personal information.

They sent a 'friend' request in the guise of a woman, befriended them on social media and started chatting with them. Later they took the victims on video calls impersonating as a girl through malafide applications, induced the victims to strip and made their videos without their knowledge.

After this, they started to extort the victims by threatening to share the images and videos doctored in an obscene manner with the victims' friends and relatives on social media and harm their image and reputation in society.

In case of any such instance of blackmail, the Cyber Crime Division has appealed to the public to report it to the Cyber Crime and CEN Police Stations immediately.
Bengaluru, Oct 12 : The implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP-2020) will not alter any facility such as reservation, RTE, scholarship etc, in any way and they will continue as at present, Higher Education Minister C.N. Ashwath Narayan stated on Tuesday.

In a meeting held with Muslim leaders, representatives of Muslim institutions and stakeholders of the community, he clarified on the doubts raised over the NEP. He stated that the NEP will not curtail the freedom to choose any language of their choice including Arabic.

The NEP does not have any intention of suppressing any section of society. It is holistic and inclusive. The implementation of NEP will ensure that no section of society is left behind in the march towards progress, the Minister emphasised.

The NEP will strengthen government institutions to provide quality education, where the majority of the students come from economically weaker sections and minority communities, he said.

The objects and goals of the NEP are very clear and transparent. It only aspires to build a strong India by empowering future citizens to become globally competitive. The government is very well aware of the fact that real progress cannot become a reality if any section is suppressed, he pointed out.

The NEP does not violate the provisions mentioned in articles 28, 29 and 30 of the Constitution, the Minister explained.

The draft of the NEP was prepared after extensive consultations across the country and more than 3 lakh suggestions were considered in a period of over five and a half years. The leaders of the Congress and the JDS were also consulted before drafting the policy, he said.

At the end of the meeting, many leaders said that the meeting had cleared all the doubts they had regarding the NEP.

At the start of the meeting, Azeezulla Baig, retired IAS officer, expressed the apprehension that the NEP seems to be against the provisions of the Constitution which ensure the protection of the rights of minorities.

Prior to this, Prof. B.Thimmegowda, Vice-Chairman, State Higher Education Council, briefed about NEP-2020. Council Executive director Gopal Joshi, College education commissioner P. Pradeep and Muslim leaders and educationists were present at the meeting.
Bengaluru, Oct 12 : The Karnataka government has issued a circular to all the temples in the state to conduct a special puja on October 15 on the occasion of Vijaya Dashami to avoid a possible third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, and for the general well-being of the people of the state.

The Minister for Muzrai, Haj and Wakf, Shashikala Jolle, said on Tuesday that two waves of Covid have caused immense loss of lives across the world.

The experts have warned that a third Covid wave may have adverse effect on children. Against this backdrop, the department has issued a circular to all the temples coming under the Muzrai department to conduct a special puja on October 15.

The festival of Vijaya Dashami symbolises the triumph of good over evil, and the scriptures have said that on this auspicious day, if goddess Bhagavathi is worshipped, there will be general well-being of the people, she said.

She also clarified that the state government has not received any proposal to prescribe a dress code for temples. If at all it is discussed in the Dharmika Parishath, the details will be obtained and verified, she added.

The minister also announced the implementation of the 6th Pay Commission recommendations at a cost of Rs 20 crores, which would help 37,000 employees of the Muzrai department, especially the priests.

She said that the department is contemplating developing an app with an integrated management system wherein all the information regarding major temples in the state will be available for the devotees.
New Delhi, Oct 12 : Poverty, unemployment and severe economic problems in Ghur province of Afghanistan have led to child marriages, and a number of families are letting their underage girls marry middle-aged men in exchange for money, weapons or livestock, Raha Press reported.

Some shocking stories have come to light where families have sold their one-year-old daughters for money, livestock and weapons, the report said.

The buying and selling rate of an underage girl is usually between 100,000 and 250,000 Afghanis in the province.

According to sources, if the buyer does not have cash, he will give the girl's family weapons or livestock in return.

According to the report, such incidents occur more in the remote districts of the province than in the national capital.

Buying and selling of girls or child marriage in exchange for money were common before, but after the fall of the Afghanistan government and the ensuing economic turmoil, more families are forced to take this route.

Habiba Jamshidi, a women's rights activist in the west of the country, said women form half of the society's population and they should not be treated inhumanely or in a non-Islamic manner.

Jamshidi said the families that are ignorant about girls and women's statutes, abuse them.

Jamshidi emphasised that one of the reasons of child marriage is the lack of proper awareness of the role and position of women, the report said.

Taliban officials in Ghor province refused to comment on the issue.
Hyderabad, Oct 12 : In a new twist to the bitter row over the just-concluded elections to the influential Tollywood trade body, Movie Artists Association (MAA), all 11 newly-elected office-bearers and executive committee members from the Prakash Raj panel announced their resignation on Tuesday.

Stating that they do not want to be a hurdle in the decisions of the new MAA president, actor-producer Manchu Vishnu, and his panel over the next two years when they will be in office, the dissenters parted ways with the association.

Newly-elected Executive Vice President Srikanth, Vice President Benarjee, Joint Secretary Uttej and eight executive members announced their resignations at a news conference in the presence of Prakash Raj, Jeevitha Rajasekhar and others.

Prakash Raj, the acclaimed character actor who made his displeasure with the elections known to all, said his supporters had quit because in the past two years, no work could take place in the association because the two rival factions were constantly at loggerheads.

"Vishnu has made big promises, so we felt our presence may be cited as an excuse for not fulfilling them. Hence, we have decided that we should not be a hurdle in the way of their decisions," Prakash Raj said.

He added that they had reached this decision after detailed discussions and deliberations over whether they could work "in this kind of an atmosphere" in the MAA.

"It is a dignified decision," Prakash Raj said. "Please run the show, but if there are shortcomings, we will question you on behalf of all those who voted for us," he added.

Referring to Vishnu's statement that he would not accept the resignation, Prakash Raj said he was ready to take back his decision if Vishnu assured him that he would not amend the bye-laws of MAA to prevent non-Telugu members from contesting the elections in future.

Prakash Raj alleged that there was "rowdyism" in the election and there was cross-voting and irregularities in counting. He also said outsiders from various places were brought in on the polling day and seniors such as Benarjee were manhandled and abused.

He pointed out that on the first day counting was taken up for 4-5 hours and it was said that the results would be declared the next morning, but it took the entire day for that to happen.

Benarjee broke down while narrating how was he was humiliated during the polling. He said Vishnu's father and veteran actor, Mohan Babu, used abusive words against him and even tried to manhandle him. He said when Mohan Babu was shouting at Tanish, he came to the latter's rescue, making Mohan Babu lose his temper and use abusive language.

In Sunday's elections, Vishnu was elected MAA President defeating Prakash Raj by 109 votes. The Vishnu panel won the key posts of General Secretary, Treasurer, one Vice President and one Joint Secretary. In the elections held for the 18 Executive Committee members, the Vishnu panel bagged 10 seats, whereas the opposing camp won the remaining eight.

Megastar Chiranjeevi's brother Naga Babu had also announced his resignation late on Monday. He said he was pained to see regionalism and intolerance rocking the apex body of Tollywood.
Jaipur, Oct 12 : Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday came down heavily on the BJP for the comparison being drawn between a Dalit mans killing in Hanumangarh district in the state and the violence in Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh.

"BJP people drawing comparisons without any meaning," Gehlot said while speaking to the media on Tuesday.

After a Dalit man was allegedly beaten to death at Prempura village in Hanumangarh district last week, the BJP on Tuesday sent a delegation of three MLAs to enquire about the matter and collect facts, besides asking why Priyanka Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi keep touring Uttar Pradesh, but never come to Rajasthan.

"The BJP functionaries do not even have any clue as to what should be said or done in what kind of a situation," Gehlot said.

"I am seeing such leaders for the first time. Despite being chief ministerial hopefuls, they are making stupid remarks. Those who say why Priyanka Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi do not come to Rajasthan should know that they are the opposition leaders, and will go to BJP-ruled states. Rajasthan is a Congress-ruled state, so senior BJP leaders should come here. The Prime Minister (Narendra Modi), the Home Minister (Amit Shah) or BJP President J.P. Nadda should visit Rajasthan," he added.

"The Hanumangarh incident is being used to counter the Lakhimpur Kheri incident, which is stupid. They are two different incidents," he added.

Meanwhile, Rajasthan BJP chief Satish Poonia said, "Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot is afraid that if Rahul-Priyanka come to Rajasthan, the law and order situation here will be exposed or maybe they will ask for a cabinet expansion."
Jaipur, Oct 12 : As many as 300 students from Jammu and Kashmir, who have been selected to attend various higher education courses at the Mewar University in Chittorgarh, Rajasthan, were given a warm send-off by the Indian Army at a ceremony held at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC) in Srinagar on Tuesday.

Lt Gen D.P. Pandey, GOC Chinar Corps, was the chief guest at the event.

The Indian Army, in collaboration with Mewar University, has endeavoured to provide quality education to the talented but under-priviledged youth of Jammu and Kashmir through the 'Sadhbhavna' programme.

Mewar University is providing a variety courses, ranging from BTech in civil, mechanical, computer science, IT, and electronics and communication; B.Pharm and BSc in cardiac ccare, ophthalmology, dialysis, radio and imaging tech, agriculture, horticulture and forestry; to diplomas in med lab, and first-aid patient care, among others.

In order to empower the talented students and mitigate the financial burden that may accrue on the families, the Indian Army and the Mewar University have formulated an assistive scholarship programme.

On behalf of the Northern Command Headquarters, Pandey handed over a cheque of Rs. 2.5 crore to Ashok Kumar Gadiya, Chairman, Mewar University.

Addressing the students, Pandey encouraged them to utilise the opportunity and become productive citizens of the society. He emphasised on the importance of a good academic platform and able instructional staff, which in the present instance are being provided by the Mewar University.

He appreciated the efforts put in by the Mewar University under the guidance of Ashok Kumar Gadiya. The GOC also interacted with the past and present Kashmiri students of the university and urged them to further motivate the present batch to excel not only in studies but in other co-curricular activities as well.
New Delhi, Oct 12 : The Centre on Tuesday approved the proposal of the Department of Fertilisers for fixation of nutrient-based subsidy rates for P&K fertilisers for the year 2021-22, i.e., from October 1, 2021 till March 31, 2022, entailing net subsidy for Rabi 2021-22 of Rs 28,655 crore.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved rates for nutrient-based subsidy as Rs 18.789 per kg for nitrogen (N), Rs 45.323 per kg for phosphorus (P), Rs 10.116 for potash (K), and Rs 2.374 for sulphur (S), an officials release said.

The total amount of rollover will be Rs 28,602 crore, the government said, adding: "Special one-time package for additional subsidy on Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) at the tentative additional cost of Rs 5,716 crore would be given".

The government also announced a special one-time package for additional subsidy on three most consumed NPKs grades - NPK 10-26-26, NPK 20-20-0-13 and NPK 12-32-16 - at the tentative cost of Rs 837 crore.

"Therefore, the total subsidy required will be Rs 35,115 crore while the net subsidy required for Rabi 2021-22 after deducting savings will be Rs 28,655 crore," the release said.

The CCEA also approved the inclusion of potash derived from molasses (0:0:14.5:0) under the NBS scheme.

This will enable smooth availability of all P&K fertilisers to the farmers during Rabi Season 2021-22 at the subsidised/affordable prices and support the agricultural sector by continuing the present subsidy levels and giving special packages of additional subsidy for DAP and three mostly consumed NPK grades, the release said.

It will give Rs 438 per bag benefit on DAP and Rs 100 per bag benefit each on NPK 10-26-26, NPK 20-20-0-13, and NPK 12-32-16 so as to keep prices of these fertilisers affordable for the farmers.

The government said it is making available fertilisers, namely urea and 24 grades of P&K fertilisers to the farmers at subsidised prices through fertiliser manufacturers/ importers. The subsidy on P&K fertilisers is being governed by NBS scheme w.e.f. April 1, 2010.

"In accordance with its farmer-friendly approach, the government is committed to ensure the availability of P&K fertilisers to the farmers at affordable prices. The subsidy would be released to fertiliser companies as per above rates so that they can make available fertilisers to farmers at an affordable price than it would have been otherwise," the release added.
New Delhi, Oct 12 : As many as 32 Tihar Jail officials were found complicit with former Unitech promoters and money laundering accused Ajay Chandra and Sanjay Chandra, while they were lodged in the prison, Delhi Police said on Tuesday.

The Enforcement Directorate had, in a report to the Supreme Court, highlighted certain disturbing facts relating to the manner in which the premises of Tihar was misused by the Chandra brothers to carry on business, in connivance with some jail officials.

The financial probe agency had also alleged it had unearthed a "secret underground office" in Delhi being operated by erstwhile Unitech founder Ramesh Chandra and visited by his sons Sanjay and Ajay while on parole or bail.

The apex court, taking note of the ED report, transferred both the brothers from Tihar, to the Arthur Road Jail, Mumbai and Taloja Central Jail, Mumbai.

It had also directed Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana to make an immediate inquiry in the matter, and he had submitted a report on September 28.

On October 6, the SC granted permission to conduct a full-fledged criminal investigation in the matter based on the inquiry conducted by the Delhi Police chief.

"Accordingly, an FIR was registered on Tuesday in the Crime Branch under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act and Indian Penal Code, and investigation has been taken up," an official said.

Sanjay and Ajay Chandra, who are in jail since August 2017, are accused of siphoning off home buyers' money. In October 2017, the apex court had asked the two brothers to deposit Rs 750 crore with the apex court registry by December 31, 2017.

The case pertains to a criminal case filed initially after one complaint was lodged in 2015 which was followed by multiple complaints by 173 other home buyers of Unitech projects -- 'Wild Flower Country' and 'Anthea Project' -- located in Gurugram.

Delhi Police said that 67 FIRs have been filed in the matter.
Freiburg : , Oct 12 (IANS) NexWafe GmbH (NexWafe) on Tuesday announced the induction of Reliance New Energy Solar Ltd (RNESL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Reliance Industries Ltd, as a strategic lead investor in its 39 million euros ($45 million) Series C financing round with an investment of 25 million euros ($29 million) in phase one.

The investment by Reliance will accelerate product and technology development for NexWafe, including completion of the commercial development of NexWafe's solar photovoltaic products on prototype lines in Freiburg.

Reliance and NexWafe have also entered into an India Strategic Partnership Agreement providing for joint technology development and commercialisation, at scale, of high- efficiency monocrystalline "green solar wafers".

Reliance, through this partnership, will secure access to NexWafe's proprietary technology and plans to build large-scale wafer manufacturing facilities in India using the NexWafe processes and technology.

NexWafe is developing and producing monocrystalline silicon wafers grown directly from inexpensive raw materials, going directly from the gas phase to finished wafers. This proprietary process obviates the need for costly and energy intensive intermediate steps such as polysilicon production and ingot pulling on which traditional wafer manufacturing relies.

NexWafe uses in-line manufacturing, both for the formation of an initial release layer as well as for epitaxial deposition of silicon in an atmospheric chemical vapour deposition process.

Its patented technology is expected to drastically cut wafer production costs, making solar photovoltaics the lowest-cost form of renewable energy available.

Reliance's investment in NexWafe further underscores its goal of making India the world's leading green energy provider by leapfrogging existing technology, thus creating the world's most cost- and energy-efficient photovoltaic process at scale.

RIL Chairman Mukesh Ambani said: "We at Reliance have always believed in being ahead of the technology curve in all our businesses. Our partnership with NexWafe testifies to this yet again, as we embark on an ambitious mission to meet affordable green energy needs of India's rapidly growing economy.

"Our investment in NexWafe signals an important step towards accelerating India's green energy transition and positioning India as a global leader in photovoltaic manufacturing. We believe NexWafe's innovative ultra-thin wafer will give solar manufacturers a significant advantage over existing photovoltaic technologies, helping consumers in India and globally realise the benefits of solar energy more quickly and more efficiently.

"For Reliance, our foray into solar and other types of renewable energy is much more than a business opportunity. It is our way of caring for Planet Earth and contributing to the global mission of saving it from the looming climate crisis." NexWafe CEO Davor Sutija said: "With its strategic partnership with NexWafe, Reliance can bring the latest in solar wafer innovation to India while also leveling the global playing field for photovoltaic manufacturers, expanding manufacturing beyond a single source market." NexWafe Chairman Bart Markus added: "Reliance is famed for its ability to create quality products at the most competitive prices, so its commitment to helping us reshape and reinvent the silicon wafer will be, we believe, game-changing for helping the world deploy high-efficiency photovoltaics at scale." Other investors joining Reliance in the Series C Round include InnoEnergy, Lynwood, Saudi Aramco Energy Ventures and other incumbent and new investors, adding another nearly 10 million euros ($12 million) to the round. Additionally, InnoEnergy, will also convert its current debt of 4 million euros ($4.7 million) in NexWafe into equity at the same share price as the Series C Round shares.

ACXIT Capital Partners are acting as the exclusive financial advisor to NexWafe. International law firms GORG and Raeder are acting as legal counsel to the company.

Linklaters acted as the legal advisor and Deloitte as the accounting and tax advisor to Reliance on this transaction.
New Delhi, Oct 13 : The Union Home Ministry on Tuesday began tripartite talks with the Gorkha representatives from the Darjeeling Hills, Terrai and Dooars region of West Bengal to resolve the issues related to Gorkhas.

The Ministry of home affairs said that the ministry began tripartite talks today with the Gorkha representatives from the Darjeeling Hills, Terrai and Dooars region and the Government of West Bengal.

"The talks aimed at resolving the issues related to the Gorkhas were chaired by the Union Minister of Home Affairs, Amit Shah. The Gorkha delegation was led by Darjeeling MP Raju Bisht and highlighted various issues concerning the Gorkhas and the region," the ministry said.

According to the statement, the Union Home Minister listened to all the parties concerned and has decided to call for the second round of talks in the presence of the senior officials of the Government of West Bengal in November 2021.

"The West Bengal Government has been specifically asked to send their senior officials for the next round of talks. The all-round development and prosperity of the Darjeeling hills, Terrai and Dooars region is the top most priority of the Narendra Modi government," the statement said. .

Union Minister of State for home Affairs Nityanand Rai, Union Minister for State for Minority Affairs John Barla, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla, secretary of Ministry of Tribal Affairs Anil Kumar Jha and other senior officials were also present in the meeting.
Mumbai, Oct 13 : Reliance New Energy Solar Limited (RNESL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), and Denmark-based Stiesdal A/S (Stiesdal) signed a cooperation agreement for technology development, and manufacturing of Stiesdal's HydroGen Electrolyzers in India.

The agreement was signed during a state visit of Denmark to India and announced in the presence of Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India and Mette Frederiksen, Prime Minister of Denmark.

Stiesdal is founded by Henrik Stiesdal, a wind power pioneer and leading thought leader in global renewable industry. Stiesdal is engaged in developing and commercializing several technologies to counter climate crisis.

The new technology for HydroGen Electrolyzers has the potential to deliver significant cost reduction compared to currently available technologies thereby paving the way for rapid decarbonization and commercialization of affordable Green Hydrogen - a key enabler in achieving India's green energy transition.

Mukesh Ambani, Chairman of Reliance Industries, had announced ambitious plans of setting up a giga factory for manufacturing of hydrogen electrolyzers in Jamnagar, Gujarat. Through this agreement, RNESL and Stiesdal will combine their strengths and capabilities and collaborate to further advance the technology development of HydroGen Electrolyzers and scale it up to set up manufacturing facilities.

As part of this agreement RNESL and Stiesdal have also agreed to extend their collaboration to development and implementation of other path breaking climate change technologies which include offshore wind energy, next generation fuel cells for conversion of hydrogen to electricity for mobile and static electricity generation, long duration energy storage and production of carbon negative fuels.

Speaking after signing of the agreement, Mukesh Ambani said, "We at Reliance see this cooperation agreement with Stiesdal as yet another opportunity to implement our philosophy of "Caring for the Planet" and "Caring for the People". It is an important step towards fulfilling our commitment to accelerate India's transition to green energy benefitting from our vast solar energy sources and scaling up innovative and leading technologies to meet this objective. We aim to leverage Stiesdal's impressive portfolio of climate technologies to serve India market and work together to make this portfolio a global pace setter. In partnership with Stiesdal, we will strive to achieve our stated goal of offering Hydrogen energy under $1 per kg in 1 decade - the 1-1-1 target for Green Hydrogen. Reliance is committed to making the greatest contribution to the National Hydrogen Mission announced by our Hon'ble Prime Minister Mr Narendra Modi on Independence Day this year. Our vision is to put India on global hydrogen map and fulfil the developmental aspirations of 1.35 billion Indians." Hital Meswani, Executive Director of Reliance Industries, said, "Reliance is committed to realising its stated ambitions in new energy and accelerating the technology development and scale up of world leading technologies. We welcome Stiesdal as our partner and look forward to working together to achieve our goals." Henrik Stiesdal, CEO of Stiesdal A/S, said, "We are excited to enter into this agreement with Reliance New Energy Solar Limited, the New Energy platform of India's largest industrial company. As a company, we are committed to the fight against climate change, seeking to deliver the largest possible impact in the shortest possible time. For us there could be no greater impact than seeing our technology scaled up for use in the world's largest democracy. Production of low-cost hydrogen is a vital strategic element of the green transition in India and the world, and Reliance Industries have the reach and capability to ramp up electrolyzer production to the required levels.

"We are very much looking forward to developing and expanding our cooperation with Reliance New Energy Solar Limited, not only within the field of hydrogen production, but also within the fields of our other climate technologies." The HydroGen Electrolyzer technology is developed by Stiesdal PtX Technologies. It is an effective technology for green hydrogen production at a game-changing cost level. The HydroGen Electrolyzer benefits from a combination of innovative solutions and a thoroughly industrialized approach to product design and achieving maximum economies of scale in both the output from the electrolyzer unit as well as mass production of the electrolyzer itself. Combined with Reliance's deep expertise in innovation, project execution and operational excellence and its world-class talent pool, this partnership will bring affordable green hydrogen to millions of Indians.
Since the tragic events of September 11, 2001, we continue to honor our lost colleagues by supporting causes important to them and to our Alger employees today, 20 years later.

Fred Alger Management, LLC (Alger) today announced a contribution of $160,000 to charities that focus on social justice or are dedicated to addressing inequality.

These donations are made in memory of the 35 colleagues we lost on September 11th. This is the second consecutive year that Alger has donated to these worthy causes.

Employee engagement in social and charitable causes is an important part of our culture at Alger. I am proud to say that our firm prioritizes giving back to organizations that are helping to improve our communities and the world, said Alger CEO and Chief Investment Officer Dan Chung.

The following non-profit organizations will receive $10,000 each from Alger:



All Stars Project

Avenues for Justice

Black Economic Council of Massachusetts (BECMA)

Brooklyn NAACP

Equal Justice Initiative

Jay Heritage Center

New Jersey Institute for Social Justice

New York Civil Liberties Union

NYC Anti-Violence Project

The ACLU Foundation of Massachusetts

The Boston Racial Equity Fund

The Bronx Defenders Bail Reform Initiative

The Brooklyn Hospital Center

The Initiative for a Competitive Inner City

The Knowledge House

The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund

Since the tragic events of September 11, 2001, we continue to honor our lost colleagues by supporting causes important to them and to our Alger employees today, 20 years later. I believe that we can all contribute to a better America by embracing and encouraging equality, giving back to our communities and improving the environment, as our future as a nation depends on it, Dan said.

Algers charitable efforts, including the Alger Candlelight Giving Program and the firms Matching Gift Program, are additional ways that Alger and its employees are dedicated to giving back to the community and supporting those who are underserved. Algers Candlelight Giving Program, established in 2007, is managed by Alger personnel with the goal of creating meaningful volunteer opportunities and enabling the firm to positively engage with the community. For a full list of Algers charitable efforts, visit Algers website.

About Alger

Founded in 1964, Alger is widely recognized as a pioneer of growth-style investment management. Headquartered in New York City with affiliate offices in Boston and London, Alger provides U.S. and non-U.S. institutional investors and financial advisors access to a suite of growth equity separate accounts, mutual funds, and privately offered investment vehicles. The firms investment philosophy, discovering companies undergoing Positive Dynamic Change, has been in place for over 50 years. Weatherbie Capital, LLC, a Boston-based investment adviser specializing in small and mid-cap growth equity investing is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Alger. For more information, please visit http://www.alger.com.
Private LTE and 5G networks represent a pivotal opportunity to shape a new technology landscape for smarter and more secure communications.

Alpha Wireless, a global leader in antenna solutions, today announced the company has joined the recently established Anterix Active Ecosystem Program. In collaboration with Anterix and their partners, Alpha Wireless is advancing deployment and operation of private LTE networks in Anterixs 900 MHz spectrum, enabling smarter, more secure critical infrastructure.

With spectrum in the 900 MHz band now available for broadband, many utilities are exploring the possibilities of advanced communications for modernizing their grids and optimizing operations. Low-band LTE networks are ideally suited to real-time monitoring and active control of energy distribution systems, allowing increased scalability, performance and efficiency. Moreover, private networks provide additional security against mounting cyber-attacks threatening critical infrastructure throughout the U.S.

Alpha Wireless is supporting the goals of the Anterix Active Ecosystem Program with delivery of industry-leading, high-gain antennas operating in the 900 MHz band, as well as dual-band antennas that support both 900 MHz and Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) spectrum on a single antenna. With the broadest range of antenna technology available, including 3.5 GHz / 900 MHz antennas as well as engineered site specific solutions, Alpha Wireless is uniquely positioned to meet the technical requirements of private LTE deployments and rural broadband initiatives, reducing the costs of provisioning while increasing performance.

Private LTE and 5G networks represent a pivotal opportunity to shape a new technology landscape for smarter and more secure communications, said Fergal Lawlor, Chief Executive Officer, Alpha Wireless. Working in partnership with Anterix and their ecosystem initiative, we are bringing the performance of carrier-grade antennas to a broad range of utilities, service providers, municipalities and enterprises that can reap significant benefits from operating private networks in the 900 MHz spectrum.

At Anterix, we are focused on delivering transformative broadband that enables the modernization of our nation's electric grid with secure, resilient and customer-controlled operations, said Carlos LAbbate, Chief Technology and Engineering Officer, Anterix. We welcome the collaboration of Alpha Wireless to help us develop and provide the vital wireless solutions that will shape the future of private LTE broadband.

To learn more about industry-leading antenna solutions from Alpha Wireless, visit Booth 26 during the UBBA Summit & LTE Plugfest 2021 to be held October 19-21 in St. Louis.

About Alpha Wireless

Alpha Wireless delivers a full range of innovative antenna solutions, helping mobile and fixed wireless service providers maximize coverage, capacity and cost-efficiency. Bringing more than 15 years experience to the delivery of quality antennas, including the broadest portfolio of 3.5 GHz solutions, Alpha Wireless is enabling a smooth evolution from 4G/LTE networks to 5G. We work closely with network operators, system integrators, OEMs, utilities and municipalities to design solutions that overcome environmental and economic challenges while preserving the natural landscape. Based in Ireland with offices in Australia and the U.S., Alpha Wireless delivers to 47 countries worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.alphawireless.com.


"As the Association mission says, with awareness, alertness, and action, we have changed the day to day lives of New Yorkers." - NYS Assembly Member Tom Abinanti (D-AD92)

Please join our annual awards and fundraising gala. The Halloween themed Zoom gala is free of charge to attend. As usual, Brenda Tremblay of WXXI-FM Classical 91.5 will be your guide for the evening. This years award winners are doing wonderful work for everyone afflicted with life threatening allergies in New York State. We'll also be joined by the amazing Alan Hudson, Virtual Magician Extraordinaire! Alan will show us allergy safe ways to trick our way through the Halloween seasonand all without any treats!

Through your contributions and sponsorship, we can better advance our program of awareness, alertness and action. Your generosity will change the lives of every day New Yorkers as they manage life threatening allergies.

This year the Dr. John J. Condemi Award will go to Dr. Kirsi Jarvinen-Seppo, Chief of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology at the University of Rochester Medical Center. Dr. Jarvinen-Seppo's clinical, research, and advocacy work on behalf of those with life-threatening allergies has made our community much safer. She has been instrumental in the development and success of our flagship program, Epi Near You New York, a New York State approved anaphylaxis emergency training program.

The John J. Condemi Award is given to medical professionals who have improved life, health and hope for individuals and families with life-threatening allergies through clinical treatment and new research.

The 2021 Ruth T. Cornell Award will be awarded to Maya Konoff, a college junior whose outstanding advocacy work has helped enact important legislation at the local, state and national level. Mayas personal advocacy is a powerful example for everyone at risk for anaphylaxis everywhere.

The Ruth T. Cornell Award is given to those who have had a significant impact on their community through sustained commitment to advocacy and education.

Register and/or donate here.

Find more information here.

Press Contact: Toni Taylor, tonitaylor@allergyadvocacyassociation.org, 646-382-8064

Sponsorship Contact: Patrick Morris, patrickmorris@allergyadvocacyassociation.org, 202-210-8440
We are committed to creating innovative connectivity solutions to help our customers meet the demands of new technology worldwide, said Bob Stone, VP of Global Product.

APG Cash Drawer, a fast-growing global manufacturer of cash management solutions, announced today the release of a new USB interface: the USBPro 554B Interface. This interface extends the companys family of mobility and software integration solutions to provide retailers more visibility and flexibility with the operation of their cash drawer.

We are committed to creating innovative connectivity solutions to help our customers meet the demands of new technology worldwide, said Bob Stone, VP of Global Product. The USBPro 554B interface release enhances our support for Windows 10, Android, Linux, and Mac OS X 10.5+, making it the first cash drawer interface of its kind for retailers. Features include seamless integration with Windows 10 Power Management and other benefits that point-of-sale providers can use to provide systems that allow retail and hospitality businesses to stay informed and focused on creating meaningful sales interactions.

By sourcing electricity through the connected device, cash drawers with this interface eliminate the need for external power; keeping retailers sales counters uncluttered and freeing up expensive serial ports, said Ron Stephenson, Connectivity Manager at APG. The USB 554B Interface provides real-time reporting with event-based logic (i.e. automatic notification of drawer open and close events, even when manually opened with a key). This provides higher security than typical cash drawer interface technologies, preventing unauthorized devices from opening the drawer.

The 554B interface provides headache-free connectivity, while its advanced HID application libraries allow for easy device identification and integration; saving you time and frustration through the installation process, continued Stephenson. Troubleshooting and set-up are made easy with a diagnostic LED, empowering retailers to respond quickly to inconsistencies.

Available in Vasario, Series 4000, and Series 100 cash drawers, the USBPro 554B interface provides a sophisticated, plug-and-play solution and is available now through APGs channel and distribution partners. For more information, please call 763-571-5000 or email us at sales@us.cashdrawer.com

About APG Cash Drawer  APG Cash Drawer, with over 40 years of experience, manufactures a wide range of highly durable and reliable cash drawers that are delivered quickly to the marketplace. APG has built a reputation as the supplier of choice for cash management solutions for retail, grocery, hospitality, and quick serve for thousands of customers throughout the world. Whether its our general application cash drawer, custom designed solutions, or the SMARTtill Cash Management Solution, our products and brand are differentiated by our ability to deliver innovative technologies that globally enhance efficiency and security at the point of sale. To learn more about our products, visit http://www.cashdrawer.com/ or call at 763-571-5000. Follow us on Twitter at @apgcashdrawer and on Facebook.
In the face of uncertainty, theres a unique opportunity for hiring organizations to develop more candidate-centric recruitment marketing strategies that will remain relevant for years to come. We hope this report helps inform these strategies," said Andrew Flowers, labor economist at Appcast.

Appcast, the global leader in programmatic recruitment advertising technology and services, today unveiled its Top Recruiting Trends for 2022 report. As organizations continue to navigate an unusual and unpredictable job market and employers struggle to meet hiring objectives, the new Appcast report breaks down the latest labor and recruitment market trends, forecasts the future of hiring, and provides actionable guidance to help organizations prepare effective recruiting strategies for 2022.

Insights revealed in the report include:



The current job seekers market will continue well into the new year, which increases the urgency for employers to streamline their application and decision-making processes

Hiring recruiters will continue to be challenging as the demand for talent acquisition professionals has skyrocketed over the past year; hiring from within, within HR specifically, is the most reliable method for filling recruiter roles

As the trend of higher wages and salaries is projected to continue, signing bonuses alone are not a reliable way to attract more candidates

A Job Seekers Market Will Continue

For a variety of reasons  including higher wages, hiring incentives and an increase in the vaccination rate (and therefore a greater level of comfort for employees)  it is likely there will be a slight uptick in the number of applicants in 2022. However, overall, finding qualified job candidates will remain a significant challenge because work opportunities are now plentiful for both skilled and unskilled professionals across various industries and job functions, tilting the market in the favor of job seekers. Because candidates are frequently exploring multiple employment offers, time to hire will take on new importance for employers, increasing the urgency for streamlining job application processes and agile decision making.

To navigate this job seekers market, Appcast highlights a couple of candidate-centric tips: shorter application processes and better mobile application processes. Appcast Research finds that a mobile apply time of less than five minutes results in a higher apply rate (a key recruitment marketing metric that measures conversions from click to submitted application on a job ad). Since mobile has now overtaken desktop as the preferred device, an efficient mobile apply process is now essential. In addition, hiring managers should consider tactics to expedite the interview process, like confirming education and other credentials during the interview phase, rather than as a separate step, or limiting the number of people that participate in candidate interviews.

Recruiting for Recruiters

In the current employment marketplace, talent acquisition professionals are also difficult to find, which further exacerbates the hiring challenges for organizations. Insights from LinkedIn reveal the demand for recruiters increased nearly seven-fold from June 2020 to June 2021. Appcast Research finds three times as many employers were looking to fill recruiter jobs in August 2021 compared to January 2021, with apply rates for recruiter jobs trending downward month-over-month, which indicates the situation will not improve any time soon.

LinkedIn research also shows that the primary source of new recruiters comes from other functions within human resources, so recruiting internally may be a viable option for many companies. Furthermore, no matter the labor market, employee referrals continue to be the number one way to hire. Therefore, companies should enlist their existing workforce for external searches by implementing an internal, diversity-focused employee referral program.

Not All Pay Is Paying Off

The trend of higher wages and salaries in the current labor market is unlikely to reverse in the near term. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the mismatch between candidate supply and demand has resulted in sharp increases in pay, especially for the hardest-hit industries like food services, with restaurant wages rising more than 46% over the past three years.

Signing bonuses will also remain popular although, like wages, they are only part of the financial equation for job seekers, and arent a stand-alone or sure-fire way to drive applications. In fact, Appcast Research analyzed a representative sample of job ads from January 1, 2021 through July 31, 2021 and found job ads with signing bonus language saw lower apply rates than job ads without signing bonus language (3.4% with a signing bonus vs. 5.5% without a signing bonus). Across job functions and industries where signing bonus language is popular in job ads, such as transportation, hospitality and healthcare, the results were similar  job ads with signing bonus language had lower apply rates.

There are various possible causes for this trend: these jobs may be especially difficult to fill; the signing bonuses offered may not be substantial enough; or there may be a requirement that employees remain with the company for a period of time before signing bonuses are paid. Either way, its critical that organizations keep an eye on what their talent competition is paying to attract the same candidates. This includes wages and salaries, signing bonuses and benefits that have a tangible financial value.

Talent professionals across every industry want to know when the employment marketplace will stop reflecting the impact of the pandemic. Unfortunately, in 2022, its unlikely the labor market will fully normalize, said Andrew Flowers, labor economist at Appcast. However, in the face of uncertainty, theres a unique opportunity for hiring organizations to develop more candidate-centric recruitment marketing strategies that will remain relevant for years to come. We hope this report helps inform these strategies.

To download Appcasts Top Recruiting Trends for 2022 report, go to: https://info.appcast.io/whitepaper/recruiting-trends-for-2022-pr

About Appcast

Appcast is the global leader in programmatic recruitment advertising technology and services. With advanced technology, unmatched market data and a team of the industrys best recruitment marketers, Appcasts technology and services manage over half a billion dollars in job advertising annually on behalf of more than 1,500 clients. Headquartered in Lebanon, N.H. with offices in Boston, Mass., New Brunswick, Canada and Minsk, Belarus, Appcast is a subsidiary of StepStone, one of the worlds largest job classified businesses, and a proud member of the Axel Springer SE family. To learn more, visit https://www.appcast.io/ and follow on Twitter @appcast_io.
Arizona Land Consulting and ForeOptics, two successfully independent and female-owned companies, have joined forces to create ForeSite, a new turnkey solution that combines real estate selection with full-service operations and supply chain management for companies that are expanding operations in or moving to Arizona, specifically the Phoenix area.

Due to unique and vast land opportunities, low taxes and a reasonable cost of living, its been reported that nearly 300 U.S. and national companies are currently looking to expand their operations or relocate to the state, and that number is expected to grow. Establishing a new facility can be a complex and daunting task, as a business typically needs to identify suitable land, optimal infrastructure and have access to a talented workforce as well as go through the zoning and entitlement process, identify a land developer, establish operational processes and systems, and select the necessary equipment.

Anita Verma-Lallian, founder of Arizona Land Consulting and Seema Phull, CEO of ForeOptics, have both been successfully providing these services independently and have now teamed up to provide a seamless solution between land acquisition and operationally standing up an organization.

We both have a passion for economic development and growth, and we are thrilled to be able to bring our unique skill sets together to offer this important service to the hundreds of businesses flocking to Arizona, said Phull. We will use our resources and our suppliers to expedite and streamline the process for these companies, and to help make a positive impact on our great state.

The new partnership offers clients a unique and immense level of guidance and support, from evaluating Arizonas market for the organization's expansion or relocation to scaling the organizations operations and hiring. A ForeSite solution includes real estate selection, full-service operations and supply chain management capabilities, such as optimized factory and distribution layout, streamlined processes and systems and establishment of a talented workforce.

The Arizona real estate and job market is absolutely nuts right now  there is so much happening, said Verma-Lallian. There is lots of development and everyone is backlogged and short-staffed. We have the connections, the insights and the know-how to help companies who want to establish operations in Arizona get the right deal done quickly.

For more information and to book a consultation, please contact ForeSite@foreoptics.com.

ABOUT ARIZONA LAND CONSULTING

Arizona Land Consulting is a Phoenix-based land investment and consulting company that specializes in commercial real estate, founded by Anita Verma-Lallian. You can view more information at https://arizonalandconsulting.com/.

ABOUT FOREOPTICS

The ForeOptics team serves as strategic partners to many large and mid-sized companies. You can view more information at https://www.foreoptics.com/.
CEO Ilaria Petitto states We are proud of the hard work and incredible results we have achieved thanks to Riccardo Cottarellas guide, and we are now thrilled to announce our partnership with Colangelo & Partners to strengthen our presence in the United States."

The Italian winery Donnachiara, producer of Campanias renowned region Irpinias wines has announced that Colangelo & Partners, a fine wine, spirits, and food-focused integrated communications agency, will be its agency of record to develop and execute a comprehensive communications strategy targeted to key media, trade and consumers. The partnership will engage new and current consumers through strategic media relations and events. The campaign will grow and leverage Donnachiaras brand awareness in the US market, which continues to present new opportunities.

Donnachiara, located in the province of Avellino, very close to Montefalcione, produces Irpinias DOCG wines, i.e. Fiano di Avellino, Taurasi and Greco di Tufo, as well as the traditional Aglianico and Falanghina wines. Such production follows a tradition that has been pursued by the Petitto family, who founded the company in 2005, and remains operational still today.

Donnachiara is a modern winery that boasts vineyards dating back to the 1900s and is led by an almost all female management team, including the current CEO Ilaria Petitto, who has committed herself to the art of winemaking and following a family tradition that would have been, otherwise, lost. Ilaria is supported by her mother Chiara, the niece of Donna Chiara Mazzarelli Petitto, to whom the winerys name is dedicated.

Donnachiara benefits from the expert guide of oenologist Riccardo Cotarella, among the most well-known and respected in Italy. Thanks to his long-standing experience, great professionalism, wide knowledge of the territory and ability to interpret it, he has brought Donnachiara wines to even higher quality.

Its an honor for me to work with Donnachiaras team. Over the course of my life, Ive always prioritized the human aspect of the people I work with, and in the Petitto family, I immediately found a lot of passion, ambition and determination, which made me excited to work with the winery and help the team achieve the results they deserve, says Riccardo Cotarella.

CEO Ilaria Petitto states, We are proud of the hard work and incredible results we have achieved thanks to Riccardo Cottarellas guide, and we are now thrilled to announce our partnership with Colangelo & Partners to strengthen our presence in the United States." She continues, The US is a growing and important market for Irpinia wines and we are ready to continue our commitment to communications and expanding distribution.

Were honored to be adding this historic company with its high-quality wines to our Italian portfolio, comments Colangelo & Partners President Gino Colangelo. We look forward to helping build the Donnachiara brand and supporting Ilaria and the Petitto family with their US business.

For more information about Donnachiara, please contact Noemi Mengo nmengo@colangelopr.com or Daniela Porro dporro@colangelopr.com

About Donnachiara

Donnachiara winery is currently managed by Ilaria Petitto and her mother Chiara, the third generation of the family for which the winery is named. Established in 2005 this winery pays strict attention to detail, nature, & sustainable production at its vineyards. Donnachiara produces Irpinias three DOCG wines along with 20 Hectares of Aglianico, the largest single block vineyard in all of the Avellino province. Donnachiara wines represent the best expression of the made in Campania region drawing strength from their origins, style, and culture. https://www.donnachiara.com/

About Colangelo & Partners

Colangelo & Partners specializes in premium food, wine, and spirits brands, and has long established relationships with the key press that drive these business categories and help determine the industry leaders. Agency principals have years of experience in retail and distribution as well as communications, a rare combination that gives Colangelo & Partners invaluable insights into consumer purchasing behavior. The agency focuses on 'closing the loop' between creative communications programs, distribution, promotion, publicity, and the consumer in order to maximize the efficiency of its communications programs and deliver measurable results. http://www.colangelopr.com/
The choice to join forces with CDP was made easy the more we realized we were aligning with a team whose values, culture, and dedication to a higher purpose - a mission to bring exemplary dental care to communities who are normally underserved - was perfectly aligned with ours.

Community Dental Partners (CDP), known for its dedication to bringing high-quality dental care to the underserved in over 39 supported locations across Texas, announces a new partnership with 3C Dental Group, a dental support organization with 20 locations equally dedicated to making excellent dental care accessible to all. CDP as an organization lends its support to dentists and now partners with other dental support organizations (DSO) like 3C Dental Group. This partnership allows for a ripple effect of incredible patient care experience to spread across the often rural areas of their supported Texas practices.

Says Emmet Scott, co-founder of Community Dental Partners, Dr. Dhaval Thakkar and Kelly Thakkar have built an organization that is perfectly aligned with the culture and quality of care that is part of Community Dental Partners model and mission. We are so excited about this win-win work that allows us to provide them the support needed to expand their reach, supporting more underserved patients, while we learn in return from their invaluable expertise in the adult dentistry space.

Says Dr. Craig Copeland of CDP, We are regularly recognized for our work in the pediatric dentistry space, but with this new partnership well be able to expand not only our clinical vision, but our mission to support even more adults who are currently without the dental care they need and deserve.

Says Dr. Dhaval Thakkar, DMD, Owner of 3C Dental Group, The choice to join forces with CDP was made easy the more we realized we were aligning with a team whose values, culture, and dedication to a higher purpose - a mission to bring exemplary dental care to communities who are normally underserved - was perfectly aligned with ours.

With this merger and collaboration, Im confident well be able to create a bigger impact with 3C's vision of serving patients and team members.

Adds co-founder of CDP Dr. Chad Evans, As we bring more practices under our support umbrella via our partnership with 3C Dental Group, it means more patients will be getting better access to care and increased experience around their dental care. I really cant think of a better or more important thing we could be doing as an organization because that is who we are and what we do - we do everything we can to provide the best possible care and best possible experience to patients. To watch that mission in motion feels exciting!

The Community Dental Partners mission and consistent expansion has been regularly recognized in the media and by their peers. This partnership with 3C Dental Group marks the latest in the expansion of not just their footprint across Texas but their dedication to serving those who need them most.

Those hoping to learn more about Community Dental Partners services can visit them online at CommunityDentalPartners.com

About 3C Dental Group:

Based in Houston and supporting 20 locations across Texas, 3C Dental Group is a dentist owned and led organization founded by Dr. Dhaval Thakkar in 2012. 3Cs goal-driven organization holds high standards for culture including core values such as: integrity, empathy, respect, gratitude, and advancement. Their vision is to provide quality and professional dental care delivered with the utmost care, comfort and convenience (three Cs) for their local communities.

About Community Dental Partners:

Founded in 2010 and headquartered in Denton, Texas, Community Dental Partners (CDP) is a Dental Support Organization (DSO) led by a mixed team of dental and business veterans working together to solve the needs of todays modern dental professionals. CDP was designed for dentists by dentists who recognized the need to partner with responsible business experts. The DSO offers an entirely innovative service option for the dental industry as they partner with dentists so they can preserve, grow, and enjoy their practice even more than they do today. CDPs unique model includes clinical and business guidance, technology, resources, and relationships that enable their clients to focus on their passion and delegate the areas of the business that dont give them energy.
Daniel Matalon Being able to work with other civic leaders to improve the safety of Cobb County citizens extends A 2nd Chances mission to support the communities in which we work and live,

A 2nd Chance Bail Bonds, an established bail bonding agency with locations throughout the metro Atlanta area, today announces the appointment of founder Daniel Matalon to the Cobb County Neighborhood Safety Commission (NSC). The commission works to improve residential and commercial safety throughout the county by providing information and programs specific to Internet safety, gang awareness, crime and fire prevention and disaster support.

Being able to work with other civic leaders to improve the safety of Cobb County citizens extends A 2nd Chances mission to support the communities in which we work and live, says Matalon. I look forward to helping the citizens of Cobb County learn more about what they can do to keep their own families and businesses safe.

Cobb Country District 2 Commissioner Jerica Richardson, whose district includes Smyrna, Vinings, East Cobb, Cumberland CID, and parts of unincorporated Cobb County, selected Matalon from a group of citizens who had expressed interest in public safety and service to the community.

I selected Daniel because he brings a unique perspective to the Neighborhood Safety Commission and has innovative ideas about how to approach public safety and the criminal justice system, said Commissioner Richardson. His passion, wisdom and perseverance is a combination that is hard to find.

The 15-member NSC elects its own officers and the group voted Matalon, who will serve a three-year term beginning September 30, 2021, as the organizations secretary.

About A 2nd Chance Bail Bonds

A 2nd Chance Bail Bonds is a trusted bail bonding agency with locations throughout the metropolitan Atlanta area. The company also provides services nationwide and has helped thousands of clients prepare for criminal defense from home instead of jail. Representatives are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to explain the bonding process. The family-owned firm, which was founded in 2007 by Daniel Matalon, is one of the largest and fastest-growing bonding agencies in metro Atlanta. For more information, please visit http://www.a2ndchancebailbonds.com.
Dr. Keeble (left), of Buehler, the new President of IMS was presented an IMS appreciation award plaque by outgoing President of IMS Daniel Dennies, FASM (right), principal and CEO, DMS Inc. Dr. Keeble, When I moved to the USA in 2015, I was impressed by the dedication, knowledge & professionalism of the IMS community. I became a Director to support the good works and to help drive this world-class Society forward. As President, I will continue to work hard to advance the IMS mission."

Dr. Mike Keeble, Buehler US Laboratory & Technology Manager has been named President of the International Metallographic Society (IMS) at the International Materials Applications and Technologies Conference in St. Louis, Missouri, September 2021. Since, 1993, the IMS is an Affiliate Society of ASM International. He will represent the IMS at ASM International annual meetings and other industry events.

Dr. Mike Keeble a Lifetime of Commitment to Materials Research

Dr. Keeble has been serving as Buehlers US Laboratories and Technology Manager since 2015. Prior to that Dr. Keeble was based in the United Kingdom where he held the position of Buehlers Laboratory and Technology Manager for 11 years. Dr. Keeble graduated from the University of Wales, Swansea with an Honors degree in Materials Science and Engineering. He gained his Masters degree in creep properties of steels and his PhD in mechanical testing and FE modeling of partially molten aluminum alloys.

Prior to joining Buehler, Mike worked as a Research Scientist in the Advanced Metallics division of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency, now QinetiQ. His work ranged from fatigue, damage tolerance, and failure analysis of aerospace materials to the development of novel manufacturing processes in powder metallurgy. He has also served as an Honorary Lecturer at Birmingham University and Visiting Academic within Warwick University. He is an active member of ASM International as well as standards organizations such as ASTM in metallography and hardness testing and is currently the chair of the ASTM sub-committee on Metallography.

Dr. Keeble noted, When I moved to the USA in December 2015, I was impressed by the dedication, knowledge and professionalism of the IMS community, and became a Director right away to support the good work already in progress, and to help drive this world-class Society forwards with the incredibly rapid technological developments we continue to see. I also was impressed with how Buehlers founders and management have been leaders in both the formation and maintenance of ASM and the IMS for more than 75 years. As President, I will continue to work hard to advance the mission of the IMS organization.

Dr. Keeble Leads Buehlers ASM - IMS Partnership

The IMS society was created in 1967 after it was recognized that the sharing and rigorous examination of proper metallographic techniques was vital to the effective development of advanced materials. The objective of the IMS is to advance the art and science of metallography and materials characterization by disseminating information via technical meetings, journals, and education courses. Buehler has a long relationship with the IMS, as well as ASM International, and the company works together to promote best practice, and to provide training and information to the Materials Science community. Buehler is a partner to ASM International, having supported the laboratory at the ASM World Training Center in Novelty, Ohio. Buehler have also sponsored the Grand Prize of the International Metallographic Contest - the Pierre Jacquet / Francis F. Lucas Award  since 1976.

For more information on Buehler visit http://www.buehler.com.

For information on IMS or ASM International visit http://www.asminternational.org.

###

ABOUT BUEHLER

Buehler, a global industrial manufacturer of value-added materials sample preparation consumables, metallographic and hardness testing equipment. The company is celebrating 85 years and is proud of its participation in the industrial revolution with the early automotive and aviation manufacturers. Buehler, is a division of Illinois Tool Works (ITW), is based in Lake Bluff, Illinois and has worldwide sales distribution in over 100 countries with 45 Buehler Solutions Centers. In 2006, Buehler was acquired by ITW, an industrial conglomerate and joined its Test and Measurement group.

Buehler maintains an extensive network of laboratory, sales, distributors and service teams that are available to meet with customers worldwide. For additional information on the Buehler product offering visit http://www.buehler.com or contact Buehler at marketing@buehler.com.

ABOUT ITW

ITW is a global, Fortune 200 company with 51,000 employees across 56 countries. In 2006, Buehler was acquired by ITW, a developer and processor of engineered components, industrial systems and consumables. For additional information on ITW please visit http://www.itw.com.
Our Duthie Power offices in Long Beach have a Trystar manual transfer switch because we like the ease with which we can quickly connect a generator.

Part of Duthie Power Services success as Southern Californias generator experts stems from building valuable relationships in the emergency power industry for over fifty years. Trystar, a Minnesota-based manufacturer of power distribution equipment, is one such partner Duthie is proud to announce will be helping the Duthie Power team provide customers with manual transfer switches.

American-made and built to last in extreme weather (Minnesotans would know!), Trystars manual transfer switches are an ideal hookup for businesses who utilize portable generators.

While many commercial buildings are equipped with permanent backup generators on their premises, for others its more practical to secure a rental generator for emergency backup power. For those property owners, installing a manual transfer switch ensures quick and easy hookup of a rental generator using Trystars built-in camlock connections.

Some of our customers with facilities in more remote areas prefer a manual transfer switch over an automatic transfer switch. Its really personal preference; in fact, our Duthie Power offices in Long Beach have a Trystar manual transfer switch because we like the ease with which we can quickly connect a generator, says Erik Duthie, General Manager of Duthie Power Services.

Trystar produces a wide range of electrical components, ranging from transformers and power distribution panels to switchgear and ATS units, as well as industrial power cable. While serving different parts of the emergency power market, the Trystar and Duthie Power teams share many corporate values: a commitment to offering tailored customer service (no one-size-fits all approach); nurturing a flexible, team-based approach to ensure deadlines are always met; and recruiting top talent to provide industry-leading expertise.

As George Atsidakos, Director of Sales  Critical Facilities explains, Being a values-driven company has always been a priority for us. Like any competitive business, as much as were aimed at growth and serving our customers, we also value supporting our employees so they find working at Trystar rewarding and fulfilling.

Duthie Power has over fifty-five years of experience in repairing, installing, and renting generators to Southern California. Duthies technicians can service all makes and models of generators, so they know how to tailor their recommendations to customers. For example, if a commercial property owner doesnt have the budget for installation permits and maintenance on a permanent generator set, they would be an excellent candidate for installing a Trystar Manual Transfer Switch.

As Duthie Power Sales Engineer Pete Thornton explains, For example, certain cities with a water well would want a manual transfer switch so they can hook up their power to a water well. It also comes down to the level of experience a property owner has with backup power. If youre inexperienced, an automatic transfer switch is preferable, albeit more costly. If youre comfortable around a generator, manual is the way to go.

The generator industry continues to grow as extreme weather events become more frequent and aging infrastructure leaves many without reliable power sources. So, too, will the partnership between Duthie Power and Trystar continue to grow so everyone has access to reliable power when they need it.
The growing demand for more video across multiple platforms combined with the need for flexible, remote workflows, has made EditShare the go-to solutions provider for versatile collaborative media workflows, states EditShare Chief Revenue Officer, Said Bacho.

EditShare, a technology leader that delivers software solutions enabling storytellers to create and manage collaborative media workflows, is once again expanding its rapidly growing business, which has recorded back to back Q2/Q3 record quarters and year over year revenue increase, to better serve its customers and channel partners with key hires in sales, sales operations, and service assurance.

The growing demand for more video across multiple platforms combined with the need for flexible, remote workflows, has made EditShare the go-to solutions provider for versatile collaborative media workflows, states EditShare Chief Revenue Officer, Said Bacho. We are investing in customer and partner-facing teams to ensure our growing customer base continues to receive expert guidance on how they can best leverage EditShares open solutions to scale their business and media platforms, whether it's on-premise, in the cloud or in a hybrid configuration.

Global Sales Team Expansion

EditShares investment in its sales team will enable the company to expand its market reach into new territories in the Americas, EMEA, and APAC. Joining Team Orange, are video savvy professionals with years of sales experience in the media industry: Vincent Eade, Regional Sales Director, Northern Europe, (based in UK); Michele Dwayk, Regional Sales Director, Middle East and Africa, (based in Dubai); Cristiano Barbieri, Regional Sales Director, Latin America (based in Brazil); Stefan Elbert, Regional Sales Manager, DACH (based in Germany); and Didier Gault, Regional Sales Manager, Southern Europe (based in France).

EditShare Sales Operations and Global Service Assurance Leadership

Newly appointed UK-based Director of Sales Operations, Simon Gatt, ensures EditShare Sales and Channel Partners have the sales enablement tools they require to deliver the world-class experience EditShare customers have come to expect. Tasked with enriching the channel partner program, Gatt will leverage his twenty plus years of experience to drive partner focused activities that enhance channel partner business opportunities and customer engagements globally.

EditShares Global Service Assurance remit goes beyond the break/fix support model. It employs data analytics to proactively manage issues and improve the overall customer experience. The strategic approach ensures that all customers, no matter where they are located, receive a premier EditShare experience. Leading the team is newly appointed US-based Director of Global Service Assurance, Lon Barrett, an experienced executive with a proven track record of leading high-performance technical teams around the world.

For more information on EditShare solutions to enable your media workflow, please visit https://editshare.com/get-started/.

About EditShare

EditShare is a technology leader that enables collaborative media workflows on-premise, in the cloud, or in a hybrid configuration. With customer and partner success at the heart of EditShares core values, our open software solutions and robust APIs improve workflow collaboration and third-party integrations across the entire production chain, ensuring a world-class experience that is second to none. The high-performance software lineup includes media optimized shared storage management, archiving and backup, and media management, all supported with open APIs for extensible integration.

2021 EditShare LLC. All rights reserved. EditShare is a registered trademark of EditShare.
Inc. 5000 #512 From the Fortune 10 to digital agencies and consultancies...our resource-driven strategy of executing world-class consulting and staffing has resonated with our clients. We are immensely grateful for their support, said Adam Morgan, co-founder and CEO, Elevate Digital.

National technology services firm Elevate Digital, announced the company earned its place on the Inc. 5000 2021 list, which recognizes the top 1% of privately-held companies in the nation.

Over the past three years, Elevate Digital experienced 963% growth, a significant milestone when considering the many challenges all businesses faced in 2020 due to the pandemic.

Since its inception in 2015, Elevate Digital has experienced more than 60% annual growth on average. Elevate Digital is continuing its hyper-growth focused strategy, actively expanding their consulting and staffing practices while launching a new emerging talent/training division in 2021.

In addition to being the 512th fastest growing, privately-held company in the United States, Elevate Digital finished as the 14th fastest growing company (in any industry) in North Carolina and the 7th fastest in Charlotte.

At the core of its business, Elevate Digital plays a critical role in helping clients accelerate, deploy and optimize next-generation customer engagement technologies to drive a better overall experience for their customers. Elevates clients have monetized this experience, delivering returns in excess of 25% above market across their entire client portfolio.

Our team has shown a continuous commitment to driving results for our clients and helping them monetize their client experiences. From the Fortune 10 to digital agencies and consultancies...our resource-driven strategy of executing world-class consulting and staffing has resonated with our clients. We are immensely grateful for their support, said Adam Morgan, co-founder and CEO, Elevate Digital. Like so many other companies, the pandemic forced us to stop and validate our approach and our model. I couldnt be prouder of our team for not only never letting one person go, but for thriving and hiring at a record pace for us.

Since 2015, Elevate Digital has helped more than 100 companies (such as ExxonMobil, UnitedHealth, Primo Water, Sabre, Krispy Kreme and CapGemini) deploy next generation customer engagement strategies focused on driving revenue and creating more innovative customer experiences.

Scott Omelianuk, editor-in-chief of Inc., says, The 2021 Inc. 5000 list feels like one of the most important rosters of companies ever compiled. Building one of the fastest-growing companies in America in any year is a remarkable achievement. Building one in the crisis weve lived through is just plain amazing. This kind of accomplishment comes with hard work, smart pivots, great leadership, and the help of a whole lot of people.

Among the 5,000 companies included on this years list, the average median three-year growth rate soared to 543%, and median revenue reached $11.1 million. Together, those companies added more than 610,000 jobs over the past three years. Complete results of the Inc. 5000, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, region and other criteria, can be found at http://www.inc.com/inc5000/2021.
Latinas in Aviation Magazine releases its second issue this month. The publication promotes diversity, inclusion and equality for Latinas in the aviation, aerospace, and space industries. We are so proud to once again share these uplifting stories of the brave and strong Latinas. And, we want to continue uncovering new stories and encouraging other young Latinas to enter the aviation field through the resources that we list in every issue.

After its successful debut this March, Latinas in Aviation Magazine lands with its second issue this October filled with positive and personal stories of Hispanic women breaking barriers within the aviation industry.

Published by Fig Factor Media, the publication presents profiles done by special correspondents, news and trends, a student tool kit resources, a PILOTINA Forum and a section called Wisdom from the Sky. The creation of this magazine was inspired by the book Latinas in Aviation also by Fig Factor Media. The anthology, which is featured in three aviation museums in New York, Texas and Maryland, is a collection of stories from Latinas documenting their triumphs, challenges and experiences.

This magazine is giving Latinas ways to spread their wings by sharing the intricacies, challenges and successes of what they do in the aviation field, said Jacqueline S. Ruiz, CEO of Fig Factor Media. We are so proud to once again share these uplifting stories of the brave and strong Latinas. And, we want to continue uncovering new stories and encouraging other young Latinas to enter the aviation field through the resources that we list in every issue.

The inspiration and magic that these Latinas describe in the world of aviation continue with October issues cover story of American-Venezuelan Evelyn Miralles, a pioneer and visionary who served as the Chief Principal Engineer at NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston and currently serves as Associate Vice President for Strategic Information Initiatives and Technology at the University of Houston in Clear Lake, Texas. In her exclusive interview, Miralles shares with readers her interest in computer engineering, her career as a former NASA Chief Engineer and as the lead innovator and only woman in a virtual reality lab team and advice for young people to find their passion in the STEM field.

I am proud to represent many women like me by means of this beautiful magazine, Miralles said.

This edition also focuses on subjects such as bringing diversity and inclusion to Latina pilots, selecting the right aviation school and how aviators are making an impression with the pilot dress code.

The magazine is free to those who sign up at http://www.latinasinaviation.com.

About Fig Factor Media:

Fig Factor Media Publishing is an international publishing company with a "beeping" heart. Fig Factor Media has helped many authors achieve and support their dream of impacting their communities in the United States, Mexico, and Europe. Fig Factor Media is the official publisher of Today's Inspired Latina. For information, visit http://figfactormedia.com/.

About Latinas in Aviation:

Latinas in Aviation Magazine is a semi-annual, internationally distributed publication that is committed to promoting diversity, inclusion and equality for this and future generations of Latina women working within and aspiring to careers in STREAM and the aviation, aerospace, and space industries. The magazine creates access to mentorship, educational resources, internships, and other opportunities by sharing success stories from Latinas who have overcome challenges, stereotypes, sexism, and financial hardships to find a place in the industry of their dreams. For information, visit http://www.latinasinaviation.com/. ###
Our mission is to advance the progressive movement by running technology and security programs for our clients, enabling them to focus on their mission-critical work.

Mike Marotti, former IT and Cybersecurity Director for Elizabeth Warrens presidential campaign, announced today the launch of Personified, a managed IT and cybersecurity services provider for progressive campaigns and organizations. The company brings together political IT experts to provide internal security, virtual event, and remote workspace services.

Our mission is to advance the progressive movement by running technology and security programs for our clients, enabling them to focus on their mission-critical work, said Marotti. Every day there are new cyber threats that can derail campaigns and organizations. Through our unique and tailored approach, we help to keep sensitive data safe and technology running seamlessly.

Marotti has worked in IT for more than a decade and spent the last six years helping progressive organizations streamline and secure their technology. Previously, he was IT Director for Blue State before going on to lead IT, cybersecurity, and threat response operations for Elizabeth Warrens presidential campaign. Since then, hes worked with the senator, as well as Rep. Ocasio-Cortez and other highly visible campaigns and organizations. He will serve as CEO.

He is joined by Natalia Kastenberg, Director of Client Services, who managed IT operations for Warrens presidential campaign and worked on the Biden-Harris Transitions IT Infrastructure and Security team, and Dae Yi, VP of IT and Cybersecurity, who served as Deputy CTO for the 2020 Democratic National Convention and IT Director for the Kamala Harris Presidential Campaign, along with his partner and COO Jess Bergeron.

Personified has offices in Washington, D.C., Brooklyn, and Philadelphia. For more information, visit personified.tech.
ENGEO's San Francisco laboratory is conveniently located in the middle of the Bay on Treasure Island. For 50 years, ENGEO has created innovative solutions for some of the most complex engineering challenges around the world, and its all due to our great employees who truly care and consistently think outside the box.

ENGEO, the worlds most comprehensive geoscience engineering firm, is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year with milestones that include a 143% employee increase over the past 10 years, and expanding to 22 offices in three countries.

It is a long way from the firms modest beginning in 1971 when a geologist and two engineers began work in an 800-square-foot space in Berkeley, California. Now, ENGEO has offices located in California, Nevada, Washington, Guam, New Zealand and Australia. The privately held companyroutinely selected as one of the best places to work in the United Statesplans on continuing its tradition of innovation and technical excellence for another half-century.

Our teams ability to adapt, innovate and challenge the status quo is whats taken ENGEO from a Bay Area geotechnical consulting firm to the most comprehensive geoscience engineering firm in the world, said Uri Eliahu, ENGEOs president and CEO. For 50 years, ENGEO has created innovative solutions for some of the most complex engineering challenges around the world, and its all due to our great employees who truly care and consistently think outside the box. Thats why Im confident we will continue to improve the world through geotechnical engineering for the next 50 years and beyond.

The most comprehensive geoscience engineering firm in the world @engeorocks celebrates 50 years, now spanning 22 offices in three countries. https://www.engeo.com/50th-anniversary-timeline/ #geoscience #engineering

What has made ENGEO truly unique throughout our 50 years in business is our employees, said Guy Cassidy, the companys CEO for its New Zealand and Australia operations. Were an employee-owned company where the doors are left open and the organizational chart is flipped upside down with the CEO at the bottom and employees having servant leaders, not managers. This commitment to the success of others allows us to serve our clients as they had never been served before, and the long list of awards we have earned for our projects demonstrates both our technical excellence and commitment to clients.

Among ENGEOs first major projects was its geotechnical consulting for the Concord Pavilion in 1975, one of the Bay Areas premier outdoor concert venues. A year later, ENGEO provided geotechnical consulting for the highly exclusive 4,200-acre Blackhawk master-planned residential development and country club in Contra Costa County. Since then, the company has consulted for numerous master-planned communities such as the Dougherty Valley development in Contra Costa County since 1986, the Mare Island redevelopment near Vallejo since 1998 and the massive Newhall Ranch project in Los Angeles County beginning in 2012.

Other significant projects include the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art at Exposition Park in Los Angeles, several extension projects for the Bay Area Rapid Transit, including the recent Berryessa Extension Project in Santa Clara County, San Jose in 2004 and the extension to Pittsburg and Antioch in 1991. ENGEO has an international presence and has been involved with the reconstruction of Christchurch, New Zealand, after the massive earthquake in 2011, and a variety of projects to upgrade the earthquake resilience of the water supply network in Wellington, New Zealand, in 2017.

For more information, visit http://www.engeo.com/50th-anniversary-timeline.

ABOUT ENGEO

Founded in 1971, ENGEO has helped companies and public agencies manage their project development risk, drive down construction costs, and improve schedules. ENGEO is an employee-owned firm of approximately 350 geotechnical and civil engineers, geologists, hydrologists, water resources engineers and other specialists. The company serves a diverse range of public and private clients on projects in transportation, infrastructure, water resources, geologic hazard abatement, flood control, disaster recovery, energy and residential and mixed-use communities. ENGEO has offices located in California, Nevada, Washington, Guam, New Zealand and Australia and has been consistently recognized as one of the Best Places to Work in the Nation by Fortune and the Great Place to Work Institute, and as a Top Workplace in the Bay Area by San Francisco Business Times and Bay Area News Group.
Google Clouds ability to hunt through petabytes of data, combined with Cybereasons correlation capabilities and behavior-based detections delivers unparalleled speed and accuracy in the prevention, detection, and response of advanced attacks, said Cybereason CEO and co-founder Lior Div.

Cybereason, a leader in operation-centric cyber attack protection, and Google Cloud today announced a joint collaboration between the two companies to create and bring to market unprecedented Extended Detection and Response (XDR) -- across endpoints, networks, cloud and workspaces -- at record-setting speed.

Cybereason delivers the most comprehensive protection available on the market today, analyzing more than 23 trillion security-related events per week -- five times the volume of any other solution in the market. Using its patented Malicious Operations (MalOps) engine, Cybereason reveals the full attack story across every device, user identity, application and cloud deployment.

Meanwhile Google Clouds cybersecurity analytics platform Chronicle ingests, normalizes, and analyzes petabytes of data from the complete IT environment on planetary-scale infrastructure.

The combination of these capabilities delivers a cloud-native XDR solution, Cybereason XDR powered by Chronicle, that automates prevention for common attacks, guides analysts through security operations and incident response, and enables threat hunting with precision at a pace never before achieved.

Google Clouds ability to hunt through petabytes of data at the speed of search, combined with Cybereasons revolutionary correlation capabilities and behavior-based detections delivers unparalleled speed and accuracy in the prevention, detection, and response of advanced attacks, said Cybereason CEO and co-founder Lior Div. We founded Cybereason with a mission to reverse the attacker's advantage and return the high ground to the defender, and we are excited to have Google Cloud partner with us in furthering the success of this mission.

Cybereason has succeeded in protecting customers and experienced impressive growth over the last year, being recognized as a leading innovator by respected third-party organizations. Where many solutions failed, Cybereason protected customers from headline-making attacks like SolarWinds, the Microsoft Exchange Server attacks, and crippling ransomware attacks from DarkSide, REvil and other ransomware gangs. That level of protection is why Cybereason was recognized on the CNBC 2021 Disruptor 50 list, and received top scores across every aspect of testing in the MITRE Engenuity ATT&CK Evaluations.

Google Cloud is dedicated to delivering the industrys most trusted cloud to accelerate customers digital transformation efforts with security products that meet them wherever they are. Cybereason continues to disrupt the market and deliver on their vision for a future-ready extended detection and response defense platform, said Thomas Kurian, CEO, Google Cloud. Were excited to partner with Cybereason to help customers quickly secure their hybrid and cloud environments with the combined capabilities of Google Cloud and Cybereasons XDR services.

About Cybereason

Cybereason is the champion for todays cyber defenders, providing operation-centric attack protection that unifies security from the endpoint, to the enterprise, to everywhere the battle moves. The Cybereason Defense Platform combines the industrys top-rated AI-powered detection and response (EDR and XDR), next-gen antivirus (NGAV), Anti-Ransomware Protection and Proactive Threat Hunting to deliver context-rich analysis of every stage of a MalOp (malicious operation). Cybereason is a privately held, international company headquartered in Boston with customers in more than 50 countries.

Learn more: https://www.cybereason.com/

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Media Contacts:

Bill Keeler

Senior Director, Global Public Relations

Cybereason

bill.keeler@cybereason.com

(929) 259-3261


Being tech savvy and digitally literate is the key to opening up doors for the modern workforce. Thats why we are so excited to help BBMP members in boosting their knowledge and building up skills that can evolve into the future. -Bhav Chahal, GoSkills Founder

GoSkills.com, an eLearning platform that provides online training courses in essential software and business skills, has announced today that they are partnering with Building Blocks Mentorship Program (BBMP) to make training for job-readiness accessible to their members.

Based in Memphis, BBMP is a non-profit organization that provides at-risk youth with mentorship to boost their social development, education, and self-awareness. Their members have access to resources and career-building opportunities, which empowers them to achieve academic growth and self-development.

"We are thrilled and pleased to help young people and adults with the tools needed for their professional careers. We want to help dreams become reality, and this partnership will allow us to do just that across the world" says BBMP Founder Stephon Smallwood.

The GoSkills library of courses helps learners to prepare for, and advance, their careers by introducing specific professional skills that are in high demand by employers, but arent always taught in schools, such as courses in Microsoft Office, computer programming, and soft skills.

BBMP Program Director, and life-long learner, Tierre Wright says, "I'm an alumnus of GoSkills. GoSkills gave me the confidence and the skills to be successful. I just want to share it with the world!"

Students who join the training program will get free access to the cloud-based eLearning platform, which allows them to take the courses whenever suits them and from any device, making learning more accessible and success more attainable.

GoSkills Founder Bhav Chahal says, Being tech savvy and digitally literate is the key to opening up doors for the modern workforce. Thats why we are so excited to help BBMP members in boosting their knowledge and building up skills that can evolve into the future. She also notes that, In partnering with BBMP, we can continue our mission of making high-quality education and learning tools accessible to everyone.

About GoSkills

GoSkills is an online education company that helps people around the world learn essential business skills through gamified, easy-to-digest, and bite-sized courses. For businesses, GoSkills provides a flexible, cloud-based learning platform for training teams of any size. Visit GoSkills.com to learn more.

About the team

GoSkills is entirely bootstrapped and run by a 100% remote and distributed team. Our team members are spread all over the world in North America, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Europe, and Africa, and we communicate daily across these time zones and continents. Together, we have built a culture that encourages freedom, creativity, open communication, and thinking outside the box.
"With the launch of GovX Marketplace, were offering an exciting new way for brands to reach a mission-driven audience." - Alan Cole, GovX CEO

GovX Inc today announced the launch of GovX Marketplace, a first-of-its-kind direct-to-consumer sales channel available now for Shopify merchants. With GovX Marketplace, Shopify clients can easily reach the growing community of over 5 million members who rely on GovX.com for exclusive deals that honor their service in the military, first responder, medical services, and related government fields.

The GovX Marketplace is an evolution of the free GovX ID Shopify app introduced in 2019, which is used by thousands of Shopify merchants. GovX ID securely verifies a customer's status as a current or former member of the US military, law enforcement, firefighting, first responder, healthcare workers, and related uniformed service communities. When enabled on a Shopify merchant's website, the digital ID card lets merchants quickly deliver protected discounts exclusively to those who've served. Many online merchants today use unsecure or manual methods to verify customers' service records, with some relying on the honor system, opening them up to fraudulent discount use. GovX ID offers a safe, secure and reliable alternative.

With todays announcement, merchants with the GovX ID Shopify app enabled can now easily extend their brand to GovX.com, the leading online site 100% focused on serving customers with a service-related background.

Joining the GovX Marketplace provides brands with their own listing on GovX.com, and instant access to over 5 million engaged users. GovX.com customers who click on a GovX Marketplace listing will be directed to the merchants site, discount code in hand, to complete their transaction. All orders driven from GovX.com are 100% trackable and merchants only pay a small commission for verified transactions.

Listing on the GovX Marketplace is totally free, and merchants can choose to target their discounts to specific members in the GovX communitymilitary, police officers, nurses, teachers, etc.as well as the specific discount they want to offer. Creating their GovX Marketplace listing can be done in a matter of clicks from within their Shopify admin account.

With the launch of GovX Marketplace, were offering an exciting new way for brands to reach a mission-driven audience, said GovX CEO, Alan Cole. By offering discounts to those who protect our country and communities, stores can build customer loyalty, drive sales and demonstrate their respect for those who serve.

To join the GovX Marketplace, ensure your Shopify store is enabled with GovX ID.

ABOUT GOVX

GovX.com is for men and women of service. A members-only online destination for military and first responders, the site offers thousands of products from hundreds of brands at exclusive, below-retail pricing. Members include active and veteran U.S. military, firefighters, law enforcement officers, federal agents, healthcare workers and personnel from related government agencies. For more information, visit http://www.govx.com


Lisa Goldstein, a seasoned healthcare executive with over 40 years of experience, was named a Member of HealthCare Facility Compliance Corps Board of Advisors. As an advisor, having been the COO of one of New Yorks most prominent hospitals, Lisa will help ensure that we continue to ease the burden of managers and hospital teams responsible to ensure that their facilities are in compliance 24/7. We are so fortunate to have Ms. Goldsteins guidance in building our brand and reminding us every day the importance that our superior product and service must not only be reflected in the first dozen hospitals we have served, but must continue to be reflected continuously as we move forward, planning to service the vast number of healthcare facilities that can benefit from our CRx platform.

"CRx is the system I wish I had during my career as a Hospital COO. It puts everything for the environment of Care, Facilities, and Construction in one place. It is easy to install, easy to use, and will allow you to get information that used to take hours, in minutes. It eliminates paper, provides one source of truth, and will make preparing for and going through a TJC survey and other regulatory reviews much easier." said Lisa A. Goldstein, Member of HCFC Board of Advisors.

Ms. Goldstein was named one of Crains Most Notable Women in Healthcare in 2018. She serves as Executive in Residence for the Cornell University Sloan Program in Health Administration and previously served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at the Hospital for Special Surgery in NYC from March 1997 until December 2020, when she retired. In this role she was responsible for day-to-day operations, facilities management, and planning, as well as all construction activities. During Ms. Goldsteins tenure, HSS grew significantly, more than doubling in size by any measure (revenue, surgeries, square footage, locations, employees) while achieving year over year increases in patient satisfaction and employee engagement.

Previous positions held by Ms. Goldstein included, Vice President, Chief Operating Officer of Wayne General Hospital (now St. Josephs Wayne) in New Jersey from 1986 to 1996, and Vice President Operations at Hackensack Medical Center in New Jersey from 1981 to 1986. Lisa Goldstein holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University and a Masters Degree in Health Services Administration from the Cornell University Business School.

We are excited to have Lisa as part of our team. We believe she can contribute to the success of our company and shares our devotion to achieving our commitment to quality and unparalleled customer service said Ilan Nachmany, CEO of HCFC.

We always welcome industry experts in helping us refine our CRx Compliance Platform offering ensuring we meet all our customers needs, said Ilan Nachmany. While CRx covers all CMS Requirements and Elements of Performance (EPs) as mandated by the Joint Commission for its Environment of Care, Life Safety and Emergency Management chapters, I was very excited about its risk analysis module based on the Joint Commission Interim Life Safety Measure (ILSM) requirements and each hospitals specific policy. This makes the CRx system a fully comprehensive, compliance readiness system, said Ms. Goldstein.

About HealthCare Facility Compliance Corporation (HCFC)

HCFC, with offices in Woodcliff Lake, NJ, is a software technology company dedicated to providing healthcare facilities with compliance software, CRx, which is the next generation, cloud based, compliance reporting software. CRx digitizes previously manual processes and procedures ensuring facility managers 24/7 ongoing compliance readiness with CMS and The Joint Commissions Life Safety, Environment of Care and Emergency Management standards.

For more information, contact Caroline Arthur, Sales and Marketing Coordinator @ HealthCare Facility Compliance Corp.

Email: caroline@hcfcompliance.com
iCONECT is the perfect company to take the Inspector platform for the next level and we look forward to seeing where it goes from here.

iCONECT Worldwide Inc., a privately-held leader in legal technology and eDiscovery, today announced that effective immediately, they have reached an agreement with Ayfie Group AS of Oslo, Norway to acquire a gold copy of the highly regarded Ayfie Inspector artificial intelligence codebase including all subcomponents and patent licenses in perpetuity for an undisclosed sum.

Ayfie Inspector technology uses artificial intelligence and complex algorithms to identify entities and patterns in documents and data in a way well beyond the standard regex typically found in the eDiscovery industry and document management space. The algorithms build those patterns against unstructured and structured data and then use artificial intelligence to identify and group conceptually similar content, create email conversation threads and extract people, places, things, and personally identifiable information (PII). The iCONECT platform integrates the technology into any eDiscovery workflow including analysis, review, governance, breach, DSAR and GDPR.

Direct access to the source code enhances our ability to create innovative synergies which include artificial intelligence assisting companies to incorporate AI as a standard component of their eDiscovery workflow. States Ian Campbell, CEO of iCONECT. At iCONECT we are always focused on looking over the horizon and this transaction is definitely a game-changer for the industry.

As a publicly traded entity on the Euronext Growth Oslo, (AYFIE (NOK)) this divestiture of the Inspector business stream allows us to focus business technology resources on our Locator platform, specifically opportunities in the European market, says Lasse Ruud, CMO/ IRO of Ayfie Group AS. iCONECT is the perfect company to take the Inspector platform for the next level and we look forward to seeing where it goes from here.

Since the Ayfie Inspector code is already embedded within the iCONECT v10 product such that unlike other recent AI acquisitions in the e-discovery marketplace, there will be no delay in releasing this integration to market.

About Ayfie  (ayfie.com) offers search and text analytics solutions that bring structure to unstructured data. Its products combine artificial intelligence with deep expertise in linguistics, computational linguistics and computer science to extract meaning from text. Professionals across all industries use Ayfies powerful text analytics engine to efficiently detect personally identifiable information, reveal critical insights, conduct smart searches and power security practice workflows. The company is headquartered in Oslo, Norway with offices in the UK and Sweden.

About iCONECT - (iCONECT.com) has been selected for use in some of the worlds largest high-profile projects such as the ENRON investigation, BP-Oilspill, NASA-Columbia Return to Flight, FDIC-900+ Banking Investigations and most recently the creation of a public access archive for the 30,000 JFK document and audio files released by the CIA. iCONECT was recently named the Most Recommended Legal Technology Solution 2021 by Business Fame magazine.
These organizations work hard every day in a very direct way to bring the benefits of the clean energy economy to communities and populations that have been overlooked, Jen Bowden, vice president of Social Impact - IGS Energy

Empowering front-line organizations to expand renewable energy access to underserved populations is the goal of a new community investment initiative from IGS Energy. The Ohio-based energy provider today announced $1.2 million in funding to 10 non-profits with projects focused energy equity and the benefits of the green economy.

IGS Energys Clean Energy for Everyone community investment program helps non-profit organizations accelerate the adoption of clean energy, create higher paying jobs in the green sector and extend the benefits of renewable energy to underserved communities.

These organizations work hard every day in a very direct way to bring the benefits of the clean energy economy to communities and populations that have been overlooked, said Jen Bowden, vice president of Social Impact for IGS Energy. Were proud to partner with them in such a meaningful way.

The projects were evaluated on their ability to ensure that the benefits of renewable energy including healthier communities, workforce development and a strong economy are available to everyone in an equitable and just way.

2021 Clean Energy for Everyone investments:



GRID Alternatives, International Program (Nicaragua / Nepal / Mexico)

Addresses critical energy needs in Nicaragua, Nepal and Mexico through solar installations (121 kW) and job training for 32 individuals in the renewable energy sector



Native Renewables, Hozho Homes Solar Workforce Training (Flagstaff, Ariz.)

Empowers Native American families lacking energy access to achieve energy independence through on-home, off-grid solar installations (7.2 kW) and provides job training and opportunities for 19 individuals in the renewable energy sector



Shared Power Network, Green Energy Machine & Solar Energy Education (Ohio - statewide)

Showcases solar energy and brings solar energy education into Ohio classrooms by providing mobile solar kits and renewable energy curriculum to 10,000 students and educators



IMPACT Community Action, Energy Efficiency Credential Program (Central Ohio)

Development and implementation of an energy efficiency workforce development track (weatherization, solar installation, electric vehicles, and energy industry certificates) to train individuals in Central Ohio and connect them with employers and jobs



Mid-Ohio Food Collective, ReadySkill (Central Ohio)

Creation of workforce development programming around solar installation, energy efficiency, EV technicians, and EV charging electricians to train under-resourced individuals and match them with future employers while providing wrap-around support and services



The Nature Conservancy, Equitable & Green Economic Recovery in the Appalachians (West Virginia - statewide)

TNC will work to reforest and site renewables on reclaimed land mines in WV (Mining the Sun program). They will also work with local WV landowners to help them protect family-owned forests and connect them to the carbon markets (Family Forest Carbon Program).



Ohio Energy Project, E3  Energy, Efficiency, Environment (Ohio statewide)

Programming will be developed and implemented to connect textbook energy science to real-world experiences. 1,520 Educators and students will be equipped with the awareness and strategies they need to take charge of their energy footprint



Girl Scouts of Ohio Council, Sustainable and Renewable Energy Curriculum (Ohio statewide)

Programming will be developed to and implemented teach 273 Girl Scouts the principles of sustainability and renewable energy and give them tools to take action in their households and lives



COSI, COSI Connects: Clean Energy (Central Ohio)

Clean energy will be incorporated into learning materials that are available online nationwide and physical kits for families in Central Ohio



Boy Scouts  Simon Kenton Council, Sustainability Merit Badge (Central/Southern Ohio / Northern Kentucky)

75 Scouts will participate in workshops to learn about sustainability and energy, and the connection between their choices and the climate

The data is clear when it comes to the negative impact of climate change and the lack of broad access to the benefits of renewable energy in underserved communities:

A new EPA analysis shows that the most severe harm from climate change falls disproportionately upon underserved communities who are least able to prepare for, and recover from, heat waves, poor air quality, flooding and other impacts.

Despite the risks associated with climate change, less than 2% of annual worldwide giving is directed toward climate change mitigation, according to a report published by ClimateWorks Foundation

To be considered affordable, utility bills should be no more than 6% of ones income. But energy costs now represent 20% or more of income for many of the poorest Americans (source: Independent Institute).

Clean energy jobs paid 25% more than the national median wage in 2019 (source: Clean Jobs, Better Jobs Report).

The clean energy economy workforce is older, dominated by male workers, and lacks racial diversity when compared to all occupations nationally. Recent data shows that less than 20% of workers in the clean energy production and energy efficiency sectors are women, while black workers fill less than 10% of those jobs (source: The Brookings Institution).

The share of renewables in the U.S. electricity generation mix will increase from 21% in 2020 to 42% in 2050. (source: U.S. Energy Information Administration)

Clean energy employs more than 3 million Americans and remains the biggest job creator across Americas energy sector, employing nearly three times as many workers as work in fossil fuel extraction and generation. (source: E2 Clean Jobs America 2021 Report)

To help to combat these disproportionate outcomes and support organizations that are trying to help people realize the benefits of renewables, IGS Energy created the Clean Energy for Everyone community investment program that directly helps organizations and projects designed to:

Educate individuals on the environmental effects of energy usage;

Assist individuals in developing plans to address energy-related environmental impacts;

Support underrepresented populations to advance within energy-related fields of study and with job training and placements; and

Increase access to renewable energy for households and communities

The Clean Energy for Everyone program is also designed to build a connection between energy use and environmental benefits for young people. Several grant partners are developing a curriculum that creates this awareness and then challenges young people to act as a result of learning about how their energy use impacts the environment.

There are significant benefits to the expansion of renewable energy, and they need to be extended to everyone, Scott White, president and CEO of IGS Energy. That collective understanding and broad awareness is the only way we can move forward as a society grappling with climate change.

About IGS Energy

IGS Energy is a private energy company that believes its both capable and obligated to fight climate change and to promote sustainability and energy independence. The company serves more than 1 million homes and businesses nationwide, offering sustainable technologies and services, including 100% renewable electricity, carbon-neutral natural gas, solar energy systems and other energy-efficiency products.

IGS Energy empowers consumers to source their energy, manage their carbon footprint and protect the lines that that deliver that energy to homes and businesses.

The company is committed to a sustainable energy future for a healthier planet. The belief in Conscious Capitalism and a purpose beyond profit prioritizes the needs of IGS Energys customers, employees and the planet. For more information, visit http://www.igs.com.
"With rapid digital transformation happening across almost every business, sector, and geography, brands must adapt to changing consumer expectations and put customers at the heart of the transformation"

Iterable, the cross-channel platform that powers unified and memorable customer experiences, announced today that it surpassed $100 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR), a key SaaS milestone. This reflects greater than 60% year-over-year growth and over 400% growth in the last three years. Crossing this significant milestone comes on the heels of Iterables $200 million Series E funding round in June and underscores the companys continued disruption of the $25 billion global marketing automation market.

Iterables powerful technology has fundamentally changed the way businesses communicate and engage with their customers, enabling them to unlock and leverage data to provide incredible customer experiences at scale. With rapid digital transformation happening across almost every business, sector, and geography, brands must adapt to changing consumer expectations and put customers at the heart of the transformation, said Andrew Boni, co-founder and CEO of Iterable. Were thrilled to partner with some of the most innovative companies around the globe and equip them with the tools they need to establish deep, authentic, and long-lasting customer connections during a period of tremendous change. As we look forward to capitalizing on our momentum and reaching new milestones in the years ahead, were committed to making even more marketers the heroes of their own journeys.

From day one, Iterable's purpose has been people-first and data-drivento enrich the relationships between consumers and brands as well as empower brands to create meaningful experiences. This commitment to customer-centricity propels Iterables rapid growth. The pandemic continues to change the way customers interact and engage with brands, and is influencing businesses to expedite their digital roadmaps, which puts Iterable at the forefront of the digital marketing transformation. Iterable is equipping marketers with the tools they need to build connections and powering conversations with more than 3 billion consumers around the world.

Recent Business Milestones

Iterables recent business milestones demonstrate the companys rapid growth:



Global Demand: Iterables customer base now spans more than 30 countries and is expanding rapidly in new markets. Iterables European customers now include leading brands such as carwow, Manchester Airports Group (MAG), Mettle, Secret Escapes, and WeTransfer. To meet this growing demand, the company accelerated its hiring of UK-based employees, experiencing 147% growth year-over-year in the region.

Executive Hires & Board Appointments: The company hired Markita Jack as its Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and appointed Stephanie Buscemi, CMO of Confluent and former CMO of Salesforce, to the companys board of directors.

Industry Recognition: Iterable continues to earn some of the most widely respected marketing and workplace awards. In the past year, the company was named a Leader in Marketing Automation in the G2 Fall and Summer Reports, Best Overall Marketing Automation Platform by the MarTech Breakthrough awards, Best Saas Company to Work For by Future of SaaS Awards, and Iterables Brand Affinity was named a Product of the Year in the Sales and Marketing Technology Awards (The Sammys). For the fourth year in a row, Iterable was named one of the Bay Area Best Places to Work.

Growing Customer Base: Iterable continues to expand and diversify its global customer base and attract leading brands like Bombas, Cinemark, and Priceline to its platform.

As Bombas continues to grow, we rely on partners like Iterable to help facilitate our growth through automation and optimization said Kate Huyett, Chief Customer Officer at Bombas. Iterable is a valued partner that has enhanced our companys marketing strategy as we scale. The platform has redefined how we retain and grow our customer base by creating memorable experiences with a brand they love, on the channels they prefer.

Effectively communicating with our moviegoers is the primary focus of our digital strategy, and our collaboration with Iterable enables us to connect with them in a meaningful and robust way, said Wanda Gierhart Fearing, Chief Marketing and Content Officer at Cinemark. As valuable, long-term technology partners, we appreciate Iterables continued support of our vision for digital communications as we engage with movie fans about Cinemark's exciting, immersive moviegoing experience.

Explore Iterables rapid growth journey.

About Iterable

Iterable is a cross-channel platform that powers unified customer experiences and empowers marketers to create, optimize, and measure relevant interactions and experiences customers love. Leading brands, like Zillow, DoorDash, Calm, and Box, choose Iterable to power world-class customer experiences throughout the entire lifecycle. Visit iterable.com for more information.
Janis E. Clements, an Intellectual Property (IP) & Technology Practice of counsel in the Austin office of global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP, will moderate a panel at the Eastern District of Texas Bar Association's Bench Bar Conference Oct. 13 at 11 a.m. CDT.

Clements will moderate the Women Lawyers of Eastern District panel Diversity in IP & the Practice of Law. The panel will cover ways to improve diversity in IP, why it must be accompanied by equity and inclusion, and the past and present views regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion from the bench, corporate practices, law schools, and private practices. Panelists include Magistrate Judge Kimberly C. Priest Johnson, USDC Eastern District of Texas (EDTX); Julie Katz, Linn Inn Alliance Board of Director Member; Dean Felicia Epps, University of North Texas at Dallas College of Law; and Britnee Reamy, senior counsel, Texas Instruments.

The conference is the go-to annual gathering for judges and lawyers to discuss a broad range of cutting-edge legal topics, according to the EDTX Bench Bar website. Clements also serves on the Bench Bar planning committee and the advisory committee for the associations Inaugural Women Lawyers of the Eastern District of Texas. She is membership chair of the Judge Paul Brown Inn of Court in EDTX, a proud sponsor of the WLED program.

Clements focuses her practice on patent litigation, intellectual property licensing, commercial litigation, antitrust, complex business litigation, and energy and natural resources law. She has more than 25 years of experience practicing law and has a strong trial background in federal and state courts. Clements is also experienced in managing legal and regulatory issues for energy companies with respect to commercial and technical operations, specifically analyzing environmental issues and policies, renewable energy certificates (REC) markets, renewable portfolio standards (RPS) policies, net metering policies, permitting requirements, grant opportunities, tax credits, and other financial incentives for renewable energy projects, and issues related to carbon offsets throughout the United States.

About Greenberg Traurigs Diversity Initiative: From its inception, Greenberg Traurig has been committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. Greenberg Traurig is a uniquely empowering and diverse firm built on a foundation of fairness, equality, and authenticity. Through its Social, Racial, and Economic Justice Action Plan, the firm has committed $5 million over five years to help combat systemic racism and support impoverished communities. In addition, the firms efforts have been recognized through its Mansfield Rule 4.0 Certification Plus, administered by The Diversity Lab, and by local, national, and global publications and organizations including Chambers and Partners. Web: https://www.gtlaw.com/en/general/our-firm/diversity Twitter: @GT_Drives.

About Greenberg Traurigs Intellectual Property & Technology Practice: With more than 200 intellectual property attorneys and patent agents in the United States, Asia, and Europe, Greenberg Traurig provides a broad range of patent, trademark and copyright protection and strategic counseling. Greenberg Traurig was named Law Firm of the Year for Trademark Law and a National Tier 1 Law Firm for IP Litigation, Patent Law and Litigation, Copyright Law, and Technology Law by U.S. News and Best Lawyers, 2020 Best Law Firms."

About Greenberg Traurig, LLP  Texas: Texas is important to Greenberg Traurig, LLP and part of its history. With approximately 130 Texas lawyers in Austin, Dallas, and Houston, Greenberg Traurig has deep roots in the Texas business, legal, and governmental communities. Greenberg Traurig Texas works with clients to address their interdisciplinary legal needs across the state utilizing the firms global platform. The Texas attorneys are experienced in industries key to the states future, including: aviation, chemicals, construction, education, energy and natural resources, financial institutions, health care, hedge funds, hospitality, infrastructure, insurance, media, medical devices, pharmaceutical and biotechnology, real estate, retail, sports, technology and software, telecommunications, transportation, and video games and esports.

About Greenberg Traurig: Greenberg Traurig, LLP (GT) has approximately 2,300 attorneys in 40 locations in the United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. GT has been recognized for its philanthropic giving, diversity, and innovation, and is consistently among the largest firms in the U.S. on the Law360 400 and among the Top 25 on the Am Law Global 200. The firm is net carbon neutral with respect to its office energy usage and Mansfield Rule 4.0 Certified Plus. Web: http://www.gtlaw.com
James J. Connor, Mid-States Advisors

Mid-States Advisors, Inc., added to its already-deep bench today, announcing that James J. Jim Connor has joined the firm and will serve as a Managing Director.

Connor is a seasoned, senior executive who has excelled in leadership and C-level positions in both corporate and advisory roles spanning a career of more than 40 years. This includes a consulting background of more than 22 years and having served as CEO or President of industrial companies for a combined 14 years. Additionally, he served as controller of a Fortune 500 company for 5 years.

Connor will provide and oversee a range of executive-level strategic, financial, and operational services for Mid-States clients including CFO services, M&A support, business valuations, and debt restructuring.

Jims successful experience in C-level roles in both corporate and advisory positions adds valuable perspective and is a perfect match for us, said Joseph P. Alam lll, Managing Director, Mid-States Advisors, Inc. His addition represents a strategic move that strengthens every practice area of our firm, especially our M&A, financial and strategic support capabilities.

Connor joins Mid-States after serving as President and CEO of Shamrock Advisory LLC, a business consulting firm he founded in 2016.

Prior to that he served as President and CEO of Tecumseh Products Company, where he oversaw 7,400 employees at 17 manufacturing, sales and engineering operations in North America, South America, Europe, Malaysia, India, and China. Under Connors leadership the company improved operating income, increased gross margin, reduced selling and administrative costs by $10 million and developed then successfully implemented a 5-year product road map strategy that significantly boosted enterprise value.

Earlier experience included serving as a Managing Director of BBK, a turnaround advisory firm in the automotive and industrial markets where Connor advised large- and medium-sized organizations in various industries during restructurings, liquidations, turn-around situations, bankruptcies and M&A activities in the US and abroad. Additionally, he performed due diligence services on transactions and worked with numerous private equity groups including Wilbur Ross & Co., Sun Capital, Red Diamond Capital and Stairway Capital, among others.

Prior to that Connor was Vice President, Controller at JP Industries Inc., a Fortune 500 company where he assisted in the marketing and successful execution of the companys sale to a publicly held UK company. Connor subsequently was appointed President of its US holding company and within two years took the company from negative EBITDA to one of the top ten performance leaders of the parent company worldwide.

Before that Connor served as President and CEO of Newcor Inc., and Vice President and CFO of Rockwell Medical Technologies. Connor started his career at PriceWaterhouse Coopers, Detroit office, where he attained his CPA certification.

Mr. Alam continued, We provide liquidity. We develop and implement results-driven action plans that provide clients present-day solutions and expand viable long-term options. What sets us apart is the high level of experience, expertise and track record we bring to clients and Jim brings tremendous talent at a time when we see strong post-pandemic growth opportunities for middle-market clients.

About Mid-States Advisory

Mid-States Advisors, Inc. is a middle market financial advisory firm that has served the middle market since 1995 with a range of strategic and operational services including business advising and consulting, financial modeling, and analysis. Mid-States Advisors provides extensive transaction experience and excels at delivering a range of liquidity solutions from senior debt to alternative financing sources. The company also manages sell- or buy-side M&A transactions and provides interim CFO services for short term needs. For more information visit: http://www.midstatescapital.com.
A Terrible, Horrible, No Good Year: Hundreds of Stories on the Pandemic By Teachers, Students & Parents; Edited by Larry Smith Since I launched Six-Word Memoirs in 2007, the most meaningful part of this work is watching the way educators have embraced Six-Word Memoirs to engage and connect with their students.

COVID-19 drove people into isolation, but A Terrible, Horrible, No Good Year: Hundreds of Stories on the Pandemic helps shine a light on what teachers, students, and parents experienced while navigating the pandemic. The latest book from best-selling author Larry Smith, offers hundreds of inspirational, playful, and profound Six-Word Memoirs to help everyone relate at a time when people are feeling more disconnected than ever. Included in the book is an opportunity for classrooms to help students build community and emotional resiliency by creating their own professionally published Six-Word Memoir book.

After witnessing his son and teacher struggle with remote learning, Smith put together a free downloadable lesson plan that teachers could easily add to their remote learning curriculums. The guide asked students to share six words on their life during the pandemic as a way to help kids process this unprecedented time and became an instant hit with thousands of teachers across the country downloading it and leading six-word lessons.

As I watched my students find joy in constructing six-word glimpses into the most pivotable year of their lives, the pain of the experience lifted, replaced by a sense of healing, says Bobbie Jo Blackwell, a sixth-grade reading/writing teacher at Burbank Middle School, a Title 1 school in Houston, Texas. I saw into the hearts of some of my students for the very first time.

Those six-word memoirs from students, teachers, and parents became the foundation for A Terrible, Horrible, No Good Year, the tenth book from Smiths runaway successful Six-Word Memoir Project.

Smith sifted through all the poignant and often humorous memoirs to curate a time capsule of student experiences [See examples and some celebrity-parent contributors below]. The book also weaves in illustrated versions of Six-Word Memoirs as well as backstories, called Lessons Learned, that take readers deeper into select Six-Word Memoirs.

At some point, we all feel unheard, adds Smith. The responses we receivedeven the simplest onesreally emphasized the power of this opportunity without the risks associated with social media. We knew we needed to find a way to bring this safe, accessible approach to even more classrooms.

Responding to requests from teachers, Smith created a process that helps educators guide students through writing and curating their own Six-Word Memoir books on whatever topics they choose. Parents and guardians then have the opportunity to purchase their own professionally-printed, physical book. Each classroom teacher gets a free copy of the book, and the school receives a donation of ten percent of each book sold. After having 150 classrooms successfully participate in the pilot program, the program is currently being rolled out nationwide.

Among the hundreds of featured Six-Word Memoirs:



I taught math, they taught resilience. - Loryn Gavula, teacher

Hey Siri, please give me social interaction. Nate Mitton, age 12

Zoom kindergarten broke us, built us. - Rachel Sklar, parent

For sale: prom dress, never worn.  Caroline Richardson, age 19

YouTube: negligent co-parent, inattentive teacher. Savior.  Elan Lee, parent

Weak internet connections; strong classroom connections.  Emily Miller, teacher

The book also features numerous notable contributors including Piper Kerman (Smiths wife and author of Orange Is the New Black), W. Kamau Bell (CNN commentator and comedian), Elizabeth Gilbert (author of Eat, Pray, Love), Elan Lee (creator of popular kids games such as Exploding Kittens), and Keith Knight (co-creator of Hulus Woke).

Smith added, Since I launched Six-Word Memoirs in 2007, the most meaningful part of this work is watching the way educators have embraced Six-Word Memoirs to engage and connect with their students. Its an honor to offer a window into teachers work during the pandemic, as well as that of their students and the parents who count on them.

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A Terrible, Horrible, No Good Year: Hundreds of Stories on the Pandemic

By Teachers, Students & Parents; Edited by Larry Smith

ISBN: 978-1-970183-00-9 (sc); 978-1-970183-02-3 (hc); 978-1-970183-01-6 (e)

Available Oct. 15, 2021

To pre-order your copy of the book, please visit https://www.amazon.com/Terrible-Horrible-No-Good-Year-ebook/dp/B09H3KSLMX/

To download the free classroom kit, please visit http://www.sixinschools.com

About Six-Word Memoirs

With a single tweet in 2006, Can you describe your life in six words, Larry Smith launched a short-form phenomenon that sparked a new form of self-expression for millions of people across the world. Six-Word Memoirs is a bestselling book series, board game, live event program in theatres and company retreats, and popular lesson plan taught by teachers across the world. Participatory, inspirational, and addictive, Six-Word Memoirs offers anyone and everyone a peek at humanity and a simple way to reveal the writer within. To learn more, please visit http://www.sixwordmemoirs.com.

About Larry Smith

Larry Smith is the founder of the Six-Word Memoir Project, a bestselling series of books, live event programs, and a global phenomenon found in classrooms, conferences, and corporate settings alike. Hes a frequent speaker on the power of personal storytelling and has engaged teams at Twitter, Levis, JPMorgan Chase, Snapchat, Dell, Shutterfly, and ESPN, as well as foundations, philanthropies, and schools around the world. Smith produced and directed A Map of Myself, the true story of a young Palestinian-Syrian-American Womans journey from Syria to American that started with the Six-Word Memoir, Escaped war; war never escaped me. Called on a quest to spark the creativity in everyone by Oprah Magazine, Smith proudly wears his Six-Word memoir on his sleeve (and his t-shirt): Big hair, big heart, big hurry. To learn more about Smith, visit http://www.sixwordsmith.com.
GreatSchools.org's parenting podcast returns for season three. Whether it's a school coming face to face with its unintentionally racist policies or a radical rethinking of teenage learning that enables students to redesign their school from scratch, the stories we share this season offer a dose of hope salted with skepticism and data.  Carol Lloyd

Education nonprofit GreatSchools today announced the release of season three of Like a Sponge, its Webby-nominated podcast for parents about the science of how children learn and thrive. The 7-episode season explores the problematic legacy of the traditional American high school and shares how educators are innovating to create more equitable and effective experiences for their students.

Season three is a part of GreatSchools new Transforming High School series, a collection of stories and videos in English and Spanish that explore practices that prepare students for success in college and beyond. Each episode delves into a single problem with high school through the eyes of a student and a high school that is attempting to solve that problem.

Expert guests and educators featured this season include:



Jal Mehta, PhD, Professor, Harvard Graduate School of Education

Todd Rose, EdD, Author of The End of Average

Kyle Steele, PhD, Professor, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh College of Education and Human Services

Educators from high-performing and innovative high schools in Loganville, GA; Salem, MA; Tarboro, NC; Philadelphia, PA; Providence, RI; Brownsville, TX; El Paso, TX; and La Joya, TX.

Whether it's a school coming face to face with its unintentionally racist policies or a radical rethinking of teenage learning that enables students to redesign their school from scratch, the stories we share this season offer a dose of hope salted with skepticism and data, said host and co-producer Carol Lloyd.

Since its inception, Like a Sponge episodes have been downloaded over 57,000 times by parents, caregivers, and educators across the country. In 2020, the show received two nominations for Best Science & Education Podcast in the 25th Annual Webby Awards, placing it in the top 10% of the nearly 13,500 projects entered from around the world.

Listeners can tune in on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major podcast platforms. Like a Sponge is distributed by Public Radio Exchange (PRX). The Transforming High School project and podcast are made possible in part with support from the Barr Foundation and Carnegie Corporation of New York. Like a Sponge is produced by GreatSchools Carol Lloyd, whose writing has been published/broadcast in The New York Times Magazine, EdWeek, Mother Jones, Salon, the Los Angeles Times, and on This American Life, and Jessica Yarmosky, public radio producer and former high school teacher.

In addition to Like a Sponge, GreatSchools also offers parents free resources to support the academic and social emotional development of their children, including articles, worksheets, videos, grade-by-grade newsletters in English and Spanish, and information about every K-12 school in the nation. Every year, approximately 46 million parents and educators utilize GreatSchools content to support student learning. As families continue to navigate pandemic disruptions in their childs learning, GreatSchools school closure learning guide (in English and Spanish) provides grade-based tools and guidance for learning at home.

GreatSchools experts are available for media interviews. For more information about GreatSchools parenting resources visit http://www.greatschools.org/gk/grade-by-grade-newsletter/.

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About GreatSchools

GreatSchools is the leading national nonprofit empowering parents with essential information to improve educational opportunities for their child. We are the only national organization that collects and analyzes data from all 51 state departments of education and the federal government to provide analysis, insights, and school quality ratings for parents, partners, researchers, and policymakers. Over 46 million users visit GreatSchools award-winning website annually to learn about schools in their area, explore research insights, and access thousands of free, evidence-based parenting resources to support their childs learning and well-being. Learn more at GreatSchools.org and join us on Twitter and Facebook.
Nomodic Modular Structures Inc. (Nomodic) announced today that it has signed a three-year Master Service Agreement (MSA) with Nexii Building Solutions Inc. (Nexii), making Nomodic a preferred installer of Nexii projects in North America. The collaboration combines Nexiis expertise in innovative, sustainable building construction with Nomodics expert construction management and turnkey installation service offering.

Together, Nexii and Nomodic will build on their existing portfolio of successful collaborative projects, including two eco-friendly, first-of-their-kind restaurantsa Starbucks drive-thru store and a Popeyes restaurantthat were completed in the past year in Abbotsford, British Columbia.

Both rapidly delivered buildings were built with precision-manufactured panels that used Nexiis proprietary Nexiite material, which is more thermally efficient and less carbon-intensive than traditional concrete construction. When assembled, the Nexii panels create an airtight building envelope, improving each buildings energy efficiency and lowering greenhouse gas emissions for ongoing building operation. Nexiis process accelerates standard build times by up to 75 per cent and eliminates nearly all construction waste.

Nexii recently attained a valuation of over US$1 billion, becoming the fastest Canadian company to reach unicorn status.

Since its inception less than three years ago, Nexii has made a profound impact on the construction industry with its unique approach and unwavering focus on the environment, said Kevin Read, president and CEO of Nomodic. We are proud to continue partnering with Nexii to bring greener, more timely, sustainable building solutions to our customers and communities across North America.

Nomodic is currently providing installation services for Nexiis next project, a nine-storey, 172-suite Courtyard by Marriott hotel in Nanaimo, British Columbia. Nexiis innovative technology will accelerate the construction timeline by up to eight to 10 weeks, while significantly reducing the environmental footprint of the hotels construction.

Our collaboration with Nomodic is another important step in supporting our mission to rapidly deliver innovative, sustainable buildings that leave things better for our planet, said Gregor Robertson, executive vice president, strategy and partnerships for Nexii. Combining our breakthrough, high performance building technology with Nomodics experienced installation and constructability services means our clients can benefit from state-of-the-art, green buildings built and installed in a fraction of the time of conventional construction.

About Nomodic:

Nomodic was founded in 2012 and is comprised of visionaries, facilitators, and builders who are committed to leaving things better for our people, communities, industry, and environment. Nomodic provides flexible and sustainable building solutions, optimizing construction efficiencies to create cost and schedule certainty and give clients and partners back their valuable time. Nomodic integrates and elevates building experiences, offering affordable housing, working, hospitality, commercial, and institutional space solutions from concept to completion, or any stage in between: from design and permitting, to fabrication and installation, to site services and maintenance. Nomodic works with contractors and builders, designers and architects, developers and landowners, government and procurement clients in Canada and the US.

To learn more, visit http://www.nomodic.com, or visit Nomodic on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram (@NomodicStructures) or LinkedIn.

About Nexii:

Nexii Building Solutions Inc. (Nexii) is a green construction technology company that is committed to building a vibrant future for people and the planet. Nexii designs and manufactures high-performance buildings and green building products that are sustainable, cost-efficient and resilient in the face of climate change. The Nexii System also significantly reduces construction timelines, enabling the rapid development of green buildings across North America. Nexii is suited for industrial / commercial / institutional, mixed-use, multi-family residential and single-family homes, as well as for the green retrofit market.

For more information, visit http://www.nexii.com, or connect with Nexii on Instagram (@NexiiBuilds), Twitter (@NexiiBuilds) or on LinkedIn (Nexii Building Solutions).
NSL Analytical is an ISO/IEC 17025 and Nadcap accredited material testing laboratory that provides accurate and repeatable results with consistent turnaround times to customers around the world.

NSL Analytical Services, Inc. will exhibit at the 2021 Materials, Science and Technologies Conference (MS&T21) in Columbus, Ohio at the Greater Columbus Convention Center from October 17-21 at Booth #722. Additionally, NSLs Director of Technology Development Dr. Dave van der Wiel will present on Monday, October 18 at 2:30 P.M. in Room A121. His presentation, co-authored by NSL Chemists Ethan Pawlak and Tyler Gutzky, will cover Moisture Impacts in Additive Manufacturing Metal Powders Characterized by Karl Fischer Oven Titration and Avalanche Rheometry.

About MS&T21

The MS&T21 technical meeting and exhibition is the long-standing, recognized forum for fostering technical innovation at the intersection of materials science, engineering, and application. Each year, MS&T brings together scientists, engineers, students, suppliers, and business leaders to discuss current research and technical applications. These discussions help to shape the future of materials science and technology.

The event's unmatched technical program addresses structure, properties, processing, and performance across the materials community. Its exhibition showcases a wide variety of equipment and services to the automotive, aerospace, instrumentation, medical, oilfield, and energy industries. MS&T is organized by a partnership of leading materials science-related societies: the American Ceramic Society (ACerS), the Association for Iron and Steel Technology (AIST), and The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society (TMS).

About NSL Analytical

NSL Analytical is an ISO/IEC 17025 and Nadcap accredited material testing laboratory that provides accurate and repeatable results with consistent turnaround times to customers around the world. Since 1945, NSL has helped verify the highest quality, performance, and safety standards in product materials through comprehensive testing services. To learn more about NSL, visit http://nslanalytical.com.
"We worked with George Chaconas of Performance Brokerage Services to find the right opportunity in the right market. After many inquiries, George identified a dealer who was interested in selling and worked with both parties to ensure a smooth transaction." Vince Sheehy

Performance Brokerage Services, North Americas highest volume dealership brokerage firm, is pleased to announce the sale of Ultimate Subaru and Ultimate Buick GMC of Fredericksburg, Virginia from Randy Harris to Vince Sheehy of Sheehy Auto Stores.

Randy Harris has always had a passion for helping others. He serves on the Board of Governors for The Community Foundation, and actively participates in numerous organizations for his local community, as well as the automotive industry. He has carried this passion into his dealerships where he serves as a steward to his employees and leads by example. The numerous positive reviews from past customers show the pride that Harris and his team have demonstrated in their customer service.

Following the sale, Harris commented, I met George Chaconas of Performance Brokerage Services many years ago when I was looking to expand my portfolio. We developed a good relationship and he continued to stay in touch over the years, eager to assist when the time was right to exit. He reached out at the right time with a very qualified buyer. After telling George to show me the money, we had smooth negotiations. Thanks to George Chaconas, I now get to travel as much as I like!

Over the last 5 years, Performance Brokerage Services has advised on the sale of over 250 dealerships, making it the highest volume dealership brokerage firm in North America. In 2021, the company expects to consummate over 70 transactions, marking a record-breaking year. George C. Chaconas, the exclusive agent for this transaction and the Southeast Partner for Performance Brokerage Services commented, I have had the pleasure of knowing Randy Harris for almost 6 years. After visiting him at his store in Fredericksburg, I knew he would consider selling one day. I reached out to Randy on behalf of Vince Sheehy of Sheehy Auto Stores since I previously helped Vince acquire Ron Rosner's Toyota stores in Fredericksburg and Stafford. Eventually, through a lot of persistence and follow-up, Randy agreed to consider selling and was very comfortable and open when speaking to Vince. We soon agreed on a price and terms acceptable to all parties. Through a challenging closing process due to the pandemic and a slow buy-sell approval from the manufacturer, we were very grateful to finally get to the closing table. I wish Randy the best in his retirement, although he mentioned he still has a few years left in the automotive industry. It has been an honor and privilege to work with Vince and his team at Sheehy Auto Stores to help them acquire another strategic dealership in their existing market and continue to grow their footprint.

Sheehy Auto Stores began as a small family-owned Ford dealership in 1966. After 55 years, their vision remains the same, No Haggle, No Hassle, Sheehy Easy Price. Sheehy Auto Stores serves Maryland and Virginia areas with franchises such as Honda, Nissan, Lexus, INFINITI, Toyota, Volkswagen, Hyundai, Mazda and Harley-Davidson. Their customer-centered approach, with excellent performance in Sales and Service, have earned Sheehy Auto Stores some of the top recognitions in the industry, including: all Ford stores are Blue Oval certified, the Glen Burnie and Manassas stores have earned Nissans Owner First Award for achievements in customer satisfaction, the Lexus store is an Elite of Lexus Award winner (the highest award given out by Lexus), the Honda store is a past Presidents Award winner, and the Infiniti of Annapolis store is an Excellence winner.

Sheehy Auto stores supports various organizations throughout the greater Washington D.C., Baltimore, Hagerstown and Richmond areas. The Sheehy Cares program is no doubt a true blessing to any community that Vince Sheehy and his team become part of.

Sheehy commented, In preparing to look for additional growth opportunities, we worked with George Chaconas of Performance Brokerage Services to find the right opportunity in the right market. After many inquiries, George identified a dealer who was interested in selling and worked with both parties to ensure a smooth transaction. Throughout the process, George was engaged and willing to do whatever was needed bring the deal to a close.

The dealerships will remain at their current locations at 5150 and 5160 Jefferson Davis Highway in Fredericksburg, Virginia.

Randy Harris was represented by Michael G. Charapp, Esq. of Charapp & Weiss, LLP

Sheehy Auto Stores was represented by Donald Markle, Esq. of Surovell Isaacs & Levy PLC

About Performance Brokerage Services

Performance Brokerage Services, Inc. is the nations highest volume dealership brokerage firm, specializing in buy-sell activity for automotive, commercial truck, motorcycle, RV and equipment dealerships.

With over 25 years of experience, 700 dealerships sold and a 90% closing rate, the companys reputation is unmatched and governed by the utmost ethical conduct and integrity.

The company offers a unique approach by providing complimentary estimates of vale with no upfront fees, no reimbursement of costs and paid a success fee after the transaction closes.

Headquartered in Irvine, California, and supported by 5 regional offices in Utah, Florida, Texas, Virginia and New Jersey, clients benefit from national exposure with local representation.

As trusted and respected experts in the field, the company utilizes an extensive network of industry related attorneys, accountants, hundreds of registered buyers, and longstanding relationships with most of the auto manufacturers.

For more information about the services offered by Performance Brokerage Services, visit https://performancebrokerageservices.com.
The use of real time data and reports allows visibility into the organic waste stream. Optimizing the food waste stream enables companies to achieve corporate environmental sustainability goals. This kit can be installed in less than half an hour and adds tremendous value to most organization

Power Knot LLC, the market leader for onsite organic waste management solutions announced today that it launched an NFC card reader option to existing LFC-VI and LFC-VII biodigesters. Current customers can now purchase a kit to add the NFC Card Reader to their biodigester with simple installation.

The NFC Card Reader add-on allows previous models of the LFC biodigester family to integrate new waste data analytics technology. The NFC Card Reader allows businesses to account for the types or sources of waste entering their waste stream. Businesses can make decisions based upon data to reduce the types or sources of waste, or to base charges on the quantity of waste.

Zero waste can be achieved only with the use of data, said Iain Milnes, President at Power Knot. The use of real time data and reports allows visibility into the organic waste stream. Optimizing the food waste stream enables companies to achieve corporate environmental sustainability goals. This kit can be installed in less than half an hour and adds tremendous value to most organizations.

When using an NFC card reader, the administrator would denote that certain cards represent different types of waste, different sources of the waste, or the operator depositing the waste. The LFC biodigester displays numerically and graphically on its color touch screen the amount of waste based on the card that was used. This data is available by the hour, day, week, month, and year.

All LFC biodigesters automatically connect to the LFC Cloud, Power Knots revolutionary continuous data analytics system. The LFC Cloud shows statistics on usage, diagnostics, and service schedules, and can be accessed from any device anywhere in the world without installing an app. The LFC biodigester securely sends data about the operation of the LFC biodigester to the server and that data is retained for five years.

All data that is available on the LFC touch screen is sent to the LFC Cloud where a user can easily create reports for stakeholders. The LFC biodigester is performing the dual functions of categorizing the waste and disposing of it in one machine.

The NFC Card Reader kit is available now; for more information contact http://www.powerknot.com.

About the LFC Biodigester

The LFC biodigester is a machine that digests food waste. These machines are usually installed in a commercial kitchen and reduce the expense, inconvenience, mess, and carbon footprint of disposing of food waste that would otherwise be hauled to a landfill. Power Knot has eight different sizes that digest from 10 kg (20 lb) per day to 3000 kg (6600 lb) per day of food waste. With many hundreds of installations globally, the LFC Biodigester has proven to be reliable, safe, and cost effective.

About Power Knot

Power Knot provides safe and economically sound solutions for commercial, industrial, and military customers globally seeking to reduce their carbon footprint. Our technologies are proven, available today, have been in reliable use for many years, and offer a payback period typically of less than two years. We design, develop, and manufacture our products in our headquarters in Silicon Valley, California.
Rottnest skydiving operator, Skydive Geronimo, is flying high after being announced as a finalist in the prestigious Perth Airport WA Tourism Awards for 2021.

Skydive Geronimo is a finalist in the Adventure Tourism category - an achievement which the companys founder and chief instructor, Glenn Stutt, attributed to the teams hard work and ceaseless commitment to customer service excellence.

The annual WA Tourism awards are sponsored by the McGowan Government and hosted by the Tourism Council Western Australia. Now in their 49th year, the awards span 26 categories and recognise business excellence, innovation and outstanding customer service by tourism operators. The adventure tourism category celebrates experiences that involve both visitor participation and a personal challenge.

The WA winners will be announced at a gala dinner on November 13, with the national Qantas Australian Tourism Awards taking place at a gala event in March 2022.

This is another high point in Skydive Geronimos 12-year history in adventure tourism in West Australia and it is an honour to stand tall among the other strong contenders, Stutt added.

Covid-19 has brought significant challenges and everyone involved in the states tourism industry has had to dig deep to weather the storm. Skydiving in one of the most spectacular locations in the world doesnt simply sell itself - every member of our company works hard every day to deliver an exceptional adventure tourism experience," he said.

Skydive Geronimo was established in 2010 by Stutt and his wife, Amy and they launched their Rottnest skydiving enterprise in 2016 with the mission of offering Australias best skydiving experience.

For more information, please contact Glenn or Amy Stutt on 08 9417 8158 or through the website, https://skydivegeronimo.com.au.
It is always an honor to be recognized by my peers. Being included on a list with so many talented physicians as a 2021 Castle Connolly Top Doctor, is quite the compliment, says Dr. Frederick Buechel.

Dr. Frederick Buechel has once again been recognized as a Castle Connolly Top Doctor. Recipients of this award were nominated by their fellow doctors, and it is a highly selective list. Those who are among the very best in their specialties are chosen for inclusion. Dr. Buechel is an internationally renowned orthopedic partial and total robotic knee replacement surgeon. His specialized Manhattan practice, the Robotic Joint Center, treats many conditions, including early to advanced knee osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, osteonecrosis, meniscus injuries and cartilage injuries. Dr. Frederick Buechel is an expert in Mako robotic partial knee and total knee replacement and one of the worlds most experienced users and an international surgeon instructor. Partial knee replacement is a subspecialty that Dr. Buechel has been a pioneer in with Mako Robotics for the past decade. Dr. Buechel performs outpatient Mako partial robotic knee surgery and outpatient or short-stay total knee replacement in New York City at Lenox Hill Hospital.

It is always an honor to be recognized by my peers. Being included on a list with so many talented physicians as a 2021 Castle Connolly Top Doctor, is quite the compliment, says Dr. Frederick Buechel

About Castle Connolly and Americas Top Doctors:

The mission of Castle Connolly Medical Ltd. is to help consumers find the best healthcare. The top doctors who are listed in their books and website directory were nominated by peers in an extensive survey process of thousands of American doctors each year. These Top Doctors medical educations, training, hospital appointments and disciplinary histories are rigorously screened by the Castle Connolly physician-led research team. Doctors do not and cannot pay to be included in any Castle Connolly guide or online directory.

More about Frederick F. Buechel, Jr. M.D.:

Frederick F. Buechel, Jr. M.D., is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon. He graduated from Rutgers University Medical School and attended Drexel University in Philadelphia for his orthopedic surgery residency. Dr. Buechel then completed his fellowship training at the University of Pennsylvania. He is the founder of the Robotic Joint Center, located at Park Avenue and 71st Street in New York City and Taipei Postal Hospital in Taiwan.

Dr. Buechels NYC practice, Robotic Joint Center, is located at 737 Park Avenue 1C in New York, NY. For more information or to schedule a consultation please call 212-308-3089 or visit http://www.roboticjointcenter.com.
The Prosecco Doc Consortium  together with the digital magazine Tuorlo Magazine - made its debut in the Blockchain technology with The Italian Genio, an experimental video celebrating the people, places and atmospheres of one of the most renowned Italian excellencies: the Prosecco DOC. The project aimed at creating an original and non-reproducible movie protected by a Non-Fungible token (NFT) certificate.

The artwork's authenticity will then allow "The Italian Genio" to be sold as a physical artwork and will be included in a charity auction organized by Christie's today October 12th at the Principe di Savoia Hotel in Milan, during the La Vendemmia event organized by MonteNapoleone District.

The proceeds will be entirely donated to Dynamo Camp, a Tuscan non-profit organization involved in recreational therapy, which hosts sick children for holiday and leisure times, during their therapy or after hospitalizations.

The initiative is part of a wider project that involves the making of a "fashion film" (a short movie dedicated to trend topics) available on Tuorlo Magazine and Prosecco DOC platforms from the October 12th, as well as on their social channels, and on Open Sea, a portal that hosts and sells collectable digital artworks.

"Through this initiative - says Stefano Zanette, President of the Prosecco DOC Consortium  the Consortium emphasizes its sensibility towards art in all its forms, even when it arises in an innovative perspective with regard to technology. Our denomination is dynamic and open to knowledge and creativity in every sphere: from culture to sport, from sustainable production to solidarity initiatives. This interpretation, combined with the respect of traditions, is at the roots of every Consortiums choice.

Prosecco DOC is an Italian excellence appreciated all over the world. It stems from master producers who, year after year, invest their dedication and competence in the making of this Made in Italy flagship product. We wanted to pay homage to this product by bringing it in a world of lifestyle experiences and designing something that will last forever" - observes Luca Genova, Tuorlo Magazine's publisher and The House Of group CEO - "Our mission is to convey an authentic and sensorial tale of the Food & Beverage world. As Italians, we wanted to read the Prosecco DOC's world through art and we're proud to be pioneers in the NFT world, rewriting the rules of branded content.

The work is the result of the collaboration between Tuorlo Magazine and Wayne Maser, internationally acclaimed photographer and director.

If you would like to find out more about The Italian Genio and participate in the auction please click here: https://opensea.io/assets/0x495f947276749ce646f68ac8c248420045cb7b5e/92123060406734973570530366081602642528556245941722652583838553395130607337473

About Prosecco DOC

Prosecco DOC wines come in Spumante (sparkling), Frizzante (semi-sparkling) and Tranquillo (still) varieties. The wines are made from mainly the Glera grape, native to North East Italy for thousands of years, and can be combined with a maximum of 15% of the following grapes: Verdiso, Bianchetta Trevigiana, Perera, Glera lunga, Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio and Pinot Nero. Prosecco Frizzante and Spumante varieties get their famous bubbles using the Secondary Fermentation production method, bottled under high pressure after fermentation in bulk tanks called autoclaves, as opposed to the traditional method, which bypasses the autoclaves and is used for other sparkling wine varieties. The end result is a brilliant straw yellow wine with fine, persistent perlage and aromas of white flowers, apple and pear. It is fresh and elegant on the palate with moderate alcoholic strength.

From August 11, 2020, the competent bodies (Italian Ministry of Agriculture) have allowed the production of Prosecco DOC Rose, made from at least 85% Glera and 10-15% Pinot Nero only in the Spumante (sparkling) version and with the drier styles (from Brut Nature to Extra Dry). Prosecco DOC Rose undergoes a longer second fermentation in the autoclaves (60 days as opposed to 30 days for Prosecco DOC), has a pale pink color and a fine and persistent perlage, and features aromas of white flowers, notes of apple and citrus, and scents of strawberry and raspberry. For more information regarding Prosecco DOC and Prosecco DOC Rose, visit http://www.casaprosecco.com.
The October Tire Event is going on now at Salinas Toyota

Salinas Toyota, a dealership in Salinas, California, is hosting its October Tire Event this month. This event allows drivers in the area to purchase three tires and get the fourth tire for the price of one dollar. There are also available Toyota tire rebates. Both of these offers can be found on the dealerships website,salinastoyota.com.

Drivers who would like to purchase one tire for a dollar will need to purchase three tires of the same value at Salinas Toyota. This can be done any day this month, and the offer expires on November 1, 2021. Drivers are encouraged to come in as soon as possible to take advantage of this temporary offer. Other restrictions apply, and drivers can view the coupon online on the dealerships website.

Drivers can also take advantage of the Toyota tire rebates available at the dealership right now. This offer allows drivers to save up to $75 on new tires for their vehicle. Unlike the October Tire Event, these Toyota tire rebates are available until April 30, 2022, giving drivers plenty of time to take advantage of this special offer.

For any special offers at Salinas Toyota, drivers are asked to print off the coupon or bring an electronic copy of the coupon to the dealership at the time of service. The coupon is only valid at Salinas Toyota. Other special offers are also available.
"The projects under development at CIEDAR have the potential to revolutionize infrastructure as we know it, and Sertainty is ready to provide those projects with the critical privacy and security they need to reach fruition", says Amir Sternhell, CSO of Sertainty

Sertainty Corp, based in Nashville, Tennessee, is pleased to announce its membership and collaboration with the Connected Infrastructure for Education, Demonstration, and Applied Research (CIEDAR) Consortium, the newest research strategy for Texas State University. As a multi-disciplinary industry research consortium, CIEDAR involves studying technology with application to the lifecycle monitoring of infrastructure resources.

"We are delighted to partner with Texas State University on such an important endeavor and infuse Sertainty Self-Protecting-Data into the fabric of CIEDAR's vision, infrastructure, and technologies associated with the convergence of Digitization, Decentralization, and Decarbonization," says Amir Sternhell, CSO of Sertainty. "The projects under development at CIEDAR have the potential to revolutionize infrastructure as we know it, and Sertainty is ready to provide those projects with the critical privacy and security they need to reach fruition."

Sertainty and Texas State recently hosted a successful industry seminar that showcased the partnership's cutting-edge approach to data security. The keynote speaker was Sertainty's, VP of Core Technologies, Brad Nadji, Ph.D.

Dr. Nadji discussed how Data was traditionally protected by placing it in a secure environment and continued to differentiate the status quo for data protection with cutting-edge technology from Sertainty - by putting the access controls, policies, risk mitigations, and defensive mechanisms within the data file itself.

This new data solution will be the cornerstone of the partnership between Sertainty and CIEDAR, illustrating the need for every organization to protect, monitor, and monetize their technological and digital assets while ensuring privacy. CIEDAR's primary objectives include education, demonstration, and commercialization of advanced technologies. The unique ability Sertainty has to provide data security for intelligent technology is vital for such projects, ensuring data privacy for the pivotal technologies developed in CIEDAR's "smart neighborhood" laboratories.

"Our role is to manage the birth of the organization that will manage nine living labs across multiple sites owned and operated by Texas State University," says CIEDAR founder and co-director Andres Carvallo, describing the growing research campuses. As the CIEDAR Consortium grows into a vibrant, multi-industry initiative, he, and co-director Dr. Stan McClellan, will oversee the transition to bring nine living laboratories to multiple sites at Texas State University.

In those new labs, students and faculty will undertake several ground-breaking projects to foster the acceleration of digitization, decentralization, and decarbonization in the industry  involving several heavily data-centric projects that are poised to benefit from Sertainty's data privacy innovations.

"We are thrilled to welcome Sertainty Corp into the CIEDAR Consortium. The Sertainty concept of self-controlling data as a sensor, as well as their impressive UXP technology, are primed to deliver seamless and protected cybersecurity convergence between Operational Technology and Information Technology environments," said Carvallo. Dr. McClellan added, "Through our partnership, we hope that Sertainty's expertise will help members and industry advance the use of digital technologies in a way that emphasizes the crucial balance of digital privacy and cybersecurity."

The leadership team at Sertainty is eager to support CIEDAR's goals. "We are constantly looking for innovative partners who believe in the same mission of enabling the sharing of valuable information without giving up control and digital privacy rights," says Greg Taylor, CEO of Sertainty. Sertainty avers that while data breaches are to some degree inevitable, privacy breaches do not have to be. Data privacy with Sertainty is certain, provable, and manageable because "Privacy Intelligence" is built directly into the data.

While traditional protections may leave data exposed, Sertainty's solutions assure data security by enabling data to defend, govern, and protect itself. "When it comes to invaluable information such as the data behind CIEDAR's world-changing initiatives, you can't afford to leave it vulnerable," says Sternhell. "If we want our technology to help us build a brighter future, we have to ensure that its foundations are protected. That's the creed we live by at Sertainty and the vision we hope to achieve through this partnership." For more information, kindly contact CIEDAR and Sertainty.

About Sertainty:

Sertainty (http://www.sertainty.com) is a technology company specializing in embedding intelligence into any type of dataset. Sertainty technology transforms ordinary data that is inherently passive and vulnerable into a self-protecting, self-governing asset that mitigates risk in real-time  modernizing your approach to security and data's ultimate role in your enterprise. Sertainty's goal is to prevent theft of intellectual property, proprietary data, and confidential information. The company is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee.

For further information, please visit http://www.sertainty.com.

Media inquiries:

Daniel Klein

1-800-663-0126

PR@josephstudios.net

About Texas State University and CIEDAR:

Founded in 1899, Texas State University is one of the largest public universities in Texas with 1,800 faculty, 38,000 students, and 5,100 acres housing two campuses and multiple research labs. TXST is a 10-year Hispanic serving institution with over 50% of the minority student body participating in over 200 bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs. TXST is the only Texas university to have had a US President as a graduate. CIEDAR is a multi-disciplinary, connected infrastructure for education, demonstration, and applied research consortium at Texas State University, delivering nine living labs for smart cities, utilities, energy, water & wastewater, buildings & infrastructure, mobility, networks, sensors, and software (AI, ML, Analytics, Cybersecurity, Cloud, Databases, Blockchain, Autonomous X, Control Systems, and more).

For further information, please visit https://www.marc.txstate.edu/CIEDAR.html.
SGF welcomes Jessica Kanter, M.D., MTR, to the Atlanta physician team. I am proud to be a part of Shady Grove Fertility because of their dedication to each patient as an individual. There is an unparalleled effort from everyone on the SGF team to help patients achieve their fertility goals."

Shady Grove Fertility (SGF), a premier fertility center and home to 100,000 babies born, welcomes reproductive endocrinologist, Jessica R. Kanter, M.D., MTR, to the practices Atlanta - Northside office. Dr. Kanter is board certified in obstetrics and gynecology and board eligible in reproductive endocrinology.

I am proud to be a part of Shady Grove Fertility because of their dedication to each patient as an individual, remarks Dr. Kanter. There is an unparalleled effort from everyone on the SGF team to help patients achieve their fertility goals.

She earned her undergraduate degree in biomedical engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology, where she received her first patent for Rapid Multiwell Cell Filtration Device, a device for enhanced efficiency of automated blood-typing. She then made a career shift towards medicine, attending Emory University School of Medicine for her medical degree. Dr. Kanter remained in Georgia to pursue her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University Health.

An ardent researcher, Dr. Kanter has contributed to medical publications focusing on subjects such as monozygotic twinning in IVF, cell biology of early pregnancy establishment and the uterine immune environment as well as writing book chapters detailing infertility and ectopic pregnancies. Dr. Kanter is now scheduling new patient appointments at the Atlanta - Northside office where she will provide comprehensive fertility services, including:



fertility and ovarian reserve testing and diagnosis,

semen analysis,

hysterosalpingogram (HSG),

low-tech fertility treatment options such as intrauterine insemination (IUI),

in vitro fertilization (IVF),

donor egg, sperm, and embryo,

genetic screening and testing,

gestational carrier,

egg freezing,

fertility preservation for patients with cancer, and

LGBTQ family building.

Dr. Kanter joins Drs. Desiree McCarthy-Keith, Anne Namnoum, Pavna Brahma, and Valerie Libby at SGF Atlantas flagship office. SGF Atlanta, who was named Best Reproductive Endocrinology Practice by Kudzu and Top Doctors by Atlanta Magazine, currently has four locations in the greater Atlanta region. Patients also have access to SGF Atlantas unique financial options that help make fertility treatment more affordable.

We are excited to have Dr. Kanter join the SGF Atlanta medical team, says Dr. McCarthy-Keith, Medical Director of SGF Atlanta. By adding Dr. Kanter to the team, patients have more convenient access than ever before to highly specialized fertility care from an esteemed team of physicians.

Patients may schedule an appointment with Dr. Kanter at SGFs Atlanta - Northside location by calling 1-877-761-1967 or by submitting this brief form.

About Shady Grove Fertility (SGF)

SGF is a leading fertility and IVF center of excellence with more than 100,000 babies born. With 43 locations, including new locations in Colorado and Norfolk, VA, as well as throughout CO, FL, GA, MD, NY, PA, VA, D.C., and Santiago, Chile, SGF offers patients virtual physician consults, delivers individualized care, accepts most insurance plans, and makes treatment more affordable through innovative financial options, including 100% refund guarantees. More physicians refer their patients to SGF than any other center. SGF is among the founding partner practices of US Fertility, the largest physician-owned, physician-led partnership of top-tier fertility practices in the U.S. Call 1-888-761-1967 or visit ShadyGroveFertility.com.
Caring Transitions of Toledo Whether youre leaving a lifetime of memories or youre helping clear out the home of a loved one, transitions can be challenging and emotional. We are here to take those burdens off your shoulders so you can focus on what matters most. - Tami Herman

Sisters Amy (Leatherman) Findley and Tami (Leatherman) Herman are pleased to announce the launch of their new full-service, senior-focused relocation and estate clearing company  Caring Transitions of Toledo.

Caring Transitions is the professional choice for moving, downsizing and hosting estate sales. Caring Transitions specially-trained professionals handle every detail of their clients transition including decluttering, cleanouts, packing, move management, unpacking, resettling into your new home with both in-home and online estate sales. Caring Transitions of Toledo serves the entire Toledo area, including Ottawa Hills and Old Orchard.

Caring Transitions is not just an estate sale company, we are a full-service, beginning-to-end solution for the relocations we all face at some point in our lives. Whether youre leaving a lifetime of memories or youre helping clear out the home of a loved one, transitions can be challenging and emotional. We are here to take those burdens off your shoulders so you can focus on what matters most, Herman said.

Caring Transitions services are perfect for managing the many aspects of a senior move. The company also helps busy families with downsizing, rightsizing, and clearing out the home of a loved one who has moved into assisted care or has passed away. All of Caring Transitions services are customizable, so clients choose the solution that best fits their needs.

Findley and Herman have backgrounds in quality management, continuous improvement and leadership development. They are looking forward to bringing that focus to Caring Transitions.

Our unique backgrounds and customizable services make us the perfect partner for anyone facing a transition, especially adult children who are sandwiched between caring for their older parents and their children. Between our team and our strategic partners, we can manage the entire lifecycle of a transition to make the process as stress-free as possible, Findley said.

Caring Transitions of Toledo is bonded and insured and all employees are background checked. For additional information, call 419-574-9512, email AFindley@CaringTransitions.com or THerman@CaringTransitions.com, or visit http://www.CaringTransitionsofToledo.com.


"SmartKargo is pleased to provide the advanced benefits of EDIfly SM messaging at no cost to customers of our e-commerce solution." - Milind Tavshikar, CEO, SmartKargo

SmartKargo has now embedded EDIfly into its end-to-end e-commerce solution to support free encrypted messaging for its airline clients. Air Asia Cargo, a cornerstone customer of SmartKargo, recently implemented the EDI-messaging solution with its ground handling partners in Indonesia. Air Asia is the leading low-cost carrier in Asia and a leading integrated logistics provider facilitating the movement of goods and e-commerce packages, through its Teleport cargo subsidiary, across Southeast Asia and beyond.

The EDIfly messaging platform is the signature tool of Luxembourg-based Innovative Software. Innovative Software SARL recently joined the IATA EPIC Platform and has now added logistics.cloud to support encrypted connectivity options through its low-cost EDIfly messaging technology based on open-source components. The platforms are facilitating exchanges for a growing number of partners in ground handling and warehouse management, airline trucking, forwarding, logistics, cargo community systems, or even some governments.

"EDIfly enables our airline customers like Air Asia to securely exchange operational messages with their logistics partners, which is so vital in the fulfillment of e-commerce transactions," said Milind Tavshikar, CEO of SmartKargo. "SmartKargo is pleased to provide the advanced benefits of EDIfly SM messaging at no cost to customers of our e-commerce solution."

The implementation of EDIfly is simple for SmartKargo's customers of SmartKargo's platform, as EDIfly relies on the same addresses already in use by legacy aviation messaging providers such as SITA, ARINC, Cargo-Community-Systems, and others. EDIfly SM also adds value to these exchanges with instant proof of delivery through a digital signature. This means comprehensive process control for business partners and a secured exchange not available with other traditional means, including email.

"In addition to the significant cost reduction over alternative messaging methods, EDIfly provides Air Asia with the utmost in data security for our messaging, and it is based on IATA standards," said Javed Malik, title, AirAsia.

SmartKargo's customers now benefit from complete tracking without the volume-related pricing typically incurred. EDIfly is the only solution today that can be GDPR and PCI/DSS compliant with certifiable encryption end-to-end, including into the application of the customer.

"EDIfly uniquely allows seamless integration and allows for self-administration capabilities," said Ingo Roessler, Chief Commercial Officer at EDIfly. "In addition, the messaging provides full transparency on performance and message delivery, and guarantees the delivery order through end-to-end sequencing of messages." Roessler added.

For more information, please visit http://www.smartkargo.com or http://www.edifly.com.

About SmartKargo

SmartKargo delivers advanced digital technology to facilitate the efficient digital transformation of an airline's cargo business. With deep expertise in air cargo, technology, and e-commerce, SmartKargo empowers airlines to open new revenue streams through e-commerce package shipping and delivery, as recently featured in Forbes. The company is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts (in what The New York Times called "the most innovative square mile on the planet"), with key offices in India, the Philippines, Brazil, and Canada. Learn more at http://www.smartkargo.com or on our social media at Linkedin, Twitter, or Instagram.

About EDIfly

EDIfly, a product of Innovative Software SARL, provides innovative software for seamless integrated messaging in aviation and logistics since 2010. The company provides banking-like data security, superior rule-based message routing + monitoring based on IATA standards. EDIfly uses standard RSA/AES encryption and obtains a real-time non-repudiation proof-of-delivery from the receiving address. Innovative Software SARL has partnered with industry initiatives including IATA EPIC and logistics.cloud to support low-cost connectivity options through its EDIfly messaging technology based on open-source components. EDIfly promotes seamless migration away from legacy and fixed-link connectivity using the existing addressing Type B, Type X, Cargo: XML, PIMA schema, etc., while supporting high-level encryption to exchanges without applications changes. For more information contact http://www.edifly.com.
"At CodigoDelSur, we are always looking to incorporate the latest technology, and we pride ourselves in delivering outstanding digital products.", says Nicolas Amarelle, CEO

CodigoDelSur, an internationally acclaimed web and mobile app development firm headquartered in Montevideo, Uruguay, celebrates 14 years of excellence in the software development industry, excelling in integral product creation.

"Our staff is what makes this company special, and I am extremely proud to be working with all of them," says CEO Nicolas Amarelle, who himself is a seasoned software engineer. "At CodigoDelSur, we are always looking to incorporate the latest technology, and we pride ourselves in delivering outstanding digital products. Our team is one of the most experienced web development teams in the world, and we strive to achieve every single one of our client's goals. We are thrilled to now be able to celebrate 14 years of success for our customers and us."

Since its inception, CodigoDelSur has worked with over 250 projects ranging from early-stage startups to large international companies. The firm has demonstrated a significant commitment to each project and client with fundamental values beyond standard staff augmentation engagements and product development. Specializing in product development from the ground up, CodigoDelSur provides fully functional products ready for market release. Based on their extensive experience helping startups through the first launch of their product, CodigoDelSur excels in providing substantial expertise unmatched by other developers.

Within just 14 years, CodigoDelSur has achieved incredible successes for companies in the industries of fintech, education, food & delivery, healthcare, fitness, and aviation (drones).

Now, the CodigoDelSur team boasts 120 leading experts in mobile and web development, quality assurance, and UX/UI design, who have developed over 250 outstanding applications. Working to create a product from ground zero to finished functionality, CodigoDelSur's full-service capabilities have proven to be an incredible differentiator from competing companies, especially in the startup sector.

These efforts have garnered a high level of appreciation from clients and partners, reflecting CodigoDelSur's exceptional standard of work. Its commitment and achievements are further reflected by the high-ranking apps they have developed for esteemed clients like Kindara, Skout, Shutterfly, Grubhub, and DroneDeploy, among many others. Their achievements range from developing 300+ million user apps to ranking #1 in the app store and innovating creative solutions for every client.

CodigoDelSur also prides itself in supporting the local community through pro-bono web development for a non-profit children's cancer foundation, providing scholarships for deserving students, and offering paid internships for aspiring software engineers.

About CodigoDelSur

Founded in 2007, CodigoDelSur is a full-service mobile and web development, quality assurance, and UX/UI design company based in Montevideo, Uruguay, offering comprehensive and innovative solutions to various clients across the globe. CodigoDelSur is a trustworthy partner for custom software development and the first choice for many clients.

A vibrant company culture is part of what makes CodigoDelSur exceptional. Codigodelsur has made a short video to celebrate their 14 years of excellence in the industry. To view it, please visit http://shorturl.at/uGPQY.

For further information, please visit http://www.codigodelsur.com.

Media inquiries

Joseph Studios

Daniel Klein

1-800-663-0126

pr@josephstudios.net
ImmuSynergy 6 ImmuSynergy6 simplifies putting your health first by blending together potent polysaccharides, antioxidants and glycoproteins that provide gut barrier benefits and support a balanced microbiome.

Today Sovereign Laboratories introduces ImmuSynergy 6, an all-in-one, immune focused supplement formulated to support innate and adaptive immunity.* Utilizing emerging research exploring the health benefits of beta glucan, quercetin, and bovine colostrum, ImmuSynergy 6, offers an effective formula of natural ingredients that improves the function of the immune system without over-stimulating it.*

When we first considered harnessing the power of Reishi mushroom, we knew we wanted to create a supplement that approached wellness from a whole-body perspective, said Shelley Treadaway, spokesperson for Sovereign Laboratories. A balanced approach to immune health is healthier in the long term, as the human bodys goal is to maintain homeostasis rather than one extreme or another.

ImmuSynergy 6 contains six core immune-promoting ingredients: vitamin C, vitamin D3, zinc, beta glucan, quercetin and natures original immune health food  colostrum.



PureWay-C: a proprietary preparation of ascorbic acid with citrus bioflavonoids and lipid metabolites. Its advanced absorption at the cellular level helps prolong the biological activity and antioxidant capacity without irritating delicate G.I. tissue.

Vitamin D3: provides additional antioxidant activity and helps address the tendency for deficiency in winter months when sunlight exposure is limited.

Zinc: an essential mineral necessary for the production of new immune cells, because the body cannot store this mineral, it requires regular replacement.

Immulink MBG: a proprietary extract from Reishi mushrooms, provides beta glucan, a polysaccharide shown to activate frontline immune cells for a robust immune response without overstimulation.*

Quercefit: a proprietary and highly bioavailable form of quercetin, a flavonoid, and offers antioxidant and circulatory benefits.*

Colostrum-LD: provides immunoglobulins, lactoferrin, lactoperoxidase, lysozyme and other immune bioactives which support the immune system in times of stress or immune challenge.*

"Many people find it difficult to keep up with the number of nutrients, minerals and vitamins necessary to support their immune system," said Shaffer Mok, gastroenterologist. "ImmuSynergy6 simplifies putting your health first by blending together potent polysaccharides, antioxidants and glycoproteins that provide gut barrier benefits and support a balanced microbiome."

ImmuSynergy 6 can be taken to benefit overall immune health, help maintain healthy mucous membranes and help strengthen the skins barrier function.* ImmuSynergy 6 retails for $45.95.

To learn more about ImmuSynergy 6, visit: https://www.sovereignlaboratories.com.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent diseases.

ABOUT SOVEREIGN LABORATORIES

Sovereign Laboratories is a worldwide leader in the bovine colostrum supplement industry. For 25 years, we have been dedicated to developing natural products that provide the most efficacious solutions for optimal health, vitality, aesthetics, and healthy aging. Company founder Douglas Wyatt is the world's leading authority on bovine colostrum and is credited with establishing the gold standard in processing raw bovine colostrum into supplements. Mr. Wyatt is also an early developer of liposomal delivery (LD) for enhanced bioavailability of colostrum and other nutritional supplements. Sovereign Laboratories' signature product Colostrum-LD is the top-selling brand of bovine colostrum in the United States. Colostrum-LD is considered the premier foundational supplement for optimal gut and immune health, and it was designed for successful aging no matter where one is on the spectrum of life. For more information visit: http://www.sovereignlaboratories.com.
Glasgow Business Awards Star Refrigeration has helped hundreds of businesses across the UK reduce their carbon footprint and transition to net zero

The company received the Net Zero Achievement Award for its work on the development of ground-breaking environmentally friendly industrial refrigeration and heating technology over the course of 50 years.

The Glasgow Business Awards ceremony which took place on October 7th at the DoubleTree By Hilton Glasgow Central honoured Glasgow citys top businesses and individuals.

The Net Zero Achievement Award recognised businesses which have successfully innovated through technology, services, products, internal operations or existing systems, raising their ambition and scaling their impact to support Glasgow citys ambitious target of Net Zero by 2030.

Star Refrigeration, who were just recently announced as Refrigeration Contractor of the year at the TCS&D Awards received the Net Zero Achievement award in recognition of the companys efforts to achieve Glasgows net zero targets by 2030.

As a company whose foundation has been built on sustainable values in the development and utilisation of low carbon cooling and heating technologies. Star Refrigeration has helped hundreds of businesses across the UK reduce their carbon footprint and transition to net zero.

Dave Pearson, Group Sustainable Development Director said This award goes all the way back to 1970 with various aspects of progress in fish factories, ice rinks, government, airline and bank data centres, car paint plants, the UKs first micro-processor controller with a modem for remote monitoring, often using half the energy for cooling of others. Colleagues have even lowered the cost of making a humble ice cube and removed high global warming potential working fluid R22 from coffee freeze drying. Achieving the impossible time and time again.

Of course the mission continues and has expanded to tackling emissions from heating for chocolate making, yoghurts, heating museums, heating a city from a fjord and most recently the already award winning district energy scheme at West Dunbartonshire delivered by Vital Energi.

If I take one thing forward from this, it is that aiming for net-zero is good for our clients businesses not bad and we look forward to helping anyone who seeks a more sustainable outcome in their business process.

The Glasgow Business Awards are firmly established as the leading awards ceremony for Glasgow business. The awards provide the ideal opportunity to promote business achievements, raise profile and recognise the success of forward-looking and innovative organisations.

To find out more about Star Refrigeration visit http://www.star-ref.co.uk
Quality wooden jewelry, accessories, and more from Statement Peace. People everywhere are looking to purchase their goods from companies that not only give back, but allow the consumer to feel that they too gave a helping hand in making the world a better place, said Jessy.

What began as a small, local business in Naples, Florida has grown to be internationally known.

Founder Jessy Lee started Statement Peace, a sustainable wooden jewelry brand, in 2017 with the goal to connect and inspire people through her work. Since then, she has taken the business to new levels. Now in over 1,000 stores across every state in the U.S. as well as internationally in Canada, the United Kingdom, France, and the Netherlands, Jessy is growing her brands visibility by the day.

How is she doing this? Almost single-handedly. Jessy grew the business alone for the first three years. Without a big team or investors, Statement Peace grew organically. Through grassroots expansion, Jessy was able to launch her business into stores. She now works with independent retailers and direct to consumers both in and out of the country.

With a team of five, Statement Peace continues to evolve. It is the fastest growing wooden jewelry brand on the market. With the belief that the world is looking for unique, quality products made from loving hands and businesses with values and good intentions, Statement Peace is here to deliver.

As part of their mission, the eco-friendly brand, Statement Peace, has put sustainability at the forefront. They have teamed up with the global reforestation charity, One Tree Planted. For every piece purchased, a donation is made to plant trees back into Mama Earth. From where they source their materials to the trees that get planted, Statement Peace brings eco-friendly full circle in their trendy, boho-chic designs.

People everywhere are looking to purchase their goods from companies that not only give back, but allow the consumer to feel that they too gave a helping hand in making the world a better place, said Jessy.

Statement Peace is getting noticed for all the right reasons. Every piece evokes good vibes and immerses customers into a higher frequency by sharing a passion for creation while being kind to the planet.

For more information, visit https://statementpeace.com or contact tori@teamchicexecs.com.

About Statement Peace:

Statement Peace is an eco-friendly lifestyle brand that designs jewelry, accessories, and more. Founder Jessica Lee believes energy is transferable and she is passionate about connecting and inspiring people through her work. Their mission is to evoke vibes and immerse their customers into a higher frequency by sharing their passion for creation. Follow them on Instagram @statement_peace.
Dennis Bolduc, President and Owner of Bolduc Mechanical Services We are delighted to welcome Bolduc Mechanical Service to the Stertil-Koni family

Heavy duty bus lift and truck lift leader Stertil-Koni today announced that it has expanded its network of exclusive distributors across North America with the addition of Bolduc Mechanical Services, a highly experienced vehicle lift distributor, installer and service expert.

Established in 1985, Bolduc Mechanic Services will cover an exclusive territory for Stertil-Koni heavy duty vehicle lifts, accessories, and shop equipment that includes Connecticut, Vermont, as well as Franklin and Berkshire counties in Massachusetts.

The fit for both Stertil-Koni and Bolduc Mechanical Services is particularly strong given each companys core strengths, technical expertise, and focus on service. As Dennis Bolduc, President and Owner of the company that proudly bears his name explains, Our primary mission is simple: First and foremost, we are in the safety business. We want to make absolutely certain that every shop technician using our equipment goes home safely.

He continues, As part of that effort, we are driven to provide the very best heavy duty vehicle lifts and that is why we are aligned with Stertil-Koni. Bolduc Mechanical Services also has a keen focus on service. Currently, the company has on its team an ALI (Automotive Lift Institute) Certified Lift Inspector  a top tech lift inspector who has completed rigorous coursework and practical training to achieve the much coveted certification from ALI, the industrys third-party, independent watchdog organization.

For its part, Stertil-Koni President, Dr. Jean DellAmore, noted, Dedicated lift expertise and customer care are two key competitive strengths of both organizations  and major factors in our collective success. We are delighted to welcome Bolduc Mechanical Service to the Stertil-Koni family. Under Dennis leadership, the organization has established an excellent reputation in all aspects of lift selection, installation, and servicing. Whats more, it provides a full line of engineering, permitting, construction, excavation, training, and inspection services. The bottom line is that this is a major win for our customers, Bolduc Mechanical Services, and Stertil-Koni.

In sum, DellAmore concluded, we are confident that Stertil-Koni is now poised for even greater growth and further elevating as our already high levels of customer satisfaction.

About Stertil-Koni

Stertil-Koni - proud to be a Buy America company - is the market leader in heavy duty vehicle lifts, notably bus lifts and truck lifts, and proudly serves municipalities, state agencies, school bus fleets, major corporations, the U.S. Military and more. Stertil-Koni's breadth of products meets all ranges of lifting needs and includes portable lifts such as Mobile Column Lifts, 2-post, 4-post, inground piston lifts, platform lifts, and its axle-engaging, inground, scissor lift configuration, ECOLIFT. The companys innovative, inground telescopic piston DIAMONDLIFT is now available with an optional Continuous Recess system, ideal for low clearance vehicles. Stertil-Koni USA is headquartered in Stevensville, Maryland with production facilities in Europe, The Netherlands, and Streator, IL.


The Ophthalmologist Power List Issue You would be surprised to know how many people look at the Power Lists to determine who they want on panels, as consultants, and involved in different projects.

For the October issue, The Ophthalmologists editors have collaborated with leading practitioners and scientists to deliver unique stories, insightful interviews, and glimpses into the future of the field that are available nowhere else.

The Ophthalmologists annual Power List celebrates the great minds and personalities that contribute to the field of ophthalmology. Each Power Lister is nominated by readers of The Ophthalmologist and then ranked by an esteemed panel of independent judges. The October issue of the publication illustrates how the Power List continues to make a splash in the field. Cynthia Roberts, Chair for Research in Ophthalmology at Ohio State University in Columbus commented on the impact of The Ophthalmologists Power List: You would be surprised to know how many people look at the Power Lists to determine who they want on panels, as consultants, and involved in different projects.

Editorial highlights include:



The Path to the Podium: The cover feature spotlights leading figures in ophthalmology including Julia Haller, Soosan Jacob, Anat Loewenstein, Cynthia Roberts, and Louisa Wickham, who discuss milestones on the route to the apex of their profession.

From Nurse Consultant to Recognition by the Queen: Adam Mapani discusses his career, from becoming the first-ever nurse consultant in ophthalmology at Moorfields, to volunteering with African communities on the continent and around the world, all the way to receiving an MBE from Queen Elizabeth II (MBE, Member of the Order of the British Empire, is awarded for an outstanding achievement or for service to the community).

Trends in Glaucoma Practice and Ocular Surface Management: Serial Power Listers Elizabeth Yeu and Paul Singh share their insights on current glaucoma practice and ocular surface management.

Combining Research and Clinical Practice for Professional Success: Mariya Moosajee reflects on the challenges of combining the roles of clinician and researcher. Nikki Hafezi describes how she made a name for herself in ophthalmology by turning obstacles into opportunities.

This highly anticipated takeover issue taps into the ground-breaking April 2021 Power List issue that featured the Top 100 Women in Ophthalmology, showcasing the unique challenges they overcame and the groundbreaking accomplishments that followed.

Aleksandra Jones, Editor of The Ophthalmologist, shared these comments about the takeover issue, "Given the huge popularity of this years Power List, we wanted to dedicate an issue to the stories and experiences of a handful of the many influential figures who have featured in the Power List and shaped the field over the years. We sincerely hope their insight will inspire future waves of influencers and disruptors."

See The Ophthalmologists Power List takeover issue here.

END

About The Ophthalmologist

The Ophthalmologist is a leading publication for professionals in all areas of ophthalmic clinical practice. Through its resources  website, newsletters, webinars, social channels, monthly print magazine and video  The Ophthalmologist gives its vast audience of readers a truly global and multimedia platform from which to learn, communicate, network and further the field of ophthalmology.

theophthalmologist.com I Twitter I LinkedIn I YouTube I Facebook

About Texere Publishing

At Texere Publishing, we deliver compelling, behind the scenes stories that matter in the life sciences and medicine. Our unrivaled access to key opinion leaders, influencers, scientists, and doctors who are making a difference allows us to connect our readers to the pulse of their fields. Founded in 2012, we have expanded our editorial beat to the world with our presence in the US, Canada, and the UK. Visionary. Innovative. Fearless. Join us on our journey to cover the stories that matter to you.

Publishers of The Analytical Scientist, The Cannabis Scientist, The Medicine Maker, The Ophthalmologist, The Pathologist, and The Translational Scientist

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RAM Pavement encourages its staff to wear pink in October to show support in the fight against cancer. To give back as much as we can is always a big deal for us. Every October our staff wear pink to raise awareness and show solidarity with people and their families who are fighting cancer, its survivors, and to honor those who are no longer with us.- Robert Miller, President of RAM Pavement.

Anyone who has had cancer or who has known someone with cancer knows the traumatic effects it has on the person diagnosed and their family. With an estimated 1.8 million cases being diagnosed each year, it is imperative that the fight against cancer continues strong. RAM Pavement, a local paving company in Charlotte, North Carolina, was honored to once again lend their support to the fight against this disease.

For the seventh year, RAM Pavement has been a proud sponsor for Go Jen Gos major event, Run Jen Run. The Go Jen Go Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing critical financial assistance to local individuals and families who are battling breast cancer. Aid is provided during diagnosis, treatment and recovery. This year, the organization hosted their 9th Annual Run Jen Run 5k back in March, which was done virtually. RAM Pavement was a silver sponsor for the event and encouraged their staff to participate by running the 5k with their families.

This year RAM Pavement also partnered with another non-profit organization for the fight against cancer- Isabella Santos Foundation (ISF). ISF was founded by Isabellas parents and is dedicated to improving rare pediatric cancer treatment options in an effort to increase survival rates of kids with cancer.

I heard of ISF through a close friend of mine and I was interested in learning more about them. I met with Erin Santos and her team and we had a really impactful meeting. The foundation is doing a lot locally. They managed to raise a lot of money to fund cancer research and build hospital wings dedicated to cancer treatment. - Robert Miller, President of RAM Pavement.

In September, ISF hosted their 14th Annual ISF 5K for Kids Cancer, which was held virtually. RAM Pavement was privileged to be a silver sponsor for the event and once again encouraged their staff to run the 5k with their families.

RAMs President stressed how important it is for his company to give back to their community.

To give back as much as we can is always a big deal for us. Every Friday in October our staff wear pink to raise awareness and show solidarity with people and their families who are fighting cancer, its survivors, and to honor those who are no longer with us.- Robert Miller, President of RAM Pavement.

At RAM Pavement everyone strives to live up to the companys mission statement: Enriching the lives of our employees, providing extreme value for our clients and giving back to our community.

We want our staff to be involved in the bigger picture. Being a sponsor of these events enables all of us to take action and even by simply wearing a pink t-shirt, we can all say we are part of something great!-Robert Miller, President of RAM Pavement.

The companys desire to give  be it through volunteering, donating, or simply praying is what sets them apart. They look forward to many more opportunities to serve their community. If you want to work with a company that truly cares, not only about its customers and staff but their community as a whole, give them a call at 704.622.1300.
Awaji City LINE Official Account Rich Menu By continuously delivering community information, the city will pleasantly connect with related members, which will in turn create population inflow into the city.

transcosmos inc. and transcosmos online communications inc. (Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan; President: Hiroshi Kaizuka) are proud to announce that the two companies offered "KANAMETO," a Digital Transformation (DX) tool powered by LINE, to Awaji city, Hyogo prefecture (City Mayer: Yasuhiko Kado) on September 1, 2021. Accordingly, the two companies began assisting Awaji city in disseminating information to its citizens and related parties by using the city's Official LINE Account.

Awaji city released "Awaji City LINE Official Account (Account name: Awaji City)" on September 1, 2021 through which the city provides municipal information via segmented messages. The account also lets users access chatbot services that enable them to inquire about family registers, residence certificates and other certification, parenting, medical checkups, medical care, health insurance, and tax, as well as a waste sorting lookup service, which uses LINE's keyword response feature.

With the slogan "Build a community where people wish to go back one day," Awaji city is working on making the community more attractive than ever under the three basic visions, namely "a community where citizens can live safely, securely and comfortably," "a community where Awaji-local citizens living outside the city wish to come back and live again," "a community where people from outside the city wish to visit and live someday." To achieve these visions, Awaji City LINE Official Account not only delivers municipal information for its citizens but also disseminates various information for people who currently live outside the city but still engage with and have an interest in the community.

For its citizens, the city sends out information related to COVID-19, parenting, health and medical care, and social welfare with a segmented messaging feature, and delivers a waste collection calendar based on residential areas and categories of waste on a regular basis. In addition, using the Disaster Prevention Email Connected Solution by KANAMETO, the city can now automatically send disaster and other emergency information to users' LINE accounts that have only previously been sent via emails using the city's disaster prevention email system. Disseminating municipal information that is closely related to the community will make its citizen's lives more convenient.

As for related members who currently live outside the city, Awaji city aims to increase access to information related to support programs for moving to and settling down in the city, furusato nozei, a corporate version of Japan's hometown tax donation program, and tourism by using LINE's dynamic rich menu and carousel messages whilst sending segmented messages that contain notices, events and tourist information issued by its public relations magazine, as well as information about moving to and settling down in the city, vacant house databank, and more. By continuously delivering community information, the city will pleasantly connect with related members, which will in turn create population inflow into the city.

transcosmos and transcosmos online communications will continue to assist Awaji city in making a community where people wish to live forever, come back and live, or visit by deepening relationships with its citizens and related parties by sending out municipal information via its LINE Official Account.

"KANAMETO" is a LINE-powered Government DX tool developed and offered by transcosmos online communications inc., a joint-stock company between transcosmos, LINE Corporation and salesforce.com Co., Ltd. KANAMETO empowers governments to digitalize a variety of resident services including segmented messaging to deliver information that residents want to receive, Q&A chatbot related to COVID-19, sending out disaster prevention information, citizen reporting for road and park-related problems, My Number card issuance reservation desk, chat-based child-care consultation, and more.

*transcosmos is a trademark or registered trademark of transcosmos inc. in Japan and other countries.

*Other company names and product or service names used here are trademarks or registered trademarks of respective companies.

About transcosmos online communications inc.

transcosmos online communications inc. was founded in May 2016 as a joint-stock company between transcosmos inc. and LINE Corporation. In October 2017, the company received investment from Salesforce Ventures, an investment arm of salesforce.com, Inc. Powered by LINE's platform user base and transcosmos's sales and development capabilities, a GovTech venture business transcosmos online communications continues to deliver various solutions and services that help governments build a better and stronger relationship with their residents. In September 2017, transcosmos online communications released "KANAMETO," its proprietary LINE-powered Government DX tool. Visit us here (no translation available): https://transcosmos-online.com/

About transcosmos inc.

transcosmos launched its operations in 1966. Since then, we have combined superior "people" with up-to-date "technology" to enhance the competitive strength of our clients by providing them with superior and valuable services. transcosmos currently offers services that support clients' business processes focusing on both sales expansion and cost optimization through our 168 bases across 30 countries/regions with a focus on Asia, while continuously pursuing Operational Excellence. Furthermore, following the expansion of e-commerce market on the global scale, transcosmos provides a comprehensive One-Stop Global E-Commerce Services to deliver our clients' excellent products and services to consumers in 48 countries/regions around the globe. transcosmos aims to be the "Global Digital Transformation Partner" of our clients, supporting the clients' transformation by leveraging digital technology, responding to the ever-changing business environment. Visit us here https://www.trans-cosmos.co.jp/english/
Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard, P.C. is pleased to announce 12 of the firms attorneys have been honored by Law Bulletin Media as Leading Lawyers and Emerging Lawyers in Illinois.

Patrick A. Salvi, Patrick A. Salvi II, Matthew L. Williams, Tara R. Devine, Jennifer L. Ashley, Lance D. Northcutt and Thomas R. Mulroy were chosen as Leading Lawyers; and Aaron D. Boeder, Brian L. Salvi, Eirene N. Salvi, Andrew J. Burkavage, and Rob L. Kohen were recognized as Emerging Lawyers. Leading Lawyers selects top lawyers in Illinois based on their legal skills, reputation and experience. Emerging Lawyers honors the top 2% of the lawyers in Illinois who are under 40 years old or have practiced 10 years or less.

Leading Lawyers is a division of Law Bulletin Media and uses a four-phase selection process that begins with a survey of every lawyer listed in Sullivan's Law Directory, followed by interviews with the lawyers most frequently nominated, an ethical evaluation, and finally an intensive review by the Leading Lawyers Network Advisory Board. The total number of members in the Leading Lawyers network never exceeds five percent of the total number of lawyers in the state.

For more information, please contact Marcie Mangan at (312) 372-1227 or mmangan@salvilaw.com.


TwelveStone Health Partners, a leading provider of comprehensive chronic care medication services, today announced that it has received $12M in funding from Siena Healthcare Finance. The investment will be used to expand the companys footprint of infusion center locations serving specialty practices and patients in markets across Tennessee and the Southeast.

The success of our hub and spoke model, anchored by our infusion centers and the tremendously positive patient feedback has motivated the expansion to new markets caring for patients with chronic, complex and rare disease, said Shane Reeves, chief executive officer, TwelveStone Health Partners. Siena Healthcare is a tremendous partner, and we are grateful for capital infusion that will support our expansion.

We are excited to support our newest clients working capital needs and provide a more flexible financing structure with greater borrowing availability to support their continued growth, said Jennifer Sheasgreen, Siena Healthcare Finance president.

TwelveStone supports the transition from acute to post-acute care environments and the transition from sickness to health, offering a higher level of service to patients with chronic conditions including a headquarters location in Murfreesboro and infusion centers in Murfreesboro, TN, Canton, GA, Chattanooga, TN, Knoxville, TN, and Mt. Juliet, TN. A new location in Spring Hill, TN is scheduled to open within the next month.

About TwelveStone Health Partners

TwelveStone Health Partners incorporates the objective of glorifying God into its mission by delivering a higher level of service to partners and patients. As an organization, TwelveStone supports the transition from acute to post-acute care environments and the transition from sickness to health. This is the third evolution in the companys history, beginning in 1980 when Richard Reeves and Ronald Powell created a single retail pharmacy location then called Reeves Powell Saveway Drug Store. In 1994 Shane Reeves and Rick Sain launched Reeves-Sain and over 20 years grew the organization to include seven companies. In 2015 Reeves Sain Drug Store, Inc., a retail pharmacy, and its specialty pharmacy, EntrustRx were sold to Freds, Inc. In 2016 Shane Reeves launched TwelveStone Health Partners with the objective of continuing to pursue the highest professional, business and community goals set forth by its founders. For more information visit http://www.12stonehealth.com.

About Siena Healthcare Finance

Siena Healthcare Finance, a specialized division of Siena Lending Group, is dedicated solely to serving companies within the healthcare sector, providing for loans from $4 - $30 million. Siena Lending Group is a leading asset-based lender providing financing solutions up to $100 million to clients across sectors, ranging from small, privately held middle-market companies to publicly traded industry leaders. In addition to working directly with corporate clients, Siena has earned a reputation as a trusted financing partner to private equity firms and other financial sponsors. Since 2012, Siena has consistently found creative ways to provide borrowers with maximum flexibility and liquidity. With deep lending experience and expertise in complex situations, clients know Siena brings the patience and perspective to help them work through challenges and achieve their long-term visions. Siena Healthcare Finance, a specialized division of Siena, is dedicated exclusively to serving companies within the healthcare sector. Siena is a portfolio company of Business Development Corporation of America, an affiliate of Benefit Street Partners L.L.C. (BSP). BSP, a leading credit-focused alternative asset management firm, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Franklin Resources, Inc. For more information, visit http://www.sienalending.com or http://www.sienahealthcarefinance.com or contact a Siena team member.
Women make up the backbone of global supply chains, and our health and rights are essential in rebuilding a post-pandemic world.

Two global businesses today announced new commitments to improve the health and well-being of almost 160,000 women, covering mostly women workers, women dependents of employees and women in surrounding communities, in India and Kenya by offering information and services on reproductive health, family planning, protection from violence, and more.

Tata Coffee Ltd., one of the worlds largest integrated coffee companies, and KTDA Foundation, the not-for-profit subsidiary of the Kenya Tea Development Agency, join 19 other commitment-makers that together have committed to reach more than 2 million women workers and community members primarily focused in 17 countries. The United Nations Foundations Universal Access Project, which leads the Private Sector Action for Womens Health and Empowerment initiative, also published today its 2021 Progress Report on the status of these commitments, finding companies standing by their commitments to women workers despite pandemic disruptions and delays.

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to lay bare how essential access to quality health care is for all people to thrive, said Seema Jalan, Executive Director of the Universal Access Project. Im encouraged to see even more companies stepping up to meet women workers where they are  in the workplace  with health care information and services, even in the midst of the pandemic that has impacted so many industries. Women make up the backbone of global supply chains, and our health and rights are essential in rebuilding a post-pandemic world.

Details of the commitments are as follows:



Tata Coffee Ltd. has committed by 2025 to improve the health and well-being of 7,500 women across Indian states of Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu compromising of their employees, women dependents of employees, and women in the surrounding tribal communities -- with an emphasis on reproductive health and family planning, menstrual hygiene, anemia and nutrition, maternal health, and overall physical and mental health.

Tata Coffee is committed to the wellbeing of its employees and communities, said Dr. Chandru CKN, Chief Medical Officer, Tata Coffee Limited. We believe that by empowering our women employees through various initiatives such as health and hygiene improvement programs, nutritional support, pre-natal and post-natal care, and a strict implementation of an anti-sexual harassment policy, we will be able to build a healthy society. We are equally committed to extending our services to ensure the health of the women and adolescents in the communities we operate in, mainly the tribal population.

KTDA Foundation commits by June 2023 to reach 300,000 smallholder tea farmers and farm workers, including at least 150,000 women, with services and information on reproductive health, GBV, family planning and physical well-being through onsite programs and education and expanded access to health providers.

Women are close to 60 percent of our workers. Women should have access to all the health and social benefits we as an institution can provide for them, as it will both support their health and rights and make our business more sustainable, said Sudi Matara, Head of KTDA Foundation and Sustainability. The productivity of the tea business is highly impacted by the health of farmers, hence we need programs that boost their well-being.

These new commitments are in addition to four in early 2021 from Amalgamated Plantations Private Limited (APPL), the second-largest tea producer in India; Arvind Ltd., a global textiles leader; Novartis sub-Saharan Africa, a division of a global pharmaceutical company; and Mt. Kenya West Women in Coffee (WESTWIC), a women-led membership organization of coffee estates and cooperatives in Kenya.

The 2021 Progress Report is based on self-reporting from commitment-makers on their progress in the last years, and documents that all companies and business organizations stand by their commitments  even though for most, the timetable and path for achieving their goals has lengthened and taken new turns in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Companies report adapting plans and programming to reflect the new global reality, and for many, the structures and personnel used for their health education and empowerment trainings could be repurposed for the pandemic response, from workplace vaccinations, to increased focus on preventing gender-based violence and supporting mental health, to piloting and expanding telemedicine and virtual outreach.

To see companies standing by their commitments in turbulent times underscores just how critical it is for business to meet the health and well-being needs of their workforces, added Jalan. This is about putting women in the drivers seat of their own health, lives and futures. With that as the foundation, companies are also investing in womens ability to make even greater contributions to the workforce and society.

The United Nations Foundations Universal Access Project is leading the Private Sector Action for Womens Health and Empowerment initiative to work with companies that have large global supply chains employing millions of women workers to improve the health and well-being of their workers. To learn more about these commitments and explore the business case for investing in workplace womens health and empowerment, visit http://www.privatesectoractionforwomenshealth.com.

About the Universal Access Project

The Universal Access Project, a project of the United Nations Foundations, convenes an innovative community of philanthropists, advocates and companies striving for a world where all people can realize their sexual and reproductive health and rights. Learn more at http://www.universalaccessproject.org

About the United Nations Foundation

The UN Foundation is an independent charitable organization created to be a strategic partner for the United Nations to address humanitys greatest challenges, build initiatives across sectors to solve problems at scale, and drive global progress. Learn more at http://www.unfoundation.org
UBCF is giving the gift of a better nights sleep to breast cancer patients and survivors during October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I would like to thank you again for a wonderful night's sleep FINALLY. I've had so many surgeries that sleep has been very hard the past 4 years. It's programs like yours that make patients like me feel as if life is worth living. I didn't think I would ever feel this normal again!!!

United Breast Cancer Foundation is excited to once again be working with Good360 and Tempur Sealy International, the worlds largest bedding provider, to gift Tempur-Pedic mattresses at no cost to breast cancer patients and survivors in Louisville, Kentucky this October during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. To help make this event possible, UBCF is working with Twisted Pink, a fellow breast cancer organization in Kentucky, to spread the word about the event. UBCF is grateful to Brookfield Properties for donating the space to make this event possible.

On October 30th UBCF will be giving away 160 queen-size Tempur-Pedic mattresses to male and female breast cancer patients and survivors in Louisville, Kentucky. An application can be completed online and must be submitted and approved in order to attend the event and receive items. Applications are welcome from anywhere in the United States, however, approved applicants are responsible for picking up items on the day of the event. For more information please contact 877-822-4287 x 726 or email GIKApplications@ubcf.org.

UBCFs Executive Director, Ms. Stephanie Mastroianni shared, We are so excited to once again be working with Good360, Tempur Sealy and Twisted Pink to bring UBCFs popular Tempur-Pedic Mattress Donation Event back to Louisville, Kentucky for a second time! Stephanie continued, Helping patients and survivors gain a better nights sleep is deeply important to the healing process and were honored to help facilitate.

Stephanie Jones, the Community Outreach Coordinator for Twisted Pink, explains, Twisted Pink is so grateful for the continued commitment the United Breast Cancer Foundation brings to breast cancer survivors especially in the state of Kentucky and surrounding areas. According to the CDC, Kentucky has the highest rates of cancer diagnosis and deaths than any other state. Additionally, the top rate of new cancer cases in Kentucky is female breast cancer. UBCF is continually supporting the needs of individuals and their families affected disproportionately by a breast cancer diagnosis! We could not be more grateful for their recognition and dedication to bring their support back and fill this need in our community!

A history of Gifted Sleep

UBCF has been providing Tempur-Pedic mattresses to the breast cancer community since 2012 and in that time, thousands of people in need have received the priceless gift of rest. Tempur-Pedic mattresses offer the comfort and support necessary to promote quality sleep, something that is vitally important to the healing process and improving the quality of life for those touched by breast cancer. This is UBCFs third Mattress donation event in Kentucky.

Very often large purchases, such as mattresses, and other daily necessities are delayed or abandoned due to mounting medical bills. Daedrid recently received a Tempur-Pedic mattress from UBCF and had this to share, I would like to thank you again for a wonderful night's sleep FINALLY. I've had so many surgeries that sleep has been very hard the past 4 years. It's programs like yours that make patients like me feel as if life is worth living. I didn't think I would ever feel this normal again!!!

Amy also received a mattress and she shared, I am very picky about mattresses I LOVE this mattress. I was waking up in pain every morning and didnt think much about it until sleeping on this Tempur-Pedic mattress. The past 2 mornings I actually noticed I wasnt in pain. Such an amazing thing to do for others, I am so grateful for the gift from your amazing foundation. THANK YOU!

According to the American Cancer Society, one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. UBCF encourages women and men to know their bodies and learn the self-breast exam to help recognize any changes. Those in need of assistance can get support through UBCFs Breast Screening Program.

About UBCF

UBCF, a GuideStar 2021 Platinum Seal of Transparency rated charity as well as a 3-star rated charity with Charity Navigator, is proud to be a source of transparency and a trusted charity for over 20 years. UBCF is committed to offering breast health and wellness services focused on cancer prevention, screening, treatment and overall wellness. UBCFs mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of those affected by breast cancer and does so through seven life-supporting patient and family programs available to women, men and families nation-wide. UBCF never denies services to anyone regardless of age, race, gender, ethnicity, income or medical insurance coverage. Tax-deductible contributions may be made towards UBCFs programs. UBCF accepts Donor Advised Funds and vehicle and property donations as well. Combined Federal Campaign #77934. https://www.ubcf.org


Andy Wilson, Director of Sales - Western North America and EMEA I look forward to applying my sales experience and working with Upsites world-class partners to serve the airflow, power, and cooling needs of data center customers in these key regions. - Andy Wilson

Upsite Technologies, the global leader in data center airflow management and cooling optimization solutions, today announced the addition of Andy Wilson to the position of Director of Sales for Western North America and EMEA. In this position, Mr. Wilson will be responsible for sales and business development for Upsites growing product line and continued international expansion. Mr. Wilson will be based in the Denver Metropolitan Area.

Mr. Wilson brings to Upsite more than twenty years of experience in rack power, proactive monitoring, and airflow management solution sales with major data center clients. Most recently, Mr. Wilson was the Mission Critical Market Sales Executive at Easter-Owens where he drove new business development and prospecting for micro data centers, modular power distribution centers, and electrical skids into the multi-tenant and enterprise data center spaces.

Prior to Easter-Owens, Mr. Wilson was a Senior Account Manager at DataSpan where he was an integral part of their sales team for nearly twenty years. During this time, Mr. Wilson represented many leading data center manufacturing companies to deliver airflow management, cooling optimization, and power efficiency solutions to data center clients in the financial, healthcare, manufacturing, retail, and technology industries.

In his new role, Mr. Wilson will be responsible for the continued growth of Upsites award-winning airflow management, cooling optimization, and power distribution solutions in the Western North America and EMEA regions.

I am excited to join Upsite Technologies, said Andy Wilson. I look forward to applying my sales experience and working with Upsites world-class partners to serve the airflow, power, and cooling needs of data center customers in these key regions, Wilson added.

We are thrilled to bring Andy on-board, said Al Zoldos, Vice President of Upsite Technologies. Andys experience and expertise in selling power and cooling solutions, along with his proven track record of building lasting relationships will be a great asset to Upsite and its customers.

About Upsite Technologies

Upsite Technologies is the industry leader in data center airflow management and cooling optimization. Upsite provides a full suite of products and services designed to optimize data center cooling systems, allowing managers to maximize cooling capacity while reducing energy costs. Upsite distributes its award-winning line of services and products, including KoldLok, HotLok, and AisleLok, through leading channel partners in the data center industry throughout the United States, LATAM, EMEA, and APAC regions.

Upsite Technologies, Inc. was founded in 2001 by Ken Brill, creator of the Uptime Institute, and in 2018, was acquired by Aquila, Inc., an employee-owned technology firm with over 35 years of experience in IT related services. The company is since officially Upsite Technologies, a division of Aquila.


At Viaduct, were eager to expand our footprint throughout the United Statesand Rogers expertise and enthusiasm will be critical in helping us get there.

Viaducta leading talent acquisition provider for startups and emerging businessesrecently welcomed Roger Naglewski as a Senior Account Executive. With nearly 15 years of comprehensive placement and recruitment experience, Naglewski will support Viaducts executive search business by further expanding the companys brand into the Chicago market. His sales and business development prowess and intimate knowledge of the recruitment industry will be critical in connecting him with growth-stage companies.

At Viaduct, were eager to expand our footprint throughout the United Statesand Rogers expertise and enthusiasm will be critical in helping us get there, said Pete Petrella, Managing Director. Rogers previous placement experience in working with funded startups throughout the country aligns perfectly with our Viaduct mission. Were glad to welcome him aboard to our growing organization.

Naglewski has spent almost his entire career in the recruiting and talent acquisition sector. Based in downtown Chicago, he has specialized in recruiting and placing HR, finance, accounting, sales, marketing, and IT candidates for companies nationwide. Combining exceptional relationship-building abilities with an infectious and lively personality, Naglewski is well-equipped to connect and collaborate with high-growth startups to help service their comprehensive talent acquisition needs.

Im thrilled to be joining the team at Viaduct by helping to nurture growth-stage businesses, said Naglewski. The startup community needs a talent acquisition partner that can connect them with high-quality candidatesand Viaduct is well-positioned to provide this level of support.

A lifelong Chicago native, Naglewski graduated from Loyola University Chicago with his degree in business accounting. He is also highly involved in the greater Chicago community and founded the Chicago Vaccine Huntersa volunteer group to help senior Chicago residents obtain COVID-19 vaccines.

About Viaduct

Viaduct is a talent acquisition company that connects emerging businesses with their most important asset: people. A proven partner to the startup community, Viaduct works with entrepreneurs to identify new job candidates, assess their compatibilities, and manage their onboarding every step of the way.



At Viaduct, we're the bridge between startups and their greatest asset: talent. Learn more at viaduct.com.
Zappix and Partner Intelidata Announce Mitsui Sumitomo Seguros as Newest Visual IVR Customer When [a customer chooses Visual IVR], a text message is sent with a link to the customers mobile device. They can then begin the visual experience with menus and audio prompts to guide them step by step through sending documents, finalizing the receipt of the claim amount, and other use cases.

Mitsui Sumitomo customers in Brazil will now enjoy a quick, easy, and automated process when searching for information about the status of a claim, viewing payment history, or requesting a copy of their insurance policy or other documents. The Brazilian branch of Mitsui Sumitomo, a member of the 8th largest global insurance group, automated their customer service for these customer calls to speed up interactions and improve customer satisfaction. The hybrid system empowers users with visual self-service via Zappix Visual IVR and allows customers to transfer to a live customer service representative if needed.

"Zappix Visual IVR is an innovative solution that brings visual and audio self-service to our customer experience journey," says Bruno Porte, Director of IT, Claims, and Operations at Mitsui Sumitomo. "When one of our customers calls the contact center for support, they are provided with an option in our IVR (Interactive Voice Response) to use visual self-service. When they choose that option, a text message is sent with a link to the customers mobile device. They can then begin the visual experience with menus and audio prompts to guide them step by step through sending documents, finalizing the receipt of the claim amount, and other use cases.

The Visual IVR solution enables the simultaneous use of audio and visual interaction through mobile devices. The guided visual and audio self-service experience will help Mitsui customers work through complex calls with multiple steps or terms that might otherwise slow down the customer service process.

"The Zappix Visual Self-Service solution brings cutting-edge technology and benefits to our customers like Mitsui," said Alvaro Castro, president of Intelidata. "Even with the expected growth of its customer portfolio, Mitsui Sumitomo will be able to handle the increase in incoming call volumes without having to expand the contact center, thanks to the deflection of calls to digital self-service channels."

In 2020, 70% of Mitsui Sumitomo's call center calls focused on services that the company will now automate and offer through digital solutions, such as claim process status, scheduling and rescheduling pre-inspection, and requests for policy documents and invoices. The automated self-service solution will bring benefits, including:



Self-service options reduce the volume of calls that reach agents

Reducing calls will also reduce telephony costs

Improved Customer Experience (CX), and reduced customer effort

Robotic process automation (RPA) freeing live agents to focus on high-value tasks

Shorter average handling time (AHT) per call

24/7 availability allows Mitsui to offer customer service in the evenings, weekends and holidays, as well as regular business hours

"We are excited to add Mitsui Sumitomo to our portfolio of customers using Zappix Visual IVR, expanding our services in Latin America," said Yossi Abraham, President of Zappix. "AI-powered digital self-service is transforming the customer experience for insurers and their customers. We are happy to work at the forefront of this market and deliver these benefits to Mitsui Sumitomo's customers."

About Zappix

Zappix delivers AI-powered On-Demand Visual Self-Service Solutions: Visual IVR, On-Demand Apps, Outbound Engagement, Agent Assist, and Robotic Process Automation (RPA). The cloud-based solutions improve the customer journey during contact center interactions. The open platform enables workflow automation, rapid deployments, and seamless integration to back-end systems (CRMs, ERPs, etc.), and IVRs, and provides a comprehensive Analytics Suite.

Zappix provides significant benefits and ROI: reducing costs by increasing containment rates for contact centers, improving customer experience and Net Promoter Score (NPS), creating new revenue opportunities using targeted promotional banners and automation of revenue-generating use-cases.

To learn more about Zappix, go to http://www.zappix.com

About MS & AD Insurance Group

Part of MS & AD Insurance Group, Japan's largest insurance group and one of the largest globally, Mitsui Sumitomo Seguros is made up of two Japanese conglomerates with nearly 400 years of history in Japan: Mitsui and Sumitomo. Together they form one of the most solid economic groups globally, adding quality and efficiency to the most varied market segments in which it operates, such as Finance, Real Estate, Electronics, Mining, Construction, Telecommunications, Agribusiness, Insurance, among others. MS&AD Group is the 7th largest insurer globally, with a global network in more than 40 countries and regions that allows it to provide products and services worldwide.

About Intelidata S.A.

At Intelidata, we help your organization serve your customers individually through multiple channels. We provide solutions to improve the customer experience, reduce costs, cross-sell, sell and improve response rate. We guide our customers on their journey to digitization through solutions that establish individualized and effective customer communications, generating active links that improve their experience and achieve a more efficient response rate, increasing their business opportunities. To learn more about Intelidata, go to http://www.intelidata.cl
Former columnist for the Canadian Freethinker magazine and author of Disproving Christianity (Hypatia, 2019) David G. McAfee is focusing on helping atheists articulate their non-belief in his new book, Hi, Im An Atheist! What That Means, and How to Talk About It with Others (St. Martin's Essentials, Nov.). McAfee, who grew up in a conservative Christian family and studied religion at the University of California, Santa Barbara, addresses common misunderstandings of atheism and other challenges that can come with non-belief.

Who is the target audience for Hi, Im an Atheist?

It was written with the general idea of speaking out publicly about atheism. Its important for younger people growing up in religious families, but the book also goes beyond family life. It talks about school, business, work life, and everyday life. There are also people who have been atheists for a long time who are looking to remind themselves about the finer points of the questions we get asked. In a world where religion heavily influences everything in life, it seems like there are more and more instances where we need to be more open about our non-belief.

Why is it so difficult to tell people that you are an atheist?

I think it is difficult because in our society, it is assumed that you are not an atheist. When people meet you, the questioning is what church do you go to? As opposed to whether you believe in the first place. Atheism is an inherently controversial subject. You are telling somebody that something they believed their entire lives, something that their parents believe, their grand-parents, and so on you are telling them that you think they are wrong.

Can you describe a negative experience youve had due to your lack of belief?

When I thought about applying for a Masters program in Religious Studies at a public university and met with the dean of admissions, she Googled my name and pulled up an image of my first book, Disproving Christianity. She said, I have to word this carefully. You wouldnt fit in with our departments milieu because you are an atheist activist with an axe to grind. This was just her finding out that Im not a Christian and instantly Im declined from a program I havent even officially applied to. Thats just one example of what happened to me, but this type of reaction and discrimination happens to many atheists.

What is the core purpose of this book?

It is more of a clarification [of atheism] because the book isnt argumentative by nature. Its very friendly. Its about having a discussion about faith, and the lack of faith, or non-belief. It is about trying to explain what atheists believe and why. But there are also those aspects of defending those positions because that comes inherently with this type of work.
Whenever Rachel Held Evans  a leading voice of progressive Evangelicalism and bestselling author was working on a new manuscript, one of her greatest fears was that she might die before it was published. She told me writing was the way things became real to her, says her husband, Daniel Jonce Evans.

Her fear almost came true. She was 11,000 words into the draft of her fifth book, Wholehearted Faith, when she was wracked by seizures and died from swelling on the brain on May 4, 2019. In obituaries, The New Yorker called her radically inclusive, and one of the most formidable figures in contemporary Christianity. The Christian Century dubbed her the C. S. Lewis of her time. The New York Times described her leading a new diaspora, a church for the women who wanted to become ministers, gay Christians and those who refuse to choose between their intellectual integrity and their faith.

Daniel, deep in grief, suddenly alone with their two very young children, recalls, I knew how much her work meant to so many people and I didnt want it to disappear. So, he turned to two close friends to give Rachels ideas another life.

First, veteran Christian author Matthew Paul Turner completed the text for what was to be the young mothers first childrens book, What is God Like? (Convergent) which was released in June. People of all ages, shapes, sizes, ethnicities are portrayed in exuberant scenes of love, delight, forgiveness, and hope  all signs of God, whose pronouns are He/She/They. Three more childrens books are possibilities, says Daniel, who describes himself as the back office partner in her publishing and speaking efforts.

Now, Wholehearted Faith, which HarperOne releases in November, is intended to capture one last time Rachel's vision of Christianity in her own words. Daniel entrusted completing the manuscript to Jeff Chu, a veteran journalist, editor, author (Does Jesus Really Love Me? A Gay Christian's Pilgrimage in Search of God in America), and pastor.

Chu says he worked from Rachel's blogs posts, her voluminous tweets, her four books tracing the evolution of her Christian life from a fundamentalist childhood to embracing a loving God and an open-door church. He even read the margin notes she made on her Kindle, where she read deeply and widely. Chu also had her testimonies at the Why Christian events she held for several years with pastor-author Nadia Bolz-Weber and her talks at the Evolving Faith conferences created by Evans, author Sarah Bessey and Chu that highlighted progressive perspectives. Kathryn Hamilton, the HarperOne senior editor who drew Evans to her first contract with the house, worked with Daniel and Jeff to sort through it all. "We think Jeff did an outstanding job," says Michael Maudlin, executive editor and senior v-p for HarperOne.

Both Maudlin and Chu address why Rachel was such a force in American Christian life. Maudlin observes that people are drawn to her work because "her criticism of the church and her disagreements about some established evangelical positions are in service to something more important. At heart, she is a positive voice for Jesus, for being a Christian today. It is only out of these passions do we understand why she worked so hard and so graciously to call Christians to do better." And Chu calls her as "a magnetic force" who "showed up in the world flowing with encouragement. Her vulnerability was her great strength.

In the book, Evans writes, Wholeheartedness is about seeing and comprehending my place in a bigger family of faith, just as parenthood has transformed my understanding of my role in a biological and social unit. It is about risking hurt and confusion for the sake of the thing that so many of us seek: belonging.

Her theology long infuriated fundamentalist and Calvinist critics. In the upcoming book, she writes: Religion has torn a lot of people to pieces. Whenever it has embarked on a quest for purity, crusaded for certainty, strived for survival, religion has done so at great cost, asking so many humans to ignore their conscience, to pretend to believe things they dont really believe, to squeeze into ill-fitting gender roles and cultural norms, to snuff out desires and squander talents, to live one way during the week and another on Sunday morning, to sacrifice sons and daughters on the altar of conformity, to feign certainty, to fake happiness, to strive for perfection, to look the other way in the presence of injusticeindeed, to renounce some aspect of their very humanity.

Her bestselling books took them all to task beginning with her 2010 spiritual memoir: Evolving In Monkey Town (Zondervan) sparked by recalling her high school years in Dayton, Tenn., home of the infamous Scopes Trial in 1925. The book was reissued in 2014 with a new name, Faith Unraveled: How a Girl Who Knew All the Answers Learned to Ask Questions, after her 2012 title: A Year of Biblical Womanhood: How a Liberated Woman Found Herself Sitting on Her Roof, Covering Her Head, and Calling Her Husband Master (Thomas Nelson) became a bestseller. She followed with Searching for Sunday: Loving, Leaving, and Finding the Church (Thomas Nelson, 2015) and Inspired: Slaying Giants, Walking on Water, and Loving the Bible (Thomas Nelson, 2018).

While she was massively popular with millennials and seekers of all ages, response to Evans by conservative evangelical authorities and authors was often sharp: One public voice (unnamed in the book) called her a Honey-Boo-Boo publicity whore and embarrassment to the church. At the conservative Gospel Coalition website, commentators treated her as a heretical busybody. Owen Strachen, president of the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, blasted Evans for a reference to God Herself, and her public calls for conservative leaders to repent. He wrote that, for a prophetess of light, Evans sure seems to throw a lot of shade.

Evans' mantra became Thick skin, tender heart. In a chapter with that title, she describes how she once gathered up a hefty pile of hate mail and printouts of excoriating emails and tweets and folded the papers into scores of origami cranes and critters.

Wholehearted Faith captures her emphatic style, even when admitting she doesnt have absolute answers. When I was a Bible-thumping, churchgoing, know-it-all Republican, God used bleeding-heart, politically correct, question-everything liberals to teach me a little bit more about how to be human and to toy with my concretized notions of who my enemies were. And now that Im a bleeding-heart, politically correct, question-everything liberal, God still insists on using Bible-thumping, churchgoing, know-it-all Republicans to teach me a little bit more about how to be human and to toy with my concretized notions of who my enemies are.

In the books epilogue, Evans envisions living in the new home that was then still under construction, picturing a place where well all be doing what we were meant to do. That is, she writes, to love lavishly and indiscriminately, as our God has loved us. The epilogue is titled Telos, a Greek word for ending, which carries the connotation of completion and contentment, she writes. It carries the satisfaction of doing what you know youre called to do and the fulfillment of being who you were always meant to be.

She never slept a night in that new house. But Daniel, their children, and all the words she wrote are there now, keeping her vision alive.
These coffee leaves are covered in coffee leaf rust, a fungal pathogen that leads to defoliation and reduced yields. Without proper management, coffee leaf rust can spread quickly and threaten coffee crops around the world. (Purdue University photo/courtesy of Catherine Aime)

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind.  With looming threats of coffee leaf rust to farmers yields, Purdue University mycologist Catherine Aime is working to protect this staple of daily lives and the economies of areas throughout the world.

Aime and colleagues warned of the potential threat to the coffee industry in June. She now is part of a team supported by the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) and led by the Synergistic Hawaii Agriculture Council to investigate the fungus that causes the disease and to develop tactics to counter it.

Aime leads a team of researchers that will sequence the coffee leaf rust genome to inform breeding of coffee cultivars resistant to the fungus or to develop fungicides based on the diseases genetic weaknesses.

Coffee rust has already caused a lot of devastation to the small shareholder farmers in Central America and the Caribbean that depend on coffee for their income, she said. Along with cacao, it is one of the tropical cropping systems that is really vulnerable to perturbations, such as is expected with changing climates, which has vast socioeconomic implications.

Coffee leaf rust, which is caused by the fungus Hemileia vastatrix, attacks the leaves of coffee trees, reducing yields and damaging the trees. First discovered in Hawaii in late 2020, it has caused billions of dollars in damage to farms in Central and South America since 2011.

Aime, a professor in the Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, is the only academic mycologist in the nation who broadly specializes on the order of fungi that cause rust diseases. She also is a pioneer in the identification of fungi that cannot be put into culture and is an expert on fungi in tropical ecosystems.

Media Contact: To arrange an interview with Aime, contact Elizabeth K. Gardner, 765-441-2024, ekgardner@purdue.edu

Related news releases:

Agricultural Communications: 765-494-8415;

Maureen Manier, Department Head, mmanier@purdue.edu

Agriculture News Page
During the early stages of the American civil rights movement and well before the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision, sisters Winifred and Frieda Parker were leading the effort to integrate student housing on Purdues campus and across Indiana. On Sunday (Oct. 3), the Parker sisters were honored for their courageous leadership with the dedication of two residence halls in their names on the Purdue University campus.

The dedication ceremony, which included hundreds of supporters and members of the Parker family, was the formal celebration of the Purdue Board of Trustees June 2021 unanimous vote to name the residence halls after the Parker sisters. When Winifred and Frieda were admitted to Purdue in 1946, Black students were denied access to housing in West Lafayette, which included Purdues campus.

While their father conducted a campaign encouraging Purdue to modify its policies, the sisters courageously paved the way for their peers and future generations of Black students on campus.

Winifred Parker and Frieda Parker Halls  the first buildings on campus named for Black alumnae  stand as reminders to all students of the courageous steps it takes to make meaningful change. The buildings, and the tree planted during their dedication, represent more than a single heroic moment in time; rather, they are the latest manifestation of one familys ongoing pursuit for and celebration of the power of equitable, accessible education.

This tree, a dawn redwood, will become tall and strong just as Winifred Parker White and Frieda Parker-Jefferson grew and became strong leaders throughout their lives, John Gates, Purdues vice provost for diversity and inclusion, told the audience. This tree will make the living experience on our campus more beautiful for generations to come and remind those who stop and gaze at its beauty of two young women who are forever linked to the great ongoing story of Purdue.

Alongside the Black Cultural Center at the corner of Third and North Russell streets, the tree and residence halls are reminders that a legacy like the Parkers is not the result of one moment or one action. Though based on a single, core principle  that education should be available, accessible and equitable  the Parkers actions became a legacy when Winifred, Frieda and their family chose to stand by that principle, in the face of adversity, each day of their lives.

By choosing to persistently pursue their values, the Parker family demonstrates how single steps made again and again and again can act as seeds of change that continue to grow for generations.

Today, student employees working in the two Parker Halls boast a slogan that represents Winifred and Frieda well: Pioneers in their own way. Boilermakers in every way. After graduation, the sisters went on to live rich lives as educators, scientists and advocates. The Parkers and their families remained vocal Purdue loyalists long after graduation. Their story is featured in the 2009 documentary, Black Purdue, as well as A Force for Change: The Class of 1950,  by historian John Norberg. Now, archival exhibits in the Parker Halls will share their story to new audiences.

Like Neil Armstrong or Amelia Earhart, Winifred and Frieda Parker are heroic Purdue icons, and its my hope that these facilities and the exhibits within them will help amplify their role in the American story, says Renee Thomas, Purdues associate vice provost for diversity and inclusion.

The great equalizer

The Parkers legacy as changemakers began with Winifred and Friedas father, Frederick. During the early part of the twentieth century, Fred was one of several distinguished Black men recruited to attend Amherst College, an elite liberal arts college in Massachusetts.

Selected to be educated amongst the most elite individuals from across the nation, my grandfather realized that education was the great equalizer, says Adrienne White-Faines, daughter of Winifred Parker White. He believed that when you are in the classroom, learning together, taking the same exams, its beyond your skin color, beyond your story and beyond your history.

To his core, Fred believed in the power of education. As a teacher and principal at Crispus Attucks High School in Indianapolis, he is known for having instilled high academic expectations and cultural pride in his students, laying solid foundations for their aspirations of becoming doctors, lawyers, educators, artists and more. Fred Parker received the Harvard Award for Outstanding Teaching in 1970 and an honorary doctorate from Amherst College in 1973.

Because of his opportunities and experiences, my grandfather dedicated his life to helping thousands of Black men and women gain access to and receive degrees in higher education, White-Faines says. He changed the trajectory of lives and families for generations.

As firsthand recipients of this lesson, White-Faines says, there was no question that Winifred and Frieda would go to college.

After being admitted to Purdue in 1946, the sisters arrived on a campus still learning how to provide accessible and equitable education for all. Years before the landmark decision of Brown v. Board of Education, which legally established the principle that separate accommodations could not offer equal opportunities, students of color were forbidden from living in West Lafayette, which included campus.

My grandfather recognized that education in itself happens in a variety of environments, White-Faines says. Education happens in the classroom. Education happens in the dining hall. Education happens in the dorm room. Education happens because you come together to hear perspectives and learn.

Black students, therefore, were being admitted into Purdue, but yet they weren't.

In the face of policy-supported segregation, adversity and prejudice, Purdues Black students bolstered their academic success by tapping into their shared strength and resiliency.

Many, many Black students, in order to survive, relied on their own internal culture and community, White-Faines says. And it was those communities that allowed you to make it through. Those were your friends. They were how you were affirmed. They helped you find your strength to put on your coat, if you will, and go out into this environment to earn your education, understanding that you were navigating a very dynamic world of acceptance.

No matter the strength of their support system, without full acceptance into the residential campus experience, the Parkers and their peers faced systemic barriers that prevented them from receiving the full potential of their education. In the rural Midwest of the 1940s, many basic services  including haircuts and restaurants  were not open to Black Americans in West Lafayette.

Imagine being a student, having to study, to do your work, then to travel all the way across the bridge into downtown Lafayette to get home, often by foot  they didnt have access to the transportation services we have today, Thomas says.

Were not just talking about missing social events, which anyone would recognize as an important part of the residential college experience, Thomas says. Every basic need required a commute  getting a haircut, going to sleep at night, finding a place to eat. That takes an enormous amount of time and energy.

Segregation denied Black students access to the most essential aspects of a quality education, making their college experience very different from that of todays students.

The right women for the job

Convinced that Winifred, Frieda and their peers were not receiving the education he envisioned for them, Fred Parker and his family started a campaign on two fronts: As Fred began petitioning state and university leadership for integrated housing, Winifred and Frieda continued creating bridges on campus.

He made it well known that Purdue was a land-grant school supported by state taxes, and his taxes supported the school just like everyone elses. So why couldnt his children live on campus? Frieda Parker wrote of her father in her contribution to Force for Change. The fact that Blacks were not allowed in the dorms was a policy that had been set up in the housing office at Purdue. It was not a law.

White-Faines says, Because of my grandfathers confidence and courage, he was comfortable reaching out and taking the risks to say, I know what equity looks like. I know what right looks like. And I'm not afraid to politely, but firmly, advocate. He was able to give voice not only to my mother and aunt, but to all of the Black students on the campus who were not yet allowed to live on campus or in West Lafayette.

In January 1947, both sisters were admitted to Bunker Hill, which sat just down the block from the newly named Parker Halls. The change brought its own challenges for the newly admitted Black residents.

It was Winifred and Friedas turn to show confidence and courage.

We received a letter from the dean of women who did everything she could to discourage us from coming and living on the campus short of telling us how much happier we would be and how the people wouldn't speak to us and, you know, the same old thing all the time, Frieda says in the documentary, Black Purdue. We didn't believe them anyway.

Asked how her mother and aunt faced their move into yet another predominantly white space, White-Faines describes women capable of setting aside their own fears, because you need to be present for those around you.

The beauty is, my mother and my aunt were both incredibly warm, kind  my aunt was infectiously funny  and approachable people. You couldn't help but like them, she says. I can picture my aunt's humor breaking awkward moments, because only she could do that. And my mother could turn with her empathetic and compassionate self and make people warm up to new things.

It wasnt only the Parkers and their peers who were treading new water. As the first Black residents of Bunker Hill, the Parkers bore the burden of making their white peers comfortable with the situation.

What Purdue did by integrating the dorms was to open a whole different world, not just for Black people, but for all the white women who were living in their dorms, White-Faines says. It demystified the idea of Black women. They could walk away going, They brush their teeth just like I do. They laugh in the room just like I do. They can be friends. I can see them as people.

Access is not just about making a way for Black people. It's making a way for the world to appreciate the diversity that exists within all of us, so we can all grow. We all suffer when that is denied, she says. Those were not easy days, lots of challenges, but they were the right women to do it.

The Parker familys legacy did not end with their class, with Black students, or even with Purdue. Friends with civil rights giants such as Charles Hamilton Houston, dean of Howard Law School and a founder of the National Bar Association, Fred Parker was connected to a number of individuals bringing forth litigation against colleges and universities across the nation for issues related to segregation and unequal access, Thomas says.

This story really resonates with me because it provides historical context for the wonderful story that Purdue University has as it relates to the African American community. Yes, it started as a fault by the institution and society, but Purdue rose to the challenge to change, and we keep moving forward, Thomas says.

An American legacy

During Sundays dedication ceremony, Purdue President Mitch Daniels expressed admiration not only of the sisters, but of their familys shared commitment to a united cause. I love what a family story this is, he said. As unique as these two sisters were, youve just seen and I hope you already knew the story of a great American family.

The Parkers story is just that  a story made of many moments, many people and many contributions. It began with Fred Parkers belief in the value of education, carried on through the lessons he shared with others, persisted in the courageous actions of his children, and endures still in the actions taken by Purdue University in honor of the Parker family story.

With sunshine breaking through a hazy sky, Purdue leadership took the stage to iterate the role of education in creating a just society. They took the opportunity to reaffirm Purdues commitment to creating equitable pathways for all.

Education is the great lowerer of barriers, and in the knowledge economy we live in today  where there has been a lot of progress  it is still the biggest barrier to upward mobility of free people, Daniels says. Purdue is committed to lowering that as our contribution to a more just and more successful society for all. Affordable, accessible and equal opportunity to a Purdue education is our highest commitment.

Last year, the Purdue Board of Trustees created the Equity Task Force, whose assessment of structural and environmental barriers to success of faculty, staff and students of color resulted in an entire strategic pillar committed to not only bettering  but excelling  at creating an environment of success for Black Boilermakers.

Our overarching goal is for Purdue to become the first-choice institution for Black students, faculty and staff, Gates told the crowd. Second choice just won't do.

Gates also relayed the Universitys commitment to double Black undergraduate enrollment and substantially increase the number of Black faculty over the next five years, citing actionable plans for new scholarships, cluster hires, mentoring programs and community-building initiatives.

The Board of Trustees has committed to a goal of $75 million during the next five years to support this initiative, Gates says. Seventy-five million dollars is one of the largest sums of any public university in the United States for such a cause. That's our Purdue. Purdue is at a defining moment in creating a future for Blacks at this university that will be a model for other universities to follow  and we will succeed.

My mother, Winifred, and my aunt, Frieda, came to Purdue with the clear and unwavering goal to pursue and receive their bachelor degrees as their parents had instilled in them that education is the great equalizer, remarked White-Faines at the dedication event. At the time and still today, its understood that likely the strongest and most efficient and effective pathway to a more just and peaceful world is through education.
COBB VS. TANAHASHI, EVIL CONTINUES TO BE EVIL & MORE: 10/21 NJPW G1 CLIMAX RESULTS FROM SENDAI, JAPAN

By James Kurokawa on 2021-10-12 16:37:00

10/12/21 B Block Results from New Japan's G1 Climax 31 from Sendai, Japan:

Ryohei Oiwa vs. Hiromu Takahashi

Hiromu wins with a Boston Crab submission.

Hard fought battle in this preliminary match. Oiwa's and Hiromu's chest were red from all the chops they hit.

G1 Climax 31 - B Block Matches:

Taichi, with Miho Abe vs. Tama Tonga, with Jado

Taichi comes to the ring with his ribs taped up, from injuries sustain in his prior match with Kazuchika Okada. Taichi taunts Tama with the IWGP Tag Team belt. Tama attacks him before the bell. Match goes to the floor. Taichi beats down Tama outside the ring and chokes him with a cable wire. Taichi throws Tama in the ring and goes for a choke. Taichi comes off the ropes and Tama hits him in the ribs with a double chop. Taichi goes down clutching his ribs. Tama applies a camel clutch. Tama drags Taichi outside again and slams him into guardrails and ringposts. Tama continues to pound and punch Taichi's ribs. Back in the ring, Tama locks a body scissors and chinlock. Taichi stuns Tama with a high kick which gives Taichi break from Tama's beating. Taichi gets to his feet and hits an Ax Bomber. He throws kicks to Tama's back and chest. Tama misses a Stinger Splash and Taichi with another high kick. Tama avoids a superkick with a punch to Taichi's ribs. Tama avoids an Ax Bomber and hits a Tonga Twist. Tama misses a top rope splash. Both men lay on the mat struggling to get to their feet. Taichi stuns Tama with two swift kicks. Taichi with two Ax Bombers which Tama absorbs. Taichi with a jumping high kick. Taichi goes for a superkick. Tama counters with a punch to the ribs and a elbow to the face. They attempt and reverse out of each other's finishers. Taichi hits a Dangerous Backdrop, but he is slow to cover due to his ribs. Two count. Tama avoids Black Mephisto and hits a Death Valley Driver. Tama hits a top rope splash. Taichi kicks out at two. Tama measures Taichi and hits a Gun Stun.

Tama Tonga pins Taichi.

Tama Tonga earns 2 points and gets to 4 points total.

Solid match. Both men know each other well when Dangerous Tekkers battled Guerillas of Destiny for the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Titles. The story was Taichi's ribs which Tama capitalized on.

YOSHI-HASHI vs. SANADA

Both men were evenly matched until their battle went to the floor. YOSHI-HASHI leg tripped SANADA and sent him head first into the guardrail. YOSHI-HASHI got back in the ring and SANADA jumped in to avoid a count out. YOSHI-HASHI used a chin lock. YOSHI-HASHI draped SANADA on the top rope and hit a dropkick to his back and neck. SANADA came off the ropes and dropkicked YOSHI-HASHI's left knee. SANADA locked YOSHI-HASHI in the Paradise Lock, then dropkicks him in the rear. The match again goes to the floor. YOSHI-HASHI hits a Plancha on SANADA. Back in the ring, YOSHI-HASHI hits a Blockbuster off the top rope. Two count. SANADA counters with a solo Magic Killer. Pace picks up. SANADA with a top rope dropkick and goes for a Dragon Sleeper. YOSHI-HASHI reverses and tries for Kharma. SANADA reverses out and hits a TKO. Two count. SANADA goes for a moonsault and YOSHI-HASHI gets his knees up. YOSHI-HASHI goes for a swanton bomb but SANADA gets his knees up. Both men get to their feet and start throwing elbows. YOSHI-HASHI with a release Dragon suplex and a super kick. YOSHI-HASHI with a double knees to the face. YOSHI-HASHI with a Kumagaroshi. Two count. YOSHI-HASHI locks in a Sleeperhold and tries for Kharma. SANADA reverses out and rolls him up for a pin. Two count. YOSHI-HASHI tries for Kharma but switches and rolls SANADA into a pin attempt. Two count. YOSHI-HASHI goes for Kharma again. SANADA reverses into a Dragon Sleeper. He suplexes YOSHI-HASHI up and over until his feet are on the top rope. SANADA drops him in a TKO. SANADA hits a moonsault. SANADA locks YOSHI-HASHI in Skull End.

YOSHI-HASHI submits. SANADA is declared the winner.

SANADA earns 2 points and now has a total of 6 points.

Another solid match. This was a situation where whoever could get their finisher applied would be the winner. SANADA just got their first. We will probably see more of these two in World Tag League.

Kazuchika Okada vs. Chase Owens

Okada started the match going after the neck of Owens with head locks and chinlocks. Okada went for a senton over the top rope but Owens got his knees up. Okada was clutching his lower back. Owens stomped Okada in the gut and a knee to the back. Owens rolled Okada over towards the ring apron and stood on the back Okada. Owens gave a military salute, which was a shout out to Bullet Club member, Bad Luck Fale. Okada gets to his feet and throws punches. Owens hits a knee to Okada's face, a thrust kick, then a Bobby Eaton neckbreaker. Owens applies a nerve hold to the trapezius muscle on Okada's neck. Okada fights back with a DDT. The match goes again to the floor. Okada hits another DDT on the floor. Back in the ring, Okada goes for a Money Clip. Owens breaks it up by pushing Okada into the turnbuckle. Owens with a backbreaker. Owens with a lariat. Two count. Okada counters with a flapjack. Pace picks up. Okada is on the top rope and Owens kicks him in the head. Owens takes him off the top rope with a cravat bulldog. Two count. Okada is holding his neck. Owens with a slingshot spear to Okada's gut. Okada counters with his own neckbreaker. Okada applies the Money Clip, but Owens punches out. Okada with a dropkick and reapplies the Money Clip. Owens gets to the ropes. Okada with a bodyslam and a top rope elbow. Rainmaker pose. Owens elbows out of the Rainmaker. Owens hits a high knee. Okada with a German suplex. Owens with a Shining Wizard. Owens with a V-Trigger. Okada with a Tombstone. They reverse out of each other's finishers. Okada hits a backbreaker and applies the Money Clip. Owens tries for the ropes, but Okada rolls him back into the ring. Owens was on his stomach with Okada pulling back on his neck and arm with the Money Clip.

Owens taps out.

Kazuchika Okada remains unbeaten, earns 2 points, and the first to 14 points.

Good match. Chase Owens has shown that he is more than just a tag wrestler in Bullet Club. He has shown that he can be a great singles wrestler in New Japan as well.

Hirooki Goto vs. EVIL, with Dick Togo

Goto starts the match with strikes and shoulder tackles. EVIL takes the match to the floor and throws Goto into the guardrails. EVIL attacks Goto with a chair. Back in the ring, Goto hits a spinning kick, a bulldog and a lariat. Goto goes for an ushigaroshi, but EVIL retreats to the floor. Goto follows. EVIL gets back in the ring and grabs the referee. Togo grabs Goto by the leg. EVIL hits Goto off the ring apron and into the timekeeper's table. Togo takes the turnbuckle pad off. EVIL throws Goto into the metal bolt. EVIL comes off the ropes for an attack but Goto picks him up and hits an ushigaroshi. Goto fights back and throws a kick. EVIL catches his leg and throws it at the referee. Referee takes a bump. EVIL picks up Goto. Togo runs in the ring. They hit a Magic Killer on Goto. Togo revives the referee. EVIL gets only a two count. EVIL hits Darkness Falls. Two count. Goto goes for a GTR. EVIL tries to push Goto into the referee. Goto stops himself. EVIL goes for a low blow. Goto blocks it. Goto takes down EVIL and ties his legs and rolls him up for a pin. The camera pans and the referee is scolding Togo who is cowering in the corner. Goto had EVIL for at least a 10 count. Goto releases the hold to go after the referee. EVIL charges at Goto, who moves out of the way with the referee. EVIL hits Togo with a lariat. Goto hits a double lariat to Togo and EVIL. Goto goes for another GTR, but EVIL sticks his fingers in his eyes. EVIL tries to throw Goto into the metal bolt. Goto reverses and EVIL hits the metal bolt. Goto picks up EVIL and hits the GTW. Two count. Goto is about to hit a GTR. EVIL grabs the referee. Goto is unable to hit the move so he lets go of EVIL. EVIL still holding onto the shirt of the referee retreats into a corner. Togo comes behind Goto and chokes him with a wire. Goto is out. EVIL hits Everything is Evil.

EVIL pins Goto.

EVIL gets 2 points and 12 points total.

SIGH!

Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Jeff Cobb

Cobb and Tanahashi were careful in the early moments. Tanahashi tried to avoid Cobb's power, using his speed to get Cobb to chase him. Cobb hit a dropkick in the face and the tempo of the match slowed down. Cobb hit a back breaker on Tanahashi. He used Tanahashi's body to play air guitar. Pretty funny. Cobb picked up Tanahashi in a bodyslam. He hit knee strikes to Tanahashi's ribs, then flung him across the ring. Cobb hit a standing moonsault. Two count. Cobb mocked Tanahashi as tried a flipping senton from the second rope. Cobb missed as Tanahashi moved out of the way. Tanahashi looked pissed at being mocked. He hit Cobb with elbows and hit a flipping senton from the second rope. Tanahashi hit a dropkick and a Dragonscrew on Cobb's left leg. Tanahashi locked Cobb in the Texas Cloverhold. Cobb gets to the ropes. Cobb rolls to the ring apron. Tanahashi goes for attack but Cobb throws him head first into the turnbuckle. In the corner, Cobb climbs the ropes and attempts to a deadlift suplex on Tanahashi to the floor. He almost gets him up, until Tanahashi wiggles free. Tanahashi drops down and pulls Cobb's leg along the middle rope, then hits a Dragonscrew. Cobb falls to the floor in pain. Tanahashi comes off the top rope and hits Aces High on Cobb on the floor. Back in the ring, Tanahashi hits Twist and Shout and Slingblade. Tanahashi goes for High Fly Flow. Cobb gets the knees up. Cobb, selling the knee, throws elbows at Tanahashi. Tanahashi returns with his own elbows. Tanahashi comes off the ropes, and Cobb catches him with a Spincycle but Cobb leg is hurting. Tanahashi runs the ropes again, and Cobb tries for another Spincycle. But Tanahashi reverses into Slingblade. Two count. Tanahashi comes off the top rope with Aces High. Cobb catches Tanahashi, flips him into a fireman's carry, then spins him in the air with an F5. Tanahashi lands on his face. Cobb goes for a Tour of the Islands but Tanahashi rolls him into a small package. Two count. Tanahashi hits an open hand slap. Cobb plants Tanahashi with a release German suplex. Tanahashi get a Tour of the Islands.

Cobb pins Tanahashi.

Jeff Cobb earns 2 points, and remains undefeated with 14 points.

Great match. Tanahashi can wrestle all different styles and he was a bump machine in this match. He made Cobb look like a monster and at the same time, Cobb had to earn the win after Tanahashi trapped him in the Cloverhold.

Jeff Cobb took the mic and applauded for Tanahashi. He said two more wins to go.

B Block Standings as of 10/12/21

YOSHI-HASHI - 4

EVIL - 12

Jeff Cobb - 14

Chase Owens - 2

SANADA - 6

Tama Tonga - 4

Hirooki Goto - 4

Taichi - 4

Hiroshi Tanahashi - 6

Kazuchika Okada - 14

As it stands, on 10/14, the important matches will be Kazuchika Okada vs. Tama Tonga and Jeff Cobb vs. EVIL. If Okada and Cobb win, they will meet on 10/20 to determine the winner of B Block. EVIL will need to beat Cobb and SANADA, and Okada would have to lose both of his final matches, in order for EVIL to win B Block.

Thank you for reading.

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ExxonMobil has not backed away from its commitment to carbon taxes contrary to what media reports built around the comments of one lobbyist suggest.

In fact, the oil and gas company remains committed to combatting climate change by creating market incentives that will supposedly cut a path toward net zero emissions in its recent reports and its public comments.

That path will come at a hefty price for American consumers, American families, and businesses without making any discernable impact on climate, according to recent studies from free market-oriented outfits.

But there are no indications that Exxon is prepared to reverse course on its anti-carbon proposals. That much is made clear in Exxons 2021 Energy and Carbon Summary where the company details new emissions reductions objectives in line with the goals of the U.N.s Paris Climate Agreement in its 2021 Energy and Carbon Summary. Thats pretty green.

But its not good enough for the Climate Leadership Council (CLC), a nonprofit environmental advocacy group that includes former government officials and business leaders who favor carbon taxes. Since an Exxon lobbyist in Washington D.C. contradicted the official company line during an exchange with an undercover agent of Greenpeace, the CLC recently moved to suspend the companys membership in the council and in Americans for Carbon Dividends, the councils advocacy arm.

That seems a tad extreme since Exxon is no less than a founding member of the CLC. Moreover, the company has actually been out be in front of other energy companies in expressing support for placing what Darren Woods, its chairman and CEO, describes as a price on carbon emissions.

No one who favors anti-carbon initiatives really likes to say taxes and no one reporting on the dispute between Exxon and green activists typically takes a deep dive into how much carbon taxes will cost American consumers; most especially those low income Americans who pay a higher percentage of their income on energy.

But a leaked list of what Democrats on the U.S. Senate Finance Committee call carbon pricing within the proposed $3.5 trillion reconciliation package now gestating on Capitol Hill provides critical insight. The Senate Democrats are looking at a per-ton tax on carbon dioxide of leading fossil fuels (e.g., coal, oil, natural gas) upon extraction, starting at $15 per ton and escalating over time and a tax per ton of carbon dioxide emissions assessed on major industrial emitters (e.g. steel, cement chemicals) and a per-barrel tax on crude oil, according to the document.

An analysis of these proposals from the American Energy Alliance, a free market consumer advocacy group, finds that the carbon tax options Senate Democrats are exploring would result in higher energy prices across the board for American families and businesses. But the American Energy Alliance also makes the critical point that carbon taxes would most directly impact low-income Americans.

Carbon taxes are what we in the policy world call regressive, AEA explains in its analysis. They hurt those at the bottom of the household income charts the most as a percentage of their budgets, because certain energy expenses are simply unavoidable no matter how right you pull the belt.

So then, the question becomes, will these higher prices translate into the climate benefits Exxon and policymakers on Capitol Hill envision? After examining a proposed cap and trade, plan, Heritage Foundation researchers concluded that if the U.S. halted all economic activity and somehow cut all carbon emissions this effort would reduce average temperatures by no more than 0.2 degrees Celsius by 2100.

Lost in the press coverage of Exxons dispute with CLC are facts and figures that show carbon taxes would exert significant economic damage without producing any tangible environmental benefits. Instead, press coverage is focused on the sincerity of Exxons policy stance. The comments from the lobbyist are typical of the kind of gamesmanship that transpires almost daily in Washington D.C. Moreover, its not exactly unusual in a large company like Exxon to have individual employees voice dissenting views. The energy company moved quickly to reassert its support for carbon taxes and to disavow the lobbyists comments.

By contrast, CLC postures as an advocate for not so neutral revenue neutral policies on climate change complete with carbon dividends designed to appeal to Republicans in general, and conservatives in particular. There are prominent Republicans included in CLCs membership, but that doesnt mean they are advocates for conservative policies. Capital Research Center, a Washington-based nonprofit that examines the finances of environmental groups, identifies CLC as a member of the Eco-Right : defined as self-described conservatives who embrace left-of-center positions on climate change. It would seem CLC has its own issues with how it presents itself to the public even as it criticizes Exxon.

But what about the substance of CLCs carbon tax-dividend plan?

It doesnt take much to dismantle the revenue-neutral canard. CLC claims on its website that a family of four would receive $2,000 back a year from the net revenue generated from carbon fees. But that same family is going to pay a lot more every year in the form of higher energy prices thanks to carbon taxes. The American Energy Alliance, in its analysis of whats lurking inside the reconciliation bill, makes it clear that a carbon tax is a tax on almost every human activity imaginable ranging from transportation, electricity use, industrial activity and commercial activity. Theres nothing neutral or conservative about the proposal regardless of who is getting behind it.

Unfortunately, there is no room for even the hint of dissent in todays climate change movement, which is bent on exerting more government control over the private sector. The CLC removed Exxons listing as one of its founding members, then the CLC removed a link to a Wall Street Journal ad it took out listing Exxon as one of its founders. Google does have a cached version of the link from July 22, 2021.

The pressure tactics applied against corporate from the environmental left appear to be having their desired impact.

The American Petroleum Institute, which supposedly advocates for the oil and gas industry, has also gotten into the act by constantly genuflecting before the idea of carbon taxes in the name of climate change.

Bonner Cohen, a senior fellow with the National Center for Public Policy Research, a free market think tank in Washington D.C. has jaundiced view of the public relations strategy employed by Exxon and its green critics, but for different reasons.

ExxonMobil, along with the American Petroleum Institute (API), is deluding itself if it thinks that by supporting a price on carbon it will escape further regulation of its emissions and other so-called climate impacts, Cohen said in an email. If the Biden administration, congressional Democrats, and green energy providers get their way, the oil and gas industry will get more taxes and more regulations.

Cohen continued:

Under the guise of being a free-market or conservative voice on climate. The CLC is really little more than a Beltway arm of a ruling class that is intent upon expanding its control over the nations energy sector, with scant regard for the effect this will have on the livelihoods of ordinary people.

Kevin Mooney is an investigative reporter with both the Commonwealth Foundation and the Heritage Foundation.
By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 10/12/2021



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Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade.

alum Michael Jessen has confirmed he and Juliana Custodio de Sousa are divorcing and suggested she left him and is already dating someone new.After weeks of breakup speculation prompted by their social-media activity, Michael, who starred on Season 7 of with Juliana, took to Instagram on Tuesday and revealed that his "heart is broken.""A quick break from my social media break to say... #HappyAnniversary @julianacustodiooo," Michael, 44, began.After posting multiple heart, cake and champagne emojis, Michael continued, "Today is only our second wedding anniversary and, sadly, our last."The Connecticut native described his split from the 25-year-old Brazilian model as "a COVID-19 casualty" that won't be showing up in any statistics.Michael went on to address Juliana and wrote, "Thankfully, you are quickly emerging healthier and stronger than ever. Some of the rest of us will likely be staying in intensive care for quite some time.""Your experiences in life have developed in you a resilience, self-reliance, and independence that allows you to survive, and even thrive, under almost any circumstance.""You also possess a natural and an incredibly beautiful joy, happiness, and positivity that made me fall in love with you the first time we were ever together."Michael additionally complimented his estranged wife by writing, "Those of us who truly know you realize that the beauty inside of you is even more incredible than your beauty on the outside."However, the father of two explained, "I understand how our situation throughout the pandemic could slowly, and eventually completely, drain you of these qualities.""All of us were completely drained by the end of it and I did not maintain the strength of mind and the fortitude to be the husband that you wanted me to be."Michael admitted he was under great "stress" and "pressure" to take care of his family last year.As shown on a May 2020 episode of : Self-Quarantined on TLC, Michael and Juliana began quarantining amid the coronavirus pandemic in March of that year with Michael's ex-wife Sarah and her new husband Sean as well as Michael and Sarah's son Maxwell and daughter Cece.Sarah had just been diagnosed with a rare form of breast cancer in February, and so the blended family decided to support one another -- although the living situation was a little hectic and became overwhelming at times, especially for Juliana, who confessed she was "frustrated" about having to stay home."Providing for everyone got the better of me and I did not take care of myself. All along, I failed to recognize that you were there for me," Michael continued in his statement."I do not blame you for wanting to leave and for desiring a new start. You are more suited for the life that you had before we met and I can understand why you would want to return."Michael insisted Juliana's happiness "is more important" to him than being a part of her "unhappiness.""My love for you remains true and will always be there for you. I am happy that you have moved on and have quickly found someone new," Michael revealed, suggesting Juliana has already found herself a new boyfriend."I hope that you will have lasting love and happiness and achieve every dream that you set out upon. If anyone can do it, it is you, and I will always be rooting for you. I will remain with you in the wonderful memories that we shared together."Michael concluded his post with, "My heart is broken," and wrote, "'But love, love will tear us apart again.' - Ian Curtis/Joy Division."Michael also included the following Rumi quote, "Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I will meet you there."On September 30, Michael posted a picture with his daughter on Instagram and answered a few questions about his relationship status at the time.When an Instagram user asked if it's true Juliana had cheated on him, Michael replied, "I hope not!"And another follower asked Michael, "Did you divorce or not?"Michael firmly replied, "No."When a person yelled at Michael's followers saying a marriage is private and Michael and Juliana should be left alone, Michael responded, "It's okay... I'll answer questions I want to... Ignore those I don't... [I'll] more likely offer vague and possibly misleading answers in order to continue the intrigue."Juliana had alluded to a breakup with Michael in a series of September TikTok videos. Michael and the kids did not appear in any of her videos, and she complained about doing all the grocery shopping.Juliana moved from Brazil to the United States in Summer 2019, and then she and Michael got married in October of that year.As for Sarah -- who had been married to Michael for 20 years prior to officiating his wedding with Juliana -- she tied the knot with Sean , an aspiring hip-hop artist, in November 2019.Juliana and Sarah ultimately became very close friends and got along well, and they made sure Michael's children were being raised in a loving environment with no hostility or resentment.During an April 2020 broadcast of Tamron Hall , Tamron videochatted with Michael, Juliana, Sarah and Sean, while they were all quarantining under one roof in Greenwich, CT.Sarah said she and her husband were planning a move to Los Angeles, CA, soon, and Michael was happy about his entire family being together, despite the group having little altercations here or there.Michael said there was no jealousy or rivalry between Juliana and Sarah, but he revealed how COVID-19 had a negative impact on Juliana's blossoming career."Juliana is just on the cusp of getting modeling jobs. She signed with a really great agency in New York City, and then suddenly, this happens and it's frustrating for her," Michael said.But Juliana and Michael agreed their marriage hadn't crumbled under the stress of quarantining because Juliana was being "very patient."When asked to share the most difficult part of self-isolating together, Juliana joked, "Him having to see my face every day.""I love that!" Michael responded with a laugh, before Juliana admitted the hardest part was having to do all the housework solo.Michael appeared in distress based on Juliana's comment, so she kissed him on the cheek and assured him, "I love you. It's okay! I know you do everything, like pay the bills."There seemed to be no trouble in Paradise at the time, as Juliana also shared how she didn't miss her old life in Brazil."To be honest, not really, because I always wanted to work to have a family in the future," Juliana told Tamron. "And now I have a family, so it's my dream come true."Want more spoilers or couples updates? Click here to visit our homepage!
By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 10/11/2021



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Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade.

star Kenny Braasch apparently doesn't regret a thing about his time on the summer spin off, including his brief split from fiancee Mari Pepin-Solis "No, I don't have any regrets," Kenny, 40, told People after getting engaged to Mari on 's seventh-season finale."There were a lot of things going on, but at the end of the day, everything that happened put us where we are right now. So it's all good."On 's seventh season, Mari, a 25-year-old marketing manager, connected with Kenny, a boyband manager, right off the bat, and it seemed like love at first sight.But once things were getting serious, Mari pumped the brakes and suggested the couple should continue seeing each other while keeping their options open and pursuing other possible romances in Mexico.Kenny, a little heartbroken over Mari's lack of commitment, therefore dated Demi Burnett , with whom he went to "The Boom Boom Room," as well as Tia Booth Once Mari saw Kenny with other women, she realized how much she missed him and how she wanted him all to herself. Mari therefore apologized to Kenny and fought for him, and the pair became inseparable after their reconciliation."Obviously, I was very into Mari from the very beginning," Kenny explained. "So once I sort of knew she was in the same place I was is when I started thinking, like, we might end up engaged at the end of this."Mari said that although their is a 15-year age difference between them, she believes they are at similar stages in life and want the same things, which helped bring them closer together and solidify their bond."I feel like I'm kind of in a different life stage than most people my age. And so for me, I think someone who is in a similar stage [works best]," shared Mari, who revealed on she's not interested in partying and always wanted to get married young."We do the same things and we've got the same habits, and it just works really well for us. So I think that's ultimately what I was looking for, and I found it."Mari added of the significant age gap, "I think the only way that it's noticeable is when we talk about movies or music, because [we're] obviously [from] different generations."On the finale, Kenny popped the question with an oval-shaped diamond ring, and he said he's now "glad that we can just go outside and walk around."Mari said she's looking forward to being a normal and "real engaged couple" after she and Kenny had to hide their romance from the public for several months.But Kenny and Mari apparently didn't always follow the rules of their contract."We actually snuck [out] to [got to] a concert together. We saw Journey here in Chicago," Mari revealed to People."We weren't supposed to, but we didn't get caught. We both wore hats. I wore a pair of glasses, and it was really late at night, so it worked out."As for what's next, Mari definitely sees herself walking down the aisle in the near future."I have all my ideas of what I want for my wedding, but we haven't started planning anything solid yet," Mari noted. "The only thing that we've agreed on so far is that we will get married in Puerto Rico."On 's finale, Kenny said getting engaged to a person so soon was "insane" but he'd be an "idiot" not to wife Mari up because he was absolutely crazy about the girl.Mari, wearing a long floral white dress with her hair down and curled, then met Kenny -- who had "100 percent of her heart" -- on the beach in Mexico.Mari said she felt like the luckiest woman in the world to be with Kenny, and he said he was "blown away" by Mari's beauty at first sight and felt something entirely new for her. Mari felt she and Kenny had been tested like no other couple in Paradise.Kenny's hands were shaking and he needed to pause and take a deep breath, before yelling, "Mari, I am so f-cking in love with you! And I can't see my life without you. You are an amazing woman and you've changed my whole outlook on life."In addition to Kenny and Mari, two other couples got engaged on the finale: Joe Amabile and Serena Pitt as well as Riley Christian and Maurissa Gunn.Interested in more The Bachelor news? Join our The Bachelor Facebook Group
By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 10/11/2021



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Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade.

pro Sharna Burgess has opened up about the challenges of being partnered with boyfriend Brian Austin Green and how the judges have been "a bit harsh" on them.For the first three weeks of ' 30th season, Sharna and the former Beverly Hills, 90210 actor have landed towards the bottom of the judges' scoring leaderboard.While Brian was told he finally "arrived" on Monday night's "Britney Night" performance show , the judges previously called his footwork "sloppy" and have criticized Sharna's dancing content.Sharna, 36, told Us Weekly in an interview that Carrie Ann Inaba Derek Hough and Len Goodman 's feedback has been "harsh.""I also accept that maybe I'm a little bit biased," Sharna joked."I've noticed that I take judges' comments even more personally this season. Because, like, I want to defend Bri because he's my man."Sharna reasoned, "Normally, any other season, I'm like, 'Got it, cool. We'll work on that. No worries.' [But now], I'm just like, 'I disagree. He did so good.'"Sharna admitted having her boyfriend as her partner on has presented some issues."Honestly, it's almost a disadvantage . We have this sensitivity when minding each other's feelings. We want to make sure our relationship is good outside of it. That's always going to be a priority for us," Sharna said.Sharna also noted how viewers either seem to love or hate their romantic connection onstage."People are expecting this intense chemistry all the time on the dance floor. And if it's not there, then people are like, 'They don't have chemistry!' But it's like dance is so different," Sharna explained."We have amazing chemistry in life, and I think in our rumba and foxtrot we had amazing chemistry. But then once it gets hard, you can't judge us as a dance couple and as a relationship. That's really hard to be judged as both because we [can't manage] both for you... But we are doing our very best with it."In addition, Sharna assured fans that she and Brian don't get extra time to practice and don't "just steam up the dance floor every time."Sharna also explained how it's a challenge for her to go home and not talk about with her boyfriend or correct Brian's mistakes when she's watching footage back and taking notes.Sharna said she's the one who must disconnect from the show and separate their romance from her professional life."This is pressure on our relationship... so it's intense," Sharna said.She added, "This is real-life love, and that's what makes it so hard for us. People either love seeing me in love or they kind of don't want to see me in love and they just want to see dancing."Sharna concluded, "But to each their own! I can't help it. I'm in love, we're in love. We can't hide it! It's literally a part of every single step that we do. But I guess we've tried to not kiss on TV as much so people don't get weird about it."And on the bright side, Sharna said, "We get to create memories, and we get to love it."Sharna and Brian began dating after Brian announced his split from estranged wife and actress Megan Fox in May 2020, but Brian and Sharna attempted to keep their relationship a secret for a little while.Once the romance became serious , Sharna reportedly met the actor's three sons -- Noah, 8, Bodhi, 7, and Journey, 5 -- whom he shares with Megan as well as his eldest son, Kassius, 18, whom he welcomed with his ex Vanessa Marcil in 2002.Brian and Sharna previously told Us that there was never a discussion for Brian to possibly partner with a different female pro."They offered it to [Brian] on the terms we'd be partners. We always were going to be partnered together," Sharna told the magazine last month.' 30th season marks Sharna's fourteenth season on the show as a pro partner.She won the mirrorball trophy one time with celebrity partner Bobby Bones back on Season 27 in 2018.
Google on Tuesday celebrated Shakespearean stage actress Helena Modrzejewska on what would have been her 181st birthday, with a new Doodle.

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Google's homepage featured artwork of Modrzejewska performing onstage.

Modrzejewska was born Jadwiga Benda on Oct. 12, 1840, in Krakow, Poland. She was renamed Helena Opid and used Modrzejewska as her stage name when she made her theatrical debut in 1861.

Modrzejewska made her debut in the United States in 1877 and took on Shakespearean roles throughout the country.

She had a heavy touring schedule and sometimes worked as the director, producer, costume designer and publicist.

The actress had close to 300 different roles across 6,000 plays that were performed in Polish and English. Modrzejewska portrayed Lady Macbeth 520 times, making it her longest-lasting role.
BELLAIRE  A judge denied a motion from Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson seeking to lift a stay order in a dismissed Antrim County election-related lawsuit to assess whether court-protected images from Antrim Countys voting equipment were shared during a cyber symposium hosted by Donald Trump supporter and My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell.

A data security expert, Harri Hursti, said in a declaration included with Bensons motion, he attended the August event where a link to download an image which appeared to have originated from Antrim County was shared on social media by one of the events speakers  CodeMonkeyZ  who has nearly 400,000 followers.

2020 local election coverage The Record-Eagle's coverage of 2020 local elections and related issues:

A December court order signed by 13th Circuit Court Judge Kevin Elsenheimer allowed for a forensic examination of the countys voting equipment after a local man, Bill Bailey, filed a lawsuit. But the judges decision to allow access to voting equipment also placed controls on what could be released to the public.

Elsenheimer, responding to Bensons motion, said that Baileys lawsuit  dismissed in May  had been referred to the Michigan Court of Appeals and until that court decided whether to hear the case, he was denying the motion.

I think that frankly having a two-track process in this case is not in the best interest of the public, not in the best interest of the parties, Elsenheimer said, following a hearing Monday morning conducted over Zoom.

I can understand the position of the defense, but I believe that this matter should be resolved by the court of appeals before we take it back up for enforcement or any other purposes here in circuit court, Elsenheimer said. I look forward to the direction of the court of appeals, if any.

Bailey is represented by Portage attorney Matthew DePerno, who on July 16 filed leave for appeal with the state court.

Also in July DePerno announced he is seeking the Republican nomination for Michigans attorney general.

The case is pending in the court of appeals.

Benson, who is represented by attorneys with the states Attorney Generals office, said in court filings that Col. James P. Waldron and Douglas Frank, two of Baileys expert witnesses, appeared as speakers at the symposium and that Waldron told attendees the Antrim information would be available. He also invited attendees to view the images.

Bailey, of Central Lake Township, sued Antrim County on Nov. 23, after he said his constitutional rights had been violated by the countys handling of the 2020 presidential election. He asserted that the countys Dominion Voting Systems equipment was programmed for fraud  an accusation repeatedly denied by Dominion.

Court filings show DePerno was advised of the distribution of the Antrim County images in an email sent Aug. 12 by Assistant Attorney General Erik A. Grill.

We have received information that during an event earlier this week, Mike Lindell publicly displayed or distributed images of the Antrim County EMS software, Grill said in the email.

The same court filing shows DePerno answered Grill, also by email, stating hed sent Lindell a cease and desist demand.

Understood and just to be clear, on Wednesday at 9:49 a.m., as soon as I heard, I sent the following cease and desist demand to Mike Lindell, DePerno said in the email.

The demand from DePerno to Lindell stated, This is a demand that you immediately cease and desist disclosing or displaying any forensic images of Antrim County. Those images are under protective order. Neither you or your team are permitted to display or use those images.

DePerno did not respond to an email seeking comment.

In a declaration submitted to the court as part of Secretary Bensons now-denied motion, Hursti said he attended Lindells cyber security symposium in Sioux Falls, South Dakota from Aug. 10-12 where organizers made available to attendees copies of forensic images of three Dominion Election Management System Server installations.

The organizers did not give consistent explanations for how the images were made, where they were made, or any other details, Hursti said. Two of the images appear to have originated from Mesa County, Colorado and one from Antrim County, Michigan.

According to court filings, another expert, J. Alex Halderman, a University of Michigan computer science professor  who in March authored a 54-page report stating initial mistakes in Antrim Countys handling of the 2020 presidential election were the result of human error, not fraud  authenticated the image as from Antrim County.

The data obtained from the Cyber Symposium includes a nearly complete forensic image of the Antrim County Election Management System (EMS), Halderman stated in an affidavit filed in 13th Circuit Court. It is missing only one file (out of 37), but is otherwise a complete copy of the forensic image collected by Plaintiffs forensic team and provided to me for review in this case.

The data also includes complete forensic images of the Antrim County tabulator memory cards that were provided to me for review in this case, Halderman said. In addition, the data distributed at the Cyber Symposium includes forensic images of thumb drives that purport to be from Antrim County and include metadata indicating that they were collected by Plaintiffs forensic team, but which were not provided to me for review in this case.

Hursti and Halderman both expressed concern over the release, stating it was sufficiently detailed to assist those who might be planning or developing ways to compromise voting systems in Antrim County and elsewhere.

Dominion previously issued a lengthy statement in response to the reported public release of court-protected images, stating theyd reported the incident to the proper authorities, including the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Also on Monday Benson and Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel issued a press release, stating three Michigan residents had been charged following investigations related to attempted voter fraud.

Trenae Myesha Rainey, 28, of Macomb County, Carless Clark, 59, of Wayne County and Nancy Juanita Williams, 55, also of Wayne County were each charged with multiple felony counts of violating election law.

Rainey, a nursing home employee, is accused of deciding where approximately two dozen nursing home residents should be registered, whether they should be provided with an absentee ballot and of forging their signatures, the release states.

Clark is accused of signing her grandsons absentee ballot and returning the ballot by mail.

Williams, a court-appointed guardian, is accused of multiple felony violations in five downstate district courts, after the release states a Michigan State Police investigation found she submitted absentee ballot applications for people under her care without their knowledge.
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The opening nights of the University of Georgia Performing Arts Centers 25th anniversary season will take place this Thursday and Friday. After a year and a half of online events with little to no audience members, two groups will perform live at Hugh Hodgson Concert Hall.
Greenville, NC (27833)

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Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 44F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph..

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Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 44F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph.
Brattleboro, VT (05301)

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A steady rain this evening. Showers continuing overnight. Low 33F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch..

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A steady rain this evening. Showers continuing overnight. Low 33F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch.
Southern WV Community & Technical College is proud to present Landau Eugene Murphy Jr. as he celebrates the 10th Anniversary of his Americas Got Talent win as well as Southern's 50th anniversary. The concert will be held in the Savas Kostas Performing Arts Center starting at 7 p.m. Southern is asking for at least two cans of food from each person attending for the colleges food pantry, which serves its students. Submitted photo.
Now, Deborah Schmidt, who chairs the Department of Osteopathic Principles and Practice (OPP) at the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM), can add one more title to her long resume. She was listed as one of the years West Virginia Wonder Women by WV Living magazine. Submitted photo.
NEW HAVEN  Sam Shwartz has an intellectual disability that requires help with life skills, but that didnt stop him from getting down on one knee with a shiny diamond ring to pop the question to Kara Anglim in front of friends at Chapel Haven Schleifer Center.

It was good, Shwartz, 33, said.

I had no idea it was going to happen, Anglim said of the proposal on her 40th birthday March 10. I think Sam is amazing. He really makes me happy.

Of course her answer was, yes.

The two are community members at Chapel Haven Schleifer Center, a program that teaches adults on the autism spectrum and with other intellectual disabilities to lead their most independent lives. When they tie the knot they will become the fifth married couple at Chapel Haven.

Contributed photo

Dr. Fred Volkmar, one of the worlds leading experts on autism, a professor at Yale Child Study Center and board member at Chapel Haven Schleifer Center, said while marriage in such populations is not common, its an increasing phenomenon.

Like other people they want to have relationships and marry and, despite the challenges, more and more are doing so, Volkmar said. I have been aware of isolated instances for years but it is now happening more.

Volkmar said there is little research on the subject at this point.

Like many other couples, Shwartz and Anglim, who live together, are waiting to set a date because of the pandemic, but likely will have two celebrations/ceremonies: one at Chapel Havens courtyard in front of the community with whom they share their lives, and another in Maine, from where Anglim comes.

The relationship and love between Kara and Sam is infectious. Their happiness shines through our campus, and it reminds me of how incredible this organization is, for our staff, our families, and the adults we serve, said Chapel Haven Schleifer Center President Michael Storz.

Chapel Haven truly is more than just a school that teaches independent living, he said. Its a place where adults with developmental disabilities come and create their best lives, just like any neurotypical individual.

Shwartz and Anglim were friends for 10 years when the relationship took a romantic twist about five years ago. They moved in together about a year ago when the housing circumstances allowed.

Contributed photo

Shwartz s mother, Pamela Goodman, never thought her son would marry - and shes excited.

I really do believe anyone regardless of their ability deserves to have a full life.  Being able to make a commitment to someone like this is wonderful, Goodman said. I think its fabulous Sam has the ability to love and be loved. They seem to have a nice relationship. They survived COVID together, they survived being in quarantine together.

Anglim has some physical limitations, but thats OK because her son absolutely loves helping around the house, Goodman said. Shwartz doesnt get wrapped up in small stuff, either, Goodman said, noting, He doesnt care if she doesnt put the toothpaste cap on right.

Goodman said she asked Anglim, Does Sam ever get on your nerves? To which Anglim answered, Yes, I just tell him to go into the other room.

Goodman chuckled recalling that answer and noted, Which is what we all do.

Contributed photo

Goodman said she believes her sons emotional intelligence far outweighs his intellect.

Goodman said she never quite knows whether shes getting the correct information from her son, and, so, when he called months back to tell her he and Anglim were engaged, Goodman asked, Does Kara know?

Anglims father, Thomas E. Anglim, said he never thought marriage would be possible for his daughter, mostly because of the odds of Kara finding someone who could complement her.

But, he said, luckily they found each other at Chapel Haven.

Sam is very good to Kara  being a friend and companion and helping her with her mobility issues and day-to-day living, Thomas Anglim said.

He said his daughter was a typical child, then at 14 had a cardiac arrest at track practice due to an unusual heart arrhythmia.

By the time she was resuscitated she had sustained an anoxic brain injury, which left her with thick speech, short-term memory issues, and difficulty with walking and balance, Thomas Anglim said. Fortunately her personality remained intact and she is still funny, social, kind and possessing a lot of common sense.

Contributed photo

Like other couples, the pair enjoy going to movies and plays, and each others company.

Terri Console, program manager at the Chapel Haven Schleifer Adult Independent Living program, or SAIL, said Shwartz and Anglim complement one another.

Hes a lively, helpful guy and she keeps him grounded, mellow, calmer. They both like to chill and relax, Console said. Theyre just well-meshed together.

On Valentines Day, Shwartz surprised Anglim with a stuffed bear, a stuffed tiger and a rose, and arranged with staff for him to cook his specialty pasta and shrimp dish. He also got them matching red shirts.

She makes me happy, she makes me warm. She makes me feel like I want to hug her, Shwartz said of his fiancee.

Contributed photo

Goodman said highlighting the couples relationship is a way to educate other people that people with disabilities are just like us. Its hard for people to understand.

Thomas Anglim said its nice that both families embrace the union and everyone is looking forward to the wedding.

Karas sister and Karas friends are anxious to plan the wedding. Kara is mostly interested in the party, Thomas Anglim said.
NEW HAVEN  Qinxuan Pan, accused of the slaying of Yale graduate student Kevin Jiang, now is being represented in the criminal case by attorney Norm Pattis, known for his representation of high-profile defendants including Fotis Dulos and Alex Jones.

During a Tuesday court appearance in the case, Pattis said he had received evidence through the discovery process, including a list of items collected in connection with the matter.

Pattis received permission from Judge Gerald Harmon to share the evidence with Pan through the library at Cheshire Correctional Institution.

The case was continued to Oct. 29, when the date for a probable cause hearing will potentially will be scheduled, allowing for Pan and Pattis, along with attorney Kevin Smith, to further review the case.

Pattis noted during the proceedings that the Connecticut Supreme Court had not yet ruled on whether Pans $20 million bond was reasonable under state law. Justices began considering that matter during a hearing Sept. 8.

After the court appearance, Pattis questioned the strength of the states case, noting that witnesses initially had reported that people of other races were involved in the incident.

Our view is the case is not as strong as the warrant looks, said Pattis.

He said he recently had taken on the case. Pattis also had represented Pan at the Supreme Court hearing.

How could you not take this case? Pattis said. The worlds decided hes guilty; theres an alternative story.

Pattis, based in New Haven, previously was described as Connecticuts most colorful and controversial lawyer by Connecticut Magazine, which also is owned by Hearst Connecticut Media.

Fotis Dulos died in January 2020 after being charged with the murder of his estranged wife Jennifer Dulos. Her body has not been found.

In July, a probate judge approved a settlement with Fotis Dulos estate that requires Pattis and Smith not to discuss the case surrounding the disappearance of Jennifer Dulos for 40 years.

In the high court case, Pan filed a petition for the court to review the bond  the second offered during the case  arguing his $20 million bond is unconstitutional in that it is disproportionately high, he has limited financial resources and no international ties, and he has indicated that he is amenable to residing in Connecticut and being subject to electronic monitoring and/or house arrest if released on bond.

William Gerace, then Pans attorney, filed the initial motion for Pans bail to be reviewed in June. He has said the $20 million bond, believed to be a record in the state, is too high to be reasonable  an amount tantamount to no bond at all.

City police obtained a warrant charging Pan with Jiangs slaying in late February. The department had named him as a person of interest in the case Feb. 10.

Pan, formerly a graduate student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was not arrested until May 13 in Montgomery, Ala., following a massive search by U.S. marshals and others.

Zion Perry, Jiangs fiancee, also attended MIT as an undergraduate student, graduating in 2020 with a degree in biological engineering.

Pan was living in Malden, Mass., on the day he allegedly drove to New Haven and killed Jiang.

Affidavit: The guns, cars and DNA that led police to arrest Qinxuan Pan in slaying of Yale grad student.

william.lambert@hearstmediact.com
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LISBON  State police are searching for the individuals who robbed an Ulta Beauty store in Lisbon on Saturday.

The incident occurred around 8:30 p.m., according to a Troop E Facebook post. The suspects are three men who were wearing hooded sweatshirts and masks.
Christian Abraham / Hearst Connecticut Media

STORRS  The University of Connecticut on Tuesday warned students about an off-campus armed robbery that happened nearby Monday night.

The university issued the warning to the university community as mandated under the Clery Act, which requires the school to notify students and faculty when certain crimes occur on or in close proximity to the college campus, university spokesperson Stephanie Reitz said.
The Walt Disney Company is known for its various creations, right from cartoon characters at the start of their journey to superheroes in recent years. After creating these characters and attaining immense success from them, the company is now on its way to depict its own journey.

As per a report by Deadline, the production giant is making a film on one of the founders, Walt Disney and his journey to build the theme park Disneyland. The movie is being helmed by David Gordon Green, who has directed Halloween Kills. Evan Spiliotopoulos, who has worked on numerous Disney projects in the past like Beauty and the Beast, The Jungle Book 2, among others, is penning the screenplay of the movie.

Disney to make a film on Walt Disney and journey of Disneyland

The movie will trace the journey of the first Disneyland in California, which had been built under the supervision of Walt Disney in Anaheim in 1955. As the theme park attracted footfalls galore and popularity, it then came up in Florida, Paris, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Tokyo, but the story will be only about the first Disneyland. The theme park goes by the term the 'Happiest Place on earth.'

The movie will hit the company's streaming platform Disney+. Cavalry Media and producer Jason Reech pitched it to Disney after developing the pitch for a year.

The previous on-film version of Walt Disney was in the movie Saving Mr Banks in 2013. In this movie, Tom Hanks had essayed the role of Walt Disney, in his attempt to bag the rights of Mary Poppins.

Some other ventures delving into the journey of Disneyland had been the documentaries like The Imagineering Story and Behind the Attraction on Disney+.

While the journey of the theme park will make it to the big screen for the first time, the theme park's attractions have inspired many movies, including The Pirates of the Caribbean, Jungle Cruise and Haunted Mansion.

It is not clear when the movie would go on floors because Green has multiple projects in his kitty which include the sequel of The Exorcist as well as Halloween Ends.
In a major development, the Delhi Police Special Cell on Monday has arrested a Pakistani national from the national capital. The police authorities arrested the individual from Ramesh Park, Laxmi Nagar area. The Pakistani national has been identified as Mohammad Ashraf Ali, who was living as an Indian national with the name - Ali Ahmed Noori in Shastri Nagar in Delhi.

The police informed that Ashraf Ali obtained Indian identity card through forged documents. Moreover, during the search, the police have also seized an AK-47 rifle, one extra magazine with sixty rounds, one hand grenade, two pistols with fifty rounds from the Pakistani national. According to reports, Mohammad Ashraf Ali had been living in the national capital since several months. He is a resident of the Punjab province of Pakistan.

Delhi Police Special Cell arrests a terrorist of Pakistani nationality from Ramesh Park, Laxmi Nagar. He was living with a fake ID of an Indian national. One AK-47 assault rifle with one extra magazine and 60 rounds, one hand grenade, 2 sophisticated pistols with 50 rounds seized  ANI (@ANI) October 12, 2021

The arrested Pakistani national had several Indian identity cards and also a residential proof of Shastri Nagar. However, it is still not known if he planned to carry out any terror attacks. Meanwhile, the Delhi Police has informed that the investigation is on and is in its preliminary phase. As of now, the Delhi Police have invoked several provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Explosive Act, Arms Act. In addition, other provisions are also being invoked against the arrested Pakistani national.

Relevant provisions of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Explosive Act, Arms Act & other provisions being invoked against the man, identified as Mohd Asraf, a resident of Pakistan's Punjab. A search has been conducted at his present address at Ramesh Park, Laxmi Nagar, Delhi.  ANI (@ANI) October 12, 2021

Indian Army captures Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist from Pakistan

In a big win for the Indian Army, a terrorist had surrendered earlier in September. The captured terrorist belonged to the terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and is a Pakistani national. Addressing a press conference, Major General Virendra Vats, GOC, 19 Infantry Division of the Indian Army had revealed the details of the anti-terror operations that had been going on in Uri since September 18. Major Vats had said that two infiltrators had come from across the border while four additional terrorists were on the Pakistani side. He had further informed that on September 25, an encounter broke out wherein one terrorist was neutralised while another was caught. According to Major Vats, the surrendered terrorist was taken into custody where he identified himself as Ali Babar Patra hailing from Wasewawala Village, Dipalpur from Okara in Pakistan's Punjab province. The 19-year-old terrorist admitted that he is a member of the LeT and was trained by them in Muzaffarabad.
During the three-day visit to India, the Prime Minister of Denmark Mette Frederiksen visited one of the world's Seven Wonders, the Taj Mahal on Sunday, October 10, and praised it as a beautiful place. The Danish Prime Minister along with her husband, Bo Tengberg and a delegation arrived at the Taj Mahal in environmental friendly cars on Sunday morning. Local artists from the 'Braj' greeted the guests.

PM Frederiksen and her husband spent nearly one and a half hours inside the Taj Mahal premises and showed interest in the tour guide's explanations of the monument's heritage. Danish Prime Minister expressed her gratitude in the visitors' register and wrote, "This location is wonderful."

Following their visit to the Taj Mahal, the Danish Prime Minister also went to tour the Agra Fort. As per the instruction of the Archaeological Survey of India of the Agra Circle, the Taj Mahal, as well as Agra Fort, was closed for the general public for two hours during the VVIP visit.

Agra: Denmark PM Mette Frederiksen and her husband Bo Tengberg visit the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort. pic.twitter.com/9JfV2SktvK  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) October 10, 2021

Mette Frederiksen arrived at the Agra Airforce Station about 8.30 p.m. on Saturday, October 9. The Uttar Pradesh Energy Minister, Shrikant Sharma greeted her along with personnel from the city and police administration. She is the first foreign head of the government to tour India after the implementation of COVID-19 constraints in March last year.

Denmark Prime Minister greeted by PM Modi; held bilateral discussions

In the early morning on Saturday, October 9, the Danish Prime Minister landed in New Delhi and was greeted by Meenakshi Lekhi, the Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs at the Delhi airport. On the same day, Frederiksen visited President Ram Nath Kovind as well as Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi for having bilateral discussions. The Danish Prime Minister was given a ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Saturday, accompanied by a wreath-laying ceremony at Mahatma Gandhi's samadhi at Rajghat.

Great pleasure to welcome PM Mette Frederiksen on her first visit to India. Our Green Strategic Partnership is focused on clean technologies and green growth. Our collaboration across sectors is vibrant and dynamic.   @Statsmin pic.twitter.com/fgyuoMp8TF  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 9, 2021

PM Modi and Danish PM emphasised on the strong and cordial relationship between India and Denmark. They decided to step up their attempts to reform and deepen multilateralism and the global rules-based system, which also includes freedom of navigation. Both parties even reaffirmed their pledge to a forward-thinking, outcome-oriented Green Strategic Partnership. Earlier, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had stated that the two countries would discuss on renewable energy, pollution prevention, farming, science and technology, digitalisation, smart cities, water and waste management in their bilateral discussions.

Image: ANI
Nur-Sultan (Kazakhstan), Oct 11 (PTI) External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday held bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan during which they discussed issues of bilateral and regional cooperation, and exchanged views on the recent developments in Afghanistan.

Jaishankar arrived in Kazakhstan on Monday on the second leg of his three-nation tour to Central Asia with an aim to further expand bilateral ties and discuss key regional issues including the developments in Afghanistan after the Taliban seized control of the war-torn country after the exit of US forces.

"Arrived in Nur-Sultan for the #CICAMinisterial2021 tomorrow. Began the visit with a bilateral meeting with Uzbek FM Abdulaziz Kamilov. Our conversation focused on recent developments in Afghanistan, Jaishankar tweeted.

Later, he met with Turkmenistan Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov and discussed bilateral and regional cooperation.

"Good to meet FM Rashid Meredov of Turkmenistan. Discussed our bilateral and regional cooperation. Exchanged views on neighbourhood developments. Agreed to remain in close touch, Jaishankar said in another tweet.

On Tuesday, Jaishankar will attend the 6th Ministerial meeting of the Conference of Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA).

Kazakhstan is the current Chair of the grouping.

Jaishankar arrived in Kazakhstan from Kyrgyzstan where he held "constructive" talks with the top Kyrgyz leadership to boost bilateral ties, including defence cooperation and discussed global issues like Afghanistan.

While in Bishkek, Jaishankar said that India was closely following the developments in Afghanistan and underscored the importance of the Taliban regime meeting the expectations of the international community as elaborated in a UN Security Council resolution.

"We are closely following the developments in Afghanistan. It concerns all of us. Any instability in Afghanistan will have an impact in the region. There are expectations of the international community from the current regime in Afghanistan, which are adequately elaborated in the UN Security Council Resolution 2593," he said.

The UNSC resolution 2593 unequivocally demands that Afghan territory not be used for sheltering, training, planning or financing terrorist acts; and specifically refers to terrorist individuals proscribed by the UN Security Council, including Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad.

From Nur-Sultan, Jaishankar will travel to Armenia where he will meet his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan and call on Prime eMinister Nikol Pashinyan. PTI ZH AKJ

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
After the successful arrest of two TRF terrorists and three ISIS operatives, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) launched raids in seven different locations in Jammu and Kashmir, including Shopian, Pulwama, Srinagar, and Baramulla. According to the on-ground information accessed by the Republic Media Network, these raids are launched in a new case registered by the NIA. The case is linked to terror outfits using overground Pakistan-based networks for carrying out terror activities in the valley. Significantly, this is the second major search operation launched in two days. On October 10, nearly 15 locations were investigated by the Central agency.

It should also be mentioned here that top-ranked NIA officers are involved in the operation that follows several tragic incidents of targeted civilian killings in Jammu and Kashmir. The team comprises of an IT rank officer and the special director of the Intelligence Bureau from Delhi. The team reached the valley region on October 11. The investigation agency officials are also expected to develop strategies to control the grim situation in the Union Territory.

NIA's swift action in J&K

At first, the NIA, on October 12 had conducted searches at multiple locations in Jammu and Kashmir and arrested two TRF operatives in the LeT-TRF conspiracy case. The terrorists were identified as Tawseef Ahmed Wani and Faiz Ahmed Khan. Searches were carried in seven locations of the Kulgam, Srinagar and Baramulla districts. In a statement, the NIA asserted, "Pakistan-based handlers of proscribed terror outfit LeT and their associates based in J&K had conspired to cause extensive terror activities for harming general public."

Later, the NIA conducted searches at multiple locations in Jammu and Kashmir and arrested three ISIS operatives in the ISIS Voice of Hind case. This time the searches were carried out at locations in Srinagar, and Anantnag districts. The arrested terrorists were identified as Tawheed Latief, Suhail Ahmad and Afshan Parvez.

The arrested terrorists were said to have used social media applications for communications with Gul. Sajjad was operating various modules across the valley through the arrested terrorists. The NIA has been carrying out swift action in raiding locations of Jammu and Kashmir to eradicate the terror networks. In recent times at least three TRF-based terrorists were also killed by the Security Forces in separate encounters in the valley.
Hours after the Delhi Police arrested a Pakistani national, the Patiala Court on Tuesday remanded the ISI-trained terrorist to 14-day custody of the Special Cell. Identified as Mohammad Ashraf Ali, the Pakistani national was arrested from Ramesh Park, Laxmi Nagar area. He was, however, residing in Shastri Nagar in Delhi as an Indian national with the name - Ali Ahmed Noor. The Indian identity under the name - Ali Ahmed Noor was obtained through forged documents, police had informed. The arrested Pakistani national, as per the police, had several Indian identity cards and also residential proof.

During the interrogation, the landlord of the Shashtri Nagar resident had said, "He lived here for 6 months. My father got his Aadhar Card made for documentation...After he left, we were not in touch with him...If needed, we will cooperate with the police."

AK-47, one handgrenade and more recovered from Pak national

During the search, an AK-47 rifle, one extra magazine with sixty rounds, one hand grenade, two pistols with fifty rounds was seized from Mohammad Ashraf Ali. However, it is still unclear if he planned to carry out any terror attacks. The Police have informed that the investigation is on and is in its preliminary phase. As of now, the Delhi Police have invoked several provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Explosive Act, Arms Act. In addition, other provisions are also being invoked against the arrested Pakistani national- who used to reside in the Punjab province.

Relevant provisions of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Explosive Act, Arms Act & other provisions being invoked against the man, identified as Mohd Asraf, a resident of Pakistan's Punjab. A search has been conducted at his present address at Ramesh Park, Laxmi Nagar, Delhi.  ANI (@ANI) October 12, 2021

The development comes days after a terrorist was captured by the Indian army in the Uri region of Jammu and Kashmir. The captured terrorist belonged to the terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and is a Pakistani national.

Addressing a press conference, Major General Virendra Vats, GOC, 19 Infantry Division of the Indian Army had revealed the details of the anti-terror operations that had been going on in Uri since September 18. Major Vats had said that two infiltrators had come from across the border while four additional terrorists were on the Pakistani side. He had further informed that on September 25, an encounter broke out wherein one terrorist was neutralized while another was caught. According to Major Vats, the surrendered terrorist was taken into custody where he identified himself as Ali Babar Patra hailing from Wasewawala Village, Dipalpur from Okara in Pakistan's Punjab province. The 19-year-old terrorist admitted that he is a member of the LeT and was trained by them in Muzaffarabad.
Switzerland has provided the Indian authorities with the third set of Swiss bank accounts information of Indian nationals. This was done as part of a yearly process in which the European country shared information of roughly 33 lakh financial accounts with 96 countries. Officials revealed the information is mainly about business people, including NRIs who have settled in numerous Southeast Asian countries, as well as the United States, the United Kingdom, and even several African and South American countries, on the condition of anonymity. The Indian authorities were given information on many individuals and businesses having accounts in Swiss financial institutions. The Automatic Exchange Of Information (AEOI) data received by India has been instrumental in establishing a strong prosecution case against those with any unaccounted wealth, as it contains complete details of all deposits and transfers, as well as all earnings, including those earned through investments in securities and other assets, according to the experts.

The communicated information is used by tax authorities to evaluate whether taxpayers have represented their financial accounts appropriately on their tax filings. Identification, account, and financial information, such as name, address, country of residence, and tax identification number, as well as information on the reporting financial institution, account balance, and capital income, are among the details transferred.

Switzerland hopes to recast itself as a global financial centre

While information about contributions to non-profit organisations and other similar foundations, as well as details on digital currency investments, remain outside the scope of the AEOI framework, Switzerland has agreed to share information about foreigners' real estate holdings for the first time this year. Antigua and Barbuda, Azerbaijan, Dominica, Ghana, Lebanon, Macau, Pakistan, Qatar, Samoa, and Vanuatu were among the ten countries engaging in the information exchange this year, according to the Swiss Federal Tax Administration (FTA).

The exchange took place last month, and Switzerland will provide the next piece of data in September 2022. With this, Switzerland hopes to recast itself as a major global financial centre while refuting the long-held belief that the Swiss banking system serves as a safe haven for vast quantities of illicit funds.

(With inputs from agencies)

Image: Shutterstock
External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar on Tuesday, 12 October met his Mongolian counterpart Battsetseg Batmunkh. During the meeting, the two foreign ministers discussed "strong development partnership". Jaishankar assured the Mongolian Foreign Minister Battsetseg Batmunkh that India will always remain a "strong spiritual neighbour".

EAM Jaishankar meets Mongolian FM

Taking to Twitter, EAM Dr S Jaishankar said, "Delighted to meet my new Mongolian colleague @BattsetsegBatm2. Discussed our strong development partnership. India will always remain a strong spiritual neighbour." He shared the picture of his meeting with Mongolian Foreign Minister Battsetseg Batmunkh on Twitter. The Minister of External Affairs arrived in Kazakhstan's capital Nur-Sultan on 11 October to attend the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) 6th Ministerial Meeting.

Delighted to meet my new Mongolian colleague @BattsetsegBatm2.



Discussed our strong development partnership. India will always remain a strong spiritual neighbour. pic.twitter.com/Y4DI6cFtyM  Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) October 12, 2021

On 12 October, Dr S Jaishankar also met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the CICA meeting in Nur-Sultan. Informing about the meeting, the EAM in a tweet revealed that the two foreign ministers discussed the progress of bilateral cooperation. Furthermore, Jaishankar informed that the two leaders exchanged views on Afghanistan and the Indo-Pacific region.

Earlier on Monday, Jaishankar met Turkmenistan Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov. During his meeting with his Turkmenistan counterpart, Jaishankar discussed issues of bilateral and regional cooperation. Sharing a picture of their meeting on Twitter, the EAM revealed that the two exchanged views on 'neighbourhood development' and agreed to remain in contact. Taking to Twitter, EAM Dr Jaishankar said, "Good to meet FM Rashid Meredov of Turkmenistan. Discussed our bilateral and regional cooperation. Exchanged views on neighbourhood developments. Agreed to remain in close touch."

Good to catch up with Russian FM Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the CICA meeting in Nur-Sultan.



Noted the progress in our bilateral cooperation.



Exchanged notes on Afghanistan and the Indo-Pacific. pic.twitter.com/2UrRrhDQKE  Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) October 12, 2021

Good to meet FM Rashid Meredov of Turkmenistan.



Discussed our bilateral and regional cooperation. Exchanged views on neighbohood developments. Agreed to remain in close touch. pic.twitter.com/bPP2kZIqRj  Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) October 11, 2021

After arriving in Kazakhstan, Jaishankar met his Uzbekistan counterpart Abdulaziz Kamilov on 11 October. Taking to Twitter, Jaishankar shared a picture with the Uzbekistan Foreign Minister and revealed that the discussion between the two, was focused on recent developments in Afghanistan. On 12-13 October, EAM will be in Armenia, where he is scheduled to meet his Armenian counterpart. As per the Ministry of External Affairs press release, Dr Jaishankar will also call on the Armenian Prime Minister and President of the National Assembly of Armenia.

Arrived in Nur-Sultan for the #CICAMinisterial2021 tomorrow.



Began the visit with a bilateral meeting with Uzbek FM Abdulaziz Kamilov.



Our conversation focused on recent developments in Afghanistan. pic.twitter.com/panW7yAc9h  Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) October 11, 2021

Image: Twitter/@DrSJaishankar
External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar on Monday, met Turkmenistan Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov. During his meeting with his Turkmenistan counterpart, Jaishankar discussed issues of bilateral and regional cooperation. Sharing a picture of their meeting on Twitter, the EAM revealed that the two exchanged views on 'neighbourhood development'.

EAM meets his Turkmenistan counterpart

Taking to Twitter, EAM Dr Jaishankar said, "Good to meet FM Rashid Meredov of Turkmenistan. Discussed our bilateral and regional cooperation. Exchanged views on neighbohood developments. Agreed to remain in close touch." The Minister of External Affairs arrived in Kazakhstan's capital Nur-Sultan on 11 October to attend the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) 6th Ministerial Meeting, which will be held on Tuesday.

Good to meet FM Rashid Meredov of Turkmenistan.



Discussed our bilateral and regional cooperation. Exchanged views on neighbohood developments. Agreed to remain in close touch. pic.twitter.com/bPP2kZIqRj  Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) October 11, 2021

After arriving in Kazakhstan, Jaishankar met his Uzbekistan counterpart Abdulaziz Kamilov on 11 October. Taking to Twitter, Jaishankar shared a picture with the Uzbekistan Foreign Minister and revealed that the discussion between the two, was focused on recent developments in Afghanistan. On 12-13 October, EAM will be in Armenia, where he is scheduled to meet his Armenian counterpart. As per the MEA, this will be the first-ever visit of independent Armenia by an Indian EAM. Dr Jaishankar will also call on the Armenian Prime Minister and President of the National Assembly of Armenia.

Arrived in Nur-Sultan for the #CICAMinisterial2021 tomorrow.



Began the visit with a bilateral meeting with Uzbek FM Abdulaziz Kamilov.



Our conversation focused on recent developments in Afghanistan. pic.twitter.com/panW7yAc9h  Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) October 11, 2021

Dr S Jaishankar visit to Kyrgyzstan

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar arrived in Kyrgyzstan on Sunday, where he had a meeting with Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Japarov. Jaishankar held bilateral talks with his Kyrgyz counterpart Ruslan Kazakbaev. During his meeting with Ruslan Kazakbaev, they discussed a variety of issues, including regional developments, particularly the Afghan situation and its implications for regional peace and security. EAM Jaishankar stated, "We are closely following the developments in Afghanistan. It concerns all of us. Any instability in Afghanistan will have an impact in the region", according to ANI. He further said that the International community has expectations from the current regime in Afghanistan which are adequately detailed in the UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR), according to ANI. Jaishankar and Kazakbayev have decided to put more emphasis on preserving and promoting cultural relations between the two countries. Dr S Jaishankar also paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi at his statue in Bishkek and interacted with Indian students.

Thank President Sadyr Japarov for receiving me so warmly. Conveyed greetings of PM @narendramodi .



Appreciate his strong commitment to advance our Strategic Partnership. Discussed expanding our economic and development partnership and people to people contacts. pic.twitter.com/qQNsbhZVfw  Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) October 11, 2021

Cordial and constructive talks with FM Ruslan Kazakbaev of Kyrgyz Republic.



Agreed on USD 200 million LoC to support development projects.



Also concluded an understanding on executing high impact community projects. pic.twitter.com/zYDlH1RhYE  Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) October 11, 2021

Paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi at his statue in Bishkek.



Interacted with Indian students who joined me on the occasion. pic.twitter.com/pluIPY0T1k  Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) October 11, 2021

Inputs from ANI

Image: Twitter/@DrSJaishankar
A team of researchers discovered that as the number of vaccinated family members increased, non-vaccinated individuals had a 45% to 97% lower risk of infection and hospitalisation. This is demonstrated in a statewide study conducted by Umea University in Sweden. Peter Nordstrom, an Umea University professor of geriatric medicine stated that the findings strongly imply that vaccination is crucial not just for individual protection, but also for lowering the transmission within families.

Vaccines have been shown to significantly reduce the risk of COVID-19, according to a large body of research. However, little is known regarding the impact of vaccination on virus transmission in high-risk situations like households. In a new study, Umea University researchers discovered that the number of immune individuals in each family had a dose-response relationship with the probability of illness and hospitalisation among non-immune family members.

The research involves over 1.8 million people from over 800,000 families

According to Science, the research involves over 1.8 million people from over 800,000 families and is based on a registry. The researchers used registration data from the Swedish Public Health Department, the National Board of Health and Welfare, and Statistics Sweden, the government agency in charge of statistics data.

The researchers calculated the link between the number of family members vaccinated against COVID-19 and the probability of infection and hospitalisation in non-immune people in their study. Age, socioeconomic position, family clustering and various diagnoses previously identified as COVID-19 risk factors in the Swedish population were all taken into account by the researchers. Vaccination appears to minimise not only the individual's chance of infection but also the risk of transfer, according to the study.

'This minimises the risk of new harmful variants emerging and taking over'

Marcel Ballin, a co-author of the study and a doctorate student in geriatric medicine at Umea University said that this minimises not only the chance of more people becoming seriously ill but also the risk of new harmful variants emerging and taking over. He concluded by saying, "consequently, ensuring that many people are vaccinated has implications on a local, national, and global scale."

(With Inputs from PTI)

Image: Unsplash
Eight massive asteroids taller than the Great Pyramid of Giza and the Eiffel Tower are heading towards Earth between mid-October to November, as per NASA's asteroid tracker. The asteroids will head towards the Earth between October 15- November 29 and have been categorized as Potentially Hazardous Objects (PHO) with a size larger than 140 meters.

According to NASA, almost all of these asteroids are 'Apollo-class', which means that their orbits around the Sun can cross the orbital path of Earth. The most massive one is estimated to be 380 meters long taller than the Great Pyramid of Giza (130 meters) and the Washington Monument (169.29). Its size can be best compared to the Empire State Building in New York City which is 381 meters high (443 meters to the tip).

Asteroids heading towards Earth

October 15: The first asteroid 2021 SM3 will fly past Earth on October 15. It ranges between 72 meters and 160 meters in size, taller than the Great Pyramid of Giza and close to the size of the Washington Monument.

October 20: Just 5 days later, asteroid 1996 VB3 sized between 100 meters to a whopping 230 meters will fly by on October 25. This will be even closer to the planet, around 3.2 million kilometers away, and is taller than the height of San Francisco's iconic Golden Gate Bridge.

October 25: In another 5 days, asteroid 2017 SJ20 with a diameter from 90 meters to 200 meters, will fly by on October 25 at a distance of over 7.1 million kilometers. It will be twice the size of the Statue of Liberty (92.99 meters).

November 2: As we enter November, larger asteroids will begin to fly past the planet, the first being 2017 TS3 which ranges in size from 98 meters to 220 meters. It will pass the Earth at an estimated distance of around 5.3 million kilometers.

November 13: An even larger one will fly past the Earth at a distance of 4.2 million kilometers on November 13. This massive asteroid known as the 2004 UE is estimated to be between 170 meters and 380 meters long, nearly the size of the Empire State Building in New York City.

November 20: A week later, another asteroid, dubbed 2016 JG12, is set to pass the Earth on November 20. This is estimated to fly at a distance of around 5.5 million kilometers and will be at a maximum of 190 meters, larger than the Seattle Space Needle (184 meters).

November 21: On November 21, another massive asteroid 1982 HR, or 3361 Orpheus, estimated to be 300 meters long will fly by Earth at an estimated distance of 5.7 million kilometers. This will nearly be the size of the Eiffel Tower in Paris (324 meters).

November 29: The last asteroid will fly past Earth on November 29. Known as the 1994 WR12, its size ranges between 92 meters and 210 meters in size. It will pass the planet at a distance of 6.1 million kilometers.

NASA has ruled out the possibility of an asteroid being a risk for the next 100 years. According to scientists, the chances of the asteroid collision with Earth between 2021 and 2300 is one in 1,750.
Space enthusiasts waiting for the upcoming celestial events are in for a treat as the universe has set up a quality show till 2021 meets its end. Stargazers will witness a number of events ranging from different phases of the Moon to sparkling meteor showers that start by October itself. Besides, our neighbouring planets like Mercury and Venus will also be fairly active in ensuring their inclusion in the astronomy calendar. Here are the major celestial events that you would not want to miss.

Hunter Moon (Oct 20)

The Moon will be its brightest in this phase on October 20 as it will be directly facing the Sun. This phase of the Moon was named the 'Hunter Moon' because this time of the year symbolised the peak hunting period for the native American tribes.

Orionids meteor shower (Oct 21-22)

Astronomy geeks will be pleased to know that the October skies will be illuminated by Orionids meteor showers that will cruise through on October 21 and 22. Although this event spans from early October to November, the 21st and 22nd days of this month will be the peak of the event. Interestingly, the Earth will get to see up to 20 meteors per hour during peak hours, which will be remnants of the famous Halley's comet. Interested people can spot the shower better from dark locations as the full moon might diminish their glare to some extent.

Mercury's great western elongation (Oct 25)

Spotting Mercury will be the easiest on October 25 as the planet drifts to its farthest distance from the Sun. Mercury can be easily traced as it will shine the brightest above the horizon in the morning sky.

Venus' great eastern elongation (Oct 29)

Acting just the opposite of Mercury, Venus will shine in the evening sky above the horizon on October 29. At this point, Venus is also at its farthest distance from the Sun.

Taurids meteor shower (Nov 4-5)

Although this event spans from September to December, the shower this year will be at its peak on November 4 and 5. Those looking up will be able to witness up to 5-10 meteors every hour in two separate streams. Besides, the lack of Moon in the sky during this time will enhance the glow of the passing meteors.

Leonids meteor shower (Nov 17-18)

The Leonids meteor shower will peak on the coinciding night and morning of November 17 and 18 respectively when up to 15 meteors per hour can be spotted. Again, those looking forward to the event must look for dark locations where unnecessary light won't diminish the meteor glow.

Geminids meteor shower (Dec 13-14)

December will also host its first meteor shower on the 13th and 14th in what is considered the best among all of the known meteor events. The shower when at its peak can produce hundreds of multicoloured meteors per hour to illuminate the night sky.

Ursids Meteor Shower (Dec 21-22)

The universe will close the show with the second meteor shower in December that will be spotted the clearest on December 21 and 22. This is only a minor shower that will produce 5-10 meteors per hour.

Image: Unsplash
NASAs much anticipated James Webb telescope has been successfully shipped from California through the Panama Canal to Port de Pariacabo on the Kourou River in French Guiana, informed NASA on October 12. The space observatory, which is a joint collaboration of NASA, will now be driven to its launch site, Europes Spaceport in Kourou, where it will begin two months of operational preparations, said NASA. The telescope underwent its final journey ahead of launch this year on December 18.

 Closer to launch! The @NASAWebb Space Telescope has arrived in French Guiana for its scheduled Dec. 18 liftoff.



From California, through the Panama Canal, to South America  get the details on Webb's 1,500 mile (2,400 kilometer) voyage: https://t.co/bocg5x0qEg pic.twitter.com/RWpUFUdt2P  NASA (@NASA) October 12, 2021

James Webbs journey to its upcoming launch

In the latest press release by NASA, the agency revealed the telescope underwent the final leg of its cross-country ventures, which first began after it was assembled. The telescope was assembled in 2013 at NASA's Maryland-based Goddard Space Flight Center and four years later i.e. in 2017 it was shipped to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston for cryogenic testing at the historic Chamber A test facility. It was again shifted the next year to Californias Space Park for rigorous testing as scientists wanted to ensure its readiness for space missions.

According to the release, NASA administrator Bill Nelson said, The James Webb Space Telescope is a colossal achievement, built to transform our view of the universe and deliver amazing science. He further added that NASA is extremely close to unlocking more mysteries of the universe as the telescope will take humanity back to 13 billion years, when the big bang happened and the universe was born.

Detailing about Webbs launch preparations, NASA stated that engineers will run final checks on its condition after it is removed from the container it was shipped in. The scientists will then configure the telescope for launch by loading it with propellants before loading it up aboard the Ariane 5 rocket.

However, the upcoming launch of Webb has also met with some controversies as several astronomers including scholars had filed a petition for renaming the telescope from the current name which is a tribute to former NASA administrator James Webb. The petitioners had alleged that James Webb was explicitly biased towards gay and lesbians including the staff members of NASA at the time. Although, the agency confirmed that it will not rename the telescope despite the petitions.

Image: Twitter/@NASA
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) recovered at least 16 persons off the Libya Coast on Monday. Calling it a "tragic loss of life," UNHCR mentioned in a tweet that the dead bodies arrived at the Tripoli Naval Base on Monday evening in two boats with 117 migrant survivors trying to flee from Libya. The incident took place amid a dire humanitarian crisis in Libya due to violent uprisings and crackdowns by the transitional government.

"Bodies of 15 persons recovered as 2 boats arrived at Tripoli Naval Base this evening. 177 survivors were provided aid, some in need of urgent medical help by UNHCR and partner, @RESCUEorg," the commission said in a tweet on Monday. As per the council statement, the passengers had set off from Zwara and Alkhoms the night before.

Tragic loss of life



Bodies of 15 persons recovered as 2 boats arrived at Tripoli Naval Base this evening. 177 survivors were provided aid, some in need of urgent medical help by UNHCR and partner, @RESCUEorg



The passengers had set off from Zwara and Alkhoms the night before. pic.twitter.com/A0GYHypYKb  UNHCR Libya (@UNHCRLibya) October 11, 2021

It is to be noted that the North African country is under a grim refugee crisis pertaining to its internal conflicts along with an unstable government. There have been repeated incidents of migrant deaths in the sea. According to the International Organisation of Migration (IOM), a total of 26,314 illegal migrants, including women and children, have been rescued and returned to Libya so far this year. Additionally, at least 474 died and 689 went missing off the Libyan coast on the Central Mediterranean route.

Meanwhile, Libyan authorities have engaged in multiple raids to crackdown refugees and migrants. According to UNHCR, in one instance, at least one person was killed and 15 others injured in recent raids. In an addendum, the agency highlighted that at least 5,000 refugees have been arrested so far.

Libyan conflict

Nine years after the fall of Muammar Qaddafi, Libyan citizens continue to struggle for peace and stability amidst violent uprisings in the nation. "External factors have exacerbated Libya's problems by funneling money and weapons to proxies that have put personal interests above those of the Libyan people," mentioned the United States Institute of Peace. Meanwhile, the United Nations' peace brokering process has also been "overshadowed" by sponsored foreign government conferences. Additionally, internal conflicts have left Libyan borders porous, facilitating increased trafficking and smuggling of weapons.

(Image: AP)
A former state auditor, Alar Karis, on Monday, 11 October, was elected as Estonias fifth president since the countrys independence in 1991. Karis took the oath of office in Estonias Parliament and said that as president, he intends to be a balancer, and if necessary, a mediator. In his first speech, the newly minted president touched upon a broad spectrum of topics ranging from the need for Estonia to maintain good relations with its allies to his desire for a strong and united Europe.

I am honoured to make my first remarks as president of the Republic of Estonia in this, our countrys most hallowed chamber, Karis said while addressing Estonias Parliament.

Took my oath of office in front of @Riigikogu today. Thank you to all well-wishers, and thank you to president @KerstiKaljulaid! My inaugural speech can be found here: https://t.co/r50UnKpGKJ pic.twitter.com/XZdTh6JwsA  Alar Karis (@AlarKaris) October 11, 2021

According to Xinhua, Karis won the presidency with 72 votes of the required 68 in the second round of voting held in the nations 101-member Parliament on 31 August. Now, as the President, he will mostly represent the country abroad and act as a domestic opinion leader. He is now the supreme commander of Estonias armed forces as well. He will formally appoint government members, sign laws to make them valid and additionally, he also has the power to veto law proposals.

About the new president of the Republic of Estonia

The 63-year-old is a native of Tartu, the second-largest city in Estonia. Karis is a molecular geneticist and developmental biologist. He embarked on an academic career after graduating from the Estonian University of Life Sciences in Tartu. In 1999, Karis became a professor in the aforementioned university and later the rector.

Back in 2013, Karis was appointed as Estonias auditor. Moreover, after completing his tenure, he then became the director of the Estonian National Museum in 2017. The new President of the Republic has said that he will work in the areas he knows best and that are closest to his heart, namely education, science and innovation.

Karis said, Estonia must make it a priority to be an educated nation. We must set ourselves the goal of becoming the country with the most educated population, not just to be among the five most educated nations, but to be the most educated nation in the world. I think the prerequisites for that are there because if we look at our PISA results, Estonian young people are at the top of the ranking.

(Image: Twitter)


India's indigenous COVID-19 vaccine - Covaxin - has been granted emergency use approval for children aged 2-18 years on Tuesday, 12 October. Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech had conducted trials on 525 subjects at various sites, including AIIMS Delhi, AIIMS Patna, and Meditrina Institute of Medical Sciences, Nagpur with two doses administered in an interval of 28 days. The health experts revealed that the latest trials showed that the safety and immunogenicity of Indias Covaxin are almost the same in children, as adults above 18-years of age.

Now, here is a list of coronavirus vaccines that have been approved for kids worldwide:

Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorised the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for those aged 12 to 15 years old, in May. Now, the US pharmaceutical company has sought the permission of the US administration to approve its COVID vaccine for children aged 5 to 11. Pfizer and BioNTech group has officially submitted their request to the US FDA for authorisation of COVID vaccine for younger kids.

Moderna

Modernas mRNA COVID-19 vaccine has already been approved by the European medicines watchdog for children aged 12 to 17. The EU drug regulator said research in more than 3,700 children aged 12 to 17 showed that the Moderna vaccine produced a comparable antibody response. The US FDA, on the other hand, is still considering whether to extend the use of the Moderna vaccine to the same age group.

Zydus Cadila

The worlds first DNA-plasmid vaccine, developed by Zydus Cadila, has received emergency-use authorisation from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for use in adolescents 12 years old and above. The indigenously developed ZyCoV-D is a three-dose vaccine whose second and third doses are 28 and 56 days, respectively, after the first. The Ahmedabad-based drug firm had previously said that clinical trials on children above 5 years are also on the cards.

Sputnik V

Trials of Russias Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine for children aged between 12 to 17 years, are currently on in Moscow. It was previously reported that around 100 volunteers had been recruited for the trial.

Johnson and Johnson

U.S. pharma major Johnson & Johnson has applied for permission to conduct clinical trials of its single-shot COVID-19 vaccine on adolescents aged 12-17 years in India. J&Js vaccine demonstrated 85 per cent efficacy in preventing severe disease across regions. It protects against COVID-related hospitalization and death 28 days after vaccination, the company had said in a statement.

Sinovac

Sinovac has said its COVID-19 vaccine is safe in children ages 3-17, based on preliminary data, and it has submitted the data to Chinese drug regulators. China has approved its use in adults, however, it has not yet been used in children, because their immune systems may respond differently to the vaccine. Early and mid-stage clinical trials with over 550 subjects showed the vaccine would induce an immune response, Gang Zeng, the medical director at Sinovac, had said at a news conference.

Sinopharm

COVID-19 vaccine developed and produced by Sinopharm's institute in Wuhan has been approved for emergency use in children aged between 3 and 17 by China's state authority. The vaccine completed Phase I and II clinical trials, showing a high neutralizing antibody level among the age group. The clinical trials were carried out under the organization of the provincial centre for disease control and prevention of Central China's Henan Province.




The leader of Lebanon's powerful Hezbollah group on Monday escalated his attack on the judge leading the probe into last year's port explosion, calling on authorities to replace him with a different investigator.

"I tell the families of the victims, if you are expecting to reach truth with this judge, I say you won't," claimed Hassan Nasrallah.

The criticism was aimed at Tarek Bitar, who was appointed in February by a government body, after his predecessor was removed.

A court ruled to remove Bitar's predecessor after he faced similar accusations of bias from former officials.

Nasrallah has repeatedly accused Bitar of politicizing the probe.

On Monday, he spent nearly a quarter of his one-hour speech meant to address the country's multiple crises to criticize almost every decision Bitar is taking in the investigation.

He accused him of mainly going after officials who are allies of Hezbollah while ignoring to even question others.

On Aug. 4, 2020, hundreds of tons of ammonium nitrate, a highly explosive material used in fertilizers that had been improperly stored in Beirut's port for years, exploded, killing at least 214 people, injuring more than 6,000 and devastating nearby neighborhoods.

The material had been improperly stored in the port for years.

Independent media and rights groups revealed that most of Lebanon's senior political and security leadership knew of the explosive material stored at the port, but did nothing to take precautions or warn the public about them.

IMAGE: AP

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
On Monday, October 11, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed to take the necessary actions in Syria the earliest following the latest attack by Kurdish fighters which led to the death of two Turkish police officers. He said that Turkey has run out of patience and is now committed to eliminating dangers emanating from northern Syria, either in collaboration with forces on the ground or with its own resources, reported The Associated Press (AP). Erdogan's remarks come a day after two Turkish police officers were murdered in an attack in Aleppo city by a guided missile. The missile was reportedly launched on their armoured vehicle. Turkish officials blamed the attack on the Kurdish People's Protection Units, or YPG, a militia that Ankara sees as a Syrian offshoot of outlawed Kurdish terrorists fighting Turkish government forces.

Since the early 1980s, the Turkish government has been fighting the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). The PKK has been fighting for the creation of an independent Kurdish state and has also been labelled a terrorist organisation by Ankara. Meanwhile, both sides agreed to a ceasefire in 2013, but it was broken barely two years later after many terror strikes allegedly carried out by PKK terrorists. In 2018, Turkey and allied Syrian fighters seized control of Afrin, expelling local Kurdish fighters and displacing thousands of Kurdish residents. Since then, the town has been the target of numerous car bombings that have mostly gone unnoticed, according to news agency Sputnik. It should be mentioned here that Ankara has carried out three major operations in Syria: Operation Euphrates Shield (2016-2017), Olive Branch (2018), and Peace Spring (2019).

'Turkish troops capture a significant Kurdish insurgent stronghold in northern Iraq'

Meanwhile, on October 4, Turkey's Defense Ministry announced that Turkish troops had captured a significant Kurdish insurgent stronghold in northern Iraq. The operation "neutralised" 12 members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, according to the ministry. The operation reportedly took place in a zone close to the Turkish border where three Turkish soldiers were killed in August. The ministry further added that the PKK's "eastern headquarter" was captured in a major blow to the organisation, according to The AP. It is worth mentioning here that in April this year, Turkey launched its most recent air and ground operations in northern Iraq in an effort to limit the PKK's capacity to launch cross-border attacks.

Image: AP
A woman activist from Afghanistan has highlighted Pakistan's role in carrying out a 'proxy war' in Afghanistan. Khalida Nawabi called on the international community for their support in preventing Pakistan's interference in Afghanistan, according to ANI. She further warned that if the international community fails to stop Pakistan's interference in Afghanistan, the outcome of it will be worse than 9/11.

"Please support us to this resistance to stop this proxy war supported and sponsored by Pakistan's ISI. Otherwise, this Pakistan will destroy the peace for the region and the world will see the consequences worse than 9/11 and I confirm that and you will see. Wait and watch!," ANI quoted Khalida Nawabi as saying.

Khalida made the statement while participating with other Afghan women and child rights activists in a roundtable discussion on "Save Afghan Girls" on the 'International Day of the Girl Child' in Virginia, according to ANI. She mentioned that the International Day of Girl Child was celebrated every year in Afghanistan for years but not this year. During the discussion, the activists held Pakistan and its ISI and the Taliban responsible for the condition of women in the war-torn nation.

"October 11 (International Day of Girl Child) was celebrated in Afghanistan for years but not this year. This right has been taken away by the Taliban that is sponspored and supported by Pakistan and its ISI," ANI quoted Khalida Nawabi as saying.

The Afghan activists during the discussion blamed Pakistan and its ISI for supporting the Taliban in taking away the rights of Afghan women. Khalida stated that the Taliban was following the orders of Pakistan and its ISI. During the discussion, Khalida mentioned that the Pakistan government wants every right to be practised in its own country, but does not want the women of Afghanistan to have the right of going to school, work or participate in any social activity. She stated that they will fight for their rights and "kick them out from the region".

"Who the Taliban are taking orders from is, of course, Pakistan, its Inter-Services Intelligence(ISI), who promote them to let our Afghanistan reach such a situation, to ban woman, to stop the woman and to put them in a dark future and put our generations in dark so that they can rule over us, but they will not rule over us. No country in the world has the courage to rule over us. We will fight, resist and kick them out from the region", ANI quoted Khalida Nawabi as saying.

Afghan women demand inclusion in government

Dozens of women on Sunday. 10 October staged a protest in Afghanistan demanding social and political inclusion. The women demanded the inclusion of women in the caretaker government of the Taliban. Furthermore, the protestors stated that they will not stop their resistance until their role in the new government is not clarified, ANI reported citing a Tolo News report. A protestor stated that the Taliban has been saying that they will give rights to study and work to women but they "should show it in practice". Though the Taliban had promised to form an "inclusive" government to run Afghanistan, it announced an all-male 33-member caretaker Cabinet. The Taliban government did not include a single woman in the cabinet.

Inputs from ANI

Image: AP/ANI
A global union of Muslim scholars has condemned the attack on the mosque in Kunduz province of Afghanistan. The explosion at a Shia mosque in Afghanistan's northern Kunduz province on 8 Ocotober killed and wounded more than 100 people, as claimed by a Taliban police official. In a statement, the International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS) condemned the bombing and stated that every act of terrorism is condemned as there is no discrimination between Shia and Sunni or other religions in view of Islam.

In a statement, IUMS said that it "strongly condemns the bombing of a mosque in Kunduz province, which killed and wounded dozens of people".

The deadly explosion had ripped through Sayed Abad Mosque in Kunduz as local residents attended the mosque for Friday prayer. Over 100 people were killed and several others were left injured. The Secretary-General of IUMS, Ali al-Qaradaghi, called Fridays attack a criminal act. Ali stressed that any attack against places of worship and the killing of people is a crime that goes against the teachings of Islam and other religions.

IS only headache not threat

Following the blast, Islamic State Khorasan claimed responsibility for the attack. Afghanistans Shiite clerics assailed the Taliban, demanding protection at their place of worship. Notably, the incident was one of the deadliest attacks since US and NATO troops left Afghanistan at the end of August and the Taliban took control of the country.

However, while innocent civilians of Afghanistan continue to be killed in attacks, the Taliban continues to ignore the threat of ISIS in the war-ravaged nation. Earlier this week, TOLO news quoted the Taliban's Minister of Information and Culture, Zabiullah Mujahid, who refused to recognise ISIS as a threat. Zabiullah had said, "We don't call Daesh a threat, but we call it a headache. It creates headaches in some places but is immediately taken out in every incident; (they) have been chased out and their sanctuaries found."

It is pertinent to mention here that on Wednesday, 6 October another explosion in Afghanistans Khost city killed seven and wounded 15 others. This incident took place at Mazharul Alum Madrasa, also known as Mazharul Alum religious school.

(With inputs from ANI)
Widely available marijuana once drew thousands of hippies to Nepal, where its use was not only accepted but embedded in both the culture and religion.

But the country followed other nations in outlawing marijuana in the late 1970s and chased away the hippies who came on buses from Europe and United States.

Half a century later, campaigners are seeking to again legalize the farming, use and export of marijuana as more countries allow its medicinal and recreational use.

Supporters have introduced a bill in Parliament that would legalize marijuana, although debate has been delayed by continuing squabbles between political parties for power.

"We are demanding the legalization of marijuana in Nepal firstly for medicinal purposes for patients who are dying," Rajiv Kafle, a campaign leader, said at his "Hippie Hill" retreat in the mountains surrounding the capital, Kathmandu.

Kafle, who lives with HIV, said marijuana helped him cope with pain and kept him away from alcohol and other drugs.

Marijuana use is widely accepted in Nepal. It was freely farmed in the 1960s and 1970s. However, pressure from Western governments made Nepal introduce laws making marijuana and other narcotics illegal.

Some portraits of the most revered Hindu god, Shiva, show him smoking marijuana. Devotees and Hindu holy men are often seen smoking in temples.

Marijuana plants often grow wild in villages, but police sometimes destroy plants grown on farms for sale.

It is not difficult to buy marijuana in cities, where there are thousands of users.

Kafle and a coworker at his retreat were detained last month by police and released on bail but face narcotic distribution charges.

Under the law, anyone possessing marijuana for personal use can be jailed for a month, but distribution and sales are punishable by up to 10 years' imprisonment depending on the amount of marijuana seized.

Kafle said legalization of marijuana could benefit the country's economy by attracting tourists, adding that it was the arrival of hippies that brought tourists to Nepal.

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Tuesday has stressed building transparent policies in order to support supply chains with greater trust. The statement from the top Indian diplomat came while addressing the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures (CICA) Ministerial 2021 in Kazakhastan on October 12. While delivering his vision for the uninterrupted supply of goods, EAM Jaishanker reiterated that the post-pandemic world requires resilient and reliable supply chains with greater trust and transparency among countries. "Post pandemic world requires resilient and reliable supply chains, greater trust and transparency and additional engines of growth," EAM said.

Have a look at the tweets of Jaishankar after he concluded CICA Ministerial 2021

Addressed the 6th meeting of CICA FMs. Made six important points:



1. India's internationalism (Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam) drives our Vaccine Maitri.



2. Covid response has brought out the limitations of current multilateralism. Case for reformed multilateralism is strong. pic.twitter.com/VmdahK5jFk  Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) October 12, 2021

Further, India's Foreign Minister highlighted six crucial points in which he advocated for reformed multilateralism. He said that the COVID-19 response had bought out the limitations of current multilateralism and the case for reformed multilateralism was strong.

The top diplomat in a series of tweets, said, "Addressed the 6th meeting of CICA FMs. Made six important points, India's internationalism (Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam) drives our Vaccine Maitri; COVID response has brought out the limitations of current multilateralism. Case for reformed multilateralism is strong."

"Sustainable development requires a sustainable lifestyle; Cross-border terrorism is not statecraft. It is simply another form of terrorism; Connectivity must respect the most basic principle of international relations-respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity," the tweets added. Notably, the minister has arrived in Kazakhstan as a part of his four-day visit to Central Asian countries. According to the statement released by the ministry, it said that the visit would provide an opportunity to review the progress in bilateral ties and to share views on developments in the region. "It will be a continuation of our increased engagement with countries in our extended neighbourhood."

Jaishankar meets Mongolian & Russian counterpart

On October 13, Jaishankar will visit Armenia in which he will meet with his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan and call on Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. Earlier today, he met his Mongolian counterpart Battsetseg Batmunkh and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the CICA meeting in Nur-Sultan. After concluding the meeting, Jaishankar said the two foreign ministers discussed the progress of bilateral cooperation and exchanged views on Afghanistan and the Indo-Pacific region.

With inputs from ANI

Image: Twitter/@DrSJaishankar
Afghan interpreter Aman Khalili rescued US President Joe Biden in 2008 when his helicopter made an emergency landing in a Taliban-controlled region. Khalili and Afghan employees helped then-Senator Biden and other US lawmakers, John Kerry and Chuck Hagel when they were vulnerable to ambush. However, he was left behind during mass evacuations due to documentation issues while the Taliban swiftly annexed Kabul in August, the Wall Street Journal reported.

As per a BBC report, Khalili had been pleading with the US government for helping to solve the visa issues for himself and his family. Finally, on Monday, he along with his family were able to evacuate the war-torn country for an "onward travel from Pakistan," a representative for the US State Department told BBC News. Khalili was rescued with the help of US veterans and former Afghan soldiers, who drove him and the family over 600 miles across Afghanistan to Pakistan, Wall Street Journal reported. "They did it so with extensive and high-level engagement and support from the US government, and we are grateful for the many others who also supported him along the way," the US State representative told BBC.

As per Wall Street Journal, Khalili and his family spent months in hiding after he failed to get the US Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) processed during the Taliban overhaul of Kabul amid the US's hasty withdrawal. Following US exit, Khalili called upon the President to save him and his family, comprising of his wife and five children. When asked about the interpreter's situation in September, White House spokesperson Jen Psaki had said that she was grateful to Khalili for "helping a number of (her) favourite people out of a snowstorm and for all the work (he) did." She also reaffirmed that the US was "committed" to rescuing all allies from Afghanistan.

Khalili was rescued with the help of HFC and US Govt

According to CNN, Khalili was evacuated from Pakistan with the help of the Human First Coalition (HFC) and the US government to join thousands of other Afghan refugees in the States. "We are grateful (to) the prime minister of Pakistan Imran Khan for his continued support of evacuation, secretary Antony Blinken, Congressmen Jeff Fortenberry, Senator Chris Coon, Chief of staff DoS Suzy George, DoS JP Feldmayer, Director of Task Force Islamabad Mark Tarkowski for evacuating the family of Ama Khalili," HFC told CNN. The US State Department confirmed while speaking to US media that the family has "safely" departed from Pakistan, however, they have maintained silence on the exact place of relocation.

Image: AP (representative)
Kazakhstan Presidential Press Secretary Berik Uali has informed that the capital city of Nur-Sultan on Wednesday, 13 October, will be hosting the international conference on ways to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement and carbon neutrality of Kazakhstan. In a Facebook post, Uali said that Kazakhstan President Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev will take part in the event and will deliberate on various way to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. The conference will also be attended by high officials, international experts, business and civil society, financial institutions, development partners and media representatives.

The purpose of the event is to discuss Kazakhstan's ways to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, priorities of economic and social opportunities and the importance of spending significant funds to move to carbon neutrality, Uali said.

Paris climate accord

The Paris Climate Agreement is the first global climate agreement signed by over 190 countries in 2015. It is a legally binding global treaty to tackle the issue of climate change that, according to experts, is at an alarming level. The Agreement had tied the parties to achieve an ambitious goal of limiting global warming to well below 2, preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels.

The agreement does not imply a complete phase-out of fossil fuels. But all parties must take measures towards the reduction of emissions, technological re-equipment, and adaptation to climate change. The accord is a landmark in the multilateral climate change process because for the first time ever, it has bound all nations into a "common cause to undertake ambitious efforts to combat climate change and adapt to its effects".

(Image: AP/Pixabay)
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday, October 11, congratulated Alexander Schallenberg for taking oath as Austria's new Chancellor. President Putin expressed hope that the two sides will enhance the development of bilateral cooperation, the Kremlin said in a press statement.

Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen swore in Alexander Schallenberg as the new chancellor after the resignation of Sebastian Kurz over a corruption investigation.

Putin congratulates Austria's Schallenberg

While congratulating newly appointed Austrian Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg, Putin mentioned that relations between the two sides have been 'constructive'. Furthermore, he expressed hope that they will further the development of bilateral cooperation in different areas that will benefit the two nations. The Russian President also expressed hope that as the head of the government, Schallenberg will work for the strengthening of security and stability in Europe.

Schallenberg was sworn in as the Austrian Chancellor two days after former Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz announced his decision to step down from his post amid a corruption probe.

"Relations between Russia and Austria have traditionally been constructive. I hope your activities as the head of the government will promote the development of bilateral cooperation in different areas for the benefit of our nations and the strengthening of security and stability in Europe," the Kremlin quoted Russian President Putin as saying in his congratulatory message.

Congratulations to Alexander Schallenberg on his inauguration as the Federal Chancellor of Austria https://t.co/OJgSqPuuOW  President of Russia (@KremlinRussia_E) October 11, 2021

Sebastian Kurz's resignation

Former Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz on Saturday, October 9, resigned from his post, amid the corruption probe. While announcing his decision of stepping down, Kurz denied the corruption allegations against him, insisting that they were "false", news agency AP reported.

Kurz added that they need stability and he has decided to step down to prevent chaos in the country. "What we need now is stability. That's why I want to step aside to help resolve this stalemate, prevent chaos and guarantee stability," ANI quoted the former Austrian chancellor as saying. Furthermore, Kurz revealed that he had recommended the name of Alexander Schallenberg to take over as the new head of government.

Kurz and his close aides have been accused of using public money to secure positive media coverage, using "manipulated polls and friendly reports."

(With inputs from AP/ANI, Image: AP)
In a phone conversation, Germany's outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel, Russian President Vladimir Putin and French President Emmanuel Macron recently discussed the Ukraine issue. According to a statement by the Kremlin, the three leaders discussed in detail the worrying stalemate in the effort to end the internal conflict in Ukraine. During their conversation, Merkle, Putin and Macron even noted the importance of implementing the 2015 Minsk agreements as the only possible basis for a settlement.

"Interest was also expressed in further coordinating efforts in the Normandy format of Russia, Germany and France," the statement added.

In recent years tensions have been rising over the conflict in eastern Ukraine, with rampant ceasefire violations and a massive Russian military buildup near its border with the region. Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union until its 1991 collapse. The separatist conflict in Ukraine's eastern industrial heartland, known as the Donbass, erupted in April 2014.

Ukraine and the Western nations have said Russia sent troops and weapons to the east to support the separatists. Moscow, on the other hand, has denied those claims and insisted that Russians fighting alongside the rebels went there on their own. Ukraine and the West have become worried about the Russian Army's concentration and have even urged Moscow to pull them back. However, Russia has argued that it's free to deploy its forces on its territory and sternly warned the government in Kyiv against using force to reclaim control of the rebel-held territory.

Amid the hostilities, France and Germany then helped broker a peace deal that was signed in February 2015 in Minsk. The agreement helped end large-scale hostilities, however, sporadic skirmishes have continued and efforts at a political settlement have stalled. Ukrainian officials have repeatedly pushed for revising the Minsk deal but Russia has rejected the calls.

Possible Normandy Four summit

Amid tensions over southeast Ukraine, the three leaders asked their political advisors and foreign ministries to step up contacts and work in the Normandy Four format, which also includes Ukraine. They also agreed to continue to use corresponding channels to look at a possibility to organize a Normandy summit if it is expedient, Kremlin said. Macron, Putin and Merkel also discussed some other international issues as well, including counter-terrorism efforts on the African continent.

Apart from that, Putin made "high-principled assessment of Kiev's policies of stubbornly dodging its obligations under the Minsk Accords and agreements of the previous Normandy-format summits, including the one in Paris (December 9, 2019)," Kremlin said.

Meanwhile, according to the TASS news agency, previously, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky said that he had had a telephone conversation with Macron and Merkel to discuss issues of the Donbass conflict settlement and preparations for a Normandy Four summit. Putins previous conversation with Macron and Merkel, on the other hand, took place in the videoconference format on 30 March. The Russian President then expressed concern over Kyivs destabilising actions in Donbass.

(Image: AP)
The manufacturers of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine have denied the United Kingdom media reports claiming that Russia's COVID vaccine was allegedly based on research from Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine. In the press release, the Sputnik V makers have informed that Sputnik V and AstraZeneca use different platforms. The vaccine manufacturer in the press release called the news report another "fake news" and "blatant lie" based on anonymous sources.

Sputnik V refutes UK media reports

In a tweet, Sputnik V makers informed that Sputnik V is based on a human adenoviral platform that was designed seven years ago. On the other hand, the AstraZeneca vaccine is based on chimpanzee adenovirus which is completely different from the platform used by them in making the Sputnik V vaccine. Sputnik V vaccine called the news report about "stolen technology" as "old fake news". The vaccine developer in the press release has informed that the story, reported by The Sun tabloid, has been 'pushed' by those who are against the success of one of the world's most effective vaccine against COVID. Furthermore, the vaccine developers team stated that these attacks undermine the vaccination effort against COVID.

"The story, originated by The Sun tabloid, is pushed by those opposing the success of one of the worlds most effective and safe vaccines against COVID-19 and we find such attacks highly unethical as they undermine the global vaccination effort," Sputnik V said in the press release.

UK tabloids are again pushing old fake news about stolen technology. #SputnikV is based on human adenoviral platform designed 7 years ago, very different from AstraZeneca vaccine, based on chimpanzee adenovirus.

Lies in media undermine global partnership to fight #COVID.  Sputnik V (@sputnikvaccine) October 11, 2021

As per The Sun, Russia had stolen the AstraZeneca vaccine formula and had used it to create their vaccine. Reportedly, the important data including the blueprint of the AstraZeneca COVID vaccine was stolen by a foreign agent in person. However, the Russian vaccine manufacturer in the press release asserted that AstraZeneca used chimpanzee adenoviral vector for its vaccine. Furthermore, they informed that the Sputnik V vaccine is based on a human adenoviral platform and the Gamaleya Center has used the same human adenoviral platform for earlier researches against Ebola and MERS. They added that the Russian vaccine had a mix-and-match combo approach, and on the other hand, AstraZeneca had used single and same vector twice. Notably, the Sputnik V team and AstraZeneca are conducting joint clinical trials on the combo use of the two vaccines and have issued information on safety and efficacy.

"The Russian vaccine is unique among all vaccines against COVID in using heterogenous boosting (two different vectors, Ad26 and Ad5, for the two shots to achieve stronger and longer-lasting immunity) or mix-and-match combo approach, while AstraZeneca uses one and the same vector twice," Sputnik V said in the press release. Unlike for some other vaccines in use today, Sputnik V has excellent safety profile with very few serious adverse events reported vs other vaccines and no cases of myocarditis or cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT)," the vaccine manufacturer added in the press release.

Image: PTI
Syrian Foreign Ministry on Monday, 11 October, condemned Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennetts plan to increase the number of Israeli settlers in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. According to SANA news agency, the Syrian Ministry said that Bennetts announcement is unable to change the eternal fact that Golan was and still remains an Arab and Syrian land.

On Sunday, Bennett had said that Golan Heights is a strategic goal, adding that the aim of the Israeli government is to double the communities in the region and establish two new settlements. Now, Tel Aviv is expected to roll out a national plan for the area, which will be approved in at least six weeks during a cabinet meeting. The Israeli PM stated that he plans to quadruple the Israeli settler population in the Golan Heights, from 27,000 to 50,000, and then eventually increase it to 100,000 settlers.

However, Syria condemned Bennetts plan and noted that all measures adopted by the Israeli occupation are null and void and have no legal effect. It is to mention that the Golan Heights is the border region spanning about 1,800 square kilometres captured from Syria during the Six-Day War of 1967. The Syrian government has stressed that the countrys army is determined to liberate the Golan Heights from the Israeli occupation and foil the Israeli plots.

But, Israel Prime Minister Naftali Bennett told Makor Rishon newspaper's conference that the  Golan Heights is Israeli, full stop.

Israeli PM's Golan Heights plan in 'national interest'

Golan heights comprise two-thirds of the geological Golan Heights and the Israeli-occupied part of Mount Hermon. The region, however, has been engulfed in conflict over territorial claims. Israel accuses the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants of infiltration attempts that make Israel's border with Lebanon conflict-prone. Several Israeli tanks and military forces patrol the Golan Heights at the country's northern frontier as Tel Aviv lays sovereign claims on the disputed territory.

As Israel plans to establish two settlements in occupied Golan Heights, Prime Minister Bennett said that the act was in the 'national interest.' Since the occupation, nearly 131,00 Syrians have been displaced from the cities of Quneitra and Fiq, and at least 137 villages and 112 farms have been expelled, as per the official Syrian figures. Currently, there are four Syrian villages under Israel, where almost 20,000 Syrians from the Druze community reside.

(Image: AP)
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday, 11 October urged the international community to inject liquidity into the Afghan economy. Speaking to reporters in New York, Guterres said that in addition to humanitarian aid, the global community needs to act to prevent the economic collapse of the war-ravaged country. He said that the world needs to find ways to make the economy breathe again.

The UN chief said, Humanitarian assistance saves lives. But it will not solve the problem if the economy of Afghanistan collapses. We also need to make sure we do everything we can to prevent the economic collapse of the country.

This can be done without violating international laws or compromising principles. We must seek ways to create conditions that would allow Afghan professionals and civil servants to continue working to serve the Afghan population. I urge the world to take action and inject liquidity into the Afghan economy to avoid collapse, Guterres said.

Further, the UN chief noted that even before the Taliban takeover in August, Afghanistan's fragile economy, which has been kept afloat by foreign aid over the past 20 years, suffered from the impact of drought and COVID-19. He explained that right now, with assets frozen and development aid paused, the economy is breaking down. Banks are closing, and essential services, such as health care, have been suspended in many places, Guterres noted.

If we do not act and help Afghans weather this storm, and do it soon, not only they but all the world will pay a heavy price, the UN chief warned.

UN urges Taliban to deliver on their promises

Guterres said that the Afghan people cannot suffer collective punishment because the Taliban misbehave. He went on to even say that the diplomatic recognition of the Taliban and the injection of liquidity are completely different things. Moreover, he said that the Taliban should deliver on their promises on the issues of womens rights.

Since their takeover, the Taliban have -- at various times -- promised Afghan citizens, including women, children, minority communities, former government employees, that they would protect their rights, he said.

I strongly appeal to the Taliban to keep their promises to women and girls and fulfil their obligations under international human rights and humanitarian law, the UN chief added.

(With inputs from ANI)
The Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE), a group that profer advice to the World Health Organisation on vaccines, suggested people with weaker immune systems inoculate an additional dose of COVID-19 vaccines. The statement from the top vaccine advisory group came nearly two months after the international public health agency was directed to review the authorisation of the booster shots to the weak immune system group. According to SAGE, those who have been fully vaccinated with Beijing's Sinovac and Sinopharm vaccine, and has an age above 60 years should take the booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

"For those who have taken the Sinovac and Sinopharm vaccines, they can take an additional dose of the vaccine," said the advisory group.

Moderately and critically immunocompromised people should be given an additional dose: SAGE

However, the experts clarified that they are not advocating for the booster jabs for the entire population. It is worth noting that earlier the specialised agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health had appealed to the nations to leave the idea of providing an additional jab of the COVID-19 vaccine to their citizens, citing the global vaccine crisis.

Meanwhile, the major development came after the WHO's advisory group held a four-day meeting to examine the fresh report and data on a range of vaccines for COVID-19 and other diseases. "Moderately and critically immunocompromised persons should be given an additional dose...since these people are less inclined to react appropriately to shots following a standard primary vaccine series and are at high risk of severe Covid-19 disease," said the experts of the UN health agency.

Earlier, WHO had urged nations to avoid inoculating booster jabs

Earlier in August, the Director-General of the World Health Organization, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus had appealed to the countries to temporary suspend their plans related to booster jabs. He said that there was no such evidence that could prove an additional shot of the COVID-19 vaccine would work against the further versions of the Coronavirus. At that time, Dr Tedros Adhanom had appealed to the developed nations to not administer vaccines to those who had already taken both doses of the COVID-19 jab.

He had cited the 'vaccine shortage' as the most prominent hurdle that has been facing by the developing nations. The UN health agency official has argued that 'no one is safe until everyone is safe.' It has requested the developed nations to help the developing nations in procuring the vaccine. "The longer and more widely the coronavirus circulates, the greater the chance that new variants could emerge  and prolong a global crisis in fighting the pandemic," noted the Director-General of the World Health Organization. Notably, the United States, Israel, France, Germany and many Middle Eastern countries have already started administering boosters jabs in the wake of the emergence of the highly transmissible delta variant.

Image: AP/Representative
Ecuadors Parliament has voted to launch an inquiry into the Pandora Papers that exposed the alleged offshore dealings of its President Guillermo Lasso. The parliament of the country said on Twitter, The plenum of the National Assembly approved by 105 votes a draft resolution instructing a permanent special commission on constitutional rights, human rights, and collective rights to investigate the Pandora Papers, shell companies, and tax havens. The report will be presented to the plenum within 30 days.

Earlier, on Thursday, the Ecuadorian legislature approved a motion by lawmaker Ronny Aleaga Santos to establish a transparency commission to analyse the expose by Pandora Papers that included leak of over 11.9 million documents. The Pandora Papers is the dossier of over 11.9 million confidential files which is published by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) on 3 October. It has drawn attention to the alleged shadow financial schemes and other offshore activities of hundreds of political figures from across the world.

Lasso wrote to ICIJ over Pandora Papers

According to the report of ICIJ, Lasso has established business with 10 offshore corporations and trusts in Panama, Delaware and South Dakota. As per the Sputnik report, in a letter dated September 27 sent to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, the Ecuadorian President had informed the that he had no relationship, control or any kind of other association with the trusts mentioned in the Pandora Papers.

The Political Oversight and Control Commission of the National Assembly of Ecuador has directed Lasso to submit documents and information related to the companies, trusts and investments mentioned in the Pandora Papers. Taking to Twitter, Political Oversight and Control Commission of the National Assembly head Fernando Villavicencio said, "In view of the fact that no representative has demanded the National Assembly Inspection to initiate an inquiry into the Pandora Papers, today, I have asked Lasso Guillermo to furnish report on the case. I will examine not only the Pandora Papers but also the links of previous directors listed on in the Panama Papers."

Villavicencio further appealed to Lasso in the letter, shared on Twitter, to contribute documented data on whether Lasso had any company, financial or professional connection with the organisations discussed in the Pandora Papers. According to ICIJ, it alleged Ecuador President that the offshore companies related to Lasso were dismissed in 2017 before he became a presidential candidate.

IMAGE: AP
Peru expanded its COVID-19 immunisation efforts to include people aged 18 on Monday.

Authorities said vaccination of this new age group with the AstraZeneca jab would initially be carried out in the regions of Metropolitan Lima, Callao, Ica and Lima region.

Health Minister Hernando Cevallos, who attended a vaccination campaign in Lima, said that more than 1.6 million people were vaccinated in the past week.

Cevallos specified that more than 1.663,000 doses were administered nationally, of which more than 1.24 million were second doses.

He added that nearly 47% of the eligible population in Peru was now vaccinated.

Peru has been one of countries hit hardest by the coronavirus.

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Lev Parnas once pitched himself in TV interviews and through an unorthodox publicity campaign by his lawyer as someone who could expose corruption in the Trump Administration over its dealings in Ukraine.

Less than two years later and with less fanfare, the 49-year-old is going on trial in a federal case that makes him out to be more of an ordinary grifter than a whistleblower who would bring down former President Donald Trump and Rudy Giuliani.

Jury selection is scheduled to begin Tuesday in a trial in which Parnas, a Soviet-born Florida businessman, and a co-defendant, Ukraine-born investor Andrey Kukushkin, are accused of making illegal campaign contributions to U.S. politicians in order to further their business interests.

Parnas and another Soviet-born Florida businessman who has already pleaded guilty in the case, Igor Fruman, initially caught the attention of journalists and investigators after making big donations through a corporate entity to Republican political committees, including a $325,000 donation in 2018 to America First Action, a super PAC supporting Trump.

The pair then became middlemen in Giuliani's effort to discredit then-candidate Joe Biden. They connected Giuliani with Ukrainian officials as the former New York City mayor tried to get that country to open an investigation into the future president's son, Hunter. Ukrainian tycoons and officials, meanwhile, sought Giuliani's help connecting with the Trump administration.

Federal prosecutors in New York City, however, have made it clear that anyone looking for the trial to produce new, damaging information about Trump or Giuliani will be disappointed.

They told U.S. District Judge Paul Oetken last week that while jurors will likely hear about how Parnas and Fruman tried to tout their influence as international fixers by sharing photos of themselves with Trump and Giuliani, the Republican ex-president and his former personal lawyer will come up very peripherally" at the trial.

Prosecutors have also quietly dropped one of the most intriguing allegations in the original indictment: That Parnas and Fruman donated money to American politicians as part of an effort by Ukrainian figures to oust the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, Marie L. Yovanovitch, who later became a central figure in impeachment proceedings against Trump.

When the charges were announced in 2019, then-U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman highlighted the Yovanovitch allegations, saying the defendants sought political influence not only to advance their own financial interests but to advance the political interests of at least one foreign official  a Ukrainian government official who sought the dismissal of the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine.

Prosecutors later wrote to the judge that the allegation was dropped from a revised indictment in an effort to streamline the case, but offered no further explanation.

Giuliani has said he didnt know about any illegal campaign contributions and is not charged in the case, although his work in Ukraine remains the subject of an ongoing criminal investigation.

Federal agents searched Giuliani's New York City home and office last April, carting away computers and phones as part of an inquiry into whether some of the work he did required him to register as a foreign agent. Giuliani has said his only client was Trump.

With the Ukraine allegations gone, the trial is expected to focus on charges that Parnas exceeded limits on personal campaign contributions by disguising the origin of the money. U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions, a Texas Republican, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and political committees aimed at supporting Republicans running for Congress were among those that got donations.

Part of the case alleges that Parnas and Kukushkin were straw donors for Andrey Muraviev, a wealthy Russian investor in the burgeoning legal marijuana market in the United States.

The indictment alleges that Muraviev put up $1 million for donations to be made to politicians in several states, including Nevada, where the group was hoping to enter the legal marijuana business.

Prosecutors haven't alleged that the politicians who got the money were aware it came from prohibited sources. Muraviev also hasn't been charged.

The defense hopes to portray Parnas as investor who was trying to develop legitimate marijuana and other business ventures, including an energy company, Global Energy Producers , that would be involved in exporting natural gas to Europe.

He and Fruman were in part seeking connections that could best further their nascent energy business interests, defense attorney Joseph Bondy wrote in a court filing. He said the $1 million from Muraviev went to Fruman  not to Parnas  and was a personal loan, made in the wake of a waning Nevada cannabis venture.

There was no immediate response to a request seeking comment on Monday from Kukushkin's attorney. Parnas' co-defendant is a San Francisco-based entrepreneur with longstanding ties to several legal marijuana businesses in California.

Another defendant in the case, David Correia, pleaded guilty to charges of making false statements to the Federal Election Commission and wire fraud conspiracy. The conspiracy count was related to an allegation that he defrauded investors in a an insurance company that had paid Giuliani a $500,000 consulting fee.

Unlike Fruman, who remained out of the spotlight and recently pleaded guilty to soliciting illegal campaign contributions, Parnas sought a starring role in Trump's first impeachment by providing his personal records to congressional investigators.

With Parnas under indictment in 2020, Bondy began tweeting photos of his client with Giuliani and Republican lawmakers with the hashtag #LetLevSpeak. The attorney also provided congressional investigators with a recording of Parnas speaking with Trump about Yovanovitch, the U.S. ambassador.

In a portion of the tape, first obtained by ABC News, a voice that appears to be Parnas can be heard saying, Shes basically walking around telling everybody: Wait, hes gonna get impeached. Just wait. A speaker who appears to be Trump then responds: Get rid of her! ... Take her out. OK? Do it.

The U.S. Senate, then controlled by Republicans, acquitted Trump in 2020 of allegations that he abused his power by threatening to withhold military aid for Ukraine unless its leaders investigated the Bidens.

IMAGE: AP

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The draft legislation calls for a constitutional amendment that would bar those with dual citizenship from holding a top political office.

Cambodias Council of Ministers has approved a controversial draft law on a constitutional amendment to ban anyone with dual citizenship from holding top political offices, in an apparent move by strongman Prime Minister Hun Sen to prevent a key opposition leader from gaining office, analysts said.

Approved on Oct. 8, the draft legislation calls for a charter change preventing Cambodians with dual citizenship from becoming prime minister or president of the National Assembly, Senate, or Constitutional Council.

The move appears directed at preventing Sam Rainsy, acting president of the dissolved opposition Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP), who holds both Cambodian and French citizenship, from taking any future government leadership roles should he try to possibly participate in the countrys next general election in 2023.

Sam Rainsy, 72, lives in exile in France and was sentenced in absentia in March to 25 years on a charge of attempting to overthrow the government.

A statement issued by the Council of Ministers following the approval of the draft law said that the Senate, National Assembly, and Constitutional Council are top institutions responsible for making life-or-death decisions on behalf of the country to ensure Cambodias independence, integrity, and territorial sovereignty and to avoid foreign interference.

To ensure loyalty for the country, the people at all time, and to avoid foreign interference, the constitutional amendment  will limit the President of the National Assembly, Senate, Constitutional Council and the Prime Minister to have only one citizenship, the statement said.

The statement also quoted Hun Sen during the meeting, saying that the constitutional amendment is for the long-term benefit for the country to avoid foreign inference and to show loyalty to the country.

The draft law must be submitted first to the National Assembly, and then to the Senate and on to King Norodom Sihamoni before it becomes law. The draft law will likely be approved because the ruling Cambodia Peoples Party (CPP) controls the National Assembly and the Senate.

Cambodia political analyst Lao Mong Hay said the amendment amounts to a personal vendetta by Hun Sen against Sam Rainsy and will not serve the countrys interests.

The amendment is useless, he told RFA. This is just a reaction to Sam Rainsy to prevent him from becoming the next prime minister.

Because the opposition leader has been sentenced in absentia to many years in prison, he cannot become prime minister unless he first serves his prison terms, added Lao Mong Hay.

He also noted that former CNRP president Kem Sokha, who does not have dual citizenship and has remained loyal to Cambodia, remains accused of conspiring with a foreign country.

Cambodias Supreme Court dissolved the CNRP in November 2017, two months after arresting its president, Kem Sokha, over an alleged plot to overthrow the government that CPP officials claimed was backed by the United States.

The move came amid a wider crackdown by Hun Sen on the countrys political opposition, independent media, and NGOs, and allowed the CPP to win every parliamentary seat in 2018 elections, drawing international criticism, U.S. sanctions, and the suspension of trade privileges with the European Union.

Thailand-based political analyst Seng Sary said he supports the amendment, but added that it should take effect after the 2023 elections so that political parties other than the CPP have a chance to be represented in the National Assembly, to avoid criticism that Cambodia has become less democratic with one dominant party.

It should be a long-term benefit for Cambodia, but it should be done after the 2023 elections when we have more parties and people can fully understand [the amendment], he said.

Sam Rainsy responded to the move, posting on his Facebook page on Oct. 8 that the amendment was not applicable to him and instead suggested that the government consider making two laws  one requiring the prime minister and other top officials to retire at the age of 70 and another prohibiting the prime minister from holding power for more than two five-year terms.

Hun Sen, 69, has been Cambodias longest-serving prime minister and is serving his sixth term in the position under de facto one-party rule.

Nevertheless, Sam Rainsy said he would give up his French citizenship before taking any leadership positions in Cambodia that forbade dual citizenship.

On Thursday, the Phnom Penh Municipal Court charged Sam Rainsy, his deputies Mu Sochua and Eng Chhai Eang, and other CNRP officials with conspiracy and incitement following a statement that Sam Rainsy posted on Facebook urging Cambodian citizens and the military to push for an end to Hun Sens rule.

In early August, former CNRP officials formed new parties to try to restore democracy to Cambodia, after asking Hun Sen to reinstate their political rights by dropping an order banning them from politics for five years that accompanied the court-ordered dissolution of the party.

Reported by RFAs Khmer Service. Translated by Samean Yun. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.
The move comes as the city government steps up a program of nationalistic citizenship education following the abolition of Liberal Studies.

Students march as they take part in a flag-raising ceremony to mark China's National Day at a school in the Tung Chung district of Hong Kong, Oct. 1, 2021.

Schoolchildren in Hong Kong from kindergarten upwards will be required to take part in regular ceremonies to raise the Chinese flag, which have included goose-stepping, saluting and reverential "etiquette" when performed in public by the People's Liberation Army (PLA).

All primary and secondary schools, special schools and kindergartens in Hong Kong will be required to hold a flag-raising ceremony, with the nationalistic ritual expected once a week in primary and secondary schools from Jan. 1, 2022, the city's education bureau said in a circular.

The move is aimed at "promot[ing] national education ... and an affection for the Chinese people," a spokesperson said in a statement dated Oct. 11.

All primary and secondary schools must display the national flag on every school day, as well as on Jan. 1, the July 1 handover anniversary and on China's Oct. 1 National Day, the bureau said.

"Schools are also required to conduct a national flag raising ceremony weekly and on the above days or the preceding/following school day," the directive said. "The national anthem should be played and sung in a national flag raising ceremony."

Ceremonies should also take place at sporting events and graduation days, it said.

The spokesperson said kindergartens should follow suit, space and facilities permitting, while international and private schools are also "encouraged" to adopt the practice.

Teaching and learning materials linked in the circular say teachers and students should watch video footage of official flag-raising ceremonies, including the one marking the July 1 anniversary of the 1997 handover to Chinese rule.

At the most recent flag-raising ceremony outside the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on July 1, 2021, PLA soldiers used a ceremonial "goose-step" for the first time, as well as an elaborate set of maneuvers including timed unfurling of the flags and gloved military handlers in ceremonial dress directed by a sword-wielding officer.

To prepare for the ceremonies, students should watch and describe such ceremonies, then perform a role-play "so as to experience the proper etiquette and respectful attitude, such as standing solemnly, facing the national flag and singing the national anthem in a respectful way, when the national anthem is played and sung," the directive said.

According to recent laws governing China's national emblems and anthem, the national flag must be displayed in a position of prominence where it appears alongside the bauhinia flag of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

"The national flag, when raised and carried in a procession with the regional flag, shall be in front of the regional flag," the guidelines state, while organizers must take care to retrieve flags used in ceremonies, and return any damaged flags or emblems to the government.

"They must not be displayed upside down, and must not be displayed or used in any way that undermines their dignity," the guidelines state.

Recent legislation has criminalized any burning, soiling or trampling of the Chinese flag in Hong Kong, as well as the posting or publication of images of such actions.

City-wide crackdown

The directive comes amid a city-wide crackdown on public criticism of the Hong Kong government and the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) that has seen dozens of pro-democracy politicians and activists arrested for "subversion" after taking part in a democratic primary that was deemed a bid to undermine the government by voting against it in the Legislative Council (LegCo).

As the flag-raising directive was published, the city's oldest opposition party, the Democratic Party, said none of its members had submitted an application to run in December's LegCo elections, in which candidates must run a gauntlet of vetting processes, including one by the national security police.

Dickson Chau, vice chairman of the pro-democracy League of Social Democrats, said nobody feels safe taking part in opposition politics under the national security law.

"Neither candidates nor voters feel safe any more," Chau told RFA. "As long as your political views are different from those of the government, you will pay a heavy price regardless of the outcome [of the election]."

"If during the election, something you say displeases the government then they can bring criminal charges even after they have disqualified you," he said. "In the past ... people were vying with each other to run as candidates, but now it's just dead silence."

He said the national security crackdown and changes to the electoral system in the wake of the 2019 protest movement had removed most avenues for political opposition and activism.

"The groups that used to represent people's voices have fallen, one by one ... There was once a plethora of organizations bringing broader public opinion into the legislature and making the administration behave in a more reasonable manner," Chau said.

"Now, that doesn't exist any more, and the ... the government will only hear flattery and loyalty, which can't lead to a good outcome, only a deepening of public grievances, which will erupt eventually," he said.

Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
Analysts criticize president for allowing government funds for Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway, saying move would impact state finances.

A passenger train crosses the Chikubang bridge as it travels from Bandung to Jakarta near Padalarang in West Java, Indonesia, Aug. 25, 2015.

The Indonesian presidents decision to allow the government to share the cost of a financially bloated China-backed railway project could deplete state coffers and lead his nation into a debt trap, experts and an opposition lawmaker warned on Tuesday.

President Joko Jokowi Widodo signed a presidential decree last week that authorizes the government to provide cash for the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway, Chinas flagship One Belt, One Road (OBOR) project in Indonesia, which is about U.S. $2 billion over budget.

A presidential spokesman said Jokowis directive would allow the project to be completed, but an economist said this was a bad time for Jokowi to authorize such a move.

The decision will further burden the state budget, which is already unhealthy due to the pandemic, Mohammad Faisal, executive director of the Indonesian Center for Reforms of Economics (CORE), told BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service.

Jokowis new decree overrides a 2015 one signed by him that prohibited the use of state funds for the project  Indonesias first venture into constructing a high-speed rail line. The latest decree does not say how much money the government will inject into the project, whose cost has swelled to U.S. $7.9 billion from an estimated $6 billion.

Faisal said state revenues were currently in bad shape.

The government should get its priorities right, he said.

Separately on Tuesday, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said that this years budget deficit may be higher than earlier estimated. She said it could hit 5.82 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), up from the previous estimate of 5.7 percent, due to COVID-19 measures following a horrific surge in infections between June and August.

Local state-owned companies comprise 60 percent of the PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia China (KCIC) consortium which is building the railway, but the domestic firms operate as commercial entities without government support.

Arya Sinulingga, spokesman for the Ministry of State-Owned Enterprises, said in a statement Sunday that the pandemic had depleted the cash flow of many construction SOEs involved in the high-speed rail project, according to a report in the Jakarta Post.

Ali Mochtar Ngabalin, a presidential spokesmen, said Jokowi was determined to see the project through.

Whats wrong with using the state budget for a national strategic project so that it can be completed on schedule? Ngabalin told CNN Indonesia.

However, a politician from the opposition Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), criticized Jokowi for reneging on his earlier decree pledging that his administration would not allow money from state coffers to be spent directly on the high-speed rail project.

This is evidence of how badly planned it is, PKS lawmaker Ecky Awal Mucharam said in a statement.

Big-ticket project

Launched by Jokowi in 2016, the Jakarta-Bandung rail line is expected to shorten the travel time between the Indonesian capital and Bandung to 40 minutes from three hours, officials said.

The project is part of Beijings estimated U.S. $1 trillion-plus OBOR infrastructure program to build a network of railways, ports, and bridges across 70 countries.

Since construction began in 2017, the rail project has been dogged by criticism about its impacts on surrounding areas, as well as concerns about rising costs.

Critics said it has worsened air quality, clogged canals and damaged homes of many people who live along the 89-mile stretch of the future line.

Rising costs associated with the rail project, along with the governments intervention in it, could lead Indonesia into a debt trap, said Bhima Yudhistira, director of the Center for Economic and Law Studies (CELIOS).

The government would then be forced to continue to collect more tax from the public or increase debt in the future, Bhima told BenarNews.

That means the government may have to borrow to share the cost of the project, which is now scheduled for completion in 2022, three years after its original 2019 deadline.

According to a study by AidData released late last month, Indonesia owes $17.28 billion in hidden debt to China, more than four times its $3.90 billion in reported sovereign debt.

Nearly 70 percent of Chinas overseas lending is now directed to state-owned companies and private-sector institutions and the debts, for the most part, do not appear on government balance sheets, said AidData, a U.S.-based international development research lab.

The hidden debt problem is less about governments knowing that they will need to service undisclosed debts (with known monetary values) to China than it is about governments not knowing the monetary value of debts to China that they may or may not have to service in the future, it said.

But this is not hidden debt, according to a deputy at the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs.

They are investments by Chinese companies, Iskandar Simorangkir told BenarNews.

Parliament must uncover the real reason

Bhima, from CELIOS, urged the House of Representatives (DPR) to evaluate the project.

The DPR must uncover the real reason why the cost [of the project] has swollen. Its dangerous in the long term for the state finances, Bhima said.

In addition to cost overruns, the rail line cannot be commercially viable, according to Agus Pambagio, a public policy expert and former trade negotiator for the government. The reason, he said, is that the rail lines stations are not located at busy city centers.

I told Jokowi that these things could happen. It was a miscalculation from the beginning, Agus told CNN Indonesia.

According to the Ministry of State-Owned Enterprises, design changes and rising land prices were factors behind the projects cost overrun.

Almost all countries have experienced the same thing and this is our first [high-speed train project], ministry spokesman Arya said.

Agung Budi Waskito, the chief executive of PT Wijaya Karya, which is part of the consortium of local companies, said in April that the group was negotiating for China to increase its stake in the project, because of the rising cost.

Since then, there has been no word on how those negotiations turned out.

Mirza Soraya, a spokeswoman for the Indonesian Chinese consortium building the rail line, declined to comment on the controversy.

We are focusing on speeding up the construction, she said.

Reported by BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service.
Authorities in the eastern Chinese province of Jiangxi have detained another person for allegedly "impeaching the reputation of heroes and martyrs" after he made comments about the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP)-backed Korean War propaganda blockbuster "The Battle of Changjin Lake."



The man, who was identified only as Zuo ***dong, was jailed for a 10-day administrative sentence by police in Nanchang city after he posted an irreverent comment on the Sina Weibo social media platform under the username @yuediyouyou.



"That fried rice was the best thing to come out of the whole Korean War," the user wrote on Oct. 8, 2021, in a joking reference to the Nov. 25, 1950 death of late supreme leader Mao Zedong's son Mao Anying in North Korea.



"Thanks for the fried rice!" the comment said, in a reference to an apocryphal story told in China that Mao Anying's location was only discovered by the U.S. military because he broke blackout rules with a cooking fire, because he wanted to make fried rice.



Police said Zuo had confessed to "impeaching the reputation of the volunteers to resist U.S. aggression and aid Korea," referring to China's People's Volunteer Army (PVA), which crossed the Yalu River and joined the war on the North Korean side on Oct. 19, 1950.



Jiangsu-based current affairs commentator Zhang Jianping said the charge made no sense.



"So the people responsible for the tragedy [that was the Korean War] and those who use it to whip up hatred have nothing to answer for, but anyone with a dissenting opinion, or who makes fun of it are judged guilty," Zhang said.



"This is very similar to the way it was when I was young, during the Cultural Revolution," he said.



A WeChat user who gave only the surname Mao said he would avoid any reference to the incident in future online comments.



"I wouldn't even utter the words 'egg fried rice' right now," Mao said.



A current affairs commentator surnamed Cai agreed, saying there are now huge risks associated with commenting on anything online.



"There is an atmosphere of extreme fear and high political pressure pervading the whole of society right now," Cai said. "Everyone has the sense that they could be in danger."



"This may be what the authorities need now or what they think this is the best way to control public opinion, by silencing everyone in favor of a single point of view," he said.



Zuo's jail term came as former Beijing News and Caijing Magazine editor Luo Changping was detained by police in the southern island province of Hainan on the same charge after commenting online about the depiction of China's role in the Korean War (1950-1953) in "The Battle of Changjin Lake."



Luo is currently being held under criminal detention by police in Hainan's Sanya city for "impeaching the reputation of heroes and martyrs," and the case has been transferred to the municipal prosecutor's office.



Supporting the North



Critics of the movie outside China say it never mentions that the Korean War was triggered by the North's invasion of the South, and make it appear that the landing of U.S. forces at Incheon was an invasion out of the blue.



Soldiers in the film are led to believe that they are ultimately fighting to protect China from U.S. invasion.



Chinese historian Xin Haonian said plenty of people in China will know what actually happened.



"Anyone who has had any contact with people outside China will already know the truth," Xin said. "But the majority of people in China haven't had it explained to them and didn't know why the volunteers went to resist the U.S. and support the North."



"Anyone who has managed to find out what really happened in the past 70 years is going to be pretty ashamed and saddened when they watch The Battle of Changjin Lake," he said. "It's all fake: they are still up to their old tricks, even today."



"They have to keep telling the old lies, because that's the most powerful form of propaganda," Xin said. "The bigger the propaganda effort, the bigger the lies. People who tell the truth don't need propaganda."



Sociologist Zhou Xiaozheng said the movie is finding an enthusiastic audience among nationalistic Chinese, often referred to as "Little Pinks," which has ominous implications for the CCP's military threat against the democratic island of Taiwan.



"These Little Pinks are watching Chanjing Lake with tears in their eyes, but it will give the wrong message to Chinese leaders: that they want to invade Taiwan and rule it by force," Zhou said.



"These Little Pinks ... may be happy to turn out to fight against Taiwan," he said. "Nobody is born [a terrorist]; there is always a psychological journey to get there, in which everything is turned on its head, and right becomes wrong."



"These Little Pinks are going to grow up to be terrorists."



Stepping up propaganda



The movie's release has coincided with a spike in searches inside China, Hong Kong and Singapore for a PBS documentary on the Korean War titled "The Battle of Chosin: American Experience."



U.S.-based veteran journalist Hu Ping said CCP general secretary Xi Jinping has stepped up the intensity of CCP propaganda and public opinion management since taking power in 2012.



"Xi Jinping has engaged in a lot of this sort of propaganda since he took power," Hu said. "This has definitely had an effect in a short period of time, but it is also fairly quickly forgotten by everyone."



He said a return to the Mao era, when the majority of people in China existed completely within the CCP's propaganda bubble, looked unlikely.



"It's pretty hard to recreate that atmosphere of the Mao era, so that everyone in the country is living and breathing it," Hu said. "There will always be stuff that breaks through from time to time."



Cai Xia, an exiled former professor at the CCP Party School, wrote in response to the film that she found hope in the rise in online searches about the Korean War in China.



"We have a responsibility to expose lies and restore historical truth," Cai wrote.



Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
A man uses his phone as he sits along the Taedong river in Pyongyang, North Korea, September 12, 2018

North Korean agents are going undercover as phone brokers to entrap citizens attempting to contact overseas relatives for money to cope with a worsening food shortage and an economy devastated by the coronavirus pandemic, sources in the country told RFA.

Phone brokers charge money for using Chinese cell phones to tap the mobile network in China to provide a channel for North Koreans who have escaped the country to send money and information to their families back home.

But since the start of the coronavirus pandemic in January 2020, Pyongyang has been cracking down on its citizens contact with people outside the country, especially in the border regions, where Chinese cellular networks are accessible.

The crackdown coincided with the closure of the Sino-Korean border and the suspension of all trade to stop the spread of the virus into North Korea, a move that devastated the North Korean economy and caused shortages of food, medicine and industrial inputs.

RFA reported last month that the dire food situation made escapees families and the phone brokers themselves desperate enough to assume the heightened risk of using that method to move money.

Now families in North Korea trying to contact overseas relatives must also be careful when working with a broker, because some could actually be police.

As the refugees families resume their connection with overseas family members and the number of telephone brokers continues to increase, law enforcement is using a mean method of contacting North Korean refugees families by disguising security agents or police officers as phone brokers, a law enforcement source from the city of Hoeryong in the northeastern province of North Hamgyong told RFA.

But now that the residents are aware of the authorities cunning and mean strategy, the families are extremely careful not to speak to unknown brokers, said the source, who requested anonymity for security reasons.

The source said that at the beginning of the pandemic, most families of escapees cut off contact with them because the government had stepped up surveillance and punishments.

They were enduring economic hardship with all their might, but they are no longer able to. So more and more of them are trying to contact their overseas relatives again, saying that dying of hunger is no better than dying from harsh punishment, the source told RFAs Korean Service.

Law enforcement is telling the residents that they will be sent to political prison camps immediately if they discover any contact with their family outside the country, but if they voluntarily confess that theyve been in contact, they will be treated leniently, the source said.

A resident of nearby Musan county said police were mixing threats and ruses to catch residents trying to reach their relatives overseas.

They visit the families of escapees and trick them into giving them detailed information, saying they will help them connect with their loved ones, said the second source, who requested anonymity to speak freely.

The State Security Department and the Police Department are telling refugees families to immediately alert the authorities if they receive any contact from overseas, or else they and the rest of the family will be arrested as political criminals, the second source said.

Even so, residents who are in desperate need of help from their escapee relatives are able to use certain words, numbers or special expressions as code to verify who is a real broker and who is a police officer faking it, said the second source.

The second source said that despite all the threats from law enforcement, most families with relatives abroad find ways to keep in touch with the outside world.

The threats presented by the living difficulties happening here right now far outweigh any threats of surveillance by the State Security Department.

The Database Center for North Korean Human Rights, which interviewed 414 North Koreans in the South, reported that 47 percent of them were in constant contact with their families in the North in 2018. Of those, about 93 percent said they called their families on the phone.

In the same survey, 62 percent said they had sent money to North Korea. Based on their answers, the center estimated that refugees in the South who send money to North Korea do it about twice per year, sending around 2.7 million South Korean won (U.S. $2,260) each time.

Each time they had to pay an average broker fee of almost 30 percent.

According to South Koreas Ministry of Unification, more than 33,000 North Koreans have settled in South Korea since 1998, though only 229 entered the South last year during the coronavirus pandemic.

Reported by Jeong Yon Park for RFAs Korean Service. Translated by Jinha Shin. Written in English by Eugene Whong.
Smugglers evade U.N. nuclear sanctions by using small ships and offloading the coal at sea.

Ships and coal at Rajin harbour in North Korea's northeastern city of Rason, near the borders of China and Russia. Nov. 20, 2017

North Korean trading companies are defying international nuclear sanctions to sell coal to energy-hungry neighbor China, smuggling the fuel in small ships and offloading it at sea, sources in the country told RFA.

The Chinese shortages are a result of a reduction in coal imports and decreased domestic production, as Beijing tries to balance its growing energy demand with a desire to curb pollution and reduce carbon emissions.

In Chinas heavily industrialized northeast, rolling blackouts and rationing have forced many factories to shut down, weighing on China's industrial output.

North Korea desperately needs foreign currency, but coal exports were banned in 2017 under UN Security Council Resolution 2371, designed to crimp the countrys source of funds for its nuclear weapons programs.

The trading companies that smuggle the coal are run by powerful government organizations, a trade official from North Pyongan province in North Koreas northwest told RFAs Korean Service.

Vessels from the Kumgang Management Bureau Trading Company under Office 39 are loading coal from Jinhung Wharf in Ryongchon county and exporting it to China, said the source. Top-secret Office 39 oversees leader Kim Jong Uns slush funds and foreign currency.

But instead of going directly to a Chinese port, the coal is transferred to a Chinese ship on the open waters of the West Sea, said the source, using Korea's name for the Yellow Sea.

A mountain of North Korean coal -- which would once have been bound for China -- is piled up in Rajin harbour, stranded by a UN ban on coal exports by Pyongyang, Nov. 20, 2017. Credit: AFP Evading surveillance

The ship-to-ship transfers help smugglers evade U.S. satellite image surveillance of North Korean ships, according to the source.

They wait until it gets dark to let the ships depart. If they can navigate on the dark sea without turning on too many large lights on the ship, they will not be caught by the satellite network, said the source, who requested anonymity to speak freely.

Ships from the most powerful trading companies have been exporting minerals and fishery products to China on the West Sea for several decades, so it is not difficult for them to operate the vessel without bright lights, said the source.

North Korean coal is known to be inexpensive and high quality, according to the source, so many Chinese trading firms are buying up as much as they can.

The coal can fetch U.S. $50-60 per ton and each of the Kumgang Companys ships can carry between 1,000 and 2,000 tons, cording to the source, much cheaper than the $200 per ton it costs for China to get coal on the international market.

Since two or three ships depart every four or five days, we think that they transfer 3,000 to 5,000 tons of coal each time, said the source.

A source from North Pyongans Sinuiju city, across the Yalu River from the Chinas Dandong, told RFA that Ryongchon county also had ships operating under the Ministry of State Security, and these ships were able to export coal directly to Chinese ports.

They export coal in smaller, more mobile ships, that can carry about 100 to 500 tons, so even if they load the coal in broad daylight  they will not be caught by satellite because it looks like a more general ship, said the second source, who requested anonymity for security reasons.

The ships are loaded with coal and depart for China, then return two days later. If five ships each transport 100 tons of coal then they can earn a lot of foreign currency by selling more than 10,000 tons each month, the second source said.

North Koreas land border with China has been closed since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic in Jan. 2020.

In an effort to prevent the coronavirus from spreading across the border, authorities have publicly executed convicted smugglers and warned citizens that anyone found within one-kilometer (0.6-mile) of the border would be shot on site.

The General Bureau of Border Security, however, is under orders from the Ministry of State Security to assist the companies smuggling the coal to China, sources told RFA.

A third North Pyongan source told RFA that the wharfs at Jinhung and Yongampo, on the mouth of the Yalu River, are relatively close to Chinas Donggang Port, and thus have been used as smuggling channels by the party and military-affiliated trading companies since 2017, when the U.S. tightened sanctions.

But since cross-border trade was completely stopped by the pandemic, the party, the military, and the Ministry of State Security have faced funding difficulties, said the third source, who declined to be named.

But, these days, so many Chinese companies are clamoring to buy North Korean coal, so the North Korean companies under the powerful organizations are eager to break the law to sell it.

Reported by Hyemin Son for RFAs Korean Service. Translated by Leejin Jun. Written in English by Eugene Whong.
The company uses harmful chemicals and returns the land in terrible condition ahead of rice planting season, villagers say.

Residents of a rural village in Laos are asking local government authorities to stop leasing their rice paddies to a Chinese watermelon grower during the off season, the villagers say.

The NAMPheung company had been leasing 180 hectares of land (445 acres) in Ngeun district of the countrys northwestern Xayabury province for the past three years, the villagers told RFA. The company uses the land from December to April to grow watermelons and then returns it to the villagers before rice-planting season.

After three years under this arrangement, the villagers say they can no longer tolerate the chemical damage NAMPheung causes to their farms and the environment.

The land is damaged. When they return the land to us for rice planting, yields are down and of lesser quality, one villager told RFAs Lao Service, requesting anonymity for security reasons.

The Chinese investors dig into the land so deep so the farmers have to fill up the land before planting. Its a waste of money labor and time, the villager said, adding, The villagers dont want to lease the

The villager said that laborers in other provinces who work on Chinese melon farms report that Chinese company workers sometimes steal villagers property, including livestock, and that they relieve themselves wherever they happen to be because so many farms are located far from toilets.

Another villager told RFA that NAMPheung uses more land than it is entitled to, leaving the villagers unable to grow cash crops during the dry season.

The Chinese said they would take all the land and pay the villagers not to grow any vegetables A high-level official came to the village to ask if anyone would refuse those terms. The villagers cant say anything. They can only agree, the second villager said.

The original agreement with NAMPheung was only for one year, according to the second villager, but now the melon growers have been there three years in a row, and the villagers fear retaliation if they complain.

An official of the Department of Agriculture and Forestry in the district told RFA that the local Office of Planning and Investment has now drafted a new contract for the investors to grow watermelon for a six-month period between September 2021 and April 2022.

Under the new contract, the leasing fees are increased, and NAMPheung is required to use less chemicals and to properly clean and improve the land before returning it to the villagers before rice planting season.

They have agreed to pay five million kip [U.S. $500] per hectare for rice farmland and four million [$400] for vegetable and fruit farms. This is more than reasonable, but still some of the villagers are not happy, the official said.

The villagers say they are aware of the new contract, but still doubt the company will strictly follow the guidelines regarding the lands condition and the use of chemicals.

Chinese watermelon growers are currently leasing land in three other Xayabury districtsHongsa, Hone, and Khobdata from the Agriculture and Forestry Office of Ngeun district show.

Foreign-invested farming, mining, and development projects in Laos have sparked friction over cases of environmental pollution and land taken without proper compensation, and Lao villagers affected by land grabs often fear to speak out publicly because of concerns over official retaliation.

China is Laos largest foreign investor and aid provider, and its second-largest trade partner after Thailand.

Reported by RFAs Lao Service. Translated by Sidney Khotpanya. Written in English by Eugene Whong.
Rohingya in Chittagong carry their belongings as they make their way to a Bangladesh Navy ship which will take them to Bhashan Char Island in the Bay of Bengal, Jan. 30, 2021.

After months of negotiation, the United Nations refugee agency will begin humanitarian operations on a remote island where Bangladesh has moved almost 19,000 Rohingya and plans to relocate more than 80,000 others, a senior minister told BenarNews.

The government and UNHCR signed a memorandum last weekend, according to Enamur Rahman, state minister at the Disaster Management Ministry. He did not say when the refugee agency would begin its work on the island.

The UNHCR has finally agreed to start their operation in Bhashan Char. They will sign an MoU [Memorandum of Understanding] with my ministry on Saturday, Rahman told BenarNews last Friday.

Bangladesh has built homes on the remote Bay of Bengal island so it can move the refugees there from congested camps in Coxs Bazar, a mainland southeastern district near the Myanmar border.

BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service, contacted the refugee agencys office in Dhaka and its headquarters in Geneva on Friday, but did not immediately hear back. However, UNHCR confirmed to news agency Agence France-Presse that it was signing the memorandum.

After the signing of the MoU, the UNHCR will carry out operations in the same way they currently do at Coxs Bazar camps  the UNHCR will provide food, health and other humanitarian services to the Rohingya in Bhashan Char, minister Rahman said.

Currently, local NGOs provide food and health services for the Rohingya in Bhashan Char, he said.

The refugees on the island have said they get food free of cost, but the quality and variety is better at Coxs Bazar. Health care facilities also are better on the mainland.

Rahman said he hoped more Rohingya would want to move to the island from crowded Coxs Bazar once UNHCR begins its humanitarian work there.

We have been planning to relocate some 83,000 more Rohingya to Bhashan Char in phases, he said.

Coxs Bazar hosts about 1 million Rohingya. The refugees include more than 740,000 who fled Myanmar after the military launched a brutal offensive in August 2017 against the community in their home state of Rakhine.

But the influx of such a large refugee population has strained the economy and host communities in the coastal border district. In addition, the makeshift shanties in the 34 refugee camps on the mainland are fire hazards.

To ease that pressure, and as the refugees repatriation prospects got grimmer, Bangladesh built facilities on Bhashan Char  it says it spent $280 million  with the aim of moving 100,000 refugees there.

The first batch of Rohingya moved in December 2020.

Some rights groups have alleged that the Rohingya did not move to the island voluntarily, as the Bangladesh government insisted. Others alleged that the government falsely promised the refugees citizenship if they moved to Bhashan Char.

BenarNews has not been able to substantiate any of these allegations.

Meanwhile, some Rohingya and rights groups have said that since the move, hundreds of refugees have fled the remote island, some at the cost of their lives. In August, 11 Rohingya died and 15 went missing after their boat capsized in bad weather when they tried to escape the island.

Some fled because of poor facilities and others because they had nothing to do there. They claimed tht they were not allowed to leave for the mainland for shopping trips or to meet relatives.

Senior UNHCR officials Gillian Triggs (center) and Raouf Mazou (left) respond to questions from reporters in Dhaka as Bangladesh Foreign Minister A.K. Abdul Momen looks on, June 2, 2021. Credit: BenarNews Better facilities

Abdul Kader, a Rohingya leader on the island, said he had moved to Bhashan Char hoping there would be economic opportunities there.

But there is no source of income here, Kader told BenarNews by phone on Friday.

Md. Yunuch, a leader of a cluster eight of settlements on Bhashan Char, said he was hopeful about UNHCR starting operations on the island.

We are happy that the UNHCR will provide us humanitarian services in Bhashan Char. We will get facilities like the camps in Coxs Bazar, and the trend of fleeing the camps would come down, Yunuch told BenarNews by telephone on Friday.

As the UNHCR does not work here, we do not get facilities like the Coxs Bazar camps, Yunuch said.

Md. Zbair, secretary of the Arakan Rohingya Society for Peace and Human Rights, said he wanted to wait and see how things would change with the presence of the UNHCR on the island.

If they get better facilities, more Rohingya would be interested in relocating to Bhashan Char, he told BenarNews.

For years, international rights and refugee groups, including the U.N., had criticized Bangladesh for planning to move the Rohingya to the island, which they said lacked adequate facilities and was barely habitable.

In part, their criticism stemmed from the U.N. claiming that Bangladesh had, for more than two years, refused several requests for its officials to visit Bhashan Char. The world body wanted to carry out a technical assessment of the island using international experts, it had said.

U.N. officials were finally allowed to visit in March. Their trip was followed by separate visits conducted by the Red Cross and envoys from several countries contributing to the Rohingya response.

Then in June, U.N. officials for the first time endorsed Bangladeshs decision to relocate the Rohingya to Bhashan Char, but said economic activities should be created for residents of the isolated site in the Bay of Bengal.

Munshi Faiz Ahmad, a former chairman of the foreign ministrys think-tank, the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies, said the UNHCR agreeing to work in Bhashan Char would give Rohingya the confidence to move and would benefit those on the mainland as well.

The housing and other facilities in Bhashan Char are much better than that of Coxs Bazar. The camps in Coxs Bazar will be less congested if more Rohingya people relocate to Bhashan Char, he said.

Rohingya people were being pushed into illicit drug peddling, internecine violence and other social evils [in Coxs Bazar]. But in Bhashan Char, they will not face such problems. They would involve themselves in economic activities.

Reported by BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service.
Human rights groups say two Turkmen activists and a visitor were attacked by unknown assailants as they left the offices of a Turkic culture organization in Istanbul on October 11.

The Human Rights Center Memorial and the Bulgarian-based Turkmen Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights said the attackers inflicted head injuries on two of the victims, leaving one with a broken nose.

A phone and documents were stolen from another of the victims, Nurmukhamed Annayev, who heads a local Oguz culture society.

Annayev had plans to travel to an OSCE/ODIHR event in Warsaw on October 14-15, where he was going to criticize the Turkmen government.

The administration of President Gerbanguly Berdymukhammedov keeps a tight lid on dissent and has been accused of torture, arbitrary arrest, and imprisonment of political critics.

Memorial said one of the attackers was using brass knuckles or a similar type of weapon.

Police are said to be investigating the incident.

Activists with knowledge of the incident said one of the perpetrators appeared to resemble a man who beat Turkmen protesters in Istanbul in an August 1 incident.

Memorial has repeatedly issued open appeals to end the persecution of Turkmen civic activists in Turkmenistan and abroad.

But attacks have continued in Turkey against Turkmen exiles and critics of the authoritarian Berdymukhammedov.

Some of those exiles say Turkish authorities have stepped up harassment of the local Turkmen community this year.

They claim that the crackdown is a result of jockeying by Ankara to encourage Ashgabat to join the Turkic Council, an international organization whose members include Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, and Uzbekistan.
Bosnia-Herzegovina has recorded more COVID-19 deaths per capita than any other country in Europe. The highly infectious Delta variant has led to a new spike in cases, with most of the patients in serious condition unvaccinated. RFE/RL visited the COVID ward of the Dr. Abdulah Nakas General Hospital in Sarajevo, where all 90 beds are full and 20 people are currently in intensive care and breathing with the help of ventilators.
Kiryl Valoshin, the co-founder of embattled Belarusian media outlet Tut.by, is now teaching dance classes with Valyantsina Chuduk in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius. The pair say the classes help distract Belarusians from the turmoil in their home country.

Journalist Valoshin co-founded Tut.by in 2000. The site soon grew to become Belarus's leading independent news outlet. After mass protests swept the country in August 2020 in the wake of a disputed presidential election, Tut.by was blocked by the authorities and several of its journalists arrested. Thousands of Belarusians have fled to Lithuania since the repressions intensified last summer.

Valoshin explained the appeal of dancing in a time of crisis. "During the dance you're distracted from negativity," he told RFE/RL. "You smile at your partner who you're meeting for the first time It takes you out of your gloomy thoughts." Last week, Belarusian authorities opened a new criminal probe against Tut.by staff in Belarus for allegedly inciting "hatred or discord." An unspecified number of workers for the journalism portal potentially face up to 12 years in prison. Earlier, 15 editors and journalists from Tut.by were arrested on charges of tax evasion. Eleven remain in prison.

Valyantsina Chuduk, says the pair had the idea for teaching classes in West Coast Swing dancing several years ago, but have now finally found their opportunity as exiles in Vilnius. West Coast Swing is an upbeat American dance originating in the 1940s and 1950s with an emphasis on improvisation.

"It's a very communicative dance," Chuduk says. "It doesn't have strict rules and there's a lot of variations in what one partner does and how the other partner answers." Natallya, a young Belarusian woman learning the American dance, told RFE/RL: "I love it! In the beginning it felt a bit awkward, but now I feel very spiritual and lively, very happy. All I have to do is find a partner."
Belarus's consulate in New York City will close on October 21 at the request of the United States, according to a statement posted on the consulate's website.

Belarusian citizens residing in the consulate's territory, which includes Canada, will have to contact the Belarusian Embassy in Washington for services, the notice from the Belarusian Foreign Ministry said.

The consulate has already stopped answering the phone and accepting and processing documents sent by mail. Since October 8 documents received have been transferred to the embassy. Access to the consulate will not be possible after October 15.

From October 17, U.S. citizens must obtain a visa to enter Belarus.

Crisis In Belarus Read our ongoing coverage as Belarusian strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka ramps up pressure on NGOs and independent media as part of a brutal crackdown against protesters and the opposition following an August 2020 election widely considered fraudulent.

The moves come after the regime of authoritarian Belarusian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka in August responded to the latest round of U.S. sanctions by requesting Washington reduce its embassy staff in Minsk to five people by September 1.

Belarusian Foreign Ministry spokesman Anatol Hlaz said then that Minsk had also revoked its consent to the appointment of Julie Fisher as the U.S. ambassador to Belarus.

Fisher, the first U.S. ambassador to Belarus since 2008, was confirmed by the Senate in December 2020 but has been unable to take up her post in Minsk because the Belarusian government has denied her a visa.

The U.S. Embassy in Belarus said blame for the deterioration in bilateral ties lay squarely with the Lukashenka regime, "and its inability to allow independent voices to emerge in Belarus as well as its unwillingness to meet its international commitments."
With temperatures dropping below freezing in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan and snow appearing in northern Kazakhstan, officials are turning to coal as the answer to meet people's heating and electricity needs this winter.



Kyrgyzstan



The warning signs of energy problems this coming winter appeared in the spring and summer in Kyrgyzstan.



Most of Kyrgyzstan's domestically generated electricity comes from hydropower and because of a severe drought this year, some are predicting the biggest energy crisis in years.



National Energy Holding Company chief Talaybek Baygziev announced at the end of September that there would be "restrictions on the lighting of secondary streets, advertisements, and the facades of shops, cafes, and other nonresidential customers" in cities and towns around the country.



But those cuts won't be enough to keep homes and businesses well-lit and heated for the next several months.



The Toktogul hydropower plant (HPP) -- which supplies some 40 percent of Kyrgyzstan's electricity -- currently has a water level in its reservoir of some 12.5 billion cubic meters (bcm).



One year ago, the level was 15.2 bcm and the desirable level by winter's end to ensure the HPP's smooth operation is 16 to 17 bcm of water.

The deputy chairman of Kyrgyzstan's cabinet of ministers, Aziz Aaliev, said that in normal years during the autumn-winter period "some 6 to 7 bcm is released" from the reservoir to power the turbines at the Toktogul HPP to generate the electricity needed.



But with only 12.5 bcm currently in the reservoir, he said "there is a risk of a shutdown in April" if the water level reaches the "dead zone," when the level of water is lower than the turbines, rendering the HPP powerless.

The dead zone is 5.5 bcm of water and is the minimum amount needed for the HPP to operate.



Kyrgyz officials are therefore facing the choice of reducing the amount of water released this winter to maintain the necessary levels for the spring and summer -- when the water is needed for agricultural purposes in downstream countries Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan -- or to use the water as usual this autumn and winter with the understanding that less water might be available during the growing season next year and risking a shutdown of the Toktogul HPP.



The latter alternative would certainly upset Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, both of which are fulfilling earlier promises to export electricity to Kyrgyzstan specifically to allow the Toktogul reservoir to accumulate the needed amount of water for crops next year.



Kyrgyz authorities plan to increase the cost of electricity starting next year, a necessary move but one that is likely to be unpopular among consumers.

President Sadyr Japarov wrote on Facebook that Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan use water from the Toktogul reservoir for irrigation, "and Kyrgyzstan only to generate electricity." He added that people in Kyrgyzstan "are not concerned about [the amount of electricity they use] because it is cheap."



Japarov said the price of imported electricity from neighboring countries is higher than what Kyrgyzstan's consumers pay to the government, which obviously creates difficulties for the state coffers. Japarov said that, by raising prices, "God willing, we can overcome the energy shortage by 2024-2025 and start exporting it."



In the meantime, since Kyrgyzstan does not have significant deposits of oil or natural gas, people must go back to a more traditional and primitive source of energy to heat their homes and generate electricity this winter: coal.



And coal prices are increasing worldwide, including in Central Asia.



The Bishkek thermal power plant (TPP) was recently repaired and upgraded, but when it resumed operations in late 2017 it was only a few months until an accident knocked it out of commission during the coldest days of the winter in late January 2018.



Corruption was to blame as officials scammed up to $100 million off the $384 million China provided to renovate the Bishkek TPP.

The Kyrgyz capital will depend on its TPP and officials are already bringing coal to Bishkek to keep the plant running this winter.



Worries about ensuring coal supplies are already such that at the Kara-Keche mine in Naryn Province -- one of Kyrgyzstan's largest coal mines -- local company Kyrgyzkomur installed video surveillance and the State National Security Committee sent members of the country's elite Alfa special forces unit to guard it.



For those looking to keep their homes warm in Kyrgyzstan, the prices for coal are already rising and that has caused a lot of grumbling and blaming.



In winter 2020-2021, the price of one ton of coal in Bishkek was 3,600 to 3,800 soms (about $42 to $45) per ton, but this year the price has jumped to around 5,000 soms, nearly $60 in a city where the average salary is about $220.



Parliament deputy Tazabek Ikramov said the price for a ton of coal in the northeastern city of Karakol is 6,000 soms and, in the southern Batken Province, it was 7,500 soms.



Kazakhstan



Kazakhstan is not talking about an energy shortage yet, but the media has reported coal shipments being made to the capital, Nur-Sultan.



State agency Kazinform reported on October 8 that 171 train wagons of coal were loaded for Nur-Sultan in the first seven days of October.



Kazakhstan has the 10th largest coal reserves in the world, so the problem is not supply but rather why Kazakhstan is still dependent on coal for more than half the energy it generates.



Efforts are under way to gasify Nur-Sultan and that project should be completed by 2023.



But ironically, when Nur-Sultan hosted EXPO-2017 (it was then called Astana), the theme was future energy and it was intended to showcase renewable sources. Yet more than four years later one of the oldest and dirtiest sources of energy is being used as a guarantee for the country's heat and electricity needs for the coming winter.



And for the cities, towns, and villages burning extra coal this winter, it will add to the growing air-pollution problem across the eastern half of Central Asia.

Bishkek already has some of the most polluted air of any big city in the world, while the Kazakh city of Almaty has long had a reputation for having a serious air-pollution problem.



Even Nur-Sultan, which despite being located on a windy steppe, has also seen increasingly blacker skies in recent winters from all the TPPs in use.



Uzbekistan



With estimated reserves of nearly 1 trillion cubic meters of natural gas, Uzbekistan should have no problem providing this fuel to its citizens.



But the winter of 2020-2021 saw many communities temporarily cut off from gas supplies, including neighborhoods in the capital, Tashkent.



People in several cities protested against the suspension of supplies and, in mid-December, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoev ordered a halt to all gas exports, which had brought in more than $2 billion annually.



Back in January 2018, Mirziyoev called for boosting gas production from some 57 bcm to some 63 bcm annually, but in 2020 gas production fell by 18.1 percent and totaled only some 47.1 bcm, according to the 2021 BP Statistical Review of World Energy.



In an effort to head off gas problems this winter, Uzbek authorities dropped tariffs on imported gas and signed a new deal with neighboring Turkmenistan to buy more gas.



Last winter, the only remedy officials could offer during electricity and gas cutoffs was to make more gas cannisters, firewood, and coal available.



Coal production in all Central Asian countries -- except for Turkmenistan -- has been increasing steadily for years.

The Central Asian countries are marking 30 years of independence this year and during that period they have spent their own money and received massive loans and grants from international organizations to improve and modernize their domestic power-producing capacities.



But as winter 2021 approaches, the main source of energy for heating and electricity continues to be coal. And in many cases, even the use of the dirty fossil fuel will not be enough to provide everyone in Central Asia with the heat and power they need.
Top European Union officials have pledged deeper support for Ukraine and say the bloc is trying to ensure that Ukraine's natural-gas supplies go uninterrupted this winter, amid concerns about the reliability of Russian supplies.

Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, and Charles Michel, head of the European Council, spoke at a joint news conference in Kyiv on October 12 during a summit with Ukrainian officials including President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

"We will also work closely with you to increase gas-supply capacity coming from member states of the European Union," von der Leyen said. "And this also includes the option of working on arrangements to reverse the flow of an additional gas pipeline from Slovakia."

"Ukraine remains, and must remain, a reliable transit country" for gas supplies to Europe, she said.

The meeting was the 23rd Ukraine-EU summit and comes with Ukraine's eastern war with Kremlin-backed forces in its eighth year and Zelenskiy under increasing pressure over internal reforms and the country's long-running fight with corruption.

The issue of gas supplies -- to both Ukraine, and to European markets -- has come into sharp focus in recent weeks as temperatures fall and gas prices soar to record levels.

Ukraine, as well as some European countries, have pinned blame for the price spike on Europe's biggest single supplier for gas: Russia and its state-owned company, Gazprom.

Experts say the surging prices are due to a combination of factors, including a longer, colder winter last year that depleted storage supplies, disruption of other suppliers like Norway, and liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies from the United States being diverted to Asia.

Ukraine also fears its supplies from Russia could be disrupted given continuing hostilities between the two countries. Those tensions include the status of the Russian-occupied Black Sea peninsula of Crimea and ongoing fighting with the separatists in eastern Ukraine.

Adding further to the situation is the pending launch of Russia's Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which will bring Russian gas directly to Europe. The Baltic Sea pipeline will increase the amount of Russian gas flowing into Europe, but also bypass Ukraine, denying Kyiv billions in dollars in transit fees.

A day prior to the summit, the European Union extended sanctions, and added eight new individuals to the economic restrictions that the bloc imposed on Russia as a result of the Ukrainian hostilities.

The latest measures targeted judges, prosecutors and security officials who enforce Russian law in Crimea and the port city of Sevastopol.

In all, the assets of 185 individuals and 48 entities have been frozen under the EU measures. They are also subject to a travel ban.

The main negotiations aimed at resolving the Ukrainian hostilities, called the Normandy format, have been frozen for months, with little progress.

Ahead of the summit, Zelenskiy spoke with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron -- both of whom are part of the Normandy format -- about resolving the conflict.

Afterward, the French and German leaders spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin and all four sides reportedly agreed to a ministerial-level meeting "soon," according to the German Foreign Ministry.

In Kyiv, EU officials also announced a new aviation agreement that will lift restrictions on airlines flying between Ukrainian and EU airports.

With reporting by Reuters
The executive board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has reaffirmed its full confidence in Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva after reviewing claims that she pressured World Bank staff to alter data to favor China.

The board said in a statement on October 11 it trusted Georgieva's commitment to maintaining the highest standards of governance and integrity at the global crisis lender.

"Having looked at all the evidence presented, the executive board reaffirms its full confidence in the managing director's leadership and ability to continue to effectively carry out her duties," the board said, adding it had concluded Georgieva had not "played an improper role."

The review could have resulted in the removal of the Bulgarian economist from her job.

The board said that it plans to meet to consider possible additional steps to ensure the strength of institutional safeguards that protect the impartiality of IMF staff and its channels for complaint, dissent, and accountability.

In a separate statement U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said she told Georgieva in a phone call that the report into the data-rigging allegations raised legitimate issues and concerns.

"The U.S. believes proactive steps must be taken to reinforce data integrity and credibility at the IMF," Yellen said, adding that Georgieva and other IMF leaders must renew their commitment to upholding transparency and whistleblower protections surrounding research, analysis, and policies.

Yellen said her priority is to preserve the integrity and credibility of the World Bank and the IMF, and for that reason, it was essential that the IMF board conducted a thorough, fair, and timely review of the findings.

The investigation centered on the Doing Business report, which ranks countries based on business regulations and economic reforms. An independent investigation found irregularities in the production of the 2018 and 2020 editions. Georgieva served as the World Bank's chief executive when the reports were written.



Georgieva on September 16 said she disagreed "fundamentally" with the findings of the investigation into the 2018 Doing Business report.

The investigation found that China complained after it had been ranked 78th in the 2017 edition.

According to the findings, China's ranking was expected to be even lower in the 2018 version of the report. But the investigation found that shortly before the 2018 report was to be issued, then-World Bank President Jim Kim and Georgieva met with staff and asked them to revise their methodology pertaining to China.

The revision resulted in China's ranking being raised by seven places to once again be ranked 78th.

The World Bank announced last month it was discontinuing the Doing Business report.

With reporting by Reuters, AP, and AFP
India's biggest ports operator has announced that it will refuse containerized cargo from Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan after mid-November in a ban that is thought to stem for a major recent heroin seizure.

Adani Ports said on October 11 that its "trade advisory" on such cargo would apply to all 10 of its ports as well as third-party terminals from November 15.

The company didn't offer any reason for the stoppage but 3 tons of heroin was interdicted from two of Adani's containers at the Mundra port off India's western coast last month.

Authorities cited the consignment's origin as Afghanistan, long a hub in the global drug trade and currently being run by a month-old regime set up by the hard-line Taliban after a Western-backed government fled the country.

They said the confiscated heroin was worth an estimated $2.65 billion, one of the largest drug busts in India's history.

Smaller drug seizures in the region are fairly common, but six Iranian nationals were reportedly detained along with $20 million in heroin off the same Gujarati coast in September.

Adani Ports, part of the sprawling Adani Group conglomerate, said after the busts that it didn't have the authority to examine all of the cargo handled by its terminals.

Based on reporting by AFP
A court in Pristina ordered 30 days of pretrial custody on October 12 for five terror suspects rounded up in Kosovo last weekend as part of a monthslong investigation that also netted weapons and explosives.



A defense lawyer said the detainees were accused of "preparing terrorist attacks against the constitutional order" of Kosovo.



Police had said they found a "considerable" amount of weapons, explosives, and cash seized in the raids in the Peja and Prizren regions on October 10.



Two more people were arrested the following day in raids in Pristina and Fushe Kosova on suspicion of money laundering and financing terrorism.



Kosovar special prosecutors previously said that the five people initially arrested were suspected of multiple offenses including plotting "terrorist acts or criminal offenses against the constitutional order and security of Kosovo" and "committing a terrorist offense," in addition to weapons-related charges.



They could face considerable prison time, if convicted.



The police said the arrests were the result of "several months of investigation."



A lawyer for one of the suspects, a 25-year-old from Prizren named Nehrudin Skenderi, said his client had been arrested four years ago on similar charges and spent four months in custody before being released due to a lack of evidence. The lawyer, Tome Gashi, said Skenderi is innocent.



The lawyer for a suspect identified as Ardian Gjuraj said his client had been detained on the basis of "only suspicions and assumptions."



The lawyer, Arben Kelmendi, said the allegations were "unsubstantiated and unfounded."



Gjuraj reportedly was expelled from Germany in 2015 after his father reported him to authorities.



Kosovar special prosecutors indicted Gjuraj in connection with alleged support for the Islamic State (IS) militant group in 2014-15 and he was sentenced by a Pristina court to 17 months in prison in 2018 before an appeals court struck down the conviction.
Kyrgyzstan's president has named a new cabinet chairman in an effort to jump-start the country in the midst of an economic malaise brought on partly by the pandemic.



The announcement of the move on October 12 marks a further consolidation by President Sadyr Japarov, who has changed the constitution to strengthen the presidency since vaulting to power after a popular postelection uprising a year ago.



Japarov named Akylbek Japarov (no relation) to a new prime minister-like post that's now called the chairman of the cabinet of ministers.



The 57-year-old Akylbek Japarov had served as deputy prime minister and finance and economy minister since June.



The appointment to a recently merged post of head of the presidential administration and head of the cabinet of ministers requires no legislative approval under reforms the president pushed through earlier this year.



The law uniting those functions passed its final reading last week and was signed by Japarov on October 11.



It is part of a series of moves that have been likened by critics to the vertical power structure that Russian President Vladimir Putin implemented to cement his grip on Russia.



But the proposed new cabinet of ministers must still go before Kyrgyz lawmakers for a vote.



The president said via social media that he and his new appointment had agreed on efforts to pull their post-Soviet Central Asian economy out of crisis, which has been blamed in part on the coronavirus pandemic.



President Japarov vowed that "if he can't deliver, I will take action," and said that "every step he takes is completely under my personal control."



Japarov took power after being freed in October 2020 by a mob of demonstrators from prison, where he was serving a sentence for abducting a regional governor in the midst of a long-running dispute over the Kumtor Gold Mine.



He quickly declared himself in charge and wrangled Kyrgyzstan's mostly spent political rivals into stepping down quietly before scheduling a presidential election and constitutional referendum for January.



The vote was criticized by Western observers for Japarov's domination of resources and his decision to hold it alongside the referendum on changing the constitution to increase presidential powers.



The new head of the cabinet, Akylbek Japarov, is a veteran politician who headed a state commission set up under President Japarov to investigate state and private actions at Kumtor.



Kumtor is at the center of a multibillion-dollar battle for control between the Kyrgyz state and Centerra Gold, which has operated the mine alongside a Kyrgyz state entity.



Kyrgyz authorities under President Japarov's watch have accused former senior Kyrgyz officials along with Canada's Centerra Gold and their leadership of wrongdoing in an ongoing investigation into alleged corruption in developing the mine.
North Macedonia has marked 30 years of independence with a military parade on the streets of the capital, Skopje. The September 8 event was attended by President Stevo Pendarovski and Prime Minister Zoran Zaev. In a referendum on September 8, 1991, Macedonians voted to declare independence from Yugoslavia. One of seven new sovereign states created by the breakup of Yugoslavia, the country changed its name to North Macedonia in January 2019 after reaching agreement with Greece, which has a province called Macedonia.
Russia has suffered its highest COVID-19 death toll since the pandemic began as total infections and hospitalizations persist amid low vaccination rates.

The country's pandemic task force said on October 12 that 973 people died in the previous 24 hours, the sixth day in a row over 900 deaths, bringing the national death total to 218,345.

It said health officials confirmed 28,190 new infections in the same period, around the totals of the previous several days.

Many Russian doctors and some senior authorities say the official figures are likely a fraction of the real total.

The figures are similar to trends in other countries as the more contagious Delta variant spreads.

But Russian authorities also blame a stubbornly low vaccination rate of just one in three in a country of nearly 146 million people.

Russia last year announced its Sputnik V as the world's first approved coronavirus vaccine.

But Russians have been reluctant to get vaccinated with any of the five domestically produced vaccines or foreign-made vaccines, which are less common in the country.

Just 29 percent of Russians are fully vaccinated, Tatyana Golikova, a deputy prime minister who oversees health policy, said last week.

The latest coronavirus data from the state statistics service Rosstat showed more than 254,000 deaths in the first eight months of 2021, well above the 163,000 coronavirus deaths for all of 2020.
A court in southern Russia has sentenced a 59-year-old disabled Jehovah's Witness to four years in prison for holding a Bible study with fellow believers.

The sentence against Vladimir Skachidub, handed down by a court in the Krasnodar region on October 11, was the latest Russian criminal prosecution of Jehovah's Witnesses, whose religion was declared "extremist" by the Supreme Court in 2017.

The sentence came 18 months after security agents raided nine homes in two villages in Krasnodar, including Skachidub's. He was arrested and formally charged in June 2020.

A statement released by the Jehovah's Witness organization said Skachidub told the court that he was being prosecuted because of his religion.

"I am a Jehovah's Witness, and I am being prosecuted solely for my peaceful religious activities.... I face imprisonment only for the fact that I simply exercised my right to profess religion," Skachidub was quoted as saying.

Since declaring the denomination to be extremist, Russian authorities have raided dozens of believers' homes across Russia, charging and arresting dozens of people.

Headquartered in the United States, the Jehovah's Witnesses have been viewed for decades with suspicion in Russia, where the Russian Orthodox Church is the dominant religion.

The group is known for rejection of military service, not celebrating national and religious holidays or birthdays, and close Bible study, among other things.

With reporting by RFE/RL's Caucasus.Realities
VORONEZH, Russia -- During the long years of his dotage, Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev was often ridiculed for the endlessly growing row of Hero of the Soviet Union stars blossoming across his chest. By the time he died in 1982, he had accumulated four of the medals.



Media defense lawyer Galina Arapova says she now feels a little bit like Brezhnev, having become the first person designated by the Russian government as a foreign agent not once, but twice. The first designation came in 2018 when the nongovernmental Mass Media Defense Center that she heads was listed. The second came on October 8, when the attorney herself was designated has a foreign agent media outlet.



But it wont stop there, apparently: The individual designation means that, under the controversial Russian law, she will have to create a legal entity to handle the government's reporting requirements -- and that entity itself will automatically become yet another foreign agent.



It is a bit like a nesting doll, Arapova she told the North.Realities Desk of RFE/RL's Russian Service. You accumulate these designations like Hero of the Soviet Union stars.



The 49-year-old Voronezh native can add these latest titles to previous honors she has amassed from the Moscow Helsinki Group, the Russian Union of Journalists, and other human rights and civil society organizations. In addition, she has served as a member of the Russian Press Council, as a board member of the European Center for Press and Media Freedom, as a member of the international High Level Panel of Legal Experts on Media Freedom, and as a trustee of the London-based Article 19 media freedom organization.



When she became the only Russian attorney ever to win the International Bar Association's award for outstanding contribution by a practicing lawyer to the defense of human rights in 2016, Arapova received a congratulatory telegram from the then Governor of Voronezh Oblast and later Deputy Prime Minister Aleksei Gordeyev (also a senior official of the ruling United Russia party): Thanks to you, the Media Rights Defense Center has earned a reputation as one of the most authoritative legal organizations in Russia or abroad.



'An Avalanche'



So far, she said, the designations have had little substantial impact on her work defending and advising dozens of individuals and media outlets that have found themselves on the governments foreign agent lists.



I would only mention that I have to -- on every social media post, at every public lecture -- place the 24-word disclaimer, which in the near future will be seen by readers as being as normal as 'hello,' she said. There are also personal reports on income and expenses, which is a serious intrusion into one's personal life. Of course, I will appeal because this is a deeply discriminatory law. Which, of course, is the point of it.



Over the nearly 25-year history of the Media Rights Defense Center, the group has provided legal assistance to thousands of journalists, many of whom were fending off punitive defamation lawsuits.

In an RFE/RL interview in 2018, Arapova described the historical dynamic of the plight of journalists in post-Soviet Russia.



In the late 1990s, there was more violence against journalists, including murders, she said. In the early 2000s, we started seeing more court cases and disputes were resolved in a civilized way. Toward 2008, there were about 4,500 defamation cases a year. Now, there are about 700, because new tools for driving away journalists have appeared.



The most important of those new means, she added, are the so-called foreign agent laws.



Since the summer we have seen an avalanche of designations to the 'foreign agents' registry, she said following her own designation last week. We are helping all the journalists and the overwhelming majority of the media outlets that have been added to the registry since July. We are talking about dozens.



'Stress and Shock'



Just like I helped before, I will continue to help people who find themselves in a situation of confusion, indignation, stress, and shock, she added. Some of them take up nervous smoking. Others do not understand what to do next. These people don't just need legal help but also psychological support. This is a difficult life situation that most people are not prepared for.



Russias foreign agent legislation was adopted in 2012 and has been modified repeatedly. It requires nongovernmental organizations that receive foreign assistance and that the government deems to be engaged in political activity to be registered, to identify themselves as foreign agents, and to submit to audits. Later modifications of the law targeted foreign-funded media.



At the end of 2020, the legislation was modified to allow the Russian government to include individuals, including foreign journalists, on its foreign agents list and to impose restrictions on them.



In 2017, the Russian government placed RFE/RLs Russian Service, six other RFE/RL Russian-language news services, including North.Realities, and Current Time on the list. Earlier this year, Russian courts began imposing large fines on RFE/RL for failing to mark its articles with a government-prescribed label as required by rules adopted in October 2020. RFE/RL is appealing the fines.



Human Rights Watch has described the foreign agent legislation as restrictive and intended to demonize independent groups.

ALSO READ: Who Has Russia Labeled As A 'Foreign Agent'?

Arapova warns that the foreign agent laws have been and will continue to be expanded as tools of overall repression under President Vladimir Putin.



Legally speaking, they have prepared designations for the widest range of legal subjects and the most varied formations, she said. Whether a legal entity or a collective of citizens or just an individual, regardless of citizenship. You can be designated in any conceivable capacity.



Her advice to her clients is always the same, she said: Everything passes, and this too shall pass.



They need to understand that this is not the end of the world, she said. I think this is like a house of cards that will rot and fall to pieces. If you do your work well, if you are a professional and a decent person  that is what will remain in the end. That is why even when life is very difficult, you need to get through it with dignity, don't betray yourself, make the correct strategic choices.



But she realizes that acting in this way is not always easy.



I am not calling on people to show selfless heroism, she concluded. Everyone makes their own choices about what position to adopt, what world view to hold. People have the right to act as they see fit, including to be afraid. Being afraid is not shameful. We all have only one life.
High-level talks between Russian officials and a senior visiting U.S. State Department official were useful, both sides said on October 12, but a dispute over embassy staffing and other matters remain unresolved.



Victoria Nuland, a No. 3 official at the State Department, is on a three-day visit to Moscow amid an effort by President Joe Bidens administration to pull relations between the two countries out of the tailspin they have been in since at least 2014, when Russia annexed Ukraines Crimea Peninsula and conflict erupted in eastern Ukraine between Ukrainian forces and Russia-backed separatists.



Moscow and Washington have engaged in tit-for-tat expulsions of diplomatic personnel and closures of consulates, and Russia earlier this year prohibited the U.S. Embassy from employing foreign nationals, designating it as an "unfriendly state."



The U.S. ambassador to Russia has warned that most visa services for Russian were being canceled because of a lack of staff at U.S. posts.



Nuland, who is the under secretary of state for political affairs, is the most senior U.S. official to visit Moscow in years.



She met on October 12 with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, who was quoted by RIA Novosti and TASS as saying that "Americans are not heeding our logic or our demands."



"There is very little progress when it comes to the substantive part of the problems that exist," Interfax cited him as saying. "There is a risk of new tensions."



Also calling the talks useful, U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price said that U.S. and Russian officials agreed to another round of discussions to try resolve the dispute over the size and functioning of their countries embassies.



U.S. Embassy spokesman Jason Rebholz earlier quoted Nuland as saying she had "constructive meetings" with Russian Foreign Ministry officials during which "a range of bilateral, regional, and global issues" were discussed. She did not provide further details.



The State Department official was scheduled to meet President Vladimir Putin's top foreign policy adviser, Yury Ushakov, On October 13.

In April, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said bilateral relations were now even worse than during the Cold War.

Biden met his Russian counterpart in Geneva in June as part of the effort to arrest the slide in relations, but there has been little indication of progress since then.

The Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement on October 12 saying that Ryabkov had proposed lifting all restrictions on diplomatic missions.



The ministry did not give specifics of that proposal, but it likely includes the return of two Russian diplomatic compounds-- in Maryland and in New York-- that were ordered closed in 2016 after U.S. intelligence officials said they were used for intelligence gathering.



In 2017, U.S. officials ordered the closure of the Russian Consulate in San Francisco, and two diplomatic annexes in Washington, D.C. and in New York City.



"The Russian side stressed that hostile anti-Russian actions would not stand without a response, but that Moscow did not seek further escalation," the statement said.

Ryabkov also said that the issue of U.S. forces using bases in Central Asia as part of efforts to maintain a close watch over Afghanistan had been discussed. He said Russia was opposed to the idea.

"We emphasized the unacceptability of a U.S. military presence in Central Asian countries in any form whatsoever," he was quoted as saying.

A group of U.S. lawmakers has called for expelling up to 300 Russian diplomats from the United States if Moscow refuses to reverse its decision on local hires in Russia. The Foreign Ministry said that would lead to the complete closure of U.S. diplomatic facilities in Russia if it went forward.
The Treaty of Kars, signed on October 13, 1921, established the border between Turkey and three Soviet republics. Use the slider to see the borders before and after the treaty.
A Ukrainian court on October 12 ordered pro-Russian lawmaker Viktor Medvedchuk to remain under house arrest until December after prosecutors broadened their criminal investigation into his activities.



Medvedchuk, who has been held under house arrest since May, was initially targeted with allegations of treason in a case that has added to tensions between Moscow and Kyiv.



Prosecutors announced last week that he is also accused of colluding to finance Russia-backed separatist forces in the eastern Donbas region.



They also asked a Kyiv court for Medvedchuk -- who said the charges were trumped up to silence his criticism of government policy -- to be taken into custody instead of house arrest or to post bail of 1 billion hryvnias ($38 million).



Medvedchuk is a Ukrainian citizen but has close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin and has said Putin is godfather to his daughter.



His political party is the second largest in parliament.



The Pechersk District Court turned down the prosecutors' request on October 12 and extended Medvedchuk's house arrest to December 7, forbidding him to leave his place of residence.



The Prosecutor General's Office later said it would appeal the decision.



On October 8, Prosecutor-General Iryna Venediktova accused Medvedchuk of conspiring with officials from former President Petro Poroshenko's government to buy coal from mines located in separatist-held areas as a way to finance the separatists.

Poroshenko and Medvedchuk's political parties dismissed the accusations, calling them an effort to divert attention from President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's government's own wrongdoing and failures.



Zelenskiy defeated Poroshenko in the 2019 election to win the presidency.



Fighting between Ukrainian government forces and the separatists in eastern Ukraine has killed more than 13,200 people since April 2014. The conflict erupted after Moscow annexed Ukraine's Crimea Peninsula in March 2014.
Rocky Mount, NC (27804)

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(jingdaily.com) - According to new research, previously estimated rates of Chinas demographic decline might have been severely miscalculated. In fact, the countrys population could halve within the next 45 years, warns a new study from Xian Jiaotong University. This number was based on the official birth rate of 1.3 children per woman last year (well below the figure that would safeguard the population of two per woman). Chinas current population is over 1.4 billion, and the 2019 United Nations projection that the country would still have around 1.3 billion people by 2065 now looks to be incorrect.
Rutland, VT (05701)

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Oil and gas stocks

In 2020, the market witnessed a wave of livestock stocks, and recently a wave of fertilizer stocks, steel stocks, oil and gas stocks and public investment stocks. The stocks drawing the most attention lately are all related to oil and gas. Media around the world is buzzing with stories of soaring oil prices, and an energy crisis from Europe to China. Brent oil price has increased by about 27% since the last week of August, and from the beginning of 2021 it has increased by nearly 62%. Shares of enterprises in the fields of exploitation, transportation, transmission, trade, and oil and gas have skyrocketed. In Vietnam, the oil and gas stocks have only emerged since the end of September, although the world oil price has been on an uptrend for a long time.

GAS is one stock that has received the most attention due to the high price profit of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), because GAS is involved in production and accounts for about 70% of the national LPG market share. From the beginning of September until 6 October, the price of GAS has increased by about 28.1%. Valuation of GAS in an analysis report by a large securities company on 6 October, with target till end of 2021, showed the P/E ratio of GAS is about 23 times and the price is about VND 118,500, but in just over two weeks, the price has increased sharply to around VND 113,000.

The actual gain of GAS is far behind many smaller oil and gas stocks. ASP, with a market capitalization of just over VND 612 billion, has increased by 126% since the beginning of September; PGC market capitalization is more than VND 1,850 billion, and price increased by around 53%; TDG, a gas trading company with a market capitalization of less than VND 150 billion, also increased 78%; PVG, with market capitalization less than VND 700 billion, increased price by 110%; and MTG, a very small trading company, also increased its stock price by 170%.

Speculative factors appear quite strongly in this wave of industry stocks, but they always go hand in hand with basic supporting factors. The sharp increase in oil and gas prices in the world inevitably leads to the usual inference that companies operating in this field will benefit the most. It is difficult to know exactly how the business will benefit and how the profit numbers will grow. In other words, the quantitative factor of the so-called "benefit" is not understood by all investors. However, in the context of speculative cash flow under very high risks, the only thing this cash flow will need is reason to put down the money.

Investment strategy

The selection of stocks by industry groups is an investment strategy that has been around for a long time, but it is not as clear and attractive as recently, partly due to the large-scale new cash flow in the market. Liquidity before 2020 was quite small, making the cash flow movement more difficult to perceive and also not creating any exciting trends. The fact that millions of new investors joined the market also means a huge increase in the size of room and groups, for discussion on social network sites. Exponentially increasing contagion creates a much more pronounced impact.

Investment trends by industry are also being encouraged during the Covid-19 pandemic when the pharmaceutical stocks boomed in a clear and recognizable way. The media also highlighted the main information circuits related to economic fields such as the high world steel price leading to a wave of speculation in steel stocks; pork causing a wave of speculation in livestock stocks; fertilizer price storm helped the group of stocks of companies producing and distributing this product to increase; the supply chain making logistics stocks flicker; and the pressure to disburse domestic public investment every time is highlighted, making construction stocks rise.

On the positive side, this movement shows more efficiency in the stock market when macro and micro information is interesting and analysed quickly by investors. This is a signal of the maturity of the market as a whole. However, the negative side is excessive rumours, which turns investment based on fundamental factors into a pure speculative movement. It is a fact that any industry wave comes from a fundamental support factor. The crowd always needs a valid reason to orient their minds, what in the language of investors is called consensus. When it goes beyond investing, however, what remains is the effect of crowd speculation.

The phenomenon of waves in the stock market, as happening now, is not an actual economic rotation investment strategy. The spurt in stock prices in the industry group based on information or trend, are still just normal speculation. When this trend is out of fashion, the information becomes redundant, and the momentum in stock price increase will also fall.

Nguyen Ha
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The legalization of recreational marijuana in California left American Indians out in the cold.

Proposition 64, approved by voters in 2016, lets local governments decide whether to allow cannabis dispensaries to operate within their jurisdictions. But it made no provisions for tribes.

As far as the state is concerned, tribes can do whatever they want with cannabis on their reservations, which are considered sovereign nations.

But they cannot operate in the licensed California market, said Alex Traverso, a spokesman for the California Bureau of Cannabis Control, which oversees licensing of dispensaries.

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For the past couple years, a number of tribes have been trying to get that changed. But the state is insisting that its regulators must have control over any operations on reservation land, something tribal officials say is unacceptable. The ability to regulate themselves in all matters is a basic tenet of their sovereign status as independent nations, they say.

The result is Indian tribes have been shut out of the far more lucrative California cannabis market because they cant sell their product outside of tribal lands.

Recently, the Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel in northeast San Diego County opened a dispensary inside what used to be a casino that went belly up in 2014. The Mountain Source Dispensary is the first on tribal land in the county, but most likely will not be the last.

Most of the former casino building for the past few years has hosted the Santa Ysabel Botanical Facility, where marijuana is grown and a sophisticated laboratory has been operating, run by private cannabis companies leasing the space from the tribe.

As of now, Santa Ysabel can only sell the pot grown on the reservation at its lone dispensary or to other tribal operations.

David Vialpando, the head of the Santa Ysabel Tribal Cannabis Regulatory Agency, said he expects other local tribes will open dispensaries.

We have other tribes that have expressed an interest with doing business with Santa Ysabels tenants, he said. As predicted, there will be additional dispensaries opening up on tribal lands throughout California.

He said discussions are being held with a couple local tribes. I dont think there are any plans in place, he said. Everybody moves cautiously in this space. But the expectation is that there will be other tribes in the area that will take advantage of the need that is out there.

For two years, 23 of the states 109 recognized American Indian nations have been working toward creating legislation in Sacramento that would allow tribes to enter the general cannabis California market. Theyve met with lawmakers, representatives of the governors office, and hired lobbyists, including former Lt. Governor Cruz Bustamante, to press their cause.

Vialpando, in addition to his position with Santa Ysabel, is also the executive director of C-NACA, the California Native American Cannabis Association, which includes five of the countys 18 federally recognized tribes as members: Sycuan, Campo, Manzanita, Los Coyotes and Santa Ysabel.

Of those tribes, only Santa Ysabel and a representative of Sycuan provided information.

Adam Day, chief administrative officer for the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation, said the tribe is closely watching the market but would not say whether the successful East County gaming and resort tribe is seriously thinking about getting into marijuana.

Its certainly in Sycuans interest to insure that if there is an industry that others are allowed to participate in, we want to have that opportunity as well, Day said.

I can tell you we dont have a current business in that field. But we are actively looking at exploring the issue to insure that if we were ever to get into that field that we have the ability to do so.

Vialpando said after the passage of Prop. 64, C-NACA was formed and meetings were held with numerous people at the capitol.

We met with state officials and were basically told by folks from the governors office, look, you werent included in Prop. 64. There is no place for tribes in the California market. Do whatever you want on the reservation. We have no control over that. But there is no provision for the state to allow tribes to participate, or even non-tribal entities on tribal lands.

Vialpando said it was suggested that C-NACA work toward legislation and twice bills were proposed creating a pathway for tribes into the cannabis market. Each time those failed because there was a large constituency of stakeholders that were opposed, he said.

So the tribal cannabis organization hired Bustamante and many more meetings were held.

There was a lot of time and energy and money spent on this grassroots effort to create legislation that was fair to tribes and acceptable to the state, Vialpando said.

And we did it. We managed to turn all of those who were opposed into either supporters or (to agree) to taking no position. Even the California Cannabis Industry Association became supporters.We had a groundswell of support and thought we were good.

A bill sponsored by Assemblyman Rob Bonta (D-Oakland) was about to go to the Legislature.

I believe tribes absolutely deserve the right to participate in the same legal, regulated cannabis market as other stakeholders, Bonta said Friday in a statement.

Our past legislative efforts have proposed policies that were consistent with the principles of tribal sovereignty and self-governance and would have achieved this objective while protecting the public and the environment.

But shortly before the bill was to be heard, a final meeting at the governorss office killed everything.

We were told they didnt think legislation was needed at all, Vialpando said. They said just defer all regulatory authority to the state. They wanted the state to regulate all aspects of cannabis on tribal lands and to make sure revenues are shared with the state.

Basically, Vialpando said, the state was demanding that the tribes waive their sovereignty. They wanted us to waive our identity, he said That was a non-starter.

After that meeting, the proposed legislation fell apart and Santa Ysabel changed its own tribal statutes to allow for dispensaries on their reservations as a pathway for our non-tribal commercial businesses to actually continue operating without going into economic extinction.

The tribes are now hoping Gov. Gavin Newsom will be open to the idea of working with them to create a way to allow Indians to enter the lucrative California marketplace. Letters have been sent, but so far no indication has come from the governors office about a willingness to talk.

With little fanfare or advertising, the Santa Ysabel dispensary opened in early February. Since media reports about the operation were written, business has boomed, Vialpando said. They are now averaging about 60 customers a day despite the remote location off state Route 79. The majority of customers are older people with canes and walkers looking to purchase cannabis to manage various pains.

The old myth of marijuana dispensaries attracting all the tweakers in the area is just not our experience and we dont expect it to be the experience of other tribes who replicate our regulatory model, he said.

News of the Santa Ysabel dispensary upset San Diego County Board of Supervisor Chairwoman Dianne Jacob. The county took the position in 2017 not to allow dispensaries in the unincorporated parts of the county. All of the reservations in the county are located in unincorporated San Diego, albeit on their own independent reservations.

She then wrote to the Attorney Generals office looking for clarification of the law.

I am concerned that the cannabis dispensary on the Santa Ysabel reservation is operating in the dark with little to no oversight, Jacob wrote. This constitutes both a public safety and a public health hazard for those who visit the dispensary, and for the surrounding community due to impaired drivers navigating the rural areas challenging roads.

The Attorney General has not yet responded, Jacobs office said.

Reacting to the letter, Santa Ysabel sent Jacob a letter inviting her to the reservation to see for herself what is happening. It said cannabis regulations the tribe operates under are in many instances stricter than those enforced by the state anywhere else in California. They also point out that the operation employs about 100 people, making it one of the biggest employers in that part of the county.

We welcome the opportunity to address any concerns you may have, answer any questions, and engage in constructive dialogue designed to ensure the safety of customers and employees working at the Santa Ysabel Botanical Facility and maximize our effectiveness in ensuring the accountability of cannabis cultivated, processed, and distributed from the Nations lands, Santa Ysabel Tribal Chairman Virgil Perez wrote.

One of the reasons we would love to have the supervisor or members of her staff come up is to allay some of the fears and concerns, and to certainly seek her input on how we can do things better, Vialpando added.

A spokesman for Jacob said on Friday the supervisor intends to take the tribe up on its offer. A date has not yet been set.

jharry.jones@sduniontribune.com; 760/529-4931; Twitter: @jharryjones
On Friday morning in Carlsbad, Kay Ledson will take her first steps on a 3,100-mile walk that will wind its way through 16 cities across America over the next six months.

The coast-to-coast trek is a risky commitment that the 67-year-old former Carlsbad resident is making for those who cannot walk. Ledson is the founder of Warrior Momz, a close-knit group of more than 300 mothers worldwide who care full time for their spinal cord-injured children and family members.

Back in 2000, Ledsons 18-year-old son, Josh Wood, was paralyzed from the neck down in a snowboarding accident. With years of intensive therapy, Wood has regained substantial mobility. She hopes that with her solo Warrior Momz Walk 4 SCI Recovery across the U.S. she can raise awareness of these activity-based therapies and the need for insurance companies to cover them.

Im doing this, she said, because as a community we have to do something bold to get attention.

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Helping Ledson organize, finance and plot her 7-million-step course from Carlsbad to Washington, D.C., is Escondido resident Debbie Flynn. She founded the nonprofit Quad Foundation in 2003 after her 20-year-old son, Pete, was rendered a quadriplegic by a car accident.

Flynn said her son was given no hope of recovery after the accident, but today he uses a motorized wheelchair and has a busy life thanks to activity-based therapies, which are repetitive exercises meant to strengthen and maintain the muscles in paralyzed limbs in order to keep the neural pathways open to the brain.

Flynn said insurance companies dont cover these types of therapies because there are not always measurable signs of improvement. But she thinks insurers are overlooking the real, but less obvious, results  improved muscle mass, bone density and general health as well as a profound sense of well-being and hope.

A lot of spinal cord-injured adults dont necessarily dream of walking again but just being able to scratch their nose would be huge for them, Flynn said. There are injuries so severe there will never be a recovery, but we know that 20 years after an injury the brain can still send a perfect signal to wiggle a toe and that may reconnect someday. By doing intensive therapy, that body can be ready for that possibility.

Ledson will be walking alone, accompanied only by a follow vehicle, a new RV purchased by a fellow Warrior Mom in Phoenix. Families of spinal cord-injured patients will meet up with her outside each city and walk with her into town. Fundraisers are planned at each stop, with all money raised going to activity-based therapy scholarships for a spine-injured resident in that city.

She came up with the idea for the walk early last year while planning the U.S. publicity tour for her 2016 book Warrior Mom: Leading Her Sons Battle to Walk Again. When several Warrior Momz members asked her to visit their towns on her book tour, she prayed over what to do.

I said to God, what are you doing to me? And God said you need to walk across America,  she said. This way we can walk and talk and spread our message.

Ledson was a financial services professional in her native Australia 17 years ago when her son, a professional snowboarder and motorcycle athlete, fell from an ice ramp and crushed his spine. Doctors diagnosed him as a complete quadriplegic who would never get out of bed again. Despondent over his injuries, he asked his mom if shed help him commit suicide.

I got really angry, she said of her meeting with the doctors. I told them you dont know me and you dont know my son. My son will walk again. And the doctor said thats the problem with moms like you. 

The problem, as Ledson has written and spoken about worldwide, is that moms like her never give up hope for recovery and she spent every day for years working the muscles in his limbs until he was able to move them himself. Today, he walks with a cane, snowboards, rides a motorcycle and is married with a young son.

Back in 2011, he visited Carlsbad for a month of therapy sessions and was so impressed by the clinic that Ledson decided to visit it herself in 2012. The clinic  which has since closed  hired her on the spot to do marketing.

Over the next 18 months, she made many friends in the Rotary Club and SCI communities and she started the Warrior Momz group. In 2013, she moved home to Australia, but when she decided to walk across America, she decided to start in Carlsbad where she still had a large base of friends and supporters.

Ledson will have a public kickoff party from 10:30-11:30 a.m. Friday, Sept. 22, at the Agua Hedionda Lagoon Discovery Center at 580 Cannon Road in Carlsbad. Her first stop will be on Saturday in Temecula, where a private fundraising dinner is planned.

From there, shell walk east across the Southwest and Southern states to North Carolina then turn north to Washington, D.C. Her path can be traced at quadfoundation.org/warrior-momz/.

Shell be walking alone most of the way because most of her fellow Warrior Momz are full-time caregivers and cant leave home for long. But she expects several  including Flynn and her son, Pete  to join her final walk to the U.S. Capitol building where shell lobby legislators for more SCI therapy coverage.

Ledson said she has made many sacrifices for her 176-day walk, both from a financial perspective and the time shes losing with her son and new grandson. But she believes its whats needed to shed light on a population who are mostly hidden from society  ot just the spinal-cord injured, but also their warrior moms.

We all know how important the moms are. Theyre the caregivers and the nurturers, she said. Ive met so many heroic women who are just phenomenal and they need support, too.

Quad Foundation founder Debbie Flynn, left, with her friend Kay Ledson, who is planning to walk solo across the U.S. to raise awareness about the therapeutic needs of spinal cord-injured people like her son, Josh, and Flynns son, Pete. (Eduardo Contreras / San Diego Union-Tribune)

pam.kragen@sduniontribune.com
Sanford, NC (27330)

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After receiving an offer in 1977 to become the next president of Scottsdale Community College, the late Dr. Art DeCabooter told his wife, Mary: Well, well try it for a year or so. If we like it, well stay and buy a bigger home with a pool. If not, well go back to the Midwest.
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Two months after a San Francisco tenant rights advocate publicly accused rising political star Jon Jacobo of rape, a powerful womens political organization is demanding accountability, saying that some city and community leaders are ushering the Mission District organizer back into public life.

The San Francisco Womens Political Committee released a statement and call to action Monday to condemn sexual abuse, assault, harassment and predatory behavior across political lines and stature in San Franciscos political circles.

Sasha Perigo, 26, said in a public statement and in an interview with The Chronicle in August that Jacobo had forcibly kissed, groped and raped her at his Mission District apartment in April. Jacobo has said he believed they had consensual sexual contact.

In its Monday statement, the committee said city and community leaders were failing to hold Jacobo accountable in the aftermath of Perigos allegations. The group called on people to strip abusers of leadership roles and ban them from public events, as well as demand abusers acknowledge and fully own the harm they have caused and seek rehabilitory care.

Our board demands that people who rape and abuse women+, no matter their tenure or how much their perceived contribution to the community, be cast out of political life, the womens organization said in a three-page letter. We cannot continue to perpetuate a culture in San Francisco that protects predators.

The group outlined four steps for city leaders and organizations: demand that abusers acknowledge their wrongdoing and seek rehabilitation; ban abusers from events; remove abusers from leadership positions in political organizations; and condemn violence against women.

Jacobo, 33, did not respond to a voice mail, text message or Twitter message requesting comment by Monday afternoon.

In a series of tweets and an essay, Perigo said in August that Jacobo had sexually assaulted her when she spent the night at his apartment on April 4. Perigo said she told Jacobo no dozens of times and tried to push him off her, but that he ignored her pleas.

Perigo said she didnt file a police report because of her deep distrust of law enforcement and her previous friendship with Jacobo. She said she had a forensic exam conducted as part of a rape evidence kit at San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center.

Jacobo resigned from his seat on the citys Building Inspection Commission, and took a leave of absence from his job as policy director for the South of Market nonprofit Tenants and Owners Development Corp., known as TODCO.

BrontA Wittpenn/The Chronicle

My memory of these events is different than her memory, Jacobo posted to Twitter at the time. I believed then, as I do now, that our relationship was completely consensual.

He added that every woman needs to be heard and that he was deeply saddened by the deep pain being experienced by Sasha Perigo, which she says I caused.

Jacobo had risen in political circles as chair of the health committee on the San Francisco Latino Task Force, helping to lead coronavirus testing efforts in the Mission. He had been widely expected to run for a Board of Supervisors seat in 2024.

Nadia Rahman, president of San Francisco Womens Political Committee, said she was disappointed to find Jacobo attending public events held by community organizations and officials.

In mid-September, former Supervisor Jane Kim  who employed Jacobo as her aide while at City Hall  took him to a Rose Pak Community Fund fundraising gala, Rahman said.

Later in the month, Rahman said, Jacobo attended an event held by West Bay Pilipino Multi-Service Center, a nonprofit organization in the South of Market area that supports the Filipino community.

West Bay and Rose Pak Community Fund did not respond to phone calls and emails seeking comment.

Supervisor Ahsha Safai attended both events and confirmed Jacobo was also present.

I support the call for action and recommendations by the (San Francisco Womens Political Committee) about people accused of assault and found it very troubling he was in attendance at the two events, Safai said in a statement Monday.

Supervisor Hillary Ronen also attended the Rose Pak Community Fund event, where she was surprised to see Jacobo but didnt interact with him. She said Monday she would sign the pledge.

Kim did not respond to requests for comment by Monday afternoon. In early September, she posted a birthday message for Jacobo on Instagram, calling him her brother. The pair both worked on Sen. Bernie Sanders presidential campaign.

Family holds each other, even tighter during the lows + the challenges, Kim wrote in the Sept. 6 Instagram post. We dont throw each other away.

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, Perigo posted three tweets expressing anger over Kims Instagram post.

Perigo wrote, If you choose to continue a friendship with a rapist in the name of holding them accountable, thats your decision. But the minute you start centering their feelings over the victims, youre no longer holding them accountable. Youre an enabler.

More for you Jon Jacobo, rising San Francisco political star, resigns from commission after rape accusation

On Sept. 24, Perigo said, she published another series of tweets after learning that Jacobo was receiving invitations to San Francisco functions.

If you, just six weeks after I came forward about my assault, are accompanying my rapist to political events, helping to usher him back into public life, you are a rape apologist  point blank, period, Perigo wrote. I ask you to please not be a bystander. If you see Jon networking at public political events right now, please confront him. Please say something.

In an interview with The Chronicle on Monday, Perigo said she was pissed when she saw Kims birthday message to Jacobo. She said she felt shocked, appalled and honestly scared to learn Jacobo was back on the political event circuit.

I didnt ask for Jon to lose his friends or his job when I came forward about my assault, she said. But its baffling to me why progressive community leaders would want to publicly associate with a rapist.

In addition to demanding that Jacobo and other abusers admit wrongoing and seek help, lose leadership roles and be excluded from public events, the San Francisco Womens Political Committee statement called on local leaders to condemn violence against women, saying silence is complicity.

If the four calls to action outlined above are not met with the desired action, the group wrote, we will continue to bring transparency to whats going on and continue our drumbeat for justice.

Matthias Gafni and Mallory Moench are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: matthias.gafni@sfchronicle.com mallory.moench@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @mgafni @mallorymoench
The U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way Tuesday for current and former Google employees to sue the Mountain View tech giant for allegedly forbidding them to speak to the news media or prospective employers about Googles wages and working conditions.

The suit was filed in 2016 by a Google product manager, under the name of John Doe, and joined by two former employees. They said the confidentiality agreements that all employees were required to sign prevented them from discussing unsafe or discriminatory working conditions  with regulatory officials, the press, members of the public or even one another  and also barred them from disclosing their wages when negotiating with a potential new employer.

Google denied imposing such restrictions. A company spokesperson told Reuters in 2016 that the confidentiality pledges were aimed at protecting sensitive business information, not to prevent discussion of working conditions.

While the case was pending, the National Labor Relations Board filed its own suit against Google, which agreed to post a notice for 60 days assuring employees they had the right to discuss wages, hours and working conditions with other employees, the press/media, Supervisor Karen Mitchoff and other third parties.

In seeking to dismiss the employees lawsuit, Google argued that its working conditions were regulated exclusively by the national labor board under federal law. A San Francisco Superior Court judge agreed but was overruled in September 2020 by the states First District Court of Appeal in San Francisco.

Even if the company posted the notice that the federal labor board required, employees can still seek damages for any violations of California labor laws, the appeals court said in a 2-1 ruling. The state Supreme Court denied review of the case, and on Tuesday, the nations high court also rejected Googles appeal, without any written comment or indication of dissent.

In the appeals court ruling, Justice Alison Tucher said the state law can be used to challenge practices that federal law does not address  for example, the national labor law does not protect employees against a companys prohibition of disclosing its practices to a competitor while seeking new employment, or against its ban on telling government officials about the companys alleged violations of securities laws.

The California law allowing employees to disclose their wages, Tucher said, was sponsored by womens groups to aid in enforcement of laws against sex discrimination.

U.S. labor law is intended to protect workers right to organize and form unions, Tucher said, while California law disapproves such policies for a different reason: because they interfere with every employees right to bring workplace issues to the attention of supervisors, state agencies, courts and the public.

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.

Presiding Justice Stuart Pollak joined Tuchers opinion. In dissent, Justice Tracie Brown said the state laws that the suit invoked had the same purpose as federal labor laws: to allow employees to take action to improve their wages and working conditions.

In seeking U.S. Supreme Court review, Google cited the courts 1986 ruling that said states cannot seek additional penalties for conduct prohibited by the National Labor Relations Act. The current lawsuit is a quest for penalties, and nothing but penalties, the companys lawyers said.

The case is Google vs. Doe, No. 20-1744.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter; @BobEgelko
Californias criminal sentencing laws have been among the most severe in the nation for decades. Defendants past convictions, gang membership or probation status could add many years to their sentence. Other laws require imprisonment for drug use and impose life terms for a third strike felony. The results included overcrowded prisons, heavily populated by minorities, and little apparent impact on crime.

But the states lawmakers and voters have been moving in a different direction, prodded by a decade-old U.S. Supreme Court order to reduce the states prison population. And that trend has continued with a series of new laws signed last week by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Starting in January, nonviolent drug offenders will no longer face mandatory prison or jail sentences and will instead be eligible for probation. Judges who now can impose any of three sentences for most felony crimes  three, four or six years for robbery, for example, or three, six or eight years for rape  will be discouraged from imposing the maximum term except in extreme cases.

Perhaps most significant are new limits on sentencing enhancements that can add anywhere from one to 25 years to the basic sentence for a crime if it involves gang membership, use of a gun, infliction of injury, a defendant with prior convictions, or any of about 150 other circumstances spelled out in state law.

About 80% of the states prisoners are serving terms that include at least one enhancement, and more than 25% have three or more enhancements, according to a recent article on the CalMatters website by Peter Espinoza, a former judge in Los Angeles, and Michael Romano, a Stanford University law professor.

Currently a judge can refuse to impose those increases in the interests of justice, a standard that is not spelled out in the law and has been applied inconsistently. Under SB81 by Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, the judge must consider such factors as a sentences racial implications, the defendants mental condition, his or her age at the time of a prior conviction, and the overall length of sentence, with terms over 20 years discouraged when the crime was relatively minor.

AB333 by Sen. Sydney Kamlager, D-Los Angeles, will require prosecutors to obtain a conviction before seeking to prove gang participation, a mandate that prosecutors said would make it harder for them to get gang-related convictions and longer sentences.

The current system of lengthy sentence enhancements has contributed to Californias mass-incarceration crisis, said California Attorneys for Criminal Justice, a defense lawyers group that supported the bills.

After 35 years of increasing sentences prescribed by state lawmakers and voters, Californias prison population had soared to 143,000 in 2011, nearly twice the institutions designed capacity, before the U.S. Supreme Court ordered a prompt reduction of more than 30,000 to enable improvements in a dysfunctional prison health care system.

Lawmakers responded with measures transferring thousands of state prisoners to county jails, while voters exempted some lesser crimes from potential life terms under the states 1994 three strikes law, reduced sentences for minor drug and theft crimes, and narrowed prosecutors authority to charge youths in adult courts. Prison officials say the current inmate population is about 99,000.

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The Democratic-controlled Legislature and Newsom have approved further sentencing cutbacks over the opposition of police groups and prosecutors.

Increased sentences for such things as a defendants criminal record and gang membership are both just and logical, Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine Pacioni told lawmakers. A repeat felon, she said, deserves a longer sentence.

But the California Commission for Revision of the Penal Code, established by the Legislature to review the sentencing system, said in its annual report in February that sentencing increases under the laws were racially disproportionate.

Defendants given longer terms for use of a gun were 81% Black, Latino or Latina, the commission said. And despite a report by the Anti-Defamation League that California is seeing a proliferation of white-supremacist gangs, the commission said, more than 92% of sentence increases for gang involvement were assessed in state courts against Blacks, Latinos or Latinas.

Many of the commissions recommendations were included in Skinners SB81, which takes effect in January.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko
One year after activists toppled the statue of 18th century Franciscan priest Junipero Serra outside of a former Spanish mission in San Rafael, attorneys and supporters of five people implicated in the act called on the Marin County District Attorneys Office to drop its criminal prosecution.

The virtual press conference, like the statue toppling a year ago, took place on Indigenous Peoples Day, which was itself conceived as a challenge and a correction to a once-dominant historical perspective that celebrated colonizers such as Christopher Columbus rather than the people he and Serra helped colonize.

Besides being a sainted Catholic priest known for establishing the first U.S. missions in California, Serra is also accused of allowing imprisonment, torture and enslavement to convert Native Americans on the missions he ran.

It was last October that activists clambered up the bronze statue of Serra at Mission San Rafael and spray-painted his face and chest red to symbolize Indigenous bloodshed at the hands of the first U.S. Roman Catholic saint. Moments later, yellow and purple tape around Serras neck brought the statue tumbling off its pedestal to cheers from a gathered crowd.

Five of the alleged participants were arrested by San Rafael police and later charged with vandalism by Marin County District Attorney Lori Frugolis office, said defense attorney Hasmik Geghamyan.

Online court records show a felony case was filed against five defendants on Nov. 11, 2020.

During Mondays virtual press conference, the attorney and other supporters of the so-called Indigenous Peoples Day Five said no one should be prosecuted for an act that called attention to the nations past.

The tearing down of memorials honoring historical figures who subjugated others is a clarion call to study the true history of this country, said Corrina Gould, co-founder of the Sogorea Te Land Trust, an effort led by Indigenous women to return lands to Indigenous people.

The country was built on the enslavement and the murder of Indigenous peoples and the enslavement and murder of Black people and we dont look at that history, Gould said. This is a way for us to have those conversations.

Marin County has been home to the Coast Miwok people since the 1500s, and it is believed the Coast Miwok language is no longer spoken. Today, the county is one of the whitest, most affluent in the Bay Area. But it is not the only California county where activists face charges for overturning statues of Serra.

In the months before the San Rafael incident, activists brought down statues depicting Serra in Golden Gate Park and at the state Capitol in Sacramento. While no charges were brought in the former incident, the Sacramento County District Attorneys Office filed a felony vandalism charge against one man last October. Online court records show a trial is set for January 2022.

In the days after the Serra statue fell in San Rafael, Archbishop of San Francisco Salvatore Cordileone went to the site and performed an exorcism  a ceremony to ward off evil  and defended Serra as someone who brought salvation, not subjugation, to native Californians.

The Catholic Church has also requested restitution for the toppled statue, said Geghamyan, the defense attorney.

The San Francisco Archdiocese and Marin County District Attorneys Office did not return requests for comment.

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.

In Sacramento, the overturned Serra statue will be replaced with a monument to the areas native communities despite the objections of the Catholic Church.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a slew of bills in September that underscore a move toward recognition of the states previous whitewashing of colonial history and the impacts on Indigenous communities, including a bill to formally replace Columbus Day as a holiday with Native American Day, to be held the fourth Friday of September each year.

The new legislation comes after Pope Francis apologized to Indigenous people across the Americas in 2018 for the grave sins and crimes of colonialism.

If the governor of this state is apologizing, if the pope is apologizing, then dont we have the opportunity to have conversations about the injustice of being continuously persecuted? Gould said.

The activists campaign temporarily prompted the Marin County District Attorneys Office to change its outgoing voice mail message to acknowledge heightened interest in the case. Even so, Geghamyan said she expects a preliminary hearing to take place before the end of the year.

Deepa Fernandes is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: deepa.fernandes@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @deepafern
Sixteen major wildfires have burned in Butte County over the last two decades, including the 2018 Camp and 2020 North Complex fires, major blazes that together consumed more than 470,000 acres.

Now, an innovative plan to rehabilitate the forests scarred by those fires projects a potentially dismal climate situation in the decades ahead: erratic rainfall and less snow, drought-stressed trees, and hotter, longer dry seasons more hospitable to insects than vegetation.

And it asks, what if the decimated forests surrounding the countys seven ridge communities could be restored as buffers in the hotter, drier, more fire-prone climate?

The Camp Fire Restoration Plan steps away from the long-held practice of replanting what was there before and instead calls for bringing in tree species better adapted to warmer, drier conditions.

Replanting the way that it was done even 10 years ago, which isnt very long ago, isnt working, said Wolfy Rougle, Butte County Resource Conservation Districts forest health watershed coordinator and an adviser on the project. Just because we dont know everything about what 2035 will be like doesnt mean we shouldnt try to set us up for success.

Santiago Mejia / The Chronicle 2018

Written by national conservation nonprofit American Forests, the project zeroes in on just over 4,000 fire-scarred acres overseen by the federal Bureau of Land Management. But it was designed as a blueprint for land managers reconsidering what types of ecosystems might withstand a hotter and drier reality with more fires in Californias mountainous regions.

Central to the project are predictions that the climate at 2,500 feet of elevation will transform by the middle of the century to become more like current conditions 1,000 feet downhill.

Pulling from a variety of scientific studies, the project foresees a future where towering conifer stands have retreated to higher elevations in the Sierra Nevada. It anticipates a receding snow line and a thirstier atmosphere leaving less moisture in the ground.

Areas once thought of as intractably dense forest would be replanted with a patchwork of oak woodlands, conifers and native bunch grasses. In other words, more diversity and fewer pines in lines, as the old forestry saying describes the way forests have long been restored.

The plan calls for collecting seeds and acorns from warmer climates in lower elevations for the assisted migration of certain species. The idea is to speed up what changing climate conditions are expected to do anyway.

Coreen Francis, the Bureau of Land Managements lead forester for California and Nevada, said the increasing severity of fires in Butte County and other foothill areas motivated her to ask American Forests to collect input from leading research on climate change and ideas from local experts and residents on how the area might recover.

With the Camp Fire in particular, I just thought about all the residents who lost their homes (situated) right on the border with BLM land, Francis said. I wanted to be able to show them we cared. We wanted to respond in a scientific manner so the forest recovered appropriately.

Brittany Dyer, American Forests California state director, described a shift among some reforestation experts away from marketable timber to hardy oak woodland-dominated forests expected to fare better in a changing climate. The plan would require consistent stewardship of the land to reduce overgrowth on the forest floor and help rebuild towering forests to replace the devastating loss of old growth trees in recent fires.

Using the Climate Adapted Seed Finder tool developed by researchers at UC Davis, communities at 2,000 feet elevation in Butte County should harvest acorns and seeds from the Central Valley town of Shasta Lake.

The plan scores tree species on their likelihood of survival in changing conditions. All tree species are expected to be stressed by the changing climate, but oaks are generally expected to fare better because they are more adapted to drought and fire.

The projects outlines terrain-based plans for species based on the topography. For example, a mixture of ponderosa and gray pine with a variety of oak species is better suited to withstand the heat of south-facing slopes. Cooler northern slopes could be more hospitable to incense cedar and Douglas fir in a mixed oak forest.

After major wildfires, federal recovery projects focus on rebuilding roads, culverts, trails, visitors centers and other cultural features, Francis said. Reforestation is often left to local land managers and not included in the infusion of funding that comes after a wildfire emergency.

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.

Most of the time we do just a little reforestation planning with the local forester picking out trees already part of that normal seed zone and elevation, Francis said.

But Francis said a history of regular large fires in Butte County called for a different approach. The work is expected to cost between $500,000 and $1.5 million between 2020 and 2025 and focus on three parcels near Paradise and Magalia  Upper Ridge, Dean Road and Jordan Hill.

Francis said the federal agency doesnt have the money or staff to do it all. She is seeking help from nonprofits like American Forests, local agencies and other groups to support the work. Workers and volunteers already planted a first batch of seedlings at Upper Ridge and Jordan Hill in 2021 and 2020.

The challenge is ensuring the work goes beyond planting trees and walking away, but instead funds programs to plant, cut, burn, prune and manage the lands so the forests dont cede completely to shrubs or return to overcrowded tinderboxes, Francis said.

She is already planning to use the reports recommendations for assisted migration of species in other areas, including the eastern Sierra Nevada area burned by this years Tamarack Fire.

Longtime Butte County resident Brenda Rightmyer, a founding member of the Yankee Hill Fire Safe Council, said the 2018 Camp Fire burned in areas where there were tons of dead trees on the ground that were never removed after a 2008 wildfire, known locally as the first Camp Fire. She believes that fire fueled the Camp Fires monstrous growth and is hopeful that projects like the BLM effort will do a better job removing dead trees and taking other steps to protect communities against the next fire.

Rightmyer said shes seen fires transform landscapes from forests to highly flammable shrub lands because of repeat fires during her 30 years in the area. Reforestation plans are very important, she said.

We need to get more aggressive into doing the work and get more people doing the work  the list is endless, she said.

Julie Johnson and Yoohyun Jung are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: julie.johnson@sfchronicle.com, yoohyun.jung@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @juliejohnson @yoohyun_jung
A man found near a car ablaze, and suffering burns, was detained in connection with a brush fire that erupted Monday in American Canyon, the Napa County Sheriffs Department said.

The 26-year-old man, whose name was not released, was taken into custody and to a local hospital for treatment, after which he was to be booked on suspicion of stealing the car, sheriffs spokesman Henry Wofford said Monday night. The car was reported stolen from Vallejo. Wofford said Cal Fire officials planned to interview the man to see if he was connected to the fire that broke out shortly before he was detained.

The man was in an area very close where the fire started and is a person of interest in the blaze, said Wofford.

The Newell Fire in American Canyon was among wildfires and other devastation propelled by Mondays fierce winds, gusts that prompted a red flag warning for fire danger across most of Central and Northern California.

The Newell Fire sparked in the afternoon and quickly grew to 150 acres before crews halted its forward progress and wrestled it to 50% containment Monday night.

In Santa Barbara County, firefighters battled into the night against what began Monday as a small chaparral fire near Alisal Lake but quickly erupted into a racing blaze that sent thick, billowing smoke clouds over the county and the Los Padres National Forest. It triggered evacuation orders and road closures, fueled by wind gusts of up to 70 mph, the U.S. Forest Service said.

The winds were just howling, said Andrew Madsen, a spokespeson for the national forest. Weve got firefighters whove worked in Los Padres for 20 years or more and have never seen a fire like this. When the wind is blowing downhill as it was, the fire just raced down the hill, almost like a slinky. It just blew up.

The Alisal Fire was estimated at about 2,000 acres by 8 p.m. Monday. Highway 101 to the west of Santa Barbara between Highway 1 and Winchester Canyon Road was shut down indefinitely in both directions, officials said. El Capitan State Beach, Refugio Canyon, Tajiguas, Arroyo Hondo Preserve and Arroyo Quemada Beach were all under evacuation orders, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriffs Office.

Wind conditions were so strong that aerial firefighting efforts were called off at about 3:15 p.m. for safety, said Madsen.

Pacific Gas & Electric, seeking to keep its equipment from falling and sparking new fires, shut down power Monday for about 25,000 Californians, including nearly 8,000 Bay Area residents, the utility said.

And amid high winds in the southern desert region between Lancaster and Inyokern, portions of Route 14 and Highway 395 were closed off temporarily after the gusts caused dust storms and several overturned vehicles, according to a tweet from Caltrans.

With the lack of moisture and some soils out there, you can definitely see some dust blowing around, Brayden Murdock, a National Weather Service meteorologist, said. Tall vehicles tipping over with some of these gusts isnt unheard of, especially when seeing some of these mountaintops getting close to 50-mile-per-hour gusts.

Strong gusts knocked down trees and power lines in the El Granada area of coastal San Mateo County on Monday morning, damaging a home and crushing three vehicles, according to Cal Fire.

In the San Jose foothills, a vegetation fire in the area of Sierra Road and Varner Court grew to about 8 acres, threatening homes near Suncrest Avenue before fire crews were able to get the blaze under control, officials 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.

Meteorologists said a twisting weather system known as an inside slider was behind the high winds, as a low-pressure system swooped in from the north and turned east over Southern California, wreaking havoc in areas already beset by drought and wildfires.

As its moving south, were on the west end of it and that wind just piles up, Murdock said late Monday. Were getting a ton of wind.

A similar windy weather system helped fuel last years Glass Fire in Napa and Sonoma counties, which grew to more than 67,000 acres, according to Cal Fire.

In other areas, sections of roads including Route 89 and Route 108 were closed due to snow and ice, according to Caltrans.

For most of the state, the windy conditions were expected to subside into Tuesday morning. High-elevation areas could see high winds through Tuesday or Wednesday, Murdock said.

Southern portions of Monterey County could even see some frost Monday night as temperatures drop, Murdock said.

San Francisco Chronicle staff writer Rita Beamish contributed to this story.

Andres Picon is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: andy.picon@hearst.com Twitter: @andpicon
Via California Highway Patrol

The Alisal Fire burning in Santa Barbara County grew to 13,400 acres as of Tuesday evening, continuing its rampage in dry brush after doubling in size the night before.

The brush fire was 5% contained as crews continued battling the blaze in gusty conditions with northwest winds up to 35 mph and gusts up to 70 mph, officials said.
This week, a historically dry period in California will come to bear at Lake Tahoe, where the water level is expected to sink below the basins natural rim. Thats the point at which the lake pours into its only outflow, the Truckee River.

Its not a crisis, researchers and conservationists say, but it marks another extreme swing for Tahoe amid historic drought, wildfires and erratic weather, all intertwined with climate change and becoming more prominent aspects of the alpine environment.

Going below the natural rim wont change much in the lake itself. But theres very little positive about low lake levels once they get below the rim, said Geoffrey Schladow, director of the Tahoe Environmental Research Center at UC Davis.

Tahoes natural rim rests at 6,223 feet in elevation. A dam on the Truckee River allows the lake to fill about 6 feet higher, to 6,229.1 feet, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The water level has fallen below the rim four times since 2004, most recently in the fall of 2016, the height of Californias historic drought. However, that tense period was followed by a banner winter for precipitation in the Tahoe area, in 2017, which replenished the Sierra snowpack and brought the lake to its highest heights in decades.

The water level has mostly been falling since the summer of 2019, when it was near the lakes limit, and is currently about 1 inches above the rim. The plunge is due primarily to meager snowpack in the mountains ringing the lake as well as evaporation, which sucks about 3 feet of depth off the lake each year, according to Tahoe water authorities.

This time, researchers and environmental nonprofits keeping watch of the lake arent optimistic about the water coming back as quickly as it did in 2017.

If we have another dry winter, it could become a bigger concern, Schladow said.

Tahoe has been steadily receding all year, and the plunging water level is changing the character of its shoreline.

The Truckee River, Tahoes only outflow, has slowed to a trickle. Private piers across the North Shore are high and dry. Boat ramps plunge straight into bare earth. Entire coves on the East Shore, popular with kayakers, have dried up. The South Shore has become one giant sandbar. Beaches in shallower areas have grown by hundreds of feet, exposing parts of the lake people arent used to seeing and revealing stinking deposits of rotting algae.

You cant get within 150 yards of the normal shoreline in South Lake Tahoe, said Kelsey Weist, owner of Clearly Tahoe, which runs clear-bottom kayak tours around the lake.

The brunt of the impact so far has been felt by boating and tourism companies who have had to get creative about getting their customers on the water. Marinas are dredging more deeply to retain access for boaters.

Weist, who runs tours year-round, has adapted by overhauling her routes. A popular one that led paddlers along the Upper Truckee Marsh  typically a great place to spot wildlife  had to be canceled in early July, Weist said.

We dont foresee this being the last time we have this challenge, Weist said. With global warming, we know were never going to be able to anticipate a normal season again.

Max Whittaker/San Francisco Chronicle

Upper Truckee Marsh marks the spot where Tahoes largest inflow, the Upper Truckee, reaches the lake. Its key habitat for kokanee salmon, which would normally be running upriver this time of year by the hundreds to spawn. But on Friday, under the afternoon sun, Jesse Patterson looked into the water there and counted only two. Nearby, piles of dead algae decayed on the beach.

Its crazy low, said Patterson, chief strategy officer for the League to Save Lake Tahoe, a conservation and cleanup nonprofit. The concern is what it looks like if this continues for multiple years in a row.

Beyond cosmetics, theres potential for environmental effects.

Climate change has warmed the lake, which has in turn given rise to algal blooms that have, in recent years, mucked up its famous clarity. The warmer the lake gets, the less likely it is to turn over, a periodic mixing phenomenon that helps keep the aquatic ecosystem balanced and healthy.

If water levels were to remain below the rim, Tahoe could become terminal, a designation of water bodies with no outflow. Those lakes come to be known for their high salinity and lack of aquatic life  the Salton Sea and Mono Lake are two examples in California.

Another possible change to Tahoe if water levels remain low: the emergence of the shallow sill at the mouth of Emerald Bay, which could separate the bay from the rest of the lake. Such separation may occur at the mouths of many streams, cutting off access to spawning kokanee salmon next fall, according to an email update from the Tahoe Environmental Research Center at UC Davis.

But there is reason for optimism: Snow has already fallen in Tahoe at least twice this month; a quarter-inch fell in parts of the lake on Monday.

It is likely that winter will arrive in the next few months and the lake level will rise above the natural rim soon after, according to the Tahoe Environmental Research Center. However, in its email, the center said that things could get worse.

There is no limit to how many years drought conditions may persist and how low the water level may go. The most recent estimates suggest continuing drought conditions.

What concerns lake advocates is the overall toll of more frequent extreme events  historic drought and low snowpack, high temperatures, smoky skies, the Caldor Fire.

It makes us question, is the lake at a tipping point? said Darcie Goodman Collins, CEO of the League to Save Lake Tahoe. Theres a lot we can do to help the lake be resilient to climate change  restoring the natural wetlands and streams, invasive species removal. But its valid to ask those questions because this is happening so quickly.

Gregory Thomas is the Chronicles editor of lifestyle & outdoors. Email: gthomas@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @GregRThomas
Welcome to the first installment of The Chronicle Food sections new series called Dont FOMO (fear of missing out), encouraging readers to jump on food and drink that are available for only a short time in the Bay Area  or otherwise very hard to get. In other words, dont miss out.

When Berkeley izakaya Fish & Bird debuted in early 2020, edamame wasnt on the menu. Chef Asuka Uchida refused to serve it, according to owner Yoshika Hedberg, because the vast majority of the green soybeans found in the U.S. arrive frozen.

But recently, edamame has made an appearance because of a rare occurence: The restaurant got its hands on fresh edamame from a nearby farm. Like the more ubiquitous versions at local Japanese restaurants, the fuzzy pods are served simply boiled with flaky sea salt. Yet the experience is a far cry from its frozen brethren: The smaller beans pop out with a crunchier texture and bright, sweet flavor. Buttery and slightly grassy, they strike a balance between new and familiar.

The fresh organic edamame, grown by Hikari Farms in Watsonville, is available at a few restaurants and markets in San Francisco and Berkeley for about three more weeks, until the end of October.

Where to find fresh edamame from Hikari Farms Bi-Rite Market: 3639 18th St., San Francisco and 550 Divisadero St., San Francisco. biritemarket.com Fish & Bird Sousaku Izakaya: 2451 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. fishbirdizakaya.com Rintaro: 82 14th St., San Francisco. izakayarintaro.com The Anchovy Bar: 1740 O'Farrell St., San Francisco. theanchovybar.com Tokyo Fish Market: 1220 San Pablo Ave., Berkeley. tokyofish.net See More Collapse

Its uncommon to find fresh edamame because it doesnt make financial sense to grow them, according to Hikaris Janet Nagamine. She started planting them at her familys greenhouse, a small-scale operation focused on organic Japanese produce, largely so she could eat them herself. She also wanted to honor her grandmother.

When Nagamine first visited family in Japan as a picky 6-year-old, she refused to eat most Japanese food except udon. Fresh edamame was one of the few other foods suitable to Nagamines American palate. My grandma would pick it from the farm and I loved it, she said. If it werent for her feeding me that I would have starved.

When she returned to the U.S., she couldnt find edamame anywhere until the 1980s. Then it was always frozen, and just not the same.

In 2014, when Nagamine took over managing Hikari Farms, she planted edamame  but more of a passion project than a business decision. It seemed like a hard thing to sell.

If you can get a pound at Trader Joes frozen for $3, why would you pay twice as much for the other stuff, which youve never tasted? You think that edamame is fine and great until you taste the real thing, she said.

That said, she found loyal customers in San Franciscos boutique Bi-Rite Market, as well as a few higher-end restaurants, so she has continued to grow a small amount every year. She waffled on whether to bother this year, and planted the seeds unusually late. Normally, edamame season is in June and July.

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It just doesnt make sense on many levels because its super labor intensive, she said. It takes about 30 minutes to pick 1 pound, and despite growing edamame for seven years, she still hasnt figured out a more efficient way to harvest the beans. Most soybeans commercially grown are done in row crops and theres machinery used to harvest, she said. We pick it one by one, every single bean.

But hearing about the enthusiasm at Fish & Bird has inspired Nagamine to push forward next year, perhaps planting more and selling on the vine so she doesnt have to extract every single pod.

For those who pick up edamame from a market instead of a restaurant, Nagamine recommends cooking the beans simply: Boil for 3 minutes and top with sea salt.

You want to appreciate the pure flavor of it, she said. Its sweet and buttery, and it doesnt need anything.

Janelle Bitker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: janelle.bitker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @janellebitker
Piatti, the popular Italian mini chain born in the 1987, is reopening its Mill Valley location with a new look and concept on Thursday.

The waterfront Marin restaurant now sports a modern, minimalist aesthetic, with a new emphasis on its bar, fresh pastas and retail marketplace. While the refresh sounds like a classic pandemic pivot, its actually been several years in the making and will eventually roll out to all nine locations .

The Mill Valley Piatti had a great year in 2019 in terms of sales, but if you wait until the business declines, its too late, said Piatti president Tim Harmon.

He saw more and more restaurants go casual while maintaining ambitious food, as a well as an increase in options for diners who might want to stop by just for a cocktail or get a family-style feast to finish cooking at home.

Courtesy Michelle Min

To boost the quality, Piatti brought on David Zboray as a creative culinary consultant. He was mostly recently executive chef at San Franciscos pizza-centric Zero Zero and also held sous chef stints at Michelin-starred Mourad and Cotogna.

Perhaps the biggest change to the menu is that the restaurant will now make all the pasta fresh daily in-house. While Piatti made some fresh pasta before, it didnt attempt more complicated shapes like campanelle ($18), thats served with crimini mushrooms, kale, toasted walnuts and pecorino cheese ; and bucatini ($18), which will be served with amatriciana sauce and a topping of crisp, prosciutto-laced bread crumbs.

The wine list has shrunk to focus on Italian varietals, and now the cocktails lean Italian as well, such as an old fashioned ($13.75) with black walnut liquer.

To make a more casual environment, the space  previously a giant traditional dining room in neutral tones  now offers a long counter that peers over an open kitchen and triple the bar seating. The colors are bolder as well, with forest green walls and navy banquettes.

Courtesy Michelle Min

While the restaurant unveiled some retail during the pandemic, about half of the restaurant is now lined with retail displays. Theres fresh pasta and sauces to take home. Theres gelato by the pint, cookies, chocolates. There are pantry goods like olive oils, marinated olives and Italian coffee. And home goods, such as cooking utensils, serving dishes and cookbooks. Many of the new offerings are made in-house under a Piatti Provisions brand, which was popular when the restaurant began experimenting with it last year, according to Harmon.

Harmon said the company wrestled with the idea of modernizing too much, but its important to not be too beholden to the current clientele and hope that what were doing is successful enough to attract new clientele. To keep longtime customers happy, the restaurant is keeping some classics on the menu, like Bolognese ($19), Caesar salad ($11), roast chicken ($19) and mushroom pizza ($17) finished with black truffle oil.

Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more.

Courtesy Michelle Min

Despite all the changes, the restaurant is still called Piatti for a reason.

We have often thought about how at some point you evolve so much youre a different place, he said. At the end of the day, I feel like the name does carry with it now a lot of history and reputation. Its like a steak house that eventually seems out of date, but then suddenly it comes back around.

Piatti Mill Valley. Reopening Oct. 14. 5 to 9 p.m. Thursday to Saturday, with lunch coming soon. 625 Redwood Highway, Mill Valley. millvalley.piatti.com

Janelle Bitker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: janelle.bitker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @janellebitker
San Francisco and Marin counties are preparing to relax some of their masking rules Friday, raising questions about whether its safe to do so, even as the delta surge wanes. A new study has raised concerns about the damaging effects a COVID-19 infection can have on the brain. What may finally compel many to get a COVID shot could be the threat of losing their jobs. Supporters of a push to require companies to publicly report workplace coronavirus outbreaks say they plan to keep fighting despite recent setbacks that they say allow big businesses to keep outbreaks secret.

Resources on COVID-19 and Californias reopening: For detailed maps and new city-by-city Bay Area data, check The Chronicles Coronavirus Tracker. To get regular updates on our coverage, sign up for our coronavirus newsletter.

Latest updates:

Coachella reverses on vaccination requirement: The Coachella music festival has reversed its plan to require vaccinations for all ticketholders to its April 2022 events, organizers announced Tuesday. Festival organizers changed course After seeing first-hand the low transmission data and successful implementation of safety protocols at other festivals this past month, a statement on the festival website, posted under health & safety rules, said. Vaccination proof still will work to get in, but the festival will also accept proof of a negative COVID test within 72 hours of entry to the event.

U.S. to open borders: The U.S. will reopen its land borders to nonessential travel next month, ending a 19-month freeze amid the COVID-19 pandemic as the country moves to require all international visitors to be vaccinated against the coronavirus, the Associated Press reported Tuesday, citing senior administration officials. Vehicle, rail and ferry travel between the U.S. and Canada and Mexico has been largely restricted to essential travel, such as trade, since the earliest days of the pandemic. The new rules will allow fully vaccinated foreign nationals to enter the U.S. regardless of the reason for travel starting in early November, when a similar easing of restrictions is set to kick in for air travel into the country. By mid-January, even essential travelers seeking to enter the U.S., such as truck drivers, will need to be fully vaccinated.

COVID is never going to go away, California scientist says: Even as the rate of new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continues trending downward in California, health experts on Tuesday cautioned that the hard times may not be over. The states coronavirus death toll is nearing 70,000  nearly 1 in 500 Californians. People are too eager to lift precautions and declare victory against the virus, said Dr. Kristian Andersen, an immunology expert with Scripps Research who spoke during a roundtable hosted by the state health department. Its really important that we change our mindset, he said. COVID is never going to go away. Read more here.

California to launch more than 100 school vaccine clinics: The state will open more than 100 vaccination clinics this fall at school sites in vulnerable neighborhoods, officials announced Tuesday. The clinics will offer shots to students and staff at K-8 schools in low income zip codes. This is bringing vaccine to where people are, said state epidemiologist Dr. Erica Pan. Its so much more convenient to go where they are, so no family has to be make a special trip to a clinic. The clinics will offer the COVID-19 vaccine, with some also offering the flu shots. Pan anticipated that all schoolchildren in California will be required to be vaccinated against the coronavirus by July 1.

California testing COVID-sniffing dogs in schools: The states health department recently received federal funding for a pilot program to introduce COVID-sniffing dogs into schools, starting this month. State epidemiologist Dr. Erica Pan offered a sneak peek at the project during a roundtable with other medical experts Tuesday and said more details would be announced shortly. Scientists say the coronavirus, like other diseases, has a distinct scent and several research centers across the U.S. have been working on training dogs to detect the presence of the disease.

Contra Costa County considering mask-free sectors: When asked about plans in San Francisco and Marin County to lift indoor masking Oct. 15 at gyms and indoor offices where everyone is vaccinated, Contra Costa County health officer Chris Farnitano said he was considering similar action for the East Bay county. Were reviewing it now and hope to make some announcement about that in the next week or so, he told the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday.

Southwest Airlines to comply with federal vaccine mandate, ignoring Gov. Abbots pushback: Southwest Airlines will comply with President Bidens mandate requiring vaccination against COVID-19 for its employees, despite the Texas governors executive order that blocks employers from issuing such rules. According to the presidents executive order, federal action supersedes any state mandate or law, and we would be expected to comply with the presidents order to remain compliant as a federal contractor, the Dallas-based airline said in a statement.

Contra Costa County supervisors label vaccine misinformation a public health crisis: Two county supervisors on Tuesday backed a resolution labeling COVID-19 misinformation as a public health crisis. It is incumbent on us to call it out, said Supervisor Karen Mitchoff during a board meeting. We are seeing it in our hospitalizations and our deaths. The misinformation out there is leading to some individuals choosing not to get vaccinated. Supervisor John Gioia, who codrafted the resolution, said that despite Contra Costa Countys high vaccination rate, misinformation is preventing the holdouts from getting their shots. Reaching the last 13% in our county to be vaccinated is a lot harder than the first 13%, Gioia said. He added, Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but they are not entitled to their own facts.

FDA staff refrains from endorsing Moderna boosters: Staff at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday declined to give its support to a supplemental dose of the Moderna coronavirus vaccine, citing studies that shows two doses are enough. Overall, data indicate that currently US-licensed or authorized COVID-19 vaccines still afford protection against severe COVID-19 disease and death in the United States, the scientists wrote in a 45-page report published on the agencys website. The FDA staff similarly declined to take a position on booster shots of the Pfizer vaccine in September, though an influential expert committee at the agency  and ultimately the agency itself  ended up recommending the Pfizer shots for some people. Read more here.

States with colder climates see a rise in cases: Even though COVID-19 cases are on a downward trend nationally, a handful of states with high vaccination rates saw coronavirus case rates rise over the past month as temperatures dropped. Youre starting to see an uptick in cases in the colder parts of the country and as people are driven indoors without masks on, Dr. Scott Gottlieb, the former FDA director, told CNN on Monday. Among those states, Michigan recorded a 91% jump in new cases; Montana, 83%; Minnesota, 76%; New Hampshire, 54%; Vermont, 43%; and Colorado and Idaho, both 22%.

Solano County to open mass vaccination site: The county, with 67% of its eligible population fully vaccinated, will launch a mass vaccination site on Wednesday in the hopes of increasing that number. For eight weeks, the clinics will offer first and second doses, as well as booster doses of the Pfizer vaccine, at the Solano County Fairgrounds in Vallejo. They will operate Wednesday-Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. through mid-December, with closures scheduled for the week of Nov. 3-6 and Nov. 24-27.

Kyrie Irving barred from games, practice: Brooklyn Nets player Kyrie Irving, who is unvaccinated against COVID-19, will not be able to play with the team or attend practices until he gets his shots, the teams General Manager Sean Marks said in a statement Tuesday. We respect his individual right to choose, he said. The choice restricts his ability to be a full-time member of the team, and we will not permit any member of our team to participate with part-time availability. There is also a vaccination in requirement in place for Barclays Center, the home of the Nets.

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.

Russia hits new record for COVID-19 deaths, but Kremlin rules out a lockdown: Russian officials reported 973 coronavirus deaths Tuesday, the highest daily toll since the start of the pandemic. Deaths and new COVID-19 infections are soaring in Russia, but government officials have said a nationwide lockdown is not in the offing, the Associated Press reported.

How the pandemic affected enrollment at the University of California and Californias community colleges: Californias higher-education systems differed vastly in terms of how the coronavirus pandemic affected undergraduate enrollment. Overall, the states community college system educates more students of color and is experiencing dramatic declines in enrollment, leading to thousands of students of color leaving Californias public higher education system. Dive into the data and read the full story here.

S.F. school district lost 3,500 students in two years, at a cost of $35 million: San Francisco schools have lost 3,499 students in the past two years, a drop in enrollment that could mean a $35 million hit in state funding, compounding an already dire financial future. While officials had hoped to see a bounce back in student numbers this fall given the reopening of schools, that didnt happen. Read the full story here.

What s the risk of dropping your mask now that S.F. and Marin are loosening mandates?: This Friday, San Francisco and Marin County will relax some of their mask rules, allowing fully vaccinated people in certain public spaces like offices and gyms to shed their face coverings. But some may wonder if its the right time to drop their masks, especially as the Bay Area is still coming off the surge of the highly contagious delta variant. Read the full story here.

New law restricts protests at California vaccination sites: California will require protesters to maintain a buffer zone around vaccination sites, similar to the protective areas some cities have established outside abortion clinics to maintain access for patients. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed SB742, making it illegal to approach anyone within 100 feet of entering or exiting a hospital, doctors office, pharmacy or other location offering vaccines for the purpose of harassing, intimidating or preventing them from obtaining medical services. Read the full story.

Nearly 150,000 new childrens COVID cases in U.S. last week: There 148,222 child COVID-19 cases reported in the United States for the week ending Oct. 7, representing about a quarter of all the weekly reported cases in the nation. Over two weeks, the cumulated number of child COVID-19 cases since the beginning of the pandemic rose 6%, according to data collected by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Childrens Hospital Association. But the numbers have been on a steady downward trend since hitting a peak of 252,000 cases on Sep. 9, with hospitalizations and deaths in children remaining low.

Amazon scraps plan to bring employees back to the office: Amazon is offering more remote-work options for its employees, allowing more of its corporate staff to continue working from home. Instead of specifying that people work a baseline of three days a week in the office, were going to leave this decision up to individual teams, CEO Andy Jassy said in a memo Monday. He added that many employees have found remote work to be inspiring and energizing, contributing to Amazons pandemic success. We want to support this flexibility and will continue to offer those corporate employees, who can work effectively away from the office, the option to work up to four weeks per year fully remote from any location within your country of employment, Jassy said.

Moderna wont share vaccine formula: Despite pleas from the World Health Organization and other organizations to share the formula for its mRNA COVID-19 vaccine to allow struggling nations to ramp up production, Modernas chairman said Monday that the company instead intends to increase its manufacturing. Within the next six to nine months, the most reliable way to make high-quality vaccines and in an efficient way is going to be if we make them, Noubar Afeyan told the Associated Press. He said the company intends to deliver billions of additional doses of its vaccine in 2022.

U.K. study finds unvaccinated pregnant women make up 20% of critical COVID cases in England: About 20% of the most critically ill COVID-19 cases in England were made up of unvaccinated, pregnant women, according to a study released Monday by the U.K.s National Health Service. The NHS urged pregnant women to get vaccinated.
SACRAMENTO  Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislators finished this years round of lawmaking at the state Capitol over the weekend, ending a session that brought little of the policy-making drama of past years.

In many ways, this years legislative session was far less eventful than 2020, when COVID-19 massively disrupted lawmakers agenda, because work in Sacramento was often overshadowed by last months failed attempt to recall Newsom.

But after the Democratic governors landslide victory in the recall, next year is already shaping up to be potentially more spirited as legislators prepare to revisit policy fights that were quietly punted.

Lawmakers and activists are contemplating reviving debates over vaccine mandates to combat COVID-19, environmental protections related to oil drilling and an overhaul of recall election rules, among other perennial fights.

David McCuan, a political scientist at Sonoma State University, said after the governors big victory in the recall, Democrats ironically face more pressure than ever to take on the states thorniest challenges, especially as Newsom and many legislators face re-election fights in 2022.

Now that they have defeated the Republicans handily twice (with Newsoms 2018 and 2021 gubernatorial victories), progressives are going to want more than lip service, he said. Theyre going to want a roadmap.

Here are some of the biggest issues legislators are expected to confront after they return to work on Jan. 3.

Vaccine mandates

Newsom this month announced California will be the first state to require public and private school students to be vaccinated against the coronavirus once the shot is approved for their age groups. But the mandate includes a big loophole: personal belief exemptions.

Several legislators have been outspoken that, if vaccination rates dont improve significantly in the next few months, they plan to advance legislation to remove the exemption.

Parents want safe schools, said Sen. Richard Pan, D-Sacramento, a physician who is considering supporting a measure to end the loophole. This is a new virus. We dont know what the long-term impacts are on children who get infected.

California has already eliminated personal belief exemptions for the 10 other vaccines it requires students to receive to attend school. But state officials say Newsom cannot remove the exemption for COVID-19 without the Legislature acting first.

Assembly Member Buffy Wicks, D-Oakland, said she is exploring legislation to close the loophole, though she said any final determination will depend on the status of the pandemic come January. She said she fears the exemption will be widely exploited.

Its too big of a loophole, it will be abused, she said.

This year, Wicks considered pushing a bill to create a statewide vaccine-or-testing mandate for employers, as well as a vaccine mandate for bars, restaurants, gyms and other venues. But the measure was shelved in the final weeks of session.

President Biden recently signed an executive order mandating that companies with 100 or more employees require workers to be vaccinated or submit to weekly testing.

Wicks said shes thinking about carrying legislation to expand the mandate for businesses, to close the loophole for employers with 99 or fewer workers. She said her bill could also include mandates that consumers be vaccinated to enter spaces like bars, restaurants, gyms and theaters.

The debate is likely to stir fierce opposition from anti-vaccine activists, who in recent years have routinely disputed business at the Capitol with fiery protests and outbursts in public meetings, including a 2019 incident in which a protester splattered blood from a menstrual cup on senators.

Were not going to be held hostage by folks that dont believe in science, Wicks said. The vast majority of the electorate in California supports vaccine mandates.

Environmental protections

Nearly every major environmental measure was shelved or died in the Legislature this year. But pressure on lawmakers and Newsom to do more to combat climate change and regulate oil drilling isnt dissipating.

Frustration among environmentalists hit fever pitch last week after an oil spill leaked about 130,000 gallons of crude oil into federal ocean off the coast of Orange County.

Sen. David Min, D-Irvine (Orange County), announced he plans to introduce a measure to ban all offshore drilling in state waters, including for existing leases. Hes also called on the federal government to end drilling in its waters.

But the push to limit oil extraction in California is expected to expand to land-based drilling. Activists are pushing the state to stop issuing new drilling permits for all types of extraction.

Legislators this year rejected a bill that would have ended most fossil-fuel extraction in the state and created setbacks between oil wells and homes, schools and other public spaces. Similar measures are expected to be revived, if Newsoms administration doesnt take action in the meantime.

Kassie Siegel, director of the Center for Biological Diversitys Climate Law Institute, said she expects to see legislators propose a bevy of bills to protect against oil spills and phase out drilling.

Were out of time for half steps and side steps on climate, health and oil, she said. They are totally dropping the ball on climate.

Lawmakers also rejected a host of bills this year that sought to reduce the amount of plastic Californians use once and toss in the trash. The sidelined bills included a measure that would have banned online retailers from using many types of plastic packaging that arent recyclable.

Environmentalists said they expect many of those measures to be reintroduced, and theyre supporting a 2022 ballot measure that asks voters to approve regulations to reduce plastic waste.

Recall laws

Newsoms landslide win in the recall, which cost the state about $276 million to conduct a special election, has only fueled demands from Democrats that California tighten its rules to avoid a repeat.

Efforts to rewrite the recall laws were put on hold until after this years session. But the effort will gain attention quickly as legislators are expected to host a series of hearings about potential reforms this fall.

Among the potential reform ideas: raising the number of signatures needed to qualify for the ballot, requiring a runoff between the top two vote-getters to replace the governor and allowing the lieutenant governor to take over if the governor is recalled.

Democratic legislators have said their biggest concern is that the states existing recall laws could allow a future recall challenger to become governor with a scant plurality of voters. Under Californias law, if a governor is recalled by a majority of voters, the top vote-getter among the replacement candidates wins, even if they have well under a majority of the vote.

The effort to rewrite recall laws is expected to face fierce opposition from conservative activists, whove called the effort an undemocratic erasure of a peaceful means of protest.

But Democratic leaders in the Legislature ended their session last month by suggesting the effort would be top of mind when they return: Weve heard that people want change, Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins, D-San Diego, said at the time. I do think that the appetite is there.

Dustin Gardiner is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: dustin.gardiner@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @dustingardiner
As the sun rose over San Francisco Monday morning, hundreds of early risers gathered on Alcatraz Island Monday for the Indigenous Peoples Day Sunrise Gathering to commemorate the 1969-1971 occupation of Alcatraz by the Indians of All Tribes.

The annual event, organized by the International Indian Treaty Council, honors the perseverance of Indigenous peoples in spite of displacement, forced assimilation, an epidemic of missing and murdered women and other adversities.

Morning Star Gali, organizer and project director of Restoring Justice for Indigenous Peoples, said that Monday was no longer a colonizers holiday.

The second Monday of October has long been recognized as Columbus Day. Last Friday, President Joe Biden officially proclaimed it as Indigenous Peoples Day. San Francisco officials made the change in 2018.

The ceremony included performances from Aztec and other Indigenous Nations dancers, cultural presenters and a group prayer to honor the earth and its scarce resources. A mixture of sage, sea salt and firewood could be smelled through the air as the group greeted the sunrise.

Ryce Stoughtenborough / The Chronicle

Before Alcatraz was known as prison and later as a tourist attraction, the island belonged to Bay Area Natives, also known as Ohlone. On Nov. 9 1969, Richard Oakes, Akwesasne Mohawk and a group of Native supporters set out in a chartered boat to symbolically reclaim the island for the Native people and occupied the island for the next two years.

Gali, a member of the Ajumawi band of the Pit River Tribe, has attended the ceremony with her family since she was a child, and has since passed on that tradition to her own children. She received her name during a sunrise gathering held by Bill Wahpepah, a late leader of the IITC and founder of the gathering.

Ryce Stoughtenborough / The Chronicle

Were here to counter the erasure of indigenous peoples. Columbus was lost, he didnt discover us at all. We were always here  our creation stories have us here since time immemorial, 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.

This ceremony means that we are still here as Native people gathering from different tribes and keeping alive our cultures as well as our resistance to the forces that want to disappear us, said Javier Stell-Fresquez, a longtime San Francisco resident and Indigenous person who has attended the ceremony for the last eight years.

(Columbus) doesnt deserve a day  we deserve an entire future.

Ryce Stoughtenborough is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: ryce.stoughtenborough@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rstoughts
Mayor London Breed was set to announce Tuesday an ordinance that will make it easier and faster to build housing on properties currently used for automobile-related uses like gas stations, auto body shops or parking lots.

Under the ordinance, dubbed cars to casas, groups looking to build housing on car-centric properties would no longer have to obtain a conditional use authorization from the city Planning Commission  a process that can take 10 to 18 months.

In addition, the legislation, which will be introduced at the Board of Supervisors next week, would relax density limits so that builders could squeeze more apartments into a building envelope. The bill would also allow up to four units to be built on car-centric properties in neighborhoods zoned for single-family homes.

Breed said the ordinance will help San Francisco address both the current housing shortage as well as cut down on greenhouse gas emissions.

Housing policy is climate policy, said Breed. Families are having trouble staying in our city because we have not built enough housing for them, and every day there is a new headline and a new study about how the impacts of climate change are taking a toll today.

Gas stations have been fueling housing development in urban areas for years, as have auto body shops, oil change businesses and parking lots. In the past five years, developers have proposed housing on 21 gas station sites. Of those, 17 have been approved and four are still under planning review, according to Planning Department Chief of Staff Dan Sider.

Sider said its unclear how many properties would qualify.

The definition of auto-oriented use is fairly broad, he said. Its not just gas stations.

The legislation would not affect the height of what could be constructed  those limits would remain the same, which should assuage residents concerns that the cars to casas initiative would result in shadows on green spaces or blocked views.

The whole neighborhood character argument should be out the window because we are not changing height and bulk, said Sider.

The legislation does not change the environmental clean-up of former gas stations and garages, which is overseen by the California Department of Toxic Substances Control.

This policy is a step in the right direction to move away from our reliance on cars, reduce air and climate pollution, and improve public health, said Sarah Xu, policy associate for Brightline Defense, an environmental justice nonprofit group.

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.

Housing Action Coalition Executive Director Todd David said that the initiative will make it easier to produce housing.

Eliminating conditional use and giving density decontrol will be very attractive to our members and encourage people to build housing on those sites, he said. This should produce a whole bunch of housing at all levels of affordability.

Breed announced the ordinance Tuesday at 3701 Noriega St., a former 76 gas station that was replaced by 12 units of housing with a new Guss grocery store on the ground floor.

State Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, said the ordinance would allow greater flexibility in how auto-related lots are used  so that those sites can be used for housing, which is important in the fight for both climate and economic justice.

J.K. Dineen is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jdineen@sfchronicle.com
San Francisco schools have lost 3,499 students in the past two years, a drop in enrollment that could mean a $35 million hit in state funding, compounding an already dire financial future.

The superintendent released a comprehensive analysis of enrollment numbers to present to the school board Tuesday, saying the district needs to adjust to a new normal.

While officials had hoped to see a bounce back in student numbers this fall given the reopening of schools, that didnt happen. The district will need to adapt to the lower enrollment by adjusting staffing as well as student seats at schools, officials said.

Enrollment declines have been a widespread phenomenon, and demographic trends in SF do not point to a large, near-term increase in children, officials said in the report. We need to establish program capacities based on current reality by looking holistically. Capacities determine staffing needs and student seats, and should reflect our new normal of enrollment levels.

The pandemic-fueled enrollment loss adds to a litany of headaches facing the district, including a massive $116 million budget deficit next year, resulting in state intervention, a likely recall election of three school board members and the departure of Superintendent Vince Matthews at the end of the school year.

While some of the enrollment declines are included in the districts estimated budget shortfall next year, officials had hoped enrollment would tick up some with schools back to in-person learning this fall. Instead, enrollment appeared to get worse.

Trends in San Francisco arent encouraging. During the pandemic, San Francisco saw a 17% decrease in the number of babies born in the city compared with the previous year.

Yet overspending and declining enrollment are not new to the district, even if it accelerated during the pandemic.

Now, its the end of the road and the school board must take action, said parent Beth Kelly, a self-described budget junkie.

What do we need to right-size the district? What does that look like? she said. It means spending on the right things and planning for how many kids we have and what our district looks like in the future.

The district will need to cut the equivalent of at least 10% of its $1 billion budget to backfill the estimated shortfall in coming years  the equivalent of about 1,000 jobs.

Theres no more opportunity to kick the can down the road, Kelly said. The board really needs to start making those decisions now.

District officials say their plan of action should rebuild trust among families to lure them back, while also promoting attendance to minimize any additional loss of state funding because of absences.

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.

In addition, district leaders hope a new student assignment system and increased capacity of popular school programs like language immersion also will help stabilize or increase enrollment, according to the staff report.

So far, the state has maintained district funding despite declines in enrollment to help schools weather the pandemic. Without further action from the governor and Legislature, next years budget will revert to allocating money based on how many students are in classrooms.

While the district saw a 6.6% decline overall, there were greater losses among certain subgroups, including nearly 12% of white students and 9% of Filipino students, for a combined loss of more than 1,000 children.

The districts declines mirror those across California, where state schools saw a 2.6% loss in enrollment last year, compared with 2% in San Francisco, according to the staff analysis.

Enrollment is down across the state and costs are rising, said district spokesperson Gentle Blythe. We hope the state will consider what level of school funding is needed to return California public schools to being among the best in the nation.

Jill Tucker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jtucker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jilltucker
Joe Burbank/TNS

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has become a 2024 Republican Party presidential front-runner thanks to his hands-off approach to handling the COVID-19 pandemic, is set to visit San Francisco  arguably the nation's most restrictive city during the pandemic  for a fundraiser this month.

The Oct. 22 fundraiser is hosted by former PayPal executive David Sacks, who tweeted of the event, "It will be fun night." Tickets to attend the cocktail reception cost $2,500, and photo opportunities with the governor cost $7,000. Dinner with DeSantis is set to cost a whopping $25,000.
More than 24,000 nurses and other health-care workers at Kaiser Permanente authorized a strike, their unions announced Monday, threatening to walk out over pay and working conditions while the coronavirus pandemic continues to strain hospitals and clinics.

Workers in California and Oregon endorsed the work stoppage by an overwhelming margin in the weekend vote as they pressed Kaiser to end its two-tiered wage and benefits system, which pays newer employees less than more tenured colleagues and offers them fewer health protections. They also want 4 percent raises for the next three years and a commitment to hire more nurses to relieve staffing shortages.

More than 50,000 Kaiser workers nationwide are making similar demands in contracts that will soon expire, and union leaders say more strike authorization drives could materialize in Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Maryland, Virginia, Washington state and D.C.

The vote - approved by 96 percent of the union's 21,000 members in California and 3,400 in Oregon after three days of electronic balloting - does not automatically trigger a work stoppage. The union must give Kaiser Permanente 10 days' notice before workers walk off the job. Labor and business leaders both expressed hope that a resolution could be found at the bargaining table in the coming days, though union officials acknowledged the sides remain divided on key issues.

The looming impasse is another example in recent weeks of the labor movement's increasingly hardened stance in contract negotiations. Hollywood production workers voted to authorize a strike earlier in October and workers at Kellogg's cereal factories walked off workroom floors last week.

The leaders of the two unions that led the strike drive, the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals and Oregon Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals, say the pandemic has exposed systemic problems in the health-care workforce and that nurses and other health workers can no longer weather the long and debilitating hours without more corporate support.

"Our members feel that they're pivotal stakeholders to how health care is administered and designed at a front-line level. We think it's valuable work and we think it's being cut back. We think systems have been shortchanged," Denise Duncan, president of the California union and a registered nurse, told The Washington Post.

"There's increased pressure placed on nurses for what we call the churn. Get the patient in and get the patient out," Duncan said. "We need more hands on deck."

A strike would affect hospitals in Anaheim, Bakersfield, Baldwin Park, Downey, Fontana, Irvine, Los Angeles, Ontario Vineyard, Panorama City, Riverside, San Diego, West Los Angeles and Woodland Hills in California. In Oregon, Kaiser facilities are generally concentrated in Portland, but facilities as far south as Eugene would also be affected.

Kaiser spokesman Marc Brown wrote in an emailed statement that the company was "committed to resolving this quickly" and would continue to negotiate with labor leaders. Kaiser workers are represented by individual trade unions, but they bargain on larger issues - such as wages and benefits - together as part of the Alliance of Health Care Unions.

"We ask that our employees reject a call to walk away from the patients who need them," Brown said. "Our priority is to continue to provide our members with high-quality, safe care. In the event of any kind of work stoppage, our facilities will be staffed by our physicians along with trained and experienced managers and contingency staff."

But union officials said Kaiser executives would be at fault for any work stoppage. More than 4 in 10 Kaiser health workers in Oregon reported considering leaving the health-care industry because of the company's wage system and staffing issues, according to a survey conducted by the Oregon Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals.

"I think rich Kaiser executives should not exploit working people to make a profit," Shane Burley, a communications organizer with the Oregon union, said in an interview. "When patients are upset about what's happening the health-care system, they should look at these big executives who are making big salaries and trying to cut costs by undermining working people and health-care professionals."
Updates: Find the latest information from the U.S. Forest Service.

Evacuations: Get updates from Santa Barbara County.

LATEST Oct. 12, 5 p.m. The Alisal Fire in Santa Barbara County stood at 8,000 acres Tuesday evening, the U.S. Forest Service reported.

More evacuations were issued Tuesday and people have been asked to leave their homes in an area stretching from the mountains to the coast. Get the latest evacuation information from the county.

Oct. 12, 3 p.m. A smoke column was visible in the distance behind former President Ronald Reagans Rancho del Cielo in Santa Barbara County on Tuesday afternoon.

The Alisal Fire was several miles from the ranch, the Santa Barbara Fire Department said on Twitter. The ranch "has good defensible space, and several U.S. Forest Service engines were arriving to provide structure protection."

Oct. 12, 11:35 a.m. California Highway Patrol in Santa Barbara reported late Monday morning that Highway 101 remained closed in both directions from Winchester to Highway 1. The recommended alternate routes, Highway 154 and Interstate 5, are backed up with traffic.

Santa Barbara CHP

Oct. 12, 6:45 a.m. A wildfire that broke out amid high winds in Santa Barbara County on Monday closed a stretch of Highway 101 Monday night and the major freeway remained shut down to traffic in both directions Tuesday morning.

"US 101 is closed to thru traffic at Winchester Canyon Road to SR 1 due to a large fire in the area. Please use I-5 as an alternate route," the California Highway Patrol's Santa Barbara unit shared on Twitter. "There is no estimated time for re-opening."

The Alisal Fire broke out at about 2:30 p.m. Monday in the Santa Ynez Mountains above Alisal Reservoir and was 6,000 acres with no containment Tuesday morning, the Santa Barbara Fire Department said. There are 100 to 120 structures threatened.

CHP

Driven by powerful northerly winds, flames tore through dense, dry brush and grass, spreading at a rapid rate, the U.S. Forest Service said. The fire pumped out a massive smoke plume that was visible throughout the Santa Ynez Valley and along the Gaviota Coast.

Winds pushed the fire across Highway 101 Monday afternoon toward Tajiguas Beach. The Santa Barbara Fire Department shared images showing firefighters knocking down flames while standing in the northbound lanes of Highway 101 near Refugio Beach early Tuesday morning.

Santa Barbara Fire Department

Burn scars from the 2016 Sherpa Fire and 2019 Real Fire are between the fire and more populated areas.

Officials issued evacuation orders for residents in the Refugio Canyon, including Arroyo Hondo, Tajiguas and Arroyo Quemada. The evacuation order was expanded later Monday to include El Capitan State Park and the El Capitan Campground. An evacuation warning is in place for the area north of El Capitan Campground and east to Dos Pueblos Canyon.

Santa Barbara Fire Department

Winds Monday were blowing at 30 mph to 35 mph with isolated gusts up to 70 mph. Much of Santa Barbara County is under a high wind warning until Tuesday morning with strong winds throughout the area.
Netflix has suspended three employees  including a transgender staffer who criticized Dave Chappelles latest comedy special  for allegedly attending a business meeting they were not invited to.

The streaming giant has launched an investigation into senior software engineer Terra Field and two other workers for crashing its quarterly business review meeting intended only for directors and vice presidents at the company, the Los Angeles Times confirmed Monday.

Last week, Field was among multiple trans staff members who publicly condemned Netflixs decision to release Chappelles The Closer, which included several transphobic and insensitive remarks.

Trans TV writer Jaclyn Moore, a showrunner and executive producer of Netflixs Dear White People, also spoke out on Twitter against the Chappelle special and cut ties with Netflix.

It is absolutely untrue to say that we have suspended any employees for tweeting about this show, a spokesperson for the streamer said in a statement to the L.A. Times.

Our employees are encouraged to disagree openly and we support their right to do so.

Field declined to comment on the suspension when reached by The Times but took to Twitter Monday to thank her supporters.

I just want to say I appreciate everyones support, she wrote. Youre all the best, especially when things are difficult.

During the quarterly meeting, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos and other invited attendees reportedly discussed how to deal with employees expressing concerns about Chappelles stand-up program.

After the virtual gathering, Sarandos defended the companys latest collaboration with the comedian in a follow-up memo obtained by Variety.

Chappelle is one of the most popular stand-up comedians today, and we have a long standing deal with him. His last special Sticks & Stones, also controversial, is our most watched, stickiest and most award winning stand-up special to date, the statement read.

As with our other talent, we work hard to support their creative freedom  even though this means there will always be content on Netflix some people believe is harmful.

Another Monday report from the Verge contained a longer excerpt of Sarandos internal message, which said Netflix would not remove the Chappelle special despite mounting criticism.

Several of you have also asked where we draw the line on hate. We dont allow titles on Netflix that are designed to incite hate or violence, and we dont believe The Closer crosses that line, Sarandos reportedly added.

I recognize, however, that distinguishing between commentary and harm is hard, especially with stand-up comedy which exists to push boundaries. Some people find the art of stand-up to be mean spirited but our members enjoy it, and its an important part of our content offering.

In a lengthy Twitter thread last week, Field denounced the anti-trans rhetoric performed by Chappelle and platformed by her employer.

I work at @netflix. Yesterday we launched another Chappelle special where he attacks the trans community, and the very validity of transness  all while trying to pit us against other marginalized groups. Youre going to hear a lot of talk about offense. We are not offended, Field tweeted.

What we object to is the harm that content like this does to the trans community (especially trans people of color) and VERY specifically Black trans women.

To underscore her point, Field shared a grim and long list of trans people who were not offended by Chappelles comments  because they died in transphobic attacks before The Closer was released.

According to the Human Rights Campaign, at least 38 transgender or gender-nonconforming people have been killed so far in 2021. Historically, Black and Latinx women have been attacked at higher rates than other trans individuals.

Promoting [trans-exclusionary radical feminist] ideology (which is what we did by giving it a platform yesterday) directly harms trans people, it is not some neutral act, Field continued.

This is not an argument with two sides. It is an argument with trans people who want to be alive and people who dont want us to be. ... This all gets brushed off as offense though  because if were just too sensitive then it is easy to ignore us.


The Marin County District Attorney's Office has dropped or reduced 514 marijuana charges in the county prior to 2017, the office announced Monday.

Thanks to Proposition 64, which was initiated in 2018, some marijuana charges in California are eligible to be reduced, dismissed or sealed.

The district attorney office worked with the non-profit Code for America to review conviction data in April 2019. They found 604 people in 514 cases who were eligible to be dropped or reduced.

As Pacific Gas & Electric crews began to restore power to some of the 24,000 customers in parts of 23 counties affected since Monday by a safety-related power shutoff, utility officials warned that another round of shutoffs may be coming late Wednesday.

In a news release from PG&E on Monday evening, company officials said crews have begun restoring power in some areas and they expect power to be restored to all customers before Wednesday night, when the next round of shutoffs could start up again in some of the same locations due to a forecast of more dry and windy conditions anticipated Thursday and Friday.

Two members of the Antioch City Council held a press conference Monday, urging Mayor Lamar Thorpe to include a proposed tenant anti-harassment ordinance and an ordinance requiring just cause for evictions into the next city council agenda.

Vice Mayor Monica Wilson and council member Tamisha Torres-Walker said the ordinances are necessary to protect low-income renters and historically marginalized communities who are susceptible to harassment, retaliation and evictions during the ongoing pandemic.

A new wildfire that started a little before 3:30 p.m. in the San Jose east foothills has spread to seven acres and threatened many homes within an hour has almost been contained.

At 4:45 p.m. CalFire tweeted that forward progress has stopped but fire fighters from the state agency and the San Jose Fire Department will remain on the scene for a couple of hours to ensure all hot spots are extinguished.

At least 10 homes were evacuated and no injuries have been reported, most on Suncrest Avenue near Sierra Road in East San Jose. Structures have been threatened but none have been destroyed by the fire as well.

The 2021 winner of the Safeway World Champion Pumpkin Weigh-off in Half Moon Bay is a retired engineer from Washington state whose gigantic gourd tipped the scales at an impressive 2,191 pounds Monday.

Jeff Uhlmeyer, 62, who trucked the winning entry down from Olympia on a flatbed trailer, will take home nearly $20,000 in prize money.

"I don't think there's any secret about pumpkin growing," Uhlmeyer said. "You need good seeds, good soil, good friends and good collaboration."

Pacifica police said Monday they arrested a suspect connected to the theft of a puppy allegedly snatched by the suspect over the weekend just outside its owners' home.

The theft happened on Saturday afternoon in the 100 block of Shoreview Avenue, police said.

At the scene, officers learned a suspect took a 9-month-old Yorkshire Terrier mix puppy from the front yard of the victims' home. The theft was captured on surveillance video, according to police.

Although officers searched the area, they weren't able to find the puppy or the suspect. However, officers then learned about a disturbance at the Pacific Manor shopping center.

There, the victims' neighbors went to look for the dog themselves and encountered a possible suspect with a similar dog.

Evacuation warnings for American Canyon residents are no longer in effect for the vegetation fire in the Newell preserve, fire officials announced at 8:14 p.m.

As of 8:05 p.m., the fire on Newell Drive and Silver Oak stopped forward progress at 250 acres.

Police in Vallejo are investigating a shooting that killed one person Monday night.

Police and fire responded to a 7:27 p.m. report of a shooting in the area of Cadloni Lane and found one victim with at least one gunshot wound. The victim was declared dead at the scene, according to an 8:35 p.m. Tweet from Vallejo Police Department.

The National Weather Service forecast for the greater San Francisco Bay Area calls for Tuesday to be much like Monday, with sunny and breezy conditions. Highs are expected in the 60s along the coast and around the Bay and to reach the lower 70s in the East Bay's inland valleys and mountains and the northwest corner of the bay. Overnight lows will be in the upper 40s to lower 50s .

A red flag warning that began Monday is in effect through Tuesday afternoon for the North Bay and the East Bay's interior mountains and valleys, with winds up to 30 miles per hour with gusts from 40-50 miles per hour. Dry and warm conditions are expected to return Thursday and Friday.

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.

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Sharon, PA (16146)

Today

Mostly cloudy skies with a few snow showers after midnight. Low 29F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 30%..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy skies with a few snow showers after midnight. Low 29F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 30%.
Shelbyville, IN (46176)

Today

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low around 25F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low around 25F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph.
SHELTON - The hallway leading to the chiefs office at police headquarters is lined with photos of the citys past top cops.

Shawn Sequeira said he takes pride knowing he has earned a place on that wall, and in the process brought a more diverse look to a force that had never had a Black chief until his appointment seven years ago.

Being here just shows what I have worked hard for, what I have accomplished, Sequeira said as he looked over the portraits of past Shelton police chiefs. Now theres diversity among these faces. The worlds changing.

And Sequeiras efforts in Shelton have not gone unnoticed. He was recently named one of the 2021 NAACP State of Connecticut 100 Most Influential Blacks in the State recipients - his second such recognition since being named chief.

Leading as a Black person in Connecticut is always challenging, but our current climate highlights the need for all the recipients to be recognized, affirmed and honored, said Scott X. Esdaile, president of the CT State Conference of NAACP Branches.

Chief Sequeira has been a leader in law enforcement in Shelton and across the state over the years and we are glad to recognize him for his outstanding service, he added.

Esdaile said this years recipients include presidents of universities and hospitals, along with some of the highest-ranking officials in the local, state and federal government. The event will be Oct. 23 at Foxwoods Resort Casino.

The NAACP has fought very hard for 112 years to break down barriers for many of these individuals to have the opportunity to serve in these capacities, Esdaile said, We feel it is imperative to reflect on how far we have come as a people.

Mayor Mark Lauretti, who hired Sequeira, said he chose him for his leadership and the high standards to which he holds the department.

You hire for qualifications, Lauretti said. We needed someone who understood policing and had structure.

Sequeira said he prided himself on his executive leadership and doing the job to the best of his abilities.

Do I recognize, coming here, that I was the only person of color to hold this job? Of course. But that has nothing to do with my desire to do the best job possible, he said. Am I honored being the first chief of color in Shelton? How can I not be? How can you not recognize that this is something special?

Sequeira began his career in 2001, working for the state Department of Children and Families. In 2006, he joined the State Police, where he spent 10 years.

The majority of this time he served as a State Police detective with the Central District Major Crime Squad. While serving in the unit he investigated a variety of criminal matters across the state, including bank robberies, financial crimes, homicides, arsons and sexual assaults.

Some of the major cases he investigated included the Sandy Hook school shootings; the 2009 murder of Annie Le; the Hartford Distributors mass shooting; and the Kleen Energy explosion in Middletown.

While in Shelton, Sequeira said his proudest accomplishments included the city being recognized as one of the 10 safest in state based on FBI crime statistics and population data for the past few years.

Within his first year as chief, Sequeira spearheaded the department earning state accreditation from the Police Officer Standards and Training Council. The department recently received its re-accreditation.

In addition to his police work, for the past 10 years Sequeira has been a certified police instructor and has served as an adjunct professor at Albertus Magnus College in New Haven and Housatonic Community College in Bridgeport and has worked with universities, colleges, professors and students teaching courses in criminal investigation, crime scene processing, and interview and interrogation.

brian.gioiele@hearstmediact.com
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Murthuzha's accomplice, Naim Akhtar (29) also from Jharkhand, was arrested. Both were working in a factory in Sriperumbudur in the Kancheepuram district for the past one year.

Chennai, Oct 12 (IANS) The Tamil Nadu police are conducting searches at several migrant camps in Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu areas, and in some parts of Chennai after a migrant worker from Jharkhand, who snatched a chain from a woman and fired at the police during a chase, was shot dead.

The duo had snatched a gold chain from a woman, Indrani on Sunday and had opened fire at those who chased them. Police located the duo at Padur near Sriperumbudur. During the ensuing chase on Monday, Murtaza attacked the police with a machete in which a head constable was injured.

Inspector of Sriperumbudur station, Krishnakumar opened fired at Murtaza and shot him dead. Naim was caught and remanded in judicial custody.

The duo is suspected to be involved in the murder of a Tasmac liquor shop employee, Thulasidas who was found dead at the shop at Oragundum, Chennai on October 4.

Another employee, Ramu was injured and a bullet was removed from his body.

DIG of Police Sathyapriya told the media that the Inspector did not have any other option but to shoot him. She said that on inspection, the gun in possession of Murtaza was found to be without a license and was made in Jharkhand.

The police intelligence wing is conducting searches at several places in Chennai, Kancheepuram, and Chengalpattu to unearth whether there are more weapons including firearms in the possession of these migrant labourers.

Intelligence sleuths have given inputs about the presence of Bangladesh nationals amongst the migrant labourers in the guise of labourers from West Bengal.

--IANS

aal/shivani/bg
According to the local SunOnline news, Nasheed flew back from the United Arab Emirates, and greeted by President Ibrahim Solih and senior government officials at the Male airport on Monday, reports Xinhua news agency.

Male, Oct 12 (IANS) Former Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed has returned to the country after spending four months abroad where he was being treated for injuries sustained in a terror attack in May.

Nasheed, who is also the incumbent Parliament Speaker, was injured in a blast caused by an improvised explosive device (IED) planted on a motorcycle parked near his personal vehicle on May 6.

He was rushed to a hospital in the capital Male where he underwent multiple life-saving surgeries.

He was transported to a hospital in Germany on May 13 for recovery and travelled to the UK on July 21.

In August, he requested Parliament for an extension on his leave until the perpetrators of his attack were brought to justice.

Maldives police have arrested 10 suspects in connection to theattack, with four of them having been prosecuted.

--IANS

ksk/
The pharmacy retail business in India has seen robust growth over the past few years, owing to favourable demographic factors and an epidemiological transition. Technology has taken every business sector to different heights. It has reshaped the lives of millions of people, and various industries have embraced its potential in automating their business methods.

The Healthcare sector has adopted the latest technology models to redefine the way it operates and enhance results. With this, telehealth has become one of the industry's most notable transformations, which has connected small towns to doctors located in urban cities. The market has been segmented into organized, unorganized, and online retail in the retail pharmacy channel. The unorganized sector was valued for the most significant market share (~93%) in 2018. The market share of the organized area, which holds licensed and registered players, is predicted to increase unwaveringly over the forecast interval. Revenue of the pharmacy retail market in India was estimated at INR 996.68 billion in 2016 and is predicted to reach INR 2,330.2 billion by 2024, extending at a CAGR of 10.08% during the 2019-2024 period.

Indian population is diversely spread from rural to urban areas. Considering the traditional retail pharmacy model, a person living in a small town or rural area has to travel to the nearby town or city to get proper medicines. The accelerated technological adoption in the business is the result of the pandemic-induced lockdown. It also designed the space for pharmacies to support digital transformation and place themselves as an appealing model in the healthcare industry. The country faced a large-scale agitation in e-commerce services, with people ordering groceries online during the pandemic. It required people to embrace social distancing and purchase medicine without stepping out. As a result, retail pharmacies became the forerunner to work against coronavirus.

Government plays a significant role in retail pharmacy

The government also named the pharma business an essential service and permitted to deliver the medicine to the customer's doorstep during the lockdown. As a result, retail pharmacies showed their critical part in combating the infection and mitigating the difficulties in ensuring efficient, affordable, and trusted healthcare.

Nearly 100 crore people reside in Indian tier-2 & tier-3 cities. In such areas, the local pharmacy enhances the go-to place for all healthcare services. However, statistics explain that for every 1700 people, there is one pharmacy open. Since many doctors cannot reach people living in tier-2 & tier-3 cities, local pharmacies can become huge healthcare providers online and give quick, trusted, & efficient healthcare solutions. In addition, setting up online doctor consultations for their customers, delivering medicines in minimum time, and creating Digital Health IDs for their customers can eventually contribute to Aayushman Bharat Digital Mission.

Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission aims for Digital Health

Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission concentrates on digital health, such as app-based solutions. This is because leveraging digital technology towards illness control and cure is very cost-effective. The Focus of this mission towards Public-Private Partnership will lead the way to cut long-term healthcare prices, as is evident from outcomes in many Western nations. The purpose of universal health coverage can be made a reality shortly by leveraging technology the way this mission aims.

This kind of patient-centric, IT-based solution could help everyone handle performance and control requirements better. Fast, dynamic data exchange and communication can be a win-win for both the victim and the health sector as a combination.

Corporations administering health benefits and employee wellness programs will find that sharpening digital health will boost productivity while reducing illness-related loss in labor-hours will drop. This can then be succeeded by similar technology penetration as it starts in all peoples homes.

Digitization would anticipate fewer visits to the doctor for interventional care, and the shift would be to periodic, planned visits. Patients will find that this visit will lead to a healthier and longer lifespan and a more peaceful pocket. With the centralized digital system of patient health ID, app developers can draw into other patient metadata and unnecessary bypass duplication. In trade, provide relevant predictive data to the government about hotspots in the country that require consideration.

It is time that we, in the Indian healthcare system, jump and embrace the aids of IT in the health space. Doing so will help us in the health system and primary objective is to make citizens healthy.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced that Chartered Accountants major Haribhakti & Co has been banned from auditing regulated companies for a period of two years with effect from April 1, 2022.

The RBI states that this move has been taken on account of the failure on the part of the audit company to comply with a specific direction delivered by RBI with respect to its statutory audit of a Systemically Important Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC). However, the central bank did not mention the name of the NBFC.

Nonetheless, the action against Haribhakti & Co would not affect FY22 audits of companies. The circular reads, This will not impact audit assignment/s of M/s Haribhakti & Co. LLP in RBI regulated entities for the financial year 2021-22."

Haribhakti is the auditor of several financial institutions in India, according to exchange filings, that includes IndusInd Bank Ltd, Axis Bank Ltd, The CA foremost was the auditor for Srei Infrastructure Finance Ltd & Srei Equipment Leasing till September 2022. RBI had recently superseded the boards of these two companies owing to governance concerns and defaults by the companies in meeting payment obligations.

India has been grappling with a shadow lending crisis since 2018 after a leading infrastructure financier went bankrupt, sending ripples across banks and other financiers leading eventually to rescues of at least half a dozen lenders.
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I was startled the other day to hear a mate saying he was a bit depressed by the thought that Australia was turning into a business kleptocracy. What? Surely not. But the more I thought about it, the more I realised he was on to something.

Ive written a lot in recent times about the failure of what lefty academics call neoliberalism and its quest for smaller government. Going back to the reign of the Howard government, both sides of politics have accepted the fashionable idea that, though there are plenty of services governments should continue asking taxpayers to pay for, the actual delivery of those services should be outsourced to the private sector.

Illustration: Simon Letch

Why? Because, as everyone knows, the public sector is inefficient, whereas the private sector is highly efficient. Because it would be so much better to have more of us working for business and fewer working for the various arms of government. The greater efficiency should lead to lower taxes.

Ive pointed to instances where this mixture of ideology and tribalism has failed, leading to lower quality services without much evident saving to the taxpayer. In a democracy, its always right to hold governments ultimately responsible for their stuff-ups.
Business mogul and CEO Elon Musks personal wealth recently ballooned to $US222 billion ($302 billion), building his lead as the richest person in the world comfortably ahead of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, according to Bloombergs Billionaires Index.

To celebrate his self-adorned gold medal, Musk jokingly jabbed at his rival Bezos, who has a $US191.6 billion, by responding to one of his Twitter posts with a trolling emoji of a silver  second place  medal.

Tesla chief Elon Musk and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos are the two richest people in the world.

Bezos was touting his own company on Twitter, writing: Listen and be open, but dont let anybody tell you who you are. This was just one of the many stories telling us all the ways we were going to fail. Today, Amazon is one of the worlds most successful companies and has revolutionised two entirely different industries.

Musk saw it as an opportune time to rub in to Bezos that hes technically second richest. His response tweet wasnt subtle.
Up, up and out of the closet!

The new Superman, Jonathan Kent  who is the son of Clark Kent and Lois Lane  will soon begin a romantic relationship with a male friend, DC Comics announced Monday.

That same-sex relationship is just one of the ways that Jonathan Kent, who goes by Jon, is proving to be a different Superman than his famous father. Since his new series, Superman: Son of Kal-El, began in July, Jon has combated wildfires caused by climate change, thwarted a high school shooting and protested the deportation of refugees in Metropolis.

Jonathan Kent, the new Superman, who is the son of Clark Kent and Lois Lane, shares a kiss with his friend Jay. Credit:John Timms/DC Comics via The New York Times

The idea of replacing Clark Kent with another straight white saviour felt like a missed opportunity, Tom Taylor, who writes the series, said in an interview. He said that a new Superman had to have new fights  real-world problems  that he could stand up to as one of the most powerful people in the world.
Anti-money laundering agency Austrac has obtained internal reports from The Star that reveal how the listed gaming giant failed to confront money laundering and terrorist financing risks in its Sydney and Queensland casinos.

The move to compel The Star to hand over the confidential documents, including some prepared for the companys senior executives and board members, came to light as NSW police alleged in court documents that a suspected drug trafficker, Mende Trajkoski, was wagering tens of millions of dollars at Stars Sydney casino until January while earning a minimal income employed as a part-time courier delivery driver.

Mende Trajkoski, a gambler at Star casino and alleged money launderer and drug trafficker.

Queensland Attorney-General Shannon Fentiman has confirmed the states gaming regulator, the police and Austrac are investigating allegations relating to Star, which has casinos in Sydney, Brisbane and the Gold Coast, saying allegations about the casino ignoring risk warnings were very serious.

In Victoria, the Andrews government has been handed a scathing confidential report into the regulation of Melbourne casino Crown, saying the state had for years failed to adequately oversee Crowns operations, creating serious risks of criminal infiltration.
Holocaust survivor and happiest man on Earth Eddie Jaku has died aged 101.

The NSW Jewish Board of Deputies said Mr Jaku had been a beacon of light and hope for the world and would be remembered for his resilience and joy.

The world is a little less bright without him in it, and we will always treasure the memories and stories we were privileged to have heard, the groups post on social media said.

Holocaust survivor and happiest man on Earth Eddie Jaku. Credit:Louise Kennerley

Born in Germany to a large family, Jaku survived after he was interned multiple times, escaped to Belgium, escaped from a train en route to Auschwitz, hid in an attic until he was discovered, and eventually arrived at the concentration camp, where the number 72338 was crudely tattooed onto his left forearm.
So, the former vice-chancellor of the University of Melbourne Glyn Davis, 62, is joining the board of Opera Australia and will take over as chairman. Smiles all round.

Davis, who left MU three years ago and is chief executive of the billion-dollar Paul Ramsay Foundation, joins OA next month and takes over from chairman David Mortimer early next year. Just dont expect any Ramsay Foundation cash to flow to the COVID-hit arts organisation, which slumped to a deficit of $2.9 million in 2020-21.

Davis will be wielding the baton as the organisation attempts a Phantom of the Opera-led recovery next year during a time of flux.

Chief executive Rory Jeffes is off next month, replaced by Fiona Allan, the Aussie-born chief executive of Britains Birmingham Hippodrome.

They will have to work out what to do with totemic artistic director Lyndon Terracini, whose contract is up in 2023.
Some suffering surges beyond best pain control John Watkins trots out the same argument that allowing voluntary assisted dying will prevent advances in palliative care, yet the experience of other jurisdictions that have VAD is clearly the opposite (Whod volunteer to die if living well was affordable?, October 12). Yes, all Australians should have access to the very best pain control, but even the best palliative care experts cannot prevent the horrific human suffering caused by some terminal diseases. Sharon Potocnik, Table Top Watkins is correct in saying that the availability of specialist palliative care is not uniform across Australia, including NSW. But the problem is absence of government funding and support particularly in regional and remote areas, not an inability of patients to pay. In more than 20 years of specialist palliative medicine practice in the community in northern Sydney and the Central Coast I was never once asked by my managers to inquire about patients health insurance status  all patients were treated free of charge. Indeed, I am sure there were occasions where we cared for people who did not have Medicare cards but were treated on a compassionate basis.

The issue of voluntary assisted dying is a complex one but, in NSW at least, it is not a financial one. David MacKintosh, Berkeley Vale I cannot imagine what a person with unrelieved and unbearable pain is going through but also I dont trust politicians. I have often wondered if VAD were to be legalised whether funding for palliative care would be vulnerable for funding cuts. Watkins points out that there already is a very good pain reliever available but it is expensive so legalised VAD could lead to wealthy people getting modern pain relief while poorer people are left with suffering or accepting VAD. Valerie Craig, Orange Its good to hear that intrathecal care is used by some palliative care doctors. However, while controlling pain, does it also give control of bodily functions, strength to move normally, eliminate oedema resulting from regular surgery, and the ability to digest food? Some people are in such misery, without the hope of a cure, that to deny the option of voluntary euthanasia is cruel. Wendy Crew, Lane Cove North

The fact is that a small minority of patients have pain and other agonising symptoms that cant be relieved by even the most advanced palliative care. For this small group, assisted dying should be an option. Insisting that patients continue to endure suffering when death is inevitable is just cruel.

Liz Jacka, Marrickville Watkins fails to mention that even the very best palliative care cannot relieve the suffering of some dying people, regardless of where they live or the size of their bank accounts. He should also have disclosed that he is chair of Catholic Health Australia, which has campaigned against assisted dying laws over many years. Penny Hackett, president Dying with Dignity Looks like booziness as usual Couldnt agree more (Spare me the pub test, Premier - theres more to life than schooners, October 12). Two days of the Premier drinking beer with his mates to signify freedom day left me cold. I would much rather have seen him with his wife wrangling their six kids, maybe doing a bit of home-schooling. I guess that wasnt a blokey enough image. Kerrie Shearston, Engadine It was neither edifying nor pleasing to see a glittery-eyed Perrottet boozing with his mates. If he thinks this little pocket pub test performance will win him any votes, especially among women, I think he is utterly mistaken. Not a good look, really. It did not make me feel the least bit confident in him as leader. Gabrielle Merten, Hurstville

Perrottet, like his counterparts Chris Minns, Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese, is a career politician. Their lives are not like ours, and yet they hanker, it seems, to demonstrate a connection to white middle-aged men, the ordinary bloke. Goodness knows why they ignore the middle-aged woman. Perhaps they cant relate, and maybe theyd be concerned that theyd been seen as not macho enough if they were to visit the cinema, the art gallery, or a library with people of all ages and genders. No doubt it helps them that our major political parties accept significant donations from the alcohol and gaming industries. Colin Hesse, Marrickville What sort of role model is the new Premier pouring beers at 10am? Wisdom and safe advice from the former Premier and Chief Medical Officer for some months, which has safely led us to re-open, seems to have been replaced by a shallow approach by our youngest premier. Pamela Newling, Lane Cove Perrottet, Premier for clubs, pubs and horse racing. Public health? Not so much. Susan Hunt, St Ives Men, beer and an awkward politician celebrate their freedom. What a tired and simplistic representation of us Aussies. The only thing missing were the hard hats and high-vis vests.

Elizabeth Starr, Abbotsford

Freedom not for all For those with underlying health conditions, October 11, 2021 was Feardom Day (Tears, beers as Sydney savours lockdowns end, October 12) Diana Dixon, Blackheath Like so many others, I ventured outside my LGA to catch up with an old mate for coffee at a cafe. After ordering and making a beeline for a table with chairs, I noticed that no one had asked us for our vaccination status, although a sign on the door stated everyone had to be fully vaccinated. When the coffees and food arrived, it was clear that the cafe was still operating in takeaway mode, with paper cups and containers. Having said that, we could unmask, sit, talk and laugh at each other. On reflection, good to do the simple things again. Michael Blissenden, Dural Im sick of reading about those cafes, restaurants and gyms that say they wont open until they can have unvaccinated people attend. These businesses forget if it wasnt for the people who have done the right thing and been vaccinated, they would never open as we would never have gotten to 70 per cent vaccination rate. These businesses dont deserve the custom of the vaccinated. Stacey Vickery, Ryde It is very difficult to see the joy of Sydneysiders as they reunite with family. We and others like us in the Southern Highlands, still locked out of Sydney, are in despair as we have not seen our Sydney family since late June. My husband has not been able to visit his 96-year-old mother. With 90 per cent first dose and almost 80 per cent second dose in the Wingecarribee shire, it is heartbreaking that we too cannot share the joy of uniting with our Sydney family. Spare a thought for those not living in Sydney. Susan Guthrie, Burradoo

System burned casuals While discussion continues on which companies and businesses profited from JobKeeper, I wonder if figures will ever emerge on how many people suffered wage loss and unemployment due to the pandemic (We can bury JobKeeper and praise it, October 12). Casual workers in schools, TAFEs and unis, for example, were not eligible for JobKeeper and so were unceremoniously dumped. Many other workers in areas such as retail, hospitality, media, the arts who did not fit the eligibility criteria suffered the same fate. If you were not connected to a private business or company, JobKeeper was not for you. The way in which unemployment and hardship relief was administered and implemented by the federal government was inefficient, discriminatory and basically wrong. Rod Bartlett, Woonona Let us remember the conservatism cry that governments cannot help the needy because that is socialism, and the system can be abused, but, if anyone gets too much, they will be hounded as criminals. Anyway, giving money away is just poor financial management and we do not do that. And that is the difficult part of conservative government  holding that view while doling out money to business and the wealthy, with no regard to its use or abuse. Peter Bourke, Rockdale Unstable attitudes What were they thinking? When senior staff of the building commissioner made changes to defect orders, had they read their own website, which states as the first purpose of its reform program to protect homebuyers from defective building work (No way out for buyers of defective units, October 12)? Too often, government is distracted from its role to oversee a particular industry by identifying not with the public, but with industry owners and their lobbyists. Angela Michaelis, Balmain

Lead by being kind If politicians want cowardly attacks on social media to cease, perhaps they should lead by example and stop demonising people from their cowards castle (Letters, October 12). People who live in glass houses shouldnt throw stones. Bill White, South Grafton Off the grid Further to your correspondent noting that the map is not the territory, it should be added that if the map and the territory dont agree then, generally speaking, its the map thats incorrect (Letters, October 12). Stephen Foster, Glebe

Money exchange Correspondent Judy Sherringtons assertion that casinos make some people very rich had a critical omission. It makes many more very poor (Letters, October 12). Peter Neufeld, Mosman The pup test If COVID-19 has killed the cheque and with it the its in the mail excuse, surely its given new life to another classic of the genre given the surge in pandemic pets: The dog ate my homework (Cheques check out in year of the cash stash, October 11 ). Matthew Gibbs, Leichhardt

In their cups A question for your correspondent who is looking forward to the new mugs: whats wrong with the mugs whove been in government since 2013 (Letters, October 12)? Steve Cornelius, Brookvale The mugs, Charles Hargrave, are the Australian taxpayers. Robin Humphrey, Springwood Bloviate first-rate Ah,bloviating  now theres a word. Not one of mine, but impressive, nevertheless (Letters, October 12). Lorna Denham, New Lambton Heights
Sir Keith Smith, vice-chairman of the RAAF Recruiting Committee (NSW) said that a daylight sweep by the Fighter Command involved the loss of four to six fighters, costing about 40,000. Nightly losses on bombing raids averaged between four and six also, and as these were twin and four engined machines, there was a financial loss of 225,000.

In accordance with routine, in one 24-hour period a big daylight fighter sweep and a large scale night bombing attack would be launched. The money loss would be 265,000.

On that basis, said Sir Keith, aircraft destruction cost Britain about 2,000,000 a week. But if losses in the Middle East and Russia and by the Fleet Air Arm, and those due to accident, were taken into account, the loss to the Empire could be estimated at 4,000,000 a week.

Training scene from the RAAF school at Cootamundra, New South Wales, on 29 April 1941. Credit:Staff photographer

FASTER PRODUCTION RATE



At the outbreak of war hundreds of Moths were needed in a hurry and the problem was passed on to the de Havilland Aircraft Pty Ltd, the first order being for 350 Moths in 14 months, he said. The last of them was delivered in 11 1/2 months. In a year and a half the company had produced more than 600 Moths, which were now coming out at the rate of two a day. Surplus machines, costing about 2,000 each had been supplied to the Netherlands East Indies, Malaya, South Africa, New Zealand, India and Ceylon.
More than 600,000 people in NSW are yet to receive a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, with areas in the inner city, far north and Riverina regions of NSW most likely to have fallen behind the state average.

NSWs double-dose vaccination rate among people aged 16 and over hit 75.2 on Tuesday, and 90.7 of the population have now had their first inoculation.

There is now the possibility the state could reach 80 per cent double-dose earlier than the predicted October 25 target, but the state government will examine whether regional travel should be withheld until that date given concerns about discrepancies between regional and city vaccine rates.

Just over 605,000 people aged 16 and over in NSW are still unvaccinated, with the vast majority, more than 490,000 people, aged under 50.
Few think about which of the 11 million COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in NSW they personally received, but Blacktown aged care resident Paul Russell cites his position in the queue with pride.

I was number 19, said the 76-year-old aged care resident, who was honoured to receive his first dose at Castle Hill Medical Centre a few minutes after the Prime Minister on the first day of the national rollout.

Paul Russell, 76, caught COVID-19 in August at his aged care home. He thanks vaccination for his minimal symptoms. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer

A few months later, Mr Russell tested positive to COVID-19. (They dont tell you which number you are in an outbreak but his test notification date  August 15  suggests it was around the 8200 mark.)

It shocked the heck out of me, he said. It took me a little while to get my head around it.
Most religious services in Sydney will remain online-only for another two weeks as faith leaders grapple with the states public health orders regarding coronavirus that exclude unvaccinated people.

Churches, mosques and synagogues can now open and hold services under the NSW road map out of lockdown, but only those fully vaccinated against COVID-19 are meant to attend. Once the 80 per cent Sydney target is reached  likely by October 18 or 25  then anyone can attend places of worship regardless of their choice to have a vaccine.

Anglican churches are keen to avoid uncomfortable situations around vaccination status, Archbishop of Sydney Kanishka Raffel says. Credit:James Brickwood

Anglican Archbishop of Sydney Kanishka Raffel said the majority of the citys 400 churches would wait until then to reopen.

Some churches will be opening [this Sunday] but I think a number are waiting until 80 per cent for a variety of reasons, he said. I think people want to be able to treat everybody the same when they come to church, and they dont want confusion when they come.
Plans for a mixed-use marina or something like Port Douglas in Melbournes south-east never eventuated because a dysfunctional council did not have proper oversight, allowing a developer to instead build waterfront homes and gated communities.

Ombudsman Deborah Glass made the findings in a report tabled in the Victorian Parliament on Tuesday, after investigating Kingston City Councils handling of the development.

The gated community entrance at the corner of Scarborough Drive and Inner Harbour Drive, Patterson Lakes. Credit:Simon Schluter

The original vision for the Patterson Lakes marina, starting in 1988, was for a leisure and tourism precinct with restaurants, retail, hotels and public open space. One resident told the ombudsman they were expecting, something like Port Douglas, the tropical Queensland town.

But residential homes were later approved and progressively taller properties were allowed, including two 10-storey developments.
We are being put in a very difficult situation having to vaccinate people who dont really want to be vaccinated, the healthcare worker said. Lisa Smith, project director at the West Metro COVID-19 Vaccination Program, confirmed there had been a recent increase in violence towards staff at Western Healths vaccination hubs and said additional measures to protect staff had been implemented. People wait to be vaccinated at Melbournes Royal Exhibition Building. Credit:Getty When there have been unlawful attempts to influence staff at vaccination sites, this has been reported and referred to Victoria Police, she said. Royal Australian College of General Practitioners president Karen Price said that while the vast majority of people being vaccinated behaved respectfully, there had been a rise in patients who were distressed and behaving aggressively towards staff.

At her clinic in Melbournes south-east, Dr Price had spent hours counselling patients on the safety and importance of immunisation. But she had been forced to ask patients to leave when they become aggressive. Loading That behaviour is just unacceptable, but on the other hand of all this, there is a sense of empathy because people have been left so confused and fearful by the misinformation circulating about the vaccine, Dr Price said. This is an international pandemic, the likes of which we havent seen in 100 years. Its not anyone doing this to anyone else. It is a health crisis, and we are so fortunate to have a number of vaccines that can save lives. Dr Price said she knew of one colleague who had been offered a substantial amount of money to tip a vaccine down a drain and say they had injected the person, but attempts to bribe healthcare workers were rare.

The response of the doctor involved to refuse that kind of thing is entirely appropriate, she said. It is astonishing that people think that is an appropriate way to respond to a healthcare professional or to a global pandemic. I think it reflects the level of fear and desperation people feel because of the misinformation mayhem. Late last month, a Melbourne vaccination clinic and homeless service was temporarily closed after some demonstrators protesting against the COVID-19 lockdown and vaccine mandate in the CBD physically attacked, spat at and verbally abused healthcare workers. The attacks led to staff working at inner-city hospitals being urged not to wear their scrubs to and from work. Australian Nursery and Midwifery Federation Victorian branch secretary Lisa Fitzpatrick said any violence or aggression towards healthcare workers was unacceptable.

Our members are just doing their jobs so others can do their jobs, she said. Meanwhile, an investigation is under way into allegations that invalid COVID-19 vaccination exemptions were handed out by a doctor in Melbournes west after crowds of people were seen arriving at their clinic in recent weeks. A Victoria Police spokesman confirmed officers had visited the clinic last Friday following complaints from the public that alleged a doctor, who The Age has not named for legal reasons, was handing out vaccination exemption certificates without proper consultation. The matter has been referred to the Department of Health, he said. When asked about any pending investigation, Victorian Health Minister Martin Foley said he was aware of the reports.

We are working with the Commonwealth and assisting, he said. GPs are largely regulated by the Commonwealth  having said that we are assisting the Commonwealth in some of that process. It would be inappropriate to go into too much detail. Overwhelmingly, our GPs are doing the right thing. Asked how many medical exemptions had been issued, Mr Foley said: One is one too many, but that work is under way. On Monday, the practice was closed, accepting only telehealth appointments. A handwritten note on the door read: Clinic closed. Telehealth only. Sorry, no new bookings can be made at present. One neighbour who has lived in the area for 15 years said it was a quiet clinic until a fortnight ago when people began filling up the car park to see the doctor.

Paul, who asked for his surname to be withheld, said dozens of people had been seen waiting outside the clinic at any one time, and it had the whole neighbourhood talking. Id never noticed anything out of the ordinary until the past two weeks, he said. There has been a stream of people. The number of people really threw me. All of a sudden, I thought, wow, this is really strange, particularly on Thursdays and Fridays. A spokesman for the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency declined to disclose if an investigation was under way but said the Medical Board of Australias code of conduct required practitioners ensured personal views did not adversely affect patient care. When providing care, advice or sharing information online, registered health practitioners have a professional obligation to provide information that is evidence-based, in line with the best available health advice, and is consistent with public health messaging, the spokesman said. Advising against vaccination unless there are evidence-based medical reasons undermines the national immunisation campaign and is not supported by the board.
A former Geelong College music teacher who sexually abused a student two decades ago, both at the school and in a public park, has been jailed for 5 years.

Mark Irwin groped an 11-year-old boy during a singing lesson in 2000, and the following year violently sexually assaulted him when the pair met by chance at a park near the Barwon River.

Irwin, the schools former director of music, was this year found guilty by a County Court jury of indecently assaulting a child and two counts of sexual penetration of a child, and on Tuesday he was jailed. He must serve three years before he is eligible for parole.

Irwin, now 65, was in his 40s when he abused the boy.

He was a well-regarded, long-time music teacher at Geelong College until he was suspended by the school when charges were laid in 2018. A letter sent by the school to parents this year says Irwin never returned to teach at the college after his suspension.
According to Victorias road map out of lockdown, next week my seven-year-old daughter will return to school two days a week, her siblings following in the weeks after.

The mood among parents is mostly one of impending celebration and relief: the anticipation of reclaimed lives, the return of peace and order in households, and the longed for normalcy for our children. But for some of us, a quiet unease ripples through the excitement.

More Victorian schoolchildren will be returning to school next week. Credit:Quentin Jones

The Victorian government has sought to reassure us that our children will be protected on their return by The Three Vs: ventilation, vaccination and vital COVIDSafe steps. This includes investing more than $190 million in initiatives such as air purification devices, shade sails to enable more outdoor learning, infrastructure audits and ventilation assessments to ensure that once schools are back open, they stay open.

Reassuringly, teachers are required to have received a first vaccination dose by October 18 or have a booking within one week, with full vaccination required by November 29 (unless a medical exemption applies).
A 22-year-old Victorian man has joined the growing list of AFL fans to be arrested and charged after sneaking into the Perth grand final on September 24.

Daniel Jovanovski is accused of using false information and documents to obtain his G2G pass into Western Australia as he had come from Melbourne, which was classed a high-risk jurisdiction, but he flew in via South Australia.

The man is alleged to have falsified documents to enter WA from South Australia for the AFL grand final. Credit:Getty Images

Police allege he had been in Victoria within the previous 14 days of the grand final and would not have met WAs strict entry requirements.

Mr Jovanovski has been held in custody since his arrest at a Perth hotel the day after the grand final after being refused bail.
The Tax Office has cleared thousands of businesses suspected of gaming the $89 billion JobKeeper program despite concerns within the federal Treasury they had structured their affairs to qualify for $1500-per-employee payment.

As research commissioned by the Labor Party shows almost $20 billion went to businesses that enjoyed an increase in turnover while receiving JobKeeper assistance, the ATO said despite tip-offs from the public it found almost all businesses complied with the programs eligibility criteria.

The ATO says despite concerns from the public, almost all businesses complied with the eligibility rules around JobKeeper. Credit:Louie Douvis

On Monday, the Treasury released its own analysis of the JobKeeper program, which formed a key part of the governments response to last years coronavirus lockdowns.

To apply for JobKeeper, a business had to have a reasonable expectation of a 30 per cent or 50 per cent fall in turnover in either a month or quarter compared to the same period in 2019. There were separate tests available for growing or new businesses.
Dominic Perrottet has signed off on Australias largest hydrogen strategy in his first major cabinet decision as Premier, in a move that will see green hydrogen jobs in NSW outstrip those in the coal industry by 2050.

The NSW government will on Wednesday release the strategy, which it says will set up the state as a global hydrogen superpower and grow the NSW economy by more than $600 million by 2030.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has backed green hydrogen to boost the economy and help reduce carbon emissions. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer

NSW says it will lead the country in providing up to $3 billion in grants and waiving fees and charges for producers, making the state one of the cheapest regions to produce green hydrogen in the world.

The government expects NSW to attract between $80 billion and $270 billion of private investment in the hydrogen industry, which will largely flow to coal-dependent communities in the Illawarra and the Hunter regions.
When faced with the terminal suffering of someone you love, almost nothing else matters. I understand the pain. The renewed debate about voluntary assisted dying in NSW is personal for me  my mother died earlier this year following a battle with a terrible disease over a number of years.

There were days when I cried just wishing she would walk, talk or laugh again. It is also easy in these circumstances to understand how people wish it would just end, believing quality of life is over. I dont agree.

In the last 12 months of Mums life, my eldest daughter was going through a marriage breakdown. It was heart-wrenching for everyone. In the middle of this, my daughter went to visit my mum.

Mike Baird (left) as a child with dad Bruce, mum Judith, who died earlier this year, and siblings Julia and Steve.

She greeted my daughter with tears and eyes that shared the pain. When my daughter came home, she said, I have never felt so loved. It was as if my mums eyes had given her the hug she needed, the tears, the comfort.
The West Australian government will again seek to privatise the TAB, however prospective buyers will not be obliged to fund the industry.

The government abandoned plans to sell the publicly owned betting company last year after east coast giant Tabcorp wrote off $1 billion in value due to COVID-19.

The sale of the TAB could reach $1 billion

Tabcorp was a frontrunner for the sale, but the government was concerned it would not get the price it wanted for the TAB, so it put the negotiations on ice.

Racing and Gaming Minister Reece Whitby told Parliament an expression of interest process had been launched to get the sale rolling again, but this time the new owner would not have to continue funding the industry as the previous deal outlined.
The charge sheet of crimes allegedly committed by giant social media companies such as Facebook has grown a lot longer recently.

A few years ago Facebook was rocked by a scandal over its sharing of individuals personal data with a political research organisation called Cambridge Analytica without their consent.

But in the past few weeks its image problem has grown worse. A former Facebook employee, Frances Haugen, blew the whistle at a US congressional committee hearing with internal documents that showed the company was warned of the harmful psychological impacts on teenagers of its popular app Instagram.

The internal documents also revealed that Facebook makes exceptions to its in-house rules banning incitement to violence and harassment for certain high-profile accounts.

Then, on Friday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison launched an attack on social media companies for spreading anonymous misinformation about Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyces daughter. Mr Morrison called social media sites a cowards palace for anonymous internet trolls.
Seoul: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un reviewed a rare exhibition of weapons systems and vowed to build an invincible military, as he accused the United States of creating tensions and not taking action to prove it has no hostile intent toward the North, state media reported on Tuesday.

In an apparent continued effort to drive a wedge between Washington and Seoul, Kim also said his drive to build up his military isnt targeted at South Korea and that there shouldnt be another war pitting Korean people against each other.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visits an exhibition of weapons systems in Pyongyang on Monday. Credit:KCNA

Kim gave the speech on Monday at the Defence Development Exhibition Self-Defence-2021, an event meant to mark the previous days 76th birthday of the ruling Workers Party. The event featured an array of new weapons, including intercontinental ballistic missiles that North Korea has already test-launched or displayed during a military parade.

The US has frequently signalled its not hostile to our state, but there is no action-based evidence to make us believe that they are not hostile, Kim said, according to the official Korean Central News Agency. The US is continuing to create tensions in the region with its wrong judgments and actions.
East Timor's President Xanana Gusmao has called for the release of money from the nation's $US1 billion Timor Sea oil revenue fund, saying his people are living in misery while the nation saves for its future.

The former independence fighter on Wednesday unveiled his vision for the future of the fledgling nation, which will next week go to the polls to elect his replacement.

Isolated incidents of violence and intimidation have marred the lead up to the Easter Monday poll - the first since East Timor was granted independence from Indonesia in 2002 after a decades-long struggle.

It came as the spokesman of the independent National Election Commission (CNE), Father Martinho Gusmao, on Wednesday publicly endorsed one of the eight candidates vying to become president.

"Perhaps if you ask me to chose I would put (Democratic Party candidate Fernando) Lasama (Araujo) in the first (place)," he told a Jakarta Foreign Correspondents function in Dili.
Robert Syphax, passed away Thursday, November 18, 2021 in Somerset, Kentucky. Arrangements are pending and will be announced later by Pulaski Funeral Home. Pulaski Funeral Home is Honored to assist the family with arrangements.
Network operator fraud remains the biggest threat to the revenues of mobile operators

As anti-fraud company Revector marks 20 years of operating, CEO and Founder Andy Gent believes that telecommunications fraud is still not high enough on the corporate agenda for network operators  this should be a significant concern to shareholders. In 2001, Revector was launched to combat specific fraudulent activity against mobile network operators. The companys management expected the business to have a shelf life of no more than five years  such as the belief that mobile operators would quickly get a grip on network fraud and reduce it to zero. Twenty years later frauds continue to persist  costing shareholders, networks, and Governments billions in lost revenue annually. Revenue through mobile service According to Andy Gent, fraudsters are, at heart, business people, exploiting an opportunity for money. Gent explains how this relates to network fraud thus, Mobile service providers generate revenues in two ways - by having their subscribers that pay the company to access the networks they run and associated services such as voice calls, text messages, and data usage. The second  known as termination revenue  involves transporting calls from other networks. Revenues from termination are shared between all networks that help deliver the call Revenues from termination are shared between all networks that help deliver the call, as Gent outlines: Imagine a call from the UK to Australia. This will pass through several service providers that will each take a small percentage of the call revenues for passing on the call. Telecommunications companies establish relationships with others around predictable calling patterns. For example, BT may know that they need one million minutes of calls to South Africa per month. They, therefore, establish a relationship with a South African telecommunications company to provide this. Trading termination minutes The issue comes when the unexpected happens, for example, an earthquake in Cape Town. Now UK residents with relatives in Cape Town suddenly demand a lot more telephone time. BT needs more minutes than it has. It is unlikely that its partner in South Africa can provide these  they are facing the same issue due to the increased volume of calls in and out of the country  so it will look to the open market for the minutes it needs. Gent continues, Termination minutes are traded in the same way as other commodities. Exchanges combine minutes from multiple sources, bundle these together and sell them. The issue is where these minutes come from. The bundles may well include white routes  premium minutes provided by legitimate telecommunications companies. However, many will include so-called grey routes. A simple but effective fraud Grey routes are not provided by the telecommunications companies but by third parties or through fraudulent means. Typically, the grey routes come at a lower cost than the white routes, but some telecommunications service providers may not know this or care about it. The natural pressure on cost means some telecommunications companies end up using grey route minutes. The threats to network providers revenues come from these grey routes. A primary risk is SIM Box fraud. SIM Box fraud SIM Box fraud occurs where there is a differential price between the cost of routing a call in a country and the cost of terminating a call, as Gent outlines below: Imagine a network is offering a promotion with free calls to others on the same network. At the same time, the value of terminating a call to that networks customers is $0.05 per call. One single SIM card being used in this way can generate $3000 per month and there are hundreds of cards in each SIM box If someone can procure SIM cards with the promotion, these can be loaded into a SIM Box  a device that can house hundreds of SIM cards in racks and be connected to the internet - to terminate calls. The owner of the SIM box can then offer to terminate calls for $0.03 per call. The cost to the SIM box owner is close to zero  the local minutes they are using to terminate calls are bundled with the SIM deal. The $0.03 per call is pure profit after the SIM cards and SIM boxes have been purchased. While this sounds like a complicated scam it can be lucrative. One single SIM card being used in this way can generate $3000 per month and there are hundreds of cards in each SIM box. Loss of termination revenues Service providers can quickly find a large proportion of revenues lost to SIM boxes. Gent has seen up to 90 percent of termination revenues being lost. The nature of SIM box fraud is transitory: fraudsters will pick the countries with the strongest opportunity to generate revenues quickly, sweep in and terminate calls for a month or two before the operator notices the revenue drop and takes action. Is it illegal? If this practice sounds entrepreneurial rather than illegal, it is probably because it seems like a victimless crime. However, mobile network operators have paid millions if not billions for the ability to operate networks and generate termination revenues. A reduction in this revenue will mean less investment into next-generation networks or customer service. For the consumer, illegal termination often means poor quality calls with a lack of services such as caller line identification (CLI). But perhaps the most concerning issue is where the proceeds of crime go, as Gent outlines. Often these SIM box frauds are run by criminal gangs using the process to launder money or finance organised crime or people trafficking. With widespread restrictions on the number of SIM cards that can be sold to one person, the only way to procure enough SIM cards is via criminal activity. Gangs bribe or coerce network operation staff into supplying SIM cards by the thousand, generating millions in illicit revenues. Other telecommunications fraud Threat to operator termination revenues comes from OTT service providers that have an eye on termination revenues Another threat to operator termination revenues comes from Over-the-Top (OTT) service providers that have an eye on termination revenues as well as competing with telecommunications service providers for a share of the voice and messaging market. While most telecommunications companies see Voice over IP (or OTT) as fair competition, in recent years several new OTT service providers have grown extremely quickly. WhatsApp, for example, was incorporated in 2009 and acquired by Facebook just five years later for almost $20 billion. The business models of these companies vary. Some focus on the freemium approach where the initial service is free but add-ons become chargeable. OTT app fraud However, recently some OTT players are looking to terminate revenue to monetise their business models. These operators have been offering competitive termination rates by hijacking a traditional call made from one telephone number to another and terminating it within an OTT app, as Gent explains, We are seeing OTT apps intercepting traditional telephone calls and delivering them within a users app. The call starts as a dialled telephone call, but the user receives it within an OTT app. If OTT players can achieve this, they can generate termination revenues at zero cost  other than to the traditional operator. Using an app to make calls Of course, if the recipient of the call believes the caller has used an app to call them, they are more likely to use this method of communication in the future  and less likely to dial a number directly. For the OTT players, termination acts as a marketing tool as well as a revenue stream. According to Gent, one OTT service provider has gone as far as including a setting within their app that states receive regular incoming calls within the app when possible. This is defaulted to on when the app is downloaded. Only the most technologically savvy users would even know it was there. Combatting the fraud against networks Networks are less worried about losing revenue to fraud and more about grabbing as many subscribers as possible" Why do networks not do more to combat fraud? The reality, according to Gent, is a combination of priorities and ignorance. He comments, Most mobile network operators are large but still relatively young companies  typically built around customer acquisition. Networks are less worried about losing revenue to fraud and more about grabbing as many subscribers as possible. This has led to a mindset where whatever the questions the answer is always more marketing promotions. A small number of innovators around the world continue to fight these frauds directly, but the fraudsters simply move on to the next victim and, when the anti-fraud measures are relaxed, the fraudsters return. An opportunity for the future As mobile networks mature and become more commoditised, Gent believes the issues around combatting fraud will become a wider concern. If you had told me in 2001 that fraud would still be an issue in 2021, I would have been shocked. Yet operators are still losing significant revenues to criminals. Addressing this needs to remain a priority for the industry, not just to ensure networks have the revenues to build and maintain robust networks but also to ensure that criminal behaviour that this kind of illicit activity funds is reduced. This is not just an issue for network operators but also for wider society.
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Jennifer Mocol-Johnson is a Board Conservationist with the Minnesota Board of Water & Soil Resources who provided technical and implementation guidance to SWCDs on water quality conservation projects. She can be reached at Jennifer.Mocol-Johnson@state.mn.us.
This article first appeared on Energy News Network and is republished here under a Creative Commons license. Frank Jossi is an independent journalist and consultant based in St. Paul.
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Raphael Varane is expected to miss Manchester United's clash against Leicester City through injury, according to a report.

Manchester United will reportedly be without Raphael Varane for Saturday's Premier League clash with Leicester City at the King Power Stadium.

The centre-back emerged as a huge doubt for the contest when he picked up a thigh problem during France's UEFA Nations League victory over Spain on Sunday.

Varane is expected to undergo a scan at Man United's training complex on Tuesday afternoon, but according to L'Equipe, the 'first clinical examinations' have suggested that he will be absent against Brendan Rodgers's side.

The report claims that the issue is not serious, though, and could only rule him out 'for a few days', meaning that a return against Atalanta BC in the Champions League next week is possible.

Man United may be able to welcome Harry Maguire back into the fold this weekend, with the club captain thought to be closing in on a return after recovering from a calf problem.

Victor Lindelof and Eric Bailly would be in contention to start as the two central defenders, though, if both Varane and Maguire are ruled out this weekend.
Abuja (Nigeria), 11 October 2021 (SPS) - The Ambassador of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic (Western Sahara) to Nigeria, Brahim Salem Buseif, has called on the United Nations(UN) the European Union(EU), the African Union (AU) and international institutions to prevail on Morocco to stop the aggression and occupation of his country and respect international law regarding the rights of the Saharawi to determine their independence through a referendum. In this interview with a select group of journalists, the envoy praised the EU Court that annulled trade agreements between Morocco and EU Commission over resources of Western Sahara. He also called on Nigerian government to take the lead in imposing the law to protect his nation from Moroccos occupation. INNOCENT ODOH was there. Excerpts:

What is your impression about the European Union Court ruling of Wednesday September 29, which annulled the agreements between Morocco and the European Union on exporting fishing and agricultural products from Western Sahara?



We are very satisfied with the ruling of the European Court of last Wednesday, which ruled against two agreements between Morocco and European Commission which included Western Saharawi. This same court had already ruled in 2016 and 2018 that Western Saharawi is a distinct and separate territory from Morocco and that Morocco has no right to include Western Sahara in any agreement of any kind. But in spite this very clear ruling, the European Commission tried to circumvent the law and in complicity with Morocco, they signed two agreements- one concerning farming products and one concerning sea shelf, which concerns Saharawi territorial waters.



Of course, we were convinced that those agreements were illegal and null according to international law, which considers Western Saharawi an autonomous territory and gives the right and sovereignty to the people of Western Saharawi concerning all their natural resources. The law also said that no agreement can be signed with forces of occupation without the consent of the people.



So, it is a very major setback for Morocco and a very big blow to their accomplice, the European Commission, which tried to circumvent the law. It is a very big blow for them especially for the government of France and Spain that were pushing for the signing of those agreements.



It is not only a legal victory for us, it is also a political victory because the government of Morocco, by the illegal proclamation of Donald Trump in recognizing Moroccos sovereignty over our land, was emboldened and asking the EU to follow this illegal proclamation.



The European Court of Justice after 46 years reaffirmed the position of the International Court of Justice in The Hague in 1975, which said that Morocco has no right or links of sovereignty with Western Saharawi prior to the Spanish colonization.



The court ruling also confirmed that the Polisario Front is the representative of Saharawi people and as such, has the right to plead for the interest of the Saharawi people before the court. The UN resolution also recognizes the Polisario Front as the only representative of the Saharawi people.



Prior to 1975, Morocco cannot provide any document, graveyards, buildings or documented proof that it had been in Western Sahara prior to its invasion and occupation in 1975.



There is a resolution of the United Nations of 1979 which clearly shows Moroccos invasion and occupation.



So, after the court ruling, what is your appeal to the International Community?



After this clear ruling, our government is calling upon European governments, European institutions to abide by their own law and international law. That is what we are calling for.



Western Saharawi is at war with Morocco because since November 2020, it violated the 1991 UN and AU ceasefire agreement, and since then there is no ceasefire and we are saying that because the Saharawi Republic is not peaceful right now. We have issued notices to all governments and institutions that they are at risk if they commit themselves in some agreements and undertakings in Western Sahara. We are not responsible for what could happen to them.



Morocco is violating and incarcerating people and an example of that is the defender of human rights called Sultana Haiya who has been for months now under house arrest and the police are violating her and her sister. Right now, she is sick of Coronavirus because they made her inhale some products.



That lady has already lost one of her eyes because of the beating of the Moroccan police. She has been nominated in the European parliament for the Saharawi fight as human right defender.



Morocco has been very vehement with its claims over Western Sahara and issues of violation of human rights in occupied areas has also been thrown up, so how can the UN mission allow Morocco to be violating the rights of the people?



Yes, you made a very good point because since the ceasefire in 1991, the UN established the Mission for the Referendum of Western Sahara, which is called after its Spanish initials -the Mission of United Nations for the Referendum of Western Sahara, which is called MINURSO. That mission is supposed to take care of the ceasefire and to hold a referendum on self- determination.



But Morocco has managed to stop the referendum because it knows that if a referendum on self-determination is organised, the people will decide to be independent, so it tried to put obstacles, by bringing in settlers, saying that they should vote.



I was a member of the Polisario Front on the United Nations Identification mission, to identify possible voters in the referendum in Western Sahara but we discovered that Morocco brought thousands of settlers to Western Sahara. We even went to Morocco to identify possible voters who are Moroccan settlers who had nothing to do with Western Sahara. But the team of the United Nations identification Commission to Western Sahara were experts and they did not accept those people.



The MINURSO is not dealing with the issue of human rights because the mission has no prerogative of dealing with human rights and so human rights are violated before their eyes and they keep a blind eye to that. They cannot even report on that to the United Nations.



So, Morocco is refusing to abide by international law and it is being backed by France, a very strong member of the United Nations Security Council. Whenever people propose for the mission to have the prerogative of monitoring human rights, they will stop it. So, they have given Morocco the opportunity to violate human right and so nobody can report on this human right and they continue to do it.



It is an anomaly that a United Nations mission had no prerogative to monitor human rights, it is something that is unacceptable.



The issue of referendum is long overdue, but what do you think is holding the UN from being consistent and following through the resolutions and organizing the referendum?



When the identification of voters was taking place in 1991, King Hassan, the father of the current King, was the one who accepted the referendum after sixteen years of bitter war and promised to recognise the outcome.



But in 1999, when we were still working on the referendum, the king of Morocco died and after that, his son backtracked on the referendum and unfortunately, the UN is not imposing the resolution because Morocco has France, an accomplice and a very strong member of the Security Council.



Any special appeal to African Union?



Our special appeal to African Union is that the respect of our constitutional rights. That is all we want from Africans and if any member state is violating that right, then AU should put some sanctions as was with the case of the arrogant Apartheid regime in South Africa. Sanctions should be placed on such member state.



Since its constitution in 2000, the African Union is becoming strong and having very good personality internationally. This is not suitable for other foreign powers and they want to weaken Africa and unfortunately Morocco is being used as the Trojan horse to do that.



What are your expectations from Nigeria on this case?



Nigerias recognition and establishment of diplomatic relations with Western Saharan Republic was crucial in our struggle and we are very grateful for that support.



Nigeria by its history and size in Africa should have the last word and should be the referee in any dispute in Africa as the big brother to impose the law, the implementation and respect of the law and the respect for treaties.



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https://leadership.ng/intl-community-must-stop-moroccos-occupation-of-we...
STAMFORD  Skin-care company Beiersdorf is relocating its North American headquarters from Wilton to Stamford, officials said, placing its main U.S. offices in a more central location to support its growth.

Known for brands such as Aquaphor, Coppertone, Eucerin, La Prairie and Nivea, Beiersdorf plans to move in mid-November to offices at 301 Tresser Blvd., in the downtown Stamford Plaza complex. About 185 employees will work out of the new offices.

The companys main U.S. offices are now based at 45 Danbury Road in Wilton, its hometown since November 2011. It has a 10-year lease there that will soon end, according to company officials.

We are excited to call the dynamic city of Stamford home to our new North America headquarters, Mauricio Valdes, acting general manager of Beiersdorf North America, said in a statement. Stamfords rich cultural diversity, accessibility and convenience to both New York City and our new North America R&D Innovation Center (in New Jersey) will serve as the ideal hub for our continued growth and expansion in the region.

The company has signed a lease for 27,492 square feet at 301 Tresser, according to the Stamford Office of Economic Development. With a campus covering approximately 1 million square feet  also including buildings at 263 Tresser, 281 Tresser and 107 Elm St.  Stamford Plaza represents one of the largest office complexes in Connecticut.

I am confident that our newly designed space with its inspirational views and architecture will provide the perfect backdrop for our regional and global colleagues to connect, collaborate and innovate, Valdes said.

Beiersdorf is headquartered in Hamburg, Germany. In the U.S., it also has offices in Bentonville, Ark., and a soon-to-open global R&D Innovation Center in Florham Park, N.J. The company employs more than 20,000 worldwide.

At 301 Tresser, Beiersdorfs offices will be located a block from the offices of another Germany-headquartered consumer-goods powerhouse, Henkel. The latter opened its North American consumer goods headquarters at 200 Elm St. in 2017.

Despite the proliferation of remote working during the COVID-19 pandemic, Stamford has continued to attract major companies, with other newcomers including manufacturer and technology-services firm ITT, real estate-focused financial-technology firm Tomo Networks and Webster Bank. ITT and Webster have decided to move their headquarters to Stamford  respectively from White Plains, N.Y., and Waterbury. When it was founded last year, Tomo announced that it would be based in Stamford.

Among companies already headquartered in the city, Charter Communications earlier this year opened its new headquarters at 406 Washington Blvd., next to the downtown Metro-North Railroad station and a few blocks from its longtime headquarters at 400 Atlantic St. WWE, which is now based at 1241 E. Main St., plans to start its move late next year to its future headquarters at 677 Washington Blvd.

In the third quarter of this year, Stamfords central business district recorded 145,000 square feet of leasing activity, up 2 percent from the previous quarter, according to commercial real estate firm CBRE. Despite the increasing demand, the market still trails its five-year quarterly average of 195,000 square feet.

pschott@stamfordadvocate.com; twitter: @paulschott
STAMFORD  Halloween haunts in Stamford are back: officially.

After explicitly discouraging traditional holiday festivities in 2020, Mayor David Martin is throwing his support behind trick-or-treating, as long as people are mindful and safe while hunting for candy.

Under the advisement of Stamfords acting director of health, Jody-Bishop Pullan, Stamford residents are encouraged to safely participate in trick-or-treating this year, Martin said in a statement.

In accordance with guidelines set by the CDC, trick-or-treating in small groups while practicing reasonable safety precautions are believed to limit the potential spread of COVID-19. Although the use of masks or face coverings outdoors during these activities will not be enforced, it is recommended, the mayor said.

In early October, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that people host celebrations virtually or outdoors with everyone at least 6 feet apart. The CDC maintained masks were not necessary for people at outdoor events. However, for areas with high transmission rates, the CDC recommended wearing masks outdoors among vaccinated people or in crowded areas.

A week after the CDC provided holiday guidance, Dr. Anthony Fauci  the countys foremost expert on infectious diseases  endorsed trick-or-treating for children on CNNs Sunday show State of the Union.

Go out there and enjoy Halloween, as well as the other holidays that will be coming up, Fauci said, though he also urged caution among unvaccinated people.

Martin and former Health Director Jennifer Calder in 2020 followed guidance from state officials and discouraged traditional Halloween festivities. The two maintained that it was unsafe to trick or treat given the autumnal spike in infections across the state since trick-or-treating involved close contact with individuals from outside a persons household.

We have seen an increase in cases since September, and we must renew our vigilance to keep our community safe and healthy, Martin told The Stamford Advocate in 2020. We are potentially at the beginning of a second wave across Connecticut and in our community. We must take this threat seriously to keep this virus under control and save lives.

This year, the picture looks vastly different, Martin said.

Halloween of last, we were running a little over 30 cases a day and the line was going up," he said at his weekly COVID-19 update last year at this time. The actual numbers on those days were much higher, but basically this was looking like a bad time to come and indeed it was.

A year later, the outlook is brighter. The latest data from Oct. 10 shows that Stamford is reporting about 10 new coronavirus cases a day, as per the 14-day average of cases. But the trend lines direction may be more important than the number of cases in the mayors eyes.

The trends line is moving down which is very good, he added, paving the way for the holiday celebration to come.

veronica.delvalle@hearstmediact.com
Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images

President Joe Biden will visit the University of Connecticut and Hartford Friday, according to the White House.

In Hartford, Biden will promote his Build Back Better Agenda and the importance of investing in child care to help working class families, the White House said. He will then travel to Storrs to dedicate the opening of the Dodd Center for Human Rights with former U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd.
With mosquito levels at the highest in 20 years, three mosquito-borne illnesses are most dangerous to humans in October after being passed from birds to mosquitoes over the summer months.

This year, the first report of Eastern equine encephalitis occurred Sept. 23 in mosquitoes trapped in Voluntown, in southeastern Connecticut, as part of the states surveillance program. EEE is rare but kills one-third of those who catch it, according to the state Department of Public Health.

Two years ago, three out of four people who caught EEE in Stonington died. A mostly bird-biting mosquito, Culiseta melanura, which favors freshwater swamps, feeds on infected birds, which then pass EEE to mosquitoes that bite birds and people.

Mosquitoes also spread two other serious diseases  West Nile virus and Jamestown Canyon virus  that cause neurological and flu-like symptoms. There are no vaccines, no surefire cures, and proper diagnoses are difficult.

Scientists at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station trap mosquitoes weekly during the warm season. The traps capture a small percentage of all mosquitoes but give scientists an accurate picture of the highest levels of these illnesses.

These are very serious illnesses, said Philip Armstrong, a research scientist at the CAES and the head of the states mosquito testing program. Those that survive infections suffer from lifelong disabilities, or they have really long-term residual effects.

Armstrong said that by the time a human gets sick and is diagnosed through blood tests with one of these illnesses, the risks are even higher. The human cases are a lagging indicator of risk, he said. By the time we learn about it, its usually weeks after.

A few key species of mosquitoes spread the virus and increase its concentration by biting birds. Then other species of mosquitoes also bite the birds and then bite people. People can only get sick from bites from infected mosquitoes. Humans dont spread the disease in any way; they are simply victims.

Armstrong said the trapping and testing they do is the only way to know what were dealing with each year in the mosquito population and protect people from these illnesses. The risk of these viruses changes each year with variable weather conditions and other factors that we dont fully understand, he said, so the only way to know what the risk is, is to go out and do the hard work which is trapping.

The Numbers. What The Traps Are Showing

As of Oct. 4, West Nile virus had been found in trapped mosquitoes in 45 towns, including Greenwich, Hartford, New Haven, Norwalk, Waterford, Wethersfield and Stamford. The virus tends to accumulate in mosquitoes that breed in puddles and storm drains in urban areas.

Jamestown Canyon virus has been found in mosquitoes trapped in 16 towns.

Year to year, the trap data shows fluctuations in disease-carrying mosquitoes, depending on how much it has rained. In 2020, West Nile virus was detected in mosquitoes in 29 trap locations in 21 towns. Jamestown Canyon virus showed up 13 times in seven towns. The rare Eastern equine encephalitis was found twice that year: in Stonington and Hampton.

In 2019, 122 instances of EEE were found in mosquitoes trapped in 20 towns, a substantial number for EEE, scientists said. West Nile virus was detected 82 times in 24 towns; Jamestown Canyon virus was found 20 times in 11 towns.

It may be difficult to translate virus presence in the traps to percentages of disease carriers in the general public. But a different kind of test published in 2001 offered a clue. A team from CAES looked for antibodies to the Jamestown Canyon virus in samples from blood donors. It concluded the virus was present in about 4 percent of the general population. Most people who get exposed, therefore, dont get sick. But it can be fatal: the public health department reported in August 2021 that a patient in Dublin, N.H., died of Jamestown Canyon. There is no commercial blood test for the Jamestown Canyon virus. The only way to test people is by sending samples to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Human cases are very rare and sporadic, Armstrong said, but its also likely, because there is no testing on a regular basis, that some of these infections are not diagnosed.

Climate Change Could Be Making It Worse

Climate change could be creating conditions that make the situation worse. Connecticut is getting wetter and warmer, and mosquitoes breed in temporary pools of water until the first frost.

Mosquito populations have been exploding in recent years. A team of five scientists from CAES found in a 2020 study that mosquitoes  unlike many other insects  have increased dramatically since 2001. The study found the number of mosquitoes trapped has risen by about 60 percent since 2001, and species richness has increased by 10 percent.

Armstrong is a coauthor of the study, along with the former mosquito program head, Theodore Andreadis. There are a lot of papers that have come out recently on what they call insect Armageddon  all these beneficial insects that are declining in abundance and diversity, Armstrong said. But one exception is the mosquito. At least here in Connecticut, mosquitoes are getting more abundant. Theyre getting more diverse. With the heavy rain and the wetter summers and warmer winters, I think its all creating nice conditions for them, Armstrong said.

The trend continued this year. The numbers of mosquitoes have been the highest in 20 years, based on what scientists are finding in the traps.

The Trapping Program

The CAES collects mosquitoes from spring through fall at 108 locations in 88 cities and towns. It increased the trap number by 16 after an outbreak of EEE in 2019, Armstrong said. CAES staff identify every individual mosquito, divide them into groups by species, and test them all for the three viruses. The public can view the reports here.

State health officials advise residents across the state to wear long sleeves and long pants and apply insect repellent when they go outside, especially at dawn and dusk when many mosquitoes bite.

This story was reported under a partnership with the Connecticut Health I-Team (c-hit.org), a nonprofit news organization dedicated to health reporting.
Kathryn Jean Lopez is senior fellow at the National Review Institute, editor-at-large of National Review magazine and author of the new book A Year With the Mystics: Visionary Wisdom for Daily Living. She is also chair of Cardinal Dolans pro-life commission in New York. She can be contacted at klopez@nationalreview.com.
The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education recently named Paul Krzywicki, an award-winning journalist and public relations professional, as public relations manager.

A Mountain Top resident, Krzywicki will manage media outreach and the planning and implementation of communication programs that create a positive image of The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education.

He will create and transform ideas into communication strategies that include news articles, publications, blogs, social media posts and other supportive materials

He will also provide strategy direction, message development and communication planning and implementation to increase the understanding of corporate vision, business strategies and initiatives among the companys internal and external audiences.

A graduate of Kings College with a bachelors degree in mass communications, Krzywicki has experience in print and broadcast journalism, and publications, public relations and grant writing for a regional institution of higher education and nonprofit agency. His work has been recognized by the Society of Professional Journalists and College & University Public Relations and Associated Professionals.

The Wright Centers for Community Health are dedicated to serving Northeast Pennsylvanias most vulnerable residents and currently provides a comprehensive medical home to more than 26,000 patients, more than 40% of whom are uninsured, underinsured or low income.

 Staff report


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Ashtabula, OH (44004)

Today

Periods of snow. Low 34F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 100%. Snow accumulations less than one inch..

Tonight

Periods of snow. Low 34F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 100%. Snow accumulations less than one inch.
Zoltan Nagy-Bege, vice-president of the National Energy Regulatory Authority (ANRE), said on Tuesday that he expects the EU executive to recommend the elimination of two taxes from the electricity bill - the green certificate tax and the cogeneration bonus.

"I have some reservations about the solution found [by the Government on the compensation of energy bills, ed.n.], it is quite cumbersome, it has some weaknesses and I would say that maybe there were other solutions easier to implement than this Ordinance 118 and I expect the recommendations from the European Commission to come exactly in this direction. (..) I expect from the European Commission to come up with the recommendation to tax precisely those companies that during this period are making some additional revenues due to the evolution of prices on the wholesale markets, I expect it to propose the elimination of some taxes from the electricity or natural gas bill, such as for example, the cogeneration bonus, which is applied in Romania for the support scheme for high-efficiency cogeneration plants, the contribution to green certificates," said Zoltan Nagy-Bege, at the Aspen Energy Summit 2021.

The vice-president of ANRE appreciated that the elimination of the two taxes would produce a decrease of the electricity bill by 100 RON (rd 20 EUR) as of January, Agerpres informs.

The ANRE official also referred to the possibility of eliminating VAT from energy bills for household consumers.

"Going forward, for a limited period, even the VAT can be eliminated, which is a measure for household consumers. It has no effect on non-households (...), it can only help the latter in terms of cash flow," Zoltan Nagy-Bege added.
The appointment of Ciolos is the first step towards early elections, says Social Democratic Party (PSD) Chairman Marcel Ciolacu.

"PSD will never vote for a new Zero Government. We overthrew the Citu Government with a censure motion in which we also criticized the performance of USR [Save Romania Union] ministers. PNL [National Liberal Party] and USR destroyed Romania side by side for a year. All of Romania knows this. It is clear that in the current situation a stable majority cannot be formed to govern Romania efficiently," Marcel Ciolacu wrote on Monday evening on his Facebook page.

President Klaus Iohannis signed the decree on the appointment of Dacian Ciolos as a candidate for Prime Minister on Monday, to ask for Parliament's vote of confidence on the program and the list of the new Government, after having had consultations with parliamentary parties and formations, Agerpres informs.

According to Article 103 of the Romanian Constitution, the candidate for the position of Prime Minister will request, within 10 days from the appointment, the vote of confidence of Parliament on the program and of the entire list of the Government.

The program and the list of the Government are debated by the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate, in a joint session.

Parliament grants confidence to the Government with the vote of the majority of deputies and senators.
Prime Minister-delegate Dacian Ciolos of the Save Romania Union (USR) said on Tuesday that his aim is to prepare fast a government to handle the political crisis, for which he will reach out to the party's coalition partners - the National Liberal Party (PNL), the Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania (UDMR), national minorities - mentioning that he had a telephone conversation with the leaders of these parties and that, most likely, a first meeting will take place on Wednesday.

"The aim is to prepare fast a government that works for Romanians and manages the crisis. For that, we will call on the coalition partners PNL, UDMR, minorities. I do not think that those parties would refuse the talks, because it would mean prolonging a crisis, including a health one. USR is not afraid to own the government, the serious social and sanitary situation; we also have a hard winter ahead. It is important to set up a government as soon as possible. We offer responsibility and we demand responsibility from our partners with whom we share a political vision - PNL, UDMR and minorities," said Ciolos.

He said that USR is trying to restore the coalition to its original form and expects that from the coalition parties as well, Agerpres informs.

Ciolos also said that he had a telephone conversation with PNL and UDMR and that, most likely, there will be a first meeting with them on Wednesday.
The interim Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bogdan Aurescu, had a work meeting on Tuesday, with the Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova, Nicolae Popescu, Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, during which the special relation, of strategic partnership, between the two countries, was reconfirmed, according to a press release sent by MAE (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) to AGERPRES.

The two ministers extensively analyzed the perspectives of the projects and strategic interest cases on the bilateral agenda, including the projects of inter-connection within the energy sector and those regarding the transport infrastructure.

Aurescu and Popescu saluted the recent completion of the final works of the Iasi-Chisinau pipeline and discussed about the inter-connections in the area of electricity, important strategic projects which will allow Romania and the Republic of Moldova to advance on the line of consolidating cooperation in the area of ensuring energy security, MAE specifies.

There were also talks about the roadmap regarding the priority areas of cooperation between Romania and the Republic of Moldova, a document which is being updated by both parties, as well as the perspectives of closing a new agreement regarding the non-reimbursable assistance for Chisinau, which will replace and take over the functions of the bilateral Agreement signed in 2010 and that ended in the spring of this year.

The two ministers also analyzed the bilateral agreements regarding the construction or rehabilitation of the bridges over the Prut, from Galati - Giurgiulesti and Ungheni - Ungheni, which need to be completed as soon as possible, the necessary measures for the elimination of the roaming tariffs between the two countries, Romania's support for the Justice reform and making efficient the fight against corruption in the Republic of Moldova, as well as the strengthening of the cooperation between the EU and Chisinau.

The two parties agreed on shared actions for deepening the cooperation and additional consolidation of the bilateral dialogue, including the support offered by Romania for the advancement of the reform processes and the European path of the Republic of Moldova, especially through an exchange of experience and transfer of expertise in various areas, according to the requests of the Chisinau authorities.

Bogdan Aurescu reiterated Romania's firm support for an agenda of reforms of the Republic of Moldova and for its European path, our country constantly supporting the development and modernization through actions in the direct benefit of the Moldovan citizens. He once again expressed Romania's opening of supporting the advancement of bilateral projects, meant to produce concrete and solid results, with a positive impact for the population, thus supporting priorities, in terms of reforms of the Republic of Moldova authorities and welcoming the necessities of modernization and economic relaunch.
Still Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Ludovic Orban, said today that President Klaus Iohannis is following into the footsteps of his predecessors Emil Constantinescu and Traian Basescu, "who destroyed the parties that supported their presidential bids."

"I can find no rational explanation for the President's behavior, and the effects of his action or inaction in the last three months are visible in opinion polls. The Social Democratic Party is at 35 percent of approval, both the Alliance for the Union of Romanians - AUR and URS PLUS have increased. The only political party that collapsed in the polls is the National Liberal Party - PNL, the party that backed Iohannis to become President of Romania. It is beyond my understanding why he should take revenge on PNL, the formation that supported him, but if we look at history, we can see that Emil Constantinescu had a decisive contribution to taking the Christian Democratic National Peasant Party out of public life, he practically destroyed the party that supported him. Traian Basescu too almost blew up the party that supported him, farewell PD, farewell PDL. Apparently the third President is following the same line - he wants to wreck the party he rode to success, I can find no other rational explanation," Orban said at the Palace of Parliament.

He argued that "the President's attitude towards the PNL is of great importance, as PNL's destruction shatters all prospects for a responsible and honorable governance for Romania".

"President Iohannis is oblivious to the answer, otherwise obvious to anyone, to the question 'How could a government be put together that is capable of obtaining a parliamentary majority?,' - namely by restoring the governing coalition. Yet the President seems more concerned with exacting revenge on USR PLUS for revolting against Citu, rather than with solutions to put an end to this crisis," Orban added.
Spain's National Day is celebrated on Tuesday, between 6.00 and 7.30 pm, within the Bucharest International Poetry Festival 2021, through public readings of some Spanish poets whose poems have been translated into Romanian language and who will participate in the event through videocalls.

According to the Facebook page of the National Museum of Romanian Literature (MNLR), the Romanian poets will read poems by Jordi Doce, Manuel Rico, Edoardo Moga, Nuria Barrios, Javier Rodriguez Marcos, Maria Garcia Zambrano.

Among the Romanian poets who will be present in person will be: Ion Muresan, Ioan Es. Pop, Ioana Craciunescu, Eugen Suciu, Radu Sergiu Ruba, Agerpres informs.

The readings will be followed by a jazz concert performed by Mircea Tiberian&Nadia Trohin.

The event is organized with the support of the Romanian Cultural Institute in Madrid and the Cervantes Institute in Bucharest.

Participation in the events is free, access being based on the presentation of the vaccination certificate or a PCR test run within the last 72 hours, or a rapid antigen test, run within the last 48 hours, and only based on a reservation at the program@mnlr.ro or at the number 0736.598.451 (WhatsApp).

The National Museum of Romanian Literature organizes, between October 11 and 17, the 11th edition of the Bucharest International Poetry Festival.

Held in a hybrid format, the festival programme includes public poetry readings by Romanian and Moldovan poets at the two headquarters of the MNLR (8 Nicolae Cretulescu Street and and 64-66 Calea Grivitei Street) along with live interventions through the Zoom platform, as well as video recordings with readings of poets living or coming from countries such as England, Argentina, Canada, Colombia, Ecuador, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Mexico, Peru, the Republic of Moldova, Spain and the United States of America.

This year's theme of the festival is "Changing Times," about which writer Dinu Flamand wrote: "The pandemic continues to keep us at bay. Is it the beginning of a NON RETOUR, as the French are used to say? Will we continue to talk more on Skype, and physical contact between people will be more and more rare? Will the melting of glaciers, the extreme meteorological phenomena, the pollution that is out of our control, the weak democracy faced with the creative violence coming back again from the far past of mankind, and even mankind itself gradually suffocating its own living environment means that we are at a great crossroads What does the writer think, how does he/she react to these changing times? About all this, but especially about the (un)abandoned books and literary projects, the National Museum of Romanian Literature proposes you a series of interventions and dialogues from a distance, national and international."

The Bucharest International Poetry Festival is a project carried out with the financial support of the Ministry of Culture. Along with other media institutions, AGERPRES is the media partner of the event.
Ludovic Orban announced that he will resign on Wednesday, at 12.00, from the position of Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies.

Speaking of the current situation he labelled as a "bluff" the decision of President Klaus Iohannis to appoint Dacian Ciolos as candidate for the prime minister office, saying that no party would endorse a government headed by the latter.

"Unfortunately, the decision the president made yesterday is rather a bluff, which not only is not meant to solve the crisis, but has as effect the prolongation of the political and governmental crisis and the deepening of the crisis. It is obvious to anyone with some knowledge of the political situation in Romania that, in spite of the good intention of the Save Romania Union - Party of Liberty, Unity and Solidarity and that of Dacian Ciolos, who in fact were the only ones to have gone to the Cotroceni consultations with a proposal for prime minister, the appointment of Dacian Ciolos as candidate for prime minister is an appointment not taking into account the principle of constitutional loyalty which should have been enforced and does not take into account that the appointment must be done in the case of a prime minister who should actually stand chances of getting a parliamentary majority. (...) Neither the current National Liberal Party leadership nor other political parties will endorse a Ciolos Government," Orban said at the Palace of Parliament.
Prime Minister designate Dacian Ciolos said, on Tuesday, that the Save Romania Union (USR) is the only parliamentary party that has presented a political solution to the current crisis and there is no reason for anyone's concern for his political career or his run for President.

"I received hundreds of questions and messages regarding my nomination as Prime Minister at this moment of crisis. Those who wrote to me are concerned that we have been drawn into a political trap and that this solution was offered to me to close the opportunity of a presidential candidacy. I wish to clarify this situation, not to continue speculations or concerns that have no purpose. From a political perspective, you must understand we are the third party by number of parliamentary mandates, but the only one to present a political solution to the current crisis. We are not stuck in internal issues, we are not playing the political crisis thinking of votes in two years' time. Simply, we did what a political party should do: assume a crisis situation and respond to the moment we find ourselves in," wrote Ciolos, on Facebook.

According to the chair of the USR, "the idea that time is gained by such a nomination is profoundly wrong."

"We are not in a situation of calm and social welfare to allow us to draw out decisions measuring strictly what advantages we have if we speculate the moment. We have decided to act," said Dacian Ciolos.

The PM designate mentioned that, from a personal perspective, he believes there should be more concern for those who are sick and have no room in hospitals and how the bills will be paid this winter.

"There is no reason for anyone's concern for my political career of for my run for President. We are in a full pandemic and hundreds of human lives are lost every day, and our society must exit the fascination of the political game and worry for the real reasons. The main mistake of politicians is that they always though everything is about them. The government is about how Romanians will handle those difficult months in which the pandemic is threatening each of us, and bills are a burden that some of us will not be able to overcome," he concluded.
National leader of the Save Romania Union (USR) Dacian Ciolos, recently designated prime minister, will start today talks with the National Liberal Party (PNL), the Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania (UDMR) and the group of national minority lawmakers for the formation of a new government.

Ciolos was nominated on Monday evening by President Klaus Iohannis as the candidate for the position of prime minister.

Also on Monday evening, the National Bureau of the Save Romania Union picked its negotiating team, which consists of Dan Barna, Anca Dragu, Catalin Drula, Vlad Voiculescu, and Ionut Mosteanu, Agerpres informs.

A team working on the governing agenda was also established, made up of Cristian Ghinea, Oana Toiu, Anca Dragu, Claudiu Nasui, and Dragos Pislaru.

"In line with our consistent attitude since the general election, the first step is to invite PNL, UDMR and national minorities to talks for the formation of a new government. We are demanding the restoration of the ruling coalition to its initial form, and we are waiting for a reciprocity signal on the part of our colleagues. We hope that they will show political responsibility in the eleventh hour. The National Bureau has decided to send official invitations to meet PNL, UDMR and national minority lawmakers tomorrow to discuss reforming the governing coalition," Ciolos is quoted as saying in a press statement.

Under Article 103 of the Romanian Constitution, the President of Romania shall designate a candidate to the office of prime minister, as a result of his consultation with the party which has obtained absolute majority in Parliament, or -unless such majority exists - with the parties represented in Parliament.

The candidate to the office of prime minister shall, within ten days of his designation, seek the vote of confidence of Parliament upon the programme and complete list of the government.

The programme and list of the government shall be debated upon by the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate, in joint sitting.

Parliament shall grant confidence to the government by a majority vote of the deputies and senators.
National Liberal Party (PNL) deputy Florin Roman stated, on Tuesday, that the parties that ousted the Government are those that should find "the best solution" to install a new Cabinet.

"The line [of the PNL] is the one announced by the party chairman. We've announced the designated Prime Minister that he should finalize negotiations with those with whom he generated a majority of 281 MPs, with those in AUR [the Alliance for the Union of Romanians] and PSD [the Social Democratic Party]. Practically, this is the only thing that stands - a majority of 281 MPs that have ousted a Government. And now, those who have ousted it should find the best solutions and install it," said Roman, in Parliament.

When asked if there is any chance to restore the government coalition formed by the National Liberal Party (PNL), Save Romania Union (USR) and the Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania (UDMR), he answered: "This is just a statement of Dacian Ciolos., Agerpres informs.

"We haven't made such a decision in the National Standing Bureau, we will make a decision this evening. Mr. Ciolos was the main instigator of the fall of the right-wing Government. (...) It was easy to tear down, now he should build. It's hard for me to believe that, after ousting the right-wing Government, after being supported by the National Liberal Party for the Agriculture Portfolio, for the European Commissioner portfolio, for the Prime Minister portfolio in the technocratic Government [2015-2017], and Mr. Ciolos answered with the ousting of the Government, it's hard to think we can build with someone that only knows how to demolish. And Mr. Ciolos is only skilled in demolishing, not in building," said the PNL deputy.

He mentioned that the PNL governments didn't "run in the face of danger, but stood on the frontline" trying to do all they could for Romania in a period when "everyone was giving advice, but nobody takes responsibility for anything".
President Klaus Iohannis will participate on Wednesday, at the invitation of Sweden's Prime Minister Stefan Lofven, in the Malmo International Forum on Holocaust Remembrance and Combating Anti-Semitism, the Presidential Administration informs.

According to the cited source, President Iohannis's participation in the Malmo Forum is part of the series of steps taken by the Romanian state for strengthening Holocaust education, preserving Holocaust memory, combating anti-Semitism, racism, xenophobia and promoting European values, tolerance and respect for fundamental rights and freedoms.

In his address to Sweden's international conference, President Iohannis will highlight Romania's constant efforts to own up to the past and combat Holocaust denial and distortion, and its striving to become a regional model of best practices in this regard.

"Romania's top level participation in the Malmo Forum confers our country increased visibility and will contribute to strengthening Romania's profile as an active international promoter of relevant policies," the Presidential Administration said.

According to the cited source, the head of the state will convey the firm commitment assumed by Romania through the 2021 - 2023 National Strategy for preventing and combating anti-Semitism, xenophobia, radicalization and hate speech, which was adopted this May, and through the associated plan of action.

The Malmo Forum marks the 21st anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of the Stockholm International Forum on the Holocaust, a founding document of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance - IHRA. IHRA is an intergovernmental organization which has become over time an international benchmark for Holocaust education, research, and commemoration; Romania held the IHRA Presidency between 2016 and 2017. The Malmo Forum aims to send a strong international signal on the need to employ all means in countering anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial, which are currently on the rise, as reprehensible and unacceptable phenomena.
Romania's COVID-19 vaccination coverage of the total 19.3 million strong population is about 30 percent, head of the National COVID Vaccination Coordination Committee (CNCAV), doctor Valeriu Gheorghita informed on Tuesday.

"The national vaccination coverage of the total resident population, ie 19.3 million people - according to the National Institute of Statistics - is about 30 percent, and about 34 percent for the eligible population - ages 12 and up. (... ) In Bucharest, today's vaccination coverage is about 54.03 percent. Three counties have a vaccination coverage above 40 percent: Cluj - 48.75 pct, Sibiu - 41.87 pct and Constanta - 41.3 pct. There are 20 counties with a vaccination coverage between 30 and 40 percent, and the vaccination coverage in the remaining 18 counties is between 20 and 30 percent," Valeriu Gheorghita told a press conference at the Victoria Palace of Government.

According to the CNCAV official, 5.79 million people have so far received the first dose of COVID vaccine, and 5.54 million got fully vaccinated, Agerpres informs.
The chairman of the Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania (UDMR), Kelemen Hunor, was mandated by the members of parliament of his formation to participate in talks announced by Prime Minister designate Dacian Ciolos, the deputy leader of UDMR, Csoma Botond declared on Tuesday.

"We had a group session with the deputy and senators colleagues and chairman Kelemen Hunor informed us that he was phoned by Dacian Ciolos yesterday and invited to certain talks. We decided to mandate the chairman to take part in those talks that will take place tomorrow, where the representatives of PNL (National Liberal Party), alongside those from USR PLUS (Save Romania Union - Party of Liberty, Unity and Solidarity alliance) and minorities, will be present. At this moment, we believe that these discussions are somewhat courtesy talks. I don't believe that we will discuss in detail regarding a governing program or a governing formula. As I said yesterday, it is very difficult for us to accept Mr. Dacian Ciolos as head of the Executive and the main reason is that his party made a conjectural agreement in Parliament and initiated the first vote of no confidence only with AUR (Alliance for the Union of Romanians). We will see how things will evolve. I did not say that it is impossible for us, only difficult," Csoma Botond specified in Parliament, at the end of the UDMR's reunited parliamentary group session.

He said that UDMR will not accept what Dacian Ciolos already announced: the dismantling of the SIIJ (Section for the Investigation of Judicial Crimes) in the formula proposed by USR PLUS and the election of mayors in two rounds.

Csoma Botond added that he cannot say exactly what the odds of restoring the governing coalition are, but UDMR would have wanted for this coalition to be restored.

Asked if there could be a coalition with a Prime Minister from PNL, who isn't Florin Citu, Csoma Botond answered affirmatively: "It would be an option".

According to him, PSD (Social Democratic Party) would not make a Government with PNL, according to the statements of the leader of the social-democrats, Marcel Ciolacu.
Prime Minister-designate Dacian Ciolos, USR (Save Romania Union), said on Tuesday that he has no intention to negotiate with PSD (Social Democratic Party) and AUR (Alliance for the Union of Romanians) to obtain a majority in order to form a government.

"It is not our intention to negotiate a majority with PSD and AUR, I said this very clearly. We are not politically compatible. We are taking charge here for some governing measures that I think are not compatible with the way PSD and AUR see things. We said this from the very beginning. Our intention is to talk to the coalition partners and restore that majority. We have taken on this responsibility and we will have a first discussion to see how we stand, leaving aside the public statements so far," said Ciolos.

Asked if he excluded the negotiations with PSD and AUR for the vote in Parliament, Dacian Ciolos said: "My goal now is to talk to my colleagues in the coalition. This is the goal. I hope we do not have to wait 10 days for that to happen. This is a crisis period we are going through, it's important we find a solution as soon as possible., Agerpres informs.

He added that PSD and AUR want early elections or a government of technocrats, but at this what Romania needs is a full, politically assumed government.

The president of PNL (National Liberal Party), Florin Citu, said on Monday that Dacian Ciolos has "an immense responsibility" as Prime Minister-designate, and has the possibility to negotiate with PSD and AUR to form the majority necessary for the investment of a government.

"I have taken note of the appointment made by President Klaus Iohannis. As of today, the responsibility of Dacian Ciolos, as Prime Minister-designate, is immense. He now has the opportunity to negotiate with the parties that supported the motion of censure (PSD and AUR), to form the necessary majority for a stable government. PNL will discuss with Mr. Ciolos after he finds a solution to form a majority together with his allies from the censure motion, PSD and AUR," said Citu.
Plan to complete the submission by two weeks before the deadline. You might as well be in the early part of the line for money, says Jim Shagawat, a financial advisor in Paramus, NJ.

Need some financial aid to cover tuition? A Student Loan can help. When you need a hand to cover the many costs that come with higher education, a Student Loan is a good option. Click below for more information.

Tips for filling out the CSS Profile Application

The FAFSA gets a bad rap for being complicated, but the CSS Profile is even longer and more complex. Start by logging into your College Board account that you used to sign up for the SATs, or create a new account if you dont have one. Then gather your bank statements, W-2 forms and other paperwork outlined above.
This time, Southwest blamed air traffic control issues and bad weather for weekend operational challenges. Executives said troubles in Florida dominoed across the country as the cancellations stranded staffers far from their flights.

The third straight day of scheduling woes meant there was again grumbling at Lambert, where Southwest handles more than half of all commercial flights.

Its a mess, said Elen Cantos, a Florida resident trying to get home from a vacation in Southern California.

She and her sister, Emmalou, began the day in Long Beach, California. The airline told them their connecting flight out of St. Louis had been canceled and that they should come back the next day. But they had to work on Tuesday, so they took the flight to St. Louis anyway and made a beeline for customer service. There, they managed to negotiate two seats on a flight to Nashville and then home to Panama City Beach.

They gave me a $200 voucher for next time, Elen Cantos said. I said, Never again.

Christopher Moddermans arrival in St. Louis on Monday marked his third day trying to make it home to Oregon from his mothers funeral in Washington, D.C. Hed spent two nights in Baltimore hotels this weekend as three plans to get him home fell through.
Whatever is in that internal report, I would wager my last mileage check that at least some of the allegations in it came from Goulds several-year quest to seek justice on behalf of union members who deserve to have their money well spent. All of a sudden, the all-powerful Carpenters union, which has held oversized sway in St. Louis politics for too long, has had its legs cut off, with renewed questions about why Bond, for instance, raised his pay by about $100,000 to more than $300,000 a year in a short period of time.

And thats why Gould went back to federal court this week, this time without an attorney, seeking to block McCarrons forced consolidation of the local Carpenters regional council with the Chicago group. In his legal filing, he repeats many of the allegations hes been making for years about alleged financial mismanagement under Bonds leadership, and he fears that McCarrons action is a preemptive move to somehow cover up misdeeds.
ST. LOUIS  An estimated 400 to 500 cruising cars stopped up traffic in St. Louis neighborhoods Saturday night, city officials said Monday, resulting in police being diverted from other calls to do traffic control.

Public Safety Director Dan Isom said the cruising and burnouts  when typically stationary vehicles loudly spin their wheels  were part of an event coordinated on social media that drew cruisers across the region, though its still being investigated as to exactly how the event came together.

Police first broke up a large gathering of people cruising in north St. Louis at Grand Boulevard and Natural Bridge Avenue, but from there, the revelers spread and clogged traffic across the city, with groups of cars cruising in Midtown, Lafayette Square, Soulard, Downtown West and other areas.

Social media sites were buzzing with comments and complaints from residents who had witnessed the action, heard the noise and, in many cases, called 911 to report it.
Identifying a new DSS director has been our offices priority. Acting Director Tidball will continue in her current role as she has experience and capabilities to effectively run the day-to-day operations of DSS and continue to provide essential services to some of our states most vulnerable citizens, Jones wrote.

Rep. Hannah Kelly, R-Mountain Grove, who sits on the House Children and Families Committee, said she hopes Parson takes action based on evidence that has accumulated over a series of legislative inquiries.

I would hope we would see a change in leadership. At this point in time, that the only solution that exists, Kelly said.

Tidball was a deputy director at the agency when former DSS chief Steve Corsi resigned to take a new job.

Previously, she served as a top member of the agencys division of finance and administrative services. She has been with DSS since 1995.

While Parson praised her as an able administrator when he elevated her to the acting director position, many of the problems now dogging the agency were not known.
U.S. Treasury guidelines allow governments to use federal funds to offset revenue losses, as long its for allowable expenses, such as public health and public safety, Kreidler said.

The county funds that pay for both services are in the red, he said. The countys general revenue is estimated to hit an $18 million deficit in 2021, or a roughly 6% deficit. The health fund is estimated to hit a $1.4 million, or 4.9%, deficit in 2021. Both deficits are expected to grow to a total of about $65 million in 2022.

The county would use about $85 million ARPA funds for both services through 2022, effectively offsetting the deficits, Kreidler said. Money the county would have spent for public health and safety would then be free for the council to appropriate for other uses, without having to meet federal restrictions.

A majority of council members said Monday they have yet to review the preliminary budget proposal in detail and declined to comment. Theyre expected to review the budget proposal with Kreidler in detail Tuesday at the first of several hearings negotiating the countys spending in the next year.

Council Chair Rita Heard Days, D-1st District, said she was concerned about using federal money to fund existing county services without taking into account the countys need to raise revenues in the future.
Tidball has been grilled by lawmakers over shortcomings at the Department of Social Services for the past several months, including the findings of a federal watchdog that said the state wasnt properly tracking and reporting runaway or missing foster children.

A spokeswoman for the governor said in June that the administration was actively searching for a full-time DSS director. For now, however, Knodell will run the agency after having just served as acting director at the Department of Health and Senior Services after former director Randall Williams was ousted.

Tidball, who has been with the state since 1995, will return to her position as a deputy director of the department.

House Minority Leader Crystal Quade, D-Springfield, said it was not a surprise that Tidball was replaced, but she said she hopes Parson moves quickly to find a full-time director.

I do have questions about whats going on with that department. I wish the governor would put someone in that position with experience in child neglect and abuse, Quade said.

Quade also lamented the lack of information about why Parson made the moves.
If there is a conflict of interest, the rule says attorneys may represent clients if certain conditions are met and the clients give informed consent in writing.

The case summary said the siblings signed a waiver Viets provided them.

My clients signed a waiver of conflict of interest, Viets said on Tuesday. I thought I was abiding by the rules. I think the essence of what the court has found is that they said my waiver wasnt adequate.

The Office of Chief Disciplinary Counsel said Viets waivers did not constitute informed consent under state rules.

The DePriests had no legal training, little experience with the criminal justice system and little to no experience in hiring an attorney, the office said. The Waivers did not disclose that different levels of culpability or group plea offers create conflicts.

The state also said Viets led the DePriests to believe there would be no conflict of interest unless they decided they wanted to turn on each other.

According to the case summary, Viets argued he should be reprimanded, not suspended.
The Washington Post report, which was anecdotal rather than based on polling results, reported that many Wyoming residents think Cheney betrayed them because of her impeachment vote and her position on the Jan. 6 committee. Park County GOP chairman Martin Kimmet is quoted as saying, Seemingly she just doesnt really care what we want her to do.

But back to my original question. Is Cheneys duty primarily to uphold the Constitution? Or is it to do what her constituents want  that is, represent their interests? Of course, ideally it should be both.

Members of the House take an oath to uphold the Constitution on the opening day of each new Congress. The First Congress (17891791) wrote the words to the oath, although it had been changed several times. The following oath has been used since 1862: I  do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.
An old-time major league pitcher once said he worried about only two types of batter  righthanders and lefthanders. It's the same with airports: Only two kinds of airports present hostile environments: origin and destination. As I covered previously, origin airports are often the worst, but destination airports present their challenges, as well. You can't avoid all of them, but you can avoid some of the worst problems.

1. Schedule. Even before you get there, you can ease destination airport problems by scheduling your trip to minimize hassle  at least when you have choices:

 In a multi-airport city, try to book yourself to the most convenient airport  closest to your final destination, the smallest and easiest to navigate, the one with the best access to downtown, or some combination.

 Try to avoid arriving at local rush hours. This is important almost everywhere, but it's especially important to avoid morning rush hour arrival on overnight flights. You'll fight the worst of the day's traffic getting to your final destination, and if you're staying in a hotel, your room probably won't be ready. I can't tell you how many times I've passed through London hotel lobbies at about 10 in the morning where a bunch of jetlagged travelers sat around the lobby, with their baggage, waiting for a room to open.
Q: This pandemic has made everyone think differently about how we spend our vacation time. What have you been doing?

A: Great question. Its really true how the pandemic has shifted our perspective on how we view the world. Previous to the pandemic, my boyfriend had been on a mission to see the world and visit a new destination every trip. The year before the pandemic, we had two epic trips to Japan, Israel, and Jordan. But (we have) refocused our travels to this country and places here weve never been, like Austin, Asheville, North Carolina, Whitefish, Montana, and Savannah, Georgia.

Q: If you had travel plans, but had to cancel due to the pandemic, where were they to?

A: We were gearing up for a trip to Morocco! But weve postponed it until next year.

Q: What is your favorite vacation destination?
In Northern Ireland, my guide Stephen made his countrys struggles come alive for me when he took me to Belfasts Felons Club. Stepping through a black metal security cage to reach the door, he whispered, Membership here is limited to those who have spent at least a year and a day in a British prison for political crimes...but I think I can get you in. Once inside, I was spellbound, listening to heroic stories of Irish resistance while sharing a Guinness with a celebrity felon. His gift of gab gave me a deeper understanding of their struggles. The next day I walked along the green-trimmed gravesites of his prison-mates. Because of my time at the Felons Club, I better understood what these people sacrificed  why they starved themselves to death for the cause of a united Ireland.

My uncle Thor lived through the Nazi occupation of Norway. He took me into Oslos grand City Hall to show me the huge Mural of the Occupation and share his story of those dark days with the visual support of powerful art. Walking slowly, with a soft voice, he narrated the story scene by scene in the present tense  as if the mural told his personal experience as it was happening: The German blitzkrieg overwhelms our country. Men head for the mountains to organize a resistance movement. Women huddle around the neighborhood well, traditionally where news is passed, while traitors listen in. While Germans bomb and occupy Norway, a family gathers in their living room. As a boy clenches his fist and a child holds our Norwegian flag  we love it so much  the Gestapo storms in. Columns lie on the ground, symbolizing how, by closing newspapers and the university, Germans did what they could to shut down our culture. Finally, years later, the war is over, prisoners are freed, and Norway celebrates its happiest day: May 17, 1945. Thors voice cracked as he added, Our first Constitution Day after five years under Nazi control. He finished by waving his arm wide and saying, And today, each December, the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded in this grand hall.
Shares is the leading weekly publication for retail investors. It is packed with investment ideas, news and educational material to help build and run portfolios and get more from your money.

Shares puts on free Investor Events throughout the year across the country. They provide an opportunity for investors to learn more about companies on the stock market and hear from a range of investment experts including fund managers and Shares journalists.
Finnish firm Patria has developed a new 6x6 wheeled APC (Armored Personnel Carrier) to replace the 1984 AMV XA series of 6x6 wheeled APCs. The new HAPC (Heavy APC) is heavier, at 24 tons, than the older 13.5-ton XA model and appears similar, with a bullet-proof windshield. Both vehicles are equipped to deal with mines and roadside bombs. The HAPC is much better protected against projectiles larger than 12.7mm and 14.5mm heavy machine-gun bullets. The mine/bomb protection is much improved and crew and passengers have shock-resistant seats that protect against the shock of a bomb or mine explosion. The XA was armed with, at most, a 12.7mm machine-gun. The HAPC can use a RWS (Remote Weapon System) with a crew member in the vehicle operating a heavy machine-gun or 25mm autocannon. The 24-ton weight of the HAPC includes an 8.5-ton payload. That payload can be reduced by more than a ton if protection is increased with the addition of modular armor panels. These can protect against 30mm shells and larger shell fragments.

The later model XA series vehicles, especially the XA-220, received many of the HAPC capabilities. While the XA had a crew of two and up to 16 passengers, the HAPC has a crew of three and more comfortable accommodations for ten passengers. Both old and new designs can also be configured as a mobile command post, ambulance, reconnaissance or `10mm mortar carrier. The XA had a top road speed of 105 kilometers an hour while the HAPC is 100 kilometers an hour. The XA had a max range of 900 kilometers on internal fuel and the HAPC is said to be similar. HAPC is also amphibious while only some of the later XA models had that capability. HAPC also has a full set of external day/night cameras that enables the crew to stay inside and still be aware of outside activity while traveling through hostile territory.

A major improvement in the HAPC is that it is easier to handle in snow and rough terrain. The HAPC uses a modern vehicle monitoring and driver control system. When users of the older XA vehicles got to drive the HAPC prototypes, they were surprised at how much easier it was to handle off- road, especially in deep snow. While the 1,200 or so XA vehicles produced were favorites for peacekeeping missions, the HAPC was designed mainly to provide a vehicle better able to deal with the Russian army. Thats why Latvia, one of the three Baltic States (along with Lithuania and Estonia) have been looking for such a wheeled vehicle, to get infantry units around quickly in the early stages of a Russian invasion. All the Baltic States joined NATO in 2004 and that required upgrading their Soviet era weapons and vehicles. Latvia bought hundreds of used British tracked vehicles rather than new wheeled APCs that other new NATO nations obtained.

Latvia is buying at least 200 HAPCs and gets a production license so most can be made in Latvia. The Finnish army is also negotiating a major purchase. The HAPC was first displayed in 2018 and already improvements have been made as potential customers took test drives.
Items About Areas That Could Break Out Into War

October 12, 2021: Mozambique is a small coastal nation in southeast Africa, north of South Africa and south of Tanzania that has become the most recent scene of Islamic terrorism developing and disrupting both the local economy and massive foreign investments to build a lucrative natural gas industry to supply local and export customers. In less than two years the violence has increased to the point where most of the foreign natural gas operations have been shut down and neighboring countries have organized a peacekeeping force to restore order until local security forces are reformed and upgraded to do it themselves.

Mozambique was about to become wealthy because of offshore natural gas fields up north in Cabo Delgado province . Developing the extraction and export facilities for natural gas is expensive, complex and time consuming. Back in the 1990s Mozambique granted oil exploration contracts for foreign firms to look for natural gas or oil deposits offshore. This is a standard practice that involves various qualified firms to bid on the process. The foreign firms offer their services in deals that work by having the exploration firm paying for the cost of exploration in return for a percentage ownership for the consortium that ultimately develops and extracts the oil and natural gas. These deals occur in stages, with the needed foreign investment growing larger as it proceeds. New technology indicates where new deposits may be and in the 1990s that made Mozambique a serious candidate for possibly having large offshore oil and natural gas resources. The companies initially involved in the exploration often sell portions of their ownership in newly discovered deposits to other firms with more financial and technical resources or simply to spread the risk as the costs start escalating. The local government retains majority ownership and is responsible for maintaining order so the work can continue.

The main natural gas operation is now managed by French firm Total, which is handling the construction and operation of the offshore natural gas fields and the onshore LNG (liquid Natural Gas) facilities and port for loading the very cold, but now liquid and concentrated, natural gas into special tankers that carry the 13 million tons of LNG a year to foreign markets. A second, smaller (3.4 million tons a year) effort called Coral South and operated by Italian firm Eni, took a different, more expensive, approach and used a floating LNG production and loading platform. The Eni effort was not disrupted by the resent violence in Cabo Delgado province and will begin LNG exports on schedule in 2022. Other firms, like South African SASOL, are handing local pipelines for overland export, mainly to South Africa but also to other neighboring countries as well as within Mozambique.

The presence of large offshore deposits was confirmed fifteen years ago and, after 2010 natural gas related activity began to show up in northern Mozambique. This meant more business for local firms and jobs for people in the area. That attracted the attention of criminal gangs in Mozambique and throughout East Africa. The current Mozambique government is something of a political gang itself, which is common in Africa and many other parts of the world.

Local expectations soon exceeded reality and the local politicians and gangsters took advantage of it. They were joined by Islamic terrorists from other parts of East Africa where there are larger Moslem populations. In Africa, there tend to be fewer Moslems the further south you go and eventually the majorities are Christian or ancient local religions. Mozambique, with 30 million people, is 20 percent Moslem and 60 percent Christian. To the north, Tanzania, with 56 million people, is 35 percent Moslem. You dont encounter a Moslem majority nation until you reach Somalia, which is currently the source of most of the Islamic terrorist activity in East Africa. For that reason, it was Somali Islamic terrorists who were attracted to northern Mozambique and played a role in creating some of the local Islamic terrorist groups. Some of these new groups borrowed names from existing Somali groups like al Shabaab for the new Mozambique terror groups. The Somalis included local chapters of ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant). In Somalia the Islamic terrorists are almost all locals and are taking a beating from AU peacekeepers, the new Somali army and local militias. Over the last decade a growing number of veteran Somali Islamic terrorists have left Somali looking for a less lethal environment for themselves and their families. Some showed up in northern Mozambique and spoke or preached in favor of Islamic terrorism but did not try to organize new groups because these exiles would be quickly identified, arrested or killed and end up in prison or in some other nation. This has been a common pattern for three decades and what made it easy for Islamic terrorism to develop quickly in Mozambique once there was something valuable enough to steal in the name of defending Islam.

In Mozambique the new Islamic terror groups contain a few foreign Islamic terrorists who, under the right conditions, are able to attract lots of local Moslem recruits desperate for a job and an opportunity to defend Islam by killing Christians and plundering their possessions. The core of these new Islamic terror groups are local Moslem gangsters who were already active in profitable activities like smuggling, especially drugs, and extortion. The foreigners, mainly from Somalia, bring with them knowledge of how to plan and carry out terror attacks and publicize them. The publicity is important because it causes local terror and international attention. This attracts cash donations from wealthy individuals or Islamic Charities that exist mainly to funnel donations to Islamic terror groups.

Opportunities for this sort of development increase when major foreign investments come to an otherwise poor area. The existing criminal gangs in northern Mozambique included former Moslem members of the local security forces as well as relationships with current members of local police, border guards and politicians, all of whom are out to make as much money as they can any way they can. The foreign firms are familiar with this sort of thing and were assured by the Mozambique government that it would be taken care of. It wasnt because the Mozambique government is one of more corrupt and incompetent in the region.

Since 2019 the Mozambique government was being warned by French firm Total that the violence could become so severe that Total would have to invoke the Force Majeure (problems that prevent a project from continuing) clause that is standard for projects like this. This is what happened in April 2021 and forced the government to get serious about dealing with the chaos up north, nearly all of it in Cabo Delgado province, the only province in Mozambique with a Moslem majority as well as the valuable offshore natural gas fields. Total told the government that the current Force Majeure would last until it was safe to resume operations. That might take up to a year or more. Currently Total believes first LNG exports will not take place until 2025, a year later than the original timetable. The sooner the exports begin the sooner everyone gets paid, especially Total which has borrowed nearly $20 billion to develop the LNG export capability.

The violence can be reduced to tolerable levels so the Force Majeure can be lifted, and that is what forced the national government to accept foreign peacekeepers. Nearly all these peacekeepers are from neighboring countries with a few from further away to supply air support, training and logistics. The foreign contributors can also include those willing to donate cash. That is a tricky business, especially in Africa, where local governments cannot be trusted to apply foreign cash as intended because most of it gets diverted or stolen. Thats why regional organizations, like the AU (African Union) and SADC (Southern Africa Development Community) have come to handle these operations. The AU includes 51 member nations and has major peacekeeper operations in Malia and Somalia but this will be the first one for SADC. Of the 16 member nations in SADC, South Africa is the most populous and has the largest economy and most effective armed forces. South Africa will contribute about 75 percent of the 2,000 peacekeepers in the initial force.

The Islamic terrorists in Cabo Delgado province have grown from a few hundred five years ago to more than 3,000 during the last year. The Mozambique government was unable to deal with this because the tiny Mozambique military could only put a few thousand soldiers in Cabo Delgado province . The soldiers were poorly trained and led. At first the government turned to foreign mercenaries in the form of Russian and South African military contractors whose main job was to keep the onshore Total facilities and their foreign workers safe. First came the several hundred Russian Wagner Group men who arrived in August 2019 and, while they had some success in halting the Islamic terrorist threat to the LNG facilities, the Russians suffered heavier casualties than anticipated and Wagner left in early 2020 after spending about eight months in Mozambique. They were succeeded by a smaller contingent of operatives from DAG (Dyck Advisory Group). DAG was not exactly military contractors, but specialized in demining and anti-poaching operations as well as providing experienced helicopter crews to assist with these jobs. Most DAG personnel were former military. The founder of DAG was from a European family that had settled in Rhodesia. Lionel Dyck got along well with white and black Africans, including the black Rhodesian and South African rebels who came to power in the 1990s. He had a similar relationship with the Mozambique government leaders. Despite the success of DAG in northern Mozambique, DAG did not renew its one-year contract and left in April 2021. At that point neighbors of Mozambique were forming a joint peacekeeping force like the ones that are still used in Mali and Somalia.

Mozambique leaders feared that the growing Islamic terrorist violence could lead to another long civil war. Mozambique has been suffering wars or threats of war since the 1960s. Mozambique is a largely coastal country north of South Africa and south of Tanzania. Most of the coastline runs parallel to the large island of Madagascar. The current population of 30 million is a lot larger, and less prosperous, than the six million living there in 1950. For over a thousand years Mozambique has, like many other parts of East Africa, consisted of coastal cities that prospered by serving as a marketplace where people from the interior could obtain all manner of foreign goods. Mozambique was part of a vast trading network that used dependable seasonal winds to allow ships to move goods from East Africa to the Persian Gulf, India and Indonesia.

In the 1500s Portugal, using new technologies (cannon and superior sailing ships) created the borders for Mozambique, which explains why the country consists largely of coast and interior areas reachable via rivers. What ended Portuguese rule was an anti-colonial rebellion that lasted from the early 1960s, when other European colonizers were voluntarily departing, until 1975 when Portugal finally officially got rid of its colonies. This meant nearly 300,000 Portuguese settlers and officials left Mozambique, taking with them a major portion of the new nations technical personnel and skilled administrators. Newly independent Mozambique elected a government that lasted two years before a fifteen-year long civil war began. This civil war was far more damaging than the shorter, and less successful anti-colonial war. The civil war killed over a million people and drove more than 20 percent of the population from their homes for months or years. Nearly two million of those refugees fled the country.

Mozambique never recovered from all the violence it has suffered since the 1960s. The rebellion against the Portuguese colonial government left about 6o,000 dead, 94 percent of them rebels and civilians. The rebels were never a real threat to the colonial government. After Mozambique became independent in 1975, its first government was socialist and run by politicians who wanted to establish a communist police state for the greater good. This triggered a civil war in 1977 that killed over a million people, most of them civilians, before it ended in 1992. With the collapse of European communist governments and the Soviet Union between 1989 and 1991, the Mozambique communists agreed to restore democracy. Some tensions between communists and democrats remained and there were brief outbursts violence in 2013 and 2018. A 2019 agreement eliminated most of that tension just as a new threat, from Islamic terrorists, was becoming a major threat.

The civil war was mainly about politics and tribal alliances. Religion was not a major factor because more than four centuries of Portuguese rule had left the population mostly (60 percent) Christian, with about 20 percent animist (ancient local religions) or not religious at all. About twenty percent were Moslem, mostly in the north, where at least $100 billion worth of natural gas was found, which the government expected would yield $5 billion a year for at least 25 years. Thats a lot for a country with an annual GDP of $14 billion. Most the LNG income would go to the government as Mozambique becomes one of the largest natural gas producers in of the world. That will make some people in Mozambique very rich and that is what the current Moslem-led rebellion in the north is all about. In 2019 some of the Ansar al-Sunna (alternative name for al Shabaab) factions pledged allegiance to ISIL, which is normal in situations like this. The violence in northern Mozambique is all about whether corrupt Moslem politicians or corrupt Christian politicians gain control of the natural gas. An Islamic terrorist victory is unlikely as the Mozambique Moslems are vastly outnumbered. The Islamic rebels say they are out to eliminate corruption. All Islamic rebels say that and none ever deliver. That has been demonstrated many times in the last few decades and Moslems have noticed.

What got the Islamic terrorist violence escalating was an August 2020 attack by several hundred Islamic terrorist gunmen that seized the northern Mozambique port town of Mocimboa da Praia. This was the third time the Islamic terrorists had attacked this town. A 2017 attack was repulsed but an attack in March 2020 briefly succeeded. The August attack worked because the army garrison withdrew after several days because the troops had run out of ammunition. The army said it would retake the town but that never happened. The Islamic terrorists were ejected from the town in August 2021 with the help of SADC peacekeepers.

Mozambique has always been poor, with a per capita GDP of under $500. The military has 15,000 personnel, 80 percent of them in the army, which is organized into ten light infantry battalions and some support units. The air force and navy are much smaller and have few operational aircraft and ships. The army received a lot of weapons from Russia starting in 1975 until the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. China has since been selling Mozambique some weapons and ammo but most of the military gear is elderly and often unusable. Running out of ammunition is not unlikely here, especially with the corruption associated with the government budget.

While the port town of 30,000 is not itself very important, the nearby natural gas fields are. Thats why the government has hired several hundred Russian military contractors (experienced veterans, often with combat experience) to safeguard the natural gas facilities. These Russians have clashed with the Islamic terrorists but the main job of the Wagner force is protecting the natural gas operations.

The new Islamic terrorist groups have been particularly active since 2017, carrying out several hundred operations, mostly in Cabo Delgado province. This has left over 3.000 dead and over 800,000 driven from their homes to avoid the fighting. Most of the dead are civilians. The four factions that comprise the Islamic terrorist coalition finance themselves via smuggling, extortion and outright theft. The defeat of army garrisons provided the Islamic terrorists with a lot of abandoned military gear, including some weapons. The Islamic terrorists are better organized than the army and do not run out of ammunition.

The SADC peacekeepers made a big difference once they became active in July 2021. Islamic terrorists were driven out of key towns and areas they had controlled for a year. Several key Islamic terrorist leaders were located and killed. In October SADC agreed to extend the original three-month term of service to a full year. This is more an act of optimism rather than an expectation of lasting change in Mozambique. The national government is as corrupt and untrustworthy as ever. Without changes at the top the LNG wealth becomes more a curse than benefit. This is what happened in Nigeria where audits revealed that nearly a trillion dollars in oil income in the last have-century was stolen and left Nigerians worse off than they were before the oil money came rolling in.

Residents of Cabo Delgado province were led to believe that the natural gas would bring quick benefits like more jobs, roads and other infrastructure. That was not the case. The foreign companies developing the offshore natural gas deposits have had to borrow billions to build the facilities to extract the oil and get it to foreign markets. Many of the new jobs went to foreigners who had skills none of the locals possessed. Too many of the unskilled jobs for locals went to friends or family of politicians and government officials. In other words, Cabo Delgado residents were angry about their continued poverty despite all the money being spent on the new oil facilities, which are near the port town of Mocimboa da Praia. This pattern is not unique in Africa, where most nations with oil or natural gas or any valuable exportable raw material see most of the export income stolen by corrupt politicians. This is the rule, not the exception in Africa.

Corruption and misuse of government funds are the main reasons Mozambique is such a wreck economically. The global aspect of this can be seen in the international surveys of nations to determine who is clean and who is corrupt. For 2019 Mozambique ranked 146th out of 180 nations in international rankings compared with 158th in 2018. Corruption in the Transparency International Corruption Perception Index is measured on a 1 (most corrupt) to 100 (not corrupt) scale. The most corrupt nations (usually Yemen/15, Syria/13, South Sudan/12 and Somalia/9) have a rating of under 15 while of the least corrupt (Finland, New Zealand and Denmark) are over 85. South Africa is one of the twenty least corrupt nations and most other neighbors score as much less corrupt than Mozambique .

The Mozambique corruption score has gotten worse since 2012 when it was 31. All that corruption and fifteen years of civil war sharply reduced the living conditions in most of Mozambique. The extent of this can be measured compared to the rest of the world. The effectiveness of governments and the societies they represent is rated each year in the Human Development Index. The UN has compiled these ratings for 29 years. The index ranks all the world nations in terms of how well they do in terms of life expectancy, education and income. In 2019 Mozambique was 180 out of 189 nations. The rank of other nations puts this into perspective; United States is at 15 (tied with Britain), China 89, Israel 22 (tied with South Korea), Saudi Arabia 36, Iran 65, India 129, Pakistan 152, Afghanistan 179, Bangladesh 135, Nigeria 158, Russia 49, Venezuela 96, Colombia 79, Mexico 76. Egypt 116, Lebanon 93, Syria 154 and Jordan 103. The top ten nations are Norway, Switzerland, Ireland, Germany, Hong Kong, Australia, Iceland, Sweden, Singapore and the Netherlands. The bottom ten are Mozambique at 180th place (there are a lot of ties) followed by Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso, Eritrea, Mali, Burundi, South Sudan, Chad, Central African Republic and in last place, Niger. Most of the bottom ten have problems with Islamic terrorists, which usually includes an ISIL faction or two.

Africa it currently home to six major ISIL factions. These are currently present in Egypt, Libya, Somalia, Nigeria. Mali, and Mozambique. There are smaller ISIL factions in other African countries, some so small that they regularly cease to exist because of heavy casualties and are sometimes revived with reinforcements from a larger ISIL faction in a nearby country. The Mozambique ISIL affiliation was not universally accepted by all members of the Mozambique Islamic terrorist coalition. That sort of response is not unusual and sometimes leads to the demise or reduction in the size of an ISIL faction and weakening of all Islamic terror groups in the area.

The Mozambique Islamic terrorists have a major disadvantage; its religious affiliation means it can only depend on about ten percent of the Mozambique population for support. Many Moslems do not support al Shabaab or local Islamic terrorists because the experience of the last few decades has made it clear that Islamic terror groups tend to kill more Moslems than non-Moslems. All that wont eliminate the possibility of Mozambique Islamic terrorists damaging the natural gas facilities and limiting exports. That is also very unpopular nationwide because so many people see a chance to get a piece of the natural gas income. In other words, its not a war coming to Mozambique but rather another malignant side effect of the culture of corruption that prevails in the country.
Qwilt: View from the Top 2021

New Edge, New Qwilt

Qwilt's journey since its founding has been both extraordinary and rewarding. Over the years, we've developed our platform technology, collaborated in the Streaming Video Alliance to create Open Caching, and served a growing base of major service provider and content publisher partners. Our success in creating a new way to deliver content and our accelerating growth are sources of immense pride and tremendous joy for the entire Qwilt team.

The remarkable growth of streaming services and the promise of new streaming applications that demand even more capacity are fundamental factors which drive the need for the new streaming architecture and business model that Qwilt successfully created and commercialized. As streaming continues its boundless growth, we are uniquely positioned to help service providers and content publishers deliver the deluge of content that consumers crave, with the quality they expect.

Another factor driving the acceleration of Qwilt's success is our strategic partnership with Cisco, now going into its second year, as well as a recent round of funding from Cisco Investments to help us scale fast. This investment will turbo-boost our current efforts and put us on track to become the largest Edge Cloud worldwide, offering CDN services with more than 200Tbps of available capacity. Yes, this is a bold ambition, but we're already well on our way to making it happen.

Many of the largest service providers in the worldincluding Verizon, BT, TIM Brazil, and Telecom Argentina, to name just a fewhave embraced Qwilt's new content delivery model. Based on Open Caching and deeply embedded in their networks, our Open Edge Cloud enables service providers to generate new revenue as active participants in the content delivery value chain, while providing unmatched performance for content providers and superior experiences for consumers. Requiring no CAPEX, this unique business model enables no-risk deployment.

On the content publisher side, we are proud to have global streaming brands as our partners. By partnering with Qwilt, these streaming providers enjoy superior QoE and more delivery capacity. Moreover, we make it easy for them to onboard quickly to our platform.

Of all the measures of achievement and success, I am most proud of how our customers and partners report on our performance. Qwilt has consistently received the highest QoE, reliability and customer satisfaction scoreswe can confidently say we operate a superior, best-in-class CDN service.

It is truly an honor to be included in this year's Streaming Media 50, marking a new chapter in Qwilt's journey. We look forward to working with many new service providers and content publishers in the coming year as we build a global CDN and bring everyone the "New Edge."

qwilt.com

@qwilt

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SEATTLE, Oct. 11, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Corum announces today that their client, New Zealand-based Crossware, the leading email signature software company, has been acquired by eKomi. Crossware's technology not only curbs the problem of non-corporate controlled email signatures but leverages the digital real estate of email signatures for corporate and marketing communications. The Crossware acquisition will advance eKomi's mission to become the leading European customer experience group.

We have been watching Crossware grow for years to become a leading provider of email signature solutions, said Daniel Bernstein, Executive Vice President and Director at the Corum Group. We are honored to have helped Per Andersen and Crossware achieve this excellent outcome.

"It was a great journey that Corum and especially my advisor Daniel Bernstein took us through," said Per Andersen, Crossware Managing Director. "It was really a pleasure to work with Dan and his team to find a partner with the passion and capability to expand and grow the Crossware business."

"Thanks to Dan at Corum for helping get this transaction completed," states Michael Ambros, eKomi CEO. "We look forward to working with Corum on other opportunities."

Corum is the world's leading educator on tech trends, valuations, growth strategies and Tech M&A. Dan Bernstein will host a half-day online workshop for New Zealand tech CEOs, Selling Up Selling Out, on November 10th, 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM NZDT. Tech CEOs and founders will learn to prepare, position, research, value, negotiate and execute due diligence for maximum price and optimal structure in an M&A transaction. To register, visit www.corumgroup.com/events.

About Corum GroupCorum Group is the global leader in merger and acquisition services, specializing in serving sellers of software and related technology companies worldwide. With offices globally, Corum has completed over $10B in software M&A transactions over the last 36 years. Corum's M&A advisors are highly experienced former tech CEOs, supported by industry-leading researchers, writers and valuators. For more information, visit www.corumgroup.com.

About CrosswareCrossware has 1,000,000+ users of their flagship product, Crossware Mail Signature. Crossware's clients are in over 73 countries. Their award-winning work has led them to become the largest, most experienced IBM Software-focused organization in New Zealand and a Gold Certified Microsoft Partner. Crossware is headquartered in Auckland, New Zealand, with additional Sales and Support teams in the US and London. For more information, visit www.crossware.co.nz.

About eKomieKomi, The Feedback Company, is Europe's premier & largest independent provider of transaction-based reviews & ratings. As a Google worldwide partner with over 250+ employees, eKomi has gathered & published over 40,000,000 reviews for customers. More than 15,000 companies leverage eKomi's social commerce solution to enable trust, increase sales, reduce returns, and drive organic traffic through self-perpetuating User-Generated-Content. eKomi's groundbreaking social commerce technology enables online businesses to generate seller ratings, customer reviews, product reviews, social recommendations and create viral effects on websites, social media, and search engines, allowing for a successful revenue-generating impact for businesses. eKomi is headquartered in Berlin, Germany and Los Angeles, California, with offices in London, Paris, Madrid, and San Francisco. For more information, visit www.ekomi.com.

Contact:

Heidi Owen

+1 425-526-3107

heidio@corumgroup.com

Source: Corum Group
HANGZHOU, China, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- On October 12, 2021, Hong Kong Winhealth Pharma Group, (hereinafter referred to as "Winhealth Pharma") announced the formal establishment of its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB), aiming to further expand and optimize the Group's strategic layout in medical innovation, drug research & development, and other fields. With the help of SAB, Winhealth Pharma will, driven by scientific innovation, continue to increase investment in the research & development of innovative drugs and produce more innovative results that will benefit the patients.

The first SAB are composed of well-known top experts and scholars with profound academic attainments in the fields of medicine and research & development at home and abroad, and its members include Dr. Tomas Salmonson, an internationally well-known expert in drug development and regulatory science, and the former chairman of the CHMP, EMA, Professor Zhang Shuyang, Dean of Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chairman of the National Expert Committee on Rare Diseases Diagnosis, Treatment and Guarantee of the National Health Commission of the PRC, Deputy Director and Secretary General of China Alliance for Rare Diseases, and Director of National Quality Control Center for Rare Diseases, and Dr. Lee S. Simon, a senior rheumatologist and senior consultant in drug development in the United States, and former Division Director of the Analgesia, Anti-inflammatory, and Ophthalmic Treatments of CDER, FDA.

The first SAB aims to bring together outstanding experts, scholars and other scientific research forces around the world to provide comprehensive, authoritative, objective and professional strategic guidance and suggestions for Winhealth Pharma, and jointly solve key issues encountered in the medical innovation process by Winhealth Pharma during its relentless pursuit of meeting patients' needs. In addition, it will further explore the development of innovative drugs in China by leveraging the group's own strengths.

"We are very happy and honored to invite these three outstanding experts from around the world to join our SAB. As the highest academic consulting and review institution of Winhealth Pharma, the SAB undoubtedly plays a pivotal role in our company, from research & development in key innovation fields to the continuous advancement of the ever-enriching product pipeline. It is a significant milestone for us. I believe that with the establishment and further development of the SAB, we will deliver more breakthrough achievements in the research & development of innovative drugs focusing on rare diseases and other special drugs, and bring effective and innovative products with good quality to patients at home and abroad. We look forward to creating more new treatments to cure patients, addressing more health-related needs, and generating more social value in the future!" said Wang Wei, the Founder, Chairman and CEO of Winhealth Pharma.

By always staying true to the original aspiration of "patient come first", Winhealth Pharma Group will leverage its cutting-edge global innovative medical resources and make its own contributions to the improvement of global health and quality of human life.

Brief introduction on expert members of SAB, Winhealth Pharma

Dr. Tomas Salmonson (Sweden, the Chairman of SAB, Winhealth Pharma)

Dr. Salmonson served as the chairman of the CHMP, EMA for two consecutive terms from 2012 to 2018. With a high reputation, he has worked in drug regulatory agencies in Sweden and the EMA for more than 30 years. Currently, he is a partner of the Consilium Salmonson & Hemmings, Sweden. He was a member of CHMP representing Sweden from 1999 to 2012. During the last 10 years at the CHMP, he represented the EU at the ICH Steering/Management Committee and the ICH Assembly. Dr. Salmonson obtained his PhD degree (PhD) from Department of Medicine, Uppsala University, Sweden in 1990, and his master's degree (Pharmacy) from Uppsala University, Sweden in 1986. He did research at the University of California, San Francisco in the mid-1980s.

Dr. Salmonson is productive in different fields such as pharmacokinetics and regulatory science, and has published more than 60 articles and monographs. He won the DIA Outstanding Health Contribution Award in 2016, the Swedish Pharmacist of the Year Award in 2017, and the TOPRA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018 commending his outstanding contributions to regulatory science and regulatory process.

Professor Zhang Shuyang (China)

Professor Zhang Shuyang serves as the Dean of Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Deputy Dean of the Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, tenured professor of Peking Union Medical College, Chairman of the National Expert Committee on Rare Diseases Diagnosis, Treatment and Guarantee of the National Health Commission, Deputy Director and Secretary General of China Alliance for Rare Diseases, and Director of National Quality Control Center for Rare Diseases. Relying on the national key research & development plan, and focusing on difficult issues such as the diagnosis, evaluation, and prevention of rare diseases, she takes the lead in building the first national rare diseases information management platform, establishing a national three-level collaborative network for diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases, promoting the development of first rare disease catalog, releasing the "Guidelines for Diagnosis & Treatment of Rare Diseases 2019" and "Survey Report on Patients with Rare Diseases", and exploring the comprehensive diagnosis and treatment model of "multi-omics atlas + multi-disciplinary diagnosis and treatment" for rare diseases in China. With those great efforts, the world's largest rare diseases diagnosis and treatment collaboration system has been initially established in China.

Lee S. Simon MD, FACP, MACR (United States)

Dr. Simon is a senior rheumatologist in the United States. He used to serve as the Division Director of the analgesia, anti-inflammatory and ophthalmic treatment fields, CDER, FDA (2001-2003). Appointed as the director of the American Academy of Rheumatology for two consecutive terms, and taking roles in multiple FDA advisory committees, he has extensive experience in drug development. Dr. Simon is a member of the executive committee involved in the development of celecoxib, a senior consultant for the development of COX-2 inhibitors in Pharmacia/Searle (acquired by Pfizer Inc.), and used to serve as the chairman of the international COX-2 inhibitor research group. He is the chairman of the data and safety monitoring board (DSMB) for numerous clinical trials, including nine randomized controlled trials for rheumatoid arthritis, two trials for IgA nephropathy, and two trials for idiopathic thrombocytopenia. He is a member of DSMB for several systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) trials and innovative pain therapy trials. Dr. Simon graduated from the Baltimore Medicine School, University of Maryland in 1976, and used to work in the Department of Rheumatology at Harvard Medical School. He is a member of the editorial board of several professional journals, authored more than 110 original publications, reviews and book chapters, and edited several textbooks.

About Winhealth Pharma

Hong Kong Winhealth Pharma Group is a China-based, global innovative biomedical company founded in 2006, providing novel breakthrough therapies to patients with rare diseases and other unmet medical needs. The Group has established long-term strategic partnership with dozens of world-leading biotechnology companies, including Immedica, Roche, Pfizer, Kyowa Kirin, Shionogi, Cumberland Pharmaceutical, and Daiichi-Sankyo. It has built a unique, balanced and diversified portfolio with numerous orphan drugs and specialty products at commercial and late clinical stages, and will continuously look to bring in more innovative therapies from the globe. For more information, please visit http://www.winhealth.hk, or follow "Winhealth Pharma" on WeChat.

Join Us

We are always looking for like-minded partners. If you are also focused on medical innovation, drug research and development and believe that innovation can provide more positive and effective options for patients, we invite you to join us and work together to create more curative approaches and bring more hope for patients!

For more job information, please visit: http://en.winhealth.hk/. Resume submission email: wjxz@winhealth.hk

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SOURCE Winhealth Pharma
WASHINGTON, Oct. 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Partnership for Central America Board Member and Nespresso CEO, Guillaume Le Cunff led dialogues in Washington DC with key government partners involved in U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris's Partnership for Central America, which aims to spur economic and social development in the Northern Triangle region.

Nestle Nespresso SA announced their entry into Honduras with Vice President Harris' Partnership for Central America

During the visit, participants took part in a series of meetings with partners, including Ricardo Zuniga, U.S. Department of State Special Envoy for the Northern Triangle, Jack Leslie, Chairman of Weber Shandwick and Jonathan Fantini Porter, Partnership for Central America co-founder and board member. The dialogue included discussion on a joint Regenerative Agriculture strategy to promote increased sustainable agricultural production, exports and improved income for farmers, farm businesses and local communities across the region.

In the meetings, Mr. Le Cunff highlighted the progress Nestle Nespresso SA has had against their commitment to bring their technical and sustainable approach to coffee production to more farmers across the Northern Triangle. The company has worked with farmers in Guatemala since 2005 and their on-the-ground team of agronomists work with over 1000 coffee farms via our AAA Sustainable Quality Program. Mr. Le Cunff highlighted that while this number continues to grow in Guatemala, coffee farmers are starting to join the program in Honduras and will start in El Salvador soon.

During this trip, Partnership members tasted the first-ever Nespresso coffee from Honduras while Nespresso teams work to bring this coffee to the market in the future.

The Partnership for Central America was created in response to a Call to Action by Vice President Kamala Harris, in her role overseeing diplomacy towards the Northern Triangle and Mexico. The Partnership coordinates public private partnerships to advance economic opportunity, address urgent climate, education and health challenges, and promote long-term investments and workforce capability in support of a vision of hope for Central America.

In just the first 90 days, since the Partnership for Central America was launched, this coalition of civil society actors have delivered real outcomes on the ground, including sourcing the first coffee beans from Honduras and El Salvador and breaking ground on the first internet connectivity projects. As we work toward bringing internet access to 4 million homes, banking services to 5 million individuals, and to support 250,000 farmers, these early accomplishments are signals of the potential of our partners to reduce poverty and create jobs as we look ahead.

Media Contact:

Jim MeszarosJMeszaros@webershandwick.com

Related Linkswww.centampartnership.org

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SOURCE Partnership for Central America
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- There is no single universal human response to artificial intelligence (AI), and individuals make completely different choices based on identical AI inputs, according to new research released in an article today by MIT Sloan Management Review.

A new analysis finds that these differences in AI-based decision-making have a direct financial effect on organizations. Depending on their particular decision-making style, some executives invest up to 18% more in important strategic initiatives based on the exact same AI advice.

"To champion AI in the boardroom, leaders must acknowledge human biases and decision-making styles," said Philip Meissner, professor of strategy and decision-making at ESCP Business School in Berlin. "If we do not understand the human dimension, we will only comprehend half the equation when it comes to optimizing the interplay between AI and human judgment."

The Human Factor in AI-based DecisionsNew research findings suggest that executives using AI to make strategic decisions fall into three archetypes based on their individual decision-making styles:

Skeptics do not follow the AI-based recommendations. They prefer to control the process themselves. When using AI, skeptics can fall prey to a false illusion of control, which allows them to overestimate themselves and underestimate AI.

do not follow the AI-based recommendations. They prefer to control the process themselves. When using AI, skeptics can fall prey to a false illusion of control, which allows them to overestimate themselves and underestimate AI. Interactors balance their own perception and the algorithm's advice. When AI-based analyses are available, interactors will trust and make decisions based on these recommendations.

balance their own perception and the algorithm's advice. When AI-based analyses are available, interactors will trust and make decisions based on these recommendations. Delegators largely transfer their decision-making authority to AI. Delegators may misuse AI to reduce their perceived individual risk and avoid personal responsibility. They consider the AI recommendations as a personal insurance policy in case something goes wrong.

These different decision-making archetypes show that the quality of the AI recommendation itself and how executives make sense of and act on this advice are equally important in assessing the quality of AI-based decision-making in organizations. "What's interesting is that the same behavioral patterns remain relevant whether or not AI is involved," said Christoph Keding, research associate at ESCP Business School in Berlin. "In the era of AI-advised decision-making, executives' decision behavior is still shaped by their underlying decision-making styles."

3 Strategies to Optimize the Interplay Between AI and Human Judgment To utilize AI's full potential, companies need a human-centered approach to address the cognitive dimension of human-machine interactions beyond automation. With the right balance of analytics and experience, AI-augmented decision processes can increase the quality of an organization's most critical choices and drive tremendous value for companies in an increasingly complex world.

The MIT Sloan Management Review article, "The Human Factor in AI-Based Decision-Making," provides three recommendations for boards of directors and senior executives to integrate AI into strategic decision-making processes successfully.

Create awareness. Communicate with all executives who interact with AI-based systems about the impact of human judgment, which remains a decisive factor when augmenting the top management team. Executives should learn about the specific biases they have toward AI, which vary depending on their individual decision-making styles. This awareness is the crucial foundation for a successful integration of AI into organizations' decision-making processes. Avoid risk shift and illusion of control. Emphasize that the ultimate decision authority stays with the executives, even if AI is involved. And explain the potential benefits of AI as well as what parameters and data the suggested course of action is based upon. According to the article, "This intervention can interrupt the decision maker's subconscious autopilot process and elevate the decision to a more conscious and unbiased choice." Embrace team-based decisions. Balance the predominant tendencies of the three decision-making archetypes in teams to overcome choices that are overly risky or risk-averse. Different perspectives and multiple options improve human decision-making processes, whether or not AI is involved. Framing the AI as an additional source of input, not as a superior, undisputable authority, can help successfully integrate AI-based recommendations into discussions.

The article is based on a study of 140 U.S. senior executives. Each person was shown an identical strategic choice: whether or not to invest in a new technology that would enable them to utilize potential new business opportunities. Study participants were told that an AI-based system tasked with evaluating new business opportunities had recommended investing in the new technology. The executives were then asked how likely they would be to invest in the technology, and if they chose to do so, how much money would they be willing to commit.

MEDIA CONTACT: Veronica Kidovkido@kidocommunications.com508-242-5134

About the AuthorsPhilip Meissner is a professor of strategy and decision-making at ESCP Business School in Berlin, as well as the cofounder and director of the European Center for Digital Competitiveness.

Christoph Keding is a research associate at ESCP Business School in Berlin and a visiting scholar at the University of California, Berkeley.

About MIT Sloan Management ReviewMIT Sloan Management Review (MIT SMR) is an independent, research-based magazine and digital platform for business leaders, published at the MIT Sloan School of Management. MIT SMR explores how leadership and management are transforming in a disruptive world. We help thoughtful leaders capture the exciting opportunities  and face down the challenges  created as technological, societal, and environmental forces reshape how organizations operate, compete, and create value.

Connect with MIT Sloan Management Review:

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SOURCE MIT Sloan Management Review
Buy Photo Airmen refuel a B-1B Lancer at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, Oct. 11, 2021. A pair, from the 9th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, refueled at Spangdahlem, using the Versatile Integrating Partner Equipment Refueling kit to take on fuel. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)

SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany  The pilots of two B1-B Lancer bombers rumbled off the runway a little faster this week, thanks to the invention of a couple of enterprising airmen.

Monday marked the first time the Texas-based Lancers had ever visited this rural U.S. base in western Germany, and the first time they used the Versatile Integrating Partner Equipment Refueling kit, or VIPER.

The bombers parked on the flight line, which was nearly empty for the Columbus Day holiday, and kept their engines running for hot pit refueling.

Airmen with the 52nd Logistics Readiness Squadron pumped each plane with about 4,500 gallons of fuel for 40 minutes.

Buy Photo U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Alberto Silva, 9th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, waits to refuel B-1B Lancers using the new Versatile Integrating Partner Equipment Refueling kit at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, Oct. 11, 2021. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes) Buy Photo Col. Leslie Hauck, commander of the 52nd Fighter Wing at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, left, talks with B-1B Lancer crew members from the 9th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron after they landed at the base, Oct. 11, 2021. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes) Buy Photo U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Jason Yunker, 52nd Logistics Readiness Squadron, and Master Sgt. Timothy Peters, 31st Logistics Readiness Squadron, designed the Versatile Integrating Partner Equipment Refueling kit. A self-contained, mobile refueling kit, the VIPER can be flown and used with local tanker trucks to refuel Air Force aircraft. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)

Hot pit refueling isnt new, but being able to do it with a 375-pound kit, adaptable to any U.S. Air Force aircraft and the infrastructure of foreign allies, is the stuff of dreams for logistics planners.

The VIPER system should eliminate the need to send U.S. refueling trucks to other bases and countries for the same purpose.

The kit was named a fan favorite and a top-five finalist this year at the Air Forces Spark Tank, a competition that encourages airmen to pitch innovative ideas to solve operational problems.

It ensures that we dont overpressurize our aircraft, said Master Sgt. Jason Yunker, the 52nd Logistics Readiness Squadron section chief of fuels operations, who created the system with Master Sgt. Timothy Peters.

The kit uses parts already in the services inventory, Yunker said.

I just took them off other pieces of equipment and built them into the VIPER kit to make something thats really light and lean so we can move faster, he said.

Buy Photo An airman watches as a B-1B Lancer lands at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, Oct. 11, 2021. A pair of Bones, from the 9th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, refueled at the base following a mission over Lithuania. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes) Buy Photo A B-1B Lancer from the 9th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron takes off from Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, Oct. 11, 2021. A pair of Bones landed at the base for the first time ever, refueling during a Bomber Task Force mission in Europe. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)

Up until Monday, the kit had been used only on F-16 Fighting Falcons in Europe, U.S. Air Forces Europe-Air Forces Africa officials said.

A California company is building more VIPER kits, which will be distributed to various locations in Europe and the Pacific by the end of this year, Air Force officials said.

Yunker said he was amazed to see the VIPER kit used on the B1-Bs, which are normally based at Dyess Air Force Base. Four Lancers and 200 airmen deployed to RAF Fairford in England last week with the 9th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron for a long-planned European mission.

The Lancers landed at Spangdahlem on Monday following a flight to the Baltics, where they trained with allied joint terminal attack controllers over Lithuania.

Buy Photo A B-1B Lancer peels off to come in for a landing at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, Oct. 11, 2021. The pair, from the 9th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, refueled at Spangdahlem using the Versatile Integrating Partner Equipment Refueling kit, or VIPER. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes) Buy Photo A pair of B-1B Lancer bombers roll down the taxiway after landing at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, Oct. 11, 2021. The planes, from the 9th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, are forward deployed to RAF Fairford, England, and flying missions over Europe. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)
A Taiwanese flag flies over Taipei in this undated photo. (Adam Jones/Wikicommons)

The U.S. government needs to make clear that Americans will fight and risk nuclear war on Taiwans behalf, a former Marine and consultant on Asian defense matters said Tuesday.

Make it clear to the Chinese leaders that they will lose everything if they start a war over Taiwan, retired U.S. Marine Col. Grant Newsham, a senior researcher with the Japan Forum for Strategic Studies in Tokyo, wrote in an email to Stars and Stripes. The U.S. also needs to take the lead and help Taiwan break out of 40 years of military and diplomatic isolation.

Newshams comments followed video shown by Japanese TV on Tuesday of Chinese troops conducting exercises that suggest preparations for invading Taiwan, an island 100 miles off the mainland coast.

The video, obtained from Chinese state television, shows troops storming a beach and overcoming coastal defenses with the help of a drone  the sort of skills theyd need to invade of Taiwan.

Japanese public broadcaster NHK replayed the footage that includes soldiers landing on a beach in small boats and being supplied by a hovering drone before blowing up an obstacle and firing their weapons as they maneuver inland.

The exercise follows incursions by nearly 150 Chinese warplanes into Taiwans air defense identification zone over a four-day period this month.

On Saturday, during an event to commemorate the overthrow of Chinas last imperial dynasty in 1911, Chinese President Xi Jinping said peaceful reunification was in the interest of the entire nation, including the Taiwanese people.

However, Xi has previously vowed to smash attempts at Taiwan independence and said the issue cannot be passed from generation to generation forever.

China regards the democracy of some 24 million people as a rebellious province, but Taiwan has maintained that it will defend its independence.

The invasion threat is dead serious, Newsham said in his email.

In recent years the Chinese military has built sufficient capability to believe an invasion of Taiwan might succeed, he said.

The [Chinese military] has developed a good enough amphibious capability - to include marines and amphibious-trained army soldiers - and they have been training for years, he said. They understand the importance of combined arms and joint operations and are working on this to combine air, sea, and ground forces.

An assault on Taiwan would probably include full use of Chinas rocket force, electronic and cyber warfare and special operations and spies already on Taiwan, Newsham said.

Its likely that a force from the mainland could ferry at least several thousand troops across the Taiwan Strait on the first day of an assault, he said.

China has at least 55 amphibious ships, hundreds of civilian vessels and thousands of barges that could participate, he said.

The U.S. military, including much of the Marine Corps, has tended to dismiss Chinese capabilities, Newsham said.

This is dangerous and condescending, in my opinion, he said. I'd say the Chinese probably were capable of assaulting Taiwan at least seven or eight years ago, though with no guarantee of success. They have improved capabilities since then and keep improving.

U.S. and Taiwanese forces should train together, and the U.S. should also provide political and diplomatic support for Taiwan, he said.

Japan, Australia, India, the United Kingdom and other countries in Europe should also be part of the defense of the island, Newsham said.

There is no deal to be cut with [China] over Taiwan, he said. Taiwan is this era's version of Czechoslovakia in the 1930s when the Germans were demanding it be handed over. The stakes are that high for our generation.

Robert Dujarric, co-director of Temple Universitys Institute for Contemporary Asian Studies in Tokyo, said the U.S. likely wouldnt get involved militarily if Chinese action on Taiwan was limited to something like economic sanctions.

The D-Day scenario where the Chinese army lands on the western coast of Taiwan  I think would lead to an American military response, he told Stars and Stripes by telephone Tuesday. If that would lead to nuclear war, I dont know.
Naval Air Crewman (Helicopter) 2nd Class James P. Buriak, Lt. Paul R. Fridley, Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Sarah F. Burns, Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Bailey J. Tucker and Lt. Bradley A. Foster were killed when an MH-60S Seahawk helicopter, assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 8, crashed approximately 60 nautical miles off the coast of San Diego, Aug. 31. (U.S. Navy)

SAN DIEGO, Calif. (Tribune News Service)  A Navy undersea search and salvage operation began this week to locate and recover an MH-60S Seahawk helicopter and the remains of the five crew members killed in an Aug. 31 crash near San Diego, the Navy said Thursday.

The Navy estimates the helicopter is on the sea floor 4,000 to 6,000 feet deep, according to the Navy's San Diego-based 3rd Fleet.

Deep-sea search and recovery operations didn't immediately begin at the site in the days following the crash because the Navy had to scramble to bring the equipment necessary to search at such depth to San Diego from around the country, said Lt. Sam Boyle, a 3rd Fleet spokesperson.

"The depth and distance from shore make this a complex operation," Boyle said.

According to the Naval Safety Center, on the day of the crash the Seahawk, assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 8, began vibrating side-to-side upon landing on the San Diego-based aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln. The vibration led to the aircraft's rotor striking the flight deck of the Lincoln, which in turn caused the helicopter to crash and fall overboard into the sea.

One crew member on board the helicopter was rescued from the water. Five sailors on board the Abraham Lincoln were also injured.

The Navy declared the five sailors dead after a three-day search.

On Wednesday, the Dominator, a contracted merchant vessel, left Naval Air Station North Island to begin on-site recovery operations with personnel from the Navy's Supervisor of Salvage and Diving, part of the service's Sea Surface Command. The recovery team is part of a Navy command that specializes in undersea recovery.

The salvage crew will try to locate the wreck using a shallow-water, side-scan sonar able to reach search depths of 8,000 feet and a towed pinger locator able to find downed aircraft at depths up to 20,000 feet.

While the Navy knows approximately where the helicopter went into the water about 60 nautical miles southwest of San Diego, it has not yet found the wreckage on the ocean floor, Boyle said.

"We're mapping the (bottom of) the ocean over the area," Boyle said. "We are making every effort to find the wreckage and the remains of our shipmates."

The sailors killed in the crash were:

 Lt. Bradley Foster, 29, from Oakhurst, Calif.

 Lt. Paul Fridley, 28, from Annadale, Va.

 Naval Air Crewman 2nd Class James Buriak, 31, from Salem, Va.

 Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Sarah Burns, 31, from Severna Park, Md.

 Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Bailey Tucker, 21, from St. Louis, Mo.

In March, a Navy salvage crew recovered a downed MH-60S in more than 19,000 feet of water off the coast of Okinawa, Japan. The crew of that helicopter were able to escape before it sank, the Navy said.

The Dominator and a Navy salvage crew recovered the remains of eight Marines and one sailor in 2020 after a Marine Corps assault amphibious vehicle sank near San Clemente Island. That recovery was at a significantly shallower depth of 385 feet.

An investigation into the helicopter crash is ongoing.

2021 The San Diego Union-Tribune.

Visit sandiegouniontribune.com.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Buy Photo The USS Miguel Keith's flight deck has space for four helicopters at a time and separates the forward and aft deckhouses. (Matthew M. Burke/Stars and Stripes)

WHITE BEACH NAVAL FACILITY, Okinawa  The newest addition to the 7th Fleet is a customizable command-and-control vessel that recently arrived on Okinawa to give Navy and Marine commanders a look at its capabilities.

The USS Miguel Keith  a Lewis B. Puller-class expeditionary staging base  pulled into White Beach Naval Facility on Oct. 5 and was open to tours by officers of the 7th Fleet and III Marine Expeditionary Force who may one day put the ship to work during humanitarian crises or in battle.

The Miguel Keith has the third-largest flight deck in the fleet and will remain in the Indo-Pacific for the foreseeable future, executive officer Cmdr. Marty Blomberg said during a tour Wednesday.

The ship can be modified to fit each mission with interchangeable shipping containers that can be turned into anything from berthing for special operations troops to showers, cold storage and laundry facilities. It can also launch helicopters and small boats.

This ship brings remarkable humanitarian assistance/disaster response capabilities, Expeditionary Strike Group 7 commander Rear Adm. Chris Engdahl said in an interview Wednesday on the ships expansive mission deck, an open space below the flight deck designed for storing equipment and launching boats.

The flight deck has great potential, he said.

Buy Photo The commander of Expeditionary Strike Group 7, Rear Adm. Chris Engdahl, left, and the USS Miguel Keith's skipper, Capt. Troy Fendrick, speak to reporters from the ship's mission deck at White Beach Naval Facility, Okinawa, Oct. 6, 2021. (Matthew M. Burke/Stars and Stripes)

San Diego-based General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding Co. started work on the Miguel Keith in January 2018. It is the third Puller-class ship, after the USS Hershel "Woody" Williams, and was commissioned May 8.

The ships homeport is Saipan, but only on paper, Blomberg said. It will likely move around the region.

The ship bears the name of Medal of Honor recipient Marine Lance Cpl. Miguel Keith, who died attacking an overwhelming enemy force in Quang Ngai province in 1970 during the Vietnam War.

It was built with four core capabilities in mind: aviation, habitability, staging and command and control, ship commander Capt. Troy Fendrick said Wednesday.

So, from that aspect you can think of it as a floating staging base for numerous missions, he said.

The flight deck has space for four helicopters at a time and separates the forward and aft deckhouses.

The aft deckhouse is home to about 40 civilian mariners who are responsible for engineering and navigation. The forward deckhouse is home to a Navy crew of about 100, which rotates in blue and gold teams from San Diego on five-month deployments. Fendrick goes back and forth between the two, Blomberg said.

The ship has a hangar for maintenance on the largest helicopters, but no well deck, so it carries no hovercraft or larger boats. The ship is not built to accommodate short-takeoff and vertical-landing F-35B joint strike fighters.

Buy Photo The USS Miguel Keith can be modified to fit each mission with interchangeable shipping containers that can be turned into anything from berthing for special operations troops to showers, cold storage and laundry facilities. (Matthew M. Burke/Stars and Stripes) Buy Photo Navy officers, including the commander of Expeditionary Strike Group 7, Rear Adm. Chris Engdahl, head out to tour the USS Miguel Keith at White Beach Naval Facility, Okinawa, Oct. 6, 2021. (Matthew M. Burke/Stars and Stripes)

The civilians and sailors collaborate with one another in deck operations and back each other up in damage control, for example.

Theyve got their own supply; theyve got their own food, Blomberg said. Its almost like a different ship.

The civilian mariners have friers in their galley, whereas the sailors do not, so the civilians have better French fries, he said jokingly.

We share responsibilities; we communicate openly with them, command Master Chief Suxuan Oonyu said. Its actually a very good relationship and thats probably a key to our success in many ways.

Both Oonyu and Fendrick said a ship operated by professional civilian mariners has distinct advantages. For example, the uniformed sailors arent under the pressure of getting subordinates or new arrivals up to speed on navigation; instead, they can focus on military operations.

Half of my crew, this may be their first tour, Blomberg said. The civilian mariners all have way more experience. We learn from them.
Along with rejoining NATO, the government of France announced financial compensation for people suffering ill health from Frances nuclear tests in the atmosphere. Previously, there was reluctance even to acknowledge significant health risks. (Danielle Rodrigues/Army)

The government of France bitterly denounces Australias decision to purchase nuclear submarines from the United States and Britain. One byproduct is cancellation of a sale of French conventional subs to Canberra.

French outrage is not exactly justified. France stands out as a nationalist nation, with special insecurities. In 2015, France agreed to supply two aircraft carriers to Russia. Paris canceled the deal only after sustained pressure from allies.

In 2019, French President Emmanuel Macron issued a dramatic declaration in favor of European independence from NATO, and the United States. Instead, he preferred a European military organization, accompanied by a separate diplomatic role in the world.

This dream, like others from Frances leaders, has not become reality.

Since World War II, France has followed a singularly independent role regarding Europe and especially the United States, particularly after Gen. Charles de Gaulle became president in the late 1950s. In the midst of growing disagreements and acrimony, in 1966 France demanded that NATO depart the nation. Alliance headquarters was moved to Belgium. In 2009, France returned to full participation in the alliance.

Breaking away from NATO was central in the strategy of President de Gaulle. The dedicated leader of the Free French during World War II returned to national leadership in a time of extremely grave crisis and public anxiety. Defeat by Germany, then again in 1954 by Communist revolutionaries in Indochina, another enervating war in Algeria, and the revolving-door character of postwar governments all contributed to the perception that France was a severely troubled member of the Atlantic alliance.

After returning to power, de Gaulle skillfully employed a three-pronged strategy involving image, institutions and foreign policy. His remarkable career and personality permitted him to appeal simultaneously to French traditions of monarchism, patriotism and populism. He appeared aloof and was often imperious, yet also used popular referenda.

De Gaulle established the Fifth Republic, including a new constitution granting exceptional executive power to the president. He rebuilt French self-confidence through emphasis on the force de frappe, the independent national nuclear force, plus diplomacy. The nuclear deterrent became a potent symbol of national pride and independence.

Except for Britain, a unique special partner, the United States has opposed other nations development of nuclear weapons. The Kennedy administration was assertive compared to the nonconfrontational Eisenhower administration in pressing U.S. policies on Europe. The resulting clash between JFK and de Gaulle made for dramatic political theater, featuring intriguing personalities, but based also on profound policy differences, unlike today.

Along with rejoining NATO, the government of France announced financial compensation for people suffering ill health from Frances nuclear tests in the atmosphere. Previously, there was reluctance even to acknowledge significant health risks.

De Gaulles legacy includes todays powerful political institutions and capacity to support NATO from a position of strength. Following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, French aircraft joined others in patrolling North American airspace. Crack French troops have been successful in bringing stability to Mali and other parts of Africa.

This builds on a partnership that in reality has been remarkably positive, beginning with the American Revolution. The presence of a French battle fleet was crucial to the decisive American victory at Yorktown. In World War II, after Frances devastating defeat by Nazi Germany, de Gaulle initiated a Free French movement that disrupted the Third Reich in Europe and North Africa.

In 1991, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development began. France is a leading founder of this effort to spur investment in Eastern Europe. The Bank today stands firmly established as a powerful engine for economic integration.

In contrast to the Cold War era, powerful economic incentives keep investment capital moving across borders, and across the Atlantic. Keep this context in mind regarding crises.

Arthur I. Cyr is Clausen Distinguished Professor at Carthage College in Wisconsin and author of After the Cold War.
The Russian guided-missile cruiser Varyag and 11 other ships took part in missile-defense drills inside Japan's exclusive economic zone, Monday, Oct. 11, 2021. (TASS)

A fleet of 12 Russian ships, including an anti-submarine cruiser, launched and intercepted missiles in the sea between Japan and the Korean Peninsula on Monday.

The exercise, held by Russias Pacific Fleet, featured the guided-missile cruiser Varyag and 11 other warships and support vessels, according to Russian state-sponsored news agency TASS. Ten missiles were launched and intercepted by the Varyag, which employed three surface-to-air missile systems.

The fleet released video of the exercise, which showed numerous missiles being launched from a Russian vessel. Additional weapons systems, including the AK-630 rotary cannon and heavier artillery, are shown firing in the footage.

The exercise was part of a final inspection prior to the end of the summer training period, according to TASS.

Russia previously announced the training, part of which took place inside Japans exclusive economic zone, according to a report from Yahoo! Japan.

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea does not prohibit military drills within a nations exclusive economic zone, according to a 2014 study published by the U.S. Naval War College. The zone may extend up to 200 nautical miles from a nations shores, or baseline.

A spokesperson for Japans Ministry of Defense was not immediately able to comment on the drills on Tuesday.

Russias exercise comes as tensions continue to escalate in the Indo-Pacific region.

China dispatched a record number of aircraft into Taiwans air defense identification zone over the past two weeks. The dispute between China and Taiwan, which Beijing considers to be a breakaway province, has led to an increase in protests from both sides and other nations, including the United States.

Tensions between North Korea and the global community are also heightened following a series of North Korean missile tests in September.
This screenshot from Seoul Broadcasting System News shows an altercation involving U.S. service members in Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, Oct. 9, 2021. (SBS News)

CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea  Two U.S. troops are under investigation following a fight with a local man in a bustling district in Seoul over the weekend, according to local news reports Tuesday.

Video cameras caught a U.S. service member swiping the side-view mirror of a moving car with his hand near Hongik University at midnight Saturday, several South Korean news outlets reported.

The neighborhood is known for its bars and clubs and caters to students and foreigners during the weekends.

Shortly after the driver exited the vehicle, the man who swiped the sideview mirror lunged at him and threw a bottle at the cars windshield. His companion, who initially attempted to separate the two, was also seen throwing a punch at the driver.

The other guy was trying to stop the fight, a witness told Seoul Broadcasting System News. He went wild and started attacking by joining the fight.

The two men reportedly serve at Camp Humphreys, the largest U.S. military base overseas. The base is in Pyeongtaek, roughly 40 miles south of Seoul.

Local law enforcement officers arrived and released the service members to U.S. military police. A spokesperson for the districts police station was unavailable for comment Tuesday.

U.S. Forces Koreas spokesman, Army Col. Lee Peters, said an investigation is underway and the command remains committed to being good ambassadors and neighbors with our host nation.

We take reports of inappropriate behavior very seriously, and are cooperating with the [Korean National Police] who maintain jurisdiction of this incident, he said in a statement Tuesday. This type of behavior does not represent USFKs values or the respect we hold for Korean people or their culture."

In a separate incident in June, a USFK civilian employee was caught on video shoving and tripping a uniformed parking attendant.

Service members have been allowed to freely move around most of the country after changes in USFKs COVID-19 travel policy in August. According to the updated rules, personnel are barred from visiting districts with 50 or more confirmed COVID-19 patients per 100,000 people over a seven-day period.

The area surrounding Hongik University in Seoul was not one of the prohibited districts, according to the last update by USFK on Wednesday.

Stars and Stripes reporter Yoo Kyong Chang contributed to this report.

Crime and courts
Buy Photo Soldiers help Afghan families load their luggage on a bus out of Fort McCoy, Wis., Oct. 11, 2021. They were among the first to leave the base and begin the journeys to their new hometowns. (Zubair Babakarkhail/Stars and Stripes)

FORT MCCOY, Wis.  The 30 Afghan evacuees who boarded a bus Monday left behind the Army barracks that served as temporary homes and embarked on the last stage of their long journey, hopeful of finding work and resettling in communities across America.

They are among about 1,200 people who have now been resettled, officials at Fort McCoy told Stars and Stripes, out of approximately 50,000 evacuees at eight U.S. bases, with more arriving from overseas installations soon.

Im so happy that we are able to move to our final destination, said Formuli, an evacuee who asked that his full name not be used out of fear for the safety of relatives still in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.

Buy Photo An Afghan family prepares to leave Fort McCoy, Wis., Oct. 11, 2021. The 30 evacuees who left on a bus that day were among the first 1,200 to take the next step of resettlement in America. (Zubair Babakarkhail/Stars and Stripes)

Formuli used to work in information technology at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul. He and his family are headed to New York state after 41 days of processing, paperwork and vaccinations at Fort McCoy.

But even for highly skilled Afghans like Formuli, finding jobs may prove challenging.

Some 60% of recipients of Special Immigrant Visas who worked for U.S. forces in Afghanistan and Iraq were unemployed and reliant on cash assistance 90 days after arriving in America, according to a 2018 report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office.

Buy Photo Soldiers help Afghan families load their luggage on a bus out of Fort McCoy, Wis., Oct. 11, 2021. The Afghans were ready to be settled in their new hometowns, where they will receive help from aid agencies. (Zubair Babakarkhail/Stars and Stripes)

A more recent but smaller survey of SIV holders found half were unemployed or underemployed, a report in January by the advocacy group No One Left Behind found.

Many of the unemployed had high levels of education and proficiency in English, and they were frustrated that their experience did not lead to skilled work, according to both reports. Others with professional backgrounds took jobs as taxi drivers, warehouse workers and security guards to survive, the GAO report stated.

On Monday, some Afghans said they will be connected to resettlement agencies on arriving at their new homes.

The State Department partners with nine U.S. private agencies and one state agency to provide reception and placement services for refugees arriving in the United States.

The Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, for example, greets refugees at the airport, provides initial housing, and tries to help them find a job, the groups website says.

Buy Photo An Afghan woman and her child prepare to leave Fort McCoy, Wis., Oct. 11, 2021, after finishing processing procedures at the base. (Zubair Babakarkhail/Stars and Stripes)

The Afghans leaving Fort McCoy on Monday said they hope the U.S. will continue supporting them, but said they wanted to become self-sufficient using the skills they learned in Afghanistan.

Sulaiman Sayaz, his wife, their two sons and a daughter boarded Mondays bus with plane tickets in hand to take them to Maryland. Sayaz had worked as an electrical engineer providing power to U.S. military bases in Kabul.

We will see what we can do after getting adjusted in the environment and will see what I could do for work, he said.

The busload Monday was the first to leave the base that evacuees could recall. They and counterparts at other bases had entered the country through a process known as humanitarian parole, instead of the SIV program.

But many had worked with the U.S. government in Afghanistan and had been applying for the SIV.

Afghans who were granted humanitarian parole can receive refugee resettlement services and benefits as if they were SIV recipients. That is a result of a short-term funding bill passed in early October.

The bill also provides $6.3 billion in funding for Afghan refugee resettlement. Benefits include resettlement assistance from the departments of State and Health and Human Services as well as other assistance, such as access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as food stamps.

As many of the refugees look for jobs, additional challenges remain for their female family members, who are less likely to speak English and may be unable to leave the home because of child care needs.

Other challenges include barriers to finding housing, as refugees lack rental or credit histories and Social Security numbers, which limits their housing options.

Nawid Shinwari, 28, was once a mayor of a town in Nangarhar province. He acknowledges that hell need to learn a whole new set of skills to make it in America.

I will take any job or work that I can, said Shinwari, who expects to leave the base on Tuesday. I need to get used to here and learn the language fully.

Javed Ahmad Kakar contributed to this report.

J.P. Lawrence J.p. Lawrence reports on the U.S. military in Afghanistan and the Middle East. He served in the U.S. Army from 2008 to 2017. He graduated from Columbia Journalism School and Bard College and is a first-generation immigrant from the Philippines.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on nations to unfreeze assets to allow Afghanistans economy to grow. (Luiz Rampelotto,EuropaNewswire/TNS)

NEW YORK, NY (Tribune Content Service) - United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on countries to unfreeze assets and allow development aid to flow into the Afghanistan economy or risk watching it collapse.

Bolstering Afghanistans economy can be done without recognizing the Taliban, the militant group that took over in August after two decades of war with the U.S., Guterres told reporters at the U.N. on Monday. Without an infusion of cash to bolster the economy, banks will continue to close while essential services, such as health care, will be interrupted, he said.

We need to find ways to make the economy breathe again, Guterres said. This can be done without violating international laws or compromising principles.

The countrys new rulers lost access to more than $9 billion in central bank reserves after the Biden administration froze assets held at U.S. banks in mid-August, with other countries following Washingtons lead. Funding from the World Bank and International

Monetary Fund is also on hold.

In the weeks since former President Ashraf Ghanis government fell, Guterres said U.N. agencies and nongovernmental organizations have been acting with the cooperation of the Taliban, who have progressively granted access to the areas requested and provided security when needed. He said the number of security incidents during humanitarian operations has been in constant decline.

Humanitarian assistance saves lives, he said. But it will not solve the problem if the economy of Afghanistan collapses.

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Divers for the Naval Sea Systems Command recovered the bodies, bringing them aboard the multipurpose service vessel HOS Bayou, according to the statement. The ship arrived at Naval Air Station North Island, Calif. on Sunday. (Kelly M Agee/Navy)

The Navy has recovered the bodies of five sailors who died Aug. 31 when their MH-60S Seahawk helicopter flipped off the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln off the coast of San Diego, Naval Air Forces announced Tuesday.

The bodies of Petty Officer 2nd Class James P. Buriak, Petty Officer 2nd Class Sarah F. Burns, Lt. Bradley A. Foster, Lt. Paul R. Fridley and Petty Officer 3rd Class Bailey J. Tucker were recovered Friday with the wreckage of the helicopter about 5,300 feet below the surface, according to a Naval Air Forces statement.

Divers for the Naval Sea Systems Command recovered the bodies, bringing them aboard the multipurpose service vessel HOS Bayou, according to the statement. The ship arrived at Naval Air Station North Island, Calif. on Sunday.

The remains were then taken to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware for identification, Naval Air Forces said.

The crash was the first fatal Navy aviation crash of 2021, according to a Naval Safety Center report. The Seahawk had just touched down aboard the Lincoln when it experienced side-to-side vibrations causing the main rotor to strike [the] flight deck, according to a Naval Safety Center report.

The helicopter then fell over the side of the carrier and into the ocean off the coast of San Diego, according to the report. One sailor was rescued.

Five additional Abraham Lincoln sailors were injured in the incident, but the Navy has not released further details about how they were hurt. Two were taken to San Diego for treatment while the others were treated on board for minor injuries, the service said Sept. 1.

The crash was the 10th aviation class-A mishap this year, which the service defines as one that causes a fatality or permanent total disability, more than $2.5 million in damages or destroys an aircraft, according to the report.

The incident remains under investigation, according to the statement.
Army 1st Lt. Anthony R. Mazzulla was listed as missing on Dec. 2, 1950. His remains were recently identified by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency. (Mazzulla Family)

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (Tribune News Service)  A few weathered bones of a U.S. Army lieutenant from Rhode Island who died in North Korea on Dec. 2, 1950, will get a heros homecoming Tuesday after a 70-year delay, and all because two unpredictable players on the world stage did something unexpected in June 2018.

Then-President Donald Trump and North Korea leader Kim Jong-un met in Singapore, Trump to convince Kim to give up his goal of building a nuclear arsenal and Kim, perhaps, to agree to anything but that. As a result, North Korea in July released 55 small boxes it said were the remains of U.S. soldiers who died in North Korea during the Korean War.

So far, the remains have led to the identification of 77 soldiers by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency , or DPAA, which employs experts in such fields as forensic anthropology, archaeology, genetics and medicine, and as many as 1,000 people around the world. Their mission is to account for every missing service member and give a full accounting to their families and the nation. An estimated 5,300 are still missing in North Korea and 82,000 from all other wars since World War II.

Samples of DNA taken from each bone were sent to the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL) in Dover, Delaware, to begin the painstaking process of identification. At least two of the bones that had arrived in separate boxes matched each other and aligned with DNA on file from 90% of the families whose loved one is missing. They were identified as Army 1st Lt. Anthony R. Mazzulla of Johnston.

Waiting for the plane to deliver her uncle will be his oldest niece who is his next of kin and was the light of his mothers life after he died. Lois Marandola, 66, and a few other relatives will be on the tarmac at T.F. Green.

With them will be an honor guard from the R.I. Army National Guard. Maybe also a few hundred veterans and other Americans who would like to stand and honor a man who met his death under some of the worst battle conditions in history.

The airport honors will be the same as for any member of the military brought home in a flag-draped casket, even those who had been alive the day before yesterday. After the family has had a moment at the casket, the soldiers become well-drilled pallbearers, conveying the coffin from the plane to a hearse. Military vehicles, veterans groups and fire and rescue trucks will fall in behind state and local police leading them to the funeral home, in this case Nardolillo on Park Avenue in Cranston. Tuesdays solemn procession, however, might break into happiness that Mazzulla is home at last.

Marandola never met her uncle, who died five years before she was born. But in a way, he and she share an almost sibling relationship; both got much of their rearing from the same woman, his mother.

Jennie Mazzulla died at age 93, outliving her husband and all four of her sons, including Lois father, the youngest. She had longed to raise a little girl, and when Lois arrived, the first girl after a generation of one boy after another, the terms were that she would be her grandmothers joy. She accepted. Her parents let her spend as much time at her grandmothers as she and her grandmother wanted.

Growing up, Lois knew of her grandmothers sorrow and her devotion to Anthony. My grandmother vowed to Saint Anthony not to eat meat on Tuesday for the rest of her life, said the former Lois Mazzulla, who married Roger Marandola, a player at the ball field her father managed and where Lois operated the scoreboard. They are still married. The field is now called the Dan Mazzulla Field, in honor of her father.

She was very active in the Gold Star organization, Marandola said. I used to attend the meetings; I would help with the fundraisers.

Trying to describe her uncle, Marandola started with: He was an altar boy at St. Roccos Church. Anthony was born in the Bronx but the family moved to Johnston after his older brother died at around age 5. Anthony went to La Salle and attended Providence College for a year before he was drafted into World War II, He was very, very smart, she said, but also quiet.

After the war, he reenlisted to seize an opportunity for expedited officer training. He never dreamed, Marandola said, that the United States would enter another war so soon.

Mazzulla was listed as missing on Dec. 2, 1950, because nobody could account for him. His body probably lay on the battlefield where he fell, along with many who fought and fell beside him that day. At some point, the weathered bones were pushed into mass graves. Random bones were apparently packed into the boxes and released to the United States.

A former Air Force officer who briefs families about to receive the repatriated remains of a loved one identified by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency said the American dead from the Battle of Chosin Reservoir in North Korea were probably buried in shallow graves where they fell and left in the elements for decades. As Michael Mee told Marandola when he gave her and a few others his informational briefing at her house, it was a terrible battle.

The better-equipped UN and South Korean forces were cut off from the retreat they were ordered to take by an army of Chinese volunteers that outnumbered them 10 to 1 and had them surrounded. The Western forces, equipped with superior firepower, were rendered defenseless except in hand-to-hand combat when extreme cold froze every moving part on every piece of machinery.

As Marandola tells the private history lesson she learned that day. Our soldiers did not have proper uniforms, for the cold, which dropped to 60 below. It was the record at the time. They didnt have winter uniforms or boots.

How this happened, she said, is we had about 10,000 and the Chinese had 100,000. Its crazy because I could almost visualize what was taking place as Mee described the fighting.

I can only imagine how afraid they were as the Chinese ran up to them to kill at close range. They fought to open a path for their retreat. They had to be afraid.

Mazzulla had just turned 26 a few weeks before. As indicated by the list of soldiers and Marines identified as dying near him on the same day, many were only 18.

On Saturday,the remains of Anthony Mazzulla will be laid to rest at St. Anns Cemetery in Cranston with full military honors. He will be surrounded by his family, an answer to his mothers prayers and lifelong devotion.

I just really cant even believe this is happening, Marandola said. Hearing stuff

from my grandmother, and knowing the vow that she made... You just dont think its going to happen, and here we are, 70 years later.

She has happy feelings, she said, knowing that hell rest with his parents. Its a comforting feeling.

The heartbreaking part is that my grandparents never knew that their sons remains would be coming home.

Nearly the whole time Mee was telling her uncles story, Marandola said, I was in amazement. All I kept doing was getting goose bumps.



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Wally Funk an Aerospace icon and Oklahoma State University Alumnus returned to Stillwater Monday to talk about her time in space.

Funk had a full crowd show up and cheer her on. In the crowd were three little girls who said Funk was their inspiration for wanting to go to space.

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Changes to the SunCommercial's back end processing means the e-edition is getting a facelift. The biggest change is the e-edition, by default, is now presented in Text view.
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Canterbury researchers are exploring how web-based support could benefit children on the autism spectrum and their families as demand for services grows.

University of Canterburys College of Education, Health and Human Development Associate Professor, Laurie McLay is leading two studies investigating the effectiveness of telehealth delivered interventions, which are provided through websites and video conferencing.

Laurie says the number of children diagnosed with autism is growing internationally, with an estimated one in 59 people affected. But, there is a shortage of trained specialists available in Aotearoa New Zealand to provide the support they, and their families, need.

The significant cost of face-to-face appointments and a lack of trained therapists is a major barrier thats leading to long wait lists and many children on the autism spectrum having limited access to important services.

The barriers to receiving support particularly impacts families living in regional and Maori and Pacific communities, and the Covid-19 pandemic has made the problem worse.

There is an urgent need to establish evidence-based, culturally appropriate approaches to service delivery, particularly for those who face barriers to access.

Laurie is involved in a current UC study, funded by a Lottery Health Research Grant, testing the effectiveness of telehealth-delivered interventions on treatment of sleep, feeding and toileting issues in children on the autism spectrum.

Given rapid advances in communication technology, delivery through telehealth may offer a cost-effective, timely, and equitable alternative or addition to in-person appointments, she says.

Three Toolkits delivered through webpages are being developed as part of the study to help parents learn strategies, and there will also be small group video conferencing.

If these treatments prove effective, the research team plan to make the Toolkits available on an ongoing basis throughout New Zealand.

A second study led by Associate Professor McLay in collaboration with Dr Lisa-Marie Emerson and Adjunct Associate Professor Sonja Macfarlane at UC, and Dr Hannah Waddington at Victoria University, was recently granted $499,994 in funding from Cure Kids and A Better Start.

Due to start in December, its designed to provide evidence-based support for parents in relation to their childs social communication and behaviour, as well as improving parents mental health and wellbeing.

A website will be designed for this two-year study as a platform for delivering support, and the results will be evaluated to see if the online interventions benefit childrens learning and development and have a positive impact on parent wellbeing.

If the two studies are successful, Laurie says telehealth-delivered support could transform the way services are provided to children on the autism spectrum and their parents and caregivers.

We hope it will increase timely access to critical support for families who otherwise face long waits.

The material produced for both of these studies could be combined to provide a comprehensive online library of freely available, evidence-based resources that can be shared with caregivers of children on the autism spectrum
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Twelve inter-hospital transfers, five medicals, six rescues and three motor vehicle accidents have kept the TECT Rescue Helicopter crew busy.

The crew carried out a total of 26 missions for the month of September.

The onboard crew were seen in locations such as Opotiki, Waihi and Whakatane over the month, carrying out life-saving missions to patients in need, says a spokesperson for the rescue helicopter.

The month started with the TECT Rescue Helicopter being tasked to transport a patient in her twenties experiencing pregnancy complications from Tauranga Hospital on September 2.

The patient was flown to Waikato Hospital.

The same day, the TECT Rescue Helicopter was tasked to Waihi for a patient suffering from a medical event following a fall at their home.

The onboard crew transported the patient to Waikato Hospital for further treatment.

"On Saturday, September 4, the TECT Rescue Helicopter onboard crew was tasked to transport a patient in their 40s suffering a medical event.

"The onboard crew transported the patient to Waikato Hospital for further treatment."

Sunday, September 12, saw the TECT Rescue Helicopter assisted a male patient in their fifties suffering a medical event on a farm in Matata.

The onboard crew transported the patient to Rotorua Hospital for further treatment.

The following day, the TECT Rescue Helicopter transported a female patient in her 50s who had suffered a medical event from Tauranga Hospital.

The patient was flown to Auckland Hospital for further treatment.

"On Tuesday, September 14, the TECT Rescue Helicopter was called to Waihi for a female patient in her 50s suffering a medical event. The onboard crew flew the patient to Tauranga Hospital for further treatment.

"On Friday, September 17, around 4pm the TECT Rescue Helicopter was tasked to transport a young boy from Tauranga Hospital to Starship Hospital. The boy had sustained injuries from playing tag rugby at school. Flown with his mother, he had sustained internal injuries."

The TECT Rescue Helicopter crew responded to two motorcycle accidents in one day.

On Saturday, September 18, the onboard crew was tasked to Manawahe, a rural area south of Matata, for a male patient in his sixties who had sustained injuries following a motorbike accident involving another car.

The patient was flown to Tauranga Hospital for further treatment, says a spokesperson for the rescue helicopter.

Later that night, the TECT Rescue Helicopter was dispatched to a motorbike accident near Ohauiti, Tauranga.

"A male in his 50s had sustained injuries when he came off his motorbike. He was transported to Tauranga Hospital."

The following day saw the TECT Rescue Helicopter being dispatched to Whakatane Hospital to transport a male patient in his fifties suffering a serious medical condition.

The patient was flown to Tauranga Hospital for further treatment.

The onboard crew was then tasked to Opotiki for a male patient in his forties suffering a serious cardiac event. The patient was RSId and flown to Tauranga Hospital for further treatment.

On Sunday, September 26, the TECT Rescue Helicopter was dispatched to the Lower Kaimai area for a male patient in his 40s who had sustained injuries to his hand following an incident.

"The onboard crew flew the patient, along with his wife, to Waikato Hospital for further treatment."

Tuesday, September 28, led to the TECT Rescue Helicopter returning to Waihi for a female patient in her sixties suffering a medical event.

The onboard crew flew the patient to Tauranga Hospital for further care.

"Missions like these would not be possible if it werent for the generous donations from the public. Keep the TECT Rescue Helicopter operational 24/7 by donating today  rescue.org.nz"
Hacked off ex-worker accesses the computer system of his old employer and cripples the business The culprit issued a command to erase the data on about 600 devices according to investigations by the Cybercrime Group of the National Police force in Malaga

A disgruntled ex-employee is facing charges in a Malaga court after allegedly hacking into his former employers computer system and wreaking havoc by deleting data on 600 tablet devices and causing damage worth an estimated 47,000 euros.

National Police officers have arrested a 39-year-old man of Spanish nationality in the town of Algete (Madrid) for an alleged crime of illegal computer access, disclosure of business secrets and damage to computer systems.

In September, the Cybercrime Group of the National Police force in Malaga started an investigation following a report that a company had been the victim of a computer attack. The national company operates in the parcel distribution and digitisation and archiving of public authority documents sectors.

Revenge

Experts found that the illegal access to the computer system had made by a "person with advanced computer knowledge, who acted with precision and whose purpose was to cause the economic damage to the enterprise."

Police investigations determined that the main suspect was a former employee of the company who had recently been fired and whose motivation would be revenge. When he was located and arrested in the town of Algete (Madrid) his home was searched, and evidence relating to the allegation was found.

The case in now in the hands of the Examining Court No. 12 in Malaga.
Police smash gang that kidnapped a man in Marbella and demanded a one-million-euro ransom The victim was taken when he was getting into his car in San Pedro Alcantara and held for five days, against his will, at a country property in Coin

National Police officers in Malaga have smashed a criminal network in the province that kidnapped a man on the Costa del Sol, tortured him, and demanded a one-million-euro ransom for his release.

The gang had allegedly linked the Belgian victim to the theft of a drug shipment and not only did they hold him against his will for five days, but they also tortured him, sources told SUR.

Operation Shai

Apparently, the victim was approached when he was getting into his car, which was parked in the town of San Pedro Alcantara, in Marbella.

Operation Shai then swung into action after the family of the kidnapped man reported what happened.

Sources explained that the kidnappers took the man, by force, to a country property where he was allegedly tortured. The kidnappers contacted the victim's family and demanded more than one million euros as a ransom to free the man.

Officers from the National Polices drugs and organised crime unit (Udyco) on the Costa del Sol led the investigations which resulted in the kidnap situation ending.

"Very violent"

The force said that the criminal organisation was based in Malaga, although its tentacles also reached Ceuta. It was a gang involved in international drug trafficking and members were very violent.

Some of the group were specialists in breaking into properties and vehicles. During police raids, drones, spy cameras, frequency jammers and other devices were recovered.

In total seven people were arrested at addresses in Marbella, Coin and in the Ceuta neighborhood of El Principe. Four of those detained are being held in custody while investigations continue.
No one to blame THE BOTTOM LINE In the days following the eruption of the volcano, people went out to find someone to criticise, if not for causing the tragedy, at least for their reaction to it

With any tragedy, once the initial shock has passed and the emergency assistance has been given, our immediate reaction is to find someone to blame.

It seems to be part of the healing process; knowing how something happened is vital of course, but being able to point a finger at someone - and eventually see them punished - brings a certain amount of satisfaction to victims.

They may never recover their homes or loved ones, lost in a tragedy, but they do know how it happened and who was responsible.

In the case of the recent fire in Sierra Bermeja we know that there is someone to blame. The fire was started deliberately, and was possibly related to marijuana plantations, said the authorities, even while the flames were still racing across the hillsides.

Perhaps aimed more at proving that they were already working hard on investigating the cause of the tragedy, the information gives the general public a target for outbursts of frustration, pain and loss. In this case the culprits are anonymous and probably will remain that way - only a small proportion of forest fire investigations end with a sentence - but we have the image of a human being to stick pins in if that makes us feel better.

The volcano eruption in La Palma is different, however. No one man (or woman) could be held up as responsible for the tremors and the explosions that resulted in molten lava spewing out of the top of a mountain, leaving a trail of devastation.

So with none other than Mother Nature to blame - some may also give their God part of the responsibility - people have no face to pin to the dartboard, no baddie to hate, no one to imagine rotting in jail.

So in the days following the eruption of the volcano people went out to find someone to criticise, if not for causing the tragedy, at least for their reaction to it.

The first target was Reyes Maroto, Spain's Tourism Minister, whose remark that a volcano was an added tourist attraction for a destination could have been kept on the backburner for a more suitable moment when the danger was over.

Next in the firing line were the landlords of rental properties on the island, also accused of taking advantage of the volcano. The story that they had multiplied their rent, just as hundreds of islanders had been evacuated from, or even lost, their homes, spread across the media. TV crews from several channels tried hard to find examples of these cruel rent hikes, sympathise with victims and demonise property owners. In the end though they identified few culprits to face the firing squad.

So when faced with the frustration of having no one to blame, sorry Reyes, but the fingers have to point in the direction of a politician.

TV crews have also been tracking down volcano fanatics who've rushed to La Palma for this once-in-a-lifestyle experience. I wonder how much rent they're paying.
According to the Pandora Papers - an international journalistic investigation into offshore activities by the world's rich and powerful - Corinna Larsen named Spain's former king Juan Carlos as a beneficiary, in case of her death, of an initiative set up in 2006 called the Spanish-Saudi Investment Fund (SSIF). The latest development, which apparently shows that Larsen made plans in 2007 for Juan Carlos to receive 30% of the fund's income, raises questions about the true purpose of the Spanish-Saudi concord: was it merely a front for offshore finances, or genuinely intended to improve infrastructure in Saudi Arabia and North Africa?

A former government minister involved in setting up the SSIF has told El Pais newspaper that it collapsed in 2010 because Saudi Arabia wasn't providing sufficient funds. But cash wasn't a problem in 2008, when the Saudi royal household transferred 100 million US dollars to a Swiss bank account held by a Panamanian company called Lucum, the key beneficiary of which was Juan Carlos. The emeritus monarch is then said to have transferred 65 million of this to Larsen in 2012, who then used part of the money to purchase and refurbish apartments in London and Switzerland. Was this money laundering, or entirely legitimate use of a very generous gift?

The question arises - if the Spanish-Saudi Investment Fund was meant for developing infrastructure in Saudi Arabia and North Africa, to the mutual benefit of recipient countries and Spanish lenders, then why was 100 million dollars donated by the Saudi royal household to a private account linked to a Panama firm of which Juan Carlos was the prime beneficiary?

It was the multi-layered complexity surrounding this mysterious payment that aroused the suspicions of Swiss and Spanish tax authorities: the fact that the money wasn't declared in Spain, that the SSIF was registered in the ultra tax-competitive Channel Islands and that the Saudis, supposedly unable to meet their end of the original financing deal, nevertheless made a 100 million dollar payment to Juan Carlos via Panama and Switzerland, a chunk of which was later transferred to Larsen.

"Ah well," you might think, "this was such a long time ago. Does it really matter anymore?" This is the main reason why Spanish investigators are apparently preparing to shelve their enquiries into the country's former king, citing the statute of limitations and the fact that the alleged misdemeanors occurred when Juan Carlos, as reigning monarch, had legal immunity.

The key point is that no one had a clue what was going on at the time, that no one even suspected anything untoward was happening when Juan Carlos was on the throne. And that's why the offshore finance industry - a shadowy realm in which opacity and complexity are the key commodities - is such big business.
Live stream: Spain celebrates its National Day with a parade in Madrid A total of 2,656 military personnel, 68 aircraft and 115 vehicles are participating in the 12 October celebration

The Spanish Royal Family are this Tuesday, 12 October, presiding over the Armed Forces Day parade in Madrid for the first time since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Princess Leonor, however, will be missing as she is studying at a boarding school in Wales.

A total of 2,656 military personnel, 68 aircraft and 115 vehicles will participate in the military parade that began at 10.30 am and runs along Paseo de la Castellana between Plaza de Lima and Nuevos Ministerios.

The improvement in the health situation has made it possible to recover the traditional 12 October parade, which last year had to be replaced by a reduced military act in the courtyard of the Royal Palace. However, the number of participants in the parade this year is somewhat lower than in previous years.

There will also be restrictions on the reception in the Royal Palace to avoid the concentration of people in indoor spaces, according to Royal Family sources.

The military parade also includes other public services such as Maritime Rescue, Guardia Civil, National Police, Customs Surveillance and Civil Protection volunteers.
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SRLC chairman Steve Fair speaks during the first day of the Souther Republican Leadership Conference at the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City, Okla. on Thursday, May 21, 2015. Photo by Chris Landsberger, The Oklahoman
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Re: Dada Motors takes back defective Tata Safari; no replacement given even after 2 months



1. The dealer is WRONG here, however the customer on delivery day accepted a different car even though the one checked by him on previous day was standing in dealer premises and he even located it. He should have stood his ground and walked away.



2. The dealer and Tata Motors have royally screwed up. They should have closed this matter by now considering the issues with vehicle and the negative PR which is building up daily.



3. The customer deserves a new Safari, an apology, EMI paid till date and 7% interest on his amount with dealer.



4. However I feel the resolution demanded by customer is simply not feasible. Earlier he demanded a Safari recall and now he wants the dealership to be terminated. In the third video he has clearly mentioned that Tata and dealership guys are asking him to quantify his loss reasonably so that they can work on it, however he is adamant on dealership to be terminated.



Please don't think from point 4 that I am taking side of Tata and dealership. I am trying to make it clear that customer is asking for a repercussion which can't be implemented. Such kind of repercussions are implemented when a large number of serious complaints are received against the dealership.

The customer should focus on his business and mental peace and work on a resolution which covers his personal losses made till now. Though his stand is noble as he doesn't wants others to face the same issue, however termination of dealership is not going to achieve it. Tata strengthening their noose around such dealers and sharing a clear escalation matrix with customers is the way to go forward.



At the same time I am appalled at Tata Motor's attitude towards this case. Rather than making progress towards an amicable resolution they have sent him a legal notice that too at this Hong Kong business address.

Has Tata Motors failed to understand that such issues bring a wider harm to sales and brand?



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcFe...uestionMark%3F I have watched all three videos posted by this person and here is what I could gather:1. The dealer ishere, however the customer on delivery day accepted a different car even though the one checked by him on previous day was standing in dealer premises and he even located it. He should have stood his ground and walked away.2. The dealer and Tata Motors have royally screwed up. They should have closed this matter by now considering the issues with vehicle and the negative PR which is building up daily.3. The customer deserves a new Safari, an apology, EMI paid till date and 7% interest on his amount with dealer.4.In the third video he has clearly mentioned that Tata and dealership guys are asking him to quantify his loss reasonably so that they can work on it, however he is adamant on dealership to be terminated.Please don't think from point 4 that I am taking side of Tata and dealership. I am trying to make it clear that customer is asking for a repercussion which can't be implemented. Such kind of repercussions are implemented when a large number of serious complaints are received against the dealership.The customer should focus on his business and mental peace and work on a resolution which covers his personal losses made till now. Though his stand is noble as he doesn't wants others to face the same issue, however termination of dealership is not going to achieve it. Tata strengthening their noose around such dealers and sharing a clear escalation matrix with customers is the way to go forward.At the same time I am appalled at Tata Motor's attitude towards this case. Rather than making progress towards an amicable resolution they have sent him a legal notice that too at this Hong Kong business address.Has Tata Motors failed to understand that such issues bring a wider harm to sales and brand? Last edited by PraNeel : 11th October 2021 at 13:48 .
In brief: Windows 11 comes with some rather strict system requirements and most notably calls for the presence of a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0 in your PC. However, there's an easy way to go around these requirements, and it only takes a few minutes to do it yourself.

Microsoft has done an abysmal job of communicating the Windows 11 system requirements and the exact reasons behind them. Since unveiling the new operating system in June, it has only confused everyone by changing these details on the fly. Much of this confusion stems from the companys insistence that PCs running Windows 11 need support for something called Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0a previously unheard-of security feature outside of enterprise environments.

The short of it is that Microsoft wanted to launch Windows 11 with an additional layer of security enabled by default, and TPM 2.0 was central to that strategy since the advanced security features in the new operating system depend on it. If youre looking for an in-depth explanation of what TPM is and why Windows 11 requires it, check out our explainer.

The bad news is that Microsoft is okay with splitting the Windows user base with this requirement, even though Windows 11 comes with some important quality of life improvements over Windows 10. The good news is that if you want to run Windows 11, you can easily bypass it in more than one way. Before we go into how to do this, understand that while Microsoft allows it, you won't be offered the same level of support and aren't entitled to receive any feature or security updates.

Perhaps ironically, Microsoft itself has provided a way to go around the TPM 2.0 requirement as part of the official Windows 11 documentation. That said, this method still requires that your system be compatible with TPM 1.2. As a rule of thumb, if your PC is equipped with an AMD Ryzen 1000 series CPU or newer, or an Intel 7th generation Kaby Lake CPU or newer, you should have support for TPM 1.2 or even TPM 2.0.

Checking for TPM 1.2 support is as easy as opening Device Manager and expanding the Security devices section. Alternatively, you can press Win + R on your keyboard to open the Run dialog. Type tpm.msc and hit OK to open the TPM Management snap-in, which should tell you right away if you have a compatible TPM module.

If you don't see any mention of "Trusted Security Platform Module," check your UEFI settingsusually found in the Advanced taband enable a feature called "PTT" for Intel systems and "PSP fTPM" for AMD systems. This setting will be necessary on most consumer PCs, where OEMs usually don't enable this feature from the factory.

After adjusting the setting, you need to add a Registry key manually. To do that, search for Registry Editor from Start, and launch it. In the address box, insert HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup\MoSetup and press Enter. Add a DWORD value, name it AllowUpgradesWithUnsupportedTPMOrCPU, and set it to 1. Then create a bootable USB or DVD with the Media Creation Tool, launch setup, and perform an in-place upgrade on your system.

If you want to perform a clean install and use an even older CPU, you can also perform an unofficial bypass on the TPM and CPU checks during the Windows installation process. As you run through the required steps, youll quickly run into a message saying, This PC cant run Windows 11. Youre going to prove the message box wrong by going back a step and then hitting Shift + F10 on the keyboard to open a Command Prompt window. Type regedit and hit Enter. Just like with the above method, itll open the Registry Editor. Type HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup in the address bar and hit Enter. Right-click on Setup and add a new Key called LabConfig.

In the LabConfig Key, add a DOWRD value called BypassTPMCheck and set it to 1. Then add another one called BypassCPUCheck and set that to 1 as well. Repeat the same process with BypassSecureBootCheck. A word of caution, however, you might be tempted to try BypassRAMCheck or BypassStorageCheck, but its not worth it. If you dont meet the minimum storage or RAM requirements, its better to stick with Windows 10 for now.

Thats all it takes to bypass the TPM and processor requirements and install Windows 11. Below you have shortcuts to Windows 11 downloads, reviews, and a couple of fixes for annoyances you may find in the new operating system:
Forward-looking: It doesnt look like Apple will switch the Lightning port on the iPhone to USB-C on its own accord. However, that doesnt mean it can stop passionate individuals from doing so. A Swiss student was able to modify his iPhone X to the point where it has a fully working USB-C port.

While most phonemakers today equip their devices with a USB-C port, Apple is still reluctant to switch from its proprietary Lightning solution to the widely used connector. There are many potential reasons for this, including the never-ending confusion around USB-C cables and their exact capabilities, as well as the vast ecosystem of accessories that still use Lightning and bring Apple a steady stream of revenue from licensing fees.

Since the Cupertino giant doesnt seem to be in a hurry to adopt USB-C on its best-selling device, hardware enthusiasts have taken to modding to make it happen. Such is the case of robotics engineering student Ken Pillonel, who was able to successfully replace the Lightning connector on an iPhone X with a fully working USB-C port.

Pillonel, who holds a masters degree from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, EPFL, revealed the feat in a short YouTube video titled Worlds First USB-C iPhone X, where he quickly demonstrates the new connector can be used for both charging and data transfers. To achieve this, Pillonel had to spend several months to completely reverse-engineer Apples C94 connector, as well as figure out how to miniaturize the flex daughterboard that bridges the power and data lines to the female USB-C connector.

In a previous update posted in May, Pillonel showcased a prototype of the daughterboard that was simply too large to fit inside the iPhone X, even though it was already capable of charging at that point. Pillonel is currently working on a more detailed video explanation on how this was achieved, but its not yet clear when it will be uploaded.

It goes without saying this mod isnt a project that most people could tackle on their own. Still, the results come just as the European Commission is working to revise legislation and mandate the use of USB-C on almost all mobile devices, with the exception of wearables and other devices where wireless charging is more practical. Once that is in effect, Apple will have two years to comply.
Something to look forward to: This week, Netgear introduced what it's boasting is the industry's first quad-band WiFi 6E mesh router. The new model, the latest entry in its Orbi series of WiFi systems for large homes, promises increased speeds and support for more frequencies. It's available to pre-order now and should ship in time for the holidays, but will set you back quite a bit.

The newly announced RBKE960 series adds support for the 6GHz WiFi frequency on top of the existing 5GHz and 2.4GHz frequencies, in order to provide faster internet, more simultaneous connections, and less latency. Across all three frequencies, it should be able to handle 16 simultaneous WiFi streams.

According to Netgear's product page for the new model, combined Wi-Fi speeds could reach as high as 10.8Gbps. Because of the upgraded radio and antennas, devices running 5GHz and 2.4GHz WiFi could also see speed increases of up to 30 percent. The three-pack of one router and two satellites should offer these speeds at a range of up to 9,000 square feet. The RBKE960 series also features a 10Gbps ethernet WAN port, a 2.5-Gigabit ethernet port, and three 1-Gigabit ethernet ports.

The press release doesn't give an exact date for when the new model will ship, but the product page claims orders should ship by October 29. Pre-orders are open now in the United States and will open soon in the United Kingdom. At $1,500, however, it's quite expensive.

The WiFi 6 standard, also known as 802.11ax, was introduced last year in order to increase wireless internet performance as well as the frequency range across which devices could operate. Earlier this year, TechSpot rated Netgear's Orbi system as the best mesh WiFi system. WiFi 6E is an extension to WiFi 6 that supports 6GHz connections.
Why it matters: Last week, Nvidia's $54 billion acquisition of chip manufacturer Arm was expedited by offering concessions to EU regulators. Unfortunately for the GPU titan, that hasn't exactly worked in their favorits desire to buy the British company hit a stumbling block today as authorities are concerned about how the deal will affect competition in the industry.

Reuters sources revealed that the proposed deal is expected to face an extended EU antitrust investigation due to Nvidia's concessions failing to address competition concerns. A preliminary review conducted by the European Commission should conclude on October 27, followed by a further four-month investigation into the deal, the sources added.

"The regulatory process is confidential. The transaction will help to transform Arm and boost competition and innovation, including in the UK," Nvidia stated.

The competition enforcer for the EU opted not to receive feedback from rivals and customers. Instead, it said the concessions were not sufficient enough to alleviate its concerns. Nvidia declared that it would operate Arm as a neutral technology supplier amid apprehension among customers, including Qualcomm, Samsung Electronics, and Apple.

Nvidia is currently the world's biggest manufacturer of graphics chips and is establishing itself as a market leader in the artificial intelligence chips field. It would become a tech behemoth in the industry were it to bring Arm under its control. With this in mind, it offered "behavioral remedies" to the commission, which usually indicates a commitment to take measures at preserving competition.

Arm's co-founder believes if the sale were to be completed, it would be a disaster due to worries surrounding Arm's neutrality. Earlier this year, a UK regulator also weighed in by launching an investigation.

Related reading: Nvidia purchase of Arm completely resets semiconductor landscape

Should the deal ultimately fail to materialize, Arm may consider an IPOthe Cambridge-based firm generates billions in revenue. However, Simon Segars, Arm's chief executive, is "100% focused on closing this transaction." If Segars' ambition to see the sale come to fruition becomes a reality, it will only trail Dell's acquisition of EMC ($64 billion) among the largest tech deals in history.

"The combination of Arm and Nvidia is a better outcome than an IPO," Segars stressed. "The level of investment that will be needed to lead in artificial intelligence will be unprecedented."

Meanwhile, while Nvidia awaits the outcome of the investigation, it has teamed up with Microsoft to create the largest and most powerful language model to date, based on training an AI model on a supercomputer.
(Photo : Image from Unsplash Website) El Salvador $4B Crypto Profits to be Invested in Veterinary Hospital in Country's Capital

El Salvador is investing $4 million of its crypto profits into a veterinary hospital in the country's capital. Nayib Bukele, the Salvadoran president, noted that Bitcoin would be sold in order to fund this investment. The state is instead drawing USD from its very own Bitcoin trust.

El Salvador Bitcoin Profits

According to the story by CoinTelegraph, Salvadoran president Nayib Bukele has just announced his plans to invest a part of the $4M worth of profits that the company has amassed. This is from its own bitcoin holdings, which is set to be invested into constructing a brand new veterinary hospital located in the San Salvador local capital.

On October 10, 2021, Bukele took to Twitter to reveal that El Salvador's very own state-operated Bitcoin trust actually holds $4 million worth of profits that it had gleaned coming from its recent embrace of Bitcoin. Bukele then announced that part of the said funds would then be invested into constructing a veterinary hospital that would have four operating rooms, 19 offices, four emergency clinics, and its very own rehabilitation area.

New Veterinary Hospital

He noted that they have decided to invest a portion of that money in a veterinary hospital for their furry friends. Bukele also added that the facility would reportedly aim to be able to perform 64 surgeries and be able to respond to 128 emergencies. This is while tending to about 400 daily general appointments and sharing a computer-generated mock-up of the said hospital to social media.

The news was actually met with mixed reactions on Twitter. A number of Salvadorans actually suggested alternative uses for the country's new crypto profits. A certain Twitter user Norma De Serrano noted that the money could have been better used as reinvestment towards the existing medical facilities across the country.

Bitcoin Bullish Movements

The comment emphasized that a number of hospitals as well as health units actually needed to be improved while a number of commenters were also expressing their similar concerns. Others even criticized the government for failing to invest in infrastructure located outside of the country's very own capital.

This particular news now comes as Bitcoin's official market capitalization has been able to break above the $1 trillion mark for the first time ever since May 2021. BTC is now rallying about 20% from its previous $47,000 to almost $55,000 during the course of the past week.

Read Also: Cardano Price Prediction | What are the Top 10 Upcoming Blockchain and DAPP Projects on This Cryptocurrency?

What About SHIB?

Is SHIB the new DOGE, or could it be better? As of the moment, SHIB is getting a lot of attention as its recent massively bullish moves have been closely related to that of DOGE when it spiked. The question, as of the moment, is whether SHIB will be consistently bullish or if everything as of the moment remains hype.

SHIB has even surpassed the number of Ethereum mentions on Twitter and comes short just to Bitcoin. SHIB is currently the second most talked-about cryptocurrency on Twitter, making it the hot topic as of the moment.

Related Article: NFT Market Hits $10B in Secondary Sales | Ethereum Takes Largest Layer-2 and Blockchain Chunk with $6B in Secondary NFT Sales

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Written by Urian B.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Wearable tech has become quite ubiquitous these days for its health-tracking capabilities. But according to one study, they can do far more than that.

According to a study led by biomedical engineering professor Dr. Jessilyn Dunn, a simple smartwatch containing specially designed sensors can, and will, pick up flu or common cold infection before symptoms even appear, writes WebMD.

The study was published in JAMA Network Open.

High Levels Of Accuracy

A total of 36 participants divided into two equal groups participated in the study. One group was injected with the H1N1 flu virus, and the other with rhinovirus.

To help study the detection accuracy of wearable tech, all study participants were wearing the E4 wristband from the company Empatica, which is specifically designed to remotely monitor patient health benchmarks, according to their website.

For this study, the E4 wristband's job is to measure skin temperature, heart rate, and the participants' movements.

The H1N1 group was tasked to wear the wristband starting from one day before being infected to 11 days after infection. As for the rhinovirus group, they wore the wristband four days before and five days after being infected.

The results were very promising: H1N1 infections were detected within 12 hours with an accuracy of 79%. On the other hand, the rhinovirus was detected with a sky-high accuracy of 92% within 24 hours.

The study's results didn't stop there, as it was also able to prove that it can predict how severe the infection can be.

For the H1N1-infected participants, the severity of the infection was detected with 83% accuracy, while the rhinovirus group showed a 92% accuracy.

Read Also: Smartwatches and Heart Rate Tracking: How Exactly Does The Tech Work?

Making A Case During The Pandemic

Modern smartwatches and other wearable tech have also proven their importance during the COVID-19 pandemic. Case in point, various wearable tech sensors can potentially help detect coronavirus symptoms, according to HealthTechMagazine.

Last year, this phenomenon was looked at by Apple, Fitbit, and Garmin as they worked with the Stanford Healthcare Innovation Lab. It was found that the companies' smartwatches can detect signs of COVID-19 before an official diagnosis in 11 out of 14 patients.

That's accuracy of over 78%, which is not bad by any means.

Technological Challenges

Of course, there are still a few issues. For one, it's been found that smartwatches from companies such as Fitbit are struggling to track even the heart rates of people who have darker skin tones.

That's because Fitbit and other manufacturers of smartwatches are using photoplethysmography (PPG) technology, which uses red and green light to track a user's blood flow and, by extension, measure heart rate.

In people with darker skin tones, using green light isn't as effective because its shorter wavelength makes it very easily absorbed by melanin. Melanin is the compound that gives skin its pigmentation. The more of it, the darker the skin is.

Furthermore, the Empatica E4 wristbands used in the H1N1 and rhinovirus study are not designed the same way as, say, an Apple Watch or a Fitbit Charge. Empatica considers itself as a large medical technology company whose sole focus is to help doctors and nurses monitor a lot of vital signs in real-time.

Still, this does present a great opportunity to combat flu, cold, and even coronavirus infections effectively in the future.

Related Article: Apple Watch Could Feature Blood Sugar Monitoring, Alcohol Levels Tracking

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Written by RJ Pierce

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Intel's upcoming ARC graphics cards are poised to try and disrupt the market for current leaders NVIDIA and AMD. But there's one tech the GPUs won't be coming with, and this could be bad news for a lot of PC gamers.

That tech is a crypto mining limiter, which NVIDIA has been implementing for its RTX 3000 series graphics cards in order to stop miners from snatching up all stocks.

According to WCCFTech, Intel themselves confirmed this, saying that the first generation of Intel ARC graphics cards (codenamed "Alchemist") isn't prioritizing any features that specifically target miners.

According to VP & General Manager of Client Graphics Products and Solutions Roger Chandler, their focus will be just to put Intel ARC on shelves and make it available to everyone.

On the topic of mining, it's worth noting that this also translates to potential supply issues. As per Intel's Raja Koduri, the company cannot "promise" good supply.

They did, however, say that even NVIDIA and AMD can't promise that. As the third player in the consumer graphics industry, Koduri says Intel ARC could also experience some supply issues in today's high-demand market, as reported by Gadgets360.

Read also: Intel ARC News: ASUS, MSI, Gigabyte Will Launch The First Custom Models

Crypto Mining Limiters Are Facing Issues on Their Own

When NVIDIA first introduced these limiters on their RTX graphics cards, it didn't go well. They eventually did improve it, proving that their light hash rate (LHR) GPUs did cripple mining performance by at least half.

These limiters, however, didn't last long. Back in late May, a few miners did manage to crack the limiters of NVIDIA LHR GPUs. When before these cards could only perform at half the hash rate, they can now work at as much as 70%.

If Intel does try to put a mining limiter, they're likely to run into problems like what Team Green experienced.

Intel ARC Schedule

PC gamers who have been eagerly waiting for Intel ARC to drop will have to wait just a little bit longer, amidst reports that these cards could experience supply issues and not have mining limiters.

According to a industry leaker Hassan Mujtaba on Twitter, Intel ARC graphics cards are going to be delayed until Q2 of 2022:

Arc Alchemist DG2 for desktops is 100% Q2 now  Hassan Mujtaba (@hms1193) October 6, 2021

These will be the desktop discrete cards, specifically. What this means is that Intel will be rolling out ARC rather slowly, focusing on mobile GPUs first sometime in the first quarter.

Bad News for PC Gamers?

Every PC gamer deprived of a graphics card will agree that supply issues are old news at this point.

Since Intel won't be focusing on keeping crypto miners' hands off their Alchemist GPUs, there's a good chance that miners are going to grab stocks as soon as they hit online and retail stores. From there, the law of supply and demand takes effect.

NVIDIA and AMD themselves have tried to fend off current market conditions for a while now, so it's not looking good for supplies of Intel ARC either.

Related: Intel Exec Says Reference Designs for Alchemist GPUs Have Already Shipped

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Written by RJ Pierce

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
SpaceX Falcon 9 was chosen to launch Varda Space's first-ever manufacturing satellite in orbit in early 2023.

SpaceX Falcon 9 Selected to Launch Varda Space's Satellite

Varda Space revealed that it signed a contract with the Elon Musk-led space exploration firm, SpaceX, which will launch its smallsat along with the rideshare mission of the Falcon 9 in the first quarter of 2023, as per SpaceNews. However, the two companies have yet to disclose the details and terms of their agreement.

The co-founder and the president of Varda Space, Delian Asparouhov, told SpaceNews in an interview that the executives of the startup decided to go with SpaceX's Falcon 9 due to its low cost.

The Varda Space exec further noted that SpaceX did not only offered the cheapest option. It also showcased the most reliable way to transport the spacecraft of the firm.

On top of that, the co-founder of Varda Space, Will Bruey, also said that the startup "have some familiarity with SpaceX."

It is worth noting that the exec used to work for the space exploration firm of Musk. On the other hand, Asparouhov is a principal in the venture capital firm that invested in companies like SpaceX and Varda Space, Founders Fund.

Read Also: NASA's Asteroid-Slamming DART Spacecraft Launch on SpaceX's Falcon 9 On Track, Space Agency Confirms

Varda Space's First Manufacturing Satellite

The first manufacturing satellite of startup firm, Varda Space, seeks to test the ability of its spacecraft to produce technologies using microgravity exclusively found in space.

The spacecraft, which joins the ridesharing mission of the SpaceX Falcon 9, is slated to fly in orbit for three months to test out its manufacturing tech.

The materials that Varda Space's satellite produced in space will return to Earth via a reentry capsule as the mission concludes.

According to TechStartUps' report, it is not the first time that researchers and scientists tried to produce materials in orbit.

For instance, the International Space Station has been home to numerous manufacturing projects using microgravity, such as the production of 3D printed stem cells, and optic fibers.

This feat hints at a potential to 3D print the entirety of human organs in space, which is expected to help save the lives of people who are battling some fatal diseases.

TechStartUps further noted in its report that space manufacturing has already grown into a project worth to the tune of $158 billion.

That said, Asparouhov admitted that "the ISS has done a wide variety of materials. We're not doing new science."

However, it is to note that the Varde Space exec refused to disclose the materials that the startup firm is planning to produce for its first satellite mission.

The co-founder of Varda Space only said that these would only be announced once a consumer has finally signed a contract with the firm.

Related Article: SpaceX Reusable Rockets: Falcon, Other Spacecraft Essential to 'Back Up Biosphere' Says Elon Musk

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Written by Teejay Boris

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
(Photo : Image from Commons.Wikipedia.com) NASA Astronaut Stephanie Wilson Earthwork Monument Done by Land Artist Stan Herd

Although a lot of artists measure work by inches, Stan Herd measures his art by the acres. The latest piece is NASA astronaut Stephanie Wilson to coincide with the UN's "International Day of the Girl World" 2021's theme called "Women in Space."

Stan Herd Monument of Astronaut Stephanie Wilson

According to SmithsonianMag, quite fittingly, the next creation by Stan Herd debuted at Woodruff Park located in downtown Atlanta, and the artist is reportedly looking to the sky for inspiration. The piece of art is stretching a whopping 4,800 square feet in size, and the piece now coincides with the United Nations' current International Day of the Girl Child initiative and is also reportedly part of World Space Week.

World Space Week is an annual event that celebrates global accomplishments when it comes to science and technology. Due to this 2021's theme being "Womeen in Space," Herd has decided to create a portrait of a veteran NASA astronaut with three space flights under her belt and also the first African American woman ever to go to space Stephanie Wilson.

NASA Stephanie Wilson as Part of Artemis

Stephanie Wilson is reportedly one of 18 astronauts that are currently part of Artemis. Artemis is NASA's official lunar exploration program that is scheduled to send the first woman ever to the moon in 2004. Herd's creation of the Stephanie Wilson earthwork portrait can be seen online.

According to the NASA biography page of Stephanie Wilson, she is a veteran of three different spaceflights, namely the STS-121 in 2006, another STS-120 in 2007, and yet another STS-131 in 2010. She has reportedly been able to log over 42 days in space.

Who is Stephanie Wilson?

Wilson was born in Boston and reportedly attended high school in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, and was able to earn her own Bachelor of Science in Engineering Science from Harvard University back in 1988. She then received her Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering in 1992, coming from the University of Texas at Austin which was after first working at the Martin Marietta for two years.

Her graduate research was sponsored by a certain NASA Graduate Student Researchers Fellowship, which is focused on the control as well as modeling of large flexible space structures. She was selected by NASA as an astronaut back in April 1996 and was able to fly her first ever space shuttle mission back in 2006. Aside from Tesla, NASA also partners with Boeing and is now announcing a potential date for its Starliner test launch.

Read Also: William Shatner Blue Origin Spaceflight NEW Schedule | Twitter Users Mocking Jeff Bezos' Company Because of Delay

Stephanie Wilson Accomplishments

She then flew subsequent shuttle missions both in 2007 and 2010. Wilson had reportedly served as the Space Station Integration Branch Chief from the year 2010 to 2012. In 2013, Wilson was able to complete a full 9-month detail to NASA's very own Glenn Research Center as the official Acting Chief of Program and Project Integration in the Spaceflight Systems Directorate.

She has then reportedly served as a member of 2009, 2013, and even the 2017 Astronaut Selection Boards. She is reportedly a member of the Astronaut Office as well as the current Mission Support Crew Brand Chief. The ISS has just shared a photo of a lightning dash which is a rare find even for high-tech cameras.

Related Article: ISS Food Is Not All Bland, Says French Astronaut; But How Exactly Is Food Packed For Outer Space?

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Written by Urian B.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Kawasaki has announced that it would go fully electric by 2035, and the Japanese vehicle manufacturing company would soon debut a design or concept of its electric motorcycle. However, there are still no announcements or concepts from the company for now, and it lacks any releases for its venture to follow through.

Electric vehicle mobility has been all over the automotive industry, from electric vehicles from Tesla, General Motors, Volkswagen, Rivian, Lordstown, and more, to other vehicles. Some motorcycle companies have already debuted motorcycle EVs, including Harley Davidson and Arc Vector, along with other popular names in the industry.

Kawasaki's 2035 Pledge to an All-Electric Motorcycle Lineup

That being said, there is still a lot of room for the motorcycle industry to debut two-wheeled electric vehicles that would be the future of the industry. Electric mobility is and always will be the ideal path to take with regards to saving the environment and having a practical mode of transportation that can still provide fun.

Electrek reports that Kawasaki has already announced its pledge to an all-electric motorcycle lineup but has given itself plenty of time before it commits by 2035. This means that in less than 14 years, Kawasaki would not have any ICEs or internal combustion engine motorcycles on its lineup, soon to be replaced with an electric motor.

For now, Kawasaki has no information with regards to these vehicles or what they would appear. Checking on their current lineup, all people would see are the ICEs with its current lineup of the Ninja, Versys, Vulcan, Concours, Z, and the KLX.

Read Also: Airbus Subsidiary APWorks Unveils World's First 3D-Printed Motorcycle: Meet The Electric Light Rider

Electric is the Future, Even for Motorcycles

The motorcycle industry is not exempted from the electrification of the country under the law that would focus on the ban of ICE vehicles all around the country and the world. Now, people are beginning the transition, and while it would take until 2030 or later for some, the transition must be made before the time elapses.

First off, the state or government would no longer register ICE vehicles, meaning that they would have no right to be brought to places or be driven around. Next, it might be so that the highway patrol or other regulatory bodies would impose fines upon those that still use gas-powered vehicles in the streets.

This would also apply to motorcycles found in the streets.

Kawasaki to Unveil on EICMA 2021 Milan?

The EICMA 2021 in Milan, Italy, would be held from November 25 until 28, and it would have a variety of releases and revelations from different vehicle companies. However, it is speculated that it would also be the event and place that Kawasaki would unveil their electric motorcycle.

Take note that there are no confirmations with regards to this speculation and that it may not push through.

Related Article: Harley-Davidson Launching All-Electric Bikes Within Five Years: Will It Manage To Overcome Current Limitations?

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Written by Isaiah Richard

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
(Photo : Image from Unsplash Website) Best Buy PS5 Restock Assures Buyers by Locking in Stock for $200/yr Membership

Best Buy PS5 restock has a new approach to helping buyers get their hands on the new PlayStation 5. This new approach, however, costs $200 for a one-year membership that would lock in consoles for buyers.

Best Buy PS5 Restock

According to the story by arsTechnica, for those still searching for a PlayStation 5 and are also a Best Buy customer, the solution might have just arrived. This is if one would be willing to spend an extra $200 per year for access.

This is because the big-box electronics retailer is now locking in stock of in-demand holiday items just like Sony's very own console behind a membership of its brand new Totaltech program, as per Best Buy. The supposed expensive customer service package was just recently rolled out throughout the nation.

Best Buy Annual Service

The annual service costing $200 does have its benefits, just like round-the-clock tech support as well as up to two years protection on certain Best Buy purchases, which include AppleCare+ insurance which alone can already cost $200. Subscribers will also get membership discount prices as well as exclusive access to certain "season's hardest-to-find products" and even more bonus perks on holidays, according to the company's statement as per BusinessWire.

On October 11, 2021, Best Buy retail site had the coveted $500 disc drive model PS5s available for the company's Totaltech members to buy. The consoles were reportedly gated behind the "exclusive access event" paywall. The PS5 restock is expected to come in the UK at GAME, while AMD is expecting console shortages to happen next year.

Odd Turn of Events for PS5 Stock Online

Instead of instantly sold out, the stock reportedly lasted between 90 minutes up to two hours. This is a relatively surprising sales pace compared to the wide insane demand for the hardware that a lot of consumers have been facing ever since it initially hit the stores in November 2021.

Although the PS5's listing page did point directly towards Totaltech membership exclusively while the hardware remained available, its actual unrelated VIP buying privileges remain unlisted anywhere on the program's official membership benefits as well as FAQ pages. Buyers shouldn't really be too shocked should they see other highly desired products being affected by the chip shortage, including PC GPUs as well as the Xbox Series X restock.

Read Also: Apple Watch Old Chargers Won't be Compatible with Series 7 Fast Charging System | No 1-Hour Full Charge Feature

Best Buy Premium Membership

The service is reportedly replacing the known Best Buy Beta program that was actually tested in certain markets starting April 2021. Beta also seemed to target what was mentioned to be a more generalized range of benefits over just one focused on tech support as well as protection.

It also notably did not offer special members-only events in order to buy limited-stock electronics. The company's very own free My Best Buy membership, which actually sometimes includes certain exclusive discount sales, currently remains unaffected. Sadly, Sony themselves have admitted that the PS5 restock problems are not going away "until next year" but this still remains to be seen.

Related Article: Google Play Store New Interface for Android 12 | Material You Dynamic Color Change

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 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
NVIDIA has teamed up with Microsoft to create one of the world's largest and most powerful language processors.

The machine, which they ominously named "Megatron," actually goes by the more official name the Megatron-Turing Natural Language Generation model or MT-NLG), writes The Register.

According to a blog post on the NVIDIA Developer website, Megatron is designed to "demonstrate unmatched accuracy" in these natural language generation tasks:

Completion prediction (aka auto-completing sentences)

Reading comprehension

Common sense reasoning

Word sense disambiguation

Natural language inferences

NVIDIA and Microsoft's project is one of the largest ever built in terms of total parameters at 530 billion, dwarfed only by Google's Switch Transformer demo, which can boast 1.6 trillion parameters.

This puts the MT-NLG in second place, though the third placer, OpenAI's GPT-3, is not even close at only 175 billion parameters.

BEASTLY Hardware Requirements

To achieve this technical feat in the natural language processing (NLP) field, NVIDIA and Microsoft had to power Megatron with some insane hardware.

To merely train the model, NVIDIA had to use its Selene supercomputer. This machine is composed of 560 DGX A100 servers, each of them containing eight A100 GPUs with 80GB of VRAM.

That's a total of 4,480 GPUs, all connected via NVLink and NVSwitch, communicating between one another. Furthermore, the Selene supercomputer also uses an array of AMD EPYC 7v742 processors.

As a result, Megatron can actually be trained on NLP tasks with barely any fine-tuning. The total project cost for this kind of hardware is a cool $85 million.

Read also: This AI GAN Can Tell Your Preference of Attractive Faces Through Machine Learning [STUDY]

NLP Challenges

Like with every other type of AI tech, however, NLP still faces a lot of challenges.

The biggest one simply involves how many languages in the world there are. There are an estimated 6,500 languages in total, and a few of the most significant ones, such as Arabic, Spanish, Portuguese, and Hindi, are still proving troublesome for NLP, according to the NVIDIA Developer website.

It just goes to show that even with the most powerful hardware available, current AI technology still requires years of work to understand the intricacies of human languages, which is an extremely tall order on its own.

What's The Purpose Of NVIDIA-Microsoft's Megatron?

As said before, the main goal of the MT-NLG is to fulfill natural language processing (NLP) tasks.

For the uninitiated, this simply means that NVIDIA and Microsoft's plan for Megatron is to help machines further understand the human language and all of its intricacies, according to MonkeyLearn.

The technical implications of this project are massive. For one, enabling AI to fully understand every single nuance of the human language (perhaps even slang terms) is going to be helpful in things such as providing accurate translations, as well as spell checks.

This could mean that in the future, maybe services like Google Translate will be able to fully understand and accurately translate anybody on the fly, which could be extremely useful for travelers wanting to overcome language barriers.

Related Article: Artificial Intelligence Vs. Human Intelligence: How Do They Differ?

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Written by RJ Pierce

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Twitch streamer Amouranth has returned to the popular streaming platform after getting banned there and in other social media apps, such as TikTok and Instagram.

Twitch Streamer Amouranth Returns to Streaming Platform.

The popular figure on the live streaming service, Kaitlyn "Amouranth" Siragusa, was simultaneously banned from the said multiple social platforms last Oct. 8

She only made her comeback on Twitch on Oct. 11, as per Kotaku's report. However, both her Insta and TikTok are still unavailable.

Amouranth's Twitch, TikTok, Instagram Ban

Amouranth revealed the banning spree of the three social media platforms on her Twitter account, saying that she is "banned everywhere."

On the other hand, the Twitter account of the popular streamer remains live and is not part of the simultaneous ban from Insta, TikTok, and Twitch.

Siragusa even went to post a YouTube video regarding her recent ban from "everywhere," which means that the video-sharing platform spared her as well.

Up until now, the social media platforms that banned Amouranth have yet to release the reason behind the simultaneous ban.

According to the report of News.com.au, the popular Twitch streamer has been banned numerous times already due to rule-breaking instances, wherein Amouranth is punished for publishing content that is deemed by the platform as "sexually suggestive."

It is to note that Amouranth is one of the figures behind the "ASMR Meta" that emerged in the early months of 2021, as well as the controversial "Hot Tub Meta."

And last June 19, Twitch went on to ban the primary figures of the "ASMR Meta," which includes Amouranth and another streamer that goes by the name Indiefoxx.

Nevertheless, Twitch still decided to create an entire category specifically for the "Hot Tub Meta."

That case was just one of the five bans that the platform has imposed on Siragusa. But this time around is more notable than the previous one as even TikTok and Instagram kicked out the famous streamer from their platforms at the same time.

Siragusa called the move of the three online services as being "deplatformed," calling the experience a "bizarre feeling." Nonetheless, she went on to claim that she is "financially fine."

Read Also: [ESports] The Most Watched Games On Twitch, And Why People Keep Watching Others Play Them

Amouranth Twitch Earnings

In the recent Twitch data breach leak, Siragusa was one of the three female streamers that made it to the top 100 earnings list, sitting at the 48th spot.

Popular "Valorant" streamer that goes by the moniker Pokimane grabbed the top spot for female streames garnering the 39th spot.

The Twitch leak also revealed that Amouranth earns $133,000 monthly, which is mainly from her subscribers and other donations.

However, it is worth noting that most of her income really comes from her OnlyFans account, which has already garnered a cool profit to the tune of $1 million a month.

Meanwhile, on Instagram, the Twitch streamer only earns $10,000-$25,000.

That said, her earnings from Twitch and Insta combined are only a small chunk of her income.

Related Article: Twitch Data Breach Leak Exposes Top 100 Streamers' Earnings-$10 Million as the Highest?

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Written by Teejay Boris

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
A care manager app powered by artificial intelligence (AI) that checks on senior citizens daily is currently on beta testing.

The app, which is being developed by DaylaCare, can be set up in the phone of an elderly user. The platform then calls its elderly users daily for a two-minute check-in.

Questions and answers made during the phone call will then be made accessible to family members or caregivers of the users.

AI Care Manager App

A care manager app being developed by DaylaCare allows family members and caregivers to better monitor elderly patients and loved ones. The app is currently on beta testing.

The AI-powered platform provides "daily check-ins with personalized, AI-powered questions for relatively quick and unobtrusive monitoring," according to a report by Health Tech Insider.

How it works is actually pretty simple. A family member or caregiver can set up the DaylaCare app on the phone of an elderly user. A user profile also has to be set up, which includes indicating health concerns that should be monitored by the app.

The DaylaCare app then calls the elderly user every day. During each two-minute phone call, a "robot caller asks a rotating selection of AI-driven and validated questions based on the person's profile," per the report by Health Tech Insider.

"The person's responses can elicit other questions for further information for future calls," the report adds.

The question and answers made during the phone call will then be sent to the family member or caregiver via text message or email.

Per the DaylaCare website, phone calls can be made via any kind of phone or through smart devices such as Amazon Alexa and Google Home.

Related Article: New Health App Using AI Can Detect Early Warning Signs For Cognitive Impairment

Available Pricing Plans

Though the DaylaCare app is still on beta, it actually has three pricing plans users and their families or caregivers can choose from.

The free version of the DaylaCare app will accommodate just one elderly user that the platform will check-in with daily. The free version will also send notifications to family members and caregivers and allow them to access the user's call history on the app.

The next option is the premium plan, which can monitor multiple people for $30 per patient. Daily call records will be sent to family members and caregivers via text message or email. The premium plan supports international calls.

The third and last pricing plan is the enterprise plan, which is ideal for large organizations.

Using AI to be Better Care for the Elderly

The DaylaCare app is the latest example of how AI is being used to better monitor and care for elderly people.

Another example of how AI is being used to better care for citizens is ElliQ, which is described as an Amazon Echo alternative for the elderly.

A recent Tech Times report also showed another example of AI being used to deal with health concerns of the elderly. An AI MRI screening tool has recently been adopted in a hospital in Singapore that can help patients with dementia.

Also Read: Google's Medical AI App Rolls Out-Could Outperform Professional Dermatologists

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Written by Isabella James

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
(Photo : Pexels/Sora Shimazaki) Ransomware attacks

Cybercriminal groups based in Russia have been blamed by the United Kingdom's cyber security head for the most "devastating" ransomware attacks in the country.

Lindy Cameron, the head of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), said that ransomware attacks pose "the most immediate danger" to businesses in the U.K. NCSC is an arm of the UK's Government Communications Headquarters or GCHQ.

A number of ransomware attacks and other cyberattacks took place this year. Many of these ransomware attacks have targeted businesses in the United States. Examples are the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack and Kaseya ransomware attack.

The Kaseya ransomware attack, in particular, has been blamed on a Russian ransomware gang known as REvil, since it disappeared from the internet.

Russian Cyber Criminals Blamed for Most 'Devastating' Attacks

Russian-based cyber criminal attacks have been blamed by the head of the NCSC for the most "devastating" ransomware attacks carried out against the UK.

According to NCSC head Lindy Cameron, as cited in a report by the BBC, ransomware attacks, in particular, "present 'the most immediate danger' to UK businesses in cyberspace."

The report defines ransom attacks as "cyberattacks which see hackers get inside computer networks and lock the owners out until they pay a ransom." Should victims refuse to pay the demanded ransom, cyberattackers usually threaten to release the information they have stolen to the public.

The NCSC head also said that ransomware attacks will continue to be attractive for cybercriminals as long as businesses and organizations remain vulnerable and willing to pay the demanded ransom.

The BBC report cited cyberattacks against the Hackney Borough Council and Ireland's Health Service Executive as examples of attacks against U.K.'s organizations.

Ransomware Attacks by Russian Cybercrime Groups

2021 saw a rise in cyberattacks, and many of these attacks were made by cybercriminal groups based in Russia.

An example of a cyberattack carried by a Russian-based cybercrime group is the Kaseya ransomware attack, which occurred during the 4th of July weekend in the United States. The attack was carried out by a Russian ransomware group known as REvil, who also launched a similar ransomware attack on meat producer JBS.

Related Article: JBS Ransomware Attack: Major Meat Producer Admits Paying Cyber Attackers $11 Million

A US defense contractor, Sol Oriens, was also attacked by REvil in June. The hackers were able to steal data from the company, which is known for its connection to the nuclear weapons program of the United States.

Much to the surprise of security experts and different governments, REvil vanished without a trace. Kaseya was also able to obtain a universal decryptor tool.

U.S. President Joe Biden had launched a federal probe on the Kaseya ransomware attack and gave a warning to Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding the cyberattacks coming from Russia.

Also Read: Ransomware Attacks: US President Joe Biden to Take 'Any Necessary Action' Against Russian Leader Vladimir Putin Amid Tension

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Written by Isabella James

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Microsoft recently brought its Microsoft Translator that now has wider language support for all users worldwide. Over 100 languages and dialects are now accessible through the service.

Currently, the AI-powered software added 12 extra languages that 5.66 billion people can access around the world.

Microsoft Translator Adds New Languages

According to a report by Devdiscourse, Microsoft now has the answer for the language barrier that happens.

The new support would solve the issue for the global population accounting for 72%, the Redmond giant mentioned.

"The core mission of Translator is to break the language barrier between people and cultures. To achieve this, we have continuously added languages and dialects to this service while ensuring the machine translation quality of the supported languages meets and exceeds the high-quality bar we have set for it," Microsoft stated.

So far, Microsoft's language translating tool is not the first app that supports multiple languages for the users. Back in February 2016, Google Translate achieved the same milestone of over 100 supported languages.

On the other hand, Amazon Translate also offers the same feature but it could only offer 71 languages at the moment.

Somehow, Microsoft said that this tool made use of AI technology advancements. In addition, they would be available as well in Bing Translator, Microsoft Office, and more.

For Xuedong Huang, the AI chief technology officer of Microsoft Azure, the Microsoft Translator bridges everyone through various languages that people could speak.

Microsoft Z-Code For Translator Service

From another article written by VentureBeat, the improvement in the Translator software was made possible through Z-code. The initiative was considered to be a huge part of the XYZ code, which uses AI models to interpret languages.

Furthermore, Z-code is essential since it is responsible for sharing the linguistic elements in the platform. According to the tech firm, the reliance on Z-code opens more opportunities for transfer learning.

Elsewhere, the tech giant is currently focusing on the benchmark-beating model, which includes 200 billion parameters. Meanwhile, there are only 175 billion parameters for OpenAI's GPT-3.

Microsoft adds the following languages and dialects:

Bashkir

Dhivehi

Georgian

Kyrgyz

Macedonian

Mongolian (Cyrillic)

Mongolian (Traditional)

Tatar

Tibetan

Turkmen

Uyghur

Uzbek (Latin)

Read Also: Microsoft Skype Translator Brings Real-Time Translation To All Windows Users

Microsoft Translator's Regional Accents

Last August, Microsoft updated its language-translating software to change users' voices from female to male and the like.

The Regional Accents feature was made possible for iOS and Android users. Through this update, you can now pick your preferred accent from the Translator.

To get started with this feature, the first thing that you need to accomplish is to select your chosen voice language. Next, tap the option "Speech Region" and go to the Region section.

The next thing that you should do is to browse the list until you find your preferred accent.

Speaking of Android, the news about the automatic app translation came out around April. Along with the Recycle Bin, this feature is another development for the user's interface.

Related Article: Microsoft Translator Updated, Gets Artificial Intelligence, Language Packs And Offline Translation

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Written by Joseph Henry

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
You need to take the road less traveled to get a gourmet hot dog at Frankie's Dawg House.

But the trip is well worth it.

That's according to TripAdvisor and Yelp, the latter of which informed owner Peggy Polito that her "dawg house" has received a five-star rating on its site.

While just off busy Perkins Road, you have to keep an eye out to find Frankie's at 2318 Cedardale Ave.

Once there, you can order the eatery's specialties  the Chicago Dawg being the customer favorite  at the front counter.

The Chicago Dawg was added to the menu by Polito's life partner, Mike Poulsen, who runs the restaurant. A native of the Windy City, Poulsen devised an authentic Chicago dog by topping a Nathan's quarter-pound all-beef hot dog with pickle relish, tomato wedges, diced onions, sport peppers, mustard, celery salt and poppy seeds.

Other favorites include the Red Dawg, which tops a boudin link with pulled pork and barbecue sauce, and the Chuck Norris, a hot dog topped with chili, nacho cheese sauce, bacon, grilled onions and jalapenos.

There's also the Bacon Lovers Dawg, a quarter-pound, all-beef Nathan's hot dog with cheddar cheese and bacon, and the standard Chili-Cheese Dawg is always a favorite.

"We also have the Lobster Dawg," Polito said. "We realized that when Lent came, no one would come to Frankie's on Fridays. So, we put it on the menu. It's made with small lobster tails, spinach and grilled onions with a creamy lobster sauce."

Frankie's Dawg House was already offering some of these hot dogs when Polito turned it into a dine-in restaurant in 2015. Before that, different owners ran it as a walk-up hot dog stand.

Polito, with the help of Poulsen, expanded its menu as well as its square footage, a necessity to get a liquor license.

"We're not a full bar," Polito said. "But the point is, we're here with a drink when you want a drink."

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Polito said she wanted Frankie's Dawg House to be a place where customers could feel at home. So, she decorated the walls with a mix of LSU and New Orleans Saints memorabilia, Louisiana-themed decor and a variety of dog-themed artwork.

"I wanted you to come in, be relaxed, be comfortable, you know, that kind of thing," Polito said. "You can hang out, and you can do a little bit with your computer."

Polito said she and her staff are always on the lookout for new menu ideas, including items that aren't hot dogs, such as the Zen Cheese grilled cheese sandwich, the Boudin Melt sandwich and the Spicy BBQ Melt sandwich.

And some are specialty hot dogs, including the Mighty Duck, made with duck sausage; the Gator Sausage and the Paradise Dog, a hot dog topped with mango salsa, diced onions and tomatoes.

"We also have a Mac and Cheese, where we put mac and cheese on top of bacon on the hot dog," Polito said. "When we come up with something new, we have all the workers test it out, then we put names for it in a hat and have a drawing. If we like the name, we keep it."

Frankie's Dawg House sources all of its ingredients locally, stocking up just enough supplies to last a week.

"Everything should be gone by the end of the week," Polito said. "We always want to start fresh at the beginning of the week."

Dogs, as in the four-legged kind, are also welcome at Frankie's, where they can get their own hot dog.

"We give them franks that are cut up or treats," Polito said. "But dogs are definitely welcome, and we even let them pick out their own toys. We've even held dog birthday parties."

Frankie's Dawg House is Polito's first experience in the restaurant business. She previously worked in alternative medicine, establishing businesses in Baltimore, the Carolinas and Dallas, where she met Poulsen.

But Baton Rouge has always been her hometown, and she returned when her daughter graduated from LSU.

"We've had our challenges," Polito said. "But we never closed, not even during COVID. We kept our staff and paid them, and we asked people to place orders, then we brought them out to their cars."

Frankie's is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
Matthew Reese Mire is due in multiple courtrooms Tuesday to hear accusations filed against him after a series of weekend shootings that left a Louisiana state trooper and a Prairieville woman dead.

In an affidavit filed ahead of the hearing, State Police said Mire committed crimes in Livingston, Ascension and East Baton Rouge parishes throughout Saturday. Mire ultimately was detained late Saturday, captured in woods near the end of Hoo Shoo Too Road.

A timeline, based on an affidavit filed in East Baton Rouge Parish and information from the head of the State Police:

Suspect in weekend shootings out of hospital, taken to jail in cuffs of officer he's accused of killing The suspect accused of shooting multiple people and leading police on a day-long manhunt has been released from the hospital  and State Polic

12:08 a.m. Livingston Parish deputies head to the scene of a double-shooting a trailer park at 17800 La. 444 near French Settlement and, after a brief investigation, believe Mire is responsible for two counts of attempted first-degree murder. Moments later, they learn a blue Chevrolet Silverado truck had been stolen from a nearby home and believe Mire took it, along with a loaded .40-caliber semi-automatic handgun inside. They also find nearby a stock with 10 9mm rounds that did not belong to the truck owner.

2:21 a.m. Trooper Adam Gaubert, having pulled off Dutton Road to complete paperwork after a traffic collision, makes his last entry into a police database, then is shot and killed. His body wouldn't discovered for another 15 hours as troopers maintained radio silence while searching for Mire.

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At about the same time: Ascension Parish deputies are dispatched to a home on Dutton Road. Subsequently, detectives find spent ammunition matching that from the gun in the stolen truck, along with two spent 9mm cartridge cases. One person at the scene is dead and another is injured. After learning of the Livingston Parish shooting, police believe Mire is responsible. Surveillance camera footage from near the scene shows the stolen truck near the house on Dutton Road.

(State Police say later they believed Gaubert was killed first: "A vehicle consistent with the stolen Chevrolet Silverado was observed on camera turning onto Dutton Road and driving toward the trooper's location with the headlights turned off. This vehicle was then observed on video backing out of Dutton Road approximately two(2) minutes later with the headlights still off. This time frame is moments before the homicide occurred in Ascension Parish at a nearby residence." Troopers find five spent .40-caliber cartridges.)

+13 It took 15 hours to find Louisiana trooper dead; agency on 'radio silence' during manhunt A Louisiana state trooper was shot to death while typing reports inside his patrol car early Saturday morning in Prairieville, but another 15 

5:13 a.m. A state trooper responding to a traffic collision happens upon the stolen blue truck along La. 42 east of Jefferson Highway, La. 73. The driver of the truck fires four shots at the trooper, who gave chase into East Baton Rouge Parish. The driver fires three more shots at the trooper after pulling over at the intersection of Hoo Shoo Too Road and Jefferson Highway, then drives to the end of Hoo Shoo Too and abandons the truck. Troopers note that three 9mm rounds fired in the second exchange match those found by Livingston Parish deputies who searched Mire's home.

Late Saturday night: Mire is arrested at the end of Hoo Shoo Too Road. Nearby is a .40-caliber Smith & Wesson magazine, but no gun, his having "discarded what appeared to be a firearm into a high grass and swampy area." At a hospital later, where he is being treated for dog bites and a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his right leg, Mire asks about the Gaubert's condition and says, "I didn't mean to, but the guy was watching the house," presumably a reference to where the other Dutton Road homicide occurred.
Louisiana's top school board Tuesday voted to shelve public school letter grades this year but made it contingent on final approval from the federal government, which is expected.

The action means that grades and school performance scores, which are usually released in November, will be set aside amid classroom upheaval and falling test scores blamed on the coronavirus pandemic.

Officials of the state Department of Education had expected to have the federal waiver in hand for Tuesday's meeting.

Feds expected to OK Louisiana's request to cancel public school letter grades Federal officials are expected to approve Louisiana's request to shelve public school letter grades amid declining test scores blamed on the c

But that did not happen even though state Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley said he remains confident the waiver request will win approval.

At least 45 other states have gotten federal clearance to cancel normal school rating procedures, and officials of the U.S. Department of Education even encouraged states to apply because of the pandemic.

+2 Louisiana's top school board seeks federal approval to shelve public school letter grades Louisiana's top school board Monday voted to ask federal officials for a waiver that would pave the way for shelving the issuance of public sc

"We fully expect what we have seen from other states, that the waiver will be approved," Brumley told BESE.

He said federal officials have not indicated when that will occur. "I wish I had more information on that but I do not," Brumley said.

Officials initially discussed delaying action on the issue entirely.

But Holly Boffy, a board member who lives in Lafayette, made a motion for the board to approve the suspension of letter grades for public schools and school districts and make it contingent on federal approval of the waiver request.

Officials of education groups have said for months that it made no sense to issue letter grades for the 2020-21 school year amid all the disruptions.

Educators call for letter grades for schools to be shelved in 2021 after poor test scores A push to scrap letter grades for public schools this year is gaining steam after state officials announced last week student test scores plum

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The 2020-21 school year was marked by a combination of in-person and virtual classes, and followed a sudden halt to in-person classes at the end of the 2019-20 school year during the early stages of the coronavirus outbreak.

Key test scores from the spring fell statewide, which meant letter grades would have taken a nosedive too.

Schools are typically given a school performance score based largely on how students fared on LEAP 2025, which tests their knowledge of math, English, science and social studies.

Those scores are then linked to letter grades in a bid to let parents and others know how schools are performing.

Critics have long called the grades simplistic and misleading.

While letter grades are a state requirement, the state has to win approval to cancel the issuance of school performance scores.

What sparked controversy Tuesday are plans for the state to provide districts with school performance scores that Brumley emphasized would be advisory, without a letter grade and not carrying the weight they typically do.

That provision was included in the motion that won BESE approval.

Boffy and others said the move makes sense, especially for districts that showed improvements despite the pandemic.

However, that part of the plan was denounced by officials of the Louisiana Association of School Superintendents and the Louisiana School Boards Association.

Michael Faulk, executive director of the superintendents' group, said even if the simulated school performance scores are supposed to be advisory they will unofficially be linked to letter grades and could be misused.

Janet Pope, executive director of the LSBA, questioned the value of the scores and said they could disrupt efforts by school districts to recover from the pandemic and multiple hurricanes.

The action Tuesday was technically taken by a committee of BESE. But nine of 11 board members were on hand and final approval is expected when the board meets Wednesday at 9 a.m.
Seven is betting the farm that Australia really has got talent, with its prime-time line-up for 2022 featuring no fewer than four shows in which ostensibly ordinary Aussies take a stab at impressing a panel of celebrity judges.

After a stellar run this year, The Voice will return, both in its regular  that is, revamped and shorter  format and in a second, even shorter version featuring performers from across the age spectrum.

James Warburton, chief executive of Seven West Media, presenting the broadcasters 2022 line-up. Credit:Seven

The Voice: Generations will include young and old performers, including some from the same family. Guy Sebastian, Keith Urban, Jessica Mauboy and Rita Ora will return to the coach-mentor-judge roles.

Also on the line-up are two shows that were first announced at the networks upfront presentation a year ago, Australias Got Talent and Australian Idol. The former had been due to air this year until COVID-19 disrupted production schedules, while the latter was intended to debut in 2022.
But both resource states have now hit 70 per cent of over-16s first-jabbed, and what experience tells us that is about a month later, first jabs become second jabs. WA Premier Mark McGowan will not commit to targets publicly and if there is a concrete plan to reconnect WA with the rest of the nation and the world, he has not shared its specifics. It feels like February-March is the (moving) target. Is there advice that that is the soonest workforce issues in WAs stretched public hospitals will begin to ease? He says our vaccination rate must get up above 80 per cent of the over-12s, and then there will be a period of two months grace that would allow everyone who wanted to get vaccinated to get vaccinated. In Perth, there appears to be literally nothing stopping anyone getting a jab today.

On Tuesday, there were more than 2500 free spots at the state-run vaccination clinics and on Wednesday there will be more than 3500 free spots. And thanks to more Pfizer supplies and the arrival of Moderna at community pharmacies, the over-60s can avoid the (superior) Astra Zeneca should they continue to wish to do so. In regional areas the story is different, though the evidence seems to be that supply is good in major regional centres. On current rates, WA is likely to hit 80 per cent of over-16s double-jabbed in the middle of December. It feels like February-March is the (moving) target. Is there advice that that is the soonest workforce issues in WAs stretched public hospitals will begin to ease?

Demand would get a boost overnight from a serious outbreak, human nature being what it is, but it would be nice to think we could get there on this side of a potentially punishing lockdown. McGowan is cautious by nature, and he has clad himself in the political armour of COVID-zero. Freedom Day saw Sydney come back to life. Credit:Louie Douvis Thus, in his critique, NSW was unforgivably too slow to lock down, but also to be mocked on its Freedom Day for enjoying considerably fewer freedoms than residents of the west. More recently he has talked about a globally rare window for a soft landing  a difficult dismount which, if it sticks, would be a remarkable achievement.

It would see the virus begin to circulate in the community but without overwhelming rates of hospitalisation or death as the vaccines do their protective work. It also requires a certain de-stressing of both the public, and the public health bureaucracy. We will need to be de-programmed to regard every COVID-positive truckie from the east as a threat to public safety, while holding the institutional nerve when it comes to restrictive lockdowns. Any soft landing requires a very high level of vaccination before the Delta variant arrives, and before citizens start to look askance at life  including international travel  finding a new and enticing level of normal in other parts of the country. Vaccine mandates have been introduced to the all-important mining industry, and the one-third of school leavers who intend to celebrate at the official party in Dunsborough must be first-jabbed if they want to attend. The levers are being pushed and pulled to get the vaccination rate up.

Vaccine Commander Chris Dawson, expected to return to his policing duties in the New Year, is on an outreach charm offensive to culturally and linguistically diverse communities and the bush. Loading The working principle is to get first jabs into arms, knowing that second jabs will inevitably follow. He will visit with Kalgoorlie Aboriginal leaders on Wednesday, and later this week visit a mosque in Perths undervaccinated south-eastern corridor. The pattern of vaccinations follows the usual socioeconomic geography.

The state rollout was designed by WA Health, so of course the first mass vaccination clinic was set up at the Claremont showgrounds in the affluent western suburbs, whose population is pretty well fully jabbed, while poorer parts of the city and more remote parts of the state lag. Anti-vax sentiment is real, fuelled by online information sources outside the mainstream, though smaller than first thought. There is a real issue that must be addressed in some remote Aboriginal communities, however, due in part to scepticism of whitefella institutions here to help but also due to conservative Christian influences that object to these vaccines on misconceived but no less real theological grounds. More influential is the boring old inertia of human nature and our indifference to the unseen threat over the horizon. Is your preventative dental care fully up to date, or was your last visit to the chair after a toothache or bleeding gum?
A man accused of taking part in a shooting and stabbing murder in Sydneys inner west told a friend in the aftermath that there had been a fight with the victim and some hectic shit went down, a court has heard.

Diego Carbone, 30, is facing a judge-alone trial in the NSW Supreme Court over the death of Bradley Dillon, 25, who was shot three times in the back and stabbed four or five times during an altercation at Leichhardt on August 11, 2014.

Diego Carbone pictured in 2018. Credit:AAP/Dan Himbrechts

Mr Dillon had been trying to collect a $2000 debt owed to his younger sister Cassie by her ex-boyfriend Adriano Riccio, and had made a large number of calls on August 6 to the ex-boyfriends associates.

That afternoon, Cassie was sent a message on her phone which read, Wait to see what happens now to people you care about.
The accused shooter who allegedly gunned down a Brisbane woman in a late-night home invasion remained behind bars as his case was heard in court on Tuesday.

Police said the attack, after 11pm on Sunday at a Handford Road house in Zillmere, was not random and that the people knew each other.

The scene in Zillmere after the alleged shooting. Credit:Nine News Queensland

The victim, a 23-year-old Zillmere woman, was rushed to the Royal Brisbane and Womens Hospital with arm and abdominal injuries.

She had surgery to remove shrapnel from her abdomen on Monday.
A man testing positive for COVID-19 while vaccinated in Brisbane was good news, experts said, because he was much less likely to spread the coronavirus.

The man, the only case recorded for Queensland on Monday, had been fully vaccinated and had completed 14 days in hotel quarantine after returning from China.

Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said the man, in his 40s, was tested three times while in hotel quarantine, before leaving on July 12 and then starting to feel sick the next day.

Dr Young said his first test returned a small amount of virus, while a follow-up test had more.
From inside the CFMEU offices on Elizabeth Street, I watched as a crowd of hundreds of hi-vis clad men spewed vitriol at union leaders. Among the obvious opportunistic anti-vax ring-ins and the well-known far-right provocateurs, I saw people who genuinely were construction workers, even some union members.

It was deeply disturbing to watch this crowd rampage through Melbourne for a week terrorising people  openly using neo-Nazi symbols and gestures, desecrating symbols of our democracy  and know that there were people among them I would have once called comrades.

Protests at the Melbourne CFMEU headquarters last month. Credit:Justin McManus

The organised far right in Australia is tapping into fear in our communities. They are weaponising the cautious, precise language of scientific experts to sow uncertainty and doubt in public health messages, and co-opting democratic values (like free speech) to spread conspiracy theories and promote a darkly fascistic agenda among everyday Australians.

There are monsters among these groups. But the crowds are not monsters.
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size AWest Australian teacher is fighting to save her career and sue the Department of Education after what she describes as malicious lies stemming from attempts by her ex-husband to destroy her life had the desired effect. Within two years of their breakup, Cherie Meyer has watched her exemplary 25-year teaching reputation be dragged through the mud with unfounded and unsubstantiated investigations by child protective services, the education department and police, all the while living in terror of being stalked, attacked and threatened in her home. Ms Meyer, whose name has been changed for legal reasons, has been stood down by the Department of Education and had her teaching and working with children licences revoked over allegations ranging from having students stay at her house without permission to smoking drugs with students. Ms Meyer said the allegations made her feel sick to her stomach and she offered proof they never occurred, including alibis and witnesses for her whereabouts at the time, as well as text messages from the students allegedly involved saying Ms Meyer was innocent. These have been seen by WAtoday. Why are people believing these things? Its unbelievably distressing. Ms Meyer She blames a vendetta waged by her ex-husband, who told her following their break-up he would put an end to her much-loved career and bury her if she pursued a violence restraining order through the courts. I will make sure you never work in education again, she says he told her.

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Ms Meyer saw signs over the years that her ex had a temper and was aware that his first divorce took a vindictive path when his first wife got a violence restraining order. Ms Meyers ex-husband has admitted to lying to others about her mental health. But she wasnt aware her son was being frequently beaten by his step-father, including having tools thrown at his chest or a belt to his ribs, until she went to hug him one evening after school in May 2019. Cherie Meyer took pictures of her sons bruising on her phone. Ms Meyer said after she discovered her ex-husband had been physically abusing her son, she made repeated efforts to have her ex removed as a registered trusted guardian at her sons school  but they went ignored. Raising an official departmental complaint against her sons school principal, unbeknown to her, sparked a series of defamatory emails to officers in education that have left her floored. The character assassinations against her, which cannot be repeated for legal reasons, were only obtained by Ms Meyer using Freedom of Information laws a year later.

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Ms Meyers lawyers, HHG Legal, have taken steps to notify the department of more than 20 defamation allegations against its employees, who attacked her parenting, professionalism and character. The Department of Educations Executive Director of Professional Standards and Conduct, Craig Ward, said he could not comment on the matter while it was before the Industrial Relations Commission. In late November 2019, Ms Meyers son went missing from his schools pickup spot one afternoon, which caused her immeasurable distress. It turned out he had been held crying in the principals office and subjected to an interview with a Department for Child Protection officer over allegations Ms Meyer had hit him. The department confirmed to Ms Meyer two weeks later that they were closing the case as [her son] is not exposed to harm, but it was continued to be investigated by the Department of Educations internal assessment unit. Ms Meyer was stood down on no pay from her regional teaching post in April 2020 to undergo psychological assessments, with no reason provided. When she was cleared by two doctors of mental health issues and returned a negative drug test as part of this process, she was forced to complete six weeks of counselling with no pay.

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Then she received a letter stating she had been found to have committed serious misconduct. The vocational psychiatrist specialist I was referred to said, In my 44 years of doing this job, I have never seen such vicious and personal attacks on anyone, Ms Meyer said. He said these complaints are no reason for you to be placed on a fitness work check. Text messages between Cherie Meyers son and one of the students at the centre of Education Department allegations against her. Five months later, she was notified of 14 allegations of misconduct. Her 84-page submission to the department denying the allegations included proof that her personal computer, private email and social media messaging had been hacked. Yet her teaching licence and licence to work with children were still revoked.

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Ms Meyer has been forced to sell her house and her car to help pay legal fees, leaving her destitute and fearful of the future. Im fighting something I dont know what Im up against, she told WAtoday. Why are people believing these things? Its unbelievably distressing. Her last employer wrote in March 2020, only days before Ms Meyer was stood down: You are doing an amazing job teaching English. And if [my daughter] is coming home and telling me how great it is, then other students must be doing the same with their parents. Id still like to be able to ask some other teachers to observe you teaching ... to see the structures you have in place, the classroom management and your very scaffolded lessons. Even though she got an interim family violence restraining order against her ex-husband on June 23, 2019, it did not help her. She said Mandurah police denied it existed in their database over the 18 months that followed and did practically nothing to investigate her allegations against her ex, including the original assaults to her son.

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On the latest episode of the Real Footy podcast, Peter Ryan and Daniel Cherny discuss the deals that are still up in the air with one day left of trade period.

The big-ticket item still to go through is a potential trade for Jordan Dawson. Adelaide have put a future first-round pick, tied to Melbourne, on the table for the Swans. Will that, plus some potential pick swaps, be enough to get the deal across the line? And how reasonable has each party been during talks?

Geelongs Jordan Clark has still not been traded to Fremantle and it seems neither side is willing to budge in those negotiations. With a year left on Clarks contract, what might Fremantle have to do to get the Cats over the line?

The Cats have another player involved in trade discussions, with Darcy Fort in Brisbanes sights. The Cats have baulked at the Lions offer. Will the Lions land Fort, or will they get a back-up ruckman from another club? And how does that deal impact the trade future of Collingwoods Max Lynch, who wants to get to Hawthorn?
Ambitious renewable energy investment drives from state governments mean Australia can boost its 2030 emissions reduction target ahead of the United Nations climate summit in Glasgow next month without the federal government making any new commitments.

Analysts said state investments and policies to develop renewable energy zones and tap private investment into wind and solar farms would be enough to beef up Australias current emissions target by almost 10 percentage points.

Swapping coal-fired power with clean solar and wind would remove enough carbon pollution over the next decade to cut Australias emissions 35 per cent by 2030. Australia has committed to cutting emissions by at least 26 per cent by 2030, based on 2005 levels, but is under international pressure to lift that target.

State governments have set ambitious emissions reduction goals based on policies that encourage private investment in renewable energy, like at this solar farm in Gunnedah, NSW, to replace coal fired power. Credit:Bloomberg

The federal Energy Departments official projections assume rooftop and large-scale renewable energy farms are expected to grow from 27 per cent of the National Energy Market to 55 per cent by 2030.
A lot of sites will be asking: how do you open with no inside trade? We welcome that the timelines are flexible but without a focus on density limits it hardly seems worthwhile, he said. Opposition Leader Matthew Guy called for the Victorian government to replicate NSWs settings at 70 per cent double-dose coverage, under which hospitality venues can host one person per four square metres indoors and per two square metres outdoors. Outdoor dining and drinking could return in time for the weekend starting October 23. Credit:Joe Armao NSWs new Premier Dominic Perrottet also lifted home gatherings to 10, a number only allowed in Victoria at the 80 per cent double-dose threshold. Mr Guy said synchronising the restrictions then puts nearly 15 million Australians under the same level of requirements, giving consistency, giving certainty to business, certainty to parents, to students.

I think the government is being too conservative in not giving enough back to Victorians, the Liberals leader said. In order to reopen, Victorias road map outlines that both workers and patrons at hospitality venues must be fully vaccinated. However, the states authorised worker mandate, which includes pubs and restaurants, requires one dose by October 15 and two by November 26. Mr Canny said his understanding was that the latter applied to hospitality workers, meaning they would only require one dose if venues reopen next weekend. However, Professor Sutton said his expectation was workers would need to be fully vaccinated and that would be outlined in public health directions when the new rules come into effect.

Tuesdays 1466 cases marked a decrease in the seven-day case average for the first time since Victorias third wave began in early August. With 527 cases in Melbournes north and 363 in the south-east, Professor Sutton said he was cautiously optimistic new infections were plateauing but warned a spike in hospitalisations would occur two to three weeks after the peak in cases. The Burnet Institute modelling that informed the governments road map predicted a seven-day average of between 1400 and 2900 cases in the last fortnight of October, followed by a peak in hospitalisations of between 1200 and 2500. There were 675 Victorians in hospital with COVID-19 on Tuesday. The case numbers have been actual at or around the modelling, maybe on the high side, Professor Sutton said. The hospitalisation is a little bit under modelling predictions. And maybe thats because it [underestimated] really how protective that single dose, that first dose coverage was, which Victoria really pushed.

Epidemiologists agreed there were now promising signs Victorias third wave has peaked, but cautioned it may be too early to be uncorking the champagne. Adrian Esterman, a professor of biostatistics at the University of South Australia, said there was a risk it was a false peak and he would like numbers to continue to decline for the rest of the week before he could say that the worst of the current outbreak was probably over. Professor Esterman said the effective reproduction number had dropped to 1.1, which means that 10 people with the virus only pass it on to another 11 people, on average. Its the lowest this number has fallen since August 29, according to Professor Esterman. World Health Organisation expert adviser Mary-Louise McLaws said as long as the state avoids further mass breaches of compliance similar to what occurred on the AFL grand final weekend, Saturdays record of 1965 coronavirus cases could be as bad as it gets, at least ahead of the reopening.
If Labor is a party of great haters, as the saying goes, then the Victorian branch leads the way.

Thats one explanation given by bemused Labor MPs unable to understand why the relatively reserved Victorian MP Anthony Byrne has blown the whistle on the inner workings of his own party and faction - an act that has resulted in four state ministerial resignations, with possibly more to come, and has exposed his own decades of wrongdoing.

Anthony appears to have chosen hate over self-preservation, one Labor critic said.

Anthony Byrne giving evidence at IBAC.

That might be the political view of some, but it is not shared by anti-corruption investigators or many Victorian citizens who, through Mr Byrnes actions, have been given a rare insight into the inner workings of the Victorian Labor Party. More importantly, an insight into the weaknesses of our democracy, when public funding can be used for political party activities and representatives of the people are chosen through rorted preselections.
Chinese government-controlled media has threatened Australia with further trade strikes after former prime minister Tony Abbott accused Beijing of bullying Taiwan and claimed China could lash out disastrously if it was not stopped.

China Daily, which is managed by Chinas State Council Information Office and is seen as a forward indicator of Chinese government international positioning, said in an editorial that Abbotts visit to Taiwan last week was a provocation that had smeared the mainland and risked dragging Australia deeper into the mess of its own making.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, and then prime minister Tony Abbott at Parliament House in Canberra in 2014. Credit:Andrew Meares

Australia, a country that relies heavily on trade with China, has persistently prodded the most sensitive nerve of its biggest trading partner, the state media outlet wrote.

With politicians in Canberra continuing to act and sound increasingly hostile toward China, the worst is probably yet to come.
On June 3, 2017, FBI agents approached Air Force veteran and NSA contractor Reality Winner in the driveway of her Augusta, Georgia, home. They had reason to believe Winner had leaked a classified document to The Intercept concerning Russian interference in the 2016 election, and they had a search warrant. Director Tina Satter uses the real (and heavily redacted) transcript of that encounter as the script for her play Is This A Room, which is currently causing pulses to race and hair to stand at attention inside Broadway's Lyceum Theatre.

The show last played New York in 2019 during the most thrilling season at the Vineyard Theatre I can recall (Dana H., another highlight of that season, rotates performances with Is This A Room). The production arrives on Broadway largely unchanged, the biggest difference being the casting of Will Cobbs at Agent Taylor. He's one of two interrogating agents, with Pete Simpson playing Agent Garrick. Both ask Winner (Emily Davis) about weapons in the house before allowing the unnamed third member of their team (Becca Blackwell) to search the premises.

Realizing that she's about to be in a whole lot of trouble, Winner becomes most concerned about the welfare of her two pets, should she be taken away: "I feel like you're  if I ask you, like, what's going to happen to me, you're going to say that you don't know at this point, so that's kind of my only concern," she tells the agents right as the dam holding back her emotions breaks, "And my ability to keep these two animals alive." It's a moment that few pet owners in the audience will be able to resist.

Will Cobbs and Pete Simpson play FBI agents, and Emily Davis plays Reality Winner in Is This A Room, directed by Tina Satter, at Broadway's Lyceum Theatre.

( Chad Batka)

As Winner, Davis delivers the most anxiety-inducing performance on any Broadway stage. She conjures the childlike dread of being caught red-handed and projects that into the hearts of every audience member so that we immediately understand.

Cobbs and Simpson assist with their own nervous energy, approaching Winner in an aggressively cordial manner that doesn't preclude the possibility that she could be the leader of an undiscovered terrorist cell. Cobbs repeats that their chat is completely "voluntary," while exhibiting body language that makes it clear she really doesn't have a choice. We question whether Simpson's dorky "good cop" routine is all an act within an act, as he seems to drop it instantly when he thinks Winner has revealed something damning, like when she admits folding a classified document in half (this helped to identify Winner as the leaker after The Intercept reached out to the NSA to verify the authenticity of the document). Meanwhile, Blackwell moves about the stage snapping photos and speaking code into a noisy phone. The whole exercise feels extremely violating.

Satter emphasizes Winner's exposure through staging and design: Parker Lutz's open set design suggests a landscape in which Winner has nowhere to hide, while Enver Chakartash's historically faithful costume design reveals Winner to be completely outclassed next to the FBI agents wearing body armor. Thomas Dunn's lighting design flashes magenta whenever the actors reach a redacted part of the script, and an ominous sound cue takes the place of speech (unsettling sound design by Lee Kinney and Sanae Yamada). A small black cat peeks out from around the proscenium arch, eyes wide at the sight of intruders (uncanny puppet design by Amanda Villalobos).

Becca Blackwell, Will Cobbs, Pete Simpson, and Emily Davis star in Is This A Room, directed by Tina Satter, at Broadway's Lyceum Theatre.

( Chad Batka)

While Satter remains true to the words of the transcript, she and Yamada (who also composed original music) are able to manipulate our perception of events through strategic underscoring and pacing: At one point, the agents go into slow-motion as Winner does an impression of her fat and sassy cat (the play is full of little moments of comic relief). At other times, Winner sounds like a podcast that has been set to 1.5X. All of these elements work together to make an unnerving 65 minutes that is nevertheless not as upsetting as I remember it being two years ago.

What has changed since the off-Broadway run? Most superficially, Is This A Room is in a larger space, in which we do not feel as confined as we did at the Vineyard. While Lutz has retained a line of chairs upstage, the production does not seat a single row of lonely audience members there, as it did off-Broadway. All of this contributes to a staging that feels less menacing than it once did.

There have also been developments in the real world: Sentenced to five years, three months in prison for her role in the leak, Winner was released on good behavior to a halfway house earlier this year. The outrage liberals once felt about the election of Donald Trump has subsided following the election of Joe Biden. And one of the major sources of that outrage  the notion that Russia helped steal the 2016 election for Trump  has also faded for lack of evidence (the report Winner leaked was about spear-phishing e-mails sent by Russian intelligence in an attempt to access voter registration rolls, although there is no indication that these rolls were in any way compromised). In just a few years, a viable explanation for the most shocking presidential election of my life has started to look a lot more like the cranky delusion of sore losers  much like the unfounded idea that voting software companies stole the 2020 election for Joe Biden.

Pete Simpson, Emily Davis and Will Cobbs appear in Is This a Room on Broadway.

( Chad Batka)

These historical factors are beyond the production's direct control, but they make a difference in how I experienced Is This A Room, as I imagine they will for other viewers. A topical subject has the potential to harness all of the emotions the audience is already feeling about that subject, but that special power wanes with distance and hindsight.

Still, the questions I raised in my 2019 review remain: What right does our government have to keep so many secrets from us when we are paying for their collection? Is that program of widespread classification benefiting the national security of the United States of America, or is it diverting resources to the prosecution of concerned citizens like Winner, while the real spies of hostile foreign powers gain the upper hand? Like 2019's What the Constitutional Means to Me, Is This A Room asks these important questions about our republic on a Broadway stage. That's a happy development for anyone who believes in the ability of the theater to do more than just entertain.
2021 Toyota Tacoma Limited 4x4 Double Cab - Review by Bruce Hotchkiss +VIDEO

Almost Perfect

By Bruce Hotchkiss*

Special Correspondent

West Coast Bureau

The Auto Channel

The 2021 Toyota Tacoma would almost be the perfect pickup for me. Only four things keep the test Tacoma from being ideal for me and Ill get to them at the end of this article. None of them are fatal.

I will say that I seem to be in the minority in my opinion of the Tacoma. 2020 Tacoma sales were about 240,000 units (down slightly from the previous year like most makes/models). The next closest competitor was 100,000 + down from that number. So although the Tacoma is way off the F150s numbers, in the mid-size market it rules.

Ive been a Toyota fan since the early 70s; Ive owned eight. But nothing new in years. So whenever Im offered a Toyota product to review I never, ever say no.

Which brings me to the 2021 Tacoma Limited 4X4 Double Cab Nightshade Edition. Thats a long name right? Nightshade is a trim package that includes 18 Dark Smoke Wheels, Black Wheel Locks & Lug Nuts, and a bunch of black trim pieces. I prefer the blacked out trim to the chrome that is standard.

The Double Cab is a true four-door with seating for five, two up front and three in the rear. There are two bed lengths available  73.7 or 60.5. Id opt for the shorter because it makes the truck itself shorter, down from 225.5 to an easier to maneuver 212.3. If you use the Tacoma as a work truck youll probably go for the longer bed.







The test Tacoma was a 4X4, something that many people seem to prefer even where the weather is not severe. I have no idea why. Most 4WD vehicles are never taken off-road. But unlike 4X4s of old there is little extra maintenance, or complicated engagement, required for many 4WD vehicles. Remember when you had to get out and manually engage the front hubs, then with the wheels straight shift into 4WD? And as routine maintenance you had to take the front hubs apart to lube them. No more. On the Tacoma theres a dial on the dash to select 4WD. Easy peasy.

There are two engines offered; a 2.7-liter four, and a 3.5-liter V6. The test Tacoma had the V6 and other than the difference in initial cost I see little downside to the V6. It makes 278 hp (119 more than the four), 265 lb-ft of torque (85 more), and the same or ever so slightly less mpg. The V6 4X4 with the 6-speed automatic transmission is rated at 18/22/20 (city/highway/combined) versus the four-cylinder 4X4 at 19/22/20. There is a 6-speed manual transmission available but only with the V6 in the TRD Off-Road and TRD Pro.

The double cab 4X4 can tow up to 6,400 pounds, and it has a payload capacity of just under 1,200 pounds.

The Limited package moves the Tacoma upscale. Theres leather trimmed seats (power driver seat), premium audio with JBL speakers, 8 touchscreen, plus, plus. Thankfully Toyota doesnt overdo it; this is a truck after all. The interior is all black (or dark charcoal gray), and it looks easy to maintain. The floor mats are thick rubber and made to hose off (out of the truck of course).

One little feature that I never noticed on other vehicles was the cup holders in the rear door panels. Many vehicles have cup holders in rear door panels but these allow you to put tall bottles  wine bottles  in them. Now this is of great importance to me as I've had two wine bottles clink together on a rear seat with one of them breaking. Oh the joy of having a car smell like Merlot!

Im not sure why all 4WD trucks and SUVs need to be so high. Every Tacoma has 9.4 of ground clearance (even on 2WD!). Ive driven many 4X4 makes and models from the 60s to now. They really dont need to be so tall. A Jeep CJ5 had 6.89 of ground clearance. I drove one as a service vehicle during Connecticut winters in the late 60s; I never got stuck. You young folk may enjoy climbing up into a seat but not me. As I told someone recently I got aches were I didnt even know I had body parts.

I enjoyed driving the Tacoma 4X4. Its responsive with good sight lines all around. The engine sounds great when you floor it. The seats were comfy with one exception. Even with the lumbar support fully deflated I found it too stiff.

So why isnt the Tacoma Limited 4X4 my ideal pickup? First I have no need nor desire for a 4X4. It also sits too high. The manual transmission seems to be only for dedicated off-roaders. Im also not a fan of the styling, particularly the nose. But as I said many, many do not agree with me.

In the Tacoma's favor it is a Toyota. With proper maintenance it will last forever. And that is a huge plus.

When it comes to price I always have to reboot my brain as it seems to be stuck in the past. A Tacoma Limited 4X4 Double Cab lists at $41,980. The Nightshade Edition adds $1,000, and other options and delivery charge bumps the final price up to $45,847.

You can get a base Tacoma (2WD and 4-cylinder) for $26,250 if you just want a basic pickup. Hundreds of thousands have put down their hard-earned money for a Tacoma. You cant argue with that.

*Author's Note: I have been writing car reviews since 1984. I am a Certified Automotive Technician although I no longer ply that trade. I worked for twenty years for the California Department of Consumer Affairs & Bureau of Automotive Repair. I sat on three legislative advisory committees. I wrote an automotive column for the Tracy Press, and before that the Pacifica Tribune. I was a member of the Automotive Journalists Association of Canada and am a member of the Western Automotive Journalists.
Museum displays 1934 Ford stolen by John Dillinger from Sheriff Lillian Holley; car owner to host Meet and Greet







Special exhibit to include an array of other artifacts relating to Dillinger's infamous crime spree





(AUBURN, IN) - The Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum is honored to host the 1934 Ford V-8 in its first-ever public display. This very same Ford was owned by Crown Point, Indiana sheriff Lillian Holley and stolen by John Dillinger upon his escape from the county prison. Sheriff Holley's Ford will be on display along with a collection of other John Dillinger related artifacts including, a pair of Sheriff Holley's handcuffs, a revolver owned by Holley, a Thompson submachine gun that was stolen by Dillinger and his gang from the Auburn, IN police department in 1934, as well as a variety of other small artifacts. John Dillinger enthusiast and expert, Mark Love, will be at the museum on Wednesday, October 27, 2021 beginning at 5:00 PM EST for a Q & A session and to introduce the collection on display. The event will take place inside the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum and is free to the public. All are welcome to attend this family-friendly event.

On March 3rd, 1934, Dillinger broke of the Crown Point jail and stole a brand new 1934 Ford V-8 for his escape, taking fellow prisoner Herbert Youngblood, mechanic Edwin Saager, and Deputy Sheriff Ernest Blunk as prisoner. The stolen Ford belonged to Indiana sheriff Lillian Holley, who was stationed at the Crown Point jail. Dillinger had Blunk drive the Ford, where 23 miles west of Crown Point, the Ford skidded off the road and into a ditch. Blunk and Saager were dropped off south of Peotone, Illinois. Dillinger and Youngblood proceeded to Chicago where he was met by Detective Lerimer Hyde, who gave chase. Dillinger stayed in Chicago for two days, evading police while still using Holley's Ford. Two days later, the car was found abandoned at 1057 Ardmore Ave. It is theorized that Dillinger and his gang was able to use the car in Chicago for two days was because early reports of the stolen car stated the incorrect license plate number.

The 1934 Ford and related artifacts will remain on display to the public until September 2022 courtesy of Mark Love of Litchfield, Arizona. Please visit automobilemuseum.org or the museum Facebook page at facebook.com/ACDAM1974 for details and more information.

About Auburn Cord Duesenberg Museum

The Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum - where the world's finest cars of yesterday live today! Over 120 classic, antique, vintage, and special interest cars are displayed with other automotive related exhibits on three floors. The museum is in the original 1930s national headquarters of the legendary Auburn Automobile Company and is a National Historic Landmark. The Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum is one of just 26 museums in Indiana accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, signifying a continued commitment to excellence, accountability, and continued institutional improvement. The museum is open from 9:00am - 5:00pm daily. The museum is closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day. Visit the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum, a place where automotive history comes to life! 1600 S. Wayne St. Auburn, IN, 46706 | (260) 925-1444 http://www.automobilemuseum.org












Texas A&M University became one of the recipients for the 2021 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) award for the third year in a row.
University of Texas at Austin student, Kush Singh developed "Hitch" in 2019 as a way for students to travel across Texas and make money doing so.
A sale sign stands outside a home on the market Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2021, in southeast Denver. The National Association of Realtors releases existing home sales for August on Wednesday, Sept. 22.
Up for debate:

Live legislation tracker

Check out the latest developments on bills pending before state lawmakers in four key topics.
This Monday, Sept. 27, 2021, photo, shows a 1,551-acre field which will become the site of of a joint venture with Ford Motor Co. and SK Innovation to create the $5.8 billion BlueOvalSK Battery Park in Glendale, Ky. The dedicated battery manufacturing complex is intended to supply Ford's North American assembly plants with locally assembled batteries.
A full moon sets Aug. 7, 2017, behind Hunt Mountain on a privately owned tract of land surrounded by land that now comprises the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument near Patten, Maine.
Staff Reporter

Nyamekye Daniel has been a journalist for five years. She was the managing editor for the South Florida Media Network and a staff writer for The Miami Times. Daniel's work has also appeared in the Sun-Sentinel, Miami Herald and The New York Times.
Associate Editor

Brent Addleman is an Associate Editor and a veteran journalist with more than 25 years of experience. He has served as editor of newspapers in Pennsylvania and Texas, and has also worked at newspapers in Delaware, Maryland, New York, and Kentucky.
A classroom is seen vacant through a window at Saint Raphael Academy in Pawtucket, R.I., Friday, March 6, 2020.
In this Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2019 file photo, a fire medic holds a box containing naloxone hydrochloride which is carried in all their department's emergency response vehicles, in Akron, Ohio. Doctors who prescribe opioid painkillers should tell their patients about a potentially life-saving medication that can reverse drug overdoses, according to new federal guidelines issued Thursday, July 23, 2020.
Batavia, NY (14020)

Today

Snow showers this evening. Breaks in the overcast later. Low 31F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 40%..

Tonight

Snow showers this evening. Breaks in the overcast later. Low 31F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 40%.
Towanda, PA (18848)

Today

Some clouds. A few flurries or snow showers possible. Low 33F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Some clouds. A few flurries or snow showers possible. Low 33F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph.
Betsy McCaughey is a former lieutenant governor

of New York and author of The Next Pandemic, available at Amazon.com. Follow her on Twitter

@Betsy_McCaughey. To find out more about Betsy McCaughey and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
Former congressman and retired Lt. Col. Allen West speaks during Faith and Freedom Coalition's Road to Majority event in Washington on June 19, 2014. (Molly Riley/AP Photo)

Allen West Released From Hospital After COVID-19 Treatment

Texas Republican gubernatorial candidate Allen West announced he was released from the hospital on Monday following a battle with pneumonia related to an infection from COVID-19.

West was admitted to Medical City Plano outside of Dallas, Texas, on Saturday. The Texas conservative reported he was not vaccinated.

In a Monday Twitter post, West shared a video announcing he had returned home.

I want to thank you all for all of your thoughts, your prayers, your well wishes for Angela and myself. Were doing very well, he said in the video.

Im looking forward to getting back out there, West added, referring to his campaign for governor of Texas.

His wife, Angela, was also diagnosed with COVID-19 following a shot for the flu and a COVID-19 vaccine, according to Allen Wests Twitter account.

Wests personal experience with COVID-19 did not change his views regarding vaccine mandates, a policy he has expressed he opposes.

I can attest that, after this experience, I am even more dedicated to fighting against vaccine mandates. Instead of enriching the pockets of Big Pharma and corrupt bureaucrats and politicians, we should be advocating the monoclonal antibody infusion therapy, he said Sunday on Twitter.

In another post on Sunday, West added, As Governor of Texas, I will vehemently crush anyone forcing vaccine mandates in the Lone Star State. There are far better protocols that individual citizens can utilize and decide for themselves.

West declared his run as the next governor of Texas in July. He focused his launch with an attack on Gov. Greg Abbotts response to illegal immigration at the states southern border and his handling of the pandemic.

West previously served as chair of the Texas Republican Party, a role he resigned from in order to run for governor.

Wests comment on vaccine mandates appeared just one day before Abbott issued an executive order prohibiting any entity in the state from requiring a vaccine mandate.

The COVID-19 vaccine is safe, effective, and our best defense against the virus, but should remain voluntary and never forced, Abbott said in a press release announcing the executive order.

The order (pdf) called President Joe Bidens recent vaccine mandates another instance of federal overreach, and accused the Biden administration of bullying many private entities into imposing COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

Abbott also said he plans to call a special session of state lawmakers to vote on a bill similar to his executive order and that he would rescind the order at that time.
A picture shows the Amazon logo at the entrance of the Amazon logistics center in Amiens, northern France, on July 23, 2019. (Denis Charlet/AFP via Getty Images)

Amazon Allowing Managers to Decide When Corporate Employees Return to Office

Amazon is allowing company managers to decide when corporate employees return to the office after they began working remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The company issued updated guidance in a memo to employees on Oct. 11 stating that it was leaving the decision as to when employees return to the office in the hands of the directors of individual teams.

For our corporate roles, instead of specifying that people work a baseline of three days a week in the office, were going to leave this decision up to individual teams. This decision will be made team by team at the Director level, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said in the message to employees.

We expect that there will be teams that continue working mostly remotely, others that will work some combination of remotely and in the office, and still others that will decide customers are best served having the team work mostly in the office.

Were intentionally not prescribing how many days or which daysthis is for Directors to determine with their senior leaders and teams. The decisions should be guided by what will be most effective for our customers; and not surprisingly, we will all continue to be evaluated by how we deliver for customers, regardless of where the work is performed, the message continued.

The technology company noted that it would like most of its staff to be close to their core team, enabling them to travel easily to the office for a meeting within a days notice.

As part of the policy change, Amazon will also give corporate employees who can work effectively away from the office the option to work up to four weeks per year fully remotely from any location within the country theyre employed, noting that it wants to support flexibility.

Jassy told employees that it will likely take team leaders a few weeks to communicate their plans regarding the updated guidelines with staff going forward, but that he hopes things will be finalized by Jan. 3, which is the date the company set previously for employees to start returning to the office at least three days a week.

Amazon is the latest tech giant to allow employees to continue working remotely. In September, Microsoft told employees that it was delaying indefinitely their return to U.S. offices until it is safer to do so.

Apple, Google, Facebook, and a growing list of others have also extended their work-from-home policies, while Twitter told its workers last year that they can continue to work from home forever if they wish to do so.

If not, our offices will be their warm and welcoming selves, with some additional precautions, when we feel its safe to return, Twitter said in a statement.
Americans Are Quitting Jobs at Record Rates: Labor Department

A record number of U.S. workers voluntarily quit their jobs in August, led by bar and restaurant employees as well as retail staff, according to figures released Tuesday by the Department of Labor.

The Labor Departments monthly Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, known as the JOLTS report, showed that 4.3 million left their jobs. The quits rose to 2.9 percent, which is an increase of 242,000 from the previous month, and represents the highest figure in data that goes back to December 2000.

An increase of 157,000 quits was recorded in the accommodation and food services industry, while 26,000 more left the wholesale trade business, the figures show. State and local government education saw 25,000 more departures.

In comparison, employers laid off approximately 1.3 million workers in August, according to the agency.

Some analysts have speculated that workers were fearful of the COVID-19 Delta strain, causing them to quit their jobs. Its possible that some workers left their jobs due to COVID-19 vaccine mandates in certain markets, although the report focuses on data obtained in the month before President Joe Biden announced sweeping vaccination mandates for tens of millions of Americans.

United Airlines, which employs tens of thousands, announced its vaccine mandate in early August. The Chicago-based firm was one of the first companies to do so.

The August JOLTS report shows employers and workers were anxious about the rising Delta COVID-19 wave two months ago, Robert Frick, corporate economist at the Navy Federal Credit Union said in a note obtained by several news outlets. Workers quit, especially in retail, at a record rate to avoid exposure to possible infection. Job openings dropped, especially in leisure and hospitality, as travel dropped markedly due to Delta, Frick added.

In industries such as manufacturing, construction, transportation, and warehousing, quits barely increased. In professional and business services, which includes fields such as law, engineering, and architecture, where most employees can work from home, quitting was largely flat.

But the new data is highlighting the immense problems businesses are dealing with, said Jennifer Lee, an economist at BMO Capital Markets, in an email. Not enough people. Not enough equipment and/or parts. Meantime, customers are waiting for their orders, or waiting to place their orders. What a strange world this is.

Quits also rose the most in the South and Midwest, the Labor Department said, which were the two regions with the worst COVID-19 outbreaks in August.

It came after the government said late last week that job gains were weak for a second straight month in September, with total nonfarm payroll employment rising by 194,000 that month. The unemployment rate fell by 0.4 percent to 4.8 percent, the Labor Departments data shows.

COVID-19 is the illness caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
An office of British-Swedish multinational pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical company AstraZeneca is seen in Cheshire, England, in a file photograph. (Paul Ellis/AFP via Getty Images)

AstraZeneca Says Drug Cocktail Effective Against COVID-19 in Late-Stage Study

European drugmaker AstraZeneca this week said a late-stage study showed its antibody drug cocktail is effective at keeping COVID-19 patients out of hospitals.

The phase 3 trial preliminary results showed the drug, a long acting antibody (LAAB) combination, cut the risk of developing severe COVID-19 or dying by 50 percent compared to a placebo in people who did not require hospitalization and had been showing symptoms for a week or less.

The drug, AZD7442, was even more effective when given within five days of symptom onset, according to AstraZeneca.

These positive results show that a convenient intramuscular dose of AZD7442 could play an important role in helping combat this devastating pandemic, Mene Pangalos, executive vice president of biopharmaceuticals research and development at AstraZeneca, said in a statement.

Early trial results were based on an analysis of 822 participants. The trial included 903 participants, about half of whom were given a placebo. The full results will be submitted to a peer-reviewed medical journal and presented at an unspecified upcoming meeting, the company said.

The statement continued the trend of companies releasing summaries of trial results well before the full data are available, a trend that has frustrated some experts.

Its unfortunately been a common pathway throughout the pandemic, Dr. Michael Carome, director of Public Citizens Health Research Group, told The Epoch Times.

The drug does appear to significantly reduce the chances of a COVID-19 patient needing hospital care but, as is the case with Mercks antiviral, not much data on the drugs safety was released, Carome said.

As so often the case with these press releases, they sort of focus on the potential benefits and downplay or exclude important information about understanding the risk of adverse events. And so, eventually, that information will be submitted to the FDA and will come out but right now we dont have that data, he added.

Merck announced Monday it was seeking emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its drug, which is in a pill form and requires a five-day course.

AstraZeneca last week submitted documents to the drug regulator for its LAAB, but only for prophylactic, or preventative, use.

The new trial data was shared with the FDA, the company said.

If authorized, the drugs from Merck and AstraZeneca would be added to a growing number of COVID-19 treatments, including remdesivir and monoclonal antibodies from Eli Lilly, GlaxoSmithKline, and Regeneron.

I think in general these are helpful and are giving us more arrows in the quiver, Dr. Roger Klein, who has advised U.S. government agencies like the Food and Drug Administration and currently works as a policy adviser to the Heartland Institute, told The Epoch Times.

It will be helpful to see the primary data from the Merck and AstraZeneca trials, he added.
A policewoman approaches to stop the taking of photos at the entrance to Qincheng prison on the outskirts of Beijing on Sept. 12, 2013. (Ed Jones/AFP via Getty Images)

Beijing Jailed at Least 100 Falun Gong Practitioners in September: Report

The Chinese Communist Party ( CCP ) sentenced at least 100 Falun Gong adherents to prison in September, according to Minghui.org, a U.S.-based website that documents the Chinese regimes persecution of the spiritual practice.

An Oct. 5 article on the site listed 101 individuals who were given prison terms for their belief in Falun Gong last month, including 25 people of age 65 or older. At the same time, the CCP courts fined them a combined amount of $77,600, and local police officers extorted $7,767 from them.

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is an ancient Chinese spiritual practice consisting of slow-moving exercises and moral teachings that promote truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance in everyday life. Its popularity peaked in the late 1990s in China, with 70 million to 100 million adherents, according to official estimates.

The September persecution involved 19 provinces, ethnic minority regions, and municipalities under the direct administration of the central CCP.

Family Imprisoned in Tianjin

In early September, the authorities of Ninghe District in the municipality of Tianjin sentenced a family of three Falun Gong practitioners to jail, according to the report. The father, Li Guoqing; the mother, Yu Bo; and their daughter, Li Lei, were handed prison terms of 12 years, 10 years, and 7 years, respectively, for practicing their faith.

Li Guoqing was a chief power dispatcher at a local energy firm, whose expertise and good character earned him wide recognition and respect from his colleagues. His wife and daughter ran a small family businessa wedding company, which enjoyed a good reputation in the locality.

Soon after their arrests on May 15, 2019, police searched their home and seized three vehicles, a printer, and other private items.

Lawyer Re-jailed in Hunan Province

Falun Gong practitioner and lawyer Meng Kai was sentenced to three and half years in prison by a court in Liuyang, Hunan Province, on Sept. 17. The trial came 11 months after his arrest on Oct. 28, 2020, according to the report.

The local government didnt give Mengs family any information until the day before his court appearance on Sept. 17. During the trial, the family watched Meng defend himself via a screen, as he pointed out that the court misapplied Article 300 of Chinas criminal law to charge him. However, the judge insisted on convicting him despite the allegation.

Meng has served seven years in Chishan Prison in Yuanjiang, Hunan Province, since 2001 for refusing to renounce his beliefs. He was subjected to various forms of torture while imprisoned.

Female Engineer Re-Jailed in Shanghai

Falun Gong practitioner Yang Manye was given a two-year prison term and fined $1,240 on Sept. 24 in Shanghai.

The 54-year-old engineer, who is a resident of the Putuo District in Shanghai, has repeatedly suffered from persecution in detention centers, brainwashing sessions, labor camps, and prisons for her belief in Falun Gong, according to Minghui.org.

Her combined loss of personal liberty adds up to 10 years, the report states.

81-Year-Old Retried, in Shandong Province

Retired teacher Ma Junting, 81, is a resident of Taian, Shandong Province. She received a two-year sentence on Sept. 2 on the basis of a pending three-year term she received in 2019.

Police have harassed her more than once and have forcibly sent her to brainwashing sessions.

On June 7, 2018, four police officers from Feicheng Public Security Bureau in Taian raided her home and confiscated all of her Falun Gong books and materials. Police forced her family to sign a notice of bail pending trial on her behalf.

On June 13, 2019, a Feicheng court sentenced Ma to a three-year jail term, probation of four years, plus a fine of $6,208.

On Nov. 9, 2020, Ma was out sharing Falun Gong-related calendars and pamphlets with the public. When the police received a report of her actions, her home was raided by officers from Taishan District and agents of the local 610 Office.

The 610 Office was a secret, extra-legal nationwide network designed to target Falun Gong practitioners. Also known as the Gestapo of China, the agency had the authority to employ the countrys vast resources in the public security, procuratorate, justice, and propaganda sectors to oppress millions of Falun Gong believers.
The Australian wheat belt area of Wimmera, near Warracknabeal, northwest of Melbourne, 14 Nov. 2006. (William West/AFP via Getty Images)

Australian Farmers Call for Fair Treatment Over Kyoto Protocol

Australian farmers are calling for recognition of their involvement in meeting the Kyoto Targets, said the president of the National Farmers Federation, the peak body for agriculturalists in Australia.

Fiona Simson, the president of the National Farmers Federation (NFF), said that Australian farmers continue to lead the world in improved sustainability and emissions reduction and that it is time to address the inequities of the past.

Farmers have been at the forefront of Australias efforts to meet climate change targets for decades, although not always knowingly, Simson said in a statement.

In the 1990s-2000s, farmers in Queensland and New South Wales became victims of land clearing legislation, which removed their property rights without compensation.

Australia adopted the Kyoto agreement in 1997.

The outcome was that landholders made a major contribution to meeting and even overachieving on the Kyoto commitment targets, Simson said.

A significant proportion of more than 400 million tonnes of excess carbon sequestration was delivered through this process.

If done today, landholders would be eligible to participate in the Emission Reduction Fund or a secondary carbon market and receive income for this activity, but not then, she said. It still hurts, and now is the time to square the ledger.

The comments by Simson come as the next round of United Nations climate talks are set to begin on Oct. 31 in Glasgow, in the United Kingdom.

The Morrison government is currently negotiating with the Nationals on the net zero emissions goal by 2050.

Australias Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce during Question Time in the House of Representatives at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on June 23, 2021. (Sam Mooy/Getty Images)

Deputy Prime Minister and Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce, who questioned the cost of 2050 climate targets, said he would make sure Australia is not done over by a new climate deal like the Kyoto Protocol.

We were done over the first time with the Kyoto Protocol, Joyce told Sky News Australia. We basically woke up, and they had stolen our vegetation rights off us. This was an asset we owned.

Joyce said on Monday that farmers should be compensated over Kyoto, AAP reported.

Were not giving anything away. Were just keeping our cards very close to our chest, and were being politewere being polite to the prime minister, he said.

Meanwhile, the Australian Labor Paty supports a 2050 climate target but says it will have an interim goal before the next federal election.
Veteran teacher Ilona Rugg retired in 2020 after 30 years in public education. She now teaches in a Christian school in Brighton, Mich. Oct. 11, 2021 (Steven Kovac/The Epoch Times)

Battle Over Critical Race Theory Pits Teacher Against Education System

Retired Michigan schoolteacher Ilona Rugg has slammed the states public schools, accusing them of following an exceedingly inhumane program [that] scares children by teaching that their accomplishments are vicious relics of white supremacy.

Rugg made her comments to a state Senate committee considering a measure to ban teaching critical race theory (CRT) in Michigan schools.

The public school system is indoctrinating and shaming our children and teachers. Critical race theory pits minority children against whites. It drives a wedge between parent and child, said Rugg, who strongly supports banning CRT.

Students are indoctrinated to hate their country, hate their gender, hate their parents. We have to stop allowing all of this madness to occur in our public schools. I support the bill.

A Democrat on the committee, Sen. Erika Geiss, responded: We have just listened to the most bigoted rhetoric I ever heard in my professional life.

Geiss challenged several pro-ban witnesses at the hearing to produce evidence that CRT is being taught anywhere in the country.

Rugg responded, Even though schools will tell you they are not teaching CRT, they will lie or call it something else.

Her love for children drew long-time educator Ilona Rugg back into the classroom. Brighton, Mich. Oct. 11, 2021. (Steven Kovac/The Epoch Times)

State Sen. Jim Runestad, a Republican, told his committee colleagues that he had visited more than 100 schools and found ample evidence that the precepts of CRT were being taught.

Dr. Pamela Pugh, vice president of the Michigan State Board of Education, urged senators to oppose the bill.

I call on you to embrace critical race theory, she said.

Pugh said the self-induced amnesia that the legislation promotes will suppress truth.

To promote the comfort of some while ignoring the discomfort of others is an act of violence, she said.

Geiss declined to be interviewed by The Epoch Times.

Pugh didnt respond to a request for comment by press time.

Senate Bill 460, sponsored by state Sen. Lana Theis, a Republican, would dock a school district 5 percent of its state aid if it allows the teaching that any race is inherently superior or inferior to any other race, that the United States is a fundamentally racist country, that the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution are fundamentally racist documents, that an individuals moral character or worth is determined by his race, or that an individual is inherently racist by virtue of his race.

Rugg is no stranger to conflicts with authorities over her principles. She clashed with her schools administration by refusing to call students by their preferred personal pronouns.

I teach English. It [a preferred pronoun] is ungrammatical and confusing, she told The Epoch Times. These are children. Im going to call them by their God-given gender.

Rugg said that after the murder of George Floyd, the faculty at her school organized a Black Lives Matter protest.

I made a sign which read All Lives Matter. That idea was rejected, and I got a talking to, she said. I got talked to a lot over the course of my career.

One of the conflicts Rugg had with the school administration was over her displaying in her classroom a poster that read In God We Trust, a picture of an American bald eagle, a poster saying In Every Day Give Thanks and Praise, and a picture of then-President Donald Trump.

Over several years, one lone parent complained, Rugg said. Said it was disruptive to the learning environment. I got a talking to, but the stuff stayed up.

After retiring, Rugg has appeared at dozens of meetings to share her experiences and a portfolio of materials that she says expose the situation in some Michigan schools.

I inform parents that the public schools are doing a disservice to them, Rugg said. Children are not being taught moral values, or about our God-given rights as Americans. The public needs to know how their tax dollars are being spent.

How did it get this bad? We let it happen. We gave up our kids to government institutions. Too many parents and teachers are afraid to speak up.

Ive been bullied. Falsely accused of things. Ive been watched like a hawk.

Im waiting to be labeled a domestic terrorist.
A newspaper vendor peers from her stall in Beijing, China, on Dec. 10, 2004. (Guang Niu/Getty Images)

Beijing Planning to Block Private Capital From Entering News Services Industry

China is considering restrictions on non-public capital from entering the news media sector.

A China expert says this move would ruin private news agencies and independent journalists.

On Oct. 8, Chinas National Development and Reform Commission released a list of negative aspects in market access for 2021 (pdf) to seek public opinion. The 78-page document includes a subject that restricts non-public capital from engaging in news collection, editing, broadcasting, and from participating in news organizations set-up and operation.

Regulators are suggesting to ban private capital from a wide range of the daily business activities of news agencies. Private capital could not be used to run news agencies pages, radio frequencies, channels, programs, official accounts on social media, republish news by foreign entities, as well as to hold forums, summits, and awards events in the industry, said state media China News Service.

Private capital would also not be allowed to cover live streaming major events related to political views, public opinions, or values in the sectors of politics, economy, military, diplomacy, health, sports, technology, and education.

The proposal bans would cover news services, journals, broadcasters, and internet news service providers.

Eleven years ago, on Jan. 1, 2010, Chinas top press and publication authority encouraged non-public capital to enter the media sector in an orderly way, as well as partnering with state-owned publishing firms, and expanding their business in the foreign market.

Toronto-based China commentator Wen Zhao described the proposed list on his YouTube channel on Oct. 11 as a death sentence to Chinas private news agencies and independent media workers.

Its a sign of a greater silencing operation for Chinese authorities in preparation of upcoming greater storms,' Wen said, referring to potential future economic and social instability.

He particularly mentioned two influential private news organizations, Caixin Media and Guancha, which he claimed were under threat.

The expert said the new restrictions would be a heavy blow to the multimedia Caixin, which was founded in December 2009. It gained unrivaled fame for its exclusive, shakeup anti-graft investigations while it cooperated with the then head of Chinas top watchdog, Wang Qishan, Chinese leader Xi Jinpings closest ally during Xis first tenure.

However, the outlet began to face challenges as Xi gradually estranged Wang in the political arena, Wen said.

Caixin has to give up its principle of independent news collection and editing if it wishes to survive, said the expert.

Unlike Caixin, Guancha is a leftist, pro-Beijing website that promotes nationalism among domestic Chinese readers. However, it would also be at risk due to its non-public nature, according to the analyst.

In the latter part of August, the Chinese regime carried out a wave of clampdowns on individual journalists. Regulators disposed of 2,929 accounts, including 1,793 closed, and labeled those releasing negative economic news as bad-mouthing those in the financial market, according to state media reports.
An Aeromexico Boeing 737 MAX 9 cockpit is pictured at the Benito Juarez International airport, in Mexico City, Mexico, on July 14, 2021. (Luis Cortes/Reuters)

Boeing Delivers 35 Airplanes in September, 787 Dry Spell Continues

SEATTLEBoeing Co. said on Tuesday that airplane deliveries rose to 35 in September as it benefited from an uptick in domestic travel, but its 787 program remains hobbled by structural defects.

That was 13 more planes than in August and 24 more than in September last year.

Of the 35 jetliners delivered last month, 26 were 737 MAX passenger jets and one was a P-8 maritime patrol aircraft to the UK Royal Air Force.

The closely watched monthly snapshot comes as Boeing tries to recoup billions of dollars in lost sales from the coronavirus pandemic, and move beyond a safety scandal caused by two fatal 737 MAX crashes.

Boeing also said it delivered 8 widebodies including one 747-8 freighter to United Parcel Service, two 767 freighters to FedEx Corp. and one 767 tanker for the U.S. Air Force.

For the year so far, Boeing has delivered 241 aircraft, up from 206 a month ago, and 98 for the first nine months of 2020.

Of these, 194 were for its best-selling 737 MAX jets which returned to service in late 2020 following a near two-year safety ban.

But Boeing continues to grapple with structural defects in its bigger 787, which have caused it to cut production and halt deliveries.

Total aircraft orders for September, after cancellations and instances where a buyer converted an order for one type of aircraft to another, stood at 22.

That included 16 737 MAX, six 777 freighters, and a contract for five P-8 aircraft for the German Navy.

Boeing also said Air Lease Corp. canceled an order for one 787-9, while GECAS, or GE Capital Aviation Services, canceled an order for four 737 MAX jets.

That brings orders for the year so far to 710, or 302 after cancellations and conversions, Boeing said.

By Eric M. Johnson
An Embraer Phenom 300E aircraft is displayed during the Latin American Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition fair at Congonhas Airport in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Aug.14, 2018. (Paulo Whitaker/Reuters)

Brazils Embraer Sells 100 Aircraft to NetJets, Shares Rise

SAO PAULOEmbraer has signed a deal valued at more than $1.2 billion to sell an additional 100 aircraft to NetJets, the Brazilian planemaker said on Monday, sending its shares higher.

Embraer said it expects to deliver the Phenom 300E jets from the second quarter of 2023. NetJets is a U.S. company that offers shared ownership of private business jets.

Brazil-traded shares in Embraer were up 6 percent at 26.25 reais in early afternoon trading, outperforming the broader Bovespa stock index, which rose 0.70 percent.

NetJets, owned by Warren Buffetts Berkshire Hathaway, plans to use the new aircraft in its U.S. and European operations, Embraer said.

The deal also includes a comprehensive service contract, according to Embraer.

A securities filing said Embraers agreement with NetJets is the second phase of a 2010 deal in which the U.S. company acquired 50 Phenom planes with an option to purchase an additional 75 aircraft.

Analysts at Guide Investimentos said the deal is positive for Embraer as it marks an operational resumption for the company, which was hit by the pandemic.

By Gabriel Araujo
A privet jet comes in for a landing at the Van Nuys airport in the high desert area of Los Angeles County, Calif., on July 30, 2015. (Gene Blevins/Reuters)

Business Jet Makers Look to Tap Surging Travel Demand at Las Vegas Air Show

LAS VEGASPlanemakers are unveiling new orders and fresh models at the worlds largest business jet show this week as they aim to cash in on a boom in private travel, but executives warn of headwinds due to a capacity crunch.

The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) show returns to an in-person format starting in Las Vegas on Tuesday, testing the strength of demand for jets following the emergence of COVID-19. The show will also shed light on the resilience of the aerospace supply chain, given strained logistics worldwide.

Brazils Embraer said on Monday morning it signed a deal to sell 100 Phenom 300E planes for more than $1.2 billion at list prices to NetJets, with deliveries starting in 2023.

U.S. planemaker Textron Aviation announced updates to the models of two of its Cessna Citation jets, the M2 and XLS.

Easing travel restrictions and the lure of private flights have led to an unexpected surge in business aviation, with traffic rising from 2019 levels. That is filling seats for private operators and expanding order backlogs for planemakers, straining the supply of jets, parts and pilots.

Craig Ross, head of California-based Aviation Portfolio, an adviser to business jet clients, said he is seeing cases of flights getting canceled because of a lack of pilots and delays from a shortage of plane parts for maintenance.

That is occurring in an industry that charges top prices for reliability, with some private operators turning down business to protect service.

Everyone will be talking about the same thing: How do we deal with this demand,' said Ian Moore, chief commercial officer of private jet company VistaJet. Im sure thats going to be a topic at every booth and every cocktail party in Vegas this year.

One top supplier, Honeywell International Inc. , is predicting a 50 percent rise in business jet flight hours in 2021 over last year.

General Dynamics Corps Gulfstream Aerospace, one of the largest business jet makers, is not participating due to COVID-19. The U.S. planemaker recently announced two new jets, with its larger G800 set to clash with Bombardier Inc.s Global 7500 and Dassault Aviation SAs 10X in a battle of flying penthouses.

It is a boon for private aviation, which has yet to rebound to the 1,300 aircraft delivered in 2008 before the financial crash, said aviation analyst Brian Foley in a recent note.

Foley said he expects around 700 business aircraft deliveries in 2021, with a ramp-up in production expected to begin in 2022 as planemakers gain confidence the surge is sustainable.

While Cessna business jet maker Textron Aviation is raising production to meet demand despite supply-chain challenges, Canadas Bombardier is waiting to see how orders evolve.

Weve rebuilt backlog and I like that price is re-firming. But its a question of supply and demand, Bombardier Chief Executive Eric Martel said in a recent interview.

Some planemakers are watching for signs of a bubble similar to the demand ahead of the 2009 economic crash, which left them on the hook with unsellable jets, said an executive at one corporate jet manufacturer who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Some are wondering is it real or is it 2007 over again?

By Allison Lampert
Few people visit the beach a week after the ocean was closed to surfing and swimming due to an offshore pipeline leak in Huntington Beach, Calif., on Oct. 10, 2021. (Amy Taxin/AP Photo)

California Attorney General Launches Probe Into Oil Spill Disaster

California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced on Monday that the states Justice Department has launched an investigation into the major oil spill off the coast of Orange Countys Huntington Beach.

The offshore oil spill leaked up to 132,000 gallons of crude oil from an undersea pipeline, killing dozens of animals and threatening coastal wetlands and wildlife. The spill was confirmed on Oct. 2, a day after residents reported a petroleum smell in the area.

The oil spill is an environmental disaster with far-reaching consequences for our fish and wildlife, for our communities, and for our economy, Bonta said in a statement. My office is committed to devoting the people and the resources necessary to ensure this environmental disaster is fully investigated, and we will follow the facts wherever they lead us.

The department will work with with other state, local, and federal authorities to determine the cause of the spill and what, if anything, could have been done to prevent or minimize the disaster, the attorney generals office said.

The oil spill off of Huntington Beach is an environmental disaster for our fish & wildlife, our communities, & our economy. CADOJ will work with our local, state & federal partners to investigate the cause of the spill & assist in the emergency response.https://t.co/NU7mjCmrxe pic.twitter.com/KJTwCXQnbN  Rob Bonta (@AGRobBonta) October 11, 2021

Bonta made the announcement during a visit to Orange County for a special briefing by the California Department of Fish and Wildlifes Office of Spill Prevention and Response (OSPR), the U.S. Coast Guard, and the company responsible for the spill, Amplify Energy.

He told reporters that it isnt yet clear whether the probe will prompt a criminal or civil action, but the said the department is prepared to do what is necessary to get a full accounting of what happened, how it happened, who did what when, and fully reveal the facts and circumstances of this incident.

Huntington Beachs city and state beaches reopened on Monday after more than a week of closures. Officials said water quality tests revealed no detectable levels of oil-associated toxins in the ocean water.

Officials said they believe the pipeline was likely damaged by a ships anchor several months to a year before it ruptured. It remains unknown when the slender, 13-inch crack in the pipeline began leaking oil.

By Sunday, there was no smell of oil and the sand looked largely clear by the Huntington Beach pier, where workers combed the sand for tar.

Officials in the city of 200,000 people have said the water testing will continue for at least two more weeks.

It is unacceptable that Californians are once again facing the devastating effects of an offshore oil spill, Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) told reporters at the press briefing on Monday. The trade-off between oil production and environmental harm is simply not one we should be making any longer.

Already, this oil has seeped into environmentally sensitive wetlands, endangering birds and other wildlife, and forcing the closure of beaches that are the economic engines of entire communities. I am committed to fulfilling the promises we made to our children and our constituents that we will act boldly to meet the urgency of this crisis, Padilla added.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
An Indian Buddhist monk approaches the Thupten Gatsal Ling Gunpa, a branch of Tawang Monestry, in Itanagar, capital of Arunachal Pradesh, India, on Oct. 11, 2009. (Diptendu Dutta/AFP via Getty Images)

Chinese Regimes Reincarnation Politics Is Linked to Border Clashes With India: Expert

NEW DELHIIndian and Chinese soldiers have engaged in a minor altercation at Tawang in the state of Arunachal Pradesh, just weeks after a previous incident in which 100 Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) soldiers intruded on Indian territory.

The Chinese regime says sovereignty over the area is disputed and has included it in its political maps as part of the Tibet Autonomous Region.

The most recent face-off occurred earlier this month near Yangtse in Tawang, where the border isnt demarcated. The situation was defused after a few hours, when local commanders on both sides talked and both sides withdrew, following established protocols and mechanisms.

The incident at Tawang came just a few weeks after 100 soldiers and 55 horses of the Chinese regimes PLA crossed three miles into Indian territory, in the Barahoti region of the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand, and destroyed infrastructure, including a bridge, on Aug. 30.

Tawang, on the border with Bhutan and China, isnt new to Chinese intrusion. A sinologist told The Epoch Times that Chinese interest in the Himalayan regions of India is linked to its wider sinicization campaign targeting Tibetan Buddhism and specifically to its reincarnation politics aimed at controlling the institutions of Tibetan Buddhism on the border, in locations that could be the birthplace of the next Dalai Lama.

Talks held between corps commanders on both sides on Oct. 10 also failed because the PLA refused to de-escalate overall and specifically refused military disengagement from the regions of Hot Springs, Depsang Plains, and Demchok in Indias Ladakh territory, near Chinas northwestern border.

The red pointer shows Tawang on the border between India (Arunachal Pradesh), Bhutan, and China. (Google maps)

Why Tawang Is Important

Tawang is home to a 340-year-old Tawang monastery and the birthplace of the Sixth Dalai Lama, Tsangyang Gyatso (16801706). Frank Lehberger, a senior fellow with the India-based think tank Usanas Foundation, said that Tibetans today believe that if it remains free of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) interference, this place could again be the birthplace of a future Dalai Lama. Therefore, the Chinese regime wants to control and even eradicate the monastery.

A possible Chinese goal in such a possible reincarnation war could be to destroy or capture this important monastery in Tawang, in order to prevent that a future Dalai Lama would be identified or educated in this holy place, Lehberger wrote in a paper published on the Usanas website on July 15.

The so-called geopolitics of reincarnation is indeed the main reason why the PRC has since 2008 gradually intensified its controversial claim to the town and the ancient monastery of Tawang.

Tibets unique tradition that institutionalizes the reincarnation system of eminent spiritual masters or religious authorities is called tulku.

Tulkus are mostly recognized at infant age and then educated and groomed in a monastic environment, in order to later play the role of religious custodians who are entrusted with upholding the uninterrupted lineages of specific Buddhist teachings, Lehberger wrote.

Wherever the atheist Communist Party takes power, it targets cultural traditions and religions, aiming to destroy and supplant them with communist ideology.

Lehberger wrote, It is no surprise that Stalin and his local allies in the Mongolian Communist Party were the first to prosecute, imprison, and kill many Mongolian Tulkus during the anti-Buddhist pogroms of the 1930s in the newly founded Mongolian Peoples Republic.

The Chinese regimes State Administration of Religious Affairs and United Front Work Department have long-term plans for disrupting any future search and identification process of the next Dalai Lama, he said.

In order to preempt such a Chinese move, H.H. the Fourteenth Dalai Lama has at one time prophecized that his reincarnation will appear in a free country. This could mean that at a future point in time, a future Fifteenth Dalai Lama could very well be found within Indias ethnic Tibetan communities in Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh in the Himalayas, Lehberger said, noting that these Indian states are home to autochthonous Tibetan-speaking populations.

This conflict over reincarnation politics could eventually drive a border war with India, similar to the ongoing clashes in Ladakhs Galwan Valley, he said.

Indian Army personnel light candles in memory of those soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the 1962 Indo-China war at the Tawang War Memorial in Arunachal Pradesh on Oct. 20, 2012. (Biju Boro/AFP via Getty Images)

Geopolitics Behind Sinicization

Chinas Belt and Road Initiative (BRI, also known as One Belt, One Road) is linked with leader Xi Jinpings dream of the Peoples Republic of China becoming the most powerful nation in the world by the middle of this century, when it will mark 100 years of communist rule. The initiative, which is a geopolitical tool, according to Lehberger, aims at linking Chinas western hinterlanda region thats home to a predominantly non-Han Chinese populationwith Pakistan and other central Asian nations.

Tibetans and other large non-Han ethnic groups have lived for centuries on the natural resource-rich mountains and deserts that overlook and flank the ancient trade routes now intertwined with the modern [BRI], linking China to Central Asia and the Indian Ocean, Lehberger said.

Since 2015, Xi has begun looking at these ethnic groups as a kind of geopolitical security risk, he said.

Xi wants to resolve this risk by assimilating the various ethnic groups into the dominant Han-Chinese social and cultural mainstream, Lehberger said. Anybody who objects will face elimination or eviction by military force.

This is indeed a form of genocide, reminiscent of Stalinist deportation policies in the Soviet Union of the 1930s and 1940s, he said.

Flags decorate the Indian Buddhist Tawang Monastery in the northwestern corner of Arunachal Pradesh state in India on Nov. 6, 2009, during preparations for the Dalai Lamas visit. (Diptendu Dutta/AFP via Getty Images)
Dangerous: Chinese Conservatives Dismayed at Associations Event Calling for OTooles Resignation Over China Policy

Some Conservative Party members in the Chinese community are expressing concern about a public event held by the Chinese Canadian Conservative Association that described leader Erin OTooles policy on confronting the Chinese regime as a hatred message on China, with critics saying its the same line pushed by Beijings propaganda.

The Chinese Canadian Conservative Association (CCCA) held the event on Oct. 7 in Toronto demanding OTooles resignation.

Mr. OToole, your hatred message on China is dangerous as that would easily to be (sic) translated into anti-Chinese message, reads a news release in English handed out at the event, which was mainly attended by Chinese community press.

The release criticized OToole for ignoring the grassroots and moving the policies of the party towards the centre, and said he failed to outreach to the Chinese community.

However, an email announcing the event circulated by national executive secretary Eric Wen focused only on OTooles stance on China.

We, as CCCA, address the issue about the unfairness treatment of China (sic) and cost our 2 seats of MP of Chinese origin in BC and not even one elected in GTA 55 ridings, Wen said in an email, a copy of which was seen by The Epoch Times.

A Chinese-language news release, read at the event by CCCA chair John Zhu, stated, Your [OTooles] hard line and reversal of policy on dialogue has put us in a very difficult position in promoting China in the Chinese community.

Jonathan Fon, a longtime member of the Conservative Party and founding executive vice president of the Canadian Federation of Conservative Organizations, says the wording the CCCA used in describing OTooles policy on confronting the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is the same as the propaganda the CCP pushes.

Jonathan Fon (Courtesy Jonathan Fon)

This kind of messaging is dangerous, Fon told The Epoch Times, noting that the CCP promotes the line that the Party equates to China and is synonymous with the people of China.

The Conservative Partys platform released during the recent election campaign has a comprehensive section on confronting communist Chinas aggressions, including Beijings growing authoritarianism in the Indo-Pacific; standing up for persecuted groups and Hong Kong citizens; and banning Huawei from Canadas 5G network for security concerns, among other measures. The platform notes that the measures are targeted at the CCP, not the people of China. The platform notes that the measures are targeted at the CCP, not the people of China.

We must stand up to the Communist government of China. Our quarrel is not with the people of Chinaa part of an ancient civilization that has contributed much to humanity.  The communist leadership represents a clear and rising threat to Canadian interestsand our values, the platform says.

A Nanos poll released in September showed that 63 percent of Canadians want the government to be more forceful in its relations with China, and that Canadians are 10 times more likely than less likely to vote for a federal party if it had a stronger stance against China (45 percent more likely, 4 percent less likely).

Fon says he is used to seeing CCP propaganda being promoted by pro-Beijing groups in the Chinese community but is very concerned as it now looks like the propaganda is having strong penetration into Canadian parties affairs.

Its an ominous situation, he said.

Alex Lee, another longtime Conservative Party member in the Chinese community, says the reason Conservative MPs lost in ridings with large numbers of Chinese-Canadians was that they were being attacked by misinformation, with outside forces trying to turn Chinese voters away from them.

Alex Lee (Courtesy Alex Lee)

He notes that it is highly unusual for the CCCA to hold an event publicly rather than behind closed doors seeking the resignation of the partys leader.

Ive never seen anything like this before, Lee said through a translator, adding that he doesnt know what was behind the event.

What additionally makes the event odd, he says, is that the CCCA is asking for OTooles resignation mainly over one foreign policy issue, whereas a political party has a range of policy issues relevant to the life of Canadians.

Charles Jiang, a former president of the Conservative Partys Markham-Unionville Electrical District Association, says it is expected for Canadian political parties to address human rights abuses in China, such as the crackdown in Hong Kong and Xinjiang.

I think Justin Trudeau kind of mentioned it but he had a very soft tone, [whereas] Mr. OToole was more direct and straightforward on those topics, he said in an interview, adding that OTooles messaging was focused on the CCP, not the people of China.

As a Conservative Party member, I think he did the right thing. He shouldnt just keep the same tone as Justin Trudeau.

Alex Yuan, who was the previous chair of CCCA until Zhu took over, says although Canada is a democratic country and people are free to voice their concerns, the CCCA shouldnt have held a public event to ask for OTooles resignation.

Im saddened and surprised. The association has a lot of good people  but this is not what well-educated people do, he told The Epoch Times. When you have a family quarrel  you dont go to the  streets and yell.  Whatever the difference is, whatever the problem is, you have a closed-door meeting and you go figure things out and you make it better.

Established in the early 1980s, the CCCA has a long history in the Chinese community. Zhu took the helm of the organization in 2018.

In an interview with The Epoch Times, Zhu defended the CCCAs decision to hold a public event to call for OTooles resignation.

If we want OToole to step down we need  to have our voice heard in the public, he said.

He said OToole should promote policies that is not hatred of Asian people and should have approached the Chinese community and associations during the election and shown his kindness to our Chinese community.

We urged that OToole, before or beginning or during the election, he should come down to our Chinese community to promote his policies, and then he should not assume something that is all really bad to China, saying that we should not do business with China, we should not accept Chinese business, he said.

Conservative Party Leader Erin OToole rises during Question Period in the House of Commons in Ottawa on March 9, 2021. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)

Zhu rejected the suggestion that his organizations message is in line with CCP propaganda.

Its not that, not really, he said.

Zhu is an accountant and owner of Longbond International Investment Corporation, which is involved in immigration and investment. He said his partner mainly focuses on bringing immigrants from China or other places to Canada, while his own focus is primarily investments and accounting in Canada.

A 2013 article featuring an interview with Zhu posted on the website of the Private Huanlian College, where Zhu graduated from in China, says he was the manager of the China co-operation project for the Ontario-based Mohawk College and has been involved in joint education initiatives between China and other colleges in Canada.

Zhu says he did have businesses focused on bringing students from all over the world including China to Canada, but is no longer involved in such initiatives. He also said the project with the Mohawk College was never launched and was cancelled.

An undated photo on a Chinese website shows Zhu walking alongside former Ontario Liberal cabinet minister Michael Chan in China. According to The Globe and Mail, Chan was the subject of a warning by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) over fears he was under the influence of Beijing. Chan has sued the Globe for its reporting.

Zhu says that he thinks the photo is from 2010 or 2011 and that he was accompanying Chan on a visit to China as a friend.

Zhu was also present at a ceremony to celebrate John McCallums assignment as Canadas ambassador to China in 2017, with a seat on the stage. The event was attended by the Chinese consul general in Toronto and was publicized on the website of the consulate.

McCallum, known for his frequent trips to China when he was a Liberal MP, was removed from his post as ambassador in 2019 after speaking publicly in favour of the release of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou, whose extradition case was before the courts at the time.

Upholding Freedoms, Human Rights

Kenny Chiu, one of the Conservative MPs who lost their seats in B.C. whom the CCCAs event referred to, says that while he hasnt been following the organization closely, he doesnt agree with its position and wonders why its not criticizing the rival Liberals.

I havent heard them asserting Canadas long-held tradition in upholding freedoms, human rights, and democracy, the former MP for StevestonRichmond East told The Epoch Times.

Then-Conservative MP Kenny Chiu rises during question period in the House of Commons on April 13, 2021. (The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld)

Chiu said his partys message has been targeting the Chinese communist regime, not the people of China.

The problem is a lot of peopleespecially Chinese who grew up under the communist regimeare under the education and brainwashing that Party equals country, the state equals race, he said. This is farthest from the truth.

During the election campaign, Chiu said he was the target of a wide-scale misinformation effort trying to portray him as working against the interests of the Chinese community. There were also reports published by Chinese state-owned media attacking OToole over the Conservatives China policy.

In the last session of the Parliament, Chiu introduced a bill to require those working on behalf of foreign entities to register as foreign agents, in an effort to increase transparency and curb undue foreign influence. Nanos polling has shown that 88 percent of Canadians support the establishment of such a registry.

However, Chiu says his bill was misrepresented during the campaign by claims that said it was against the interests of the Chinese community.

Chiu says there are many factors leading to a win or a loss in every election and he takes responsibility for not communicating his partys policies more clearly to constituents, but he notes that there were other forces involved as well.

There are many factors, but what Ive observed is that there are forces that are taking advantage of some of the constituents relative isolation from Canadas current affairs, and taking advantage of the manipulation, he said.

Chiu said CSIS has talked to him about his experience being targeted for misinformation by pro-Beijing media during the campaign, but said the agency wouldnt confirm or deny whether its conducting an investigation.

Asked whether he think his experience could act as a deterrent to other politicians taking a stance against the CCP, he cited a Chinese idiom.

In Chinese, theres an idiom that says kill the chicken to show it to the monkey, and it fits with the way that communist China schemes and the tactics that theyve been using domestically [toward] other opponents, or internationally, he said. Now does that mean that for sure [the misinformation campaign against me] is their doing? That would be up to the investigators.

A recent report by a French government-affiliated think tank documented extensive influence operations by the CCP in Canada, including efforts to influence politics and elections.

The Chinese Embassy uses local media and money to support some candidates in local elections, in the hope of rallying communities of Chinese origin to toe the Beijing line, the report says, translated from French.

The targeted communities are those where the density of Canadians of Chinese origin allows for electoral influence, as in the [provincial riding] of Richmond Centre, Vancouver, where more than half (54 percent) of the population is of Chinese origin.
Delaware State Auditor Indicted on Corruption Charges

The top Delaware official in charge of rooting out government fraud and abuse was indicted on Oct. 11 on public corruption charges.

State prosecutors charged Delaware Auditor of Accounts Kathleen McGuiness with felony counts of theft and witness intimidation as well as three misdemeanor counts, according to an indictment (pdf) made public on Monday.

Among other allegations, McGuinness is accused of hiring her daughter and the daughters friend for temporary jobs at a time when other temp workers were let go due to lack of work amid the pandemic. The daughter and the friend were paid $19,000 and $7,700 respectively. Some of the payments took place when after the auditors daughter, Elizabeth McGuiness, enrolled in a college.

McGuinesss attorney, Steve Wood, said in an email that McGuiness is absolutely innocent, and the indictment is full of misleading statements and half-truths.

When employees at McGuinesss office discovered and reported the misconduct, McGuiness used her position to monitor the employees emails and to intimidate the whistleblowers, the indictment alleges.

The indictment includes a great deal of evidence that the state auditor repeatedly broke the law and systemically abused her power, beginning in her first year in office, Attorney General Kathy Jennings, a fellow Democrat, said in a statement.

Our investigation revealed a long trail of corruption, nepotism, official misconduct, intimidation, and fraud that implicated thousands of taxpayer dollarsall from an elected official who is supposed to be a watchdog for exactly this kind of misbehavior.

The defendants lawyer said Delaware law does not prohibit family members from hiring family members, and there have been such instances throughout state government, including in the attorney generals office. He also said the contractor McGuiness hired has performed policy development services for other elected officials in Delaware, and that all of the relevant contracts were entirely lawful.

The witness intimidation charge is pure fiction, and is clearly the result of fanciful tales spun by former employees with an axe to grind, Wood said. Ms. McGuiness will continue to work hard on behalf of Delawares taxpayers and intends to focus on the job that she was elected to do.

The authorities also charged McGuiness with setting up a no-bid contract for just under $50,000 with a company she used as a campaign consultant when she ran for lieutenant governor in 2016. The contract amount and the payments under which it was executed were signed to avoid reporting thresholds, the indictment alleges.

When McGuiness approached the same firm again in September 2020 with a second offer for a contract just under $50,000, the firm said theyd prefer to proceed with a public bidding process. Another company won the bid and received a $77,500 payment.

The yearlong investigation is still ongoing, according to the attorney general.

The Delaware Democratic Party called on McGuiness to resign.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Did Chinas Hostage Diplomacy Work? A Look Back at Huawei CFOs Arrest and Release

Imagine a doctor forcing you to have a surgery you never agreed to so they can extort money from you. You dont have to imagine thatits happening in China. A 17-year-old girl was put on the operating table for a surgery she never agreed to. We talk about this shocking news.

Also, the hostage exchange between the CFO of Huawei Meng Wanzhou and two Canadians was quite controversial. We speak with two experts about the behavior of the Chinese Communist Party and how the world will view it in the future. And how should we examine our policy with China regarding those who are still being held hostage?
Election workers count ballots as they close a polling station at the end of voting in parliamentary elections, in Baghdad, Iraq, on Oct. 10, 2021. (Hadi Mizban/AP Photo)

Partial Results Show Pro-Iran Groups Losing Iraq Election

BAGHDADAn alliance of Iraqi candidates representing Shiite militias supported by neighboring Iran has emerged as the biggest loser in the countrys national elections, according to partial results released Monday.

The results, posted online successively, also showed the bloc of Iraqs Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr maintaining the most seats in parliament, leading in several of Iraqs 18 provinces, including the capital Baghdad. Al-Sadr, a leader remembered for leading an insurgency against U.S. forces after the 2003 invasion, appeared to have increased his movements seats in the 329-member parliament from 54 in 2018 to more than 70.

With 94 percent of the ballot boxes counted, none of the competing political blocs appeared on track to win a majority in parliament and consequently name a prime minister. But as the results stand, al-Sadrs bloc will be able to take a leading role in the political horse-trading to find a compromise candidate and set the political agenda for the next four years.

Al-Sadrs candidates beat out Irans favored candidates from the Fatah Alliance to come out first, according to preliminary results. The Fatah Alliance, led by paramilitary leader Hadi al-Ameri, is comprised of parties and affiliated with the Popular Mobilization Forces, an umbrella group of mostly pro-Iran Shiite militias. The alliance rose to prominence during the war against the Sunni extremist ISIS terrorist group. It includes some of the most hard-line Iran-backed factions, such as the Asaib Ahl al-Haq militia.

It was not immediately clear Monday how many seats the Fatah Alliance lost, from the 48 they got in 2018.

Voter turnout was 41 percent, a record low in the post-Saddam Hussein era signaling widespread distrust of the countrys leaders and the vote for a new parliament. Thats down from 44 percent in the 2018 elections, which was an all-time low.

Still, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres congratulated the Iraqi people for the way the elections took place. He appealed for calm as the results are announced and for political discussions on the formation of a new government to be carried out in an environment of peace, of security, and of tranquility.

The weekends election was held months ahead of schedule as a concession to a youth-led popular uprising against corruption and mismanagement. But the vote was marred by widespread apathy and a boycott by many of the same young activists who thronged the streets of Baghdad and Iraqs southern provinces in late 2019, calling for sweeping reforms and new elections.

Tens of thousands of people protested in late 2019 and early 2020, and were met by security forces firing live ammunition and tear gas. More than 600 people were killed and thousands injured within just a few months.

Although authorities gave in and called the early elections, the death toll and the heavy-handed crackdownas well as a string of targeted assassinations and attempted killingsprompted many protesters to later call for a boycott of the vote.

Many of the young activists who took part in the 2019 protests also raged against Irans heavy-handed influence in Iraqi politics, including armed militias who rival the states authority. Many blamed the militias for taking part with security forces in brutally suppressing the protests, possibly playing a role in Fatahs poor showing.

Al-Sadr is also close to Iran, but publicly rejects its political influence.

The election was the sixth held since the fall of Saddam Hussein after the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. Many were skeptical that independent candidates from the protest movement stood a chance against well-entrenched parties and politicians, many of them backed by powerful armed militias.

Preliminary results showed several independent candidates getting into parliament, although the number of seats was not immediately known.

There was a marked reluctance among young Iraqisthe countrys largest demographicto get out and vote. Many expressed views that the system is immune to reform and that the election would only bring back the same faces and parties responsible for the corruption and mismanagement that has plagued Iraq for decades. The problems have left the country with crumbling infrastructure, growing poverty, and rising unemployment rates.

Under Iraqs laws, the party that wins the most seats gets to choose the countrys next prime minister, but its unlikely any of the competing coalitions can secure a clear majority. That will require a lengthy process involving backroom negotiations to select a consensus prime minister and agree on a new coalition government.

Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi has played a key role as a mediator in the regions crises, particularly between regional rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia. Many in the region and beyond will be watching to see if he will secure a second term.

The new parliament will also elect Iraqs next president.
Employers Beware: You May Be Liable for Vaccine Mandates

Commentary

Pilots are protesting Southwest Airlines requirement that all employees must get COVID-19 vaccinations, and news reports speculated that mass cancelations of Southwest flights that began over the weekend were the result of pilots staging a sickout. But employee protests, sickouts, walk-outs, and terminations may not be the biggest threats employers face if they impose vaccine mandates.

Employers that are considering forcing their employees to get COVID-19 vaccines as a condition of employment should be aware they could face legal liabilityand potentially for big moneyif and when an employee or potential hire suffers death or other adverse health effects from the vaccine.

The federal government has given clear and blanket legal protection to itself and vaccine manufacturers. However, the federal government has not given such clear and blanket protection to employers that force employees to take the vaccine.

Some legal experts and vaccine proponents argue worker compensation laws and their limited liability provisions may apply to an employee vaccination claim. The argument is that vaccine side effects are essentially the same as a workplace injury. Workers compensation insurance pays the actual costs of medical treatment and lost wages due to a workplace injury, but does not allow a worker to sue for pain and suffering, impacts on life functions, and other damages.

While courts of law could rule that workers compensation applies, or could rule that employers are immune from liability due to government pressure imposed on employers to require vaccination, that has yet to be established in the courts. Until and unless the courts grant universal legal protection for requiring vaccination, the federal government is requiring employers to take a legal risk that its not willing to take itself.

So long as there is any legal uncertainty regarding the topic, trial lawyers will look for opportunities to file lawsuits that could bankrupt an employer in legal fees, even if the employer prevails on the underlying claim. And if a worker prevails on an underlying claim, verdicts on damages for death or debilitating injuries could reach millions of dollars.

The case for employer legal protection becomes even more precarious when considering the mounting evidence that COVID-19 vaccines are causing more widespread and serious side-effects than initially hoped for and reported. In a recent expose by Project Veritas, federal Health and Human Services medical staff admit there are far more people possibly dying and suffering debilitating side effects from the vaccine than the government is acknowledging. Even if vaccine proponents assert the deaths and debilitating health impacts shortly after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine are merely coincidental rather than caused by the vaccine, a jury determining liability and damages could determine otherwise.

Also, many employees can prove they have already developed COVID-19 antibodies via natural immunity or are in high-risk groups for vaccine side-effects. If a companys vaccine policy does not allow exceptions for these cases, that may enhance liability when people in either group suffer harm as a result of an employer-mandated vaccination. Will the courts still apply blanket legal liability even in these cases? Some people may think they know the answer, but there is no clear and binding law or legal ruling yet on the subject.

Despite these legal risks and the lack of clear legal immunity, the Biden administration is counting on a proposed Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) rule to force businesses with 100 or more employees to require COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of employment.

Employers should beware, however, that the rule has yet to be enacted. Moreover, the proposed rule will certainly face credible legal challenges, including attorneys general in at least 24 states signaling they will legally challenge the OSHA rule. Reliance on a controversial proposed rule that has yet to be implemented and will likely face intense and credible legal scrutiny is a risky proposition in itself.

Mandating COVID-19 vaccinations is not as simple as it seems. Employers would be wise to consult with a practicing attorney before deciding whether or not to require employees take a COVID-19 vaccine.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Former Facebook employee and whistleblower Frances Haugen testifies during a Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation hearing entitled "Protecting Kids Online: Testimony from a Facebook Whistleblower" on Capitol Hill in Washington on Oct. 5, 2021. (Jabin Botsford/Pool via Getty Images)

Facebook Whistleblower to Meet With Facebooks Oversight Board

Former Facebook employee and whistleblower Frances Haugen is set to meet with the social networks oversight board in the coming weeks, the company announced on Monday.

Haugen, a former a product manager on Facebooks civic misinformation team, on Oct. 3 revealed that she was the individual who who provided the internal documents for a Sept. 14 expose by The Wall Street Journal that claims Instagram has a toxic impact on the self-esteem of young girls. She has accused Facebook of repeatedly putting profit before doing what was good for the public, including clamping down on hate speech.

In a Senate subcommittee hearing on Oct. 5, she raised a number of concerns, including charging that the social media platform has had a destructive impact on society. She cited ethnic violence in Myanmar and Ethiopia, suggesting that there is a link between Facebook activity and the violence in the regions. The social media platforms algorithms facilitate hate, Haugen said, and therefore put profit before user safety.

Other concerns included that Facebook is aware that it is presenting young users harmful, eating disorder-related content.

In light of the serious claims made about Facebook by Ms. Haugen, we have extended an invitation for her to speak to the Board over the coming weeks, which she has accepted, Facebooks Oversight Board said in a press release on Monday.

Board members appreciate the chance to discuss Ms. Haugens experiences and gather information that can help push for greater transparency and accountability from Facebook through our case decisions and recommendations.

I have accepted the invitation to brief the Facebook Oversight Board about what I learned while working there. Facebook has lied to the board repeatedly, and I am looking forward to sharing the truth with them.  Frances Haugen (@FrancesHaugen) October 11, 2021

In a statement on Twitter, Haugen said she had accepted the companys invitation to brief the Facebook Oversight Board about what I learned while working there.

Facebook has lied to the board repeatedly, and I am looking forward to sharing the truth with them, she added.

Facebook officials didnt immediately respond to a request by The Epoch Times for comment.

However, responding immediately after Haugens testimony last week, Facebook suggested that Haugens credibility was in question, saying she was a former product manager at Facebook who worked for the company for less than two years, had no direct reports, never attended a decision-point meeting with C-level executives.

We dont agree with her characterization of the many issues she testified about. Despite this, we agree on one thing; its time to begin to create standard rules for the internet, said Lena Pietsch, Facebooks director of policy communications.

Separately, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg hit back at Haugens claims, saying that they dont make sense.

If we wanted to ignore research, why would we create an industry-leading research program to understand these important issues in the first place? If we didnt care about fighting harmful content, then why would we employ so many more people dedicated to this than any other company in our spaceeven ones larger than us? Zuckerberg wrote on Oct. 5.

The Oversight Board was set up by Facebook to give independent verdicts on a number of content decisions.

As a Board, we will continue to ask Facebook difficult questions and push the company to commit to greater transparency, accountability, and fairness, the body said on Monday. Ultimately, only this can give users the confidence that they are being treated fairly.
Facial Recognition Apps for Home Quarantine a Privacy Disaster: Report

A new report from the left-leaning Australia Institutes Centre for Responsible Technology has warned state-level governments to avoid crossing into new frontiers of citizen surveillance following the increasing adoption of home quarantine apps in the country.

Currently, South Australia, New South Wales, and Victoria are trialling such apps, which use geolocation and facial recognition technology to help monitor compliance with COVID-19 quarantine measures. For example, over 97,000 residents have already used Western Australias home quarantine app, the G2G pass.

The report called on state governments to regain the publics trust after police (in Queensland and Western Australia) were caught accessing data collected in COVID-19 contact tracing apps to assist in investigations.

It is important to learn the lessons of recent history and not allow moments of global crisis, like the pandemic, to reshape the way surveillance technology is used, Peter Lewis, director of the Centre for Responsible Technology, said in a press release on Oct. 11.

Twenty years ago, the world responded to 9/11 and the threat of terror by forcing technology companies to access the search history of their users, something that had never been contemplated before.

Once this increased degree of surveillance was normalised, it was adopted by corporations like Google and Facebook to track users and to target ads, and by governments around the world to control their citizens.

A child uses an Apple smartphone in this undated file image (PA)

While it is important to get quarantine models right, the idea that facial recognition technology should be the primary monitoring tool for home quarantine should be treated with real scepticism, he said.

Lewis called on governments to recognise the deficiencies in facial recognition technology and the risks it posed to privacy rights.

The report stated that the increasing use of surveillance technology globally to monitor compliance was a troubling trend and warned of the normalisation of surveillance culture.

It noted that while home quarantine was a preferred option over hotel quarantinewhich can be costly and demanding on individualsit was unclear whether governments had considered the full implications of using such technology, noting similar concerns with vaccine passport apps.

The most prominent case study for successful use of facial recognition to combat the pandemic comes from China, which should be taken with a grain of salt given the countrys history of privacy abuses, the report stated.

The Centre recommended that facial recognition be limited to single-use and for there to be precise expiration dates for any data collected. Further, the group called on state governments to update laws to cover facial recognition and stronger human rights protections.

South Australias home quarantine app, Quarantine SA, is set to become the national model once trials are deemed successful.

Residents entering home quarantine are required to download the app and will need to check-in with the app at random intervals during their quarantine period of two weeks.

Users have just 15 minutes to respond to a random check-in notification (in Western Australia, this is just five minutes) by scanning their faces.

If they miss a scan, they will receive a follow-up phone call from the Home Quarantine SA team to discuss the reason why. If the individual misses the phone call, a compliance officer may be sent to the approved address to check on their situation.
The headquarters of Spirit AeroSystems Holdings Inc., is seen in Wichita, Kansas, on Dec. 17, 2019. (Nick Oxford/Reuters)

Federal Contractors in Various Stages of Directing Employee Vaccination

Across the nation, thousands of companies have federal contracts, collectively worth billions of dollars, but those contracts are in jeopardy.

Federal contract holders must be in full compliance with President Joe Bidens COVID-19 vaccine mandate by Dec. 8 to continue to be eligible to perform contract work.

While many companies have informed employees that they intend to comply with Bidens mandate, directing workers to be vaccinated or face termination; other companies still have not had a full conversation with employees while they try to work out the finer details.

It causes uncertainty for employees who have thus far, avoided the vaccine for personal reasons ranging from religious beliefs or skepticism about the vaccine to complicated health issues.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Tuesday that the federal governments rules on Bidens vaccine mandate for private businesses are still forthcoming. She acknowledged an enforceable rule from OSHA is not here yet but couldnt say when it will be finalized.

The Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace, (SPEEA) is a union representing engineers, technical workers, and other aerospace professionals working at the Chicago, Illinois-based Boeing Company and Spirit AeroSystems in Kansas.

Spirit has directed employees to get the vaccine, but Boeing has been less clear.

As we wait for the final workplace directive regarding vaccines from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and our employers implementation plans, the SPEEA Executive Board assures members communicating concerns that your union leaders are closely watching developments and ready to ensure your welfare and rights are protected, a memo referring to Boeing on SPEEAs website says.

Until that final directive and our employers plans are announced, we dont know how, or if, members will be adversely impacted. However, we are prepared to firmly engage our companies about their plans to implement OSHA directives and, more importantly, how our employers plan to reasonably enforce those directives while adhering to our union contracts.

We hear from both sides, SPEEA Communications Director Bill Dugovich told The Epoch Times in a phone interview. Some want us to support the mandate, some want us to fight against the mandate. We are encouraging our members to get vaccinated and adhere to the federal mandate.

Both companies SPEEA represents have contracts with the federal government and also make commercial airplanes, Dugovich said. We have people in defense and commercial, and some paths are intertwined.

Spirit AeroSystems recently sent a letter to employees explaining that the company is dedicated to growing its defense business and that means Spirit must be compliant with Bidens order.

By Dec. 8, all U.S.-based Spirit employees are required to be fully vaccinated in order to maintain employment with Spirit, the letter said, adding there would be accommodation due to a medical condition or religious belief that prevents them from being vaccinated.

To be fully vaccinated by the Dec. 8 deadline, the first Moderna vaccine must be taken by Oct. 27; the first dose of Pfizer by Nov. 3; and the single-dose Johnson and Johnson by Nov. 24, the letter said.

Boeing did not respond to a request for comment.

Numerous contractors and their unions were unprepared to speak about the mandate with The Epoch Times and offered no comment.

A representative at Tobyhanna Army Depot in Pennsylvania said the facility was awaiting word from higher command within the Army about the mandate. Employees at Tobyhanna Army Depot make and repair sophisticated communication electronics for all branches of the Armed Forces.

BAE Systems is another major federal contractor. The Falls Church, Virginia-based company provides defense, aerospace, and security products for air, land, and naval forces.

Maintaining a safe and healthy workplace and meeting customer requirements are our top priorities, BAE Systems spokesman Tim Paynter told The Epoch Times in an email. We intend to fully comply with the Federal Safer Workplace Task Force guidance and are working through how we would carry out its requirements.
Illegal immigrants cross the Rio Grande between Del Rio (far side) and Acuna, Mexico. Some are crossing back to Mexico to avoid deportation from the United States, in Acuna, Mexico, Sept. 20, 2021. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)

Floridians Frustrated With Surge in COVID-19 and Violent Crime Related to Illegal Immigration

While the Biden administration has imposed a vaccine mandate on American citizens, thousands of illegal immigrants are being released into the population with no vaccination requirements. Meanwhile, the number of violent crimes are escalating in areas where illegal immigrants are settling. Some call it extremely frustrating. Others call it sheer stupidity.

Mindy Hodge of Clermont in Lake County, Florida, has been following the numbers on illegal immigration in her area. Her interest in tracking the statistics began when her father-in-law was injured in a car accident in Lake Worth when his car was struck by a vehicle being driven by an illegal immigrant. The individual who struck her father-in-laws vehicle had no drivers license and no insurance, leaving her father-in-law responsible for replacing his totaled vehicle and paying his own medical bills with provisions from his own insurance policy.

I was really offended by that, Hodge told The Epoch Times, adding that the incident inspired her to reach out to a friend who was a retired police officer, who told her this happens all the time.

They get in car accidents, they severely injure people, they kill people, Hodge said her friend told her regarding his experience in law enforcement. Then they are told to appear in court for reckless driving, driving without a license, vehicular homicide, and then they just leave and go back to Mexico or Central America and theres never any accountability.

Hodge then began conducting her own research, logging on to her local sheriffs office website to find statistics for her own county.

I started taking the time frame from Friday to Sunday each week, Hodge said, explaining that what she saw happening regularly was that 10 to 15 percent of the people that were arrested in her county every weekend were here illegally.

Thats one of the things our county has on its websitetheir citizenship status, Hodge said.

Were not a huge county, like Orange or Miami-Dade, but were a good-sized county and it just shocked me that 10 to 15 percent of our police resources were being used to deal with people who were here illegally, often being arrested multiple times, Hodge said. As a citizen, I used to think that if you were here illegally, or even on a worker visa, if you were caught committing a crime you were sent back. I found out very quickly thats not the case at all and its extremely frustrating for law enforcement.

Hodge said with regard to the number of arrests of illegal immigrants since the beginning of this years border crisis, it isnt the numbers so much as the severity of the crimes that have increased.

It used to be they were always picked up for DUI (driving under the influence) or driving without a license, Hodge said. Now were seeing a lot of aggravated assaults and a lot of domestic violence.

The surprising aspect for Hodge has been the growing number of women being arrested for increasingly violent offenses.

Females engaged in domestic violence, females involved in aggravated assault, Hodge shared. The crimes are becoming more serious than just driving without a license or getting drunk at a bar and driving. They are becoming more violent.

With this latest group of Haitians, a large amount of them were sent to Orlando, Hodge said. Lake County is right next to Orange County, so were like 20 minutes from Orlando, and I find it very interesting that the White House says we have this huge COVID problem in Floridaand that [Gov.] Ron DeSantis is killing people and theyre calling him DeathSantis, and Jen Psaki, the press secretary, is saying DeSantis isnt protecting Floridiansyet they did not test any of these people. They did not make them get vaccinated and then they sent them into Orlando, the place they say is so dangerous.

All by Design

According to Florida Rep. Anthony Sabatini (District 32), the move to settle large numbers of illegal immigrants in red states is all by design.

Theyre bringing in as many illegal immigrants as they can so they can grow their voter rolls, Sabatini told The Epoch Times, adding that they are doing this so they can get more Democrats and more malleable individuals who will do whatever the woke corporations want them to do.

Thats the whole plan, Sabatini said. Its all by design. Theres no accidents here. Its the Democrats serving their corporate masters.

Asked about the apparent contradiction of the Biden administration imposing vaccine mandates upon American citizens while allowing thousands of unvaccinated illegal immigrants to filter unchecked into the American population, Sabatini said they dont actually care about COVID.

COVID is not a real concern for them, Sabatini said. They use COVID as a pretext to increase government control, the size of government, government spending, government oversight and just to increase their own power. But in terms of trying to actually eliminate the spread of COVID, theyre obviously not interested in that by the way theyre dealing with these illegal immigrants. They arent interested in COVID. Theyre interested in cheap illegal immigrant labor and increasing the size of government.

According to Sabatini, officials in Florida asked border patrol last month how many of the estimated 180,000 illegal immigrants that are pouring into the country each month wound up in the Sunshine State.

They said about half of the illegal immigrants were aiming to go to Florida, Sabatini said. So that would be between 70,000 to 80,000 illegal immigrants coming to Florida every month. I think a conservative, low-ball estimate is were getting about 50,000 illegal immigrants in Florida every month.

Asked how many of these estimated 50,000 illegal immigrants per month have criminal records or are known gang members, Sabatini said a large amount of them fall into that category. The truth is, just coming over makes them criminals. Its a crime to cross the border illegally so theyre all criminals in that sense.

In response to the influx, Floridas attorney general filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration for ignoring federal immigration laws and DeSantis issued an executive order (pdf) prohibiting state agencies from assisting in the illegal resettling of illegal immigrants in the Sunshine State.

The fact that the Biden administration is putting mandates on U.S. citizens and not putting the same mandate on illegal immigrants is further proof that the decisions of his administration are more about politics and less about keeping Americans safe during a pandemic, Florida Rep. Blaise Ingoglia (District 35) told The Epoch Times. Almost every decision by the Biden administration, whether its by design or sheer stupidity, hurts our small businesses and the hard working women and men who keep our economy running. People in the private sector know this. Its about time the bureaucrats in DC realize this as well.

I think mandating a vaccine without taking into account natural immunity is wrong on both policy and ethical grounds, Ingoglia said. Florida knows this. Thats one of the reasons we are pushing back against mandates. In the end, I think the courts will make the correct decision and Florida and Gov. DeSantis will be proven right yet again.
Gabby Petitos Cause of Death Was Strangulation: Coroner

The cause of missing cross-country traveler Gabby Petitos death was strangulation, announced Teton County Coroner Dr. Brent Blue during a news conference on Tuesday.

Petitos body had been in the wilderness between three and four weeks before the body was discovered last month at Bridger-Teton National Forest, located near Jackson Hole, Wyoming, according to Blue.

Blue last month had announced that her manner of death was a homicide in preliminary findings.

After a detailed investigation by our forensic pathologist, our anthropologist and local law enforcement with assistance from the FBI, the Teton Country Coroners Office is filing the following verdict: In the matter of the death of Gabrielle Venora Petito, we find the cause to be death by strangulation and manner is homicide, Blue said during the televised press conference.

His announcement ruled out speculation that Petito may have been pregnant during the time of her death. The coroners office is also waiting for the results of a toxicology report, which generally takes several weeks, if not months, to complete.

In this screenshot from a police camera video, Brian Laundrie talks to a police officer after police pulled over the van he was traveling in with his girlfriend, Gabrielle Gabby Petito, near the entrance to Arches National Park, Utah, on Aug. 12, 2021. (The Moab Police Department)

By Wyoming state statute, no other information will be released about the autopsy, Blue added, without offering any more details. However, he said that DNA samples were taken from Petitos body by law enforcement.

A lawyer for the Laundrie family issued a statement after the autopsy results were announced.

Gabby Petitos death at such a young age is a tragedy, attorney Steven Bertolino told news outlets in a statement. While Brian Laundrie is currently charged with the unauthorized use of a debit card belonging to Gabby, Brian is only considered a person of interest in relation to Gabby Petitos demise. At this time Brian is still missing and when he is located we will address the pending fraud charge against him.

Brian Laundrie, her former fiance, has not yet been found. Laundrie went missing in mid-September and is the subject of an FBI warrant on alleged fraud charges.

Authorities have been searching the 24,000-acre Carlton Reserve for Laundrie near his familys home in North Port. Unconfirmed sightings of Laundrie have been reported along the Appalachian Trail and in other areas.

Laundrie returned home alone to North Port on Sept. 1 with Petitos 2012 Ford Transit van. Petitos family reported her missing on Sept. 11 after failing to hear from her.

Both Petito and Laundrie had been heading across the United States to document their travels on social media.
Firefighters work to extinguish a fire in an oil facility in the southern town of Zahrani, south of the port city of Sidon, Lebanon, on Oct. 11, 2021. (Hassan Ammar/AP Photo)

Huge Fire Extinguished at Oil Facility in Southern Lebanon

ZAHRANI, LebanonFirefighters extinguished a huge blaze that broke out in a storage tank at one of Lebanons main oil facilities in the countrys south Monday. The fire sent orange flames and a thick black column of smoke into the sky.

Energy Minister Walid Fayad said the fire broke out when workers were transferring gasoline from one storage tank to another in the coastal town of Zahrani. He said nearly 250,000 liters (66,000 gallons) of gasoline were burnt during the blaze, which lasted more than three hours. No one was reported hurt.

The fire came as cash-strapped Lebanon struggles through a serious power crisis partly due to severe shortages in fuel that have resulted in electricity cuts lasting up to 22 hours a day.

The situation now is almost under full control, Fayad told reporters at the facility. He said earlier that the storage tank was for the Lebanese army.

State-run National News Agency said it was not immediately clear what caused the fire.

Lebanese troops had closed the highway linking Beirut with southern Lebanon that passes through Zahrani. The road was reopened after the fire was extinguished.

The Zahrani Oil Installation is about 50 kilometers (30 miles) south of Beirut. It is close to one of Lebanons main power stations, which stopped functioning two days ago due to a fuel shortage.

Earlier in the day, the head of the civil defense, Raymound Khattar, told the local MTV station that he believes there were 300,000 liters (79,250 gallons) of gasoline in the tanker. Khattar added that workers focused on extinguishing the fire and cooling down a nearby tanker to keep it from igniting.

Firefighters work to extinguish a fire in an oil facility in the southern town of Zahrani, south of the port city of Sidon, Lebanon, on Oct. 11, 2021. (Hassan Ammar/AP Photo)

Earlier this summer, a warehouse fire in the countrys north where fuel was illegally stored killed more than 20 people and injured dozens more who were badly burned. It was one of the worst tragedies to hit Lebanon, which is grappling with multiple crises and crippling fuel shortages.

In August 2020, a blaze at Beiruts port triggered a massive explosion that killed at least 215 people, wounded thousands, and destroyed the facility and nearby neighborhoods. The blast at Beiruts port, one of the largest non-nuclear explosions ever reported, was caused by hundreds of tons of ammonium nitrate, a highly explosive material used in fertilizers that had been improperly stored for years.

Earlier this year, a German company found dangerous nuclear material stored at the facility in Zahrani. Eight small containers that weigh less than 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds) containing depleted uranium salts were removed shortly afterward.

The material had been stored at the facility since the 1950s, when it was run by the Mediterranean Refinery Company, or Medreco. Medreco was an American company whose main shareholders were Mobil and Caltex and it was active in Lebanon for four decades until the late 1980s.

By Fadi Tawil
Kristalina Georgieva, managing director of the International Monetary Fund, speaks during a press conference at the German chancellery in Berlin on Aug. 26, 2021. (Clemens Bilan/Getty Images)

IMF Board Has Full Confidence in Georgieva After Investigation Into China Data-Rigging Claims

The International Monetary Funds (IMF) executive board on Oct. 11 said it has full confidence in Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva following an investigation into allegations that she applied undue pressure on staff to boost Chinas standing in the banks Doing Business 2018 report.

A report (pdf), prepared by outside law firm WilmerHale at the request of the World Banks ethics committee, implicated Georgieva and then-World Bank President Jim Yong Kim, and cast a spotlight on Chinas influence at the institution.

Chinas ranking in the 2018 report, released in October 2017, should have been seven places lower, at 85th rather than remaining at 78th, the lender said in a review released in December 2020.

The board of the 190-nation lending agency said Mondays meeting was the eighth such board meeting on the matter, and that it had held two extensive discussions each with the representatives of WilmerHale as well as with the managing director.

Concluding its review on the matter on Oct. 11, the IMF executive board said Georgieva did not demonstrate misconduct in her handling of the allegedly rigged report while serving as chief executive of the World Bank.

The executive board considered that the information presented in the course of its review did not conclusively demonstrate that the managing director played an improper role regarding the Doing Business 2018 Report when she was CEO of the World Bank, the IMF said in a statement late on Monday. Having looked at all the evidence presented, the executive board reaffirms its full confidence in the managing directors leadership and ability to continue to effectively carry out her duties.

The report by WilmerHale found that Chinas boosting appeared to be the product of two distinct types of pressure applied by bank leadership on the Doing Business team.

It said Georgieva and a key adviser had pressured staff to make specific changes to Chinas data points and boost its ranking at a time when the bank was seeking Chinas support for a big capital increase.

World Bank employees also received direct and indirect pressure from senior staff in Kims office to change the reports methodology to boost Chinas score, likely under Kims direction, the report also said.

The IMF in its statement on Monday said that the Board trusts in the Managing Directors commitment to maintaining the highest standards of governance and integrity in the IMF.

Georgieva, who was at the World Bank from 201719 and joined the IMF in late 2019, will stay on as its managing director.

The executive board also reiterated its commitment to supporting her in maintaining the highest standards of governance and integrity in the data, research, and operations of the IMF and said it is confident that all IMF staff will remain impartial, maintain analytical excellence, and take accountability.

The board noted that it plans to consider possible additional steps to ensure the strength of institutional safeguards in these areas and that the World Banks investigation of potential World Bank staff misconduct in the Doing Business report matter is still ongoing.

Georgieva, a Bulgarian economist, had vehemently denied the claims. She welcomed the boards conclusion in a separate statement.

This has obviously been a difficult episode for me personally, she said. However, I want to express my unyielding support for the independence and integrity of institutions such as the World Bank and IMF; and my respect for all those committed to protecting the values on which these organizations are founded.

Cathy He and Reuters contributed to this report.
Investigation Continues Into Cause of California Plane Crash That Killed 2

SANTEE, Calif.Investigations continue into the cause of a twin-engine plane crash on Oct. 11 in a residential neighborhood that killed at least two peoplea United Parcel Service truck driver and an Arizona cardiologistwhile injuring several others.

The C340 twin-engine Cessna was en route from Yuma, Arizona, to San Diego when it crashed into two residential homes at the corner of Jeremy Street and Greencastle Street at around 12 p.m.

Two people were confirmed dead and two more injured were transported to a hospital with unknown conditions.

Officials at Yuma Regional Medical Center in Arizona confirmed that the pilot killed in the crash was cardiologist Dr. Sugata Das.

As an outstanding cardiologist and dedicated family man, Dr. Das leaves a lasting legacy, chief medical officer Dr. Bharat Magu said in a statement. We extend our prayers and support to his family, colleagues, and friends during this difficult time.

A twin-engine plane crashed in a residential neighborhood in Santee, Calif., Oct. 11. (Tina Deng/The Epoch Times)

In addition to his work at the hospital, Das was also a director of the nonprofit Power of Love Foundation, which works to combat AIDS and HIV around the world. According to the foundations website, Das owned two planes, including the Cessna, and he regularly flew between Yuma and San Diego, where his family lives.

The deputy fire chief confirmed that a UPS truck outside the home sustained major damage. UPS issued the following statement confirming that one of their employees was killed in the crash: We are heartbroken by the loss of our employee, and extend our deepest condolences to his family and friends. We also send our condolences for the other individuals who are involved in this incident, and their families and friends.

According to NBC7, UPS identified the driver in a letter to employees as Steve Krueger, who had worked for the company for 30 years.

The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation into the crash. Although the cause will take months to determine, radio transmissions between the pilot and an air traffic controller suggest the pilot may have been disoriented, unclear if he was climbing or descending.

At one point in the audio, the controller tells the pilot to climb immediately.

It looks like youre descending, sir. I need to make sure you are climbing, not descending, the controller said, according to the audio recording.

A short time later, the controller more urgently tells the pilot, Low altitude alert. Climb immediately. Climb the airplane.

A twin-engine plane crashed in a residential neighborhood in Santee, Calif., Oct. 11. (Tina Deng/The Epoch Times)

Local resident Sandra Diaz told The Epoch Times that she witnessed an elderly couple, who lived near one of the houses that was crashed into, pulled out of their backyard by someone, but their dog was killed.

Today was my day off.  I was getting ready to grocery shop.  I left the house and thats when I heard the plane.  They said it was a twin-engine plane.  Thats scary, Diaz told The Epoch Times.

Aerial news footage showed a pair of homes gutted by fire at the crash site with the charred wreckage of a vehicle in the roadway in front of them.

Initial reports suggest the plane may have struck a UPS delivery truck before plowing into the houses.

It was unknown how many occupants were aboard the six-seat aircraft when it plunged to the ground, but the Santee Fire Department said no one aboard would have survived the crash.

Our primary concern when we got on scene was obviously the extinguishment of the fire, and treatment of any victims, Santee Fire Department Battalion Chief Justin Matsushita said, adding that the department is preserving material from the crash for further investigation.

San Diego Gas & Electric turned off power in the nearby neighborhood, and city officials closed Jeremy Street and North Magnolia Avenue between Mast Boulevard and Second Street. The debris extended approximately 1 block to the southeast of the crash site.

Santana High School returned to normal operations by mid-afternoon, with students being released for lunch or dismissal, if they do not have any other classes today, according to a campus advisory.

The Red Cross established an evacuation center at Cameron Family YMCA on Riverwalk Drive in Santee for residents forced from their homes due to the crash.
JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon Calls Bitcoin Worthless, Says It Will Be Government Regulated

JP Morgan chairman and CEO Jamie Dimon has branded Bitcoin as worthless and said that governments will soon regulate cryptocurrencies.

Dimon has been outspoken about digital currencies in the past, previously telling Axios that it has no intrinsic value and that regulators are going to regulate the hell out of it.

At a virtual event hosted by the Institute of International Finance on Monday, Dimon doubled down on his previous comments, saying, I personally think that bitcoin is worthless.

In February 2019, JP Morgan became the first global bank to design a network to facilitate instantaneous payments using blockchain technology when it rolled out JPM Coin.

According to the investment bank, JPM Coin enables participating J.P. Morgan clients to transfer U.S. Dollars held on deposit with J.P. Morgan, and facilitates real-time value movement, helping to solve common hurdles of traditional cross-border payments.

In October 2020, the financial service created a new unit for blockchain projects after announcing the digital currency was being used by a client commercially. Just months ago in August, it started giving its wealth management clients access to six crypto funds, CNBC reported.

I dont want to be a spokespersonI dont care. It makes no difference to me, Dimon said Monday. Our clients are adults. They disagree. Thats what makes markets. So, if they want to have access to buy yourself bitcoin, we cant custody it but we can give them legitimate, as clean as possible, access.

The CEO also said he believes governments will soon start regulating digital currency for a multitude of reasons, including tax purposes.

No matter what anyone thinks about it, [the] government is going to regulate it. They are going to regulate it for (anti-money laundering) purposes, for (Bank Secrecy Act) purposes, for tax, Dimon said.

Representations of cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin, Dash, Ethereum, Ripple, and Litecoin are seen in this illustration picture taken on June 2, 2021. (Florence Lo/Illustration/Reuters)

ATM machines (L and R) for digital currency Bitcoin are seen in Hong Kong, on Dec. 18, 2017. (Anthony Wallace/AFP via Getty Images)

Last week, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chair Gary Gensler told Congress that his agency would not follow Chinas lead in implementing a ban on cryptocurrencies but expressed concern over a lack of regulations.

Chinas central bank last month declared all cryptocurrency-related transactions illegal while vowing to suppress the virtual currency market.

Cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin and Tether, are among those specifically cited as not being fiat money and cannot be circulated, The Peoples Bank of China said in a statement, translated by CNBC.

I am technology-neutral. I think that this technology [cryptocurrency] has been and can continue to be a catalyst for change, but technologies dont last long if they stay outside of the regulatory framework, Gensler told Congress.

I believe that the SEC, working with the CFTC [Commodity Futures Trading Commission] and others, can stand up more robust oversight and investor protection around the field of crypto finance.

However, Gensler noted that right now, large parts of the field of crypto are sitting astride ofnot operating withinregulatory frameworks that protect investors and consumers, guard against illicit activity, and ensure for financial stability.

He also acknowledged that currently there was not enough investor protection with regard to crypto finance, issuance, trading, or lending.

Frankly, at this time, its more like the Wild West or the old world of buyer beware that existed before the securities laws were enacted. This asset class is rife with fraud, scams, and abuse in certain applications. We can do better, Gensler said.

While there are concerns over regulations of cryptocurrency, nations such as Ukraine are embracing the virtual currency market. Earlier this month, Ukraine became the latest country to legalize cryptocurrency and other digital assets.

Meanwhile, El Salvador has also adopted Bitcoin as legal tender alongside the U.S. dollar, with the hopes that it will boost financial inclusion in El Salvador, where around 70 percent of citizens lack access to traditional financial services.

Bitcoin trading showed no immediate reaction to Dimons comments. The cryptocurrency was up 1.59 percent as of Tuesday.

Reuters contributed to this report.
Kaiser Permanente Workers Vote to Authorize Strikes in California, Oregon

Kaiser Permanente workers voted to authorize a strike in Oregon and California on Monday, potentially enabling thousands of staffers to not show up to their jobs.

Oregon Federation of Nurses and Healthcare Professionals and the United Nurses Associations of California-Union of Health Care Professionals, which are both unions, announced that their respective members would go on strike.

We have now authorized a strike by 96 percent! We are doing this for our patients. We are fighting for #SafeStaffing and the future of healthcare, and we know that Kaisers offers will be a disaster for patient care. We are #PatientDefenders, and we fight for patients, the Oregon Federation wrote in a Twitter post.

And the United Nurses Associations of California, in a similar statement, wrote that 96 percent of its members voted to authorize a strike, according to a Twitter post. Negotiations with Kaiser will continue in the forthcoming days.

Neither union said that their actions on Monday had to do with Kaisers COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Already, thousands of Kaiser employees were suspended without pay earlier this month over the healthcare systems rule.

Instead, union leaders said that they are authorizing a strike over pay and working conditions, saying that the COVID-19 pandemic has put undue strain on their members.

The votes on Monday do not automatically cause a strike. The unions have to give Kaiser 10 days notice before a work stoppage.

Similar strike votes could come in a half-dozen other states against Kaiser, one of the nations largest health care providers. The unions also said they object to Kaisers proposal to give newer employees lower pay and fewer health protections.

They also want 4 percent raises for each of the next three years and a commitment to hire more nurses to relieve staffing shortages, officials told The Associated Press. Kaiser is offering 1 percent a year and says it must reduce labor costs to remain competitive.

Were concerned about the future of nursing and how we recruit and retain nurses and other health care workers who will serve our communities for years to come, said Denise Duncan, the head of the United Nurses Associations of California, in a Twitter post.

In response, Kaiser called on its employees to reject a call from unions to walk away from the patients who need them, adding: Our priority is to continue to provide our members with high-quality, safe care. In the event of any kind of work stoppage, our facilities will be staffed by our physicians along with trained and experienced managers and contingency staff, according to a statement.

Earlier this month, about 2,200 Kaiser Permanente workers were placed on unpaid leave due to the COVID-19 vaccination policy, the company announced.

More than 92 percent of our employees have been vaccinatedand the number continues to grow, Kaiser confirmed, adding that as of early October, staff who have not responded to our vaccine requirement were placed on administrative leave.

We hope none of our employees will choose to leave their jobs rather than be vaccinated, but we wont know with certainty until then, the Oakland, California-based company continued. We will continue to work with this group of employees to allay concerns and educate them about the vaccines, their benefits, and risks.

The Epoch Times has contacted both unions and Kaiser Permanente comment.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Keep Section 230 But Amend It to Force Big Tech to be Transparent: Kalev Leetaru

Big Tech and other social media companies should be required by Congress to publish dataset collections that would enable people to see clearly what principles guide their moderation policies, Kalev Leetaru says.

Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act is being scrutinized by members of both parties, with proposals ranging from removing it altogether to keeping it in place with no changes.

The section largely shields technology platforms from repercussions for their own actions and content posted by others. As the role of the platforms becomes larger and larger in everyday life, and as they crack down on a number of usersprimarily conservativesa public debate has ensued on what to do about moderation and censorship.

Many people agree on one thing: something needs to change, Leetaru, a media fellow at the RealClear Media Group and a former senior fellow at the George Washington University Center for Cyber & Homeland Security, said on The Epoch Times American Thought Leaders. But pinpointing what changes are needed is tough because we really dont necessarily know what the problems are, he added.

"Without those protections, they're just going to delete everything." Repealing #Section230 would backfire & make censorship worse as #BigTech tries to avoid costly lawsuits, argues @KalevLeetaru. Tonight, he breaks down an alternative solution. WATCH: https://t.co/haZp7CjKgU pic.twitter.com/Y0ox25lhby  Jan Jekielek (@JanJekielek) October 14, 2021

Its kind of like a doctor: they know their patient is ill but you cant treat the patient until you know specifically what diseases they have, he said.

In one case earlier this year, posts mentioning Memphis were taken down by Twitter. Users were told they were violating Twitters terms of service. The company soon issued a statement blaming an artificial intelligence algorithm.

How exactly did that AI algorithm come to see Memphis as being a bad term? We have no idea. Was that a human being who typed in a keyword? Was that some machine learning algorithm that looks for things going viral and makes its own decisions? Leetaru said.

Another example, he added, was the public spat between Facebook and a whistleblower who worked for the platform. Frances Haugen, the former worker, claimed the company was harming children and stoking division through its products. Her testimony sparked calls for action from both Republicans and Democrats.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg later disputed the allegations.

The problem is that at this point we dont have the data, we cant answer whos right, Leetaru said.

The longtime data researcher is proposing a large, mandated requirement for transparency for tech platforms, which could be added to Section 230.

Leetaru laid out the proposal in a 79-page working paper (pdf) released on Oct. 13.

Among the recommended changes: forcing social media platforms to publish a dataset collection concerning their moderation activities; clarifying that platforms cannot experiment on users, especially children; requiring that the platforms outline their policies clearly and equally enforce them; and compelling the companies to clearly document in plain English the rationale behind each enforcement action.

The root of all of this is the fact that we gave up as the society and told these private companies to figure it out themselves, Leetaru alleged. And were not happy with the result. But thats because at the end of the day, youre never going to have a set of private companies that are going to be able to come up with rules for all of us. And I think we need transparency to really be able to understand, what are these rules?

Zachary Stieber Reporter Follow Zachary Stieber covers U.S. news, including politics and court cases. He started at The Epoch Times as a New York City metro reporter. zackstieber
Kentucky Republican candidate for Attorney General Daniel Cameron, addresses the audience gathered at the Fancy Farm Picnic in Fancy Farm, Ky., on Aug. 3, 2019. (Timothy D. Easley, File/AP Photo)

Kentucky AG Asks Supreme Court to Allow Him to Represent State in Abortion Case Governor Doesnt Want to Pursue

Kentuckys Republican attorney general should be allowed to defend the states abortion law in court after the states Democratic governor refused to do so, the Supreme Court heard Oct. 12.

Although it was the courts first abortion-related case since Justice Amy Coney Barretts addition to the bench last year gave its conservative wing a 63 majority, Kentuckys abortion law itself wasnt at issue at the hearing.

The high court examined only whether Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron should be allowed to intervene in the case on behalf of his state after the trial court invalidated the law and its decision was upheld by an appeals court.

Nonetheless, the case sets the stage for an upcoming legal showdown over abortion. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization, court file 19-1392, on Dec. 1, a challenge to Mississippis Gestational Age Act, which allows abortions after 15 weeks gestational age only in medical emergencies or for severe fetal abnormality.

The case heard on Oct. 12 is Cameron v. EMW Womens Surgical Center, court file 20-601. The respondent, EMW Womens Surgical Center, in Louisville, is Kentuckys only licensed abortion clinic.

The case revolves around Kentuckys 2018 ban on dilation and evacuation (D&E) abortions on unborn children. After the Supreme Court hearing, Cameron described the procedure as gruesome, adding that it rips the baby apart.

Then-Gov. Matt Bevin, a Republican, signed House Bill 454, the Human Rights of Unborn Children Act, which stopped D&E abortions after 11 weeks of pregnancy and was subsequently enjoined by federal courts.

Bevin was defeated the next year by Andy Beshear, a Democrat. After Beshear refused to defend the statute in court, Cameron indicated he wanted to do so. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit turned down Camerons request, at which point, he filed his petition asking the Supreme Court to allow him to intervene in the case.

Justice Clarence Thomas suggested during oral arguments that the procedural path forward for Cameron wasnt obvious.

There isnt much law for appellate intervention, so what do we rely on? he asked Kentucky Principal Deputy Solicitor General Matthew F. Kuhn.

Kuhn told the court that two days after learning that another state official had stopped defending Kentuckys House Bill 454, the attorney general moved to intervene so that the commonwealth could exhaust all appeals in defense of its law.

This courts caselaw instructs that acting for a state is a distinct capacity. Because everyone agrees that the attorney general did not participate in that capacity in district court, he is not jurisdictionally barred from doing so now, Kuhn said.

Even still, the attorney general could not have appealed the district courts judgment. He had been dismissed from the case without prejudice, he was not named in the district courts judgment, and he had preserved his ability to participate in any appeal and to benefit from any favorable result on appeal.

Chief Justice John Roberts told clinic attorney Alexa Kolbi-Molinas that it was important to be clear about who represents Kentucky.

You dont want the state speaking through two different voices, he said.

Kolbi-Molinas, who is a senior staff attorney at the ACLUs Reproductive Freedom Project, said Cameron waited too long to get involved in the case.

Cameron agreed to be bound by final judgment and chose not to appeal it, she said.

Because he was expressly bound by the judgment, he had a right to appeal, but he had to do so within the 30-day timeframe set by statute. He cannot now avoid his jurisdictional failure by seeking to intervene instead.

Justice Stephen Breyer seemed to suggest to Kolbi-Molinas that Cameron should at least have his day in court to defend the abortion law.

Two days after the attorney general learned that nobodys going to defend it, he comes in and says, let me defend it. And thats okay under Kentucky law apparently, Breyer said. Nobody says it isnt.

And so, if theres no prejudice to anybody, and I cant see where there is, why cant he just come in and defend the law? How does he defend it? One, he asks for rehearing. Its still timely. And then, two, if they say no, he comes to this court. Now he may lose on both those, and he may lose for the reasons that you say, but I dont see why he cantif Kentucky law allows him to make the argument, why cant he make the argument?

Justice Elena Kagan picked up on her colleagues line of questioning, telling the clinics lawyer its a problem when theres nobody left defending the states law.

And I think what Justice Breyer was saying is: Gosh, that would be an extremely harsh jurisdictional rule or at least a counterintuitive rule if it ended up in a place where nobody was there  to defend Kentuckys law, even though there are significant parts of Kentuckys government that still want  its law defended.

Kolbi-Molinas replied that harsh results dont change whether or not a jurisdictional rule is imposed. Of course, as this court has repeatedly recognized, jurisdictional rules often result in harsh results and those results are imposed by Congress.

During a teleconference for reporters after the hearing, Cameron said even though his outlook was optimistic, he didnt want to put the cart before the horse.

We dont necessarily know how they might ultimately come out on a particular case. But I was heartened by some remarks and some of the comments and questions that were raised by Justice Breyer, but again, they have to go back, and this is just one part of their deliberations.

Elizabeth Nash of the Guttmacher Institute, a policy organization, questioned Camerons motives.

Although the Kentucky case is focused on seemingly arcane procedural questions, the real goal is to use any and all means to ban abortion, Nash told McClatchy.
A person receives a COVID-19 vaccine at a drive-thru clinic at Richardson Stadium in Kingston, Ont., on May 28, 2021. (The Canadian Press/Lars Hagberg)

LA Schools Extend Deadline for Staff COVID-19 Vaccinations

The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) extended its deadline on Monday for staff to receive COVID-19 vaccinations, allowing an additional month for workers to meet the states requirement.

SEIU Local 99, the teachers union that represents the school districts staff, said the bargaining team has negotiated an agreement with LAUSD to ensure that workers will have sufficient time to be fully vaccinated.

The new agreement (pdf) changed the deadline to receive the second dose from Oct. 15, 2021, to Nov. 15, 2021. All employees must receive the first dose by Oct. 31 to avoid an end to employment.

The teachers union said on Twitter on Sept. 30 that it was working to extend the vaccine deadline to Oct. 31. The new agreement allows an additional two weeks.

The requirement was first announced by the LAUSD in August. This additional step goes above local and federal health guidelines in order to provide another layer of safety in our schools, especially for our youngest learners, the school district said in a statement.

In addition to the staff vaccine requirement, the LAUSD has added a requirement for all students ages 12 years old and above to receive a COVID-19 vaccine by Jan. 10, 2022.

The science is clearvaccinations are an essential part of protection against COVID-19, Interim Superintendent Megan K. Reilly said.

The COVID-19 vaccines are safe, effective and requiring eligible students to be vaccinated is the strongest way to protect our school community, she added.

On Oct. 1, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.) announced the COVID-19 vaccine will be added to the list of vaccinations required to attend school in-person for middle and high school grades statewide after the vaccine receives approval from the Food and Drug Administration.

The state already requires that students are vaccinated against viruses that cause measles, mumps, and rubellatheres no reason why we wouldnt do the same for COVID-19. Todays measure, just like our first-in-the-nation school masking and staff vaccination requirements, is about protecting our children and school staff, and keeping them in the classroom, Newsom said in a statement.

Vaccines work. Its why California leads the country in preventing school closures and has the lowest case rates. We encourage other states to follow our lead to keep our kids safe and prevent the spread of COVID-19, he added.

The move makes California the first state in the nation to announce a COVID-19 vaccination requirement for middle and high school students.
Labour Leader Calls for More Urgency to Plug UK Haulage Driver Shortages

Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer has repeated his call for greater urgency from the government to tackle haulage driver shortages, ahead of a visit to an HGV training center.

He dismissed as a sticking plaster a recent government announcement that it will increase places on a fast-track skills boot camp by 2,000 to 5,000 to boost the number of lorry drivers.

He called on the government to take greater action before yet another Christmas is ruined by Tory failure.

Speaking ahead of a visit to an HGV training provider on Tuesday, he said, The haulage sector is trying to save Christmas, get medical supplies to where theyre needed and keep our forecourts open, whilst the government is missing in action with their out of office on.

This is a crisis made in Downing Street but so far being mopped up by businesses and workers.

The industry has warned they need 15,000 extra drivers to meet Christmas food deliveries alone, which a sticking plaster boot camp scheme just isnt going to deliver.

This government must break the habit of their decade in power by acting with the urgency required before yet another Christmas is ruined by Tory failure.

Ministers need to listen to industry to build a secure HGV workforce, they must set out how exactly they are going to attract people to training, including by listening to Labours plan to create more apprenticeships, and ultimately address how they are going to improve pay and conditions for this vital sector.

A government spokesperson said, We have taken immediate action to increase the supply of HGV drivers to support fuel and food supply chainsstreamlining the testing process, enabling fuel companies to work together, and introducing short-term, temporary visas.

We are seeing signs of improvement in average forecourt stocks across the UK, with demand continuing to stabilize.

This is a global problem and we have been working closely with industry for months to boost recruitment.

By Ben Hatton
Investigators work the scene of a shooting in Livingston Parish in Louisiana. (Travis Spradling/The Advocate via AP)

Louisiana Suspect Accused of Killing Half-Sister and State Trooper Has Been Arrested

A Louisiana man accused of going on a shooting spree that claimed the lives of his half-sister and a state trooper has been released from hospital and is now in custody, authorities confirmed on Oct. 11.

Matthew Mire, 31, was taken into custody Saturday evening, Louisiana State Police Superintendent Col. Lamar Davis said during a news conference.

Mire is facing charges of murder after shooting dead his half-sister Pamela Adair and 47-year-old Master Trooper Adam Gaubert. He is also facing numerous other charges including the attempted murder of a police officer.

Authorities said the alleged shooting spree began in a residence in Livingston Parish just after midnight on Oct. 9 when Mire entered the mobile home of a male and female and shot them both. The male victim was shot in the arm and the female sustained wounds to her leg and arm, authorities said.

The pair tells detectives that they heard a noise outside of their home, the Livingston Parish Sheriffs Office said in a Facebook post on Oct. 9. They then witnessed someone barging in through their front door and firing shots. We do not believe this to be a random shooting. Its believed Mire was familiar with the victims.

After shooting the male and female victims, Mire then stole a blue 2013 Chevrolet Silverado from that same neighborhood.

Three hours later at around 3 a.m., officers in the Ascension Parish area found Pamela Adair, 37, and her 43-year-old partner suffering from multiple gunshot wounds at their home in Prairieville.

Both were transported to a hospital in Baton Rouge with life-threatening injuries. Adair succumbed to her injuries while at the hospital. Her partner remains in critical condition.

Shortly after 5 a.m. Mire got into a gunfight with a Louisiana State Police Trooper who attempted to conduct a traffic stop on the blue Chevrolet Silverado in East Baton Rouge Parish.

The driver refused to stop and shot at the Trooper, Col. Davis said. The Trooper returned fire and was not struck by any of the rounds by Mire.

Death of a Master Trooper

Col. Davis noted that surveillance footage shows that at approximately 12.30 am, Master Trooper Adam Gaubert, backed into a location on Dutton Road, where officers believe he was finishing a crash report and computer analysis indicated that Master Trooper Gaubert made his final entry into the database at 2.30 am.

At 2.30 am, Mire was picked up on cameras entering the same location near Dutton Road with his headlights off, and officials believe that was where he ambushed Master Trooper Gaubert.

Gaubert was found unresponsive by a patrol unit in Ascension Parish at 5 pm the following day by a co-worker. It is unclear at exactly what time he was killed.

Meanwhile, officials continued to search for Mire and he was eventually apprehended by officers shortly after 10 pm. Davis noted that Mire had fired his weapon at officers several times before his arrest.

Mire was hospitalized to receive treatment for a K-9 bite and a suspected self-inflicted gunshot wound in his leg.

He was taken to the East Baton Rouge Parish jail on Saturday night and booked on charges of attempted first-degree and aggravated flight from an officer. He faces other charges in Ascension and Livingston parishes.

This event has been one of the toughest events that Ive ever had to work in my entire career. Losing a co-worker and a friend like Adam puts a hole in your heart and theres nothing out there that can ever replace that, Col. Davis said.

And as bad as Im feeling, I can only imagine what his family and his other friends are feeling, my heart goes out to them, he added.

Officials added that the handcuffs placed on Mire when he was detained belonged to Master Trooper Adam Gaubert, who Mire is suspected of killing.

Since the suspect was taken into custody Saturday night, he has been handcuffed. Those handcuffs are symbolic to every Trooper within LSP. Those handcuffs belong to Trooper Gaubert, Louisiana State Police stated in a Facebook post.
French President Emmanuel Macron gestures as he speaks during the presentation of the "France 2030" investment plan at the Elysee Presidential Palace in Paris on Oct. 12, 2021. (Ludovic Marin/Pool via Reuters)

Macron Unveils 30-Billion-Euro Plan for Innovation and Industrial Revival

PARISFrance wants to be a leader in green hydrogen by 2030, and build low-carbon planes and small nuclear reactors as part of a 30-billion-euro ($35 billion) investment plan, President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday.

Macron said the road map, dubbed France 2030, would ensure France decarbonizes its industry, and brings innovation and production in key areas, from cars and bio-medicine to semi-conductors, closer to home by the end of the decade.

The long-term plan, outlined six months before the presidential election, was swiftly criticized by the opposition as electoral campaigning, but Macron said those targets were key to ensure Frances rank in the world.

Pointing to a shortage of masks when the COVID-19 pandemic first erupted, Macron said the crisis had exposed real vulnerabilities and the crucial need for France to have innovation and industrial production at home.

French President Emmanuel Macron gestures as he speaks in front of a screen with the words reading New space during the presentation of the France 2030 investment plan at the Elysee Presidential Palace in Paris on Oct. 12, 2021. (Ludovic Marin/Pool via Reuters)

We must rebuild the framework for productive independence for France and Europe, he said, adding that innovation would be key amid global competition for leadership and access to raw materials. The winner takes all, he added.

Setting out some of the plans targets, Macron said France would by 2030 build a low-carbon plane, a small modular reactor, as well as two megafactories for the production of green hydrogen. It would also produce large numbers of electric vehicles.

We must wage the battle of innovation and industrialization at the same time, Macron said as he outlined the plan to a group of entrepreneurs, adding, We need a country that produces more.

Macron said the plan will give a key role to small, agile start-ups in building Frances industrial future alongside well-established corporate giants.

Criticism

Other 2030 objectives include investing in semi-conductors and beefing up innovation in the French health sector, including bio-medicine.

On top of the 30 billion euros in fresh public investment, some of which will already be included in the 2022 budget, French public investment bank Bpifrance will invest 4 billion euros ($5.4 billion) in startups and innovative firms.

This all comes in addition to a 100-billion-euro ($135 billion) recovery plan announced last year to help France weather the COVID-19 pandemic, a large share of which went to promoting greener energy policies.

The plan was harshly criticized by the opposition and environmental groups.

A few months from the end of his mandate, the outgoing president commits French money to restore his electoral image with promises which only bind his successor, right-wing leader Marine Le Pen said on Twitter.

Its whatever the cost, I want to be reelected!, she said.

Matthieu Orphelin, a lawmaker who left Macrons party two years ago, said this was Macrons first campaign speech for 2022, while environmental group Greenpeace called it a festival of false solutions and wishful thinking.

All these false solutions follow the same logic: constantly postpone the real [energy] transition and continue to produce as if the planets resources were unlimited, said Greenpeace France Director Jean-Francois Julliard.

By Leigh Thomas and Benoit Van Overstraeten
Massachusetts Governor Activates National Guard to Help With COVID-19 Testing in Schools

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker on Tuesday activated up to 200 members of the National Guard to help with COVID-19 testing in the states K-12 schools.

Guard members will start training for school-based COVID-19 testing this week, according to the Republican governors office. They will then begin conducting COVID-19 tests in a select number of Massachusetts schools on Oct. 18.

In another order issued the same day, the governor activated up to 250 National Guard personnel as a contingency measure to offset potential staffing shortages at the Department of Correction (DOC).

We are grateful that the National Guard has stepped up once again, as they have throughout the COVID-19 response, to serve the Commonwealth where needed, Baker said in a statement announcing the orders. Todays activations will ensure that we have additional staffing support for our school testing programs to help kids stay safe and will allow DOC to respond to possible staffing shortages.

While we are overall pleased with the progress we are seeing with Commonwealth employees submitting vaccination attestations, we will take whatever steps are necessary to safely run all correctional facilities, he added.

In Massachusetts, schools are encouraged to participate in at least one of three COVID-19 testing programs: symptomatic testing for individuals who present symptoms while at school, routine pooled testing in which multiple test swabs are put into a single batch, and the test-and-stay program in which asymptomatic individuals who have had close contact with an infected person can take rapid tests daily to monitor for COVID-19 instead of going into quarantine.

This is not the first time Baker called in National Guard to address staff shortages at schools in his state. In September, he activated as many as 250 Guard members to drive children to school, citing a scarcity in certificated school bus drivers.

Once it became pretty clear that there were going to be some communities shorthandedit wasnt going to be a vehicle issue, it was going to be people with [commercial drivers licenses]we started talking to the Guard, Baker said at that time, reported CBS Boston.

The school bus driver shortage has also prompted other states to explore unusual solutions. In New York, at least one state lawmaker has asked Gov. Kathy Hochul to put the Guard members behind the wheel.

The last thing any family should have to worry about on the first day of school is whether or not the bus will show up in the morning to pick up their child, state Assemblyman Michael Lawler, a Republican, said in September after urging Hochul to activate the National Guard to transport students. And for far too many families across New York state, the lack of bus drivers is causing serious headaches and problems.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk (right) and Andrew Forrest (left) from Fortescue Future Industries talks to the media during a hydrogen announcement at Incitec Pivot on Gibson Island in Brisbane, Australia on Oct. 11, 2021. (AAP Image/Darren England)

Mining Billionaire and Queensland Pair Up For Global Hydrogen Hub

Mining billionaire, Andrew Forrest, continues to ramp up Australias renewable export industry after partnering with the Queensland government to create a hydrogen mega-manufacturing centre on the states central coast.

Forrests Fortescue Future Industries (FFI) will inject $114 million into helping transform Gladstone into an international hub for both the production of green hydrogen-making equipment, known as electrolysers, and the creation and export of hydrogen itself.

We dont just want to export our resourceswe want to develop a manufacturing industry capable of making the electrolysers in Queensland as well, Palaszczuk said.

Queensland is positioned ideally in the world for this being in close proximity to large Asian markets who are hungry for our exports, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk told reporters.

Forrest, who became known last year for a diplomatic misstep regarding China, said the developments would allow manufacturing to come roaring back to regional Australia, creating thousands of jobs in the process.

FFI has lauded green hydrogen as a critical resource towards de-carbonisation throughout transport, energy, and industrial sectors. The gas can be produced by passing an electrical current through water to generate hydrogen, making the process fully carbon-dioxide free or green.

Fortescue Metals chairman Andrew Forrest during a visit to the Christmas Creek mine site in The Pilbara, Western Australia, on Apr. 15, 2021. (AAP Image/Pool, Justin Benson-Cooper)

This initiative is a critical step in Fortescues transition from a highly successful pure-play iron ore producer to an even more successful green renewables and resources powerhouse, Forrest said in a media release.

Forrests renewable-centred investments have already laid out plans for a 1 gigawatt (GW) solar factory in Australiathe first solar manufacturer in the sunlit nationas well as the worlds largest, 20 GW solar farm to supply power to Singapore.

Queensland has begun to bloom as Australias hydrogen state after already establishing two early-stage deals with Japana deal for Origin Energy to supply 36,500 of hydrogen to Kawasaki Heavy Industries, and a joint export project between Stanwell and Iwatani Corporation which could generate up to $4.2 billion in hydrogen exports.

A cubic-meter tank containing liquid hydrogen at Kobe Port Island plant in Kobe, Japan on Oct. 26, 2020. The special shipping terminal has been built in order to import liquid hydrogen from Australia. (Etienne Balmer/AFP via Getty Images)

However, FFI will also be partnering with Incitec Pivot to fast track a feasibility study that will assess whether the site could be used to produce up to 50,000 tonnes of hydrogen per year to be converted straight into green ammonia.

Green ammonia, also produced using carbon-free processes, can be used as both a fertiliser and a fuel in long-distance cargo ships.

Forrest said the ammonia could be critically important in replacing the polluting fuels typically present on ships, with Queensland in an ideal position given 80 percent of all the ships which visit Australia come straight through Queensland waters.

When you consider that the fossil fuel powering those ships is made from the absolute dregs of the fossil fuel sector, sulphur-ridden, pollution-ridden fuels  it goes into the ocean, Forrest told reporters.

Green ammonia, though, is the worlds first and easily the best solution to the hideous pollution of ocean shipping. Green ammonia can be made right here. It can be put onto ships as they sail through Queensland waters; it can help decarbonize and de-pollute the worlds oceans.
A healthcare professional prepares to enter a COVID-19 patient's room in the ICU at Van Wert County Hospital in Van Wert, Ohio, on Nov. 20, 2020. (Megan Jelinger/AFP via Getty Images)

Missouri Hospital CEO Issues Warning About Staffing Shortages Over Biden Vaccine Mandate

The CEO of a hospital system in rural southeastern Missouri warned that President Joe Bidens announced COVID-19 vaccine mandate for most healthcare workers could trigger significant staffing shortages.

Our reality is we need staff to work. And in return for your working, were not going to ask you to get a vaccine mandate, Scotland County Hospital CEO Randy Tobler told CNN in an interview published Tuesday. There were people in the hospital that freely shared that if the vaccine mandate happened on our account or on anyone elses, they would not work here. Thats just something they werent going to put in their body.

Noting that hes lost about 18 percent of nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic, Tobler said that he cannot afford to mandate vaccines that would alienate even more staff. The mandate, he said, wont make the nurses want to get vaccinated but will instead prompt them to quit.

According to the CEO, about 60 percent of Scotland County Hospitals staff are vaccinated. Tobler said he suspects that not having a vaccination requirement allowed his facility to retain more workers.

I criticized President Bidens mandate, Tobler also remarked. I thought it was a mistake because I think its going to backfire.

Many employees, Tobler added, were pleased that we honored their right to choose what they want to do with their body, and I think that may have helped retain some staff that may have been tempted to jump to other places because of salary or what they perceive as different working conditions.

Tobler said hes still confused why so many nurses and other staff wont get the vaccine, noting that many have seen someone they know die or get seriously ill from COVID-19.

But Toblers warning in the CNN interview comes about a month after the CEO of a hospital in rural Texas warned that his facility may be forced to close down following Bidens announced mandate. The president said on Sept. 9 that healthcare workers who are employed at facilities that receive Medicare or Medicaid funding need to be vaccinated.

Brownfield Regional Medical Center CEO Jerry Jasper told KCBD that 20 percent  probably 20 to 25 percent of my staff will have to go away if thats the case. And losing those workers, he said, would likely cause his hospital to shut down.

Losing Medicare and Medicaid money isnt an option either, he said.

Its huge in our rural community as all the other rural communities. We all have high poverty levels and stuff like that, so a lot of Medicaid usage in our communities and stuff like that, Jasper said.

The Epoch Times has contacted Tobler for additional comment.
An Ecuadorian woman is pictured in a United States Border Patrol transport vehicle in Sunland Park, New Mexico on Sept.1, 2021. (Paul Ratje/AFP via Getty Images)

More Than 100 Illegal Immigrants Found Near Southern Border, Most Unaccompanied Minors

More than 100 illegal immigrants, mostly unaccompanied children, were recently discovered by border agents in San Miguel and Three Points, near Tucson, the acting chief patrol agent of the U.S. Border Patrols Tucson Sector said on Monday.

A group of 125 migrants surrendered to #ThreePoints Station agents near San Miguel, Arizona. Nearly three quarters were unaccompanied children, Sabri Y. Dikman wrote on Twitter, sharing a photo of the individuals discovered at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Large groups of mostly children continue to be exploited by smugglers who leave them at the border for agents to encounter, he added.

A group of 125 migrants surrendered to #ThreePoints Station agents near San Miguel, Arizona. Nearly three quarters were unaccompanied children. Large groups of mostly children continue to be exploited by smugglers who leave them at the border for agents to encounter. pic.twitter.com/mgIGASfaUU  Sabri Y. Dikman (@USBPChiefTCA) October 11, 2021

In July, 185 undocumented immigrants, mostly unaccompanied minors from Guatemala, were discovered by border agents at the same location, while earlier, in April, Dikman shared on his Twitter account that Border Patrol agents encountered over 130 illegal aliens that surrendered near San Miguel, Arizona.

The group consisted of citizens from Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Nicaragua. Masks were provided and the group was transported to Tucson for processing, he wrote at the time.

According to data from the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) released last month, arrests at the U.S.-Mexico border topped 200,000 for a second consecutive month and remain on track to set a new yearly record.

Border agents apprehended 208,887 people in August, a slight dip from July but up more than four times from August 2020 and three times from August 2019, according to the data.

Most of the illegal immigrants caught were single adults, nearly 100,000, while approximately 80,000 people who were arrested were part of a family unit. About 18,500 unaccompanied children were apprehended.

Apprehensions at the southern border spiked after President Joe Biden took office and rolled back a number of his predecessors immigration policies. The president faces mounting criticism from both sides of the political aisle over his handling of the influx of illegal crossings at the U.S.Mexico border.

The latest figures bring the total number of encounters for this fiscal year to 1.54 million. That means the Biden administration could eclipse a fiscal year record, depending on the flow in September. The current record is 1.64 million, set in 2000.

Last week, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and a number of Republican senators decried the Biden border crisis, saying that it continues to get worse daily.

This is a humanitarian crisis, a public health crisis, its a national security crisis, and right now Joe Biden and Kamala Harris arent doing a damn thing about it, Cruz said at a press conference.

Zachary Stieber contributed to this report.
Most Canadians Want Huawei Ban and Chinas Growing Power Contained: Poll

An increasing majority of Canadians think that the federal government should ban Chinese telecom giant Huawei Technologies from joining the countrys 5G network, a new poll finds.

Conducted by Nanos Research for the Globe and Mail, the survey found that 76 percent of Canadians are against Huawei taking part in the countrys telecommunication 5G networkan increase from 53 percent who supported the ban in 2019.

Only 10 percent of respondents say the Chinese telecom should be allowed to supply its 5G kit to Canada, a drop from 22 percent in the 2019 poll.

Canada remains the only nation among its Five Eyes intelligence-sharing allianceconsisting of Canada, New Zealand, the U.S., Australia and the UKto have not made a decision regarding Huawei and 5G, despite years of grappling with the issue amid strong U.S. warnings of national security threats posed by Beijing.

In late September, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his cabinet will decide whether to ban Huawei in the coming weeks.

We continue to weigh and look at different options, but we will be no doubt making announcements in the coming weeks, Trudeau told reporters on Sept. 28, during his first news conference since his re-election a week prior.

The latest poll surveyed 1,017 Canadians between Sept. 30 and Oct. 3 and found that a strong majority of Canadians support joining allies to contain Chinas growing power. Seventy-eight percent of the respondents opted to support or somewhat support working with the U.S., the UK and Australia to develop policies to counter the Communist regime.

The survey also reported that 69 percent of respondents are against Canada negotiating a free trade agreement with Beijing at the present time, an increase of 22 percentage points since 2019, while supporters for such a deal declined from 43 percent in 2019 to 19 percent this year.

The poll observed that sentiment against the Chinese regime continues even after the freeing of Canadians Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrigan apparent act of hostage diplomacy by Beijing in exchange for the release of Huaweis chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou.

Canadians are more than three times more likely to say relations between the Government of Canada and the Government of China should be unfriendly rather than friendly, the poll stated.

Meng was arrested in Vancouver on Dec. 1, 2018, on a U.S. extradition request related to fraud charges for allegedly misleading HSBC in 2013 about Huaweis business dealings in Iran, in violation of U.S. sanctions. Days later on Dec. 10, Kovrig and Spavor were detained on baseless charges in China.

Under a deferred prosecution agreement with U.S. prosecutors signed on Sept. 24, Meng was allowed to plead not guilty but had to agree to the charges against her as spelled out in a statement of facts document. On the same day a Canadian court removed her bail conditions and allowed her to fly back to China, the two Michaels were also released and flew home to Canada.

The poll, conducted through hybrid telephone and online survey, is considered accurate within +/- 3.1 percentage points 19 times out of 20.

With files from Reuters
The National Federation of Republican Assemblies passed a resolution urging state officials and Congress members to work to stop organ harvesting of prisoners in China during a meeting in Scottsdale, Arizona, on Oct. 9. From left: Bill Cardoza, chairman of the Sacramento Republican Congress, Norman H. Reece, chairman of the Solano Republican Congress, his wife Jeanine Reece, and Mike Gomez, vice chairman of the Solano Republican Congress. (The Epoch Times)

National Republican Assembly Passes Resolution to End Forced Organ Harvesting From Prisoners in China

The National Federation of Republican Assemblies (NFRA) passed a resolution on Oct. 9 urging state officials and Congress members to work to stop organ harvesting from prisoners of conscience in China, during a meeting in Scottsdale, Arizona.

The resolution was submitted by Norman Reece, president of the Solano Republican Assembly, calling for an immediate end to the persecution of Falun Gong and forced organ harvesting by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

I think its important to continue holding the Communist Party of China accountable for the atrocities that theyre doing. This is one of the worst [religious persecutions], Reece told The Epoch Times.

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is spiritual practice composed of meditative exercises and moral teachings based on the principles, truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance.

After the discipline was introduced in China in 1992, it surged in popularity, leading to 70 million to 100 million people practicing by the end of the decade, according to estimates at the time. Perceiving this popularity as a threat to its authoritarian rule, the Chinese regime in 1999 launched a sweeping campaign to eradicate the practice.

Since then, millions of adherents have been detained in labor camps, prisons, and other facilities, while hundreds of thousands have been tortured for refusing to give up their beliefs, according to the Falun Dafa Information Center. Detained practitioners have also been killed for their organs for sale on the transplant market.

The resolution states that the CCP has continuously denied harvesting organs without the consent of prisoners, yet it has prevented independent verification of its organ transplant system.

The resolution was proposed by Norman Reece, president of the Solano Republican Assembly. (Rachel Cao/The Epoch Times).

Reece condemned the CCPs violation of the World Health Organizations requirements of transparency and traceability in organ procurement pathways and its persecution aimed at the tens of millions of Falun Gong practitioners in China since 1999.

The resolution stated that Falun Gong practitioners make up the largest number of prisoners of conscience in China, and face the risk of the CCPs forced organ harvesting industry.

Reece said that many media outlets are silent on the topic because they feel threatened by or have received funds from the CCP.

In 2019, an independent peoples tribunal concluded, after a yearlong investigation, that the Chinese regime has for years been harvesting organs from detained prisoners of conscience on a significant scale, with the main victim group being Falun Gong practitioners.

The Tribunal has had no evidence that the significant infrastructure associated with Chinas transplantation industry has been dismantled and absent a satisfactory explanation as to the source of readily available organs concludes that forced organ harvesting continues till today, the judgment states.

The NFRA called on the U.S. State Department to conduct a more detailed analysis on state-sanctioned organ harvesting from non-consenting prisoners of conscience in the annual Human Rights Reports, and demand an immediate end to the 22-year persecution by the CCP of the Falun Gong spiritual practice.

Over the 22-year persecution, Falun Gong practitioners have continuously sought justice for their friends and family members who have been persecuted or whose organs have been forcibly harvested.

As of today, five congressional resolutions that call on the CCP to cease the persecution of Falun Gong have passed the House under the efforts of Falun Gong practitioners. All these resolutions are calling on the CCP to cease its persecution of Falun Gong practitioners.
Rescuers carry a miner out after he was trapped, following a blast accident that occurred at Dongfeng Coal Mine in the suburb of Qitaihe city of Heilongjiang Province, China, on Nov. 28, 2005. (China Photos/Getty Images)

Nearly a Quarter of Coal Mines in Chinas Shanxi Province Suspend Operations Due to Safety Concerns

Around 22 percent of coal mines in Chinas coal hub of Shanxi Province were recently ordered to stop operating due to major safety issues. One China observer said that problems persist due to a lack of oversight and corruption among authorities, and safety rules are regarded as a mere formality.

From January to July, Shanxi produced about 675 million tons of raw coal, the highest among all provinces, accounting for about 30 percent of Chinas total output in the same period. Suspending the coal mine operations in the province is a big deal as other industries would be affected.

Shanxi is an important part of Chinas coal supply network. On Sept. 29, Shanxi signed coal contracts with 14 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities, and agreed to supply coal from October to the end of December.

From January to August this year, seven accidents occurred in Shanxi coal mines. A total of 204 mines, or 22.4 percent of the provinces mines, were ordered by local authorities to stop operating in order to rectify the problems.

Safety Issues

At around 5:00 p.m. on Sept. 22, water penetrated the wall of the inclined shaft of an underground mine owned by Wu Guan Tun Coal in Datong city. The water was 1,300 feet away from the shaft wall. The inclined shaft of an underground mine is used to transport materials, equipment, and workers. The maximum water inflow was about 28,200 cubic feet per hour, leading to flooding of some mining areas. Around 134 people were evacuated, but no injuries were reported.

In September and October, the Shanxi Coal Mine Safety Supervision Administration carried out an inspection on all the coal mines in the province and focused on water damage.

General inspections were also carried out without prior notice. On July 27, six coal mines in Jinzhong city received unannounced visits by the CCPs Safety Commission.

Rescue workers go underground to search for the trapped miners at Xishui Colliery in Shuozhou of Shanxi Province, northern China, on March 21, 2005. (China Photos/Getty Images)

A public investigation video revealed problems at some coal mines in Shanxi.

During an inspection of Jingfu Coal Industry Company in Shouyang county, the video showed that a top section of the coal mining area had a layer separation problem that could lead to a major accident at any time. Nine out of 10 hydraulic support pressure gauges, which are used to monitor the overall pressure of the support system in the coal mining face, were broken. A coal mining face is where the mining activity takes place. About 90 percent of the underground fire extinguishers were not in working order.

In the mine, 32 hidden dangers and problems, such as electrical equipment failure, were found. Jingfu Company produces 900,000 tons of coal per year.

Many problems were also found at the Beishan Coal Mine in Yuci district. In the production area of the mine, it was found that the gas pressure and gas content were not measured in the correct position. The gas content reached a dangerous level, but no action plan was in place to address the problem.

Furthermore, the company failed to provide a gas disaster analysis and management system, nor work out an emergency plan for the shutdown of the main ventilator. There were also problems with water control measures at two production mines.

The Coal Mine Safety Supervision Administration of Shouyang county was also found to have three major problems, according to the aforementioned video. First, the administration did not implement a safety plan for coal mine production. Second, no personnel was assigned to review safety-related technical records on a regular basis. Third, in the event of a natural disaster, the administration only issued orders to suspend production, but overlooked the safety of workers such as providing an evacuation plan.

Beijings Mine Safety Supervision Bureau said that there are many outstanding issues that are very serious among the coal mines in Shanxi. These include the following: certain safety protocols in emergency situations, such as in the event of a gas leak, are not in place; and there is a lack of supervision of workers.

Problems Persist

On the surface, authorities have been doing their jobs by addressing the issue of coal mine safety. For instance, the Shanxi provincial government issued a Three-Year Plan for Special Rectification in May 2020, and its Emergency Management Department conducted special safety inspections of all coal mines in the province in September and October.

In addition, the Shanxi Coal Supervision Bureau and Shanxi Emergency Management Department announced in mid-September its decision to inspect every coal mine under its jurisdiction. Coal mines are required to do their own safety inspections before inspectors are sent out to their work sites.

Chinese rescuers rush an injured miner to a hospital after a gas leak at the Zijiang Coal Mine in Loudi of Hunan Province, southern China, on June 8, 2005. (China Photos/Getty Images)

The Three-Year Plan for Special Rectification is a nationwide campaign. Inner Mongolia, Chinas second-largest coal producer, is also making solid progress, according to a report by the state-run China Emergency Response Network. However, the Inner Mongolia Coal Mine Safety Administration reported on Sept. 30 that coal mines operated by the National Energy Group in the region had suffered three fatal accidents in 18 days.

Li Yuanhua, a former associate professor of education at Capital Normal University in Beijing, believes that the Three-Year Plan is merely a formality.

Why is it a pseudo-proposition? Because they have done this many times, but the safety problem has not been solved, Li told The Epoch Times.

Li further pointed out that although the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) stipulates rules, these rules are not enforced. The unsafe mines are able to get permission to restart operations because local governments pursue tax revenues, and there is collusion between government and business entities.

The crux of the problem is this: Do they value miners lives or coal? The fact that many coal mines are still operating without safety [regulations in place] is related to the corruption of the CCP. Some coal bosses in Shanxi can start their mines without safety [regulations] after bribing officials. We only talk about the security issue now, but there are also a series of problems such as destructive mining and environmental pollution.

CCP officials are willing to carry out small campaigns like the Three-Year Plan. [By doing this] they can satisfy the leadership as well as take money from the lower levels. The point is that no one really cares about the safety of miners, Li said.

If a nation respects life, the result will be completely different. In Australia, the government fines for neglecting safety [protocols] are very high. If any enterprise dares to ignore [safety protocols], its almost impossible for it to keep running, so no one dares to ignore [the rules]. Why are there so many people who dare to ignore [safety] under CCP rule? Because the cost of neglecting human life is lower than the cost of security.

The CCP has no respect for life, Li said. So the corporates approach is to make money first. If something goes wrong, use money to fix it; if nothing goes wrong, they just get away with it. Its the inaction or disorderly actions of the communist regime that encourages coal companies to do this.
A sign advertises an apartment for rent along a row of brownstone townhouses in the Fort Greene neighborhood on in the Brooklyn borough of New York City on June 24, 2016. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

New York Among Handful of States Standing to Receive More Rental Relief Aid

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has announced that the state is seeking more federal funding for its Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP), a drastic turnaround given that state officials were concerned about the programs operation just a couple months ago.

In a news release late last week tied to another COVID-19 measure, Hochul said that the state has allocated funds or issued payments totaling $1.8 billion as of Sept. 30 to cover rent and utility payments for tenants who either lost their job, suffered a pay cut or experienced financial hardship because of the pandemic.

The National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) listed New York as having allocated $1.6 billion as of last Monday. Still, it was the only state to top the $1 billion mark and the only one to fully appropriate its first round of funding.

In mid-August, Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli issued a report indicating the lack of progress could lead to the federal government revoking funds. State lawmakers also peppered Office for Temporary and Disability Assistance Commissioner Michael Hein about the application process and outreach efforts.

Issues facing the program included a complicated online application process and that state workers often needed to track down landlords for information or verification. In one of her first orders as governor, Hochul allocated $1 million to bolster outreach efforts about the program and assigned 100 state contractors to work solely on contacting landlords to finalize applications.

New York, other states and the District of Columbia received billions in emergency rental relief funding through two COVID-19 aid packages. Lawmakers approved $25 billion in rental assistance in the December 2020 emergency spending bill. They added nearly $21.6 billion in the American Rescue Plan Act three months later.

Most of that funding went directly to states, although communities could opt-out and receive their own allocation.

The December spending bill also called on the U.S. Treasury Department to reallocate outstanding funds from the first round of aid and reapportion it to states that have obligated at least 65 percent of their dollars.

New York received nearly $1.2 billion in the first round of funding, according to the coalition. Overall, it received $2.7 billion in initial aid.

According to the NLIHC, only seven states were projected to exceed the 65 percent threshold through last Monday. Besides New York, the other states are Connecticut, New Jersey, Illinois, Texas, Virginia, and Oregon. The District of Columbia also was expected to meet the threshold.

Meanwhile, 23 states were projected to have allocated less than 20 percent of their first round of rental aid funding.

In a letter dated Monday to the state programs handling the aid money, Deputy Treasury Secretary Adewale Adeyemo wrote that states that have not met that 65 percent threshold must provide the federal government with an improvement plan, and those with the lowest expenditure ratios will have funds taken away from them.

A related memo also issued Monday said that the department will begin accepting requests for additional funding starting next Friday. Only those who have met the 65 percent threshold can make the request.

The additional funding thats almost certainly coming New Yorks way will be embraced by lawmakers and state officials seeking to reduce the number of residents who face eviction. No state has more residents who rent housing than New Yorks 46 percent.

Itll also likely be welcomed by landlords, who in some cases have gone more than a year without receiving rent payments for their properties.

According to OTDA, more than 52,700 landlords have already received more than $667.3 million in funds from ERAP. More than 89,200 applications have been preliminarily approved. Once those applications have been verified, the landlords tied to those claims will receive $1.1 billion.

ERAP covers funding for up to 12 months of back rent or overdue utilities. Certain applicants may also receive funding to cover three months of rental payments. Those funds go directly to the landlord or utility.

In return for accepting the ERAP, property owners agree not to evict tenants for a year. However, there are some exceptions to that rule.

Besides ERAP, Hochul on Thursday also announced that the state will make $125 million available to landlords whose properties were not eligible for ERAP funding.

That includes property owners whose tenants did not apply for ERAP or had units abandoned by renters who owed back payments. Eligible properties must have a lease rate no higher than 150 percent of the fair market rate in their community.

I am proud that our states rental assistance program has already provided much needed relief to tens of thousands of New Yorkers, but there are still many small landlords ineligible for that relief because of federal rules who also need our help, Hochul said. This funding is a critical tool to close that gap and help more New Yorkers recover from the pandemic.

The funding for the program comes from the legislation New York lawmakers passed in a special session last month to extend the states eviction moratorium until Jan. 15.

While the funding will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, the state will give preference to property owners with a building that houses 20 or fewer units if they apply within the next six weeks.

Senate Housing Committee Chair Brian Kavanagh, D-Manhattan, said in a statement that the new fund shows New York is also committed to protecting everyone who has been affected by the pandemic.

Its especially important that property owners whose tenants may have left their apartments after months of not being able to pay their rent will now be eligible for payments, ensuring that unpaid rent debts from this period will not continue to burden either the landlord or the tenant, he said. By Steve Bittenbender
Newport Beach Homeowner Who Fatally Shot Intruder Cleared by DAs Office

The Orange County District Attorneys (OCDA) Office cleared a Newport Beach homeowner who fatally shot an intruder inside his house of any criminal consequences, saying he had a right to defend himself, it was announced Oct. 11.

On Aug. 26 at approximately 4:10 am, Henry Lehr, a 23-year-old living at a residential detox center, left the facility after telling staff that he was hearing and seeing demons.

After leaving the center, Lehr broke into an unnamed homeowners backyard off of Redlands Drive and Indus Street in Newport Heights and then went to the front of the house where prosecutors say he banged on the front door, rang the doorbell, and demanded to be let inside the house.

Lehr proceeded to break down the front door, which alerted the sleeping homeowner, who grabbed his pistol and found Lehr on his stairs.

The homeowner demanded Lehr identify himself and that he did not continue coming up the stairs.

Prosecutors say that Lehr continued to charge up the stairs, prompting the homeowner to fire his weapon once, striking Lehr in the upper chest.

The homeowner and his wife called 911, and Lehr was pronounced dead at the scene.

The homeowner told police that he needed to shoot the intruder because he feared for the safety of himself and his wife.

Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said on one hand a homeowner has a right to protect himself. Meanwhile, he also condemned residential detox centers, saying people struggling with addiction should not be placed in residential neighborhoods for this very reason.

A homeowner has the absolute right to protect themselves from someone who breaks into their home in the middle of the night and threatens their safety, Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said in a statement. The loss of life is tragic in any situation and this situation is made even more tragic by the fact that an individual who went to a group home to get help with his addiction issues ended up on a deadly collision course with a homeowner who just sleeping in his own bed in his own house.

People at that group home knew that young man was strugglingyet no one went to check on him. People struggling with addiction issues need to have a safe environment where they can work toward sobriety and people living in residential neighborhoods should not have to live in fear of waking up to someone struggling with addiction breaking down their front door.
An ambulance is seen outside of Melbourne Medical Centre at Monash Medical Centre in Melbourne, Australia, on April 17, 2020. (Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)

Non-Urgent Surgeries Off the Table as Victoria Tries to Cope With COVID-19 Infections

The Australian state of Victoria will pause non-urgent surgeries as it scrambles to deal with rising demands on its health service amid a growing outbreak of the CCP virus.

Health Minister Martin Foley confirmed that public hospitals from Oct. 14 will only perform Category 1 surgeries (must be treated within 30 days) or 2A surgeries (90 days).

Other categories of clinical care will be rescheduled on a case-by-case basis, depending on particular circumstances in particular locations, Foley told reporters on Oct. 12.

As COVID cases increase, we foreshadowed that we will be shifting capacity from the state sector to the private sector, and with that, we will be progressively seeking to switch off elements of non-urgent care, he added.

This is an unfortunate, but necessary, measure to take account of the increased demand  and we cant rule out further changes.

So far, 675 patients with COVID-19 are in hospital, with 144 in intensive care units and 100 of those on ventilators. Last year, health authorities paused non-urgent surgeries to deal with an infection spike.

The Victorian government will also inject $255 million into creating a hospital surge support allowance for health workers treating COVID-positive patients for the next four monthsequating to $60 per shift from next week.

We know that the next few months, as Victoria opens, are going to be incredibly challenging and difficult  for all our healthcare workforce, Foley said.

Another $2.5 million will be spent on recruiting up to 1,000 healthcare workers from overseas, 60 percent of which will be returning Australians, to help ease the pressure on the health system.

The nurses, doctors, midwives, and allied health workers will arrive from November to March 2022.

Victoria has seen some of its highest daily COVID-19 infection rates on record.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed and exacerbated, long-term issues with the health systems of various Australian states.

In particular, ambulance rampingwhen patients are forced to wait outside hospitals until there is capacity for them to be transported insidehas become an increasingly prominent issue, even in states with low COVID-19 case numbers.

Ambulance ramping is what the public see and hear about via news reports. They might be less aware of bed shortages or access blocks in the aged care sector, which flows back to the hospital bed availability, according to Malcolm Boyle, academic lead in Paramedic Education and director of Paramedicine Programs at Griffith University.

As with many aspects of health care, COVID has highlighted and worsened existing problems and pressures, he wrote in The Conversation on Oct. 11.
A student walks through the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in Chapel Hill, N.C., on Aug. 18, 2020. (Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty Images)

North Carolina University Cancels Class for 30,000 Students After Possible Suicide

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill said that Tuesday classes were canceled for its 30,000 students after police investigated a possible suicide and an attempted suicide over the past weekend.

In a statement, UNC Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz, without elaborating, said the school is in a mental health crisis and that we are aware that college-aged students carry an increased risk of suicide.

This crisis has directly impacted members of our communityespecially with the passing of two students on campus in the past month. As chancellor, a professor and a parent, my heart breaks for all those whose suffering goes unnoticed, he wrote.

Guskiewicz said he would create a support network starting Tuesday, drawing on resources from the schools Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), Department of Psychiatry and School of Medicine, and School of Social Work.

Classes will be canceled. I encourage every student to use this time to rest and to check in with each other during that day. Reach out to a friend, a classmate, or colleague and ask them, honestly, how are you doing? Guskiewicz also said. Faculty, staff, students, and campus leaders must work together to address this national crisis, he added.

The schools police departments crime log showed investigators received a call for an attempted suicide at Granville Towers South around 3 a.m. Sunday as well as the death of a student living in Hinton James Residence Hall a day before that, according to local reports.

Suicide is the second leading cause of death for people between the ages of 10 and 34, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The agency noted that due to COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, suicides are on the increase.

A landmark UK study earlier this year found that five times more children committed suicide than died of COVID-19 during the first year of the pandemic.

Researchers with the University College London, the University of York, the University of Liverpool, and the University of Bristol discovered in a study that the virus doesnt pose a significant threat to young people and children, as compared with other age groups.

But the study concluded that the risk of removal of CYP (children and young people) from their normal activities across education and social events may prove a greater risk than that of SARS-CoV-2 itself, using another name for the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus.

Only 25 children under the age of 18 died of COVID-19 from the start of the pandemic until the end of February 2021, they found. During the same time period, there were approximately 124 suicides among children and another 268 deaths from trauma, the study authors found.

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has about 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students.

If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or the Crisis Text Line (Text START to 741-741).
Rally organizer Bob Gast gathers with a small group Orange County locals to show support for law enforcement and America in Irvine, Calif., on Oct. 11, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

OC Locals Rally Support for Law Enforcement

At the corner of Alton Parkway and Culver Drive in Irvine, California, American flags and signs showing support for law enforcement were waved by seven Orange County residents, breaking the visible afternoon routine of the intersections daily commuters on Oct. 11.

By email, rallygoers were told to come as they are and to stay for as short or as long as they wished.

 I am well aware of the hard work and dedication those who enter law enforcement bring to this often-thankless job, Irvine resident David Whitley told The Epoch Times.

A patriotic presence in a city that is becoming more and more blue. A stand of solidarity with our law enforcement for the great job they do in the face of its inherent dangers and the push to marginalize them as violators of rights rather than defenders of freedom and justice.

Barbara George and her daughter Hannah gather with a small group Orange County locals to show support for law enforcement and America in Irvine, Calif., on Oct. 11, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

They were also invited to show appreciation by bringing flags, which were also stockpiled for those participating to borrow.

Supporters arrived shortly before the 4:00 p.m. Patriotic Pro-Law Enforcement Rally, held on Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples Day, which according to Whitley was chosen for two reasons.

Its a holiday, so we figured more people would be available to attend. Whitley continued.

And we support the great men and women of western civilization who have brought us the great prosperity and liberty by their sacrifices against all odds.

Near the intersection in the quiet parking area of a T-Mobile store, rally organizer Bob Gast, of Irvine, sat in the back of his SUV loaded with American flags, along with flags and signs exclaiming support for law enforcement.

Law enforcement is so unrecognized to the safety that they provide to our community and its overdue that they dont receive the recognition that they deserve, Gast told the Epoch Times on Columbus Day.

Were doing this on a Monday holiday, and we know that the number of people going to show up is going to be pretty small, but that doesnt matter. In law enforcement, you forget that its a family unit with the kids and the moms and the dads all supporting each other and thats so important.

Thats why really we want to bring attention and honor these families.

Rally organizer Bob Gast gathers with a small group Orange County locals to show support for law enforcement and America in Irvine, Calif., on Oct. 11, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

Among the small but happy crowd of flag-wavers was state director of Blexit California Barbara George, who also brought along her 10-year-old daughter Hannah to wave flags for traffic at the intersections edge.

We want to support and back the work of law enforcement today because they are the unsung heroes, who I have no idea why, have chosen to serve others and put their lives on the line, George told The Epoch Times.

Because what person in the right mind responds when a total stranger calls them in the most extreme of situations and puts their life on the line for them!

I thank them. I commend them, and I support them.

A small group Orange County locals gathered to show support for law enforcement and America in Irvine, Calif., on Oct. 11, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

With multiple honks in support from cars, a small SUV of young men driving past the flags on Alton Parkway shouted negative slurs continually as they drove down the road.

Almost immediately after, the small crew was greeted by more car honks in support.

It is important, fun, and uplifting to not only rally with like-minded neighbors, but it is equally important to show the public that they are not alone in their views of traditional values, Whitley concluded.

The great benefits we are blessed with because in the past men and women did extraordinary things, took unimaginable risks, made amazing leapsfor which we are the benefactors.

As the brief rally concluded, Gast gave away multiple American flags to participants to take home with them.
A maze of crude oil pipes and valves is pictured during a tour by the Department of Energy at the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in Freeport, Texas on June 9, 2016. (Richard Carson/Reuters)

Oil Nears Three-Year High on Energy Crunch Fears

LONDONOil rose towards $84 a barrel on Tuesday, within sight of a three-year high, supported by a rebound in global demand that is contributing to energy shortages in big economies such as China.

With demand growing as economies recover from pandemic lows, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and allied producers, collectively known as OPEC+, are sticking to plans to restore output gradually rather than boost supply quickly.

OPEC+ will push ahead with its cautious approach to supply in the year-end period. Set against this backdrop, oil bears will remain in hibernation mode, said Stephen Brennock of oil broker PVM.

Brent crude was up 17 cents, or 0.2 percent, at $83.82 a barrel by 1000 GMT. On Monday it reached $84.60, the highest since October 2018. U.S. oil gained 8 cents, or 0.1 percent, to $80.60, having hit its highest since late 2014 on Monday at $82.18.

Jeffrey Halley, analyst at brokerage OANDA, said the lack of significant change in prices on Tuesday could be because the market looks overbought based on short-term technical indicators such as the relative strength index.

It would not surprise me in the least if we saw a sharp sell-off of $5 to $8 a barrel at some stage this week, he said.

The price of Brent has surged by more than 60 percent this year. As well as OPEC+ supply restraint, the rally has been spurred by record European gas prices, which have encouraged a switch to oil for power generation.

European gas at the Dutch TTF hub stood on Tuesday at a crude oil equivalent of about $169 a barrel, based on the relative value of the same amount of energy from each source, according to Reuters calculations based on Eikon data.

Power prices have surged to record highs in recent weeks, driven by widespread energy shortages in Asia, Europe, and the United States. The energy crisis affecting China is expected to last through to the end of the year.

With prices rising, OPEC+ has come under pressure from consumer nations. A U.S. official on Monday said the White House stands by its calls for oil-producing countries to do more.

By Alex Lawler
An Oregon National Guardsman works with hospital staff at an intake station at Three Rivers Asante Medical Center in Grants Pass, Oregon, on Sept. 9, 2021. (Nathan Howard/Getty Images)

Oregon Senators Call for Investigation Into Alleged COVID-19 Statistical Manipulation

Oregon state Sens. Kim Thatcher and Dennis Linthicum, both Republicans, have petitioned Acting U.S. Attorney Scott E. Asphaug to launch a grand jury investigation into the measurement of COVID-19 statistics by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Thatcher and Linthicum submitted the petition in a letter (pdf) on Aug. 16 after gathering signatures from 1,718 Oregonians and 53,032 Americans.

In the petition, the senators expressed concerns over the measurement and reporting of COVID-19 vaccine adverse reactions including fatalities and injuries.

The lawmakers stated that a whistleblower, under sworn testimony, said the data reported under the CDCs Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System may have been underreported by a factor of five.

Regarding the diagnosis of COVID-19 through widely-used PCR tests, the senators said that the CDC and the FDAs setting of one particular test parameterthe cycle thresholdgenerated false positives resulting in inflated numbers of COVID cases, hospitalizations, and deaths.

Harvard epidemiologist Dr. Michael Mina told The New York Times in August 2020 that tests with too high of a threshold may detect not just live viruses but also genetic fragments. Mina suggested setting the cut-off at 30 cycles or less.

Thatcher expressed concern over the cycle threshold of 28 when testing vaccinated individuals. According to the petition, a low cut-off is likely to eliminate false positive results and thereby reduce the number of vaccine breakthrough cases.

Thatcher and Linthicum said that they consulted large groups of doctors, epidemiologists, and virologists on the subject of COVID-19 statistical reporting.

Additionally, we are profoundly concerned that the scientific literature continues to provide empirical evidence that safe and effective treatments and management strategies for COVID infections exist but are not being made available to Americans most in need, continued the letter.

Stand for Health Freedom (SHF), a non-profit organization that helped with the petition, said in a statement that the petition was submitted one month before public release to protect those involved.

SHF also cited a March 2020 study (pdf) alleging that the CDC over-emphasized COVID-19 as the cause of death in compiling its statistics while circumvent[ing] multiple federal laws in the process.
A patient is brought to the emergency department at a hospital in Montreal on April 9, 2020. (The Canadian Press/Ryan Remiorz)

Pandemic Highlights Need for Health-Care Reform, Say Critics

The cancellation of medical procedures during the pandemic reveals inherent problems within the health-care system, prompting advocates to call for a greater role for the private sector or for the government to consider alternative models, while others remain sternly opposed.

As in earlier phases of the pandemic, thousands of surgeries were cancelled across Canada again in the summer of this year and in Alberta and Saskatchewan in recent weeks, as hospitals allocated more beds and personnel to intensive care units and emergency wards to handle COVID-19 cases.

Dr. Brian Day, founder and medical director of the Cambie Surgery Centre in Vancouver, said the problems would be less acute if Canadian health care was more efficient in the first place.

To be fair, surgeries are being cancelled everywhere, but when we [rank low] in the world in the number of hospital beds per population, I think thats a big part of the problem. The governments have neglected to build infrastructure in Canada, Day said in an interview.

Days Cambie Surgery Centre issued a constitutional challenge against B.C.s provincial ban on private health insurance. In September 2020, the B.C. Supreme Court sided with the government. However, the centre filed an appeal in June this year, which Day expects will soon get a positive response.

There is only one country in which there are jurisdictions where private health insurance is unlawful in the whole world, and were living in it, he said.

Day, a past president of the Canadian Medical Association, said private centres can offer surgeries evenings and weekends, unlike most public hospitals, and could more flexibly and affordably respond. Public or private, he said, surgical centres do things better.

Theyre more efficient, he said. They treat more patients with less resources.

Intervenors such as the BC Health Coalition and Canadian Doctors for Medicare (CDM) opposed Days court action and applauded his setback last September. BC Health Coalition co-chair Edith MacHattie and CDM chair Dr. Melanie Bechard co-authored an article in the Vancouver Sun in June to argue for more taxpayer funding to extend operating room hours, but not to facilitate more private options.

Canadians do not want to sacrifice efficiency and equity for the sake of corporate profits, they wrote. We have had more than enough to worry about throughout the past 15 months. Lets not add whether we can afford medical bills to that list.

Decades of Policy Inertia

Colin Craig, president of SecondStreet.org, a non-profit that explores how government policies affect peoples everyday lives, believes Canadian health care has suffered under the single-payer system.

Most developed nations are better equipped to respond to a pandemic for the simple reason that they have more resources in the system. Canada has fewer doctors and hospital beds and other assets in the health-care system per capita than many other developed nations, and that is because our system rations health-care resources to ultimately have politicians deciding how much money to spend, Craig told The Epoch Times.

According to the Fraser Institutes 2020 report comparing the performance of universal health care countries, out of 28 high-income Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries included for comparison, Canada ranks 26th in terms of physicians per capita, 17th in terms of nurses per capita, and 25th in terms of acute-care beds per capita.

The think tank also reported that in 2020, it took 10.5 weeks to get from a referral by a general practitioner to a consultation with a specialist, and another 12.1 weeks to get treatment. It estimated that, across the 10 provinces that year, people were waiting for treatment for a total of over 1.2 million procedures. Assuming that each person was waiting for only one procedure, that meant an estimated over 1.2 million Canadians were left waiting for treatment, or about 3.2 percent of Canadas population.

In a press release announcing their report, the authors noted that even though the wait times in 2020 have been undoubtedly influenced by the ongoing pandemic, historical data suggests they are also the result of decades of policy inertia.

Craig said a public sector monopoly is bound to be inefficient, a situation made worse in health care since every patient treated drains a set budget. One way that could change, he says, is by implementing activity-based funding, in which hospitals are paid a predefined amount of money for each patient they care for, based on the patients particular condition.

Someone needs to have an operation? Well, lets do it, because then you get another chunk of money from the government and that totally changes the incentive model, he explained.

A lot of other countries have used activity-based funding for decades now, and what theyve seen is that they can ultimately provide more output for patients. You have the incentive to spend less money on administrators  and are really focused in on providing services to patients, hip operations, cancer treatments, and so forth.

According to a Fraser Institute report in May, nearly all of the worlds developed nations with universally accessible health-care systems have moved at least partially to the activity-based funding model. England, Germany, and Australia are enhancing their incentives to improve quality delivery within this model, while Canada, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, and New Zealand remain outliers by relying on bulk budgets.

Theres a lot of people suffering in this country with pain. There are people that are passing away. Theyve had to wait too long for heart procedures, cancer treatment, and other services from the health-care system. So ultimately, the status quo without reform is costing patients lives, Craig said.
Carlos Lomena outside the Axis at One Pine apartments, where he was evicted in Plantation, Fla., on June 28, 2021. (Charles Trainor Jr./Miami Herald/TNS)

Pandora Papers Leak Reveals Vast Riches of a Religious Order Tainted by Sex Scandal

By Spencer Woodman

From Miami Herald

MIAMIIn January, Carlos Lomena, a truck driver in Plantation who lost his job during the coronavirus pandemic, begged a judge to stop his landlord from evicting him.

The 37-year-old Lomena hoped to get a fair shake in court. Hed emigrated from Venezuela after high school with a sense that the United States had a more just legal system.

In a letter to the Florida judge, he pointed to a recent extension of the nationwide moratorium on evictions during the coronavirus outbreak and asked for more time to pay his overdue rent.

I do not have a place to go, Lomena wrote, nor the money to move into a new apartment.

His landlorda holding company formed by real estate firms in Miami and Iowawasnt moved by his pleas. The company pressed the court to evict him and, in early February, the judge ruled that Lomena hadnt filed the right form to prevent his eviction. Within days, during the height of the pandemic, the Broward County Sheriffs Office posted a large notice in bold red letters on his door ordering Lomena to vacate his home at the Axis at One Pine complex within 24 hours or be arrested for trespassing.

Lomenas building is among a growing number of apartment complexes and single-family homes owned by massive corporate landlords who in some cases hold thousands of properties across the country and draw on pools of money from wealthy investors around the world.

A trove of leaked documents reviewed by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists and 150 media partners show that Lomenas building had unusual, and controversial, investors: offshore trusts holding hundreds of millions of dollars for the Legion of Christ, a wealthy Roman Catholic order disgraced by an international pedophilia scandal.

The confidential records show that the trusts became a secret partner in the ownership structure of Lomenas apartment complex, working with the landlord to invest $2 million in the complex in 2015. The trusts invested millions more in other modest residential buildings in Florida, Texas, Iowa, Indiana, and Illinois.

High-profile Legion of Christ operatives began quietly setting up one of a trio of New Zealand trusts designed to hold money for the Legion soon after the Vatican announced in 2010 that it would seize the operations of the troubled order and launch a new investigation, according to leaked records.

Two of these trusts, formed shortly after, secretly moved millions of dollars around the world. This included more than $14 million funneled into investments in apartment complexes that Pensam Capital, the firm that owned Lomenas building, was acquiring across the United States. In comments to ICIJ, Pensam said it has not received information indicating it has received investments from the Legion.

These two trusts would come to hold nearly $300 million in assets devoted to the Legion of Christ, according to leaked records, at a time when victims of sexual abuse by its priests were seeking financial compensation from the order through lawsuits and through a commission overseen by the Vatican.

In response to questions about whether the Legion disclosed the trusts to the Vatican, the order told ICIJ that religious institutes do not have an obligation to send detailed information to the Vatican regarding their internal financial decisions or organization.

In statements to ICIJ, the Legion acknowledged it had set up one of the three trusts, but distanced itself from the other two, which held the majority of the funds designated for the Legion. The Legion said it had no knowledge of the other two trusts operations. The two trusts were funded by scions of a prominent industrialist family in Mexico, including Father Luis Garza Medina, one of the Legions top leaders. A spokesperson responding to ICIJs questions for Garza said that Garza has no control over the trusts.

A review of leaked documents by ICIJ shows deep connections to the Legion in all three trusts, which share the same New Zealand address and have the same trustees managing them.

The spokesperson for Garza said the secret trusts were strictly charitable and devoted to the support of elderly priests and other Catholic causes, and that the trusts have made only charitable distributions.

The leaked documents are part of the Pandora Papers, the millions of secret files at the heart of a global investigation by ICIJ and its media partners, including the Miami Herald, the BBC, The Washington Post, LEspresso in Italy, El Pais in Spain, and the Mexican publications Quinto Elemento Lab and Proceso. The records involving the Legion of Christ come from Asiaciti Trust, a Singapore-based corporate services provider that helped administer the New Zealand trusts.

Eviction notice on Carlos Lomenas door at the Axis at One Pine apartments in Plantation, Fla., on June 28, 2021. (Charles Trainor Jr./Miami Herald/TNS)

The trove contains large amounts of data on various wealthy investors who used offshore entities to channel money into real estate.

They are part of a growing class of international investors in real estate ventures that often use hardball tactics to maximize the rate of return from properties occupied by low- and mid-income renters.

Dozens of current and former tenants at Pensam-owned buildings interviewed for this article described problems with their units, including flooding, mold or mildew, broken appliances, and dangerous elevators. Pensam routinely partners with Iowa-based BH Management Services, which takes on the day-to-day administration of its buildings.

A review of more than 100 court cases in Florida showed that the property managers added steep penalties on late rental payments and pursued rapid evictions of tenants unable to pay their rent. Tenants said customer service was difficult to reach and eviction notices appeared to be a go-to tool to manage tenants. In a statement, BH Management said it coordinates rent collection under strict adherence of lease agreements and the law, including the CDC order on evictions.

The high returns that financial firms promise their wealthy investors inevitably lead to vulnerable renters being squeezed, according to Jim Baker, the executive director of the Private Equity Stakeholder Project, a nonprofit organization that monitors private equity firms and other large investors.

This is the problem of growing global wealth inequality crystallized in one industry, Baker said.

In 2013, Pensam and BH Management evicted Collette Northrop and her children from a Dunedin, Florida, apartment after the family missed an $895 payment, according to court records. Just months before, the trusts holding money for the Legion of Christ had secretly invested at least $1 million toward Pensams purchase of the apartment complex. Northrop said that the family moved into a motel and that her children switched to a new middle school. We were homeless at that point, Northrop said. The kids asked: How are we going to tell people we live in a hotel? The whole thing is devastating for a family.

The Millionaires of Christ

In 1941, a charismatic Mexican priest named Marcial Maciel founded the Legion of Christ, a Catholic order that would become known for its intense focus on courting wealthy patrons. Some would come to call Maciels order los millonarios de Cristothe millionaires of Christ.

Over six decades, a cult of personality grew up around the groups founder. Members of the Legion were taught that Maciel was a living saint. His creation grew and became a global force as it cultivated ties to Vatican officials, very wealthy Catholics, and conservative Republican luminaries in the United States.

Maciel became the greatest fundraiser of the modern churchand its greatest criminal, according to Jason Berry, an investigative reporter who delved deeply into the Legion and its leader.

In early 1997, Berry and a reporter at the Hartford Courant wrote a front-page story that exposed Maciels decades of sexual predation, reporting that nine men had come forward to accuse him of sexually abusing them when they were boys or young men training to be priests.

Before the story was published, Berry later reported, one of Maciels confidants, the Rev. Luis Garza, traveled to Legion houses in several countries to warn of the forthcoming article, claiming it would be based on lies and telling Legionaries  not to read the report should they see a copy.

In 2006, after being plagued for years by accusations against the Legions founder, the Vatican investigated nearly 100 abuse allegations against Maciel and removed him from ministry with an order that he adopt a life of prayer and penitence.

When Macial died in 2008, the scandal didnt die with him. Revelations that hed fathered several children with different women brought more negative attention to the Legion of Christ. The Legion was increasingly viewed as a liability to the Vatican.

Amid the continuing scrutiny, much of the orders leadership passed to Garza, known as an architect of its complex finances. Garza came from the family that has controlled Mexicos Alfa conglomerate for decades. Garza joined the Legion after graduating from Stanford University, and he quickly rose through the ranks to become one of Maciels most trusted lieutenants.

On May 1, 2010, the Vatican announced that it would seize control of the Legions operations, the churchs most dramatic action against a Catholic order during the global abuse scandal. The Vatican would examine the Legions finances and possible sex crimes and establish a commission to compensate its victims.

The following month, one of Maciels sons filed a high-profile lawsuit against the Legion, alleging that the order had knowingly allowed Maciel to abuse him and other children.

In July 2010two days before the Vatican-appointed official took the reins of reforming the LegionLuis Garza quietly helped to establish the first of the three secretive trusts in New Zealand that would hold money for the Legion.

The Vatican did not directly respond to questions about the trusts, but said that its effort to reform the Legion was mostly focused on issues around its founder and its structure.

During its investigation, the Vatican appeared to be operating on the belief that the Legion was low on money. The Vatican overseer of the Legion, Cardinal Valasio De Paolis, wrote in September 2011 that the Legions financial situation was serious and challenging and that some victims were asking for enormous sums that the Legion absolutely cannot afford, according to a 2014 book by Italian journalist Gianluigi Nuzzi based on leaked Vatican sex abuse records.

At the time the trusts were established, New Zealand was a popular destination for people seeking to hide money offshore using trusts. The trusts holding money for the Legion maintained four Swiss bank accounts, including one at a Geneva-based bank, Lombard Odier, that the U.S. Justice Department later found had helped American clients conceal assets from U.S. tax authorities.

Garzas sister, Roberta Garza, who left the Legions lay branch after high school, told ICIJ that historically the Legion used offshore structures to divert religious and charitable money to more self-serving purposes, including Maciels lavish lifestyle, his secret children, and his drug habits. A lot of their money was held outside the Legion by their financiers, by people with the power of attorney who are completely faithful to the Legion, Roberta Garza said. So youre never going to find it.

We are not aware on what basis Roberta Garza makes her affirmations, Father Aaron Smith, a spokesperson for the Legion, said in response. We have found no proof of use of offshore structures to divert religious and charitable money from the Congregation to finance what we know about Maciels double life.

As New Zealand trusts quietly built their investment portfolios, the Legion faced legal threats on multiple fronts.

In civil litigation that began in 2011, Luis Garza and other Legion members were accused of defrauding an elderly Catholic woman out of $60 million in charitable donations to the order. According to The Associated Press, Garza was one of the Legion leaders responsible for distributing money from the womans trusts, although he was not a defendant in the case. The Legion at the time said that it did not unduly influence the widow. The case was later dismissed by a Rhode Island judge who said the womans niece did not have the standing to sue.

Police in Milan opened a criminal investigation in 2013 into whether senior Legion clergymen offered a bribe to induce an Italian sexual abuse victim to recant testimony he had given prosecutors. Four Legion members were charged with attempted extortion and obstruction of justice. The case is pending.

Garza was himself accused of child molestation in a 2016 suit that attracted media attention, but it was withdrawn in 2019. At the time, a spokesperson for the Legion said Garza categorically denies his involvement in this or any other abuse. The Legions own internal investigation cleared Garza. In May, lawyers for the alleged victim told LEspresso, an ICIJ partner in Italy, that they are exploring ways to refile the suit.

In November 2017, LEspresso published an investigation into a portion of the Legions offshore finances, revealing that $300 million had moved through a Legion-owned company in Bermuda more than a decade before. Although the New Zealand trusts were active when this information became public, they remained a well-kept secret. Responding in 2017 to disclosures of its financial activities in Bermuda and other tax havens, the Legion declared that it does not own offshore companies, nor does it own resources in offshore companies.

The order characterized the offshore accounts as a relic of Maciels bygone reign.

In February 2020, Pope Francis told the Legion that the order had been tainted by the cult of personality surrounding its founder, and, even after a decade of heightened supervision from the Vatican, the order was still not fully reformed.

Spiritual Projects

Pensam Capital is part of a wave of new investment firms that have plowed billions of dollars into the global real estate market in the wake of the 2008 financial crisisa trend that has raised fears of a financial industry takeover of housing.

In 2017, a United Nations-backed research paper warned that the expanding role and unprecedented dominance of financial markets and corporations in the housing sector were contributing to increases in poverty, evictions, and homelessness around the world.

On its website, Pensam Capital boasts of investing more than $3.5 billion in rental properties since 2009, and advertises, among its services, direct investments in real estate.

As scandal swirled around the Legion of Christ, assets from two of the New Zealand trusts were being shuttled around the world and into various U.S. rental properties.

Through Pensam Capital, the trusts invested in at least eight apartment complexes in Florida, Texas, Indiana, Illinois, and Iowa. In leaked documents obtained by ICIJ, Pensam pegged its target rate of return at about 15 percent annually from its rental properties, a yield that would comfortably outpace normal stock market returns.

The trusts made dozens of other investments, including stakes in a chain of rehab facilities, a Texas-based medical device company and a Mexican nutritional supplements company.

The structure the trusts used to make investments appears designed both for secrecy and to allow the Legion to legally distance itself from the vast stores of money.

Trusts allow you to enjoy things when its the right time but not have the downsides of technically owning the money, Andres Knobel, a researcher at the Tax Justice Network who has studied trusts extensively, told ICIJ. On paper, they can say: I have nothing to do with this.

The New Zealand trusts were not required to make public filings that would link them to Legion leaders.

Leaked Asiaciti documents from 2004 to 2017 describe New Zealand as providing advantages of an established offshore jurisdiction without the stigma of a well-known tax haven. The documents claim that the New Zealand trusts do not have to be registered with any government entity in New Zealand and that they are ideal for those seeking to protect their assets from creditors and tax collectors. (In 2017, after ICIJ reporting partners revealed New Zealand as a popular destination for wealthy people to hide their assets, the country strengthened its regulation of trusts.)

To carry out investments in the United States. the New Zealand trusts used a Delaware shell company called Lowndes Holdings Inc. Lowndes public filings contain no trace of its relationship to the trusts or the Legion.

The Legion and its leaders were under no sanctions and were involved in no criminal proceedings in the United States. But the investments still suggest how easy it is to plow millions of dollars into U.S. real estate while keeping a low profile. Experts blame lax federal regulation for permitting secrecy that makes U.S. real estate investment appealing for those seeking to hide money.

Pensam said in a statement that it adheres to a comprehensive know your customer compliance program when analyzing whether to accept a new investor or continue a relationship with an existing investor. It said that it did not, and has not, received any information that would lead Pensam to believe that any of its investors have been or are currently governed or managed by the Legion of Christ.

In comments to ICIJ, the Legion acknowledged that it had created one of the three truststhe Retirement and Medical Charitable Trustin order to receive donations that would fund the lives of elderly priests. The Legion said it had no knowledge of the operations or the terms of the two trusts holding most of the moneythe AlfaOmega Trust and Salus Trust. These two trusts hold hundreds of millions in assets devoted to the Retirement and Medical Charitable Trust. The two trusts were separately funded by Garza and two of his siblings, and a spokesperson said the Garzas have no control over the trusts.

A Legion spokesperson said it would be wrong to attribute any decisions, investments, or activities of the two trusts to the Legion. But the spokesperson acknowledged that the Legion sometimes requested donations from the two trusts, which are free to grant or deny these requests.

Yet a review of numerous leaked records shows that all three trusts are extensively linked to the highest levels of the Legion.

Prominent Legion officials help to govern all three trusts. The three trusts have the same addresses, the same trustees, are administered by the same trust company, and have accounts at the same Swiss banks. A Legion financial operative named Alejandro Paez Aragon is the AlfaOmega and Salus trusts protectora position giving him extensive influence over the trusts. Around the time the trusts were established, Paez Aragon was the director of the Legions foremost private investment vehicle, Grupo Integer. Paez Aragon also is Luis Garzas brother-in-law.

In a leaked 2016 memo, a New Zealand tax lawyer analyzing the three trusts called the AlfaOmega and Salus trusts essentially conduits to the Retirement and Medical Charitable Trust.

The trusts managers hoped they would qualify as purely charitable or religious for the purposes of gaining benefits of New Zealands tax treaty with the United States. But the lawyers memo warned that the AlfaOmega and Salus trusts had no express prohibition on the appointment of non-charitable beneficiaries.

The lawyer recommended restricting the trusts to strictly charitable purposes by removing the possibility of specific individuals becoming beneficiaries. It is unclear whether this change was ever made.

In statements to ICIJ, a spokesperson for the AlfaOmega and Salus trusts said that the trusts were intended to help elderly priests and consecrated individuals as well as supporting social, charitable, and spiritual projects based on Catholic teachings. The charitable giving for elderly members includes providing funding for living expenses such as accommodation, food, and medical needs, the spokesperson said, adding that the trusts had opened Swiss bank accounts because the financial industry in that country is well advanced, and allows for open investment architecture, where banks have access to many financial products, and have the competence to understand and recommend them.

A spokesperson for the trusts said that the trusts were formed in New Zealand because the country is professional, reliable, cooperative and serious, and said that the trusts remained there after the new regulations to take advantage of the countrys stricter legal and transparency laws rather than move to a country with less stringent laws.

The spokesperson said the trusts can change their intended recipients at any time.

In an undated filing to the Internal Revenue Service obtained by ICIJ, the Retirement and Medical Charitable Trust claims a tax exemption as a purely charitable or religious organization.

A spokesperson responding to questions for Garza said that the trusts have provided an average of $1.0 million annually to provide food, housing and health care to a large number of retired and aging priests, nuns, and consecrated individuals.

Living in a Nightmare

In early September 2015, the New Zealand trusts used Lowndes Holdings to invest $2 million in the complex where Carlos Lomena would live in Plantation, Florida. According to its website, Pensam would add value to its investment by upgrading the apartments exteriors, changing the landscaping, and making other improvements. Pensam told ICIJ that it invested millions in renovations to the complex.

Carlos Lomena outside the Axis at One Pine apartments, where he was evicted in Plantation, Fla., on June 28, 2021. (Charles Trainor Jr./Miami Herald/TNS)

The complex was legally owned by a holding company called PBH Plantation LLCan apparent nod to the partnership between Pensam Capital and BH Management.

ICIJ visited the buildings in late June, just after Pensam reportedly sold the complex for $46 million to a Miami-based property management company.

The facades of the four-story buildings are attractive, with modern glass handrails on apartment balconies and earthy colors that go well with the tropical landscaping. Beyond the facades, outdoor walkways show signs of water damage and mildew covers apartment doors. A large eviction notice lingered on the door of a former resident who had been expelled in May.

Tenants who rented from PBH Plantation said management was quick to hit them with painful late fees.

If youre three days past rent day, you get a $100 late fee. If youre three days past that, you get a letter talking about eviction, said a former PBH Plantation renter, who left the apartment complex because of a rent increase and who asked to remain anonymous.

Earl Walker, a renter in the Plantation complex, said PBH Plantation took months to address water damage and leaks in his unitbut was quick to punish him when he paid rent slightly past the three-day grace period. I had a leak here, and they took months to come and fix this. But Im late by a couple hours, and theyre sticking to their guns this way, Walker said of the late fee. Thats not really fair.

Mariya Vazhelyuk, a mother of two, said that her third-floor apartment has had extensive leaking during rainstorms and that her children developed breathing problems during their first months therea reaction, she believes, to mold or mildew. She said that several months before Pensam sold the building, an elevator door closed on a stroller with one of her children in it. The child was unharmed, she said, but the stroller was pinned between the doors.

According to public records, Broward County inspectors found 40 violations involving the complexs three elevators between February 2018 and April 2021, including expired permits, broken mechanisms to keep elevator doors from opening between floors, broken emergency phones, and alarms, and expired fire extinguishers.

In August 2019, the city of Plantation issued a citation for excessive mildew on the stairs and walkways throughout the complex, as well as an odor nuisance from garbage.

Several former tenants at Pensam-owned buildings complained about court costs and other fees attached to eviction proceedings.

A 2017 eviction filing from one of Pensams Florida apartment complexes, for example, showed the firms property manager charged a renter, who owed $1,960 in back rent, an additional $662 in attorneys fees and court costs, $203 in late fees and about $175 in other chargesbringing the total to $3,000.02. This building was also overseen by BH Management.

These companies see late fees and court fees as an important way to increase their revenue, Shamus Roller, executive director of the National Housing Law Project, told ICIJ. This process is meant to extract the most money from the poorest tenants.

What bothers Lomena most about his ordeal was PBH Plantations unwillingness to work with him, even during the pandemic eviction moratorium. In his January letter to the judge, Lomena noted that he had just started a new job, although he had not yet received his first paycheck.

The eviction proceedings dragged on for weeks, during which Lomena sold nearly all of his furniture on Facebook Marketplaceso that hed be able to leave on short notice if he lost his case. I sold everything, Lomena said. Being there was like living in a nightmare.

A spokesperson for BH Management Services said it is responsible for coordinating rent collection from tenants, which we do under strict adherence of lease agreements and the law, including the CDC order on evictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lomena had called lawyers for help, he said, but none offered a rate he could afford. So he attempted to fight the case himself. Because he had not filed the necessary federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention form for eviction protectionhe had only invoked the CDC moratorium in his letter to the courtthe judge approved the eviction on Feb. 4.

In a statement to ICIJ, Pensam said that BH Management was committed to not removing any resident for the non-payment of rent when a valid CDC declaration was submitted. Pensam said that late fees and legal fees are stated in every lease agreement and are consistent with industry standards, and comply with federal, state, and local laws.

A week after the judges ruling, Lomena came home to two eviction notices from the sheriffs office on his front door. Lomena hustled to find a place to live, and rented a room for $700 a month in the house of an elderly woman.

Lomena said his new landlord allows him to use the kitchen only on Sundays, when he cooks food for the rest of the week. He said he struck a deal with PBH Plantation to pay off his debta mix of rent, late fees, attorneys fees, and other chargesin installments of about $300 a month.

Lomena said he hopes to move into his own apartment again but is concerned that no landlord will take him because of his evictiona major long-term consequence of eviction, according to housing advocates.

I dont feel like I can keep afloat here, Lomena said. I want to move forward, save some money, and be happy.

2021 Miami Herald. Visit miamiherald.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
A student receives a temperature check before class as they return to in-person learning in a file photo. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)

Parents Sue Wisconsin School Districts After Children Test Positive for COVID-19

Several Wisconsin parents are suing two school districts after their children allegedly contracted COVID-19 from a classmate.

Lawyer Frederick Melms filed the lawsuit on Oct. 5 in the U.S. Eastern District of Wisconsin on behalf of parent Shannon Jensen, other parents, and Waukesha School District public school students. The suit was filed against the Waukesha district and board, alleging the district failed to implement proper mitigation protocols.

On Monday, another parent, Gina Kildahl, filed a separate complaint against Fall Creek School District (FCSD) in Wisconsin as well as its board, superintendent, and board members.

By bringing students back to class around unmasked staff, reinstituting extracurricular activities, and allowing potentially contagious visitors and volunteers into the schools without masks, FCSD and the BOARD threw students into a Covid-19 snake pit creating an affirmative duty to keep their students safe from Covid-19, Kildahls complaint said.

In an interview with CNN on Tuesday, Kildahl claimed her son contracted COVID-19 after he came into close contact with another student who was allegedly infected with the virus and wasnt wearing a mask. Her son is now asymptomatic and is fine, she said, adding that her lawsuit was filed because shes worried about the long-term effects. Neither Kildahl nor her husband contracted the virus, she said.

Numerous studies have shown that children have an extremely low risk of death, hospitalization, or suffering long-term effects from COVID-19, known as long COVIDas compared with other age groups.

I am just hoping that they will start masking and take some responsibility to keep our kids safe at school, Kildahl told the broadcaster. On my schools website, on all of their board documentation, they say that they want to provide a safe place to learn. And I think that to do that, especially with the Delta variant out there, they need to start masking kids.

Jensens lawsuit, meanwhile, asserts that a classmate of her son came to Rose Glen Elementary School with COVID-19 symptoms last month and wasnt wearing a mask. She said her son was seated next to the allegedly infected classmate despite wearing a mask, adding that her other children also tested positive for the virus.

Its not clear if any of her other children were asymptomatic or suffered other effects from COVID-19.

The lawsuit is seeking an injunction to compel the Waukesha School District and other defendants to adhere to the Center for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) guidelines on masking.

The Epoch Times has contacted the Waukesha and Fall Creek school districts for comment.

Waukesha School District superintendent James Sebert declined to address the lawsuit in comments to the Journal-Sentinel.

We have been in contact with our attorneys and on the advice of our counsel, we have been advised not to comment further at this time, Sebert said.
Pelosi Doubles Down on IRS Looking Into Bank Transactions

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has doubled down on a provision in the Democrats multi-trillion-dollar reconciliation bill that would allow the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to see information on all Americans bank transactions totaling $600 or more. Republicans and banks have raised the alarm about the provision, reporting that their constituents and clients are deeply concerned about the proposal.

Since the introduction of their reconciliation bill, Democrats have insisted that the bill will not add to the debt or the deficit, claiming that all new spending in the bill will be paid for.

Along with significantly increasing marginal tax rates to pay for the bill, Democrats proposed and wrote into the bill a section to allow the IRS to gather Americans private information from banks, including information on all transactions totaling more than $600.

Democrats, Treasury Secretary Defend Proposal

Republicans and banks have reported hearing concerns from their constituents and customers over the plan.

During a Tuesday press conference, a reporter cited these concerns to Pelosi, asking her if the new IRS scheme would stay in the bill.

Yes, Pelosi curtly responded.

She was also asked what she would say to Americans concerned about the proposal.

Pelosi dismissed these concerns as anecdotal, doubting whether people actually had serious concerns about the plan. With all due respect, the plural of anecdote is not data, she snapped.

She went further and defended the proposal. If people are breaking the law and not paying their taxes, one way to track them is through the banking measure, she explained.

During a Sept. 30 House oversight hearing, Rep. David Kustoff (R-Tenn.) questioned Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen over the plan.

Yellen defended it, saying I dont believe its an invasion of privacy and look, the IRS gets a great deal of information that it needs in order to make sure the taxpayers comply with the tax code.

Rep. Richard Neal (D-Mass.), chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, has praised the $80 billion investment in the IRS and the agencys ability to access small bank transactions, saying Democrats want to ensure tax fairness and to make sure the wealthy do not dodge their tax obligation under the new tax plan.

Private Sector, Republicans Raise Alarm on Plan

After the proposal was made public, a laundry list of private sector businesses and banks expressed serious concerns about the proposal in a letter addressed to Pelosi and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.).

The coalition wrote: While the stated goal of this vast data collection is to uncover tax dodging by the wealthy, this proposal is not remotely targeted to that purpose or that population.  [The plan] would create tremendous liability for all affected parties by requiring the collection of financial information for nearly every American without proper explanation of how the IRS will store, protect, and use this enormous trove of personal financial information.

They added, Privacy concerns are cited as one of the top reasons why individuals choose not to open financial accounts and participate in the financial system. This proposal would almost certainly undermine efforts to reach vulnerable populations and unbanked households.

The letter concluded with a plea to abandon the proposal.

McCarthy has argued passionately against the bill as a whole, and he joined the private sector in blasting the proposed measure.

The minority leader told reporters, While [Democrats] grandstand about taxing the rich, they have created a new IRS surveillance program designed to target low- and mid-income earners.

Especially, McCarthy added, the program would target [those who] rely on tips to make [a] living. Often, tips are given in cash, making them untraceable by the IRS. Under the new program, the IRS would be able to track these tips through transaction data.

He continued, President Biden wants to hire 1,000s of new IRS bureaucrats and give them the authority to snoop into your bank account to monitor every single transaction you make: no warrants, no permissions, no limits.

The California Republican concluded, This surveillance program crosses a line, its un-American. He promised that Republicans will do everything possible to stop it before it ever gets off the ground.

In the Senate, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has also blasted the plan.

They want to finance their spending spree by effectively treating every ordinary American as if they were under IRS audit, said McConnell. I must have forgotten when the president campaigned on giving everybody their own audit!

Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) decried the plan in a press release as [violating] the liberty of every freedom-loving American who values their financial privacy.

Masooma Haq contributed to this report.
Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro Enters 2022 Governors Race

Pennsylvanias Attorney General Josh Shapiro is set to formally announce his run for governor on Wednesday at an event in Pittsburgh, a campaign spokesman has confirmed.

Campaign communications director Will Simons confirmed to several news outlets on Monday that Shapiro, 48, will be entering the 2022 race months after expressing interest in running for the position.

Shapiro, a Montgomery County Democrat, was sworn in as attorney general in January 2017, winning election with no law enforcement background and little practical courtroom experience. He was re-elected to a second term in November 2020.

Before holding that position, he served as a state representative and chair of the countys commissioners board. A self-described progressive, he led a nationally prominent investigation in 2018 into sexual abuse of children by clergy in six of the states Roman Catholic dioceses.

If Shapiro gets the Democratic nomination, its far from clear whom he would face in the fall 2022 election.

The large and growing pool of potential and declared GOP candidates seeking their partys nod includes state senators, business leaders, a former congressman, and others, including former congressman Lou Barletta, Montgomery County Commissioner Joe Gale, and former Corry Mayor Jason Monn. Others include vice chairman of the American Conservative Union Charlie Gerow, Pittsburgh attorney Jason Richey, retired UPS security and public affairs executive John Ventre, and cardiothoracic surgeon Nche Zama.

Shapiro has been endorsed by Gov. Tom Wolf, a fellow Democrat, and shown himself to be a formidable fundraiser in two successful statewide runs for office, with $2.7 million in his campaign account at the beginning of 2021.

He is largely considered the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination, and his scheduled announcement effectively clearing the field of potential rivals.

Shapiro and his wife, Lori, have four children and live in the Philadelphia suburb of Montgomery County. A graduate of the University of Rochester and Georgetown Law, he worked as a congressional staffer before launching his own political career in 2004.

The Epoch Times has contacted Shapiros office for comment.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Utility companies are shutting off power to help prevent wildfires in some areas of California this week. (Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times/TNS)

PG&E Shuts Off Electricity for 25,000 People in California Due to Fire Conditions

Pacific Gas & Electric Co. (PG&E) cut off power to thousands of residents in California Monday in a safety shutoff due to critical fire conditions.

This safety shutoff is due to a dry, offshore wind event expected to start Sunday night and bring wind gusts of up to 50 mph by Monday morning, a PG&E news release said on Sunday.

As a result of this wind event, combined with extreme to exceptional drought conditions and extremely dry vegetation, PG&E began sending advanced notifications Saturday to customers where PG&E may need to proactively turn off power for safety to reduce the risk of wildfire from energized power lines, it added.

High winds and fallen trees were reported across the area. A growing fire was reported Monday near the Reagan Ranch.

The power shutoffs occurred across Northern California from early Monday morning, beginning at approximately 4 a.m. local time.

All shutoffs were reportedly expected to continue until Tuesday afternoon, according to the PG&E news release.

The decision was made following a National Weather Service red flag warning across Northern California.

The initial report included 44,000 customers in 32 counties on Saturday. A later update lowered the number of homes included due to changed weather conditions.

The largest counties impacted included Tehama County with 5,341 customers, Solano County with 4,561 customers, followed by Lake County with 4,008 customers, according to the companys statement.

Many residents were inconvenienced, but the companys actions may have been influenced due to past problems PG&E has faced with wildfires.

The precautions follow the 2019 Kinkade Fire that led to a lawsuit (pdf) against PG&E after four people died and more than 170 homes were destroyed.

PG&E equipment was also faulted in the 2018 Camp Fire that led to charges against the company for involuntary manslaughter.

The company pleaded guilty to the deaths of 84 people resulting from the incident.

I am here today on behalf of the 23,000 men and women of PG&E, to accept responsibility for the fire here that took so many lives and changed these communities forever, PG&E Corporation CEO and President Bill Johnson said in a statement.

I have heard the pain and the anguish of victims as theyve described the loss they continue to endure, and the wounds that cant be healed. No words from me could ever reduce the magnitude of such devastation or do anything to repair the damage. But I hope that the actions we are taking here today will help bring some measure of peace, he added.
Plane Crashes in California Neighborhood, at Least 2 Dead

SANTEE, Calif.A twin-engine plane crashed in a residential neighborhood near Santana High School Oct. 11, killing at least two peopleincluding a United Parcel Service truck driverinjuring several others, and engulfing homes in flames.

The C340 twin-engine Cessna was en route from Yuma, Arizona to San Diego when it crashed into two residential homes at the corner of Jeremy Street and Greencastle Street around 12 p.m.

Local resident Sandra Diaz told The Epoch Times that she witnessed an elderly couple, who lived near one of the houses that was crashed into, pulled out of their backyard by someone, but their dog was killed.

Today was my day off  I was getting ready to grocery shop  I left the house and thats when I heard the plane  They said it was a twin-engine plane  Thats scary, Diaz told The Epoch Times.

A twin-engine plane crashed in a residential neighborhood in Santee, Calif., Oct. 11. (Tina Deng/The Epoch Times)

Aerial news footage showed a pair of homes gutted by fire at the crash site with the charred wreckage of a vehicle in the roadway in front of them.

Initial reports suggest the plane may have struck a UPS delivery truck before plowing into the houses.

The cause of the crash is yet to be determined, Santee Fire Department Battalion Chief Justin Matsushita told reporters.

It was unknown how many occupants were aboard the six-seat aircraft when it plunged to the ground but Santee Fire Department said the injuries are likely to be non-survivable for anyone that was on the plane.

A twin-engine plane crashed in a residential neighborhood in Santee, Calif., Oct. 11. (Tina Deng/The Epoch Times)

Our primary concern when we got on scene was obviously the extinguishment of the fire, and treatment of any victims, Matsushita said, adding that the department is preserving material from the crash for further investigation.

Two people were confirmed dead and two more injured were transported to a hospital with unknown conditions.

It was unclear how many occupants were aboard the six-seat aircraft when it plunged to the ground.

The deputy fire chief confirmed that a UPS truck outside the home sustained major damage. UPS issued the following statement confirming that one of their employees was killed in the crash:

We are heartbroken by the loss of our employee, and extend our deepest condolences to his family and friends. We also send our condolences for the other individuals who are involved in this incident, and their families and friends.

We are cooperating with the responding authorities in their investigation, and we are respectfully deferring questions to the investigating authorities.

San Diego Gas & Electric turned off power in the nearby neighborhood and city officials closed Jeremy Street and North Magnolia Avenue between Mast Boulevard and Second Street. The debris extended approximately 1 block to the southeast of the crash site.

Santana High School had returned to normal operations by mid-afternoon, with students being released for lunch or dismissal, if they do not have any other classes today, according to a campus advisory.

The Red Cross established an evacuation center at Cameron Family YMCA on Riverwalk Drive in Santee for residents forced from their homes due to the crash.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki calls on reporters during the daily news conference in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington on Oct. 4, 2021. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Psaki Cant Say When Vaccine Mandate for Private Businesses Will Be Finalized

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said that the federal governments rules on a vaccine mandate that President Joe Biden announced for private businesses last month are still forthcoming.

Psaki acknowledged Tuesday an enforceable rule from the Department of Labors Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is not here yet, promising that it will be coming. Psaki said she couldnt offer an expectation of when thatll be finalized.

I would say that requiring and mandating for businesses of 100 people or over vaccines is not a small task. That is a big bold proposal idea and something that we want to implement with as much clarity as we can, she said in response to a question about vaccine mandates. We know there will be questions, even after these rules are put out, we understand that. But thats why we wanted to take a little bit of time, not too much time, to get it done.

On Sept. 9, President Joe Biden announced sweeping mandates for private businesses with 100 or more employees, requiring workers at such companies to either submit to regular weekly COVID-19 testing or get the vaccine. Also announced were mandates for federal contractors, federal employees, and healthcare staff working at Medicare- or Medicaid-funded facilities.

But since the announcement, there has been speculation as to why its taking OSHA so long to come up with a rule. So far, the White House has only sent out a news release regarding the mandate on private businesses.

There is nothing there yet that gives employers any mandate, Stephanie McFarland, a spokeswoman for the Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration, told the Federalist website last week. The president made an announcement on this asking OSHA to do it, but weve not yet seen anything come from it yet, she continued.

About two weeks ago, Psaki also addressed questions about the OSHA rule during a press briefing.

We never gave an exact timeline, somaybe we should have been more specific at the time, Psaki said on Sept. 30. Obviously, it takes some time. And we want to make sure when we put these out, theyre clear and they provide guidance necessary to businesses. Then, Psaki also told reporters she cannot provide an exact timeline on the rule, adding that the administration will have more information in the coming weeks.

In the news conference, Psaki also addressed an order signed by Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday banning any entity from implementing vaccination mandates for employees or customers in the state. Earlier this year, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis also took action to bar the state from using vaccine passports.

Our intention is to implement  these requirements across the country, Psaki said, including in the states where there are attempts to oppose them.
210919-N-HS181-1334 PHILIPPINE SEA (Sept. 19, 2021) Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Lake Champlain (CG 57), and Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Chafee (DDG 90) conduct a passing honors ceremony with Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) Murasame-class destroyer JS Ikazuchi (DD 107) and Kongo-class guided-missile destroyer JS Chokai (DDG 176), Sept. 19, 2021. Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group is on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations to enhance interoperability through alliances and partnerships while serving as a ready-response force in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Haydn N. Smith)

Quad Nations Continue Military Exercises in Bay of Bengal

The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, colloquially called the Quad, commenced the second phase of its joint military exercise Malabar on Oct. 12, bringing together elements of the Australian, Indian, Japanese, and American militaries in the Bay of Bengal. The exercise is the 25th of its kind, and will continue through Oct. 15.

The drills come amid rising concern among Western and Asian states over the Chinese regimes growing military assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific, and as the United States seeks to shore up partnerships, including the Quad, to counter threats posed by Beijing.

This years Malabar exercise was designed to enhance synergy, coordination, and interoperability between the four nations forces, with a particular focus on developing advanced surface and anti-submarine capabilities.

Several sizeable seacraft including the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier, which has seen deployments in almost every major conflict since 1980, are participating in the drills, which will build upon experience gleaned from the first phase of the exercise, which took place near Guam in August.

Sam Kessler, a geopolitical adviser at the multinational risk management company North Star Support Group, said that the strong focus on building interoperable forces that can work cohesively as one unit was central to developing a more capable international presence.

Interoperability helps the participating nations to learn how to operate together in both peace and security scenarios, Kessler said. Whether its to refuel, re-equip, or to work together on missions of war and peace, the exercise helps figure out how best to do that.

The Quad and the exercises offer an opportunity to explore new ideas and possibilities while working on relevant engagements that promote security and a free and open Indo-Pacific at the same time.

Malabar began as a joint initiative between the United States and India in 1992. It has evolved considerably since then, drawing in both Australia and Japan, largely in response to concerns about increasing adventurism by the Chinese Communist Party.

The October phase of the Malabar exercise marks the first Quad exercises held since Australia, the UK, and the United States announced their military partnership, AUKUS, on Sept. 15, which will furnish the Australian military with a fleet of nuclear submarines. That deal is likely one reason that Malabar is now focusing so heavily on interoperability, as Australia, the UK, and the United States will effectively be using different models of the same torpedo and submarine technology, according to Kessler.

Since Australia recently joined the Malabar exercises in 2020, this gives them an opportunity to start utilizing elements from the recent AUKUS agreement that deals with submarine warfare, technology, and other defense and security capabilities, he said.

Kessler also noted that the exercises could serve as a means of ensuring that India is kept in the loop strategically, despite not being party to the AUKUS agreement.

Its an opportunity to not only streamline the agreements purpose but to also get other Quad members more in sync with their goals and objectives as well as potential for any future upgrades and additions to AUKUS.

Coinciding with this second phase of Malabar, Admiral Mike Gilday, U.S. chief of naval operations, is conducting a tour of India, where he is expected to meet with his counterpart and other senior leadership from the Indian Navy.

A statement by the U.S. Navy said that the trip was designed to reaffirm American commitments to the expanding naval cooperation between the two nations and to champion their shared desire for a free and open Indo-Pacific.

The move also follows a statement released by the Pentagon earlier in October, reaffirming the United States and Indias bilateral commitment to information-sharing, high-end maritime cooperation, logistics, and defense trade.

Tying these various strategic threads together is the fact that the United States is currently expanding its military footprint in the Indo-Pacific, beginning with a new military base in Micronesia and increased aircraft rotations in Australias Northern Territory. From there, it is likely that AUKUS, the Quad, and any similar future offshoots will provide the framework for increased allied naval operations throughout the region, the analyst noted.

The Quad is like a testing ground for developing potential defense treaties in the future, Kessler said. Countries like India, Japan, South Korea, and Vietnam have similar concerns about Chinas growing expansionism but have different priorities, goals, and objectives on how to go about it.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk speaks at a press conference at Parliament House in Brisbane, Australia on Apr. 01, 2021. (Photo by Jono Searle/Getty Images)

Queensland Legislates Net Zero Emissions by 2050

Queensland (QLD) has become the second state in Australia to legislate a net zero target amid heavy investment into hydrogen and other renewable energy technologies.

This will means QLD will join Victoriawhich became one of the first jurisdictions in the world and the first Australian state to legislate a net zero targetin legally enforcing the requirement.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, who has been moving to transform the state into a major renewable energy player, said that the strategy would make Queensland a renewable superpower.

By backing Queensland to become a renewable energy and hydrogen superpower, we will make Queensland a manufacturing superpower as well, which will create and sustain jobs long into the future, Palaszczuk previously said in a media release.

We are seeing an industrial green revolution taking place in Queensland, and it will happen in Australia and throughout the world.

BREAKING: The Queensland Parliament has just voted in favour of our Governments commitment to net zero emissions by 2050. #qldpol  Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) October 12, 2021

QLD had previously committed to a 2050 net zero target, achieving a reduction in carbon emissions of 30 percent below 2005 levels by 2030.

However, to achieve the new legislation, the state will need to work to adequately replace its eight coal power stations that have supplied almost three-quarters of Queenslands power generation over the last year.

The dependence on coal power was made evident when a fire at a coal plant earlier in May left 400,000 homes without power for several hours, with gas power stations in South Australia needing to be fired up to make up for the demand to quickly reconnect the states residents.

It comes following a partnership earlier this week with mining billionaire Andrew Forrest to construct a global hydrogen hub.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk (right) and Andrew Forrest (left) from Fortescue Future Industries talks to the media during a hydrogen announcement at Incitec Pivot on Gibson Island in Brisbane, Australia, on Oct. 11, 2021. (AAP Image/Darren England)

The deal between the Queensland government and Forrests Fortescue Future Industries seeks to not only create and export hydrogen but to create hydrogen-making equipmentknown as electrolysers. The agreement will also test the feasibility of using green ammonia in the shipping industry.

The states Labor government had already committed $2 billion towards hydrogen, wind, and solar projects in June.

Hydrogen projects, in particular, have sprouted across Queensland ahead of a forecast hydrogen boon within the Asia market.

Queensland had previously already become host to two early-stage deals between Australia and Japana deal for Origin Energy to supply 36,500 tonnes of hydrogen to Kawasaki Heavy Industries, and a joint export project between Stanwell and Iwatani Corporation which could generate up to $4.2 billion in hydrogen exports.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk (right) looks on as Queensland Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young (left) speaks during a press conference at the mass COVID-19 vaccination centre at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre in Brisbane, Australia, on Aug. 9, 2021. (AAP Image/Darren England)

Queensland May Keep Borders Closed Until 2022 Citing Slow Regional Vaccinations

The Queensland government has cited slow vaccination uptake in some regional areas as the reason why the Australian state might not reopen its borders to interstate and international travellers until 2022.

This is despite Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk agreeing to the national cabinets plan to reopen the country once 80 percent vaccination coverage is achieved across both her state and the entire country.

Currently, the 80 percent vaccination target is expected to be achieved by the end of November, according to The Courier Mail.

Palaszczuk said she wanted an even spread of COVID-19 vaccination across Queensland. Whereas current data shows that uptake has been greater in the southeast areas of Brisbane, Noosa, and Goondiwindi.

We are working out when we will get to 80 percent double vaccination, Palaszczuk said, according to The Courier Mail.

But like I said, I want that evenly spread across the state.

Meanwhile, Queensland Health Minister Yvette DAth said that Queenslanders have about five to six weeks to get vaccinated before the state reopens, and the Delta variant of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus potentially runs through every single community.

Its not if, or maybe, it is when, she said on Monday.

She went on to say that the question of whos going to get this virus was going to be those people who arent vaccinated.

But this does not match the advice of the Queensland chief health officer, who has said multiple times that the CCP virus can be caught and transmitted by both those who are vaccinated or unvaccinated.

Meanwhile, speaking of vaccination targets, DAth pointed to the 400 deaths and 60,000 cases in neighbouring state of New South Wales, saying the danger of the Delta variant was genuine and that it was the mission of residents to get themselves vaccinated to protect themselves from the COVID-19 disease.

If someone wants a target, the target is getting yourself protected in the next five to six weeks, DAth said.

That is your mission. Get yourself protected, and that helps protect our whole community and allows us to open up.
Samsung Electronics vice chairman Jay Y. Lee speaks as he is released on parole from Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, South Korea on Aug. 13, 2021. (Yonhap via Reuters)

Samsung Leader Lee Admits in Court to Unlawful Sedative Use

SEOULSamsung conglomerate chief Jay Y. Lee admitted in court on Tuesday to unlawful use of a controlled substance, as the executives legal troubles continued despite his release on parole in August after a bribery conviction.

Lee appeared at the Seoul Central District Court where, in a short first hearing, he said he received propofola sedative used in anaesthesia41 times from 2015 through 2020.

His release in August had raised expectations of major decisions being taken at Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd and its affiliates, including the location of a $17 billion chip factory being planned in the United States.

Prosecutors, who are seeking a fine of 70 million won ($58,327) and an additional fee of 17 million won, said that Lee had been administered propofol under the guise of a skin treatment or unrelated to a legitimate treatment.

This matter originated as for treatment, but I am deeply regretful, Lee said. I will  make sure that this does not happen again, Lee told the small court, where about 15 people were present, adding he had not used the drug since his release.

Lees lawyer told the court that Lee had received treatment for medical purposes, originally due to psychological pressure after the hospitalisation of his father and then as a result of the graft scandal and trial leading to his January conviction.

The court ruling is scheduled for Oct 26.

Under South Korean law, the recipient of a controlled substance deemed to have been administered illegally is liable for prosecution, as well as those who administered the drug.

Staff at a clinic where Lee received the sedative, who are being tried separately, have denied wrongdoing.

Prosecutors were first made aware of the matter in 2020 but were advised to drop their investigation in March 2021 by an independent panel reviewing prosecution probes. They continued to seek a fine as recently as June before another police report of sedative use led the court to order a hearing.

As propofol is less likely to be misused than many other controlled substances, many similar cases of unlawful use have resulted in fines rather than jail terms.

Lee was convicted in January of bribery and embezzlement and sentenced to 30 months in jail including a year served before his sentencing. He has kept a low profile since he was paroled in August, with the presidential office calling for public understanding, citing hope that he will help the country produce semiconductors and vaccines.

After his release, Samsung said it would invest 240 trillion won in the next three years in fields such as chips and biopharmaceuticals.

Lee is simultaneously on trial accused of stock-price manipulation and accounting fraud related to the $8 billion merger of two Samsung firms in 2015.

($1 = 1,200.1400 won)

By Joyce Lee
Parade participants in traditional Italian outfits dance during the Italian Heritage Parade in San Francisco, Calif., on Oct. 10, 2021. (Cynthia Cai/The Epoch Times)

San Franciscos Italian Heritage Parade Resumes, Bringing a Weekend of Festivities

SAN FRANCISCOPeople in San Francisco held the citys annual Italian Heritage Parade in person this year to celebrate and honor the accomplishments of the Italian community.

On Oct. 10, colorful floats, cars flying the Italian flag, lively dancers, marching bands, and Italian and Italian-American dignitaries started at Fishermans Wharf, made their way along Columbus Avenue, and ended up at Washington Square.

This year marks the parades 153rd anniversary. Event organizers said its the longest-running annual Italian heritage parade in the United States.

We have 85 entries in the parade this year, which is more than I expected, and everybody is just thrilled to be here, said parade coordinator Ray Pulver.

Last years celebration was held virtually due to the pandemic. This year, attendees said it was great to be back in person to participate in the festivities.

A banner on the side of a float in San Francisco, Calif., on Oct. 10, 2021. (Cynthia Cai/The Epoch Times)

Super excited to be here; lots of really good displays of Italian culture and patriotism. Its awesome, Lisa, a parade onlooker, told The Epoch Times.

Linda Gordon, a parade attendee who watched the parade with her dog, said they enjoyed seeing everyone come out to enjoy the festivities.

Hes loving it! Its been fun and its exciting and yeah, hes a good sport, and hes an amazing dog. Its just a fun day in the city; its a beautiful day in the city, she told The Epoch Times.

Over the years, the Italian Heritage Parade has grown to include more of the local community. Members of the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Navy also joined the procession.

What I represent is those who have gone before me, who have given the ultimate sacrifice; those who are serving now; and those who are going to be serving in the future, Lieutenant John Baker, a U.S. Army veteran, told The Epoch Times.

Members of the U.S. Coast Guard march in the Italian Heritage Parade in San Francisco, Calif., on Oct. 10, 2021. (Ilene Eng/The Epoch Times)

Another group of participants showcased the Chinese spiritual practice known as Falun Dafa. One of them, Dean Tsaggaris, told The Epoch Times hes happy to share the practice with onlookers.

We want to let people know about the beauty of Falun Dafa. Falun Dafa is a practice based on the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance, he said.

A Falun Dafa float in the Italian Heritage Parade in San Francisco, Calif., on Oct. 10, 2021. (Ilene Eng/The Epoch Times)

Italian-Americans held the inaugural parade back in 1869. Originally called the Columbus Day Parade, it allowed San Franciscans to honor the accomplishments of its Italian community as well as to remember the first time Christopher Columbus crossed the Atlantic Ocean.

In 1994, the Columbus Day Parade was changed to the Italian Heritage Parade as a way to celebrate the accomplishments and culture of all Italians and Italian-Americans.

San Franciscos Italian community hosts the event every year as part of the Italian Heritage Festival. This years festival ran from Oct. 8 through Oct. 10 and included a block party and a bazaar.

The Italian Heritage Festival usually coincides with San Francisco Fleet Week each year, creating a week of festivities to celebrate the people who helped build the country and those who serve to protect it.
A man is arrested while smoke rises as police and protesters clash near the Seattle Police East Precinct headquarters in Seattle on July 25, 2020. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

Seattle Police May Fire Devastating Number of Officers Over Vaccination Mandate: Union Official

The Seattle Police Department could be forced to fire a significant amount of its workforce when the statewide COVID-19 vaccination mandate goes into effect, according to data posted by the department.

A spokesperson for the police department, Anthony Derrick, told The Epoch Times that as of Tuesday, 84 percent of Seattle Police Department staff have submitted their vaccine confirmation forms or have requested an exemption of some kind. That includes 80 percent of officers, he said.

The Mayor trusts that SPD officers understand the critical importance of vaccinations to protect themselves, their colleagues, and the communities they serve, Derrick told The Epoch Times, responding to a question about reports last week saying that up to 40 percent of the police force could be fired due to the vaccine mandate.

His remarks came as Mike Solan, the head of the Seattle Police Guilda union representing officers in the citytold The Epoch Times Tuesday that his organization isnt sure of the exact numbers of officers who could be terminated on Oct. 18.

The department has not released any updated numbers since last Wednesday. We are still bargaining this issue and our next session is this coming Thursday, Solan said.

In another interview, Solan told KIRO that since the so-called Capitol Hill Organized Protestalso known as the Capitol Hill Autonomous zonewhere Black Lives Matter protesters and self-described anarchists took over a neighborhood in downtown Seattle last summer, more than 350 officers have left the department. Across the United States, police unions have said they have faced significant criticism and pressure amid calls to defund the police after widespread protests, riots, and violence last year.

Were literally politically betrayed by our elected officials. Even, lets just say we lose 50 copseven if we just lose oneits devastating to how many losses weve already incurred, he remarked.

If numerous officers leave the department, basic services will be delayed, Solan warned.

Im not sure how we answer those 911 calls, Solan said. This isnt alarmist, but this is reality here. And many of the people that I represent are just fed up, and this is the last straw with them as they feel that theyve been targeted for just being cops here in the city, as they think that this mandate has been politicized. And theres not much more trust in our elected officials anymore.

Mayor Jenny Durkans office hasnt responded to a request for comment.

We value each of you, and do not want to lose you as employees, Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan told city staff in an email last week about the forthcoming mandate. But the people that count on you the most are the ones that need you to get vaccinated.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, a Democrat, told Fox13 that agencies across the state have backup plans when the mandate goes into effect.

These are hard-working people, Inslee said of first responders. Theyre doing good work. We want them to stay on the team.
Sen. Ron Johnson Says Lives Are Being Lost Due to Big Tech Censorship of Conservatives

Censorship of videos and written posts on major social media outlets about successful treatments of victims of the CCP virusalso known as the novel coronavirusare causing people to lose their lives, according to Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.).

Everything to do with COVID has been most troubling because the internet could have been used so helpfully, so powerfully, by allowing doctors to disseminate their practices of medicine, Johnson told reporters during a virtual news conference hosted Tuesday by the Media Research Center (MRC) and the MRC blog Free Speech America (FSA).

I remember doctors doing videos out of New York recognizing that ventilators werent working. I remember a couple of doctors out of California talking about how they were treating COVID with repurposed drugs and those videos were taken down, they were censored, Johnson said.

As a result, the only thing weve done in terms of Covid is what the NIH tells us to do, he added, noting that the NIH Guidelines have recently added information on monoclonal antibodies.

But the guidelines throughout the 18 months of the pandemic while 700,000 Americans lost their lives without treatment, they could literally do nothing, go home, afraid, isolated, you get sick enough, go to the hospitals where they heard well see if we can save you at that point in time. That violates every principle of medicine Ive ever heard of which is early detection means early treatment and better results.

As an example of such censorship, Johnson said an impassioned opening statement of testimony by Dr. Pierre Kory on the treatment potential of ivermectin received 8 million views before it was censored by YouTube.

Now we are dealing with censorship regarding the benefits of natural immunity because for whatever reason the powers that be, the COVID gods, want the vaccine in every arm, Johnson said.

So they are censoring the deaths [following vaccination] being reported on VAERS, over 16,000, at least 5,200 of those are within day one or two, and 750,000 adverse events, and nobody can talk about it, he said. This is affecting our healthcare system, its affecting doctors ability to save lives, we dont know how many thousands of people lost their lives because of this censorship.

Johnson was referring to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), co-managed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration.

Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.) joined Johnson during the news conference and said we have a former President of the United States, who is banned on social media platforms, while the Taliban, the Iranians and other terrorist outfits can use those same platforms freely, just to highlight the hypocrisy and the politicalization of these platforms.

Steube is the chief sponsor of a legislative proposal in the House that would address the social media censorship issue by reforming Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act that currently protects the platforms from libel litigation.

Steube said his proposal would surgically address this, it wouldnt do away with Section 230, and he noted that he disagrees with President Donald Trump, who wants an outright elimination of that provision.

That would not be a good course of action because if we did away with it completely then your startups like Rumble and Parler, the more conservative sites, would just not be able to take advantage of that protection early on, Steube said.

Steube said his bill provides a market dominance test that would only be applied to the big actors and if they violate your First Amendment rights, it creates a private right for a cause of action that would enable you to sue, or a business, to sue those companies that right now are completely barred from any type of liability for their actions.

Brent Bozell, MRCs Founder and President, said we have to ask ourselves if the democratic system can exist when only one side is allowed to have a voice in the public square. Thats where were headed and thats how dangerous this is.

Bozell said MRCs FSA project has documented more than 2,900 examples of conservative speech being censored on social media. Among those, 59 involved accidents or mistakes against conservative political figures, while only one could be documented against a liberal Democrat.

The 2,900 examples are available for public analysis via FSAs CensorTrack database.

Heartland Institute President James Taylor pointed out during the conference that Section 230 is primarily intended to address public concerns about sexual violence and obscenity.

The supposed protections Big Tech has to censor material, that section, Section 230, is explicitly titled To Protect Against Offensive Material. None of the examples cited in the law deal with political censorship, Taylor said.
Rifles are offered for sale at Freddie Bear Sports in Tinley Park, Ill., on April 8, 2021. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Sen. Schumer Urges President Biden to Crack Down on Ghost Guns

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) demanded in a recent press conference that the Biden administration must stop the spread of ghost guns as New York City faces increased seizures of the homemade weapons.

The Senate majority leader addressed the issue during an Oct. 2 press conference, according to a report from The New York Post.

There is absolutely no doubt about itghost guns continue to haunt New York, and pose a serious threat to our public safety, Schumer said during the press conference.

Were asking the administration to act: Close the ghost gun loophole as quickly as we can, he added. Stop ghost guns from coming into our city, our communities that are killing [people], particularly our kids.

Schumer also explained that since ghost guns are sold as individual parts, no background check is required to purchase one. The loophole could allow the weapons to be built or purchased illegally.

You can buy a kit that puts all the pieces together, the senator said. Its like Legos, but more dangerous.

The Biden Administration Proposes Changed Rules on Ghost Guns

The Justice Department released a proposed rule in May that would broaden the definition of a firearm, requiring some gun-making kits to include a serial number, according to a report by The Associated Press.

White House officials have taken a fresh look at how to approach the issue of ghost guns. There has not been a decision made regarding whether the Justice Department would classify ghost guns as firearms, but it could create legislation to stop criminals from buying the parts necessary to construct such weapons, a New York Times report noted.

The ghost gun proposal served as one part of the Biden administrations steps to reduce gun violence, according to President Joe Biden. He made the announcement on Twitter in April alongside efforts to regulate stabilizing braces on pistols, add state red flag laws, and support community violence interventions.

My Administration is taking initial steps to reduce gun violence, including:  Stopping the proliferation of ghost guns

 Regulating pistols modified with a stabilizing brace

 Helping states adopt red flag laws

 Supporting community violence interventions  President Biden (@POTUS) April 8, 2021

Second Amendment Advocates Disagree

Baltimore-based gunshop and gun policy advocacy group The Machine Gun Nest (TMGN) has warned against the legislation. The policy group warned that additional regulation of firearms would increase the demand for criminals to print 3D weapons.

Nowadays, all someone needs is a 3D printer off Amazon, a few spindles of pla filament, and a CAD file to print a weapon at home. Theres simply no way for the government to continue a regulation spree on the industry and for any successful outcomes to materialize. Its a losing war, just like the war on drugs, TMGN said, according to a Zero Hedge report.

What will the Feds ban next? 3D Printers? it added.

The Justice Department estimated that more than 23,000 unregistered firearms were recovered by police between 2016-2000. More than 320 homicides or attempted homicides were associated with the weapon.

Ghost gun statistics are difficult to obtain. A New Mexico man allegedly sold four ghost guns to an undercover agent last month, according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
A homeless encampment off Ross Street in Santa Ana, Calif., on May 10, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

Shigella Outbreak Reported Among San Diego Homeless

SAN DIEGOSan Diego County health officials are monitoring an outbreak of at least six cases of shigellosis among homeless people since Sept. 30.

The cases were found after the individuals were hospitalized, according to the County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency (HSSA). They are expected to recover.

The county health department has notified San Diego and will work with the city and potential exposure sites and homeless service providers to ensure good hygienic precautions, identify any additional cases, and connect ill individuals to treatment and housing, officials said.

A health advisory to local providers has also been issued.

Shigellosis isnt usually serious, but in the wrong circumstances it can spread, and we want to ensure this vulnerable population is kept safe, said Dr. Seema Shah, medical director of HHSAs Epidemiology and Immunization Services branch.

Shigellosis is a contagious infection typically spread by contaminated surfaces, food or water, or sometimes person-to-person. In 2020, the county identified 243 total cases. To date in 2021, the county has identified 220.

Although only a small number of organisms can make a person sick, casual contact is not the main way shigellosis bacteria are spread. Typical symptoms include diarrhea which can be bloody, fever, and stomach cramps.

The infection is diagnosed with stool testing. Most people will recover fully without antibiotic treatment, though individuals with poor immune systems can develop the life-threatening disease. Those with symptoms that resemble shigellosis are urged to contact their primary care physician for assistance.
Labor MP Bill Shorten puts a question to the Government during Question Time in the House of Representatives at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on Nov. 25, 2019. (Tracey Nearmy/Getty Images)

Shorten Calls for Federal Anti-Corruption Body After IBAC Claims Victorian MP

Former Australian Labor Party (ALP) leader Bill Shorten has renewed calls for a federal level anti-corruption watchdog after Victorian Labor minister, Luke Donnellan, resigned on Oct. 11, just hours after he was named in a public inquiry into branch stacking in the state.

Shorten said the evidence presented during the first day of hearings highlighted the need for a federal body.

This is why we need a federal anti-corruption commission  people hate seeing this sort of stuff, but frankly, I would rather it be seen and dealt with than covered up, Shorten told Nine Network on Oct. 12.

This isnt the way that our political party should be operating, and IBACs got a fair way to go, he said.

For the vast majority of ALP members  they will be frustrated and feel betrayed because this is not what the vast majority of ALP members sign up for, he added. Its like being hit in the stomach, and no wonder people get frustrated with politics when they see these antics; its not the way it should be.

Shortens comments come after he was named by federal ALP member of Parliament Anthony Byrne, who said Shortens former advisor, Steve Michelson, paid $5,000 to be given preferential treatment for the takeover of a federal seat after the previous representative was retired or was pushed out of the seat.

Federal Labor Member for Cunningham Anthony Byrne during Question Time in the House of Representatives at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on May 25, 2021. (AAP Image/Mick Tsikas)

Discussion around the need for a federal anti-corruption watchdog has been ongoing in recent years.

David Flint, emeritus professor of law, has pointed out that Parliament needs to be careful in how much authority is given to such bodies, particularly in light of the resignation of New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian in early October after the states anti-corruption watchdog, the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), announced an investigation into her activities.

The two powers that ICAC should never have had and, in my view, should have been removed were to hold public hearings as if they were a criminal trial and to make findings without a trial before a judge and jury, he wrote in an op-ed publish in The Epoch Times. These offend both the rule of law and the separation of powers.

Meanwhile, Victorias Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC) is conducting a wide-ranging investigation into serious corrupt conduct and the misuse of public money for party-political work or other improper purposes. One issue under the spotlight is branch stacking.

Australian political parties choose representatives to stand for office via a preselection system that relies on members in each electoral branch to vote for their preferred candidate.

Practitioners of branch stacking will recruit and sign-up members to influence the outcome of preselecting candidates. While not illegal, the practice is banned under ALP rules.

Byrne, the first witness, gave a damning indictment of the prevalence of branch stacking in Victoria, saying it was out of control.

I saw things and heard things that I didnt think Id ever see in a modern Labor party, he told the inquiry.

Byrne said several state members of Parliament were involved in branch stacking, including Adem Somyurek, Marlene Kairouz, Tim Richardson, Kaushaliya Vaghela, and Luke Donnellan.

Donnellan announced his resignation, saying he had notified Premier Dan Andrews that he would be stepping down and moving to the backbench.

I accept that I have previously breached party rules while a minister.

But let me be very clear: I never misused public funds or resources in any way. And this has absolutely nothing to do with my staff, he said in a statement.
Southwest Airlines Apologizes as Shares Tumble Amid Mass Flight Cancellations

Southwest Airlines late Monday extended an apology to customers and employees for mass flight cancellations the company has blamed on the weather.

Southwest canceled about 2,000 flights over the weekend and axed hundreds more on Oct. 11. Early Tuesday, 87 flights, or 2 percent of the scheduled flights, were cancelled, with another 5 percent delayed, according to data from FlightAware.

On Friday evening, the airline ended the day with numerous cancellations, primarily created by weather and other external constraints, which left aircraft and Crews out of pre-planned positions to operate our schedule on Saturday. Unfortunately, the out-of-place aircraft and continued strain on our Crew resources created additional cancelations across our point-to-point network that cascaded throughout the weekend and into Monday, Southwest said in a statement.

Southwest Teams have been working diligently to restore stability to the network, and we are experiencing less disruptions on Monday. We hope to restore our full schedule as soon as possible.

The company said it was offering a tremendous apology for the mass cancellations.

It also continued to deny reports on social media that the disruptions stemmed from pilots calling out sick to protest against the recently announced COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

The operational challenges were not a result of Southwest employee demonstrations, Southwest said.

Their trips are disrupted. They have unscheduled overnights. They have all the same types of impacts that our customers experience. So if anything, I think theyve been heroes through this trying to operate. There is absolutely no evidence of any kind of job action, incoming CEO Bob Jordan told the Dallas Morning News.

The union representing Southwest Airlines pilots also denied allegations of a mass sickout.

I can say with certainty that there are no work slowdowns or sickouts either related to the recent mandatory vaccine mandate or otherwise, the union said in an Oct. 10 statement. It blamed Southwest for alleged mismanagement, noting that other airlines didnt appear to be suffering from similar problems.

Still, some messaging problems cropped up. The Dallas-based airlines president, Mike Van de Ven, told workers late Sunday that there were issues with staffing, seemingly undercutting the public stances from the airline and its union, media outlets reported.

Southwest declined to comment on the reports.

The union has also sued the company over its mandate, though the group says its not related to the flight problems.

Shares for the company dropped to $51.88 premarket Tuesday, down from $53.92 early Monday and several dollars from most days the week prior.

Jacksonville Aviation Authority Chief Operating Officer Tony Cugno said that there were some staffing issues at Jacksonville International Airport leading into the weekend. Those issues stemmed from normal approved leave and air traffic controllers who received the COVID-19 vaccine and are required to stay at home for 48 hours to self-monitor for side effects.

The Federal Aviation Administration said Sunday air traffic staffing shortages had not been reported since Friday. Flight delays and cancellations happened due to widespread severe weather, military training, and limited staffing, it said, but only for a few hours.

Some airlines continue to experience scheduling challenges due to aircraft and crews being out of place, the agency said. On Monday, it added, To be clear: None of the information from Southwest, its pilots union, or the FAA indicates that this weekends cancellations were related to vaccine mandates.

Jordan told the News that the situation improved on Monday and he foresaw it getting even better on Tuesday before a full recovery on Wednesday.

A big piece of this too is trying to get the aircraft and the crews back togetherwhat I would call crew margin. Were still continuing to deal with staffing issues. That was a piece of this but it wasnt the largest part of this, he said. But the tighter the crew margin is and the staffing margin, the smaller amount of room you have to manage through a problem. So we just need to keep going after staffing and getting crew margins and our overall employee margin back. Youve heard about the tremendous focus on staffing from us and thats why.

During a forum last week, Jordan said Southwest planned to hire about 8,000 workers in 2022, in addition to 5,000 before the end of the year.

Jack Phillips contributed to this report.
Southwest CEO: Vaccine Mandates Werent Behind Flight Cancelations, Suggests Absenteeism Is the Cause

The CEO of Southwest on Tuesday denied claims that the federal vaccine mandates were the cause of more than 2,000 flight cancelations in recent days.

During an appearance on CNBC, CEO Gary Kelly was asked about President Joe Bidens announcement that will mandate companies with federal contracts to require their staff to get the vaccine and whether it was related to delays and cancelations.

Zero, Kelly said. We look at all of our employee behaviors in terms of absenteeism, in terms of people volunteering to come in and pick up whats referred to as open time, and theyre all very normal.

Kelly then noted that the main pilots union, the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association, denied that its pilots called in sick en masse in what has been termed a sickout over the vaccine mandate. The union last week filed a lawsuit against Southwest over the vaccine mandate.

Some, including Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), speculated that Bidens vaccine mandate triggered the delays. According to flight tracker FlightAware, there were about 800 Southwest cancelations on Saturday, 1,000 on Sunday, more than 350 on Monday. On Tuesday, about 89 flights were canceled and 622 flights were delayed across the United States, the website data shows.

I think people who understand how airlines workwhen you get behind it just takes several days to catch up, Kelly said. And the fact that we were basically caught up yesterday and today supports the assertion that were making here.

Kelly, however, was critical of Bidens vaccine mandate, saying he wasnt in favor of corporations making it a requirement to stay employed.

Ive never been in favor of corporations imposing that kind of a mandate. Im not in favor of that. Never have been, Kelly explained during the program. But the executive order from President Biden mandates that all federal employees and then all federal contractors, which covers all the major airlines, have to have a [vaccine] mandate  in place by Dec. 8, so were working through that.

In a Sept. 9 announcement at the White House, Biden said that federal employees, federal contractors, and healthcare staff working at Medicare- or Medicaid-funded hospitals and facilities need to get the vaccine.

Private businesses with 100 or more workers, Biden also said, need to mandate vaccines or have their employees submit to weekly COVID-19 testing, although Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, has yet to provide an update since the presidents announcement on how it will enforce the rule.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued an executive order on Monday prohibiting any entity, including businesses, from imposing vaccine mandates on workers or customers.

The headquarters of Southwest Airlines is in Dallas, Texas.

The COVID-19 vaccine is safe, effective, and our best defense against the virus, but should remain voluntary and never forced, Abbott said in a statement. The rule follows several executive orders Abbott issued over the summer banning local governments and school districts from mask or vaccination mandateswith $1,000 fines for those who fail to comply.
Taipei, Beijing, and Washington: A Perfect Storm

Part 1: The future may be defined by Taiwan, China, and the US

News Analysis

A professor of international relations at Peking University, Jia Qingguo, recently observed that the aggressive interactions between Taipei, Beijing, and Washington were like the formation of a perfect storm.

On Chinas National Day, 25 Chinese war planes flew into Taiwanese airspace and Taiwan immediately scrambled jets. The United States and the United Kingdom had three aircraft carriers with destroyer escorts in the nearby Philippine Sea awaiting orders.

Then 10 days later, on Taiwans National Day, Chinas Xi Jinping vowed to fulfill reunification. Many believe that seizing Taiwan would be a major achievement in solidifying his legacy, before beginning his presumed third term of leadership in 2022.

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen responded by telling the Taiwanese people, We will not bow to Beijing pressure. U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan told the BBC that the United States would stand up and speak out over Chinese aggression across the Taiwan Strait.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) claims that Taiwan belongs to China and should be reunited with the mainland, and has not renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan into the fold. Taiwan is prepared to defend itself. And the U.S. Navy is standing by, ready for actionalthough it is unclear if the United States would enter the fight. This three-way dynamic could easily determine the future of the globe.

Taiwan sees itself as a country. The Chinese regime sees it as a renegade province. The United States has no official opinion, but it is committed to providing the self-ruled island with military aid to prevent forced annexation by the CCP. And Beijing sees U.S. support of Taiwan as meddling in its internal affairs. Most experts agree that a declaration of independence by Taiwan, or a recognition of Taiwan independence by the United States, would trigger a war with China.

When Tsai, of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), won Taiwans 2020 presidential election in a landslide, the people of both Taiwan and Hong Kong cheered. The United States sent messages of congratulations. Then-President Donald Trump even phoned President Tsai, the first such call between the leaders of the two countries in decades.

The CCP complained and said, China expresses strong indignation and condemnation over such moves, according to state-run media Xinhua. Beijing called the congratulatory message a severe violation of the one-China policy  and a serious interference in Chinas internal affairs, the report said.

Chinas Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) frequently violate Taiwans air and sea space, and carries out acts of intimidation that is meant to discourage movements toward independence. These tactics have become more aggressive since the election, with the CCP issuing an official statement, saying that Beijing would take Taiwan by any means possible, including force, under Chinas Anti-Secession Law.

After the close of World War II, the Chinese Civil War that had started in 1927 resumed, pitting the nationalist Kuomintang (KMT), under Chiang Kai-shek, against the Chinese Communist Party, led by Mao Zedong. In 1949, the communists won, driving Chiang and about 2 million refugees and soldiers from his nationalist army to flee to the island of Formosa (Taiwan). They established a temporary capital for the Republic of China (ROC, Taiwans official name) in Taipei, vowing to re-establish themselves as the government of mainland China.

The ROC lies about 81 miles from the southeast coast of China, bordering on the East China Sea, Philippine Sea, South China Sea, and Taiwan Strait. Over 95 percent of the countrys 23.6 million citizens are ethnic Chinese. The rest are members of 16 recognized indigenous groups, composed of Malayo-Polynesian peoples.

Circa 1943: Chinese statesman and nationalist General Chiang Kai-shek (1887-1975) took part in the revolution of 1911 that overthrew the Qing Dynasty of the Manchus. (Keystone/Getty Images)

Chiang served as the leader of the ROC in mainland China from 1928 to 1949; then in Taiwan, until his death in 1975.

In 1971, the United Nations recognized the Peoples Republic of China (PRC). Taiwan was offered dual occupancy of the seat but refused, withdrawing from the U.N. instead. From that time, the status of the island nation became ambiguous. It was no longer a country and no longer officially recognized by the majority of U.N. members. Theoretically, the ROC could have stayed, along with the PRC, but with a single seat, which may not have made Taiwans situation better today and possibly could have made it worse.

The Montevideo Convention sets out four criteria that an entity must meet in order to be considered a country: Countries must have a permanent population, a defined territory, a functioning government, and the capacity to enter relations with other states. Although not a requirement, but evidence of statehood, Taiwan engages in international treaties and organizations, and is recognized by 15 countries, 14 of which are U.N. members. Additionally, Taiwan has other earmarks of nationhood such as a sovereign currency and a military with 300,000 active troops.

The PRCs claims to Taiwan are extremely weak. Taiwan was never part of the Republic of China officially. The 1911 map of the ROC is often used by Beijing to claim sovereignty over East Turkestan, Tibet, Mongolia, Hong Kong, and Macau. But Taiwan is absent from that map, as it was a Japanese colony. At the end of World War II, the United States oversaw the dismantling of the Japanese Empire, forcing Japan to relinquish control of Taiwan, but it was never specified to whom. The United States allowed its KMT allies to administer Taiwan, but no official permission was ever given. Technically, one could make the case that the United States has a greater claim to Taiwan than does the PRC.

During the 1950s and 1960s, the United States provided economic assistance to promote Taiwans development. Today, Taiwan no longer needs this assistance as the country has an average income of $25,000 per year, one of the highest in Asia.

Additionally, the country is a high-functioning democracy. Opposition parties were allowed to form in 1986. Martial law was repealed by 1988. In 1991, Taiwan officially ended its state of war with the PRC, but rejected offers to unify with the mainland.

In 1996, the first direct presidential elections were held. Kuomintang rule finally ended in 2000 when Chen Shui-bian, of the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party, was elected. In 2016, the DPP rule was continued when Tsai was elected to her first term.

Tsais DPP has as its ultimate goalthe independence of Taiwan. DPP member and former Vice Premier Chiou I-jen said that this goal cannot be decided by Taiwan alone because we have to consider the current international situation, as well as Chinas possible reaction and possible pushback from the United States.

Read part 2 here.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Taiwanese Official Asks Australia to Support Islands Bid to Join CPTPP Trade Agreement

A Taiwanese official has asked Australia to support its bid to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), which the Chinese regime opposes.

Taipei Economic and Cultural Office representative Elliott Charng told a Parliament committee in Canberra on Tuesday that Taiwan can boost high-technology trade flows and growing demand for Australian minerals.

Charng said Australias support of Taiwans bid would also send a strong message to Australian businesses impacted by the Chinese regimes boycotts of Australian products, which was prompted after Prime Minister Scott Morrison called for an inquiry into the origins of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus.

Economic sanctions imposed on Australia by China reinforce the argument of engaging with Taiwan more closely and more deeply, he told the committee.

The regional trade group, formed in 2018, currently includes Canada, Australia, Brunei, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam. It has received applications from Britain, China, and Taiwan to join.

Membership requires unanimous agreement from all member nations and the committee will recommend Australias response.

Both Taiwan and China want to join the CPTPP, with the latter applying to join the partnership to be alongside free-market economies like Japan and Canada. Taiwan applied days after China said it had submitted an application.

However, Beijing has opposed Taiwans application, and Taiwan has accused Beijing of bullying after it sent 24 warplanes into its air defense identification zone, marking the third-largest incursion in the past two years.

The White House also expressed concern over Chinas provocative military behavior toward Taiwan after Beijing sent a further 56 fighter jets into its air defense zone on Oct. 4, marking the fourth day of sustained military harassment against the self-ruled island.

Speaking at a press briefing, White House press secretary Jen Psaki urged the Chinese regime to put an end to its goading behavior, which officials say threatens peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and could lead to all-out military confrontation.

We remain concerned by the Peoples Republic of Chinas provocative military activity near Taiwan, which is destabilizing risk miscalculations and undermines regional peace and stability, Psaki told reporters.

We urge Beijing to cease its military, diplomatic, and economic pressure and coercion against Taiwan. And we have an abiding interest in peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. Thats why well continue to assist Taiwan in maintaining a sufficient self-defense capability.

A Taiwanese Air Force F-16 fighter jet flies alongside a Chinese Peoples Liberation Army Air Force H-6K bomber in the western Pacific, one of the Chinese military aircraft that reportedly flew over Bashi Channel and Miyako Strait near Japans Okinawa island chain on the morning of May 11, 2018. (Taiwan ROC Air Force)

Former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott takes questions after addressing the Lowy Institute in Sydney, Australia, on Nov. 28, 2019. (AAP Image/Joel Carrett)

China is Australias largest two-way trading partner in goods and services, accounting for nearly one third, or 31 percent, of its trade with the world, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).

However diplomatic relations have soured in recent years, and two-way trade with China declined 3 percent in 2020, totaling $245 billion, while Australias goods and services exports to China totaled $159 billion in 2020, down 6 percent compared to the previous year, owing in part to the trade restriction measures by China, DFAT said.

Australia was Taiwans third-largest source of agricultural goods, worth $607 million last year, and the CPTPP would provide structure to do business and enhance cybersecurity cooperation, said Charng.

The opposition from China is not unexpected. China will use every way to avoid Taiwan participating in any international organizations, he said.

Last week, former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott visited Taiwan with the hope of ending the islands isolation on the international stage.

Abbott spoke to Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen at the Presidential Office in Taipei, saying it was critical fellow democratic nations stood shoulder to shoulder with Taiwan.

It is in large measure to try to help to end this isolation from which Taiwan has been suffering for so many decades that I am here in this country, and I do hope that this will be the first for many visits, he said.

Taiwan is in many respects a model for the wider world, Abbott said. Over the past 70 years, Taiwan has transformed from an impoverished dictatorship into a vibrant, dynamic, pluralist democracy. You have demonstrated to all the countries of this region that it is possible to be rich and free.

Of course, not everyone and not everywhere is pleased at Taiwans progress, and I do note that Taiwan is challenged on an almost daily basis by its giant neighbor, he continued.

Abbott also told reporters there on Friday that Taiwan met the criteria for joining the CPTPP but that fear of upsetting China could cause some members to object to its application, and urged countries to move beyond rhetorical support for Taiwan and provide practical support.

Daniel Y. Teng and Reuters contributed to this report.
Taliban Forces Able to Control ISIS Threat in Afghanistan, Says Political Spokesman

The Taliban is able to control threats from the ISIS terrorist group, which has been responsible for a series of deadly attacks in Afghanistan in recent weeks, a political spokesman who serves as foreign minister under the Talibans new government said on Tuesday.

Amir Khan Muttaqi made the comments during talks in Doha, explaining that instability in Afghanistan was not in anyones interests. He also called for cooperation from the world community, saying Afghanistan would not be a base for attacks on other countries.

[We] can control it  has [sic] controlled it, Muttaqi said, news agency AFP reported. Whatever preparations they had made have been neutralized 98 percent, he added.

ISIS terrorists have launched more than 30 attacks in Afghanistan since the Taliban terrorist group seized power in August, according to experts on the matter, The National reported.

ISIS, an enemy of the Taliban, has claimed responsibility for a number of recent attacks, including the Oct. 8 suicide bombing that killed 46 minority Shiite Muslims. Washington considers ISIS its greatest terrorist threat emanating from Afghanistan.

Afghans inspect the inside of a mosque following a bombing in Kunduz province northern Afghanistan, on Oct. 8, 2021. (Abdullah Sahil/AP Photo)

The deadliest attack claimed recently by Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISIS-K), the ISIS branch active in Afghanistan, happened on Aug. 26, just days after the Taliban takeover of Kabul. The bomb attack that day outside Kabuls airport killed 13 U.S. service members, including 11 Marines, one soldier, and one sailor, along with more than 150 Afghans.

The Taliban has promised the United States to keep the terrorist group in check during successive rounds of peace talks. Under the 2020 U.S.Taliban accord, the Taliban guaranteed that Afghanistan would not become a haven for terrorist groups threatening the United States or its allies.

During talks in Doha, Qatar, over the weekend, the United States agreed with the Taliban to provide humanitarian aid directly to the Afghan people, U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement.

U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price holds a press briefing on Afghanistan at the State Department in Washington, on Aug. 16, 2021. (Kevin Lamarque/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

The two sides discussed the United States provision of robust humanitarian assistance, directly to the Afghan people, Price said, adding that the U.S. delegation focused on security and terrorism concerns and safe passage for U.S. citizens, other foreign nationals, and the countrys Afghan partners.

On Oct. 9, however, the Taliban ruled out cooperation with Washington to contain the increasingly active ISIS terrorist group in Afghanistan.

We are able to tackle Daesh independently, Taliban political spokesman Suhail Shaheen said when pressed on whether the Taliban would work with the United States to contain the ISIS affiliate. Daesh is an Arabic term for ISIS.

Isabel van Brugen contributed to this report.

From NTD News
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott speaks at a press conference at the Capitol in Austin, Texas, on June 8, 2021. (Montinique Monroe/Getty Images)

Texas Governor Issues Executive Order Banning Vaccine Mandates by Any Entity

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Oct. 11 issued an executive order that bans vaccine mandates by any entity in the state, including private employers.

The COVID-19 vaccine is safe, effective, and our best defense against the virus, but should remain voluntary and never forced, Abbott said in a statement upon issuing the order.

The executive order (pdf) states, No entity in Texas can compel receipt of a COVID-19 vaccine by any individual, including an employee or a consumer, who objects to such vaccination for any reason of personal conscience, based on a religious belief, or for medical reasons, including prior recovery from COVID-19.

I hereby suspend all relevant statutes to the extent necessary to enforce this prohibition, Abbott wrote in the order.

He also added the issue as an agenda to the third special legislative session, which is currently convened until Oct. 19, to give lawmakers the opportunity to pass a law to similar effect.

The executive order will be rescinded upon the passage of such legislation, Abbott wrote.

President Joe Biden in September issued an announcement saying the administration is seeking to compel private companies with more than 100 employees to have their workers be vaccinated or tested weekly. Companies face $13,600 in fines per violation if such a rule becomes effective.

At the time, Abbott called Bidens move an assault on private businesses and said that Texas is already working to halt this power grab, joining more than a dozen states in resisting the mandate.

The text of Abbotts latest executive order, GA-40, reads, In yet another instance of federal overreach, the Biden Administration is now bullying many private entities into imposing COVID-19 vaccine mandates, causing workforce disruptions that threaten Texass continued recovery from the COVID-19 disaster.

Countless Texans fear losing their livelihoods because they object to receiving a COVID-19 vaccination for reasons of personal conscience, based on a religious belief, or for medical reasons, including prior recovery from COVID-19.

The governor noted in his executive order that the Texas Legislature has taken care to provide exemptions that allow people to opt out of being forced to take a vaccine for reasons of conscience or medical reasons.

Abbott previously in June signed into law a measure that bans government entities and private businesses from requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination as a condition for service or entry. Businesses that dont comply with the law will not be able to enter any state contracts and will be ineligible to receive a grant.

A previous executive order Abbott signed in April didnt cover private businesses with regard to vaccine passports.

Editors note: This article has been further edited for clarity.
A California resolution that calls on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to stop its persecution of religious groups was sabotaged and the author of the resolution was threatened.

Why was the same resolution passed in Congress but failed to do so in our state legislature?

My guest is Joel Anderson, San Diego supervisor and former California state senator. He discusses the influence the CCP has within our state legislature and why it matters to Californians.

California Insider is an Epoch Times show available on YouTube, Rumble, Youmaker, and The Epoch Times website. It also airs on cable on NTD America. Find out where you can watch us on TV.

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UN Biodiversity Conference Begins in China

Part One of the United Nations Biodiversity Conference is taking place this week in the city of Kunming in the country identified as the worlds largest polluter, the Peoples Republic of China.

Coming shortly before the United Nations scheduled Climate Change conference, the meeting takes place at a time when extinction rates among animals are significantly elevated as a result of human activity.

The mostly remote conference, which is scheduled to last from Oct. 11 through Oct. 15, will include a meeting on the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), which the United States has not ratified.

It will also include meetings on the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety and the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of the Benefits Arising from Their Utilizationneither of which the United States has ratifiedalong with a high-level segment that will consider Chinas submitted Kunming Declaration.

Parties to Chinas declaration would pledge to actively enhance the global environmental legal framework and strengthen environmental law at the national level, among other commitments.

As part of the meeting, Huang Runqiu, Minister of Ecology and Environment for the Peoples Republic of China, is being named president of the conference, taking over from Yasmine Fouad of Egypt.

The meeting is also intended to advance what is described as a Post-2020 Biodiversity Framework, through a working group led by Ugandas Francis Ogwa and Canadas Basile Van Havre.

A draft version of the framework has been posted on the CBDs website.

As reported by Voice of America, the parties considering the framework have been divided over 30 by 30, a plan that would protect 30 percent of the worlds oceans and 30 percent of its lands by 2030.

While this aligns with the Biden administrations own 30 by 30 plan, it has not yet received support from China.

The 30 by 30 plan has also met with opposition from some activists on behalf of indigenous groups, who argue that the plan would violate those populations human rights by pushing them off their lands, sometimes violently.

That pushback included an open letter to Ogwa and van Havre from a range of major philanthropic groups, including the Tides Foundation, described by some as a dark money organization for left-leaning non-governmental organizations such as the Rockefeller Foundation and George Soros Open Society Foundations.

The Kunming conference will include parallel roundtable sessions on the post-2020 framework, including one titled Closing the Financing Gap and Ensuring the Means of Implementation that is described as being aimed at mobilizing resources and aligning all financial flows to support biodiversity.

Part Two of the meeting, which will be held in person, is scheduled to occur in Kunming between April 25 and May 8, with the meeting formally ending on the latter date.
A Hong Kong University student cleans a plaque on May 4, 2005, below the "The Pillar of Shame," a monument constructed to honor the dead and to shame the Chinese Communist Party that refused to apologize for the Tiananmen Square massacrethe killing of students on June 4, 1989, in Beijing's Tiananmen Square. (MIKE CLARKE/AFP via Getty Images)

Public University in Hong Kong Orders Removal of Statue to Commemorate Tiananmen Massacre Victims

The oldest public university in Hong Kong, the University of Hong Kong (HKU), has ordered the removal of a statue from its campus that have for many years commemorated the victims of the Chinese Communist Partys (CCPs) Tiananmen massacre in 1989.

The statue dubbed the Pillar of Shame was created by Danish sculptor Jens Galschit and has been standing in the university for more than 20 years.

The 26-foot high copper statue depicts 50 anguished faces and tortured bodies piled on one another. It was the centerpiece of Hong Kongs candlelit vigil on June 4 to commemorate those killed when Chinese regimes military opened fire on unarmed pro-democracy college students and citizens in Beijing.

Flowers before the Pillar of Shame in Hong Kong on June 4, 2021. (Sung Pi-lung/The Epoch Times)

The organizer of the citys huge annual Tiananmen vigil that worked with Galschit, Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, recently dissolved due to the CCPs increased pressure to silence political opposition to its rule in Hong Kong and China.

The alliance is a pro-democracy organization that was established during the Tiananmen Square protests. Several of its members have been arrested under the Beijing-imposed so-called Hong Kong national security law. The alliance is going through a liquidation process at the moment.

The liquidators of the alliance received a letter dated Oct. 7 from law firm Mayer Brown representing the university, asking the alliance to remove the statue from university premises no later than 5:00 p.m. on 13 October 2021.

The university cited that its decision was made based on its own legal advice and risk assessment, but didnt provide further explanation, according to media reports.

If the alliance fails to remove the statue by the deadline, the statue will be deemed abandoned and the university will deal with the sculpture at such time and in such manner as it thinks fit without further notice, according to the letter seen by Artnet News.

Galschit sees the action as an attack on his freedom of expression through his art and an attempt to erase history.

They really want to destroy everything about a story that China doesnt want people to know about, Galschit told Artnet News.
New York City voters cast their ballots at the early voting station in Madison Square Garden on Oct. 24, 2020. (Xiaotang Huang/The Epoch Times)

US Lobbyists Compete to Influence Voter Legislation

On Oct. 5, the premier watchdog group OpenSecrets reported that lobbying groups spent over $151.2 million on voting legislation in the first half of this year to ensure U.S. voting laws are conducive to the needs of Democratic lawmakers.

After Democrats assumed control of the government in 2021, the principal focus of their lobbying has been to secure a minimum of 60 votes so the For the People Act (H.R. 1) advances to the Senate floor after Senate Republicans blocked the bill, according to OpenSecrets analysis that 122 groups spent more than $119.5 million lobbying to support the bill and other issues.

H.R. 1 is a sweeping reform of current election law. If passed, H.R. 1 would allow nationwide mass mail-in voting; pre-register 16- and 17-year-olds; legalize early voting permanently; enable automatic voter registration, same-day registration, and no-fault absentee balloting; allow felons whove completed their sentences to vote; and lessen the verification requirements for online voter registrants.

Over the six-month lifespan of H.R. 1, among the lobbyists committed to supporting these initiatives, OpenSecrets found the U.S. Chamber of Commerce invested the most at $29.6 million while Facebook spent $9.6 million, and the Business Roundtable came in third at $8.8 million. But H.R. 1 is not the only voting bill House Democrats are relying on.

The Freedom to Vote Act, the latest in a long line of voting legislation backed by a large number of lobbying groups, is likely submitted to the Senate floor this week. If passed, the bill would automate voter registration, force states to allow Election Day voter registration, expand the feasibility of early and mail-in voting and create new guidelines for gerrymandering. Gerrymandering refers to manipulating the boundaries of an electoral constituency to favor one party.

Last August, House Democrats worked with 21 lobbyist groups that collectively spent nearly $10.8 million to force passage of H.R. 4, the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. This act counters the multiple states that recently passed laws to prevent future voter fraud. H.R. 4 seeks to prevent certain states from enacting voter ID laws, and the lobbyists behind this act included the AFL-CIO, the left-leaning nonprofit Sixteen Thirty Fund, and the Leadership Conference on Civil & Human Rights.

The surge in voting legislation comes after former President Donald Trump and some Republicans cast doubt on the outcome of the 2020 election, with Trump claiming there was election fraud. After the election, several Republican governors introduced legislation to improve confidence in election results.

For example, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis enacted a law that requires voter ID, and prohibits mass mail-in ballots and ballot harvesting. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp enacted a law that limits ballot drop boxes and requires voters to reapply for absentee ballots during each general election cycle.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott enacted a similar law that restricts mail-in voting, drive-through voting, and 24-hour voting services in his state, but also expanded poll watcher protections and created a new monthly voter roll check to identify non-citizens.
US Rail Freight Feels Global Supply Chain Pinch

A products path from manufacturer to store shelf is currently an obstacle course of chokepoints within the interconnected global supply chain, and U.S. rail is among the industries feeling the pinch.

U.S. railroads moved 1,167,682 carloads of freight in September 2021, the Association of American Railroads Weekly Rail Traffic Report shows. Thats up 4.3 percent compared to September 2020, the year marked by deflated business numbers caused by global COVID-19 shutdowns. But compared to the more normal September 2019, the 2021 rail carloads are down 5.8 percent.

Likewise, some other rail traffic categories showed improvements compared to 2020, but have not rebounded back to 2019 carload counts, including coal, chemicals, primary forest products, and the category crushed stone, sand, and gravel.

Rail intermodal volume is clearly not what it has been and could be, AAR Senior Vice President John T. Gray said in a statement. Keeping intermodal terminals functioning smoothly and at full capacity depends on consistent freight outflows to make room for new freight inflows. Unfortunately, due to limited availability of downstream truck and warehouse capacity, thats not happening right now with predictable impacts on rail intermodal volume. There is no single solution to this problem, but railroads are bringing intermodal yard capacity back online to increase storage availability as well as working with customers and truckers to accelerate container pickup among other efforts.

Most disruptions facing the U.S. supply chain today are outside of railroads control and have impacted rail operations, an August 2021 AAR educational sheet explains.

It blames lingering trade disputes; shuttered global manufacturing due to the pandemic; a lack of shipping containers; a surge in imports; weather events; scarcity of trucks, container chassis, and truck drivers; congested ports, and a lack of enough warehouse storage space.

No single solution by any segment of the freight logistics chain will solve the current situation, Jessica Kahanek, AAR media relations director told The Epoch Times in an email.

Here are some of the ways the rail industry says it is working to increase capacity:

 Stepping up coordination across railroads in busy rail hubs to better manage the flow of traffic and anticipate potential problems.

 Reopening older, shuttered terminals to increase capacity.

 Restoring services impacted by weather as quickly and efficiently as possible.

 Rapidly recalling rail workers who were furloughed during the pandemic.

 Maintaining idle locomotives so that they can be quickly brought back online.

 Working with trucking partners to move shipments from terminals as quickly as destination warehousing capacity becomes available.

 Ramping up the hiring of new train operating employees in key markets to handle increased and unpredictable shipping demand.

 Providing bonuses to workers who provide referrals for new hires.
Protesters are seen inside the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Woman Gets Jail Time for Capitol Breach Despite Prosecutors Recommendation

An Indiana woman who entered the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 was sentenced to jail time on Tuesday, marking the second time this month that the judge has gone further than prosecutors sentencing recommendations.

U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, an Obama nominee, sentenced Dona Bissey to 14 days in jail about a week after sentencing Matthew Mazzocco to 45 days in prison.

In both cases, prosecutors recommended no jail time after the defendants pleaded guilty to knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority.

Neither Bissey nor Mazzocco were accused of violence but Chutkan said their actions after Jan. 6 led her to go beyond the recommendations.

In Bisseys case, the judge took issue with her going onto social media and posting pictures from the breach, including a series of photographs on Facebook after Jan. 6 celebrating what had happened.

This really happened! Anna Morgan-Lloyd took the photo, Bissey wrote in the caption accompanying one image, according to court documents.

Morgan-Lloyd, a friend of Bissey, was sentenced to probation on June 23 after pleading guilty to the same charge Bissey and Mazzocco later did.

U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth, a Reagan nominee, sentenced Morgan-Lloyd.

Chutkan said Bissey could have left the protest that developed into a riot when the crowd smashed into the Capitol and that she hoped the sentence would be sufficient to deter Bissey from committing future crimes.

I dont think probation is going to keep her from ever doing this again, she said.

In this combination of photographs, Dona Bissey is seen with companions inside the U.S. Capitol in Washington and descending stairs outside the building on Jan. 6, 2021. (FBI)

The fact that she subscribed to bizarre conspiracy theories, did not play a role in the sentencing, she added.

Prosecutors said Bissey was part of the QAnon movement. They had also told the judge they were recommending three years probation after taking into consideration factors such as no evidence linking Bissey preplanning or coordinating what happened with anybody else, including extremist groups, and the lack of evidence linking Bissey to violence or property destruction.

Bissey was arrested on Feb. 26 and released in early March on personal recognizance.

Those few days Bissey spent behind bars in addition to the probation will serve the goal of specific and general deterrence, one prosecutor said.

A lawyer representing Bissey noted that she spent her life without having interaction with the criminal justice system and said the defendant does not drink, gamble, or smoke. She asked for a sentence including no jail time.

Shes a woman who made a mistake, the attorney said.

An 18-month term would recognize her husbands dependence on her, acknowledge the collateral consequences she already has faced because of her conduct, ensure she does not suffer from an unwarranted sentencing disparity, and allow her to avoid being confined in an institution during a pandemic while she suffers from a compromised immune system, the lawyer wrote in a sentencing memorandum.
NORWALK  Halloween should look more normal this year, but the city is still recommending trick-or-treaters take certain precautions to stay safe and healthy.

Halloween is not canceled, said Josh Morgan, director of communications for the city, but concerns of COVID-19 transmission still exist and flu season has arrived. Children under the age of 12, the majority of trick-or-treaters, also remain ineligible for the COVID vaccine.

The city recommends trick-or-treaters travel in small, distanced groups. Residents who plan to hand out candy should put the treats in separate bags or set up individual goodies to be disbursed outside the home.

Anyone participating in Halloween activities should continue to follow basic public health guidelines, such as wearing masks indoors, social distancing and washing their hands.

Outdoor gatherings remain safer than indoor activities, and if any gathering moves indoors, the hosts should open windows to increase ventilation, wear masks, and keep distanced to reduce the spread of the virus, according to Morgan.

We know Halloween is a time of year that residents, especially our young people, really enjoy. We hope residents celebrate and enjoy safely, Morgan said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Connecticut Department of Public Health provided no specific health guidelines to Halloween activities as they did last year. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, encouraged families to go out there and enjoy Halloween when appearing on CNNs State of the Union on Sunday.

Halloween falls on a Sunday this year. On Oct. 30, the Recreation and Parks Department will host an adult co-ed softball game with a costume contest at Calf Pasture Beach. The department will also host a kids kickball game and a kids costume contest at the park from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

For more information on both events email recreation@norwalkct.org or rpentino@norwalkct.org.

emily.morgan@hearstmediact.com
NORWALK  Nearly all employees of Nuvance Health, which operates four Connecticut hospitals, are compliant with the companys COVID-19 vaccine mandate, and the 2 percent that arent are on unpaid suspension.

On Aug. 17, Nuvance Health announced a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for all employees and volunteers, with a vaccination deadline of Oct. 1, according to a company statement.

The requirement applies to employees, medical staff, volunteers, students and contractors, the statement read. As hospitalizations from COVID-19 rise, and variants present a higher risk of spread, Nuvance Health launched the mandatory COVID-19 vaccine program in order to maintain the safest environment possible for employees, patients and visitors.

As of Monday, about 2 percent of Nuvance employees across the companys system did not comply with the vaccine requirement, Nuvance Health Assistant Vice President of Community, Government and Public Relations Andrea Rynn said.

Nuvance operates Norwalk, Danbury, New Milford and Sharon Hospitals, as well as Putnam and Northern Dutchess Hospitals and Vassar Brothers Medical Center in New York.

While we regret a small minority have chosen to leave the organization rather than get vaccinated, we remain committed to delivering high-quality, safe care to our patients, Rynn said. We are deeply grateful to the overwhelming majority of our employees who have agreed this policy is a necessary step that will help bring the pandemic to an end.

While current employees had until Oct. 1 to receive the vaccine, beginning Aug. 23 all new Nuvance workers were required to show proof of vaccination prior to employment, according to the statement.

Employees with a medical or religious exemption were able to request an accommodation, according to the statement.

Our proactive contingency planning will help us meet any challenges presented and regardless of staffing limitations affecting health systems across the country, Nuvance Health is committed to ensuring all of our facilities are staffed to appropriately serve patient needs and to continue to provide high-quality care for our patients and community, Rynn said.

Employees who chose not to receive the vaccine were placed on unpaid suspension pending proof of vaccination, hospital spokesperson Amy Forni said.

According to company policy, individuals who do not comply with the mandate will be terminated. Forni declined to elaborate on the length of time given for suspended employees to provide proof of vaccination before being fired.

The exact number of workers at each hospital that did not receive the COVID-19 vaccine was not released.

We are not sharing exact numbers because they fluctuate from day to day, Forni said. The percent is more accurate.

Other medical organizations have enacted or endorsed similar mandates, including the Yale New Haven Health System. Yale New Haven announced its vaccination mandate on June 30, with a deadline of Sept. 28.

Employees who did not meet the Sept. 28 deadline were given until Oct. 18 to receive the vaccine before being terminated, according to associate chief clinical officer Dr. Ohm Deshpande.

As of Monday, 225 employees of the Yale New Haven Health System were vaccine noncompliant.

Those employees have been given written notice that they will be suspended until their termination date, Deshpande said. If they get vaccinated for COVID-19 before then, they will be able to keep their jobs, he said.

An additional 244 employees are in the process of getting their shots and will not be let go if they are completely vaccinated by Oct. 18, Deshpande said. He said 99.21 percent of the health systems 28,638 employees are fully vaccinated or in the process of getting vaccinated.

Includes prior reporting by Ed Stannard

abigail.brone@hearstmediact.com
Mac Walker, a candidate for the District VII seat on the Houston ISD Board of Education, said his name was printed incorrectly on the ballot Harris County is using for the Nov. 2 election. Despite the mistake, which Harris County Elections Administrator Isabel Longoria attributed to HISD, she said the election is moving forward with the ballot as it is.
Doug Shepherd is a Hardin County Extension agent for agriculture and natural resources. He can be reached at 270-765-4121, Ext. 102, or douglas.shepherd@uky.edu.
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The event was held in person and via Zoom featuring panelists from various positions in the university.
Jane Leonard (above) is said to have rejected a marriage proposal from the 15th president of the United States, James Buchanan.
Phuket order confirms COVID tests for domestic tourists scrapped

PHUKET: Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew has issued a provincial order bringing into effect this coming Saturday (Oct 16) key easing of entry requirements for people entering Phuket that will see vaccinated visitors coming onto the island no longer having to prove they have tested negative for the COVID-19.

tourismCOVID-19

By The Phuket News

Tuesday 12 October 2021, 09:51AM

One of the notices issued last night explaining the new entry requirements to start this Saturday (Oct 16). Image: PR Phuket

One of the notices issued last night explaining the new entry requirements to start this Saturday (Oct 16). Image: PR Phuket

However, the waiving of the COVID test requirement applies to adults only. Children aged 6-18 years old who are unable to be vaccinated or are still waiting to receive a vaccination injection must still have evidence presented confirming that they have tested negative for COVID by RT-PCR or antigen test (ATK) method within seven days before arriving to enter Phuket.

The new easing of the COVID test requirement applies to visitors arriving at any port of entry to the island: by road via the Phuket Check Point at Tha Chatchai; by plane via Phuket airport; or by boat via any of the piers and ports on the island.

The order, Phuket Provincial Order No. 6245/2564, was signed and dated by Governor Narong yesterday, and posted online last night (Oct 11).

The order is marked to come into effect this Saturday (Oct 16) and to remain in effect until further notice.

Phuket officials last night launched a public information campaign with several notices clearly explaining what the new requirements will be starting this coming Saturday. So far the information notices are in Thai language only.

Under the order, all visitors entering Phuket must:

1) Must be vaccinated against COVID-19 with:

Sinovac - 2 doses

Sinopharm - 2 doses

AstraZeneca - 2 doses

Pfizer - 2 doses

Moderna - 2 doses

Sputnik V - 2 doses

OR

Completed a 2-dose crossed formula vaccination as prescribed by the Ministry of Public Health

OR

Have received 1 dose of Johnson & Johnson vaccine at least 14 days before arriving

OR

People under 18 years of age who have received 1 dose of Pfizer vaccine at least 14 days before arriving

OR

A person who has recovered from symptoms of COVID-19 not more than 90 days previously

OR

3) Have been tested for COVID-19 by RT-PCR or ATK (Antigen Test Kit) with a confirmed negative result from a hospital or laboratory.

The order noted people were permitted to take an ATK (Antigen Test Kit) test kit that has been certified by the FDA to be tested by a hospital or laboratory, or a state hospital, with a negative confirmation result to show to the authorities, which can be used to confirm the results for no more than 7 days at a time. (*The Phuket News has yet to clarify the exact meaning of this part of the order.)

Exempt from the requirement to be vaccinated or present negative COVID test results are children under 6 years old traveling with parents or caregivers, and people traveling in a medical emergency vehicle, emergency patients, lifeguards and rescue workers,

All people entering Phuket must register their travel details in advance through the gophuget,com online registration system and must download and install the Mor Prom app.

EXPLAINING THE NEW RULES BY AGE

Phuket officials last night also released a notice explaining the new entry rules by categories of age, with special attention on the requirements for children under 18 years old, as follows:

6 years old and younger

Exempt - No need to have a test result for COVID-19, able to enter and exit normally (traveling with parents or guardians)

7-12 years old

Must be tested for COVID-19 by means of RT-PCR or ATK (Antigen Test Kit) which can be used to confirm results for no more than 7 days at a time.

12-18 years old

Must have received 1 dose of Pfizer vaccine at least 14 days before arriving, or in the case of students in Phuket waiting to be vaccinated [in the mass vaccination campaign for children] from 12 years of age to under 18 years of age, and it is necessary [for them] to travel into - out of Phuket: Must show their identification card to the competent official when traveling into - out of Phuket and have a government have a medical facility or government hospital cetrificate showing they have tested negative for COVID-19 by means antigent test that is effective for no more than one time per month.

18 years and over

Must be vaccinated against COVID-19 as prescribed by the province or be tested for COVID-19 by means of RTPCR or ATK (Antigen Test Kit) which can be used to confirm results for no more than 7 days at a time.

** Those who have recovered from symptoms of COVID-19 for not more than 90 days, show evidence, can enter-exit **
Scoot resumes Phuket-Singapore flights

PHUKET: Scoot, the low-cost subsidiary of Singapore Airlines (SIA), has resumed three-times-weekly services between Phuket and Singapore. The route, which had been suspended since late March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, is operated with Scoots Airbus A320-family aircraft.

tourismtransport

By The Phuket News

Tuesday 12 October 2021, 04:13PM

Before COVID-19, Phuket was the second-most popular international tourist destination in Thailand, hosting approximately 10 million foreign tourists each year. Low-cost carriers carried over 40% of international passengers to and from the island, noted Scoot in its release announcing the resumed flights, which began last Friday (Oct 8).

Scoots flight resumption between Phuket and Singapore will draw even more visitors to the Sandbox as Thai authorities gear up towards gradually reopening more provinces, the announcement read.

Calvin Chan, Scoots Chief Commercial Officer, said, Thailand is one of Scoots key growth markets, and we are encouraged by the positive steps being taken to gradually reopen borders safely. Phuket has always been one of the top holiday destinations for travellers around the world, and we are excited to resume services to the island.

Throughout the pandemic, Scoot has remained nimble in adjusting our network according to evolving developments, as well as implementing measures to safeguard the health of our customers and crew. As travel starts to resume, we will continue to deliver the highest standards to our customers, ensuring peace of mind when flying with Scoot.

Since the start of COVID-19, Scoot, last September voted the Worlds Best Long Haul Low-Cost Airline in the 2021 World Airline Awards by SkyTrax, has enhanced procedures and implemented measures across the customer journey, ranging from increased cleaning and distancing, deploying contactless check-in and inflight ordering, and trialling of digital pre-departure test verification tools amongst other initiatives, the announcement continued.

Scoot has been growing its capacity and resuming selected services in a calibrated manner. To date, Scoot has resumed services to 25 out of 68 destinations. Currently, Scoot is operating 11-times-weekly services between Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi) and Singapore.

Flight Schedule for Phuket-Singapore* services (Effective 8 October 2021)

Sector Flight No. Departure Arrival Frequency Phuket  Singapore TR653 2040 2335 Tue, Fri, Sat Singapore  Phuket TR652 1910 2000 Tue, Fri, Sat

* All times listed in local. Schedules are subject to changes and regulatory approval.
Southern Pines, NC (28387)

Today

Cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low near 40F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low near 40F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph.
The Ridgefield Chamber of Commerce recently welcomed Ridgebury Farm & Stables to the community with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the sprawling horse farm.

Ridgebury Farm specializes in hippotherapy and equine assisted therapy for individuals with special needs, co-founder and executive director Katy Schermann said. Our core values surround the health, well-being and progress of the rider.
Bryan Adams has released the title track from his upcoming album, 'So Happy It Hurts', and announced a 2022 UK and Ireland tour.

The Canadian rock legend is back with his first new music since his 2019 LP 'Shine a Light', which featured a songwriting credit from Ed Sheeran and a feature with Jennifer Lopez.

The 'Summer of '69' hitmaker started penning the new material in lockdown and the collection is inspired by the "freedom" of the road.

In a statement, the 61-year-old musician said: The pandemic and lockdown really brought home the truth that spontaneity can be taken away. Suddenly all touring stopped, no one could jump in the car and go.

The title song So Happy It Hurts is about freedom, autonomy, spontaneity and the thrill of the open road. The album of the same name, touches on many of the ephemeral things in life that are really the secret to happiness, most importantly, human connection.

The 12-track LP is set to follow on March 11, 2022.

The album will be available on all digital platforms, as well as in a variety of physical formats including standard CD, deluxe CD with a lenticular cover and hardbound book and vinyl.

An exclusive colour vinyl and a limited edition box set which includes the deluxe CD, vinyl, hardbound book and signed photo are also available for pre-order now.

Next year, the 'Heaven' hitmaker will embark on the 12-date 'So Happy It Hurts' UK headline tour, which kicks off on May 13 at the Brighton Centre, and includes a stop at London's The O2 arena on May 26.

Bang Showbiz
COLLINSVILLE  Not everyone needs to go to college, and creating a realistic pathway to high-paying jobs in the manufacturing sector was the main focus of a manufacturing roundtable sponsored by local workforce development agencies.

The event was held Tuesday at Collinsvilles Gateway Convention Center, and also broadcast via Zoom. About 50 people attended in person.

The event was sponsored by Madison County Employment and Training, and the St. Clair Intergovernmental Grants Department-Workforce Development Group, in part to celebrate National Manufacturing Month.

October is Manufacturing Month nationwide, said MCET Director Tony Fuhrmann. The point of this event is to spread the word in our region about some of the interesting things that are being done, both at the education level and by certain businesses.

While much of the emphasis was on education, part of the program included discussions by non-traditional manufacturers.

Every year the state celebrates manufacturers across the state, said Jonathan McGee, deputy director, regional economic development for the Illinois Department of Economic Opportunity. Over 18,000 manufacturers employing 550,000 Illinoisans. We know its one of the biggest sectors in industries in our state.

McGee was at the conference for a short time, then had to go to SIUE for a presentation dealing with the states $200 million Back-to-Business program.

In addition to discussing the state of manufacturing and educational programs and opportunities, participants at the event also got a chance to look over Southwestern Illinois Colleges Advanced Manufacturing Mobile Lab.

The lab is primarily used at local high schools, both as a recruitment tool for the college and to help high school students by giving them access to modern high-tech manufacturing machines.

The program today is pretty good, said Dennis Cooper, CEO of MAC Medical, a Columbia, Illinois-based manufacturer of stainless-steel hospital products. The involvement from the state and local government has been very impressive.

Workforce development is extremely important, he said. What were finding in the current market is that a lot of what people should be taught early on just hasnt been. It creates a lot of problems for manufacturing.

Specifically, he said there are turnover issues, in part because promises and expectations are not aligned. However, he said schools are absolutely getting better at it.

Specific topics included the new Center for Academic and Vocational Excellence in the Belleville Township High School District; SWICs new $7 million Advanced Manufacturing Training Facility, to be built on the colleges Belleville Campus; and the Saint Louis University Center for Additive Manufacturing.

While manufacturing  and especially heavy industry  has declined in many parts of the U.S., it continues to play a major role in the Metro East economy. That has also influenced the rise of the logistics and transportation industry in the region, especially Madison County.

It is the largest sector, still, Fuhrmann said, referring to manufacturing.

He added that this area still has a great deal of heavy industry.

If you go to Granite City, if you go up the river to Alton, you see those heavy manufacturing plants, he said. But were also seeing a new birth of more modern manufacturing, more computer-generated and things like that.

One of the biggest issues, like most other sectors of the economy, is workforce.

Like everybody else, theyre looking for employees, he said. Its a matter of getting the word out that those jobs are here, they pay well, and theres a future with them.

MCET continues to offer services ranging from job postings and help with resumes or job searches, to paying for up to two years of training for high-value jobs.

For information about employment and workforce training opportunities, call 618-296-4301, visit the Madison County website at https://www.co.madison.il.us/ or visit the departments Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/MCETD.
EDWARDSVILLE  Two Granite City residents have been indicted for allowing the abuse of a disabled person.

Steven A. Buchanan, 28, and Ashley N. Buchanan, 30, both of the 1900 block of Joy Avenue, Granite City, were each indicted Oct. 7 for two counts of criminal abuse or neglect of a disabled person, Class 3 felonies. The cases were originally presented by the Granite City Police Department.

Between June 14 to Aug. 31 the two allegedly failed to perform necessary acts to ensure the health of the person they were responsible for, leading to injuries and a deterioration of the victims condition. They are accused of exposing the victim to willful deprivation by failing to obtain adequate medical care, shelter, nutrition and physical assistance.

Bail had been previously set at $75,000 each.

Also last week, an Alton man has been indicted as an armed habitual criminal by a Madison County Grand Jury.

John A. Hammond, 41, of was indicted Oct. 7 for armed habitual criminal, a Class X felony; unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon, a Class 3 felony; reckless discharge of a firearm, a Class 4 felony.

The case was originally presented by the Alton Police Department, and charges originally filed June 11.

According to court documents, on June 10 Hammond allegedly fired a gun into the air multiple times, endangering another person. Hammond has a 2009 Madison County conviction for aggravated battery with a firearm, making him in eligible to possess weapons. The habitual criminal charge comes from his prior conviction and the use of a weapon in his latest charge.

Bail had been previously set at $254,000.

Other indictments issued Oct. 7 include:

 Keith L. Johnson, 43, of Granite City, was indicted for unlawful possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, a Class X felony, and unlawful possession of cannabis with intent to deliver and unlawful possession of weapons by a felon, both Class 3 felonies. The case was originally presented by the Granite City Police Department. On Sept. 9 Johnson allegedly was found to have more than 15 pills and other objects containing Ecstasy, more than 30 grams of cannabis, and a Bersa .380 caliber handgun. He has a 2006 felony conviction for unlawful delivery of a controlled substance out of Little Rock, Arkansas. Bail had previously been set at $200,000.

 Jeffrey L. Ramsey, 54, of Collinsville, was indicted for aggravated domestic battery, a Class 2 felony. The case was originally presented by the Alton Police Department. On Sept. 29 Ramsey allegedly struck a household or family member repeatedly in the face with a closed fist. Bail had been set previously at $73,000.

 Jieshi Li, 35, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was indicted for money laundering, a Class 2 felony. The case was presented by the Illinois State Police. On Aug. 26 Li allegedly was found to have between $10,000 to $100,000 in U.S. currency and instruments being criminally derived property. Bail was previously set at $75,000.

 Darylann L. Hardimon, 32, of Alton, was indicted for obstructing justice. The case was originally presented by the Alton Police Department. On Sept. 9 Hardimon allegedly obstructed an investigation of a shooting in the 700 block of Oakwood Avenue by providing false information to an Alton Police Department detective. Bail had been previously set at $73,000.
Jack C. Taylor, 86, formerly of Corbin, Kentucky, passed away peacefully on Sunday, November 7, 2021. Jack will always be known as a hardworking and caring family man. He was an exceptional athlete, receiving 1954, high school All-State Honors in both football and basketball by the Courier-J
The Hut Group founder admitted 'it has not been a great day' after shares crashed another 35 per cent after a bungled presentation to investors.

Matt Moulding and wife Jodie saw 278million wiped off the value of their stake in the online retailer as the stock sank to a record low of 285p.

The brutal sell-off came in the final two hours of trading as Moulding delivered a 'capital markets day' briefing to analysts and investors.

The Hut Group founder Matt Moulding and his wife Jodie (pictured together) saw 278m wiped off the value of their stake in the online retailer as the stock sank to a record low of 285p

The meeting was widely seen as an attempt to rally support for the company following a wave of negative commentary and to explain the value of the group's online retail platform, THG Ingenuity.

But one leading investor said Moulding, 49, who is executive chairman and chief executive, had 'failed to provide' the reassurances required.

The subsequent fall in shares was the biggest since THG joined the stock market to great fanfare in September last year.

Speaking to the Mail after the share price crash, Moulding said: 'It has not been a great day, that's for sure.'

The latest rout took the share price fall to 58 per cent in just five weeks and leaves THG languishing well below its 500p float price in September last year.

The Manchester-based group, which sells clothes, make-up and protein shakes online, is now valued at 3.5billion, having hit 9.8billion when shares peaked at close to 800p in January.

Moulding, whose stake is still worth 493million, said it was unclear why the shares had fallen so sharply and so suddenly after what he described as a 'teach-in' on THG's technology platform Ingenuity.

'I don't know the full answers to that,' he told the Mail. 'I'll be on that with the banks very shortly.'

THG followed up on Mouldings comments on Wednesday morning by telling investors it knows of no notifiable reason for the material share price movement.

Stressing the strength of its performance since its September 2020 IPO, THG said it has a very strong liquidity position as it enters its peak trading season.

THG is due to report its Q3 trading update on 26 October.

The Hut Group: Rise and Fall The Hut Group was the darling of the stock market when it listed in September last year. It was the biggest debut in London since the Royal Mail in 2013 and rose 25 per cent from its 500p offer price in its first day. But shares started sliding five weeks ago amid rumours boss Matt Moulding wanted to split up the group. It was confirmed on September 16 when he outlined plans to list THG Beauty as a separate company and suggested THG Nutrition could follow suit. The shares took another lurch downwards when a research note published on October 1 by The Analyst told investors to short  or bet against  the stock. Predicting the price could fall to 260p, the note claimed THG's tech arm Ingenuity, which it said accounts for half the company's value, may not meet expectations. It left Moulding with a fight on his hands with all eyes on yesterday's 'capital markets day', when investors have the chance to discuss a company with its top management. But it ended with The Hut Group having its worst ever day on the stock market, and more questions hanging over the company.

Moulding suggested the company had been targeted by 'short-sellers' betting against the shares.

He also highlighted an 'attack on the business ten days ago' by research firm The Analyst that expressed doubts over Ingenuity as well as THG's culture and corporate governance.

City sources suggested that while Moulding and other investors, including former Tesco chief Terry Leahy, have been left nursing heavy losses, hedge funds betting against the stock have cashed in.

But analysts said shareholders may be selling out amid concerns about profit warnings in the retail sector and the planned spin-off of THG's beauty arm.

'There are reports that a number of different institutional investors have sold shares,' said Susannah Streeter at Hargreaves Lansdown.

The slump has been painful for workers who were given shares when the firm floated.

The float created 74 paper millionaires among the staff  though it is unclear if anyone has sold up.

Moulding said the fall in the share price was 'a value debate' rather than an existential crisis. 'Let's see where it lands, and wherever it lands let's build from there,' he said.

But the entrepreneur, who founded THG in 2004, said he was 'proud' of what the company has achieved.
Private equity groups are plotting a swoop on the consumer arm of Glaxosmithkline in what could be the biggest takeover by the buyout industry in history.

The circling predators have valued the pharma giant's consumer business, which owns brands including Aquafresh toothpaste and Otrivin nasal spray and is being spun out of GSK by chief executive Emma Walmsley, at 40billion or more.

Walmsley's plan is to list the consumer healthcare arm as a separate entity on the stock market in London with annual sales of more than 10billion.

Glaxosmithkline's consumer business, which owns brands including Aquafresh toothpaste and Otrivin nasal spray, is being spun out by chief exec Emma Walmsley (pictured)

But if a sale is agreed instead, it would be the biggest private equity takeover on record, surpassing the 33billion buyout of US energy giant TXU in 2007 by KKR and TPG.

GSK is just the latest British firm to attract interest from private equity predators which have targeted several household names during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Companies that have found themselves in the crosshairs include supermarkets Morrisons and Asda, and security firm G4S, as well as British defence industry stalwarts Ultra Electronics and Meggitt.

The influx of private equity bargain hunters has sparked an outcry across the political spectrum amid worries the spate of takeovers is hollowing out British industry, loading firms up with debt, and leaving crucial technologies in foreign hands.

News of the potential GSK swoop drew swift condemnation from Tory grandee Lord Heseltine last night, who said the ongoing ravaging of UK industry by private equity firms showed 'an opting out of British control in a way that is unlike international practice'.

He said: 'Britain has become a job-lot economy, there is no strategic assessment like in America, Germany, France and other countries.

'There is a worrying aspect of this whole process that the people who make the recommendations are more incentivised to accept.'

Lord Sikka, professor of accounting at the University of Essex, said private equity firms are 'not really interested in the long-term business', adding: 'It's all about increasing returns and one aspect of that is loading entities with debt and the second is you butcher them up.'

Several private equity outfits including Advent International, CVC Capital Partners and KKR are said to be sniffing around for any deal that could see the GSK consumer business fall into their hands, according to Bloomberg.

And activist investors ramped up the pressure on GSK's board this week. Bluebell Capital called on chairman Jonathan Symonds to quit, having previously joined US hedge fund Elliott in demanding Walmsley reapply for her own job.
The boss of the International Monetary Fund has clung onto her job despite claims of corruption.

Kristalina Georgieva, who was appointed managing director of the IMF in 2019, allegedly manipulated data in her former role as boss of the World Bank to make China look like a more appealing place to do business.

It came at a crucial time when the World Bank was trying to negotiate a funding package from Beijing.

IMF boss Kristalina Georgieva allegedly manipulated data in her former role as boss of the World Bank to make China look like a more appealing place to do business

Georgieva denied the allegations, and after eight meetings over the past several weeks, the IMF's 24-strong executive board said she had its 'full confidence'.

The board said: 'Having looked at all the evidence presented, the executive board reaffirms its full confidence in the managing director's leadership and ability to continue to effectively carry out her duties.'

The affair has opened up a rift between key members of the IMF. While the US was keen to investigate Georgieva further, European players including France threw their weight behind the Bulgarian economist.

The probe into her conduct was an embarrassment for the IMF as it prepared to kick off its annual meetings yesterday.
ABAC Ambassadors Raegan Clack, Jaylee Bass and Abby Green represented the ABAC student body at the Sunbelt Expo in 2019. The Ambassadors will be front and center at ABACs building at Expo this year.
Tillamook, OR (97141)

Today

Rain. Low 46F. S winds shifting to WNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch..

Tonight

Rain. Low 46F. S winds shifting to WNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch.
Barre, VT (05641)

Today

Rain ending this evening. Partial clearing overnight. Low 33F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%..

Tonight

Rain ending this evening. Partial clearing overnight. Low 33F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%.
Passengers wait in line at the Southwest Airlines ticket counter at Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport, Monday, Oct. 11, 2021. The Dallas-based airline canceled hundreds of flights Monday following a weekend of major service disruptions.
ALBANY - Gov. Kathy Hochul has quickly put together the state's Stretch Limousine Passenger Safety Task Force, an 11-person board that will recommend any new safety regulations following the 2018 limo crash in Schoharie that killed 20 people.

But Marie Therese Dominguez, commissioner of the state Department of Transportation and a member of the task force, has not enacted changes suggested by federal regulators to address limo safety concerns in New York.

The National Transportation Safety Board, was highly critical of the DOT as well as the state Department of Motor Vehicles when it issued its final report on the Schoharie crash last fall, just before the second anniversary of the deadly crash.

The NTSB issued a series of recommendations to both the DOT and the DMV, urging the two state agencies to make changes to state laws and policies to improve limo safety.

One of the specific recommendations touched on a 2014 audit by state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli that found the DOT didn't adequately ensure that commercial vehicles it had ordered off the road for safety reasons were fixed before they went back into service.

In its final report published last September, the NTSB said the DOT never addressed the issues raised in the 2014 comptroller audit, which may have contributed to the Schoharie crash.

The limo in question, a 2001 stretch Ford Excursion limo, was ordered off the road multiple times by the DOT and State Police in the months before the crash yet was still being used on the day of the tragedy, Oct. 6, 2018.

NTSB members said after their report was published that they were outraged that the DOT did not physically impound the Excursion after it was found to be unsafe, especially since the limo company itself, Prestige Limousine of Wilton, was operating illegally without DOT approval.

The roadside inspections that the DOT conducts on commercial vehicles are federally funded.

In response to the NTSB recommendation, Dominguez and DMV Commissioner Mark Schroeder argued that the NTSB didn't know what it was talking about and had misunderstood DiNapoli's 2014 audit. It is unclear why Schroeder attached his name to the response since the NTSB never mentioned him or the DMV in that specific recommendation.

That prompted the NTSB to issue a stern warning to Dominguez in the spring, calling her explanation "unacceptable" to the agency.

"We believe that the key recommendations have not yet been effectively implemented, as evidenced by lapses in their program that allowed an operator that did not have the required NYSDOT operating authority and a vehicle that had been placed (out of service) three different times to continue to operate, leading to this horrific tragedy," the NTSB wrote in a May 26 rebuke of Dominguez.

Late Tuesday, the DOT again claimed that the 2014 DiNapoli audit is "unrelated to the facts, conditions and circumstances related to this crash," referring to the Schoharie limo tragedy.

"The state Department of Transportation will continue to work in good faith with our federal partners to close this recommendation," DOT spokesman Joe Morrissey told the Times Union.

The NTSB will only close the safety recommendation cases once it believes the request has been adequately addressed.

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The NTSB also blamed Prestige Limousine for failing to maintain the Excursion, which authorities believe crashed due to brake failure. Nauman Hussain, a member of the Hussain family that owned Prestige Limousine, pleaded guilty last month to 20 counts of criminally negligent homicide for his failure to fix the limo after it was ordered off the road by the DOT.

The Excursion was traveling down a steep stretch of Route 30 just outside the village of Schoharie on a sunny fall Saturday when its brakes failed. The seven-ton, 34-foot limo crashed into the parking lot of the Apple Barrel Country Store & Cafe, killing all 18 passengers and the drivers as well as two bystanders.

The limo, which had exceeded 100 mph by that point, then slammed into a ditch. Only the driver was wearing a seat belt.

Hussain was sentenced to five years of probation and banned from owning a transportation company for the rest of his life.

Dominguez isn't the only person on the limo safety task force with a DOT connection.

Hochul also appointed two former DOT commissioners, Joan McDonald, who is now Westchester County's director of operations, and Matthew J. Driscoll, the executive director of the New York State Thruway Authority, to the task force, although their former jobs were never mentioned in the press release that Hochul sent out announcing their appointment to the board.

"As we mark the three-year anniversary of the tragic crash, we must honor the memory of these individuals by realizing our obligation to review every single aspect of limousine transportation and help prevent such tragedies," Hochul said in the release.

Hochul's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday afternoon.
This morning, the New York Daily News' editorial board published a 61-page letter, which an attorney for ex-Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo wrote to the Brooklyn U.S. Attorney's office.

The letter, written in late July by outside attorney Elkan Abramowitz, pertains to "Grand Jury Investigation, F. #2021R00167," and asks federal investigators to drop a criminal inquiry into the Cuomo administration's suppression of nursing home death data attributable to COVID-19.

Abramowitz argues that the federal inquiry was begun by a politically motivated Trump administration; that the Cuomo administration's decision not to include hospitals deaths (where the infection began at a nursing home) in its overall nursing home death tally was appropriate; and that the decision was a discretionary action, allowable for a state government.

The letter also reveals new details of investigations into the Cuomo administration.

In arguing that New York itself has the ability to police such matters (rather than the federal government), the Cuomo lawyer's July letter stated:

"Evidencing New Yorks ability to investigate the issues discussed here are the multiple State and local investigations that are currently ongoing. The Executive Chamber has received subpoenas from the New York Attorney General (regarding the Governors book and priority COVID testing), the Manhattan District Attorneys Office (regarding nursing homes), the New York State Assembly (regarding an impeachment investigation), and the New York Joint Commission on Public Ethics (regarding priority testing and the Governors book)."

To my knowledge, it had not been previously confirmed by Cuomo's office that JCOPE was investigating priority COVID testing and Cuomo's book, that the Manhattan district attorney's office was investigating nursing homes, or that Attorney General Letitia James' office was investigating priority COVID testing.

On the priority COVID testing issue, James' office had said in March it did not have jurisdiction, and asked JCOPE to investigate instead.

James' office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Times Union on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the New York Law Journal had previously reported on a Department of Health legal contract, which referenced an investigation by the Manhattan district attorney's office that was related to the administration's COVID-19 response. But the specific topic was not clear. Abramowitz's letter says the topic was nursing homes.

Concerning JCOPE, an agency spokesman has previously confirmed JCOPE was investigating issues related to priority COVID testing, but did not specifically say the investigation pertained to Cuomo, or that a subpoena had been issued. JCOPE has not ever explicitly stated it is investigating Cuomo's book deal, or had issued a subpoena to Cuomo's office.

Such an investigation has been obliquely referenced during public sessions of meetings, as commissioners have debated whether to rescind JCOPE staff approval of "American Crisis," which the staff had granted last year.

In the Abramowitz letter, there is an interesting passage related to Cuomo's book.

The New York Times reported that as Cuomo was seeking publication of the book  which ultimately netted $5.1 million  Cuomo aides had suppressed higher nursing home deaths figures from a state Department of Health report, which focused on whether a controversial DOH guidance had led to nursing home deaths.

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In his letter, Abramowitz writes that the DOH report and the book deal were unrelated, but that in any case, it would not be illegal for a politician to inflate their image ahead of a book's publication:

He wrote:

"Some news outlets have unfairly associated the publication of nursing home data and Governor Cuomos book. For example, the New York Times reported that in the lead up to the publication of the July 6 DOH report Governor Cuomos aides revised the nursing home death numbers in the July 6 report. The Times also stated that its review of the development of Mr. Cuomos lucrative book deal revealed how it overlapped with the move by his most senior aides to reshape a report about nursing home deaths in a way that insulated the governor from criticism and burnished his image.



"As an initial matter, the implication of Timess article is wrongthere was no connection between the Governors book and the publication of nursing home deaths. But in any event, it is irrelevant to the analysis at hand. Even if there were some scheme to downplay nursing home deaths in order to make the Governor look better to the public, and in turn that heightened public stature allowed him to obtain more money for his book, it would not be actionable under the property fraud statutes. Even in that preposterous scenario, there would be no federal criminal violation because the object of the scheme would be good publicity, not property ...

"Even more, in this hypothetical, the book advance and sales could not serve as the property objective of the purported fraud for a couple of reasons. First, the connection is far too tenuous...And second, such an interpretation would fail on vagueness grounds. The absurdity of such a theory is apparent once one considers its broader implications. Politicians across the country consistently publish books about their political endeavorshave they committed property fraud if, in the run up to publication they made false statements of self-serving puffery? Under that theory, if the book advance and sales could serve as the basis for a property fraud conviction, every politician in the country who has written a book could be subject to federal imprisonment. Such an interpretation would lead to 'a sweeping expansion of federal criminal jurisdiction' because 'U.S. Attorneys could prosecute as property fraud every lie a state or local official tells' a result not allowed under the Constitution.

"Others in the media have asserted that the July 6 DOH report was modified solely based on political (rather than scientific) motivations. This is wrong: the conclusions of the July 6 DOH report were equally supported irrespective of whether the report covered only in-facility, or both in- and out-of-facility nursing home COVID deaths. But even if it were true, it could not serve as the basis for criminal liability. As made clear in Kelly, a fraudulent act by a state official does not qualify as property fraud without the actor obtaining some tangible property. Put differently, the Kelly decision bars federal prosecutors from 'criminalizing all acts of dishonesty by state and local officials.' ...There is no evidence of any false statement or fraudulent act, or that any property was obtained because of the publication of nursing home data. Thus, any prosecution under the property fraud statutes could not succeed."
Beloved wife, mother, wildlife rehabilitator, educator. Those are all the ways Barbara Missy Runyan, who passed away suddenly last week, was described by her friends and family. Funeral services are planned for the Catskills conservationist on Tuesday, Oct. 12 in Windham.

Runyan, 51, founded the nonprofit Friends of the Feathered and Furry Wildlife Center (FFF Center) in Hunter, whose mission is to rehabilitate animals and release them back into the wild. She died unexpectedly Oct. 6, according to her obituary.

Her knowledge is tremendous. Its a horrible loss, said Rachel Ford, a licensed wildlife rehabilitator and volunteer with the FFF Center for the past four years. Shes an amazing woman and always will be.

Ford said the centers team of volunteers is focused now on carrying out her legacy and that is what she would want  to never take a day off and to make sure these animals get the care and treatment that they need and deserve. The phone never stops ringing. Theres always wildlife in need of help.

Runyans cause of death is unknown, according to reporting by ABC News 10. In a TV segment on News 10, another fellow wildlife rehabilitator Maria Del Castilho called the center that Runyan established in 2002 her legacy and her lifes work, and said there wasnt an animal that she ever said no to, noting that thousands of animals had come through the center over the years.

Let wild be wild

Runyans husband Dave will continue running the center, said Castilho, alongside its volunteers and licensed rehabilitators, including herself.

A GoFundMe campaign was created by Runyans son, Michael Runyan, to continue Missy Runyans legacy through the ongoing rehabilitation of wildlife.

She went above and beyond to make sure that all feathered and furry creatures had a chance to live out their lives where they belonged  in the wild, read the fundraising page. The GoFundMe had raised $14,560 as of early Monday evening, exceeding its $5,000 goal.

More than 150 people and organizations have donated thus far, including the Catskill Animal Sanctuary, who wrote that they will think of her when they walk through the woods, hear the screech of an owl, or smile at the young fawns grazing tender grass on Sanctuary grounds.

Pets Alive, based in Middletown, called Runyan a superhero who was a living, breathing encyclopedia of knowledge on wildlife, and helped many in the Hudson Valley.

The Times Union: Hudson Valley interviewed Runyan this summer about residents who put deer fawns at risk by trying to feed or help the animals. Runyan said at the time that she had fielded almost 400 calls that summer alone relating to deer fawns.

People fantasize about all of these horrible things that happen in the woods, she said in August. But we have deer, so they must be surviving. Until they come across humans that do all these things and give them issues.

Runyan told us her biggest hope would be for people to trust that nature is powerful and knows how to care for itself.

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Let wild be wild, thats what she stood for," said Ford.

According to a Facebook post from the FFF Center, Runyan rescued and released thousands of animals in her lifetime. She also pioneered wildlife treatment protocols, launched an advocacy campaign against the use of lead bullets and lures, and educated the public about the importance of cohabitating respectfully with wildlife.

Earlier this year she rehabilitated Freedom the bald eagle, who was recovered by a New York State Trooper on the New York State Thruway (I-87).

As Missy liked to say during her eagle releases, Native Americans believed the only ones able to get close enough to the heavens are eagles, read the FFF Centers Facebook post. She is on the other side flying free with her eagles now.

Services will be held Tuesday, Oct. 12, from 5 to 8 p.m. at Decker Funeral Home in Windham. Runyan is survived by her husband, son, brother, sister-in-law, and nieces. In lieu of flowers, her family is asking for donations to help keep her legacy alive and support the animals in the centers care.

Note: (Photo is courtesy of Keep Missys Dream Going GoFundMe campaign.)
The food world mourns Anne Saxelby, a revered cheese purveyor and advocate for American-made artisanal cheeses, who died over the weekend. She was 40.

Saxelby suffered from a heart condition, according to the New York Times. She is survived by her husband Patrick Martins, founder of Heritage Foods and Heritage Radio, and their three children.

Saxelby, owner of Saxelby Cheesemongers, for 15 years has been celebrated by chefs, farmers and cheesemakers for her efforts to champion cheeses made by U.S. producers.

"It's hard to overstate the transformative role that Anne Saxelby played in the world of American cheese, as a passionate and tireless champion for artisan American cheesemakers  at a time when the notion that American cheese could stand on the same stage as European cheeses was still a relatively fringe idea," Matt Spiegler, head cheesemaker at Churchtown Dairy, said in an email.

She and partner Benoit Breal, a French expat, revolutionized public perception of regionally produced cheeses to restaurant diners and shoppers who had long favored fromage from France and Europe.

Together they promoted and distributed products by makers in the Northeast, Midwest and parts of the South, assuring domestic cheeses had a place on restaurant menus and in specialty shops.

Annes passing will leave a marked void in the American pantheon of cheese mongering, Rory Chase, owner of Chaseholm Farm Creamery in Dutchess County, wrote in an email. She was a curator of palates, and an interpreter of the strangest of foods, the heroic cheese; she was its champion. She will be missed.

In addition to selling Chaseholm Farms Nimbus cheese, Saxelby and Breal supported several other New York farms and makers, distributing products from Old Chatham Creamery in Columbia County, Cochran Farm 1790 in Mohawk Valley, and Cowbella Dairy Products from Schoharie County.

Anne is the most sophisticated boutique fromagere  or cheesemonger  in the U.S., decorated French chef Daniel Boulud said in a profile of Saxelby in Edible Manhattan.

Saxelby founded Saxelby Cheesemongers in 2006 with a modest booth at New York Citys Essex Market, becoming the citys first all-American cheese shop. She expanded to a much larger footprint in the Chelsea Market in 2017.

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She learned about making, aging and selling cheese from her time in France and in the United States. She apprenticed at Cato Corner Farm in Connecticut, and worked with goat cheese makers in Frances Loire Valley and well-known French cheese exporter Herve Mons.

Her knowledge, support and enthusiasm touched many people's lives.

"Without Anne's support at a pivotal time in my life, I might not be a cheesemaker today," said Spiegler. "You'll hear stories like that over and over again, how she always lifted up, collaborated with and championed her fellow cheese and dairy professionals. She will be deeply missed."
Ohio might not be the first place that pops into your mind while planning a trip, but dont rule out the Buckeye State when it comes to driving excursions. The central and southern half of the state has two Rust Belt cities in full renaissance  Columbus and Cincinnati  each saturated with more than a days worth of sites and activities, plus food fare tied to their storied pasts.



Columbus

Columbus has a hip, young urban feel and is surrounded by art, a booming restaurant scene and plenty to do in the heart of this affordable city. Sitting outside, passing small plates while hearing the buzz of the citys nightlife on High Street, groups of friends walking by to grab cocktails and couples zipping past on electric scooters for a date night reflected a welcome youthfulness.



Checking into BrewDogs Hotel, The DogHouse, 100 Gender Road, Canal Winchester



Outside of Columbus is the world's first craft beer hotel. It stood out from all the other hotels in the area. As you walk up to the building, the smell of pub food hits you and the brightly colored art murals catch your eye. We were greeted with a check-in beer. The room overlooks the brewery. Theres a refrigerator near the shower stocked with beer and every night at 7 the hotel provides cookies and a stout thats included with your stay. Check out the attached Beer Museum to learn more about the process of creating beer and its history.



Dining



Del Mar Kitchen (705 N. High St., first floor) has delicious appetizers like the tender Peekytoe Crab and Burrata. The cocktails were flavorful and the dairy-free coconut sorbet was so creamy and slightly sweet, you didnt even miss the dairy. The Guild House (624 N. High St.) had a perfectly cooked rack of lamb served with a spinach puree, peas, wild mushrooms, local ramps, pearl onions, watermelon and molasses. The rock shrimp-stuffed poblanos and cheesy grits served with a runny yolk started off the meal. Save room for the sticky toffee sundae. The North Market (59 Spruce St.) is an absolute must. Check out Hoyos Kitchen for Somali food like spicy mango chicken rice bowl. Next to Hoyos is a Polish vendor serving juicy kielbasa sandwiches topped with tangy sauerkraut and mustard. Save room for Jenis ice cream options like the wild berry lavender in a homemade waffle cone. If youre not in the mood for ice cream, a hibiscus raspberry doughnut from Destination Donuts is chewy and dense.



Activities



Explore the street art throughout the city. Its free and always fascinating that somebody has the vision to create such a large image. Theres plenty of street art to discover throughout Columbus, particularly Summit and High streets. Shop along the line of boutiques full of accessories and clothing, flower shops and comic book stores. Head over to The Book Loft of German Village to grab a coffee and browse through the books, both old and new. If youre into vintage clothing, decor and jewelry, check out Flower Child. Grab a quick beer nearby at Seventh Son Brewing Co. before dinner. Otherworld (5819 Chantry Drive) is full of interactive art installations, including secret passageways or tunnels perfect for pictures.



Hocking Hills State Park, 19852 OH-664, Logan



If youre not in a hurry to get to Cincinnati, Hocking Hills State Park is about an hour south of Columbus. Ash Cave, one of the seven big trails in the park, is particularly worth it (especially if it recently rained, which feeds a waterfall within the cave).



Cincinnati
ALBANY  Gov. Kathy Hochul will continue to work with her disgraced predecessor's appointees at the State University of New York Board of Trustees, as well as SUNY Chancellor James Malatras, a longtime confidant of former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo who was installed by the board a year ago.

Hochul in recent weeks has purged her administration of many Cuomo-era officials, pledging a more open and transparent state government, but has no direct power over the chancellor position, which is filled by the board.

The governor selects 15 of 16 voting members of the Board of Trustees for fixed seven-year terms. When their terms expire, trustees remain in their positions at will until they are reappointed or replaced.

Cuomo reappointed seven holdovers on the board in June 2021, precluding Hochul from naming any new trustees for at least a year.

Three Cuomo-appointed trustees have terms set to expire next June, ahead of the 2022 gubernatorial election which is slated for Nov. 8.

The board backs Malatras, who in March drew scrutiny for his role in the state's report on COVID-19-related nursing home deaths that was edited to make the death toll seem lower, sparking an investigation by the U.S. Justice Department.

In an emailed statement, the SUNY Board of Trustees said they have "full confidence" in their chancellor, noting that he has steered the 64-campus system through unprecedented challenges brought on by the pandemic.

"Chancellor Malatras was, and is, the right leader for the times. Chancellor Malatras is an energetic student-centric leader who is transitioning us out of the pandemic and positioning SUNY as the groundbreaker in training the workforce of today and tomorrow, as well as leading innovation that spurs economic growth," the statement reads. "Chancellor Malatras has built important relationships with local officials, our faculty, our professional staff, our partners in labor, and most importantly our students."

Many SUNY trustees have strong ties to the Cuomo administration, including former Lt. Gov. Robert Duffy, former Secretary of State Cesar Perales and Eric Corngold, who was Cuomo's deputy when he was attorney general.

The terms of James Haddon, Richard Socarides and Cary F. Staller expire next year.

Corngold, Edward Spiro, Eunice A. Lewin, Stanley Litow, Christy Woods, Courtney Eagles Burke and Joseph Belluck were formally reappointed by Cuomo in June.

At the time, Cuomo was under investigation by the state Assembly, which was considering impeachment, and also the office of Attorney General Letitia James for his alleged sexual harassment of multiple women. James' investigations, summarized in a report released on Aug. 3, found that the governor had sexually harassed or acted inappropriately with 11 women, many of them current or former state employees. It also implicated members of his administration who sought to discredit the alleged victims. He announced his resignation on Aug. 10.

Since taking office, Hochul has moved to replace commissioners at the Department of Health, Division of Criminal Justice Services, Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, Office of General Services, and the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services.

Hochul has also vowed to remove from her cabinet anyone mentioned in the attorney general's report as having contributed to the culture of harassment in the Executive Chamber. Malatras was not mentioned in the sexual harassment report.

When asked whether the governor believes Malatras is the right person to lead SUNY, Hochul spokeswoman Hazel Crampton-Hays said, A number of dedicated public servants who share a commitment to the governors agenda will continue to serve, and we look forward to working with our top tier team to deliver results for New Yorkers.

The board's decision to install Malatras at the helm of the state university system and forgo a nationwide search at the recommendation of longtime Cuomo aide Larry Schwartz sparked controversy.

After Malatras' appointment, the faculty representatives for SUNY's universities and community colleges announced a vote of "no confidence" in the political appointees over their decision to expedite the selection process.

Malatras, who was on Cuomo's COVID-19 task force before accepting the position as head of the university system in August 2020, served as a key Cuomo aide from 2007 to 2017 through various administration scandals, including the Buffalo Billion bid-rigging scheme.

Malatras was among top state officials who engaged through private email servers with Todd Howe, a former aide-turned-lobbyist who pled guilty to multiple felonies for his role in the pay-to-play scheme. In emails that emerged during the 2018 federal corruption trial, Howe was found to use his connections to administration officials to gain special treatment for his clients.

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Malatras also assisted with the former governor's controversial pandemic memoir.

He has also served as president of the Rockefeller Institute of Government and later as president of SUNY Empire State College.

In March, Malatras acknowledged he helped edit the nursing home report but denied changing any of its data.

Queens Assemblyman Ron Kim, a critic of Cuomo who chairs the state Assembly's Committee on Aging, is among a few voices who have called on Malatras to resign.

He said Malatras and other top aides "were willing to suppress life and death information" in order to protect the interests of the governor and his corporate donors in the nursing home and hospital sector.

As more details emerge, "SUNY will become the embarrassment of the country," Kim said in March. "If (Malatras) had any sense of dignity, he would do the right thing for the students of the state of New York and step aside."

Malatras' influence on the second floor of the state Capitol, where the governor's offices are located, was apparent at the start of the fall 2020 semester when many SUNY schools were experiencing a sharp spike in coronavirus cases.

Guidance from the state Department of Health required campuses to suspend in-person activities once 100 people or 5 percent of the on-campus population tested positive within a two-week period.

Under Malatras, SUNY interpreted the state-set threshold in a way that allowed campuses to rack up twice the number of cases before shifting to remote learning.

SUNY counted cases occurring within a predetermined, static two-week window, rather than using a "rolling" two-week timeframe, which is the standard for all other state COVID-19 metrics.

The decision drew criticism from public health officials, who said it was unhelpful from an epidemiological view to count infections that way.
SARATOGA SPRINGS  City police have opened an investigation into alleged forged signatures on independent nominating petitions witnessed by City Council candidate Samantha Guerra.

City police spokesman Robert Jillson, as well as State Police, acting as the assisting agency, said they couldnt discuss the investigation or if it involved anyone other than Guerra, who is running for commissioner of accounts. The petition signatures in question, which were for all seven Republican candidates, were meant to secure a third line (Saratoga United) on November's ballot.

We have been proceeding along and looking into the allegations, Jillson said. There are the petitions and we are looking at the circumstances around that.

The city's Republican Committee Chairman Chris Obstarczyk said that the investigation is politically motivated, led by current Commissioner of Public Safety Robin Dalton who is now running for mayor.

"The ethical  and normal course of action  would be to send to a different investigatory agency and a different prosecutor outside of the county," Obstarczyk said in an email. "The police department is politically conflicted because the lead investigator on this case is first in line for an upcoming promotion that would be awarded by mayoral candidate Robin Dalton. The investigator was put in a terrible, political pressure-cooker situation overseen by Robin Dalton. This is a clear-cut political hit job."

Guerra said in an email that the investigation is an underhanded tactic brought on by her opponent, Democratic candidate Dillon Moran.

"It's one of the very reasons why I jumped into this race because Saratogians have had enough of the divisiveness and negativity," Guerra said. "If anything, this provides voters a clear-cut choice between classless and someone who's in it for the right reasons.

Despite Republicans gathering signatures for the Saratoga United line on the ballot, it will not appear because most candidates are already on the three lines maximum allowed on a ballot in New York. GOP candidates will be on the Republican and Conservative lines with some on Working Families Party line.

However, that is not how Mark Pingel, who filed a complaint with police about the signatures, sees it.

The pages that appear to have the irregularities, that I am aware of, were signed by Samantha, Pingel said. The police might have found more irregularities. ...What is surprising to me, if you are going to cheat, at least do it competently. It's not right.

Moran, who is also running against the Accountability Party's Angela Rella, brought the forgery allegations to light in a press conference on Sept. 15. To verify the claims, the Times Union investigated and found at least two people who said their signatures were not theirs and other irregularities, including an address that doesnt exist.

Since then, another person, whose signature appeared on the petitions, signed an affidavit swearing that it is not his signature on page 16. That signature was also collected by Guerra, who gathered 17 pages of signatures (all but one full) of the 40-page petition. Most of the seven candidates on the petition gathered only a few pages, at most, and few of those were filled.

On Monday, Moran said he couldnt comment.

I have been advised by SSPD that this is an ongoing criminal investigation and therefore have no comment, Moran said.

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Guerra's attorney, Oscar Schreiber, agreed with Obstarcyzk, saying that the investigation should be moved out of the county.

"It is my opinion that this case should be investigated by an impartial, out of county agency that would avoid any claims of conflict of interest or the appearance of impropriety," Schreiber said. "This matter has already been ruled by the Saratoga County Board of Elections, which ruled the petitions are valid. Usually a matter such as this is resolved civilly. The complainants have not exhausted their administrative remedies and seek to have law enforcement do their work for them.

Because the controversial signatures, which were intended to help Republicans get a third line on November's ballot, were validated by the Board of Elections, three Saratogians, including Pingel, sent a certified letter dated June 10 to Saratoga County District Attorney Karen Heggen asking her to investigate the signatures. Pingel said the three never heard back from the Republican district attorney, thus their reason for going public. Heggen has not indicated why she did not address their concerns.

Pingel said not hearing back from Heggen was disappointing.

Every member of the voting public is hurt when the integrity of an election is called into question, Pingel said. We have seen it on the national level. Its really sad we now see at the local level.

He also said he would hope that the GOP would welcome the investigation.

I would think the Republican slate would want an investigation so that any hint of impropriety can be removed from their campaign, he said. The lack of investigation allows for a lot more speculation and controversy.
ALBANY  Hours after the fatal shooting of an Afghan war veteran at a club, the city took swift action by cutting the power and issuing a cease and desist order, actions designed to stop use of the property.

Yet even before the incident late Saturday when a total of seven people were shot, city officials had flagged the Lounge @ 117 as a problem spot.

Mayor Kathy Sheehan said officials had been citing the building for more than a year.

The business at 117 N. Lake Ave. was operating as an unpermitted social club at the time of the mass shooting, city officials said on Tuesday. The city said The Lounge did not have a certificate of occupancy, and had not done what a permitted club needs to - such as have adopted bylaws and a certificate of incorporation. As a result, it should have been vacant, they said.

Additionally, our ongoing investigation uncovered multiple code violations as well as unpermitted work that rendered the building unsafe, said David Galin, Sheehans chief of staff.

Sources familiar with the incident said the Lounge @ 117 was believed to be having late-night events arranged or hosted by members with outside attendees involved. But there are additional city permits needed for such an arrangement, and its unlikely that the business had them.

While authorities announced the arrest of 10 people on Tuesday on weapons possession charges after they recovered two loaded 9mm handguns following a search of the building, the slaying of Alexander Bolton, 29, remains unsolved.

A source familiar with the shooting said it was the most shell casings they had ever seen at a crime scene, and there were so many casings, they had to mark them in groups  not individually  for evidence techs to photograph. It was an indication that there were multiple people firing weapons, sources said.

The charges stem from the two firearms that were retrieved in the building, said Albany police spokesman Steve Smith, and the search warrant was executed immediately following the shooting.

"Those people were occupying the building at the time," Smith said.

Sheehan pledged in the shooting's immediate aftermath to utilize every tool available to prevent and respond to gun violence.

The mayor issued the cease and desist order to prevent any use of the building and ordered National Grid to cut the power, a move the provider said is permissible when directed by local fire and law enforcement.

Under its current license granted by the state Liquor Authority (SLA), the club is not permitted to be open to the general public, but rather private organizations only.

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The Lounge holds whats known as a club license, which is only issued to not-for-profit organizations. Venues holding that designation cannot be open to the general public and may only sell alcohol to members and their guests.

Despite Sheehan taking swift action to shutter the venue, it has a clean track record with the SLA and has no prior disciplinary history with the agency since the license was issued on Nov. 21, 2017.

An SLA spokesman said on Tuesday the state agency is coordinating with Albany police and will take appropriate action upon the completion of its investigation of the shooting or any other reported incidents at or near the premises.

The Lounge @ 177 is owned by Clee Properties, a Selkirk-based limited liability company that purchased the building from the West Hill Improvement Corp. in 2016, according to property records.

Cornelius Banks III, a principal at Clee Properties, holds the venues liquor license, according to the SLA.

Banks hung up on a reporter when reached for comment on Tuesday.

A man coming out of the Lounge @ 177 on Monday morning blasted Sheehan for what he said was a false statement and said all patrons who frequented the venue were aware that it was a legal club.

Whatever beef they got downtown, it shouldnt be with me because Im running a legal business, said the man, who declined to identify himself. Check the paperwork, thats all they gotta do - check the paperwork, he said.

Lori Van Buren contributed to this report
ALBANY  A letter published Tuesday reveals new details of several investigations into former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's administration, including that Attorney General Letitia James office issued a subpoena related to priority COVID-19 testing received by Cuomo's friends and family.

The New York Daily News' editorial board published the 61-page letter, which an attorney for Cuomo had written to the Brooklyn U.S. Attorney's office in late July.

The letter, written by outside attorney Elkan Abramowitz, pertains to "Grand Jury Investigation, F. #2021R00167," and asks federal investigators to drop a criminal inquiry into the Cuomo administration's suppression of nursing home death data attributable to COVID-19.

In arguing that New York has the ability to police such matters, the attorney's July letter stated that the Executive Chamber had received subpoenas from the New York attorney general (regarding the governors book and priority COVID testing), the Manhattan district attorneys office (regarding nursing homes), the New York State Assembly (regarding an impeachment investigation), and the New York Joint Commission on Public Ethics (regarding priority testing and the governors book)."

It had not been previously confirmed by Cuomo's office that JCOPE was investigating priority COVID testing or Cuomo's book, American Crisis; that the Manhattan district attorney's office was investigating Cuomo policies related to nursing homes; or that James' office was investigating the priority COVID testing.

On the priority COVID testing issue, James' office said in March it did not have jurisdiction, and asked JCOPE to investigate instead. James' office did not respond to a request for comment from the Times Union on Tuesday.

The New York Law Journal had previously reported on a state Department of Health legal contract, which referenced an investigation by the Manhattan district attorney's office related to the administration's COVID-19 response. But the specific topic was not clear; Abramowitz's letter says the topic was nursing homes.

Concerning JCOPE, an agency spokesman previously confirmed to the Times Union that the agency was investigating issues related to priority COVID testing, but did not specifically say the investigation pertained to Cuomo, or that a subpoena had been issued.

JCOPE officials have never explicitly stated they're investigating Cuomo's book deal, or that they'd issued a subpoena to Cuomo's office. Such an investigation has been obliquely referenced during public sessions of meetings, as commissioners have debated whether to rescind JCOPE staffs approval allowing Cuomo to write "American Crisis," a book recounting his early handling of the pandemic.

In his letter, Abramowitz argues that the federal inquiry was begun by a politically motivated Trump administration; that the Cuomo administration's decision not to include hospitals mortalities (when infections had begun at a nursing home) in the overall nursing home tally was appropriate; and that it was a discretionary public policy decision, allowable for a state government.

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Simply put, we believe that New York states executive branch and its employees acted within their authority in the face of an unprecedented crisis and there is no possible criminal liability for any member of the Executive Chamber relating to these issues, Abramowitz wrote.

The New York Times has reported that as Cuomo was seeking a publishing deal for the book in the summer of 2020  which ultimately netted $5.1 million  Cuomo aides removed the higher nursing home deaths figures from a state Department of Health report.

Abramowitz countered in his letter that, The implication of Timess article is wrong  there was no connection between the governors book and the publication of nursing home deaths. But in any event, it is irrelevant to the analysis at hand. Even if there were some scheme to downplay nursing home deaths in order to make the governor look better to the public, and in turn that heightened public stature allowed him to obtain more money for his book, it would not be actionable under the property fraud statutes.

He added that, politicians across the country consistently publish books about their political endeavors  have they committed property fraud if, in the run up to publication they made false statements of self-serving puffery?"

A Department of Health study, released in July 2020, focused on whether a controversial order in March of that year  directing nursing homes to take in residents discharged from hospitals even if they tested positive for the disease  had led to more nursing home deaths. The state health department's report concluded that the Cuomo administration's directive was not responsible for a higher death toll, a finding contrary to what certain outside groups have concluded.
ALBANY  Gov. Kathy Hochul is ending a program begun under her predecessor, former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, which had helped suppress negative information about Cuomo and his administration.

In 2015, longtime Cuomo aide Linda Lacewell  known within his administration as the governors Minister of Defense  started the states first-ever ethics, risk and compliance initiative. When announced, the program was framed as bringing a private-sector risk management model to state agencies and public authorities. But for Cuomos office, the job also meant managing negative information that might come to light  a practice that exploded into public view this year during the controversy over Cuomos alleged suppression of nursing home death data.

Lacewell embedded highly paid senior attorneys in two dozen state agencies, who served as the eyes and ears of the governors office, reporting back to the Executive Chamber. Most recently, the position of chief special counsel within the Executive Chamber was held by Victoria Lane, who'd begun the job in April.

According to a person with knowledge of the matter, Hochuls office recently offered Lane the chance to be reassigned, after informing her that her position and the program were being eliminated. Lane, who could not be reached for comment on Monday, is said to have resigned instead.

The two dozen special counsels for ethics, risk and compliance within agencies and public authorities will also be offered the chance for reassignment.

"As part of Gov. Hochul's efforts to promote transparency, mitigate bureaucracy, and restore trust in government, the work of the special counsels is being centralized in counsel's office, and the governor is exploring all ways to strengthen oversight and ensure open, ethical governing," Hazel Crampton-Hays, Hochuls press secretary, told the Times Union.

According to the Hochul administration, even when the Cuomo program existed, agencies' efforts to ensure compliance with ethics rules were principally handled by general counsel and ethics officers, not the special counsels  and that will continue. The special counsels principally focused on risk assessment, including mitigating harm to Cuomo.

Under Cuomo, a function of special counsels embedded at state agencies had been helping flag and manage potentially troublesome Freedom of Information Law requests filed with those agencies by the media and others. Cuomo's administration often dragged out, by months and even years, the release of public records. Hochul has promised to speed up the FOIL process, and in September, asked agencies and public authorities to submit plans aimed at improving their transparency.

In 2018, testifying in the corruption trial of Joseph Percoco, a former top Cuomo aide, Lacewell said that her initiative was meant to reduce the potential liability posed by dozens of state agencies handling billions of dollars in contracts. Her team of agency lawyers kept Cuomos office abreast of those risks, allowing the Executive Chamber to quickly direct responses to emerging threats  whether cyber, litigation or financial  as well as FOIL requests.

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Asked during the trial if her work as Cuomos Minister of Defense meant her job was to protect the reputation of the office, Lacewell responded: Protecting the employees, the governor, and the public trust.

Cuomo's office said in February that the work of the special counsels had resulted in significant accomplishments, including leading efforts to flag fraudulent unemployment claims that saved the state billions, and vetting the credentials of 80,000 paid medical workers who volunteered to help assist with the state's COVID-19 response.

Earlier this year, Cuomo spokesman Richard Azzopardi told the Times Union that many of the special counsels were former prosecutors and "any challenge to their integrity or commitment is outrageous.

"Let's be clear, the inclination that they somehow impede the FOIL process is wrong," Azzopardi said. "They are neither gatekeepers nor decision makers in the FOIL process."

In August, Lacewell resigned as superintendent of the Department of Financial Services, one of many close Cuomo aides who departed as Hochul attempted a housecleaning following Cuomo's resignation.
ALBANY  New York's vaccine mandate for health care workers was dealt a damaging blow on Tuesday when a federal judge in Utica granted a preliminary injunction on behalf of 17 medical workers who contend the state's failure to consider religious exemptions has violated their constitutional rights.

The ruling suspends the mandate "to the extent that the (state) Department of Health is barred from enforcing any requirement that

employers deny religious exemptions from COVID-19 vaccination or that they revoke any exemptions employers already granted

before (the mandate was) issued."

The state also is barred from interfering with the granting of religious exemptions going forward as the case is fully litigated in U.S. District Court.

Gov. Kathy Hochul issued a statement immediately following the decision, saying her "responsibility as governor is to protect the people of this state, and requiring health care workers to get vaccinated accomplishes that. I stand behind this mandate, and I will fight this decision in court to keep New Yorkers safe."

U.S. District Judge David N. Hurd issued the 27-page decision, noting that the state offered "no adequate explanation" as to why a health care worker who qualified as "medically exempt" from vaccination could be afforded the ability to submit to daily testing before each shift and wearing a fitted N95 mask, but that "reasonable accommodation" was not extended to a worker with a "sincere religious objection."

"Nor have defendants explained why they chose to depart from similar healthcare vaccination mandates issued in other jurisdictions that include the kind of religious exemption that was originally present in the Aug. 18 order" the order states.

Hurd concluded that there is a good possibility the plaintiffs will prevail at trial on their argument that the state's mandate does not meet the requirements for religious accommodations under the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964, and that it violates the First Amendment's Free Exercise Clause because it allows for medical exemptions but not those based on religion.

In this case, and others that have been filed against the state alleging similar constitutional violations, the plaintiffs assert that it goes against their religious beliefs to be vaccinated because the COVID-19 vaccines available used fetal stem cell tissues procured from abortions as part of their research and development.

The case was filed last month against Hochul, health Commissioner Howard Zucker and state Attorney General Letitia James on behalf of the 17 unidentified medical professionals.

The group of plaintiffs are a mix of mostly physicians and nurses "who allege that their sincere religious beliefs compel them to refuse the COVID-19 vaccines that are currently available," according to court records.

"The question presented by this case is not whether plaintiffs and other individuals are entitled to a religious exemption from the states workplace vaccination requirement," Hurd wrote in his decision. "Instead, the question is whether the states summary imposition of (the mandate) conflicts with plaintiffs and other individuals federally protected right to seek a religious accommodation from their individual employers. The answer to this question is clearly yes. Plaintiffs have established that (the mandate) conflicts with longstanding federal protections for religious beliefs and that they and others will suffer irreparable harm in the absence of injunctive relief."

The temporary restraining order will at least temporarily scuttle the state's mandate that required hospital and nursing home workers to be vaccinated by Sept. 27. Thousand of health care workers, many citing religious exemptions, were subsequently suspended and are facing termination.

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Hurd's decision does not affect health care workers who have not invoked a religious exemption as their reason for not getting vaccinated.

Before he resigned in August, former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo had directed that all health care workers in New York, including staff at hospitals and long-term care facilities, be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

Initially, Cuomo had required workers at state-run hospitals to be vaccinated. On Aug. 16, when he announced the expanded mandate, the governor said 25 percent of the state's approximately 450,000 hospital workers were not vaccinated. The number of health care workers who have since been vaccinated has increased significantly, according to the governor's office.

Christopher A. Ferrara, a lead attorney for the plaintiffs from the Thomas Moore Society, a non-profit law firm headquartered in Chicago, said the judge's ruling "rightly recognized that yesterdays 'front line heroes' in dealing with COVID cannot suddenly be treated as disease-carrying villains and kicked to the curb by the command of a state health bureaucracy. Some of these plaintiffs contracted COVID while treating patients, recovered, and were allowed to return to work with the same protective measures that were good enough for the 18 months that they were the heroes in the battle against the virus."

Joseph R. Sellers, president of the Medical Society of the State of New York, said the organization continues to support mandatory vaccinations for health care workers.

These vaccination requirements are essential to protecting public health, particularly the immunocompromised, the elderly, and those too young to receive the vaccination," he said in a statement. "No major religious denomination opposes vaccinations, and the (U.S.) Supreme Court has for over 100 years upheld vaccination requirements to protect the public health. Moreover, it has proven very effective at significantly raising the vaccination rate of health care workers."
(The Center Square)  Child abuse deaths in Pennsylvania skyrocketed during the pandemic, according to a new report, which is driving calls for more reforms to the state's troubled child welfare system.

The report, released by state Department of Human Services last week, found child abuse deaths increased by 43% from 2019 to 2020, with at least 73 children dying and 115 children nearly dying as a result of abuse.

A majority of the children died from "a violent act" but many others died or nearly died from ingesting prescription drugs or illegal narcotics, according to the report.

Last year, 43 children reportedly almost died from illegal or prescription drugs, according to the report, compared to 21 near fatalities in 2019. In 2020, at least 11 children died from ingesting drugs, while in 2019 three died.

State health officials say the data is reflective of the impact of the opioid epidemic on the state, which has surged amid the pandemic.

"Drug use in the home has been the highest reason for the significant injuries to children," Jon Rubin, DHS deputy secretary, told reporters during a news briefing.

Meanwhile, reports of suspected child abuse to the state Child Protective Services fell 22%, from 32,919 reports in 2019 to 42,252 reports in 2020, according to the report.

The report is the latest development in Pennsylvania's troubled child welfare system, which has been rocked by a series of scandals in recent years.

Last year, Gov. Tom Wolf's administration revealed that it had failed to advertise an amendment to the state's constitution extending the statute of limitations for child sex abuse victims to file in civil court against abusers.

The constitutional amendment, which would have put before voters on the May state primary ballot, was aimed at helping victims of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and others to seek redress in the courts.

The mistake prompted the resignation of Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar earlier this year and a public apology from Wolf, who said the mistake will "be heartbreaking for thousands of survivors of childhood sexual assault, advocates and legislators."

In a news release accompanying the report, the Wolf administration noted efforts that have improved outcomes for abused children in foster care and their families, citing an increase in the percentage of children in foster care who are placed in kinship care with family.

As of April 2021, 44% of children in foster care were placed with relatives  compared to 31.5% in 2015, according to the Wolf administration.

Pennsylvania officials also point to a decline in the use of congregate settings  such residential group homes  in the state's foster care system.

In 2015, 17.1% of children in foster care were in congregate settings in the state. By 2019, that dropped to 12.7%, according to state data.

About 14,000 children are currently in foster care in the state in 2020, nearly 2,800 fewer than in 2019, the Wolf administration said.

DHS acting Secretary Meg Snead also touted that the state has implemented the Family First Prevention Services Act, a federally funded program enacted in 2018 that prioritizes keeping children in abusive situations out of foster care by providing mental health or substance abuse treatment for abusive parents.

"The implementation of our plan will enhance the impact of work we were already doing to strengthen families and keep children safe with their families, in their homes, whenever and however possible," Snead said in a statement.
Sri Lanka-based tire manufacturer GRI has planted 450 rubber trees in the natural rubber estates of smallholder farmers in Monaragala, Sri Lanka, through its Greening Our Planet program, a component of the tire makers Green X Circle initiative.

Our initial phase was about constructing a strong foundation with the natural rubber farmer in Sri Lanka and connecting with their communities, commented Mahesha Ranasoma, CEO, GRI. The broad concept of the Green X Circle is creating an interdependent truly end-to-end supply chain from the rubber tree and the rubber farmer to the agricultural farmer who uses GRIs Green X and Green XLR agriculture tires globally, which are manufactured using the rubber produced by the farmer.

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Launched in 2019 at the Agritechnica show in Germany, the Green X Circle is a social leadership initiative that aims to combine the two farmer ecosystems while helping the farming communities to become more sustainable through revising their actions. With activities designed to strengthen the Sri Lankan natural rubber farmer connection accelerating, GRI has initiated the second phase of the Green X Circle project.

We are connecting globally with our business partners who are serving the agricultural farmers in their respective markets through a tree-planting program under the theme Greening Our Planet, explained Ranasoma. This is an important step for us.

Following support and sponsorship from international GRI customers, the tire manufacturer achieved a company milestone by launching the tree-planting program.

We will augment the efforts of this initiative across our global markets by jointly working with our customers to conduct similar programs in their respective countries with the farmers as the next step. We will keep this momentum in implementing further projects to enable sustainability, said Ranasoma.
[October 12, 2021] Adventist Health Approves Systemwide Adoption of KATE, Clinical AI Solution from Mednition Supports ED Nurses

Mednition, makers of machine learning-powered software solutions for healthcare, today announced that faith-based, nonprofit hospital system Adventist Health has approved systemwide rollout of KATE, Mednition's flagship solution that was designed specifically to support emergency nurses, providing real-time triage guidance, improving quality of care, reducing risk, and increasing emergency department throughput. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211012005065/en/ Serving more than 80 communities in California, Oregon and Hawaii, Adventist Health operates over 20 hospitals. KATE is now being used in 16 of those hospitals by more than 1,800 emergency nurses, providers, and leaders who treat more than 550,000 patients per year. Additional Adventist Health hospitals are scheduled to deploy KATE by the end of Q4 2021. "KATE has been battle-tested during the most challenging healthcare crisis of our lifetime, and we have first-hand evidence that KATE can improve healthcare delivery and provide tremendous assistance to our triage nurses and other clinicians," said Heather Van Housen, patient care executive for Adventist Health services in Kern County in Central California. "More and more of our nurses now rely on KATE as a trusted resource and expert clinical advisor." Emergency departments have been under intense pressure for years, even before the challenges of COVID-19. Prior to the pandemic, more than 145 million people were being treated annually in emergency departments nationwide.



Designed with emergency nurses in mind, KATE was developed by clinicians for clinicians. The machine learning-powered cloud-based solution integrates easily into popular electronic health records (EHR) systems and existing triage processes. It is the only solution designed to read, extract and understand the entirety of EHR, recognize potential incorrect triage acuity assignments, and communicate with nurses in real time. Underlying KATE is a proprietary dataset of more than 60 billion clinical data points, providing deep clinical insight for every patient. "A major lesson learned during the current pandemic is that it is imperative that we accelerate our use of advanced digital healthcare tools without diminishing the human element of our patient care," said Chip Dickinson, digital innovation executive for Adventist Health. "KATE fits that need ideally, giving our emergency nurses access to the industry's most advanced and proven AI capabilities in a way that works the way they work, without any disruption to their established best practices or personal routines. We're now making KATE available to all of the hospitals in our system."

Dickinson noted that KATE's positive impact at the front door to the hospital has led to improvements in patient care, including on high-risk presentations such as sepsis, as well as nurse and provider communications, critical reasoning, patient documentation, throughput, and staff retention. "It's gratifying to see our collaboration with Adventist Health grow from KATE's first use by the 70 emergency nurses at Adventist Health White Memorial to their entire healthcare system," said Steven Reilly, CEO & Co-Founder of Mednition. "This is a testament to how thoroughly they value and evaluate new healthcare solutions while advancing digital healthcare in the right way, by putting their patients first and ensuring their clinicians are supported with the best solutions available. The timing is ideal as triage clinicians today need every tool available that helps them deliver optimum care as efficiently as possible." The cloud-based KATE is available immediately on a subscription basis, requiring no capital expense. It supports all popular EHR and clinical messaging software, requiring no change to clinical workflow, no downtime and minimal training. About Mednition Mednition was founded in 2014 with a passion to help clinicians improve healthcare delivery and save lives. Starting in the emergency department, Mednition provides emergency nurses with KATE, a machine learning clinical decision support solution now in use at 16 hospitals in California, Oregon, and Hawaii. The company is funded by a select group of private investors and major healthcare financial institutions, including Concord Health Partners. The company is based in San Mateo, CA (News - Alert) . For more information, visit Mednition. About Adventist Health Adventist Health is a faith-based, nonprofit integrated health system serving more than 80 communities on the West Coast and Hawaii as well as others across the U.S. through its Blue Zones company, a pioneer in taking a systemic and environmental approach to improving the health of entire cities and communities. Through this work, Adventist Health is leading a 21st century well-being transformation movement. Founded on Seventh-day Adventist heritage and values, Adventist Health provides care in hospitals, clinics, its innovative Adventist Health Hospital@Home program that provides virtual in-patient care at home, home care agencies, hospice agencies and joint-venture retirement centers in both rural and urban communities. Our compassionate and talented team of 37,000 includes associates, medical staff physicians, allied health professionals and volunteers driven in pursuit of one mission: living God's love by inspiring health, wholeness and hope. Together, we are transforming the American healthcare experience with an innovative, yet timeless, whole-person focus on physical, mental, spiritual and social healing to support community well-being. For more information, visit Adventist Health. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211012005065/en/

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[October 12, 2021] Avature Launches Full Range of Integrated WeChat Recruitment Marketing Capabilities to Transform How Organizations Connect with Professionals in China

LONDON and NEW YORK, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Avature, a leading enterprise SaaS platform for talent acquisition and talent management, announces the launch of a full suite of recruitment marketing capabilities for WeChat. The new offering gives Avature customers access to features aimed at boosting their social reach to the 1.2 billion active monthly users of the leading social messaging app, improving candidate engagement in increasingly competitive employment markets throughout Asia. The cross-platform solution allows customers to easily promote open positions and recruiting events on WeChat, and send WeChat messages to candidates directly from the Avature platform. Designed to facilitate a broad range of recruiting initiatives for Avature's local Chinese customers, the solution has also been adopted by leading multinationals facing increasingly competitive recruiting challenges in the Chinese market, including Pfizer and Walmart. Features suh as embedded customizable microsites and landing pages will allow customers to showcase their unique employer brands within the WeChat network and source any talent segment, from interns to advanced professionals.



The solution provides seamless data flow between WeChat and the Avature platform, giving recruitment teams access to key metrics and insights into candidate conversion rates, source effectiveness and the ROI of recruitment marketing activities in real time. "The competition for talent in major Asian markets, and particularly China, has never been fiercer," said Avature CEO, Dimitri Boylan. "Expanding our CRM capabilities to make use of WeChat's vast network to engage new candidates dramatically improves our customers' ability to recruit in these critical markets."

About Avature Pioneer of CRM technology for recruiting, Avature is a highly configurable enterprise SaaS platform for talent acquisition and talent management that drives innovation in the HCM software space. Founded by Dimitri Boylan, Avature empowers the leading-edge HR strategies of over 650 enterprise-level customers, including 110 of the Fortune 500 and 28 of the Forbes Global 100, in more than 164 countries and 30 languages. Avature's solutions include shared services sourcing, applicant tracking, video interviewing, campus and events recruiting, employee referral management, social onboarding, branded employee engagement and performance management, employee mobility and contingent workforce management. Avature delivers its services from its private cloud, located in data centers in the US, Europe and Asia, and has offices in Buenos Aires, London, Madrid, Malaga, Melbourne, Munich, New York, Paris and Shenzhen. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/avature-launches-full-range-of-integrated-wechat-recruitment-marketing-capabilities-to-transform-how-organizations-connect-with-professionals-in-china-301397998.html SOURCE Avature

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[October 12, 2021] BayView Private Wealth Announces New Office Location in Destin, Florida

New office. New views. Same team. An upcoming ribbon cutting event will unveil BayView's new home for continued success. On Thursday, October 14, 2021, from 4:00-6:00 PM CDT (News - Alert) , BayView Private Wealth will welcome clients home at their new office location at 1234 Airport Road, Suite 121, Destin, FL 32541. Tours of the new office, refreshments, door prizes and commemorative giveaways will add to the festive celebration. BayView Private Wealth helps a select group of clients with the planning and protection of what's dearest to them: their family, business, money, possessions, and legacy. President and Wealth Advisor, Mark Dutram, CPWA, CFP, AEP, is excited to be hosting this event for new and current clients, friends, and family. Mark has more than 25 years of experience helping meet the financial, retirement and investment planning needs of families, business owners, and professionals. "Being able to carry the legacy that the BayView team has cultivated over the years to a new home feels incredibly rewarding," Mark said. "Not only that, we get to network and build connections at the ribbon cutting event; something that we, at BayView, take great pride in with our guests". Wealth Advisor, Jonathan Slater, is ready for the launch of the new office and excited to continue advocating for families, financially. "Walking alongside our clients and helping them navigate the fiancial complexities of life is more rewarding than I could have ever imagined. I have the best job in the world - to be a financial advocate for you and your family," said Jonathan.



This event is RSVP based. If you are interested in attending the ribbon cutting ceremony, please contact Mary Richards by telephone (850) 990-0618 or E-mail: mary@bayviewwealth.com. Learn more at https://bayviewwealth.com/ and follow BayView Private Wealth on LinkedIn and Facebook.

About BayView Private Wealth BayView Private Wealth is a Financial Planning firm located in Destin, Florida that provides personalized and comprehensive wealth management, investment management, and ongoing guidance to help clients reach their financial goals. The firm also offers financial planning, retirement planning, estate planning, and tax planning to families and businesses based on their unique needs. Each member of BayView Private Wealth's team has an affiliation with the U.S. military and a passion for service. BayView Private Wealth has deep expertise in military financial planning for active service personnel, Veterans, and defense contractors. Securities offered by Registered Representatives through Private Client Services, member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory products and services offered by Investment Advisory Representatives through RFG Advisory, a Registered Investment Advisor. RFG Advisory, BayView Private Wealth, and Private Client Services are unaffiliated entities. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211012005447/en/

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[October 12, 2021] Bermuda Virtual Tech Summit 2021 Kicks Off Tomorrow

The Bermuda Business Development Agency (BDA) encourages the public to register now for its Bermuda Virtual Tech Summit 2021 beginning tomorrow, Wednesday, October 13. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211012005845/en/ BDA CEO David Hart (Photo: Business Wire) This year's summit - centered around the theme Transforming the Digital Landscape - offers an exciting schedule of thought-provoking panels featuring global tech leaders. David Hart, BDA CEO said, "On behalf of the BDA, we are proud to offer this three-day event featuring 79 speakers across 23 panels. Sixty-three local and international companies are participating, along with 12 BDA sponsors and partners who are helping the event to take place. Engaging, cutting-edge tech topics such as: decentralised finance, non-fungible tokens, digital identity and the transformation of value exchange will be discussed, as well as how Bermuda can be the innovative platform for your tech business." The final agenda is available via the BDA website - a selection of highlighted panels includes:



"The Transformation of Value Exchange" featuring Sheila Warren, Deputy Head, Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (News - Alert) Network; Executive Committee, World Economic Forum; Dante Disparte, Chief Strategy Officer and Head of Global Policy, Circle; Moad Fahmi, Senior Advisor, FinTech, Bermuda Monetary Authority; Eric Kryski, Co-Founder, Bidali; and Joseph Seibert, Group Managing Director/Senior VP, Digital Asset Banking, Signature Bank "Risk vs. Reward - The Potential Transformative Power of Decentralised Finance" featuring Natalie Neto, Partner, Walkers; Philippe Bekhazi, Founder and CEO, XBTO Group and StableHouse; Jordan Momtazi, Core Contributor (ex-COO), Synthetix; Denis Pitcher, CEO/Chief Architect, resPartner Ltd., Independent Non-Executive Director, Bittrex Global, and Fintech Strategic Advisor to the Premier and Office of FinTech, Government of Bermuda; and Ajit Tripathi, Head of Institutional Business, Aave "Cutting-Edge Innovation in Bermuda" featuring Vanessa Williams, Chief Compliance Officer, CrossTower; Sandra DeSilva, CEO & Chief Architect, Nova; Nina Kilbride, Founder, Mothership; and Simone Smith-Bean, Member, BDA FinTech Legal & Regulatory Committee, Managing Director, Smith Bean & Co. "Digital Identity - Fundamental to the Transformation of Financial Services" featuring Stan Stalnaker, Chair, Bermuda Global Fintech Advisory Board; Founding Director and Chief Strategy Officer for Hub Culture/Ven/Ultra/AQUA Travel; Alex McD White, Privacy Commissioner, Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Bermuda; Justin Newton, CEO, Netki, Inc.; Bruce Silcoff, CEO & Co-Founder, Shyft; and Lucy Yang, Community Director, Covid Credentials Initiative "Non-Fungible Tokens (NFT) - Hyped-Up Fad or Revolutionary Shift?" featuring Michael Casey, Chief Content Officer, CoinDesk. Panelists include Kevin Abosch, NFT & Crypto Artist; Lucia Gallardo, Founder & CEO, Emerge; and Vinay Gupta, Founder & CEO, Mattereum, and Author of The Future of Stuff. Mr. Hart said, "Aggregating this calibre of participants is possible due to our hard-working BDA staff and the support of our sponsors and partners, who the BDA graciously thanks for their engagement. This includes Appleby, Bespoke Analytics, Bittrex Global, Circle, and Walkers as platinum sponsors; 24 Exchange as gold sponsors; Carey Olsen, StableHouse, Westham Trade Company and XBTO as silver sponsors, Global Blockchain Business Council as content partner and Goslings as spirits partner." CONNECTING BUSINESS

The BDA encourages direct investment and helps companies start up, relocate, or expand their operations in our premier jurisdiction. An independent, public-private partnership, we connect you to industry professionals, regulatory officials, and key contacts in the Bermuda government to assist domicile decisions. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211012005845/en/

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[October 12, 2021] Classy Launches New, Digital Payment Integration for Nonprofit Customers

SAN DIEGO, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Classy, a giving platform that enables nonprofits to connect supporters with the causes they care about, will launch a new, digital payment integration with PayPal and Venmo, enabling nonprofits to receive online donations through both payment methods for multiple campaign types and giving frequencies. These new integrations give nonprofit supporters more payment options and present donors with the same technologies they interact with every day. Donations made through PayPal and Venmo will also fully integrate with Classy's back-end reporting system for a completely seamless experience. Nonprofits can accept and reconcile donations through PayPal and Venmo via a unified experience using Classy. Classy's customers will be able to add PayPal as a donation option for both one-time and recurring donations starting this month, just in time for the end-of-year giving season, with the Venmo option following in 2022. PayPal and Venmo are the most frequently used payment providers. 1

Venmo is popular among millennials and gen-zers with 81% of users falling between 18-45 years old. 2

According to new, unpublished research by Classy, if given the option, 55% of donors surveyed said they were somewhat or very likely to donate to a nonprofit via PayPal or Venmo. 3

77% of surveyed donors believe PayPal is the safest way to donate. 4

55% of surveyed donors are likely to donate again if PayPal is an option. 5

37% of surveyed donors donate more because they're able to use PayPal.6 "The addition of PayPal and Venmo to the Classy platform enables a more elegant giving experience for any donor who wants to support one of our nonprofit customers," said Chris Himes, CEO of Classy. "By making the supporter journey more relevant, engaging and intuitive, Classy's nonprofit customers can unlock the goodwill of even more supporters, bringing in more funding for their missions." Classy's PayPal and Venmo integrations will go deeper than most options currently available to the social sector. Specifically, the choice to donate via these payment methods will be available across multiple campaign types, including website donations, peer-to-peer fundraising, virtual events, and crowdfunding, and donations via PayPal can apply to both one-time and recurring donations. Having this offering across numerous facets of the Classy platform will help nonprofits drive higher conversion rates and donor satisfaction. Plus, all receipting and reporting will be fully integrated with the Classy platform, making it a harmonious process for nonprofit professionals. Both payment options will be available to nonprofits through Classy's proprietary payments integration, Classy Pay, which also allows customers to accept donations through ACH, credit cards, and digital wallets. To learn more about Classy Pay, please visit https://www.classy.org/fundraising-solutions/classy-pay/. For nonprofits looking for a full demonstration of the new payment offerings, please request a demo here. About Classy

Classy is a B Corp Certified Public Benefit Corporation and giving experience platform that enables nonprofits to connect supporters with the causes they care about. Based in San Diego, CA and trusted by thousands of nonprofits, from the fastest-growing nonprofits to some of the world's largest social organizations, Classy's platform provides the formats and flexibility to activate donors when and how they need to by creating more relevant connections to their causes. Since 2011, Classy has helped nonprofits mobilize and empower the world for good by helping them raise over $3 billion on its platform. Classy also hosts the Collaborative conference and the Classy Awards to spotlight the innovative work nonprofits are implementing around the globe. For more information, visit www.classy.org. Media Contact: Krista Lamp, klamp@classy.org







1 PayPal is the most used online payment provider in the United States. Top online payment providers used in U.S. are - PayPal - 89%; Venmo - 28%; Amazon Pay - 22%; Visa Checkout - 21%; Google Pay - 20%; Apple Pay - 19%. Source: Statista Global Consumer Survey. May 2020. It is being conducted as an interactive online survey; the target population are internet users in U.S. between 18 and 64 years of age.

2 Venmo Users in US Age: 18-24 years 22%, 25-34 years 36%, 35-44 years 23%, 45-54 years 13%, 55-64 years 6%. Source: Statista Global Consumer Survey as on July 2020.The target population are internet users in U.S. between 18 and 64 years of age.

3 Source: Classy's Why America Gives study of 1,000 respondents, September 2021

4 Source: Logica Research, Commissioned by PayPal, March23-April 2, 2021. Logica Research conducted an online survey averaged 10 minutes among a sample of 4,306 PayPal user respondents from four countries (U.S., Canada, Australia, and U.K.) who made a monetary donation to a non-profit PayPal merchant.

N=1,029.

5 Source: Logica Research, Commissioned by PayPal, March23-April 2, 2021. Logica Research conducted an online survey averaged 10 minutes among a sample of 4,306 PayPal user respondents from four countries (U.S., Canada, Australia, and U.K.) who made a monetary donation to a non-profit PayPal merchant.

N=1,029.

6 Source: Logica Research, Commissioned by PayPal, March23-April 2, 2021. Logica Research conducted an online survey averaged 10 minutes among a sample of 4,306 PayPal user respondents from four countries (U.S., Canada, Australia, and U.K.) who made a monetary donation to a non-profit PayPal merchant.

N=1,029.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/classy-launches-new-digital-payment-integration-for-nonprofit-customers-301397377.html SOURCE Classy

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[October 12, 2021] Dataiku Bets Big on Partner Ecosystem, Appoints New SVP of Ecosystems and Alliances, David Tharp

Today Dataiku, the platform for Everyday AI, announced that David Tharp has joined the company as SVP Ecosystems and Alliances. In this role, Tharp will be responsible for driving the strategy, development, and field operations of Dataiku's global partner program including Technology Alliances, Global Systems Integrators, and Channel Partners. "We are excited to have David on our team as we bet big on our partner strategy and build an economy of opportunity around Dataiku," said Romain Fouache, COO and CRO, Dataiku. "He brings a combination of deep partner alliance experience, strategy, and leadership that we believe will turn our partnership program into a true competitive advantage - one that provides our customers flexibility in how they deploy our Everyday AI platform, while providing our partners a significant opportunity to build a business with us." "I feel fortunate to join Dataiku at this important inflection point in our growth. We have already established an incredible partner ecosystem with the world's largest professional services firms and cloud computing giants. The opportunity to unite these partnerships provides our customers an unprecedented opportunity to accelerate their AI transformations. Meeting the Dataiku leadership team and supportive investor community made this an easy career decision for me," said David Tharp, SVP Ecosystems and Alliances, Dataiku. "I am excited to evolve Dataiku's partner program to accelerate our growth with and through partners who are leading the largest AI transformations in the world. I look forward to scaling these relationships, building a team, and delivering value and innovation for our customers, partners, and all other stakeholder."



Prior to Dataiku, Tharp served as the VP, Worldwide Partner Organization at Anaplan, where he led the build and scale of the partner and alliance ecosystem at the company from its early stage through IPO, to its current multibillion-dollar valuation. In addition to his role at Dataiku, Tharp serves on the board of directors for Anavate Partners and is an active investor and advisor to several early stage companies through his membership in the IrishAngels venture fund team. He is a graduate of The Ohio State University, holds an MBA from the University of Notre Dame, and currently resides in Chicago, Illinois. Additional Resources

Learn more about the Dataiku Partner Ecosystem

Become a Dataiku Partner Connect with Dataiku Read the Dataiku blog

Follow Dataiku LinkedIn

We are hiring! Join the Dataiku Team About Dataiku Dataiku is the world's leading platform for Everyday AI, systemizing the use of data for exceptional business results. More than 450 customers across banking, insurance, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, retail, and more use Dataiku to elevate their people to extraordinary, arming them with the ability to make better day-to-day decisions with data. Dataiku was founded in 2013 and has garnered praise from industry analysts for leading the charge in the democratization of AI ever since. The company most recently raised $400 million in a Series E funding round in 2021, and has grown the team to more than 750 employees worldwide. Dataiku was named to the Forbes Cloud 100 in 2019 and 2020 as well as the Forbes AI 50 in 2020 and 2021. Silicon Republic pegged Dataiku as one of the "7 data science start-ups shaking up AI and analytics" in late 2020, and CB Insights named Dataiku to the AI 100 2021 as one of the most innovative startups. Dataiku is consistently named on "best companies to work for" lists, including lists from Forbes and Inc. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211012005296/en/

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[October 12, 2021] Digerati Technologies Proves its Cloud UCaaS Solution is Applicable Across a Wide Range of Industries

SAN ANTONIO, Oct. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Digerati Technologies, Inc. (OTCQB: DTGI) ("Digerati" or the "Company"), a provider of cloud services specializing in UCaaS (Unified Communications as a Service) solutions for the small to medium-sized business (SMB) market, is pleased to highlight three case studies involving clients from the banking, restaurant and health care industries.

Through its operating subsidiaries, Digerati serves over 28,000 business users, focused in Texas and Florida, on its platform while increasing customer adoption in diverse industries. As corporations, businesses, and organizations continue to invest in their IT infrastructure, Digerati expects to continue to prove itself as an economic and disciplined communications solution provider. Digerati is on the frontline of cloud communications providing telecommunication solutions on its carrier-grade network in a rapidly changing environment. Gartner recently released new projections based on its sales analysis by technology suppliers and predicts an annual increase of almost 9% in global tech spending, estimated to hit $4.2 trillion by the end of 2021. Spending on cloud computing and other tech services like Unified Communications is expected to reach almost $1.2 trillion this year as businesses look to gain the edge over the competition. In addition, Gartner notes that investment in cloud and other infrastructure could outpace software applications by the end of 2021 for the first time in many years. Banks, for example, are on-track, for investing at least one-tenth of their annual revenues into IT. Digerati can validate Gartners findings through its work in many sectors like financial institutions, the service industry and healthcare. Here are some frontline case studies that demonstrate Digeratis solution-based approach to serving its customers. Case Studies 1. A Community Bank

T3 Communications, a Digerati operating subsidiary, has become the service provider of choice for several regional and local community banks throughout Texas and Florida. One regional bank has been a client for over ten years. The bank required a unified fiber-optic network to connect its eight branches and meet redundancy protocols to secure its growing operations. The T3 team implemented a fiber optic network and SIP trunking solution for the banks on-premises PBX.



T3s telecom solution allows the banks customers to call into a single phone system to reach the appropriate branch which played a significant role in business continuity and a positive customer experience. The T3 Team consolidated voice and data services for all branches and streamlined billing into one easy-to-read statement. Enhancements to the network provided by T3 included routing a multicarrier fiber optic network at the banks main headquarters through separate building access points. The network enhancements established redundancy by routing distinct carriers to a specific location while hosting a mirror image of the banks PBX and network equipment.

This allowed for modernization of the community banks safety protocols and established full redundancy with a seamless auto failover via BGP and OSPF protocols. 2. Nationwide Restaurant Chain

A nationwide restaurant chain needed a solution to meet the increased volume of incoming calls for to-go orders. Digeratis operating subsidiary, Nexogy, created a centralized call center environment for callers to reach each of the restaurant locations. This call center solution included an auto-attendant with professional greetings and on-hold music. To improve the callers experience, the Nexogy team implemented a Centralized IDR (integrated data repository) and remote agent system, placing the calls in a queue and avoiding busy signals. The IDR enabled the franchise owner to add restaurants to the same account and simplify all services under one provider and bill. In addition, the Nexogy team met the owners telecom budget per restaurant and offered call reports for monitoring, analytics and measuring performance. The new on-hold features, centralized billing, real-time call reporting, statistics, and even call flow management were excellent IT investments to save time and increase productivity. 3. Health Care Provider

Another client of T3 Communications is a nationwide healthcare provider specializing in employee health clinics for Fortune 500 corporate campuses. This health care provider required a complete cloud communications system to support its physical clinics and to ramp up its telemedicine and remote medical support services. The T3 team created a dedicated call center, updated their nationwide telco system and network, and tailored a comprehensive UCaaS platform to support physical devices, mobile solutions, and cloud-based applications. As this client continues to adapt and grow in the new work-from-home professional arena, its communications infrastructure is steadily growing in parallel thanks to the innovative approach by the T3 team. About Digerati Technologies, Inc. Digerati Technologies, Inc. (OTCQB: DTGI ) is a provider of cloud services specializing in UCaaS (Unified Communications as a Service) solutions for the business market. Through its operating subsidiaries T3 Communications (T3com.com) and Nexogy (Nexogy.com), the Company is meeting the global needs of businesses seeking simple, flexible, reliable, and cost-effective communication and network solutions, including cloud PBX, cloud mobile, Internet broadband, SD-WAN, SIP trunking, and customized VoIP services, all delivered on its carrier-grade network and Only in the Cloud. For more information about Digerati Technologies, please visit digerati-inc.com. Forward-Looking Statements The information in this news release includes certain forward-looking statements that are based upon assumptions that in the future may prove not to have been accurate and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations or any of its forward-looking statements will prove to be correct. Factors that could cause results to differ include, but are not limited to, similar outcomes when working with other clients as described herein, successful execution of growth strategies, product development and acceptance, the impact of competitive services and pricing, general economic conditions, and other risks and uncertainties described in the Company's periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Facebook: Digerati Technologies, Inc. Twitter: @DIGERATI_IR

LinkedIn: Digerati Technologies, Inc. Investors The Eversull Group

Jack Eversull

jack@theeversullgroup.com

(972) 571-1624 ClearThink

Brian Loper

bloper@clearthink.capital

(347) 413-4234



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[October 12, 2021]

Empower Trading In Thailand With Doo Prime

HONG KONG, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Doo Prime stands in a prominent position in the industry alongside other long-established and internationally renowned brokers. And now, the online trader continues to grow and expand its global footprint into Thailand.

Doo Prime offers its prestigious financial services to clients across the country, opening the doorway to new global trading opportunities for all.

Who Are We?

Doo Prime is an international pre-eminent online broker under the Doo Group, with more than 10 operation centers across the globe, including Dallas, Singapore, Hong Kong SAR, Kuala Lumpur, an Dubai.







Our main ethos is to provide professional investors with global financial products (CFDs) on our trading platform. Prominent Advantages For Trading With Doo Prime

With a solid and vigorous group background, Doo Prime is committed to becoming your private veteran broker with these amazing advantages:

1. Global Regulation

Doo Prime parent company, Doo Group, is regulated by the US SEC and FINRA, the UK FCA, Mauritius FSC, and Vanuatu FSC.

2. > 10,000 Financial Products

Doo Prime offers thousands of CFDs on multiple trading terminals such as MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, TradingView, Doo Prime InTrade, and more. Our portfolio of financial products include Securities, Futures, Forex, Precious Metals, Commodities, Stock Indices, and so forth - allowing clients to invest globally with one click.

3. Flexible Leverage

Start trading with minimal capital and maximize your trading profits with flexible leverage of up to 1:500 on Doo Prime.

4. Ultra-low Spreads

Raw spreads as low as 0.1 pips on a wide array of trading products.

5. Various Trading Accounts Types

Expose yourself to a diverse range of trading opportunities with our variety of different trading account types, including STP Classic Account and ECN Professional Account.

Traders in Thailand Enjoy Exclusive Perks And Dedicated Support Team

Doo Prime boasts a dedicated 500+ strong team of trained professionals to provide 24/7/365 top-of-the-line support. Striving to be 'Your Private Broker', we understand that different markets and traders require different needs. Hence, making it a point to have a local Thai team to provide personalized and stellar services.

In addition, traders in Thailand will also be able to enjoy exclusive perks and advantages such as Swap-Free trading.

For further information on the company and expansion, please contact Doo Prime via:

Tel: +852 3704 4241 (Asia)

Email: marketing@doorime.com

Website: www.dooprime.com

SOURCE Doo Prime
[October 12, 2021] Everli announces plans to expand into Germany and Romania

MILAN, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Everli, Europe's leading marketplace for online grocery shopping, today announced plans to expand into Germany and Romania in early 2022. The announcement follows the company's recent Series C $100m investment round and a period of rapid growth for the company which is now operating in over 80 cities across Italy, Poland, Czech Republic and France. The expansion will see Everli bring its supermarket partnership model to Germany and Romania, where there has been increasing consumer demand for online grocery delivery. The launch will give millions of customers their first opportunity to access same-day delivery for large baskets that can cover the full weekly shop. Founded in 2014 in Verona, Everli is a marketplace that allows customers to order their favourite products from their favorite supermarket and have them delivered within a one-hour window of their choice via dedicated Everli Shoppers. Everli has fast become the delivery partner of choice for some of Europe's largest grocery brands, including Lidl, Kaufland, and Carrefour, offering access to over 300,000 products.



Everli will be setting up offices in Berlin and Bucharest as part of the move, and will be creating new office based and fully remote roles in Germany and Romania across operations, sales and marketing, as well as offering flexible work to Everli Shoppers. Federico Sargenti, CEO said: "Our vision at Everli is to deliver customers peace of mind with a trouble-free grocery experience they love and trust. While demand in many markets across Europe has dramatically increased, there's still a lack of available and convenient online same-day grocery shopping for many customers including in Germany and Romania. Our model, which works in conjunction with existing local supermarkets, allows us to rapidly and sustainably provide a unique service offering a wide selection of fresh and packaged goods, in both city centres and lower density areas, delivering groceries in as little as one hour. After continuing to grow in 2021, we're confident and excited to now deliver our vision to customers in Germany and Romania."

About Everli Everli is on a mission to help people achieve peace of mind, by simplifying their life when shopping for groceries. No more queuing, no more parking, no more carrying heavy weights: Everli's dream is to bring just the best parts of grocery shopping, directly to your home. Founded in 2014, Everli is now the main European e-grocery marketplace. Headquartered in Milan, with offices also in Verona and Warsaw, Everli's team has grown to more than 250 people, and has created more than 100 partnerships with retailers and CPG companies, providing flexible employment for over 3,000 shoppers. Everli serves more than 80 cities around Europe, and has delivered groceries more than 3 million times. Visit us at everli.com View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/everli-announces-plans-to-expand-into-germany-and-romania-301397684.html SOURCE Everli

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[October 12, 2021] Halal Development Corporation Berhad (HDC) held The World Halal Business Conference 2021 virtually

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The World Halal Business Conference 2021 (WHBC2021) organised by the Halal Development Corporation Berhad (HDC) was officiated recently by the Prime Minister of Malaysia, RT. Hon. Dato' Sri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, was held fully virtually, watched by 3000 registered delegates from 65 countries. Held annually, WHBC2021 aims to be the Halal industry's leading stage for government representatives, key opinion leaders, captains of industries and experts to discuss their roles and contributions in accelerating global economic recovery. Themed "Halal  The Catalyst for Universal Economic Recovery", Dato' Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali, Senior Minister, Minister of International Trade and Industry Malaysia (MITI), who delivered the Keynote Address for WHBC2021 on behalf the Prime Minister, applauds the aptness and relevance of the event and its overall theme, given the current global economic recovery process where Halal can assume an important feature and be a catalyst through its various value propositions. "This Conference demonstrates the firm commitment and reliance of all stakeholders that the Halal economy remains resilient and becoming a strong contributor to the global economic recovery," said the Prime Minister. He added, with COVID-19 causing widespread downtown to the global econoy, questions have emerged about the need for self-sufficiency in critical products including Halal that cut across pharmaceuticals, medical devices and food.



The Halal food and beverages industry alone is estimated to be worth USD2.1 trillion, while the Halal cosmetics and Halal pharmaceuticals industries are collectively worth USD136 billion. The Prime Minister also launched the Halal Integrated Platform (HIP), a one-stop digital Halal platform that connects industry players, especially amongst the micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), to government agencies, businesses and consumers within the Halal ecosystem.

HIP gathers Halal service providers and suppliers on one platform worldwide connections and communication between the industry players, thus giving businesses a competitive edge to tap into this growing industry. WHBC2021 also stressed on the importance of the Halal industry and the Islamic Finance to work hand-in-hand to create a fully Halal economy, to complement each other along its entire value chain, and to produce a holistic end-to-end Shariah-compliance. WHBC2021 has attracted many renowned industry captains and international speakers and panelists, including Dr Justin Lee, Australian High Commissioner; David Evan Malcomson, High Commissioner of the Republic of South Africa; and Abdoulaye Barro, Ambassador of the Embassy of the Republic of Senegal; and Ebrahim Patel, Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition of the Republic of South Africa. HALAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION BERHAD (HDC) HDC spearheads the development of Malaysia's integrated and comprehensive Halal ecosystem and infrastructure to position Malaysia as the most competitive country leading the global Halal industry. Established on 18 September 2006, HDC is the central coordinator that promotes participation and facilitates growth of industry players in the development of Malaysia's Halal ecosystem. An agency under the Ministry of International Trade and Industry; it is the world's first Government-backed Halal industry development corporation. www.hdcglobal.com. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Name: Norsida Ahmad

Tel: +60123249703

Email: norsida.ahmad@hdcglobal.com SOURCE Halal Development Corporation Berhad (HDC)

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[October 12, 2021] Humming Homes Raises $8.1M To Take On Home Services Market With Recent $5.6M Seed Round Led By Greycroft

Humming Homes, a technology-enabled home management solution targeting single-family households in suburban markets, today announced it has closed a $5.6M Seed raise led by Greycroft with participation from AlleyCorp, Thrive Capital, Sound Ventures, New Valley Ventures, and prominent angel investor, Abby Miller Levy. Humming Homes, founded by Adeel Mallick, CEO, Kyle Carnes, Head of Operations, and serial technology entrepreneur Kevin Ryan (News - Alert) , Chairman of the Board, is on a mission to make homeownership easier and more enjoyable. Poised to become the country's most trusted home services partner, it has built an end-to-end management solution powered by software for single-family homeowners. With a digital-first experience, dedicated in-person home management teams offering a single point of contact, 24/7 live support, and data and insights to avoid reactive & expensive home maintenance issues, the system is designed to overhaul what it means to own and maintain a home. The funding will fuel Humming Homes' continued growth as they look to expand beyond their initial markets in the Northeast and provide a modern alternative to incumbents in the home services space. "Experienced homeowners know that managing a house is like having a second job. Homes need constant maintenance, ranging from landscaping all the way through seasonal cleaning of HVAC, chimneys, windows, and siding. Homeowners keep a long list of contractors and vendors, and you never know if your pricing is fair," said Ian Sigalow, Co-Founder and Partner at Greycroft who will join the Board. "Humming Homes solves the problem of how difficult it is for most people to manage their most valuable asset - their home." According to The National Association of Realtors, 40% of all single-family, owner-occupied home purchases between 2020 and 2021 were by people under the age of 40. The exodus of residents leaving dense urban centers like New York and San Francisco in searh of more space shows no signs of stopping.



"We have the youngest consumer, the most tech-savvy, and, from a generational standpoint, the least equipped to manage a home in terms of available time and experience. Today's first-time homeowners have limited resources to help them through the transition from renting to owning," said Adeel Mallick, Humming Homes' CEO. "Even more important, 68% of all U.S. households are now dual-income, meaning it's very likely that the burden of managing all aspects of home maintenance and improvement falls unequally across already-stretched homeowners." Even though, according to a recent study by Angi, the home services market represents over $500B in consumer spend, there hasn't yet been a category winner. Humming Homes is focused on offering a homeowner-first solution with an initial target customer base of the "mass-affluent" - single family homes valued greater than $750K and located in dense, desirable home markets such as The Hamptons, Greenwich, Westchester, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Greater Los Angeles, Scottsdale, and Texas (Austin, Houston, etc.).

"This is a huge opportunity - the average U.S. homeowner spends 1% - 2% of their home's value on maintenance and improvement annually," continued Mr. Mallick. "Our target demographic, which represents just 10% of all homes in the U.S., spends close to 50% of the entire home services market. Homes are inherently complex and the next generation of homeowners needs more than just a band-aid fix or set of inherited vendors to help - and that's where we want to upend the status quo." Humming Homes has grown rapidly since launching services in October 2020; it now operates in markets across the tri-state area, including The Hamptons (NY), Westchester (NY), and Greenwich (CT), managing $500M in home value. They also recently inked a strategic partnership with Douglas Elliman ("DE") for additional access to distribution during the homebuying process, facilitated by an investment from their venture arm, New Valley Ventures. Humming Homes will be working with DE to launch in additional tri-state markets in the coming months as well as the South Florida region including Miami, Palm Beach, and Fort Lauderdale, later in 2021. Humming Homes was founded in early 2020 and incubated with AlleyCorp, a venture capital firm & studio run by Kevin Ryan (previously raised $2.5M). The latest funding brings total capital raised to $8.1 million. The company's founding team has backgrounds in real estate, on-demand marketplaces, and technology-enabled services. About Humming Homes Humming Homes is reimagining home management for the modern homeowner. Poised to become one of the world's most trusted home operators, the company is creating a new category of end-to-end home management, employing data and insights to avoid reactive and expensive home maintenance issues. It has built a tech-enabled solution for single-family homeowners with a digital-first experience, offering a dedicated in-person home management team with a single point of contact for 24/7 support. For more information on Humming Homes, please visit www.humminghomes.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211012005568/en/

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[October 12, 2021] InnovaQor, Inc. Announces Launch of an Automated Implementation for its Medical Mime EHR Solution

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., Oct. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- InnovaQor, Inc. (A Nevada Corporation) (OTC: VMCS), today announced the launch of an automated implementation process for their Medical Mime EHR solution.

InnovaQor is pleased to confirm its subsidiary Medical Mime has launched an automated implementation process to make it easier for rehabilitation and substance abuse treatment centers to transition from an existing EHR to its Medical Mime solution. Operational disruption moving from one system to a more robust and efficient platform, is a major challenge for all rehabilitation and substance abuse treatment centers and can be an insurmountable hurdle for many providers who want to transition to a new solution. Medical Mimes automated implementation process removes this hurdle and reduces paperwork and time required during a typical implementation. Medical Mime aims to create efficiencies and reduce loss for its customers by improving the volume intake through a more streamlined and accountable process that is less reliant on staff input or completion. We are confident that we can implement our Medical Mime solution for the substance abuse sector into an operating facility within one week without disruption to normal day-to-day business. said Sharon Hollis, CEO of InnovaQor, Inc. This automation creates opportunity for Medical Mime to significantly grow its customer base in an efficient and cost-effective manner and is the first of a number of improvemets we are implementing on this product to expand market share.



We remain focused on our plans to develop an intelligent platform that should create a new level of efficiency and added value for almost every clinician and executive in the medical sector and incorporate and offer many of our current solutions, continued Ms. Hollis. Further information can be found on our website at www.innovaqor.com

About InnovaQor, Inc. InnovaQor creates innovative technology solutions that allow medical providers and facilities to effectively enhance their business and processes while protecting their assets and patient data. Forward-Looking Statements This press release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results may differ from expectations and, consequently, you should not rely on these forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. Words such as "expect," "estimate," "project," "budget," "forecast," "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "may," "will," "could," "should," "believes," "predicts," "potential," "continue," and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from the expected results. Additional information concerning these and other risk factors are contained in the Company's most recent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company cautions readers not to place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. The Company does not undertake or accept any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect any change in their expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based, except as required by law. Contact: Gerard Dab

438-501-6500

press@innovaqor.com



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[October 12, 2021] Intra-Asia e-commerce growth potential: A silver lining for Covid-hit region

SINGAPORE, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Asia already holds the lion's share of the global e-commerce market. Still, its potential for intra-region growth  with economies recovering and income levels rising  makes the region the one to watch beyond Covid-19. During the pandemic, lockdowns and movement restrictions sparked a surge in e-commerce as consumers and businesses turned to online channels in droves for their purchases. Unprecedented growth in shipment volume and express deliveries around the world followed, according to Ken Lee, CEO, DHL Express Asia Pacific. "The speed of growth surprised us initially, but we knew that it was the most natural response, given how e-commerce can efficiently meet market demands for goods that are suddenly facing supply shortages," said Lee. For the full multimedia release, click here: https://www.prnasia.com/mnr/DHL_202110.shtml But e-commerce within the region still lags. Overcoming obstacles from red tape to unfamiliarity with adjacent markets, should unlock significant opportunities for sellers. For now, however, there is more than enough activity to keep sellers busy. Despite disruptions to mobility caused by the pandemic, global trade and data flow started to recover toward the end of last year, according to an update in the DHL Global Connectedness Index 2020 . Moreover, as in-person contact shifted into the onine world, international internet traffic, phone calls and, most notably, e-commerce received a timely boost.



Within Asia, in particular, e-commerce has skyrocketed. Now accounting for almost half of DHL Express' revenue in APEC, intra-Asia e-commerce still has a long runway for growth. "Intermediate and finished goods are still largely assembled and manufactured here, but they are now also being shipped within and consumed in Asia," said Lee. As the region's spending power gradually recovers from the pandemic, further cross-border e-commerce penetration, supported by efficient cross-border logistics solutions, will play a key role in the regional economic recovery.

The state of e-commerce The high hopes for intra-Asia e-commerce to flourish are not unfounded. Recent research by DHL Express highlighted the strong growth of the global business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce market, which is expected to grow from US$12.2 trillion (10.26 trillion) in 2019 to reach US$20.9 trillion (17.6 trillion) in 2027. "Many Asia manufacturers are in the B2B space and are only just getting into e-commerce. There are plenty of opportunities for early adopters to benefit especially in this region where many of these businesses are based," said Lee on the bright future for the sector. Growth in the business-to-consumer (B2C) e-commerce sector is, likewise, progressing at breakneck speed, with the pandemic being a key driver. The global B2C e-commerce market, valued at US$3.67 trillion (3.09 trillion) in 2020 , is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.7 percent from 2021 to 2028. The development is unsurprising since the foundations for this meteoric growth were laid way before the Covid-19 pandemic. The entry barriers to e-commerce have been lowered significantly over the years with advances in technology helping to overcome the digital divide. "Obstacles such as smartphone ownership and internet access are fast disappearing. During the pandemic, for instance, we saw how quickly some individuals seized the opportunity to get on e-commerce marketplaces such as eBay, Etsy, and Amazon to sell their goods," said Lee. Yet, with improvements in the uptake of e-commerce, cross-border trade through online and e-commerce channels still lags in Asia compared to other regions. Each geography and country face unique challenges, such as the lack of spending power or the need to pay taxes to import foreign goods in some countries. For the latter, Lee believes a potential long-term solution should start with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). "For Asia to buy more within Asia, the ASEAN bloc could look into preferential tax treaties for ASEAN nations, given it has one of the fastest-growing incomes driven by a large middle-class growth in Indonesia." This, alongside the gradual reopening of the region's economies from Covid-19, could provide the impetus and new opportunities for businesses to pursue cross-border e-commerce within Asia, shared Lee. Why logistics is key In the near term, however, the logistics sector is best placed to render support to e-commerce businesses to unlock the potential of the large, untapped e-commerce market within Asia. "Sometimes, all they need is a nudge to get started. What we've done is work with partners in the regional e-commerce ecosystem to simplify the process for our customers to jump on the e-commerce bandwagon," said Lee. Like the restrictions imposed in different countries during the pandemic, the rules and regulations governing cross-border e-commerce imports across the region are also constantly changing, making it tough for businesses to maintain compliance. "For instance, many countries are updating their customs codes to accommodate the increase of personal imports. We help sellers by regularly updating our shipping tools with the necessary features and functionalities that support these changes, so our customers are not caught unaware," said Lee. Cross-border e-commerce within Asia is expected to gather pace, and most logistics providers are prepared for an upswing in activity. For DHL Express, improvements are already underway to ensure convenient, seamless deliveries for customers. "We will soon launch a new solution to help sellers manage KYC documentation requirements (government-recognized identity proof) imposed by customs in different countries, all while keeping to privacy standards and regulatory processes," said Lee. The removal of trade and customs complexities will not only empower sellers to focus on their core business, but will also augment the intra-Asia e-commerce experience for a post-Covid-19 future. For more information, please visit: DHL's B2B E-commerce Guide

How does DHL Express Tackle Sanctions

Watch the video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_7getY3v8s SOURCE DHL Express

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[October 12, 2021] Korber and Vineti Announce Partnership to Provide Improved Manufacturing Performance and Visibility Globally for Cell and Gene-Based Therapies

Korber is the worlds leading supplier of manufacturing execution systems (MES) and manufacturing IT solutions for the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industries.

Vineti provides the leading digital enterprise platform for cell and gene therapy supply chains and data management.

Together, Korber and Vineti will streamline process development, operations, and manufacturing to deliver advanced therapies to patients in need around the world more quickly and efficiently.

LUNEBURG, Germany and SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Korber, the leading MES supplier for pharma and biotech, and Vineti, the worlds only enterprise software platform supporting supply chain orchestration for clinical and commercial cell and gene therapies, today announced a partnership to integrate Werum PAS-X MES with Vinetis industry-leading Personalized Therapy Management (PTM) platform. The partnership will empower biopharma customers with an integrated PAS-X MES and supply chain and data management solution to bring life-saving cell and gene-based therapies to patients in need. Advanced therapies, such as cell and gene therapies and personalized vaccines require advanced software infrastructure across the entire production process. The advanced therapy industry requires digital visibility, automation, and real-time feedback in its technology, enabling management of complex manufacturing, large volumes of data and complex, high-risk patient safety requirements. Korbers and Vinetis global, non-exclusive partnership between two leading innovators in cell and gene therapy will ensure complete Chain of Identity (COI) and Chain of Custody (COC) visibility, product tracking, and data management as personalized cell and gene therapies go through each step in the manufacturing supply chain, ensuring that every patient receives his or her personalized medicine as quickly and safely as possible. This cooperation with Vineti shows our continued effort to save lives by providing the best solutions for cell- and gene-based therapies worldwide as the leading strategic partner," said Jens Woehlbier, CEO Software of Korber Business Area Pharma. With its Werum PAS-X MES software, Korber is the market leader in digital manufacturing solutions for the cell and gene industry. Werum PAS-X is run by more than half of the worlds top 30 phrmaceutical and biotech companies and operates in more than 1000 installations around the globe. By integrating Vinetis Personalized Therapy Management (PTM) platform with Werum PAS-X MES, this partnership will enable operational excellence and advanced cell and gene therapies out of the box. The joint solution will simplify compliance with all regulatory requirements, and offer easier, faster manufacturing processes.



Patients will always be our priority and at the forefront of the work we do, said Vineti CEO and Co-founder Amy DuRoss. By partnering with Korber, we will be providing a greater opportunity for the industrialization of cell and gene therapy manufacturing and supply chain. This partnership will allow Vineti to seamlessly integrate with the top manufacturers around the world, positioning Korber and Vineti to best help customers globally as the cell and gene therapy space grows in the years to come. This partnership follows Korbers recent announcement that its Werum PAS-X software has been named a Leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Manufacturing Execution Systems 2021 and Vinetis release of its PTM Essentials solution for clinical-phase advanced therapies. More information on the Korber-Vineti solution is available through both companys business development teams.

About Korber

Korber is an international technology group with about 10,000 employees, more than 100 locations worldwide and a common goal: Korber turns entrepreneurial thinking into customer success and shapes the technological change. In the Business Areas Digital, Pharma, Supply Chain, Tissue and Tobacco, Korber offer products, solutions and services that inspire. The Korber Business Area Pharma delivers the difference along the pharma value chain with its unique portfolio of integrated solutions. With their software solutions Korber helps drug manufacturers to digitize their pharma, biotech and cell & gene factories. The software product Werum PAS-X MES is recognized as the worlds leading Manufacturing Execution System for the pharma & biotech industry. Korbers data analytics and AI solutions accelerate product commercialization and uncover hidden business value.

For more information, please visit www.koerber-pharma.com About Vineti

Vineti offers the first commercial, configurable cloud-based platform to expand patient access to life-saving cell and gene therapies. Vineti was co-founded by GE and the Mayo Clinic to solve the key challenges that patients, medical providers, biopharmaceutical companies, and regulators face in the delivery and commercialization of individualized therapies. Now a fully independent company, Vineti offers a digital platform of record to integrate logistics, supply chain management, manufacturing, and clinical data for personalized therapies. The Vineti Personalized Therapy Management (PTM) platform aligns and orchestrates the advanced therapy process and improves product performance overall, supporting the full continuum of patient-specific therapies, including personalized cancer vaccines and autologous and allogeneic cell and gene therapies. Vineti is currently serving patients, healthcare providers, and researchers in hundreds of leading medical centers and manufacturing centers world-wide on behalf of a growing number of biopharmaceutical partners. In 2019, the World Economic Forum honored Vineti as a World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer. Vineti is headquartered in San Francisco, California, with teams working worldwide on behalf of advanced therapies. For more information, please visit http://vineti.com Media Contacts Korber Business Area Pharma

Head of Global Marketing & Communications Software

Dirk Ebbecke

dirk.ebbecke@koerber-pharma.com Vineti

1AB Media for Vineti

Dan Budwick

dan@1abmedia.com



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[October 12, 2021] Kin + Carta Appoints Maria Gordian to its Board of Directors

Gordian will bring extensive business and DEI experience to accelerate Kin + Cartas scaling ambition and deliver its social responsibility goals as a certified B Corporation

CHICAGO, Oct. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kin + Carta (LON:KCT), the global digital transformation consultancy, is pleased to announce healthcare and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) expert, Maria Gordian, has been appointed to its board of directors as a non-executive director effective November 1. Maria will assume her non-executive duties alongside her role as a senior partner in the Healthcare and DEI practices at Bain & Company, where she heads the global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council and advises hospitals, pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical device companies. In this role, Gordian will leverage her more than two decades of diverse consulting experience to provide objective guidance as the company seeks to balance considerations around people, planet, and profit. With this announcement, Kin + Carta delivers on its pledge to seek diverse perspectives and keep social responsibility at the core of its operating principles. Marias extensive business experience which includes executive leadership at two top global consulting firms, coupled with her academic and clinical background in medicine makes her a unique and rare executive with a diverse perspective on how to scale and enhance businesses across the globe, said John Kerr, chairman of the board, Kin + Carta. Her appointment comes as Kin + Carta continues to seek B Corp Certification for the whole business, following the certification for the Americas division achieved in January and Europe achieved in Septeber. We are delighted to welcome Maria to the Kin + Carta board and I look forward to working closely with her.



Before becoming a consultant, Maria worked as a board-certified diagnostic radiologist and clinical researcher at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, where she specialized in breast cancer research, disease management, and cost-effectiveness analyses. I am very excited to be joining the Kin + Carta board as a Non-Executive Director, said Gordian. The Companys forward-looking strategic vision, evidenced not least by its B Corp Certification achievements, are what attracted me to the role in the first place, but it was great to find an excellent team in place to execute these plans. I am looking forward to supporting its continued growth aspirations.

This announcement follows two recent milestones in Kin + Cartas responsible business journeyearning its B Corp certification in Europe and a vote from its shareholders that overwhelmingly passed a special resolution to amend its articles of association to commit the board to a triple bottom line approach to decision makingseeking to balance considerations between people, planet, and profit. This supports the firms ambition to achieve B Corp certification for the entire business by the end of the calendar year, which will be an external verification of its organizational ethos and the values it proudly stands for that have been part of its stated strategy and core operating principles for several years. About Kin + Carta

Kin + Carta is a global digital transformation consultancy committed to working alongside our clients to build a world that works better for everyone. Our 1,700 strategists, engineers, and creatives around the world bring the connective power of technology, data, and experience to the worlds most influential companies, helping them to accelerate their digital roadmap, rapidly innovate, modernize their systems, enable their teams, and optimize for continued growth. As a Certified B Corporation in the United States and Europe, and in our offices across South America, our triple bottom line focus on people, planet, and profit is at the core of everything we do. For more information, please visit www.kinandcarta.com . Media Contacts

Katie Parr and Justine Goodiel

UPRAISE Marketing + PR for Kin + Carta

(415) 397-7600

kinandcarta@upraisepr.com A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/cbd4f7ed-71fd-4e7f-b3cc-a8730bb7bde6



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[October 12, 2021] Manifest Climate: Top 20 Clean Tech Start-Up

Manifest Climate's innovative software was shortlisted for the prestigious G20 Innovations League (clean tech) start-up pitch contest. CEO and Co-Founder, Laura Zizzo, presented the climate solutions platform to a slate of global VC funds, experts and corporate leaders in Sorrento, Italy on October 9 and 10. The highly selective private sector led event is the G20 Italian Presidency's legacy event. The clean tech category featured the world's top 20 clean tech start-ups. "I have been working on climate issues my entire career. It's great to see the strong market interest and response to our climate technology. Our goal is to bring transparency to capital markets, while supporting businesses to function effectively and thrive in this very different climate shaped economy. We are the right fit for the moment. Our commitment goes beyond plans. We are supporting forward thinking organizations to level-up and act," said Zizzo. Our platform's impact at this marquee event builds on a successful seed round at the start of the year, and increasing international uptake of the platform by banks, utilities, manufacturers and other businesslines since a soft-launch in Fall 2020. Manifest Climate's $6.5 million seed round was backed by an exceptional syndicate of leading technology investors, including Klass Capital, Golden Ventures, OMERS Ventures, Bryker Capital, Garage Capital, Active Impact Investments, and several high net worth investors including Mark Jaine, former CEO of Intelex. Manifest Climate's value also attracted support from Silicon Valley Bank under a substantial financing facility.



As a leader in organizing climate-related information aligned with the TCFD recommendations, the emerging global language for reporting, the Manifest Climate product is the right fit for the moment. The TCFD is now endorsed by the G20, which accounts for 80% of global GDP, and every major global financial institution, including the European Central Bank, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund. "Every major stock exchange has agreed to better comparability of climate-related financial information-that's every public company in the world (over 41,000 companies)," said Jeremy Greven, President and Co-Founder. Greven added, "data is key to the clean tech transformation. We're moving climate tech forward with the best technology available today. In under a year, we've combined data management expertise with best-in-class software design, engineering and product management to super-charge a decade of climate expertise and success across North America. I'm proud of our team and look forward to helping thousands more companies to improve their climate journey and tell compelling climate stories." As investors and other stakeholders demand complete climate stories from thousands of publicly listed organizations and millions more private companies, Manifest Climate is expanding its reach. Keen to learn more? Book a demo.

____________________________________________________________________________________ See Beyond! Manifest Climate connects AI with climate expertise to help forward-thinking companies understand, assess, govern and confidently disclose their climate-related risks and opportunities. Embrace a low-carbon, climate adjusted future with confidence! Learn more via manifestclimate.com . View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211012005745/en/

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[October 12, 2021] Research Innovations, Inc. Expands to San Antonio, Texas with Opening of New Office

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Research Innovations, Inc. (RII), a provider of critical national security technology solutions, recently expanded its operations to customers in Texas with the opening of a new office in San Antonio. RII has additional offices in Alexandria, Virginia and Melbourne, Florida, as well as employees working remotely across the country, abroad, and embedded with customers in all Combatant Commands. Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for RII's technical and operational solutions enabled continued rapid growth in 2020 and 2021, driving the award of numerous new contracts and the hiring of more than 130 new employees. RII again earned a spot on Deloitte's Technology Fast 500 in 2020, marking the copany's third consecutive year on the list of fastest growing technology companies in North America.



"The decision to expand RII's presence into the San Antonio area was a necessary step in the company's strategic growth plan," said Rich Briggs, Founder and CTO of RII. "We have a strong focus on customer success, and we're committed to our customers in the broader information and cyber operations space, many of which are located in or near San Antonio. We want to better serve those customers and leverage the technology talent pool in the area." The new office, conveniently located at Callahan and I-10, makes RII more accessible for current customers in San Antonio, and creates opportunities for the company to bring innovative solutions to new customers in the area and in Austin. In addition, having an office in San Antonio allows RII to recruit from local universities and access diverse talent that will help meet the needs of RII's expanding customer community.

"RII is excited to have a presence in San Antonio and we look forward to building relationships that will enable us to partner with and support the San Antonio community," said John Hollenbeck, San Antonio Site Lead and Cyber Special Projects Lead at RII. "We have a strong internship program for students, job opportunities for transitioning veterans, and we are always looking to hire new talent as the company grows." The new office is more than 10,000 sq. ft. and features collaborative and open works spaces, large conference rooms, and state of the art computing facilities to enable close teamwork. About Research Innovations, Inc.

With offices in Alexandria, VA, Melbourne, FL, and San Antonio, TX, as well as staff embedded with key customers globally, RII supports critical defense, intelligence, and cyber customers across the U.S. Government and with select international customers. RII is a leader in Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) efforts with its cutting-edge solutions, rapidly delivering transformative technology to customers and end-users to achieve its core purpose of "Creating RIIdiculously Awesome solutions that make the world safer." Visit www.researchinnovations.com for more information. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/research-innovations-inc-expands-to-san-antonio-texas-with-opening-of-new-office-301398376.html SOURCE Research Innovations, Inc.

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[October 12, 2021] SecTor 2021 Announces Full Schedule Lineup for Hybrid Event

SecTor, Canada's premier IT security education conference, announces its full schedule for the hybrid event taking place at Metro Toronto Convention Centre (MTCC) and virtually. This year's event will feature over 35 sessions, four days of virtual Black Hat Trainings, more than 30 Sponsored Sessions and eight Tool presentations. SecTor Keynote SecTor 2021 Keynotes include: The Evolution of Hacking - Jeff Moss, Founder of Black Hat and DEF CON will deliver his talk on Wednesday, Nov. 3 at 9:10 a.m. Jeff will discuss how the security community has evolved over the last 30 years and where it will continue to go and how to get there.

Infosec Halloween 2021: Unmasking the Scary Characters - Wendy Nather, Advisory CISO Team Lead at Cisco (News - Alert) will present on Thursday, Nov. 4 at 9:10 a.m. This talk takes a look into cybersecurity technologies and threats and what that means for the future of the industry. SecTor Sessions Sessions will be both presented in a live format, as well as virtually on Nov. 3 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Nov. 4 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Attendees will learn the latest in information security risks, tools and research covering everything from ransomware to cloud security and more. Full conference pass holders will experience more than 50 in-person session and tool presentations.



SecTor Expo Hall Attendees have the option of a virtual or in-person Expo Hall pass for the 2021 event, showcasing the latest technology from leading information security solution providers. Hours for the Expo Hall in-person will be 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Nov. 3 and 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 4; while the virtual Expo will be 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Nov. 3 and 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 4. Expo Pass holders will have access to the Keynote, Tools and Sponsor Sessions; access to the Expo Hall is included in the Full Conference pass.

In-person attendees can join the Lock Pick Village for a hands-on physical security engineering experience, with the first 1,000 conference attendees receiving a lock pick kit. Security professionals interested in learning to navigate the world of device hacking can attend the IoT Hack Lab. On Wednesday, Nov. 3, the Expo Hall will host an in-person Career Fair beginning at 4 p.m. for those interested in exploring career opportunities with hiring managers within the industry. Black Hat Trainings IT security professionals looking to enhance their skills can participate in this year's Black Hat Trainings, being held virtually from Oct. 30 through Nov. 2. These deeply technical, hands-on courses are led by the information security industry's top trainers and professionals. Topics will span from penetration testing, reverse engineering, cloud security and more. For registration and information on SecTor 2021, please visit https://sector.ca/. About SecTor Security Education Conference Toronto (SecTor) is Canada's largest IT security conference and the nation's biggest vendor expo. SecTor has built a reputation of bringing together experts from around the world to share their latest research and techniques involving underground threats and corporate defenses. Since the inaugural conference in 2007, SecTor has grown exponentially in reputation and size bringing relevant, engaging and reputable content for the benefit of the Canadian cybersecurity community. SecTor provides an unmatched opportunity for IT security professionals to connect with their peers and learn from their mentors. For more information, please visit https://sector.ca/. About Informa (News - Alert) Tech Informa Tech is a market leading provider of integrated research, media, training and events to the global Technology community. We're an international business of more than 600 colleagues, operating in more than 20 markets. Our aim is to inspire the Technology community to design, build and run a better digital world through research, media, training and event brands that inform, educate and connect. Over 7,000 professionals subscribe to our research, with 225,000 delegates attending our events and over 18,000 students participating in our training programs each year, and nearly 4 million people visiting our digital communities each month. For more information, please visit www.informatech.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211012005148/en/

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[October 12, 2021] Tyler Technologies Appoints Kevin Iwersen as New Chief Information Officer

Tyler Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: TYL) has welcomed Kevin Iwersen as the company's new chief information officer (CIO). Iwersen is a seasoned IT leader with experience managing technology infrastructures for corporations, statewide judicial courts, statewide executive government agencies, and U.S. military organizations, most recently serving as CIO for the Idaho Judicial Branch. "We are thrilled to welcome Kevin to Tyler's leadership team," said Jeff Puckett, chief operating officer for Tyler. "Not only does he have a proven track record, but he also has a unique passion for collaboration, team building, and problem solving. His strong experience in the public sector will be invaluable as we continue to grow Tyler." Iwersen joins the Corporate Operations team, working alongside Tyler's chief technology officer, information security officer, and vice president of cloud strategy & operations. He will work closely with former CIO Matt Bieri until Bieri's retirement in early 2022. "I am honored to join a team that is transforming technology to make government better," said Iwersen. "I've seen the posiive impacts of Tyler's commitment to the public sector first-hand, and I'm excited to help advance the company's innovative IT strategy. I know we will continue to make the communities we serve stronger, safer, and more efficient through technology."



Before his previous positions with the Idaho Courts and the U.S. Air Force Reserves, Iwersen served in various technology roles, including statewide chief information security officer, multi-national corporate security and compliance director, agency information security officer, leader of the Pentagon's information warfare team, and security analyst. Iwersen holds a bachelor's degree in computer science from Seattle Pacific University and a master's degree in information security/interdisciplinary technology from Eastern Michigan University. He served as adjunct professor at Boise State University, teaching graduate coursework in information technology and public policy. A proud veteran of the U.S. Air Force, Iwersen served in active duty for six years and in the reserves for nearly 14 years, retiring as CIO/Squadron Commander (Lieutenant Colonel) in 2014.

About Tyler Technologies (News - Alert) , Inc. Tyler Technologies (NYSE: TYL) provides integrated software and technology services to the public sector. Tyler's end-to-end solutions empower local, state, and federal government entities to operate more efficiently and connect more transparently with their constituents and with each other. By connecting data and processes across disparate systems, Tyler's solutions are transforming how clients gain actionable insights that solve problems in their communities. Tyler has more than 37,000 successful installations across more than 12,000 locations, with clients in all 50 states, Canada, the Caribbean, Australia, and other international locations. Tyler has been named to Government Technology's GovTech 100 list five times and has been recognized three times on Forbes' "Most Innovative Growth Companies" list. More information about Tyler Technologies, an S&P 500 company headquartered in Plano, Texas, can be found at tylertech.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211012005098/en/

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[October 11, 2021] Clare Locke LLP Announces: HBO Retracts False Description of WeWork Founder Adam Neumann

HBO and Innovation Films have retracted key elements of their "Generation Hustle" series that falsely characterized WeWork founder Adam Neumann, announced Thomas A. Clare, defamation attorney for Neumann. HBO revised its official description of "Generation Hustle" to remove "true-crime capers with fresh, glossy stories of charismatic fakes, colorful imposters." And rather than leave viewers with the false impression that Neumann has ever been implicated in any legal misconduct, the episode featuring Neumann is now updated to state clearly that "no criminal or regulatory charges have been filed." Reflecting WeWork's ongoing success as the world's pioneering shared office community, the episode has also been updated to acknowledge that WeWork is poised to go public at a $9 billion valuation. These changes are the latest in a series of media apologies and retractions regarding the false narrative surrounding Adam Neumann. In recent weeks, Bloomberg (News - Alert) , Forbes, and Business Inside have all agreed to take similar steps.



"HBO did the right thing here by promptly retracting these false implications about Adam and the history of WeWork, and we applaud the network for taking these responsible steps," Clare said. "The media has repeatedly gotten the story of Adam wrong, and we hope these responsible steps by a reputable outlet will help put an end to the mischaracterizations of Adam's successful role in creating a transformational business." Neumann and Miguel McKelvey founded WeWork in 2010 and quickly scaled the flexible office concept to redefine the essence of the coworking experience. WeWork now has over 500,000 members in more than 730 locations around the world, with an enterprise customer base that accounts for more than 50% of total memberships and includes some of the biggest and most successful companies in the world including Amazon, Facebook, Google, Microsoft (News - Alert) and many more. [1]

[1] WeWork Q2 2021 Results: https://www.wework.com/ideas/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2021/08/2021-Q2-Earnings-Presentation-.pdf View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211011005711/en/

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[October 11, 2021] UnaBiz Raises US$25 Million in Series B Funding Led by SPARX Group

Other investors for the round include CDIB, G K Goh, and Thaioil SINGAPORE, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- UnaBiz, Singapore-based massive Internet of Things (IoT) service provider, has raised over US$25 million in its Series B funding round led by SPARX Group. The round was oversubscribed, with participation from CDIB, G K Goh and Thaioil. The fresh funds will be used to strengthen the scaleup's foothold in strategic regions such as Japan, South-East Asia and EMEA via local offices and M&A operations, and to sustain the growth trajectory of UnaConnect, the company's latest data platform offering that aims to bridge the glaring gap between fragmented IoT data collection technologies and enterprise systems. "Our vision is to accelerate corporate digital transformation with optimised end-to-end solutions which include hardware, software and connectivity. We look forward to growing our team in each area and working with vertical experts to champion a unified Low-Power Wide-Area Network (LPWAN) world," said Henri Bong, Co-Founder and CEO of UnaBiz. "The IoT industry has become too fragmented and it is our mission to simplify it and eradicate frictions to truly enable massive IoT, from 0G to 5G." In 2018, UnaBiz raised over USD10 million in its Series A funding round to establish itself as a recognised, tech-agnostic and delivery-focused IoT service provider. Leveraging Taiwan's world-class solutions design, industrialisation and supply chain ecosystem, and Singapore's innovation platform, the company made remarkable strides in 3 major industries; water and gas metering, asset tracking, and facilities management. Consequently, UnaBiz has been servicing Japan's largest remote gas meter reading infrastructure, the largest autonomous tracked beer kegs fleet in Australia and New Zealand, and one of the most ambitious integrated facility management projects for an educational institution in Singapore. "UnaBiz is focused on creating value for the ecosystem," said Philippe Chiu, Co-Founder and CTO of UnaBiz. "We see a transition in the demands of the IoT market from competitive drivers to carbon reduction commitments. On top of adopting sustainability reporting, responsible consumption and production practices, the new funds will be channelled to develop specific expertise and services that will help our customers reach their energy goals. On top of energy-optimised sensors, pattern detection based on Artificial Intelligence is key in our new data-focused offerings," he added. SPARX Group, an independent investment company, based in Tokyo, Japan, that manages over US$15 billion worth of assets, led the round through the Mirai Creation Fund II, a US$700M fund backed by the likes of Toyota Motor Corporation and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation. SPARX Mirai Creation Funds aim to accelerate the pace of innovation by financing companies' and projects' development in technologies that will drive future growth. SPARX Group is listed on Tokyo Stock Exchange. Shuhei Abe, President and CEO of SPARX Group said, "UnaBiz has made tremendous progress in the past year. We are impressed by its rapid and sustained growth, especially how it delivered one of the largest and fastest smart gas metering projects in the region, despite the COVID-19 pandemic. We look forward to partnering with this talented and dynamic team to meet the growing needs of a burgeoning IoT landscape." Global Brain, who led the previous round through KDDI Open Innovation Fund, and ENGIE Ventures, the investment arm of global energy and services leader, ENGIE, have reaffirmed their confidence in UnaBiz's vision in its Series B round. "UnaBiz has worked closely with KDDI subsidiary SORACOM Inc since its Series A funding. The duo's collaboration has spurred in the smart metering space. With the new Japan office, we are certain that the team can expand its data services to new verticals and scale these new solutions to the global market," Tatsuya Matsumoto, Director, Global Brain, the General Partner of KDDI Open Innovation Fund III. "ENGIE has been working closely with UnaBiz to support the digitisation of its services. UnaBiz's commitment to developing sustainable products and services for its partners is completely alignedwith ENGIE's ambition in accelerating the move towards carbon neutrality. We are excited to journey on to deploy at scale energy-efficient solutions in the region," Thomas Baudlot, CEO Energy Solutions APAC and Country Manager ENGIE South East Asia.



CDIB Capital Growth Partners, a fund managed by CDIB Capital Group, Taiwan's leading venture and private equity firm, also participated in the round. CDIB Capital Group is one of the largest and longest-standing merchant banking groups in Asia, with approximately US$2.5 billion in assets. William Ho, President of CDIB Capital Group, commented: "UnaBiz has made impressive progress in the Asia market and has achieved compelling growth in the region over the last 18 months despite the pandemic. The team has proven that its tech and vertical-agnostic approach to the market is the right one. We are pleased to share our deep industry expertise, and extensive local knowledge and network to help them capitalise on cross-market opportunities in the Asia-Pacific region."

G. K. Goh Holdings, a Singapore-based investment company owning operating businesses as well as a diverse investment portfolio of listed equities, unlisted equities and third-party managed funds, also participated in the round. "UnaBiz has built an impressive track record of innovation, international expansion and customer satisfaction. Its customised massive IoT solutions have been deployed at scale by major clients in the Asia-Pacific region. Even during the pandemic, the team successfully won contracts in new industry verticals and expanded its geographical footprint. We are pleased to join new and existing shareholders to support UnaBiz's next phase of growth as it scales its business across the Asia-Pacific and beyond," said Goh Yew Lin, Managing Director, G. K. Goh Holdings. TOP Ventures, the investment arm of Thai Oil Public Company Limited (TOP), Thailand's largest Oil & Gas company under the PTT Group, followed the round to bring existing massive-IoT solutions developed by UnaBiz to the Thai market. "We want to invest in emerging technologies and business models that are promising and would enhance and extend our existing energy business. UnaBiz fits into all 3 key areas of our focus; Industrial Technology, Sustainability Technology, New Mobility and Energy Technology. We look forward to working with the team to co-create custom solutions for the industry at large," said Luck Saraya, Managing Director of TOP Ventures. The latest fundraising comes three months after UnaBiz announced its new Japan office through Invest Tokyo, a programme initiated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and supported by Japan External Trade Organisation. Subsequently, the company made Forbes Asia 100 to Watch and was accredited by the Infocomm Media Development Authority of Singapore (IMDA), under Accreditation@SG Digital, an elite programme that helps Singapore-based technology companies accelerate their growth and compete globally. "With this latest injection of funding, we believe it will help UnaBiz to continue to innovate and further build on its industry-leading IoT capabilities. We look forward to working with them to accelerate data-driven business efficiency in both the Government and enterprise sector", said Edwin Low, Director, Innovation & Tech Ecosystem of IMDA. UnaBiz was recently selected for an accelerator programme in Japan under the Global Innovation Alliance, an initiative of Enterprise Singapore and Singapore Economic Development Board, run by Leave a Nest Singapore. The funding brings UnaBiz' total capital raised to US$35 million since it launched in July 2016, and has more than tripled the firm's valuation since the last round. For more information, visit unabiz.com About SPARX Group SPARX is an independent asset management firm that was founded in 1989. It practices a consistent investment philosophy and regular asset management processes in the development of its four core businesses: One Asia (Asian equities), real assets, Mirai Creation, and Japanese equities. It excels due to its bottom-up approach to research through which it engages with individual companies. Listing on the JASDAQ market in 2001, SPARX became the first independent Japanese asset management firm to list on the TSE First Section in 2019. About CDIB Capital Group & CDIB Capital Growth Partners Formerly known as China Development Industrial Bank, CDIB Capital Group is the first private development financial institution in Taiwan. We leverage our abundant resources to maximize professional investment strategies and create outstanding risk-adjusted returns. CDIB Capital Growth Partners, the first Taiwan VC fund structured as a limited partnership with a fund size of NT$4.54bn., focuses on investments of smart or green technology and contributes to the growth of enterprises via M&A strategy. About G. K. Goh Holdings G. K. Goh Holdings has evolved from its origins as a leading Singapore-based regional securities business (1979-2005) into an investment company owning operating businesses as well as a diverse portfolio of investments. The latter includes directly-held listed equities, unlisted equities, third-party managed funds, as well as a small number of non-controlling minority stakes. We are trusted partners for our co-investors, such as private equity firms, family offices and insurance companies, and we seek opportunities wherever the potential returns are sufficiently attractive after adjusting for risks. In recent years, these investments have included optic fibre networks in Europe, aged care in Australia and real estate investments in Japan. About Thaioil Thaioil is Thailand's largest refinery and supplier of petroleum products. Founded in 1961, we operate one of the most efficient refineries in Asia-Pacific with a current capacity of 275,000 barrels per day. Thaioil operates under the Operational Excellence principle, operating as an integrated group of businesses in oil refinery, petrochemicals and lube base oil with supporting businesses, e.g. power generation, solvents, logistics and renewable energy generation, LAB: an intermediate in the production of surfactants, pipeline transportation and storage services of crude, petroleum and petrochemical products, as well as recruitment services for Thaioil and Subsidiaries. Thaioil leads the Thai refinery industry through a well-planned and integrated production process, yielding optimum efficiency. Our products are of high quality, rated in the top quartile of refineries in Asia-Pacific, at lower production costs  giving Thaioil a recognized competitive advantage. For more information, visit https://www.thaioilgroup.com About Us UnaBiz is a proven massive IoT service provider and Sigfox operator for Singapore and Taiwan that has deployed over 1 million sensors in over 25 countries globally. The company specialises in sensor product design, manufacturing, and cloud platform services across a hybrid of low-power wide-area (LPWA) technologies such as Sigfox, LTE-M, NB-IoT and LoRa, to power business growth.

UnaBiz focuses on Smart Cities applications such as Smart Metering, Facilities Management, Asset Management and Asset Tracking. The company has been accredited with ISO 9001:2015 certification for Design of IoT Product and Provider of Network Connectivity Solutions and ISO27001, the international standard for information security management system (ISMS) for UnaConnect, its data processing and management platform. UnaBiz envisions a closely connected world powered by simple technology because we believe in "Less is More". The company's mission is to accelerate data-driven business efficiency for its clients and partners with agility and ingenuity. By uniting people and technology, UnaBiz aims to create an impact on a massive scale, to help every person and every organisation on the planet live smarter, simpler, and in a more sustainable way. SOURCE UnaBiz

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[October 11, 2021]

Xinhua Silk Road: International forum on sci-tech & foreign trade and economic co-op held on Sat. in China's Changzhou

BEIJING, Oct. 11, 2021 /CNW/ -- An international forum on science and technology and foreign trade and economic cooperation kicked off on Saturday in Changzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province.

About 12 major fund projects worth more than 20 billion yuan and 27 key industrial projects worth 63 billion yuan were signed at the forum themed on "An International Star City of Intelligent Manufacturing and A Pivotal Hub in the Yagtze River Delta Region".







Chen Jinhu, Secretary of the CPC Changzhou Municipal Committee, noted that the city is more eager for talents and projects than ever before, and also in a better position to serve talents to achieve great success.

It is learned that up to now, a total of 68 companies of the Fortune Global 500 list have invested 119 projects in Changzhou, and the total actual use of foreign capital reached 42.2 billion U.S. dollars.

This is a city filled with unlimited business opportunities, said Sheng Lei, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Changzhou Municipal Committee and acting mayor of Changzhou, adding that Changzhou is now comprehensively improving its level of high-quality development and promoting all-round modernization.

It is reported that construction on four key talent enterprise projects, including Ninebot's intelligent short-haul transportation project, and three high-quality education projects began on Friday in Changzhou Science & Education Town with a total investment of about 2.5 billion yuan.

See the original link: https://en.imsilkroad.com/p/324222.html

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SOURCE Xinhua Silk Road
[October 11, 2021] Accenture to Acquire BRIDGEi2i, Expanding Capabilities in Data Science, Machine Learning and AI-Powered Insights

Accenture (News - Alert) (NYSE: ACN) has entered into an agreement to acquire BRIDGEi2i, an artificial intelligence (AI) and analytics firm headquartered in Bangalore, India, with additional offices in the US and Australia. The acquisition will add more than 800 deeply skilled professionals to Accenture's Applied Intelligence practice, strengthening and scaling up its global capabilities in data science, machine learning and AI-powered insights. The financial terms of the transaction are not being disclosed. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211011005650/en/ BRIDGEi2i to become part of Accenture (Graphic: Business Wire) Founded in 2011, BRIDGEi2i specializes in data-driven digital transformation for companies across industries and global markets by combining data engineering, advanced analytics, proprietary AI accelerators and consulting services. It helps enterprises drive insights for faster and more accurate decision-making, thereby enabling shorter time to value. Accenture research shows that organizations that are stepping up investments in technologies such as AI and cloud are growing revenue at five times the rate of those not making these strategic investments. "The COVID-19 pandemic has made technologies such as AI core to business success, with scaled investments enabling enterprises to thrive by refocusing on growth during the most disruptive time in their history," said Sanjeev Vohra, global lead for Accenture Applied Intelligence. "In this rapidly evolving space, constantly building new capabilities is key, and we believe that BRIDGEi2i will further enhance our AI skills and data science capabilities to strengthen how our global network delivers value for clients." "The digital enterprise of the future is being reimagined today with AI. At BRIDGEi2i, we believe in diving into the heart of business challenges and driving transformation in its truest sense for our clients by combining our AI capabilities with our digital consulting expertise," said Prithvijit Roy, chief executive officer and co-founder, BRIDGEi2i. "We are excited to join Accenture and believe that our people and approach will complement their capabilities and help us scale up our impact across industries." This acquisition will augment Accenture's growing analytics, data and AI business around the world, joining the acquisitions of Analytics8 in Australia, Pragsis Bidoop in Spain, Mudano in the UK, Byte Prophecy in India, Sentelis in France, and Clarity Insights, End-to-End Analytics and Core Compete in the US.



Completion of the acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions. About Accenture

Accenture is a global professional services company with leading capabilities in digital, cloud and security. Combining unmatched experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries, we offer Strategy and Consulting, Interactive, Technology and Operations services - all powered by the world's largest network of Advanced Technology and Intelligent Operations centers. Our 624,000 people deliver on the promise of technology and human ingenuity every day, serving clients in more than 120 countries. We embrace the power of change to create value and shared success for our clients, people, shareholders, partners and communities. Visit us at www.accenture.com. Applied Intelligence is Accenture's approach to scaling AI for clients by embedding AI-powered data, analytics and automation capabilities into business workflows, accelerating time to value with a powerful global alliance, innovation and delivery network that can deploy and scale AI within any market and industry. To learn more, visit www.accenture.com/appliedintelligence. Forward-Looking Statements Except for the historical information and discussions contained herein, statements in this news release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "may," "will," "should," "likely," "anticipates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "projects," "believes," "estimates," "positioned," "outlook" and similar expressions are used to identify these forward-looking statements. These statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. Many of the following risks, uncertainties and other factors identified below are, and will be, amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic. These risks include, without limitation, risks that: Accenture and BRIDGEi2i will not be able to close the transaction in the time period anticipated, or at all, which is dependent on the parties' ability to satisfy certain closing conditions; the transaction might not achieve the anticipated benefits for Accenture; Accenture's results of operations have been significantly adversely affected and could in the future be materially adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic; Accenture's results of operations have been, and may in the future be, adversely affected by volatile, negative or uncertain economic and political conditions and the effects of these conditions on the company's clients' businesses and levels of business activity; Accenture's business depends on generating and maintaining ongoing, profitable client demand for the company's services and solutions including through the adaptation and expansion of its services and solutions in response to ongoing changes in technology and offerings, and a significant reduction in such demand or an inability to respond to the evolving technological environment could materially affect the company's results of operations; if Accenture is unable to keep its supply of skills and resources in balance with client demand around the world and attract and retain professionals with strong leadership skills, the company's business, the utilization rate of the company's professionals and the company's results of operations may be materially adversely affected; Accenture could face legal, reputational and financial risks if the company fails to protect client and/or company data from security incidents or cyberattacks; the markets in which Accenture operates are highly competitive, and Accenture might not be able to compete effectively; Accenture's profitability could materially suffer if the company is unable to obtain favorable pricing for its services and solutions, if the company is unable to remain competitive, if its cost-management strategies are unsuccessful or if it experiences delivery inefficiencies or fail to satisfy certain agreed-upon targets or specific service levels; changes in Accenture's level of taxes, as well as audits, investigations and tax proceedings, or changes in tax laws or in their interpretation or enforcement, could have a material adverse effect on the company's effective tax rate, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition; Accenture's ability to attract and retain business and employees may depend on its reputation in the marketplace; as a result of Accenture's geographically diverse operations and its growth strategy to continue to expand in its key markets around the world, the company is more susceptible to certain risks; Accenture's business could be materially adversely affected if the company incurs legal liability; Accenture's work with government clients exposes the company to additional risks inherent in the government contracting environment; Accenture's results of operations could be materially adversely affected by fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; if Accenture is unable to manage the organizational challenges associated with its size, the company might be unable to achieve its business objectives; if Accenture does not successfully manage and develop its relationships with key alliance partners or fails to anticipate and establish new alliances in new technologies, the company's results of operations could be adversely affected; Accenture might not be successful at acquiring, investing in or integrating businesses, entering into joint ventures or divesting businesses; if Accenture is unable to protect or enforce its intellectual property rights or if Accenture's services or solutions infringe upon the intellectual property rights of others or the company loses its ability to utilize the intellectual property of others, its business could be adversely affected; Accenture's results of operations and share price could be adversely affected if it is unable to maintain effective internal controls; changes to accounting standards or in the estimates and assumptions Accenture makes in connection with the preparation of its consolidated financial statements could adversely affect its financial results; Accenture might be unable to access additional capital on favorable terms or at all and if the company raises equity capital, it may dilute its shareholders' ownership interest in the company; Accenture may be subject to criticism and negative publicity related to its incorporation in Ireland; as well as the risks, uncertainties and other factors discussed under the "Risk Factors" heading in Accenture plc's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and other documents filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission. Statements in this news release speak only as of the date they were made, and Accenture undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statements made in this news release or to conform such statements to actual results or changes in Accenture's expectations. Copyright  2021 Accenture. All rights reserved. Accenture, and its logo are trademarks of Accenture. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211011005650/en/

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[October 12, 2021] IBM Unveils AI-Driven Software for Environmental Intelligence, Helping Businesses Address Sustainability Objectives and Climate Risk

IBM Environmental Intelligence Suite combines weather, climate, and operational data and environmental performance management into a single solution

Helps companies anticipate and respond to climate risks, such as flooding and wildfires, while providing insights to help improve resiliency and meet sustainability goals

Addresses World Economic Forum's Top Three Most Likely Risks for Businesses over the next decade ARMONK, N.Y., Oct. 12, 2021 /CNW/ -- IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced a suite of environmental intelligence software that leverages AI to help organizations prepare for and respond to weather and climate risks that may disrupt business, more easily assess their own impact on the planet, and reduce the complexity of regulatory compliance and reporting. Companies are facing climate-related damage to their assets, disruptions to supply chains and operations, as well as increasing expectations from consumers and investors to perform as an environmental leader. Extreme weather, climate action failure and human-led environmental damage were cited as the top three most likely risks for businesses over the next ten years in the World Economic Forum's "Global Risks Report 2021." Businesses need actionable environmental insights to address these challenges, but current methods are often cumbersome and complex  requiring intensive manual labor, climate and data science skills, and computing power. The IBM Environmental Intelligence Suite announced today aims to help companies streamline and automate the management of environmental risks and operationalize underlying processes, including carbon accounting and reduction, to meet environmental goals. The suite leverages existing weather data from IBM, the overall most accurate provider globally, advanced geospatial analytics already in use by companies around the world, and new innovations from IBM Research. The offering is the first to bring together AI, weather data, climate risk analytics, and carbon accounting capabilities in this way  allowing organizations to spend less resources curating this complex data, and more on analyzing it for insights and taking action to improve their operations. IBM Environmental Intelligence Suite is a SaaS solution designed to help organizations: Monitor for disruptive environmental conditions such as severe weather, wildfires, flooding and air quality and send alerts when detected;

for disruptive environmental conditions such as severe weather, wildfires, flooding and air quality and send alerts when detected; Predict potential impacts of climate change and weather across the business using climate risk analytics;

potential impacts of climate change and weather across the business using climate risk analytics; Gain insigts into potential operational disruptions and prioritize mitigation and response efforts;

into potential operational disruptions and prioritize mitigation and response efforts; Measure and report on environmental initiatives and operationalize carbon accounting, while reducing the burden of this reporting on procurement and operations teams.



"The future of business and the environment are deeply intertwined. Not only are companies coping with the effects of extreme weather disruptions on their operations, they're also being held increasingly accountable by shareholders and regulators for how their operations impact the planet," said Kareem Yusuf, Ph.D., General Manager, IBM AI Applications. "IBM is bringing together the power of AI and hybrid cloud to provide businesses with environmental intelligence designed to help them improve environmental performance and reporting, create more efficient business operations to reduce resource consumption, and plan for resiliency in the face of climate disruptions."

Companies around the world are already using many of the core weather and AI technologies found within IBM's Environmental Intelligence Suite. For example, IBM environmental data and geospatial analytics are being used by Brazilian ethanol, bioelectricity and sugar company BP Bunge Bioenergia to help it better understand its agricultural sugarcane production and improve its market intelligence estimates regarding global sugar production and by agribusiness leader Cajamar to help Spanish farmers aiming to improve yields and reduce environmental impact via its digital Plataforma Tierra tool. The IBM Environmental Intelligence Suite also takes advantage of AI-driven innovations from IBM Research that make it easier for climate and data scientists to analyze massive environmental datasets, and a new climate risk modeling framework used to generate data on future wildfire and flooding risks. Additionally, the suite will leverage unique technologies from IBM Research which apply natural language processing and automation designed to help companies estimate carbon emissions and identify opportunities to reduce them across their operations or with suppliers. The Environmental Intelligence Suite can be integrated with IBM's broader software portfolio for additional efficiencies across business operations  including IBM Maximo Application Suite to help companies protect and extend the lifecycle of their critical assets and IBM Supply Chain Intelligence Suite to help build more sustainable and resilient supply chains. Businesses can also tap into the cross-industry expertise of IBM Global Business Services to help design, implement and accelerate their environmental business transformation journeys. These strategies include reimagining operations, supply chains, emissions management, or ESG and climate risk reporting with the help of emerging technologies to assist organizations in meeting their environmental goals. For more details on IBM Environmental Intelligence Suite, visit: ibm.biz/environmental-intelligence. To learn more about how innovations across IBM are helping clients seeking to create a more sustainable and resilient future, please visit: ibm.com/sustainability. ### Media Contact:

Cassy Lalan

IBM Communications

319-230-2232 (m)

cllalan@us.ibm.com View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ibm-unveils-ai-driven-software-for-environmental-intelligence-helping-businesses-address-sustainability-objectives-and-climate-risk-301397509.html SOURCE IBM

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[October 12, 2021] Thundercomm Empowers Louis Vuitton for its New Smart Speaker

Louis Vuitton, the world's number one luxury brand, launched in July 2021 the Louis Vuitton Horizon Light Up Speaker. With this new creation, the brand brings to the market a portable speaker combining exquisite design with excellent sound quality and cutting-edge technology. In order to satisfy their ambitious requirements, the brand mobilised the best suppliers in the market. For the main element of its electronic backbone, Louis Vuitton chose Thundercomm's TurboX C404 SOM for its renowned credibility in high-tech audio. Their PCB is based on Qualcomm's (News - Alert) QCS404 platform and granted the speaker with the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capabilities the House was seeking for their first nomad speaker. Hiro Cai, CEO of Thundercomm, says: "as the world's leading provider of smart IoT products and solutions, Thundercomm has always been committed to integrating and innovating artificial intelligence, to improve terminal equipment's capabilities, with the aim to shorten the time of developing smart hardware from prototype to commercial mass-production. This cooperation with Louis Vuitton is a milestone for Thundercomm. It not only gets us valuable experience in the industry and refines the TurboX C40X module series but also lays a solid foundation for further cooperation between Louis Vuitton and us."



About Thundercomm C400 series Thundercomm C404 SOM is designed to combine superior sound quality, artificial intelligence (AI), and connectivity to help deliver advanced voice UI, great audio experiences, cutting-edge power management, and support cloud-based smart assistant services. The pre-integrated software of C404 SOM includes far-field voice and noise cancellation, multi-room audio streaming, the 3rd party voice services, Qualcomm DDFA and Dollby Digital technology.

For more cutting-edge technologies and products from Thundercomm, you can register and join the upcoming IoT Solutions Expert Webinar Series through the linkage: https://event.thundercomm.com/registration/ About Thundercomm Thundercomm, headquartered in San Diego, is a joint venture between ThunderSoft and Qualcomm. Thundercomm was established to accelerate innovation in the Internet of Things and automotive industry, providing one-stop solutions powered by Qualcomm Technologies. Through its capabilities in operating systems including Android (News - Alert) , Linux, and others, abroad software and on-device AI technology portfolio acquired from ThunderSoft, and a global sales and support network, Thundercomm is a valuable and trusted partner to global customers aiming to build high-quality, next-generation products and shorten time-to-commercialization. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211011005720/en/

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[October 12, 2021] OSE Immunotherapeutics to Host Today a Virtual "Immuno-Oncology R&D Day"

R&D Day to highlight the Companys strategy on its leading clinical programs and emerging firs-in-class portfolio in immuno-oncology;

Presentations by leading clinicians to feature the latest data on Tedopi and BI 765063. NANTES, France, Oct. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- OSE Immunotherapeutics (ISIN: FR0012127173; Mnemo: OSE) will host a virtual R&D Day on Tuesday, October 12th, 2021 at 4:00 p.m. CEST/ 10:00 a.m. EDT. Date: Tuesday, October 12th, 2021

Time: 4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. CEST / 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. EDT Details for the virtual R&D Day :

The live webcast of the event will be available from 3:30 p.m. CEST / 9:30 a.m. EDT

at the following link:

https://www.financelive.fr/oseo-immuno/inscription/



A replay of the webcast following the event will be available for 90 days on the Companys website:

https://ose-immuno.com/en/ The event, which will feature presentations by leading clinicians as well as key members of the OSE Immunotherapeutics management team, will provide an update on: The Companys strategy to build a leading portfolio of best- and first-in-class cancer immunotherapies.

OSEs goal to position Tedopi as a new standard of care in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) failure and its ongoing clinical development as a maintenance therapy for ovarian and pancreatic cancers.

Recent clinical data supporting development of first-in-class CD47/SIRPa pathway targeting antibody BI 765063 alone and in combination with anti-PD-1 ezabenlimab in solid tumours.

OSEs emerging best- and first-in-class immuno-oncology portfolio which includes a novel myeloid cell Dont Eat Me signal targeting CLEC-1 and a bispecific antibody platform (BiCKI) whose first candidate, BiCKI-IL-7 both combines an anti-PD-1 and the cytokine signal interleukin-7 (IL-7). Amongst the R&D Days key speakers are: Pr. Benjamin Besse, Director of Clinical Research at Gustave Roussy (Villejuif, France), will present the positive final results of the Phase 3 Tedopi clinical program in NSCLC, called Atalante-1, as well as an overview of the current landscape in NSCLC post-ICI.

Dr. Philippe Cassier, Medical Oncologist at Leon Berard Cancer Center (Lyon, France), will highlight Phase 1 results of BI 765063 alone and in combination with ezabenlimab. ABOUT OSE Immunotherapeutics OSE Immunotherapeutics is an integrated biotechnology company focused on developing and partnering therapies to control the immune system for immuno-oncology and autoimmune diseases. The companys immunology research and development platform is focused on three areas: T-cell-based vaccination, Immuno-Oncology (focus on myeloid targets), Auto-immunity & Inflammation. Its balanced first-in-clss clinical and preclinical portfolio has a diversified risk profile:





Vaccine platform Tedopi (innovative combination of neoepitopes): the companys most advanced product; positive final results of the Phase 3 trial (Atalante 1) in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer patients after secondary resistance to checkpoint inhibitors.

In Phase 2 in pancreatic cancer (TEDOPaM), sponsor GERCOR.

In Phase 2 in ovary cancer, in combination with pembrolizumab (TEDOVA), sponsor ARCAGY-GINECO.

In Phase 2 in non-small cell lung cancer in combination with nivolumab, sponsor Italian foundation FoRT.

(innovative combination of neoepitopes): the companys most advanced product; positive final results of the Phase 3 trial (Atalante 1) in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer patients after secondary resistance to checkpoint inhibitors. In Phase 2 in pancreatic cancer (TEDOPaM), sponsor GERCOR. In Phase 2 in ovary cancer, in combination with pembrolizumab (TEDOVA), sponsor ARCAGY-GINECO. In Phase 2 in non-small cell lung cancer in combination with nivolumab, sponsor Italian foundation FoRT. CoVepiT: a prophylactic second-generation vaccine against COVID-19, developed using SARS-CoV-2 optimized epitopes against multi variants. Positive preclinical and human ex vivo results. Voluntary and temporary Phase 1 enrollment suspension on-going (July 2021).

Immuno-oncology platform

BI 765063 (OSE-172, anti-SIRPa mAb on CD47/SIRPa pathway): developed in partnership with Boehringer Ingelheim in advanced solid tumors; positive Phase 1 dose escalation results of BI 765063 in monotherapy or in combination with ezabenlimab (PD-1 antagonist); Expansion Phase 1 open for screening.

(OSE-172, anti-SIRPa mAb on CD47/SIRPa pathway): developed in partnership with Boehringer Ingelheim in advanced solid tumors; positive Phase 1 dose escalation results of BI 765063 in monotherapy or in combination with ezabenlimab (PD-1 antagonist); Expansion Phase 1 open for screening. CLEC-1 (novel myeloid checkpoint target): identification of mAb antagonists of CLEC-1 blocking the Dont Eat Me signal that increase both tumor cell phagocytosis by macrophages and antigen capture by dendritic cells.

(novel myeloid checkpoint target): identification of mAb antagonists of CLEC-1 blocking the Dont Eat Me signal that increase both tumor cell phagocytosis by macrophages and antigen capture by dendritic cells. BiCKI: bispecific fusion protein platform built on the key backbone component anti-PD-1 (OSE-279) combined with new immunotherapy targets; 2nd generation of PD-(L)1 inhibitors to increase antitumor efficacity.

Auto-immunity and inflammation platform FR104 (anti-CD28 monoclonal antibody): Licensing partnership agreement with Veloxis in the organ transplant market; ongoing Phase 1/2 in renal transplant (sponsored by the Nantes University Hospital); Phase 2-ready asset in an autoimmune disease indication.

(anti-CD28 monoclonal antibody): Licensing partnership agreement with Veloxis in the organ transplant market; ongoing Phase 1/2 in renal transplant (sponsored by the Nantes University Hospital); Phase 2-ready asset in an autoimmune disease indication. OSE-127/S95011 (humanized monoclonal antibody targeting IL-7 receptor): developed in partnership with Servier; positive Phase 1 results; in Phase 2 in ulcerative colitis (OSE sponsor) and an independent Phase 2a is being conducted in Sjogrens syndrome (Servier sponsor).

(humanized monoclonal antibody targeting IL-7 receptor): developed in partnership with Servier; positive Phase 1 results; in Phase 2 in ulcerative colitis (OSE sponsor) and an independent Phase 2a is being conducted in Sjogrens syndrome (Servier sponsor). OSE-230 (ChemR23 agonist mAb): first-in-class therapeutic agent with the potential to resolve chronic inflammation by driving affected tissues to tissue integrity.

For more information: https://ose-immuno.com/en/

Click and follow us on Twitter and Linkedln

https://twitter.com/OSEIMMUNO

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Contacts OSE Immunotherapeutics

Sylvie Detry

sylvie.detry@ose-immuno.com

+33 153 198 757





Investor Relations

Thomas Guillot

thomas.guillot@ose-immuno.com

+33 607 380 431

Media

U.S. Media: LifeSci Communications

Darren Opland, Ph.D.

darren@lifescicomms.com

+1 646 627 8387



French Media: FP2COM

Florence Portejoie

fportejoie@fp2com.fr

+33 607 768 283

Guillaume van Renterghem  LifeSci Advisors

gvanrenterghem@lifesciadvisors.com

+41 76 735 01 31 Forward-looking statements

This press release contains express or implied information and statements that might be deemed forward-looking information and statements in respect of OSE Immunotherapeutics. They do not constitute historical facts. These information and statements include financial projections that are based upon certain assumptions and assessments made by OSE Immunotherapeutics management in light of its experience and its perception of historical trends, current economic and industry conditions, expected future developments and other factors they believe to be appropriate. These forward-looking statements include statements typically using conditional and containing verbs such as expect, anticipate, believe, target, plan, or estimate, their declensions and conjugations and words of similar import. Although the OSE Immunotherapeutics management believes that the forward-looking statements and information are reasonable, the OSE Immunotherapeutics shareholders and other investors are cautioned that the completion of such expectations is by nature subject to various risks, known or not, and uncertainties which are difficult to predict and generally beyond the control of OSE Immunotherapeutics. These risks could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed in or implied or projected by the forward-looking statements. These risks include those discussed or identified in the public filings made by OSE Immunotherapeutics with the AMF. Such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. This press release includes only summary information and should be read with the OSE Immunotherapeutics Universal Registration Document filed with the AMF on 15 April 2021, including the annual financial report for the fiscal year 2020, available on the OSE Immunotherapeutics website. Other than as required by applicable law, OSE Immunotherapeutics issues this press release at the date hereof and does not undertake any obligation to update or revise the forward-looking information or statements.



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[October 12, 2021] Software-Defined Satellite Trend Triggers $86.9 Billion Revenue Opportunity

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Oct. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NSRs new report Software-Defined Satellites (SDS), launched today, sees growing satellite flexibility requirements triggering an $86.9 Billion cumulative revenue opportunity by decades end. Non-GEO- HTS constellation satellites will lead uptake with 95% demonstrating full or partial flexibility as software-defined platforms by 2030. However, operator hesitancy sees only 70% of GEO satellite orders to capture this trend in the medium term.

Standardization drives down manufacturing costs, leading to cheaper software-defined satellites than contemporary partial or bent-pipe counterparts, yet, as operators aim to launch extensive coverage networks, full software-definition is not likely in the near-term, notes report Co-author Dallas Kasaboski. Most Non-GEO constellation satellites will feature some, but not all of the capabilities of a fully software-defined system, while GEO operators evaluate business potential." With testing still in progress, GEO adoption will be slower in the short to medium term, though the customer flexibility ask is clear. Most high-throughput comms constellations are expected to have the ability to steer beams, redistribute power and reshape spectrum, to enable network efficiency, cater to current/future customers, and new use cases. Strategic planning of busines case potential in the short term will increase the operator long-term revenue opportunity.



GEO communication platforms are not in dire need of immediate change; however, embracing innovations such as software-defined platforms allow operators to enable new business cases and growth opportunities, states report Co-author Hussain Bokhari. With enhanced offerings to customers through flexibility options, businesses could minimize CAPEX and increase profits over the satellite life cycle. While operators slowly assess each level of flexible platform offering, technology and manufacturing processes are advancing, leading to potential cost-savings and greater platform flexibility. New technologies and approaches are enabling different cost-structures and satellite networks, creating opportunities in the industry for both business-case capture and emerging business-case development.

About the Report NSRs Software-Defined Satellites (SDS) is the industrys leading resource assessing global demand for flexible, software-defined satellites for GEO & Non-GEO over the next decade. The report provides a comprehensive evaluation of market drivers through analysis of the communications application, further segmented into 5 regions across all satellite mass categories, for both orbit types. Taking a deep dive into the trends impacting manufacture, purchase, and future capabilities, NSRs SDS offering business essential insights to keep readers ahead of the curve. For additional information on this report, including a full table of contents, list of exhibits and executive summary, please visit www.nsr.com or call NSR at +1-617-674-7743. About NSR NSR is the leading global market research and consulting firm focused on the satellite and space sectors, NSRs global team, unparalleled coverage and anticipation of trends with a high degree of confidence and precision than the competition is the cornerstone of all NSR offerings. First to market coverage and a transparent, dependable approach sets NSR apart as the key provider of critical insight to the satellite and space industries. Contact us at info@nsr.com to discuss how we can assist your business.



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[October 12, 2021] ASL Aviation Holdings Signs LOI with Universal Hydrogen, Becoming a Launch Customer for Hydrogen-Powered ATR 72 Cargo Aircraft

Universal Hydrogen Co., the company leading the fight to decarbonize aviation through the adoption of hydrogen as a universal fuel, today announced it has executed a letter of intent (LOI) with ASL Aviation Holdings, a global aviation services group based in Dublin, Ireland. ASL will be a global launch customer for the turboprop cargo market and plans to purchase up to ten of Universal Hydrogen's ATR 72 conversion kits for installation into its existing or future turboprop aircraft fleet. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211011005712/en/ An ASL Aviation Holdings ATR 72 featuring Universal Hydrogen's hydrogen-electric powertrain compatible with its modular capsule technology (rendering). (Photo: Business Wire) Upon completion of a collaborative network study and aircraft assessment, Universal Hydrogen's conversion kts will be installed in ATR 72 planes owned by ASL and operated on services for its major customers throughout Europe. In addition to the conversion kits, ASL has agreed to provide an ATR 72 to Universal Hydrogen to use as its cargo test and certification aircraft.



The ASL CargoVision forum is an initiative to drive innovation and sustainability in the air cargo industry, and working together in this forum Universal Hydrogen and ASL will move quickly to reduce emissions in the critical regional sector served by the ATR 72. "Air cargo has a unique opportunity to lead the aviation industry as it moves to meet ambitious carbon emissions targets. In ASL we are committed to being a first-mover in the introduction of new emissions reduction technology in our current fleet and hydrogen has a significant role to play with aircraft such as the ATR 72," said Dave Andrew, CEO, ASL Aviation Holdings. "Aviation cannot wait to act for a decade or more before new aircraft types become available, and by working with Universal Hydrogen we can create a bridge to new aircraft that will allow us to immediately reduce our carbon footprint in line with the environmental sustainability commitments in the ASL Group ESG Policy."

In connection with the aircraft conversions, Universal Hydrogen and ASL will also enter into a long-term fuel services contract. Universal Hydrogen has agreed to provide green hydrogen fuel to power the converted ATR 72 aircraft in ASL's fleet. "In order to reach Paris Agreement targets for aviation emissions we can't focus on passenger aircraft alone-the cargo market is significant and growing. It's exciting to see a leading operator like ASL deeply aligned with our vision to make hydrogen the universal fuel for aviation," said Paul Eremenko, Universal Hydrogen co-founder and CEO. "ASL's customers represent some of the largest air freight users in the world, and we welcome the opportunity to provide them with a truly clean way to meet growing delivery demands." About Universal Hydrogen

Universal Hydrogen is making hydrogen-powered commercial flight a near-term reality. The company takes a flexible, scalable, and capital-light approach to hydrogen logistics by transporting it in modular capsules over the existing freight network from green production sites to airports around the world. To accelerate market adoption, Universal Hydrogen is also developing a conversion kit to retrofit existing regional airplanes with a hydrogen-electric powertrain compatible with its modular capsule technology. About ASL Aviation Holdings

ASL Aviation Holdings is a leading global aviation services provider with five European airlines and two associated airlines in South Africa and Thailand. The Group also includes maintenance companies and leasing entities. ASL has a fleet of 140 aircraft ranging from the B747-400 to the ATR 72 turboprop. The Group's airlines operate for world-leading express parcel integrators, postal services and e-tailers and also own-brand operates inter-continental scheduled services. Passenger services are also operated in France and in South Africa. About ASL CargoVision

ASL CargoVision, for greener, sustainable aviation, is a forum developed in late 2020 by ASL and leading new aviation technology companies. The objective is to help raise awareness of ASL and the Forum members' position on both innovative new technologies and sustainability for air cargo operations. ASL and the other members of the CargoVision Forum will promote these new technologies as they bring sustainability to the aviation industry, and particularly to cargo operations. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211011005712/en/

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[October 12, 2021] BSC and W.UP Merge to Lead Data-driven Digital Banking in Europe

New Entity also Secures VC Funding from PortfoLion LONDON, BUDAPEST, Hungary, and PRAGUE, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Czech Banking Software Company (BSC) and Hungarian W.UP announce today the successful completion of their merger. The new entity, Finshape is the first digital banking solution provider combining low-code platform development with data-driven personalization to catalyze the digital transformation of banks. Backed by PortfoLion Capital Partners, the merger is the first step in a series of expansions planned across Europe, the APAC, and MENA regions. The coronavirus pandemic has significantly accelerated the digitalization of the financial services industry. Actie online banking users are expected to reach 3.6 billion by 2024, yet many incumbent players are still lagging in catching up to all-digital banks and tech giants.[1]



Realizing that fast time-to-market is key to speed-up the digital transformation of banks, BSC and W.UP combined their knowledge of low-code banking software with data analytics targeting customer's financial health. The former will help banks own and develop their digital platforms, while the latter will make sense of their vast customer data and how to engage with them better. The 600-strong team will serve over 100 clients, including Raiffeisen, BNP Paribas, Erste, Societe Generale and Alfa-Bank. The company will be co-led by Petr Koutny, CEO of BSC and Jozsef Nyiri, CEO of W.UP. The two CEOs share over 40 years of fintech expertise. Nyiri played an active role in the 2013 acquisition of IND Group by Misys, now Finastra. The deal will see Jeno Nieder, PortfoLion's deputy CEO, join Finshape as chairman.

"The CEE region is a hotbed of digital transformation with great technical talent, advanced digital infrastructure and budding entrepreneurship. I feel privileged assisting the merger of two exceptional teams with regional roots and a global vision as they tap into new markets organically and through future acquisitions."  said Nieder. "One of the main reasons why W.UP and BSC match up well is that our products and knowledge combined will offer banks a one-stop-shop in transforming into truly data- and experience-first businesses."  added Nyiri. "The strategic fit between our firms goes beyond capability building and the benefits it will bring to our customer base. Value, cultural compatibility and a shared vision have also been a key factor in our decision to merge."  commented Koutny. [1] Source: Juniper Research, March 2021

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[October 12, 2021] SmartStream Air Provides AI Reconciliations Processing for Fisher & Paykel Appliances

SmartStream Technologies, the financial Transaction Lifecycle Management (TLM) solutions provider, today announces that Fisher & Paykel Appliances, the global manufacturer of household appliances, operating in over 50 countries, has signed with SmartStream Air - providing the firm's finance team with cloud-native, AI technology for bank reconciliations. As a leading appliance manufacturer headquartered in New Zealand, Fisher & Paykel Appliances approached SmartStream to evaluate their data management and reconciliations tooling. SmartStream Air is agnostic to structured data formats requiring zero IT skillset to use, and will automate the finance division's data reconciliation processing, at speed. The AI solution will easily integrate with Fisher & Paykel Appliances' existing systems enabling them to perform additional analytics on reconciled data. In addition, it will provide business intelligence by connecting to third-party tools already deployed in-house. SmartStream Air's software as a service ( SaaS (News - Alert) ) ease of deployment in numerous locations was a key deciding factor as Fisher & Paykel Appliances will look to roll out the product in New Zealand, followed by multiple locations in Asia Pacific and then globally. The company was looking to automate and enhance their currently manual reconciliation operating model to support their growing business volumes globally. The process to proof-of-concept for SmartStream Air was quick in comparison to the three other competitor reconciliation solutions that were under consideration. As a self-service, AI enabled, cloud-native application, agnostic to structured data formats and data reconciliation types, with little configuration to setup, the go-live was immediate with higherlevels of productivity to meet the growing business at Fisher & Paykel.



Nicole Adamson, Senior Corporate Controller, Fisher & Paykel, states: "We are pleased to partner with SmartStream, it is in our interest to keep up with the latest technologies and always improve our internal processes and productivity. We needed to move away from the manual operations to an automated data reconciliation model, which eliminates operational risk, whilst being able to scale volumes more cost-effectively. We felt SmartStream Air was the right choice to help us achieve this objective". Victoria Harverson, Global Head of Business Development for SmartStream Air, comments: "We are delighted to have Fisher and Paykel as a SmartStream Air customer. This partnership is significant as it recognises our deepening footprint in New Zealand, whilst also establishing a new relationship with a customer in the manufacturing sector. SmartStream Air is perfect for this type of operating model and really showcases how easy and cost-effective it can be for a company finance team to quickly control risk and see real tangible ROI by leveraging the latest self-service AI tooling".

With SmartStream Air users can use the power of AI to autonomously build and learn data matching behaviour, transforming typical data reconciliation tasks - reducing the time it takes to just seconds. Speed of go-to-market and scalability was also a winning factor as SmartStream Air has been designed to be live the same day and is built for performance when it comes to high-volume processing. Ends About Fisher & Paykel Fisher & Paykel Appliances has been designing products since 1934 and has grown into a global company with products sold in more than 50 countries around the world. Our design heritage is founded on a pioneering spirit and a culture of curiosity. We've built our legacy with a future focus that still stays true to the fundamentals of sustainable design. We believe technology should always begin with the people who use it. This has seen us challenge conventional appliance design to create products that deliver to genuine human need. Our ongoing research and development is backed by a culture of open innovation, collaboration and curiosity - one that seeks to uncover insights and ideas that connect with our customers and respect our planet. www.fisherpaykel.com About SmartStream www.smartstream-stp.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211012005110/en/

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[October 12, 2021] Elevatus Surpasses One Million Video Assessments Completed Worldwide

LONDON, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Elevatus, the provider of the most comprehensive AI technology, today announced it has successfully delivered 1 million video assessments to date for its clients. This key milestone marks Elevatus' salient growth, just two months after announcing its annual revenue growth of 200% in 2021 vs 2020. This achievement also illustrates the rapid adoption and implementation of video assessments worldwide. Today, Elevatus' more than 200 clients  including Samsung, Orange, Omantel, Arab Bank, Aujan Group, Al Habib Medical Group, Hyperpay, and MEPC  assessed a million candidates from all around the world in 5 different languages including English, Arabic, French, German, and Swedish. Elevatus' video interviewing software "EVA-SSESS" enables companies to incorporate greater leniency and flexibility into the assessment process. Which allows candidates to take their video assessments t a time and place that is more aligned with their busy schedules.



EVA-SSESS helps companies of all sizes pinpoint and hire talented people in less time. It uses modern science and AI to support employers and recruiters in evaluating candidates faster. Allowing them to spend more time with the right candidates and less time on manual tasks. Where they can relentlessly innovate the hiring process with merit-based, fair, and unbiased video assessments. What makes EVA-SSESS unique is the AI model answer feature which is highly intuitive, comprehensive, and currently unmatched worldwide. With this feature, clients can use their model answer as a benchmark when assessing video assessments. A relevancy percentage will then be generated for each answer submitted by the candidates, which represents how close and relevant their answers are to the model answer. As a result, this intelligent AI algorithm can exponentially help clients save over 90% of their time, filter out correct answers quickly, eliminate guesswork, and make better hiring decisions.

"Completing our 1 millionth video assessment is a testament to our outstanding achievements in HR with our AI video interviewing software. This accomplishment establishes Elevatus as a powerful market leader that is transforming and enhancing the way world-class companies hire top talent." shared Yara Burgan, CEO of Elevatus. "We strongly believe that this adoption will continue to accelerate, as it's helping companies get a more dynamic and in-depth view of candidates. With our AI-driven video assessments, companies can now eliminate the many historical barriers that kept them from identifying top performers and cultivating a more skillful workforce." This turning point follows on the heels of other key milestones for Elevatus, including: 1. Being awarded and ranked as the best hiring platform in the UK, twice.

2. Integrating with world-class technology providers such as SAP, Oracle, Central Test, 2,000+ job boards, and more.

3. Developing new AI algorithms, world-class features and growing its advanced line of technologies in less than a year. Automating and democratizing the hiring process is the foundation on which Elevatus stands. Elevatus' accomplishments today reaffirm its leadership in designing AI software that is currently revolutionizing the way companies discover, engage and hire talent. Photo - Elevatus Inc.

Email: contact@elevatus.io

Phone Number: +962 7 9633 0600 Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1657239/Elevatus_Surpasses_a_Million_Video_Assessments.jpg

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[October 12, 2021] 'Tech Truck' to Promote Science & Technology among Turkish Children

ISTANBUL, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Doping Technology, a next-generation online educational platform, will dispatch a state-of-the-art "technology truck" across Turkey with the aim of promoting science and technology among the nation's children. The mobile science lab began its countrywide journey on October 10 from Adiyaman located in the southeastern part of the country. Adopting a thoroughly 'hands-on' approach, the project hopes to reach 15,000 children by the end of this year, and another 45,000 throughout 2022. "We want to introduce children with limited opportunities, especially those in small villages and remote areas, to the exciting  and rapidly-evolving  world of technology," Doping Technology CEO says.



'Scientists, Researchers, Engineers of the Future' Designed by a team of 250 specialists, the truck bristles with cutting-edge technology, including VR headsets, 3D printers and unmanned drones. It also contains several landmark scientific devices, such as a Tesla coil, a Van de Graaff generator and a Stirling engine.

Hakyemez also stresses, however, that the project is about more than just hard science. "We also want to appeal to children's artistic and creative impulses," he explains. "For this reason, every child that takes part in the initiative also receives their own chess set and musical instrument." Ataturk: 'No Child Should Be Deprived of an Education in our whole nation' Doping Technology was established ten years ago with the aim of promoting an "innovative learning culture" in Turkey. "Our vision is to become a global technology company that can enrich young people's lives through modern approaches to education," Hakyemez explains. "This vision also shapes our approach to social responsibility," he adds, quoting Mustafa Kemal Ataturk  the founder of the modern Turkish nation  who once said: "No child should ever be deprived of an education in our whole nation." Omer Karakus, head designer of the truck, also stressed the importance of preparing the next generation to compete in an increasingly tech-dependent world. "The Doping Tech Truck is intended to broaden children's horizons and inspire those will ultimately shape Turkey's future. We do all this in the firm conviction that our children will be the scientists, researchers and engineers of the future," he says. Senay Senakar, senay@santrall.org, +90 532 169 59 96 Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1656992/Doping_Teknoloji_Tech_Truck.jpg View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tech-truck-to-promote-science--technology-among-turkish-children-301397690.html SOURCE Doping Technology

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[October 12, 2021] ICFAI Business Schools (IBS) welcome MBA Admissions 2021 by launching IBSAT

HYDERABAD, India, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- MBA is one of the most promising and significant courses that the students can pursue in today's date and time. The recent upheaval in the business world due to the COVID-19 has further justified the necessity of management education as businesses face tougher market conditions than ever before. Those graduates who are interested in pursuing business management as their field of study can now take their chances by appearing at IBSAT 2021. The IBSAT is the admission test for the prestigious MBA program at the ICFAI Business School (IBS), and it is considered one of the important MBA entrance exam that MBA aspirants can try their hands at. Here are some of the important things that the aspirants need to keep in mind if they wish to attempt the IBSAT 2021. IBSAT is an aptitude test conducted by The ICFAI Foundation For Higher Education for admission to the MBA program for the ICFAI Business School (IBS) campuses. The IBSAT also provides admission to the Ph.D. program ICFAI Business School (IBS). It is a Computer-based Test or CBT that can be attempted online. The test has different sections and the total duration of the IBSAT is 120 minutes. The areas that the test evaluates are Quantitative Aptitude, Verbal Ability, Data Adequacy & Data Interpretation, and Reading Comprehension. The questions are modeled as Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQ) with no negative marking. Students who have valid scores from 2019 onwards of CAT, GMAT, or NMAT by GMAC, can skip the IBSAT and apply for ICFAI Business School directly. The 9 campuses of ICFAI Business School accept IBSAT scores for dmission.



The aspirants need to have graduated in any discipline with the medium of instruction being English and having secured 50% or more marks. The students who have completed their regular education on a 10+2+3 or 10+2+4 basis can attempt the IBSAT test. Even the students who are doing their graduating and are in their last year of graduation are eligible to attempt the IBSAT. This comes as a great relief for the students who do not need to wait for their graduation results for giving the entrance examination which might lead them to missing the test deadline. The students who successfully clear the IBSAT 2021 can be a part of the MBA and PGPM program at the various ICFAI Business School (IBS) campuses. ICFAI Business School (IBS) has a stellar reputation as one of the foremost business schools in the country, and the students can undergo their management education at ICFAI Business School (IBS) to receive a world-class learning experience. The learning at ICFAI Business School (IBS) is pragmatic and differentiated from most other MBA curriculums in business schools. The ICFAI Business School (IBS) leverages its unique CASE-based learning to provide real-world business challenges to the students so that they can develop unique business insights. This unique approach has been well admired by the students as well as corporate bodies which see a great value in the practical approach of these methods. ICFAI Business School (IBS) also has a robust learning infrastructure incorporating the Quicforce LMS that is used for providing students an easier way of managing their academics while providing contemporary instructional methods such as blended learning. Online learning also provides much-in-demand flexible learning options that can provide the optimum academic experience to the students.

The ICFAI Business School (IBS) campus experience is an exciting journey that has many extra-curricular activities and events adding to the holistic development of the students. The premier business school also has a great alumni community that adds additional value for the students leveraging the power of networking. Another advantage that ICFAI Business School (IBS) offers to the students is in the form of focus on soft skills and leadership development. This aids the students in enhancing their executive presence and communication skills so that they can reach greater heights once they enter the corporate world. As a testament to these practices, The ICFAI Business School (IBS) has won the Leadership Legacy Award in Higher Education at the 20th World Education Summit. Organized by EletsTechnomediaPvt Ltd the summit awarded IBS in recognition of the exemplary and continuous contribution to the area of the Education sector. The students who wish to be a part of this prestigious institute can proceed to the IBS website for the details of the IBSAT and to acquire the application form for the same. The last date for application is 16th December 2021. For more information visit https://ibsindia.org/ To apply for IBSAT Click Here Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1657961/ICFAI_IBS_Logo.jpg CONTACTS:

IBS Admission Office

Plot No. 65, Nagarjuna Hills

Punjagutta, Hyderabad - 500082

Telangana

Ph: 040 - 23440963 (5 lines)

E-mail: ibsat@ibsindia.org

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[October 12, 2021] Numerica's Spyglass radar selected to support U.S. Army C-sUAS HEL prototype program

FORT COLLINS, Colo., Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Numerica Corporation, a market leader in air and missile technologies, has been selected as a strategic partner by Liteye Systems to support the development of the U.S. Army Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office's (RCCTO) new counter small unmanned aircraft systems (C-sUAS) High Energy Laser (HEL) program. Numerica selected as strategic partner to support the development of the U.S. Army RCCTO new C-sUAS HEL program. As part of an accelerated effort to demonstrate C-sUAS HEL capability in FY22, Numerica will deliver the Spyglass radar and MIMIR C2 software as integral components of Liteye's SHIELD system. SHIELD is the latest generation of C-sUAS technology from Liteye and will provide detection, tracking and identification of Group 1 and 2 UAS for the prototype HEL weapon system.



With its unique Ku-band phased array and radar data processing technology, Spyglass enables high precision detection and tracking of small UAS in a compact form factor. The MIMIR C2 software enables intelligent integration of the radar with other sensors and systems to provide a high-performance, self-contained, command and control capability that maintains mission performance even in degraded environments. "Our team is really excited to have the opportunity to help accelerate the development of C-sUAS HEL prototype systems with our Spyglass radar," Nate Knight, vice president of air and missile defense at Numerica, said. "We developed Spyglass for exactly this kind of application, and we are looking forward to next year's demonstrations with RCCTO, Liteye and the other program partners to bring this capability into the hands of the U.S. warfighter."

The RCCTO-led program will demonstrate C-sUAS HEL prototype weapons systems for defense of dismounted, maneuver and fixed/semi-fixed sites that will be operated at the brigade level. The plan is to integrate these prototype systems with Forward Area Air Defense Command and Control (FAADC2) to provide a holistic "Any Sensor, Right Shooter" concept to counter Group 1 and 2 UAS. The demonstrations will address a range of combat environments and allow the incorporation of soldier touchpoints through the program. For more information about the Spyglass radar from Numerica, visit numerica.us/spyglass. About Numerica: Founded in 1996, Numerica focuses on creating innovative solutions to the most pressing technical challenges faced by customers in the areas of air and missile defense and space domain awareness. Headquartered in Fort Collins, and with a satellite office in Colorado Springs, Numerica's rapidly growing team of talented research scientists and engineers tackle data science problems by developing advanced algorithms to power mission-critical national security software. This year, Numerica celebrates 25 years of developing state-of-the-art technologies that have been deployed around the world to integrate networks, fuse data, precisely track targets, and quantify uncertainty. Learn more at www.numerica.us. CONTACT: Kelly Wakefield

kelly.wakefield@wildrockpr.com View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/numericas-spyglass-radar-selected-to-support-us-army-c-suas-hel-prototype-program-301397575.html SOURCE Numerica

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[October 12, 2021] alsoug Raises $5M in First Foreign Tech Investment Into Sudan Since Lifting of International Sanctions

alsoug, the largest digital classifieds and marketplace in Sudan, has announced the close of a $5 million fundraise to establish a national payments network enabling quick, easy and safe transactions for all Sudanese. alsoug, which was founded in 2016 and has nearly two million downloads, lets Sudanese consumers and businesses buy and sell any goods and services they need. Listings include real estate, cars, electronics, and furniture, as well as services and job postings. alsoug enables buyers and sellers of goods and services to directly interact with each other. The investment will expand alsoug's presence in fintech, building on the company's payment platform, Cashi, by creating a network enabling people to deposit, withdraw and transfer cash and transact digitally. The expansion will make alsoug the largest digitally driven network of its kind in the country. Alongside its investment in payments, the business will continue to build its marketplace by offering new services for users and ensuring the platform maintains its position as the premier digital buying and selling platform in Sudan. The fundraising round marks the first international venture capital investment into a technology business in Sudan since international sanctions were lifted on the country following a 30-year period of isolation. Sudan, one of the largest countries in Africa with a population of 41 million, was one of the leading forces in technology in the continent before sanctions led to a period of isolation. With the economy having reopened, alsoug is building on its reputation of integrity, long-term growth and social impact by expanding the technological literacy of the nation. Tarneem (Nina) Saeed, CEO of alsoug, said: "From our earliest beginnings we have focused on enabling anyone in Sudan to buy and sell whatever products and services they need, no matter who they are or where they live. But today, ordinary Sudanese consumers and businesses still have limited ways to make payments. This investment enables us to expand our services in fintech so that everyone in the country has the financial freedom they deserve and are able to transact in a fast, transparent, simple, and digital way. "These are exciting times for Sudan, which has a bright future now that it has moved on from a long period of isolation. This was once the land of opportunity in Africa, a country full of natural resources, with a small but educated and very entrepreneurial workforce - and it will be that country again. p> "Fintech has been one of the fastest growing industries across Africa in the past decade because of its huge user base. With this fundraising, we expect Sudan to catch-up with the rest of the continent."



The investment has been co-led by Fawry, the first and largest digital payments company in Egypt and the country's first unicorn, with a current market cap of more than $1.5 billion. The investment is the first for Fawry outside of Egypt and will see the business support alsoug to build its payments infrastructure, leveraging its in-house technology and experience. Other investors in the round include established Western venture capital funds. Commenting on the transaction, Fawry CEO Eng. Ashraf Sabry said: "We're delighted to be kicking off our partnership with alsoug, one of Sudan's most exciting prospects and a Sudanese leader in tech innovation. This is our first investment outside of Egypt in our thirteen years of operation, and we're confident that our story with alsoug and Cashi will be a special one. Fawry's investment in alsoug delivers on our plans to venture into underserved international markets by leveraging our technology and teaming up with strong local players. This investment will allow us to strategically expand our footprint into Africa and transfer the experience we've gained in the dynamic Egyptian market to neighboring Sudan, an economy with major potential across several sectors and with a significant pool of entrepreneurial talent. Meanwhile, Fawry's strategic partnership with alsoug leaves it ideally placed to help guide the platform's rollout of a countrywide payments system, a feat which Fawry has already managed through a scalable, robust, and best-in-class technology platform."

Magdi Amin, Senior Advisor to Sudan's Minister of Finance, said: "Following three decades of sanctions, international isolation and limited official development support, the economy has developed without full participation in the digital revolution that continues to transform industries globally. This is a significant opportunity for Sudan to make up for lost time. We welcome foreign investment into promising Sudanese businesses, a key part of our economic plan to drive growth in the financial, technology, agriculture, mining, and infrastructure sectors." Saeed, who is one of the only female tech CEOs in Sudan, added: "alsoug has a critically important role to play in breaking down barriers that are holding parts of society back. Any Sudanese consumer - rich or poor, man or woman - should be able to trade in the products and services they need. I am particularly proud of the important role we have played in breaking barriers for women in the country. By moving traditionally male-dominated public spaces online, we have enabled women to take charge of key life purchases like cars, real estate and electronics, so they no longer have to be reliant on a man." To find out more click here. ENDS About alsoug alsoug is Sudan's largest local digital classifieds and marketplace. The platform enables Sudanese consumers to buy and sell in every category, including real estate, cars, electronics, and furniture - as well as exchange services and post jobs. alsoug enables buyers and sellers of goods and services to deal with each other directly. alsoug operates a payment service provider, Cashi, that enables users to pay for goods and services including utility bills, airtime top-up and government education services. To find out more click here. About Fawry Founded in 2008, Fawry is the largest e-payment platform in Egypt serving the banked and unbanked population. Fawry's primary services include enabling electronic bill payments, mobile top-ups and provisions for millions of Egyptian users. Other digital services also include e-ticketing, cable TV, and variety of other services. Through its peer-to-peer model, Fawry is enabling corporates and SMEs to accept electronic payments through a number of platforms including websites, mobile phones, and POSs. With a network of 36 member banks, its mobile platform and more than 230,000 agents, Fawry processes an average of 3 million transactions per day, serving an estimated customer base of 34 million users monthly. Learn more at www.fawry.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211012005512/en/

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[October 12, 2021] CyberCube: Hidden Cyber Risk in US Property Market Could Lead to $12.5bn Losses, Says Report

Cyber exposures accumulating in the US property insurance market could result in $12.5bn in non-physical damage losses and could cause certain carriers' capital adequacy ratios to deteriorate. According to a new study conducted by CyberCube, AM Best and Aon, sufficient cyber risk is accumulating in the US property market to trigger a one-in-100-year loss of $12.5bn. A loss of this magnitude would be enough to cause a downward transition of the Best's Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR) for 18 US property carriers. For the study, "Spotlight on Cyber: A study of aggregation risk in the US property insurance market", leading cyber risk analytics expert CyberCube created a sample portfolio based on the US small business property industry and subjected it to modeled cyber loss scenarios, quantifying non-physical damage losses. The results of this analysis were then used by financial ratings agency AM Best to assess the impact on the balance sheets of 579 US property insurers. Aon assisted with quantifying the risks and exposures written back into property policies and highlighting some best practices for managing these risks. The analysis revealed that of the 579 property insurers analysed, 12 carriers fell one level in the BCAR, four dropped two levels, and two insurers each fell three levels and four levels respectively. It is important to note that BCAR assessments are not the sole determinant of a company's financial strength rating. Other factors such as reinsurance, diversification, and liquidity are considered to evaluate balance sheet strength. However, a significant deterioration in the BCAR assessment may lead to a downgrade of an insurer's financial strength rating. The report concludes that, while current levels of cyber exposure within US commercial property are manageable by the property industry as a whole, the exposure could have ratings impacts for a section of the property market. The large growth in cyber exposures anticipated over the next few years will challenge the industry's ability to cope with rapidly increasing risks. The research notes a mixture of regulatory pressure and good portfolio management practice is driving carriers to explicitly exclude (or affirm) cyber coverage from non-standalone policies, where "silent" cyber exposure may exist. However, it is becoming apparent that insurance carriers, while starting to offer explicit cyber coverage in US commercial property policies, may not typically be underwriting or pricing the risk accordingly. The report warns that cyber exposures in the US property market may be unaccounted for in carriers' enterprse risk management strategies.



Rebecca Bole, CyberCube's Head of Industry Engagement, said: "CyberCube's modeled loss figure of $12.5bn suggests that the US property market is exposed to $9.5bn of attritional losses and $3bn of catastrophic losses in the return period. It is apparent that the property market is already paying attritional losses for non-affirmative cyber coverage." Sridhar Manyem, AM Best's Director, Industry Research, said: "While losses of $12.5bn are relatively low when placed in the context of natural catastrophes, considering these exposures are often unpriced or unaccounted for in enterprise risk management, the impact on carriers can be significant and more importantly, unexpected."

Jon Laux, Aon's Head of Cyber Analytics, added: "As this research shows, quantification of the aggregation potential from cyber-related losses in property policies is very real. With property insurers affirming elements of cyber cover in their policies, insurers are exposed to significant losses, which are not necessarily priced accordingly. Through better information, industry participants will be able to make better decisions about placing cyber risk." Cyber scenarios used by CyberCube to analyse the impact on the US property industry were large-scale data losses, large-scale ransomware attacks and a targeted ransomware attack on a medical devices manufacturer. This report aims to quantify the cyber exposures accumulating in the US property market and calls for further clarification of cyber cover in commercial property policies, explicit underwriting and adequate pricing of the risks associated with cyber events in property policies. Check out the report here: Spotlight on Cyber: A study of aggregation risk in the US property insurance market. AM Best is hosting a webinar highlighting the findings of the report. Register here. ENDS About CyberCube CyberCube delivers the world's leading cyber risk analytics for the insurance industry. With best-in-class data access and advanced multi-disciplinary analytics, the company's cloud-based platform helps insurance organizations make better decisions when placing insurance, underwriting cyber risk and managing cyber risk aggregation. CyberCube's enterprise intelligence layer provides insights on millions of companies globally and includes modeling on thousands of points of technology failure. The CyberCube platform was established in 2015 within Symantec (News - Alert) and now operates as a standalone company exclusively focused on the insurance industry, with access to an unparalleled ecosystem of data partners and backing from ForgePoint Capital, HSCM Bermuda, MTech Capital and individuals from Stone Point Capital. For more information, please visit www.cybcube.com or email info@cybcube.com. About Aon Aon plc (NYSE: AON) exists to shape decisions for the better - to protect and enrich the lives of people around the world. Their colleagues provide their clients in over 120 countries with advice and solutions that give them the clarity and confidence to make better decisions to protect and grow their business. About AM Best AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specializing in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211012005544/en/

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[October 12, 2021] Amplience and Dynamic Yield Partner to Deliver Headless Personalization

Seamless integration of developer-friendly APIs with headless CMS scales customer experience delivery and optimization LONDON and NEW YORK, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Amplience, the leading commerce experience platform for high scale, high growth brands and retailers, and Dynamic Yield , the Experience Optimization Platform, today announced a partnership that will allow brands to go API-first and leverage A/B testing and personalization in a headless world. As technology stacks have become more sophisticated to incorporate personalization and support new and emerging digital touchpoints, eCommerce and CMS software are following in the same footprints. And today, many brands are moving from these monolithic platforms towards services and APIs, paving the way for headless architectures that offer benefits in greater development agility, seamless channel connectivity, flexible integration management, and a safer environment for increased data protection. Dynamic Yield already offers a comprehensive set of Experience APIs to enable the implementation of relevant and consistent digital customer interactions on the server-side. And recently, the company announced its seamless integration with any SPA framework , prioritizing performance among brands with dynamic websites. With this partnership, customers will now be able to take a headless approach to their personalization efforts through Amplience's content management platform.



"There are many benefits that the Amplience headless CMS brings over traditional platforms," said Liad Agmon, CEO of Dynamic Yield. "The flexibility of its architecture and intuitive user interface translates into the acceleration of experimentation with new features and technologies, which we know will be a true competitive differentiator once implemented." CEO and Founder of Amplience, James Brooke, said, "Real personalization is the holy grail right now as brands look to elevate their digital experiences and really interact with their customers in meaningful ways. But achieving it means looking to modern technologies and new ways of working. Amplience and Dynamic Yield are those technologies, offering a seamless, best-in-class integration that will help brands stand out, that will help drive conversion, offer more actionable data to aid decision making, and ultimately help them connect with customers more."

About Dynamic Yield Dynamic Yield helps enterprise brands quickly deliver and test personalized, optimized, and synchronized digital customer interactions. Marketing, Product, Development, and eCommerce teams from more than 350 global brands are using Dynamic Yield's Experience Optimization platform as the technology layer on top of existing CMS or Commerce solutions, to iterate faster and algorithmically match content, products, and offers to each individual for the acceleration of long-term business value. About Amplience Amplience powers digital-first brands and retailers with the freedom to do more. Our low-code CMS, DAM, and Digital Experience Management platform allows more than 350 of the world's leading brand teams to manage content, not code. The result is a rapid ROI for our clients who are delivering data and insight-driven customer experiences that drive deeper, more valuable customer relationships. For more information on the Amplience platform, including Dynamic Content and Dynamic Media, please visit ?www.amplience.com. Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1336916/Amplience_Logo.jpg

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[October 12, 2021] Kraig Biocraft Laboratories Announces Breakthrough in Creation of New Recombinant Spider Silks

ANN ARBOR, Mich., Oct. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc. (OTCQB: KBLB) (Company or Kraig Labs), the biotechnology company focused on the development and commercialization of spider silk, announces today that its research team has surpassed a crucial milestone in the creation and production of new recombinant spider silks and other key target proteins. The Company is now raising several batches of first-generation transgenics utilizing this new and more efficient process.

These transgenics represent the first implementation of this new knock-out/knock-in multiplex system for silkworms developed by Kraig Labs research team. The new approach results in a greater than 60% reduction in process complexity when creating new transgenics and should result in significantly higher yields. Pairing multiplex targeting with co-expression of trans-proteins, this new system should allow the Company to achieve homozygous, germline stable, new transgenics in a fraction of the time. Kraig Labs research team will monitor these first-generation transgenics over the next 30 days to verify improvements over existing systems. The Companys research team has already prepared and filed a potential provisional patent to protect this new novel technology. Todays announcement is just the latest in a string of incredible breakthroughs from our research lab. Our team continues to dfy conventional wisdom, finding almost unimaginable solutions and unlocking the potential for cost-effective, commercial-scale spider silk production, said COO Jon Rice. This breakthrough is the direct result of our exceptionally creative research team. Through an intentional process of seeking out diverse backgrounds and experiences for all positions throughout the organization, we have built a truly extraordinary team.



While now focused on improving the production of recombinant spider silk, this new gene system is directly applicable to the Companys accelerating work in non-fibrous and boutique protein production. To view the most recent news from Kraig Labs and/or to sign up for Company alerts, please go to www.KraigLabs.com/news .

About Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc. Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc. ( www.KraigLabs.com ), a fully reporting biotechnology company, is a developer of genetically engineered spider silk based fiber technologies. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Information Statements in this press release about the Companys future and expectations other than historical facts are forward-looking statements. These statements are made on the basis of managements current views and assumptions. As a result, there can be no assurance that managements expectations will necessarily come to pass. These forward-looking statements generally can be identified by phrases such as believes, plans, expects, anticipates, foresees, estimated, hopes, if, develops, researching, research, pilot, potential, could or other words or phrases of similar import. Forward looking statements include descriptions of the Companys business strategy, outlook, objectives, plans, intentions and goals. All such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any security. Ben Hansel, Hansel Capital, LLC

(720) 288-8495

ir@KraigLabs.com



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[October 12, 2021] We Succeed Enters Agreement with University of California, Los Angeles, Offering Virtual Tutoring Work-Study Program

Today, We Succeed announced it has entered an agreement with the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), to offer virtual work-study employment opportunities to students. We Succeed is a virtual tutoring platform created to lessen the educational inequality gap by providing affordable tutoring services to K-12 students. The company employs high-achieving college students receiving financial aid to provide affordable tutoring to K-12 students, boosting the academic and long-term economic success for both. "Our agreement with the #1 nationally ranked public university in the United States is a major step towards our goal of decreasing educational disparities. Through this agreement many more K-12 students will be able to access high-quality tutoring. At the sae time, UCLA students will be able to get jobs to help pay their college expenses," said Zahid Mustafa, founder and president of We Succeed. "UCLA's mission of investing in their students of all backgrounds by providing excellent teaching to set up students for success post-graduation perfectly aligns with We Succeed's mission. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual tutoring has been a critical lifeline for students of all ages. Many college students have realized they can assist younger students who need learning support and do so from the convenience of their home or college dorm. We are excited to welcome UCLA students into our program."



Over the past year, more than 97 percent of educators reported learning loss in their students. We Succeed, which launched in early 2021, seeks to provide a "win-win" approach and solution to tackling educational inequalities by paying college students with financial need a competitive wage while boosting success rates for underserved K-12 students, many of who have suffered from pandemic learning loss. The platform allows students to work a flexible schedule, with up to 20 hours per week each semester. Students may apply to tutor a range of subjects including: Math, Biology, Chemistry, English/Literacy, History/Social Studies, Physics, Spanish and support for college admissions applications.

To learn more about We Succeed, please visit www.wesucceed.org. About We Succeed: We Succeed is a tutoring program that supports both college and K-12 students in need of financial support and quality education. We Succeed aims to provide education for all and boost long-term economic success for society. For more information about We Succeed's mission, please visit us at https://wesucceed.org/ View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211012005135/en/

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[October 12, 2021] Medable Hires Trendsetting Chief Marketing Officer to Build Global Consumer and Industry Brand Presence

Medable Inc., the leading cloud platform for patient-centered clinical research, today announced the hiring of Orlando Baeza as the company's first chief marketing officer (CMO). Baeza is an experienced technology and consumer marketing leader who was most recently CMO for technology startups Kajabi and Pollen, and previously led innovative marketing initiatives for Nike, Adidas, Paramount, Activision (News - Alert) and BuzzFeed. Baeza has been recognized as a trendsetting marketer via Forbes "30 under 30" and Brand Innovators "40 under 40." At Medable, Baeza will be responsible for growing the company's global brand presence as a pioneer in digital and decentralized clinical trials - empowering ubiquitous access to clinical research for every body and every biology. Medable has already established itself as a leading software-as-a-service ( SaaS (News - Alert) ) platform for decentralized trials, working closely with major pharmaceutical, biotech and clinical research organizations. Baeza and his team will work to deepen that industry engagement, while also cultivating a strong consumer brand for Medable as a champion of patient access, experience and outcomes. "We're thrilled to add Orlando to our leadership team. Medable is striving to build a world where every person considers clinical trials as an option in their healthcare. Orlando's deep experience building trusted and inspiring brands and creating categories will help us achieve that vision," said Dr. Michelle Longmire, CEO and co-founder of Medable.



"Medable has an incredibly compelling vision to connect millions of patients, clinicians and researchers globally through mobile applications and connected devices," said Baeza. "Given what we've all learned during the pandemic - and the importance of bringing effective medicines and vaccines to people all over the world - this is an amazing opportunity to build a relevant, trusted and dynamic brand whose mission resonates with both business and consumer stakeholders." Medable has deployed its SaaS platform via more than 150 decentralized and hybrid clinical trials in 60 countries, reaching more than one million patients globally. By minimizing the need for in-person site visits, Medable customers have achieved unprecedented results - including 200 percent faster enrollment, 90 percent retention rates, and 50 percent cost reductions. Medable was recently named a Leader with top scores for vision, capability and market impact in the "Decentralized Clinical Trial Products PEAK Matrix" assessment by Everest Group.

For ongoing insight about decentralized trial adoption and patient-centered research, follow Medable via our blog, LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook channels. About Medable Medable is on a mission to get effective therapies to patients faster by transforming clinical drug development with disruptive technologies. The company's digital platform streamlines design, recruitment, retention and data quality for decentralized trials, replacing siloed systems with integrated digital tools, data and interfaces to accelerate trial execution. Medable connects patients, sites and clinical trial teams to improve patient access, experience, and outcomes. Medable is a privately held, venture-backed company headquartered in Palo Alto (News - Alert) , California. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211012005438/en/

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[October 12, 2021] EZ NFT and Matrix Mortgage Global are Joining Forces to Mint Essential Real Estate Documentation as NFTs



Innovative approach will leverage immutability and traceability of blockchain technology in order to improve efficiency, cost and peace of mind for homeowners worldwide Las Vegas, NV, Oct. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NewMediaWire -- Wee-Cig International Corporation (OTCMarkets: WCIG), a company focused on identifying and growing top tech companies in emerging markets, today announced that its controlled subsidiary dba, EZ365 plans to join forces with Toronto-based Matrix Mortgage Global to mint critical mortgage and real estate documentation in blockchain-enabled NFT form. Matrix Mortgage Global is Canada's leading mortgage brokerage, led by CEO and Broker of Record Shawn Allen, the four-time winner of the coveted Canadian Mortgages Inc. Award for Broker of the Year, Private Lending. Through the planned collaboration, EZ NFT will support Matrix Mortgage Global in a shared vision of digitizing the mortgage process on the blockchain by building a system to mint key real estate documentation, including mortgage deeds, identification, appraisals and inspection reports as NFTs. As a result, the documentation will be rendered proven, immutable and non-fungible. In the first world, the transition of physical documentation to NFT form will enhance efficiency and reduce fees while providing improved access to critical parties in real estate transactions. The benefits will be even greater in other geographies where NFT documentation will provide lasting, uncontested proof of ownership - mitigating genuine risks of forgery, corruption, theft, damage and loss. Moving mortgage documentation to the blockchain is a step in the right direction that will certainly open the door to many other applications in the space, said Allen. Realizing our vision requires a strong and credible partner with a depth of NFT experience and capability. As a division of the first publicly traded company in the NF space, EZ NFTs professionalism, reputation and existing capability position them as the ideal partner for us in this exciting endeavor.



Im energized by the potential for our engagement with Matrix Mortgage Global, added Korus, CEO of Wee-Cig International. In an industry ripe for disruption, Matrix was the first mortgage lender in North America to accept cryptocurrency for home down payments. Now they are taking their leadership a step further by transitioning critical mortgage documentation to the blockchain. Additional details about the planned partnership will be announced in the coming weeks.

For more information on EZ NFT visit ez365.io/ez-nft/ About Matrix Mortgage Global Matrix Mortgage Global has championed alternative lending in Canada since 2008. With a strong infrastructure and innovative lending products, Matrix Mortgage Global played a critical role in navigating Canadian borrowers through the 2008 Global Financial Crisis. Currently Matrix Mortgage Global is a hub that assist Canadians by providing access to financial resources key to navigating the Global Pandemic. Matrix Mortgage Global, the reigning four-time Brokerage of the Year provides a solution-based lending approach with many out the box financing options geared to keep pace with the rapidly changing lending landscape. With over $1.5B in mortgage originations and a diverse suite of mortgage and investment solutions, Matrix has revolutionized the accessibility of alternative and private funds in Canada. Matrix Mortgage Global is a major stakeholder in the Canadian mortgage landscape and advocates for Canadian borrowers at all levels of government. For more information on Matrix Mortgage Global visit https://www.matrixmortgageglobal.ca/ About Wee-Cig International Corporation Wee-Cig International Corporation is a publicly traded holding and acquisition company (WCIG) with a particular talent in identifying top tech companies in emerging markets and helping them get to the next level. Constantly scouring the technology landscape to find the best investment opportunities, Wee-Cig targets companies that capitalize on unique opportunities by leveraging extensive, decades long industry relationships and management expertise. For more information, visit: https://weecigcorp.com/ About the EZ365 Ecosystem EZ365 leverages the transparency and immutability of blockchain technology to break down barriers to owning digital assets and unleash the vast growth potential of the NFT, online gaming industry and the cryptocurrency world. The first-to-market blockchain-based ecosystem to combine NFTs, online gaming, a financial services platform, and a learning portal, EZ365 is further differentiated by its focus on customer support, security, ease-of-use and the customer experience; making it easy for users to invest, play, trade and learn in a secure environment. The EZ365 team includes leaders in blockchain and cryptocurrency development, network and security infrastructure for global capital and derivatives markets and the online gaming space. Together they bring the rigor and methodology of established financial market security and deep technology expertise to the EZ365 platform. For more information visit: https://ez365.io/ For media inquiries contact:

Wee-Cig Media Relations

media@weecigcorp.com



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[October 12, 2021] Zeta Appoints Matthew Mobley as EVP Technology Strategy

Zeta (NYSE: ZETA), a cloud-based marketing technology company that empowers enterprises to acquire, grow, and retain customers more efficiently, announced today the hiring of Matthew Mobley as Executive Vice President of Technology Strategy. Mr. Mobley will lead Zeta's CRM technology strategy team advising customers on how best to leverage technology to meet their business goals. Mr. Mobley has more than 26 years of experience in general technology and over 22 years of experience specifically in marketing and adverting technology, spanning the Americas and EMEA. Most recently, he served as Chief Technology Officer at Merkle, where he led the Americas Technology Services Line. Prior to that role, Mr. Mobley was dedicated to building and leading consulting organizations across the Americas and EMEA, including serving as SVP of Solutions Consulting at Epsilon and as VP of European Consulting and as the US Marketing Technology Practice leader for Acxiom (News - Alert) , during which time he enhanced the companies' reputations for strategic innovation and customer solutions. "As customers require deeper expertise to navigate the increasingly complex digital ecosystem and undestand how Zeta's Marketing Platform can be at the center of their data-driven marketing ecosystems, Matt's extensive knowledge and leadership will take our solutions to the next level," said David A. Steinberg, Co-Founder, Chairman, and CEO at Zeta Global. "His expertise in data platforms, identity resolution, customer journey orchestration, activation, and analytics make him an incredible asset for our customers. I'm delighted to welcome Matt to our all-star team."



Mr. Mobley expressed, "As marketers are demanding more from their tools and technologies, I could not be more excited to be joining Zeta at this time in their evolution to market leadership. The Company's commitment to help marketers grow by using their unique combination of proprietary data, patented AI, and omnichannel technology is uniquely valuable in this new era of digital marketing." Mr. Mobley also served in the United States Air Force.

About Zeta Zeta Global Holdings Corp. (NYSE:ZETA) is a leading data-driven, cloud-based marketing technology company that empowers enterprises to acquire, grow and retain customers. The Company's Zeta Marketing Platform (the "ZMP") is the largest omnichannel marketing platform with identity data at its core. The ZMP analyzes billions of structured and unstructured data points to predict consumer intent by leveraging sophisticated artificial intelligence to personalize experiences at scale. Founded in 2007 by David A. Steinberg and John Sculley, the Company is headquartered in New York City. For more information, please go to www.zetaglobal.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211012005283/en/

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[October 12, 2021] Walla Walla, Washington Grows Beyond Metering With Xylem

The name Walla Walla means "many waters." Unfortunately, the city was losing more than 30 percent of its water annually due to failing pipes and aging meters. That's when they began their journey toward long-term improvement by transitioning to a smart utility network from Sensus, a Xylem brand. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211012005367/en/ Walla Walla, Washington captures a wider view of their water distribution system with advanced pressure monitoring from Sensus, a Xylem brand. (Photo: Business Wire) "We're one of the oldest cities in the state, so water loss and aging infrastructure are complex issues that are linked," said City of Walla Walla Water Distribution Supervisor Adrian Sutor. The initial smart network deployment combined iPERL residential water meters and OMNI commercial meters with the twoway FlexNet communication network. The system allowed the city to transition from monthly to hourly usage data with remote meter monitoring capabilities that improved leak detection.



"The system has helped us quickly detect everything from large water main breaks right down to running toilets or leaky faucets and work proactively with customers to address them," said Sutor. "The number of leak forgiveness applications we receive from customers has dropped by 75 percent as a result." As water loss improved and dipped below 30 percent, the utility team brainstormed the next phase of their smart water journey. City employees identified pressure monitoring as another effective avenue to reduce water loss and streamline customer service.

Walla Walla's next move was to roll out Sensus ally water meters coupled with the Sensus Smart Gateway Sensor Interface for advanced pressure monitoring and management. This combination allows remote oversight of pressure and temperature. The wider view quickly paid off when technicians investigated customer calls regarding low pressure. "We analyzed the data and determined that pressure was underperforming in one region during a specific time period," said Sutor. "It turned out to be a demand issue caused by a large irrigation customer and we were able to adjust our pressure settings to get the issues quickly resolved." Comparing near real-time data with the utility's hydraulic model allows the utility team to deliver a high level of customer service around pressure monitoring. It also provides more detailed views into background leakage that's not visible and underground. "Whether it's a leaky pipe or a failing pressure reducing valve, the technology lets us know if something is off with our system," said Sutor. "These data insights allow us to take action before any issues become costly problems." Read the case study to learn how Walla Walla is using data to its advantage with applications like creek-level monitoring to enhance public safety. About Sensus Sensus, a Xylem brand, provides remotely-managed products and solutions that deliver the right data at the right time for investor-owned utilities, cooperatives and municipalities. As part of Xylem's digital portfolio, our smart devices connect with a variety of communication technologies to help customers make timely decisions that optimize electric, gas and water systems. Learn more at sensus.com. About Xylem Xylem (XYL) is a leading global water technology company committed to solving critical water and infrastructure challenges with innovation. Our more than 16,000 diverse employees delivered revenue of $4.88 billion in 2020. We are creating a more sustainable world by enabling our customers to optimize water and resource management, and helping communities in more than 150 countries become water-secure. Join us at www.xylem.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211012005367/en/

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[October 12, 2021] D-Wave Joins Multidisciplinary Research Effort Led by the Center for Quantum Technologies

BURNABY, British Columbia, Oct. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- D-Wave Systems Inc., the leader in quantum computing systems, software, and services, today announced it will be working with the Center for Quantum Technologies (CQT), a National Science Foundation-backed (NSF) research program aimed at developing novel quantum technologies to address significant industry challenges. The CQT, which is made up of academic partners Purdue University, Indiana University Bloomington, the University of Notre Dame, and Indiana University Purdue University -Indianapolis, brings together transdisciplinary experts across the tech industry, research institutions, and government to both translate critical quantum research into commercial-ready technologies and foster quantum workforce development and training.

Engineers and researchers from the four partner institutions, alongside CQTs industry and government stakeholders and members, will develop quantum technologies with enhanced functionality and performance. The CQTs cross-academic, multidisciplinary focus and balance of near-term application development along with foundational research provide the needed broader view of quantum industry advancement. This collaboration furthers D-Waves efforts in delivering business value through practical hybrid quantum application development. D-Wave will serve on the industry advisory board and provide access to hardware, software, and developer tools for CQT students. This is a strategic step in broadening academic engagement to advance science, foster quantum industry innovations, develop near-term quantum applications, and build a diverse workfrce.



In my role at D-Wave, I work with governments, policy makers, and academia to help broaden the understanding of todays practical quantum computing technologies, said Allison Schwartz, Vice President, Global Government Relations & Public Affairs at D-Wave. As quantum computing continues to mature and take on a more prominent role in both the business and government spheres, its important that industry partners foster the nations robust academic ecosystem and support government funding to researchers and scientists developing mission-critical technologies for use today and in the future. Were excited to see the innovative projects coming from CQT students and proud to work with the CQT to provide necessary workforce development and training for the next generation of quantum experts. As a member of the CQT industry advisory board we are excited to bring together the private and public sectors to use quantum computing today to tackle a number of critical issues facing the global community. Ive worked with D-Waves quantum systems in the past and have been impressed with the technologys performance and the companys practical focus on helping their customers build hybrid quantum applications with real-world value, said Dr. Sabre Kais, CQTs Director and Professor of Chemical Physics at Purdue University. I look forward to collaborating with D-Wave and our other industry and government partners to tackle research problems and develop and deploy commercial-ready quantum technologies. With funding from the NSF and industry engagement, I see the CQT reaching new heights and helping to advance the quantum industry as a whole.

About D-Wave Systems Inc.

D-Wave is the leader in the development and delivery of quantum computing systems, software and services and is the worlds first commercial supplier of quantum computers and the only company developing both annealing quantum computers and gate-model quantum computers. Our mission is to unlock the power of quantum computing for the world. We do this by delivering customer value with practical quantum applications for problems as diverse as logistics, artificial intelligence, materials sciences, drug discovery, scheduling, cybersecurity, fault detection, and financial modeling. D-Waves systems are being used by some of the worlds most advanced organizations, including NEC, Volkswagen, DENSO, Lockheed Martin, USC, and Los Alamos National Laboratory. With headquarters near Vancouver, Canada, D-Waves US operations are based in Palo Alto, CA. D-Wave has a blue-chip investor base including PSP Investments, Goldman Sachs, BDC Capital, NEC Corp., Aegis Group Partners, and In-Q-Tel. For more information, visit: www.dwavesys.com. Contact

D-Wave Systems Inc.

dwave@launchsquad.com



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[October 12, 2021] As Cybercriminals Prey on Underserved SMBs, Huntress Globalizes Threat Operations Center and Launches New Endpoint Protection Capabilities

ELLICOTT CITY, Md., Oct. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Huntress , the leading provider of managed detection and response (MDR) with human-powered threat hunting, today announced a series of platform enhancements designed to protect small and midsize businesses (SMBs) from modern cyberthreats.

The release includes the general availability of the companys Managed Antivirus (AV) service, new host isolation capabilities and the global expansion of its ThreatOps teamwhich now has analysts strategically placed in the US, UK and Australia. As attackers use advanced malware, ransomware and other threats to target underprotected SMBs, these new capabilities further Huntress mission to be the go-to platform for organizations that fall below the enterprise cybersecurity poverty line. From day one, our mission has been to deliver cybersecurity to the 99%, said Huntress Founder and CEO Kyle Hanslovan, referring to the fact that SMBs comprise 99% of businesses in the US. These new services represent a pivotal step forward for Huntress; were building the technology and global workforce needed to stop hackers in their tracks, and evolving beyond our roots in MDR to help our partners strengthen their preventive security efforts. Huntress' Managed Antivirus service enables users to extract significant value from Microsoft Defender Antivirusa built-in and highly capable Windows security tool thats often underutilized. From the Huntress dashboard, users can leverage the service to see detections and events, monitor scans and manage health, set exclusions and execute remediation actions. Since Defender is already installed on all modern versions of Windows, installation is as easy as removing any third-party AV on Huntress-managed computers," said Chris Horning, Cloud Services Manager at AtNetPlus. "Defender should just turn itself on and then Huntress begins managing it right away. For MSPs managing thousands of PCs, it really couldnt be easier. In addition to enabling partners to strengthen their defensive stack, the new service marks Huntress first prevention-oriented offeringand its backed by Huntress powerful ThreatOps organization. That ThreatOps organization is Huntress true backbone; a team of highly qualfied human threat hunters who investigate suspicious activity, identify active threats and empower partners to swiftly respond to cyberattacks with actionable incident reports and a suite of automated remediation capabilities.



To support the companys new technology offeringsand respond to the increase in both the maturity and velocity of todays cyberattacksHuntress has also expanded its ThreatOps team to deliver true 24x7 global coverage. The fight against bad actors requires more than just software and automation, said Roger Koehler, Huntress Vice President of ThreatOps. With security analysts and threat hunters now in the US, UK and Australia, were providing follow-the-sun coverage for our partnersand were applying intelligence from one region to the next before their work day has even begun.

"Huntress sits at the bottom of our security stack, giving us a crucial layer of detection and response and some much-needed peace of mind, said Paul Blough, CEO and Founder at Blough Tech. We're thrilled to see the Huntress team applying their expertise and threat hunting capabilities to help us manage antivirus more effectivelyand we're just as excited about the expansion to 24x7 ThreatOps support, which will give our customers even more coverage and help us sleep better at night." When faced with any type of cyberthreat, the ability to respond quickly is critical. The final addition to this update of Huntress platformhost isolationprovides the ability to quickly block incoming and outgoing network activity on infected hosts, significantly reducing the risk of malware spreading across a network. During isolation, Huntress remains connected to the host, allowing partners to authorize remediation steps to resolve active incidents. This feature is launching in public beta, with additional functionality in development. Huntress remains vigilant in its mission to elevate SMBs above the cybersecurity poverty line. In 2021 alone, the company acquired network-aware endpoint detection technology from Level Effect , raised a $40M Series B fundraising round led by JMI and drove several industry-wide rapid response efforts to combat data breaches and vulnerabilities being exploited in widely used tools. And with a recent wave of strategic hiresincluding Director of Product Ed Murphy, Director of R&D Jamie Levy, Head of Threat Operations Center Max Rogers, Chief Marketing Officer Michelle Burtchell, Chief Revenue Officer Mike LaPeters, Vice President of Partner Success Robert Statsky and many othersthe companys staff now holds decades of collective experience from the NSA, Air National Guard, DoD, and private sector organizations like Mandiant/FireEye, Tanium and Tenable. About Huntress

Hackers are constantly evolving, exploiting new vulnerabilities and dwelling in SMB environmentsuntil they meet Huntress. Huntress enables our partners to find and stop hidden threats that sneak past preventive security tools. Founded by former NSA Cyber Operatorsand backed by a team of ThreatOps researcherswe help our partners protect their customers from persistent footholds, ransomware and other attacks. Learn more at www.huntress.com and follow us on social @HuntressLabs. Media Contact:

Noah Slade

(954)-707-1087

slade@merrittgrp.com



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[October 12, 2021] Coborn's expands partnership with Invafresh for fresh food merchandising and replenishment powered by Invafresh's Fresh Food Retail Platform

Invafresh, the market leader of Freshology for the fresh food retail industry has expanded its partnership with Coborn's to optimize fresh food operations across their grocery banners. Coborn's, a leading Midwest grocer celebrating its 100th year, selected Invafresh's Fresh Food Retail Platform for its merchandising and replenishment solutions to improve in-store performance, enhance consumer loyalty and brand, and drive profitability and sustainability. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211012005078/en/ Coborn's expands partnership with Invafresh for fresh food merchandising and replenishment powered by Invafresh's Fresh Food Retail Platform. Faced with the ever-increasing complexities of managing fresh food operations and ensuring compliance with the industry's food safety and consumer disclosure regulations, Coborn's sought an industry leading technology partner to transform its retail operations for continued success. An existing adopter of Invafresh's scale management platform, Coborn's is confident with Invafresh's leadership position in fresh item management, expanding the relationship for the parties to develop a thoughtful deployment plan across fresh food retail operations that accelerates time to value for Coborn's through Invafresh's merchandising and replenishment SaaS (News - Alert) offering. "While our experience with Invafresh runs deep, we carried out an in-depth evaluation of industry technology providers to propel our fresh food operations forward. We are continually impressed by the Invafresh team, the platform's fresh-native capabilities, the customer-driven delivery model and track record of successfully delivering top quartile business and financial results across a range of national, egional and local food retailers in North America. We have commenced the deployment of the Invafresh Fresh Food Retail solutions on schedule and are already seeing excellent adoption, usage and benefits as promised by the Invafresh team," says Troy Vosburgh, VP of Fresh, Coborn's.



"Invafresh is here to inspire the world to Think Forward and Think Fresh. We are excited to continue our journey with Coborn's as we share the vision to prioritize fresh item management technology solutions that help shape the future of fresh food retailing for a fresher, healthier, safer, and sustainable operation, says Tim Spencer, President and Chief Executive Officer, Invafresh. "Fresh food is the only way to build trust and loyalty in the competitive grocery market, especially with today's digitally driven experiential consumer. Our fresh-native platform will help Coborn's with merchandising and replenishment across their grocery banners to ensure fresh products of the highest quality are in-stock at the right levels across their fresh assortments and offerings. We are committed to being the best in Fresh and are excited to partner with Coborn's and help them to be the best in Fresh too." The addition of Invafresh's merchandising and replenishment solutions enables Coborn's to future-proof its fresh food retail operations for years to come and empower their store associates to provide the freshest products to its consumers. Coborn's can confidently augment manual processes with fresh-native solutions that automate fresh ordering and in-store production planning across all fresh food departments that capture and report all inventory movement, including discards, markdowns, transfers, conversions, and cycle counts. Invafresh's recipe management solution centralizes all aspects of Coborn's in-store production from recipe creation, maintenance, cost allocation, nutritional labelling, through to standardization of products with in-store preparation guidelines. Every store ensures compliance with the USDA Ground Beef Recordkeeping with Invafresh's food traceability solution.

"The Invafresh platform enables our store associates to focus on high-value consumer shopping experiences. As we digitize store operational processes, we are confident with the real-time visibility to a perpetual inventory for every store sales floor and backroom that all grocery retailers need to drive the best decisions for profitability and sustainability. We look forward to our continued partnership and success with the Invafresh team," continues Troy. About Coborn's, Inc. About Coborn's Inc. St. Cloud, Minn,-based Coborn's Inc. is a 100-year-old employee-owned grocery retailer with nearly 9,300 employees and 59 grocery stores across Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin under the Coborn's Case Wine Foods, Marketplace Foods and Hornbacher's banners. Coborn's Inc. also owns liquor, fuel, and pharmacy locations. To support its 130 various retail business units, Coborn's Inc. operates its own central bakery, dry cleaning facility and grocery distribution center. In 2021, Coborn's Inc. was recognized by the Shelby Report Midwest as their Retailer of the Year. About Invafresh: For more than 30 years, the heritage of Invafresh enabled fresh food retailers to create extraordinary store operations performance and differentiated consumer experiences. As the leader of Freshology, Invafresh is deployed in more than 25,000 grocery stores spanning a global reach of 15 countries to provide software platforms for omnichannel demand forecasting, merchandising, replenishment, and sustainability and compliancy. We are Freshologists building Freshology on the mission to empower food retailers with the #1 platform for fresh food retail operations and accelerate the transition to fresher demand and supply. www.invafresh.com Think forward. Think fresh. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211012005078/en/

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[October 12, 2021] Camtech Summit 2021: Showcasing Cambodia's FinTech and Tech Landscape through Inclusiveness

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Cambodian Association of Finance and Technology (CAFT) in cooperation of National Bank of Cambodia (NBC), Association of Banks in Cambodia (ABC) and Cambodia Microfinance Association (CMA) will be hosting the CAMTECH Summit and is again one of the partners of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) for World Fintech Festival. This year CamTech Summit and World FinTech Festival will focus on key themes to highlight what Cambodia has to offer when it comes to finance and technology. Day one will be Siem Reap theme which highlights tourism and tech, Day 2 is Sihanouk theme which highlights real state and tech and Day 3 is Battambang theme which highlights agriculture, trade and tech. Final two days will have Phnom Penh as the key theme and will be showcasing topics on finance and technology not covered in the past 3 themes.



CamTech Summit will be broadcasted locally for free on CAFT as well as relevant partner pages and internationally through the World FinTech Festival stage. Tomas Pokorny, Board Secretary General of CAFT stated, "We firmly believe that this event will open doors and greater opportunities for Cambodia. It would provide knowledge and resources to all entrepreneurs in the country, that are relevant not only for one's business but also for the continued economic growth of Cambodia in relation to the fast-growing adaptability of the country to Finance and Technology.

Ms. Weena Llona, Executive Director of CAFT commented, "We are offering a wide-range of sponsorship and speaker opportunities and it's our pleasure to invite you all and be part of this event." For more information on how you can be part of the event, you may contact +855968712304 or email ed@caftkh.org . You may also visit Camtech Summit website at www.camtechsummit.com for more details. ABOUT CAFT: CAFT is an association registered with the Cambodian Ministry of Interior and recognized by the National Bank of Cambodia (NBC), that seeks to cultivate interest and technical skills to promote increased innovation, organize an inclusive community of startups, institutions, and regulators and build relationships among its members to further promote the goals of the industry; and by serving as the collective voice for the FinTechs in providing relevant and expert-sourced information to regulators and private sector. CAFT advocates for effective and future-focused measures to ensure prosperity across the industries. SOURCE Cambodian Association of Finance and Technology

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[October 12, 2021] The Smithers Quality Assessments Division Achieves Market Leading Position with Boeings Scorecard Results

AKRON, Ohio, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Smithers, a leading provider of testing, consulting, information, and compliance services, is pleased to announce that the Smithers Quality Assessments Division has achieved a market leading position amongst Certification Bodies (CBs) with the most recently reported Boeing's CB Report Card. Smithers Quality Assessments division has remained committed to working with our partners at Boeing..



As one of the largest global aerospace primes and key stakeholders to the Industry Other Controlled Party (ICOP) scheme, Boeing provides all CBs regular reporting information on their clients (from a Boeing supplier performance perspective) combined with CB individual metrics. The result of this reporting is a key scatter diagram which supports the individual CB performance level (x-axis) vs the number of Boeing clients (y-axis). Smithers Quality Assessments Division Boeing scatter diagram results supports, that amongst any industry peers, it is positively maintaining individual CB performance levels as much as 5x times greater than its competitors while sustaining no less than 2.5 times the number of Boeing clients with any similar overall CB performance levels.

"Smithers Quality Assessments division has remained committed to working with our partners at Boeing to continually drive their important supplier performance inputs into our regular assessment activities. We have seen problem suppliers, under these assessments, gain the appropriate attention with their performance issues and appropriately raise their performance levels to ensuring regular achievement of On Time, On Quality Delivery (OTOQD) requirements. We are proud of the commitment of our back office team, Auditors and Clients in helping us achieve these marketing leading results," says Aaron Troschinetz, General Manager, North America, Smithers Quality Assessments Division. Smithers Quality Assessments Division also maintains regular participation in various AS standard development committees (including AS9101, AS9104) as well as the supporting ISO 9001 US TAG 176 committee. Jeanette Preston, President of Smithers Quality Assessments Division, also serves as the sole CB focal for the Americas Aerospace scheme. This active involvement in the ICOP scheme ensures that Smithers Quality Assessments Division maintains a key leadership role in promoting the importance of the AS-series requirements. For more information about Smithers or AS9100 certification, please contact Aaron Troschinetz. About Smithers: Founded in 1925 and headquartered in Akron, Ohio, Smithers is a multinational provider of testing, consulting, information, and compliance services. With laboratories and operations in North America, Europe, and Asia, Smithers supports customers in the transportation, life science, packaging, materials, components, consumer, dry commodities, and energy industries. Smithers delivers accurate data, on time, with high touch, by integrating science, technology, and business expertise, so customers can innovate with confidence. Media Contact:

Glenn G. Goldney,

Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing

ggoldney@smithers.com

+1 (330) 203-2188 View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-smithers-quality-assessments-division-achieves-market-leading-position-with-boeings-scorecard-results-301398172.html SOURCE Smithers

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[October 12, 2021] Evisort Introduces the First-ever Intelligent Dashboarding that Automatically Visualizes Data From Thousands of Contracts in Minutes

Evisort, the leading provider of contract management and AI solutions, today announced a major new addition to its Contract Intelligence Platform with the launch of the revolutionary Intelligent Dashboarding, the first-ever self-populating dashboards that instantly visualize contract data and summarize key metrics without manual data entry. Evisort has also added new collaboration and negotiation tools including In-app Redlining and an enhanced Salesforce integration that further streamlines its contract lifecycle management (CLM) capabilities. Evisort's Contract Intelligence Platform is the first and only product suite to integrate contract analytics, lifecycle management, and a central repository in one end-to-end platform that can be implemented in fewer than 30 days. Intelligent Dashboarding With Intelligent Dashboarding, legal and business leaders can rely on data to answer questions from executives and board members about contracts, including the number of unsigned agreements and deal cycle times. Evisort clients now have the ability to share accurate and powerful charts that precisely drill down into information that quickly and confidently answers business questions, quantifies their team's productivity, and identifies bottlenecks in their workflow processes. Intelligent Dashboarding delivers an out-of-the-box set of visualization and reporting tools built on top of Evisort's AI-powered contract analytics. This enables businesses to quickly assess the quantity and types of contracts they have, with whom, what's in them, and how effective their workflows are - all from one single set of dashboards without the need for manual data entry, migration, or IT involvement. "Evisort's artificial intelligence quickly and accurately turns contracts into searchable data and tracks key info, dates, and clauses without manual data entry. Intelligent Dashboarding now automatically aggregtes and visualizes that data across all of a business's teams and contracts," said Jerry Ting, CEO and Co-Founder of Evisort. "You can ingest 10,000 contracts into Evisort on Monday and walk into a board meeting on Tuesday with interactive dashboards that can show you how many vendor contracts you have, how many are executed, then drill into which of them have governing law in California, and when you have to issue notices for upcoming expirations and renewals."



New Negotiation and Collaboration Tools in Evisort While dashboards and analytics help identify best practices and bottlenecks in existing contracts and workflow processes, Evisort's new In-app Redlining tools help streamline negotiation and collaboration. Evisort's In-app Redlining is fully integrated into its Contract Intelligence Platform and works exactly like Microsoft (News - Alert) Word, eliminating the need to download documents and lengthy email chains.

Enhanced Salesforce Integration Evisort is enhancing its integration with Salesforce to further accelerate deal cycle times and make it easy for sales reps to submit contract requests, start the deal approval process, monitor the contract status, and view key metadata without leaving their CRM. To learn more and hear from industry leaders, Evisort is hosting The Future of Contracting, a free virtual conference on November 9, 2021. Check out Evisort's official website and request a demo to do a live test with your contracts. About Evisort Founded in 2016 by Harvard Law and MIT (News - Alert) alumni, Evisort is the leading provider of contract management and AI technology for legal, procurement, sales, finance, and IT teams. Evisort's Contract Intelligence Platform delivers rapid ROI in 30 days by centralizing contracts with no migration, using AI to track and search metadata and provisions without manual data entry, and enabling teams to draft, redline, approve, sign, report on, and renew contracts. Evisort is headquartered in Silicon Valley and backed by leading strategic and institutional investors including General Atlantic, Vertex (News - Alert) Ventures, M12 ( Microsoft's venture fund), Amity Ventures, Village Global, and Serra Ventures. Learn more by visiting the website and follow @Evisort on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211012005272/en/

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[October 12, 2021] Optimity Wellness App Launches Socially Conscious Ad Network Featuring Pharmasave as Inaugural Campaign

Optimity Inc., a ??mission-driven technology company that improves the health, wealth and longevity of its users, today launched its health-focused ad-network partner platform with Pharmasave, one of Canada's leading independent pharmacy and drugstore retailers, to help promote its 2021 Autumn sweepstakes to Canadians. As part of this campaign, Optimity will leverage its audience of more than 2.6 million members focused on physical, nutritional, and mental health to drive awareness to the Awesome Autumn campaign, giving Canadians who enter the raffle three chances to win a $1000 cash prize. In return for their engagement in the campaign, Optimity users will be rewarded with gems that can be redeemed directly in the app to unlock exclusive promotions and discounts from leading health and wellness brands on the platform. "We are extremely excited to feature a well-established Canadian brand like Pharmasave on our ad-network partner platform," says Nicholas Raditsis, co-founder and VP of Partnerships at Optimity. "Our goal is always to align with like-minded brands like Pharmasave who also focus on the health and wellness of Canadians as part of their core offerings - and what better way to do that than the Awesome Autumn sweepstakes campaign."



"Awesome Autumn sweepstakes is an annual campaign which gives us the opportunity to show appreciation for our customers' support and award them with amazing prizes," says Tiffany Haralds, Marketing Production Manager at Pharmasave. "Partnering with Optimity to promote this year's campaign brings even more excitement and better awareness to engage with more consumers across Canada." This campaign will run for three weeks, starting October 1 to October 22nd, with the goal of reaching hundreds of thousands of Canadians.

To find out more about the campaign and enter, visit PharmasaveSweepstakes.com. About Optimity Optimity is a mission-driven technology company that improves the health, wealth and longevity of its users with evidence-based behavioral science, gamification and rewards. The company's wellness app and related B2B solutions are developed by leading technologists, health and medical researchers, wealth experts and advisory firms, and backed by more than 30 years of behavioural science research. Optimity Enterprise B2B technologies provides a suite of solutions White-labeled apps, APIs and segmentation/data & AI powered tools to engage large populations and is used by customers in the U.S., Canada, and Japan to drive better health outcomes and longevity for policyholders. With a reach of over 2.6 million North Americans, Optimity is one of the most popular and trusted health rewards programs in the world. For additional information, visit myoptimity.com. About Pharmasave With more than 800 stores across the country, Pharmasave is one of Canada's leading independent community pharmacies. Since being founded forty years ago, Pharmasave has focused on building a national platform of community-based retail outlets designed to provide exceptional patient-centred healthcare, medication advice, drug store products and customer service. MedAlign@Pharmasave is a collection of services that help patients manage their medications more effectively, increases patient adherence and improves health outcomes. Through MedAlign@Pharmasave, pharmacists provide medication reviews and medication synchronization, assisting patients by aligning their refills to come due on the same day. Pharmasave continues to differentiate itself through leading-edge digital solutions. Patients can access everyday tools to manage their health in ways that are simple to set up and easy to maintain with eCare@Pharmasave. This suite of interactive solutions enables patients to engage digitally with their pharmacy and empowers them with mobile refills, medication reminders and so much more. Each Pharmasave store operates independently to serve its individual community, tailoring both programs and services to the unique needs of customers and reinforcing the commitment to help all customers live well with Pharmasave. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211012005791/en/

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[October 12, 2021] Asset Management Veteran Robert Nestor Named Global Senior Advisor for Qraft Technologies

AI-enabled fintech company Qraft Technologies ("Qraft") announced that Robert Nestor, CFA, will join the firm as a Global Senior Advisor. Nestor brings over 30 years of industry experience and will guide the Qraft team in matters related to business strategy and product development. Nestor has served in a variety of senior leadership roles in asset management over his career most recently as president and head of Direxion ETFs. Prior to that role, Nestor was Head of iShares Factor ETFs at BlackRock. He has also held executive roles leading product, marketing, and enterprise strategy at asset management giants BlackRock and Vanguard. Nestor received his Bachelor of Science in economics from the University of Delaware and his MBA from Drexel University. "I'm thrilled to be embarking on this new professional endeavor with the Qraft team," remarks Nestor. "Qraft sits at a crossroads of several industry developments that will pave the way for lasting change, including artificial intelligence. I see these technologies as a driving force for asset management and thoughtful risk management that will become increasingly relevant as markets become more volatile. I look forward to drawing on my experience and expertise to help guide the Qraft team to reach investors far and wide with their unique value proposition." "We feel privileged to welcome Rob aboard Qraft Technologies," says Marcus Kim, Founder and Chief Executive Officer for Qraft Technologies. "His experience of 30 years, most recently as President of Direxion and head of Factor ETFs at BlackRock, will be no doubt an asset in any of our endeavors and will allow us to exponentially grow our presence in the US & globally. He will help us meet our challenge in becoming a global fintech company." Qraft Technologies provides AI-driven financial technology tools, including an asset allocation model, to institutions and advisors alike. Qraft also provides AI-powered active indexing solutins in the form of, Qraft AI ETFs, which consists of four AI-managed funds - AMOM, NVQ, HDIV and QRFT listed on NYSE Arca (News - Alert) . Each employs its own strategy in an effort to achieve alpha1 and navigate changing market conditions. The funds all rely on AI technology to quantify vast amounts of data, rebalancing holdings monthly or quarterly. Nestor will primarily focus on helping grow the adoption of Qraft's artificial intelligence in the financial industry.



Nestor's role is new for the Qraft team and represents the firm's company-wide globalization initiative. Qraft is actively working to expand beyond its South Korean headquarters and diversify its clientele. The firm opened an office in Hong Kong in January and plans to expand physically within the United States. "Our proprietary AI technologies are driven by quantitative data, allowing our strategies to cross between the boundaries that exist between global investors," says Francis Oh, Managing Director of Qraft AI ETFs. "As we aim to build out relationships within the U.S. and around the world, Robert's breadth of connections and experience will be a valuable asset. His expert insight will enable us to further grow as we seek to expand AI-driven solutions to a global financial market."

About Qraft Technologies Qraft Technologies, Inc. is on a mission to innovate the inefficiencies of today's asset management firms. From data processing to alpha research and order execution, Qraft has had a long track record of developing innovative AI solutions that have been adopted by major financial institutions and turned into successful AI products and services, including the world's first AI-driven global equity ETF and Korea's largest robo-advisor service. Investors should consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing. For a prospectus or summary prospectus with this and other information about the Fund, please call 1-855-973-7880 or visit our website at www.qraftaietf.com. Read the prospectus or summary prospectus carefully before investing. The Funds are distributed by Foreside Fund Services, LLC Investing involves risk, including loss of principal. The Funds are subject to numerous risks including but not limited to: Equity Risk, Sector Risk, Large Cap Risk, Management Risk, and Trading Risk. The Funds rely heavily on a proprietary artificial intelligence selection model as well as data and information supplied by third parties that are utilized by such model. To the extent the model does not perform as designed or as intended, the Fund's strategy may not be successfully implemented, and the Funds may lose value. Additionally, the funds are non-diversified, which means that they may invest more of their assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than if they were a diversified fund. As a result, each Fund may be more exposed to the risks associated with and developments affecting an individual issuer or a smaller number of issuers than a fund that invests more widely. A new or smaller fund's performance may not represent how the fund is expected to or may perform in the long term if and when it becomes larger and has fully implemented its investment strategies. Read the prospectus for additional details regarding risks. 1 Alpha is a measure of the active return on an investment, the performance of that investment compared with a suitable market index. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211012005789/en/

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[October 12, 2021] EFG Adds Reinsurance Expert to Senior Team

EFG Companies, the innovator behind the award-winning Hyundai Assurance program, today announced a new addition to the team as part of EFG's focus on wealth creation and business expansion for its clients. Chad Chaffin joins the team as Vice President, Risk and Reinsurance. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211012005819/en/ Chad Chaffin joins EFG Companies as Vice President, Risk and Reinsurance, focusing on wealth creation and business expansion for the company's clients. (Photo: Business Wire) "At EFG, we recognize that our people make the difference when it comes to delivering on our promise to provide clients with the best possible resources, nnovation, and client engagement," said John Pappanastos, President and CEO of EFG Companies. "That's why we significantly invest in finding and developing our talent. Chad's critical skills and experience will be well utilized in our ongoing efforts to expand our clients' business and meet their financial goals."



Chaffin brings more than 20 years of experience in underwriting, production, risk management, and product development to his role. He will be responsible for all reinsured client underwriting positions and risk exposure. Chaffin recently served as Vice President, P&C Underwriting with BCS Financial Corporation where he developed a best-in-class Cyber and Privacy Liability program for Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies. "I am excited to join the team at EFG Companies and serve at the forefront of an unprecedented level of change in the retail automotive industry," said Chaffin. "My number one goal as Vice President of Risk and Reinsurance is to apply my insight and experience to further enhance EFG's wealth building services for its clients."

Chaffin previously served at Beazley USA, Chubb Corporation, American International Group (AIG), and Allstate, as well as the co-creator of a proprietary method of online insurance sales for FindInsuranceServices.com. He is a Registered Professional Liability Underwriter (RPLU) and is a Chartered Mutual Fund Counselor (CMFC). About EFG Companies EFG Companies drives the industry's highest-reported compliant F&I profitability through its distinct engagement model in which the company operates as an extension of the dealer's management team. EFG addresses total dealership performance, and its client satisfaction Net Promoter score is higher than national corporate leaders such as Nordstrom, Ritz Carlton, and Amazon. Learn more about EFG at: www.efgcompanies.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211012005819/en/

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[October 12, 2021] Planview Showcases Professional Services Automation Solutions at Technology & Services World 2021

Planview, a global leader in Portfolio Management and Work Management solutions, today announced the company will be showcasing its Professional Services Automation (PSA) solutions at Technology & Services World (TSW) 2021, hosted by the Technology & Services Industry Association (TSIA) from October 18-20, 2021 in Las Vegas. Further extending the company's expertise and leadership in PSA, the company also announced that Louise K. Allen, Chief Product Officer of Planview and PSA industry veteran, was recently named to TSIA's Partner Advisory Board. "Companies of all sizes and across industries are grappling with changing market and company dynamics," said Allen. "At Planview, we've brought together the industry's best PSA solutions under one roof to help our customers embrace those changes and achieve their outcomes. Planview Clarizen and Planview Changepoint, paired with our full portfolio of solutions and capabilities in PSA, PPM, Agile (News - Alert) Services Delivery, and beyond, ensure that we can help organizations connect their businesses from idea to impact, and from opportunity to revenue." Building on the Professional Services Automation (PSA) pedigrees and indstry leadership from the Clarizen and Changepoint acquisitions in early 2021, Planview's PSA solutions enable organizations to accelerate services success - from delivery confidence to financial growth. Whether embedded, managed, or stand-alone professional services, Planview's PSA solutions support customers from opportunity management, to delivery, to financial transparency. The company will showcase these solutions onsite at TSW 2021.



Additionally, Planview customer Leo Lovely, Sr. Director Professional Services at Vocera (News - Alert) , will be presenting at TSW 2021 at 10:15am local time on Tuesday, October 19 in a session titled: "Unified Professional Services Platform Supports Vocera Growth Before and After Covid". Focused on sharing how the Vocera team unified their professional services platform with Planview, the session will highlight how Vocera was able to quickly pivot to remote delivery at the beginning of the pandemic, and how the company continues to lead a seamless transition to the post-Covid world of work. Planview's attendance at TSW 2021 comes on the heels of Planview's largest customer event in company history, Planview Accelerate, featuring PSA customer stories from across a range of industries, including: Bell Integration, IBM (News - Alert) Cloud & Cognitive Services, Kensium, Tufin, Tyler Technologies, Siemens Energy, Wolters Kluwer, and more.

To learn more, please visit the Planview booth at TSW 2021 at the Aria (News - Alert) Resort & Casino, or visit www.planview.info/TSW for more information. About Planview Planview has one mission: to build the future of connected work. Our solutions enable organizations to connect the business from ideas to impact, empowering companies to accelerate the achievement of what matters most. Planview's full spectrum of Portfolio Management and Work Management solutions create organizational focus on the strategic outcomes that matter and empower teams to deliver their best work, no matter how they work. The comprehensive Planview platform and enterprise success model enable customers to deliver innovative, competitive products, services, and customer experiences. Headquartered in Austin, Texas with locations around the world, Planview has more than 1,000 employees supporting 4,000 customers and 2.4 million users worldwide. For more information, visit: www.planview.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211012005836/en/

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[October 12, 2021] The Woodson African American Museum of Florida Partners With Pinellas Community Foundation to Help Raise $27 Million for New Museum

The Woodson African American Museum of Florida (The Woodson) and Pinellas Community Foundation (PCF) have joined forces to raise $27 million for a new and expanded museum. In choosing to create a partnership with PCF, The Woodson sought an organization with deep community commitment, fund raising experience, and reputation for collaborating to address the greatest needs of the county. The Woodson African American Museum of Florida - formerly called The Dr. Carter G. Woodson African American Museum - will be the first newly constructed landmark museum in Florida dedicated to celebrating African American history, art, and culture. The existing museum operates in the former community center of Jordan Park, one of the nation's first African American developed public housing communities, constructed in 1939. After Jordan Park's reconstruction in 2006, the community center was repurposed as a museum and named to honor the father of African American history, Dr. Carter G. Woodson. "The African American experience in St. Petersburg and our country has too often been ignored, an after-thought, relegated to a space that limits or narrowly defines its impact rather than celebrating its importance," said Duggan Cooley, CEO of PCF. Terri Lipsey Scott, The Woodson executive director, said "Florida deserves a properly constructed museum dedicated to showcasing the African American eperience throughout Florida and beyond," noting the museum will be the state's first built as new construction specifically showcasing the contributions of African Americans.



Due to Woodson's growth and popularity, the museum has exceeded the use of its current single-story 4,000 square foot facility. The vision for the new 30,000 square foot edifice, designed by renowned Black-owned Huff + Gooden Architects, in partnership with Wannemacher Jensen, is the result of broad community discussion with renowned museum experts held by The Woodson's leadership, co-sponsored by the City of St. Petersburg. The discussions helped guide the plans, ensuring they are rooted in history and culture while meeting the needs of future generations. The new museum is planned on 5.5 acres of city-donated land along 22nd Street South in The Deuces just blocks from The Woodson's current location. The Deuces, the most historic, celebrated African American corridor in St. Petersburg, was once a thriving epicenter for Black businesses and culture during segregation. The community is undergoing revitalization as a prosperous arts district with an African American Heritage Trail embodying the community's rich history.

The Woodson's mission to preserve, present, and interpret African American history and culture has garnered a broad audience, including community partners, members, volunteers, and friends. It brings individuals together from all walks of life, serving as a bridge for courageous, constructive, and meaningful discussions regarding history, culture, race, equity, and empowerment. The museum inspires and enlightens people who seek to learn more about the untold or rarely celebrated stories and contributions of African Americans. PHOTOS: http://bit.ly/woodsonpcfphotos View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211012005709/en/

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Secure Your Place in History: Contribute to the 59th Design Automation Conference

The collective success of the electronics industry has been built on a foundation of individual achievements, with each innovation standing on the shoulders of previous breakthroughs. Much of this has emerged in the hallways and session rooms of nearly 60 annual gatherings of the Design Automation Conference (DAC).

You now have an opportunity to help shape the next chapter in the history of electronics: DAC, the premier event devoted to the design and design automation of electronic chips to systems, call for contributions is now open. The 59th DAC will be held at Moscone West Center in San Francisco, CA (News - Alert) , from July 10 -14 , 2022. DAC will co-locate with SEMICON West 2022, which is being held July 11-15 at Moscone North and South halls.

Share your knowledge and technical expertise with a diverse audience eager to incorporate new insights to help them deliver innovation into areas including artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), high-performance computing, mobile technologies, automotive and more.

The DAC 2022 Technical Program Committee, led by the 59th General Chair, Rob Oshana of NXP; Conference Program Chair, Vivek De of Intel; and Technical Program Co-Chairs Renu Mehra of Synopsys (News - Alert) and Helen Li of Duke University, is soliciting high-quality submissions on design research, design practices and design automation for the following tracks and sessions:







special sessions, poster sessions, and works-in-progress

https://www.dac.com/DAC-2022/2022-Call-for-Contributions/Research-Paper-Submission-Categories

"No other event in electronics design brings together such diverse groups - technical and academic researchers, government policy makers and industry designers and developers," said Oshana. "It's the premier place for innovators to share and debate ideas, network and collaborate to invent tomorrow. I encourage everyone in the global electronic ecosystem to submit and participate at the 59th DAC."

Over the decades, papers accepted to DAC have detailed advances in everything from verification and synthesis, to memory innovations, the rise of the system-on-chip (SoC) methodology and open-source hardware to autonomous workloads and cellular communications, he said.

The high bar that the technical program committee sets for accepting papers is considered a badge of honor for those chosen to present," Oshana added.

About DAC

The Design Automation Conference (DAC) is recognized as the premier event for the design of electronic circuits and systems, and for electronic design automation (EDA) and silicon solutions. A diverse worldwide community representing more than 1,000 organizations attends each year, represented by system designers and architects, logic and circuit designers, validation engineers, CAD managers, senior managers and executives to researchers and academicians from leading universities. Close to 60 technical sessions selected by a committee of electronic design experts offer information on recent developments and trends, management practices and new products, methodologies and technologies. A highlight of DAC is its exhibition and suite area with approximately 150 of the leading and emerging EDA, silicon, intellectual property (IP), embedded systems and design services providers. The conference is sponsored by the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers ( IEEE (News - Alert) ), and is supported by ACM's Special Interest Group on Design Automation (ACM SIGDA).

Design Automation Conference acknowledges trademarks or registered trademarks of other organizations for their respective products and services.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211012005136/en/
[October 12, 2021]

Tiger Pistol Releases Treasure Trove of Beverage Industry Insights on New Microsite

AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Tiger Pistol, the leading collaborative advertising platform that delivers local activation at scale, recently launched a fast-reference, one-stop microsite with the remarkable campaign-based results from their recent work in the beverage industry.

The microsite offers over 10 published case studies that demonstrate how global beverage brands have can scale their local advertising efforts with partner-level personalization across a myriad of campaigns, including ones driving product sales, awareness, online conversions, in-store traffic, and even recent efforts in the omni-channel.

"Tiger Pistol has always had a strong connection to the beverage industry through working with global beverage brands," said Donny Dye, SVP Sales and Marketing at Tiger Pistol. "I believe this is in no small way due to the desire to empower local bars, retailers, and restaurants. It's no secret that the traditional ways of supporting trade partners, such as providing swag, signage, and coasters, have begun to wane because of the limited value proposition. Tiger Pistol's Collaborative Advertising Platform offers brands an effective digital alternative to maintain and increase trade partner product sales by bringing their local expertise into social advertising."

Tiger Pistol enables its beverage clients to support their channel partners with high-quality collaborative social campaigns complete with brand-centric creative and copy that partners can personalize to enhance local relevance without compromising the brand's voice. Tiger Pistol has more than 100,000 on-premise and off-premise locations connected to its platform across 22 countries worldwide.

Tiger Pistol has received 11 industry awards for their work in the beverage industry. Specifically, the company won the 2019 and 2020 Digiday Technology Award for Best Social Marketing Platform, AdExchanger Award for Best Social Media Campaign, and U.S. Social Media Awards for Best use of Facebook/Instagram and the Innovation Award. Additionally, Daniel Ingram, Global Director of Customer Experience at Anheuser-Busch InBev, received the Consumer Goods Technology 2021 Visionary Award and the 2021 Path to Purchase Shopper Marketing Industry Innovator Award. Tiger Pistol nominated Ingram for these awards based on his innovative mission and proactive engagement of Tiger Pistol to execute Ingram's COVID revitalization initiative at scale.

Access the microsite via https://go.tigerpistol.com/beverage.

About Tiger Pistol

Tiger Pistol, the most award-winning social advertising platform of 2020, makes high performance collaborative advertising simple and scalable for brands and their channel partners, removing the barriers to customer acquisition and sales growth. Tiger Pistol's Collaborative Advertising Platform utilizes advanced technology and automation to unite brands with their channel partners (retailers, dealers, agents) to acquire and engage new customers within their local communities. As a long-standing Facebook Business Partner, Tiger Pistol is the largest third-party publisher of collaborative social ads in the world, supporting clients in 22 global markets with more than 500,000 campaigns published annually. Learn more by visiting TigerPistol.com, or following on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn.









CONTACT: Christina Morello

Director, Marketing and Communications

christina.morello@tigerpistol.com

(330) 354-0899



View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tiger-pistol-releases-treasure-trove-of-beverage-industry-insights-on-new-microsite-301395544.html

SOURCE Tiger Pistol
[October 12, 2021] New England Excess Exchange selects Cogitate DigitalEdge to Drive Digital Transformation

MARIETTA, Ga., Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- New England Excess Exchange, New England's premier independent Wholesale Broker and MGA serving independent agents for more than 40 years, has selected Cogitate DigitalEdge as its insurance digitalization platform. Cogitate, a leader in accelerated digital insurance for Wholesale Brokers, MGAs, and Carriers, offers readiness and relevance as the industry quickly transforms. This partnership signifies strength in providing digital needs and service to policyholders by increasing efficiency, ease of doing business, speed to market, and a clean and modern user experience (UX). "Partnering with Cogitate is another step toward our long-term goal of digital transformation. We are pleased to work with a technology vendor that truly understands the needs of the modern independent MGA," said Todd Wood, President of New England Excess Exchange. "As the insurance distribution landscape changes, so do the needs of our agents. We are committed to putting our agents first; adopting software which increases the value that we add to our role in the industry, speeds turnaround time and enhances the customer experience." "We are incredibly pleased to have New England Excess Exchange as part of the Cogitate family," said Keith Lewis, VP of Sales at Cogitate. "We build our platform with our clients, as well as for our clients. New England Excess Exchange puts their clients first, without question, and together we are building a platform that makes that easier for all parties involved. The added bonus is that we get to collaborate with great people and build on a tremendous relationship." Cogitate's Digital Insurance platform DigitalEdge helps users quickly adapt to and service the evolving needs of modern-day clients without having to replace or remove their existing core systems. It encompasses the etire policy life cycle from Rate, Quote to Bind and Issuance to Post-sales Services like endorsements, renewals, and cancellations. This platform integrates all the channel partners and customers into a digital insurance ecosystem that enhances existing channels and adds new digital channels. It allows insurers to compete more effectively by increasing speed-to-market time and expanding into new territories.



About Cogitate Technology Solutions

Cogitate Technology Solutions, Inc., develops modern and innovative technology products and solutions for the Property & Casualty Insurance Industry. It helps insurance companies transform their business models to create a competitive advantage in a time of rapid industry change. Cogitate's next-generation technology products and solutions are helping insurance carriers, brokers, MGAs, and agents to accelerate digitalization and expand their businesses. Additional Resources

Cogitate DigitalEdge Insurance Platform

Cogitate Digital Insurance

Cogitate Distribution Management

Cogitate Intelligent Claims Media Contact:

Michael Palmisano

954 Digital, Inc.

mike@think954digital.com 1904 Leland Drive, Marietta,

GA 30067 USA. Web: https://www.cogitate.us/

Blog: https://cogitate.us/blog/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cogitate-technology-solutions/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Cogitate-Technology-Solutions-313805012108651

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ctsimumbai All other registered trademarks, trademarks, or service marks belong to their respective companies. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-england-excess-exchange-selects-cogitate-digitaledge-to-drive-digital-transformation-301398257.html SOURCE Cogitate Technology Solutions, Inc.

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[October 12, 2021] AMPLIFY ALERT: Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C. is Investigating Amplify Energy Corp. on Behalf of Amplify Stockholders and Encourages Investors to Contact the Firm

Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C., a nationally recognized stockholder rights law firm, is investigating potential claims against Amplify Energy Corp. ("Amplify" or the "Company") (NYSE: AMPY) on behalf of Amplify stockholders. Our investigation concerns whether Amplify has violated the federal securities laws and/or engaged in other unlawful business practices. Click here to participate in the action. On October 4, 2021, Amplify issued a press release announcing a large oil spill in Southern California. Specifically, the press release stated that "on Saturday, October 2, 2021, Beta Offshore (a subsidiary of Amplify Energy first observed and notified the US Coast Guard of an oil sheen approximately four (4) miles off the coast in Southern California and initiated its Oil Spill Prevention and Response Plan. The Company has sent a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to investigate and attempt to confirm source of the release. As a precautionary measure, all of the Company's production and pipeline operations at the Beta Field have been shut down."



On this news, Amplify's stock price fell sharply during intraday trading on October 4, 2021. If you purchased or otherwise acquired Amplify shares and suffered a loss, are a long-term stockholder, have information, would like to learn more about these claims, or have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact Brandon Walker or Alexandra Raymond by email at investigations@bespc.com, telephone at (212) 355-4648, or by filling out this contact form. There is no cost or obligation to you.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211012005865/en/

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[October 12, 2021] Boston Properties Announces View Boston Observatory at Prudential Center

Boston Properties, Inc. (NYSE: BXP), the largest publicly traded developer, owner, and manager of Class A office properties in the United States, formally announced today the name and additional details of the world-class observatory and experiential attraction under development at Prudential Center in Boston, Massachusetts. The 59,000 square foot venue will be Boston's only observatory and is slated to open in 2023. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211012005873/en/ View Boston at Prudential Center (Photo: Business Wire) The observatory will encompass the top three floors of the Prudential Tower. Project highlights include: Immersive experiential exhibits and bistro on the 50 th floor

floor Indoor/outdoor cocktail lounge and 360-degree outdoor viewing deck on the 51 st floor

floor Double height (24-foot) indoor viewing space on the 52nd floor The observatory, newly named View Boston for its expansive and panoramic views of Boston and beyond, will be a transformative addition to the City of Boston. The observatory is designed to be a destination that welcomes locals as well as domestic and international visitors. View Boston will host a variety of special events and public programming geared towards guests of all ages and backgronds, and will be the ideal stop for visitors as they begin their Boston experience.



"We are thrilled to bring this unparalleled experience to Boston and create unforgettable memories in the sky for visitors through an experience that captures all five of your senses," said Bryan Koop, Executive Vice President, Boston Region, BXP. "View Boston will be a destination for years to come and a place for visitors to see the City from afar before they explore the many neighborhoods and attractions that make Boston a city like no other." Prudential Center is a dynamic urban center in the heart of Boston's Back Bay. Comprising four office towers and a shopping and dining destination, the complex is conveniently accessible from I-90 and I-93 and is located within two blocks of Back Bay Station with commuter rail, Amtrak, and MBTA subway access.

View Boston is being constructed by Turner Construction Co. and Perkins & Will is the architect of record. This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Federal securities laws. You can identify these statements by our use of the words "plans," "will," "expects," "could," "intends," and similar expressions that do not relate to historical matters. You should exercise caution in interpreting and relying on forward-looking statements because they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which are, in some cases, beyond Boston Properties' control and could materially affect actual results, performance or achievements. These factors include, without limitation, the Company's ability to complete the development project on time, within budget or at all, the uncertainties of real estate development activity, the ability to effectively integrate development projects, the effects of local, national and international economic and market conditions, and other risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in Boston Properties' filings with the SEC (News - Alert) . Boston Properties does not undertake a duty to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. About Boston Properties Boston Properties (NYSE: BXP) is the largest publicly traded developer, owner, and manager of Class A office properties in the United States, concentrated in six markets - Boston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, DC. The Company is a fully integrated real estate company, organized as a real estate investment trust (REIT), that develops, manages, operates, acquires, and owns a diverse portfolio of primarily Class A office space. Including properties owned by unconsolidated joint ventures, as of June 30, 2021, the Company's portfolio, totaled 51.5 million square feet and 197 properties, including nine properties under construction/redevelopment. For more information about Boston Properties, please visit our website at www.bxp.com or follow us on LinkedIn (News - Alert) or Instagram. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211012005873/en/

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[October 12, 2021] What You Need to Know About Changes to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program

The U.S. Department of Education is temporarily changing certain rules to allow potentially hundreds of thousands of borrowers the chance to qualify for student loan forgiveness if they have worked in public service. This opportunity is only available for a limited time, and borrowers must act before Oct. 31, 2022, to qualify. "For years, the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program has been plagued with issues, resulting in frustrated and disappointed borrowers who thought they were making progress toward loan forgiveness only to find out they didn't qualify because they had the wrong loan type or repayment plan," said Jessica Ferastoaru, a student loan specialist with Take Charge America, a nonprofit student loan counseling agency. "Although these changes are welcome and should provide relief to borrowers, as with everything student loans, it's critical to carefully review the details and how they apply to your unique situation." Ferastoaru explains what has and hasn't changed about the PSLF program: Payments. All prior loan payments will count as qualifying PSLF payments, regardless of loan type, repayment plan or whether the payment was made in full or on time. Military servicemembers also will receive creit for any period of active duty during which their loans were on deferment.

All prior loan payments will count as qualifying PSLF payments, regardless of loan type, repayment plan or whether the payment was made in full or on time. Military servicemembers also will receive creit for any period of active duty during which their loans were on deferment. Loan consolidation. You must consolidate any FFEL, Perkins or certain other federal student loans into a Direct Loan before Oct. 31, 2022, to take advantage of this rule change. After you consolidate, you must apply for loan forgiveness by submitting a PSLF form. To determine what types of loans you have, login to your account at StudentAid.gov and view your Aid Summary.

You must consolidate any FFEL, Perkins or certain other federal student loans into a Direct Loan before Oct. 31, 2022, to take advantage of this rule change. After you consolidate, you must apply for loan forgiveness by submitting a PSLF form. To determine what types of loans you have, login to your account at StudentAid.gov and view your Aid Summary. Automatic credit. If you previously applied for the PSLF program, the Department of Education will review your payment history and credit you for any payments that didn't previously count but now do under the program changes.

If you previously applied for the PSLF program, the Department of Education will review your payment history and credit you for any payments that didn't previously count but now do under the program changes. Public service employment. To qualify, you must still have worked in public service at a qualifying employer when you made your payments. If you worked more than one qualifying part-time job at the same time, you will be considered full-time so long as you worked a combined weekly average of at least 30 hours.

To qualify, you must still have worked in public service at a qualifying employer when you made your payments. If you worked more than one qualifying part-time job at the same time, you will be considered full-time so long as you worked a combined weekly average of at least 30 hours. 120 payments. Although partial and late payments now will count, you must make a total of 120 payments - 10 years' worth - to qualify for loan forgiveness.



student loan counseling services. About Take Charge America, Inc.

Founded in 1987, Take Charge America, Inc. is a nonprofit agency offering financial education and counseling services including credit counseling, debt management, student loan counseling, housing counseling and bankruptcy counseling. It has helped more than 2 million consumers nationwide manage their personal finances and debts. To learn more, visit takechargeamerica.org or call (888) 822-9193. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211012005870/en/

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[October 12, 2021]

Coherra And Unicus Research Join Forces

NEW YORK and COPENHAGEN, Denmark, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Coherra, the industry leader in delivering a rich and rewarding video-based investor experience, joins forces with Unicus Research, a boutique analysis firm providing deep and rare actionable insight for professional investors.

COHERRA joins forces with Unicus Research to provide more personalized research and investment offerings to asset managers globally.

Soren Haestrup, founder and CEO of COHERRA, stated, "Joining forces with Unicus Research is a great step forward in Coherra's journey to bring more information to investor audiences of the world. Laks and her team have access to some of the world's greatest minds and will not only produce insightful and actionable research but engage our asset managers on-camera to provide more engaging and informative conversations."

Laks anapathi stated, "I am excited that Unicus Research has formed a partnership with Coherra. Soren Haestrup, Philip Kopman, and his team are accomplished experts in markets, technology, and distribution.







Unicus Research will provide COHERRA's clients with actionable insights and investigative research by acting as an outsourced research platform to COHERRA's clients. In addition, Unicus Research will moderate discussions with fund managers and investors on the COHERRA platform."

COHERRA is a Data-Driven Distributor of financial insights via video. COHERRA is focused on leveraging video and data science to drive engagement between pioneering asset managers and investors worldwide. An extremely efficient, effective, and measurable approach to driving information exchange.

Unicus Research is the asset manager's dedicated investment research platform providing global research on long/short equity investments and strategies. Unicus Research eliminates the considerable time and expense of building an in-house research team. Instead, Unicus Research delivers proprietary research strategies from seasoned industry experts to the asset manager.

Combining these two firms provides an excellent opportunity for asset managers and investors of all sizes and styles to focus on growing their business while consuming high-quality, independent research from Unicus Research through a data-driven COHERRA platform.

Coherra

Contact: Laks Ganapathi

Phone: (203) 244-4070

Email: laks@unicusresearch.com

Unicus Research

Contact: Philip Kopman

Phone: (407) 624-7561

Email: pkopman@coherra.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/coherra-and-unicus-research-join-forces-301398287.html

SOURCE Unicus Research
[October 12, 2021] BYJU'S Strengthens Its Executive Team Amid North American Expansion

BYJU'S, the world's leading education technology company, today announces major developments to its senior leadership team including the appointment of Prateek Ranjan as BYJU'S FutureSchool Chief Executive Officer (CEO), the promotion of Sajid Shariff to Senior Vice President (SVP) of Global Growth, and the addition of two executives to its global team, Aaron Kornblum as BYJU'S FutureSchool General Counsel and JP Schuerman as BYJU'S Head of Public Relations and Communications for International Expansion. All senior leadership developments are announced on the heels of BYJU'S recent expansion to the North American market, which includes the recent acquisitions of Osmo, the company building a universe of hands-on play experiences, Epic, the leading digital reading platform and Tynker, the world's top K-12 creative codig platform.



Intending to drive its goals in this new growth market, BYJU'S made these strategic senior leadership hires and promotions to help expand its worldwide leadership team. Together, all four bring decades of experience in consumer and family technology. Prateek Ranjan will serve as the CEO for BYJU'S FutureSchool, where he will continue to grow the brand into the most preferred destination for supplemental learning. In this new role, Ranjan will build and establish short term and long term strategy for the business to deliver sustainable and exponential growth in North America, and plans to hire and develop top talent across all work streams to deliver the best customer experience throughout the customer journey. Ranjan brings over a decade of experience to BYJU'S FutureSchool, and was responsible for international and global expansion for Amazon and Facebook (News - Alert) prior to coming to BYJU'S. Sajid Shariff will act as SVP, Global Growth after serving as the Head of North America at BYJU's FutureSchool, the fastest-growing ed-tech company in the world. Shariff will oversee the company's growth functions across its nine global markets, ensuring the company is focused on sustainable growth, supported by strong business economics. Prior to joining BYJU's FutureSchool, Shariff was the Head of Flagship Markets for OYO, the fastest growing hotel company in the world. There, he led the company's growth in urban markets after successful rapid expansion into the West U.S. Prior to OYO, he served as management consultant at The Boston Consulting Group and Director and Chief of Staff at Sears. He is an engineer from IIT Bombay and a graduate of Stanford University. Aaron Kornblum will serve as the first global General Counsel for BYJU'S FutureSchool, responsible for leading the company's legal, regulatory and compliance matters. Kornblum brings more than two decades of legal experience across consumer online services at companies such as Microsoft (News - Alert) , Improbable, and Bungie. During 14 years at Microsoft, Kornblum held leadership roles in both legal and engineering, and was named to the Puget Sound Business Journal's prestigious "40 Under 40" list for his business and civic leadership. Kornblum started his legal career in the U.S. Air Force Judge Advocate General's ("JAG") corps, serving as a military lawyer in the U.S., Europe, and Southwest Asia. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Princeton University and a Juris Doctor from the Univ. of Wisconsin School of Law. JP Schuerman will lead BYJU'S global expansion communication efforts with a mission to establish the company as a well-known, international brand. As a seasoned communications practitioner with over 20 years of experience, Schuerman brings an extensive amount of knowledge along with a background in both agency and in-house capacities. Most recently, Schuerman served as Head of Global Communications for Riot Games where he managed the corporate re-branding of Riot Games and its subsequent launch of several new game titles and a television show across more than 50 countries. "We are excited to debut our world-class learning platform in the U.S. and announce the additions of four such strong leaders," says Byju Raveendran, Founder and CEO, BYJU'S. "This marks the beginning of our long-term investment in education in the Americas and beyond, and each of them brings a unique depth of expertise in their respective fields. I look forward to seeing the critical role they will play in helping BYJU'S become a trusted tool for students worldwide."

BYJU'S has created a range of innovative solutions that enable children to express their natural desire to learn and create. Today, the company's educational technology is loved and trusted by over 100 million students around the world. In 2021, BYJU'S expanded its global footprint beyond India and the US to new markets including Brazil, Mexico, Indonesia, United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. Learn more about BYJU's at Byjus.com About BYJU'S Launched in 2015, BYJU'S is the global leader in personalized learning, and is beloved by 100 million students around the world. Founded by Byju Raveendran and Divya Gokulnath, BYJU'S was created to unlock the love for learning for students K-12. By blending real-world and digital play in a seamless, active way, BYJU'S has created an opportunity for people to learn at their own pace and style with the support of an empowering network of 11,000+ global educators. The company is paving the way for new-age, geography-agnostic learning tools that sit at the cross-section of mobile, interactive content and personalized learning methodologies. About BYJU'S FUTURESCHOOL: BYJU'S FutureSchool is an interactive, learning platform that offers education programs on coding, math and music that are designed for students ages 6-18. Through the platform, students receive personalized attention with live access to a teacher in a one-on-one setting, as well as engaging hands-on activities. BYJU'S FutureSchool is on a mission to help students become creators and shift from passive to active learning by blending real-time feedback with lessons that generate creative outcomes. Part of BYJU'S, the world's leading education technology company, BYJU'S FutureSchool seeks to help students unlock their love for learning through creative and engaging hands-on activities, best-in-class teachers, technology, and content. In 2021, BYJU'S FutureSchool expanded its global footprint beyond India and the US to new markets including Brazil, Mexico, Indonesia, United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. BYJU'S FutureSchool currently has over a million registered students in the US. Learn more at BYJUSFutureSchool.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211012005067/en/

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[October 12, 2021] DreamDrive: Lucid's Proprietary Advanced Driver Assistance Platform That's User-Friendly and Future-Ready

NEWARK, Calif., Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Lucid Group, which is setting new standards with its advanced luxury EVs, announced today the details of DreamDrive, the most technically sophisticated advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS). All versions of DreamDrive employ 32 on-board sensors, a multi-faceted driver-monitoring system, and lightning-quick on-board ethernet networking powering more than 30 features through a clear, user-friendly interface. DreamDrive Pro  which is standard in Lucid Air Dream Edition and Lucid Air Grand Touring and is optional in other Lucid Air models  includes additional computing and sensor hardware in preparation for new features to be delivered via seamless over-the-air (OTA) software updates.

"DreamDrive Pro has been designed to grow in capability, thanks to our ability to deliver software over-the-air and key equipment already in place in the vehicle," said Dr. Eugene Lee, Senior Director, ADAS and Autonomous Driving, Lucid Motors. "Thanks to highly integrated hardware and software teams, Lucid has the ability to develop new functionality for DreamDrive Pro in-house. This can benefit every facet of the DreamDrive Pro experience, from the frequency of updates to the planned rollout of the Highway Pilot system for conditional automated driving on select roadways in the coming years." A 32-Sensor Suite That Can Detect What the Human Eye Cannot

The 32 sensors feeding data to the DreamDrive system are so seamlessly integrated into the exterior of the Lucid Air that most won't notice them at all. Comprising 14 visible-light cameras, five radar units, four surround view cameras, ultrasonic sensors throughout the vehicle exterior, and, for DreamDrive Pro, the first automotive application of LIDAR on the market. This solid-state LIDAR sensor will deliver high-resolution data with an ultra-wide field of view. Together, these sensors enable DreamDrive to detect what a human driver cannot, and act as an invisible co-pilot to help drivers get to their destination safely. A Human-Machine Interface That's About the Human

DreamDrive's easy-to-use interface is the product of countless hours of user testing, making use of text, color, and shapes to provide drivers with clear information. DreamDrive Pro also uses Surreal Sound  Lucid Air's fully immersive 21-speaker system  to deliver clear directional alerts. This enhances safety features like Front and Rear Cross Traffic Protection and Autonomous Emergency Braking. In addition, Surround View Monitorig provides a beautiful 360-degree view of the vehicle, a tremendous help when parking or maneuvering in tight spaces at low speeds.



Highway Assist and Autonomous ParkThe Highway Assist group of features is designed to help drivers stay safe, while also making the Lucid Air even more delightful to drive. Highway Assist blends adaptive cruise control and lane centering control to help keep the Lucid Air right where it belongs on the freeway, at a safe distance from the vehicle ahead and other lanes. Traffic Jam Assist operates at speeds between 0 and 40 miles per hour, aiding in centering the vehicle when lane lines are occluded by close traffic. For vehicles equipped with DreamDrive Pro, further functions for Highway Assist are already in development. Because of the importance in ensuring that Highway Assist is only used when the driver remains attentive, the Lucid Air features a sophisticated driver monitoring system. An infrared driver camera tracks head position, eye gaze, and blinking, while hands-off detection prompts the driver to return their hands to the steering wheel immediately. Should the driver fail to respond, indicating that the driver may be incapacitated, the system will even slow the vehicle to a complete stop, activate the emergency brake, turn on hazard lights, emit a high-pitched beep, and unlock the doors so that emergency responders can access the occupants.

When it's time to park, DreamDrive can make the process much easier. Auto Park identifies parallel and perpendicular parking spots and manages all aspects of vehicle control as it enters and exits a spot  it selects gears, steers, drives forward, and reverses in concert to leave the Lucid Air in the perfect position. When parking on a hill, Auto Park will even turn the front wheels toward or away from the curb, as appropriate for the direction. A Robust Platform for Greater Capability in the Future

The backbone of the powerful computer network in the vehicle is the Lucid Air's proprietary Ethernet Ring. This high-speed data network enables four computer gateways  one at each corner of the car  to communicate with each other at gigabit speeds, resulting not only in high performance but an especially high degree of redundancy for key systems such as steering, braking, sensors, power, and more. Further redundancy comes by way of Lucid's novel dual-rail power architecture, which adds an additional layer of assurance in ensuring power delivery to vehicle systems. About Lucid Group

Lucid's mission is to inspire the adoption of sustainable energy by creating the most captivating electric vehicles, centered around the human experience. The company's first car, Lucid Air, is a state-of-the-art luxury sedan with a California-inspired design underpinned by race-proven technology. Lucid Air features a luxurious full-size interior space in a mid-size exterior footprint. Customer deliveries of Lucid Air, which is produced at Lucid's new factory in Casa Grande, Arizona, are planned to begin in late October. Media Contact

media@lucidmotors.com

Trademarks This communication contains trademarks, service marks, trade names and copyrights of Lucid Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries (the "Company") and other companies, which are the property of their respective owners. Forward-Looking Statements This communication includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as "estimate," "plan," "project," "forecast," "intend," "will," "expect," "anticipate," "believe," "seek," "target," "continue," "could," "may," "might," "possible," "potential," "predict" or other similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical facts. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the Company's expectations related to the start of production and deliveries of the Lucid Air, the performance, range, and other features of the Lucid Air, and the promise of the Company's technology. These statements are based on various assumptions, and actual events and circumstances may differ. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including factors discussed in the Company's Registration Statement on Form S-1, as amended, the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K/A for the year ended December 31, 2020 and the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2021, in each case, under the heading "Risk Factors," as well as other documents of the Company that are filed, or will be filed, with the Securities and Exchange Commission. If any of these risks materialize or the Company's assumptions prove incorrect, actual results could differ materially from the results implied by these forward-looking statements. There may be additional risks that the Company does not presently know or that the Company currently believes are immaterial that could also cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. In addition, forward-looking statements reflect the Company's expectations, plans or forecasts of future events and views as of the date of this communication. However, while the Company may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, the Company specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the Company's assessments as of any date subsequent to the date of this communication. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dreamdrive-lucids-proprietary-advanced-driver-assistance-platform-thats-user-friendly-and-future-ready-301398302.html SOURCE Lucid Motors

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[October 12, 2021] Klas Government, SNC Launch Low-SWaP Tactical Comms Solution for Deploying Link 16 at the Tactical Edge

HERNDON, Va., Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Klas Government and Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) announced the launch of a joint tactical communications solution today, enabling coalition partners to deploy Link 16 at a low-SWaP form factor not previously possible. The solution facilitates real-time data exchanges across connected battlespace domains (air, land, sea, space and cyber) while also ensuring a unified Common Operating Picture (COP). Sensors deployed at the tactical edge of today's battlefield are constantly collecting situational data and transmitting it back to commanders, who know that the slightest delay in receiving or returning intel can cost the U.S. and its allies an opportunity to defeat a growing threat. Klas' Voyager Tactical Data Link (TDL) Gateway with SNC's Tactical Radio Application eXtension (SNC TRAX) is a small, lightweight, rugged network structure that extends data capabilities to the forward edge of the fight, optimizing Command and Control (C2) across echelons, battlespace awareness and decision dominance. "Link 16 is the standard across U.S., NATO and coalition forces for transmitting and exchanging real-time tactical data, but the challenge has been making it available in a cost-effective, low-SWaP package that can be broadly deployed, while also enabling forces to seamlessly add new capabilities to meet evolving mission needs," said Chris Ericksen, chief revenue officer, Klas Government. "Our joint solution represents a breakthrough by democratizing Link 16 deployment and unleashing the next generation of data sharing capabilities at the tactical edge." Voyager TDL & SNC TRAX unleash the full vision of Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control (CJADC2), enabling true multi-domain operations like never before. CJADC2 is built around the concept of connecting sensors, operators and command nodes from each of the military's six branches in a "mesh network" that would allow commanders more options and the ability to act faster. Voyager TDL Gateway with SNC TRAX enables soldiers to interact with assets and other partners in real time, amongst disparate networks, data links and data transport methods at the tactical edge. The joint solution integrates the following core components: Voyager TDL - The Voyager TDL Gateway is an open standard hardware and software solution consisting of a Voyager 8 Plus chassis with complementary Voyager modules, tactical radios and an optional amplifier. At the core of this system is the VoyagerVM 3.0 module providing an Intel  Xeon  D-1577, 16-core compute module, operating the SNC TRAX software within a Hypervisor instance, and Voyager radio brackets for support of 25 handheld radios.

- The Voyager TDL Gateway is an open standard hardware and software solution consisting of a Voyager 8 Plus chassis with complementary Voyager modules, tactical radios and an optional amplifier. At the core of this system is the VoyagerVM 3.0 module providing an Intel Xeon D-1577, 16-core compute module, operating the SNC TRAX software within a Hypervisor instance, and Voyager radio brackets for support of 25 handheld radios. SNC TRAX  - SNC TRAX is a multi-domain software-based integration platform with a foundational purpose of providing data interoperability, data forwarding and routing, and operating as a TDL Gateway application, utilizing open-based military and industry message standards.

- SNC TRAX is a multi-domain software-based integration platform with a foundational purpose of providing data interoperability, data forwarding and routing, and operating as a TDL Gateway application, utilizing open-based military and industry message standards. Link 16 Radio - The key to success for SNC TRAX on Voyager TDL Gateway is the inclusion of the BATS-D AN/PRC-161 Link 16 radio. Past Link 16 enabled systems have been large and bulky. The BATS-D AN/PRC-161 solves what these other radios lacked: small, hand-held Link 16 radio that fits neatly into the Voyager 8 Plus chassis where complementary compute modules enhance the capabilities of Link 16.



Thomas Klonk , SNC program director. "Having an integration tool like SNC TRAX allows industry to focus less on military standards and more on creating the next generation of sensors, weapons, artificial intelligence application, or user interface." To learn more about how the Voyager TDL Gateway with SNC TRAX and Link 16 is enabling tactical communications at the edge, visit https://www.klasgroup.com/government/solutions-tdl/ . About Klas Government

Klas Government makes the world's most powerful deployable communications solutions to meet the needs of government and military communicators in any operational environment. The company enables customers to communicate in extreme environments, where nobody else in the market can, by delivering tactical and executive communications systems specifically designed to move faster, travel lighter and work better under worse conditions than anything else available. To learn more, visit our website or follow us on LinkedIn . About Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) Owned by Chairwoman and President Eren Ozmen and CEO Fatih Ozmen, SNC is a trusted leader in solving the world's toughest challenges through best-of-breed, open architecture engineering in Space Systems, Commercial Solutions, and National Security and Defense. SNC is recognized among The Top 10 Most Innovative Companies in Space and was selected as a US Best Managed Company for two consecutive years. For nearly 60 years, SNC has delivered state-of-the-art civil, military and commercial solutions including more than 4,000 space systems, subsystems and components to customers worldwide, and participated in more than 500 missions to space, including to Mars. In spring 2021, SNC announced the transition of its Space Systems business area to an independent commercial space company, Sierra Space. Please visit our joint solutions web page at https://www.klasgroup.com/government/solutions-trax/. Contact:

Laura Hazelwood | Marketing Manager

Klas Government

laura.hazelwood@klasgov.com

703-203-5810 Greg McCarthy | Strategic Communications

Sierra Nevada Corporation

comms@sncorp.com

(703) 414-5717 View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/klas-government-snc-launch-low-swap-tactical-comms-solution-for-deploying-link-16-at-the-tactical-edge-301398318.html SOURCE Klas Government

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Trilio Showcases Data Protection and Management Innovations to Help Users Realize the Benefits of Cloud-Native Application Resiliency

KUBECON + CLOUDNATIVECON North America - At this week's KubeCon + CloudNativeCon event in Los Angeles and virtually, Trilio will showcase advancements in data protection and management to help users achieve resiliency of their cloud-native applications. Trilio will feature its latest release of TrilioVault for Kubernetes (TVK) v2.5, emphasizing new capabilities that protect users from ransomware attacks that rely on corrupting backups in a cloud-native architecture. Additionally, the company has announced new customer wins and the expansion of technology partnerships. Trilio is one of the leading providers of data protection for cloud-native applications.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211012005013/en/

Trilio showcases data protection and management innovations at KubeCon + CloudNativeCon North America 2021 to help users realize the benefits of Cloud-Native application resiliency. (Graphic: Business Wire)

"Ransomware is a massive problem. Anyone deploying Kubernetes needs to accept the increasing risks as the number of production deployments rises across the industry. Compounding this is the reality that attack sophistication is increasing as well. An organization's backups are its only hope to recover. Naturally, the backups are a prime target for these bad actors," said David Safaii, CEO, Trilio. "Builders and operators of cloud-native applications must take a proactive approach to ransomware protection and recoverability. Architecting a zero trust data protection strategy and management framework can no longer be an afterthought."

***Visit Platinum event sponsor Trilio at Booth P17 to Wake Up to the Power of Cloud-Native Data Protection technology at the KubeCafe (or Virtual Booth in the Solution Showcase)***

At KubeCon, Trilio's cloud-native experts will display how customers solve key IT or DevOps challenges thru the power of cloud-native data protection and management technology:

Multi-Cloud Protection Realized: Tours of the TrilioVault Management Console displaying intuitive click-driven workflows to set data protection policies, complete migrations and implement DR initiatives across any platform, cloud or infrastructue.

Tours of the TrilioVault Management Console displaying intuitive click-driven workflows to set data protection policies, complete migrations and implement DR initiatives across any platform, cloud or infrastructue. Application Mobility Realized : Demos of the TVK GitHub Actions Runner which empowers developers to run test/dev with production data as they are checking in code to improve software reliability and time-to-market, leveraging integrations with GitOps environments.

: Demos of the TVK GitHub Actions Runner which empowers developers to run test/dev with production data as they are checking in code to improve software reliability and time-to-market, leveraging integrations with GitOps environments. Disaster Recovery Realized: Preview of a new capability that offers continuous restore across a multi-cloud environment to provide application recoverability or portability in a matter of seconds, reducing Recovery Time Objectives (RTO).

Preview of a new capability that offers continuous restore across a multi-cloud environment to provide application recoverability or portability in a matter of seconds, reducing Recovery Time Objectives (RTO). Ransomware Protection Realized: Demos of TVK v2.5 will display protection (and recoverability) for backup attack vectors such as backup target corruption and management console vulnerabilities.







***Join Trilio's Director of Product in Petree Hall D or Online to Learn the Business Value of Implementing Data Management for your Cloud-Native Apps***

New Customers and Ecosystem Integrations Underscore Enterprise Adoption

Recent customer wins supporting multi-cloud Kubernetes deployments include a South American telecommunications provider, a US-based MSP specializing in software development, a large US defense and space provider, a global software technology corporation and a financial services firm in Israel.

Expanding number of solution integrations and use cases with key Kubernetes platforms including: Core-to-Edge solution with SUSE Rancher that improves availability for edge clouds and helps customers better curate data. GitOps application recoverability with Red Hat (News - Alert) OpenShift provides protection for GitOps tools and meets compliance requirements. Partnership with HP Ezmeral Container Platform provides a unified container software platform to run and manage Kubernetes applications at scale on any infrastructure. VMware Partner Ready solution for Tanzu offers enterprise-class data protection capabilities for users of VMware Tanzu Grid (TKG). Cloud backup for IBM (News - Alert) Cloud deployments with both Red Hat OpenShift or IBM Kubernetes Service. Partnership with Mirantis offers cloud-native application resiliency and DR for Mirantis Kubernetes Engine (MKE) users.

Support for monitoring Velero backups.

Monitoring and alerting capabilities for your TrilioVault platform using Slack, Microsoft (News - Alert) Teams and other popular tools.

Trilio now has 10 patents or patents pending for cloud-native data protection.

Company expansion across product and go-to-market functions with three new senior-level team members with SaaS (News - Alert) /Cloud, Cyber Security and Data Protection experience: Ginay Tannenbaum - VP of Human Resources Sarah Goodchild - Sr Director of Global Channel Sales Lou Lou Healey - Sr Director of Global Field & Partner Marketing



"We're bullish on the talent that Trilio continues to attract, as these individuals bring the skills that will help us realize the opportunity in front of us. Diversity in our team and corresponding diversity of thinking is an important focal point as we scale to help us better represent the voice of our customers," said Safaii.

Analysts Validate TrilioVault for Kubernetes

A new IDC report explores the state of the container market and requirements for protection and migration of persistent storage, including reasons why traditional data protection methods don't scale well in containerized environments.

Trilio was also recently named as a Sample Vendor in the Gartner Hype Cycle for Storage and Data Protection Technologies, 2021 and the Gartner Hype Cycle Midsize Enterprises, 2021 reports in the Container Backup category ( Gartner (News - Alert) subscription required).

About Trilio

Trilio is a leader in cloud-native data protection for Kubernetes, OpenStack and Red Hat Virtualization environments. Our TrilioVault technology is trusted by cloud infrastructure operators and developers for backup and recovery, migration and application mobility. Customers in telecom, defense, automotive and financial services leverage TrilioVault to recover from disasters, migrate workloads, move workloads to new infrastructure and migrate to new software distributions. Trilio.io, Twitter and LinkedIn.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211012005013/en/
[October 12, 2021] Euan Jarvie Joins IRI as President, EMEA

IRI, a fast-growing, innovative, global provider of technology, data, and predictive analytics for the consumer, retail and media sectors, today announced that Euan Jarvie will join IRI as president of the Europe, Middle East and Africa region, effective immediately. In this role, Jarvie will drive strategy, commercial activity operations and financial performance for the EMEA region, and oversee its assets, alliances and partnerships. Jarvie will also join IRI's Executive Leadership Team. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211012005951/en/ Euan Jarvie, former CEO for UK and Ireland at Dentsu International, joins IRI as president of EMEA. (Photo: Business Wire) "We are thrilled to welcome Euan, a dynamic and charismatic leader with a unique set of management skills, to IRI," said Kirk Perry, president and chief executive officer, IRI. "Euan possesses exceptional business development and transformational experience, financial and commercial strategy expertise, talent andteam-building vision, and a uniquely successful global client and stakeholder management focus. He also has a proven track record of maintaining partnerships and guiding strategy for start-up, turnaround and acquisition groups in global markets, making him an excellent fit for IRI and this role."



Jarvie added, "I am tremendously excited to join IRI and work in tandem with Kirk and the rest of the talented team at IRI to drive performance, motivation and morale within the EMEA region. IRI has built strong relationships with its existing customers and partners within the region, and I look forward to continuing the company's acceleration toward its future goals." Prior to joining IRI, Jarvie served as the chief executive officer for UK and Ireland at Dentsu International, where he led the second largest group in Dentsu International's global organization and oversaw an acceleration program of innovation and growth. Specifically, Jarvie created a program that delivered improvements of almost $100 million and led the transformation of the market-leading capabilities in customer experience, creative and media agencies. He also previously served as president of global clients at Dentsu, where he led and won many of the world's largest advertisers, including Mondelez, JLR and Beiersdorf. Prior to joining Dentsu, Jarvie spent nearly 18 years with global media agency MediaCom, serving in a variety of roles, including chief operating officer of EMEA, chief client officer and chief operating officer of the USA, and was the founding director of the MediaCom operations in Scotland and Ireland.

Jarvie holds an honors degree in business studies from Napier University in Scotland. About IRI IRI is a fast-growing, leading provider of big data, predictive analytics, and forward-looking insights that help CPG, OTC health care organizations, retailers, and financial services and media companies grow their businesses. With the largest repository of purchase, media, social, causal and loyalty data, all integrated into an on-demand, cloud-based technology platform, IRI is empowering the personalization revolution, helping to guide its more than 5,000 clients around the world in their quests to remain relentlessly relevant, capture market share, connect with consumers, collaborate with key constituents and deliver market-leading growth. For more information, visit www.iriworldwide.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211012005951/en/

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[October 12, 2021] Successful First Public Flight of Volocopter's VoloDrone

HAMBURG, Germany, Oct. 12, 2021 /CNW/ -- Volocopter's electric heavy-lift drone VoloDrone conducted its first public flight today at ITS World Congress 2021. Together with the international logistics leader DB Schenker, Volocopter, the pioneer of urban air mobility (UAM), demonstrated VoloDrone's seamless integration into the logistics supply chain with an end-to-end cargo transport demonstration. The partners showed their significant progress together since DB Schenker became a strategic investor of Volocopter in early 2020. The 3-minute test flight took off at 3:02 p.m at homePORT Hamburg and reached a maximum altitude of 22 meters. For this delivery simulation, the electric heavy-lift utility drone was equipped with a load-box in between its landing gear. First, the demonstration teams secured a Euro-pallet sized load to the box under the VoloDrone, followed by a smooth take-off. After this, the aircraft brought the payload to a DB Schenker Cargo Bike and landed safely. Once the payload was transferred successfully, the Cargo Bike delivered its cargo to the final destination under the area's park deck, marking the completion of the entirely electric, multimodal last-mile delivery. "This first public VoloDrone flight is a strong sign for Volocopters leading position in the UAM industry. We are the only UAM company offering solutions for passengers and goods that are flying fully scaled and publicly around the world," says Florian Reuter, Volocopter CEO. "Our VoloDrone will make existing logistics processes more robust, efficient, and sustainable. DB Schenker is an invaluable partner in our endeavor to untap the massive potential of our VoloDrone's logistics use cases."



Erik Wirsing, Vice President Global Innovation at DB Schenker, comments, "With the VoloDrone flight today, we were able to publicly demonstrate our successful collaboration and the impressive progress on DB Schenker's innovation and sustainability roadmap for cleaner logistics. Volocopter has proven again that they are the ideal partner for DB Schenker's ambition to rethink global supply chains and bring transport logistics to the next dimension for our customers while saving emissions." The demonstration in Hamburg builds upon the foundations of the static proof of concept (PoC) the partners conducted in July this year in Stuttgart. It laid out a blueprint of how to implement VoloDrone operations in logistics facilities globally.

The VoloDrone is an uncrewed, fully electric utility drone designed to carry any of the six International Organization for Standardization (ISO) pallet sizes, weighing up to 200 kilograms, over a 40-kilometer range. As one member of Volocopter's robust UAM aircraft portfolio for transporting passengers (VoloCity and VoloConnect) and goods in cities, the VoloDrone is positioned to be deployed where conventional transport options reach their limits. In addition to developing the aircraft, Volocopter is organizing the physical (VoloPorts) and digital (VoloIQ) infrastructure to support these services, which are set to launch in the next 2-3 years. VoloIQ serves as the digital backbone for operations. The VoloDrone's first flight took place in 2019. Since then, regular flight tests have been conducted at various airfields in Germany. The drone itself is 9.15 meters in diameter, 2.15 meters tall, and has a 600-kilogram maximum take-off weight (MTOW). Future VoloDrone operations will be fully electric with autonomous beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) capabilities. About Volocopter Volocopter is building the world's first sustainable and scalable urban air mobility business to bring affordable air taxi services for goods and people to megacities worldwide. Volocopter leads and cooperates with partners in infrastructure, operations, and air traffic management to build the ecosystem necessary to "Bring Urban Air Mobility to Life." Volocopter has 400 employees in offices in Bruchsal, Munich, and Singapore. The company has raised a total of 322 million in equity form investors including Daimler, Geely, DB Schenker, BlackRock, and Intel Capital amongst others. www.volocopter.com Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1626551/Volocopter_Logo.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1658358/VoloDrone.jpg View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/successful-first-public-flight-of-volocopters-volodrone-301398329.html SOURCE Volocopter

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[October 12, 2021] Clarity Rolls Out Node-S 2, Now a Platform for Air Quality Monitoring

BERKELEY, Calif., Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Clarity Movement Co. today introduced Node-S 2, the exciting second-generation hardware component of its complete air quality monitoring solution, now re-imagined and re-engineered to be a platform for a wider range of air quality measurements. Now, for the first time, the Node-S 2 supports new add-on modules incorporated into a Clarity network, which expands the range of measurements processed by a Clarity solution. The new Node-S 2 also performs at greater efficiency than ever before, with longer battery life. The Node-S 2 advances the ability of Clarity solutions, already adopted in more than 60 countries around the world, to enable continuous monitoring at scale for accurate data in a fully supported, worry-free environment. In addition, today Clarity announced the first three (3) add-on modules available for use with the Node-S 2: Wind Module, an Anemometer which adds data collection for wind speed, wind direction, ambient temperature, humidity and barometric pressure to a Clarity network.

Ozone Module, which uses Federal Equivalent Method (FEM) capable technology for customers in areas with particulate matter and ozone attainment issues in the US (see related release, dated today).

Black Carbon Module, to indicate this extremely harmful component of particulate matter, with impacts ranging from human health to reduced agricultural productivity, and even global warming (see related release, dated today). Add-on modules are based on industry-leading technology, and undergo a rigorous selection process to ensure reliance only on best-f-breed technology. Once selected, the two companies collaborate on customization to integrate seamlessly with the Node-S 2 platform, and Clarity pursues rigorous testing before making a module available.



"Today, Clarity Node-S leaps forward from a self-powered, self-communicating air quality monitor to also become an expandable monitoring platform," explained David Lu, CEO of Clarity Movement Co. "The Node-S 2 builds on our strong foundation to give our customers immense flexibility for their sensor networks. For example, a ten node network can add one Wind module, but that one module dramatically boosts the wealth of data. At Clarity, we're devoted to providing clear and actionable insights to inform decisions, and those insights expand with the Node-S 2!" The Node-S 2, Wind Module and Ozone Module are available to order today, and the Black Carbon Module will be available to order in the coming months. The new Node-S 2 works seamlessly with networks currently using the original Node-S and current customers can incorporate the new Node-S 2 to manage any add-on modules as needed.

Clarity's Complete Solution

Clarity is transforming air quality measurement. Each Clarity solution provides everything needed -- hardware, software and expert services -- in a complete and scalable package. Customers get continuous monitoring for accurate, calibrated data in a fully supported, worry-free environment. At the heart of the solution is the Clarity Node-S. Using solar power and built-in cellular connectivity, Clarity Nodes take only minutes to install. Once activated, they transmit PM2.5 and NO2 raw data instantly. Clarity Nodes also support add-on modules for wind, ozone and black carbon measurement to bring even more flexibility at greater scale. The raw data is calibrated, using proprietary models developed by our air quality experts to ensure high accuracy. Clarity solutions include the software tools used for remote calibration, sensor network management, data analysis, data visualization and data sharing. The calibrated data are available in real-time through the comprehensive, intuitive Clarity Dashboard as well as programmatically via RESTful APIs, and can be publicly shared with the Clarity OpenMap. Dedicated Clarity experts provide all the know-how, training and support a customer needs to use the tools and understand the resulting data. Governments, businesses, schools and community groups in more than 60 countries worldwide use Clarity's highly accurate air quality data to make informed, critical decisions. About Clarity Movement Co.

Clarity Movement Co. is a privately held company, headquartered in Berkeley, California transforming the way governments, campuses, businesses and communities understand and respond to air pollution. Clarity provides the most complete, scalable air monitoring solution, with unmatched hardware, software and expert services. Used in more than 60 countries around the world, Clarity solutions empower our customers with continuous monitoring, for accurate data in a fully supported, worry-free environment. For more information, visit: https://www.clarity.io/. Node-S, Clarity Cloud, Clarity Dashboard, Clarity OpenMap and the Clarity logo are trademarks of, and Clarity is a registered trademark of Clarity Movement Co. Copyright (c) 2021, all rights reserved. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Media Contact: Naomi Pearce, +1.510.528.0824, pr@clarity.io View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/clarity-rolls-out-node-s-2-now-a-platform-for-air-quality-monitoring-301398333.html SOURCE Clarity Movement Co.

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[October 12, 2021] Proto101 Hosts a Series of Successful Fashion Pop Ups In Seattle

SEATTLE, Oct. 13, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Proto101, the sustainable fashion brand built from some of the industry's top professionals, hosted their first pop-up live event in Seattle, Washington from Thursday August 12th to Saturday, the 14th. Proto101 is a sustainable clothing company designing high-quality, long-lasting, versatile everyday wardrobe staples with an ethical supply chain; an antidote to disposable fast fashion. Proto101 is founded on the philosophy that clothing can look good, feel good, and do good. The event was held to promote the launch of their women's new line of sustainable basics in addition to their existing line of men's tees. The team at Proto101 partnered up with Gold Bar, one of Seattle's most popular bars, to host the event with the entire street closed for outdoor seating and pedestrians. The pop-up was full of energy and excitement with a live DJ, specialty cocktails, exclusive prmos and giveaways that had the whole block participating.



The location was primed for success and foot traffic, being located near Amazon's offices, the weekend farmer's market, and a music festival hosted by Refill live. In an interview with co-founder Rafael Soto, he told us that the pop-up felt like anything but work, but rather a party with friends and loved ones. Thanks to the live music, incredible vibes, and quality fashion, Proto101's fashion pop-up was a big success attracting guests from retailers like Nordstrom, Amazon, and Zulily who came to celebrate the new sustainable brand.

In addition to launching their women's and men's line, Proto101 surprised their guests with exclusive access to their unreleased collection of French Terry sweatpants and sweatshirts in a neutral palette that includes camel, grey, and olive (launch ETA November 2021). Proto101 isn't just a sustainable fashion brand  they plant a tree for every garment sold - what really makes Proto101 unique is how they solve everyday problems with their simple, streamlined designs. Proto101's dresses are designed with pockets  finally, women get pockets  and hoodies have secure zip pockets for keys and cards so you always have a place for your important items. And their Supima cotton stretch tees are engineered to perform like your active gym tee, engineered with moisture wicking so you're not worried about sweat patches. With their first successful pop-up and rapidly growing DTC business, Proto101 is gaining momentum and they're not slowing down anytime soon. Based on the stellar feedback, Proto101 added a second pop-up event in Seattle, WA that took place September 17th through the 19th, , and are scouting their next cities and locations. For more information on the sustainable fashion brand and their next pop up locations, you can visit their website at:

https://proto101.com SOURCE Proto101

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[October 12, 2021]

VelocityEHS Fall Webinar Series Tackles Critical EHS & ESG Concerns

CHICAGO, Oct. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- VelocityEHS, the global leader in cloud-based environmental, health, safety (EHS) and environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) software, announced today the upcoming dates for its ongoing series of exclusive live webinars designed to educate health and safety leaders on the latest industry issues and trends. With more certified experts than the next five competitors combined, VelocityEHS specialists provide unparalleled information and advice relevant to todays complex risk and compliance concerns.



Each free, live webinar will feature unique insights, best practices, and live Q&A with industry leading VelocityEHS subject matter experts. The fall webinar series schedule includes:

Calculating an ROI for Ergonomics

October 19, 2021 at 2 p.m. ET

Prevent Incidents Before They Happen: Using "Prevention Through Design"

November 2, 2021 at 11 a.m. ET

5 Ways to Get More Meaningful EH&S Metrics

November 10, 2021 at 2 p.m. ET

The Shape of EHS to Come: Lessons from the Pandemic (ISHN Webinar Sponsored by VelocityEHS)





November 18, 2021 at 2 p.m. ET

All About ISO 45001: Understanding the New Standard and What It Means for You

November 30, 2021 at 11 a.m. ET

Registration is now open, but space is limited. Visit the Webinars & Recordings page to access a library of on-demand recordings of these and other informative VelocityEHS webinars.

EHS leaders and c-suite executives are also encouraged to attend the VelocityEHS: ESG Virtual Conference on October 26, 2021. While Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) issues are not new, a major shift driven by new regulations, expanding business opportunities and a global focus on climate risk, gender diversity, human rights and more have organizational leaders working to weave ESG into their corporate DNA. During the free, one-day event, VelocityEHS professionals and industry experts as we come together to discuss ESG and share best practices for incorporating it into company operations.

VelocityEHS is committed to providing outstanding thought leadership and opportunities for industry professionals to learn from our certified experts and specialists, said Matt Airhart, President & COO of VelocityEHS. Its more important than ever for EHS leaders to have the resources and insight necessary to manage risk and lead sustainable business processes.

The VelocityEHS Accelerate Platform delivers best-in-class performance in the areas of health, safety, risk, ESG and operational excellence. Backed by the largest global software community of EHS experts and thought leaders, the software drives expert processes so that every team member can produce outstanding results. For more information, visit www.EHS.com.

About VelocityEHS

Trusted by more than 20,000 customers worldwide, VelocityEHS is the global leader in true SaaS enterprise EHS technology. Through the VelocityEHS Accelerate Platform, the company helps global enterprises drive operational excellence by delivering best-in-class capabilities for health, safety, environmental compliance, training, operational risk and environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG). The VelocityEHS team includes unparalleled industry expertise, with more certified experts in health, safety, industrial hygiene, ergonomics, sustainability, the environment, AI, and machine learning than any EHS software provider. Recognized by the EHS industrys top independent analysts as a Leader in the Verdantix 2021 Green Quadrant AnalysisVelocityEHS is committed to industry thought leadership and to accelerating the pace of innovation through its software solutions and vision.

VelocityEHS is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, with locations in Ann Arbor, Michigan; Tampa, Florida; Oakville, Ontario; London, England; Perth, Western Australia; and Cork, Ireland. For more information, visit www.EHS.com.

Media Contact

Betsy Utley-Marin

312.881.2307

butleymarin@ehs.com
[October 12, 2021] Alexander Group Presents Sales Compensation Resource Center

Alexander Group is pleased to introduce the Sales Compensation Resource Center. This comprehensive resource located on the Alexander Group's website features original sales compensation content authored by its consultants, including articles, trends research and videos. As the sales compensation market leader and premier provider of sales compensation design services to Global 2000 companies, the Alexander Group has developed a vast collection of materials to share with the marketplace. Once visitors sign up for the Sales Compensation Resource Center, they receive free, unlimited access to the content, which is updated monthly. A few of the featured items currently on the website include the article, "Are Salespeople Coin-Operated?" and the video, "Pocket Guide to Sales Compensation," both by David Cichelli, the bestselling author of Compensating the Sales Force, third edition.



"We want to share our knowledge with sales compensation stakeholders," said Cichelli, sales compensation practice leader and revenue growth advisor of the Alexander Group. "The more we learn from each other, the better we can provision our sales teams with motivating, effective and rewarding sales compensation programs." About Alexander Group

Alexander Group provides revenue growth consulting services to the world's leading sales, marketing and service organizations. Founded in 1985, the firm combines deep experience, proven methodologies and data-driven insights to help revenue leaders anticipate change, align their go-to-customer resources with company goals and make better informed decisions with one goal in mind-to grow revenue. The Alexander Group has offices in Atlanta, Chicago, London, New York, San Francisco, Sao Paulo, Scottsdale, and Vero Beach. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211012006052/en/

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[October 12, 2021] King & Spalding Adds Six Partners to its Global Human Capital and Compliance Practice

CHICAGO and NEW YORK, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- King & Spalding has added a six-partner team to its Global Human Capital and Compliance (GHCC) practice, with Tom Ahlering, Anne Dana, Gina Merrill, Jenny Neilsson, Jesse Pauker and Pete Wozniak joining across the firm's Chicago and New York offices. "This six-partner team brings deep Human Capital experience across all of the critical issues that U.S. and global multinational companies are facing," said Todd Holleman, who heads the firm's Corporate, Finance and Investments Practice, which includes the GHCC group. "They are the latest additions to our very successful GHCC team and will play an invaluable role in providing clients with their most important strategic and compliance-related Human Capital advice in the U.S. and around the world." Tom Ahlering (Chicago)

Ahlering most recently served as Co-Chair of the Biometric Compliance Group at Seyfarth Shaw. He represents clients on issues relating to employment-related privacy laws, including biometric privacy and data protection. Ahlering received his undergraduate degree from Marquette University and his J.D. from The John Marshall Law School. Anne Dana (New York)

Dana counsels clients generally on a wide range of human capital issues, including disciplinary actions and terminations, employment and separation agreements, and employment policies and practices. She also extensively advises clients on compliance with harassment and discrimination laws across the U.S. Dana received her undergraduate degree from New York University, magna cum laude, and her J.D. from Duke University School of Law. Gina Merrill (New York)

Merrill advises corporate management on compliance with wage and hour and anti-discrimination statutes, specializing in complex employment litigation and class and collectiveaction proceedings. Merrill, who received her undergraduate degree from Brown University, magna cum laude, and her J.D. from New York University, magna cum laude, is also recognized in Benchmark Litigation and Legal 500.



Jenny Neilsson (Chicago)

Neilsson focuses her practice on employee benefits and ERISA Title I and has significant experience advising clients regarding investment-related issues that arise under ERISA. She advises clients on issues that arise in connection with the structuring and operation of private funds, investor negotiations in connection with fund raising activities, and ongoing compliance. Neilsson received her LL.M. in Taxation from New York University and her J.D. from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law. Jesse Pauker (New York)

Pauker assists multi-national companies with their strategic and compliance-related workforce issues around the world. In particular, he has deep experience with the global workforce aspects of cross-border transactions, including major post-acquisition global workforce integrations. He received his undergraduate degree from Penn State University and his J.D. from Rutgers University School of Law (Camden).

Pete Wozniak (Chicago)

Wozniak handles complex labor and employment matters, including discrimination class actions, wage and hour class and collective actions, and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission litigation. He received his undergraduate degree from Binghamton University and the Indiana University Maurer School of Law, (J.D.), magna cum laude. Ahlering, Dana, Merrill and Pauker all join King & Spalding from Seyfarth Shaw. Wozniak joins from Barnes & Thornburg and Neilsson from Simpson Thacher & Bartlett. Neilsson will start later this month. "As the only law firm with a Global Human Capital and Compliance practice, King & Spalding is taking a very deliberate centralized, global approach to help multi-national company clients manage their most important workforce issues," added Darren Gardner, head of the GHCC team. "These are six very highly-regarded human capital partners who will help us continue to scale our team, deliver strategic business value and help our clients manage their material workforce risks in the U.S. and around the world." Also joining the firm recently were new partners Lazar Raynal (Chicago) and Erica Franzetti (Washington, D.C.) About King & Spalding

Celebrating more than 130 years of service, King & Spalding is an international law firm that represents a broad array of clients, including half of the Fortune Global 100, with over 1,200 lawyers in 22 offices in the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. The firm has handled matters in over 160 countries on six continents and is consistently recognized for the results it obtains, uncompromising commitment to quality, and dedication to understanding the business and culture of its clients. More information is available at www.kslaw.com. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/king--spalding-adds-six-partners-to-its-global-human-capital-and-compliance-practice-301398434.html SOURCE K&S

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[October 12, 2021] Ignore No More: Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research Launches African American Women & Sarcoidosis Campaign

CHICAGO, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research (FSR) is excited to announce the official launch of the first of its kind African American Women & Sarcoidosis National Campaign (AAWS). African American women experience the highest incidence of sarcoidosis in the US as compared to any other group. Sarcoidosis (pronounced SAR-COY-DOE-SIS) is an inflammatory disease characterized by the formation of granulomastiny clumps of inflammatory cellsin one or more organs of the body. African American women experience the highest incidence of sarcoidosis in the US as compared to any other group. African American women are 3 times more likely to develop sarcoidosis when compared to Caucasians. They are also more likely to experience chronic and severe symptoms leading to hospitalization rates 18 times higher than Caucasian men, 10 times higher than Caucasian women and more than double that of African American men. Additionally, their sarcoidosis-related mortality rate is 13 times higher than that of Caucasians and 1.5 times higher than that of African American men. Thanks to the generous support of our sponsors, Global Genes and Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals, FSR will raise awareness of how these significant disparities are relevant to the diagnosis and management of sarcoidosis as it impacts African American women. "Raising awareness of sarcoidosis' prevalence and identifying barriers to care experienced by African American women are critical steps toward improved diagnosis, treatment, and support for all African American women living with this complex condition," says Mary McGowan, CEO of The Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research. "A one-size-fits-all approach to treating and managing is insufficient. We must explore new and innovative approaches that address these disparities head-on. Our hope is through this campaign, we provide patients, their communities, and their providers with the necessary tools to engage in open dialogues about sarcoidosis symptoms, progression, and disease management that lead to better outcomes." As part of the AAWS campaign, FSR developed a Women of Color Patient Advisory Committee (WOC PAC), coprised of 15 African American women from across the US. WOC PAC members are both sarcoidosis patients and care partners, whose diverse lived experiences capture differences in age (33-72 years), regional representation (10 states), and sarcoidosis manifestations (11 manifestations). These women will be at the forefront of this critical initiative, engaging in media interviews and sharing their own stories on the public stage to empower others. 2021 Women of Color Patient Committee Members are: Cheryl Bradford, Erica Courtenay Mann, Garrie Farrow, Jonette Harper, Brenda Harris, Marsha Henderson, Gloria McDaniel, Mary Oldham, Chasta Posey, Jessica Propps, Jessica Reid, Ora Riley, C. Ann Scott, Rhonda Underhill, and Kathryn Washington. Using their lived experiences and armed with the tools and education provided by FSR, this committee will be essential in creating and disseminating educational materials and messaging that resonate with African Americans.



The creation of a Women of Color Clinical Advisory Committee (WOC CAC) ensures a clinical perspective is included in the planning and execution of this campaign. The WOC CAC is comprised of four practicing clinicians and an epidemiologist to bring a wealth of clinical experience and rich data specific to African American Women and sarcoidosis. Esteemed committee members are: Divya Patel, DO of University of Florida Department of Medicine; Ogugua Obi, MD, MPH, MSc of East Carolina University; Yvette Cozier, DSc of Boston University; and W. Ennis James, MD of Medical University of South Carolina. FSR will partner with numerous health and community-based organizations and clinical centers to produce various awareness activities beginning this Fall with a Twitter Chat sponsored by Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals and Global Genes Monday, October 25th from 11am-12pm CST. Dr Cozier and Dr. Obi will join FSR on Twitter to answer questions about sarcoidosis in African American women including symptoms, contributing factors, and what is being done to help improve care. To join the chat, users should follow @stopsarcoidosis on Twitter and post using the hashtags #Sarcoidosis, #IgnoreNoMore, and #AAWS.

In February 2022, Black History Month, FSR will launch a month-long social media campaign, providing an easy-to-use social media toolkit and educational resources to help raise awareness. An educational webinar will also be held in February 2022. An infographic providing detailed information on the prevalence of sarcoidosis in African American women is available to view on FSR's web page dedicated to the AAWS campaign. To learn more about FSR's African American Women & Sarcoidosis Campaign, please visit https://www.stopsarcoidosis.org/aaws-campaign/ . About Sarcoidosis Sarcoidosis is a rare inflammatory disease characterized by the formation of granulomastiny clumps of inflammatory cellsin one or more organs of the body. When too many of these clumps form, they can interfere with the organ's function, leading to serious and sometimes fatal complications. Despite increasing advances in research, sarcoidosis remains difficult to diagnose with limited treatment options and no known cure. About the Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research (FSR) Established in 2000, The Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research (FSR) is the leading international nonprofit organization dedicated to finding a cure for sarcoidosis and improving care for sarcoidosis patients. Since inception, FSR has fostered over $5 million in sarcoidosis-specific research efforts and has worked diligently to provide resources to thousands. For more information and to join our community, visit www.stopsarcoidosis.org. For more information or to schedule an interview, please reach out to: Cathi Davis , Communication's Manager

, Communication's Manager 312-341-0500 ext 106 cathi@stopsarcoidosis.org View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ignore-no-more-foundation-for-sarcoidosis-research-launches-african-american-women--sarcoidosis-campaign-301398494.html SOURCE Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research

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[October 12, 2021] Neptune Retail Solutions and RevTrax Partner to Exclusively Provide Personalized Digital Offers to the Shelf at Scale

NEW YORK, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Neptune Retail Solutions (NRS) , a leading omni-channel retail marketing company, today announced that it has signed an exclusive agreement with RevTrax , the leading promotions marketing platform, to execute digital personalization at scale for our clients. This partnership bridges the gap between the digital and in-store shopping experience in a way never before possible until now. Digital innovation and omnichannel integration continue to be at the forefront of our go-to-market strategy RevTrax's industry-leading Offer Management Platform ("OMP") delivers digital innovation to brands at the intersection of payments, marketing, offers and artificial intelligence. RevTrax solutions empower brands to modernize promotions, incentives and offers through AI personalization, innovative payments technology and campaign automation, delivering increased value to consumers while driving better ROI for brands and retailers. Leveraging its massive database of consumer interactions and state-of-the-art artificial intelligence, brands can automatically deliver each individual consumer the optimal offer value needed to drive increased response, revenue and profitability. "Digital innovation and omnichannel integration continue to be at the forefront of our go-to-market strategy," said Bill Redmond, CEO of NRS. "With our new partnership with RevTrax, we will be able to provide our client partners with a unique ability to efficiently and effectively customize digital incentives on an individual level within the store environment. This will reveal insights about their shoppers in a way that no other organization can deliver. We are truly excited to be commercializing this innovation immediately for an industry that has been hungry for true digital transformation."



Through the partnership, NRS becomes the exclusive in-store seller of RevTrax's Universal Mobile OfferTM (UMO) solution , to be distributed via signage across its vast network of grocery, drug, club, and home improvement retailers. Connecting the shelf - where more than 80% of shopping decisions are still made - with an optimized digital promotion experience, is a first of its kind opportunity to seamlessly and smartly connect digital and in-store and increase ROI, while driving shopper loyalty and engagement. Jonathan Treiber, CEO, RevTrax, said, "Our team is excited to expand the distribution of our customers' offers across NRS' extensive footprint of more than forty-seven thousand retail locations. While e-commerce undoubtedly continues to grow, the vast majority of shopping decisions are still made in physical retail locations for a wide swath of consumer goods, so it's critical for brands to influence shoppers' purchasing decisions on a 1:1 basis, at the right time, in the right place, at their moment of need. The partnership announced today is truly transformative and represents a giant leap forward in making that vision a reality."

ABOUT Neptune Retail Solutions: NRS is a leading omni-channel retail marketing company in the US & Canada that delivers profitable growth for retailers and brands. The NRS platform is powered by both exclusive in store marketing rights in North America's largest grocery and drugstores, including Kroger, Ahold, Loblaws, Walgreens and CVS, in addition to exclusive deterministic first party shopper data, generated from the company's owned and operated cashback app, Checkout 51, capturing deterministic first party shopping data via receipt scans from key retail locations across the US and Canada including Walmart, Target, Costco, Sam's Club and the retailers noted above. About RevTrax: RevTrax empowers brands to deploy intelligent promotions and offers across channels, track performance, and increase profit and marketing ROI. With a robust portfolio of patents relating to offer security, RevTrax brings control back into the hands of the brand. For more information, visit revtrax.com. For further information, please contact media@neptuneretailsolutions.com Related Links: www.neptuneretailsolutions.com www.revtrax.com View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/neptune-retail-solutions-and-revtrax-partner-to-exclusively-provide-personalized-digital-offers-to-the-shelf-at-scale-301398549.html SOURCE Neptune Retail Solutions.com

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[October 12, 2021] SITE Centers' Third Quarter 2021 Earnings Conference Call to Be Held on Monday, October 25, 2021, at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time

SITE Centers Corp. (NYSE: SITC), an owner of open-air shopping centers in suburban, high household income communities, announced today that financial and operational results for the quarter ended September 30, 2021 will be released prior to the market open on October 25, 2021. The Company will host its quarterly earnings conference call and audio webcast on October 25, 2021, at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time. All interested parties can access the earnings call by dialing 888-317-6003 (U.S.), 866-284-3684 (Canada), or 412-317-6061 (international) using passcode 8760189. The call will also be webcast and available in a listen-only mode on SITE Centers' website at ir.sitecenter.com.



If you are unable to participate during the live call, a replay will be available on SITE Centers' website for future review. You may also access the telephone replay by dialing 877-344-7529 (U.S.), 855-669-9658 (Canada), or 412-317-0088 (international) using passcode 10158874 through November 25, 2021. About SITE Centers Corp.

SITE Centers is an owner and manager of open-air shopping centers located in suburban, high household income communities. The Company is a self-administered and self-managed REIT operating as a fully integrated real estate company, and is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol SITC. Additional information about the Company is available at www.sitecenters.com. To be included in the Company's e-mail distributions for press releases and other investor news, please click here. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211012006100/en/

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[October 12, 2021] Cardano Based Project Ravendex Releases Their DEX Demo, Kickstarts Private token Sale To Early Adopters

Dublin, Oct. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ravendex has announced the release of its first decentralized exchange with a proposed private sale date fixed for October 5, 2021. You can view the platforms demo here.

According to the Ravendex team, the $RAVE token is built on the Cardano Network and has a total supply of 1 billion tokens. Holding the token offers you the opportunity to interact with the Cardano network, endorse or give liquidity to Cardano projects, and can also be used for staking. First Phase For Investors The first phase of the Rave token sale is through the Private Sale for early adopters. The sale will commence on October 5, 2021, and interested investors can leverage the opportunity to invest in the token by joining the sale through this link: https://sale.ravendex.io/ The team explained that there would be five sale phases with 100 million $RAVE tkens available for sale to early adopters for just 0.00225 ADA per $RAVE token. Investors looking to buy $RAVE Tokens can do so by clicking here



Public Sales The public sale phase will open the way for the seed phase where 200,000,000 $RAVE tokens are available for sale at a slightly higher 0.0027 ADA per token.

Investors are encouraged to seize the opportunity to acquire as many tokens as possible before the token goes public in anticipation of its future appreciation. The Ravendex team has made further information available for interested investors on Medium through the link: https://ravendex.medium.com/rave-private-sale-to-early-adopters-going-live-in-few-hours-b50ba0820dc7. Crypto lovers who desire to be early birds are encouraged to check the information out. Vision of the leadership The Ravendex leadership has expressed its desire to create a fully decentralized autonomous organization for the massive Cardano community where they can come together and make their voices heard by voting on viable projects. The team explained that the Ravendex project was built on the Cardano ecosystem with the objective of solving two main issues with the cryptocurrency market. They intend to be the one-stop decentralized finance hub on Cardano. They intend to concentrate on two main features with the potential to create value for the projects built on the ecosystem. The leadership explained the rationale behind building RavenDex on the Cardano blockchain. The goal is to guarantee seamless cross-border transactions with low fees. To achieve its lofty goal, the team intends to take the Cardano ecosystem beyond this level, on to the next level. Creating a platform where investors wont have cross-chain transaction glitches, the RavenDex Cross Chain Exchange and Swap Protocol has guaranteed increased trading volume and liquidity on its platform. Join Ravendex private token sale https://sale.ravendex.io/buy-token Social Links: Twitter: https://twitter.com/Ravendexlabs

Telegram: http://t.me/ravendexlabs

Github: https://github.com/Ravendexlabs Media contact: Company: Ravendex Labs

Contact Name: Raven

E-mail: hello@ravendex.io

Location: Dublin

Website: https://ravendex.io Source Link



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[October 12, 2021] American Financial Group, Inc. Announces Its Conference Call and Webcast to Discuss 2021 Third Quarter Results

American Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE: AFG) expects to release its 2021 third quarter results after 5:00 p.m. (ET) on Tuesday, November 2, 2021. The release will be available shortly thereafter on AFG's website at www.AFGinc.com. In conjunction with its release, AFG will hold a conference call to discuss 2021 third quarter results at 11:30 a.m. (ET) on Wednesday, November 3, 2021. There are two communication modes available to listen to the call. By Telephone Toll-free access will be available by dialing 1-877-459-8719 (international dial-in 424-276-6843). The conference ID for the live call is 1653603. Please dial in five to ten minutes prior to the scheduled start time of the call. A replay will be available approximately two hours following the completion of the call and will remain available until November 10, 2021. To listen to the replay, dial 1-855-859-2056 (internationl dial-in 404-537-3406) and provide the conference ID 1653603.



Via the Internet The conference call and accompanying webcast slides will also be broadcast live over the internet. To access the event, click the following link: https://www.AFGinc.com/news-and-events/event-calendar. Alternatively, you can choose Events from the Investor Relations page at www.AFGinc.com.

An archived webcast will be available immediately after the call via the same link on our website until November 10, 2021. About American Financial Group, Inc. American Financial Group is an insurance holding company, based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Through the operations of Great American Insurance Group, AFG is engaged primarily in property and casualty insurance, focusing on specialized commercial products for businesses. Great American Insurance Group's roots go back to 1872 with the founding of its flagship company, Great American Insurance Company. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211012006146/en/

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[October 12, 2021] Signify Health to Report Third Quarter 2021 Earnings and Host Earnings Call on Wednesday, November 10, 2021

Signify Health, Inc. (NYSE: SGFY), a leading value-based healthcare platform enabled by advanced analytics, technology and nationwide healthcare networks, announced that it will release its financial results for the third quarter 2021 after the market closes on Tuesday, November 9, 2021, and will hold a conference call at 8:30am ET on Wednesday, November 10, 2021, to discuss the results. Pre-registration is required for participation in the conference call. Please follow the link below to pre-register. After registering, you will be provided with your access details via email. www.incommuk.com/customers/signifyhealthquarterthree2021 A webcast of the conference call will also be available live on the investor relations section of Signify Health's website at https://investors.signifyhealth.com/events/default.aspx. Please go to the website at least 15 minutes prior to the call to complete the registration process.



The webcast replay will be available through January 10, 2022, on Signify Health's website at https://investors.signifyhealth.com/events/default.aspx. About Signify Health

Signify Health is a leading healthcare platform that leverages advanced analytics, technology, and nationwide healthcare provider networks to create and power value-based payment programs. Our mission is to transform how care is paid for and delivered so that people can enjoy more healthy, happy days at home. Our solutions support value-based payment programs by aligning financial incentives around outcomes, providing tools to health plans and healthcare organizations designed to assess and manage risk and identify actionable opportunities for improved patient outcomes, coordination and cost-savings. Through our platform, we coordinate what we believe is a holistic suite of clinical, social, and behavioral services to address an individual's healthcare needs and prevent adverse events that drive excess cost, all while shifting services towards the home. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211012006111/en/

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The hip-hop mogul directs EPIC cash to a local group of legal eagles.

Here's just a bit of background and reaction . . .

The Midwest Innocence Project is based in Kansas City and has helped free numerous prisoners who were wrongfully convicted, including Lamonte McIntyre.

McIntyres case exposed allegations of police misconduct, corruption and abuse inside the KCK Police Department.

The current operating budget for the Midwest Innocence Project is less than a million dollars.

We are thankful, not just for the resource, but for Team Rocs commitment to making change to helping end the corruption, abuse and injustice in Wyandotte County. The misconduct and sexual abuses committed by Detective Golubski and other law enforcement has been known for decades, yet no one with power has acted. Team Roc is acting, said executive director Tricia Rojo Bushnell.

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com news link . . .
We start our nooner blast with a bit of educational and entrepreneurial feminist inspiration from hottie Lindsey as she hypes her latest photo set with this tag:

"They say a woman's place is in the kitchen...So I bought the whole house to make a point."

Accordingly, this inspires our peek at pop culture, community news and top headlines.



Check the www.TonysKansasCity.com collection . . .

Celebrate Crusty Payout

Kansas City pizza shop receives huge overnight order from Amazon in Lenexa KANSAS CITY, Mo. - We are all used to ordering our favorite items from Amazon, but on Employee Appreciation Day, the company is flipping the script. The warehouse in Lenexa, Kansas put in a massive order for 243 large pizzas overnight to serve to nearly 1,000 meals.

Disappearance Case Bombshell

Cassidy Rainwater case: 2 explosive devices found on suspect's property The Cassidy Rainwater mystery now involves homemade bombs. A new report released by the Springfield Fire Department reveals two devices with tripwires were found at the property of suspect James Phelps. The report states that the devices were made out of mortar tubes as well as balloons and coiled fuses.

Kansas City Tribute Endures

KCFD marks six-year anniversary of Leggio, Mesh deaths in line of duty KANSAS CITY, Mo. - It has been six years since Kansas City, Missouri, firefighters Larry Leggio and John Mesh died battling a blaze intentionally set inside a nail salon in the 2600 block of Independence Avenue. Leggio, a 17-year KCFD veteran, and Mesh, a 13-year veteran with the department, were killed when the side of the building collapsed on Oct.

Show-Me Dead-Tree Comeback

New owners seek to revive Missouri newspapers sold by Gannett: 'You have got to have local news' When media giant Gannett wanted to sell the Lake Sun-Leader, a community newspaper with a 120-year history, Trevor Vernon decided it would fit in well with his family's other publications. Vernon Communications owns the Eldon Advertiser, the Hermitage Index and the Tipton Times. "It makes sense," Vernon said.

Rock Chalk Freedom Awaits

For November election in Kansas, today is the last day to register to vote Today is an important deadline for Kansas voters. It's your last day to register to vote ahead of the November election.Even though the clock's winding down, it doesn't take much time to sign up.It's super easy to register to vote.

Cowtown Selling Season Slumps

Kansas City real estate market cools-off after six-month spike It will surprise no one that the last year has shaken the housing market. But, at least in Kansas City, the market may have done exactly the opposite of what you would expect.

Hottie Gets REAL

Playboy star Lindsey Pelas flaunts real bikini body in unedited snaps Model and Playboy beauty Lindsey Pelas is known for her glam bikini snaps. However, the social media influencer, who boasts 8.4million Instagram followers, revealed her real bikini body in her new snaps. The 30-year-old US stunner was seen posing in a tiny back bikini in unedited and unfiltered photos.

Prez Biden Legacy On The Run

Interpreter who helped rescue Biden in 2008 snowstorm flees Afghanistan An Afghan interpreter who helped rescue Joe Biden after his helicopter made an emergency landing during a snowstorm in 2008, when he was a senator, has escaped Afghanistan with his family.

MAGA Fights To Keep Secrets

Trump's use of executive privilege will test congressional power to enforce subpoenas WASHINGTON - The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol is exploring ways to enforce its subpoenas after former President Donald Trump asserted executive privilege, an attempt to keep documents from his time in office from being turned over. But under current law, lawmakers have few options.

Beltway Name Game Cont'd

Schiff calls House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy an 'insurrectionist in a suit and tie' Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff on Tuesday referred to House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy as an "insurrectionist in a suit and tie," as he slammed the House Republican leader for having "absolutely no reverence for the truth."

MAGA Allies Abound

Grassley's embrace of Trump shakes GOP landscape Grassley, 88, has worked carefully over his four decades in the Senate to cultivate a reputation as a politician completely in step with Iowans who cherish family values, hard work, ethical behavior and integrity. A few months ago, Grassley criticized Trump for refusing to accept the results of the 2020 election, accusing him of "poor leadership" and "extreme, aggressive and irresponsible" language.

COVID CASH SPIKES!!!

U.S. sees biggest revenue surge in 44 years despite pandemic "They are just booming," said Mark Booth, a former top revenue forecaster at the agency. "It is very unusual." Though Democrats are hammering the rich for not paying their fair share in taxes, the increase is being driven by levies primarily paid by the well-to-do. For example, corporate tax receipts leapt 75 percent, CBO says.

Fear Sinking Feeling

Our underwater future: What sea level rise will look like around the globe Roughly 50 major coastal cities will need to implement "unprecedented" adaptation measures to prevent rising seas from swallowing their most populated areas, a new study shows.

Speaker Confronts Angry Anti-Vaxxers

Pelosi's trip to Rome was disrupted by violent anti-vaccine mandate protests House Speaker Nancy Pelosi nearly crossed paths with thousands of people protesting vaccine mandates in Italy this weekend. Pelosi, who was in Rome for a meeting with foreign leaders, was attending Mass in the city at St. Patrick's Church.

Game Show Drama For Realz

Netflix's 'Squid Game' creator says Donald Trump's election helped inspire him to finally make the hit show The creator of "Squid Game," the immensely popular international hit for Netflix, revealed how the financial crisis over the past decade as well as the election of Donald Trump inspired him to make the show. "Squid Game" follows 456 people who are all in dire financial situations.

Mum Outraged Over TSA Squeeze

Shawn Johnson says she was 'groped and yelled at' by TSA agent while traveling with breast milk Shawn Johnson is speaking out about a bad experience that she had during a routine security check at the airport when a Transportation Security Administration agent allegedly stopped the former gymnast for having breast milk with her.

No Jokes About Juice?!?

Nicole Brown's sister calls out Kim Kardashian over OJ Simpson jokes Kim Kardashian hosted Saturday Night Live and roasted her sex tape, OJ Simpson, her sisters, her mom's boyfriend, Caitlyn Jenner and Kanye West Kim's father Robert Kardashian famously got his friend and client Simpson acquitted of Nicole Brown's murder in 1994, after she was stabbed to death The reality star

Kangroo History Endures

Corinthian Hall: Back to Her Former Glory - In Kansas City The Kansas City Museum has had some work done. Oh, you know, they all do, at a certain age. But this is more than a facelift-this is $22 million worth of work by JE Dunn and International Architects Atelier. After years of restoration and renovation, Corinthian Hall, the centerpiece of the Kansas City Museum, will...

Mayor Q Talks Northeast

205: Mayor Lucas on the Kansas City Museum On this week's episode of the Northeast Newscast, Publisher Michael Bushnell sits down with Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas to discuss the Kansas City Museum, which is set to reopen to the public following an extensive multi-million dollar renovation on October 21.

Sunflower State Stroll Helps Po'Folk

Man walks across Kansas to raise awareness of Kansas City, KS nonprofit LINWOOD, KS (KCTV) --An Overland Park man is walking across Kansas to draw attention to a Kansas City, Kansas-based nonprofit organization, Unbound, dedicated to helping people living in poverty around the world. We caught up with Jake Hentzen near Linwood, Kansas, About 418 miles into his journey-with about another 30 to go.

Golden Ghetto Poke Out

Endangered tortoise found on Olathe trail by: Juan Cisneros Posted: / Updated: OLATHE, Kan. - The Olathe Animal Care and Control department received a call from a local resident on August 31 saying she saw a strange critter near Water Works Park. After investigating, it was determined that it was an endangered species of tortoise, not native to Kansas.

Erin Shares Cold Weather Forecast

Your Storm Track 5 Daily Forecast Jackets handy to begin our Tuesday KC! We will start the day chilly but warm quickly with mostly sunny skies and highs near 76. We are tracking our next chance for storms late tonight into Wednesday morning. There is a 70% chance for rain early Wednesday morning.

Gracie Abrams - Feels Like is the song of the day and this is the OPEN THREAD for right now.
Again, it's worth repeating that Southwest is the lead on New KCI and they've led the busted and secretive process from start to not-quite-finished.



Now that voters have bought the hype hook, line & sinker . . . We're getting a look at the future hot mess getting ready to crash & burn in Kansas City.

Let's take a peek at the sitch . . .



"More flights were delayed out of Kansas City International Airport Tuesday morning.According to flykci.com, three Southwest flights are delayed so far.Southwest has been dealing with several issues, including weather, air-traffic control issues and staffing shortages."

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com news links . . .

More Southwest delays reported at KCI Tuesday KANSAS CITY, Mo. - According to Flight Aware, Southwest has canceled 60 flights nationwide for Tuesday and delayed more than 150 flights. That is a decrease . . .

Travelers stuck in KC after Southwest Airlines cancels nearly 2,000 flights across the country Southwest Airlines has canceled nearly 2,000 flights in a matter of days. Numerous flights out of Kansas City International airport were among those affected.Bryan Elliott has been trying to get back to Charleston, South Carolina, through Southwest since Sunday."One of the flight attendants didn't show up so the flight got delayed," Elliott said.

Southwest Airlines delays, cancelations strand travelers at KCI Airport for third day KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Thousands of passengers nationwide are scrambling as Southwest Airlines continues to cancel flights for the third day in a row. The number of cancelations has dropped a bit Monday, with over 300 canceled and over 200 delayed. The Dallas-based airline canceled more than 1,000 on Sunday alone.

Southwest Airlines cancellations: What are airline passengers entitled to? Your flight is canceled. You have to stay over in a hotel and pay for dinner or scramble to find a rental car. What are you entitled to?It's a question many frustrated Southwest Airlines customers are asking in the face of thousands of canceled flights over the weekend and into Monday.Beyond rebooking a passenger or issuing a refund for a flight that's canceled, U.S.

Travelers frustrated after Southwest Airlines cancels, delays flights KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Some Kansas City families are struggling to get home after Southwest Airlines canceled hundreds of flights over the weekend. While some travelers only had a 45-minute to hour-long delay, it became a more substantial ordeal trying to get back to Kansas City for many others whose flights were canceled.

Southwest Blames Cancellations On Weather Being Too Beautiful To Spend Whole Day Cooped Up On Plane DALLAS-In a public statement Monday that declared it was absolutely gorgeous outside, Southwest Airlines, which canceled more than 2,000 flights over the holiday weekend, blamed the disruptions on the weather being too beautiful for anyone to spend their day cooped up on a plane. "There is absolutely no good reason...

Southwest cancels thousands of flights, leading to chaos at airports across the country CBS News From Los Angeles to Miami, Dallas to Denver, thousands of Southwest customers had weekend travel plans ruined by more than 2,000 flight cancelations. The airline canceled another 10% of flights on Monday. It's not clear what is causing the disruption as the airline and its pilots are telling different stories.

Developing . . .
A tragic spate of shooting at an old school hangout results in tragic consequences for a local young man and his family.



Here's the word . . .

He was on a double date with friends and was leaving the bowling alley when the shooting happened. His mother said he was shot in the head and he was put on life-support.



This wasnt a drug deal gone wrong, or a bad kid thats committed a whole bunch of crimes . . ."

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com news links . . .

21-year-old shot at Ward Parkway Lanes last week dies by: Juan Cisneros Posted: / Updated: KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The 21-year-old man shot at Ward Parkway Lanes on October 3 has died from his injuries. Avery Williams was one of three people hurt in a shooting in the parking lot of the bowling alley just after 11 p.m.

Victim in Oct. 3 triple shooting dies from injuries, police seek information KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Avery Williams, a 22-year-old Kansas City man, has been pronounced deceased. He sustained injuries along with two other victims in an Oct. 3 shooting outside of the Ward Parkway Lanes bowling alley. He had been on life support since then.

Developing . . .
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(BPT) - Harold L. was raised in a Kansas farming family as one of fourteen siblings. Unfortunately, throughout his active life and unbeknownst to him, he had been exposed to asbestos; first, as a young man growing up on the family farm and then while on active duty in the military. But his g
Over the past day, October 11, nine ceasefire violations by Russian-occupation troops were recorded in the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) in eastern Ukraine.

The enemy launched three attacks, using heavy machine guns, small arms, and grenade launchers of different systems, near Pivdenne (40km north-east of Donetsk). Two attacks from heavy machine guns, small arms, and grenade machine guns were launched near Krymske (42km north-west of Luhansk). Mercenaries fired hand-held antitank grenade launchers towards Krasnohorivka (21km west of Donetsk) and Zaitseve (62km north-east of Donetsk). Ukrainian positions outside Talakivka (17km north-east of Mariupol) came under heavy machine gun, small arms, and grenade launcher fire. Near Vodiane in the Sea of Azov area, the enemy opened fire from small arms and grenade launchers of different systems, the press center of JFO Headquarters posted on Facebook.

One Joint Forces serviceman was wounded in the enemy shelling.

Ukrainian defenders fired back to make the enemy cease attacks.

As of 07:00, October 12, no ceasefire violations were recorded.

"Our troops control the situation in the Joint Forces Operation area to repel and deter the armed aggression of the Russian Federation," reads the statement.

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Russia continues to build up elements of threatening military potential on the occupied Crimean peninsula, including nuclear capabilities.

"A disproportionate number of armament systems continue to be deployed in Crimea, including missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads, aircraft, ships, ammunition, and military personnel. The number of the latter increased to 32,500 and even to 44,000 in April during the groundless and threatening concentration of Russian troops on our borders," Mykola Tochytskyi, Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine, said at a briefing on the situation in the Black Sea, the Sea of Azov, and the Kerch Strait at the UN on October 11, an Ukrinform correspondent reported.

He stressed that Russia's militarization of Crimea was progressing. This is happening in the context of the occupation of the peninsula and the lack of control over Russia's actions by the international community. The current situation undermines the conventional arms control regime in the Euro-Atlantic area, raising serious concern.

The deputy foreign minister noted that the occupation authorities in Crimea de jure established control over nuclear facilities and materials and seized former nuclear weapon depots located on the peninsula.

"This runs counter the international law, in particular, the Statute of the IAEA and the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons," Tochytskyi said.

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The responsibility for the lack of progress in the peaceful settlement in eastern Ukraine lies entirely with the Russian Federation, which is undoubtedly a party to the ongoing conflict.

This was stated by President Volodymyr Zelensky who spoke at a joint press conference with European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen following a 23rd Ukraine-EU summit, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"One of the key topics of the Summit was about Ukraine and the EU coordinating steps to achieve peace in the east of our country. Together with the EU, we are united about the fact that the responsibility for the lack of progress in a peaceful settlement in Donbas lies entirely with the Russian Federation, which is undoubtedly a party to the conflict," Zelensky said.

Read also: Zelensky discusses preparations for Normandy format summit with Merkel and Macron

The head of state said this would be laid down in a Summits joint statement.

The Russian Federation has been systemically denying at all international platforms any involvement in hostilities in eastern parts of Ukraine, claiming a civil war has been raging in the said areas.

As reported earlier, the 23rd Ukraine-EU summit took place in Kyiv on Tuesday.

Photo: The Office of the President of Ukraine

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The European Union mulls a launch of a new military training mission in Ukraine and is ready to discuss joint projects in the field of military education with the Ukrainian side.

"As for military cooperation, we believe that it is possible to strengthen cooperation in this area as well. Examples of this are cooperation in the field of cybersecurity, the development of joint methods to combat cyberattacks, which take place almost daily in the EU. We believe that this is a matter for High Representative Josep Borrell  he will send a mission to Ukraine, meet with Ukrainian colleagues, and consider what joint projects we can discuss on military education, what specific projects we can develop together, strengthening the connection in this area," European Council President Charles Michel said during a joint press conference with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen following the 23rd UkraineEU Summit, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

He added that Ukraine's participation in the military operation Althea in Bosnia and Herzegovina was a concrete example of security cooperation with Ukraine.

"Today's meeting is another good opportunity to strengthen these future projects, especially in the field of security," said the President of the European Council.

President Zelensky, in turn, noted that the military training mission implied the adoption of European best practices and exchange of experience.

"We are grateful to Lithuania for this support and this initiative. I know that this mission is being discussed and endorsed by the European Union and that the number of countries increases every day. We support this initiative," Zelensky said.

During a field meeting of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine on July 30, it was decided that the Ukrainian military would take part in a peacekeeping mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where they would join EU's operation Althea. This will be Ukraine's first mission under the auspices of the European Union.

It was also reported that Ukraine and the European Union were discussing various options for further cooperation, including the launch of the EU military training mission in Ukraine.

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Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal and Prime Minister of Moldova Natalia Gavrilita discussed a wide range of issues related to the development of bilateral relations.

Shmyhal said this after a meeting with Gavrilita in Chisinau on August 28, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

We agreed with PM Gavrilita to resume the work of bilateral cooperation mechanisms of the joint intergovernmental commission on trade and economic cooperation and its working group, the Dniester Commission, as well as to intensify the negotiation processes on legal and contractual regulation of the operating conditions of the Dniester Hydropower Complex and the demarcation of the state border, Shmyhal noted.

The parties signed a protocol between the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and the Government of Moldova on amendments to the free trade agreement.

In addition, they discussed the prospects for further cooperation in economy, energy, transport, gas transportation and border spheres. We fully support Moldova in the process of the Transnistrian settlement and are grateful for the unchanging policy of Chisinau to support the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders. We have significant support from Moldova in adopting within the framework of the UN, Council of Europe, OSCE and other international organizations and other documents related to territorial integrity and condemnation of military aggression by Russia, Shmyhal added.

As reported, on August 27, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal took part in the celebrations on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of Moldova's independence.

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In 2021, Ukraine started exporting frozen raspberries to the United States and Canada for the first time, Ukrinform reports, referring to the astFruit platform for fruit and vegetable business.

One batch of raspberries was sent to Canada and one to the United States in the amount of one sea container. The logistics took around one and a half months, and the buyer was satisfied with the quality of the supplied products and is considering cooperation with Ukrainian suppliers on a regular basis, the report says.

It is noted that the importance of this event for the development of production and freezing of berries in Ukraine is explained by the high level of requirements for product quality and logistics, which were successfully overcome by Ukrainian suppliers. Accordingly, the Ukrainian raspberry exporter has previously successfully passed the FDA (The United States Food and Drug Administration) certification.

According to astFruit, the second important point of this event is that the United States and Canada traditionally pay higher prices for imported raspberries than other large importing countries, which creates good opportunities for Ukrainian exporters to invest in improving product quality.

The USA and Canada account for around 80% of all global imports of frozen raspberries in value terms and around 65% in physical terms. Access to direct deliveries of frozen raspberries to countries with high import prices for raspberries is a very important step for the further development of the berry business in Ukraine. Indeed, Ukrainian berry freezers will be able to increase the technological level of processing and refinement of frozen raspberries and pay a higher price to suppliers, and they, in turn, will improve the quality of raw materials, said Andriy Yarmak, Economist at the Investment Centre, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

As reported, exports of Ukrainian berries to the EU are growing. More than 12.5 tonnes of raspberries were exported to the European Union in 2018 and more than 18 tonnes in 2020.

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Ukraine has developed a detailed program of energy modernization, requiring about UAH 300 billion (US$9.82 billion) for its implementation.

Thats according to President Volodymyr Zelensky who spoke at a joint press conference with President of the European Council Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen following a 23rd Ukraine-EU summit, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"We have a major program on energy saving, which concerns more than insulating each home. This program has already been developed in detail; we will discuss it with our colleagues from the European Union. For the program, Ukraine needs about UAH 300 billion," Zelensky said.

According to the Ukrainian leader, the program provides for the replacement of energy grids across the country. Zelensky expects that the program will be implemented before the end of 2022.

He stressed that Ukraine must become energy independent, including through the expansion of nuclear generation. Zelensky also stressed the importance of maintaining gas transit via Ukraine.

According to the president, the possibility of applying the EU's Third Energy Package to the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline was also discussed during the Summit.

As reported, Ukraine and the European Investment Bank within the technical support of the "Energy Efficiency in Public Buildings in Ukraine" project will conclude grant agreements amounting to EUR 2 million.

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The European Union has reaffirmed its support for Ukraine with a clear link to the effective implementation of reforms and policies.

"The EU reaffirmed its continued substantial support for Ukraine with a clear link to the effective implementation of reforms and policy measures," reads the joint statement following the 23rd UkraineEU Summit.

The EU recalled that since 2014 the EU and European Financial Institutions have mobilised unprecedented package of more than EUR 17 billion in loans and grants.

As noted, the EU intends to propose the 2021 bilateral financial assistance under the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) to support key reforms and the implementation of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, including its Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area.

The Summit participants welcomed the presentation by the EU of an Economic and Investment Plan for the Eastern Partnership and its flagship initiatives for Ukraine, which will mobilise up to EUR 6.47 billion in public and private investments to boost economic development and support post-pandemic recovery and agreed on its swift implementation.

Moreover, the EU reiterated the ongoing humanitarian support to the conflict-affected population in eastern Ukraine with an amount of EUR 25.4 million for 2021. The Summit participants acknowledged the important roles played by the European Commission Support Group for Ukraine (SGUA) and the EU Advisory Mission for civilian security sector reform (EUAM).

As reported, the 23rd UkraineEU Summit took place in Kyiv on October 12, 2021.

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Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal thanked the European Union for allocating the second tranche of macro-financial assistance totaling EUR 600 million.

"We highly appreciate the EU's support in this difficult time of transformation in Ukraine, which is taking place against the background of the challenges caused by the pandemic, as well as the aggression of the Russian Federation," the Prime Minister of Ukraine said at the 23rd UkraineEU Summit, the Government portal informs.

As Shmyhal noted, European integration is a civilizational choice of Ukraine, and cooperation with the EU and international financial organizations is an important indicator of the right vector of movement of our state.

"European integration for Ukraine is a civilizational choice and at the same time a very practical tool that allows us to implement the best European rules and practices that have been developed over the years," the Prime Minister said.

Shmyhal noted that the priority of the Government of Ukraine remained the adoption of the best European practices within the so-called five visa-free deals: customs, aviation, digital, energy, and industrial.

The Prime Minister of Ukraine expressed hope that the results of the 23rd Summit would be an important signal of strengthening the bilateral partnership and would demonstrate readiness to achieve further progress on the path of the implementation of the ambitious agenda of Ukraine-EU relations.

As reported, the 23rd UkraineEU Summit was held in Kyiv on Tuesday with the participation of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, President of the European Council Charles Michel, and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen. The Summit participants adopted a joint statement in support of Ukraine's territorial integrity and European integration. Among other things, the Summit participants praised the constructive approach of the Ukrainian side to the negotiations in the Normandy format and called on Russia to resume a comprehensive ceasefire and to fully implement the Minsk agreements.

Photo credit: Presidents Office

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The 23rd Ukraine-European Union Summit begins in Kyiv on October 12. Within its framework, the parties are expected to sign a number of agreements.

Thats according to the Presidential press service, Ukrinform reports.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, President of the European Council Charles Michel, and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen will co-chair the event.

The leaders will discuss the achievements and prospects of cooperation between Ukraine and the EU in the implementation of the Association Agreement, the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area, energy security, and deepening sectoral cooperation.

Also on the agenda are issues of security and defense cooperation, as well as developments in Donbas and the occupied Crimea.

A number of agreements between Ukraine and the European Union are set to be signed within the Summits framework.

A joint statement will be adopted following the event.

As reported earlier, an EU spokesperson said the main topics of the Ukraine-EU summit to be held on October 12 in Kyiv would include the implementation of the Ukraine-EU Association Agreement, the fight against COVID-19, and dialogue in the security sphere.

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Russia is attempting to avoid fulfilling the Minsk Protocol and the Memorandum on its provisions, insisting on the implementation of the Package of Measures for the Implementation of the Minsk Agreements exclusively.

Thats according to Ukraines Permanent Representative to international organizations in Vienna, Yevhen Tsymbaliuk, who spoke at a meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council on Monday, October 11, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

Russia is trying to convince the Permanent Council of a special legal nature of the package of measures and give it some advantage over the Minsk Protocol and Memorandum, the diplomat said, at the same time noting that the political approval of the measures by the UN Security Council does not release Russia from its obligations under the other two agreements," said Tsymbaliuk.

The diplomat explained why the Russian delegation was so tense when other countries delegates demanded that the Minsk Protocol and Memorandum be implemented

For example, Paragraph 4 of the Minsk Memorandum provides for the withdrawal of multiple rocket launcher systems such as the Tornado. In fact, the Tornado is a new system used exclusively by the Russian armed forces, which is a vivid example proving Russias participation in the conflict, certified by a Russian signatory, Tsymbaliuk said.

He also recalled that Paragraph 10 of the Minsk Protocol provides for the withdrawal of illegal armed groups and military hardware from the territory of Ukraine, which he emphasized means this is about those whose presence has not been allowed by the Ukrainian parliament. Therefore it is only about Russian armed groups operating in the occupied territories, despite Russia's attempts to manipulate Paragraph 10 of the Package of Measures, said the Ukrainian diplomat.

In addition, he pointed out that Paragraph 4 of the Minsk Protocol provides for constant monitoring and verification of the Ukrainian-Russian state border, along with maintaining a security zone in the Ukrainian-Russian border areas.

As Ukrinform reported, the U.S. and EU missions to the OSCE reminded Russia that the Minsk Agreements, signed by the Russian Federation, consist of three documents - a protocol, a memorandum, and a package of measures.

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Ukraine's newly appointed representative to the EU, Vsevolod Chentsov, presented his credentials to European Council President Charles Michel on Monday, October 11, according to a statement posted on the website of the Mission of Ukraine to the EU.

"On October 11 in Brussels, Designated Head of the Mission of Ukraine to the European Union Vsevolod Chentsov presented Letters of Credence to President of the European Council Charles Michel. During the meeting, the interlocutors discussed the priority areas for the Ukraine-EU cooperation and shared expectations from the twenty-third Ukraine-EU Summit to be held on October 12 in Kyiv," the statement reads.

The Ukrainian diplomat said at the ceremony that European integration is a choice of the Ukrainian people and a priority for the state. Chentsov thanked Michel for his personal leadership in making Ukraine-EU relations stronger.

Michel, in turn, noted the progress in the implementation of the Ukraine-EU Association Agreement and expressed support for a comprehensive reform program in the country.

He said that the EU is unwavering in its support of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity and is ready to strengthen cooperation within the Crimea Platform and in the sphere of energy security.

The Ukraine-EU summit will take place in Kyiv on October 12. European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will represent the EU in talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The summit participants will sum up the results of the implementation of the bilateral Association Agreement and discuss joint efforts in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, regional security issues, including Russia's ongoing aggression against Ukraine.

Photo: Ukrainian Foreign Ministry
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron have called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to make progress on the issue of the Normandy Four Summit.

Thats according to Federal Government Spokesman Steffen Seibert who commented on trilateral talks held via video conference, Ukrinform reports.

The conference took place after the two leaders discussed the current situation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

"The Chancellor and the President of France called on the President of Russia to advance the negotiations in the Normandy format," Seibert said.

Read also: Zelensky discusses preparations for Normandy format summit with Merkel and Macron

Just as during the talks with Zelensky, the focus of the discussion was put on the need for full implementation of the Minsk Agreements.

The parties agreed to ask their respective diplomacy chiefs to meet as soon as possible, Seibert added.

As reported earlier, Ukraine, Germany, and France are ready to hold a new summit of the Normandy Four before Angela Merkel resigns, while Russia has been slowing down the process.

The latest Normandy Four Summit was held in Paris in December 2019.

Photo: dpa

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Ukraine and the European Union have signed a Common Aviation Area Agreement.

The signing ceremony was attended by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, President of the European Council Charles Michel, and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

On June 28, 2021, the EU Council agreed to sign Common Aviation Area (CAP) agreements with Ukraine, Armenia, Tunisia, and Qatar.

Negotiations on the CAP with Ukraine were completed in 2013, but the signing of the deal had been blocked due to a conflict between the UK and Spain over the status of Gibraltar airport.

As reported, the 23rd Ukraine-European Union summit took place on Tuesday.

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The European Unions High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell and Ukraines Minister for Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba met in Kyiv ahead of the EU-Ukraine Summit to discuss the deteriorating security situation in the east of Ukraine.

Thats according to Borrells tweet posted on Tuesday, October 12.

"This morning in Kyiv before the EU-Ukraine Summit, Josep Borrell discussed with Dmytro Kuleba the deteriorating situation in eastern Ukraine and the implementation of the Minsk agreements. The European Union strongly supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, "the statement reads.

The parties also discussed the implementation of the Minsk agreements, the EU high representative noted.

The EU stands firmly behind Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity, the tweet concludes.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, on October 12, Kyiv is hosting a 23rd Ukraine-EU Summit.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, President of the European Council Charles Michel, and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen are co-chairing the event.

Read also: Zelensky discusses preparations for Normandy format summit with Merkel and Macron

The leaders were expected to discuss the achievements and prospects of cooperation between Ukraine and the EU in the implementation of the Association Agreement, the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area, energy security, and deepening sectoral cooperation.

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As early as at the next Ukraine-EU summit, Kyiv hopes to sign with Brussels an "industrial visa-free agreement."

Thats according to President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky who spoke at a 23rd Ukraine-EU Summit in Kyiv, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"There is movement toward an industrial visa-free agreement, important to Ukraine. As early as at the next EU-Ukraine Summit, we seek to sign this deal," Zelensky said.

According to the Ukrainian president, the parties have begun talks on updating customs tariffs and reviewing the deep and comprehensive free trade agreement.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on February 17 that Ukraine hopes to sign with the European Union as early as this year an "industrial visa-free agreement," which will provide ample opportunities for small and medium-sized businesses.

At the end of October last year, the EU launched a preliminary mission to assess readiness of Ukraine's quality infrastructure for the conclusion of the Agreement on Conformity Assessment and Acceptance of Industrial Products (ACAA, or the industrial visa-free regime).

The Ukraine-EU Association Agreement lays down prospects of concluding the ACAA. Earlier, the government said the ACAA could potentially cover a fifth of Ukraine's exports to the EU, primarily engineering products, facilitating trade and lifting the image of Ukrainian products in global markets.

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The European Union has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening Ukraine's political association and economic integration with the EU and its unwavering support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Ukrainian state.

This is said in a joint statement issued following the 23rd EU-Ukraine summit, Ukrinform reports.

We gathered today to reaffirm our continued commitment to strengthening the political association and economic integration of Ukraine with the European Union, on the basis of the Association Agreement and its Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area, the document says.

The EU reiterated its unwavering support and commitment to Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders.

In addition, the parties reaffirmed their strong commitment to further strengthening the political association and economic integration of Ukraine with the European Union, including through continued close cooperation to strengthen the rule of law, advance reforms, foster sustainable economic growth, support the green and digital transitions and increase resilience.

We acknowledged the European aspirations of Ukraine and welcomed its European choice, as stated in the Association Agreement and in the context of its entry into force in September 2017, after the December 2016 decision by the EU Heads of State or Government, the document says.

As reported, the 23rd Ukraine-EU summit took place in Kyiv on Tuesday. Following the summit, a number of agreements were signed, including the Common Aviation Area Agreement.

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The European Union is unwavering in its support of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, insists on the full implementation of the Minsk agreements and calls on Russia to recognize itself as a party to the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said this at a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European Council President Charles Michel following the EU-Ukraine summit in Kyiv on Tuesday, October 12, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"Ukraine can be assured of our steadfast support and commitment to its independence, its sovereignty and its territorial integrity. We continue to back the implementation of the Minsk Agreements, fully. We commend Ukraine for its efforts. We support the position of President Zelensky's government, fully. And we call on Russia to assume its responsibility as a party to the conflict," she said.

Von der Leyen said that as a follow-up to the Crimea Platform, the EU has sent its own personnel to southeastern Ukraine to get an own picture of it so as to see how to best address the needs of the communities affected by the conflict.

"With immediate aid, of course, but also with investments for the future: healthcare, infrastructure, connectivity, civil society. We will soon fund, for example, school buses, so that the children that are living at the contact line in eastern Ukraine can simply go to class. Very simple means but an enormous effect for the better in the life of people there," she said.

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At the hearing in the case over the detention of Ukrainian naval vessels and servicemen in November 2018, Oksana Zolotariova, Director of the International Law Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Head of Delegation, Agent of Ukraine, stressed that Russia had violated the fundamental principle of maritime law: immunity of warships guaranteed by the UNCLOS.

This means that the Ukrainian Navy ships Berdyansk, Nikopol, and Yany Kapu are the embodiment of our sovereignty and deserve respect as such. However, Russia does not respect international law. Nor does it respect Ukraine's sovereignty. And in this case, it does not respect the immunity of warships of Ukraine  a universally recognized principle of international law. Today, here, we protect not only Ukraine but also the entire international law and order at sea, Zolotariova said, an Ukrinform correspondent reports from The Hague.

Ukraine believes in international law, she stressed.

When the rules of international law are violated, we resort to peaceful means of settling disputes seeking justice and responsibility. That is why Ukraine appealed to this Court of Arbitration, the official said.

According to Zolotariova, this case is being considered for the sake of 24 Ukrainian sailors who suffered as a result of Russia's contempt for international law.

Russia imprisoned them for nine and a half months, holding them far away from their families. Russia treated them like criminals, putting in the infamous Lefortovo prison in appalling conditions and forcing them to sit in cages in Russian courts. My whole country and the whole world were watching these horrors. This case is about courageous Ukrainian sailors. I ask you as arbitrators, hearing the legal arguments of the parties this week, to remember the names of these guys ... They deserve justice," said the Agent of Ukraine and read out the names of 24 Ukrainian sailors.

On October 11, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague started hearing in the case Ukraine v. Russia over the detention of Ukrainian naval vessels and servicemen in November 2018.

The Russian Federation delivered its first round of oral arguments yesterday, October 11. Today, October 12, Ukraine delivers its first round of oral arguments. The second round of oral arguments will be delivered on October 14 and 15. If required, a further session of the hearing will be conducted on October 16, 2021.

On November 25, 2018, off the coast of the occupied Crimea, Russian border guards fired on and seized three Ukrainian warships and detained 24 sailors. The servicemen were accused of illegally crossing the Russian border (the punishment under this article is up to six years in prison). Ukraine considers the incident a violation of the immunity of warships.

On May 25, 2019, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea ordered Russia to immediately release all sailors and allow them to return to Ukraine, as well as to return the ships.

On September 7, a 35-to-35 prisoner swap took place between Ukraine and Russia, during which, in particular, 24 captured sailors were released.

On November 18, 2019, the Russian Federation handed over "Berdyansk" and "Nikopol" ships and "Yany Kapu" tugboat to Ukraine in the Black Sea waters. On November 20, they arrived in the port of Ochakiv.

Photos courtesy of Iryna Drabok

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The European Union and Ukraine have achieved significant results in bilateral cooperation and continue to move closer to each other, so it is very important to make full use of the potential provided by the EU Association Agreement for the transformation and development of Ukraine.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said this at a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European Council President Charles Michel following the Ukraine-EU summit in Kyiv on Tuesday, October 12, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"Ukraine is a sovereign and independent country perfectly capable of defining its own political priorities. For us, it is very important. We are getting closer to each other. This process needs three different spheres we are working on. The first is, of course, reforms for the benefit of Ukraine and its people. The second is the gradual economic integration of Ukraine into the EU, which is a strong force, a driving force. The third is, of course, the deepening of political association with the European Union, the full implementation of the Association Agreement and the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area. It is important that we are one European family," von der Leyen said.

She noted that the agreements on the Common Aviation Area and on Ukraine's accession to the Horizon Europe and Creative Europe program, which were signed at the summit in Kyiv, "crown a successful year when it comes to EU-Ukraine sectoral cooperation." "Just this past year, we have stepped up our cooperation on raw materials, our dialogue on cybersecurity, and on the green transition, via our high-level dialogue on the Green Deal," von der Leyen said. In addition, she congratulated Ukraine on being among the first countries outside the European Union to connect to the EU Digital COVID Certificate system.

"Ukraine should stay focused on implementing reforms. Ukraine has gone a long way and I want to commend you, President Zelensky, dear Volodymyr, on that. I want to commend you on your leadership and your courage. I know how difficult it can be to push through reforms in the face of vested interests. So I want to clearly state that we will continue supporting Ukraine's efforts to see through major reforms. This entails reform of the judiciary, including the reform of the Constitutional Court as well as fighting corruption, and curbing the influence of oligarchs. It is impressive, the way forward that you have chosen and the motivation and the courage with which you are pushing forward the necessary reforms with your government," von der Leyen said.

She stressed the need to tap into the potential of the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU.

As an example, von der Leyen cited the digital area, in which Ukraine has a fairly strong position, but can continue to move forward through digital transformation. By implementing the EU's 5G toolbox, Ukraine will move closer to the EU Single Market, she said.

"I know that there is high interest in deepening our cooperation in fighting disinformation. So we are ready to continue supporting your strategic communication capacities against foreign interferences. And I think we can learn a lot from each other and join forces in that field," von der Leyen said.

She stressed that the Association Agreement and the DCFTA remain a cornerstone of bilateral relations.

"A lot has been done but I want us to remain ambitious, so that both sides can reap the benefits. So let us explore what we can do more, together. And this is not just about the relations between our governments and our administrations, it is at least as much about strengthening Ukrainian civil society. [] We have come as friends and as partners because we know that we share the same history, we share the same values, being convinced of the rule of law as our foundation, and I think we share the same destiny as one European family," von der Leyen said.

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The Supervisory Board of Ukraines state-owned Ukreximbank has dismissed Chairman of the Board Yevhen Metsger, who had earlier been charged with the attack on a crew of RFE/RLs local investigative project Skhemy.

Thats according to Ukreximbank's press service, Ukrinform reports.

The Nomination Committee of JSC Ukreximbanks Supervisory Board at an extraordinary meeting on possible measures to be taken (taking into account the conclusions of the Ethics Commission and the Status of the Inspection), received from Yevhen Volodymyrovych Metsger a statement of October 11, 2021, to terminate his fixed-term employment contract. The Nomination Committee, accordingly, issued an immediate recommendation to the Supervisory Board to terminate his powers from October 11, 2021, based on Part 1 Art. 39 of the Labor Code of Ukraine and the relevant clause of the employment contract with Yevhen Volodymyrovych Metsger. Termination of the employment contract in accordance with the specified grounds does not provide for severance pay," the statement reads.

Serhiy Yermakov has been appointed acting Chairman of the Board from October 12, 2021, until a new chairman is elected in line with the proper competition procedure no later than April 12, 2022.

Yevhen Metsger, who was previously suspended from office, wrote a letter of resignation amid the inquiry into the obstruction of journalists work.

"Today I wrote a statement of resignation from a post of Chairman of the Board at JSC Ukreximbank. This is a logical step  the only possible one in a situation where implications for the bank must be averted," Metsger wrote on Facebook.

He added that writing a resignation letter is his own assessment of what happened at the banks HQ. "I hope the step will help restore confidence in the bank," Metsger wrote, noting that "almost my entire career is connected with this bank. This is where I started working in 2006. Throughout this time, Ive gone up the career ladder. In 2020, I took the helm of the bank."

As Ukrinform reported earlier, the Skhemy journalists crew said they had been assaulted on October 4 during an interview with Ukreximbank Board Chairman Yevhen Metsger. According to the journalists, Metsger did not like one of the questions, following which security guards used force against the cameraman and seized the crews gear and video materials. An hour later, the gear was returned with the video having been deleted  both of the interview and the assault.

Later, the journalists said they had hired IT experts who successfully recovered the video deleted by Ukreximbank employees.

Kyiv law enforcement have launched criminal proceedings into the obstruction of journalists work (Part 1 Article 171 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

On October 6, the Supervisory Board of Ukreximbank suspended Yevhen Metsger from office pending an inquiry.

On October 7, Kyiv City Prosecutor's Office pressed criminal charges against the two officials of Ukreximbank involved in what is seen as obstruction of journalists work.

On October 8, law enforcers added to Yevhen Metsgers account abduction charges.

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MISSOULA  Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore will participate in A Climate Conversation on Thursday, Oct. 28, as part of an annual speaker series hosted by the University of Montanas Max S. Baucus Institute.

Gore will speak at 7 p.m. MST on Zoom, along with former U.S. Sen. and Ambassador Max Baucus.

Its exciting to have someone with the expertise of former Vice President Gore come speak to Montanans about a really important issue, said Sam Panarella, director of the UM institute and a professor in the Universitys Blewett School of Law. Hes been on the front lines of getting the word out about climate change long before most people were talking about it in such a public way.

I think there are very few politicians  or anybody, frankly  who have been talking about it as much or for as long or with as much passion as former Vice President Gore, Panarella said.

The Baucus Institutes annual speaker series brings global thought leaders in the areas of economic development, foreign policy and politics to Montana for public discussions about issues of critical importance to the future of the country. This years topic will be the current climate, both environmental and political. Free and open to the public, participants are invited to register for A Climate Conversation online.

Gore was the vice president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He is the author of the 2006 book An Inconvenient Truth: The Planetary Emergency of Global Warming and What We Can Do About It, which was developed into an Academy Award-winning documentary film the same year. In 2007, he was a co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

A longtime colleague and friend of Gore, Baucus was U.S. senator for Montana from 1978 to 2014 and ambassador to China from 2014 to 2017. He was a sponsor of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments and a leader in protecting wildlands along the Rocky Mountain Front.

As an institute, one of our main areas of focus is climate change, Panarella said. We have the Baucus Climate Scholars Program, which gets students on the ground working on climate change issues and solutions.

My hope with this talk is to increase the velocity and amount of conversation around the issue of climate change, he said, and perhaps introduce it to Montanans who havent thought very much about it or who have thought about it but are looking for more and better information. This is a good educational opportunity.

For more information about the event, please visit the Max S. Baucus Speaker Series website and register at https://www.tinyurl.com/uuk3xx9e. Learn more about the Baucus Institute at https://www.umt.edu/law/baucus-institute/.

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Contact: Andi Armstrong, Blewett School of Law director of marketing and communications, 406-243-6509, andrea.armstrong@umontana.edu.
MISSOULA  Every 40 days its estimated that a language somewhere in the world ceases to exist, taking with it shared communication, a common history, treasured traditions. For one University of Montana graduate student, saving her native language from a similar fate is both personal and professional.

Linguistics masters student Aspen Decker, part of an ever-shrinking group of fluent Salish speakers, knows extraordinary efforts will be required to keep Salish from disappearing altogether. She is tireless in her commitment to preserving her Native culture and its language. She teaches Salish to her four children, promotes her culture through her job as an education coordinator at the Montana Museum of Art and Culture and speaks in the community whenever asked.

In September she helped kick off the Montana Book Festival, when she presented a land acknowledgment statement in Salish. Shes also in the process of launching a new student organization, the Indigenous Storytelling Club.

The goal of the club is to create a greater representation of Indigenous ways of knowing at UM and to support the Indigenous student voice as a platform for social activism, said Decker, a member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. We want to empower our shared voice to talk about issues like climate change, language revitalization and the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women crisis.

For Decker, this calling to save her language began as a young child learning Salish from her great aunts  two were instrumental in bringing Salish language education to the Flathead Reservation  and deepened during her early education at the Nkusm Salish immersion school in her hometown of Arlee.

There was an elder at the school, Patlik Pierre, who taught me to speak fluently, said Decker, who went on to serve on the schools board of directors.

After graduating in 2018 with a Bachelor of Arts in Tribal Historic Preservation from Salish Kootenai College, Decker taught Native American history at St. Ignatius High School and Salish as an adjunct instructor at her alma mater.

Now in her second year of her masters research, Decker focuses on demonstratives  words or phrases that describe the spatial or temporal location of someone or something  in Salish, collecting data from first-language Salish speakers.

Aspen appreciates that a linguistic approach to understanding language plays a valuable role in her own language learning and teaching said Leora Bar-el, a professor in UMs linguistics program. As a Salish language learner and teacher, Aspen brings a unique perspective to our program, which we hope will inspire more Indigenous language learners, teachers and activists to pursue linguistics at UM.

During the past two years, Decker has landed two grants to help in her work. With financing from the Endangered Language Fund, she is creating Salish curriculum using seasonally based interactive games. With an Indigenous Research Center Faculty Researchers Award, she is developing curriculum for a Plains Indian Sign Language course.

Geography and events, Decker said, both play a key role in Native languages. For example, the end of buffalo hunting impacted the sustainability of shared languages. If you arent gathering together, in other words, you arent sharing your language as widely.

Place names and what we did in those places are very important, Decker said. Naayccstm place of bull trout is the name, for example, used for the Blackfoot confluence near Bonner. It refers to where we hunted and fished.

This year, Decker joined the MMAC as its Native community and museum education coordinator. She serves a variety of much-needed roles in the position, said museum Director H. Rafael Chacon, including being in the thick of efforts at UMs College of Arts and Media to welcome and support Native students. This includes conducting extensive interviews with the campus community, working closely with UMs Office of the President and developing a marketing outreach campaign directed at Native and minority students.

At MMAC she is charged with injecting Native perspective into museum programming.

Her priority is to make sure we have a Native voice present in every exhibit and program, Chacon said, using the current exhibit, Avis marvelous: Ornithology in 19th Century Art and Science, as an example of how Decker has developed signage to lend native perspective.

Decker also is developing staff signage and a Native landscaping plan for UMs new museum which starts construction this fall.

After years of practice and study, Decker said shes achieved a level of comfort in Salish that she no longer translates from English in her head. The words flow as freely as they did for all those who started her on this journey, and she hopes with efforts made by her and her tribe they will flow freely for generations to come.

I think my late great aunt Mary Lucy Parker would be proud to know that her great-niece only speaks Salish to her children, Decker said, and is keeping our language alive and thriving.

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Contact: Dave Kuntz, UM director of strategic communications, 406-243-5659, dave.kuntz@mso.umt.edu.
Patienter i k ved en sundheds- og ernringsklinik i Um Rakuba flygtningelejren i det stlige Sudan.  UNHCR/Samuel Otieno

A new partnership between the World Diabetes Foundation and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency  launched today  will ensure that forcibly displaced people living with noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) have access to improved health services, including both prevention and treatment.

Noncommunicable diseases such as hypertension, cardiovascular and chronic respiratory diseases, diabetes and mental health conditions can be life-threatening if they are not treated. These diseases are causing an ever-growing number of deaths globally, including among refugees.

Often living in dire circumstances with few or no health facilities and services nearby, many refugees already face tremendous obstacles in meeting their health needs. Forced displacement risks disrupting the treatment of NCDs or even delaying the diagnosis, and this can have catastrophic consequences for refugee women and men.

It is essential that prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases is systematically integrated in the humanitarian response and as part of a holistic response to refugee health. We look forward to working closely together with UNHCR on improving the response to noncommunicable diseases in refugee settings in Burundi, Sudan and Tanzania, says Leif Fenger Jensen, Manager Director of the World Diabetes Foundation.

The partnership has a total value of 43.8 million DKK (6.8 million USD) and is supported through a grant from the Novo Nordisk Foundation to the World Diabetes Foundation.

By supporting this great partnership, the Novo Nordisk Foundation wishes to improve the health of refugees worldwide. With the World Diabetes Foundations strong technical experience and UNHCRs global role in promoting refugee health and solid presence on the ground, we believe that their collaboration will have a substantial impact on the lives of hundreds of thousands of refugees and people from host communities living with noncommunicable diseases, says Hanna Line Jakobsen, Senior Vice President, Social & Humanitarian, Novo Nordisk Foundation.

The partnership will help build the capacity of local health facilities, train primary health care professionals and community health workers and provide essential equipment and supplies. Health services will also be strengthened, including NCD awareness raising, assessments and screenings of risk factors, diagnosis and provision of continued care. At the global level, UNHCRs efforts to expand and sustain the integration of NCDs into health programming across the organization will also be supported.

In UNHCR we are very keen to continue to scale up our efforts to integrate care and prevention of noncommunicable diseases into our health programmes  an area that is significantly underfunded. Private sector actors, such as the World Diabetes Foundation, have an important role to play in supporting UNHCRs efforts and I am extremely pleased about the launch of this partnership with the involvement of two strong and visionary Danish foundations, says Henrik M. Nordentoft, UNHCRs Representative for the Nordic and Baltic countries.

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Three-year-old Allizay Reyes looks to the next house on the block as her friend Riley McCloskey gets some love from her grandma, Sandy Goings, during the 2017 annual early trick-or-treat event on Carrie and Edith Streets in North Walla Walla.
Standing or sitting for an extended period can decrease blood circulation in your legs and increase your risk for developing varicose veins. (Dreamstime/TNS)
Russia does not think that the recent claims by The Sun tabloid that Moscow stole the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine formula will be taken seriously, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday

NUR-SULTAN (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 12th October, 2021) Russia does not think that the recent claims by The Sun tabloid that Moscow stole the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine formula will be taken seriously, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday.

"You know, nothing actually surprises me anymore.

As for our British partners and most of our Western partners in general, I do not think that anyone will take these groundless accusations seriously," Lavrov told reporters.

"As for AstraZeneca, I have not heard them accusing us of stealing the formula. I remember that there were quite many cases when AstraZeneca produced negative side effects, thrombosis and so on. Not a single similar case has been registered with Sputnik V. I think all those interested are able to draw conclusions," Lavrov added.
ABU DHABI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 12th Oct, 2021) The Ministry of Finance (MoF) today announced its participation in the 41st edition of GITEX Technology Week 2021, which will be held from 17th to 21st October at Dubai World Trade Centre.

As part of the Federal government stand, the ministry's participation aims to familiarise the public with the latest electronic and smart solutions and the best practices it adopts in the technical field. That, in addition to building new partnerships, especially in the Fintech sector, and reviewing customers requirements and comments to improve the efficiency, quality, and speed of services.

During GITEX Technology Week, MoF will launch smart and innovative electronic projects and initiatives that keep pace with the latest technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, the internet of things and others. This comes within MoFs endeavours to improve the satisfaction of individuals, companies, and government institutions by offering continuous and always connected electronic and smart services wherever they are  in line with the objectives of the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2031 and the UAE Centennial 2071.

Mariam Al Amiri, Under-Secretary of Financial Management Sector, highlighted the importance of participating in GITEX Technology Week 2021, which coincides with Expo 2020 Dubai  the middle Easts first world fair  and the UAEs 50th anniversary celebrations.

GITEX will be an ideal platform for exchanging the best experiences and practices in digital transformation, in addition to benefiting from the most prominent modern and smart solutions and technologies that help in rapid adaptation to accelerating global changes and future challenges, and preparing for an effective and sustainable transformation for the next 50 years.

She said, "Throughout its path, the Ministry of Finance has taken proactive steps in adopting the latest innovations, disruptive technologies, and the techniques of the Fourth Industrial Revolution  ones that have proven their effectiveness in mitigating the repercussions of the exceptional circumstances the world has witnessed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ministry continued to provide its services with high efficiency, quality, and in a fully digitised manner to all its customers, while ensuring their health and safety."

Al Amiri added, "We look forward to our participation in GITEX Technology Week. It is an opportunity to meet with solution providers, investors, strategic partners from the government and private sectors, and experts and specialists in digitising and developing government financial work from around the world, to discuss means of collaboration in the financial sector and Fintech fields. This, in turn, contributes to bolstering the digital infrastructure of the UAEs financial sector, and reflects the countrys pioneering financial system at regional and international levels."
Paris, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Oct, 2021 ) :Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was accused Tuesday of "crimes against humanity" at the International Criminal Court (ICC) for his alleged role in the destruction of the Amazon, the first case seeking to explicitly link deforestation to loss of life.

Planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions from burning and industrial-scale agriculture in the Amazon are higher than the total annual emissions of Italy or Spain. Deforestation in the region already releases more CO2 than the rest of the Amazon can absorb.

Austrian environmental justice campaigners Allrise filed the official complaint at The Hague-based court Tuesday morning. They asked for legal proceedings against Bolsonaro and his administration for actions "directly connected to the negative impacts of climate change around the world".

The complaint accuses the Brazilian leader of waging a widespread campaign resulting in the murder of environmental defenders and of endangering the global population through emissions caused by deforestation.

It harnesses the growing field of climate attribution science, which allows researchers to prove a link between extreme weather events, on the one hand, and global heating and environmental degradation, on the other.

The team behind it said that Bolsonaro's administration had sought to "systematically remove, neuter, and eviscerate laws, agencies and individuals that serve to protect the Amazon".

It said that Bolsonaro was responsible for approximately 4,000 square kilometres (400,000 hectares) of lost rainforest each year, and that he had presided over monthly deforestation rates that had accelerated by up to 88 percent since taking office on January 1, 2019.

Bolsonaro's office did not respond to a request for comment from AFP.

- 'Intentional destruction' - The team of experts estimated that emissions attributable to the Bolsonaro administration due to rampant deforestation will cause over 180,000 excess heat-related deaths globally this century.

"In the last few years, climate science has come a long way in being able to provide evidence of specific causal relationships between emissions of greenhouse gases and the consequences that arrive globally as a result," Rupert Stuart Smith, from the University of Oxford's Sustainable Law Programme, told AFP.

While there have been at least three other complaints by indigenous groups against Bolsonaro at the ICC since 2016, organisers say this one is the first to highlight the clear link between forest loss and global human health.

"What's happening in Brazil -- mass deforestation -- we want to understand the causal link to the global climate," AllRise founder Johannes Wesemann told AFP.

"It is exactly what the Rome Statute defines as a crime against humanity: the intentional destruction of the environment and environmental defenders." The point of the complaint was "not to speak on behalf of any Brazilian, but rather to show the global gravity of mass deforestation", said Wesemann.

- 'Aiding, abetting murder' - Lawyer Nigel Povoas, who has led prosecution of some of the most notorious international criminals, said the complaint was levelled against several individuals within Bolsonaro's administration.

"We're focusing on the most senior actors responsible," he told AFP.

"We're saying as a result of the state policy that they are pursuing they are knowingly aiding and abetting the perpetrators on the ground committing crimes such as murder, persecution and other inhumane acts." The ICC has no obligation to consider complaints filed to the prosecutor by individuals or groups, and does not comment on them until the prosecutor announces that it has started a preliminary examination into a specific matter.

Maud Sarlieve, a human rights and international criminal lawyer said that were the Bolsonaro complaint to be pursued, it would send a clear message to individuals such as CEOs of fossil fuel companies: "Beware.""The law is now allowing us to go after those who are ruthlessly and knowingly pursuing policies which clearly result in environmental destruction and an impact on civilian population," she said.
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Belgrade, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Oct, 2021 ) :Packed bars, few masks and almost no restrictions -- in Serbia it seems the pandemic is over. But it's a cruel illusion, as the Balkan country currently tops the global charts for infection rates.

Despite having a variety of jabs available, the country's vaccination drive stalled after just over 40 percent of its seven-million population were inoculated.

Serbia has been averaging more than 6,500 cases a day over the past two weeks, according to AFP data, an infection rate of almost 93.5 per 100,000 people -- by far the highest in the world.

Although wearing a mask indoors and social distancing are mandatory, there is little or no enforcement. Following the rules is down to individual choice.

"I'm not bothered about the virus, I had it last year, it wasn't a big deal," 20-year economy student Marko told AFP while sitting in a crowded Belgrade bar.

Doctors have urged the government to impose strict measures, such as limiting the opening hours of non-essential businesses and introducing a vaccine pass that would limit social activities of those who are yet to receive the jab.

After juggling the idea for weeks, Prime Minister Ana Brnabic finally dismissed it, claiming there was no way to impose discipline.

"Passes are impossible to control, just as it's impossible to control wearing masks indoors," Brnabic said during a recent televised press conference.

"We have a cure for this... and that is vaccination." Serbia's leading epidemiologist Predrag Kon -- a member of a government-appointed pandemic task force -- was incredulous at the refusal to bring in tighter measures.

"I can't comprehend what I just listened to," he said after a crisis meeting of the task force, accusing decision-makers of "obstruction".

Rade Panic, who leads a doctor's union, links the government's reluctance to enforce tough measures to elections due next spring and the widespread influence of vaccine sceptics.

"The anti-vaxxers created a problem, but the government does not want to tackle it because of the elections," Panic told AFP.

"The message is that we are all on our own... We are in pure survival mode." AFP asked the government for an interview but received no reply.

On top of issues of enforcement, Serbia has also struggled to get young people inoculated. According to the prime minister, only 22 percent of those aged between 18 and 30 have been jabbed so far.

Health passes have helped encourage young people to roll up their sleeves in countries including France, but Brnabic believes Serbian youngsters are different.

"Once they hear of someone forging the pass to get into a bar or a nightclub, it would become cool and all young people would try to prove that they could do it," she said.

Panic, who works as an anaesthesiologist in a Covid hospital, said doctors were "overwhelmed" and labelled Brnabic "a dilettante".

"It's a battlefield out there, both for the dying patients and the exhausted doctors," he said.

Serbia initially got off to a strong start with vaccines -- securing enough jabs from both East and West to invite foreigners to come to receive the vaccine.

It announced it would become the first European country to produce Chinese-made Sinopharm jab and has also been given approval to start manufacturing the Russian Sputnik V vaccine.

Serbia was also one of the first countries in the world to offer the booster shot to the general public.

But the country has long been a hotbed of misinformation about vaccination, fuelled by a lack of trust in the government and other institutions as a result of frequent corruption scandals and a general lack of transparency.

A handful of rogue doctors fanned the suspicions, some of whom have since garnered hundreds of thousands of followers on social networks and have been given space in national media.

"The state must not only motivate citizens but also do everything to stop lies and manipulation," tweeted Srdjan Lukic, a Serbian pulmonologist who now works in Slovenia.

"Serbia has failed miserably there."
Seoul, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Oct, 2021 ) :North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has blamed the United States for tensions on the peninsula and accused the South of hypocrisy, state media reported Tuesday, as he opened an exhibition showcasing his nuclear-armed country's weapons.

The "wrong judgment and acts" of the US meant instability could not be resolved, he said in an address to the "Self-Defence 2021" display, according to the official Korean Central news Agency.

Pyongyang is under multiple international sanctions over its banned nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes, which have made rapid progress under Kim.

In 2017, it tested missiles that can reach the whole of the continental United States and carried out its most powerful nuclear explosion to date. Pyongyang says it needs its arsenal to protect itself against a US invasion.

Analysts say North Korea is seeking to normalise its status as a nuclear power.

The Biden administration has repeatedly stated that it has no hostile intent towards Pyongyang, but Kim said: "Its behaviours provide us with no reason why we should believe in them.

"I wonder if there is any person or state who believes in its claim," he added according to KCNA, "and, if any, I am curious to know who they are." But he insisted that North Korea's weapons were for self-defence and not aimed at any particular country.

Pictures carried by state media showed Kim at the exhibition in front of the gigantic intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) revealed at a night-time military parade last year.

He was also shown sitting smoking with senior officials and officers, with huge photo portraits of the leader in military uniform hung in the exhibition hall.

His address came after North Korea in recent weeks tested a long-range cruise missile, a train-launched weapon, and what it said was a hypersonic warhead.

In 2018, Kim became the first North Korean leader ever to meet a sitting US president at a headline-grabbing Singapore summit.

But the talks process has been largely at a standstill since a second meeting in Hanoi the following year collapsed over sanctions relief and what Pyongyang would be willing to give up in return.

The Biden administration has said it is willing to meet North Korean officials at any time or place, without preconditions, in its efforts to seek denuclearisation.

Kim's comments and the show itself were intended to justify Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programmes as "part of its right to self-defence", said Park Won-gon, professor of North Korean studies at Ewha Womans University.

"North Korea held the exhibition on purpose to claim that their weapons development programmes are no different from those of other countries," he told AFP.

- Party time - Washington and Seoul are security allies and the United States stations around 28,500 troops in South Korea to defend it against its neighbour, which invaded in 1950.

The South and the United States held joint military exercises in August. The wargames always infuriate Pyongyang, which decries them as preparations for an invasion.

Seoul is itself on a multi-billion-dollar drive to step up its military capabilities, successfully testing its first submarine-launched ballistic missile in September -- putting South Korea among an elite group of nations with proven SLBM technology -- and revealing a supersonic cruise missile.

Last week, Pyongyang and Seoul reconnected their cross-border hotline in a sign of thawing ties, with only a few months left in office for South Korea's pro-engagement President Moon Jae-in.

But Kim accused Seoul of "avaricious ambition" and a "double-dealing, illogical and brigandish" attitude.

Their "unlimited, dangerous attempts to strengthen military capability are breaking the military equilibrium in the region of the Korean peninsula and aggravating the military instability and danger there", he added.

The exhibition is part of the commemorations for the anniversary of the foundation of the ruling Workers' Party, and included aerobatics flights and martial arts displays.
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Athens, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Oct, 2021 ) :A powerful 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck off the Greek island of Crete Tuesday, the Athens Observatory said, with initial media reports suggesting no one was hurt.

The quake -- the second strong tremor to hit Greece's largest island in just over two weeks -- struck at 0924 GMT with an epicentre in the sea 405 kilometres (250 miles) southeast of Athens and 24 kilometres from the village of Zakros, the Observatory said in a statement.

It had a depth of less than nine kilometres, the observatory said.

Local media said it was felt on Crete and on the Dodecanese islands in the Aegean Sea, with worried residents gathering on the street. The neighbouring island of Karpathos was shaken by a 4.5-magnitude undersea quake minutes later.

"The epicentre is in the sea, far from inhabited places," Greek seismologist Gerassimos Papadopoulos told Skai radio.

Civil protection agency spokesman Spyros Georgiou told AFP that the Tuesday tremor had partially collapsed a village church and caused landslides on rural roads.

The civil protection agency said in a statement that Greek police land units and helicopters were patrolling the area, while the coastguard was on the watch for possible tsunami activity.

Papadopoulos added that the Tuesday tremor had a different epicentre than a strong 5.8-magnitude quake on September 27 which killed one person, injured nearly a dozen others, and damaged hundreds of buildings on Crete.

Over 3,000 homes were deemed unsafe following last month's quake, and dozens of businesses were knocked out. Many people are still staying in tents and containers.

Efthymis Lekkas, the head of Greece's quake protection agency, told Skai radio that the two earthquakes were not related.

Greece is located on a number of fault lines, and is sporadically hit by earthquakes.

The last deadly quake in the country occurred on March 3 in the central town of Elassona, killing one person, injuring 10 and causing major damage.

Last October, a magnitude 7.0 hit in the Aegean Sea between the Greek island of Samos and the city of Izmir in western Turkey.

Most of the damage was in Turkey, where 114 people were killed and more than 1,000 injured.

In Greece, two teenagers were reported dead on Samos.
London, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 13th Oct, 2021 ) :A British military submarine linked to the sinking of a French fishing trawler nearly 18 years ago had nothing to do with the incident, the vessel's former captain said on Tuesday.

The families of the five crew members who died on the Bugaled Breizh on January 15, 2004 are hoping an inquest at the High Court in London will confirm their view that the boat was pulled down by the British submarine HMS Turbulent.

But the Turbulent's former commander Andrew Coles said the nuclear vessel was docked on the day of the tragedy.

"We definitely weren't involved," he told the hearing in London, echoing other witness testimony at the hearing.

The ex-captain said Turbulent had been due to take part in NATO exercises in the area off the English coast but pulled out because of damage, resuming its navigation four days after the Bugaled Breizh sank.

He conceded a sub "could have been a cause" and that his vessel had been suspected, but insisted "we had nothing to do with it".

Earlier on Tuesday, the navy's submarine chief Commander Daniel Simmonds also insisted the submarine was in dock on January 15.

He told the court it was "unthinkable" that the logs would have been falsified or that an allied submarine from another country could have been in the area without signalling its presence.

- 'Not clarified' - Victims' families reacted with scepticism.

"It doesn't make sense. There are still a lot of elements that are not clarified," said Thierry Lemetayer, the son of one victim.

From the outset, the relatives have said they believed the Breton trawler sank after a submarine caught its nets and dragged it down.

Although British naval exercises were scheduled for the day of the tragedy they did not involve submarines, according to Simmonds.

He told the court that only three NATO submarines were at sea when the Bugaled Breizh sank -- the German U22, the Dutch Dolfijn and the British Torbay.

He said none of them could have been within five nautical miles of the trawler.

The Dutch Navy already told the hearing its sub was on the surface at the time of the accident.

A legal procedure in France ended in 2016 with no decision on whether a submarine caused the tragedy or if it was a fishing accident.
Addis Ababa, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Oct, 2021 ) :The UN's migration agency has put its Ethiopia chief on administrative leave, citing "unauthorised interviews" in which she complained of being sidelined by UN higher-ups she claimed were sympathetic to Tigrayan rebels.

The departure of Maureen Achieng, confirmed in a letter dated Monday and seen by AFP, risks further undermining an aid response still shaken by Ethiopia's decision last month to expel seven other senior UN officials for allegedly "meddling" in its affairs.

It comes more than 11 months into a brutal war in northern Ethiopia that, according to UN estimates, has driven hundreds of thousands of people into famine-like conditions.

Last week, multiple recordings surfaced online of Achieng and another senior UN official granting a lengthy interview to Jeff Pearce, a writer who has published multiple articles defending the government's conduct of the war against the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF).

In the recordings, Achieng, the International Organization for Migration's Chief of Mission to Ethiopia, tears into colleagues who "descended on" Addis Ababa after the war broke out last November and, in her telling, sidelined officials on the ground.

She also calls the TPLF "dirty" and "vicious".

"And then you don't know what guerrilla movement starts from Rwanda. I mean, it's dirty," she says.

She also vows never to return to Tigray.

In an internal note to colleagues last week, also seen by AFP, Achieng said she was "deeply disturbed and disappointed" by the audio, which she said had been "surreptitiously recorded and selectively edited." However at several points during the interview the participants openly discuss that it is being recorded.

On Monday Antonio Vitorino, director general of IOM, wrote a letter distancing the agency from Achieng's comments.

"The opinions attributed in the audio recordings to the staff member do not correspond to IOM's principles and values and should not in any way be considered as expressing IOM's positions," it said.

The letter, which does not refer to Achieng by name, says she was "immediately recalled" and "put on administrative leave" pending an investigation.
Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) board in its 53rd meeting held here Tuesday approved 'Bell Curve Concept' for the performance management of employees under Ehsaas policy

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Oct, 2021 ) :Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) board in its 53rd meeting held here Tuesday approved 'Bell Curve Concept' for the performance management of employees under Ehsaas policy.

The meeting was chaired by Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection, Dr. Sania Nishtar.

The board also approved the national scale up of Ehsaas Nashonuma and a new organogram of BISP to improve the organization's effectiveness.

The existing Performance Management System (PMS) at BISP is similar to the methodology used by the Government of Pakistan (the ACR/PER system).

Performance rating patterns and forms are also similar with those of the Government of Pakistan.

"Since the current PMS is not compatible with the modern PMS being used by progressive organizations, the board has approved new PMS Principles based on 'Bell Curve Concept', essential to leverage optimum performance from employees. Changes in PMS considered by the board will be applicable to regular and contractual employees. The newly approved concept will be implemented by July 2022", Dr. Sania said.

Centered on the 'Bell Curve Concept', the new PMS will assess the relative performance of employees based on goal setting sheets and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) developed for benchmark positions.

A new rating grid will be adopted, providing flexibility to recognize the employees who perform and deliver results beyond expectations and identifying those not measuring up. It will link the employee performance to reward and compensation, training, career development and succession planning, and alignment with key BISP goals and objectives.

There are several issues in the current PMS system. The system lacks the ability to differentiate good performers from average or poor performers.

The current system is not creating value for BISP as good performers have no incentives to work harder and poor performers have no reason to perform better.

To add greater value towards employee performance, goals and objectives setting is also needed. In the current performance system, behavioral and technical evaluations are very subjective, raise questions and make it difficult for supervisors to allocate substantive ratings.

Although, an annual performance appraisal/rating system exists but it lacks measurable guidelines for allocating justifiable ratings.

On the other hand, the newly approved PMS is premised on identification of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), setting goals, demonstrating desired behavioral competencies and identification of training needs for performance improvement in a consultative environment.

The system also entails mid-year performance evaluation concepts to bring clarity in performance by providing employees and supervisors with a chance to review and align their focus on the agreed goals and KPIs.

On top of it, this system will evaluate every job's performance in the following three areas: organizational growth, beneficiaries management, and employee management.

Employees will also be provided an appropriate level of training in order to develop a comprehensive understanding of PMS's concepts to ensure smooth implementation of PMS.

The board approved a new organizational structure introducing the concept of opening BISP offices at district level and dividing all provinces into three empowered zones with delegation of administrative and financial powers to ensure quick decision making at appropriate level.

The board also approved institutionalizing BISP offices in all Tehsils of the country.

The implementation of new PMS would also result in a Pay for Performance/Reward System.
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ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Oct, 2021 ) :Commander of US Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) Vice Admiral C.B Cooper II called on Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi at Naval Headquarters here on Tuesday.

During the meeting, matters related to maritime security in the Indian Ocean Region and mutual interest including bilateral naval collaboration were discussed, said a Pakistan Navy media release.

Pakistan Navy has been a regular contributor to the Combined Maritime Forces since 2004 and has also commanded Multinational Combined Task Forces 150 and 151, eleven and nine times respectively, it added.
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ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Oct, 2021 ) :In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, local forces in their fresh acts of state terrorism, martyred three more Kashmiri youth in the territory on Tuesday (today).

According to Kashmir Media Service, Indian troops during a violent cordon and search operation (CASO)killed the youth in Tulran area of South Kashmir's Shopian district.

The operation was going on till the last reports came in.

Two youth, one each in Islamabad and Bandipora were killed while five Indian troops were killed in Poonch forests on Monday.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Tuesday filed a petition in Islamabad High Court (IHC) seeking cancellation of bails of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz's Vice President Maryam Nawaz and her husband Capt.(retd) Muhammad Safdar

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Oct, 2021 ) :The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Tuesday filed a petition in Islamabad High Court (IHC) seeking cancellation of bails of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz's Vice President Maryam Nawaz and her husband Capt.(retd) Muhammad Safdar.

The petition said Maryam Nawaz had misused the bail facility and had been involved in hate speeches against the anti graft watchdog.

The plea stated 'even the NAB office was attacked by the activists when the accused were summoned by the Lahore NAB office'. Such conduct of the accused could also build pressure on the prosecution witnesses, it added.

It said that accused Maryam Nawaz used to make a political show at every hearing and stuffed the courtroom with her party's activists and supporters. The accused turns the courtroom in press club by giving interviews to journalists and vloggers, and after hearings she holds press conferences and gives comments against high rank officials and NAB.

It further said the accountability court had announced a 10 year imprisonment to former prime minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif with eight million Pounds fine, 7 year jail term to Maryam Nawaz along with two million pounds fine and one year imprisonment sentence to her husband Capt. (retd) Muhammad Safdar on July 6, 2018 in Avenfield property reference. Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz were announced one year each extra imprisonment sentence under schedule-II. Nawaz Sharif was announced a total of 11 years while his daughter was awarded a total of eight years jail term by the trial court. According to the decision, the sentences of the accused were supposed to be started together.

The accused were also disqualified for any public office and the court also ordered to confiscate the Avenfield apartments.

The court decision had also given the references of tv interview of Hussain Nawaz, Nawaz Sharif's speech in National Assembly, report of joint investigation team (JIT) and verdicts of the Supreme Court.

The petition said the accountability court had also declared Hassan and Hussain Nawaz as proclaimed offender in avenfield apartment reference and issued their non bailable arrest warrants on disappearance from proceeding.

The court decision said Hussain Nawaz had admitted the ownership of apartments. Also according to the interview of Hassan Nawaz, the said property had been in their use.

The detailed judgment said 'Maryam Nawaz had become a tool to hide the wealth of her father. She assisted her father Nawaz Sharif in committing crime while her husband Capt (retd) Muhammad Safdar also helped in it.

The decision stated that the age of Maryam Nawaz in 1993 was 18 year, while Hussain Nawaz was 20 and Hassan Nawaz was 17 year old, and that time they had no source of income to purchase the apartments. Usually, the children used to be dependents on the parents. Thus, Nawaz Sharif couldn't claim that he didn't pay money to his children.

The written decision said 'accused Maryam Nawaz was disqualified to hold any public office for a term of ten years'. It further said the accused never mentioned the letters of Qatari prince earlier as source of London apartments. The Qatari letter was not more than hear and say.

It added that the accused didn't provide any assisting documents or direct evidence for source of this property.

The petition said the Maryam Nawaz and her husband's appeals against their convictions were still pending with IHC. The accused had requested adjournments for five times in last eight hearings before IHC bench.

The IHC had suspended the accused sentence on September 19, 2018 on their appeals. The petition prayed the court to cancel the bail of Maryam Nawaz and her husband in Avenfield reference.

A division bench comprising Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Mohsin Akhter Kayani would take up the accused appeals tomorrow for hearing. Maryam Nawaz had also filed a separate petition seeking her acquittal in Avenfiled property reference under fresh grounds. The NAB had previously requested the bench to decide the accused appeals within one month with conducting daily hearing as they had been deliberately using delaying tactics.
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ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Oct, 2021 ) :The Senate Standing Committee on Climate Change on Monday suggested that gas supply from Turkmenistan through Tajikistan and Afghanistan may be procured, keeping in view, the issue of deforestation for firewood in Gilgit being highlighted at the forum.

The meeting was chaired by Senator Seemi Ezdi and attended by Senators Sherry Rehman, Khalida Ateeb, Abida Muhammad Azeem, Taj Haider and Umer Farooq.

The Committee was of the opinion that as the distance was only 50 km, it was suggested that the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Power may provide assistance to expedite the matter.

The meeting commenced with a briefing by the Ministry of Climate Change on the up-coming two-week COP-26 Conference due to be held from 31 October, 2021 to 12 November, 2021 which aims to secure global net zero emissions by mid-century and keep 1.5 degrees within reach, adapt to protect communities and natural habitats, mobilize finance and work together to deliver.

The Committee was informed that Pakistan adheres to the principles of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR) as any binding commitment would restrict its development needs. Furthermore it was shared that the Prime Minister would address the Leaders' Summit on 1st and 2nd November, 2021 and a pavilion to showcase Pakistan's achievements was also being planned.

The Committee was informed that the Electronic Vehicle (EV) Policy was dealt by the Ministry of Climate Change at the Policy formulation level whereas the Ministry of Industries and Production was responsible for the execution side. The members were informed that Ministry of Industries and Production is working on creating a favourable tariff regime for EV to expand user base.

The Committee was informed that by switching to EV Pakistan could save up to US $ 411 million worth of oil imports; saving US 2 billion by 2030.

Carbon emissions would be reduced up-to 1.54 metric tons. The Committee was also informed that at present there are two EV motorcycle plants operating and three more are in the process of obtaining licenses. Moreover it was shared that private companies like Sapphire Group were considering introducing EV for their own cargo fleet.

The members of the Committee highlighted the need to improve charging infrastructure by ensuring Pakistan State Oil to have charged batteries available to users of EV and utilizing its vast network of petrol stations across a wide geographic spread. Members also suggested that solar energy should be used to charge batteries to minimize cost.

The Committee was informed that Pakistan's green-house gas (GHG) emissions for 2018 was 8.7 percent less than the projected and it was due to timely and effective policies including 10 billion tree tsunami project, ecosystem restoration initiative, recharge Pakistan, National Electronic Policy, Clean Green Pakistan Movement and Climate Smart Agriculture to name a few. Moreover the Committee was informed that agriculture sector had the largest share in Pakistan's GHG emissions.

Members of the Committee highlighted the need to incentivize private sector to reduce carbon emissions. Moreover members also suggested that technical assistance should be sought from international experts to introduce carbon trading in Pakistan. Members also highlighted the need to shift government offices, Secretariats and Parliament Lodges on solar energy to reduce pressure on the national grid.

Minister of State for Climate Change, Zartaj Gull was present at the meeting as well. Senior officers from the Ministry of Climate Change and the Ministry of Industries and Production also attended the meeting.
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G20 leaders will hold a virtual summit on Tuesday to discuss Afghanistan, with the Italy-hosted talks focused on the humanitarian and security situation following the takeover by the Taliban

Rome, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Oct, 2021 ) :G20 leaders will hold a virtual summit on Tuesday to discuss Afghanistan, with the Italy-hosted talks focused on the humanitarian and security situation following the takeover by the Taliban.

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, whose country holds the rotating G20 presidency, has been pushing to widen the global discussion on Afghanistan to countries including Russia and China.

It was not clear if all the leaders of the G20 economic powers, which include the United States, EU, China, Turkey, Russia and Saudi Arabia among others, would join Tuesday's meeting.

But an Italian government official said it would be "mostly heads of state and government".

The summit will be held behind closed doors but Draghi will hold a press conference afterwards.

The hardline Islamist Taliban returned to power in August following the withdrawal of US troops after 20 years of war.

Afghanistan's economy remains in a parlous state with international aid cut off, food prices rising and unemployment spiking.

Announcing the meeting last month, the Italian premier said it would address what he said was the risk of a "humanitarian catastrophe" in Afghanistan.

Draghi, whose country was part of the NATO mission in Afghanistan, said leaders would also look at measures the international community can take "to stop Afghanistan from again becoming a hotbed of international terrorism".
German biotech company CureVac announced on Tuesday its decision to withdraw its mRNA COVID-19 vaccine candidate from the European Medicines Agency's rolling review in favor of concentrating its efforts on developing second-generation mRNA vaccines

BERLIN (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 12th October, 2021) German biotech company CureVac announced on Tuesday its decision to withdraw its mRNA COVID-19 vaccine candidate from the European Medicines Agency's rolling review in favor of concentrating its efforts on developing second-generation mRNA vaccines.

While there was initially much hope for the German firm's vaccine, the preliminary data of its late-stage clinical trials showed it was only 47% effective. The final data from the trials raised its effectiveness to 48%.

"CureVac N.V. ... today announced the strategic decision to focus its COVID-19 vaccine development towards the development of second-generation mRNA vaccine candidates in collaboration with GSK (GlaxoSmithKline) and to withdraw its first-generation COVID-19 vaccine candidate, CVnCoV, from the current approval process with the European Medicines Agency (EMA)," CureVac said in a statement.

The EU drug regulator, for its part, confirmed the end of the approval process.

"The withdrawal means that EMA is no longer reviewing data on the vaccine and will not conclude this review. The company retains the right to request another rolling review or submit a marketing authorisation application in the future," the EMA said in a statement.

The EMA has so far authorized the vaccines by Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson for use in the European Union.

Four vaccines are undergoing rolling review at the EMA at the moment: the United States' NVX-CoV2373 from NovaVax, China's CoronaVac from Sinovac, Russia's Sputnik V from the Gamaleya Institute, and France's Vidprevtyn from Sanofi Pasteur.
MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 12th October, 2021) Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata will join the fifth Crew Dragon space mission to fly to the International Space Station (ISS) next year, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) said on Tuesday.

"It has been decided that I will be boarding the SpaceX's fifth Crew Dragon. I have been training for a long duration mission aboard the ISS and it is an honor to board this new space vehicle for three consecutive years for JAXA Astronauts, succeeding NOGUCHI Soichi and HOSHIDE Akihiko," Wakata was quoted as saying in a statement.

The upcoming mission will also be his fifth space flight, the astronaut added, listing three US Space Shuttle flights in 1996, 2000, 2009, as well as a flight aboard Russia's Soyuz spacecraft in 2013. The 2022 flight will see Wakata top the list of Japanese astronauts in terms of the number of space journeys.

Along with Wakata, NASA astronauts Nicole Mann and Josh Cassada have so far been assigned to the mission.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov and US Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland discussed Moscow-Washington relations and work of diplomatic missions, among other issues, during their meeting in Moscow on Tuesday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 12th October, 2021) Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov and US Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland discussed Moscow-Washington relations and work of diplomatic missions, among other issues, during their meeting in Moscow on Tuesday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

"The state and prospects for the development of relations between the two countries were discussed. Particular attention was paid to issues related to the functioning of the foreign missions of Russia and the United States on the territory of each other. It was emphasized on the Russian side that hostile anti-Russian actions would not remain unanswered, but Moscow does not seek further escalation.

We propose to remove all restrictions that have been introduced on both sides over the past few years," the ministry said in a statement.

Ryabkov told Nuland that the continuation of Washington's "confrontational line" to relations with Moscow could further deteriorate Russia-US ties, the ministry said.

"A realistic approach is required, which implies building them on the basis of the principles of equality and mutual consideration of each other's interests," the ministry added.
A second planeload of Afghan refugees was expected to arrive in Spain Tuesday from Pakistan, a government source said, the day after a first flight for people who worked for Madrid in the war-torn country

Madrid, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Oct, 2021 ) :A second planeload of Afghan refugees was expected to arrive in Spain Tuesday from Pakistan, a government source said, the day after a first flight for people who worked for Madrid in the war-torn country.

Tuesday's arrival with around 160 people was scheduled for around 7:00 pm (1700 GMT) at the Torrejon de Ardoz military airbase outside Madrid, government sources said on condition of anonymity.

On Monday 84 people had arrived on the first plane, the sources added.

Spain's evacuations have been weeks in the making, with Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares visiting Pakistan and Qatar in early September to lay the groundwork.

Madrid evacuated more than 2,000 people, most of them Afghans who had worked for Spain and their families.

The European Union's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, on Friday urged the bloc's member states to host a "minimum" of between 10,000 and 20,000 more Afghan refugees.

"To welcome them, we have to evacuate them, and we're getting down to it, but it's not easy," he said in Madrid.

The EU has said a demand by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to take in 42,500 Afghan refugees over five years can be achieved -- although any decision lies with member states.
(@FahadShabbir)

The Taliban held their first face-to-face talks with a joint US-EU delegation Tuesday in Qatar as Brussels pledged one billion euros ($1.2 billion) in aid for Afghanistan

Doha, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Oct, 2021 ) :The Taliban held their first face-to-face talks with a joint US-EU delegation Tuesday in Qatar as Brussels pledged one billion Euros ($1.2 billion) in aid for Afghanistan.

The Taliban are seeking recognition, as well as assistance to avoid a humanitarian disaster, after they returned to power in August following the withdrawal of US troops after 20 years of war.

UN chief Antonio Guterres earlier urged the world to donate to drought-hit and impoverished Afghanistan to head off economic collapse, but also slammed the Taliban's "broken" promises to Afghan women and girls.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the EU aid package, meant "to avert a major humanitarian and socio-economic collapse", at a virtual G20 summit hosted by Italy on Tuesday.

She stressed the funds are "direct support" for Afghans and would be channelled to international organisations working on the ground, not to the Taliban's interim government which Brussels does not recognise.

"We have been clear about our conditions for any engagement with the Afghan authorities, including on the respect of human rights," she said.

"So far, the reports speak for themselves. But the Afghan people should not pay the price of the Taliban's actions." EU countries are wary at the prospect of a surge of Afghan asylum-seekers trying to enter the bloc, as happened in 2015 with Syrians fleeing their war.

Brussels' calculation is that donating money to help stabilise Afghanistan and assist countries between it and Europe could stem any flow.

- 'Positive relationships' - The direct talks held in Doha on Tuesday were facilitated by Qatar, which has long hosted a Taliban political office.

"I think engaging with them (the Taliban) is the most important now," said Mutlaq Al-Qahtani, a special envoy to Qatar's foreign minister, who brushed aside the question of whether to recognise a Taliban government.

"A priority as we speak now is the humanitarian (situation), is education, is free passage" of people wishing to leave, he told the Global Security Forum conference in Doha.

EU spokeswoman Nabila Massrali said the meeting with the Taliban would "allow the US and European side to address issues" including respect for women's rights.

"This is an informal exchange at technical level. It does not constitute recognition of the 'interim government'," she said.

The Taliban regime, still yet to be recognised as a legitimate government by any other country, is also facing a security threat from the Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) group, who have launched a series of deadly attacks.

"We want positive relationships with the whole world," the Taliban's acting foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said at an earlier event in Qatar.

"We believe in balanced international relations. We believe such a balanced relationship can save Afghanistan from instability," said Muttaqi, who led the Taliban delegation Saturday for the first in-person talks with US officials since the American pullout.
Two teenagers were charged Tuesday over an alleged attack that left 14 kangaroos dead on Australia's east coast in an act labelled "tragic and senseless" by animal rescuers

Sydney, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Oct, 2021 ) :Two teenagers were charged Tuesday over an alleged attack that left 14 kangaroos dead on Australia's east coast in an act labelled "tragic and senseless" by animal rescuers.

The pair of 17-year-old boys were arrested after locals discovered the dead eastern grey kangaroos, including two joeys, near Batemans Bay, about four hours drive south of Sydney on Saturday morning, police said.

"It is a tragic and senseless act that has left an indelible mark on our dedicated Mid South Coast branch volunteers who attended the scene, as well as the local residents," wildlife rescue organisation WIRES said on Facebook.

Police said they found the dead animals across two separate areas near the beachside town.

A member of the public discovered one surviving joey, which was nicknamed "Hope" by rescuers.

"Surprisingly, she's doing incredibly well," Mid South Coast WIRES chair Janelle Renes told national broadcaster ABC.

"When she got here, she was pretty much lifeless.""It took about two hours to warm her up and to see any real signs that she was going to survive."The boys will face a children's court on November 22, charged with recklessly beating and killing an animal.
Three migrants were killed and one seriously hurt on Tuesday when they were hit by a train in southern France, local officials said

Ciboure, France, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Oct, 2021 ) :Three migrants were killed and one seriously hurt on Tuesday when they were hit by a train in southern France, local officials said.

The four were thought to have been lying on the tracks near the station at the seaside town of Saint-Jean-de-Luz when they were caught unawares by the first train of the day passing at around 0300 GMT, said local prosecutor Jerome Bourrier.

He said the train's emergency brakes would not have been enough for the drivers to avoid the four men, who he said were Algerian nationals aged between 21 and 40.

Bourrier said the fourth victim was no longer in a critical condition and he was due to undergo an operation.

The men were believed to have spent some time in Spain before heading to France, with Bourrier saying one had been expelled by Spanish authorities.

"It is clear that all the victims are of Algerian origin, and three of them had been subject to procedures in Spain over the irregularity of their presence," said Bourrier.

Local mayor Eneko Aldana-Douat told AFP that one of the victims was already known to the police, suggesting they had been on French territory for a while.

Spain is one of the main gateways to Europe for migrants, with 16,586 irregular entries in the first seven months of the year, according to figures published in August by the Spanish interior ministry.

That figure was 50 percent higher than in the same period last year.

In August, a migrant died while trying to cross the Bidasoa river that separates Spain and France.
Ukraine will begin an energy-saving program worth more than $11 billion next year, and is expecting the European Union's help in the matter, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Tuesday

KIEV (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 12th October, 2021) Ukraine will begin an energy-saving program worth more than $11 billion next year, and is expecting the European Union's help in the matter, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Tuesday.

Earlier in the day, the Ukrainian leader met with European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for the 23rd Ukraine-European Union Summit in Kiev.

"We have a substantial energy saving program ... We will discuss this program with EU colleagues and Ukraine currently requires roughly 300 billion hryvnia (over $11 billion)," Zelenskyy said at a post-summit briefing, adding that implementation "will be faster with professional assistance and financial support from the EU but, in any case, we will begin doing it next year.

"

The president noted that Kiev has to address the issue of saving energy, especially in view of a possible cessation of gas transit through its territory.

On September 10, Russia's Gazprom announced the completion of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. Kiev has been a consistent opponent of the project over concerns that it will allow Russia to deliver its gas directly to Europe, bypassing Ukraine. Moscow has stressed multiple times that the agreement on gas transit to Europe through its neighbor will remain in effect until the end date, and even after its completion, Russia does not plan to abandon Ukrainian transit.
The UN office in Belarus illegally used the organization's funds to pay for the services of lawyers of 23 Belarusians who participated in last year's opposition protests, the republic's permanent mission to the UN office and other international organizations in Geneva said

MINSK (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 12th October, 2021) The UN office in Belarus illegally used the organization's funds to pay for the services of lawyers of 23 Belarusians who participated in last year's opposition protests, the republic's permanent mission to the UN office and other international organizations in Geneva said.

"The Senior Human Rights Adviser appointed by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to the Office of the UN Resident Coordinator in the Republic of Belarus initiated the misuse of OHCHR funds that were intended to provide legal assistance to persons with disabilities or victims of domestic violence," the statement says.

It noted that "in August 2020, after externally incited riots took place in Belarus following the announcement of the election campaign results, on the initiative and with further support of the UN official, two employees of the UN Office in Belarus, with full awareness of the illegality of their actions, developed and implemented an illegal scheme to cover the services of lawyers to Belarusian citizens who were neither persons with disabilities nor victims of domestic violence.

"

"These citizens participated in illegal protests aimed at undermining statehood and overthrowing the current government. As a result, lawyers were illegally financed to service 23 citizens," the statement says.
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Submitted PhotoParticipating in the ceremony from Wiregrass Georgia Technical College are (seated) April McDuffie, interim vice president for academic affairs, and DeAnnia Clements, interim president; and (standing) Niki Y. Ogletree, executive director for academic affairs, and Holly Greene, dean of academic affairs. Representing South Georgia State College are (seated) Dr. Ingrid Thompson-Sellers, president, and Dr. Robert Page, vice president of academic and student affairs and (standing) Niki Hersey, assistant professor ELE/SPED program, Amy Fitzgerald, assistant professor ELE/SPED program, Dr. Kit Carson, chair and professor of education, ELE/SPED program, Silvanna Corona, administrative assistant, ELE/SPED program. Dr. Zena Lloyd, assistant professor ELE/SPED program, and Dr. Jodi Fissel, dean, arts and professional studies. Lonnie Roberts, president, and Amanda Morris, executive vice president and vice president for academic affairs, attended on behalf of Coastal Pines Technical College.
After a three-year preparatory process, the Fifth Plenary Council of Australia kicked off last week gathering approximately 280 delegates from across the country who met virtually for their first assembly. It is the first such event since 1937 when the Fourth Plenary Council was held. For six days, participants prayed, discussed and reflected together to discern what God is asking of the Church in Australia today. Discussions will resume next year at the Second Assembly in Sydney

By Lisa Zengarini

As Pope Francis launched the global synodal process in Rome, the Church in Australia wrapped up the first General Assembly of its 5th Plenary Council on Sunday. 278 designated members from across Australia - including bishops, priests, religious and laypeople  gathered virtually from 3 to 10 October to pray and reflect about the future, the role and relevance of the Catholic Church in Australian society today. Overall, over 300 people joined the event. The meeting was originally planned in Adelaide in October 2020, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was postponed to this year and will be followed by a Second Assembly in Sydney in July 2022.

Most important national Catholic gathering in the country since 1937

The Council, which is the most important national Catholic gathering in the country since 1937, was convened by the local bishops in 2016, heeding Pope Francis invitation to dialogue with society, in the light of the significant changes that have taken place in Australia over the past decades and also of the findings of the Royal Commission into Institutional Response to Child Sexual Abuse in the Church.

The preparation process

Following Pope Francis approval, the preparation process began in 2018, with the launch of Dialogue and Listening meetings which were attended by more than 222,000 faithful across the country presenting their contributions. These helped to give a picture of the reality of the Church in Australia today, but also of the concerns and aspirations of Australian Catholics. Once the first phase was completed, the second phase began in June 2019, that of "Listening and discernment", to identify the issues to be put on the Council's agenda.

The contributions are summarized in the Instrumentum Laboris, the working document released earlier this year. Among the key themes highlighted in the document are strengthening of synodality and pastoral discernment; the call for co-responsibility in the mission and governance of the Church; renewed solidarity of the Australian bishops with the aboriginal peoples and those on the margins of society, and the promotion of integral ecology as indicated by Pope Francis in his Encyclical Letter "Laudato si' on the care of our common home.

The final Agenda presented in June identified six thematic areas of reflection. These include: conversion, prayer, formation, governance, structures and institutions, which, to be effective, the Agenda says, must be guided by "a renewed missionary spirit".

A new way of living as Church amid new challenges

During their six-day meetings, the 278 designated members of the Council focused on 16 questions developed as a result of the listening phase, which has also been a distinctive feature of this intense week of discernment to find a new way of living as Church in Australia. As explained in the final statement, interventions covered a wide range of the complex realities of the Church and Australian society in this particular moment of history.

Reconciling with abuse victims and First Nations

Delegates listened to the confronting and important voices of victims and survivors of abuse in the Church recalling the great wounds and failures of the Church and the continuing need to discern pathways of true healing and renewal. They also heard from Aboriginal peoples, reaffirming the need for reconciliation with Australian Indigenous communities, as well as the need for justice and for the healing of the land through an integral ecology'. In this regard, discussions focused on how the Church in Australia can open, in a new fashion, to Indigenous ways of being Christian in spirituality, theology, liturgy, and missionary discipleship. To emphasize this aspect, the opening session of each day began with a Welcome to Country, the traditional ceremony where Aboriginal Australians welcome people to their land.

Leadership and governance for a more synodal Church

In responding to the Agenda questions, Members considered ways of living as Church today, focusing on what the Church can offer the world on the one hand, and on how the world can inform the ways and structures of the Church on the other. They reflected on questions of leadership and governance in light of Pope Francis call for the Church to be more synodal.

Going out to the margins of society

A key theme of the Assembly was missionary discipleship as well as the call to go out to the margins of society. Participants spoke of the ministries of pastoral care and education, health, and aged care, and the many social services and advocacy the Church provides in the Australian community. Various voices drew attention to young people, women, single people, parents and families, people with disabilities, people with diverse experiences of sexuality and gender, and others who feel that there is no place for them in society and Church. Council members discussed how a missionary Church might connect with those who feel distant from the community of faith. They were also reminded of the needs of rural dioceses and parishes, as well as those of large cities, and celebrated the gifts that the Eastern Churches bring to the Catholic community in Australia.

The need for renewal and for ecclesial listening

Another highlight of the Assembly was the call to conversion and fidelity, as well as to imagination and renewal. In this regard, many called attention to the importance of enhancing the role of women in the Church. A recurring theme was also the need for ongoing processes of ecclesial listening which can form and inform how the Church lives its mission today.

Openness to the Holy Spirit

With the closing of this first meeting, the Plenary Council process now enters a time of prayer, reflection, maturation leading to the development of new propositions to be presented to the Second Assembly in Sydney. This process will involve continuing reflection by the Members of the Council, and consultation with the wider Church community, the final statement explains. In his concluding address, on October 9, the President of the Plenary Council, Archbishop Timothy Costelloe of Perth, called on its members to remain open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit in preparing for the next Assembly, while reiterating the importance of synodality, that is of walking together in this process, as requested by Pope Francis.

A slow and messy but fruitful process

In the closing Mass on Sunday, Archbishop Timothy Coleridge SDB of Brisbane, President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Australia (ACBC), on his part, likened the process to bringing a child to birth: The process is slow, painful and messy, but in the end it is wonderfully fruitful and joyful as the baby is born, he said. Beyond the maelstrom of this week and all that lies ahead, may the Church in Australia come to know the fruitfulness and joy which the Holy Spirit brings from all the pain and mess because nothing is impossible for God, he concluded in his homily.
Vietnams logistics industry is seeing significant growth due to the countrys expanding economy, manufacturing, and e-commerce sectors.

Aviation, maritime, and road networks carry the bulk of freight, contributing to the industrys growth.

New opportunities have opened for technical innovations to improve logistical efficiency.

Vietnams logistics industry has been boosted by the countrys booming GDP, rising manufacturing, and e-commerce sectors. In addition, the rapid adoption of e-commerce by the countrys young demographic has increased the demand for expansion in logistic services.

Vietnam aims to develop itself as an export-driven economy. By establishing economic zones and industrial parks, the government is proactively taking steps to foster manufacturing investments, which is another reason why Vietnams logistics industry has strong potential.

Logistics on fast-growing trajectory

Logistics is one of the fastest expanding sectors of Vietnams economy, whose growth may outpace GDP. The countrys import-export revenues reached close to US$390 billion in the first three quarters of 2020. This is a 1.8 percent growth compared to the same period last year as per the General Statistics Office (GSO). The Vietnamese government aims to achieve an annual logistics growth rate close to 20 percent by 2025.

Aviation, maritime, road transport contribute to logistics growth

As per World Bank rankings in 2018, Vietnam demonstrated a significant improvement in its Logistics Performance Index (LPI). It ranked 39 out of the 160 countries, rising 25 places above its position in 2016. Data from the Ministry of Industry and Trade showed that Vietnams logistics sector grew by over 12 percent in 2018.

In terms of weight, Vietnams cargo throughput has steadily grown between 2010 and 2018, achieving an 8.4 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR). Over three-fourths of freight tonnage in Vietnam was transported by road, growing five percent in this period. Meanwhile, the share of water transport fell from a quarter portion of cargo tonnage to one-fifth. Railway and aviation sub-sectors together transport less than one percent of cargo by weight.

In terms of freight ton-kilometers, Vietnams freight traffic achieved a growth of 9.6 percent CAGR between 2010 and 2018. With a 150 percent growth in this period, the aviation sub-sector was the main driver of growth. Aviation, maritime, and road transport sub-sectors steadily carried about 95 percent of freight traffic.

Rising manufacturing industry

In the past two decades, Vietnam has evolved into a leading manufacturing hub in ASEAN. As the country aims to be an export-driven economy, it requires importing raw materials and then exporting finished goods.

The increasing movement of goods to and from Vietnam has necessitated further development in its logistics sector. Vietnams participation in several free trade agreements (FTAs) has further helped augment its manufacturing growth.

Manufacturers diversifying from China

The US-China trade war and the pandemic have forced manufacturers to diversify their supply chains and shipping networks. This has resulted in businesses relocating their operations from China to Vietnam over the last few years. This is also known as the China plus one strategy.

Due to its low labor cost, Vietnam has received a large influx of capital for establishing labor-intensive industries. Thus, the countrys assembling and manufacturing industries have shown significant growth.

Logistics players in Vietnam

Vietnams logistics market involves numerous SMEs that provide low-value-added service. Over 90 percent of the countrys 3000-plus logistics firms have their registered capital below US$430,000. The other five percent have capital exceeding US$860,000, while the remaining companies play between these amounts.

Domestic logistic companies face intense competition among themselves and from foreign players. Vietnams logistics market is dominated by foreign players, who account for about three-fourths of its revenue.

In Vietnam, over 30 companies provide international logistics services including big names like DHL, FedEx, and Maersk.

Major local players include Vinalines, PetroVietnam Transport (PV Trans), and Viettel. Vinalines mainly offers services in port operations, shipping, and logistics, while PV Trans focuses on maritime transport and services for the oil and gas industry. State-owned Viettel Post provides a broad spectrum of services such as courier and warehouse rental.

The logistics services tend to be outsourced in Vietnam  characterized by basic and specialized services. Basic services include transport and warehousing. Specialized services include higher-order services such as the management of warehouse, inventory, and vendor; processing of orders; liaising with customs; and reverse, and climate-controlled logistics.

Logistic companies in Vietnam are established as follows:

MNC and JV  Multinational and joint venture companies typically attract foreign investments. They target international clients in Vietnam by providing logistics packages;

State-owned companies or corporations, which dominate the local logistics market; and

Joint-stock and private companies, which primarily rely on private-sector customers. These are small companies with limited capital that have the potential to develop.

Governments push for maritime transport

Vietnams geography gives it a logistical advantage that comes from its proximity to China. A long coastline that spans over 3000 kilometers and a vast network of rivers gives Vietnam a significant potential to develop its maritime transport.

Vietnams current maritime network includes 44 major seaports. However, Vietnam has a number of smaller ports as well, which takes the total number of ports in the country up to 320. Ho Chi Minh Citys Cat Lai is the biggest and most advanced port in Vietnam. In 2018, it handled nearly a quarter of the countrys 293 million metric tons of sea cargo. Its 71 million metric tons throughput exceeds that of the next four largest ports combined.

The throughput of the countrys seaports increased by one-fifth between 2017 and 2018. These seaports handled over 520 million metric tons of cargo in this period. Vietnam has over 1300 SMEs engaged in maritime logistics, which fulfill a small fraction of market demand.

The Vietnamese government is empowering its maritime industry to raise contribution to a tenth of GDP by 2030. This includes raising the maritime sectors GDP contribution of coastal cities and provinces from 60 percent in 2017 to over 65 percent by the next decade.

Further, there are plans to enhance the countrys maritime throughput at over 1000 tons per year. These efforts complement the governments vision to reduce the countrys reliance on road networks. Nevertheless, Vietnams maritime sector will require significant investment for further development.

Opportunities in logistics

The logistics sector presents a whole range of opportunities, which include:

Storage and distribution: Opportunities exist for developing warehousing infrastructure and distribution centers. There is a need to integrate existing storage infrastructure with other logistic functions, such as transportation, inventory management, cold chain, customs facilities, and warehouse management.

Software solutions: Most of Vietnams warehouses and distribution centers lack software packages like Warehouse Management System (WMS) and Transport Management System (TMS). A WMS is essential for modern supply chain management, as it automates the process of order fulfillment from accepting raw materials to dispatching finished goods.

The WMS takes care of routine tasks such as picking-and-placing goods, scanning barcodes, and RFID tags, and updating inventory records in the ERP system instantaneously. The TMS system, helps shippers in scheduling, fulfilling, and optimizing the delivery process.

Learning resources: The rapid expansion of the countrys logistics has increased the demand for a skilled and experienced workforce. The industry needs advanced and reasonably priced logistics programs. Local universities also have opportunities to introduce such programs.

Temperature controlled logistics: Import and export of perishable items like food and drugs have created a demand for climate-controlled logistics. In light of the pandemic, the need for the transportation of vaccines will provide further opportunities for temperature-controlled logistic operators.

Last-mile delivery: The massive boom in Vietnams e-commerce has created several opportunities in the delivery sector. Services like two-hour and one-day delivery have great potential as the countrys growing middle-class can afford such value-added services.

High costs, infrastructure leading barriers

The logistics industry in Vietnam continues to face high costs. Logistics costs are 6 to 12 percent higher than that of Thailand, China, and Malaysia. These high costs may affect the manufacturing sectors competitiveness that import raw materials and export finished goods. However, the Vietnamese government has been proactively taking actions to reduce these by improving its transport infrastructure. These efforts have resulted in a significant decrease in logistics costs, from 25 percent to 16 percent of GDP in the last decade.

Underdeveloped infrastructure has restricted the capacity of several seaports in the country. For solving this issue, certain seaports have started collecting fees for using infrastructure and service facilities. In 2017, Haiphong set this trend, with Ho Chi Minh City following by announcing similar fees from July 2021.

These fees should supplement an additional revenue of US$130 million to Ho Chi Minh City and US$70 million to Haiphong. The government aims to use this collected revenue to develop transport infrastructure to ease jams at seaports.

The widespread fragmentation in Vietnams logistics market may be a considerable bottleneck in tapping its full potential. Also, customs procedures are largely manual, slow, and will need work on improving efficiency. However, the government has introduced several measures including the online submission of documents to ease customs procedures.

The country will also need to standardize the cargo inspection process in seaports and airports. The highways linking industrial centers with ports are heavily congested, and their expansion can further benefit the industry.

Currently, not all logistics facilities are located close to ports and manufacturing hubs. Thus, new warehouses and distribution centers will need to be positioned closer to such hubs to facilitate the movement of goods.
Vietnam recently passed Decree 85/2021/ND-CP on regulating e-commerce activities and platforms in Vietnam.

Decree 85 amends and supplements Decree 52 and will impact foreign and local businesses involved with e-commerce platforms.

The regulations are meant to regulate the fast-growing e-commerce sector while improving the governments ability to impose tax obligations on e-commerce service providers.

Vietnams government on September 25 passed Decree 85/2021/ND-CP (Decree 85) regulating e-commerce platforms and activities in Vietnam. Decree 85 amends and supplements several aspects of Decree 52 on e-commerce. This will cover local as well as foreign businesses that conduct e-commerce activities in Vietnam. Decree 85 takes effect on January 1, 2022.

Dezan Shira & Associates Business Advisory Services Manager Tam Nguyen notes that the main purpose of making an amendment to the current regulations on e-commerce is for the management of tax collection. Thus, the regulations will impact foreign investors directly that are involved in e-commerce activities as well as foreign traders who are e-commerce suppliers and service providers.

E-commerce activities defined

As per the Decree, an e-commerce service is defined as any e-commerce activity where the trader, individual, or organization provides e-commerce services and sets up an e-commerce website that offers a place for other traders, organizations, and individuals to carry out trade, sales of goods or the supply of service activities.

The definition is more specific and does not includes businesses that are only involved in website and application design and therefore do not directly participate in the business operations of such websites, which is a welcome change.

As per Decree 85, a website is deemed providing e-commerce services if it provides the following conditions:

It allows members to open sales booths for displaying and/or promoting goods and services;

Members can open accounts that provide interaction or transactions with customers; and

Have services related to the delivery of goods and services with customers.

Social networking websites fall under regulations

Thus, social networks would be liable for regulation as e-commerce platforms if they meet the aforementioned conditions but also make their subscribers directly or indirectly pay a fee to carry out these activities. An example would be the Facebook marketplace.

While foreign businesses are required to comply with Vietnamese laws, Vietnamese e-commerce providers are required to verify the identities of foreign businesses selling goods on their e-commerce platforms. They are also required to do the following:

Ask foreign businesses to comply with export and import laws for those businesses that have no presence in Vietnam;

Ask foreign businesses to determine commercials agents in Vietnam; and

Organize the implementation of import activities regarding goods traded by foreign businesses.

Thang Vu, Associate Manager, Tax at Dezan Shira & Associates Ho Chi Minh City office notes that the new regulations will have an effect on several international e-commerce merchants like Amazon, eBay, Facebook, and Netflix. The purpose of the new law is to impose tax obligations on merchants, whether local or foreign, on Vietnam-sourced income from local individual customers.

The previous withholding tax system could only hold local companies liable for such obligations and the new regulation aims to rectify such a billion-dollar-shortfall of tax collection.

Impact on foreign investors

Foreign businesses including those involved with cross-border e-commerce and B2C e-commerce businesses must comply with local laws. As per the Decree, foreign traders engaged in e-commerce activities is defined as:

Those who set up e-commerce websites under Vietnam domain names (for example .vn);

Those that set up e-commerce websites that are in the Vietnamese language; and

Those that set up e-commerce platforms that have more than 100,000 transactions originating from Vietnam in a year.

For such, the foreign business will be required to set up a representative office in Vietnam.

In addition, foreign businesses are required to appoint a legal representative or set up a representative office in Vietnam if they carry out the following e-commerce activities:

Those that set up an e-commerce website using Vietnam domain names;

Those that set up a website that is in the Vietnamese language; and

Those that set up e-commerce platforms where the number of transactions or visits or purchase orders by Vietnamese organizations or individuals exceeds a particular threshold.

Under the last bullet point, the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) in collaboration with the Ministry of Information and Communications, Ministry of Finance and so on, will regulate the threshold for the number of transactions or purchases.

Any imported or exported goods are subject to customs procedures and e-commerce providers are required to cooperate with the relevant authorities to prevent the illegal transaction of goods and services. E-commerce providers must file a report on their business operations and submit to the MoIT by January 15 of every year.

Market access conditions

Decree 85 comes under the ambit of the new Law on Investment (LOI), which came into effect in January 2021. Foreign investors are therefore required to carry out investment in e-commerce activities in compliance of the LOI. Additionally, foreign investors that invest in e-commerce businesses must be listed under the internationally reputable technology companies as announced by the MoIT.

While how this list is generated is still unclear, exceptions are expected to be given to investors contributing to small and medium-sized startups. This is also likely to have significant implications for Vietnamese e-commerce companies that raise funds from foreign investors as they would have to meet the new requirements.

The Decree, however, does not mention that the regulations are retroactive, therefore the new regulations should not affect foreign investment that has already been approved.

Logistic companies

The Decree also adds companies providing logistics services and other supportive services that will come under the ambit of the Decree. Logistic companies will share liability to provide documentation regarding the origin of goods during delivery.

Guaranteed payment system

Decree 85 also mandates a guaranteed payment system where e-commerce websites are required to allow customers to make payments using this system. This means that payments must be kept in an intermediary account for a certain amount of time to settle any claims between customers and sellers.

The Decree doesnt specify the amount of time before the payment can be released to the e-commerce provider but this proposal may hurt small e-commerce companies that depend on revenue and cash flow.

Other changes

If a website does not have an online ordering function then there is no need to notify or register with government authorities. The point of the various laws are to ensure that as e-commerce grows it is transparent while ensuring that the government can deal with counterfeit products and the infringement of intellectual property rights.

Takeaways

E-commerce activities in Vietnam are on a high growth trajectory thanks to the pandemic and shifting consumer patterns. Decree 85 is part of the governments plan to aid this growth while regulating e-commerce activities in Vietnam. The government has set out a target of reaching 55 percent of the population involved in online shopping by 2025.

While the Decree offers more protection for Vietnamese consumers, it tightens conditions for foreign investment in e-commerce companies in Vietnam.

Note: This article was first published in March 2021, and has been updated to include the latest developments.
The executive board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) met on Oct. 8 to discuss the fate of incumbent Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva following a controversy linked to communist China. However, the meeting was adjourned without a clear resolution. The IMF said that a decision on the matter will be made very soon.

Last month, law firm WilmerHale submitted an investigative report to the World Bank in which it alleged that Georgieva had misused her position as the World Bank CEO in 2017 to communist Chinas benefit. She is alleged to have placed undue pressure on staff at the bank to use data in a way that presented communist China in a favorable light on the organizations flagship Doing Business report. The World Bank had announced that it was stopping the publication of the Doing Business report after the WilmerHale investigation.

In a statement to the IMF executive board on Oct. 6, Georgieva rejected the claims made in WilmerHales report. Georgieva accused WilmerHale of mischaracterizing her actions. Her lawyer, Lanny Breuer of Covington & Burling, said that the report drew inappropriate and unsupportable inferences.

The Executive Board remains committed to a thorough, objective, and timely review While the Board has made significant progress in its assessment, it agreed at todays meeting to request more clarifying details with a view to very soon concluding its consideration of the matter, the IMFs governing body said in the statement about the Oct. 8 meeting.

Since the WilmerHale report was revealed to the public, Georgieva has garnered quite a bit of support. Earlier this week, 16 African nations released a statement in her favor. According to a Reuters report, France, Britain, Germany, and Italy are apparently backing her as well. The support of European nations is critical to Georgieva since the IMF has traditionally appointed a chief chosen by the European governments. When she became the head of IMF in 2019, Georgieva became the first person from a developing economy at the post.

Joseph Stiglitz, a former chief economist at the World Bank, believes that Georgieva is being targeted by conservative forces as she financially supported developing nations far more than her predecessors. He accused the WilmerHale report of being used unfairly to discredit and oust Georgieva. Having read the WilmerHale report, having talked directly to key people involved, and knowing the whole process, the investigation appears to me to be a hatchet job, Stiglitz said.

The U.S. Treasury has not commented after the IMF meeting. The Treasury has a 16.5 percent stake in IMFs shares. A spokesperson from the department had earlier said that the Treasury has pushed for a thorough and fair accounting of all the facts of the case.

Anne O. Krueger, a former World Bank chief economist and former first deputy managing director of the IMF, wrote an article for Project Syndicate; she stated that Georgieva should resign. If she does not, the credibility of the organization will be affected.

Should Georgieva remain in her position, she and her staff will surely be pressured to alter other countries data and rankings. And even if they resist, the reports they produce will be suspect. The entire institutions work will be devalued. That prospect alone should be enough for the IMFs political masters to find a new managing director whose commitment to the integrity of the work is not in question, Krueger wrote.
Aircraft carriers from the United States, UK, and Japan are conducting exercises in the Philippine Sea. Ships from New Zealand, the Netherlands, and Canada are also involved. In total, 17 surface ships and more than 15,000 sailors from six democratic nations are taking part in the military exercises. The joint drills are happening just as Communist China is sending more aircraft into Taiwans air defense identification zone.

Another momentous weekend! #CSG21 conducted quad carrier operations in the Philippine Sea with @HMSQNLZ , USS Carl Vinson, USS Ronald Reagan & JS ISE undertaking combined exercises. Half a million tons of sea power projection from 6 nations with an equally impressive air wing, the Commander UK Carrier Strike Group tweeted on Oct. 5.

Rear Adm. Dan Martin, commander of the U.S. carrier strike group, said that America is continuing to improve its ability to carry out prompt and sustained operations at sea with a more mobile, agile, and flexible force. UK carrier strike group commander Commodore Steve Moorhouse stated that working with allies demonstrates Londons commitment to the region.

Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) Escort Flotilla 2 Commander Rear Adm. Konno Yasushige believes that exercises with carrier strike groups represent the strong will of these nations to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific.

The JMSDF will work closely with allied and friendly navies, which share the same objectives, to respond to global challenges and defend maritime order based on the rule of law, Yasushige said.

During the exercises, two U.S. fighter jets took off from Japans largest warship, JS Izumo. This is the first time since World War II that fixed-wing aircraft have operated from a Japanese ship, indicating a major change in Tokyos military abilities.

Japan plans to buy 42 F35Bs for its aircraft carriers. London and Tokyo have already announced plans to improve interoperability and cooperation between their militaries. Australia has signed a submarine pact with the U.S. and UK.

According to a report by Kyodo News, Peoples Republic of China (PRC) leader Xi Jinping has asked the military to increase pressure in Taiwans southwestern region in a bid to counter the naval exercises being conducted by the six nations. Xi believes that the exercises are aimed at preventing mainland China from taking over Taiwan and the Japanese-controlled Senkaku Islands.

On Oct. 4, the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) air force sent 56 planes into Taiwans ADIZ, a record among the many intrusions conducted by the PLA into the islands airspace. In the first four days of the month, nearly 150 Chinese planes breached Taiwanese territory. The U.S. State Department has accused Beijing of engaging in provocative military activities that undermine the regions stability and peace.

In a recent article published in Foreign Affairs magazine, Taiwan president Tsai Ing-wen called on democratic governments to support Taiwan in the face of increased mainland aggression.

As countries increasingly recognize the threat that the Chinese Communist Party poses, they should understand the value of working with Taiwan. And they should remember that if Taiwan were to fall, the consequences would be catastrophic for regional peace and the democratic alliance system. It would signal that in todays global contest of values, authoritarianism has the upper hand over democracy, Tsai wrote in the article.
Governments around the world are compelling and coercing more people to receive Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) injections, including countless federal and health care workers in the United States. President Joe Biden announced that it will be mandatory for companies with more than 100 employees to vaccinate their staff, a mandate that would affect over 100 million Americans.

The requirement has been met with fierce criticism and pushback. Many lawyers are working to make U.S. courts recognize natural immunity against COVID-19 from a previous infection as a valid legal exemption against mandatory vaccination.

Erik Eisenmann, an attorney specializing in labor and employment law, said: I think that a judge might reject a rule thats been issued by a body, like the U.S. Department of Labour or by a state, that has not been sufficiently thought through as it relates to the science.

He added, Right now, I think its been easy for employers and the medical community to say the vaccine is always better But the science evolves and there are new strains.

One report (pdf) from Israel that Eisenmann and other lawyers cited suggests that natural immunity provides significantly better protection against COVID-19 than the Pfizer vaccines. Professor Todd Zywicki, a senior fellow at the Cato Institute and an associate professor at George Mason University, weighed in on the issue.

According to Zywicki, the state vaccine mandate for smallpox is grounded in Jacobson v. Massachusetts (pdf), a decision by the Supreme Court in 1905. He believes it might be challenged if enough legal and scientific evidence is presented.

That was a different medical era, Zywicki said. There was no way to confirm whether you had a prior infection and recovery, which is obviously the case now.

Using another Supreme Court decision from 1927, Buck v. Bell, would be helpful for modern legal analysis, according to Professor Zywicki. Buck vs Bell proved individuals have the right to make medical decisions concerning their bodies. The ruling states that even prisoners cannot be compelled to take medications against their will.

Professor Zywicki said, Understandably, we are repulsed by that sort of attitude: that the government can do anything to you just because they think its a convenient way of dealing with some social problem.

Republicans in Congress are making attempts to pressure the CDC to recognize natural immunity, while lawyers are joining forces to fight for it in the courts. Republican Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas sent a letter to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky calling for the CDC to recognize natural immunity against COVID-19. The GOP Doctors Caucus, which Marshall leads, warned in the letter that not acknowledging natural immunity could have grave consequences.

Senator Marshalls letter read, The U.S. Department of Defence vaccine mandate has the potential to lead a national security crisis by separating up to 20 percent of our military personnel, many of whom likely have natural immunityPublished and submitted journal articles verify immunity from natural infection and innate immunity in measuring an individuals level of protection to COVID-19. One study examining this found that patients who recovered from COVID-19 could produce a long-term immune response.

The GOP Doctors Caucus believes the CDC should use all of the available data to establish better patient-centered solutions that can prove a persons natural immunity to COVID-19 issufficient.

Lionel Eddy is a freelance writer, anti-5G and anti-lockdown activist from London, UK. He has campaigned against mandatory vaccine as well as the COVID-19 regulations and the government lockdown. Eddy apposes mandatory mask wearing and views it as a sign of submission to government, he also believes that the mass usage of disposable masks will become a hazard to the oceans. Eddy has also campaigned against the roll out of 5G masts in the UK, citing it a radiation and health hazard.
The coronavirus pandemic has taken a toll on many peoples mental health, especially among vulnerable groups like refugees. In Kenyas urban refugee camps, aid agencies are trying to help people cope with anxiety and depression.

In one of Nairobis suburbs, a group of refugee women go through the days training activity on how to detect and handle mental health related issues.



The training is to deal with the extra load of mental health issues brought on by the global COVID-19 pandemic.



Refugees already burdened by the trauma of fleeing their home countries must also face the pandemics impact on their income and way of life.



The United Nations High Commission for Refugees spokesperson, Eujin Byun, says the agency has had its hands full dealing with this challenge.

We noticed that the counseling per month has significantly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic so that we added more resources to account for those kind of challenges, so that we bring more therapists, more counsellors so that they can have, in the case that they do the home visits and then the phone counselling, so that refugees can feel they have access to the mental health service and they can fight with the mental health issue, said Byun.

Psychologist Albert Chumo, who works with refugee women and children, says the pandemic has not only re-opened old trauma cases, but also manifested new mental health concerns.

Some of them have families, they have children, they are withdrawing from family members, at times some of them would even say like there is not point of living, so they are hopeless, he said.

Sixty-year-old Esperanza Mukawachina, is a Rwandese refugee whos lived in Kenya for the last 20 years. She operates a clothing shop on behalf of close to 40 other refugee women who have felt both the economic and mental ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic.

She says the last 16 months have been the toughest of her twenty years of refugee life in Kenya due to the anxiety and uncertainty caused by the pandemic.

Because of too much stress, and anxiety, you could get an illness you werent expecting, I developed high blood pressure, because of worrying too much, she said.

Women like Esperanza are being helped to navigate the mental health pitfalls by aid agencies like Refushe Kenya. Demand for the agencys help has been especially high in urban centers.



Mildred Kemunto, a programs officer with Refushe says the agency has had to re-tailor its program due to the pandemic.

We are doing it on WhatsApp, where one who has a smart phone can access it through the sessions, where we always have one session every month for each member of the groups, where we do the phone sessions, thats stress management on different issues that affect our women," she said.

The UNHCR says this approach is working well in the refugee camps in northern Kenya where counseling services are also offered virtually for those refugees in need.
George Barisich isnt surprised by recent reports that President Joe Bidens approval rating among Americans has continued to drop. A commercial fisherman outside New Orleans, Barisich has never been a Biden fan.

I didnt like him from the start, and it looks like the rest of the country is figuring out what I knew all along, he told VOA.

An aggregate of national polling compiled by the website FiveThirtyEight showed the presidents approval rating reached almost 55% in May. Since then, his popularity has dropped significantly. A Quinnipiac University poll from last week showed only 38% of its respondents approved of President Bidens performance, with 53% disapproving.

Robert Collins, professor of Urban Studies and Public Policy at Dillard University in New Orleans said a combination of issues is driving those declining numbers, from Americas chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan to his administrations handling of near-record high migration to the United States.

Only 23% of respondents approved of his performance regarding the border crisis, Collins said. Thats a disaster.

Barisich said hes noticed a drop in enthusiasm for Biden even among his backers.

I was gifted these President Trump socks I like to wear sometimes, he said, laughing. Up until recently, the Biden supporters I know would give me crap about them and tell me all the great things they thought the president was doing. Lately, though, theyve been a lot more quiet.

Policy issues

The primary drop in Bidens approval ratings [is] due to the Mexican border crisis, the servicemen lost in Afghanistan and the slow pace of the economic recovery, Collins explained. In the past, the presidents handling of the coronavirus pandemic has been his ace in the hole, but even his approval rating there has dropped below 50%.

Bidens approval rating regarding his handling of pandemic topped out at 65% earlier this year, according to a May Quinnipiac poll. Their most recent poll has that number at 48%.

Its a massive drop, Collins said.

The numbers get even worse on other topics. An August NBC News poll found 64% of independent voters polled felt Biden had accomplished only some or very little in office.

I think he set unrealistic goals, and he definitely didnt appreciate how bad things were at the border, said New Orleanian Mary Chaput. A moderate voter, Chaput said she voted for Biden last year, but doesnt imagine shell vote for him again.

In the past, he was someone who seemed to work well with Republicans as well as Democrats. But I think this is a different time, and he didnt appreciate how difficult it would be to do that now, she said.

Voters may want to see more from Biden, but his declining popularity has further complicated Democrats efforts to enact sweeping legislation, including a $3.5 trillion infrastructure bill that would massively expand Americas safety net.

Sticking with Biden

Disenchantment with Biden is far from universal. College professor Alex Hamman voted for Biden last year and said hes likely to vote for him again.

Ive voted for Republicans in the past, but I just cant imagine casting a ballot for anyone in todays Republican Party, he told VOA.

Hamman believes many of Bidens struggles are a spillover from the actions and policies of his predecessor, Donald Trump.

He basically ran against the Trump agenda, which means he has to fix all the past garbage instead of working on his own priorities. We have short memories, though, and we need to see new things accomplished, he said.

A silver lining for the president is that much of his agenda remains popular, especially among independent voters, who helped him win the presidency last year. Fifty-seven percent of independents favor a bipartisan $1.2 trillion infrastructure deal supported by the president. Meanwhile, 48% of independents support Bidens $3.5 trillion package for social programs, while 37% oppose it.

Currently neither bill has cleared Congress.

He needs to cut a deal with the politicians in his own party and get a win, Collins said. And these particular wins would be two-fold. Theyll help the president build momentum, but also, theyll create jobs. During peacetime, nothing is more important for approval ratings than the economy.

Bidens economic performance numbers have also sagged to 39% in the recent Quinnipiac poll.

A matter of trust

I voted for Biden because I wanted to get Trump out of the White House, Hamman said, but I also voted for Biden because I think hes a decent guy and about as honest as I expect any politician to be.

Unfortunately for the president, in addition to matters of policy, the approval of important character traits  once a Biden strength in the eyes of voters  has also declined. A month before the 2020 election, a Gallup poll found that 52% of Americans saw then-candidate Biden as honest and trustworthy, while only 40% found Trump to be.

By contrast, 44% of respondents in last weeks Quinnipiac poll found Biden to be honest; half of respondents said he was not.

Polling numbers on trust are normally a sign of people believing the president is hiding something from them, Collins said, adding that the falling numbers could stem from Bidens insistence that no one counseled him to delay the pullout from Afghanistan, an assertion contradicted by top U.S. military commanders.

But trust isnt only a function of honesty. Its a function of communication and transparency, too. More press conferences and direct communication with the American people so they understand whats happening on a day-to-day basis could help, the professor said.

Barisich agreed. You never see him or hear from him, he said. How can you trust a guy that always seems to be in hiding?



Looking to rebound

According to FiveThirtyEight.com, Biden has a lower approval rating at this point in his presidency than all but two presidents since 1945, one of whom was Trump. Collins said it should be a reason for concern for the president but not a cause for panic.

Any experienced politician knows that during the term of a president, poll numbers will be all over the place, he said. The only poll that really matters is the poll taken on Election Day, and were still a long way from that.

The midterm elections will take place next year, but Collins cautioned that midterm elections tend to favor the political party not in control of the White House, regardless of the popularity of the sitting president.

Whether Biden will seek reelection in 2024 remains to be seen. Rebounding from his current polling numbers will be vital for a second term in office. He could also get a boost from a familiar rival.

In the 2020 campaign, Trumps negative ratings foreshadowed large numbers of independents voting for Biden. Even though many Americans are dissatisfied with Bidens record, the idea of Trump or one of his allies running in 2024 could keep moderate voters open to reelecting Biden.

If Trump or a Trump person ran, Id have to hold my nose and vote for Biden again, explained Chaput, but I really hope the Democrats will nominate someone else instead.
Russia's coronavirus task force Tuesday reported a record 973 coronavirus-related deaths in one day as the surge in new infections continues.

The task force also reported 28,190 new daily infections, close to the record 29,499 set in December.

Russian officials have blamed the spike in infections on the nation's sluggish vaccination program. The Health Ministry reports that at most, one-third of the population has been fully vaccinated, despite the fact the nation was quick to roll out its Sputnik vaccine early this year.

According to Reuters, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday urged newly elected lawmakers to actively support efforts to vaccinate more of the population. But the government has been reluctant to impose vaccine mandates. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Monday it was up to regional authorities to establish such rules.

British 'groupthink'

A report produced by the British parliament says a state of "groupthink" among government officials led to a costly delay in ordering a nationwide lockdown in the first days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 151-page report from the joint science and health committees in the House of Commons says Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Cabinet deliberately engaged in a "slow and gradualist approach" in the first few months of 2020 as officials sought to manage instead of suppress the spread of the virus.

The joint inquiry says the virus could take hold across Britain because of that "fatalistic" strategy, which was finally abandoned as the country's National Health Service risked being overwhelmed by the rapidly increasing cases.

The report also criticizes Johnson's government for its "slow, uncertain and often chaotic" testing and tracing system and notes the failure of national and local governments and other public bodies to share data among them.

The lawmakers concluded that the government's response to the pandemic was "one of the most important health failures" in Britain's history.

In an interview with Sky News, Cabinet minister Stephen Barclay repeatedly declined to apologize for the government's actions.

"We followed, throughout, the scientific advice," he said. "We got the vaccine deployed extremely quickly. We protected our (National Health Service) from the surge of cases.

"Of course, if there are lessons to learn, we're keen to do so," he added.

The final report was compiled from hours of testimony by more than 50 witnesses, including former Health Secretary Matt Hancock and Dominic Cummings, the prime minister's former special adviser, who has emerged as a vocal critic of Johnson's handling of the pandemic.

French study

In France, officials have released a new study showing that people who are vaccinated against COVID-19 are far less likely to die or be hospitalized, even in the presence of the delta variant.

Researchers compared the outcomes of 11 million vaccinated people against an equal number of unvaccinated people beginning in December 2020. The study found the risk of someone contracting the coronavirus was reduced by 90% about 14 days after receiving a second dose of the Pfizer, Moderna or AstraZeneca vaccines. The single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine was not included in the study since it was authorized much later in France.

The study found the vaccines were nearly as effective against the delta variant, with 92% protection for people between 50 and 75 years old, and 84% for people 75 and older. It also found the vaccines maintained their high level of effectiveness during the five months the study was conducted.

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse.
The International Court of Justice has drawn a maritime boundary between Kenya and Somalia after the countries failed for years to reach agreement on the issue.

The courts ruling Tuesday, seen as favorable to Somalia, is almost certain to be rejected by Kenya. The ruling concerns about 100,000 square kilometers of Indian Ocean waters off the east coast of Kenya and Somalia.

The area, believed to hold oil and natural gas deposits, has been a source of dispute between the East African neighbors for years.

The court awarded Somalia the bulk of the territory, while adjusting the border slightly northward to address Kenyas security and economic interests.

The ICJ rejected one of Kenyas key arguments, that Somalia had previously agreed to a boundary, saying there was no proof to show that from the documents Kenyan lawyers supplied to the court.

The Hague-based court also rejected Somalia's demand for compensation for Kenyas past economic activity in the area.

Somalia filed a complaint against Kenya in the International Court of Justice in 2014, saying it had exhausted all other avenues of finding a solution to the dispute.

It remains to be seen if the ruling will have a real-world impact, as Kenya boycotted the hearing Tuesday and said it would not respect the ICJ verdict.
Eight months after Myanmars military coup, life for the countrys journalists is getting harder and harder, local reporters say.

From the moment it seized power and ousted the democratically elected government, the military has sought to control coverage.

Access to social media and the internet was blocked, at least five local media outlets had licenses revoked, and authorities detained dozens of journalists covering nationwide protests against the junta.

In the months that followed, media outlets have been forced to restructure their operations by working online or from self-imposed exile.

Win Zaw Naing, a journalist at the Yangon-based Red News Agency, says he has been stuck inside his house for seven months, having to work almost entirely online.

It is almost impossible to report on the ground now. I did not leave the house and I did not see anyone. I do it online, I make phone calls, he told VOA.

From February 1 to September 27 at least 102 journalists have been arrested and at least 48 are still in custody, according to the Detained Journalist Information Facebook group and Reporting ASEAN, an organization documenting the crackdown.

Most are held under Section 505(a) of the penal code, which criminalizes content deemed to cause fear or spread false news against the government. Those convicted face up to three years in prison.

Myanmars military has denied restricting journalists. Spokesman Major General Zaw Min Tun said in March that the military respects and values media freedom. In a statement last week about American journalist Danny Fenster, the spokesperson said, As for journalists, if they do only journalist's work, there is no reason to arrest them.

Fenster, the managing editor of Frontier Myanmar, has been detained since May 24.

Risk factor

The increased risk of arrest has resulted in some journalists giving in, Win Zaw Naing said.

Mainly, there is no security for journalists in Myanmar. Reporters are now prepared to say when they are arrested that they are no longer reporting, he said.

Aye Chan Naing, chief editor of Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB), told VOA in July that reporting is a ticket to arrest. The independent broadcaster is among the outlets to have its licence revoked.

[[ https://www.voanews.com/a/east-asia-pacific_myanmar-military-strips-five-media-companies-licenses/6203033.html ]]

Advances in technology have made it possible for Myanmars media to keep reporting, but even that brings risk.

Aung Htut, a journalist who uses an assumed name to protect his identity, told VOA the spread of technology and mobile phone use has allowed journalists to capture more footage of atrocities than they were able to after a 2007 uprising.

He works with Burma VJ Media, a multimedia network that formed a year before the 2007 Saffron Revolution, marked by mass protests against the military government. After years of inactivity, the news organization relaunched to report on the coup.

But its a double-edged sword, as soldiers conduct regular checks on reporters, Aung Htut said.

They threatened the people not to take or record any pictures and if they found the evidence, those people would be punished severely, the video journalist said.

They do random and routine checks on the mobiles from the users on the streets so that it even becomes a trend among the people that everyone keeps a spare phone when going out, to avoid the potential harassment, Aung Htut said.

The journalist said the risk factor differs depending on a reporters location.

For the active working journalists who remain inside Burma, they have to stay completely anonymous and must not let the neighborhood know about the works, Aung Htut said. Illegal or underground media are in the primary target list of the junta.

For those who fled to the border area, which we call it liberated area  in short, LA  can work with the ease of mind in their daily lives, the journalist said.

A Myanmar journalist who goes by the name Cape Diamond told VOA that despite the difficulties, reporters are determined to keep going.

Things are getting harder and harder. Many of the journalists I know and my colleagues believe they are going to be here as long as they can be here. They want to witness what is really happening, he said.

But he admitted some are trying desperately to evade being targeted.

They try to publish the story, then try to leave the country, they monitor the situation, [if] the response from the government or military is OK, then they come back, he told VOA.

It has become the norm for military to hassle media in Myanmar today, Cape Diamond said. In addition to searching phones and cameras, soldiers threaten reporters and have informants follow them, he said.

They dont really arrest you, but they hassle you. They are trying to make you feel scared, he said. If you want to continue what youre doing, you cannot be too frightened.

Media rights groups including Reporters Without Borders say the coup has set press freedom back a decade.

Until 2011 the country, formerly known as Burma, spent most of its modern history under military rule. Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy party won enough votes in 2015 to take power.

But after the latest elections in November 2020, the military claimed unsubstantiated electoral fraud and on February 1, removed the democratically elected government and detained leader Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint.

Cape Diamond says Myanmar never had "press freedom" even under Aung San Suu Kyis administration.

The coup has renewed focus on the power of media, he said.

People have come to understand that journalism is really important, and they now understand that journalists are the ones who bring the voice, help raise the voice, Cape Diamond said.

[At] the same time the junta know how important the journalism is, thats why they are oppressing the journalists as much as they can.

Even though some businesses have returned to normal in Myanmars cities, security forces patrol in vans and trucks while soldiers are stationed at schools and religious buildings.

Although the journalist knows the risks, Cape Diamond told VOA he will keep reporting as long as he can.

You will have a feeling you are in a war zone. When they are patrolling, they are holding their guns, pointing out in a ready position, ready to shoot.

I will be here as long as they dont come and shoot me in the street, he said.
It was late last Christmas Eve when the European Union and Britain finally clinched a Brexit trade deal after years of wrangling, threats and missed deadlines to seal their divorce.

There was hope that now-separated Britain and the 27-nation bloc would sail their relationship toward calmer waters.

With Christmas closing in again one thing is clear  it wasn't to be.

Britain's Brexit minister on Tuesday accused the EU of wishing failure on its former member and of badmouthing the U.K. as a country that can't be trusted. David Frost said during a speech in Lisbon that the EU "doesn't always look like it wants us to succeed" or "get back to constructive working together."

He said a fundamental rewrite of the mutually agreed divorce deal was the only way to fix the exes' "fractious relationship." And he warned that Britain could push an emergency override button on the deal if it didn't get its way.

"We constantly face generalized accusations that we can't be trusted and that we aren't a reasonable international actor," Frost added  a response to EU claims that the U.K. is seeking to renege on the legally binding treaty that it negotiated and signed.

Post-Brexit tensions have crystalized into a worsening fight over Northern Ireland, the only part of the U.K. to share a land border with an EU country, which is Ireland. Under the most delicate and contentious part of the Brexit deal, Northern Ireland remains inside the EU's single market for trade in goods, in order to avoid a hard border with EU member Ireland.

That means customs and border checks must be conducted on some goods going to Northern Ireland from the rest of the U.K., despite the fact they are part of the same country. The regulations are intended to prevent goods from Britain entering the EU's tariff-free single market while keeping an open border on the island of Ireland  a key pillar of Northern Ireland's peace process.

The U.K. government soon complained the arrangements weren't working, saying the rules impose burdensome red tape on businesses. Never short of a belligerent metaphor, 2021 has already brought a "sausage war," with Britain asking the EU to drop a ban on processed British meat products such as sausages entering Northern Ireland.

Northern Ireland's British Unionist community, meanwhile, says the Brexit deal undermines the 1998 Good Friday peace accord  which sought to protect the rights of both Unionist and Irish Nationalist communities  by weakening Northern Ireland's ties with the rest of the U.K.

The bloc has agreed to look at changes to the Protocol, and is due to present proposals on Wednesday. Before that move, Britain raised the stakes again, with Frost demanding sweeping changes to the way the agreement is governed.

In his speech in the Portuguese capital, Frost said the Protocol "is not working."

"It has completely lost consent in one community in Northern Ireland," he said. "It is not doing the thing it was set up to do  protect the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement. In fact it is doing the opposite. It has to change."

Most contentiously, he said the EU must also remove the European Court of Justice as the ultimate arbiter of disputes concerning trade in Northern Ireland and instead agree to international arbitration. He said the role of the EU court "means the EU can make laws which apply in Northern Ireland without any kind of democratic scrutiny or discussion."

The EU is highly unlikely to agree to the change. The bloc's highest court is seen as the pinnacle of the free trade single market, and Brussels has vowed not to undermine its own order.

Ireland's Deputy Prime Minister, Leo Varadkar, said Britain's demand was "very hard to accept."

"I don't think we could ever have a situation where we had another court deciding what the rules of the single market are," he said.

Some EU observers say Britain's demand to remove the court's oversight shows it isn't serious about making the Brexit deal work.

Frost repeated the U.K.'s threat to invoke Article 16, a clause allowing either side to suspend the agreement in exceptional circumstances. That would send already testy relations into a deep chill and could lead to a trade war between Britain and the bloc  one that would hurt the U.K. economy more than its much larger neighbor.

The economically tiny but symbolically charged subject of fish, which held up a trade deal to the final minute last year, is also stoking divisions now.

France wants its EU partners to act as one if London wouldn't grant more licenses for small French fishing boats to roam close to the U.K. crown dependencies of Jersey and Guernsey, just off France's Normandy coast.

In France's parliament last week, Prime Minister Jean Castex accused Britain of reneging on its promise over fishing.

"We see in the clearest way possible that Great Britain does not respect its own signature," he said.

In a relationship where both sides often fall back on cliches about the other, Castex was harking back to the centuries-old French insult of "Perfidious Albion," a nation that can never be trusted.

Across the English Channel, U.K. Brexit supporters often depict a conniving EU, hurt by Britain's departure, doing its utmost to make Brexit less than a success by throwing up bureaucratic impediments.

"The EU and we have got into a low equilibrium, (a) somewhat fractious relationship," Frost conceded. "(It) need not always be like that, but ... it takes two to fix it."
Egypt's new strategy for human rights is a "milestone" in the country's history, President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi says. But journalists and civil rights defenders are skeptical that it will lead to tangible change.

The five-year plan announced by the president includes commitments to political, cultural and civil rights; rights for women, children and people with disabilities; and education and capacity building.

The strategy confirms Egypt's commitment to respect rights, el-Sissi said at a ceremony livestreamed late last month. Cairo "has always welcomed a diversity of opinion," he added.

But journalists and analysts say that when it comes to media freedom and judicial process, Egypt has a poor track record. Others believe the plan is an attempt to secure foreign funding contingent on Egypt's human rights record.

A leading jailer of journalists, Egypt has blocked access to websites and used laws against false news and terrorism to detain opposition voices, critics and their relatives.

Sherif Mansour, an Egyptian media expert based near Washington, says the plan "wouldn't change the state of freedom in Egypt by any measure."

Through his work at the Committee to Protect Journalists and personal experience, Mansour has seen how Egypt responds to critics. He and his father have both been arrested and falsely accused of belonging to a terrorist organization, and in 2020, authorities arrested his cousin, Reda Abdelrahman.

"This strategy has no teeth nor an action plan for accountability. It's a document of contentious promises," Mansour told VOA. "(It) doesn't address the human rights crisis in Egypt right now."

Opening a new chapter in Egypt requires acknowledging that el-Sissi's government has held thousands of political detainees in poor condition in pretrial detention, with no legal rights, Mansour said.

Egypt has recently released some activists, but Mansour says they shouldn't have been imprisoned in the first place and were denied a proper legal process.

VOA attempted to contact Egypt's Foreign Ministry for comment, but emails were returned as undeliverable. The ministry did not respond to a request sent via its official Facebook account.

In an interview on state television last month, el-Sissi denied that Egypt had violated human rights.

Abuse of laws

Media rights groups and legal experts regularly raise two issues: the use of Egypt's penal code to jail critics and its trend of repeatedly renewing pretrial detention periods.

For some in media, such threats have hung over them since the popular uprising in 2011 that ousted President Hosni Mubarak after 30 years.

A blogger and icon of that uprising, Alaa Abdel-Fattah, has been repeatedly detained since Egypt started to arrest large numbers of media workers and critics in 2013. The most recent arrest, in 2019, was on accusations of distributing false news and supporting a banned group.

Just two days after Egypt announced its new plan for civil rights, a court renewed Abdel-Fattah's pretrial detention period, adding to the two years he had already spent awaiting trial.

In a statement after the hearing, Abdel-Fattah's lawyer Khaled Ali said the blogger had spoken of taking his own life because of the poor conditions in prison.

For years, Egypt has been using its legal system to detain journalists who work for opposition outlets or are critical of el-Sissi and his government, said Sabrina Bennoui, who runs the Middle East desk for media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

Journalists are often detained on accusations of belonging to or supporting a terrorist group and spreading false news, and Egypt blocks access to websites, including RSF's, Bennoui said.

Egypt needs a complete reform of its legal framework, which is currently used to imprison journalists in the name of national security and fight against terrorism," Bennoui said, adding that if Cairo was serious about its strategy, it should start by releasing those wrongly imprisoned.

Another issue that rights activists say must be resolved is Egypt's use of transnational repression, threatening or detaining relatives of critics as a form of retaliation or pressure.

This targeting of families is in violation of the constitution and law and shows a "blatant disregard for human rights values and conventions," according to a 2020 statement by the Cairo-based Arabic Network for Human Rights Information.

Foreign relations

Hisham Abdullah, an actor and journalist who fled to Turkey in 2016, says Egyptian authorities have arrested members of his family and tried to pressure him in exile.

The repression has increased recently, after Cairo began negotiations with Turkey, he told VOA.

Abdullah said that in June he was suspended from El Sharq, the TV network where he works, and his show Ibn el-Balad ("Countryman") was canceled at the request of Turkish authorities.

The journalist said he was not given an official reason for the suspension. It happened, however, after Egypt had entered talks with Turkey to restore relations that had fallen apart after the popular uprising in 2011.

El Sharq did not immediately respond to VOA's request for comments.

Abdullah believes the move was one of Egypt's conditions for the talks.

"As part of its negotiations with Turkey, the Egyptian government is asking to ban us from speaking out and sharing our reviews, to ban us from participating in public life and even on posting on social media," Abdullah told VOA.

He said that Turkish authorities had asked his wife to not publish critical posts on her social media accounts.

In a TV interview in June, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry described Ankara's efforts to reduce criticism broadcast from stations in Turkey as a "positive" step to normalizing relations.

Turkey's Foreign Ministry did not respond to VOA's request for comment submitted through its website.

Abdullah believes improving foreign relations, including with the U.S., is behind the newly announced human rights strategy.

Citing human rights concerns, the U.S. last month withheld $130 million from the $300 million it provides in annual military aid to Egypt and placed restrictions on how the remaining funds can be used.

But critics say more needs to be done to change Egypt's systematic violation of human rights.

For Mansour of the Committee to Protect Journalists, what matters is "real aid conditionality and accountability" and "prosecuting human rights violators and imposing sanctions against Egyptian officials."
Ethiopias national army launched a ground offensive against forces from the northern region of Tigray on Monday, the regions ruling Tigray Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF) said.

TPLF spokesperson Getachew Reda told Reuters by phone that the army, alongside allied forces from the northern Amhara region, had launched the offensive to push Tigrayan forces out of Amhara on Monday morning.

Reuters could not independently verify Getachews statement.

Asked if a ground offensive had been launched, Billene Seyoum, spokeswoman for Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, said the Ethiopian government had a responsibility to protect its citizens in all parts of the country from any acts of terrorism.

The government of Ethiopia will continue to counter the TPLFs destruction, violence and killings in the Amhara region and elsewhere, she added, without elaborating.

Amhara and Tigray have a decades-long dispute over territory after Tigray enlarged its borders a quarter of a century ago, to include fertile farmlands also claimed by the Amhara region. Amhara sent forces into that territory  officially known as Western Tigray  when fighting erupted in November between the national army and rebellious TPLF forces, and has retained control ever since.

In June, Tigrayan forces took back control of most of Tigray, forcing the national military to withdraw. Tigray then invaded the neighboring region of Amhara in July, saying it was a tactic to try to force Amhara forces out of the heavily militarized region of Western Tigray.

The Amhara regional spokesman signaled on Twitter last week that an offensive against Tigrayan forces could be imminent, and since Friday there has been heavy airstrikes reported in several Tigrayan-held areas of Amhara, diplomatic sources said.

Getachew said ground fighting had begun on Monday.

On the morning of Oct. 11, the Ethiopian military with the support of Amhara special forces launched coordinated offensives on all fronts, the office Getachew heads said in a statement.

Getachew said there was fighting in Amhara regions Wegeltena, Wurgessa and Haro towns, and that the forces were using heavy artillery, fighter jets, drones, tanks and rockets to attack.

Asked for comment, the Amhara regional government referred Reuters to the federal government.

The fighting since November 2020 has displaced millions of people and forced hundreds of thousands of Tigrayans into famine  a situation the United Nations has blamed on a government blockade. The government denies it is blocking aid.

The fighting has made around 5.2 million people in Tigray  more than 90% of the population  and another 1.7 million people in Afar and Amhara dependent on food aid.
European Union leaders met Tuesday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Ukraines capital, Kyiv, pledging to strengthen ties and support the eastern European nation, particularly on the issue of Russia and energy security.

Zelenskiy hosted EU Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for the 23rd EU-Ukraine summit, a meeting held annually to enhance political and economic relations.

The energy issue was high on the agenda. The Ukrainian leader has expressed strong opposition to the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, which will link Russia to Germany, bypassing his country and, Zelenskiy says, increasing Europe's energy reliance on Russia.

Ukraine, in conflict with Russia since Moscow's 2014 annexation of Crimea, wants to ensure it will remain a key transit country even after gas begins flowing through the pipeline.

Speaking to reporters following the meeting, Zelenskiy said, Energy security is also a guarantee of Ukraine's independence and national sovereignty. The completion of the Nord Stream 2 [pipeline] opens up new challenges for Ukraine in addition to the existing ones."

Von der Leyen said the EU understands his concerns and pledged to work with Ukrainian experts to secure sufficient supply for Ukraine."

During the meeting, the EU and Ukraine signed an open skies agreement to facilitate air travel between Ukraine and EU member states, by opening the market to low-cost airlines.

Von der Leyen and Michel commended Zelenskiy on progress the nation has made, but added Ukraine needs to continue "staying focused on implementing reforms" in order to take their "partnership to the next level, referring to possible EU membership.

Zelenskiy expressed frustration at the lack of a firm timeline for that goal. He said, "It is already clear that we are following the same path, but where is the finish line on this path?

Some information for this report came from the Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse.
Hunger and food insecurity across the United States have dropped measurably over the past six months, but the need remains far above pre-pandemic levels. And specialists in hunger issues warn that the situation for millions of families remains extremely fragile.

An Associated Press review of bulk distribution numbers from hundreds of food banks across the country revealed a clear downward trend in the amount of food handed out across the country, starting in the spring as the COVID-19 vaccine rollout took hold and closed sectors of the economy began to reopen.

"It's come down, but it's still elevated," said Katie Fitzgerald, CEO of Feeding America, a nonprofit organization that coordinates the efforts of more than 200 food banks across the country and that provided the AP with the national distribution numbers. She warned that despite the recent decreases, the amount of food being distributed by Feeding America's partner food banks remained more than 55% above pre-pandemic levels. "We're worried (food insecurity) could increase all over again if too many shoes drop," she said.

Those potential setbacks include the advance of the delta variant of the coronavirus, which has already delayed planned returns to the office for millions of employees and which could threaten school closures and other shutdowns as the nation enters the winter flu season. Other obstacles include the gradual expiration of several COVID-19-specific protections such as the eviction moratorium and expanded unemployment benefits.

All told, families facing food insecurity find themselves still dependent on outside assistance and extremely vulnerable to unforeseen difficulties.

"There are people going back to work, but it's slow going and God forbid you should need a car repair or something," said Carmen Cumberland, president of Community Harvest Food Bank in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Nationally, the food banks that work with Feeding America saw a 31% increase in the amount of food distributed in the first quarter of 2021 compared with the first quarter of 2020, just before the global pandemic reached America.

When the nationwide closures of offices and schools began in March 2020, the impact was immediate. Feeding America-affiliated food banks distributed 1.1 billion pounds of food in the first quarter on 2020; in the second quarter, the number jumped 42% to more than 1.6 billion pounds. The third quarter saw a smaller 5% increase up to nearly 1.7 billion pounds of food. While distributions declined from the end of 2020 to the first quarter of 2021, recent data suggests that the decline has leveled off.

The national data is mirrored in the experiences of individual food banks across the country. At the Alameda County Community Food Bank in Oakland, California, the level of community need spiked in winter and early spring of this year. In February 2021, the organization set a record with 5 million pounds of food distributed. That record stood for one month as March 2021 saw 6 million pounds distributed.

After the March peak, the numbers started dropping steadily  down to 4.6 million pounds in August 2021. But that's still compared with 2.7 million pounds in June 2019.

"The recovery is going to be very, very long and steep for families who are typically reliant on food banks," said Michael Altfest, the food bank's director of community engagement. Altfest said the coronavirus pandemic was an additional trauma for families already suffering from food insecurity, and it introduced a whole new category of client who had never used food banks before but had been pushed over the financial edge by the pandemic. Both categories are projected to remain in need of assistance well into next year.

"Things are not getting any easier here for low- and moderate-income households, and we don't expect it to for a while," Altfest said.

Just how long the elevated level of need will last is a matter of debate, with the most conservative estimates projecting it will last well into next summer. Some are predicting that the country's food banks may never return to normal.

Parallel government food assistance programs like Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, commonly known as food stamps, also saw a pandemic-fueled spike in usage. The Department of Agriculture, which administers SNAP, reports that the number of SNAP users increased by 7 million between 2019 and 2021. In August, President Joe Biden instituted a permanent 25% boost in SNAP benefits, starting this month.

But the SNAP program doesn't come close to covering every family in need. Many of the clients who depend on food banks for their nutrition are either ineligible for SNAP benefits, intimidated by the bureaucratic paperwork or fearful of applying due to their immigration status. That leaves food banks as the primary source of aid for millions of hungry people.

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack told the AP that at the peak of the pandemic, 14% of American adults were receiving SNAP benefits. That number is now down around 8%, but the need remains highly elevated, and nonprofit charitable options like food banks serve a vital role in papering over the remaining holes in millions of family budgets, he said.

"We just need to understand what this pandemic has done in terms of significant disruption of what was probably a pretty fragile system to begin with," said Vilsack, who also filled the same Cabinet post under former President Barack Obama. "It has exposed the fragility of the system, which makes programs like SNAP, programs like summer feeding programs, school feeding programs, food bank assistance ever more important."

Vilsack said the Biden administration has moved to strengthen the national food bank infrastructure by devoting $1 billion in June to help fund refrigerated trucks and warehouses that will allow food banks to store and provide more fresh fruits, vegetables and dairy products.

Now the country's food bank network is busy trying to project the level of need going forward, factoring in multiple influences  positive and negative. Theoretically, the boosted Child Tax Credit payments, which started in July, are meant to alleviate the monthly burden for lower-income and middle-class families by providing money to use as the families see fit. But food bank executives and researchers estimate that it could take six to 12 months to see a real impact on food security as families initially devote those funds to issues like rent or car repairs.

And the end of the nationwide eviction moratorium looms as a major pressure point that could push vulnerable families back into crisis.

The Biden administration allowed the federal moratorium to expire in late August, and Congress did not extend it. While the federal government now focuses on pumping money into rental assistance programs, the national moratorium has devolved into a patchwork of localized moratoriums, in places like Washington, D.C., Boston and New York state  all expiring on different schedules.

At the southeast Washington drive-through food pantry, volunteers there have developed friendships with some of the regulars, including Rob and Devereaux Simms. A retired bus driver and a school aide, both in their 70s, they consider themselves solidly middle class and had never used food stamps. But when the pandemic hit and two of their children were laid off, "things started running short," Devereaux Simms said.

Now, with three grandchildren living at home, they're fixtures at the Wednesday drive-through. They even make a point of taking home extra supply boxes to distribute to needy neighbors and recently took small gifts for the volunteers.

"God's been good to us," Devereaux Simms said, "and you should never be too proud to accept help."


Heads of government and foreign ministers from the worlds 20 leading economies  the G-20  agreed at a video gathering Tuesday to look at ways to inject more cash into Afghanistan. The talks came after U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that the economy of the war-ravaged country, now under the control of the Taliban, is approaching humanitarian disaster.

If we do not act and help Afghans weather this storm, and do it soon, not only they but all the world will pay a heavy price, Guterres said in New York hours before G-20 leaders held an extraordinary meeting on Afghanistan, hosted by Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi.

The meeting marked the first time the worlds richest nations had met to discuss the consequences of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and the Taliban takeover in August.

Without food, without jobs, without their rights protected, we will see more and more Afghans fleeing their homes in search of a better life. The flow of illicit drugs, criminal and terrorist networks will also likely increase, Guterres said.

As the G-20 meeting started, the secretary general tweeted: Banks are closing and essential services, such as healthcare, have been suspended in many places. I urge the world to take action and inject liquidity into the Afghan economy to avoid collapse.

His make-or-break warning was echoed by Draghi and other G-20 leaders during the summit. Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said, We must ensure that the state does not collapse.

The European Union announced during the summit a $1.15 billion aid package for Afghanistan to avert a major humanitarian and socioeconomic collapse.

Leaders emphasized how precarious life is for the majority of Afghans. In addition to exploring how to provide urgent humanitarian support for the Afghan population, the leaders discussed the fight against terrorism and how to encourage the Taliban to allow freedom of movement inside the country and free passage for Afghans who want to leave.

The latest U.N. figures suggest that more than half a million Afghans have been displaced by fighting this year alone; almost 17 million are facing crisis levels of food insecurity; and nearly half of all children under five are malnourished as a consequence of conflict, drought and the coronavirus pandemic.

Aid halted, funds frozen

Before the Taliban seized control of the country on August 15, three-fourths of Afghanistans public expenditure came from other countries and international aid agencies. International aid accounted for 43 percent of Afghanistan's gross domestic product, and has done so for the past two decades.

But countries around the world have refrained from recognizing the Taliban government and international funds have been frozen as a result. The U.S. froze Afghanistans $9.5 billion dollars in reserves held in American banks after the Taliban's takeover of Kabul.

Until funds, and reserves, are unfrozen, it will be impossible to avert an economic disaster in Afghanistan. And that in turn will worsen the humanitarian crisis thats unfolding and make for further misery for a population which has endured decades of violence and poverty, U.N. agencies and independent analysts have warned.

Last month, the World Health Organization estimated that less than one-fifth of the countrys public health facilities were functioning.

We have to solve the humanitarian crisis, thats the very first thing, Draghi said at a press inference after the summit was over. He said the crisis was enormous.

We need to keep the economy from collapse and to keep the banking system alive, he said. He went through a list of what had been discussed, including how to provide relief for Afghan migrants and how to ensure Afghanistan doesnt again become a haven for international terrorists.

The Italian leader told reporters human rights had been a key topic of discussion among the G-20 leaders. Pretty much everyone focused on the rights of women. We have to make sure they have access to education. We mustnt go back 20 years, he said.

Caught in a dilemma

The international community is caught in a dilemma. To recognize the Taliban risks condemning tens of thousands of Afghan women, children, and men to brutal repression and, for some, potential death, as well as mocking the human rights and rule of law which the U.S. and its allies sought to promote in Afghanistan, and globally, as cornerstones of values-based foreign policies, says Renata Dwan, deputy director of Britains Chatham House research group.

Formal recognition of a Taliban-led government is simply not an option, even for those maintaining a diplomatic presence in Kabul such as China, Iran, Pakistan, and Russia, she says.

But not to inject cash into Afghanistan will push the reeling country into catastrophe.

In effect, the G-20 leaders Tuesday discussed how best to deal with the Taliban and find a way out of the dilemma  in short, how to pump money into Afghanistan while trying to cajole the Taliban to adhere to human rights obligations and not seem to be colluding in Islamist repression or endorsing the Taliban in any way.

One fundamental challenge, G-20 leaders debated, is how they can deliver aid without assisting the Taliban or allowing the group to manipulate it to serve their political purposes or to channel assistance to loyalists and deny it to minorities or opponents. G-20 leaders say the Taliban has done little to suggest they have changed or moderated their views toward women or dissent since they ruled most of the county in the second half of the 1990s.

As the leaders wrapped up the summit, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on Twitter: Participated in the G-20 Summit on Afghanistan. Stressed on preventing Afghan territory from becoming the source of radicalization and terrorism. Also called for urgent and unhindered humanitarian assistance to Afghan citizens and an inclusive administration.

And in a tweet, Mark Rutte, the Dutch prime minister, said, Just took part in a digital G-20 meeting, organized by Italy, on the situation in Afghanistan. We discussed a number of urgent issues, including the importance of free passage into and out of the country, unfettered humanitarian aid, security and human rights.

Italys Di Maio told RAI Television that he had asked for an increase in funds for international cooperation in aid of Afghan civilians. He added, We must ensure that the state does not collapse, because if Afghanistan collapses, we will see uncontrolled migratory flows toward neighboring countries, with consequent destabilization.

He said, We must find a mechanism to finance the state without giving money to the Taliban, to prevent it from having an economic meltdown. Di Maio added he does not believe that there is the possibility of recognition of this government while there is a government in Afghanistan that has about 17 members who appear on terrorist lists.

What the international community is asking the Taliban is to allow aid to be delivered without it going through the Taliban authorities, according to Haroun Rahimi of the American University of Afghanistan. He says the Taliban have indicated they are interested in observing that condition.

But it wasnt clear Tuesday, as the G-20 meeting concluded, whether any formal and detailed agreement about aid delivery has been reached with the Taliban. U.N. officials say cash could be injected into Afghanistan via U.N. trust funds and overseen by the international organization.

In Berlin, caretaker Chancellor Angela Merkel said Germany is not yet prepared to recognize the Taliban as Afghanistan's government since they have not met the inclusiveness standards demanded of them. But she reaffirmed Berlin's promise of $694 million in aid to the country.

America and the Taliban

U.S. diplomats met bilaterally with the Taliban Saturday in Doha, the first face-to-face talks with American officials since the Taliban took over Afghanistan. U.S. officials described the talks in the Qatari capital as candid and professional, with the American side focusing on security issues, including ensuring Afghanistan is not again used as a base by international jihadists, womens rights and safe passage for all Afghans and internationals wanting to leave the country.

The Taliban called for international recognition of their government and an end to economic sanctions.

Speaking in Doha publicly, the Talibans foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, appealed to the world for good relations but avoided making any firm commitments on girls education despite international demands to allow all Afghan children to go back to school.

The international community needs to start cooperating with us, he said at an event sponsored by the Center for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies.

Kremlin conference

Draghi, whose country holds the rotating G-20 chair, struggled to bring the G-20 countries together for Tuesdays extraordinary summit. Both Russia and China oppose Western plans to impose conditions on aid to Afghanistan. Neither Russian President Vladimir Putin nor Chinese leader Xi Jinping participated in Tuesdays virtual meeting.

And breaking international ranks, the Kremlin has arranged a rival summit on Afghanistan scheduled for October 20. Pakistan, India and Iran have been invited to attend the Moscow conference.
The German city of Cologne says it will start allowing mosques to broadcast the call to prayer, or azan, over loudspeakers.

The city said Monday the call to prayer could be broadcast on Friday afternoons for up to five minutes.

Mosques will need to apply for a permit to broadcast and must comply with volume limits. The permit will last for two years.

"Permitting the call of the muezzin is a sign of respect," Cologne Mayor Henriette Reker tweeted last week.

She said those who arrive at the city's main train station are greeted by the sound of church bells from the cathedral. She said adding the Muslim call to prayer shows the city is one of religious freedom and diversity.

Christian church bells ring out daily in many German cities and towns.

In Muslim countries, the call to prayer is routinely broadcast five times a day.

Cologne, a city of 1 million, has about 35 mosques and is home to one of Germany's largest Muslim communities.
Ask almost any senior Taliban official if there is press freedom in Afghanistan, and you'll get a ready answer.

Without a doubt, said Zabihullah Mujahid, the Talibans top spokesman and deputy minister of information and culture.

Reporters can write and publish anything that is factual and not a mere accusation. We dont have any problem with them.

Thats what Mujahid told VOA. But its far from the whole story.

Since seizing power in mid-August, the Taliban have pursued a two-pronged media strategy, projecting a press-friendly image to the outside world by holding regular press conferences, while clamping down, sometimes by force, on a once vibrant media.

Although theyve stopped short of shutting down privately owned news outlets or instituting outright censorship, Taliban officials have issued restrictions so sweeping that many outlets have had no choice but to drop critical programming and self-censor.

The Talibans so-called 11 rules of journalism prohibit publishing or broadcasting reports that are contrary to Islam and distort news content, and discourage reporting news that has not been officially confirmed. A more recent directive requires that the media refer to the Taliban by their official name: Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.

In a report last week, Human Rights Watch said that the Taliban rules are so broad and vague as to prohibit virtually any critical reporting about the Taliban.

The effect on substantive journalism has been crippling. Gone are popular satire shows that skewered officials, replaced by religious programming favored by the Taliban. With anchors in exile or in hiding from the Taliban, TV guests parry soft-ball questions from less experienced presenters. Stories that took on religious extremism have all but vanished, local reporters say.

Everything has changed, said Kabul-based journalist Eshaq Ali Ehsas. There are no critical programs on radio and TV. Print media publish fewer critical articles. This is the clearest sign of censorship.

The repression has hit hardest in the provinces. There, away from the international spotlight, Taliban commanders have been put in charge of local departments of information and culture that oversee local media.

Although their policies vary from province to province, reporters say any criticism of the group can bring a warning or worse.

For example, reporting that the Taliban havent given women their rights is banned, a veteran reporter based in the remote Farah province, said via messaging app. Similarly, you cant report that the Taliban dont let girls go to school, the journalist said.

VOA granted anonymity to protect the reporters safety.

Journalists are allowed to cover bread-and-butter issues such as high food prices. But first, they must obtain permission from the local department of information and culture.

Without consultation and guidance from the Department of Information and Culture, you cant publish or broadcast anything, the Farah reporter said.

In Mazar-i Sharif, one of Afghanistan's largest cities, the Talibans information and culture chief ordered local reporters to submit stories along with a list of questions and interview subjects for approval before publication, according to several local journalists.

If the director likes it, he'll say, go ahead and cover it," said a long-time Mazar-i Sharif reporter working for a national TV network. "If it rubs him the wrong way, he'll say no."

Because of the risk of retaliation, VOA granted the reporter anonymity.

Stories about a recent shipment of medical supplies from Pakistan and a Shiite religious ceremony were OKd, the reporter said, but not protests by local doctors and womens rights activists. The Taliban have outlawed all public demonstrations, though they continue in some areas.

Not only were we not allowed to cover the womens protest, but several reporters were also beaten up, the reporter said.

Spokesperson Mujahid denied asking local officials to require journalists to obtain pre-approval for stories, and instead blamed it on the officials inexperience.

Some of the directors are serving in an acting capacity, he said. Theyre also new on their jobs. They need training. Well introduce them to the media afterwards.

Mujahid did not respond a question about whether the Taliban were investigating reported threats against journalists.

For the Afghan media, the Taliban system of control has been a shattering change.

These things did not exist in our laws, said Danish Karokhel, the founder and chief executive of Pajhwok Afghan News, Afghanistans leading wire service, referring to the Taliban requirement that reporters run everything by them.

Afghanistans 2004 Constitution enshrined the right to print and publish on subjects without prior submission to state authorities. Additionally, the countrys media law included a requirement to comply with international norms, something that is missing from the Talibans media rules.

At Pajhwok, editors have instructed reporters to document everything prior to filing and to always seek out comment from Taliban officials, Karokhel told VOA.

If we dont document it, our fear is that they might use it against us, Karokhel said.

Others have taken more drastic measures. After local Taliban officials demanded that reporters turn in their reports for vetting, editors at Salam Watandar, the countrys largest network of independent radio stations, decided to shun Taliban-related content.

Weve tried not to broadcast any reports about the Taliban, certainly not news in which they represent one side of the story, said Shahhussain Rasuli, chief editor at Salam Watandar.

Though the environment remains hostile, media freedom advocates in Afghanistan say there are indications that some Taliban officials have eased off.

In recent days, a number of provincial reporters have told me theyve noticed an improvement in the situation, said Hujatullah Mujadidi, vice president of the Afghanistan Independent Journalists Association.

Mujadidi said his meetings with Mujahid and other Taliban officials have given him reason to be optimistic.

Whenever I bring up these issues with the (Talibans) cultural commission and ministry of information and culture, they say theyre not against criticism because criticism brings reform, Mujadidi said.

Yet the Taliban press conferences have done little to inspire confidence among media members who see themselves under assault.

Since coming to power, the Taliban have detained at least 32 journalists, several of whom were beaten in custody last month, according to Human Rights Watch.

Basir Ebadi, a reporter who has attended three Taliban press conferences, says that journalists cant freely ask questions.

Im very worried about the future of the media and freedom of expression in Afghanistan, Ebadi said. At the moment, the Taliban are in the spotlight but as soon as the worlds attention turns away from Afghanistan, theyre going to institute new restrictions in the name of Islamic law and no one will have freedom of expression.
Leaders of the grouping of the worlds 20 largest economies are holding a virtual extraordinary meeting Tuesday on Afghanistan, less than two months after the Taliban took over the country. Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, who holds the rotating presidency of the G-20, had pressed for the meeting saying Afghanistan is headed for a humanitarian catastrophe.

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi said Tuesdays closed-door virtual summit on Afghanistan would focus on security, humanitarian aid and human rights in the country. It is being held less than three weeks before the G-20 summit of world leaders to be held in Rome on October 30-31.

Since the Taliban returned to power on August 15, following the U.S. troop withdrawal after two decades of war, there have been growing concerns about the humanitarian situation in the country.



Leaders will hold discussions on how to combat terrorism, how to guarantee freedom of movement, both inside and outside Afghanistans borders for Afghans as well as members of nongovernmental organizations, and the condition of women in the country, which Draghi has defined a priority.

The Italian prime minister spoke about Afghanistan in a recent interview on Italian state television.

Draghi said that for Italy, the future is about defending fundamental rights, defending the rights of women, and protecting all those who have over the years exposed themselves [to dangerous situations] in order defend these rights in Afghanistan.

A major challenge will be pressing the Taliban on guaranteeing the rights of women, who face discrimination and violence, including their full return to schools and to workplaces and their recognition in political life. Only boys are allowed to attend high school and at present, more than 2 million girls are denied access to education and Afghanistan has one of the lowest female literacy rates in the world, according to the World Bank.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Monday that Afghanistan is facing a make-or-break moment as he called on the world to act.

Before the Taliban takeover, international aid accounted for 75% of Afghanistans state spending, but governments and international organizations have cut off such funding and frozen Afghanistans assets.

Guterres said Monday that banks in Afghanistan are closing and that health care and other essential services have been suspended in many places. He warned the humanitarian crisis, which is affecting half the countrys population, is growing.

The Afghan people cannot suffer a collective punishment because the Taliban misbehave, Guterres said.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell pledged help Monday, saying at an EU ministerial meeting that the humanitarian and socioeconomic situation in Afghanistan is on the verge of collapse.

Today we agreed on having a calibrated approach to give direct support to the Afghan population in order to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe, while certainly not recognizing the Taliban, Borrell said. We will deliver the aid through our multilateral partners while respecting our agreed principles of engagement.

The summit has been extended to the Netherlands, Spain, Singapore and Qatar, which has played an important role in the Talibans dialogue with the West.

Afghanistans neighbors Pakistan and Iran were not invited to attend the summit and Chinese media reported President Xi Jinping would not take part. But to maximize involvement, various organizations are also joining, including the United Nations, the European Union, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

Afghanistans spiraling economy and the need to provide humanitarian support, also to nearby nations taking in refugees, are central to the meeting.

Italys Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said he has asked for an increase in funds for cooperation in Afghanistan to help civilians. He added that everything must be done to avoid the state from collapsing because, he said, if Afghanistan collapses, we will face uncontrolled migration to nearby nations with subsequent destabilization in the area.

Some information for this report came from the Associated Press and Reuters.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center says Hurricane Pamela has formed in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of the Baja California, Mexico peninsula. The storm system is expected to be close to major hurricane strength by Wednesday.

In its latest report, forecasters say the storm is centered 455 kilometers southwest of Mazatlan, Mexico, and about 345 kilometers south-southeast of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula. Pamela currently has maximum sustained winds of about 130 kilometers per hour, making it a Category 1 storm on a scale of hurricane intensity.

Pamela is expected to move north Tuesday, veer northeast and pick up speed while strengthening. It is expected to come ashore in west-central Mexico early Wednesday.

A hurricane warning is in effect for Mexicos Pacific coast from Bahia Tempehuaya on the north to Escuinapa on the south, with storm surge, heavy rains, and damaging winds expected. The storm is expected to bring heavy rain to the Mexican states of Sinaloa and western Durango and could bring downpours to the southwestern U.S. states of Texas and Oklahoma later in the week.
A deadlock in the latest round of talks between India and China on their disputed border means that tens of thousands of Indian troops will hunker down for a second winter in subzero temperatures in the Himalayan mountains.

The challenge of manning two contentious frontiers with rivals Pakistan and China comes at a time when the return of the Taliban in Afghanistan also could pose a security risk for the South Asian country, according to analysts.

While a dozen rounds of negotiations between Indian and Chinese military commanders since a deadly clash in June last year in Ladakh had helped contain tensions and led to troops pulling back from some disputed areas, efforts to disengage from other hotspots stalled Sunday.

Each side blamed the other for the breakdown  India said the Chinese side was not agreeable to its constructive suggestions, while the Chinese side blamed India for making unreasonable and unrealistic demands.

The indications are very clear, that the Chinese are not going to move back from their position of April 2020, which is what India has been insisting upon. They have put the onus on India by saying it is up to us to adopt a responsible position, said Jayadeva Ranade, who heads the Center of Chinas Analysis and Strategy. It basically means that India now has no option to manning two hostile borders because this situation is here to stay.

India has deployed an estimated 50,000 troops, backed by artillery and fighter jets in the Ladakh region since last year along the so-called Line of Actual Control. Thats more than double the number before hostilities erupted last year, according to security analysts.

Although Indian soldiers are adept at high altitude warfare and accustomed to operating in punishing mountain terrain, where temperatures dip to minus 30 degrees Celsius, Indias worries center on the massive infrastructure that China is building on its side.

The Chinese are sharply raising their military capability in Tibet along the Indian border, upgrading airfields, constructing residential facilities, helipads, dumps for ammunition, and other military infrastructure, said Manoj Joshi, distinguished fellow at New Delhis Observer Research Foundation. So, that is a real challenge for the Indian army.

The build-up by the Chinese side means they are there to stay, Indias Army Chief M. M. Naravane said on Saturday. If they are there to stay, we are there to stay, too. The build-up on our side and developments on our side, I would say are as good as what the PLA [Peoples Liberation Army] has done.

While India is speeding up road projects to remote borders, building bridges and cutting tunnels through the mountains to facilitate troop movements, China has a head start, according to analysts.

In addition, India is poorly positioned to upgrade its military weapons following a contraction of its economy last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It has only now begun a fragile recovery.

For India, the challenge will be to the financial burden of not just deploying tens of thousands of troops in the high mountains, but also the purchase of new weapons, equipment and platforms to match the threat that is now coming from both sides, said Ranade. I also look at the fact that Chinese military power can project into Pakistan, so we are talking of a combined strength along both borders because they will certainly assist the Chinese.

The tensions with China are giving new impetus to Indias more-than-decade-long effort to reorganize its military that aims for closer integration between the army, navy and air force.

Our military is manpower-intensive, which costs a lot of money because a lot of the budget goes into salaries and pensions. While that is necessary, given the contested borders, it also needs to be more equipment-intensive, like other modern powers, said Joshi. What India needs is new technology that gives us an edge over China, especially for the air force and the navy. But that costs money upfront.

As it seeks to gain leverage against Beijing, New Delhi has moved toward close cooperation with the Quad  the grouping of India, the United States, Australia and Japan that held a summit in Washington last month. While the group does not directly mention China, countering its growing influence is its primary focus.

On Tuesday, the four countries began holding joint naval exercises in the Indian Ocean that, according to Indias navy spokesman, reflect their commitment to supporting a free, open, inclusive Indo-Pacific region.

The Quad will help shape the security environment in the long run by offering alternatives in areas such as technology and vaccines to countries in the region, which were falling within the China orbit. But in the immediate run, India faces its own security challenge as the Chinese harden their position on the border, said Harsh Pant, director, Studies and head of the Strategic Studies Program at the Observer Research Foundation.

India is the only country in the group that shares a bitterly disputed border with China, making its challenge of managing its tensions with Beijing far more complex.

The Quad alliance will project political and diplomatic heft to counter China and that has great value, said Joshi. But where its land borders are concerned, India is on its own.
Government forces killed five suspected militants Tuesday in two clashes in Indian-controlled Kashmir, police said, a day after rebels killed five army soldiers in a gunfight in the disputed region.

The first clash erupted following a raid by soldiers and counterinsurgency police in the Imamsahab area of southern Shopian district, police said. Troops cordoned off the area late Monday leading to a gunbattle after militants refused to surrender, police said. Three militants were killed in the ensuing fight early Tuesday, police said.

Residents said troops blasted one civilian house with explosives during the fighting, a common tactic by Indian troops in Kashmir.

In a separate clash Tuesday, two suspected militants were killed inside an apple orchard during a counterinsurgency operation in the village of Feeripora, also in southern Shopian district, police said.

On Monday, five Indian soldiers were killed in the deadliest battle with militants this year in a forested area of southern Surankote district. Lt. Col. Devender Anand, an Indian army spokesman, said troops continued with search operations in the area on Tuesday.

The uptick in violence comes amid a sweeping crackdown by government forces in the Kashmir Valley following a string of targeted killings in the regions main city of Srinagar last week. Police detained over 700 people for questioning after suspected militants shot and killed a prominent Kashmiri Hindu chemist, two schoolteachers of the Hindu and Sikh faiths, and a Hindu street food vendor from Indias eastern state of Bihar.

Police in a statement said one of the slain militants on Tuesday was involved in the killing of the street food vendor.

India and Pakistan claim the divided territory of Kashmir in its entirety.

Rebels in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir have been fighting New Delhis rule since 1989. Most Muslim Kashmiris support the rebel goal of uniting the territory, either under Pakistani rule or as an independent country.

India insists the Kashmir militancy is Pakistan-sponsored terrorism. Pakistan denies the charge, and most Kashmiris consider it a legitimate freedom struggle. Tens of thousands of civilians, rebels and government forces have been killed in the conflict.
The United Nations' migration agency has recalled a staff member identified by two U.N. sources in Addis Ababa as the head of its mission to Ethiopia over audio recordings containing criticism of senior U.N. officials.

In the recordings, two women who say they work for the U.N. in Ethiopia but do not give their names tell a freelance journalist that some top U.N. officials globally sympathize with forces from the northern Tigray region that are fighting Ethiopia's government.

Reuters heard the women's comments after the recordings were released online but could not independently verify the authenticity of the recordings.

In a letter dated October 11, the head of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said a staff member had been recalled to headquarters and put on administrative leave pending an investigation into the recordings.

"The opinions attributed in the audio recordings to the staff member do not correspond to IOM's principles and values," IOM Director General Antonio Vitorino wrote in the letter, seen Tuesday by Reuters.

In his letter, Vitorino did not name the person who had been recalled.

Two U.N. staff members in Addis Ababa identified one of the women in the recording as Maureen Achieng, the IOM's chief representative in Ethiopia.

An IOM spokesperson did not immediately respond when asked whether the person recalled to headquarters was Achieng. Achieng and the journalist could not immediately be reached for comment.

The U.N. says Ethiopia's government is preventing aid from reaching hundreds of thousands of people experiencing famine in Tigray, where war has made nearly 7 million people dependent on food aid. The government denies it is blocking aid. Ethiopia last month decided to expel seven senior U.N. officials, accusing them of meddling in internal affairs.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's spokesperson, Billene Seyoum, criticized IOM on Twitter on Tuesday. She said Achieng  whom she referred to by linking to Achieng's verified Twitter account -- had told "the unvarnished truth on institutional bias with the U.N. system."

War broke out in November 2020 between the Ethiopian government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), the political party that controls Tigray.

In the recordings, the two women say - without citing evidence - that World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is among the U.N. officials who sympathize with Tigrayan forces. Tedros, who is Tigrayan, has repeatedly denied taking sides in the conflict.
Medical aid groups are welcoming plans by U.S. drug maker Moderna to build a plant for manufacturing vaccines in Africa. The groups say the plant, the first from a company making a COVID-19 vaccine, will help in fighting vaccine inequality.

African countries are facing a shortfall of nearly 500 million COVID-19 vaccines according to the World Health Organization.

The shortage has left most countries unable to vaccinate even the most vulnerable 10 percent of their populations.

Last week, U.S. drug maker Moderna announced plans to build a plant on the African continent. Its statement is raising hope Africa will have a sufficient supply of COVID-19 vaccines in the future.

Medical aid groups say although the plan will boost Africas vaccine manufacturing capacity, the continent still needs an immediate solution to shortages. Dr. Githinji Gitahi is the chief executive officer at Amref Health Africa.

"As significant as it is because of the high financial commitment of 500 million dollars, there are several other factors to consider," said Gitahi. "One, that factory will not be a solution to the current challenge of vaccine access in Africa. If the factory is going to be ready in 2-4 years Africa wants to vaccinate at least 70% of its population by the end of June next year. Therefore, Africa still demands the most important step in redistribution of doses earmarked for rich countries to come into Africa."

Although Moderna has yet to say where it will build the factory, at least 10 countries, among them Kenya, Morocco, South Africa and Senegal, have expressed an interest in hosting the facility.

Dr. Willis Akhwale, the chairman of Kenya's vaccination task force, says Moderna will need to look at the project as a partnership with the host country.

"If Moderna is coming to open, they should come with an open mind that they are bringing technological transfer, not just setting up a factory," said Akhwale. "Therefore, they need to transfer that technology to the host country. The other thing is capacity building of the local people beyond just the COVID-19 vaccine towards the whole human vaccine manufacturing.

The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention welcomes the idea of manufacturing the COVID-19 vaccine on the continent.

Dr. Bernhards Ogutu, chief research officer at the center's office in Kenya, says although the process is likely to take a long time, it's a promising sign for making health care more available in Africa.

"If we really want health care affordable and accessible to all, then we must start doing a lot of production of health commodities in the region," he said.

By September, an estimated 5.2 billion COVID vaccine doses had been administered globally but only 2 percent of those were in Africa. African medical groups say they hope that the manufacturing of such vaccines on the continent will prevent such unequal distribution in the future.
A group of World Health Organization experts is calling for 70 percent of the global population to be fully vaccinated by mid-2022 to prevent the COVID-19 pandemic from progressing in more dangerous ways. The 15-member Strategic Advisory Group of Experts, known as SAGE, which makes recommendations to WHO on vaccine policy and strategy, just concluded a four-day meeting.

The experts say more than enough vaccines are available to cover everyone by the middle of next year if the doses are not hoarded by wealthy countries and are shared equitably with poorer nations which as of yet do not have them.

WHO director of immunization vaccines and biologicals Katherine OBrien says it is urgent to get the doses to places that are falling behind in the race to vaccinate.

Unless we do that, we will continue to have transmission and transmission will lead to more variants and the issue of the variants is that there is the potential for those variants to escape immune pressure and to undo much of the progress that has been made, OBrien said.

The experts recommend people who are moderately and severely immune compromised should be offered an additional or third dose of all COVID-19 vaccines.

OBrien says the third dose should be administered one to three months after people have received their second shot.

The intent of the third dose is to induce that persons immune system to have protection that would be at the level that was demonstrated to prevent against severe disease, hospitalization, and death in the clinical trials, which excluded people with immuno-compromised conditions, OBrien said.

The SAGE experts say these additional shots are different from booster shots, which are not needed at this stage of the pandemic. For now, they say it is more important that people who have not been inoculated receive their jabs before people who are already vaccinated get a third dose.

They say they will discuss booster shots at their next meeting November 11 and issue further recommendations then.
Russia, Germany and France have agreed that their foreign ministers should meet to discuss the ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine.

French President Emmanuel Macron, Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke by phone Monday on the issue of Ukraine.

Both the German and Russian governments said the leaders agreed that their foreign ministers should meet soon to address the conflict.

The Kremlin said that during the phone call Putin also accused Ukraine authorities of "stubbornly evading" implementing agreements reached at peace talks.

The Kremlin statement did not say if Ukraine would take part in the upcoming foreign ministers meeting.

The German government said Merkel and Macron also spoke Monday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on implementing the Minsk agreements aimed at peacefully ending the conflict in Ukraine.

France and Germany have been mediators in the conflict between Ukraine and pro-Russia separatists since 2015 and have been overseeing a shaky cease-fire.

Ukraine has battled Russian-backed separatists in the eastern Donbass region since 2014, in a conflict that erupted after Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula. Ukraine accuses Russia of supporting the separatists, a charge Moscow denies.

Some information for this report came from Reuters and Agence France-Presse.
Governor Greg Abbott of the southwestern U.S. state of Texas issued an executive order Monday banning all COVID-19 vaccine mandates in the state by any entity.

No entity in Texas can compel receipt of a COVID-19 vaccine by any individual, including an employee or a consumer, who objects to such vaccination for any reason of personal conscience, based on a religious belief, or for medical reasons, including prior recovery from COVID-19, the order states.

Abbott is one of several Republican governors in the United States who have clashed with President Joe Bidens initiatives to curb the nearly two-year long pandemic, including banning local governments and school districts from imposing mandatory face masks.

President Biden issued an order last month directing all businesses with 100 or more employees to either get their employees fully vaccinated or face weekly testing, along with a mandatory vaccination order for all health care workers, federal employees and federal contractors.

Two major Texas-based companies, American Airlines and Southwest Airlines, have announced mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations for their large workforces in recent days. U.S.-based technology giants Facebook and Google, which both maintain large offices in Texas, have also imposed mandatory vaccination orders on their employees.

Abbott, who was diagnosed with COVID-19 earlier this year, said in his order that vaccines are strongly encouraged for those eligible to receive one, but must always be voluntary for Texans. He said he will encourage the state legislature to enshrine his order into law during an upcoming special session.

But Dr. Anthony Fauci, the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said we know that mandates work during an interview Monday on the cable news network CNN. Fauci said that although health officials are reluctant to issue such directives, he acknowledged that sometimes mandates actually can help in that regard  as sensitive an issue as that is, it is really getting people more vaccinated.

In the sports world, the head coach of the National Hockey Leagues new Seattle Kraken franchise says five players have entered COVID-19 protocols and will not be with the team for Tuesdays season opener against the Las Vegas Knights. Dave Hakstol told reporters Monday that Jared McCann, Joonas Donskoi, Marcus Johansson and Jamie Oleksiak were placed on the protocol list that day, joining teammate Calle Jarnkrok, who was placed on the list just last week. Kraken General Manager Ron Francis told the Associated Press at the start of the teams pre-season training camp that the teams entire roster had been vaccinated.

Also on Monday, unions in the western U.S. states of California and Oregon representing more than 24,000 nurses and other health care workers with health care consortium Kaiser Permanente announced their members have authorized a strike, an organized employee work stoppage, citing chronic understaffing and other poor working conditions exposed during the coronavirus pandemic and a new wage and benefits system they say will lead to lower pay and lesser benefits for newer employees.

The unions are required to give Kaiser Permanente 10 days notice before the strike begins, giving both sides time to reach a deal.

Some information for this report came from the Associated Press, Reuters, and Agence France-Presse.
U.N. agencies warn the window for providing humanitarian assistance for millions of needy Afghans is rapidly closing as winter approaches and access to remote, snowed-in areas will be cut off.

Relief officials say temperatures have dipped below zero Celsius at night, and snow has been known to fall in October in Afghanistan.

Speaking on Zoom from the capital of Kabul, U.N. refugee agency spokesman Babar Baloch said far too many people have not been reached.

"Let us not forget winter in Afghanistan is harsh. Winter in Afghanistan can kill if people do not have the resources and if you end up being under the open skies," Baloch said. "So, it is really merciless.  It is very important to get that support to reach more and more Afghans as soon as possible."

Afghanistan is one of the world's worst emergencies. Nearly half of Afghanistan's population of 40 million people required international aid before the Taliban took control of the country in mid-August.

Baloch said those numbers are growing and include some 3.5 million people displaced by conflict. With needs increasing, he said humanitarian operations must be scaled up quickly. He said the UNHCR is in regular contact with the ruling Taliban to help this effort go forward.

"We rely on them in terms of access to areas," he said. "We rely on them for our security. There are encouraging signs in that sense, and they have been kind of highlighting to us the needs of the people on the ground as we go and do more assessments and bring in more supplies."

Baloch said it is difficult for people not on the ground to know how dire and desperate conditions are for the Afghan people, and winter will only add to their miseries.


The U.N. human rights office has condemned a recent escalation of violent, deadly attacks and abusive treatment of migrants and asylum seekers, allegedly by both Libyan state and non-state agents.

This month, the U.N. agency says at least five people were killed and many injured during a series of heavy-handed security operations and raids against migrants and asylum seekers.

It says mass expulsions of people to countries in sub-Saharan Africa have taken place. The rights office says that violates laws against the forcible deportation of individuals to places where their lives could be at risk.

U.N. human rights spokeswoman Marta Hurtado says last week, Ministry of Interior personnel raided an informal settlement near the capital, Tripoli. Among the inhabitants, she says, were hundreds of migrants and asylum seekers registered with the U.N. refugee agency.

Women, children and men were arrested and handcuffed. Security forces used unnecessary and disproportionate force to detain them, including shooting and beating those who resisted or tried to escape," said Hurtado. "As a result, at least one person died, five were injured, and more than 4,000 were detained.

Hurtado says those arrested have been taken to an overcrowded, unsanitary, government-run detention center in Tripoli, where they have little access to food or water. She says similar scenarios have been repeated since then.

On October 6, 500 migrants escaped from the Gheriyan Detention Centre in Tripoli. Hurtado says they were chased by guards, who opened fire using live ammunition. She says preliminary information indicates at least four people were short and killed and many others injured.

A recent report by the Independent Fact-Finding Mission on Libya said the widespread and systematic violations suffered by migrants could amount to crimes against humanity.

Hurtado says the government justifies raids against the migrants as a necessary measure to tackle crime.

What we are saying is if you want to tackle crime, try to go against the traffickers," said Hurtado. "Do not go and pick up the migrants and detain the migrants that are quite often the victims of these traffickers. Having said that, the government has acknowledged as well that maybe what happened last week was not the best way forward.

Hurtado says the government has promised to free some of the migrants.

The U.N. human rights office is calling on authorities to conduct a prompt and impartial investigation into the violent events and to hold perpetrators of crimes and abuse accountable. It says authorities also should stop criminalizing people solely for their migration status and end their policy of forcible deportation.
U.S. President Joe Biden held a virtual meeting with leaders of the world's richest nations to push top priorities in Afghanistan, the White House said Tuesday, as the impoverished nation stares down a humanitarian crisis after the U.S. withdrawal and the Taliban's subsequent takeover.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki described Tuesday's call with leaders of the G-20 as "an opportunity  and a constructive opportunity  to discuss counterterrorism efforts and efforts to provide international humanitarian assistance."

This is the first such meeting of international leaders since the U.S. withdrawal in late August. Also in the past week, top U.S. officials went to Doha, Qatar, for the first round of face-to-face negotiations with the new Taliban regime. Neither party said whether any agreements were reached, though the United States continued to refrain from officially recognizing the Taliban's legitimacy as the government of Afghanistan.

In a statement after Tuesday's meeting, the White House said the U.S. "remains committed to working closely with the international community and using diplomatic, humanitarian, and economic means to address the situation in Afghanistan and support the Afghan people."

WATCH: G-20 to support Afghanistan

The U.S. did not announce any new funding for Afghanistan on Tuesday or provide concrete details on how it will meet those commitments. But Psaki stressed the U.S. is already the largest single humanitarian donor to Afghanistan, having provided more than $330 million this year.

"And we will continue to take steps to alleviate the suffering of the Afghan people and call on other donors to step up their contributions to help deliver critical assistance," she said.

'Make-or-break moment'

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned that Afghanistan is facing "a make-or-break moment."

"If we do not act and help Afghans weather this storm and do it soon, not only they but all the world will pay a heavy price," he said before the leaders gathered on Tuesday.

Before the Taliban takeover, international aid accounted for 75% of Afghanistan's state spending. But governments and international organizations have cut off such funding and have frozen Afghanistan's assets.

Now, about half of the population needs humanitarian or protection assistance, says the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. One-third of Afghans are currently facing "emergency" or "crisis" levels of food insecurity,

This moment is not the moment to abandon Afghanistan's children, UNICEF spokesman Salam Al-Janabi told VOA. This is not the moment to avert your eyes from what is happening here. And they need the assistance to survive. Basically, it is now a matter of life and death for many of these children who are severely, acutely malnourished.

All that, Guterres warned Tuesday, could have dire consequences beyond just human suffering.

"Without food, without jobs, without their rights protected, we will see more and more Afghans fleeing their homes in search of a better life, he said. The flow of illicit drugs, criminal and terrorist networks will also likely increase.

Notable absences

Conspicuously absent from Tuesday's virtual meeting, hosted by Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, were the leaders of China and Russia, top U.S. adversaries who are geographically closer to the landlocked Central Asian nation. Both have had a long and complicated relationship with Afghanistan and oppose putting conditions on aid.

Michael Kugelman, deputy director of the Asia Program at the Wilson Center, said it is likely the Group of 20 will see past those differences.

There's a very strong motivation for the G-20 countries  including those that don't get along with each other  to put their minds together and come up with a clear plan to deliver much-needed humanitarian assistance, he told VOA.

And Psaki brushed aside concerns over the absence of those two countries

"It was a meeting organized by the Italians," she said. "So, I would certainly point you to them for confirmation of who may or may not have attended. But I would note that it is still fruitful, of course, to have an opportunity  or this is how the president views it  to discuss the efforts to work together on counterterrorism work, including against threats from ISIS-K (Islamic State Khorasan), to ensure safe passage for those foreign nationals and Afghan partners with documentation seeking to depart Afghanistan."

To that end, on Tuesday, the U.S. State Department announced it was naming Ambassador A. Elizabeth Jones as the new coordinator for Afghan relocation efforts. The veteran diplomat will help eligible Afghans depart the country and transition to their resettlement in the United States.
U.S. military officials warned Tuesday that China's unrelenting pressure campaign against Taiwan is only increasing the chances for mistakes and, perhaps, an unintended fight.

The Pentagon accused Beijing of ratcheting up tensions across the Taiwan Strait, cautioning that the "provocative" tactics could backfire.

"The PRC (People's Republic of China) has stepped up efforts to intimidate, pressure Taiwan and other allies and partners, including increasing their military activities conducted in the vicinity of Taiwan, the East China Sea and the South China Sea, which we believe are destabilizing and only increase the risk of miscalculation," Pentagon press secretary John Kirby told reporters.

Kirby added that the U.S. commitment to Taiwan remains "rock solid."

"We have an abiding interest in peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and that's why we're going to continue to assist Taiwan in maintaining a sufficient self-defense capability," he said. "We urge Beijing to honor its commitment to the peaceful resolution of cross-strait differences."

China's increasingly public push for the reunification of Taipei and Beijing has sparked a heated back and forth with Taiwanese leaders who want to keep Taiwan as a self-governing entity.

"We will do our utmost to prevent the status quo from being unilaterally altered," Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen said Sunday while speaking at the territory's National Day celebration.

"We will continue to bolster our national defense and demonstrate our determination to defend ourselves in order to ensure that nobody can force Taiwan to take the path China has laid out for us," she added.

Tsai's comments followed Chinese President Xi Jinping's declaration Saturday that reunification with Taiwan "must be realized."

"No one should underestimate the Chinese people's strong determination, will and capability to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity," he said.

Chinese media have also railed against reports that the U.S. has a small contingent of special forces and Marines in Taiwan to train Taiwanese forces.

U.S. defense officials have repeatedly refused to comment on the alleged training, first reported by The Wall Street Journal.

"I don't have anything to say publicly about those reports," the Pentagon's Kirby said Tuesday, when pressed on the issue.

U.S. military and intelligence officials have been increasingly concerned with what they see as China's ever more aggressive military posture toward Taiwan, highlighted by a series of aerial incursions that saw more than 150 Chinese jets encroach on Taiwan's air defense identification zone over a span of several days last week.

As recently as June, however, U.S. military officials questioned whether Beijing would be capable of taking Taiwan by force.

"China has a ways to go to develop the actual no-kidding capability to conduct military operations to seize through military means the entire island of Taiwan, if they wanted to do that," General Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at the time.

"I think that there's little intent right now or motivation to do it militarily," he added, calling the probability of an attack low. "But it is a core  c-o-r-e  national interest of China to unite Taiwan."

Ken Bredemeier contributed to this report.
The United States is sending more than 3.5 million doses of the two-shot Pfizer vaccine to Nigeria, Africas most populous nation, a White House official told VOA on Tuesday.

We are sharing these doses not to secure favors or extract concessions, the official said. Our vaccines do not come with strings attached. We are doing this with the singular objective of saving lives.

The 3,577,860 doses, which the White House said began shipping to Nigeria on Tuesday, follows a July donation of 4 million doses of the two-shot Moderna vaccine. The donation was processed through COVAX, the global vaccine-sharing initiative.

Nigeria has reported at least 2,747 deaths from the virus and some 208,000 confirmed cases, according to the World Health Organization. However, medical officials in Africa and overseas have expressed concern that the African continents true COVID-19 situation has been underdiagnosed and underreported.

On the continent, South Africa remains at the epicenter, with at least 88,317 deaths counted by WHO, and more than 2.9 million confirmed cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the highly contagious coronavirus.

With more than 206 million people, Nigeria is a lower middle-income country, according to World Bank data. Nigeria has also accepted donations of vaccines from Russia, plus donations of diagnostic and treatment equipment, and test kits from China and South Korea, its Ministry of Health said.

As of this month, just over 7.2 million vaccine doses have been administered, according to WHO. Thats a far cry from the goal shared by Nigerian authorities to vaccinate 40% of its population  about 80 million people  by the end of 2021.

The nation appears to be emerging from a third viral wave, with a height of about 5,000 daily reported cases. The second wave, the nations worst, peaked in January, with nearly 12,000 new cases reported in one day, according to WHO data.

In September, U.S. President Joe Biden announced the U.S. would donate 500 million additional doses of the Pfizer vaccine to low-income and lower-middle-income countries. In all, the United States has now pledged 1.1 billion doses.

But aid groups say this is not enough, coming from the worlds wealthiest nation.

Despite its claim to be a global leader on COVID-19, the U.S. is hoarding nearly 500 million excess COVID-19 vaccine doses  more than any other country, said Dr. Carrie Teicher, director of programs at Doctors Without Borders U.S. branch. Its reckless and dangerous for the U.S. and other high-income countries to be sitting on excessive stocks of COVID-19 vaccines while others  including in many places where MSF (Doctors Without Borders) is battling surges of COVID-19  are desperate to provide their most vulnerable people with even their first dose.

U.S. officials have been criticized for urging booster shots for vulnerable Americans while vaccination rates are low in the developing world. The White House casts the controversy over booster shots as a false choice, claiming the U.S. can help vaccinate the world while also protecting Americans.

According to projections by the Oxford University COVID-19 database Our World in Data, only one nation in sub-Saharan Africa  the tiny enclave nation of Lesotho  is on track to meet the target of inoculating 40% of its population with at least one dose of the vaccine by the end of 2021.

Patsy Widakuswara contributed to this report.
The U.S. House of Representatives voted Tuesday to extend the government's borrowing authority into early December, averting a first-ever default next week, when the United States said it would run out of money to pay its bills.

The House vote increased the existing $28.4 trillion debt total by $480 billion through December 3, following approval last week by the Senate. The legislation now goes to President Joe Biden for his signature.

While the congressional votes and Biden's approval resolve the immediate financial crisis for the government, the Democratic-controlled Congress and the White House have yet to agree on how to approve a long-term expansion of the borrowing authority, perhaps through almost all of 2022.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell secured enough of his fellow Republican senators' votes last week to help Democrats pass the expanded borrowing authority in the short term but said he would not do so again as the December deadline approaches.

McConnell has called on Democrats to approve the debt ceiling on their own through a legislative process known as reconciliation, for which they would not need any Republican support. But Democrats say the process is cumbersome and time-consuming, leaving uncertain how they will try to increase the borrowing authority come December.

The U.S., almost alone among world governments, has a debt ceiling, one it has adjusted about 70 times since 1965, either by increasing it to a specific figure or by suspending it for a year or two. The U.S. needs to borrow money, much as individual consumers might, because it chronically spends more than it collects in corporate and individual taxes.

U.S. Treasury chief Janet Yellen warned Sunday that it was "absolutely imperative" that Congress increase the country's borrowing authority, even as the threat of an immediate default receded.

"It would be a catastrophe" if the United States did not increase the debt ceiling, Yellen told ABC's This Week.

Yellen had said the U.S. would run out of money to pay its bills next Monday. McConnell and 10 other Republicans voted to clear the path for Democratic senators to increase the government's borrowing authority on a 50-48 party-line vote.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Republicans should join Democrats in raising the debt ceiling because the country's long-term debt had increased under both Republican and Democratic control of the White House and Congress.

The borrowing authority provides money to pay bills for debt already incurred, not future spending. But Republicans have balked at helping Democrats raise the debt ceiling this time, in protest of Biden's proposal to spend $2 trillion or more on the biggest expansion of the country's social safety net programs in five decades.

Yellen has called for doing away with the debt ceiling, but that is unlikely since both Republican and Democratic lawmakers, thinking it is a winning political tactic, repeatedly blame each other for what they contend is wasteful and unneeded spending by their opponents.

"It should be a shared responsibility (to increase the debt ceiling), not any one party," Yellen said. "It is Congress' responsibility."

"We have to reassure the world that the United States is fiscally responsible," she said, adding that if the borrowing authority is not increased before December 3, it would amount to "a self-inflicted crisis."

Yellen said if the debt ceiling is not increased, 50 million older Americans may not receive government pension benefits and "our troops won't know when or if they would be paid. The 30 million families that receive a child tax credit, those payments would be in jeopardy," she said.
The White House extended congratulations to the Iraqi government Tuesday for its mostly peaceful election, while mentioning the certification of the results was still pending.

"We congratulate the Iraqi government on having fulfilled its promise to hold earlier elections," White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters.

"Once the final results are certified, we hope the new council of representative members will form a government that reflects the will of the Iraqi people.

The party of cleric Muqtada al-Sadr was the largest vote-getter in Iraqi parliamentary elections, according to initial results released Monday.

A count based on partial results shows the Shiite Muslim cleric has won more than 70 seats in the 329-seat parliament.

Al-Sadr's party said it won 73 seats, increasing its seat count of 54 and giving it a large influence in government formation.

Reuters news agency said former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki appeared have the next largest win among Shiite parties, according to initial results.

U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price said the new government must work to address Iraq's governance, security and economic challenges."

Top European Union diplomat Josep Borrell said if there are claims of irregularities in the election, then they need to be dealt with promptly though available procedures.

Shiite groups have dominated Iraqi politics since the fall of Sunni leader Saddam Hussein in 2003. They will continue that trend if the final vote count shows al-Sadr's party is the winner.

Hundreds of al-Sadr's supporters, with flags and posters of him, celebrated his front-runner status Monday night in Baghdad's Tahrir Square, according to Reuters.

Al-Sadr is a populist religious leader known for commanding an insurgency against U.S. forces after the 2003 U.S. invasion that started the nearly nine-year war in Iraq.

He claimed victory in a live speech on state television Monday and promised a nationalist government without foreign interference, Reuters reported.

Sunday's vote was marred by a record low turnout for parliamentary elections, at just 41%, according to Iraq's electoral commission. That is below the 44.5% recorded in 2018, the previous all-time low.

The election was held months ahead of schedule in response to youth-led protests against corruption and faltering public services. The protests brought tens of thousands of people onto the streets in late 2019 and early 2020, with demonstrators calling for reforms and new elections.

However, a police crackdown on the protests, which left nearly 600 dead, along with widespread disillusionment about Iraq's political elite, led many protesters to later call for a boycott of this year's elections.

Sunday's vote was held under a new law making it easier for independent and reform candidates to be elected, including by making voting districts smaller. In practice, however, powerful parties were still best able to mobilize supporters under the new rules.

The election results are expected to largely maintain the country's traditional political blocs.

However, since no one party won a majority of seats in parliament, negotiations to choose a prime minister to run the government are expected to take weeks or even months.

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters, and Agence France-Presse.
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Zimbabwean police taking notes in Nyamandlovu where Clifford Phiri allegedly killed his wife after suspecting that she had an extramarital affair. Phiri fled to Inyathi, about 70 kilometers east of Nyamandlovu where villagers effected a citizen's arrest and called the police.
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User reports estimate the perceived ground shaking intensity according to the MMI (Modified Mercalli Intensity) scale

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Hersonisos / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 20-30 s : Very strong vibration and building moving | 22 users found this interesting. Our sofa was shaking and our fan was rattelling / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 20-30 s

Heraklion, Crete (131.6 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) : Without any noise, it felt like waves | 18 users found this interesting.

Malia / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s A very strange feeling of the whole house swaying for about 8-10 seconds. | 18 users found this interesting. (reported through (reported through our app / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Anissaras (112.4 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 10-15 s : Auf einem Stuhl gesessen | 16 users found this interesting. We are in 88MX PPX Analipsi, Greece. Hotel next to beach. Shaking ground. Thought it was strong wind at first but lights started to move. Holiday makers made way out of building but all returned to normal now. / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 10-15 s

near Kentri, Lasithi, Crete (51.8 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Das erste Erdbeben im Leben am letzten Urlaubstag. Es fuhlte sich wie das Schwanken auf einem Schiff an. | 12 users found this interesting.

Heraklion / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s : Astronomical duration. Longest earthquake I've felt living in Crete. Shaking was gentle on second floor and it didnt make any significant noise either. | 13 users found this interesting.

Kardamena, Dodecanese, South Aegean (216.4 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s : Waves in pool | 11 users found this interesting.

Rhodes / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 minutes : Staying in Rodos palace hotel on 4th floor & felt whole building swaying side to side for a couple of mins. | 10 users found this interesting.

near Palekastro, Lasithi, Crete (29.6 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / vibration and rolling / 1-2 s : We were in a cannyon hiking, when I felt the earth shaking. Big rocks fell from above us, we did not got hurt, met some other hikers, who were alright too. Not sure about more people, because we met a lot on the way. | 7 users found this interesting.

Tigaki Kos (224.4 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Was sat on sunbed looking at my phone and felt myself swaying. Made me feel dizzy. Water in swimming pool sloshed | 8 users found this interesting.

Neapoli, Crete / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 5-10 s : All ground outside shaking | 8 users found this interesting.

Santorini / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s : The patio suddenly felt like it was floating, moving side to side. It would stop and start again while people in the area vacated the buildings | 5 users found this interesting.

Xerokambos (27.4 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 15-20 s : It was quite scary but there was no obvious structural damage to our house. There was thunder rolling around the adjacent mountains which was hard to distinguish from aftershock. Afterwards I had a (rare) headache and took ibuprofen. The shaking would hav | 6 users found this interesting.

Rhodes / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s : I was sat on a bed on the 2nd floor of a hotel and noticed some horizontal shaking. Felt like I was sat on a waterbed or suffering a bad hangover/roomspin. Lasted 20 seconds or so, slight movement of liquids in glasses. | 6 users found this interesting.

Gazi, Heraklion, Crete (137 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s : On my chair I felt small mooves . I sent close to the window groundfloor in a corner and as I stop on the flor, I felt week lives dating 15 - 20 seconds | 3 users found this interesting.

Sitia / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : We were at the beach and were shaken from left to right. I tried to stand up from my sunbed, but was too unsteady and fell on my knees. | 5 users found this interesting.

Neapoli, Lasithi, Crete (93.1 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : The veranda of the taverna was swinging for a few seconds. | 4 users found this interesting.

Stalida, Heraklion, Crete (105.8 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) : Laying on bed, feeling a little swinging | 4 users found this interesting.

Tympaki, Heraklion, Crete (158.2 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : Didn't feel the earthquake but, while being in a supermarket, I was "attacked" by a big pack of pampers that fell down from a top shelf only a few cm next to me. | 2 users found this interesting.

Heraklion / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s : Felt inside our hotel room. Felt like the whole building was shifting side to side. | 4 users found this interesting.

Ierapetra / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : felt side by side movement in hotel for about seconds. nothing in room demaged but, just a lil bit shaking. | 4 users found this interesting.

Altinkum (277.1 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) : Didnt feel it as much but saw the light swinging, water shaking & door swinging | 4 users found this interesting.

Rethymno, crete (188.4 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Sitting on the beach slight swinging of the ground, horizontally. | 4 users found this interesting.

Kokkari, Samos, North Aegean (317.4 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : Walking outside | 3 users found this interesting.

Kremasti, Dodecanese, South Aegean (214.4 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s | 3 users found this interesting.

Katastari, Zakynthos, Ionian Islands (604.7 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : Didnt feel it but the waves on the beach and most definitely bigger an more frequent then before in Zante a few hours after the quake | One user found this interesting.

Ixia, Rhodes (224.1 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : Sitting on a sun lounger on the beach and felt my centre of gravity swing slightly from side to side, gently approx every half second | 3 users found this interesting.

Chania Crete / not felt : Drinking coffee indoors. I felt nothing, our pets and local animals showed no reaction at all. A non event here. | 3 users found this interesting.

Annas beach, Rhodes (224.2 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 minutes : Was laying on the beach and suddenly felt like I was swaying side to side, and almost as if I could fall if I stood up. Everyone felt it and looked at each other trying to figure out what it was. I immediately started searching if their had been an earthq | 3 users found this interesting.

Dalyan (286 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 30-60 s : Birds squawking and flying, animals running and howling. Pool water sloshing | 3 users found this interesting.

Crete / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s : The vibrations made the house shake. I thought I was back in San Francisco. | 3 users found this interesting. There are non-quake regions, too. :-#

There are non-quake regions, too. :-# / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s

RETHYMNO / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / complex motion difficult to describe / 20-30 s | 3 users found this interesting.

Kamilari (157.4 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : I didn't feel it but my gf did. Our pool water was shaking so much | 3 users found this interesting.

Ixia, Rhodes (224.1 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : Sitting on a sun lounger on the beach and felt my centre of gravity swing slightly from side to side, gently approx every half second

Rethymnon, Crete (189.1 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s :      .   

Kokkini Chani, Heraklion, Crete (122.5 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Please everyone don't stay in bed. Protect yourselves! Even though I'm a local I got fricking scared. Felt like i was on a boat. There will definitely be a second one.

Santorini (185.6 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Leichtes Beben auf Santorini erlebt | 2 users found this interesting.

Faliraki / Weak shaking (MMI III) / complex motion difficult to describe / 10-15 s : Felt like losing little balance | 2 users found this interesting.

Kefalia, Kavousi (62.1 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) : Sitting on bed, movement of bed, shaking of mirrors on walls, hanging lights, all hanging pics, tools on walls in workshop. Very strong magnitude - moderate on list. | 2 users found this interesting.

Heraklion (111.5 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : I lay in My bes. in the Hotel and Feeld the movement | 2 users found this interesting.

Megalochori (187.3 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : I was in my room and felt a little shaking I was not sure what it is until I realized thats an earth quake. But a really really harmless earthquake with a weak shake so everything all right but still a weird feeling | 2 users found this interesting.

Gouves (116.3 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : I was lying on the bed and felt the bed shake. Hanging objects were also shaking. | 2 users found this interesting.

Aigina, Greece (413.5 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : Nothing | One user found this interesting.

Sitia, Crete (47.4 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 2-5 s : Bouncing feling to the side and up/down. Things fell from tabels | One user found this interesting.

near Agia Galini, Rethymno, Crete (173.8 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) : Lying in bed, lamp start shaking | One user found this interesting.

Agia Marina, Chania, Crete (243.1 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Extremely light shaking felt lying i bed in third floor. | One user found this interesting.

Rhodos, Dodecanese, South Aegean (229 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Felt shaking on 3rd floor | One user found this interesting.

Karpathos, Dodecanese, South Aegean (89.6 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 10-15 s : sitting on balcony.....florrs "moving" sideways | One user found this interesting.

Rethymnon (171.1 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Hotel shook | One user found this interesting.

Fethiye / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : I felt like maybe I was dizzy. Everything seemed to be swaying, but I was sat down at the time so thought I was having a dizzy spell. Just checked to see if there was a quake that day following today's quake and saw that there was so this must have been w

Sitia Airport / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 15-20 s : The hole airport building was shakking very strong all direktion but no damaging of first view. But flight its canceled becouse earthquake

Ammoudara / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : I was in the hotel atlantica akti zeus. I was sat on a sofa in my room and the sofa started moving from side to side. It felt like someone was shaking me. I stood up and realised the whole building was moving so I got out quickly

I Resort Stalis / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 30-60 s : Lying on bed and felt shaking, shower door creaking | One user found this interesting.

Lardos, Rhodes (185.4 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Was sitting on the ground on a remote beach and felt the ground move, like a chair was moving beneath me. It was very quick. | One user found this interesting.

Kokkini Hani / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 15-20 s : Terrifying. | One user found this interesting.

Sitia Airport / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 15-20 s : The hole airport building was shakking very strong all direktion but no damaging of first view. But flight its canceled becouse earthquake | One user found this interesting.

Cairo / Light shaking (MMI IV) / complex motion difficult to describe : We felt the earthquake here in Egypt. Felt the chair and tables shaking eve the chandeliers. | One user found this interesting.

Hokkini Hani (122.6 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : Bed was shaking a Bit Second floor | One user found this interesting.

Heraklion / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : Fun fact about this quake: It happened the same day (12/10) as a 6,3M earthquake that struck Crete on October 12th 2013, 8 years ago today! | One user found this interesting.

Ano Hersonisos (110.5 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / several minutes : I felt a strong swaying motion for about 2 minutes, making me feel a little seasick. The hanging lamps continued swaying for another 2-3 minutes. | One user found this interesting.

Kokkini Hani / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Mild ground tremor doors vibrating. Mild shaking | One user found this interesting.

Makry Gialos / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / complex motion difficult to describe / 15-20 s Objects fell over. Drinks spilled. Rattling of doors and cupboards. Was more a fun experience tham frightening. | One user found this interesting. (reported through (reported through our app / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / complex motion difficult to describe / 15-20 s

Xerokombos / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 10-15 s : The 3 first seconds were like a big truck was passing very close the house. But it was like a growling sound, increasing in intensity and everything inside began to vibrate. I looked through the window and had the sensation that the other house next was v | One user found this interesting.

Ialysos (222.2 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s : Light shaking | One user found this interesting.

Rhodes / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s : Lying on the beach on a sunbed, reading a book, and suddenly felt The earth moving and making my body lightly shake. Nyt first earthquake experience ever! | One user found this interesting.

Sitia (45.9 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : Heavy shaking sideways. Everything moved about half a meter | One user found this interesting.

Elounda / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : Sitting on balcony and chair was shaking | One user found this interesting.

Agios Nicolaos / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Were sitting on the beach. After shaking stopped waves came up about 30 cm high. | One user found this interesting.

Kolympia, rhodos (210 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Felt weak swinging while laying on bed. Hear noise right before (2 seconds) but noise could have been caused by thunder. Felt 2 intervals of swinging, each a couple of seconds | One user found this interesting.

Koutsouras / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Just a very short moving of the house and some tingling from objects | One user found this interesting.

Sitia / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 20-30 s : We had just parked the car in Sitia and the car began rocking around | One user found this interesting.

olimpos, karpathos, greece (107.2 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Sitting om a terrace in Olimpos, on a hill side. the floor moved, | One user found this interesting.

Roumeli (171.8 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 5-10 s : Leichtes grollen und rutteln fur ca. 10 Sekunden. | One user found this interesting. I also felt it in Roumeli. / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 5-10 s

Chains old town / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Tv wiggled and Chania harbor had small waves roll in like a boat had created ripples but no boats were there to create it - now it is back to flat. | One user found this interesting. *Location Chania - spelling correction

*Location Chania - spelling correction / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Kos / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Sass am Pool auf einem Stuhl. Ganz komisches Vibrieren. Dachte mein Stuhl ist kibbelig, stand aber fest. Und im Pool war das Wasser plotzlich unruhig, obwohl keiner im Wasser war. | One user found this interesting.

Kousouros / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Sideways shaking in a taverna. Objects swinging | One user found this interesting.

Ismailia, Egypt (725.1 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Yes, I felt slight shaking and chandeliers were slightly moving as well | One user found this interesting.

Koutsounari / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : House shaking | One user found this interesting.

Agios nikolaos / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s : Go out | One user found this interesting.

Georgioupolis / Weak shaking (MMI III) : Felt the ground moving | One user found this interesting.

Georgioupolis, Kreta, Griechenland / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 10-15 s : Schwankender Boden, Wellengang im Pool sichtbar | One user found this interesting.

Mochlos / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 5-10 s : Very strange vibrations | One user found this interesting.

Konyaalti/Antalya Turkey / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 20-30 s : A little bit uncomfortable. | One user found this interesting.

Agios Nikolaos (78.3 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s : Vibrating | One user found this interesting.

Xerokambos (27.5 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / vibration and rolling / 15-20 s : 4. 5 A lot if noise | One user found this interesting.

Faliraki Rhodes / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s | One user found this interesting.

Panormos (174.4 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s Bed was vibrating when I got outside it felt a swinging | One user found this interesting. (reported through (reported through our app / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Aghios Nikolaos, Crete, / Weak shaking (MMI III) : swaying | One user found this interesting.

Paroikia, Paros (267.6 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Dizzy | One user found this interesting.

Faliraki (218.3 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) : Moderate shaking | One user found this interesting.

Agios Nikolaos (76.6 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s : Light shaking | One user found this interesting.

Elounda (81.1 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Was scared of shaking. | One user found this interesting.

Rhodes (225.2 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Sitting on a sun bed felt like I was on a boat with gentle rocking. | One user found this interesting.

Kos / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s Lightly shaking chair | One user found this interesting. (reported through (reported through our app / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Tigaki Kos / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s | One user found this interesting.

Herakleion / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 10-15 s Terrific | One user found this interesting. (reported through (reported through our app / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 10-15 s

Rodos / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Like you are on a ship with short waves | One user found this interesting.

Kos (225.6 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Galway (3356.6 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : I don't live in Greece.

Bathroom, First Floor (136.2 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Heraklion, Crete (131.6 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) : Without any noise, it felt like waves

Kos (212.6 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s

Limenas Hersonissou, Heraklion, Crete (109.4 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s : Anxiety

Elounda, Lasithi, Kreta (82.7 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Limenas Hersonissou, Heraklion, Crete (113.3 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / several minutes : Hotelzimmer verhalt sich wie eine Schiffskabiene bei See 4 und 13knt.

Heraklion, Crete (130 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 1-2 minutes

Pithari, Chania, Crete (231.6 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Tempelhof, Berlin (2208.3 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt Nothing at all (reported through (reported through our app / not felt

Agia Galini, Rethymno, Crete (165.4 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : Nothing

Lardos, Dodecanese, South Aegean (181.8 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III)

Kalyves, Chania, Crete (213.8 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : Not aware of quake. Nothing on news until next day!

Tympaki, Heraklion, Crete (159.2 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 10-15 s : Feeling of swaying of chair while seated

Fethiye, Mugla (305.9 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 10-15 s

Rethymnon, Crete (182.9 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s : Der Stuhl vibrierte/Gefuhl des Kibbelns.

near Palekastro, Lasithi, Crete (27.3 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Severe shaking (MMI VIII) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 20-30 s : we see a small chapel brake together

Jesenice, Okres Praha-zapad, Mittelbohmen (1940.4 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Al Arish (802.1 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Kato Gouves, Heraklion, Crete (116.4 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Stalida, Heraklion, Crete (104.7 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Kato Gouves, Heraklion, Crete (114.4 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 20-30 s

Ierapetra, Lasithi (64.6 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Afantou, Dodecanese, South Aegean (209 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s

Mires, Heraklion, Kreta (145.3 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Faliraki, Dodecanese, South Aegean (218.4 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s Hin und her rutteln, ahnlich wie leichter Schwindel (reported through (reported through our app / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s

Porto Rafti, Nomarchia Anatolikis Attikis, Attica (396.2 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Malia, Heraklion, Kreta (97.1 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s : Minor sideways shaking

Bonstetten, Swabia, Bavaria (1989.3 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Ialysos, Dodecanese, South Aegean (223.5 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Thera, Kyklades, South Aegean (194.7 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Sunbed noticeably moved from side to side for about 4 seconds

Panormos, Rethymno, Crete (179.5 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

near Solnhofen, Middle Franconia, Bavaria (1997 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Emporeio, Kyklades, South Aegean (182.2 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Auf der Liege am Strand gespurt. Meine Frau im Zimmer auf Bett gesessen.

Messaria, Kyklades, South Aegean (185.6 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s

Rethymnon, Crete (184.6 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Altglienicke (2198.6 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Alexandria (525.3 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging : Weak earthquake

Faliraki, Dodecanese, South Aegean (220.3 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s : light shaking

Thera, Kyklades, South Aegean (192.3 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) / 10-15 s : Sat on sofa, felt the ground and sofa gentle roll side to side

near Andros, Kyklades, South Aegean (348.8 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : L

Gazi (137.4 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Noticeable shaking in our hotel room, nothing fell or cracked though.

Kentri, Lasithi, Crete (61 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 15-20 s

Elounda, Lasithi, Kreta (81.5 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake : M

Georgiopoli, Chanion, Crete (206 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Santorini (189.1 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 30-60 s

Chania (234.7 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Fira, Santorini (190.5 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Felt about 12:30 Greek time, thought it might be a minor earthquake

Archangelos, Dodecanese, South Aegean (198.1 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 5-10 s

Old Faliron, Nomarchia Athinas, Attica (416.9 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Karpathos, Dodecanese, South Aegean (85.9 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Haaren, North Brabant (2516.1 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Gazi, Heraklion, Crete (136.4 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Stalida, Heraklion, Crete (106.2 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Jijel (1876.8 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt Non ressenti a Jijel centre (reported through (reported through our app / not felt

Kato Gouves, Heraklion, Crete (117.7 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s

Limenas Hersonissou, Heraklion, Crete (110.1 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Limenas Hersonissou, Heraklion, Crete (112.2 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Georgiopoli, Chanion, Crete (213.5 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Vibration

near Arkalochori, Heraklion, Crete (99.1 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating

Kokkini Chani, Heraklion, Crete (121.5 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

near Urla, Izmir (374.6 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s (reported through our app / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Gazi, Heraklion, Crete (135.5 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 1-2 minutes

Bad Voslau, Baden, Lower Austria (1681.9 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Messaria, Kyklades, South Aegean (186.7 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s

Ortaca, Mugla (290.5 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s (reported through our app / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Rethymnon, Crete (190.1 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

near Sidon, South Governorate (834.1 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Afantou, Dodecanese, South Aegean (209 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s

Rethymnon, Crete (181 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s (reported through our app / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Gazi, Heraklion, Crete (137.5 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Starke horizontale Schwingungen. Turen und Schranke haben gewackelt.

Gazi, Heraklion, Crete (136.9 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Gazi, Heraklion, Crete (134.1 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 20-30 s : Like you where onboard ship of ANEK lines

near Palekastro, Lasithi, Crete (14.6 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Messaria, Kyklades, South Aegean (186.7 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s

Stalida, Heraklion, Crete (104.3 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Severe shaking (MMI VIII) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 15-20 s

Stalida, Heraklion, Crete (106.2 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Pyli, Dodecanese, South Aegean (221.4 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) / 10-15 s

near Agios Nikolaos, Lasithi, Crete (60.7 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Malia, Heraklion, Kreta (102.6 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s

Nea Alikarnassos, Heraklion Regional Unit, Crete (125.7 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s : I was in bed. It was like a swing.

Gergeri, Heraklion, Crete (144.3 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / very short (reported through our app / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / very short

Sitia, Crete (46.8 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 2-5 s

Izmir (396.6 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 10-15 s

near Kentri, Lasithi, Crete (48.5 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s

Elounda, Lasithi, Kreta (79.5 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Light shaking- lying on bed could see walls moving horizontally

near Palekastro, Lasithi, Crete (33.6 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 2-5 s : slight shifting whilst on sunbed. falaraki rhodes. cyprotel hotel

Afantou, Dodecanese, South Aegean (209.4 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : We were eating and felt the ground shake side to side and the lights swung back and forth

Zaros, Heraklion, Crete (152.8 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 30-60 s : Light shaking

Kato Gouves, Heraklion, Crete (117.6 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 30-60 s

Agios Nikolaos, Lasithi, Crete (77.8 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s

near Sitia, Crete (43.9 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Sitting on a chair, Reading. Liquid in glasses moved

Heraklion, Crete (133.5 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) : Slow Sharing

Alexandria (524.1 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Alexandria, smouha, in upper 12th floor

Kentri, Lasithi, Crete (59.4 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Feeling the shaking while standing on the balcony in Ferma/Greece

Kokkini Chani, Heraklion, Crete (121.4 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Fan and Lamps were shaking. Floor and bed to.

Kato Gouves, Heraklion, Crete (113.7 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 30-60 s : Hotel balcony area 1 floor up, family in room lights swinging and other items shaking..

Limenas Hersonissou, Heraklion, Crete (110.5 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) : Leichtes Schutteln

Georgiopoli, Chanion, Crete (206.3 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s : Als leichtes schwanken

Ialysos, Dodecanese, South Aegean (223.5 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Laying on a subbed and felt a slight rocking sensation l

Gazi, Heraklion, Crete (135.5 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 1-2 minutes

Agia Marina, Chania, Crete (244.2 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / very short : sitting on a char on teresse

near Kentri, Lasithi, Crete (48 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s

Rethymnon, Crete (187.3 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s

Limenas Hersonissou, Heraklion, Crete (109.4 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s : Anxiety

Lardos, Dodecanese, South Aegean (188.3 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s

Dalaman, Mugla (285.8 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : At the airport, doors were shaking

Limenas Hersonissou, Heraklion, Crete (108.9 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III)

Faliraki, Dodecanese, South Aegean (217.5 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 minutes

Fethiye, Mugla (305.9 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 10-15 s

Archangelos, Dodecanese, South Aegean (202.5 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s

Gazi, Heraklion, Crete (135.6 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / complex rolling (tilting in multiple directions) / 15-20 s (reported through our app / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / complex rolling (tilting in multiple directions) / 15-20 s

Neapoli, Lasithi, Crete (86.5 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vibration and rolling / 10-15 s (reported through our app / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vibration and rolling / 10-15 s

Neapoli, Lasithi, Crete (94.3 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s (reported through our app / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Agios Nikolaos, Lasithi, Crete (75.2 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s

Heraklion, Crete (130 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 1-2 minutes

near Tomelilla, Skane (2498.1 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Georgiopoli, Chanion, Crete (205.4 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

near Kentri, Lasithi, Crete (55.1 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III)

Rhodos, Dodecanese, South Aegean (224.6 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Slight movement.

Emporeio, Kyklades, South Aegean (183 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Afantou, Dodecanese, South Aegean (210 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s

Ierapetra / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 20-30 s : Sitting by the pool, there were suddenly waves on the water. Standing up, it was slightly shaky.

Imerovigli / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Anissaras / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 10-15 s

Crete / Weak shaking (MMI III) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 20-30 s

Anissaras / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s

Sitia / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / vibration and rolling / 10-15 s : it was quite shocking - we were outside on the street - it was noisy

Faliraki / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 20-30 s

Dionysos (41.9 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Analipsi / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s

Ierapetra / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 20-30 s : Sitting by the pool, there were suddenly waves on the water. Standing up, it was slightly shaky.

Crete / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s : A weird feeling first ever one I have felt

Faliraki / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 20-30 s

Zakros / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / 15-20 s : It was very strong i couldn't stand up

Near lindos (182.7 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : Sitting in the bathroom, felt like i am gonna pass away, because sight was shaking slightly - than saw door slightly swinging and knew it was an earthquake

Rhodes, Soroni (207.1 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s : Moderate

Faliraki / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 20-30 s

Rhodes, Soroni (207.1 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s : Moderate

Rethymno / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Hersonissos / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s

Heraklion town (77.1 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Lateral shaking and vibration of building - pictures on wall moved and hangers in wardrobe swinging

Heraklion / not felt

Chersonissos / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Kolympia Rhodes (209.1 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Weak back & fourth, pool water moved

Near lindos (182.7 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : Sitting in the bathroom, felt like i am gonna pass away, because sight was shaking slightly - than saw door slightly swinging and knew it was an earthquake

Samos / not felt

Ajos Nikolaos / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s

mykonos / not felt

Koluszki / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Fodele / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 15-20 s : Yes, I was in the Hotel room and the bed and chairs have wobbled

Chania / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Limenas Chersonisou (107.6 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Faliraki / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s

Tigaki Kos / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 2-5 s : Weird movement like I was losing my balance

Rethymnon (179.1 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Matala kreta / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Vai / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s

Kos Mastichari / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 15-20 s : Felt like being on boat I rough sea.

Ixia Rhodes / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Sitting on subbed by pool felt like somebody had gently pushed on sun bed causing to sway gently

Crete greece / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : I felt ground moving but my freind who was sat next to me did not

Kos / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s

Heraklion / not felt

Avsallar (508.2 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Helsinki (2835.8 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 15-20 s : Huge shaking

Chania / not felt

Kalamata (457.5 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : I did not feel anything

Gavalochori, Apokoronas / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : Long wave-like movement

Athens / not felt

Kefalos / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single lateral shake / 10-15 s : Floor moving sideways giving an uncomfortable feeling

Kos city / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s

Kos (189.8 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Crete (114.9 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s : Weak shaking Sitting at a bar and everything was shaking

Crete / Weak shaking (MMI III) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 10-15 s : The floor was rolling as if on a ship in light waves.

Kos / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s : Bed shake

L'Aquila / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Kali limines (152.2 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Balkony moving like a ship

Lindos (191.8 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Rhodes (223 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Mastichari / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 5-10 s : Made us feel sick like we were having a dizzy spell

Crete / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Chania (234.1 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Kos / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Heraklion town (77.1 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Lateral shaking and vibration of building - pictures on wall moved and hangers in wardrobe swinging

Rhodes / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s

 (414.2 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : I did not feel it.

Malia / not felt / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Light shaking

Bochum / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Rhodes / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s

Faliraki / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Agia Pelagia / not felt : Slept through the night, didn't feel a thing

Elfonisi beach / not felt

Rhodes / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 20-30 s : My wardrobe doors was opening and closing so fast and hard and my bed started to shake . It was only for about 30 seconds

Xerokampos crete / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 30-60 s : Thought house will breakdown

Agio Nicolaos / Weak shaking (MMI III) / complex motion difficult to describe / 20-30 s

Rethimnon / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Rotterdam / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Exo mouliana (54.7 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Pefkos Beach, Rhoded / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s : Sun loungers shook sideways in a couple of short bursts

Palekastro chiona beach / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / complex motion difficult to describe / 15-20 s

Ixia Rhodes / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Sitting on subbed by pool felt like somebody had gently pushed on sun bed causing to sway gently

Crete / not felt : In transit on coach at time so unlikely as it seems, probably mistook vibrations for poor road conditions!

Hersonissos Crete / not felt

Rhodes / not felt

Haraki Bay , Rhodes 851 02 / Weak shaking (MMI III) / vibration and rolling / 2-5 s : I was asleep on the beach. The sea was momentarily rougher, and felt a slight tremor. This was only for a few seconds . Several people have since mention similar experiences to me

Rethimno / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / several minutes : Significant swaying indoors and outdoors

Chania / not felt : Nothing

Gournes, crete (119.4 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s

Analipsi, Crete / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : We were staying at Stella Island Hotel and spa, we were sat in reception area having a coffee when the earthquake happened, the whole floor shook, tables and chairs moved and the experience frightened us both, we then heard that this could cause a tsunami

Apakaronas / not felt

Matala crete (159.6 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Matala sitting outside, feeling a little shaking

cardiff, Wales / not felt

Chalandri Attiki Greece / not felt

Tirane / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) (reported through our app / Very strong shaking (MMI VII)

Rhodes / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 minutes : I actually thought I'd had too much sun and was having a bit of a turn, until others around me were feeling the same

Hersonissos / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : shaking

Kos / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 5-10 s

Anissaris beach / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Athens Greece (419.9 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Cuurne (2570.8 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Severe shaking (MMI VIII) / single vertical bump / very short (reported through our app / Severe shaking (MMI VIII) / single vertical bump / very short

Oia on Santorini / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s

Pitsidia (157.1 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s

Sailing between Crete and Kasos (39.6 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / complex motion difficult to describe / 5-10 s : The boat started to pitch forward & back for 5 seconds Very odd sensation at sea, as if it was on land during an earthquake.

Hersonissos, Creta / not felt

Platanias (185.4 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s

rhodos (191.9 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Georgioupolis (211.3 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s

pitsidia / Severe shaking (MMI VIII) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s

Hersonissos Heraklion / Strong shaking (MMI VI)

Elounda / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 2-5 s : I was outside looking at products sold from the back of a pick up truck. The vehicle started to shake as though someone was jumping up and down in the back and I felt the ground move.

Aghios nikolaos / not felt

Rethymnon / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Vibrations and lateral shaking of sunbeds at the beach. Higher waves in the sea!

Heraklio / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 2-5 s

Matala, Crete / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Felt like the chair which i was sitting on was moving sideways, i felt dizzy and had the feeling i could not saftely stand up from the chair. IT was the 1.earthquake that I experienced....scary....

Rhodos (228.4 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 15-20 s : Leichtes seitliches Schutteln

Vai beach / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Hersklion / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 10-15 s

Rythmno / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

In hotel / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s

 (733.1 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Exo mouliana (54.7 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Chania (233.3 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Lasithi (99 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Knossos / not felt

Santorini / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s : Lying in bed and started shaking slightly but stopped after 20 secs

Lindos (179.5 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : N/A

300 meters away from the beach of Kouremenos and a / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 15-20 s

Matala (158.2 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Ahia Napa Cyprus / not felt

Rhodes (222.8 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 15-20 s : On sun loungers n felt like strong wind moving the bed for about 10 to 20 seconds

Houdetsi (124.4 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : Erdbeben sind hier taglich zu spuren. Fur gewohnlich aber nur 2-3 Sekunden und das sehr leicht. Dieses Beben war schon ordentlich 20-30 Sekunden glitt der Boden hin und her, sodass einem direkt schwindelig wurde. War schon eine krasse Erfahrung.

Navarchou Nearchou, Limenas Chersonisou 700 14, Gr / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Adios Nikolaus / not felt : Nothing

Lindos / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Light shaking

Kissamos / not felt

Hotel / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Felt like I was on a swing

Athens (416.4 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Rhodes (225 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Elafonisi (253.5 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : We did not feel anything , but we were in the car at that time!

Karpathos, Afiartis / Weak shaking (MMI III) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 20-30 s : We sat on a small concret wall which wobbelt like rubber.

Santorini / not felt

Wolvega / not felt : Nothing felt here.

Agios Nikolaos / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s

Volos / not felt

Cairo / not felt : I did not fill the quake

Marmaris (265.8 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single vertical bump / very short : On the beach at Marmaris my sunbed moved

Fanes / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / very short

Namur, Belgique / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Cairo / Light shaking (MMI IV) / complex motion difficult to describe : We felt the earthquake here in Egypt. Felt the chair and tables shaking eve the chandeliers.

Ratingen / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Lardos beach Rhodes / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : Weak shaking to and fro . Could feel floor and table I was sat at moving horizontally. I was on the first floor

Berlin / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Rhodos / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Outside in Heraklion city / Severe shaking (MMI VIII) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 5-10 s

Rhodes / Light shaking (MMI IV) / complex motion difficult to describe / 1-2 minutes : We were on our balcony and all of a sudden it started swaying as if you were on a boat or ship. I came inside and the bedroom floor was shaking along with the bathroom and toilet.

Aghios Nicolas (78.1 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s : Ok

Crete / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Faliraki / Weak shaking (MMI III) / complex motion difficult to describe / 20-30 s : Floor moving which made you think you were unwell. Frank.

Kamari beach, Santorini / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 5-10 s : We were eating lunch on a sturdy platform. The whole platform shook side to side for about 5-10seconds.

Nea Praisos (38 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Sufficient movement to decide to exit the house. Car could be seen shaking.

Sitia (46.2 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Analipsi (Crete) (114.8 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s

Limenas Chersonisou (108.9 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : On second floor of hotel. Felt like building was swaying from side to side. Frightening and about to run down stairs when it stopped. No damage.

Elounda crete / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s : The whole hotel shook and water from the inside swimming pool was all over the place quite strong shake

Jerusalem / not felt Not felt (reported through (reported through our app / not felt

Platanias (244.2 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Heraclion / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s : Light shaking

Kusadasi / not felt / single lateral shake / 5-10 s Leichtes Wackeln des Boden und der Glaser. (reported through (reported through our app / not felt / single lateral shake / 5-10 s

Agios Nikolaos / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 20-30 s (reported through our app / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 20-30 s

ATHENS / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 5-10 s

Heraklion / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / complex motion difficult to describe / 15-20 s : People run out of the Building, felt like going on a shaking board

Rhodes / not felt

Nafplio, Greece (442.2 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Kamari Santorini / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging : Sitting on a bench outdoors that was in concrete. It moved back-and-forth several times but when the quake stopped the bench was no longer movable any more

Crnomelj (1523.5 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : No

Pefkos, Rhodes / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s : Lying on the sand beach and felt a series of 3 short tremors beneath me as if being gently shunted backward and forward on a rack

Plimmiri, rhodes / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Sisi, Lasithou / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Paphos, Cyprus / not felt

Kiotari, Rhodos / Weak shaking (MMI III) / complex motion difficult to describe / 2-5 s

Achlia Hotel (56.9 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s

Rhodos Lachania / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : leichte Bewegung auf der Sonnenliege als ob man uber eine welle rollt aber alles ganz kurz bin gleich hoch und habe meinen Mann angeschaut der saauf seien Liege und hat das gleiche gemerkt

Rethimno / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Rhodos (1.9 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 20-30 s

Crete Aghios Nikolaus / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating

Finiki, Karpathos / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 1-2 minutes

Helsinki (2835.8 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 15-20 s : Huge shaking

Near lindos (182.7 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : Sitting in the bathroom, felt like i am gonna pass away, because sight was shaking slightly - than saw door slightly swinging and knew it was an earthquake

Syvota, Greece / not felt

Marina Beach Hotel, Gouves (117.9 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Shaking like the ground moving.

alexandria egypt (538.5 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s : the chandeliers were swinging and the things on the table were rattling, my younger siblings got really scared because the rattling sounds were coming from windows too. When you sit down you could feel the vibration in the chairs.

Heraklion / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s

Amoudara / not felt / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : The Pool was shaking

Plakias / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single vertical bump / 1-2 s

Kos / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s

Chania / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s

Agios Stefanos, 72055, Crete (50.7 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Very strong prolonged swaying!!

Analipsis, Kreta (48.5 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

rhodes / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s : Weak shaking

Elounda Crete / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : I felt dizzy and the ground was shaking. People came out of shops into the open air. Racks were shaking too.

Rethimno / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

St genix sur guiers / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Elounda / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s : Felt nauseous.

Agia Galini (165.4 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Stalida (105.8 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Prinias, Crete / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : While hiking near Prinias, Crete, we felt a horizontal shaking about 3 seconds.

Kali horio Aghios Nikolaos lassithi / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s : Water in kitchen sink swinging side to side.I held on to kitchen units. I was on first floor.

mykonos / not felt

Faliraki / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Sat in chair in faliraki hotel felt like my chair was sliding on icy surface.

Agios Nikolaus / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Whole building wobbled very discombobulating.

analipsi / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 5-10 s

Chersonissos / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Felt like sitting on a boat ....

Gergiopolous / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Gouves, Crete (152.8 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s

Plaka / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Dianysos / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s : Prolonged shaking

Fodele / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 15-20 s : Yes, I was in the Hotel room and the bed and chairs have wobbled

Bali / not felt

Athens (412.3 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Spinalonga (80.2 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Analipsis, Kreta (48.5 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Santorini (185.6 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Die Erde hat sich leicht hin und her bewegt ich dachte es wackelt wer an meinem Bett

Kiotari. Rhodos / not felt

Saradari / not felt : Walking. Into the village

Stalis Crete / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s : Light Shaking - Floor was swaying slightly strange feeling

Sunbathing in Santorini (196.1 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Felt the ground moving and saw glass doors vibrate

Palaeochora (259 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Rodos / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s

Santorini / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Fodele / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 15-20 s : Yes, I was in the Hotel room and the bed and chairs have wobbled

Elounda crete (80.3 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Ixia, rhodes (225.1 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s

Gennadi / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Santorini (189.1 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 30-60 s

Rhodes City (229 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Weak shaking on 3rd floor

Hersonissos / not felt : Nothing at all

Rhodos (224.1 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 minutes

Agios Stefanos / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s : Out walking in the hills north of agios stefanos. Heard deep rumbling followed by lateral movement of the ground and visual movement of surface.

Herakleion / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s

Agios Nikolaos / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Palaiochora, Crete. Old Town Center / not felt : Sitting outside a Cafe at 12.24hrs. Didn't recognize anything.

Plakias (193.6 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Light shaking on the street for about 10 seconds. Light debris (rocks) on mountain roads afterwards.

Analipsi (Crete) (114.8 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s

Plakias, Crete (193.3 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Kalamaki / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 5-10 s : I felt my sun bed like shaking..

Kouremenos / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s

Santorini / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s : Bed shaking. Pendant lights swinging. Window shutters rattled open.

Dalyan (285.5 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / very short : Sitting on a restaurant veranda by the river we felt a strange sensation and wondered if it might have been an earthquake and then again a couple of minutes later.

Lasithi-Hochebene / not felt

Sitia / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 5-10 s (reported through our app / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 5-10 s

Fira santorini greece / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Gouves / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / vibration and rolling / 15-20 s : Felt like wave motion. First time ever to experience. On holiday in Crete, From the u.k.

Turkey / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 minutes

Agios Nikolaos (77.4 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 20-30 s

Rhodos Kiotari (179.9 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 15-20 s

Selli 74100 rethyno (187.4 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Bali, kreta (164.7 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Fri Kasos (65.3 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Georgioupolis, Kreta, Griechenland / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 10-15 s : Schwankender Boden, Wellengang im Pool sichtbar

Leros / not felt

Kokkino Horio, Chania / not felt : No movement felt at all

Kolympia (209.4 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 10-15 s

Karpathos (90 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Rhodes / not felt

Rhodes / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 20-30 s

Lindos / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Rhodes town / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : I was sitting on a chair in a hotel, 4th floor. Felt the chair and floor sharing for about 6-7 seconds

mykonos / not felt

Ixia / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 10-15 s

Chania (236.7 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s : This was first time in my live. At first I thought im hounted

Chania / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Myrtos / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Elounda (80 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 20-30 s : Felt as we had a coffee outside. Felt as we say down outside. Although others seemed to carry on as normal

MAKRYGIALOS (45.8 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single vertical bump / 1-2 s : The ground bumped up strongly just one time. A bottle was fallen from the table.

Faliraki Rhodos (218.2 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Minimal moving in my sunbathing chair

Rhodos / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 5-10 s

Rethymnon / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s

Heraklion (131.6 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s

Ixia / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 minutes

Tribuswinkel / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Berga / not felt (reported through our app / not felt
User reports estimate the perceived ground shaking intensity according to the MMI (Modified Mercalli Intensity) scale

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Moo nshine Valley Upper Hutt / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 5-10 s : rolling shake started with minor rattling growing to sideways motion with very noisy reverb. lasting about 6-8 seconds then faded quicly. | 2 users found this interesting.

Stokes valley (161.7 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 10-15 s I was sitting and felt it through my feet first. My cat was alarmed and hid under the couch. Was a complex motion that lasted long enough for me to think it might intensify but then it didnt. (reported through (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 10-15 s

Porirua (149.5 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) : I was in class and felt a very weak shake and wasnt sure if it was an earthquake until I got a few texts saying there was one . Felt across porirua but only if you were sitting still

Porirua (149.5 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) : I was in class and felt a very weak shake and wasnt sure if it was an earthquake until I got a few texts saying there was one . Felt across porirua but only if you were sitting still

Petone, Lower Hutt / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 2-5 s : Odd thing is I received the alert on my phone before feeling the earthquake!Light shaking,then a rumble then eased off. Quite short fortunately. Didnt disturb the cats.

Levin / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s : I thought it was an earthquake but the young man with me thought it was the effect of him nervously bouncing his leg

Feilding, New Zealand / Light shaking (MMI IV) Felt like one sharp sudden jolt with a banging noise. Had just been notified from the warning system there was one about to hit (reported through (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Wellington / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Before I realised what was happening, it was over | One user found this interesting.

Masterton (199.7 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Laying on my bed. I feel a sudden shakin, enough to get me worried about it and turn off the tv.

palmerston north (178.4 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Masterton, Wellington (199.7 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : I did not feel anything an only got an alert on my phone

Foxton Beach, Horowhenua NZ. (153.2 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Heard it rolling then felt a weak sideways shake 5 to 10 seconds.

Palmerston North, Manawatu-Wanganui (180.9 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Tauranga, Bay of Plenty (358.9 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : Did not feel

Palmerston North (179.3 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) / 10-15 s : Rolling

Bulls, Rangetikei (161.7 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s

Foxton Beach (150.2 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : Runble, light movement then increased shaking

Palmerston north (179.5 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) : One sharp jolt. No shaking.

Nelson (120.4 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s : a short rattle

Khandallah, Wellington City, Wellington (153.8 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Lower Hutt, Wellington (164.5 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) : Just felt a definitely rolling motion

Palmerston North (180.3 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / very short : In the ground floor of the office. Desk shaked

Wellington (163.5 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / very short

Palmerston North, New Zealand (177.7 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s

Palmerston North, New Zealand (177.9 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) / 10-15 s : Sitting in loynge with children. Quake reports as 5.6 by local authorities

Paraparaumu, Kapiti Coast District, Wellington (147.5 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 2-5 s (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 2-5 s

Tasman (113.6 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : First a sudden creaking of roof and metal chimney, then a few seconds later a shaking.

foxton beach (153.1 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 30-60 s : quite a bit of shaking but my hanging light didnt move

WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND (160.6 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) : SITTING ON THE COUCH WATCHING TV

Lower Hutt New Zealand (139.1 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single vertical bump / very short : Samsung alert told me!

Cable Bay Nelson (102.2 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating

Lower Hutt (168 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / very short : heard and felt it - shudders

nelson city (115.5 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s

Palmerston North, Manawatu-Wanganui (180.7 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s

Levin new zealand (158.8 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) : Sitting inside

Masterton (199.7 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Laying on my bed. I feel a sudden shakin, enough to get me worried about it and turn off the tv.

Blenheim (145.9 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) : Sitting - lights shook

Fielding (177.5 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Blenheim (139.7 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Taita, Lower Hutt. Was in bed when I felt the shak / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s : I was in bed felt the shake and house rattled and was noisy though very short.

Carterton / Very weak shaking (MMI II)

Blenheim / not felt

Marton / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s

Auckland / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : I felt like a truck past by my house

Levin / not felt / single vertical bump / 5-10 s (reported through our app / not felt / single vertical bump / 5-10 s

Palmerston North / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / very short (reported through our app / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / very short

Takapau / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 1-2 s (reported through our app / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 1-2 s

Wellington, Lower Hutt / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Hawera / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Featherston / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Blenheim / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Pauanui / not felt

At home. Totara Park, Upper Hiutt / Very weak shaking (MMI II)

Blenheim, NZ / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / very short : Weak shaking

Auckland / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / very short

Palmerston North / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s (reported through our app / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Palmerston North / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Karori, Wellington / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s

Karori, Wellington / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Karori Wellington / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s

Blenheim / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single vertical bump / 1-2 s : 1st I heard the window rattled then couple seconds later the house bumped

Island Bay / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s : Heard a rumble first . Then a rumble and a small shake

Newlands wellington / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / very short

upper hutt / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s : quick shaking

Levin / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s

Morrinsville / not felt

Te Horo Beach / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Titahi Bay / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Murchison / not felt

Foxton / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / very short : A sudden rumbling noisy roll

Wellington / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Before I realised what was happening, it was over

Tawa / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s

Levin, Horowhenua New Zealand / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s

Palmerston North / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Masterton / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 30-60 s

Waikanae / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / complex rolling (tilting in multiple directions) / 1-2 s : Two horizontal sweeps, loud rumble at the same time

Nelson / not felt

Upper Hutt / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Short sharp jolting, not damaging, nothing fell.

palmerston north / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s

Paraparaumu N in / Weak shaking (MMI III) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) / 5-10 s

In my parked car PARAPARAUMU / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 10-15 s

Paraparaum Beach / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Moderate shaking

upper hutt / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 5-10 s : I was frightened and scared

Feilding / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) / 5-10 s : Slight movement

Palmerston North / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Very weak shaking felt on the second story of building

Maungaraki / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s

Palmerston North / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s

Westport / Weak shaking (MMI III) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) / 30-60 s : Small roll

Ebdentown Upper Hutt Nz / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Rumbling and rocking motion.

Johnsonville / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / very short : Really light shaking

Nelson / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 1-2 s

Paraparaumu / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s

Carterton / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single vertical bump

Stoke nelson / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s

Avalon, Lower Hutt, New Zealand / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating

Blenheim nz / Weak shaking (MMI III) / complex motion difficult to describe / very short

Motueka / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single vertical bump / 1-2 s

waikanae / not felt

22 eldelweiss grove . Timberlea . Wellington. / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Gentle sway of the house not violent maybe 5cm movement mostly horizontal

Palmerston North / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s

Petone / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Short sharp and unpleasant

Waitarere beach / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Hanson street wellington / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Taita, Lower Hutt. Was in bed when I felt the shak / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s : I was in bed felt the shake and house rattled and was noisy though very short.

Palmerston North / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s : I was sitting on my chair in my room when i felt a sudden shake for just a second or two.

Wellington / Weak shaking (MMI III) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 10-15 s (reported through our app / Weak shaking (MMI III) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 10-15 s

wanganui / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 20-30 s

Kapiti Coast / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s : Quite decent shaking felt for a few seconds..

Lower Hutt / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 5-10 s

Patea / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 1-2 s : a medium short jolt while working on my computer , the heavy desk and computer screen shook.

Palmerston North / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Melbourne / not felt

upper hutt / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s : quick shaking

Featherston / not felt / single lateral shake / 2-5 s : Intense shake

Palmerston North / Weak shaking (MMI III) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) (reported through our app / Weak shaking (MMI III) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction)

Blenheim / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s : Weak

Wellington / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Carterton / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / complex motion difficult to describe / very short

wellington nz / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Paraparaumu / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s

Masterton / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging : Very small but definitely felt it

Eastbourne / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single lateral shake / very short

Eltham / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s

Palmerston north / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / very short
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Hersonisos / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 20-30 s : Very strong vibration and building moving | 22 users found this interesting. Our sofa was shaking and our fan was rattelling / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 20-30 s

Heraklion, Crete (131.6 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) : Without any noise, it felt like waves | 18 users found this interesting.

Malia / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s A very strange feeling of the whole house swaying for about 8-10 seconds. | 18 users found this interesting. (reported through (reported through our app / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Anissaras (112.4 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 10-15 s : Auf einem Stuhl gesessen | 16 users found this interesting. We are in 88MX PPX Analipsi, Greece. Hotel next to beach. Shaking ground. Thought it was strong wind at first but lights started to move. Holiday makers made way out of building but all returned to normal now. / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 10-15 s

Heraklion / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s : Astronomical duration. Longest earthquake I've felt living in Crete. Shaking was gentle on second floor and it didnt make any significant noise either. | 13 users found this interesting.

near Kentri, Lasithi, Crete (51.8 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Das erste Erdbeben im Leben am letzten Urlaubstag. Es fuhlte sich wie das Schwanken auf einem Schiff an. | 12 users found this interesting.

Kardamena, Dodecanese, South Aegean (216.4 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s : Waves in pool | 11 users found this interesting.

Rhodes / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 minutes : Staying in Rodos palace hotel on 4th floor & felt whole building swaying side to side for a couple of mins. | 10 users found this interesting.

Tigaki Kos (224.4 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Was sat on sunbed looking at my phone and felt myself swaying. Made me feel dizzy. Water in swimming pool sloshed | 8 users found this interesting.

near Palekastro, Lasithi, Crete (29.6 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / vibration and rolling / 1-2 s : We were in a cannyon hiking, when I felt the earth shaking. Big rocks fell from above us, we did not got hurt, met some other hikers, who were alright too. Not sure about more people, because we met a lot on the way. | 7 users found this interesting.

Xerokambos (27.4 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 15-20 s : It was quite scary but there was no obvious structural damage to our house. There was thunder rolling around the adjacent mountains which was hard to distinguish from aftershock. Afterwards I had a (rare) headache and took ibuprofen. The shaking would hav | 6 users found this interesting.

Neapoli, Crete / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 5-10 s : All ground outside shaking | 8 users found this interesting.

Rhodes / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s : I was sat on a bed on the 2nd floor of a hotel and noticed some horizontal shaking. Felt like I was sat on a waterbed or suffering a bad hangover/roomspin. Lasted 20 seconds or so, slight movement of liquids in glasses. | 6 users found this interesting.

Santorini / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s : The patio suddenly felt like it was floating, moving side to side. It would stop and start again while people in the area vacated the buildings | 5 users found this interesting.

Sitia / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : We were at the beach and were shaken from left to right. I tried to stand up from my sunbed, but was too unsteady and fell on my knees. | 5 users found this interesting.

Ierapetra / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : felt side by side movement in hotel for about seconds. nothing in room demaged but, just a lil bit shaking. | 4 users found this interesting.

Ixia, Rhodes (224.1 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : Sitting on a sun lounger on the beach and felt my centre of gravity swing slightly from side to side, gently approx every half second | 3 users found this interesting.

Annas beach, Rhodes (224.2 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 minutes : Was laying on the beach and suddenly felt like I was swaying side to side, and almost as if I could fall if I stood up. Everyone felt it and looked at each other trying to figure out what it was. I immediately started searching if their had been an earthq | 3 users found this interesting.

Gazi, Heraklion, Crete (137 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s : On my chair I felt small mooves . I sent close to the window groundfloor in a corner and as I stop on the flor, I felt week lives dating 15 - 20 seconds | 3 users found this interesting.

Altinkum (277.1 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) : Didnt feel it as much but saw the light swinging, water shaking & door swinging | 4 users found this interesting.

Neapoli, Lasithi, Crete (93.1 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : The veranda of the taverna was swinging for a few seconds. | 4 users found this interesting.

Stalida, Heraklion, Crete (105.8 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) : Laying on bed, feeling a little swinging | 4 users found this interesting.

Rethymno, crete (188.4 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Sitting on the beach slight swinging of the ground, horizontally. | 4 users found this interesting.

Chania Crete / not felt : Drinking coffee indoors. I felt nothing, our pets and local animals showed no reaction at all. A non event here. | 3 users found this interesting.

Tympaki, Heraklion, Crete (158.2 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : Didn't feel the earthquake but, while being in a supermarket, I was "attacked" by a big pack of pampers that fell down from a top shelf only a few cm next to me. | 2 users found this interesting.

Kefalia, Kavousi (62.1 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) : Sitting on bed, movement of bed, shaking of mirrors on walls, hanging lights, all hanging pics, tools on walls in workshop. Very strong magnitude - moderate on list. | 2 users found this interesting.

Megalochori (187.3 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : I was in my room and felt a little shaking I was not sure what it is until I realized thats an earth quake. But a really really harmless earthquake with a weak shake so everything all right but still a weird feeling | 2 users found this interesting.

Heraklion / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s : Felt inside our hotel room. Felt like the whole building was shifting side to side. | 4 users found this interesting.

Dalyan (286 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 30-60 s : Birds squawking and flying, animals running and howling. Pool water sloshing | 3 users found this interesting.

Kokkari, Samos, North Aegean (317.4 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : Walking outside | 3 users found this interesting.

Kremasti, Dodecanese, South Aegean (214.4 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s | 3 users found this interesting.

Kamilari (157.4 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : I didn't feel it but my gf did. Our pool water was shaking so much | 3 users found this interesting.

Lardos, Rhodes (185.4 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Was sitting on the ground on a remote beach and felt the ground move, like a chair was moving beneath me. It was very quick. | One user found this interesting.

Katastari, Zakynthos, Ionian Islands (604.7 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : Didnt feel it but the waves on the beach and most definitely bigger an more frequent then before in Zante a few hours after the quake | One user found this interesting.

Ano Hersonisos (110.5 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / several minutes : I felt a strong swaying motion for about 2 minutes, making me feel a little seasick. The hanging lamps continued swaying for another 2-3 minutes. | One user found this interesting.

Kolympia, rhodos (210 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Felt weak swinging while laying on bed. Hear noise right before (2 seconds) but noise could have been caused by thunder. Felt 2 intervals of swinging, each a couple of seconds | One user found this interesting.

Crete / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s : The vibrations made the house shake. I thought I was back in San Francisco. | 3 users found this interesting. There are non-quake regions, too. :-#

There are non-quake regions, too. :-# / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s

RETHYMNO / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / complex motion difficult to describe / 20-30 s | 3 users found this interesting.

Santorini (185.6 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Leichtes Beben auf Santorini erlebt | 2 users found this interesting.

Heraklion (111.5 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : I lay in My bes. in the Hotel and Feeld the movement | 2 users found this interesting.

Gouves (116.3 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : I was lying on the bed and felt the bed shake. Hanging objects were also shaking. | 2 users found this interesting.

Sitia Airport / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 15-20 s : The hole airport building was shakking very strong all direktion but no damaging of first view. But flight its canceled becouse earthquake | One user found this interesting.

Heraklion / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : Fun fact about this quake: It happened the same day (12/10) as a 6,3M earthquake that struck Crete on October 12th 2013, 8 years ago today! | One user found this interesting.

Makry Gialos / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / complex motion difficult to describe / 15-20 s Objects fell over. Drinks spilled. Rattling of doors and cupboards. Was more a fun experience tham frightening. | One user found this interesting. (reported through (reported through our app / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / complex motion difficult to describe / 15-20 s

Xerokombos / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 10-15 s : The 3 first seconds were like a big truck was passing very close the house. But it was like a growling sound, increasing in intensity and everything inside began to vibrate. I looked through the window and had the sensation that the other house next was v | One user found this interesting.

Rhodes / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s : Lying on the beach on a sunbed, reading a book, and suddenly felt The earth moving and making my body lightly shake. Nyt first earthquake experience ever! | One user found this interesting.

Chains old town / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Tv wiggled and Chania harbor had small waves roll in like a boat had created ripples but no boats were there to create it - now it is back to flat. | One user found this interesting. *Location Chania - spelling correction

*Location Chania - spelling correction / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Kos / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Sass am Pool auf einem Stuhl. Ganz komisches Vibrieren. Dachte mein Stuhl ist kibbelig, stand aber fest. Und im Pool war das Wasser plotzlich unruhig, obwohl keiner im Wasser war. | One user found this interesting.

Ixia, Rhodes (224.1 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : Sitting on a sun lounger on the beach and felt my centre of gravity swing slightly from side to side, gently approx every half second

Near lindos (182.7 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : Sitting in the bathroom, felt like i am gonna pass away, because sight was shaking slightly - than saw door slightly swinging and knew it was an earthquake

Near lindos (182.7 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : Sitting in the bathroom, felt like i am gonna pass away, because sight was shaking slightly - than saw door slightly swinging and knew it was an earthquake

Sailing between Crete and Kasos (39.6 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / complex motion difficult to describe / 5-10 s : The boat started to pitch forward & back for 5 seconds Very odd sensation at sea, as if it was on land during an earthquake.

Houdetsi (124.4 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : Erdbeben sind hier taglich zu spuren. Fur gewohnlich aber nur 2-3 Sekunden und das sehr leicht. Dieses Beben war schon ordentlich 20-30 Sekunden glitt der Boden hin und her, sodass einem direkt schwindelig wurde. War schon eine krasse Erfahrung.

Limenas Chersonisou (108.9 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : On second floor of hotel. Felt like building was swaying from side to side. Frightening and about to run down stairs when it stopped. No damage.

Near lindos (182.7 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : Sitting in the bathroom, felt like i am gonna pass away, because sight was shaking slightly - than saw door slightly swinging and knew it was an earthquake

alexandria egypt (538.5 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s : the chandeliers were swinging and the things on the table were rattling, my younger siblings got really scared because the rattling sounds were coming from windows too. When you sit down you could feel the vibration in the chairs.

Dalyan (285.5 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / very short : Sitting on a restaurant veranda by the river we felt a strange sensation and wondered if it might have been an earthquake and then again a couple of minutes later.

Elounda (80 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 20-30 s : Felt as we had a coffee outside. Felt as we say down outside. Although others seemed to carry on as normal

Rhodes Greece (219.7 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 20-30 s : We are here on holiday from Scotland and were sunbathing at the time, we felt our beds shaking as though someone was shaking it, or moving it back and forth. Everyone was puzzled as to what was going on.

Cleaning kitchen (49.9 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 20-30 s : Strong shaking 20-30 secs lot of falling plaster. Medium cracking of stone walls. Very uncomfortable 

Malia (102.5 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Auf dem Balkon in der 4 Etage im Hotel in Malia, begann es erst seitlich zu schwingen, danach ruttelte es ordentlich und es begann wieder zu schwingen, bis es endlich aufhorte. Das ganze dauerte ca.10-15 Sekunden an.

Tertsa (88.6 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 20-30 s : The house was wobbling in east-west direction and also a little bit up and down. No sounds, no damages. Long duration and long afterswinging.

Rethymnon, Crete (189.1 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s :      .   

Rhodes (223.5 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : Standing on the balcony on second floor felt a back and forth swinging. Waves generated in pool water

Malia, Crete, Greece (102.8 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : I was in my bed. It was my first earthquake, so I was a little bit confused if it really was one. It was only a weak shacking, so I stay calm, also the people outside.

Kokkini Chani, Heraklion, Crete (122.5 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Please everyone don't stay in bed. Protect yourselves! Even though I'm a local I got fricking scared. Felt like i was on a boat. There will definitely be a second one.

Agios Nikolaos (76 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s : The kitchen lamp started swinging and the floor was shaking from left to right, like you feel dizziness.

Sisi en Crete (98.3 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : J'etais allongee sur mon lit et j'ai nettement senti mon lit se balancer de droite a gauche alors que mon mari assis a un bureau a 3 metres de moi n'a rien ressenti...

North-east Crete (42.7 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : My car was like jumping forward and backward while the engine was switched of and I was standing next to it!

Armenoi, Rethymno (190.1 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 minutes : It seemed quite intense, but unlike the previous big quakes here, we didn't get any rattling window shutters.

Rhodes Town (228.5 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : Felt indoors and outdoors as well. Electric cables were swinging on the poles. People came out from buildings.

Ixia, Rhodes (224.1 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : Sitting on a sun lounger on the beach and felt my centre of gravity swing slightly from side to side, gently approx every half second

Faliraki / Weak shaking (MMI III) / complex motion difficult to describe / 10-15 s : Felt like losing little balance | 2 users found this interesting.

Aigina, Greece (413.5 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : Nothing | One user found this interesting.

Hokkini Hani (122.6 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : Bed was shaking a Bit Second floor | One user found this interesting.

Ialysos (222.2 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s : Light shaking | One user found this interesting.

Sitia (45.9 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : Heavy shaking sideways. Everything moved about half a meter | One user found this interesting.

Sitia, Crete (47.4 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 2-5 s : Bouncing feling to the side and up/down. Things fell from tabels | One user found this interesting.

olimpos, karpathos, greece (107.2 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Sitting om a terrace in Olimpos, on a hill side. the floor moved, | One user found this interesting.

Roumeli (171.8 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 5-10 s : Leichtes grollen und rutteln fur ca. 10 Sekunden. | One user found this interesting. I also felt it in Roumeli. / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 5-10 s

Ismailia, Egypt (725.1 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Yes, I felt slight shaking and chandeliers were slightly moving as well | One user found this interesting.

near Agia Galini, Rethymno, Crete (173.8 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) : Lying in bed, lamp start shaking | One user found this interesting.

Agia Marina, Chania, Crete (243.1 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Extremely light shaking felt lying i bed in third floor. | One user found this interesting.

Agios Nikolaos (78.3 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s : Vibrating | One user found this interesting.

Xerokambos (27.5 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / vibration and rolling / 15-20 s : 4. 5 A lot if noise | One user found this interesting.

Panormos (174.4 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s Bed was vibrating when I got outside it felt a swinging | One user found this interesting. (reported through (reported through our app / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Paroikia, Paros (267.6 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Dizzy | One user found this interesting.

Rhodos, Dodecanese, South Aegean (229 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Felt shaking on 3rd floor | One user found this interesting.

Faliraki (218.3 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) : Moderate shaking | One user found this interesting.

Agios Nikolaos (76.6 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s : Light shaking | One user found this interesting.

Elounda (81.1 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Was scared of shaking. | One user found this interesting.

Rhodes (225.2 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Sitting on a sun bed felt like I was on a boat with gentle rocking. | One user found this interesting.

Karpathos, Dodecanese, South Aegean (89.6 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 10-15 s : sitting on balcony.....florrs "moving" sideways | One user found this interesting.

Rethymnon (171.1 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Hotel shook | One user found this interesting.

Fethiye / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : I felt like maybe I was dizzy. Everything seemed to be swaying, but I was sat down at the time so thought I was having a dizzy spell. Just checked to see if there was a quake that day following today's quake and saw that there was so this must have been w

Sitia Airport / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 15-20 s : The hole airport building was shakking very strong all direktion but no damaging of first view. But flight its canceled becouse earthquake

Rhodes / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 20-30 s : My wardrobe doors was opening and closing so fast and hard and my bed started to shake . It was only for about 30 seconds

Crete / not felt : In transit on coach at time so unlikely as it seems, probably mistook vibrations for poor road conditions!

Haraki Bay , Rhodes 851 02 / Weak shaking (MMI III) / vibration and rolling / 2-5 s : I was asleep on the beach. The sea was momentarily rougher, and felt a slight tremor. This was only for a few seconds . Several people have since mention similar experiences to me

Ammoudara / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : I was in the hotel atlantica akti zeus. I was sat on a sofa in my room and the sofa started moving from side to side. It felt like someone was shaking me. I stood up and realised the whole building was moving so I got out quickly

Analipsi, Crete / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : We were staying at Stella Island Hotel and spa, we were sat in reception area having a coffee when the earthquake happened, the whole floor shook, tables and chairs moved and the experience frightened us both, we then heard that this could cause a tsunami

Rhodes / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 minutes : I actually thought I'd had too much sun and was having a bit of a turn, until others around me were feeling the same

Elounda / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 2-5 s : I was outside looking at products sold from the back of a pick up truck. The vehicle started to shake as though someone was jumping up and down in the back and I felt the ground move.

Matala, Crete / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Felt like the chair which i was sitting on was moving sideways, i felt dizzy and had the feeling i could not saftely stand up from the chair. IT was the 1.earthquake that I experienced....scary....

Lardos beach Rhodes / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : Weak shaking to and fro . Could feel floor and table I was sat at moving horizontally. I was on the first floor

Rhodes / Light shaking (MMI IV) / complex motion difficult to describe / 1-2 minutes : We were on our balcony and all of a sudden it started swaying as if you were on a boat or ship. I came inside and the bedroom floor was shaking along with the bathroom and toilet.

Kamari beach, Santorini / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 5-10 s : We were eating lunch on a sturdy platform. The whole platform shook side to side for about 5-10seconds.

Elounda crete / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s : The whole hotel shook and water from the inside swimming pool was all over the place quite strong shake

Kamari Santorini / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging : Sitting on a bench outdoors that was in concrete. It moved back-and-forth several times but when the quake stopped the bench was no longer movable any more

Pefkos, Rhodes / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s : Lying on the sand beach and felt a series of 3 short tremors beneath me as if being gently shunted backward and forward on a rack

Rhodos Lachania / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : leichte Bewegung auf der Sonnenliege als ob man uber eine welle rollt aber alles ganz kurz bin gleich hoch und habe meinen Mann angeschaut der saauf seien Liege und hat das gleiche gemerkt

Elounda Crete / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : I felt dizzy and the ground was shaking. People came out of shops into the open air. Racks were shaking too.

Agios Stefanos / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s : Out walking in the hills north of agios stefanos. Heard deep rumbling followed by lateral movement of the ground and visual movement of surface.

Rhodes town / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : I was sitting on a chair in a hotel, 4th floor. Felt the chair and floor sharing for about 6-7 seconds

Kato Zakros, Crete, Greece / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 5-10 s : Strong bump, then heavy shaking of the ground with cars shaking, bottles and glasses falling down and breaking, animals running away. We felt a little panic but were lucky to be outside.

Theologos, Rhodes / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / vibration and rolling / 30-60 s : Sitting on sunbed around the pool and sunbed felt like it was moving and then the pool stared to slosh about.

Sissi, Lassithi / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : I felt the lateral movements of the table I was sitting at. Two or three times. Chair also moved laterally. Mid level of intensity.

Ixia Rhodes / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : There were about 8 really strong waves that took everyone by suprise on the beach a while before we felt the ground shaking

Heraklion / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Ich dachte im ersten Moment der Tisch wackelt es hat einen Moment gedauert bis ich realisiert habe das dass ein Erdbeben ist. Es war mein erstes Erdbeben das ich jemals so wahr genommen habe.

Rhodos / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / several minutes : I was on 2 floor of hotel and saw the water in the bottle shake. For a few minuttes I fekt the building shaking too

Domes of elounda / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s : We were sitting on the beach and felt the ground shaking under us like jelly. Everyone on the beach felt it.

Kouremenos Beach, Palekastro, Sitia region / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / vibration and rolling / 15-20 s : Shortish burst of strong shaking, not helped by the thunderstorm at the same time. Alarming, so I put everything down and got out of the building. Others around also got out as quickly as possible.

Gouves / Weak shaking (MMI III) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 5-10 s : I lay on the bed and something vibrate. First I thought my phone is strongly vibrating, but then the lights shaking. Then I felt the vertikal vibration on the bed and I recognized it could be an earthquake

Fethyie mugla turkey / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s : The walls became like gel. Building waived 2 times. It was 2 minutes between the first time and the second

Choumeriako, Lasithi, Crete / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s : Initial 'bump' from behind felt when sitting on sofa - bit like somebody giving it a sharp kick! Followed by rumbling ( which we thought was thunder) & mirrors on walls & hanging light fittings vibrated & shook. Lasted about 15-20 seconds with a fading vi

Fethiye, Mugla, Turkey / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : Not felt hard but took long time, on th helenestic arc i think which touches Anotolia starting point Fethiye zone

Kefalos kos / Very weak shaking (MMI II) : Slight swaying sensation while sat in chair. Could see water in swimming pool moving from side to side

Ixia / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Sat at outside bar on a bridge/walkway. Thought wed had one too many beers. Yet no one else seemed to feel it!

Avdou Pediados, Crete / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : We actually perceived this as three short events in immediate succession, but strong and the house was shaking.

Kefalos Kos / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 10-15 s : Beds shaking . Moving side to side mildly . No noise, nothing else really disturbed in room or nothing else noticeable disturbed. People who were outside described mild shaking underfoot .

Roumeli, Crete / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s : I was sitting camly, then there was a slow oscillatory horizontal shift in the ground and my table, flowers in a vase and lamps were swinging slightly. It was clear to me that this was an earthquake.

Fethiye Mugla Turkey. / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s : I felt a very strong swaying horizontally east/west for up to 20 seconds. Lights swaying moderately and a few cracking sounds.

Agios Nikolaos / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Sitting on upper floor, small gentle horizontal shaking movement for about 10 seconds. No damage observed

I Resort Stalis / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 30-60 s : Lying on bed and felt shaking, shower door creaking | One user found this interesting.

Kokkini Hani / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 15-20 s : Terrifying. | One user found this interesting.

Cairo / Light shaking (MMI IV) / complex motion difficult to describe : We felt the earthquake here in Egypt. Felt the chair and tables shaking eve the chandeliers. | One user found this interesting.

Kokkini Hani / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Mild ground tremor doors vibrating. Mild shaking | One user found this interesting.

Elounda / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : Sitting on balcony and chair was shaking | One user found this interesting.

Agios Nicolaos / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Were sitting on the beach. After shaking stopped waves came up about 30 cm high. | One user found this interesting.

Koutsouras / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Just a very short moving of the house and some tingling from objects | One user found this interesting.

Sitia / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 20-30 s : We had just parked the car in Sitia and the car began rocking around | One user found this interesting.

Kousouros / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Sideways shaking in a taverna. Objects swinging | One user found this interesting.

Koutsounari / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : House shaking | One user found this interesting.

Agios nikolaos / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s : Go out | One user found this interesting.

Georgioupolis / Weak shaking (MMI III) : Felt the ground moving | One user found this interesting.

Georgioupolis, Kreta, Griechenland / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 10-15 s : Schwankender Boden, Wellengang im Pool sichtbar | One user found this interesting.

Mochlos / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 5-10 s : Very strange vibrations | One user found this interesting.

Konyaalti/Antalya Turkey / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 20-30 s : A little bit uncomfortable. | One user found this interesting.

Faliraki Rhodes / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s | One user found this interesting.

Aghios Nikolaos, Crete, / Weak shaking (MMI III) : swaying | One user found this interesting.

Kos / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s Lightly shaking chair | One user found this interesting. (reported through (reported through our app / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Tigaki Kos / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s | One user found this interesting.

Herakleion / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 10-15 s Terrific | One user found this interesting. (reported through (reported through our app / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 10-15 s

Rodos / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Like you are on a ship with short waves | One user found this interesting.

Kos (225.6 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Galway (3356.6 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : I don't live in Greece.

Bathroom, First Floor (136.2 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Heraklion, Crete (131.6 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) : Without any noise, it felt like waves

Kos (212.6 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s

Limenas Hersonissou, Heraklion, Crete (109.4 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s : Anxiety

Elounda, Lasithi, Kreta (82.7 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Dionysos (41.9 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Limenas Hersonissou, Heraklion, Crete (113.3 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / several minutes : Hotelzimmer verhalt sich wie eine Schiffskabiene bei See 4 und 13knt.

Heraklion, Crete (130 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 1-2 minutes

Rhodes, Soroni (207.1 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s : Moderate

Rhodes, Soroni (207.1 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s : Moderate

Pithari, Chania, Crete (231.6 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Heraklion town (77.1 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Lateral shaking and vibration of building - pictures on wall moved and hangers in wardrobe swinging

Kolympia Rhodes (209.1 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Weak back & fourth, pool water moved

Tempelhof, Berlin (2208.3 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt Nothing at all (reported through (reported through our app / not felt

Agia Galini, Rethymno, Crete (165.4 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : Nothing

Limenas Chersonisou (107.6 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Rethymnon (179.1 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Lardos, Dodecanese, South Aegean (181.8 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III)

Avsallar (508.2 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Helsinki (2835.8 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 15-20 s : Huge shaking

Kalamata (457.5 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : I did not feel anything

Kos (189.8 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Crete (114.9 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s : Weak shaking Sitting at a bar and everything was shaking

Kalyves, Chania, Crete (213.8 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : Not aware of quake. Nothing on news until next day!

Kali limines (152.2 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Balkony moving like a ship

Lindos (191.8 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Rhodes (223 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Chania (234.1 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Heraklion town (77.1 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Lateral shaking and vibration of building - pictures on wall moved and hangers in wardrobe swinging

Tympaki, Heraklion, Crete (159.2 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 10-15 s : Feeling of swaying of chair while seated

 (414.2 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : I did not feel it.

Fethiye, Mugla (305.9 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 10-15 s

Rethymnon, Crete (182.9 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s : Der Stuhl vibrierte/Gefuhl des Kibbelns.

Exo mouliana (54.7 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

near Palekastro, Lasithi, Crete (27.3 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Severe shaking (MMI VIII) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 20-30 s : we see a small chapel brake together

Gournes, crete (119.4 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s

Jesenice, Okres Praha-zapad, Mittelbohmen (1940.4 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Matala crete (159.6 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Matala sitting outside, feeling a little shaking

Al Arish (802.1 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Kato Gouves, Heraklion, Crete (116.4 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Athens Greece (419.9 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Cuurne (2570.8 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Severe shaking (MMI VIII) / single vertical bump / very short (reported through our app / Severe shaking (MMI VIII) / single vertical bump / very short

Pitsidia (157.1 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s

Stalida, Heraklion, Crete (104.7 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Kato Gouves, Heraklion, Crete (114.4 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 20-30 s

Platanias (185.4 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s

rhodos (191.9 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Georgioupolis (211.3 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s

Rhodos (228.4 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 15-20 s : Leichtes seitliches Schutteln

Ierapetra, Lasithi (64.6 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Afantou, Dodecanese, South Aegean (209 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s

 (733.1 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Exo mouliana (54.7 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Chania (233.3 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Mires, Heraklion, Kreta (145.3 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Faliraki, Dodecanese, South Aegean (218.4 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s Hin und her rutteln, ahnlich wie leichter Schwindel (reported through (reported through our app / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s

Lasithi (99 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Lindos (179.5 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : N/A

Porto Rafti, Nomarchia Anatolikis Attikis, Attica (396.2 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Matala (158.2 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Rhodes (222.8 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 15-20 s : On sun loungers n felt like strong wind moving the bed for about 10 to 20 seconds

Athens (416.4 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Rhodes (225 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Elafonisi (253.5 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : We did not feel anything , but we were in the car at that time!

Marmaris (265.8 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single vertical bump / very short : On the beach at Marmaris my sunbed moved

Malia, Heraklion, Kreta (97.1 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s : Minor sideways shaking

Aghios Nicolas (78.1 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s : Ok

Nea Praisos (38 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Sufficient movement to decide to exit the house. Car could be seen shaking.

Sitia (46.2 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Analipsi (Crete) (114.8 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s

Platanias (244.2 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Nafplio, Greece (442.2 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Crnomelj (1523.5 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : No

Achlia Hotel (56.9 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s

Rhodos (1.9 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 20-30 s

Helsinki (2835.8 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 15-20 s : Huge shaking

Marina Beach Hotel, Gouves (117.9 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Shaking like the ground moving.

Bonstetten, Swabia, Bavaria (1989.3 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Ialysos, Dodecanese, South Aegean (223.5 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Thera, Kyklades, South Aegean (194.7 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Sunbed noticeably moved from side to side for about 4 seconds

Agios Stefanos, 72055, Crete (50.7 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Very strong prolonged swaying!!

Panormos, Rethymno, Crete (179.5 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Analipsis, Kreta (48.5 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Agia Galini (165.4 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Stalida (105.8 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

near Solnhofen, Middle Franconia, Bavaria (1997 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Gouves, Crete (152.8 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s

Athens (412.3 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Spinalonga (80.2 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Analipsis, Kreta (48.5 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Santorini (185.6 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Die Erde hat sich leicht hin und her bewegt ich dachte es wackelt wer an meinem Bett

Emporeio, Kyklades, South Aegean (182.2 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Auf der Liege am Strand gespurt. Meine Frau im Zimmer auf Bett gesessen.

Sunbathing in Santorini (196.1 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Felt the ground moving and saw glass doors vibrate

Palaeochora (259 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Elounda crete (80.3 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Ixia, rhodes (225.1 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s

Santorini (189.1 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 30-60 s

Rhodes City (229 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Weak shaking on 3rd floor

Rhodos (224.1 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 minutes

Plakias (193.6 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Light shaking on the street for about 10 seconds. Light debris (rocks) on mountain roads afterwards.

Analipsi (Crete) (114.8 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s

Plakias, Crete (193.3 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Messaria, Kyklades, South Aegean (185.6 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s

Agios Nikolaos (77.4 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 20-30 s

Rethymnon, Crete (184.6 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Rhodos Kiotari (179.9 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 15-20 s

Selli 74100 rethyno (187.4 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Bali, kreta (164.7 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Fri Kasos (65.3 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Kolympia (209.4 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 10-15 s

Karpathos (90 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Chania (236.7 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s : This was first time in my live. At first I thought im hounted

Altglienicke (2198.6 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Alexandria (525.3 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging : Weak earthquake

MAKRYGIALOS (45.8 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single vertical bump / 1-2 s : The ground bumped up strongly just one time. A bottle was fallen from the table.

Faliraki Rhodos (218.2 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Minimal moving in my sunbathing chair

Heraklion (131.6 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s

Faliraki, Dodecanese, South Aegean (220.3 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s : light shaking

Thera, Kyklades, South Aegean (192.3 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) / 10-15 s : Sat on sofa, felt the ground and sofa gentle roll side to side

Heraklion (133.9 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 30-60 s

near Andros, Kyklades, South Aegean (348.8 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : L

Gennadi Rhodos (175.1 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s

Heraklion (125.5 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Grece (225.9 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) : On a ressenti le tremblement car assis par terre

Gazi (137.4 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Noticeable shaking in our hotel room, nothing fell or cracked though.

Kentri, Lasithi, Crete (61 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 15-20 s

Mitilini (460 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Elounda, Lasithi, Kreta (81.5 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake : M

Georgiopoli, Chanion, Crete (206 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Santorini (189.1 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 30-60 s

Chania (234.7 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Fira, Santorini (190.5 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Felt about 12:30 Greek time, thought it might be a minor earthquake

Kefalos (204.6 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Slight shaking side to side paradise beach Kos

Ag. Dimitrios (136.9 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : Strangely, we felt absolutely nothing and were very surprised by the news.

Analipsi (114.1 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II)

Athens (424.2 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Archangelos, Dodecanese, South Aegean (198.1 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 5-10 s

Malia (107.2 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s

limassol (596.4 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Old Faliron, Nomarchia Athinas, Attica (416.9 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Rhodos (222.3 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s

paleochora (258.9 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Exo mouliana (54.7 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Karpathos, Dodecanese, South Aegean (85.9 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

vougliameni (401.5 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : Not noticed anything

700 14 Limenas Chersonisou Greece (109.9 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : The Hotel was shaking. The Water in the Pool was moving

Kos (227.9 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : A swaying motion

Pigadia (89.8 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Horizontal movement under us, back and forth.

Malia (102.8 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Haaren, North Brabant (2516.1 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Stalida (104.4 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

lindos (192 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Faliraki (16.6 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 minutes : Lamps and Building shaking 1 - 2 Min

Enorme Santanna Beach Hotel in Ierapetra (67.7 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Gazi, Heraklion, Crete (136.4 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Spilies Beach Kreta (177.4 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Schwingender Boden am Strand

Stalida, Heraklion, Crete (106.2 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Kato Daratso, Chania (237.9 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : My neighbors felt it.

Jijel (1876.8 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt Non ressenti a Jijel centre (reported through (reported through our app / not felt

Kato Gouves, Heraklion, Crete (117.7 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s

Kissamos Crete (263.4 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Limenas Hersonissou, Heraklion, Crete (110.1 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Faliraki (220.2 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s

Imerovigli, Santorini (192.3 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s : Feeling of loosing balance during sitting on chair. Water in pool starts waving.

Heraklion (131.4 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s

Elounda (77.5 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Chania (231.6 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : I didnt feel anything

Skaleta (179.6 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Limenas Hersonissou, Heraklion, Crete (112.2 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Sitting on a cabana in Kos (near Kefalos) (220.9 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s : Moderate shaking - cabana moved

Tourloti (56.9 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) (reported through our app / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Kos (225.6 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Agia Pelagia (149.9 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / very short

Kos Island (217.9 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Rhodes (228.5 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Georgiopoli, Chanion, Crete (213.5 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Vibration

near Arkalochori, Heraklion, Crete (99.1 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating

Kokkini Chani, Heraklion, Crete (121.5 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Agios Nikolaos (78.3 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s

near Urla, Izmir (374.6 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s (reported through our app / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Skafidaras (138.7 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Ialyssos (222.2 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 minutes

Gazi, Heraklion, Crete (135.5 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 1-2 minutes

Makrigialos (48.2 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) / 2-5 s

Bad Voslau, Baden, Lower Austria (1681.9 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Makrygialos (48 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / complex motion difficult to describe / 20-30 s

Messaria, Kyklades, South Aegean (186.7 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s

Sitia (46.7 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Rhodes (228.7 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Very weak.

Ortaca, Mugla (290.5 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s (reported through our app / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Paroikia, Paros (267.8 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Lardos (186.6 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II)

Rethymnon, Crete (190.1 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt

Stalida (105.3 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s

Kolympia (209.6 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II)

Kalamata (457.8 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) : The lamps were shaking

Georgiupolis (208.5 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 1-2 s : Very little vibration

Kolymbia (208.4 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : Vibration of the chair sitting outside

near Sidon, South Governorate (834.1 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Fethye (300.8 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 20-30 s : I was sitting on the couch on the second floor, I felt the rocking

Agia galini (168 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Afantou, Dodecanese, South Aegean (209 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s

Kolymbia (208.7 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 5-10 s : Uncertainty

Agios Nikolaos (78.2 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Rethymnon (185.6 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) : Ok

Gazi (136.3 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Objects hanging in room we're swinging around.

Sitia (46.6 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Thought it was heavy wind in the beginning

Beach Plimmiri (163.9 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 5-10 s

Rodos, Greece (224.5 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) / 10-15 s : In the hotel room lamps were moving , towels also

Agios Stefanos (50.6 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Kardamena, Kos, Greece (212.7 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : It felt like being on the desk of a ship.

Rethymnon, Crete (181 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s (reported through our app / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Gazi, Heraklion, Crete (137.5 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Starke horizontale Schwingungen. Turen und Schranke haben gewackelt.

Rhodes (218.4 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 20-30 s

Karteros (121.7 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s

Chania (235.6 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s

Near the beach (110.7 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Rhodos stadt (228.3 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) : Auf Parkbank sitzend

Ialyssos (225.3 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s

Kardamaina (216.9 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Gazi, Heraklion, Crete (136.9 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Ialyssos (220.7 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s

Gazi, Heraklion, Crete (134.1 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 20-30 s : Like you where onboard ship of ANEK lines

Iraklion Kriti (133.4 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / complex rolling (tilting in multiple directions) / 5-10 s

near Palekastro, Lasithi, Crete (14.6 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Lardos rhodos (186.7 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s

Kolymbia (209.8 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Milatos (96.5 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s (reported through our app / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Egypt (521.6 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 20-30 s

Messaria, Kyklades, South Aegean (186.7 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s

Kardamaina (211.3 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single vertical bump / 2-5 s : Komisches Gefuhl als ob der Kreislauf spinnt

Chania Greece (195.3 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 15-20 s : Oberes Stockwerk eines 4.stickigen Hauses Leichte Erschutterung Tisch und Stuhle wackelten

Fodele (150.1 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 10-15 s

adelianos kampos (184.4 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Karteros, Crete (122.8 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 30-60 s

Chersonissos (107.8 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 5-10 s : Ich sass auf einer Mauer und es hat sich wie ein schweben angefuhlt.Mir wurde leicht schwiendlig.

Pitsidia (157.3 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 30-60 s

Rethymno (188.7 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Heraklion (111.5 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : I lay in My bes. in the Hotel and Feeld the movement

palaiokastro (37.4 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : we felt fear about the horizontal shaking and the noise of drinking glasses shaking

Rhodes Greece (202.8 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : Sitzung on the Couch, Lamps swinging.

Dalaman (281.4 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / several minutes

Stalida, Heraklion, Crete (104.3 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Severe shaking (MMI VIII) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 15-20 s

Stalida, Heraklion, Crete (106.2 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Pyli, Dodecanese, South Aegean (221.4 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) / 10-15 s

near Agios Nikolaos, Lasithi, Crete (60.7 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

hersonissos (112.7 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / both vertical and horizontal swinging

Makry Gialos (49.3 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Gazi (138.2 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s

Agia Marina, Crete (243.6 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Rethymno (188.5 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s

Ixia (224.9 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : On the beach. It felt like my lounger was moving from side to side!

Lardos rhodos (186.7 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s

Ferma ierapetras (59.3 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 20-30 s : medium lateral shaking for about 30sec whole house shaked. low frequency noise

Akrotiri (188.6 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : It was very strange

Kalamaki (159.7 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s : Light shaking

Sitia (46.8 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s

Malia, Heraklion, Kreta (102.6 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s

Fanes rhodos (207.3 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Nea Alikarnassos, Heraklion Regional Unit, Crete (125.7 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s : I was in bed. It was like a swing.

vafes (216.9 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Amoudar (17.6 km SW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 1-2 minutes

Kolympia (209.4 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 10-15 s

Stavrochori Crete (53.4 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s

koutsouras (51.8 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Lardos (187.6 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Analipsi (114.7 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 minutes

Alanya (530.4 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s : Where in my apartment and was sitting in the balcony in the 9th floor and it started to shake

malia (102.1 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s

Gergeri, Heraklion, Crete (144.3 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / very short (reported through our app / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / very short

Corinth Greece (469.7 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 20-30 s

Ferma, Greece (61.1 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Ich sa auf dem Bett und es hat alles gewackelt.

Kolimbria Rhodos (209.8 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Malia (103.6 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 30-60 s

aghios Nikolaos (76.2 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s

rethymno (192.1 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 minutes

Kouros palace Kos (216.3 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Felt like being drunk

Tigaki, kos (224.8 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Milatos (96.4 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Sitia, Crete (46.8 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 2-5 s

Izmir (396.6 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 10-15 s

ierapetra (69.9 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Dalaman turkey (289.1 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s

near Kentri, Lasithi, Crete (48.5 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s

Elounda, Lasithi, Kreta (79.5 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Light shaking- lying on bed could see walls moving horizontally

Chania (232.9 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s Very weak (reported through (reported through our app / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Skouloufia, Crete (175 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Weak shaking

Plaka (81.5 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / complex motion difficult to describe / 5-10 s : I felt like being on a boat. But I wasnt.

Kerames (182.9 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s

Faliraki (220.3 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / complex rolling (tilting in multiple directions) / 5-10 s : Felt like rolling around as I sat inside a bowl

Kos (228.1 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 5-10 s

near Palekastro, Lasithi, Crete (33.6 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 2-5 s : slight shifting whilst on sunbed. falaraki rhodes. cyprotel hotel

Agia pelagia (146 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : House shaking strong

Afantou, Dodecanese, South Aegean (209.4 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : We were eating and felt the ground shake side to side and the lights swung back and forth

Kounali, near Milatos, at the northcoast of Crete (89.6 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : No doubt, that must be an earthquake!

Alanya (529.1 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s

 (241.8 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Rhodes (222.5 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : Watching tv on the bed. Felt sideways motions

Kardamena Kos (211.3 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 30-60 s : The pool water was sloshing from side to side

Kardamenia (209.5 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 5-10 s : Le batiment a trembler a plusieurs reprise

Margaritas, Kreta, Greece (171.1 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Zaros, Heraklion, Crete (152.8 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 30-60 s : Light shaking

Gouves (116 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Kato Gouves, Heraklion, Crete (117.6 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 30-60 s

Analipsis (112.3 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) : Z

gavalohori,crete, greece (219.6 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 5-10 s : floor movement

Stalida (106 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s

Agios Nikolaos, Lasithi, Crete (77.8 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s

Kalamaki, Crete (159 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Heraklion (136.5 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s

near Sitia, Crete (43.9 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Sitting on a chair, Reading. Liquid in glasses moved

Rhodos (223.1 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Cactus Beach Stalia (104.4 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Heraklion, Crete (133.5 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) : Slow Sharing

Rethimno (188 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s : Moderate shaking, felt outside, lying on the beach

Istro crete (72.6 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s : Sitting and felt my body sliding back and fourth

Limassol (591.1 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Santorin (184.9 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s : Nous etions sur la terrasse et tout a bouger ! Le sol la terrasse les meubles

Rhytmia aquila hotel Crete (124.2 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : On a datbed by the pool. Things where swinging sideways suddenly

Alexandria (524.1 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Alexandria, smouha, in upper 12th floor

Kentri, Lasithi, Crete (59.4 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Feeling the shaking while standing on the balcony in Ferma/Greece

Kos town (228.5 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Sat outside in a chair and it felt I was rocking side to side for about 10 seconds.

Kreta (78.7 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s : Two Short(1-2sec) lateral shakes, about 3-5 seconds from another

Kardamaina (211.7 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Kokkini Chani, Heraklion, Crete (121.4 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Fan and Lamps were shaking. Floor and bed to.

  (406.1 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Kato Gouves, Heraklion, Crete (113.7 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 30-60 s : Hotel balcony area 1 floor up, family in room lights swinging and other items shaking..

Karpathos (77.5 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s

Livadia Tilos (183.3 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s : Very strong, long time

Agios Nikolaos (76.7 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 5-10 s : Sitting at a cafe when it start to shake.

Ixia, Rhodes, Greece (223.9 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s

Santorini (182.2 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Limenas Hersonissou, Heraklion, Crete (110.5 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) : Leichtes Schutteln

Lindos Rhodes (186.5 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 10-15 s

Rhodes (221.2 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Georgiopoli, Chanion, Crete (206.3 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s : Als leichtes schwanken

Santorini (182.3 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : Light shaking, doors swung and lights swung

Ialysos, Dodecanese, South Aegean (223.5 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Laying on a subbed and felt a slight rocking sensation l

Rhodes (210 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s

Gazi, Heraklion, Crete (135.5 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 1-2 minutes

Almyrida (216.9 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Kos (222.2 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt

Agia Marina, Chania, Crete (244.2 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / very short : sitting on a char on teresse
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Moo nshine Valley Upper Hutt / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 5-10 s : rolling shake started with minor rattling growing to sideways motion with very noisy reverb. lasting about 6-8 seconds then faded quicly. | 2 users found this interesting.

Wellington / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Before I realised what was happening, it was over | One user found this interesting.

Masterton, Wellington (199.7 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : I did not feel anything an only got an alert on my phone

Palmerston North, Manawatu-Wanganui (180.9 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Tauranga, Bay of Plenty (358.9 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : Did not feel

Khandallah, Wellington City, Wellington (153.8 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V)

Lower Hutt, Wellington (164.5 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) : Just felt a definitely rolling motion

Paraparaumu, Kapiti Coast District, Wellington (147.5 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 2-5 s (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 2-5 s

Palmerston North, Manawatu-Wanganui (180.7 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s

Taita, Lower Hutt. Was in bed when I felt the shak / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s : I was in bed felt the shake and house rattled and was noisy though very short.

Petone, Lower Hutt / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 2-5 s : Odd thing is I received the alert on my phone before feeling the earthquake!Light shaking,then a rumble then eased off. Quite short fortunately. Didnt disturb the cats.

Carterton / Very weak shaking (MMI II)

Blenheim / not felt

Marton / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s

Auckland / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : I felt like a truck past by my house

Masterton (199.7 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Laying on my bed. I feel a sudden shakin, enough to get me worried about it and turn off the tv.

palmerston north (178.4 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Levin / not felt / single vertical bump / 5-10 s (reported through our app / not felt / single vertical bump / 5-10 s

Palmerston North / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / very short (reported through our app / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / very short

Takapau / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 1-2 s (reported through our app / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 1-2 s

Wellington, Lower Hutt / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Hawera / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging

Featherston / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Blenheim / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Stokes valley (161.7 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 10-15 s I was sitting and felt it through my feet first. My cat was alarmed and hid under the couch. Was a complex motion that lasted long enough for me to think it might intensify but then it didnt. (reported through (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 10-15 s

Pauanui / not felt

At home. Totara Park, Upper Hiutt / Very weak shaking (MMI II)

Blenheim, NZ / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / very short : Weak shaking

Auckland / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / very short

Levin / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s : I thought it was an earthquake but the young man with me thought it was the effect of him nervously bouncing his leg

Palmerston North / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s (reported through our app / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Palmerston North / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Karori, Wellington / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s

Karori, Wellington / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Karori Wellington / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s

Blenheim / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single vertical bump / 1-2 s : 1st I heard the window rattled then couple seconds later the house bumped

Island Bay / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s : Heard a rumble first . Then a rumble and a small shake

Foxton Beach, Horowhenua NZ. (153.2 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Heard it rolling then felt a weak sideways shake 5 to 10 seconds.

Porirua (149.5 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) : I was in class and felt a very weak shake and wasnt sure if it was an earthquake until I got a few texts saying there was one . Felt across porirua but only if you were sitting still

Feilding, New Zealand / Light shaking (MMI IV) Felt like one sharp sudden jolt with a banging noise. Had just been notified from the warning system there was one about to hit (reported through (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Newlands wellington / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / very short

upper hutt / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s : quick shaking

Levin / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s

Morrinsville / not felt

Te Horo Beach / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Titahi Bay / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s

Murchison / not felt

Palmerston North (179.3 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) / 10-15 s : Rolling

Foxton / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / very short : A sudden rumbling noisy roll

Wellington / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Before I realised what was happening, it was over

Tawa / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s

Levin, Horowhenua New Zealand / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s

Bulls, Rangetikei (161.7 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s

Palmerston North / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s

Foxton Beach (150.2 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : Runble, light movement then increased shaking

Masterton / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 30-60 s

Waikanae / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / complex rolling (tilting in multiple directions) / 1-2 s : Two horizontal sweeps, loud rumble at the same time

Nelson / not felt

Palmerston north (179.5 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) : One sharp jolt. No shaking.

Upper Hutt / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Short sharp jolting, not damaging, nothing fell.

palmerston north / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s

Paraparaumu N in / Weak shaking (MMI III) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) / 5-10 s

In my parked car PARAPARAUMU / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 10-15 s

Paraparaum Beach / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Moderate shaking

upper hutt / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 5-10 s : I was frightened and scared

Feilding / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) / 5-10 s : Slight movement

Palmerston North / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Very weak shaking felt on the second story of building

Nelson (120.4 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s : a short rattle

Maungaraki / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s

Palmerston North / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s

Westport / Weak shaking (MMI III) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) / 30-60 s : Small roll

Ebdentown Upper Hutt Nz / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Rumbling and rocking motion.

Johnsonville / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / very short : Really light shaking

Nelson / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 1-2 s

Paraparaumu / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s

Carterton / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single vertical bump

Stoke nelson / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s

Avalon, Lower Hutt, New Zealand / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating

Blenheim nz / Weak shaking (MMI III) / complex motion difficult to describe / very short

Motueka / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single vertical bump / 1-2 s

waikanae / not felt

Wellington (163.5 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / very short

Palmerston North, New Zealand (177.7 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s

22 eldelweiss grove . Timberlea . Wellington. / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Gentle sway of the house not violent maybe 5cm movement mostly horizontal

Palmerston North / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s

Petone / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Short sharp and unpleasant

Waitarere beach / Light shaking (MMI IV)

Hanson street wellington / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Tasman (113.6 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : First a sudden creaking of roof and metal chimney, then a few seconds later a shaking.

foxton beach (153.1 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 30-60 s : quite a bit of shaking but my hanging light didnt move

Taita, Lower Hutt. Was in bed when I felt the shak / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s : I was in bed felt the shake and house rattled and was noisy though very short.

Palmerston North / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s : I was sitting on my chair in my room when i felt a sudden shake for just a second or two.

Wellington / Weak shaking (MMI III) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 10-15 s (reported through our app / Weak shaking (MMI III) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 10-15 s

wanganui / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 20-30 s

WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND (160.6 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) : SITTING ON THE COUCH WATCHING TV

Lower Hutt New Zealand (139.1 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single vertical bump / very short : Samsung alert told me!

Kapiti Coast / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s : Quite decent shaking felt for a few seconds..

Cable Bay Nelson (102.2 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating

Lower Hutt (168 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / very short : heard and felt it - shudders

Lower Hutt / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 5-10 s

nelson city (115.5 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s

Patea / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 1-2 s : a medium short jolt while working on my computer , the heavy desk and computer screen shook.

Palmerston North / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s

Melbourne / not felt

upper hutt / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s : quick shaking

Featherston / not felt / single lateral shake / 2-5 s : Intense shake

Palmerston North / Weak shaking (MMI III) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) (reported through our app / Weak shaking (MMI III) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction)

Levin new zealand (158.8 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) : Sitting inside

Blenheim / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s : Weak

Wellington / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Masterton (199.7 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Laying on my bed. I feel a sudden shakin, enough to get me worried about it and turn off the tv.

Carterton / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / complex motion difficult to describe / very short

wellington nz / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s

Paraparaumu / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s

Masterton / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging : Very small but definitely felt it

Eastbourne / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single lateral shake / very short

Eltham / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s

Palmerston north / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / very short

Paraparaumu / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Jen renege she rnr

Porirua (149.5 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) : I was in class and felt a very weak shake and wasnt sure if it was an earthquake until I got a few texts saying there was one . Felt across porirua but only if you were sitting still

Blenheim (145.9 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) : Sitting - lights shook

Fielding (177.5 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s
Facebook as a social network

The most important political player on the Internet is the social network Facebook. As of January 1st, 2021, it had 2.85 billion monthly active users and 1.88 billion daily active users worldwide. The social network routinely censors posts that include nude photos, sexual activity, harassment, hate speech, forgeries, spam, terrorist propaganda or violence using particularly crude and unfair artificial intelligence. It shuts down accounts that it deems dangerous, either because they have been censored several times or because they are linked to enemies of the United States.

Facebook is a huge company that includes Instagram, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Oculus, Workplace, Portal, Novi. It employs over 60,000 people.

Facebook as a bank

Facebook now issues its own currency as a state, the Libra. It is backed by a basket of currencies composed of 50% dollars, 14% yen, 11% Serling pounds and 7% Singapore dollars [1].

By becoming a bank whose currency is progressively accepted by Internet sales sites, Facebook is building a parallel economy, both virtual and global, that is larger than the economy of many states.

Facebook and its users

Facebook calls on its users to detect accounts that violate its rules. It opens a file on each of its informants and notes them [2].

Facebook, which claims to treat every user equally, has secretly compiled a list of 5.8 million VIPs to whom its rules do not apply. Only they can say and show everything [3].

Cambridge analytica and the NSA

The personal data of at least 87 million users was targeted and siphoned off by the British company Cambridge analytica (of billionaire Robert Mercer and Steve Bannon) and its Canadian subsidiary, AggregateIQ [4]. They were used at least :

 for the election of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014 [5],

 for 44 local elections in the US in 2014,

 for Mauricio Macri in the Argentine presidential election,

 for Nigel Farage in the UK Brexit referendum in 2016.

 And above all during the US presidential campaign also in 2016, successively for Ben Carson,

Ted Cruz [6],

 and finally for Donald Trump and his campaign manager... Steve Bannon.

According to The Observer, Cambridge analytica employed many figures from the British military-industrial complex and MI6 propaganda services [7]. Perhaps this is just the tip of the iceberg: Edward Snowden revealed that Facebook had joined the ultra-secret PRISM electronic surveillance network allowing the National Security Agency (NSA) to access the personal data of all its customers. But nothing has leaked out about what use the NSA makes of it.

According to Newton Lee, a former researcher at the Institute for Defense Analyses, the PRISM network is the avatar of the Total Information Awareness (TIA) project that Admiral John Poindexter developed under Donald Rumsfeld at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) [8].

Mark Zuckerbergs personal commitment to Israel

In 2011, Facebook, at the request of Israel, censored accounts calling for an uprising in the Palestinian territories

In 2012, Mark Zuckerberg, personally committed himself to Nobel Peace Prize winner Shimon Perez. He oversaw the creation and promotion of the Israeli presidents official page, and created a video campaign called "Be my friend for peace", featuring Nicolas Sarkozy, David Cameron, Recep Tayyip Erdogan or even Queen Elizabeth II of England, among others.

In 2015, Facebook declared Hezbollah and the Syrian Arab Republic "terrorist organisations". It closed the accounts of several TV channels including Al-Mayadeen (then the most watched news TV in the Arab world), Sama and Dunia (two Syrian public TVs) and Ikhbariya (a Syrian private channel). At the same time, it provided trainers to the jihadists fighting the Syrian Arab Republic.

In this regard, Facebook does not censor all messages of hatred or violence. For example, it encourages the account of opponents of Syria that collects information (name, address, photo) of Syrian nationalists in order to assassinate them.

Political project

In 2010, Nature published a study on "An experiment in social influence and political mobilisation on 61 million people" [9]. Researchers from the University of California show that political messages on Facebook during the US mid-term elections had a very large impact not only on the users of the social network, but also on their friends and even on their friends friends.

In 2014, Facebook, without the knowledge of its subscribers, conducted a study on "Experimental evidence of large-scale emotional contagion via social networks" [10].

In 2018, Facebook partnered with the Atlantic Council, an influential think tank funded by NATO, to "promote US leadership and engagement in the world with its allies". The specific aim of the partnership is to ensure "the proper use of Facebook in elections around the world, monitoring misinformation and foreign interference, helping to educate citizens and civil society" [11].

Ultimately, in 2020, Facebook engaged in colonial politics in Africa with its proposed undersea cable encircling the continent, 2Africa. This network would link the main ports, but would not penetrate inland [12]. It is only a question of serving the elites who participate in the plundering of the continent and the shipping of its wealth to the West.

Internationally, Facebooks director of public relations is the Liberal Democrat Nick Clegg. He was a deputy to British Prime Minister David Cameron. Facebook France is headed by Laurent Solly, former chief of staff to President Sarkozy and then second in command of the private television channel TF1. He is the husband of Caroline Roux, a star journalist for the public television channel France2.

Facebook is neither in the service of the Democrats nor the Republicans. It is a company that defends the interests of the "American Empire" by using both its knowledge of its users and the emotions it spreads among them.

From this point of view, it is particularly interesting that in 2017 Mark Zuckerberg thought of becoming President of the United States without having to run for office. He had put together a campaign team before giving up. His plan was to lean on the Democratic Party to remove President Donald Trump from office, then get close to Vice President Mike Pence so that Pence would hand over the office to him when he automatically became president, and finally lean on the Republicans to get Pence to resign and become president himself. [13].

Political action

In 2008, candidate Barack Obama relied on former Facebook spokesman Chris Hughes, director of My.BarackObama.com (MyBO) and designer of Obamas Online Operation (OOO), to reach and mobilise five million voters via Facebook [14].

In 2010, Facebook censored Wikileaks, the association that revealed the Pentagons practices and thus undermined the "American Empire".

In 2010-11, the platform, officially supported by the US State Department, exploded during the Arab Spring in the wider Middle East.

In 2018, Facebook banned the intergovernmental TV channel TeleSur, which then included Argentina, Bolivia, Cuba, Ecuador, Uruguay and Venezuela.

In 2020, Facebook closed accounts linked to the French army in Central Africa and Mali. The latter were running a campaign that did not correspond to that of the Pentagon.

In 2021, Facebook closed the accounts of the incumbent presidents of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni, and the United States, Donald Trump.

Facebook and the media

A British association, Full Fact, has created a coalition between the competent ministries of the United Kingdom and Canada on the one hand, and information giants (Facebook, but also Twitter, Alphabet and Reuters) on the other, in order to fight misinformation on the English-speaking Net.

Facebook does not limit itself to fighting against Fake News. It has just created a programme, "News Innovation", to support the written press. It has already been deployed in Canada, Argentina and Brazil. It has signed more than $10 million worth of contracts focusing on media that support Justin Trudeau in Canada or are hostile to Alberto Fernandez and Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner in Argentina and Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil.

The Biden administration and Facebook

The Biden administration worried - before the public - about the rise of Facebook, which it sees as a rival. The company sets its own borders, enforces police and justice on its network, and issues its own currency. It may currently serve the Pentagon, but all it needs is an army to become a state.

This is why the Biden administration introduced whistleblower France Haugen to The Wall Street Journal and then to the Senate. The debates focused on the deleterious influence of Facebook on certain children. This is a way to put the social network in its place without asking the political questions we have just listed.

The only person in the US today who is asking the question of the political influence of digital giants is former President Donal Trump. He has just filed a lawsuit against Twitter for taking his account offline while he was still the sitting president of the United States. Trump is relying on the confidences of Democratic senators who have boasted of having pressured Twitter. This proves, he says, that the censorship is not a business decision, but a political one; that it violates the 1st Amendment of the US Constitution on free speech. His lawyers make it clear that Twitter has never censored violent speech. It hosts an account of the Taliban government of Afghanistan.
Alabama and Tennessee are sending an urgent warning about fake, potentially deadly drugs.

The Alabama Department of Public Health is concerned prescription pills such as fentanyl and methamphetamine are being falsely marketed in Alabama as prescription drugs and being sold online or through social media.

These counterfeit pills are easy to purchase, widely available and often contain a lethal dose of fentanyl. Officials said the safest way to purchase medication is to get it prescribed by a trusted medical professional and dispensed by a licensed pharmacist.

This year, about 9.5 million counterfeit pills have been seized by authorities  more than the previous two years combined, according to officials. The number of counterfeit pills seized by the Drug Enforcement Administration has skyrocketed 430% since 2019.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 93,000 people died of drug overdoses in the United States in 2020. Fentanyl, which is most commonly found in in counterfeit pills, is the primary driver in these drug-related deaths.

Don Webster, a community relations officer at Huntsville Emergency Medical Services Inc., or HEMSI, said this problem isn't new to Madison County.

"We were already alerted by the DEA through the Alabama Department of Public Health about these fake pills, and we've known that they've been out there," Webster said.

Unfortunately, the prevalent problem of drug overdoses isn't limited to fake pills and continues to affect Madison County. Webster said there were four deaths just this past weekend from opioids.

Health officials continue to stress the dangers of taking non-prescribed drugs, saying it's important everyone remembers that "One Pill Can Kill."
We are tracking some very light showers to get our Tuesday started.

This is thanks to a nearby cold front.

Spotty showers will be possible throughout the morning and perhaps into the early afternoon.

Most spots will stay dry, however, with sun and clouds and highs back into the low to mid 80s.

The weather looks great for those heading to tonight's Lee Greenwood concert!

Temperatures will be in the low 70s when doors open and hover near 70 by the end of the show tonight.

Not impossible to see a stray shower when doors open, but we should be good to go.

This morning's cold front is rather weak so we won't see much of a pattern change later on.

In fact, highs stay in the low to mid 80s with mild overnight lows in the mid 60s.

But there is an end in sight!

A much stronger cold front is poised to arrive late Friday night.

This front will bring more showers to North Alabama Friday evening so we will keep a close eye on the trends for Big Game Friday Night (definitely not expecting lightning delays at this point).

Scattered showers continue into early Saturday but it will not rain all day Saturday.

In fact, we should begin to clear things out Saturday evening as cool, crisp Fall air finally moves in behind the front.

Highs this weekend will crash into the upper 60s and low 70s with overnight lows near 50 degrees!
Medal of Valor and Purple Heart awarded to the families of Officer Oberheim and Officer Creel
Italy to introduce sweeping new Green Pass obligations for all workers on 15 October.

Italy's Green Pass - the digital or paper certificate that shows people have been vaccinated, tested negative or recovered from covid-19 - could be reassessed next year "if the data is good", said deputy health minister Andrea Costa.

"It is reasonable to think that with the new year there may be a revision of the restrictive measures currently in place in our country, including the Green Pass which may be revised and reduced in its application", Costa said on the RAI television programme Parliamone on Monday night.

Costa described the Green Pass as a means to "guarantee the freedom of citizens and to guarantee a gradual return to normality without having to take a step back."

He said that in his view the existing restrictive measures could be scaled back after Italy's state of emergency legislation ends on 31 December, "if the data continues to be positive, if the number of hospitalisations continues to fall, if the number of vaccinated continues to rise."

Costa told news agency ANSA that while Italy is now facing "a full application" of the Green Pass, this could be revised to a "partial application" next year, "keeping the current Green Pass for some circumstances and not for others."

The health undersecretary stressed however that the re-evaluation could not take place until December, "in parallel with the expiry of the state of emergency which we hope will end".

Costa's remarks come as Italy prepares to introduce sweeping measures obliging all workers - in both the public and private sectors - to have the Green Pass or risk being suspended without pay.

The new rules will come into force on Friday 15 October and will affect around 23 million workers.

The contentious move comes amid a slowing down of Italy's covid vaccination programme and a resurgent protest movement against the Green Pass.

Health minister Roberto Speranza, speaking on RAI3 television programme Che tempo che fa on Sunday, said: "We have to leave the Green Pass as it is for now and then we can evaluate and eventually change."

Describing the measures coming into effect on Friday as "an important step", Speranza said: "The feeling is that the majority of people have grasped that the Green Pass is an instrument of freedom."

Speranza also condemned the violent 'No Green Pass' protest in Rome last weekend, including the storming of the CGIL trade union base and the casualty ward of the Umberto I hospital, saying: "We must be very tough against those who committed these crimes."

There are currently 43.2 million people in Italy fully vaccinated against covid, with around 8 million who have yet to receive even the first dose.

The scope of the Green Pass continues to be extended in a bid to boost Italy's vaccination campaign as the nation recently hit its target of fully vaccinating 80 per cent of the population over the age of 12 against covid-19.

What is Italy's Green Pass?

Italy's Green Pass, or certificazione verde, was first introduced in June and was used originally for travel within the EU and to facilitate access to large events such as weddings or to visit nursing homes.

However since the summer the scope of the Green Pass - which does not apply to children under 12 - has been expanded progressively.

The pass is currently required for indoor dining in restaurants, long-distance domestic travel, a host of cultural, leisure and social activities - such as museums, swimming pools and nightclubs - as well as in certain workplace environments including schools and universities.

Details about the Green Pass can be found - in Italian - on the Certificazione Verde website while for official information about the covid-19 situation in Italy - in English - see the health ministry website.

Photo credit: Elena.Katkova / Shutterstock.com.
Nunzia Alessandra Schiliro told rally that covid Green Pass was "illegitimate" and contravened Italy's constitution.

An Italian deputy police commissioner in Rome - who addressed a 'No Green Pass' protest in the city's Piazza S. Giovanni on 25 September - has been suspended with effect from 12 October.

Nunzia Alessandra Schiliro, a 'vice-questore', has been an outspoken critic of the government's Green Pass, a certificate which shows that people have been vaccinated, tested negative or recovered from covid-19.

The Green Pass is required for most activities in Italy, including dining indoors in restaurants and long-distance domestic travel, and it will become mandatory in the workplace from 15 October.

Schiliro, who said she participated in the rally as "a free citizen", told the crowd that the Green Pass was "illegitimate" and contravened Italy's constitution.

She also said she would "keep going, with or without a uniform."

Her comments were slammed as "extremely serious" by Italian interior minister Luciana Lamorgese who said that she was "following the case personally."

Schiliro did not address or attend the large 'No Green Pass' rally in Piazza del Popolo on 9 October, which led to violent scenes, including the storming of the CGIL trade union headquarters, and resulted in 38 police officers being injured in clashes.

In a long post on Facebook, Schiliro repeated "for the umpteenth and last time" that she stayed clear of the event "precisely because I knew that people with whom I have nothing in common would also be there."

This is believed to be a reference to the neo-fascist Forza Nuova group whose leaders were subequently arrested and whose website has been taken offline by court order pending an investigation into the violence.

Schiliro also lashed out - "as a citizen and a trade unionist" - at the "reprehensible behaviour of some police officers" during the clashes in Rome.

She called for the "immediate punishment of the police officers who beat demonstrators without any provocation", labelling the violence as "inadmissible from any side."

In a separate development, a plain-clothes officer who was filmed beating a protester on the ground off Via del Corso on Saturday evening presented himself to a police station on Monday.

The actions of the officer, who in the footage is dressed in a grey t-shirt and is restrained by riot police, are "being evaluated by the judicial authority," according to a statement from the Questura.

Photo Il Messaggero
Rome marks 700 years of poet's death with first major exhibition dedicated to Dante's Inferno.

Following the success of the Raphael 500 exhibition, the Scuderie del Quirinale returns with a new show marking another important milestone: the 700th anniversary of the death of Dante Alighieri.

Titled Inferno and running from 15 October to 9 January 2022, the exhibition will comprise more than 200 artworks from over 80 museums, public collections and private collections from Italy, the Vatican and across Europe.

Inferno will document a wide range of hell-related iconography, from the Middle Ages to the present day, in what is hailed as the first major art exhibition dedicated to this theme.

Curated by Jean Clair, the "powerful, ambitious and spectacular" show will take visitors on a terrifying visual journey into the depths of hell, as imagined by artists through the centuries, accompanied by the words of Dante, the 'Father of the Italian language'.

Hell, anonymous, c.1510-1520, Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga, Lisbon  Bridgeman Images.

These visions range from the tormented and nightmarish to the romanticised, from Mediaeval to Baroque, up to psychoanalytic interpretations from the 20th century.

The exhibition also presents scenes of "hell on earth" and delves into the concept of salvation, as offered by Dante in the last canto of the Inferno Canticle: And so we went out to see the stars again.

During the show's first weeks, visitors will be able to gaze into the Abyss of Hell by Botticelli, on loan from the Vatican, together with a scale paster cast model of Rodin's Gates of Hell from the Musee Rodin in Paris.

There will be other masterpieces too, by artists including Beato Angelico, Botticelli, Bosch, Bruegel, Goya, Manet, Delacroix, Rodin, Cezanne, Richter and Kiefer.

For exhibition details and visiting information check the Scuderie del Quirinale website.
The EU has, no doubt, war-gamed this scenario and has multiple levers it could pull. The blocs weight on the global stage largely stems from its ability to use its trade policy to project power. Micro-aggressions could include a refusal to certify that the U.K. is compliant with the EUs data privacy regime. But if things escalated, the potential for nastiness is there. A reimposition of tariffs on U.K. food exports or cars would seriously hurt. The bloc would look for ways to inflict political damage with minimal impact on EU consumers. That might include imposing tariffs on luxury products, or fungible ones the EU can do without  whether Scotch whisky or English cheddar.
The alternative would be to drop the ever closer label and stipulate that the EU is in fact a confederation, a league in which the members retain sovereignty. Poland, Germany and all others, in that scenario, would be within their rights to reject European rules that violate their national constitutions. But then the bloc must also be practical and, like almost all other clubs, give itself the power to expel members who break its norms, such as democracy or rule of law.
Not necessarily. Abbotts order and the presidents will probably see each other in court. While employment law experts say the supremacy of federal OSHA regulations over a governors executive order is a given, theres nothing stopping the state from seeing how a judge might rule. Abbott could attempt to bring novel arguments to the court, expanding on his position that employees and customers should be allowed to cite religious, moral or medical objections to the federal mandate. That argument might come up short, however, since the federal mandate already allows individuals to submit to weekly testing instead of getting the inoculation. Abbotts order is likely to be put on hold during such a lawsuit, according to Kapoor. Thats because a judge is likely to find that vaccine mandates benefit public health, while an executive order against them creates potentially costly policy U-turns for larger businesses, she said.
To wrap the development of two districts at the top of the New Territories -- one of the citys three main regions, along with Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon peninsula -- into a single, vibrant Northern Metropolis. The districts, Yuen Long and North District, have 27% of Hong Kongs total area, but only 1 million of its 7.5 million residents. The plan is to raise that to 2.5 million residents over about 20 years, attracting people from more-crowded parts of a city that is often cited as the worlds least affordable housing market. It will also be home to an international innovation and technology hub, in whats seen as another bid by the Hong Kong government to create a rival to Silicon Valley.
Even without the governments intervention, developers were struggling with poor profitability. Modern Land China Co., which asked for a three-month extension for a $250 million note due Oct. 25, was generating negative operating cash flow in three of the last four years. So was Guangzhou R&F Properties Co, whose co-founders recently scrambled to shore up the companys balance sheet, and our good old Evergrande. By some macro measures, the broader industry has accrued $5 trillion debt. Sometimes, you have to wonder why they are in business at all.
In the U.S., Congress is providing some $1.15 billion in funding over four years for the National Institutes of Health to support research into the long-term effects of Covid. The studies hopes to get at issues such as the underlying biological causes and how they might be treated and prevented. Some researchers are pressing governments to focus attention not only on infection and vaccination rates but on potential long-term organ damage. For example, researchers have shown the virus can infect insulin-producing pancreatic tissue, potentially triggering diabetes that in some cases persists beyond the acute infection. Thats prompted Australias Monash University and Kings College London to create a global registry for studying new onset diabetes. Some long haulers have reported feeling better after receiving a Covid vaccination, prompting researchers to examine the phenomenon and whether vaccines can offer clues to treatment. Avindra Nath, clinical director of the U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, said vaccines, including for flu, have been known to help patients with chronic fatigue, but relief has almost always been temporary.
The Big Leap (Fox at 9) The contestants air their grievances over everything caught on tape after the first show trailer is released, and Wayne runs into someone from his past. Nick is distracted when his daughter visits.
DCs Stargirl (CW at 8) Courtney is in ruins after she discovers a secret Pat has kept from her, and Jennie might help in their plan to stop Eclipso, but they must put their issues aside as they go out and find her.
Ursu draws connections between events in the books magical land and those of today in our country. Its always important to ask who is creating works of history and who is telling a particular version of whats happening, she said, whether in books, in the classroom or on the news.
The number of migrant children in the Darien during the nine-month period almost tripled the total number of the last five years. The agency said 109 children were recorded crossing the area in 2017, and two years later, the figure increased to 3,956. In 2020, it dropped to 1,653 due to restrictions related to the pandemic.
The closure marks the first time the Northern Virginia countys school system, which enrolls nearly 90,000, has shut down a campus this academic year. It is also one of the first such closures in the D.C. area, although the vast majority of the regions children are back in classrooms this fall, some for the first time in 18 months.
Last month, Education Secretary Miguel Cardona testified before Congress that 96 percent of public schools have reopened for in-person instruction. And the first week in October saw the smallest number of school closures due to coronavirus outbreaks  38  since the school year began, according to Burbio, a data-tracking firm. Many school districts  including, for example, Virginias largest system, Fairfax County Public Schools  are requiring that all students attend classes face-to-face unless they can prove a medical need for at-home schooling. And in places where schools are offering virtual programs, most families are nonetheless opting for face-to-face learning. In all, more than 50 million children are seated in classrooms, many of them for the first time in 18 months.
I do not celebrate crime at all, Hamilton said. But there is a part of me that thinks, wow, here you have this woman who said, I really dont care. Im going to do this my way. This is the way Im going to get that wealth that I want. And Im going to do it on my own terms. 
One of Scheller's attorneys, Tim Parlatore, said in a phone interview that he could not yet get into the specifics of a pretrial agreement because some of the details are still up in the air. But he said the case began with Scheller demanding accountability from others, and it would make him a hypocrite if the Marine did not accept responsibility for his own actions.
The criminal complaint says Jonathan Toebbe, seeking assurances that he was really dealing with officials from the foreign country, asked them to show a signal from their embassy in Washington over the Memorial Day holiday weekend. The FBI arranged to have the signal placed at the embassy  suggesting the foreign government may have not just tipped off the United States to the alleged spy attempt, but that it also helped the FBI build its case.
This gentleman did have an increased risk to his life because of his connection to the sitting president of the United States, which would make him a target of opportunity to a terrorist group, Plitsas said. But there are tens of thousands of people who remain in Afghanistan who do similar things, acts of valor protecting Americans over the course of the last 20 years, maybe not for somebody who is as famous as the president, but who are just as deserving to leave.
The district court ruled the law unconstitutional. And as the issue was before the appeals court, Beshear defeated Bevin at the polls and became governor. When the appeals court agreed with the lower court in June 2020, Beshears health secretary said that was enough. He declined to ask the full appeals court to reconsider the issue or to take it to the Supreme Court.
Those AR-15s and Glock 9mms and .45 calibers; where do you think they came from, he said in June at a church. Who do you think inspired them? God knew the world he was putting us into, so he formed in our mind the ability for us to be able to defend ourselves from anybody who may threaten us.
The Rev. Jesse Jackson carries an American flag outside the Glynn County Courthouse in Brunswick, Ga., on Thursday. (Sean Rayford/Getty Images)

Closing arguments are expected Monday morning after 10 days of witness testimony.
The crisis has revived memories of Lehman Brothers collapse in 2008, which sparked a global financial crisis. Economists so far have played down the comparison, saying that while Beijing may let Evergrande and certain other companies fail as a warning to others, the government is unlikely to allow widespread economic fallout.
China and Russia will have a much lower bar for what they would need to see from the Taliban in order to recognize it than the Western countries, said Michael Kugelman, an Afghanistan scholar at the Wilson Center. Put simply, the West is going to put more preconditions in place for recognition, including progress in womens rights.
For the most part, Iraqis had viewed the ballot as the rubber stamp for the status quo. Weve voted for years, and what have they given us? said Hassan, a young graphic designer from Baghdad who asked that his full name be withheld. These parties all have armed wings, and theyve been killing us, whether through negligence or with their guns.
Its very hard to tell publicly if the hypersonic missile is legit or how it performs. The intelligence community would have likely tried to characterize the [hypersonic glide vehicle] when it was tested, but the pictures released tonight are what North Korea wants us to see, Narang said.
June Mattingly, 73, passed away at her home surrounded by her family Nov. 10, 2021. She was born Sept. 23, 1948, in Washington, Indiana, to Elmo and Maxine (Thomas) Ledgerwood. On May 24, 1969, she married Gary Mattingly. A 1967 graduate of Washington High School, June was a homemaker who pr
Trusted local news has never been more important, but providing the information you need, information that can change sometimes minute-by-minute, requires a partnership with you, our readers. Please consider making a contribution today to support this vital resource that you and countless others depend on.
Concern about banking stocks and weaker iron ore prices dragged the benchmark S&P/ASX200 0.1 per cent lower on Wednesday, despite strong gains in real estate and some consumer-facing stocks.

The index closed at 7272.5 points after spending just two hours in positive territory during the middle of the day, reflecting the choppy nature of markets around the world.

There was a sharp fall in Bank of Queensland after the market was disappointed by its full year results. It ended the session 4.3 per cent lower at $9.30.

It was another volatile day on the market on Wednesday. Credit:Louie Douvis

Commonwealth Bank declined 1.56 per cent after its annual general meeting, Westpac declined by 1.3 per cent, and Magellan Financial fell 1.8 per cent. The declines came ahead of US banks reporting tonight to kick off Wall Streets reporting season.

Portfolio manager at MLC Asset Management, Anthony Golowenko, said markets were just waiting for the US Federal Reserve to provide details on how it will taper its stimulus program.

There is a lot of oscillation, up and down, and volatility in the markets, he said.

In a nutshell, the emergency or crisis was 18 months ago, and we are well beyond emergency measures, but in many places they are still in effect, he said.

Traders wont know how much liquidity will be removed from the market until the US central bank gives more detail. And everyone is debating whether supply chain issues and soaring energy prices will lead to earlier than expected inflation.

We expect uncertainty and volatility to remain until the end of the year, he said.

The Chicago Board Options Exchange Volatility was currently sitting just below its 12-month average at 19.8 points.

Major miners closed lower after iron ore prices slipped nearly 5 per cent overnight. But gold miners were stronger and Nufarm gained 6.1 per cent after recent analyst upgrades.

Real estate company Goodman Group gained 2.2 per cent and shopping centre owner Scentre Group gained 2 per cent.

Dairy company a2 Milk closed 13.5 per cent higher at a six-week high of $6.58, while Bubs Australia jumped 38.9 per cent on the All Ords to close at 50.

And the market stopped punishing Star Entertainment for alleged breaches of money laundering rules, with shares gaining 6.5 per cent while Crown Resorts was up 2.8 per cent. Tabcorp gained 2.6 per cent.
In this novel he is pitted against a worthy adversary in the schools new principal, the first-ever female Headmaster (as he persists in calling her), and the story is told from their alternating points of view. Its wildly entertaining but it also has some serious things to say about education, gender, and class. Credit: A Dream Life, Claire Messud, Tablo Tales, $22.99 After the cheery Teddy Armstrong has been posted to Sydney, his family moves from their two-bedroom apartment in New York to a palatial, if rented, mansion with spectacular views of Sydney Harbour. But his wife Alice, unsure whether this posting is actually a promotion, feels she has been sent to the end of the earth, harbour view notwithstanding. The need for household help sets off a parade of colourful characters and provides an opportunity for Messud to reflect on different kinds of naivete, pretension and deception. This strangely charming novella has about it a whiff of Madeleine St Johns The Women in Black and, further back and fainter, the Katherine Mansfield stories set in New Zealand.

In each case the focus is on family and class dynamics and the style and point of view are sweet and sharp by turns, like a Granny Smith apple. Credit: The Bride of Almond Tree, Robert Hillman, Text, $32.99 The Second World War is over and Wesley Cunningham has returned home to the little town of Almond Tree, a fictional place somewhere in central Victoria. As a Quaker, Wes was a non-combatant but had an important role to play in the army. Meanwhile, his neighbour Beth Hardy has become an ardent supporter of the Soviet Union and isnt interested in Wes attraction to her. What happens over the next 15 years or so is told in very plain language, which, given its dramatic nature, is probably just as well. After various Cold War machinations, Beth ends up near death in a Moscow prison, while Wes goes crazy worrying about her back in Almond Tree.

The best things about this novel are the way that it explores the nature of belief systems  Quakerism, Communism, Buddhism  and the vivid and moving evocation of its rural setting. Credit: NON-FICTION PICK OF THE WEEK

Mortals, Rachel E. Menzies & Ross G. Menzies, Allen & Unwin, $34.99 Death comes to us all, yet we spend much of our lives in denial, striving for immortality through power, fame, offspring, art, religion, science. In Mortals, psychologists Rachel and Ross Menzies excavate the evolution of death denial and its cultural manifestations across Western history. They argue that the cure for this pervasive anxiety and the destructive behaviours it generates is to follow the Stoics and look death in the face. Only then can we live fully, grateful for every moment. To this ambitious project the authors bring a satisfying mix of scientific rigor and philosophical reflection, recognising that the subject cannot be regarded solely through a clinical lens.

By showing us the extent to which we are driven by the fear of death, Mortals releases from its grip, freeing us to joyfully embrace our fate.



Credit: The Brumby Wars, Anthony Sharwood, Hachette, $32.99 The divide between the two camps in the brumby wars  those who believe the wild horses of the High Country are essential to Australias identity, and those who say they are pests destroying the alpine environment  appears, at first, to be unbridgeable. But as Anthony Sharwood traverses the terrain made famous by Banjo Patersons The Man From Snowy River in order to understand the conflict, he is also on a mission to find middle ground. And by the end of his journey, there is reason for hope.

Along the way, he spins a yarn that is genial yet urgent, ranging from the Indigenous origins of the man who inspired Patersons poem to the anxiety of belonging that underlies the wars, guiding the reader through this complex landscape and the mythology hovering over it. Lets keep small pockets of brumbies ... Let them be a flash through the trees ... A vague hint, not a vast herd. Credit: Die Laughing: The Biography of Bill Leak, Fred Pawle, Institute of Public Affairs, $49.95 As a young man, Bill Leak threw himself into the dream of becoming a great artist. But after his first cartoon was published, he felt hed found his true vocation  vent[ing] my spleen on paper as an intervention in public affairs. This biography of Leak, written by friend and colleague Fred Pawle, evokes him through the eyes of those who knew and loved him, flaws and all. A man of extremes, he was both insecure and supremely confident, depressive and the life of the party, an iconoclast who longed for the validation of the art establishment, a larrikin of the left who turned right in the name of free speech.

While his story is framed by the provocative political obsessions of his later years, Leak emerges from this kaleidoscopic portrait as too conflicted and contrarian to be neatly pigeon-holed as an ideological crusader. Broken, Camilla Nelson & Catharine Lumby, La Trobe University Press, $37 Credit: When the Family Law Act was passed in 1975, it emphasised the wishes of the child. Yet since then, say Camilla Nelson and Catharine Lumby, a series of conservative judges and legislators have ignored and overruled those wishes. The belief that parents brainwash their children in their quest for custody or that childrens testimony is not credible is still so prevalent that a significant number of judges in Australia are opposed to hearing the childs view directly.
THE MANOR 

Amazon Prime (81 minutes), MA 15+

Picture this: you arrive in a new community, which seems pleasant and welcoming at first. Gradually it dawns on you that this is a special kind of hell, where everyone is constantly monitored, no one can leave and deaths are so frequent theyre taken for granted. Desperately, you try to sound the alarm  but the louder you protest, the more youre told you must be losing your mind.

Barbara Hershey as Judith in Axelle Carolyns The Manor. Credit:

This is horror movie stuff. But not entirely far-fetched if you happen to be a resident of an aged care facility  like Judith (Barbara Hershey), the heroine of Axelle Carolyns The Manor, a former dancer who collapses at her 70th birthday party and opts to make the move to assisted living.

Judith has also been diagnosed with Parkinsons disease, letting the film keep us in suspense after the fashion of Gaslight and Rosemarys Baby. Is she justified in her belief that the staff at Golden Sun Manor are plotting against her, or are her suspicions early symptoms of dementia? And which option is the more unsettling?
Restaurants, cafes, a yoga studio, hair and beauty salons and a movie screening are some of several tier-1 exposure sites in regional Victoria listed on the governments website.

In Geelong, The Groove Train in Waurn Ponds Shopping Centre was listed for October 8 from 10.40am to 12.15pm and October 9 from 1.30pm to 3pm.

Biryani King in Geelong was listed for October 4 from 1.35pm to 2.35pm and October 5 7.15pm to 9.25pm and 2Cousins Shisha Hookah Lounge and cafe was a site on October 9 midnight to 2am.

Upstate Studios, a pilates, yoga and boxing centre in Geelong, was listed for October 7 from 9.10am to 10.45am and 4pm to 6.45pm.

Also in Geelong, the Golden Dragon restaurant was listed on September 30 from 7.30pm to 9.15pm; the Village Cinema screening of Candy Man on September 30 from 9.15pm to 11.40pm; the Commun Ne Fein Hotel on October 6 and 7 from 5.30pm to 7.30pm.

Body and Soul Genesis 24/7 Gym in South Ballarat was listed for October 5 from 10.06am to 11.46am.

And in Shepparton IGA Caf - Fairleys Supa IGA was listed for September 30 from 11am to 12.15pm.

In Torquay, Bomboras restaurant was listed for October 6 from 11.50am to 12.50pm and Two Sugars eatery is an exposure site for October 9 from 8pm to 10pm.

In Swan Hill, Clikk Hair Design by Stacey was listed on October 4 from 10am to 4.30pm.

Honeyeater hair and beauty salon in Bendigo was listed for October 5 from 9am to 8.30pm and October 9 8am to 3.30pm.

Several sites were also listed in Halls Gap: Spirit of Punjab Indian restaurant on October 8 from 6.30pm to 7.30pm; Paper Scissors Rock Brew Co. on October 8 from 7.30pm to 8pm; Livefact Cafe on October 9 from 11am to 11.30am; Frame Brothers Restaurant and Bar on October 9, 6.40pm to 8.30pm and Grampians Adventure Golf, Cafe and Moco Gallery on October 10 from 11.15am to 1pm.

In Stawell, Industry and Co. Barbering and Hairdressing was listed on October 8 from 2pm to 3.30pm.

La Passion Cafe and Restaurant in Warrugal was listed on October 3 from 5.30pm to 7.30pm.

In Warrnambool, Ichiban Izakaya Japanese Restaurant was listed for October 1, from 5.30pm to 8pm and Pavilion Cafe and Bar was listed for October 2 from noon to 1.30pm.

Anyone who has been at any of these venues at these times must get tested immediately and isolate for 14 days regardless of the result.
I cant live this life; because this is not life, he says.

He checks his phone reflexively, weeping over graphic photos of loved ones he says were killed or injured by Taliban forces, including horrific images of a little girls tiny body. He is in constant physical pain from a chronic injury. Beside his bed are piles of medications for depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, and a dog-eared medical textbook.

Mustafa, 38, has the elegant, long-fingered hands of a surgeon. He was a surgeon once, performing hundreds of operations  perhaps as many as 1000, he says  at one of Afghanistans top hospitals. But one day, three near-dead Taliban fighters were rushed in for treatment and everything changed.

I call to the police: Why you bring them here to us to die, it is not good for us, he recalls.

The men did die and almost at once, Mustafa says, his life was also in peril.

Blaming Mustafa for the mens deaths, militants from the Haqqani Network, closely aligned with the Taliban, made repeated attempts on his life. Mustafa says bombs were affixed to his house and he was shot on three separate occasions, surviving bullet wounds to his abdomen, chest and left leg.
In the rolling land near the caves, Enshi officials for years promoted wildlife farming to alleviate poverty. Enshi accounted for 17 per cent of Hubei wildlife farms shut down in the pandemic, official announcements show. Authorities estimated that the 290 shuttered Enshi farms had 450,000 to 780,000 animals. Chinas government and the WHO say the likeliest origin of the pandemic is natural transmission through wildlife. Yet little progress has been made in establishing a definitive natural pathway from a bat to a Wuhan market  or for any competing theory, for that matter  because of the Chinese governments refusal to grant scientists access. Men from a nearby village take a repaired pump back into one of the caves in the Tenglong complex. Credit:The Washington Post We really need to find out more about what viruses are circulating in those bats in the Enshi caves, said Michael Worobey, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Arizona. That kind of proximity of farmed animals and bats that could be carrying coronaviruses is exactly the kind of thing we worry about. Marc Eloit, head of pathogen discovery at the Pasteur Institute in Paris, agrees that much more sampling needs to be done in China, and specifically in these karst areas.

Eloit said he would be very interested to obtain samples from bats and caves in Enshi, adding that gathering bat guano could be a start. Released into the woods Beijing has been less than eager to find answers in Hubei, as it touts its own theory that the virus may have originated overseas. One foreign scientist who worked for years with the Wuhan Institute of Virology, and who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters, said the institutes field research in bat caves has been suspended since the pandemic began. But Chinese authorities had Enshi in their sights before the threat of COVID-19 was known. A clampdown on Enshis wildlife trade at wet markets began on December 23, 2019, according to state media, eight days before China publicly acknowledged the new virus. The head start in Enshi doesnt mean officials found something amiss: it could have been preventive, as rumours emerged of market vendors falling mysteriously ill in Wuhan. But it means evidence on Enshis wildlife trade was erased before the world was aware of the existence of a novel coronavirus.

Since then, Beijing has rebuffed international calls for more details on supply chains of live wildlife leading to Wuhan markets, even as local officials shut down wildlife farms  possibly coming across some of the information the WHO seeks. US intelligence agencies told President Joe Biden in August that the virus was not a biological weapon, but that natural transmission and a lab-related accident were possible origins. During the trip to Enshi, a reporter was followed by men in several cars who did not identify themselves, but who would subsequently talk to interviewees. None of the farm operators would say whether the animals had been tested for SARS-CoV-2 before being disposed of or released. Near the entrance to the older section of Tenglong Cave in Chinas Hubei province. Credit:The Washington Post The Lichuan Juyuanxiang Special Breeding Co-operative in Enshi illustrates the difficulties that the WHO would have in finding fresh evidence, even if granted access. A two-storey, concrete structure where the animals were previously kept now stands empty, vines creeping up the side. They were released back into the woods, said a man surnamed Yang at the Lichuan Juyuanxiang farm, which called itself Hubeis largest civet farm. The government wouldnt allow us to raise them any more.

Visits to nearly a dozen other former wildlife farms in the area yielded similar stories. Owners were either not home, denied raising animals listed on business registrations, or said they stopped farming before the outbreak. Yang, who identified himself as the farm owners uncle, said they had more than 1000 civets at the time of the outbreak, and that the farm was closed down by May 2020. His nephew, owner Yang Ancui, declined to speak when reached by phone. Aside from civets, the farm  which sat downhill from a large cave  was licensed for breeding porcupines and wild boars. Push for investigation Scientists say SARS-CoV-2 probably originated in bats. How it got from a bat to a human is unclear, with debate over two prevailing theories.

According to the natural-transmission theory, the virus could have been passed directly to a human who wandered into a cave  perhaps a villager, a hunter or a scientist. It also could have been transmitted first to an intermediate host such as a civet, for instance, if the civet drank water contaminated with bat faeces. A second theory posits that the outbreak could have stemmed from a lab accident; Chinas most advanced coronavirus research lab is based in Wuhan. A separate team at the Wuhan Centre for Disease Control and Prevention is known to have searched bat caves in Hubei for new diseases in 2019. Chinese officials have denied a lab accident occurred. Edward Holmes, a virologist and evolutionary biologist at the University of Sydney, said that, to his knowledge, bat sampling had been done by scientists near to but not inside Enshi, and that no coronaviruses were detected, but he added that the sample sizes were too small. Im certain that SARS-CoV-2-like viruses will be found in China in places where you find Rhinolophus bats, Holmes said.

Some scientists are pushing for a more vigorous search for an intermediate host, which, if found, would be strong evidence for natural transmission. Other coronaviruses such as SARS and MERS were carried by intermediate hosts: civets and camels, respectively. Wuhan markets with early outbreaks had sold live wild animals. A person with knowledge of the Wuhan market supply chains, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to protect his contacts, said live animals sold at markets in Wuhan were sourced from Hubei, particularly Enshi and Xianning prefectures, as well as from Hunan and Jiangxi provinces. Chinese authorities have deflected questions about the presence of live wild animals at Wuhan markets before the outbreak. A Scientific Reports study in June that catalogued illegal sales of live wildlife at the markets has not been covered by Chinas state-run media. The two Chinese authors did not respond to requests for comment about what they knew about those supply chains. Loading International team members from the joint WHO-China study on coronavirus origins released in March have said they believe live wildlife was removed from Wuhan markets before the official January 1, 2020, closure of the Huanan market, an early infection hot spot. Details in the WHO-China study pertaining to wildlife supply chains at that market focused on chilled and frozen meat products left behind when stall operators cleared out, not on live animals traded there in preceding months.

Wildlife captively bred in Enshi before the pandemic included potential intermediate hosts such as palm civets, raccoon dogs, porcupines, wild boars, hedgehogs, rodents, ferret badgers, ocelots, muntjac deer and flying squirrels, official business registries show. Huang Shuang, a chicken vendor at Yuanmengzhuang market in Enshi city, recalled live wildlife being sold in late 2019. The rules are really strict now, so you dont see any more wild animals, he said. There were some around here before, not a lot, but you could find some. On December 23, 2019  eight days before Wuhan announced a mysterious pneumonia  the Enshi forestry bureau ordered a halt of live wildlife sales at wet markets in the prefecture, the state-run Hubei Daily reported in February 2020. In January 2020, a month before China banned the trade and consumption of wild animals nationwide, the Enshi forestry bureau announced that a goal for the year was rectifying wildlife breeding and strengthening monitoring for wild animal epidemics. At least six wet markets in Enshi city were closed by March 2020.

An Enshi forestry bureau report in September this year recounted enforcement steps including wildlife farm shutdowns and cash rewards for tips on violations. Some online notices about local wildlife farming became inaccessible after The Post approached Enshi authorities. Humans have long encountered bats at Tenglong Cave, according to residents and news reports. As early as 1988, the Belgian-Chinese Karst and Caves Association reported intensive utilisation of the cave by residents, including digging out bat dung for fertiliser. Tourists pass over a bridge above where the Qing River flows through Tenglong Cave. Credit:The Washington Post Tourists and adventurers continue to visit. At the entrance to Tenglongs lower cave, where the Qing River surges towards the Yangtze River, local spelunkers geared up on a recent day, fastening helmets, snaking ropes over their shoulders, packing waterproof bags.
Wilmington, DE (19810)

Today

Cloudy and damp with rain early...then becoming mostly clear overnight. Low around 35F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%..

Tonight

Cloudy and damp with rain early...then becoming mostly clear overnight. Low around 35F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%.
Reporter

I cover a range of stories for WDRB, but really enjoy tracking what's going on at our State Capitol. I grew up on military bases all over the world, but am a Kentuckian at heart. I'm an EKU alum, and have lived in Louisville for 30 years.
WSU Presentation to Discuss Bringing America Together

October 12, 2021

OGDEN, Utah  Weber State Universitys Office of Interdisciplinary Collaborations and the Olene S. Walker Institute of Politics & Public Service will host Robert Putnam and Shaylyn Romney Garrett to discuss their new book, The Upswing: How America Came Together a Century Ago and How We Can Do it Again, Oct. 25 at 12:30

The event will be held in a hybrid format, Putnam will join the discussion virtually, and Romney Garrett will attend in person. The campus community is invited to join either in the Shepherd Union Wildcat Theater, or virtually at this link.

Putnam, the Malkin Research Professor of Public Policy at Harvard, is author of 15 books including the best-selling Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community, Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis and is co-author of American Grace: How Religion Divides and Unites Us.

Romney Garrett, a graduate of Harvard University, is a writer and social entrepreneur. Her non-profit initiatives have been featured in the New York Times and the Harvard Business Review.

Their new co-authored book, The Upswing, explains how we have gone from an individualistic I society to a more communitarian We society and then back again, and how we can learn from that experience to become a stronger, more unified nation.

Director of WSUs new Office of Interdisciplinary Collaborations and professor of history Susan Matt said the historical perspective provides hope that with effort, the future of America could include greater unity.

"Putnam has long been a leading expert on the importance of community  showing us why community matters, what strengthens it and how to grapple with the polarization, apathy and inequality that so often threatens it, she said. Examining how earlier generations had strengthened their communities, seems like an important campus conversation."

The Wall Street Journal described the book as "sweeping yet remarkably accessible, noting that Mr. Putnam and Ms. Garrett provide a crucial missing ingredient in contemporary social commentary: They lay out a sociology of success that, drawing on our history, can help us think concretely about how to enable a revival of American life."

The event is co-sponsored by Convocations, the Engaged Learning Series and the Lindquist College of Arts & Humanities.

Join the webinar at this link. Passcode: 909074

Visit weber.edu/wsutoday for more news about Weber State University.
WESTFIELD, MA (WGGB/WSHM) -- A Westfield man has been battling stage 5 kidney disease for nearly three years. We spoke with Robert Lafogg and his wife, Wanda, back in January 2020 when they were hoping for a donor. Now, Robert is going to receive that lifesaving transplant.

"I would do anything to see him get this kidney and I don't know what I would do without you, said Wanda Lafogg.

Robert Lafoggs wife, Wanda, spoke with Western Mass News in January 2020, desperately hoping someone would come forward to donate their kidney to her husband.

Now, nearly two years later, shes breathing a sigh of relief.

Its like Christmas time, when you're that little kid and you're waiting for that special toy to come on Christmas morning, Wanda Lafogg added.

Robert was diagnosed with stage 5 kidney disease in January 2019. A few people came forward to try to help, but bloodwork and tests showed they werent the right match.

Its been hard, the dialysis. Ive watched a couple people pass away at dialysis. Its been hard, Robert Lafogg explained.

Westfield man seeking community's help in search for kidney donor WESTFIELD, MA (WGGB/WSHM) -- One year ago this month, a Westfield man was diagnosed with Stage 5 kidney disease.

Wanda Lafogg added, I knew when he would come up those stairs what kind of a treatment he had. If he had an okay treatmentor a bad one. His face was a dead giveawayIt is such a struggle to watch your loved one, your spouse, go through such torment and there's nothing you can do about itEvery day we wake up and I look at him and I say Ooh he got through another day.

Then Wandas cousin Melissa Dogonniuck made the decision to get tested.

Even though I was from Pennsylvania and I didnt know bob as well as I know my cousin, but I just felt this need to just go ahead and do it and by my faith, I went for it and did it and we were a perfect match immediately, Dogonniuck said.

Sitting in their matching T-shirts, the two told Western Mass News that Tuesday, Robert will undergo his last dialysis treatment. Then the next morning, they'll both undergo this lifesaving procedure.

Its only about two days or so recovery for me in the hospital and then I have another three to four weeks afterwards, Dogonniuck explained.

As for Robert, he will be in the ICU for a couple days, then hopes to be home by the beginning of next week and will continue his recovery for six months afterwards, even quarantining thru the holidays, but Robert said it is so worth it.

A little bit nervous about the operation, but excited. They say as soon as that kidney goes in, youre like a different person, Robert Lafogg said.

Melissa said how rewarding it will be to watch Robert be able to return to normal life.

I think its just so exciting for me to see as his living donor to see him move on with his life and have that life with his children, his grandkids, and be there for them as they grow older and thats part of my reward is to watch him live his life, Dogonniuck added.

Now, her mission is to encourage others to become a donor of any kind, even inspiring her husband, Chris.

Ive recently began the process of signing up for our local area's bone marrow registry and thats only because of what this beautiful woman has decided to do, said Chris Dogonniuck.

Wanda feels nothing but gratitude towards her cousin.

I cant even explain how wonderful and appreciative I am. Shes saving my husbands life. My cousin is saving my husbands lifeShe will always be my little angel, said Wanda Lafogg.

If youd like more information on how to become an organ donor, you can CLICK HERE.
Rapper Kanye West was seen visiting Grace Farms in New Canaan on Friday.

As reported by Page Six and documented in a series of Instagram posts, West was seen walking around the grounds of the 80-acre farm along with social media influencer Chris Smoove.

The rapper also appeared in a video with Smoove, who was guessing the cost of West's clothing.

In another Instagram photo posted by a Kanye West fan account, West was seen taking a photo with staff members of Grace Farms.

According to Cosmopolitan, West was in the area for Kim Kardashian West's hosting of "Saturday Night Live" in New York City, which he was also in attendance for. Kardashian West filed for divorce from West in February; however, they retain joint custody of their four children.

The farm, which is run by the Grace Farms Foundation, invites people from the community to participate in activities that range from birdwatching to religious courses. The famous River building, which was designed by Japanese architectural firm SANAA, opened in 2015.

Gotham/GC Images

Last week, West announced plans to open a K-12 Prep School called Donda Academy. The goal of the university, which is slated to open as an "intersection between faith and the innovation of the future," is to "equip students with an education that will last in the ever-changing world," according to the school's website.

Grace Farms did not immediately respond to a request for comments.
About 19 months into the pandemic, the pharmaceutical giant Merck has asked the Food and Drug Administration to approve an anti-viral drug the company says can help prevent serious illness from COVID for those at high risk.

The drug, known as molnupiravir, was shown to reduce the risk of hospitalization and death by 50 percent, according to Mercks interim analysis of its Phase 3 trial.

The benefits of this that really strike me, in contrast to what our standard of care is, is first and foremost its an oral drug. Its a pill. When we think about our current COVID treatments, they require admission to a hospital or an infusion center  [this drug] has the potential for being taken at home, said Dr. Scott Roberts, associate medical director for infection prevention at Yale New Haven Health.

The request for emergency authorization comes on the tail end of a new wave of COVID-19 infections spurred by the highly infectious delta variant.

In Connecticut, the delta variant was found to have caused nearly all cases genetically sequenced by researchers, and spurred a spike in new infections and hospitalizations in the late summer. However, cases and hospitalizations have been declining in recent weeks.

The extraordinary impact of this pandemic demands that we move with unprecedented urgency, and that is what our teams have done by submitting this application for molnupiravir to the FDA within 10 days of receiving the data, Robert M. Davis, chief executive officer and president of Merck, said in a statement.

Roberts said data was limited on the drug, but said he was encouraged by the information Merck has released.

All of this makes me really optimistic, I am really excited to see the full data release from Merck, Roberts said.

With the virus still circulating, Dr. Asha Shah, director of infectious diseases at Stamford Health, said molnupiravir could be a game-changer.

It was refreshing to see this because its tackling the pandemic from a different angle. Vaccines are for prevention, this is for treatment  outpatient treatment, Shah said.

Mercks request for emergency use of its COVID-19 anti-viral drug comes amid a continued push to increase vaccination rates locally and across the nation. In Connecticut, nearly 80 percent of all eligible residents have been fully vaccinated, a number that has been increasing modestly in the fall.

Along with the effort to drive up rates, the states vaccine providers are in the early stages of administering booster shots to eligible individuals, including those working and living in high-risk settings, who have already finished their two-shot course of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

It was unclear when the FDA would review data for molnupiravir. The federal regulator was expected this week to consider data from Moderna and Johnson & Johnson relating to associated booster shots for the companies vaccines.

Despite no promise that it will receive federal approval, Merck said it has been manufacturing millions of doses of the drug in anticipation the company will get the necessary authorization. Merck, in announcing that it had made the request from regulators, said Monday that it has 1.7 million courses of the drug ready to give to the U.S. government.

Roberts said it appears the drug would be offered as a five-day course of two pills a day.

I think its really nice to have an additional tool to help those who are diagnosed with COVID to get better outcomes, Roberts said.
Contributed / Getty

HARTFORD  A 16-year-old girl was in stable condition after she was shot Monday afternoon while in a vehicle, police said.

Officers were dispatched to a local hospital at around 3:14 p.m. after a report that a young victim had arrived at the hospital with a gunshot wound, police said.
The Kentucky State Police is hosting an online pumpkin carving contest ahead of Halloween, and everyone's invited.

KSP is inviting everyone to participate in the online contest by carving a pumpkin and submitting a photo of their creation via email.

According to KSP, there will be three different entry categories for the contest:

Most Boo-tiful (Artsy, Elegant) Most Spook-tacular (Creative, Creepy) KSP Themed (KSP Logo, Cruiser, Badge, Etc.)

The winning submission for each category will receive a Ghoulish Goodie Basket as a prize.

There will also be a "People's Choice Award" category that will receive a prize based on social media "likes," regardless of which category the submission was entered under. The People's Choice Award prize is a KSP shirt and hat plus a treat basket.

To enter to win, you can submit a photo of your pumpkin to kspsocialmedia@ky.gov and include the contest category you're entering in.

The deadline for submissions is Oct. 30 at 5:00 p.m., and winners will be announced on Oct. 31 on the KSP Facebook page.

You can view a full list of contest guidelines by clicking here.
Allentown, PA (18103)

Today

Some evening rain, then clearing late. Brisk and turning colder. A partial lunar eclipse will peak around 4am as skies clear..

Tonight

Some evening rain, then clearing late. Brisk and turning colder. A partial lunar eclipse will peak around 4am as skies clear.
Reading, PA (19601)

Today

Some evening rain, then clearing late. Brisk and turning colder. A partial lunar eclipse will peak around 4am as skies clear..

Tonight

Some evening rain, then clearing late. Brisk and turning colder. A partial lunar eclipse will peak around 4am as skies clear.
Lead casting has been unveiled for The Osmonds  A New Musical tour.

Penned by Jay Osmond, the piece follows the iconic music-making group from their star residency on The Andy Williams Show through to the arrival of Donny and Marie, the piece will be wowing audiences all over the country.

Tunes included in the stage show, which has a book by Shaun Kerrison and Julian Bigg, are "Love Me For A Reason", "Crazy Horses", "Let Me In", "Puppy Love", "Long Haired Lover From Liverpool", "Paper Roses" and more.

The jukebox show is directed by Kerrison with choreography and musical staging by the award-winner Bill Deamer, set and costume design by Lucy Osborne, lighting design by Ben Cracknell and sound design by Dan Samson.

Appearing will be Ryan Anderson (Pippin) as Merrill, Jamie Chatterton (making his professional debut) as Alan, Alex Lodge (A Christmas Carol) as Jay, Danny Nattrass (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat) as Wayne and Joseph Peacock (The Last Ship) as Donny.

Jay Osmond said today: "I am thrilled that we have found such dynamic and talented performers to play my brothers and me. We saw some brilliant actors in the auditions and I was so impressed at the work people put in throughout the process. When these five guys walked in, they lit up the room with their smiles and raised the roof with their voices; I knew we'd found our boy band. It is an honour to welcome Ryan Anderson, Jamie Chatterton, Alex Lodge, Danny Nattrass and Joseph Peacock to the family and I can't wait for audiences to see what they can do. Their style, charm and talent will bring our music and story to a whole new generation and you will love them (for a reason)' as much as we do."

The piece will open on tour at Curve in Leicester on 3 February 2022, with over 30 show dates through to December 2022. Tickets for select dates are available below, with further cast and creatives to be announced.
The morning after seeing Lucy Kirkwood's Maryland, a rehearsed reading of a half-hour play written as a "howl" of anger following the murder of Sabina Nessa and the rape and murder of Sarah Everard, I turned on the radio.

There, on the BBC Today programme was a woman talking about the way a police officer flirted with her when she was reporting her violent mugging at the hands of four young men. It had uncanny half-echoes of the events described in the play I'd just witnessed at the Royal Court Theatre Upstairs, underlining its necessary topicality.

But it also made me think about how often Kirkwood's writing lingers outside the theatre, helping me shape and understand what's going on in the world. Chimerica informs my thinking about US and China relations to this day; the under-valued The Children haunts me when I contemplate climate change and ecological disaster.

She is a writer utterly with her finger on the pulse, but more than that, she is someone with a rare ability to tease out thoughts around the edges of things, those nagging collisions and coincidences, those threads of concern that illuminate the central issue.

Maryland may have been written in just two-days and may be being staged by a rolling cast of actors, and a team of co-directors made up of Milli Bhatia, Vicky Featherstone and Lucy Morrison, but it has the force and fury of full-realised drama. We've been asked not to review it as such, but the interest around it  its sold-out run has already been extended to October 23  is huge.

It starts simply enough, with the cast walking on and chalking names on three areas of the stage: the street, the police station, and  behind a line of women sitting on chairs  The Furies.

This chorus of women bear not only a close relationship to the avenging goddesses of Greek drama (originally conceived as the ghosts of the murdered) but also to everywoman. Their testimonies and their questions about the violence that men  "not all men"  wreak on women provide a commentary that runs alongside the narrative action where two women who have been viciously assaulted are reporting the crime to the police.

The language is scalpel-sharp; the way the police substitute inappropriate small talk for empathy, the constant conditionality about the possibility of justice. The women are told they mustn't speak to each other, because they don't want to prejudice a trial. "If there is one." They are belittled even while they are supposedly being helped.

Meanwhile, the Furies ask us to think about our relationships with our neighbours, how we feel when we walk down the street. When they are not doing this, they are relating horrifying statistics including the fact that one in 40 women aged between 16 and 24 are raped or sexually assaulted by penetration each year. Their words are punctuated by a truly unbearable metallic sound effect (sound design by Elena Pena) as a substitute for the words rape' or murder'.

The culminative effect is as devastating as a punch to the solar plexus. We know all this stuff, we weep for the murders of women such as Sabina Nessa and Sarah Everard, for the suffering of their families and friends. Yet to see the ills that underlie and allow them woven together into such a powerful drama is still shocking. It asks why we are not more angry; at the end of this scalding 30 minutes, it's impossible not to be.

Kirkwood is making the play available for free for six weeks to UK theatre companies and drama organisations, with the venue also emailing the script to anyone who requests it. It deserves to be as widely seen as possible as part of the catalyst for change.
"Brixton ain't what it used to be". The same could well be said for the area surrounding Park Theatre, or Elephant and Castle, Peckham and many more of London's districts. Gentrification is a live problem not only in the capital but numerous British cities and Archie Maddocks' A Place For We explores the process with clarity and sadness, but a good deal of humour also.

There is a risk with basing a play around gentrification that the story comes across as overly didactic or educational, but part of the reason Maddocks succeeds here is by weaving the social consequences into the plot at every turn. Far from being a list of facts and figures, there is real emotion in watching a landlord and lady lose their pub in the '70s to a Trinidadian funeral director, who in turn is bought out by a middle-class couple intent on converting the space into a fancy wine bar.

A Place For We is therefore less about solely damning gentrification and more concerned with conveying that change is an irrevocable part of life. This is not to say that human beings are passengers in this process, far from it. How urban spaces change over time, and how we try to make these situations as fair as possible for the less fortunate, are the bigger questions Maddocks poses.

Make no mistake, this production can be uncomfortable viewing and not only for the way it skewers middle-class views surrounding gentrification. Watching white couple Austin and Violet, played by Blake Harrison and Joanna Horton, bemoan discrimination upon being told that a traditional West Indian funeral director won't be able to assist them, speaks to the white ignorance surrounding race, culture and identity that plagues British society.

It is no exaggeration to say that David Webber dazzles in this production and it feels at times as though Maddocks wrote A Place For We with him in mind. All of the play's best moments occur when he is on stage, first as Clarence (a man stuck in the past and hanging onto tradition) and then as his father Elmorn, a member of the Windrush generation. He brings comedy and solemnity to either character and whilst other dialogue remains tight, it has to be said the play simply does not hit the same without his presence.

This production has been a long time coming. A Place For We was shortlisted back in 2017 for the Bruntwood Prize and Alfred Fagon Award but rest assured, it has been worth the wait.
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National Professional Officer (Finance), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Organization: World Health Organization (WHO)

Country: Malaysia

City: Kuala Lumpur

Office: WHO GSC Kuala Lumpur

Grade: NO-A

Closing date: Friday, 15 October 2021

National Professional Officer (Finance)

( 2104739 )

Grade : NO-A

Contractual Arrangement : Fixed-term appointment

Contract Duration (Years, Months, Days) : 2 years, renewable, subject to satisfactory performance and continuing need for the post.

Job Posting: Oct 1, 2021, 7:14:55 AM

The WHO Global Service Centre (GSC), Malaysia, provides specialized services to all staff and all WHO offices worldwide in respect of human resources, procurement, finance and support of corporate IT applications and infrastructure. The aim of the GSC is to provide the swift and reliable delivery of a comprehensive array of products and services covering all these fields. The Global Finance team (GFI) and Global Payroll team (PAY) within the GSC provides processing and accounting services for payroll, pension, accounts payable, travel and expenses and awards transactions as set out in the Service Catalogue.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

Within the delegated authority, the incumbent is assigned all or part of the following responsibilities. However, staff may be rotated and assigned to perform other duties within GFI and PAY as determined by the Coordinator, GFI and the Global Payroll Manager which includes ad hoc assignments, reinforcing other teams or replacing other staff members as required. General duties and responsibilities (for all teams): Deliver responsive services to customers and stakeholders in alignment with the GSC Service Catalogue. This is achieved through processing requests received in ERP workflow; requests assigned through other Corporate systems; or assigned directly by Supervisors, in accordance with established procedures, to correctly administer and implement the assigned tasks to ensure quality and accuracy are met.

Follow up closely on the pending tasks to resolve within response times set out in the Service Catalogue.

Seek advice or guidance from Supervisors as and when necessary.

Provide advice or guidance to other staff in the team.

Take initiative to communicate with colleagues within or across departments to seek confirmation or clarification on issues when necessary.

Respond to enquiries and provides support, advice and guidance to clients in Headquarters (HQs), Regional Offices (ROs), Country offices (COs).

Assist with identification of system issues or enhancements, and in testing fixes and solutions.

Provide support on queries by internal and external auditors.

Reconcile General Ledger accounts; and prepare journal vouchers and accounting entries as required.

Analyze financial records and produce accurate management reports.

The four teams in GFI and PAY have team-specific duties over and above those described above.

Payroll and pension team duties: Maintenance of staff members financial records.

Process monthly, daily and adhoc payroll runs.

Process separations.

Respond to payslip queries from staff.

Perform ad hoc assignments,special projects, and all other related duties when required.

Accounts Payable team duties: Creation and maintenance of supplier master data records.

Process supplier invoices, credit memos and advance payments.

Provide account and payment attestations.

Process and execute payments,process payment voids and refunds.

Process travel transactions including travel cancellations and refunds.

Provide input to separation processing.

Uploading monthly and mid-month per diem.

Exception and error handling.

Perform ad hoc assignments, special projects, and all other related duties when required.

Financial Reporting andcontrols: Reconcile bank accounts.

Accounts review and analysis, reporting and reconciliation of GSC managed accounts.

Perform quality checks, monitoring and exceptions reporting, Reconcile General Ledger accounts and prepare journal vouchers and accounting entries as required.

Actively contribute and participate in month end and year end closure activities.

Perform ad hoc assignments, special projects, and all other related duties when required.

Awards team duties: Donor creation.

Process awards transactions such as inter alia awards creation, funding distribution and workplan funding.

Donor agreement review.

Running automated programmes for Revenue and Receivable generation

Reporting and reconciliation of receivables including hedging activities.

Monitoring and exception reporting.

Perform ad hoc assignments,special projects, and all other related duties when required.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

Essential: First level University Degree in accounting / financial management or in a closely related field of study or equivalent completed professional training in accounting certification such as CPA, CA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent.

Desirable: A recognized professional qualification such as CA, CPA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent.

Experience

Essential: At least one year of recent relevant experience in accounting/finance administration and payroll.

Recent relevant experience in the application of IPSAS standards.

Recent demonstrated experience in large, international companies or organizations.

Experience in using at least one ERP system.

Desirable: Recent experience in a Finance and HR Shared Services Centre.

Recent experience in leading a team.

Skills

Demonstrated financial accounting skills;

Ability to work under pressure and to prioritize the workload;

Ability to brief and train staff;

Client service oriented;

Strong analytical skills;

Ability to draft correspondence;

Demonstrated skill andproficiency in the use of computers and information technology;

Expertise in the use of MS Office and Web-based software.

Advanced knowledge of Excel.

WHO Competencies

Teamwork

Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences

Communication

Producing results

Moving forward in a changing environment

Use of Language Skills

Essential: Expert knowledge of English.

REMUNERATION

Remuneration comprises an annual base salary starting at MYR 96,606 (subject to mandatory deductions for pension contributions and health insurance, as applicable) and 30 days of annual leave.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

This vacancy notice may be used to fill other similar positions at the same grade level including those of temporary nature.

Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted. cuw4hB5-Dh7qKS

A written test may be used as a form of screening.

In the event that your candidature is retained for an interview, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. WHO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed through the link: http://www.whed.net/. Some professional certificates may not appear in the WHED and will require individual review.

Any appointment/extension of appointment is subject to WHO Staff Regulations, Staff Rules and Manual.

For information on WHOs operations please visit: http://www.who.int.

WHO is committed to workforce diversity.

WHO prides itself on a workforce that adheres to the highest ethical and professional standards and that is committed to put the WHO Values Charter into practice.

WHO has zero tolerance towards sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct (i.e., discrimination, abuse of authority and harassment). All members of the WHO workforce have a role to play in promoting a safe and respectful workplace and should report to WHO any actual or suspected cases of SEA, sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct. To ensure that individuals with a substantiated history of SEA, sexual harassment or other types of abusive conduct are not hired by the Organization, WHO will conduct a background verification of final candidates.

WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.

This is a National Professional Officer position. Therefore, only applications from nationals of the country where the duty station is located will be accepted. Applicants who are not nationals of this country will not be considered.

Link to the organizations job offer: https://unjobs.org/vacancies/1633271444091
Administrative and Procurement Assistant, Kramatorsk, Ukraine

Organization: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

Country: Ukraine

Field location: Kramatorsk

Office: FAO in Kramatorsk

Closing date: Thursday, 21 October 2021

2102708

Administrative and Procurement Assistant

Job Posting: 07/Oct/2021

Closure Date: 21/Oct/2021, 9:59:00 PM

Organizational Unit : REU

Job Type: Non-staff opportunities

Type of Requisition : NPP (National Project Personnel)

Grade Level : N/A

Primary Location: Ukraine-Kramatorsk

Duration : 5 months with possibility of extension

Post Number : N/A

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please note that Closure Date and Time displayed above are based on date and time settings of your personal device

FAO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, background and culture

Qualified female applicants, qualified nationals of non-and under-represented member nations and person with disabilities are encouraged to apply

Everyone who works for FAO is required to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct, and to uphold our values. FAO has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and FAO, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination

All selected candidates, therefore, will undergo rigorous reference and background checks

All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality

The incumbent may be re-assigned to different activities and/or duty stations depending on the evolving needs of the Organization

Organizational Setting FAO Ukraine is a project management Office headed by the Regional Programme Leader (RPL) under the operational responsibility of the Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia. FAO Ukraine is contributing to the development of national policies, programmes and projects to achieve food security and to reduce hunger and malnutrition, to help develop the agricultural, fisheries and forestry sectors, and to use their environmental and natural resources in a sustainable manner.

Reporting Lines Under the overall supervision of the Regional Representative and of the de-facto Head of the Office/Budget Holder, the direct supervision of the Head of Office/Programme Officer in Ukraine, the technical supervision of the Lead Technical Officer and in close collaboration with International Project Coordinator and Heads of Field Offices.

Technical Focus The Administrative and Procurement Assistant will be responsible for provision of assistance in administrative, operational and procurement aspects of FAO response and recovery programme in eastern Ukraine.

Tasks and responsibilities

The Administrative and Procurement Assistant will carry out the following activities:

Contribute to day-to-day tasks ensuring that FAO programs/projects implemented in conflict-affected regions achieve the expected results;

Provide administrative assistance and logistical support for the purpose of carrying out of trainings, workshops, and other outreach events on matters within the FAOs mandate;

Keep track on management of FAO vehicles fleet, including checking of drivers logs;

Carry out all administrative tasks of the field offices, including provision of necessary support for field missions such as security clearance, travel authorization, travel expense claim, accommodation booking, transportation requests, and other relevant tasks as required;

Oversee the financial and administrative activities of the office, including but not limited to management of office petty cash, preparation of financial reports; conduct regular inventory and contract audits;

Support international and national staff during their missions to the region, including preparation of relevant documents required by the FAO and the Government of Ukraine;

Assist the FAO Team with translation of the documents and other correspondence and provide interpretation on an as-needed basis;

Process incoming and draft outgoing correspondence, e-mails, and other written materials;

Undertake operational functions relating to the procurement process, including but not limited to: planning, preparation of routine documentation and correspondence related to assigned procurement actions, identification of potential suppliers , preparation of invitations to bids and RFQs, bid summaries, simple contractual amendments, renewals; obtain clarifications when necessary; perform market assessments to identify possible local suppliers;

Take actions connected with delivery, prepare acceptance documentation/donation letters;

Assist in filing documents, correspondence and database records related to procurement actions;

Ensure implementation of procurement arrangements following the applicable rules and procedures;

Plan, manage, and execute purchases of outside goods and services individually and in a team, in particular ensure acquisition of products and services at competitive prices with favorable terms to accomplish the projects objectives; cvLPmcT Dh7qKS

Perform any other relevant duties and tasks as required.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

University degree in economics, business administration, procurement and other related fields.

Three years of experience in administrative, accounting and/ or procurement support work,

Working knowledge (Level C) of English and level B of French or Spanish Advanced knowledge of English. Knowledge of one of the other FAO languages (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) is an advantage.

Good knowledge of the MS Office package, Internet and office technology equipment.

National of Ukraine.

FAO Core Competencies

Results Focus

Teamwork

Communication

Building Effective Relationships

Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills

Very good knowledge of the corporate computerized financial / travel / human resources systems

Good knowledge of procurement regulations and procedures

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

FAO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing)

Incomplete applications will not be considered. If you need help please contact: Careers@fao.org

Applications received after the closing date will not be accepted

Please note that FAO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/

For additional employment opportunities visit the FAO employment website: http://www.fao.org/employment/home/en/

FAO seeks gender, geographical and linguistic diversity in its staff and international consultants in order to best serve FAO Members in all regions.

HOW TO APPLY

To apply, visit the recruitment website at Jobs at FAO and complete your online profile.

Only applications received through the recruitment portal will be considered

Candidates are requested to attach a letter of motivation to the online profile.

If you need help, or have queries, please contact: Careers@fao.org

Link to the organizations job offer: https://unjobs.org/vacancies/1633631101899
Internship - Human Resources Section (Contracts Management), The Hague

Organization: International Criminal Court (ICC)

Country: Netherlands

City: The Hague, Netherlands

Office: ICC The Hague

Closing date: Friday, 31 December 2021

20264 | Registry

Organisational Unit:

Human Resources Section, Registry

Duty Station:

The Hague - NL

Contract Duration:

6 months

Deadline for Applications:

31 December 2021

Required Documents for this Application

Please note that you will need to have the following information ready in order to complete your application:

A completed "Duties and Responsibilities Form" (refer to step 1 on your eRecruitment Profile page).

Motivation letter (maximum of 400 words in French or English).

Two reference letters (one academic).

Scanned copies of university degrees and/or diplomas.

Scanned copies of official academic transcripts that state your courses, subject, results and completion date.

Important message:

To participate in containing the COVID-19 spread and in line with the measures adopted by the Host State, the ICC staff members, interns and visiting professional based in The Hague are currently working remotely. Accordingly, the candidates selected for this position are expected to work remotely from within the duty station (The Hague) until the re-opening of the ICCs premises. They are also expected to work with their own computer and internet connection.

Contract Duration

Interns are required to work full time for a period of six months (to be agreed to prior to commencement). Internship placements shall not be extended beyond six months.

Organisational Context

The Human Resources Section provides a unified and coordinated approach to HR matters across the Court and carries out all human resources activities in an efficient and timely manner whilst serving as HR advisor to management within the Court.

The Section is one of five sections located in the Division of Management Services. The other four are the Budget Section, the Finance Section, the Safety and Security Section and the General Services Section. The Division also includes an Occupational Health Unit and an Enterprise Resource Planning System (SAP) Team.

Human resources management is a shared responsibility with line managers and the HR Sections aim is to be a trusted provider of a variety of centralized policy, advisory and administrative services for the Court, its managers and staff. These services include strategic workforce planning and organizational design, job designs and advertisement, recruitment and on-boarding, administration of salaries (payroll), entitlements and benefits (including health insurance and pension contributions), career development and succession planning, performance management, learning and development and HR policy matters and staff issues or conflicts.

The Section consists of two units: the HR Operations Unit and the HR Organizational Development Unit. The HR Operations Units programme of work is all operational aspects of the Section, from recruitment and on-boarding to the administration of salaries, benefits and entitlements for staff members and non-staff (including judges, interns and SSA consultants and contractors). The Unit is responsible for the day-to-day operations and activities related to job design, classification and advertisement of vacancies, recruitment, placement, on-boarding, post management, entitlements and benefits, staff loans and transfers, compensation administration and payroll. The Unit plans, organizes and administers staff services such as health insurance, pension schemes and other social security. The Unit supports the administration and settlement of (HR-related) staff complaints and grievances. The Unit is responsible for the maintenance of related staff data in the Courts Enterprise Resource Planning system, including staff master data. The HRS Organizational Development Unit is in charge of devising strategies, programmes and policies to ensure that the Court hires and develops the right staff and thus maximizes the return on investment in human resources. Particularly, this includes an organization-wide role in relation to strategic workforce planning, talent management, organizational design, staff training and learning and development programmes and activities, performance management and managerial development.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of a Human Resources Officer, the intern will perform the following duties:

Assist with drafting memoranda and letters to staff members related to contract management and payroll issues;

Assist with preparation of reports for payroll and after payroll related activities; cXT3O0l Dh7qKS

Distribute letters and medical insurance cards to staff;

Assist with drafting of employment statement letters;

Assist with Pension documents;

Respond to standard emails queries;

Focal point for emails related to the medical insurance;

Create report to track the dependency review for 2017 and update the respective HR focal point;

Assists with filling and sending Personnel Actions

Essential Qualifications

Education:

All Candidates must have a degree or be in the final stages of a relevant study at a recognised university. Candidates are expected to have a very good record of academic performance. Candidates with Law, Human Resources, and Business Administration degrees are strongly encouraged to apply. Other academic qualifications are welcome.

Experience:

Internship placements focus on candidates in the early stages of their professional careers therefore; practical experience is not an essential prerequisite for selection. However, practical experience that is relevant to the work of the Court may be considered an asset.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

Able to adapt to multicultural and multilingual working environments.

Possesses strong teamwork skills (listens, consults and communicates proactively).

Has acquired a good standard of computer skills (including Microsoft Office applications).

Knowledge of Languages:

Proficiency in one of the working languages of the Court, French or English, is required. Working knowledge of the other is desirable. Knowledge of another official language of the Court (Arabic, Chinese, Russian or Spanish) is considered an asset.

Other criteria:

In line with the ICCs efforts to improve geographical representation among staff, nationals of the countries listed below are strongly encouraged to apply.

Non-represented or under-represented countries at the ICC as of 30 September 2020: Afghanistan, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Austria, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, Comoros, Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Estonia, Fiji, Gabon, Germany, Grenada, Guyana, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Kiribati, Japan, Jordan, Latvia, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Maldives, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Montenegro, Namibia, Nauru, North Macedonia, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Republic of Korea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Seychelles, Slovakia, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Tunisia, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Zambia.

Remuneration

Please note that internship and visiting professional placements at the ICC are unfunded. The ICC is not able to provide participants in the Internship and Visiting Professional Programme with any remuneration, nor is it possible to provide reimbursement for expenses incurred prior, during or after the internship or visiting professional placement.

Applicants must therefore be able to support themselves for the entire duration of their internship or visiting professional placement.

Limited funding may, however, be available through the ICCs Trust Fund for the Development of Interns and Visiting Professionals, which receives donations from States Parties and other donors.

If funding is available, the Human Resources Section will advertise a funded vacancy announcement in accordance with the terms of reference of the Trust Fund as agreed by the donors.

In order to be eligible for a funded placement, if advertised, the applicant must, among other criteria, be a national from a country that is a State Party to the Rome Statue and appears on the United Nations Statistics Divisions list of developing regions.

Link to the organizations job offer: https://unjobs.org/vacancies/1611771566989
Willmar, MN (56201)

Today

Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low 21F. SSE winds at less than 5 mph, increasing to 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low 21F. SSE winds at less than 5 mph, increasing to 10 to 20 mph.
Winchester, VA (22601)

Today

A shower is possible early. Mainly clear skies. Low 33F. Winds WNW at 15 to 25 mph..

Tonight

A shower is possible early. Mainly clear skies. Low 33F. Winds WNW at 15 to 25 mph.
Winchester, VA (22601)

Today

A shower is possible early. Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 33F. Winds WNW at 15 to 25 mph..

Tonight

A shower is possible early. Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 33F. Winds WNW at 15 to 25 mph.
A suspect in the theft of a modular home from a city business on the morning of Oct. 3 has been arrested and the home recovered.
FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP)  A bus that people sometimes embarked on deadly pilgrimages to Alaskas backcountry to visit can now safely be viewed at the University of Alaska Fairbanks while it undergoes preservation work.

FILE - In this March 21, 2006, file photo, is the abandoned bus where Christopher McCandless starved to death in 1992 near Healy, Alaska. The bus that people sometimes embarked on deadly pilgrimages to Alaskas backcountry to visit can now safely be viewed at the University of Alaska Fairbanks while it undergoes preservation work. The bus was moved to the university's engineering facility in early Oct. 2021, while it's being prepared for outdoor display at the Museum of the North, Fairbanks television station KTVF reported. (AP Photo/Jillian Rogers, File )

FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP)  A bus that people sometimes embarked on deadly pilgrimages to Alaskas backcountry to visit can now safely be viewed at the University of Alaska Fairbanks while it undergoes preservation work.

The bus was moved to the universitys engineering facility last week while its being prepared for outdoor display at the Museum of the North, Fairbanks television station KTVF reported.

The abandoned Fairbanks city bus became a shelter for hunters and others using the backcountry near Denali National Park and Preserve, but it became a beacon for those wishing to retrace the steps of Christopher McCandless, who hiked to the bus in 1992.

The 24-year-old Virginia man died from starvation when he couldnt hike back out because of the swollen Teklanika River. He kept a journal during his last days, which was discovered when his body was found.

McCandless ordeal was chronicled in Jon Krakauers 1996 book Into the Wild, followed later by director Sean Penns movie of the same name. People from all over the world made the bus a focal point and tried to retrace his steps.

The state of Alaska removed the bus located about 25 miles (40 kilometers) from the town of Healy after two women  one from Switzerland and the other from Belarus  drowned on homages to the bus. There were 15 other search-and-rescue missions since 2009, the state Department of Natural Resources said in August 2020 when the bus was flown out of the wilderness.

Many people have a personal connection to the bus, said Angela Linn, senior collections manager of ethnology and history at the museum.

Its OK that people have this huge range of feeling about the bus, Linn said. That means theyre thinking about it. They have opinions about it, and that means theyre engaged with history, which is a really important thing for those of us who are in the business of preserving history.

The bus is being preserved in a heated, secure space that has environmental controls. It also has an elevated observation space that allows anyone to view the bus for free on weekdays. The bus is expected to remain there through the end of the academic year.

Preparing the bus for outdoor is an extensive process, Linn said.

One of the very first things were going to do is to document, really systematically, all the graffiti that you can see on the inside and the outside of the bus. This is a really important part of the last 30 years of the bus, she said.

Holes cut in the roof and floor of the bus to allow a helicopter to ferry it out of the woods must be repaired, Linn said, and the bus is riddled with bullet holes.

Some of them are kind of dangerous. The shots that come from inside leave these jagged holes, so we dont want anybody to be injured when this does eventually go on exhibit, she said.

The 1940s-era bus, sometimes called Bus 142 or The Magic Bus, was used to house employees by the Yutan Construction Co. when it built an access road about 25 miles west of the Parks Highway, the main thoroughfare between Anchorage and Fairbanks.

The bus was abandoned in 1961 and had become an emergency shelter for those using the backcountry to recreate or hunt.

Telling the other history of the bus will be part of the permanent display.

Thats one of the things that we want to explain to people and show people, that there is a lot more to the history of the bus and the story of the bus than just those 114 days that McCandless is associated with it, Linn said.
SOLVANG, Calif. (AP)  Evacuation orders were expanded Tuesday for a growing wildfire driven by intense winds that has shut down a key Southern California highway for more than a day.

This early Monday, Oct. 11, 2021, photo provided by CalFire shows one of several vehicles damaged during a wind event in El Granada village in the coastal area of northern San Mateo County, Calif. (CalFire via AP)

SOLVANG, Calif. (AP)  Evacuation orders were expanded Tuesday for a growing wildfire driven by intense winds that has shut down a key Southern California highway for more than a day.

At least 200 firefighters battled the Alisal Fire, which had scorched 21 square miles (54 square kilometers) along coastal Santa Barbara County and was only 5% contained, county fire officials said.

This early Monday, Oct. 11, 2021, photo provided by CalFire shows one of several vehicles damaged during a wind event in El Granada village in the coastal area of northern San Mateo County, Calif. (CalFire via AP)

The fire erupted Monday on a ridge and blasted toward the ocean, forcing the closure of U.S. 101, the only major highway on that section of the coast. Evacuation orders and warnings were in place for several areas of the lightly populated region.

The fire is burning in dense chaparral and is being pushed by strong winds and growing at a rapid rate of speed, a fire update said Tuesday. Gusts reached 70 mph (113 kph) in some areas, officials said.

In Northern California, fire crews increased the containment of a blaze that destroyed 25 mobile homes, 16 RVs and a park building at the Rancho Marina RV Park in Sacramento County. At least 20 structures were still threatened, according to the River Delta Fire District.

This early Monday, Oct. 11, 2021, photo provided by CalFire shows one of several vehicles damaged during a wind event in El Granada village in the coastal area of northern San Mateo County, Calif. (CalFire via AP)

No injuries were reported, and the cause remained under investigation.

To the south in San Joaquin County, a man suffered burns and about five mobile homes were damaged by flames that raced through the Islander Mobile Home Park, Lathrop-Manteca Fire Chief Josh Capper told Fox40-TV.

The injured man suffered severe third-degree burns over most of his body, Capper said.

This Tuesday Oct. 12, 2021, photo provided by Santa Barbara County Fire, Santa Barbara County Fire Hand Crew members fight fire with fire and burn off pockets of grass along northbound Highway 101 north of Arroyo Hondo Canyon in Santa Barbara County, Calif. The Alisal Fire has scorched more than 9 square miles (23 square kilometers) by early Tuesday and remained completely uncontained. The fire erupted Monday afternoon on a ridge and blasted down toward the ocean, forcing closure of U.S. 101, the only major highway on that section of the coast. (Mike Eliason/Santa Barbara County Fire via AP)

Powerful gusts that swept through the state Monday also toppled trees and whipped up blinding dust clouds. Red flag warnings for critical fire danger and wind expired Tuesday for much of the interior of Northern California, but a lesser wind advisory continued Tuesday night in Santa Barbara County.

In anticipation of the wind event, the Pacific Gas & Electric utility shut off power Monday to about 24,000 customers in targeted areas of 23 counties to prevent fires from being started if gusts damaged electrical equipment.

Virtually all customers had their electricity restored Tuesday. But PG&E said it may need to cut power to about 29,000 customers across 19 counties on Thursday because of potential wildfire threat.

PG&E equipment was blamed for a 2018 fire that wiped out most of the town of Paradise in Butte County. The company filed for bankruptcy and pleaded guilty to 84 counts of involuntary manslaughter. PG&E also faces criminal charges for fires caused by its fraying equipment, including involuntary manslaughter counts in connection to a blaze near the city of Redding last year that killed four.

Windy weather is a nightmare for firefighters in a state where heat waves and historic drought tied to climate change have left forests and brush tinder-dry. Fires that began in late summer are still burning after destroying hundreds of homes.

In the Sierra Nevada, the KNP Complex fire that may have burned hundreds of giant sequoias was only 40% contained.
WASHINGTON (AP)  With many Americans who got Pfizer vaccinations already rolling up their sleeves for a booster shot, millions of others who received the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccine wait anxiously to learn when it's their turn.

FILE - This May 13, 2021, file photo shows syringes filled with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at a mobile vaccination site in Miami. Starting Thursday, Oct. 14, 2021, the Food and Drug Administration convenes its independent advisers for the first stage in the process of deciding whether extra shots of Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccines should be dispensed and, if so, who should get them and when. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, File)

WASHINGTON (AP)  With many Americans who got Pfizer vaccinations already rolling up their sleeves for a booster shot, millions of others who received the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccine wait anxiously to learn when it's their turn.

Federal regulators begin tackling that question this week.

On Thursday and Friday, the Food and Drug Administration convenes its independent advisers for the first stage in the process of deciding whether extra doses of the two vaccines should be dispensed and, if so, who should get them and when. The final go-ahead is not expected for at least another week.

After the FDA advisers give their recommendation, the agency itself will make a decision on whether to authorize boosters. Then next week, a panel convened by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will offer more specifics on who should get them. Its decision is subject to approval by the CDC director.

The process is meant to bolster public confidence in the vaccines. But it has already led to conflicts among experts and agencies  and documents the FDA released Tuesday suggest this weeks decisions will be equally difficult.

In one earlier vaccine dispute, the CDC's advisory panel last month backed Pfizer boosters at the six-month point for older Americans, nursing home residents and people with underlying health problems. But CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky overruled her advisers and decided boosters should also be offered to those with high-risk jobs such as teachers and health care workers, adding tens of millions more Americans to the list.

Some health experts fear the back-and-forth deliberations are muddling the public effort to persuade the unvaccinated to get their first shots. They worry that the talk of boosters will lead people to wrongly doubt the effectiveness of the vaccines in the first place.

When the FDA's panel meets to review the Moderna and J&J vaccines, experts will discuss whether a third Moderna shot should contain just half the original dose and whats the best timing for a second shot of the single-dose J&J vaccine.

FILE - In this May 21, 2021, file photo, two people wait to receive the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at Providence Edwards Lifesciences vaccination site in Santa Ana, Calif. Starting Thursday, Oct. 14, 2021, the Food and Drug Administration convenes its independent advisers for the first stage in the process of deciding whether extra shots of Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccines should be dispensed and, if so, who should get them and when. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

The panel will also look into the safety and effectiveness of mixing-and-matching different brands of vaccine, something regulators have not endorsed so far.

An estimated 103 million Americans are fully vaccinated with Pfizers formula, 69 million with Modernas and 15 million with J&Js, according to the CDC. Regulators took up the question of Pfizer boosters first because the company submitted its data ahead of the other vaccine makers.

Tim Anderson, a U.S. history teacher at a high school outside Louisville, Kentucky, already had his two Moderna shots months before he came down with COVID-19 in August. While his symptoms hit him like a sledgehammer, he is convinced that the inoculation saved him and his girlfriend from the more severe effects of the disease.

The two are now awaiting clearance of a Moderna booster shot.

Until we can build up enough immunity within our own self and, you know, as a group of humans, Im willing to do what I need to do, Anderson, 58, said.

The FDA meetings come as U.S. vaccinations have climbed back above 1 million per day on average, an increase of more than 50% over the past two weeks. The rise has been driven mainly by Pfizer boosters and employer vaccine mandates.

While the FDA and CDC so far have endorsed Pfizer boosters for specific groups only, Biden administration officials, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, have suggested that extra shots will eventually be recommended for most Americans.

In a new review of Moderna's data, the FDA did not indicate Tuesday if it was leaning toward clearing the company's booster. It said vaccines used in the U.S. still provide protection, and it raised questions about some of Moderna's data.

The two initial Moderna shots contain 100 micrograms of vaccine each. But the drugmaker says 50 micrograms ought to be enough for a booster for healthy people.

A company study of 344 people gave them a 50-microgram shot six months after their second dose, and levels of virus-fighting antibodies jumped. Moderna said the booster even triggered a 42-fold rise in antibodies able to target the extra-contagious delta variant.

Side effects were similar to the fevers and aches that Moderna recipients commonly experience after their second regular shot, the company said.

As for people who got the J&J vaccine, the company submitted data to the FDA for different options: a booster shot at two months or at six months. The company said in its FDA submission that a six-month booster is recommended but that a second dose could be given at two months in some situations.

J&J released data in September showing that a booster given at two months provided 94% protection against moderate-to-severe COVID-19 infection. The company has not disclosed patient data on a six-month booster, but early measures of virus-fighting antibodies suggest it provides even higher protection.

Even without a booster, J&J says, its vaccine remains about 80% effective at preventing COVID-19 hospitalizations in the U.S.

Scientists emphasize that all three vaccines used in the U.S. still offer strong protection against severe disease and death from COVID-19. The issue is how quickly, and how much, protection against milder infection may wane.

In one recent study, researchers compared about 14,000 people who had gotten their first Moderna dose a year ago with 11,000 vaccinated eight months ago. As the delta variant surged in July and August, the more recently vaccinated group had a 36% lower rate of breakthrough infections compared with those vaccinated longer ago.

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AP Writer Bobby Caina Calvan contributed to this story from New York.

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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.
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP)  Several Republican state lawmakers are urging easier access for Alaskans to ivermectin amid the pandemic, though ivermectin is not authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for preventing or treating COVID-19.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP)  Several Republican state lawmakers are urging easier access for Alaskans to ivermectin amid the pandemic, though ivermectin is not authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for preventing or treating COVID-19.

Senate Majority Leader Shelley Hughes of Palmer said she urged Gov. Mike Dunleavy and the state health commissioner to consider supplying Alaskans with vitamins and drugs, including ivermectin, "that some Alaskan physicians are prescribing but pharmacies arent filling."

Three Republican House members testified about ivermectin at a recent state pharmacy board meeting, Alaska Public Media reported.

"Maybe the pharmacists could be directed  or directeds the wrong word  suggested that they allow the doctors to actually be doctors and do their jobs," Rep. Kevin McCabe of Big Lake said. "The patient and the doctor should be the ones to decide."

The board's chair, Justin Ruffridge, a Kenai Peninsula pharmacist, in a letter to the House members after the meeting noted potential legal liability for pharmacists for drugs they dispense and said pharmacists were free to use their "professional judgment" when deciding whether to fill prescriptions.

He said the board has not threatened pharmacists' licenses around the issue but said reports of misuse of ivermectin to treat COVID-19 "should give most prescribers and pharmacists reason to pause."

Ivermectin is approved to treat certain infections caused by parasites in people. Some vaccine skeptics have championed its use around COVID-19.

"Anyone who claims to be creating medical guidance and they dont have vaccine as their No. 1 recommended tool are pushing misinformation," said Coleman Cutchins, a state pharmacist. "Vaccine is our No. 1 drug for the prevention of severe disease from this virus."

The National Institutes of Health has said there is "insufficient evidence for the COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines Panel to recommend either for or against the use of ivermectin for the treatment of COVID-19. Results from adequately powered, well-designed and well-conducted clinical trials are needed to provide more specific, evidence-based guidance on the role of ivermectin in the treatment of COVID-19."

People nonetheless have sought access.

During the recent pharmacy board meeting, Rep. Ken McCarty of Chugiak expressed concern about "making sure that our state has all the medications necessary." Rep. Christopher Kurka of Wasilla told board members that "we should allow doctors the freedom, if theyre using good clinical judgment, to treat their patients."

McCabe said hes heard from doctors, physician assistants and nurses in his district who are frustrated "when they issue a prescription and the pharmacy will not fill it because its ivermectin."

Ruffridge pointed testifiers to a draft document under consideration by the board that highlights a joint position statement from three national medical and pharmacist groups that "strongly oppose" prescribing or dispensing ivermectin for COVID-19 outside a clinical trial.

Jeff Turner, a Dunleavy spokesperson, said the Republican governor "maintains that decisions regarding COVID should be left between individuals and their doctor." He also referred to comments Dunleavy made earlier this year when asked about ivermectin.

"I know what ivermectin is  Ive had horses and mules, and you use it for worming and other issues that horses and mules have," Dunleavy said. "But as far as prescribing it as a therapy for humans, I havent heard about that."

Dunleavy had COVID-19 earlier this year and later was vaccinated. He has urged Alaskans to be vaccinated against COVID-19 but has also emphasized that it is a personal decision.
REGINA - For the fifth time this month, Saskatchewan has set a new record for the most COVID-19 patients in its intensive care units  most of whom are unvaccinated.

A RN draws the vaccine into a syringe at the Saskatoon Tribal Council run vaccination clinic inside SaskTel centre in Saskatoon, Sask., on Thursday, April 15, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Kayle Neis

REGINA - For the fifth time this month, Saskatchewan has set a new record for the most COVID-19 patients in its intensive care units  most of whom are unvaccinated.

The province says there are 80 people with the virus in its ICUs, which is more than its baseline capacity.

Saskatchewan normally has 79 ICU beds across the province, but the health authority says it has been making space for 100 additional beds in recent weeks.

The health authority says it is also facing a major shortage of front-line workers.

During a Saskatchewan Health Authority meeting last week, deputy chief medical officer Dr. John Froh said people's level of care is at risk.

"Something has to give and care will deteriorate. Nurse-to-patient ratios will deteriorate, and at some point we will need to decant patients, which would mean transferring them to other jurisdictions," Froh said.

On Tuesday the province reported 348 COVID-19 patients in hospital, 271 new cases and two more deaths.

Froh said last week there were about 40 people who were in other wards of hospitals receiving high levels of oxygen as they waited for an ICU bed.

"They're all ICU candidates, and that's something we have to keep in mind," Froh said.

Based on the province's daily case numbers, Froh said Saskatchewan has not turned a corner.

He projected hospitalizations and ICU admissions will continue to rise in the weeks ahead, stretching already limited resources.

"The system is creaking. It's shuddering under the burden, and the burden will grow," Froh said.

According to data from the Saskatchewan Health Authority, hospitalizations in Saskatchewan have tripled since Aug. 30.

The SHA meeting noted some patients in Saskatoon are waiting up to 53 hours in the emergency department for a bed. And patients being brought in by ambulance are waiting eight hours on a stretcher.

In order to preserve health-care workers, the province has cancelled all of its elective surgeries and has begun reducing critical surgeries for open heart and neuro patients.

Chief medical officer for the health authority, Dr. Susan Shaw, said she anticipates the province will soon move to additional triaging due to the strain on the health-care system.

"I remain incredibly fearful, and I think it's becoming more real that we will have to move into our triage framework. I don't want to. I want to be wrong," Shaw said at the SHA meeting. "I'm finding it hard to find a path that doesn't get us there, and I'm sorry for that."

On Tuesday, Ottawa reiterated its offer to help Saskatchewan with personnel by way of the military or the Canadian Red Cross.

As of Tuesday afternoon, Saskatchewan had not formally applied for assistance according to the federal government.

A spokesperson for Saskatchewan's Ministry of Health said its emergency operations centre will provide more information regarding federal assistance on Wednesday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 12, 2021.
LOS ANGELES (AP)  It took little more than 48 hours from the moment a major oil spill was discovered off Southern California until the first lawsuit was filed against the Houston company that owns and operates the ruptured pipeline.

Surfers and swimmers return to the Huntington Beach pier waves since the crude oil spill at the California beach, Monday, Oct. 11, 2021. The reopening of Huntington Beach, dubbed "Surf City USA," came far sooner than many expected after a putrid smell blanketed the coast and blobs of crude began washing ashore. (AP Photo/Amy Taxin)

LOS ANGELES (AP)  It took little more than 48 hours from the moment a major oil spill was discovered off Southern California until the first lawsuit was filed against the Houston company that owns and operates the ruptured pipeline.

Finding the cause, who is to blame and if they will be held accountable will take much longer.

Several federal and state agencies are investigating in parallel as they seek the cause of the pipe rupture, how quickly pipeline operators responded and determine whether criminal charges are warranted.

Coast Guard Capt. Jason Neubauer said investigators are trying to find which ship among thousands of possibilities may have snagged the pipeline with its anchor in the past year, possibly during rough seas and high winds in January.

We are not ruling out anybody at this time," Neubauer said.

A possible leak off the Orange County coast south of Los Angeles was first reported Oct. 1. The spill was confirmed the next morning, and crude came ashore on Huntington Beach and then spread south to other beaches. Much of the coastline nearby was shut down more than a week, crippling businesses that cater to beachgoers and boaters.

The Coast Guard has estimated between about 25,000 gallons (94,635 liters) and 132,000 gallons (495,889 liters) spilled.

It could take a long time for investigators to comb through marine tracking data to see which ships passed over and anchored near the Amplify Energy pipeline running from platform Elly to the Long Beach port.

Investigations by federal prosecutors, the Coast Guard and several other federal agencies, including the National Transportation Safety Board, could lead to criminal charges, civil penalties and new laws or regulations.

Criminal charges  when theyre warranted  you absolutely want to go after for all the reasons that you pursue criminal charges: accountability, deterrence, punishment, said attorney Rohan Virginkar, a former assistant U.S. attorney who helped prosecute BP for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. But really in these environmental cases, its about finding somebody whos going to pay for the cleanup.

Coast Guard investigators already have boarded two vessels and plan to track down others, many from overseas, Neubauer said. They will inspect anchors for damage and review all logs kept by the captain, deck officers and engineers, and the voyage data recorder  the equivalent of the so-called black box on airplanes. They will also interview crew.

Under some environmental laws, prosecutors only have to show negligence to win a conviction, Virginkar said. That could lead to a charge against a shipping company for anchoring outside an assigned anchorage or too close to a pipeline marked on nautical charts.

The accident occurred where huge cargo ships anchor waiting to unload at the Los Angeles-Long Beach port complex  the nation's largest.

Other investigators, including federal pipeline regulators, will focus on Amplify Energy, which owns the three offshore oil platforms and the pipeline.

They will review pipeline inspections for evidence of corrosion that might show it was being operated negligently and seek any information that records were falsified, which is what they found in the BP case, said attorney William Carter, a former federal environmental crimes prosecutor. A forensic analysis will be performed after the cracked is retrieved from 100 feet (30 meters) of water.

The Amplify pipeline was required to have thorough inside and outside checks on alternating years. The most recent showed no issues requiring repairs, according to federal documents.

Prosecutors will also scrutinize control room data to see if there were pipeline pressure drops that would have indicated a possible leak and what was done to respond, Carter said.

The company could be prosecuted if it realized there was a leak and did not quickly call state and federal hotlines to alert the Coast Guard, fish and wildlife officials and multiple other agencies that respond to spills, Carter said.

Prosecution for an untimely response is fairly common in spills, he said.

The elements necessary for that violation are: I knew there was a release, and I didnt immediately report it  regardless of the cause, Carter said. I mean, it could have been lightning or an earthquake did it and you knew it, and you didnt report it in a timely fashion.

Plains All American Pipeline was convicted for that crime for a breach in a pipe on land that sent tens of thousands of gallons of crude pouring onto a Santa Barbara beach and into the ocean in 2015.

In the Amplify pipeline leak, federal regulators said a low-pressure alarm at 2:30 a.m. Oct. 2 alerted control room operators on platform Elly to a possible leak. The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration said the line wasnt shut down until 6:01 a.m. and the Coast Guard wasnt notified until 9:07 a.m.

Amplify CEO Martyn Willsher has refused to answer questions about the reported pressure drop, including the fact that the first report to authorities made on behalf of the company listed the incident at 2:30 a.m. He has insisted the company didn't know of the spill until a company inspection boat saw the sheen at 8:09 a.m.

Carter said lawyers probably told Willsher not to discuss the timeline because he could incriminate himself.

If charged with failure to report the spill quickly, the company could also face charges for allowing oil to harm endangered species and other wildlife that might have been saved by a more prompt response.

Federal prosecutors have five years to bring felony charges. Carter said they would likely wait until they know the cost of the damage to demand restitution.

Federal penalties for failing to notify authorities can be $500,000 or it could be as much as double the total damage. State penalties could run up to $10 per gallon spilled that wasn't recovered.

Regardless of whether a ship is ultimately found to be the cause of the spill, the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 requires whoever spills the oil to pay for the cleanup, said attorney James Mercante, a maritime lawyer. Amplify, however, can later seek to recover its losses from other liable parties.

Mercante said the law was passed in the wake of the Exxon Valdez tanker spill in Alaska in 1989 to speed the cleanup without finger-pointing.

"The spirit and purpose is to get the oil cleaned up and then fight it out," Mercante said. It will take years and years and years to be resolved.

So far, two proposed class-action lawsuits have been filed on behalf of a disc jockey who runs beachfront events in Huntington Beach and a surf school that operates in the city known as Surf City USA.

Those cases will rely heavily on government investigations and will take years to play out.
BEIJING (AP)  China on Tuesday pledged about $230 million to establish a fund to protect biodiversity in developing countries.

Tourists pass by a floral decoration celebrating the U.N. Biodiversity Conference (COP 15) in a park in Kunming, the host city, in southwestern China's Yunnan province, on Oct. 2, 2021. China has pledged $230 million to establish a fund to protect biodiversity in developing countries. President Xi Jinping made the announcement at a U.N. conference on biodiversity held on Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2021 in Kunming, China. (Chinatopix via AP)

BEIJING (AP)  China on Tuesday pledged about $230 million to establish a fund to protect biodiversity in developing countries.

President Xi Jinping, speaking by video to a U.N. conference in the southwest Chinese city of Kunming, said that China would put in 1.5 billion yuan and called on other countries to contribute to the Kunming Biodiversity Fund.

The weeklong meeting marks the formal start of a new round of global talks on protecting the world's plants and animals from extinction and preserving the ecosystems they depend on. A second and final session that will try to agree on targets for the next 10 years is scheduled to be held in Kunming from April 25 to May 8 next year.

The world has failed to reach most of the current 10-year goals, the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, set in Japan in 2010. Greenpeace, the environmental group, said countries need to focus on not just setting new targets but also financing and meeting them.

A man passes by a floral decoration celebrating the U.N. Biodiversity Conference (COP 15) in a park in Kunming, the host city, in southwestern China's Yunnan province Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021. China has pledged $230 million to establish a fund to protect biodiversity in developing countries. President Xi Jinping made the announcement at a U.N. conference on biodiversity held on Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2021 in Kunming, China. (Chinatopix via AP)

The Kunming Biodiversity Fund launched today should jump-start an urgently needed conversation on biodiversity finance, it said in a statement. Our planet needs not just another set of targets on paper, but their actual fulfillment.

Britain's Prince Charles, in a video message, warned that time is not on our side and urged the conference to restore Earth's biodiversity by taking bold decisions to regenerate degraded land worldwide.

One 2010 goal was achieved: About one sixth of the planets land and freshwater area now lies within protected or conservation areas, according to a U.N. report released in May.

Xi said that China is speeding up the building of a natural conservation system with a new national park system as its core.

China, after decades of headlong economic growth, has made progress in protecting habitat and wildlife in recent years. It has set up protected areas and seen recoveries in the population of the giant panda and other species. China also tightened control of the wildlife trade after the outbreak of COVID-19, because of possible links to it.

Other leaders who spoke to the conference on Tuesday included Russias Vladimir Putin, Turkeys Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Papua New Guineas James Marape and U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

French President Emmanuel Macron was among those who drew a link between biodiversity and climate change, less than three weeks ahead of a major U.N. conference on climate in Glasgow.

Mangroves, oceans and forests are unique ecosystems and our leading allies in this battle, he said. They absorb carbon and reduce the damage caused by extreme events when we suffer (from) them. Our survival is unimaginable without them.

He said that France would stop importing products in 2030 that have caused deforestation and said he hoped that other major countries and the European Union would do the same.

The meeting, originally scheduled for October 2020, was postponed twice because of the pandemic.

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Associated Press writer Christina Larson in Washington, D.C., contributed to this report.
Its probably a little early to wave the all clear flag, but the way the Winnipeg real estate market behaved in September is starting to give the impression that things are settling down.

Its probably a little early to wave the "all clear" flag, but the way the Winnipeg real estate market behaved in September is starting to give the impression that things are settling down.

It was less than two weeks ago that the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporations (CMHC) housing market assessment showed moderate evidence of overheating and price acceleration in the Winnipeg market. Although its overall assessment was that market vulnerability was "low", the countrys housing authority has not had the Winnipeg market under such scrutiny since 2016.

However, the release last week of the Winnipeg Regional Real Estate Boards September numbers showed the beginnings of a more calming dynamic to the market.

During the month, there were 1,501 sales. While its true the volume was 16 per cent higher than the previous five-year average for the month of September, it was also 15 per cent below the fever pitched pace of last September.

Obviously, the pandemic has dramatically affected housing markets across the country.

In its most recent assessment, CMHC said, "The Canadian housing market has moved from a moderate to a high degree of vulnerability. The change was prompted by the detection of price acceleration alongside persistent overvaluation imbalances."

Winnipeg has not been completely immune to those pernicious trends.

Heather Bowyer, CMHCs senior analyst for Winnipeg, said, "Since we began publishing this data in 2016, neither overheating or price acceleration have been detected in the Winnipeg CMA (census metropolitan area)."

Those dynamics have been present in the Winnipeg market but to a much more moderate degree than is the case in the Greater Toronto Area, Montreal and Vancouver.

Kourosh Doustshenas, this years president of the Winnipeg Regional Real Estate Board, said the organization has been noticing less frantic activity for the past couple of months.

While the Winnipeg housing market has been skewed for many years in favour of single-family detached product, Doustshenas said the re-emergence of healthier sales of condominiums has been welcomed.

"At the on-set of the pandemic the condo market was really hit hard," he said. "Everyone was trying to social distance. For instance there was a fear of getting on elevators and things like that."

But those kinds of concerns are starting to wane.

Condominium sales for the first nine months of 2021 of 2,014 is comfortably ahead of the 1,847 annual record set last year for the same period.

"Condos are seen as providing good choice as far as price range and affordability," Doustshenas said. "As the bigger portion of the population are getting more informed and vaccinated, the pandemic-related fears are decreasing. They are becoming a less prominent element of the decision-making."

While average price increases on single detached homes up 12 per cent in September  the year-to-date average price is $379,056  83 per cent of the condo sales were for between $100,000 and $350,000.

"The growing spread between single-family detached homes and condominium average sale prices in 2021 have made the latter property type an even more affordable option for buyers, especially first-time buyers who do not have the benefit of equity gains from the sale of their existing home," said Doustshenas.

In his monthly sales report, a WRREB vice-president Peter Squire noted, "The third quarter  in comparison to a supercharged second quarter with two months of sales over 2,000 each  showed moderation with prices less heated. The second quarter average single-family home sales price was $388,422 whereas the third quarter came in at $374,777."

While sellers might bemoan a lower average price, unless theyre retiring to the summer home, chances are most sellers then become buyers and will be caught up in the same price wars theyve previously benefited from.

"I think there is more balance occurring in the market," Doustshenas said. "A balanced market on the whole is good for everyone."

martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca
NEW YORK (AP)  A smiling Lev Parnas, a onetime associate of Rudy Giuliani who is accused along with a co-defendant of making illegal campaign contributions, left a Manhattan courthouse after a newly sworn-in jury was told to return Wednesday morning for opening statements.

FILE  In this Feb. 3. 2020, file photo, Lev Parnas, a businessman who once pitched himself as someone who could expose corruption in the Trump Administration over its dealings in Ukraine, speaks with the media outside federal court in New York. Parnas and another defendant are charged with violating campaign finance laws by funneling donations from a rich Russian financier to GOP candidates. (AP Photo/Mariela Lombard, File)

NEW YORK (AP)  A smiling Lev Parnas, a onetime associate of Rudy Giuliani who is accused along with a co-defendant of making illegal campaign contributions, left a Manhattan courthouse after a newly sworn-in jury was told to return Wednesday morning for opening statements.

Twelve jurors and three alternates were picked Tuesday to sit on the trial, leaving attorney Joseph Bondy expressing optimism that the right people were chosen to hear the case against his client, Parnas.

We think everything is going really well. We're looking forward to the openings, Bondy said as he and Parnas walked together.

He called it an interesting case where we've got a neat defense and people are finally going to hear us."

U.S. prosecutors say Parnas, a Florida businessman, ingratiated himself with influential Republicans through big campaign contributions, including a $325,000 donation in 2018 to a super PAC supporting then-President Donald Trump.

Lev Parnas leaves the courthouse in New York, Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2021. A jury was selected for the trial of Parnas, a onetime associate of Rudy Giuliani who is accused along with a co-defendant of making illegal campaign contributions. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

An indictment said some of those donations were improperly funneled through a company that Parnas co-owned in ways that disguised the origin of the money and evaded limits on personal donations.

Parnas initially came to public attention in 2019 as he assisted Giulianis effort to get the government of Ukraine to investigate Hunter Biden, the son of then-presidential-candidate Joe Biden. Giuliani is not charged in the case and prosecutors haven't alleged that he knew anything about illegal campaign contributions.

Parnas and a co-defendant, Andrey Kukushkin, are also accused of arranging donations on behalf of a Russian financier, Andrey Muraviev, as part of an effort to expand his legal marijuana businesses in the United States. Prosecutors said Muraviev put up $1 million dollars for the venture.

U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken introduced the case Tuesday to prospective jurors spaced apart from one another in a New York courtroom because of coronavirus concerns.

He described each of six counts and said the trial was expected to last two weeks.

The judge said he wanted jurors who could decide the case fairly and impartially based solely on the evidence.

Parnas and Kukushkin, along with their lawyers, were each introduced to the pool of prospective jurors. Each stood and pulled a mask down so their faces could be seen.

Bondy has argued that Parnas had no intention of making illegal donations on Muraviev's behalf and that the $1 million was a personal loan that went to another man who has already pleaded guilty in the case, Igor Fruman.

Kukushkins attorney, Gerald Lefcourt, has said his client, a San Francisco-based entrepreneur with longstanding ties to legal marijuana businesses in California, was duped by Parnas and Fruman and also had no inkling they were doing anything illegal.

Outside court after the jury was chosen, Bondy said he was careful during jury selection to try to find jurors by concentrating on what they listen to, what they read, people they associate with and their family structures.

We were really looking as a New Yorker, born and raised, for people who are kind of like us, a community of your peers," he said, though he noted that the large room where jury selection occurred had obstructions that made it difficult to sometimes see masked prospective jurors.

Im like stuck behind a column, right?" he said. I had no idea who I was looking at."

Still, he called it a great selection process."

And Bondy added: We just want truth to prevail."
LOS ANGELES (AP)  More than 24,000 nurses and other health-care workers at Kaiser Permanente in California and Oregon have overwhelmingly authorized a strike, threatening to walk out over pay and working conditions strained by the coronavirus pandemic.

LOS ANGELES (AP)  More than 24,000 nurses and other health-care workers at Kaiser Permanente in California and Oregon have overwhelmingly authorized a strike, threatening to walk out over pay and working conditions strained by the coronavirus pandemic.

Kaiser, one of the nation's largest health care providers, has proposed a two-tiered wage and benefits system that would give newer employees lower pay and fewer health protections. The unions want Kaiser to abandon that plan. They also want 4% raises for each the next three years and a commitment to hire more nurses to relieve staffing shortages. Kaiser has offered 1% a year, with additional lump sums, and says it must reduce labor costs to remain competitive.

The regional strike vote comes amid national contract negotiations between Kaiser and the Alliance of Health Care Unions, which represents more than 20 unions covering more than 50,000 Kaiser workers nationwide. More strike authorizations could come in Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Maryland, Virginia, Washington state and the District of Columbia, the unions said.

This weekend's votes don't automatically trigger work stoppages. The union must give Kaiser Permanente 10 days notice before workers walk off the job, and both sides continue bargaining after their last contract expired on Sept. 30.

The strike authorization covers nurses, pharmacists, midwives, physical therapists and others represented by United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals. About 7,000 United Steelworkers union members, including housekeeping attendants, customer service representatives and pharmacy technicians, also voted to strike if necessary.

We ask that our employees reject a call to walk away from the patients who need them. Our priority is to continue to provide our members with high-quality, safe care. In the event of any kind of work stoppage, our facilities will be staffed by our physicians along with trained and experienced managers and contingency staff, Kaiser Permanente responded.

Turnout among the workers was 86 percent, with 96 percent approving a strike, the Los Angeles Times reported.

It shows they dont take this lightly, said UNAC/UHCP President Denise Duncan, a registered nurse. They want to see a change.

Kaiser is committed to working quickly to agree on a new contract, said Arlene Peasnall, senior vice president of human resources.

We ask that our employees reject a call to walk away from the patients who need them, Peasnall's statement said. In the event of any kind of work stoppage, our facilities will be staffed by our physicians along with trained and experienced managers and contingency staff.

The Times reported that Kaisers proposal would lower the wage scale for almost every job classification represented by the alliance of unions by 26% to 39% for new hires beginning in January 2023, according to Jane Carter, a labor economist and UNAC/UHCPs director of research, regulatory affairs and public policy. If implemented, this two-tiered system could breed resentment among workers paid at different rates for the same work, cause higher turnover and impair efforts to attract and retain skilled workers, Carter said.

They have not explained their reasoning for these draconian cuts theyre proposing while theyre so profitable, Carter said.

The union said Kaiser Permanente has $44 billion in cash reserves and a healthier outlook than many health care systems.

Kaiser Permanente spokesperson Terry Kanakri said an independent analysis on behalf of the company found union-represented employee wages to be at least 26% over market in nearly all the markets where the company operates, the Times reported.

Millions of Americans struggle with healthcare expenses. Looking ahead, we must reduce expenses to remain competitive long term, and our wages and benefits represent more than 50% of our overall cost structure, Kanakri said in an email. We are not proposing any kind of wage or benefit reduction for our 48,000 current Alliance employees.
CODY, Wyo. (AP)  Rapper, music producer and clothing entrepreneur Kanye West has put his ranch and business properties in northwestern Wyoming up for sale.

FILE - In this Feb. 9, 2020, file photo, Kanye West arrives at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party in Beverly Hills, Calif. Rapper, music producer and clothing entrepreneur West is selling his ranch and business properties in northwestern Wyoming. The West Ranch went on the market Monday, Oct. 11, 2021, for $11 million. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)

CODY, Wyo. (AP)  Rapper, music producer and clothing entrepreneur Kanye West has put his ranch and business properties in northwestern Wyoming up for sale.

The West Ranch, formerly known as Monster Lake Ranch, went on the market Monday for $11 million. The property sprawls across six square miles (16 square kilometers) of open land and tree-studded hills and outcrops about six miles (10 kilometers) south of Cody.

The property features lakes, a lodge, commercial kitchen, equipment sheds, horse facility, corrals and go-kart track, according to the DBW Realty listing.

The listing came days after West listed his seven commercial properties in Cody for more than $3.2 million, the Cody Enterprise reported.

The ranch, which leases additional land owned by the U.S. government, listed for $13.3 million before West bought it in 2019 though it's unknown how much he paid for the property. Wyoming law does not provide for public disclosure of real estate sale amounts.

West moved from California to Wyoming in 2019 and set about basing at least some of his clothing business in Cody, a city of about 10,000 on the eastern approach to Yellowstone National Park.

It wasn't clear if the property sales mean West is leaving Wyoming or just reorganizing his business there. Has has no listed contact information or publicist with contact information.

West, 44, filed this year to legally change his name to his nickname, Ye, and is in the midst of a divorce from Kim Kardashian West. They have four children together.
WASHINGTON - Environmental activists in the United States are seizing on Canada's decision to invoke a 44-year-old treaty with the United States as an "audacious," misguided and misleading gambit aimed at short-circuiting Michigan's effort to shut down the Line 5 cross-border pipeline.

In this Thursday, July 6, 2017, file photo, Lauren Sargent, of Ann Arbor, Mich., takes part in a protest before the Enbridge Line 5 pipeline public information session at Holt High School in Holt, Mich. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Cory Morse/The Grand Rapids Press via AP, File

WASHINGTON - Environmental activists in the United States are seizing on Canada's decision to invoke a 44-year-old treaty with the United States as an "audacious," misguided and misleading gambit aimed at short-circuiting Michigan's effort to shut down the Line 5 cross-border pipeline.

Oil & Water Don't Mix, a coalition of Michigan environmental and Indigenous groups that includes the Sierra Club and the Michigan Climate Action Network, said Tuesday it has a 33,000-signature petition that it plans to circulate among U.S. lawmakers this week.

The petition urges U.S. President Joe Biden to support the state of Michigan and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in their legal effort to shut down Line 5, a 68-year-old pipeline that crosses beneath the Great Lakes to deliver crude oil and natural gas liquids from Canada to the U.S. Midwest.

The state has revoked the 1953 easement that allows Calgary-based owner Enbridge Inc. to operate Line 5, citing the risk of a catastrophic spill in the Straits of Mackinac, an ecologically sensitive waterway that links Lake Michigan and Lake Huron.

The resulting dispute has lawyers for both sides arguing in court about whether a district court in Michigan has the jurisdiction to decide the fate of the pipeline and Enbridge's efforts to upgrade and fortify the twin lines that run along the lakebed under the straits.

Last week, the federal government filed court documents confirming that it wants formal negotiations with the U.S. under the terms of a 1977 treaty specifically drafted to deal with cross-border pipelines, and asking Judge Janet Neff to hold the case in abeyance.

"We're calling on the president to stand with Gov. Whitmer in rejecting Enbridge's delay tactics," said Sean McBrearty, the co-ordinator for Oil & Water Dont Mix.

McBrearty called the treaty tactic a "direct attack on our sovereignty" that intentionally misinterprets the treaty itself "to make the audacious claim that we must leave a major risk pumping oil indefinitely through the heart of the Great Lakes."

He pointed to the oil spill last week off the coast of California, which was likely the result of an underwater anchor strike  precisely the sort of peril that Whitmer and her supporters fear could befall the Great Lakes shoreline if Line 5 continues to operate.

"This fight is not really about Enbridge's fuel," he said. "This fight is about Michigan's water."

Andy Buchsbaum, the legal adviser for the National Wildlife Federation, said when it comes to pipeline safety and environmental concerns, Michigan is well within its rights to demand the line be shut down.

"The government of Canada is misrepresenting the terms of the 1977 treaty, which explicitly authorizes Michigan to take exactly the kind of action it did when it issued the order shutting down the pipeline," Buchsbaum said.

The shutdown order "is actually authorized by the same treaty that Canada claims invalidates the shutdown order."

Michigan's attorney general showed similar contempt for Canada's move, disputing the notion that treaty talks are relevant to the legal matters at hand and that the hearings should be paused to allow those talks to proceed.

"Canada is wrong on both counts," Dana Nessel wrote in a response filed in court last week.

"Neither the 1977 Transit Pipelines Treaty itself nor Canada's recent invocation of the dispute resolution process ... are relevant to the sole legal issue now before this court: whether it has jurisdiction over the state's complaint removed by Enbridge."

Canada's letter, she continues, "is devoid of any legal authority or persuasive argument for its assertion that this court should decline to rule" on the matter.

"Staying this case based on some speculative outcome of international treaty negotiations would deprive the state of its ability to protect these core sovereign interests while indefinitely enshrining the status quo that Enbridge desires."

Proponents of Line 5 say its 540,000 barrels of crude oil and natural gas liquids per day are a vital energy source for markets across the Midwest, including Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania, as well as Canadian refineries that provide jet fuel to some of Canada's busiest airports.

Enbridge has insisted from the outset that it has no plans to voluntarily shut down the pipeline.

A court-sanctioned voluntary mediation process, which began in April, has failed to yield any agreement and appears to have fallen apart, although the official status of those talks remains unclear.

Court documents show the state has no "desire to continue with the mediation process," while Enbridge has said publicly that it wants the talks to continue.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 12, 2021.
LOS ANGELES (AP)  A top Netflix executive said Dave Chappelle's special The Closer doesn't cross the line on hate and will remain on the streaming service despite fallout over the comedian's remarks about the transgender community.

FILE - Dave Chappelle arrives at the 22nd Annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor on Oct. 27, 2019, in Washington, D.C. A top Netflix executive said Dave Chappelle's special The Closer doesn't cross the line on hate and will remain on the streaming service despite fallout over the comedian's remarks about the trans community. (Photo by Owen Sweeney/Invision/AP, File)

LOS ANGELES (AP)  A top Netflix executive said Dave Chappelle's special The Closer doesn't cross the line on hate and will remain on the streaming service despite fallout over the comedian's remarks about the transgender community.

In an internal memo, co-CEO Ted Sarandos told managers that some talent may join third parties in calling for the show's removal, adding, which we are not going to do.

Netflix declined comment on the memo, which was reported Monday by Variety.

But the company responded to news reports it had suspended three employees, including one, Terra Field, who'd criticized Chappelle's special in tweets. Field identifies herself on Twitter as a senior software engineer at Netflix and as trans.

It is absolutely untrue to say that we have suspended any employees for tweeting about this show. Our employees are encouraged to disagree openly and we support their right to do so," Netflix said in a statement.

According to a person familiar with the matter, the three employees joined a quarterly meeting for company directors and vice presidents without gaining authorization. The person, who wasnt authorized to discuss the situation publicly, said one worker was suspended as a result of an investigation.

What if any action was or might be taken against the other two workers was unknown.

Field didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. In her posts, she said that Chappelle was being criticized not because his comments are offensive but for the harm they do to the trans community, especially Black women.

Field included a list of trans and nonbinary men and women of color who she said had been killed, adding in each case that the victim is not offended.

A representative for Chappelle didnt respond to a request for comment.

In a statement Monday, the media watchdog group GLAAD said that anti-LGBTQ content" violates Netflix's policy to reject programs that incite hate or violence. GLAAD called on Netflix executives to "listen to LGBTQ employees, industry leaders, and audiences and commit to living up to their own standards.

When Chappelle's special was released last week, the group said that the comedian's brand has become synonymous with ridiculing trans people and other marginalized communities.

Jaclyn Moore, who was a writer and producer on the Netflix show Dear White People," tweeted that she worked with executives and others at the service who fought for important art" and that she told the story of my transition for @netflix.

But she faces hate and attacks because I'm not a real woman, Moore said.

I will not work with them as long as they continue to put out and profit from blatantly and dangerously transphobic content, she said on Twitter.
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP)  A group studying the economics of offshore wind energy in the U.S. says building and operating the nascent industry will be worth $109 billion to businesses in its supply chain over the next 10 years.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP)  A group studying the economics of offshore wind energy in the U.S. says building and operating the nascent industry will be worth $109 billion to businesses in its supply chain over the next 10 years.

The report by the Special Initiative on Offshore Wind comes as states on both coasts and the Gulf of Mexico are moving to enter or expand their role in the industry, and are making crucial decisions on what to spend and where to spend it.

Multiple states, including New Jersey, want to become the hub of the supply chain that will support offshore wind energy in the U.S., planning and building onshore support sites for manufacturing turbine blades and other components of wind power.

The group, affiliated with the University of Delaware, estimated the market at $70 billion just two years ago, but updated its estimates as the industry continues to grow quickly.

One caveat: the report notes that most of the initial components to be used for U.S. offshore wind projects will come from Europe. It does not attempt to predict when or where a shift might occur.

The U.S. has set a goal of generating 30 gigawatts of power from offshore wind by 2030  enough to power over 10 million homes.

Supply chain spending is already happening.

On Friday, Orsted and Eversource signed an $86 million supply chain contract with Riggs Distler & Company, Inc. to build foundation components for wind turbines for New York's Sunrise Wind project off Montauk Point on Long Island that will be able to power 600,000 homes.

In August, those two companies also signed a deal with Kiewit Offshore Services for the first American-built offshore wind substation, which will be a part of the same Long Island project. The substation will be constructed in Ingleside, Texas, near Corpus Christi.

These investments have been a vision for a long time, but they are becoming a reality today, said Tory Mazzola, an Orsted spokesman.

New Jersey has often said it wants to be the east coast hub for offshore wind, and is building onshore manufacturing and assembly facilities it hopes will be used by many projects.

We believe the offshore wind industry is going to bring billions of dollars into New Jersey, said Joseph Fiordaliso, president of the state Board of Public Utilities. It's a lot of money, to be sure."

The expenditures forecast in the report include nearly $44 billion on 2,057 offshore wind turbines and towers; $17 billion on 2,110 offshore turbine and substation foundations; nearly $13 billion on nearly 5,000 miles (8,000 kilometers) of cables; $10.3 billion on 53 on-and-offshore substations; as well as other construction and operational costs.

It also projects the amount of power states will generate from offshore wind by 2030. New York is forecast to have 9,314 megawatts; New Jersey to have 7,558; Massachusetts to have 5,604; Virginia to have 5,200; Connecticut to have 2,108; Maryland to have 1,568; and Rhode Island to have 1,000.

Currently, 8,000 megawatts worth of power are under contract in those states.

Collectively, these state commitments are equivalent to the electrical capacity of 32 large nuclear power plants, an extraordinary (capital expenditure) that requires many suppliers, the report read.

The initiative describes itself as an independent project at the University of Delawares College of Earth, Ocean and Environment that supports the advancement of offshore wind. It receives funding from organizations including the Rockefeller Brothers Fund.

Offshore wind energy is viewed as a way to combat climate change by providing the globe with cleaner energy. At a forum in Atlantic City last week on offshore wind, New Jerseys environmental protection commissioner said the industry will come with adverse impacts as well as benefits, and said much more study is needed about its impact on the ocean and sea life.

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Follow Wayne Parry at http://twitter.com/WayneParryAC
AUSTIN, Texas (AP)  Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order Monday to prohibit any entity, including private business, from enforcing a COVID-19 vaccine mandate on workers and called on state lawmakers to pass a similar ban into law.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott speaks before he signs Texas SB 576, an anti-smuggling bill that enhances the criminal penalty for human smuggling when a payment is involved, at McAllen City Hall on Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2021, in McAllen, Texas. (Joel Marinez/The Monitor via AP)

AUSTIN, Texas (AP)  Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order Monday to prohibit any entity, including private business, from enforcing a COVID-19 vaccine mandate on workers and called on state lawmakers to pass a similar ban into law.

The move comes as the Biden administration is set to issue rules requiring employers with more than 100 workers to be vaccinated or test weekly for the coronavirus. Several major companies, including Texas-based American Airlines and Southwest Airlines, have said they would abide by the federal mandate.

No entity in Texas can compel receipt of a COVID-19 vaccine by any individual, including an employee or a consumer, who objects to such vaccination for any reason of personal conscience, based on a religious belief, or for medical reasons, including prior recovery from COVID-19, Abbott wrote in his order.

Abbott, who was previously vaccinated and also later tested positive for COVID-19, noted in his order that vaccines are strongly encouraged for those eligible to receive one, but must always be voluntary for Texans.

Texas has seen a recent decrease in newly reported COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. But a rising death toll from the recent surge caused by the delta variant has the state rapidly approaching 67,000 total fatalities since the pandemic began in 2020.

The governor added the issue to the agenda for lawmakers to address during the ongoing special session Abbott called for redrawing voting maps and new restrictions on transgender student athletes. Montana has passed a law preventing employers from mandating workers get vaccines, and a number of states have explicitly said schools cannot require vaccinations.

Abbott previously barred vaccine mandates by state and local government agencies, but until now had let private companies make their own rules for their workers. It was not immediately clear if Abbott's latest executive order would face a quick court challenge.

Abbott's new order also carries political implications. The two-term Republican is facing pressure from two candidates in next year's GOP primary, former state Sen. Don Huffines and former Florida Congressman and Texas state party chairman Allen West, have attacked Abbotts COVID-19 policies and have strongly opposed vaccine mandates.

He knows which the way the wind is blowing. He knows conservative Republican voters are tired of the vaccine mandates and tired of him being a failed leader, Huffines tweeted.

West recently tested positive for COVID-19. He was briefly hospitalized, but also tweeted he remains opposed to vaccine mandates. West announced Monday on his social media accounts that he had returned home.
WASHINGTON  The Bidens administrations mandate that employers with 100 or more workers require coronavirus vaccinations or institute weekly virus testing has moved one step closer to enforcement.

FILE - In this July 30, 2021, file photo, Bradley Sharp, of Saratoga, N.Y., gets the Johnson & Johnson vaccine from registered nurse Stephanie Wagner in New York. Starting Thursday, Oct. 14, 2021, the Food and Drug Administration convenes its independent advisers for the first stage in the process of deciding whether extra shots of Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccines should be dispensed and, if so, who should get them and when. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)

WASHINGTON  The Bidens administrations mandate that employers with 100 or more workers require coronavirus vaccinations or institute weekly virus testing has moved one step closer to enforcement.

On Tuesday, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration finalized the initial draft of the emergency order and sent it to the White House Office of Management and Budget for review. Thats according to the Department of Labor.

OMBs Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs will conduct a standard review of the regulation.

Officials did not immediately provide an estimate for the OMB examination. The agency has 90 days to review the rule or send it back to OSHA for revision. Text of the proposed order wont be published until OMB completes its review.

Owing to the bureaucracy surrounding the rulemaking process, President Joe Biden has encouraged businesses to implement mandates ahead of the final rule being implemented.

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MORE ON THE PANDEMIC:

 Food bank needs still above pre-pandemic levels in U.S.

FILE - This May 13, 2021, file photo shows syringes filled with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at a mobile vaccination site in Miami. Starting Thursday, Oct. 14, 2021, the Food and Drug Administration convenes its independent advisers for the first stage in the process of deciding whether extra shots of Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccines should be dispensed and, if so, who should get them and when. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, File)

 Russia registers another record in daily deaths at 973

 Report says UKs slow virus lockdown cost thousands of lives

 NBA star Irving can't play until he meets New York City vaccine requirement

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See all of APs pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic

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HERES WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:

SEATTLE  Boeing Co. has told employees they must be vaccinated against the coronavirus or possibly be fired.

The Seattle Times reports that the deadline for getting shots is Dec. 8.

A man and a woman wearing face masks to help curb the spread of the coronavirus, walk across an intersection against the Central Business District in Beijing, Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2021. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

The newspaper says an internal Boeing presentations says that employees failing to comply with the mandate may be released from the company. Employees granted exemptions due to a disability or sincerely held religious belief will have to be tested frequently for the virus and be ready to present a negative test result upon request.

The policy will apply to roughly 140,000 employees companywide, with about 57,000 of those in Washington state.

The white-collar union the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace says it is communicating with Boeing to ensure implementation gives proper consideration to members concerns.

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla.  Florida has issued its first fine to a county it accuses of violating a new state law banning coronavirus vaccine mandates and for firing 14 workers who failed to get the shots.

The Florida Department of Health on Tuesday issued the $3.5 million fine for Leon County, saying the home to the state capital of Tallahassee violated Floridas vaccine passport law that bars requiring people to show proof of vaccination.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis says that no one should lose their jobs because of COVID shots.

The law is being challenged in court and conflicts with a Biden administration order that companies with more than 100 employees require their workers to be vaccinated or face weekly testing.

The Leon County administrator says the county believes its vaccination mandate is legally justifiable and necessary to keep people safe.

A woman wearing a face mask to help curb the spread of the coronavirus is reflected in her wing mirror of her electric-powered scooter as she waits at an intersection in Beijing, Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2021. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

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NEW YORK  NBA star Kyrie Irving can keep refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine, but he cant play for the Brooklyn Nets.

The Nets announced Tuesday that Irving wouldnt play or practice with the team until he could be a full participant, ending the idea he could play in only road games. Under a New York City mandate, professional athletes playing for a team in the city must be vaccinated against COVID-19 to play or practice in public venues.

Without mentioning his vaccination status, general manager Sean Marks said Irving has made a decision that keeps him from being a full member of the team. Irving hasnt said he isnt vaccinated, asking for privacy when he spoke via Zoom during the teams media day on Sept. 27.

Marks said he and owner Joe Tsai together made the decision, adding it came through discussions with Irving and his associates. NBA players are not required to be vaccinated, but they face more testing and social distancing. The league had said that players wouldnt be paid for games they miss because they are ineligible to play.

Marks said Irving will still be paid for road games.

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WASHINGTON  Hunger and food insecurity across the United States have dropped measurably over the past six months, but the need remains far above pre-pandemic levels.

Specialists in hunger issues warn the situation for millions of families remains extremely fragile. An Associated Press review of bulk distribution numbers from hundreds of food banks across the country reveals a downward trend in the amount of food handed out by food banks across the country. It started in the spring as the COVID-19 vaccine rollout took hold and some closed sectors of the economy began to reopen.

A woman wears an anti-vaccine pin while people and teachers pray as they protest against COVID-19 vaccine mandates outside the Manhattan Federal Court Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2021, in New York. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez)

However, Katie Fitzgerald of Feeding America says, Its come down, but its still elevated. Feeding America is a nonprofit organization that coordinates 200 food banks across the country and provided the AP with the national distribution numbers. Fitzgerald says despite the recent decreases, the amount of food being distributed by Feeding Americas partner food banks remained more than 55% above pre-pandemic levels.

Factors include the advancement of the delta variant, which has already delayed planned returns to the office for millions of employees and could threaten school closures and other shutdowns as the nation enters the winter flu season. Other obstacles include the gradual expiration of several COVID-19-specific protections, such as the eviction moratorium and expanded unemployment benefits.

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BUCHAREST, Romania  Romania reported on Tuesday its highest number of coronavirus infections and deaths since the start of the pandemic started.

Nearly 17,000 COVID-19 infections were confirmed Tuesday and 442 deaths, the first time the European Union country of 19 million has surpassed 400 virus deaths in a single day.

Romanias intensive care units for coronavirus patients are stretched to capacity in what is the European Unions second-least vaccinated nation. Only 34% of adults are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Romania has registered more than 1.3 million confirmed cases and 40,071 confirmed deaths.

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NEW YORK  Many Americans who got Pfizer vaccinations are rolling up their sleeves for a booster shot. Meanwhile, millions who received the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccine wait to learn when its their turn.

Workers wear masks during the COVID-19 pandemic as they visit on a sidewalk in Havana, Cuba, Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2021. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

Federal regulators begin tackling that question this week. On Thursday and Friday, the Food and Drug Administration convenes its independent advisers for the first stage in the process of deciding whether extra shots of the two vaccines should be dispensed and, if so, who should get them and when.

The final go-ahead is not expected for at least another week. After the FDA advisers give their recommendation, the agency will make an official decision on whether to authorize boosters. Then a panel convened by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will offer more specifics on who should get them.

The FDA meetings come as U.S. vaccinations have climbed back above 1 million per day on average, an increase of more than 50% over the past two weeks. The rise has been driven mainly by Pfizer boosters and employer vaccine mandates.

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LONDON  The German biotechnology company CureVac says it has withdrawn its application for the approval of its coronavirus vaccine from the European Medicines Agency and will focus on making next-generation messenger RNA vaccines.

In a statement on Tuesday, CureVac says recent communications with the EU drug regulator suggested its COVID-19 vaccine might only be authorized in mid-2022. Earlier this year, the company described its initial vaccine results as sobering, after data suggested the shot was only about 47% effective.

CureVac says it will instead prioritize the development of second-generation mRNA vaccines with its partner GlaxoSmithKline and expects to be in late-stage clinical development by the middle of next year.

The EMA confirmed Tuesday it had ended the accelerated evaluation of the CureVac vaccine, a process started in February. COVAX, the U.N.-backed effort to share vaccines globally, had been waiting for possible doses from CureVac, which received funding from one of the COVAX partners.

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FILE  In this April 26, 2021, file photo Boeing 737 Max airplanes sit parked in a storage lot, near Boeing Field in Seattle. The Boeing Co. told employees, Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2021, that they must be vaccinated against COVID-19 or possibly be fired. The Seattle Times reports the deadline for workers at the aerospace giant is Dec. 8. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)

MOSCOW  Russia has registered another record number of daily coronavirus deaths as it faces a rapid surge of contagion amid low vaccination rates.

The government coronavirus task force reported 973 coronavirus deaths Tuesday, the highest daily toll since the start of the pandemic. The country has continuously registered new coronavirus death records this month. Daily infections also have been hovering near all-time highs, with 28,190 new confirmed cases Tuesday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin emphasized Tuesday the importance of broad vaccination and urged lawmakers to help encourage the population to get the shots. The Kremlin has ruled out a nationwide lockdown, delegating the power to make decisions on tougher coronavirus restrictions to regional authorities.

We must patiently and persistently work with people and explain all the advantages of prophylactics against that dangerous disease, said Putin, noting the population must be persuaded to get the shots without resorting to administrative pressure.

About 33% of Russias nearly 146 million people have received at least one shot of a coronavirus vaccine and only 29%, are fully vaccinated, the government said Friday. In St. Petersburg, Moscow and many other Russian cities, businesses are operating as usual and mask mandates are loosely enforced. In Moscow, the authorities recently expanded free coronavirus tests in shopping malls.

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ISLAMABAD  Pakistani authorities on Tuesday reported less than 700 coronavirus cases for the first time since June amid a steady decline in the infections from coronavirus.

There were 689 confirmed cases and 18 deaths reported in the past 24 hours, according to the countrys National Command and Operation Center.

The latest development comes weeks after Pakistan said unvaccinated people wont be allowed to work in offices, enter shopping malls or attend schools. It forced many people to get vaccinated to avoid punitive measures. The country is offering free shots to teens and adults.

Pakistan has reported 1.2 million confirmed cases and 28,152 confirmed deaths since the start of the pandemic.

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LONDON  The British governments failure to impose a lockdown in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic ranks among Englands worst public health errors, lawmakers concluded Tuesday in the countrys first comprehensive report on the pandemic.

The deadly delay led to thousands of unnecessary deaths and derived from the failure of government ministers to question the recommendations of scientific advisers, resulting in a dangerous level of groupthink that caused them to dismiss the more aggressive strategies adopted in East and Southeast Asia, the report said.

It was only when Britains National Health Service risked being overwhelmed by rapidly rising infections that Prime Minister Boris Johnsons Conservative government finally ordered a lockdown in late March 2020.

Accountability in a democracy depends on elected decision-makers not just taking advice, but examining, questioning and challenging it before making their own decisions, the committees said. Although it was a rapidly changing situation, given the large number of deaths predicted, it was surprising the initially fatalistic assumptions about the impossibility of suppressing the virus were not challenged until it became clear the NHS would be overwhelmed.

Cabinet minister Stephen Barclay defended the governments response. He says, decisions were taken on the evidence and the scientific advice at the time.

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UNITED NATIONS  The United Nations chief says the pandemic has forced more than 100 million people into poverty and left some 4 billion people with little or no social support, health care or income protection.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told an International Monetary Fund panel Monday that global solidarity is missing in action and people living in conflict-affected and poor countries are suffering the most.

Guterres said: Vaccine inequality is a moral outrage that is condemning the world to millions more deaths and prolonging an economic slowdown that could cost trillions of dollars, hitting the poorest countries hardest of all.

Guterres says indications the world is in a substantial economic recovery mask the huge divergence between the situations in rich countries and in the least developed nations.

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RALEIGH, N.C.  North Carolina officials say nearly all of the 10,000 employees working in 14 state-operated health care facilities are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus.

Officials said Monday that 6% of the workers got an approved medical or religious exemption or a special accommodation, while the remaining 94% are fully vaccinated.

Three-fourths of the workers had been vaccinated when the state health department announced the vaccine mandate in July. The remaining workers and those with just one of the two shots had until the end September to become fully vaccinated or secure an approved exemption.

The state says just 16 workers, or less than 0.2% of the total workforce, were fired for their refusal to comply with the directive.
WASHINGTON - Fully vaccinated Canadian vacationers and day-trippers will be allowed to drive into the United States beginning in early November, the Biden administration said Tuesday, the first glimmer of hope in nearly 20 months for the families and businesses that depend on two-way traffic across the Canada-U.S. border.

Mexican security officers open the main gate of the international border bridge that connects Del Rio, Texas and Ciudad Acuna, Mexico, after its partial reopening Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021. A new trilateral poll suggests U.S. residents are far more worried about reopening the land border with Mexico than they are about letting Canadians drive into the country.THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Fernando Llano

WASHINGTON - Fully vaccinated Canadian vacationers and day-trippers will be allowed to drive into the United States beginning in early November, the Biden administration said Tuesday, the first glimmer of hope in nearly 20 months for the families and businesses that depend on two-way traffic across the Canada-U.S. border.

Senior government officials delivered the news in a conference call with reporters on condition they hold their reports until early Wednesday  a plan that quickly went out the window when New York congressman Brian Higgins all but shouted the news from the rooftops.

"At long last, there is action by the United States to open the doors and welcome back our Canadian neighbours," Higgins said in a statement.

"Border communities await further details from the administration with great expectation, and I will continue to advocate for a more fully and freely open border to both governments, sooner rather than later."

Those details remained few and far between Tuesday, but the plan is designed to dovetail with the administration's existing plan to allow international travellers from further afield to resume travelling to the U.S. on the same timeline, provided they've been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

"We understand how valuable ... travel from Canada and Mexico is to the economic activity in border communities and to our broader economy," one of the officials said.

"We also know how meaningful the ability to travel is to maintain the personal ties between people living on either side of the northern and southern U.S. borders, who are often effectively members of one community."

A family visits across the U.S.-Canada border at the Peace Arch Historical State Park as a cyclist rides past on the Canadian side, Monday, Aug. 9, 2021, in Blaine, Wash. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Elaine Thompson

Non-essential travel to the U.S. by unvaccinated foreign nationals will remain prohibited, officials said. As of early January, even essential travellers who are foreign nationals seeking to enter the U.S. will need to provide proof of vaccination.

Travellers will be considered to be fully vaccinated if they have received a full course of a COVID-19 vaccine approved by either the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or the World Health Organization, which includes Oxford-AstraZeneca, a common vaccine in Canada that never received FDA approval.

The jury is still out on whether travellers who received mixed doses will be eligible, but experts at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are currently working on how to address that issue, the officials said.

Higgins, who serves as co-chair of both the Canada-U.S. Interparliamentary Group and the Northern Border Caucus, became a tenacious and vocal critic of the restrictions as soon as the vaccines proved effective and accessible in both countries.

His efforts and those of allies in both countries, some of them mounting concerted media campaigns and lobbying efforts to expand awareness of the extended delay in easing the restrictions, soon resulted in a chorus of prominent U.S. congressional voices exerting pressure on the White House to take action.

"A robust cross-border exchange between the United States and Canada is fundamental to our binational relationship and mutually beneficial to our nations' citizens, businesses and economies," Higgins said.

"Strong vaccination rates in Canada made the continued border shutdown absurd and unjustifiable."

Fully vaccinated U.S. citizens and permanent residents have been allowed back into Canada since August, provided they have waited at least 14 days since getting a full course of a Health Canada-approved vaccine and can show proof of a recent negative COVID-19 test.

Beginning in early November, the U.S. plans to allow fully vaccinated visitors from a host of countries where stateside travel has long been restricted, including China, India, Ireland, Iran, South Africa, Brazil and the 26 European countries without border controls, known as the Schengen group.

No specific dates have yet been announced.

Only about 66 per cent of eligible Americans are fully vaccinated against the virus, according to the latest numbers available from the CDC. By comparison, Health Canada says 81 per cent of eligible Canadians 12 or over have had a full course of vaccine.

The decision to reopen the land border ends a 19-month freeze due to the COVID-19 pandemic and is part of a plan to also open the border with Mexico. Vehicle, rail and ferry travel between the U.S. and Canada and Mexico has been largely restricted to essential travel, such as trade, since the earliest days of the pandemic.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas was expected to provide more details about the new rules Wednesday.

Both Mexico and Canada have been pressing the U.S. for months to ease restrictions on travel that have separated families and curtailed leisure trips since the onset of the pandemic. The latest move follows last month's announcement that the U.S. will end country-based travel bans for air travel, and instead require vaccination for foreign nationals seeking to enter by plane.

According to the officials, travellers entering the U.S. by vehicle, rail and ferry will be asked about their vaccination status as part of the standard U.S. Customs and Border Protection admissions process. At officers' discretion, travellers will have their proof of vaccination verified in a secondary screening process.

Unlike air travel, for which proof of a negative COVID-19 test is required before boarding a flight to enter the U.S., no testing will be required to enter the U.S. by land or sea, provided the travellers meet the vaccination requirement.

The delay in the vaccination requirement for essential cross-border travel is meant to provide truck drivers and others with additional time to get a shot and minimize potential economic disruption from the vaccination mandate, officials said.

 With files from The Associated Press.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 12, 2021.
Want to present your views to councillors at city hall? You may soon need to be vaccinated first.

Want to present your views to councillors at city hall? You may soon need to be vaccinated first.

Council will consider a proof of vaccination requirement for anyone who presents their views as delegates at committee and council meetings, a measure contained in a new proposal to the governance committee. Those who arent vaccinated would still be able to participate remotely, by phone or video connection.

While remote delegations sometimes lack the personal appeal of those made face-to-face, the need to ensure public safety outweighs that concern, said Coun. Shawn Nason.

"(The presentations) are certainly less impactful (but we are) balancing this against the public health risks. We have to weigh everything with that lens," said Nason.

The Transcona councillor said he hopes to push the visitor vaccination requirement further, extending it to those who enter the council building for other meetings.

"I believe we should be trying to capture everything at once, instead of (through a) piecemeal (system)," he said.

If approved, the immunization requirement would expire on Dec. 31, 2022.

A Manitoba political scientist said the move does appear to strike an appropriate balance between ensuring access to democracy and protecting public health.

"To provide proof that you have a vaccination card, I think is certainly reasonable. You have to do the same to go into a restaurant and weve got (COVID-19 case) numbers rising and there is an option for having remote presentations," said Christopher Adams, an adjunct professor of political studies at the University of Manitoba.

Adams noted the University of Manitoba also requires full vaccination for those attending its campus, so the city proposal doesnt appear out of the norm.

A public service report notes allowing remote access appears to have increased the number of public delegations made at city hall, which has extended the length of many meetings.

"(This) may lead to increased operational costs, depending on whether or not committees return to evening meetings outside of normal operating hours. While not a reason to stop remote delegations, this will need to be considered in the long term," the report notes.

The new proposal also calls for members of council to be able to attend meetings remotely until the end of 2022 and to permanently offer public delegations the choice to participate remotely.

The report calls for council to approve a new full-time permanent audio-visual position to support the changes, work thats been handled by temporary employees so far.

All of the changes would require full council approval.

The date when members of the public would be expected to show proof of vaccination to speak in council chambers has not yet been determined.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga
BILL 64 is dead. There is little doubt that many Manitobans were delighted when interim Premier Kelvin Goertzen tolled its death knell.

Opinion

BILL 64 is dead. There is little doubt that many Manitobans were delighted when interim Premier Kelvin Goertzen tolled its death knell.

Instead of dancing around the bills funeral pyre, government members need to seriously review the Manness/MacKinnon commission report, paying special attention to what it identified as "imperatives"  those necessary and urgent initiatives for improving educational achievement in Manitobas public schools.

Three of these are key because they are most relevant to the students learning: improving the curriculum; implementing fair and rigorous student assessment procedures; and strengthening the capacity of educators to improve teaching and learning.

Improving the curriculum is perhaps the most difficult imperative. For this reason, the minister of educations first task is to indicate clearly what the curriculum is and what it is supposed to provide. The curriculum is the property of the citizenry, not that of educators alone, and the minister is the trustee and arbiter of the expectations and prescriptions that the public have for it.

The minister should remind Manitobans the curriculum is mandated; that is, it is the authorized template of subject matter knowledge and skills established for Manitoba students to be acquired in the course of their education.

This means the curriculum must enable students to be comfortable and competent in our modern culture. As the Manness/MacKinnon commission argues, the curriculum and schooling experience must be focused so students have the knowledge and skills they need to make a living, participate in the democratic process and are aware of the intellectual and cultural life of this country.

Even though there will be some debate over the core subjects and skills, most people will agree literacy and numeracy are central. And perhaps there is a consensus that by the time students graduate from high school, they should have a good understanding of the history, geography and government in Canada and they are aware of the important ideas and achievements in the physical and social sciences and the arts.

In essence, the public education curriculum must include core subjects in proper scope, sequence and depth for each grade. This will take considerable work, and we are encouraged that the minister has recently established an advisory group "to identify underlying principles of the kindergarten to Grade 12 curriculum and establish its overall structure." (Winnipeg Free Press, Sept. 11).

Second, the government needs to re-establish standardized examinations in these core subjects to ensure students understand the material and that they have the requisite skills before progressing to the next grade or graduating from high school.

Fortunately, Manitoba has experience with administering standardized examinations in the core subjects. Despite anticipated objections, it is time to re-establish these examinations as a routine feature of schooling. This is an important objective because fairness in assessment and fidelity to the curriculum must be recognized.

The Grade 12 examinations could be used for entrance into colleges and universities and as certification of competency in the basic skills for those students entering the work force.

Finally, the minister of education must make the certification of teacher-candidates more formal and transparent. The commission recommends establishing a college of educators, but the minister can formalize certification without establishing a new agency.

Professions such as law, medicine, nursing and engineering have independently administered certification examinations to ensure these professionals are competent, skilful and uphold professional standards. Isnt it time education joined these professions by adopting such certification procedures?

Fortunately, the Educational Testing Service of Princeton, N.J., has developed a large battery of both knowledge-based and skill-based tests, called "Praxis Exams," in specific subjects and grades for teacher certification. A majority of U.S. states use Praxis exams, and these tests could easily be adapted for Manitoba.

Such tests could even have the effect of providing a form of accreditation of faculties of education, one of the effects the commission anticipated in its discussion of a college of educators.

Of course, these initiatives could prove contentious for some special-interest groups. But if the PC government is to honour the Manness/MacKinnon commission  a comprehensive and coherent report with compelling recommendations  then it ought to seriously contemplate taking specific action on these key educational initiatives as soon as possible.

Rodney Clifton is professor emeritus at the University of Manitoba and a senior fellow at the Frontier Centre for Public Policy. John Long is a former professor in the department of educational administration, foundations and psychology at the University of Manitoba. Peter Narth is a longtime public school teacher and administrator, a former president of the Manitoba Association of Principals, and the former executive director of Manitobas Technical Vocational Initiative.
Manitoba hospital labs rejected more than 5,300 diagnostic-testing requests last fall, as part of an unprecedented rationing of laboratory resources while the maxed-out health system buckled under COVID-19.

Manitoba hospital labs rejected more than 5,300 diagnostic-testing requests last fall, as part of an unprecedented rationing of laboratory resources while the maxed-out health system buckled under COVID-19.

Data obtained by the Free Press shows Manitoba hospitals rejected thousands of requested tests from October to December 2020, as lab staff were told to focus on testing patients for the coronavirus.

The data reveals a drop in testing patients for superbugs, which alarmed Toronto specialist Dr. Larissa Matukas.

"Giving that up means that you will have sicker patients coming into hospital; there will be more hospital-acquired infections with these multi-drug resistant organisms," said Matukas, who oversees microbiology for Unity Health Toronto, which runs three hospitals.

Last October, Shared Health curtailed entire categories of diagnostic tests, requiring hospital doctors and infectious-disease specialists to get authorization to test patients for antibiotic resistance or sexually transmitted infections.

Other provinces had resisted suspensions entirely, while some curtailed certain tests for much shorter time periods.

Shared Health says it ended its lab-testing restrictions on Aug. 17. The agency said it could not specify how many times each type of requested test was rejected under the policy.

Yet data for all months of 2020 shows steep drops in certain forms of testing Manitoba had restricted, just as the policy took effect in October 2020.

For example, the monthly number of tests for the MRSA superbug dropped from an average of 3,500 in the first nine months of 2020, to just 2,880 as an average for the last three months of the year. Testing for the CPO superbug halved in the fall, to an average of eight samples per month.

While that could relate to fewer people visiting hospitals during the pandemics second wave, Matukas said its more likely due to the testing restrictions.

Shared Healths policy allowed doctors to keep requesting MRSA tests for newly admitted patients, but not for screening people already admitted to hospital whom they suspect might have the superbug.

Matukas was most concerned by the sharp drop in general throat-swab tests, from an average of 1,272 per month to just 364 in the fall months.

Those swabs often test people with sore throats for Group A pharyngitis, a serious bacterial infection.

"If you dont diagnose it and treat it within the 10 days of its diagnosis, there are significant potential consequences to that infection that can be lifelong," Matukas said.

In a statement, Shared Health said it restricted tests based on scientific evidence.

"Some microbiology testing was identified by clinical leaders as a service that could safely be suspended or delayed on a temporary basis to help increase COVID testing capacity," wrote Shared Health spokesman Jason Permanand.

The union for Shared Health lab employees says the provinces decision to restrict tests shows just how strained the system was before COVID-19.

"It has been a generation in the making, this crisis here," said Bob Moroz, head of the Manitoba Association of Health Care Professionals.

"There has been absolutely no room in the system for any sort of increasing demand like we saw. The system was struggling to keep up, in what we would refer to as normal health-care times.

"How many diagnoses were missed or delayed? Who knows how many adverse patient outcomes could have been avoided."

Matukas said all medical labs have struggled during the COVID-19 pandemic, and those labs plan for situations where they have to ration testing and find efficiencies.

"You need to make these really difficult decisions around what youre going to keep and what youre going to stop doing," she said. Some Toronto labs have sent samples to U.S. labs to avoid compromising patient care.

"Even though the turnaround might be longer, it might still be relevant to get those test results back."

Matukas said labs face a shortage of supplies and cant easily hire people with lab skills. Its no surprise the military sent medical lab technicians to Manitoba hospitals during the deployment to Winnipeg last spring.

"Theres been a lot of discussion about nurses being burned out and leaving their positions," she said. "The same thing is happening in lab medicine too."

Weeks after hospitals have resumed diagnostic tests, Health Minister Audrey Gordon said there was also a backlog in that testing, which shes committed to clearing.

"The pandemic has had a significant impact on our health system, and we are looking at ways to strengthen that health system, and diagnostic testing is one of them," Gordon said.

"We have a backlog of diagnostic tests, and we are working with our partners at Shared Health and throughout the province, to ensure those numbers increase in terms of individuals being able to receive their diagnostic tests at the right time and the right place."

That didnt impress NDP health critic Uzoma Asagwara, who argued the government could have prepared labs for the second and third waves.

"This issue reflects a failure of this government to meaningfully invest in health care with a long-term vision," said Asagwara, who argued hospital testing is crucial for patients from vulnerable groups, who often dont have any other interaction with the health system.

"Were going to see folks present more sick, more frequently, into health-care systems that already very burdened."

dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca
Winona, MN (55987)

Today

A few passing clouds. Low 21F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

A few passing clouds. Low 21F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.
A Wisconsin Dells man accused of sexually assaulting a sedated woman appeared Tuesday in Sauk County Circuit Court.

Anthony James Olson, 45, was charged with felony third-degree sexual assault and misdemeanor counts of criminal trespassing and bail jumping.

Circuit Court Judge Wendy J. N. Klicko set a $5,000 signature bond for Olson. Conditions of the bond include no contact with the woman, her home or her workplace and Olson is prohibited from going onto the premises of McDonalds along State Highway 12 in Wisconsin Dells.

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According to the criminal complaint, Olson showed up at a residence around 9:30 p.m. Saturday and entered a womans bedroom uninvited. Because of a chronic condition, the woman was in pain that prevented her from moving well. She told police she had taken a muscle relaxer and told the man to get out of her room multiple times.

Despite being told to go, the woman said Olson laid down next to her and started to kiss her. She told police she couldnt move away because of the pain and the effects of the pill.
Accident  At 7:38 a.m. Oct. 9, police responded to a vehicle vs. pole crash in the 200 block of Corporate Drive.

Noise complaint  At 8:30 p.m. Oct. 9, an anonymous caller complained of loud music in the 200 block of Cherokee Road. Nothing was heard when police arrived.

Noise complaint  At 1:19 a.m. Oct. 10, an anonymous caller reported loud music playing at 519 Madison St. The problem was fixed when staff closed the window.

Fight  At 2:15 a.m. Oct. 10, police were called to 519 Madison St. for a report of two men fighting in the back lot after being kicked out of the establishment.

Traffic  At 11:22 a.m. Oct. 10, a caller reported a wheelchair in the roadway at Highway 151 and Highway E. Police found it gone on arrival.

Domestic  At 12:10 p.m. Oct. 10, police responded to a call in the 400 block of Stark Street of a verbal argument.

Animal welfare  At 1:42 p.m. Oct. 10, an anonymous caller reported a man abusing a dog in the 100 block of Knaup Drive. Contact was made and abuse denied. No visible signs of abuse, dog was friendly.
The child had been playing with Play-Doh in Mourani's bedroom while Mourani was in the bathroom, police said. The accused said he believes he was in the bathroom for four minutes when he heard the gunshot and then the child scream after being shot.

Mourani said he entered the bedroom and found both the rifle and handgun had been pulled out from under the bed, according to police. He pushed the guns out of the way and wrapped the boy's leg.

"He stated that the firearm (rifle) had a safety, but it was turned off," according to the charging document.

Police said they were called to the home shortly after noon, and Mourani was running out of the house carrying the boy, who was crying. Police removed a bloody T-shirt that was tied around the gunshot wound.

Officers said the wound was barely bleeding and medics arrived shortly after to treat the boy before he was taken to the hospital.

Mourani said he was the sole person taking care of the child at the time of the shooting, police said.

Police said they found a blood splatter on the carpet in a bedroom in the house and the handgun was half out of the holster. An officer found a .40-caliber hollow point round in the chamber of the pistol when clearing it.
There are only a few opportunities left to enjoy the fall weather before the calendar turns to winter. A new Portage business can help with connecting people with nature on Wisconsin waterways in the Portage area.

Wild Wisco Waters will be open for guided tours and canoe and kayak rentals until Oct. 31. The couple who own the business will be back giving tours next spring after a successful first year of the new business, helping people connect with the Wisconsin River.

The company offers a variety of guided paddle tours of four or eight hours, a Sunset Park Day paddle tour and a Pine Island overnight package. The guided tours include everything needed to do fish on the trip.

Both canoe and kayak trips are beginner-friendly as well as pet-friendly, Elizabeth Hengel said. We understand that peoples comfort level in nature varies so we created our guide series with an option to create your own unique paddle to fit everyones needs.

Elizabeth Hengel and her husband Rick started Wild Wisco Waters in 2019 with a single goal in mind, to reconnect people with nature. That same year they took over a family friends canoe rental business. Hengel said after two years they opened their own business.
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The facility stewardship and fiscal responsibility goals include maintaining or improving the districts current facilities and financial position and working toward a potential future referendum.

For employees, the district will create new wellness opportunities, proactively address daycare options, which Sween said may be needed to retain staff, and continue to work with the teachers union.

Technology

Sween noted the importance of training students and staff to adapt to the ever-changing digital environment, given the internet outage that affected the district Monday and Tuesday.

The district will implement a robust and flexible cybersecurity protocol, according to the strategic plan.

Amy Eppinger, instructional technology coordinator, said she will be working on training staff and putting in place additional cybersecurity measures like multi-factor authentication over the next five years. She said the average data breach costs more than $4 million and takes around 10 months to contain.

Its always been something important, but we can start talking about that team lift, because its not a tech department thing; its an everybody thing, she said.
New Surgical Skills Lab to train specialists and sub-specialists

R22-million project to enhance the training of surgeons in South Africa.

There is a critical shortage of expert medical specialists in the country, including surgeons. It is estimated that there is a need to double the current number of surgeons to fully meet the countrys needs. In addition, South Africa has been losing a number of surgical experts to the competitive overseas market due to the lack of sufficient highly specialised facilities, infrastructure, and advanced academic training programmes.

Wits trains more doctors, surgeons, specialists and sub-specialists than any other university in southern Africa. The new R22-million Wits Advanced Surgical Skills Lab will help to enhance the training of surgeons, across disciplines, in a state-of-the-art environment, with the best equipment available, says Professor Damon Bizos, Head of Wits Surgical Gastroenterology, and the Clinical Head of Surgery at the Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre. We need to replenish these specialised skills and replicate them in adequate measure in order to deliver essential services to South Africans and Africans.

The Wits Advanced Surgical Skills Lab officially opened on Tuesday, 12 October 2021. It is located on the ninth floor of the Faculty of Health Sciences building in Parktown and is designed in line with international best standards. It includes the latest technologies and teaching facilities, putting the Wits surgical training programme on par with the best in the world.

If we fail to replenish the pool of surgeons in South Africa, both the training of all South African doctors and the delivery of healthcare for all will be compromised. The loss of these skills will result in the loss of services in both the private and public sectors, says Professor Zeblon Vilakazi, Wits Vice-Chancellor and Principal. South Africa needs to retain highly skilled and specialised surgeons. By creating opportunities for doctors to undergo highly specialised training locally, rather than abroad, the likelihood of losing these doctors to other countries is lessened.

The Wits Advanced Surgical Skills Lab will cater for the interdisciplinary training needs of surgical disciplines such as general surgery; orthopaedics; gynaecology; ear, nose and throat; cardiothoracic; urology; maxillofacial; ophthalmologic; neuro; and plastic surgery; and will include the training of specialists, doctors, nurses and other allied health practitioners.

The basic and intermediate courses will help inculcate basic surgical competence and skills development, whilst advanced courses will ensure that experienced practitioners remain at the forefront of advances in the field, adds Bizos. We will offer access to in-house training as well as industry-sponsored surgical training courses and symposia. Train-the-trainer programmes and research into skills training will also be integral.

The Wits Advanced Surgical Skills Laboratory includes a large wet lab with eight stations; laparoscopic towers and endoscopy (upper endoscopy and colonoscopy); the availability of facilities for training on cadavers; lead-lined walls to accommodate imaging; a new lecture room for 35 participants; and full audiovisual and videoconferencing facilities.

Access to safe, high-quality surgery care remains an ongoing challenge in South Africa and beyond. There is a well-defined unmet need, and the training of surgeons and surgical care providers is an essential component of the strategy to improve surgical care and address the unmet need. Modern day approaches to training require that we must address both the technical competency and non-technical skills of the surgeon. This must be achieved in a standardised and measurable way. To do so has meant that we, as the trainers of the next generation of practitioners, must embrace new technologies and training opportunities, says Professor Martin Smith, the Head of the Department of Surgery in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Wits University. We are very grateful that through the support of the University and the contributions of a number of donors we have been able to establish a facility to enhance and improve this training.

He adds: This multidisciplinary unit offers the most modern information technology in a versatile environment. It uses the latest skills training methodologies to ensure that when these surgeons and others provide care to patients, their advanced skills are appropriate and safe, ensuring the best outcomes for the patients and communities. It further offers us an opportunity to engage in research into new technologies and training methods.

Click to download the media release, images, video and audio.

The new Wits Advanced Surgical Skills Laboratory is a Wits100 Centenary Campaign project. Wits celebrates 100 years of academic and research excellence, and the advancement of the public good in 2022. Details: Wits Centenary
Wisconsin parents are suing two school districts over their Covid-19 mitigation efforts, arguing that the systems failed to protect their children from getting infected.

The first lawsuit was filed in federal court last week by Shannon Jensen against the Waukesha School District, the Waukesha Board of Education, a number of school board members and district employees, according to the court documents.

Then Monday, Gina Kildahl filed a separate complaint against the Fall Creek School District, the board, its superintendent and individual board members for "recklessly refusing" to implement Covid-19 mitigation strategies recommended by the CDC, according to the complaint.

"By bringing students back to class around unmasked staff, reinstituting extracurricular activities, and allowing potentially contagious visitors and volunteers into the schools without masks, FCSD and the BOARD threw students into a Covid-19 'snake pit' creating an affirmative duty to keep their students safe from Covid-19," Kildahl's complaint read.

Officials and members of the public alike put a high priority on getting students back into in-person learning at the start of this academic year, but how to do so has been a flashpoint for dispute nationwide. The CDC recommended that all school staff and students wear a mask indoors regardless of their vaccination status, but these measures have not been universally instituted.

The risk of coronavirus infection among children appears to be similar as among adults -- but kids are more likely to be asymptomatic, according to a new study in the journal JAMA Pediatrics.

Speaking to CNN on Tuesday morning, Kildahl said that her son tested positive for Covid-19 after he was in close contact with an infected student who did not wear a mask. Her son was asymptomatic and is now doing well, but she said she was worried about long-term effects. Neither she nor her husband tested positive for the virus.

"I am just hoping that they will start masking and take some responsibility to keep our kids safe at school," Kildahl said. "On my school's website, on all of their board documentation, they say that they want to provide a safe place to learn. And I think that to do that, especially with the Delta variant out there, they need to start masking kids."

"Universal masking is what our county health department suggests, just so that all the kids are on the same playing level," she said.

Two of Jensen's children test positive for Covid-19

Jensen's lawsuit alleges that the school district and board are "knowing, needlessly, unreasonably and recklessly exposing the public" to the virus by continuing to hold classes "without adequate Covid-19 mitigation," according to the court documents.

CNN has reached out to the school board and district Superintendent James Sebert.

Jensen said in court documents that she sent her three children to Rose Glen Elementary School for the 2020-21 school year, and that the school implemented masking, temperature checks, plexiglass dividers and contact tracing.

But this school year, the district's school board voted to remove most mitigation, including masking requirements. The family had their three children wear masks daily, but many other students did not do the same, according to court documents.

In September, Jensen said in a court declaration, her oldest child tested positive for Covid-19. According to court documents, she isolated all three children to prevent spread for 10 days. A few days later, another one of her children tested positive as well.

The school notified families that two students tested positive in her son's classroom around the time of his infection, but a parent later told Jensen it was four, according to court documents.

The lack of mitigation and delay in communication about infections was a risk to the community, Jensen said in her declaration. Her son had attended community, church, and Cub Scout functions before testing positive.

It's unclear from the court documents how long the delay was between children testing positive and the school notifying parents.

"The School District of Waukesha's refusal to implement reasonable Covid-19 mitigation strategies, not only affected our immediate family, but if we had been notified sooner of my oldest son's close contact with someone who was diagnosed with Covid-19, we could have prevented possible further community spread of the virus," Jensen said in the court declaration.

Both lawsuits -- which are seeking class action status -- are funded by the Minocqua Brewing Company Super PAC, according to its Facebook page. A super PAC is an independent political action committee that can raise unlimited sums from corporations, unions and individuals to influence elections. It is barred, however, from donating directly to candidates.

Sick classmate did not wear a mask, Kildahl's lawsuit says

Kildahl's complaint states that on September 20 one of her child's classmates tested positive for Covid-19 and another classmate tested positive on September 24, 2021.

Kildahl's child is identified as SK in the suit. "SK's sick classmate did not wear a mask to school," read the complaint.

"On September 27, 2021, SK tested positive for Covid-19." According to complaint, the child quarantined and missed two weeks of school.

CNN has reached out to the Fall Creek School Board and school district.

Minocqua Brewing Company owner Kirk Bangstad said Sunday that the super PAC raised more than $50,000 within the past two weeks "specifically by asking people to donate to these lawsuits."

"The Minocqua Brewing Company Super PAC has just embarked on the boldest project we've ever taken on -- suing every school board in Wisconsin that doesn't follow CDC guidelines to protect the spread of Covid in schools," a post on the Facebook page said.

Currently, vaccines are only available to children 12 and older. Especially for unvaccinated children, the CDC recommends that schools employ multiple layers of protection, including universal masking, distancing, handwashing, testing, disinfection and quarantine and isolation.

The-CNN-Wire

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The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will be designating funding for damages caused by Tropical Storm Fred. Several counties pooled their damages to meet the criterial for federal assistance. Rome Mayor Jackie Izzo says Staley Elementary School sustained probably the most public damage. That project is estimated at around $4 million. The Mayor estimates the total public damages at roughly $6 million.

Things arent looking promising for the private sector. Governor Kathy Hochul only requested individual money for Steuben County, but the Mayors working on getting FEMA to reconsider an individual designation for Rome.

"Theyre reviewing all of the information to see if we meet the threshold on the individual side for a FEMA designation."

While the Mayor says its unlikely the City of Rome will meet the criterial for individual FEMA funding, local individuals impacted by the flooding also spoke with FEMA representatives about their loss. Jeff Augustine was one of them.

"I was here too when they walked on the street, and they talked to me a little bit, but that was it. Just asked me what kind of damage there was and stuff like that."

Jeff owns 3 houses on River Street where nearly every home was flooded. He estimates his losses at about $30 thousand, and although hes hopeful funding will come, hes not holding his breath.

"FEMA allocating money butand I was hoping that yeah it would be something that I could get some of to help me out, but from what you said its not happening yet."

The City Codes Department has been out to nearly every home on the street. Currently theres only about four homeowners who havent finished the work required to receive their final inspections.
It's time now to welcome the newest members of our Morning Mug Club -- brought to you by Holland Farms Bakery & Deli.

Coming up on Thursday, Oct. 14, the First Presbyterian Church of Utica is hosting a Drive-Thru Chicken Barbeque, featuring food from Brooks' House of BBQ in Oneonta.

The event begins at 4 p.m. and goes until they sell out.

The cost is $12.00 per dinner, and that includes Brooks' chicken, a baked potato, a buttered roll, cole slaw, an oatmeal creme cookie and water.

The First Presbyterian Church of Utica is located at 1605 Genesee Street.

For more information, call 315-732-5111.
UTICA, N.Y. - A federal judge ruled that New York must continue to allow health care workers to seek exemptions from a statewide vaccine mandate on religious grounds as a lawsuit challenging the requirement proceeds.

Judge David Hurd in Utica had issued a temporary restraining order a month ago after 17 doctors, nurses and other health professionals claimed in a lawsuit that their rights would be violated with a vaccine mandate that disallowed the exemptions.

Hurds ruling Tuesday means New York will continue to be barred from enforcing any requirement that employers deny religious exemptions.

Tuesday afternoon, Governor Kathy Hochul issued an email statement responding to the judge's ruling.

"My responsibility as Governor is to protect the people of this state, and requiring health care workers to get vaccinated accomplishes that. I stand behind this mandate, and I will fight this decision in court to keep New Yorkers safe."

When asked for a response, Mohawk Valley Health System SVP/Chief Human Resource Officer Robert Scott released this statement:

The decision today from U.S. District Judge David N. Hurd to issue a preliminary injunction that prevents New York State from enforcing the COVID-19 vaccine mandate with respect to a religious exemption is a step forward in clarifying the actions health systems need to take with regard to employees seeking religious accommodates for the COVID vaccine mandate.

However, we are also waiting for a decision from a federal appeals court in Manhattan which allowed for religious objections while it considers whether the mandate as a whole is legal. We expect to hear this decision this Thursday, October 14, 2021.

Until the courts have fully decided on this matter, including any appeals that may come forward, MVHS will continue to allow those who have requested religious accommodations to remain in their current positions. Once a final decision is made in the courts, we will review the decision and take action accordingly.

Bassett Healthcare Network also offered a response to the judge's ruling:

"Since the announcement of the New York State Department of Health COVID-19 vaccine mandate, Bassett Healthcare Network has been committed to providing our employees with the support and resources they need to help them through this process. We continue to monitor any developments as legal challenges move through the judicial system and are assessing how this most recent ruling may impact our employees. Most importantly, Bassett remains dedicated to providing excellent care to our patients and communities."

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
Did you know socks are the number one requested item in homeless shelters? That's the message the Sock for Shelter Campaign is sending. It's a donation drive hosted by United Steelworkers Local 115.

They'll be placing bins for people to drop of pairs of socks. The totes can be found at local Lafayette businesses. The donations will go towards Lafayette Transitional Housing, Family Promise and Lafayette Urban Ministry.

Local 115 President Spencer Buchanan said this was a golden opportunity to help those facing homelessness in the community.

"Socks is a good starting point. These agencies already do a lot for homelessness in our community and we wanna take a small step to help," said Buchanan.

Socks are highly requested given the amount of walking those living on the streets have to do.

Socks will be collected starting October 11, 2021, thru December 10, 2021, at the following locations:
ACE Fellow joins W&M presidents office

Ace fellow: Laura McGrane will spend the 2021-22 academic year working with W&M leaders as an American Council on Education (ACE) Fellow. Submitted photo Photo - of - Hide Caption

Laura McGrane will spend the 2021-22 academic year working in the William & Mary presidents office as an American Council on Education (ACE) Fellow.

McGrane, associate provost for strategic initiatives at Haverford College in Haverford, Pennsylvania, will work with W&M leaders throughout the fall to explore a variety of areas, including planning and operations, finances and student affairs. From there, she will work closely with administrators on core strategic projects.

If the first few weeks are any indicator, the experience of being in a passionate, ambitious, successful and inclusive academic community is exhilarating, McGrane said. The conversations that I've had with administrators, staff, students and faculty have already opened up pathways into interdisciplinary processes on the academic program side. Im thinking in new ways about how liberal arts institutions can and should be positioning themselves as ethical and creative leaders in this moment of both crisis and opportunity.

Established in 1965, the ACE Fellows Program is designed to strengthen institutional and leadership capacity in American higher education by identifying and preparing faculty and staff leaders for senior positions in college and university administration. Fifty-two fellows, nominated by the senior administration of their institutions, comprise the 2021-22 cohort at colleges and universities across the nation.

Nearly 2,000 higher education leaders have participated in the ACE Fellows Program over the past five decades, with more than 80% of fellows having served as senior leaders of colleges and universities.

McGrane said she chose to serve her fellowship at W&M because of the universitys reputation as a liberal arts institution, its breadth in the arts & sciences and its dedication to undergraduates that is experiential, hands-on and inclusive across the disciplines. She also was attracted to William & Mary for its professional schools  the law school, school of education and the Raymond A. Mason School of Business  as well as W&Ms Virginia Institute of Marine Science, which provide models for innovation, civic engagement and sustainability. Moreover, she was drawn to W&Ms vast historical archive.

William & Mary is actively engaging its complex and often difficult past while looking toward the future, said McGrane, who has been at Haverford College for 20 years. The community work with the Bray School and William & Marys initiatives around diversity and equity are especially energizing.

McGrane previously served as founding director of Visual Culture Arts and Media (VCAM) and chair of English at Haverford College. She led the creation and design of VCAM and oversaw its Philadelphia Collaborative grant programming with the Mellon Foundation and other funders in arts, visual studies, technology and community practice.

McGrane has also served as director of the Hurford Center for the Arts and Humanities, which included the Cantor Fitzgerald Gallery and the Mellon Creative Residencies program. She is the U.S. District 4 Secretary for the Rhodes Scholarship and is on advisory boards for the Swarthmore Aydelotte Foundation and the Educational Ecologies Collective.

I've spent the past 20 years positioned in liberal arts colleges that have an intense devotion to undergraduate learning as educational institutions that think beyond academic divisions, that are responsive to shifting technologies as they prepare students for an accelerated global environment and that understand themselves in relation to community practices and partners, McGrane said.

The ACE Fellows Program combines in-person and virtual learning engagements, interactive learning tools, campus visits and placement at another higher education institution to condense years of on-the-job senior administrative experience and skills development into a single academic year. The fellows are included in the highest level of decision-making while participating in administrative activities at their host institutions. Time is also spent investigating a specified issue of benefit to their nominating institutions for implementation upon the fellows return to campus at the conclusion of the fellowship placement.
Chinese President Xi Jinping visits a section of the Lijiang River and learns about local efforts in the ecological conservation of the river in Yangshuo, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, April 25, 2021. [Xinhua/Ju Peng]

BEIJING, Oct. 11 (Xinhua)  The runaway success story of the summer was the more than 110-day adventure of a herd of 14 wandering wild Asian elephants across Yunnan Province, southwest China. The herd's sojourn gripped the nation and beyond, making the elephants social media superstars. Beyond the headlines, however, this is a story of conservation, commitment, and care that spans decades.

Chinese President Xi Jinping (C, front) and his wife Peng Liyuan visit a wildlife sanctuary in Harare, Zimbabwe, Dec. 2, 2015. [Xinhua/Lan Hongguang]

In December 2015, during a state visit to Zimbabwe, Chinese President Xi Jinping reflected on the remarkable progress by China to protect wildlife, natural habitats and end the illegal trade of wild animals and animal products, including ivory.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan visit a wildlife sanctuary in Harare, Zimbabwe, Dec. 2, 2015. [Xinhua/Huang Jingwen]

The remarks were not made on a whim.

Xi didn't just tell people to protect the environment and local wildlife; he led by example.

In 1997, when Xi was a local official in Fujian, he was inspecting a river that runs through one of the province's counties when a carp leaped out of the water onto his raft. "Now we have an additional ingredient for tonight's dinner," rafter Xiao Kewen joked. Xi, however, smiled and removed one of the covers on his boots, filled it with water, and placed the fish inside. When the raft arrived in calmer water, he released it back into the river.

Almost twenty years later in December 2016, China declared that the country would end the domestic ivory trade within a year. True to its word, on Jan. 1, 2018, a nationwide ban on the ivory trade for commercial purposes came into force.

Chinese President Xi Jinping learns about ecological conservation of the Qinling Mountains at Niubeiliang National Nature Reserve, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, April 20, 2020. [Xinhua/Ju Peng]

In November 2020, when addressing the G20 Riyadh Summit via video link, Xi took this initiative another step forward and called for a complete ban on the illegal wildlife trade.

Environmental protection and restoration efforts have not only benefited elephants and aquatic species: populations of wild animals across the nation have increased. Earlier this year, giant pandas were downgraded from "endangered" to "vulnerable." The Tibetan antelope went from "endangered" to "near threatened."

During this year's epic elephant expedition, hundreds of thousands of locals were evacuated, but they showed great patience and tolerance. "The elephants look so at ease  the sky is the roof, the earth is the bed, and everywhere can be home," netizens commented on photos and videos of the herd on social media.

Aerial photo taken on Aug. 9, 2021 shows a herd of wild Asian elephants in Yuanjiang County of Yuxi City, southwest China's Yunnan Province. [Xinhua/Hu Chao]

China's conservation, commitment, and care for wildlife and the environment represent just one way it aims to ensure our shared home is welcoming and comfortable for generations to come.

The 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, known as COP15, kicked off on Monday afternoon in Kunming, capital of Yunnan Province.

(Source: Xinhua)
Photo taken on Oct. 11, 2021 shows the opening ceremony of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province. [Xinhua/Li Xin]

KUNMING, Oct. 11 (Xinhua)  The 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, known as COP15, kicked off on Monday afternoon in Kunming, capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province.

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

The meeting is set to be held in two parts. The first part, scheduled for Oct. 11 to 15, is held both offline and online.

Representatives are expected to focus on the development of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework to guide conservation actions worldwide through 2030.

Over 1,800 participants will gather at a forum on ecological civilization as a sideline event of the meeting from Oct. 14 to 15, which will cover a range of topics including coping with climate change and nature-based ecological protection and restoration.

The second part of the meeting, to be held offline in the first half of 2022, is expected to see the finalization and adoption of an ambitious and practical post-2020 global biodiversity framework.

China was among the first countries to become a party to the Convention on Biological Diversity, which entered into force in 1993. The Convention currently has 196 parties, and the Conference of the Parties is the highest mechanism for discussing and making decisions on the Convention.

Folk artists perform during the opening ceremony of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Oct. 11, 2021. COP15 kicked off in Kunming on Monday. [Xinhua/Li Xin] Folk artists perform during the opening ceremony of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Oct. 11, 2021. COP15 kicked off in Kunming on Monday. [Xinhua/Jin Liwang] An elephant-themed video clip is seen on screen during the opening ceremony of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Oct. 11, 2021. COP15 kicked off in Kunming on Monday. [Xinhua/Li Xin] Folk artists perform during the opening ceremony of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Oct. 11, 2021. COP15 kicked off in Kunming on Monday. [Xinhua/Jin Liwang] Folk artists perform during the opening ceremony of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Oct. 11, 2021. COP15 kicked off in Kunming on Monday. [Xinhua/Jin Liwang] Folk artists perform during the opening ceremony of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Oct. 11, 2021. COP15 kicked off in Kunming on Monday. [Xinhua/Chen Yehua] Folk artists perform during the opening ceremony of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Oct. 11, 2021. COP15 kicked off in Kunming on Monday. [Xinhua/Fei Maohua] Folk artists perform during the opening ceremony of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Oct. 11, 2021. COP15 kicked off in Kunming on Monday. [Xinhua/Chen Yehua] Folk artists perform during the opening ceremony of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Oct. 11, 2021. COP15 kicked off in Kunming on Monday. [Xinhua/Yue Yuewei] Guests attend the opening ceremony of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Oct. 11, 2021. COP15 kicked off in Kunming on Monday. [Xinhua/Chen Yehua] An elephant-themed video clip is seen on screen during the opening ceremony of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Oct. 11, 2021. COP15 kicked off in Kunming on Monday. [Xinhua/Jiang Wenyao] Folk artists perform during the opening ceremony of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Oct. 11, 2021. COP15 kicked off in Kunming on Monday. [Xinhua/Jiang Wenyao] Inger Andersen, executive director of the UN Environment Program, delivers a speech via video during the opening ceremony of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Oct. 11, 2021. COP15 kicked off in Kunming on Monday. [Xinhua/Jin Liwang] Chu Wenwen from Beijing Forestry University speaks during the opening ceremony of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Oct. 11, 2021. COP15 kicked off in Kunming on Monday. [Xinhua/Chen Yehua]

(Source: Xinhua)
Ji Yulan, an inheritor of the intangible heritage paper-cutting from Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. [For chinadaily.com.cn]

With a pair of scissors in her right hand and red paper on the left, Ji Yulan, creates the image of a smiling child on the paper within five minutes.

The 53-year-old craftswoman, an inheritor of the intangible heritage paper-cutting from Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, has been engaged in the art for over 40 years.

Exquisite red paper-cut decorations stand out against the white dress she is wearing, a paper-cut image of a child on her chest and two clusters of grape paper-cut earrings dropping to her shoulders.

Paper-cutting, the traditional Chinese folk art of cutting colorful paper into patterns with scissors or a knife, was included in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009.

Ji was born and grew up in Turpan, a city in Xinjiang where the oldest surviving paper-cut pieces, from about 1,500 year ago were found. The craftswoman is proud when it comes to this history and she brought the ancient pieces alive by replicating them.

She formed her ties with paper-cutting at age seven. Growing up with her grandmother in rural Turpan, Ji was deeply influenced by her grandmother's fondness for the folk art.

"I will never forget the scene when my grandma was cutting various patterns that cast shadows on the wall through candlelight," she said. Her grandma was the person who cultivated her lifetime enthusiasm for the skill.

The craftswoman devoted all her spare time to paper-cutting before retiring. She always takes a pair of scissors with her so that she can create something when she wants to, Ji said.

Ji draws inspirations from the culture and people's life experiences in Turpan, a city famous for its grapes and importance on the ancient Silk Road, and integrates them into her works. Her pieces feature grapes, grape vines and Uyghur children.

"I am moved by the land where I grew up," she said, adding that as she learns more about the customs and culture of her hometown, the desire to create grows more intense.

Her masterpiece is a blue and white porcelain-color paper-cut depicting a women from Loulan, a vanished civilization along the ancient Silk Road.

In the picture, the woman in the center is silhouetted by fluttering grape leaves, and her headscarf looks like a raisin house, a ubiquitous hut in Turpan used to dry grapes.

The woman holds a pomegranate on her chest, which symbolizes the unity of ethnic groups in China, the closeness just like the seeds of the pomegranate. The camels below the woman represent Turpan's role as an important city on the ancient Silk Road.

"The woman is like the breeze in March in my mind. Her eyes are closed, but the sweetness of the grapes from her hometown is in her heart," the paper-cut artist said of her creation.

Ji said a complete paper-cut work needs to have its language symbols, regional characteristics and thematic ideas. Each of her paper-cut works has a story behind it.

A symbol that appears often in Ji's work is the sawtooth pattern. The sawtooth pattern is shaped like a burning fire, symbolizing Turpan. The place is known as "the city of fire" with the temperature reaching 50 C in summer and lacking rain all year long, benefiting its grape-growing industry.

In 2019, Ji started her paper-cutting studio in the Grape Valley scenic spot, a famous tourist destination in Turpan. Free space was provided in a bazaar to more than 20 craftsman like Ji to promote the protection of local intangible culture heritage.

Other intangible cultural heritage at the autonomous region and municipal levels are expected to be introduced into the bazaar this year, said Zhang Mingming, deputy general manager of the Turpan section of a local tourism company in charge of the project.

In an intangible cultural heritage products fair held by the scenic spot last year, Ji's paper-cut series themed on fighting the COVID-19 pandemic attracted many tourists. One piece features a medical staffer with long, beautiful hair wearing a mask.

Ji was deeply impressed by women medical workers who cut their long hair short to better fit into protective suits while fighting in the front line against the epidemic.

"Women are charming in long hair and it took a lot courage to cut it," she said. Ji created a paper-cutting work illustrating the image, in which the medical staffer has her long hair back. She named the piece The Angel in Harm's Way.

She also made paper-cut images for people from other walks of life who fought on the front line. Common knowledge of epidemic prevention and control, including hand washing and ventilation, have been designed in her paper-cut works to foster awareness.

To promote the paper-cutting culture, Ji regularly teaches in communities, nursing homes and other places, and often goes to rural areas to learn about local paper-cutting customs and draw inspiration for her works.

"The paper-cutting art comes from the folk and it should return to the people," she said.

Ji has 12 apprentices, aged from 3 to 23. "They found their interest in paper-cutting and came to me to learn it," she said. Ji often encourages her students to create something using a younger mindset.

Xiao Wenxuan, 13, a junior school student, has been a veteran in the field since she started learning from Ji when she was about 4 years old. Ji said the girl often told her that she also wants to be an inheritor of the craft.

"I am positive of the future of the craft. Younger generations have the sense of cultural heritage," she added.

Ji keeps practicing paper-cutting every day, and her works hang in her studio and appear in every corner of her home. She also learned to share her works on video-sharing platform Douyin to increase her audience.

"Choose one thing, love it for a life time", she said she likes the saying and has been practicing it.

(Source: chinadaily.com.cn)
The First Amendment of the US Constitution grants all Americans several rights, among which are freedom of speech, freedom of expression, and freedom of assembly. Thus, all Americans have the right to peaceful protest. The practice of holding demonstrations for or against certain people or policies is a fact of life in both the United States and other democratic countries. There have been several demonstrations throughout US history in which hundreds of thousands, or even millions of people have participated. These protests are held in order to raise awareness of a number of issues, ranging from womens rights to environmental protection. The following are the ten largest demonstrations in US history.

1. George Floyd/Anti-Racism Protests

Participants of protest march against police violence over death of George Floyd in Los Angeles, USA in May 2020. Editorial credit: Hayk_Shalunts / Shutterstock.com

Protests across the United States were held in response to the death of an African American man named George Floyd. Floyd was killed while in police custody in Minneapolis, Minnesota on May 25, 2020. Many Americans believed that he was killed because he was black. At first, the demonstrations were confined to Minneapolis, where protesters set fire to the station that the police officers suspected in Floyds death worked at. Within a week, protests were being held throughout the country. The number of people taking part in the demonstrations was estimated to be as many as 26 million, making these protests the largest in US history.

2. Earth Day Protests

Earth Day and demonstrations associated with it began in 1970, when an activist named John McConnell proposed an annual day to promote peace and the protection of the planet. A month later, a US Senator suggested holding a nation-wide teach-in on April 22, 1970 to promote the protection of the environment. The event was promoted as Earth Day and drew more than 20 million people demonstrating across the country.

3. 2017 Womens March

2017 Women's March in New York, USA. Editorial credit: Cory Seamer / Shutterstock.com

The 2017 Womens March began took place on January 21st of that year, which was the day after the inauguration of US President Donald Trump. Many people accused Trump of repeatedly making comments that degraded women. The primary demonstration took place in Washington, DC, drawing a crowd of more than 470,000, but the total number of people who participated in the protests nationwide was between 3.3 and 5.6 million, making the Womens March the largest one-day protest in US history.

4. March For Our Lives

March for Our Lives protest in Minnesota State Capitol in 2018. Editorial credit: Ken Wolter / Shutterstock.com

On March 24, 2018, demonstrations were held to support gun control in the United States. These protests were held a month after a shooting at a high school in Florida left 17 people dead. It was the deadliest high school shooting in US history. The flagship protest took place in Washington DC, while more than 880 corresponding protests were held throughout the country. Up to 2 million people participated in the nationwide demonstrations. Gun control has long been an intensely-debated issue in the United States, as some believe that laws should be enacted to make it harder for people to purchase firearms, while others defend the right to bear arms as defined in the Second Amendment of the US Constitution.

5. 2018 Womens March

Participants in the 2018 Women's March in San Francisco. Editorial credit: Sheila Fitzgerald / Shutterstock.com

The 2018 Womens March took place on the first anniversary of the aforementioned 2017 Womens March. As was the case with the first Womens March, people throughout the United States participated in simultaneous demonstrations. About 1.5 million people in total participated in the protests. The 2018 Womens March was held against the backdrop of the #MeToo movement, named for a Twitter hashtag that referenced a growing campaign on social media to speak out against sexual abuse and harassment.

6. Telegramgate/Chatgate/RickyLeaks Protests

On July 17, 2019, an estimated 1.1 million people demonstrated against the alleged corruption of Puerto Ricos governor, Ricardo Rossello, and his cabinet. The protest took place in San Juan, the capital of the US Territory of Puerto Rico. Earlier in the month, comments that the governor and members of his cabinet made on a messaging app called Telegram were leaked to the public. Many of these comments were considered vulgar, racist, and homophobic. They also revealed that the governor and his cabinet were trying to figure out how to use the media against their opponents.

7. The Great American Boycott

Immigrant rights march for amnesty in downtown Los Angeles, California on May Day, 2006. Image credit: Jonathan McIntosh via Wikimedia Commons

Also called A Day Without an Immigrant, the Great American Boycott was a one-day boycott of schools and businesses in the United States by immigrants in the country. The protests associated with this boycott drew an estimated one million people throughout the country. The event was held in order to raise awareness of issues pertaining to immigration in the United States, particularly the plight of undocumented immigrants. The protests were held on May 1, 2006. This date was chosen because May 1, or May Day, is commemorated as a day of advocacy for workers rights around the world.

8. March on Washington for LGBTQ Rights and Liberation

On April 25, 1993, a large protest was held in Washington DC to advocate for the rights of people belonging to the LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered, Questioning) community. Members of the LGBTQ community were the subject of ongoing discrimination in the United States based on their sexual orientation. Among the demands of the demonstrators were the repeal of sodomy laws, equality pertaining to family issues like marriage and divorce, and the general outlawing of discriminatory measures taken against members of the LGBTQ community. The demonstration drew between 800,000 and one million participants.

9. Anti-Nuclear Weapons March

A large demonstration of between 700,000 and one million people took place in New York Citys Central Park on June 12, 1982. The protest was held to raise awareness of the danger of nuclear weapons. It was meant to coincide with the United Nations Second Special Session on Disarmament. At the time, the Cold War between the United States and Soviet Union was still ongoing, and it was generally known that a potential nuclear war between the two countries and their allies would likely lead to the destruction of humankind.

10. Million Man March

The Million Man March in Washington DC. Editorial credit: mark reinstein / Shutterstock.com

The Million Man March was a mass demonstration held in Washington DC to raise awareness of racism and other problems plaguing the countrys African American citizens. The idea for the protest came from the Nation of Islam and its leader, Louis Farrakhan, though it was attended by other civil rights organizations, including local chapters of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the National African American Leadership Summit. The protest was attended by up to 800,000 people.
Vaccines are best way to help NHS ahead of challenging winter  Health Minister

People eligible for booster COVID-19 vaccinations and flu jabs are encouraged to take up the offer ahead of a challenging winter for NHS Wales, the Health Minister has said.

In an updated COVID-19 vaccination strategy, being published today, Health Minister Eluned Morgan confirms that the majority of people eligible will be offered their booster vaccination by December 31, 2021.

People who are severely immuno-suppressed will be offered a third dose of vaccine to provide them with as much protection as possible. They will be prioritised for an urgent appointment at a time thats right for them based on their treatment and the advice of their clinician.

The strategy also confirms that by November 1, 2021, offers will be made for;

one dose for all 12-15 year olds and,

a booster vaccination for care home residents and health and care staff.

Everyone in the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI)s 1-9 priority groups will be invited for a booster vaccination when it has been at least six months since their last dose. As before, invitation letters will be sent directly from health boards and people are requested not to contact their GP.

Health Minister Eluned Morgan said: This winter will be incredibly difficult for our health service so it is vitally important for people to take up the offer of their COVID-19 and Flu vaccine if eligible to protect themselves and the NHS.

Vaccinations for coronavirus are highly effective and protection against hospitalisation is estimated at around 95 per cent after the second dose. The flu vaccine will also protect people from serious complications and I encourage anyone who is eligible to get their flu vaccine regardless of their eligibility for a COVID-19 booster vaccine.

We have so far given more than 4.6 million COVID-19 vaccinations and 85 per cent of the over 16 population are fully vaccinated.

There is no concern over the supply of any of the vaccines and we hope as many people as possible take up the offers to continue to protect those most vulnerable and the NHS.

Health boards are making good progress in providing the booster, vaccinating 16 and 17 year olds and 12-15 year olds, including those most of risk due to underlying health conditions.

Welsh Government are also encouraging 12-15 year olds to have a conversation about having the vaccine with their family or trusted adult.

Most younger adults will only have received their second COVID-19 vaccine dose in late summer or early autumn and they will still have a high level of protection, with the update adding, The benefits of booster vaccination in this group will be considered when more information becomes available.

The strategy also sets out that a digital booking system is being developed  with no detail if that will be different from the local online systems previously used  to allow people to book appointments online to try to make it as easy of possible for people to come forward at a time which suits them.

Appointments for first doses of COVID-19 vaccines are still available for anyone unvaccinated.
Wales health minister apologises to all of those who have suffered during the pandemic

Wales health minister has today apologised to all of those who have suffered during the pandemic.

It comes after the report released by the House of Commons and Science and Technology Committee and Health and Social Care Committee into the UKs handling of the coronavirus pandemic found that the delay to first lockdown was a serious error that should have been challenged  with Wales or Welsh mentioned just three times in the contents of the report.

The UKs pandemic planning is also described as being too narrowly and inflexibly based on a flu model which failed to learn the lessons from SARS, MERS and Ebola.

This, the report found, that although the UKs pandemic planning had been globally acclaimed, it performed less well than other countries when it was needed most.

There is also criticism over the initial decisions made at the start of the pandemic, including stopping community testing so early, which has been described as serious mistake.

The UK Government is also accused of groupthink between official scientific advisers and the government, which the report says indicates a degree of groupthink that was present at the time which meant we were not as open to approaches being taken elsewhere as we should have been.

At a Welsh Government press conference this afternoon Health Minister Eluned Morgan was challenged over the findings of the report and whether she would be willing to apologise to all those who have lost loved ones and suffered during the last 19 months.

Ms Morgan said: Ive never really understood why politicians have such a problem in apologising. Of course, Im prepared to apologise to all of those who have suffered during the pandemic.

This was a new disease that wed never seen before, none of us knew how it was going to impact, none of us knew how it was going to spread and none of us had any idea of the fact it could be spreading without showing any symptoms.

We had a huge amount to learn and Im pleased to say that we have learned over the course of the pandemic.

Of course, we made some mistakes at the beginning of that process because of the lack of information and data and knowledge that we have that we now have learned.

I think we have a duty and responsibility to say sorry to people where weve made mistakes.

There is also strong criticism over the lack of priority attached to social care during the initial phase of the pandemic, which has been described as illustrative of a longstanding failure to afford social care the same attention as the NHS.

The report found that discharging people from hospitals into care homes without testing or isolation was indicative of the disparity.

It adds that this, combined with untested staff bringing the infection into homes from the community, led to many thousands of deaths which could have been avoided.

The report also highlighted the delay in implementing the first lockdown in March 2020 amid concerns over the immense harm it would entail to the economy, normal health services and society.

However the investigation found that in the absence of other strategies such as rigorous case isolation, a meaningful test and trace operation, and robust border controls, a full lockdown was inevitable and should have come sooner.

Wales entered the first lockdown in March 2020 at the same time as England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Although all four nations have made separate decisions since then, including Wales firebreak and lockdown over Christmas, the Welsh Government has said it has followed advice from its own scientists and SAGE.

The health minister was challenged on whether in the early stages of the pandemic whether anyone within the Welsh Government was calling for a first lockdown to have been implemented sooner and whether there was elements of groupthink.

Ms Morgan added: I was a member of the cabinet at the time and I can tell you that there were always very robust discussions in relation to COVID.

Im very clear also that we were very focused on the public health situation and I think the that weve got to be aware that maybe there was a slight difference in emphasis that were coming from England, very much more focused, perhaps on the economic aspects of, of what coronavirus might might mean.

I dont agree that there was a groupthink approach in in Wales. Our discussions in cabinet are always open, robust, and respectful and that is something that the First Minister has encouraged throughout the pandemic.

She added: It would have been extremely difficult for us to lockdown before England for lots of practical reasons. Weve got the border but also because furlough was not available, so it would have been difficult for us to have that gone anytime sooner.

The fact is that we have responded I think very positively since then. Our vaccination program has been highly successful, we know that that has helped to avert around 7000 deaths and 10,000 hospital admissions.

Since then, I think what you will have understood is that we have taken a far more cautious approach compared to that of the the rest of the United Kingdom.

I understand the report talks about the dangers of centralisation and what weve done is to try and empower local communities and local authorities to make sure that they have really taken advantage of the opportunities that they have to know their local communities.

Todays report, which all but focuses on England, also prompted renewed calls for the Welsh Government to carry out an independent inquiry into its own handling of the pandemic here in Wales.

So far the Welsh Government have been resistant to doing so and have so far instead opted to be involved in a wider UK-wide inquiry.

Ms Morgan again defended this decision, stating: Youll be aware that the First Minister has already written to Michael Gove to ask for some very clear guidelines and stipulations in relation to what that should cover

Until we have a response from that. I think its appropriate for us to work on the assumption that they will be positive in their response to to to those requests by the First Minister, but of course, we will continue to keep this under review.
Ongoing conflict between parents and schools over virus mitigation for children in the classroom has gone to court in Wisconsin, where two parents are suing their children's school districts over their Covid-19 infection. The Waukesha School District building is shown in this file photo.
More than a quarter of those placed in temporary accommodation by local councils in England are being moved outside their home borough, in some cases halfway across the country.

Case numbers have risen dramatically. The Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has reported that 95,450 households in England are currently in temporary accommodation. Of these, 26,170, more than 27 percent, have been placed outside their local area. This amounts to 65,686 being placed outside their home borough, a 316 percent rise in the last ten years.

Because of the cost of accommodation, London has long been the focus of the practice. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) considers an area has affordable private rents if they make up 30 percent or less of local residents income. In London the figure is currently 37.7 percent, compared with 26 percent in the east of England and 22.3 percent in the East Midlands.

A protester in Southwark, London holds a placard reading "Social Housing: Not Luxury Flats" at a demonstration in opposition to the redevelopment of the Elephant and Castle shopping centre in 2018 (WSWS Media)

In the last three years, London local authorities have increased out-of-area temporary accommodation placements by 11 percent, affecting 21,470 households.

Labour-run Waltham Forest council, in northeast London, has been vigorous in pursuing the policy. Councils are responsible for housing their homeless residents until they can find them an affordable property. Waltham Forest has a 10,000+ waiting list for council homes, and, like all of London, private rents are staggeringly high. The council in 2019 entered a contract with Reloc8 UK to provide homes in cheaper cities. Reloc8 have similar contracts with nine other London councils, the majority Labour-run. Waltham Forest is the biggest user of Reloc8s services, but other councils use different agencies to the same end.

Four Conservative-run councils are among Reloc8s clients. Hillingdon have relocated 74 households, Barnet one, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea five, and Bexley eight. But Labour councils have provided most of Reloc8s London work. Waltham Forest alone has used them to transfer a staggering 94 households out of borough, Ealing have transferred 60 households, Brent 15, Haringey five, Barking and Dagenham two, and Hammersmith and Fulham three.

Another 120 households in Waltham Forest in have not accepted Reloc8s offers. Nadia Zaman, a single parent of three children under 10, has lived in north London all her life. In July she was one of 162 households told to go to Stoke-on-Trent, over 100 miles away.

Offered a maisonette in Stoke on a Wednesday, Nadia was told to decide by that Friday. A council email said they regarded this as concluding their responsibilities: Please note that this offer of suitable private sector accommodation will discharge our duty to you whether you accept or refuse the property. You will only receive this offer of suitable accommodation.

The offer, it continued, cannot be held open for you for more than 24 hours and the council will assume that you have refused the accommodation offered if you fail to attend.

Nadia told local press that she had been refused any chance to see the property, in a town she had never visited. Her children are at school in Waltham Forest, and all her family and friends are there.

She was instructed to meet a Reloc8 agent at the property on the Saturday to sign the contract, offered a travel warrant for her tickets and asked to advise the council if she needed any help removing her belongings from the temporary accommodation.

By treating such offers as discharging their responsibilities, the council treat any resident who refuseseven if they have never seen the property or visited the cityas making themselves voluntarily homeless, so can be removed from their temporary accommodation.

They said Ive made myself intentionally homeless, so theyve taken me off the list, Nadia told the press.

Following media attention, the council have now agreed to help her find private rented accommodation as soon as possible, although they insist this may need to be outside of Waltham Forest.

Other desperate residents have already been forced out. Karen Beckett and her three daughters, aged 16, 14 and 12, were relocated to Telford, 150 miles away.

A Freedom of Information request from the Waltham Forest Echo revealed that the furthest move proposed by Reloc8 was to a Barnet household, offered a property in Newcastle, 283 miles away. A member of Housing Action Southwark and Lambeth (HASL) spoke to Waltham Forest Echo about another family told to relocate to Stoke, 168 miles away, who were ruled voluntarily homeless for missing an appointment to view the property.

The single biggest obstacle to Nadias accommodation is the cap on household benefits, introduced in 2013, which makes private accommodation unaffordable. Labour councils led the way in relocating families out of borough to adapt to the benefit cap. Waltham Forests cabinet member for housing, Louise Mitchell, described their approach as being in line with other councils, saying blandly, We regret that rising property costs in the borough and in the private rented sector, which we are forced to use, combined with the government benefit cap, means that housing people locally in decent accommodation where they can make stable settled homes isnt always possible.

Even as they were trying to relocate Nadia, Waltham Forest were approving the building of 25 flats in Leyton without any nominally affordable properties. Developer NPLH Midland Ltd had originally proposed that one-third of the flats should be affordable but withdrew the offer because of rising costs. The council accepted this, and the companys offer of a one-off payment of 50,000 and a review of profits after 75 percent of the homes are sold or let.

Labour have also led the way in deals with property developers and speculators. ITV News reported on Fransoy Hewitt, who reported a leaking ceiling in her flat in Labour-run Croydon for months last year. While council maintenance workers turned off the electricity to her lights and fridge, to prevent electrocution, the leak was not fixed. She and her two young children ate their Christmas dinner last year under umbrellas. Croydon declared itself bankrupt last November, in part because of debts due to undeliverable income from its in-house property developer.

In Haringey, another of Reloc8s clients, the Labour council established a hugely unpopular Haringey Development Vehicle (HDV)a partnership with global private developer Lendlease. Local hostility to the HDV saw council leader Claire Kober replaced with what was trumpeted as a Corbyn council in May 2018. That councils first action was to tell local Labour Party members it would have to cut its budget further.

Kober later joined housing management group Pinnacle and construction company Taylor Wimpey. She has now been appointed to the board of landlord Notting Hill Genesis (NHG), which recently announced a deal with property developer Hill to build 780 homes in west London. It has reported a 48 percent jump in its annual surplus following the 140 million sale of a development site to a property investor.

Anger is rising at the increasingly intolerable situation. Bus driver Anthony Brathwaite has been fighting for a stable and permanent home for him and his two children, one of whom is autistic, since the breakdown of his marriage in 2017. Lewisham council have recently offered him two private rentals: one was outside the borough, in Greenwich, while the other cost 1,300 without bills, beyond his budget.

The council decided he had made himself intentionally homeless and sought to evict him and his children. Around 20 protesters came to his defence, forcing a nine-hour standoff with enforcement officers and the suspension of his eviction.

What is required is a programme of social housing to provide decent, safe accommodation for all. This will not come from property developers or private partnerships. It requires the immediate requisitioning of empty accommodation and the expropriation of the fortunes of the super-rich to fund a social housing and provision programme under democratic control.
On Monday, October 4, a right-wing demonstration was staged in New York City in opposition to the federal upholding of a citywide vaccine mandate covering approximately 150,000 Department of Education (DOE) workers. Several hundred people took part, marching five miles from the DOE headquarters in Downtown Brooklyn, across the Brooklyn Bridge to the Australian Consulate in midtown Manhattan.

The protest is part of a string of far-right demonstrations in the city which have been seized upon to legitimize unpopular anti-vaccination and anti-science policies. The New York Times has largely been silent on the local right-wing rallies, instead focusing on the narrative that anti-vaccination sentiments are primarily associated with other, more conservative states in the country.

Protesters rally at a demonstration against COVID-19 vaccination mandates, Wednesday, Aug. 25, 2021, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

The tabloid NYC news media on the other hand, particularly the New York Post of billionaire Rupert Murdoch, has aggressively attempted to present such protests as being representative of a mass movement in support of scrapping any and all life-saving measures against the pandemic, in the name of freedom. The purpose of this campaign is the further legitimization of anti-science and forcing the framework of political discourse toward the far right.

A video circulated on social media of the October 4 march showed protesters violently flipping over a pop-up tent belonging to a mobile COVID testing unit near Union Square. Surrounding crowds can be heard booing the marchers as a police officer is seen passively standing by the scene, preventing angry onlookers from intervening against the violent provocation. The far-right Tea Party posted several videos of the event on its organizations website, which featured shots of police and fire officers saluting and clapping for the demonstrators as they marched by.

Unlike similar rallies since the summer, the October 4 event was explicitly organized in solidarity with far-right, anti-lockdown riots in Australia which began last month, and which have been heavily promoted by the Murdoch-owned press in his native country. The New York demonstrators waved Australian and American flags, shouting slogans opposing vaccinations and lockdowns in the US and overseas.

The event was concurrent with a dramatic shift in pandemic policies of governments in Asian and Pacific countries such as Australia, New Zealand and Singapore away from rigorous containment and toward US-style herd-immunity practices. This recent change in the health policies of these nations is explainable by the tremendous pressure exerted by the US on its allies to fall in line with its demonization of China, paving the way ideologically for war.

There has been a legal battle against the implementation of vaccine mandates in the state of New York, with several lawsuits and actions being promoted to national attention. In all but a few instances, these were carried out by organizations closely associated with far-right and fascistic anti-lockdown, masking and vaccination groups within the orbit of the Republican Party on a local, state and national level.

The effect of the vaccine mandates, in both New York and across the country, however, has been to demonstrate the weakness and isolation of the reactionary, anti-science faction, which has little support within the working class.

By the September 27 deadline, 92 percent of New York states roughly 650,000 health care workers had received at least one dose of the vaccine. By Monday of last week, 96 percent of the nearly 150,000 DOE workers had similarly chosen to begin the process of inoculation. In California, the countrys most populous state, mandates have led to vaccination rates rising to over 90 percent in statewide health care facilities.

The legal assault against the DOEs mandate was spearheaded by the right-wing law firm Fonte & Gelormino. Based in Staten Island, the firm has a history of working intimately with the minority Republican faction in New York City municipal politics, as well as the minority Republicans in the New York state legislature.

In 2020, the firm worked on a case which pushed for the unsafe reopening of city restaurants to indoor, in-person dining. Fonte & Gelorminos website advertises itself as being on the forefront of the fight against unconstitutional vaccine and masking mandates. It is also currently leading a class action lawsuit against masking mandates in New York City, the countrys largest school district.

A suit against New York state was filed last month contesting Governor Kathy Hochuls imposition of a vaccine mandate covering health care workers throughout the state. The plaintiffs, all Catholic and Baptist health care professionals, were represented by attorneys from the Thomas More Society, a far-right organization which was actively involved the Trumps fascistic Stop the Steal campaign. The group has been embroiled in litigation against abortion and same-sex marriage rights since the late 1990s.

A lawsuit was also filed against Hochul by We the Patriots, USA, a far-right group which claims to advocate for religious freedoms, medical freedoms, parental rights, educational freedom, Second Amendment rights and free enterprise capitalism, unencumbered by regulation. The maneuver similarly challenged the vaccination mandates on religious grounds.

Another lawsuit against the New York State Department of Health, Public Health and Health Planning Council was filed by New Yorks District 147 Republican Assemblyman David J. DiPietro, along with a host of fanatical, anti-vaccination pundits and advocates of medical freedom.

While all these lawsuits claim to defend individual freedom against state compulsion, they are in reality defending the right to contract a deadly virus and pass it on to children, family members, co-workers and the general public. There is no such right, either in law or in the Constitution.

Whereas in most of these cases, legal arguments against mandates centered on religious rights, a case brought against the court system of New York state by the Civil Service Employees Association Local 1000 union (CSEA), the flagship chapter of the union covering approximately 5,600 state employees, made the argument that the mandates impinged upon the unions right to collective bargaining. Significantly, the presiding judge ruled in favor of the plaintiffs and declared that mandates could not be enforced on the state court workers.

The CSEA v. NY ruling is in line with the sharp shift by the bankrupt trade union apparatus toward far-right and fascistic herd-immunity politics in the past several weeks. On September 30, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) held an online town hall which gave free rein the far-right Open Parents USA group and proponents of the Great Barrington Declaration to promote murderous, anti-vaccine, anti-masking pseudoscience. Michael Mulgrew, president of the United Federation of Teachers (UFT), the labor union covering all NYC DOE teachers, has openly opposed the implementation of life-saving vaccine mandates.

The October 4 demonstration must be seen within the context of the political crisis of the American ruling class, which is desperate to control domestic opposition to its homicidal back-to-work and back-to-school policies. Both the openly fascistic wing of the corporate elite, and the Democratic Party-aligned faction, seek to block any discussion of a serious effort to eradicate the coronavirus.

But confining all discussion of the pandemic within the framework of limited mitigation efforts vs. doing nothing to stop the spread of the virus helps promote fascist and far-right ideologies which view the destruction of hundreds of thousands of lives through illness as secondary to individual and property rights.

The focus on Australia in last Mondays rally was telling. It came only a few weeks after the Biden administration announced the formation of an anti-China military alliance linking Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. Murdoch and other billionaires who back the anti-mandate protests view the life-saving measures undertaken in China as dangerous, not only in demonstrating to the world that the virus can be stopped cold, but in undermining the rapacious drive of American imperialism to dominate the world at the expense of international rivals, above all in China.

The global working class must fight for the immediate implementation of rational, scientifically based health policies which will save lives and eradicate the pandemic. This struggle is implacably bound with the fight for the betterment of wages, living standards, and vital social infrastructure not only in the US, but internationally.

All those interested in joining this fight should attend the NYC Educators Rank and File Safety Committee October 16 meeting at 3:30 p.m., become involved in the International Youth and Students for Social Equality in New York, and register for the WSWSs international online event,  How to end the pandemic: The case for eradication , scheduled for Sunday, October 24 at 1 p.m. Eastern Time.
Angel is a working-class mother from Burnaby, British Columbia. Concerned about the lack of proper safety measures in schools, she has kept her 6-year-old son, who has autism, and her 8-year-old daughter at home since the beginning of the pandemic. She spoke candidly with World Socialist Web Site reporters Laurent Lafrance and Ken Lagerfeld about the state of the pandemic in British Columbia.

BC mother Angel

While Alberta is currently the Canadian province hardest hit by the pandemics fourth wave, BC and Saskatchewan have also seen an alarming increase in the number of daily COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths. This increase coincides with the full throttle reopening of schools to in-class teaching and non-essential businesses. While BC registered 30 daily cases on July 12, the numbers began climbing in August and reached more than 800 at the end of September.

Throughout the pandemic, the John Horgan-led New Democratic Party (NDP) government has refused to provide transparent reports about the number and whereabouts of COVID infections in BC schools. BC Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry was recently forced to admit, however, that cases among school-aged children are spiking, with more than 50 kids out of every 100,000 aged five to eleven currently officially infected.

Under these conditions, Angel voiced her full support for the October 1 school strike initiated by British parent Lisa Diaz. Parents need to stand up and raise their voice, Angel said. I follow her on Twitter, and she echoes the feeling that parents just dont feel safe. I like the movement.

Angel explained what motivated her choice of keeping her children home during the pandemic. When the pandemic began, we were really not comfortable sending our kids to school so we opted for distance learning, she explained. I was hoping to bring the kids back to in-person learning this year as all adults at home are vaccinated, but there is no mask mandate for their age group. In addition, ventilation is poor, and no social distancing is being practiced. Pretty much zero mitigation measures are in place at schools. Remote learning is an option in BC, but there is very minimal support for parents.

Angel also condemned the hypocrisy and recklessness of the provincial NDP governments pandemic response. She explained the role of Public Health officials in deceiving the population and discouraging a safe approach. Provincial public health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry has become something of an international figurehead at the forefront of our pandemic response, Angel commented. The messaging thats coming out in BC downplays the seriousness of the pandemic. Phrases like Be Kind, Be Calm, Be Safe are constantly repeated in the media and by the government. But as a person living in BC, I dont feel calm, the kindness is not here, and it is not safe. It took very long even to impose a mask mandate, with Dr. Henry saying masks are not that effective. In schools, as in the community, the language is weak and wishy washlanguage like its recommended, but theres never really a this has to be done approach. And thats why many people dont follow the rules. They just dont take it seriously.

An October 8 report from CTV titled Children face similar risk of coronavirus infection as adults explodes the lie parents were fed by governments around the world that their unvaccinated children are much less likely to catch COVID than adults. The study demonstrates that all along, children of all ages including infants and toddlers have had a similar risk of SARS-CoV-2, the report states. It went on to conclude, If lessons are to be learned from our collective experience and if we agree to acknowledge the role of children in transmission of respiratory viral infections, then pediatric populations, from infants to adolescents, must be included in pandemic preparedness from day one.

Angel already knew this scientifically proven fact. Its so obvious to me that everyone, everywhere, should be wearing masks, limiting where they go, and that schools should be closed or at very least be hybrid, she told us. There should be messaging that encourages people to do the right thing, but here its a fend for yourself attitude.

In addition, she noted that the government has abandoned any effort to implement basic public health measures such as systematic mass testing, contact tracing and isolation, commenting, You cant get tested in BC unless you have symptoms and theres a set of symptoms that you have to have. Theres a two-to-three hours wait for COVID tests. They closed almost half of our places to get COVID tests. Personally, I must take a transit bus and then I have to travel one hour to get a COVID test. I have to stand in line for a couple hours and it takes two days before I receive my result. She added that the government is promoting private companies on its own website. On the CDC (Centre for Disease Control) BC, theres a page where they promote at least three places where you can get a rapid test for $250 to $500. So, the rapid tests that BC received were sold to private businesses and are now sold to people who are traveling.

When the WSWS reporters explained what must be done according to science to eradicate the virus, such as closing schools and non-essential production with full financial support for workers, Angel fully agreed. I agree with you that we have to close things down and stop COVID in its tracks, she said. Yes, COVID can be eradicated within two to three months according to scientists. Pointing to the disastrous state of the health care system in BC, she continued, Look whats going on in Alberta. But the health system is even worse in BC. Im acutely aware that if someone in this house needs emergency care it may be hours before an ambulance can get to us.

Governments in every province, at the federal level, and in the other advanced capitalist countries of Europe and North America have opted for a mitigation strategy that allows the virus to spread and potentially mutate, while keeping hospitals and their staffing near or at the breaking point. The federal government of Justin Trudeau, on behalf of the financial oligarchy, bailed out the banks and big business with more than $650 billion during the first limited lockdown in March 2020. As soon as the bailout was completed, the ruling class pushed for the full reopening of the economy. Schools were reopened so parents could be sent back to work churning out profits for the elites. The provincial governments of Doug Ford in Ontario, Jason Kenney in Alberta and Francois Legault in Quebec have been at the forefront of the school reopening drive.

Angel agreed 100 percent when asked if the BC government had prioritized propping up business over saving human lives as in the rest of Canada. Its all about keeping the economy open, she added. John Horgan boasted that we are the only ones who kept the schools open and kept the economy open!The NDP BC are criminals. They are only motivated by profits.

Angel also agreed that the trade union-backed NDP, despite its progressive or left-wing pretensions, is fundamentally a right-wing pro-business party. Its not just the pandemic! she said. Turning to the opioid crisis, which is a veritable social catastrophe in parts of BC, she said, The pandemic is the first time I paid attention to the BC NDP, but in the last couple years I have had time to get informed on the other crisis that BC faces, the opioid crisis, thats not getting addressed. There are hundreds of people dying from overdoses in BC every year, and they tossed it over to the federal government. They say, oh well its all about legalization. Its not. When you look at overdoses it comes down to mental health and then you look at BC health services and its severely underfunded. It takes months before you can see a mental health professional.

And its the same with the environment. Look at deforestation in BC. Companies with the support of government are taking down old growth trees, its the same thing. And then they called a snap election during the pandemic last year only to secure four more years in power for themselves. We didnt want an election.

When asked if she thought workers in BC would be interested in a genuine left-wing party that advocates for working people and speaks on the real issues confronting workers such as the pandemic, the social crisis and gaping inequalities in wealth and income, Angel said, Absolutely. We need a different voice here. It would be nice to hear a voice that speaks for the little people. We also have a lot of homeless and marginalized people, a lot of immigrants. These voices dont get heard here and are swept under the rug.

At this point, Angels partner Mike, who had been listening to the discussion, jumped in. Social inequality keeps widening, because the people with the money rig everything to make sure they dont lose money. Its more like we have rich people socialism here. All the protections are there for them. Not for most people, just for the minority that has the wealth. And its inter-generational.

Its crazy to see these things happening in Canada, Mike continued, Things that weve heard for decades dont happen in Canada, like children dying of disease, are now happening on a daily basis. And unless something changes it will keep evolving making people more and more miserable  Something really needs to change.

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The World Socialist Web Site and International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees are organizing a webinar entitled How to end the pandemic: The case for eradication on Sunday, October 24, at 1PM eastern time. We encourage all of those like Angel who oppose the ruling elites homicidal response to COVID-19 to make plans to attend and promote the event among their friends and work colleagues. To attend the webinar, please register here.
The recent series of violent marches in Chile against economic refugees, mainly from Venezuela, is the end product of a four-year anti-immigrant campaign whipped up by the right-wing government of the countrys billionaire president, Sebastian Pinera. The most serious incidents occurred September 25 when a mob of 5,000 marched through the northern port city of Iquique. By the end of the day, the mob lit a large bonfire in the middle of a square and burnt the Venezuelans documents, prams, toys, clothes, tents and whatever other little possessions they had.

Residents take part in a march against migration, in Iquique, Chile, Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021. (AP Photo/Ignacio Munoz)

Based on reports, not one arrest was made even though there was a real danger of asylum seekers being lynched. The events indict the capitalist state, which has sanctioned and fostered the expressions of national chauvinism and xenophobia for electoral purposes.

That at a certain point fascist and ultra-nationalist dregs took the lead is obvious. Yet in the throng were also state officials. It has come to light that involved in the march were figures such as the mayor of Colchane, the director of a private school, and the government-appointed director of the Iquique Free Trade Zone, Felipe Hubner Valdivieso. More were surely lurking in the crowd.

Earlier in September, the government announced it would start expelling so-called illegal migrants on the basis of a new Migration Law enacted in April that facilitates deportations.

The Pinera administration had already deported 321 refugees this year and intended to carry out 1,500 more deportations before the United Nations intervened to urge their suspension. This is because human rights and migration advocates revealed that Department of Immigration and the PDI carried out mass raids on immigrants, launched mass arrests without warrants, held them incommunicado, denied them legal representation and proceeded to expel them en masse disregarding constitutional norms and guarantees, including due process.

The Chilean government must immediately stop these collective expulsions of immigrants, as they have the right to an individual assessment of their cases, the UN office for Human Rights in South America stated.

Deportations cannot be carried out in a summary manner, but require an individual assessment, taking into account the humanitarian considerations, added Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Migrants, Felipe Gonzalez Morales.

Only the day before the march, Carabinero officers violently evicted 100 refugee families from Plaza Brasil, a public square in Iquique, on the grounds that their makeshift camp represented a health risk.

In announcing the reactivation of evictions, Interior Minister Rodrigo Delgado cynically remarked that it was not permitted to use public spaces for leisure and recreational purposes to set up temporary housing.

Several thousand undocumented Venezuelans, Haitians, Colombians, Peruvians and Bolivians who have entered through Chiles increasingly militarized borders have been stranded in Iquique and Aricathe northernmost town bordering Perufor months. Homeless, destitute and denied government assistance, theyve had to set up donated tents on public squares, on the beach or on barricaded streets without the most rudimentary amenities. The camp in Plaza Brasil had been occupied since 2020.

On Friday September 24, cops started to tear down our tents and here we were, standing on a corner, looking to see what we could grab, where we could spend the night with our children. Because we really have nowhere to sleep, we have nowhere to stay, Venezuelan refugee Mariana Contreras told El Ciudadano.

We witnessed the beating of minors and pregnant women, wrote social and human rights groups in a communique that called for the guarantee of refugee rights that the Pinera government has brazenly trampled underfoot. In contrast to the Carabineros velvet glove approach towards Saturdays marchers, up to 14 asylum seekers were detained.

Aided by the media monopolies Grupo Copesa and El Mercurio, with their inflated and salacious reports of supposed migrant crime waves, drug trafficking and delinquency, the Pinera government is attempting to recreate the same foul political atmosphere that brought it to power with the support of the extreme right in 2018. Pinera has calculated that by dehumanizing migrantsthe poorest and most vulnerable section of the working class and oppressedhe may be able to increase his diminishing chances of winning the November presidential election.

March after police kill a Haitian migrant, Aug 2021 (Photo: Twitter / Coordinadora de inmigrantes)

During the last election cycle, right-wing and parliamentary left candidates ran on a platform calling for restrictions on migrant intakes, particularly excluding nationals from poverty-stricken Haiti and Venezuela. Pinera accused migrants of importing evils like delinquency, drug trafficking and organized crime.

The outgoing government of Socialist Party president Michelle Bachelet set the stage for this anti-immigrant crackdown with a draft immigration bill that purportedly sought to update Chiles decades-old migration law, but in reality focused on strengthening border security.

The fact is that the Haitian migrants and refugees detoured into Chile in 2016 and 2017an estimated 150,000 Haitians arrived during this periodbecause their destination of choice, the US, was closed off by the resumption of mass deportations by the Obama administration, which only escalated under Trump.

Once in power, Pinera put his program into practice with two executive decrees that particularly targeted Venezuelans and Haitians who were confronting a worsening economic and political situation caused primarily by Washingtons decades-long imperialist meddling.

The first decree ended the system that had previously allowed Haitians to go from being tourists to regular migrants once they obtained a job, and then to seek family reunifications. Now Haitians had to obtain a maximum 90-day tourist visa before entering the country and show bank statements, a criminal record check and a hotel reservation or notarized letter of invitation. Family reunification applications were limited to 10,000 and had a duration of 12 months, making a mockery of the concept. The calculated objective was to make conditions so unbearable and discriminatory that Haitians would leave.

The second decree affected the Venezuelan exodus. Pinera unveiled his Democratic Responsibility Visa with anti-communist rhetoric directed against the bourgeois nationalist regime of President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas. Yet the purpose of this visa was also to stem the influx of Venezuelans by requiring a visa before entry for a 12-month stay, renewable once.

To put the issue into perspective, there were an estimated 489,000 migrants in 2017, increasing to 1.3 million in 2018; 1.45 million in 2019 and 1.46 million in 2020. In four years, migrants went from 2.65 percent of the population to roughly seven percent, but their numbers have remained stagnant since. Along with the anti-immigration policies, the 2019 mass anti-capitalist movement and the pandemic ground regular migration to a halt.

Migration nonetheless continued but through precarious and vulnerable irregular entries. Between January 2018 and January 2021, there were over 35,400 entries through unauthorized crossing points. In the first six months of this year this number increased to 23,675.

It is these desperate people, many of whom have travelled thousands of miles through the Amazon jungle and Andean plateau just to reach irregular border crossings into Chile, who are targeted in this cynical political exercise.
The Socialist Equality Partys campaign to defeat anti-democratic electoral laws rushed through the Australian parliament on August 26 continues to build, as more electoral members of the SEP voice their hostility to the legislation and call for people to join the campaign.

The laws force all political parties, who do not have a seat in parliament, to submit a list of 1,500 members, triple the previous number. Otherwise they will be deregistered, meaning they cannot stand in federal elections with their party name on the ballot. The measures also gives the Australian Electoral Commission the power to veto parties that share common words in their name, such as socialist or communist.

In comments below electoral members link the laws to the dangerous reopening policy now underway in Victoria and New South Wales, which will allow the COVID-19 virus to run rampant. They make the point that this policy has and will provoke mass opposition amongst the working class and that the passing of these laws is to prevent these sentiments finding political expression.

To join the SEP campaign against the legislation, sign-up as an electoral member today.

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Connie

Connie is a 30-year-old student completing a masters degree at Western Sydney University. She has been an electoral member since 2015.

These are very anti-democratic laws and if we allow the government to get away with it then they are just going to get worse. They will introduce more anti-democratic laws that are going to impede, not just who can run in elections, but in other areas of life, Connie said.

Already new surveillance laws have been passed, she continued, referring to legislation passed in August which vastly expanded the spying powers of Australian police and intelligence agencies. If the government is willing to take away one democratic right, then it will be willing to take away a whole number of them until we have none left.

The government knows that people are frustrated with how it has handled the pandemic. In every country they now say they can afford to lose so many people a year to COVID, so that the economy can continue to go on, despite the human losses.

This is a very callous way to look at people; to say that they are expendable as long as you can continue to make profit. The working class is being told that the people around themfamily, friends, caregiversare going to die and to just accept their deaths and the trauma that creates.

Both parties, Labor and Liberal, have agreed to the austerity measures that have been imposed on the working class and they both agree with the drive towards war, particularly against China. In a sense it wouldnt matter which party was in the government as they are pushing the same policies.

These new electoral laws, Connie concluded, are to restrict the rights of people. To make sure that the working class cant voice its opposition to the fact that the rich are getting richer, while the needs of workers are being ignored. If people believe in protecting our democratic rights, then they should join as an electoral member of the Socialist Equality Party.

Paxi

Paxi, 29, lives in northern NSW. I have just become an electoral member, he said. My uncle has been an electoral member of the SEP for years and he encouraged me to get involved to defend democracy. When I heard these laws were passed, I thought I cant just sit back and let it happen. Im interested in becoming more involved.

Paxi commented on what he had learnt since getting in touch with the SEP. It was interesting to hear that governments around the world all submit to corporate interests. Theyre all implementing rules and regulations to push everyone back to work, ignoring the pandemic and not looking after the population, which I thought would be their first responsibility.

The ethics and morals of the SEP mean it is the only party strong enough to resist the power of the corporations and government. Every other party has been neutralised and satisfied. The SEP is the only one with the strength and courage to oppose such a significant issue

Its about time we started to do something to save this world, our lives, our integrity and not stay silent on the inequality and abuses that we are told to accept. Its time to do something else, to take action.

James, 26, is currently unemployed and living in Sydney. He has been an electoral member for nine years.

The ruling class is very cognisant that workers, when given the means and tools, will oppose things they find are deeply unpopular and undemocratic. There is a disconnect between the realm that workers live in and what big business and governments are doing. Whats being imposed on the world from above is a competitive, backward structure. Its in stark opposition to what workers want

The disillusionment in the main parties is because things just keep getting worse. The media have also been complicit in this, they would have had the information leaked to them about [these laws], they allowed them to pass through silently.

Eskander

Eskander, a retired research scientist living in Sydney, said there was a direct connection between the attacks on democratic rights and the abandonment of efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.

The number of cases and the number of people dying goes up and people are opposed to that. Polling shows that only 12 percent of people would be comfortable with a reopening that increases death and hospitalisations. They also know that the number of cases is only going to rise, he said.

The assault on democratic rights, he continued, is not just an Australian phenomenon but is happening globally. In America workers right to vote is being undermined by legislation passed in different states.

These assaults have been going on for a while but now it is taking a higher form. This is because they are getting ready for war, they have concluded that war is inevitable. This is why Julian Assange, the man who exposed the criminality of the American government, is in prison.

The campaign that the SEP organised for Assange is unique. The SEP is the only party that led the fight for the release of Julian Assange from the beginning, and it did so, not by appealing to parliamentary politicians, but fighting to mobilise the working class.
Whistleblower and former Facebook product manager Frances Haugen testified before a Senate subcommittee hearing on Tuesday and said that the social media companys platforms harm children, stoke division, weaken our democracy and much more.

Former Facebook data scientist Frances Haugen speaks during a hearing of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security, on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2021, in Washington. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via AP, Pool)

Haugenwho has also worked at Google, Pinterest and Yelpsaid that the companys leadership knows ways to make Facebook and Instagram safer and wont make the necessary changes because they have put their immense profits before people. She said that congressional intervention is necessary because Facebook, cannot solve this problem without your help.

Haugen was asked to testify before the Senate Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security after she leaked a series of internal Facebook documents to the Wall Street Journal. The documents became the basis for a six-part investigative series published between September 13 and October 4 by the Journal entitled, The Facebook Files.

In its analysis of the internal research reports, online employee discussions and drafts of presentations to senior management provided by Haugen, the Journal concluded that the companys platformsincluding Facebook, Instagram and WhatsAppare riddled with flaws that cause harm, often in ways only the company understands.

The Journal s series summary also said: Time and again, the documents show, Facebooks researchers have identified the platforms ill effects. Time and again, despite congressional hearings, its own pledges and numerous media exposes, the company didnt fix them. The documents offer perhaps the clearest picture thus far of how broadly Facebooks problems are known inside the company, up to the chief executive himself.

The solution to Facebooks problems, according to Haugen and the Wall Street Journal, is government control over what is said by Facebooks users. A review of Haugens testimony as well as the response of both the Democrats and Republicans and the corporate press reveals that a consensus is developing within the capitalist ruling establishment for government intervention that, far from stopping the giant tech company from putting profits before people, aims to gain control of all of Facebooks platforms and, in particular, censor left-wing and socialist content.

Frances Haugen, 37, describes herself as an advocate for public oversight of social media. In her various tech industry jobs, she has specialized in designing algorithms and tools for determining what users see on social media. In 2019, she was inspired to join Facebook because someone close to me was radicalized online and became a member of the companys 200-person Civil Integrity team tasked with stopping election interference.

Indicating her connections with the US intelligence state, Haugen later worked on Facebooks counterespionage team. During her Senate testimony, Haugen said this work at Facebook included examining Chinas use of the platform for tracking and surveillance and Irans tracking of other state actors. She complained that Facebooks consistent understaffing of counterespionage information operations and counterterrorism was a national security threat.

In her prepared remarks, Haugen said that Facebook amplifies division, extremism, and polarization and undermines societies around the world. She added that the severity of the crisis demands that we break out of previous regulatory frames. She said that this means that adjusting outdated privacy protections or changes to Section 230 will not be sufficient. Section 230 is the language in the Communications Decency Act of 1996 that protects online services from legal responsibility for the content posted by users on their platforms.

Haugen stated that nothing less than full access to data for research not directed by Facebook is acceptable and, on this basis, we can build sensible rules and standards to address consumer harms, illegal content, data protection, anticompetitive practices, algorithmic systems and more. In other words, the public is becoming radicalized, and the government must get control of the internal workings of Facebooks social media platforms in order to stabilize the situation.

Under the guise of fighting content that is harmful to children, the Democrats and Republicans are coming together in support of state control of Facebook data and newsfeed algorithms.

Senator Marsha Blackburn, ranking Republican from Tennessee on the subcommittee said during the hearing that Facebook was intentionally targeting children under 13 with an addictive product saying, It is clear that Facebook prioritizes profit over the well-being of children and all users.

Richard Blumenthal, subcommittee chairman and Democratic Senator from Connecticut, said, Facebook exploited teens using powerful algorithms that amplified their insecurities, adding, I hope we will discuss as to whether there is such a thing as a safe algorithm.

As noted by NPR, the Democrats and Republicans are actually united on regulating Facebook. The public radio broadcaster then said, At one moment in the hearing, Republican Senator Jerry Moran of Kansas turned to Blumenthal and said they should put aside their partisan differences to tackle a common goal: reining in Facebook.

In response to the bipartisan pressure, Facebooks VicePresident for Global Affairs and Communications Nick Clegg appeared on NBCs Meet the Press on Sunday morning and said that changes are coming to both Facebook and Instagram. Clegg said that the company would reduce the presence of politics on newsfeeds and claimed that the measure was requested by users seeking more friends and less politics.

The depoliticization of Facebooks platforms has been underway since before the 2020 elections. Clegg said, Its simply not true to say we lifted those measures immediatelyin fact, we kept the vast majority right through to the inauguration. And we kept some in place permanentlyso we permanently dont recommend civic and political groups to people.

Clegg admitted that Facebook was engaged in throttling and censoring perfectly innocent videos and that very blunt tools have been used in scooping up a lot of entirely innocent, legitimate, playful and enjoyable content.

The corporate media has endorsed the campaign to rein in Facebook content. This has nothing to do with concern for children. Instead it is motivated by fear over the revolutionary implications of masses of working people using social media to coordinate and organize their growing struggles against social inequality, war and the deadly public health consequences of the herd immunity policies pursued by the ruling elite throughout the coronavirus pandemic.
Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla made a four-day visit to Sri Lanka last week as part of New Delhis efforts to pressure Colombo to break its close ties with China.

Indian Foreign Minister Harsh Vardhan Shringla [Source: Wikimedia]

Shringla met with President Gotabhaya Rajapakse, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse and other top officials, including finance and foreign ministers Basil Rajapakse and G.L. Peiris respectively. He also visited the strategic Trincomalee oil storage facility on the eastern coast and Jaffna in the Northern Province.

The visit occurred as the US and its allies, including India, are intensifying war preparations against China across the Indo-Pacific. It follows last months military agreement involving Australia, the UK and the US. Known as AUKUS, the deal, which will see the US supply Australia with nuclear-powered submarines, is targeting Chinese naval activities in the Pacific Ocean.

The trip also coincided with Colombos preparations for a ground-breaking ceremony at the Chinese-built Colombo Port City (CPC) on reclaimed land adjoining Colombo harbour. The CPC is part of Chinas Belt and Road Initiative to counter US attempts to encircle China. New Delhi wants to remind the Rajapakse regime of Indian and US concerns about Beijings influence in Sri Lanka. Two weeks ago, the Indian and Sri Lankan foreign ministers held talks during UN General Assembly meetings in New York.

Shringla began his tour with a visit to the main Buddhist Shrine in Kandy, a token gesture of assurance to the Sinhala-Buddhist ruling elite, and then travelled to the Trincomalee Oil Tank Farm near the strategic deep-water port. The Indian Oil Company (IOC) currently operates 15 of the 99 tanks at the facility. New Delhi is seeking a new agreement that gives it extensive control over this key facility. Colombo has so far sidestepped these demands.

In Jaffna, Shringla inspected progress of some Indian-funded projects, including the $US11 million Jaffna Cultural Centre building. New Delhi sees these projects, which were offered by India following the bloody ending of the 30-year communal war in 2009, as a means of establishing its influence on the island and particularly in Sri Lankas north.

Back in Colombo, Shringla held talks with President Rajapakse, reportedly on issues that had been straining relations between the two countries. These include, security, growing Chinese influence and Indian investment projects. He also called for full implementation of the 13th Amendment to Sri Lankan Constitution, which was part of 1987 Indo-Lanka Accord that established provincial councils with limited devolution of powers, as a concession to theislands Tamil elite.

New Delhi wants Colombo to implement these power-sharing arrangements, not out of any concerns about democratic rights of the islands Tamils, but as a lever to pressure Colombo to break its close ties with Beijing and more closely integrate with the US-India military-strategic partnership against China. The Indian elite also hope to use the Tamil elite in Sri Lanka to further its influence in Colombo.

President Rajapakse told Shringla: Sri Lanka would not be allowed to be used for any activity that could pose a threat to Indias security. New Delhi, he said, should not  have any doubts about Sri Lankas relationship with China. The president explained that his vision was to reinstate India-Sri Lanka relations to the level that existed in 1960s and 1970s under Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike.

However, reflecting Colombos aversion to any power-sharing with the Tamil elite, Rajapakse added the caveat that it was necessary to understand the weaknesses as well as the strengths of the 13th Amendment. He cynically declared that his government was committed to developing the North and East and resolving postwar issues, such as returning the land seized by the military and compensating the families of missing persons from the war.

Shringla addressed an event marking the inauguration of Indian Development Corporation projects in Sri Lanka, declaring that these projects would employ local companies and use Sri Lankan material and labour. He also met with the representatives of Tamil bourgeois parties, including the Tamil National Alliance and Tamil Progressive Alliance, as well as the Ceylon Workers Congress, the main plantation workers union.

New Delhi is increasingly concerned about Colombos economic dependence on China. Since Rajapakse became president in November 2019, China has secured several key infrastructure and investment projects and completed the first stage of the CPC, with construction of its second stage starting soon.

India and the US regard these projects as a flouting of their authority in the Indian Ocean region. New Delhi is also concerned that some Indian investment plans are being held back by Colombo, while Chinese projects are proceeding.

Early this year, Sri Lanka unilaterally withdrew from a $500 million deal with India and Japan to develop the partially-built Eastern Terminal of the Colombo Port. Late last month, however, the Sri Lankan Port Authority signed a $700-million agreement with Indias Adani Group to build a Western Terminal in Colombo Port.

The Rajapakse government has tried to appease Indian concerns over cancellation of the Eastern Terminal project. The Indian media has commented, however, that the cancelled port deal hurt the credibility of the Sri Lankan government and India will continue to push for its resumption.

There is anxiety within the Sri Lankan ruling class about the potential political repercussions of a falling out with the US and India. The Rajapakses in particular are nervous. In 2015, Mahinda Rajapakse was ousted as president in a Washington-orchestrated regime-change operation that brought the pro-US Sirisena-Wickremesinghe regime to power.

While Colombo is reliant on Beijing to keep Sri Lankas heavily-indebted economy alive, it is trying to maintain advanced strategic and military ties with the US and India initiated by the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe regime.

The eighth Mitra Shakthijoint army exercises between India and Sri Lankawere held during Shringlas trip. The Indian foreign minister also discussed this years forthcoming Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) meeting. The CSC, which is a security and intelligence network involving India, Sri Lanka and Maldives, will soon induct other Indian allies in the region, such as Bangladesh, Seychelles and Mauritius.

The Rajapakse regimes political balancing act is untenable, amid growing geo-political tensions between the US and India on one side and China on the other. The increasing belligerence of US imperialism in the Indo-Pacific region is leading to a devastating military conflict, unless it is prevented by an anti-war movement of the working classes throughout the region and internationally.
Cortney Ritsema, a 38-year-old mother of three, formed CPS Sickout with other parents to raise awareness about the dangers of COVID-19 and keep kids out of school during the pandemic to protect them from the deadly virus. The group was established in the winter months earlier this year as the threat of infection grew due to the reopening of Chicago Public Schools (CPS) enforced by Democratic mayor Lori Lightfoot.

Schools were reopened in February with the critical assistance of the Chicago Teachers Union, which first permitted teachers and staff to be divided into waves and sent back into schools before an agreement was reached, undermining the solidarity required for coordinated resistance. Then the union pushed through a reopening agreement, claiming no more could be won in bargaining with the city and that a strike had little support among either teachers or the public.

According to data presented online by CPS, 1,366 students and 369 teachers and staff have tested positive for COVID-19 since August 29. As of October 10, 5,438 students and 261 adults were out of school in quarantine or isolation.

Anger erupted among parents and students in September after 43-year-old mother Shenitha Curry died of COVID-19. It is believed she contracted the virus from her daughter who got sick after returning to school. Her two other daughters also contracted the virus. Curry is one of two parents of students at Jensen Elementary who died from COVID-19 last month.

Cortney Ritsema and her three children, who attend Chicago Public Schools.

Kristina Betinis: Can you say a bit about CPS Sickout, where it came from?

Cortney Ritsema: CPS Sickout was formed last February as a counter-narrative to the reopen schools crowd, which was largely white. Our group formed as a counter to that because the reopen schools groups were being used by the city to say, this is what parents want, and this is what they are pressuring for. So, we formed to provide the counter: No, this isnt what parents want. And heres a bunch of us who dont want that. We want schools to all shut. The media presented reopening as the voice of parents.

The other thing the media did is present mine as a just an individual story, one white mom. But the majority of CPS families kept their kids home in the spring and didnt go for reopening. But what we did is part of what the majority of parents chose to do. The vast majority of CPS parents, of which the student body is overwhelmingly black and brown, kept their children home in the spring.

KB: That is important history. The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) at their recent panel did the same, presenting the views of parents and teachers as reactionary, the anti-vax and anti-mask positions.

CR: Right, right. The president of the AFT invited them to have a town hall. I tweeted at her asking, wheres our invite. We speak for the other part of the parents!

KB: You cut right to the chase in your video that the reopening is about keeping the economy going.

CR: If parents have to be at work, kids have to be at school.

KB: Can you say a little bit about yourself and your background?

CR: My background is in child welfare. Before I was a mom of three and before I was a stay at home mom, I was working as a therapist doing contract work for the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), working with the most vulnerable people in our city. I was serving as a therapist for kids who were removed from homes and then working with parents who were going through the therapy process to regain custody of their kids. I think that explains a lot of my interests and my activism around all of this, because I have seen the city and community a lot of people do not get a glimpse into and how difficult circumstances are.

I have an eight year old and then I have five-year-old twins. I have been a stay at home mom for eight years now. And that is a whole other issue of how our society does not support moms and families. I do not make enough money to cover childcare on my own. I was out there doing important work and we just could not afford childcare. It is sad that it becomes a decision about like money.

KB: Can you say more about CPS Sickouts efforts to oppose the school reopening in the winter months?

CR: Yeah, we [CPS Sickout] had our first action on February 1. That was our first sickout action. We had been meeting since January. I intended to keep my kids at home, like the majority of people in the district did. And what we found was that the remote option more and more pushed to the side. All the focus and all the resources were being put into reopening CPS, when the majority of students were staying home and wanted remote learning.

So that is where we really started to fight. The families who were choosing to remain home and not be part of the reopening, and it was the majority of the district, we were getting the shaft. Students and teachers too. Simultaneous teaching was no good.

It was terrible for everyone. Watching the kids during online classes, once the schools were reopenedyou know, the kids that were online were completely ignored. My two twins in pre-K went from having an hour class every day to having 40 minutes every day. Teachers sometimes would just text me in the morning and be like the only kids that are going to show up for online are your two, so we are going to cancel today.

KB: CPS did everything possible to make it as difficult, unattractive and unworkable as possible.

CR: Yeah, this was part of the plan, right? To make it as hard as possible and make it fit with the narrative that remote learning does not work.

Well, my oldest daughter flourished in remote learning. She did so well because she has anxiety issues. And so, taking the social anxiety piece out, she was able to really focus on what she was doing in school. And not only that, she was able to get into subjects that really interested her and spend more time developing and learning around those topics and challenging herself.

Her grades improved significantly. She went from being below grade average on everything to her reading and writing and math going above her grade level. So, this whole narrative that kids learn best in the classroom and that remote learning does not work, it was very purposeful and not based in the data at all.

Cortney Ritsema and her three children, who attend Chicago Public Schools.

KB: What were the conversations you all had over the summer about the fall reopening? Did you decide early on you would be keeping the kids home in August?

CR: So, my journey there was a little different because I actually was starting to feel more comfortable about my kids returning in the fall. In June, I was starting to think maybe this could work. The numbers are low, it seems like they were able to keep the kids safe in the spring. So, I was kind of swallowing the pill, like, okay, I can do this and maybe we will be ready to send them in the fall.

I was assuming that they would keep the same mitigations in place. This was before the Delta variant was running rampant. Then we started hearing about the Delta variant, how much more contagious it is. And then CPS started announcing all of the mitigations that they were taking away. And at that point I was like, I am not sending my kids. I am going to keep them home.

So, I reached out to the organizers that I was working with CPS Sickout and was like, okay, what is going on? At that point, we had a big split in our group. We had started out as eight organizers from all over the city, but only three of us did not feel comfortable sending our kids back to school in the fall. The parents who were sending their kids back did not feel comfortable standing up and supporting those of us who were not. And to this day, we are still trying to figure it out.

KB: It sounds like the bipartisan campaign to reopen the economy and schools with it created a major rift.

CR: Yeah, it definitely has. So, we, we went from a larger number of parent organizers who were diverse, to three in three months.

KB: And are all three remaining white moms on the [more affluent] North Side?

CR: Yeah.

KB: There is a racialist narrative being promoted by Lightfoot and others, including some CTU leaders, that remote learning is harmful to black and brown communities. When in fact the reopening of schools endangers everyone, but especially the neighborhoods with the lowest vaccination rates, which are right now in Chicago in majority black and Hispanic working class neighborhoods. Two mothers are dead from infections at Jensen Elementary. And all this for the economy, for profit.

CR: Yeah, absolutely.

KB: Finally, I want to ask you about the October 1 school strike and the program of COVID eradication. How do you understand the call for eradication? Can you say a little bit about it?

CR: So, I am just kind of learning about eradication, to be honest. It was brought to our attention through the global parents strike on October 1. Because we really did not see a lot of speaking up about shutting it down.

We felt like we were the only parent group saying, shut the schools down. What are we doing? Pay to keep these parents home. Make it possible for parents to be with their kids. The schools messaging is there is no safer place than the classroom for our child. And we are saying, No, there is no safer place than home for a child. And lets make sure that we are taking care of these families.

So really, we became aware of the effort for eradication through Lisa Diaz and her outreach on Twitter and social media. I absolutely support it. And that is why we quickly reached out to her and joined forces with her. Then we went to parent groups in New York City, in Rhode Island, in Detroit. We started meeting on Zoom with them and passing on what Lisa was telling us.

KB: Thats fantastic. There is an upcoming WSWS webinar on October 24 making the case for COVID-19 eradication, making clear the scientific basis and the political basis for it. Both require a highly conscious and coordinated global effort.

CR: And this is exactly what we need. We need to build coalitions through every aspect of it. It cannot just be parents, you know, it has to be everyone involved. I am in the process of reaching out to other groups who are doing organizing, community groups very much a part of the fabric of the communities here in Chicago. And I am starting to meet with other people and talk about this and what is going on in the schools, what are you seeing in your community, what are you seeing in your workplace. Trying to recruit people to work together and figure out how we are going to shut this all down. All of us. I am at the very beginning stages of this. I just had two meetings with two different community groups this past week. So little by little, meeting people where they are and building relationships.

***

The scientific and political basis for COVID eradication will be presented October 24 at the online event,How to end the pandemic: The case for eradication, organized by the World Socialist Web Site and the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees. All those looking for the way to save lives should register and share the event information as broadly as possible.
SafeEdForAll member Lisa Diaz spoke to the World Socialist Web Site about her call for a second school strike this Friday, October 15.

The first school strike, on October 1, got a bigger response than I anticipated. I didnt really have any grand designs for it. What I think was most important about it was that it was a global effort.

Support, including video messages, came from the UK, United States, France, Germany, Spain, Israel, Sri Lanka, Japan, Australia and other countries, and was collected in a global online picket line by the World Socialist Web Site.

Lisa Diaz with both of her children

Since then, Lisa continued, I have been contacted by people asking when we would have another strike and saying that we should be holding them weekly. I have friends who are teachers who are contacting me personally to describe how terrible the situation is now in their schools and telling me their stories.

Were in a situation now where one in every 14 Secondary school children have COVID. Yet the vaccination programme for 1217-year-olds is being stalled. Those that have been vaccinated in this age group are the exception, and its being continuously delayed. COVID is ripping through the schools, and I think they have a deliberate plan now to get children infected. So thats why I proposed another strike, this coming Friday, October 15.

Lisa said she was awaiting a response from my childrens schools and the local council because the Good Law Project has sent a formal Pre-action Protocol letter to the Secretary of State for Education, Nadhim Zahawi, asking him to explain to schools and local authorities that children who are vulnerable, or who have vulnerable people living in their household, should not be forced into school while it represents a serious risk.

Thanks to the lack of mitigation measures in place, schools currently represent an extremely serious risk for unvaccinated children[Chief Medical Officer for England] Chris Whitty has said it is inevitable' they will become infected.

At the time of the interview, Lisa had received no reply. Since then, she has tweeted the response of Woodfield Primary School in Wigan: As previously advised, the issue of the childrens non-attendance is now in the hands of the Local Authority and the position of the school remains the same.

Lisa commented, as expected, they are completely unmoved by @GoodLawProject news and refuse to authorise absence or provide work for my dyslexic daughter. Them and @WiganCouncil seem to go round in circles blaming each other.

Speaking with our reporter, Lisa said, Meanwhile you have [Conservative Education Secretary Nadhim] Zahawi telling headteachers that he wants to get to the bottom of why there are so many absences in schools, as if its a mystery. And you have Health Secretary Sajid Javid apparently expressing alarm at the rising number of people suffering from Long COVID. He reportedly told a private meeting of health officials that the problem was huge and getting biggerespecially among National Health Service staff, which has massive implications.

Theres something Orwellian about this. This new All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Pandemic Response and Recovery has been set up. It claims to be looking at the science but one of those attending their discussion was Professor Kate Ardern, Director of Public Health at Wigan Council, who keeps repeating the lie that COVID is spreading in the community and not in schools.

The Byline Times reports that the APPG is funded and managed by Collateral Global, the successor organisation to the billionaire-funded proponent of herd immunity by natural infection, the Great Barrington Declaration.

Speaking on the role of the trade unions, Lisa said, The teaching unions are doing nothing. Theyre ignoring their own members. They talk about a bit more mitigation and writing strongly worded letters to the government but that is too little, too late.

There was an exchange between myself and others with Kevin Courtney [joint general secretary of the National Education Union]. He was speaking about minimising disruption to schools and when he was asked by his own members about supporting a strike, he basically said well what are we striking for and with what leverage? The answers are obvious: it should be to close schools until they are safe for children to attend.

As for the argument that teachers would lose wages, why? They can teach online. It was done before and it can, and should, be done again. Obviously, you can maintain a skeleton staff in schools for the children of key workers, but the priority must be to keep children safe. To stop them becoming infected, ill and dying. Eleven children have died this term so far, 94 children have died since the start of the pandemic in the UK alone. The claim that children are not at risk is a lie.

If there was asbestos in buildings, children and staff wouldnt be expected to go in and risk exposure. Yet thats what we're doing with COVID. This is eugenics in practice. The government wont listen to letters. They dont even listen to their own scientific advisors.

Lisa added, Some people did approach the BBC to ask them to cover the school strike, but they wouldnt touch it.

We have to raise awareness. We must get together and stand up against this. Thats why the October 24 webinar How to end the Pandemic: The case for Eradication is so important. People need to listen to the science. Thats how we make people aware, and we can end this. It isnt too late to eradicate COVID. Dr. Malgorzata Gasperowicz said that the concern was that with Delta, this could be our last chance to really get on top and eradicate. That's what we need to do and why awareness and understanding of the science involvedas against the liesis so critical.
UK parent Lisa Diaz has called a second school strike to protest unsafe schools. The strike will be held on Friday October 15 and is supported by the World Socialist Web Site (WSWS) and Socialist Equality Parties internationally.

Lisa, from Wigan in the northwest of England, is the mother of two children and a member of the SafeEdforAll (Safe Education for All) campaign group. She called the first global school strike on October 1.

That strike, supported by the WSWS, won support internationally from parents, educators and other workers. Thousands registered their support on social media, with many making short videos and sharing the hashtags #SchoolStrike2021, #SittingDucks and #October1st.

In an October 9 tweet announcing the second strike, Lisa posted stark statistics emphasising the global character of the pandemic and how serious the disease is for children. She wrote, Average of 3 children/day dying from covid in the US. Leading cause of death among kids in Brazil. In July alone, 700 children died in Indonesia. Time for another global #SchoolStrike2021 with @SafeEdForAll_UK on #October15th. No more #SittingDucks!!

Parent Lisa Diaz makes call for second school strike in her October 9 video

Lisa has posted a series of short videos expressing her concerns over unsafe schools. Collectively, these have been viewed hundreds of thousands of times. The video calling for Fridays strike has already been viewed over 50,000 times, liked over 1,200 times and retweeted more than 600 times, reflecting the widespread sentiment in the working class opposed to the mass infection of children.

Lisa said in the latest video, COVID is being left to let rip through schools in the UK and the results are completely devastating. So, on average one in 14 secondary school children now has COVID. And its not a benign illness in children. 94 children have lost their lives due to COVID throughout the course of the pandemic. 94 kids are dead because of COVID. Over 1,000 children every month in July, August and September were hospitalized with COVID. 53,000 children are now living with Long COVID in the UK. 11,000 of these children have been poorly for more than a year. 8,000 children have been orphaned due to COVID.

Among the most recent tragic deaths was that of Jorja Halliday, a 15-year-old girl from Portsmouth, who died September 28, the day she was due to have her COVID vaccination.

Lisa continued, What is our government doing about it? Nothing whatsoever.

She concluded, Given that our politicians are doing nothing to protect us, I propose another school strike. On the 15th of October, if you can keep your child off school as a protest against this barbaric herd immunity experiment, then please do so. I will be as well. Post a picture online of your childs uniform, or the shoes, the bag, whatever you want, hanging up.

Lets send a powerful message, a global message, that we will not let our children be collateral damage. They shouldnt be sitting ducks.

If you cant partake in the actual strike any kind of words of solidarity mean a lot and if youve not got children you can still leave a message and tell us why its important. That our children, are unnecessarily and willingly exposed to a novel virus that we have absolutely no idea of the long-term effects. So, Ill see you on the 15th of October and lets make it big success like the last one.

Thousands of teachers and students protest in Athens on Monday against the government's attacks on public education and the lack of COVID protection in schools. The banner reads "We are not a cost, we are the future! (WSWS Media)

Posts in response to the video pledged their support for the upcoming strike.

One person wrote, Hello from Brazil. My son and I will join you on #October15th #SchoolStrike2021. Im so scared and sad about the way people are normalizing the deaths. We need to protect our children.

Another from Australia replied, Lisa thanks for all you are doing. Im British born, lived in Australia since childhood. Have watched what has been happening there in horror, now Delta is spreading in Oz and our govt are following the UK lead. Sending you and all UK parents fighting this insanity solidarity.

Eric Feigl-Ding, an epidemiologist in the United States, replied, Indeed kids need to be vaccinated also ASAP.

Others supporting the strike have contacted the WSWS. Chris Porter, a university lecturer in Britain wrote, As a parent and educator, Im offering my support for the School Strike on October 15. This is, as far as I can see, the only organised action aimed at challenging the herd immunity policy that is systematically putting at risk the health and lives of children and adults. There seems little challenge to the dominant, dangerous message that the vaccine on its own is protection enough, not even from unions who you might think via their rhetoric and supposed aims would put social and human need ahead of economic imperatives.

The call for the strike comes as COVID cases among the youngest in society surge. Last week one in 14 secondary school children in England were infected with COVID, up from an estimated one in 20 pupils the previous week, with 270,000 children infected. Office for National Statistics data show that the infection rate has more than doubled in two weeks for those in Year 7 to Year 11, from 2.8 percent to 6.9 percent of that total age group. Based on previous incidence rates, the scale of the virus in schools could mean 13,500 children may go on to have long Covid symptoms.

The WSWS urges the widest support for the October 15 strike. We wrote that the October 1 action articulates the strivings of the working class for a policy based on saving lives, not profit and represents a significant step forward in its fight against the pandemic. The school strike initiative is also developing as an international movement. The WSWS noted of October 1, While the call for the parents strike began in the UK, it has attracted the support of workers throughout the world. In addition to the individual statements of solidarity, the action has been endorsed by teachers groups and rank-and-file committees in many countries.

Critically, both strikes have been organised independently of the trade unions which, in every country, have collaborated with governments to implement the homicidal policies of the ruling elite. Last week, in a Twitter exchange with parents and teachers, Kevin Courtney, the joint leader of the UKs National Education Union repeatedly opposed calls from his own members for the union to ballot for industrial action over unsafe schools.

Five education unions have now written to Nadhim Zahawi, the Conservative governments education secretary, asking him to consider tightening safety measures in schools but only to insist they are kept open. Unisons assistant general secretary Jon Richards said, Pupils have faced more than a year and a half of disruption to their education and ministers must pull out all the stops to keep children in classrooms.

Lisas calls for strike action are one expression of the widespread opposition that exists against the policy of mass infection which finds itself paralysed by these policing efforts of the trade union bureaucracy.

On October 24, Lisa will be appearing on the platform of the online meeting, How to end the pandemic: The case for eradication, hosted by the WSWS and the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees (IWA-RFC).

The meeting will provide the working class with the necessary scientific knowledge to confront the pandemic and fight for a programme of elimination and eradication, combined with a political perspective for the international mobilisation of workers, independently of the trade unions, through rank-and-file committees.

Follow Lisa Diaz on Twitter: @Sandyboots2020. Send messages of support for Fridays strike to the WSWS here. Message of solidarity on Twitter should be sent using the hashtag #SchoolStrike2021 and should tag the World Socialist Web Site (@WSWS_Updates).
On September 23, Mack Defense, a subsidiary of heavy vehicle maker Mack Trucks, announced the delivery to the US military of the first production models of the M917A3, a military dump truck designed to meet military transportation requirements of tactical and logistic missions both domestically and abroad.

Armored version of the M917A3 Heavy Dump Truck (source: Mack Defense)

Mack Trucks was awarded the contract for up to 683 M917A3 dump trucks at up to $296.4 million from the United States military in 2018. According to the publication Army Technology, the M917A3 HDT (Heavy Dump Truck) is equipped with a force protection capability and comes with a standard cab and an optional armoured cab  designed to meet the blast requirements of the US Army. The vehicle can serve as a radar, tanker, wrecker, troop carrier, and heavy equipment transport vehicle.

The armored truck was the focus of a public event held last month in Allentown, Pennsylvania, where the Mack Trucks subsidiary operates the Mack Experience Center (MEC). The MEC is located 7.1 miles away from the Lehigh Valley Operations (LVO) plant in Macungie, where all of Mack Trucks super-heavy Class 8 vehicles for North America and export are assembled.

The Mack Defense websites coverage of the event noted, Previously, non-armored HDT vehicles started production at LVO and were then transported to the MEC, where final assembly, including adding the dump body, occurred.

According to an interview on the Allentown Morning Call website, Mack Defense President and CEO David Hartzell stated about 35 production assembly and material logistics technicians support Mack Defense production. The positions were shifted from the Lower Macungie plant to the Allentown site to support military vehicle construction. No jobs were created.

The HDT is set to replace the armys previous armored dump truck model, the MM917, produced by Humvee manufacturer AM General. The dump trucks are constructed under a banner of born for victory, a variation on the well-known born ready Mack Trucks slogan.

Mack Defense, which was formed in 2012 in order to go after military and government type contract work, according to company CEO Hartzell, was first awarded the HDT in 2018. At that time, United States public officials took turns exalting the military and Mack Trucks for its latest hardware. You would never think you could get emotional looking at a dump truck, mused Sabrina A. McLaughlin, constituent advocacy director on behalf of Democratic Pennsylvania US Representative Susan Wild.

A dump truck may not be as exciting as, say, a tank. But, one speaker noted, tanks cant go anywhere without roads, fuel and bridges, wrote Lehigh Valley Live of the September 23 public event. The news publication informs the reader that the truck will be used by the Army, reserves and National Guard for jobs ranging from combat support abroad to rebuilding at home after disasters.

The unveiling of the US militarys vehicle occurs less than two months after Democratic President Joseph Biden personally paid a visit to the Mack Trucks LVO facility in Macungie as part of an effort to promote anti-Chinese economic nationalism. The HDT was revealed only a week after the US announced the formation of the Australian-United Kingdom-United States AUKUS military alliance, aimed at opposing China in the South Pacific.

Bidens appearance was also intended to promote a corporatist alliance between the manufacturer and the United Auto Workers (UAW) union and head off rising working-class resistance to the pro-company union bureaucracy. Only two weeks prior, the UAW had collaborated with Volvo Trucks in Dublin, Virginia to impose a sell-out offer on 3,000 workers after they voted to reject the deal.

While Biden, flanked by company and UAW officials, used the photo-op to present Mack Trucks as a paragon of American competitiveness against the autocratic Chinese, the vehicle manufacturer is in fact a globalized corporation, owned by Sweden-based AB Volvo Group with over 100,000 employees and facilities in 18 countries.

David C Hartzell Sr., president and CEO of Mack Defense, conceded in an interview on local FM radio that the production of the new Mack M917A3 is a global effort, telling WFMZ News that Mack Defense will produce the HDT with our global manufacturing organization here in the Lehigh Valley.
Residents of New South Wales (NSW), Australias largest state, were subjected to a barrage of propaganda from the media and political establishment yesterday, informing them that they were experiencing a joyous freedom day that would mark a return to normal after months of limited lockdown measures.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet at "freedom day" press conference [Credit: ABC News]

The television stations, including the publicly-funded Australian Broadcasting Corporation, devoted hours of coverage to small numbers of people visiting pubs, cafes and gyms. Footage of New Years-style countdowns to the easing of restrictions was played over and over again, with crowds of one or two dozen people, generally in the more affluent areas of Sydney, supposedly representative of popular sentiment.

Amid one of the most significant shifts in public health policy since the pandemic began, the official media by and large did not solicit comment from epidemiologists and medical experts. Instead, viewers were treated to innumerable interviews with hairdressers, other small-business people and representatives of various corporate lobbies, focused on commerce, not health, safety or the interests of working people.

The entire affair had a manufactured character to it. Broad sections of the population are aware that the coronavirus is still circulating widely, and the profit-driven reopening of the economy will exacerbate the pandemic crisis. There is intense hostility among healthcare workers to policies that threaten to crash the hospital system, and among teachers and students, to the prospect of being forced into overcrowded classrooms that will serve as incubators of the virus.

The official campaign is seeking to take advantage of the legitimate and wholly-understandable desire of ordinary people to see their friends and family, and to socially interact. It is also exploiting the fact that those who have lost work during the COVID crisis have been placed on poverty-level government assistance, capped at $750 a week, resulting in ever-greater social misery.

The freedom being referred to, however, will only intensify the hardships of working people. In the first place, tens or hundreds of thousands will be forced into unsafe workplaces. The miserly subsidies to those thrown out of work are being withdrawn, meaning many will face the choice between insecure, low-paid and unsafe work, or unemployment. And the supposed protagonists of the reopening, small-business people, also face reductions in assistance, with many confronting possible bankruptcy.

In reality, yesterday marked a major step in the ruling class drive to allow the virus to freely circulate. The lifting of the lockdown was dictated by the most powerful corporations, and is aimed at ensuring the full resumption of their profit-making activities, including through intensified workplace restructuring.

Yesterday summed-up why Dominic Perrottet, a representative of the Liberal Partys hard-right faction, and long-standing opponent of lockdown measures, was installed as premier of NSW last week. His predecessor, Gladys Berejiklian, was forced to resign at the beginning of the month, as the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) declared that it was investigating her over allegations that had been on the public record for over a year.

Whatever the precise details of the Byzantine intrigues, Perrottets installation was aimed at accelerating the reopening drive. Berejiklian had committed to ending the lockdown at 70 percent adult vaccination, even though similar moves, in countries such as Singapore and Israel, have resulted in major surges of the virus. She nevertheless presented this as a cautious easing of restrictions, governed by health advice.

Perrottets first act as premier was to turbo-charge the existing plan, and transform it into a freedom day, modelled on the example set by British prime minister and herd immunity advocate Boris Johnson. Perrottet boosted the number of people allowed to gather in a home from five to ten, and outdoors, from 20 to 30. He increased the permitted size of ticketed events from 500 to 3,000, reopened indoor pools, sped up the reopening of schools from two to one week, beginning October 18, and doubled caps on weddings and funerals from 50 to 100.

An even greater shift is being prepared for when the state reaches 80 percent adult vaccination. Indoor mask-mandates, which had been set to remain in place, will be lifted and nightclubs reopened, while international travel will likely resume.

In his media appearances yesterday, Perrottet sidelined medical experts, including the states Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant, as he did last week. The premier had a haircut in the morning, nationally broadcast, before holding a press conference in a pub.

I see it as a day of freedom, its a freedom day, Perrottet declared, rejecting warnings that it was creating the conditions for a dangerous spread of the virus. We are leading the nation out of this pandemic but this will be a challenge, he added, before re-emphasising that the economy and business confidence were decisive.

Nothing was said about the eight people who died of COVID yesterday. Their ages and where they were from were not even reported, overturning previous practice.

Epidemiologists and health experts, including the Australian Medical Association, have condemned the accelerated lifting of restrictions, warning it will result in a major increase in infections, with the hospitals already in an unprecedented crisis. NSW is continuing to record almost 500 infections a day, and the Delta variant is widely seeded throughout Sydney.

Deaths have increased, with about 90 percent of all NSW fatalities occurring during the current outbreak that began in June, half of them in the past month. Some 30 percent of infections have been among children and teenagers, even though most learning has been online. The reopening of the schools will result in a massive increase in children contracting the virus.

The corporate elite, however, has hailed Perrottets program as the way forward. An article in the Australian by Nick Cater summed up the response, declaring: Mondays small step for NSW is a giant leap for Australia. Every state will follow sooner or later because if the coronavirus cannot be eliminated there is no other choice.

Cater pointed to the motivation behind the media hype, which is aimed at steamrolling the concerns and opposition of ordinary people. He warned: Freedom hesitancy is not hard to find, even in NSW, where there were unlikely to be exuberant celebrations, even if dancing had been allowed. The effects of the 18-month scare campaign will take some time to wear off, particularly given the near-inevitability of a spike in infections. Cater denounced the laptop class, including medical experts, for this widespread concern.

The Australians editorial today continued the theme, yet all but admitted the real reasons for Berejiklians ouster. Beyond the trauma of the circumstances surrounding Ms. Berejiklians departure, however, for the citizens of NSW there is a powerfully redemptive quality to being able to usher in new freedoms with a fresh face and mindset at the helm, it stated.

The leadership change, moreover, was an experience that carries a message for other jurisdictions that inevitably will follow NSW back to full engagement with other states and the rest of the world. In other words, it was a warning to other state and territory leaders of what will happen if they do not proceed rapidly enough with the reopening drive.

The message has been received. Daniel Andrews, the Labor premier of Victoria, is pressing ahead with his own roadmap to ending restrictions, even though daily infections are approaching 2,000 and the hospitals are on the brink of being overwhelmed. His government plans to lift the Melbourne lockdown on October 25, will permit a mass concert at the end of the month and up to 10,000 spectators at the lucrative Melbourne Cup horse race in early November.

A little over a week after the scandal surrounding Berejiklian was revived, allegations of misconduct have been levelled against the Andrews government. Public hearings are currently underway into Labor Party branch-stacking, compelling a minister in the Victorian government to resign yesterday. A separate two-year investigation into the governments handling of a deal with firefighting unions was leaked to the press last week.

The conditions are being created for Andrews to go the way of Berejiklian if he does not implement the policies being demanded by the corporate elite.

The working class must advance its own independent perspective, aimed at eradicating the virus. This means the formation of workplace rank-and-file committees, independent of the unions, to fight the reopening drive. It poses the need for a socialist program that places social needs, including to health and life, before the profit interests of big business.
In the week since Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced that New Zealand would be transitioning away from its previous strategy of eliminating COVID-19, with more restrictions in Auckland to be lifted, the outbreak of the highly-infectious Delta variant has continued to rapidly expand.

Medical staff test shoppers who volunteered at a pop-up community COVID-19 testing station at a supermarket carpark in Christchurch, New Zealand. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)

On Sunday, 60 new cases were reported, the highest daily figure since September 1. This was followed by 35 on Monday and 43 today, bringing the total active cases to 469an increase of 175 in the space of a week.

With thousands of workers permitted to travel to and from Auckland, people have recently tested positive for the virus in the neighbouring Waikato and Northland regions, prompting the government to extend the level 3 lockdown to those regions.

The outbreak was initially detected on August 17 and the country went into a strict level 4 lockdown the next day. Since then, however, the lockdown has been lifted in most of the country, while in Auckland it was eased to level 3 on September 22, allowing up to 300,000 people to return to workplaces.

The media and the Labour Party-led government claim that the level 4 lockdown, among the strictest in the world, wasnt working. This is a lie. The size of the outbreak shrank from a high point of 731 active cases on September 3, to just 202 cases on September 28, as the vast majority had recovered. Since then, however, the relaxation of restrictions has caused case numbers to more than double.

The number of daily reported cases that were infectious in the community (i.e. not isolated at home) prior to being tested has also increased, from single figures prior to September 22, to between 20 and 31 in recent days. The total number of unlinked cases in the past 14 days (where the source of transmission is not known) stands at 74, compared with just seven on September 22.

Amid this expanding outbreak, the governments decision to abandon elimination has triggered alarm among public health experts, doctors, teachers and other workers, both in New Zealand and internationally. The decision was not based on scientific advice, but on the requirements of big business, which has demandedvia the corporate media and the opposition National Partythat the government reopen the schools and workplaces before it is safe to do so.

Ardern yesterday backed down from her announcement a week earlier that the government planned to reopen schools in Auckland on October 18. Radio NZ reported on October 7 that the reopening threatened to provoke a teacher backlash, based on members feedback to the Post-Primary Teachers Association. The government has not decided on a new date for reopening.

The Post Primary Teachers Association (PPTA) Auckland region chairperson Michael Cabral-Tarry said a good prerequisite [for schools reopening] might be 80 percent [of eligible people fully vaccinated] in those communities where Delta is still rampant. The unions are also supporting a vaccine mandate for school staff. These measures would still leave many people unvaccinated, including all children aged under 12, and would not be sufficient to stop outbreaks.

Public health experts have spoken out against the governments easing of restrictions in Auckland, which includes allowing people from different households to meet, and allowing outdoor recreational activities to resume. The government has forecast that it intends to allow retail and hospitality outlets to open in coming weeks.

Epidemiologist Michael Baker told the Guardian yesterday that the countrys outbreak was on an exponential growth curve. If the government loosened restrictions, theres only one way [case numbers] can go and thats up. This is really simple. This is where every epidemiologist and disease modeller will agree 100 percent. Dont do it.

University of Otago senior lecturer Lesley Gray told Radio NZ on October 9: Loosening alert levels at a time when we frankly do not have high enough vaccination rates, full stop, seems to be a very risky strategy. She said the virus had already spread out of Auckland and further spread could be expected, adding that we as a population should not really be prepared to accept this.

Just 47 percent of the total population has received both shots of the Pfizer vaccine. The rate among Maori, who are among the most impoverished sections of the working class, is just over 30 percent.

Epidemiologist professor Nick Wilson told Stuff yesterday: The government seems to be throwing up its hands, with no clear direction after giving up on elimination. He called for a stronger border around Auckland and between the North and South Islands.

Professor Rod Jackson agreed, saying no one should travel to the South Island without being fully vaccinated and tested. He also warned that a 90 percent vaccination rate was not good enough to stop the disease from spreading, adding: You dont want people with COVID getting in until you are 95 percent vaccinated.

Hundreds, perhaps thousands of lives are at risk if case numbers continue to expand at the present rate.

Andrew Stapleton, chair of the College of Intensive Care Medicine, told Stuff on October 7 that hospitals would not be able to cope with any surge in COVID-19 patients, unless another level 4 lockdown is imposed to reduce the overall burden of hospital admissions.

Dr Alex Psirides, from the Australia and New Zealand Intensive Care Society, told Newshub he was afraid of the healthcare system I work in being overwhelmed if case numbers get out of control. New Zealand has 324 staffed ICU beds at present, with 67 percent occupied. The number of ICU beds per capita is less than Australia and the UK, where hospitals have been thrown into crisis by COVID-19.

Despite these warnings, including from scientists who have advised the government in the past, Ardern told Radio NZ yesterday: What we are doing today is no different to what we were doing on day one of this outbreak. We continue to work really hard to aggressively stamp out every case that we have.

No one should be taken in by such manifestly false assurances, which fly in the face of what is happening in Auckland and elsewhere. The Labour governments abandonment of elimination, at the behest of big business and with the support of the trade unions, underscores the urgent need for working people to organise themselves independently and fight for the elimination of COVID-19 in New Zealand, as part of an international strategy to eradicate the virus.

We encourage all our readers to attend the upcoming webinar, How to end the pandemic: The case for eradication, where workers and scientists will discuss the steps that must be taken, on Monday October 25 at 6:00 a.m. New Zealand time.
On Sunday, workers at the agricultural and construction equipment maker Deere & Co. voted by 90 percent to reject a tentative agreement backed by the United Auto Workers (UAW).

A worker inside a Deere plant (John Deere)

The vote was a stunning rebuke to the UAW, which tried to rush through a six-year concessions contract for 10,100 workers without giving them sufficient time to study it. At so-called informational meetings Sunday, workers angrily confronted union officials trying to sell the deal. Deere and the UAW tried to pull a fast one, but the rank and file fought back, a worker at the Dubuque, Iowa plant told the WSWS.

Confronting an incipient revolt, the UAW announced it was setting a strike deadline for 11:59 p.m. Wednesday night. Behind the scenes, however, the UAW executives are doing everything they can to block a strike or isolate and defeat a walkout if it is forced to call one.

The vote at Deere, the first defeat of a UAW-backed agreement at the company in 35 years, is the latest in a series of overwhelming no votes by workers in the US in response to union-supported contracts:

On April 9, 1,100 Warrior Met coal miners in central Alabama voted 1,006 to 45 (96 percent) to reject the contract pushed by the United Mine Workers of America, which failed to recoup the $6 wage cut the UMWA accepted in 2016.

in central Alabama voted 1,006 to 45 (96 percent) to reject the contract pushed by the United Mine Workers of America, which failed to recoup the $6 wage cut the UMWA accepted in 2016. In the late spring and early summer, 3,500 Volvo Trucks workers in Dublin, Virginia, voted down three consecutive UAW-backed contracts, the first two by 90 percent or more. The UAW was only able to shut down a five-week strike by forcing a revote on the third rejected deal, which it claimed passed by 17 votes.

workers in Dublin, Virginia, voted down three consecutive UAW-backed contracts, the first two by 90 percent or more. The UAW was only able to shut down a five-week strike by forcing a revote on the third rejected deal, which it claimed passed by 17 votes. In August and early September, 3,500 auto parts workers at Dana Inc. a top supplier for Deererejected a five-year contract proposed by the UAW and United Steelworkers by more than 90 percent, with workers at the Toledo, Ohio plant voting unanimously against the deal. More than a month after the defeat of the contract, the UAW and USW are blocking a strike that would have an immediate impact on the auto industry, keeping workers on the job and stockpiling parts with a day-by-day contract extension.

a top supplier for Deererejected a five-year contract proposed by the UAW and United Steelworkers by more than 90 percent, with workers at the Toledo, Ohio plant voting unanimously against the deal. More than a month after the defeat of the contract, the UAW and USW are blocking a strike that would have an immediate impact on the auto industry, keeping workers on the job and stockpiling parts with a day-by-day contract extension. Twelve thousand carpenters in western Washington state rejected four consecutive agreements pushed by the Northwest Pacific Carpenters Union (NWCU) by margins as high as 76 percent. The NWCU was forced to call a strike on September 16, but it kept 10,000 of the 12,000 carpenters working and ultimately pushed through a fifth contract.

rejected four consecutive agreements pushed by the Northwest Pacific Carpenters Union (NWCU) by margins as high as 76 percent. The NWCU was forced to call a strike on September 16, but it kept 10,000 of the 12,000 carpenters working and ultimately pushed through a fifth contract. Late last week, McLaren Health nurse aides and other service workers in Flint and other mid-Michigan cities rejected by a three-to-one margin a deal reached by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) to block a strike over dangerously high patient ratios and increased out-of-pocket health costs.

That massive, nearly unanimous no votes are now becoming the norm gives expression to enormous anger and determination to fight among workers. The union bureaucracys age-old methods of ramming through pro-company contractslies about winning substantial gains or the best contract you are going to get and the use of threats and economic pressure to browbeat workersare running up against a wall of opposition.

This is part of the emergence of the largest strike movement in the United States in generations. The first five days of October saw the beginning of 10 new strikes in the US, including 2,500 nurses at Mercy Hospital in Buffalo, New York, and 1,400 Kelloggs food-processing workers in Michigan and other states. In addition, 60,000 Hollywood film and television workers and 35,000 Kaiser Permanente health care workers have voted to strike.

Thousands of workers have gone on strike across the country, showing their growing power in a tightening economy, Time magazine wrote last week. The leverage US employees have over the people signing their paychecks was amplified in Fridays jobs report, which showed that employers added workers at a much slower-than-expected pace in September, Time wrote, adding, and wages are continuing to tick up across industries as employers become more desperate to hire and retain workers.

The Philadelphia Inquirer pointed to a new take-this-job-and-shove-it mentality, noting that the upside-down condition of the job market has fed-up workers more inclined to fight back and call their bosses on their threats

There are certain characteristics of this emerging movement that are particularly significant.

First, the development of the class struggle is pitting workers in direct opposition to the corporatist trade unions. The margin of the contract rejections at Deere, Volvo, Dana and other companies expresses the real relationship between the so-called unions and the working class.

These organizations, which function as a labor police force for management and are run by union executives with incomes in the top 5 percent of income earners, if not higher, are completely disconnected from and hostile to the needs and aspirations of the workers they falsely claim to represent. Under conditions of explosive social anger, their primary concern is to prove their usefulness to management and the state by ramming through pro-company agreements one way or another.

The Biden administration is aggressively promoting the unions as instruments to suppress working class resistance and divert social opposition behind its plans for trade war and military confrontation with China. Last week, a White House pro-union task force held its second official meeting, with top military and economic cabinet membersincluding Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondodiscussing final preparations of a report on steps the administration will take to promote the expansion of the trade unions.

The defenders of the authority of the unions among the pseudo-left, themselves aligned with the Biden administration and the Democratic Party, refer to the Socialist Equality Party and the World Socialist Web Site as sectarian because of our call for the formation of rank-and-file committees. Their principal concern, however, is that the campaign led by the WSWS for the development of independent organizations of working class struggle is winning a mass response.

At Deere, WSWS articles have been read by thousands of workers, who have distributed them at the plants and shared them on social media. As with the Dana workers and Volvo Trucks workers before them, the WSWS has been central in encouraging and assisting Deere workers in developing their own independent initiative through the formation of a rank-and-file committee.

Second, the upsurge of working class struggles in the US is part of an international process. This includes the strikes by 150,000 metal workers in South Africa; 90,000 health care workers in Sri Lanka; health care, train and airport workers in Germany; and the October 1 UK parents strike and global picket line against the spread of COVID-19. Global corporations like Deere, which has operations in 70 countries, can be fought only by unifying the working class across all national borders.

Third, the growth of the class struggle is inseparably connected to the struggle against the pandemic. The ruling class is seeking to suppress wages in the face of rising prices for food, fuel and other necessities. At the same time, it is imposing ever-longer hours and relentless speedup in its scramble to offset the global supply chain crisis, as well as labor shortages driven by millions refusing to labor in COVID-infected workplaces.

Over the last 20 months of the pandemic, millions of lives have been sacrificed for corporate profit, while the worlds billionaires have seen their wealth surge by $5.5 trillion. Far from making any concessions to the heroes and essential workers who have endured sickness and death, the corporate and financial oligarchy is determined to exploit the pandemic to establish a new normal of unrelenting exploitation. But this is provoking a growing strike wave in the US and internationally, under conditions where the efforts to force workers back into unsafe workplaces by eliminating unemployment benefits and ending eviction moratoriums have thus far failed to produce the intended results.

On May 1, the International Committee of the Fourth International initiated the call for the formation of the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees (IWA-RFC) to organize a global response by the working class to save lives. Now the struggle to demand policies to eradicate the pandemic, including the closure of nonessential workplaces and schools, is intersecting with a growing movement against capitalist exploitation.

We call on all workers at Deere and all sections of the working class, in the US and internationally, to register and attend the October 24 online webinar with leading scientists, How to end the pandemic: The case for eradication, co-sponsored by the WSWS and the IWA-RFC.
On September 16, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis awarded the Florida Medal of Freedom to CIA killer Felix Rodriguez, who led the capture and murder of Argentine-born guerrilla leader Che Guevara in Bolivia in October 1967, among other bloody exploits in the service of US imperialism.

Florida Gov. DeSantis awarding medal to CIA assassin Felix Rodriguez (Credit: flgov.com)

The September 17 ceremony was held at the Brigade 2506 Museum and Librarydedicated to the proxy army of Cuban exiles which the CIA armed and trained for the 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion, which ended in fiasco. A host of right-wing figures, led by DeSantis, engaged in hysterical denunciations of communism, appeals to national chauvinism, and a glorification of the CIAs bloody crimes.

In his remarks, Rodriguez signaled that similar methods may be required within the US itself: We know what its like to lose our country to communism, a lot of people dont understand that  and Im very concerned about whats happening today in this country. He continued, People say it could not happen in America  it is beginning to happen here. He went on to stress the importance of voting in the 2022 elections to prevent the US being transformed into the United States of socialism.

Rodriguez was born to an affluent landowning family in Cuba, which fled to Miami after the 1959 Revolution that overthrew the US-backed dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista (two of Rodriguez uncles had held official posts in the regime). A rabid anticommunist, Rodriguez began training with armed groups of right-wing Cuban exiles, which brought him into the orbit of the CIA. He was involved in an abortive plot to assassinate Fidel Castro before being smuggled into Cuba on a reconnaissance mission to gather intelligence and commit acts of sabotage in preparation for the Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961.

In 1967, he was dispatched to the Bolivian Altiplano, where Che Guevara was then leading a small band of guerrillas in a failed attempt to duplicate the results of the Cuban Revolution. The debacle proved a harbinger of the disastrous role that would be played by petty-bourgeois nationalist guerrillaism throughout Latin America and, in particular, by those who promoted the conception that armed groups of radicals operating in the countryside with the support of the peasantry could carry through the socialist revolution without the need for the conscious intervention of the working class and the building of a revolutionary party within it.

Rodriguez directed the operations of a Bolivian army unit that had been specially trained and armed by the US military for the purpose of liquidating the guerrillas.

The guerrillas, who failed to win support from Bolivian peasants and were completely isolated from the powerful struggles of the Bolivian miners and other workers, were ultimately encircled and wiped out. Guevara was captured and subsequently summarily executed. It was Rodriguez who relayed the order from Washington to kill Guevara; he took care that the soldier entrusted with the task did not shoot him above the neck, so that it would appear that he had been killed in combat. The guerrilla leaders bullet-riddled corpse was then publicly displayed by the Bolivian military.

Che Guevara's corpse on display in Vallegrande, Bolivia. (Image taken by covert CIA operative)

Rodriguezs other heroic exploits include involvement in the training of South Vietnamese paramilitary units for Operation Phoenix during the Vietnam War. Begun in 1967, it was a covert campaign of systematic terror involving the use of targeted killings, arbitrary imprisonment and torture (including rape) of Vietnamese civilians suspected of harboring sympathies for the National Liberation Front. In this way some 81,000 people were neutralized.

In the 1980s, Rodriguez served as an adviser to the Salvadoran military and its infamous. death squads as they carried out brutal massacres of civilians in the efforts to suppress the Farabundo Marti guerrilla movement.

He also played a key role in the Iran-Contra affair, serving as the chief CIA officer at the Ilopango air base in El Salvador that served as the supply hub in the illegal operation to fund and support the Contra mercenaries in a terror campaign aimed at toppling the Sandinista government in Nicaragua.

Rodriguez hired as his top deputy in this operation the Cuban exile terrorist and CIA agent Luis Posada Carriles, who was responsible for the 1976 bombing of a civilian Cuban airliner, killing 73 people, as well as the assassination of the former Chilean ambassador and leading opponent of the Pinochet dictatorship Orlando Letelier in the streets of Washington, D.C.

There were widespread charges, including from within the US Drug Enforcement Agency, that under the supervision of Rodriguez and Posada Carriles, the Ilopango air base was used by the Contras for drug smuggling flights to the US as part of the illegal CIA-protected funding operation.

Thus was the sordid careerdripping in blood and filthof the state-sponsored killer and criminal described by DeSantis as a brave and courageous freedom fighter.

The official celebration of such a figure by a major representative of the US political establishment and a leading contender for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination has sinister implications.

The fascistic move was aimed in part at shoring up DeSantis support among the most rabidly right-wing elements among the Cuban exile community, who form one of his key constituencies. This provocation, however, cannot be separated from the broader social crisis in which the US is embroiled.

A key ally of ex-President Trump, and a leading proponent of the murderous herd immunity policy, DeSantis has banned mask mandates in schools and opposed vaccine requirements in workplaces, while giving official sanction to peddlers of anti-vaccine disinformation and conspiracy theories. These policies have led to an explosion of cases, while the states death toll has ballooned to over 56,000.

The Biden administration, with its spearheading of the full reopening of the schools, has embraced herd immunity in all but name, leading to scores of outbreaks among students and the deaths of dozens of children. Overall, some 713,000 have died of COVID-19 in the US.

Workers have been forced to toil under unsafe conditions and have seen their living standards decline, while the wealth of the super-rich has skyrocketed. This state of affairs is provoking enormous anger and a growing strike movement within the working class. The United States of 2021 is a social powder keg.

The ruling class is aware of this growing opposition and is terrified of its implications. The January 6 insurrection in Washington D.C. raised the specter of a fascist dictatorship in the United States. The most ruthless and openly reactionary sections of the ruling class are preparing to use force and terror to crush domestic opposition. When Trump, DeSantis and other fascistic figures engage in hysterical tirades against socialism and Marxism, they are reflecting the very real fears of the ruling class. In this context, the honoring of a vicious CIA butcher like Rodriguez must be taken as a threat, and a warning to the working class.
Claire Cozler, a parent, former teacher and member of SafeEdForAll (Safe Education for All), spoke to the World Socialist Web Site (WSWS) about why she is supporting the October 15 school strike:

We cannot go on like this. 800 people a week are dying, and in schools last week 200,000 children were absent through COVID. 1 in 14 secondary pupils have it, that is 2 per class, and the current isolation rules mean that siblings of infected children and teachers whose families are infected still have to come to school/work. 94 children have died in the UK during this pandemic, and 12 of those have been in the last month alone. Over 50,000 children are now suffering from Long COVID

The only way as parents that we can make them listen is to strike. We have tried everything else, which is why I am supporting the school strike. Enough is enough.

Claire and one of her children

Speaking about the previous, October 1, school strike, Claire told the WSWS, I thought the global show of solidarity on the last school strike was amazing. The messages of solidarity coming in showed that we are not the only parents experiencing this, even though most of the countries still have some mitigations in place. Videos and messages from across the world: France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, and as far as Mexico, the US, Japan and Australia.

Claire explained that The messages from teaching staff were especially heartening, as our campaign has always wanted to protect not only children, but school staff and families too. To know they were behind us was wonderful. Many of us are former teachers, and we know what they are going through, and to take that time out to support us was particularly appreciated!

Referring to the National Education Union (NEU)s refusal to back the strike and joint general secretary Kevin Courtney disavowal of any action over unsafe schools in the future, Claire told us she was extremely disappointed As I said, we have always been a campaign to protect everyone in education, from children, to staff, families, and their communities, and it was incredibly sad to see that they did not support this.

She said of the UK Education Secretary, Nadhim Zahawi can push for attendance all he likes, but the sad truth is that dead children cant attend school. Neither can chronically ill children without the level of support that Mr Zahawi is unwilling to fund

Using truancy laws to force people to send their vulnerable children into hotbeds of infection will achieve nothing but making parents more angry, and even more determined not to place their children at this level of risk. Record numbers of education staff are also leaving and asking them to police this will only make more of them leave.

Claire drew attention to the particular plight of clinically vulnerable (CV) and clinically extremely vulnerable (CEV) families:

CV and CEV parents and children are being hung out to dry. Guidance is being applied across the board with no variance for individual family vulnerabilities and circumstances. One size does not fit all. Postcode and headteacher lotteries are not on. And fining people for not complying with putting their child or family at an increased risk is not going to work...

Vulnerable parents are used to standing up for their rights and fighting for treatment. They arent just going to blithely increase their risks overnight because Mr Zahawi says so. Lets be honest, the life of a child would be blighted even more by losing a parent. 8,886 children are already in that situation, having lost a parent or primary caregiver

Claire continued, Any number of threats are not going to push people who have stood against the odds for years to suddenly give up the fight now. But still the Government have been threatening them. Organisations such as SafeEdForAll and Fighting for Vulnerable Lives have been inundated with requests for support from families facing threats and have been supporting them.

Describing her own situation, Claire said, Today, despite all my precautions, and the fact that I have been at home since March 2020, the level of COVID in the community is such that I am unwell and have been advised to get a PCR test by my GP, as she fears that I have COVID again I had it in the extremely early days and am already suffering from Long COVID from the first time.

Claire cannot order a test as there are none available and cannot risk public transport. The nearest walk-in centre is over five miles away. If they cant organise tests, or tracing, or reducing community levels properly, why would we trust them with the lives of our children, the very thing that is the most precious to us?

Chris Porter, a university lecturer in Britain, told the WSWS, As a parent and educator, Im offering my support for the school strike on October 15.

This is, as far as I can see, the only organised action aimed at challenging the herd immunity policy that is systematically putting at risk the health and lives of children and adults. There seems little challenge to the dominant, dangerous message that the vaccine on its own is protection enough, not even from unions who you might think via their rhetoric and supposed aims would put social and human need ahead of economic imperatives.

Parents and workers, as well as many students, who are concerned about returning to places of education where the spread of COVID-19 is now to be expected and even invited, face fines, loss of employment, or lack of sufficient remote learning arrangements should they choose to prioritise those health concerns. These are structurally imposed contradictions in service to the herd immunity policy, so its heartening to hear about even single days of resistance and the messages of solidarity from around the world.

A school friend of my 9-year-old daughter had his primary school place withdrawn because his parents understandably refused to expose him and his vulnerable brother to that risk.

Home schooling, only months ago seen as a valiant, collective effort, now seems to be treated as an irrational, almost criminal choice by concerned parents, and taken off the table as a way to stay in touch with school work and teachers during a crisis that should have lasted only months, but which is being turned into a permanent state through the prioritisation of profit over social need.

Helena Wallace, a civil servant from Northwich in Cheshire, England, took the decision to home school her 13-year-old daughter Cora this term. She explained, I wholeheartedly support this Fridays school strike.

It was great to see the breadth and depth of support for the strike on 1 October, both in the UK and internationally. I am particularly horrified to see the policy of deliberate infection of our school children is now in full swing. This dangerous policy has already resulted in the deaths of British schoolchildren, including that of 15-year-old Jorja Halliday.

Countless more will inevitably suffer the consequences of Long COVID, in addition to the preventable infection of CEV and CV relatives within family homes. I am relieved that my child has been withdrawn from school and so will not play a part in this governments murderous approach to so-called herd immunity.

I hope that this weeks strike will raise awareness of the risks among other parents, in addition to hammering home that our childrens lives are not expendable.

A doctor who works in the National Health Service in north west England told us, I will be joining the school strike. My two kids have got the virus, theyre isolating in their rooms. I am so angry! My wife [also a doctor] and I have been going into hospital for 18 months. We didnt get the virus. I have seen patients who were infected.

School is a culture medium for the virus. I saw on the BBC empty chairs in classrooms. Most parents in the UK are panicking about sending their children in schoolsand they will fine us. When 1,000 children get the virus, for one or two it will be a huge issue, morbidity. The situation in this country is deadly because of the criminal policy of the government. They started by letting old people die and now theyve created problems for the kids.
On Sunday, former US president Donald Trump continued his efforts to cultivate and grow his fascist movement by delivering a video eulogy for his deceased foot-soldier, Ashli Babbitt.

Former President Donald Trump, Sept. 25, 2021. (AP Photo/Ben Gray)

In a pre-recorded video that was played at a sparsely attended event in Freeport, Texas celebrating what would have been Babbitts 36th birthday, Trump offered his unwavering support to the family of Babbitt and called on the Department of Justice (DOJ) to reopen its investigation into her death.

Trump said it was a great honor to address each of you gathered today and that Babbitt, an adherent of the far-right anti-Semitic QAnon conspiracy theory and ardent supporter of Trump and the Stop the Steal movement, was a truly incredible person.

Trump, presenting the insurrectionist as a patriotic soldier, glorified Babbitts military service: She defended our nation overseas including in Iraq to fight in the War on Terror.

In a complete whitewash of the events of January 6, Trump said: On that horrible day of January 6, Ashli arrived at the United States Capitol, innocent, she was shot and tragically killed. There was no reason Ashli should have lost her life that day. He added, We must all demand justice for Ashli and her family.

As a point of fact, Babbitt did not just arrive at the Capitol. A self-described libertarian and QAnon follower, she had written on January 5, Nothing will stop us. They can try and try and try but the storm is here and it is descending upon DC in less than 24 hours ... dark to light!

The storm is a reference to the QAnon perspective that Donald Trump was sent by God to exterminate Democrats and other political opponents, and that members of the cult would take part in that physical settling of accounts. She then flew across the country from California to Washington D.C. to join in the effort to keep Trump in the White House regardless of the results of the election.

As to her innocence, there is no doubt Babbitt committed multiple crimes, including criminal trespassing and interference with Congress in the performance of its constitutional duties, and only her death prevented her from participating in much bloodier crimes. Babbitt was shot as she was attempting to climb through a broken window into the Speakers Lobby where dozens of lawmakers and their staff were hiding from the far-right mob of militia members, neo-Nazis and white supremacists.

Babbitt was engaged in a tactic employed several times by members of the attacking force, breaking through a window adjacent to a barred door, then opening the door from the inside. If successful, she would have let the mob through. It was the last door separating the crowd of Trump supporters from the members of the House of Representatives and their staff, who were seeking to escape to safety through the rear of the House chamber.

There is no doubt the aims of the angry mob. They were there to capture, and possibly kill, lawmakers in order to block the certification of Bidens Electoral College victory.

A preliminary DOJ investigation completed in April, and follow-up internal probe completed this past August, cleared Capitol Police officer Michael Byrd of any wrongdoing in the shooting of Babbitt.

The investigation revealed no evidence to establish that, at the time the officer fired a single shot at Ms. Babbitt, the officer did not reasonably believe that it was necessary to do so in self-defense or in defense of the Members of Congress and others evacuating the House Chamber, federal prosecutors with the Justice Department wrote in an April statement.

Despite Byrd being cleared of any wrongdoing, in the months following his failed coup, Trump and Arizona Representative Paul Gosar, one of the principal advocates in Congress of the Stop the Steal campaign, have held up Babbitt as a martyr for the fascist Make America Great Again movement and presented Byrds actions as unprovoked and unjustified..

During a House Oversight Committee hearing held in May of this year, Gosar, a long-time ally of the fascistic Oath Keepers, provocatively asked former acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen whether Babbitt was executed by Capitol Police. Gosar claimed that the DOJ was harassing peaceful protesters and veterans and that the real conspiracy theory was the suggestion that Republican legislators, such as himself, had aided far-right militia members prior to the coup.

In a June hearing featuring FBI Director Christopher Wray, Gosar again said that Babbitt was executed and that the cop who shot her was lying in wait and gave no warning before killing her.

Gosar repeated the same themes in his video eulogy to Babbitt on Sunday. As he has in past speeches, he demanded full transparency and accountability surrounding the murder of Ashli and vowed that he would not stop asking questions or demanding justice for Ashli.

Trump, an admirer of Adolf Hitler, and Gosar, a demented fascist, are continuing to follow in the footsteps of the German dictator. In 1930, Horst Wessel, a Nazi storm trooper and propagandist who routinely participated in violent assaults against communists, socialists and workers, was shot and killed by two members of the Communist Party of Germany (KPD).

Hitler and his minister of propaganda, Joseph Goebbels, used the shooting of Wessel to promote the Nazi party. A march for which Wessel had written the lyrics was renamed in his honor and became the official anthem of the Nazi party, which Hitler described as a battle hymn for millions.

Goebbels himself eulogized Wessel in his newspaper, Der Angriff, in overtly Christian tones:

A Christian Socialist! A man who calls out through his deeds: Come to me, I shall redeem you!... A divine element works in him, making him the man he is and causing him to act in this way and no other. One man must set an example and offer himself up as a sacrifice! Well, then, I am ready!

As Hitler and the Nazis used Wessel to cultivate and incite fascists and lumpen elements of society against socialism and the working class, Trump, Gosar and the rest of the Republican Party, who continue to back the big lie of a stolen election after the failure of the January 6 coup, are elevating Babbitt into a martyr of the America First movement.

The line from Trump and Gosar is that Babbitt was innocent, because January 6 itself was not a coup, but simply a free speech demonstration in support of election integrity. This is why Gosar, and fellow America First fascist lawmakers, like Marjorie Taylor Greene (Georgia) Andy Biggs (Arizona) and Mo Brooks (Alabama), all of whom participated in Trumps coup plots and voted against certifying Bidens victory, claim that the militia members imprisoned for their actions on January 6 are political prisoners and should be set free.

Continuing to agitate against the election results and the legitimacy of Bidens presidency, Trump announced last week that a Big Michigan Rally would take place in Lansing at the state Capitol on Tuesday, October 12. Last April, fascist militia members, on the orders of Trump and Republican billionaires, who would later participate in the kidnapping plot against Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, stormed the building in a prelude of the attack in Washington D.C. on January 6.

In his statement issued last week, Trump called on Patriots to rally in Lansing and demand a Forensic Audit of the 2020 Presidential Election Scam. The Voter Fraud is beyond what anyone can believe. Trump listed the names of several Republican Party officials, including representative Steve Carra, aspiring Michigan attorney general Matthew DePerno and Kristina Karamo.

Carra, DePerno and Karamo have all been endorsed by Trump. All have falsely claimed that Trump won Michigan (he lost by 155,000 votes) and all have challenged the legitimacy of Bidens victory.
The International Workers Alliance of Rank and File Committees will be holding a webinar on October 24 with leading epidemiologists and scientists on how to end the Coronavirus pandemic. Sign up here.

The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) has been caught manipulating its active case graph on its COVID-19 dashboard in an attempt to downplay the severity of the infections on campus.

Redditor u/nolightallnight exposed the glaring disparities between UTDs graph of active cases and the feasible active cases in a series of posts on UTDs unofficial Reddit page, and even put together a graph to illustrate this.

Active Coronavirus case totals with a 14-day active period versus UTD's active cases graph (Credit: u/nolightallnight)

UTD reopened fully in person on August 23, with the result being at least 387 infections among students and staff. Before August 23, a total of 513 cases had been recorded among students and staff for the duration of the pandemic. That is, UTD recorded in less than two months into the school year three-quarters of the total infections for the whole duration of the pandemic before August 23. At least 900 total students and staff have been infected since the start of the pandemic in March 2020.

The following is an interview with u/nolightallnight done on October 7.

Q: Could you detail the discrepancies and how you found out about them?

A: As far as the discrepancies, I noticed it at first because the graph once displayed 130+ active cases one day and suddenly displayed 60 cases the next day. I made a post about it that didnt get that much attention but 1-2 days later in the morning I decided to investigate a little deeper by plotting the COVID-19 text notifications and noticed that we had a LOT of notifications near the start of the semester but almost nothing to show for it on the COVID-19 graph.

The isolation period days are all simulated counts of how many people would be sick, a more realistic graph would probably be all the cases having a distributed spread between say 12-16 days; but CDC orders a mandatory 14-day quarantine so I figured 14 days would be at least somewhat accurate.

Q: Why do you think they are hiding the data?

A: Let me start with I have NO PROOF that they are hiding data, but I can guarantee that they are hiding their mistakes; which they have admitted ARE mistakes as per Dr. [Rafael] Martin [vice president and chief of staff] on 9/27, not technical difficulties like the COVID-19 graph display would want you or any other students/parents/prospects to believe.

Data seems manipulated to me because the start of the semester was extremely important to UTD; deciding whether or not to remain in-person hinged upon the COVID-19 count, which worried students because they feared that they would not be able to pull out of housing contracts on campus. Surprise, surprise, they were not able to.

Another reason why I think they are hiding data is because of a graph posted by /u/UTDVPSA, a university official, showcasing just how different internal and external data is. For instance, on September 15, UTD found 16 positive COVID cases according to their internal data but only 10 are reflected in the text notifications. Examples like this are abundant, and especially more frequent toward the start of the semester. There is a constant disconnect between the amount of text notifications received and COVID-19 patients listed on their website, that only appears drastically altered when they most needed it to.

Notice that the last day for housing contracts was September 2, I believe, and the cases suddenly start to rise on UTDs reported graph from September 5 onward.

Q: What do you think about the universitys repudiation of de-densification (mitigation measures limiting the number of students in a classroom), all the while planning delivering the State of the University address in a pre-recorded online format?

A: /u/SG_UTD, the verified UTD student government account, has a lot of good information regarding this as well as any correspondence to university officials on the COVID-19 graph. I think the university is beyond tone-deaf announcing the rollback, especially considering a /u/SG_UTD survey showed that something like four out of five people think de-densification should stay or something more should be done.

Students also vented their frustration about it on a thread with almost the same exact-worded title as your question that has some good quotes too. To summarize though, we have no idea how UTD could decide to take precautions for their administrators all while forcing students into packed testing centers that do not enforce masks, do not enforce social distancing and do not clean common areas used by multiple people within a short timespan. ... the list goes on. They use one side of the argument to keep us on campus paying them for subpar living conditions and then use the other side of the argument to keep their administrators out of danger.

I guess the reason why it bothers me and many others is because of how transparent UTD was with screwing us over. We all saw it coming, begged for them not to, and then they still did. And wonder why we are mad.

Q: What do you think this says about the university? About the return to in-person schooling?

A: It says a lot, namely that decisions made by the university are based on financial models instead of human lives, which I think says a lot about a school that focuses so much on scientific and medical fields (that happen to cost a lot). We are just funds they wait to collect each summer/winter in preparation for the next 12 weeks.

It feels like they forgot that the university is a place of education instead of a corporation, like the pandemic is just a mild inconvenience for their business model.

It feels like we got left behind. And it feels like they waved us goodbye with a smirk until they faded out of view. And they would not have regretted it at all either, because no one would have cared, if only their graph was not filled to the brim with lies.

Q: The World Socialist Web Site calls for an eradication strategy towards the virus, that is, all the public health measures as deemed necessary by medical science in order to end the pandemic internationally and eradicate the virus, including the shutting down of non-essential businesses and in-person classes for the duration necessary, which now I think stands at around two months, along with public health measures such as a campaign on education on vaccination, and full pay for workers staying at home, among other measures detailed in our recent statement. What do you think of this strategy?

A: I think that at the very least we need some sort of proper mask enforcement, hybrid enrollment options, and vaccine requirements for school officials. I know this may apply more toward K12 education but under-12-year-olds cannot even get the vaccine, and some students are parts of families that are very close to each other all the time because of the huge number of students that do not live on campus. This is not over, this is not the flu, please think about your community instead of your comfort.
WABASH VALLEY (WTHI) - A recent survey found three out of five Americans said they may delay or skip the flu shot this year.

Last year, health officials said a community-wide health measure helped keep the flu at bay, like physical distancing.

Without that being the case this year, experts predict this flu season may be severe.

Research from The American Heart Association said people are hesitant to get a flu shot because of the side effects.

Those side effects commonly include a sore arm, fever, or chills.

"They may last a few hours, but really, the lu shot protects those individuals for weeks and months - until the next season," Dr. Joshua Joseph from the American Heart Association said.

Another hesitation that health experts say is people don't think the flu shot is effective for them.

It's also important to add that health experts say you can get your COVID-19 vaccine and flu shot simultaneously.
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) - News 10 has obtained documents that shows what business will move into the old Kmart building on South US Highway 41 in Terre Haute.

According to Vigo County Area Planning, Hobby Lobby will move into a section of the old store.

The plan shows Hobby Lobby will renovate a section of the northern part of the building, leaving part of the building still empty.

So far, we haven't heard a timeline on when this will happen.

The building is owned by the Teachers' Retirement System of Kentucky. It has been empty since April of 2016 when KMart closed.
MECCA, Ind. (WTHI) - One historical Parke County building is back up and running -- just in time for the Covered Bridge Festival.

The one-room schoolhouse in Mecca, Indiana welcomed folks on Friday for its opening day!

On Monday, students young and old gathered at the schoolhouse for the first day of classes.

There were three teachers dressed in traditional clothing to mirror a traditional classroom experience.

Students studied various subjects -- such as phonics, math, and cursive writing.

The classes are going on throughout the week!

To find more information on the one-room schoolhouse click here.
VIGO COUNTY, Ind. (WTHI) - Joe Kern set out to run across Indiana as a way to raise money for the Hancock County Food Pantry.

Early Friday morning, Kerns started his journey across the state at the Illinois and Indiana state line, just west of Terre Haute.

Kern reached Ohio just two days later, completing his journey of more than 160 miles.

So far, they've raised over $5,000 for the pantry. He says he decided to raise funds for a smaller charity, to have the biggest impact possible.

"100 percent of this money will go directly to the food pantry and we're literally going to be able to fill that place to the roof with the food that we can get with this amount of money," Kerns said.

Kerns isn't the first one in his family to travel across the state. His father, now 84, completed a similar route when he was 70 years old. Kerns says his dad's trip was a huge influence on achieving this goal.

"I've always had that running in the back of my mind, and I wanted to do it while he was still with us. I figured there's no time like the present."

Although Kerns has already reached the finish line, you can still donate to the Hancock County Food Pantry. Click here for more information on how you can help.
SULLIVAN COUNTY, Ind. (WTHI) - Indiana State Police says they busted a man with two pounds of meth after a traffic stop.

Police said they pulled over 70-year-old Terry Frakes on US 41 in Sullivan County on Monday evening. Frakes is from Farmersburg.

During the traffic stop, a police canine reportedly alerted officers to potential drugs inside the pickup truck. While searching the truck, police said they found "illegal contraband."

Frakes gave police permission to search his home.

While searching his home, police said they found around two pounds of meth, digital scales, cash, and drug paraphernalia.

According to police, two pounds of meth is anywhere between 900 to 3,600 doses of the drug.

Frakes was charged with:
TUPELO, Miss. (WTVA) - Do you have questions about booster shots? You're not alone.

NMMC Medical Director and Family Physician Dr. Erik Dukes said people are asking about getting a booster shot almost everyday.

A nurse gives a Covid shot. A nurse gives a Covid shot.

Booster shots are readily available. I have that question many times a week," said Dukes.

If you're 65 and older or immunocompromised, you can get a booster shot at any North Mississippi Health Services Clinic.

Dukes said the hospital system also offers boosters at the old health-works building. He advised patients to schedule a booster appointment beforehand, but said walk-ins are also okay.

If you are eligible, you should wait at least 6 months after being fully vaccinated to get the shot.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP)  Two inmates were killed within a week in reported assaults in Alabama prisons.

The Jefferson County Coroners Office said a 31-year-old inmate died Monday morning after a reported assault in the prisons common area.

The inmates name was not released.

Al.com reported Travis Hutchins, a 34-year-old inmate at Bibb Correctional Facility died Thursday from injuries suffered in an inmate-on-inmate assault.

The U.S. Department of Justice sued Alabama saying state prisons violate the ban on cruel and unusual punishment because of high levels of violence.
JACKSON, Miss. (WTVA) - Mississippis state auditor demands the repayment of more than $77 million of misspent welfare money.

The demand is to several individuals who misspent Temporary Assistant for Needy Families (TANF) money, according to a news release from Auditor Shad White.

This includes former Department of Human Services (DHS) Executive Director John Davis, along with vendors who were paid those funds yet failed to do all the work required under their contracts, per the release.

Two years ago my office audited DHS, White said. After two years of work, we found tens of millions of dollars in misspending. Those findings have now been confirmed, this month, by an independent forensic audit commissioned by DHS. Its time for the taxpayers to attempt to recover what we lost.

Davis is demanded to repay $96.313 million.

Whites demand also addresses two non-profits, the Mississippi Community Education Center (MCEC) and the Family Resource Center (FRC).

The two entities either misspent or improperly dispersed portions of the $77 million, meaning the money was misspent by a vendor to the non-profit, according to White's news release.

MCECs board and leadership are demanded to repay $68.159 million.

FRCs board and leadership are demanded to repay $15.549 million.

Auditors issued additional demands to several vendors.

Austin Smith: $378,791

Brett Dibiase: $225,950

Favre Enterprises, along with Brett Favre and Robert Culumber: $828,000

Heart of David Ministries, controlled by Ted Dibiase, Sr.: $722,299

JTS Enterprises and Transformational Ventures, controlled by Brian Jeff Smith: $674,715

The Marcus Dupree Foundation, controlled by Marcus Dupree: $789,534

Nancy New: $2,589 (for payments received from FRC)

NCC Ventures, controlled by Nicholas Coughlin: $237,915

Ted Dibiase, Jr.: $3.903 million

Warren Washington Issaquena Sharkey Community Action Agency, along with agency leaders Jan Vaughn, Jannis Williams, Janice Jelks, and Delinda Robinson: $75,261

Zach New: $74,118 (for payments received from FRC)

Former DHS Deputy Director Jacob Black is also demanded to repay $1,824 for unallowable first-class air travel, according to the news release.

The demanded amounts are to be repaid within 30 days.

These demands are civil in nature, not criminal.

Open this link to view White's full news release.
SunnyDays SPF 30 Tinted Sunscreen Foundation

Courtesy of Tower 28

On a recent trip to Costa Rica, I strategically packed the most minimal makeup bag filled with multitasking products to save space in my carry-on bag. So it was the perfect opportunity to try the brand new Tower 28 SunnyDays Tinted Sunscreen Foundation, which the brand sent me to test, and see if it lived up to the hype. After all, with a waitlist of nearly 2,500 people, the clean complexion product had garnered pretty serious traction even before its official launch (which is today, by the way), and I was eager to know if it would hold up in the heat and humidity.

After three days in the Costa Rican rainforest, I'm happy to report that this two-in-one mineral sunscreen foundation 100 percent lived up to the hype. In fact, it far surpassed my expectations.

SunnyDays SPF 30 Tinted Sunscreen Foundation

Courtesy of Tower 28

To buy: tower28beauty.com, $30

During my trip, I traversed hanging bridges in the rainforest, explored forest therapy at Mistico Park (where one of only six certified guides in the country led me through my first experience), and plunged into the thermal hot springs at the majestic Tabacon Thermal Resort & Spa near the Arenal volcano over (and over) again. With countless warm river pools, an award-winning eco spa and hot tub, and cascading natural waterfalls on property, I found myself covered in a light mist more times than not  and yet my foundation didn't budge.

This small but mighty miracle worker offers UVA/UVB SPF protection and comes in 14 flexible shades. The medium golden PCH shade blended into my skin seamlessly and disappeared on contact, so I didn't even need a mirror to apply it. For an early morning ziplining excursion, I dotted it on and blended it in with my fingertips before racing out the door to catch the shuttle bus.

Even while swinging from the treetops and getting caught in light rain (as one does on the regular in Costa Rica), my skin looked luminous, radiant, and even, and I could breathe easily knowing that I was protected from sun damage, no matter how high into the sky I swung from the infamous Tarzan Swing during the Athica Canopy Tour. There was zero white cast, and it actually performed more like a medium-coverage foundation, but it still allowed my natural skin to be seen.

I only needed the smallest amount of product for my entire face, which means this smart foundation (which is also dermatologist-tested, vegan, and cruelty-free) will last for months to come. It makes for the perfect complexion product when traveling because of its super compact packaging  which just so happens to be made of recycled plastic.

Genius.
Sometimes simple is best. Just look to Naomi Biden for a lesson in minimalist styling. The granddaughter of President Joe Biden and first lady Jill looked chic today when she arrived on the South Lawn of the White House in a black dress that cut just below the knee. She teamed the number with white pumps, a black handbag, gold earrings and a gold bracelet.

(L-R): Naomi Biden, Jill Biden and Joe Biden. - Credit: AP

AP

More from Footwear News

Naomi joined her grandparents after spending a weekend in Wilmington, Del., where she attended the wedding of Cuffe Owens, the Bidens nephew, who married Real Housewives of Orange County star Meghan OToole King.

The first lady had on a blue Oscar de la Renta midi dress that featured yellow and green lemon prints. The educator paired it with bright yellow suede pointed-toe pumps. Her shoes were the same pair she wore with the dress last April.

This occasion marked at least the third time shes been spotted in the outfit. Last March, she wore the lemon-printed dress at the State Departments International Women of Courage Award ceremony. In April, she wore it again with a mask done in the same print for a visit to Georgia to commemorate President Bidens 100th day in office.

See first lady Jill Bidens style through the years.

Launch Gallery: Jill Biden's Style Through the Years

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Click here to read the full article.
elk freed from tire around neck

COPARKSWILDLIFE NorthEast Region/ twitter

A rubber weight has been lifted from the shoulders of a long-suffering bull elk in Pine, Colorado.

According to Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) release, wildlife officers Dawson Swanson and Scott Murdoch removed a tire off the wild animal's neck. This successful rescue operation came after several failed attempts to help the elk out of the tire this year.

CPW first spotted the elk with the tire stuck around its neck in July 2019 during a population survey of Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep and mountain goats in the Mount Evans Wilderness. The animal, estimated to be around two years old in 2019, was stuck with a heavy tire around its neck for at least two years.

"Being up in the wilderness, we didn't really expect to be able to get our hands on the elk just because of the proximity or the distance away from civilization," Murdoch said in the release on the difficulty CPW had trying to help the elk. "It is harder to get the further they are back in there, and usually, the further these elk are away from people, the wilder they act. That certainly played true the last couple of years. This elk was difficult to find and harder to get close to."

Between 2019 and 2021, trail cameras picked up the elk, still hauling the tire, on video, and several humans reported sightings of the animal. It wasn't until this year that the elk and its current herd started appearing closer to residential areas. This led to more sightings and more opportunities to attempt tranquilizing the animal.

On Saturday, Swanson responded to a sighting of the elk with the tire and was able to find and successfully tranquilize the animal.

"I am just grateful to be able to work in a community that values our state's wildlife resource," Swanson said in CPW's release about the rescue. "I was able to quickly respond to a report from a local resident regarding a recent sighting of this bull elk in their neighborhood. I was able to locate the bull in question along with a herd of about 40 other elk."

Story continues

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After tranquilizing the animal, Swanson called in Murdoch to help remove the tire. The pair worked quickly  since they knew the tranquilizer wouldn't work long on the 600-pound animal  sawing off the bull elk's antlers and maneuvering the tire over the animal's head and off its body.

"We would have preferred to cut the tire and leave the antlers for his rutting activity, but the situation was dynamic, and we had to just get the tire off in any way possible," Murdoch said, adding that the bull elk "looked really good" after having the tire removed.

We first learned of this elk with a tire around its neck in July 2019 when wildlife officer Jared Lamb saw it during a survey near Mount Evans. In this video, wildlife officer Scott Murdoch discusses the situation & what it would take to remove the tire.https://t.co/Frwi3kaXlc pic.twitter.com/xRrZ9nNChw  CPW NE Region (@CPW_NE) August 14, 2020

"The hair was rubbed off a little bit. There was one small open wound maybe the size of a nickel or quarter, but other than that, it looked really good," he said of the elk's injuries from the tire.

Several minutes after having the tire removed, the elk was back on his hooves on his way, feeling a bit lighter. Swanson and Murdoch estimate that the elk lost 35 pounds with the removal of the tire, the debris inside the tire, and the animal's antlers.

CPW recommends that if you see wildlife caught in debris, you report it immediately to local wildlife officials.
The islands of Fiji plan to reopen to tourists in December, just in time for Americans to escape wintry weather to the always-perfect South Pacific.

The island nation, which features pristine beaches, perfect turquoise waters, and unique cultural experiences, will welcome fully vaccinated travelers from several countries, including from the United States, starting Dec. 1, Tourism Fiji shared with Travel + Leisure.

Beyond being vaccinated with an accepted shot (AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, or Moderna), travelers over 12 will have to show proof of a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of their departure and take a rapid test within 48 hours of arriving at their resort.

Unvaccinated children under 18 can travel to the country with a vaccinated adult.

"This is the moment we have been planning for nearly two years now and I can assure the world that Fiji is safe and ready to welcome you back," Tourism Fiji's CEO Brent Hill said in a statement shared with T+L. "The islands are just as beautiful  if not more beautiful  than ever and the locals just as warm and friendly. Fiji is the vacation the world needs and deserves right now, and we can finally offer that again starting December."

a beach at a resort at Natadola Bay in Fiji

Aileen Torres-Bennett/Getty Images

In Fiji, which has been closed to tourists for nearly two years, more than 80% of eligible people have been fully vaccinated, according to the tourism board. Still, tourists are asked to "please avoid 'low vaccination zones'" when possible.

The country has implemented a Care Fiji Commitment certification, ensuring all eligible tourism staff are fully vaccinated and that tourism businesses are only open to vaccinated travelers.

To get there, Fiji Airways plans to resume operations with its first commercial flights from the U.S. to Fiji since March 2020 scheduled to leave from both Los Angeles and San Francisco on Nov. 30. After that, the airline will add two flights each week from Honolulu.

Fiji's Minister for Tourism, Faiyaz Koya, said the airline, hotels, and tourism providers are all ready to welcome visitors back, adding, "in these two years, we've struggled, we've adapted, and we've preparedWe are ready to let happiness find you again."

Alison Fox is a contributing writer for Travel + Leisure. When she's not in New York City, she likes to spend her time at the beach or exploring new destinations and hopes to visit every country in the world. Follow her adventures on Instagram.
When it comes to luxury shopping destinations around the world, locations like New York City, Milan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Dubai immediately come to mind. However, this under-the-radar shopping center in Florida, filled with a plethora of designer stores, not only belongs on the list but may just move up the ranks with its ongoing $550-million renovation.

The Bal Harbour Shops, just north of Miami, houses luxury stores including Gucci, Stella McCartney, Dolce & Gabbana, and Chanel. Complete with thoughtfully accentuated with koi ponds, fountains, and lush jungle trees calling this open-air shopping mecca "a mall" would be an absolute understatement.

"We're thrilled to be making this major investment in the future of Bal Harbour Shops, which will solidify our longstanding place at the forefront of global luxury retail and build on the vision that my grandfather Stanley Whitman had when he first developed the Shops in the 1960s," said Matthew Whitman Lazenby, President and CEO of Whitman Family Development, which developed, owns and operates Bal Harbour Shops. "As a business  and as a family  we have always believed that what's good for the Shops is good for Bal Harbour Village, too, so these upgrades are also being made with the intention of benefitting the surrounding community."

Initial utility construction on the shops began in 2018 with a plan to expand the shopping center to 700,000 square feet from around 450,000 square feet, nearly doubling the Shops current retail space.

Bal Harbour Shops

Courtesy of Bal Harbour Shops

Already home to a great selection of stores and dining options, including Le Zoo and Makoto, a third level will be added to the Shops as well as a new wing with 40 new stores and restaurants including Burberry, Robert Cavalli, Haremlique, Bally, Vhernier, Aba, Sant Ambroeus and Felice.

Founded by Whitman in 1965, people were skeptical of a high-fashion shopping center built on former World War II army barracks (especially at a time when air-conditioned super malls were all the rage.) But there is a reason Whitman was dubbed the "Walt Disney of Retail" as his attention to detail was impeccable and his vision helped to persuade retail icon Neiman Marcus to open his first specialty department store outside of Texas in 1971.

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The caliber of stores Whitman was able to place in Bal Harbour put The Shops on the same level as 5th Avenue in Manhattan and the stores of the Champs Elysees.

Bal Harbour Shops

Courtesy of Bal Harbour Shops

The enhancement plan will also provide more than $100 million in public benefits, including millions of dollars for a new waterfront community park, improvements to Village infrastructure, and nearly two acres of new land for the Village.

In addition to the expansion, Bal Harbour Shops launched their own member rewards app, called ACCESS, last fall. With ACCESS, customers receive a complimentary parking pass upon downloading the platform and the ability to earn monthly benefits, and rewards for purchases like complimentary services, members-only invites, gifts with purchase, birthday gifts, and more.
A Navy engineer and his wife were ordered detained Tuesday pending bond hearings on charges of attempting to sell secret design information for nuclear-powered submarines to a foreign nation as part of an elaborate espionage operation infiltrated by the FBI.

Jonathan Toebbe, 42, formerly assigned to the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, and Diana Toebbe, 45, accused of serving as a lookout during clandestine drops of data cards concealed in a peanut butter sandwich and a chewing gum wrapper, appeared at separate hearings in a West Virginia federal court where a magistrate judge said they qualified for court appointed lawyers.

The Maryland couple, dressed in orange prison scrubs, said little during the brief proceedings where the magistrate scheduled detention hearings for Friday.

Federal prosecutors, citing possible flight risks, are seeking to have both suspects detained pending trial.

The charges carry a maximum punishment of life in prison if convicted of violating the Atomic Energy Act. They are charged with conspiring to communicate restricted data and communicating restricted data.

In this file photo taken Nov. 26, 2009, the Virginia-class attack submarine Pre-Commissioning Unit New Mexico undergoes trials in the Atlantic. A US couple has been arrested in the state of West Virginia for allegedly selling information on nuclear warships to what they believed was a foreign state, the Justice Department said on Oct. 10, 2021. Jonathan Toebbe, who worked as a nuclear engineer for the US Navy, and his wife Diana were arrested by Federal Bureau of Investigation agents on Saturday and charged with violating the Atomic Energy Act in a criminal complaint, the Justice Department said in a statement.

For more than a year, according to federal prosecutors, Toebbe attempted to exchange the data for cryptocurrency payments totaling $100,000, first contacting a foreign government in April 2020.

The identity of the country has not been disclosed, but soon after that first contact the engineer allegedly began corresponding with an undercover FBI agent who Toebbe believed to be a representative of the foreign government.

Toebbe, according to court documents, maintained the correspondence for "several months," leading to a deal to sell the secret data in a series of planned exchanges.

More than two weeks after receiving a "good faith" payment of $10,000 in cryptocurrency from the undercover agent in early June, the couple allegedly traveled to West Virginia where  with Diana Toebbe acting as a lookout  Jonathan Toebbe left a data memory card concealed in a half peanut butter sandwich at a pre-arranged "dead drop" location.

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The agent followed up with another $20,000 payment, and the engineer allegedly provided a decryption key to access the data card. A second drop of data concealed in a gum wrapper was made at a Virginia location in August that was followed by a $70,000 payment.

FBI agents arrested the couple last week after they allegedly placed a third data card containing secret submarine design information at another West Virginia location.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Navy engineer, wife detained for allegedly sharing nuclear sub secrets
Raphael Varane has added to Manchester Uniteds defensive problems after he was ruled out for a few weeks with a groin injury.

The centre-back, a 34million summer signing from Real Madrid, sustained the problem in the first half of Frances Nations Cup final victory over Spain on Sunday.

Raphael Varane sustained a groin muscle injury in the UEFA Nations League final and has commenced rehabilitation at the club, said a United statement.

He will be out for a few weeks.

 The latest on the injury sustained by @RaphaelVarane in the #NationsLeague final #MUFC  Manchester United (@ManUtd) October 12, 2021

With Harry Maguire also out with a calf problem, Varanes injury leaves manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer without his two first-choice centre-backs.

His remaining options are Victor Lindelof and either Eric Bailly, whose one appearance this season came in the Carabao Cup defeat to West Ham last month, or Phil Jones, who has not played since January 2020 due to a knee injury but was in the squad for the Hammers game.

Solskjaer could also utilise midfielder Scott McTominay at centre-back, a role he has performed for Scotland, or opt to switch to a back three and move Luke Shaw into a more central position.

After Leicester, United face Atalanta at home in the Champions League before fixtures against arch-rivals Liverpool and Tottenham before the end of the month.
Lisa Wallace

Age: 46

Community of residence: Yakima

Occupation: Mom and small business owner

Education: Washington State University, B.S. Psychology

Community service: Voices for Children, founding board member; Junior League of Yakima, member and former president; Camp Fire USA Roganunda Council, former member and president

Previous elected office: City of Yakima Planning Commission, elected vice-chair; Junior League of Yakima, elected president; Camp Fire USA, elected board president

Of note: Wallace was previously employed by the county as a victim witness advocate at the Yakima County Prosecutors Office and as the probation manager at the Yakima County Juvenile Court.
With one week until Gov. Jay Inslees Oct. 18 deadline for hospital workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19, a statewide survey indicates as many as 7,500 could be out of work over the issue.

The Washington State Hospital Association surveyed members about staff vaccination rates last week, after the Oct. 4 cutoff to be vaccinated in time for the deadline two weeks later.

With 94% of Washingtons hospitals reporting, the survey showed 88% of hospital workers statewide will be vaccinated by the deadline, Cassie Sauer, WSHA CEO, said Monday in a Zoom conference call.

The vaccination rates for staff at Yakima Valleys hospitals are close to the statewide number, officials with Yakima Valley Memorial and Astria Health told the Yakima Herald-Republic on Monday afternoon.

We are pleased to report that 86% of Yakima Valley Memorials employees are compliant with Gov. Inslees emergency proclamation mandating COVID-19 vaccination for health care workers, said Dr. Marty Brueggemann, chief medical officer.

We continue to collect documentation and process exemption requests. We are optimistic about the trends we are seeing and proud of our employees for complying with this mandate that will improve health and safety for our patients and staff, Brueggemann said.

Astria staff has a vaccination rate of 88 percent, said spokesman Mike Paoli. He said that number includes staff at the Sunnyside and Toppenish hospitals.

Astria is making accommodations for staff who are getting exemptions, or are applying for exemptions, Paoli added. Personnel is being shifted so the community wont see any impact on services.

Sauer said the 12 percent of state hospital workers not yet vaccinated are a mix of staff who are partially vaccinated, have an approved exemption and accommodation, have applied or plan to apply for an exemption that has not yet been reviewed, have not yet provided verification, or are choosing not to be vaccinated.

The latter group is about 2% to 5% of statewide hospital staff  about 3,000 to 7,500  who could leave their jobs rather than meet the state vaccination requirement, Sauer said.

We know there will be some impacts on services, Sauer added. Staffing remains constrained across the health care system and the loss of staff will have an impact on patients, including continued delays for less urgent procedures and longer waits for outpatient appointments.

Officials from hospitals across Washington joined Sauer in Monday mornings Zoom meeting, and their facilities reflected the wide range of vaccination rates across the state.

Dr. Tim Dellit, chief medical officer at University of Washington Medicine, noted that King County has an overall vaccination rate of more than 80 percent among residents ages 12 and older, and the rate among his staff is 98 percent.

Hospital officials and doctors at Harbor Regional Health hospital in Aberdeen and Newport Hospital and Health Services, in the states southwest and northeast regions, told a different story.

Dr. Julie Buck, an emergency department physician at the Aberdeen hospital, said quite a few nurses have resigned over the past few months due to the physical, mental and emotional demands of treating increasing numbers of COVID-positive patients.

The lack of staff, particularly in the respiratory therapy department, has led to more patients being transported to neighboring hospitals, putting a strain on them and the EMS staff which transports the patients.

Our county is struggling with vaccination hesitancy; we just cleared the 50% vaccination rate, Buck said.

The numbers are similar in northeast Washingtons Pend Oreille County, said Christina Wager, COO of the Newport hospital.

Vaccination rates are 42% countywide there, and while roughly 80% of the Newport hospitals staff are vaccinated, specific departments fall short of that.

Well lose about 10% of our staff due to the vaccine mandate, Wager said. Our largest concern is our physical therapy department; were looking at losing 50% of our physical therapy employees.

Sauer said her organization did not have vaccination data for individual hospitals, adding the full tally of workers who refused to be vaccinated would not be known until early November. Some workers will be put on administrative leave as they complete their vaccinations or await word on an exemption.

She also stressed the need to remain focused on the bigger picture: a COVID death rate that remains much too high and a recently slowing decline in the number of hospitalizations.

Although were down from 1,700 hospitalizations a week to 1,100, last week, it was only a 2% decline  still a decline, but not as sharp as it was, Sauer said. And the death rate remains high. We have 15 to 20 deaths a day in Washington state from COVID.

That would be like a medium-sized jet was crashing at SeaTac or the Spokane airport every week. And those are just the deaths occurring in hospitals; many other are dying at home.

The death toll has been noticeable even in smaller counties, Newport Hospitals Wager said.

In September, Pend Oreille County saw more COVID deaths in the month of September than all previous months combined, Wager added. Thats very hard on the staff emotionally.
Greensboro, NC (27407)

Today

A shower is possible early. Evening clouds will give way to clearing overnight. Low 36F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

A shower is possible early. Evening clouds will give way to clearing overnight. Low 36F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph.
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Mary bought lights for it. She attached skis in the winter so she could take it out in snow and ice. While Jim drove it now and then, Mary was the primary driver. It was pulled by her team of mules.

It was relaxing. It wasnt like being in a car with the radio on. You were outside and you could visit. We didnt buy it to parade in. We brought it just to have it, like an old collectors car, she said.

Mary even drove her daughter to the senior prom in it in 2004. She and her date met here at the house. We loaded up and took them over to the city auditorium where they had the prom, she said. They were tickled. Everyone else had limousines.

Hobbes: a human?

Perniceks mustang Hobbes pulled the spring wagon, too. Hobbes was born on a farm near Elm Creek, and when his mother died eight hours after his birth, Pernicek adopted him. She brought him home and bottle-fed him and broke him in by having him pull the spring wagon.

He didnt know he was a horse. One day when we were remodeling the house and didnt have a complete kitchen, I came into the kitchen, and he came right in behind me, she said.
New Delhi: Bollywood actress Tapsee Pannu announced her production house named 'Outsiders Films' earlier this year and its maiden venture Blurr's shoot has also been wrapped. The movie has been shot in Nainital and Mall road with many real locations and heritage sites captured too.

The film team is set to shoot at the picturesque hill station of Ramgadh which has breathtaking views of the valley and snow-capped Mukteshwar mountains. mountains. The film was also shot at the Famous Writers bungalow, Ashok Vatika where Rabindranath Tagore supposedly wrote a part of Geetanjali and Mahadevi Verma resided and wrote many of her creations.

Quite a few heritage sites also were chosen for the backdrop for the movie and also some houses older than 100 years are in the film. It has been learnt that locals were supportive and welcomed them. They even let them in their homes for shooting.

Written by Pawan Sony and Ajay Bahl, Zee Studios, Taapsee Pannus Outsider Films and Echelon Productions Blurr is a psychological thriller set to be released in 2022.
Jaipur: Adani Group on Monday took over the responsibilities of the Jaipur International Airport from the Airports Authority of India (AAI).

The airport has been leased out to the group by the government of India for a period of 50 year.

Airport director J S Balhara handed over a symbolic key of the airport to Chief Airport Officer Adani Jaipur International Ltd Vishnu Jha in the presence of other officials.

The company took over the airport at 12:00 am Monday.

Balhara said that the company will work on the operations, management and development of the Jaipur airport through PPP mode.

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New Delhi: The Ministry of Civil Aviation has given a no-objection certificate (NOC) for the operation of Rakesh Jhunjhunwala-backed new airline 'Akasa Air' in India, a company statement said on Monday.

The new airline aims to start operations by the summer of 2022, the holding company, SNV Aviation Private Limited, said.

Akasa Air is backed by ace investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala and ex-Jet Airways CEO Vinay Dube.

We are extremely happy and grateful to the Ministry of Civil Aviation for their support and for the grant of the NOC," Dube, who is now the CEO of Akasa Air, was quoted as saying in the statement.

"We will continue to work with the regulatory authorities on all additional compliances required to successfully launch Akasa Air," he added.

Akasa Air also has former IndiGo president Aditya Ghosh on its board.

The airline plans to operate approximately 70 planes in the next four years.

Airbus is in conversation with Akasa for an aircraft procurement deal, Airbus' Chief Commercial Officer Christian Scherer told PTI last week.

Akasa has been in discussions with US plane manufacturer Boeing to procure its B737 Max planes, multiple media reports had said two months back. Airbus' A320 series of aircraft competes with Boeing's B737 series of planes in the aviation market.

Dube said on Monday: At Akasa Air, we believe having a robust air transportation system is critical for our nation's progress. It is this belief that has motivated us to create a modern, efficient, quality-conscious airline."

Akasa Air will serve all Indians regardless of their socio-economic or cultural backgrounds with warmth, inclusiveness and respect, he stated.

"Because at the end of the day, it is these qualities that connect people and cultures and help Indians realise their dreams, he added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 5 met Jhunjhunwala, noting that he is very bullish about the Indian economy.

"Delighted to meet the one and only Rakesh Jhunjhunwala... Lively, insightful and very bullish on India," Modi had tweeted.

When asked on October 8 at the 'India Today Conclave 2021' about his meeting with the PM, Jhunjhunwala, without divulging much, had said they talked about the economy.

"I told the prime minister that the economy is going to take off," he had noted.

When asked about his entry into the aviation sector when some companies have gone bust, Jhunjhunwala had replied he cannot say much but he is prepared for any outcome.

"We will see what happens. If it becomes successful, I will tell you about it and if it fails, I will simply say I didn't do anything much about it. I am taking a conscious risk...I am hopeful and prepared for failure," he had added.

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New Delhi: The Centres flip flop on the coal crisis continues as they say there is no shortage at times while citing reasons for the scarcity on other occasions.

On Tuesday, Union Coal Minister Pralhad Joshi said that the coal shortage was caused due to rains which in turn led to a rise in international prices.

Due to rains, there was coal shortage, causing an increase in international prices- from Rs 60 per ton to Rs 190 per ton. Subsequently, imported coal power plants are either shut for 15-20 days or producing very less. This put pressure on domestic coal, said Joshi.

Yesterday we supplied 1.94 million tons, the highest ever supply of domestic coal. As far as states are concerned, this year till June we requested them to increase stock, some of them went on to say that please do a favour, don't send coal now, he added.

The government has asked state-owned Coal India Ltd (CIL) to augment the coal supply to power producers to 1.55-1.6 million tonnes (MT) per day around the Durga Puja period, and to further scale it to 1.7 MT per day after October 20, PTI reported citing a source.

Meanwhile, Delhi Power Minister Satyendar Jain blamed the Centre saying the power crisis seems to have been deliberately created.

We are compelled to buy electricity at five times the average rate as of now. It looks like the crisis is being created. If theres no shortage of coal, why is NTPC not producing electricity to its full capacity? Jain was quoted as saying by ANI.

Karnatakas leader of the opposition and senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah also smelled a conspiracy behind the coal shortage. He accused the state government of creating an artificial deficiency of coal in the southern state only with an aim to privatisation of thermal plants.

The former Chief Minister of Karnataka said that the state has enough electricity production, reservoirs are full and he doubted that the issue of coal deficiency is real.

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New Delhi: In a major boost to India's fight against COVID-19, the Subject Expert Committee (SEC) has given a recommendation to the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for the use of Bharat Biotech's Covaxin for 2 to 18-year-olds, ANI reported on Tuesday (October 12, 2021). Covaxin, notably, will now become the country's first COVID-19 vaccine that can be administered to children.

However, official comment on the same is awaited.

The development comes almost a week after sources claimed that Bharat Biotech, which completed the Phase 2/3 trials of Covaxin for use in children under 18 years of age, has submitted the data to the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) for its verification and subsequent approval for Emergency Use Authorisation for the jab.

"Covaxin clinical trial data of 2-18 years age group has been submitted to CDSCO... This is feasible due to the safety of the manufacturing platform and empirical evidence from Phase 1,2 and 3 clinical trials in adults," sources told the PTI news agency.

Covaxin trials on children show similar results as on adults

An AIIMS professor has recently claimed that the latest trials show that the safety and immunogenicity of Covaxin are almost the same in children, as adults above 18 years of age. Dr Sanjay K Rai, a professor at the Centre for Community Medicine, AIIMS, told ANI that Covaxin's trial was done on three age groups.

"The first group examined was between 12 -18 years, the second group was between 6- 12 years and the third age group was between 2-6 years," he said.

At first, we finished the examination of people aged between 12- 18 years and then subsequently other groups. Covaxin's vaccine safety and immunogenicity are almost the same. However, the final results of these trials are awaited," he added.

WHO likely to take decision on Covaxin nod this week

The World Health Organisation (WHO) is also likely to give the much-awaited emergency use authorization for Covaxin this week. The global health body and an independent group of experts are scheduled to meet this week to carry out the risk/benefit assessment and come to a final decision on whether to grant Emergency Use Listing to Covaxin.

This is to be noted that Covaxin has been developed by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the National Institute of Virology (NIV).

India's COVID-19 vaccination coverage nears 100 crores

Indias COVID-19 vaccination coverage is nearing 100 crores and has exceeded 95.89 crores on Tuesday morning. The world's largest vaccine drive had commenced on January 16 this year and on Monday, the country administered 65,86,092 vaccine doses. So far, over 27 crore eligible Indians have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

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New Delhi: Delhi Police has foiled a major terror plan and arrested a Pakistani terrorist from Laxmi Nagar on Monday (October 11, 2021) night. The special cell of Delhi Police also recovered an AK-47 rifle with one extra magazine, 60 rounds, one hand grenade and two sophisticated pistols with 50 rounds from his possession.

Identified as Mohd Asraf, he is a resident of Pakistan's Punjab and was living in Laxmi Nagar's Ramesh Park on a fake ID of an Indian national. He, as per initial interrogation, had made a fake id in the name of Ali Ahmad Noorie.

A terrorist, Pak national, caught by #DelhiPolice #SpecialCell @CellDelhi from Laxmi Nagar area of Delhi, staying on fake identity on forged documents, as we beefed up anti-terror alert and action across city in current festive season. Major terror plan foiled. Further probe on.  #DilKiPolice Delhi Police (@DelhiPolice) October 12, 2021

Booked under relevant provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Explosive Act, Arms Act, and other provisions, Asraf was an important part of the sleeper cell and was working with ISI. According to Delhi Police sources, he was living in the national capital for the past 15 years and used to provide weapons and logistics to the terrorists coming to India. He had hidden the weapons under the sand on the banks of the Yamuna river near Kalindi Kunj.

He was living as a Maulana in Delhi and other cities and used to receive most of the calls over VoIP (Voice over IP). Several Pakistan numbers have also reportedly been recovered from his mobile phone. Asraf was married to an Indian woman but was not currently living with her.

As per sources, he has other members in his network in Delhi, who would also be arrested in the coming days.

Asraf's arrest comes three days after Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana held a meeting with top officials and discussed anti-terror measures in the wake of input of a terrorist attack in the national capital during the festive season. On October 9, they also held discussions on how to prevent terrorists from taking support of locals.

As festive season began and new district DCsP took charge, @CPDelhi Sh Rakesh Asthana held crime and law & order review meeting today. Focus on antiterror measures, action on street and organised crime to be further geared up by #DelhiPolice to keep capital safe, citizens secure. pic.twitter.com/xf5RLVb0wc  #DilKiPolice Delhi Police (@DelhiPolice) October 9, 2021

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Jaipur: The Rajasthan government has decided to recall the recently passed marriage registration bill to re-examine it, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said on Monday, citing concerns that its provisions will encourage child marriages.

Gehlot said that the state government will urge the governor to return the bill for legal consultations.

The opposition BJP and rights activists had objected to a provision in the 'Rajasthan Compulsory Marriage Registration (Amendment) Bill 2021' that allowed registration of marriage even if the bride and the groom had not attained the legal age to tie the knot.

ALSO READ | Rajasthan relaxes COVID-19 curbs amid festival season, allows 200 people at religious events, details here

"There has been a controversy in the country that this law will encourage child marriage. We decided that it was not a question of our prestige. We will request the governor to return the bill we have passed," Gehlot said addressing a programme on International Girl Child Day.

"After legal consultation from lawyers, it will be considered whether to take the Bill forward or not," he said.

Gehlot said that it is the government's resolve that child marriages do not occur at any cost in Rajasthan.

"I want to assure you that I will not compromise on that. We will get it re-examined and if we consider it necessary then we will take it forward or else we will not take it forward. We have no problem," the chief minister said.

Despite a ban on child marriages, the state has been reporting such cases over the years.

Gehlot said that the Supreme Court had made it necessary to register every marriage after which the Bill was introduced and passed.

He said that legal opinion was taken earlier and the government will take it further also so that child marriages never happen in Rajasthan.

"The Supreme Court stated that marriage should be registered, be it of anyone. In view of this, a bill was passed in the assembly, but a controversy erupted that this law will encourage child marriage," he said.

The Bill was passed in the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly on September 17 amid objections from opposition BJP MLAs who walked out of the assembly.

State Parliamentary Affairs Minister Shanti Dhariwal had said in the Assembly that the proposed legislation allows registration of marriages but does not state anywhere that these marriages will eventually become valid.

If it is indeed a child marriage, the collector of the particular district and the officers concerned will be able to take necessary action against the families, the minister had pointed out.

The statement and objective of the amendment bill say that if the couple has not completed the legal age of marriage, the parents or guardians shall be responsible for submitting a memorandum within a prescribed period.

Dhariwal said even the couple can get their marriage registered, provided that they inform their families within 30 days.

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New Delhi: We often hear about terror attacks in Kashmir. On many occasions, the terrorists cross the border to go to Pakistan for shelter. Most people are not bothered about these as they believe that they are far away from such threats. However, if they come to know that a terrorist carrying AK 47 rifle is living in their neighbourhood, it will certainly be a different story.

Zee News Editor-in-Chief Sudhir Chaudhary on Tuesday (October 12) discussed the arrest of a Pakistani terrorist from Delhis Laxminagar area who had been living in India for the last 15 years.

The name of the terrorist arrested by the Special Cell of Delhi Police is Mohammad Ashraf alias Ali Ahmed Noori. He came to India from Pakistan between 2004 and 2005. That is, he was in India for the last 16-17 years. He is said to be involved in several terrorist activities.

According to Delhi Police, his training was done with Pakistan's intelligence agency ISI after which he entered India through West Bengals Siliguri via Bangladesh. From there he reached Ajmer in Rajasthan.

In Ajmer, he stayed in a mosque where he made friends with a Maulvi who trained him to become a Maulana. He came to Delhi in the year 2006 with the Maulvi.

It is being said that as a Muslim religious leader, he made established his identity in the Muslim areas of Delhi and then started asking for money from Pakistan in the bank accounts of those who used to come to him for treatment. The police have said that his handler, named Nasir, sitting in Pakistan, had assigned him the task of carrying out terror attacks during the festival season this year. He also received weapons for the purpose.

All the weapons were found buried near Yamuna Ghat in Delhi's Kalindi Kunj which is only a kilometer away from Shaheen Bagh.

The weapons included an AK-47 assault rifle, a hand grenade, two magazines of 60 bullets and two made in China pistols. There is also a possibility that some people from Shaheen Bagh were helping this terrorist.

The police came to know about his two bases in Delhi. One is in Shastri Park and the other was a rented house in Old Delhi. He was arrested in Laxmi Nagar, not far from Shastri Park.

The terrorist is also said to have lived in Jammu and Kashmir for a long time, where he helped the terrorists acquire weapons and funds. The police also suspect that he carried out terrorist attacks there.

The festive season has started in India. Dussehra is just a few days away, then theres Diwali and after a few days, Christmas. Terrorists prefer to carry out attacks during the festivals because the crowd makes their task easier. So people must be careful during this time.

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Mumbai: The Maharashtra cyber cell has issued a phishing alert warning about an email circulating that talks about a terror encounter that took place in Mumbai.

Calling it fake news, the agency warned government officials or any other recipients against opening the email.

The cyber cell informed that the email with the subject Terrorist behind JK gunned down in Mumbai was sent to email ids of many government officials. The email also contains an attachment - reportintelligence.pdf.

According to the cyber cell, the fake email has been created under the ID - Rajesh Shivajirao Nagvade - ps.eastcyber.mum@mahapolice.gov.in.

The cyber cell advisory states that the mail is fake and they have initiated an investigation into the matter.

Also Read: IIT student who stalked and harassed girls arrested by Delhi Police Cyber Cell

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Chennai: Aged 24, he was the familys lone breadwinner. Serving the Indian Army from the age of 19, he had managed to secure a loan (that is still being repaid) and recently built a house for his mother and sister, and also purchased a car for the family. Despite the immense responsibility that he had to shoulder from a very young age, he had enthusiastically asked for a posting in Jammu and Kashmir (one of the most dangerous conflict zones in the world), to serve his motherland. Chasing my dreamz, accompanied by emoticons of a uniformed soldier, a home, a bike, a car and family is how he describes himself on his WhatsApp about page. Thats Sepoy H.Vaisakh for you, the young Braveheart from Kollam, Kerala who made the supreme sacrifice for India, while fighting terrorists in J&K.

According to his younger cousin Abhijith, it was barely 4 months ago that Vaisakhs mother and sister had moved into their new home, which Vaisakh had built at the Odanavattom village, their native. Moving into the new residence was a ray of hope for the family, which had been plagued by financial issues. During Vysakhs childhood, the family had to stay in a rented house for several years, after selling their own house and land to meet their financial liabilities. It was after Vysakh started serving the Army that he saved every bit of his income to take care of his tightly-knit family, which meant the world to him.

It was about two months ago, following the death of his maternal grandmother, that he stepped into his own home (which he so dearly planned and constructed). Back then, he couldnt make it on time for the funeral, but he came on leave a couple of days later and performed the rituals. Thats when he told us about his decision to voluntarily ask for posting in Jammu and Kashmir. None from our family have served the Armed forces, but from a very young age Annan (elder brother) was extremely determined on joining the Army Abhijith recalled to Zee Media.

Naushad, the Secretary of Quilon Mallu Soldiers (a registered non-profit trust working for Armed forces personnel and their families), recalls Vaisakh as a dynamic young man, who always took active part in their events. The trust is now making arrangements at the residence of the soldier, to receive the mortal remains, perform crowd control work amid COVID-19 and help the family during their hour of inconsolable grief. The mortal remains of the soldier are expected to reach the native village by late Wednesday night or on Thursday, following which the public would be allowed to pay their respects at the nearby school, where Vaisakh studied.

An avid traveller and adventurer, Vysakh loved his Royal Enfield 'Bullet' and also had recently purchased a car for the family his cousin added. Having grown up and played together, Abhijith can't believe that his elder brother who was always full of life, is no more with them. Mohankumar, Vaisakhs maternal uncle remembers him as an extremely affable, good-natured person, who was very hardworking and had the sole mission of giving a better life for his modest family. Getting his younger sister (who recently completed her college education) happily married was among his top priorities, while his own needs and wants came last

Five army personnel, including a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO), were killed in an encounter with terrorists at the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, on Monday. The soldiers lost their lives in firing by terrorists in a village close to Dera Ki Gali in Surankote area of the border district of Poonch, after the Army and police launched a joint operation based on intelligence inputs about the presence of terrorists who had infiltrated from Pakistan, by crossing the Line of Control(LoC). During the operation, terrorists brought down a heavy volume of fire on Army troops, which led to five Indian Army soldiers being killed in action. Naib Subedar (JCO) Jaswinder Singh, a recipient of Sena Medal, Naik Mandeep Singh, Sepoys Gajjan Singh, Saraj Singh and H.Vaisakh, made the supreme sacrifice for the motherland.

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New Delhi: Amid the political tussle between AAP and BJP over Chhath Puja celebrations, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia wrote to a letter to Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya seeking directions.

Sisodia urged the health minister to issue COVID-19 guidelines to be followed during Chhath Puja.

As you know that Chhath Puja is a very auspicious, historical and socio-cultural festival celebrated in most of the states of north India, especially the people of Purvanchal celebrate this festival with great reverence and penance. In Delhi too, this festival is celebrated every year with great devotion. This year also people of Purvanchal are eagerly waiting to celebrate Chhath festival with their family and loved ones, wrote Sisodia.

For the last 18 months, Delhi, as well as the entire nation, has faced the situation arising out of the COVID-19 pandemic in an unprecedented manner. Last year also, in view of the threat of COVID-19, decisions were taken to celebrate Chhath festival across the country as per the instructions of the Government of India, he added.

Sisodia asked Mandaviya to consult health experts and come up with appropriate guidelines.

I request you that the Government of India, in consultation with health experts and other concerned people, should issue guidelines for this year also regarding the celebration of Chhath festival, Sisodia noted.

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia writes to Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya to issue guidelines for the upcoming Chhat festival pic.twitter.com/V9gk9msbbg  ANI (@ANI) October 12, 2021

Earlier today, BJP MP Manoj Tiwari was rushed to Safadarjung hospital after being hit by a water canon during a demonstration in front of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal`s residence.

The incident took place on Tuesday during a demonstration by the BJP in front of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader`s official residence over the Delhi Disaster Management Authority`s (DDMA) order restricting celebration of Chhath Puja in the national capital.

AAP has accused BJP of playing politics in the name of religion. The party said the BJP should understand that celebration of the festival at public places can lead to the spread of COVID-19.

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New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party has alleged that BJP-ruled MCD has not fulfilled the promises made to the sanitation workers due to which there is a possibility of strike again in Delhi.

AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj said that the BJP did not take any steps for regularisation of sanitation workers, providing cashless medical cards. He said that the reason behind the poor sanitation of Delhi is the fact that for 15 years, not a single temporary or permanent sanitation worker was recruited by the MCD. He further said that retired employees have not been given retirement benefits including PF even after two years.

For the past few months, the Safai Karamcharis of the MCDs have been on strike. This has been widely seen, especially in the North MCD area, throughout various zones. The BJP office was also gheraoed by the Karamcharis who wanted to keep their longstanding demands in front of them. In the last 5 years, the Safai Karamcharis have had to go on very long strikes. In fact, in 2018, the then BJP Delhi President Manoj Tiwari had accepted all their demands and promised that the Safai Karamcharis hired between 1998-2003 will be regularised. He had also promised the regularisation of Safai Karamcharis, who were hired on compassionate grounds after 2003, said Bhardwaj.

It is very important for us to know that the condition of sanitation in Delhi is drastically bad because for the last 15-20 years, not a single Safai Karamchari has been hired. Neither for temporary posts, nor for permanent ones. Hirings have only been done on compassionate grounds. This means in the cases of the death of a worker have hirings been made to support their family. They have made this promise of regularisation of workers before every election and during every strike, but they still have not delivered on it. This was only a hollow promise. The Safai Karamcharis met with the North MCD Mayor who again made the same promise to them, he added.

Bhardwaj further said, I am earnestly informing everyone that the chances of a major strike in Delhi are rising rapidly. All of this is taking place because the BJP-ruled MCD has not taken a single step which will make the job of the Safai Karamcharis easier. Apart from this, it was said that cards will be issued to the Safai Karamcharis for a cashless medical facility, that too has not been delivered upon. What is more surprising is that if the pensioners who have been given the card go to the hospital with the card, then they refuse to consider it at the hospitals because MCD has not paid the dues of private hospitals for many years now. The cashless card is just a plastic card for retired employees. PF and other retirement benefits were not given to the retiring employees as well. They are being forced to get in long queues. Retired employees have not received post-retirement dues even after two years.

When the BJP is asked why there is such a shortage of sanitation workers, they cover up the matter to hide their shortcomings. The number of sanitation workers is already very low in Delhi. A large part of the MCD workers are working for BJP leaders and MCD officials. They bring them vegetables. Wash utensils in their offices and take care of their premises. Because of this attitude of the BJP, Delhi remains dirty till this day, Bhardwaj said.

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New Delhi: NHRC chief and former Supreme Court judge Arun Mishra on Tuesday hailed Union Home Minister Amit Shah for starting a new era in Jammu and Kashmir.

Addressing the 28th foundation day of NHRC, he praised Shah for his untiring efforts to foster peace in J&K and Northeast states.

It is because of you Mr Shah that a new era has now begun in Jammu and Kashmir, said Mishra.

He asserted that the untiring efforts of Shah for fostering a peaceful situation in Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeast has "ushered in a new age".

The retired SC judge underlined that it has become very common for external forces to level false allegations against India of human rights violations and this should be opposed.

India has the spirit of 'Sarvadharma Sambhav' (harmony of religions). Everyone has freedom to build a temple or mosque or a church. But in many countries, such liberties are not there," Mishra said.

It is unfortunate that political violence has still not stopped in the country and abroad, he said.

Social service organisations and human rights defenders should strongly condemn political violence and terrorism. Apathy on this issue, engenders fundamentalism and history will never forgive us for this," he added.

Notably, Mishra took charge as the new chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission in June this year.

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New Delhi: Non-profit organization MukkaMaar, which provides self-defence training to adolescent girls, on Monday (October 11) rolled out new research they conducted titled Power of Body, Voice and Mind for every girl.

The organization also launched a new chat-based platform POWER with Mukki in a bid to scale up its programme.

The twin launches marked the International Day of the Girl Child that was celebrated yesterday.

The group highlighted the strikingly deteriorating position of India in terms of gender gap, making it the third-worst performing country in South Asia.

In just 1 year, India has slipped 28 places to rank 140th among 156 countries in the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report 2021, becoming the third-worst performer in South Asia, said MukkaMaar in a statement.

In India, girls and boys experience adolescence differently. While boys tend to experience greater freedom, girls tend to face extensive limitations on their ability to move freely and to make decisions affecting their work, education, marriage and social relationships, it noted.

Actor Richa Chadha, who was present on the occasion, said, Self-defense among girls will continue to be a priority till we are able to change our boys. May the situation never arise, when one needs to defend themselves. But it's not just about fighting predators off, learning self-defense gives the girls more confidence in their own bodies, and makes them capable of expressing themselves better.

According to the organisations research, Fear over the safety of their girls used to cripple the parents before, which resulted in curbing the girls freedom in the illusion that it would keep them safe. Given that in 98% of the cases, the perpetrator is known, MukkaMaar brought awareness to the cycle of crime leading to confinement, leading to vulnerability, leading to crime becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy.

BMC Education Department officer hailed POWER with Mukki platform at the event.

POWER with Mukki is a blessing for those girls who are unable to continue education because of lack of devices and data, and will open the doors for many such girls all over India, said Raju Tadvi, Education Officer, BMC Education Department.

The founder of MukkaMaar, Ishita Sharma, called for a collectively focus to address the deeply entrenched mindsets that cause girls and women to be treated unfairly.

To create an equitable world, we must invest now in girls and enable them to have agency. We must collectively focus our attention to address the deeply entrenched mindsets that cause girls and women to be treated unfairly. In MukkaMaar, it has been our endeavour to empower the most vulnerable girls and POWER with Mukki is an attempt to leave no girl behind, Sharma said.

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New Delhi: The BJP President of Jammu and Kashmir Ravinder Raina on Monday said that the terrorists and Pakistan have conspired against the union territory as the Narendra Modi-led government has accelerated development projects in the UT. He also attacked the former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and said that she always speaks the `language` of separatists.

"The way the Modi government at the Centre has accelerated development work in Jammu and Kashmir and brotherhood and unity is getting stronger, the terrorists and the supporters of Pakistan are trying to conspire against J-K to derail the development process and disrupt peace in the Valley," Raina told ANI.

Citing the dastardly attacks on the civilians and the killing of five soldiers in the recent terrorist attacks in the Valley, the BJP leader "appreciated the bravery of the soldiers and said that they have thwarted every conspiracy of Pakistan and terrorists."

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Slamming Mehbooba Mufti over her tweet on farmers` protest on Monday, Raina alleged that the former Jammu and Kashmir CM always talks about Taliban, Pakistan, Lashkar, Jaish and Hizbul Mujahideen and always speaks the language of Separatists.

"She always tries to break society by inciting hatred in society," he said.

Earlier on Monday, a junior commissioned officer (JCO) and four soldiers of the Indian Army lost their lives during a counter-terrorist operation in J&K`s Rajouri sector in the Pir Panjal ranges.
New Delhi: A Pakistani terrorist has been arrested from Delhi's Laxmi Nagar and an AK-47 assault rifle, a hand grenade were among other things that were recovered from his possession, ANI reported on Tuesday (October 12, 2021).

He has been identified as Mohd Asraf and is a resident of Pakistan's Punjab.

"Delhi Police Special Cell arrests a terrorist of Pakistani nationality from Ramesh Park, Laxmi Nagar. He was living with a fake ID of an Indian national. One AK-47 assault rifle with one extra magazine and 60 rounds, one hand grenade, 2 sophisticated pistols with 50 rounds seized," ANI said.

Relevant provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Explosive Act, Arms Act and other provisions are being invoked against him.

A search operation has also been conducted at his present address at Ramesh Park in Laxmi Nagar.

Relevant provisions of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Explosive Act, Arms Act & other provisions being invoked against the man, identified as Mohd Asraf, a resident of Pakistan's Punjab. A search has been conducted at his present address at Ramesh Park, Laxmi Nagar, Delhi.  ANI (@ANI) October 12, 2021

This comes three days after Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana held a meeting with top officials and discussed anti-terror measures in the wake of input of a terrorist attack in the national capital during the festive season. On October 9, they also held discussions on how to prevent terrorists from taking support of locals.

As festive season began and new district DCsP took charge, @CPDelhi Sh Rakesh Asthana held crime and law & order review meeting today. Focus on antiterror measures, action on street and organised crime to be further geared up by #DelhiPolice to keep capital safe, citizens secure. pic.twitter.com/xf5RLVb0wc  #DilKiPolice Delhi Police (@DelhiPolice) October 9, 2021

Earlier in the day, at least three terrorists of proscribed outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT)/The Resistance Front (TRF) were killed during an encounter in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district. The police informed arms and ammunition and other incrimination materials were also recovered from their possession.

(With agency inputs)

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New Delhi: More information are coming about the Pakistani terrorist Mohammad Asraf who was arrested from Delhi's Laxmi Nagar area. The Pakistani national has now been remanded to14-day police custody by the Patiala House Court.

The Special Cell of Delhi Police presented the accused in the chamber of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Pankaj Sharma. The Deputy Commissioner of Police Special Cell Pramod Kushwaha informed that the Pakistani national has been living in the country for more than a decade using Indian identity.

Addressing the media persons here, Kushwaha said, "One Pakistani national Mohd Asraf was arrested by Delhi Police Special cell, yesterday. He has been in India for more than a decade using Indian identity. Initial probe revealed his involvement as sleeper cell, orchestrating subversive activities."

The landlord of the arrested Pakistani terrorist told ANI that they will cooperate with the police in the investigation. "He (Asraf) lived here for six months. My father got his Aadhar Card made for documentation. After he left, we were not in touch with him...If needed, we will cooperate with the police," Uzaib, the landlord, said.

The Delhi Police Special Cell foiled a big terror plan with the arrest of a Pakistani national from Laxmi Nagar and seized an AK-47 rifle from his possession. As per information shared by the police, the accused was living with a fake ID of an Indian national and had obtained the Indian identity cards through forged documents.

Apart from an AK-47 rifle with one extra magazine and 60 rounds, the police seized one hand grenade and two sophisticated pistols with 50 rounds. The accused, identified as Mohd Asraf, has been booked under relevant provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Explosive Act, Arms Act, and other provisions. He was a big part of the Sleeper Cell. A search has been conducted at his present address at Ramesh Park in Delhi's Laxmi Nagar. He was apprehended by the police around 9.20 pm on Monday.

According to Delhi Police Special cell, Asraf is from the Narowal district in Punjab province of Pakistan. His parents had died. He has two brothers and three sisters. However, he was picked by ISI and provided training. "ISI handlers are behind him. He was recruited and trained by ISI. He was picked when he was in class 10. He was sent to India via Bangladesh through the Siliguri border. We are trying to indentify his other associates. He was also involved in some espionage activity. He was assigned to carry out a terror activity and the arms are provided for that only. However, the place to carry out attacks was not instructed to him," explained DCP Kushwaha.

(With ANI inputs)

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Pune: In a horrifying tragedy, a 14-year-old girl of Class VIII, was brutally stabbed to death in Pune. The girl was reportedly busy with Kabaddi practice when she was attacked, police said. Prima facie, a "one-sided" love affair by a distant relative of the girl might have led to the brutal hacking to death, an official said.

"The girl was on her way to Kabaddi practice at Yash Lawns in the Bibewadi area around 5.45 pm when three men, including a 22-year-old, came on a motorcycle and attacked her with a sharp weapon. They stabbed her multiple times. The attack was so brutal that the girl died on the spot," said Namrata Patil, Deputy Commissioner of Police (zone 5). After attacking the girl, the trio fled the spot. Police have launched a manhunt to nab them.

Also read: Two more cops arrested in Kanpur businessman murder case

The assailants, one of them a relative, reportedly reached the ground and approached the girl who was beginning her Kabaddi practice. They took her to the side and after a brief argument, reportedly stabbed her to death. Some news report say the murder weapon was a sickle.

The attack was brutal and the girl is believed to have breathed her last on the spot," senior inspector Sunil Zaware, in-charge of Bibwewadi police station, was quoted by the Indian Express.

(With Agency inputs)

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New Delhi: In a bid to bring attention to atrocities against Hindus in Kashmir, citing the role of Pakistan, Red Lantern Analytica has written a letter to Fionnuala Ni Aolain, the new Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and Michele Coninsx, UN Assistant Secretary-General Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate United Nations.

The letter cited the recent incident in Jammu & Kashmir, wherein, three civilians were gunned down by terrorists within a span of an hour. The first incident occurred in Srinagar's Iqbal Park, where an eminent Kashmiri Pandit who was a chemist, Makhan Lal Bindroo, proprietor of Srinagar's most renowned drug store, was shot dead by the terrorists. The second incident took place, when the militants struck at Hawal area of the city, killing a non-local street vendor, Virender, who used to sell bhelpuri, was shot at point-blank and died on the spot. The third incident took place at Naidkhai in Bandipora district, where Mohammad Shafi Lone was shot dead. While the police did not identify any specific terror group behind the attack, TRF asserted responsibility for the attack.

In a statement, TRF asked Kashmiris not to grieve his demise. The group also targeted the daughter of the deceased, who challenged the gunmen who killed her father to face her in a debate. The TRF also warned everyone in Kashmir, about its intention to kill people belonging to the minority Hindu and Sikh Communities. These kinds of brutal crimes against innocent Kashmiri Pandits took the entire nation by shock.

After the revocation of Articles 35A and 370, though it was perceived that militancy would decline, the formation of the TRF is trying to destroy the new hope. The TRF or the The Resistance Front, comes as a sophisticated version of the Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen. Since its formation, there had been many incidents of brutal attacks on civilians by members of the TRF. And now this one. The killing of the Kashmiri Pandit chemist is like the last blow.

If the security scenario in Kashmir is not taken up by the premiere Human Rights organizations like the UN, then the day is not far, when Pakistan would in the name of Jihad wipe off the remaining Hindu population from the entire Kashmir and become successful in bleeding India with thousand cuts.

That was not all, two more civilians working as teachers in a government school in the Eidgah area of Srinagar, were shot dead by the terrorists. One of the victims was identified by police as Satinder Kaur and Deepak Chand, belonging to the region's minority Sikh and Hindu communities.

Recent cases of people being targeted, primarily from non-Muslim minorities, have sparked widespread resentment among India's Hindu and Sikh populations. Many fears a recurrence of the 1990s Hindu Exodus from Kashmir, when Kashmiri Pandits were subjected to ethnic cleansing and extermination by local and Pakistani-backed Islamic militants.

As per the statement, Pakistan has been continuously abetting incidents of cross border terrorism, by terrorists nurtured on the Pakistani soil, had been a regular strategy by Pakistans ISI, to implement in reality, the promise made by their former President Bhutto to Bleed India with a Thousand Cuts.

It said that atrocities against Hindu populations in Kashmir have long been a part of the region's history. It grew even more violent in 1965, when Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Pakistan's former Prime Minister and President, proclaimed a thousand-year war on India in the UN Security Council, also known as Bleed India with a Thousand Cuts, a military doctrine to attack India. Due to the endless political savagery waged by Pakistan on India, post its birth after independence, Kashmir has turned out to be one of the most dangerous places on the planet.

There are many incidences of cross border terrorism by Pakistan. The first incident happened in Kashmir in the 1980s when groups of trained terrorists crossed the border into India. According to Kashmir, however, the cross-border terrorism that Pakistan was abetting was nothing more than a component of the Kashmiris' "freedom struggle" for which Pakistan offered spiritual support. However, when the Director-General of the ISI declared in the Pakistani National Assembly that the ISI was financing this support in Kashmir, this claim was debunked.

Kashmir has witnessed an escalation of violence over the period of time. There have been incidents such as the terror attack on the Indian Air Force base in Pathankot, Punjab on 2nd January 2016. The death of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani at the hands of the Indian Security Forces, spinning out into violence on the streets. Then came the terror strike on Indian Security forces in Uri on 8th September 2016. India did the surgical strike on terror outfits in POJK in 2016 and managed to control stone-pelting. Then came the Pulwama terrorist attack of 14th February 2019, as a response to which India carried out an airstrike at Balakot on the 26th of the same month.

Based on this evidence that establishes the atrocities against Hindus, Red Lantern Analytica has implored them to dispatch a fact-finding mission to Kashmir to assess the danger posed by the presence of terror elements in the valley and to investigate killings of civilians by such terrorists and ensure that the OHCHR takes Suo moto cognizance of the matter and constitutes a special committee to investigate the matter after the fact-finding mission submits its report. It also implored them to create a committee with special rapporteurs to focus on issues of terrorism in Kashmir and assess the role of Pakistan in the process.

The United Nations Counter-terrorism Committee and United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights should take prompt action to maintain peace in Kashmir and protect Kashmiri pandits.

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New Delhi: Two days after the arrest of two policemen, two more were arrested on Tuesday (October 12) in Kanpur businessman Manish Guptas murder case.

The SIT has declared a reward of Rs 1 lakh on each of the cops.

Superintendent of Police (City) Sonam Kumar said, Accused inspector Rahul Dubey and constable Prashant have been arrested in connection with the murder of businessman Manish Gupta. SIT had announced a cash reward of Rs 1 lakh.

On Sunday, suspended cops Inspector JN Singh and sub-inspector Akshay Mishra were arrested in the same case.

Manish Gupta (36) died in a Gorakhpur hotel during a police raid. He was staying along with two friends in the hotel. Police had earlier denied the charge and said he received a head injury after he fell on the ground as he was drunk.

Later, it was found that he died after police thrashed him. A case of murder was then registered against six policemen.

Meanwhile, the wife of the businessman, Meenakshi Gupta, has demanded capital punishment for the accused.

"The accused cops deserve to be hanged because they killed my husband for no apparent fault of his," she said.

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Balvindars expertise in Digital Marketing has helped his clients rank in the search engine amongst the high competition. He understands the nuances and tricks of Digital Marketing. In addition, he never applies the same technique to all of his clients. According to him, each client is different, meaning each has its own set of requirements based on the nature of the business. It is important to optimize strategies according to different client profiles. He says that while it is easy to learn Digital Marketing, the application is of utmost importance. Many know Digital Marketing, but they do not understand it. Digital Marketers must be well-versed with words. They should know how to play around with words because words and strategies are their weapons. The mastery and proper use of the skill for your benefit come with years of experience.

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(Disclaimer- Brand Desk Content)
Kashmir: In the latest encounter at Feripora of Shopian district in Jammu and Kashmir, two unidentified terrorists were killed. This was the fourth encounter in the Valley and fifth in J&K in the last 36 hours. Yesterday, three encounters broke out in Kashmir. First one was in Verinag area of Anantnag district where police claimed to have killed one terrorist and recovered one pistol and one grenade.

While searches were going on at Verinag area, another encounter broke in north Kashmir at Hajin area of Bandipora district. Police said they killed a terrorist of TRF and recovered arms and ammunition. The police also claimed to have solved the case of targetted killing of Mohammad Shafi Lone of Bandipora who was killed on October 5 evening. Police IGP said the terrorist who died in the encounter was responsible Mohammad Shafi Lone's killing.

As both the operations concluded in Kashmir, a terrorist targeted an Army party in Peer Panjal range at Surankot Poonch in forest area when they had launched anti-infiltration operation. In the exchange of fire, five army personnel including a JCO got critically injured and later succumbed to his injuries. The operation in the area is still underway.

Later in the evening, an operation was launched by the joint team of security forces in Tulran village of Imamsahib, Shopian district. The operation continued overnight and in the morning at about 5am, the Kashmir police claimed have killed three TRF terrorists in the encounter.

Among the three terrorists, one was identified. IGP Kashmir said that the militant was involved in targetted killing of Virendar Paswan, a local street vendor who was killed in Lal Bazar on the evening of October 5.

One hour after the operation was concluded in Imamsahib, another operation was launched in Feeripora of Shopian. Where two unidentified terrorists were killed, the IGP said.

After the target killing incidents in Kashmir, the security has been beefed up and counter-terrorism operation has been fastened. It started after L-G Jammu and Kashmir held a detailed security review meeting with Union Home Minister in Dehli.

Meanwhile, NIA is also conducting raids in Jammu And Kashmir.

In Kashmir, since Sunday, more than 30 places they have raided and in a press release it said they have arrested two TRF operatives and recovered incriminating materials also.

Jammu Kashmir police too had put many sensitive areas mainly srinagar city - on high alert. Hundreds of people have been questioned in the last five days and many have been detained also to get leads about the target killings of Famous pharmacist M L Bindroo and two school teachers.

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New Delhi: At least three terrorists of proscribed outift Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT)/The Resistance Front (TRF) were killed during an encounter in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district on Tuesday. The police informed arms and ammunition and other incrimination materials were also recovered from their possession.

On the basis of specific information about presence of terrorists, a joint team of the police and the army cordoned off the area and launched a search operation. As the security forces zeroed in on the spot where terrorists were hiding they came under a heavy volume of fire that triggered the encounter.

"#ShopianEncounterUpdate: 03 #terrorists of LeT (TRF) killed. Identification being ascertained. #Incriminating materials including arms & ammunition recovered. Search going on. Further details shall follow. @JmuKmrPolice," Kashmir Zone Police informed in a tweet.

#ShopianEncounterUpdate: 03 #terrorists of LeT (TRF) killed. Identification being ascertained. #Incriminating materials including arms & ammunition recovered. Search going on. Further details shall follow.@JmuKmrPolice https://t.co/rXyDGvedeL  Kashmir Zone Police (@KashmirPolice) October 11, 2021

Meanwhile, one of three terrorists has been identified as a resident from Ganderbal district, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir Vijay Kumar told ANI. "One terrorist has identified as Mukhtar Shah of Ganderbal. He had shifted to Shopian after killing one street hawker Virendra Paswan of Bihar," Kumar said.

The encounter has started at Tulran, Imamsahab area of Shopian.

On Monday, as many as five Indian Army personnel including a junior commissioned officer (JCO) and four soldiers were killed during a counter-terrorist operation in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district. The anti-insurgency operation was launched in a village close to DKG in Surankote in the early hours following intelligence inputs about the presence of terrorists, PTI said quoting a defence spokesman.

As per the officials, there are reports about the presence of a group of heavily-armed terrorists in Chamrer forest after they managed to sneak from across the Line of Control (LoC).

(With input from agencies)

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Mumbai: Maharashtra on Tuesday announced that cinema halls and auditorium in the state have been permitted to reopen from October 22 with 50 per cent capacity. A Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to this effect was also issued for ensure strict adherence to COVID protocols.

The decision was taken by the state givernment after Maharashtra reported 1,736 new cases of COVID-19, the lowest daily count in nearly 17 months. The totsl tally is now at 65,79,608 and the death toll is 1,39,578, according to state health department's bulletin.

Check the latest SOP here:

1. The occupancy shall not be more than 50 per cent of their total seating capacity.

2. Aarogya Setu App shall be mandatory for all visitors in cinema halls/theatres.

3. All staff must have received two doses of COVID-19 vaccine and 14 days must have elapsed since second dose.

4. Staggered show timings for multiplexes to avoid crowding.

5. Only digital payment methods to be used for booking tickers, payment for food and beverages.

6. Proper crowd management in parking lots, thermal screening of visitors, only asymptomatic people will be allowed. Restricted persons in elevators have been advised.

7. Masks, physical distancing, covering of face while coughing/sneezing, regular hand sanitization etc are to be strictly enforced.

8. No food and beverages will be allowed inside the screening hall. Purchased packaged food and beverages will be allowed only outside the screening hall.

The auditorium and cinema halls were closed for business in mid-March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Though, in some parts of the country it had restarted for a few months in October and November in different parts of the country. But amid a second wave in May this year, the services were closed again.

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New Delhi: Actors-politicians Nusrat Jahan and Yash Dasgupta have been grabbing headlines ever since they welcomed their first child together, Yishaan. Now, the alleged lovebirds are trending once again for their festive photoshoot for the Durga Puja. This is their first Durga Puja since becoming parents to a baby boy.

Nusrat and Yash posed for T2 Telegraph in a variety of ethnic outfits. In one of the pictures, the Trinamool MP is seen sitting on Yash's lap while in a few others, they are seen gazing lovingly at each other. The photos have been widely shared by their fan clubs. Take a look at their photos below:

Nusrat, who has so far refrained herself from speaking about the father of her newborn son, recently sparked speculations that she and Yash have secretly tied the knot. The Bengali actress shared a few glimpses of the birthday celebrations of Yash on her Instagram stories. His birthday cake had the words 'husband' and 'dad' with 'Happy Birthday' mentioned on it.

Nusrat and Yash came close to each other on the sets of the Bengali film 'SOS Kolkata' in 2020.

In June, Nusrat had announced her split with husband Nikhil Jain and released an official statement as well. The actress-turned-politician said, "Our separation happened long back, but I did not speak about it as I intended to keep my private life to myself." She also claimed that her marriage was not registered as per Indian laws, and it was only a live-in relationship.

For the unversed, Nusrat Jahan and Nikhil Jain tied the knot in June 2019 in Turkey. However, a few months after their wedding, rumours started that the couple was facing marital discord with the actress even levelling cheating allegations against the former. Nusrat tied the knot with her businessman beau Nikhil Jain in the picturesque Turkish town of Bodrum on June 19, 2019. The wedding ceremony was done as per the Turkish Marriage Regulation.
New Delhi: Ranveer Singh is all set to make his debut on television with The Big Picture. After Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar, Aamir Khan, and Shah Rukh Khan, he is also ready to don the hat of a host.

So finally before hosting the show, he sat for a fun session where he was asked three questions which have been taken from his Instagram handle.

The promo has been shared by the Colors official Instagram handle and while answering one of the questions he got nervous and said if I wont be able to answer this question then I will get lappad (slap) once I reach home.

Well, the question was related to him and his wife Deepika Padukone. The picture was taken on their first wedding anniversary, and so Ranveer had to answer the name of the temple.

Well, in the promo, Ranveer gave all the answers like a pro and also tagged him as the husband of the century.

Recently, during the grand launch of The Big Picture, Ranveer opened up about how his wife Deepika has been pivotal in helping him become a part of the show. The actor spoke in detail about how he has been preparing to host this exciting show and how his lady love Deepika has been his biggest confidant in the process.

When asked what was his family especially Deepikas reaction on him hosting The Big Picture, Ranveer credited the actcress for pushing him to do better. Deepika has given me a lot of tips to do a better job as the host. She has always been my biggest confidant and shares constructive criticism with me. I'm really grateful that I have such a sharp mind as my partner. With her love and support, I'll surely be able to give my best!, Ranveer said.

Watch The Big Picture grand premiere on October 16, 2021 at 8 pm, only on COLORS!
Mumbai: Actor Richa Chadha has decided to take a break from Twitter. On Tuesday (October 12), Richa shared that shes deleting the application from her phone as she finds it toxic."Deleting this app off of my phone. Takes too much, is toxic. Bye," Richa tweeted.

Richas tweet garnered different reactions from social media users. "This platform can take a toll on mental strength, not everyone can endure it. It's better to take a break and gather positive energy. Farewell Richa. Be blessed," a user commented.

One user suggested she mute or block the trollers instead of deleting the application. "Mam please do not delete this app. We are already running short of good people, expressive people who are not afraid to speak the truth and youre one of them. So please do not go... instead of leaving this platform, you can simply mute or block such people," a netizen wrote.

Richas tweet comes days after one of the social media users mocked her with a disgusting prediction about her to-be married life with actor Ali Fazal. "Tumhara talaaq kab ho raha hain batao. Kyu ki tumhari shadi Aamir Khan ki tarah zada din nahi tikne wali (When are you getting divorced? Tell us. Because your marriage is not going to last long, just like Aamir Khan`s)," the user tweeted.

Richa was quick to give a befitting reply to the particular netizen. "Sarvesh, forget about me, are you losing your mind because no one married you willingly? In your case, it must have been the girl who asked for dowry. Neither do you have looks nor intelligence and you are also poor? Your mother must have switched from LPG to an earthen stove. My regards to you, aunty. What kind of s**t-like devil you have brought into this world? This unemployed, pitiable person can dare to speak only here," Richa wrote in Hindi.
New Delhi: Producer Vipul Amrutlal Shah's upcoming hostage drama, Sanak  Hope Under Siege features Vidyut Jammwal in the lead. The Disney+ Hotstar and Zee Studios backed film aims at being a game-changer.

The action-packed trailer of Sanak featuring one of the biggest action stars of the world, Vidyut Jammwal, Bengali superstar Rukmini Maitra, who is making her big Bollywood debut, Chandan Roy Sanyal and Neha Dhupia, has been appreciated by the viewers, critics and industry alike.

With Vidyut portraying the central character, Sanak is certainly going to be an action extravaganza with an equal dose of emotion, love and drama.

Talking about the magnitude of action sequences, scale and Vidyuts preparation for the same, producer Vipul Amrutlal Shah informed, Vidyut always prepares differently for every film that we have done together. He has many ideas and he is constantly working, even when we are not shooting or even when the films are not planned. He is working round the year on new ideas to make the action of his next film to go to the next level.

For Sanak, both Vidyut and Vipul wanted the action to look different and never-seen-before in Hindi cinema. Vidyut is one person I have met who is never satisfied with whatever we have done or achieved. So when we were planning Sanak, he said, Sir we have to go ahead of Commando and we will go ahead of it. When I saw what he had prepared for Sanak with the team of Andy Long (Hollywood stunt choreographer) I was quite amazed. Director Kanishk Varma had a very beautiful and clear idea on how he wanted the action sequences to look on screen, so as a team they created something which was absolutely fantastic, fascinating and next level. So that is something I am always surprised with what Vidyut brings on the table, Vipul Shah added.

Starring Vidyut Jammwal, Chandan Roy Sanyal, Neha Dhupia and Rukmini Maitra (who is making her Bollywood debut), Sanak - Hope Under Siege is presented by Zee Studios in association with Sunshine Pictures Pvt Ltd and will be streaming from October 15 only on Disney+ Hotstar Multiplex.

It is a Vipul Amrutlal Shah production, directed by Kanishk Varma.
New Delhi: It is now necessary to link a PAN to various documents. In this regard, the Income Tax Department has long issued guidelines which state that linking your PAN card with your Aadhaar number is critical, and failure to do so may result in the closure of your PAN. The EPFO is also bound by the same rules. Companies would be unable to deposit funds into your PF account until you link your PAN and Aadhaar. Link your PAN card to Aadhaar if you haven't already.

The government has set a deadline of September 30, 2021 for integrating PAN and Aadhaar. The market regulator, SEBI, has implemented a similar rule, forcing investors to link their PAN to Aadhaar by September 30. LIC has also asked for PAN to be linked on this basis.

According to LIC, there are various benefits to linking your PAN to your insurance. You must submit your cell phone number for this, and an OTP will be delivered to that number. The linking of the documents will be completed with that OTP. Following the submission of the form, a message appears informing you that the registration has been completed. You can complete this activity fast by heading to the LIC website. LIC has offered three steps for this, making it straightforward to attach a LIC policy to a PAN.

Check the steps below:

On the LIC's website, provide your PAN number as well as a list of your policies.

Please provide your mobile phone number. LIC will send an OTP to that phone number; enter it.

After submitting the form, you will receive a message indicating that your registration request was successful. This indicates that your PAN has been linked to a LIC policy.

Link PAN with Aadhaar

Many government documents are now required to be linked to a PAN number. The final date has been set for September 30. Prior to this, both documents must be linked to each other; otherwise, PAN may encounter several complications. Text messages on phones can also be used to connect people.

Put UIDPAN in the message box on your phone, then enter your Aadhaar number and PAN in the spaces provided. Messages can be sent to the numbers 567678 or 56161. The Income Tax Department will next begin the process of connecting the two documents. After both documents are linked, you will receive the information on your phone. There is a message for this on the phone. If you like, you can also check its status.

Heres how to check the status:

Go to www.incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in/aadhaarstatus

Then enter PAN and Aadhaar number

Now click on 'View Link Aadhaar Status'

On the next screen you will see the linking status

No Proof Needed

There is no need to provide any paperwork to link the two documents. This only needs Aadhaar and a PAN. The information in both documents, however, must be similar; only then will the linking be successful.

If there is a discrepancy, the connection work will be terminated. During the connection process, the message 'Identity data mismatch' may display. There is a reason for this.

This shows that the information you supplied differs from that provided by Aadhaar or PAN. As a result of this disparity, the notice 'Identity Data Mismatch' appears. Make sure your information is correct to repair this.

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New Delhi: The National Pension Scheme (NPS) is one of the most popular investment vehicles for accumulating a retirement fund. This government-backed scheme, administered by the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA), is a voluntary investment plan for employees in the public, private, and unorganised sectors. The NPS encourages investors to invest in pension accounts on a regular basis.

Individual funds are pooled in a pension fund and invested in diversified portfolios of Government Bonds, Bills, Corporate Debentures, and Shares by PFRDA regulated professional fund managers in accordance with authorised investment rules. These contributions would grow and accrue over time, based on the returns on the investment.

NPS annuity:

When opening an NPS account, the account holder is given two options: active or auto mode. Apart from that, the account holder has the option of deciding how much of the maturity amount to invest in an annuity. This percentage of annuity purchase determines the amount of pension they will receive.

The NPS rules require that an annuity be purchased for at least 40% of the net NPS maturity amount. If someone wishes to raise this limit, there is no cap. Annuities can be purchased with 100% of the NPS maturity amount. Also Read: Aadhaar Self-service Update Portal: Check the charges for updating Name, DoB, Gender, Address and Language

According to tax and financial experts, a low risk appetite individual can also manage to generate up to Rs 1.78 lakh monthly income by putting Rs 12,000 per month in their NPS account. This is possible if NPS subscribers employ the SWP (Systematic Withdrawal Plan) to supplement their monthly income after retirement.

Rs 12,000 per month to get Rs 1.78 lakh monthly income:

If an investor invests Rs 12,000 per month in an NPS account for 30 years while maintaining a 60:40 equity-debt exposure ratio and purchases annuities worth 40% of the net NPS maturity amount, assuming a 10% return on investment, they will end up with Rs 1,64,11,142 lump sum and Rs 54,704 monthly pension as annuities provide at least a 6% annual return.

The NPS calculator reveals that if a person buys an annuity worth 50% of the net NPS maturity amount, the monthly pension will increase to Rs 68,330, while the lump sum withdrawal amount will decrease to Rs 1,36,75,952. NPS account members can use the SWP lump sum to supplement their monthly income. Also Read: Bank holidays October 2021: From today, Banks will remain closed for 12 days, check out important dates

Note: This pension calculator depicts the approximate Pension and Lump Sum amount that an NPS subscriber may expect at maturity or at the age of 60 based on regular monthly contributions, a percentage of corpus reinvested for purchasing annuities, and assumed rates for returns on investment and annuity chosen.

According to experts, putting Rs 1.64 crore in SWP for 25 years would allow an NPS investor to take Rs 1,23,560 each month for 25 years if the SWP yield is 8% per annum. This means that if a person invests Rs 12,000 per month in an NPS account for 30 years with a 50:50 equity debt exposure, they will receive about Rs 1.70 lakh per month  Rs 68,330 from annuity return and Rs 1.02 lakh from SWP.

However, if they deposit Rs 12,000 per month in an NPS account with a 40% annuity exposure, they will be able to produce around Rs 1.78 lakh per month in income  Rs 54,704 from annuity and Rs 1.23 lakh from SWP.

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CHENNAI: Veteran Tamil actor Srikanth, who made his debut alongside the late J Jayalalithaa in the 1965 classic "Vennira Adai" died here on Tuesday, film industry sources said. The 82 year-old actor died due to old age, they said.

"#RIPSrikanth !!," said the official Twitter handle of 'Nadigar Sangam,' the artists association.

In his 40-year career, Srikanth had acted as hero and villain, besides featuring in many character roles as well. 'Vennira Adai' (The white cloth) was directed by late veteran CV Sridhar.

The actor is known for his many supporting roles in films starring top stars of Tamil cinema, including the late Sivaji Ganesan, Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan.

His memorable roles include that of the rebellious son of a strict police officer, played by Ganesan, in the 1974 super hit 'Thanga Pathakkam,' (The Gold Medal).

He also played the anti-hero in 'Bhairavi,' Rajinikanth's first flick as a hero.
New Delhi: A man accused of chain snatching was gunned down at Sriperumbudur while another accomplice has been arrested, police said on Monday. The suspect had recently allegedly created panic by opening fire after an incident of chain snatching in Chennai city suburbs. At least 300 police personnel and drones were used to launch a massive search hunt, the Indian Express reported.

According to a report by PTI, Murthasa (25) snatched a six-sovereign gold chain from a woman waiting to board a bus near a toll plaza at Sriperumbudur on Sunday. As he was fleeing along with his accomplice identified as Naim Akthar the woman raised an alarm and members of public pursued the duo. Murthasa whipped out a gun and opened fire, as per the police. Though, no one was injured in the gunfiring.

Following the incident, Kancheepuram district superintendent formed teams to trace and nab the culprits. Several teams were formed, they traced the duo to a spot near the Mevalurkuppam Lake at Sriperumbudur and surrounded Murthasa.

"But, he tried to escape after firing at the police and was killed in retaliatory fire," a senior official was quoted by PTI. Naim Akthar was arrested, and the gun and other weapons were seized..

Further investigations are underway to ascertain if the duo's involvment in another incident of shooting and injuring a staff of the State-owned TASMAC liquor outlet at Oragadam on October 4.

(With PTI inputs)

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New Delhi: Gmail, Google's free email service, was down in some parts of India on Tuesday afternoon, preventing users from sending or receiving emails.

According to the outage tracking tool Down Detector, 73% of users reported website difficulties, 14% reported server connection issues, and 12% indicated a login issue in the country.

The Gmail problem was eventually resolved.

Some users took to social media channels such as Twitter to express their dissatisfaction with the inability to access Gmail. Also Read: OnePlus 9RT to launch on October 13: Here's all you need to know

"I am not able to send or receive mails, is Gmail down?" one user said.

Another user posted on Twitter: "Sending or receiving mails is being difficult for the past hour".

"I guess, again Gmail is not working, or I`m the only user who is facing issue," a user posted.

Earlier in June, multiple customers reported an outage affecting Google and its services, including Gmail.

Google services, including Gmail, YouTube, and Google search, fell down for millions of users around the world in December of last year.

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New Delhi: Instagram, a subsidiary of Facebook, announced on Monday that it is testing a feature that will alert users of outages or technical issues directly on the photo-sharing app, only days after two disruptions crippled the social media giant's services last week.

Instagram announced in a blog post that the test will take place in the United States for a few months. On October 4, the company's 3.5 billion users were unable to access its social media and messaging services, including WhatsApp, Instagram, and Messenger, due to a six-hour outage.

According to user reports on the Web monitoring group Downdetector, several Instagram users experienced issues earlier on Monday. The company also intends to launch a feature that will make it easier for users to determine whether their account is at risk of being disabled. Also Read: Gmail suffers massive outage in some parts of India

Following the disruptions, the social media giant has been the subject of memes and jokes on Twitter. It is also dealing with former employee turned whistleblower Frances Haugen's claim that the firm regularly prioritised profit over cracking down on hate speech and misinformation. Also Read: OnePlus 9RT to launch on October 13: Here's all you need to know

Haugen, who provided the documents that underpinned a Wall Street Journal investigation and a Senate hearing on Instagrams harm to teen girls, has agreed to meet with Facebooks oversight board in the coming weeks to brief them about what she learned while working at the company.

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New Delhi: Microsoft on Monday announced that Windows 11 users can now start using Chat from Microsoft Teams on Windows. Chat from Microsoft Teams will be pinned to the Taskbar at Windows 11 startup.

According to the company, the new Teams experience on Windows 11 and Chat are "intended for personal Microsoft accounts and will be available only to individuals using such accounts".

"There are two different apps of Microsoft Teams on Windows 11  for personal and for work purposes. The Teams app labelled as work or school uses the icon with blue tile with a white letter 'T' inside," informed Microsoft.

Microsoft Teams now has 250 million monthly active users and 80 million monthly active Phone users on the platform.

The company said that if you had Teams installed before upgrading your device to Windows 11, you can continue to use Teams for work or school as you had prior to the upgrade.

Earlier this year, Microsoft released new features designed for personal chats on Teams, including Together Mode, Polls, etc.

The company last week announced that Windows 11 is now available through a free upgrade on eligible Windows 10 PCs and on new PCs pre-installed with Windows 11 worldwide.

Windows 11 is the first version of Windows designed for the hybrid work era.

Windows 11 comes with redesigns the Taskbar icons and Start menu. It also adds rounded corners for all programme windows and built-in Teams chat.
New Delhi: With less than six months left to 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, the top leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) met to hold discussions on the party`s strategy for the upcoming polls|. The BJP leadership discussed party`s election agenda and also spoke of expanding the organisation`s work.

BJP national president Jagat Prakash Nadda, general secretary BL Santhosh, Uttar Pradesh in-charge Radha Mohan Singh, state chief Swantantra Dev Singh and Uttar Pradesh election in-charge Dharmendra Pradhan were present in the meeting. The meeting was held at the party's previous headquarters at 11 Ashok Road.

The BJP has prepared a presentation listing out the welfare schemes that the government has initiated and needed to be conveyed to the voters. The BJP has also decided to various public meetings in Uttar Pradesh and increase its presence at the booth level. The party also held deliberations on the farmers` protest and on the political situation in Uttar Pradesh in view of the Lakhimpur Kheri incident.

Key highlights of meeting:

1. Election Strategy for UP

2. Election schedule for the upcoming days

3. Outline of the BJP's electoral program

4. Public meeting of top party leaders in state

5. Election Campaign Strategy

6. Discussion on feedback taken from MLA, MP and party members in Lucknow

7. Preparation for holding social conference in UP

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Minister Amit Shah and JP Nadda are likely to visit the state in coming days. PM Modi is likely to visit Kushinagar on October 20 while Amit Shah may participate in a program in Kanpur. JP Nadda may attend an event in Gorakhpur.

In the 2017 Assembly elections, the BJP won by a landslide caoturing 312 Assembly seats. The party secured a 39.67 per cent vote share in the elections for 403-member Assembly. Samajwadi Party (SP) bagged 47 seats, BSP won 19 while Congress could manage to win only seven seats.

(With ANI inputs)

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New Delhi: Heiry Calvi, a Florida teacher arrested after she was accused of having sex with a teen student, is now found to be pregnant, the 'Daily Star' reported on Monday (October 11, 2021). The Miami-Dade Schools police started investigating Calvi in March this year following complaints from students that a 15-year-old student was showing off videos of himself having sex with the 41-year-old teacher.

She was also reportedly found with a gun on school grounds and was arrested on Friday for offences against students, child neglect, possession of a firearm on school property and lascivious battery.

The Police also stated that the students have refused to help with their inquiries.

"When we spoke to him, he denied being a victim. He flat out told us he was not raped. But I want to point out under Florida law, a minor cannot give consent," Rey Valdes, a police spokesman, was quoted as saying by a news website.

The police spokesman confirmed the teacher is eight months pregnant and added, "I'm not going to speculate as to whose child it is."

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An Afghan interpreter, who once helped rescue Joe Biden in 2008, has escaped from Afghanistan along with his family after spending weeks in hiding.

Aman Khalili was left behind in Afghanistan following the US departure from Kabul after its takeover by the Taliban in August, Wall Street Journal reported.

The Afghan interpreter was rescued following a plea for help to US President Biden, whom he helped when Biden's helicopter made an emergency landing in a Taliban-controlled area during a snowstorm.

According to WSJ, US veterans and former Afghan soldiers worked together to drive Khalili and his family more than 600 miles across Afghanistan to Pakistan.

Earlier, White House spokesperson Jen Psaki promised that Khalili's service would be honoured. Back in August, Khalili was not able to get his application to emigrate to the US processed in time as the Taliban gained power in Afghanistan at a swift pace. Khalili, along with his family spent several weeks in hiding while they tried to find a way out, hampered by Khalili's resolve not to leave without his family, according to WSJ.

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New Delhi: The gifts handed over to former US President Donald Trump and his team by the super wealthy Saudi royal family have turned out to be fakes. Trump and his team were gifted luxurious robes allegedly made of cheetah and tiger fur.

In addition to the furs, Saudis gave other expensive gifts including three swords and three daggers, one of the daggers had a handle that appeared to be ivory. But, they are all fake, The New York Times said in a report.

The presents were given to Trump during his 2017 trip to Saudi Arabia but these gifts were not disclosed by the Trump administration for nearly four years. On President Trump's last full day of presidency, the White House handed the 'gifts' over to the General Services Administration. As it turns out, the US Fish and Wildlife Service seized the gifts this summer and that is when the startling discovery was made.

Wildlife inspectors and special agents determined the linings of the robes were dyed to mimic tiger and cheetah patterns and were not comprised of protected species, Interior Department spokesman Tyler Cherry told The New York Times.

These gifts had already landed the Trump administration in trouble because if the fur was indeed real, the White House risked being in violation of the Endangered Species Act, the 1973 environmental conservation law. But as it turns out to be a fake it has become a matter of deep embarassment.

Though, it is unclear whether Saudi Arabia knows about the authenticity of the furs or whether they too had been deceived. The incident is an embarrassing development for the Saudis, The NYT went on to say in its report.

The Saudi royals had showered the former president with 82 gifts when he visited the kingdom in May 2017.

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